INDIA VOL 26 NO. 5 AUGUST 2012
INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL
PERSPECTIVES
MY INDIA PICTURES
... COLOURFUL
Hawkers selling colourful bangles and necklaces near Taj Mahal in Agra
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PATHBREAKERS
EXPERIMENTS IN EDUCATION THAT ARE GIVING THE DISADVANTAGED A NEW SENSE OF FREEDOM
INDIA THIS MONTH
AUGUST 2012
editorial note
August 10
JANMASHTAMI The day marks the birth of Lord Krishna. In Mumbai, teams form human pyramids to break high-hanging dahi handis (clay pots filled with curds). Fasting and feasting are part of the rituals. Where: Across India
August 15-16
INDEPENDENCE ROCK FESTIVAL Popularly known as I-Rock, it is India’s oldest and biggest. City-level winners contest on day 1 for prizes, day 2 is open to “pro” bands. Where: Chitrakoot Grounds, Mumbai
August 1-2
VELANKANNI CHURCH FESTIVAL The Virgin Mary is known as Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, which is known as the Loudres of the East. During the festival millions of orange-clad pilgrims visit the shrine. Where: Velankanni Church, Tamil Nadu
AFP
NARO-NASJAL FESTIVAL A bronze statue of Yogi Naropa, housed in a room adjacent to the monastery, is unveiled every year on the eve of the festival. Masked dances are other attractions. Where: Sani Monastery, Zanskar, Jammu and Kashmir
August 29-September 8
August 29 August 11
August 9-11
RAASRANG WORLD FLUTE FESTIVAL The theme of this year’s festival is Love, Peace, Water and the focus is on tribal and folk musicians and instruments. Artists from all over the world will attend. Where: Lotus Temple, New Delhi
NEHRU TROPHY BOAT RACE Teams vie with each other for the trophy instituted in 1952 by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It is one of the most important races of the season. Where: Punnamada Lake, Alappuzha, Kerala
August 25-27
GOGAMEDI FAIR It is held to worship Gogaji, a local snake-god of Rajasthan. The festivities include music, dance and matchmaking. Enjoy shopping for local handicrafts on the sidelines. Where: Ganganagar district, Rajasthan
ONAM It is the state festival of Kerala. House fronts are decorated with flower carpets or pookkalams, people wear new clothes, and enjoy feasts and boat races. Where: Kerala
his month we are celebrating our Independence Day. It was on August 15, 1947, that India became a sovereign nation; with pride we recall the immortal words of our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru which are part of one of the most famous speeches in contemporary Indian history. Addressing India’s Constituent Assembly a little after 11 p.m. on August 14, he spoke about a “tryst with destiny” and ushering India into “life and freedom”, emphasizing: “A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.” A reason why this utterance, even three score and five years after Independence, has not translated into a voice for many of our countrymen is the lack of education. This despite the fact that education is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution, and one of the world’s largest ongoing programmes aimed at providing education for all, the Government-run Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, has enrolled 20 million out-of-school children between six and 14 over the last decade. The country has forged ahead on the economic front, but the shackles of illiteracy have yet to be shaken off completely — the challenges are enormous given the sheer size of our population. When the task is colossal, every effort, big or small, that seeks to help accomplish it, is laudable. This is why our Special Independence Day issue is a tribute to experiments in education. A celebration of those who are spreading literacy to strengthen the hands of the unempowered. In this issue, we also bring you some stunning photographs of Kailash-Mansarovar. Every year, the Ministry of External Affairs organises a yatra (pilgrimage) to this awe-inspiring part of the Himalayas, believed by the Hindus to be the abode of Lord Shiva, the destroyer of the Hindu trinity. Mythology has it that it is from his matted locks that the River Ganga originates. The place is also of religious importance to Jains and Buddhists. And in Rio recently, about 90 heads of state and government met for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Representing India was a high-level team headed by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. Building on its earlier record, India emerged as a strong voice of the G77 caucus comprising 131 countries, including the least developed nations and the island states. The PM’s message seeking a future which promises “ecological and economic space for sustainable growth for all,” was echoed in the final outcome of the conference which endorsed India’s stand on equitable burden sharing. On a personal note, I would like to bid all of you goodbye. I have enjoyed bringing you the magazine but am leaving to take up a new assignment as India’s ambassador to Egypt. India Perspectives will continue to bring you the many facets of India that make it such a fascinating country.
T
Navdeep Suri
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INDIA
PERSPECTIVES August 2012 n VOL 26 No. 5/2012
AUGUST 2012 Editor: Navdeep Suri Assistant Editor: Abhay Kumar MEDIA TRANSASIA TEAM Editor-in-Chief: Maneesha Dube Creative Director: Bipin Kumar
India This Month
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Travel: Jewel in the Ice
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Senior Assistant Editor: Urmila Marak Editorial Coordinator: Kanchan Rana
INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL
Design: Ajay Kumar (Assistant Art Director), Sujit Singh (Visualiser) Production: Sunil Dubey (DGM), Ritesh Roy (Sr. Manager) Brijesh K. Juyal (Pre-Press Operator)
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Chairman: J.S. Uberoi President: Xavier Collaco Financial Controller: Puneet Nanda Send editorial contributions and letters to Media Transasia India Ltd.
PATHBREAKERS
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Science on Wheels: Agastya Foundation
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Street Dreams: Salaam Baalak Trust
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School for Thought: Dattatray Sakat
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Mass Connect: IGNOU
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Culture Station: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
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Girl Power: Pardada Pardadi Society
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323, Udyog Vihar, Phase IV, Gurgaon 122016
Hope for the Hopeless: MV Foundation
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Haryana, India
Beggars Turned Choosers: Sarvan Kumar
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E-mail: feedback.indiaperspectives@mtil.biz
Dream Makers: Dhirendra Singh
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Age No Bar: Aziz Indori
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Global Perspectives: Green Goals
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Partnerships: A Narrative of Opportunity
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Reviews: Film: Faith Accompli Book Extract: The Bollywood Connection
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Verbatim: Shakuntala Devi
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Telephone: 91-124-4759500 Fax: 91-124-4759550
India Perspectives is published every month in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Sinhala, Spanish, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese. Views expressed in the articles are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Ministry of External Affairs.
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INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL
This edition is published for the Ministry of External Affairs by Navdeep Suri, Joint Secretary, Public Diplomacy Division, New Delhi, 140 ‘A’ Wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001. Telephones: 91-11-23389471, 91-11-23388873, Fax: 91-11-23385549 Website: http://www.indiandiplomacy.in Text may be reproduced with an acknowledgement to India Perspectives For a copy of India Perspectives contact the nearest Indian diplomatic mission.
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COVER PHOTO: TWO SCHOOL BOYS IN A SMALL TOWN IN INDIA / IMAGESBAZAAR COVER DESIGN: BIPIN KUMAR
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Jewel SNAPSHOTS
IN
THE ICE
A DESIRE TO SEE THE SUBLIME BEAUTY AND AN ABIDING FAITH COMPEL THOUSANDS OF DEVOTEES TO UNDERTAKE THE SACRED JOURNEY TO KAILASH MANSAROVAR
(Clockwise from right) The majestic Mount Kailash over Rakshastaal; a local woman in traditional attire; land cruisers are a popular mode of transport in the high terrains; a single circumambulation or parikrama is said to wipe away the sins of a lifetime
PHOTOS: INDIA PICTURE
PHOTO: INDIA PICTURE
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PHOTO: INDIA PICTURE
ANUPAM CHANDA
PHOTO: INDIA PICTURE
(Clockwise from left) The emerald lake, Gaurikund; a villager selling yak tea; the rocky terrain leading to Kailash Mansarovar; pilgrims taking a break; sherpas with their yaks carrying pilgrims’ baggage
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pread over 127 sq km, Mansarovar is a gift of Kailash and other mountain ranges. Located in Tibet at a height of 21,778 ft, the Hindus believe it is the abode of Lord Shiva. It is also revered by the Buddhists, the Jains and the Bonpas of Tibet. The Ministry of External Affairs conducts trips to Kailash Mansarovar every year between May and September. A person has to be medically fit and healthy to undertake the journey, as it involves trekking at high altitudes of up to 19,500 ft, under inhospitable conditions, including extreme cold and rugged terrain. The 27-day trek starts from New Delhi.
S
This area in the north of the Himalayas consists of the twin lakes of Mansarovar and Rakshastaal and Mount Kailash. Four main rivers of north India — Sutlej, Brahmaputra, Karnali (a tributary of the Ganges) and Sindh — originate from this region.
ANUPAM CHANDA
PHOTO: INDIA PICTURE
The routes are: Delhi-AlmoraChaukori-Dharchula-Sirkha-GalaBudhi- Gunji-NabhidhangTakalakote. While in the Chinese territory the camping sites are at Taklakote, Darchin, Deraphu, Zongrebu Hore, Quju, Zaide and Kailash Mansarovar.
(Clockwise from left) The hills of Tibet reflect in the water near Paryang, Tibet; a Tibetan woman performs a circumambulation; the view from above; Dolma Pass wears a colourful look with Tibetan prayer flags
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Pathbreakers On Independence Day, India Perspectives celebrates those who are enabling people to free themselves from the bonds of illiteracy and face the future, confidently
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PATHBREAKERS AGASTYA FOUNDATION
Science on Wheels The mobile education programme has benefited over 3 million children
TEXT: ABHILASHA OJHA
Founded to fuel a scientific temper among students and teachers, the Agastya Foundation’s mission is to bring science education not just to children in the metros but also in the smaller cities, towns and villages of India. It was set up 13 years ago by Ramji Raghavan, an NRI investment banker, who had the desire to do something in the field of education and wanted to give back to society in his own way. What started as a dream is today a reality that is benefiting scores of children across the country. Besides dedicated science centres, the foundation operates mobile vans, which attract thousands of children. A mobile science van or Mobile Lab as it is called, is fitted with equipment that provides hands-on knowledge of science to underprivileged children in India. “One of the first few mobile vans had low-cost lab equipment, all of which was donated by Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education,” Raghavan remembers. “The most recent addition of the mobile van in Magadi, Karnataka, has been sponsored by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.” Over the last decade the number of these vans has increased from one to 61. The Bangalore-based education trust is today one of the largest mobile science education programmes for disadvantaged children and rural teachers in the world. “We use scientific concepts that are fun, useful and accessible. While in Andhra Pradesh’s rural area of Kuppam, a science centre was set up, the mobile labs encouraged children to look beyond rote learning of science and enjoy experiments,” Raghavan explains. Not surprisingly, initiatives by Agastya Foundation have benefited over 3 million children and over 0.1 million teachers from disadvantaged communities. Backed by luminaries from Indian Atomic Energy Commission, Engineers India, Goldman Sachs, Defence Research and many others, Agastya’s journey towards the uplift of children in the education sector continues. “We can’t wait for the day when children all over the country will run behind mobile vans to learn everything that science has to offer. We need to shift from yes to why in school systems, from looking to observing; from being passive to exploring,” Raghavan says. Agastya Foundation’s unfailing attempts have fascinated many, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s media lab and the Clinton Global Initiative, a testimony that the new generation is beginning to explore things the Agastya way. n
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The mobile vans are an attraction for thousands of children
Started 13 years ago by Ramji Raghavan, Agastya Foundation’s mission is to bring science education not just to children in the metros but also to those in the smaller cities, towns and villages
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PATHBREAKERS SALAAM BAALAK TRUST
Street Dreams SBT has nurtured and launched many poor children into the professional world
TEXT: USHA RAI
PHOTOS: VICKY ROY
Haran Kumar, a street kid, brought up and
The children at Salaam Baalak Trust
Set up by filmmaker Mira Nair, her mother Praveen Nair and Sanjoy Roy in 1988-1989, after Salaam Bombay focused world attention on street children, SBT has so far educated and rehabilitated over 50,000 street children
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educated by the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) in Delhi, showed interest in photography and was encouraged to attend a workshop. A year later, he called up Sanjoy Roy, one of the founders of SBT, to invite him to his first photo exhibition. Backed by the confidence and self esteem instilled in him by SBT, Haran approached the Visual Arts Gallery in Delhi’s prestigious India Habitat Centre and booked space. He then approached eminent photographer Raghu Rai to edit his photographs and the Norwegian Embassy to sponsor his exhibition of 24 frames. The very first day all his photographs were sold, one was even selected for the All India Photography Association Award. This award catapulted him onto the international arena and he was invited to shoot an essay on street life in Amsterdam for the World Photography Association. Today, Haran’s exhibitions have toured Singapore, South Africa, the UK and Canada and as a commercial photographer he has done assignments for advertisement agencies and many other establishments. Like many other street children, Haran is grateful to SBT for changing his life. The trust was set up by filmmaker Mira Nair, her mother Praveen Nair and Roy in 1988-1989, after Salaam Bombay focused world attention on the fate of street children. The first to be rehabilitated were the child actors of the film, since then 50,000 street children has been educated and rehabilitated. Initially, SBT supported programmes for working children in Delhi, Mumbai and Bhubaneswar. The Mumbai chapter was set up as an independent body. The Delhi chapter began with just three persons on its staff and 25 children from the New Delhi Railway Station. Today, it has 17 centres and a staff of 150. “By 2013, we hope to support 5,000 children in Delhi,” says Roy. The Trust has had 60 per cent success rate in encouraging and supporting children to return home. Says Roy: “The rest stay on in our full care centres. They are expected to complete class 10 after being put through a bridge course and getting admission in to a formal school. Children showing potential are sent to Lawrence School, Sanwar, and even engineering colleges. Five children have won scholarships for college programmes in the US to study business, tourism and international relations”. Vicky Roy, who is following in Haran’s footsteps, was selected by the Maybach Foundation and the Silverstein Properties as one of the four photographers to document the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. When the tower opens, his photographs will form a part of the permanent exhibition. With limited resources and an annual budget of about ` 45 million, of which 12 to 15 per cent comes from the government, the founders of SBT hope to rebuild the lives of more and more street children. n
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PATHBREAKERS DATTATRAY SAKAT
School for Thought The dedication of the teachers has made the school a role model
TEXT: MALTI PANDE
It’s 7.30 in the morning and children are walking into school. This may sound routine but the students of Zilla Parishad (ZP) Primary School, Kardelwadi, Maharashtra, have a spring in their steps that is not so routine. They reluctantly leave school at around 5 in the evening the previous day and are back eager to begin a new day. Unlike in most other schools, here the responsibility of keeping the premises clean rests with the children, they also have to tell the cook what to make for lunch and the teachers what they want to study. All 92 students, aged between 5 and 10 years, get down to their assigned tasks without being told, moreover, no adults are needed to supervise them. The school building is a quaint four-roomed, single-storey structure, it has a covered verandah in front. Of the four rooms, one is an office, another the computer lab. The remaining two serve as classrooms as does the verandah and the open space in the front. The school is run by Dattatray Sakat and his wife Bebinanda who teach everything from mathematics and science to painting and physical education. They believe that “being educated is not about knowing things but applying them to make your life better”. When the couple was allotted the school about a decade ago, it was in a shambles, it had no furniture not even a blackboard. Undeterred the Sakats, painted the walls in bright red and green, cleaned the floors and cooked food for their students. Today, the school is so popular that some families have reportedly relocated so that their children can attend it. With financial support from grateful villagers of Kardelwadi and its neighbourhood, the school now has 18 laptops, two desktop computers, an LCD projector and water purifiers (because potable water was a big issue in the area). With every passing year, enrollment in the school, which operates 365 days a year, is rising. During the summer vacations workshops in photography, clay modelling, computers, yoga and more are organised. This is also the time when students conduct classes for their parents on hygiene, safety and energy conservation. With no fixed time-table, children are free to study at the level at which they want to. Kardelwadi is located about 10 km from the large manufacturing zone at Ranjangaon, off the PuneAhmednagar state highway. The last stretch of the approach road is a little better than a dirt track, but this does not faze parents who send their children here, by bus, from surrounding villages. “Good education comes from teachers willing to go that extra mile,” says Bebinanda. The Sakats work hard at keeping themselves updated on changes in the field of education. “We read up on new ways to teach students, visit book fairs and keep in touch with other teachers,” says Dattatray. While the dedication of the Sakats is hard to replicate, the drive for quality is certainly replicable. n
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(Facing page) The Sakats; children at Zilla Parishad Primary School, Kardelwadi
With every passing year, enrollment in the school, which operates 365 days a year, is rising. During the summer vacations workshops in photography, clay modelling, computers, yoga and more are organised
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PATHBREAKERS INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
Mass Connect Over 3.5 million students are enrolled at the world’s largest university
TEXT: ABHILASHA OJHA
When the
(Facing page) A student receiving her degree at a convocation ceremony; Human Resource and Education Minister Kapil Sibal inaugurates modular chemistry laboratory at IGNOU School of Sciences, Bengaluru
IGNOU boasts of the largest number of open and distance learning courses — 445. It has 21 schools of studies, 67 regional centres, 47 university centres and special centres for the armed forces
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University of Tokyo sought to collaborate with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) last month, director of University of Tokyo Hiroshi Yoshino remarked that teaming up with IGNOU was essential for Japan to attract more Indian students in the country. A tie-up with IGNOU, felt Yoshino, would benefit the country, encouraging Indians to study in Japan. Tokyo is not the only one that wants to collaborate with IGNOU. Considered the world’s largest university, imparting distance education to over 3.5 million students, IGNOU was also in the news for its plan to launch the India-Africa Virtual University, with an investment of `1.5 billion. Established in 1985 with an investment of ` 20 billion, it was launched to provide education opportunities to all. Besides acting as a resource centre, it also has a dedicated research wing. For Tarun Malviya, deputy manager (marketing) at a media organisation, there’s no end to education. Armed with an MBA degree and an experience of six years, he is keen on joining corporate communication. However, a degree in journalism is essential. But his hectic schedule and frequent outstation trips does not give him the liberty to join a full time course. This is where IGNOU came in handy. Says Tarun: “I opted for IGNOU’s Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication because for a working professional this course will help enhance the career prospects. The classes were held on Sundays, which I could easily attend.” There are many working professionals like Tarun, who have opted for this university because of the quality education, the practices and the constant upgrading and introduction of new and relevant courses. Vice chancellor, (acting), IGNOU, professor M. Aslam says that the enrollment ratio at IGNOU has increased by around 7 per cent. According to him, the basic idea is to reach out to individuals as per their convenience, means and affordability. “We want to transform India into a knowledge society. Through IGNOU, we want the country to progress socially and economically while also empowering individuals,” says professor Aslam. With 445 courses on offer, IGNOU boasts of the largest number of open and distance learning courses. It has 21 schools of studies, 67 regional centres, 47 university centres and also special centres for the armed forces, allowing them an option to study further while they are completing their duty. The university also has 82 overseas centres with around 47,000 academic experts. Twenty-seven years and counting, it is also staying with the times. The e-services on offer allow students to interact with experts via VSAT and information and communication technologies. For instance, IGNOU recently developed e-library services and is in the process of converting most of its services into e-services. Despite all the technological advancements, the mantra of IGNOU still remains the same: to provide learning as the basic tool that will continue to empower India in all its glory. n
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PATHBREAKERS BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN
Culture Station BVB is helping to spread Indian culture and tradition
TEXT: ABHILASHA OJHA
year, a friend from the US was on a visit to India. She was not on an exotic holiday. On the contrary, she was desperately searching for the original print of P.C. Barua’s Devdas (1935), which the director had adapted from Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Bengali novel. In the course of our conversation, she mentioned how her teenaged daughter, also interested in Indian films, was getting immense help in understanding the movies, especially after she began undergoing a course in Hindi language at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) institute in New York. Today, her child is fluent in not just reading the language, she also speaks it fluently. The interaction I had with my friend came back to me when I spoke to Ashok Pradhan, director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Delhi centre. Speaking about the institute, Pradhan says: “The primary objective of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is in its spreading of Indian roots, culture and tradition not just in the country but across the world.” Over the years, the institute has grown not just in terms of the number of centres but also in the number of courses that are offered to students. Though all courses are popular, the one in astrology, agrees Pradhan, is immensely sought after. Founded in 1938, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was launched as an educational trust by Dr K.M. Munshi in Delhi before it gradually spread its roots in other parts of India and abroad. Today, the trust’s programmes are run in 117 centres in India and 7 abroad, including the US, UK, Australia and the Middle East. The institution is especially relevant in today’s times. Given the high costs of private courses offered by various institutions, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan offers a range of courses for youngsters at reasonable rates. What’s more, the institute offers courses that could give youngsters a chance to connect with India. From in-depth courses in Sanskrit studies to astrology to even courses offered in film and television studies, Pradhan says that the institute’s edge lies in the fact that the courses are well-thought out, updated timely and very structured. The educational trust has spread itself in a manner so as to inculcate teaching right from the early age. The Bhavan runs schools, including Bharatiya Vidya Mandir, Bhavan’s Mandir and Bhavan’s Vidyalaya. What’s more, its publishing unit brings out a range of books on subjects that allow people to connect with Indian culture. “Eventually, we follow our motto at the institute inspired from the Rig Veda: Let noble thoughts come to us from every side. That’s our vision, that’s what we aspire to do,” signs off Pradhan. n
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PHOTOS: RAJEEV RASTOGI
Sometime last
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s edge lies in the fact that the courses are well-thought out, updated timely and very structured
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s courses give people a chance to connect with India. Well-thought out, updated timely and structured, they cover in-depth Sanskrit studies, astrology and film and television studies
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PATHBREAKERS PARDADA PARDADI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY
Girl Power Encourages girls to come out of their homes, study and make a future
Renuka, part of Pardada Pardadi Educational Society
I use
Pardada Pardadi Educational Society’s mission is not just to empower women economically but socially
“We earmark ` 10 daily for students who complete their class 10 successfully and are dedicated to learning. This money is given to the student when she turns 18 or 21 years or when she decides to get married
only my first name. We don’t follow designations in this organisation. I have been a part of Pardada Pardadi Educational Society for the last 12 years ever since it was started by Virendra Singh. After years of being abroad, working in one of the top positions at DuPont, South East Asia, Singh sought the answer to one question: If Indians are successful the world-over, why isn’t India? This quest led him to take a life-altering decision: he took voluntary retirement and returned to his roots in Anupshahar, in the Bulandshahar district of UP. What began was a mission, not just to empower women economically but socially. Our endeavour was to encourage young girls to come out of their homes, study and make a future for themselves. We also wanted to focus on the guru-shishya parampara (teacher-student tradition) of teaching. Our learning centre, therefore, looks at not just teaching the girls but also giving them the strength to go beyond the regular 6-km radius of their homes and villages and explore a future confidently. Today, many of our students are journalists, nurses, merchandisers, front desk officers in corporate houses and teachers. For an organisation that started with about 40 girls, of whom only 14 completed their education, we now have at least 100 girls waiting outside our gates to study. Over 1,200 girls are studying at the centre. The USP of our organisation is earmarking ` 10 daily for students who complete their class 10 successfully and are dedicated to learning. We give this money to the student when she turns 18 or 21 years or when she decides to get married. This, on our part, is ‘economic’ empowerment for the girls whose families are struggling to make ends meet. The girls studying at our centre come from backgrounds where the head of the family brings home something between ` 1,000 and ` 1,500 per month. Our model is not just replicable but also scalable. I will be happy if our centres can open across India and others start replicating the model and begin teaching children who are economically disadvantaged. However, the challenge is in encouraging public-private partnerships. Raising funds is also a big challenge. Our cost of funding the education of each girl is ` 21,000 per year. That is less than ` 2,000 per month. But still getting funds for our centre is quite a challenge. Also, it is difficult to scale up the number of teachers. Most of our teachers are locals, many of whom we have trained. Some of our teachers are foreigners who come and stay with us and teach our students for between 6 months to a year. Nearly 12 years ago, we made a beginning. Now it’s time to carry forward the good work with the same energy, same enthusiasm. n (As told to Abhilasha Ojha)
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PATHBREAKERS MV FOUNDATION
Hope for the Hopeless Liberated from child labour, 1 million celebrate life
TEXT: USHA RAI
Twenty years and 1 million children pulled out from bonded labour: M. Venkatarangaiya Foundation (MVF) is proof that child labour can be eliminated and the children can become articulate working professionals. The children helped by MVF stand as living testimony of how to break free and soar. “Our parents gave us birth, but MVF gave us life,” they say. Many of them are still diffident but most of them walk tall and earn good money as doctors, engineers, nurses, teachers and businessmen. MVF’s movement is recognised by the Indian government and earned Shantha Sinha, who was then with MVF, the prestigious Magsaysay award. Sinha is currently Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. “The achievements of all these children are inspiring, their struggles daunting,” says Venkat Reddy, national convenor of MVF. Among the many icons graduating from the Foundation is Malleshwari (22). Her melodious voice has not only ensured her a place at all MVF functions, but has also put her name on 11 albums with songs on social issues, child labour and even devotional music. One day, she hopes to do play back singing for the film industry. Her talent for music was discovered and nurtured at the residential bridge course camp. Malleshwari is also Hyderabad’s first media camera woman and is currently working with Telangana News Network. For a girl who till the age of 12 was herding goats and cows, her growth in the 10 years under the MVF umbrella has been impressive. Another heart warming story is of Mahender, 31, of Pullimamdi Village, who is an operation theatre technician at Yashoda Hospital, Mallakpet, Hyderabad. Till he was seven-and-a-half-years-old he tended buffaloes in his village. His parents were agricultural labourers. MVF volunteers put him in school and after a three-month bridge course, he was admitted to class 1 in a government school and lodged in a government boys’ hostel. Even as he joined junior college, he began assisting a doctor and trained as a technician at the Banjara Hills Apollo Hospital. To pay back the institution that has nurtured him, he keeps going back to his village to ensure that every child gets an education. “From my batch of 23 children, one is a sarpanch, another a constable and many are working with the 104 emergency health service and a few are teachers,” says he. “It is education that has brought us out of the trap of poverty,” they claim. These youngsters are now networking and are eager to help others facing the problems they once had. And many of them acknowledge with a sense of pride that their villages are today child labour free. The MVF model of educating child labourers is now being replicated in countries in Africa and this is testimony to its impact. n
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(Left) Venkat Reddy, the national convenor of MVF; Malleshwari is Hyderabad’s first media camera woman
MVF should earn global accolades for its movement in eliminating child labour and getting all children into school. Many of them are today educated and articulate working professionals and living testimonies of how they were able to break free
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PATHBREAKERS NISHKAM VIDYA MANDIR
Beggars Turned Choosers Sarvan Kumar got children off the streets and gave them lessons in dignity
TEXT: ANSHU SETH
PHOTOS: HINDUSTAN TIMES
Every morning 10-year-old Raju would accompany his mother
(Facing page) Sarvan Kumar; the children at Nishkam Vidya Mandir
Today, there are more than 2,500 students studying in schools run by Nishkam Sewa Trust, from Nursery right up to Class 10. The schools are housed in multi-storey buildings owned by the trust. Each school employs around 25 teachers
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Shama to a busy traffic junction to help her with her job — begging. Raju braved winter chills and the summer sun to evoke the sympathy of the passersby. He earned about ` 100 a month, sometimes more if he was lucky. Then Sarvan Kumar, 77, came along with a mission to get Raju and his friends off the streets and into school. Convincing Shama to forego Raju’s earnings and send him to school was hard. “When I first asked the children’s parents to send them to school, they said, ‘What will you give us?’” Kumar says. “They told me the children managed to get ` 3 by begging every day.” The matter was settled with Kumar agreeing to pay them ` 3 every day to allow the children to attend Nishkam Vidya Mandir (NVM), a school founded by Kumar in 1976 for child beggars. Along with lessons, the children were given meals, baths and taught hygiene. “It was frustrating. Even after taking money, the children would go back to begging once school was over,” says Kumar. He turned to his friend, Baba Amte, for a solution. The well-known social activist told him to stop paying the parents, instead, he advised that the children be given vocational training to help them earn a living. “It worked,” says Kumar. “After enrolling in NVM, my sons refused to beg and asked me to stop as well. I understood the meaning of dignity and took up work as a domestic help in neighbouring areas to support my sons,” says Shama. Motivated by the success, the Nishkam Sewa Trust set up five more schools — at Samrala Road, Kirpa Dham, Ambedkar Nagar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and New Chander Nagar — along with an open school at a park in Dugri. Today, there are more than 2,500 students studying in these schools, from Nursery right up to class 10. The schools are housed in multi-storey buildings owned by the trust. Each school employs around 25 teachers besides volunteers who take extra classes in science and mathematics for students of classes 7 to 10. With 30 years of experience behind him, Kumar gives the students lessons in morals. “High moral values are a significant part of growing up and without them even a successful professional cannot become a good human being,” he says. n —Anshu Seth is Principal Correspondent, Hindustan Times. The story was a part of the series on education carried by the daily.
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PATHBREAKERS DHIRENDRA SINGH
Dream Makers This youth-based organisation gives remote areas access to quality education
Dhirendra Pratap
Singh, 21, realised very early in life that he had access to a good life in the city, but there were many others in remote villages who couldn’t even dare to dream. This prompted him to set up Milaan with four other students of Delhi University to help empower children from socially challenged backgrounds. Today, he and his team of around 20 is making children realise that they can dream of completing their studies and have a better life beyond their village. Shanti, 17, of Sitapur, UP, wanted to study and change her life and the lives of those around her. However, when she was in class 8, she had to give up her studies, as her family wanted her to get married. Dhirendra and his team had just set up base in the village when he came to know of Shanti’s plight. Despite opposition, he persistently interacted with Shanti’s parents for over a year and finally convinced them to let the girl continue her education. Today, they are proud of Shanti’s achievements and revel in the vision of her bright future. In 2007, Milaan had conducted a survey on basic education facilities and accessibility in Sitapur. The result startled them: Despite a literacy rate of 92 per cent, less than 1 per cent of the community had actually completed secondary education. And with high dropout rates, a large number of students did not make it past senior secondary level. The reason for this they realised was inaccessibility to higher education and the lack of affordable primary education. This is when they came up with the idea of setting up an educational institute. They came up with Swarachna, an educational project, dedicated in providing quality and affordable senior secondary education and vocational training to children from economically weaker families in the community. The children are given books and magazines to read and are shown critically selected films and are encouraged to participate in discussions and debates. Swarachna, which started with just 10 students and a single teacher, now has 400 students on its rolls and 14 teachers on board. Likewise in Natpurwa village of Hardoi in Uttrakhand, where most of the village people have taken up prostitution for a living, Dhirendra and his team are working to give children a better shot at life. Dhirendra says: “We don’t want the younger generation to follow the same path, therefore, we are trying to work with the youth in capacity building. Our model is being replicated in this village.” Milaan’s model is also being replicated in Kausani, Uttrakhand, where the dropout rate of students is very high. Says Dhirendra: “We are working towards bringing back the children to school in Kausani.” Shanti and others who can now afford to dream big are proof that the programme is working. n
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Besides studies, the children also enjoy activity-based learning
Milaan was set up by Dhirendra Pratap Singh and four other students of Delhi University in 2007 to help empower children from socially challenged backgrounds
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PATHBREAKERS AZIZ INDORI
Age No Bar At 80, Dr Aziz Indori runs a school for 80 poor students
TEXT: A RC H ITA BH AT TA
PHOTOS: HINDUSTAN TIMES
Dr Aziz Indori
(Right) Dr Aziz Indori; (above) with his students
Though his focus has been poor Muslim children, he has kept the door open for poor students from all religions. The children get to learn English, math, science besides lessons on hygiene, etiquette and appearances from Indori chacha (uncle).
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, an Urdu scholar, has not let his 80 summers scorch him, instead he has the joy of 80 springs in him. After retiring from Islamia Karimia Degree College, located in Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh, he has diverted his energies to fulfil a dream: educating the poor of his city. Everyone cares for the rich, but who cares for the poor, has been his constant refrain. This is the reason why he has started Indori’s Pathshala, a school for the children of local daily wage earners. Though, his focus has been poor Muslim children, he has kept the doors open for poor students from all religions. The children learn English, maths, science and are given lessons in hygiene, etiquette and appearance by Indori chacha (the uncle from Indore), as he is popularly known to his students. The school started with just 10 children, today it has 80 students. Though not affiliated to any board, its curriculum is designed to give the children a shot at a better life. Says Indori, a doctorate in Urdu, “I have always stood for the education of the poor. Rich have the means and resources. I want to break this tradition that the child of a cart-puller will be a cart-puller.” The school is housed in a two-storey school building donated by his Muscat-based brother-in-law and runs on funds provided by four or five friends who find the money when they can. Despite his enthusiasm, the fact that now the number of students match his age, he has had to employ two helping hands. There is no structured examination and grading in his school. All the same, at least 20 of his students have successfully cleared the matriculation examination after completing their education at the Pathshala. This achievement speaks volumes for Indori’s selfless work. “I have to make them self-reliant and they should get knowledge not just degrees,” he says. Indori’s successful experiment is even more laudable given the dropout rate in Madhya Pradesh. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2011-2012, the largest survey of what children across the country are learning, the education dropout rate in the state has dipped from 54 per cent to 67 per cent from 2007 to 2011. Alongside their studies, students are taught personal grooming, hygiene and etiquette and given much needed winter clothes and stationery. Another Indori initiative is the Jan Shikshan Sansthan, which provides vocational training especially to the girls to help them contribute economically to their family. For this octogenarian it is all in a day’s work. n
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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Green Goals Rio+20 Conference endorses India’s stand on sustainable development TEXT: ARVIND PADMANABHAN
orty years after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi famously observed that poverty is the greatest polluter, India ensured this principle is well enshrined in the contemporary discourse on sustainable development at the Rio+20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this June. “It will be ironic if the fight against pollution were to be converted into another business, out of which a few companies, corporations or nations would make profits at the cost of the many,” Gandhi had told the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment in 1972. In Rio de Janeiro, where some 90 heads of state and government had gathered for what is formally called the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ensured this thought once again becomes a key guiding principle in addressing development issues. This was also the most tangible takeaway for India as it articulated the aspirations of poor and developing nations, saying they cannot be forced, or even expected to, share equally the burden of environment degradation perpetrated by rich nations in the past. Assisted by a team of officials and policy-makers, including Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said economic development, social inclusion and environmental sustainability were equally critical as the three dimensions of sustainable development. “The task before us is to give practical shape and content to this architecture in a way that allows each country to develop according to its own national priorities and circumstances,” Dr Singh said. All of this was also echoed in what is called the Outcome Document endorsed by all countries, entitled “The Future We Want” — with four clear takeaways that India in particular, and the developing and poor countries in general, were happy to go back home with: i) The restoration and reaffirmation of what are called the Rio Principles put in place in the Brazilian city 20 years ago in 1992 (hence the name Rio+20). ii) Equally significant was the restoration of the centrality of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in the sustainable development discourse. This principle recognises the implicit historical responsibility of the industrialised West, both in terms of their contribution to global environmental degradation and the advantage in technologies and financial resources they command.
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressing at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
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Rio+20 was able to chart a balanced way forward on sustainable development while building upon its past commitments iii) The unambiguous recognition of poverty eradication as the greatest global challenge. In doing so, the outcome document places this squarely at the centre of the global development agenda. iv) The decision to launch an open-ended inter-governmental process to develop the so-called sustainable development goals (SDGs) while not deciding any specific goals a priori in Rio itself. This would ensure equal rights to both developing and developed nations to find equitable and acceptable solutions. Rio+20 was able to chart a balanced way forward on sustainable development while building upon its past commitments and reaffirming its fundamental principles. The developing countries can be reasonably satisfied that they were able to shape the final outcome in a way that took into account their key concerns and also prevented a prescriptive outcome on issues such as Green Economy and SDGs that may have constrained their development space. The proposal by developed countries to lay down concrete and tangible quantitative goals and targets for all countries under the ambits of SDGs in Rio itself did not find muster with G-77 and China — a caucus of 131 countries now. Developing countries felt that unlike the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were not negotiated and in practice applied only to developing countries, the SDGs should be discussed and elaborated in an open and transparent inter-governmental setting and should apply equally to developed countries as well. The interlocutors of European Union who pushed for green economy to be recognised as a new paradigm were forced to make it one of the components of sustainable development. The final outcome document clearly notes: “We consider green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as one of the important tools available for achieving sustainable development and that it could provide options for policymaking but should not be a rigid set of rules.” India and other developing countries also managed to insert a clause that said these policies must not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or disguised restriction on international trade, and that measures taken must be based on an international consensus. Dr Singh said: “At the global level, our approach to the problem should be guided by equitable burden sharing. This was why the first Rio Summit enshrined the principle of common but differentiated
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(Clockwise from above) Dr Singh with Premier of the People’s Republic of China Wen Jiabao, on the sidelines of the Summit; with his counterpart from Nepal Baburam Bhattarai; and with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa
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According to Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, India emerged as a strong voice for the G77 caucus of 131 countries, at the Summit
Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff (centre) with Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand (left) and Manmohan Singh at the Summit
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AFP
responsibilities. I am happy we have reaffirmed this principle as well as the principle of equity during this Summit.” There was disappointment as well — but that was an area where neither India nor the other countries that participated at the Summit had any control over, as stated by the prime minister himself. “Many countries could do more if additional finance and technology were available. Unfortunately, there is little evidence of support from the industrialised countries in these areas. The ongoing economic crisis has made matters worse,” Dr Singh said. He also highlighted that India has not shied away from taking ambitious and proactive actions to promote sustainable development and was doing its bit, on its own, including efficient use of available natural resources in a much more frugal manner, while also promoting energy efficiency and a shift to cleaner energy sources. He noted for instance that emissions intensity in India as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) has declined by 25 per cent in the 13 years since 1994. “In India, we are implementing an ambitious National Solar Mission as a critical option for our energy security,” Dr Singh said, adding: “Looking ahead, we have set a target to further reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 20-25% between 2005 and 2020.” The prime minister also emphasised on the need to find new pathways for sustainable living, noting that the current consumption patterns in the industrialised world are unsustainable. His key message: “We want a future in which there is an ecological and economic space for sustainable growth for all”, was timely and sagacious and in tune with what the final outcome of the conference sought to achieve. According to minister Natarajan, both in the run-up to the conference and at the Summit, India emerged as a strong voice for the G77 caucus of 131 countries, the least developed nations and the small island states. “As far as India is concerned, the outcome document takes into consideration our interests and concerns and we are satisfied with the overall package. India was constructive at Rio. In addition to our own proposals, which met with widespread support, our delegation played a crucial role in bridging differences and building consensus on many important issues,” she said. —Arvind Padmanabhan is executive editor of IANS. He was part of the media delegation that accompanied Manmohan Singh to the Rio+20 Summit.
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India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma with his Afghan counterpart Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady
India’s External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna addressing the Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan, in New Delhi
PARTNERSHIPS
A Narrative of Opportunity India hosted the Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan to promote economic rejuvenation and stability of that country TEXT: MANISH CHAND
n a pioneering exercise in transformational diplomacy, India hosted an international conclave of investors on June 28 in New Delhi to promote economic rejuvenation and stability of Afghanistan. It was held against the backdrop of the withdrawal of international combat troops from Afghanistan by 2014. Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and supported by the governments of India and Afghanistan, it was billed the “Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan.” This was the first such conclave
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India hosted for any other country, underlining New Delhi’s growing strategic and economic stakes in the reconstruction of a country for which it has pledged ` 111 billion. Showcasing the resource-rich Afghanistan as an emerging land of opportunity for global investors, the conclave was underpinned by a narrative of optimism and renaissance that belied bleak assessments of that country. According to an estimate, Afghanistan has minerals and other resources worth over ` 55.6 trillion. The underlying
goal was to rope in leading regional players and encourage them to pick stakes in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan through intra and inter-regional projects. New Delhi exhorted companies from the region to invest in Afghanistan despite risks in the spirit of solidarity and called for CEOs to replace generals to lead the country’s reconstruction. “We need to offer a narrative of opportunity to counter the anxiety of withdrawal, uncertainty, instability and foreign interference,” India’s External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna told the conclave. “India will continue to pursue its vision to stabilise Afghanistan through trade and investment and regional cooperation,” he said, while jointly inaugurating the conclave with his Afghan counterpart Zalmai Rassoul. “We invite international investors and regional countries to join in this vision for Afghanistan individually or in partnership with others,” he said. Backing this new investment-driven approach, Rassoul said: “I believe greater investment results in increased economic national activities in any country including, but
not limited to, additional revenues, job creation, income generation opportunities which in turn lead to increased prosperity and service delivery.” The response to the investors’ summit was overwhelming. Apart from around 100 business delegates from Afghanistan and around 160 from India, around 80 delegates from the countries in the region and beyond, including China, Pakistan and Iran participated in the summit. The Afghan delegation included five senior ministers, including Rassoul, commerce and industry minister Anwar-ul-Haq Ahady, finance minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, minister of mines Wahidullah Shahrani and agriculture minister Mohd. Asef Rahimi. Kabul took the lead in dispelling security fears that act as a deterrent for foreign investment. Senior ministers from Afghanistan assured Indian investors a business-friendly environment and identified several key sectors for investment — natural resources/mining, manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture and agro-processing, information technology, telecommunications — in which they can invest
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S.M. Krishna with Foreign Minister of Pakistan Hina Rabbani Khar at International Conference on Afghanistan in Tokyo
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul in New Delhi
The underlying goal of the conclave was to rope in leading regional players and encourage them to pick stakes in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. and reap good returns. Other focus sectors identified included: energy and hydrocarbons, banking and financial services, real estate and tourism, chemical and pharmaceutical products, textiles and carpets. “Please don’t write off Afghanistan. We are willing to pay personal attention to facilitate your investment in our country,” Afghan commerce and industry minister Anwarul-Haq Ahady said. “We allow 100 per cent foreign ownership of enterprises, easy repatriation of profits, treat foreign investors identical to domestic ones, and we allow accelerated depreciation,” said Ahady. The conclave culminated in a set of recommendations which were submitted to the July 8 Tokyo conference where
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major donors pledged ` 890 billion for Afghanistan. The key recommendations included providing the private sector investment protection and risk mitigation, providing incentives for investing in Afghanistan, the creation of an international fund for SMEs and a ‘mutual compact’ between the government and foreign investors where the interests of both Afghanistan and the international business community are protected. These recommendations fit into India’s larger strategy and vision for stabilising Afghanistan by replacing aid with investment as the primary driver of Afghanistan’s resurgence post-2014 and to push that country towards self-sustainable economic development. “The Delhi
summit, one of an ongoing series of international conferences on Afghanistan, placed private sector investment and FDI at the centre of reconstruction efforts,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, director-general of the CII. The overarching message of the conclave was that the international community needs to move beyond securitycentric to economic-driven approach to ensure long-term peace and development of Afghanistan. This approach found enthusiastic response from the international community at the Tokyo conference. Backing India’s concerns over terrorist safe havens in the AfghanistanPakistan region, the Tokyo conference of international donors on Afghanistan endorsed key recommendations of the Delhi summit. “The participants reaffirmed the significance of risk mitigation and credit provision schemes by the international community in promoting private sector investment in Afghanistan,” said the Tokyo declaration. The international community is committed to taking concrete steps to promote private investment and trade by
mobilising relevant development finance institutions, export credit authorities, and other governmental and nongovernmental tools to encourage human and financial capital investments in Afghanistan, said the declaration. In this context, India has pitched for indigenisation of foreign aid to Afghanistan and asked the international community to avoid the temptation to set ‘conditionalities’ on such assistance. This new narrative of opportunity about Afghanistan should find more advocates and international supporters. For India, which continues to be a victim of cross-border terror, the Afghan stability is of immediate and urgent concern. It is not just about strategy, but re-kindling hope of a brighter future for ordinary Afghans. From building the Afghan parliament, roads erecting power transmission lines to digging tubewells, running sanitation projects in Kabul, and lighting up 100 villages using solar energy, India strikes a special chord among Afghans, and New Delhi is determined to do all it can to prevent Afghanistan sliding back into the vortex of Taliban terror and anarchy. n
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FAITH REVISITED Genre: Documentary Director: Ishani K. Dutta Duration: 25 minutes Producer: Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs, India
Hindu pilgrimage centre, Badrinath, which was an almost treeless zone in 1993 now boasts of greenery
Extracted From: IN SEARCH OF A NEW AFGHANISTAN By Sujeet Sarkar Publisher: Niyogi Books Price: ` 395 Pages: 266 AFP
INDIA PICTURE
REVIEW
Afghans look at movie posters of Indian films at the entrance of a theatre in Kabul
BOOK EXTRACT
FILM
Faith Accompli
The Bollywood Connection
Tracing the link between nature worship and green movements in India
Indian cinema continues to weave magic in the hearts and minds of Afghans
nce upon a time, there was faith. Long before the world needed modern conservationists and activists to din green messages into unreceptive human minds, there were priests and deities. Faith Revisited traces ancient Indian practices of nature worship and their role in ecological preservation. While it tells some stories familiar to the average Indian, some are not widely known even among those living within the country. One Delhi scholar explains in the documentary how the 17th century Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb came to the rescue of nilgai which were being killed in large numbers because of their tendency to destroy crops. Though the nilgai is an antelope, Aurangzeb told his people that it is in fact a gai (cow). Since most of his subjects were Hindus who consider the cow a sacred animal, this information from the ruler apparently led to an immediate decline in nilgai hunting. It is anecdotes such as this that make Faith Revisited
n this land-locked mountainous country, where there is a little bit of India everywhere, one of the most surprising elements is the popularity of blockbuster Hindi movies. Bollywood’s links with Afghanistan are very old and quite inseparable. It has been a virtual ambassador connecting the two countries. While its impact has irreversibly multiplied over the years, strengthening the socio-cultural ties between the two countries, its presence has, increasingly, generated tremendous goodwill for India. Bollywood movies are very popular in Afghanistan due to the country’s proximity to the Indian subcontinent, and the cultural perceptions they share. The common Afghan loves Bollywood films, because they revolve around fighting injustice, which is omnipresent in contemporary society… The larger-than-life representations of Bollywood heroes, in sharp contrast to their stark reality, provide them a
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both an educational and entertaining enterprise. Although the film would have been more well-rounded if director Ishani K. Dutta and team had not restricted their travels to north India and confined their coverage to Hinduism, it’s still interesting to get acquainted with so many small communities willing to sacrifice their lives to protect animals and trees, and to meet contemporary experts who have tapped religion to solve environmental problems. Perhaps the most interesting example of all is the metamorphosis of the Hindu pilgrimage centre at Badrinath from an almost treeless zone in 1993 to an area boasting of approximately 29,000 saplings. How did that happen? Well, pick up a copy of this 25-minute film to discover that beyond fairytales, there are happily-ever-afters in the real world too. —Anna M.M. Vetticad (The writer is a Delhi-based journalist. She is on Twitter as @annavetticad)
YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1DKqG-fkks
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vicarious opportunity to immerse themselves into the grandiose reel-life fantasies. The chart-busting music is another addictive element. For majority of Afghans, who may not fully understand the language, songs, and dances, drama and action more than adequately make up for the handicap. Action and musical romantic films are, therefore, most popular among them. In every village that I have visited, I have been hounded with unending questions regarding Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Be it the desk officer of the star Hotel Serena in Kabul, or a village leader down south, they discuss Indian actors with the same amount of elation. The Indian film and music industry is riding high and continue to further the friendship and bring these two countries together. Despite the resurgence of the Taliban, the love for Indian cinema and music goes unabated in Afghanistan. n
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VERBATIM
“Maths should be pleasant rather than painful” hakuntala Devi is a name that conjures images of numbers and everything mathematical. Born in an orthodox family, she discovered her love for numbers very early. It might be hard to believe that a person, who can multiply several long digit numbers and do the most complex calculations in seconds, has not had a formal education. Hailed as a human computer, she is also the recipient of the Ramanujam Mathematical Genius Award and is a Guinness world record holder. Bindu Gopal Rao caught up with the septuagenarian in her plush 4th floor flat that is adorned with pictures of herself with celebrities from sports, movies and politics. Excerpts.
ago. It teaches one how to remember names and faces by using the untapped power of ones mind. My next book will be on simplified Vedic maths but that will take time.
When did you know your ability with numbers was extraordinary? I was just three years old when I started doing sums mentally. Then slowly I started doing a lot of shows. Basically, I believe that this is a gift I have been given by God.
What is your take on Maths in today’s digital world? Maths gives life. Computers may come and go but maths will remain the same. I feel maths should be taught in a pleasant way rather than making it painful. I have tried to narrate this in my book In the Wonderland of Numbers, which is told through the eyes of a girl child. Someone wanted to make this into a movie but I was not convinced to change the story angle to make the girl a teenager.
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What has been your most memorable achievement? It has to be my achievement in the Guinness Book of Records. It was at the computer department of Imperial College, London, and I had cold feet. But when I went on stage I had God’s blessings. I was asked to multiply two 13-digit numbers picked at random, I answered in 28 seconds. Tell us about your books. I have authored 14 books, my latest book, Super Memory, was released three months
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Tell us about your forays into education? I have started the Shakuntala Devi PreUniversity College and Shakuntala Devi International Institute of Management Sciences that offers pre-university, bachelor of commerce and bachelor of business management courses. We also plan to start a full-fledged MBA programme. The college is still in its infancy. I also hope to start a mathematics university in Hyderabad.
What is your message for the readers of India Perspectives? I would say love maths. It is the only truth in the whole world. If you add 2 to 2 it is 4 in China, Russia and India — it’s a universal truth. I hope to continue to convert nonlovers of maths into lovers of the subject. n