Saturday, December 6, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
MADRASSA EDUCATION
Curriculum of Religious Seminaries and Contemporary Obligations
Anjum Naim
There is a long historical period involved between two major milestones in the system of higher education represented by Madrasa Nizamiya ,Baghdad and Madrasa Firangi Mahal, Lucknow. While the former was established by the famous Saljuq (Turkish Muslim dynasty controlling larg areas in the middle east in the 11th and 12th centuries ) minister Nizamul Mulk bin Tusi in Baghdad and Nishapur,a town in the province of Khorasan in the north eastern Iran in 1067, the latter was established by Mulla Nizamuddin Sahalawi in a sprawling bungalow, bought from a Dutch trader, during the period of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. These institutions were not wholly devoted to imparting religious education; they prepared their pupils for major national and administrative positions. These graduates who were experts in religious learning were indeed the backbones in the broader administration of the nation. Today, the aim of this education has changed altogether; it is devoted to imparting purely religious education. The changing political conditions from Baghdad to Nishapur and finally, to Deoband have brought about such major shifts in curriculum policy that the intellectuals have only been naturally concerned over the paradigmatic shifts taking place during all these long long years. It was this deep rooted concern for religious education that led Maulana Mohammad Ali Mugeri to establish Nadwat-ul Ulema in Lucknow in 1892. The realization for the need to acquire contemporary knowledge is now common to all those who realize the value of education, right from the madrasa graduate to an ordinary learner.
At a recent symposium on “Perspectives on Islamic Education in the 21st Century” at a place called Raichak, fifty kilometers from Kolkata, on the banks of river Hooghly. The managers of madrasas and experts in education deliberated upon the issues involvd over two days. This event sponserd by the American Embassy may also be taken as an effort on the part of the organizers and all those concerned to reflect upon the issue of incorporating contemporary knowledge in madrasa curriculum. This needs no emphasizing that the issue of madrasa education has, of ate, been engaging the attention of various institutions. Mr. Adnan A. Siddiqi, Counselor for Cultural Affairs in the American embassy, says: “Everyone knows that there is a certain difference between the modern educated Muslims and the graduates from the traditional centers of education. The effort to bridge this gap, as also to bring the madrasa curriculum at par with contemporary knowledge, can be successful only when the first step is taken by those Islamic institutions themselves who work under this system. It is only they who may understand this problem better than others.”
Those who have favored the molding of traditional education according to the needs of the times have, in every age, been fully aware of the importance of education in practical life. According to Dr.Qamruddin, who has written a good book on Madarsa education, and who looks at the problem analytically says that “the decision to relinquish Persian as an official language in 1837 proved detrimental to the interest of the madrasas.” Under Mughal rule , the madressas were a training groud for court and government officials. Once the British replaced Islamic l with the new Indian penal code, the expertise learned at the Madrassas was no longer useful for officials assigned to carry ouit civic duties. The position of Mufti and Qazi were abolished under the new government system. Graduates of madrassas found themselves unemployable in their chosen professions and a madrassa education came to be seen as one that imparted religious knowledge only.The educational aims of the institutios changed accordingly. Instead of attending to economic and other needs, the central focus of the syllabus shifted to “the propagation of Islam and the protection of faith”. Maulana Riyasat Ali Bijnori, a teacher of Hadith (Traditions) and theology in Drul Uloom Deoband, says, “we don’t feel the need to make any changes in the syllabi because it already meets our aims which are quite clearly the ‘propagation of Islam and protection of faith’. Those who want to attend the institutions of contemporary education are free to do so. We neither deny the utility of those institutions nor oppose them in any manner.” Yasser Nadim, a young graduate of Darul Uloom, Deoband, who is also a Green card holder and teaches at the Institute of Islamic Education, a madrasa in Chicago puts it in these terms: “This curriculum needs no drastic changes but it is only inevitable that contemporary knowledge be incorporated into it. If this can not be done for some reason, the aims of ‘propagating Islam and protecting the faith,’ laid down by our elders, cannot be fulfilled.” He asked “ when you don’t know English how you will perform your duty of “ propagating Islam and protecting the faith” in the western society.”
Whenever deliberations are held regarding the modernization of madrasa education, certain questions are invariably raised. They include: whether madrsas can meet the challenge of the modern age, and why the cuuriculum is not revised when the need for its updating has been felt for years now. It may be said that practical steps are not taken because the current syllabi does not have a clear format and that every madrasa has its own curriculum. Further, modern educationists have not yet provided a clear model to create a parallel system of education. This is the reason why the madrasa administrators are not convinced by the arguments extended by the advocates of curriculum modernization. One might recall that Nadwat-ul Ulema was established to bring educational reforms amongst Muslims, and initiate a movement of reforms in the curriculum. Maulana Shibli Nomani was appointed its Manager in1905 and he proposed to start the teaching of Engish in Nadwa. For quite a while, however, Nadwa remained indifferent to this proposal. This is the reason why, in spite of all its claims, Nadwa is not much different from other madrasas even today.
Warren hastintgs, the governor of Bengal, laid the foundation of Madrasa Alia in Kolkata in 1781 to meet the educational requirements of Muslims. He made slight changes in the current curriculum of the madrasas and implemented the high school syllabi through the Anglo-Persian Department in order to bring it closer to contemporary requirements. A network of madrasas spread all over Bengal along the lines of Madrasa Alia. Dr.Syed Zafar Mahmood, o n special duty in the prime minister’s High level committee on Muslimd , makes a point when he asserts that: “Among all the madrasas all over the country, the ones in Bengal are the best, and their graduates are quite useful and relevant in the contemporary scenario.” He was referring to the reputation the Bengal madrassas have for being well- organized and for providing some aspects of pratical, contemporary education , along with religious instruction. The establishment of Madrasa Boards afforded space to the government to enter this sphere in some way or the other, although the education in the subjects like tafseer (commetary), hadeeth (Tradition), fiqh (jurisprudence) and other religious subjects continued as usual. Abdul Mannan Mulla, a teacher in a Kolkata madrasa, who also participated in the conference on Islamic education held in Raichak, says: “I neither feel intellectually deprived because of this knowledge which the students of Deoband consider to be a cause of pride, nor consider myself detached with contemporary obligations.” Considering the political conditions under which an institution like Darul Uloom Deoband was established and the aims its founders had nurtured, even an inkling of government interference was enough to upset them. When Maulana Azad, the strong supporter of reforms in curriculum, wanted to implement his proposal in Nadwa after India’s independence, he could not convince even those ulema who valued and valorized him. It must be borne in mind that if the management of the madrasas maintain a very cautious attitude regarding reforms, the major reason for this, as Maulana Reazul Hasan said, is that a big section of the reform-loving persons, who advise the madrasas to accept the new initiatives, are themselves involved in opening avenues for the interference by the government, may be directly, or sometimes even indirectly. Doubts raise their heads when the madrasas are prodded to register under the Societies Registration Act in order to receive government grants. Maulana Mohammad Reyazul Hasan, a teacher of Mazahirul Uloom, Saharanpur, vents his apprehensions when he says that “We are also aware of the contemporary challenges but where is the guarantee that the members of the society registered under the Act of 1860, either because of internal exigencies or external pressure, would not meddle with the pure religious aims of our institutions. Whatever has happened regarding the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University is for everyone to see.”
The question, therefore, is not as to how justifiable are these doubts and whether they would really interfere with the management of the madrasas or their curriculum, the issue is that those who talk of reforms also need to think that these sentimental issues of the Muslim community must be considered at a practical level rather than at a sheer logical level, and also with an eye on loss and gain. Professor Syed Mohammad Iqbal Hussain, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calicut says: “Any state interference or intervention of a politically oriented religious leadership will surely jeopardize the well maintained (apoliticsm?) and virtual democracy of the madrasa system in the country. I fear that this will give way to more explicit illegal religio-political dealings since the madrasas have a massive influence on Indian Muslims.” This is the reason why Professor Hussain is of the opinion that instead of making drastic changes in the madrasa curriculum, more and more modern educational institutions should be opened in the areas with Muslim concentration where even the madrasa graduates may seek their admission. In this regard, he gives the example of successful experiments carried out in Kerala where madrasas are not annexed to mosques but to modern schools. Both the institutions take care of each others schedule so that the students may not face any problem.
The system of education being followed in Kerala and Bengal has already established their utility. One may not, however, keep one’s eyes closed to the sad condition of thousands of madrasas all over the country, especially in the northern part of India, that provide practical and ideological guidelines to the madrasas of the Indo-Pak subcontinent, and also Bangladesh. The drive for globalization in modern times has turned the world into a small village. It is no longer possible for anyone to keep within the strict confines of a certain knowledge system and culture. We live in a multicultural society where people with different faiths live with their cherished ideals and influence each other. The need for a just society is being felt much more now than ever before. As such, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Faridi, economist and editor of Urdu monthly Zindagi-e-Nau asserts: “The new changes call for relinquishing the attitude of “safety and protection”. We have to see as to how Islamic teaching may face the new challenges, and as to what special role our educational system may play in order to create a just society. We have to see as to how that society may produce such individuals who may play a positive and constructive role in contemporary times.”
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A FRIEND IN RAINY DAYS
A FRIEND IN RAINY DAYS
Anjum Naim
Asghar, my youngest son is the most precious stone in the treasure-trove of my memory. He was quite handsome, well behaved and studious. He passed the examination in flying colors and was promoted to fifth standard. One day, on his way back to home he brought a very feeble black colored kitten with two white stripes on her neck. Though I reserved any expressions of sentiments or comments but the whole household gave a red-carpet welcome to Asghar’s cat. My wife named it as Muezza, after the name of Prophet Muhammad’s beloved cat. She used to narrate that once Prophet’s beloved cat slept over his turban. It was time to go far prayer. He did not want to disturb the sleeping cat. So he cut his turban, apart and with the rest of it, he went out for the prayer. To Asghar, the cat was his sweetheart. A wild thought of disunion with it could disturb him. On the other hand, Muezza too could not brook his absence. Whenever Asghar was a bit late from school, she would become all eyes for her chum. She used to roll down at his feet. Asghar took here to his room, where he used to roll down at his feet. Asghar took her to his room, where he used to have a tête-à-tête with her. During his stay at home, family members would hear either Asghar’s burst of laughter or Muezza mews.
1999 was the most horrible year in my life, which brought tears and cries for me throughout. Asghar started experiencing pain in his knees in July, which aggravated quickly before the doctors could diagnose the disease. By August, he lost his voice and ability to swallow usual foods. However, he kept trying to smile so that I still cherish hopes. Muezza used to accompany him day in and day out. Her presence, in fact could reduce his agony and pain. After long and painful period of medical tests and diagnosis , doctors declared him a patient of Wilson Disease, which was curable only at its initial stages.
Now we were completely disappointed. He was inching towards his sad end. My wife, Shahnaz nursed him the whole day and it was my duty to look after him right from the evening up to late night. We had fixed our duty hours. The one and only which did not share her time was Muezza. Perhaps she loved her friend more than us. During complete four months of tension and heart rendering situations, we never saw Muezza left Asghar except for brief intervals spanning few minutes. She would sit silently, gazing Asghar’s face. She, perhaps, was in the know that her presence consoles him.
In the month of holy Ramadhan, on December 17, 1999, when we were about to break our fast, he left for the heavenly abode. During funeral rites, Muezza kept sitting beside the dead body. Whenever we looked each other, she mewed once or twice. Her voice seemed to be full of melancholy. I saw her moving with the funeral procession up to a distance. It might be the traditional 40 steps. The right of burial was the most horrible night for me. It was a night similar to all nights during the last four months, wit the exception that though Shahnaz, I and Muezza were there as usual but the crying and sobbing friend of Muezza was no more at his bed.”
Anjum Naim
Asghar, my youngest son is the most precious stone in the treasure-trove of my memory. He was quite handsome, well behaved and studious. He passed the examination in flying colors and was promoted to fifth standard. One day, on his way back to home he brought a very feeble black colored kitten with two white stripes on her neck. Though I reserved any expressions of sentiments or comments but the whole household gave a red-carpet welcome to Asghar’s cat. My wife named it as Muezza, after the name of Prophet Muhammad’s beloved cat. She used to narrate that once Prophet’s beloved cat slept over his turban. It was time to go far prayer. He did not want to disturb the sleeping cat. So he cut his turban, apart and with the rest of it, he went out for the prayer. To Asghar, the cat was his sweetheart. A wild thought of disunion with it could disturb him. On the other hand, Muezza too could not brook his absence. Whenever Asghar was a bit late from school, she would become all eyes for her chum. She used to roll down at his feet. Asghar took here to his room, where he used to roll down at his feet. Asghar took her to his room, where he used to have a tête-à-tête with her. During his stay at home, family members would hear either Asghar’s burst of laughter or Muezza mews.
1999 was the most horrible year in my life, which brought tears and cries for me throughout. Asghar started experiencing pain in his knees in July, which aggravated quickly before the doctors could diagnose the disease. By August, he lost his voice and ability to swallow usual foods. However, he kept trying to smile so that I still cherish hopes. Muezza used to accompany him day in and day out. Her presence, in fact could reduce his agony and pain. After long and painful period of medical tests and diagnosis , doctors declared him a patient of Wilson Disease, which was curable only at its initial stages.
Now we were completely disappointed. He was inching towards his sad end. My wife, Shahnaz nursed him the whole day and it was my duty to look after him right from the evening up to late night. We had fixed our duty hours. The one and only which did not share her time was Muezza. Perhaps she loved her friend more than us. During complete four months of tension and heart rendering situations, we never saw Muezza left Asghar except for brief intervals spanning few minutes. She would sit silently, gazing Asghar’s face. She, perhaps, was in the know that her presence consoles him.
In the month of holy Ramadhan, on December 17, 1999, when we were about to break our fast, he left for the heavenly abode. During funeral rites, Muezza kept sitting beside the dead body. Whenever we looked each other, she mewed once or twice. Her voice seemed to be full of melancholy. I saw her moving with the funeral procession up to a distance. It might be the traditional 40 steps. The right of burial was the most horrible night for me. It was a night similar to all nights during the last four months, wit the exception that though Shahnaz, I and Muezza were there as usual but the crying and sobbing friend of Muezza was no more at his bed.”
Thursday, November 20, 2008
POLIO: MY STORY
CURSE OF IGNORANCE
By Anjum Naim
The first country to be chosen by the then U.S. President Eisenhower to receive the formula of the Salk Vaccine, first ever vaccine against polio, was India, and the presentation was made on May 5’1955 to the then Indian Health Minister, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, by the US Ambassador Mr. Shermon Cooper.
The same evening, I was born. Is this coincidence not an irony of fate?
Exactly three years since my birth, my parents were suddenly overtaken by misfortunes. My mother narrates that on fourth day of fever, I started faltering down. The right leg started limping. We thought it might be due to some injury or sprain. A number of oils and ointments were, thus, applied to the limping and lifeless leg. The doctor, who used to visit our village, Astipur every morning by his cycle, also treated and plastered the affected leg for one month but all of these efforts, cut no ice. A Moulvi Sahib from nearby mosque, who came every evening, to blow over me after incantation, declared with complete confidence and conviction that it was an attack of “evil spirit”, which could be cured except with the blessings of saints. My paralyzed existence kept hanging in the feeble arms of my mother while her tears kept rolling down her face to drench my embroidered brocade clothes. I could only watch her helplessness and disappointment but was not able to gauge its intensity.
Amma (the mother) says: “We left no shrine or mausoleum where we did not pay our homage. We contacted every saint to obtain his supplications in the form of Imam Zamin to be tied to arm as an offering to guardian-saint. And left no Friday night, when we did not light a candle of hope in the niche of the mosque. But it seemed as the evil spirit was determined to put out every flame of hope and desire.” My parents, at last, submitted to the will of Almighty after three years of continuous pain and agony. My father consoled Amma saying, “Irrespective of his disability, he is the light of our home. It is he, who would kindle a lamp at our door-step.” His patience spoke volumes of his fiasco and failure, which I could understand.
In early 1962, my father came to know about a missionary Health Clinic near his paper shop at Kolkata, where paralyzed limbs of disabled children were treated through physical exercises. He immediately, called me from the village for the Physiotherapy, which continued for months together. Suddenly, Sino India war broke up and the people departed Kolkata enmasse. We also left for the village abandoning the treatment. However, due to exercises I became able to walk without any support. My physiotherapist Miss Thomas was an extremely caring, loving and sincere nun. She told us that any further improvement was not possible. She also convinced my father that the ailment was due to a disease called POLIO and not because of curse of any evil spirit. Even its injection was available in the global market.
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) had already hit the Indian Pharmaceutical markets before the sad demise of my father. Whenever he heard about the birth of any child, he used to reach there, immediately, only to convince the family to get the new-born vaccinated against Polio and other deadly diseases. It became one and only mission of his life. I also do hope to continue his mission until my last breath.
(An excerpt from the “Tale of an Ordinary Man”)
By Anjum Naim
The first country to be chosen by the then U.S. President Eisenhower to receive the formula of the Salk Vaccine, first ever vaccine against polio, was India, and the presentation was made on May 5’1955 to the then Indian Health Minister, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, by the US Ambassador Mr. Shermon Cooper.
The same evening, I was born. Is this coincidence not an irony of fate?
Exactly three years since my birth, my parents were suddenly overtaken by misfortunes. My mother narrates that on fourth day of fever, I started faltering down. The right leg started limping. We thought it might be due to some injury or sprain. A number of oils and ointments were, thus, applied to the limping and lifeless leg. The doctor, who used to visit our village, Astipur every morning by his cycle, also treated and plastered the affected leg for one month but all of these efforts, cut no ice. A Moulvi Sahib from nearby mosque, who came every evening, to blow over me after incantation, declared with complete confidence and conviction that it was an attack of “evil spirit”, which could be cured except with the blessings of saints. My paralyzed existence kept hanging in the feeble arms of my mother while her tears kept rolling down her face to drench my embroidered brocade clothes. I could only watch her helplessness and disappointment but was not able to gauge its intensity.
Amma (the mother) says: “We left no shrine or mausoleum where we did not pay our homage. We contacted every saint to obtain his supplications in the form of Imam Zamin to be tied to arm as an offering to guardian-saint. And left no Friday night, when we did not light a candle of hope in the niche of the mosque. But it seemed as the evil spirit was determined to put out every flame of hope and desire.” My parents, at last, submitted to the will of Almighty after three years of continuous pain and agony. My father consoled Amma saying, “Irrespective of his disability, he is the light of our home. It is he, who would kindle a lamp at our door-step.” His patience spoke volumes of his fiasco and failure, which I could understand.
In early 1962, my father came to know about a missionary Health Clinic near his paper shop at Kolkata, where paralyzed limbs of disabled children were treated through physical exercises. He immediately, called me from the village for the Physiotherapy, which continued for months together. Suddenly, Sino India war broke up and the people departed Kolkata enmasse. We also left for the village abandoning the treatment. However, due to exercises I became able to walk without any support. My physiotherapist Miss Thomas was an extremely caring, loving and sincere nun. She told us that any further improvement was not possible. She also convinced my father that the ailment was due to a disease called POLIO and not because of curse of any evil spirit. Even its injection was available in the global market.
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) had already hit the Indian Pharmaceutical markets before the sad demise of my father. Whenever he heard about the birth of any child, he used to reach there, immediately, only to convince the family to get the new-born vaccinated against Polio and other deadly diseases. It became one and only mission of his life. I also do hope to continue his mission until my last breath.
(An excerpt from the “Tale of an Ordinary Man”)
MOBILE THEATRE
A Mobile Theatre
Anjum Naim
The scorching sun is still overhead, but evening hullabaloos and hustle bustle at capacious Gandhi Maidan, situated in the heart of Patna, the capital of Bihar (India) have already started. Worn and played outs, political activists, entertainment lovers, jugglers and hawkers have settled in their choicest places. In a corner, there is a group comprising 15-20 children. It is a corner-play troupe, which is performing a play on the theme “Girls are not burden.” Two senior members of the troupe are supplementing the overall effect with their musical instruments like tom-tom and harmonium. The banner hanging behind is identifying them as: “MOBILE THEATRE – Children with their own voice.” The presentation gets completed within 45 minutes. The spectators applauded giving them a big hand and in a few moments, the crowd vanished. The troupe is busy rolling up their goods and chattels. “There is a programme in Rajendra Nagar, too. Sometimes we perform many a times throughout a single day”, says Ashok Aditya, general secretary of an NGO, “Mobile Theatre” which was established in 1993 with the objectives to ensure that backwards, lesser privileged and victims of sexual abuse get respected places in the society. He says, “Corner-play is the most efficacious medium to bring a change in the society.” Perhaps it is his life-long real experience.
How far these corner-plays have been successful in bringing a positive change in the society, is altogether a different subject of study. But in a country like India, where almost one third of the total population comprises teenagers, a greater chunk of them belong to families below the poverty line. They are compelled by none other than their parents themselves to earn two square meals a day for them and their family. And they, under the compulsions of time and circumstances, become a rotten part of the society. Those who earn less or spend their earnings are beaten mercilessly. That is why; they often return to their homes and stay back at pavements or platforms. Ashok Aditya says, “Passing their nights at pavements and platforms, these children, both boys and girls – often become the victims of sexual violence.” Such street children can be seen in slum clusters in every city and metropolitans. A recent survey by Mobile Theatre shows that more than 5000 slum-dweller street children are residing in Patna alone. Sheer poverty pushed them to road-side motels, dhabas and tea-stalls or they are working as child labours. There is a lot of rag picker children who work hard even in extreme temperatures and earn hardly 40-50 rupees per day. Since they have money,they often become drug addicts.
First of all, the Mobile Theatre focused on rag picker children. According to a full-time worker of the Mobile Theatre, “Hundred such rag picker children were brought together. They were brought round to assemble at Mobile Theatre Centre in the evening after getting their rubbish sold in the noon. At the centre, they will not only be given music, dance and drama training, they will also learn reading and writing. The experiment stood successful and the number of participant children augmented.” But the work was not easy and smooth. Many parents used to raise a hue and cry at the centre that their bread-earners were being exploited. But when they realized that their children are being trained to earn their livelihood in a better way, the ice melted and they started cooperating. Bridge-course were arranged to send the drop-outs and those interested in getting education, to schools. A few intelligent children were admitted to Bimla Vidyalaya, a missionary residential school situated at Bakhtiarpur, 40 km away from Patna. Ashok Aditya says, “Father Sibistein, the school Principal helped very much. He promised that only 50% of the expenses will be charged from the children sent up by the centre, with free accommodation facilities.” Many children have returned back after completing their school-level education and still a group of five children is studying there.” Pointing out to a Dalit girl, Reena who was working earlier as a maid help, he says very confidently, “Today when I see this girl, who used to earn her livelihood as a domestic help, working on computers, it seems the prevalent conditions will change for sure.” In 1995, Ashok Aditya alongwith three Mus’har children Anjana Prakash, Mamta and Pramod, the toppers of first batch at Missionary School, participated in an international conference held at Lux de fank in Switzerland, on the invitation of Terre des hommes, an organisation working for abandoned and abused children. The traveling expenses were borne by the organization itself. The 4-member troupe presented a number of shows in different cities and received training, working with other NGOs, on child issues. One of the participants, Pramod, who is, presently, working in a screen-printing press and provides training in screen printing to children at the Mobile Theatre Centre, in his spare time, says, “ This global exposure not only instill in me a sense of severity of children’s issues but also gave me a goal of life which I consider my identity.”
Switzerland’s visit was beneficial both in terms of experience and facilities to work smoothly. Mobile Theatre, hitherto survived with the local support and cooperation. Now, for the first time, Terre des hommes granted a fund for the project, “Education through cultural and recreational activity among street and slum children”. Thereafter, UNICEF in 2000 and Literacy Centre of the Rotary Club of Arizona, Pioria, in 2002, approved a grant of $15000 for ‘Back to School’ project. In the beginning of 2002, Anjana Bhanti, President of Mobile Theatre had been to America where she presented her project before the authorities of Rotary Club. President of Pioria Rotary Club, Martha Herm along with her 3-member delegation visited India the same year. Appreciating the functions and modus-operandi of Mobile Theatre, she approved the aforesaid grant for the project. According to Ashok Aditya, the vocational training and educational activities currently in vogue at the centre receive grant from the Public Relations Section of the American Embassy and this support has promoted the Center’s activities considerably.
According to a recent study conducted by the Ministry for Women and Child Development, every two of three children are physically abused. These children include girls too in a large proportion. Ashok Aditya says, “A large number of sexually abused children live on platforms and pavements. Their sexual exploitation created a dreadful problem – “An all-embracing situation for AIDS.” The children, both boys and girls, who earn their livelihood by sweeping rail –compartments or singing and playing musical instruments, have neither any place to keep their earnings nor do they have any purpose to save for. Thus, they concentrate on delicious foods, drugs and mutual cohabitation. Sooner or later they fall prey to traffickers in women and children. They are transferred from one place to another. Many of them develop AIDS and start transferring HIV infections to others continuously. Ashok Aditya says, “Keeping in view the dreadful situation, we ought to infuse our entire energy to look after such children who are not only destroying themselves but aiding AIDS to spread.”
Fifteen children out of these 100, who were picked up, initially from platforms of different railway stations of Patna, were provided with formal vocational training at the centre and now many of them are engaged in screen-printing and fabric painting. Most encouraging aspect is, these rootless siplings want nothing but a bit of love, affection, sympathy and your generous attitude,” says Aditya.
Anjum Naim
The scorching sun is still overhead, but evening hullabaloos and hustle bustle at capacious Gandhi Maidan, situated in the heart of Patna, the capital of Bihar (India) have already started. Worn and played outs, political activists, entertainment lovers, jugglers and hawkers have settled in their choicest places. In a corner, there is a group comprising 15-20 children. It is a corner-play troupe, which is performing a play on the theme “Girls are not burden.” Two senior members of the troupe are supplementing the overall effect with their musical instruments like tom-tom and harmonium. The banner hanging behind is identifying them as: “MOBILE THEATRE – Children with their own voice.” The presentation gets completed within 45 minutes. The spectators applauded giving them a big hand and in a few moments, the crowd vanished. The troupe is busy rolling up their goods and chattels. “There is a programme in Rajendra Nagar, too. Sometimes we perform many a times throughout a single day”, says Ashok Aditya, general secretary of an NGO, “Mobile Theatre” which was established in 1993 with the objectives to ensure that backwards, lesser privileged and victims of sexual abuse get respected places in the society. He says, “Corner-play is the most efficacious medium to bring a change in the society.” Perhaps it is his life-long real experience.
How far these corner-plays have been successful in bringing a positive change in the society, is altogether a different subject of study. But in a country like India, where almost one third of the total population comprises teenagers, a greater chunk of them belong to families below the poverty line. They are compelled by none other than their parents themselves to earn two square meals a day for them and their family. And they, under the compulsions of time and circumstances, become a rotten part of the society. Those who earn less or spend their earnings are beaten mercilessly. That is why; they often return to their homes and stay back at pavements or platforms. Ashok Aditya says, “Passing their nights at pavements and platforms, these children, both boys and girls – often become the victims of sexual violence.” Such street children can be seen in slum clusters in every city and metropolitans. A recent survey by Mobile Theatre shows that more than 5000 slum-dweller street children are residing in Patna alone. Sheer poverty pushed them to road-side motels, dhabas and tea-stalls or they are working as child labours. There is a lot of rag picker children who work hard even in extreme temperatures and earn hardly 40-50 rupees per day. Since they have money,they often become drug addicts.
First of all, the Mobile Theatre focused on rag picker children. According to a full-time worker of the Mobile Theatre, “Hundred such rag picker children were brought together. They were brought round to assemble at Mobile Theatre Centre in the evening after getting their rubbish sold in the noon. At the centre, they will not only be given music, dance and drama training, they will also learn reading and writing. The experiment stood successful and the number of participant children augmented.” But the work was not easy and smooth. Many parents used to raise a hue and cry at the centre that their bread-earners were being exploited. But when they realized that their children are being trained to earn their livelihood in a better way, the ice melted and they started cooperating. Bridge-course were arranged to send the drop-outs and those interested in getting education, to schools. A few intelligent children were admitted to Bimla Vidyalaya, a missionary residential school situated at Bakhtiarpur, 40 km away from Patna. Ashok Aditya says, “Father Sibistein, the school Principal helped very much. He promised that only 50% of the expenses will be charged from the children sent up by the centre, with free accommodation facilities.” Many children have returned back after completing their school-level education and still a group of five children is studying there.” Pointing out to a Dalit girl, Reena who was working earlier as a maid help, he says very confidently, “Today when I see this girl, who used to earn her livelihood as a domestic help, working on computers, it seems the prevalent conditions will change for sure.” In 1995, Ashok Aditya alongwith three Mus’har children Anjana Prakash, Mamta and Pramod, the toppers of first batch at Missionary School, participated in an international conference held at Lux de fank in Switzerland, on the invitation of Terre des hommes, an organisation working for abandoned and abused children. The traveling expenses were borne by the organization itself. The 4-member troupe presented a number of shows in different cities and received training, working with other NGOs, on child issues. One of the participants, Pramod, who is, presently, working in a screen-printing press and provides training in screen printing to children at the Mobile Theatre Centre, in his spare time, says, “ This global exposure not only instill in me a sense of severity of children’s issues but also gave me a goal of life which I consider my identity.”
Switzerland’s visit was beneficial both in terms of experience and facilities to work smoothly. Mobile Theatre, hitherto survived with the local support and cooperation. Now, for the first time, Terre des hommes granted a fund for the project, “Education through cultural and recreational activity among street and slum children”. Thereafter, UNICEF in 2000 and Literacy Centre of the Rotary Club of Arizona, Pioria, in 2002, approved a grant of $15000 for ‘Back to School’ project. In the beginning of 2002, Anjana Bhanti, President of Mobile Theatre had been to America where she presented her project before the authorities of Rotary Club. President of Pioria Rotary Club, Martha Herm along with her 3-member delegation visited India the same year. Appreciating the functions and modus-operandi of Mobile Theatre, she approved the aforesaid grant for the project. According to Ashok Aditya, the vocational training and educational activities currently in vogue at the centre receive grant from the Public Relations Section of the American Embassy and this support has promoted the Center’s activities considerably.
According to a recent study conducted by the Ministry for Women and Child Development, every two of three children are physically abused. These children include girls too in a large proportion. Ashok Aditya says, “A large number of sexually abused children live on platforms and pavements. Their sexual exploitation created a dreadful problem – “An all-embracing situation for AIDS.” The children, both boys and girls, who earn their livelihood by sweeping rail –compartments or singing and playing musical instruments, have neither any place to keep their earnings nor do they have any purpose to save for. Thus, they concentrate on delicious foods, drugs and mutual cohabitation. Sooner or later they fall prey to traffickers in women and children. They are transferred from one place to another. Many of them develop AIDS and start transferring HIV infections to others continuously. Ashok Aditya says, “Keeping in view the dreadful situation, we ought to infuse our entire energy to look after such children who are not only destroying themselves but aiding AIDS to spread.”
Fifteen children out of these 100, who were picked up, initially from platforms of different railway stations of Patna, were provided with formal vocational training at the centre and now many of them are engaged in screen-printing and fabric painting. Most encouraging aspect is, these rootless siplings want nothing but a bit of love, affection, sympathy and your generous attitude,” says Aditya.
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