The Kerala SSLC pass percentage crossed the mark of 99% for the first time in 2021. Over 1.2 lakh students got A+ in all subjects, out of the four lakh plus students who appeared for the exams. The figure of A plus scorers shows a tremendous jump this time, as last year they numbered less than 42,000. But when combined with the state government’s decision against starting new batches for plus one, the plus one allotment of students has turned out to be the messiest this year. After publishing the first and second allotments, students who got A+ in all subjects have not been fully occupied in the lists, nor have they got admissions for their best choices. And worst of all, students yet to be accommodated into our schools run into six-digit figures, while only 655 seats remain to be filled.
As the government is adamant about not starting new batches in higher secondary, citing the financial strains due to Covid situations, children and parents are anxious about the future. Educational Minister’s press release states that 39,489 students have applied for admission in other districts along with their district. Reducing this from the total of 4,65,219 applications for plus one, 4,25,730 applicants are in the scramble for admissions to the 2,70,188 seats in plus one. Of this, 2,01,489 students got admission in the first allotment and 68,048 got seats in the second. Yet, more than 1.5 lakh students seem to be in the ambiguity of getting excluded from allotments. The situation is particularly bad in the northern districts, though these include the districts with the highest pass percentage (Kannur) and full A plus scorers (Malappuram). This regional disparity had been an issue in the previous years as well.
Rather than starting new batches,the government has allowed an increase of seats in seven districts. 20% of seats will be increased in the government and aided higher secondary schools of Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kannur. But this doesn’t solve the issue, and as the numbers go up, the quality of learning could be affected. Stretching the capacity of classes would lead to cramming students into the classrooms, which is most undesirable amidst the pandemic.
The issue has been raised in the State Legislative Assembly on October 4th by MLA Shafi Parambil, from the UDF, as an adjournment motion. The education minister V Sivankutty denied the possibility of a crisis citing that the Vocational and Polytechnical/ITI seats would add up to more than a lakh when combined with the seats available in higher secondary alone be enough. The speaker denied the adjournment after the minister explained. Protesting against this, the Opposition walked out of the Assembly. On October 6th, the Educational Minister had issued a press release to reassure the parents and children that no student would be left out of the allotments. It states that, though there are effectively 4,25,730 applications, as per the admission rate in the last five years, only 3,85,530 applicants are likely to seek admission this year.
The Minister lays hope on the community quota seats, management quota seats in aided schools and admission in unaided schools. Based on the press release of the education Minister, a total of 1,22,384 seats are expected to be available in the state after converting the vacant seats and sports quota seats to general merit quota seats, apart from the Vocational/ITI seats. But students, teachers and parents haven’t been convinced by these promises, and doubts are cast over whether all our pass outs would get to continue their schooling itself. The Opposition walked out of the Assembly for the second time on 11th October.
‘My daughter studies very well. She also did well in the school Kalotsavam, and won third prize with an A grade for Arabic kadhaprasangam (poetic story presentation). But, her name isn’t there in the allotment lists so far. We don’t know what to do next.’ – said the mother of Ayesha, a full A plus scorer from Kodungallur. Despite surviving the pains of the pandemic and online classes, the children are on the verge of being left with harsh choices. Switching to unaided schools, or getting admission under the management quota isn’t easy for students from poor backgrounds. Hence the repercussions of the seat shortage would lead to a range from the difficulties in getting schools and courses of their choice, to having to shift to open schooling at the worst.
While it is important to love yourself, having an experience of being loved, having someone there for you when things get tough is critical to maintaining your mental and physical health.
More than anything else, it is the feeling of being safe with other people that define mental health. That being said, we are subjected to trauma by fellow humans, especially through our earliest caregivers. This can be through physical or emotional abuse or absence or neglect. Trauma takes away our language and means to express our experiences. The only means left, then, is the language of the body.
Numerous animal studies showed that minor stress during infancy could permanently impact the development of the brain and, therefore, on behaviour. This could be true for humans as well. The developing brain is sensitive to experiences, both good and bad. The fact that the brain develops sequentially explains why highly young children are at high risk of suffering from the lasting effects of trauma. Yet, we continue to say ‘’children are resilient’’. Children become resilient purely due to the nurturance that they receive early in life. As much research has shown, the impact of trauma is far more significant on children than it is on adults.
“Why are you overly sensitive?’’, “I don’t understand your impulsivity to stress’’ are statements that convey that we are nowhere near to becoming a trauma-conscious society. The painful experiences one has had can result in being genetically sensitive to stress. This is due to a repeated and intense activation of one’s threat-mediating stress-response neural system.
Research suggests that if children are not allowed the chance to develop permanent relationships with either of the primary caregivers during the first three years of life, it can have lasting effects on people’s ability to relate normally and affectionately to each other. This shows why attachments can overwhelm when traumatized children become adults. These adults suffer from their memories. Therefore, to cope and survive, they either disappear and disconnect or engage in destructive behaviors. Emotional numbing, a dissociated fragmented sense of self, a feeling of floating in space, becomes common defensive survival states of existence.
Coping can take a toll. To appreciate how children heal their trauma, we need to primarily understand what they have learned about love, how they cope with challenges, and how stress affects them. Children raised in chaos become adults triggered by peace. Although trauma’s effect may not always be visible to the untrained eye, you begin to see its consequences everywhere when you realize what trauma can do to children and adults.
What has also occurred to me is that what is traumatically stressful for one may be trivial for another. The context, the timing, and the response matter a lot.
Because humans are social beings, the worst catastrophes that can happen to us inevitably involves relational loss. As a result, recovery from trauma is about relationships and gaining professional help mentally and physically. What heals a traumatized child are the caretakers, families, mental health professionals, and folks around them who are tolerant of their weaknesses and vulnerabilities and patient in helping them slowly build new ways of learning and unlearning. In therapy, what doesn’t work well is coercing children to open up or to let go of their anger. To let go may have to do with denying its roots and while consulting traumatized children, identifying a symptom is not just enough. Instead, look out for the meaning the person makes of that symptom. I certainly do not have all answers on creating a world that respects a child’s needs.
Most importantly, what I know is that children need healthy touch, affection, and approval. An excellent place to start is at the beginning. Infants and children need the devoted attention of caretakers, and those caretakers need the daily support of a loving community. Rather than focusing obsessively on the cognitive development taught in schools, children’s emotional and physical needs should be given significance. Our brain development follows the rule ‘’Use it or Lose it’’. If we don’t give children time to learn how to be with others, connect, deal with conflict, and negotiate, those areas of their brain will be underdeveloped. I want to quote Sigmund Freud here, ‘’How bold one gets when one is sure of being loved ‘’. This explains how vital relationships are to the healing process. Understanding trauma and its impact is crucial, not only for helping those who have suffered but also for preventing this for generations to come.
‘The Covid lockdowns had been tough. But, personally, it left me with some powerful moments too. It seemed that my family could connect more with me than before as they were at home most of the time and felt the difficulties of losing mobility’ said Shibil, Research scholar at JNU. Disability isn’t merely a personal incapacity but also socially constituted. Hence, Covid days also reminded us of our inefficiency in effectively integrating disabled people into our system. As we are slowly going back to our old normal and offline schedules, we are on the verge of reopening schools, and how inclusive we are matters.
Children with slight intellectual disabilities are part of our regular schools. They are given a supporting hand with grace marks and extra time. But more important have been their social interactions while learning together, which have been destabilised due to the Covid situations. Regimol Philip, a teacher at St. Antony’s School, Plassanal, Kottayam, says,‘ We follow the IEDC (Integrated Education for Disabled Children) model in our school. The children with mild disabilities learn with the rest of the students in class. They gain much from the classroom experience, relying on friends and teachers. This also helps their personality development. But, the online shift reduced these chances of learning together. We need to compensate for this loss as classes would resume at schools.’
Like adults, the children as well experienced the pandemic at different levels. Some might have been affected, lost dear ones to the pandemic, had the earning members of the family unemployed or went through other worries. Dealing with these strains as a disabled child would have been more challenging. To maintain the momentum of learning in the past one and a half years wouldn’t have been easy, as children lived it not only as students shifting to digital zones but much more. As they return to school, more emotional and academic support would be needed than before.
Dr Krishnakumar, Director, IMHANS, says, ‘Many children with developmental disorders require a structured environment and changes in the day-to-day activities are likely to cause severe adjustment problems. When the schools reopen after nearly one and half years, these children are subjected to another ‘change’, and there is a high chance to develop adjustment problems which may manifest as behaviour disorders or emotional disorders.’ Agreeing to the same, Seema Girija Lal, Together We Can, shares her hope that the government will take it slow this time and in a phased manner. ‘First, the teachers need to be adequately trained to focus on the social and emotional wellbeing of children, rather than entirely on academic learning alone. They, too, need the support as much as the students and the parents need. The syllabus will need to be revised to the basic minimum necessary, and alternate assessment formats enabled.’
The reopening of BUDS schools and restoring the Kerala annual scholarship, which had been cut down from Rs 28,500 to Rs 16,500 amidst the pandemic, are called forth. Aswasakiranam scheme needs to be regularised. The Resource Teachers could play a pivotal role in getting the children back to school, and their role and posting need to be strengthened. Also, Covid has opened up the horizons of digital content in learning, though it has been noted that it would serve a purpose only if skillfully designed. Approving this, Seema Girija Lal, TWC, says that digital content can be helpful if SMARTly delivered –
· Be Specific, clear and concise and not having broad, abstract goals,
· Be Measurable and how the learning can be measured should be decided based on the learner,
· Be Attainable considering all other issues that influence learning,
· Be Relevant to the specific learner,
· Be Time-bound and be reviewed periodically to check progress to evolve the IEP [Individualised and Inclusive Education Program].
A comprehensive approach is needed for the students to compensate for the Covid losses. Dr Krishnakumar, IMHANS, says, ‘it is essential that teachers of schools for children with special needs should be given adequate training in dealing with emotional and behavioural issues in children. Children with learning disorders and mild degrees of intellectual disability, and other developmental disorders also require special attention. School Counsellors should be empowered to deal with psychological problems in children. This is an area which the Govt and educational experts should give priority attention.’
As we are gradually retracing the path towards the old normal, it is crucial to be concerned whether all our little ones can be a part of the journey. With a smiling face but anxious eyes, Girija, Seemantini’s mother, said, ‘It was difficult for her to study during Covid. She is happy that schools and colleges are reopening. But as she is already under medication and has recurring episodes of fits, the doctor told her not to get vaccinated. I don’t know if not being vaccinated would make her further studies difficult.’ Pausing for a moment, she continued, ‘I fear how she would take it if she has to remain home when her friends go back to classes.
Covid had been a crucial moment. It is upon the government to decide whether it had been for more significant exclusion of the disabled children or towards their greater integration.
When a peer sitting next to your seat asks you vehemently, ” Aren’t you a Mallu?” not in a friendly tone but with a scourging mockery. And you, as a 17- year old might be hesitating to say yes, fearing to be drowned in institutional bullying. This could also happen because you’re supposed to explain your marking system to everyone and to let them know you’re meritorious, not a loser. Have you ever thought how bizarre it would be in the normal days of your college?
Well, the majority of the Keralite students in this Central’ University (DU) experience the unending mockery of peers and some professors. If it was behind the curtain back then, it is now orchestrated to the public executory mode with a strong backing. And most of us know the men who are backing him. What the venerated professor did with his veritable comment was simply defiling students from Kerala before others and set the stage for open bullying.
At the University Centre – ABVP is protesting demanding an end to the influx of students from South India, especially Kerala. On the other side, Mr. Rakesh Pandey is spreading hatred against Malayali students”. The two of them sound the same, don’t they?
” Sir, not even a single stupid student will never or ever be going to find out parent organization’s stupendous planning missions to institute your ideologies. This is not the right place.’
What came out from an irresponsible professor for his tiny satisfaction was a bomb to explode among the classmates and peers. A bomb of communal hatred and insecurities that is good enough to explode. Can’t even visualize how obsolete it would be for the condition of minority and marginalized students who are studying under him especially from the Kerala board. And if we could find that the internal assessments of the students from Kerala belonging to his class are marked low, well there won’t be any surprise in this. And who is to be blamed?
It’s highly deplorable to confront such venomous comments and arguments, even from the classmates saying, ” Soon, 98+ Delhiites won’t get into Amity also”. Seriously? Aren’t we supposed to always remind them that Delhi University is a Central University and not a private one, not even a state running institution?
The university press release itself announced that when 31172 CBSE students secured their admission at DU only 2365 students from Kerala board had enrolled. Even though the reliance on statistics doesn’t mandate here as long as we are coveted for a Central university, it is still said. Why do they think people like us are “good for nothing”?
These defaming approaches are the reflection of his unwillingness to accept students from non-elite communities and his intolerance towards non- Hindi speaking, rational South Indians. And this is expected from someone who is constantly propagating RSS ideologies. He once mentioned, ” Most of them don’t know how to converse either in Hindi or in English coming to Delhi University”. Sir, this is high time for you to realize that language is a way of communication and not a measurement of intelligence and talent. To Make things clear, we don’t have something called the National language.
We cannot blame you for how hesitant it would be for you to see Muslim and Malayali Students actively engaging in college and making it a divergent space. But it’s a dire time for you to set your mind up to take some time and see what lies inside us.
Just like everyone, Malayali aspirants are also talented and desirable as other candidates. They also have stories of struggles and hard times to tell us. Studying in a central university is their dream as well. It is evident from the heights that the Mallu alumnus of DU endured in this period that how capable they are irrespective of which board and schools they were into. They are not merely sitting in the class but actively taking part in the co-curricular activities and coming out with flying colors even as the student representatives. Before giving a shrewd approach, be responsible.
Instead of spreading hatred, call the system out. Identify the real cause of distress. DU can adopt multiple admission processes like entrance exams and interviews. Expand infrastructures of our public education at least to the tertiary level so that the number of seats could be increased. Think about the possibilities of a uniform school syllabus and educational pattern at least up to the twelfth standard.
Professor Rakesh Sharma isn’t an individual. He lives inside everyone. For us, identifying and excluding him from the social fabric is important since perpetuation of communal vengeance cannot be licensed. If not today, the ‘tomorrow’ looks bleak.
And his choice of word ‘Jihad’, Jihad stands for strive and struggle. And yes, the students in question gave up a fight amid the uncertainties anchored by Covid 19. The struggle was for education and survival. They came out weathering the tough time. And demonizing their spirits, we won’t let it happen.
What is more fragile than a man’s ego? Men have a special talent that they can create controversies and easily get out of it using their gender privilege. And what happens if a group of women question their immoral behavior and accuse them of sexual harassment? Ignoring the allegations and selectively advocating for ‘women’s right’ is not a new phenomenon in any patriarchal society. This is what happened in the recent Haritha organization issue. Haritha is a wing of Muslim Women’s Federation that was dissolved by the Indian Union Muslim League due to the violation of party disciplinary order.
Haritha leaders had filed a complaint to the party against Muslim Students Federation (MSF) state president and Malappuram district general for using misogynistic remarks against them. But they tried to conceal the case without going for a proper solution or taking action against the culprits. Hence, they were compelled to file a complaint to Women’s Commission and that caused the men in power to dissolve the group. It’s a popular belief that men will not apologize for their mistakes. If they do, please understand that they are not sorry for what they have done, but sorry for you finding out. Here, instead of apology they scolded the women for not properly following the religious and political rules. And the controversial statement of the National General Secretary, Noorbina Rasheed, again proved that the patriarchal system is continuing or working through women. She argued that her party was not founded with the aim to address gender politics and gender equality. She herself forgot that she is unknowingly suppressing the gender she belongs to and feels proud of it. In Kerala it is a sin or taboo to support women’s rights.
WCC
This is not an isolated case. Five years after the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A) issue we are still stuck here, addressing the same gender politics and discrimination and with a similar problem. How an organization and the male members are oppressing the women, their misogynistic attitude and the patriarchal mindset is an important issue to be discussed. After the close dissection of these issues, it is visible that the majority of men don’t want to change. Henceforth the 21st century women themselves started a gender revolution in Kerala. It was necessary to form a group of young educated like-minded women to revolt against the male chauvinism. These groups gave space for discussions that provided a platform for them to have a voice. Najma Thabsheera well spoke about the oppression they faced in their community and within the political party. She clearly said that all the members of the group were highly educated and they have their own choices and opinions. But the media and the men picturized them as monkey dancers. The injustice they have faced inside and outside of the committee cannot be counted as normal.
The A.M.M.A issue and IUML group have several similarities and dissimilarities. One group is full of political leaders and the other group with celebrities. Both groups have well educated women who are empowered, politically, financially and socially. But then also they failed at several points in the battle with their male counterparts of the group. If a privileged group of women are unable to find justice in the society what will be the situation of an unprivileged woman? The daily wagers are also facing several types of discrimination knowingly or unknowingly. But they are bearing everything because they are moulded in a way that is suitable to the existing system so that they don’t try to change it. That is why women like Noorbina Rasheed consider feminism or the women’s fight as disgusting. WCC is the women wing of the film industry in Kerala. The female members of the film society had resigned from the parent committee as a response to the sexism in film industry. Later the other female members joined with them. A.M.M.A is a male dominated sphere where the elite men rule like a king and all the women become their subjects. What the benevolent sexist male actors had done when one of their colleagues faced a sexual threat from another male colleague? They just supported the male actor because we all know that men will be men and its woman’s duty to protect herself. But the outcome was interesting, as women formed a group and revolted against these patriarchal setups. Here the organizations and people are different but the basic issue is the same.
Haritha
The mindset of the men in power, especially in the context of Kerala, need to change more and develop an empathy for the fellow human beings and also in advocating women’s rights. Obviously, there is change but it’s not enough. The language of feminism became more popular in Kerala society during the late 20th century. All the changes or development related to women is a result of the feminist movement in Kerala. The third world women realized their worth and marked their resistance against discrimination, violence, oppression and misogyny. Modern women are trying to change the secondary status and secure equality in all fields. Hence, even the silly problems of women in the patriarchal society need to be analyzed. When gender becomes a barrier for securing rights, we have to question it. There should be more and more discussions on discourses like gender, masculinity, modernity, power, identity, rights and so on, to mark a change and to realize the dream called ‘equality’. Women should be more aware about their rights at a very young age so that we can tackle off patriarchy from one generation to the other. It’s time to stop the Feminism Lite. Biological differences cannot be a reason for discrimination and it’s time to break the prescribed gender norms.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was placed under house arrest by the Uttar Pradesh Police, defied the order and left for Lakhimpur Kheri from Lucknow on Sunday night.
However, after dodging the police for about five hours, she was detained by the Uttar Pradesh police in Hargaon police station area at around 5.30 am on Monday. She has been taken to a guest house in Sitapur district. The UP Congress tweeted asking people to reach the area in support.
The Congress leader, who was expected to meet affected families in Tikunia on Monday following the deadly clash between a group of protesting farmers and the convoyof Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Ajay Misra’s son Ashish Misra, was earlier stopped from leaving Lucknow and placed under a house arrest.
Priyanka left her home on foot and started walking and then later left in a car. According to UP Congress’ Twitter handle, heavy police presence was deployed at toll plazas on the way from Lucknow to Lakhimpur Kheri and the police were stopping activists and the media by parking trucks on the road.
Eight people, including four farmers, have been killed in the violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur after a convoy of cars of minister’s son ran over a group of farmers protesting against farm laws.
The farmers, who had assembled to stop the visit of the Union Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya, said the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri district started after their car mowed down the protesters. Visuals from the area showed arson and vehicles set on fire.
NDTV reports: Farmers said that son of deputy Home Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra was in one of the cars involved in the accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. Mishra however rejected the claim.
The pandemic broke the rhythm of normal days for children as their schools were shut, playgrounds closed, and zones of social life lessened. This was more so for the disabled children. As the Covid was also about spending more time at home, and involved a blanket shift to the online mode, getting the children adapted to the sudden change was difficult. Dr Krishnakumar, the Director of the Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Calicut, says ‘children with developmental disorders have been most affected with the lockdowns, school closure and other restrictions enforced to fight the COVID 19 pandemic. Schools for children with special needs remained closed for nearly one and a half years and therapy centres were either closed down or were not accessible due to travel restrictions.’
Together We Can is an advocacy group based in Cochin, addressing the rights of children with autism and other neurological disabilities. Seema Girija Lal, TWC shared the troubles that Covid put forth into the lives of disabled children as it also threatened the parent-child equation. ‘Once learning shifted to the online mode, the difficulties compounded as it was not just the children coping anymore, but the families had to cope with the shift. The little respite mainly mothers [as primary caregivers] received when the children were at school was also taken away, in addition to the increase in household work with all family members at home all day. Other stress included that of job insecurity or job loss and more took a toll over their mental health too.’
The Covid outbreak, to a great extent, damaged the previous schemes instituted to support disabled children and their families. The BUDS schools had been closed for the entire period without alternate schemes being put in place. As most attending the BUDS schools are from poor backgrounds, the closure of schools also meant income loss for their families as it became difficult for the parents to go to work leaving children alone at homes.
Adding to this, the Kerala state government reduced the annual scholarships from Rs 28,500 to Rs 16,500 amidst the pandemic. The state cut down Rs 12,000 which had been the travelling allowance (12 months x Rs 1000), citing that children aren’t travelling under the covid situations. Given that the government didn’t make necessary arrangements to cater to these children with services at home during the pandemic, the cut in scholarship was a deeply resented move. Also, the Aswasakiranam scheme hasn’t been effectively implemented since 2018.
Seemanthini is a 22-year-old with cerebral palsy and has been attending regular schools since childhood. Her mother Girija, fighting the strains of being a single parent, says, ‘Covid situation was very difficult to manage for us. Her immunity is very low. Even if it rains heavily, she becomes feverish. We had to be very careful even for small things out of the Covid fear. Also, for many months, she couldn’t attend her physiotherapy sessions. Travelling and managing travel expenses were very hard. She tries to be happy always, but I miss the way she used to smile during her school and college days.’
As the pandemic took hold of our lives, ‘going digital’ became the lifeline on which our educational system relied. Shibil, a physically disabled research scholar at JNU shares his personal and political take regarding the digital zones, ‘it seems that the shift to digital platforms has brought out certain possibilities, as our system works with much infrastructural inefficiency. For example, it would be difficult for a child to think of being in a school, if he/she can’t manage himself/herself to the washrooms. Being part of digital classrooms, for that part offers the opportunity to access education beyond these limitations. Yet, digital platforms can’t substitute the social experience of school environments, and hence the larger priority should be to get the students to schools itself.’
Though having faith in digital platforms, Seema Girija Lal reminds the let-downs that were part of the digital experiment in between the pandemic. ‘During Covid, the need for an individualized education program that focused on the strengths of the child was more imperative than before. As the focus was more on shifting the same existing model into an online platform without preparing the children, the parents and the teachers, the shift was rather rash and abrupt.’ Concurring to the same, Visvanathan, PARIVAR Kerala shared that the digital content hasn’t been that effective for the kids with neurological disabilities, as more specific digital content creation is needed to support them. Also, the accesses to digital devices, and the parents’ ability to use the devices, need to be more candidly worked on.
Coping with the Covid induced difficulties hadn’t been an easy journey. For the disabled children, the shift had been even tougher. Their families too lived it hard. As we reopen schools, it is upon the government to ensure that they continue to be with the rest, in the journey ahead. Also, beyond the harsh times, Covid is leaving us with new keys to deal with our issues. The promises of digital content need to be tapped effectively to support the children, even after the offline schedules resume. This isn’t a matter of giving aid or service, but a genuine and fundamental right of the disabled children. Hence, as we devise means to sail through the crisis, it is a responsibility to provide boats of different sizes and shapes for our younger ones, as the same need not help survive all.
Kanhaiya Kumar, one of the most vibrant and celebrated student leaders from India and a member of the National Executive of CPI (Communist Party of India), expelled himself from the party to join INC (Indian National Congress) on 28th September 2021. The event has paved the way for new discussions and criticisms in political forums. People are curious to know how this will benefit INC in the upcoming elections, to build new strategies, and for the CPI, what they will do next after losing one of their important faces who had a huge presence in the election campaigning last time. In the press meeting held at Ajoy Bhavan, D. Raja, the General Secretary of CPI has denounced Kanhaiya on behalf of the party. Now politicians and political observers are carefully deliberating to assess the future of CPI and left politics in general. Many have come to the conclusion that the party has lost its relevance in Indian politics, and the withdrawal of their most popular young leader will tarnish the party’s reputation.
The migration of leaders from Leftist spheres to Congress is not a new phenomenon. Let’s take an example from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a campus that is popularly known as the epicentre of India’s leftist student politics and all major left lenient student political organizations in the country. Before Kanhaiya, the other alumni from JNU who joined INC after their student political career in Left organizations include Devi Prasad Tripathi, who was the JNUSU President (from SFI) in 1975-76, Shakeel Ahmad Khan, JNUSU President (from SFI) in 1992-93, Batti Lal Bairwa, JNUSU President (from SFI) in 1996-97, 97-98, Syed Naseer Hussain, JNUSU President (from SFI) in 1999-2000, Sandeep Singh, JNUSU President (from AISA) in 2007-08, Mohit Pandey, JNUSU President (from AISA) in 2016-17 etc. This list can be expanded by anyone who performs a thorough research in the matter.
As a person who identifies with the Leftist politics and as an activist of All India Students’ Federation (AISF) (the student political organization in which Kanhaiya Kumar worked before entering CPI), I believe this turn of events should be considered as something which motivates leftist organizations a moment to think for a need of self-criticism on their syllabus of nurturing a true activist. Such exits of eminent comrades will always remain as an unpleasant clause in the party’s history, but at the same time, these events can be used for self-evaluation and revision of existing systems.
Since I’m attempting to answer the prime question regarding the relevance and future of CPI, let me elaborate on my journey to AISF and CPI first. From a student who was always interested in the country’s political developments and student movements, it was Kanhaiya Kumar who inspired me to join AISF. Althoughthe party was active in my locality, I usually preferred to stay aloof from active politics. But the sedition controversy of 2016 and the eloquent speech given by Kanhaiya Kumar on a night at the Freedom Square in JNU inspired me to join active politics. Till the day, I remained a follower of Marxism but without a party affiliation or membership. But from the very next day, I decided to join AISF and started my career in student politics. As I am very much interested in reading books, especially history, I learned more about the organization and decided to be a part of it. The first lesson the organization taught me was to criticize myself and leaders, including Kanhaiya Kumar, healthily. Thus I can deliver unbiased writing about the relevance of CPI and also cannot stay aloof from healthy self-criticisms.
From the end of the 1990s, the graph of CPI showed a steady decline in the number of seats it had in Parliament and various state assemblies. One cannot deny the fact that this caused severe damages to the roots of CPI. The demise of the tallest leaders like A. B. Bardan and Gurudas Das Gupta also deepened the crisis. Even in the current scenario, the situation remains the same. If there is a steady decline in the performance of the party, then what is its relevance now?
Here are my observations and a possible answer to this. To judge a party like CPI or any party by its electoral performance is never an accurate measure to know its depth and popularity among the masses. To understand a party well, apart from the vote percentage, one should look into the other tentacles of influence among the masses. CPI is deeply rooted in people through NFIW, AITUC, AIBEA, AISF, AIYF, IPTA. To begin with, NFIW, an organization dedicated to the well-being and welfare of women, has made a detailed report on the state violence against women during Anti-CAA protests in New Delhi. NFIW was the first and the only organization to prepare such a detailed report. Even though CPI appears to be weak in New Delhi, NFIW made a groundbreaking report elaborately on issues women face in the region. To know the working of NFIW, one must be engaged with it or closely study the working system rather than merely criticizing such organizations from outside. When it comes to the case of marginalized women in some regions of northeastern states, it is NFIW that pioneered their struggle for rights and justice. Since its origin, NFIW has been the stalwart of women rights activism and continues its influence among the women masses. Aruna Roy, the founder of Mazdoor Kissan Shakthi Sanghathan, is currently the president of NFIW. Under her leadership, NFIW played a vital role in the formation of the RTI Act and various social and political movements. When it comes to states like Manipur, women who do menial jobs and women who are the survivors of rape and assault are organized and rehabilitated by the efforts of NFIW.
The same model of working can be seen in states like Rajasthan. Bhanwari Devi, who played a crucial role in creating Vishaka guidelines and masterstroke court judgements, attended the National Conference of NFIW held at Rajasthan and spoke about how NFIW is helping her in the fight for equality and justice. Ashok Gehlot, CM of Rajasthan, inaugurated the conference. The government reports on the assessment of the impact of MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005) which was prepared with the help of NFIW. Using the enhanced influence and base among the working-class women, NFIW collected data on the pros and cons of NREGA and acted as the resource pool for the government.
IPTA, the cultural organization established by Balraj Sahni, has deep roots and a strong base in many states. Their performances were often disturbed by the right-wing goons. Many such clashes happened in the states like Uttar Pradesh, but their popularity and acceptability prevented such extremist groups from stopping them. Even the other cultural organization which sprouted in later times still uses the slogans and the songs of IPTA. The cultural influence of IPTA is vast and extensive that it forces extreme right-wing outfits like Bajrang Dal to hoist severe pressure and threat to interrupt the programs organized by the group.
AIBEA (All India Bank Employees Association) is one of India’s most powerful and influential banking employee organizations. When it comes to bipartite settlements or any such issues, the first organization to be consulted is AIBEA. Arun Jaitley was forced to revoke the FRDI (Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance) bill due to the pressurefrom AIBEA. Many attempts to privatize the banking sector got dismantled as AIBEA resisted.
The Save India Long March, organized by AISF-AIYF, began from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. It marched through Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and ended at Hussainiwala in Punjab. Hussainiwala, a historically significant place, is where Bhagat Singh, Sukh Dev and Rajguru are buried. Sangh Parivar attacked the march in states like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, but they failed to stop it ultimately.
Kanhaiya with Rahul Gandhi
AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress) is the largest left trade union in the country. The trade union also has solid sectors and a pivotal role in the workers’ movement in the country. AIKS (All India Kisan Sabha), under the leadership of Athul Kumar Anjan, who was a member of the Swaminathan Commission, is marching forward, organizing farmers in various states.
This is just a nutshell of how CPI works in various spheres. ISCUF (Indian Society for Cultural Co-operation and Friendship), an international peace and coordination organization, has played an essential role in developing strong relations with various countries. ISCUF is also a great platform comprising of high court judges and various distinguished personalities. The conference of ISCUF held in Chennai two years back was attended by many distinguished personalities. The office-bearers of ISCUF are invited by various countries as their official guests.
While different political opponents and even some of the Left organizations use sarcastic and scathing criticisms in social media and sharing misinformation portraying CPI, AISF, AIYF and other organizations as irrelevant political groups, they are intentionally trying to erase the efforts of many who firmly stood and fought for rights and justice. All these organizations backed by CPI, work in an independent manner and plays various roles in different spheres. The organizations are never directly controlled by the party. Instead, they receive moral and ideological support from the party. They remain independent organizations free from constraints and always maintain their individual identities. Apart from these mainstream organizations, there are several regional, indigenous organizations that CPI actively supports. To wrongly judge a political organization like CPI in any similar scenario will be absolved by history as long as the ordinary people believe and support the party.
As Kerala is about to bounce back into the old schedules of offline schooldays, the children are jubilant with the hopes of getting back with their friends and teachers. ‘I am waiting for the classes to resume. I miss the times we used to spend together at schools with friends and teachers. Learning with them was easier as I could more rely on my friends. Once school reopens, I wish to be more connected with them.’ said Amrutha, a fifteen-year-old with slight learning disabilities, hopeful about the days ahead. The happiness in her voice is most precious, though not without some worries about managing the lessons ahead. She had secured a bunch of big grades for her matriculation. But, she admits that learning away from schools was tough, making her concerned whether it would affect her studies further.
The Covid situation had been very difficult for children in general. This was particularly so for those with disabilities. Amidst the pandemic, parents, Doctors and experts have raised their fears over this issue. According to the Disability Census Report of India 2016, Kerala has 82,558 disabled children, below the age of 14. This includes children with both physical and intellectual disabilities, going to regular schools, special schools, and those not going to schools. The efforts towards integrating them into our educational system are crucial, as it is also about getting them more included in society.
PARIVAR Kerala is a parents’ help group actively engaged in working for the rights of intellectually disabled children. Visvanathan, General Secretary of PARIVAR, Kerala says, ‘We must look forward to the idea of inclusive education. For this, physical disability and intellectual disability must be separately understood. The larger vision is to get our children more self-sufficient in their surroundings. Though children with more difficulties need special schools itself, the thrust must be to increase the interface between our children with regular schools.’
The Kerala state had different schemes to provide support to disabled children during the pre-Covid scenario. Among the special schools, the BUDS schools that started in 2004 have been much praised. BUDS as a project deal with intellectually disabled people, and the BUDS schools cater to both children and adults. They have been conceived under the Kudumbasree-LSGI model, and are free and open to all. The parents are also part of these schools as they take turns to take care of the children at BUDS. In regular schools, resource teachers are appointed for their particular assistance. But, this hadn’t been effectively implemented in many of the schools. ‘Often the Teacher is given many other responsibilities, and sometimes it is upon one teacher to take care of two schools. Also, the post isn’t permanent.’ – said Visvanathan
An annual scholarship of Rs 28,500 had been given to the disabled children by Kerala Government, through LSGD. The Social Justice Department had launched the Aswasakiranam scheme under which a monthly allowance of Rs 600 is given to those who take care of disabled children. But these involved some loopholes too. The Aswasakiranam funds had been regular initially. Tara, mother of a charming eight-year-old Ramya with autism says, ‘It was given every month. But gradually the duration between months increased, it became once in two months, later once in three months, and slowly was almost cut off.’
Children with disabilities are as much a part of our society as other children are. Education is their right, and it is upon the government to protect it even amidst challenges. In the pre-Covid scenario itself, there had been many gaps in the efforts to support them. As the pandemic hit, sweeping changes have been made in our routine. Schooling was initially paused and later swapped to the online mode. Had the shift been effective for the disabled children or not, need to be seriously looked into as we plan to bring back our offline schedules of schooling. Once the school reopens, the disabled children must have equal access to the schools and learn as their fellow mates.
