Parindey

സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യത്തിന്റെ ശാല

പരിന്ദേയ്: പ്രണിത് സിംഹ മുലംറെഡ്ഡി അലൈവ്ലിഹുഡ്: വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം പ്രദേശം: ദന്തേവാഡ, ഛത്തീസ്ഗഡ് പ്രണിത് സിംഹ (ഫോട്ടോ: അമൽ ദേവ്) “ഇന്ത്യയിൽ ഉടനീളം യുവജനങ്ങൾക്ക് പര്യവേക്ഷണം ചെയ്യാനായിട്ടുള്ള അറിയപ്പെടാത്ത നിരവധി പ്രദേശങ്ങളുണ്ട്. അതിന് വേണ്ടിയൊരു പ്ലാറ്റ്ഫോം  സ്ഥാപിച്ചാൽ അത് ഒരേപോലെ യുവജനങ്ങൾക്കും ആ പ്രദേശത്തിനും ഗുണം ചെയ്യുന്നതായിരിക്കും. അങ്ങനെയാണ് ഞങ്ങൾ 2012-ൽ ഒരു സന്നദ്ധസേവ സംഘം പ്രവർത്തനം ആരംഭിക്കുന്നത്. അതിന്റെ പേര് ബച്പൻ ബനാവോ എന്നായിരുന്നു.”   - പ്രണിത്   പ്രണിത് സിംഹ മുലംറെഡ്ഡി ‘ബച്പൻ ബനാവോ’ എന്ന എൻ.ജി.ഒ.യുടെ സ്ഥാപകനാണ്. ഛത്തീസ്ഗഡിലെ ദന്തേവാഡ ജില്ലയിലാണ് ഈ എന്‍‌.ജി‌.ഒ. സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നത്. ഗ്രാമീണ-ആദിവാസി മേഖലകളിലെ വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സമ്പ്രദായം മെച്ചപ്പെടുത്തുക എന്നതാണ് ബച്പൻ ബനാവോയുടെ പ്രധാന ലക്ഷ്യം. ആന്ധ്രാ പ്രദേശിലെ കുർണൂൽ ആണ് പ്രണിത് സിംഹയുടെ സ്വദേശം. ദന്തേവാഡയിലെ പാർശ്വവൽക്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട കുടുംബങ്ങളിലെ കുട്ടികൾക്ക്  വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തിലൂടെ  സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യത്തിന്റെ ചിറകുകൾ നൽകുന്ന പ്രണിതിന്റെ ജീവിത യാത്ര വളരെ മനോഹരമാണ്.  ആദിവാസി മേഖലകളില്‍ വൈദ്യ സേവനം നടത്തിയിരുന്ന ഡോക്ടര്‍ ദമ്പതികളുടെ സന്നദ്ധസേവകനായിട്ടാണ് 2012-ല്‍  പ്രണിത് ദന്തേവാഡയിലേക്ക് വരുന്നത്. അവരെ മെഡിക്കല്‍ ക്യാമ്പ് സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിൽ സഹായിക്കുക എന്നതായിരുന്നു…

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Facilitating Personal and Communal Well-being: HaiJalo, Making it Happen

Fellow: Ridhima Agarwal Parindey: Ruth D'Costa Alivelihood: Community work Region: Kaflang, Champawat district, Uttarakhand Ruth D'Costa (Photo: Ridhima Agarwal) "And when it finally dawns on us that we have entered a downslope of destruction on this Earth and don't have the wisdom to make the sacrifices that are needed to go back to healing the damages we have done, we have only one way left—decide on how we want to live, the choices we want to make right now, and the kind of relationships we want to have with ourselves and the world." - Ruth D'Costa  Life moves at its own pace in the beautiful village of Kaflang in Champawat,…

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The Saga of a Seed Saver

Fellow: Saumya John Parindey: Bhairab Saini Alivelihood: Organic Farming, Activism & Conservation Region: Panchal, Bankura district, West Bengal Bhairab Saini (Photo: Saumya John) Successful food systems are anchored on “seed”; nurtured by water, air and soil and given subsistence by a farmer. Growing food isn’t just a livelihood, it is also a channel to give back to the life-cycle of consumption- a skill that is inherent to some while others can simply learn; Bhairab Saini continues the legacy of his farmer ancestors while pursuing a new-age farming livelihood.  He displays it as an act of resilience as well. He was practising farming since 1993, it was only in the year…

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Enabling the Spirit to Soar

Fellow: Ridhima Agarwal Parindey: Fatema C Alivelihood: Community Work & Education Region: Palampur, Himachal Pradesh “It is not just about cutting trees but also about the kind of relationship we hold with the rest of nature. It is symbiotic, not pyramidal. We do not control everything but tend to think that we do. This experience of nature is what I want to imbibe in children.”  - Fatema C An ode to the feeling of that bird who doesn’t like to be caged,  Who sings in love, who sings in rage,  Of the past she holds, of the chains she breaks, The future for the world she nurtures, she creates, And…

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What can Traditional Fishing Communities Teach us about Sustainability?

Fellow: Srilaxmi Parindey: Mahendra Paradkar Alivelihood: Conservation and Community Rights Activism Region: Dandi, Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra Mahendra Paradkar (Photo: Srilaxmi) Mahendra Paradkar was born in Dandi, a coastal gaon (village) in the Konkan belt of Maharashtra. The primary occupation here is fishing, which has been passed on through the generations and is an integral part of their lives and livelihoods. Mahendra was one of the few of his generation to have received and continued formal education, and it was important for him to get a job. However, he did not want just any job. In college, he wrote for a college-edition supplementary newsletter of Tarun Bharat, a widely read Marathi…

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Emancipation through Education: Vimal Kumar and his Movement for Scavenger Community

Fellow: Sneharshi Dasgupta Parindey: Vimal Kumar Alivelihood: Education, Activism, and Social Work Region: Ladwa, Haryana There have been various bills proposed in the parliament to ban manual scavenging in India. In the most recent bill, which was introduced in 2020, there were talks of amending the controversial manual scavenging law. However, after six months of discussion, the government manifested no plans to amend. The draft for the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Amendment Bill proposed for a mechanised process of cleaning sewers, septic tanks, and a lawful basis to provide compensation to those pursuing this livelihood in the event of fatalities. Irrespective of legal talks of…

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A Nomad for whom the World is a Home

Fellow: Anil Uppalapati Parindey: Rajnish Kumar Alivelihood: Permaculture & Organic Farming Region: Kudumkela, Chhattisgarh Rajnish aka Raja at Majhi Tikara, Chattishgarh (Photo: Anil Uppalapati) “I was born into a large farming family in Bihar. I was made to stay and work in our fields as a punishment. My family used to tell me that only losers do farming in the current generation.” - Rajnish Kumar  Rajnish was never really interested in school. He was only 10 when he ran away from his home for four years to escape the pressure from school and his parents. He was brought back and put back in the school. When he was in class…

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Preserving the Santali Self: History, Memory, and Culture

Fellow: Sneharshi Dasgupta Parindey: Boro Baski Alivelihood: Education, Activism, & Social Work Region: Bishnubati, Birbhum district, West Bengal Knowing oneself is synonymous with knowing one's history and culture. The past gives one an impression of who they are, where they come from, and what the future might look like for them. The past also shapes the culture around one, which is fundamental to one's survival, especially in an increasingly globalised world. However, many indigenous communities in India have little or no written documentation of their history. As a result of this, many are forced to proclaim, "we have no history". This does not mean their past is ahistorical or irrelevant.…

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SAAD Agronics: Toxin-free Produce and Trade

Fellow: Anil Uppalapati Parindey: Afrin Kale Alivelihood: Natural farming and Entrepreneurship Region: Pimplegaon Ghode, Maharashtra For the first 20 years of her life, Afrin Kale was unaware of the intricacies of farming. Her parents were not involved in any farming-related activity either. Following her marriage, Afrin decided to learn farming to build a connection with her husband’s family, who were farmers. Further, she recognised farming to be a necessity for survival. Afrin’s father-in-law taught her the basics of farming on the family’s land and mentored her. However, since the land was jointly owned by the family and a major source of income, Afrin was not allowed to continue her exploration…

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Decoding Politics: Of, in, about Food

Fellow: Saumya John Parindey: Purvi Vyas Alivelihood: Organic Farming Region: Matar village, Kheda district, Gujarat Women farmers are often unheard, or unrecognised in the mainstream agrarian discourse. Purvi accents her existence as a “woman farmer”, voicing her opinions and asserting the rights. She is also a professor imparting knowledge of- Politics of Food, a niche study focused on covering the nuances of food choices and systems through the lens of the present world denominators (such as capitalism, casteism, colonialism, mannerisms, and other ‘isms’). Purvi experimenting with a new technique of watering saplings in her farm (Photo: Saumya John) Purvi was unaware of the theories of food systems before she chanced…

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