UN Award for Kanyashree to be part of Class V-VIII syllabi

The United Nation's Public Service Award for Kanyashree will be incorporated in the syllabus, Partha Chatterjee, state Education minister said on Monday.

Chatterjee said the reference of Kanyshree is already there in the syllabus from Classes V to VIII and now the "historic and remarkable incident of winning the award will be incorporated in the syllabus" he said adding: "We want our next generation to know about the project and how it got started by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee."

Avik Mazumdar, chairman of the Syllabus Committee said a meeting will be held on Wednesday to discuss the matter and how its success can be included in the higher secondary syllabus. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had received the award at a function at The Hague last Friday.

It is interesting to note that the Chitrakars (artisans) of West Midnapore are highlighting Kanyashree Prakalpa in their patachitras along with Sabuj Sathi, a project through which bicycles were given to students of Classes IX to XII studying in state-run, sponsored and aided schools. Already 35 lakh bicycles have been distributed and another 30 lakhs will be distributed soon.

For generations, the chitrakars are drawing figures of Hindu gods and goddesses along with some animals and social functions like marriages on cloth and papers. In older days, the patachitris or artisans used to go to the houses of the affluent on important occasions like Durga Puja or rice ceremony in their families and present their works of art and sing songs associated with various social customs, said Bahadur chitrakar, a well-known artisan of Naya Pingla village in West Midnapore. "But now the patachitris are drawing Kanyashree projects in the patachitras and narrating its benefits," he said.

Rupsona Chitrakar who recently attended an exhibition at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi said the patachitras on Kanyashree and Sabuj Sathi have very good market. "We go to attend different fairs organised by the state government in different areas and the patachitras on Kanyashree and Sabuj Sathi are in great demand. We are also painting the achievements of Kanyashree on T-shirts, kurtis and silk sarees."

Naya Pingla village is famous for patachitras not only in the country but also in a few European countries like Italy and Germany and many artisans from the village have taken part in exhibitions there.