‘Education is the best weapon to combat Naxalism’
14 Oct 2012 5:29 AM IST
In the age of rush for money, fame and luxurious life, which is coming to the fore in the form of scams and crimes every day, we have a rare personality who has devoted his entire life to empower the tribals in one of the most backward and poorest states of the country-Odisha.
Achyuta Samanta is the founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences [KISS], Bhubaneswar, the largest residential institute for the tribal world with 16,500 students and providing them free accomodation, food, healthcare, along with vocational training and all the basic amenities of life, free with a job assurance after completing the education.
Samanta has been conferred several national and international awards for his work. With his mission to prevent tribal youths from joining divisive naxalite forces by providing them free education in the campus and vocational courses, Samanta has hit at the supply end of naxalism.
The visionary educationist believes in simple living and high thinking and wants to expand his experiment throughout the country, and includes over 10 lakh students in the net of this innovate education system.
He has recently singned an agreement with Delhi government to run an istitute for SC, ST, OBC and minorties at Ishapur in Delhi on the pattern of KISS. In his visit to Delhi on Friday, Samanta shares his vision with Siddheshwar Shukla. Edited excerpts
How is KISS different than other educational institutes?
KISS is completely residential and totally free institute, exclusively for tribal children. Besides formal education, we provide them professional training such as painting, food processing, stitching, tailouring, applied work, computer, technical traning and personality development. The products are sold in the maket and half of the income is distributed among students. Thus, at the age of 15, each student gets around Rs 1,000 per month which they send to their parents residing in remote villages and forest areas.
Both the institute and students are self-sufficient. Furthermore, the trained students are absorbed as profesional trainers.
How has this model worked to empower and improve the situation of tribals in Odisha?
Lakhs of alumini are earning their livelihood after completing their education at KISS, who might have joined divisive forces such as naxalites or engaged in crimes in the absence of meaningful education. Besides expending on security forces to combat naxalsim, the government must expend a significant amount for meaningful education and profesional training to tribal youths to plug the supply end.
I belong to a tribal area and with my experience, I can say unemployement and poverty are the biggest driving forces for young tribal boys and girls to join naxalites or be their informers.
Do you also support tribal youths willing to purse higher technical education?
We have reserved 10 per cent seats in all the courses of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology [KIIT], University for KISS students and provide them all the necessary support.
What is your future plan for tribals youths in the country?
We started KISS in 1993 with only 125 tribal students. Now it has been expanded to 16,500 students. The experiment is a complete success in Bhubaneswar, I want it to replicate in various parts of the country. We have planned to open KISS like institutes in all states and target an enrollment of 10 lakh by 2021.
How many state governments are convinced with your model of education?
We are in talks with several state governments. So far, Delhi government, Chattisgarh, and Jharkhand have provided us land and we will start admissions in our underconstruction institutes in Delhi, Bastar and Ranchi from July 2013.
What was the driving force to open such an institute in Delhi?
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit recently visited KISS and expressed her desire to open such an institute in Delhi for SC, ST, OBC and minorities. Subsequently, we along with officers of Delhi government finalised the project.
What would be the pattern of the institute in Delhi?
Delhi government will provide all the necessary infrastructure and financial support for five years and KISS will manage the institute. The premises of the institute are being constructed after upgrade of a government school in Ishapur in west Delhi as per KISS standards. The government will also provide an additional financial support of Rs 5,000 per student per month till five years. After five years, the institute will have to be self reliant to bear its own financial burden.
What would be the strength of students in Delhi?
We will start with 1,000 students, among which 50 per cent would be reserved for SC/ST, 25 per cent for minorities and another 25 per cent for students who are socially deprived. The strength would be increased gradually as per the requirement. The students will be divided as per their interest, skill and age to provide professional training.
Do you think the training will be useful in Delhi?
There are many poor young boys and girls in villages, JJ clusters and slums in Delhi who opt for crime in the asbsence of any professional skill. Our training will help them to get employment of their choice and keep them away from crime. The meaningful education can help a lot to combat naxalism, terrorism, crimes, child marriage and all the evils of society.
Do you think the Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] should be made compulsory?
Yes, at least something is better than nothing. The government must implement compulsory 2 per cent fund for CSR.
What is your inspiration?
The sufferings and struggle of my childhood inspired me to create a better world for everyone-particularily neglected people. After completing the education, I decided not to marry, and devote my entire life to the empowerment and uplift of most neglected people.
Whom do you give credit of this achievement?
I am very grateful to Lord Jagannatha and Lord Hanuman for making me a medium of such work. I think I am fulfilling the dream of Ram Rajya, of my role model Mahatma Gandhi by serving the poorest of the poor.
Achyuta Samanta is the founder of Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences [KISS], Bhubaneswar, the largest residential institute for the tribal world with 16,500 students and providing them free accomodation, food, healthcare, along with vocational training and all the basic amenities of life, free with a job assurance after completing the education.
Samanta has been conferred several national and international awards for his work. With his mission to prevent tribal youths from joining divisive naxalite forces by providing them free education in the campus and vocational courses, Samanta has hit at the supply end of naxalism.
The visionary educationist believes in simple living and high thinking and wants to expand his experiment throughout the country, and includes over 10 lakh students in the net of this innovate education system.
He has recently singned an agreement with Delhi government to run an istitute for SC, ST, OBC and minorties at Ishapur in Delhi on the pattern of KISS. In his visit to Delhi on Friday, Samanta shares his vision with Siddheshwar Shukla. Edited excerpts
How is KISS different than other educational institutes?
KISS is completely residential and totally free institute, exclusively for tribal children. Besides formal education, we provide them professional training such as painting, food processing, stitching, tailouring, applied work, computer, technical traning and personality development. The products are sold in the maket and half of the income is distributed among students. Thus, at the age of 15, each student gets around Rs 1,000 per month which they send to their parents residing in remote villages and forest areas.
Both the institute and students are self-sufficient. Furthermore, the trained students are absorbed as profesional trainers.
How has this model worked to empower and improve the situation of tribals in Odisha?
Lakhs of alumini are earning their livelihood after completing their education at KISS, who might have joined divisive forces such as naxalites or engaged in crimes in the absence of meaningful education. Besides expending on security forces to combat naxalsim, the government must expend a significant amount for meaningful education and profesional training to tribal youths to plug the supply end.
I belong to a tribal area and with my experience, I can say unemployement and poverty are the biggest driving forces for young tribal boys and girls to join naxalites or be their informers.
Do you also support tribal youths willing to purse higher technical education?
We have reserved 10 per cent seats in all the courses of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology [KIIT], University for KISS students and provide them all the necessary support.
What is your future plan for tribals youths in the country?
We started KISS in 1993 with only 125 tribal students. Now it has been expanded to 16,500 students. The experiment is a complete success in Bhubaneswar, I want it to replicate in various parts of the country. We have planned to open KISS like institutes in all states and target an enrollment of 10 lakh by 2021.
How many state governments are convinced with your model of education?
We are in talks with several state governments. So far, Delhi government, Chattisgarh, and Jharkhand have provided us land and we will start admissions in our underconstruction institutes in Delhi, Bastar and Ranchi from July 2013.
What was the driving force to open such an institute in Delhi?
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit recently visited KISS and expressed her desire to open such an institute in Delhi for SC, ST, OBC and minorities. Subsequently, we along with officers of Delhi government finalised the project.
What would be the pattern of the institute in Delhi?
Delhi government will provide all the necessary infrastructure and financial support for five years and KISS will manage the institute. The premises of the institute are being constructed after upgrade of a government school in Ishapur in west Delhi as per KISS standards. The government will also provide an additional financial support of Rs 5,000 per student per month till five years. After five years, the institute will have to be self reliant to bear its own financial burden.
What would be the strength of students in Delhi?
We will start with 1,000 students, among which 50 per cent would be reserved for SC/ST, 25 per cent for minorities and another 25 per cent for students who are socially deprived. The strength would be increased gradually as per the requirement. The students will be divided as per their interest, skill and age to provide professional training.
Do you think the training will be useful in Delhi?
There are many poor young boys and girls in villages, JJ clusters and slums in Delhi who opt for crime in the asbsence of any professional skill. Our training will help them to get employment of their choice and keep them away from crime. The meaningful education can help a lot to combat naxalism, terrorism, crimes, child marriage and all the evils of society.
Do you think the Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] should be made compulsory?
Yes, at least something is better than nothing. The government must implement compulsory 2 per cent fund for CSR.
What is your inspiration?
The sufferings and struggle of my childhood inspired me to create a better world for everyone-particularily neglected people. After completing the education, I decided not to marry, and devote my entire life to the empowerment and uplift of most neglected people.
Whom do you give credit of this achievement?
I am very grateful to Lord Jagannatha and Lord Hanuman for making me a medium of such work. I think I am fulfilling the dream of Ram Rajya, of my role model Mahatma Gandhi by serving the poorest of the poor.
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