KISS: A Revolution against POVERTY

The eminent policy makers, economists, politicians and now even the new governor of RBI is busy finding a solution to the never ending problem of our country – Poverty. There are many who believe that it has become a national joke, while there are few who have brought some changes in the country with their efforts. One such person is Dr. A. Samanta.

Most of the Corporate Houses in the country believes that Eastern India is a key potential area for Growth. One such state in this part of the country is Odisha – a state which has remained poor, even though the development has started in the recent years.  Dr. Samanta has faced poverty first hand. This was when he lost his father at the age of 4. It was during his childhood when he made it a mission to do something for the poor. He developed a vision that poverty can only be eradicated only through Education.

A man who started a small ITI Institute in the city of temples – Bhubaneswar with a small sum of Rs. 5000/-, has today made it become an educational conglomerate par excellence. It is called Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS). KISS started 20 years back as a modest residential school with 125 tribal children. Today KISS has become World’s Largest Tribal School, which takes the credit of providing free education and livelihood to more than 20,000 tribal children who come from 62 tribes of Odisha and nearby states. The uniqueness of this institute is that it has a zero drop our rate and a far better pass percentage. It doesn’t stop here. The students of this school have Won India Under – 14 Rugby World Cup in 2007. The students have represented not only India but also Asia in various international championships. Recently a 17 year old student of this school named Laxman Hembram was selected (the only youth from India) to participate in the Malala Day United Nations Youth Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York. The school not only imparts education but also teaches new skills to the students such as tribal arts, craft, horticulture, poultry farming, etc. While grasping this vocational training course, the students can earn some money by selling the products which they make and proudly send back this money to their family living in remote and poverty stricken areas.

The awards and achievements of Dr. Samanta and his KISS are enormous. The President, The Vice – President, The US Ambassador and many Nobel laureates, policy makers and international luminaries have visited this heaven on earth. The Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh and Delhi have invited Dr. Samanta to open a KISS in their state as well. This world class model is a testimony of the dedication, hard work and efforts of a man (Dr. Samanta), who himself is a bachelor and still lives in a rented house.

I feel proud to be a fan of Dr. Samanta, by choice.

Sarabjit Singh: The victim of political games

Imprisoned for last 23 years, in an enemy country, surrounded by fellow inmates, who are always ready to swoop on him at the slightest clue or provocation, living with the curse of a (possible) mistaken identity, the life of Indian prisoner named Sarabjit Singh has been thorny enough to be injured at the mere thought of it. 

As I am discharging my thoughts through my keyboard, this gentleman Sarabjit lies on the ground to be cremated at Bikhiwind, a village situated 23 kms from Amritsar in Punjab. This martyr of India was brutally assaulted in a jail in Pakistan – a country in which lives fade and fall much faster than the petals of flower on a windy day. This incident has brought tempest as far as the relationship between the two countries are concerned.

Sarabjit was one such unheeded pain, beating mutely in the soul of India. The silence just got louder, when a group of his jail mates with knives, iron rod and other sharp metal objects pounced on him in Pakistan`s Kot Lakhpat jail. Having suffered serious skull fractures made him stay at Jinnah Hospital for a couple of days. This dreadful incident symbolizes the fault lines in our country’s policy on its citizens in Pakistani jails.

Sarabjit’s only hope was his sister - Dalbir Kaur and the incessant prayers of his sister and two daughters for the last 23 years.

His sister continued campaigning painlessly for her brother’s release for more than two decades, and has left no stone unturned in striving for her brother’s release. Her voice fell in deaf years, both in India and Pakistan. She kept her tiring and exhausting efforts on by running post to pillar for her brother, but of no avail.   

I feel touched when the news channels write in bold red, ‘Sarabjit is Dead.’

No one knows the truth of Sarabjit’s life. Not me, nor you.

The fact to focus on is, even if he was one of the spies working for Indian government, shouldn’t our government rethink its strategy on spies and other innocents who go astray near Indo-Pak border and end up meeting indescribable fates? Because there are many more Sarabjit’s in Pakistani jail’s who are fighting hard to come back to India.

Rest in Peace, Martyr Sarabjit Singh !

(PS: The views expressed by me are PERSONAL)