+ All Categories
Home > Documents > AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

Date post: 30-May-2018
Category:
Upload: aid-india-delhi-chapter
View: 218 times
Download: 0 times
Share this document with a friend

of 12

Transcript
  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    1/12

    1

    Association for Indias DevelopmentDelhi Chapter Newsletter

    December

    2008

    Table of Contents Editorial

    Editorial 1

    Project UpdatesAID Aashayein 2AID Gurgaon 2AID Prayas 3Parichay 4Khoj 5Jamghat 5Tara 5

    Articles

    You must act and demand Nitin Goyal 6

    16th August 1997 Deepesh Gambhir 8

    Volunteer Speak Shilpa Singla 8

    Photo of the Month 10

    ROTI 2009 11Contact us 12

    Its a pleasure for me to wish you all a VeryHappy and Cheerful New Year. With all your supportand efforts it has been another eventful year in thecalendar of AID Delhi. New initiations, collaborationsand new areas of work for us and weve been able to doit quite effectively thus by causing a little differencesomewhere. Over all the difference which was createddo matters. The month December as always went soquick with lots of celebrations in the air, but we alsomanaged to do a lot of events and activities in thismonth.

    One of them which are to be mentioned is thecandle vigil which we did for paying homage and tributeto the Mumbai victims, it brought in lot of energyawakening in the set of people who participated andcontributed. As Deepesh rightly pointed out wespecifically deny the fact that these candle vigil doesntcause a difference. The candle lighted is just a spark which has ignited all our spirits and the fire will keep

    burning. So keep the flame ignited and creatingdifference is very next to us and with collective effortswe would do it.

    The next one would be our AID Prayas atNoida moving to the next stage with a vocationaltraining class getting rolled with the help of AROHfoundation, Noida and a new class room which isgetting its shape with the help of Literacy India whichwould function as a Non Formal School full time. So farat AID Prayas weve been able to make a significant

    contribution in a finite set of lives but this step wouldlead to the same at a broader level.

    Finally the month ended with AID India AnnualConference held at Bangalore where people from thecountry came down together to discuss the work goingon at the ground and it had a lot of informative sessionswhich evoked a lot of knowledge. . It was really proud when people appreciated Delhis work and full creditsto all the volunteers who keep the spirit up and make ithappen all the time.

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    2/12

    2

    Lets all welcome this New Year as yet anotherbeginning for the tremendous efforts we all put in andachieve new targets and scale up ourselves to make ahuge difference.

    A Very Happy and Cheerful New Year and a HappyReading!!!

    Selva Ganapathy [email protected]

    +91-9891358457

    Project Updates: AID Gurgaon

    Project Updates: AID Aasahyein

    Activity Updates:

    1. A get-together was held for aashayein volunteersat Berco's CP. Neeru, Rupin, Aman,Tanya,Kavita Aunty, Arongdi and Amit attended it.

    2. Christmas Celebration with aashayein kids on25th December, Neeru brought bells and santacaps for the kids.

    Project Location: Timarpur ( 10minute walk fromDelhi University metro station )

    Regular Classes:

    Weekends - Saturday : 4 pm - 6 pm

    Sunday : 10:30am - 12:30 pm

    Regular Volunteers: Neeru, Rupin, Kavita Aunty.

    New Volunteers: None

    Contact Information: Neeru Malhotra 9971661422

    Aman Nigam

    [email protected]

    +91-9873779905

    Activity Updates:

    1. AID Guragaon 2009 Diary launched.2. AID volunteers Visited new basti's around

    HUDA School in sec-54 and identified ~15potential students.

    Unnati Updates

    1. Nutrition programme implemented on daily basis.Courtesy RBS.2. X-Mas celebrated at Unnati.. courtesy Maruti ltd & LI

    Events planned in next month:

    1. Cloth distribution drive.2. 26 january Celebration + Education kits distribution.3. Reaching out to corporates for contribution to HUDAschool4. Set up a new team of volunteers from area around sec-54 so that new project has regular volunteers. Puneet willfocus on this new project and Anshul will manage Unnatiactivities.

    Special Needs/ Issues:

    Collaborate with Goonj for clothes for students.

    Project Location: Gurgaon Sec 31

    Regular Class timings: 10.00 hours 13.30 hours

    Regular volunteers: Anshul, Puneet, Rachit, Shankar

    New volunteers this month: Abhishek, Gaurav,Rashmi

    Contact Information: Puneet - 9811621209, Anshul -9873469546

    Puneet [email protected]

    +91- 9811621209

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    3/12

    3

    We are looking for some good children's books that cango into our shelf - Comics English & Hindi, Children'sstory books & anything you feel that can be relevant tothe reading skills of 1st, 2nd & 3rd Std.

    Christmas Activity - Teamwork

    This was one session that most people who missed itwould really regret not being present.- 33 Kids- 6 Groups with each having a child leader- 8 Volunteers for guiding- 8 Pieces of Chart Paper- A lot of colors- ONE PICTURE - A Tree in its most youthful

    bloom :)

    The Objective:The Value of working together.

    The Process: Each team was given a set of colors and asheet to work on. The sheets were all charted out withpencil on what colors to use and what is the direction totake. Each set of children were lead by a child leaderwho was initially briefed on what work needs to be doneby them. They then selected their teams and went in towork. The leaders were given an additional objective tosee that all the children in their team were involved inthe work done.

    The Moral of the Activity:The final picture was a

    sight worth calling an achievement. The kids themselveswere able to explain the moral of the story at the end ofthe activity -Working together we can achieve more.

    Project Updates: AID Prayas

    Activity Updates

    Our new Class @ Sector 15A

    This month has been eventful at Prayas and a period ofpath-breaking change. As part of the larger dreams wehave dreamt for the children of Prayas our new schoolsclassroom has been finalized and the internal work tomake the class ready is in process. Selva, Prasad & Rajivhave been putting some great effort into managing andcoordinating with the Contractor and owner forexecuting the Cleanup, Plastering & Painting work atthe school. We are targeting Jan 11th as a date toinaugurate and officially announce this milestone to the

    world.

    The Library - Begins @ Prayas

    We finally started up the library at Prayas and have beenreceiving a surprising and enthusiastic response fromthe children. Thanks in a big way to Selva's initiativethat this took off.

    Sajjad has been given the task of - The librarian, and hasbeen doing the task well. Although, we currently haveonly a few books and it has started off in a plastic baghas a long way to go.

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    4/12

    4

    Events planned in next month:

    Vocational training for community women with thehelp of AROH Foundation and Non Formal EducationClasses at the new centre with help from Literacy India.

    Project Location: Naya Bans, Sector 16, Noida.

    Regular Classes: Pioneer Tuesday, Thrusday20.30 hours 22.30 hoursEureka Tuesday, Thrusday andSaturday 18.00 hours to 20.00hours.

    Class II Monday, Wednesdayand Friday 20.30 hours to22.30 hours and Saturday andSunday 16.00 hours 18.00hours.

    Volunteers by heart:

    Anuradha, Ruchi, Neha, Kavita, Sugandha, Darshan, Anand Bhai, Vikas, Kannan, Charu, Atul, Arun Raj, Tarun, Nikhil, Rajiv, Punam, Nikunj, Selva and Ritesh

    Mittal

    New Volunteers: Manpreet, Sourabh, Ankit

    Arun [email protected]

    +91-9910908774

    Activity Updates

    The happenings as always are in abundance -Some directly related to the kids and some to those whoare closely associated with Parichay.

    1. Yousuf's awful accident is the first thing that's oneveryone's mind who's been in touch for the past fewdays. The child, while he was coming back from the

    school, was knocked down by a car. He is sufferingfrom multiple fractures in the leg and is under a verypainful treatment. Darshan's lent a very active supportin raising funds for the treatment of the child. He did itall in a day, much to everyone's relief!!2. Those who have been to Parichay would know thatthere are no care organizations for the mentallychallenged in the area. The parents and the society atlarge lack awareness and knowledge about the causation,characteristics and potentialities of the disabled andpeople with special needs. Given Vijay Bhaiya's special

    interest in this area, we have envisioned a new projectfor the mentally challenged. The project will have threephases:

    Awareness, guidance, and counsellingSetting up special schools andrehabilitation centerResearch and development

    The total cost of the project is estimated to be 2.53Lakhs. AID Pittsburg had decided to support a part ofthe project. So far we have received confirmation forRs. 1.6 lakhs. Funds need to be raised for the rest of the

    expenses. Anyone who's interested to know the detailsof the project can get in touch with me or Vijay Bhaiya.A project proposal has been forwarded to AID Seattleand though we are yet to receive a reply from them, let'shope that things would turn out to be positive and theproject can be initiated soon.3. Anirban networked with a good number ofprospective sponsors this month. Have beencoordinating with them and I think, that the no. ofsponsored kids might rise from 21 to 30 in the comingacademic session. While this is a good number, we needto have a backup plan in place to tackle the situation if

    one or more sponsors turn out to be defaulter4. Kids celebrated Christmas at Parichay by singingcarols.5. Navals uncle brought school bags to almost all thekids.6. Parichays Volunteer of the Month: Sadhika, whohas been volunteering for about 2 months now. Sheteaches Maths and this week has been helping themwith Yogic exercises. The kids do Pranaayam and someother aasanas with her help. Shell be resuming theMaths classes from next week.

    Project Updates: Parichay

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    5/12

    5

    Activity Update:

    1. Teaching has resumed at Ber Serai.2. New strategies being implemented at ber serai.

    The centre is being handled by Zubair andAbhinav currently.

    3. Interaction with children at RK Puram hasbegun.

    4. Identification of new sites besides the currentlocations is underway.

    Events planned for next month:Activity session at Prabhat Tara every Saturday.Trip for Children to Red fort and Bal bhavan on 3thJanuary.

    Project Location: Ber Sarai

    Class timings: 15.30 hours

    Volunteers:Shashank,Annie, Gauri, Amrit, Neetu, Abhinav

    Contact Information:Zubair- 9868486272Pawan- 9810406998

    Abhinav Kumar Gupta+91-9868371533

    [email protected]

    Events planned in next month

    Regular Stalls, Trip for Children on 18th Janurary.

    Project Location : Tukhmirpur, Bhajanpura.

    Regular Class timings: Any day and anytime

    Regular volunteers: Selva, Deepti, Naval, Puneeta,Kalindi

    New volunteers this month: NIL

    Contact InformationVijay Bhaiya 9810753425

    Puneeta [email protected]

    +91- 9891217839

    Project Updates: Khoj

    Project Updates: Jamghat

    Jamghat organized a four hour awareness walk where members of Jamghat accompanied volunteers

    and educated them about the state of homeless people. The walk included twenty five volunteers from RBS,Makemytrip.com, and members of the general publicwho walked from Golcha Cinema in Daryaganj to ISBT.Along the way, they caught a glimpse of the conditionsthat homeless people live in.

    Theater and our outdoor home projects aregoing regularly. In the outdoore home project thechildren are taught about health and hygiene andeducation sessions are carried out and apart from thatthey are also are shown movies as well.

    Events planned for next month:Streetplays on Global Warming

    Project Location: Ladoo Sarai and Jamma Masjid

    Class timings: All the days

    Volunteers:Suchita, Abhinav

    Contact Information:Amit Sinha - 9818705715

    Abhinav Kumar Gupta+91-9868371533

    [email protected]

    Project Updates: Tara

    Activity Updates:

    Started a workshop on health related issues.

    Events planned in next month:

    TARA annual Function before the community splitsand the construction workers finally move out to a newsite and begin a new life.

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    6/12

    6

    The situation is so bad now that we feel lucky when we reach home alive in the evening. Today, Idemand new fundamental rights - guaranteed by myConstitution:

    The right to a secure, safe and peaceful life The right to good governance and accountability

    of public servants

    What amazes me is humans tremendous ability fordestruction. Life can be so beautiful if only we chose tomake it. We love in a wonderfully beautiful world,populated with largely humane people who just want adecent, happy, secure life. But still we human beings goto great lengths to search for violence, hate, greed anddestruction.

    All this knowing fully well that we can't take any of this with us. What remains after us in the this world, is acount of work we did (good or bad) and beauty we leftbehind (art). If we want money and power, we can get itby legitimate and happy means - a businessman can berich and powerful and yet create jobs, sportsmen andstars from show business can get both fame and wealth,politicians can do good for their country and get muchgreater power from the love of their people than any wheeling-dealing can get them. We have such great

    examples in Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.Look at the respect our great leaders have earned fromtheir good work from what Pt. Nehru achieved inestablishing a strong foundation of our democraticinstitutions; Sardar Patel did for our unity, Pt. NarsimhaRao achieved for India in economic prosperity, andwhat Shri Atal Bihari Vajpeyi did for our foreign policyand infrastructure.

    The big question is - why don't our politicians care forgood governance? Why do they persist with their callousself-serving inaction? Fact is that it's a carefully studiedand crafted system.

    I talked to my servant today whether he knew about theattacks in Mumbai. He gave a sheepish smile and said hewas not even aware. He said he never watched TV (hedoesn't have one) and can't read a newspaper. Theconversations in his social circle never revolve aroundcurrent affairs or politics. I asked him who he votes for.He belongs to a remote village in MP and said he votesfor the candidate who belongs to the place nearest tohis village, because that candidate is most likely to do

    something for his village (though never does).

    Special Needs/ Issues:

    Children of TARA are moving out of a comfort zonethey had build for three and a half years to a new sitewith their parents, they will have to change their school

    and adapt a new lifestyle altogether. To help them outof the frustration, disappointment and to help them welcome their new home with a good feeling is whatvolunteers of TARA are trying to do.

    Project Location:Academy of Third World Studies,Jamia Millia Islamia.

    Regular Class timings: 14.00 hoursto 16.00 hours

    Regular volunteers: Kulsoom Rashid and Avneet

    Arora

    New volunteers this month: None

    Contact Information:Kulsoom Rashid - +91-9871551545

    Kulsoom Rashid+91- 9871551545

    Contact us at: [email protected]

    You must act and demand Nitin Goyal

    When the Indian Parliament was attacked inDec-2001, the politicians were scared out their wits withthe threat to their own lives and sent the army to thePakistan border. But now thousands of innocents aredying every year in regular terrorist attacks and they justdon't care. They are so extremely callous, that after the worst terrorist attack on India this week snuffing outhundreds of lives (which shocked the whole world atlarge) the deputy CM of Maharashtra - who is also thehome minister in-charge of ensuring security of Mumbai- declared, "itne bade shahar mein ek-aadh aisi ghatna hotirahti hai" (such small incidents keep happening in such alarge city). Would he have uttered the same brazenshameless words if some of the dead innocents were hisclose family members? Or worse (as he would see it), ofhis bosses? If lives seem so cheap to him then why

    doesnt he remove all his security?

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    7/12

    7

    Political parties don't matter, because nonemake a difference to his life in a village. There is neverany development, there is little or no crime. Inflationdoesn't matter, because they grow or produce mostrequirements within the village. Inflation is actually

    good, because they would get better prices for theirproduce.

    He said a lot of people vote for the candidate from theircaste or community. They have little to lose and little to gain from bad orgood governance. They are not even aware of thebenefits of good governance - so they put their votes on

    narrow partisan considerations.And politicians want tokeep things that way.

    During the last Haryana elections, my father was visitingan acquaintance in a nearby town Badshahpur. Hereached to a festive atmosphere in the town and therewas great excitement all around. He learned that one ofthe candidates for the state assembly had arranged akushti dangal - a wrestling competition during the day which was a great success. There was also plenty ofgood food and free booze. The electorate was simply

    electrified and everyone was saying that this candidatewas a great guy as he arranged a kushti dangal and thatthey would vote for him. The candidate did win.

    Gurgaon is swamped with Bangladeshis. They arepresent in every nook and corner, and most labourers atconstruction sites and many maids in homes areBangladeshis. They can easily get voter ID cards andblindly vote for a particular party, because they havebeen told to do so by their elders. So the partyencourages such illegal immigration. There are crores ofthe min the Country now.

    Stories of liquor and money being used to win votes arelegendary and have now even been captured on TVcamera. But the Election Commission does nothingmore than issue notices. Not even a single candidate hasever been disqualified. So there is no fear for politicos.

    Why do the Governments don't improve the educationsystem of the country? Why do they not take steps tobring actual development in rural areas? Why is there noimprovement in the agriculture sector? Surprise,

    surprise. Its deliberate.

    Because educated people will get exposure andpower of independent thought! They might get exposedto the good media, and might get exposed topossibilities of development. They might start gettingideas about wanting good governance. If the

    Government actually did something to bringdevelopment and prosperity to the masses, it mightupset its apple cart. Prosperous people have somethingto lose from instability. And they may start demandinggood governance. Not good for the politicians.Have you seen the "intellectual" level of the vernacular TV news channels meant for the masses? That wouldgive you an idea of what seems to work for them. The bulk of the votes cast in elections come from

    people of rural or lower-economic background. Andthats where the politicians concentrate on keep thempoor and uneducated and milk them for power.

    I'll repeat here a statement of a friend I quoted in anearlier article: "Every people deserve the governmentsthey get." Mr. Seth could not have been more right. Thelower classes don't care about good governance, and theupper ones sit in our comfortable cocoons worryingabout our next bonus because we have learned to workthe system to our advantage; and the problems are

    anyway just TV news - they are not happening to us. Well, here's the reality check! It IS happening to younow. The terrorists are targeting you now in poshmarkets and five star hotels.

    Good governance will happen only when thepopulation demands it. Stridently! Continuously! Andthen punishes the non-performing politicians at theballot-box.

    Politicians need to realise that we are not pawns in theirpower games. We are human beings with emotions,needs and families.

    And all this is possible only through a massive peacefulcivil movement like what Gandhiji started. Raise yourvoice, write to newspapers, appear on TV, talk to yourfriends and relatives in media and ask them to talk aboutit, write blogs. We need a continuous series of massivepublic rallies, like the anti-war rallies in the west. Thekind of public movement that brought down themonarchy in Nepal.

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    8/12

    8

    For how long will we sit and wait for the govt.to improve our living conditions when we ourselves arenot willing to work for it. Even god doesnt helpsthose who do not help themselves, then how can wesit and point fingers at govt. when we ourselves havent

    done much to improve the system. The time has cometo accept our system for what it is, take charge of it inour own hands and start improving on what we haverather than passing the buck.

    If we start counting today, we will findinnumerable problems that our country faces but thesolution can be found in only one thing.

    As a story goes, If you want to feed a hungryman for a day, feed him fish. If you want to feed him

    for life, teach him how to fish and he will feed himselffor life.

    Similarly, if our people are people are educated,we can find solutions to our own problems. Educationis the foundation for our growth, the beginning ofsolution for our problems and the power which enablesus to face our ills. Education of each and every Indian isnot the solution to the problems they face but it enablesthem to find the solutions to their problems themselves.If we want ourselves to be a force to reckon with in the

    world, if we want our future to not to be so bleak as ourpast was and as corrupt as our present is, then the onlyway is To get educated and To educate. Not to lookup to the govt. to spread education but to own up ourown/self responsibility in this task. Do it by ourselves Fight by staying within the system, and not adopt aholier than thou attitude. Take a mission to educate atleast one Indian in your lifetime.

    Deepesh [email protected]

    +91-981067778

    We need millions of Indians on the streets inpeaceful protest across the Country, every month. Else,the politicians would conveniently gloss over this attackin a few days, and YOU would care only when youloose a loved one!

    Will the media take up the challenge to bring this about?

    Nitin Goyal

    [email protected]

    16th August 1977 - Deepesh

    16 Aug 1997 00:23 hours

    It is 23 mins past midnight. Yesterday my/ourcountry completed 50 yrs of independence from British.The occasion was celebrated by the Govt. (that too withdelayed organization efforts) but not the people ofIndia. As I could see in Delhi, Chandigarh and in thetrain, the day marked nothing special for the people,except for the 3 holidays it offered. It was a day innormal routine for people; with the only exceptionsbeing the functions organized by the Govt. at the VijayChowk where entry was barred from most of the places.

    For Delhiites it was a case of usual diversions in theirdaily routine and nothing else.

    People are fed up with the system and the everincreasing political corruption. For them the 50thanniversary of independence holds no nostalgicmoments, no chance for present and no hope for thefuture. It is imperative for us today to break free fromthe thoughts of, What the British did to India?. Thetime for whom to blame? and how much to blameis over. It is now high time to accept the problems that

    are there today and then work for a better future.

    For far too long a time now, we have blamedthe foreigners for the mistakes in India. What is urgentnow is to take responsibility of our development in ourhands; and our hands do not mean in the hands of ourGovernment. Rather, every citizen of India has to takethe responsibility of his/her own development andhis/her country. And if we can not take theresponsibility of development of country, at least takeour own responsibility and stop blaming the Govt. andthe system for our condition.

    Volunteer Speak Shilpa Singla

    Being an AID Volunteer for over a year, I hadbeen craving to visit an Indian chapter of AID andwitness how all the efforts of various chapters are putinto practice by our volunteers. Thanks to Selva, Nikunjand Shruti, who made it possible for me to visitParichay site during my trip to India.

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    9/12

    9

    One of my biggest concerns was if theparents of these children actually understood theimportance of education; but its the efforts of Mr. Vijayand his dedication to the chapter for over eight yearsnow, that has made the community aware of the

    significance of education. Parichay is soon going to startclasses for mentally challenged children and help thedisadvantaged kids with basic awareness of life.

    I was truly overwhelmed with the vision ofParichay. It is high time for us to promote educationand general awareness amongst people from such areasand help people like Mr. Vijay in running such chapters.It is us who can help a 14 year old to fulfill her dream ofbecoming a doctor, or others like her to accomplishtheirs.

    Shilpa [email protected]

    It was the afternoon of November 28,2008, when I was accompanied by Nikunj and Shruti to visit Parichay. This site is located in East Delhi in atown called Tukhmirpur near Bhajanpura. While on our way to the site, I couldnt believe that the area was

    actually a part of Delhi; roads were gawkily narrow foreven one car to pass by properly, not to mention theywere all broken and unsanatized. Our first stop was atMr. Vijays office, founder/caretaker of Parichay. Hegave us an introduction about Parichay and took us onthe site where classrooms were located.

    I was expecting some rooms rented in a properbuilding, but to my very surprise Parichay is located inmiddle of slums. The very first sight of this areashocked me completely. The place was all stenchy, there

    was garbage and mud all over on the ground level and afew small rooms at the upper level. There were tworooms rented out where classes take place and anotherroom is rented for Masala Unit; this is a community of women who make spices. One of the mottos ofParichay is to make the chapter self sustainable and our volunteers help Parichay in meeting its goal by sellingthese spices. Unfortunately, I couldnt see the room andlearn about it in details since we didnt have access tothe room and women were working on something elseat that moment.

    Parichay follows non-formal form of education.Classes are divided into three groups based on age,NFE I, NFE II and NFE III. An amazing noticeablething is that the students from NFE III help theircommunity by teaching NFE I and NFE II students.Our next stop was in the actual classrooms. In the firstclass, there were these 4-5 years old children learningtheir lessons. It was really good to see these 13-14 yearsolds teaching the NFE I students with full dedication.

    The second class that we went to was NFE II, wherekids were learning how to add numbers. One out of thetwo NFE III students teaching in this class holds anambition to become a doctor on growing up.

    It was really astonishing to see how these kidsare not just gaining basic knowledge, but also makingthemselves aware of their environment and holdingdreams of becoming professionals in life and thus givingback to their society, and that too at such a young age.

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    10/12

    10

    Event:AID Delhis candle light vigil for paying homage to the Mumbai victimsDate: 14th December 2008

    Venue: Jantar MantarPhotographer: Arvinder Singh Rooprai

    Photo of the Month

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    11/12

    11

    Lord! Give enough that the needs of this family are met,

    So that I don't go hungry, and neither does the mendicant.

    ~ Kabir, 15th century mystic and poet parabrahma svarupam.

    ROTI 2009

  • 8/14/2019 AID Delhi newsletter December 2008

    12/12

    12

    Feedback: [email protected] Web: http://delhi.aidindia.org Phone: +91-9818248459Send your Cheques toSelva Ganapathy.RDepartment of Chemical Engineering,Indian Institute of Technology,Delhi - 110016Hauz KhasPhone: +91-9891358457, +91-9818248459

    Publications Team

    India is famous for its amazing variety of food, range of crops and myriad preparations. Perhaps more precious is the

    Indian cultural perspective of food not as a commodity but as a life-giver for all, indeed as a form of the divine: annam

    parabrahma svarupam. To feed an unexpected guest is an honour. The farmer, regarded as annadataor giver of food, is not

    simply someone who makes a living out of cultivation; just as a scientist is a symbol of learning, of technical

    advancement, not just someone who works for pay in a laboratory. To raise awareness about the struggling farmers, AID

    volunteers around the world held candlelight vigils on October 2, 2007 the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi which brought

    together over 3000 people across the world. AID volunteers pledged to support possible solutions with grassrootspartners, through changes in public policy and in our own lives. And then there are choices that are personal but could

    be just as significant. Do we know who grows, harvests, packs, transports and markets the food we eat daily? What do

    they earn? What do they eat? Do they have homes? How far does our food travel? How much fuel is used in transport

    and cooling? Are we fooled by the cosmetics that give it a "fresh" look at journey's end? These questions highlight our

    power as consumers to tilt the market away from vegetables steeped in pesticides, waxed fruits, and legumes coated with

    metanil yellow, towards organically grown vegetables, low-input grains, fairly traded to give the farmer a takehome wage

    rather than mounting debt. Can we exercise this power? What if our common humanity depends on it?.Wishing you peace and joy in 2009.

    Selva Ganapathy. RAID Calendar [email protected]

    +91-9891358457

    ROTI 2009


Recommended