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A refreshing experience
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The recent annual function of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Chennai, encouraged self-discovery and the spirit of inquiry in the children who participated.
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THE YOUNG, inquisitive minds found it to be a refreshing change when they were encouraged to think aloud — an opportunity that does not frequently come their way. In fact, the spirit of inquiry was the highpoint of the Sarvodaya Day Celebrations organised by the Gandhi Peace Foundation, Chennai, between January 30 and March 2.
The annual function began with the customary All Religion Prayer for Peace. It was followed by a get together, at the foundation's premises in Alwarpet, to spread the message of peace and communal harmony. Religious heads from Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism addressed the children and patiently answered their queries.
There was a sizeable turnout on most days and the quiz contests, essay competitions and drama enactments, all based on events from the Mahatma's life, elicited good response. But the seminars organised were by far the most interactive and productive.
Spanning an eclectic range (from eco-friendly lifestyle to crime and reform, peace through art forms to music and truth) the topics were deftly handled by qualified persons.
``Every session was as much a learning experience for us as it was for the children,'' admitted Kulandhaisamy, secretary, GPF. He was particularly appreciative of the manner in which Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar, Director, SNEHA, while speaking on `Repression in Youth', responded to a question from a confused youngster whose parents tend to constantly compare his performance with that of a classmate. ``Dr. Lakshmi reassuringly told the boy that the next time a comparison was drawn, he should state that the other fared better because he was under no pressure from his parents.''
On a sober note, Kulandhaisamy continued, ``while it was good that these fertile minds threw up questions at a furious pace, the pattimandram tone in the pattern of questioning was disturbing. A sad case of the TV influence, no doubt.'' It took him repeated and gentle reminders to set right the derailed perspective.
Vasudevan, a member of staff at the P. S. High School, North, Mylapore, is of the opinion that the GPF's endeavours succeed in building a child's confidence. Lalitha of Sai Vidyalaya Matriculation School, Mylapore, echoes his views. ``Normally functions when being pedantic alienate the child not only from the function but the very purpose of the event. The GPF believes in opening up the minds of the youth and lead them down a path of self-discovery. In the process, the kids also learn about Gandhiji and his way of life.'' Chips in her colleague, S. Aruna, ``youngsters do not discriminate on grounds of caste or religion. If one were to therefore lay a solid foundation at the right age, the children will not be swayed by baseless issues when they grow up.'' Adds R. Poornachandran, Principal, Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya, ``the onus is on us elders to shape their minds."
If there is a positive response to the activities of the GPF from the teachers, the students' reactions are nothing short of unrestrained enthusiasm. Lakshmi Narayanan and his friend Shankara Narayanan, students of P. S. Higher Secondary School, Main, look forward to the GPF's programmes as, ``nobody shouts at us for asking too many questions nor is there one correct answer." Another child confides, ``when I gave a wrong answer, I was not made fun of. That is when I realised that there is nothing demeaning in being wrong. One learns from mistakes.''
Rajesh, a class VIII student of Sai Vidalaya, fascinated by the `whole new experience', last year, made it a point to attend this year's activities along with a group of friends.
The foundation also conducted a three-day workshop for elementary school teachers at Tiruchi and Marudhur. The primary objective was to hold brainstorming sessions with the faculty to encourage them to adopt innovative approaches to teaching. ``We came back from these camps with moderate success and the realisation that the teaching community was reluctant to venture out of established routines,'' rues C. Shenbagavalli, joint secretary and treasurer of the GPF. A zealous member of the foundation, her speciality is in encapsulating Gandhiji's teachings in the form of succinct plays. Her focus is to sensitise the young minds to respect all living things. Coming to hear of their good work, the GPF was invited by a couple of schools in Coimbatore. During the valedictory function held on March 6, at the Dakshinamurthy Auditorium, P. S. Higher Secondary School, prizes and certificates were distributed to the children. Gauging the response the GPF's activities receive, it will not be wrong to conclude that the organisation's raison d'ętre is to spread awareness of Gandhism in children. ``Every day is occasion enough for us to reinstate the significance of the Mahatma's teachings to a generation to whom he is but a hazy picture. We explain how, despite changing times, Bapuji's ideologies continue to hold good,'' says Kulandhaisamy.
For the public
WHILE MOST of their programmes revolve round school students and teachers, the Gandhi Peace Foundation has come up with a newsletter, titled People's Movement For Peace, to include parents and the public. The six-month old journal carries articles in English and Tamil and is brought out once a month.
``The concept is popular with children as it is rewarding for them to see their names in print,'' explains Kulandhaisamy, the driving force behind the broadsheet. ``When we started out, a gas agency in Tiruthuraipundi, generously came forward to fund five issues. Since our newsletter is distributed free of cost, we have to rely on sponsorship," says the die-hard Gandhian.
Word-of-mouth publicity resulted in a few casual readers tentatively giving vent to their feelings through letters to the foundation. ``Emboldened by seeing them published, we have a few regular writers, who also rope in their friends to write in to us,'' states Shenbagavalli. The foundation has also brought out a series of books for children, authored by Kulandhaisamy and Shenbagavalli. ``We have plans to make an animation movie of one of the books, `The Story of Pingu'. But, says Rupesh, a first year Visual Communication student of the SRM College of Arts and Sciences, ``monetary requirement and other factors will have to be first considered."
B. SARAYU
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