Join the war against manual scavenging.
---------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
I am writing to you (as 'vice president' of Ambedkar Scholarships) to request your participation in the struggle to end the evil practice of manual scavenging in India.
I have had the good fortune to be associated with Ambedkar Scholarships and Benjamin Kaila since the beginning. For the last eight years the scholarship programme has been enlarged to include a special category to help children whose parents are forced to scavenge for a living.
I would be grateful if you can consider supporting this programme, and also if you will forward this appeal to others who are concerned.
Please contact me (sshankar@cmi.ac.in) or Benjamin Kaila (benjamin_kaila@yahoo.com) if you have any questions.
Many thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Shiva Shankar.
-------------------
'All you have shall someday be given, therefore give now that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors' - Kahlil Gibran
Introducing a special category in Ambedkar Scholarships
Encouraged by the response to the Ambedkar Scholarships Programme that we launched just 12 years ago, we initiated a special category to help our most deprived and discriminated children - those whose parents have to scavenge for a living.
There are over 1.4 million Dalit people who are forced to earn a nightmarish living by cleaning dry latrines. Though outlawed in 1993, this hateful practice still continues everywhere in India. After all, wherever there is a railway station, there are people cleaning human excreta with primitive equipment.
Andhra Pradesh is one of the states which has a very large number of people engaged in scavenging. Andhra Pradesh is also one of the states that is at the forefront of the war to end this shameful blot on humanity. Under the leadership of Mr.Bezwada Wilson, the Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA) is making great progress in this war - please read Gita Ramaswamy's "India Stinking" (published by Navayana) for details.
In Tamil Nadu, Ambedkar Scholarships has formed partnerships with Janodayam, a group dedicated to the elimination of scavenging headed by Mr.G.Israel, as well as with organisations such as READ (headed by Mr.Karuppusamy), Premalaya (headed by Mr.A.Isaiah), Scavengers Dignity Forum (headed by Mr.G.Sakthivel) and others. In Ghazipur disctrict, UP, we have formed a partnership with Mr.Vidya Rawat's SDF that is working for the rights of people who have to scavenge for a living.
Ambedkar Scholarship is proud to associate itself with these organisations in starting a special category to help children of people who have to scavenge go to school and college.
To support a child please contribute Rs.6,000/ or US$150/. This scholarship will support the recipient for one year.
www.friendsforeducation.org [www.friendsforeducation.org]
USD donations:
In favor of: Friends for Education International
Please post your cheques to:
Benjamin P Kaila, 999 W Hamilton Ave #24, Campbell, CA 91214
India rupee donations:
In favor of: Friends for Education International (India)
Please post your cheques to:
Shiva Shankar,
CA4, Seabrook Apartments,
4th Seaward Road, Valmiki Nagar,
Chennai - 600041.
Please visit [www.friendsforeducation.org] for more information about these programmes.
Yours sincerely,
Shiva Shankar,
Chennai Mathematical Institute.
"Educate, Agitate, Organise"
-------------------
Underground Realities - Preeti Mehra http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/underground-realities/article5741424.ece
On January 26, 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics, we will have equality and, in social and economic life, we will have inequality. - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
---------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
I am writing to you (as 'vice president' of Ambedkar Scholarships) to request your participation in the struggle to end the evil practice of manual scavenging in India.
I have had the good fortune to be associated with Ambedkar Scholarships and Benjamin Kaila since the beginning. For the last eight years the scholarship programme has been enlarged to include a special category to help children whose parents are forced to scavenge for a living.
I would be grateful if you can consider supporting this programme, and also if you will forward this appeal to others who are concerned.
Please contact me (sshankar@cmi.ac.in) or Benjamin Kaila (benjamin_kaila@yahoo.com) if you have any questions.
Many thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Shiva Shankar.
-------------------
'All you have shall someday be given, therefore give now that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors' - Kahlil Gibran
Introducing a special category in Ambedkar Scholarships
Encouraged by the response to the Ambedkar Scholarships Programme that we launched just 12 years ago, we initiated a special category to help our most deprived and discriminated children - those whose parents have to scavenge for a living.
There are over 1.4 million Dalit people who are forced to earn a nightmarish living by cleaning dry latrines. Though outlawed in 1993, this hateful practice still continues everywhere in India. After all, wherever there is a railway station, there are people cleaning human excreta with primitive equipment.
Andhra Pradesh is one of the states which has a very large number of people engaged in scavenging. Andhra Pradesh is also one of the states that is at the forefront of the war to end this shameful blot on humanity. Under the leadership of Mr.Bezwada Wilson, the Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA) is making great progress in this war - please read Gita Ramaswamy's "India Stinking" (published by Navayana) for details.
In Tamil Nadu, Ambedkar Scholarships has formed partnerships with Janodayam, a group dedicated to the elimination of scavenging headed by Mr.G.Israel, as well as with organisations such as READ (headed by Mr.Karuppusamy), Premalaya (headed by Mr.A.Isaiah), Scavengers Dignity Forum (headed by Mr.G.Sakthivel) and others. In Ghazipur disctrict, UP, we have formed a partnership with Mr.Vidya Rawat's SDF that is working for the rights of people who have to scavenge for a living.
Ambedkar Scholarship is proud to associate itself with these organisations in starting a special category to help children of people who have to scavenge go to school and college.
To support a child please contribute Rs.6,000/ or US$150/. This scholarship will support the recipient for one year.
www.friendsforeducation.org [www.friendsforeducation.org]
USD donations:
In favor of: Friends for Education International
Please post your cheques to:
Benjamin P Kaila, 999 W Hamilton Ave #24, Campbell, CA 91214
India rupee donations:
In favor of: Friends for Education International (India)
Please post your cheques to:
Shiva Shankar,
CA4, Seabrook Apartments,
4th Seaward Road, Valmiki Nagar,
Chennai - 600041.
Please visit [www.friendsforeducation.org] for more information about these programmes.
Yours sincerely,
Shiva Shankar,
Chennai Mathematical Institute.
"Educate, Agitate, Organise"
-------------------
Underground Realities - Preeti Mehra http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/underground-realities/article5741424.ece
On January 26, 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics, we will have equality and, in social and economic life, we will have inequality. - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar