Youth Camps were conducted by DSS at GurukulaGirls High School& Gurukul Boys High School at Godi and Zilla Parishad High School Allavaramin East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh on 14th September 2016.The principals of the concerned schools have presided over the youth camps. The teachers and the students have participated actively and there was very good interaction between with the students and DSS team. All these youth camps were addressed by Jhansi Geddam – National Convener and K Rajamani – State Coordinator of DSS.
Jhansi Geddam, said that DSS team often interacts with students of schools and colleges as they are the future generation that would shape the nation. She questioned if the situation in the State of Andhra Pradesh is good. The students said no. It is a newly formed state, the capital is being built, there are many government educational institutions, in which mid-day meals and other facilities are being provided, then why are the students feeling it is not good. The students answered that the government is not good. She replied government means all the people, including the students participating in the present camp. If they feel that the government is not good, it means that there is something wrong with the people in the society. Then she questioned, is something wrong with them. The students said that nothing is wrong with them and they are all good. Jhansi then asked them if there is anyone who scored 100% in any subject, in any grade. There were only one students that too in only one institution.
Jhansi Geddam said that these students have left their homes, parents, villages and came all the way to study. As said by the students, if it is hard work that fetches good marks then there should be a reason why all students are not scoring good marks. The reason is diversions. At homes, parents struggle to manage their own children. Then to manage such huge number of students in schools is not an easy task for teachers. Teachers invest all their energies on the students. Above that, making everyone perform is not a cake walk. Being a teacher is strenuous in all aspects. She asked them to say the names of some of the present top heroes and heroines. There was immediate response from the students in loudly. Later she asked to name some of the national leaders. The response from the students was very mild and they could say the names of very few leaders. Jhansi said that the students instead of respecting teachers, are making fun of them. This is learnt by them from movies, where making fun of teachers is portrayed as heroism. Children think the roles played by the heroes and heroines are true and is applicable in real lives. The children should know that it is not the movie actors but the leaders who work for the society are real heroes. The autobiographies of great leaders like Dr. BR Ambedkar, Sardar Valla Bhai Patel, Jyothi Rao Phule, Jawahar Lal Nehru should be read and imbibed in their lives. Students should walk in the paths paved by them. On the contrary, as it is easily accessible, the students are dreaming of the movie heroes and heroines, choosing the ways shown in movies.
It is true that the society is not able to provide conducive environment as the students have said honestly in the beginning of the interaction. The social, political, economic, educational and all other systems in the society are not according to the standards. The responsibility of changing these systems lies on present generations. For thepresent generation to be good, the present systems in the society have to be good. But the fact is that they are all fraudulent and have become a burden on the children confusing them in choosing their paths.
There is misery, troubles, problems and vicious culture in the society. This is prevalent in the poor and downtrodden communities. In order to eradicate these negativities completely and for the society to flourish without caste, class and gender discriminations, proper systems should be established by these future generations for the students. To achieve this goal, the students have to concentrate completely on studies and become IAS, IPS officers, educationalists, scientists, industrialists. The discrimination in the society is so evident that, in many educational institutions when DSS is conducting youth camps, girl and boy students are made to sit separately. Afraid of the vicious culture and gender based discrimination, teachers are afraid to make them sit together. To overcome this vicious culture and differentiate between the good and bad in society, students should read about the lives of great leaders. The present generation has a sharp brain which is being used more on negativity. If the students learn to put their thoughts in a positive way, they can change the negativities of human relations.
Children observe negative behavior in their parents, but they cannot point out and tell it to them. The reason is that the society and family system is not child-centric. Knowledge is the only weapon for the children to break these customs. Striving hard and going for higher studies enables them to get good jobs and thus better social and economic status. This makes it possible for them to take good care of their parents, have a happy family and thus a happy society.
In most of the educational institutions water and sanitary facilities are not good, quality of food is low, proper infrastructure is lacking, and so on. Students should immerse in their studies ‘24 x 7’, in such a way that they should forget the outer world. Along with their text books, they should read other books that teach them about great leaders, general knowledge and the society. Reading about Dr. BR Ambedkar would help them understand his struggles to rise to the position he was in. He did not have the minimum facilities that the present students have. To address the issues that students are facing now, they should become IAS officers, so that they can change the society. Girl children have problem in every walk of life; there is no safety for them anywhere. To overcome this, they should become IPS officers and safeguard the society. It is only these students who can bring a change in the society. She concluded her interaction blessing all the students.
K. Rajamani, State Coordinator, Andhra Pradesh, DSS has been dealing with issues of dalit students and dalit women for over a decade. As a part of this, DSS regularly monitors anganwadi centers, government schools and social welfare hostels to ensure all the required facilities are provided to the students, analyze the situation and submit the reports to the concerned government authorities for the betterment of situation. DSS also makes local political leaders answerable for the issues in these educational institutions. DSS is not related to any political party.
She reminded about 1000 students were suffering from skin diseases due to the water from canal. DSS took this issue to Sri Pandula Ravindra Babu, MP ofAmalapuram Constituency. He arranged for a scientist from Delhi to test the ground water and make it consumable. It’s under process and the MP has promised to take care of the water issue. Rajamani questioned the students, if they would want to become house-wives and house-husbands or get into good professions. She said that, first fulfilling their professional goals is important, especially for girl students, as Dr. BR Ambedkar said that he would measure the progress a society with the progress of women in that society.
The principal and teachers of all the schools felt happy and have said that the awareness sessions be arranged at regular intervals so that we can bring a change in the students. They thanked DSS team and requested them to organize these programs in future.
