The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : ‘Gram swaraj, education neglected’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

‘Gram swaraj, education neglected’

Special Correspondent

— — Photo: C.V.Subrahmanyam

Children performing a skit at a seminar - Mamakaram - organised by the BCT at Elamanchili in Visakhapatnam district on Tuesday.

VISAKHAPANTAM: Founder of Bhagavathula Charitable Trust (BCT), B.V. Parameswara Rao on Tuesday expressed concern that decentralisation of power and Gram Swaraj, dear to Gandhiji’s heart were grossly neglected.

Addressing a conference organised by BCT at Elamanchili near here, he recalled that Gandhiji also laid emphasis on educating the rural masses and bringing about a radical transformation in their lives which was also not followed. “Also, children below ten years and teenagers in villages are getting addicted to alcohol which is a dangerous trend. While the mothers are addicted to TV, men are becoming slaves to liquor,” he observed.

Besides, the minimum level of learning below tenth class was poor with a high rate of dropouts, Dr. Parameswara Rao observed.

MLC’s plea

It was in this context the BCT was carrying out a campaign since 2003 in villages to educate the adults and save the children under ‘Mamakaaram’, he said. Member of the Legislative Council M.V.S. Sarma noted that while primary education was starved of funds, higher education was privatised and made available only for the rich. He demanded that the provision of imparting compulsory education till 14 years be implemented strictly. Former Minister Reddi Satyanarayana, Executive Director of Organisation for Rural Reconstruction-Chodavaram, D.S. Prasad and BCT president P.V.R.K. Prasad were present.

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