EVENT
Dream run
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This year's Mumbai Marathon saw people running for many a cause. RONITA TORCATO writes about one such effort for the Pardhi tribals.
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PTI
Raring to go.
IN the garage of a swank building in upmarket Mumbai, a group of Pardhi tribal children aged between six and 12 are taught the three R's by two young social workers and a nun. Dr. Rajpal, a cancer specialist attached to Jaslok Hospital, has allowed them to use the garage temporarily.
The nun, 46-year-old Sister Rosamma, is a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM), which founded Villa Theresa on the grounds of a former royal palace. She manages Tejaswi, a support group for street children and street women. (The FMM sisters set up a day school, a hostel for working girls and an Open School on the property donated by a prince.)
New sponsors
Now, the tribal children have found new sponsors: Katholische Gemeinde, or the German Catholic expatriate community in India, particularly those living in Mumbai and Delhi. Thanks to the initiative taken by their chaplain Fr. (Dr.) Michael Gmelch, they have been supporting Tejaswi in cash and kind.
Their most recent endeavour was the Dream Team run at Asia's biggest race, the Mumbai Marathon. Among the 5,000 runners from 25 countries that ran the Marathon, were three KathGem members. Proceeds from the Katholische Gemeinde's Dream Team run were pledged to the Pardhi tribal street kids studying at Tejaswi's non-formal school. A sum of 3,000 Euros was handed over to Sr. Rosamma at an informal reception held at the home of German consul, Mathias Frank.
Around 25,000 impoverished Pardhis (a denotified criminal tribe) live on the pavements in various slums dotting the city. Sr. Rosamma has been working with 60 families in eight pockets since 2001. Pardhi women and children beg for a living. Most of the children do not go to school. If at all they do, a measly two per cent of the children are enrolled, only to drop out after a year. Drugs and deviant behaviours are a problem among adolescents. The women and children suffer from malnutrition, communicable diseases, lack of hygiene and sanitation facilities. The men are usually in jail. Illiteracy and the lack of other skills keeps the Pardhis economically backward.
At school
On a good day at the Villa Theresa campus, around 30-40 children from the Grant Road area attend the special classes. To get to the campus, the children have to walk for at least 25 minutes through heavy traffic and cross three major signals. Two Tejaswi employees, who are trained social workers, shepherd the children to class and see to their needs. The Villa Theresa campus allows the children to play, move around, and exercise. "There are a number of constraints as the issues are complicated and each individual needs attention," says Sr. Rosamma.
The Tejaswi social workers have succeeded in getting temporary ration cards for the affected community. The women are also invited periodically to meet and hold discussions. "They are keen to educate their children," says Sr. Rosamma. So far, 30 children have been placed in different boarding schools and "are doing well". Young girls are given special care and counselling and legal aid is also provided when required.
Tejaswi also helps the Mountfort Brothers run a boarding school for boys at Gorai. At present, five children are studying in the new school, which is hampered by space constraints. These children are admitted in the government-aided English medium school located nearby. "The purpose is to promote a vocational skill programme and job opportunities for the boys. My role is to pay fees for the children, and secure more admissions. Also, to find donors who can help develop an IT centre and start a boarding for the girls."
Interestingly, Sr. Rosamma finds it "hard to get admission in the existing boarding schools at various places. There are a lot of excuses made to deny a chance for these girls." She would also like to have a transport facility to support the school children. A third requirement is to pay an honorarium to the staff and provide nutritious food and decent clothing to the children. Fourthly, to develop a little administrative facility "since we may not be able to run the school on the Villa Theresa campus indefinitely as it affects the existing English medium school".
Expansion plans
She hopes to expand the project to a wider circle picking up Pardhi children from as many railway stations and streets as possible for the study classes. "I believe no child should be denied her/his right to a childhood. Adults deny children this right by allowing them to beg or roam for food. We conduct regular meetings and awareness programmes for the women, but it takes a longer time to make a difference in their lives. But change does takes place."
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TRIBALS in India form a substantial segment of the population. The Indian Government recognises only 426 tribes while 209 tribes are classified as Criminal Tribes. However, the precise figure of the ex-criminal tribal population is not known. Dishonoured by history, the tribals live on the periphery of the society. Displaced from their traditional occupations and place of birth, they are denied opportunities because of their identity. The Pardhis are just one of several ex-criminal (denotified) tribes living in Maharastra. The communities designated as Denotified Tribes (DNT)and Nomadic Tribes (NT) of India were identified as Criminal Tribes (which included both castes as well as tribes) in pre-Independence India. Though the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 was annulled soon after Independence, the police, as well as members of the public, continue to treat persons belonging to these communities as born and habitual criminals. They therefore remain amongst the most disadvantaged and discriminated groups in the country.
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