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DEEP BREATHING LONG LIFE; GOOD EDUCATION BETTER LIFE
Oxygen is a movement of students, teachers and all those people who are unsatisfied with the present system. It is a movement with the aim of making education the biggest issue and bringing it to the forefront as compared to all the other issues since we believe that any positive change in society can only be brought about by the spread of good education.
Education these days is neither imparted nor received as education but as a commodity that can be bought in exchange of some amount of money. Today a child who can afford the cost of education receives it while the other is devoid of it just because he is not financially well off. On top of that, someone who is rich gets better quality education in the so-called ‘elite schools' while the others are not lucky enough and receive inferior schools with poor infrastructure and the rest of the population who barely make both ends meet are virtually denied the right to education and these people may resort to criminal activities due to the lack of options and opportunities.
If these people do take up a criminal life, have we ever thought about whom would their crimes be directed against? The simple answer to this would be - against us, in this same society where we all live. We are giving rise to a generation that has hate, anger and ill-feelings in them due to caste, class and status differences. We can barely imagine the consequences of this aggression and the abyss that we are heading towards.
A major point that needs our attention now is the fact that not all the educated people are performing as we expect them to. Are the educated people really fulfilling their duties as is required of them? Are they contributing anything to the society or instead taking back what is already here? Let us analyze the statistics- according to page number 13 of Business India August 1997 issue, the monetary worth of all the crimes committed by illiterate people between the years 1965- 1997 amounted to a total of Rs. 3626 crores while a single educated person cost the nation Rs. 3971 crores by a scam!
Oxygen... a movement, is doing its best to bring about a change in the education system.
Every Sunday, students from different city schools gather to discuss about the education system and our expectations from the educated people of today. Three student leaders are selected at the end of each discussion, who are expected to make education the biggest issue through their persistent efforts. We organize and conduct many informative workshops, programs and bring out a weekly newsletter for the students. Apart from these activities, we also organize exhibitions for the beautiful greeting cards prepared by the students themselves in order to pay for their own school fee.
The idea behind the whole procedure is to imbibe values such as sharing and caring among students, motivate them to work for the deprived sections of society and to inculcate moral values in them through deeds, instead of words. Students have started a weekly newsletter which is published every Sunday with the weekly circulation of 18,000 copies. Many students are preparing greeting cards which are available for sale at various shops. The money generated by it goes to the students for paying their school fee. Kindly promote these cards which cost Rs. 15/- each, Once-a-week Khadi movement- There are thousands and thousands of people working day and night in small scale industries and their efforts go all in vain because we, the common people, prefer manufactured products from international companies over meticulously done hand-made ones. The hard work of these laborious people does not even reward them with access to education just because we refuse to use their hand made products. By using eco-friendly cottage industry products, we can not only ensure a better environment but also avail these people in getting education in return of their hard work.
Monday evening fast - We are alive because we consume the food grains our farmers produce for us. They, in turn, are dying because of lack of money, amenities and most importantly, education. As a gesture of concern for our farmers, we keep a fast on every Monday evening to peacefully and consistently protest against this unjust condition of theirs. This fast is the simplest way in which anyone can join hands with us and make themselves heard in the acknowledgement of this important issue that usually goes neglected.
“Bacche man ke sacche, we are all aware of this beautiful song. We believe that every child is born pure, with no hatred and ill feelings against anyone but growing up in this society, he begins to change and shed that childhood innocence. He starts differentiating himself from others and moulds himself according to the existing system. He becomes a part of the system, only to find out later that the system he belonged to was a corrupt one. He tries to change himself once again and might be successful in doing so...........but what about the 'system'? Who will change the system? Isn't everyone suffering because of it? It is our duty to try to change the system so that no one else suffers because of it in the future.
The repercussions of the non violent struggle by the Oxygen movement, for the release of kidnapped children such as Kislay, Golu and Bunty were felt in the entire nation. Children did what they could by tiffin boycott, making human chain, road show, peace march and staying on relay fast, however Binod Singh, convener of the entire movement went on indefinite fast as a sign of non-violent protest and for the safe release of these children.
It seems that children have become the soft target for abductions and several other violent acts. This practice needs to be stopped to ensure the bright future of our country. Kidnapping does not only exist in the form as we usually perceive it. There is another sort of abduction by which we deprive children of their right to education. By doing so we are distancing them from the numerous opportunities they would have had if they were given a chance to study. We are also hurting the sentiments of the so-called educated children since we provide mere literacy on the name of education to millions of our kids.
The most vital element required for survival of living being after Oxygen and water is food grains, produced by farmers. We can provide good education, healthcare facilities, roads, houses, clothes, a just jurisdiction and many more such amenities to hardworking farmers, labourers and common people but its sad to know that so far we haven't been successful in providing them these basic facilities.
Our country has to pay an interest of a whopping Rs. 1,33, 945 crores per year on the loans it has taken from the international community. The irony here is that the country again has to take a loan of Rs. 1,51,144 per year. Now the question is that if the condition of common man hasn't changed much, then what was the loan used for? On the other hand we find a single Telgi scam costing Rs. 32,000 crores to the nation and if four such scams occur, they'd amount to the entire sum our country pays as interest each year. It is a point to note that around 13 times the loan that India borrows from outside is deposited in Swiss banks as black money. What condition have we reduced the 'Golden Bird' to?
We have several problems facing our country today, for example unemployment, corruption, casteism, regionalism, child labour, child marriage, pollution and intellectual bankruptcy, but education is the sole solution to all these problems. Sadly, though, we never let education take the center stage in our list of concerns.
If our system provides good education to each and every child and if every child attends school, will there be any scope for child labour? Issues such as child marriage would automatically vanish from society. No one would remain unemployed after receiving vocational education and social menaces such as casteism, regionalism and corruption would be rooted out if children are imparted such education that teaches love for all, derives inspiration from morals and stands for honesty and truth. With an education that stresses upon the need for judicious use of available resources, children would never grow up to harm the environment since these values would be deeply rooted in their hearts and souls.
You all are wise enough to understand and think. You are to decide-what can be your contribution in this work? In this situation we need each and every youth of our country to work together for bringing a revolution. Can you stand for your nation to say- ‘Yes, I am there’?
“I firmly believe that primary education should be made compulsory and free in India. I also believe that this goal can only be achieved by giving vocational education to the students. Vocational education will improve their physical, mental and spiritual ability. Students can use their talents for productive work which can help them financially. For example making toys and cards will be useful for them.”
Oxygen...a movement is a students' movement to make education the biggest issue and manage by People Trust. It is supported by Sudha, Sandwich, Bharat Petroleum, Air Deccan, KRIBHCO, BEP, SBI, Titan, Bajaj Allianz, Bharati Bhawan, Hotel Patliputra Ashok, Hotel Maurya, Hotel Chanakya, Powergrid, Raymonds, Dr A K Thakur, Dr Gopal Pd Sinha, Dr Rana Mithilesh, Mr Pawan Agrawal, Mr Rajiv Singh, Dr Akhilesh Sharan, Dr Ajay Kr, Mr Rohit Singh, Dr R R Das, Dr R K Agrawal, Mr Sunil Singh, Dr Satyajit Singh, Dr K K Kanth, Mr L B Sinha, Dr G S Singh, Mr Shailendra Singh, Dr P K Roy, Mr Tadit Bose & You.
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