Tea Plantations and Volunteer Action

The knell is ringing-Tea is an inherent part of our lives. 81% of the total production of tea in the country is consumed in India. While we sip our tea - at home, in office, at tea-bars and roadside dhabas, flavored or regular - those who are producing it are dying out of neglect and marginalization. Shocking when the total turnover of the tea industry is approx Rs.8000 crores.Rights violation in the Tea Gardens:
Fall in economic indices of tea engendered a growing apathy among plantation owners towards thousands of labourers. Denial of basic rights and exponential increase in child labour and trafficking. Mandate of justice and law being clearly flouted.

What has been done:

1. A legal advocacy group and IIM group made field visit to a tea garden area in Jalpaiguri as a fact finding mission.
2. The legal advocacy group stayed with the workers’ family in the gardens.
3. Two articles (one published in Times of India) written by volunteers.
4. Posters and bookmarks designed by volunteers.
5. Volunteers performed a street play which was written and directed by a volunteer.
6. 15 law students were a part of this group. They made a critical view of the violation of rights (particularly on the context of minimum wage legislation by the employers).
7. Volunteers collectively shaped the campaign and led from the front. Coordinated and finalized campaign strategies.

Objectives of this campaign:
Raising ‘public’ awareness and discussion on the Human Rights situation in North Bengal tea plantations with particular reference to child rights; Launching a movement oriented towards achieving observance of statutory and human rights standards in tea plantations by the State and tea estate owners. CRY volunteers demand that the government has to demand a minimum wage and at least upto class 3 children should be taught in their mother tongue (rec. by Kothari commission( Sadri).

(Picture courtesy: JUPC)

Topsia and RTE

The congested localities of Ward No 59 and 66 of KMC in Topsia (Kolkata) are inhabited by residents from a different socio- economic backgrounds and religious minority.
1 out of every 2 children in Topsia does not attend school.Topsia has 4 Government schools for 3250 students. School premises are sometimes used for commercial purposes like motor bike showrooms. Textbooks and motorbikes is an unthinkable concept, yet a reality.
In most schools of Topsia:
Classrooms are shared by more than one class.

Toilets are being shared by both the boys and girls.

Schools are located near the leather and rubber factories (the prime source of pollution).

Average teacher student ratio is 1:55 when the ideal should be 1:25.

Few residents of Topsia decided to brainstorm. The idea was on ways to ensure quality education for all children in the locality. A team of enthusiastic law students of South Calcutta Law College also came forward to make Right to Education a reality in Topsia.

They wanted to:

1. Highlight the violations of Article 21A (Fundamental Right to Education) in Wards 59 and 66 and build pressure to make the Right to Education or more importantly Right to life a reality for everyone.

2. The law college students and the public of Topsia journeyed forth to find out more and document the gross child rights violations taking place.

They achieved in:

1. Conducting a survey of both private and public schools revealed that the children in were denied basic quality education. The failures of the education system are seen in the skewed ratio of children to both schools and teachers.
2. Conducting a household survey to know the reasons for school drop out and paremts’ attitude.
3. Filing a number of RTIs- some of which revealed some crucial information.· Presenting their findings in community hearings attended by politicians, ward officers and renowned lawyers.
4. Publishing their articles in the media.
5. Completing the groundwork for filing a PIL.
6. Planning to take up the issue of child labor in the locality and demand for addressing the root causes of child labour and not just ban it.

(Picture courtesy: JUPC)

Inclusive Education

(Pic- Colloquium on incluive education by volunteers.)

Inclusive education means that all students in a school regardless of their caste, class, gender and disability become part of the community of learners.
In 2007 CRY volunteers came together, wanting an education system where children with and without disabilities can study together. - restructuring of curriculum for helping disabled children and suitable changes in the examination system.
A fact finding survey in Kolkata revealed that: 50% of Govt schools and 36% of the private schools are not aware of the 3% reservations for disabled children.Only 38% of the government schools and 36% of the private schools are aware about the PWD Act.
(Pic- Volunteers at a debate in Oxford bookstore on teacher's Day)

The volunteers and Sruti DisAbility Rights Centre started on their journey to create a barrier-free educational environment. Presently, 30 volunteers (from 7) including committed students, young professionals, teachers, homemakers are named “Campaigners for Inclusion”.

The group’s demands are: No child is denied admission in mainstream education because of disability.

1. 3% reservation for the disabled during admission is ensured.
2. Changes of buildings, rules and attitudes to ensure an inclusive school system.
3. Changes in course content and examination system (e.g: no graphs and geometry for the blind), making it inclusive.

The volunteers have collected data on the appalling status of inclusion in both government and private schools of Kolkata; They circulated information to build public pressure, negotiating with the Disability Commissioner, Hon Governor of West Bengal and other concerned authorities to highlight the gap between existing policies and the reality; PIL was filed demanding 3% reservation and barrier free environment in all government schools; They wrote letters to the editor, designed posters, rehearsed for street play and organized signature campaigns; They conducted access audits in educational institutes to examine how disabled friendly they are; The Metro Railway Department, a National Law School and a private school seriously took their recommendations to make a barrier free environment.