Humara Bachpan child clubs present ‘Dream Map’ to Bhubaneswar Mayor

BHUBANESWAR: In an inspiring move, children from the OUAT Farmgatebasti here made an attempt to exemplify the ‘social maps’ of their slum highlighting various requirements of their locality.

Facilitated by the Humara Bachpan Child Clubs, around 45 children from the slum made a series of maps to demonstrate the needs and demands of their locality. After a week of enervating collection of data and careful analysis of issues in their basti, the child leaders were successful to create a roadmap in the form of a ‘Dream Map’ of the slum.

On Sunday, the child leaders of the club conducted an event at their Basti inviting Government representatives and presented their maps to BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena and Deputy Mayor K Shanti along with their respective demands.

Mayor Jena said “I will make sure that the children’s matter is taken into cognizance and will support the Humara Bachpan and the child leaders to give them all the necessities they seek”.

“We want individual toilets in our houses as children are defecating in open due to lack of toilet facilities. And, we can’t use the community toilet as it is locked,” said 13-year-old Narayan.

Humara Bachpan Campaign national head Preetiprada said that it is a remarkable change to see children planning their own neighbourhood and attempt to bring about policy level changes. Smart cities should not only be technologically advanced but must imbibe the aspirations of children to ensure more child-friendly cities, she added.

Mother tongue provides basis for learning another language

BHUBANESWAR: “Mother tongue is the foundation of all languages and it provides basis for learning another language,” said experts at a meeting organised here by the Campaign on Mother Tongue based Early Childhood Education on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day on February 21. 

Attending the meeting community facilitator and activist Jayanti Munda said pre-school education in mother tongue is necessary for a child for his mental and emotional growth. 

Another activist and PREM program manager Sudhir Digal discussed about the need of mother tongue based multi lingual early childhood education in the tribal area of the State and the need of preservation of a mother tongue for the future generation. 

Digal said Odisha is the first State for introducing mother tongue based education in pre-schools and primary schools. Last year, the State Government had launched Anganwadi teachers’ guide book ‘New Arunima’ in 10 tribal languages to teach the tribal kids. “The State Government should implement it in a proper manner so that tribal children can get benefit,” he added. 

The meeting was organised to highlight the need of mother tongue based pre-school education for 1.4 million tribal children of the State. A documentary film titled ‘Step by Step’ was screened in the meeting.

Among others, linguist and teacher Budhia Singh and communication officer of the campaign Nandini Mundary were present.

Film on Dongaria tribals' views on mining to be screened on Feb 19

BHUBANESWAR: A documentary film ‘The Referendum’, which is based on the stand of Dongaria tribes living in the Niyamgiri hills on mining in the area, would be screened at the Ravenshaw University on Thursday. 

The 66-minute- long film produced by the Samadrusti Media Group features a legal battle of the Dongaria tribes to save the hills from the clutches of mining mafia. It narrates the story of these primitive groups’ views against mining in the Gram Sabhas organised by the State Government between July and August 2013 on a direction of the Supreme Court. 

The film tells about the struggle of the tribals since 2005 with several ups and downs which finally came to an end on April 18, 2013 when the Supreme Court in a clear verdict asked the village councils of Dongarias to take a decision as to whether bauxite mining would affect their religious, cultural and other rights or not. 

The documentary captures images, moments and views of the Dongarias in front of the Judges in all the 12 Gram Sabha meetings. They register their dissent citing the reasons thereof and reject mining in the verdant hills. 

According to film’s director Tarun Mishra, the film sets a new trend in documentary genre by presenting the views of the affected Dongarias directly without taking any intermediaries into account. “It combines the present reality with assurance of a better future hidden in each message, image and interview of the tribals,” he added.

Angul witnesses first Maoist killing

BHUBANESWAR: For the first time, the Maoists on Thursday killed a villager in Angul district protesting security personnel’s anti-Maoist operation in the State. The body was found on Friday morning, police sources said. 

A gang of five armed Maoists arrived at Patamunda village under the Pallahara police limits in Angul district at about 9pm on Thursday in search of a villager Samuel Bodra. After a brief search, they took Bodra with them and hacked him to death with an axe after tying his hands and legs with a rope.

The villagers found the body with some Maoist posters near it on the outskirts of the village on Friday morning. The Kalinganagar-Ghumusar Divisional Committee of the CPI (Maoist) claimed through the poster that they have killed Bodra suspecting him a police informer.

After getting information from locals, the police rushed to the spot and took the body for post mortem. Meanwhile, police have begun combing operation in Patamunda forest area to trace out the Maoists, sources said.

The fresh killing by the left wing extremists proved their strong presence in the tribal dominated areas of Angul district. Earlier, two men were kidnapped by the ultras in the same area last year.

2 area commanders among 4 Maoists surrendered in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Four Maoists including three women cadres were surrendered before the South Western Range IG YK Jethwa at Malkangiri on Friday.

Among the four Maoists, two were area commanders (ACMs) carrying reward of Rs 4 lakh each on their head and other two were armed cadres carrying cash award of Rs 1 lakh each on the head, said Jethwa.  

The two ACMs were identified as Manglu Podiami alias Pavan of Marigetta and Rame Madhi alias Anita of Kurub in Malkangiri district. While Manglu was working as leader of Gana Natya Sangha of Kalimela Area Committee under the Malkangiri division of the CPI (Maoist), Anita was a member of the first Central Regional Commission of the Maoist organisation.

The other two were Kunjam Raje alias Gita of Peta, working for the Boipariguda Area Committee, and Gangi Kurami alias Sangeeta of Konta area in Chattisgarh, said Malkangiri SP Mitra Bhanu Mohapatra.