Conspiracy to defame an outstanding institution builder Dr RS Praveen Kumar

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
Dr R S Praveen Kumar is one of the most outstanding minds of our country. If I were to speak about him, I can only say, he deserves to be in the Ministry for Education. No one in my memory in the last couple of decades has influenced the lives of children of the most marginalised communities as his dedicated work in Telangana. Today.
His has revolutionised the life of the students from the marginalised sections. You will not find a matching effort anywhere in India where the government schools and Ambedkar hostels have been able to show you the strength of what a government can do if it has the right intent.
Dr R S Praveen Kumar is currently Secretary, Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) which runs 268 educational institutions in the state. More than 500 students of these residential schools cracked JEE last year. The average result of the institution is much above the state’s average results in secondary and higher secondary boards.
Hundreds of students are now joining medical studies from these institutions. The girls from marginalised sections are now getting recruited as pilots in commercial planes and some of them actually even climbed Mount Everest. It clearly indicate that Dr R S Praveen Kumar has been able to bring dreams and aspiration in the lives of thousands of Dalit Adivasi students from Telananga region. They are now pursuing higher education and have been aiming high.
I had the opportunity to visit his programmes and in fact I wish I have more time to spent with them. I participated in annual events of the students and found them extremely bright. I wish that the state government, which feels that students from the marginalised sections should be encouraged and promoted at all levels, must consult Dr Praveen Kumar. I always felt why the parties, organisations, government which claimed to be led by the Bahujans never ever seek services of the likes of Dr Praveen Kumar.
Being an IPS officer, Dr Praveen Kumar could have enjoyed his stint as a police officer but after doing his research from Harvard when he returned India, he decided to dedicate his life for the cause of education of the marginalised and the result of his work is extremely impressive. It is this work, which needs to be replicated elsewhere. Also important is to acknowledge and respect him.
I have not been following much of the news these days hence missed the calumny and slander being launched by the BJP inspired groups in Telangana against Dr R S Praveen Kumar. I can only say that as the students from marginalised sections are competing and proving themselves better there is a fear of the ‘pride’ of the power elite that has enjoyed power at the cost of the poor. Praveen Kumar’s students don’t weep, dont cry, don’t complain but they are made to believe in themselves and their strength. I interacted with a number of these students and they are simply impressive with a zeal to reach the heights. They aspire, they work harder and they prove.
I can only say that the Telangana government must not succumb to this slander against Dr R S Praveen Kumar. He has revolutionised education and he should be involved in much bigger exercise. As I said earlier, he deserves to be the Education Minister of India and I can say, he can bring big changes for all. You need innovative ideas and not those caged in past glories and sorrows. We all need to move ahead.
At no point of time, Dr Praveen Kumar spoke of hatred. Why should he speak of that. He has proved his worth and doing things which none of his contemporaries have done so far. It is a conspiracy to blame him for hurting the religious sentiments of ‘particular’ communities. This is nothing but a complete farce.
We all know 22 vows of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar during the historic Deeksha ceremony in Nagpur on October 14th, 1956. His fight was not against a particular religion but he wanted the Dalits to give up the religion which he felt exploited. He knew well that our customs are so discriminatory that poor communities are trapped in it. So, he redefined things for common persons. Baba Saheb revolutionised our ideals and life. One should feel shy about this as anyone who follows Baba Saheb Ambedkar will always delink himself from the brahmanical system. An assertive Ambedkarite will be the biggest challenge to brahmanical system.

It seems that the power elite in Telangana is unable to digest the successes of the marginalised sections of society and hence they have launched this campaign against Dr R S Praveen Kumar. It is also important to understand that the role of state is important in shaping the lives of people and that is why the concept of welfare state is important. Dr Praveen Kumar has been able to bring these changes because the government in Telangana gave him a free hand and for this the government deserves kudos. We hope the Talangana government will continue to support his work so that it becomes the state where Dalits feel empowered.
The leaders, academics, journalists, revolutionaries in north India particularly should learn from the approach of Dr R S Praveen Kumar and creating an environment for the Dalit Adivasi students in Telangana where they are excelling. It is time for all of us to stand up and speak up to defend the work of Dr R S Praveen Kumar. So far his work has spoken more than him but it is time now for the people to stand with him so that the institution that he has created and built with so much of passion is protected and continues to bring success and happiness in the lives of children from marginalised communities.
Salute to the great work of Dr R S Praveen Kumar. We stand in solidarity with you.
—
*Human rights defender

Comments

India's chemical industry: The missing piece of Atmanirbhar Bharat

By N.S. Venkataraman* Rarely a day passes without the Prime Minister or a cabinet minister speaking about the importance of Atmanirbhar Bharat . The Start-up India scheme is a pillar in promoting this vision, and considerable enthusiasm has been reported in promoting start-up projects across the country. While these developments are positive, Atmanirbhar Bharat does not seem to have made significant progress within the Indian chemical industry . This is a matter of high concern that needs urgent and dispassionate analysis.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

Remembering a remarkable rebel: Personal recollections of Comrade Himmat Shah

By Rajiv Shah I first came in contact with Himmat Shah in the second half of the 1970s during one of my routine visits to Ahmedabad , my maternal hometown. I do not recall the exact year, but at that time I was working in Delhi with the CPI -owned People’s Publishing House (PPH) as its assistant editor, editing books and writing occasional articles for small periodicals. Himmatbhai — as I would call him — worked at the People’s Book House (PBH), the CPI’s bookshop on Relief Road in Ahmedabad.

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Minority rights group writes to Gujarat CEO, flags serious issues in SIR process

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has submitted a formal representation to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Gujarat, Harit Shukla (IAS), highlighting serious irregularities and difficulties faced by voters in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the electoral roll. The organisation warned that if corrective measures are not taken urgently, a large number of eligible citizens may be deprived of their voting rights.

Search This Blog