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By:

Shoumojit Banerjee

27 August 2024 at 9:57:52 am

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of...

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of society in Maharashtra. The foundation has become a home for out-of-school children, those who have never enrolled, the children of migrant labourers and single parents, and those who scavenge at garbage dumps or drift between odd jobs. To call their foundation an “NGO” is to miss the point. Vinaya Nimbalkar describes it as a “democratic laboratory”, where education is not merely instruction but an initiation into citizenship. The couple were once government schoolteachers with the Solapur Zilla Parishad, leading stable lives. Yet what they witnessed unsettled them: children who had never held a pencil, begging at traffic signals or sorting refuse for a living. Prompted by this reality, the Nimbalkars resigned their jobs to work full-time for the education of such children. Leap of Faith They began modestly, teaching children in migrant settlements in Solapur and using their own salaries to pay small honorariums to activists. Funds soon ran dry, and volunteers drifted away. Forced out of their home because of their commitment to the cause, they started a one-room school where Vinaya, Mahesh, their infant son Srijan and forty children aged six to fourteen lived together as an unlikely family. The experiment later moved to Barshi in the Solapur district with support from Anandvan. Rural hardship, financial uncertainty and the pandemic repeatedly tested their resolve. At one stage, they assumed educational guardianship of nearly 200 children from families that survived by collecting scrap on the village outskirts. Eventually, the foundation relocated to Talegaon Dabhade near Pune, where it now runs a residential hostel. Twenty-five children currently live and study there. The numbers may seem modest, but the ambition is not. Democracy in Practice What distinguishes the Ajit Foundation is not only who it serves but also how it operates. Within its walls, democracy is practised through a Children’s Gram Panchayat and a miniature Municipal Council elected by the children themselves. Young candidates canvass, hold meetings and present their budgets. Children maintain accounts and share decisions about chores, activities and certain disciplinary matters. In a country where democratic culture is often reduced to voting, the foundation’s approach is quietly radical. It treats children from marginalised backgrounds as citizens in formation. The right to choose — whether to focus on sport, cooking, mathematics or cultural activities — is respected. “We try never to take away what is their own,” says Vinaya Nimbalkar. Rather than forcing every child into a uniform academic mould, individual abilities are encouraged. A boy skilled in daily calculations may not be pushed into hours of bookish study; a girl who excels in cooking may lead the kitchen team. For children who have known only precarity, standing for election, managing a budget or speaking at a meeting can be transformative. On International Women’s Day, the foundation seeks visibility not just for praise but for partnership. If you are inspired by their mission, consider supporting or collaborating—your involvement can help extend opportunities to more children in need.

MP’s 'Karseva' call to restore history

Mumbai: Declaring an eight-day deadline to clear alleged encroachments, Rajya Sabha BJP MP Medha Kulkarni has issued a strong call for karseva to restore the dignity of a historic Pandav-era stepwell (locally known as a Barav) in Manchar, located in the Ambegaon tehsil of Pune district.


The ultimatum follows a tense standoff and a physical altercation on Friday between the MP and Pune Rural Police personnel, who intervened to stop Hindu activists from marking the disputed site and placing a photograph of a deity.


The focal point of the controversy is the ancient stepwell and an adjacent dargah. MP Kulkarni visited the site on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti to review the ground situation following growing concerns among local Hindu groups regarding the unauthorized alteration of the heritage structure.


Speaking out against the alleged encroachments, Kulkarni asserted the historical rights of the Hindu community and announced a strict course of action if the local administration fails to act.


"They [the local Muslim community] have put up boards, painted the structure, and constructed a mazaar here without any permission," Kulkarni alleged.


"We have given them an eight-day deadline, failing which Hindus will carry out karseva to reclaim possession of this place."


The situation at the site escalated rapidly during the MP's visit. According to local sources, Kulkarni urged activists from local Hindutva organizations to mark the alleged encroachments with coloured paint.


Tensions flared when activists attempted to install a photograph of a Hindu deity at the site. MP Kulkarni attempted to write the sacred symbol 'Om' on the structure to assert Hindu claims.


Anticipating a severe communal flare-up, the Pune Rural Police intervened immediately to halt these activities. This intervention resulted in a brief scuffle—involving light pushing and pulling—between the police forces and MP Kulkarni.


A video of the altercation has since gone viral on social media, further fuelling the ongoing debate. In the video a police official is seen snatching the photograph of deity from the hands of an activist and running away and the MP chasing him in her attempt to recover the photo.


Emphasizing the historical significance of the Barav, she added, "This place belongs to us, and we have ample proof to support our claim. Several proofs have already been submitted to the authorities to support that this is a Pandav-era stepwell. The place belongs to Hindus."


Following the chain of incidents, authorities have significantly ramped up police deployment in Manchar to maintain law and order. Efforts are currently underway to initiate dialogues between leaders of both communities to defuse the communal tension and find a peaceful resolution before the deadline expires.

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