K.K. SHAILAJA TEACHER - PROFILE - HEALTH MINISTER OF KERALA

K.K. SHAILAJA TEACHER

K.K Shailaja who is popularly known as Shailaja teacher was born on 20 November 1956 to K. Kundan and K. K. Shantha. She hails from Kannur district and married to K. Bhaskaran in 1981. The couple have two sons named Lasith and Sobhith. She is 63 years old now. She is  the current health minister of Kerala and one of the two female ministers in the Pinarayi Vijayan government came into power in 2016.

She was born in a family of activists and freedom fighters. She obtained her Bachelors in Science from Pazhassi Raja NSS College Mattannur and Bachelor of Education from Visvesvarayya College in 1980. She then served as a high school teacher (science) at Shivapuram, Kannur . After a seven-year service, she retired in 2004 for full-time political action.

Shailaja Teacher entered politics through Students Federation of India (SFI) activities and later become a member of CPI (M) Central Committee. She is the State Secretary of All India Democratic Women's Association and Joint Secretary of its Central Committee.  She has authored two books- "Indian Varthamanavum Sthreesamoohavum" and "China- Rashtram, Rashtreeyam, Kazhchakal". She was the chief editor of "Sthree Sabdam" . 

She was a CPM, Central Committee member and Janadhipathya Mahila Association State Secretary. She was the editor of the Shylaja Mahila Association's Shrine Mahila Association, a district secretary, state secretary and secretary of the All India Mahila Association. The constituency lost from Peravoor constituency in 2011 after the constituency rebuilding. She represented Koothuparambu in 1996 and Peravoor in 2006 in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Shailaja won a total of 67,013 votes in the Koothuparamba constituency in Kannur district by 12,291 votes. In the Pinarayi ministry, she is the minister in the department of health and social welfare.

Her leadership during the 'Nipah' virus outbreak was lauded by everyone. She had set up a team which enabled the fast diagnosis and further management of the deadly virus. She has received international attention for her leadership in tackling the Covid 19 pandemic in Kerala. Her effort  was appreciated by many international media including BBC, Guardian and Vogue. 

STORY OF AN ANONYMOUS GRAFFITI ARTIST - GUESSWHO

GUESSWHO - THE ANONYMOUS GRAFFITI ARTIST

Graffiti is a form of art involving painting text or images in public places without permission. It usually involves  a stylistic symbol or phrase spray-painted on a wall by an artist or a group of artist to express an idea. The word ‘Graffiti’ comes from the Italian word graffere, which means 'to scratch on a surface’. It may consider as an expressive art created to draw public attention, either to entertain or to convey a message.

As in Kerala, the number of graffiti artists is less, the graffiti that  suddenly appeared in Kochi in 2012 gain great attention. The paintings appeared with the tag Guesswho, were arkworks that had combined styles of  native and international successfully. The arkworks were termed as the reaction to Kochi-Muziris Biennale by the artist and expressed happiness as it had great reach when they were featured on the internet.

The  artist Guesswho wished to remain anonymous and was active since 2012 in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. Guesswho's paste-ups and stencils have been sighted not only in Kochi but also in Trivandrum, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and  Bihar. The artist is being called as ‘Indian Banksy’ since 2012. The pictures are catching attention on the photo-sharing sites like Facebook, Instagram and Reddit even now.

Guesswho uses graffiti as a medium of expression to participate and comment on socio-political issues and also pose as a great piece of art that engage and entertain the audience. The stencils were experimental yet successful mash ups of Western and Indian cultures to radiate certain notions.  

The works were immediately got attention and Guesswho served his/her part in popularizing Graffiti in Indian art space. In an interview, Guess who mentioned that he/ she doesn't believe it is art's purpose to send any message. Graffiti is just an alternative way to use a visual language that can connect and communicate to public by using public spaces and subversive tactics as potent means of speaking about social realities.

As India doesn't have a strong culture of graffiti, most artists don’t  choose to depart from the hierarchies and definitions imposed by the traditional art institutions. Guesswho also mentions that it is an effort as a visual artist to start looking for new and meaningful ways to engage a wider audience and inspire more people to take up this as a powerful medium of free expression.

During 2019 elections, Guesswho had been posting his/her political satire art, on walls both real and Social media like Instagram and Facebook. One, a faceless politician with a corporate look and attitude  with caption ” Don’t forget to vote for your favourite corporate” and other  a black-and-white man with the face of a cow, folds his hands as  plead: #NotinMyName are appeared.

 “As an artist, these are my takes on certain social issues. They aren’t created to propagate any specific messages, but if they trigger conversations about anything, then the artist has done her/his part,” says Guess Who, in an email interview. “Not just artists, as social beings, as citizens, it is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of situations and respond to it.”

The artist still posts his lockdown art series through his/her social media accounts. The works point to real problems and social issues around and grabs the attention of the public.

BIOGRAPHY OF E. SREEDHARAN

E. SREEDHARAN - THE METRO MAN

E. Sreedharan is an Indian engineer known as the “Metro Man” for his pivotal role in building the Konkan Railway and Delhi metro. He was born in Palakkad district of Kerala on 12 June 1932. His family hailed from Karukaputhoor.He received his early education from Basel Evangelical Mission Higher Secondary School after which he went to the Victoria College in Palghat. He chose to study engineering and completed his Civil Engineering from the Government college, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

After completing his education he was appointed as a lecturer in Civil engineering at the Government Polytechnic, Kozhikode. He worked there only for a short while before joining the Bombay Port Trust as an apprentice. In 1953, he appeared for the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and cleared it. He joined the Indian Engineering Service (IES) and was posted as a Probationary Assistant Engineer in the Southern Railway in December 1954. He faced the first big challenge of his career in December 1964 when a cyclone damaged the Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu. The Railways allotted a period of six months for the repair works while Sreedharan’s boss wanted the work done within three. Sreedharan, who was made in-charge of the restoration, executed the work in just 46 days.

In 1970, Sreedharan was assigned the responsibility of implementing, planning and designing the Kolkata metro, the first ever metro in India. He was deputy chief engineer at that time. With his hard work and determination he led the successful completion of the job and set the pace for the further development in infrastructure engineering in India. He was associated with the project till 1975.In October 1979 he joined the Cochin Shipyard Limited, the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India. But at the time of his joining, the agency was not performing well. However, under Sreedharan’s direction, the agency flourished and launched its first ship MV Rani Padmini in 1981.

He became the general manager, Western Railway in July 1987. A couple of year later he was elevated to the post of Member Engineering, Railway Board and ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India. He retired in June 1990 but the government informed him that his services would still be needed and thus he was appointed the CMD of Konkan Railway on contract. The Konkan Railway project, which had 93 tunnels with a total tunnel length of 82 km and involved tunneling through soft soil, was very different from the typical Indian railway projects. The total project covered 760 km and had over 150 bridges. Under his leadership, the work was completed in seven years.He was later made the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation ( DMRC). Again he proved to be an extraordinary leader and all the scheduled sections were completed within their respective budgets, and by their target time.

The phenomenal success of the Delhi Metro made him a national celebrity and the government honored him with many awards for his relentless hard work and dedication. He retired from service in December 2011.The Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in 2001.The Government of France bestowed upon him The Order of Légion d'Honneur, the highest decoration in France, in 2005.In 2008 he received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India, in recognition of his work with the Delhi Metro. He is married to Radha and regards his wife as a great pillar of support. The couple has four children, all of them are now well accomplished in their own chosen fields.

Alternative education in Kerala

                 Alternative education in Kerala

Education in India has always been a topic of discussion among everyone. Though the adaptive nature of the system is improving, the questions about the quality of education and its applicability in an ordinary, personal life still exists. These questions prevails us to think about the student’s needs and his urge to find out his surroundings through observation rather than just memorizing textbooks. The conventional methods of schooling pressurize children to be confined in a classroom and receive what the tutors have to offer. As an answer to this, the alternative educational system in India implemented schools that promote the idea of letting children grow the way they want through proper guiding and activities that makes them closer to environment. By focusing on character building and talent improvement these schools are shaping individuals who have unique skills and excellence.

Today we are going to see some alternative schools in Kerala.

Kanavu in Wayanadu district  

Kanavu is an alternative school in Cheengode village of Wayanadu district that believes learning is a natural process. Through various methodologies like communal living and stage performances Kanavu encourages children to understand the various levels of life along with the grasp of knowledge. Kanavu was an initiative by K.J.Baby, a writer and dramatist from Kerala. The learning space extends from paddy field, library, forest, kitchen, cowshed, kalari hall, as it differentiates according to their tasks. It focuses majorly on tribal children in Wayanadu up to the age of 17. Beyond the competitive nature of academic schooling, Kanavu tries to retain the fraternity among the students. The school gives importance to the learning of music, dance, arts, theatre, martial arts, painting, sculpture, pottery and folklore. Learning comprises a group work of facilitators, children and parents. By practicing these skills the children gradually earns their income by performing in festivals across the state. It is successful project as it gives prominence tribal children who were ignored by mainstream schools because of their mother tongue. 

                        

Gothralayam in Thiruvanathapuram district

Gothralayam is an alternative school founded by Mini Raman and her husband Sudhi Nammayan in 2012. It is situated in Chavady village in Thiruvanathapuram district. It aims on giving quality education to Dalit and Adivasi children who are isolated by the social dogmas. They focus on enhancing the confidence level of children through teaching those arts, dance, music and martial arts. Children are taught both Malayalam and English and make them ready to face the world with a better perspective.

Sudhi and Mini

Sarang in Palakkad district

Sarang is an alternative school situated in Attapady in Palakkad district. It is an innovative school started by a teacher couple Gopalakrishnan and Vijayalakshmi to promote a new dimension to education. They quitted their government jobs as they realized the limitations of formal education. They created their own dream school with an environment that is real, open and close to nature. There is no fixed curriculum, uniform, homework, exams or certificates. Beyond the concept of a conventional school Sarang offers knowledge in organic farming, forest and soil conservation, arts, science, culture and language. They engage in activities like house making to learn architecture, construction of check-dams to learn environmental science and mathematics through observation. These activities strengthen the students’ outlook and transform their lives.

Water and Soil conservation in Sarang

Bhoomi kinder garten in Ernakulam district 

Bhoomi kinder garten is an alternative school focuses on children up to the age of six. They engage students in activities like storytelling, cooking, gardening to improvise their imagination and interactions. Outdoor classes and natural toys are allotted to children to stimulate their connection with nature.

Pallikoodam in Kottayam district 

Pallikoodam is an alternative school established by Mary Roy, writer and social activist from Kerala. It is situated in Kalathilpady in Kottayam district. The students have the opportunity to learn sports, music, arts, dance, clay modeling, painting, public speaking, yoga and cooking. The school follows an academic syllabus along with these activities to mould children from the age of 6 to 17. 

These schools attempts to recreate a learning environment that is suitable for students through enabling them to face real life challenges in an interesting and innovative way. It helps them to feel free and reduce the pressure exerted by the mainstream schools. As most of these schools have residential system, it improves the qualities like unity, co-operation and companionship among children. The varied skills acquired from these schools make them to excel in different fields. These institutions would be a bless to children who are physically or mentally challenged as they are encouraged to learn through their own perspective. By being close to nature the students develop themselves as socially responsible individuals with higher aptitude and attitude.

Still, the applicability of this learning in a practical world is questionable when certificates are mandatory for jobs. The scope for higher education is also limited to some extent. Providing training to a large number of students in this manner seems to be inconceivable. 

As an attempt to view education in a novel manner, these schools shows that skills are equally important as academics. This notion stimulates a rethinking in our current educational policies and a need for change in it. Hope the system evolves and qualifies to be an ideal one which makes children as an asset to our nation.

Thank you.