My documentary:  Paving the New Ways: Reaching the Little Minds! Link to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3-vr7WJnms&feature=em-share_video_user   JAMIL JI...A Teacher by APFRajasthan A documentary film 'Jamil JI'. This is in the series of documentary films on the 'Best practices' from the field especially the Teacher-administrator's contribution to the public schools and towards the Education at large. It's about the work of a Teacher/Principal Md. Jamiluddin Shekh from Government Primary School, Omkarpura Dhani (Block: Uniara, District: Tonk). 26-minute film in Hindi- Rajasthani languages with English subtitles, shot in digital form in SD format. Film-maker: Abhishek Kumar Abstract: Paving the New Ways: Reaching the Little Minds [A case study of a Teacher portrayed through a Documentary Film] Kumar, A. Rajasthan State Institute, Azim Premji Foundation, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302020 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This research follows a case study done under Teacher Excellence Program in Tonk district of Rajasthan in 2011. The collaborative venture of Rajasthan Government and Azim Premji Foundation, is about identifying the best practices in government schools done by teachers; studying them; and acknowledging their contribution by felicitating them. Besides, the program has other objectives- understanding the various aspects of school and; developing associations with the teachers. Jamiluddin Shekh was one of those well-acclaimed teachers practicing innovative classroom methods and effective teaching-learning in mathematics at Government Primary School of the village Sop (Tonk). After developing that school as one of the well-functioning institute in 10 years, he was transferred to another single teacher primary school of 67 students in Omkarpura Dhani village (Tonk). There he had to face many challenges viz. having majority first generation learners, poor learning levels or involvement of children, less community participation, in-adequate infrastructure and so on. This study is concerned with- how the teacher responds to a new task in different situation with less resources; quite adverse to his current situation! This study focuses on analyzing the two aspects- How he develops the working environment for teaching- learning practices in classroom and how he involves children in studying mathematics! The study takes account of his last 2 years of efforts and their reflections! What are the classroom processes he follows particularly in math sessions; and what are the community perceptions related to the children's learning and; participation in school affairs. The methodology includes analysis of some secondary data from the Teacher Excellence Program (Tonk); a range of interviews with foundation members, the teacher, his fellow teachers, community members and children. There were 4 School/classroom observations done. Finally the documentary film-making processes were followed including scripting, shooting and editing. In the time span of 3 months, the study features the teacher, the 67 enrolled children, and 1 more teacher along with the members of the community residing in the village. The qualitative data was coded with exploratory approach for detecting the patterns and getting the visual appearance of the findings. The final outcome of the research is in the form of 30-minute film 'Jamil Ji' in Hindi- Rajasthani languages with English subtitles. The film is shot in digital form in SD format edited on non-linear set-up. The study finds the pedagogical practices and teaching- learning processes implemented by the teacher and the positive effects especially in child involvement and simplification of difficult mathematic concepts. It shows the diverse context of work and the result- oriented initiatives taken by teacher to address it and build a working atmosphere in a confrontational situation. It depicts the notion of efforts and affirmative changes as stated and cross verified by the various referred entities. The outcomes could be a reference source for studying various aspects of school processes and shared with Education related bodies including students, administrators or teachers facing similar situation. It could also be treated as examples of best practices in public schools. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key words: Classroom Processes, Teaching Learning Practices, Community involvement, Teaching Math ..................................................................................................................

The Shakespeare of Dalit

Mahendra Malangia

Having written 35 plays, he is known as Shakespeare. However, the only similarity is the same number of plays what Shakespeare has in account. He has written special things about common mass whereas Shakespeare wrote common things about special people. Mahendra Malangia is one of the milestones of modern theater of Mithila, a cultural region depicting the sensibilities of people from Bihar and South Nepal. A farmer and teacher from a small multi-caste village, Malangia is devoted for theater as to advocate the oppressed and disadvantaged wings of society.

Like other parts of India, Mithila is also a highly cast-ridden society where ruthless differences can be seen in every walk of life; not only among people and customs but also in language as Maithili being the mother-tongue is categorized according to particular caste. If talking about arts, the region has witnessed the evolution of Mithila (Madhubani) painting and the development or degradation of various arts & crafts forms such as Sujni, Siki, Khatwa, Manjusha, folk music& dance, Vidyapati Sangeet etc. Mithila too had the rich classical theater in Sanskrit & Maithili before 15^th century which was later replaced by the lively folk theater practiced by untouchables.

The early modern Maithili theatre practitioners initiated a theater for upper casts mostly influenced by the classical theater where the subjects discuss the life of either gods, positioned at the top of the god’s hierarchy or the people belong to the upper levels of the society. Side-by- side, the lower casts carried on with folk theater, their own gods (Dalit gods), people and language. Ironically, there was no way of mingling the two streams of theater as the intellectuals (almost all belong to the upper casts) always believed in either the former group or in ‘no theater for civilized society’.

Here came few daring and pioneering men, who took the oath to change the discourse by creating dialogues between the two opposite sections of society, Malangia was one of them. Now it is possible for one to observe the 5, 000 to 10, 000 couple of eyes watching some painted moving characters in a remote village of Bihar when the dark night stares at a lighted stage and enjoys ‘the saga of untold and the voices of unheard’. Malangia has crafted this magic in which the sons of oppressors portray the sons of oppressed with the genuine feelings and in their alleged crude or uncivilized language.

This new form of theater is a tribute to ever-neglected, downtrodden wing of society; well- written and well-performed by groups consisting members from diverse castes, religions and nationalities. The effective combination of realistic themes & styles with indigenous taste illustrate the untouched subjects such as the life of underprivileged, human relationship, contemporary picture of rural and semi-urban life, outstanding story design & dialogue and a theatre of all three generation in terms of aesthetics, thought and presentation style. The standard of creation & entertainment at the least resources develop low cost theater, a demand of time and situation.

Also @ http://bihar.infozones.in/view_article.php?page=124#axzz2Z0HNaCvK

''The Teacher's Training''

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcFNjr18Dqw

Expression of Cultural Identity through Arts!

ISBN 978-3-639-24337-6

The formation of identity is primarily depends upon how it is represented or produced which demands a socio-cultural study of identity including other influencing factors mainly political situation. This essay discusses its relation to the artistic expressions and other related issues like the policy for the cultural recognition of minority ethnic groups in Britain and the politics of identity in arts. Furthermore, identity matters because it raises fundamental questions about how individuals fit into the community and the social world and how identity can be seen as the interface between subjective positions and social and cultural situations. The essay includes the comparative study of two theatre organisations- ‘Tara Arts’ and ‘Tamasha’ to discuss the issue of ‘Identity’ with a perception that theatre is more political than other art forms because it plays with words which is the most direct form of expression. Tara Arts’ and ‘Tamasha’ deal with the subjects related to British- Asians people with a focus on the South Asian sensibilities through two different approaches.

Available online at:

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Related link:

https://www.lap-publishing.com  

The Flying Wish Carpet !

‘Krek Krek….’- an eagle woke me up. He’s flying, asked- ‘Where’ve you got the magic Carpet…?’ 

I looked at him with surprise, ‘What’re you talking about…where I am…?’

‘Kreky kreky…you’re flying high, look down…’- he replied

‘Wow’- I just couldn’t believe…I was far above the ground crossing a jungle.

‘Satpura forest..you’re in the air of India… South Gujarat’- he was surprised too, ‘where have you got this..?’

‘Oh really…’- I was lying on a lovely Carpet. ‘Is that the same my grandma used to tell about in her stories… the flying Carpet fulfill your wish’.  I got the answer at once- ’that’s right, make a wish...’ Thanking my Grandma, I closed my eyes & wished- ‘Srikhand…the sweet of Gujarat….and a silver bowl full of the sweet appeared’.

‘Krekee krekee…Enjoy!’- He turned back… saying- ‘Just down on the ground, you’d find plenty of these splendid Carpets…Kreku kreku..frrr…frr…krekeee…’

Ghrrr…chhak… ghrr…chhak- I heard the sound coming from the Carpet maker’s hamlet.

I landed near a house in the village, Molamba…got in. 

‘One of the Jaipur Rugs…’- she told me the name of that marvelous carpet she’s making knots of.  

Chambi Ben, helping tens of her fellows in ‘weaving wonders’ smiled and gave me a glass of water. I was completely amazed by the ambience, glowing of the art, the colour, the pattern of leaves & branches, the flower and above all, admired by their dedication. Thirty little gods… their two hands and a couple of twinkling eyes…shaping the most beautiful creation…The Magic Carpet! And so were the hundreds of them in the neighborhood.

Ghrrr…chhak… ghrr…chhak-  ‘Does it fulfill your wish as well?’- I asked Champi.

‘Sure...it does...!’- I got the answer in her glittering eyes. Sitting right beside her brother, she told me her story. The story of pain, grief and struggle to come out of gloom…the story of passion, solidity and aspiration to achieve the best out of the life…but… it wasn’t a fairy tale. I tried to find few drops in her eyelashes...but they were strong enough not to be come out.

I took off…with lots of memories…with the legacies of small triumphs…with the inspiration of fighting the odds….and…with the learning where I am… if I’ve to be or… if I think I must be…the questions which come from the core of my heart…what is the flying Wish Carpet…?

[Extracted from my visit experience to the artisans in Valsad district of Gujarat]

Abhishek Kumar (Manager, Communication & Training)

Jaipur Rugs Foundation

abhiyatri@gmail.com