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Coinciding with
the new academic year, SPARROW had begun networking with
various local colleges. SPARROW has always maintained
that it would not like to be a dead archives waiting to
be consulted. Its efforts have always been to take the
archives out and not wait for people to come in to consult.
SPARROW networked with students from Tolani College, Sophia,
S.I.E.S and Jai Hind who were told about the oral history
projects of SPARROW and about SPARROW's commitment to
building up research and archival material on women. Our
earlier oral and visual history projects and the subsequent
publications were shared with them. One oral history project,
the students were most interested in was the one on Women
and Communal Harmony. Many of the students and teachers
began to share the experiences of their own families during
Partition and a lot of discussions ensued on the nature
of these experiences and the ways in which to see them
and understand them. It was heartening to know that in
these troubled times, SPARROW's attempts to document experiences
as a part of its cultural activism programme are valid
and relevant for a generation of students who would be
the future citizens of India. As crucial, were the encounters
of students and teaching faculty of three other colleges
with the Dalit writer Urmila Pawar. The life experiences
that she recounted met with a warm if startled response
from her listeners both old and young. Both her forthright
manner as well as the animated discussion that followed,
spanned several issues like Dalit literature, women's
writing, oral histories and the question of reservation.
SPARROW's networking efforts have not been restricted
to English-medium educational institutions. Kannada language
co-ordinator Tulasi Venugopal conducted a workshop at
the Somaiya College Kannada department. Head of the Department,
Dr Sanjiva Shetty introduced SPARROW and its two Kannada
volumes, 'Bogaseyallishtu Belaku Tumbi' and 'Mugilumalligeya
Etakisi' to the students. Tulasi Venugopal talked about
the content of the volumes and read out excerpts from
Urmila Pawar's short stories and Sushama Deshpande's play.
Students were also curious about the life stories of Kala
Shahani, Shantoo Gurnani and were moved by the testimonies
on the communal riots. Project Co-ordinator Malavika Ahalawat
answered their queries. Malavika also conducted a workshop
along with Sharmila Sontakke for ninth standard students
of Sahar P & T Colony Vidyalaya, Andheri. She felt that
the girl students were far more aware of women's rights
and issues than the boys. The boys felt that certain careers
like 'scientist' and 'pilot' were not for women and Malavika
explained to them that in today's world, there were no
such barriers for women.
Project co-ordinator Panna Roy Choudhury conducted a workshop
at Mittal College, Malad. Most of the students were more
comfortable with Hindi and Marathi. It was an interactive
session, where students read excerpts from two SPARROW
booklets, Sushama Deshpande's Vhay Mee Savitribai, and
Talking in the Transplanting Season with Sakhubai. The
students bombarded her with questions about caste, religion
and other communal issues. Panna felt that students demonstrated
a great need to discuss issues that are out of bounds
of the normal academic syllabus especially regarding the
recent communal issues.
We look forward to such responses from more colleges as
interacting with students becomes a novel way of consulting
the materials in SPARROW and it is also a mutual learning
process.
NETWORKING
An appreciative telephone call to SPARROW from theatre
journalist, Sushama Deshpande, and we were delighted.
The translation that we had done of Sushama's Vhay, Mee
Savitribai into several languages has apparently been
read by so many that it is now being performed by other
artistes in several languages.
Sushama had originally performed for SPARROW at a visual
history workshop held on August 30, 1998. With her imaginative
script and animated performance, Sushama had brought alive
the spirit and times of Savitribai Phule for the many
college students, teachers and SPARROW staff present on
that occasion. And now, even more people, in and out of
Maharashtra, will respond to the spirit of Savitribai
Phule.
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