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A light is put out this Diwali
Since 2007, every evening, the inner courtyard of Keshav Bhavan has been vibrant with the happy sounds of children playing, laughing and learning. From Saturday, October 22, 2011 the Youth Centre will be closed because the permission given for use of this space by the previous District Education Officer has been withdrawn by the present one, Mr. Dixit. We know from reliable sources that political pressure was exerted by the BJP Municipal Councillor, Mr. Sumeet Mishra, to stifle this initiative.
Until now, thanks to Orchha Mitra Vikas Samiti (Friends of Orchha), the young boys and girls of the town could benefit from an organized recreation space. They could play football, badminton, volleyball, basketball, cricket, carrom or educational indoor games like Four in a row, Chess, Business, etc. or put together puzzles. It was also a space where volunteers from other countries could share their knowledge of computers, dancing, painting, conversational English, etc. with the local youth.
The aim of the centre was personality development while enhancing the role of youth in cleaning and greening Orchha. A campaign against the use of polybags was conducted a few times in front of the Ram Raja temple with young people explaining to pilgrims that plastic waste was the main cause of death of cows and that it would take some 300 years for the plastic we throw away to be reabsorbed by Nature. With the help of the Forest Department, a three day camp was held during which a group of twenty boys and girls cycled everyday to the Nature Reserve to learn about the medicinal properties of trees like the Arjun. This was followed by a tree planting exercise in front of Keshav Bhavan.
Such cooperation between government and civil society now seems to be a thing of the past. According to the District Magistrate of Tikamgarh, government property cannot be used by a private organization on a continuous basis even if it is for the public good. As the Anna Hazare campaign revealed, the hiatus between the government and citizens is growing even at local level. The closure of the Youth Centre is yet another symptom of this malaise.
There will be no Diwali celebration this year at the Youth Centre. Keshav Bhavan will remain in darkness, a darkness symbolic of the indifference of our local politicians to the aspirations of our youth.
Sanitation in Ganj
Twenty toilets and bathrooms like these have been constructed for families in Ganj thanks to the 1% for Development Fund in Geneva... a step towards making the Ganj neighbourhood "Open defecation free". Just prior to the municipal elections, the water supply to the neighbourhood was improved and new public taps put in.
