Ekal Vidyalaya
Encyclopedia
The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation is a non-profit organisation involved in education and village development in rural India
. It is the largest grassroots, non-government education initiative in India with presence in over 34,000 villages providing free education to more than one million children. The Foundation's model of operation is single-teacher schools.
in Jharkhand
(then a part of Bihar
). In two years' time, the movement was more successful than expected and in 1989, 60 single-teacher schools were started simultaneously in Dhanbad
. By 1995-1996, the foundation was running 1,200 schools in Jharkhand.
As of April 2008, there were more than 23,000 schools run by EVF, including 2,100 schools in the North Eastern states. The number of schools grew to 27,000 in 2010 and 34,000 in 2011. EVF's goal is to reach 100,000 villages in the India's tribal belt by 2015.
EVF is associated with the Hindu nationalist movements Vishva Hindu Parishad
and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS). In the past, the foundation has been headed by the Subhash Chandra
, the Chairman of Essel Group
and the founder of Zee TV
.
The schools are primarily organized in small villages among India's tribal groups. The local youth who are trained to operate the schools are social workers and teachers, teaching sanitation and health care, literacy and Hindu nationalism. Each school is run on an annual budget of around 16,000 Indian rupee
s. At the national level, the schools are run by Ekal Vidyalayas are run by EVF, Friends of Tribals Society
(FTS), Bharat Lok Shiksha Parishad
(BLSP) and Janhit Sanstha. In addition to teaching children, the schools hold weekly sessions for the village populace to discuss issues like rural development, health and awakening.
Project, a pilot project with an aim to introduce self-sustaining practices in 100 poor villages of Orissa
and Maharashtra
.
, identified Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA as one of the charities in the US that had allocated money "disproportionately directed to Hindutva
-affiliated groups". In May 2005 the Union Human Resource Development Ministry stopped grants to Ekal Vidyalayas run by the FTS in collaboration with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad following a study that said the FTS was "misusing these funds, and using the grants for creating disharmony amongst religious groups and creating a political cadre".
The report said "These funds were being diverted to generate hatred toward minorities, and condition the minds of children". In an article in the Daily Times of Pakistan
, Khalid Hasan described the Ekal Vidyalayas as having a "curriculum steeped in instilling hatred against non-Hindu religious minorities".
According to Prakash Sharma, media convener of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, "The Ekal vidyalayas are our effort to reach the most deprived areas of the country. Christian missionaries get funds from all over the world: the entire Christian empire backs them. Ours is a completely indigenous effort”
In May 2009 the Southern California chapter launched its annual fundraising drive.
A benefit concert in Chicago in July 2009 raised $160,000.
In September 2009 the San Diego chapter raised about $14,000 at a cultural event featuring music and dance.
The organization announced that a similar event in Dallas in November 2009 had been very successful.
In May 2010 a fundraising concert in Chicago was attended by over 600 people and raised pledges of $82,525.
The same month, Ekal Vidyalaya raised almost $500,000 from five charity shows in the mid-Atlantic region.
EVF Australia was set up in 2004 and as of March 2006 had sponsored 85 schools.
In 2006 the National Hindu Students Forum (UK) selected Ekal Vidyalaya as the main recipient of fundraising during its annual Sewa Week drive.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the largest grassroots, non-government education initiative in India with presence in over 34,000 villages providing free education to more than one million children. The Foundation's model of operation is single-teacher schools.
Establishment and growth
The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF) was established in 1986 by Rakesh Popli, a US-returned Indian nuclear scientist, and his wife Rama Popli, a child education specialist. The couple established the foundation's first single-teacher school in GumlaGumla District
Gumla district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Gumla town is the administrative headquarters of this district.-Etymology:...
in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
(then a part of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
). In two years' time, the movement was more successful than expected and in 1989, 60 single-teacher schools were started simultaneously in Dhanbad
Dhanbad
Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...
. By 1995-1996, the foundation was running 1,200 schools in Jharkhand.
As of April 2008, there were more than 23,000 schools run by EVF, including 2,100 schools in the North Eastern states. The number of schools grew to 27,000 in 2010 and 34,000 in 2011. EVF's goal is to reach 100,000 villages in the India's tribal belt by 2015.
EVF is associated with the Hindu nationalist movements Vishva Hindu Parishad
Vishva Hindu Parishad
' , which is usually known more simply as the VHP, is an international Hindu organization, which was founded in India in 1964. Its slogan is "धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः Dharmo rakṣati rakṣitaḥ", which is supposed to mean "Dharma protects its protector"...
and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
(RSS). In the past, the foundation has been headed by the Subhash Chandra
Subhash Chandra
Subhash Chandra is a onetime rice exporter-turned media baron and Chairman of Essel Group, that launched India's satellite television revolution. The Zee chairman dropped out after standard 12. His pioneering channel Zee TV competes with, among others, Sony Entertainment Television and STAR Plus...
, the Chairman of Essel Group
Essel Group
Essel Group is a media conglomerate company headed by Subhash Chandra based in Mumbai, Maharashtra .The companies under the group are:*Media** Zee Entertainment Enterprises** Zee News** DNA *Technology** Dish TV...
and the founder of Zee TV
Zee TV
Zee TV is an India-based satellite television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which broadcasts various programmes in Hindi and other regional languages of India. Broadcasting is also present in various nations of South Asia, Europe, the Middle East,...
.
Education
EVF's philosophy is to take a holistic approach to social and economic development, providing primary school education for children, as well as healthcare, livelihoods and empowerment education for the entire village.The schools are primarily organized in small villages among India's tribal groups. The local youth who are trained to operate the schools are social workers and teachers, teaching sanitation and health care, literacy and Hindu nationalism. Each school is run on an annual budget of around 16,000 Indian rupee
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
s. At the national level, the schools are run by Ekal Vidyalayas are run by EVF, Friends of Tribals Society
Friends of Tribals Society
The Friends of Tribals Society , or Vanbandhu Parishad, is a volunteer organization formed in 1989 with the goal of improving literacy and health among the Adivasi, rural tribal people in India...
(FTS), Bharat Lok Shiksha Parishad
Bharat Lok Shiksha Parishad
Bharat Lok Shiksha Parishad is a charity in India that operates Ekal Vidyalayas, or single-teacher schools, under the Ekal Vidyalaya of India umbrella organization....
(BLSP) and Janhit Sanstha. In addition to teaching children, the schools hold weekly sessions for the village populace to discuss issues like rural development, health and awakening.
Other activities
EVF also works in tribal areas on health care education with the emphasis on hygiene, treatment of general diseases, maternal and child care. The foundation operates 11,450 health centers in India for people living in rural and tribal India. In May 2011, EVF launched the Vermi CompostVermicompost
Vermicompost is the product or process of composting utilizing various species of worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast...
Project, a pilot project with an aim to introduce self-sustaining practices in 100 poor villages of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
.
Controversy
According to an enquiry committee report of the Indian Human Resource Development ministry, most of the schools reading and learning materials are scarce and there is strong emphasis on Hindu teachings. Angana Chatterji, associate professor of anthropology at California Institute of Integral StudiesCalifornia Institute of Integral Studies
California Institute of Integral Studies is a private institution of higher education founded in 1968 and based in San Francisco, California. It currently operates in three locations just south of the Civic Center district...
, identified Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA as one of the charities in the US that had allocated money "disproportionately directed to Hindutva
Hindutva
Hindutva is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. Members of the movement are called Hindutvavādis.In India, an umbrella organization called the Sangh Parivar champions the concept of Hindutva...
-affiliated groups". In May 2005 the Union Human Resource Development Ministry stopped grants to Ekal Vidyalayas run by the FTS in collaboration with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad following a study that said the FTS was "misusing these funds, and using the grants for creating disharmony amongst religious groups and creating a political cadre".
The report said "These funds were being diverted to generate hatred toward minorities, and condition the minds of children". In an article in the Daily Times of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Khalid Hasan described the Ekal Vidyalayas as having a "curriculum steeped in instilling hatred against non-Hindu religious minorities".
According to Prakash Sharma, media convener of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, "The Ekal vidyalayas are our effort to reach the most deprived areas of the country. Christian missionaries get funds from all over the world: the entire Christian empire backs them. Ours is a completely indigenous effort”
International fund raising
The Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA is active in fundraising. In June 2008 the Atlanta chapter entertained guests with a music program at a fundraising event.In May 2009 the Southern California chapter launched its annual fundraising drive.
A benefit concert in Chicago in July 2009 raised $160,000.
In September 2009 the San Diego chapter raised about $14,000 at a cultural event featuring music and dance.
The organization announced that a similar event in Dallas in November 2009 had been very successful.
In May 2010 a fundraising concert in Chicago was attended by over 600 people and raised pledges of $82,525.
The same month, Ekal Vidyalaya raised almost $500,000 from five charity shows in the mid-Atlantic region.
EVF Australia was set up in 2004 and as of March 2006 had sponsored 85 schools.
In 2006 the National Hindu Students Forum (UK) selected Ekal Vidyalaya as the main recipient of fundraising during its annual Sewa Week drive.