JAIPUR: To mark 50 years, Tilonia's The Barefoot College is organising a four-day event at Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur.
A college that has no formal degrees but is researched upon by the most reputed institutions and scholars of the world. A training centre that helps semi-literate women become solar mamas and engineers in their own right. A model that helps in conserving water in the most parched regions of the country. A platform for reviving and promoting local art. A space that engages in traditional communication to drive home significant social messages.
The Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC) at Tilonia's Barefoot College completes 50 years this year. In the past half-century, it has stood for bringing together technology, communication, education, and handicrafts for the betterment of the rural communities.
SWRC was founded by Sanjit 'Bunker' Roy, a St Stephen's College, Delhi, alumnus and a young volunteer at the Bihar famine of 1966, who gave up the possibility of a luxurious future to connect with the issues on the ground.
The college is going to celebrate this landmark through a series of events in Jaipur from April 21 to 24. Not only would the Shilpgram at Jawahar Kala Kendra come alive with colours of the Tilonia bazaar every day, but folk performances, songs, and curated exhibitions would communicate with the people of Jaipur in classic barefoot style.
The beauty of this barefoot journey is that it not only addresses the physical challenges of the area sustainably, but the change-makers are the people themselves who broke barriers of caste, religion, and gender in this journey. Powerful and inspiring narratives weave together the Tilonia story. Kailash Kanwar, who has been working there since 1989 and is a part of the Hatheli Sansthan, an artisan enterprise of the college, says, "I not only gave up the ghoonghat here but also went against society I came from as women were not allowed to work. My husband was pressured, my in-laws would take away my children from the school and would come every other day to ask me to come with them. Arunaji, Ramkaranji, Sojiramji, and all my friends here helped me immensely. Today, I am a recipient of the CII Women Exemplar Award."
Rajendra Singh, a part of the workshop department, pretty much grew up in Tilonia. He wanted to marry a Muslim woman in the 90s, something his community could not accept, and so, with the help of the community at Barefoot College, he not only married according to his choice but also stayed away for a few years until things settled down back home. Rajendra is back in Tilonia now and lives with happiness and dignity. "I owe everything to this institution. I got the courage to fight for my rights here. This is my home, my family, and my karma bhoomi."These stories would come alive at the event that will offer a holistic taste of Tilonia for four days. There will be a photo exhibition curated by noted photographer Pablo Bartholomew, live demonstrations of technologies designed and executed by the barefoot engineers, a meet-and-greet session with barefoot engineers.
