I was in Bhubaneswar for the second time in the last 12 months. Back, to visit an extraordinary school for 10,000 tribal kids from 63 tribes of the region. This could possibly be the most deprived section of our society, where, in this day, starvation deaths still take place. It is a region so abysmally neglected, its disenfranchised people continue to live in the dark ages, literally and metaphorically.
Under such primitive conditions, one man’s vision has transformed the lives of tribal kids by creating the only such facility for tribals in Asia. It is called the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS, for short), and is located on a neat and scrupulously clean campus just a short distance from the airport. I felt privileged to be welcomed there by these remarkable kids who live in well-maintained hostels and receive quality education—all for free! The first time I’d visited them, they were enjoying a hearty, well-balanced lunch and preparing for the second half of the day. They appeared confident, well integrated and happy. What a contrast to the lives of their forefathers who have lived pathetically marginalised lives for centuries, unaware of anything outside their forests.
Even today, there are people among them who, believe it or not, have not heard of a word called ‘India’. Women’s Reservation Bill? Sonia Gandhi? You must be joking! They lead an existence of total isolation in abject poverty, cut off from the rest of the world. It is in the context of such a shameful sub-human existence that when I was introduced to a teenager wearing a smart blazer and told she was the captain of the school’s rugby team, I did a double take! Rugby? Being played here by tribal girls? Can it get more bizarre than that?
I turned to Dr Achyuta Samanta, the founder of KISS who is frequently referred to as the Charismatic Fakir by his countless international admirers, and asked for details, while my husband, a former rugby player, engaged the young lady in an animated conversation about the game.
According to Samanta, it all started when an English coach visited the school a few years ago and decided to train the kids to play this very boisterous, very Brit game. The kids succeeded big time, and soon were competent enough to get invited to compete internationally. Compete, they did, and came back with a trophy for under-14s! Since that early victory, they have been playing the game all over the world and now have an American coach.
The captain of the girls’ team told me she was leaving for France soon where the girls will be playing against the top teams of the world. This is a phenomenal achievement by any standards. But I was curious to know how these kids managed themselves when they travelled abroad. Said Vikramaditya, a smart and motivated person who has worked extensively with tribal communities, “It is amazing how quickly they learn. I travel with them sometimes, and watch as they rapidly teach themselves to swipe cards and negotiate their way through hotels, airports and sportsfields. They are swift learners.”
I met another young lady who had completed her law degree from a sister institute (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, declared a deemed university in 2004). She had just returned after a short course at the Harvard Law School, and had applied for a postgrad programme later this year. Her enthusiasm was palpable as she spoke about her dreams and aspirations.
But for me, it isn’t just about those well-designed buildings or the ambitious expansion plans chalked out by Samanta and his team. It is the light of hope in that young tribal girl’s eyes, as she looks beyond the campus and at the future. In her transformation lies India’s eventual redemption. I am sure Sonia Gandhi would be pleased to meet her. And see her in Parliament one day.
