The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Bhubaneswar is home to 27,000 indigenous children who are provided with comprehensive education from Kindergarten to Post Graduation free of cost, besides skill development, vocational training and sports empowerment in a fully free residential format.
What started as a small seed with 125 students in 1992-93 has now grown enormous with 27,000 existing students, 12,000 alumni and 12,000 students in the satellite centers of KISS in 10 districts of Odisha.
It has become a revolution transforming the lives of millions.
The KISS community has strived towards a safer and sustained future for the present and future generations. The magnificent foundational culture has made KISS lead the way in all best practices. An ecosystem of KISS has been formed constituting students, alumni, parents and guardians and people associated and inspired by it. This ecosystem ushers in change - social and common good for the people and each constituent is a changemaker. One such initiative is marching ahead to villages and manufacturing behavioral and sustained changes at the grassroots.
During the summer break, when the students are in their native places, the staff of KIIT (sister Institute of KISS) and KISS along with the students reach out to the tribal hamlets and communities of Odisha.
They interact and engage with the parents and the guardians and other members of the villages to spread awareness of education, besides engaging in adult and life skills education, literacy, plantation and cleanliness drives.
Each summer vacation has resulted to a successful social drive since the last five years always delivering results of progressive changes.
This year, the campaign is based on theme " Stop Violence against Women and Children” and is named "Kanya Kiran". Girls and women are the integral part of the society and are rays of hope, a symbol of beginning and sustenance of the society. The "girls rising" is a mark of empowerment of the society.
However, it is no secret that women and girls in India are facing various forms of assault and violence within their workspace, educational institution, outside and within the family in spite of strong regulations and norms of zero tolerance.
It’s been ages since women and girl children have been subjected to repressions physically, emotionally and mentally right from childhood to mental trauma post-assault. The temporary pleasure for unscrupulous perpetrator leads to permanent sufferings of the survivor.
According to data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), rape cases have reported an increase of 12.4 per cent from 34,651cases in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016. Additionally, the country recorded more than 36,000 cases of rape, sexual assault, and similar offences against children in 2016. 51 per cent of human trafficking cases involved children. Having quoted the figures, there is no denial of the fact that it is under-reported. Therefore, it is astonishing that even as there is increase in awareness about the inalienablewomen’s right to safety and security, the number of cases being reported are still less.
In Odisha alone, the year 2016 has seen registration of a whopping 1,928 cases of sexual assault under POCSO Act 2012 vis-à-vis a mere19 in 2015 and 109 in 2014. 75 per cent of thesePOCSO cases are prevalent in rural areas where gender-based marginalisation is intensified by low social status. Mayurbhanj, Baleswar, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Keonjhar reported the lion’s share, while Kendrapada and Kalahandi also figure in the list.
An analysis of the recent sexual assaults which took place in April, 2018 in Odisha was made and it was found that in 92.5 per cent cases, the offenders were either relatives of the victims or known to them and belonged to the same locality or community. With the increased instance of violence against women and the urgency to act in a situation like this made us select this theme as it is the need of the hour.
This summer of 2018, "Kanya Kiran" seeks to promote zero tolerance for violence against women and children by KISS and its extended family in all the districts of Odisha from June 3 to 8 in collaboration with UN Women and Kalinga Fellowship. The cohort shall train girls and women on good and bad touch, awareness about their rights, breaking the stigma associated with reporting, legal course of action available and sustained empowerment through social business through life skills and adult reproductive and sexual health education.
"Kanya Kiran" shall be unique and more impactful as it will raise awareness about what constitutes violence, consent and respect in their accessible language by their people in their own comfort area.
This will also increase the momentum of State wide and national conversation and action on violence and protection besides creating an environment of zero tolerance to gender based violence in Odisha.
After all, nobody should be deprived of the right to live with dignity and have a safe and conducive environment for growth and progress.
Girl child is like rays of sun. As sun rays bring happiness among all living beings on the earth, the birth of a girl child brings happiness and prosperity in the society. Sun rays are the source of all living beings. The future generation lies in a girl child. There is a sloka in Sanskrit “Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra devata, yatraitaastu na pujyante sarvaastatrafalaah kriyaah”. This means where a woman is respected, the place becomes God’s abode. By God’s abode we mean divine qualities, good ideals, peace and harmony. However, if it is not done, then all the actions turn out to be fruitless.
(The writer is Founder, KIIT & KISS and a Rajya Sabha member)