Thakkar Bappa's Birth Aniversary

Today is Thakkar Bappa's birth aniversary and  the ST and SC development department of Orissa state observes the day in all its educational institutions. To commemorate the birth anniversary of Thakkar Bappa our college also declared a holiday and convened a meeting. In order to brace myself up for the meeting  I searched the Internet yesterday to find information about this great man but the outcome was very slender. I could not find any substantial information about his life and achievements. However, my interaction with other staff next day convinced me that I am better known about Thakkar Bappa than they know about him.

With a view to attending the meeting I came to college a little earlier. I was alone in the administrative block, sitting alone in front of a computer. Two boys came and asked my permission to go out of the campus to buy some items. I granted them the permission and they went away. I became alone once again. Few minutes latter another student approached me and stood silently before me. I presumed that this student has also come to ask my permission to go out. But his long silence more than the normal behaviour pattern drew my inquisitiveness. I withdrew my eyes from the computer screen and looked at the boy . His eyes spoke more than his tongue could. In a friendly tone I asked, "What can I do for you.". He gave a short reply, "Nothing,Sir." But he was on the verge of crying. In a deep painful tone intimated that he could not pursue his studies because he has a diseased father. He had to work as a labourer to feed his family. Even though the Government is providing facilities for food and study to the tribal students they have their own set of compulsion which looms larger than all welfare programmes in Orissa. If some income generating activities are added with regular class-room education a lasting solution to such problems can be found.