The Varanasi Shivir 26-28 April 2013

A three day Lokavidya Karykarta Shivir concluded yesterday, Sunday 28th April, at Vidya Ashram Sarnath.   The Shivir was attended by about 30 persons coming from Singrauli ( M.P.), Balrampur ( Chhattisgarh), Darbhanga (Bihar), Sonbhadra and Varanasi (U.P.). There was lively discussion on various aspects of lokavidya darshan and the LJA program at different places from where participants had come.

The shivir days were broadly divided into theoretical discussions in the morning and program oriented discussion in the afternoon and then a participatory Lokavidya Gayaki in the evening.

Theoretical discussions were initiated by Sunil. The themes  taken up were lokavidya darshan in general, the meaning of regular income to every household on the basis of what they know and do (lokavidya) in its historical, social, economic and political context and the lokavidya standpoint on History, Education, Industry, Agriculture and Market. Premlata Singh initiated the discussion on lokavidya point of view on women's situation in society and their movement. On each theme there was good and down to earth dialogue  playing the desired clarificatory role for initiating and organizing activity in Lokavidya Jan Andolan. 

The team from Varanasi reported on the preparatory activity it has undertaken for a Kisan-Karigar Ekta Campaign which is expected to culminate in conferences in Magahar (Kabir Nirvan Sthali) and Lucknow. Persons engaged in this are Dilip Kumar 'dili', Laxman Prasad, Premlata Singh,  Ehsan Ali, Aalam, Babloo Kumar, and several BKU activists and Bunkar Sangathan activists from the regions. 

Awdhesh, Ravi and Ekta from Lokavidya Ashram Singrauli reported on mobilization of the local people on problems they face as a result of pollution and high handed action resulting from the Power Industry there. Discussion revolved around how to understand the lokavidya point of view in such situations so that the immediate and the short term is well attended too. Dhanu and Ganga had come from Dhari, a village at the south end of Singrauli bordering with Chhattisgarh. They described their work in the village, which mainly involved fighting corruption and getting people their due. A decision was taken to organize a LJA conference with a Lokavidya Gayaki program in that region on 25th May, the Buddha Purnima day. 

A group of Agariyas had come from Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh. Shriram and Dhanpat, the leaders of this group proposed an Agariya Mahapanchayat in tune with the decision of the LJA Conference at Singruli last September. Issues internal to the Agariya community, government policy on the science and technology of ferrous metallurgy they are masters of and the issue of regular and definite income for every household on the basis of their knowledge and equal to the emoluments of a government employee are being seen as the main themes around which this mahapanchayat can be planned. The panchayat to be held at Wadraffnagar in Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh some time this winter will expect participation also from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and  Jharkhand. All these states come very close to Wadraffnagar and have Agariyas living in those areas.

Vijay Kumar and Chandraveer Narayan the two chief architects of LJA in Bihar were present in the Shivir. They have acquired a place in the District Board premises of Darbhanaga at Lahariya Sarai from where Lokavidya Jan Andolan is being organized. This place will be inaugurated soon and a Lokavidya Shivir will be organized there to build the team in Bihar further with equipment to erect a movement around the demand of government level salary for every household on the basis of lokavidya. 

One major achievement of the shivir was a beginning on the journey of Lokavidya Gayaki. Dilip developed the following lines, sang them there and proposed them for spread with Lokavidya Satsangs. 

लोकविद्या के स्वामी बोल 

अपने ज्ञान का दावा खोल 

तेरा ज्ञान है      अनमोल 

मूर्ख, गंवार न खुद को तोल 

ज्ञान का अपने दावा ठोक 

There was a feeling in the shivir that such gayaki would go a long way in developing both the thought and the movement for change. The gayaki itself would grow greatly through the movement, namely the LJA.

Vidya Ashram