Following footprints

Dnyanesh Zoting had seen Koodiyattam only on a DVD and with prejudices when he was a student of theatre in the city.

Abiding by the rules of gurukul system,these youngsters have lived with their teachers,following them in word and deed

Dnyanesh Zoting had seen Koodiyattam only on a DVD and with prejudices when he was a student of theatre in the city. It was after spending a month with Koodiyattam scholar G Venu that the ancient form of theatre was revealed to him in its most immaculate structure. Besides seeing his dedication towards art and his intensity of work at the grass root level which I havent seen anywhere else,staying with Guru was my introduction to the Gurukul system following it rigorously while learning from him. Apart from the experience and skill,the use of suggestive symbols in a play to make it more interesting was one of the significant lessons that I learnt and have tried to implement in my work here, says Zoting who is among the few youngsters in the city who have experienced the Gurukul system while acquiring knowledge from the connoisseurs in various fields,from art and education to social activism.

Zoting is one of the students who were selected by Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (Spic Macay),under a scholarship programme that involves the gurukul method of learning wherein they reside with their mentors and interact as well as follow them in their respective fields. Differing from the current educational system,these students have not only had a first hand experience from their teachers but also spent a month looking at art and life the way their leaders do.

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The office where Sakhi Deshpande,an art student worked was not more than a mud house with a couple of rooms. Volunteering for Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatana at Devdungri in Rajasthan was about living with and knowing her leader,Magsaysay award winner Aruna Roy through the village empowerment she has carried out. Since I want to become a journalist,being with the women whose efforts led to the enactment of The Right to Information Act was a very enriching period. Dealing with the villagers and their problems,from doing pensions surveys to learning about NREGA,I got to see how things work at the fundamental level. Having lived in a city and studied in one of the best institues,the village life was a different reality. We would also sit with Aruna Nani to discuss everything from politics to film to her own life. She is phenomenol, says Deshpande.

The students in addition to following their Guru on the field also try to bring back with them the desire to follow their footsteps. Amit Wayal and seven of his friends have been consistently posting around 100 Rs every month to Anandvan. One of the karmacharis there told me,we dont want people who donate a lakh once and forget us but those who to remain with us through the journey, he adds while recollecting his stay in Anandvan for over a month having been there to learn under the tutelage of doctor and social worker Prakash Amte. I would look after the leprosy patients,attend various workshops and work at nurseries,handloom centre and so on aligning with the rule that no one lives there free of cost, he adds insisting that it was his experience of giving whatever he could and expecting no returns.

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