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Journalism of Courage
Having lived all her life in a Jharkhand village, Manisha Kumari (15) had never seen a train or ventured outside Gumla, one of the poorest districts in the state. That was until last week, when she was among 25 school girls from the district to embark on a 1,700 km journey by air to Chennai, and then by road to Sriharikota, where they visited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) campus as part of an initiative to expose them to the field of scientific education and research.
“Now, I feel like a confident young woman,” Kumari told The Indian Express after returning.
Kumari is a student of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV), a girls-only residential school in Palkot block of Gumla district. Her home in the village of Banaidega Karamtoli in Jhikirna panchayat is 14 km away.
Along with her two sisters and a brother, Kumari is a first-generation school-goer. The death of her parents from illness six years ago left her ambitionless, she said, but that has changed now – today, Kumari aspires to study science.
“We had the opportunity to witness the launch site of Chandrayaan-3 up close, with scientists explaining the mission’s importance, the successful moon landing, and the lunar rover. Since then, I’ve been trying to define my goals, though they aren’t entirely clear yet. But now I know I am interested in studying science,” she said from the Gumla Deputy Commissioner’s residence on Saturday.
Gumla DC Karn Satyarthi, who took the initiative, felicitated the students at his residence on their return.
He said that of all girls’ residential schools in the district, only the KGBV in Gumla town imparts higher secondary education in science subjects.
More than 65 percent of the population here is tribal, and economic activities are limited to monocropping agriculture. Many migrate to other parts of the country for work.
Preparations began a month in advance, and the first step was to get a go-ahead from ISRO. On August 28, Satyarthi wrote to ISRO Chairman S Somanath: “Many students are first-generation school-goers and are deprived on multiple levels. A visit to an institution like ISRO will not only be the greatest adventure of their lives, but will also give wings to their imagination. It will also help us flame scientific education in the district.”
The district administration asked various government schools to nominate one girl each. Then, District Superintendent of Education (DSE) Muhammad Wasim Ahmed did a video conference with the girls to ensure that those selected have an interest in science.
“Twenty-five girls were brought together for five-day residential training. The girls were curious, and we explained to them the various aspects of ISRO and the recent launch of Chandrayaan-3,” Wasim told The Indian Express.
Students were equipped with basic amenities and made to undergo medical checks. “Some students, including Manisha Kumari, had low haemoglobin, and I am glad it got detected through this programme. We gave them medicines and they are better now. The district administration also decided to give a custom tailored uniform and a basic amenities kit so they wouldn’t have to arrange things on their own,” Wasim said.
At Chennai airport, the girls were given a warm welcome with snack boxes. They stayed in a state guest house. Apart from the ISRO campus, the girls also visited Chennai Snake Park and the Theosophical Society. “Within a day of their arrival in Chennai, the students no longer needed supervision… One day we will visit NASA with these girls,” Wasim said.
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