From: sundar@indigo1.hsis.uci.edu (M. Sundaramoorthy)
Subject: 'aRivoLi'- a movement for total literacy - part I
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 17 Aug 92 03:30:41 GMT


                       ARIVOLI IN TAMIL NADU
	            (thamizhagaththil aRivoLi)

		           by Pralayan

	The one that was most talked about in Pondicheri last year was 
'aRivoLi'. From university to a small village, there was no one who hasn't
talked about aRivoLi.

	Reading the name in English, a north Indian friend asked, "Oh, is that
the 'Auroville' you are talking about?".

	In fact, there is no relation between aRivoLi and Auroville. aRivoLi is
the name of '100% literacy movement'. The name of such a movement in Kerala is
'akshara kEraLam'. The same is aRivoLi in Pondicheri.

	After the successful accomplishment of 'akshara kEraLam', Kerala has 
been announced as a first state to achieve 100% literacy. The next one that is
going to get this pride is Pondicheri. Karaikkal, a part of Pondichery Union
Territory, has already been announced as '100% literate'. The entire Pondichery
may be announced so in another few months.

	Similar efforts are on line to make Tamil Nadu also a 100% literate
state by the end of 1995. As a first stage, aRivoLi projects have already been
started in Pasumpon Muthuramalingar, Pudhukkottai and Kamaraj districts. Next to
join these are Madurai, Kanyakumari and Coimbatore districts.

	"100% literacy? That is in Tamil Nadu?. Is it a 'mandhiraththil maangaay
kind of joke?", somebody may doubt. We can show that is indeed practical one,
because it is not a project announced at the 'top level' and implemented by the 
bueracracy. This is entirely a mass movement.

	aRivoLi is that mass movement for 100% literacy.

	"Mass movement for literacy?. Doesn't that sound strange?. Do all the
illiterates really want to learn?. If so, why didn't they make any attempt so
far?. There are so many schemes like, 'non-formal education', 'adult education'
etc. Why didn't they join any of these and get benefited?. People haven't 
realised the need of learning. We have to admit this fact. What change
is it going to bring in the life of a common man in the village even if he 
learns to read and write? What is going to achieve?. You people are trying to
impose literacy on him in the name of mass movement. This is a kind of 
'intellectual atrocity'. You would teach him to read and write. After learing,
he is going to read all kinds of junk. He can as well continue to be 
illeterate".

	There may be lot of questions like these. True, there are no readymade
anweres availabe for these questions.

	We can go on doing these kind of hair splitting arguements across the
dining table or living room or 'thiNNai' and come to the simple conclusion.

	"It is impossible to erradicate illiteracy in India for generations. No
illiterate person will come forward to learn", so we may conclude and walk away
in different directions.

	The World Health Organisation of United Nations lists ten most important
needs of a common man living in the modern world dominated by science and
technology. They are, clean water, protected environement, health care, food,
cloths, shelter, employment etc. The top and the most important one in the list 
is literary.

	Literary creates an awareness of one's needs. In the modern world 
literary makes a man 'complete'. Illiteracy is an handicap. This is a bitter
fact to accept.

	More than this, a largely literate society shows its cultural 
advancement.

	It should be realised that the movement against the illiteracy is a war
against the elements that keep the illiteracy and benefit from it. This
realisation gives the moral strength and social justification for the mass
movement.

	Ok. Let us push these 'valuable arguements' aside. Why should we become
lawers for the people and keep arguing whether they want to learn or not. 
Instead, let us ask the people themselves. This is how the literacy movement 
went to the people in Ernakulam district of Kerala as an experiment.

	The people of Eranakulam gave a decisive answere which was a first major
breakthrough. How was this possible?


                        ......to be continued....



I request the readers not to pull out a line and divert the topic. Please wait
till I complete the article.


M. Sundaramoorthy
sundar@indigo1.hsis.uci.edu

Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil