Tibetan refugees: Untold stories.

Tibetan refugees.

Though ignored by the press for quite a number of years, the plight of the Tibetans since the invasion of China into their land is no secret to the world. There have been several waves of Tibetan migration, the first one having been in 1959, after the Dalai Lama came to India,having received assistance from the Indian government. Around 120 000 Tibetan refugees have found shelter in India till now. The Tibetan diaspora maintains a government in exile in Himachal Pradesh in India.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Tibetan refugees in India

The main organisation of the Tibetan diaspora is the Central Tibetan Administration of the 14th Dalai Lama based in the McLeod Ganj suburb in Dharamshala. Other Tibetan diaspora NGOs deal with the cultural and social life of the diaspora, the preservation of cultural heritage and the promotion of Tibetan political independence.

Despite the huge influence of the West on the religious ways all over Asia, Tibetans maintain that their religion is that aspect of their culture which has remained the most intact. This translates into thousand of monks and nuns being trained to carry on the monastic tradition that was a central feature of Tibetan life.

During your stay in Dharamshala, you will learn more about Tibetans, their conflicts with China, their feeling of being a displaced community, their identity crisis and their religion, which is Buddhism. Interestingly, Buddhism came into existence in India, in a place called Gaya, in Bihar. Here is a short clip on Buddhism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNRiFQdPl_I

Green and thought-provoking Dharamshala

Dharamshala

Untouched by the phenomenon of urbanisation, at the base of the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas lies the hill resort Dharamshala. This is the principal township of the Kangra district and overlooks wide spread of the plains. With dense pine and deodar forests, numerous streams, healthy cool air, attractive surroundings and the nearby snowline, Dharamshala offers all for a perfect holiday. 

Full of life but yet peaceful, Dharamshala covers a wide area in the form of a twin settlement: Lower Dharamshala and Upper Dharamshala. Lower Dharamshala is a busy commercial centre while Upper Dharamshala retains a certain British flavour and colonial style is is home to his Holiness, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugees.

Click on the following link for a brief virtual visit to Dharamshala:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF_C2p-Jy5c

As you must be aware, moonsoon in India has already started and the cooling moonsoon rains continue into August and September. During that time in Dharamshala, the mountains are enveloped in mist and clouds and the lush Kangra valley is awash in a sea of green. During this moonsoon season, while mist and clouds cover the mountains, views of the peaks are rare but once the clouds lift, the views are spectacular.

Though visiting Dharamshala is not a good time for trekking, however you can take in all the greenry and flowing streams and enjoy a quiet retreat. You will have plenty activities which have been planned for you in Dharamshala and we are sure that the breath-taking views of Dharamshala will be a real feast toyour eyes and the whole setting and atmosphere of Dharamshala will make you travel beyond modern India to colonial India as well as to the land of the Tibetans.

Arpana Trust: Making it through struggles

Arpana Trust

As the capital of India and one of the most prosperous cities of the country, Delhi is the centre for commerce, trade and industry in the northern region. With Delhi's industries rapidly growing, migrants from all parts of India are attracted to the city and it is interesting to note that during the second half of the past century, Delhi's population significantly burgeoned.

Along with Delhi's urban growth, slums and squatters have also proliferated. Most slum-dwellers have access to irregular and low-paying jobs and are victims of poverty. Given the lack of basic facilities like drinking water, sanitation, electricity and health services in slum areas, Delhi has adopted a policy of slum resettlement in cooperation with non-governmental organisation and private agencies. NGOs play a vital role in developing these slums and colonies, one of which is Arpana Trust. Based on a partnership with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Arpana Trust provides its services to Molarbund, an urban slum community in South Delhi.

The people in Molarbund belong to the lower socio-economic strata who live in shacks and poorly-built houses that lack proper sanitation and water. Few houses have electricity. Due to resettlement, most slum-dwellers relocated to this area have lost their jobs and sources of income. Some people have started their small businesses or work as labourers in Delhi on daily wages.

Arpana Trust works to create basic infrastructure, improve educational and health facilities, increase income and employment and develop civic and leadership qualities among its residents. In the past few years, Holton students learn about this community by engaging in activities in the Molarbund school.

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."

-John Dewey

Arpana Trust believes that one of the greatest benefits that can be given to the under-priviledged population is to provide educational support and care to children while their parents are at work. Arpana Trust provides tuition support, pre-school education and vocational training to its learners. In the past few years, the services provided by Arpana Trust have really proved to be effective as the overall performance of the learners have improved. Emphasis is also put on cultural activities for the personality development of the children.

Activities at Molarbund

Want to give your views about Arpana Trust? Feel free to post to comments below and we will update you about the activities you can expect in Molarbund during your service work in Molarbund.

Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt Ltd: Fly and discover!

It is an undeniable sad fact that a series of shocking crimes against women have sealed Delhi’s reputation as an anti-women city. But Delhi’s women are certainly not those to lay down their hands.

In the light of women’s apprehensions of travelling in the city, what happens when a group of firm and determined women come together?

The result is Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt Ltd, a social enterprise endeavouring to provide safe transport solutions to women...by women!




Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt Ltd is the brain-child of Meenu Vadera, currently the director of the company. She says it is incredible how much the company has built the women;s confidence. “Our mandate is to work with under-priviledged women to help them make the transition from ‘I cannot’ to ‘I can’, she says. “We are doing two things with our service”, Sakha’s founder adds. “We are providing a livelihood with dignity for women...and we are providing a safe means of transport for women in the city.”

Chosen from the less-favoured and marginalised section of society, the drivers are put through a rigorous 6-month training programme, which includes a driving course by the Maruti Institute of driving and technology Research, self-defence training by the Delhi police’s Crime Against Women Cell as well as classes on learning English, developing communication skills, grooming, Delhi’s routes, women’s rights and training the would-be drivers to be familiar with the vehicle and it’s parts for its daily maintenance, map-reading and managing emergencies.

Sakha’s sister concern, Azad Foundation finds and trains women by tying up with NGOs that work in slums. They distribute pamphlets, put up posters, create awareness about Sakha’s existence through street plays and go door-to-door, looking for women who are above 18 and at least class 8^th pass and whose family income is Rs4000 or less.

Winner of the 1^st prize in the Business and Entrepreneurs category in 2011, Meenu Vadera explains, “Driving is just an excuse; what we really want to do is to break an image and provoke a change in the mindset towards women.”

Modern School: Striving for excellence

Modern School

Set against the backdrop of British Raj in 1920, the Modern School was the first private school to be established in that era and was located in a building in Daryaganj. The brain behind the founding of the school was Lala Raghubar Singh who aimed at combining traditional Indian education with modern educational techniques.The spirit and the soul of the school, he worked for its improvement and in this endeavour and teamed up with Sardar Sobha Singh, who was the co-founder of the group.

The mansion of Rai Bahadur Lala Sultan Singh in Daryaganj who donated it to fulfill his son's dream of establishing a school.

Despite such a modest begining, Modern School has made it to becoming one of the best schools in Delhi. While in 1932, there were only about 125 students, later on the school not only moved to Barakhamba Road near Connaught Place but it now also has a sister campus in Vasant Vihar. With the increasing demand for admission in Modern School, it was felt that a branch should be opened in the rapidly expanding south Delhi and thus, Modern School in Vasant Vihar saw its day on a winter morning in 1975.

Modernites at task

One notable activity of the Modern School is the on-going project of the Student Teacher Exchange Programme with international schools. Each year, great effort and hard work is put into making these exchange programmes educational, entertaining and successful. Immersion programmes between Modern School (Vasant Vihar) and Holton Arms have been taking place since a couple of years. The delegation of students from Holton Arms are usually welcomed by the Principal of the school, with a brief introduction on the school's ethics of hospitality and excellence. 

Due to the numerous activities in an itinerary prepared especially for the delegation of students, they get an insight on the Indian education system and learn about various traditions and culture of the Indian sub-continent. Hence, this exchange programme becomes a way through which Modern School (Vasant Vihar) endeavours to reach out to different cultures and forge new bonds.

Holton Arms students in Modern school (Vasant Vihar)

This year, among the activities which have been planned for you is a round table discussion on "Drug Abuse Amongst the Youth" and the event will be conducted by the head-boys and head-girls of some reputed schools in India! 

We hope that your inter-action with the Modern School students will be fruitful and that you will make many new friends!

"Many of the students [of Modern School] reminded us of ourselves, and none of us wanted to leave at the end of our visit."

-Maggie Bosch (holtonindia2012.blogspot.in)

Delhi: India's heartthrob

"I asked my soul: What is Delhi?

She replied: The world is the body and Delhi, its life."   

              -Mirza Ghalib  (Persian and Urdu poet, 1797-1869)

Since  you will be landing and spending some time in Delhi, it is only fair to this magnificent city that you should know certain interesting things about it. 

India Gate...Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the India gate was built in 1931 to commemorate the 90 000 lost lives of Indian soldiers in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan war.   

Completed in 1986, the Lotus temple is notable for its flower-like shape and is a Baha'i house of worship.

Delhi, or Dilli (in Hindi) or Dehli (in Urdu) literally means the heart. As history bears testimony, Delhi has seen the rise and fall of many empires which has left a plethora of monuments, highlighting the grandeur and glory of bygone ages. Indeed, the remnants of the glorious past of the city in the form of important monuments sprawled in different parts of the city bring evidences to the eye how historically, the city has since long been on the forefront in terms of political importance with successive dynasties choosing it as their seat of  power.

The Jama Masjid in Old Delhi is the largest mosque in India built by Shah Jahan. The construction work started in 1650 and took 6 years to complete. The court-yard of the mosques can hold up to twenty-five worshipers at a time.

Built years after Humayun's death, the construction work was commissioned by Humayun's first wife Bega Begum and was the first of its kind of the Mughal architecture in India, inspired by Persian architecture.

Legend has it that any man or king who creates a new city in Delhi will not be able to last his rule. With the passage of time, Delhi has moved on from being a city which has been destroyed several times and has emerged into a real melting pot. Some factors which contributed in changing the very fabric of the city's population was the massive influx of refugees from across the border after the Partition and later on., the people from other states who came in search of jobs in the Delhi.

Travelling throughout Delhi, one has the feeling of shifting through different worlds. Each village, each area, each street has a story to narrate. 

Holton Arms in India '13

Namaste from India!

Welcome to our blog! Dedicated to you, this blog is going to give you glimpses of what awaits your global education program to incredible India! As part of your global education program to India, you get the life-time opportunity to experience life in both urban and rural India. India is a vibrant mix of everything and your stay in India will be packed with a variety of cultural activities, be it the local music and dance, henna designs, the local cuisine or shopping at the lively bazaars. So Holton girls, get ready for a life-time adventure!

Pause for a minute and think about India! What comes to your mind? Images from Bollywood movies? The hustle and bustle of busy markets? Unruly traffic? Do your senses feel awakened by the sight of Indian dishes, vibrant colours and harsh reality?

Seen by the rest of the world since aeons of time as a place of sadhus and yogis where people achieve liberation through meditation in the Himalayas, India has much more than that to offer. Despite its numerous social, economic and political problems, India is gradually being seen as an emerging super-power and thanks to your interactions with calibre people and people who has to struggle daily to make it through, you will be able to take back home deep insights about this country. Still, India does not lose its charm...

Come with us on a magical journey to the exotic land of India, through sights, sounds and colours of a past-so rich that it withstood the test of time to co-exist with the modern world.