Thanksgiving service was held at St James' Church on Thursday to mark the 129th anniversary of the founder's day of Pratt Memorial School. Picture by Pabitra Das

Greenpeace, one of the largest NGOs in the world, is targeting city youths to push its agenda. On a recent visit to the city, the national campaign director of the organisation and one of its global heads, Shailendra Yashwant, expressed hope that young blood would be the wind in the NGO?s sails in eastern India.

Yashwant was on a whirlwind tour to boost the morale of the fund-collecting team here and to firm up future campaign planks. ?Our international linkages offer us advantages, but it is difficult to campaign and lobby in India as the awareness level is not high. The young people of Calcutta can play a vital role. All over the world, youths are an important part of Greenpeace programmes.?

The Calcutta office of the environmental organisation is barely five months old, but already has a 1,000-strong member base.

Putting youths first has borne fruit for the fledgling India chapter of Greenpeace. The Bangalore branch of the organisation had campaigned at select colleges to draw volunteers. About five students signed up to form a wing called Solar Generation. In a matter of months the headcount has crossed 150.

Last year, a team of members had taken a break from books to head for Orissa, where they did extensive research in Greenpeace areas of interest ? toxic waste, renewable energy, effects of genetic engineering and preservation of oceans.

The findings were used to chalk out future campaigns and were presented to the press. ?The youths did not just stop at that. They actively campaigned in their educational institutions to make the campuses eco-friendly. And they did so creatively. They didn?t just go up and say to the principals that this should be done, because nobody would have listened to them then. Solar Generation has been so convincing that at least one college is set to go green,? stated Yashwant.

Is something similar on the anvil in Calcutta? ?We hope so. We provide a platform and act as a catalyst, but it is up to the students to take their causes forward,? said the campaign director.

He added: ?There is no dearth of issues. I was quite dismayed by some of the things I saw while driving through the city. Calcutta seems to one of the last few places on the planet where soft drinks are dispensed in plastic cups. It?s primitive and an environmental disaster is in the making.?

Yashwant also came out strongly against ?government apathy towards the arsenic threat? in Bengal. ?In the so-called backward nations of Africa, I saw a technique called ?pump and treat? being used ? the groundwater is pumped out, treated for arsenic and returned to the soil. The Bengal government has been offered this and other technologies for free, but it does not seem to care,? he lamented.

Kaushik Ghosh

Around town

happenings here ?n? there

Sharing anguish

Bangla bands Fossils and 4WD came together on stage on October 29 with a group of HIV-affected people to make the city?s youth aware of the threat of AIDS. Around 3,000 youngsters turned up at Nazrul Manch to support the cause. Organised by Sukriti Foundation, the event, titled Reach Out, served as a platform where many HIV-positives spoke about their problems. Eka Naw, a song composed by Fossils and Usha Uthup, saw many in the audience holding hands and taking a pledge not to look down upon those suffering from the dreaded disease.

 

Proud students

The principal of Grace Ling Liang English School, M.C. Alexander, was felicitated in September by the association for schools of the Indian School Certificate, West Bengal chapter, for outstanding service to the underprivileged in the field of education. Sir, we are proud to have you as our principal.

Sufia Khatun,
Class XI, Grace Ling Liang English School

 

High note

Hartley?s High School celebrated its annual fest, Harmonics 2005, recently. The off-stage events like contests on cartoon designing, mehendi application, flower arrangement, dress designing and collage were held on the school campus. Kala Mandir hosted the other part of the fest on October 5. Eastern medley, quiz, western dance, fashion show and an anchoring contest were held on that day. A guest performance by DJ Chirag was great. Though the host school became the overall winner, the award was passed on to Lakshmipat Singhania Academy.

Jishnu Sanyal & Jeh K. Agarwal,
Hartley?s High School

 

Touching lives

For 30-odd students of Class VIII of DPS Megacity, a visit to Lawrence D?Souza old-age home near Moulali on October 1 was a novel experience. Besides distributing blankets, bedsheets, pillow covers and eatables, the children spent time interacting with the elderly women of the home. Valentine Redden, the school?s music teacher, entertained the home inmates with beautiful songs. All the students were touched by the affection showered on them by the home inmates and have promised to visit them again.

whatsup

Inter-school quiz

TCS IT WIZ school quiz on information technology will be held at GD Birla Sabhagar, on November 10, at 11 am. Schools can send two-member teams of students from classes VIII to XII to participate. Entries must be sent by heads of the institutions on or before November 8 to Sanchita Lahiri, quiz coordinator, Tata Consultancy Services, Global Development Centre, Plot C, Block EP, Saltlec, Cal 91. Phone: 23398015. No registration fee for participation.

 

Choreography

Khoi Nadi, a dance-drama for and by children, will be staged by Samskritiki Shreyaskar, at Bharatiyam Cultural Multiplex, Salt Lake, on November 6, at 6.30 pm. Cchoom Cchananan, featuring Kathak recitals choreographed by danseuse Rani Karnaa, will follow.