People's Democracy

TAMILNADU

Ambedkar Centre to Expand Its Activities

Ganesh

INSPIRED by the success it scored in regard to the written exam for clerical positions in banks, the Dr Ambedkar Education and Employment Coaching Centre is now set to expand its activities. It has now established new centres at Vellore and North Chennai. Another centre at Banian City in Tirupur is to be opened on June 17 coming, while some more centres have been planned. Centres will soon be established at Gudalur and Coonoor (both in Nilgiris district), Erode and Kovilpatti.

The Dr Ambedkar Education and Employment Coaching Centre was formed by the Tamilnadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF).

The Ambedkar Centre is careful about its planning because any gap in the coaching to be arranged for the aspirants may damage their prospects. Hence, most of the centres have continued the coaching classes in different ways. Some centres have arranged for Spoken English classes and some have continued classes for bank exams.

In the meantime, the centre at Coimbatore has tried some innovative methods. It chose a particular area where reside thousands of Arunthathiyars who are considered lowest among dalits. This is called LG Thottam and it is situated in virtually the heart of Coimbatore city. There is also an Ambedkar Library here, for which the AIDWA made the initial efforts in its formative days. But the library faced power cuts and the aspirants were not able to study in late evenings. Then the Dr Ambedkar Education and Employment Coaching Centre decided to play a proactive role in developing the calibre of aspirants of the area.

CRICKET

TEAMS FORMED

With the help of the LIC Women's Sub-Committee of the All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA), the library was given a computer and also one inverter for providing uninterrupted power supply. A basic computer course is now going to start there. As it was the summer vacation, five cricket teams consisting of 60 boys were formed. They are of 11 to 13 years old of age. Five sets of cricket kits were provided by the Auto Rickshaw Drivers Association (CITU). A plan to conduct a cricket tournament for these teams is in the pipeline. The boys are being encouraged to speak in English during the play. There is also a plan to make them study just after the play. After having analysed this experience, the centre is planning to replicate it in some more areas.

Now the Tamilnadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) has released the calendar for the examinations that will be held this year. This is definitely advantageous for the youth, as they can now better plan for the examinations. The Ambedkar Centre is also encouraging the aspirants to get prepared well. Many centres under it have helped them in registering online since the procedure of sending applications by post is now no more in vogue. Awareness about online registrations has thus struck some root in this period. Without this guidance, there was indeed the possibility of many dalit candidates failing to register online and thus being left out of the race. The Ambedkar Centre is well seized of this problem.

It is also to be noted that the number of teachers in the coaching centre is increasing by the day. At the moment the centre has more than 100 teachers who voluntarily came forward and are rendering their services free. Even some of the teachers, who are giving private tuitions on payment basis, have come forward to conduct classes free of cost as the Ambedkar Centre’s efforts are social oriented. As the meeting of the TNUEF state committee is to be convened in the first week of June, discussion about some more initiatives is expected.