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| Mittal, Hussain to raise one million pounds for India's poor |
| H S Rao/PTI / London Jun 30, 2009, 11:46 IST |
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More than 200 philanthropists including eminent Indians like L N Mittal, M F Hussain, G P Hinduja, have donated £5,000 each to help educate underprivileged children in India.
"Only through education can we bring India's poorer communities out of poverty. Education breaks through the awful cycle of poverty. It opens new horizons, it brings confidence, knowledge and most importantly, expertise", said G P Hinduja, President of the Hinduja Group at an event organised here by Pratham, an NGO for underprivileged children in India.
"The biggest challenge that India faces is educating the masses. If India wants to become a truly global player, it must reach the same figure as the rest of Asia," he added.
The guest list included Indian steel tycoon L N Mittal, renowned artist M F Hussain, British directors Stephen Frears and Gurinder Chadha, writer Hanif Kureshi, head of Global markets Deutsche Bank, Anshu Jain; Lord and Lady Mitchell among others.
The philanthropists also pledged to raise £one million for Pratham to educate 100 million children in India.
Hinduja who opened the donation said "What Pratham is doing is a subject at the heart of the Hinduja family and Hinduja Foundation. Our father believed health and education is the birth right of every human being."
Pratham aims to work for providing literacy to India's 100 million children from the weaker-sections and avail primary education to all children by 2010. Their work has so far reached 33 million children primarily from the slums and those working as labourers.
"The funds raised here will surely help us on our way of reaching the 100 million underprivileged children across India who lack primary education and the basic right to schooling", added Vilas Gadkari, Chairman, Pratham UK.
"Increasing literacy amongst the youth should be made a pivotal part of every country's agenda, especially when it provides a way out of conditions of extreme poverty and a path to achieving emotional literacy amongst children," he said.
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