Education gives real strength:Mathematician tells C'garh youth

Eminent mathematician Anand Kumar hasexhorted the youth in Maoist areas to shun the gun and embrace pen to script a new tale of peace and prosperity through real empowerment which, he believes, only education can ensure.
Kumar was addressing students at the Education City in Jawanga village of Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district at a programme yesterday.
State Chief Minister Raman Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Subhash Chandra were also present on the occasion.
Stressing that education was the only way to bridge the gap in the society, Kumar said, "Education can lend you strength in the real sense. It can bring about generational change."

Technology should also be increasingly used to make quality education accessible to all, which is another prerequisite for an egalitarian society and tackling poverty effectively, said Kumar, who runs a residential and free-of-cost 'Super 30' programme for last 15 years for talented students from the underprivileged sections.
Narrating his 'Super 30' experience, he gave examples of students from the most underprivileged sections and how they reached India's premier IITs through their hard work.

"All the problems in the world originate basically because of four-five reasons, like illiteracy, ignorance, poverty, lack of opportunities, unemployment, mindless violence etc. And if we look at them closely, all have their genesis in lack of education. It is the lack of education that breeds inferiority complex and later manifests itself in different ways," Kumar said.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Raman Singh said Dantewada's education city has claimed nationwide recognition in a short span of time.
Atleast 7,500 children affected with Naxal violence from Bastar region are studying in the education city which is itself a great example of social harmony, Singh said.
He called upon the students to set a goal in their life and work hard with honesty to achieve it.
"Bastar is changing rapidly. The students (of education city) will play a key role in the development of Bastar. The day when maximum students of Bastar will sit on higher administrative posts, that day will be memorable for me," he said.

"With the efforts of the government, several children of Bastar have qualified for IIT, engineering and medical colleges. These children are not only future of Chhattisgarh but the country too," he said.
The Chief Minister also released Halbi-Gondi-English dictionary for students so that they can easily understand English words in their local languages.