The Twentieth Dr. (Mrs.) Deepa Martins Memorial Lecture was held on April 5, 2023. Our Honorary Mentor delivered the welcome address and introduced the keynote speakers, Ms. Aruna Roy, social activist and recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Shri Bunker Roy, noted social activist, an educator and the founder of Barefoot College, Tilonia and Shri Shankar Singh, RTI activist and founder member Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan.
The Secretary of the St Stephen’s School Society presented an insight into the life and times of Dr.(Mrs.) Deepa Martins. The keynote speakers delivered the keynote address on ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’- The Journeys of the Barefoot College Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC) Tilonia and the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS).
The speakers accompanied by Shri Ramnivas, puppeteer, puppet maker and Barefoot communicator, Shri Ramlal and Shri Satyanarayan from the communicators team of Barefoot College, presented the 51 years and 33 years of struggles and achievements of Barefoot College, Tilonia and Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan respectively in a communicative manner through songs and visuals. They focused on the various developments made by Barefoot College in the area of handicraft, solar energy, water conservation and technology. The foundation of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan was laid in a small hut at Devdungri, and achieved a new dimension after undergoing through various struggles. The farmers, labourers and villagers here strive each day for basic amenities. The power of a collective to begin a revolution was shown through the MKSS story.
Ms Aruna Roy explained how the process of democracy was understood through children’s parliament, in Tilonia. She exhorted that we can learn the different aspects of life by living in rural settings. She also said we should be proud to be in Rajasthan as it is here that the RTI Movement started. Shri Shankar Singh, spread the message of RTI to everyone through a song.
In the end, the Principal proposed the Vote of Thanks.
