Education empowers girls: LS Speaker

Sumitra Mahajan takes part in the centenary celebrations of Vivek Vardhini Kanyashala High School; MP Kavitha, Dy CM Mahamood Ali and Home Minister Naini Narasimha Reddy also attend the event

Hyderabad: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said girls should be given liberty not only in education but also in extracurricular activities. She stressed the need for education for girls and explained why it was important, its impact on the family and society. “Education is one such thing that cannot be stolen by anybody,” she said.

Addressing at the centenary celebrations of Vivek Vardhini Kanyashala High School in Hyderabad here on Tuesday, the Lok Sabha Speaker said it was a herculean task for the girls to get education 100 years ago. Hence, Maharashtrians came forward and established a school in Hyderabad for girls in Marathi medium and maintained its spirit for 100 years, she added.

The Lok Sabha Speaker announced Rs 1 lakh for the education society for establishing fitness centre for the girls on the premises. Sharing her European tour experience, the Speaker said, “All these days, people used to look out for their annual packages. During my visit to Europe, Indians came forward and asked what they could do for their country.

The scenario has changed now,” she added. Speaking on the occasion, Nizamabad MP K Kavitha said over the years, people of Telangana and Maharashtra had maintained good relations and shared their culture. “We continue to grow together, live together and thrive together,” she added.

Kavitha said she gathered women by taking inspiration from Bal Gangadhar Tilak who used to assemble people on the pretext of Ganesh festival to fight against the British government. “Bathukamma festival was used as the platform for enlightening women on the importance of achieving the State of Telangana,” she said. She thanked the Maratha community for producing super star Rajnikanth.

“We have to produce entrepreneurs. The Telangana government will extend its co-operation and already started Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge (TASK) in this regard,” she said. She appealed to the education society to join hands for Haritha Haaram, a green cover initiative by the Telangana government.

Kavitha called upon education society to increase the enrollment of students in the schools. “If there is a possibility, 18 schools under the society will be included in the KG to PG free education scheme. The government has no intention to disturb your motto, but we will support you,” she said.

Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatraya urged the education society to start vocational courses for girls and modernisation of the institutions. He said 33 per cent reservation would be implemented for women in the skill development and two crore people would be employed in two years.

On the notices served by the Housing Board to vacate the land of VV Kanyashala, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali said the government would initiate talks with the housing board and hand over the land to the school.

Telangana Home Minister N Narasimha Reddy recalled that in the 1960’s Vivek Vardhini was used as a camp to intensify stir for achieving the State of Telangana. He assured the government’s support to the education society. During the occasion, Vijaya Godbole, teacher and ex-students Susheela Wapari and Pramodhini Bindu were felicitated.