A class XII student of the CIE, UK-affiliated Mallya Aditi International School, Bangalore (estb. 1984), Agastya Muthanna was the only school student invited to a panel discussion organised by the British Council in Bangalore on April 3. Although the topic of discussion was ‘Young India on Climate Change’, inevitably, the panel was dominated by well-known ecologists/environmentalists of mature vintage. Addressing a 300-strong audience comprising students, teachers, NGO and environment activists, young Agastya made an impassioned plea for more intensive research in environment-friendly green technologies.
“To be adopted by industry, green technologies have to be more cost-effective than the resource-depleting technologies currently employed. Only when this happens will industry leaders switch to green technologies. This will result in a double benefit: to industry itself and the ecology/environment,” Agastya told the cheering audience.
Agastya was invited to the panel discussion by virtue of being selected one of the 20 Indian Climate Change Champions in a national contest organised by the British Council India last year. This gave him the opportunity to travel through the environmentally-awakening People’s Republic of China and mingle with climate change champions from the host country, Hong Kong and Japan. During his fortnight’s ‘Green Journey’ (July 14-30), he traversed the breadth of PRC, visiting eco-aware institutes and organisations. “It was an enriching experience. We shared a lot of ideas with climate champions from several countries. Perhaps the highlight of the China tour was a visit to the Li Keng domestic waste incineration facility in Guangzhou. It’s the only one of its kind that uses waste for generating electricity. The Chinese people and youth are doing a lot to arrest environmental degradation. We need to emulate their example,” says Agastya.
A volunteer with the Wildlife Association of South India, Agastya is committed to practicing eco-friendly development economics. To this end, he plans to study economics at Cambridge University (UK). “The education system in Cambridge will allow me to interact one-on-one with the best brains in the world and enable me to conduct a serious global environment audit. I have studied in India for almost two decades. Now it’s time for me to acquire a wider perspective to contribute towards the growth of the Indian economy in an environmentally sustainable manner,” says this focused green technologies champion.
Debolina Sengupta (Bangalore)
Sunita Mahothra
For a girl child from a poverty-stricken background to rise to the status of an up-and-coming star of the classical dance firmament is an achievement worth recounting. That’s the story of plucky young Sunita Mahothra, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Delhi who has just written her class X board exams. Although only 15, Sunita — an exponent of the 2,000-year-old Bharatnatyam dance form — has performed in numerous national and international competitions. “Yes, Bharatnatyam is very difficult and requires a lot of discipline and practice, but I am very fortunate to have a dedicated teacher, Guru Chandramani, at the Bal Bhawan where I now take classes,” says Sunita.
Among the major milestones in what has now become this young danseuse’s calling, is a national-level performance on the occasion of Teachers’ Day (September 5) last year, when she danced before an elite audience which included President Pratibha Patil. Last year she was also a star performer at the Ryan International schools’ annual children’s art festival held in Delhi, in which children from 21 countries as diverse as Brazil, South Africa, Australia, USA and China participated.
Behind the incredible rise of the daughter (and one of three children) of Ram Bahadur, a mason employed by the Delhi Jal (water) Board and his homeworker wife Lakshmi, is a story of grit, determination and dedication to classical Indian dance. According to Gayatri Kapani, headmistress of Vidya Bal Vihar, where Sunita received her primary education, she was a promising Bharatnatyam dancer at school functions. “In a recital at IIT Delhi on the occasion of founder’s day of the NGO Vidya, she was noticed by Vidya’s executive board member Mala Goel and her husband Mohit, an IT entrepreneur and consultant. They were so impressed that they undertook to sponsor her education and dance training,” explains Kapani.
Accordingly she was enroled in Kendriya Vidyalaya, where she receives dance training and secondary education. This arrangement is ongoing.
Meanwhile she is doing well on the academic side. In her class X board exams she averaged 76 percent and is happy with that, considering she has to combine studies with extensive dance practice and extra-curricular activities. “I believe it is possible to succeed academically as well as excel in the world of Indian classical dance,” says this talented young danseuse, endowed with an admirable can-do spirit.
Kavita Charanji (Delhi)