For seven decades the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB), founded by visionary freedom movement stalwart Dr. K.M. Munshi in Mumbai in 1938, has been promoting Indian values, art, culture and education through its 120 kendras (branches) spread across the country and seven sited abroad. This year the Chennai kendra of BVB, which was inaugurated in 1958 and has now grown into a vibrant cultural centre producing Bhavan publications and conducting a host of cultural and educational activities for children and adults, is celebrating its golden jubilee.
To commemorate the occasion, BVB has commenced work on the construction of a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated school in Tiruporur, Chennai, modelled on the lines of Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan in West Bengal. “The school, which will start functioning from the academic year 2010-2011, is part of a major project that will take shape on 53 acres of land owned by the kendra in Tiruporur and will include a cultural-cum-educational complex, a management institute, an ayurveda healing centre and a home for the aged,” says T.K. Parameswaran (88), incumbent director of BVB Chennai, who served the automotive tyres manufacturing company Good Year India for 35 years in various capacities until his retirement in 1979, after which he volunteered to serve with BVB. Since then he has risen to the position of director of the kendra.
This professionally-managed kendra, which is affiliated with BVB’s head office in Mumbai, currently manages the CBSE-affiliated Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram School (estb. 1976) in Chennai, and imparts free, three-month computer training modules to educated, unemployed youth at the Gandhi Institute of Computer Education and Information Technology in Mylapore. Thus far the institute has trained over 12,000 students. Moreover the Chennai kendra is a veritable beehive of cultural activity, conducting vocal music, dance and instrumental music classes in its two Bhavan’s Fine Arts Circle(s); organising medical lectures, seminars and discou-rses of ethical and spiritual importance in its two spacious auditoriums; runs a pre-school for children, and fine arts classes at its T.Nagar premises.
“Education is a priority in the Bhavan movement and the Chennai kendra has been successful in elevating people intellectually and morally through its educational institutions, job-oriented courses and literary and cultural activities. We have a lot more to do and our future goal is to start more schools which propagate Indian values and culture so that our youth grow into strong, self-disciplined leaders of tomorrow,” says this indefatigable champion of India’s cultural heritage and values.
Hemalatha Raghupathi (Chennai)