The Centre for Experiencing Socio Cultural Interaction (CESCI) and Kalakala Vagupparai organised a workshop for children of conservancy workers from Gomespalayam here on Saturday.
The two-day workshop will conclude on Sunday evening. Around 45 children who are part of Dr. Ambedkar Free Evening Children’s Tuition Centre attended the workshop. They are all children of conservancy workers and manual scavengers. R. Sankareswari, a resident of Gomespalayam, takes free classes at the centre with an aim to ensure that no student from Gomespalayam should be forced to work as a conservancy worker.
R. Siva, a Tamil teacher who is part of Kalakala Vagupparai, said art forms such as ‘parai isai,’ ‘oyilattam,’ ‘bommalaatam,’ ‘thol paavai koothu’ and drama were performed for the children as part of the workshop. Experts in these art forms were the resource persons. The children were taught some art forms that they were familiar with,” he added.
Education played an important role in ensuring that the children were not forced to choose conservancy work, said Mr. Siva. More such workshops would be conducted, he said.
