‘If you had one crore rupees what would you do with it?’ Vijay asked Rita and me as we were returning from school.
I was tempted to say, ‘I would do nothing…no studies, only fun, games and leisure.’ Then I checked myself and spared a few minutes thinking what a school student would do with so much of money. ‘Will I give it away to charity? Will I start a business? Will I give it to some health institution or promote some research project? How about developing the sports infrastructure of the state?’ All these varied thoughts flashed across my mind. I posed the same question to Rita, ‘What would you do as a sixteen-year-old school girl?’
‘I would love to do many things,’ was her sharp retort. ‘Perhaps open my own boutique. Or give the money to some veterinary clinic or animal welfare trust. Or maybe invest it in my future education. Maybe open an institute of martial arts for women to teach them the art of self defence! I really don’t know!’
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Vijay was a lot clearer than us. He asserted that he would split the money between opening his own hotel chain and investing in NGOs propagating for human rights.
These were only the stray thoughts of a group of confused teenagers but it made me wonder what I would do with a crore of rupees. So many thoughts once again flashed across my mind. Of all the prevailing thoughts, what cause or reason was I most passionate about? Spending the money for immediate personal pleasure would be too selfish and perhaps foolish in these uncertain times. I would invest a part for my future and ensure minimal financial security. The remaining amount I would bifurcate between two broad avenues: activities of NGOs and propagation of human rights.
As a part of our extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, we had done a lot of charity work in various village schools. I felt deeply for the suffering village children. While we took many luxuries and indulgences for granted; our rural counterparts lacked the basic amenities of life. There is a lack of infrastructure, sanitation and many of them are forcibly engaged in child labour. I felt guilty that children my age had not got their legitimate due in spite of promises made by the government and political parties.
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It made me angry that my brothers and sisters were suffering in ignominy, where many among them had the potential to carve out an identity for themselves. My deepest desire is to see the end of the urban-rural divide in the education sector. Primary education is the birthright of every child, especially the girl child.
Education is empowerment and I strongly believe in it. Hence, after a lot of speculation I am deeply convinced that if I had a crore of rupees I would devote majority of my funds towards the primary education of rural children in my country. The support will be directed through NGOs or any other suitable agency that would get the smile back on the face of the village children.