Tuesday 28 August 2007

The Ethos of VIDYARTHI SAMMAN

'Vidyarthi Samman' is an acknowledgement.
In a world where people judge and evaluate others and then decide to honor or not honor them, Vidyarthi Samman chooses to be a platform which will bring into existence acknowledging people for who they are and not for how they have fared.
Vidyarthi Samman is saying "Thank You", "Congratulations", "We are proud of you" to people who don't fit any criteria of any existing awards.
People who are unknown, unsung, unrecognized and even unseen for the better part of their life will be acknowledged.
For long, only people who have "achieved" have fitted the bill to be felicitated. Vidyarthi Samman will acknowledge the unseen grandmother in a theyyam family, the unsung circus artist who has entertained thousands , the unknown beedi worker; who toiled night and day ensuring his kids got education, the unrecognized government school master who has spent his life……teaching !
These are the kind of "ordinary", people next door who will be honored each year.
Our commitment is to bring about a culture of acknowledgement, where people see it as privilege to thank their mother, teacher, employee, the chemmeen vendor, just about anybody they come in touch with.
Govind Vidyarthi lived a life wherein he respected and acknowledged people not based on their status or achievement, but as recognition of who they were as human beings.
In his memory Vidyarthi Samman will honor and acknowledge 'four ordinary people' each year. Knowing fully well that a billion more await to be acknowledged, we intend to inspire others to acknowledge and thank people around them.