We conduct Art workshops, exhibitions, recitations, poetry performances, readings, interactions and short courses in nearly all subjects including film and photography! In Kashmir we are desperately concerned with the vast mass of our people, the young students in particular, whose creative instincts have been thwarted owing to lack of opportunity or lack of interest, or both, so much so that they
have long ceased to participate in the endless responsibilities of citizenship. And as if this were not enough, they have also resigned to lives that are determined by others – parents, teachers, employers, political leaders, governments, et al.
“To loose ‘identity’ as a citizen is but a step towards loosing identity as a person.” This is the reality of Kashmir today – that entire generations are either depersonalized already, or are headed towards depersonalization. It is this malignant inertia that ‘The House of Wisdom’ intends to fight, reverse and cure forever. For this, we have to rediscover the most precious part of youth – the laughter, which is certainly the best antidote to every kind of fatal infliction plaguing Kashmir’s young. Together with our patrons and partners, we are, at the ‘House of Wisdom’, looking for – laughter, beauty, love, and the CHANCE TO CREATE. Amidst the haze of uncertainty and unconformity of opportunities, a group of young and educated men and women sit together to share their ideas about creating space for themselves and for others like them. Knowing that the conventional job market offers very less and remains deeply infested with several identified as well as many tacit challenges in the backdrop of Kashmir conflict-one of the longest conflicts in South Asia, the group realizes that dependence upon the government or the private sector would actually mean an unending trajectory leading nowhere. Hence, an initiative- alternative thinking is what is required to bring about a change. House of Wisdom is, quite precisely, a result of this alternative thinking and intends to operate on the principle of self sustenance and service to the society. Since most of the programmes would be offered to the students for free, designing a few courses for earning maintenance of the academy and sustenance of the group won’t be wrong. The group realizes that its strength was in academics as all the members are well qualified in different subjects and can engage students in relevant courses against some price. The money earned thus would ensure some economic independence of the group while the exercise would ensure betterment of the society at large. As of now, Kashmir has the highest number of unemployed educated youth in all of North India and it continues to see a very fragile private sector that can hardly help. Besides the impact of decades old conflict that has never paved way for an optimistic atmosphere, the slow growth of the state can also be attributed to various factors including poor industrial infrastructure, poor investment atmosphere and lack of proper governmental policies. All these reasons have ultimately resulted in over 5 Lakh educated youth being left unemployed here in the state. It has also been observed that there is disparity of opportunity among the students of the city and the villages. Since the group intends to operate from a village in Tangmarg, it will be working to create a proper academic setup for students who could avail different facilities, most of them for free, available here. Facilities including a well established library, a computer lab, and an information window (that would inform students about various scholarships around the world) are critically required. Besides this, the group also intends to facilitate interactions between the young students and those who have excelled in various fields. Apart from a number of challenges that the group foresees, the ever alarming student drop-out rate (16-18% from 9-12th grade, according to the latest study undertaken by Zonal Education Office, Tangmarg) in the villages in Tangmarg is undoubtedly the first to be tackled and the group sees a stronger role for itself in working towards creating an academic scenario and counseling students as well as parents for believing in education. Most of the villages in Tangmarg area are deeply influenced by the nearby tourist resort of Gulmarg and people chose to employ their children in tourism business even before they could earn their matriculation certificates. This has been a serious issue to education sector here as parents, in many cases, have been discouraging their children to continue their schooling and instead want them to earn by working as guides, pony-walla’s etc. The group intends to break the trend and encourage students to pursue their academic courses. Those who show interest in tourism business need to be counseled to opt and complete relevant courses in the same stream to fine tune their skill and capability to do better in the field. Also, the group realizes that many students from different parts of the world reach here for curricular and other independent studies each year and require local assistance. Such students often cut short their trips owing to the high staying prices and other costs. Keeping this in view, the group intends to be of valuable assistance and also intends to create free lodging and boarding for such students, an alternative space, against meager maintenance cost. We also intend to introduce programmes including ‘village walks’, ‘Heritage walks’, ‘discovering Kashmir’, ‘traveling and trekking’ and other similar programmes that would bring us closer to knowing Kashmir culture, history, nature and ambience. Such programmes would be properly advertised through internet and notifications. The group would also work to promote art and crafts and undertake artistic performances, exhibitions, film screenings and student exchange programmes a regular activity. This academy would be known as ‘House of Wisdom.’
Having said this, it is mandatory to add that apart from a piece of land that has been acquired on lease, the group requires almost every kind of support from those who appreciate such ventures. Modus operandi
The academy intends to create favorable atmosphere, space and infrastructure for sharing experience among students of this part of the world and those coming from other parts. Given the political and social turmoil and the unfavorable events that have strongly affected very sphere of life here, the aim is to ensure greatest benefit of native students and to encourage them for positive thinking by offering them free space for academic activities. We will also be offering facilities including library, computer lab and reading room besides other interactive programmes. Also, student exchange programmes would be of utmost importance as such activities would encourage students to break the decades of confinements and learn from other cultures. It has been observed that students, artists and small time writers who reach here from different parts of the world for various studies, cannot afford to stay in hotels. They also lack proper guidance and assistance for which they, otherwise, have to pay hefty amounts to the tourism players. House of Wisdom would act as a mediator and provide the same services on student-friendly terms. House of Wisdom intends to create opportunities for students and teachers alike. Private tuition would be a regular feature of the academy that would be handled by the subject experts engaging local students against a decent cost. Since the group is expandable and open for a manageable number of educated jobless youth, all ‘Science’ and ‘Arts’ subjects would be taught here. This activity would ensure maintenance (financially) of the academy and would also support (financially) the group members who have no other opportunity to earn. The Academy would also initiate parallel courses including courses in languages, photography, creative writing, newspaper and magazine writing, news reporting, trekking, hiking, mountaineering and skiing like fields. Such courses would be conducted by the relevant experts in each field and would be open for students from other parts of the world as well. The students of the area (whether enrolled in the academy or not) will have different facilities available here. Be it a computer lab, a rich library or career counseling sessions that would be regulated and run by the academy, the students of the area can join us for free. Moreover, the academy would also encourage interactions and experience sharing between our guests from other parts of the country/world and our students and teachers. Apart from this, the academy would provide space and assistance for the students for conducting and organizing various literary and cultural programmes, round the year. For our guests, the academy would initiate various programmes including ‘Village Walks’ ‘Heritage Walks’ expeditions and other trips to various parts of the state, in particular, and the country, in general. Interested visitors will come to know about our programmes online and will have to ensure their availability. Such trips would be assisted by our trained guides who will render their services against a student friendly cost. The academy, once self reliant will be a safe haven for students, scholars, artists and random visitors who can avail various facilities here against mere maintenance cost. House of Wisdom is undoubtedly a haven for a wide range of people including students, academicians, artists and experts but it is still in the ideation stages. As such it can neither host anyone, nor can it create opportunity for any educated-unemployed youth or students. But we are hopeful that your valuable suggestions and contributions will certainly make this dream come true! It is to be set in a village at Tangmarg, Baramulla and a piece of land has already been identified and taken, on lease, for the purpose.
