Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Jul 16: At present, when one thinks of students from urban areas, the picture of neatly dressed girls who take care to match the colour of their footwear with their clothes, bag and umbrella comes to mind. Many students are ignorant even as to how rice is grown and cooked. However, final year B Com degree course girl students of St Agnes College in the city have proved themselves to be different.
About 40 female students of the college went to an agricultural field that had been left barren at Khandila in Amblamogaru village and planted paddy seedlings there. The paddy fields where they undertook this operation belong to Amblamogaru gram panchayat member, Rajesh Acharya, and Puttu Bava.
The students of the college get involved with social activities under the community-orientation programme of the college every Saturday. On Saturday, the students were divided into four teams of 40 members each and then different social activities were entrusted to them within Someshwara zilla panchayat constituency limits. Some cut down bushes and shrubs standing by the roadside, while another team distributed invitation for Gram Sabha of Munnur village being held on July 18. One of these teams got engaged with planting of seedlings. The students, who began work at 11 am continued till 4 pm under the guidance of an old lady from the village.
Rajesh Acharya, his wife, mother, and Acharya's two children joined hands with the students in this work. Rain failed to dampen the spirit of the girl students and the initiative looked apt for the college's aim of becoming community-centric.
Under the leadership of zilla panchayat member here, Dhanalaxmi Gatti, who also happens to be a social worker, girl students have been undertaking social activities within this zilla panchayat constituency since the last three Saturdays. "There is a need to make students aware of agricultural activities. Because of shortage of agricultural labourers and high labour cost in Amblamogaru, many agricultural fields have been left uncultivated. These activities give knowledge to students and work in support of farmers. Therefore, fields are identified and the students are given practical knowledge about agriculture," Gatti stated.
Swathi, a final year degree student, said that final year girl students have been involved with various social activities every Saturday since the last two years. She said that working in slushy field was a unique experience for them and that the confidence of the girls got a boost as initially they were apprehensive about succeeding in this task. "All students worked sincerely with local support. We felt there was need for such activities along with studies. With this, our minds and bodies have got good exercise. We will continue to take part in such programmes even in future," she narrated.