Braving odds, Ashok Danavath, belonging to the marginalised Lambada tribe has secured admission in International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) at The Hague, The Netherlands, one of the top Universities in the world. He has been admitted for Master of Arts in Development Studies Major Human Rights, Gender and Conflict Studies: Social Justice Perspectives (SJP).
Ashok, 23, a graduate in Social Science from Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Hyderabad was to join the September 2020 intake for the 16-month Masters programme.
However, his scholarship interview with The Ministry for Tribal Affairs, Government of India has been delayed due to Covid-19, and he now hopes to make the 2021 intake, if his scholarship gets approved. Ashok says a major hurdle in receiving a State government scholarship is that Netherlands is not in the selected countries’ list announced by Telangana.
“Looking forward to a full time scholarship from the government,” Ashok whose father is a marginal farmer and mother a daily-wager says, “That’s my only chance at higher education.” Youngest of three siblings, he is the only graduate from his family. “Getting a loan is out of question, as we do not have anything to provide as collateral,” answers he on alternate method of financing the Rs 25,30,000 towards tuition and living fees.
He currently works as a programme coordinator for Libtech India in Hyderabad. “Given my vulnerable and marginalised background, I had to fight many hurdles (social and economic) to even pursue my graduation. I was lucky to get a scholarship.”
Ashok and his family are from Peddathanda, KJR Colony (GP), which is a Lambada tribal hamlet in Damarcherla Mandal of Nalgonda, Telangana. They are a tribal community of farmers listed under Scheduled Tribes. Their population as per 2011 census in Telangana 20,46,117.
Ashok has overcome many barriers in his determination to study. His primary school was in Dilawarpur, two km away from his remote hamlet. His medium of learning was in Telugu up till Class VIII, and he shifted to English medium in Class IX. “I had to struggle with both the languages since my mother-tongue is Gor-boli, a Lambadi language,” says he.
“My aim is to become a researcher. I want to contribute something substantial in social science that can result in real changes at the grass root level,” shares Ashok about his plans. He says matter-of-factly: “For making good policy, you need good data and analysis.”