KERALA SASTRA SAHITHYA PARISHATH

SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

The membership to the organization was limited only for science writers in the beginning.


The first five years of the formation of KSSP ,the main activities were Science Exhibitions , Seminars, films shows.


Then started publication Sastragathi for the public came in 1966 the first Malayalam science magazine. At present Sastragathy has got a circulation of about 10,000 copies.


Sastrakeralam started in 1966 for high school students. Circulation 15,000.

Eureka for primary students started in 1970.Circulation 30,000


Within a decade of its formation ,KSSP changed both its form and content. Membership opened to all those who

were interested in science.


KSSP gradually transformed into a Peoples Science Movement from a mere popular science organization.


Adopted slogan SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION


Again in 1976 KSSP organized Science classes in 3000 centres of Kerala on “Nature, Science and Society”.Its number

gone beyond the its target from 3000 to 12,000.


KSSP started a new mass contact program in by conducting 1,000 lectures on “Evolution of the Universe,

Man and Society” from January 1 to 7, 1973

More than 1500 faculties turned out. Thereafter thousands of classes on hundreds of subjects such as Science, Education,

Environment, Gender, Energy, Consumer Laws, Decentralized Planning, Total Literacy, Health etc are being conducted extensively.


Emblem of the organization was accepted in 1971.-The modern man with a book in his

hand fixed his foot on the earth and looking at the infinite and unknown horizon


STRUCTURE

KSSP has a four tier structure- Units at village level, Sub regional (Block),District and State. Elections are

held every year and no one holds the same office for more than two terms.


KERALA SASTRA SAHITYA PARISHADvital statistics

Status A People's Science Movement, registered as a society. Foundation 1962. Jurisdiction Kerala State

Membership 33,000

Members Literally from every walk of life

Structure Unit, sub region (135), district(14) and state level committees; sub

committees Major Divisions of work: Education, Environment, Health,

Energy, Art, Literacy, Publication, Planning, Development, Gender, Networking and Research.


Finance Own generation through publication and sale of books, Parishad Owens and Hot Boxes

Special feature No one holds on to a particular office for more than 2 Years

Publication 4 monthly periodicals with a total circulation of about 100,000,75-100 popular/children's science books with a total face value of Rs. 4-5 million.

R & D work Through Integrated Rural Technology Centre supported by Government of India and Govt. of Kerala.


EDUCATION

In the field of education, KSSP’s activities helped a lot to improve the quality and content of formal school

education. On the one side Parishad has been striving for making education, a child cantered, life-related

and activity-oriented, joyous and enjoyable process for both teachers and children and on the other side it has

been conducting sustained agitations to regain and maintain social justice in the field of education.

PEDAGOGIC EXPERIMENTS

Integrated Science Teaching, Living with Science Camps, Children's Science Festivals

Teacher Exchange Programs, Science Talent Festivals ,School Science Clubs, College

Science Forums


Enrichment Classes , Education Policy

Children Exchange Program, Curriculum Development , Make learning a sweet

drink, Balavedis , Publication of alternate policy

document on Kerala's education reformation ,Science Olympiad


EnvironmentKSSP became known in the field of environment only after its

intervention in the proposal for the construction of a hydel project in Silent Valley of Palakkad District. Really the organization’s activities in

connection with the Silent Valley issue attracted the attention of environmental activists and scientists all over the world. At the end, “the techno-economic and Socio-political assessment of the project” made by the KSSP study team was given serious consideration by the Govt. of India and consequently the ‘Silent Valley’ was declared as a

National Park. SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

PUBLICATIONStarted publishing

books with Futurology in 1976.Then

published the well known book 'The Wealth of Kerala'

along with 11books for children.



Thereafter KSSP publishing books worth millions of

rupees every year and are being sold by

KSSP activist’s by door to door campaign , they

could raise sufficient money for its working

fund.

KSSP has already published more than 1,100 titles ranging from small booklets to substantial reference book. Reference book like Why Why Why sold more than

200,000 copies which marked a record in the history of the Malayalam publication. At present there is a

publication wing for KSSP.SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

Thus the message of the campaign

reached the people in a more effective

and permanent manner through these books and

leaflets



TOP 10 TITLES

Enthukondu? Enthukondu? 200000Vayichalum Vayichalum... 91000Vedangalude Nadu 78000Pakshikalude Atbhutha pra… 66000Kanakku Kaliyum Karyvum 62500Manushya Sareeram 59000Patatha Pakshikal 58500Piramidinte Naattil 58200Doore Doore.. 49000Sinduvinte Katha 48500

KSSP created a space for science book in

Malayalam.Promotion of books became contextualized

with other Parishad activities.

Parishad books are considered authentic by

the public.KSSP has inculcated a voluntary work culture

in the field of publicationSCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

HEALTHIn the health sector KSSP organized so many activities

to pressurize the government to adopt a ‘peoples Health Policy and Peoples Drug Policy’. At a particular stage the disastrous role played by the Multi-national companies in the existing health delivery system by

marketing banned and non essential drugs on a large scale was well exposed before the public.


By conducting a state-wide Health survey, scientifically organized by KSSP, it could present the true nature of the

health –profile of the people of Kerala before the government. That venture was very much appreciated by

several experts and institutions including WHOSCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

ENERGYIn the energy sector, from 1975 onwards the KSSP has been

campaigning for a rational energy plan for Kerala. It is involved in large-scale energy conservation programmes-

both electricity and heat energy.”.


A high-efficiency wood-burning stove was developed by KSSP’s Research and Development Unit IRTC. Many thousands of such stoves were being fixed in houses by Parishad activists. Now more than half a million homes have installed these “Parishad Oven


It has also invented a Hot Box which about

50% energy in cooking rice,staple diet of the region. KSSP started helping the district

level local governments to

develop small hydro stations within their

territory.


DEVELOPMENT

1975:Formation of Village Science Forums. 600 VSFs by the year 1978 ·1976:Study On Kerala's Natural Resources and Publication of findings and conducting classes among the public all over Kerala ·1978-79:Survey of resources and identification of developmental issues in a village (Vazhayur) as a pilot project 1978:New developmental perspective evolves from the arguments against the proposed Hydro-Electric project at Silent Valley


1982- 1984 ·Village Science Marches in all districts by foot for a fortnight 1989:Panchayath level marches by foot –Theme: Decentralize power to the people. A critique on post-independence development approaches; propagating KSSP's alternatives..

1990-95: Panchayath level resource mapping: Phase- I: :23 Panchayaths; Phase-II: Kallyasserry Panchayath.

Planning by people themselves to tap local resources and apply them to generate employment and income.. 1996:Participatory and Sustainable Panchayath Level Development Planning



1996-2001:Kerala Govt. launched People's Campaign for Local Level Development Planning to implement 9th Five Year Plan-KSSP's active involvement at all levels as a catalyst, propagandist, participant to materialize its slogan “Decentralize Powers to the People'

KALA JATHA By the second half of seventies KSSP launched a new theatre

media popularly known all over India as “Kala Jatha” for dissemination of ideas to the common people and for

popularization of science SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

This art form was mainly responsible for building up a Gigantic network of resource persons ,organizers and

learners in the mass campaign for literacy.



This communication tool has been using many other campaigns such as decentralization, women empowerment, Education,

Health ,Environment and Energy etc. Now so many other organizations are also using this tool for their campaigns.

SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTIONSCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

GENDERKSSP has been organizing a number of activities in the state from 1980 onwards to reduce the gender gap and to maintain the gender equity and gender equality in society. “Vanitha Kalajatha”, “Samatha Vijyanotsavam”

were some of the programmes conducted for making society more gender-sensitized


At present the most important initiative of KSSP on women issues is a comprehensive study on the status

of women in Kerala. The study focuses to find 'how Kerala women think and how Kerala women live'


INSTITUTIONSApart from the activities in different sectors, KSSP has established three institutions with financial support from both state and central

governments to provide the knowledge base to support the wide range of its activities. Of them, the Integrated Rural Technology

Centre (IRTC) is a Research and Development and Training CentreSCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

IRTC undertakes projects in the areas of Energy, Rural Technology, Agriculture and allied areas, Land and Water Management, Local Level Planning, Health etc. It arranges many number of Training Courses also.


EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH UNITThis is a research centre in Education,

conducting studies in the area of educational policies, curriculum, teaching methods and

teaching aid etc.SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL

REVOLUTION

ENVIRONMENT CENTRE Environment centre is established to take care of

environmental issues, to work out developmental alternatives and to create awareness among the

people regarding environmental protectionSCIENCE FOR SOCIAL

REVOLUTION

SOURCES OF INCOMEKSSP raises its income

through selling books, Hot Box, Parishad Oven and

membership fee. KSSP does not accept any foreign funds

directly or indirectly. Even the office bearers of the

organization hardly receive any remuneration.



WORKING STYLEOver the years KSSP activists have succeeded in

developing a unique working style for the organization. Parishad workers used to call this working style as “Parishathikata”. It is absolutely difficult to define such a term, but it depicts certain peculiar traits which every member is expected to imbibe.

These traits include mainly informality in dealings, simplicity, fraternity, team spirit, honesty, straight-forwardness, spirit of sacrifice, readiness for service, social commitment, spirit of toleration, punctuality etc. The sum total of all the above

traits will help a member to achieve “Parishathikata”.


KSSP AND POLITICS

Kerala is a highly politicized state. So most of the mass organizations in the socio-cultural fields work as a wing of one or other political party. KSSP is a People’s Science Movement having no ill-will or

affection towards any political party. Among the members of Parishad there are members of almost all the political parties in the

State and non-members of any political party. SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

KSSP AND POLITICSNo political party has got a direct or indirect control over the policies adopted by KSSP, on various issues, confronting the

people. But KSSP is not apolitical; it has got politics which was well-clarified when the slogan “Science for Social Revolution”

was accepted. Undoubtedly it stands by the side of the millions and millions of have nots in their fight for

emancipation from poverty and miseries.SCIENCE FOR SOCIAL REVOLUTION

AWARDSKSSP has been conferred with a number of national and international

awards in recognition of its achievements in various fields of activities. They include Vikram Sarabhai Memorial by Indian council

of Social Science research for its work in Science in1983,Indira Paryavaran Puraskar and Vrikshamithra Puraskar for its work in the

field of Environment awarded by Government of India in 1989


Global 500 Roll of Honour of the UNEP for its work in the environment field and King Sejong Literacy Prize for its work in science popularization and literacy in 1990, the

Right Livelihood Award for its pioneering work in the fields of health; peace and development in 1996 etc.


KERALA SASTRA SAHITHYA PARISHATH

Education

Transcript of KERALA SASTRA SAHITHYA PARISHATH