VI All Kerala Student Social Work Congress – 2022 OPSTA

6th Social Work Congress - OPSTA National Conference, DB College, Angadikkadavu, Iritty, Kannur March 4-5, 2022

Angadikkadavu is just around 10 kms from Iritty, which is some 50 kms from Vatakara. In fact, a beautiful locality of bucolic charm, a very well laid out campus, with some difficulty regarding access. Salesians of Don Bosco to be really appreciated for their spirit of daring to have started such an instiution in such a locality. The college is growing!! The campus radiates joy.

I arrived on motor-bike, in style! I was happy to put on my new experimental clothing of pure jute - almost resembling a typical 'ullii chakku' (onion jute bag). The 6 mt bulky cloth piece, apparently an expensive one, was a well thought out gift of my young colleagues of SH college on my departure.  Though I had never desired anything of that sort, rather was loath of such gifts, once received, and likely to be used by no one else, decided to do the experiment of getting a kurta stitched out of it.  It appeared well, and in appearance, suited well for a sannyasi (though not in terms of the cost). 

It was the VI Annual Student Social Work Congress organised by KAPS. It was a daring initiative of the Secretary General, Dr. Ipe six years ago. It has turned out to be a thumping success. With the professional body, KAPS, in place, I feel it is right and fitting that all other professional activities become coordinated along with it. While the Association of Professional Social Work Students in Kerala (APSWIK) had initiated something of the sort, and prior to that, ICSW Kerala chapter had initiated something called 'Rendezvous' an annual social work students' meet, these didn't sustain. The best thing about SSWC is that it has now managed to sustain for six years.

The greatest advantage for those gathered, especially, for the student social workers, was the vibrant and powerful presence of Daya Bai (who also happens to be a professional social worker by her training at Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai). At the age of 82, she inspired the gathering with the narration of her call to work for people, the people far from the centre and how similar the case of each social worker should be - a call more than a job! She felt confident and young, and sure to hit a century! She pooh-poohed COVID as an urban (alienated from nature) creation, and pointed out that in her rural agrarian community, there was hardly any case of COVID.

I deem myself fortunate to have shared the dais with her again, and to have delivered the key note address of the seminar in her presence, after the inaugural function. But I did point out that though personally, I would be glad to see social work professionals turning into activists, in reality, that would be an unrealistic expectation, and there are many who happen to be in profession, more for a living than for a cause. The professional training should transform them to function in a given situation, with a spirit of involvement and volunteer spirit.

There were some tough moments when Daya Bai was almost furious for the organisers having thought of providing her with a memento (the typical trend of present day events!), which suited me too very well, as I too feel that these are wasteful (and waste generating) tokenisms.

We discussed about the post-COVID scenario and the challenges the same offer to social work education and practice. Basic line of our thinking is to help people to 'rethink' lives in line with the Nature, with decreasing levels of interference with the courses of nature, while capitalising on the gains of technology and social, behavioural & applied sciences. Simultaneously, it throws up the twin challenges of competencies to think and act globally and produce and consume locally.

The gathering was a fun-filled gathering leading to fellowship among the future professionals across the state. The vibrant presence of the effervescent Dr. Antony Lenin of AADI (Attapady) fame (and my student for doctoral programme), now the director of Sanskriti, Kannur, added to the life of the gathering, with his signature action song 'naamonnalle' (we are one! I recall with thrill, that it was thanks to my initiative that Antony had led this awakening song at our Palakkad gathering.  Since then, it has become part of our assembly, and Dr. Ipe is also never lagging behind in such initiatives). Surprisingly, the executive body of the student professional wing of KAPS, led by Greeshma of DBC, comprised entirely of girl students!

I felt honoured to be invited to inaugurate the 'bicycle club' - an initiative of Fr. Jojo OFM, ad-hoc faculty on the department of Social Work, having identified a dozen or more of young men and women of the college to be part of it. I gladly did the inauguration by joining the first lap of the ride on the campus.  I hope the club sustains and grows in creating alternative life styles. 

Kudos to KAPS and its leadership! Congratulations to DBC team led by Rev Sojan SDB, Mr. Xavierkutty Francis, Rev Jojo, and the charismatic principal Rev Dr. Francis and several others... and the student wing led by Greeshma and team!