Students Islamic Organization of India has been working for the development of students and redefining the education system. In this regard, Telangana Zone of SIO set out on a journey this year to understand the ground realities faced by school students, and recorded the research. Dreams Choked is a documentary which reveals the stories from Government schools of Telangana. This will be a bold step to not only create awareness in the society but also to make the Government take steps to reform and save the dreams of innocent children.
The documentary was released at FTAPCII Auditorium, Red Hills, Hyderabad on 31st March 2017.
The host of the screening, Dr. Talha Faiyazuddin started by stressing on the reason for selecting this as the subject of the documentary, as education status in schools can be the prime indicators of development of a state, especially for newly formed state.
The Documentary highlights the issues faced by the government schools. It was made by the students associated with SIO. Team went to the far villages in Mahboobnagar, Nizamabad and Adilabad districts. The study sources included besides ground surveys, the reports of other survey institutions and several RTI filings. The Dreams Choked team included Muti-ur-Rahman Dawoodi and Abdul Mannanas Directors, Azharuddin and Khaja Moinuddin as researchers.
Prof. Suleiman Siddiqui, Former VC of Osmania University, Hamed Mohammad Khan of Jamaat e Islami Hind and Dr Lubna Sarwat, social activist attended the event. Educationists appreciated the efforts of SIO to highlight the educational issues of the state. They echoed the opinion that it’s very important for student organizations to create awareness about the state problems.
The documentary screening was followed by an open session, where the audience expressed their appreciation. Representatives of AIITA (All India Ideal Teachers Association) volunteered to make the video viewed by major educational stakeholders across the state. Anshul Sinha, the prominent film maker said that reaching the root of an issue is very important for film making and in doing so one can reach the solution, and that the Dreams Choked has achieved the feat of identifying the root.
The Chief guests, Prof. Suleiman Siddiqui and Hamed Mohammed Khan said that these scenes were not new for them as they had been to such schools during their education. Suleiman Siddiqui said, “when the rest of the world is in the post-modern age, the depictions of this documentary remind us that we are still in the medieval ages.” Hamed Mohammed Khan said, “this state of schools is an insult to education,” and he called the the government schools the ‘education slums’. Dr. Lubna Sarwat appreciating the documentary said, that the most highlight shot she felt was when the little innocent girl enumerating the issues expressed her dream.
The documentary will be screened across the state, before its made available online. SIO will create awareness among the masses and appeal government to improve the deteriorated situation of the school education.
