Writing on the Wall

Read and Lead

To read and discuss Safeena Hussain’s book, Every Last Girl.

Key Takeaways

• Problem: School lists missed 50% of out-of-school girls, who were invisible due to living outside catchment areas, lacking birth certificates, or being child brides (“bahus”), not counted as children.

• Solution: Educate Girls launched a door-to-door“Census for Girls,” creating its own maps and numbering every household to find every girl.

• Impact: The census was 98% accurate, proving government data was flawed and enabling the team to find 885 girls in the pilot—twice the official count.

• Validation: The team painted its logo and a unique number on each home, creating a physical address system for data verification and community identity.

Topics

The Problem: Invisible Girls

• Initial enrollment efforts, which relied on school lists, consistently missed a large population of girls.

• Reasons for invisibility:

  • Geography: Living outside official school catchment areas.

  • Unrecorded Births: Born at home (only 40% of births were in facilities in 2005), resulting in no birth certificate.

  • Child Brides (“Bahus” ): Considered adults, not children, and thus not counted on family lists.

    • Example: Aarti’s 7-year-old sister-in-law, Sheetal (12-13), was missed because the team only asked about “children.”

The Solution: A “Census for Girls”

• In 2010, the team abandoned school lists in favour of a comprehensive, door-to-door survey.

• Process:

  1. Village Mapping: Elders created a real-time map on chart paper, identifying every landmark and home, ignoring official catchments.

  2. Systematic Survey: The team visited every home and used a questionnaire designed by Vikram.

  3. Joint Family Counting: To avoid missing girls, the team counted each “tove and mother” as a distinct unit, not just the physical house.

• Team Dynamics:

  • Vikram: Led the systematic process, ensuring no one was missed.

  • Safina: Built community trust and relationships, attracting local support.

  • Sanjay: Demonstrated extreme dedication, crossing a river on a makeshift raft to find one girl, Pinky.

The Validation: “Writing on the Wall”

• To ensure data integrity and enable audits, the team painted its logo and a unique number on every surveyed home.

• Purpose:

  • Verification: Created a physical address system for cross-checking data.

  • Community Identity: The simple, democratic logo (E+G forming a girl’s head) was easily replicable, fostering a sense of shared ownership.

• Result: The wall paintings became a visible marker of an “Educate Girls village,” symbolising a community’s commitment to its girls.

Next Steps

• Sandeep: Contact Safeena Hussain’s office to schedule a “Brewing Knowledge” interview.

• All Participants:

  • Submit written reflections for potential publication on the www.brewingknowledge.com blog.

  • Recruit one new member for the reading group.     
    
    Notes courtesy FATHOM AI.

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries 

by General Manoj Naravane

ABOUT THE BOOK

Did you know that the popular cheer of chak de phatte actually has its roots in the Sikh army of the 17th and 18th centuries? Or that Badluram, the inspiration behind the foot-tapping number ‘Badluram ka Badan’, was killed in action in the decisive Battle of Kohima in 1944? How did the city of Bangalore come to be associated with a weapon that was regarded as a game-changer during World War I?

In The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries, General Manoj Naravane (Retired) pulls aside the still-drawn curtains on some of the most riveting and compelling arcana that colour the legends and lore of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

Be it the enduring spirit of Baba Harbhajan, the fate of INS Khukri, the extraordinary sagas of airmen and their call signs, or the raw courage of Pedongi, the military mule, you will find it all and more in this thoroughly entertaining yet meticulously researched foray into the underexplored, bizarre and often wildly amusing aspects of our armed forces.

Equal parts accessible, humorous and thought-provoking, and embellished with warm personal vignettes and quirky illustrations, this definitive masterwork from the man who led India’s most revered institution also shines the spotlight on the tenets of every soldier’s life—duty, loyalty, comradeship and pride in deep-rooted traditions—tested by insurmountable odds, hard choices and their lasting consequences.

The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries is a captivating, eye-opening, boots-on-the-ground page-turner that will excite anyone who refuses to settle for surface-level truths.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

General Manoj Naravane served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff from December 2019 to April 2022. Commissioned in the 7th Battalion the Sikh Light Infantry in 1980, he has, in his illustrious career of over four decades, served in active peacekeeping and diplomatic roles abroad and commanded operations along India’s most sensitive frontiers. For his distinguished service to the nation, he has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

After retiring from the Army, General Naravane sits on several advisory boards, and contributes regularly to national discourse through media, industry forums and think tanks. He made his foray in the literary world in 2024 with his debut novel, The Cantonment Conspiracy.

When the General is not tapping away at his keyboard, you’ll probably find him on the golf course or baby-sitting his five-year-old grandson Arvin, who is as much of a handful as a platoon of jawans from his beloved regimen.

**************************

**************************

www.ebdbooks.com

Our mail order service ships books in India and Overseas

Email: sales@ebd.in, Phone: +91 135 2655192

Nature-inspired Books and Environmental Advocacy.

Brewing Knowledge Friday

Discussing Priyadarshini’s nature-inspired books and environmental advocacy.

Key Takeaways

• Core Theme: Coexistence is the central message. The books challenge the idea of human-wildlife conflict by showing how balanced ecosystems depend on every creature.

• Root Cause: Unchecked urbanisation and year-round tourism are the primary drivers of environmental degradation in hill stations like Kodaikanal, leading to habitat loss, landslides, and increased human-wildlife encounters.

• Advocacy Strategy: Priyadarshini uses engaging genres (adventure, poetry) to make eco-fiction accessible and avoid being preachy. She empowers young readers by giving child characters agency and focusing on local environmental action.

• Policy Gap: Current conservation policies are insufficient. They categorise endangered species but lack concrete regulations to protect their habitats, such as the Shola grasslands, which are critical to the Nilgiri Tahr.

Topics

The Problem: Unchecked Urbanisation & Tourism

• Rapid urbanisation and tourism are the root causes of environmental issues in Indian hill stations.

• Kodaikanal Case Study:

  • Shift: From seasonal tourism to year-round crowds, fueled by remote work.

  • Impact: Constant noise, traffic, and pollution.

  • Consequence: Increased demand for resorts and homestays leads to habitat destruction in previously quiet areas.

• Interconnected Issues:

  • Urbanisation → Deforestation → Landslides (e.g., Wayanad)

  • Habitat loss → Animals move into towns for food (e.g., Indian Bison)

The Solution: Coexistence & Local Action

• Coexistence: The core message of The Myth of the Wild God.

  • Premise: Humans and wildlife must coexist, as animals are no longer confined to forests.

  • Goal: Shift the narrative from conflict to peaceful coexistence.

• Local Action: The most effective path to change.

  • Focus: Address local issues (e.g., neighbourhood heat waves, disappearing birds) rather than abstract global problems.

  • Rationale: Individuals can make a tangible difference in their own communities.

The Medium: Engaging Storytelling

• Goal: Make eco-fiction interesting to avoid being preachy.

• Methods:

  • Adventure/Mystery: The Myth of the Wild God and The Guardians of the Forest use adventure plots to engage readers.

  • Poetry: Thule’s Stroll offers a joyful, interactive reading experience.

  • Hand-Painted Illustrations: Provide a realistic, tactile feel of nature, contrasting with common digital art.

• Empowering Child Characters:

  • Rationale: Children are more flexible and open to change than adults.

  • Impact: Gives young readers agency and encourages independent thought.

Policy & Community Influence

• Policy Gap: Current conservation policies are inadequate.

  • They categorise species (e.g., endangered) but lack concrete regulations to protect their habitats.

  • Example: The Nilgiri Tahr is endangered because its Shola grassland habitat is being destroyed for construction, as it’s mistakenly considered “wasteland.”

• Community Influence: Local myths can serve a conservation purpose.

  • Example: Scary myths about the Indian Bison in Kodaikanal deter tourists from harassing the animals.

Next Steps

• Priyadarshini: Continue writing engaging eco-fiction to promote coexistence and local environmental awareness.

• Participants: Apply the principle of local action to address environmental issues in their own communities.

• Advocates: Push for stronger conservation policies that include concrete habitat protection regulations.

 Thanks to FATHOM AI for the session summary