By Bhamy V. Shenoy, Convenor, MGP
How many top scientists we can identify in Mysore who after having achieved the pinnacle of success will take up the equally important role of questioning the status quo in our society and fight for the much-needed reform? But for Dr. H.A.B. Parpia, I have not come across any such person in Mysore.
With his passing on July 9 at the age of 91 years, Mysore has lost a great social worker with many outstanding qualities.
Just two weeks before his demise, he was busy writing letters to different authorities on the justification for awarding high grade to Amity University by NAAC. Since one year, he was collecting information on the amount of money spent on different Ministers in Karnataka using RTI.
Parpia was pushing the MGP members to publish an article using the information before the recent Assembly election so that voters can elect the right candidates.
He was very much agitated about the corruption in high places. He had gathered volumes of information through RTI on this issue and was very serious in exposing this malady in our democracy.
As an educationist, he constantly questioned the rote learning and examination oriented education system. He was involved in the management of People’s Education Trust (PET) as its Founder-President.
PET must have helped several hundred poor students from different parts of Mysore. He took active part in promoting education reform.
It was because of Parpia’s efforts as a member of MGP education committee that today students in Karnataka are able to get their answer sheets back to make sure they have been evaluated correctly.
Dr. Parpia was also instrumental in convincing the Education Department to stop announcing ranks based on public examination marks. He never believed that examination marks are the true indicator of one’s capacity. It is unfortunate that private schools/coaching centres are again highlighting “ranks” to promote themselves.
He constantly worried about the worsening traffic situation in Mysore. Whenever there was a new Police Commissioner he gave a lot of information which he had collected from different countries on how to improve traffic conditions. Because of his initiative, NIE conducted the first scientific traffic study of Mysore.
Soon after Bangalore Agenda Task Force was constituted, he wrote a vision paper for Mysore to convince the then Chief Minister S.M. Krishna to have a Mysore Agenda Task Force (MATF). He succeeded. He was one of the most active members of MATF constantly pushing the bureaucrats to improve governance.
Having spent one year in Sevagram serving Mahatma Gandhi, he imbibed many qualities (punctuality, men toring young talents, courtesy to all, never exceeding time allotted to deliver talks, etc.) at a young age.
Parpia never hesitated to stand for principles even if he was the only one in the group and consequences could work against him.
During Ayodhya riots in the city, Dr. Parpia took an active part to bring about peace in the city. Fighting for religious harmony and to get rid of casteism in the society remained his cherished goals till the last.
One of his great contributions to promote activism in Mysore was the role he played during the start of Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP) and also later as it took up civic issues. He never hesitated to call a spade a spade. He was never afraid to expose corruption even at the highest levels. This made him an unpopular figure in several government offices and also educational institutions.
Because of his scientific background, Dr. Parpia had the unusual talent of identifying the strategic factors needed for bringing about any reform.
A mantra he used to chant for any activist group (MGP, MATF, PET, etc.) he was involved, was that we need a sound policy, a good strategy and well thought-out plan of action to bring about any reform.
In Mysore today, sincere activists receive less gratitude than they deserve for the good they do. But Dr. Parpia soldiered on without worrying about bouquets or brickbats. Mysore will miss him.
Years to come, Mysore will be recalling the great service Dr. Parpia has rendered in the areas of education, traffic, environmental protection and above all governance.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Bhamy V. Shenoy, Convenor, MGP / July 11th, 2013