What does a studious little 12-year-old have in common with a well-known freedom fighter and the first woman governor of an Indian state? Little, it seems, apart from their name—Sarojini. But as young Sarojini starts writing letters to the long dead late, let’s just say ‘historical’, Sarojini Naidu, we find that this is a fairly well-matched pair. Read this hilarious and inspiring story to find out what happens when children stand up for their rights.
Through her letters, Sarojini alternately regales and informs us of what happens when she discovers the Right to Education Act. From using it to try to get a seat at [her best friend] Amir’s posh school, to demanding that Ambedkar Government School [where she goes] itself be fixed, she finds that having rights and getting them are very different things. Simultaneously reading a biography of Sarojini Naidu, the younger Sarojini finds inspiration from the older Sarojini’s life, which gives her the courage to ask for what she should have.
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~PD