dcl

A PREAMBLE

Deepika Children’s League, popularly known as DCL, is the largest children’s organization of its kind in Asia. It was formed in 1952 by the publishers of Deepika, the pioneering Malayalam Daily, as an extension of their commitment to the betterment of society. The aim was primarily to imbibe noble virtues and principles in the younger generations, irrespective of caste or creed, enabling them to confidently face the emerging challenges of the developing world, as responsible citizens.


ABOUT DEEPIKA
Deepika, the first Malayalam Daily, was established in April 1887, It has always been secular in nature; fighting for truth, justice, freedom, democratic values and equality for all. Over the years, it has matured into a credible authentic and dignified newspaper establishment, committed to social, cultural and ethical values, together with its various sister publications introduced in recent times; which include among others Rashtra Deepika Eveninger – Kerala’s largest circulated evening daily, Business Deepika an economic and financial weekly, Karshakan an agricultural monthly, Sthree Dhanam a women’s monthly and the DCL publications. In 1989, to give the to give the organizations stimulation, new ethos, a corporate dimension and to help it meet the ever growing challenges of the competitive newspaper world, Deepika was converted into a Public Company, Rashtra Deepika Ltd. It has today over 20,000 shareholders and is the third largest newspaper group in the State.


DCL MOTTO
The motto of the organization ‘Nam Oru Kudumbam’ translates as “We Are One Family”, is the primary principle on which DCL aims to achieve good communal harmony, national integration and religious fraternity among all.


THE PANCHASEELA OF DCL

  1. Fear of God,
  2. Charity to all,
  3. Service.
  4. Punctuality.
  5. Discipline


It conducts regular organised camps and various levels as well as public meetings to convey and impart the panchaseela principles and its motto, throughout the State. Demonstrative performances, moral books as also modern mass communication methods are used. All these have helped DCL build a respectful image and edifying existence in society and train thousands of youngsters each year, over the past fifty golden years.


THE SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION
It has a dual system of administration evolved out of elections every year. There are two structures namely, 1. Representative Body. 2. Body of Administration. The President of DCL popularly referred to as Kochettan, links the two structures and gives necessary leadership and guidance to the organizations. There is a well built body of coordinators, organisers, and Unit Directors who assist the President in achieving effective leadership. Among students also, we have an administrative body. An elected group of executive from the unit to the centre provides sufficient leadership among members according to the guidelines given by the Central Committee, which is the topmost executive body of the organization and includes the President and six elected student members. There are also two General Secretaries, a Leader, Deputy Leader, Treasurer and Project Secretary. Provincial Coordinators are ex-officio members at all Central level Executives and Committees,


BODY OF ADMINISTRATION
Patron: Ever since the then President of India, Sri. V.V. Giri, became the Chief Patron of DCL in July 1970, recognizing and appreciating the noble virtues of fostering unity, equality and harmony among all, that DCL stood for, the Indian President is traditionally considered the Patron of the Organization,. There has been a custom of good correspondence with the office of the Patron in the years that followed particularly on DCL special occasion, When felicitations have been conveyed from those good offices. The former President of India, Sri K.R. Narayanan, being a native of Kerala, was quite aware of the exemplary activities of DCL and has complemented its activities on more than one occasion. The Late Prime Ministers, Smt. Indira Gandhi and Sri Rajive Gandhi too, were staunch supporters of the DCL. It is a matter of great pride that Smt. Indira Gandhi inaugurated the function of the DCL crossing one lakh membership in February 1976.
Vice Patron: Traditionally, the Managing Editor / Managing Director of Deepika is the Vice – Patron and is directly involved in the administration of the organization.
Advisory Board: A Board of Advisers give necessary advice, guidelines and suggestions for the better management of the organization.
Byelaws: for a systematic and disciplined structure, DCL has a fixed set of byelaws by which it functions.
The administrative setup as per the byelaw is as under:

  1. Members: School going students up to std 12, paying a nominal membership fee and to whom membership cards are issued. Each member is considered as a flower (pushpam).
  2. Unit: DCL has the right to start units anywhere in India with the consent of concerned school authorities or in other places, with the help of the local public, based on circumstances.
  3. Unit Directors: Each unit has a Director from among teachers or a respected person of the community. There is also an executive body of serve and guide the organization.
  4. Zones: A zone includes various units and an organizer gives leadership in zonal activities. An executive, which includes elected members of students and teachers, chalks out the various programmes and projects for the zone.
  5. Provinces: Different zones are consolidated as a Province under a Provincial coordinator, who gives leadership in the respective province.
  6. Central Committee: It is the nucleus of the organization, which includes elected and nominated members of representative bodies.

FROM THE FILE OF ACTIVITIES
DCL aims at the versatile and integral formation of each member. It organizes a variety of programmes in this regard, some of which are outline below:

A. Formation Programmes:

  1. Kudumba Mela – is the family gathering of the organization. It is a 3/5 day camp which consists of
    classes, competitions, workshops, etc.
  2. Life Orientation camps in Units, Zones and Provinces.
    2
  3. Leadership Camps
  4. Nature Study Camps
  5. Career guidance fests and workshops
  6. Personality development and speech practicing seminars.
  7. Computer teaching and Agriculture related camps.
  8. Science Parliaments
  9. Art and Literary workshops.

B. Action Oriented Programmes

  1. Distribution of clothes and food in the flood season, among poor people.
  2. Cleaning programmes in public institutions and on public roads.
  3. Construction of waiting sheds, houses, roads etc.
  4. Demonstrations by way of posters, paintings rallies, public meetings, dramas.

C. Programmes for the Mentally Challenged:

Over the last few years, DCL has initiated several programmes and events appreciating and promoting the talents of mentally challenged children, many of whom have been given an opportunity to display and develop their latent and unique talents.
These events have helped other, including children and the general public to have a better appreciation and respect for the mentally challenged of our society. It has also helped members to foster better relations with such children. DCL may perhaps be the only children’s organization undertaking this activity as part of its regular formation programmes.

DCL PUBLICATIONS:
“Reading perfects Man” In accordance with this dictum, DCL has an appreciable role in the publication of good books. The Rashtra Deepika group publications ‘Kuttikalude Deepika’, a Malayalam fortnightly and ‘Children’s Digest’ an English monthly are the two regular magazines published under the auspices of DCL. There are other books on various topics like speech practice, social values, etiquette, etc. Short stories and biographies of eminent people and related books are also published.


EDIFICE OF THE DCL
There are numerous DCL Alumni who have risen to levels of eminence with the help of the formation training they received from this organization. They include Civil Service Officers, Vice-Chancellors, Scientists, Politicians, Film Stars, etc. Dr. C.V. Anandabose IAS (Governer – West Bengal), Dr. B. Iqbal (former Vice Chancellor – Kerala University), Dr. Cyriac Thomas (former Vice Chancellor – Mahatma Gandhi University), Raju Narayanaswamy IAS, Perumpadavam Sreedharan – noted Critic and Novelist, Film stars Vineet, Ashokan and Kunchako Boban are a few among them.