Oneonta, NY (WBNG Binghamton) A local man could be awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize.
Action News reporter Matt Markham spoke with with the SUNY Oneonta professor. He shares his thoughts on the nomination, and his plan if he wins the prestigious prize.
When he heard the Nobel Committee named him among its candidates for this year's Peace Prize, Dr. Ashok Malhotra was "speechless! And then, I felt very humble inside."
Dr. Malhotra started bringing his students from SUNY Oneonta to his native India in 1979. Then, they started doing work for poor girls, considered "untouchable" by an outlawed but still present caste system in the country.
"He has spent many, many years providing educational opportunities for children in India through a foundation he established," said Dr. Nancy Kleniewski, president of SUNY Oneonta.
"In 1996, we started our first school with 50 children, female children, who were discriminated against as minority children," Dr. Malhotra said.
The project started small. But, Ashok and his students have done some big work.
"Now, after fifteen years, we have five schools. The first school has close to 550 children getting their elementary- and high-school education. It all started as an experiment with students to make a difference in the lives of students far away from here," Dr. Malhotra said.
About 300 participants and several books later, Ashok is bringing more people to India. And they're not just students.
"We provide some things, but the community also has to provide labor, materials, and sometimes some funds also," Dr. Kleniewski said.
Members of the community are also thrilled to hear about the nomination of this hometown hero. "Ashok has shown himself to be a huge volunteer in this area, too, not just in India. He's also a very dedicated teacher," Dr. Kleniewski said.
If he wins the Nobel Prize, Malhotra says the children of India are really the winners.
"We're going to use that to start building more schools. We can build 3 schools for 600 children each year for ever and ever," Dr. Malhotra said.
And make a difference in bringing literacy, dignity, and hope, to the other side of the world.
The Nobel Committee must consider 237 other nominees. It will announce the winner of the prize on October 8th.
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