When
we talked about modern era or modern civilization, one can finds people across
the world is beaming to garner wealth, upgrading technology and manifest their
looks to feel good and the motto is to acquire as much as you can. We are so much akin to materialistic things!
Can
we think seriously about how to give others a help to bring back the innocent
smile? Though we are amassing so much
giving nothing or to a little extent.
Can we think embarking on a noble mission to give a society a better
place to live in especially the poor and underprivileged gens?
People
are dreaming a lot to do something for community, but implementation and bring
into action and sees into reality is quite a few. But here is a man Dr Arun Vikas Ghosh with
unthinkable thinking and have a mission to do something for poor and the underprivileged
children. Yeats may have said that an aged
man is but a paltry thing but if you want to try to tell this to Dr Arun Vikas
Ghosh of Burai, Delhi, he will laugh it off because he does not believe at all that
an aged man of little consequence.
In
the year 2005, Dr Ghosh started a Pathshala for teaching especially slum
children of the area. The pathshala
named as ‘Swami Vivekananda.’ Initially,
the ‘Swami Vivekananda Pathshala’ has started a low ebb but Dr Ghosh never lost
its hope. Slowly and gradually the Swami
Vivekananda Pathashala (SVP) has gained its momentum and it is now recognised one
of the best pathshala for slum children.
Dr Ghosh is firmly believed that one should always try to make good use of his knowledge and competence as best as one can by teaching the poor and those who cannot afford education.
It is a pride moment for SVP, since it
spreads the education wing chiefly Vivekananda Rural Service Centre (VRSC),
which deals with among other things, largely hunger, education and healthcare.
He
is so passionate about his work and knowing that a vast field is required to
accommodate the slum children, without a second thought, he directly approached
the Chairperson of Kaur Public School, to allow him to teach these children in
a hall, keeping the condition of weather also.
The chairperson is kind enough and readily agreed to and given
permission not only field but also the auditorium, keeping in mind the sincerity
and genuine approach of Dr Ghosh!
The
students from the slums are of varying ages.
They may not be properly dressed but they are all disciplined. But when
the pathshala was first started these children of varying ages were difficult
to control and a few number of children came to attend. They were so restless and lot of patience
comes into fore to deal with them. Their
daily routine is that they would rummage through dustbins to look for some food
and used foul and abusive language.
Perceptibly,
it was a tough challenge, knowing the circumstances and background of these
children, Dr Ghosh decided to step in before they could fall out of innocence –
he supplied them with skipping ropes and badminton racquets and this new
distraction was enticing enough to make them give up their old bad ways. Dr Ghosh did not stop at that. He even provided the girls with needles,
coloured threads and cloth pieces so that they could learn embroidery and hone
their skills.
With
this innovative method and efforts Dr Ghosh began to bear fruit. The
environment is so positive and the children started taking interest in
listening to what their teacher would talk about and they are very keen to
listen the stories about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda and
of the hardships they faced and how they overcome all odds by virtue of their
conviction and confidence. Overall the
impact of these children and their thoughts, inner self-realisation have
changed a lot of what they before and after joining in Swami Vivekananda
Pathshala. Now, they are finding this
school is the most reliable place to hang on.
Mainly, the school operates for two hours, three evenings a week.
