The early childhood, dreams & aspirations
Date of birth, what is it?
Date of birth, what is it? How does it matter to someone whose 100% brain is occupied in finding the answers to the one and only one question- From where the next meal will come for the family? Yes, the thought of noting down the date of birth had never crossed my father’s mind. Although, he was educated up to 5th class from the local village primary school and was aware of how to read and write. The significance of the date of birth was still missing- Neither anyone asked him, nor he could envision where the date of birth could be a significant data for him of his children! When he was asked about the date of birth while admitting me in the primary school village for study, it was the first time he realised the date of birth could have some significance as he could not respond to the question of the headmaster of the school and at that time minimum, six years of age was mandatory. So, he urges headmaster of the school to note it down the date of birth what he thinks suitable for the kid. He must be about five or five and a half year old. The headmaster replied, “To get him admitted he must be minimum six years old, would it be okay for you if I write accordingly”, My father surrendered completely and said do what you think good for the kid! And, that is how I came into this world on 01.01.1982. I told my date of birth to my father when I grew up; even he was not aware what the headmaster had written the date of birth for me! As per description by my mother, winter was about to come when I came into this world and what my father said about my age to headmaster indicate I must be around six years old when gone to school first time and started schooling with the first class, No prenursery or nursery!
Is there any way to avoid school!
I grew up hearing the stories of master or teacher in the school as someone who beat the students for not doing well in the study from the people around me. My eldest brother used to say every child has to go to school, and only grown-up need not to go to school; they can do other works. He was studying in the class 10th and my second eldest brother and sister never went to school and were extending help to parents in their work. I was afraid of the teacher and never thought of going to school, but my eldest brother used to emphasize child ever has to go to school, and there is no option to it. Therefore, when there was a discussion going on among parents and my brother that from next session I had to go to school, it was a terrifying moment for me- The teacher will beat me! What to do to avoid school or what to avoid being beaten up were two choices in front of me. In search of the answer to these questions once I went to my mother and asked, “When I will be grown-up?” She asked me what you do with this information, I replied, “The grown-up people need not go to school, and I don’t want to go to school ”, although she was not educated, but she listened to me completely and said to me, look, my dear child, it will take time to be grown-up, earlier there was no school so many people could not go to school and grow up without schooling, but now there is a school, so every child has to go to school. While in school you will grow faster, so start going school you will be grown up soon if you do not go it will take more time! I had 100% trust on my mother and decided that day that I will go to school but still question, “How to avoid getting beaten up in the school” was unanswered. One day, when my eldest brother said, “You have to go to school in nest session”, I said, I will not go to schoolteacher will beat me. I will go to school provided you teach me what to do so that teacher do not beat me, and the story self-study began with the help of my elder brother. He said you have to sit with me every evening, and I will tell you what to do? I learn how to write Hindi alphabet on a slate, counting up to 100, started learning table and basic maths like addition and subtraction before joining the primary school in my village.
The pat on the back on the first day of the school!
The space in front of head villager home under the shadow of the tree was my first school, where even there was no chair for teachers. They used to sit on the cot provided by the village head and all the student used to sit on the bori sourced from their own home. My first day in school was filled with anxiety and fear of being beaten by the teacher. With the bag on back, bori and wooden slate in hand, I reached school on time and sat laying bori on the floor. When the teachers came and had round in the class of and given writing assignment of Hindi alphabet on my wooden slate, I did it and shown to teacher quickly before anyone else can show to him. He was happy with my performance which was evident from his interest in knowing my name. After some time, he again took a round of the class to see the progress on the given assignment and who is doing what. There were many students who were struggling to write the Hindi alphabet properly even they were coming to school since long, and he announced in the class pointing toward me see this boy, he has come the first time to school, but he is able to write Hindi Alphabet. This first-day incident had a very long-lasting impact on my tender mind and completely changed my perception about the teachers. Teacher loves their students instead of beating them. Instead of fear, love and respect for teacher germinated coupled with the inner motivation to do better in the study.
Essay on “My school.”
When I was in third class, the village primary school was ready after construction work, and we shifted in the newly constructed school. We were happy to get the better school with tat Patti for students, table and chair for teachers and playing ground for the students etc.
I was in the 4th class, and principal of the school instructed all the student of 4th class to read the essay on the school in the book in the first half, as all the students were supposed to write an essay on school in the second half after reading the essay given in the book. But, thought was going in my mind silently, the principal has asked to write an essay on your school, so I must write about my school. Not what is given in the book. Whatever is given in the book is for reference. It was my own interpretation of the principal’s expectation, and accordingly, I had written an essay about my school. When the marks secured in the essay were announced, everybody got more than what I got-, I got big zero. I was upset to see that everybody was laughing. The teacher also was surprised as I was a good student, but that day, he said you had not learnt the essay written in the book! I was tempted to ask questions to the teacher but was not able to collect the courage to ask the same as I was a little bit upset with the zero marks and start crying badly. Seeing this teacher came to me and asked why am I crying you, I need to learn. I said, teacher, you had said to write an essay on my school, so I had written essay on my school. The essay in the book is not about my school. In my school, we do not have a table for students; we sit on the floor on Patti. We do not have many more things in my school, so I had written what is there in my school. May be school do not exist about which essay in the book is talking. Teacher listen to me carefully and said, do not worry. Stop crying. Do you want to see the school which is mentioned in the book’s essay? I said, where is that schoolteacher?
Childhood dream to be tailor master
As there were schools only up to 8th class in nearby area and my family was of the view to get me educated maximum up to 8th class – Primary education in the village and up to 8th in near small town cum market. One of my elder brothers who did not undergo through formal education, started learning how to do the job of a tailor. After getting practical training from a nearby tailor master, he started the work of tailor from home itself. His dream was to become a famous tailor master of the area and change the fortune of family through this profession. He used to discuss with the family members that after completing schooling up to 8th class, he would teach tailoring work to me so that together we can do business in the nearby town. I used to listen to such family conversion and used to get meaning and direction as to what to do next. Therefore, I was also curious about the sewing machine which my brother had purchased to do the tailing work. But no one was allowed to touch the machine as it was brand new. But I used to observe the work of my brother. One day when there was no one in the home- It was wheat harvesting season, and everyone was involved in the harvesting activities. I take out an old torn paint of my elder brother cut it with scissors and sewed underwear for me with the help of sewing machine. I took a bath and wore it; I was so happy, but there was a fear that the brother and family people will scold me when they know that I have used the sewing machine! I kept everything in order so that no one can get the chance to say something bad to me. Surprisingly, when my brother saw me wearing the self-made underwear, he was too surprised and smiled and did not scolded, just checked everything was in order. Then he said to everybody in the family that he can be a good tailor and help to him in his tailoring business. Hearing that, interest toward learning tailoring increased and my brother also started giving tailoring related training and work with the incentive to motivate me that if you help me in my work in addition to study, I will give you 1/3 what I will get from the customer after learning the tailoring job. Also, he used to give me some money for extending help like doing old sewing clothes, turpai, cause, button etc. Therefore, over a period I learn how to sew ladies garment, gent garments within 9 to 10 Month while studying in 4th and 5th and in that context, the vision was to help in my brother’s business. However, someone else was also trying to help me write a different story of life and that person was the principal of the primary school in my village where I was studying.
In search of a guide who can help me to get into my dream school
I was in fifth class, one day my principal called me and asked, “Would you like to study in the school as mentioned in an essay of your book”, without giving even second thought how it will happen, I said “Yes”. He said but, “You have to appear in one examination and secure 100 out of 100! Also, the syllabus would be different even I would not be able to help you. You have to learn either from the books available if any in the market or from someone else, but I know you can do it! He himself was educated up to 5th class and was only versed with basic maths of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. He was not aware of psychometric puzzle etc. He instructed me to go home and call you father handing over a form for the entrance examination of Navoday Vidyalay to me. I went to my home, which was around one KM from the school all ruining barefooted and informed my father about the same. Lucky that day, he was at home, and he immediately came to school. The principal briefed him about the scheme of Jawahar Navoday Vidyalay. My father’s response was “I am not much educated, what you think good, please do for him”. The teacher asked for the necessary requirements like photo and signature, and he himself filled the form and sent it to the concerned authority. Later on, one of my teachers bought entrance examination book from Barabanki City as nothing was available nearby from his own money but later one my second elder brother who was running a shop of tailor reimbursed him through his work – sewing the clothes for his family.
There was not much time to prepare, and the entrance exam was not far away and no one to guide. I tried every possible educated person in and around the village but could not get anyone who can guide. Tuition and coaching facilities were beyond imagination in the radius of 50 to 60 KM. So, finally, I had no choice but to do self-study. The entrance book arranged by the teacher was the only source with which I could talk about my problems- No one was there to understand even if wanted to! But there was only one thing in my mind what my principal had told me – 100 out of 100 can give you the school of your dream which exist only in the book! It was a do or die situation for me. The strong commitment, hard work opened the different world for me- The Jawahar Navoday Vidyalay where I got the chance to change the fate! It was the first turning point in my life. The life would have been different if there were No Navodaya Vidyalaya! Maybe I would have been a successful tailor master but surely not an author! The credit goes to the self-less teachers who have showered care and love not only on me but all the students and gone extra-miles for the welfare of their pupils like me.
“There can not be more selfless relationship than the relationship between teacher and students. It is the teachers who feel the happiness within when their students get ahead of themselves.” -Ram Raj