Summary
Souvik Pal had scored 74.2 per cent in higher secondary but because his father was sick and had no income, the teenager had taken up a job at a medicine shop for Rs 3,000
A 21-year-old man who had to quit his studies after higher secondary went back to his books and completed graduation in math honours. He has now got admission to a post-graduation course in rural development and management.
Souvik Pal had scored 74.2 per cent in higher secondary but because his father was sick and had no income, the teenager had taken up a job at a medicine shop for Rs 3,000.
“It’s not that I did not want to study but the situation was such that I was forced to quit because there was no money at home,” Pal said.
It was then that Tanmoy Patra, a mathematics teacher who runs an education centre in Howrah for underprivileged children, intervened.
Pal would study at the centre, Howrah Vivekananda Siksha Kendra.
“Sir explained to me that if I left studies after higher secondary I would have to fight poverty lifelong but despite difficulties, if I try to complete my graduation, I might have more opportunities,” said Pal.
He left his job and pursued math honours. After three years, he has now got admission to Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute in Ranchi and is scheduled to go there by the third week of August.
Pal’s mother sells phuchka in their village in Baghnan, Howrah.
Both his parents studied till primary classes.
His “sir”, Patra, has been instrumental, not only in guiding him but also by supporting his studies and fees.
Pal does his bit by teaching children at the Howrah centre.
He is not blind to the circumstances and needs of
the students at the centre and knows that teaching them could motivate the children.
“Many of them get demotivated and rightly so because there is so much scarcity in their homes. I
try to explain to them that only education would help them break that cycle of poverty. There are some who leave after Madhyamik and higher secondary and some continue with a lot of struggle. The Covid pandemic only made things worse,” he said.
“I can understand their mental state because I have gone through it myself... I don’t give my example but when they see me they are perhaps inspired because they know my background,” he said.
For Patra, the challenge is to channelise many like Pal and motivate them not to give up.
“There are bright students who get bogged down by their circumstances. We support them even after school so that they do not
get lost midway. There are some who have the potential but without guidance they tend to get distracted,” Patra said.
“If we let them go after school, perhaps the years of supporting them would go to waste and they would go back to the life of daily wagers with little or no connection with education,” said Patra.
Last updated on 08 Aug 2023
