Punjab: He who oppresses the poor shows disdain and rejection of the Creator, but he who is compassionate towards the needy honours God. With this principle in mind, philanthropist Romesh Mahajan started a school for the children of beggars and slum dwellers. In 2011, the Early Education Centre (PEC) began operating from a tent in the Ram Nagar area, where there are several slums. On the first day, only half a dozen children turned up. Three teachers – Manjit Kaur, Navneet Kaur and Ashu Atri – were hired. “On the first day, given the disheveled appearance of the children, we had to bathe them with warm water. They were uncoordinated, but ready to learn,” Navneet recalls. Later, when a two-storey building was constructed in Man Kaur Village, another slum area nearby, children gradually started coming. For several weeks, the PEC team tried to persuade the beggars to teach their children to read, write and recite. Success was not immediate, but the staff kept working. Slowly, the parents understood the importance of good education.
Gradually their defiance gave way to reason and logic. “We were told about the power of education. Earlier, we would wake up our children and tell them not to beg, borrow or steal. Now, we wake them up because we want them to reach school on time,” says Puran Singh, a parent. Times had changed, so had attitudes. Now, 75 students reap the benefits of education, with holidays reserved for physical activities. Teachers recalled with pride the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Tell me and I will forget. Teach me and I will remember. Involve me and I will learn.” So, some extracurricular activities were introduced. Almost all the children suffer from anaemia when they first arrive. This is why doctors from the Civil Hospital are constantly being sought to deal with this disease. A saying has been hammered into the minds here – it is not your fault if you are born poor, but it is your fault if you die poor. School timings are from 10 am to 6 pm. Some of the children are so bright that they match the ability and potential of students from top grade schools. Karan (13), Neha (17), Abhay (11), Poonam (16) and Sartaj (7) have fire in them. They can make a name for themselves. Then there is Maanvi (3), who is the cynosure of all eyes.
“Whatever you get from your students – rolling eyes, excitement, big smiles – is feedback on your performance. And these are the things that motivate me to move forward,” says teacher Manjit Kaur. Romesh Mahajan spends money from his own pocket for the better future of his children. He spent Rs 40 lakh to build a new building. He also pays for staff salaries, sports activities, uniforms and electricity bills. PEC has many beneficiaries. Gurdaspur District and Sessions Judge Rajinder Aggarwal and his wife Reena Aggarwal visit here regularly. The couple has donated a library. Whenever they visit, they bring stationery items and fruits. The truth is that the judge and his wife are well aware that what they are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. Former SSP Harish Dayama and his IAS officer wife Amrita Singh also showed keen interest. The couple had developed a close relationship with the students, listening to their needs and subsequently fulfilling them. On several occasions, they paid for their uniforms. Dayama would often invite children to his official residence. His message was, “It does not matter whether you are poor or rich. Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud, and then see the difference!” Teacher Ashu Atri believes, “Indeed, there is no wealth like education and no poverty like ignorance.” Whenever visitors come, begging is a topic of discussion. Unless the evil of begging is rooted out, schools like PEC will continue to spring up.
