JAGATSINGHPUR: Cruel fate and poverty might have succeeded in crushing his dreams of becoming a doctor or engineer but failed to kill his spirit. Niranjan Nayak has turned his misfortune into a mission to give wings to the dreams of children from poor and deprived backgrounds and shape their future.
Every morning and evening, a score of children make their way to the one-room house of Niranjan at Kundigaon village under Bachhaol panchayat that transforms into their Chatsali (classroom). The wheelchair-bound Ninu Sir, as he is fondly called, devotes at least two hours everyday to teach the under-privileged children.
A Class 10 dropout, Niranjan teaches 20 to 25 poor children of his village in two phases, morning before they set out for school and in the evening after returning from the institution. In the evening he helps the children with their doubts and revise their subjects taught in school.
Now 52, Niranjan set out on the journey to educate poor children about 23 years back when he lost both his legs in an accident in a rice mill in Kolkata. Around the same time in 1991, Niranjan lost his mother too while his father had died when he was still a kid. Devastated by the twin tragedies, he decided to dedicate his life to the service of underprivileged kids and started teaching children in 1995.
Ninu Sir, who earns his living by selling puja paraphernalia and earns `500 as disability pension, also foots the stationary expenses of the students on occasions.Sarpanch Narottam Kandi said Government spends lakhs of rupees with an aim to provide education to every child but students do not succeed in their career due to lack of guidance back home. Though disabled, Ninu Sir has been that beacon of light for the poverty stricken children with the only aim to help them achieve their dreams which he could not due to poverty.
“Ninu Sir’s dedication and determination has boosted the morale of children and many of them have gone ahead to pursue higher education and lead better lives,” the Sarpanch added. The panchayat has been giving pension for maintenance of his three-member family, he added.
“After my crippling accident and loss of mother, I knew I could not realise my dreams. But I wanted to live in the society as an active member and bring changes in the lives of the poor. For a living, I sell puja materials at a temple and teach children free of cost. This gives me satisfaction and helps me forget my pains when I see the smiles on the faces of poor kids,” Nayak said.