PATNA : Till a few years ago Arjun Das was looked down upon for being only two feet tall. While children used to tease him by calling him a dwarf, adults would laugh at him. To avoid further humiliation, he stopped visiting public places for a while. But he soon realised that it would make him shy and deter him from what he dreamt of.
Das, a 25-year-old man from Bihar’s Samastipur district, moves on a tricycle after being afflicted with polio. But he has become a ray of hope for scores of underprivileged children who failed to afford education in a span of just four years.
Das gives tuition free to children from the poor families at his ancestral village, Chaita, in Samastipur district. More than 80 students from Classes one to 12 are enrolled in his coaching institute—A Kumar Coaching Centre, Chaita. A science graduate (mathematics), Das devotes most of his time to children who want to pursue their studies.
“My only request to parents of these children is to send them to the coaching classes on time,” he said. Be it mathematics, English, Hindi, social science or biology, Das mentors them in all. “To make the task easy, I have arranged classes in such a manner that I can give proper attention to each student. There is a separate class for a few students who need more attention than others,” he said.
Although he offers free education to all, some parents offered him Rs 100 or Rs 200 as donations to the coaching centre.
The coaching centre runs in a building provided rent-free by a local resident, though Das had to buy the furniture himself. “Neither the government nor individuals offered financial help.
I often turn to my father, a marginal farmer, who never refuses support,” he said. The only government aid he gets is Rs 1,100 a month as a physically challenged person. “Is that enough for daily needs? Even people’s representatives ignore us,” he lamented.
Despite all odds, his students are satisfied with their studies. “I have learnt a lot from Das, sir. His teaching is simple and easy to follow, especially in mathematics,” said Roshini Kumar, a Class 12 student.
Gudia and Anjali shared the same view, while Amarjeet and Kaushal, both in Class IX, said they admired his method and appreciated that he teaches all subjects, saving them from attending multiple coaching centres.
Das once tried for a railway job under the disability quota but was reminded of his teacher’s advice to start a coaching centre in his village. “My teacher, Thakur Uday Shankar, coached me free of cost and inspired me to do the same for others,” he recalled.
Das’ parents take pride in his work, saying he provides education to poor children without burdening families. Despite being daily wagers, they support his decision not to demand fees.
Students from neighbouring villages like Baksari, Kamalpura and Lohani also attend his coaching centre at Chaita, reflecting his growing influence.