HYDERABAD: One of Hyderabad’s biggest slums, Dasaram Basthi, is usually bustling with noise, the area gets silent at night when ‘class is in session’. Staffers of the nearby SR Nagar police station have taken up the initiative to teach the students at night.
The idea of setting up the ‘night tuition centre or school’ was conceived by Inspector K Saidulu a month ago when he had visited the area for an anti-drug awareness campaign. Since its inception, the strength of the school has grown to 70.
J Akhila, a Class 6 student who attends this night school, says that it helps in clearing her doubts. While doing one’s daily homework becomes a menial task, she enjoys doing it with her friends. The problems of poor illumination and lack of space in the small huts, which affect their daily studies, are also solved this way.Another child, Ammulu, a Class 1 student, mentions that it’s very difficult for him to study with full concentration at home as his family members watch the TV till late at night.
Inspector Saidulu, who has been running the night school successfully for over a month, tells Express that he is looking for donors to be able to continue the initiative. “We cleared some space on the road, which is usually blocked by boozers, who gather there till late night. They would indulge in petty quarrels, create a nuisance, disturb their own families and also the residents of neighbouring colonies. However, if we have a permanent arrangement, the children will benefit even during monsoon and winter seasons.”
Sector Sub-Inspector P Pradeep along with the Blue Colts of SR Nagar are deployed at the night school every day to guide and monitor the children. Three persons from the locality, including two girls, have been roped in to assist them.
‘More than an officer of law’
Coming from a remote village in the Nalgonda district, Saidulu struggled to get his basic education. He had always dreamt of becoming a teacher and even pursued a bachelor’s degree in education from Nalgonda and a master’s degree from Osmania University. However, life took a different turn and he ended up as a cop.
After taking charge as an Inspector at SR Nagar police station in 2020, he focused on improving the greenery on the premises. With agriculture and gardening also being his passion, he cultivated various vegetables and flowering plants in the building.
“It’s not just my passion, but greenery has a lot of positive and soothing impact on people. It helps us to have a relaxing effect and also to those coming to us in distress,” he adds. Saidulu says all the residents of Dasaram Basthi make a living by running the GHMC garbage vehicles, due to which the majority are habituated to alcohol. To prevent this lifestyle impacting their children, they conceived the night-school idea.