Monk in love with tribals and education
GUJARAT: Parshottam Prakash Das, a 65-year-old monk, also known as PP Swami, joined the Swaminarayan sect 50 years ago. Swami has vowed to use education as a tool to help tribal children. Because of his work, which began 25 years ago, not just tribal children from Gujarat, but also from other states have joined IIMs and IITs. With a 98 per cent tribal population, Dang is one of the largest tribal districts in India. Dang has dense forests, and witnesses 100-inch rainfall every year. However, due to a lack of job opportunities, approximately 45,000 tribal people travel to south Gujarat in search of work in various sugar factories. As these families used to bring their children to factories, most of their children could not get an education.
When Swami visited tribal families in Dang, the issue of incomplete education among children touched him. In 1998, he discussed this with the local collector and founded ‘Prayosha’, an NGO with the goal of providing education to tribal children. As part of the pilot project, he decided to educate tribal children from three surrounding districts working in sugar factories.
Swami then met with three district collectors, owners of sugar factories, and others. Four mobile schools were made for 5,500 children.
Swami said “A few tribal youngsters were first educated to teach in mobile schools in order to maintain the pace with the language and culture. Gradually, teachers from Dang joined the team. In six villages, temporary hostels were also created.”
“Students also received training in moral values, Yoga, co-curricular activities and sports. This project was so successful that the Gujarat government adopted it as a model project,” Swami added.
In the year 2002, ‘Prayosha’ established secondary and higher secondary schools at Saputara hill in Malegam where 480 students were registered for free higher education, accommodation, food, and medical facilities. Today the school has produced 142 engineers, 15 doctors, 18 dentists, 42 nurses, 27 teachers, 26 government employees, one IIT Delhi student, and one PhD candidate.
Dr Dharmesh Pawar, a tribal student, said “I was studying in the mobile school started by Prayosha in Class 8, but my father passed away when I joined Class 9. I felt that I had to work to support my family. But one day after my father died, PP Swami came to my house and gave me money, saying that I should focus on my studies rather than worrying about money.”
“Swamiji also sent me to China to become a doctor, along with two others like me, Sandeep Pawar and Prahlad Jadav, at ‘Prayosha’’s expense,” said Pawar.
Prayosha efforts transformed the life of Aviraj Sakharam Chowdhury. Aviraj said, “I was the youngest among 11 siblings. The financial condition of my family was not so good. Due to the efforts of ‘Paryosha’ and Swamiji, I got selected for IIT Delhi.”
ASHRAMSHALA, SCHOOL FOR TRIBALS
‘Prayosha’, Swami, and Keshubhai Goti built ‘Ashramshala’, residential schools for ST students, in Assam, Orissa, Nagaland, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. Prayosha also helps to repair any schools that are dilapidated or in poor condition.