BIHAR: A police officer in the Samastipur region of Bihar visits schools and coaching facilities to encourage children to focus on their studies and mature into responsible citizens. His trips are motivated by both his own life experiences and his great desire to create a healthy society.
When Dinesh Kumar Pandey, a police officer, discovered that some juvenile offenders continued to engage in illegal behaviour even after spending time in the detention home, he had the idea to organise motivational seminars for children. He said that if kids are motivated while they are young, they can be kept out of the wrong society and, as a result, out of the world of crime.
“I was posted as a sub divisional police officer in East Champaran’s Pakridayal, and I discovered during one of the juvenile delinquent cases that even after they were released from the remand home, they had not changed their behaviour. I started visiting government schools to inspire kids because I felt like I should do something for them, Pandey recounted, expressing his satisfaction over the response he received from children as well as their parents.
The police officer said that he held motivation classes at government schools whenever he found time from his official duty. As many as 15,000 children were covered during his posting in Pakridayal from September, 2017 to August 2020.
After he was transferred to Dalsinghsarai in Samastipur district as SDPO, Pandey continued with his mission but named his drive as ‘Operation Sanskar’. So far, he has held motivation classes for around 7000-8000 children after his transfer to Dalsinghsarai.
“I mainly try to inculcate virtues of good character, high morale and discipline among children,” he said.
“I tell children how they can concentrate more on studies and also why preparing a daily routine is so important for them,” he added. Pandey said that he also held such sessions in the private coaching institutes too but of late, he was only visiting these institutes after verifying their reputation.
“I have also faced huge challenges in my life but I conquered them through grit and determination,” he added. Pandey said that he could associate with children from the rural belt of the state as he had too gone through various challenges, similar to theirs. He had joined the Indian Air Force in 2001 but continued his studies and completed his post graduation in History
Later, Pandey appeared in a combined competitive examination conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and attained 7th position in the examination.
He joined Bihar Police Service as DSP in 2013.The police officer said that he also keeps telling children not to spend time wandering around, and also not allow any negative feeling intrude into their minds. A student left the habit of chewing tobacco after attending one of his classes, he added.
“It is not only helping me build relationships with the children but also with their parents,” remarked Pandey, who keeps shifting his role as a police officer and a motivator with an ease. Pandey’s contribution to society apart from serving as a police officer has been noticed by state police headquarters as well.