School dropout who’s all starry-eyed

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad: When he was a child, Tathagat Kashyap pointed to a car and told his mother he would make one some day. She explained that you need to be a scientist to do that. Pat came the reply — ‘That’s what I’ll be.’ The 25-year-old quit formal education after he failed in class XII, arts stream, but he took up his passion, astronomy, in a big way. He started visiting schools and other institutions to teach the subject. Always curious about everything happening around him, he acquired an 80 mm reflector telescope and showed kids stars, planets, Sun, Moon and other heavenly bodies, disseminating information by capturing their interest. “I want to reach out to as many children as I can. Many people ask me — how do you handle astronomy as you failed in arts? But, I can. My mission is to simplify the science so that every child can understand it. I have made models for this purpose,” says the youngster. Initially, Tathagat’s parents were anxious when he quit studies. “I was worried about his career. But, now I realise how involved he is in what he is doing. I support him in every way I can by purchasing books, magazines and other things he needs,” says Tathagat’s father, Yasvant Vaghela, professor in Sadguna Girls College in the city. Recently, he made models for Balvant Parekh Science City in Bhavnagar. “The models explain things to kids in a simple way. Today, we need innovative and committed teachers like him,” says Manan Mehta, project co-ordinator of Science City. Six months ago, he was sent to Kashmir by Prof Anil Gupta of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, to teach not just students, but teachers as well, astronomy. “Tathagat is right in his way of learning and teaching. He is interested only in astronomy. There should be space in our education system for students passionate about just one subject. His visit to Kashmir was also like a bridge between two communities in these times of terror,” says Professor Gupta.

Silence, please! Angel-doctor at work

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Bhavnagar: When a class XII student failed in exams and decided to end his life, it was one book that pulled him back from the edge. He wrote back to author Dr Inus Kasam Vijaliwala: “When I read your autobiography, I realised my situation was not as bad as what you had faced in your youth.” This was the most satisfying moment for Vijaliwala, 50, a paediatrician in Bhavnagar. ‘Silence Please!’ is a best-seller, having sold 50,000 copies since 2005. The book describes how Vijaliwala, son of a newspaper vendor, did not give up education even when faced with abject poverty. Selling newspapers was not enough to feed a family of seven for his parents, both illiterate. Yet, his father ensured all his children were educated. Even if it meant cycling 70 km daily to neighbouring villages to sell newspapers. He would not send his children for relief work during drought years. “They have a different dream to live,” he would say and send them to school. “Every step of our youth was a struggle,” Vijaliwala says. “My family rejoiced when I got admission to a medical college. But my father worried about the fees of Rs 268, a huge amount then. No one would lend us the money as they knew we were too poor to return it.” Vijaliwala completed his MBBS from MS University. He now takes care of 30 thalassemia-affected children, providing free blood transfusions, consultation and even pays for their transportation. “Even if I charge a token fee, the p a re n t s would stop bringing them and they would die.” He does not take fees from patients who come at night in emergency. In 2001, Vijaliwala campaigned for a thalassemia patient of Rajula to collect Rs 50 lakh for bone marrow transplant in Italy. He even launched a website to reach out to a larger set of donors and doctors. And, all this was possible because of his father’s insistence on education. “Had I not studied, I would still have been vending newspapers in my village.”

HER FLIGHT OF FANCY TURNED FAMILY FORTUNE

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Gandhinagar: Her father calls her the ‘puttar’ of the family. For, few girls hailing from Mangrol taluka of Junagadh district dream of becoming a pilot. However, geography was no deterrent for Hetal Sondarva, who did the unthinkable. Today, she has not just charted her own course as a co-pilot with Kingfisher Airlines, but set a precedent for her two brothers to follow. But, this flight of fancy did run into turbulence for a brief period. Preparing for a career in aviation doesn’t come easy on the pocket. And Hetal’s father Arjun Sondarva, assistant manager at New India Assurance Company Ltd, realised this when their loan amount fell short for financing his daughter’s lofty aspirations. So much so, that he had to finally sell his house to fulfil the requirement! This, at a time when he already had a lot of criticism to contend with, for investing so much money to let his daughter follow her dream. “Many friends and relatives would say that I was wasting my money. According to them, my daughter would eventually get married and the huge amount of money would go in vain,” he says. But Arjun’s efforts paid off and Hetal became the family’s first pilot in 2004. Now, she is married to colleague Shreesh and the couple is settled in Bangalore. Her younger brother, Alpesh, followed suit. After completing a BE in IT from Nirma University, he’s now a co-pilot with SpiceJet. Jay, the baby of the family, is also studying in Florida en route to conquering the skies. The Sondarva family still lives in a rented house, now having shifted to Gandhinagar. Hailing from a small village, Lathodra in Junagadh district, Arjun recollects how he had to work and study simultaneously. His wife, Hiraben, is a primary school teacher in Vavol village near Gandhinagar. “I’ve always believed that girls and boys should be treated equally. When Hetal decided she wanted to become a pilot, I encouraged her,” says the proud papa. As for Hetal, she says she owes everything to her parents. “For them, I am a third son. When I quit engineering, to become a pilot, they welcomed my decision though few girls opt for this profession,” she told TOI from Bangalore. Many girls have high-flying dreams, but are unable to fulfil them because of archaic parental and societal attitudes towards girls, says the pilot who controls A320s and A321s today. The Sondarva family may be the first where all children have opted to become pilots. “Now, we want pilot brides for our two sons,” says an upbeat Arjun. Quite an upwardly mobile family!

A class, 25 km away from city...

Vijaysinh Parmar TNN Sanand (Ahmedabad): Shravan Jadav, resident of Hasannagar in Bawla taluka, stays in a hostel in Sanand. His parents are farmers and do additional labour work to eke out a living. Schooling is a luxury and tuitions to get a good score in class X board exams, a distant dream for this 15-year-old. For children like Shravan, a few more marks could make or break a career, as it is a ticket to education in a better school. But unlike other unprivileged kids, Shravan has help at hand. Professors of SM Patel Institute of Commerce (SMPIC) are taking him one step closer to his ambition. This group of teachers travel 25 km every Sunday to take voluntary classes for students appearing for class X and XII board exams. This is a joint initiative of SMPIC and Lokseva Foundation, that began in 2007. “Our mission is based on the premise that one educated person can teach 10 others. This will help strengthen our education system. We teach children from poorer class who can’t afford private tuitions. They are bright, but don’t have access to quality education,” says BN Shah, principal of SMPIC. Currently, there are 170 students benefiting from these classes. “This is a kind of supportive education system by which students who are finding it difficult to cope are able to get through exams and bright ones can score well. Often, poor board exam results ruin a student’s career,” says Sanjay Munjapura, lecturer at SMPIC and co-ordinator of this programme. Most of the students stay in hostels or commute from nearby villages for the classes. Their primary goal is to get admission in a PTC and start earning. The classes are run in Sanskar Madhyamik School in Sanand.

Teaching city’s poor children his business

jaysinh Parmar TNN Ahmedabad: Kishan Patni’s father is a rickshaw driver. But, he dreams of becoming a lawyer. And, scoring 97 per cent in class VI exams has given his confidence a big boost. Kishan owes his smiles to friend, philosopher and father-figure Mahesh Desai. Desai, who runs a garment factory, scaled down his business to be able to devote time to teach slum children. And, gave Kishan and hundreds of underprivileged children a ray of hope. His mission does not end with ensuring informal education or enrolling them in private schools. He is their guardian, assuming the responsibility till they complete their studies and find their feet in life. He is their friend too. So, when Kishan scored high marks, Desai took him to a movie. Desai, now 50, could have led a relaxed life, having had his own children settled. He chose a different path. It began seven years ago when Desai ventured into a poor neighbourhood in Naranpura. There were over 2,000 people living along the railway track, most of them migrants. He decided to teach them for free. But, he tread carefully. “I first studied the lifestyle and socio-economic condition of these families. I would end up breaking dining in their huts. Once, I had their confidence, I told them about the need for education. It was tough as parents wanted the children to work,” says Desai. “No child came when I began a temporary school in one of the huts. I had my first student only six months later and the mission began,” he adds. Now, more than 65 children take nonformal education in a temporary school till class III every morning. Once the children complete class III, Desai convinces parents to enrol them in private schools, offering to pay their fees. Desai has now started a hostel in a posh flat in Naranpura area where five children from tribal and backward communities stay and study.