Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Reasi (J&K), August 20

Sanjeev Kumar Sharma (45), another winner of this year’s National Awards to Teachers, says education is a word that carries both “power and beauty” — power because for children it is their passport to future as tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today, and beauty because it has all five vowels.

“We have to take care of three things in life — education, reputation and behaviour. Over the years, the developed countries have been earmarking substantial sums from their annual budget to educate young and impressionable minds. Reason enough why they produce top-drawer professionals a dime a dozen,” Sharma told The Tribune.

When he joined the government primary school in the remote village of Ikhani in Reasi district of J&K in 2019, he was dumbfounded to see that it was functioning sans a roof and had dilapidated rooms. Two years later, he transformed the institution into one of the best schools of the state.

Come rain, sunshine or sleet, Sharma has rarely taken a leave. When he joined, the motivation level of parents was at its lowest ebb and the number of students barely touched double figures. Now, he is proud to claim that “my school has 70 students — 29 girls and 41 boys”.

“When I joined, it took me five hours to reach the school from my native village Sungal. Now, new roads have been constructed and the distance has been reduced to barely three hours. Even then, commuting for six hours a day was a criminal wastage of time. I then decided to shift to Ikhani with my family so that I could devote more time to my school,” he says.

Sharma’s school is located on a hill top where weather is fickle. “High velocity winds blew off the roof after which I built another one with liberal donations from villagers and friends after the J&K Education Department chipped in with a grant of Rs 25,000,” he says.

Beti Ko Khilari Banao programme

Sanjeev Kumar Sharma has started a programme “Beti Ko Khilari Banao” and concentrates on ensuring that girls get equal rights.