Colonel Neeraj Mehra, 60, Jaipur

They say there are no coincidences but sometimes these poignant events unfold in the most dramatic of ways. I am 60 years old and I retired from the Indian Army three years ago. I have since been leading a peaceful retired life with my wife and daughter and started working with Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Company (now Reliance Defence) in Gujarat as the company’s ‘Country Head of Security & Administration’ two years ago.

Early this year after coming back from Gujarat to Jaipur, it was a sheer coincidence that one day while driving, a woman took a lift in my car. She introduced herself as Sadhana Garg, founder of Raghukul, an NGO that is rehabilitating the Rana community on the outskirts of Jaipur. The Ranas were once folk performers but are now marginalised and live a sorry existence. She said her NGO was educating the Rana children and helping the community earn a dignified living.

Garg’s next question came like a bolt from the blue: Would I be interested in teaching the children? I was taken aback and said I did not hold a degree in teaching. She smiled and said that she still wanted my services because she felt I was good enough for the children. For me, the only experience that came close was the community service and welfare work I did while in the Army. However, I accepted the proposal and joined Raghukul around two months ago. Besides teaching, I also look after the NGO’s administration, thanks to the managerial skills I learnt in the Army.

At Raghukul, I learn something new every single day. The children are bright but owing to poverty and lack of opportunities, they face many challenges. Some of them are so eager to study that they attend the NGO’s classes against unbelievable odds. One of the girls has a mother who is physically challenged, so she attends classes as and when she can. Others are busy eking out a living but still attend classes whenever they get a chance. But there are so many who are dependent on begging; convincing their parents to let us educate them is very difficult. The midday meal we offer is the only bait.

Motivating these children is a big challenge for me, so I use innovative techniques to make every topic interesting. For instance, to understand multiplication or division, I use ice-cream sticks to make things more exciting. My wife was a primary school teacher and is great support to me.

At Raghukul, we promote pottery and get diyas painted by the Rana women and children, just as we did in the Army. In the Army, we also carried out welfare projects like carpet weaving, candle making, tie-and-dye work and so on. When I was posted in Cambodia, we constructed schools and colleges. Likewise, in J&K, we undertook a number of projects, including providing educational instructors for children living in areas out of bounds for regular teachers. We also conducted plantation drives every year. Many of these projects resonate with my work at Raghukul and hence I am very comfortable with what is expected of me.

I drive 10 km to work every day and take two classes, in English and mathematics. I leave my Army background and regimented life behind and interact with these children according to their level of understanding. My new line of work is not just enjoyable but fulfilling. My country has given me so much and I believe I can express my gratitude by lighting the lamp of education in the lives of these children.

—As told to Anubha Agarwal

Photograph by Anubha Agarwal
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
December 2016