Delhi Government’s indiscreet fiasco causes thousands of young girls to surrender their education!
How would have you felt had this been a true news?
No, No I am not at all going to discuss a Fictional story and waste all of our’s time.
This entire sentence that you have read as the opening of this article was about to turn into reality. In today’s time when Prime Minister Mr. Modi is promoting “Beti bachao, Beti padhao” at every possible dimension, Delhi government’s ignorance was going to cost approximately 1100 (eleven hundred) girls, their education.
The only reason why this dreadful fiasco was firstly brought to light and then stopped was Dr. Devendra Kumar Gupta.
In a shocking chain of events in the Sanjay Colony area of South Delhi, due to an absolutely careless move by the Delhi Government more than a thousand young girls were about to drop out of school after six months.
The issue induced out of the relocation of a government high school under which these girls are enrolled as students. The school has been shifted to another building which is 7-8 kms away from the current location at Fatehpur Beri under the facade of reconstructing the building. To reach the new school the only route is via a deserted road that runs through a dense forest. The parents of these students were extremely apprehensive about their daughter’s safety and future, and were trying to convince the state officials otherwise but to no good. To worsen the situation on the same deserted patch a young women was raped in bright day light just a few weeks ago.
Dr. Devendra Kumar Gupta, Founder and President Ladli Foundation, got to know about the situation on one of his visits to the slum and took charge immediately. He left no stone unturned to make sure that the girls did not have to give up on their education and were safe while working towards their future. Along with his dedicated team and the support of the residents he finally won the battle and the school did not get to relocate.
“Talents of an individual can never be concealed behind his age.” Dr. Devendra Kumar Gupta lost his parents and his only source of protection at the tender age of 10. He became the sole bread bearer for his remaining family at an age when children don’t even eat by their own hands; He had the responsibility of his remaining family which consisted of his younger sister and elderly grandmother. He worked at a medical store as a runner and sold balloons on traffic signals, had to leave school so that his sister can go to school. He had decided very early on life that he was not going to be what his circumstances wanted him to be rather he would be what his parents would be proud of.
He joined Red cross India at 18 and learned first aid professionally, worked for various campaigns and his dedication towards his work made him the youngest Commissioned officer with the Indian Red Cross society in 2000.
Having seen slum life from a very close proximity he knew what he wanted to improve. At a nascent age of 20 he formed his first NGO Josh ek Umang, he rehabilitated more than 1000 boys from the clutches of un-prescribed drugs. At a time when a developing nation like India needed its younger generation the most to achieve what is called a more stable lifestyle for its citizens, this bunch of people was becoming a liability to the their families, society and the country.. This also led to an increase in the rate of criminal activities in the vicinity. What else can one c expect anything from “penniless pockets addicted to drugs”.
Devendra with his group of like minded people initiated “Drives against Drugs”. He got in touch with the Police authorities, approached the pharmacists to refrain from selling the drugs without prescription and filing RTIs resulted positively. It was a huge struggle to achieve the positive outcome, but Devendra and his team’s success was so loud and clear that it garnered massive media attention as well. These young men were not only given a new life but were also enrolled for various Jobs by Devendra.
Devendra’s brain child “Ladli Foundation” is a Non Governmental Organisation which has been working towards the betterment of the status of women & girls in our society. Ladli provides, Computer training, English speaking classes and vocational trainings to a batch of 250 girls every three months in a year.
Multitudes of women have been enrolled for respectful jobs via Ladli Foundation.
Ladli Foundation organizes a “Mass Marriage” ceremony every year, so far more than 600 girls have got happily married. The grooms go through a police verification to make sure that the girls are not being married to a wrong individual. After the wedding every girl is given the basic commodities of up to Rs. 1 lac for a new life. And Devendra has not taken any Governmental aid for this activity.
There are various projects which are being conceptualized under Ladli Foundation and Devendra has no plans to stop before achieving what he has dreamt of.
He has brought to light so many cases of treachery, corruption and wrong doing that enlisting all of them here would be a difficulty.
Starting from his fight against the Gas Dealers in Delhi, the fraud in Delhi Government schools, saving the jobs of the pitthus (luggage carriers) in Amarnath yatra and bringing to the nations knowledge the illegal felling of huge number of trees during the Commonwealth Games, Devendra has brought in positive changes in every vertical of life.
He resumed his education at a later stage and very recently he was conferred upon with a Doctorate by IVP University,Bnagalore for his immense contribution towards the society.
He lost his own Mother at a very young age, but gave wings to so many women’s dreams that today his Mother’s blessings and love reach out to him in form of these women’s words. He did not get a chance to call a place a happy home for a very long time, but today he has given happy homes and families to a large number of people.
Share his story not because its Unique, but because its every Indian’s story!