‘Census duty was blessing in disguise’

Unlike many government schoolteachers,who grumbled a lot while performing their census duty or got it altogether cancelled,here is a teacher who found the exercise interesting as well as eye opening. Karamjit Grewal,a Punjabi teacher at the Government High School,Kheri Jhameri,in Ludhiana,explains,“This duty came as a blessing in disguise for me,as I got an opportunity to know my fellow villagers and students better.”

Grewal,who started his census duty in the last week of May in Humayupura village,said,“I really wonder as to why people shirk this important responsibility. I met many students during the duty and got to know reasons behind their poor performance. I found that one of my students was not performing up to the mark because her mother had died and father had remarried. The student is eldest among six children and is responsible for almost all of them now. Similarly,another student did not even have notebooks and I found the family’s economic condition is really bad.” Grewal,who takes a lot of interest in literary and social activities and has also won a state award last year,said,“It was a shocking experience in a way. Many families were in urgent need of money.” Grewal,who has four books to his credit,along with his book Chhad ke school meinu aa,that won him the Sarvotaam Bal Puruskar from the Punjabi Sahit Akademi,said,“I found each house is full of pathetic tales. I will raise their voice through my stories.”

This government school teacher has also made wall paintings in his school as part of career guidance. He said,“I made these on walls so that none can tear them out and they may have a long-lasting impact on young impressionable minds.” Grewal is associated with many NGOs,working for the cause of environment and against social evils.