A 70-year-old former alumnus, a benevolent family and a dedicated teacher resurrect a dilapidated government primary school in a Punjab village, which now offers services like free transportation and even showers to students.
The government primary school at Salh Kalan village in Punjab is a manifestation of dreams and dedication, serving as the building block for countless dreams since 1957. But this two-room cradle of young minds in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district faced neglect and decay in recent years — becoming a poignant relic of bygone glory, with its essence veiled in the ethereal shroud of fog.
The dilapidated structure languished on the verge of collapse, haunted by the eerie silence that replaced the laughter of children. The stucco from the walls peeled. The playground was overrun by weed.
In 1987, floods damaged the school and classes were shifted to a nearby building. After the floods, neglect took hold. Parents stopped enrolling their children in this school, and only nine students remained in 2019. The school was served a notice — either find students or face shutdown.
This stark reality caught the attention of 70-year-old former alumnus Shuminder Garcha, whose roots intertwined with the very soul of this institution. He could not bear witness to its dilapidation. Fuelled by nostalgia and a profound gratitude for the foundation it provided, he embarked on a mission to resurrect the school from its sombre state.
“I studied here when I was a child and I couldn’t see it dying. I couldn’t pursue higher education. I had to work as a labourer to survive,” Shuminder Garcha said. “But I cherish the memory of being a schoolgoing student. This was more than a building. It was my childhood. I had to revive it.”
Assistance arrived in the form of professor Krishna Kumar, former director of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the family of Milkha Singh Garcha, and a few more people living near the school and those who are settled abroad.
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The government allocated Rs 25 lakh for a new building, while Shuminder Garcha and the other Garcha family invested about Rs 70 lakh to transform their dream into reality. This venture wasn’t a public-private partnership, but a display of collective spirit.
Then the hunt began for a dedicated teacher to uphold this mission.
Enter Raj Kumar, ready to embrace the challenge.
“I was painting a swing in a nearby school I was posted in when Shuminder Garcha came to meet the school principal. He was surprised when I told him that I was the principal,” recounted Raj Kumar.
Assigned the mission to rejuvenate the primary school, Raj Kumar got a transfer to Salh Kalan.
“I roamed around Salh Kalan in an autorickshaw, announcing on a loudspeaker the importance of education. I told people that this school will be revived and they should get their children enrolled here,” he said.
The call resonated, and 19 students arrived that year, rescuing the school from impending closure. Yet, this was just the beginning. The crumbling building demanded attention. The Garchas envisioned a transformation akin to those witnessed in Cambridge or London, Raj Kumar said.
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“I wish education for children in my village what I wish for my own grandchildren in London,” Shuminder Garcha asserted. “How do you expect parents to send their children to a school marred by the fear of ceilings collapsing on their heads?”
Salh Kalan, a neighbour to Indian Independence hero Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village Khatkar Kalan, drew inspiration from the revolutionary ideas echoing in its historic counterpart.
“When the historic hamlet colours itself in the ideas of revolutions, its neighbour must carry the torch of education,” Raj Kumar said.
The dream culminated in the form of the Chardi Kala School Bhalai Committee, an organisation committed to reviving schools in the district.
Eight spacious rooms, a separate wing for children to have their midday meal and a playground now grace the new school complex. Enrolled with 60 students, it extends rare services like a bus for those coming from afar, a rarity in government schools in India.
“Most students are children of migrant labourers. The school’s services are available for free to them. The children even take a shower here,” Raj said.
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The fog has lifted, the mist dissipated, and the Government Primary Smart School, Salh Kalan, now stands tall — a beacon of learning, rekindling the flames of progress and hope.
The lead image at the top shows the renovated building of the government primary school at Salh Kalan village in Punjab. (Photo by Amir Malik)
Amir Malik is a freelance journalist based in Bihar. He writes about health, women and children and their interaction with nature. He is a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.
