Convocations and commecements, at the Public Degree College, Santacruz ....

Convocations and commecements....

Convocations have something about them. The flowing robes, the square shaped motor boards, students gleefully throwing them in the air with fulfillment on their graduation!!!!
Every person graduating dreams of doing this but not all have the fortune to experience it. Somehow, I too had missed that in my life. I was therefore very excited when I was invited to be the chief guest at the Convocation ceremony in Hind Seva Parishad's Public School and College at Santacruz , Mumbai.
My memories of this institution are more than a decade. Twenty years ago, when I was posted as a Deputy Collector in the Mumbai Suburban district, one fine morning, I was greeted by a professor with a request for intervention in some land matter. That was my first interaction with Mr.Yagyanarayan Dubey. I was intrigued by his persistence, his struggle to get the title of a piece of land which had been encroached. In all eagerness, he asked me to visit the place to understand his case better. The bearings of my parents made it impossible for me to refuse a teacher and so very soon I went to the location.
I ascertained the facts and gave my decision soon not knowing that a simple , matter of fact decision would ultimately be an edifice transforming the lives of thousands of children from the localities nearby. I had the opportunity to visit the school often thereafter and each time I visited I would be pleasantly surprised by its growth.
It is an organisation which has been working since 1980 for the education of students from the poor families of the slums and hutments including children of hawkers, labourers and other needy people.
Beginning from a small hut in Alka Nagar of Santacruz, it now runs courses from pre- primary, primary to secondary Junior and Degree College.
Mr. Dube takes great pride in the fact that his institute is from KG to PG. It works from 7 a.m in the morning till 10.30 PM at night in three shifts and is therfore also sunlight to tubelight.
He began with a night school and college for those who studed upto seventh in the 16 Municipal schools nearby but were unable to complete their education since they did not have the means to travel elsewhere in Mumbai. Establishing the night degree college in 1998 was a great step. Today the institute has graduate and postgraduate courses in Arts, Science, Commerce and Management. Among the 3000 students being taught there almost 85 percent of the students are girls.
It was a moment of great satisfaction for me as I could not only don the convocation gown but also confer degree certificates to 90 graduate and postgraduate students in Commerce and 6 students in Management. The pride and satisfaction on their faces was so fulfilling. It was a milestone in their lives and the beginning of a new phase.
The foundation of our lives rests on education and theirs had been laid thanks to their alma mater. Today , the college is an eight floor building with state of art facilities. The change brought into the lives of the poor and the needy due to their efforts was extremely laudable. My head bowed down in reverence for their  contribution to this cause.....