The Police Pathshala in Santiniketan
It is said Santiniketan always brings out a difference in those who reside there. The magic of Rabindranath Tagore and his influence still seems to be alive even at Santiniketan Police Station, that not just handles crime and related cases, but is deeply involved in the lives of children coming from poor families and their upliftment. In the whole of Birbhum, Santiniketan Police Station stands out because of its popular Police Pathshala. And now Officer-in-Charge, Kasturi Mukhopadhyay Chattopadhyay will be awarded the Best Child-Friendly Police Personnel Award on 20th November for being the loved Didimoni to almost 130 children who come from poverty-stricken families to this school.
As OC Kasturi told GB over phone from Santiniketan: ‘I joined the Police Station in 2018. The school was however running since 2017 with around 80 children coming from very poor families of adjoining areas. They are children of labourers, caretakers, rickshaw-wallahs etc. Today the school has turned so popular that we have around 130 students and we wish to make it a big government affiliated school someday.’
The school starts early morning and has children of all age groups will classes till 7. Usually these children go to government schools later but for their primary and pre-primary education and tuitions, they heavily depend on the Police Pathshala as quality education comes here for free. As the OC points out: ‘Our own constables, ASIs participate in teaching the children since morning. Also, some teachers of Visva Bharati come and teach on certain days of the week.’
‘Our own constables, ASIs participate in teaching the children since morning. Also, some teachers of Visva Bharati come and teach on certain days of the week.’
Not just studies, the school holds classes in physical exercises, karate, dance, music and art. Many local residents who are teachers, voluntarily come and teach the children these performing art forms. The participation is spontaneous and parents feel proud when their children become part of various community level activities like Safe Drive Save Life campaigns, or how to wear masks during COVID times, distribution of masks on Rakhi days etc.
The participation is spontaneous and parents feel proud when their children become part of various community level activities like Safe Drive Save Life campaigns, or how to wear masks during COVID times, distribution of masks on Rakhi days etc.
Like Officer Kasturi, even local residents and poor parents of these children, dream that one day the Police Pathshala will turn into a proper affiliated school that will help the children of underprivileged families to get an all-round education for free. May be that day is not far when Tagore’s ideology of free education for all in the lap of nature will be fulfilled through Santiniketan’s Police Station.
