MEDINI ACHARYA 2020

PRADIP MAHATA

60 girls from an orphaned or destitute backward family call him "Daddy". She is the craftsman of making the dreams of these helpless girls. His name is Shri Pradip Mahata.

He was born in the year 1956, at Moulishol village (Khargpur block). Father was late Subodh Mahata and mother was Kamala Devi Mahata. He spent his childhood in Moulishol village. He was very naughty as a child. He used to go to school from home but did not reach school. He used to play all day and walk on the field. He used to fish in the canal. He was kind from a young age. While playing, he may have seen an old man having trouble walking somewhere. He would immediately run and help him to reach home.

In 1964, he passed the secondary examination from Siddheswari High School in Arambati village of Khargpur. In a world of scarcity, 4 brothers and 3 sisters could not eat properly. So I didn't study after 10th standard. Most of the time, they did not have enough money to buy rice, so they had to eat corn husks (palai). He used to work in people's houses to run the family.

Seeing their plight, a call (for help) came from maternal house. In 1975, he moved to his maternal house in Indrabani village holding his mother's hand. Since then he has been a resident of Indrabani village.

A few years later, one day he came to know that a group of villagers will visit Mayapur. He also wanted to go to Mayapur. But how to go? He has no money. He started working as a porter at the station to go to Mayapur. After collecting some money, he left for Mayapur. On the way to Mayapur, he begged on the train and collected money for return journey.

After a short stay in Mayapur, he developed a spiritual consciousness. He was attracted to Harinam Sankirtan. When he returned to the village, he learned khol (musical instrument). He went from village to village and started palying Khol with Harinam Sankirtan. In his spare time he used to read biographies of Sri Ramakrishna, Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda.

He was initiated by Birendranarayan Goswami in 1980 and started wearing Dhoti-Punjabi. He used to spend some of the money he earned by playing the Khol on his family and the rest on the poor and helpless people. He married Bharati Mahata in 1981. There was a strong desire in his mind that if he could somehow arrange for the education of poor or orphaned children.

One day the question arises in his mind that if a fair committee or a club can raise money in their area and spend a few lakhs for a fair or Durga Puja, then why can't he beg for education of some orphans or destitute children by begging in different areas throughout the year?

Such thoughts work. In 2009, he established a social service organization called "Indrabani Grameen Nari Shishu Bikash Kendra" (now known as Indrabani Ashram). A new struggle begins. Get along with another social worker named Jayanti Singh. All the girls who do not go to school due to financial reasons or any other reason, the two of them started looking for them. Their journey started with 25 Santali and Sabar students of primary and secondary level. He was accompanied by his wife Bharati Devi. He has been collecting all the expenses for their education, accommodation and food by begging from door to door and chanting Harinam by playing khol. In this way, the number of students now stands at sixty (60).

In the beginning, there was a time when there was no cooking rice at night, so they boiled the flour husk and ate it themselves and the girls also spent the night eating it. On other days, he spent his days eating boiled rice with the students.

He has repeatedly appealed for help in various government departments including MLAs and MPs. But to date no help has reached them. But I have to thank Jhargram Panchayat Samiti. They built four (4) toilets and two (2) bathrooms from 2017-18. A gentleman named Anil Patwari has given a submersible pump for water. Kaushalya Devi of Medinipur has bought a Toto for girls to go to school. This is how 12 years of this organization have passed.

In addition to the work of this organization, he regularly takes helpless sick people to the hospital, donates blood if necessary. He also donated food and clothes to the poor and helpless people, just as new clothes were bought for the girls of the ashram at various festivals.

Shri Pradeep Mahat is a craftsman of dreaming of neglected, helpless girls. His activities will inspire future generations. He may not be a teacher by profession. But on his own initiative he is fighting tirelessly for the children (free) of the orphaned or miserable backward families of the society. He is a shining example to the society. This year (2021) this exceptional teacher has been honored with "Medini-Acharya" by 'Midnapore-dot-in'.

Arindam Bhowmik

midnapore.in

Published on 26.09.2021 (202 Birthday of Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar)

From 2020 onwards ‘Midnapore-Dot-In’ is celebrating Vidasagar’s English & Bengali birthday as ‘TEACHERS DAY’ of undivided Medinipur District.