Former UP child beggar scores 63% in Class X, aspires to be 'Agniveer'

AGRA: Sher Ali has a spring in his step and stars in his eyes ever since the Uttar Pradesh Board exam results were declared on Saturday. The 17-year-old, who was begging on streets till a few years ago, passed the class X exams with 63% marks and has become a role model for 40-odd families living in a 'jhuggi' cluster near the secondary education department office in Sadar sub-division of Agra district.
Most of the families here are involved in rag-picking and their children are forced to beg on the streets. Ali's parents are illiterate, so are almost all his neighbours with no one having studied till class X.
Ali, who scored most in English (80 out of 100), lives in an 8x8 ft hut with his parents and eight other siblings. The hut has no electricity.
Speaking to TOI, the teenager credited a local child rights activist, Naresh Paras, for pulling him out of begging and getting him admitted to school.
"My exam results have given me confidence to aim higher. I am now aiming to join the Indian Army through the Agnipath scheme and serve the country," he said.
Sher Ali’s father, Rangi Ali, said, “My child understood the importance of education and fought against all odds to qualify high school exams. All the kids in my neighbourhood look up to him now.” "My brother encouraged me to study and I am now a class nine student,” Ali’s younger sister Nirjala said. His mother, Sahbeen, said, “My child went hungry on many occasions, but never missed studying. It only required a jug of water and candlelight for him to study for hours in the quietness of night.”
It was never easy for the slum dwellers to send their kids to study. Paras faced a lot of resistance to convince the parents. In fact, after several rounds of counselling, parents agreed but the principal of a government school nearby did not allow admission as “child beggars remain untidy and stink”. Paras with help of the then additional director (basic education) Girijesh Chaudhary later managed to enroll 36 students in 2014. Sher Ali was one of them. Sharing Ali's journey, Paras said, “He has a lot of potential. Apart from doing well in his studies, he has won several medals at state and district-level sporting events, including athletics and weightlifting.
To boost his confidence, I introduced him to theatre and dancing. He has acted in four plays. Ali has been staging dance performances at major events in Agra like Taj Mahotsav. He is now training hard to join the Indian Army as an Agniveer.” Ali said, “Paras sir has been a huge support. After Class 8, he admitted me to a government-aided secondary school. He arranged books, stationery and personally tutored me for the board exam”