Hearty response to Teach India call

It was a clarion call, and Kolkata responded with heart. At the induction meeting of TOI's Teach India campaign on Saturday, there were volunteers young and old retired government employees rubbing shoulders with postgraduate students, techies, businessmen and management students united in their mission: to give a better future to those less fortunate than themselves.
The clock was yet to strike 10 am, and there were already 300 volunteers outside the campuses of Jadavpur University (JU) and Lady Brabourne College.As the first day of the induction ended, more than 650 of them registered with the five enlisted NGOs for the campaign CLPOA, IPER, Sanlaap, Vikramshila and Tiljala Shed.
"Being an IT professional, I am off on Saturdays and Sundays. It will be a great opportunity to serve the nation on weekends," said Rajarshi Dey, one of the early comers at JU.
The enlisted NGOs discussed with the volunteers how to go ahead with the project. The latter will be assigned to teach children at different centres across the city. On Sunday, orientations will be conducted at Presidency College, St James' School and MP Birla Foundation.
Achintya Bhattacharya, secretary of CLPOA, said the objective of the programme was good and innovative. "It provides citizens a way to contribute to society. We want to involve our volunteers in motivating the guardians of underprivileged children, too" he said.
"I have to travel from Bhowanipore to Kidderpore. Although the route is odd, I don't mind," said Sita Dubey, who will jointly work as a volunteer with her elder brother Loknath.
Utpal Kanti Basu, a teacher in his sixties, was excited at the opportunity. "I always wanted to teach poor and needy children. But I did not know where to start. Now, besides teaching only my school students, I can also teach the underprivileged," he said. Basu is an old hand at Teach India, volunteering for the second year.
The NGOs also welcomed the initiative. Ilona Bhattacharya, the programme coordinator of Sanlaap, said: "The initiative will help us inculcate a sense of responsibility among citizens. At the same time, we will get a chance to help the underprivileged in a big way. Thank you, Times of India."