2022 brought with it good news for eight children living in Bilaspur prison premises in Chhattisgarh, as Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Alung, IAS, got them admitted to prestigious schools in the district. This was his new year’s gift to them. 

Indian Masterminds had featured him last year for a similar gesture when the officer admitted a six-year-old girl living in jail premises into one of the topmost private schools of the district. At that time, he was posted as the District Collector of Bilaspur.

Read the story here: Rescuing A Girl From Prison

And, as the new year dawned this time, Mr. Alung yet again reached out to eight children living in prison and gave them the gift of good education, a thoughtful gesture appreciated by all.  In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the 2004-batch IAS officer talked about his efforts to give children growing up in prisons a better life.

A NEW YEAR GIFT

This New Year’s, the children residing in the jail premises of Bilaspur prison received a thoughtful gift of education from the divisional commissioner. These children live in the free spaces in jails for no fault of theirs. 

“If the parents of the child are put behind bars for some crime that they have committed, the child also has to go with them, as either there is no one to take care of them back home or their extended family has broken all ties with them,” Mr. Alung said.

In such a case, the children accompany their parents to the prison and stay there till they turn eighteen. Due to lack of proper education and connection with the outside world, the young brain doesn’t develop in a socially acceptable way and there is a risk of the children taking the same path as the parents and other people in the jail that they have grown up around.

LET’S GO TO SCHOOL

Dr. Alung witnessed the plight of these children and came forward with the thoughtful initiative that has people heaping praises on him from all across the country. The IAS officer observed that eight young kids are living in the Bilaspur prison premises with their parents and their lives are getting wasted. 

Therefore, he decided to admit those eight children to reputed schools of the district for a better future. 

“I took permission from their parents and the jail authorities to send them to school. Once I received the green signal, I went to the reputed schools and had a word with the authorities there. I told them about the entire situation of the children, and they happily accepted them into the school,” Dr. Alung told Indian Masterminds.

PARENTS HAPPY AND PROUD

There are four boys and four girls among the eight children that the officer has admitted to the schools. Their ages range from six to thirteen years. By admitting them into reputed schools, the officer is hoping to integrate them into mainstream society.

Initially, these children were receiving education in nearby schools, but now they will be going to renowned schools that offer more facilities.

“A 13-year-old boy studying in Chhattisgarh Higher Secondary School, Bilaspur, has been admitted to Swami Atmanand Utkrisht School. One 11-year-old boy of class 5 from Shivaji Rao Primary School, Imlipara, a 7-year-old boy of class 3, a 6-year-old boy of class 1, an 8-year-old girl of class 4, and 9-year-old girl of class 5 were sent to Swami Atmanand English Medium School. Two girls of 13 and 14 years, who were studying in Devkinandan Higher Secondary School, will now study in Barjesh Hindi Medium School,” the officer informed.

The initiative has gone down very well with the parents who are happy and proud that their children will be now going to prestigious schools of the district and study for a good future.