IPS officer Suraj Singh Parihar’s dream of opening a book bank, specially equipped with competition books, so that aspirants of UPSC or other exams such as Bank PO, CGPSC, SSC, Sub Inspector entrance, Railway entrance, etc do not face a difficult time in acquiring study material for preparation has finally been accomplished!
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, he expresses his exhilaration at the inauguration of the book bank.
INAUGURATION OF THE BOOK BANK
On repeated demands by the tribal youth of Chhattisgarh’s newest district, Gaurela-Pendra- Marwahi, Mr. Parihar had decided to launch a book bank exclusively dedicated to the poor, needy, and tribal children who wished to prepare for competitive exams. For this book bank, he had appealed to the public, through social media mainly, to donate as many books as possible.
Mr. Parihar had talked about the matter with us in detail, which was covered in our story: Creating a Book Bank for the Tribals.
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi is the newest (28 th ) district in Chhattisgarh and recently completed one year of its existence. As a birthday gift to the district, Mr. Parihar presented the locals with the new book bank which was inaugurated in the first week of February 2021. These books are available for anyone who needs them in the district and will be issued absolutely free of cost.
“Students were coming to me enquiring about the opening of the book bank and when they will be able to issue their library cards and start their preparations. As soon as I got free from elections and VIP visits, I inaugurated the bank so that these students could begin their journey on the path to success,” Mr. Parihar told Indian Masterminds.
‘POLICE KI PATHSHALA’
Any new project or venture requires a name through which people are able to connect and understand its importance.
“I wanted to go for a name that developed a kind of emotional connection with the people and at the same time boost morale of the police force; therefore, I decided to name the book bank after the martyred head constable of our Zila – Shri Shiv Narayan Baghel.”
Naming it after the head constable ensured the force that no matter whatever post they are on, in the eyes of the government and people, they are all equal and praiseworthy. Another message that the library imparts is that by making use of the books accumulated in the book bank, youth should walk on the path of righteousness and do something for their country instead of becoming a naxal or a criminal.
The inauguration of the library was done by the daughter of martyred Shiv Narayan Baghel and the event was honored by the presence of Range IG – Shri Ratan Lal Dangi, who is a source of inspiration for the youth of the region.
“The residents are extremely excited and look forward to utilizing the book banks to the fullest,” said Mr Parihar.
CLEANLINESS DRIVE IN THE DISTRICT
On the occasion of completion of one year of the establishment of the district, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Mr. Parihar, and his team also took out a cleaning and beautification drive across the district.
On top of that, the District administration, along with civil administration and police force, launched the `Arpa Mahotsav’, which was a two-day festival during which various literary and sports events were organized day and night. The program commenced on February 9 th and filled the air with music, dance, and folk songs.
“The district laps the origin of various rivers and we launched the campaign to clean, paint and beautify these river banks. Moreover, we are also motivating residents to cycle around the district in order to keep fit. I have the vision to uplift the people with regard to education and fitness, and help them in realizing their own capacity” Mr. Parihar told Indian Masterminds.
Mr. Parihar had been helping the youth for a long time by conducting various webinars, where he imparted important tips regarding preparations. Due to his busy schedule, the webinar speed had dropped a little, but he assures his students that he will soon pick up the pace again and come back to the forefront in full swing.
