Divine Intervention

These boys begin their day with chants of Ram-Raksha shloka,a habit that Sumangala Suryavanshi has helped cultivate

These boys begin their day with chants of Ram-Raksha shloka,a habit that Sumangala Suryavanshi has helped cultivate

Sumangala Suryavanshi,a retired class one government officer,has taken up the initiative of giving the boys in her housing colony a completely new lifestyle. From their behavior to dressing to table manners,she has taught them all. “These boys used to create a lot of chaos and troubled every one during their playtime. So I thought of doing something that would be interesting and also good for the boys,” she says. She started ‘Ram-Raksha’ classes for about 12 of these boys,all aged between five-13 years,in her house. Every morning,when the boys get up,the first thing they do is get ready and head to Suryavanshi’s house,do one hour of Ram-Raksha shloka recitals,and then continue with their day.

Being boys,they were reluctant at the start on learning these shlokas,but now they enjoy it thoroughly. “One month back when I started these classes,they were not very keen but now they request me to teach them for extra time. It has for sure helped them,” says Suryavanshi. She herself learns the Bhagwat Geeta and also runs a laughter club,for free,which has attracted around 70 members already. She always prefers being active and occupied instead of sitting at home and doing nothing and recommends her friends to do the same.

The boys and Suryavanshi have developed a very friendly relationship which makes it easier for the boys to come to her with their problems and other issues which they cant share with their parents. “We are friends. I play cricket and football and other games with them during their play time. We talk,joke,laugh and spend good time together.” The students have also reduced their drinking of Coca-Cola and have resorted to a healthier lifestyle – they eat regular meals,they dress neatly,and have learnt to respect people.

Even if a boy enters the class and sees that his friends are missing,he will attend the class with as much interest. “They have picked up the shlokas very quickly and I just help them with the pronunciation,which is a little difficult for them. These boys are gifted and I am just helping them to develop a better mind set.”

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