Skip to content Skip to navigation

Dreams come true for Vikas Vidyalaya

Many a times we leave just by saying..poor roads, no school, no awareness hence, no education for children. It indeed takes considerable and deliberate effort to educate a child, more so when he is from one of the most backward villages. Hattigarh is one such village in Udalguri district of Assam and as the name suggests Hatigarh was a place were elephants were trapped for hunting. Even today the village is as primitive as before, closeness of jungle, wildlife and underdevelopment has left all with less opportunities including quality education. Nevertheless of its wilderness, Hattigarh has one of the leading Tea Gardens which have a good produce and number of labourers are employed in the tea gardens neighbouring the region. And it is these labourers’ children who were being left out of schooling, basically due to lack of any facility in the near vicinity. 38 years back some kind hearted officers in olive green identified this problem and there was a humble beginning of the concept of a small school for children belonging to poor and backward sections of the society.

That was the beginning of the “Vikas Vidyalaya” at Hattigarh in Udalguri district of Assam with merely 120 students in five rooms converted into classrooms. “When you educate a boy child you educate a person but when you educate a girl child, you educate a family” said the Commanding Officer of Army and this was exactly the Vikas Vidyalaya is doing. The school at its inception could only aim to impart education to primary classes by managing teachers from within the forces deployed here and locals of the area.Vikas Vidyalaya grew from strength to strength and added students, teachers and infrastructure and today it stands tall with 567 students studying from Nursery to Class VII from the age groups of three to fourteen years. The school runs with self generating resources but provides quality education and is strictly following the syllabi slated by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The school is imparting quality education to children from the nearby Tea Gardens and poor people of the nearby villages. The school is also creating an employment opportunity for the locals and have involved them in this noble cause.

According to Principal of the school kind hearted officers used to adopt children by voluntarily offering to pay tuition fees since the school was established in 1976. The principal also said that the school has been organising summer camps for teachers for better education.He further said that the school has also been organising vacation classes for slow learning students during puja vacation.The school in the last 38 years has produced number of students who has excelled in their careers and on them the school is proud off. To include, some of the ex students of Vikas Vidyalaya, are Tea Estate Manager, Software Engineers, Businessman, teachers at reputed schools and five of the school teachers are its ex student.

Speaking to us Mrs Eva, a teacher who has spent 15 years in this school mentioned how the school nurtured her and today she is committed to teach young children of the region who are deprived of quality education. Mrs Hanufa another teacher of the school teaching in Vikas Vidyalaya for last 20 years mentioned how our friends of the Nation in Olive Green laid, its foundation and is still committed to this noble cause. He also mentioned in the past one year, the school has made considerable improvement of the infrastructure and modern amenities like computer lab, DTH for recreation of students, Aqua Guard and Water Cooler for safe drinking water and by her experience she is confident that this will further attract common man of the region and in sending their wards to the school, who otherwise are not able to afford quality education for his children. Master Asique Ali a LKG student fights with his parent to come to school even when he is unwell, as he gets to meet his friends, gets to play and learn only at the school. No one dare not advice him to be absent from the school even a single day.Ranjita Ghosh, a teacher of the school told correspondents that she was proud to be a teacher of the school.She has been teaching in the school since 2012. It needs mention that she too had been a student of this school. More than 1700 students have passed out in the last 38 years and are now aspiring to broaden their scope by adding higher classes.

Author info

Jayanta Kumar Das's picture

Environmental journalist.

Add new comment

Random Stories

Udalguri ready for counting of votes

18 May 2016 - 4:33pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
Udalguri District Election Office has been ready for counting of votes on May 19 for three assembly constituencies namely-64 Paneri,69 Udalguri (ST) and 70 Mazbat.Talking to media ND Pathak,District...

Ten Days Bharatnatyam dance workshop Concludes at Hojai

16 Jul 2018 - 7:27pm | Nikhil Mundra
Hojai:- A ten days Bharatnatyam dance workshop was held in Hojai initiated by Spondon Dance Academy under the supervision of national award winner Kalasambharam and Nrityabhushan Monjyotsna Hazarika...

Still India is in Endosulfan love

4 Sep 2010 - 9:26pm | editor
Endosulfan –‘the secret killer’ is still active in India whereas the United States has decided to ban the use of it recently after a lengthy scientific review. It is an inexpensive...

ABSU expresses concern over Boro Kochari Autonomous Council

4 Jan 2016 - 11:10pm | Hantigiri Narzary
The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) expressed serious concern over the declaration of Boro Kochari Autonomous Council on January 1 (2016) by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for the Boro peoples residing...

Other Contents by Author

Noted astronomy advocate of NE and secretary of Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers Association, Guwahati Planetarium Uday Narayan Deka breathed his last in the ICU in International Hospital, Guwahati on Thursday at 12.20 am. He had been suffering from kidney related ailments for last twenty days.He was born on September 8 in 1944.He had been working in RBI in Mumbai for twelve years till his joining in RBI Guwahati branch as a Manager.During his stay in Mumbai,he was elected as the Hony. Treasurer of Bombay Amateur Astronomers Association.In 2002 he was elected as the secretary of the Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers Association,Guwahati Planetarium.He was responsible for organising...
Noted astronomy activist of NE and secretary of Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers Association,Guwahati Planetarium Uday Narayan Deka breathed his last in the ICU in International Hospital, Guwahati today at 12.20 am.He had been suffering from kidney related ailments for last twenty days.He was born on September 8 in 1944.He had been working in RBI in Mumbai for twelve years till his joining in RBI Guwahati branch as a Manager.During his stay in Mumbai,he was elected as the Hony. Treasurer of Bombay Amateur Astronomers Association.In 2002 he was elected as the secretary of the Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomers Association,Guwahati Planetarium.He was responsible for organising village...
In a very tragic and barbaric incident, Puspanjali Das (19)wife of Chandan Debnath of Thakuriapara village under Bhergaon sub-division in Udalguri district has been burnt down alive on Saturday noon for non-payment of marriage dowry. The incident has shocked the district. The lady was put in a sac before thrown in a fire lighted in a heap of hay. Puspanjali was married to Chandan just three months bac. Narayan Debnath, father-in-law of Puspanjali has been arrested while trying to flee but all the family members managed to flee before being caught. Pranjal Bora, SDPO, Bhergaon told Assam Times that none involved in the incident would be spared.  
Music legend of undivided Darrang (presently Darrang, Udalguri and Sonitpur) Sisir Kumar Suni is now 84 years old being confined to his home only.He is still optimistic about systemic research and practice of traditional folk culture of Assam in their original style.Although forgotten by present day singers and producer directors of Assamese music world,Suni still busy with his never ending musical activities alone in his home at sleepy Bengbari just five KM away from Tangla town.Age could have restricted his bodily movements,but his talent and spirit still busy looking for new ideas.It had been his effort that Bodo folk dance "Kherai" was performed on stage for the first time during 1955."...
Asom Diwas was celebrated at sub-divisional HQ Bhergaon in Udalguri district with gaiety in memory of Chaolung Sukapha on December 2 with day long programme.The programme was organised by Bhergaon sub-divisional administration in association with Udalguri district administration.The celebration started with garlanding of the image of Sukapha at 10 am by DN Hazarika,ADC, Udalguri cum SDO (Civil),Bhergaon followed by an open discussion session on "Role of Sukapha in forming a greater Assam'.Noted teacher Binoy Kumar Medhi,retired  vice principal of Tangla College attended the discussion session as the appointed speaker.Speaking on the occasion,Medhi highlighted role of Sukapha in forming...
With the arrival of picnic time,Bhairabkunda,with all her virgin beauty is once again ready to welcome tourists and picnic lovers.Bhairabkunda has been a tourist destination since long back.But the tourist traffic flow had been disrupted during the days Assam and Bodo movements in eighty’s and ninety’s.But with peace returning to BTAD area people have started visiting Bhairabkunda again.Bhairabkunda has been unique always as the triangular meeting point of Assam,Arunachal and Bhutan.Fast flowing Dhansiri river  with crystal waters has been additional attraction always.The JFMC man made forest (Gedsimani Forest) with more than 14 lacs well grown tree saplings has been additional bonus...
Ajanta Devi,daughter of a villager of Balipota village near Kalaigaon has secured first class first position in Anthropology from Guwahati university in the recently declared MSc final examination.She has also been awarded  Manju Rani Goswami Borkakati Memorial Gold Medal by Guwahati university recently on November 26 in Guwahati.Her achievement has been lauded by the people of Kalaigaon as she is belonged to a family living in a remote village.She is the daughter of Basundhar Nath and Madhabi Nath of Balipota village near Kalaigaon.DN Hazarika,ADC,Udalguri;NC Boro,Inspector of Schools,Udalguri; president of Udalguri District Journalist Union etc  have congratulated her and...
At a time when government has been launching various new educational schemes for the benefit of the students and thousands of teachers are also being appointed,the plight of the students of a provincial High School in Udalguri district is telling other story.Situated in a remote village,ten KM away from Tangla town and fifteen KM from Kalaigaon town, Dhopguri High School has been running without even a single science or mathematics teacher for last four years ie since 2012.No science or mathematics classes had been held in class IX and X in the school during the period.The shocking news has come to light recently when students of the high school staged a demonstration in front of visiting...
”The passing of Assamese Language Bill in Assam Legislative Assembly while late Bishnu Ram Medhi was the Chief Minister of Assam,without consulting a few great tribal leaders of Assam who used to speak in Assamese language in Assam Assembly had been one of the causes for which Assamese language lost the faith of non Assamese tribal leaders during sixty’s”,so said Dr.Paramananda Rajbongshi, secretary of Asom Xahitya Xobha at the concluding session of the silver jubilee celebration of Kendukalai Sahitya Samaj,a branch of Asom Xahitya Xobha at Kalaigaon on November 19.Dr.Rajbongshi in his speech as the chief guest of the open session also appealed all the people of Assam to adopt Assamese...
The silver jubilee of Kendukalai Sahitya Samaj of Kalaigaon has been commencing at Kalaigaon with the hoisting of 27 number of Sabha flags on November 18 at 9 am.Twenty five distinguished people of Kalaigaon hoisted all the flags celebrationg completion of glorious twenty years of the branch of Asom Xahitya Xobha.Prominent among them were- Abul Hussain,president and Mahendra Saikia, founder president of the Kendukalai Sahitya Samaj, Kalaigaon; Jagadish Sarkar,EM,BTC;Maheswar Boro,MLA, Kalaigaon; Nabin Chandra Boro,Inspector of Schools, Udalguri etc. Earlier senior journalist Mukut Raj Sarma, secretary of the celebration committee welcomed all the guests with gamocha and spoke about the...