PATIALA: Life was never a cakewalk for them. Torn between the desire to pursue education and an obligation to earn their livelihood, Gurjant Singh and Sarbjit Kaur tried to strike a balance between the two.
These two children of ragpickers on Thursday succeeded in taking the first step towards a better future by clearing the state-level Joint Entrance Test (JET) and securing admission in three-year diploma courses.
The two, along with their parents, reside in ragpickers colony in Patiala. Singh has secured admission in diploma in computer in Thapar Polytechnic, while Kaur has chosen information technology in Government Polytechnic for Girls, Patiala.
After completing their studies, the two, unlike other students, want to tread the path less travelled.
‘‘I’ve secured 1,384 rank without any tuition. I want to teach children of my colony, as, like me, most of them aspire to study, but their parents want them to work. Moreover, they don’t have money to pay for education,’’ said Gurjant Singh. Sarbjit said she wanted to start a project for the uplift of her colony’s girls. In class X, Singh had secured 77% and Kaur 65% without any tuition.
Due to the consistent efforts of Malwa Arts Sports Cultural and Educational Trust, parents have started sending their wards to primary school.
