Retired school teacher donates Rs 1 lakh for children’s welfare

In a rare gesture, a retired school teacher has donated Rs 1,00,000 for the welfare of children who were coming from economically disadvantaged background.

Shibprasad Bhattacharya was the retired history teacher of Joygachi Shyamaprasad Vidyaniketan in North 24-Paraganas. He is also a trained Rabindrasangeet singer. Bhattacharya, whose passion is making pencil sketches, also held an exhibition at his house in the late 1990s. 

His exhibitions were held in gallery Gold in South Kolkata and Ajanta Art Gallery in Barasat.  

He has donated the money for the welfare of the children at Sishu Niketan in Shantiniketan. Established by Supriyo Thakur in 1999, the   residential institution looks after children coming from economically challenged families and many of the students have no one to look after them. Some of the inmates are also studying at colleges in Kolkata. Some have gone outside Bengal for higher studies.

But along with formal education, the children are given special classes on music and dance and almost all the inmates can either sing or dance particularly Rabindranritya. 

Bhattacharya, who was a teacher for more than three decades, said it was our duty to stand by those who were weak. If given proper infrastructure and training they can shine in life. 

“I simply did not duty and request people to come forward and stand by the unfortunate to bring them to the mainstream of life.”