Autobiography At A Glance- Sukhchain Singh Sidhu, Chairman,Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda) -Punjab-INDIA
When India got independence in 1947 , many Indian and Pak families suffered a big set back by losing the lives of their near and dear ones. My family was also one of them. My grandmother , father and aunt (Bhua) escaped alive from village Jajjal Tehsil Kasur District Lahore whereas my grandfather and others family members were killed there. My family was allotted 24 acres of land in village Bhadru, Makhu Road hardly five kilometers away from Ferozepur city. At that time land was not so fertile so my father decided to sell that land and bought virgin land somewhere else. That decision laid the foundation of our ill-days. Unluckily land was sold at hefty price according to that situation but money was misused by our relatives and went waste and even not an acre purchased.
By the grace of God I was born on 20 March 1964 in quite poor and landless family for tireless struggle. My childhood stage was of full of sorrows and inferior complexities hence my sorrows were my best companions . As a matter of fact those sorrows and ill days proved blessings in disguise and made me determined how to succeed with hard work. I dreamt to become an officer in my life but the fate willed otherwise. I was admitted in Govt Primary School in my village where my teachers Madam Devki and Madam Kamlesh Rani pitied and loved me much .That was very difficult for my parents to pay the fee of govt. school. Then my teachers paid my fee in lieu of hen eggs handed over by my mother. After passing vth class then I was admitted in Govt High School Attari where I remained in the good book of my teachers Madam Sudharshan, Maini Madam, Madam Shashi Kanta, Madam Kashmir Kaur , Sharda Madam, Batra and Subash sirs all were much co-operative who motivated and encouraged me because of my hard work. At that time my family passed the days earning money selling milk and ghee. I sold ghee to my teachers who paid me money to earn our livelihood. With the able guidance of my teachers I changed my school and given admission in Govt. Senior Secondary School Ferozepur in matriculation. I was forced by the adverse and poverty stricken circumstances to leave education incomplete.
My parents granted me very good opportunity to do medical after tenth but my concentration was diverted to improve poor condition of my home because I remained mentally upset and under tremendous stress and strain as there were my four sisters and younger brother whereas nothing was at home to survive further. On the other hand my father did his best to make our life better but means of income were limited. I started thinking to improve the most miserable and pitiable condition of my home rather than my own career. I was running from pillar to post to find any petty job.---First of all I worked in District court Feroezpur as a clerk of a lawyer for some months where I earned Rs five to fifteen per a day. After that I worked in Spinning Mill Malout on Muktsar Road as laborer in hope that I might be enrolled permanently there whereas my salary was Rs 150 per month and I had to attend my duty covering about sixteen kilometers on bi-cycle from village Kabarwala situated on Abohar Road.
In the meantime I was doing my best efforts to be recruited in Indian Army but physically I was not so fit hence I was rejected again and again. By virtue of good luck I succeeded to get a temporary job of constable in 301 Bn BSF (Auxiliary) in 1984 . My salary was Rs 450 per month with free food and accommodation in tents in Jalandhar . Actually that BSF Battalion was raised only for the purpose of Election duty which was disbanded just after completion of General Election when Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister of India.
Once again I was on footpath of sorrows which have been troubling me since my childhood. Luckily some temporary constables were recruited as permanent constables .God listened my prayer and I was enrolled permanent constable in BSF . I completed my basic training of constable at Kharkan Camp Hoshiarpur district in Punjab. After completing successful training at STS Kharka I was deployed on border in 29 Bn BSF Khemkaran district Amritsar in --1985. My unfulfilled dream of education was haunting upon my mind. I requested my senior officer to grant me permission to study further which was granted without any hiccup that proved a landslide change in my life. I completed my graduation in 1987 through Gyani when I was in 46 BN BSF at Ajnala Border in Distt Amritsar. During that time I appeared in departmental conversion test from constable to NK (RO ) (Naik Radio Operator) test in Jalandhar which I got through successfully.
Thereafter I was sent to Frontier HQ BSF Jalandhar to complete my training of one year in 1988. I completed my training in ORL III grade in Batch 187 and then transferred to DIG HQ BSF Rajouri (Jammu & Kashmir)
There was no any change in my love for education after promotion and appeared & passed MA-I (English) there . I was habitual to get up early in morning before 2 am daily to study. I wanted to achieve something extra-ordinary which was not possible in force. I was unable to bring a big change in the life of my family members who were facing same ill days there . Such adverse condition of my family disturbed me although I was very far away from them. I could not forget the baffling circumstances of home. As and when I were on leave at home I plead my father to leave village where we were leading hellish life without any hope of improvement of financial state but my father was unwilling to leave village as he --felt an insult before his rivals that he left the village out of fear. But after continued efforts I pursuaded my father to change our residence from Bhadru
Fortunately my family shifted from Ferozepur to Talwandi Sabo Distt Bathinda in 1991 where my father purchased a kanal of land for house situated on Bathinda Road opposite Sri Dasmesh Sr Sec School Talwandi Sabo. I applied for earned leave and built a three room house as I and my brother stayed in Gurudwara Baba Budha Dal where my relative was staying with his family who supported and sheltered us till the construction of our house was over.
After constructing my house I reported back for duty in Rajouri. In Sri Dashmesh Sr Sec School Talwandi Sabo there was a teacher namely Mr Balwinder Singh Brar who had a special emotional attachment with my father as his own father suggested and guided me to join teaching line because he came to know from my father that I was quite upset due to unwanted circumstances of my family. As it is said that not taking the risk is the greatest risk in our life. I took the greatest risk to resign from permanent service and joined as private teacher in National Public School Maur Mandi .
My salary was Rs 700 per month and some time my pocket was empty to pay for bus fare then I sat with students who went from Talwandi Sabo to Maur Mandi for study in Khalsa School Maur Mandi.. What I wanted to do that started to knock at my door. I tried for teaching job in Talwandi Sabo and succeeded to secure teaching job in private schools at local level. I started to teach as a tutor to the tiny tots of KG classes that gave me good response. The parents started to show trust in my teaching.
In 1993 I got marriage in Patiala . My wife was BA –I was then. She started her further education with the support of my family. After marriage I was not then alone who was fighting against poverty , my beautiful and co-operative wife stood with me like a rock . We both and even my brother who studied in 10th started to teach as tutors to students . Our economic condition started to improve with tuition’s income means that was better than earlier. We all were busy in teaching and learning and did not see back. My brother namely Major Singh who was studious completed his MBA, MA, B.Ed. and now working as govt. school Mahi Nangal in Bathinda .
In 1999 I and my wife opened a private school namely Universal Public School in two room rented building near Telephone Exchange Talwandi Sabo with 56 students. By the grace of God we both continued our education. Now my wife is MA (Punjabi, Hindi, Political Science, History, Philosophy, Sociology ), M.Ed. I also improved my study from MA English to MA (Hindi, Political Science, Public Administration, Philosophy , Sociology ) B. Ed. By dint of hard mental labor I taught as an English tutor up to Graduation classes but never taught only for the sake of money , did my best to secure the future of students whose rural parents found very difficult to make their both ends meet.
My all sisters were married. My younger brother was married to my sister-in-law Dr Lakhwinder Kaur Sidhu who is Ph.D (Zoology), M.Phil (Gold Medalist),PGDCA, Diploma in CCF and B.Ed .Now She is serving Science Mistress in Govt School. In 2002 we constructed 15 class rooms . Now school has more than 60 class rooms in which about 2000 students are being imparted value based education with all round development of students with the kind support of about 90 worthy teachers
True writing in the beginning of my teaching career it was a source of income but now it has become passion of me and my God gifted wife and teaching staff to ensure the safe and secure future of our students who belong to rural area. I am in firm belief that only education has played a marvelous and significant role for my family in the beginning and it must play same role for our society. It is rightly said instead of giving an example we must become an example because actions speak louder than words and heavy wagons do not make a noise. We expect our students and teachers must chase that motive of life.We are lucky enough because we are teaching such students whose fathers and mothers were also our students . I can say that God is merciful to me due to that our land was sold and due to grace of God I experienced many ups and downs with struggling spirit. I would like to say that days which I considered ill days actually those days had not been experienced by me I could not have been able to hit my target to do something for society.
I am a BIG ZERO in my life if I am doing nothing for my students who are real source of income for me and my teachers means they have secured our future then who will secure their life – only me, my wife and my laborious ,devoted, dedicated ,determined teaching staff. Pardon me if I wrote something exaggeratedly.
Yours children’s well- wisher
Sukhchain Singh Sidhu
Chairman
Universal Public Senior Secondary School
Talwandi Sabo Distt Bathinda Punjab – India
151302
Email address ups.tal@gmail.com website https://upstalsabo.com
