His ring tone, “Santha Vahate Krishna Mai,” an old Marathi devotional song immortalised by the mellifluous singer-composer Sudhir Phadke, reflects his personality. “The song evokes praise for river Krishna, so serene, a symbol of stability. It teaches you to take sorrows and joys in your stride and spread peace,” says Sandip Kumar Salunkhe.
Salunkhe creates awareness and raises the confidence among the underprivileged to look at life “differently and positively.” Just as he did, overcoming immense opposition and obstacle in his pursuit to seek deliverance through education. Rising from a single-room tenement in Shirud, a village in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, this 35-year-old has improved lives of many.
His students come from all strata of the society and he takes immense pride every time he receives acknowledgment from them. The acknowledgements had come from young aspirants who benefitted after reading his first book on small success stories.
“The book started a spurt of responses for the youth and I was actually overwhelmed. I had known young people in my village suffering from an inferiority complex and I had pledged to awaken them, to stir them from this sorry state of mind. After all, I was from among them and I had never used any excuses in my life.”
Salunkhe began by producing a 15-page pamphlet about himself! “I am one of you and I’ve reached this far,” he reminded them. Within ten days, students had copied the pamphlet and circulated it in the nearby villages too. His house was flooded with offers from near and far. The revolution to study had begun and soon it spread its wings. Young boys, known for a daily schedule of home to paan tapri (shop) and paan tapri to home were now spending time at the village temple. Studying.
Their parents were pleasantly shocked. Hopes rose and ambitions fructified. Salunkhe had created that desire to learn and the youth in the entire district were responding encouragingly. If not all could clear the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) like Salunkhe, some could at least look to become police constable. Deepak Patil, a bonded labour, cycled 25 kilometres on roads without light daily to seek Salunkhe’s guidance. “Today, Patil is posted in Amravati as police sub-inspector,” Salunkhe informs.
His own story deserves a mention here. From a modest background, Salunkhe’s devotion saw him top the state board exams and continue in the same vein. He is currently the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax in Pune.
Salunkhe recalls how he taught 40 boys from his village. “Fourteen of them got picked as police constables. For a village of 500 it meant a lot.” When he was transferred to Nasik, 250 km from his place, he set up a second field of “warriors” to continue the good work. They took turns to teach with some innovative methods too like a crude tele-conferencing. “A mobile was connected to an amplifier and I would give lessons on phone,” says Salunkhe.
It was a not-to-be-missed appointment every Sunday for the teacher and his students. Salunkhe now concentrated on institutionalising the project. “I didn’t want any cult culture around me.” With a friend, Yajurvendra Mahajan, he set up a programme called Roots, which means return to your origins and organise. “Every village has one or two families economically sound. They should take the responsibility to educate youth in their villages.”
From funds collected, Salunkhe set up a library in his village, naming it Srijan, which means something that sprouts from nothing. His campaign provides free education to 600-odd students, mostly from modest backgrounds. “There is a tremendous awakening to sit for competitive exams now,” he asserts.
Salunkhe’s gives personal examples to motivate his students. “I tell them how once I stole money from home when I was in 9th and how I never repeated it. I also suffered from depression but never allowed it to bog me down. I wanted to share my success because I know someone will surely be motivated. We have to reach out to the needy.”
He did reach out to the needy to an extent that he received about 700 text messages, 250 letters and 250 emails after his first book was published in Marathi. “I know of seven cases who returned to education from the verge of committing suicide.”
Every message he receives is “bliss” for Salunkhe. His journey continues.
