It is to Sir with love (Sri. Sunil Ganvit, hostel warden) and to AIM for Seva (Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Dungri, Gujarat) and Atul sir (Sri. Atul Dave, hostel coordinator) with love that has defined alumnus Sri. Vishalbhai Manojbhai Vasava’s life.
He joined the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Dungri, Gujarat, in 2014 and he was there till he completed his class 9 and 10.
It was a rough beginning for Vishalbhai. He had to repeat standard 10 again as he had failed the exam in his first attempt. He was already an object of ridicule in his village. It was then that the hostel warden, Sri. Sunil Ganvit came to Vishalbhai’s rescue.
The result was late night tutoring and grammar correction under the dim lights. “Sunil sir not only sacrificed his sleep but also taught me an important lesson that If you stay awake today, your entire future will shine one day,” recollects Vishalbhai very warmly.
In particular, Vishabhai is all praise for Sri. Sunil Ganvit’s tough love approach. “One day, just before the exam, sir checked my test paper and saw the same old mistakes. He berated me very strongly,” reminiscences Vishalbhai.
That anger became a turning point for Vishalbhai. “Initially, I thought of running away from the hostel. But after my tears subsided, a realisation dawned over me that sir had nothing to gain and he did what he did because he cared deeply for me. That awakened me and I realised that if I don’t concentrate and focus and work hard, I would end up betraying his faith in me,” recounts Vishalbhai.
It was not just carrot and stick. The Dungri Chatralayam was a storehouse of many happy memories too for Vishalbhai. “When I first entered the gates of Dungri hostel, a sense of hesitation overpowered me. But as I settled in, I realized that this place was different. It was just not food and shelter, but a sanctuary of values. Morning prayers, disciplined routines, simplicity, slowly I realized that success in life requires not just textbook knowledge, but discipline,” he shares.
After Class 10, Vishalbhai moved back to his village Valpor in Netrang taluk, Bharauch district, to complete schooling. The family’s main occupation is farming. Post high school, Vishalbhai did his B.A. and M.A., (Veer Narmad, South Gujarat University) in Hindi and also a B.Ed. In addition, he is also tech savvy having mastered key applications like Tally.
If that weren’t enough, Vishalbhai is currently in his last stage of his Phd dissertation in Hindi from Gujarat University. “Only three chapters remain and my research work explores 5 Adivasi Upanyas in Hindi and Gujarathi each,” he reveals.
Gujaratis are known to be clannish but that hasn’t stopped Vishalbhai from exploring a new language frontier altogether. “Yes, Gujaratis are more comfortable in speaking their native language and being amongst themselves, but I wanted to do something different with my studies and career,” he says with a smile.
Undoubtedly, celebrated Hindi novelist, Sri. Munshi Premchand tops Vishalbhai author list. Some of the famous short stories of the noted author include ‘Prayashchit’ (atonement), a humorous take on superstitious and centred on a north Indian family in early 20th century and Pandit Paramsukh’s exploitative demands while the more serious Bade Ghar Ki Beti shows the strength and wisdom of women in keeping joint families together and in the process demonstrating that true nobility lies in character rather than in wealth. “Once you go to depth of his novels and read between the lines, you get to understand the emotions and dynamics of it,” explains Sri. Vishalbhai.
He also likes another celebrated author, Ms. Mahadevi Verma’s works, a lot of which is centred around women. “There is a lot of colour to her poetry and it’s fascinating to absorb the nuances of the same,” he notes.
Of late, he is devoting to reading the works of Adivasi authors. Sri. Vishalbhai Manojbhai Vasava also makes it a point to regularly attend conferences and interact with other contemporary scholars. He reveals that three of his papers have been published in government approved journals in the recent past.
It’s been a long journey for Vishalbhai Manojbhai Vasava and once he gets his Phd degree under his belt from Gujarat University, he is certain of tenure track faculty positions in the near future. He has already cleared the UGC- NET (University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test) and this examination enables qualifying candidates to pursue academic careers in teaching and research.
And as per industry data, the starting salary of a UGC NET qualified assistant professor in a private university in India is upwards of Rs 35,000 per month. Right now, Sri. Vishalbhai Manojbhai Vasava is an ad hoc role as assistant professor at Shree Rang Navchetan Mahila Arts College, Valia, Bharuch, Gujarat. That is set to change once he gets a doctorate degree.
True to his nature, Vishalbhai Manojbhai Vasava hasn’t forgotten his roots and from where it all began. “The boy who once failed is now about to receive the title of ‘Dr.’ and stands as a professor shaping the next generation. When I stand in the classroom today and my students look at me with respect, I see that failed Grade 10 boy sitting on the last bench. I see the playground of Dungri Chatralayam, I see the face of Sunil sir. The sacred soil of Dungri gave me more than literacy, it educated me. Had I not received shelter in that hostel, I might have been a labourer today or crushed under the weight of failure. In many ways, the foundation of my success came from the bricks of the Dungri hostel and Sunil sir, the architect of my destiny,” he elaborates.
Well done Vishalbhai and our warm wishes to you for a fulfilling and enriching career ahead in the field of language and Hindi literature.