A smile on every child’s face: MLA Pathania launches unique initiative

Kewal Singh Pathania, Shahpur MLA and Deputy Chief Whip of the Congress in the Vidhan Sabha, has launched a unique initiative aimed at bringing smiles on children’s faces and attracting them towards government schools.

Besides being a seasoned politician with roots in student politics, Pathania has also stepped into the realm of social service and constituted an NGO — Shahpur Welfare Society — dedicated to community welfare and humanitarian assistance.

With financial support from philanthropists and his own personal contributions, Pathania has extended help to several families affected by the rain-related disasters in the region recently. “The government machinery takes time to complete formalities before extending aid but those who have lost their homes, belongings or loved ones need immediate attention,” he says. “It was after witnessing their suffering that I decided to form the NGO to serve people,” he adds.

Pathania has initiated a series of welfare programmes for the students of government schools. Earlier, he had distributed sweaters, tracksuits and shoes and now he was gifting schoolbags to every student from pre-nursery to Class V in all government primary schools in his Shahpur Assembly constituency.

He says that he has distributed bags in almost every school in the area and the “joy and confidence visible on the children’s faces stand out as a true measure of the success of the initiative”.

Pathania dismisses suggestions that the initiative is aimed at gaining political mileage. “It’s not a publicity stunt,” he says. “The idea is to attract and retain children in government schools. Private schools are drawing away students in large numbers, but it’s high time we increase enrolment in our government schools, which are better in many ways,” he adds.