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Back to the roots

Inspired by the flick Swades, NRI gives up offers of settling abroad to open a school for rural kids

Arundhati Ranade / Vidya Ranade

Posted On Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 04:33:35 AM

Students at BoB PRIMAAN school enjoying a meal

Arun Banerjee, founder BoB PRIMAAN school

He was a naval officer and later worked as a consultant in underwater inspection jobs in several western countries. He had lucrative offers from countries like US, UK but he gave it all up.

Because he thought he owed something to his country! This is the story of Arun Banerjee, who chose to live his dream of setting up an English-medium school in India.

Arun has set up his first international school for rural students in Mauje village. “I was working on international projects but the thought of settling there never came to my mind.

This was primarily because of my strong connection with my roots,” Arun Banerjee told Mirror. “I always wanted to do something for my country.

I was making enough profit from my offshore consultancy and wanted to spend it for a cause in India. I was really impressed with Swades and got the exact idea of what I could do for my country,” Banerjee explained.

He bought some land near Hinjewadi, about 28 km from Pune and started an experiment of teaching English to rural children.

He started he endeavour in four small rooms. “I had to go door to door convincing people to send their wards to an English-medium school.

They were not confident, as they thought language might be a barrier. Gradually, they realised and now the number of students in the school is 430.

We follow CBSE syllabus here,” Banerjee recalled. The students come from 26 villages and 10 urban locations.

Arun Banerjee’s wife Suparna, a management expert and visiting faculty in some of city’s top hotel management institutes runs the school when Arun travels abroad for his work. She is the director (operation) of BoB PRIMAAN school.

Banerjee explains why he chose Mauje for setting up his school. “Although this rural area is in a vicinity of the developed IT city, it is still miles away from development.

The rural people are not educated and have already lost their land to development projects. Some of them got money out of it but couldn’t do anything concrete for their future.

Quality education is far away. Naturally, they couldn’t be a part of the posh societies sprouting in their vicinity. Like all other fringed villages in India, it is the basic health and education is needed in this part of Maharashtra.”

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