Tea vendor son tops Orissa JEE examinations

Tea vendor son top Orissa JEE examinations

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, June 15: A tea vendor’s son has topped in Orissa Joint Entrace Test examinations and has been selected to pursue medical studies.Deeapk Kumar Das, son of Rajendra Das, a tea vendor in Kolkata’s Tollygunge, had dreamt up making his son a doctor. Although poverty stood in his way, he took a firm decision to see his dream come true.When Deepak was barely seven years old, Rajendra along with fellow villagers left for Kolkata in search of work, leaving the child to the care of her mother Shantilata.Life was not that easy for the landless Rajendra in the city of joy. He worked as an assistant in tea shop and then started his own tea shop on the footpath.“It was a grim struggle in my initial days in Kolkota. Later, I started selling tea in earthen pots on the city’s pavements. Finally, I managed to earn enough money to save for my family and for my children’s studies,” said Rajendra. Rajendra used to send nearly Rs 3,000 each month for his family’s maintenance. A sizeable chunk of the amount was spent towards Deepak’s studies.“He was the most sincere one of my four children and I had resolved to make him successful in life. I am happy that my mission has been accomplished. He was hardworking and industrious,” said an ecstatic Rajendra.Rajendra has taken a few days off from his job to share the success of his with family. Deepak studied in the local Oriya medium Marichipur High School. He had come out in flying colours in the HSC examinations with 83 per cent marks. On the advice of his school teachers, for better academic and teaching facilities, his parents sent him to SCS College in Puri where he stayed in the college hostel and scored over 80 per cent marks in higher secondary science courses.Deepak then moved to the house of Rajendra’s old friend in Bhubaneswar where he prepared for the JEE test. Deepak feels that God’s blessings apart, guidance of his teachers and well-wishes of friends, paved the way for his success in the JEE test. “I have witnessed many persons dying without proper medical care in my village. I will try to serve the poor and deprived villagers after I become a doctor,” Deepak said.The tea vendor has no immediate plans to give up his job in Kolkota. “I have many miles to go. I have to continue my job to provide funds for my son’s studies,” Rajendra said.

orissa politics

orissa politics