LUCKNOW: The call from the District Magistrate caught Ram Sewak off gaurd; the 16-year-old, the first from his village to clear the Class 10 board exams, hardly understood the gravity of his accomplishment. ‘How would he face the officer without shoes on his feet?’ – that was all he could think about. “When DM sahab called me to honour me, I had neither proper clothes nor shoes. In fact, it was the first time I wore shoes in my life,” Ram Sewak says.In 78 years of Independence, Ram Sewak became the first from Nizampur village in UP’s Barabanki to pass a board exam, securing 55% marks.What makes him stand out though is his struggle against the odds, inspiring many like him to follow the suit and pursue education.Nizampur, some 28 km interior of the district headquarters, has population of 300. The village comprisises a paved road, a primary school, and a temple. Most of the men from the village are engaged as daily wagers. So is Ram Sewak’s father Jagdish Prasad.In marriage processions, Ram Sewak carries lights on his head to bring in some extra income for the family. The hut in which the family of seven, comprising Ram Sewak, his father Jagdish Prasad, mother Pushpa, two younger brothers and two sisters, put up, has two rooms and a thatched roof. One room houses fodder for the cattle and other room is used to house the whole family.
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