Dr. Singal initiated the Bal Biradari project, wherein children from slums who have left their schooling are convinced to continue their studies. He started this program in one of the crime inflicted slums, Phulenagar Jhoparpatti in Nashik. The project is still being run under the able guidance of Sh. Somnath Rathi.
During his tenure as the SP Nagpur Railways and as the Commissioner of Railways in Mumbai, he started two residential schools for the runaway children found on the railway platforms. He continues to support and guide them for their better future.
On one of his journeys on the ‘Shatabdi’ train, Dr. Singal was immensely moved by a child who boarded the train at a station. Around seven to eight years old, the child removed his shirt as he entered their coach and started cleaning the floor. He then started begging. There were some foreigners in the same compartment witnessing the plight of the homeless little child. This immensely pained Dr. Singal as the child should have been in school rather than where he happened to be.
On another occasion, he saw three sisters between the age group of 11 and 14 at the platform, when he disembarked at the Gondia station. They were into rag picking and other such menial jobs. Dr. Singal was shocked by the fact, how vulnerable and susceptible those girls were to various miscreants and criminal activities.
These incidents had a major impact on Dr. Singal and he started working on it. He spoke to some like-minded officers and with their help he started supporting these homeless children. These children are pursuing their education and are aiming to achieve high in life.
Image Credits: Dr. Ravinder Singal. Subject to Copyright.