At dusk, the coolies of INA market turn schoolies

Amid the bustling INA market, you could spot young men in maroon shirts with a badge which says ''INA market coolie''. Carrying heavy crates of vegetables, fruits and running errands for the shopkeepers, they wait for exhausting day’s end to enter the exciting world of books.

For them, the hard of the day is hazy memory as they attend the night school started by Ritinjali, an NGO. The night school, located in the Navyug School premises opposite INA market was started in 2005, but has survived, unlike many other NGO initiatives.

“Many NGOs start night schools, but these are capsule projects lasting a few months. There are hardly any night school running in the city. We have a curriculum, space is also allotted by the government. The biggest hurdle is paucity of teachers who can avail few hours in the night to teach for free,” says Divya Sharma, projects head of Ritinjali.

The school caters to boys aged 12 to 28 years. They work in INA market during the day and attend the night school from 9 pm to 10:30 pm.

“There are 30-40 students in my class. They are not like the regular students. Many are runaways, who work for 12-14 hours at a stretch daily with no weekly offs. All of them are migrant workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. “Once their work is over, they want to rush home, cook their food, eat and sleep so that they can wake up early next morning for another hard day. Convincing them to attend classes everyday is a task,” said Nandkishore, teacher and their friend.

Despite the age criteria, the school is open for all. Sonu, a frail eight-year-old, who works in his father’s tea shop in the market, is the youngest in the class.

“He wants to study and likes the informal interaction and learning here. And he is the favourite of all. This school is open for all; we don’t say no to anyone who wants to study,” added Nandkishore.

Harish, 24, from Gonda district in UP ran away from home. Ambitious and full of beans, the young labourer, who also doubles as a parking attendant in the market, aspires of starting a business.

“I know how to drive a car; I want to now change my job and become a driver and then later start my own business in my village. For all that, I need to study,” said Harish with dreamy eyes.

Ramnath, 28, who never attended school before, can now write and read a bill; he does complex maths and can use a calculator without help.

“I have to do a lot of number crunching, including the number of vegetables and fruit crates supplied and sold. Initially, I could not understand if the amount of money I am getting is right or less, but now I can calculate it myself ,” says a confident Ramnath.

“Here they laugh, joke and learn. For few hours they become kids again,” says Nandkishore. That is the gift that the night school constitutes for the workers of the market.