Sarhad English Medium School, based at Katraj is at the outset, like any other education centre. But there is a crucial difference. Apart from imparting regular courses, the school preaches values like group harmony, humanity, and fraternity to its students, thus working towards creating better citizens.

Sarhad foundation, established by Sanjay Nahar, started the school in June 2003as a learning centre for deprived Kashmiri children. Many of them have lost either one or both their parents to the ill that hovers upon the fate of Kashmir. The school got the recognition as a CBSE affiliated school by the government in 2004. Today, as this initiative for the greater good of humanity completes four years, it has over 540 students with about 70 Kashmiri students who come from far-off places. The school campus has 12 classrooms, a student’s hostel, a separate ladies’ hostel, student mess and a huge playing ground. The school accomodates classes from nursery to standard eight and provides all the facilities of a residential campus to the Kashmiri students.

The centre also has caretakers for the Kashmiri students with dual responsibilities of fulfilling all basic needs of the wards under their care and acting as their emotional anchors. Mayur Masurkar is one such caretaker. He says, “These children treat me as their friend and are very comfortable in my company.” Shahida, another caretaker is herself a Kashmiri and has been working with the institution since its commencement. She was especially recruited for female students.

Sushma Nahar, principal, Sarhad English Medium School, says, “It was really difficult for these children to adapt initially.” She talked about the various issues they faced ranging from sanitation to eating habits from the language to the atmosphere. “As they come from cold regions, the climatic conditions here were difficult to overcome,” she adds.

In its first year, the school authorities took only 15 local students against 90 Kashmiri students. The logic behind the action was to focus on these children, as they demanded more attention. “Once these students became accustomed to the local environment, we started enrolling local students as well. The step was taken to introduce them to the local culture at the right time,” says Sushma Nahar.

The mission of this initiative is to equip the natives of the state to work for the development of their motherland and to bring about a change in the perception of Kashmiris towards the rest of India. And the results have started showing. “When these children go back to their hometowns in summers, their transformation by itself propagates the idea of better education among the locals there. As a result, we have received 600 applications for admissions this year,” says Gopal Kamble, trustee and founder member of the school.