Mr. Hara Prasad Hepruka
Sarpanch of Kuli Gram Panchayat, Rayagada
“Let’s make it (KISS) strong and proud KISSIANs.”
Mr. Hara Prasad Hepruka is today a proud alumnus of KISS D-U. Born on 10 February, 1992, to Kandha parents of Utkapadu village of Rayagada, Hara grew up with his four siblings amidst privation and hardship. Although the parents had little formal education, they understood the value accruing from education to their children. They struggled hard to raise the children, and Hara successfully completed his school and intermediate education. He enrolled as an undergraduate student at KISS D-U and took his Masters’ in Political Science from KISS D-U in 2013. Now he is Sarpanch of Kuli Gram Panchayat, Rayagada. He has won the distinction of having spread awareness and management of Covid-19 from the Chief minister’s Office. He also earned for his Panchayat the ‘Sushta Panchayat Award’. He tells us his story. Let’s listen to him.
I came from a very remote village where there was no good education facility, and we didn’t know the importance of education. Like every rural child, I was also simply without any ambition. Like any other youth of my area, I was also studying without aim or ambition. When I grew up, I became conscious of having to choose a career path. As we came into acquaintance with our school teachers, like any other child I too wished to be a teacher. I could not have dreamt of studies beyond +2 studies, with my poor finances. But I’m fortunate to have heard about KISS, and I joined this institution for pursuing higher education without paying a single rupee.
I can say for sure that KISS as an institution helps the poorest of the poor and the marginalized masses to become productive, self-independent and social useful. I belong to very remotely located and poor family under the BPL category. KISS provided me with a new life and helped me in acquiring higher education with wide exposure to lead a good life and to enter the mainstream society. It is no small achievement on my part to stand in civil society with dignity, being from a backward and marginalized community. Now I am educated, self-independent and part of the development of society. Everything has been possible only because of our Living God, Dr. Achyuta Samanta Sir.
KISS has helped me to realize my dream. Before joining KISS, I had no idea about this institution, but once at KISS, I got a large scale platform to see the world in a different perspective. Because of KISS and our founder Dr. Achyuta Samanta Sir, my dream came true. Colourful, attractive and clean class rooms generated positive energy for studies. 24×7 library facility, computer labs, coaching, supply of books, pen ,newspapers free of cost etc.. What more would one need? The academic support of KISS is fantastic and outstanding.
As I belong to a backward area, there was no proper guidance and platform to identify our skills and talents, but here at KISS, teachers and non-teaching staff were always available to guide me in each and every moment. Besides, there is a huge scope for us to be associated with various life-skill education programmes, cultural programmes and co-curricular activities to enhance our skills in order to become successful. At the same time, I was inspired by talks delivered by the guest lecturers of national and international repute. Many of them visited KISS, and this exposure to them helped us understand the real academic and intellectual world at large.
At the starting, it was difficult for me to catch up with the studies at KISS, owing to my poor communication skills and shyness as a student from the Odia medium of schooling. But later on it was not difficult to me get on with my studies – thanks to effective teaching, mentoring and proper guidance in the class room and the hostel.
For few days I missed my home and village, but surprisingly, I must say, I never missed my home ever after. KISS itself was a home for me and thousands of tribal children. Here I want to say that KISS had a friendly natural environment that was culturally rich as well. I strongly say I never felt homesick because the teachers and non teaching staff were so endearing in their behavior, and the whole of my every single had so much to offer in terms of leaning through curricular and co-curricular activities in a disciplined environment that there was no moment for idleness. All these learning activities were so dear to my heart.
I must proudly say that KISS was a home away from home for me among the tribal children from different districts of Odisha and from outside the state. Caring, loving and the guidance of teachers and non-teaching staff, and senior brothers and sisters were the key factors for me to feel at home here. Nutrition and health care were also very agreeable and impressive. Were it not for all these, I would not be at KISS and enjoy the facility for studies.
Frankly, only for a few days I missed some friends from my native place. But later on, I made friends with students from my tribes and other tribes as well. I just want to share here that I did not know about the number of tribes existing in the state and elsewhere before joining KISS. So, KISS was a great platform for me to know about the other tribes in detail and see their socio-cultural of differences from mine. Friendship was such a learning experience! I learnt new languages and came to know about food practices and also cultures I was not aware of. I also learnt about the socio- economic and political challenges as well as strength of each of one them. There is no doubt that KISS is the best platform to hone our skills and enhance knowledge. Now I am able to understand the social life of diversity, co-operation and coordination among students by living with the others. Learning to live in unity is a very importantly discipline. I also acquired the experience of participation in various seminars, social activities-oriented workshops and volunteer programs.
After higher studies I also had the opportunity to work with KISS as a District Coordinator, Rayagada. So, I placed myself in a financially and socially better position in the society. Later on, in order to render service to the people directly and work for their welfare in a much larger way, I left the job and joined politics. I have been working for the welfare of people and also the development of my locality such as securing to the people the basic amenities such as drinking water supply, road connectivity, cleanliness, electricity connection, and promotion of education, health care facility etc.. At the same time, I am working with a team for the preservation of culture and tradition as well as culinary practices, and promotion of language on my personal level. Simultaneously, I and my team are trying to eradicate social evils of our community.
As for sports, every tribal child is a sports lover. KISS has been providing opportunities to the students to excel in all traditional to international games.
As an ambassador of KISS I would to work for uplift of my community, especially in the field of education, health etc. Definitely, our work will bring smile on the face of our people and ensure all the government services reach the grassroots level. My message to the students of KISS will be that they should study hard to achieve your goals, recalling every time what our founder says “KANA THILI, KANA HELI, KANA HEBI” (What I was, what I became and what I am going to be). The Alumni of KISS should stay connected with our KISS family and their parents. Let’s make it strong and proud as KISSIANs.
