Event Date: 6th June 2024
In Episode 3 of Safar Zindagi Ka, with senior guard Popat Sabji, we witnessed a powerful example of transformation. His story inspired the children and the staff. This motivated us to bring out more such stories which can lead to similar positive changes in Dongri among boys, staff, and at a systemic level. 
With this in mind, we decided to interview a Probation Officer next. Probation officers have comprehensive knowledge about the children, including their family background, school life, and social standing. Probation officers deal with numerous cases and know lots of stories about these children. We thought it would be nice for us to capture the story of such a person and so we decided to start with the Chief Probation Officer of Dongri – Tanaji Pol sir!
Pol sir is very senior and has been working with Children’s Aid Society (CAS) for over 30 years and is set to retire next year. His experience is diverse and rich. He has been very supportive of our work and kind to us, so when we asked him for the interview, he smiled and agreed readily. In the following days, we met him once and heard his life story so that we could prepare the questions for the interview. When we heard his story, a lot of our perceptions changed, especially mine. Pol sir is a quiet and soft-spoken person who gets straight to the point. I had worked with him previously at another CAS Home, and I thought that he was a very strict person and someone who didn’t like to talk much. However, after hearing his story, I realized that he is a very different person, enjoys having conversations and light moments of fun and laughter. I had seen the human side of his, the person behind the ‘official post’ – this was the purpose of Safar Zindagi Ka, and here it started with myself!
In our earlier interviews, we began featuring one boy as a co-anchor so that they would get some exposure and to get them involved too. However, this time, Sneha and I took the interview. Initially, we were hesitant about conducting interviews and generally Karan would take the lead. But this time, Karan had already decided that we would be conducting the interview, leaving us no choice but to take the microphone and sit on the interviewer’s seat. One thing that did not change was the surprise videos featuring family members and staff and his childhood pictures. Invariably this aspect continues to do its magic for the guest and audience both. In some sense, this has become our secret ingredient!
Pol sir is a punctual person, and on the day of his interview, he arrived right on time. Sneha and I took our spot while feeling a bit anxious. Once everyone was settled, we began the interview by extending a warm welcome to all. Then, we proceeded to ask Pol sir questions that we had prepared. Before addressing the first question, Pol sir took the time to greet everyone present and thanked them for their presence. We could see that he was looking forward to the interview and share his story.
Here is how the interview unfolded…
We started with his childhood and family background. He shared about how he grew up in a small village and studied in a government school in the district. He grew up in a modest family, where his father was a peon in a government office while his mother was a housewife who also helped with farming. He shared about his siblings too – an elder and a younger brother. His younger brother had passed away at an early age due to health issues. His father would have to move frequently because of his job, so with him his family would move too. Because of this, Pol sir faced a lot of challenges growing up – constant change of place, new schools, new teachers, new set of friends and so on! Adjusting to new environments multiple times was tough for him as a child. These challenges highlighted a new aspect of his life for the audience and many people could relate to his struggles including the children. He also shared that his father was a very disciplined man, who instilled values like punctuality and discipline in him. Pol sir admires and respects his father for never indulging in any vices, especially advising against addiction, emphasizing on how it can cause suffering and take a person away from his goal. This came as a strong and powerful message from a successful person to the children sitting in the audience.
After graduating, Pol sir faced challenges in finding a job. During this time, one of his friends suggested him to pursue a Master’s in Social Work. Coming from a modest background, Pol sir had to carefully consider the financial implications of further study. Fortunately, he received scholarships twice during his educational journey which greatly supported his studies. Despite the scholarships, he was unable to fully fund his MSW course. So, he reached out to one of his relatives and borrowed 3000 rupees to pursue his MSW degree. He went on to complete his MSW and also cleared multiple government exams, including the MPSC.
His struggles did not end there though. Even while pursuing his college and Master’s degree, Pol sir had limited money for day to day expenses. He used to walk for about 8 kms each way from home to college and back. However, he was blessed to have a friend who supported him with accommodation and meals. This friend was from his village itself and came from a wealthy background. He was also doing the MSW course with Pol sir. Pol sir went on to share a couple of stories about their friendship and mentioned that they are still very close friends.
Pol sir also shared about a teacher who provided guidance to him during a personal family issue. Pol sir had been staying away from home for extended periods due to family issues and was reluctant to meet his family members. His teacher advised him that, “despite facing difficulties, it is essential to reconcile with family because they are the ones who will ultimately support you.” Rather than avoiding the situation, the teacher encouraged him to confront it and be with his family. These words helped him realize his mistake, and from then on, he made an effort to be with his family more regularly. These stories highlighted the role of mentors and good people in one’s life. These examples were strong reminders for the children about their group of friends and community. The children realized that having the right people around them is very important and that it is an active choice.
He shared an interesting and humorous story from his college days but it was very surprising to hear that something like this would have happened in his life. During a student secretary election, one of his friends was a candidate. On the final election day, when Pol sir and his friend arrived at college, some boys from the opposing group kidnapped them. They were held captive in a room for a few hours before eventually being released by the opposition group. When asked if he ever encountered those boys again, he replied that he did meet them, and they all laughed together about the incident. Everyone in the audience was amused and awestruck both at the same time while he narrated this story.
When we asked him about his journey from a small village to a town, he shared that it was initially challenging for him. In Pune, he lived in a sophisticated society where he found it difficult to adjust. After a year, he decided to move to a different place. He also felt that city life was very different culturally, and also a little politically influenced. So initially, he preferred staying in a small village as opposed to the bigger cities. However, over time, he got used to the city life and settled down in Mumbai, especially with his job at CAS.
From there, we went to his marriage and personal life, which is always an interesting story for the children. And to top it off, he has a fascinating story about his marriage. His marriage was arranged when he was just 13 years old! When he shared this and paused, there was a roar of laughter, surprise, awe and many more emotions from the audience. He went on to explain that in his family, marriages were traditionally arranged between two specific families through generations, as a committed arrangement. So, he knew from a young age that he would marry the girl chosen for him. However, his marriage actually took place when he was in his mid twenties. Despite the arranged nature, he has a strong bond with his wife. His wife mentioned in the surprise video that Pol sir is very hardworking and has seen difficult days, where he also saw days without a meal. She also shared that he is a very friendly father. He has one son and two daughters and all of them are doing well in life. He very wisely shared that the traditional practice of arranging marriages between specific families has now been stopped by them because it has various implications including health issues and medical repercussions.
During the interview, Pol sir was taken aback when he unexpectedly saw videos of his family members and staff members. Being a private person, he was surprised that we had managed to obtain these videos. After his initial reaction, he quickly turned to us and asked us who had provided the contact information, and we simply smiled saying that it is our secret. However, he was visibly moved and happy upon watching the videos. His eyes welled up when his daughter expressed that he is her role model. It was actually quite challenging for us to locate his family members’ contact information. He was also moved while listening to the messages from his colleagues, especially Kanthikar sir, since Pol sir holds tremendous respect for him.
Pol sir joined the Children Aid Society in 1992 on a contract basis and later that year he secured a permanent role. Reflecting on his colleagues and the institutions he has worked for, he expressed a lot of gratitude. Initially, working with these children from adverse backgrounds was challenging for him. However, with the guidance of his senior at the Matunga Home, he learned how to navigate this field effectively. He also mentioned that Kanthikar sir had supported him during a difficult phase in his professional life and stood by him steadfastly. He is deeply thankful to the Children Aid Society because this job has enabled him to stand on his own feet, provide comfort to his family and parents and earn respect in society while also contributing to something meaningful. His colleagues also spoke highly of him in their videos and specifically mentioned that everyone should learn documentation from Pol sir. His extensive experience in this field is evident and commendable. During his tenure, he has witnessed significant improvements in infrastructure and staff at the Children Aid Society and he spoke about these changes. Since he has been in this institution for over 30 years, he has seen more changes than almost anyone else at Dongri and hence this was meaningful not only for the children but also for the staff. It gave everyone a perspective of how things have changed for the better over the years and how they should be grateful for the facilities and atmosphere that is there presently.
To conclude, we asked him if he had any message for the audience. He imparted a message to children, emphasizing that hard work is the only path to achieving one’s goals in life and that there are no shortcuts.
As the interview came to a close, many people had a new perception of Pol sir. Just as I realized that he is a very different person than what I had initially thought, many others felt the same. Yet again, the human side of the person came out and this was profound in many ways. Pol sir is a highly organized individual who maintains a clear distinction between his professional and personal life. Despite undergoing heart surgery and his age, he continues to perform his duties efficiently and travels extensively for work. He lives life on his own terms, adhering to his principles. His story has been an inspiration for many of us and we wish him well for his journey ahead! 🙂
