A heartfelt message from our Director Biswajit Jha, reflecting on his journey from a successful career in Delhi to founding the EPIC PUBLIC SCHOOL in Cooch Behar. Sharing his passion for education, the challenges he faced, and the joy of nurturing young minds, he hopes to inspire our students with his story of dedication and love for his roots.
My dear students of EPIC,
It was a fine morning that day when I was sitting in school, my thoughts drifting through the corridors of my life. It struck me how it has been a rich blend of joy and sorrow, with so many incidents and events, the ups and downs, some happy, others tinged with melancholy. That’s when I felt an urge to share these reflections with you, my dear students, hoping they might offer you a new perspective on life.
So, let me begin with the question I’m often asked: why did I decide to leave behind my high-flying job in Delhi and return to North Bengal? And what led me, alongside your principal ma’am, Dr Sanjukta Saha, to establish Epic Public School here in Cooch Behar?
I could have easily led a comfortable life in Delhi, where, as a sports editor with Zee News, I was covering international matches and interviewing sports superstars like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, McGrath, David Warner, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom, and many more.
As I mentioned in my TEDx and Josh Talks, I’ll share the same with you today. Despite my fascinating life in Delhi, I was restless. Restless because I knew how difficult life is for children in North Bengal. I wanted to return to help those children who don’t get enough support and opportunities.
Upon my return, I initially managed a charitable school and a football academy in my native village—Rajganj in Jalpaiguri district. But then, one day, your principal ma’am lost her mother. As a dutiful daughter, she had to care for her father, who felt terribly lonely after losing his wife, so she started staying with her ailing father in Cooch Behar.
With a passion similar to mine, she too wanted to give back to society. Being a daughter of the soil, Cooch Behar was her first choice to start her work. As you know, your principal ma’am was an Assistant Professor at IMS Delhi, a prestigious management college, before she quit her job to return to her roots. As an academician, she could only think of opening a dream school in her hometown. Since we had planned to do something in the education sector, I readily accepted her proposal. We set up our EPIC pre-primary school at Debibari, Cooch Behar, in 2017.
Initially, not many people believed in us. They doubted whether we could guide their children. Parents came for inquiries but rarely returned for admission. When we started the school, we had only 66 students. Ishani Gupta was our first student, followed by Reshmi Banu, who joined our EPIC Play Group. Many moons have passed since then, and now they are in their fifth standard. How time flies! Looking back, I feel that Devi Saraswati and Lakshmi sent those two kids to our school, because after the first year, we kept growing at a rapid pace. Not only these two students, but you all are my angels, sent by the Almighty.
Many of you joined the school in the very first year and are still with us. I marvel at how fast you’re growing. Watching you grow and achieve so much fills me with both happiness and emotion. When you excel in academics or other areas—be it singing, dancing, swimming, karate, or any other field—I find tears in my eyes. And those are not tears of sorrow, but of joy, pride, and happiness.
Now we have over 1,100 students and around 50 teachers working for Epic Public School. Overall, we have close to 100 staff members in our school. We’ve already started our high school campus in Kakribari, which boasts tremendous infrastructure. We can proudly say that EPIC is now a CBSE-affiliated school. I’ve heard many say we are the best school in Cooch Behar. Whether Epic is the best school or not, I’m not sure, but I do know one thing for sure—you all are the best.
Amidst all these accolades, I still watch the old video where you were in Play Group. I believe you’ve seen the video and know which one I’m talking about. Whenever I visited your class, you’d all come running towards me and hug me. Whenever I find the time, I watch that video, which fills me with joy. Your love heals all my pain and wounds. It rejuvenates and motivates me to work for all of you, and for those tribal kids in Mendabari who, unlike you, aren’t as privileged and don’t get enough support.
As you know, we run a free coaching school for underprivileged kids in Mendabari, and I’ve always felt the need to build a proper school building there. I’m delighted that soon we’ll be able to provide not just a schoolroom, but also a library and computer centre for the kids there. I am blessed to receive endless love from the kids of Mendabari. Just like you all, Ankita Moonda, Khusi Oran, and Shreya Kharia of Mendabari village have made my life happy and meaningful.
Considering you all as my sons and daughters, I am now a proud father of around 2,000 children. And I wait, like all fathers in the world, to see my sons and daughters succeed in life and serve society and our motherland in meaningful ways.
Jai Hind.
With much love,
Your Director Sir, Biswajit Jha
