There are many examples of graduates of prestigious universities who have shown support for the underprivileged, but few of them have actually gone on to live among them. Meet Alok Sagar, a former IIT Delhi professor who took a bold decision in 1982 to quit his lucrative job to serve tribals, empower women and dedicate himself to nature.
Despite holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees from IIT Delhi, Alok Sagar also earned his PhD from the University of Houston in Texas, USA. In fact, he was also the mentor of former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan. However, these esteemed credentials meant nothing to him, as he found out his true identity in one of the most remote areas of Madhya Pradesh.
Professor Alok Sagar, now 62 years old, has been living in Kochamu in Betul district for the last 26 years. The place lacks basic amenities like electricity and roads, but is home to 750 tribals. Professor Sagar learned their local dialect and adopted their way of life. He is an exceptionally learned man and is fluent in 78 different languages. According to him, tribals are the ones who have a true connection with nature and respect it.
Professor Sagar has property worth crores in Delhi but he sacrificed it all for the welfare of tribals. His mother was a physics professor at Delhi’s Miranda House and father an Indian Revenue Service officer, while his younger brother is still a professor at IIT. Professor Sagar has dedicated his life for the upliftment of the tribals by sacrificing everything and is living a simple life with the tribals. He lives in a thatched hut, has three kurtas and uses a bicycle to travel – so as not to harm nature. He knows many languages and communicates with the tribals in their own language.
To contribute to the environment, Professor Alok Sagar has planted more than 50,000 trees in tribal areas. Additionally, being actively engaged in rural development work, he travels 60 kms on a regular basis to distribute seeds to neighboring villages. Professor Alok Sagar’s life is a strong example of the fact that when you are committed to a cause, no excuses are needed.