Who Is Prof Alok Sagar? IITian With Houston PhD Once Taught Raghuram Rajan, Left His Job And Became Messiah For Tribals

There have been numerous accounts of graduates from prestigious universities who have shown support for the underprivileged, but few have gone to the extent of actually living among them. Meet Prof Alok Sagar, a former professor at IIT Delhi, who made the bold decision in 1982 to abandon his lucrative job and dedicate himself to serving tribals, empowering women, and immersing himself in nature.

Despite holding graduate and master's degrees from IIT Delhi, Alok Sagar also earned a PhD from Houston University in Texas, USA. In fact, he was even a teacher to Raghuram Rajan, the former governor of the Reserve Bank of India. However, these esteemed credentials held no meaning for him, as he discovered his true calling in one of the most remote areas of Madhya Pradesh.

For the past 26 years, Prof Alok Sagar, now 62 years old, has resided in Kochamu, located in the Betul district. This place lacks basic amenities such as electricity and roads, but is home to 750 tribals. Prof Sagar learned their local dialect and embraced their way of life. He is an exceptionally knowledgeable individual, proficient in 78 different languages. According to him, it is only the tribals who possess a genuine connection with nature and treat it with reverence.

Prof Sagar has properties worth crores in his name in Delhi but he sacrificed it all for the welfare of tribals. His mother was Professor of Physics at Miranda House, Delhi and father was an Indian Revenue Service officer, while his younger brother is still a professor in IIT. Prof Sagar sacrificed everything, dedicated his life to the upliftment of the tribals and is living a simple life with the tribals. He lives in a grass-thatched hut , owns three kurtas and uses a cycle to travel - so that nature is not harmed. He knows many languages and communicates with the tribals in their own language.

To contribute to the environment, Prof Alok Sagar has planted over 50,000 trees in the tribal areas. Additionally, he travels 60 kilometers on a regular basis to distribute seeds to neighboring villages, all while actively engaging in rural development work. Prof Alok Sagar's life serves as a powerful example that when you are committed to a cause, no excuses are necessary.