Atul Kumar

“It’s been five years being a mess worker at Rajiv Bhawan in IIT Roorkee. Since childhood my life has revolved much around this wonderful place.

I remember that my uncle once bought a flute for me. As a kid, it fascinated me a lot so I learnt how to play it, and since then it’s been an amazing hobby. I love music and it has been more than a hobby to me. I had a stammering problem earlier due to which people teased me a lot, but music has helped me overcome my insecurities.

I went to Delhi in 2009 with a 1000 rupee note in my hand to receive further training in music. This was a great phase. I auditioned for reality shows like Indian Idol and DID, even passed the initial rounds, but couldn’t make it to the finals due to lack of references and finances. Still, it was a great experience and today I’ve learned to play many instruments like guitar, flute, harmonica and keyboard.

Around this time my father expired. It was a major setback for the family both financially and emotionally, he being the only earning member. I had to return home and find a job. This was when I joined IIT Roorkee as a mess worker.

I feel immensely attached to this place. The students are really nice and I share a special bond with them. Some of them even taught me basic English and IITR lingo. It feels great when they appreciate the food, and compliments like “ye to ghar se bhi accha hai” keep me motivated to do good.

Sometimes the students are not satisfied with the food and get angry at times, but it’s not their fault at all. I understand that the students miss their home and obviously the food cannot match “ghar ka khaana”. This job is a work of patience, we have to get to work at six in the morning and leave late at night. But everyone here is so good that the job never feels like a burden.

IIT Roorkee is like a home to me. For the last 70 years my family has been working for this institution, much before it was declared an IIT, and I love working here. We also miss the campus like all the students and hope Covid ends soon.” — Atul Kumar