'No fees, no big buildings, no classrooms'; Aluva native Saji Valasseril finds mention in 'Mann Ki Baat'

ALUVA: Saji Valasseril was busy training around 400 people in Periyar when Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about him in Sunday’s 'Mann Ki Baat'. For more than a decade and a half, Saji has been offering free swimming lessons to people.

The Prime Minister said Saji's life teaches us that service does not require large resources if there is good intention and consistent effort. He also pointed out that such initiatives can change the lives of thousands of people.

The class comes with no fees, no big buildings, no classrooms. The most interesting thing is that the classes are taking place in the river. This is a real initiative. The Prime Minister said that more than 15,000 people, including the differently-abled, have been trained at Saji's swimming club.

During his speech, the Prime Minister also mentioned Astro Kerala, an organisation that is a star observatory. He said that it organises night observation camps and training courses and trains youth in telescope construction and using star maps.

The Thattekkad boat disaster in 2007 and the Thekkady boat disaster in 2009 shattered Saji, but also opened his eyes. In 2010, waiting for no time, Saji started giving swimming lessons to his children Merin and Jerin, along with two of his friend's children. This would later become his first-ever batch. In 2026 alone, Saji has trained 3600 people. 912 people were taught in a single batch, and it is a record.

The students range from three years old to 80 years old. Kozhikode native Asim Velimanna, who was born without both arms; Shaan, whose legs were amputated below the knee in a train accident; Manoj, Aibin, and Navaneeth, who are blind; Adith, who is deaf and mute; Roji, who lost his right leg to polio; Radhakrishnan, who has a dysfunctional right hand, and Krishna S. Kammat, who has a spinal cord injury, are also among Saji’s students. During the rainy season, there is a five-month break for swimming lessons. For those who have completed swimming lessons, Saji will give rescue training. Saji is a furniture merchant in Aluva.