Pehla Kadam

(1981)

Ram Dass Vidya Mandir was celebrating its First Anniversary. Rakhi stood there with pride for her late husband (Ram Dass) and her whole life passes by as a flashback in which her husband had struggled for his ideals and sacrificed his life for his principle. Rakhi was married to sinple and sober harijan boy Ramu who loved to have education but was not allowed due to cst discrimination. She remembered how happy and bright Ramu had looked when she had offered to teach him whatever little she knew. Being born and brought up in a modern city, Rakhi had some schooling in her childhood. Ramu's learning capacity and his desire to learn more was noticed by Shastriji, who was running a night school for the village folks. Shastriji had encouraged Ramu and blessed him with admission to his night school on a solemn pledge for Guru Dakshna that Ramu would spread education for the benefit of the illiterate masses. But Ramu has to fleed from village as his step sister eloped with someone and he has to save his pride. Ramu somehow mananged to reach Bombay and alongwith his wife Rakhi started life as a cartpuller to earn his daily bread. Now, Ramu started Vidya Mandir, as a night school, where Ramu and Rakhi started teaching their fellow labourers, irrespective of their age, caste or creed. Unscruplous Moti Bai and her associates were unhappy over the school activity, as, it hampered and hindered their unsocial and shady deeds. When their baits and threats did not work with brave and honest Ramu, they got him killed treacherously. The expectant mother, Rakhi was left behind, in a helpless condition. Shastriji reached there to meet Ramu, but, when he learnt about the sad plight of his disciple, Shastriji made intensive efforts to mobilize public opinion and help from the Co-operative Sector to build the educational institute known as " Ram Dass Vidya Mandir".