Sujit Kumar Das, the Social Worker from West Bengal: A Man with A Mission

Winner of Governor’s Gold Medal Social Worker Award from West Bengal Government and Priyadarshi Chatterjee Memorial Social Service Award from Kolkata Rotary International Club; meet Sujit Kumar Das. He is a prominent first covid-19 seva warrior, street mime and theatre artist and a prominent social worker since the beginning of the first covid 19 pandemic lockdown in 2020. He gained recognition through spreading awareness regarding covid-19 and its preventive measures such as maintaining social distancing, sanitisation and methods, resources, government guidelines and updates on covid-19 through his mime show called ‘Corona Chetana’, which was performed on the city streets.

Das has been a social worker for many years and has actively worked in the field working with backward classes, poverty-stricken individuals, differently-abled children and young adults through a touch of modern consciousness. He conducts activities for generating awareness about mental health and development through diverse gatherings. Das states that he is trying to build people’s mental strength and develop the confidence levels through street campaigns, cultural platforms as well as raising awareness regarding protection against coronavirus. As an artist, he believes that this is his social responsibility. With such humble intentions, Das continues to work for the public and create a very positive impact on his surroundings.

Das is a professional with many skills, the primary ones being mime, drama, recitation, anchoring, a percussion artist, a literaturist, a special educator and an avid social worker. He uses his diverse skills to create awareness among people and his target audience comprises rural and urban population across West Bengal. The themes he has worked on are quite varied as they include topics such as communal harmony, national integration, national presence, India’s heritage and culture, road safety, health and family welfare, wildlife conservation, tree plantation and conservation, water preservation, child protection and welfare, women’s empowerment, disabilities, rehabilitation, campaigns against child marriage, trafficking, child labour, sexual harassment, etc. Das was a former member of the Juvenile Justice Board, West Bengal Government, and during the lockdown he campaigned on streets across Berhampore City and various places of Murshidabad district regularly.

Das is a Postgraduate in Theatre and has done BEd in Special Education. He is the recipient of the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Scholarship from West Bengal State Academy of Dance, Music and Visual Arts, and has also received second prize in Inter-State Mime Competition held in West Bengal along with the National Scholarship in Chhau Dance and Music through West Bengal Government.