Saji Valasseril

Saji Valasseril runs a furniture shop in Aluva, Kerala, and spends his mornings teaching people to swim in the Periyar river, free of charge. In May 2026 his work was highlighted in episode 134 of Mann Ki Baat, which put the number of people who have learned with him at more than 15,000 ^[1][2].

How it began

Valasseril learned to swim from his father at the age of six ^[3]. In 2007 he taught his own children and two others, and when they swam across the Periyar, other families started asking him to teach theirs ^[3][4]. The 2009 boat disaster at Thekkady, in which 45 people died, convinced him that everyone should know how to swim, and he began regular classes that year ^[2][3]. He sees swimming as a basic life skill and does not charge for lessons ^[4].

A school in the river

His Valasseril River Swimming Club grades learners like a school. Beginners start in “Pre-KG”, learning to hold their breath under water, and move up through floating, kicking and arm strokes to longer swims, rescue-tube drills and treading water for an hour or two ^[3]. The last stage, which he calls the “PhD”, is an hour of non-stop swimming, after which learners attempt the crossing of the river and back, about 750 metres ^[3]. Batches start as early as 4.30 in the morning, and around 1,000 people a day train in the peak season ^[2][3].

Former students act as group leaders for newcomers, and a rescue boat and an ambulance stand by every day; small voluntary contributions and local donors help with costs ^[3].

Swimming for everyone

The classes are open to all ages, from small children to people in their sixties ^[4]. Valasseril has developed ways to teach children with visual impairments, guiding them first by touch and then by voice in the water, and one of them, Manoj, went on to cross the Periyar ^[4]. Children with disabilities from Tripunithura also train with him ^[3]. In Mann Ki Baat, the Prime Minister cited his work as proof that serving others needs commitment more than money ^[1][2].