Manabi Katoch, Author at The Better India

A recently released Marathi movie 'Nilkanth Master' highlights the fight, struggle and sacrifice of freedom fighters who gave up everything to see a free nation. It talks about the love that young people in the country had for their motherland in that era and is a must watch. "Maps don't make countries. The hearts of the countrymen make a country. And here, in every heart, there is our country. It might take time, but a country with millions of hearts filled with patriotism, will rise one day. And that would be my country, my India" - says the protagonist, Nilkanth Master, in a recently released Marathi movie. Thousands of patriots gave their lives for a free nation. But not everyone’s name could be etched in the history of our freedom struggle. Though these unsung heroes were not mentioned in history, they definitely live in the hearts of the countrymen.

There were many who sacrificed their families, their love and their dreams so they could get a chance to breathe in an independent country.

'Nilkanth Master', a new Marathi movie based on a fictional character by the same name, takes us back to that time. Produced by Meghmala Balbhim Pathare and directed by National Award winner Gajendra Ahire, the movie highlights the life of those brave freedom fighters, and also showcases a love story set in the pre-independence era. Like many other Marathi films which have brought forward some heartfelt love stories in the past, 'Nilkanth Master' is a love story too. But more than just a love story of two young hearts, it is about the love for the country in the hearts of youngsters during the pre-independence era. The music of the film takes us into the divine world of patriotism, and it is a delight to here the new version of 'Vande Matram'. You can listen to it here:

Watch the song here:

[embedvideo id="uXNMTggKN_c&feature=youtu.be" website="youtube"] Adinath Kothare, Omkar Govardhan, Kishor Kadam, Pooja Sawant and Neha Mahajan are seen playing lead roles in the film. Apart from this, Vikram Gokhale's powerful performance in a special role is a must watch.

"Young people would fall in love that time too, just like they do now. But for them, getting freedom for the country came first and everything else was placed after that. I hear how young boys and girls take their lives when they fail in love. But if they preserve their precious lives to dedicate it towards the country then so much can be achieved. 'Nilkanth Master' is one such love story from the pre independence era where patriotism came first for the youth of India," says producer Balbhim Pathare.

The film was released on 7th August, 2015 all over India. Watch the trailer here:

[embedvideo id="-agew6zgSCM&feature=youtu.be" website="youtube"]

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About the author: A mechanical engineer, Manabi Katoch has been brought up listening to Tagore’s poems and stories, so she is kind of an emotional person within. She loves writing poems and stories on social and political issues. Few of her poems can be viewed on www.poemocean.com and satires on www.mindthenews.com. She has worked with Wipro, Frankfinn and Educomp in the past.

Thousands of orphaned children in India never find loving homes because the authorities take too long to declare them ‘free for adoption.’ Prabhavati Muthal, 79 years old and mother of two adopted orphans herself, has been fighting to get justice for these children all her life. We appeal to all our readers to support her by signing her petition.

“We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer ‘tomorrow,’ his name is ‘today’.”

― Gabriela Mistral

“Aai tu Aai saarkhi nahi disat, Aaji sarkhi diste. Mala ‘Mummy Papa’ hawa aahe” (Mom you don’t look like a mom, you look like a grandma. I want my Mummy Papa!)

Mohini often used to say this to Prof. Prabhavati Muthal. Mohini was 5-years-old now and she had heard from her schoolmates that she had not come out of her mother’s womb but from a dirty sack, and because of that, her right arm was paralyzed.

Photo Credit: Tawheed Manzoor/Flickr

On November 30, 1996, Prof. Prabhavati Muthal had retired and was all set to relax for the rest of her life in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, after working for 35 years as a history professor. Her son was a well-known paediatrician at the local government hospital. There was no orphanage in the town. Thus, unwanted and orphan (mostly newborn) babies landed in Dr. Muthal’s ward. Like all government hospital wards, this too was crowded. The nursing staff were always overloaded. On March 30, 1997, a lady sarpanch from a nearby village brought a brutally battered newborn girl to Dr. Muthal. The baby was just 3 days old. She had been tied in a gunny bag and thrown in the garbage to die. Someone had found her and informed the sarpanch. The girl was visibly injured. Her skull was fractured. Yet, for three days, the lady sarpanch had not provided her with any treatment nor had she informed the police. Consequently, the child became critically sick, developed a high fever and started convulsing. Even then, the lady was reluctant to let the hospital keep the child and treat her. Dr. Muthal had to threaten her and force her to admit the child to the government hospital. On seeing how serious the child’s condition was, the lady sarpanch disappeared from the scene. For weeks, the child hovered between life and death. One usually associates government staff with impersonal and callous behaviour, but the nurses at this government hospital rallied together to save the child. One of the sisters told Dr. Muthal: “God will not forgive us if we cannot save this child.” Due to their untiring efforts, the child survived. But the prolonged battle for life had taken its toll. She was badly emaciated and cranky due to constant pain. She had major neurologic deficit, which left her right side paralysed. Feeding and cleaning her was an ordeal.

Prof. Prabhavati Muthal willingly took over this daunting task. With her selfless love and care, the child gradually improved. As she grew healthier, a beautiful face emerged. She looked so attractive that she was called ‘Mohini.’

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Little abandoned but inncocent infants giggling at Kilbil, not knowing their fate[/caption] Her story attracted a journalist’s attention and she became well known. Many people, including a doctor, came forward to adopt her. Suddenly, the lady sarpanch re-entered the scene and demanded custody of the child. The custody of orphan children is decided by the JWB or Juvenile Welfare Board (the name for the Child Welfare Committee before the year 2000). To everybody’s surprise, the local JWB gave Mohini’s custody to the same sarpanch, ignoring better claimants and the lady’s past suspicious behaviour. Alarmed, Prabhavati approached the Sessions Court. After a prolonged struggle lasting over 2 years, the Sessions Court finally overturned the JWB’s order.

Prabhavati then decided to establish an orphanage so that Mohini had a place to stay. The orphanage, called Kilbil (chirping of birds), is now 16 years old.

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Prabhavati Muthal with a 1.5-year-old child who is waiting to be made 'free for adoption' by CWC[/caption] However, Mohini’s agony did not end here. The infuriated JWB avenged the situation by blocking her transfer to the orphanage for a year. Finally, her case was cleared by special order of the state government. The JWB continued to obstruct her rehabilitation. She was finally declared ‘free for adoption’ by the Session Court under section 7.3 of the Juvenile Justice Act after one more year. ‘Free For Adoption’ means that a child's parents or guardians have relinquished their parental rights or have had them terminated in a court of law. Once this has occurred, a child is then ‘legally free’ to be adopted by another person or family member. Any orphan or abandoned or surrendered child, declared legally free for adoption by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), is eligible for adoption.

“Most of the couples prefer small babies so that they can enjoy each milestone of the baby while growing up. If a child is not made ‘free for adoption’ soon, then mostly they don’t get adopted and lead an affectionless life,” says Prabhavati Muthal.

Unfortunately, in Mohini’s case too, all the prospective adoptive parents had given up by the time she became ‘free for adoption.’ No one was willing to wait for years and fight court battles just to adopt a physically impaired child.

When nobody came forward to adopt her for more than a year, Prabhavati decided to adopt Mohini herself and become a mother to a 4-year-old child at the age of 64.

Kilbil had now become the home of many abandoned children. Vasundhara (Vasu) was one of them. Just a few days old, Vasundhara was found in one of the movie theatres of Chandrapur. She did not have one ear. Every adoptive couple wanted a beautiful and flawless child and so did not adopt Vasu. It was Vasu’s 11th year in Kilbil. She was supposed to go to a remand house for juveniles once she became 12. Prabhavati couldn’t let this child go and so, once again, she took the legal guardianship of Vasundhara.

Vasu and Mohini are sisters with the same mother now!

At the time that Prabhavati was looking to adopt Mohini, the law required that to contest a case, you must be the ‘aggrieved party.’ This means you should be affected somehow by the case — it is only then that you have the ‘locus standi,’ that is, eligibility to participate in the judicial dispute. Prabhavati had none, but she could participate in the dispute because lawmakers then (1986 version of the Juvenile Justice Act) had wisely put in Sec 7.3, which said:

“The powers conferred on the board or juvenile court by or under this act may also be exercised by the high court and the court of session, when the proceeding comes before them in appeal, revision or otherwise.” - Juvenile Justice Act 1986. Sec. 7.3 Chapter II

The word ‘otherwise’ opened the window for any conscientious citizen to seek redress from the Sessions Court purely on merit of the case, bypassing technicalities like ‘locus standi.’ The same clause also allowed the Sessions Court to declare Mohini ‘free for adoption.’ It is vital to keep this window open for the orphans, because they have no one to look after them. The orphanages that keep the children and the parents who adopt the children are really ‘beneficiaries’ and not truly ‘aggrieved.’ They have no real stake in any individual child.

The only victim of a wrong decision (or lack of decision) is the orphan child. The child is therefore, the only truly ‘aggrieved. ’

Picture for representation. Credit: J P Davidson/Flickr

Unfortunately, this Section was deleted only for orphan babies in the newer editions of the Act. The implications are tremendous for the orphan children, because now the CWC has absolute power over orphan children. There is no effective, accessible mechanism to correct its mistakes, misdeeds and inaction.

Please help Prabhavati make a representation to the government authorities to suitably amend the Juvenile Justice Act and include a clause like Sec. 7.3 of 1986 Juvenile Justice Act in the present Bill for orphan children by signing this petition.

Prabhavati has also penned the story of her struggle in a book titled Adhantari. This book has bagged an award from the Maharashtra government.

If you wish to help Prabhavati in her struggle for justice for these kids, or wish to donate for Kilbil, please email at kilbil.mvm@gmail.com. You can buy Adhantari (the book is in Marathi) by writing to the same email address. Prof. Muthal is also looking for writers who can translate the book into English.

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Marathi film 'Court', is India's official entry for The Academy Awards, 2016. It is a very powerful movie which does a lot more than just discuss the flaws in our judicial system. These are the things about Court that stood out for me.

Jaan, Jaan, Jaan...dushmanala jaan re... Kathin aala kaad... Maati s phute naal... (Know your enemy...tough times are here...we’re uprooted from our soil....this era of blindness has gouged our eyes) - sings folk poet Narayan Kamble.

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And that's how 'Court' begins - the Marathi film (with spattering of Gujarati, Hindi and English) which is India’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film category at the Oscars next year.

In the movie, folk singer and Dalit activist Narayan Kamble (played by Vira Sathidar) sings this song near a slum in Mumbai. Two days later, a sewage worker is found dead after choking in the sewage and Narayan Kamble is arrested. On what charge? That he, with his song, encouraged the deceased to commit suicide.

And thus begins the ‘Court’ trial!

If you watch Court without focussing on the minute details that the director has tried to portray, it will appear like just another movie showcasing the failures of our judicial system, or talking about the tragic conditions of the downtrodden in our society. But on reading between the lines, you will realise that Court unravels an extremely strong judicial process - a trial in which the judge is not biased, even though the whole case is against a non-influential person who has a not-very-credible past.

'Court' also brings out several paradoxes. While one scene is about Mumbaikars harboring resentment against outsiders, the other major highlight is the real hero - a Gujarati lawyer who fights Narayan Kamble’s case, selflessly and tirelessly.

The movie has a very important message for society as well. It tells us that the system should not always be held responsible for the wrongs around us. Our improper urge to judge people, and misinterpret things based on flimsy evidence, should also be blamed. Though the film is primarily focused on the court trial, the director also depicts different aspects of our society like the life of a working woman, and more. Produced by Vivek Gomber, and written and directed by debutant director Chaitanya Tamhane, the film casts Vira Sathidar as Narayan Kamble, Vivek Gomber as Vinay Vora, Geetanjali Kulkarni as public prosecutor Nutan, and Pradeep Joshi as the Judge. The idea for the film occurred to Tamhane in 2011, after he had finished travelling to different festivals with his debut short film, Six Strands. He thought of a realistic courtroom drama in an Indian setting, and at the insistence of his friend Vivek Gomber, set about writing the script. He began by researching and interviewing people, a process that went on for a year. The pre-production involved six months of script research, six months of auditioning, and eight months of location research. The crew was largely made up of people working on their first fictional feature film. The cast included non-professional actors too, including bank employees, government employees, and teachers.

'Court' has already bagged several awards in Indian and International film festivals.

I am proud to be a citizen of a country where an little known, low-budget film like Court, which showcases our flaws, is chosen for the Oscars over other, more mainstream and popular movies like PK and Baahubali. A true sign of the healthy democracy and freedom of expression that we enjoy.

You can watch the trailer of the movie here to know for yourself what makes this movie special:

[embedvideo id="4sc8z7zav9A" website="youtube"]

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Meet Rintu, the designer turned home-baker who made a very special Ganesha idol this year - an idol made of chocolate which served the larger purpose of feeding many underprivileged children in Mumbai. Here are seven more amazing things to know about her, and the great work she does to contribute to the betterment of the society in her own way. Many people are talking about Rintu Kalyani Rathod, the woman who has been in the news for the wonderfully creative Ganesha idol that she made using chocolate.

And behind the idol was a unique idea - to bring joy in the lives of hundreds of underprivileged kids.

The idol was made using 35 kgs of chocolate and was made in over 50 hours.

It had no added preservatives, and was decorated with edible colours, as the purpose behind the idol was to distribute it as food among those who could never afford a treat like this. To maintain good hygiene, Rintu ensured that the idol was kept in an air-conditioned room. On September 21, 2015, the idol was immersed in 90 litres of milk and the chocolate milk was then distributed among underprivileged children.

Last year, with a similar idol, Rintu had reached out to 1100 people who enjoyed the chocolate milk prasad.

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Rintu and her husband immersing the idol into milk[/caption] [caption id="attachment_34719" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Kids with chocolate milk[/caption] But Chocolate Ganesha idols are not the only things that she should be applauded and recognized for. Here are some of the other incredible things she has done, that you should know about.

She started making eco-friendly Ganesha idols in 2011, and the first one was made of sugar

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The Sugar Ganesha[/caption] Rintu used to go for regular morning walks along the Juhu beach of Mumbai. The sight of broken Ganesha idols strewn all over the beach was not tolerable for the Ganesha follower in her. Just like the Chocolate Ganesha, Sugar Ganesha was also immersed in milk and distributed among the underprivileged kids.

A commercial designer turned home baker

Rintu was a commercial designer by profession. But after her son was born, she wanted to be a full time, hands-on mother. This desire, combined with her passion for baking, led her to leave the job and start a home baking company called Rini Bakes - Bake My Dreams, a company which specializes in three-dimensional, egg-less cakes.

Her work with an NGO

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Rintu with her family at Access Life on Christmas[/caption] On Christmas of 2014, Rintu surprised the kids at Access Life, an NGO, committed towards working with and making a difference in the lives of children diagnosed with, or receiving treatment, for Cancer. She went there, along with her husband Nimesh Rathod and their son, and gifted the children a beautiful ginger house-cake and some very tasty ginger bread cookies prepared by her. All the kids were overjoyed with this sweet gesture.

Her unique contribution to the ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign

In July this year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the citizens to start the ‘Selfie with Daughter’ campaign to save the girl child, Rintu came up with a unique idea. She made a cake in the shape of an abandoned girl child and named it as ‘Save the Girl Child’. When people asked her if she will cut this cake, this is how she answered-

“As an artist, I convey my emotions through my creations and my medium is cakes. After seeing this cake, I had so many people asking me in horror, would you cut this cake? It’s a baby! My answer to them – Feeling so much for the cake? Why not think about the actual girls and do something for them?”

Cupcake Ganesha rangoli made of 3000 cupcakes

Rintu was not alone in making the chocolate Ganeshas this year. She gathered 100 baker friends of hers and encouraged them to bake 30 cup cakes each. These 3000 cupcakes were turned into a beautiful cupcake Ganesha rangoli at the Ramakrishna Mission in Khar. The cakes were then distributed among children there.

She started the Food Army with housewives and sent 1 lakh theplas to Nepal earthquake victims. All in just 48 hours

When the earthquake struck Nepal on April 24 this year, Rintu wanted to help. She, along with her team of housewives, texted people on WhatsApp and asked them for help. In no time, about 1 lakh theplas were gathered from all over Mumbai. Jet Airways helped in sending the consignment of these theplas and an NGO called Nari Bikas Sangha distributed them among various villages affected by the quake. She will conduct free workshops in 2016 to teach the procedure of making a Chocolate Ganesha idol. “Everyone feels pride in making a Ganesha idol bigger than the previous year. I too wish to make my Ganesha bigger and better every year so that I can help more kids to get a smile on their face,” she says. Not content with this, Rintu now wants to take this idea further and help anyone who wants to make chocolate Ganeshas of their own and distribute in their neighbourhood. Says she,

"This year he was born in my home but next year he will be born in thousands of homes to spread the divinity manifold. No matter where you live, I will reach to you with a free tutorial on how to make a Chocolate Ganesha.
Next year if all of us make edible idols and feed the underprivileged kids, it will be a true celebration! After all, real festival is when no one sleeps hungry. Remember, change starts with YOU."

To take up her offer, just register yourself on this link. To know more about Rintu Kalyani Rathod, you can email her at rintu.rathod@gmail.com. Or check out her website.

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Yes, there is a world cup for the homeless and India's Slum Soccer organisation has represented the country there. What's more? The men's team won the Sports Gen cup and the women's team got the 6th place among 16 participating nations. Here's more. Homeless World Cup is an annual football tournament organized by the Homeless World Cup organization - a social movement which inspires homeless people to change their lives with the power of football. They organize an annual football tournament, where teams of homeless people from more than 70 countries get a chance to compete. In India, selections for the Homeless World Cup begin at the National Slum Soccer Championship every year. Slum Soccer is an Indian organisation which uses football as a tool for social empowerment, to change the lives of street dwellers in the country. An initial lot of 32 players are selected during the championship, in which teams from over 15 states across India participate. The selected players then undergo training at the Nagpur, Chennai and Kolkata centres of Slum Soccer. And then, the final selection takes place. More than 500 players from 48 teams took part in the 2015 edition of the Homeless World Cup.

This year was the 7th time that the Slum Soccer team represented India in the World Cup which was held in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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The Indian contingent[/caption]

The Men’s Team

The Indian men played a total of 12 games against teams like France, Netherlands, Finland, and Grenada. They finally won the SportsGen Cup. The team led by Sahrul Hoque, defeated Belgium in the quarter-finals 3-2. They faced Israel in the semi-finals and won with a score of 4-2. The final match was against Grenada, one of the best performing teams, and India won 4-3. Players in the team included Mohit Sharma, Saddam Hussain, Shubam Varma, Anikesh Tandekar, P Parthiban, Manikumar, and Ashutosh Bobde.

The Women's Team

The Indian women’s team played 13 games in all. They attained the 6th place out of the 16 participating nations.

The team performed really well, defeating England, Finland and Scotland with huge, unexpected margins.

Players included Shrutika Amle, Monika Pathak, Sweeti Saini, Anuradha Malekar, Vaishali Dhote, Jhuma Hazra and Apeksha Wankede. Reena Panchal was the captain.

The Homeless Behind The Players

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India wins over Denmark 3-2[/caption] All these players have faced a lot of suffering and struggle. But Slum Soccer helped them in overcoming those days, and leaving their struggles behind. Today, they are making India proud.

P Parthiban: The men team’s defender from Chennai lost his father and a younger sister at a very young age. The hardships he had faced all his life had turned him into a ruffian. It was football that changed his life, and turned him into a winner!

Shubam Varma: A resident of Nagpur, Shubam is the vice-captain of the team. He understands the importance of being a leader, and the kind of roles one has to take up in order to help others, as well as oneself, in taking the right life decisions.

Apeksha Wankhede: She fled from Chandrapur and reached Amsterdam with the help of an NGO, Shivprabha Charitable Trust in Pune. Her mother works as a domestic helper and brother works in a salon. In spite of weak financial conditions, her determination to play for the country has always been strong.

The Captains: Sahrul Hoque

Sahrul hails from Nazipur Chamagram village, located in Malda district of West Bengal. Being the youngest of four brothers and two sisters, Sahrul was always showered with love. But his father, who is a fish seller, could hardly afford their education. 26-year-old Sahrul somehow managed to pass high school. He then fulfilled his passion of playing by teaching football to the kids of HGH Madarsa in his village.

His life took a turn when one of his friends, who had returned after completing his higher education from Nagpur, asked him to contact Mr. Barse of Slum Soccer.

Since then, Sahrul started playing for the Slum Soccer team in Kolkata. He is now coaching 100 slum soccer players in Kolkata.

“I never thought that I would fly to a foreign country. My parents and elder brothers and sisters did not say much as I am the youngest, but they did not like that I was playing football all the time. They called me ‘Khela Pagol’ (mad for sports). But now, they feel proud about me,” he said.

Reena Panchal

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Reena Panchal defending[/caption] Reena comes from Sonipat, Haryana. She had a strong inclination towards football since childhood. Her father worked at a small garment shop as a salesman, and though her family members were supportive, they could not go against the norms of how girls should lead their lives, created by the orthodox villagers.

“My father never differentiated between my brothers and me, but our neighbours called names if I wore trousers to play football. It’s not easy for a girl from Haryana to break the rules and come out of her shell,” says Reena.

She started playing football at school (Hindu Kanya School, Sonipat) without telling anyone at home. But when she got selected to play at the national level, she had to tell. Her coach, Mr. Ankush Mallik, convinced her parents, and she nailed it at the game.

Reena could not stop thanking Slum Soccer, who not only gave her the opportunity to play, but also made her the captain of the team.

“Indian team was everyone’s favourite at the Homeless World Cup. I wore the No.5 jersey and everyone used to say No.5 plays really well. I can’t express in words how happy I am to represent India in the world cup. It was always a dream. A few months back I couldn’t even think that I will be awarded as the ‘best player’”

21-year-old Reena, who is the top goal scorer in the team, is an arts graduate and has also done a diploma in Bachelors of Physical Education (B.PED).

She wants to help other girls in her village to come out and build a future of their own. She wants to make them realize that if they get an opportunity they should just grab it.

Reena, Captain Team India 2015Another powerful story from the 2015 #HomelessWorldCup. Reena Panchal from Slum Soccer found strength and opportunity through football - in a culture where the social pressures on young women are often intense. Film by Nacho Spinola - www.nachospinola.com Posted by Homeless World Cup on Tuesday, September 22, 2015

“There’s nothing better than the feeling of representing India in front of the world and Slum Soccer made this dream come true. There can be no other organization like Slum Soccer. I want everyone to learn from them that even the underprivileged part of our society is talented and one should help them grow too,” she concludes.

Slum Soccer has been discovering many such gems from the past seven years. But it’s an irony that every year they have to ask for financial help from different NGOs.

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Salman Khan to encourage Slum Soccer players[/caption]

“We have been doing the entire event, including the training with the help of online fund raising. Last year Ashok Leyland helped us and this time keto.org came forward. I wish the Indian government too helped our team, just like the Scotland team is funded by their government as a part of their common wealth youth development program,” says Abhijeet Barse

Mr. Barse, however, praises the police department, which really helps them with the documentation work for the players.

All Pictures: Facebook

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They called him a foreigner in the city in which he grew up. But he went on to help them rediscover their own history. See Chandrapur through the eyes of Ashok Singh Thakur. Shri Jairaj Singh Thakur worked as a forest contractor and came to Chanda in the Central Province and Berar in the year 1943. He loved the place so much that he never went back to his native Benaras. Ashok Singh was the second of four sons of Jairaj Singh Thakur. He was born in Chandrapur and never ever thought in his wildest dream that he was an outsider in his own city of birth -- until one day when his teacher in school introduced him as a pardesi (foreigner) to the class. When he asked why he was called so, the teacher hit him and said it was because he and his family did not belong to Maharashtra. Little Ashok came crying to his father and narrated the incident. However, his father consoled him by saying that there was nothing wrong in being referred to as pardesi, since they originally belonged to Banaras.

This had a great impact on Ashok, and his curiosity to know about the origin of the people staying in Maharashtra increased.

Along with handling the family business, Ashok Singh Thakur has kept his hobby of reading history and collecting coins alive. In the year 1994, he took up the project of making Voter Identity cards in Chandrapur District. In connection with this, he had to travel to every nook and corner of his district. He also had to go through the Gazetteer, which is an authentic record by the government about places and people. On reading the Gazetteer, Ashok Singh learnt that the Thakurs have been in Chandrapur since the 12th century. The fort wall of Chandrapur was designed by an architect named Tel Singh Thakur. This was the answer to the question that had haunted him since childhood – was he really an outsider? From here on, Ashok Singh Thakur started on his journey of learning more about the history of Chandrapur.

And on this journey he not only found out more about the lost history of the area but also about the lost heritage that was being absolutely neglected by the locals as well as the government.

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Parts of Apurn Devalaya - Dashavtar Durga[/caption] Ashok Singh Thakur has so far written four books and innumerable leaflets on the history and heritage of Chandrapur, which he gives away for free so that people come to know about our lost heritage. With the help of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), he has found out about and saved many historical monuments in and around Chandrapur.

For instance, here's his story on the birth of Chandrapur. Once, King Khandkya was coming back to his palace after offering his prayers at the Anchleshwar temple and Mahakali temple. On the way, he saw a rabbit jumping over a few wild dogs. The dogs started chasing the rabbit. The rabbit made them chase it until it reached the same place from where it started. The dogs finally killed the rabbit. However it seemed very unusual to King Khandkya and Rani Hiratani. They decided to build four main gates and five windows around these places where the rabbit was chased with the help of architect Shri Tel Singh Thakur. And thus the magical city of Chandrapur was built within these four gates.

One of his best works is Gondkaleen Chandrapur, which explains how Chandrapur was ruled by the gonds (a community which is almost extinct now) from 1247 A.D. to 1751 A.D., that is, for almost 500 years. The monuments and temples built by the gond rulers still speak about their history. Visit Chandrapur to experience these blissful monuments and temples.

Jal Mahal (Junona)

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Jal Mahal in Junona[/caption]

Image Courtesy – Abhishek Yergude

King Khandkya Balladshah ruled from 1472 A.D. to 1497 A.D. He had been suffering from a skin disease since childhood. His wife, Queen Hiratani, was a very spiritual and kind lady. She was also a very clever and skillful ruler. She took care of her husband and the kingdom very well. Rani Hiratani built the Jal Mahal, a palace besides a pond, just a few kilometres away from Chandrapur at Junona, for her husband to get some rest and regain his health.

Anchleshwar Temple

[caption id="attachment_33412" align="aligncenter" width="624"]

Anchleshwar Temple[/caption]

Photo Credit – KP Fotografie

Queen Hiratani encouraged her husband, King Khandkya, to go hunting to get some fresh air. Once, the King was in the jungle with his soldiers. They ran out of water so the soldiers started searching for water. They found a river named Jharpat . The river was dry but, just on the banks of the river, there was a reservoir in the shape of a cow’s foot. The King had water from there and also washed his face. To everyone’s surprise, the skin disease on the King’s face disappeared after washing with this water. When Queen Hiratani came to know about this divine water she immediately decided to build a temple there; it is called Anchleshwar Mandir. Queen Hirai (1704-1719 A.D.) of the Gond dynasty rebuilt this temple in lime stone. The outer wall of the temple is covered with the stories of the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Mahakali Mandir

[caption id="attachment_33413" align="aligncenter" width="569"]

Mahakali Temple and Mahakali Mata’s idol in the inner temple[/caption]

Source: www.shrimahakalidevasthan.org

While the Anchleshwar Temple was being built, a huge idol of the Goddess Mahakali was found in a tunnel on the other side of the Jharpat river. Queen Hiratani built a small temple at this place, which is well known as the Mahakali Mandir now. The temple was re-constructed by Queen Hirai of the Gond dynasty in the early part of the 18th century. This is the only temple in Central India that has coloured paintings on its main door. And the colours of the paintings are still shining, even after 300 years!

Beershah ki Samadhi

[caption id="attachment_33414" align="aligncenter" width="567"]

Beer Shah ki Samadhi[/caption]

Image courtesy – Shri Ashok Singh Thakur

This cenotaph was built in the early 18th century by Queen Hirai, in memory of her husband King Veer (Beer) Shah, on the premises of Anchleshwar temple. It is the largest cenotaph of any ruler in all of Maharashtra. Moreover, it is the only cenotaph that has been built by a queen in memory of her husband.

Apurna Devalaya - The Incomplete Temple

[caption id="attachment_35199" align="aligncenter" width="768"]

Parts of Apurn Devalaya - Ganpati[/caption] [caption id="attachment_35200" align="aligncenter" width="1080"]

Parts of Apurn Devalaya - Shiv Ling[/caption]

Images courtesy – Shri Ashok Singh Thakur

During the time of King Dhundya Ramshaha (early 17th century A.D), Raiappa Komti committed to building a temple. But due to his early demise it could not be completed and the idols remained lying in the open. Had it been built, it would have been the largest temple in Maharashtra.

Jatpura Gate

[caption id="attachment_33416" align="aligncenter" width="640"]

Jatpura Gate[/caption]

Image courtesy – www.mycitychanda.com

[caption id="attachment_33417" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Jatpura Gate, Now[/caption]

Source: wikimapia.org

The gate was constructed during the time of Gond King Heershah (1497-1522 A.D)

Tadoba Tiger Reserve Forest

[caption id="attachment_33423" align="aligncenter" width="464"]

Tadoba Tiger Reserve[/caption]

Image courtesy: www.mycitychanda.com

[caption id="attachment_35202" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Award winning photograph of Tadoba Tiger reserve by Abhishek Yergude[/caption]

Photo courtesy: Abhishek Yergude

Tadoba National Park and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary together form the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The national park derives its name from the local tribal god Taru, whereas the Andhari river flowing through the forest gives the sanctuary its name. The Tadoba pillars were built by the British in the 19th century. The pillars stand on the old path from Chandrapur to Nagpur. Apart from these attractions, Ashok Singh Thakur has also discovered and excavated many other caves and megalithic structures in Vidarbha with the help of INTACH. A few of them are:

Chandankheda

[caption id="attachment_33424" align="aligncenter" width="413"]

Ashok Singh working at Chandankheda site[/caption] [caption id="attachment_33425" align="aligncenter" width="534"]

Storage Vessel found at Chandankheda[/caption]

Image courtesy: Shri Ashok Singh Thakur

The new site at Chandankheda in Bhadrawati tehsil of Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra was discovered by Ashok Singh Thakur, Convener INTACH, Chadrapur Chapter, along with Surendra Singh Gautam, Co-Convener, INTACH, Chadrapur Chapter in the year 2006. This site is an index to Vidarbha archaeology where one can witness a general and gradual growth from Early Iron Age to Urban Early Historic Vidarbha.

Dolmen (Megalithic structure)

[caption id="attachment_33426" align="aligncenter" width="420"]

Dolmen (Hirapur)[/caption]

Image courtesy – Shri Ashok Singh Thakur

Dolmen is a unique monument of the Megalithic era. It is the biggest megalithic structure in Asia and is about 10,000 years old.

Vijasan Caves

[caption id="attachment_33427" align="aligncenter" width="487"]

Vijasan Caves[/caption]

Image courtesy – Shri Ashok Singh Thakur

These caves are the biggest Buddhist caves in Vidarbha, constructed in the 1st century A.D. by King Vijay Satkarni of Satwahansa Dynasty. General Alexander Cunningham referred to these caves in his book Tour in the Central Provinces.

“These caves were used as a shelter for the cattle by the villagers. We found out the historic value of this place and requested them to take care of it. We should not depend on the government to preserve each one of our heritage places. If we have a historic monument in and around our residence why can’t we take responsibility of keeping it clean and preserving it?” asks Ashok Singh Thakur.

Whenever Mr.Thakur finds out anything of a historic value he makes sure that the people around are made aware of it. He also takes the local school children for a free heritage walk to these places to make them aware of their own heritage. “I find children more responsible and affectionate towards these places. If you tell them that these monuments are made by their ancestors and now they are the owners, they feel a sense of pride about them and take responsibility to preserve their heritage,” Ashok explains. [caption id="attachment_35205" align="aligncenter" width="1430"]

Ashok Singh Thakur taking local school children on a heritage walk[/caption] If you wish to visit the magical city of Chandrapur for a historical tour or want to know more about these monuments and the work of Ashok Singh Thakur, you can contact him at ashoksinght@yahoo.com

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

More than one lakh children go missing in our country every year. Most of them are never found again by their families and vanish into the unknown. Vansh could have been one such child had not an NGO called Drishti, 1,500 km away from his home, found his father with the help of some good people in Sikkim and the Station House Officer in Modinagar. Vansh is the second among three sons of Mr. Babli Gujjar. He lost his mother when he was just four. Mr. Gujjar works in an oxygen plant located in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh. After the death of his wife, his mother took care of the children but, just a few years ago, she too passed away. Now, Mr.Gujjar had no choice other than leaving the children alone at his residence at Modinagar, Sikri Khurd, in the Gaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh (UP), when he went to work. The children used to play at home after coming back from school, until their father came back from work. Mr. Gujjar felt bad about this but he was just an oxygen cylinder filler who earned about enough to feed his children and could not afford a caretaker for them. On June 22, 2013, just like any other day, 8-year-old Vansh was playing with his brothers, Dipanshu and Varun, after coming back home from school. But Vansh wandered off too far while playing and reached the railway gate located almost 1 km away from his house. He found a stationary train there and, out of curiosity, climbed aboard. Soon, the train started moving. A helpless and scared Vansh, not knowing what else to do, sat quietly till the train reached Chennai.

When he got down at Chennai, two people took him to Siliguri, and then to a place near Singla Tea Estate,West Bengal. Later, a Lepcha couple from Soreng, Sikkim, 'adopted' him illegally and kept him in their house, as a foster child.

[caption id="attachment_36068" align="aligncenter" width="1448"]

Vansh was sold to a childless couple in Chennai.

Vansh was illegally sold to a childless couple in Sikkim.[/caption] Unaware of all this, Vansh’s distraught father filed a missing complaint with the Modinagar police station about his son. But, unfortunately, he did not have a recent photograph of Vansh that he could give to the police, and hence it was all the more difficult to trace him. Finally, after one year (in 2014), Mr. Gujjar found a photograph of Vansh that had been clicked by a relative at a marriage function. He gave this to the police.

“I went wherever possible to search for my child. I searched all around Modinagar, Gaziabad, Delhi, and even Haridwar. I used to take leave from work for 10 to 15 days at a stretch and go looking for Vansh. I lost all hope of getting him back,” says Mr. Gujjar.

[caption id="attachment_36292" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

Vansh's father, Mr. Babli Gujjar[/caption] In the meantime, the couple who had adopted Vansh started abusing him physically whenever he demanded to go back home. Vansh, too, lost all hope of returning to Modinagar. However, a good samaritan who stayed near Vansh’s new house couldn't see the pain in his eyes. On September 16, 2015, he called an NGO, Drishti, in Namchi, and narrated the story of the boy.

Mr. Passang Tshering Bhutia, General Secretary of Drishti, with the help of a few other officials in Namchi and Gangtok, rescued Vansh on September 16, 2015. Vansh was brought to Manjusha, a short-stay home run by Drishti for temporary shelter.

[caption id="attachment_36293" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

Mr. Bhutia, from the NGO Drishti, rescued Vansh from his 'foster' family.[/caption] On being rescued, Vansh told Mr. Bhutia: “I told them (his 'foster' parents) repeatedly that my house is in Modinagar but they used to hit me whenever I said this. So I stopped asking them to drop me back home.” Mr. Bhutia used Google to locate Modinagar in the Gaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh. He also showed a picture of the Modi temple to Vansh to confirm that this indeed was his hometown. Vansh recognized the temple. Now that they were sure that he was from the Gaziabad area, Mr. Bhutia contacted the police there. However, Vansh’s last name got written down as Gujrati instead of Gujjar, which led the police to search for Gujrati families in Modinagar. After eight days, when nothing remarkable happened, Mr. Bhutia searched for the number of the Station House Officer (SHO) of Modinagar Mr. Deepak Sharma, and called him.

Without wasting a minute, SHO Sharma asked Mr. Bhutia to send him the kid’s picture on Whatsapp and also asked Vansh for some landmarks close to his house.

Vansh told them that his house was located near a flour mill and there was a shop which had lots of big speakers nearby. The SHO also figured out that Vansh might be a Gujjar and not Gujrati, as most of the people in Modinagar belonged to the Gujjar community. With all this information, finally, the police were able to trace Vansh’s father on October 1, 2015. Once again, Mr. Gujjar’s photograph was also shared through Whatsapp with Mr. Bhutia so that he could show it to Vansh for identification. Vansh's father, Mr. Babli Gujjar, and his uncle Mr. Lalit Kumar, reached Namchi on October 6, 2015 and all the formalities of reuniting the father and son were done by the Child Welfare Committee there. [caption id="attachment_36294" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

Vansh is reunited with his family again. From L to R: Mr. Babli Gujjar, Vansh, Mr. Bhutia, and Mr. Lalit Kumar[/caption]

On October 8, 2015, just thirteen days before Vansh’s 11th birthday, his father took him home in a train again.

[caption id="attachment_36295" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

SHO of Modinagar, Mr. Deepak Sharma, with Vansh and his father, Mr. Gujjar.[/caption] “I can’t thank Mr. Bhutia and Drishti enough! I had lost all hopes of getting my child back. It’s like a miracle and they are like angels for me,” says Mr. Babli Gujjar. You can contact Mr. Bhutia from Drishti at passonmc@rediffmail.com

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

“Aai, I will become a doctor when I grow up and cure people without money,” promised 8-year-old Swapnil Mane to his mother, as he helplessly watched his poor neighbour die of cancer. Twenty years later, this oncosurgeon and his wife have helped thousands of cancer sufferers in 52 villages in Maharashtra and have operated on 550 patients for free. Twenty years ago, an 8-year-old boy tugged at his mother: “Aai (Mother), I want to help Godse Kaka!” “But how can we help Swapnil? Baba (Father) does not earn so much that we can help him monetarily, or else we would have.” “But Aai…Why don’t the doctors help him and cure him?” “Doctors cure only those who have money, Swapnil.”

The last line uttered by Swapnil Mane’s mother gave him his mission in life.

[caption id="attachment_31272" align="aligncenter" width="578"]

Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre, Rahuri, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra[/caption] He was watching Godse Kaka die every day. He was watching Godse Kaku cry every day. Godse Kaka was Swapnil’s neighbour. He was a daily-wage worker at a farm. He earned about Rs. 50 to Rs. 60 per day. And now, not even that, due to his disease. “Aai, I will become a doctor when I grow up and cure people without money too!” Swapnil promised his mother. Swapnil eventually came to know that Godse Kaka was suffering from lung cancer, and just because he did not have Rs. 50, 000, he had to die. So now, Swapnil was determined to become a cancer specialist and fight against cancer. According to data from the National Cancer Registry Programme of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the estimated mortality rate due to cancer saw an increase of approximately 6 percent between 2012 and 2014. There were close to 5 lakh deaths due to cancer in the country in 2014. Every year, 50,000 women die due to cervical cancer. Every day, 1300 people die due to cancer in India. On May 1, 2011, Dr. Swapnil Mane (MBBS, MD, DGO, FCPS, MD—Oncosurgeon) started the journey towards fulfilling his dream of making cancer treatment affordable and even free if necessary for the needy in India. He inaugurated the Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre, a national, social, secular NGO which stands committed to cancer control, at village Rahuri, district Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. The Foundation is one of the few medical foundations in India, which has been recognized by the Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO), Department of Science and Technology.

Doctor Mane, along with his team of 13 doctors and 6 paramedical staff, has so far conducted free cancer check-ups and medicine distribution camps in 52 villages of Maharashtra, under a community-based cancer project.

[caption id="attachment_31273" align="aligncenter" width="624"]

Dr. Swapnil Mane with his team. (From left to right: Dr. Pramod Nishigandha, Dr. Yele, Dr. Anant Shekokar, Dr. Bharat Temak, Dr. Swapnil Mane, Dr. Mahesh Kadam, Mr. Yogesh Sajgure)[/caption] The Foundation adopted two remote villages, Mhaisgaon and Taharabad, for this community-based cervical cancer project, and made them free of cervical cancer in just two years. The team has operated on 550 patients free of cost and has undertaken 106 cancer awareness sessions.

“Prevention is an essential part of our mission. Through public education, clinical preventive services and research, we strive to reduce the incidence of cancer and serve people who may never be our patients,” says Dr. Mane

However, all that glitters today was not gold always. Not being financially very sound, Dr. Swapnil Mane joined the Tata Memorial Hospital at Mumbai (the same place from where he had graduated), as a fellow in gynaecological oncology. He started his career with a vision to just cure the patients without looking at their financial status. But, one day, Dr. Swapnil met a patient in the lobby of the hospital. He looked pale and worried. When Dr. Swapnil asked him the reason for his sadness, he said that he was a cancer patient and only had money to come to Mumbai. Now he did not know how he would be able to pay the hospital bills and go back to his village.

“I gave the patient some money and also found an NGO to sponsor his fees. Once his treatment was done I gave him money to go back home. He was happy; however this was the moment when I decided to practice in a village rather than in a metropolis like Mumbai,” recalls Dr. Mane.

He was pained to see patients who came from villages sleeping on the footpaths of Mumbai just because they did not have money to rent a place in the city till their treatment was done.

He then started his research and found out that his own town, Rahuri, had no tertiary health centre available in and around 50 km. He was shocked to know that the doctor ratio in this area is 1:50,00 (the national average doctor-population ratio is 1:1,700). Also, there was no medical institution or health centre that had a diagnostic facility for cervical cancer, in spite of the fact that one in every 100 women in the area was affected by cervical cancer. The main occupation of people in Rahuri tehsil is farming. Most of the population is landless and survives on daily wages by working on the farms. They generally live hand to mouth. Treating one of the family members for cancer or even going for an early diagnosis is, financially, next to impossible for them. After his initial research, Dr. Mane decided to start practising in Rahuri, and that too at half the cost compared to other doctors. As a result, patients started flooding into Dr. Mane’s clinic. This became, however, a matter of worry for other doctors at Rahuri. The doctors association there generated a notice against Dr. Mane to stop his charitable work. But, in spite of all the objections, Dr. Mane was determined to help the people in this area. His wife, Dr. Sonali Mane, stood steadily by his side in this difficult time and they both continued to diagnose and treat patients, taking negligible fees. Slowly, even the few doctors who were opposing the couple, joined them instead. These doctors then started their project in a rented building, and thus the Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre was formed.

“I was not sure, when I got married to him, if what my husband was doing was right. But his dedication and selfless work were a motivation for me to join him in this noble journey. I still remember one of our cancer detection camps at Wambori. A lady was trying to come forward for a check-up. But she was stinking so badly that people did not let her come near the camp. When we came to know about her, we checked her immediately and found out that there was pus secretion from her vagina that had been going on for months. The pus had a pungent smell and she was in deep pain. Due to financial constraints, she never went to a doctor for all these years. We operated her on a priority basis and removed her uterus, which was affected by fourth stage cancer. She visits us regularly now and keeps thanking us on each visit. These thank yous cannot match any amount of money in the world,” says Dr. Sonali Mane.

The Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre is constantly researching and innovating to help cancer patients (Read more about their research here).

[caption id="attachment_31276" align="aligncenter" width="624"]

On extreme left, Dr. Sonali Mane and on extreme right, Dr. Swapnil Mane with a patient’s family[/caption] [caption id="attachment_31278" align="aligncenter" width="624"]

Novel instrument belt to lift patient from operation table to shifting trolley CBR No17524 dated 22/11/2013 (One of the patents filed by Dr. Mane)[/caption] However, carrying on all this work in a rented place was difficult and hence, on August 8, 2015, the Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre started its own charitable hospital called Saidham. Through their research, Dr. Mane’s team also recognized that there are some remedies that can help reduce the pain of cancer patients without any side effects. In this regard, they worked with one of the trustees of the foundation, Mr. Shishir Mandya, who has done extensive research on mucco-polysaccharides present in aloe vera and is a business development professional with 40 years of experience in Ayurveda.

He helps patients with aloe vera treatment. He also accompanies the team in the camps and spreads awareness about the importance of aloe vera in cancer treatment.

[caption id="attachment_31279" align="aligncenter" width="624"]

Mr. Shishir Mandya, delivering a lecture on the role of aloe vera in cancer management, at Larsen & Toubro Infotech, Ahmednagar.[/caption]

“There is clear scientific evidence that, in vitro, aloe vera will suppress cancer tumour growth, stimulate immune system response, raise tumour necrosis levels, and promote healthy tissue growth. Studies have been published on this subject. For the past thirty years, researchers have known that there is significant evidence that aloe vera is highly effective in fighting cancer. Some experts have used aloe vera in the treatment of benign and malignant tumours also,” says Shishir Mandya.

The next big challenge in the case of cancer patients is ‘depression and negativity’. Cancer and cancer treatment can impact patient’s physical abilities, posture, balance, speech, and/or bodily and reproductive functions. It can be difficult to adjust to changes in the way one’s body looks, feels, and performs. Hence, it becomes essential to help the patients maintain their mental and emotional well-being too.

Mr. Ashish Kalawar, another trustee of the Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre, who is an electronics engineer and meditation trainer, takes care of this aspect of the treatment.

[caption id="attachment_31280" align="aligncenter" width="624"]

Mr. Ashish Kalawar taking a meditation session with the cancer patients in a village.

Mr. Ashish Kalawar taking a meditation session in a village.[/caption]

“As human beings, we are a mixture of physical body and subtle (aura) body. Subtle body is the energy field in terms of thoughts. More negative thoughts deposit negative energy from the subtle body to the physical body. In meditation, we clear our subtle body, that is, we clear our negativity by taking cosmic energy. This aura protects our physical body from every disease. Meditate and get rid of every problem,” suggests Ashish Kalawar.

According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide. However, early detection, appropriate intervention, and adequate follow-up treatment make cervical cancer one of the most preventable diseases. Therefore, Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre’s main objective is early detection and prevention of this disease, which is done through a unique holistic program that includes diagnosis, yoga and Ayurveda. A 15-year-old unmarried girl, Sonali Kolpe from Kolpewadi village (25 km from Rahuri), came with an enlarged abdomen to Dr. Mane’s OPD. She seemed to be 8 months pregnant. Dr. Mane examined her and found that she had ovarian tumour. He was really angry at the father and asked him for the reason for this delay in her treatment. The father told him that he could not afford the cost of operation. He had been going to various hospitals in Pune and Ahmednagar district for the past four months. Every hospital demanded Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1 lakh to treat her.

“I was shocked to hear this. I investigated her and carried out the operation free of cost. It was a 5 kg ovarian tumour. Malignancy of ovary was found on pathological examination. I fail to understand how doctors can be so blind towards the pain of a patient? After all, we are not money making machines, we are not trained to earn money; we doctors are trained to treat a wound,” says Dr. Mane

His hospital, Saidham, will be the leading regional cancer centre and will provide world-class research in prevention, detection and treatment of cancer patients in rural India.

[caption id="attachment_31281" align="aligncenter" width="624"]

Mrs. Baby Salve thanking Dr. Mane and staff after her free treatment[/caption]

“We need your support to conduct free medical camps in rural areas and mobilize poor and needy patients for free surgeries at Saidham hospital; to increase the use of health services by hard-to-reach populations in those communities; to reduce the number of women who, after learning about their abnormal Papanicolaou test (PAP) results, do not return for follow up; to increase sensitivity toward the problem of cancer and to encourage participation in project Saidham. We appeal to likeminded people to join us in this noble cause with a positive and humanitarian outlook toward a ‘Cancer Free India Mission.’”

To know more about the Dr. Mane Medical Foundation and Research Centre, or to donate for the charitable hospital, Saidham, you can visit here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

Ashok Sonule and his family struggle every day to feed twelve mouths. But, whereas most farmers in the vicinity have barren fields, his are lush with jowar. And what does he do with it? Leaves the entire harvest to feed birds. He has not even installed a scarecrow and ensures the water bowl is always full for the thirsty birds. Read on. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs report, 5650 farmers committed suicide in 2014. One of the most prominent causes for farmer suicide was ‘failure of crops.’ From among these 5650 unfortunate farmers, 2568 farmers were from Maharashtra. The untimely rain followed by drought in this state was a major cause for this calamity.

In this situation, where farmers are dying because they cannot feed themselves and their families, can you imagine someone who leaves his entire crop in the field to feed birds?

[caption id="attachment_37443" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

While others' crops failed, Ashok's farm flourished.[/caption] Yes, birds! This farmer, instead of putting a scarecrow in his field, invites birds to feed on his crop yield. Ashok Sonule is a farm labourer in Gadmudshingi village, which is about 15 kms from Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Both his sons, Prakash and Vilas, and brother Balu, also work as labourers on other's farms in order to feed a family of twelve. [caption id="attachment_37442" align="aligncenter" width="462"]

Ashok Sonule[/caption] The family owns a small piece of barren land, just 0.25 acres, which has never earned them even one meal due to scarcity of water. The farms near this land too hardly yield any crops. This year too, like he does every year, Sonule sowed seeds of jowar in his own land in the month of June. This year too, like in other years, he did not expect much to come of it. The severe drought in the months that followed convinced him that he was right – there would be hardly any crop to speak of. The neighboring farms too were going through the same crisis.

Imagine his surprise then, when within a few months the jowar crop grew, ripened and was ready to reap.

[caption id="attachment_37447" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]

Crops have made their nest on a tree located in the middle of Ashok's small farm.

Birds have made their nests on a Babool tree located in the middle of Ashok's small farm.[/caption] But, there was a babool tree in the middle of the farm and it was very difficult to work under this thorny tree. Ashok decided to cut the tree but, just as he was getting ready to do so, he noticed that there were many birds nesting in the babool – they were totally dependent on his crops for food as the neighboring lands were still barren.

This made Ashok think. Why was it that only his farm was flourishing despite the drought and the neighbours' were still without crops?

[caption id="attachment_37448" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Ashok has not put up any scarecrow in his farm and welcomes all the birds.

Ashok has not put up any scarecrow on his farm and welcomes all the birds. We can see the water pots on top.[/caption] He looked at the birds chirping happily on his farm and wondered if the crop had been given to him to feed these hungry birds. Ashok then decided to take care of these birds. He also noticed that the birds did not have any source of water nearby so he, along with his family, got small pails of water and placed them around the farm and under the tree.

“Ya pakranna suddha daana, paani ani rahayla jagaa hawi naa. Mee tyana asa kasa sodaycha?" (These birds also need food, water and shelter. How could I leave them alone?) says Ashok.

[caption id="attachment_37445" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]

Ashok has also put up water bowls for the birds in the farm.[/caption]

Want to help Ashok Sonule? Then please donate via the button below.

Default amount: Rs. 500. You can change this amount to whatever you want during the payment process.

This fundraiser is in partnership with Milaap.org - a secure and trusted partner of The Better India. All funds raised will be handed over to Ashok Sonule. You shall receive a confirmation receipt via email.

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Ashok’s selfless actions soon caught the eye of a local newspaper reporter, Babasaheb Nirle of Lokmat Times (Kolhapur, Maharashtra edition), who wrote an article about him.

“I felt this was something very unique and kind that he was doing. Even a single bag full of jowar is a big thing for farmers like Sonule in this extremely drought affected area of Kolhapur. Giving away the entire field to the birds when he himself lives in a hand to mouth situation was beyond imagination. I thought this should be appreciated,” says Babasaheb.

[caption id="attachment_37446" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]

Ashok's family of 12 faces acute poverty but yet they give away their crops to the birds.

Ashok's family of 12 faces acute poverty, yet they give away their crops to the birds.[/caption]

Take a look at the birds' nests on the babool tree, the water pots and Ashok Sonule himself on his farm:

[embedvideo id="HUxadRud1cI" website="youtube"] (Click here if you are unable to see the video above) When The Better India contacted Ashok Sonule, he was overwhelmed by the attention he was getting. He had never thought that his simple act of kindness would give him so much recognition. However Sonule agreed that he would do more towards the society and nature if he had the resources to do so! If his 0.25 acres land could have a better water system. If his family was able to survive the harsh reality of a farmer’s life. We thank the local photographer, Mr. Deepak Gurav Kop, for immediately arranging pictures and videos for us. The villagers are excited to see the news and their pictures online.

Want to help Ashok Sonule? Then please donate via the button below.

Default amount: Rs. 500. You can change this amount to whatever you want during the payment process.

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We sometimes hear of NRIs who leave their lucrative jobs in foreign lands and return to India to serve the needy. But have you heard of anyone who cancelled his green card process, left a full-fledged career as general manager of an international hotel chain in the US, studied again to make a new beginning, and returned to India with a new mission in mind? Meet Hari Balaji, US-returned hotelier turned humanitarian, who wants to create a ‘disaster resilient India.’ On September 11, 2001, one of the biggest man-made disasters in recent times hit the World Trade Centre in New York City. Hari was on a flight from Zurich to Atlanta on the same day that terrorists struck at the heart of the US, flying two jetliners into the twin trade towers and killing nearly 3,000 people. Hari’s flight was instructed to return to Zurich, without even having touched down in the US. Nobody knew what had happened.

When Hari reached his hotel room in Zurich, he came to know about the WTC twin tower attack. This was the first time that he was experiencing a man-made disaster.

[caption id="attachment_38696" align="aligncenter" width="413"]

Hari Balaji[/caption] Airspace in the US was shut within minutes of this event and Hari's flight was not allowed into US airspace. Even the flights within the US were instructed to land immediately. When, a year later, Hari attended a ‘Get Motivated’ workshop in Georgia Dome, Atlanta, one of the speakers there was Rudy Giuliani, the Mayor of New York on the fateful day of 9/11. Giuliani talked about how New York City had control over the entire situation within an hour of the incident. Hari was very impressed on learning all these facts about disaster preparedness in the US. Hari is originally from Chennai, India. He is an alumnus of the Swiss Hotel Management School, Switzerland, and has held management positions in pre-opening, renovation and re-branding phases with the world’s most prominent brands in India, Switzerland, US, and Kuwait. His work in the US revolved around project management of hotels. Whenever a new property was built or purchased or revamped, he was deployed there to work with code enforcement. One of the properties he worked with was located in Louisiana and had been badly affected by Hurricane Katrina. This was his second exposure to disaster and this time it was a natural disaster. The US has a clear cut, almost clinical, approach when it comes to handling disasters. Community level awareness of what to do and not to do during a disaster is high and was notched up after 9/11. However, in India, it was only after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004 that a centralized body for disaster management was formed and the Disaster Management Act came into existence in 2005.

Hari sensed that he was needed more in his own country than in the US.

[caption id="attachment_38699" align="aligncenter" width="593"]

Hari conducting a workshop[/caption] There are five major departments that come together and coordinate closely during a disaster. They are: healthcare/medical; police; fire and rescue; revenue administration; and municipality. Hari decided he wanted to become an independent consultant/trainer for government projects in the field of disaster management. And for this purpose, he chose the healthcare vertical. Then, with the support of his family, he cancelled his green card process and moved to India, after a short stint in Kuwait acquiring practical knowledge in ‘hospital preparedness in case of disaster.’ In order to gain formal education in healthcare, he did a second post graduation degree, an MBA in Hospital and Health Systems Management, from the College of Management, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai. As a part of the course, he studied ‘Hazard Vulnerability Assessment of Major Hospitals in Chennai and Bangalore Region.’ During his MBA, he served as an Executive Committee Member in Chennai Emergency Management Exercise 2011, United Nations Development Program/ National Disaster Management Authority assignment in Chennai. After completing his MBA, based on his project work in disaster management and his active participation in the Chennai Emergency Management Exercise, he was deployed by the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, through United Nations Children's Fund in Assam to coordinate Guwahati Emergency Management Exercise 2012.

Hari soon started to conduct independent workshops in disaster management. Disaster management training had been done before in India but never had the public been consistently involved.

[caption id="attachment_38701" align="aligncenter" width="991"]

Hari, with a government team on disaster management[/caption] Even the various emergency support functions such as healthcare/medical, police, fire and rescue, revenue department, ambulance, and municipality, which are involved in managing disasters, had never been trained together under one roof. Training them separately helped them work individually, but during a disaster they were supposed to work with each other in a cohesive manner to ensure minimal loss of lives.

Role-playing in Hari’s workshops focuses on strategies to deploy in fire accidents, road traffic accidents, and dilapidated building collapse.

[caption id="attachment_38702" align="aligncenter" width="422"]

Disaster management role playing[/caption] Hari also provides training in psychological management during a disaster. The rescuers often focus only on the victims who are physically injured; however there are victims who are mental sufferers too. People who lose everything overnight need a lot of moral support. They need to find work soon or they go into depression, which can be dangerous. There are other areas to be addressed during disaster management. For example, three to four percent of women are pregnant at any given point of time and they are present during disasters as well. A safe place for delivery needs to be earmarked and identified in safe zones.

Usually, anti-social elements get active post disaster. The police have to be well trained to identify the menace and curb it in time.

[caption id="attachment_38704" align="aligncenter" width="397"]

Disaster management exercises[/caption] Also, human trafficking is an issue since women and adolescent/teenage girls are highly vulnerable when they are away from family and staying in evacuation camps. Gender-based violence also increases during a disaster. Providing proper and separate restrooms with locks, 24x7 electricity, and safety/security are important challenges. Different statements by different sources might make a disaster situation even worse. So communicating with media through a well-organized press meet and leveraging their support during and post disaster is also a subject covered in Hari’s sessions.

Hari, apart from rendering his disaster preparedness consulting service to non-governmental organizations such as Sphere India and Red R for their UNICEF, UNFPA projects, also conducts his workshops in various educational institutions.

[caption id="attachment_38706" align="aligncenter" width="571"]

Disaster management workshops in educational institutions[/caption] He also visits places and makes individual reports for different disaster-prone areas. A manual is prepared, which includes details of infrastructure, total number of people in that property, nearby hospitals, number of beds in those hospitals, blood storage information, and the hazard/disaster vulnerability of that particular area, with personnel to be contacted when disaster strikes. After this, a core team called a Rapid Response Team is formed and trained to rescue people by taking the lead in the unlikely event of a disaster. His workshops teach how to handle sexual and gender-based violence too. For example, all the members are trained on how to handle a rape case and maintain the safety and confidentiality of the survivor.

Hari has recently finished conducting a ‘Strengthening Emergency Response System in Hospitals’ workshop in all thirty-two districts of Tamil Nadu. This was an assignment by the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Government of Tamil Nadu.

[caption id="attachment_38707" align="aligncenter" width="340"]

Hari, conducting a workshop[/caption] Hari’s aim is to make every citizen of India mentally and physically ready to confront a disaster. He guides authorities in setting up disaster management cells in schools/colleges and conducts intensive disaster management courses customized for each institution. He envisions India to be the global leader in the arena of disaster management and mitigation. To support the ‘Disaster Resilient India’ initiative or increase the disaster preparedness level of your organization, visit his website www.haribalaji.com Also check out his 13-point plan to stay safe during heavy rains and floods like the ones that Chennai and the east coast of the country is witnessing currently.

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Inputs from Nishi Malhotra.

In the MY STORY section, we present some of the most compelling and pertinent stories and experiences shared with us by our readers. Do you have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com with "MY STORY" in the subject line.

Our home was destroyed. We were stranded. But wave upon wave of humanity kept our spirits high and our belief in the Indian people afloat. It was Tuesday morning. I woke up at 6 am, made breakfast and bid goodbye to my husband who left for office at 7:15 am. I was still trying to get my house back in order since the first wave of floods had hit us the week before. The cleaning and washing seemed to be never ending. I started the washing machine and lay down next to my 5-year-old daughter, checking to see if there was anything about the incessant rains in the news. There was nothing – the media seemed to be obsessed with how Aamir Khan had the right to be afraid of living in India, and the twists in the Sheena Bora case. The rain was still at its peak. At 8 am, I looked outside. The water level had reached the main gate. I knew my maid wouldn’t come now, so I thought I’d clean the dishes first. I had barely done two dishes when I felt the urge to look out again.

The water had touched the porch now.

I left the dishes and started putting our clothes in a travel bag. Thankfully, I had the keys to an empty second floor flat. I went upstairs and left our clothes there, then packed the induction cook top, electric kettle, a few utensils, my laptop, a couple of rice and daal packets, and biscuits. After carrying this bag upstairs, I thought I’d wake up my baby and give her breakfast. But by the time I came back to the ground floor, water had started entering the verandah. I woke up my kid, took six bottles of water and her brush and toothpaste, and rushed her to the second floor. After settling her there, I came back and tried to put as many of our belongings as I could on the beds and on the top shelves of the cupboards. By this time the water was about to enter the house. I thought I’d drag a mattress and a few blankets upstairs but suddenly the power went off. I got worried that my daughter would get scared in the dark, so I just picked up three blankets and rushed to the second floor. Around this time my husband called and said he was leaving office to come back home. His office is an hour away so I was praying that he would reach us safely.

I kept trying to call for help. Taxi services were busy. Rescue teams assured me that they would send help. But none was forthcoming as yet.

My daughter was hungry by now. I had raw food but no resources to cook it. I kept standing near the window, waiting for my husband. Suddenly, I saw four young men going through the water on the other side of the road. I thought they were the rescue people sent for me. I called out for help. At first they did not hear me but when they passed by a second time they did. I asked if they were from the rescue team.

"We are not a rescue team ma'am but we will help. Tell us what you want," said one of them.

These were four unknown boys. I was not sure if I was doing the right thing but I called them in. My husband was stuck in a water wave in the lane next to our house. His phone was not reachable now.

The boys came in. I asked if they could get the gas stove and cylinder to the second floor. Without wasting a second, they started helping me.

I gathered more food while they were trying to take the stove upstairs. They also helped me get the drinking water can to the second floor.

After ensuring that my daughter and I were alright, they left, smiling and giggling.

[caption id="attachment_39843" align="aligncenter" width="1600"]

The four boys who helped without expecting anything in return - Sagar, Suresh, Jagan and Gopal[/caption] The water was rising so fast, that by this time it had reached knee level inside my house. Thankfully, my husband reached home by 2 pm and started rescuing as many of our belongings as he could. Things like the fridge, washing machine, sofa and bed had started floating. By 5:30 pm, it was so dark that it was impossible to see anything inside the house. We went back up to the second floor, waiting for the rain to stop. But it kept raining...

Next morning.

The entire ground floor was under water! A few families from the ground floor flats had shifted to their neighbours’ homes on the first floor. But this morning they just wanted to get out of there. It was only a matter of a few hours before the water would reach this floor too. We finally saw a boat at the entrance of our area at 9 am. The boat rescued just one family and went away. People kept whistling, clapping and calling out for help. Later on, I came to know that it was the family of the municipality head of our area. No helplines were working. The next boat came at 1 pm. It did not stop anywhere else but only at a house next to our flats. The family was rescued. We pleaded with the boatman to come back, and he said he would, but never did! I could see from our terrace that a couple on the terrace behind ours was desperate to leave. I asked them if they were alright and they said they had climbed up to the first floor without any food or water. We started sharing food with them. But water was too limited! By 5:30 pm it was almost dark and we lost hope of getting any help now. Several helicopters had flown by during the day but food and water had not yet been distributed.

Next morning.

The water level was going down. We could see the boundary walls of the ground floor houses now. Our neighbours decided to walk through the water once it came down to hip level. We were in a dilemma whether to do the same but finally decided to go ahead. We were about to leave when a small boat carrying two elderly ladies passed us from the backyard. We called out for help. When we told them that we have a kid with us, they allowed us to get in. The boat left us till the main road where an ambulance was ready to take people to a government school. All this was being done by an organization called TMMK.

When we asked them where we should go, one of them offered us his own home.

We kept looking for hotels and finally got a room in one. Once our family was safe, my husband went back to our area to help others. In the meantime, my friends were using social media to the fullest extent possible to help me. Some had tagged as many as they could on Twitter. Others had posted my address on Facebook. One friend had even arranged for us to join her relative in his hotel room. There were friends who kept calling helpline numbers and sending me the same too. My employers ordered food for us, called up the disaster management team, and managed to speak to a boat guy to come rescue us. All this time, I don't know why, but I was pretty relaxed. We were happy about all the positive things that were happening with us amongst all the chaos.

Here are 6 lessons I learnt:

1. The water level in our area rose so suddenly, not due to rain, but because the canal water had to be opened by the government. We don’t know why this decision was made but perhaps we could have been alerted. 2. When the lady from the balcony opposite ours came out and saw me on the second floor, she exclaimed: "Thank God, you are safe." She is Tamilian and I am North Indian (as she knows). Yes, Tamilians and North Indians feel happy when they see each other safe! 3. The four young boys who helped me did not know my name, status or religion. Yes, young boys are good people too. And there are still people who will help without expecting anything in return. 4. My husband risked his life to reach us and kept struggling till the end to save our belongings. Yes, though men don't show their emotions, they can go to any extent to save their families. 5. I have always understood the plight of farmers and tried to help them. But this time, when my house was sinking with all the little things inside it that my husband and I had put together through our efforts in the past seven years, I could feel the pain that a farmer goes through every year his crop is destroyed. 6. When government boats decided to rescue only important people, a common man's organization came forward to help the needy. Do you know what TMMK stands for? Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazagham. They did not ask if we were Hindus or Muslims or Christians. So this whole debate about India being intolerant is just a news and social media creation. During the three days, whenever I switched on my phone to check for important messages, all I saw was that my Hindu, Muslim and Christian friends were equally concerned about me. I did not see any intolerance anywhere. When actors say they don't feel safe in our country... I just pity their thinking. Jai Hind!

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This cleanliness warrior resigned from his job to take the battle against garbage to cars, autorickshaws, buses, and other vehicles. His car trash bins will give income to slum dwellers while helping keep our roads clean. India is developing fast — roads are jammed with cars, cellphones are ubiquitous, and there is talk of smart cities emerging all over the country. But are we behaviourally developed as a nation? We still lack civic sense and spit on walls, we don’t show up for our appointments on time, we deface our historical landmarks, we rarely stick to queues when waiting, and we litter our streets indiscriminately.

Abhishek Marwaha was one of us until three years ago when he read somewhere: ‘”A person who throws his trash actually throws his humanity.”

[caption id="attachment_40319" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

Abhishek Marwaha[/caption] He then started making a conscious effort to keep his surroundings clean. His friends made fun of him when he kept dumping used tissues in his pockets or in car back pockets while travelling, instead of throwing them outside the window.

“I used to work in a travel technology firm and travelling to different countries used to be part of my job profile. I realized that we are more conscious of our habits when abroad (like littering, spitting, honking, etc.) but we tend to be careless when we are here in India. So all we need to do is one simple thing to bring a wave of change. Let's behave in our own country the way we behave in any other foreign country,” says Abhishek.

One day, while having lunch, he found that his lunch bag was worn and could be used as a trash bin in his car. The idea stayed with him and he began to design a trash bin that is easily accessible in a car or any vehicle, even while driving. Once the design was ready, he started making cheap trash bins in bulk and contacting vendors.

This mission to keep India clean has today resulted in the launch of Abhishek’s online store, ujosho.com, which sells the first ever car trash bins in India.

The word UJosho is derived from the Japanese word ‘josho,’ which means ever victorious. Abhishek added a ‘U’ to indicate that we can all be victorious in the battle against littering if we do our bit to keep the nation clean.

[caption id="attachment_40325" align="aligncenter" width="480"]

Swachh bin for cars[/caption] “There are an estimated 25 million cars in any Tier 1 city in India. The problem of garbage will continue to haunt us as the trash thrown from cars chokes the roadside drains and contributes to water logging and floods during rains. There is an immediate need to educate and encourage people to use this simple trash bin in their cars so that many of these issues can be resolved without intervention of civic authorities and with proper and positive participation from each one of us,” adds Abhishek The car trash bins that Abhishek sells are not machine made. He aims to provide earnings to slum dwellers by getting them to make these trash bins by hand in bulk.

He has also experimented with giving away these bins to beggars for free and was delighted to see them selling these to car owners at traffic signals.

“You don't have to hold a gun at the border and save the country to be truly patriotic. You can bring about change by changing yourself, your habits and your surroundings. Even if 10% of our population shares this view, it can make a difference. Maybe what I am doing is minuscule, but it will hit the root cause of the trash problem,” Abhishek says with great zeal. According to Abhishek, installing and using the trash bin in vehicles will be good because: 1) It will help bring about a behavioral change among adults and children with respect to cleanliness, littering and spitting. 2) It will support civic authorities in ensuring optimum use of manpower in cleaning roads. 3) Trash chokes the roadside drains and contributes to water logging and floods during rains. Car trash bins will help prevent that.

Though the car trash bin is a first-of-its-kind product, Abhishek does not want to patent the idea as he wants it to spread widely. He wants other people to replicate it and make it more cost effective if possible.

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Happy Customers![/caption] “We also encourage people to share their ideas about cleanliness on the ‘Idea’ section of our website. If we are able to make a product from that idea, we will then give royalty on every sale of that product,” says Abhishek To know more about Abhishek and his products, you can visit www.ujosho.com

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

This labourer’s son dreamt one night that he would soon become the owner of a gold shop. And he did. But it wasn’t his riches that came to define him later on in life as much as his heart of gold. Subhash Shinde, today a well-known jeweller in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, was born in a poor family. His father was a labourer in a gold and silver refinery, and Subhash used to help his father even when he was a child. Otherwise too, Subhash was a helpful kid with a soft heart. He once bought clothes and food for a school friend, the son of a rickshaw puller. But Subhash was a very mischievous child, with a propensity for playing pranks and getting into trouble. He was never good at studies and his parents often worried about his future.

One night, when Subhash was in Class 8, he dreamt that he had completely transformed into a “good” kid – no more a prankster or mischief-maker. He also dreamt that he would soon be the owner of a gold shop.

[caption id="attachment_40313" align="aligncenter" width="1728"]

samaajik samata ke liye samata parv me satkaar

Subhash was felicitated by Samta Parv for his social work[/caption] To everyone’s surprise, Subhash actually turned over a new leaf and started behaving very well from the next morning itself. Not just this, he continued to do so over the next few weeks and months. His alarmed parents even took him to a tantrik to check if everything was alright with their son. Soon, Subhash started working with his father at the refinery. At work, he made friends with some gold merchants. He learnt the tricks of the jewellery trade from them and soon opened a gold shop. He had borrowed money to do so and did not know how he was going to repay it.

But there is one thing he did know he was going to do, and that was to invite the whole town for the inauguration of his shop – right from the richest merchant to the poorest rickshaw puller.

[caption id="attachment_40312" align="aligncenter" width="1752"]

garib vriddho k eye operation karaane ke baad

Subhash helps poor patients if they need to get operated[/caption] “Each one of them was my prospective customer. Never judge someone from his present situation; you never know what he would become in the future,” he said. Subhash slowly gained a foothold in the sarafa market. At this time he met Pannalal Choudhary, a poor man who used to make ends meet from his tiny shop ironing clothes on the footpath. Pannalal’s daughter Deepika, who was only a few months old then, had a hole in her heart since birth. The treatment was expensive. Subhash, who had met Pannalal only recently, offered to help with the expenses and Deepika was successfully operated on in Mumbai.

Pannalal’s family then became like a part of Subhash’s own family. Deepika fondly started calling him bade pappa (big daddy). Today, she has finished high school and wants to be a district collector, an IAS officer.

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Subhash's wife Bharati is equally kind hearted[/caption] The name given by Deepika stuck and Subhash became bade pappa to everyone he helped, especially the very poor. Helping with the expenses of heart surgeries for people who could not afford them became a routine for Subhash, and he finally established a proper channel for doing the same. So far, he has helped around 400 to 500 heart patients. He also provides free eye cataract operations to the poor.

“God is not in temples but God resides in the poor and needy and one should serve them,” believes Subhash.

Sometime ago, a friend gave Subhash a book to read about Gadge Maharaj. Gadge Maharaj was a great social reformer who drove the mission of a clean India for the first time. Many awards have been named after him and the work of many NGOs is based on his vision.

“Give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the cloth-less, shelter to the homeless, work to the jobless, courage to the weak and disheartened, education to the poor, medical assistance to the blind, handicapped and sick, and compassion to animals,” were some of the commandments given by Gadge Baba to his followers.

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Gadge Maharaj[/caption]

picture source- wikipedia

Subhash embraced Gadge Baba’s teachings with a passion. His family too – wife Bharati Shinde, son Viplav and daughter Snehal – are equally devoted to the Baba’s words. As Mrs. Bharati Shinde says to those who ask her for advice, “Just keep serving the needy and everything will fall in place.” One day, when Subhash was distributing food and stationary goods at an orphanage that he visits often, he found out that the place was going to close down because of some financial difficulties. So he ‘adopted’ the orphanage and has now built a home for the orphans on his own property where the kids will be shifting soon. “I have observed remand houses and orphanages very minutely. The one flaw that I found there is that the kids cannot choose the careers of their choice. For example, girls are forced to take just nursing training. The house that I am building for them will be their house and not an orphanage. They will be free to take up the careers of their choice and since I will be bade pappa to these children, I will do whatever I can to fulfil their dreams,” says Subhash. [caption id="attachment_40310" align="aligncenter" width="1608"]

anathaalay me baccho ko madad saamgri dete hue

Subhash has built an orphanage when he found out that the orphanage he visits is going to be closed soon[/caption] Subhash Shinde is an ordinary man who changes the conditions around him just by paying extraordinary attention to his inner voice. As a result, he has brought comfort to the sick and hope to orphans, besides many other generous acts. As a gesture of gratitude, one of his well-wishers, Sriram Panhekar, gathered all the stories of the people that Subhash and his family have helped and published a book, ‘Asaamnya Saamaanya Maanus, Sushash Shinde’ (An Uncommon, Common Man – SubhashShinde).

This is a part of our series #SaveFarmerFamilies where we feature the family of a farmer who has committed suicide. We aim to showcase their plight and raise funds to help setup sustainable businesses for these families. [caption id="attachment_40837" align="aligncenter" width="940"]

Kiran Bodade (on the right) with her family #SaveFarmerFamilies

Kiran Bodade (on the right) with her family[/caption] I am Kiran Dyaneshwar Bodade from Vani Rambhapur village of Akola district, Maharashtra. Two years back, I lost my husband. He was a farmer. We used to grow soyabean. Everything was going well. He was a wonderful husband and a very loving father. We had three kids, Ashwini, Tejaswini and Om. We were happy in our small world. We were not rich, but whatever we earned was enough to keep all of us content and happy. Then one year the merciless drought hit our village. We had enough to sustain that year. But then this became a routine for the next two years too. The 2.5 acres land that we had hardly gave us a quintal of soyabean. This was not enough to even pay for the investments. My husband decided to work as a laborer in other’s farms in order to get at least two meals everyday for the family. I joined him too! He did whatever he could to make me and the children happy. I don’t know how he was doing that. The debt was increasing day by day but he always kept smiling and telling us that he can manage things... he will manage everything. But then, two years back, one day all of a sudden, he decided to give up on this struggle called life. He hanged himself to death! I did my schooling till just class 4. I was not smart enough to know how much it costs to feed a family of 5. I did not know that the cost was much more than my husband’s life. By working as farm labourers, we both used to earn Rs. 200 a day. Now I earn only Rs. 90. I have sent my eldest daughter to my sister’s place as she was in class 10. The other two kids have stopped going to school. Sometimes I feel really angry at my husband. How could he do this? How could he just go away leaving us here to starve everyday? Sometimes I too feel like taking the same rope and hanging myself!! But then, I am a Mother! I can’t make the same mistake and leave my kids alone in this cruel world like my husband did!

The Better India in association with Shivprabha Charitable Trust has started a fund-raiser to help 35 wives of farmers who committed suicide.

Your contribution will be used to train each of these 35 wives in skills such as tailoring and they will also be given a sewing machine each. Our target is to raise INR 3,50,000

Want to contribute more? Please click here to select the amount of your choice.

About Shivprabha Trust Shivprabha Trust works in rural India for the Rural Development, Education, Yoga and health. They also work on electrifying un-electrified students and till date we touch 400 lives. We are trying to electrify unelectrified villages and touched about 6 villages in last 8 years to make them developed and self-sustainable village. The aim is to empower the wives of the farmers who passed away in Maharashtra, India. Shivprabha trust wants to provide assured monthly income to wives of farmers through Mahila Gruh Udyog and has started this initiative in one village. In terms of health they touch lives of many patients for heart surgery, kidney transplantation, cancer, sickle cell, diabetics and etc. The organization also provides scholarship to more than 50 students starting from primary to higher education. The organization wants to enlighten lives of hundreds of souls in terms of yoga and meditation. Such many initiative on which they are working.

In India, there is one death every four minutes due to a road accident. More than 1200 road crashes occur every day. According to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), speeding and dangerous driving are the biggest reasons for road fatalities. This tragic story may not be the only one you’ve heard but let it encourage you to stop a loved one from driving irresponsibly today. Neha is an only child. Her parents, Veena and Vivek Charati, pampered her all through her growing years but Veena, who was a vibrant and independent woman, wanted her daughter to be strong and confident when she grew up. In a small town like Gadhinglaj, in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, Veena herself was the only woman who had worked in a private bank for the past 16 years. Neha had barely entered her third year of engineering college, but Veena was already making plans to send her abroad for higher studies. Veena was not just a good mother and a loving wife but also a very responsible daughter – she continued to help her parents financially after she got married. At work, all her colleagues and account holders were full of praise for her. Veena was a cashier and used to be seated on the first floor of the bank’s building. But she would always come down and help the elderly people coming from nearby villages. This caring nature made her special to everyone.

Veena’s husband Vivek supported her in every aspect of her life. Every morning, Vivek used to drop her to the bank on his scooter and the two of them would chat all the way to her workplace.

[caption id="attachment_42401" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

Veena was a strong support in Neha's life.[/caption] The morning of October 4, 2015, was one such day. Veena was ready by 8 am and Vivek started the scooter. Veena sat on the rear seat. As they were driving in the area near the Municipal Corporation, Vivek saw an Innova heading towards them speedily in the back mirror. They crossed a speed breaker that was merely visible but thought the Innova too would decrease its speed once it came near the speed breaker. It was 8:30 am and there was hardly any traffic, but Vivek played it safe by moving towards the left side of the road. Unfortunately…. In a matter of a few seconds, the Innova had bumped at high speed over the speed breaker and crashed into the two-wheeler. The boy on the driver’s seat pulled up the hand brake but by that time the wheel of the car had already come to rest on Veena’s stomach.

Veena and Vivek were rushed to the hospital. Neha was informed about the accident at her hostel immediately.

[caption id="attachment_42400" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

One accident destroyed Neha's happy family.[/caption] Veena had multiple fractures on the left side of her body. Her intestines were crushed. It was 4 pm by now and she was still bleeding internally. The doctors advised that she be moved to a better hospital in Belgaum. But this brave lady, who was the joy of her sweet little family, lost her battle with life on the way. There were three young boys in the Innova that hit Veena and Vivek’s scooter. They were exceeding the speed limit. They could not see the speed breaker, which was in fact hardly visible, according to the spectators. For days, Neha did not come out of her house. She did not know what to do. Her mother was her strength and now, without her, she felt empty and weak. Visitors kept coming and going. Everyone talked about the accident. And there was one thing they all discussed – the speed breaker. Everyone was of the opinion the speed breaker had not been helpful and, in fact, was dangerous as it was not visible at all.

After many days of being depressed, Neha came out of her house and decided she was going to do something that would prevent another person from losing a loved one.

[caption id="attachment_42399" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Neha Charati

Neha painted the barely visible speed breaker which took her mother's life so that no other family loses their loved ones.[/caption] With inspiration from one of her neighbours and support from her friends, she went and painted the speed breakers that were not visible in the location where her mother met with this unfortunate incident. But this was not easy. She had to take permission from the RTO and the Municipal Corporation to do so. The authorities allowed her to paint only the speed breaker which was the cause of her mother’s death. However, the next day a special meeting was conducted by the Municipal Corporation and all the speed breakers were painted. When some authorities pointed out that the paint used by Neha and her friends was not radium paint, they painted the speed breaker once again with radium paint.

“My Mom lost her life due to negligence…negligence by the boys who were breaking road safety rules by speeding and driving the wrong way on a one-way street…and negligence by the authorities who had not clearly painted the speed breaker. My mother won’t come back but we have to make sure that this does not happen to any other daughter. Road rules should be strictly enforced. The RTOs should take up the matter of boards and markings seriously, not just in big cities but also in small towns and villages that are becoming increasingly crowded,” says Neha

“We still remember how speaking about Neha’s future used to light up a spark in auntie’s eyes. When you are breaking traffic rules, you are not just breaking those rules, you are breaking millions of dreams…,” adds Neha’s friend, Madhura.

[caption id="attachment_42402" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Neha Charati

Neha is now on a mission to make roads safer.[/caption] We hope their words will be taken seriously, not just by road and municipal authorities who need to enforce rules, but also all Indians driving irresponsibly — they or their loved ones could be the next forgotten statistic should they ignore the rules of the road.

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A special child named Binny was the recipient of extraordinary love and care by software engineer Aditya Tiwari. On January 1, 2016, Aditya made history by becoming the youngest single adoptive parent in the country -- he adopted Binny. This is the story of his long struggle against the system to bring Binny home. Being blessed with a child with disabilities is the ultimate test of parenthood. Some parents just give up from the start and try to get rid of these kids, others are disappointed but accept their fate, and then there are the third kind – those who embrace both the joy and struggle of loving these special children.

Binny’s earlier life

[caption id="attachment_42383" align="aligncenter" width="482"]

Binny was born in a rich family. But they abandoned him because of his special condition.[/caption] On March 16, 2014, a child was born to a well-to-do family in Bhopal. But just a few days after his birth, his parents surrendered him to an orphanage. He was their third child and was unwanted simply because he was special. Binny was suffering from Down Syndrome (also called Down's Syndrome). He had a hole in his heart and his vision was affected too. Down Syndrome is a chromosomal condition that is associated with intellectual disability, a characteristic facial appearance, and weak muscle tone in infancy. All affected individuals experience cognitive delays, but the intellectual disability is usually mild to moderate. People with Down Syndrome may have a variety of birth defects. About half of all affected children are born with a heart defect. The average IQ of a young adult with Down Syndrome is 50, equivalent to the mental age of an 8- or 9-year-old child. Research says there is no cure for Down Syndrome. However, education and proper care have been shown to improve quality of life. Perhaps Binny would have improved too. His mother could have filled his weak heart with love, his father could have held his finger to help him walk, and his siblings could have shown him the beautiful world he was born into with their own eyes. But they chose otherwise. Binny was an orphan now.

Aditya’s earlier life

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Aditya was inspired by the attitude of his parents to help people in need.[/caption] Aditya belonged to a middle-class family in Indore. There was never enough money while he was growing up but his parents raised both their children with love and taught them compassion. Aditya had always seen his parents go out of their way to help people. Inspired by their attitude towards life, he dreamt of adopting a child once he was settled. It was obvious that he would take this step only after getting married.

“When I heard about Sushmita Sen becoming a single parent, I was really inspired. But everyone around me said that her taking this step as a celebrity was easy but it was not feasible for a common man,” recalls Aditya

On September 13, 2014, however, something unusual happened, which changed Aditya’s life.

When Aditya first met Binny

[caption id="attachment_42382" align="aligncenter" width="626"]

When Aditya first met Binny, he was not eligible to adopt him. But he kept supporting all his expenses.[/caption]

“It was my father’s birthday. We went to the Missionaries of Charity’s orphanage, Jyoti Niwas, in Indore, to distribute some gifts among the children there. It was the first time I was visiting an orphanage. All the kids were beautiful and adorable but my eyes were focussed on this one child. It was Binny. I constantly felt that he was trying to tell me something,” says Aditya.

When Aditya enquired about Binny, he was told that Binny was a special child and had been shifted from Bhopal to Indore for treatment. He was also told that no one was ready to adopt Binny because of his illness, as every prospective adoptive parent looks for a healthy and beautiful child. “I revealed my desire to adopt Binny to them. However, they said I was not eligible to adopt as I was not married and the age limit to adopt a child in India was 30. At that time I was just 27. I was disappointed but I requested them to allow me to bear Binny’s expenses. And I was allowed to do so,” adds Aditya

The struggle against the system

[caption id="attachment_42375" align="aligncenter" width="612"]

It was a long struggle that included sending several hundred mails, rigorous follow up and much more.[/caption] Aditya, who is working as a software engineer in Barclays, Pune, now started visiting Binny every time he came home. He also used to take care of Binny’s medical expenses. In just three months time, Binny became Aditya’s reason to live. But in December 2014, Aditya was told that Binny was being shifted to Bhopal yet again. Initially, Aditya felt bad about this. However, he knew he could not live without Binny. He had already decided that once he turned 30 and got married, he would adopt Binny. So now, Aditya’s weekends started in Pune, made a stop in Indore and ended in Bhopal. He made sure he met Binny at least twice a month. The schedule was hectic but Aditya felt driven – it was just a matter of two years, he thought, before Binny came to live with him for good. He continued to take care of Binny’s expenses, including all his medical ones. But, on March 28, 2015, when Aditya went to meet Binny at the Missionaries of Charity in Bhopal, he was not allowed to meet the child and was told not to come back again. The world turned upside down for Aditya in that moment. When he asked about Binny’s whereabouts, he was told that the child had been sent to Delhi for foreign adoption. Aditya was furious. He did not understand why he was not informed about this, given that everyone knew he was just like a father to Binny. The orphanage, however, rudely reminded him that he had no legal rights on Binny and so it was not their duty to inform him. Aditya could sense that something fishy was going on. So he called the head office of Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, from where he got to know that no baby was transferred from Bhopal to Delhi. After several enquiries, Aditya finally came to know that Binny was still in Bhopal. The agency had lied to Aditya as it wanted to send Binny for foreign adoption illegally. Any adoption would be illegal because Binny’s biological parents had not surrendered him legally and officially he was not registered as a child free for adoption. [caption id="attachment_42376" align="aligncenter" width="1448"]

Aditya is legally Binny's father now and he couldn't be happier.[/caption] Aditya had no clue about adoption procedures. So he started researching the same. He wanted to save Binny anyhow and get him home. He wrote to the state ministry of Madhya Pradesh but did not hear back from them. He then wrote around 500 to 600 emails, hundreds of letters, and sent faxes to the Central Government, to the Prime Minister, the President, Maneka Gandhi, Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi, and many more influential people, asking for help. Finally, one day, he managed to speak to Maneka Gandhi (Indian Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development) and explained his concerns about Binny. Mrs. Gandhi proactively instructed CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority) to look into this matter. CARA clearly informed Aditya that he was not eligible for adopting a child as the guidelines state he needs to be 30 to do so. However, they assured him they would look into the ‘conspiracy’ going on in Binny’s case. When CARA intervened in the matter, they were informed by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) of Bhopal that there was no child named Binny in the record books. The Central Government then ordered the state to set up an enquiry on the Missionaries of Charity in Bhopal. The enquiry committee found out that Binny and four other girls were about to be sent to Delhi ‘illegally,’ since they could not technically be adopted. Binny’s biological parents were called and asked to surrender the child at CWC Bhopal, legally.

“I went to meet Binny’s parents in May 2015. I thought that they might have left him because they were poor. But I was shocked to see how rich and educated they were. I requested them to take Binny back home. But they refused and blatantly said they were ashamed of him and for them Binny was dead,” says Aditya.

In the meantime, Aditya had also managed to garner the support of local media agencies. He communicated to CARA that Missionaries of Charity had around 40 disabled kids. It was found out on investigation that all these kids were kept illegally at the agency and were soon to be sent for foreign adoptions. [caption id="attachment_42381" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

Aditya's parents were initially reluctant of this step but gradually supported this kind move. And now they are proud of their son and the grandson.

Aditya's parents were initially reluctant about this step but gradually supported this kind move. And now they are proud of their son and the grandson.[/caption] After all the legal procedures, Binny was sent to Matruchaya, Bhopal, on June 3, 2015. Now Binny was legally free for adoption, but Aditya was still not eligible to adopt him. Luckily for Aditya, the new adoption guidelines were being discussed in Parliament to be implemented in the Juvenile Justice Act. Aditya wrote a letter to the honourable Speaker of Lok Sabha, Mrs. Sumitra Mahajan, requesting her to pass the Bill, which had a clause in which the age limit of the Prospective Adoptive Parent (PAP) was lowered to 25. The Bill had been passed in the Lok Sabha on May 9, 2015, but was still pending in the Rajya Sabha. It was finally passed and the new guidelines implemented on August 1, 2015. On August 27, Maneka Gandhi went to meet Binny at Matruchaya and instructed CARA to give the child to Aditya. Within 15 days Aditya completed all the formalities, including registration to home study.

“When I was called for the final meeting by the agency, I thought they would be asking me questions on how I was going to take care of Binny. But, instead, they started to try and convince me and my parents to step back. They started discouraging me by saying that no girl would marry me if I adopted such a child,” says Aditya

According to the new guidelines, a special child should be given to the PAP within a month of registration. However, Aditya kept waiting untill December. He was again told that the home study report was done at Indore and now his Pune house had to go through this process. When the Pune home study was also successful, he was asked to come for a meeting along with his life partner. Tired of such unnecessary hurdles being created by the agency, Aditya again sought the help of Mrs. Gandhi, CARA and the Collector of Indore.

Finally, the New Year began with never ending joy. On January 1, 2016, Aditya became the youngest single adoptive parent in India by bringing Binny home. He named him Avnish.

[caption id="attachment_42632" align="aligncenter" width="540"] binnyCake

Binny came home on January 1, 2016. Aditya named him Avnish.[/caption] “Avnish is one of the names of Lord Ganesha. I always prayed to Bappa for Avnish and he helped me,” says Avnish’s proud father, Aditya. Aditya’s parents were reluctant to support him initially when he decided to adopt Avnish, but when they saw his love towards this child they joined him wholeheartedly in his efforts to bring the baby home. In fact they have now shifted to Pune to stay with Aditya and Avnish.

“It’s a proud moment for us. We are grateful to God for giving us a son like Aditya and now a grandson like Avnish,” say Aditya’s parents.

Aditya also wishes to express his thanks to Mrs. Gandhi and CARA for their guidance and support through his entire journey.

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When Vijay Thakur, a mechanical engineer, lost his first child just because he did not get a taxi to get to the hospital on time, he left his job. To become a taxi driver who would help the needy. Vijay Thakur was working as a mechanical engineer with Larsen and Toubro, Mumbai, in 1982. He earned a handsome salary. Once married, life became even better with his wife Saroj by his side. They soon learnt they were going to be parents too and Vijay's joy knew no bounds. But one night in March 1982, when Saroj was just 3 months pregnant, she had pain in her abdomen. Vijay rushed out to look for a cab to take his wife to the hospital. It was 2 am and no taxi was ready to stop for him. He kept waving and pleading but did not get a taxi. Finally, he ran till Andheri station and brought a taxi back home by paying Rs. 300 (almost like paying Rs. 3000 in today's money) to take Saroj to Nanavati hospital. But, unfortunately, by the time they reached the hospital Saroj had a miscarriage. Vijay and Saroj lost their first child just because no taxi driver was willing to do his job. Vijay was thoroughly shaken up by the tragedy. He kept thinking no one should go through the same experience his wife and he did.

“I was earning quite well then and so I could afford to at least pay double and get a taxi. But I started thinking about those people who cannot even afford to hire an auto rickshaw,” says Vijay.

Pic source: www.theweek.in

Vijay now wanted to do something for such patients. But his long hours at work did not leave him with much time to think. He was still struggling between his career and his desire to help people when Larsen & Toubro introduced a voluntary retirement scheme in 1984. Thakur took up the offer and decided to become a taxi driver, promising himself that he would never decline a passenger. He bought a Fiat car for Rs. 66,000 and got a taxi permit. He made himself available to passengers always.

“I don’t sleep between 2 am and 4 am because that is the time an emergency patient may need a taxi," says Vijay.

Despite opposition from his wife and family, Vijay kept doing his work. But then, life again took a tragic turn in the year 1999 when his younger son was hit by a ball on his knees while playing cricket. Initially, his wife and he ignored the injury, thinking it was just a small cut. But within a week the knee had swollen so much that they took him to a doctor. There, the small cut was diagnosed as cancerous and the 19-year-old boy left within 16 days. Vijay was devastated; he had spent all his savings on his son’s treatment.

“Once, I had to pay a bill for Rs. 43,000 for my son's treatment. I was short by Rs. 10 and the cashier refused to accept my money. A stranger offered me the balance and only then did the cashier take the money and issue a receipt. This incident strengthened my resolve to help people in need," says Vijay.

After this incident, Vijay stopped charging fares from poor patients and painted a sign to the effect on the rear window of the taxi. Anyone in Mumbai can give him a call any time and he never says ‘No.' When asked about his most memorable experiences, he describes quite a few. One of them happened almost 15-20 years back. He was driving on the night of December 31, around 3 am, when he saw a car ramming into a tanker. When Vijay looked inside the car, there was a couple along with an 8-month-old baby girl. He rushed them to Cooper hospital immediately. Unfortunately, the mother died but the father and the child were saved because they got treatment on time. The lady was wearing jewellery worth Rs. 2 lakhs, which the doctors gave to Vijay. Once the victim’s relatives arrived at the hospital, Vijay handed over the jewellery to them and left. Later, he came to know the accident victim was film producer Sudhakar Bokade's wife. Mr. Bokade offered him money once he was back home with his daughter but Vijay refused to take anything. “I don’t do this for money or publicity. I don’t remember the people who I have helped once they are fine," says Vijay.

Vijay Thakur was felicitated by Mr. Amitabh Bachchan on his show Aaj ki Raat Hai Zindagi, where he met his all time favourite star Jeetendra.

Pic source: Twitter

“It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I never ever thought I could meet Jeetu ji. I am a huge fan. I used to bunk school and watch his movies. I have watched the movie Farz some 31 times just because of Jeetendra," says Vijay.

Pic source: Hotstar

But this man, who left his lucrative career and took up the job of a taxi driver, helped more than 500 needy patients and ferried thousands to their destinations without any complaints, needs your help now. He is 73 years old now and was recently diagnosed with cervical spondylitis.

“The doctor said it needs to be operated on. He also said that I will either die or will be paralyzed after this operation. But people say I have so many blessings, nothing will happen. I believe them," he says.

If you wish to help Vijay Thakur, you can call him on +91 9819001689.

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Destiny had set him up for failure by taking away his right hand and leg. But Abhishek Thaware defied destiny by becoming the first teeth archer of India. Abhishek Sunil Thaware excelled at the Para Archery World Championship trials conducted by the Archery Association of India (AAI) in July 2015. He then bagged a silver medal at the All India Archery meet for the disabled in Baroda in August 2015. In September, he qualified for a state-level meet conducted by the Nagpur District Association. He finished 27th at the state archery meet at Solapur in October, 2015. He won with scores of 637 out of 720 points in Nagpur varsity's inter-college meet last month, that is, in January 2016.

He also come out with flying colours, taking the 69th spot among 200 participants, at the Inter-University meet at Patiala in the same month.

[caption id="attachment_47756" align="aligncenter" width="800"] arch3

Abhishek Thaware[/caption] By now, you may have guessed that the archer mentioned plays in the Paralympics. But here's what's extremely unusual about his achievements. Abhishek is the first teeth archer in our country. Yes! You heard it right. Abhishek Thaware pulls the arrow with his teeth and hits bullseye! arch1

A worker in a private transport firm, Sunil Thaware’s life took a tragic turn when his one year old son, Abhishek, developed a fever one night. He was taken to a hospital in Nagpur, where the doctors gave him an injection in his right arm. The fever was gone in two days but the injection caused an infection that afflicted Abhishek’s right arm with polio.

“My parents never treated me as a disabled child; I went to a normal school. And I think that was the best decision taken by them," says Abhishek

Abhishek was always interested in sports and started taking part in athletics at state and national levels when he was in 8^th standard. He also won several medals in long distance running. His favourite events were 1500 m and 5000 m. And he was doing all this in the normal category. Fortunately, when he was in 10^th standard, he met Mr. Rajendra Khandal, who ran a sporting club called Adarsh Vidyamandir. Khandal showed him how to do cross country running. Abhishek also came in contact with MSPA (Maharashtra State Paralympic Association, Nagpur). For nine years, Abhishek was a para athlete. He did not even remember that he needed his right arm. His legs were enough to make him feel complete. But destiny had a different plan! On October 26, 2010, when Abhishek was practising, he suffered a knee injury. The injury was so serious that his leg had to be operated on. After the operation, Abhishek had to stop playing as per the doctor’s advice. But all he knew was running, so he ran a relay at the state level and won a bronze medal too. But after this, his knee never allowed him to run again.

“The world seemed so unfair to me when this happened. The doctors asked me to rest month after month. It was almost a year and I could not practise. I still had hope alive, thinking that I will start again once I am fine. But at the end of almost two years, the doctors declared that I would not be able to run again," says Abhishek

But perhaps everything happens for a reason. And in Abhishek’s case, the reason was archery. Abhishek’s cousin, Sandeep Gawai, was an archer and he motivated Abhishek to join him.

“I wanted to do something for my country! If I was normal, I would have definitely chosen to go into the defence services. But that was not possible. Sports was the only way in which I could fulfil my dream of making India proud. So I agreed to do what Sandeep bhaiya suggested immediately," he says.

However, this was also not easy for Abhishek. He could hold the bow with his left hand but the right hand did not have enough strength to pull the arrow. “People who don’t have one arm use the shoulder to pull the arrow with the help of a clip. But in Abhishek’s case, he did not have strength in his shoulder either. I asked him to try with his teeth then," says Sandeep Gawai. Abhishek succeeded in pulling the arrow with his teeth. But again, there were financial constraints to his participating in this sport. Being from a lower middle class family, Abhishek could not afford a professional bow and arrow. He had to wait for two years to start pursuing his dreams just because he did not have money.

Finally, in 2014, Abhishek’s mother mortgaged her jewellery and he got a second hand archery set.

In the meantime, he met his coach, Mr. Chadrakant Ilag, a constable with Maharashtra Police. Ilag taught archery to kids in Dronacharya Academy, free of cost. After he saw Abhishek’s dedication towards this sport, he offered to train him in his academy for a month during the summer session. He also arranged for Abhishek’s stay there. This opportunity helped Abhishek polish his skills. After this, Abhishek kept visiting Mr. Ilag for further training and soon became the first teeth archer in the country. [caption id="attachment_47770" align="aligncenter" width="406"] archer3

Chandrakant Ilag - Abhishek's coach[/caption] Today, Abhishek has achieved his goal with his will power and determination. His physiotherapist, Dr. Ashish Agrawal, helped him become physically fit, and his friends, Vipin, Mohnish and Tushar, helped him financially to get over every hurdle in his way. Jai Hind Ekta Sanskrutik Krida Mandal offered him their grounds to practise. However, this budding sportsman is still going through a lot of hardships.

“Archery is an expensive sport. It is not possible for my parents to bear the cost of my training, diet and the equipment needed. My friends help me a lot but how far can they help. I appeal to everyone reading this to help me. I really feel that companies should sponsor sportsmen. We will play for them and make them proud and once we are retired we can even work for them," Abhishek says.

Abhishek is only 25 years old and is also a first year student of MA (Social Science), at DNC College, Nagpur. He wants to do MSW (Masters in Social Work) in the future.

“There are no polio issues now in the country. I am so thankful for that. We never count how much the nation does for us. I want to repay at least a bit. I want to represent my country at the international level and I will do anything for that," he adds, determinedly.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

Sparsh Shah, a 12-year-old singing prodigy who lives in the US, was born with almost 40 fractures. He has given more than 45 performances in just the last year-and-a-half. Read his inspirational story here. Sparsh (aka Purhythm) has written 10 songs – "This Love Will Never Fade," "There's Always Tomorrow," "Why'd You Have To Leave Me?", "You Are My Heroes," "Count on Me," "A Little Bit of Respect," "Turn Around," "Birthday Wishes," "You're The One," and "No One Knows." He has composed the music for most of them too. Listen to him pay homage to his favourite Eminem here: [embedvideo id="CqwzlMUt9oM" website="youtube"] Aren’t you still feeling that beat? Sparsh has been learning Hindustani classical music for the last seven-and-a-half years and American vocal music for the last three years. Sparsh is multi-talented. He performs at community events and has appeared on local radio stations and television shows, besides hosting shows as an MC. He has memorized 250 digits of Pi, can say the 12 longest words in the English dictionary in less than 18 seconds, and can speak in four different accents in English. He has written several poems, short stories, motivational/funny speeches ("I am Disabled"), etc., and acted in the developmental reading of a play called The Greatest Choice at the Crossroads theatre in New Jersey. He was able to spell a 45 letter word, “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis,” at the age of 6.

Hiren and Jigisha Shah migrated to the US some 14 years ago. In 2003, when Sparsh was born, they could never have imagined their little boy would touch millions of hearts soon.

[caption id="attachment_47910" align="alignnone" width="960"] Sparsh1

Sparsh Shash (Purhythm)[/caption] His parents, however, could experience the joy of holding their baby only after six months of his birth – Sparsh had broken 35-40 bones while emerging from his mother’s womb.

Sparsh was born with an incurable disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta.

This condition makes his bones extremely fragile and brittle – even a hard handshake can break his bones. He cannot bear weight on his hands and legs, so he cannot walk or run like other normal kids. He has had more than 125 fractures in the first 12 years of his life already and the doctors cannot predict how many more are to come. In April 2015, Sparsh participated in and won the prestigious talent competition Young Voice of NYC, and was honoured to be made the 'Youth Ambassador' for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He now supports the hospital in spreading awareness about the fight against pediatric cancer.

Sparsh has been a catalyst in helping raise over half a million dollars for various philanthropic organisations.

[caption id="attachment_47913" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Sparsh3

Sparsh, at the Chennai floods fund raising programme[/caption] Sparsh was also a member of the Watt NXT Robotics team that won at the state and regional levels in the US. He participated in the first World Robotics Championship in St. Louis, MO in 2015. Sparsh won the first prize in the speech competition about Dr.Ambedkar at the Indian Consulate in New York City in November 2015. Sparsh also participated won the Swardhara Singing Competition organized by Marathi Vishwa, New Jersey, in February 2016. He always thanks his parents and grandparents for his success:

“I don’t see myself as disabled. I just dis the ‘dis’ from disabled. Most people with disability always keep thinking about their disability and that makes others think about it too. I want to be the courage of such people," says Sparsh with a smile.

When Sparsh was just three years old, he started learning the keyboard and reading books. However, as his bones kept breaking, it was difficult for him to continue to learn the keyboard and he had to stop playing.

Watch him say hello to The Better India readers here. (Thank you Sparsh for this!) [embedvideo id="45Yh_cV1jj0" website="youtube"] Once, when he was three-and-a-half, his family was travelling in the car and his father switched on the radio. To his parents’ surprise, Sparsh remembered the song that was playing on the radio and started singing along. They thought that he perhaps knew the song because it was a well known one. But then, he sang the second, the third and even the fourth song that was played on the radio. When they asked Sparsh about this, he said his preschool bus driver played the same channel and that is how he had memorized all the songs. This was the beginning of the making of this gifted singer and musician.

“Dreams are not enough, Hard work is what turns them into reality! And so, he makes sure that he works hard enough to make his dreams come true," says Jigisha Shah, Sparsh’s mother.

Sparsh started learning Indian classical music at the age of 6 and is a student of Pandit Jasraj Institute of Music (PJIM) since 2009. He also learns American vocal music.

“All we tell him is that no matter what situation you have in life, never limit yourself!. We believe that Sparsh is a miracle who has come to this world to do something extra special," says Hiren Shah (Sparsh’s father)

A 7^th grader, Sparsh is also excellent in his studies. He has a 5-year-old brother named Anuj who plays video games with him.

[caption id="attachment_47929" align="aligncenter" width="960"] SparshWithFamily

Sparsh with his family.[/caption] Sparsh has gone through multiple surgeries for his brittle bones. His parents help him write when he has fractures, or he uses voice to text technology to do his homework.

When asked how he deals with the pain, he says: “There is not much you can do about pain…isn’t it? Crying is just a natural response to pain but you need to smile. This is what my Papa taught me since I was small. He said that I should tell my bones to smile whenever there is a fracture. If I don’t smile at them, they won’t respond to me with a smile. And so, whenever there is an x-ray after a fracture, I look at my bones and say – Smile please bones.”

Sparsh loves rapping as he believes that rap makes even sad songs come alive; rapping keeps the spark going. This huge fan of Eminem also loves Bollywood songs. "Abhi mujh me kahi" by Sonu Nigam is his favourite Hindi song. He met musician Neel a year-and-a-half ago, at a Karaoke competition. They sang together. Since then, Neel and Sparsh have been inseparable musical buddies and they have written a wonderful motivational duet: "Count On Me." [embedvideo id="W7kiNVTBoyc" website="youtube"] Sparsh recently auditioned for America's Got Talent and is waiting for the results, which will be out by March 2016. He won the first prize in Gaan Nipun Spardha, a prestigious singing competition organized by PJIM and was awarded a certificate of recognition by none other than the stalwart of Hindustani classical music, Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj, on February 27, 2016. [caption id="attachment_47921" align="aligncenter" width="960"] SparshWithPtJasraj

Sparsh, with Pandit Jasraj[/caption] Despite all the challenges he has faced, Sparsh's spirit is unbreakable. He aspires to sing in front of a billion people one day.

“I want to leave the marks of my footprints (aka wheelchair tracks ;)) in the sand of legacy so deep that not even a tsunami can erase them," concludes Sparsh.

Join this miracle boy’s journey to fame and help him make his dream come true by sharing his latest sensational cover song: “Not Afraid” with all your friends and family members. To listen to Sparsh’s magical music, log on and subscribe to his YouTube channel. You can also connect with Sparsh and keep updated on his progress by liking his Facebook page or following him on Twitter or Instagram .

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

This is a part of our series #SetDevadasisFree where we feature devadasis who had the courage to break free from the shackles of the sex trade and aim for a better life for their children. We aim to showcase their plight and raise funds to help setup sustainable businesses for them. "Bahut dukhta tha madam.. din me kam se kam 10-12 aadmi aate the. Par kya karti.. Maa bimar thi aur karza chukana tha (It used to hurt a lot, madam. About 10-12 men used to visit me daily. But what could I do? My mother was sick and I had to repay a debt)," says Mahananda Metri from Kappalguddi village in Belgaum district, Karnataka. She is speaking about those terrible days when she was just 13. Her mother Chandrawa was a devadasi. She took a loan from her brothers when she was sick and had to be admitted to the hospital. To repay the loan, she sold her daughter Mahananda to a sex trader in Sangli. Mahananda used to bleed for months. And when the bleeding finally stopped she was pregnant. She aborted her first baby when she was 14 and the second when she was 16. "No one asked me to abort the babies. It was my decision, madam. Otherwise how was I supposed to earn to repay my mother’s loan?" she asks. Chandrawa had a problem with her legs and could not walk when she was a child. Her parents then promised Yelamma (the goddess of devadasis) that they would make their daughter a devadasi if she could walk again. Once she was fine, Chandrawa was sorry she had recovered because her parents kept their promise. Mahananda was Chandrawa’s first child. Chandrawa’s parents took their granddaughter to a swami (holy man) who told them that if she ever got married her husband would die. So they told Chandrawa to make Mahananda a devadasi too. Moreover, Chandrawa had to repay the Rs. 10,000 she had borrowed from her brothers.

“I had to pay 10% interest on the loan of Rs.10,000. I also had to give 50% of my income to my master. It took me six years to repay the loan,” Mahananda says.

Just eight months after her second abortion, Mahananda was pregnant again. By now, the loan had been repaid so she wanted to keep this child. "I kept working for seven months and was then allowed to come back to my village for the delivery on the condition that once the baby was six months old, I would go back to work again. But I didn’t go back,” she says. Mahananda delivered a baby girl. She was happy that she did not have to be a part of the flesh trade again. But she was weak now. She had never been to a school, so all she could do was work as a farm labourer. But her health did not allow her to do so. She had to continue her old work against her wishes again, just so she could feed herself and her baby. After three years, she gave birth to her second child. At this point she made the decision to give up her work as a devadasi and begin afresh. Mahananda started working as a farm labourer. She also took training in tailoring that was arranged by the government. She worked in the farms in the mornings and left for the training in the afternoon with her 6-year-old and 3-year-old in tow.

It took three years to learn tailoring properly and another two years to buy a sewing machine. But once she did, she was unstoppable.

[caption id="attachment_48461" align="aligncenter" width="1620"] Mahananda Metri, Kappalaguddi

Mahananda Metri[/caption] Mahananda's day now starts at 5:30 am. She leaves for the farms at 9 am and comes back at 6 pm. She then sews clothes to earn extra money. Her elder daughter is pursuing a BAMS degree and the younger daughter is in Class 10. A year-and-a-half ago she took a loan of Rs. 20,000 from Milaap, with which she paid the fees for her daughters and bought two new sewing machines. She has now started her own tailoring classes. "My elder daughter is in 13th class... I think it is called B...A...M..S. The younger one is also good at studies. They felt humiliated initially when people asked them their father's name in the school. But now they understand and are proud of my hard work. I still remember those horrifying days when I was a devadasi and I cry alone from the sheer pain of those memories. But I never cry in front of my daughters. I am going to work till I die to help them stand on their own feet,” concludes a proud and strong Mahananda.

The Better India, in association with Milaap, has started a fund-raiser to help 135 Devadasi women move from oppression to opportunity.

Your contribution will be used to provide financial support to former Devadasi women like Mahananda to start small businesses like tailoring, rearing livestock, and running small shops. These businesses help them pay their children’s school fees, generate a livelihood for their families, and save for their old age. Our target is to raise INR 18,79,100.

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