UNSUNG HEROES

It is a voyager from the valley of pains who rises to climb the peak of relief and support’

So many people live their lives half asleep not knowing the direction they are heading to. While a few leave their footsteps to be followed by and learnt from.

He is a league apart. He himself was a visually challenged boy ,more so, abandoned by his  parents, but some people grow up not just braving all odds but also embark on the challenges to lighten up the lives of those who suffer the same disability. In this fortnight journal, we talk about Forty-five year old Mr. D Subhash Gupta , who works at the Andhra Bank zonal office in Koti,  now runs two hostels for the visually challenged, apart from organizing free marriages for them under the banner of his organization “Vikalangula Kalyana Vedika” launched in 2000.

He started the girls hostel on June 27, 2004 and the boys hostel on April 24,2010. As he made his way through this process, he realized that before taking up the responsibility of marriage ,it is important  that he instills in them an admiration and reliance for self.Educating them helps  in making them  self- reliant so that no one any more considers them a dead weight. The ‘Braille’ method of teaching is used to impart education to the children. He believes that sympathy is a sweet dagger. Sympathy if not coupled with a confidence that “yes you can do it!” does no good but only harm. Their effort in becoming  self reliant is visible in their making of  incense  sticks, perfumes ,key chains ,phenol, confectionary under the brand ’NETRADAN’  .Presently there are  25  blind boys and 30 blind girls  in the rented hostel. So far 26 of his students have got jobs, most of which include banking sector and state government jobs. They have tried to match the employed with an unemployed while christening marriages. So far eighteen Hindu , seven Christian and one Muslim couples have been happily married off.

 But the journey has not been easy at all for him .He had to face many roadblocks and lack of support but that could not dwindle his steady determination. When asked about it, he said, “  We don’t ask for help but try to sort it out by our  self sustaining ways”. On being asked that what drives him to carry on with this noble work he replied ,” the problems that we had faced during our early days firmed our resolve and we will continue making a difference to the lives of children “.

We salute you Mr Subhash for the great work you are doing .India needs heroes like you who act as the shining light in the lives of so many people. He has proven true the adage , ‘Pearls lie not on the seashore. If thou desirest one , thou must dive for it’.And Mr. Subhash Gupta  beautifully substantiates it

‘More than the vision of eyes,

It is the will of heart that shall suffice’

JUHU - The beach that never was

Zohar has grown up in the slums of Mumbai. He is 57, grey haired, colloquially calls his daily bread, roasted corn as ‘bhutta’. A place like the Juhu beach, which is a trip for many, is oddly his workstation. Twenty years of his life have gone into this unnoticeable vocation, and yet he is a content man. He keeps a small bin next to his thela, and tells all his buyers to throw the corn once eaten, into it. When asked how this small bin will aid in cleaning an already filthy beach, he replies, ‘Mem Sahib, hum apne farz se katrate nahin’. While he does his little bit, contrastingly people litter the Juhu beach by every human bustle thinkable.

Sadly, it has become a place where only an eye level search for skyline view is gratifying. The moment you look down, you can’t hide the aversion that starts sinking in. There is more to care than just the peripheral facts. Sea-water quality of beaches is generally expected to be comparable to the quality of the near-shore sea water. However, studies reveal that the quality of sea-water sampled 5 kms off the Juhu coast has deteriorated significantly.  (Journal IAEM. Vol.30).

 Putting up dustbins at short distances is the easiest way to begin the contingency plan. It is not only the tourist activity which is at fault in harming the aquatic life but also the recent oil spills that have occurred. In April 2012 a whale was washed ashore, thanks to the servicing of ships not far from the coast. Varied initiatives have been taken but it takes more than just words to stand by the self-proclaimed quotes.

 Years of my life have taught me one thing, no urges can change our attitude, and it’s always a self-inflicted change that can toss situations. I shall close this piece by saying, ‘Juhu in Sanskrit means ‘flame’ and flames take time to mature. If neither loved nor cared, the fire shall be wild. Stir your souls.’