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HOME | LIFE/STYLE | SPECIAL |
November 19, 1997 |
Shobha Warrier
You will find an abandoned baby in Anna Nagar, near the arch," whispered the anonymous voice on the telephone, before the buzz of a broken connection echoed in Vidyakar's ear. Anna Nagar was enveloped in darkness -- it was a new moon night and the street lights were not working. Vidyakar searched everywhere, he even looked into the dustbin but there was no baby -- not even the faint cry of one. He adjusted the headlight of his scooter -- and, in the illumination, saw a couple of men urinating in a corner. And he saw two small legs kicking tiredly in the air. One of the men was unknowingly urinating on the baby. Vidyakar picked up to the half-dead child -- she smelt of filth and urine -- and rushed her to a nearby hospital. "Fight, little one, fight," he whispered to her. "Your parents may not want you, but I do. Don't you die on me " Last heard, the little one was fighting gamely for her life.
Sleep and rest are unknown to the volunteers. The phone can ring at midnight, giving information about an abandoned baby or a dying destitute. An old inmate might close his eyes for the last time at night. A new baby might open her eyes for the first time in the wee hours of the morning. And someone would be there to hold their hands.
Little Vidyakar hid in an inconspicuous corner of his house
and pretended he was blind, invisible and deaf. He didn't want
to hear any part of the skirmishes which occurred quite frequently
between his parents.
Soon, he started spending less and less time at home. And,
as he looked at the world outside, he saw people tormented, with
pain with no one to comfort them. So he tried to help them as
much as he could.
He took to visiting the nearby hospitals where he would console
those in agony. He sat with the dying destitutes, caring for them
till their eyes closed. In the process, his personal pain and fear vanished. And he experienced love, as he became father, brother
and son to many strangers.
The latter was amazed at Vidyakar's selfless behaviour. When
he came to know of Vidyakar's sorry life story, he gave him his
address, "If you want any help from me, don't hesitate to
come to Madras."
Few months later, unable to bear the torture at home, Vidyakar
did just that. Once in Madras, he was unable to locate Ramakrishnan for several days. Though forced to live on the streets, he continued helping those who were in distress.
Then, he met Ramakrishnan.
The starved boy got a new lease of life. He joined a local
college, all the while remaining true to his aim of helping the
poor and the suffering. He already had years of experience, what
he needed now was theoretical knowledge. Once he was equipped with both, he went and established base in a lepers' colony.
It was Ramakrishnan who first called his small hut Udavum Karangal.
From the lepers' colony, from one abandoned child, from the small
hut called Udavum, a vast organisation spread it wings. Today,
it houses more than a thousand people.
Karunalayam and Shantivanam shelter the terminally ill, the dying, the destitute, the mentally ill and AIDS patients. The smell of disinfectant hung in the air. Trees and flowering plants adorned the front of all the rooms. Vidyakar indicated a lady who was approaching us, "Sundari left her home and a government job to work with these people." Sundari added, "There was a vacuum in my life when I was working for the central excise department. The routine got on to my nerves. Yes, there was an initial resistance from my people who could not accept that I preferred voluntary work to a well-paid job. Now, after retirement, my father also has joined me here." Photographs: Sanjay Ghosh Continued... Tell us what you think of this feature
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