I don't have the faintest idea what pushed me to be in the position, what I am in today. Coming from a middle class, to study was the only agenda and there was no alternative. All the boys coming from the families around, too probably belonged to the same status economically and value-wise, so no deterrent there, thus all the friends were similarly study minded, hard-working and having a fixed goal of getting good marks in the finals. It was like a stream with definite flow speed and direction and you were not supposed to fight against it, it was accepted norm. So in the due course, we all graduated with really good marks, shone in our respective fields, and braced ourselves for the second point on agenda, ' To earn a livelihood and amass enough money for trouble-free independent old age.' The money came in incidentally, there was no fixed plan or greed to procure it. Like any MD in my times, Independent practice was the logo of the day so went for it and money just came in, enough for the standards expected off a consultant by the society. There was no time to look around. Socially inclined mates were not from the inner circle. Definitely felt differently about them, but neither there was awe nor even repulsion, only indifference. I don't know whether that was the start of uneasiness that I feel today!
Chanced to meet youth from interiors of backward Maharashtra, where my MD Doctor friend's father had died of dehydration after diarrhoea for want of simple IV fluids and the lack of good medical facilities in the perimeter of 50 miles around!
Santosh Garje in his late twenties had to come to Mumbai to collect donations for an orphanage that he runs for around 100 children, 150 km away from district place of Beed. He along with his friend stayed with us for 3 days and I could get a glimpse of how hard, life could be.
Coming from a family of landless labourers, he mooted the idea of starting an orphanage at the age of 18 single-handedly after his sister died due to atrocities of her husband. The brother in law did not stop at that, remarried within short time discarding the girl child. His father went in such a profound shock that he left the home on pilgrimage never to return. Though partly educated at that time Santosh did not lose faith in society and most importantly in himself, so started an orphanage with 7 children to start with. And then there was a rocky ride for many years to come. Right from, the threats from the goons to demands of signing authorities to grease the palms, he went through every hurdle with his head held high but a heart full of compassion. Today his orphanage shelters girls who require separate building and he is short of funds. Me and my family especially my wife Shubha do try to help him for his cause but her efforts do have limitations.
Deities who really do not come to rescue in our difficult times, get money, gold and whatnot in crores but people like Santosh have to beg for alms to run an Ashram for destitute.
And there lies the cause for my unexplained uneasiness. Do we as a class have restricted ourselves to limited social work? Donate few rupees and responsibility towards society is over. Don't know what's the deterrent but thought many times to leave everything and join some ashram to offer my expertise. Is it the insecurity, typically middle class,'If it fails!' where would I go then? What about MY old age? Probably we all are stuck in the same rut to varying extents. And the thought increases my uneasiness further. The only way out then maybe, to help likes of Santosh more and exercise our limited social work!
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