Way Of Becoming God

How many of us have ever wondered about relatives of poor patients coming to metro cities from far-flung areas for health treatment? Most times, these relatives tend to end up ignoring their food and health while serving their unwell dear ones.

There are several NGOs working towards welfare and treatment of cancer patients. These NGO’s provide food, monetary help towards treatment and medicines. But the plight of relatives who have been at patients’ service tend to be ignored completely.

Harakhchand Sawla, 58, has dedicated his life to the service of needy cancer patients and their relatives. “They come from remote villages in India. They usually sell their property and jewellery before they come here and struggle to find a roof over their head and to manage the expenses,” he says. Daily, he and his volunteers provide freshly cooked khichdi, dal, roti and vegetables. People come to him not just for food, but also for advice, assistance and reassurance—all of which is offered free, with a smile.

Helping the needy has been second nature to Sawla, who was born in a middle-class Kutchi family. Even as a child, he used his bus fare to pay the fees of his friend, whose father had died; he would instead walk all the way home from school. The young man had a fresh set of eyes for the world, and he wanted to simplify the concept of community service. But the words of a gentleman he encountered after his tenth standard exams, changed his life forever. “The society feeds us, clothes and nurtures us, and we must repay that debt by passing on the favour,” he told the young Harakchand.

Choosing not to go to college, he gathered some friends and started “Lower Parel Mitra Mandal,” a small outfit that would perform small services to the community like Clean-up drives, a collection of donation for various causes, etc, which they sustained for about five years. In the course of their work, they became immensely close to a girl from one of the areas they served, so much so that Harakchand considered her a sister.

It was thus, a bleak day in their lives when they discovered that the girl’s mother had cancer. Harakchand helped her in admitting her mother to Sion Hospital unaware of the fact that the Tata Hospital offered subsidised treatment. “I was full of guilt when I made this error, but my sister told me that the family was prepared to take their mother back to their village where she could live out her days, but on my suggestion, they brought her to the hospital instead and she was cured. They said, “to us, you are God.” These words stayed with me - I realised it took so little to become ‘God’ in someone’s eyes. This was my inspiration. I left everything else and focused my energies on service, especially the cancer-stricken and their loved ones,” Harakchand recalls.

At that point, he ran a small hotel that was doing fairly well - which he decided to rent out and used all the money raised towards community services.“I would simply go to the hospital and spend time with patients who were alone and had no one around - because a lot of them came from outside Mumbai for treatment, and couldn’t afford the expenditure of having a family member with them. I would help them with their errands, collecting reports, sending their relatives letters, etc,” he recalls.

Once a patient’s relative fell seriously ill. Harakchand took him to his family doctor and they discovered that the man had been living on vada pav (a simple Maharashtrian snack consisting of a potato patty placed between a sliced bun) since he had arrived because he could not afford anything else. “The doctor told me that this person was ruining his own health to take care of someone else’s,” Harakchand recounts.

The very next day, on an impulse he started packing food for 10-15 people from home. This simple act of kindness is what has flourished into the mammoth Jeevan Jyot Cancer Relief and Care Trust that operates on a Rs 2-3 crore budget.

The activity consisted of providing free meals for cancer patients and their relatives. Many people in the vicinity approved of this activity.

Beginning with fifty, the number of beneficiaries soon rose to hundred, two hundred, three hundred. As the numbers of patients increased, so did the number of helping hands.

Sawla is by no means a rich man, But refuses to charge a cup of tea to the trust, let alone draw a salary from it. He says he has his father to thank for his principles. “My father warned me, ‘Travel by bus, spend your own money if you wish to do this work. Don’t use the money to travel in luxury.’ This has been my mantra to date,” says Sawla.

Now in its 32nd year, the trust has 12 offices, an army of 150 volunteers and has served millions. “You do not need to run a trust to change lives - you can start right away. People who need help are all around you - all you have to do is extend a helping hand,” he says, signing off.

In age where we share jokes and irrelevant stuffs in a fraction of second, people lie Sawla deserve their share of fame.

If you wish to connect with the trust you can contact them on 022-2415 3453 or visit www.jeevanjyot.in for details.