Bhim Rawat

Bhim Rawat: The man leads plastic-free life for the last 15 years


He is just an ordinary resident of North Delhi’s bustling colony in Narela. But, he leads a life that is extraordinary. Bhim Rawat, 32- years- old has been leading a totally plastic-free life for the last 15 years. Living in a small house,  he has not used even a single item made of plastic. His life has become an inspiration for many people who realised the toxic effect of plastic.

Rawat has been using purely organic things such as using neem twigs as his tooth brush. Over the years, he has transformed his life in a way that everything in his house is eco-friendly. The cutlery, curtains, chair or even a paint brush-everything is made of eco-friendly substance. He devised alternative options for everything plastic to become eco-friendly.

The Idea

He was a teacher and got inspired to go completely organic while teaching his students about it. “Now it’s nearly 15 years that I have completely stopped using plastic. This has made my life comfortable, controlled the expenses and I am happy to maintain this life,” Rawat said. This was not an easy task to implement; he had to transform entire routine of his life.

He works with an NGO in Delhi. Learning about the nature and climate he found plastic as the biggest reason for destruction. Bhim Rawat said initially it was tough to choose alternative of each and every plastic item, but now it’s no longer a challenge. “When I first started working for the environment, I researched a lot and found that we are the ones destroying our home and killing wildlife.

I realised that our lives can go on perfectly without plastic. So why not do so?” He has a water harvesting pit at home. But convincing his family about his new lifestyle and new choices was not easy, he says. Every time a member brought home plastic products, Rawat used to throw a tantrum and would refuse to eat. Finally, his family gave in and joined him.

Rawat works with an NGO in Shalimar Bagh, he believes eco-friendly life is pocket-friendly as well. Looking around into his house one can see from powdered rock salt, stainless steel buckets and mugs to cloth bags, bamboo cups and rugs made from old gunny bags; he has an eco-friendly alternative for all the plastic things.

Challenge 

“I have seen people fighting over parking space, dusty air and garbage at their door steps. Almost everyone is aware about dreadful effects of plastic still they don’t care to reduce its use. Even a large portion of educated strata of our society is not ready to change their lifestyle,” said Rawat. Adapting a new habit in your life teaches you several lessons.

How he learned about eco-friendly products he said, “I have not changed my lifestyle overnight, it was a gradual process that led me to this where I am today. I have researched a lot, met several people and learned disadvantages of plastic and benefits of other products.”

Message for readers

There are some alternatives that one must try at home. Use old cloths to convert them into bags for daily use. In Delhi one can get a stitched denim bag. A roadside tailor can do this job for you; you just need to approach him with old denim. “Plastic bags mostly come from unplanned shopping its better if you keep one cloth bag in your kit or bag.”

Dr Bhakti Yadav

Dr Bhakti Yadav: Indore's first female doctor continues to give free treatment to her patients at 91


BY GORKY BAKSHI

This year President Pranab Mukharjee conferred Padam Shri to Indore’s first woman MBBS Dr Bhakti Yadav. This award was not for conferred to her for being the first lady doctor, but also because of her endless efforts to make a better society. She is 91-years-old and has been giving free gynaecological treatment, for the last 68 years.

She wants to serve people till the last breath of her life. She has delivered thousands of babies without taking any fee since 1948. Her journey has never been smooth, and she traveled from Madhya Pradesh to  Gujarat, Rajasthan and many more places only to deliver the babies, but has never asked for money from the patient who worship her like god.

Dr Bhakti Yadav Bio-

Her Life

She was born on 3 April 1926 in a small town of Ujjain called Mahidpur. She completed her primary education from Garoth town school while she completed her high school from Indore’s Ahilya Ashram School. She stayed with her uncle and worked hard to get admission in a medical college and finally she entered the MGM Medical College of Indore in 1948.

It was only after taking admission that she got to know that she was the only girl in Indore who was pursuing this course. She successfully completed her degree course and started treating people. In a press briefing she said: “My early career life and my present are almost same. Earlier, I used to treat people for free just for experience but later I have realized that it is life that I have to live this only.”

About 70 years have been passed since her graduation and thousands of mothers successfully delivered babies in her hands. In between Dr Yadav got several offers from prominent hospitals to work with them, but she refused those jobs and joined Nandlal Bhandari Maternity Home to help the wives of poor cloth mill workers.

She headed the maternity home for several decades, before eventually started her own nursing home, Vatsalya, in Pardeshipura area. As a gynaecologist, she has delivered thousands of babies, without charging any fee from the patients. At the age of 91, Dr Bhakti Yadav has become physically weak, but continuous to treat the poor. “I don’t know how many breaths are with me but my only wish is to serving people until my last breath.”

Her methodology’ 

Hundreds of unique technologies have been developed since her graduation but she still believes in traditional medical practices. Her son Dr Chetan Yadav informs:: “She doesn’t use sonography machine and still uses traditional methodology.  She only uses home remedies and contemporary medicines.” Dr Chetan Yadav said that she bonds with her patients, so that the treatment becomes easier. Today Dr Bhakti Yadav is bed ridden. She fell down and suffered several fractures. Her son informed that, “She said that she is happy because everyone is happy with announcement of award (Padam Sri). Her only concern for is that nobody should suffer due to lack of medicine and treatment.”

Unnoticed

Unnoticed: An initiative by JNU students to educate slum children


“There are some things that just cannot be overlooked. They nag your conscious and pinch your whole notion of existence until you do something about it,” said Ina Goel, member of Unnoticed. Unnoticed is a group formed by the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University students which is actively working in the campus for the upliftment of slum children.

The area surrounding JNU, is dominated by slums, inhabited by migrant labourers. Students of different streams started this campaign two years back and now it has become almost a revolution in itself, in JNU Campus. Many local as well as foreign students are working selflessly in this group.

Beginning

“We focus on children from 5 to 16  as we teach them and help them to get admission in the nearest government schools, provide them recreational material for their versatile growth,” said Ina Goel. Why they started such activity she recalls: “Studying in this prestigious university, enjoying its beautiful environment, we often wondered why  the life of these children living in the slums is so difficult.”

“We always questioned why the basic right to education is denied to these children. Within the university was one such thing that made a group of students pause and take notice and that’s how Unnoticed was born.” While students are working towards the goal of providing basic education to the children of the migrant construction workers inside the JNU campus, they formalized themselves as a group called Unnoticed to effectively organize activities.

“Like any other children of this age, these kids too are filled with immense potential which needed careful channeling and nurturing. With this intent, we began to diversify our activities.” “We train the children as per their inclination in painting or music or dance, we started teaching the kids the same. Theatre workshops, movie screenings and taking the children on recreational trips around the city became a part of our schedule.

And the kids grew and we along with them,” said Prakash another member of Unnoticed. The Work Children recently performed at the International Summer School hosted by Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU as a part of the International Public Health Partnership between different countries including Germany and Nigeria.

Goel explains that health issues are also on their priority list. Since most of them are children from migrant families, they have been denied medication and vaccination in childhood.” So, we conduct vaccination drive by involving a few doctors. “Another area of work has been health check-up camps. Being migrant workers on the move, most of them have no access to basic health facilities, almost all the children were without immunization against life threatening diseases.”

“And we found a partner in Dr. Priyadarshini with whose help we were able to do some significant work in this field. Recently we found another support in Dr. Rewa who volunteered free dental check ups. for the children.”

How do they generate funds:

The organisation sets up stalls at the University’s International Food Festival and organise Photo Exhibitions depicting the lives of these children, and also sell post cards to generate funds. Apart from that students contribute from their pocket money to raise the fund. Since, it’s a big project and challenges are also coming in their way Ina Goel said: “We don’t have any formal room or sitting space to teach the children. We generally organise classes in hostel rooms which is not a convenient option.” “We are trying to get permission from our Vice Chancellor for getting a room or a formal space for these activities.”

HIV positive children

Rajib Thomas: Father of 22 HIV positive children


BY GORKY BAKSHI

The world is full of hatred as well as kindness. In Mumbai, when parents chose to abandon their HIV positive children at the mercy of God, this man Rajib Thomas (45) adopts them to give them a new life.
Rajib Thomas from Mumbai has adopted 22 such HIV positive children. All these children reside in the same home along with his wife and two of his biological children.  His wife Mini Reji looks after their food and routine requirements while Rajib Thomas takes responsibility of their education and health.

That Incident

Rajib is known among these children as Papa Reji, but his life was different before starting this home for HIV children. He narrates about an incident that changed course of his life.
“It was in 2007 when I was going somewhere and suddenly a young girl, clad in torn cloths, came to me begging for food. I told her that I will provide her food but not today. Very next day I went to that place but she was not there. I asked people who used to stay around about her. Sadly, she had passed away due to HIV.”
This incident shook him so deeply that he couldn’t come out of the trauma for many weeks.
“I talked to my wife and we decided to move in a bigger house. From that day we have started adopting those children who are abandoned by their parents.
“I feel proud when I say that my family consists of 24 members and we are living together with love. They are HIV positive, but don’t mean they have to compromise with their happiness.
“I want to give them a long life that’s only what I want from my life,” said Papa Reji.

His work

Before adoption of children he was living in Navi Mumbai with his wife and two of their biological kids. Earlier they had to do a lot of struggle, he describes: “Because of space crunch in our old house, I took a house on rent at Navi Mumbai in year 2009. We, my wife, my two children and two HIV positive children moved in.
“Initially, we felt difficulties like we could hardly afford one bed on which all four children used to sleep. Later, when our family got few more members it became really hard to adjust without basic amenities.
“After few months when people started recognising our efforts, we got donations like grains, beds, money, food etc. Now we are 24 members family living under one roof.”
Rajib and his wife equally treat all these children. Mini Reji said, “We don’t let any of kid feel left out ever. We love and scold them equally.”
Has she ever felt any disgrace over touching a HIV positive person, she replied: “No, not any stigma or shame I have ever felt. It can be a phobia for one, for me they are my family. We also educate our biological children about myths on HIV and make them fully aware of this disease.”

Future Plan

 

Rajib is looking at adopting more children and keen to provide them a happy life. Apart from this, he wants to spread awareness about HIV. He believes that children who are infected with HIV syndrome need not to cut their life short. They can live as a normal person.
“All these children call me Papa, how can I break their trust when they love me like my own children. I will never deviate from my ideology thus it will be my fortune if people will adopt such children.”

Sushma Varma: India's youngest M.Sc holder at 15


BY GORKY BAKSHI
When children struggle to get admission in school at the age of 5, Sushma was entering in 9th standard. She is India’s child prodigy who has completed her M.SC at age of 15. Sushma Varma a resident of village Bargawan at district Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Sushma has been a brilliant child and her talent got recognised when she was just two years old. Today she is 17 and planning to pursue PHD in microbiology. Sushma would be youngest Indian who will get admission in microbiology PHD. Her father is a sanitation worker in the same University where she was pursuing M.Sc.

Sushma Varma’s Bio-

About Sushma Varma

At the age of four, her class teacher asked her to read something from the text book. She stood up and clearly recited Ramayana, which she had heard a night before. Class teacher was surprised and asked her to read something from the text book.
She just wanted to clarify what she has heard from Sushma was not a day dream. But, much to the surprise of the teachers, Sushma again read clearly like a teenage student. Teachers gave her some mathematics questions, and asked her some chemistry formulas and few other tricky questions which Sushma solved within few seconds.
Now her teachers were impressed and recognised her talent. As per her IQ, the school decided to admit Sushma in class IX. Sushma’s father Tej Bahadur said: “Four years ago I was working as a daily wages labourer in Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (Central) University. When Sushma cleared her inter school she got admission in the same college where I was working as a labour.” “My daughter is brilliant and her talent couldn’t hide even in this college.
When teachers found that  I worked as a daily wage labour they offered me a job of permanent sanitation worker in the college. I am proud of her and feel blessed because of my daughter,” Tej Bahadur said excitedly. According to him, Dr R V Sobti, the Vice-Chancellor of Sushma’s college helped him secure the job in the college campus, so that he could support his talented daughter.

Recognition

Her brilliance does not just shine in India, but she was invited for an IQ test in Japan where she competed with 35 other students of her age and stood first. Because of her financial condition, Sushma was also given a grant of Rs. 8 Lakh by Sulabh’s chief Dr Bindeshwari Pathak for her higher education. When she was seven, she got listed in the Limca Book of Records for being the ‘youngest student’ to clear class 10th exams.
Sushma is not the only prodigy of her family. Her brother is equally talented as he completed his BCA at the age of 14. He became youngest student to complete science degree at this age. Apart from this, her younger sister, three years old, can already read poems written for graduate level students.

Future Plan

Regarding her future plans, Sushma says: “I now want to pursue PhD, perhaps in agricultural microbiology. During our field visits, we realised that the soil in and around Lucknow is becoming more arid by the day, so I would like to try and find out a way to make the city greener.”