Tuesday, April 10, 2012

We shall overcome – Yogesh Chopra, Convener Philanthropy SXCCAA




Ailments, whose root cause is malnutrition. Water and air borne diseases brought about by pollution caused by mining and quarrying in the region. Infertility and other reproductive dysfunctions caused by extreme poverty and long exposure to pollutants. Orthopedic disorders. Advanced glaucoma in children, cataracts …



When we took stock at the end of the camp with Doctors from the medicine, general practice, gynecology ophthalmology and orthopedics exchanging notes, the names that rolled out were mostly common. However, the fact remained – most were brought about or compounded by causes relating to extreme poverty – poverty that has to be seen to be believed. Poverty, that cannot be explained in cold statistics, or by the verbose play of words.

The weather beaten faces, the rickety frames, the father carrying his physically challenged son on his back, the octogenarian with cataracts that have robbed her of her eyesight, the mother with the spastic child … they were all there: in long lines at the counter, stoic in their suffering, yet hopeful of getting help. Some had walked unbelievable distances through the night, traversing the inhospitable terrain to reach the free medical camp, organized by the Carmel Health Center, run by the Carmelite Sisters of Saint Teresa (CSST), to which we from the SXCCAA had extended our support.





A medical team eight from the Priyamvada Birla Aravind Eye Hospital, two Gynecologists from the Bhagirathi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre, a team of two Orthopedic experts from the Rehabilitation Center for Children and our own Dr. Ahmed with Dr. S.R Sil and their assistant to attend to the general cases was accompanied by four members of the Alumni to Hathimara, in the tribal dominated Pakur District of Jharkhand.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that to most of us city dwellers it was a rude shock. We, who read of starvation deaths, of extreme poverty, of the benevolence of the state having failed to reach the grassroots, of a total breakdown of the health care services, of hunger and desperation at the bottom of the pyramid were suddenly on the other side of the “poverty line” feeling insignificant in face of a problem of gigantic proportions. Even helpless, our collective ego’s crushed in the realisation that we, despite all our claims, are not even capable of wiping one tear, leave alone act as catalysts of change, ushering in a better tomorrow for these, children of some alien God.





The one island of sanity in these killing fields of our apathy was the Hathimara Catholic Church where Rev. Fr. John Ravi SJ, was helping others - dedicated souls like him, put the balm of humanity on the scarred souls. Sister Suma who runs the regular dispensary was forthright “it’s an uphill task. First you fight against the prejudices brought about by generations of illiteracy and ignorance. Then you take on the vested interests, the quacks, who administer medicine for lucre. It is an unequal struggle, as we do not have the wherewithal to provide all the medicines and the infrastructure to administer them. Yet, we trudge on, with Him reaching out, through us, and healing those who need us the most.”

Sister Jesley was equally dedicated in her zeal “if it is the work of God, it must go on” she said, adding “we hope more of you will come and join us, for these poor, helpless people, our brothers and sisters, need your hand to rise from the depths to which they have been consigned for no fault of theirs”.

I was breathless. Here in the frontiers of the region where the diktat of the Government ends leading us on to the “so-called” Red Corridor, I was face to face with a revolution of another kind. A revolution that the mainline media does not want to write about as it does not have the glamour of even half an item number or the frivolousness of a page 3 gossip item. A revolution, where Carmelite Sisters were taking the fight to the enemy, teaching the foot soldiers not to look at themselves as cannon fodder but to stand steadfast in fortitude, to hold their heads high in times of adversity, to retain their dignity and fight the war against poverty, hunger and injustice with virtually nothing more than love, faith and dedication.


It was but a ten hour journey from Kolkata. Yet in Hathimara, we felt as if we were ten light years away – from civilisation, from the affluence of India Inc. from the world as we know it to be. One sister translated as an old lady blessed me in the local dialect: “May you have a long life, with many children and farms that are ever bountiful in their produce… the vision that you promise to give me back today, may stand witness to your prosperity”.

I will be failing in my duty if I do not thank the President of SXCCAA, our beloved Fr. Dr. J. Felix Raj, SJ, who answering the call for help by Rev. Fr. Nirmal Raj, SJ, the Provincial of Dumka, encouraged us to make the trip. Organised within a very short period, our team comprising of Xaverians Arun Sultania, Manish Dalmia and Suvobrata Ganguly was personally blessed by him, in what we thought was another philanthropic mission. Little did we know Father, that you were ending us on a voyage of discovery – of the realisation as to how benevolent God has been for us, and how it is his will that we share our good fortunes with our less fortunate brethren.


Xaverians, we have promises to keep. We will not sleep till we traverse these miles and I call on you join us as we trudge through the woods of despair. Come, let us touch lives, let us make a difference. Let us live the spirit that we have imbibed in this great Institution: Nihil Ultra. Let each one of us tell our souls that we are not “men and women for others” for nothing.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.