Seva

[Guest guest]

SEVA

 

AHMEDABAD/SURAT/VADODARA: In Gujarat, where the obsession to

immigrate has compelled authorities to put its communities under the

scanner, there are many who took a reverse trek.

 

They dumped plush jobs, packed their bags and left foreign shores to

come back to where the heart is. Haren Joshi, 65, has not seen the

Shah Rukh Khan starrer Swades but people identify him with the NASA

scientist, who left everything to bring light to a remote village.

 

Four years back, Joshi, a vascular surgeon occupying the prestigious

Chair of Surgery in Frankfurt Hospitals in Philadelphia, came to

Ahmedabad with his ophthalmic surgeon wife Pratima Tolat and slogged

it out, sometimes over 15 hours a day, at the Shamlaji Community

Health Centre in the backward district of Sabarkantha.

 

In Surat, Vibha Marfatia, who completed her PhD in immunology from

London University, abandoned a bright career to spread awareness

about HIV-AIDS among the high-risk diamond workers and other

vulnerable groups.

 

Her courageous move led to the launch of an NGO called Sahas. "Life

here has been meaningful," says Marfatia admitting that it was not

easy leaving her parents' home of 27 years in the UK.

 

Joshi, who gave up 34 years of a comfortable life in America is

equally thrilled at the smile on the face of 3-year-old Radha, a

tribal girl, who he operated for a congenital deformity.

 

"Recently, we returned a face to a badly burnt 10-year-old, who

could never have afforded treatment," says Joshi, who now hosts many

US-based friends who had bet on his returning within three weeks.

 

In Vadodara, Ashet Kikani is silently fulfilling a promise he made

to himself — to serve his city and country.

 

Instead of complaining about poor infrastructure, Kikani has gone

ahead and revamped an old crematorium in Karelibaug (Rs 1.25 crore

project) and hopes to revive the swimming pool in the old city's

Jumma Dada Vyayam Mandir (Rs 40-45 lakh) among other projects.

 

"I am undeterred by the inadequate infrastructure and system in

India, as I understand it is a developing country. Any hardship only

makes my resolve stronger," says Kikani.

 

The honours, however, could go to the 'NRI sarpanch' Chandrakant

Mukhi, 56, a businessman, who returned to his hometown Thamna, a

small village in Anand, after 28 years in Tanzania and the US.

 

Thanks to his efforts, the 4500 people of Thamna have between them

280 telephones, 24-hour water and electricity supply.

 

The new English medium high school offers free education, lunch,

uniforms and books to all 350 children. In fact, the Thamna

panchayat was one of the three panchayats from the state selected

for the President's award.

 

"I feel at home in India though all my relatives and family are

abroad. It is my duty to make my village self-reliant. I was also

elected as sarpanch two years back and it has helped me bring in

development faster," says Mukhi, who has finalised plans to launch

basic computer training and technology institute in the village.