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on record DR Achyut Samanta established a school for tribal children in 1993, which has now grown into the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) — the largest free residential institution in Asia. It provides food, accommodation, healthcare and education right from kindergarten to postgraduation to 16,500 children, besides assured employment.
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By Shahira Naim Getting his hands dirty so the dead may rest in peace 70-yr-old Mohammad Sharif is tight on cash, but has been performing the last rites of unclaimed bodies for decades For the past five years, he has been making announcements from the Eidgah, appealing to youngsters to take over, but no one has stepped forward. Getting his hands dirty so the dead may rest in peace HIS gait has become laboured with age. Yet the passion and energy with which he goes about his unusual task is amazing. A badge stating, ‘Mohd Sharif — samaj sevak, 269 Khidki Ali Baig Faizabad’, adorns his kurta, almost an extension of his dressing.
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What inspired you to take such an initiative in the field of education? My childhood experience was horrible because of abject poverty. I was unable to even have two square meals a day. I lost my father at the age of four. It was a very tough time. Without any means whatsoever, it fell on me to support my family. I was trying hard to fight hunger without it showing on my face. Poverty was written on every wall of my home. Most people are broken by adverse times. Only a few leave their mark to be emulated by millions of others. Poverty found a new definition in my life. Sometimes adversity does make people strong enough to combat difficulties. I decided that I will overcome all the difficulties I was facing and do something so that the others didn’t have to face such hardships. With this mission in my heart, I set up KISS. I believe that poverty creates illiteracy and literacy eradicates poverty. What challenges have you been facing and what are the supporting factors? We started the venture from scratch without any backup or help from banks. We have faced a lot of struggle. But we overcame it and could excel in every mission because of our honest intention and passion for work. From the very first, I was clear about my vision, which was to eradicate poverty from the lives of the extremely poor. The only weapon and means I had was education. And to impart education, you don’t need anything except the desire to do so. Thus, I started my mission without any infrastructure. It was a challenge to make both ends meet. It was a catch-22 situation. We put in a lot of hard work and pushed ourselves to the limit. Since then, it has become a habit to work 16 hours a day, 365 days a year. What are your future plans and proposals? I just have one dream, for which I will work all my life. And that is to eradicate poverty through education. I have decided to work more on this front. KISS will be my workspace, where I will spend most of my time and efforts. I plan to educate two lakh underprivileged children free of cost in a residential environment through over 40 replicas of KISS in various parts of the country. Our university (KIIT) is now independent and is managed well. As of now, there are no plans to expand the university. How do you fund such a massive project? A part of the turnover of the KIIT Group of Institutions is diverted towards KISS. Each staff member contributes 3% of his/her gross salary. Grants are also received from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs towards diet expenses of the students. Guardians of KIIT students, Unicef and some corporate houses also donate generously. Have you been successful in bringing about a considerable change in the lives of Yes, not only have we succeeded in bringing about a positive change in their lives, but also have been instrumental in bringing happiness on the faces of their parents. Good things are happening to tribal students and their parents as these children are not only getting higher education, but also they are acting as agents of change for their society. Apart from this, we in KISS have aligned our work and activities with the UN Millennium Development Goals. Thus, we ensure that our activities touch the entire spectrum of people’s lives. No Indian university figured in a survey of the top 100 universities. I am unaware of the methodology through which the survey was conducted. So, I don’t want to say anything about the rankings, but I think we all are aware about the fact that our universities need to lay more emphasis on the quality of education, R&D and infrastructure, and upgrade faculty skills. Once we have these aspects in place, we will see more participation from the industry, which will further help in enhancing the quality of education. Also, our system should be transparent to allow genuine individuals to come forward and work freely and independently to produce effective results. Do you have any plans to extend your network to other parts of the country? We have started extending our network for the benefit of underprivileged students across the country. KISS replica has started coming up all over the country. To start with, we have KISS Delhi, KISS Jharkhand, KISS Kanker (Chhattisgarh) and KISS Kerala in the pipeline. Our resources are limited. We are working hard to mobilise more resources by finding innovative ways of doing things. Many more KISS branches will come up in the next few years.
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Mother of two and wife of an Army officer, she has turned adversities into opportunities. Whether it is swimming against the strong Yamuna current or riding a special bike or even taking a shot at the Paralympics, she has been daring to say the least. Last year, she became the first paraplegic to participate in Raid-de-Himalayas, the toughest car rally. Being India’s only lady paraplegic biker, 39-year-old Deepa holds a Limca Book record. She qualified for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and was bestowed with the Arjuna Award this year. Her life took a turn when a spinal tumor made it impossible for her to walk 11 years ago. Her 20-year-old daughter Devika says: “I was only eight then and my sister Ambika, three. My father was fighting the Kargil war and could meet us only a year after the surgery.” At home, Col Bikram Singh Malik’s wife was fighting a war of her own. Despite three spinal surgeries and 183 stitches between her shoulder blades, she came out a winner. Dr VK Batish, who operated upon her, is amazed at her progress. “In the 25 years that I’ve been a neurosurgeon, I have never come across a person like her. Her recovery and subsequent achievements are inspiring,” he says. “I could compare the two worlds — that of the able bodied and the other of the physically challenged. A lot can be done in the field of disability in our country, right from social outlook, acceptance of the disabled to their inclusion in the mainstream,” she says. She noticed that those in wheelchairs usually remained at home and launched a mission — ability beyond disability. “I had no clue what I had to do. But I knew I had to contribute in some way. Promoting outdoor sports was the best way. I was surprised to learn that I was the first paraplegic woman to join the world of sports in India,” she says. Driving was another passion. She often laughs that God misinterpreted her desire to be “at the wheel” and made her sit in a wheelchair. “I wanted to rally, but thought it would be impossible because of my condition. But it strengthened my resolve and I decided to take part in the world’s highest and toughest car rally,” she says. Only her husband stood by her decision. She visited the Army adventure cell, but was told that only serving Army officers’ wives were allowed to participate. Her three-year struggle ended at the flag-off of the Desert Storm Rally in Delhi in 2009, where she told various teams about her wish to take part in the rally. The Pune Millennium Team took her seriously and taught her navigation skills. The rally was flagged off in the morning. It was a harsh eight-day, 1,700-km drive in minus degree temperatures, and not entirely free of incidents. Her car skidded and hit the snowy road. The radiator developed a crack and the rest of the journey was completed filling water every few kilometres. She was awarded the True Grit trophy for her outstanding courage.
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good news HIS gait has become laboured with age. Yet the passion and energy with which he goes about his unusual task is amazing. A badge stating, ‘Mohd Sharif — samaj sevak, 269 Khidki Ali Baig Faizabad’, adorns his kurta, almost an extension of his dressing.
In a day and age when even children look for professional services for the last-bath ritual of their parents, 70-year-old Mohammad Sharif of Faizabad has religiously performed the last rites of nearly 1,600 unclaimed bodies during the last two decades. It isn’t easy. The experience of devotedly giving the bodies a purification bath, wrapping them in a clean shroud and making arrangements for the cremation or burial is macabre to say the least. The bodies are handed over to him by the police and are often in a terrible shape — bloated, decomposed, charred, mutilated and even headless. “I just have a few biscuits and some tea before I leave home. I never know when I would have to attend to a body and the stink makes me throw up. It is better to be on an empty stomach,” he says. Losing a son Grief over the mysterious death of his 20-year-old son and the discovery of his decomposed body after a month made the then 50-year-old cycle repair mechanic take a vow to give unclaimed bodies a decent burial or cremation. It’s been two decades, but Sharif has not let go of a single opportunity to perform the last rites of an unclaimed body. He has cremated about 1,000 Hindus and buried 600-odd Muslims with the money he collects from residents of Faizabad. Performing the last rites of a Hindu is easier and cheaper. Several mugs of water are poured over the body before wrapping it in a cellophane sheet and five metres of cloth. Santosh, a young priest at the Jamthara Ghat on the banks of the Saryu in Ayodhya, has been helping him for years. “I provide some wood, but a major chunk is provided by Santosh as he saves wood from cremation grounds,” says Sharif. But putting a Muslim to rest is somewhat tedious and expensive.
All the unclaimed bodies have undergone postmortem and have to be stitched up. It is followed by a rigorous bath with soap and water as per the religious law. The body is then wrapped in a shroud. Men require three pieces of cloth while women need five. A priest has to perform “janaza namaz” before the body is laid in a grave covered with wooden planks, and later with earth. The burial costs about Rs 4,000 as against Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 for a cremation. Earlier, Sharif would carry the bodies from the police station or hospital on his bicycle. Later, some people collected money and provided him with three “cycle thelas”, which are parked
at the GRP station,
Sadar police station and
district hospital.
Gratitude only in name Sadly, neither the town nor its people value his contribution. “No one, not even my two sons think much of what I do. I live in a rented room along with my family in a madarsa building. The landlord has been pestering me to vacate the room. Where do I go at this age?” Government officials and NGOs have appreciated his work and given him certificates and shawls, but nothing else. “I can start a shawl business if I start selling the number of shawls I have been felicitated with over the years,” he chuckles. But the irony is not lost. His appearance on actor Aamir Khan’s show “Satyamev Jayate” became counterproductive as it was said he was paid a lot of money by the actor. “I had to ask Aamir Khan to send me a letter clarifying that I was paid only for the local conveyance for appearing in the show,” he grimaces. For the last five years, he has been making announcements from the Eidgah, appealing to youngsters to take over, but no one has stepped forward. “I am getting old and want the younger generation to take over. My legs are giving way and I have a kidney ailment. My sons discourage me. I do get tired. But the image of my dead son eggs me on,” he says. Part of the mere Rs 200 he earns fixing cycles goes towards the fund for the noble cause. While he has earned enough goodwill, he complains that it is not enough to keep the body and soul together. How long can an old and ailing man carry on unassisted is anyone’s guess.
Adventure sports enthusiast Deepa Malik is a paraplegic. But she was not born with it. After 30 years of ‘regular’ life, she found herself confined to a wheelchair after three spinal surgeries damaged her spinal cord. Mother of two and wife of an Army officer, she has turned adversities into opportunities. Whether it is swimming against the strong Yamuna current or riding a special bike or even taking a shot at the Paralympics, she has been daring to say the least. Last year, she became the first paraplegic to participate in Raid-de-Himalayas, the toughest car rally. Being India’s only lady paraplegic biker, 39-year-old Deepa holds a Limca Book record. She qualified for the 2010 Commonwealth Games and was bestowed with the Arjuna Award this year. Her life took a turn when a spinal tumor made it impossible for her to walk 11 years ago. Her 20-year-old daughter Devika says: “I was only eight then and my sister Ambika, three. My father was fighting the Kargil war and could meet us only a year after the surgery.” At home, Col Bikram Singh Malik’s wife was fighting a war of her own. Despite three spinal surgeries and 183 stitches between her shoulder blades, she came out a winner. Dr VK Batish, who operated upon her, is amazed at her progress. “In the 25 years that I’ve been a neurosurgeon, I have never come across a person like her. Her recovery and subsequent achievements are inspiring,” he says. “I could compare the two worlds — that of the able bodied and the other of the physically challenged. A lot can be done in the field of disability in our country, right from social outlook, acceptance of the disabled to their inclusion in the mainstream,” she says. She noticed that those in wheelchairs usually remained at home and launched a mission — ability beyond disability. “I had no clue what I had to do. But I knew I had to contribute in some way. Promoting outdoor sports was the best way. I was surprised to learn that I was the first paraplegic woman to join the world of sports in India,” she says. Driving was another passion. She often laughs that God misinterpreted her desire to be “at the wheel” and made her sit in a wheelchair. “I wanted to rally, but thought it would be impossible because of my condition. But it strengthened my resolve and I decided to take part in the world’s highest and toughest car rally,” she says. Only her husband stood by her decision. She visited the Army adventure cell, but was told that only serving Army officers’ wives were allowed to participate. Her three-year struggle ended at the flag-off of the Desert Storm Rally in Delhi in 2009, where she told various teams about her wish to take part in the rally. The Pune Millennium Team took her seriously and taught her navigation skills. The rally was flagged off in the morning. It was a harsh eight-day, 1,700-km drive in minus degree temperatures, and not entirely free of incidents. Her car skidded and hit the snowy road. The radiator developed a crack and the rest of the journey was completed filling water every few kilometres. She was awarded the True Grit trophy for her outstanding courage.
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DR
Achyut Samanta established a school for tribal children in 1993, which has now grown into the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) — the largest free residential institution in Asia. It provides food, accommodation, healthcare and education right from kindergarten to postgraduation to 16,500 children, besides assured employment. A bachelor, Dr Samanta won the Young EDGE-2010 Award and KISS has made it to the Limca Book of Records. He is a member of the UGC and executive member of the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and the Indian Society for Technical Education. He is also a member of the Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology. 
Adventure
