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Journalism of Courage
VADODARA, June 29: Indubhai Patel, owner of Sayaji Iron and Steel, has for the past more than five decades been working selflessly for the welfare of both mankind and animal life.
He was the first person to propose a separate slum on the outskirts of the city for lepers. “My father had identified two slums in the city where people suffering from leprosy were being ill-treated and worked for their welfare. After my father’s death in 1967, I adopted them,” he says.
“It took six years to convince the state government of the need to have a separate settlement for these people,” he says, adding as such they were living in a wretched condition with no drinking water or medical facilities.
After six years the government decided to give a land near Mahi river for these people. Admitting that initially they were hesitant to shift, but once convinced of facilities being available, they agreed.
“This settlement is named shram village, as the people who stay there earn their living through hard work,” Patel says, adding when the village was first set up, there were only 200 residents, but at present the figure had reached more than 700.
Patel, besides contributing towards rehabilitating these people, is also the founder member of the Narhari Hospital in Fatehgunj. He observed that thought the SSG hospital catered to the poor, there was a need to set up a hospital which could provide people with the latest technology at a reasonable cost.
“When the society gives us so much, we also owe it something,” he says, adding, “And what better way then serving the society by building a hospital for all.”
He added that though the hospital doctors generally try to cater to the needs of every patient, at times those unable to repay the amount have to be shown the door.
“We are already losing out on an amount of Rs 4-5 lakhs annually,” claims Patel.
And human beings are not the only ones he has served. He has created a home — Nature Park — for the wild animals in their natural habitat.
The idea behind setting up the park was to conserve nature, create awareness and provide education regarding environment, he says.
“The park is aimed at educating school children,” he says, adding not only children from city schools, even those from various parts of the state make trips to the park.”
Though retired, Patel still intends to continue working for the animals, lepers and the sick and the needy.
“Just retiring and idling away time is like being a parasite in the society,” he says.
