Small steps towards strangers: the sustainability of small acts

Anil K Gupta[1]

In everybody’s life, there comes  a moments when some elderly person passes away.  Not only a library of experience gets burnt or buried but also a legacy remains to be built.  Mr. Rambhai Charan honored at SRISTI Sanman function saw an opportunity of mobilizing goodwill among strangers.  Every time an obituary appears in the newspaper, he sends a letter of condolence and requests the bereaved family to plant a tree in memory of the departed soul.  More than 40000 letters have been written so far by one person enlarging his realm of responsibility towards strangers.   Dr. Ramaiah working in a district hospital in Andhra Pradesh realized that the model health systems have become far too focused on curative health to the neglect of preventing health which is not democratic, affordable and accessible.  But very little attention in public policy is given towards that.  He started writing letters with one health tip per postcard to strangers.  So far, he has written more than 20000 letters by hand to the people in Andhra Pradesh.  What a way of making this world healthier.  Mr.V. Varghis from Kerala developed a garden in a private land having more than 150 different plants including most of the medicinal plants found locally.  He invites anybody who is interested in learning including school children and also shares with them his knowledge.   DNA.  Mrs. Indira Ramanathan mobilized women and men to grow neem in more than 150 acres in Tamil Nadu and processed it for different purposes to enhance the livelihood opportunities single handedly.  Mr. Chaitanyabhai and his wife Sonal ben were honoured for having dedicated their lives to the cause of Gandhian education on organic agriculture at Lok Mitra in Jasdan, Rajkot.  Their role in mobilizing organic farmers and women in Sattvik Traditional Food Festival has been very outstanding.  They have created new idiom of social reconstruction at grassroots level.  Each of these social change agents has created new point of reference.

Anil K Gupta