In service of others, the trees live in the service of others the cows give milk.
In the service of others the rivers flow. This body is for the service of others.
Those who live for others, really live! Those who live for themselves are as good as dead.

– Swami Vivekanand

Divyajeevan

The path of progress is a lonely path. Whenever one has a great mission, and one sets out to achieve it, it is a lonely journey. It is a journey where friends forsake you, and even your relatives leave you.

Most of us, shudder to venture on untrodden paths, mainly out of fear of failure. A feeling of helplessness overcomes us. "What can I do?" is the question that comes in our mind. We go on cursing the darkness around us. But no amount of cursing will ever remove the darkness. We have to remember that "all the darkness in the world does not have the power to snuff out even a small candle". In words of Tagore,

"Let me light my lamp says the star and never debate, if it will help to remove the darkness"

All my questions as to "What I can do?" were resolved in a very unusual manner. Work, and that too tax related work, took me to a place called Halol. One evening, I went to a nearby Ashram, called "Muni Seva Ashram" run by Shrimati Anuben Thakker. What I saw there was a revelation. I was completely overwhelmed by the tremendous work done in several different fields, all because of the dedication and commitment of one woman Smt. Anuben. She has been aptly described as Mother Teresa of Gujarat.

In 1978 at the age of 34, Anuben, a Gujarati woman from a middle class family, with little education (she was not even a graduate), no financial backing, and no social or public support, initially started with the activity of looking after the children of poor working women labourers at Vaghodia, a place some distance from Vadodara. Her Guru, Shri Mauni Baba, who had taken a vow of silence, indicated four places on the map to choose from for doing work. Anuben chose the worst. She explained to me, "If I had to light a lamp, I should do so at the darkest place". This place was infested by dacoits, and the local police and the Collector tried to dissuade her from starting something at Vaghodia. But she refused to budge.

She moved around in the nearby villages, got together the children of the landless labourers, bathed and cleaned them, told them stories and showered them into her love and affection. The place where Muni Seva Ashram stands today, was barren land. She built a hut with bamboos and lay for her stay. From this place she would look after the children, and taught them the values of life, by engaging them in various activities and her story telling. Earlier she was a teacher for many years at a place called Sanand, and thereafter a supervisor in Social Welfare Department. She started her first Day Care Centre in 1980. She extended her activity to start an orphanage called "Parivar Mandir". The inmate children are all cared for with a lot of love. They are taught to be cleaned and self dependent and to be future ideal citizens. She then started a hospital. The activities continued expanding when I visited the place, I was amazed to discover that she was running several projects at the place. There are about 20 Day Care Centres for the children of tribals and daily wages earners, where children are being looked after and educated. There are two residential schools, where over 500 students are being educated in various subjects. There is a "Parivar Mandir" an orphanage taking care of 65 children. They are given total medical care, nutritive food and education. "Do not give broken toys and torn clothes for them. Give what you give to your own children" Anuben explained her philosophy. The children looked neat, clean, healthy and above all happy. There is a Vanaprastha Mandir, a place where olderly people can lead their last years of life with respect and dignity. It takes care of 90 senior citizens. There is a full-fledged ultra modern hospital having 95 beds. It also gives OPD services to nearly 170 villages. The Ashram also runs a school of nursing to train paramedicals to provide proper, efficient and timely medical care. There is also "Bhagini Mandir". These is meant for mentally retarded girls. There girls are taught basic skills like cleaning, cooking and carrying out household chores. There is also a project for the handicapped, a project to promote of cottage industry, and also a gaushala for cattle.

For her meritious work, Anuben received several awards. To name just few: award for the best work in children's welfare from Gujarat Government in 1986 for services to backward community by Gujarat Sahitya Academy in 1988. Ashok Gandhia Award for humanitarian services in 1989, Special felicitation by IMC at the hands of Shri Ventakatraman, President of India in the year 1989, Gujarat Ratna Award from Gujarat Government in 1990. And Jaanaki Bajaj Award in 1996 for the work done by her at Muni Seva Ashram.

Anuben was in the process of planning a cancer hospital and research centre. Anuben insisted that the hospital should provide the best services, and the landscape and interior should be such that the affected person should, experience visual relief and peace of mind. It was really sad and tragic that Anuben expired of cancer while the cancer hospital was being put up. Today the cancer hospital is fully operational. It treated nearly 900 patients last year.

There were several things which impressed me. Generally a person runs one type of activity, a school, or an orphanage or an old age hospital. Here Anuben has been able to establish several different types of institutions under one organization. Secondly, the entire set up is very beautifully and artistically planned and laid out. It looks more like a resort, though it is constructed with utmost economy. Thirdly it is spick and span, a very clean set up. One does not find a piece of paper or even a dried leaf on the ground. Even the quarters where the orphaned children are staying are absolutely neat and clean. Fourth and most important, Anuben had time for everyone! She would play with the children, attend to the poorest and was dealing with a host of visitors of all types who kept on coming.

This visit opened my eyes. This lady with little education, no money, no personality, no oratory, no social connections could do so much in a short span of 20 years, that one would not expect to achieve even in several lifetimes. She told me "I start the work, and help comes. After all it is God’s work, he is bound to help". The message was very clear. Stop asking what you can do, start the good work and see for yourself. Help will come from quarters that will take you by surprise. After all it’s God’s work that you will be doing.