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20 People Who Will Make You Feel Proud of Being An Indian
20 People Who Will Make You Feel Proud of Being An Indian
Being An Indian
by Swetambara Chaudhary
We find ourselves constantly wishing we were better people. We constantly keep reading about
the selfish nature of people, about how we fail to stand united as a country. But does that mean
all is lost? Definitely not! There are several people who are leading a life that should be
applauded by all of us.
Inspiring Young India , is one such forum which aims at creating awareness about such people.
Here is some of the work we found on their Facebook page :
As a 16-year-old, he was saddened by the death of reptiles in a dried-out sand bar. He decided he
would do something about it and started planting trees there. Today, 35 years later, that sandbar
has been transformed into a 1,360 acre forest.
2. Dr. Shrikant Jichkar
If there is a spirit to learn, to gain knowledge, he was definitely filled with it. After becoming a
doctor, he went on to study law and several other subjects like History, English, Philosophy and
Economics. He gave more than 42 university exams between 1973 and 1990. He later joined the
Indian National Congress.
3. Ravi Gulati
An IIM-A graduate with a competitive job in Canada - something all young Indians seem to
want? Ravi had all of this. But he decided to quit and do what he really wants to do. Now he
gives tuitions to underprivileged kids in a house in Khan Market, Delhi.
The first woman scientist to head a missile project in India, Dr. Thomas was the Project Director
of the Agni-IV missile. Because of her contribution to the Defence research and Development
Organisation of India (DRDO), she is called the 'Missile woman of India'.
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5. Babar Ali
Having seen his parents struggle to send their children to school, Babar decided to do his bit for
children who could not attend school owing to poverty. He started teaching kids after school
hours. His work earned him the title of the ' youngest headmaster in the world' by BBC in
October 2009, at a tender age of 16.
6. V. Mani
A banker who was moved by the plight of the children of life convicts decided to do something
for them. And so Society's Care for Indigent (SoCare Ind) was born. The organisation has helped
build more than 2,000 lives by providing shelter, food and education to such children.
7. Subhashini Mistry
She built a hospital in her village which was devoid of all healthcare
A little village Hanspukur, was her home. The lack of proper health care caused her husband's
death and she was left all alone to fend for herself and her kids. She managed not well, but
excellently. With her savings and with contributions from other villagers, she set up a hospital so
that no one would have to suffer a similar fate.
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8. Venkatesh
A school drop-out, Venkatesh has saved more than 450 people from drowning at the Marina
beach in Chennai. He works with the Beach Patrol, for no money. He says doing this service to
the society gives him immense satisfaction.
9. Reuben Paul
An 8-year-old who runs his own company 'Prudent Games', was invited to give a lecture on
Cyber Security. He started learning about computing languages at a young age of six years and is
now learning Swift programming for Apple's iOS platform.
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10. Aiku Lal Sandil
A tea seller found an abandoned boy near his tea stall. The boy remembered nothing except his
name. Aiku fed him and tried to find his biological parents. After being advised by the police to
send the boy-Akbar to an orphanage, Aiku decided to raise Akbar as his own son.
11. Sindhutai Sapkal
Abandoned by her husband and her family for getting on the wrong side of the village
strongman, she became a beggar to feed her newborn. She came across several such abandoned
kids and decided to adopt them. Because of this she is called 'Mother of Orphans'.
12. Revanna Umadevi Nagaraj
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13. Manohar Aich
A winner of three gold medals for India, Manohar Aich, a passionate athlete was imprisoned
during his term in the British Air Force for slapping his senior. That's when he realised his love
for bodybuilding. He went on to win the Mr. universe title in 1952.
14. Ashoke Sen
A pioneering Indian physicist, Ashoke Sen is the recipient of the Fundamental Physics Prize. He
is currently working at the Harish Chandra Research Institute in Allahabad in the capacity of a
scientist. He has also been awarded the Dirac prize for his contributions to the field of String
theory.
15. Venkatraman
After meeting a lady whose relative was admitted at the Government General Hospital near his
restaurant who could not afford to buy dinner for herself, Venkatraman decided to launch a
unique 1 Re meal. Each day for the past five years, he has been feeding 30 people everyday.
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16. Harakchand Sawla
The sorrowful faces of the patients and their relatives outside Tata Memorial Hospital made
Harakchand decide to do something for them. He started by providing free food to them and
went on to found the Jeevan Jyot trust which runs more than 60 humanitarian projects.
17. Dr. Ravindra Koelhe
After becoming a doctor, Dr. Koelhe chose to travel to a village Melghat in Maharashtra to
render his services to the tribals there instead of looking for a high-paying job. For more than
twenty-five years, he has been engaged in providing the villagers healthcare at a nominal price.
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18. Gangadhara Tilak Katnam
A railway officer, 67-year-old Gangadhara decided to do something about the shoddy state of
roads. Because of potholes, several people get injured. He has made it his aim to make roads
pothole-free.
19. Kareem Bhai
In Abids, Hyderabad lives this man who wants to make a difference to the society by making
sure that children grow up to be aware individuals. He provides them with free newspapers and
insists on them reading it, to supplement their school education.
20. Muringothumalil Santhosh Kumar
He is a FIFA certified referee who is forced to drive an auto to make ends meet. He has referred
matches in which famous players like Messi have played but lives a life of ignominy in India.
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There is no dearth of talented, caring and ingenious people in our country. It is
time we gave them their due and started looking up at them for inspiration.