Prashant Hartalkar –
Vasudev was two years old when he lost his father to the cruel hands of destiny.
It was a bolt from the blue on the family.
His mother worked hard and took care of him until he was six years old.
Having found herself unequal to the life’s struggles, she abandoned him in a crowd.
There were many hands extended but none of them genuine. He encountered many a face, façade, look and character.
He worked in a hotel round-the-clock. But they did not give him money.
Pain and suffering
He suffered physical pain. Everybody eyed him as if he was a thief.
A compassionate soul left him at the Secunderabad Orphanage.
There also he had similar experiences and was subject to physical harassment.
He fled the place, reached Mumbai and settled on a Railway Platform.
Samaritans help
There the volunteers of Platform Gyan Mandir (Nagpur) and Sabhlok Foundation (Mumbai) took him into their protective arms.
Vasudev’s life’s train got its Platform. He was admitted to the Platform Gyan Mandir school at Nagpur.
With 50% marks to his credit in his 10th Class examination, he now looks at life with new hope. His life’s train got saved from being derailed.
Similar is the story of Dattatreya Mahto. He fled the Secunderabad Orphanage, reached Mumbai and joined the band of garbage collecting children.
He fell victim to the evils of drugs and intoxicants.
Fortunately, he was introduced to the volunteers of Platform Gyan Mandir.
His life changed.
Lofty aims
Vasudev aims to become a Chartered Accountant and a good Cricket player.
The Platform Gyan Mandir Trust makes efforts at education, skill development and inculcation of self-confidence in such children and set them on paths of self-reliance. It is an effort at giving an appropriate platform to such Station Platform children through Parivartan Shivirs (Transformation Camps).
Prashant Hartalkar is Central Secretary (International Coordinator), at Vishva Hindu Parishad based at Sankat Mochan Ashram, Sector-6, Ramakrishna Puram, New Delhi.
Emails: prashanthartalkar@gmail.com; vhp.ico@gmail.com; vhpintlhqs@gmail.com
Photo:
Vasudev and Dattatreya are among the social victims finding hope
