Unsung Hero
Reading newspaper has always been an
addiction to me. I don’t remember exactly when and how I started reading
newspaper but all I can say is that it came naturally to me. I have always
enjoyed the privilege of having access to more than one news paper everyday. Even
my favourite prescription for improving
knowledge of current affairs which I usually give to my students as and when I get an
opportunity, is read at least two newspapers
and one magazine. I must admit that the quality material that I read and have
been reading in newspapers has shaped my thought process, gave me some
viewpoints on socio-political issues, encouraged me to think differently and
off course immense pleasure everyday. Along with news I like analytical
articles, editorials, articles of great personalities, articles on greatness of
a personality and finally mapping a personality for greatness and matured human
element of sensitivity.
Given our penchant for sensational news we
often find scams, murders, given prominence. Page three gossips, celebrities,
their affairs real as well as fabricated make for good readership. We are so
interested in private life of others, so much attracted to the glamorous world that
we tend to read all at times foolish stories about it. Ridiculous brawls in
five star hotels, intemperate behavior at public places by stardom have all
been and continue to be part of our daily meals. Obviously we are being served
over dose of all this spicy material. Intellectual inputs expected from
newspaper find space on editorial page but not many read. As for the
information content so much is available as to confuse the reader what to read.
In this chaos what is often lost is the information about exceptional selfless efforts
in making life easier for needy by people who prefer to maintain low profile, are
devoid of shine, who do the job considered menial by many.
Even if something is published in all
probability it is missed for we in our busy routine tend to focus first on
corruption, scandals, scams, murders, terrorists attacks, bomb blasts, accidents,
stars’ dust, ramp walk, cat walk… by the time we shift to something more human,
pleasant, divinely beautiful we are on the verge of getting late to our mundane
affairs, prompting us to close the pages, ultimately putting the brakes to our
possibly journey into a world nicer, serene, divinely attractive. Engraved in
our habits we tend to miss inadvertently initially and habitually later.
Getting enticing material is easy but
reading something inspiring is rare. What inspires you is a personal choice.
Occasionally you hit into something leaving you awestruck. Recently I was
reading Marathi weekly Lokprabha, I completed reading about our Olympic
preparations, possibility of getting a medal, rationale behind our poor show
then unintentionally locked on to Dinakar Kamble, a social worker. Soon I find
myself totally engrossed in the article. He is to say simply is a rescue worker
doing the job voluntarily. But calling him a rescue man won’t give him justice.
He rescues dead bodies from accidents, drowning tragedies, suicides... Absolutely
unglamorous job, but one of the most difficult considering the condition of the
bodies mutilated, stinking, mangled, swollen…
In most of the accidents it is really hard
to come to terms with the horrific scene, blood, human flesh strewn all over,
bodies cramped in broken metal chassis, in the cases of drowning the condition
of the dead body is even worse, it is often decomposed to obnoxious state,
smelling unbearably and worst partially eaten up by fishes, touching …come on..
even watching these bodies is testing. When even relatives find it hard to
touch Dinkar comes to the rescue of the body. In case of suicide Dinkar will be
there silently untangling the body from the rope it is hooked to, in difficult
terrain also you will find Dinkar taking the body up, in remote places also
Dinkar will be there taking the body on his shoulder walking 2-3 miles to hand
over the body to relatives. Where nobody goes he reaches, where all helplines
end his begins, what nobody could touch he carries it on his shoulders, when society
is busy fighting along lines of caste, religion, language, region he is making bonds
of humanity with bereaved family handing over them the dead body, when for
almost everything we have to pay bribe he is on his way voluntarily.
Dinkar lives near Kolhapur, works in a
garage, has a small family and a large area of operation. He has so far handed
over 1421 bodies, all met with unfortunate demise, untimely death in tragic
circumstances. He is also a one man rescue army and has so far saved 275 lives.
Mind boggling figures!! He was awarded with bravery award by Governor of
Maharashtra for saving lives of five people swimming against, in the river with
all encompassing swell and deadly flow. He goes deeper in ravines in search of
any survivors in case of an accident involving a vehicle falling from altitude
in dangerous terrain, he can also catch the deadly viper intruding in human
colony saving both the animal and humans. He is a man who can do any kind of
rescue operation. He has taken training, he is equally well updated with new
rescue methods.
It
is really difficult to believe that somebody can do all this for no monetary
gains, no glitter, no glamour, no accolades, and not much appreciation. He is
involved in human tragedies which nobody would love to be part of. What drives
him to do this, which handful will do for money, few will do out of compulsion
but most will not do even for money? He sealed his involvement in such tragic
incidents when he was 14 years. A tragedy happened in his family then. The wife
of his brother fell in a well, she died but the body was stuck inside the well.
It got badly decomposed, mutilated, swollen, parts eaten up and discharging intolerable
stench. Nobody was ready to remove it from well even for Rs.5000. Finally
Dinkar jumped in, carried the poor soul’s remains out of well. A new Dinkar was
born there. He pledged to himself that he would now rescue not just human survivors
but also soulless bodies.
He does not stop here. He moves on his
bike with a sticker ‘Emergency Life Saver’. He has started Disaster Rescue Life
Guard Society to train likeminded men to build a team for such operations. For
public awareness he organized a photo exhibition of his work. What we find hard
even to watch he carries on his shoulder. He is a man with supreme sense of
humanity with amazing control over his senses. Going through the list of people
who get yearly awards by Govt. for contribution to society, I find myself
stopped at some names, the question then surfaces is the glitter of glamour is
the source of blindness of the Govt.? Fortunately there are men who are rendering
selfless service to humanity with no expectation of appreciation.
I am thankful to Lokprabha for saving
space for Dinkar, giving us an inspiring story. I am at pain to feel that it
took 1421 bodies and rescue of 275 survivors for an article that took his work
to me. My sense of pride as a good newspaper reader is hurt that I missed about
him, if something about him appeared, but it is even more tragic that the media
also missed him in taking him to remote corner of not just Maharashtra but
India.
He is a man with small family but huge
heart. He hasn’t broken his tryst with destiny. He is carrying on his shoulder
the burden most of us cannot bear. At least we must not carry the burden of indifference.
Dinkar
Kamble : 9860945924
Reference:
An article by Savita Nabar in Lokprabha Marathi weekly 1 June 2012
