We face a lot of problems in our life. Sometimes a person goes through lot of troubles, mainly because they are not financially stable. But the worst thing is, when someone has to beg to get some food for himself or herself. There are lot of circumstances which leads to make someone beggar & society has never treated well to this kind of people. But have you ever thought that, one beggar can give thousands of children proper education, a better life? Seems impossible, but there is a lady who is doing this tremendous work. Her name is "Sindhutai Sapkal". A social activist and popularly known as 'Mai' (Mother). Sindhutai has adopted around 1400 children’ & runs an orphanage for them. Sindhutai’s life journey was not that easy & it's full of struggle, pain. Today I will try to tell you about Sindhutai’s journey, some major events of her life & about her work.
She was born on 14 November 1948 at Pimpri Meghe village in Wardha district Maharashtra. Abject poverty, responsibilities & an early marriage forced her to quit formal education after she passed 4th grade. At the tender age of 12, she got married to a 20-year elder man than her. She had 3 sons by the time she turned 20. Sindhutai put up a successful agitation against strongman, on issue of collection of dried cow dung used as fuel and selling it in collusion with forest department, without paying anything to the villagers. Her agitation brought the district collector to her village and on realizing she was right; he passed an order which the strongman did not liked. She managed to convince her husband to abandon her when she was beyond 9 months of her pregnancy. Her husband thrashed her and kicked her on her full-term belly and threw her in a cowshed. Tormented and tortured, Sindhutai in a great pain, gave birth to a baby girl. Sindhutai cut her umbilical cord with the stone.
She went to her maternal village but everyone shunned her and rejected her. Even her mother closed the doors. Sindhutai was alone in the world with her little daughter to look after. She wanted to save herself from the pangs of hunger and wicked ways of people. She took shelter in a crematory. She saw a dead body was burning. The last rites were over and the relatives of the departed had left. They had left some flour as a part of the last rituals for the departed soul. Sindhutai took that flour, kneaded it and prepared a bhakari (roti) and baked it on the fire which was still consuming the dead body.
Sindhutai is blessed with natural flare for singing. She used to sing and beg at railway stations and feed herself and her baby. She would visit temples, traveling by train, begging and singing. She would feed other beggars too. She wondered from one place to another begging and singing. She had no one to look up to and she belonged to none. Gradually, Sindhutai started work for orphans and destitute and other less fortunate. She poured out her motherly love and affection on orphans. She gave them food and shelter in whatever way she could. Lovingly they call her Aai. She entrusted her little daughter whom she had named Mamata to Shrimant Dagaduseth Halwai Trust, so that she could be looked after properly. Sindhutai singing and begging continued.
Sindhutai has been honored with more than 750 awards for her dedication and work. She used the award money to buy land to make a home for her orphan children. She still continues to fight for the next meal for her children. Sindhutai is just 4th pass, but many of the children whom she adopted are well-educated lawyers, lecturer and some including her biological daughter, are running their own independent orphanages. One of her children is doing Ph.D. on her life.
Sindhutai has not done this social work for awards, but because she knew the pain of hunger & poverty. She has devoted her entire life for orphans. As of today, she has a grand family of 207 sons-in-law, 36 daughters-in-law. She is very kind in nature. At the age of 70, her husband came back to her apologetically. She accepted him as her child stating she is only a mother now! In person, she comes across as an unlimited source of energy and very powerful inspiration, with absolutely no negative emotions or blaming anybody. As a result, today she is fondly called 'Mai' (mother) of thousands & lakhs of people.
Sindhutai is the true inspiration for all of us, her speeches, poetries always encourage a people. Specially in today's Covid condition, where everyone is disappointed, frustrated from many things. People are going through lot of problems, be it mentally or financially. Sindhutai’s story taught us about how to tackle bad phases of life. We should stand firm even if situation is tough & do whatever is in our hands. Nothing is permanent in life; this day will get over & better days will come. We just have to keep fighting. If you want to know more about Sindhutai’s life, I'll recommend you to watch a Marathi film 'Mee Sindhutai Sapkal' released in 2010, a biopic inspired by the true story of Sindhutai Sapkal.
You can know more by visiting the website 👇👇👇
Website link -
https://sindhutaisapakal.org/about-Sindhutail-Sapkal.html
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