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| Radhakrishnan, Snehalayam, Akathethara, Palakkad |
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Atleast some people react in a positive way to the negative news appearing in the media. This is the case with Radhakrishnan, an autorickshaw driver living in a small house in the ‘puramboke’ land at Akathethara, Palakkad. After reading cases of unwed mothers abandoning their newborn babies, he decided to adopt such children in his own modest home. Now there are 7 children in his ‘Snehalayam’, but do not ask him how many are his own – for the answer will be just a smile.
Among them are orphans as well as those whose parents claimed they weren’t capable of bringing them up. Radhakrishnan does not accept children brought to him without first counselling the mothers to take them back. Many are the mothers who have changed their mind based on the counseling of this 5th standard dropout. However, if they insist on depositing the child in his care, then Radhakrishnan’s condition is simple: they should never again come to enquire about their children.
Since he could not afford to hire an autorickshaw, Radhakrishnan once had to walk 10 km to the hospital with his enceinte wife for her first delivery. The infant died after a few days and he decided that such fate should not befall others. So when he purchased an autorickshaw, he stuck the following notice on his vehicle: ‘free trip for anyone going to Government hospital for delivery’. This auto, ‘Snehayanam’ was a boon to many pregnant women and the venue of atleast 3 child births.
The small donation box installed in his auto is meant for purchasing medicines for the poor patients of Government hospital.
Courtesy: Seena Tony Jose (text), T.Pradeep Kumar (photo), Vanitha, December 1-14, 2004
Contributed by: Administrator
