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| K.N.Gopalakrishna Bhat, Neerchal, Kasaragod |
50 HOUSES
BUILT FOR THE POOR
With absolutely no assistance from any external agency, a middle class farmer from Neerchal, Kasaragod has been able to build 50 houses for poor Harijans and tribals of the district.
K.N.Gopalakrishna Bhat, alias Sai Ram Bhat has constructed these houses in Baliaduka, Puthige and Paivalike panchayats during the last 5 years by spending around Rs. 40000 per house. He has managed this by using his agricultural income and the money from his moderate practice as a traditional ayurvedic healer.
How did his philanthropic mission begin? Bhat was planning for a pilgrimage to Kashi when a Scheduled Caste labourer Kukka alias Kundyana came to see him. Kundyana’s house had collapsed the previous night in heavy rain and storm.
Says Bhat about what happened next: “ I first directed my son to give him some money to rebuild the hut. But Kundyana’s plight prompted me to think further and I decided to build him a new house making use of the money I kept for my visit to Kashi. Later I dropped the idea of going to Kashi altogether.”
The poor beneficiaries of Bhat’s scheme do not have to spend any money to get their houses constructed. All they need is to own the land where the construction is to take place.
The recipient of the 25th house built by Bhat is Abdul Rehman, a native of Chowkar in Bela village. Rehman's wife is ailing and and he has to look after their 8 children. Says he: “When my little hut crumbled in heavy rains two years ago, I had no choice but to move out and seek shelter under a tree. As I had no financial security to offer, no one was ready to help me. It was Bhat’s offer to build a house for me that brought me and my family back to life.”
Almost every one of the 50 beneficiaries have similar stories to tell. And he is now being reverentially addressed as 'Swami'.
Bhat, who shuns publicity, has been sponsoring a free weekly medical camp at the local Kilingar Lower Primary School.
Courtesy: P. Divakaran, The New Indian Express (June 2, 2001)
Contributed by: Administrator
