(Independence day special)

ENVIRONMENT

If you are visiting Khammam, don't be surprised to find a man with crown on his head with a slogan `Vriksho rakshtai rakshita`. It's not just the slogan he wears, it's the goal for which he lives. This is Daripalli Ramaiah who has planted almost one crore trees in his life of 70 years. Ramaiah feels divinity in the greenery. He has filled the surroundings of khammam with such greenery. Popularly known as Chetla Ramaiah, he would not just plant a sapling, but would take utmost care to raise it to become a tree. Ramaiah gives much importance to trees like kanuga which can produce bio diesel, and trees like neem which are of medicinal value. Let's salute to Ramaiah. A soldier destined to save the environment.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Gangadhara Tilak Katnam is 67 years old. He is a retired employee from railways who is supposed to lead his retired life peacefully. Once, while he was on such jolly trip, Gandadhara witnessed an accident. It all happened due to a pothole on the road. Where most of us just curse such situations, he indeed sprung up to dent the potholes all over the city. Everyday Gangadhara carries the concrete mix material to repair the potholes. With the back seat in his car filled with the bags of building material and his tank filled to survey the roads over and over... Gangadhara carries his mission successfully. More than 1000 potholes were set straight by him till date. Let's salute to Gangadhara. A soldier destined to save the infrastructure.

HEALTH

Have you ever wondered, how much, the medicines we often throw away could help the poor. While many just keep wondering, Omkarnath sharma has set to deliver those medicines to the deprived. Omkarnath has once witnessed a trauma when a bridge in East Delhi has collapsed. It has left many injured. Though they were provided first aid by the government hospital, they couldn't afford the therapeutic drugs thereafter. This moved Omkarnath to voluntarily collect unused medicines. At the age of 75, crippled by an accident... Omkarnath still travels more than 6 kilometres a day to collect medicines. He then records their generic names and distributes them to the needy through hospitals. Omkarnath thus rightly called as `Medicine baba`. Let's salute to the Medicine baba. A soldier destined to save our health.

CHILDREN

India is known for the street children. We've shown them in our films and got awards. But Sindhutai Sapkal of pune has owned hundreds of them. Born on 14th november, sharing the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru... her date of birth is now celebrated fondly by the thousands who have inspired by her. Sindhutai was born to a cowherd and married to a cowherd. She was thrown out of her house by her husband when she was 9 months pregnant. Sindhutai was left to feed herself and her kin by begging alms. While begging on railway platforms for a few leftover grains, she realised that there are thousands like her, who has to spend the rest on their lives on those alms. Sindhutai felt to make a difference in their lives. She took them under her shelter, vigorously begged for their education and well being. Now there are hundreds of `settled` professionals - rejoicing the grace showered by Sindhutai on their lives.  Let's salute to Sindhutai. A soldier destined to save the children of the country.

TECHNOLOGY

We've been talking about the senior generation working for the cause of society. We've been chatting about the people which stood against the odds. But what about the younger ones, and what about the service in the technology sector. We probably need not worry as long as we hear about people like `Mukund BS` Bengaluru. Mukund has everything for a great professional life... MBA from IIM Calcutta, prosperous job in ITC ! Still he felt something else to be. While seeing tonnes of waste scattered among the garbage. He found a solution for it. They would collect stale computers from the corporates, separate the components that can be reused, repair them... and would bring life to the computer. Thousands of such computers were now adding spice to the government schools and middle class study tables. Let's salute to Mukund BS. A soldier destined to save the Technology of the country.

-nirjara