“What I do is God’s work and I am just an instrument in his mission” says Auto Raja, who has rescued over 10,000 beggars and destitute from the streets of Bengaluru in the past 20 years. It was nearly three decades ago in the dark cells of the Central Prison in Chennai that as a 16-year-old inmate that Auto Raja underwent a transformation from a rogue to a saint. “I was a trouble-maker at home and outside. I was into thievery, street-fights and petty crimes. When I landed in the jail, I realised the miseries of life there. That’s when I sat in prayer one evening and vowed to reform and lead a sincere life,” recalls Raja.
A native of Vaniyambadi in North Tamil Nadu, Raja was ostracized by family and society due to his detestable activities as a youngster. Spending his youth on the pavements of Bengaluru, he closely observed the inhabitants of obscure street corners – unkempt beggars, mentally ill people who have been thrown out of homes, destitute women, children and elders. “For the initial two years, it was a fight within myself. I used to feel for them and but at the same time was helpless. Later, I started riding an autorickshaw. During my trips across the city, I would provide them whatever little possible from food and water to bedsheets and clothes. However, I wanted to do something bigger for them. I wanted to give them the care and love they have been denied.”
Twenty winters ago, Raja carried an ailing old man from the footpath to his house for the first time. “I provided him shelter in the 6X3 parking space, gave him a haircut, cleaned his maggot-infested wounds, treated him with antiseptic solutions and gave him food and water. My family and people in the neighbourhood used to ridicule me for bringing home a beggar,” says Raja. “After so many days I saw a smile on the old man’s face and that was the first trigger for me to start what I am doing today.”
Raja rented a house and started off with 13 inmates, which later grew into the New Ark Mission of India at the Doddagubbi Village near Bengaluru city, which currently houses nearly 750 people picked from the streets. “With the help of volunteers and donors, I constructed a 2000 sq.ft building on half an acre of land initially. Later, impressed by my sincere work, the Karnataka Government gave me an acre at a subsidized rate,” says Raja. “Earlier, I used to rescue people in my auto or on a bike ambulance, which I designed. Then I was gifted an ambulance by Ngos and now, the government ambulance brings anyone suffering on the streets straight to our hospice, Home of Hope.”
Raja who has bagged a lot of awards and recognitions from celebrities and popular TV shows says that 80 per cent of the people whom he rescues are mentally challenged. “Many of them are also on the verge of death and we ensure they have a dignified decent death. I have cremated nearly 4000 dead bodies lying on the streets in the past 20 years. We try our best to fulfil their last wish which may range of eating a plate of chicken biryani or drinking Pepsi to listening to a song or watching a movie. I also try to make them laugh or smile before the moment of death. The home has a separate ward where we keep those on the death-bed and take care of them. I spent a whole day in that room recently to experience the pain and trauma of death.”
“We incur an expenditure of nearly ₹12,00,000 per month. Sometimes, I get an excess of donation which I put in a fixed deposit to be used later and when I fall short of donation, I go around begging rich people to help us in kind,” says Raja, who is fondly called as Daddy by the staff and inmates of the Home of Hope. “My inspiration is Mother Teresa and I hope I can match her in sincerity, truthfulness, unconditional love and care. I dream of working for people on streets across the country.”
Auto Raja addressed a group of 1500 doctors, nurses and medical staff at the Velammal Hospitals, Madurai last week. “I came to know about the noble work of Auto Raja through social media. I was impressed and moved and hence invited him to our hospital. He is a great source of inspiration for people working in the medical field. Such people need to be recognised so that like-minded individuals would join hands with him in the noble mission he has undertaken” says M V Muthuramalingam, Chairman, Velammal Hospitals.
