Heroes above and beyond

“While it may be easy and natural for some people to be consistent with good habits, it’s always been the other way round for me. Bad habits, very consistent. Good ones, naah!”, says Ami, claiming that if there’s one thing she’s done right this year, it’s starting to learn yoga from Mansi, her 2020 hero and yoga instructor.

Ami claims to be the sort of person who ignores herself a lot — she knows what she should or shouldn’t be doing, but lacks the discipline to actually do it, letting one day flow into another instead. She looks up to Mansi not just for her dedication to yoga or because she loves what she does, but because of the fact that she follows through on it every single day with love. Always ready with a smile in her voice, Mansi is creative, encouraging, and inspiring to Ami on a multitude of levels.

“Thank you, Mansi, for leading me, and 2020 for being a reality check when it comes to wellness and good health," says Ami, grateful for having taken a step in the right direction and focusing on herself late rather than never.

“As India went into lockdown in March, we watched the exodus of migrant workers with horrific dismay and simultaneous gratitude for the home and shelter that we ourselves were fortunate to have,” recalls Tarana Sawhney, whose foundation collectively initiated a fundraiser to support the rehabilitation of migrant workers in the wake of the chaos and disruption left behind by the lockdown.

“While the entire art community came together to support the fundraiser, it was Vidya, the Director of the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA), who decided that every single rupee collected would be donated and nothing would be charged even for the arduous administrative work put in.”

Vidya’s zeal to ensure that a generous amount was raised for the cause was unhampered by the knowledge that her own foundation, run on pure philanthropic contributions, would be left without a means to collect funds and sustain its own annual activities this year.

"To work selflessly towards improving the plight of others while not thinking about your own challenges is what makes Vidya Shivadas my 2020 Hero,” says Tarana, who’s been left both humbled and inspired by Vidya’s dedication to the fundraiser.

“Nair didi is all of 90, and is more than a mother to us over at the Salaam Baalak Trust,” says Vicky. 

Salaam Baalak Trust is a non-profit organisation devoted to providing care and protection to street children through health and nutrition, mental health, quality education, vocational training, and support for performing arts.

“During the lockdown, she called up each one of us to check up on how we were doing. If she didn’t have anyone’s phone number, she asked us to check on them and make sure their needs were being taken care of.”

A pillar of strength, Nair didi would gather everyone on Zoom and provide them with much-needed words of encouragement to brave the uncertain tides of the lockdown.

"Since I stay away from my family, it was very comforting to know that I am not alone and by myself during these tough times,” Vicky adds, grateful to have a strong and encouraging mother figure watching out for him.

“Utpal Das is a young inhabitant from Ghoramara Island, one of the most rapidly shrinking islands in the Sundarbans delta of India. Knowing the extent of upheaval the pandemic would inflict on students’ education, Utpal took over the responsibility of helping educate the children of the island by providing them with free, regular tuition classes,” says Deb Shuddha, looking back on the sudden leap towards online education that schools were forced to take earlier this year. 

“The pandemic forced schools to close and eventually turn to online schooling, for which a continuous electricity supply, a good internet connection, and a smartphone are required.”

To residents of a remote and financially weak location still untouched by electricity, a shift to online learning was incomprehensible. People like Utpal are owed an overwhelming debt of gratitude for volunteering to shoulder the responsibility of shielding children from the copious detrimental issues brought forward by the pandemic.

"My high school in Hyderabad is the alma mater of numerous notable alumni, including parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. My hero, however, is my friend and batchmate Mujtaba Askari, who gave up his engineering career to devote himself to social service,” says Vijay. 

Helping Hand Foundation, Mujtaba’s NGO, works with 18 public hospitals and has to date enabled free tests, medication, and surgeries worth millions. During the pandemic, the NGO also arranged for protection for health workers, successfully lobbied the government for an alternative testing and treatment strategy, arranged last rites for the deceased, and developed ways to rehabilitate COVID patients that are now being replicated by prominent hospital chains in metro cities.

“Mujtaba continues to collaborate with Edinburgh University to formulate a module on health inequities during COVID that can be used by doctors worldwide,” says Vijay, sharing a photo from when the two friends last met in 2018.

“Kirthi Jayakumar has been working hard to support survivors of domestic violence for several years,” says Amritha, calling attention to her hero’s tremendous efforts to reach out to vulnerable survivors during the pandemic.

While the lockdown left most of us struggling to retain our grasp on normalcy, the isolation was especially destructive, challenging, and potentially fatal for survivors of domestic abuse. Kirthi, a staunch supporter of the cause of supporting domestic violence survivors, doubled her efforts to reach out to vulnerable people during the pandemic to save lives across borders.

“Jackson is my tutor and YouTuber. Along with his team, which includes Kaneesh Kumar and Reena, he provides enormous competitive exam preparation support to aspirants via his YouTube channel Crack With Jack,” says Vijay, sending a message to his tutor, Jackson, on his birthday. The team not only continues to guide students until the last second before the examination date but also continues to remain in touch with them after.

"He is the one who motivates me and many aspirants to move constantly towards the goal of becoming a banker. Jackson sir, I assure you that even after I achieve my goal, I will help other aspirants crack their exams just like you," adds Vijay, motivated to pay forward by his tutor’s readiness to come through for him and his peers despite the pandemic.

“Mr. Morarji Desai, the founder of Turning Point Educational Trust, Chennai, works tirelessly to improve the livelihood of the residents of slums in places such as Kannagi Nagar, Ezhil Nagar, and Perumbakkam,” says Balakrishnamoorthy.

Kannagi Nagar, a rehabilitation settlement in Thoraipakkam, is home to over 12,500 families affected by poverty in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami and the 2015 floods. Mr. Desai’s willingness to go the extra mile for some of the most adversely affected sections of the populace includes providing them with critical provisions and food supplies along with local police support.

“Mr. Desai is a great example of human resolve, kindness, and selflessness. I truly admire and appreciate him and his team's efforts during these tough times," continues Balakrishnamoorthy, delighted to have the chance to turn the spotlight on his hero.

More than 5,000 people and families have benefited from Mr. Desai’s work so far.