Real life story of a Rotary Volunteer who ventured against threats to his life to argue and convince aggressive mobs trapped by misinformation and fanaticism propagated by vested interests, political clouts and self styled medicos, that Oral Polio V...
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Dr. Amanullah was ready in about an hour.
The taxi pulled aside.
"Jehangir Nagar. Off Naipura" Boarding the vehicle he said. "What is your name, brother"
"My name is Gurucharan, the boys call me Guru and others Charan! Fantastic world, isn't it sir ? You can call me Charan, sir"
"I will call you Guru. You are the custodian of my life and limbs!"
Both of them had a hearty laugh.
"You are great sir. And a good joke"
"How far is this place. I am vaguely told that it would take an hour and a half to two."
"Easily two hours sir, if the road is clear. You know it is foggy. Risky to drive fast. You never know from where another vehicle or a stray cow appears before you have time to jam."
"Okey. Drive carefully. I am going to close my eyes for a while. Wake me up as soon as you arrive at the Public Health Centre, the PHC. I snore a bit, very loudly at times. I hope you wouldn't mind."
"Not at all, sir. Please make yourself comfortable. The road upto the PHC is good. Thereafter, so so. I will be careful to see that you are not disturbed."
It was an old Ambassador, a heavy one, with thick and comfortably soft upholstery. He locked the door firmly and sat up with his back against it stretching the legs on the seat. For a while the posture was comfortable. As the sleep took over, the body slowly slid down and he lay curled up on the seat with the knees planted into the stomach.
Guru kept the stereo on with a jingling Punjabi song, loud enough to sink the snoring but so soft as not to disturb the sleeping VIP. He would occasionally look behind, at times turning his long neck backwards and at other times through the clean rear view mirror, to make sure that the guest is properly set on the seat.
Dr. Amanullah did sleep well, though once or twice he half woke up to turn sides and tried to sit up, but then fell back to sleep and slid on the seat. He was still asleep when the car pulled at the PHC. Guru hesitatingly touched him to wake him up. The touch was more than enough to sensitize the old man. He got up.
Dr. agrawal, Annamma and Fatima were waiting for him. They greeted him with a 'Namashkar' as he was alighting from the vehicle, which he responded with folded hands.
He asked for the rest room to wash his face and get fresh.
As he returned, Rajju, the hotel-boy from the nearby teashop was there with steaming tea in kulhads (earthen cups), filled to the brim, neatly arranged on a big crumbled aluminium plate, that had already lost its lustre and blackened at the depressions, owing to oxidation. Some tea had spilt on the plate as he was running with the plate balanced on his little palm. There stood two glass tumblers closed with small plastic disks in the centre. The eight year old removed the disks and extended the plate to the visitor.
