FELLOW FACILITATOR FASCINATES

We had the privilege of having Shri Vijay Wani as a facilitator for the subordinate version of the citizenship orientation programme at our learning centre last week. Though the writer of this piece and Wani had worked together sometime back, this seems to be a re-discovery of a person already known to her.
How strange, we look at the distance for light when there is a lamp burning very close by!

Shri Vijay Wani, Dy. Mgr. MPST, Bhopal , has throughout life done umpteen numbers of good deeds for the needy and carries no weight of pride for having done so.
He comes from a middle class family, where he recollects that, once he asked his mother for Rs. 20/- each for himself and his brother so that they can play cricket in opposite groups and even if one brother wins the match he will get Rs.40/- and there would be no loss. His mother sternly told him to earn Rs.20/-first and then demand money for such purposes. This set Vijay on the path of earning his livelihood, before he was even 18. His journey of good deeds also began simultaneously.
He started working for a private company, Neosack Ltd. at Pithampur and had to do night shifts also. With him, there was a poor man also doing a job at night. Once Vijay was very hungry and looked at the poor man who had brought his tiffin. The poor man requested Vijay not to eat his food as he belonged to the lowest caste, yet Vijay insisted that he will share the food. Vijay was shocked to see that there was only two ‘rotis’ of bajra and the so called vegetable was all spicy water with just two small pieces of potato!. Vijay decided to give on the job training to the poor man, day and night and as on date the ‘poor man’ is the manager of the same company!
Posted at Adarsh Dhanora, Betul as assistant in 2001, Vijay watched painfully the poor pensioners ruthlessly thrown out of their huts by their own children, struggling to survive during severe winter with their negligible pension of Rs. 75/- or Rs. 150/- which were credited to their account not monthly but many times, quarterly. Even this small amount would be taken away by their ungrateful children and these old people would lie on the roads begging for food.
Vijay, though not financially well off himself, purchased with his own money, about 10 ‘gondi’ blankets, which is useful in all climates as it can protect against rains, cold winds and heat also and together with some steel glasses and plates he distributed it to the pensioners. Often he would, pull out some money from his pocket and hand it over to the old pensioner, and refuse to accept their withdrawals against it. He used to remember account number and names of about 1000 customers and thus, used to handle the payment counter by also filling the withdrawal slips, in hardly any time.

His reputation as an efficient worker was known locally and one fine day his services were sought to post 25 days vouchers at Nanda Branch, since it was newly brought under Bank Master then. Vijay began the job on a Saturday and finished it on Sunday, working throughout the day and whole night demanding only tea during the night.

On 26 th January and 14 th November he would distribute sweaters and sweets to poor children.

Though the junior most, Vijay has booked business of about 20 crores for the bank of Maruti cars, in his present assignment. He has been recognized for his contribution last year also where he could give about 25 crores business to the bank.

Vijay has been blessed with a beautiful wife with a golden heart who extends her motherly feelings towards all children whom she comes across. She relentlessly serves society by her little deeds of kindness which has become second nature to her. Their son, Sanket, scored 95 % in his 10 th and is now pursuing IIT. He also has a cute daughter, Shruti, creating ripples of laughter in the family. A happy family, no doubt, as good deeds done returns back to us in the form of happiness and peace.

For Vijay, I am like a sister and we have been in touch for the past several years and I have been supported graciously, by his family, during my tough days. Yet, this face of Vijay was unknown to me till today.

Are we aware of the pearls that are in our own hands, while struggling for it in deep, disturbed waters? Can we take a pause in life and discover the beauty in our near and dear ones? Can we appreciate them with a hug or a touch and make them feel loved? They may be one person in the world but can we whisper to them that they are the world for us. Let us get back home today and look afresh at our great wealth that lies unnoticed in some corner of our life.

Contributed by MS HARINA SHARMA, FACULTY, SBLC, INDORE