Kundapur: Hearty gesture - Locals kindle hope in helpless accident victim

Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jun 8: This is the tragic tale of a youth from Nargund, Hubli, and at the same time, heartening story of how locals joined hands to help him out though they did not even know him.

Mallesh (27) from Nargund, who left his native place in search of greener pastures, bagged job in the ACC cement trading firm located near a theatre in Udupi. Mallesh, who was very much in need of a job to keep himself alive, accepted the job.

But, in a fateful accident, he lost both his legs and left hand within two weeks of accepting this job, while crossing the road.

The shop owner did his bit by admitting the youth into a hospital. Mallesh, in a quirk of fate, lost his limbs and job. His father, Venkatappa Gollar, and mother, had already breathed their last, Mallesh did not have anything that he could claim to be his own at his native place.

Mallesh was pleading with passersby on Thursday in the town for a ticket to Hubli instead of food, when Uday, officer working at the government bus stand here, and some local shopkeepers, got sympathetic towards the physically disabled man.

Uday provided breakfast to Mallesh, who was lying in an orphaned state. Johson D’Almeida, owner of New Edward Enterprises, owners of bus stand shops, Shashiraj, Divakar, Gururaj, Srikanth Koteshwar, Ajith Shetty, hotelier, Shekhar Shetty, and some others came together to raise donation from the public for helping Mallesh. With the generous help of owner of Nimla Hospital Suppliers, Shekhar Shetty, they provided a pair of aluminum crutches to Mallesh, besides buying him a bus ticket for Hubli.

Mallesh said in a choking voice that perhaps he was destined to meet people of Kundapur because of some good deeds he had done in his previous births. “I will never forget your help at this moment of crisis. I don’t have anyone close at Hubli. However, I am hopeful that Mother Theresa charitable institution there will arrange for my care,” Mallesh said, profusely thanking the people of the town for the care extended to him.