News & pics by Vinay Pais
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundpur, Jul 8: Three mentally-unsound persons, neglected by their kin and driven to streets to fend for themselves and hence forced to lead a life full of agony and ill-treatment, were given a new lease of life by Spoorthi, a society dedicated to the upliftment of the downtrodden. Three such persons named Babanna, Sudhakar and Chinnu, had been leading animal-like lives in the town since the past few years, with untended hair and beards, clumsy clothes and stinky appearance as they had not taken bath for long. They used to beg for food to satiate their hunger and sleeping on pavements or on the platforms of roadside bus shelters. They never troubled anyone but the onlookers did nothing else than pitying them.

Latha from Sarvaprakashnagar, Ankada Katte near here, who took mercy on the way the trio lived, contacted Spoorthi Society executive Keshav Koteshwar and discussed the possibility of their rehabilitation. On the same day, the three mentally-retarded persons were rehabilitated in the 'Seon' Ashram in Beltangady.

A team led by Spoorthi Society under the guidance of Kundapur circle inspector of police Valentine D'Souza and Latha, started its operations at about 8.30 am on Monday July 7, 2008. Journalist Prabhakar Acharya, Mangalore M V Shetty College MSW students Chitrasri, Yogesh Jogi, social worker from Ankadakatte Ramanna Shetty, Spoorthi Society worker Kumar T Poojari and driver Poornesh formed the rescue and rehabilitation team.  Donors from Sarvaprakashnagar came up with donations to fund the operation. With the total cooperation extended by the local police, the task of rehabilitating these mentally-unsound people was concluded successfully.