A God to whom anyone in India, from anywhere, could write letter seeking help and help used to arrive in few week. An amazing story of an Indian tycoon.
In 1982, I had just joined Bar at Junagadh. I had no cases. So I put up a notice on notice board of District Library that I was available for free social work.
On reading this, a handicapped man named R came. He said he wanted to set up a workshop for handicapped person and he needed Rs.1 lakh.
I looked up in India's Who's Who book to see if anyone was listed there who may be interested in helping handicapped persons. In Humanity section of book I found name of Vijay Merchant. It said that he was a renowned retired cricketer, working in social work of blinds, handicapped etc. His Moto was "Serve the mankind, Charity begins at Home and Play the Game"
I dropped a letter to him for this handicapped person. After two weeks, a representative of a charitable trust of Ahmedabad, personally visited R at his home. Listened to his wishes. Then he assured R that they will give needed finance but first he has to prepare and submit a project report of his proposed workshop.
Thus it ended. Niether R nor I, knew how to prepare Project Report.
Later when I was at Mumbai, I went to see Vijay Merchant. It turned out that he was also a Chairman of a large group of companies. Public was allowed to meet him daily between 2pm to 4 pm.
I saw him briefly but I quickly understood his way working.
He was surrounded by four well trained steno graphers. A heap od letters received from all India was on table. One by one letters were explained and replied. It seemed that Stenos have directories of charitable organisations all over India. Letters were forwarded to nearest charitable institute with request to help the letter writer if he so deserved.
The folloow up actions were taken up by those charitable institutes.
Vjay Merchant had also contacts within a national newspaper group. If he needed more information on anyone, he used to collect information through press.
Later in an Interview to Illustrated Weekly, he said that there are so many social organisations doinf work on general issues. But no one is interested in doing "Individual Service".
He stressed need for an institute which can help each individual for his specific problem.
He had also written a book called "Gandhiji - On trusteeship principle" From this you can understand his nature.
He was God for those who had received help through him.
Haresh Raichura 20/10/2016
