Vardhaman Book on Jainism

Author(s): Jayshree Menon
Publisher: Bennete Coleman & Co Ltd

Page 62

based online trading. No
night we take them in. At longer do newspapers
every point, they are made scream with regularity
to feel like human beings." about stock market
says Mehta. Touchingly, misdemeanours, the sys
even the relatives accomtems are modern and
panying the handicapped transparent and terms like
are put up free of cost by badla have become part of
the centre. Such is the history.
fame of the society today, But for Mehta the suc
that people pour in from cessful resonance of the
all corners of India in market he has tamed dims
search of a limb, but more next to the story about the
importantly a place where journey of his heart, his
they are treated with care social organisation
and respect, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang
BMVSS today fits about Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS),
75 to 80 per cent of the which has the distinction of
total artificial limbs fitted being the largest limb cen
in India at its centres and tre in the world today
at on-the-spot limb fitment It started when he was
camps throughout the posted at Pokhran. "I met
length and breadth of Inwith a major car accident.
dia from Kashmir to Kerala The doctors were doubtful
and from Gujarat to I would survive. I did, but
Assam. It has also exmy leg was smashed into
tended its reach to a num40 pieces; I was in hospi
ber of other countries tal for five months and it
The path to
such as Somalia, Vietnam, took years of therapy be
salvation is clear
Angola, Afghanistan, Nicafore I fully recovered. I still
ragua, Panama, West cannot bend my knee. But - if you do something Indies, Kenya, Ivory Coast, more importantly, the
South Africa, Philippines, good or bad you have to whole process made me
Thailand, Indonesia, Sri aware of how blessed I was face the consequences Lanka, Pakistan, to have the best medical fa
Bangladesh, etc. where cilities at my disposal. And of your actions. But
limb fitment camps are how the poor have to sufpeople today have
organised from time to fer because they do not
time. have the same advantages. forgotten the old
What fuels this noble "I got my chance when I sayings, they prefer to
and extremely successful was posted in Jaipur in
social work enterprise? 1974. I saw the Jaipur foot seek reassurance in
The name of the which had been moulded rituals like fasting and
organisation says it all. If by master craftsman
ever anyone has tried to Ramchandra Sharma.
going to the
link the goal of an "It was an excellent limb,
temple
organisation to the tenets even cheap but needed an
of a religion, in this case organisation to support it.
Jainism, it is Mehta. I did the needful by setting
"The Jain scriptures are up BMVSS. In our first year we fitted only 59 limbs. very clear about this - worship of God means the Now every year we fit 15,000 limbs, making ours worship of man," he states simply. "The path to the biggest institution in the world to do such salvation is clear - if you do something good or work." Today the society is the succour for the bad you have to face the consequences of your poorest of the handicapped poor. The limb, food actions. But people today have forgotten the old and lodging for the period of the treatment is sayings, they prefer to seek reassurance in ritucompletely free which also includes rail fare back als like fasting and going to the temple. But home. "If you ask a poor man to pay even a to- Jainism clearly states that only if you follow the ken amount it is the equivalent of saying 'you path of good knowledge, good thoughts and good people don't have the money so get out'. Even if action then only will you be a good Jain. People a poor man and his family arrive in middle of the think non-killing is ahimsa. To me that is the su
VARDHAMAN 62