A woman with full blown AIDS was dying in a ditch. A phone call to UdavumKarangal ensured her a humane death.

A stranger to Chennai, a handicapped young man, was in the throes of death.Vidyakar organised a peaceful last journey for him.

A newborn babe, with a rudely cut umbilical cord and rat bitten legs, laywaling in a garbage bin. Now she is playing around in the Pasa Malargal ofUdavum Karangal.

More than 10,000 human beings have found life or death in a humane way atthe Udavum Karangal (Helping Hands) of Vidyakar, since 1983. Now over 1,600inmates find succour in the various institutes of Udavum Karangal in andaround Chennai. Udavum Karangal has extended its helping hand to Coimbatore,Tirupur, Pondicherry and Mumbai as well.

"I am not focussed. I am there to help anyone in need of help. One cannotchoose the people in need of help. An abandoned newborn, a mentally illwoman wandering practically naked on the city roads, a psychiatric patientkept in chains for years, a sexually abused child, a child found in the armsof dead mother, an old man dying on the footpath-all these need help. Myhelping hands, strengthened by the generous hands of thousands of people andorganisations in the country and abroad, reach out to them," says Vidyakar,the man behind Udavum Karangal.

Vidyakar has built an empire with and for the unwanted in the streets. Thecitizens of this empire undergo a transformation once they are at UdavumKarangal. Vidyakar can show you dozens of photographs of people whom hishelping hands have transformed. A man who had been a violent psychopath,killed two persons, is now a normal man. He needs medicines and care,though. A woman found in a condition no human should be in, ill-clad,dirt-smeared, reduced to a bag of bones, is now a smart, accomplishedperson. There are many like her.

Udavum Karangal specially welcomes children who have been abandoned, eitherbecause they were of the wrong sex or because their mothers did not enjoythe sanctity of marriage. They stretch out their hands to visitors-any humanbeing is their own-to be lifted up, hugged, patted lovignly. They ask fornothing, no toys, no toffees... just human love.

Gokulam houses schoolgoing orphaned children. Unlike many other orphanages,Vidyakar seeks to make a home for his young ones by accommodating them insmall groups under the care of a mother.

Spastic children, whom Vidyakar calls Kutti Pappas, and HIV positivechildren are both welcome here. The latter live here unaware of theircondition and the death warrant they carry.

Shantivanam is for mentally ill people, most of whom have been picked upfrom the streets. Karunalyam is for the dying and those with AIDS.Udavum Karangal also runs a handicraft centre called Sharma, the Usha SewingSchool and a special training centre for the handicapped called UK Prints.These centres provide rehabilitated people with the means of earning alivelihood.

Vidyakar has not sought any support from the government. Nor has anygovernment official, minister or bureaucrat ever met him or visited hisinstitutions.

"Charity is not the business of policy makers and law makers. No police orlaw can be a substitute for human love and involvement. It is because oflack of love and involvement that many government social welfare programmesmisfire and the number of the neglected on the streets swell," saysVidyakar.

He adds, "This is not the way I had intended to live my life. It's adangerous and thankless job, but someone's got to do it. It would be nice ifsociety didn't need people like me, but while it does... I'll be there."

(S Vidyakar can be reached on e-mail at Udavum@vsnl.com)