For many, Trivedi, 31, a resident of Shiv Shakti colony, is just a shop owner of packaged milk. But for Kunal and others like him, he is messiah who has rescued them from the evils of tobacco and alcohol addictions.
“Through vigorous counselling, help and support, Pankajbhai helped me quit my addiction to gutkha. He has given me a new life,” said Kunal, who developed his tobacco chewing habit from peers as a 20-year-old. “I saw him spending his personal time, money and efforts to make me and others free of addiction. That inspired me to work on myself,” he said.
Joshi said his family did their best to make him quit, but were unsuccessful. “Pankajbhai brought before me the realities, made me talk to the victims of tobacco addiction, and explained the things scientifically. It's been a long time since I quit gutkha,” added Ravi Mehta, another professional.
It’s been eight years since Trivedi has devoted his life to free the young and the old from their addictions to bidis, cigarettes, alcohol and gutkha. After four hours work at his packaged milk outlet in the morning, Trivedi mounts his bike, decorated with anti-addiction posters all over, and moves out to contact a new addict.
He has sketched 453 posters on 102 aspects of human life with wax colours to spread awareness on issues like addictions and its effects on the families. Few of them he would carry along on his bike every time he would go to meet a new person or a place.
Trivedi has visited all the 25 districts in Gujarat to spread his message. But as he says, he has lost count on the number of schools and colleges he has visited so far in a bid to reach to the youngsters. He said his visit to an ITI in Keshod of Junagadh district last week has ensured that a paan shop outside the college can no longer be seen.
He said when he was 12-year-old, his father Rameshbhai once beat him up for not remembering the paan masala brand he had asked him to get from a shop located near their house.
“The incident made me realise that addiction makes people slave and draw them away from the family. An addict needs no reason to beat his children and quarrel with his wife. Since then I wanted to save families from breaking up due to addiction,” he said.
For Trivedi, it's a matter of pride now that his 61-year-old father, a retired telecom employee has given up tobacco for over four years now. Rameshbhai too is proud of his son and has come forward to support him for 'his purpose of life'.
But Trivedi, nevertheless, admits that it is not easy to quit. As constant counselling and support is required, he makes it a point to remain in contact with all the persons he counsels.
At present, Trivedi keeps in touch with 400 people from outside Rajkot and communicates to them through mails. Throughout the year he visits colleges, schools, police stations, government offices and even private commercial establishments.
During holidays and festivals, Trivedi makes it a point to reach to the maximum number of people possible.
In July, Trivedi will go on a three-day visit to Parabvavdi, a religious place in Jetpur taluka of Rajkot district, to attend a local fair. There, he will stand with his posters and urge villagers to stop smoking bidis.
Trivedi now plans to form a group of volunteers who can join hands with him. “I will call it Vinoba Bhave Group. Bhave worked hard on farmers to give up bidis. I want to follow his footsteps,” he said.