I had posted about a couple, writing to the Indian President seeking mercy killing for their son, Vijay Kumar. Their son has been diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia.

Doctors at CMC Vellore and Tata Motors Hospital, where Vijay is admitted, have prescribed a bone marrow transplant – the cost of which is around Rs 12 lakh, way beyond Ashok’s means.

I am pleasantly surprised that so many of you have expressed concern and want to help this child. Raghuveer’s comment compelled me into action
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More importantly, in this case, if you can find the hospital the kid is in, maybe all of us can sign a petition or write/email the doctors to waive/reduce the fees for this kid? And if you can please find out the status of donations and e-mail me, I will try to pool in money from my friends. Since we have spent hours discussing banalities, we can justifiably spend more time raising money.
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Shivam Vij, Mridula, Satya and Rahul Shukla helped me finding necessary information.And with their help I tracked down NDTV’s Kolkata correspondent Monideepa Banerjie’s mail, who had broken this story. She replied to my mail pretty soon. And with her help, I found out the necessary information:

Vijay’s father Ashok Kumar’s cell no. – 9334629441
If you want, you can send the cheque or draft at any of the three given addresses.
=============
His Bank: State Bank of India
Account No: 10590922630

Bank Address:
State Bank Of India
Telco Campus
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
831004
====================
His Address
Mr. Ashok Kumar
Jemco Bus Stand
Mahanand Nagar
Telco Works
Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
831004
====================
You can contribute here too.

Donations to help Vijay can be made by way of a cheque or DD drawn in favour of the “District Collector, Jamshedpur”.

The cheque or DD, with a covering letter specifying that the donation is for Vijay, should be posted to the following address:

Dr N M Kulkarni,
District Collector,
East Singhbhum District,
Deputy Commissioner’s office,
Bishtupur, near Blood Bank,
Jamshedpur 831001

But remember, its not just money. You can spread the word by giving a little space at your blog for this boy.

They have wrote about this issue on their blogs

1. Tarun
2. Ritu
3. Prancer
4. Amrit

5. Mridula
6. Manish
7. This Girl’s Life

She shows me these pics

and I see that people have a heart to leave their footprints ( in the form of litter ) to such serene, beautiful places.

When she treks, there too she picks up as much garbage as she can and then burns it. You can see the picture.

She always admonishes me for using plastic bags. She, often tells the shopkeeper to hand us down the things in our bare hands, if I have forgotten the grocery bag. Almost always she makes sure that I have a bag, if we went out to get the vegetables.

She is participating in a contest held by Ok Tata Bye Bye. I wish that she wins, and won’t forget to do her bit for the environment.

• I had written a post about a couple seeking mercy killing for his 12 year-old terminally ill son, because parents don’t have enough money for the treatment. I get an encouraging response from Himanshu:

• Hi, somehow I landed up on ur blog while searching in goggle.
  I must say it looks so Pro…
  U have expressed ur thought and views very neatly in this blog..
  I am linking u on my blog so that techie guyz can know watz is happening apart from SDLC in this world.
  And thankz for the address, I’ll b making a contribution towards treatment of Vijay.

Himanshu, thank you so much for everything.

But I received these comments too.

==========================================

• DesiPundit » Archives » Who is real needy? Says:
  June 2nd, 2006 at 3:10 pm

[…] Alka Dwivedi questions Amitabh’s decision to donate money to the Balaji temple when they are other worthy causes (she mentions one) [hat tip: Mridula]. Personally, I have found such questions troubling because it infringes on the individual’s right to handle his wealth. […]

• confused Says:
  June 2nd, 2006 at 8:39 pm

Alka,

Its not a question of who needs it more bu a question of whom Amitabh wants to give it to.

Sorry, I don’t think anyone has the right to question what do I do with my own

money.

====================================

Can any argument be presented in isolation? Can we lift any sentence from any country’s literature or constitution and apply it as such in entirely different environment? I think, even when multinationals come to India they mold their products and ads according to Indian circumstances and reality. When we use these words , freedom of expression, freedom of choice, sometimes we tend to go overboard. I was listening to a talk show where one person was advocating freedom to use drugs. When it was explained to him how drug addicts end up helping terrorism ultimately, that fellow was not listening. I remember a similar case where one was defending his right to smoke. But what about our right to have a clean environment? He has nothing to say to that.

When I was reading those comments and was very much tempted to figure out how to make a table in wordpress and give statistics about India and USA or any other progressive country.

What is their poverty line and what is ours? It is estimated that India’s progress lags behind 250 years

than that of USA. If each and every Indian have to attain theirs’ living standard and consumption level we have to wait (work hard for)250 years. We all know the infrastructure, medical support system, unemployment benefits, people living on welfare, old age benefits, Social Security, Life expectancy , infant mortality rate…in USA.

Then I stumbled upon this,

“How “Poor are America’s Poor.â€? It states some interesting facts :

* 38 percent of the persons whom the Census Bureau identifies as "poor" own their own homes with a median value of $39,200.

* 62 percent of "poor" households own a car; 14 percent own two or more cars.

* Nearly half of all "poor" households have air-conditioning; 31 percent have microwave ovens.

* Nationwide, some 22,000 "poor" households have heated swimming pools or Jacuzzis.

In the light of such glaring contrasts, can we conveniently say things like “Its his money, he can spend it the way he wants.� Can we comfortably make statement like these commentators? Does we have a support system like USA? Therefore when we try to follow individualism like developed countries, it sounds odd.

What Amitabh’s PR was doing? That news was beamed all day and night long on NDTV. He might have earned a lifetime goodwill of that family, instead he had chosen to waste that HUGE amount of money to a jeweler. ( No wonder rich are becoming richer.) That too when Amitabh is admired and respected around the world by most of the Indians. THAT amount of money have changed the fortune of a villege. Generations could have been lifted to another living standard by that amount of money.

It might sound old fashioned but we have forgotten community feeling and a sense of responsibility towards less fortunates. I am not saying that we should give up all the fun and turn into philanthropists. But once in a while we can do something for our people. It necessarily shouldn’t be in the form of money. Even if Amitabh might have come out and asked people to donate money for Vijay, it would have been collected in days. Even Bill Gates is going to devote all his time to charity, and that to third world countries. Why should he be feeling responsible for third world countries while we are BUSY BEING MORE AMERICANS THAN AMERICANS THEMSELVES.

Here is update on “Orissa kids’ NASA dream thwarted”

Ullas Mishra, is one of the kids winning the competition. Here is his mail at CNN-ABN web-site :

The Orissa government has come forward to sponsor us. But it would be a real help if someone from the US can help us in getting us hotels booked and assisting us if possible when we are able to go to to the US. I believe we have Indians in California who can come forward. Thank you.

All is well that ends well.

I hate writing personal stuff on my blog.
But this time I am too outraged to care. Somehow I managed to finish my daily chores at 2:00 AM in the morning (don’t ask how THAT late). And wanted to catch up with news. What I heard was this :

Couple seeks mercy killing for ailing son

Monday, May 29, 2006 (Jamshedpur):

A couple in Jamshedpur has written to President APJ Abdul Kalam asking for help or his permission to let their son die. Ashok and Sushila Kumar have been battling to keep their 12-year-old terminally ill son Vijay alive for the last four months. Vijay, who has been diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, has been ill since February and is in hospital since March.

“The doctor says he needs a bone marrow transplant but we cannot afford it. We cannot give him the treatment he needs. I did not have an option. That is why I took this decision to write to the President to ask him to ensure treatment or give permission for mercy killing,” said Ashok Kumar, Vijay’s father.

Doctors at CMC Vellore and Tata Motors Hospital, where Vijay is admitted, have prescribed a bone marrow transplant – the cost of which is around Rs 12 lakh, way beyond Ashok’s means.

The TV reporter was also flashing an address in case if anyone wants to help. OK! People don’t watch TV with a notebook and pen. So I missed the address till I retrieve a pen and paper. I had to wait for the next bulletin to repeat the news. This time the newsreader was speaking so fast that my fingers couldn’t put up with the words. And the address on the screen was for such a short time. It was advised to me to get the address at NDTV’s website. I got the news item but not the address. So we dished out the digital camera and in the next bulletin I managed to photographed the address. Which is here for you, if any of you are interested. The draft or cheque should be addressed to the “District Collector.â€? And at the back of the cheque or draft, Vijay Kumar’s name should be written.

Dr. N. M. Kulkarni
District Collector, East Singhbhoomi District
Office of Deputy Commissioner
Bishtupur, Near Blood Bank
Jamshed Pur – 831001

I was engaged in all this till 4:00 AM in the morning knowing that my donation will make a very small difference for the treatment of Vijay. And here I heard this news, next day.

Bachchan to offer gift to Lord Balaji ( worth Rs 7.5 to 9 crore)

He said that he would make a spare set of the existing two sheaths and then sent his jewelers. I have also learned that they are preparing two kavachams, which should be worth Rs 7.5 to 9 crore depending on the number of stones, said A P V N Sharma, Executive Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.

I am still wondering who needs this money more, Vijay or Lord of the Seven Hills in Tirumala, who can look after this universe.