-Ekka Chandra Sekhar,
Dakshin Madhya Kshetra SevaPramukh
Appaji name itself invokes a feeling of elderly warmth,affection,benign smile and a deep graceful look.God has been kind enough to give him an imposing and towering personality so that he can stand tall in crisis with people in troubles.
Appaji had spent his entire life of around 65 years in a span of 74 years in Sangh karya.The impact on his life of all senior Pracharak’s or elders of Sangh of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh was so deeply ingrained on his subconscious mind that they inspired him to stay strong in his last days when he suffered intense painful life because both his legs were amputated.He was blessed to stay with inspiring personalities like late Mananeeya Yadavraoji Sommaiyaji,Durga Prasad garu,Subrahmanyam Shastrigaru.Appaji Pracharak life had the blessings of all P.P Sarganchalaks right from P.P Guruji till today.Many of them
Know him as he was with Karyalay work for 6 decades.His association with such personalities inspired him to be humble ,simple and available to hundreds of families.
The voice of his still reverbrates in the ears of hundreds of people and family members as his words were profound with love and affection.That’s the reason people were eager to have his last darshan within a short notice. The agony of a Pracharak who devoted his life entirely to be with people and society being unable to move on his own as his legs were amputated and could move only in wheel chair and stay for long hours.
In bed for the entire day cannot be explained in words. That made him sometimes to cry in loneliness.He was great in his suffering as he was a man who was cautious in hiding his pain and was still sharing the pain of others with a smile.Those traits make him look great in his journey of life.
A family member who is younger to him by few years narrated his experience:
In 1975 he came to attend marriage in late hours of night and just stayed for few minutes as he was staying underground and was fighting against emergency and dictatorship.As usual his close relatives were after him to get married and do Sangh work.This relative was asked to drop Appaji at bus station Out of curiosity his cousin asked him why he is not agreeing to marry.The answer which Appaji gave was simple.He replied that he cannot serve society and people if he is married as he will be under obligations and stated that his life mission is serving people to the last breadth.He stood by his words till his last breadth by concern on hundreds of families.He became a part of hundreds of families without establishing his own family. A true spirit of Pracharak.
He has been identified with Medical help and service so much that any need of help would land at him.For many years he has spent his long hours in hospitals along beds of patients.
Many eminent doctors of Hyderabad know Sangh through Appaji as he was continuous in his contact with them for decades. Very few people have.A famous physician who was a renowned specialist migrated to Hyderabad from Pakistan and became a famous doctor of Hyderabad. He was a Sindhi and loved Sangh as he has seen the partition and the role of swayamsevaks in saving thousands of lives by risking their own.He practiced in the street beside Methodist school.That Doctor was regularly contacted by Appaji and many Pracharak’s benefited ftom his rich experience.This was possible because of unbreakable bond of Appaji.Apart from Appaji and Bhaskerji nobody remember him.Very often we loose contact with great committed people once they cross their thresh hold of youth and become old in age..Sangh work stands for Vasudhaika kutumba which includes all.Appaji had that grace of reaching out to elders who are not in limelight because of their age inspite of best contributions to society.
Appaji was conscious of a fact that many have given their best in their younger days for Sangh as Pracharak’s or Grihasta so they should have a word of affection from the younger generation of Sangh when they are not capable of doing Sangh work because of ill health or other reasons.His phone calls were all part of this work which is highly necessary in the present phase of Sangh where every body who have come in touch for Sangh for the last 97 years should be made part of next three years of shatabdi karyakramam in whatever little they can do.Let us a take a lesson from Appaji ‘s life and give a word of warmth to all our seniors.
Now many families or Karyakartas are engaged in relentless work in our different fields of activity.A personal touch with family and a support is needed for those Karyakartas in times of need for themselves or organisation which motivates Karyakartas and make them stand in times of crisis whether personal or organizational. Senior Karyakartas irrespective of their responsibility or even without responsibility can do this by personal talk and feed back. Appaji used to do with many and motivate them too.
One such instance will throw a light on this aspect of Sangh work and how Appaji could perform it at personal level.
Appaji had a personal attachment with many service projects even without holding any post .Dr Surender Reddy Garu Arogyabharati and one of our senior most Karyakarta of Telangana region narrated his experience.
When Sanjeevani project of Seva Bharati was initiated in Hyderabad it was a big event and visible project as the medical Van was made of state of art technology with facilities for minor surgery too. As Dr Surender Reddy was highly particular in maintaining time and was never late to any schedule. At times when van couldn’t move at that time Appaji was ready with his scooter to drive Dr Garu to locality and see that the programme goes on as scheduled. Appaji inspite of polio was never handicapped in work or in mind and always on toes during emergencies with minimum modes of conveyance.
One more instance where in a small orphan boy of 7 th class of Vatsalya Sindhu died of some ailment. It was big shock as we never had that sort of experience. Then Appaji stepped in consoled the Karyakarta like Gangotri Nemani Garu and Ramanamma and stood beside them to tide over the crisis.As per legal requirements it was mandatory to keep the body for seven days by giving public notice so that any relative could be reached out. Right from the moment of keeping the boy in mortuary at NIMS till his last rites in Kavadiguda crematorium it was Appaji standing strong with the Karyakartas even performing the last rites.It was only 5 people along with Constable were present but I could see the elderly and detached yet gracefull face of Appaji at graveyard.Such was his motivation and element of devotion to Sangh karya in whatever form whether it is Shaka or service or personal talk.For him Sangh was everything in his daily acts. That’s reason he could smile at first instance exhibiting the innate nature of humility of Karyakarta who have devoted themselves to nation’s cause.
Service is the first value of life which Sangh inculcates as the very word swayamsevak speaks of highest act of selfless service.Serving the society or needy or people in general is a common trait of all swayamsevaks and not an exceptional trait.All the swayamsevaks do it every time.Appaji as swayamsevak was also fully endowed with this trait.Being a Karyakarta for 65 years it was natural for him to serve the society for pretty long years and that too from a place like Hyderabad which serves as a medical hub.
In service activity another dimension called patience of highest level wherein waiting at hospitals for long hours and days is common is required .Appaji’s tall personality stood out in this aspect of patiently attending the patients.His personality instilled a sense of confidence amongst the patients and his voice of deep resonance touched inner chords of patient ‘ s heart.A good laugh of his was enough to energize a person.The persons who moved close with him can observe it.Part of hospital service blood need is highest.For many long years calls for blood availability used to land at his hands.He was addressing it to a big extent.Ultimately this became an area of concern and activity for him.
He used to encourage other people to work for it. An ex Pracharak Yellamchari at a time could gather near about 1000 donors by going to all corporates. Appaji was happiest.
When Gandhi hospital patient’s care takers need was taken care by our Janahita trust by maintaining a shelter home to take care of stay and food of caretakers at Gandhi hospital premises itself Appaji was feeling the height of happiness as that was the work most dear to him. Shivananda shelter home activity with all its manifold dimensions was really a major project of service activities in medical line which catered to needs of thousands of most needy and I hope I am not exaggerating when I say lakhs benifitted. A silent supporter in Appaji was present for Narsimha Murthy garu and his team of Janahita.Ultimately this connection was instrumental in Appaji giving away his sole property of a house in housing board colony as a donation to have this activity of blood donation now being run in the name of Rakta Dhaan Bharati being run and guided by Narsimhamurthy Garu of Janahita.
Last incident to quote for now is the incident in which Appaji stands out exceptional in service activity. Few years back a Pracharak’s brother got ill and hospitalized in Osmania hospital.Unfortunately diagnosised with Blood cancer.Hailing from a lower middle class family they became clueless as doctors presented a grim picture.When myself and Appaji went to Osmania we were surprised to hear from doctors that the patient be taken away as there was no hope.Mother was sent way and his brother was there along bedside.We were too shocked not knowing what to do and with no words of consolation too.Intuition makes way when logic stops.Appaji intuition was different.He simply took the papers from doctors and asked me to accompany him to NIMS to contact Anchologist Dr Sunkavalli Venkatratnam Garu and seek second opinion.The Anchologist at NIMS a relative of Manyawar Judge Parvatrao garu was known to Appaji as he knows tens of Doctors of high
Specialization.As Appaji was physically there with papers the busy doctor of NIMS Dr Venkatratnam Garu immediately went through the papers and expressed the hope that the boy could be saved if blood transfusion happens .We asked for cost it was told as four lakhs.Only 10,000 were with his brother.But Divine intervention is always there hence we could mobilize and complete it.I am pleased to mention that one NRI youngster kept his donations only for life savings help which involve lakhs per each patient.He readily came forward .The treatment went and by GOD’s grace that young guy survived and is now happily married. That was Appaji personality standing out with his long hands stretched to help people in need.Pranams at his feet .
The people who serve such people like Appaji in their last days should also be remembered.The last two three years Neelam Naidu was avaialable for Appaji inspite of his big responsibility of Sangh Karyalay.He did his best to serve Appaji.
Secondly another Karyakarta served Appaji with a great sense of service as Appaji kidney problem resulted in a smell which made people difficult to go near him.But the Karyakarta did it with humility we expect to do service to our elders in the family
As one senior adhikari told that he lived as a true swayamsevak and served Bharatamatha as Pracharak for decades with a true spirit of seva and samarpan. That spirit of service is to be followed.
Pranams at his feet
