INSED- Saviour for the destitute

Metri Manohar is the one person whose purpose in life has been to identify destitute people, give them shelter, offer them food, clothing and healthcare, rehabilitate and reunite them with their families, giving them a new lease of life

Sangareddy: Barely covered women frantically searching for food in garbage areas, mothers with days and months old babies whose biological fathers probably deserted them even before pregnancy was confirmed, people with severely infected legs infested by worms eating into them, senior citizens thrown out of their homes by their own blood in tough times, men and women with braided hair and torn clothes who may not have had a proper shower for months, people making sidewalks and huge cement pipelines their homes and children eating from thrown away food packets in garbage bins.

With no grief seen on their faces and smiling at times, they talk to themselves in a way which makes sense only to them. People tend to look the other way. Some poorly raised children, teens and even adults take pleasure in hitting them with stones. Some physically and sexually abuse these most vulnerable females. Some generous people offer them tea or left-over food, while most of them pretend as if they didn’t see anything, as if they just didn't matter.

Metri Manohar, on the contrary, is one person whose purpose in life has been to identify such people, give them shelter, offer them food, clothing and healthcare, rehabilitate and reunite them with their families, giving them a new lease of life. An advocate by profession, Manohar, started Integrated New Life Society for Education and Development (INSED) in early 2000s.

A turning point came in 2005, when Venkatesham, the then District Collector of Medak, allotted two acres of land in Sangareddy Government Hospital campus and funds to continue his divinely deeds. Funds from Indian Red Cross Society were used to pay 18 workers who took care of all the needs of the inmates.

Presence of greenery around the campus gives it a serene look. One would be amazed to know the diversity of people living on the campus. Among those who were picked-up from the streets were teachers, former wealthy businessmen, professors and people from all walks of life one would hardly imagine could end up as mentally ill and destitute.

Coming from as far as Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and even north eastern states, many of the inmates have no idea about how they got there. “Some people may have accidentally got off their train in mentally ill condition and ended up in Medak. Many fell prey to sexual abuse as well, ending up in the ashram as pregnant.

Their children have been admitted in English medium schools in Hyderabad and they occasionally visit the ashram to meet their single moms,” said Manohar, talking to The Hans India. The problem INSED is facing is inadequate medical help the inmates receive, ironically though the ashram is located within the government hospital’s vicinity.

“The problem is that the doctor doesn’t feel he is obliged to conduct weekly tests and give treatment to inmates, as it doesn’t feature in his job description,” comments Manohar. Among the inmates are people with deadly diseases like Tuberculosis and HIV positive. Though the government hospital is providing food to the inmates thrice a day and the ashram is pretty clean and hygienic, regular health care and supply of toiletries are needed.

There is no vehicle with the ashram for rescue and other purposes. Even the strength of workers has come down to four; due to shortage of funds. The ashram desperately needs funds to pay trainers of vocational courses, therapists, dry-cleaners and so on, so that better rehabilitation services could be extended to the inmates for better results. The most needed of all is a compound wall, so that inmates don’t run away.

Many state and national leaders have visited the ashram in the past, including a Deputy Chief Minister, Deputy Speaker and Ministers in the government. But none of their promises have seen the light of the day. So far, about 700 inmates have been rehabilitated in the ashram and 192 inmates have been reunited with their families after they regained their memory. There are currently 72 inmates living in the ashram.

By Vivek Bhoomi