From seeking alms to prescribing balms: Journey of a child beggar from HP who became doctor
Shimla (PTI): As a child, Pinki Haryan, along with her parents, begged on the streets and scavenged for food in garbage dumps in Mcleodganj. Twenty years and a Chinese medical degree later, she is now burning the midnight oil to clear an exam that will make her eligible to practice medicine in India.
It was in 2004 when Lobsang Jamyang, a Tibetan refugee monk and the director of Dharamshala-based charitable trust, spotted Haryan begging. Days later, he visited the slum cluster at Charan Khud and recognised the girl.
Then began the uphill task of convincing her parents, especially her father Kashmiri Lal, to let her pursue education. After hours of persuasion, Lal agreed.
Haryan got admission into the Dayanand Public School at Dharamshala and was among the first batch of students at a hostel for destitute children set up by the charitable trust in 2004.
Ajay Srivastava, president of NGO Umang Foundation, who has been associated with Jamyang for the last 19 years, said initially, Haryan missed her home and parents but kept her focus on studies, which she realised was her ticket out of poverty.
Soon enough, the results were proof of her dedication.
She passed the senior secondary examination and also cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate). The NEET is an all-India entrance exam for admission to undergraduate medical courses, Srivastava said.
However, the doors of private medical colleges remained shut for her due to the exorbitant fees. With the help of the Tong-Len Charitable Trust in the United Kingdom, she got admission to a prestigious medical college in China in 2018 and has returned to Dharamshala recently after completing her MBBS course, Srivastava said.
After a wait of 20 years, Haryan is a qualified doctor raring to serve the destitute and give them a better life.
"Poverty was the biggest struggle since childhood. It was painful to see my family in distress. As I got into school, I had an ambition to become successful in life," Haryan told PTI.
"As a child, I lived in a slum so my background was my biggest motivation. I wished for a good and financially stable life," she added.
Sharing a childhood memory, Haryan recalled that during her school admission interview as a four-year-old, she expressed her ambition to become a doctor.
"At that point in time, I had no idea what work a doctor does, but I always wanted to help my community," said Haryan who is preparing for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) to become eligible to practice medicine in India.
Haryan, whose brother and sister have enrolled in a school after drawing inspiration from her, credited Jamyang for her "slum-dweller to doctor" success story.
"He (Jamyang) had a vision to help destitute and poor children. He was the biggest support system I had while I was in school. His belief in me was a big inspiration to do well," she said, adding that there were several others like her who have made it big in life due to the support from the trust.
Meanwhile, Jamyang said he had set up the trust in the hope of imparting basic education to destitute children so that they can lead a respectful life.
"I did not realise that these children were so full of talent... They have become role models and are inspiring others," he said.
Srivastava said Jamyang believes that children should not be treated as "machines to earn money". Instead, he says that they should be encouraged to become good human beings.
"He has dedicated his entire life to the children living in slums. Several of them, who once languished in the streets, were adopted by him and have today become engineers, doctors, and journalists," Srivastava said.
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Sambhal violence: Protesters to pay for damage to property, posters of 'stone pelters' to be put up
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government will make protesters involved in the Sambhal violence pay for damage to public property while posters of "stone pelters" will be displayed at public places, an official said on Wednesday.
Four people died and scores, including police personnel, were injured in Sambhal on Sunday after a confrontation erupted over a court-ordered survey of the city's Shahi Jama Masjid in Kot Garvi area, following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.
"The UP government is adopting a firm stance against the individuals involved in the Sambhal violence. Posters of the stone pelters and miscreants will be displayed publicly, and recovery of damages will be sought. A reward may also be announced for information leading to their arrest," an official spokesperson said.
In a similar initiative, the government had previously put up posters of individuals linked to vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in 2020. These posters were displayed across several locations, including the state capital, but were later removed following a court order.
The violence in Sambhal erupted on Sunday when a large crowd gathered near a mosque and began chanting slogans as a survey team resumed its work. The situation escalated when the protesters clashed with security personnel, set vehicles on fire, and pelted stones.
So far, police have arrested 25 individuals and registered seven FIRs, which include charges against Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Sohail Iqbal, son of the party's local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, and over 2,750 unidentified suspects.
A magisterial probe is underway, and Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi stated on Monday that the situation was now under control. He assured that "strict action will be taken against those responsible for the unrest."
