The Neelesh Misra Show Ep 3: These Strange, Selfless People

The Neelesh Misra Show brings you a glimpse of the people who are working to silently change the world around them.

Who are these people? These crazy, stubborn, asinine people? These weird people? Who are they? Why do they care so much about the world, about other people? Why do they leave food to save the life of a bird or an animal? Why does their blood boil when they see gallons of water being wasted from a road side tap simply because the municipality hasn’t fixed a thirty rupee valve? Why do they go to the nearby slum, or park, or railway station to teach kids every day? Why do they end up at their area’s, or some other area’s, park or beach or river front on a Sunday morning to clean it up?

Abhinav Shriyan

At an age when girls and boys only refer to the art of eyeing each other as "bird watch," Delhi's Abhinav Shriyan had started working on saving birds. But this passion of Abhinav's is not only limited to birds. He can go to any extent to save any animal. He spends all the money he earns from working in various NGOs in sustaining this passion of his.

Abhinav has founded an organisation called "Fauna Police." It helps animals that need protection.

But why are they doing all of this?

If you want to do something then you have to dedicate your life to a cause today itself, only then can this world become a better place to live.

Abhinav Shriyan

Afroz Shah

In 2015, a Mumbai lawyer named Afrooz Shah decided to take on the burden of cleaning Mumbai's Varsova beach – a place so dirty and stinky that even standing there felt like an ordeal. Afrooz managed to bring together 12,000 volunteers. These people managed to carry out the beach cleaning campaign for a hundred and nine weeks ie. two years. Even PM Modi decided to mention their endeavour on his show "mann ki baat."

However, finally Afrooz lost this battle. Why? Because the rest of the world refused to help. They continued dirtying the beach. Afrooz was also abused, threatened and had to deal with the municipality's laziness. Thus, the world's largest beach cleaning effort ended.

John and Rosy

Far from their comfortable life in America, John Hakim and his wife Rosy now reside in a slum in Lucknow and teach the children there.

What makes them do that?

I was a biology student. I used to think a lot about my objectives in life. To make money, have a great career, work for NASA. But I knew these objectives were not satisfactory for me. I looked to religion, Christian religion…I felt that to be happy I will need to be there for other people.

This episode also acquaints you with other selfless souls who have put others before themselves. It also discusses what makes them so selfless.

(This episode was originally published on Hindi Quint. Read the original story here)