Navi Mumbai: An over 60-year-old homeless man was lying in a weak, dehydrated state at the Uran Phata bus stop near Seawoods for days without proper food and water. He was almost on the brink of death when a social worker noticed and rescued him. The homeless man was then cleaned up, and provided with food and water. After regaining some strength at a New Panvel shelter, the rescued man identified himself as Chintamani Ganya Umaikar from Ratnagiri, but does not recall his exact address. “Several passersby and commuters must have noticed Umaikar at the bus stop, but no one could help him. It is just by sheer luck that I saw him while driving to a hospital for my own medical treatment,” said the rescuer, pastor K M Philip, the founder of Social and Evangelical Association for Love (SEAL) Ashram.A social worker said, “We will now try to locate the family members of Umaikar, and reunite him with them. We also urge the govt to start a user friendly helpline service, so that citizens can simply message a particular number and save the lives of such homeless people, especially during harsh summer conditions when dehydration can become fatal”. Another city-activist said, “The homeless people are the most vulnerable and least cared for in our society. They really need to be rescued and given medical treatment to help them have a chance at a better life.” Dr Abraham Mathai, SEAL’s chief patron, said that compassion, which was instinctive and selfless, helped save Umaikar.
