DURING the years that Kishor Shah was a garment dealer, he'd distribute a share of his profit as donations to various charitable organisations. Now, though heavy losses in business meant Shah drives an autorickshaw to earn his livelihood, the corporate social responsibility policy remains. While there isn't enough cash to dole out any longer, he came up with a novel idea. So, as a policy, Shah now ferries senior citizens, the visually impaired and physically challenged free of cost for the first two kilometers of their ride.

Shah (47), a resident of Motilal Nagar in Goregaon (West), was a garments trader till 2002. "I incurred heavy losses in the business and was forced to shut it down. I had earlier purchased an autorickshaw that I'd give out on rent to dri- vers," Shah says. He used to earn about Rs 150 per day as rent for his autorickshaw. "When I closed down my business, I decided to start driving the autorickshaw myself." As a Jain, he says charity is a "basic tenet" of his religion. From temples to beggars and from NGOs to organizations aiding the needy, Shah was in the habit of making various kinds of donations. "But now I was left with no money and a family to support from the meager income that I earn from an autorickshaw," he adds.

Still, he was determined not to discontinue the practice. "Earlier, I would stop by aged or handicapped people and offer them a free ride. But many used to be reluctant; many would think I am just a crook. Perhaps they thought I'd take them to an isolated area and rob them. I had to convince them very hard to accept the ride," Shah says.

Finally, he decided to paint his offer - free ride for the first two kilometers for the aged and the physically chal lenged - on the rear of his vehicle, an advertisement that's made him rather well known in the western suburbs where he mostly drives.

"Sometimes I ferry four to five persons free in a day.

If I see a handicapped person while I am going empty, I offer them a free ride.

Sometimes, I come across senior citizens who want to travel from Bandra to Goregaon. I then drop the person to the nearest bus stop.

What I get in return is their blessings," Shah says.

Shah, who lives with his wife, two sons of aged 10 and 6 and a daughter aged 2, likes to tell people there is dignity in labour. And there can be charity in it too.

"When I start earning more once again, I'll start donating more too."

 

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