When the country is baffled over lingering graft embarrassments and road-side politics, and when the people of the nation probably have given up on their last quaint bit of hope of having a better future, there is at least least one person here in the State who is still standing out.
Anyone who has boarded this advertisement-mounted trike could not ignore it. What distinguished the trike from the umpteen number of rickshaws running in the city was the man riding the hand-paddled tricycle. Gajendra Yadav, who would be in his early 30’s, has been running this vehicle for the past one year as his both legs were claimed by polio.
A resident of Pandri, Yadav has been earning a handsome amount for living his life with dignity by running this advertisement mounted trike. The haplessness of not being able to walk has never reflected on the face of this young man.
Yadav, who had reached Raipur Municipal Corporation office on his trike for inquiring about ‘Nirashrit Pension Yojna’ run by the State Government, says “We get around Rs 500 to Rs 600 in this scheme. When the Government even bears the cost of marrying off normal people, why do we get such a less amount,” Yadav questions. “Bhiaya through some stern words, write something that forces the Government to double our pension,” Yadav pleads. When asked about the advertisement mounted vehicle he is running, Yadav says he has been running it for nearly one year. “On an average, I get around Rs 10,000 from it,”
tells a confident Gajendra. He claims that he had asked for help from the Chief Minister Raman Singh, former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and Minister Brijmohan Agrawal for financial assistance to purchase the vehicle he is driving but had to return bare handed. later with the help of ‘Pradesh Viklang Sanhg’ he had got the vehicle.
On enquiring upon his family background, Yadav murmurs that his father is in jail since 1993 and he was brought up by his granny who also died few years back. Yadav, who is illiterate and is not even sure about his age, says, “I should be around 30-31,” he said hesitantly. However, what distinguishes Yadav is the will to live with dignity and it is evident when this reporter asked him for some photographs, he said, “let me place my legs in order.”