Heart of gold

Poverty and hunger can sometimes create the biggest evils of society but sometimes, like a rare flower blooming, it also creates angels. Kamala Baliarsingh is 60 years old and lives in abject poverty and life of suffering. He lives on the streets near the Bhubaneshwar railway station. He has experienced so much hunger and pain that he now ensures that at least the stray dog around him do not suffer this hunger.

He does not beg nor does he take charity but all day long collects plastic bottles and cleans the platforms and earns a pittance. But even in that, he spares food to feed the dogs around him, ensuring none go hungry. He also collects leftovers from the trains to feed these dogs. Baliarsingh feeds these dogs everyday expecting nothing in return except their love and affection. And that is what makes him larger than life. And the best part is that despite his poverty, he always has a smile on his face. Always.

He continues to do this, day in and day out and says that, till the day that he is alive, he will do this and takes it as his responsibility to ensure that dogs, at least those around him, do not go hungry. His aim of life might seem pretty small for many but if all have such ‘small’ aims, maybe life all around us will get beautiful.