Clad in a simple kurta-pajama with a bag slung on his shoulders, one would not easily believe that the man riding a bicycle in labour colonies all through the day is not only a former Scientist of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana but has also worked as a scientist in the University of Windsor, Canada, and Morrison Scientific Research Company, Calgary (Canada). Canadian citizen Dr Naurang Singh Mangat is also a former fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, London.
Dr. Naurang Singh Mangat published about 70 research papers in statistics and related fields in the world famous journals and , and is a co-author of very expensive and internationally used text book “Elements of Survey Sampling”, which was published by Kluwer Academic Publishers based in Dordretch (Netherlands), London (UK) and Boston (USA).
But now for the last more than three years, even in intense cold and scorching heat he pedals his bicycle in slum areas of Ludhiana and surrounding villages with the sole purpose of extending help to physically challenged, lepers, blind, or else extremely poor and sick people lying on footpaths and crying for help. T
he small charitable and registered organization “Guru Amar Das Apahaj Ashram” which he has set up has saved lives of many extremely poor sick people who otherwise would have died for want of physical and financial help. Whenever he spots extremely poor sick person, he himself put the sick people on the rickshaw or three wheeler and rush to the hospital or the physician. Tricycles, wheelchairs, crutches and clothes are also provided to the needy. Besides education of about 25 extremely poor school kids having no source of income is sponsored by this charity. On Sunday he teaches kirtan to about 30 kids without any fee, and such kids are also provided clothes, gutkas, five kakars etc free of cost.
Only a little financial assistance trickles in from public. The organization has no building or office, or even that Dr. Mangat has to use a bicycle as a means of conveyance. But this does not daunt the spirited and dedicated Dr. Mangat, who has unflinching belief in the cause of service to the poor and the downtrodden.
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For more details visit: www.apahajashram.org