‘Whenever I saw old people begging, I would compare them to my family members. If they were my family, how could I allow them to beg?’, says P Naveenkumar, founder of Atchayam trust, with a voice brimming with passion for a cause he has taken up for the last seven odd years.

Based out of Musiri, in Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu, the 26-year-old Naveen has been striving for a beggar-free India. In order to rehabilitate the destitute, he set up ‘Atchayam Trust,’ a Non-Government Organization in 2014.

Today, the initiative that started with just three people, with Naveen at the helm, has over 400 volunteers. The Trust has expanded to 18 districts in Tamil Nadu and has counselled more than 4,300 beggars, with the maximum from Erode. They have effectively rehabilitated 424 beggars, with 104 beggars in 2019 alone.

An Assistant Professor at JKKN College of Engineering and Technology, Komarapalayam, Naveen juggles his full-time job and Atchayam. From the National Youth Award for 2015 -2016 to the Chief Minister’s State Youth Award in 2019, the young achiever has won over 40 awards for his work.

For many of these beggars, Naveen not only provides a chance at a better life but also an opportunity for a dignified death.

Recounting his experience with a beggar he had rehabilitated, who later left the home to return to begging due to his various addictions, Naveen says, ‘When I met him a year later, he was very eager to join an old-age home. He told me that he had seen a beggar die from his sickness on the streets. As he had no one to take care of him, his body got infested with worms and a strong stench had emanated from him. It was this sight that had made him want to join a home again.’

‘The beggar told me – ‘Naveen, within three months I am also going to die due to my sickness. But, at least I will die in a good place and not rot away on the streets,’ says Naveen, while speaking to The Logical Indian.

What Led The Youngster To Take Up This Cause?

It was during Naveen’s stay in Salem for GATE coaching that he first decided to help the beggars. At the time, he was doing his BE in Mechanical Engineering from S.S.M College of Engineering.

‘While I was doing my third year engineering, in 2013, I came across many beggars in Salem. One 80-year-old woman asked me Rs 10 to go back to her town. I met a 26-year-old guy named Yuvaraj, who told me that he was begging to get money to go to Madurai, his native place,’ says Naveen.

In an attempt to help the beggars he met, he would give them Rs 10, which was all he had.

‘I come from a very poor background. I was only given Rs 10 or 20 for my daily dinner. And this I would give to the beggars I met. Many days, I couldn’t sleep because of my hunger,’ says Naveen, who was only 19 years old at the time.

A couple of days later, he saw Yuvaraj begging again. Curious, he decided to follow him to find out what he was using the money for. Shocked to realise that he was using the money to buy alcohol, the youngster then tried to find out the reasons behind begging and resorted to reading many books by APJ Abdul Kalam and Swami Vivekananda to understand the same.

Although he raised the matter of the beggars with his friends, teachers, and family, he was only met with discouragement. ‘You are from a poor family, you can’t change the life of a beggar,’ – was the common reaction.

First Rehabilitation

As discouragement from his peers and family grew, he shifted his focus to his studies. It was then that he met Rajasekar, a beggar around 60 years of age.

‘I met Rajasekar in 2014 when he was begging in Salem. I followed him for a couple of days and tried to strike up a conversation with him, although he showed no interest. As he had been sick for the last two months, he was very conscious of the stench from his body,’ recounts Naveen.

Finally, after 22 days of efforts, Naveen was able to indulge him in a conversation. ‘After I spent some time with him, he broke down and told me that all his family members, including his wife and son, had died in an accident. He had lost all his IDs too,’ says Naveen.

Rajasekar then came to Salem in search of work. However, as he had no identity proofs, he was unable to find any work. Whoever he encountered only gave him money, instead of work. Depressed by his inability to find work, he soon turned to alcohol.

‘That day, I stayed with him from 8 pm to 11 pm. He then used his money to buy me tea. That tea and his love are what changed my life,’ says Naveen.

‘He inspired me and made me realise that if we give the roadside people love, they will love us back. Everybody needs love and care in life,’ he adds.

Later, with the help of a friend, Naveen found Rajasekar a job as a watchman at a children’s home.

Left: Rajasekar when he was begging, Right: Rajasekar with Naveen after he got a job as a watchman

Setting Up Atchayam Trust

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