Sudhir Sundriyal is a man, redefining reverse migration in the Uttarakhand.

After quitting his job as a journalist in the year 2014, Sudhir and his wife donated their organs to the AIIMS hospital in Rishikesh and made their way to their ancestral village Dabra in Chaubattakhaal, Pauri district.

Following year in January 2015, Sudhir formed ‘bhalu Lagad/’भलु लगद‘ Charitable Trust, a Garhwali phrase which in English translates into ‘Feel good.’

Formed with the intention to motivate people to return to their mountains of home, भलु लगद began by building a rain water-reserve in the village to sustain farming in parched months, an initiative which inspired neighbouring villages to build a similar reservoir.

Soon Feel-good Knowledge and Information Center was raised, a popular hang out for young and old from the village. Equipped with a library, projector, computer, newspapers, magazines, this community centre binds the village folks together.

Along with this, the Trust also runs simultaneous extra-classes for students from in and around Dabra to mentally and physically stimulate young minds.

‘भलु लगद‘ works in the field of Education, Agriculture and Environmental issues that are pertinent to Garhwal Himalaya even today. Close to a dozen farming models on apple, walnut, cardamom, kiwi, lemon, beetle leaf cultivation are success stories for others to imitate.

Recently, Sudhir experimented with Beetle leaf cultivation from a cutting that he got while on training at the Garhwal University, in Srinagar.

Talking to Newspost, Sudhir tells us, “we tried to experiment in the field of agriculture. Growing Beetle leaf was part of the experiment and seeing its produce we are hopeful that hill-folks will look at it as an alternate cash crop.“

Sudhir Sundriyal and his wife bring alive the saying ‘Helping hands are better than praying lips.’ They live  by example and transform lives by their initiative.

Many would wonder what Ajeet Singh and his wife Manju, who took part in Kaun Banega Crorepati aired on 19^th of October, 2018 would have to do with Uttarakhand.

Well it all started here, in the hill-state of Uttarakhand. A young, shy and yet an all-rounder student Ajeet Singh came to be a boarder at Col. Brown Cambridge School Dehra Dun. It was here that Ajeet studied from 1976 to 2005.

Varanasi born Ajeet spent his formative years in Col. Brown Cambridge School Dehradun. While looking back, Ajeet says, he owes it all to his Alma Mater: “Whatever I have achieved, I owe it all to my school. It was here that the seed to do something different was planted in me. Not only was I a good student, I wrote, directed plays in English and Hindi, was a good sportsperson. The school nurtured me and my talent and gave me the confidence to make a difference.”

Ajeet Singh went on to finishing his schooling from La Martiniere, Lucknow before moving to Delhi for graduation from Hansraj College. At college, Ajeet witnessed a life-changing event. At a wedding, Ajeet observed how some men were leering at girls performing mujra; something snapped within and a silent vow was taken.

Just seventeen, Ajeet adopted three orphans from Varanasi’s Red-light area and laid the foundation of Guria to fight sexual exploitation of girls. It was formally registered in 1993.

Guria has worked relentlessly in rescuing girls enmeshed in the murky waters of the flesh trade. It has been a Herculean task of rehabilitating the women and their children by educating them to give them a fresh lease of life.

Today, Guria has taken wings and works pan-India. Ajeet, his wife Madhu and umpteen volunteers are seen as ambassadors of hope who have rescued many lesser fortunate young women from the murky world of the flesh trade.

We at Newspost, salute Ajeet Singh and his team at Guria.