Village Strength Inspires - Vidhi Rastogi

Almost 2 years back...when a chance meeting with this man changed my life and my way of thinking. 
Sometimes God gives you the message by making someone the medium.
Today i am living this life and realising how true all of it was.

(via Vidhi Rastogi)

While driving down from Chaukori to home, we stopped at a tiny village called Palyu that comes just before Binsar. We spotted some dhabas on the roadside with splendid view and wanted to have some Maggi!!!

There stood 2 dhabas in front of us. One was done up with all amenities and had lot of family crowd in it. The other one was threadbare with just bricks and wood and a tin roof...some tables and chairs...a spectacular view...and this earnest guy (shown in the pic). He did not even have Maggi...he had another noodle brand with him. But somehow we were so drawn to his very humble, simple and yet charming dhaba that we did not care about the noodle brand and decided to eat here.

The "maggi" he cooked was simply out of this world...and while we were enjoying it with the spectacular view his dhaba offered...he came up to ask us how it was. We paid our compliments...to which he replied in his Kumaon accented English "thanks a lot!!! U asked to make this in bottled water...but this is actually made in fresh spring water of Binsar reserve. Your city bottled water is a sham in front of this reserve water". We were a bit taken aback as we did not expect the simple guy to talk in English.

We then got into a conversation with him...and he told us his story.

Holding a specialised degree in electronics, this man, Devendra Pandey has worked in BSES, Delhi for some years. His brother works in a 7 star restaurant as chef in Thailand. Quite a few of his folks are settled abroad. He himself is very educated and has lived on rent in Delhi for years doing a job...like most of us.
One day he realised that all he is doing in Delhi is earning to pay rent for something he needs only because he is in the city. Whatever he earns, goes away in getting facilities, that are actually created by the very job. He just realised the futility of it...and that's it. He left his comfortable, well paying job...and came back home.

He has now started from zero by setting up this dhaba and within a year has generated employment for 4-5 youngsters!!!! He told us very proudly that his one year of hard struggle in home has been more gratifying than 5 years of job life in a big city.
He further plans to start organic farming on a patch of land that he owns and thus creating more employment. Seeing our impressed and awed expressions he took us to show his land and small vegetable patch. He also plans to open a dairy alongside and in 5 years he sees himself as a farmer and cafe owner!!!!

His dream is to create more jobs in and around Palyu.
All through our travel we noticed that every Kumaon village has a group of youngsters who are sitting completely idle. Youth of a country is definitely its asset and its power...but if the same youth is unemployed, then they become a danger to the society. These youngsters often sit around with a glum and angry expression on their faces...watching big city cars pass by and travellers enthusiastically pointing their expensive SLRs on them and clicking away. We hardly know what is going on in that idle sitting yet fertile mind.

In such a scenario, people like the gentleman here, are very crucial for any society.

He could have also relied on the comfort of a month end paycheque...he could have also enjoyed the big city anonymity and freedom...bought luxuries on EMI. But he chose to go back and create employment for those in need...and lead a simple but fulfilling life.

His name is Devendra Pandey. When we commented that governments do nothing to get youth employed...he said i don't care about govt. i cant sit and fret if someone is not doing their job...i have to concentrate on doing mine!!!

We wish more power to souls like him...and hope he inspires some of us to create at least some small avenue for some needy person back home.