Good Samaritan saves labourers from destitution

TNN | Apr 23, 2020, 04:48 IST

Ajayrajsinh Zala and his friends have saved 600-odd factory labourers

Rajkot: They were abandoned by their employers in Rajkot. However, Ajayrajsinh Zala and his friends have saved these 600-odd factory labourers suffering ever since lockdown was enforced from destitution. Zala and his friends have been providing meals to the factory labourers and their families twice in a day.
Zala began his social service on March 28 at Ramapir Chowkadi where he served meals to 200 labourers. Then he provided meals to 250 labourers at a construction site opposite SRP camp on 150-feet Ring Road in Rajkot.
Meanwhile, Zala learnt that 600-odd labourers were stranded in Vavdi industrial area after their factory owners locked their units and fled to their native places.
“These labourers are from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan. They were desperate to go back to their states as they were left without food. When I came to know about this, I went to Vavdi and urged the labourers to stay put and assured them that I would provide them two time meals,” said Zala.
Pradeepsinh Jadeja, who runs Ashapura Group, a non-government organization, in Vavdi, had accompanied Zala. He expressed his desire to join Zala in his mission. Rajgopalsinh Jadeja, Luckyrajsinh Jadeja, Pathrajsinh Jadeja, Shivrajsinh Jadeja, Kiransinh Jadeja and Kanaksinh Jadeja, all members of Ashapura Group, also joined Pradeepsinh and Zala in this.
“We set up a kitchen on the campus of anganwadi in Vavdi. Women and men from different families of Vavdi provide their free service at this kitchen. While women make rotlis (unleavened breads), men prepare shaak (vegetable curry) and khichadi (hotchpotch),” said Pradeepsinh.
Zala is a member of Sayla royal family. He works as an administrator with Rajkumar College in Rajkot, where he also serves as a tennis coach. Every Saturday, he helps needy senior citizens who sell incense sticks, papad and pens by buying a product costing Rs10 for Rs100.