At every turn of life, you will meet a few people who will revive your hope in humanity. Luhit Nath, stands as a beacon of hope and compassion, rekindling our faith in humanity. Luhit, a cab driver by profession, has not only navigated the narrow lanes of Guwahati but has also embarked on a heartfelt mission to extend a helping hand to those in need.
Living with his aged parents, wife and two daughters Luhit faces the financial tightrope of living hand-to-mouth each month, but still, he believes in helping anyone who is in need. Inspired by a profound sense of compassion, Luhit has transformed his own home into a haven for ailing parents, often abandoned and overlooked by their own children.
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Luhit's journey began in 1989 when he, along with his family, relocated from remote Pathshala to Guwahati. Despite grappling with the challenges of making ends meet, Luhit's spirit remained unbroken.
Talking to GPlus, Luhit recalled, “We have spent our life in hardships. My father was a labourer and I had only studied till class 7 initially. In 2000, I learnt how to drive and started driving tourist taxis, Ola, and Uber.”
Yet, Luhit's heart could not ignore the pain suffered by those in need. In 2020, he took a remarkable step by transforming his own home into a haven for the elderly. Moved by the plight of abandoned parents, Luhit opened the doors of his home to provide solace to those who had been forsaken.
“I couldn’t see people in pain, so slowly I opened accounts on social media where I started getting information about people who have been left in the streets and roaming around the cities, begging for food and shelter. Whenever I got the information of anyone like these I brought them home,” Luhit said.
Luhit initially started bringing home elderly grandfathers about whom his followers on social media were tipping him off. But the problem was that these aged men didn’t want to stay and kept leaving over and over again.
“I got home two koka (grandfathers) but they refused to stay. One of them left over 5 times, I kept bringing him back every time. Lastly, he said that he doesn’t want to live. Later I found out that the person who reported that man to me saying he was homeless was his own son. And the father too wanted to go back home, so I got him back home and had a talk with his son.”
The other koka returned home after staying with us for some time.
“Now, I only have all women, who I have found with the help of social media. Most of them are homeless without any family to look out for them. Then there are some whose family doesn’t want anything to do with her, so I bring them home to give them the love and respect they deserve.”
Despite limited means, Luhit has taken upon himself the responsibility of caring for these elderly souls. The house he is constructing for the elderlies, spanning 750 sq ft, is a testament to his unwavering commitment. Notably, this is not a venture fueled by donations or structured as an NGO; instead, Luhit shoulders the financial burden, ensuring a dignified life for these forgotten members of society.
“I have been bearing all their expense myself. I don’t ask anyone for any money. The social media page helps me to locate these people and I just want to give them a good life,” Luhit said.
On asking how he accommodates so many people, Luhit throws into the situation saying, “Initially I got tins and flex and made a makeshift thatch to give a roof over their head but now, I am extending my house and building a proper home for them.”
“I don’t bring them here to work but it’s good to keep them active at such age so they help out wherever they can. They are like an extended family of mine.”
As of the 2011 Census in India, the demographic landscape includes 104 million individuals aged 60 years and above, comprising 8.6% of the total population. Notably, within the elderly category (60+), females surpass males in numbers, as per WHO. The percentage of the elderly in India has been increasing rapidly in recent years and this trend is likely to continue in the coming decades as well, according to the India Ageing Report 2023.
In a world where familial bonds are sometimes strained, and the elderly are deemed burdensome, Luhit Nath stands as a guardian of compassion. In his household, gender or age distinctions blur as grandmothers become an integral part of an extended family, sharing meals, stories, and laughter with Luhit's own kin.
Luhit's old age home is located at Ganesh Nagar, Bamunimaidam, Guwahati.
