Kulhama was another village devastated with floods in the Kasmir valley. As the team of our doctors arrived there, the smile on the people’s faces charged us up. A health sub centre at Kulhama was where we were asked to start the medical camp.

Some local people offered their help for patient registrations. Soon the slips were being given out to patients.

There were no lights inside the rooms. Some corners were pitch dark. And the space was also quite cramped up. But everyone was so charged up that lack of outer lights and space hardly mattered.   Our doctors, paramedics and pharmacy guys immediately took to their tasks.

As they say, where there is a will, there is a way. Our doctors used their mobile phones  to get some light for writing prescriptions and to examine the patients. I could see a sincere effort on their part to work without any complaints. I did not want to complain to the local authorities either, but I was concerned that doctors might feel tired examining patients and writing prescriptions under mobile phone light. Moreover the battery of the phones could also drain out. As I was thinking about Amma’s saying  – “When there is a sincere effort the grace follows”, suddenly a small girl appeared from nowhere and handed me a battery operated mobile light. For a moment I was stunned. I felt Amma heard my prayer. This little girl had a smile on her face, as if hinting Amma’s omniscience.

Soon the dark corners of the room were lit up with this gift of light. Now doctors could work with both hands, rather than having to hold their mobile torch lights with one hand.

Just like other places, the plight of the people in this village was deplorable. At the very least, all our doctors were making sure to share loving and caring words of solace along with the prescriptions, in order to soothe the aching hearts to some extent.

As a token to their gratitude, the local people made some tea and offered it to all of us. Almost none of us was having the tea. Some did not even notice.  All of were too busy either with seeing the patients, dispensing medicines, managing the crowd and translating to local language. But after local people insisted on having the tea before it went cold, we had to oblige.
As we left Kulhama, it was getting darker. But within, all of us felt bathed in the light of Amma’s Love and compassion, a Happy Diwali.

– Amit