Family for the frail & forsaken

Moved by the plight of abandoned children, a 70-year-old Deoghar man has dedicated his life and earnings to nurturing and educating 35 girls whom he rescued as infants after being cast away, narrates Mukesh Ranjan

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ANY parent would know that raising a child is no mean feat. And Hare Ram Pandey (70) of Jharkhand's Deoghar knows a thing or two about it. After all, this Bihar native has been raising not one nor two but 35 orphaned girls at his home for the past two decades.

Originally hailing from Bhagalpur, Pandey moved to an adjoining district in Jharkhand in 2000 following a family dispute and started a garment business. Although Pandey had two children—a boy and a girl—with his wife, the hustle and bustle disappeared from his home once they moved out after getting married.