Once abandoned, no one ever returned:Children at Ujjain Sevadham still wait for loved ones; hiding pain in their eyes behind quiet smiles

A famous dialogue from the film Jolly LLB still echoes in many minds: Who are these people? Where do they come from? Actor Arshad Warsi asked this painful question in the film, addressing the judge and society. Today, the same question is being asked again about the children living at Sevadhaam Ashram in Ujjain. Seventeen children have died here, while 25 others are still in serious condition. But beyond the numbers, a deeper question remains: Who are these children and where did they come from? When we began to explore their stories, the truth was deeply disturbing. The lives of these children reveal pain, neglect and silence that is difficult to ignore. Most of the children living in the ashram are differently-abled. Many of them cannot even speak, which means they cannot express their pain or complain about their condition. Their silence hides stories that the outside world rarely hears. What makes their situation even more heartbreaking is that many of them were abandoned by their own families. Some were left here years ago and never taken back home. One such case is of a girl whose father is known as a respected businessman in Indore. But after leaving his daughter at the ashram, he seems to have forgotten that she was ever part of his family. As we looked deeper into the lives of these children, more painful truths emerged. How did these children end up here? Why were they left behind? And the biggest question still remains: will any of them ever return to the homes where they were born? More than 200 differently-abled children living in Sevadham Sevadham Ashram is located on a quiet road beyond village Ambodia, about 16 kilometers away from Ujjain city. Behind the large iron gates are some buildings peeking through lush green trees. Here too the sun rises in the morning just like in other parts of the city. The only difference is that here the day begins not with hurried footsteps, but with a slight sparkle in the eyes of those lying in bed. More than 200 children live here. Most of them have non-functional lower bodies. Many are also mentally challenged. Some cannot see, some cannot hear, some cannot speak but they can feel everything. Here every bed has a story. Every story has pain, but bigger than that is their unbreakable patience. Each child has their own world – small, limited but beating and breathing. Soft clanking of wheels amidst the smell of medicines From outside, Sevadham Ashram looks like any ordinary institution – a simple building, some trees in the courtyard, wheelchairs kept in the veranda. But as soon as you step inside, you realize this place is not ordinary. Here you don’t hear the sound of running footsteps. Here there is a soft clanking of wheels, the smell of medicines, and the slow breaths of those children who, lying on beds, are not ready to lose to life. Life’s journey in the hands of service charioteers In the ashram, service workers begin their work before 6 AM. They are called service charioteers here. Children who are unable to turn over by themselves are helped to change positions every two hours. This is necessary to prevent bedsores. Many children are fed through tubes. Some need to be fed slowly by hand, one morsel at a time. It takes several minutes to feed just one spoonful. No one can rush here. Each child has a different body, different needs, and different reactions. A female service worker says- We don’t watch the time here. We don’t leave until the child is comfortable. The story of those children, whose smiles hide pain 1. Sahaj: A fifteen-day promise, six years of waiting Sevadhaam’s director Sudhirbhai Goyal says – Sahaj was left here by her grandfather Purushottam Mittal and grandmother Renuka Mittal. They said that her father Pinkesh Mittal had met with an accident. Please keep her for just fifteen days. Those fifteen days for them have not ended till today. Sahaj is from a wealthy family in Indore. A child from a big business household. There was no financial hardship. But when the lower part of her body became inactive, the family faced the challenge of difficult care. They left her here. Sahaj was small then. Maybe three or four years old. Her grandparents laid her on the bed and assured her they would come back. In the first month, Sahaj would look towards the door repeatedly. When the door opened, her eyes would light up. Even after six years today, there is still waiting in her eyes, but she has now stopped looking towards the door. A caretaker says – We tried to contact the family many times. There was no response. Gradually, they even stopped receiving phone calls. 2. Yashoda: Fourteen years of silence, but her eyes speak everything Yashoda has been at Seva Ashram since 2008. She reached here through the Child Welfare Committee. She is completely physically and mentally disabled. For fourteen years, the bed has been her world. She cannot sit. Cannot walk. Cannot even turn over by herself. Her care takes many hours every day. Bathing her, changing clothes, giving medicine, feeding – everything needs to be done with patience and care. A caregiver says – when we hold her hand, she grips it tightly. As if saying don’t let go. Yashoda cannot speak, but her eyes say everything. When the temple bell rings, she blinks rapidly. When someone sings a lullaby, her facial muscles relax – as if she is finding peace. In fourteen years, so many seasons have changed. So many festivals have come and gone. Yashoda never got a mother’s lap. However, now she has found many Yashoda mothers in the ashram. 3. Punia: From hospital ward to ashram In a ward of MY Hospital in Indore, family members abandoned a two-year-old girl. Doctors said – the lower part of the torso doesn’t work. Care will be long and difficult. Chances of survival are low. The family never returned. The girl was sent to Seva Ashram. She was named Punia. Sixteen years have passed today. Punia never learned to walk. Not even to sit. Her body is bound to the bed. But there is a sparkle in her eyes. She smiles. She also talks. We asked – what’s your name, she smiled and said – Punia. Asked – since when are you here, she said – since childhood. We had many questions, but seeing her, we couldn’t gather the courage to ask. 4. Adarsh: Toys kept near the bed, but cannot hold them Nine years ago, the then Collector of Betul, Shashank Mishra, sent a child to Seva Ashram. The child’s condition was very serious. Doctors had said he would not live more than 14-15 days. His name is Adarsh. When he arrived at the ashram, his body was emaciated and breathing was weak. The caretakers served him day and night. Nutrition, medicine, cleanliness, regular care. Gradually the body responded. Breathing stabilized. Nine years have passed now. Adarsh still cannot walk. But he has held onto life’s thread. There are some toys kept on the medical table near his bed. He looks at them, tries to pick them up, but his brain has no control over his hands. The toys remain where they are. Upon seeing Sudhir Bhai Goyal, he becomes excited with joy, as if someone close has come. Sudhir Bhai picks him up and comforts him for a while. 5. Ashwini: Cannot see or speak, bedridden for 12 years In the ashram, there is also a bed belonging to Ashwini. She is 14 years old. She cannot see, cannot hear, and cannot speak. She cannot walk and cannot even sit. But her heart is beating, for 12 years. The bed is her home and the blanket covering her is like a mother’s embrace. Ashwini was left here by the Child Welfare Committee people. It is said that someone left her at the bus stand to die. Every day is the same for Ashwini. Darkness all around and only the touch of those hands to feel, which belong to the service workers engaged in feeding and caring for her. Even those who have parents don’t come to visit Seva Ashram director Sudhirbhai Goyal says that we are serving children who don’t have parents, but even those who have capable parents don’t come to visit. When children became disabled, they were left to die. Goyal says that such people should be boycotted from society. They should be brought before the public. These people are donating lakhs of rupees in temples, but they are not coming to see their own children.