Bhupinder Singh Kohli

"The Good Samaritan" - a Newspaper article on the Mumbai train explosions, click to enlarge

Bhupinder Singh Kohli is a Guru-panth-da-Sewadar extraordinaire. He is based in Mumbai, India and has been recoginised as such several times by the local newspapers. He has a full time job like most of us. His is working as a banker for the State Bank of India. He is a senior employee in the Estate Department of their Corporate Centre, New Administrative Building, CBD Belapur, in Mumbai. If you were to meet him at work, he would appear just like any ordinary executive worker at the bank. However, there is something more than meets the eye at first glance. This unassuming personality is a committed social worker.

Many local needy and desperate people 'bank' on him with their hopes, aspirations and regular requests for help. And he never disappoints them. There is never a "NO" in his dictionary when it comes to Sewa - Selfless service. He is always there for people in wilderness. His mobile rings most often with requests for emergency help and he is always ready to arrange this with lightning speed. And he ensures that his private car is always available for free ferrying of "his patients" for emergency hospital service. And this is just one facet of his personality.

See the Official Website for further details

His Community Projects

"Serving people from all walks of life..." - another Newspaper article - click to enlarge

He proudly displays the following sign: " FREE HOSPITAL SERVICE WITHIN NAVI MUMBAI DURING NIGHT " and his Mobile No. 9821421058 for contact, on his private "SANTRO" Car bearing registration No. MH-01-Y-9528, which he uses during emergencies to transport a patient from or to the hospitals and that too is - FREE OF COST.

In addition to this free ambulance service, he has a range of other community based social activities, a few of which are listed below:

Collecting unused and unexpired medicines, free samples, etc. (boxes kept in different junctions and branches) which are used in charitable dispensaries and medical camps in remote areas like Birwadi (Shahpur), the Old Age Home at Taloja or the Leprosy Rehabilitation Centre at Nere (Panvel).

Collecting donated or used clothes, utensils, reading materials and toys for the needy in villages. Collecting and making available, on a timely basis, equipment such as walking sticks, walkers, crutches, backrests, bedpans, urine pots, saline stands, oxygen cylinders, nebulisers, suction machines, etc.

Maintaining a computerised Blood Group Directory, he even helps in providing the data of donors to the needy in an emergency.

Is a member of Civil Defence, the Red Cross Society and a Traffic Warden. He is a volunteer of many other organizations involved in social work.

Running a home for orphan-cum-mentally challenged girls upto the age of 16 years.

Is also associated with the Paramshanti Home for old age people and Swarg Dwar, a home for Leprosy patients.

His untiring enthusiasm for social work and his organisational abilities are inspirational, today people of all ages rush to join him in his social activities. And he doesn't disappoint them as he welcomes any kind of support offered and guides such support to further serve social causes.

And thus the circle widens. As they say "Jyot Se Jyot Jalathe Chalo", the light of kindness is spreading... Carry on Mr. Kohli. you are making all of us proud.

Newspaper articles

A different kind of Bandhan

Mentally challenged orphan girls celebrated Rakshabandhan by Indrani Basu August 19, 2008

Bhupinder Singh, pictured with 2 of the happy children

When the whole country was celebrating the symbolic ceremony of universal love and affection of the strong bond, between brother and sister, maybe in some parts, some children, especially those who are orphans were only dreaming of celebrating it.

But, this year, it was a dream come true to the 21 orphans, mentally challenged girls aged 4-14 years, residing at the Kalyani Mahila and Balak Seva Sanstha, at Khanda Colony when they also celebrated, the day of Rakshabandhan.

Bhupinder Singh Kohli, a good Samaritan from Nerul had taken a unique step for the inmates of this Seva Sanstha. He brought nine little boys from the orphanage ‘Swargdwar’ of Rohinjan village (15 kms away from Panvel), and those girls tied the threads on the boys' hands. The sweet thalis as well as necessary arrangements were made by him. Prachi, a six –year- old said, “Every year when I see other girls from the colony tying rakhis on their brother’s hand, I wait for someone to tie to.”

Kohli, who is also involved with the sanstha for the last eight years, remarked, “Out of these orphans, two are deaf and dumb and the other 19 are mentally challenged. I intended to give them a little solace and arrange some kind of celebration on this particular day. The boys, two of them are leprosy patients, were also equally desirous to attend the ceremony. My effort is to lessen the sorrows of these destitute children, as far as possible. It matters a lot when you see some happiness on their faces.”

Some well –to-do families from Nerul, were also present on the occasion along with their sons. The girls tied the thread to their wrists, as well. The day ended with a shabad (kirtan), presented by the Kalamboli Sikh Sanstha.

Working for the poor, the needy and the helpless is more than just a hobby for Kohli. Apart from his busy schedule of a bank job he is immersed in social work and constantly attempts to find out solutions to the problems of the helpless, in his own unique ways. Nine years back, Kohli started his journey with collecting unused and not expired medicines as well as free samples given by doctors. The medicines collected were sent to charitable dispensaries. He also collects equipment, such as walking sticks, saline stands and oxygen cylinders. He sterilizes them and gives them to the poor or needy patients. He has put together a computerised compilation of the blood group directory, which has a list of around 4,800 donors' names and addresses that were collected individually.

KARSEWA -The Times of India

The following article appeared in the Times of India edition on 5th August,2004. It is a grand testimony to Bhupinder Singh's great work of the community. The text of the article is produced below:

KARSEWA (The Times of India, Navi Mumbai Plus, 5th Aug,2004)

"Working for the poor, the downtrodden the needy and the helpless is more than just a hobby for Bhupinder Singh Kohli from Nerul. It is a daily ritual. Apart from his busy schedule as an employee of the State Bank of India at CBD Belapur and in between taking care of his parents, particularly his 92-year-old bed-ridden father, Kohli is immersed in social work and constantly attempts to find solutions to the problems of the helpless in his own unique ways.

Kohli's latest idea has been to convert his own Santro Car to a vehicle for people in distress. Explains Kohli, "Four months back, I happened to see an accident near Uran Phata at around 7 pm. The victim was fatally wounded but he could reach the hospital only after precious time had lapsed, for want of timely ambulance services. This incident made me think of alternative sources to help people in distress.

And that very night, I realised that I had one of these sources with me. I could help with my new car which I'd been using sparingly. I decided to use the car in emergencies for shifting patients from or to hospitals, free of cost. " The very next day, Kohli sprung into action and inscribed 'FREE HOSPITAL SERVICE WITHIN NAVI MUMBAI DURING THE NIGHT' on his car.

During the next three months, he helped seven patients to reach the hospital during medical emergencies. As appreciation for his dedication, the Vashi Gurudwara presented Kohli with a second hand ambulance. Pointing out the difference that the generous gift would make, Kohli remarked, "Though my car would serve the purpose of dropping patient to the hospital, proper medical equipment is not available inside the car. Now, with the ambulance service available, I'm sure more lives will be saved." This ambulance service too comes at no cost.

This devout Sikh has taken seven first-aid courses in various hospitals across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Says Kohli, "When I was studying, I happened to see many rich patients dumping expensive medicines, which were not past their expiry date, after they recovered from their illness. These medicines would have otherwise served poor patients."

From then on, Kohli started collecting unused and un-expired medicines as well as free samples given by doctors. The medicines collected thus were sent to charitable dispensaries. Kohli also collects used equipment, such as walking sticks, saline stands and oxygen cylinders, among others; he sterilises them and gives them to poor patients. He also collects old and usable clothes, utensils, reading materials and toys for needy people in villages.

The jewel in the crown of Kohli's social work is his mammoth compilation of a computerised Blood Group Directory that has a list of around 4,800 donors' names and addresses, collected individually. This social worker, who is responsible for organising many medical camps, is also a member of Civil Defence, Red Cross Society and Traffic Wardens.

Says Kohli's friend Hardeep Singh, "For the last 20 years, he has been meeting all the expenditure of his social activities from his own income. The Santro manufacturers should be proud of Kohli for using their product for a noble service."

Contact Details

If you wish to help Bhupinder Singh kohli with this marvellous work that he is doing, please contact him at:

Name: 'BHUPINDER SINGH KOHLI' - Bhai Ghanaiya Sewa International
Address: B-21/3, SBI QUARTERS, SECTOR-13, NERUL, NAVI MUMBAI-400 706 DIST. MAHARASHTRA (INDIA)
Cell: (+91) 09821421058
email : [email protected]