Once a Criminal, ‘Auto Raja’ Has Saved 19,000 Destitute From The Streets

[The Better India logo]( The Better India is proud to deliver stories that will make your day straight to your inbox. Stories of change and changemakers, and of how a strong will transforms into positive impact for the entire community. Hello, Auto Raja has time and again made the headlines for his noble deeds and impactful work with the destitute. But did he always fathom this would be his destiny? The answer is no. A wandering delinquent, Thomas Raja (his real name) habitually indulged in theft and petty crimes until a few decades ago. At the age of 16, he was kicked out of his home for stealing from his father. [Watch: Once a Criminal, ‘Auto Raja’ Has Saved 19,000 Destitute From The Streets]( He also served time in prison for his behaviour, after which he immediately shifted to Bengaluru to make an honest living. The harsh conditions of the jail had put things in perspective for Thomas, and he decided to never cheat again. [Watch: Once a Criminal, ‘Auto Raja’ Has Saved 19,000 Destitute From The Streets]( This was when the famous auto became his companion. He began earning money as an auto driver, but during his trips, he would often come across those down in the dumps with nowhere to go and nothing to eat. He could have continued along his way but chose then to stop and help these strangers on the street. Some 13 destitute people were given shelter under a rented home, which laid the foundation for ‘Home of Hope’ – his rehabilitation centre under the trust ‘New Ark Mission of India’. Today, Auto Raja has saved close to 19,000 people from the streets since then. But that is not where his battle ends. Recently, he was in the papers for his bold fight for the rights of the destitute. He was caught on camera wearing an iron chain, representing how they have been living like prisoners – deprived of food, water and voting rights. [Watch The Video]( [Artist Uses Ancient Art Technique on Rocks, Converts Maoist Area Into Tourist Hotspot]( Artist Uses Ancient Art Technique on Rocks, Converts Maoist Area Into Tourist Hotspot Once known as a safe haven for Maoists, the Ajodhya hills in West Bengal’s Purulia district has now become a tourist hotspot, all thanks to the efforts of one man — Chitta Dey. He engraved birds and animals on the gigantic rocks, as tall as 800 feet. Impressed with the 63-year-old talented artist, the government of West Bengal extended financial support for his process and also to preserve the rocks. [Read More]( [Debt-Ridden Farmer Switches To Organic & Earns Lakhs, Inspires 100s of Others]( Debt-Ridden Farmer Switches To Organic & Earns Lakhs, Inspires 100s of Others Maruthi Naidu is a third-generation farmer from Andhra Pradesh who was drowning in debts, his lands having turned infertile due to excessive chemical farming. Here’s how he turned things around by going organic, earning lakhs a year now. “My grandfather and father always relied on the two crops for assured income and mainly used organic manure and compost for farming. We never earned too much, but we never struggled for finances either,” he says. [Read More]( - [How to Grow Passion Fruit at Home Using Store-Bought Ones: 6 Easy Steps]( - [Are Phones All Bad for Kids? Using a Mobile Camera at 4 Won This Genius a Global Award]( - [Bengaluru Venture Helps 1 Lakh Farmers Sell Pesticide-Free Produce, Earn 20% More]( TBI Community [Join the TBI Community]( Get to meet like-minded people and discuss everything around sustainability, impact, making things better, ideas, innovations and much more! [👉 Click here to join now and get started. It's free.]( Meet us on [The Better India on Instagram]( [The Better India on facebook]( [The Better India on Twitter]( [The Better India on LinkedIn]( [The Better India on LinkedIn]( Copyright © 2021 The Better India, All rights reserved. The Better India, 402, 4th Floor, Prestige Feroze 74, Cunningham Road, Bangalore 560052, India You signed up for our newsletter on our website - []( Don't want to hear from us again? We'll be sad to see you go. [Unsubscribe](. [The Better India logo footer](