MALAPPURAM: K R Bhaskaran Pillai, a native of Palemad, has set a new record by donating houses to as many as 60 disadvantaged families in the state. Recently, at a function held here, Pillai donated houses to two families in the area. Pillai handed over the keys of a house in five cents of land to Sahira, a mother of four children who faced eviction threats from her house owner, and another house in 5 cents of land to Poornima Natarajan, whose husband is a cancer patient.
Many people who face challenges in life due to health and financial problems visit Pillai at his residence and office daily. Pillai is also keen to find a solution to their problems. Last month, Sahira was surprised by the quick response from Pillai to her request.
The mother visited Pillai at his residence in Palemad and narrated her plight. Unable to pay rent for ten months, she was asked to vacate the house by its owner. “Sahira told me everything about her situation last month. I handed her a key to one of my houses in the area and asked her to shift immediately. However, the official key handover ceremony was held a few days ago. During the function, we also handed over the keys to another house to Poornima,” he said. For Pillai, helping others is a duty entrusted by God.
“I began to engage in charity work from a very young age. I will continue my humble efforts to make a difference in the lives of the disadvantaged,” the 85-year-old said.
Recently, he donated a house to a mother of two children in Karunagappally whose husband is a cancer patient and another to a differently-abled person in Kulathupuzha.
Pillai is the founder of Sri Vivekananda Educational Complex, Palemad, one of the largest educational institutions in Kerala. He was born in 1938 at Pullat Village of Thiruvalla to A K Raman Nair and Lakshmi Amma.