Beggar woman donates Rs 6.6 lakh to Pulwama martyrs’ families

Jaipur, Feb 23: Financial helps have poured in from different corners for the families of the 40-plus CRPF personnel who were martyred in a horrific suicide terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama last week. From celebrities to cricketers to common man, people have come out with help - in cash or kind - for the aggrieved kin.

However, among all the donors, Nandini Sharma has been a special one for she earns her living by begging outside Ambe Mata Temple in Bajrangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan.

Though she is no more, the woman has left a legacy behind by making a donation of Rs 6.61 lakh to the families of the martyred soldiers posthumously and her act has been appreciated by various quarters, a report in inuth.com said.

Sandeep Gaur, one of the trustees of Ambe Mata Temple, told inuth.com: "Sharma used to beg outside the temple and at times helped us clean the temple premises. She often came to us for help as her savings were snatched away by miscreants. So we tried to help her open a bank account here so she could deposit her money, but since she did not have any identity proof we were unable to do so."

Nandini then requested Gaur and one of his friends Ankur Aggarwal, who owns a medical shop, to open a joint account where she could save the money she earns. She has been saving money for nearly seven years now

"Before she died six months ago due to old age, she had requested us to use her money for a noble cause," Gaur said. The duo then picked the Pulwama tragedy and decided to help the families of the soldiers as that noble cause.

On Wednesday, February 21, Gaur and Aggarwal went to the district administration office and wanted to donate the money to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund which was accumulating money for the martyrs' families.

"A woman had saved over 6 lakh rupees and it was her last wish that this should be used for a good cause. The custodians have handed the cheque to me. It is an appreciable gesture and hopefully, it will inspire more people to come forward and donate." Vishwa Mohan Sharma, Collector of Ajmer, was quoted as saying by ANI.