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BRUHUD New York Seniors, founded in 2009 by the late Shashikant Patel, has become one of the largest organizations for seniors in the tri-state area. The organization hosts annual events such as health fairs, Independence Day celebrations, Garba, and the Diwali Gala, among other functions, with these events typically attracting 500 to 800 participants.
After the passing of its founder, Shashikant Patel, his son Ajay Patel has taken charge, continuing his father’s legacy and ensuring the smooth execution of all BRUHUD initiatives. Ajay Patel, who serves as the President of BRUHUD, is also an office bearer of Jaipur Foot USA, the U.S.-based arm of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayta Samiti (BMVSS), India. BMVSS is globally recognized as one of the largest organizations for differently-abled individuals (Divyang), renowned for its prosthetic limb, the “Jaipur Foot.”
Inspired by the humanitarian efforts of Jaipur Foot, Shashikant Patel’s 21-year-old granddaughter, Devika Patel, proposed organizing and sponsoring a free artificial limb fitment camp in Gujarat in memory of her grandfather. The five-day camp, scheduled to take place from January 27 to 31, 2025, at the Mahudi Jain Temple in Mahudi town, Mansa Taluka, Gandhinagar district, Gujarat, will provide prosthetic limbs (Jaipur Foot), calipers, crutches, and wheelchairs to those in need.
In a press release, Jaipur Foot USA announced that the Ahmedabad center of BMVSS, led by Vice Chairman Lalit Jain, would provide full support for the camp, including sending a mobile van to assist on-site. Registrations for beneficiaries have already begun through the Ahmedabad center.
Jaipur Foot USA’s parent organization, BMVSS, was founded in 1975 by Padma Bhushan Dr. D.R. Mehta in Jaipur, India. Since its inception, BMVSS has benefited over 2.2 million differently-abled individuals across 42 countries through 114 international camps. Notably, 31 of these camps were conducted under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India’s India for Humanity initiative, launched to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. These camps have supported individuals in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Prem Bhandari, Chairman of Jaipur Foot USA, announced that Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary, G-20 Chief Coordinator, and a steadfast supporter of Jaipur Foot, will attend the Gujarat camp as a special guest. Additionally, the founder and Chief Patron of BMVSS, Dr. D.R. Mehta, will also be present.
Ajay Patel, his wife Kinnari Patel, and their daughter Devika Patel will travel from New York to participate in the camp. Prem Bhandari, who will also attend the camp from New York, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating the first Jaipur Foot USA-BMVSS mega camp in April 2016. This camp, held in Mhow, Indore, marked the 125th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar at his birthplace. Later that year, another mega camp was organized at Diksha Bhoomi in Nagpur, the historic site of Dr. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism.
Bhandari further credited Prime Minister Modi’s unwavering support and blessings for enabling BMVSS to partner in the India for Humanity initiative, resulting in 31 fully sponsored international camps, with 11 more planned. He also highlighted the upcoming inauguration of BMVSS’s first international Jaipur Foot center in Malawi, announced during the recent visit of the President of India to Malawi.
