Raj Dagwar, a Pune based engineering student is reaching to masses for his noble gesture of offering every passerby ten rupees in exchange of hearing their stories.
Raj was spotted by many residents, one of whom was Aditya, another Pune based citizen who took to social media to express his appreciation towards Raj’s noble cause.
When News18 reached out to Raj Dagwar, he said that he started this initiative on December 6 and the gesture is only meant to share the struggle of people during the ongoing crisis. Standing in front of the eateries on Fergusson College road, the student holds a placard with the message, “Tell me your story and i will give you Rs 10.” Dagwar spends at least 5 hours on the footpath everyday listening strangers story n helping them unburdened it.
While talking to Raj Dagwar, he said, “Just observe how people are struggling to talk with each other these days even when we all are back home, separated by walls. Close to hundred people have shared their stories, and it was such a wonderful opportunity to hear them.
He remembers the names of all the people who have spoken to him and also their stories. “I am a good listener and some of them really enjoyed my company when they were feeling low,” said Raj. Everyone has problems, big or small, and it’s not easy to speak about them. The lockdown forced several people to live alone and also feeling lonely, which led to many keeping their emotions locked within themselves, thus leading them towards depression,” says Raj, who finished listening to a mid aged person, who thanked him profusely.
Raj has heard over 50 stories a day, sometimes spending more than an hour listening to a person. He spends his evenings on FC road between 6pm and 11pm.
Raj had gone through a depression in 2019. He had feeling of not being up to the mark and was having feeling of failing in his efforts to be like his father who is also an electrical engineer and living in Dubai. There were times when Raj simply could not open up to his parents, or interact with issues that he had with his younger brother. It was then that he sought professional help and overcame his depression.
It has not been easy, standing out on the pavement as some people stare, some criticize, and some are often curious. “All, I do is smile from behind the mask and slowly ask the question, tell me your story. If I can help them relax or ease their thoughts, I feel as if I have achieved one good thing,” Raj says.
Mental health and counselling is usually looked upon as a stigma or like having a disease, but Raj wants to help remove this label by urging everyone to speak up about their problems.
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