Once upon a time during the decades of 80s and 90s, there were many riots happening in Ahmedabad and across Gujarat. But today if you look at the last 20 years, the crime rate in Gujarat is minimum and riots are not happening.
The reason behind is due to the dedication and hard work of police officers like Tarun Barot.
Today we will be digging a little bit into the life of Shri Tarun Barot as a police officer then and as a retired DySP and a social worker now.
We talked to Shri Tarun Barot today and asked him about the life he is enjoying after his retirement.
Shri Tarun Barot was known as an encounter specialist during his tenure as a police officer. However, he was also very active doing social welfare with his father, Shri Amrutlal Barot, who is still enjoying his active social work at the age of 94.
Shri Amrutlal Barot was a freedom fighter during his younger days. He served for his nation and the people of Gujarat and Ahmedabad. He has started a trust and helped poor and needy people in his area where he is staying at Bapunagar area in Ahmedabad. The trust and the social welfare activities have been ongoing for the last 25 long years.
Shri Tarun Barot though being a very tough, strict and encounter specialist, he is a soft hearted man and a son of freedom fighter. Shri Tarun Barot joined hands with his father to do social service as well. Both Father son duo are working relentlessly to help and serve the needy people.
They have been running a trust named “Anand Amrut Charitable Trust” for the last 25 years where they perform numerous charitable activities for the poor people.
During our conversation with Shri Tarun Barot, we asked a few questions trying to know what activities they have done during these years and how they served the poor people and what are their future plans and activities as a Trust.
Conversation with Shri Tarun Barot
NewzDaddy: Sir, you are now retired DySP, are you still missing your duty as a police officer?
Shri Tarun Barot: Yes, definitely I miss my duties. During the tenure 28 years of my duties as a police officer, I have spent 22 years in Crime Branch and most of my career has been spent running after Terrorists and criminals. There has not been a single day where I have rested and not run to gun down those criminals and clean the dirt. I have dedicatedly and honestly worked for the nation.
I was habituated to working hard during my career as a police officer and that habit of working hard and serving the nation, I continued even after my retirement. Today, I am working for the social welfare of the poor people of my Bapunagar area in Ahmedabad
Newzdaddy: What activities have you performed in your NGO?
Shri Tarun Barot: In our area, the majority of the population lives in slums and they strive for one meal in a day. Looking to that we started this Sadavar activity around 28 years ago to provide food to those labourers.
Especially during the lockdown and the time of the pandemic, we provided food (Puri, Khichadi, shak etc.) as a charity to around 300 to 400 people every day for more than 75 days continuously.
Newzdaddy: From where do you get the funds and/or donations for this charity?
Shri Tarun Barot: I had worked honestly for 28 years during my life while in Gujarat Police, and that honesty still pays the dividends. Even today, I don’t have to ask for any help or donation from anyone, people come and give the required things for this charity. They play their part in this noble cause. My friends across Gujarat and other warm-hearted people provide the help as and when needed. I have a great and wide group of friends and well-wishers.
Newzdaddy: Where you organize these food and other charity activities.
Shri Tarun Barot: In our Bapunagar area, there is a temple of Shri Hanumanji. We have built a hall in the temple premise. This hall we built with the donation and help of residents and local people of Bapunagar and this is the place where we do our social welfare activities.
Newzdaddy: How do you get the donations and help to perform this charity work?
Shri Tarun Barot: We request few donors to send the required things, we do not take any money as a charity from anyone, we request them to send required groceries such as wheat, rice, oil, ghee etc. for the food.
New Daddy: Do you get any help from the government or any corporates?
Shri Tarun Barot: No!! No!! No!!, we do not get or take any help from the government nor do we seek help from any corporates. All we get is from our inner circle, friends and donors.
Newzdaddy: What are the recent activities that you have performed as social welfare?
Shri Tarun Barot: As a part of our social activity we recently helped 5 daughters to get married (Kanya daan) and provided all the funds and things as a charity by our Trust.
Newzdaddy: What kind of other activities do you do apart from this social activity?
Shri Tarun Barot: I have worked for 28 years as a police officer, so I provide free of cost legal advice to needy and deserving people. I also help to resolve social problems or family matters such as problems related to the daughters after their marriage. I do not take any charge for resolving such matters.
I also provide assistance and guidance to our younger generations on how to get work and what is the right path to get government jobs.
Even after retirement, I have never spent a single day without working or helping any needy person.
As I told you my father was a freedom fighter, he always taught us to work for the nation and so helping and serving the people of our nation is there in our blood since my birth.
I have always been taught by my father to work and serve the nation.
I am not doing anything, this is all done by God who provides me strength and power to help people and serve my nation.
I believe in Lord Krishna and I am a follower of the Bhagavad Gita. I am an avid reader of the Bhagavad Gita and that gives me strength and knowledge.
I have been to jail for 3 years and there also I preached the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to the prisoners. so, I am blessed by Lord Krishna and he helps me and guides me in every moment of my life.
Newzdaddy: Since you have that gene of serving, do you think that you will be able to serve better and more people if you go into politics?
Shri Tarun Barot: I am not the one who decides where to go and what to do, as I said, I am a believer and follower of the Bhagavad Gita, whatever happens, is the blessing of Lord Krishna. I am doing my work; I will go wherever he sends me. Your luck and fate is decided by Lord Krishna and whatever he does is final and we have to accept that as the grace of God.
NewzDaddy: Sir, do you believe that you will be able to serve the nation in a better way if you have power and authority as a politician?
Shri Tarun Barot: It is my belief that wherever you are, do your best. I worked for 28 years in the police department and my parents, my friends, and the police department are happy that I have performed my duties very well as a police officer. I myself am satisfied with the work that I have done while I was weaning the dress.
It is true that if you have power and authority you can definitely work better; however, it’s my belief that whatever you do gives your best with integrity.
Newzdaddy: What you feel as a person after your retirement, what you wish to do.
Shri Tarun Barot: We have come on earth to live, we are not like animals, we should do something for ourselves, something for the nation and something for the society as a whole. I am here to work for the betterment of my nation and for the betterment of my society.
Newzdaddy: From where do you get the inspiration of serving society?
Shri Tarun Barot: I have already told you that my father was a freedom fighter, he always believed in serving the nation. So it is the teachings and rites of my parents, especially my father Shri Amrutlal Barot. Also, it depends upon the circle you stay with. If you have good friends who are good in behavior you will learn good behavior. So the inspiration comes within and it comes from external forces such as parents and friends and guardians.
For my work, I give more credit to my upbringing and my parents. My father has worked with Ravi Shankar Maharaj so it is a tradition in our house itself to work for the benefits of the people and work for the people.
We must keep on working and serving the nation and the society even though others support you or not, you must not stop your social welfare and your good deeds, this is what my father taught me and I am doing it and will continue to do till I die.
My father is still alive and active at the age of 94 and is the main source of my inspiration.
Newzdaddy: As you have said that you have spent 22 years in the crime department, dealing with hardcore criminals and terrorists even though you have a soft and warm heart for the poor and helpless people
Shri Tarun Barot: Yes, I have spent most of my days running after the criminals, I was performing my duty of cleaning the dirt of my society. I have done my job as an officer of removing crime and terror.
Newzdaddy: Is there anything or task that you feel you have not been able to do in your life?
Shri Tarun Barot: I am a bhakt and devotee of Lord Shri Krishna and Hanumanji, and by their grace and blessings there is nothing like I feel that I should have done. All my wishes or tasks that were supposed to be done by me have been completed them by their blessings.
Whatever I wish, Lord Krishna fulfils that wish. If something does not work according to my wish then it is also a blessing of Lord Krishna.
Newzdaddy: Sir, as you said that you have helped people during Covid time, can you please put more light on it?
Shri Tarun Barot: During Covid times I myself have lost 72 people who were close to me. People were scared to take their loved ones to funerals, we have helped those people and taken them to cremations and performed rituals.
During the time of Covid Lockdown 1, 2 and 3, we have served meals to 500 to 600 people daily for around 75 days continuously and that is our major service.
Also, we have distributed around 3000 kits comprising of food and clothing to people who could not come out of their homes. We used to receive phone calls from needy people and we go to their homes and provide them kits during all three lockdowns.
I have admitted more than 300 people to the hospital to get treatment during the pandemic. A lot of good doctors are my friends and they also helped me with this task.
I have never had any trouble or hindrance to help anyone. If your intentions are good, God will always assist you.
NewzDaddy: How is the help reaching you from different people?
Shri Tarun Barot: I have a very good group and my circle is quite big. We request things such as groceries and other things within the circle and by the grace of God we have never been in shortage of anything, it has always been surplus.
Newzdaddy: Is there anything or task you are planning to do as a charity?
Shri Tarun Barot: What I believe is all deeds of God, your wish cannot be fulfilled without his blessings. You just have to do your work, as in Gita it is said by lord Krishna, “You perform your good work, do not think of result or outcome.”
Newzdaddy: How many people are working in your trust with you?
Shri Tarun Barot: As I said, I have a very big group and my circle is also very big. My son is also working for our trust and he is also having a wide group which has a tendency to serve the nation.
Newzdaddy: Apart from serving the people of Bapunagar and Ahmedabad? Do you extend your helping hand to other needy people as well?
Shri Tarun Barot: Yes, we do, as you know during the “Taute Storm”, there were a lot of casualties and people were homeless in the small village. We contacted the sarpanch of that village and provided food and clothes to the villagers.
Newzdaddy: What message would you like to send to society?
Shri Tarun Barot: I would like to say that “I have lived for my nation and I will die for my nation.” I urge the people of my city to serve the nation the way you can. “Jai Hind Jai Bharat.!!!”
Greeting off
We had a lengthy talk with Retired DySP Shri Tarun Barot. On the basis of our conversation and questionnaire, we found that Shri Tarun Barot is a strong and powerful man with great persuasive powers and a mind that senses crime and removes it; however, we also found that the heart of our Retired DySP is very soft and kind.
On one hand, he held a gun for criminals and on the other hand, he held food for the poor.
He is working for the welfare of the people for 25 years and is humble and kind simultaneously he used to kill the crime and terror from society.
Both of his works are ultimately for the well-being of society.
We salute to a son of a Freedom fighter on this auspicious occasion of the 75th Independence Day of India.
Father fought against the Britishers and his son, Shri Tarun Barot fought against crime, criminals and terrors.
The whole nation should be proud of this father-son duo and their work. We as a citizen of India salute to Shri Tarun Barot and pray that we may be blessed with such real-life heroes.
We hail to such a hero, we salute to Shri Tarun Barot.
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