It was a chilly evening in Dhanbad. The coal town was cloaked in a quiet hum of activity, as it often is. But within that coal, as they say, diamonds are found. One such diamond is Kamal Sanghvi—a man whose journey from a pharmacist to a global Rotary leader is as extraordinary as it is humbling.
“I never imagined service would become my purpose,” he admits with a smile. “It started with just sitting among good people in a small town. But sometimes, good people light a fire in your heart you never knew existed.”
A Chance Encounter, A Life Rewritten
Born in Dhanbad but schooled in Darjeeling, Kamal pursued pharmacy in Manipal before heading to bustling Bombay to work. Life was ambitious, dreams were corporate, and service wasn’t part of the plan. But life had other designs. When his father’s health brought him back to Dhanbad, Rotary entered his life—not through a grand calling, but through his father’s gentle nudge. “Join Rotary,” his father had said. “You’ll meet good people.” That’s all it took. It wasn’t service that first drew Kamal in—it was friendship. But slowly, friendship grew into community, and community into compassion. What started as casual meetings turned into a lifelong mission of helping others.
A Bridge Across Borders
In 2012, Kamal was invited to Pakistan under a peace initiative called Aman Ki Asha (A Hope for Peace). A symbolic program, full of poetry and conversation, tried to forge peace between India and Pakistan. But Kamal was not one for just symbolism. “Poetry is beautiful,” he had said to Shahrukh Hasan, the head of Pakistan’s Jang Media Group. “But peace needs more than poetry. It needs action.” Then, he did something unimaginable. He offered to take responsibility for the heart surgeries of children in Pakistan—completely free of cost. “Send as many children as you want,” he declared. “I will bring them to India, get them treated, and send them back safely.” It wasn’t a political move. It was deeply human. That single initiative healed more than 300 children. More importantly, it healed hearts on both sides of the border. “Children are not born with religion,” Kamal often says. “We give it to them. But service to humanity is beyond all religion.”
The Power of One—and Many
From representing India at Rotary International to leading literacy programs across South East Asia, Kamal’s story is proof of how far one man’s compassion can travel. Today, Rotary has eradicated polio in 99% of the world, thanks to campaigns Kamal has championed. Over 5,000 children have had heart surgeries under the Healing Little Hearts program, with M.S. Dhoni himself supporting the first one. Yet Kamal is quick to brush off personal credit. “I can do something. You can do something. But together—we can do so much more,” he says. “It’s not about being great; it’s about being useful.”
Blankets, Eyes, and a Turning Point
One moment, however, etched itself into Kamal’s heart forever. In 1991, he accompanied his father to a Rotary eye camp. There, two frail elders—Dasharath and Sita—begged to be admitted, not for vision, but for food and blankets. “We walked 25 km for this camp,” they pleaded. “We just want to eat for three days and take two blankets back for our grandchildren.” It wasn’t about surgery. It was about survival. That night, Kamal wasn’t just a Rotarian by name anymore. He became a man on a mission.
Building Lives, One Woman at a Time
In Bihar and Jharkhand, Rotary started 28 Saheli (Friend) Centers, training thousands of women in skills like tailoring, beauty care, computer literacy, and toy making. It wasn’t about charity—it was about dignity. “Women are already empowered,” Kamal insists. “They give birth. They give strength. All they need is opportunity.” One by one, women who once stayed home now run their own businesses, raise healthier children, and become pillars in their communities.
Not Just Business, But Balance
Kamal is still a businessman. But his priorities have shifted. “I made enough,” he says. “Now it’s time to give back.” Critics say Rotarians live in luxury while preaching service. Kamal answers that with clarity. “Even Lord Krishna didn’t say don’t eat well. It’s not about what you eat—it’s about what you do for others.”
Rotary’s Reach: From Dhanbad to the World
With Rotary wings like RCCs and Rotaracts, even those who can’t afford membership find a way to serve. School children, college youth, nurses, clerks, peons—all have a place in Kamal’s Rotary world. He speaks at global platforms, leads leadership development programs, and inspires youth across continents. In the Philippines, he met the Vice President who never missed a single Rotary meeting. “If he can make time, why can’t we?” Kamal often says. In every speech he gives—over 400 now—he asks just one thing of his listeners: Make one person happy today. Just one. Imagine if every Indian did that.
Looking Ahead: Literacy for All
Now, Kamal is on a mission to make India fully literate—especially adults. Collaborating with the government, NCERT, corporates, and Coal India, his goal is to ensure that every adult can read and write. “Children are going to school, but their parents must too. Education is not a privilege; it’s a right,” he says.
The Final Message
To the youth, he says: “Don’t just chase success—chase significance. Respond to life with compassion, not reaction. Be like water, not soda. Calm, not explosive.” And his life’s philosophy? “You and I—together—can do more than either of us alone.”
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