Dr Batra’s®hosts 14th edition of Positive Health Awards at Tata Theatre.

A tribute to the specially abled heroes who have overcome disability and contributed to society.

Dr Batra’s® organized the 14th edition of the Positive Health Awards on October 12th, 2022, at the Tata Theatre, NCPA in Mumbai presented by Bajaj Auto. The Positive Health Awards is a celebration of Triumph of the human spirit who come various walks of life. Five individuals who overcame adversities and contributed to society were recognized and awarded for their exemplary grit and determination at the Positive Health Awards.

The event was witnessed by more than 750 selected audiences comprising newsmakers of various industry, social influencers, NGOs, medical students, among others. The audience was regaled by songs sung by ‘Swarrange’ a visually challenged orchestra and dance performances on wheels by the dance group ‘Miracle on Wheels’.

Speaking on the occasion, Padma Shri recipient Dr Mukesh Batra, Founder – Dr Batra’s® group of companies said, “The Positive Health heroes inspire us, the able-bodied to achieve more in life and contribute to society.  Their lives are truly inspirational and we as a brand that cares are honored to bring out their amazing stories.  Our past winners have gone on to excel and win many other accolades in India and we hope that their grit and determination help them achieve greater heights. We thank Mr. Rajiv Bajaj for his continuous support in our endeavor to recognize these real-life heroes.”

The jury panel comprising of eminent names included – Rajiv Bajaj – MD, Bajaj Auto, Dr. Mukesh Batra, Padma Shri recipient and Founder, Dr Batra’s Group of Companies, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Vivek Oberoi, and R. Balki. They had a difficult task of selecting winners from hundreds of applications from across the country. The Awardees for 2022 seemed a force to reckon, inspiring the world with their positivity were :

Mridul Ghosh: Mridul, an Indian Air Force Employee suffering from complete paralysis of the body due to C5 and C6 vertebral injuries after his encounter with an accident on the field didn’t let his condition become a roadblock. Determined to move forward, Mridul started painting using his lips, and soon after he joined hands with Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA). He now instructs specially abled PRC troops and has received many accolades in doing so, including the ‘2020 Artist of the Year’ and ‘The MFPA India Excellence Awards’.                    

Zainika Jagasia: Zainika, the second awardee of the Positive Health Awards is a Mumbai-based model with Down syndrome who broke through the societal definitions of beauty and represented her community at large. Due to her passion for modeling, she has garnered remarkable opportunities across brands like Gajra Gang, Cotton World, and Nykaa. She was also featured in the Marika Magazine. She also holds remarkable grades in the academic sphere.

Dr Jitendra Agarwal: Having lost his vision to macular degeneration, Dr Jitendra Agarwal took a step back from his 6 years of practice as a Dental Surgeon.

During his years of recovery, he came to terms with the fact that a person with a disability (PWD) suffers from something worse than the disability itself and that is the feeling of dependency. So, to address this, he established ‘Sarthak’.

Sarthak has rehabilitated 314 disabled children through its early intervention and inclusive education initiative, trained 4550 PwD candidates, held over 100 job fairs, and placed 7250 PwD in employment.

Dr Fathima Asla: Suffering from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, Dr Fathima underwent six surgeries. Having spent most of her life visiting doctors and hospitals, she was left in awe of how they took care of the patients.

So, to help those like her, she decided to pursue medicine. She completed her (BHMS) at NSS Homoeo Medical College, Kottayam, and practiced as a house surgeon at ANSS Homoeo Medical College Hospital.

Having achieved her dream, she is now an inspiration for many. Her autobiography was released in the year 2020 and is a best-seller in Kerala.

People’s Choice Award :

Nirmala Kewlani: Nirmala was left wheelchair-bound when she suffered from a complication of a polio dose that left her upper and lower limbs non-functional when she was only 9 months old. Growing up Nirmala felt discrimination and felt that society should change its attitude and respect the specially abled. They should be treated as an equal part of society. Today, she campaigns for the accessibility and inclusivity of the specially abled. She has worked towards sensitizing and convincing various real estate giants to make their properties more accessible for the specially abled.                                       

Ameer Siddiqui: Aameer Siddiqui, a resident of Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, contracted Polio when he was just 18 months old. Aameer had a tough childhood. Not only was he discriminated against and bullied by his schoolmates but also by his own relatives, who ostracized him. But he decided not to give up. He challenged people’s perception of people with disability with his strength and education. Today, he has 3 Master’s Degrees and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. His NGO – ‘Eagle Specially Abled Rider’ which has more than 500 para-riders organizes motorcycle rallies across India to generate awareness on social issues like illiteracy, rape-free India, etc.

Anchal Sharma: Anchal was born into a financially backward family and had a tough childhood. She had to face various upheavals in her life at a very young. From dealing with an alcoholic father, to sexual abuse at the hands of her uncles, the murder of her sister, to an abusive marriage and eventually falling victim to Stage 3 – Breast Cancer, Anchal has seen it all. What could have been the end of her life became her rebirth, when she realized her true calling of feeding the underprivileged. Today Anchal is a beacon of positivity and hope who fought all tragedies and survived breast cancer with a smile on her face. She started Meals of Happiness which has distributed meals to over 4 million children to date. Ameer Siddiqui garnered the most votes and was declared the winner.

Also speaking on the occasion, Actress Madhoo said, “I am humbled by the wonderful work that you do, Dr Batra.  I am grateful for my presence at these amazing awards.  I will go back hugely inspired”.

This year’s prestigious Positive Health Awards show was supported by Bajaj Auto and other partners, including Business World and Radio Fever. The event was also graced by eminent celebrities and personalities, including Simi Garewal, Madhoo Shah, Bharat Dhabolkar, Sidharth Kak, Gaurav Sharma, Roopali Suri, Sonal Jindal, Gwen Athaide, Simran Ahuja, Soma Ghosh, Mickey Mehta, and Dilip Piramal

Dr Batra’s® Foundation is the CSR arm of Dr Batra’s® Group of Companies and has been making a profound difference to the lives of the deserving in the country. Initiated, 20 years ago the foundation currently runs 194 free clinics on every second Wednesday/Thursday of every month and provides lifetime free medicines for the needy. Dr Batra’s® Foundation has been associated with 9 non-profit organizations across the country to spread the goodness of homeopathy to the underprivileged. The Foundation also grants scholarships to deserving students from 10 top Homeopathy colleges across India who wish to pursue studies in Homeopathy but cannot afford the fees.