by D Ranganathan (98102 92466)
The name Anjali Gopalan conjures up a range of emotions, from compassion, care, love and security to confidence, guts, purpose and a never-ebbing will power. With such vastness in the goodness she brings to people, it is but obvious that Anjali means different things to different individuals. To the world of gender and the rainbow spectrum of sexuality – LGBTQ+ – she is an activist, a shoulder to lean on, with a heart and home that is always open to those who need shelter, safety and a space to just be themselves. For those who love animals, Anjali is a saviour who not only houses over a dozen dogs but has a 2.5-acre animal farm in Haryana.
Her NGO, Naz Foundation, now in its 28th year, led the battle to read down Section 377, moving the Delhi High Court in 2001. While it continues to work in the area covering mental health and counselling, it provides a safe home to orphaned children with HIV. About a decade ago she set up All Creatures Great And Small (ACGS), starting with dogs and cats ‘living’ in the animal farm. The shelter grew as did the number and variety of animals, whether sick or healthy. As a consequence, there is a small clinic on the premises as well as a barn and shed and a mix of animals: donkeys, horses, pigs, cows, buffalos, cats, dogs, hens, ducks and emus.
Anjali, who has resided for several decades in Gulmohar Park, has never looked out for awards or recognition. If any recognition comes her way, “it should be for the NGOs” hoping the attention would translate into volunteer or financial resources, helping to keep her mission alive. This is why very few people know that in 2007, she was honoured as a Women Achiever by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. In 2012, the Time Magazine named her amongst a list of 100 most influential people. A year later, she was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, the highest award of the French government.
She had once told me “everyone needs to feel safe, needs love and care, animals too”. When I asked her why she’d take the risk of opening her home to strangers, giving them shelter, her answer was this: “it could have been one of us”. If there was a simple example to describe what empathy is, this is it. And this is what makes Anjali so unique and precious, a resident to turn to, and to rely on.
