Dr.M.Jaishanker was born in a Hindu family on 3rd
February 1967 in Tuticorin, TamilNadu. Providence brought the young Jaishanker
to the Mission School in Mudalur. It was during his school days, he was
introduced to the love of Christ by Mr. Ashokan (Present Director of Bethel
Welfare Center). He passed school with high colors and got admitted in Bachelor
of Siddha Medicine & Surgery (BSMS) at Tirunelveli in the year 1986. It was during his life at college, he got introduced to the
SFJ (Students for Jesus) prayer cell, the students wing of BYM. He became an
active member of the cell and eventually became its leader.Burdened by the need
in the mission field, he joined as a volunteer to help in the medical work at
Ramagiri. By this time Dr. Mrs. Lilian Stanley had opened a small clinic in
Ramagiri and was praying for a suitable person to take her place.
Dr. Jaishanker was God’s person for Ramagiri. In the year
1992 he joined Blessing Youth Mission as a full-time missionary doctor.
Ramagiri was his first mission field and eventually would become his home for
the next 12 years. Dr.Jaishanker immediately connected with the local people
and was fondly called as ‘Doctor Babu.’ He was also working closely with the
doctors at Asha Kiran Mission Hospital, 70kms from Ramagiri.
In 1993 he married Florence. She was working as a
development officer in RUHSA, an extension wing of Christian Medical College
and Hospital (CMCH), Vellore. Jaishankar and Florence were instrumental in
starting the Home for boys in Ramagiri. Ramagiri is an interior village,
totally cut off from the main towns in Southern Odisha. He struggled for 7
years to secure electricity for the mission station. In those days when
landline phones were the only source of communication, they had to travel upto
22kms to the nearest STD booth to make a phone call.
Dr. Jaishanker succeeded and the first number was given to our mission station.
Dr.Jaishanker, along with the local village leaders started a High School in
Ramagiri. He was also a member of the local Panchayat Board and the High School
governing body. They also arranged higher education for the kids. Many of them
are now Post Graduates working with Odisha Government, Odisha Police and CRPF.
A considerable size of the students are now serving the Lord in Odisha.
Dr. Jaishanker along with his wife also helped start a
Girls’ Home in Umerkote area, another mission station like Ramagiri. They also
initiated partnership with several organizations for the development and health
work. It was through partnership with EFICOR later we came in contact with
COMPASSION INDIA which helped us to start a Day Care Center at Cherka, a
village in Ramagiri area. The missionary couple had their times of struggles
and sufferings. They had several attacks of Malaria. Mrs. Florence Jaishanker
had an ectopic pregnancy. With pain, she travelled on bike 70kms to the Mission
Hospital nearby. They are now blessed with Nehemiah Wesley (15 years) and Mary
Ida (7 years).
In 2006, they shifted to Head Quarters and later Dr.
Jaishanker was appointed as the Manager for Head Quarters. In 2011 they shifted
to Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh to look after the Social Concerns Projects in Northern
India. Dr.Jaishanker was burdened about the Ramagiri clinic which was closed
down after 2010 due to lack of staff. In June 2013 he arranged for 2 girls from
Tamil Nadu for the clinic. He had a training program in Asha Kiran (the Mission
Hospital, Odisha).
On 11th of July
2013 he left Jeypore by 8am in the morning in heavy rains and never made it to
the Hospital. His body was retrieved from the river on 13th July after a
massive search operation. It was concluded that he might have been washed away
with his motorbike while trying to cross an overflowing stream which ran across
the mountain road. The Home boys carried him and laid him to rest in Ramagiri.
His funeral was attended by more than 500 people. ‘Doctor Babu’ was no more.
Let his life be a challenge to us and let us follow his
footsteps of sacrifice and service!
— Complied by Mr. Kishore Jagat and missionary Jerisha.
