Suresh Harilal Soni

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Suresh Harilal Soni
Suresh Soni 4.jpg
Suresh Harilal Soni with his wife Indira Soni in 2024
Born
Suresh Harilal Soni

(1944-11-23)23 November 1944
Sinor, Vadodara district, Gujarat
Other namesSabarkanthano Sahayojak
Occupations
SpouseIndira Soni
ChildrenDipak Soni, Parul
Honours Padma Shri (2025)
Website https://www.sahyogtrust.org.in/

Suresh Harilal Soni is an Indian Social worker who works for welfare and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, intellectually disabled people. [1] The Government of India conferred Padma Shri award in 2025 to Soni in recognitions of his Social Works. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

Life

Suresh completed Masters of Science with a First Class from M. S. University,Vadodara [5] He did not want to live his life as a Maths teacher. He used to stay with the leprosy affected at Shram Mandir trust for the entire day. In the year 1988, to help and give support to the affected, he founded Sahyog trust. [6]

He is called Sabarkantha no Sahyojak (Co-founder of Sabarkantha District) [1] He is helped by his wife Indira Soni in his works. [7] Before marriage he had informed his to be wife about his plans to serve needy through a letter with 17 conditions. They have two children Dipak and Parul. Now their family serves the including children, son-n-law helps in running institution. [5]

Suresh Soni 1.jpg

He always wears Half Pant and Kurta made on Khadi and hardly moves out of Ashram. [5]

Work

Initially he establish an institution for leprosy patients called Shram Ashram at Singhrot, 15 Km from Vadodara, By 1978 they had 400 patients. Post this he left his job as professor and took up Social work as full time activity. Here they spent 10 years serving needy patients. Later on due to some issues with Trustees they left "Shram Mandir" [5]

Suresh Soni has established a village named ‘Sahyog’, spread over an area of 30 acre near Shamaliya along the highway from Himmatnagar to Shamlaji for people suffering from leprosy. It also provides shelter to Physically handicapped and intellectually disabled people. His organization also serves HIV positive and orphan patients. The collaboration village has now become home to hundreds of people. The village has a hospital, an electoral booth, a primary school, a grocery shop. [8] [6] It also serves HIV positive, physically handicapped and orphan patients. [8]

This village is maitained by an organization called Sahyog Kustha Yagya Trust which was established on 14, September 1988; Ganesh Chaturthi Day, with 20 leprocy patients, on the land donated by MR. Ramu of Vijapur Sarvoday Ashram. [8] [7]

Awards

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References

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  2. ↑ "Full list of Padma Awards 2025". The Hindu. 2025-01-25. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2025-01-31.
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  6. 1 2 Dave, Sanjay (2013-05-22). "Sahyog - A Unique Village For Over A 1000 Deserted People". The Better India. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
  7. 1 2 "Padma Award : ગુજરાતના સુરેશ સોની, પરમાર લવજીભાઈ સહિત 6 મહાનુભાવોને મળ્યો પદ્મશ્રી પુરસ્કાર, જાણો તેમના વિશે". GSTV News. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
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