Have you heard of a 'love letter’ writing contest? Nor did we till we met Mr Shrikant Mundada, President of the
Hriday Mitra Pratisthan. An archetypal people’s person,
Mr Mundada is known for  organising unusual cultural activities, be it idli eating contests or love-letter-writing. Soon he acquired an almost Godfather status with people coming to him with all kinds of problems. On most occasions there was not much he could do but lend a sympathetic ear. However, a common problem, he figured, revolved around raising money for major ailments and surgeries, especially that which involved the heart. He tried helping out by contacting trusts and organisations that made monetary contributions and helped people in dire need of assistance. Soon he was teaching simple, ignorant folk how to write an application for donations from various government funds, chalking out a list of  relevant documents they would need to show, and even advising them on how to release an appeal in newspapers. It was not long before he brought out a guide in Marathi on ‘how to raise money for a heart surgery'.

The slim booklet, besides  enlightening ignorant and deserving patients on the possibility of receiving money from the Prime Minister’s, Chief Minister’s and Mayor’s funds, also has a listing of 130 charitable trusts in the state. Priced at a nominal Rs 15/-, the first edition of this booklet was sold out in  record  time. Encouraged by the success, he published four more booklets that dealt  with related topics such as blood pressure,  heart attack & first aid, cholesterol and how to quit smoking.

The Hriday Maitri Bypass Club is yet another endeavour initiated by Mr Mundada. At Rs 200/- for an annual subscription, one can become a member of this truly interesting club that currently has 175 members on its rolls. Made up of a motley group of people, most members have undergone a bypass surgery, a few have problems related to the heart and yet others are there simply to learn from others' experiences and get tips on how best to avoid the risk of an attack. 75-year-old Purshottam Narayan Ghogate, who underwent a bypass 15 years ago, is an active member, notwithstanding surgery.

The club also organises  guest lectures by distinguished people from the medical fraternity. Their mission is to spread awareness about cardiac-related problems and how best it can be tackled with a little care and discipline.
Mr Mundada's phones do not seem to stop ringing. More often than not, the calls are from outside the city, from distant  places across the state. It's obvious that Hriday Mitra Pratishthan is providing  yeomen service to people at large and the less fortunate in particular.