Dr. Kishor Naitam
17 September 1976 – 15 October 2023
Doctor. Learner. Son of the forest.
A happy childhood for every child, and equal, dignified treatment for indigenous people — this was his dream.
— from Dr. Sumati Naitam's founder's note
Five chapters
Born to the forest
Born 17 September in a remote tribal village of Gadchiroli, to a forest guard and a homemaker. From his grandmother Menkabai he learned the ways of the woods — a bond, and a schooling, that lasted a lifetime.
School, then Nagpur
From the local Zilla Parishad school and Raje Dharmarao High School to Shri Ayurvedic College, Nagpur, where he completed his BAMS — gathering close friends wherever he went.
The honorary years
He returned home to serve. For five years, an honorary medical officer in the district's hardest places — Binagunda, Laheri, Sevari, Kamalapur, Kasansur — walking forty kilometres over two mountains when the road was closed.
Dr. Sumati
At the hospital in Morshi he met Dr. Sumati, a gynaecologist and colleague. They married on 6 May 2007 in Nagpur, and together chose to return to Gadchiroli's remotest postings.
The dream becomes a foundation
Dr. Kishor left this world on 15 October 2023. One year later, on 15 October 2024, the Dr. Kishor Naitam Foundation was born — with the sole purpose of making his dream come true.
Remembered, and continued
A memorial bust is installed in Alapalli in April; in May, the Foundation's first summer camp opens its doors to children aged six to fourteen.
Born to the forest
Dr. Kishor Naitam was born on 17 September 1976 in a remote tribal village of Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, to a humble family. His father, Mr. Raoji Boddaji Naitam, served as a forest guard; his mother was a homemaker.
Much of his childhood was shaped by his nani, his maternal grandmother Menkabai Meshram. Together they would go into the forest to gather what it offered — mushrooms, bamboo shoots (vaste), vegetables, fruit, fish, firewood — and he joined the community's traditional forest excursions. From her he learned life skills and the skills of survival in the woods. Their bond was lifelong, and so was the learning.
School, then Nagpur
After his early schooling at the local Zilla Parishad school and Raje Dharmarao High School, he left for Nagpur to study medicine, completing his BAMS at Shri Ayurvedic College. In school and in college alike, his sweet, truthful and inclusive nature drew a wide circle of close friends.
The honorary years
Degree in hand, he returned to his village in Gadchiroli — one of the most difficult districts in India — to serve his people. Well-paid work was scarce, so he served instead as an honorary doctor in Binagunda, one of the remotest villages of all, perched on a mountaintop and reachable by road only two months of the year.
The rest of the year, Dr. Kishor walked forty kilometres and crossed two mountains to reach his patients.
For five years he served as an honorary medical officer in the district's hardest places — Binagunda, Laheri, Sevari, Kamalapur, Kasansur — until he received a posting as medical officer at the sub-district hospital in Morshi, Amravati.
Dr. Sumati
It was there that he met Dr. Sumati, a gynaecologist and colleague at the same hospital. They fell in love quickly and deeply, as though each had long been waiting for the other. Despite strong resistance from both families, they married on 6 May 2007 in Nagpur, with a few faithful friends and colleagues beside them.
After their marriage, the couple chose to return to their native Gadchiroli. Both served at government hospitals in the district's most remote places — Etapalli, Aheri and beyond. Dr. Kishor served as medical officer in villages like Ghotsur, where the last eight kilometres had no road, and in Kasansur, Perimilli, Burgi and Velgur.
Wherever he was posted, he worked to bring medical help to the last person in his care, and to spread awareness of healthcare, hygiene and nutrition among tribal families. He could speak with every community in Gadchiroli — fluent in Gondi and Madia, the district's two main tribal languages, as well as Marathi, Hindi and Telugu. As a doctor and a learned man, he gave everything he had to serve and educate his people.
The dream becomes a foundation
On 15 October 2023, Dr. Kishor Naitam left this world, leaving his dream behind: a happy childhood for every child, and equal, dignified treatment for indigenous people.
One year later, on 15 October 2024, the Dr. Kishor Naitam Foundation was born — with the sole purpose of making that dream come true.
On 14 April 2025, a bust of Dr. Kishor Naitam was installed in Alapalli as a memorial and tribute to his service and dedication — a lasting inspiration for his family, his friends and the community he served.
प्रिय मित्रास समर्पित
तो अजूनही देतो...सम्यक दृष्टि
— संतोष चिकाटे
तो मित्र...
ज्याच्या डोळ्यांत प्रकाश नव्हता,
तर दृष्टी होती.
ज्याच्या हसण्यात आनंद नव्हता,
तर स्वीकृती होती.
आणि ज्याच्या अंतरंगात मौन नव्हतं,
तर शब्दांच्या पलीकडचं समजणं होतं.
तो होता
असं म्हणणं अपुरं वाटतं —
कारण तो "असणं" शिकवून गेला.
आयुष्यात
कितीतरी माणसं भेटतात,
काही स्मृती होतात,
काही सावल्या होतात,
पण तो…
आठवण नव्हे, प्रेरणा झाला.
त्याचं दातृत्व
हातातून नाही,
तर मनातून वहायचं.
कधी क्षण देऊन,
कधी स्वतःच्या इच्छेला मुरड घालून
दुसऱ्याचं दुःख हलकं करायचं.
तो प्रश्न विचारी,
फक्त उत्तर मिळवण्यासाठी नव्हे,
तर माणूसच शोधण्यासाठी.
त्याच्या संवादात
समाजाचा चेहरा दिसायचा,
कधी एका गरीब मुलांच्या शिक्षणात,
कधी वृद्धांच्या तिरस्कृत एकांतात,
तर कधी
आपल्याच चुकांमध्ये
स्वतःला शोधण्यात.
त्याला ‘बुद्ध’ आवडायचा,
कारण तोही मौनात बोलायचा,
नीती सांगायचा…
आणि अंतःकरण हलवायचा.
आज तो नाही,
पण त्याचं नाहिसं होणं
हा फक्त भास आहे.
कारण
माणूस शरीरात नसला तरी
तो विचारांमध्ये चालत राहतो,
कृतीतून बोलत राहतो,
नि प्रेरणेतून "देत" राहतो.
माझ्यासाठी तो
फक्त एक मित्र नव्हता,
तो होता
एक चालतं विचारसत्र,
एक शांत आक्रोश,
एक स्पर्श जो सावरतो…
अन मागेही उभा राहतो.
तो निघून गेला,
पण गेल्यावरच
त्याचं "असणं"
माझ्यात अधिक गहिरं झालं...
आणि म्हणूनच
आजही वाटतं —
तो अजूनही देतो...
शब्दांत, स्पर्शात, नि शांततेच्या अर्थात.....सम्यक दृष्टि
Moments
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