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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{for|others|Raja (disambiguation)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = T. Raja<br />
| image = <br />
| imagesize = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = Thomas Raja<br />
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1967}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Vaniyambadi]], [[Tirupattur district]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India<br />
| death_date = <br />
| death_place = <br />
| restingplace = <br />
| restingplacecoordinates = <br />
| othername = Auto Raja<br />
| occupation = Social worker, humanitarian<br />
| alma mater = <br />
| spouse = <br />
| domesticpartner = <br />
| children = <br />
| parents = {{ublist||}}<br />
| influences = <br />
| influenced = <br />
| website = {{url|https://newarkmission.org|official website}}<br />
| awards = {{ubl|2001&nbsp;Induvalu. H. Honnaiah Samaja Seva Prashasti Award|2010&nbsp;[[CNN-IBN]] [[Real Heroes Award]]|2011&nbsp;[[NDTV]] Man of The Year|2011&nbsp;Namma Bengaluru Award}}<br />
}}<br />
'''Thomas Raja''', popularly known as '''Auto Raja''' (born 1967) is an Indian humanitarian, social worker and the founder of the ''New Ark Mission of India'' (NAMI), a non governmental organization engaged in helping the destitutes of [[Bengaluru]], a south Indian metropolitan city. The organization houses around 750 inmates, providing them food, shelter and healthcare. Raja is a recipient of a number of awards including the [[NDTV]] Man of The Year Award, the [[CNN-IBN]] [[Real Heroes Award]] and the Namma Bengaluru Award.<br />
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== Biography ==<br />
Thomas Raja was born in 1967 in [[Vaniyambadi]], a village in [[Tirupattur district]] in the south Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref name="The healing touch">{{Cite web |title=The healing touch |url=https://www.thehindu.com/society/meet-auto-raja-the-saviour-of-bengalurus-destitute/article17474857.ece |last=Shrikumar |first=A. |date=2017-03-16 |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> His father, who worked as a lineman with [[Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited]], moved to Bengaluru with family when Raja was young.<ref name="Earlier A Rowdy, Now A Person Who Takes Care Of Destitutes By Bringing Them To His Home">{{Cite web |title=Earlier A Rowdy, Now A Person Who Takes Care Of Destitutes By Bringing Them To His Home |url=https://thelogicalindian.com/exclusive/t-raja-auto-raja/ |last=Saxena |first=Koshika Mira Saxena Mira |date=2017-06-19 |website=thelogicalindian.com |language=en |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> He dropped out of school at third standard and when his father kicked him out from home, went to Chennai with the money obtained by selling some goods stolen from his own home.<ref name="India’s Silent Heroes: Auto Raja">{{Cite web |title=India's Silent Heroes: Auto Raja |url=http://www.flutur.org/blog/indias-silent-heroes-auto-raja |last=Khullar |first=Mallika Priya |website=www.flutur.org |language=en |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> He started drinking and gambling, slept on pavements and had to spent time in [[Chennai Central Prison]] after getting caught by the police. There, he fell ill and after recovering from the illness, he was released from jail and was taken back to Bengaluru by his family.<ref name="'Hope my ashram serves as a No...">{{Cite web |title='Hope my ashram serves as a Noah Ark's for the destitute' |url=https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/2843-auto-raja-namma-bengaluru-award-winner-2843 |date=2011-03-14 |website=Citizen Matters, Bengaluru |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref><br />
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The life in the prison is said to have changed Raja's life who started driving an auto-rickshaw for a living.<ref name="The healing touch" /> However, he continued his ruffian ways and even worked as a henchman to the secretary of the auto-rickshaw drivers' union. It was during his several trips along the Bengaluru streets that he came across the people who lived in the streets. He brought one such person, a destitute woman,<ref name="India’s Silent Heroes: Auto Raja" /> home and sheltered her in the parking space of his auto-rickshaw. Later, he rented a small house and started looking after destitute people, initially with 13 inmates. Subsequently, with funds collected from the public, he bought a half-acre plot of land in Doddagubbi Village near the city, where he constructed a 2000 sq. ft building which served as the base for New Ark Mission of India, a [[non-governmental organization]] when he started it in 1997.<ref name="India’s Silent Heroes: Auto Raja" /> The home, named Home of Hope,<ref name="Bengaluru's Charitable Home Of Hope Now Facing Severe Water Crisis">{{Cite web |title=Bengaluru's Charitable Home Of Hope Now Facing Severe Water Crisis |url=https://www.ndtv.com/bangalore-news/bengalurus-charitable-home-of-hope-now-facing-severe-water-crisis-1686457 |website=NDTV.com |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> has since grown to manage one centre in Chikkagubbi village for men and two centres for women in Doddagubbi,<ref name="Auto Raja-- Samaritan of the Destitute">{{Cite web |title=Auto Raja-- Samaritan of the Destitute |url=https://www.indianfolk.com/auto-raja-samaritan-destitute-edited-gayatri/ |last=Raghuram |first=Darshini |date=2019-03-04 |website=IndianFolk |language=en-US |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> housing around 750 inmates<ref name="'Auto Raja’ crowd-sourcing funds for water at home for destitutes">{{Cite web |title='Auto Raja' crowd-sourcing funds for water at home for destitutes |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/auto-raja-crowd-sourcing-funds-for-water-at-home-for-destitutes/articleshow/68574038.cms?from=mdr |date=2019-03-26 |website=The Economic Times |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> and also runs an ambulance service.<ref name="Mr.T.Raja(Auto Raja)">{{Cite web |title=Mr.T.Raja(Auto Raja) |url=https://www.nammabengaluruawards.org/portfolio/mr-t-rajaauto-raja/ |website=NAMMA BENGALURU AWARDS |language=en-US |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref><br />
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Raja is married and the couple has three children.<ref name="T. Raja at TEDxREC">{{Cite web |title=T. Raja at TEDxREC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyPUslXsW6M |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref><br />
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== Awards and honors ==<br />
[[CNN-IBN]] selected Raja for the [[Real Heroes Award]] in 2010.<ref name="Mr.T.Raja(Auto Raja)" /><ref name="T. Raja- 'CNN-IBN Real Heroes Awards 2010'">{{Cite web |title=T. Raja- 'CNN-IBN Real Heroes Awards 2010' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g80P074LKY |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> He received the [[NDTV]] Man of The Year the next year;<ref name="T Raja Auto Raja">{{Cite web |title=T Raja Auto Raja |url=https://sprat.in/t-raja-auto-raja/ |language=en-US |access-date=2020-05-31}}</ref> the same he was chosen for the Namma Bengaluru Award.<ref name="'Hope my ashram serves as a No..." /> A recipient of the Individual H. Honnaiah Samaja Seva Prashasti Award in 2001, Raja delivered a speech at [[TEDx Talks]] in 2012.<ref name="T. Raja at TEDxREC" /><ref name="King of the streets - Times of India">{{Cite news |title=King of the streets |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bangalore-times/King-of-the-streets/articleshow/4880273.cms |date=26 March 2002 |first=Vyshnavi N. | last=Doss |newspaper=The Times of India |language=en |access-date=2020-06-01}}</ref><br />
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== See also ==<br />
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}<br />
* [[Self Employed Women's Association]]<br />
* [[Phoolbasan Bai Yadav]]<br />
{{div col end}}<br />
{{portal|India}}<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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== Further reading ==<br />
* {{Cite web |title=Earlier A Rowdy, Now A Person Who Takes Care Of Destitutes By Bringing Them To His Home |url=https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/auto-raja/ |last=Indian |first=The Logical |date=2017-06-16 |website=thelogicalindian.com |language=en |access-date=2020-05-31}}<br />
* {{Cite web |title=About The Founder – New Ark Mission of India |url=https://newarkmission.org/about-the-founder/ |language=en-US |access-date=2020-05-31}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g80P074LKY |title=T. Raja- 'CNN-IBN Real Heroes Awards 2010' |date=2013-04-24 |website=YouTube |language=en |access-date=2020-05-31}}<br />
* {{Cite web |title=Auto Raja - Home Of Hope - New Ark Mission of India |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw8kRjgSAtU |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-05-31}}<br />
* {{Cite web |title=AUTO RAJA - Home of Hope |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcd2rKIu5uo |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-05-31}}<br />
* {{Cite web |title=CNNIBN ABOUT AUTO RAJA |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzLBamj6CO8 |language=en-GB |access-date=2020-06-01}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Raja, T.}}<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:1967 births]]<br />
[[Category:Indian social workers]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Indian humanitarians]]</div>>Citation bot