Ambarish Rai was a noble man and has worked hard for public education. He has fought for increased government presence in sectors of education and health. The unfortunate news of his demise has come to light. On Friday, he took his last name.

The 61-year-old with Covid-like symptoms was admitted at Dr BR Ambedkar Hospital in South Delhi after being driven around in an ambulance for five hours. The current situation has make people see the worst management and preparation of India in medical sector. Rai has to wait for 5 hours with his deteriorating health condition hoping to get a bed with oxygen support. Rai’s wife Urmila was in Delhi with him, while his son Anand is in the US for higher studies. He could not come back for the funeral, which took place on Friday evening at the Lodhi Crematorium. According to Mitra Ranjan, colleague and long-time friend, he got his first vaccine dose on April 4. It’s saddening to hear that for hours, family and friends tried to get him a bed but helplines, they say, remained jammed with barely any help trickling through.

As an RTE activist, Rai was a firm believer in the no detention policy, refusing to blame children for the failures of a schooling system that many a time refused to fulfil basic requirements such as books and teachers. The struggle for Rai’s family did not end at Ambedkar Hospital. Leaving the cremation ground in the evening, Ranjan bemoaned the systems bursting at the seams. He further said, “Ambarish ji fought for well-functioning public systems all his life. But even after his death, we faced struggles at every step. Even getting wood for his cremation turned out to be a challenge. His son in the US couldn’t be here for the cremation.”

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