(Eradicate Drought : Save Humanity)
January 01, to February 28, 2006
The
Padayatra passed through Beed city on its way to Ghodka Rajuri yesterday. It
was accorded an overwhelming reception in Beed. Over 500 people, most of the
women, joined the Padayatra as it wended its way through the city.
Representatives of local self government and media personnel joined the
Padayatra. Groups of women from Ghodka Rajuri came to the outskirts of the village
to receive the Padayatra. The assessment team had reported that the main issue
of people in Ghodka Rajuri was non profitability of agriculture. That was one of the reason that a well known
agriculture expert Dr. P B Shitole joined the Padayatra on this day. A major
part of the discussions yesterday centered around agriculture and the
profitability and long term advantages of the practice of organic farming.
The press
has been covering the Padayatra well. We have had reports in over 20 local and
state level newspapers. The Padayatra has also been covered by the electronic
media (E TV, Alpha TV) and All India Radio. We will strive to keep you abreast
of the developments. Watch this space for further updates. Do also watch the
blog at www.greenearthconsulting.org/padayatra.htm.
This blog is being updated by a volunteer
Ranjeet Deshmukh (a software engineer from the USA who is walking with
the Padayatra and writing the blog in his spare
time).
We want to deviate from the pattern of reporting on what is happening on
the Padayatra front in the field and talk about another aspect – the
involvement of the Great Indian Middle Class and the Corporate sector in the
development of the country’s poor.
For long a sizeable section of the people in the country have languished
in poverty, with a majority of the well-to-do looking askance. There is simply
no connection between the two worlds – India and Bharat. ‘No man is an island…’
said John Donne. This is more true in this age of Information Technology and
communications than ever. A volunteer with the Padayatra, a doctor, reported
that when he visited a primary school in a village, children recited the pledge
‘All Indians are my brothers and sisters’. He has been in a turmoil ever since.
He has come back with a feeling of disquiet…. Questions are running in his
mind… Is that really so? Am I a brother to these ragged children? These
starving children? Their hapless parents? Parents who leave 11 month babies
with a 71 year old infirm and ailing grandmother as they go out in search of
work? If so, what are my fraternal obligations? Don’t I have any?
Our feeling is yes.. We are brothers and sisters… it is time that we
recognized that. It is perhaps time that we all made a personal commitment – a
commitment to a poverty free India. Before we look to the developed countries
to bail us out, we must take the first step. All of us can contribute, nay.. we
must contribute.. We simply cannot afford to leave the poor to fend for
themselves or the government to do something. The government does have a role
but so do we.. The gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ is widening and
we stand a risk of social unrest, increasing crime in case this trend is not
arrested and reversed.
A few of us have seen this dream but we lack the strength to take it to
fulfillment. The strength can only come from the privileged class in the country (and
indeed the Indian Diaspora) and the corporate sector (this is what Corporate
Social Responsibility is all about. This is what Gandhiji spoke of when he
espoused the concept of trusteeship).
Every
person can contribute, make a difference. You can give your time and skills for
the cause and you can contribute funding. Alleviation of poverty, sustainably,
is going to take a lot of funds. That is the reason why we have floated the MAHARASHTRA
VIKAS NIDHI (MAHARASHTRA DEVELOPMENT FUND). We could have called it the
INDIA DEVELOPMENT FUND but have deliberately restricted ourselves to
Maharashtra since it is presently an initiative of the civil society in
Maharashtra. In case civil society in other parts of the country wishes to take
on a similar action, our learnings are available to it. The Maharashtra Development Fund will be a public
trust managed in the best traditions of Trusteeship. It will be fully
accountable to the public with all decisions being available in public domain.
Yesterday, the trust has received approval from the office of Deputy Charity
Commissioner (Pune). We received the approval letter yesterday. The formalities
of the trust will be completed by end of April 2006. A bank account has been
opened in the name of the fund in the Bank of Maharashtra, Karve road Branch
Pune. As of yesterday, Rs.18,111/- has been collected for the fund. This
amount has been deposited in the bank. You are all invited to participate and contribute towards
the fund.
Please feel free to forward this mail to your friends, family, colleagues and partners. Let us use the ‘six degrees of separation’ well and let the whole world know. Feel free to post these updates on your websites as well.
In case you do not wish to receive this mail, write back to us. We will talk to you…and tell you why you should read these updates and participate.
grnearth@vsnl.com, 020-25466103,
09422521703
On behalf
of Dushkaal Hatawu : Manoos Jagawu
January 06,
2006