“Sacrifice”
If we just judge from the
media, it may appear that the word “sacrifice” is forgotten. How many people
believe in sacrificing for their nation, for their society! And yet, if we move
in some different circles, we see some rare examples of extreme sacrifice.
A young couple, from well-to-do
family studied in India and then went to USA for further studies. While in the
University library they were discussing; the subject of Indian population came
up. They read somewhere that India is too densely populated. They decided in the
library that they will not bring one more person to this country. Now, three
decades have passed, they have both devoted their complete life in the service
to India; and have no children. This is the couple that Shri Pradipbhai Shah
introduced to us in Divya Jeevan in the last issue. Shri Rajendra and Rupal
Desai. Just amazing people. When I first heard of this Bhisma Pratigna, I was
amazed and taken aback. The feeling over powered my mind for several months.
Muktabahen Dagli and Pankajbhai
Dagli are known to the readers of this column. They are running Pragna Chakshu
Mahila Seva Kunj at Surendra Nagar. They also had decided to devote whole life
in service to blind people and not to have any children.
Just look at the tremendous
medical expenditure that – the couples who cannot have children naturally –
incur for that God’s gift. And then realise the extreme sacrifice that these
couples have made.
In this article, let us see
another couple. Shri Pankajbhai Kadikar and Shrimati Aparnabahen Kadikar. The
husband is an M.B.A. in finance from U.S.A. and wife is an architect. Both went
to the dreamland – U.S.A. and took up jobs. However, in the beginning of the
career itself, they decided that: “We will earn and save enough to take care of
our home expenses. Once that amount is saved, we will return to India and serve
the poor people.” Well, fortunately for India, they have saved enough and have
come back to India.
Just look at the troubles that
youngsters take to be able to go to the Dream land – and compare the sacrifice
of the people who left the careers which they had already got.
Well, compared to the other
couples whom we have seen in this column, this couple is new. They have big
dreams, good ideas and little money.
They have also taken up
Dharampur as their Karma Bhoomi. They have set up a Girls’ high school in a
village – “Nagariya” near Dharampur. The school is exclusively for tribal girls.
If one moves in tribal belt, one realises that even today, the scheduled class
and tribes in rural and forest areas are so deprived that what- ever we do for
them, is inadequate. Quota and Reservation systems are the worst forms of help.
It creates more ill-will than goodwill. But a direct help to the poorest of the
poor in school level may probably be the best way to help them.
In Dharampur mountains, a few years back, a tribal girl would normally marry at
the age of fourteen years and would be a mother at sixteen. At the age of thirty
five to forty, she could be a grand mother. To convince the parents to send
their girls to school to study up to matriculation, was a task. With so many
NGOs working in Dharampur, the situation is improving. Now those who study, are
not asked to get married soon. They may marry at around twenty. But other girls
would get married, at a younger age.
At the same time, the poverty
of the people prevents them from sending children to school. Children have to
start earning as soon as practical. Then schools may be two to twenty kilometres
away. One cannot go to school and come home every day. This means, there has to
be an Ashram Shala or hostel. So that the children stay and study at one place,
go home only during week ends or vacations. Keeping young girls in a hostel has
its own risks. If any one does something inappropriate, institution’s image is
at stake. Well known social workers in Dharampur have refused to run tribal
girls’ hostel.
And this is what Aparnabahen
has started. They have set up Kaivalya Trust to run the school. Those tribal
girls who will complete their study up to 7th Standard in any of the schools of
Dharampur and Kaprada, and want to study further up to 10th Standard, are
welcome to the school. For a nominal fee, they can stay at the hostel and study.
This is a beginning. Land has
been purchased and a building construction has started. The school building is
not yet ready. All donations collected have been used up in ground floor
construction. Further construction work has stopped. But they have started
staying and studying in that incomplete building.
When I visited the school in
November 2006, we started discussing with the students. They had all gone home
during Divali vacation and came back just a few days before we reached there. In
their small vacation, every student had done labour work (majuri) in farms, in
construction site or elsewhere. For five days work, they earned something like
Rs. 400. This was enough to pay their term fees in the Kaivalaya Trust school of
Aparnabahen. And they were proud that they have earned their own education
costs.
Just think how our children
spend their Divali vacation!
Still there is a lot to do. The
Kadikar couple is new to this field. They are learning. May God Bless them, and
their school.
Pankajbhai: Can you believe
that you may be in the company of an M.B.A. from U.S.A. for one hour and he does
not speak a single word! Our image of M.B.A. is different. But Pankajbhai knows
the first commandment of the Ten Commandments: “When the wife is speaking,
husband must keep silence." Aparnabahen knows the second commandment: “Wife must
speak.”
This M.B.A. in finance from
U.S.A teaches students even in fourth standard. He also looks after a hospital
at Pardi near Valsad. Would one say: “inadequate utilisation of capacity!” Well
for him, teaching poor students has more value than working in a mutual fund –
which he has done for many years.
Notes:
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In this visit, I had an old
gentleman with me. He is a chartered accountant, retired from practice. He
walks slowly, and climbing up is an exercise. I said: “We younger (relatively)
people get inspiration from people like you. At this age & health, you are
still travelling to Dharampur!” His response: “The only purpose of my life now
is to serve. Especially, in the field of education!!” He is a member of CTC &
BCAS – Mr. Santosh Khandelwal. His experiences of helping the cancer patients
at Dadar Circle (near Plaza Theatre) are something rare.
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Aparnabahen’s communication
details:
Postal address: Kaivalya
Trust, Saibaba Mandir Road, Tithal, District Valsad, Gujarat.
Home: +91 (02632) 240550
Mobile: +91 099794) 96352
E-mail: apukadikar@yahoo.com
Pankajbhai Kadikar: Mob.: 09426888401.
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I thank many members of CTC
who have generously donated for the various causes – simply based on the Divya
Jeevan column. God Bless all the social workers, NGOs & the donors.
