Ego-Wise...: I Owe You...!

Friday, September 12, 2014

I Owe You...!

'In the morning a distressed family of the alcoholic brings him to Muktangan and admits him to the center while saying ‘Don’t bother to inform us even if dies in due course…’ By the evening I get a phone call from his mother. She asks… ‘Has he eaten yet?’ I ask ‘How come you need to know it, you said there is no need to inform you even if he dies…?’ ‘This is the first time he is staying in an unfamiliar place, thought he might not be comfortable, that’s why…!’ says the empathetic voice!

Anil Awachat, popularly and fondly known as ‘Baba’ in his close circle (which encompasses almost the entire humanity), was sharing his experience at the inauguration of the 10th season of ‘Dene Samajache’, देणे समाजाचे (I owe it to society), an incredible and outstanding effort by Late Dilip Gokhale and his wife Veena Gokhale of Artistry, Pune.

‘Initiated in the year of 2005, this innovative initiative of providing a platform to all the Non Government Social Organization working for Community Development at grassroots level, to showcase their work, interact with and seek appreciation and support of the society at large. The exhibition organized by Dene Samajache (देणे समाजाचे) at absolutely zero expenses for the participating organizations and any such organization gets this opportunity only twice. The funds required to organize this event were also raised from the society and 90 NGOs have put this opportunity to the best use till date since its inception…’ said Veena Gokhale, the incredible lady who takes this selfless cause ahead after the sad demise of her husband and founder of this altruistic concept.

The website of Artistry was inaugurated at the hands of Anil Awachat and a short film on the concept and its journey so far was also screened at the occasion. Audience was surely moved with the modest yet insightful presentation of the cause by Veena Gokhale and the intriguing dialogue Baba had with the audience in his usual unpretentious style. However it seemed that the audience for his small talk should have been little different as major part of the audience was like-minded and already showing their concerns in their own way for the disparity and unbalanced society he was talking about. The generation and the class that is either unaware or indifferent about these aspects of the modern society should be addressed and brought face-to-face with the facts that it conveniently overlooks.

The exhibition is open for 3 days from today for public free of charge at Harshal Garden Pune and the least every sensitive and sensible member of society can do is visit it to learn about the inconceivable efforts these organizations are taking for community development in general and for the well-being of underprivileged class of society, in particular!

If you are in Pune, go… have a look and contribute whatever you can; you will feel little better yourself, believe me!

Participating NGOs

Education Sector

www.astitvapratishthan.org

www.doorstepschool.org

www.savalee.org

www.shantiwan.org

Shree Yoganand Foundation (020-24227792)

Women Empowerment Sector

Bhagini Nivedita Pratishthan Pune (020-24459734)

Sahsamwedana Maitree Gat (9657272743)

www.snehalaya.org