Do you know that in this fast developing country, there are
pockets where Tuberculosis is still prevalent due to malnutrition? Do you know
that there are tribal villages barely 100 kms from India's Maximum city Mumbai
where the populace didn't know the concept of agriculture even a few decades
back? Well let me tell you a story of hope - of how a small Ashram of the
Ramakrishna order brought in a silent revolution in the tribal belt of
Maharashtra.
Sakwar is a small tribal village, situated on the situated on the
Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, about 70 Kms from Mumbai. Located amidst
lush green environs, and surrounded by scenic mountains. A small ashram of the Ramakrishna
Mission situated exactly on the bustling highway has been serving the tribal
communities since 1972.Working on the grand ideals of Service to the Living
God as espoused by Swami Vivekananda, this small centre has been
providing medical care, nutrition, health practices, providing vocational
training, enabling villagers to develop pride in their local
culture and build a sense of citizenship.
From small
beginnings
The story of this small centre starts with the idea of a few
enthusiastic Volunteer doctors and monks of the Ramkrishna Mission,
Mumbai(Then called Bombay). The Ramakrishna Mission sensed the urgent need to
cater for health and welfare of the tribals staying in and around Sakwar. They
started with a modest medical camp conducted every Sunday under the shade of a
big tree. Free consultation, nutritious food , clothes etc were distributed to
the villagers. In 1974, the Maharashtra government leased out 10 acres of land
for the upliftment of the rural and tribal villages.A tin dispensary shed
structure was constructed, where doctors, paramedics, volunteers
would come every Sunday and treat around 800-1000 patients. It was a
spontaneous picnic for this highly motivated team , who was motivated by the
work of doing selfless service amidst such serene environs. The tide gathered
and soon K.E.M Hospital and Nair hospital Mumbai chipped in by deputing
resident junior doctors and interns to join the doctors on their weekly visits.
A small shrine dedicated to Bhagvan Shri Ramkrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi
and Swami Vivekananda was setup in the campus. Physical as well as the
spiritual wellbeing of the patients and visitors to this centre was of equal
importance to the Ashram.
Growth
In 1976, the centre expanded even more. A newly constructed Centre
building was inaugurated in 1976. Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj, the
then President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission paid a
visit to Sakwar and blessed this project and the newly constructed building on
9th December, 1976.
Later, a building
containing a large OPD, a small operation theatre, a pathological and an
ophthalmic unit was also started.
The mission didnt
just stop here. The Math understood that there were a host of socio-economic
issues of the tribal populace of this area. They started engaging with them and
developed an integrated development model. The Ashram started a host of
activities to empower them and make them self suffecient. With this in mind , a
flurry of activities started . The most important ones were :-
1. Vocational Training
Vocational training classes began with Tailoring . Gradually other
trades like Carpentry, Electrical Wiring, Motor Mechanic courses affiliated to
the Maharashtra Vocational Examination Board stated in the 1996. Tata Motors
and Tata Telecommunications sponsored these trainings and started
employing these trainees and encourage them to start their own units in
villages. In fact , the recruiters started developing a very high opinion of
these recruitees. They noticed their honesty, dedication to work, efficiency
and over a period of time gave very high preference to these young boys and
girls.
2. Training of
Medical Social Workers
Students who have
passed primary or higher secondary examinations were trained to become medical
social workers. The training particularly emphasized – maintaining health and
hygiene, nutritious food, regular check-ups and regular intake of medicines
for T.B. and Leprosy diseases.
3. Agricultural
Mentoring to enable self reliance
The center started agriculture related activities and dairy keeping with
an aim to reclaiming land, creating medicinal gardens, utilization of
wastewater, development of better techniques of cultivation, loans to small
farmers, road building, etc. The Swamis recount how at one stage, the tribal
populace in some of the distant villages was not even aware of agriculture.
With these programs many such villages have slowly started becoming self
reliant.
Memories and
anecdotes
Speaking with the Monk-In-Charge, revered Swami Tattwarupanada, I got to
hear very unique and unheard stories of this Ashram. The Swami , who
is extremely active, and has dedicated his entire life for the
service of the poor and underprivileged, those in misery, is a standing
testimony of Swami Vivekananda's ideal of "Service to Living beings as
veritable God".
The Swami recounts those days, when along with a team of dedicated
volunteers, he would enter the deep forests along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway,
to discover entire tribal populations , who didn't even have the
wherewithal to have a proper bath in six months. This caused skin diseases and
a host of other issues for them. The monk and his group cleaned them, washed
them, scrubbed them with soap and gave them a proper bath. They started
training them about cleanliness, health, hygiene. They took doctors for
conducting medical camps at regular intervals, taught them to farm and
employment generating skills like motor mechanic works, tailoring ,
electrician, etc. Closely following the Swami through his daily routine
is an education in itself. From closely overseeing the physical, mental and
spiritual development of the resident students, to monitoring the quality of
the food served to them, to the classes going on, he is hands-on involved with
every activity.
The students also look upon him like a close friend and confidant.
It is a veritable Gurukul system of yore.
Impact
The impact of this selfless service that the monks and devotees of the
Ramakrishna mission is conducting is very hard to enumerate. But at a
very high level:-
1. They have successfully brought down the occurrence of TB
in these areas by 85%.
2. Free quality medical treatment is available to remote villages.
3. Many Tribal children are getting self employed or employed by reputed
companies . They are in turn, empowering up the next generation of their
community by providing them employment and education.
4. The mission by educating the Tribal boys and girls about Hinduism is
ensuring that soul vultures in the form of Christian missionaries cannot
convert these gullible innocent people. These children are inculcated with a
sense of pride about their country, religion and culture.
5. By training the Tribal populace in agriculture and dairy,
the Ramakrishna Mission is ensuring food security for these
underprivileged communities.
Many are such tales that this small ashram is witness to.
Without any advertisement or publicity this ashram in particular and
the Ramakrishna Mission organization in general is carrying out
with the firm belief that every being is God and that there is no bigger
worship than the service of the living God. The present writer considers it to
be his great fortune to have witnessed such divinity from such close quarters.
(Acknowledgment : https://rkmsakwar.org/)
