After the disastrous heat waves of the summer even the monsoon has been indifferent to the hopes of the people. The erratic rainfall has caused anxiety among the farmers. Our volunteers who have been assisting the villagers in carrying out different development schemes feel that the farmers are the most fragile victims of the climate change.

Presently all of us at Jagriti Vihara are engrossed in thinking about a shocking message which we got only a few days ago. On Friday, 7th August 2015, in the middle of the night, in an Adivasi village called Kanjiya Maraitoli, a big gang of people armed with sticks, clubs, spears and etc violently entered some of the houses and ruthlessly dragged 5 women out of their houses. After bringing them to a Dhamkudia (local youth centre) they mercilessly tortured all the 5 bewildered women to death. The victims were between 40 to 60 years of age.The news about these brutal murders spread like wild fire. The police rushed to the site and arrested 25 persons. Surprisingly, none of the murderers had escaped. On the contrary, they were agitating against their arrest as they had convinced themselves that they had done the right thing by killing the most dangerous witches who had dealings with the Devil and had used magical powers to harm the people in the locality.

It is really sad that even in the present day world there are such dark corners which have not yet been penetrated by the light of knowledge and reason. We, therefore, expect cooperation from our friends and supporters in order to help people get rid of ignorance, superstition and fanaticism.

The monsoon session of the girls school at Jagriti Vihara is in progress and the rest of the activities are going on as usual.

With warm greetings,
Rajesh

MONSOON

Global warming, Climatic change and erratic behaviour of monsoon rains have caused a great worries in our parts of the world. Some parts of India are flooded with water and at the same time some parts are facing the situation of droughts. Both the conditions are not good for the economic and social development of our country. This year monsoon arrived in Jharkhand very late and slow. It has been raining for a few days but it is not sufficient as the under ground water level has gone down by two meters and the water reservoir are empty in some parts of this region. Farmers are engaged in their fields for agricultural activities with the hope of good and sufficient monsoon rains. We are quite optimistic about the monsoon rains and good crops this year.

FOOD PRICES

The prices of essential commodities are still very high. It is very difficult for a common people to buy food items like Rice, Wheat, Pulses, Edible oil, Vegetables and other food materials from the open market. If the situation remains the same for some time the poor people will start starving. It is painful specially to see the children suffering from malnutrition and diseases caused by it. Every time the government promises to keep the prices of essential commodities under control but fails to keep their promises. This ruthless behaviour of the government departments causes a great anxiety among the people who are facing the situation of starvation and malnutrition. We hope this time the government would be successful to keep the prices of essential commodities under control and within the reach of common people.

VOLLEYBALL

The students of volleyball training centre have not received financial support from the government for the last five months. During this period of crisis our organization has taken initiative to provide food, residential accommodation and other necessary assistance to these poor students. We have been in contact with the concerned authorities in Ranchi and have been receiving hopes and good words but not the money. Last week we met the senior government officer and he promised us to take necessary action to get the money released for the volleyball students. We hope that soon the students will get the support from the government.

HEALTH PROBLEMS

With the start of monsoon season the patients of malaria, gastrointestinal diseases, snake bite , patients of respiratory disorder have started coming to the hospitals at large. Their numbers are increasing every day. In the meeting with the villagers we have expressed our worries towards the problems. We are planning to find ways and means to organize health camps at Jagriti Vihara and in the villages to support the villagers. We hope that our friends and supporters will continue to support our endeavour to provide medical assistance to the poor villagers of our region.

HOSPITAL BUILDING

The construction of hospital building is progressing well. The installation of roofing sheets have been started. We hope that in two weeks we will get the roof installed. After that we will start casting of floors and the fixing of glasses in the windows. Due to monsoon rains and because of the people are engaged in the agricultural activities the work is delayed for some time. Hopefully we will get the hospital building completed by the month of November 2012.

EXHIBITION HALL

Visitors are continued to visit the centre. They have shown their interest in our activities. We have been receiving new ideas from them. We are in contact with the individuals, organizations and the government authorities and making them known to the activities related with the exhibition centre of Jagriti Vihara . We have received positive responses from them. We are optimistic to get some kind of support from them. On the basis of the support from our friends and supporters from different parts of the world we will be able to give the centre a distinct shape.

MOTORBIKE

We have not yet bought a motorbike for the purpose of our official activities in Ranchi office. We have already placed order for the bike and as soon as it comes to the shop in Ranchi we will buy it. We don’t have extra fund to buy a motorbike but as we have received positive response from our friends in Sweden to extend their financial support to buy a motorbike, we have decided to go ahead for it. We hope to get the support very soon.

PLANTATION

As you know every year during the monsoon we distribute plants to the people from our nursery .This year also we have planned to distribute saplings of plants to the villagers.

PEOPLE AT JAGRITI VIHARA

All the members, volunteers and workers of Jagriti Vihara are fine and engaged in the activities of the organization. They are doing well. They are sending their warm wishes to all our friends and supporters .  On the invitation of a supporting group in the United States Jayaji is on a visit to Sanfrancissco. As you know we are getting support from this group to build a hospital at Jagriti Vihara for the benefit of the poor people of this region. We will write to you in detail when he comes back from the States.

With warm greetings,

Lucy, Sushil and Rajesh  (Information group of Jagriti Vihara)

The Exhibition Hall of Jagriti Vihara seems to attract more and more people as the news about it spreads from person to person. Besides expressing their satisfaction with the ideas about  the exhibition most of the visitors have been seen watching the progress made at the sight of the Hospital for Hope which appears to be taking distinct shape.    The construction of the hospital  is progressing steadily. The news about the hospital has already made a number of villagers from Dumaro, Lapra and Konka  visit Jagriti Vihara. People seem to be full of hope about the functioning of this hospital. They expect to get prompt and affordable treatment at this hospital which is supposed to be much different from the other hospitals where treatment is extremely expensive and beyond the reach of the rural people with poor means. The thing which interests them most  is our plan for initiating a new approach to health care. Jagriti Vihara has the required experience of organizing successful health camps, especially anti malaria camps in a number of villages facing chronic health problems. Some physicians and nurses have assured us to cooperate in developing a sustainable health care system promoting both preventive and curative steps against diseases.    We are afraid our dreams and hopes are going to make us face a lot of challenges and difficulties, but the beneficiaries of our projects such as Self Help Groups of women, the field workers and the participants in our various awareness programmes are willing to support our future projects in spite of their continued suffering from wants. Anyway, we are prepared to go ahead with our plans.    The Exhibition Hall, the Self Help Groups of women and the planned Hospital for Hope are sources of inspiration and encouragement for us to go ahead with our work amongst the rural people of our region.

SIDA supported projects have been successfully implemented. Evaluation team has completed its field visits , interview with the villagers and the SHG members. Now they are preparing the report. We are supposed to get the report soon.

The school girls were taken out to different places for amusement . Their study session is over and they have gone home with good and happy memories.

With warm greetings,  

Rajesh, Sushil and Lucy  (The Information Group of JV)

Dear friends,

Extremist groups

You are probably aware that the groups of political extremist known as naxalites or maoist have been very active in several states of our country. Our state Jharkhand has also been facing the problem of extremism. One of the top leaders of the extremist group was killed in the encounter between the maoist and the police force in West Bengal. Since then the concerned states have been facing retaliatory attacks by the extremists. Only about a week ago 13 police men were killed by a very strong extremist group in the district of Garhwa (Jharkhand). Since then people of our region feel insecured and extremely frightened . People in the villages appreciate the idea of revolutionary change expected to take place but at the same time they are divided about their involvement in the struggle.

Support from Sweden

Under the circumstances we have been finding ways and means to implement our development projects. We are glad that JVV, our supporting organization, is extending its support and cooperation to us. We are thankful to our friends, Mrs. Inger Dejke, Mrs. Erni Friholt , Mr. Anders Dejke, Mr. Ola friholt and Mr. Markku Nykanen visited us as well as patiently listened to our problems and helped us in many ways to keep going ahead with our plans and projects. We presume that they will inform you about the progress made by Jagriti Vihara.

A small hospital

We hope that you are aware of our dependence on the advice and the opinions of the people we have been working with. As you know the hardships and problems of Dumaro village have been in the centre of our anxieties. The people of this village have been approaching us for finding possibilities to build a health care centre or a small hospital.      Only a few months ago we had a visit of an old friend of Jagriti Vihara Mr. Amit Garg who has taken very keen interest in our effort to organize anti malaria camps in the villages. Mr. Garg who lives and works in the United States had been trying to collect money for the purpose of building a small hospital in the campus of Jagriti Vihara. He advised some of his American friends who have been working for the organization, Hospital for Hope, to visit Jagriti Vihara and prepare a plan to build a small hospital in response to the request of the people of Dumaro and Jobhia.      The Executive Committee of Jagriti Vihara discussed the proposal patiently and thoroughly and finally decided to thankfully accept the offer of help from the American Organization, Hospital for Hope. Jayaji received an invitation from Seattle and San Francisco to visit the groups of persons interested in this new project of ours. As you know Jayaji was sick and was undergoing medical treatment in Sweden he was unable to accept the invitation.      Considering the needs of the sick people of our area we very much wanted to cooperate with the American groups willing to support us. After thinking a lot the Executive Committee of Jagriti Vihara decided to send Rajesh Prashant to Seattle and San Francisco for two weeks. In response to the invitation received by Jagriti Vihara Rajesh Prashant visited Seattle and San Francisco and cooperated with the groups in raising funds required to carry out the plan. The construction of the hospital has already been started in Jagriti Vihara campus and the work is progressing well.

Water and Sanitation

Rajesh Prashant has participated in a seminar on "Water and Sanitation" which took place in Ranchi during the period between 16th and 21st of January 2012. The programme was organized by the Govt. of Jharkhand. In this seminar sanitation problems of the rural areas of Jharkhand were thoroughly discussed . A certain voluntary organization are trying to develop a project connected with the ecology and sanitation in the rural areas of Jharkhand.

With greetings,

Information group of Jagriti Vihara  26.01.2012

Since the beginning of January it has been foggy, windy and very cold in our part of the country. Several deaths due to cold wave have been reported. Jagriti Vihara has distributed new clothes among the poor and needy. Our government has not succeeded in alleviating the poverty and its consequences in the rural areas of our State. Even the plight of the people living in the slums of ever growing cities has remained unchanged . Another sad thing is that our state, since the beginning of its formation, has suffered from the instability of the government. The Arjun Munda government has been toppled and the President rule has been imposed in Jharkhand.

The whole country was shocked to get the news that a girl student, while travelling by a bus in Delhi in the evening of 16th December was gang raped and brutally mishandled. Long after she was thrown out from the bus and was found lying unconscious in a street. She was taken to a local hospital where she died. Since then there has been protests and demonstrations all over the country against the Administration which has failed in getting the crime against women reduced . Jagriti Vihara has also tried its best to spread awareness about violence against women . Our organization has resolved to work for getting both women and men united to do all that is possible for the empowerment of women in all walks of life.

We are making efforts to open the proposed girl school in the beginning of April. We have collected several ideas and opinions from the parents of the villages around us but the plan has not been finalized as yet. Some teachers have already been interviewed but none of them is willing to work for less than 16000 (nearly 2000 SEK/NOK) rupees a month. Besides the remuneration they need residential facilities .

The building of the health centre/hospital is almost ready for use but we have now to procure necessary equipments and appoint a doctor, a nurse and a lab technician. We have advertised our requirements in the news papers and are waiting for response.

The new doors have finally arrived at the JV guest house. But it will take at least two weeks to fix them after removing the old ones .

Jayaji will be in Sweden in the second week of March. He wishes to see our friends and supporters during his stay in Sweden. As he is still having some health problem he will most probably undergo a medical check up again.

For Jagriti Vihara,  

Lucy, Sushil and Rajesh  (Information group of Jagriti Vihara)