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2012
The year started on a very happy note when my school friend from New York informed me that he is coming to India for his niece's marriage. I was ecstatic to meet him after so many years.! This was a perfect occasion for the much-needed break. For two long years, I have worked incessantly to do research, interact with affected farmers' families, do all the legwork to get the Trust registered, going into several bouts of depression, connect with leading activists from all over the world, collect information about farmers' plight and crisis. The "Journey of Destiny" is not an easy journey to walk all alone!
I went to meet my dear friend Satpal and family and reliving all those beautiful memories was an experience that is hard to describe in words. I was showered with love of the families of my friend and my Parjai ji. It was a blessed journey I took all the way to Punjab. I was part of the family and the lavish wedding made me cry for hours because of an emotional breakdown... I just could not see all the wastage around me because I knew now how the farmers toil hard to live in miseries to feed the nation. How, affected farmers' families are working hard to feed their children. That night is still afresh in my mind... crying inconsolably, all I was uttering to my friend was, "I want to go back (to Wardha), I want to go back."
To have a friend like Satpal in my destiny is the blessing that I cannot ask for more from my Sai Baba. He said, "Okay. You leave tomorrow." I came back to Wardha to recuperate from my depression. After a month, I realized because of the marriage in the family, I could not spend quality time with my dear friend. So I called him and said, "I am coming." He said, "You are always welcome." I again went back to Punjab and spend some lovely time catching up. We visited many villages and it was interesting to interact with progressive farmers of Punjab. I learned a great deal about the success of Punjab farmers as compared to all the other States of India.
Quenching my thirst in a field in Punjab
Interaction with farmers during lunch in the field : On my return journey, I stopped by at Tundla to meet one of the Ten Beautiful Angels, Palak Jha & family. His doctor husband Pavan Patrick took me to his village PHC (Primary Health Centre) and I chanced upon to interact with few farmers from UP (Uttar Pradesh).
The First Drop of Contentment: I wish to thank each one of the nameless and faceless individuals and all the "Beautiful Angels" for extending their kind help and support to me to do the least for the first affected farmer's families. As promised during my first visit in 2010, I assured Widow Aruna Ramji Barade of Salod Village that I shall help one of her child with Future Educational Fund. In June 2012, with the blessings of my Sai Baba, my Trust opened a 7 - Years - R/D for her daughter Sheetal. It certainly was a great relief and deep down knowing I was able to do what I had set out for. Here I wish to have a special mention of IDBI Bank Wardha Manager Mr. Vikram Gokhale a very special thanks for extending all his help and support.
The "Journey of Destiny" continues slowly and steadily...
Grateful for the Special Gift from the Beautiful Angel Palak Jha, Tundla. A must read book for everyone to understand the magnitude of the real crisis behind the "FARMERS & AGRICULTURAL CRISIS" and how each COUNTRY HEAD - be it the Prime Ministers or Presidents or Kings or Military Rulers... every single one of them is selling their own country's fertile land and river water and jungles to greedy opportunists... and YES! It is happening all over the world - from evergreen forests of Indonesia to River Nile to the darkest parts of the Dark Continent... the author Fred Pearce also exposes the WWF and how the 1001 Anonymous RICH of the World owns the WILD FORESTS of Africa. This book surely gave me great insight to understand the real ground issues.
Big Joys come in Small Packages: The children in a Tribal village were so happy to have a football when I visited them after a year's gap. And YES, they all insisted that I click their pictures.
Girls were happy to have Skipping Rope...
Bend it Like Beckham: This lovely girl just wanted to play football and nothing else... Finally, I had to cajole the boys to give her the ball... Look how ecstatic she was to have the ball all by herself!
The Look of the Litle Angel says it all... YES, when you have nothing, your confidence goes to a toss. A moment later... see the change...
I collect Baby Clothes (0 to 6 years only) from my friends from cities to distribute it among the village children during my village visits.
With Tribal village children... It was time to say 'Till we meet again... soon'
The "Journey of Destiny" continues as the year ends with great satisfaction...
... to be continued...
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