Ujjain: Some individuals are extraordinarily proactive in their pursuit to save the culture and age-old customs of their community. No matter what, they leave no stone unturned in bringing alive the long-forgotten yet timeless and celebrated traditions back into memory. For them, keeping such traditions alive is true homage to their ancestors and forefathers. Meet-Jayant Telang, treasurer of Maharashtra Samaj, Ujjaini, working ceaselessly together with the youth for protecting the roots of Maharashtrian community and the society at large. Free Press spoke with him to discover the secret as to how he keeps elderly, women, professionals and youth in cohesion, given their diverse background and priorities.
(Excerpt from the interview)
Tell us a bit about your organisation?
Ours is a 70-year-old organisation. It was established in 1949 and got registered in 1951. Today, we have about 15,000 to 20,000 members in Ujjain alone. Our principles include community development, society upliftment, protection and preservation of our culture and values and philanthropic initiatives among others.
What was your inspiration behind the association with Maharashtra Samaj?
Well, my association with Maharashtrian community is purely because of my father. My father was the founder member and credited with the establishment of our community in 1949. His pioneering and maverick approach towards solving social issues and malpractices was exceptional. He was habitual of taking part in myriad causes concerning public awareness and services. So in way, he was pure-hearted and devoted selflessly to others’ causes. Having the generous temper and will to serve others, our house would remain abuzz with people. I was greatly influenced and affected by his philanthropic approach in the childhood itself and accompanied him everywhere wherever he went. He moulded my mind and shaped my thought process. I thank him for what I am today as I owe it all to him.
What are some activities that your organisation undertakes?
We undertake huge number of activities with regards to social and community both. As for social, we help children with poor and underprivileged background financially by giving them clothes, copies, pens for free and we submit their school and college fee, if due. Besides this, we provide free medicines and medical aid which includes blood donation as well, through our community initiatives. As far as community services are concerned, here also we devote ourselves completely. During Simhastha Fair-2016, we had installed water-huts and our members had served the pilgrims in large numbers. One incident which is quite vivid to me was of Kargil. During the time of ongoing war, our community gathered in large numbers and protested against the sinister plot of Pakistan. That time, all of our volunteers came out on the street and inundated the roads to express their allegiance to the nation.
How do you ensure that young generation become a part of your community and social initiatives?
Well, looking at the present scenario it is very tedious job to sustain them. In today’s fast-paced life, in order to pursue a good career youth are alienating from and forgetting their roots. However, efforts are on and it will never cease from our side. In a view to pass on our rich and erstwhile traditions to younger generations, we specially emphasise on involving youths in our initiatives. Such initiatives strive to bind them together and ensure their solidarity and commitments towards community. Of the efforts we undertake, one of them is that we make young and teenage boys and girls our co-ordinators of our social initiatives and provide them with the platforms.
This way they feel responsible and become experienced. Every year we organise Ganeshotsav and Garaba utsav on grand scale where they participate with great energy and enthusiasm. We also celebrate our new year on Gudi Padhwa during our teenage girls ride on Royal Enfield in traditional Maharashtrian attires waving saffron flags zoom past streets of Ujjain. Besides this, every year we organise ‘Sanskar Shivir’ under which we teach them values and principles. A literary competition is also organised where youth participate in poetries, speeches and other art forms. Not only this, we hold counselling camp and mentor them for speaking Marathi language also where they are exhorted to speak and practice our mother tongue. For this, we organise Marathi book reading competition and duly regard them. We know how dangerous mobile phones are becoming as children and adults are increasingly becoming passive and inactive. To de-addict them, we plan and organise many indoor and outdoor games to keep them fit and agile.
Any message for your community or our readers?
We must give values to children at home as home is the first place where a child learns anything. If nurtured well, then he or she will definitely become a good human being. Here after, the role of community or society begins and then it must take over. We must make efforts to make our kids rooted to our erstwhile traditions and customs. This will be real tribute to our predecessors.