STAMPED IMPRESSIONS
Reason to rejoice
Reeta Sharma

I felt a sense of elation at the week-long celebrations to mark ‘International Women’s Day’ on March 8. This year most organisations had widened the scope of celebrating this day. Instead of one day a majority of the organisations had spread the celebrations to eight days. What motivated them to do so?

"Issues related to women have an integrated chain reaction. We decided that we should address as many issues as possible so that a larger perspective emerges. For instance, a group of 100 rural girls and boys were invited by organisation ‘Jan Shiksha Sansthan’, Mohali, where we invited experts for interactive sessions on foeticide, dowry, gender discrimination, domestic violence, right to property for girls etc revealed Zarabi of the Department of Adult Education, Panjab University.

At Chandi-Mandir, the G-O-C’s wife Mohini Daljit Singh too displayed her conviction for the cause of women. Although she is new to the place, in a short span she motivated the women of the western command personnel on a variety of issues.

"Most of our Jawans’ wives discontinue their education because of their circumstances. I am very keen that they get the facilities to continue and improve upon their education. Often, these women ignore their own health while taking care of their husband and children. I have made sure they are sensitised about their own health during these celebrations. We organise a series of lectures to counsel them about better parenting. The Jawans’ wives come from a different strata of society while their children get the opportunity to go to the best Army schools. Often there’s a mismatch between these children and their parents. During this week we brought in experts to counsel these parents. For women’s empowerment I strongly believe in vocational training which is relevant to the modern times. We have introduced computer training and courses in beauty care, along with existing stitching and embroidery. We held functions at each unit level which are in hundreds," disclosed the beaming Mohini Daljit Singh.

Bharat Vikas Parishad Charitable Diagnostic Centre, an affordable lab at Indira Holiday Home in Sector 24, came with a unique idea. They put up a banner stating that in honour of International Women’s Day, all women who visit this centre on this day will get a free test. This state-of-the-art diagnostic centre was established on October 21, 1991 as a modest clinical laboratory in a small room to provide facilities of test at a no-profit-no-loss basis. This idea was the brainchild of Dr P.N. Thapar.Fifteen years down the line this charitable centre is a full-fledged laboratory with modern facilities and equipment in seven rooms and two waiting halls for the patients. The modern laboratory is equipped with three semi-auto analysers, one Elisa reader, one micro-scope, a 12-channel self-reporting high quality computerised ECG machine, 500 MA X-ray machine (available only in PGI or GMC other than this centre), logic 200 ultra sound Machine besides, a monographic machine.

"All the high-tech machines have been made available at this centre with the help of donations so as to provide relief to the poor who cannot afford commercial rates of the commercial market. Interestingly the Bharat Vikas Parishad (BVP) is an NGO that was established in 1963 at Delhi. Today it has 1150 branches all over the country besides 12 branches in foreign countries. In Chandigarh alone it has 11 branches working at different aspects of the society. A majority of the people who voluntarily work for BVP are affluent and have joined after retirement. Those people who are working for BVP are often guided by this conclusion of life.

At Chandigarh, the BVP started its first branch in 1983 and today they have eleven branches tackling issues other than the diagnostic centre like, the education of the slum children, health in the poor colonies, role in environment care etc.

The Kalyani Foundation for women and children held nine functions in different villages. They motivated youngsters to be volunteers in case they witness any victims to report to the concerned authorities. It was a heartening experience for the organisers as hundreds of youngsters came forward to enrol their names as volunteers.