Newsletter March 2019
Shri Bitthal Maheshwari of Ekal Italy is honoured with Pravasi Bharthey Samman
Goyal Peace Prize
3rd generation supporter
Ekal on Wheels, Telangana - 2nd Anniversary
During the 2nd anniversary of FTS Telangana chapter, Ekal on Wheels was rolled out. First batch was successfully completed at Amrabad Mandal, Nagarkurnool District, Telangana State. Out of 125 students enrolled 105 students successfully completed the program. The villages covered were Vankeshwaram, Padara, KGBV (Kasturibha Gandhi Balikala Vidyalaya) Amrabad, Kummaronipally, Mannanoor, Venkateshwarlabhavi and Madhavanipally. Next batch with more than 100 students are ready to take up the course.
- Shri Sreedhar
Arogya camp
Ekal awarded
National Governing council meet
To strengthen the speed and spread of Ekal movement, an annual conference of All India Delegation held in Teerapanth Bhawan, Chhattarpur, Delhi was organized between 15th to 17th February 2019 with the help of Bhartiya Lok Shiksha Parishad. Nearly 500 delegates from throughout the country attended the meeting.
In the three-day meeting, Honorable Shyamji said that unless every child of each village is educated, the country cannot be developed. In every village, construction of village committees is necessary which will play a key role in development. Ekal Vikas kendra should be set up in nearly 3 lakh small villages of India, so that in the coming years, 40 million people living in 4 lakh villages can contribute to nation building.
The meeting began with Shardanjali to the martyrs of Pulwama terror attack. A kavi samelan on the line of patriotism was also organized in the honor of martyrdom solders, by renowned poet Shri Gajanan Chauhan.
The highlight of this meeting was that the complete compilation of the meeting was done by those people of the Tribes community who were attached with Ekal from the initial days of the movement, when it was called "Gram Shakshi Mandir". These Vanvasi workers, holding very senior and responsible posts were very emotional and intense in the moments and gave all the credit for this to Ekal Sangatan.
Vanyatra by Shri Nishendu Baxi
We recently did Vanyatra with Shri Hasmukh bhai and Smt Jyotsanaben Shah. We were six of us including my wife Smt Hasmih bhai and Smt Jyotsanaben Jayendrabhai Parikh and Shri Dinaben Shah. We visited 5 schools and one GRC center in Songadh/Dang area in Gujarat. Also Ekal Sanskar training center.
On the outset, let me state that it was an eye opening visit. You read the pamphlets and brochures, see videos and talk to people who have done Vanyatra or are actively working with Ekal. However, personal visit is what makes the most vivid impression.
The teachers suggested that we should have Ekal LOGO on the school bags. This will give them an identity and pride of being a student of Ekal. They also said there are organizations that give these children food and take them away to alien cultures. There were nice educational posters hanging around, however, the map of India was not seen. The teaching methodology needs to be reassessed so that the students are better educated.
- Shri Nishendu Baxi
Vanyatra by Shri Manubhai Shah
Vanyatra by Shri Man Kumardev and family
Vanyatra by Shri Suryakant
Date Visited: Sunday, 30 December 2018
We visited India in winter of 2018. We planned to visit Ekal Schools and experience with our own eyes the actual working of Ekal Vidyalaya. We accomplished our goal by visiting 2 schools about 2 km distance from each other. The schools are located in Gujarat near Dharampur (Valasad).
About 30 students were present at each school. The teacher showed us how she teaches the students and students sang songs, told stories and danced together. It was a joy to see young students singing, dancing and learning together. Everything was done in Gujarati which was enjoyable and refreshing for us.
This trip was “one of a life time events” for us and we will cherish the memories of this trip all the time. What a wonderful trip!
- Shri Suryakant and Smt Rekha Parekh
Sugar Land, Texas