Lucknow: With the call that ‘each one teach five persons’ and each village make at least three surrounding villages equally self-reliant and literate, Ekal Parivartan Kumbh-2020 began on February 17 at Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Rally Ground.
The first day of the Kumbh was dedicated to the theme of stirring the villagers to be the change agents in their respective villages. For it, groups of 10 men and 10 women are being constituted in each village where the Ekal has any unit or activity and these groups of specially trained persons will then educate their respective villagers how they can contribute in different village development activities and then how they can persuade the villagers of at least three surrounding villages to be the change agents in their respective villages.
Over a lakh persons from across the country and also over a dozen foreign countries including the US, Australia, New Zeeland, Dubai, Nepal etc. joined the Parivartan Kumbh. People of Lucknow extended wholehearted welcome to these ‘special guests’. This could be understood from that fact that more than 30,000 people stayed in various families of Luckow. All institutions of the Uttar Pradesh capital offered help in various forms. Founder member of Ekal Shri Shyam ji Gupt also shared the dais. The proceedings of the Sammelan were conducted by Ekal Abhiyan Sewavrati Shri Ranjan Bagh.
Inaugurating the Swaraj Senani Sammelan at Mata Rama Bai Amebdkar Rally Ground, noted saint Pujya Govinddev Giri Maharaj, Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara and Pujya Balaknath Maharaj called upon the people to be the change agents in their villages and shun the mindset of depending upon governments agencies for everything. Pujya Govind Dev Giri Maharaj said the huge gathering of villagers assembled at this ground from all over the country show that the country and the countrymen have awakened and they are ready to actively contribute in the nation building. He called upon the urban people to contribute in the development of the fellow countrymen who are still deprived due to several reasons. He said the country would truly be a developed nation when each and every tribal is developed.
Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara said the huge gathering at the ground show that our dreams would be materialised soon. She stressed on spreading education and ensuring that nobody in the country should be illiterate.
Pujya Balaknath Maharaj stressed that each person should pledge and ensure that he/she will educate at least five persons in their vicinity. “We have to ensure that at least the coming generation should be 100 per cent literate. Hence, the whole country should be fully literate in coming five years. This should be our objective and mission for coming five years,” he said.
It is to be noted Ekal Abhiyan has generated the spirit of self-reliance in more than one lakh villages of the country during the last 31 years. Under the Swaraj Senani project, there is emphasis on empowering the villagers.
Addressing the gathering general secretary of Ekal Abhiyan Shri Madhvendra Singh said their emphasis is on making the villagers responsible citizens where people themselves think about their development. There is a target to awaken the villagers in coming five years. “First we will awaken our own village then we will work on ensuring similar change in the surrounding villages,” he said.
The Swaraj Senani Sammelan began at 11.00 am. Prior to that people from over 20,000 villages reached the rally ground in huge processions. Zonal president of Ekal Dr RB Singh proposed a vote of thanks. On second day of the Parivartan Kumbh i.e. on February 17, 2020 the people who have made different good experiment in their respective villages will share their experience. The sessions on second and third day will be organised at Ambedkar Auditorium of Ram Manohar Law Univeristy.
