All of us are fully aware of the devastation left in its wake by the recent earthquake in Kashmir and we need not elaborate on this issue since lot has been read and seen by us all.
Deciding that being mute bystanders to this pathetic situation would not be of any help to our Kashmiri Brothers, we at “The Kalgidhar Society, Baru Sahib” decided to create and send a Disaster Management Team to the affected area on 18th Oct. 05. This team promptly began the job of repair and reconstruction of fallen houses, schools and places of worship (Gurdwaras, temples and mosques) and worked day & night for the past 3 months. We have, with the blessings of the Almighty, been able to contribute substantially in terms of providing the much-needed shelters before the long and harsh Himalayan winter sets in.
By the end of Phase-1 of The Kashmir Relief Mission, we had spent around Rs. 2.25 Crores (23 Millions) with the help of Donations/contributions from all and substantially from our own kitty by building 930 houses, 1 school, 3 mosques, 1 Hindu temple and 4 Sikh temples till November 30, 2005.
Other than the massive re-construction taken up by the Society, you will be glad to know that the Healing Touch provided has led to positive building up of Communal Harmony. History of sorts has been repeated by this unique gesture of The Kalgidhar Society - where an NGO whose members belong mainly to the Sikh faith, has provided relief and succor to needy persons cutting across all religious, caste or social barriers. Leaders and general public of all communities as well as the Kashmir Govt. and its administrative staff including the Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla have hailed and acknowledged this exemplary effort that has brought together people of all communities. In village Churanda, which is virtually on the Line of Control (LoC), The Kalgidhar Society has constructed 213 houses. This has opened eyes of affected Kashmiris living in adjoining area of Pakistan where no relief has been provided so far. They look with hope towards us but we are helpless to cross the LoC.
We fondly hope that the fragrance of love, compassion and sacrifice emanating from the selfless work done by “The Kalgidhar Society” in Kashmir would spread far and wide and the era of darkness marked by hatred, mistrust and intolerance would usher into a dawn of Peace, Togetherness and Spiritual Brotherhood. In simple words, this unique gesture transcending all barriers of religion and faith has won over the hearts of all Kashmiri world.
We have accomplished a bit, but the ground situation is alarming and a lot needs to be done – on war footing. The ground reality is that the terrain & the weather are harsh and inhospitable with the temperature dropping to subzero in the nights. The locals as well as the Disaster Management Team are fighting against odds to survive/overcome the feared “secondary” humanitarian disaster if not enough is done in the coming days to prepare such people for the winter, and over the following months to help them survive it.
We have chalked up Phase-2 of the Relief Mission estimated to cost around Rs. 8.75 Crores (90 Millions) involving the construction of 1941 houses, 4 mosques, 1 Hindu temple and 1 Sikh temple. The outcome of this Phase-2 depends entirely on the contributions from all to sustain this massive cost.
As we have been explaining earlier, a single organisation cannot shoulder this immense financial load and we require the co-operation and contribution from all of you fortunate ones. You may also ask for Fund-raising material and documents from us as and when required. We seek your blessings in these humble efforts and also contributions in terms of money/material and voluntary service.
The cause of helping humanity needs your immediate attention and we expect that this great effort will not be let down by us all.
