Sr Chakra

Blossom 4, Petal 3 Chaitra, Angirasa (April, 1992)

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
1 At The Peetam
2 Gurukul and Programs of Sri Vidya Trust
At the Peetam
Sri Rajarajeswari Peetam RUSH New York.


Sri Chakra wishes all its readers a happy new year,
Angirasa. The highlight of the last bimonthly period was the
celebration of Mahasivaratri at the Peetam in the usual
grand manner. This year, Mahasivaratri came off on
Monday, March 2. The celebrations started two days earlier.
Devotees from Boston, Syracuse, Buffalo, Toronto and
Gurukul and Programs of Sri Vidya Trust
As readers will know, Guruji has set up an organization
called "Sri Vidya Trust, (SVT) based at Devipuram, India.
The objective of this organization is the wholistic (i.e.
spiritual, economic and social) upliftment of the rural poor in
India. Again, as readers might know, an organization called
Gurukul has been set up in the United States, based at
Buffalo, NY, to support the cause of SVT. Gurukul is being
run mostly by students.
Here is the first part of an article written explaining the
activities of Gurukul as well as the programs of SVT.
SRI VIDYA TRUST (SVT) is a registered public charitable
trust founded by an ex- scientist from the Tata institute of
Fundamental Research, Bombay. It is functioning in rural
areas of Sabbavaram mandal near Anakapalli,
Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, addressing itself to
poverty and related problems. It has three staff members,
four voluntary engineers, thirty teachers and five labourers
working for it as of today (Mar 91). Some Indian students in
USA formed a nonprofit Organisation called GURUKUL to
coordinate voluntary efforts within USA to assist SVT in its
rural development activities. (comp: -soc.culture )
In this note, let us first look at the Govt. programs and then
see how we can complement these and try to define SVT's
role.
A SHORT SUMMARY OF GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
TO ASSIST POOR PEOPLE.
IRDP: Integrated Rural development program. IRDP 16.66 :
INST. CR 316: tot 476.
It provides physical assets to deserving sections of rural
population to develop self employment ventures in activities
such as animal husbandry, weaving, handicrafts, service and
business activities. Govt. subsidy: Inititutional credit is
usually as 1:2 . Capital costs of assets are subsidised to an
extent of one fourth for small farmers, one third for marginal
farmers, agricultural labourers and rural artisans; one half for
SC/ST. A family could recover up to Rs 3000 by way of
subsidy. Beneficiaries 16.6 m.

NREP: National Rural Employment Program (formerly
FOOD FOR WORK).
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Pittsburgh, in addition to the devotees from Rochester itself, recited the Sri Rudram (Namaham and Chamakam) more than a
hundred and eight times. On the day of Mahasivaratri, an Abhishekam was performed. A Shiva Pooja as well as a Sri Sukta
Vidhana Shodasa Lakshmi Pooja were offered. The all-night event was concluded with a homam.
Sri Chaitanyananda Natha performed poojas at Syracuse on February 15 and 22 as well as on March 4. The pooja on March
4 was at the residence of Indu Singh. The next day, he also participated in a "Kids' Program, also at Syracuse. He also
performed poojas at Boston on March 14 and 15. On March 28 and 29, he performed poojas in New Jersey at the residence
of Amudha and Srikanth.


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SVTS approach
As Bernard Shaw once said, Poverty is sin.
The prime need of the poor is WORK. SVT needs resources to generate work; the people need the right skills and the right
attitudes in a supportive environment (to get the best out of whatever is available).
Work creates wealth. The income generated should give them food, clothing and shelter; it can give them a hope, enable
them to repay the loans, improve their skills, acquire tools, improve their literacy.
THE MAIN ROLE OF SVT IS TO CREATE A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT by making financial and managerial
resources available to the villagers, conduct enterpreneural advice and training courses in the villages.
The income generating works should be decided by sitting with the villagers, not in isolation, as it is they who decide and
implement.
(to be continued)


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UPCOMING EVENTS FROM
SR RAJARAJESWARI PEETAM
N/A

TEMPLE TIMING

MONDAY TO FRIDAY
MORNINGS - 9:30 am -1:00 pm
EVENINGS - 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
AND USA HOLIDAYS
ALL DAY ( 9:30 am 9:00 pm )

Your opinion
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6980/ 6970 East River Rd
RUSH.N.Y. 14543
Phone (716) 533-1970
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This program was designed to generate 300 to 500 million
mandays per year in rural areas to build rural assets. The
sixth plan outlay is 18.4 6 on NREP. The nature of rural
assets to be generated are afforestation, social foresty,
village tanks, construction/ improvements to rural roads,
construction of school/community buildings, and
miscellaneous works. Wages were to be paid partially in
cash and partially in kind.
RLEGP>-- Rural landless Employment Guarantee Program.
This program was meant to guarantee 100 mandays of
work/yr to at least one member of every landless household.
Minimum Needs: This program was designed to raise the
level of rural living standards through provision of social
consumption and infrastructure.
TRISEM: Training Rural Youth for Self Employment:
Teaches appropriate skills through recognised institutions
and master trainers.
These programs have been well conceived. However, the
cases of "the fence eating the field " have not been
exceptions. There have been many and heavy leakages all
along the way.
NEEDS OF THE VILLAGERS.
Landless labourers constitute the majority of the poor people
in the villages. What are their conditions?
40-50% of the male labour, 20% of the female labour
can get work only for 90 days in a year on the fields,
getting Rs 900/ annum: most of this invariably goes for
alcohol. Hardly one rupee per day remains for a family
of three to five for food, clothes and health. Banks do
not give loans without security; these people can not
offer any security. They have no special skills, no
tools, they are illiterate. They are exploited by money
lenders and wealthier people. They have no hope, no
future to look forward to. They often argue, quarrel and
blame their fate. They see the environment as
agressive and fear provoking. They see themselves as
helpless, destined to continue like this.


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