Brig J.S Grewal ( Retd)
The Pritam Spiritual Foundation
(Registered Charitable Trust), a widely acclaimed social service organisation based at Poonch (J and K), now steps into the 26th year of its relentless service to the cause of ameliorating the miseries of handicapped, physically
challenged, hearing and visually impaired, orphans and hapless victims of acute
poverty.
Members of the trust celebrated completion of 25th Silver year of devoted service with a string of events scheduled for the entire year, to include an Artificial Limbs Fitment Camp followed by an Eye Camp at Rajouri, sponsored by the Army’s Ace of Spade Division for four day which was held in April 2015. An Artificial Limbs Provision and Medical Aid Camp has concluded at Naushera during March 2015. Marriage of a poor, destitute child, daughter of a physically challenged and disabled father was performed during April 2015. More functions are also planned at Poonch during June 2015. During November 2015, an Artificial Limbs Camp is being organized at Delhi, in which 50 children are being taken on a guided tour as part of Delhi Darshan.
Besides the citizens of India, the trust has also the credit of providing prosthetic legs to the visiting guests of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) through Chakan-da-Bagh. A few of them include 70 years old Mohd Yasin resident of Rawalpindi in January, 2010 and 50 years old begum Jehan resident of Kahota in July 2010 who came with assistance but went back walking.
Indeed! 25 years is a life time of ‘Khidmat’ (service). The years have rolled into decades and the trust continues with renewed vigour on its chosen path of rendering voluntary social service to humanity, irrespective of caste, creed or religion.
Provision of timely medical aid remains a farfetched dream in large parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The rugged mountainous terrain and time consuming, hilly, circuitous roads add to the woes. The need to provide relief and succor to the handicapped victims, including women and children, who lose their limbs, either an arm, a foot, or part of a leg while straying into minefields, or from injuries caused by falling rocks and boulders during construction work and natural calamities cannot be underscored. Along with this, countless visually impaired cases, persons with hearing and speech problems, polio infected, physically challenged, the destitute, orphans, hapless victims of acute poverty in remote, rural areas were enough to stir the imagination of 16 likeminded Gur Bhais who had assembled at Jammu on a rather unusually chilly day of 19th January 1990 to launch an organisation for voluntary social service to the suffering humanity.
It was a divine inspiration and thus the Pritam Spiritual Trust was formed under the stewardship of Professor Jagbir Singh Sudan, an academician of repute and an active social worker. After deliberations, it was decided to name the trust after Sardar Pritam Singh, an illustrious and renowned social worker of Poonch and father of Professor Jagbir Singh Sudan.
Numerous people have benefitted from this trust. Beneficiaries include the physically challenged people who lose their arms, legs or feet and are provided artificial limbs by financing and thereby mustering technicians from Jaipur. The Jaipur Foot provided to the needy requires an annual maintenance, which is managed financially and organized by the trust by holding Annual Artificial Limb Provision Camps. Prior information is given to the needy, their conveyance, transportation, lodging and messing is catered for. Undoubtedly the Indian Army has undertaken a major role in this entire annual venture and this needs to be acknowledged with pride and gratitude. The other beneficiaries are the eye and cataract patients, hearing disabled individuals, persons requiring orthopedic surgery. Provision of wheel chairs to the physically challenged, provision of hearing aids, distribution of blankets and warm clothing to the needy are some of the other welfare activities being undertaken. With divine blessings, community Langars are arranged as an annual feature by members of the trust, who assemble from all over the country and even from abroad. The trust also organizes marriages of orphans and the destitute as part of its philanthropic activities. All these ventures are organized with a missionary zeal through self generated resources.
The trust has been bestowed with number of awards. Some of these include The Chief of Army Staff Commendation 1997, J and K Government State Award 1999, Director Rehabilitation Government of India Award 2000, BMVS Samiti Delhi (Jaipur Foot) Silver Salver 2000, Real Heroes Award from CNN-IBN and Reliance Group of Industries on 5th March 2009 at Mumbai, Late Yash Chopra and Neeta Ambani along with Rajdeep Sardesai presented the award which included a Rs 5 lakh cheque and a trophy.
Some salient highlights, activities and accomplishments of the trust since 1990 include Provision of artificial Limbs 3,840 Nos, Repairing of Limbs 1,604 Nos, Provision of Orthopaedic Shoes 174 Nos, Hearing Aids provided 163 Nos, Provision of Tricycles 434 Nos, Provision of Wheel Chairs 125 Nos, Polio Calipers Provided 482 Nos, Provision of Crutches 1,530 Nos, Gifting of Sewing Machines 163 Nos, Railway Concession Certificates given to 120 disabled persons, Cataract Operations held 1,469 cases, Orphan Marriages Solemnized 54 Nos, A host of dignitaries, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr. Karan Singh, Arun Jaitely and Manika Gandhi have visited the trust during its odyssey and acknowledged the difference it has made to the lives of countless people.
