SEVA BHARATHI – 25 YEARS OF BENEVOLENT SERVICE!

Seva Bharathi is a Non Government Organisation working for the betterment of students. Yesterday, the Organisation observed its 25^th anniversary. The seer of Suttur mutt had graced the occasion to bless those students and their parents. I was part of the celebration too as a member of the audience as I also have been associated with the Organisation since its inception although on a smaller scale.

In its 25 years of existence Seva bharathi has offered guidance to over 20000 students of SSLC, PUC and various degrees belonging to many government, corporation run, aided, unaided educational Institutions. Over 60 teachers and lecturers have lent their helping hand to the Organisation in offering guidance to the students.

You might ask me what is so special about it. I will tell you how it stands apart... The teachers who guide students have been doing this benevolent service for all these years without expecting anything from the Organisation. And the Organisation too is offering the coaching for the students without taking a penny from them. The service so humanitarian is not an effortless job considering the number of people involved without having any financial backing and surviving strongly for well over 25 years!

The teachers who come down to teach the students have their own names in the Educational field too. Yesterday, while I watched the event, two incidents that were narrated were successful in moving my heart and that should inspire any one.

Here was one teacher who was scheduled to take up a class in Sevabharathi on a day. Incidentally, on that day, he was running very high fever. Being mindful of the students’ anticipation for him, he took an auto straight from his faraway home and nearly collapsed on reaching the Institute. Volunteers had to help him to reach the first floor where the class room was situated. On seeing the students eagerly waiting for him in the class room, the high fever running in him got subsided completely for over one and a half hours till the class ended. The fact that it resurfaced immediately after the class and he had to reach his home back by auto with the help of volunteers is a different story. While the incident was narrated, that the teachers had some unknown source of inspiration and the satisfaction to come down there so selflessly and offer help to those children, it took every one by awe.

Another young lecturer’s story too is absorbing. He works in a faraway town of Nagamangala of Mandya District as Head of the Department of a subject. Every day, he leaves his home at 6 AM to Nagamangala to attend his daily chores in College, leaves Nagamangala in the evening to reach Bangalore at 7 pm near Navarang circle, catches an auto to come to Sevabharathi and immerses himself in teaching to those students. Every time, he carries with him an immense satisfaction of offering benevolent service. Another person who is an officer of a central Government Department too teaches here on all of his own volition. There are many people such as them who are selflessly toiling hard to make a difference in these students’ lives.

Behind all this, there is a team of energetic people who stand tall for this cause. This group led by Mr Ramanand has carried forward the legacy of excellent service for many years now. I felt, the word OBSESSION must have come into being thanks only to the personalities like them. You should see Mr Ramanand. He is so obsessed with his motto that he has taken voluntary retirement from his service at State Bank of Mysore some 15 years ago at a relatively younger age to carry forward Seva Bharathi’s intentions. Right since then, he is immersed in the service of these children. 

The teachers, parents, students who all were gathered there yesterday, were beaming with pride and appeared as if they were celebrating a family event. It was a wonderful moment and surely a reason to hope!