Public Engagement – Sadbhavana Sangams
We have always made an effort to follow Rajiv ji’s vision and incorporate his ideals in our programs and activities. He upheld the values of secularism and believed that it is the bedrock of our nationhood. He was an ardent believer of using the remarkable diversity of our nation in strengthening its unity and fighting against the evil of communalism and fundamentalism.
Over the last few years, the nation has witnessed unprecedented incidents of conflicts and intolerance, based on caste and religious practices. This has over shadowed the feelings of fellowship and humaneness amongst the people with ‘durbhavana’. The Foundation realized the need to counter this by carrying out a message of Sadbhavana (sincere fellow feeling) across the nation. After many deliberations, we understood that the conventional method of conducting seminars and conferences will not cater to the need. There is a need to bring together all those who would like to protect and promote the spirit of mutuality and humaneness in society, which underlines the Constitution of India. This led to the idea of organizing ‘Sadbhavana Sangams’, where the feelings of Sadbhavana converge.
During the year 2018-19, the Foundation organised a series of Sadbhavana Sangams, to help create a common platform for varied sections of people. The Foundation identified local social workers and activists as Sadbhavana Fellows and Associates in over 25 locations all over India – from Srinagar to Madurai and Ahmedabad to Imphal. They convened Sadbhavana Sangams – meetings of social workers, NGO leaders, activists, professionals, intellectuals and literary and cultural persons, who are working with people’s group of various communities. The focus was on how Sadbhavana – the spirit of mutuality and humaneness – which is the foundation of our constitutional values like justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, could be strengthened through dialogue and action. We were successful in reaching out to nearly 7600 people through Sadbhavana Sangams, organised in the following places:
| State | Places | Approx No. of participants |
|---|---|---|
| Chhattisgarh | Tilda Neora, Raipur(4), Bastar, Kanker, Dantewada, Konta, Sukma, Sarguja, Korba, Bilaspur, Raigarh and Jagdalpur | 790 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Alirajpur, Damoh, Satna, Rewa and Mandla | 675 |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur, Kota, Bhilwara, Pali and Alwar | 460 |
| Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi (6), Allahabad (4), Banda, Hapur, Chandauli, Meerut, Barabanki, Raebareli, Lucknow (5), Muzaffarnagar, Kumbh (5), Jaunpur, Mirzapur and Shahjahanpur | 850 |
| Haryana | Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Narnaul, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Yamuna Nagar | 370 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar (4), Budgam and Jammu | 30 |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad, Patan and Himmatnagar | 115 |
| Maharashtra | Thane, Mumbai (6), Mumbai suburbs (4), Kalyan, Raigad, Kausa Mumbra and Malad | 145 |
| Assam | Guwahati (4), Chhaygaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Mangaldai (5) and Darrang | 210 |
| West Bengal | Ulluberia (Howrah), Salar (Murshidabad) | 80 |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar, Berhampur (2), Koraput. Jeypore, Malkangiri and Kamrup | 110 |
| Karnataka | Chintamani, Gudibanda,Bagepalli, Magadi, Chikballapur, Siddlagatta and Davangere | 1350 |
| Tamil Nadu and Puducherry | Madurai, Chennai, Salem, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Puducherry | 1565 |
| Kerala | Kochi (4), Trivandrum | 150 |
| Delhi | Jawahar Bhawan | 700 |
| Total | 7600 |
In addition, 96 Mohan Se Mahatma puppet shows, 20 Mahila Sadbhavana activities, 10 Sadbhavana Yatras, 20 other Sadbhavana activities (Holi Milan, Meetings, Mela, etc) were organised in Uttar Pradesh in which around 39000 people participated.
A Sadbhavana Sampark team was set up to be in telephonic touch with the participants in various activities and to also take their feedback.