An Introduction
Punjabi Samvad is a social organization, in existence since 2004 as a freelancer.
We started our journey with helping children exploring their talent, and we landed up fighting against several social issues. On our path, we have ensured to stand for women and promote the development of children by taking initiatives for their education, vocational skills and counselling. We do not choose limited objectives, as we stand for all that is important and is affecting humanity.
Our NGO is voluntary and donor-based. We call all supporters to join us through their valuable charity so that we can work progressively in order to help the deserving candidates in order for them to excel in their respective fields and be self-dependent. All donations by our donors go directly to NGO’s bank account.
The Origin
It was the year of 2004; the summer season at its peak, and a news going viral on televisions and network; viz. in Patiala, Punjab; numerous newborn infants of same sex were thrown in a well and acid was poured upon them (probably when they were still alive) to destroy their gender identification.
A couple located in Amritsar city of Punjab – Amit and Jyoti Bawa, watching with shock and silence the spectre unfolding on their screen, did not know that this would turn their life forever. The news stroked them and they faced several sleepless nights.
One evening they realized that an alarming point has arrived in our collective lives. If a voice is not raised now, then this will ruin all of us as a society. A missionary effort was required. It needs to be aimed not only at containing the malady, but to create a vision which would eradicate it from our collective psyche forever. Meanwhile, every effort was required to ‘save’ those who still can be saved; not just physically but also psychologically. Sometimes, simply fighting the dark is not enough as it does not automatically ensure the light, since both of these are not outside but within us; they need to engage in a dialogue within the limits of human mind to make space for light to spread. At times, numerous tiny lights have to be lit in many different spaces to fight a huge black hole of darkness located in the centre of our life. Thus, a positive activity has to be performed in another corner of our existence, which has no direct relationship with our primary aim, but will eventually contribute to it.
The core of all the efforts had to be the restoration of our moral values. These were being shaken with the onset of technology, money, modernization and current way of living. Our new generation would have to be enriched mentally and culturally so that they can find their true roots of justful living but shed the degenerated leaves of horrific social customs. They should retain their core cultural values while imbibing the modern thoughts and ways of living.
After a lot of discussion, dialogue, research and insight; Amit and Jyoti Bawa launched their organization – PUNJABI SAMVAD ( A Dialogue on Life ) with a play viz. ‘KHOOH BOLDA HAI’ (The Well Cries !). The creation was written and directed by Jyoti Bawa, while its important component of Poetry was rendered by Amit Bawa.
Once started, they could count number of social evils that were a matter of concern. The fight now was not a piece of cake but demanded a lot of work and burning midnight oil. The heartening feature was that the organisation was ready and many good souls had joined the team, and they included many renowned people of Amritsar and few from distant lands too.
Our Mission
Our Vision
- We wish to see children of our nation in the schools rather than in factories or on roads, struggling to earn a living.
- We wish to see our girl children and women gaining a right to live from the first moment of their life, have security under all circumstances, be respected for being women, get equal rights to education and earn a respectable living, and being able to make decisions for their own existence and lives.
- We extend ourselves to see the future with inherent moral values and ethics which promote healthy and living and a crime free nation.
Our Journey
The play “Khooh Bolda Hai”, has been staged more than 100 times, and has been converted into a book now. Punajbi Samvad now also executes at least 2 cultural events per year. These events are specially organized for bringing back our rich heritage and provide platform to budding artist without any charges. Before every performance, the chairperson herself interacts with young performers and goes through a session to describe our mission. This encourages the younger ones to believe in their mission and learning its value for humanity and personal life.
Spreading awareness about education and its value was deemed useful but not enough. So, the organisation launched its Educational Scholarship and started adopting students. Currently we are educating more than 40 students. Many of them started their primary education through us and are now in secondary level. Numerous kids lose a chance to study when young because they are the bread-earners for their families. Thus, it was important to provide economic stability to such families in order to secure their daily life. Therefore, we taught vocational skills to women and girl children, and are now looking forward to carrying out this exercise on large scale.
While concentrating on education and culture some families suffering from Drug Addiction approached us and narrated the tragic stories of their lives. This helped us identify our next challenge. In order to meet this, Jyoti Bawa came up with her first ever documentary viz. “Tirhayi Umar”. The organization is now working tirelessly to educate younger generation, and is helping drug addicted victims with counselling by concerned doctors. Fortunately, we could save a few lives with our humble efforts.
Since our inception, we are continuously fighting social evils through education, media and theatre; focusing upon schools and colleges to awaken the youth. We are looking forward to work diligently, taking the youth with us and like-minded people to carry on the flame, and intend to pass on the baton to younger generation at a ripe and right time.
Our Next Initiatives
INSTITUTE for WOMEN : We intend to setup an institute to teach vocational skills to women and encourage them for earning a living in small scale industry which can take them further and stabilize their life.
CORPUS FUND : Taking into consideration the activities planned by the organisation for development of women and children, we have targeted the creation of a CORPUS FUND. This is a one-time collection of funds, kept securely in a bank as FIXED DEPOSIT, the INTEREST of which will bring solid income every year for the scholarships and vocational training while saving the original amount as such.
In order to execute our chosen responsibilities and carry on with our mission, we need YOUR VALUABLE HELP in every way that you can provide; ie. Suggestions, Engagement in activities, and Financial Support. We humbly and heartily request every reader to support us and BE PART OF US and this MISSION, so that we can execute our plan of corpus fund and support the humanity on a larger scale, without worrying for generating the resources every time or year.
Our organisation has always worked honestly and we assure you that it will continue working diligently and honestly with utmost Integrity and Ethics. All our activities are undertaken in transparent manner.