December 26: A social entrepreneur who taps into the unseen resources of villagers to bring out the hidden entreprenuers within them. That's how one would describe this 47-year-old social worker from Satara, Balasaheb Dhondiba Kolekar.Today Kolekar was given the first `Sarda Equal Opportunities Award' by the Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, during the awards ceremony organised at the Indian Merchant's Chamber. Along with the citation, a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh was also presented to Kolekar who has been striving for over 23 years in the backwaters of Koyna for improving the standard of living of the tribals.
``When I graduated in 1974, I was the first BA-pass from my `Dhangar' community of shepherds. However, in spite of scoring a distinction in Sociology, I realised that my contribution to my fellow villagers was almost nil,'' recalled Kolekar.
That's when he joined a `Graduate Volunteer Scheme' in 1975 for training on rural development -- although he had already got a well paying job in a sugar factor. The graduate group consisting of Kolekar and a few friends set up The Rural Commune Trust and by 1980 he alone formed the Shramjivi Janata Sahayyak Mandal to assist the rural poor.
Today over two lakh Dhangars (shepherds) are able to earn an honest living with the help of SJSM. ``Our association has especially benefitted the rural women who are now self-employed in seveal milk cooperatives in my hometown Satara,'' he said.
He had also realised that along with the upliftment of women, education for children was also important. That's why he starded a boarding school for children and himself cooked meals for them. Starting with just five children, then, now five government recognised schools have been set up in Koyna.
But the biggest hurdle was faced by Kolekar in 1982, when he decided to end the practice of child marriages. ``My volunteers had faced a lot of opposition from the villagers whenever they tried to stop a child marriage; in fact false allegations were spread about me that I am converting the poor tribals into Christians, as I was interacting with a foreign NGO called Swiss Aid,'' he informed. But like all other hurdles, even this problem was soon sorted out and presently there are almost no child marriages.
``I firmly believe that money is not the only solution to all problems in villages. Every villager can make a small contribution to help the community. I had just taken a small step in this direction way back in '75, but today I realise that the whole society will join you if the cause is good,'' he remarked.
At the awards function today, the chief minister appreciated Kolekar's work and stated: ``In a span of 25 years, lakhs of residents of over 300 villages have benefitted from Shramjivi Janata Sahayyak Mandal. Shri Balasaheb Kolekar has unequivocally demonstrated how central and state government schemes can be implemented, by establishing various Co-operatives for Dairy Development and promotion of Fisheries and most important prioritized better health and education for women and children from the weaker sections.''
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
