41. Almost 98 years old... and always lending a helping hand

Contributed by Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Mr Mohorikar is 97years and 10 months old. At this age he has an excellent memory  and recalls the events in his life with a crystal clear clarity.

He appears to have had  an inherent flair for social work  and seems to have taken  it as a mission at an early age. He has been richly awarded for the same.

 Mr Mohorikar belongs to Thane and shifted to Pune sometime after  1995.

Mr Kamlakar Rajaram Mohorikar stays Kothrud Pune 38.He does not have any major illness and maintains good health. The following is an  account of his life and work.

He passed Matriculation in 1935 and joined Thane Municipal office. Typhoid and influenza epidemics were common then. So he organized a group that gave primary medical aid to the needy.

In 1937 he joined Bombay Small Cause court. Soon he joined the Union and and started a sports Club having facilities for playing Table Tennis and Badminton.

He was disturbed by the fact that workers took loans  from

Marwaris and Pathans. So he started  Diwali and X Mus funds  a sort of Co Operative venture and freed the workers from their clutches .

In 1941 he joined a small organization distributing free books to needy students. The organization grew under him and he became the secretary . Later he started a full fledged library and also a medical centre for giving specialist aid at a subsidized cost.

He then started a Wadhuvar suchan Mandal (a matrimonial service) and organized a gathering of eligible candidates.

He then helped in building a Old Age Home[vruddhashram] in Talegaon. Former Railway minister Shri Madhu Dandvate and Shri Datta Tamhane were present at the inauguration ceremony.

In 1965 he shifted from Dadar to Vileparle.

There he became a member of Chandraseniya Kayasth Prabhu  sanajonnati Mandal.

In 1973 he retired as an Asst. Registrar.

The CKP Mandals bulding was incomplete due to lack of funds. When his help was sought he he organized Drammas and cultural programmes to raise funds and saw to it that it was completed.

His 75^th Birthday was celebrated in Vileparle by the Mandal and was given a Manapatra ( a certificate of recognition) in 1990.

In all he has received four Manpatras.

In 1995 he relinquished the charge of all the posts he held namely President All India CKP organization President Dadar CKP organization and Trustee Vileparle organization. And came to Pune as a permanent resident.

In Pune he joined the Anandnagar Senior Citizens Club . He also joined A S C O P.

He  got a certificate for good health..

He participated in a running race for people over 8o and came first!

For this he was felicitated and was given a Maruti Idol.

ASCOP felicitated him for his social work.

With this he reached the pinnacle of glory.

           

40. ...And I ask myself is this the freedom that we all fought for?

Contributed By: Dr. R. Boradkar

Mangala Govind Vartak lives in Pune. She spent her child hood in Wardha very near Mahatma Gandhi’s very famous Seva gram she is running 82. She has fond memories of Wardha and she vividly remembers the 1942 ‘CHALE JAV’ movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s call ‘Karo ya Maro’

Getting swept by the fervour of the freedom movement was by far the most   glorious moment of her life. Here is how she remembers it.

In August 1942 Mahatma Gandhi asked the British to QUIT INDIA and called on the Indians to DO OR DIE. I was studying in the 6^th standard then and was not mature enough to understand the intricacies of politics. My father, uncles and brothers used to discuss about the political situation in India and I used to be a passive listener. But I could understand that the country was passing through turmoil and there were difficult days ahead. Sevagram of Gandhiji and Pavnar of Vinobaji were very close to Wardha. There was maximum political activity in these two places and news used to reach Wardha in no time. Wardha was therefore experiencing a LULL BEFORE THE STORM.

And, one day we heard that the final call for the fight was given, the British were asked to leave forthwith and the Indians were asked to fight to the end. There was excitement every where and I too was moved by this intense passion. Schools and colleges   were closed. All activity was supposed to come to a standstill. Passive resistance was resorted to. .It was a real SATYAGRAHA.

Morning and evening processions called ‘Prabhat Feris’ and ‘Sayam Feris’ were organised though they were banned .Even as children we were fired up by the national spirit and we started participating in the Prabhat feris with the Tricolour in our hands.

On one occasion our Prabhat Feri was to terminate in the Nehru Chowk. The information had reached the police somehow and they were ready for us. We were unaware and reached Nehru Chowk with the Tricolour in hand, singing patriotic songs. The police were ready with their batons ready to pounce on us. Our Prabhat Feri leader was one Yashomati Huddar. She bravely tried to break the police cordon shouting a slogan ’Ladhenge ladhenge Karkehi Dikhayenge’. We also tried to do the same thing but the police resorted to Lathi Charge and started beating everybody. Yashomati was beaten severely. Someone took the flag from her hand and charged forwards and then someone else took it and in a sort of a relay race the flag was taken to the Nehru Chowk. Yashomati congratulated them and then fell down. She was badly injured but remained undaunted .I narrowly escaped being severely beaten. But I was hit on the back and on the legs. We did not mind the beating. We were fighting for our nation and our hearts were filled with pride.

I feel sorry that I don’t see that spirit of sacrifice these days. Only money seems to matter. And I ask myself is this the freedom that we all fought for?     

Mangala Vartak