91. Doing the needful

Thousand Full Moon: Shrimati Mangala Ashtaputre

Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

Shrimati Mangala Ashtaputre was born in Patan District Satara.Her maiden name was Kamal Gangadhar Marulkar. She is running 81 and is active. She went to schools in Patan Phaltan and Karad. Shefinished her matriculation from Karad. She came to Pune after her marriage and lived in Shukravar Peth.

She was awarded Adarsha Mata puraskar by Matrugourav Nyas Seva Mitra Mandal Shukravar Peth Pune. She has mentioned the organizations where she worked .

Dhavali Matruchhaya Goa [caring for children of unwedded mothers and their adoptions] in 1990 without any remuneration.

She worked for four years as a sort of Manager in a Hostel for Girls coming from North Eastern provinces for education in Pune.

She started a Shileshvar Vasatigruha in a Village Adse near Poud  meant foe Katkari girls and stayed there for about six months.

She also worked In rani Laxmibai Sainik School for girls in Kasar Aboli near Poud

For three years. There were forty girls and they treated her as their grand mother.

She climbed Parvati Hill when she was 79 and then when she was 80 and came first

 She got an Award for that.

She makes a mention that she has preserved all the awards and certificates she got.

She has been working with the Gita Bhajani Mandal Pune for 35 yeas and guides the new entrants.She participates in Dnyaneshvari reading.

From June 18/2013 she is with Sanjivani Balika Ashram  Talegao.

And now an account of the social work  she did in her life .This is her narration...

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          I went to Oglewadi with the school trip from Patan. There were 35 girls and 5 teachers. It was decided to watch a movie Sita Swayamvar and then go back to Patan. We had no place to stay but I took all the girls and teachers to  Shri Page my adopted brother and managed for their stay in his wada. We returned next day, so we could watch Sita Swayamvar.. I was fifteen years old then.

I was staying in Shukravar peth then. I was working as a teacher in a school in Guruvarpeth. It was April and hot. I saw a man lying on road. With some help from a nearby Vidyaniketan school I managed to shift him to another place. I did not know he was dead. Later I saw to it that the man was identified and the needful was done.

Once I saw police beating a road side vendor. I intervened and  questioned the police and stopped the assault.

We had a neighbor who had no water connection. I took the family to the corporation office and met the late Shivajirao Dhamdhere who was the mayor then and put forward their case. They got the water connection.

Another incident relates to an accident .  During a programme of carrying Shivjyot from Wai a participant who was running with the Jyot fell down. He was admitted to Ruby Hall. He died. I went to ruby with my husband and waited with the mother. The body was taken to morgue at Sasoon. Wai people had problems getting the body. I intervened and personally carried the body to Wai. I came back the next day to Pune.

 In our wada we had lots of quarrels over water. One tenant who was a rogue went to the extent of calling Goondas to beat up other tenants. I went to the police commissioner and saw to it that there was no further trouble.

Some girls complained to me that they were getting unwanted calls from someone who used obscene language. I helped them. I threatened the man and the calls stopped.

One of my sisters was being married against her will. I intervened and saw to it that she could marry the person of her choice. For this I was boycotted by my relatives for some time.

The phase has now passed over and now I am summoned anytime when there is a problem of any sort.

 I successfully brought  some girls who were drifting away and got them on the right path’

Shrimati Mangala Ashtaputre