Ashtdashi

SR No.: 012049
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Bhupraj Jain
Publisher: Shwetambar Sthanakwasi Jain Sabha Kolkatta
Publication Year: 2008
Total Pages: 342
Language: Hindi, English
Classification: Smruti_Granth & Articles
File Size: 22 MB

Page 164

K. P. Verma
Shree S. S. Jain Sabha : A model
Platinum Jubilee celebration in itself is great and glorifying. It is a flagrant point, arrived at in terms of time, for it contains all the strain and stress of years after years, and S. S. Jain Sabha is no exception.
Set up in 1928 to serve the community and the country at large, it has very well withstood the test of time. It has added several feathers to its cap. Its founder stalwarts gave its motto-"Shiksha, Seva, and Saddhana" and it has literally stood true to its motto shiksha (Education) had its first attention. It started a school with two students and one teacher. Now, it has ramified into five big institutions, imparting education from Primary to Degree classes. First it started with Shree Jain Vidyalaya, Calcutta. Over years this vidyalaya has turned into a centre of excellence. It has got a letter of credit from the council of H.S.Education, West Bengal with hundred percent pass, every year remarkably with 90% in the first Division.It began to attract students from different parts of the country to its H.S. Classes.
Now, it has a high school in a factry labour area, Jagatdal. Happily its students are also doing very well. It has two full fledged Boys and Girls H.S.Schools in Howrah in a five storeyed building with all the modern facilities of education. It has a very large computer centre with multi media facilities. Nearly 50 students practise at a time. Tara Devi Harakh Chand Kankaria lain College is in Cossipore area. It has Science and Commerce Departments. It has a proposal to start MBA classes and in Science it is already teaching Micro-Biology. The plans, up its sleeves, are a Dental College, a Nursing training centre and also a training college for teachers. Buildings for these are under construction. Happily,it has
bought the large property of Eveready Battery campus when it closed its business in Cassipore.
In sphera of Seva (Service) it has the Jain Hospital and Research Centre at Howrah. At its initial stage, there was a proposal to start a 120 bed clinic or hospital but soon large. Donations began to pour in response to an appeal for them. It ended its appeal letter we must remember that we are rich by what we give and poor by what we refuse and keep, otherwise, we will have to regret like the man in Tagore's Getanjali. He saw the king of kings coming in his golden chariot. His hopes raised high his life's misery would end. The chariot stopped where the man was standing; the king of kings came down the chariot and in stead of giving the man any thing he stretched his hand before the beggar. Confused and miserly, the man took out a piece of corn and put it on the palm of the king of kings. He smiled and went off. At evening when the beggar empted his bag, he found a golden piece of corn in it. He cried why he had not the heart to give him his all.
This appeal had its effect soon the magestic Jain Hospital and Research Centre, in its four storyed building came up, equipped with the latest apparatuses, treating from ordinary fever, cough and cold to open heart surgery. Its open door department, named Harakh Chand Kankaria Hospital is a grand success. Everyday hundreds of patients of various diseases are attended to by competent doctors.
Besides, S.S.Jain Sabha organises free eye operation camps distributing spectacles free. It has a permanent department that makes artificial legs and is supplied free of cost to the lame and disabled ones. Every year a team of German Plastic surgeons visit the Jain Hospital and performs plastic surgery free.It has become very popular with the needy ones. In distant villages, Jain Sabha, some times' opens X-ray centre free or charging a nominal fee to avoid its abuse.
Jain Sabha has a great reputation for rendering service. It has built several latrines and urinals in schools where there were no such facilities for students. It has also distributed fans free. It donates its second hand computers and in those schools computer centres are set up. In several villages of Bengal it has also set up Primary schools and constructed their buildings.
But to cap it all, it has a system of distributing several thousand sets of text books free from Class-V to Degree sections of colleges. Activits of the Jain Sabha go round the state, and choose schools and colleges for distribution of sets of text books. Choice of deserving candidates lies with school authorities. It is held, every year in the month of July under the motto books for all. A few years ago, the General Manager of the Statesman, Mr.B.Ray was the Chief Guest of the celebration. He was moved to see a Class-VII girl
० अष्टदशी / 73