Padmashree Jagan Nath Kaul (13-10-1924 to16-12-2008)
L C Kaul
Shri Jagan Nath Kaul, a great humanist and a doyen in the field of child-care, passed away at his residence in Faridabad, on December 16. He was Papaji to thousands of children from all over India, the endearing name hordes of children coined for him, was one of the key figures in establishing SOS Children's Villages of India, from 1963 onwards, providing not only a home complete with mother, brothers and sisters but also education and vocational training and making sure that the homeless children grow into self-sufficient individuals .
The first SOS Children's Village was the result of a refreshing dream by Dr. Hermann. Gmeiner in Austria, in 1949. His vision of providing a "child in need" with a home, a mother, siblings and a regular "family life" was something that went beyond theory. For very soon there were numerous children's villages in 131 countries all over the world, and the largest number of SOS projects was based in India .
Profile
Born on October 13, 1924, Shri Kaul had his early education at Srinagar, Kashmir He graduated from Punjab University and did his Masters in Economics from Rajasthan University. He joined Delhi Administration and rose to the position of Chief Probation Services and Assistant Director of Social Welfare, before proceeding abroad for studies in the field of child care. In the year 1963, late Dr. Hermann Gmeiner, Founder Father of SOS Movement, was visiting India for establishing SOS Children's Villages in India. Shri Kaul was introduced to him and it was a meeting of minds and hearts. Shri Kaul decided to return to India, giving up lucrative job offers in the West and established SOS Children's Villages of India in the company of such personalities as the late Prime Minister, Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru and Smt. Indira Gandhi. During that period Smt. Indira Gandhi chaired the Indian Council of Child Welfare.
Children's Village in India
With untiring efforts and support of a few friends, Shri Kaul was able to establish the first SOS Children's Village in India at Greenfields (Faridabad) and he became the Village Director and a father figure to over 200 children. His endeavour was to reach out to as many children in India as possible and to establish at least one SOS Children's village in every village of the country. Today there are 34 SOS Children's villages in India, together with 122 affiliated projects which include kindergartens, youth houses, medical centres and vocational training centres. Whenever a major natural or man-made disaster occurred, such as the communal carnage in Assam in 1983, the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984, the Uttarkashi earthquake in 1991, the earthquake in Latur in 1993, the terrorist activities in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir in the eighties, the cyclones in Andhara Pradesh in 1996 and in Orissa in 1999, Shri Kaul and the SOS organization used to rush to the spot to take care of the orphaned children and provide them a home. He succeeded in involving thousands of Indians to contribute towards discharging their social responsibilities for the children in India. A firm believer in partnership of state and people, he never hesitated in demanding and standing up for the rights of children in need. To fulfil both the physical and spiritual aspects of the growth of every child, he established schools and vocational training centres, naming them in the memory of his friend and the Founding Father of the SOS movement.
Reverential Papaji
It is no wonder that inimitable towering personality, sagacious, always with a smile on his face, friend and benefactor of one and all, believer in action, a leader of great organising ability, optimistic, intensively human person, open and accessible to everybody, with rare capacity for fundraising, widely travelled, Shri Kaul, fondly and reverentially came to be called Papaji, a befitting tribute to his over four decades of selfless service in the field of child care.
Shri Kaul was a member of various national and international organisations, viz, Senator SOS Kinderdorf Internaional Austrlia, a rare honour for an Indian, Expert Committee for Care and Rehabilitation of Destitute Children, Government of India, Executive Committee, Indian Council for Child Welfare, Vice President, Association for Social Health in India, President, Kashmir Education, Culture & Science Society; President, Defence for Children International India; President, Kashmiri Sewak Samaj, Faridabad, and many other organisations.
"Ma Sharika" Temple Complex Under the dynamic and inspiring leadership of Papaji Shri Kaul, as President of Kashmiri Sewak Samaj-Faridabad, a seat of great religious significance, in the shape of a vast temple complex "Ma Sharika at Hari Parbat, at Village Anangpur, Faridabad, was established. At Hari Parbat, on the highest peak of the Aravali hills range, bordering Anangpur village in Faridabad, near Delhi, the picture is carved in stone and the Holy Sri Chakreshwar in the temple is dedicated to "Maa Sharika". Every year Navreh function is celebrated here jointly by the community members from Faridabad, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad. On April 10, 2005, foundation-stone of "Lal Ded Memorial '' the first of its kind, for the most revered Saint-Poetess was laid at Hari Parbat.
Housing Societies
Another notable and unique achievement has been the setting up of three group housing societies, namely Lalleshwari Vatika, Sabzaar Vatika and Gayatri Vatika, for which land was got allotted by HUDA, where 190 Kashmiri families live together with pride, dignity and esteem befitting the community. Lalleshwari Vatika is located on Badkhal Lake - Surajkund Road intersection in Sector 21 D; Sabzaar Vatika and Gayatri Vitika are located in Sector 45,
Faridabad. All this has been possible to achieve, due to the visionary leadership of Shri Kaul.
Community Centre
Sharika Bhawan, located in institutional area, sector-17, Faridabad, a common community centre, with an auditorium, library, hostel block, pujari's room, caretaker's room, convention hall, common community facilities, prayer and meditation hall, conceived and implemented, keeping in view social, cultural and spiritual needs is another landmark achievement, due to the visionary leadership and selfless service rendered by Shri Kaul.
AIKS President
Upon relinquishing the post of President, AIKS, by Shri DN. Munshi, in March, 1994, Shri Kaul, President of K.S.S Faridabad, an affiliate of AIKS, emerged as a unanimous choice for the post of President of the AIKS. Accordingly Shri Kaul, a doyen in the field of social service in India and abroad, who headed a vast network of SOS Children's Villages in India, a voluntary international social organisation, dedicated to the cause of deprived children, took over as President of AIKS on April 4, 1994. Under his Presidentship, which continued for three terms of three years each, the AIKS and participating affiliates pooled ideas to strengthen the AIKS and evolve community programmes.
New Self-Help Programmes
A number of self-help programmes, projects, such as extending help including financial. assistance for slemnising marriages of their grown up girls, vocational training programmes, handicraft centres, computer training at Helmut Kutin Centre, Faridabad, scholarships to needy and deserving meritorious students, setting up of community centres in migrant camps, working women's hostels in Noida, employment of educated youth, conducting meetings with State Government and Central Government Ministers, emphasising the need to meet the basic human requirements of the displaced persons, improvement of living conditions in camps and so on and so forth, were initiated. Assistance to Displaced Persons
General financial assistance on medical grounds, foster care of children who had lost either of their parents or whose parents were not in a position to look after their children, were arranged, apart from extending scholarships to needy displaced students, undergoing technical and professional courses. Shri Kaul gave a new direction and leadership to the social, cultural and political fronts, in continuing the existing self-help schemes.
Shri Kaul initiated new programmes and projects towards improving the living conditions of the internally displaced persons, inter-alia taking up our traditional atherot programme and to raise the necessary funds through mochi fol, for future community development, socially, economically, politically and culturally.
Awards
The services of Shri Kaul, were recognized both in India and abroad, leading to various awards and honours being conferred upon him.
Mention may be made of a few awards: (1) Rajiv Gandhi National Manav Sewa Award 1999, (11) GD Birla Award instituted in the fond memory of late Shri GD Birla, the doyen of industrialization in India, (ii) Life time Award for Social Service Year-2000, (iv) Padma Shri Award by Government of India-Year 2000, (v) National Award for Child Welfare 2003-2004) by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
(The writer is the former Education Officer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, former General Secretary of AIKS and former Secretary of the AIKS Trust)
Shri C.L. Sadhu, founder member, AIKS Trust, writes: The demise of Shri Kaul is a perennial loss to the KP Community especially displaced Pandit Community in camps/non-camps at Jammu/Delhi and elsewhere. Papaji, together with his dedicated team at AIKS worked relentlessly for the rehabilitation of the beleaguered exiled community in distress. Many projects were undertaken with local initiatives in camps setting up community halls/places of worship/ sulabs and providing for vocational courses, organising and conducting computer training to our large displaced unemployed KPO youths at Helmut Kutin Centre and SOS campus, Faridabad, later arranging their logistics, placements and follow-up in many reputed national and multinational concerns. Let us all join together and pray that his noble atman remains in the heavenly abode with peace and tranquillity,
Shri Puran Patwari, who worked as General Secretary of the Kashmiri Sewak Samaj, Faridabad for six years, writes: Papaji had a tremendous love, affection, respect and regard for the members of the community. He believed in the maintenance of the transparency in the affairs of the Samaj and advised, "Transparency and Honesty should be felt and seen as well!" He believed in team work, and would nominate three to four members for every team, so that more and more members are involved, thorough discussions are held and transparency is maintained. He would always say, "being honest is not enough, one should be seen as honest".
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Courtesy:- L.C. Kaul and January 2009 Koshur Samachar