Gaumukhi Sewa Dham has shown 40 villages the path to development

Deopahari is a small village situated about 40 km away from Korba city in Korba District of Chhattisgarh. Eighteen years ago reaching Deopahari was like ascending Himalayas. To reach this village one had to trek three valleys which would often take two days. Not only Deopahari but other forty villages of District Korba, like Lemru, Didasarai, Jatatad,etc. all had the same story of non-availability of road connectivity or any other means of transport. These villages neither had a school nor medical facilities for miles together. Patients of these tribes were totally on mercy of God. Electricity was a far cry and is still not available, though efforts are going on. The livelihood of these tribes of Birhor, Korva, Kanwar was totally dependent on forest produce. On top of it, the atrocities of Naxalites have made life even more difficult. Even harvested crops were snatched away by force. 

As there is always dawn after dark, a few local Swayamsevaks (Social Workers) of RSS accepted the challenge of bringing these tribes into mainstream society. Motivated by Shri Nanaji Deshmukh, these Swayamsevaks have established a foundation ‘Gaumukhi Sewadham’ in Deopahari on 15th September 2000. A plan was developed for the development of these villages with Deopahari as the focal point. Enthusiastic workers like Shri Banwarilal Agrawal, Kishor Butolia, Dr. Dhruv Bannerji,P.N.Sharma and Indu didi have decided to commit a few years of their life for development of these forty villages. The foundation has urged these tribals to shift from ‘Jhoom Kheti’ (shifting cultivation) to modern farming and also taught them measures to increase their income. They also opened school for their children and hospitals for their patients. Suitable skill training was imparted to youth and women were taught to live a life of self esteem.  

Earlier, the Sarpanch (headman) of Jatatad village, Shri Amratlal Rathia could not succeed in opening even a primary school in his village despite tireless efforts. The situation was so bad that it was difficult to get even a glimpse of the teacher of school in nearby village. However, under changed circumstances when his son Gyan Rathia received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Raipur, he first went to the office of ‘Sewadham Foundation’ with a packet of sweets to illustrate his gratitude. Amratlal ji is one those persons who have seen the Sewadham workers working with utmost devotion and commitment under extraordinary circumstances. ‘Eklavya School’ run by Sewadham has provided education to hundreds of students like Gyan Rathia and paved their way for progress. Even today, three hundred students are residing in the hostel of this school appropriately named  ‘Mamatva Mandir’. The total number of students who have received education in this school is more than one thousand.

The foundation is also successful in kindling the passion for social service in the heart of students. Shri Purushottam Urawan, who was also student of this school is now the principal and is engaged in promoting and educating students like him.  Take the case of Dr. Devashish Mishra and his wife Dr. Sarita. The local population reveres them like God. In a small hospital situated deep inside the forest this couple has saved hundreds of lives in last sixteen years. Every year free medicines worth lakhs of Rupees are made available by this hospital. A swayamsevak and Secretary of the foundation Shri Gopal Agrawal informed that earlier the patients were brought to the hospital either on bed stead or Bicycle but now hospital ambulance is available round the clock. A medical camp is organized every fifteen days, in nearby villages. This has resolved the problem of malnourishment to a great extent and reduced the infant and puerperal mortality rate.

The uniqueness of the Gaumukhi Sewadham is their power generating station. They are generating electricity by the construction of a dam across river Chorai and installing a hydroelectric plant of five-kilo watts capacity. Though this area is still devoid of electricity and Telephone lines, the power generated by this plant illuminates the hospital, hostel and houses of full-time workers. According to the president of the foundation Indu didi, “ Sewadham has prevented the tormented people from adopting the path of Naxalism by providing them a life of self-sufficiency and happiness, thus precluded conversion of Koraba into another Bastar (The bastion of Naxalite movement).”

As narrated by Shri Gopal Agrawal 

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