By TwoCircles.net Staff Writer,
New Delhi: Impressive – the word will sum up the report card of activities in January-May 2010 of Delhi-based Human Welfare Foundation to uplift the Muslim community in the country. During the period HWF opened Vision Institute of Technology, conducted two mass marriages and adopted a blind family who had sought permission for mercy killing, and did a lot more.
Some of the important activities of HWF under its multi-billion rupees VISION – 2016 Project during the four-month period are:
*Inauguration Vision Institute Of Technology (VIT) — a vocational technical school in Assam
*Holding of two mass marriage programs in Assam and Bihar
*Adoption of a blind family of 7 members in UP, who had applied for Mercy Killing
*Establishment of a national level NGO “Sahulat” to work in the field of Microfinance
In the period of four months – from January to May 2010, Human Welfare Foundation, according to its report card released today, did a lot of work for social, economic and educational uplift of the Muslim community – mostly in North India.
HWF General Secretary Prof. K. A. Siddique Hassan inaugurated a new vocational technical school called Vision Institute of Technology (VIT) in Rampur, Assam on 31st May 2010. “The Institute is being managed by Insan Welfare Society, Rampur. At present two trades like Computer Training and Dress Making and Fashion Designing will be imparted,” says the HWF report. Meanwhile, classes commenced from January 2010 in other two vocational technical schools –One in Malda, West Bengal, which was inaugurated in December 2009, another is Falah Vocational Training Centre at Bilariya Ganj, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, which was inaugurated on 11th February 2010.
Moved by media reports about an Uttar Pradesh blind family seeking mercy killing permission from the President of India, a delegation of HWF rushed to Mau district in Uttar Pradesh and adopted the blind family which was fed up with their poverty and the burden of their five blind children. The family had sought permission for mercy killing for their entire family. “A delegation of Vision 2016 visited the affected family members and assured them to fulfill their basic requirements. The family is being provided with regular monthly support.”
The NGO conducted two mass marriages in Assam and Bihar. Mass Marriage of 95 couples from different rural places of Assam was solemnized on 30th May 2010 at Manisha Marriage Hall, Guwahati under the aegis of Human Welfare Foundation and Assam Falah Society. In the programme dignitaries like Dr. Nazrul Islam, Minister, Minority Affairs and Civil Supply, Mr. Akon Bora, MLA and former president, AGP, Mr. Abdul Khaliq, MLA, Assam, Prof. K. A. Siddique Hassan, General Secretary, Human Welfare Foundation, were present.
Similarly, HWF organized a mass marriage program for Kosi Flood affected people in Bihar as 66 pairs including 6 non-Muslims tied their knots in a grand function organized in Araria district on 22nd January 2010.
Taking a big initiative, HWF established a national level NGO “Sahulat” to work in the field of Microfinance in March. A meeting of the “desirous” Sponsors of the NGO on Interest-free Microfinance was held in New Delhi on 28th March, 2010. Twenty one eminent persons from ten states (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi) attended the meet.
After detailed discussion and deliberations on issues relating to socio-economic upliftment of poor mass, it was unanimously resolved to launch a national NGO to be registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, in the name of “Sahulat Microfinance Society”.
The Society shall be established to provide interest-free micro-finance options for removing socio-economic disparities and to achieve justice and equity for educationally and financially backward sections of the public at large.
A five year Perspective Plan and estimated cost has been approved. As per the projected plan, during the next five years, it proposes 500 cooperative units to provide micro-credits to about 7.7 lacs poor families for micro-enterprisers.
Besides, HWF gave second installment of HWF Merit Scholarship in various states. About 300 students from North India were provided Merit Scholarship. In addition to this, during the period of January to March 2010, a total of 824 students were provided with Financial Help on the basis of need for pursuing post matriculation, under graduate and post graduate degrees in different disciplines of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Vision 2016 was launched by HWF a few years back in the wake of the Sachar Committee revelation about Muslims, and it has since worked on various projects for social, economic and educational development of Muslim community in India.
Website: http://vision2016.org.in/
Email: [email protected]