Amidst scenes of chaos and mayhem, a Madrasa called Darul Ulum Imam Ahmed Raza in Kondivare, Ratnagiri, located 30-35 km from Chiplun and 100-150 km from Mahad in Maharashtra, offered its space to flood affected people. Named as Jani Miya Relief Center after the founder of the Madrasa, Ismail Ahmed Jani Miya, the centre offered relief, aid and succor to the affected people. One of its kind, the relief centre transformed the space of the university prayer hall, spanning across an area of 126×80 sq feet, into a makeshift mall where items of sustenance and daily use – starting from a hair comb to mattresses and ration were provided free of cost.
Nikita D | TwoCircles.net
MAHARASHTRA – The districts of Ratnagiri and Raigad in Maharashtra were centres of a severe flood that hit the Konkan region on July 22. The worst-hit was Chiplun in Ratnagiri and Mahad in Raigad. The region, which is surrounded by the Sahyadri hills and two rivers Vashishthi and Shiv, is prone to flooding. This year the flooding occurred at an unprecedented level, aggravated by the over-flowing of the Koyna dam whose water regularly arrives at a reservoir close to Chiplun.
Talking to TwoCircles.net, Pankaj Dalwi, an environmentalist working in the Konkan said there are other factors such as extensive deforestation and poor urban planning as the cause of growing calamities.
A jarring example of a 21st-century man-made disaster, the flooding caused massive damage in terms of human life and livelihood. Hundreds of people in affected areas died (at least 209 deaths according to an Al- Jazeera report), thousands got displaced and entire villages and roads were turned into layers of debris and mud.
Amidst scenes of chaos and mayhem, a Madrasa called Darul Ulum Imam Ahmed Raza in Kondivare, Ratnagiri, located 30-35 km from Chiplun and 100-150 km from Mahad, offered its space to flood affected people. Named as Jani Miya Relief Center after the founder of the Madrasa, Ismail Ahmed Jani Miya, the centre offered relief, aid and succor to the affected people. One of its kind, the relief centre transformed the space of the university prayer hall, spanning across an area of 126×80 sq feet, into a makeshift mall where items of sustenance and daily use – starting from a hair comb to mattresses and ration were provided free of cost.
The flood had left entire communities without basic items of survival and the provisions provided by the relief centre were crucial for the survival of the affected community.
The members of the Madrasa undertook the mammoth task of providing a lifeline to the affected even if that meant working day and night, in rain or in cold.
TwoCircles.net spoke to fifty-year-old Qazi Mohammed Abdul Rahim Maqbooli, an important member of the Madrasa, about how they organized a centralized system of distribution.
Talking about how it all started, he said, “We first started distributing small ration kits and other essential items through a coupon system. Our volunteers visited each house, looked at the condition of the house, the number of family members in the household and issued coupons accordingly. These coupons were to be brought to the mall for receiving the provisions. Impressed by our fair and efficient system of distribution, trusts and NGOs providing relief from areas like Mumbai, Nasik, Malegaon, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bhiwandi and many more started sending all kinds of items from combs, buckets, flex sheets, blankets, cylinders, stove, utensils, and so on to our mall. The mall became the distribution point for all items big and small,” he said.
The arrangements included well-thought-out needs of different members of the community of afflicted people. “We even gave out the special essentials required by women, old people, and babies including pads, diapers, small blankets for infants and so on,” Qazi told TwoCircles.net.
When asked about the challenges faced by the volunteer team in its operation, Qazi said that, “Sometimes people turned up without coupon. We didn’t want to turn them down and send them empty-handed. So we gave them basic ration kits with food essentials. We wanted to make sure that at least 1000-2000 rupees worth of goods is given to everyone.”
The Madrasa did not restrict itself to setting up the mall and distributing goods. They hired buses and drivers to drive people from their houses to the mall and back. “Our volunteers helped people load the bus with their goods that drove them and sometimes, all the way to Mahad, which is at least 100 kilometres away. Sometimes, we also delivered mattresses and other heavy items to the doorstep of the affected houses.”
The Madrasa sent out an appeal for help and mobilized a strong volunteer base of people of all ages from the nearby villages.
Qazi recalls that what was especially striking was the enthusiasm with which young volunteers and students of madrasa served the community. “This is what we teach our students in the school – to help everyone and work for the public good. My brother, Mufti Qazi Muhammed Ibrahim Maqbooli, who is also the principal of the school, and I provide free education and necessary items such as bags, stationery, books etc. free of cost to all our students.”
“At the Madrasa, we believe in serving humanity no matter what religion a person belongs to. Some Hindus in the area were hesitant about whether they will also receive the relief goods or not. We went to their houses to reassure them that we served everyone irrespective of religion,” Qazi said.
Talking about his motivation in serving the public, Qazi said, “Our parents always taught us to serve people. My father is bedridden and needs constant support and care. Despite this, all members of my family gave all their time to relief work. Last year, when the cyclone devastated thousands of homes in Konkan and there was no electricity for 3 months, we distributed ration kits to all affected areas. To me, the message of our faith is to love, share and view everyone with equality.”
What stands out in this brave example of relief work is not the generosity and benevolence of a charitable institution, but the humility and empathy of people who understand what it means to live in human society. Through their exemplary action, the people of the Madrasa and the volunteers of the region showed what it means to truly care and serve the people by opening up their spaces, giving their valuable time and providing labour for the welfare of a disaster-struck community.