Posted by admin in Pratibimb Blog
Monday, 25 January 2010 13:12
Today, 25th January, is the second death anniversary of the doyen of intercaste marriage movement in Maharashtra, late Mr Raghunath aka Appa Redij.
Appa Redij was working tirelessly till the last days of his life for “intercaste marriage”. The promotion and spreading this thought of intercaste marriage of his life-mission and the work he did for this unusual but worth social cause was just remarkable. We find a lot young couples marrying out of caste today, but those were the days, some 30 years back, when the married couples used to be lone, helpless and without any support because of the rejection by their parents and society because they married out of caste. (Still today, the caste plays fundamental role in marriage and the other important aspects are ignored, matchmaking today is still caste-matching). He started on this mission when he retired and instead of enjoying with grand children and family he worked day and night till his last breath. He never got much of the support or appreciation from the fellow progressive social movements of Maharashtra. But we carried on, spending from his pocket and arranging matches for all those like his own children.
His contribution to the society must be remembered. He used to move all around in spite his old age not worrying about his age. He used to arrange programmes, get-togethers, meet families of those married, take help of renowned social activists and ask them to write letters of support & we, very few of us who used to work with him, always envisaging this social movement reach the nooks and corners of our state and country.
He started an organization of all those who got married through Sugava Mishra Vivah Mandal, their families & named it as “Sugava Parivar”. All those who believe in this social cause and wish that caste should not be main criteria in match-making, were also part of this Sugava Parivar. He was head of this big family of young families, well-wishers. Sugava Parivar was instrumental in many of nice initiatives in progressive social movements in Maharashtra. As a member of this Sugava Parivar, I thought it as my duty to record all those past programmes, past events and past initiatives on net, so that the new generation comes to know about the life of Appa Redij.
On the second death anniversary of Late Appa Redij, I proudly announce the publishing of blog of Sugava Parivar, a blog related to Sugava Parivar events, programmes.
Please visit www.pratibimb.info/sugava, please be member of the blog to be part of this growing Parivar.
Posted by admin in Personal Blog
Sunday, 24 January 2010 14:20
आज २५ जानेवारी, आप्पा उर्फ रघुनाथ रेडीज यांची आज दुसरी पुण्यतिथी !
आयुष्याच्या शेवटच्या दिवसांपर्यंत “आंतरजातीय लग्न” या एका ध्येयाशी अविचल राह्यलेली ही व्यक्ती महाराष्ट्रातील सामाजिक परिवर्तनाच्या चळवळीत एक अविस्मरणीय युग होय. सामाजिक चळवळीला त्यांनी जे योगदान दिले आहे, त्याची महाराष्ट्राने जेवढी घ्यावी तेवढी घेतली नाही, ही खेदाची बाब आहे. आज महाराष्ट्र सरकार आंतरजातीय विवाह करणा-या दांपत्याला रू.५०००० इतकी रक्कम बक्षिस म्हणून देते, पण पुरोगामी महाराष्ट्रात आंतरजातीय विवाह व्हावेत म्हंणून जवळपास २५ वर्षे आपल्या निवडक सहका-यांसह तन – मन – धन अर्पून, खिशातील पैसा खर्चून, एखादा वधू-पिता जशा चपला झिजवतो, त्याप्रमाणे आप्पा आमची लग्नं जुळविण्यासाठी तहान भूक विसरून दिवस रात्र एक करीत होते.
माझं आणि माझ्या सारख्या काहीजणांची अशक्य वाटणारी लग्नं त्यांनी जुळविली, हा एक चमत्कारच मानायला हवा, लग्न जुळविण्याबरोबरच सर्वांशी सतत संपर्क ठेवणे, कुटुंबातील विरोध कमी होत दोन कुटुंबाचं मिलन होईल हे पाहणे, मेळावे – स्नेह-संमेलने भरविणे, शक्य तिथे किंवा मिळेल त्या व्यासपीठावर या संकल्पनेचा प्रचार करणे, सामाजिक कार्यकर्त्यांकडून विवाह-अर्ज भरून घेणे, तब्येतीची, उन, पाऊस, वा-यांची पर्वा न करता, मुंबईचा लोकल प्रवास करीत लोकांना भेटत राहणे, सर्वांना पत्र लिहीत राहणे…हे आम्ही पाहत होतो आणि ही चळवळ महाराष्ट्रभरात पोहचेल तेंव्हा त्यांच्या जीवाला शांती लाभेल असं आम्हाला वाटत राही.
ज्यांची आंतरजातीय लग्ने झाली आहेत, असे तरूण-तरूणी, व हा विचार ज्यांना मान्य आहे, असे हितचिंतक यांचा सर्वांचा मिळून अशा मोठ्या परिवाराचे ते कुटुंब प्रमुख होते. हा सुगावा परिवार त्यांनी मोठ्या मेहनतीने घडविला, त्या सुगावा परिवाराने काय काय केले, याची नोंद या निमित्ताने घ्यावी व सगळ्यापर्यंत पोहचवावी, असं माझ्या मनात होते. आज त्यांच्या दुस-या पुण्यतिथीच्या निमित्ताने त्यांच्या आणि आमच्या सुगावा परिवाराचा प्रवास जेवढा शक्य होता तेवढा आज आंतरजालावर प्रसिद्ध करायला मला खूप आनंद होत आहे. आज सुगावा परिवाराची माहिती देणारा व आप्पा रेडीज यांच्या कार्यावर प्रकाशझोत टाकणारा ब्लॉग प्रसिद्ध करायला मला खूप आनंद होत आहे. अजून ब-याच जुन्या गोष्टी, लेख, कार्यक्रमाची माहिती यावर टाकली जाईल, आपल्या सूचना जरूर कळवा. ब्लॉगवर सदस्य व्हा.
Posted by admin in Pratibimb Blog
Tuesday, 12 January 2010 19:37
Government of Maharashtra : Times of India : 12-01-2010
Maharashtra government has decided to gift Rs 50,000 to a couple opting for inter-caste marriage. The state cabinet on Tuesday took the decision with the view to abolish caste system in the state by encouraging inter-caste marriages, an official from CMO said. Earlier, the amount was Rs 15,000, he added.
The government would give a cheque of Rs 20,000 and invest Rs 25,000 in postal savings scheme, Indira Vikas Patra, in the name of the couple. The remaining amount would be given in form of marriage expenditure or household things, the official said.
The government has been implementing the scheme from 1958 and 50 per cent of the fund is given by the Centre.
Government of Uttar Pradesh : Times of India : 05-10-2009
Uttar Pradesh government will give cash incentive and interest-free loan to couples opting for inter-caste or inter-religion marriages to set up cottage industries, a national integration departemnt spokesman said here on Monday.
“On application, such couples may get interest-free loan of upto Rs 15,000 subject to approval by the district industries centre,” he said.
The loan sanctioned will be payable after a period of two years in 10 equal half-yearly installments.
“Such couples will also get a cash reward of Rs 10,000 and a medal,” the spokesman said.
