“BAHAR”- An imaginative, creative and poetic journey of people with lived experience of Mental illness.
Ten News Network
New Delhi (25/07/22): An inspiring initiative taken by Eklavya Foundation , Pune for mental health awareness .
Inviting people with mental illness, their families and mental health professionals to send their poems from all over Maharashtra. A panel of experts will select the poems and an E-booklet will be published.
The main objective behind this innovative step is to create a general awakening in people suffering from mental health problems and to give a platform for sharing and proper guidance to them in order to get back into the normal life after the recovery phase, as they are yet to be integrated with their families and society .
Health conditions like Depression, Anxiety, etc have been noticed mostly in young generation is due the problems of modern life such as change in lifestyle, changing family structure, Cutthroat compitition everywhere, excessive work pressure etc. These are some common disorders for which stress reducing solutions are yet to be instituted in social and educational structure, said renowned mental health Activist Dr. Anil Vartak.
He also spoke about his recently published book named ‘MANASIK AAJARATUN SAWARTANA..’ based on his personal experience. ‘I published this book so that I can inspire several successful cases of recovery infront of the society and thereby expect an institutional change. Unfortunately, there is no such intitiative taken to promote mental health structurally in schools , colleges and families . ‘BAHAR’ is Eklavya’s another initiative of same motive’, He added.
As a first step, 50 poems from members of Eklavya group were compiled. An anthology was published as a first step now we are inviting poems from all over Maharashtra which will add value to this initiative . Several Well known people and organisations are contributing and encouraging the patients to send their poems to the initiative. And There’s a great contribution by Dr. Bharat Watvani (Magsaysay award winner), Dr. Vasudev paralikar (Renowned psychiatrist) and Dr. Sunil Sukthankar (Producer and Director) in this initiative.
Dr. Anil Vartak says ” Bahar is actually a team effort. Along with me Mrs. Smita Godse, Secretary of Eklavya Foundation who has also contributed significantly. Compilation and editing of poems has been handled in a scholarly and artistic manner by students Purva Deshpande and Anuja Brahme. Chitralipi founder Kasturi Kulkarni and Shruti Karlekar considered the content, sentiments of each poem and drew appropriate pictures and enhanced the beauty of this issue.These four students are studying in the second year in the psychology department of Sir Parashuram Bhau College, Pune.
An E-book launching ceremony of “BAHAR” took place on 16th of July 2022, at 6 pm via Virtual platform (Google meet)
The guests of honor of the meet were Dr. Sanad Pawar (Psychiatrist, Sangli), Mr. Sachin Dolse (Aanandi counselling center, Yavatmal), Dr. Kalindi Ranbhare (Professor in cyber college and Manspandan Institution, Kolhapur), Mr. Pramod Konkar (weekly konkan media, Ratnagiri), Mr. Viren Rajput (Connecting, pune), Mr. Rajesh Alone ( S.F positive mental health institute, pune, Prayas Multipurpose Development institute, Amravati), Mr Nagesh Madeshi (Director of Hope foundation Sironcha, Gadchiroli), Mr. Chandrahas Kulkarni, Pune (Donor and social worker). Shri Gajanan Mali , Founder , TEN NEWS NETWORK who was the special invitee , assured its contribution in promoting mental health campaigns of his Economics Professor Dr Anil Vartak and Eklavya Foundation.
