Launch of Delhi Chapter adds another feather in the cap for Sarbat Da Bhala

Sarbat Da Bhala, the International Charitable Organization recently launched its Delhi Chapter in a glittering ceremony in Hotel Best Western Taurus, New Delhi. “Sarbat Da Bhala” implying welfare of mankind, has been doing philanthropic work in states of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.

SP Singh Oberoi, the Dubai based Managing Trustee of the renowned charitable Trust and a renowned philanthropist flew in specially to be part of the launch event. Kanwarjeet Singh Kochhar was unanimously chosen as the president of the Delhi Chapter of Sarbat Da Bhala, while Gagandeep Singh Ahuja was given the responsibility of the general secretary. Eminent educationist and environmental scientist of the country Prof Priya Ranjan Trivedi was chosen the Chairman of the new wing while former chief Justice (retd) VK Gupta was chosen as the chief patron of the Delhi Chapter. The launch event saw an impressive gathering of distinguished personalities that included the likes of Dr Lokesh Muni, global pioneer of holistic medicine Dr RK Tuli, Director, Indian Express Group Harcharan Singh, vice president of Association of Greater Noida Industries Aditya Ghildyal, Tennews.in founder Gajanan Mali, noted social activist Sudha Sharma.

While sharing details about his Charitable Trust, SP Singh Oberoi elucidated at length on the various charity works that his organization had been doing since the past many years for rehabilitation of destitutes, widows, and children from the under privileged segments of the society. He narrated the story of blood money that he gave for saving the lives of 58 Indian boys that were handed the death sentence by a Sharjah Court, and how this initiative inspired him to launch a Sarbat Da Bhala Memorial Trust. Oberoi shared details about his monthly pension schemes for the economically weaker segments, and how he had been working for the education of the girl child and skill development. As the audience evinced a keen desire to know more about the man behind the Sarbat Da Bhala movement, Oberoi shares, “From a humble beginning, I rose to become the chairman of Apex Group of Companies. However, it would be unfair to attribute my success to mere hard work, as indulgence in philanthropic activities has had a great role to play in my success. As a young man, I harboured this colossal desire to heal the world and see distressed people leading a more qualitative life. It’s an overwhelming feeling when one is instrumental in bringing a cheer on the face of the distressed and the despondents. Nothing beats the euphoria when our team of like minded beings are able to become the source of joy and happiness for those in pain and suffering. My life acquired an altogether new dimension ever since I decided to dedicate myself to the service of the under privileged strata of society. With passage of time, my philanthropic desire has grown manifold. Life’s been extremely kind to me, which is what motivated me to dedicate an important phase of my life towards the burning society issues.  Our Trust has been involved in organizing lot of community marriages. Playing your ‘Karma’ is important which is why I have incessantly volunteered myself for the noble causes such as building old age homes, advising family planning measures to illiterates, and ensuring little girls actually avail of the free, compulsory education. Our Trust has plans to adopt few poor villages, and turn things around for them. While we may have accomplished few milestones, there are still miles to go as myriads of problems still remain unresolved.”

Dubai based businessman SP Singh Oberoi needs no introduction thanks to myriads of social welfare causes that he has been associated with in the last 30 years or so. His altruistic acts of charity and nobility have always been low profile as a policy, but they have effectively managed to strike a resonance with the distraught ones. From delivering motivational and comforting speeches to distributing blankets, food items, books and clothes among the destitute, forlorn old folks, blind kids and orphan girls, he has been a hero for all such hapless beings thanks to his humanitarian gestures from time to time.

The five core issues that he has been relentlessly pursuing since last many years have been ‘education for special children’, ‘jail reforms’, ‘monthly aids and medicines to economically weak persons’, saving human lives, and organizing regular medical camps. For his exemplary contribution in the field of social work, and especially education for the underprivileged segments, he has been felicitated and honoured many a times.

Lauding the efforts of Sarbat Da Bhala and Oberoi, Dr RK Tuli remarked, “SP Singh Oberoi is a true divine emissary who has etched his names in the books of history on the basis of his extraordinary accomplishments. Much akin to the scanty drop of water, that either has the option of falling on a leaf of lotus or getting lost in big lake, Oberoi too has shone like a pearl because he has always been the master of his destiny. He has dedicated a lifetime to social welfare works. The world is his oyster. Be it the ever so pertinent issue of girl child, women empowerment, or giving monthly support to NGOs, Oberoi has been at the helm playing a sheet anchor role in helping people in distress.”

In his keynote address titled ‘Grassroot Level Development through Charity’, Prof Priya Ranjan Trivedi who is also the president of Confederation of Indian Universities (CIU) said, “It is yet another golden milestone for Sarbat Da Bhala as it launches the Delhi Chapter. Delhi being the capital city, it will help the office bearers and the volunteers to effectively carry forward the noble works and the rich legacy of philanthropist Oberoi who has dedicated a lifetime towards the cause of helping and redeeming people in distress. His only religion is humanity, and he stands pledged in the service of mankind till eternity. Kudos to him and his organization. As the president and plenipotentiary of CIU, we not only hail the decision of the Sarbat Da Bhala Trust to open a new university for special children, but also pledge all our intellectual support and expertise for this larger than life cause. The relief work undertaken by Sarbat Da Bhala in J &K is extremely praiseworthy, and I am sure will inspire countless of organizations to indulge in such altruistic causes. Crusaders like Oberoi are role models for the society as they are ‘Bhagidars’ in the development process of their locality, city, and nation as a whole. I would urge him to devote time towards revamping the sanitation facilities in girl schools, so as to check their dropout ratio. If their Trust can spare some time and funds for building new toilets in girl’s schools, or revamping the existing dysfunctional ones, they would be doing a great humanitarian service as it would help retain girl strength of the school. Though the government is working out a modality for the corporates to contribute towards building new toilets, or revamping the decrepit ones, I strongly believe that it is the work on ‘ground zero’ which will eventually yield the results. I feel Trusts like Sarbat Da Bhala (SDB) along with autonomous organizations such as CIU can play a pivotal role in realizing the first year target plans of the Modi government. Since the new government at the Centre is giving colossal importance to the issue of building new toilets for girl schools, CIU and SDB can collaborate in the ‘Toilet Project’ from the cradle to the grave stage.”

Newly chosen president of the Delhi Chapter Kanwarjeet Singh Kochhar said, “The office bearers of the Delhi Chapter might hail from different backgrounds, but compassion for humanity is what unifies all of them. Our only mission is to make a sincere efforts to the pertinent issues concerning the society.”