Philanthropy in Kashmiri Pandit Community

Spirit of Giving

Google describes the word ‘Philanthropy’ as “the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes.” 

Likewise, the 'spirit of giving' is what you choose to do for others without expecting anything in return. It may apply to those who are in a position to help. What you could do could be some monetary help, a gift, or volunteer to help that may not have any monetary value. It is about easing the pain and suffering of a fellow human being.

Philanthropy and the ‘spirit of giving’ are fundamental requirements of practicing several faiths, but the actual practice are largely absent among Hindus, and Kashmiri Pandits are no exception. We do indeed donate to ashrams, temples and performs hawans but only to curry favors from God. Other religions, such as Islam, Christianity and Sikhism to name a few, have charities to which their faithful donate on a regular basis. 

When I attended CMS Tyndale Biscoe school between the years 1973 and 1975, the class monitor in each and every classroom collected money from the students on a daily basis for ‘Poor Fund’. This was announced during morning prayers once every week as to who collected the most for the previous week. It was a matter of pride and honor if your class grade was announced. Needless to say, there was fierce competition between various grades to stand first and be mentioned. We never asked as to what happened to the ‘poor fund’ and we assumed any money collected was later distributed among the needy and the poor, especially in far-flung areas of Kashmir. This ‘spirit of giving’ was inculcated in each one of us at an impressionable age. It is a good habit that stays with you for the rest of your life.

With our community at crossroads soon after its forced exodus from their homes and hearths in Kashmir in 1990, with educational and medical needs, KOA decided to swing into action. Thus the ‘spirit of giving’ was kindled in most of us who wanted to help. Some of us, including myself, feel fortunate to have left Kashmir on our own terms before hell broke loose in Kashmir. This was the time to give back to the community in need. KOA got some programs board-approved that enabled KOA members to donate on a regular basis to such programs. Without their contributions, none of this would have been possible. I feel so proud of the KOA members that donated, and still are donating. 

It is this ‘spirit of giving’ act that has to be inculcated in our India-based KPs, especially those who are well-to-do, thanks to a lot of academic opportunities outside Kashmir that coincided with professional opportunities due to economic liberalization in the early 1990s. Maa Saraswati has always been kind to us, but Maa Laxmi has been kind to only some. To be grateful to Maa Laxmi, it is high time for these KPs to come forward and contribute whatever their 'yatha-shakti' allows them  - perhaps to build an educational institution, and/or a proper medical facility somewhere in India where there are clusters of KPs. There’s only so much that the overseas KPs - that may represent less than 5% of the total KP population - can do after all. It is a thought process that has to be tweaked about the perceptions of overseas KPs somehow doing better than their India-based counterparts. Overseas KPs have their own needs and set of challenges - put their kids through college, cover for ever rising medical costs, and for their organizations such as KOA to build a community center, give scholarships to kids going to US colleges, and a whole suite of things. After all, we have made our homes outside India, and our kids are not going back to live in India, especially Kashmir. India-based KPs need to demand more of their associations and representatives, contribute to their programs to have less dependence on foreign funds. Don’t underestimate the ‘donor fatigue’ factor. It is high time for these organizations to spend less time on photo-ops and give press-releases. Three decades of doing this is enough.