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Not just crackers and sweets

Spread some cheer this festive season to those who are less privileged. RENUKA VIJAY KUMAR finds out what people in the city are doing

CELEBRATIONS Happiness also comes by doing some charity

Deepavali and Eid are usually associated with fasting, feasting and celebrations but the spiritual side is often ignored. Besides being a season of cheer, it is also a season of giving, a religiously ordained task. And the celebrations are as much about you and your family, as they are about sharing. There are many people in the city who make it a point to do their bit during the festival season, and this year, we tracked a few people from the city who lead the way.

Dr. Mukteshwar Rao, an anaesthesiologist at Gandhi Hospital is a philanthropist as well. "I usually collect old and new clothes from friends as well as relatives and give them to orphanages." The institute he donates to in the city include Sai Dhamam, Vasalya Sridhan, Vaidehi Ashram and a tribal district in Chintur, a place 60 kilometres from Bhadrachalam. Last month alone, Dr. Mukteshwar sent 100 blankets to Chintur.

Fatima does her bit by donating for the babies housed at Nirmal Hriday. At this institution, opposite the Clock Tower in Secunderbad, Fatima donates clothes, soaps and even food items for the young ones.

Businessman Fauzan Khan's family donates clothes, money and even bags of rice and dal. He explains, "The order of preference for giving is first to lesser off relatives, then to people working in the house and then to other poor people. This is a part of Zakat done during Ramzan."

Others like Sunita Giridhar, Principal Consultant of a HR firm like to play down the celebrations and use that money to feed one meal to children at an orphanage or residents of an old age home. "This is even done when there are birthdays in my family. When it comes to donating clothes, whether new or old, there is no particular occasion."

Parthasarathy, a retired businessman also donates a nominal amount every year during this season.

Karmayog.com, a website that serves as a platform for over 3000 NGOs across the country is also encouraging people to donate surplus books, toys, clothes, furniture and the like to orphanages, old age home and other charitable institutions. Vinay Somani, of Karmayog says that people can list availability of their time, talents, materials, services and even funds. "Karmayog also provides a platform for you to share your work, ideas and concerns via a discussion group of over 5000 members," he says.

Lending a helping hand doesn't need a specific time or an occasion, but if you need an excuse, use this festive season as yours.

Sad side of charity

If the givers multiply, so do the takers. Drive down to the old city, this season of Zakat that blends into Diwali and Christmas and you can see sure signs of the sad effects of charity. Able men, women and children panhandling: Near places of worship, restaurants, cloth shops and damn nearly everywhere.

As the season of charity gets into full swing, the competition to get alms reaches manic proportions.

Outside a hosiery shop in General Baazar a woman comes cradling a small baby. "Give me clothes for the little one, last year you gave. No, no I don't want money, give me clothes," is the insistent line of the woman.

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