To bring forth the C20 Samajashala on Sewa, Indian Social Responsibility Network (ISRN) joined hands with Apeejay Education. The event took place at the auditorium of Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park, in New Delhi. The aim was to raise awareness about creating a world where every individual has a sense of service and selfless love for each other, making us one big family. The programme was attended by eminent academicians, government functionaries, civil society members, teachers and students.
The distinguished guests included Amb. Vijay K Nambiar, the Civil20India2023 Sherpa (Principal Coordinator), Mrs Sushma Paul, Chairperson of Apeejay Education, Professor DP Singh, a former Vice-Chancellor who has served as the Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) and currently serving as Education Advisor to the Chief Minister of UP, Dr (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal, Dr Nitin Malik and Shri Gunjan Tripathi, Director, Medhaj Techno Concept Private Limited. The event was also graced by the presence of C20 Sous Sherpa Shri Kiran DM, Mr Santosh Gupta, National Coordinator of the C20 Sewa Working Group and CEO of ISRN and Mr Nishant Berlia Co-Promoter Apeejay Stya & Svran Group.
The distinguished guests had come together to present C20-Samajshala – a mega awareness endeavour under the umbrella of G20 – the intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that works to address major issues related to the global economy. The programme was broadcast live on all the pages of Apeejay Education and all its institutes.
Apeejay Education in its glorious history of more than five decades has always been known for its social commitment and values. The G20 tenant of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or One Earth, One Family, One Future is also an integral part of Apeejay Education’s belief in universal brotherhood. The theme of this – SEWA –Sense of Service, Philanthropy and Volunteerism – truly reflects the mission of Apeejay Education established in 1967 by the Late Dr Stya Paul, the inspiration behind all Apeejay educational institutes.
Retired Ambassador of India and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amb. Nambiar who has previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor to the Government of India, Head of the National Security Council Secretariat and India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, was the chief guest.
The guest of honour was Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia, Chairperson, Apeejay Education; Co-Founder and Chancellor, Apeejay Stya University; Chairperson and President, Apeejay Stya & Svran Group and Chairperson, Apeejay Stya Education Research Foundation.
The event began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Amb. Nambiar, Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia, Nishant Berlia, Dr (Prof) DP Singh, Dr Pankaj Mittal, Mr Santosh Gupta, Shri Jai Prakash Pandey, Shri Gunjan Tripathi and Shri Kiran DM amid the chants of Vakratunda Mahakaya by the students of Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park.
Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia felicitated Mr Nambiar, Prof Singh, and Dr Mittal. Mr Nishant Berlia was called upon to felicitate Mr Gupta, Shri Pandey, Shri Tripathi, and Shri Kiran DM. Amb. Nambiar then felicitated Mr Nishant Berlia.
Amb. Nambiar being feliciated by Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia
Mr Gupta, who is the India Coordinator of C20 Sewa Working Group and CEO of ISRN, giving the brief for the event said that after watching the inspirational short film on the life of the Late Dr Stya Paul, this was the best podium to host the C20 Samajshala. “This is the first time that I have had the honour of visiting an Apeejay school and I am confident that under the aegis of Mrs Sushma Paul and the entire team of Apeejay, the education society will grow from strength to strength. I, on behalf of ISRN, congratulate the entire team of Apeejay and everyone else who was instrumental in organising this event at such short notice,” Gupta said.
The objective of Civil20 is to facilitate how different civil societies can put forth their viewpoints. After discussion, these are then converted into policies to be presented at an event in July 2023. These will then be presented at G20 in September.
Setting the context of C20, Mr Gupta said that the idea behind C20-Samajshala is to encourage public participation and hold seminars and conferences on a particular theme – identify students or community leaders, make them ambassadors of C20 and then ask them to take the work of C20 to the field.
“Our objective is to globally establish the word SEWA since its meaning is very different from philanthropy and volunteerism. SEWA involves emotion – happiness. We endeavour to take this ‘sewa’ to people who have been denied the same. Those working in the education sector have the responsibility to ensure how we take this ‘sewa’ ahead. If we can incorporate ‘sewa’ in youth from the very beginning, they will be just as focused on people as well. This will not only help us build good educational institutes but also good human beings and a better world,” Gupta said.
Amb. Nambiar, who was the Deputy National Security Advisor to the Government of India and Head of the National Security Council Secretariat, said that he was incredibly charged by the energy in the room. “I am honoured to participate in the C20 Samajshala at the Apeejay School. I heard from Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia about the journey of her father, the Founder of this school. If there is any embodiment of ‘sewa’ it has to be Dr Stya Paul. I had heard of him and his contribution to the national freedom movement and subsequently an industrialist, a philanthropist, and an educationist. Today, I am honoured that I can breathe a bit of the air that surrounded him. Both Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia and her son have done so much in the field of education. I would like to talk about the Chair of C20 – Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamay, who in a sense embodies the principle and spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. She has literally embraced the whole world as her family,” Nambiar said.
In pursuing an active agenda this year, C20 under India’s Chair has ensured continuity as well as change; we call it the Osaka principle. There have been some issues that have come over the last 11 years in C20s across the world and there are some issues that India has decided to embrace to take into account where we feel we can contribute.
“This year, there are 11 engagement groups covering most of the areas like holistic health, information, environment, and digitisation to name a few. There are other issues like the protection of handicrafts and rural livelihoods are things that we (India) think we can push for international recognition and bring an Indian aspect of thinking on these to the world. We all know that ‘sewa’ has long been an integral part of Indian society, shaped by our tradition and value systems rooted in our religious and spiritual practices; it is a major part of our cultural community. The sewa bhav must emanate spontaneously from within each individual and be reflected in a practical commitment in each toward fellow citizens. I have always been impressed by the significant thrust of community services in our various communities. For example, the Guru Granth Sahab which enjoins every Sikh to do kar seva. As Swami Vivekananda said: ‘You have the power to give, so give willingly,” Nambiar said.
Mrs Sushma Paul Berlia addressed the dignitaries and other esteemed guests with Swami Vivekananda’s ‘Brothers and sisters’ and said, “We have been meeting at a time when we have been witnessing, in the last few years, extraordinary changes as well as disruptions around us. We have gone through COVID-19 and so much more but one thing has remained constant — we are still brothers and sisters under the skin. During the pandemic, more than any time in India, we were made aware including the entire world, of truly how interdependent we are – the oneness in what has been adopted by the C20 – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. That awareness is always there but we are not aware of the oneness of existence. Even Albert Einstein said: ‘Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile’. It truly brought home to us, what matters in life. Every breath made us conscious that we are still alive. We were struggling for breath, we were struggling for oxygen and the realisation was that no matter what kind of money, power, position and achievements we had, people were important in life,” Mrs Berlia said.
She said that she is indebted and privileged that we can have this sewa – the C20 programme. More than anything else, it is wonderful to know of the wonderful work being done, not just by the organisation but by C20 in the area of sewa. “It gives you more inspiration, rejuvenation, and re-energisation and the feeling that what we are trying to do and have been trying to do, we are not alone in this. As Santoshji (Mr Gupta) said, I love this idea of the diya because it expresses not only reaching out to help others but it inspires. Imagine how fast, how quickly the progression would take place. During COVID-19, when we were struggling at different levels, we are into pharmaceuticals apart from education and some other areas, I mention those because we were lucky that because of optimisation, resource building, and investment in technology, people, training, a culture of excellence, an innovative framework we were able to keep things on virtually and remain connected throughout the Covid period and have work done. ” Mrs Berlia said.
“But two things still come to my mind. One is the extraordinary way that people went out to do things for others. Even people who were working for us, in our pharmaceutical companies, the last person on the ground, our branches in distribution could have sat at home but they believed that it was their sewa, their duty, their responsibility to make sure that medicines were reaching on time to all those who needed them. When we were working together, we were often connected at all odd hours of the day with the only mantra – people could function even if everything didn’t. The things that we managed to do at that time, were with the thought that we are with each other and for each other,” she said.
During that time, Mrs Berlia said, one of the thoughts was that we would have to cut salaries and let a lot of people go – a lot of people volunteered to have their salaries cut. “We were all set to announce this in our companies and educational institutes. But when the time came to carry this out, I am very proud of my three children, Nishant, Aditya and Neha, who were part of this one thought – ‘You know what, we can’t do it’. The one overwhelming thought with us was that whatever we are today, is not because of my father (Dr Stya Paul) or me or any one of us, it is, over the years, the people who have worked together to bring us where we are today. Also in reflection, it was my father who came to our mind because he always taught us that we are only stewards of the wealth we create. There is a big difference between the concept of wealth and money. You create money for yourself and your family but it is also for people with whom you are connected,” Mrs Berlia said.
Today, she added, we talk about social responsibility. “Right from the beginning it was imbibed within us, in our DNA, that whatever you do whatever you earn, at least spend some on philanthropy. One did not talk about this. As Santoshji, put it so well, it is not something to be talked about. One is not doing anybody a favour by this act (of philanthropy). We are doing this as our life’s highest purpose, our deepest potential as human beings. It (philanthropy) has in a way, become the heart and mind of our organisation. We refer to it as the soul of our organisation. And therefore, it is not about being free in the evening and doing sewa or retiring and doing sewa; it is about – whatever work we do, wherever the opportunity arises how can we help someone? This is something that each one has the ability and the power to do, no matter what our resources,” Mrs Berlia said.
The reason why she talked about her father is not that he was the Founder of the organisation or because he was her father but because he touched so many lives around him. “Long after he was gone, I met thousands of people whom I had never met talk about Dr Stya Paul. I truly came to know what he had done, much later, since he never talked about it. There was a lot of voluntary work that came from his heart. When we talk about touching lives, and the power of making a difference, the point that I was trying to make today is that many of us hesitate to take the opportunity for small acts of ‘sewa’ in this vast world of challenges. However, one person touched so many lives. We don’t know the impact that we can have. Let’s be conscious, whatever we do in however small a way we do, it is making an impact; it should come from a sense of fulfilment and gratitude,” Mrs Berlia said.
She added that desires are never-ending, it is a never-ending curse, but there is a big place for gratitude and that is truly what brings satisfaction. “If you read the autobiographies of some of the greatest people, all of them would have told you that when they had earned as much as they had thought and when they had so many possession that they didn’t know what to do with them, they were still unhappy. Our search for possessions is really a way of fulfilling ourselves and making ourselves happy. If you are seeking fulfilment, if you are seeking happiness it comes from gratitude, from giving from looking at a higher purpose. We have been trying to do sewa through our institutions and organisation as well and be involved even while working. At the end of the day, we found we have been encouraging sustainability in our institutions, we are not only catering to our students and teachers but going beyond and creating awareness in parents. We are looking at ways and means to expose our students to closeness to nature yoga, and meditation; we define dance, music and art as an expression of understanding the integration of the wholeness around us. But we felt that something more needs to be done because in today’s world not only do we need to become examples but also set an example for the children. We need to be able to expose them to what I have been referring to as a ‘journey within’. We have framed a curriculum around this where we talk about yoga, meditation, exposure to comparative philosophy, finding uniqueness in different religions and the similarities and being able to think critically and in that process learnt to introspect. We are closely associated with Ramakrishna Mission with a wonderful programme – Awakening. We are also trying to create Speaking Campus – it should reflect what we have been talking about,” Mrs Berlia said and recounted an incident.
It happened when her father was alive. There was a media report about how Apeejay was all about making money. “I went to my father very upset after reading this and said ‘Here you are putting your hard-earned money into the school and this what the papers say. He turned around and said: ‘So many people have said what great work has been done and you accepted it. Today, it is different, accept that as well. I am not doing this to impress anybody, I am doing it for myself – this is what gives me satisfaction’. This has been an amazing journey for me that has ensured that I remain connected, beyond our institutions as well, with sewa,” Mrs Berlia said.
She concluded with a beautiful couplet: Chalna hai chal pado, nikal aayenge raaste; Aandhi ne kisike nakshay kadam dekhe nahin