Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 20 Nov: In the wake of the devastating challenges that recently impacted the Sahastradhara region of Dehradun, the Gramin Vikas Mahila Society (GMVS) affiliated branch of All India Women’s Conference, New Delhi, has been actively supporting affected communities. Following initial efforts providing immediate relief such as ration and essential utensils with the onset of winter, the Gramin Vikas Mahila Society launched an initiative to provide essential winter clothing and blankets to support the communities. Reinforcing this effort, the AIWC Mussoorie Branch joined the GMVS sisters by contributing additional winter essentials. The organisations distributed winter clothing sets and blankets to disaster-affected residents of Gram Panchayat Karligard, specifically in the villages of Karlighard and Majhada.
The relief effort was made possible through the unified commitment of several branches of All India Women’s Conference. The Priyadarshini, also a branch of the AIWC in Pathankot, spearheaded by Raj Dogra and her team, supplied winter salwar suits for women. GMVS provided blankets and children’s clothes, while the AIWC, Mussoorie Branch, contributed winter socks and caps.
Crucially, the initiative received invaluable support from social activist and former MLA, Rajkumar. He demonstrated his commitment by personally joining the GMVS and AIWC teams on the ground in the disaster zone to help in the aid distribution.
This ingenuity was significantly supported by the youth of Uttarakhand, who stand committed to the various efforts, including women and girls’ empowerment and disaster relief operations. Specifically, the team includes Harshvardhan Negi, State Congress Secretary for the Youth Congress and an active organiser, alongside Akansha Negi, a dedicated Social Activist and influential podcaster who is instrumental in raising regional awareness. Both are collaborating closely with GMVS and are actively participating in the current disaster response work. Grassroots workers Deepa Chauhan and Bhavna Sharma also helped the initiative. Kamal Sharma of AIWC, Mussoorie, joined the team in the villages.
The President of GMVS and Patron of AIWC, New Delhi, Rakesh Dhawan, along with her team, has been providing robust and proactive support to the disaster victims across Dehradun city and Sahastradhara. The initial phase of aid focused on immediate necessities, such as ration, essential utensils, and apparel for women and children. Dhawan undertook a personal assessment visit to the affected villages of Karlighard and Majhada, located along the Baldhi river. She conducted in-depth consultations with the female residents, gaining a deeper understanding of their challenges, and pledged her resolve to introduce further women’s empowerment initiatives.
