Struggle for Social Service in Nepal written by Dr MR Pandey, founder of the Trust, and recently launched by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, is an inspiring saga of social service and its impact on social life, particularly in remote parts of the country like Jumla.[break]
The main objective of the book, as Dr Pandey writes in his Preface to the book, “is to let the readers know, in a nutshell, about the work of the Trust and share with them our experiences in the hope that they may be enthused with the spirit of social service with a sense of national pride.”
The book is, however, more than a report on the activities and programs carried out by the Trust during the last three decades and a half.
It gives us an insight into the socio-economic conditions, particularly the deteriorating plight of the poor and the destitute in both neighboring villages of the capital city such as Sundarijal and other remote parts of the country as well as challenges and problems faced by the Trust in a rapidly changing social environment.
The Trust has no doubt set an example for others, both individuals and institutions, to render social service in a selfless way.
The Trust has published a number of books and monographs on issues of public health.
Pandey’s book contains useful summaries of the research conducted by the writer and his team under the aegis of the Trust in the health sector relating to specific health problems such as diabetes, tobacco use and smoking and its prevalence in the rural community, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, acute respiratory infection (ARI) among Nepali children and indoor air pollution.
These findings have been nationally and internationally acclaimed and accepted by WHO as well. Besides, these findings have also served as a basis for policy and program formulation and implementation.
Dr Pandey strongly believes that research reports and recommendations should not remain on bookshelves as decorative pieces.
Jumla, a remote district of Nepal, was selected by the Trust to run its health services and research programs on a district-wide scale.
The Trust, in cooperation with the local communities, has been able to bring down the infant mortality rate in Jumla from 330 per thousand to 85-90 per thousand in a record time. This is an achievement of no mean significance.
The Trust was launched, as stated earlier, with a vision and a mission. There are repeated references in the book to the goals and objectives of the Trust, one of which has been to work for the poor and the destitute.
The Trust has not deviated from its commitment to social service since its inception.
It has rejected commercially motivated offers which do not meet the writer’s own ethical standards. The writer, in brief, has prevented the Trust from falling into the snare of commercial ventures.
Dr Pandey deplores in the book the erosion of moral values and spiritual culture in society. Spirituality for him is a critical component of promoting individual health.
True spirituality, says Pandey, is “inside the human heart.” Selfless social service is, thus, a healthy spiritual exercise and undertaking.
Whereas intellectual discipline serves as a basis for research and innovation, spiritual discipline is crucial to social service activities.
One of the highlights of the Trust’s activities has been its attempt to propagate the importance of the tradition of trusts in Nepal, build temples and organize spiritual lectures, from time to time, in collaboration with the communities and in keeping with the spiritual philosophy of the Trust.
Likewise, moral pollution, in the writer’s opinion, is more harmful than environmental pollution. Persons like Dr Pandey who is a man of principles and integrity find themselves misfits in a society which cares little for values, norms and ideals and is highly commercialized and profit-oriented.
The chapter “Foreign Aid and Social Service” is revealing in the sense that the writer, while admitting that a country like Nepal with limited resources cannot altogether reject foreign aid, would welcome foreign aid only according to national priorities, and advises those who accept it to make sure that “the target groups at the lowest echelons of society are benefited by it.
” According to the writer, the Trust, during the 35 years of its works, has been and is being run by Nepalis for Nepalis mainly with Nepali resources.
It is now difficult for the Trust to compete with mushrooming I/NGOs which are well funded and can afford to hire consultants and other helpers by paying them huge sums of money as remuneration.
The Trust’s independent spirit would not allow it to approach donors and donor agencies for financial support which is not without strings attached to it.
How to keep the integrity of the Trust is a challenge, and the answer to which depends on the readiness of its well wishers and friends to keep ablaze the tradition of inspiring service-oriented activities of the Trust.
We learn from the book that the Trust’s heritage consists of its achievements, work and social capital accumulated over the last more than three decades. A program called Heritage Development Program is envisaged in the book.
This Program is expected to facilitate a systematic use of the knowledge, wisdom and information generated by the Trust during the course of its survey, research and intervention programs carried out in different parts of the country.
One cannot but appreciate the objective of the Trust to make its knowledge base easily accessible to the needy and all other concerned institutions which can utilize it for human welfare activities.
Dr Pandey does acknowledge in the book the contributions made and being made by other people and organizations with a sense of duty and social responsibility.
Finally, the book appeals to the younger generation of selfless youths to put forward social service as an agenda of their life.
Besides, while presenting past experiences and present expectations, the book seeks advice and suggestions as strategic planning for the future growth and development of the Trust.
What is commendable about the Trust is its willingness to use whatever resources and expertise it has for the best possible service of the society.
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