Along with filling their bellies, these elders created a tradition that when the sisters start cooking in the morning, the first roti or roti is made for the cow, the second roti for the dogs and then for the family members. In Kutch, when someone gets hungry, the bearer tells him to turn the bread on his stomach and feed it to the dog. Even if you go to a place of religion, feed chickpeas to the birds, bread to the dogs and bread to the cows, fill your wallet! The tradition has been created to remind us again and again that we have to give all this to the creatures of creation to fill our bellies. In Kutch, many people along with Mahajans are the bearers of the tradition. Even today, he accepted his voluntary responsibility and did not let this sequence break. Millet flour rotas are made for dogs every day for the past three decades in Nana Bhadia village of Mandvi taluka. Shakinaben Anwarbhai Sanghar under the guidance of Praveenbhai Khetshi Gogri from Nana Bhadiya Jain Mahajan and Jamnaben Haji Ibrahim Sanghar of the village by giving money for one or two kilos of flour from the people of the village and individual donors. Due to which dogs get bread, both sisters get employment! See a tradition providing livelihood along with employment. These sisters also work with full sincerity and take hot bread on their heads and feed the dogs wherever they are sitting in the whole village. Dogs do not fight for food, so they stand until they eat. Khichdi and Chaas are also served during the cold season. Chickpeas are put in the pigeon house for the birds every day. It is not necessary to have money to do good works. It can also be done by sacrificing one's time and nature's gifted skill or strength. Chetanbhai Maganbhai Maheshwari, a small man who earns his livelihood by laboring in this village, who would empty the fodder or husks for the cows without any expectation of labor. A sense of service in the heart is necessary to do such work. No matter where the village mahajan sits, the concern of the village flows in his veins 24×7. Ibrahimbhai Sanghar with the help of Chetanbhai Gogri who uses his skills and knowledge to treat all kinds of sick animals small and large. Since the time of monarchy, this tradition has been going on that in the village where there is a strong and aware guild, people would often present any small or big problem to the guild of their village instead of taking it to the king or now the government. It would have been remedied in no time! A guild is considered a responsible group. That is why it was called 'Mahajan Kare Te Methe Te'. Aarti Group Chairman Hon. for raising 4000 trees to make the village green with the efforts of Devandhbhai Gadhvi, the pioneer of water storage. With the support of Chandrakantbhai Gogri and his younger brothers Rajendrabhai Gogri and Chetanbhai with a substantial amount of Rs. Nemjibhai and Kalyanjibhai, the owners of Sherost, are doing service work in the name of 'Nemkalyan'. When the village itself takes responsibility for the problem of the village, then the problem has to go away. Guiding these service works, Praveen Seth says that 'It is our social responsibility to protect the living creatures living around us and provide them with enough food.' There is no greater consciousness than this!
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).