CHARITY - Md. Yussouff

Charity has many forms, motivations, modes, purposes, implications, consequences etc. for both the givers and the recipients. The most common form is the donation of money to individuals or organizations. Direct donation of money to individuals can be sometimes very effective, but also sometimes quite frustrating. For example, if you see a family with a bunch of hungry children and give money for their food to their father, he may feed them or use the money to buy drinks for himself. Donating money through charitable institutions can entail losses of 20 to 80 percent due to administrative and logistical expenses, mismanagement, thefts etc. There are other forms of charity where you help the needy to start activities which can keep them active and lead to better living. Whatever form it takes, the act of charity is very satisfying and sometimes the feel good thing also brings you tax deductions.



Perhaps you are thinking that I am trying to write an essay about charity. You are right. But the topic is old and a lot of things have been said and written about it. I was recently drawn to it by my own experience about one aspect of charity. Have you ever asked yourself what is the ultimate result of charity on the society as a whole? The following true story will hopefully provide one possible answer to that question.

My father was a small landlord in a village in Orissa that has about 90% Hindu and 10% Muslim population. There were 2 Muslim landlords and 9 Hindu landlords. These people basically ran the affairs of the village through an informal council called the Panchayat. Villagers preferred to deal with the Panchayat before taking more serious cases to the police. The time I am referring to was before India gained independence. My father was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi and donated more than half of our land to the poor people. Normally I would have been proud of that action but it made us quite poor when we finally migrated to the city. Charity is one of the five pillars of our religion but it is also forbidden to donate so much that you become poor. However, this story is about a period prior to our decline in fortune.

There was a young Brahmin whose last name was Senapati. He was a handsome young man who had inherited some cultivated land and a small garden around his house. But he was an orphan at an early age and worse still, he had no relatives at all. In another nearby village lived a beautiful young girl named Radha whose only family was her old father. She had no other relatives and not much wealth. Some people thought that Radha was a good match for young Senapati and they got married. Tragically, her father died after a few months of her marriage. The most tragic event was the death of Mr. Senapati after two years. They had no children.

Now the events took the predictable course. A young widow who cannot remarry because of Hindu customs, had no one to look after her. But she was not poor. So she hired a live in companion who was an old lady. Now the usual village story unfolded. Her neighbors started grabbing her cultivated land and her garden slowly but methodically. She complained to the Panchayat but the intruders showed some old and perhaps forged documents to justify their claims. The same thing happened after a few months and after one year, Ms. Radha came back to the Panchayat to report the encroachment involving about 40 % of her land.

My father was feeling helpless in the Panchayat because others didn’t care much about this lonely lady. They accepted the forged documents. Any challenge must go to the police and the courts. I was about eight years old and like many villagers, I also liked watching the Panchayat meetings. I vividly remember that moment when my father suddenly got up and said the following:



“Oh my brothers and sisters of this village, I have decided to make an announcement. Today, here and now, I declare that Radha Senapati is my adopted daughter. I request all those who have encroached her land to please move back their boundaries and restore the original boundaries. I intend to take all the action necessary to restore her land. I will protect her person and her property.”

Everyone in the village was stunned and speechless. Never in the history of the village had a Muslim adopted a Hindu person and an absolute separation existed between the two tradition-oriented religious groups. One group of villagers chanted in support of this move while another group just remained silent. But everyone admired the courage and charity on the part of my father.

Next morning, Ms. Senapati came to our house and prostrated herself at the feet of my father crying uncontrollably. My mother lifted her up and said “This is not a time to cry, my daughter.” She controlled herself and said “Ma, these are my tears of joy. Till yesterday, I had no one. Today I have a father, a mother and a little brother. You have given me in charity such an invaluable gift.”

Within days her property was restored and the harassments stopped. I visited my new sister once in a while carrying fresh vegetables and fruits. She wouldn’t let me go until I finished the sweets and milk she always kept for me. Then she would take me through her garden and we plucked mangoes, guava and other seasonal fruits.

The story does not really end there. That act of charity was a charity from heart that touched everyone. There was harmony and good feeling all around in the village. Even now, when I pay a visit to the village, I hear praise for my father and his action.