Conceptions Discussions & Actions

A conglomeration of more than 1800 life members, many more keen to join….. A platform of SOOD BIRADRI which today personifies unity, integrity and activity…… That is Sood Sabha Shimla.

Some very strong pillars of our Biradri had a concept. They had the will, they had the courage. Concept was discussed. Many helping hands and brains came forward to see that their idea was materialized. Obstacles were defined and lined. Suddenly there was activity. AND BEHOLD! ----------A Dream.----Dream to come true. Yes, SOOD SABHA had come into being with a determination to see that whatever had been conceived and discussed was also achieved.

Forty years ago, Late Lala Kishori Lal Bhagra was selected as skipper to lead the team: A team full of experience and youth: A team full of zeal and wisdom: Late Lala Raghu Nath Dass & his younger brother, Late Lala Baseshwar Dass were the planners: Sh. Kishan Dass Sood, fondly known as professor Sahib, was the Secretary: Not to be ignored, Late Lala Amar Chand, famous as BHAMA SHAH. Handling or arranging finances was never a problem for him. Money matter was his baby: LATE lala RAMA NAND, always busy like a bee. His innovations are only to be seen to be believed: Shri Om Parkash (Now popularly Known as Secretary) who never set bounds to achieve and give practical shape to aims & objects: Late Chaman Lal, known as CHACHA, was the hardest taskmaster if ever there was one: There were other personalities also whose mere presence was enough to boost confidence in the team and attract public support. A few names, which today flash my memory, are late Lala Thkur Dass Kuthiala: late Lala Rattan Chand: my respected father, late Lala Ram Krishan & above all DARLING OF EVERY SOCIETY, late Lala Kailash Chand, Advocate: Lala Amar Chand Advocate, Our GRAND OLD MAN still going strong at the age of 99. May god bless him with many more years of active and healthy life! Late Lala Mela Ram, a very sobre and conservative personality: Late Lala Bodh Raj: A leader in his own right but he was the follower of other leaders in our SABHA: There were many others whom I cannot remember today and curse my brain for having become so rot.

I mentioned two names above: Lala Raghunath Dass & Lala Baseshwar Dass.Whether people today appreciate it or not, this dream to erect the complex would have remained only a pipe dream without their sacrifice. Both of them have a special status in my heart. They vacated their shops and godowns and handed over the possession to Sood Sabha so that the present structure of Shri Ram Mandir and Sood Sabha could be constructed thereon alongwith the adjacent land. They were also instrumental in bringing around the change of heart in Pt. Gauri Shanker who had been misguided and had become reluctant to part with the possession of land.

President, Lala Kishori Lal Ji had no match or any parallel personality. Wherefrom do I import words about his good and farsighted deeds? People already know more than what I can tell about him. He kept blessing the Sabha with his extremely active and decisive participation during his lifetime and still bestows his blessings from heaven. We know it because we feel it.

In the ending part of the year 1967, Brick by brick, the concept started taking shape and it was just a matter of time when shops in the main complex were rented out to supplement the income from donations. Biradri was very pleasantly surprised to learn that a huge block of market opposite main complex, which had come up like mushroom growth, too belonged to Sabha…… Before people could realize, a block of charitable Dharamshala had come into operation and now the people had started looking forward for the user of our present HALL and GALLERY. Rest is History.(Hats off to one Mr. R.N.Andley-Engineer –In-Charge of the PROJECT).

Time had come when plans were also chalked out to repay the society. Within a span of five years, Sood Sabha had not only become self-sufficient but was also in a position to distribute its income for CHARITY. Thus the Charity Began. Or did it begin earlier? Referring to records enlightens us that the venture to form Sabha started with unbelievably small corpus of Rs.1250/-. Way back in 1963, a sum of Rs.101/- was donated for NATIONAL DEFENCE FUND immediately after CHINESE AGGRESSION. One may call it Charity or patriotism or both. Mind you, under those circumstances this donation had a lot of meaning. There are many instances that even in early days when the financial stress loomed large over Sabha, charity was always a priority. Normally a question crops up in every mind that what was the financial arrangement behind dreaming and building such a huge project. Answer is very simple. Aforementioned personalities (OUR ELDERS) had a spellbinding influence on BIRADRI and public of Shimla and surrounding areas. Folded hands and appeals from the core of their hearts used to be a factor effective for collecting donations but while spending the money for the project was to be done, it was always a tight fist and the brain which was involved. Donors of Rupee one as well as donors of Rupees fifty one thousand earned the same respect and treatment. ABOVE ALL, doners were sure that their money was in safe hands and would be properly utilized. Personal contributions of the members of The Managing Committee, at the time of inception as well as when the need for money was felt during the construction of the project, was also a very important factor.

SOODS have a special respect in many hearts for EARNING & DONATING. This spirit of donation has never lacked in our SABHA. Victims of riots, floods, societies like RED CROSS, RELIEF FUNDS of The PRIME MINISTER & CHIEF MINISTER, organizations/clubs engaged in social service, hospitals and many other institutions have been beneficiaries of our voluntary and substantial donations. Our sabha, right since its inception, has always shown a concern whenever there is a genuine request from some distressed person for financial help. It may be interesting to observe that SABHA is now in a position (Or shall I say habit) when it is spending about 10% of gross receipts ( I repeat the word receipts and not the income) for aid to needy persons.

As far as service to general public is concerned, a very interesting feature of the dream of our elders is noteworthy: DHARAMSHALA was built with intention to serve and provide comforts to the people visiting Shimla. People of our Biradri had and have enough places in Shimla to stay in their self-owned houses or with their relatives. Occupancy of our Biradri in Dharamshala is not even one percent of total visitors. This occupancy is availed only during marriages in Hall & Gallery.

In Hall & Gallery, which is being provided for social functions to all and sundry, including people of different religions, (MUSLIMS & CHRISTIANS also avail this accommodation) on very nominal charges, Occupiers belonging to Sood Community are not even 15% to avail this facility. It always was and continues to be a first come first serve facility.

Aforesaid two observations compel us to conclude that objective of our elders behind building these two projects could only be to serve GENERAL PUBLIC and not a particular community.

I was talking of a DREAM. Sorry, it was not A DREAM. It was a sequence of DREAMS to be turned to REALITIES. A dream to build a temple and a dream to build some educational institute still remained to be fulfilled. There is a little pause now. Wise thoughts of going steady had prevailed in the brains of our ELDERS in preference to storming approach to achieve goals. Infrastructure was ready to build the temple. Funds were available and more could come for the asking. It was decided not to rush things. Temple is a temple but we needed a BEAUTIFUL temple where tired souls could attain some solace. We needed some artistic thoughts and for that we needed endurance. Sculptors from Jaipur to sculpture DIETIES. Craftsmen from KASHMIR to carve wood on ceiling. A lot of time was required to accomplish the job. Biradri was getting restless and wanted to know as to why things were moving at a snail’s pace. It took about ten years to complete the job and call the holy priests from VRINDAVAN to perform PRAN PRATISHTHA and FIRST POOJA in Shri RAM MANDIR. When the public at large beheld the MARVEL in MARBLE and WONDER in WOOD delay was immediately condoned without asking questions. Notes of appreciation started pouring in. Even now people get wonder struck when they pay their first visit to Shri Ram Mandir temple.

Dream for an educational center is yet to be realized. ----- YES, BIRADRI will also realize this dream one day.

These are the achievements of our ELDERS. What are we doing? Hardly any thing as compared to our predecessors.

Running the projects already built by our elders after a meticulous planning is hardly a job for which we can claim credits. We ought to do much more. When funds are amply available, spending on charity to help widows, old aged persons, students, physically handicapped is just an administrative job. Any educated person can do it with the help of employed staff. Renovations and repairs are not our achievements. These are responsibilities cast upon us. MELA is always for fun. If we donot perform one, members may pull us up from the scruff of our neck. Blood donation and free medical camps are social causes. It is no big deal to discharge this duty. We have a qualified doctor and a dispenser to run our dispensary. Our role is only to spend substantial money for purchase of medicines. I do not know if people appreciate it or not, now the wage bill of our employees is as per Government instructions on this subject.

I wonder why people are joining us. About three hundred persons have enlisted themselves as life members in just one year without any efforts of membership drive on our part. Applications for life membership keep pouring in. I don’t have an answer. Do you have one?