Corporate Conscience in Action

No donations, no state funding, no international involvement, no business opportunities and no commercial interests whatsoever. Vegetarianism is the Mantra and healthy and harmonious living the motto. Utopia? No. Welcome to Ahimsa Gram, a cluster of a hundred odd houses in the small town of Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, which is today being perceived as a revolutionary model for poverty alleviation and rehabilitation of the poor and homeless across the country.

Set up by veteran social worker and industrialist Chetanya Kasyap on a private land of 55000 sq feet, the cluster comprises 100 houses each with two rooms (10X5 ft each), kitchen, a five feet verandah, bath and WC. The pilot project built by the Chetanya Kasyap Foundation under its ‘Lokashray’ development concept aims at eradicating poverty by providing free homes for the poor and opportunities for livelihood besides inculcating values for better quality of life.

Apart from roads, water tank, drainage, sanitation and market facilities, Ahimsa Gram also has a 30 ftX50 ft community hall for vocational and value (Sanskaar) training besides a 7000 feet garden and a primary health center.

Yes to vegetarianism and two child norm and No to alcohol are some of the guiding principles of the village which together celebrates major festivals of all religions.

The village was formally inaugurated on February 3, 2005 by the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Sh Babulal Gour and has since been visited by several political, religious and social leaders including present Chief Minister Sh Shivraj Singh Chauhan and the then Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sh L K Advani.

Kasyap, who has a 60 per cent of market share of the sorbitol production in India, always wanted to do something different, something innovative instead of just making liberal donations to charities like his rich forefathers. He firmly believes that homelessness along with alcoholism, non-vegetarianism and absence of a peaceful environment conducive for personal growth contributed in no small way to the perpetuation of poverty, illiteracy, ignorance and resultant violence in society.

“I was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence. If a person is assured of a roof over his head free of cost in a peaceful environment for a period of ten years with opportunities for earning additional family income through vocational training and inculcation of values for a better quality of life, it would certainly encourage and inspire them to come out of the vortex of poverty”, says Kasyap, who is the Chairman and Managing Director of Kasyap Sweetners Ltd. The 50-year old says industrialists like him who have benefited from the society should contribute their mite (if not might) towards its development by empowering people to become self-reliant and not enslaving them through unaccountable charity.

Indeed, at Ahimsa Gram, there are no freebies, except the houses, tuition for children, Yoga classes and vocational training for women – all serving as mere facilitators for self-growth. Every family offers ‘Shram Daan’ (Voluntary labour) to keep their streets neat and clean. The Foundation has entered into a tie-up with a nearby private school for providing concessional education to the children of Ahimsa Gram.

The ‘Ahimsa Gram’ brand papads, namkeen, Masala and bags produced by the women (with the option of working either from home or the community centre) are selling like hot cakes both within and outside the state. The women are also well-trained and well-equipped to produce high quality note books.

The residents celebrate all festivals with the Foundation organizing a special lecture to explain the significance of each event and distributing sweets. The Yoga classes along with a vegetarian, non-alcoholic lifestyle has ushered in mental peace and financial stability among the residents.

While the residents of Ahimsa Gram hope to generate income enough to build their own dream homes and pave the way for other underprivileged brethren to move in to Ahimsa Gram, Kasyap is willing to give the dwellings to them for good if they are unable to achieve the target.

Kasyap, who has stridently refused to take any donation or Government grant for the project built with a Rs one crore funding by his family, is now planning to encourage setting up of more projects with a personal grant of Rs 10 lakh each for ten villages to begin with.

Kasyap attributes the increase in crime and violence to poverty and views ‘Ahimsa Gram’ as an antidote. He firmly believes that successful people should do their bit in dealing with the curse of poverty. He has many more plans not only for the rest of Madhya Pradesh but also the entire nation. He has shown the way and it is now for each one of us to follow. May his tribe increase.