Source: Better India
In a world full of people who are selfish and mean, we also have people who are extremely kind. If you don’t believe it, you should see the work NGOs do. The organisations which are not under Government, still are working selflessly for the betterment of society.
Way before NGOs were a thing, there were people who were constantly working for society. Considering examples from the pre-independence era, we can talk about Raja Ram Mohan Roy who worked hard to get social evils like child marriage and sati banned.
Swami Vivekanand, Dayanand Saraswati, Jyotiba Phule etc. are very few out of a lot of people who dedicated their lives for the betterment of others. Even now, many Government, as well as Non-Government organisations, keep themselves involved in charity events, education and food drives for kids, women's upliftment etc.
But do you know, when the first NGO started? And who was the noble person behind it? You must read the entire article to know the details
The First NGO in India
The first non- Government organisation was established in Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal. 1917 was the year when it was established. During the time, Indian peasants, labours and weavers were getting exploited by the British Government, some leading brains in Bengal thought of starting an organisation to help the weavers sell their products.
Bengal Home Industries was thus formed to promote handicrafts and handloom in Bengal. It was not so easy to start an organisation to support local people in India when it was colonised and under the influence of the British Government. B ut still, the ones behind the establishment of Bengal Home Industries worked hard and successfully started the first NGO in the nation.
Okay, so don’t you want to know the people who were involved in the formation of this NGO?
Source: The Wire
Who Founded the Bengal Home Industries?
Okay, how on the earth can it be possible that you may not be aware of who Rabindranath Tagore is? The first person in India to win Noble Prize, Shri Rabindra Nath Tagore is also the poet who wrote the National Anthem of India.
But, no, Rabindranath Tagore was not the one behind the Bengal home industries. But those who were behind that idea were related to him. The famous painter Shri Gaganendranath Tagore, also the nephew of Rabindranath Tagore was the first honorary secretary of Bengal Home Industries.
Along with him, there were more people associated with the establishment of the NGO. Some of the names are Abanindranath Tagore and Bijoy Chandra Mahtab.
Source: Bengal Home
Kind of Work Done in Bengal Home Industries
Bengal Home industries basically started to help those artisans and weavers who were into handloom and handicraft but were not able to get money out of that due to the British Government. They were not powerful enough to fight against British laws. Hence, Tagore took the initiative to support the local and poor yet talented Indian workers.
The first store of the Bengal Home Industries Association was set up near Hogg Market in Kolkata. The organisation wishes to encourage and develop cottage industries, and arts and crafts, and help poor artisans by buying raw materials for them, proffering them money, and supporting them market their goods. The organisation designates and assists home industries, promotes exhibitions and showrooms, and collects and delivers information about home industries.
In the first year of its establishment at Hogg Market, the association managed to make sales of Rs. 21000.
The Work of NGO- Then vs Now
Obviously, with the span of time, many more such NGOs have been established. All of them are working with the same dedication to the upliftment and betterment of Indian society. Hence, the Bengal Home Industries Association is also not the same anymore. It is not as popular as it was in its earlier days. But the point is it is still a name. A name associated with the first NGO ever in India. The range of products has been changed.
Despite all the ups and downs, Bengal Home Industries is still working effortlessly to uplift Indian society and encourage local workers in handicrafts.
Source: wikipedia
Contribution to Swadeshi Movement
During the era when India was in a state of fighting against the British Government and its rules, the establishment of an association like this was a contribution to one of the leading movements of that time, the Swadeshi Movement.
According to that, Indian People were abolishing western goods and were supporting those made in India. Since Bengal Home Industries was one such organisation which was involved in making handmade goods in India, people were supporting it and it proved beneficial for the growth of Indian artisans as well one of the greatest movements in the country.
End Note
Serving for the sake of humanity has always been considered a noble deed. Hence, even though you don’t own a lot of money, you can atleast serve the needy ones in any way possible.
One important thing for all of us to remember is always support the local workers. They are already struggling a lot in their lives but still, they have the talent and the capability to make that talent of their use. So as a human, it becomes a responsibility for all of us to respect their work and support them.
Written by: Nidhi Jha
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