Taruntirtha

Sonarpur Gorkhara Ghoshpara Taruntirtha is a nonprofit development organization in India. It was registered under West Bengal Societies Registration Act of 1961, under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act of 1976, and is registered u/s. 12 A of the Income Tax Act, 1961. [ [http://www.taruntirtha.org Taruntirtha] website.]

Objectives

The organization seeks to develop humanity, health, education, economic, social and moral condition of the poor children and women

History

Sonarpur Gorkhara Ghoshpara Taruntirtha (S.G.G.T.) established in Sonarpur on 23 rd January, 1994 in the district of South 24 Parganas of west Bengal.. Sonarpur is the gateway of Sunderban. Sunderban is the conglomeration of 54 islands, where people are living on their occupation like wood and honey collecting from the jungle or fishing in the rivers and agriculture. In many cases who are going to jungle for collecting wood and honey from Taldi are eaten by the tigers or crocodiles. So, widows become helpless and began to starve with her children. In most cases they are leaving their village in search of food. In this way hundreds of widows are coming every year to the nearest town Sonarpur with their children. The poor people of adjacent areas of Sonarpur and Taldi very often marrying two or three times, mainly the Muslims and wives are deserted with their children by their husbands. Many people of Taldi and adjacent Sunderban area have very small plots of land and the rivers of these areas are very devour and washing away both sides and hundred of families become land less every year. They are also coming to the nearest town Sonarpur in search of food and shelter. But in most cases they are not getting any work suitable for them. So they are living hand to mouth and are living in very inhuman condition which is worst than before. They have no food, no medicine and no education. Day by day they are becoming target of incurable disease and superstition.

From the middle of 20th century, Sonarpur and Taldi become thickly populated by the poorest section of world population. 90% children of these areas never crossed the door of school. 75% of the school going children becomes school drop out children. The parents of these children don’t like to send their children to school and instead they are sending them to work.

The adult male of these families are often drunker and not going to work everyday. So women and children are going to work outside for their food. Sometimes, the adult males taking away money from their wife by force. So, the women and the children have to work more and more otherwise are unable to get two full meals in a day.

The politicians and rich people are also taking advantage from their helpless condition. The women and children have to work 12 to 14 hours every day and sometimes a full day and getting small money like Rs 300 to Rs 400 per month ($ 7 to $ 9) a month. For that they are suffering in malnutrition, ill health and illiteracy. In the year 2001 the death rate of child in West Bengal State is 51%, where as average death rate is 8.4%. Day by day living condition of these poor families becomes very inhuman and miserable.

Seeing the inhuman conditions of these poor families some generous people formed the Sonarpur Gorkhara Ghoshpara Taruntirtha (S.G.G.T.) to help them.

In 1994 S.G.G.T. was formed by these people and registered in 1995 as a Society from the Registrar of Societies in Calcutta under Societies Registration Act, 1961. Satisfying by the work of Sonarpur Gorkhara Ghoshpara Taruntirtha’s organisor’s, Government of India grants resgistration to receive foreign contribution under FCR Act, 1976. And also Registered under u/s. 12A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and Certified for exemption of Income Tax for Donor under u/s. 80G of Income Tax Act, 1961.

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