MANGALURU: After farmers in Maharashtr a, actors
Nana Patekar and
Makrand Anaspure now have the armed forces in their sights. They will reach out to 400 families of slain
Army and paramilitary personnel through their Pune-based
NAAM Foundation
.
The next of kin of such personn el will receive Rs 2.5 lakh each and the foundation will spend Rs 10 crore on the ambitious project this year, actor Vishwanath 'Nana' Patekar said here on Sunday.
Rajiv Savant, trustee and confidant of the Prahaar hero, told TOI that the foundation has approached the ministry of defence seeking details of personnel who have laid down their lives in the line of duty. "We have mobilized the funds needed and the process of handing over the solatium to the families will start once the ministry gives us the list," he said. The foundation salutes the bravery of soldiers guarding India's border at all times, Savant pointed out.
Making the announcement at a volunteers' meet organized by the
Ramakrishna Mission
to mark the completion of 200 out of 400 missions planned for the Swachh Mangaluru campaign under PM Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Patekar said the Army, CRPF, BSF, ITBP and other paramilitary forces have suffered around 400 casualties during 2016. "It is ironic that most of us do not even know their sacrifice," he said.
Recalling his recent visit to the Samba sector in Jammu, Nana Patekar said the hardship these soldiers face to defend India from external aggression has to be seen to be believed. A 4ft x 6ft icy blanket in the Siachen or a small foxhole in their bunkers is their bed and window to the world. It just takes a burst from across the border to end their lives, he said, adding that it's this work of helping their families which gives him utmost satisfaction.
About reaching out to 220 widows of farmers in Marathwada, Vidarbha, the first major task the foundation undertook, he said the Rs 6 crore raised to help them came from the nameless, faceless 'rich' of India.