Chaturthi lesson in unity for all of us

This Ganesh Chaturthi a group of people from Panaji are setting the perfect example of religious harmony and unity in diversity! Suraj Kande, Shaikh Hussain (Badshah) and Cheryl Fernandes are a part of a group, Malyatalo Zarikar, that has subsidised the price of Ganesha idols for needy Goans. Along with their other members, they managed to get 100 clay idols from Maharashtra and sell them at a price of `900 in Goa.
Badshah, who is a core member of the group says, “I usually help my friends during the festive season.This year the prices of the idols were quite high. An idol we’d get for `2,000-2,500 was now priced at `3,500. It made me realise that during the pandemic, a lot of people may not be able to afford it. So we discussed with the committee and decided to find a solution to this.”
Suraj explains, “Several jobs are lost and businesses have been affected and many people may not be able to spend money during the festival due to financial constraints. We wanted to make sure everyone celebrates despite the pandemic, since this festival will give everyone hope and joy. We usually help the needy through our various initiatives. So this was just a way to take it forward.”
They got a truck full of two feet idols from a village near Kolhapur and it was sold out within a few days. “Since we still had demand, we called for 50 more, and all were pre-booked immediately too,” says Badshah. Suraj, who is the trustee of the group adds, “The initial plan was to only give it to people from Panaji. But the moment we threw it open to people everyone, we saw a huge demand.”
This is just one of the activities the group organised. The members of three different religions get together to celebrate festivals, donate and help people throughout the year. Cheryl tells us, “I’ve been a part of the group for three years and we have conducted many activities. It gives me great joy since it’s not bound by religion, but humanity.”
They conduct a programme called Kande’s Healing Hands where they accept donations of items that people chose to give away and put them up for grabs. Anyone who wishes to own the items can visit them and collect it as per their needs. “People get gifts they don’t wish to use, we help them donate it to the needy through this programme,” Suraj tells us.