SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday described KP Volunteers as the “priceless jewels” of the Kashmiri Pandit community and called for expanding its volunteer network to meet future challenges in poverty, healthcare and education.
Addressing the Foundation Day celebration of KP Volunteers, Sinha felicitated volunteers for their selfless service and praised the organisation for its six-and-a-half years of humanitarian work.
He said KP Volunteers had demonstrated that when service is rendered without expectations of reward, it continues to grow and touch the lives of people in need.
The Lieutenant Governor recalled that the organisation was started in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when a single bag of rice donated by the Jammu Ashram of Swami Nand Bab Sahib became the starting point for the initiative. Since then, he said, KP Volunteers had grown into a trusted platform for humanitarian service across Jammu and Kashmir.
Under its Family Adoption Programme, 164 families are receiving monthly assistance in ration, medicines and education. The organisation has also assisted families facing emergencies, including surgeries and debt-related hardships.
During the pandemic, KP Volunteers facilitated nearly 10,000 online medical consultations and more than 6,500 emergency blood donations. Financial assistance was also provided for the marriages of daughters from economically weaker families.
“These are not merely achievements but important milestones in a journey of compassion and service,” Sinha said.
He said the organisation’s 411 active volunteers across the world were the “priceless jewels” of the Kashmiri Pandit community and urged more people to join the network.
Sinha outlined four priorities for the organisation — expanding educational assistance for youth, strengthening healthcare support, creating a global volunteer network and empowering women through skill development and entrepreneurship.
Emphasising the importance of education, he said empowering children with knowledge was among the finest contributions that could be made towards their welfare. He also called for greater participation of the Kashmiri Pandit community settled across the world and the Indian diaspora in humanitarian initiatives.
The Lieutenant Governor highlighted the contribution of the Kashmiri Pandit community to the country’s education, philosophy, culture and administration, and urged KP Volunteers to draw inspiration from its legacy of scholarship and public service.
He called upon the volunteers to carry forward the spirit of compassion and ensure that people in need have access to food, education, employment and healthcare.
Sinha also reiterated the administration’s commitment to the welfare of the Kashmiri Pandit community, saying the administration, police and security forces were committed to maintaining a peaceful environment.
“Anyone who attempts to disrupt peace will not be allowed to succeed,” he said.
Meritorious students were also felicitated during the function.
Founder of KP Volunteers Vikram Koul, former DGP Kuldeep Khoda, Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner Dr Arvind Karwani, DIG JSK Range Shridhar Patil, Jammu Deputy Commissioner Dr Rakesh Minhas, members of KP Volunteers and other prominent citizens attended the event.
