VOLUNTARY SOCIAL SERVICES ORGANIZATION

ORIGIN, GROWTH AND DIRECTION.

THE HUMANITARIAN URGE TO ORGANISE VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS to serve a social purpose is found in the people of almost all the districts and Ratnagiri is no exception to it. In Ratnagiri district there are a number of voluntary institutions serving the social needs of the people in a variety of ways. They not only complement and supplement governmental efforts in many a field, but also cover fields of ameliorative service which even today Government may not have been able to cover. These institutions have played an important part in the educational, social and cultural development of the district. Many of them were pioneers in particular spheres of social activity and on account of their constant and commendable service have won Government recognition, assistance and guidance.

Moreover, the existence of a large number of voluntary social service organisations in a city gives a richness to its institutional life which mere Governmental action can never impart. Government too have increasingly recognised this aspect and have encouraged and utilised the agency of these institutions for the greater effectiveness of their own efforts. Thus State and voluntary organisations have been playing a mutually helpful part in the development of the district. Education, medical aid, uplift of women, encouragement to literature, etc. have been among the subjects to which attention is paid by selfless and patriotic workers.

The Ratnagiri Nagar Wachanalaya which marked the beginning of the establishment of voluntary organisations to serve a social purpose was established at Ratnagiri as early as in 1828. This was followed by many institutions serving the social needs of the people in a variety of ways.

Most of these institutions have chosen to work in the field of education. The Patwardhan High School was established at Ratnagiri in 1902. It was at that time a middle school with three standards. It became a High School in 1936. In 1947, this institution was taken over by the Bharat Shikshan Samaj which was established with that view only. Afterwards many institutions came to be established with the object of promoting primary, secondary, commercial and technical education according to the needs and requirements of the people.

With the increasing importance of modern education the need for the preservation of ancient lore and philosophy also began to be more and more keenly felt. The Sanskrit Pathashalottejak Nidhi was established at Rajapur as early as in 1889 to impart instruction in Vedas and Shastras and to conduct and affiliate schools for the purpose.

There were other fields of social service to which the attention of people was also directed. With a view to collect books in different languages and to make them available to the readers and to conduct reading rooms many institutions came to be established such as the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Wachan Mandir at Chiplun which was established in 1864; the Nagar Wachan Mandir, Malvan, in 1906; the Ratnagiri Nagar Wachanalaya, Ratnagiri, in 1828 and the Shri Ram Wachan Mandir and Kreeda Bhuvan, Sawantwadi, in 1852.

For the normal social and cultural needs of the community a variety of voluntary organisations have thus been formed in the district of Ratnagiri. In the pages that follow the significant features of some of the important institutions working in the district are briefly indicated.

The primary responsibility for bringing about moral and material advancement of a society lies mainly on its Government. But Government effort is also largely supplemented by the efforts of social institutions and public-spirited individuals. The urge to organise a voluntary association to serve a social purpose comes naturally to many persons. In Ratnagiri district such persons seem to have come forward to give a concrete shape to this urge since the beginning of this century. A large number of social service institutions have come into existence during this period. But many of them are still struggling to get recognition. The purpose of this chapter is to give a resume of those institutions which have attained a fair degree of stability and importance and are doing useful social service.

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