Archana 2025, the India Friends Association and James Herenj
- Kunal Konar
- Jul 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 8
Author: Sai Chandavarkar
Prologue
About a month ago, I have seen a Linekdin post from Prof. Manabendra Saharia about an Online Monitoring Portal (Link) for Amrit Sarovar Project via the use of Technology (Remote Sensing and AI/ML Algorithms) and the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India has published a report on the same. I am yet to find that report but the portal works very well. Subsequently, I did a little study on the Amrit Sarovar Mission via the information published in the Government Websites (MGNREGS and Amrit Sarovar Mission) which reveals the following features of the program:
Launched on 22Apr2022 with the aim of constructing/rejuvenating 75 nos. of tanks/ponds/water bodies (‘Amrit Sarovar’s) for every district of India except Union Territory of Delhi, Chandigarh, and Lakshadweep; that totals into 50,000 water bodies. The basic goal is to conserve water for future generations.
Each of these ponds must be at least 1 acre or more in size and with water holding capacity of 10,000 cubic meter or more.
Till date (from MGNREGS website on 05Jul25), under this mission
A total of over 68,000 Amrit Sarovars has been completed (new sites/rejuvenation); out of these,
about 25,000 Amrit Sarovars, have been at the new sites,
while more than 45,000 Amrit Sarovars were rejuvenated.
Finally, and most interestingly, the mission is designed to be implemented using Funds from other Ongoing Government Schemes, namely Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, 15th Finance Commission Grants, MKSY sub - schemes such as Watershed Development Component, Har Khet ko Pani, States’ scheme, and CSR funds. So, I wanted to do an article in Prodeeptika, for some time now, where following three elements intersect:
And then by the grace of Goddess, Sai Chandavarkar communicated the first draft of this article on 31Jun2025. I did a bit editorial alteration/addition here and there, wrote this Prologue and did the main Author’s Profile at the end. I hope, the readers of Prodeeptika’s Magazine Section will enjoy the reading, appreciate the challenges and happiness of developmental works in the rural India.
Archana 2025
I want to share with all about a recent event (Archana 2025) that impacts the local Indian community in Ventura County, an area in the general Los Angeles area, around April or early May of each year. For many, it has become a part of what it is like to live in this part of California.
Figure-2: Glimpses from Archana 2025
Every year, Indians in Ventura County gather to produce an evening’s program of dances, Bollywood music, and plays. The program, which is presented in a large, 1,800-seat auditorium in the city of Thousand Oaks, is called “Archana” and is the annual fund raiser for the India Friends Association.
Archana has a dual nature – it is principally a fund raiser, but it is also an occasion that brings local community talent together. This year’s Archana had close to 200 participants on stage, ranging from 5-year-olds to 75-year-olds. The program featured children’s dances, classical dances such as Kuchipudi, folk dances, Bollywood songs and a serious play that presented the dilemma that busy Indian families face when they need to take care of elders in the family.
What this means is that these 200 participants rehearsed almost every week for hours each week from January through April. Every rehearsal, in terms of time, is roughly half a day. I acted in the play that we presented, and can speak for the effort it took to get my part right. And it is the same for the 5-year-olds who sang the invocation, the various dance teams and the vocalists and musicians who presented the Bollywood songs. To do this, simply as volunteers, is an act of love. And while it involves hours taken out of busy lives, it is an occasion of coming together as an expatriate Indian community, joining hands to help address the root causes of poverty in India. Watch the recording of Archana 2025 (happened on 03May2025) here:
Archana and Indian Friends Association
A unique feature of the Archana program is videos made by Prithvi Sharma, one of the founders of Indian Friends Association.
The videos highlight the plight of the rural poor and marginalized communities – for example, the sugar cane cutters in Maharashtra. The video clips capture, what IFA is all about, and how the funds that are raised are used. They explain, through the telling of individual stories, that IFA does not distribute hand-outs for deserving causes, but seeks to reduce the circumstances of economic injustice that make philanthropy necessary.
The India Friends Association (“IFA”) is a group that focuses on the reduction of grassroots poverty in India by supporting activists working to raise people’s awareness of their lawful rights, such as for example, the right to organize Gram Sabhas in rural areas. The backbone of this organization is a set of partnerships between local volunteers living locally, in Ventura County and activists working in India helping the rural poor find an avenue for peacefully asking for what is lawfully their due.
James Herenj and Grassroot Level Works
In February 2025 this year, I had the opportunity to visit James Herenj, a lifelong social activist from the village of Chiro, Latehar, Jharkhand. James lives and works in Jharkhand with Grassroot level problems and in the Development Sector NGOs. James obtained an ITI Certificate in 1995 and thereafter led his life through many ups and downs and mainly worked with different people’s movements and social sector NGOs. He lived off via various means like little support of fellowship, fees as resource person in various training programs etc. Some of James’s works may be found via this website of Multi Art Association (MAA), where he is the Treasurer.
James works with laborers who earn a livelihood working on work assigned to them on various construction projects under the MNREGA – the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act. There are many lapses in the actual implementation of the MNREGA Act. An example of a lapse is a mismatch between rural laborers assigned work in the Government’s website, and rural laborers who are awarded work assignments at the local administration office. Such lapses are brought to the attention of “MNREGA Sahayata Kendras – Help Centers.” Volunteers trained by James Herenj work on the problem, find out more details by reviewing the Government’s website and then represent the rural laborers to the local Government administration to get lapses corrected. Read more about James Herenj and the work he does at the India Friends Association website where he authored the following article:
Author's Profile
Mr. Sai Chandavarkar was graduated in Accounting from St. Xavier’s College in 1976 and then obtained another degree in Business Law from Bangalore University in 1979.
After that he went into auditing and had a long and successful career as Certified Internal Auditor. Currently he lives in California and act as a Meditation Instructor and live a life of a Philanthropist.
He may be reached via his email: chitransai@gmail.com.
Editor and Publisher: Kunal Konar, Consultant (Business Development & Analytic Hydrology)
05Jul2025, Bardhaman,West Bengal
This brings back my memories and little efforts made, I always tell myself as what Gandhiji had instructed social and grass roots workers: Take pride in working at grass roots even if achievements are small or little.. as finding grass roots workers is limited as many don't come.. this I have written as I have understood MG..
MY PhD was also a little attempt in those directions, I didn't stay in the field but went to formal college education, which was totally wrong ..on few counts..
Now, I think, there is a chance or rethinking to go back..
My PhD thesis could be accessed..
PhD thesis, A study on effectiveness of training of construction workers in Tamilnadu, by Purushothaman,P. as…
Kunal, I liked the introducction you wrote to the IFA article, very well written. Looking forward to reading other posts as well.