Adoption is an incredible gesture. But what if it’s not one, or two, or even three, but an entire village that we are talking about? Yes, Narendra Modi has sparked off a trend so hatke, that it’s soon becoming a craze with the celebs. Hot on heels of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi adopting villages under Modi’s ‘Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana’, MP Sachin Tendulkar has chosen the road just laid. He has adopted a village called Puttamrajuvari Kandrika in Nellore district.
Adopting the village and laying a foundation stone of Rs 2.79 crore worth construction work, Sachin wanted this village to take an oath to shun alcohol and tobacco and ensure that every child in the village gets access to good education. Although there was no particular reason that Sachin gave for choosing this particular village, he said as an Indian cricketer, he felt grateful to the people who stood by him throughout his cricketing career.
Learning about this village through the Nellore District Joint Collector G Rekha Rani, who he had bumped into during a flight to the US, Sachin was elated to hear about the different initiatives the village had taken. hence, when the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, the decision to pick and choose one didn’t look all that difficult for him.
Thanks to Sachin, this little hamlet in AP is now the centre of attraction for many people from miles away — the are all flocking to see the place that God himself has adopted. People from several villages away traveled to catch a glimpse of the master blaster, take pictures with him and hear what he had to say.
Sachin’s mission is simple — to give this village a facelift. To beautify it, to educate it and nurture good values in the people. Alcohol and tobacco now becoming a big cause for concern, Sachin’s sermon would have sure provoked minds and thoughts.
So powerful is the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, that several MPs have taken responsibility of areas and villages of their choice, pledging to do all they can to ensure that their villages are raised like a child — taken care of, educated, well-fed and brought up with values.
While all villages across India had clap their hands, the little village of Puttamrajuvari Kandrika sure got lucky!