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Brev om eventuell återförening av Sevapriya

De diskussioner vi aviserade i höstas om eventuell återförening av Sevapriya ägde rum i januari och februari vid Ernis och Olas besök i Chennai. Det utgjorde grunden för föreningens ställningstagande i mars och det brev som följer:


Friends in Chennai
Stocken, 28th March, 2008


Dear Friends, Rani, Christina, Kumaresan, Jambu, Durai, Kannappan

We thank you for a number of interesting exchanges of ideas and a revival of our old togetherness during our visit to Chennai recently. Our two friends from Jagriti Vihara have now fulfilled their thirty days here and are back in Ranchi. It was a number of busy days.
At last we have time to write to you after discussions within the Peace Movement of Orust.

A reunion of your group seems to us to be possible, though not immediately, as we see it. Let us give it some time!

We have discussed all your budgets and our experiences from our discussions in Chennai, and this was done in the light of the recent changes here in Sweden.
As you already know, the Swallows in Gothenburg have decided to wind up their activities very soon. This is a great misfortune, since they used to collect half of the amounts we were able to send to you in the past.
Besides, our two greatest helpers, Mr Balu and Mrs Marta, are no more. As you may remember, she paid for the purchase of the plot for the Sevapriya house. And that was the only way we could get the Sida grant for the house itself. Mrs Marta made such life saving efforts more than once, as you know.
The present situation leaves us with a lot of uncertainty. Shall we try to spread out our contributions on a reunited Sevapriya? It means that we will have to guarantee a salary bill that far exceeds our possibilities to pay. Not to talk about the other costs.

After discussing these things at length, we arrived at the following conclusions and suggestions: We are unable to support a reunited Sevapriya at present. But we think that there are certain measures that may create good will between and within the two groups of old Sevapriya activists.

1. As it is now, Mr Durai, Mrs Jambu and Mr Kannappan are keeping Sevapriya running at a low level. To make it possible to continue this activity for some time we recommend the following:
a. Mrs Rani, Mr Kumaresan and Mrs Christina consent to reopening the bank account by agreeing in writing to the bank manager.
b. They shall also agree on giving to Mr Durai´s group all the money kept in that account, about 95.000 INR. With this, the same group will be able to continue running Sevapriya as best they can.
c. Mrs Rani, Mr Kumaresan and Mrs Christina shall also agree to releasing the fixed deposit of about 45.000 INR to be used by Mr Durai´s group. We suggest that a simple variety of compound wall be constructed with that money. As we remember it, the Volvo staff had agreed to pay for this in the very beginning.
d. The other group, consisting of Mrs Rani, Mr Kumaresan and Mrs Christina could now and then assist in Sevapriya´s work on a voluntary basis just to keep contacts for the future.

2. Continuing the idea of extension work in accordance with Mr Balu´s intentions, there were a few months of social work done in a new area during 2007, and some preliminary investigations (survey) before that. As we understood from correspondence and telephone conversations with Mr Balu, he had decided to sponsor the group of Mrs Rani, Mr Kumaresan and Mrs Christina in breaking new ground in a small way. The idea is not to remain too long in one place, but try to create awareness among women in a few other new places later on.

a. After Mrs Marta´s death we learnt from her testament that she wished to support this idea of Mr Balu, to be carried out by Mrs Rani, Mr Kumaresan and Mrs Christina (and maybe one or two trainees).
b. Therefore, to begin with, we intend to hand over a sum of about one lakh and a half towards this purpose, in accordance with Mrs Marta´s last wish. This can be done as soon as the legal dispositions are completed. There must also be an organizational structure for this purpose of practical Solidarity, a Trust with separate Trustees, for the time being or permanently, depending on the future developments, possible reunion of Sevapriya etc. How soon can this be done?
c. To conclude: The Peace Movement of Orust have decided to continue sponsoring a small scale extension project initiated by Mr Balu and supported by Mrs Marta, during the last months in life of these our greatest helpers.
With this in mind, the reunion of Sevapriya will be a far greater involvement, that has to be thought of later, when a lasting level of our resources is established.

The commitments and recommendations mentioned above will for some time (18-24 months?) make the distribution of available resources even between the two old Sevapriya groups. After that there is no certainty. We have some hopes, however.
We should not entirely give up the idea of reuniting Sevapriya at a later stage and on the basis of the flower model. There is still the possibility of attracting some of the former members of the Swallows to join the Peace Movement of Orust. Let us give it some time.
Until then, we stick to the decisions and recommendations we made above.

With greetings from all our committee members, we conclude this letter,

Erni & Ola Friholt

Address: Torget 1, Stocken,
474 92 Ellös
Sweden