.From
25-27 January 2002, the Government of Gujarat organised an
exhibition to highlight the efforts of various local, national
and international NGOs following the destructive earthquake
in Gujarat. The theme of the exhibition was ‘Rescue-Relief-Rehabilitation’.
Among those invited to participate were UNICEF, WHO, CARE,
International Red Cross and other international agencies;
among the key international NGOs were BAPS, Lokbharati, Virayatan
and others.
The exhibition was displayed in 11 theme rooms, each focussing
on a particular aspect of the aftermath e.g. Rescue, Relief,
Children, Females, Employment, Health, Sanitation, etc. Each
room thus housed a collection of photographs from the various
participating organisations. However, BAPS was allotted a
special, separate room in which its wide-ranging post-earthquake
work could be suitably displayed.
The highlight of the exhibition was the visit of Gujarat’s
Chief Minister on 27th January. During his brief visit, he
spent a significant proportion of his time in the BAPS exhibition
room and took a keen interest in the thematically arranged
photographic display. Before leaving, he expressed his deep
gratitude and satisfaction at the work carried out by BAPS,
under the guidance of Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
