Sonu Sood, Anshu Gupta stress need for dignity, self-reliance in charity
Participating in the seventh edition of Symposium, titled ‘The Humanity in Us’ held here recently, they shared their experiences in humanitarian work and discussed the role of individuals, organisations and governments in addressing social challenges.
Recalling his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonu Sood said the sight of migrant workers walking along highways with their children had moved him to extend assistance.
He decided to help them reach their destinations and continued supporting people in distress.
Attributing his concern for others to his upbringing, he said his mother helped students irrespective of their financial background, while his father regularly organised community kitchens.
Charity should address immediate suffering, but efforts should also be made to help people find opportunities to become self-reliant, he said.
Anshu Gupta said his journey in social development began with the realisation that clothing, one of the basic human needs, was often overlooked in poverty alleviation programmes.
Recounting his experience during the 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake, he said witnessing people struggling for basic clothing made him recognise the need to address the issue.
He subsequently founded Goonj to connect surplus clothing and household materials in urban areas with the requirements of rural and disaster-affected communities.
He said charitable activities should address genuine needs, ensure human dignity and encourage community participation rather than create dependency.
The discussion also examined the need to balance government welfare expenditure with financial sustainability.
Symposium Chairman Girish Mallpani called for a parliamentary debate on establishing a reasonable benchmark for the proportion of annual State budgets allocated to welfare schemes.
While welfare was a responsibility of governments, expenditure should take into account revenue capacity, debt position and development priorities, he said.
He stressed the need to distinguish essential welfare measures such as healthcare, education, nutrition and social security from non-essential subsidies and electoral promises.
The discussion was moderated by independent journalist and former NDTV Executive Editor (South) Uma Sudhir, who highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability in philanthropic activities.
Symposium Managing Trustee and MPM Group Executive Director Shruti Mallpani said Hyderabad-based Grace Cancer Foundation had raised Rs 1 crore through its Social Stock Exchange listing to support early detection initiatives and conduct 10,000 cancer screenings in underserved communities across North Telangana.
Wing Commander Asha Vashist, CEO of Symposium, said the knowledge forum provided a platform for meaningful discussions and exchange of ideas on issues of wider social relevance.
A White Paper prepared based on the previous edition of Symposium was presented to S.P. Singh, IAS, on the occasion.
The seventh edition of the event was attended by more than 200 participants. Previous editions had focused on subjects including sports, environment, spirituality, space technology and cybersecurity.
