Maram: Sister Sweta William Parmar, a member of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, or Vedruna Sisters, was awarded by President Ram Nath Kovind for spreading cleanliness in the northeastern state of Manipur.
The 39-year-old nun, popularly known as Sister Sweta, was among 42 people honored on September 24 for their exemplary and commendable social service.
The Catholic nun is the program officer of the National Service Scheme (NSS) unit of Don Bosco College in Maram, a town in the Senapati district, 82 km north of the Manipur capital of Imphal. She also serves the Salesian college as an assistant professor.
Sister Parmar shared with Frida Toppo of Matters India about her work and experience. Excerpts:
Matters India: Congratulation for being awarded the best program officer of the NSS. How did you receive the news?
Sister Sweta William Parmar: I felt great joy and gratitude on receiving the presidential award for the best NSS program officer and the best NSS unit. I thank God for the honor and achievement. I am also grateful to my Vedruna family and others who have helped me achieve this success. My gratitude goes to Father K.O Sebastian, our principle, the management, staff, students and the altruistic NSS volunteers without whom the achievement would not have been possible.
What prompted you to promote the “Clean India Campaign?”
Please note that promoting the ‘Clean India Campaign’ is the only a part of the NSS objectives. Its main thrust is academic, social and personality formation of its cadres. NSS allows students to serve the community and the nation. That, in turn, helps develop their personality. Service to others instills in students the traits of national leadership. The NSS is the right platform for students to get involved in real-life social activities and become responsible citizens of India.
The ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ is a national campaign of the Indian government that covering 4,041 statutory towns. It aims to clean streets, roads and infrastructure of the country.
The campaign was officially launched on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary October 2, 2014, at Rajghat, New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wielded a broom and cleaned a road in the national capital. The campaign is India’s biggest cleanliness drive.
The NSS unit of our school has carried out several activities such as cleanliness drives in the college and adopted villages. We have observed Gandhi Jayanti by engaging all the students of our college in cleanliness drive. We observe swachhta hi Seva (Cleanliness is the service –a week-long cleanliness drive), Swachhata Pakhwada (Cleanliness fortnight), and Let’s do it India (Joining hands in world clean-up day).
Other activities include Swachh Bharat Summer Internship: The 100-hour internship program would require the interns to visit one or more villages and conduct cleanliness activities so that they could contribute to the cause of rural sanitation in India. The program aims to engage youth across the country, develop their skills and orientation for Solid Waste Management, and sustain the momentum of the cleanliness campaign.
What is your role in the campaign?
As a program officer, I plan and organize events and the NSS volunteers execute them. It is team-work. We have an executive body of NSS volunteers comprising president, vice-president, secretary, reporter and treasurer. I have a hundred volunteers in my unit. We have divided volunteers into four groups. Each group knows its work and responsibilities, thus getting the best result from their performance.
Who do you credit for the success of the campaign?
I give credit to many people who have become an instrument for this achievement. First of all, I thank God who gave me the strength and good health to work for the people of Manipur. Then, I am grateful to my principal and the college management. This achievement would not have happened without their support, encouragement and help.
I thank my sisters in the congregation for their trust and confidence in me. I thank my parents, well-wishers and benefactors who have helped me morally and financially in carrying out various projects of NSS.
Last but not least, a big thank you to the enthusiastic NSS volunteers.
What have you done to win this award?
The NSS unit of DBC Maram has worked on issues of social relevance. Our response to the needs of the community keeps evolving, through regular and special camping activities. The issues included literacy and education, health, family welfare and nutrition, and environment conservation. We also undertake programs related to social service, women’s empowerment, economic development and rescue and relief during calamities.
Our volunteers have also built and repaired public toilets, water tanks, waiting sheds, drainages, and compost pits as a part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
They have planted 19,900 tree saplings in the village in the last three years. Our volunteers have made around 300 dustbins from oil tins and bamboos and placed them at every corner of the village.
I have also extensively propagated the usage of bio-degradable dustbins made of bamboos.
What are the challenges you have faced so far?
The first is communication. The NSS volunteers in Manipur come from various ethnic communities speaking different languages. The state language Manipuri is spoken by the Meitei community whereas the tribal communities speak their own dialects. The volunteers faced difficulty in communicating with the public and they had to get an interpreter to assist them.
Another challenge is electricity: Our adopted village Ramlung has no proper access to electricity hence it is a hindrance during the special camps and internship programs.
Cellular network is another challenge. The village has no proper access to internet connectivity. Communication becomes a problem in such situations.
Lack of financial resources is also a problem. The NSS is funded by the government. The funds allotted for regular and special campaign activities are very meager. Maram is a primitive and poorest village so we find it difficult to raise funds or approach other organizations to help us carry out developmental activities such as renovation and construction of toilets, water ponds, compost pits, drainage, water tanks and village roads.
The villagers could not help us in most activities since they have to work in their paddy fields.
What is the impact of the NSS on society?
Voluntary social service helps individuals and communities to engage in activities for the common good of society.
For young people, volunteer work provides a way to gain variety of useful skills, to understand their community better, and to enhance community life. The community, in turn, helps the young to become responsible citizens involved in fostering better democracy.
You are guided by the NSS motto of “Not me but you.” What does it mean to your personal and professional life?
‘Not I, but you’ personally helps me live the commandment of Jesus — “Love your neighbor as thy self.” Living in Christ means to love and serve others. It encourages us to serve the poor. We listen, love, encourage, respect and help those in our midst—especially those at the bottom of the social class. Thus the NSS motto helps me and my volunteers to live in fellowship with the creator and fellow humans.
Please tell us something about you, your family and vocation. Why did you become a nun?
I was born in an ordinary Gujarati family in the milk city of Anand, Gujarat, as the second child of William Parmar and Madhu Parmar on June 22, 1981.
I did my schooling at Vimal Miriam High School, Anand. I had a great desire to serve people from my very childhood. So, I opted to dedicate my life by offering my life to God and joined the Carmelite Sisters of Charity of Vedruna.
You are from India’s western extreme. How did you come to the northeastern extreme?
After my final commitment in 2012, I was sent to Manipur, to work among the indigenous tribal peoples of Maram. I was also appointed assistant professor at Don Bosco College with additional responsibility as the NSS Program Officer. I took up this challenge with love and dreams to serve society through the youth.
As I look back to these past nine years, I feel that God has made me an instrument to glorify His name through the youth of the college.
I feel total satisfaction and accomplishment in working with the youth. As the Bible says, ‘God loves a cheerful giver,’ I keep giving myself for the service of God’s people cheerfully.