Malick Asghar Hashmi/New Delhi

When Bollywood was busy making most of the return of peace in Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370 by shooting films, veteran actor Nana Patekar, known for playing iconic roles in films like Prahaar and Kranti Veer joined hands with the Army to boost educational prospectus of the children living in the remote areas close to the Line of Control.

Although the joint campaign of Nana Patekar and the Army is still in its initial stages, it is ambitious. Ganesh Thorat, who is overseeing this project for NAAM said, "Education is the only weapon through which every evil can be controlled."

As the era of development began in Kashmir, and redeveloping schools, especially in remote and backward areas close to the LOC in north Kashmir became a priority, Nana Patekar's NGO NAAM joined hands with the Army to contribute to it.

Thorat and Army officers with Kashmiri women recipients of sewing and embroidery machines from NAAM at Boniyar

It may be recalled that NAAM was founded by Patekar and veteran Marathi film actor Makarand Anaspure in 2015 to provide relief to the farmers of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha and Bheed districts where many were committing suicides and has since expanded into other domains.

Ganesh Thorat and Malhar Patekar, the son of the veteran actor who is also a well-known actor in Marathi cinema, manage the organization. Thorat told Awaz-the Voice, "A better educational environment is good for the children to enable them to tread on the right path."

"Based on our research, we made a comprehensive plan which will be implemented in a phased manner." The NAAM has plans to make companies chip in with their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds for rebuilding school infrastructure and promoting education in Kashmir.

Nana Patekar with his son Malhar in NAAM office, Pune

"The idea is that the locals would eventually monitor it," he added.

The Gaggar Hill Primary School, in north Kashmir, was the first school that NAAM adopted. A post of the NAAM on social media said, “The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps, Dagger Division, and Pir Panjal Brigade, in collaboration with NAAM Foundation, have inaugurated the renovated Gaggar Hill Primary School! Students from Gaggar Hill, Chotali, and Kurali received essential school items to support their education.

On the occasion, NAAM also gave away essential items for running courses in hospitality, bakery, IT, and tailoring classes to the Army’s Chinar 9 Jawan Club in Boniyar for training local youth to acquire vocational skills.

Thorat said that at Boniyar, Kupwara district, the NAAM is collaborating with the Army in setting up a vocational center to train local youth with the skills that will make them get jobs and launch their ventures. The idea is also to create a positive environment that is unpolluted from the anti-Indian influences.

NAAM is also helping the Army  in developing infrastructure, renovating various schools, and providing necessary items to the students of Chinar Naujavan Club.

Malhar said, "This area is very close to the Line of Control of Pakistan (Occupied Kashmir). The Gaggar Hill Primary School has undergone a transformational renovation to provide the students with a proper, comfortable, and safe learning environment."

The before and after picture of a school renovated by the NAAM with Indian Army in Kashmir

“The Indian Army and the NAAM Foundation want to make the students and their families in the remote villages of Gaggar Hill, Chotali, and Kurali skilled and financially independent. Apart from providing study material and uniforms to the students, we are also working on a plan to make their families financially strong and self-reliant.”

Ganesh Thorat told me that he has been working for two years to renovate Gaggar Hill Primary School and to on development in the village. About his experience of visiting the villages, he says, "The villagers never let us feel that we are from another state or different caste or religion. Everyone welcomed us with open arms and treated us well.”

Ganesh Thorat says, "The work of Army and NAAM Foundation has made people in neighbouring villages seek similar developments in their areas as well.”

Ganesh says so far NAAM has received 14 applications from panchayats for undertaking similar work in their villages. The NAAM also developed toilets in many schools to ensure the female students do not hesitate to come to the school. According to Thorat, the NAAM campaign will also start in the Baramulla district and in due course to the rest of Kashmir.

Another school renovated by the NAAM Foundation in North Kashmir

Nana Patekar has specially entrusted Thorat, a civil engineer by profession, with the responsibility of renovating schools. In a recent TV show, Nana praised Thorat. He said, "He is a very good boy. He does his work honestly."

As Nana Patekar revealed he started NAAM by distributing Rs 15,000 each to 1,000 wives and other dependents of the farmers who ended their lives due to crop failures and drought conditions in the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra about a decade back.

This amounting - Rs 1.5 crore - was kept aside by the veteran actor to buy a luxury car for his family. He soon realized that it would need continuous and long-term work to tackle the causes behind farmers' suicides in the Vidarbha and Bheed districts, and set up NAAM.

Nana says, "NAAM is continuously working to overcome the devastating drought and painful situation of farmers in Maharashtra. For this, various projects are being run for the development of villages, stopping farmers' suicides and overcoming the water crisis.”

NAAM has dug water storage tanks, de-silted water bodies to prevent recurring floods in the two districts that witnessed the highest number of suicides by farmers once upon a time. The NGO has since expanded its activities to other states and has pan-India plans.

Nana said on the TV show that the NAAM Foundation will soon start the Har Ghar Nal Project in the rain-deficit region of Bundelkhand in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Government and Tata Motors.

Ganesh Thorat (Left) and Malhar Patekar

Nana also revealed his voluntary service in the Indian army during the Kargil War in 1999. This, he said, made his emotional connection with the Valley. As a civilian in the Army, he was part of the QRT (Quick Reaction Team) and worked in Kupwara, Baramulla, Sopore, etc.

It may be recalled that Nana Patekar spent three years with Army’s Maratha Light Infantry regiment. He is a sharpshooter and a trained commando. It was on his request that the then Defense Minister George Fernandes had permitted him to join the Army during the Kargil war with Pakistan.

Though Nana Patekar could not join combat units in Kargil for obvious reasons, he was happy to serve the Nation by being part of the QRT of the Army for three months. He told the anchor that he lost 30 kilos of weight in this period.

Nana told the TV anchor that he has immense respect for the army and the police. Even today, when he sees a traffic policeman on duty while passing by, he stops the car and asks him about his well-being. Nana says his gesture makes the cops feel happy and lowers their fatigue levels.

He also asked all Indians to respect the Army and the Police. "They are the only ones who risk their lives to protect you,” he said on the show.

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Nana Patekar was emotional when asked about his relationship with the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.  "Ajit Doval is like my elder brother. I have a strange relationship with him, which cannot be explained. In our relationship, it does not matter how high a position he is holding, Nana said in his inimitable style.