Background
Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS) conducted a literacy campaign in Panipat district with the support of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Virendra was an activist in this campaign. While attempting to rescue people from a burning oil tanker following a road accident, he himself was engulfed by the flames and passed away on October 2, 1992.
The Shaheed Virendra Smarak Samiti was registered on March 15, 1994, under Section 21 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Memorial Committee is a non-profit, voluntary organization. Since 1997, the Committee has been operating non-formal education centers named ‘Jivanshala’ for out-of-school and dropout children. The Committee believes that social transformation is possible only through education and that education is the sole non-violent path to creating a new society. The organization also works specifically towards the empowerment of women and marginalized, underprivileged sections of society.
Timeline of the Organization’s History:
1990 (Literacy Campaign) Panipat district was formed on November 1, 1989. In early 1990, the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti launched a campaign here titled “Panipat ki Chauthi Ladai” to make illiterate individuals aged 15 to 45 literate. During this period, a cultural team featuring street plays, songs, and Ragini (traditional folk music) was formed; this later evolved into the Shaheed Virendra Natya Manch (Theater Group), which remains active to this day. The key activists of this campaign went on to form the Shaheed Virendra Smarak Samiti in 1994.
1992 – Martyrdom of Virendra October 2, 1992.
1993 – District-level sports events were launched on October 2, 1993 coinciding with the first anniversary of our colleague Virendra’s martyrdom. This initiative continued for 20 years, spanning events from the village level to the state level. Each year, these events saw the participation of 400 to 500 athletes and drew audiences of 5,000 to 6,000 people. We start women’s games at village level. Following these community-led sports initiatives, the government also focused on the sports agenda in Haryana state. The expenses for these events were met entirely through public support.
1993 – Blood donation camps have been organized since 1993, held either on the birth anniversary of our Shaheed Virendra or on the martyrdom day of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his associates. At that time, there were many misconceptions regarding blood donation in rural society; these camps served as an effort to foster a scientific outlook and combat superstition.
1993 – Launch of the Children’s Science Congress activity in collaboration with Haryana Vigyan Manch. In this event, children develop a scientific understanding and explore potential solutions while working on projects based on local issues.
1997 – From 1997 to Covid-19, ‘Jeevanshalas’ (alternate schools) across 16 villages, including one residential center running in collaboration with BGVS Haryana. The residential center provided instruction for grades 4 through 8. It caters to the educational needs of children from marginalized communities.
2006 With financial assistance from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, we established and operated the continuing education centers in every village of the Samalkha block from 2006 to 2008. Various activities were conducted, including public reading sessions, group reading, and book introductions.
2014 – Financial Literacy Project. This project was runned with the support of NABARD. Under this initiative, a play titled “Bachat Ek, Laabh Anek” was staged in schools across five blocks of Panipat district. The project ran from December 2014 to May 2015.
2015 – The organization has empowered women through financial literacy initiatives, livelihood support, and Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs). This project was runned with the support of NABARD. To date, 50 SHGs have connected over 600 women across various blocks of Panipat district, promoting financial independence, self-reliance, and economic empowerment.
2016 (Hindi Language Teaching Program) – Drawing on its experience with the Jeevanshala model, the organization initiated efforts to transform learning environments and language teaching processes in nine government schools in the Samalkha block, with financial support from the Wipro Foundation. During this period, the organization engaged with approximately 35 teachers for model teaching sessions and experience sharing. Additionally, the language teaching capacities of 130 teachers from across the Samalkha block were enhanced through training programs.
2020 – The success of the HLTP demonstrated that children’s literature could serve as a powerful medium for improving language learning, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. Building on these insights, the Samiti launched the Meaning Making through Children’s Literature (MMCL) project. This project covers the whole Samalkha block of Panipat district.
