KPAE Paid Memberships: A blessing, A commitment, A responsibility

Kapil Dhar

The paid memberships of the Kashmiri Pandit Association of Europe (KPAE) are a long-drawn pursuit of the baradari members and the seva office bearers. The operational activities of the association in general need the funds to give members and the office bearers enough confidence in carrying out different events, initiatives, and general well-being of the community.

This year the Seva Mattha (aka exec. team) assured the community in the annual general meeting (AGM) of different upcoming initiatives that are envisioned for the community. To materialise the different initiatives, the paid memberships must see a considerable upward trend.

Every baradari member should know the advantages of paid memberships. Let me elaborate a few advantages of paid memberships.

Community resilience

The financial and demographic resilience is very important for a community organisation. Any community organisation commands respect through its verifiable documented member count. As per the constitution of KPAE, all Kashmiri Pandits are the members of KPAE, however the paid membership was considered over a period as need of the organisation as the funds gave the community a sense of stability and sustainability. In the event of different exigencies, the organisation and its members have stood by its fellow members in UK, and even across the geographies. KPAE consistently supported brethren in India when Covid casted ominous distress or when there was any urgent need received through viral messages.

Digitalisation of the community platform

Looking at the demands of the time, we have emerging need of being more and more connected and informed about our community and its members. This vision is to be fulfilled through revamp of digital platform. The website of KPAE has run its course and the new digital platform aims at fulfilling different demands of connectedness and sense of belonging. While we want our next generation to connect professionally, personally, and culturally, the digital platform is our best bet. Currently, volunteers and members are helping to put together the requirements of the digital platform, however, there will be ongoing installation and maintenance costs that KPAE as an organisation must be ready to bear.

Pursuits of the students and youth

The connectedness and the sense of belonging in our next generation has lots of rewards for the organisation and the community in general. It is a matter of pride when our own people guide our next generation in their general challenges in getting into subsequent stages of life. Whether the challenge is on professional front or personal, new chapters in life need some robust guidance from immediate seniors or like-minded friends.

The integration with international KP organisations also helps our children to connect internationally with our own brethren, and again, the rewards are manifold. Examples are plenty where personal network has helped us create these opportunities for our children, but just imagine if that personal network gets multi fold through digital network, how richer would the rewards be.

Interesting and sustainable events

The organisation has run 2-3 cultural events a year for many years now and in recent years the sports events gained huge popularity among the members. Now the demand for sports events has increased. It is always lovely to see our children finding their mates at these sports and cultural events. The hunger and demand for more sports, cultural and professional events is ever increasing every year now. In response to this demand, the seva committee is ideating to make these events more attractive, fulfilling and mutually beneficial while covering all the different members. While paid memberships allow us to book the venues or spaces in advance and pass on the benefit to the members, the services during these events can also be enhanced by robust financial backing.

Ability to help 

The community members have always shown compassion for the less fortunate in the KP community, mostly back home in India. KPAE has made a tacit arrangement with KMECT to help the people in need for health-related financial exigency and contributed for the different worthy causes. There is always so much more that people want to do, and in this regard, we want to give members an opportunity to be more compassionate and as an organisation help more and more people who may have some expectations from us, whether it is on health front, or education front or even building our cultural and dharmic heritage. In these endeavours also, the paid sustainable memberships will go a long way to help achieve our vision.

Conclusion and request

Considering the aspirations of our members of the community and our dreams for our next generation, it is imperative that we put together certain sustainable values and traditions in place for which our next generation will fondly remember us with great memories. The cost of creating such memories is understandably, and especially in hindsight, not that high. So do become a paid member of KPAE to hand over a great KP organisation to our next generation.

The process of being a paid member is simple, just start the £10 per month standing order for the KPAE account. 

Account Name: KPAE

Sc: 20-07-89

Acct No.: 50544124

Please get in touch with the seva team (aka exec. team) if there are any questions.

Jai Mata Kheerbhawani!!!