The Centre started making country tiles on December 25. There was a small function at Tara. Only local 'mitti' and local talent will be used. The Centre has found a person whose father used to make country tiles. 75,000 tiles will be made.

The Centre has appealed to friends, sympathizers and citizens to contribute to the Bapu Kuti corpus. The following is the text of the appeal:

Re: Bapu Kuti


Dear Friend,

This is to introduce Yusuf Meherally Centre and appeal to you to donate for the Bapu Kuti and its corpus.

The Centre was started in 1961 to commemorate Yusuf Meherally, a freedom fighter and youth leader. He was also till then the youngest Mayor of Bombay. For seven years the Centre concentrated its attention on Bombay, later its attention shifted to rural areas. Now it is a premier rural development agency. It advocates that if the rural areas do not develop, our development (country's development) will not be sustainable, instead tension and strife and crime and violence will increase. At present, all this is happening. The Centre advocates making employment generation a people's movement. It works towards providing health care and education, empowering women and Adivasis (Tribals), mobilizing youth to promote communal harmony and fight injustice. It is in employment generation and relief. It has branches in nine states.

The Centre will be entering its 50th year soon and the Centre has planned an ambitious programme. One of this is to build a replica of Bapu Kuti in which Gandhiji lived in Sevagram. This Kuti which cost Rs. 100/- in 1936 and was built by local labour, local talent, and local material makes an important statement. Many architects have described it as the most eco-friendly structure. The Kuti will be inaugurated on May 1, 2011. To build it we need 30 lakhs (for books, furniture and of course construction) and to maintain it we have decided to have a corpus of a crore. The Kuti will be used to inculcate certain values in the citizens and also to make them aware of the dangers of global warming. At least two programmes will be held there every month.

While we are accepting any amount for the construction of the Kuti, for the corpus we intend to take not more than a thousand from any individual. And we have decided to approach a lakh of people. We will be very happy if you would contribute for the Kuti and the corpus.

This is an appeal to friends and well-wishers to deposit (under intimation to the Centre) their donations, if any, in the 'Yusuf Meherally Centre' S.B. A/c. No. 10066940217, State Bank of India, Hughes Road Branch, Mumbai 400007, or post the cheque in favour of " Yusuf Meherally Centre" to the General Secretary, Yusuf Meherally Centre, D-15, Ganesh Prasad, Naushir Barucha Marg, Mumbai 400 007. And, if you give for the corpus, please mention it in the covering letter or in the bank advice, as the case may be.

Donations to YMC are tax exempt under Sections 80 G and 35 AC of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

And please visit Tara where many of our activities are located. The village is on Mumbai-Goa highway, 64 kilometers from the city.

Yours sincerely,

G.G.Parikh