This Daan Utsav, pen wishes for armed forces on cards

This rangoli is made of 36dots but they are invisible,” reads the Hindi text on a yellow page that bears a rangoli drawn with a pen. “Similarly, India’s soldiers are not visible but they protect us, and, like this rangoli, fill our lives with color.”

Made by 12-year-old Hinkle Idnani from Ulhasnagar, this handcrafted analogy is among nearly one lakh greeting cards meant for the Indian armed forces that have reached collection centers of the Making A Difference (MAD) Foundation so far.

As part of #DaanUtsav this year, MAD Foundation is running a campaign called ‘Vande Mataram Diwali 2021: Desh Videsh Se Sainiko Ko Sandesh’. “The idea of the initiative is to encourage individuals, schools, NGOs and organizations in every state of India to convey their emotions and wishes for the armed forces in the light of both India’s 75th year of Independence and Diwali, which falls on November 4,” said Haresh Shah, founder of the NGO.