The recent terror attack where over 40 CRPF jawans were martyred has been a focal point of the country. When the coffins of the jawans wrapped in tri-colour reached their hometowns, locals took to the streets to stand in solidarity, while some held candle-lit vigils to show their support.
The attack has triggered a wide range of emotions and support coming in from all quarters with people and even notable personalities donating money for the families of the martyrs.
Anguished and shaken by the terror attack, a young NRI living in the US by the name of Vivek Patel decided he had to contribute in some way.He initially wanted to contribute to the site ‘Bharat Ke Veer’ but realized it didn’t accept international card payments. Soon after realizing that there wasn’t another way to donate, he started a fundraising page on Facebook.
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Patel started the fundraiser on February 14, the day of the attack with an initial goal of $5,00,000. He spread the word amongst his circuit and surprisingly within 24 hours he was able to raise over $2,50,000. The money continued to pour in after reaching the goal and finally, he managed to raise nearly 6 crore rupees. The support came in majorly from NRIs and American Indians who were keen to contribute and found the page a medium to show solidarity in this tough time for India.
“When I started I only had the intention to do something,” he said. “I am thankful to people who made it so big and especially the silent supporters who donated without a doubt,” as told to American Bazaar.
Patel was even invited on a Chicago-based Indian Radio station called Desi Junction radio where he answered queries about his
“We are all Indians at the end of the day. No matter where you live, what you do, you will always remain an Indian. We cannot compare the sacrifices made by our soldiers with money but we can provide help to their families.” he said.
Patel was invited by the Indian Consulate in New York, on Thursday, where he met with Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty. The discussion included how the money would be transferred safely to the families of the jawans.
We are delighted to support the initiative of Viveik Patel (center) & friends who have raised on @facebook almost U$ 1 million from about 24,000 donors to help the families of the martyrs of the #PulwamaTerrorAttack. We discussed the best way to transfer money to @BharatKeVeer pic.twitter.com/BfFHPxRgM4
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) February 21, 2019
As on Friday, the initiative raised over $969,123 with donations from over 24,933 people.