SnehSeva started Sainik Sneh project 28 years ago with an original idea from our member – late Colonel ‘Daddy’ Chandwalkar. During the Vietnam war, Daddy had been deputed to Vietnam through the peace-keeping force. One Diwali day he was thinking of home and felt rather lonely. He was pleasantly surprised when he received a letter from the then Prime minister Mrs Indira Gandhi. It was a Diwali greeting card from the Prime Minister that excited and elated him. When in India, he shared this experience with SnehSeva members who came up with the idea of sending to soldiers sweets and greeting cards for Diwali. We discussed this idea with army officers, who agreed with our proposal, and promised to arrange delivery of sweet boxes to soldiers posted on Indian borders. This idea was taken further and given concrete shape by SnehSeva members : Shri Vishwakumar Badwe and Shri Uday Gadkari.

SnehSeva arranges greeting cards from schools of Pune, where students painstakingly and affectionately make them. These students feel involved and connected with the armed forces. This kindles their sense of patriotism. Many students also receive responses from the soldiers. Initially M/s Chitale Bandhu Mithaivale, Pune volunteered to contribute 50% of cost of making quality and durable sweets in sweet boxes, with the remaining amount being contributed by the SnehSeva members. As this news spread, contributions were received from the public, and enabled SnehSeva to increase the number substantially the number of sweet boxes sent. This year we could send 7000 boxes to the border areas of Tawang and Kashmir. SnehSeva got the benefit of concessional air freight for sweets sent to Tawang. Sweets sent to Kashmir were personally carried by soldiers re-joining their duty in that area. The successful project had contributions from 170 well-wishers. This project takes at least 6 months of planning and execution.

Around 5 years ago, 30 of our members visited Tawang. They experienced the rigorous inhospitable terrain and environment first hand, and met soldiers. On the first Diwali morning, our members also visit and distribute sweet boxes to former soldiers taking training at the Queen Mary Training Institute in Khadki, Pune. We recognise that these sweets are just a token of our love and gratitude towards their sacrifice. We look forward to strengthen this activity and reach many more locations. We accept contributions for this project in the name of Maitreya Charitable Society. This is a public charitable trust and donations to it have exemption under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. SnehSeva wishes to start other projects for connecting with soldiers.