Triennial conference of BMS insurance and banking sector unions Work more for industry
Udayrao Patwardhan
From Our Correspondent
The 12th triennial all India conference of National Organisation of Insurance Workers (NOIW), affiliated to Bharatiya Mazadoor Sangh (BMS), was held at Nanded, Maharashtra, recently. The conference was attended by about 1000 delegates.
Inaugurating the conference the BMS General Secretary, Udayrao Patwardhan appealed to the workers to work more for the industry and then raise their justified demands. He pointed out that NOIW is the largest organisation of workers in the insurance sector, which came up by defeating the leftist organisations that had dominated the sector till recent past.
Addressing the delegates the BMS Organising Secretary, Om Prakash Aghi sought to draw the delegates? attention towards the unorganized sector where more than 35 crore workers are confronted with hunger, illiteracy, disease, social inequality and insecurity. Shri Aghi appealed to them for financial help and also to donate to BMS organisations working in the unorganized sector whose financial position is not very sound. Following his appeal an amount of Rs one lakh was immediately presented to Shri Aghi for organisational activities of unorganised sector.
Meanwhile, the triennial conference of Akhil Bharatiya Gramin Bank Workers Organisation of BMS was held at Kota in Rajasthan. The conference, which was attended by 966 delegates, was inaugurated by Shri Udayrao Patwardhan. BMS Organising Secretary, Ram Prakash Mishra delivered the valedictory speech. The triennial conference of All India Punjab National Bank Employees? Association and Bank of Rajasthan, both affiliated to BMS, was organised at Bharatpur in Rajasthan. This conference was inaugurated by BMS Secretary, Amar Nath Dogra.
Seminar on science, religion and development
Spiritual and material domains should work together
By Swapan Samadder Chaudhury
Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Saikshik Mahasangh and the National Assembly of the Bahai community jointly organised a seminar on science, religion and development in Kolkata recently.
Delivering the keynote address, Smt Farida Vahedi, Coordinator, Secretariat for Promotion of Science, Religion and Development of Bahais said that people-centered development was unlikely to lead to a systematic betterment of people’slife without a unifying vision of life and society. The Bahais feel that this vital matter calls for a new level of dialogue between science and religion. She pointed out that a great affinity was observed between Hindu and Bahai thoughts in this area.
She said the focus should be on the process of capacity building for which the core areas that need to be addressed are education, economic activity, technological development, good governance and justice. ?Here both science and religion have a key role to play in developing economic systems that are altruistic and cooperative in nature. However, we should not forget that developmental initiatives will not lead to tangible and lasting improvements in physical well-being without drawing on those universal spiritual postulates that give directions and meaning to life,? she said.
Dr Tarun Majumdar, President of Jatiyatabadi Adhyapak Sangha said that a solution to the troubled life of modern days, consumerism, fanaticism and consequent terrorism would be found in the philosophy of life practised in India since the hoary past. It is only through synthesis of spiritualism, humanism and the scientific spirit that provide the much needed solace to the troubled mind of a modern man.
Presiding over the seminar, Dr Basudev Barman, Vice-Chancellor, Kalyani University said we should aim at achieving a balance between man and nature. Only value-based education will promote equality in the society. But what is proving to be a stumbling block in the path of development is the rapid rise in population. Citing examples from the census report Dr Barman said that 20 per cent of the population was literate in 1947. This meant that 28 crore people were illiterate then. According to the census report of 2000, 62 per cent people are literate. This shows that 42 crores people are still illiterate. We have thus added 14 crores of illiterates in the span of 55 years. Therefore, all talks of improving the condition of people will be a futile exercise until the growing population problem is squarely addressed and solved, he said.
Prof. Chandilal Banerjee, Gen. Secretary of Jatiyatabadi Adhyapak Sangha said any education system, unqualified by the guiding principles of spiritualism, was sure to create tension in social life. He stressed the need of continuing interaction with Bahais in future also.
Chamanlalji: The Journey of a Swayamsevak
Shri Vishwa Niketan, New Delhi has published a book highlighting the life and work of Chamanlalji. The book was released by RSS Sarsanghchalak, K.S. Sudarshan and Union HRD Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi at Chamanlal Memorial Lecture held in New Delhi recently. The book?Chamanlalji: The Journey of a Swayamsevak?has been compiled by Shri Amarjiv Lochan, a former close associate of Chamanlalji who was with him even at the time he breathed his last. The preface of the book has been written by Sahsarkaryavah, Madan Das. The book provides the information on Chamanlalji’sschool life, constitution of Vishwa Vibhag in the Sangh, his views on political events, misuse of democracy and tragedy of Emergency. The 90-page book is in Hindi and has been priced at Rs 40. The book can be obtained from: Shri Vishwa Niketan, 85-86, Double Story, New Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi- 110 060.
Orissa ABVP conference demands
Deal with Left wing terrorism with iron hand
The 28th conference of Orissa unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP) held in Koraput district recently, deliberated on social expansion of the organisation especially among Vanvasis and backward section of the society. The conference has drawn up a detail action plan to make the organisations? presence in all the colleges of the state in coming two years. The newly elected State Secretary, Gobinda Nayak, said that the organisation was seriously working on the three-year action plan that began in 2003, for massive organisational growth in the State. Pointing out that the action plan slated to be completed by the commemoration of Shri Guruji’sbirth centenary in 2006, has targeted to enroll 50,000 members in its fold.
Condemning the growing naxal activities in the State, the ABVP has urged the government to deal with left wing terrorism with iron hand and also to take development to interior Vanvasi pockets. In a resolution the conference urged the government to come out with a clear policy on higher education. ABVP national joint organising Secretary, B. Surendran and Koraput Suprintendent of Police, Arun Bothra were special guests at the conference.
?By Sanjay Jena
