Sangh Samachar
A unique way to serve people
All through the last year, a typical scene was witnessed at Sri Devi Kalyana Mandapam in Kollangode, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. About 30 RSS Swayamsevaks of the town actively engaged themselves in serving food at each one of the 92 weddings held at this Mandapam. They also cleaned the tables after dinner. The idea was to donate Rs 1,000 per wedding that they got as remuneration for their work, for the service activities of Sewa Bharati. Thus, they were able to collect Rs. 92,000 last year. That was used by Sewa Bharati to buy school notebooks for children belonging to needy families. At the free notebooks distribution function of Sewa Bharati recently, a functionary of Communist Party was seen shedding tears of joy even as he congratulated the RSS workers for this bright idea. Many in the town remember how the same person had earlier tried to discourage some Swayamsevaks belonging to his ?high caste? from doing the ?lowly job? of cleaning dinner tables. Of course, Swayamsevaks had turned him away by politely pointing to him that they were ready to do any job for the sake of needy children in the town.
VSK, Chennai
Another way to celebrate birthday
This happened in Salavanpet, Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Arun is a youth who attends the Salavanpet RSS shakha. Vellore Nagar RSS Pracharak, Shri. P.R. Srinivasan, in the course of his visits to the houses of Hindus including those of Swayamsevaks, went one day to Arun'shouse. There, at the house, Raja, younger brother of Arun, invited Srinivasan to his birthday the following week. The Pracharak wanted to know how the birthday would be celebrated in the family. He was told, there would be cake cutting, blowing the candles out and the like. Srinivasan left a casual remark, ?On auspicious occasions we Hindus light lamps. We do not put them out ?? as his response. He later learnt that Raja, Arun and the entire family went to the temple on Raja'sbirthday and offered pooja; and also that Raja prostrated before elders and sought their blessings. The most important part of it all was that all in the family were delighted.
(VSK, Chennai)
National executive of Grahak Panchayat meets in Nagpur
National executive council of Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat met in Nagpur recently. Sahsarkaryavah of RSS Shri Suresh Joshi, Akhil Bharatiya Prakashn Pramukh, Shrikant Joshi and patron of Grahak Panchayat Dr Bajaranglal Gupta guided the 150 delegates. Speaking on the occasion, Bhaiyaji Joshi called upon the Grahak Panchayat activists to develop sajjanshakti (good power) in the society for development of the country. ?The society does not change by laws or constitution. It needs ideals. The Grahak Panchayat has to develop a society free from untouchability and exploitation and with discipline. The RSS works with long-term targets,? he said. Dr Bajranglal Gupta, called upon the delegates to launch a campaign against the economy that supports western interests. Dr Shri Ram Joshi, Vidarbha Prant Sah-Sanghchalak, Dr Charanjit Singh Kalra, vice president of Grahak Panchayat, Shri Somnath Khedkar, general secretary and Rajabhau Pophali, national secretary, were also present on the occasion.
(FOC)
Swayamsevaks foil conversion bid
Kalahandi is one of the most poverty-stricken district of Orissa where almost all the people are living below poverty line. Although, the State Government and various international agencies like DFID, World Bank, etc, spend a lot of money here, the people hanker after the basic amenities for life. Selling out newborn babies is not new here. It provided a golden chance for the pastors, claiming themselves as the embodiment of service. Gradually they start their activities in the region. Distribution of the Bible, organisation of prayer classes, turned into a regular feature and the needy villagers were reportedly motivated to change their religion in exchange of a handful of rice or a nominal amount of money. For giving a final touch to this mission of conversion, a programme was scheduled to be held in Junagarh township from July 19 to 22. In this programme, about 150 to 200 families were to be converted into Christianity through dooban. Everything was ready. Three bishops had come from Bangalore to perform the ceremony. But this news reached the local RSS workers and leaders of other Hindu organisations. RSS Swayamsevaks along with the members of VHP and local unit of BJP organised a grand protest rally. A memorandum was also presented to the district administration to arrest the pastors, engaged in the illegal conversion of Hindus. ?Initially, the administration was not ready to take any action against them, as they are being protected by a particular political party, but after pressure from public, the pastors were arrested,? says Shri Umesh Nayak, a Sangh worker. But surprisingly the three accused pastors, Joshep, Kallep and John, were freed from the police custody. No case has been lodged and ?they have committed no offence,? confirm the police sources. Now these pastors have no trace in the locality.
-Debasis Tripathy from Kalahandi
