Sangh Samachar

BVP'snational convention in Ajmer
The 24th national and ninth international convention of Bharat Vikas Parishad (BVPs) were held recently in Ajmer. A large number of delegates from across the world participated in the two-day convention, which concluded on December 26. A detailed discussion was held over the service activities being run by the Parishad in backward areas especially among the Vanvasis. Shri D.N. Grover, convenor, Vanvasi Sahayata Yojna, informed the convention that various service projects were being run in 37,710 Vanvasi villages of the country. He said efforts were on by the Parishad'sactivists that no Vanvasi family should leave Hinduism due to poverty. Elaborating on the project for physically-challenged people, Shri Sanjay Nautiyal said thousands of physically challenged people had been rehabilitated by the Parishad across the country. Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi, RSS Sah Sarkaryavah, honoured several activists for their outstanding services in rehabilitation of physically-handicapped persons. The convention was inaugurated by Smt Vasundhra Raje, Chief Minister of Rajasthan. Former Union Minister Shri Jagmohan was also present on the occasion. It is to be noted that the Bharat Vikas Parishad has been working among weaker sections of the society for the last 50 years. -FOC

Home-coming in UP and Orissa
Over 700 Christians, belonging to 30 villages of Barelliey, recently returned home at a function held at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Barelliey. The function was organised by Dharma Raksha Samiti. A group of people belonging to Arya Samaj performed a yajna in which all the participants offered ahutis. Noted saint Shri Vijay Maharaj stressed the need to bring all those people of Hindu society, who have somehow deserted the mainstream owing to certain reasons and circumstances, back to the Hindu fold. He said only the feeling of social harmony could remove untouchability from the society. In another home-coming ceremony held at Genda village, about 150 km from Sundergarh district in Orissa, 16 members of four Christian families returned to their original roots. All the people who returned home resolved that they would not succumb to any pressure or allurement and would continue to follow the traditions of their forefathers. -FOC

An orphanage inaugurated
Sri Jagannath Niketan, an orphanage, was recently inaugurated at Pardhia Palli village of Sambalpur district in Orissa with an aim to nourish the helpless orphans and to make them self-reliant. The orphanage is managed by Vikash Vidyalaya Foundation under the auspices of Sewa Bharati. Shri Premchand Goel, Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh of RSS, inaugurated the orphanage. This project will focus on education, health and self-dependence of rural inhabitants. The inaugural ceremony of the orphanage, which had started functioning only with four children, was presided over by Shri Narasimha Mishra, a retired engineer. Ajit Prasad Mohapatra, RSS Prant Pracharak, and Shri Ashok Kumar Padhi, Prant Sewa Pramukh, also addressed the gathering. Utkal Sambad

Bhaiyaji Kasture passes away
Veteran Sangh Pracharak, Duttatreya Kasture, popularly known as Bhaiyaji Kasture, passed away in New Delhi on January 2. He was 87. He had not been keeping well for some time. He suddenly suffered a heart attack at around 12.00 pm and breathed his last after some time. Besides hundreds of Sangh and VHP workers, Shri Satyanarayan Bansal, Delhi Prant Sanghachalak, Shri Prem Kumar, Delhi Prant Pracharak, Shri Sohan Singh, veteran Sangh Pracharak, Shri Pyarelal Khandelwal, Shri Lakshminarayan Sharma and Shri Satyanarayan Jatia, all Rajya Sabha Members, and VHP leaders Acharya Giriraj Kishore, Shri Omkar Bhave and Sardar Prem Singh ?Sher? paid their tribute.

Bhaiyaji was the secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and also incharge of Archak-Purohit Vibhag for some time. He had been looking after the publication of Hindu Chetna, the official organ of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, as editor since 1981. Bhaiyaji was among the Sangh Pracharaks who spread the Sangh work in Madhya Bharat, especially in Ujjain, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur and areas around Narmada river. He also worked in Jashpur, Bilaspur, Raigarh and Ambikapur areas of now Chhattisgarh state. Bhaiyaji was an example of simple living, high thinking. He became a Sangh Prachrak before 1940 and came to Delhi before the Emergency as Delhi Prant organising secretary of VHP. Since then he worked in different capacities. -FOC