The number of youths has increased in recent years in the Sangh Shiksha Vargas, the training camps organised by RSS to impart organisational training to its cadre, held in different parts of the country in May-June. It clearly indicates that the Sangh is attracting youths in large numbers. Talking to Organiser in New Delhi Shri Mohan Bhagwat, RSS Sarkaryavah, confirmed this. He said not only the number of Vargas, but also the number of young shiksharthis (participants) had increased in both the Pratham and Dviteeya Varsha camps. He also pointed out that the number of both the Prathamik Varga, camps organised for school children, and the number of participants in those camps have registered a good increase this year.
The Sangh has demarcated the country into 38 prant for the convenience of its work. In certain prant, more than one Sangh Shiksha Vargas OTCs are held. Before the OTCs, the Prathamik Shiksha Vargas for school children are held in April every year.
While the Prathamik Shiksha Vargas and the Pratham and Dviteeya Varsha Shiksha Vargas are organised separately by the Prant units, the Triteeya Varsha Varga is organised only in Nagpur, in which selected swayamsevaks from all the Prant undergo organisational training for 30 days. It is a unique confluence of swayamsevaks belonging to different regions of the country. A scene of laghu Bharat is witnessed in Nagpur. Third year OTC is regarded as the highest organisational training in the Sangh. The Prathmik Shiksha Varga is of the short duration i.e. one week and the Pratham and Dviteeya Varsha Vargas, which are held for the tarun (young) swayamsevaks, are of the 20-days duration.
This year a total of 75 Sangh Shiksha Vargas were held all over the country. Besides the one third year camp held in Nagpur, 54 Pratham Varsha camps and 20 Dviteeya Varsha camps were organised at 55 places. In all the camps more than 12,000 swayamsevaks underwent training. However the exact number of the participants will be available only in the month of July after the Prant Pracharak meet. One Pratham Varsha camp of Himachal Pradesh will be held in July.
Sarsanghachalak Shri K. S. Sudarshan visited the 10 Dviteeya Varsha camps. The other 10 Dviteeya Varsha camps were visited by Sarkaryavah Shri Mohan Bhagwat. Normally, the adhikaris of Kshetra level remain in the Pratham Varsha camps for the whole duration and guide the shiksharthis. At the place where both the Pratham Varsha and the Dviteeya Varsha camps are organised together, the Sarsanghachalak or Sarkaryavah visit both the camps.
According to the information available, this year the number of OTCs have increased. Last year a total of 65 Vargas were held in various Prants. This year, this number has increased to 75.
Talking about the expansion of the shakhas during the birth centenary year of Shri Guruji, Shri Bhagwat said no target has been fixed at the central level, though the Prant units have fixed some targets for themselves. ?Today, all the Prant units are busy in celebrating Shri Guruji birth centenary year. During this year, efforts are being made through various activities to reach the maximum number of people of the society. It is only after the birth centenary year, which will conclude in February 2007, the expansion of shakhas will begin. The contact being established with new people this year will help in the expansion of shakhas next year,? he said.
The third year OTC completed in Nagpur on June 8, in which a total of 950 shiksharthis underwent organisational training. All the OTCs in Southern and Eastern Prants including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh have completed. The remaining OTCs will be over by June 24. The Pratham Varsha and a separate camp for Praudh swayamsevaks in Delhi began on June 4 and will be completed on June 24. This year the Dviteeya Varsha camp of the whole Uttar Kshetra, which includes Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir has been organised in Pathankot (Punjab), which will be over by June 24.
This year four special camps for Praudh swayamsevaks have been organised at four different places. The Pratham and Dviteeya Varsha camp of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and J&K Prants were organised at Shahdra in Delhi. While the camps of Rajasthan and Uttar Pashchim Kshetra have been organised in Jodhpur. The camps of Konkan, Devgiri, Vidarbha and Paschim Maharashtra Prants were organised at Dombivali, Mumbai. Camps of Uttar Bihar, Dakshin Bihar and Jharkhand Prants were organised in Begusarai.
Since the Sangh work has registered its presence in various spheres of social life, the nature of workers? training has also witnessed a slight change during the last few years. Earlier, the main focus used to be on the Sangh shakha. But now other activities like training for service activities, prachar (publicity) sampark (contact) and yoga have also been included in the OTC curriculum. The participants also visit a nearby sewa basti for establishing contact and also to become familiar with the problems of the people living in such colonies. The shiksharthis are also acquainted with the glorious past of the country and also the India'scontribution to science through various activities. Exhibitions highlighting various problems of the country are also organised. Different activities to highlight and also to find out the hidden talent of the participants are organised. For example, an orator is provided an opportunity to express his talent. Similarly the talent in poetry, ghosh (band), physical activities, intellectual activities, etc. are also highlighted. During the camp, the participants are also provided with the meals prepared by women on a stipulated day. It is called the matri hasta bhojan. Normally, women from nearby localities visit the camp with meals prepared at home and shared it with the shiksharthis.
By Pramod Kumar
