SILCHAR: The year-long birth centenary celebrations of Shri Guruji came to an end in the north-east with various programmes including conclaves of swayamsevaks, students, intellectuals, saints and area-wise Hindu Sammelans. Cycle-yatras, free medical camps, painting, patriotic song and sports competitions were also organised at several places. The active participation of people from different communities strengthened the nationalist forces and added grist to social unity and harmony. The spontaneous and overwhelming response from the masses became a source of inspiration for the RSS cadre to carry forward its mission. In all, 24 students meet, 17 intellectuals meet, 12 saint sammelan and 68 Hindu Sammelans were held in Barak Valley, North Cachar Hills, Manipur and Tripura.
Brahmaputra Valley
In 23 districts of Brahmaputra Valley, the centenary year celebrations were held with all serenity and solemnity. In 35 intellectual meets across the valley attended by 2,882 luminaries, Shri Guruji'sversatility, his vision of vibrant Bharat and resurgent Hindus came in for discussion and interaction. Of significance was the meet in the district library auditorium of Guwahati on December 10 which was enlivened by RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan and graced by Shri D.N. Bezboruah, former editor of The Sentinel, Shri Dhirendra Nath Chakrovorty, editor of Dainik Asom, and Jyoti Prashad Rajkhowa, former Chief Secretary of Asom. This assembly of intellectuals was presided over by the eminent story writer and Academy Award winner litt?rateur Shri Atulananda Goswami. Shri Manmohan Baidya, Sahprachara Pramukh of RSS also enlightened the gathering about the life, ideals and philosophy of Shri Guruji.
Equally significant was the turn out of more than 3000 students of different streams and faculties in 42 specific meets at several places of upper Asom to know all about Shri Guruji and his roadmap for building a strong and monolithic Hindu society. Shri Madhubhai Kulkarni, Akhil Bharatiya Baudhik Pramukh addressed many of these assemblies.
At the social harmony meetings spread across the state, 929 saints and sages from 31 sects had discourse on the various facets of Hinduism and expressed their concern at the ?inertia? among the Hindus to react to issues, threatening the integrity and solidarity of the country, and exhorted them to rise above all mean and narrow considerations to thwart the evil designs of subversive forces.
Arunachal Pradesh
Intellectual meets, seminars, college students? conferences, social harmony meetings, eternal faith conferences throughout the length and breadth of the state were among the prominent programmes organised throughout the year in Arunachal Pradesh. From the state capital city Itanagar to the towns of Naharlagun, Bomdila, Seppa, Ziro, Palin, Daporijo, Koloriang, Tawang and Yazali, the centenary celebrations came alive and became memorable with events that reflected on ancient culture, exhibitions on Guruji, theme to project and preserve indigenous faith, orations on the role of different religious sects in the eradication of social evils, Bharat Mata poojan, Donyi-Polo prayer and above all oath-taking for unity.
Nagaland
In the commercial town of Dimapur, social harmony meting held on October 3, 2006 at Durga Mandir, attended by leaders and representatives of different religious sects and Vanvasi communities stressed on the imperative need to maintain better understanding and co-operation to meet the threats of proselytisation and influx of Bangladeshi infiltrators. Shri Mukundashav Panshikar while speaking on the occasion touched on the simple life, high thoughts and the indomitable sprit of Shri Guruji. In the capital town of Kohima, the social harmony meeting organised at Chanmary Gorkha Public Panchayat Hall on February 4 was attended by Angami and Zeilangrong Herakka people including their leaders, besides representatives of Nepali and Asom Sahitya Sabha as well as other Hindu bodies. While Angami community chief of the area Shri Siphiley presided over the meeting, organising secretary of Kalyan Ashram of Asom, Shri Atulji was the chief speaker. Both spoke about building cohesive society for closer rapport among Vanvasis and non-Vanavsis in the larger interest of one another.
Meghalaya
Meghalaya did not lag behind in paying glowing tributes to Shri Guruji. The centenary celebrations were heralded with inaugural function on April 22 in Shillong, which was graced by people from different communities. Rich homage was accorded to Shri Guruji, recalling his invaluable contributions for the sake of Hindu society and the country. Students? conference, intellectual meet, social get-together and Hindu Sammelan were held at Penyusla, Nongdom and Sder, besides Shillong, from September to January. More than 2000 people including young men and women attended these programmes to have an understanding and appraisal of the self-renunciation of Shri Guruji.
It was in fact the summing up of the centenary celebrations with the holding of the biggest ever Hindu Sammelan on India Club Ground of Silchar on February 4, which was graced by Sarkaryavah Shri Mohan Bhagwat, Swami Raghavacharya Vedanti and Shri Bikram Bahadur Jamatia.
Shri Jamatia who resisted the threat of dreaded National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the Baptist Mission for protecting the identity and culture of Vanvasis of Tripura against proselytisation, gave clarion call for spreading the ideals of Shri Guruji for unity among Hindus. Shri Guruji'schetna, chintan and sadhana, he said have deep impact in unifying the Hindus. Foreign disruptive elements have always taken advantage of the weakness of Hindu society for carrying on conversion. Terrorist outfits like NLFT, All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) have been working for subversion.
?Vanvasis of the north-east have now understood inimical forces and have begun to react and have taken the challenges in their stride,? Shri Jamatia asserted. He said the Vanvasi communities have woken up to the dangers of infiltration from across the border as well and ready to foil any design to disturb the territorial integrity of the frontier states. 126 Vanvasi groups who assembled at the biggest ever Janajati Sammelan in Guwahati in December resolved to protect ?their culture and identity.?
Quite significantly a book in the Tripperah Kok Brok language on the life and ideals of Shri Guruji, translated by Provas Nandan Das, was also released by Raghacharya Vedanti. He described Shri Guruji as a great revolutionary and RSS as a mighty force, dedicated to the cause of the nation and the Hindus. He said, ?It is time for atma-manthan as well as srestha chintan for every Hindu for the glorification of the country.?
