This is a gist of the annual report presented by Sarkaryavah Shri Mohan Bhagwat at the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha held in Lucknow from March 9 to 11.
We all have assembled here after one year to take stock of our activity, completing the programmes of Shri Guruji birth centenary with gaiety, enthusiasm and success. This meeting is being held in the backdrop of the evolving complex national scenario as also the love, cooperation experienced by us during the birth-centenary year from all sections of the society including saints, scholars and eminencies.
Status of our activity
In the Sangh Shiksha Vargas held in May-June 2006, a total of 12,140 trainees from 8,011 places underwent training for Pratham Varsha. In terms of number of trainees it is 123 more than last year and in terms of places it is 17 more. For Dwitiya Varsha training 3,070 trainees came from 2,388 places. 937 trainees attended the Tritiya Varsha training. In the Shiksha Vargas for Proudha 426 underwent training for Pratham Varsha and 197 for Dwitiya Varsha.
As per the reports available so far there are currently 44,417 shakhas in 30,988 places. Weekly Milans are taking place in 7,851 places and monthly Sangh Mandalis are being held in 7,300 places. Compared to last March these figures indicate a shortfall in shakhas and places. This was anticipated, as we were all fully engrossed in the hectic Shri Guruji birth centenary programmes.
Flood relief in Surat
Unprecedented flood situation arose in Surat (Gujarat) last year due to incessant rains and subsequent lifting of floodgates to release the accumulated water in the dam. Relief centres were opened at four places in Surat. Relief material in the form of 80,000 food packets, 4,500 milk packets and 110,000 water pouches was made available to the flood victims. About 4,500 kilos of sukhdi, 5,500 kilos of snacks, 6,000 packets of biscuits, 2,000 kilos of puris, 900 packets of candles, 600 packets of matchboxes, 165 ropes etc were sent from Karnavati. About 1250 swayamsevaks from Surat and shakhas around actively participated in this relief activity. As soon as floodwaters started receding on August 11, 3,000 activists arrived from Navsari, Olpad, Bharuch, Ankleswar etc plunged immediately into the city cleaning and hygiene activity and provided medical aid to around 2,000 diseased.
Flood in Godavari and Sabari rivers in Poorva Andhra
At the mid-night of August 4 last year floodwaters swirled in full spate in Godavari and Sabari rivers together, playing havoc in Kunavaram, Vararamachandrapuram, Kukkunur, Belurpadu and Burgumpahad mandals of Khammam district; and Mummidivaram, Inavalli and Katrenikona mandals in East Godavari district. Around 100 villages got inundated and badly hit by this awful flood. Swayamsevaks and other activists of Seva Bharati, BKS and Bharat Vikas Parishad plunged into the activity immediately. Arrangements were made to shift the flood-affected and provide them shelter. Our activists moved about in floodwaters in country-boats for three days to reach out to the flood-affected and to extend relief material that included 25 quintal of rice, two quintal of pulses, 5,000 packets each of rice and milk, 10,000 pouches of drinking water and 6,000 pieces of breads. A relief camp was run for 2,000 flood-affected people. Also 1,600 patients were attended to.
University students? programmes and Shakha Attendance Day
These programmes were held in many places all over the country. Many were exemplary too. More than attendance and grandeur emphasis was laid on the mechanism of mobilisation. Big programmes were also held like in Prayag with an attendance of 800 and in Mangalore with 3,000. Sangh has succeeded in establishing good contacts among a large number of new university students through these programmes. On the occasion of Higher Attendance Day, 222 swayamsevaks were present in the Vijayanagar shakha of Jaipur Mahanagar. In the Panchajanya Ratri Shakha of Nasik town in Pashchim Maharashtra all the 20 members of the shakha team including 15 gatanayaks prepared an exhaustive list of 68 tarun, 90 bal and 30 shisu swayamsevaks and contacted each and every one of them. Forty-seven taruns, 60 bals and 12 shisus attended the shakha. In the Pratap Prabhat shakha of Jalore town in Jodhpur province, 107 out of 180 swayamsevaks attended the shakha. In the Azad Prabhat shakha of Unnao town in Avadh province 150 swayamsevaks were present from 85 families, 40 out of whom were new. Similar enthusiasm was reported in all the prants.
In the concluding function of the birth-centenary celebrations in Delhi on February 18, 1,843 ghosh players selected from all over the country gave a memorable and excellent 20-minute demonstration in front of the massive audience present. Route marches undertaken by these gosh players on the previous evening of February 17 too greatly enthralled and influenced the audience. This is the first of its kind in the history of Sangh and also the only programme organised by the swayamsevaks at the All India level during the birth centenary. Many programmes held during the birth centenary might be coming under this ?first of its kind? category. This must be the first time that a collection like Shri Guruji Samagra was translated into all Indian languages and published just in a year and half.
Sarsanghachalakji'svisit to the Iskapalli Palem shakha
Sarsanghachalakji visited Iskapalli Palem, a village of just 2,200 fishermen situated on the seashore in the Nellore district of Poorva Andhra Pradesh on December 28, 2006. A shakha has been running there regularly since 1981. There are more than 250 swayamsevaks with full uniform in this village. This shakha has trained its own 28-member ghosh team by spending from their own pockets to buy ghosh instruments. This shakha gave eight Pracharaks and Vistaraks for Sangh work, who are actively working today. This village also gave several tehsil and district-level touring functionaries.
Hindu Samarasata Sammelan ? Palamur (Pashchim Andhra)
Social evils like casteism and untouchability are prevalent in our society even now. Our activists in Palamur district of Pashchim Andhra deliberated upon eradicating these evils and made some praiseworthy initiatives through shakhas and personal contact in the last one year. Efforts were made on issues like making temples, festivals and sources of drinking water open and common to all, ending discriminatory practices like separate tumblers in public places etc with the support and participation of all people. Swayamsevaks of Palamur planned a Samarasata Sammelan on January 7. A total of 11,321 swayamsevaks from 340 villages were present in the prescribed uniform. Route marches were organised from 10 places coursing through 14 slums.
Scenario
The pleasant atmosphere created during the birth-centenary celebrations should not make us complacent to some unpleasant things taking place around us. Incidents like Khairlanji that destroy the feelings of social harmony and perpetrate dissentions in the society are continuing even to this day. Incidents like this or the controversy over the temple entry in Kendrapara underscore the fact that the path to creating a permanent and effective harmony in the society and uprooting all the differences is fraught with serious obstacles and problems. Foreign-sponsored separatist terrorist outfits like ULFA in Assam that celebrates the bloodbath of innocent people by brutally murdering our own brethren speaking a different language are trying to expand their network of mayhem. Direct threat from across the border from Pakistan and indirect threat in the name of dialogue from China is looming over us. In the South in Kerala the network of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI is spreading its tentacles very fast.
In such a situation it is expected of the government machinery that they ensure unity in our society, awaken its self-esteem and strengthen its security. Unfortunately it is precisely these things that are missing in the policies of the ruling establishment. So-called minorities are being pampered in a shameless pursuit of votes. This policy of distorting facts by using redundant initiatives like the Sachar Committee has led to the partition of our country earlier. Have our politicians forgotten this fact in their savage pursuit of political self-interests? It is amazing that this love and affection bestowed on the minorities out of hunger for votes is never available for the Hindu community. Incidents of ridicule and harassment of Hindus are continuously on the rise. From the obduracy to complete Setu Samudram Project by destroying the Ram Setu to the secret conspiracy to gobble up the assets and wealth of Sri Tirumal Tirupati Devasthanam?reckless pursuit of such policies is rampant. Their shamelessness has reached its zenith in their efforts to introduce perverse sex education curriculum by any means in the name of AIDS thus mortgaging the age-old cultural values of our country. On one hand, our policy-makers go placid before the separatists, terrorists, Maoists and jehadi mercenaries and sing the tune of peace but on the other hand they turn rude and insensitive to the just and rational demands of the patriotic people. People of the country are frustrated by inflation. Farmers of the country are frustrated by the economic policies that turn fertile holdings into barren lands and are committing suicides due to the heavy burden of debts. Rich are becoming richer and poor poorer. But the architects of these parasitic, discriminatory and self-destructive policies are very jubilant and satisfied with their acts like opening the doors to MNCs.
What is being deliberated upon so secretly with the forces that support secessionism and terrorism in Kashmir while ignoring the interests of refugees of Kashmir and citizens of Jammu and Ladakh? What is the meaning of utterances by some of our senior officials like ?transfer of less-populated areas can be discussed? in the context of our talks with China? What is actually happening to the country in our discussions on the nuclear deal with the US? Is the territory of our country being considered for exchange in these deliberations? Is the age-old policy of ?not a blade of grass grows there? still being pursued? No answer is in sight for these serious doubts arising in the minds of ordinary people.
Appeal
We have to understand both sides of this situation properly and carry forward our activity with determination and hard work. We have to quickly expand the nationwide network of activists, shakhas and contacts that become the nodal points for the harmony of forces of good and unity and strength of our society. Birth centenary programmes have concluded, but the real work has to start now. We have to evolve a nationwide superstructure of selfless patriotism, affectionate organisation, total dedication and relentless well-planned hard work on the vibrant and pristine foundations of shakha. We have to cautiously keep the flames of our life ever ablaze in this dark night preceding a delightful dawn. Our mission is sacred as it is for the welfare of entire humanity. Let us strengthen it by dedicatedly building organisational power through our relentless hard work and spotless commitment. Our shakha is the lifeline to evolve virtues and organised strength. Let it reach out to all people at all places. Let all the good people thus contacted become active in the national cause. Let our body, mind and soul be dedicated relentlessly and untiringly to this mission. Led by good men and inspired by our ethos, let the people rebuild our nation. The entire nation is expecting the sadhna of Sangh to spread all over the society.
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