Saints demand Bill for Ram temple in Monsoon Session

VHP Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal meeting in Haridwar

Saints to conduct awareness in 84 Kosi Parikrama area from August 25 to September 13

The senior saints of the country warned the Congress-led UPA government to bring legislation in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament itself paving the way for construction of Sri Ramjanmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya. They said if the government fails to act at this moment, a massive countrywide agitation will be conducted. The decision to this effect was taken at the Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal meeting of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Haridwar from June 11 to 12.

Many senior saints including Swami Satyamitrananda Giri of Bharat Mata Mandir, Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati and Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rambhadracharya attended the meeting. VHP patron Shri Ashok Singhal, working president Dr Pravin Togadia, general secretary Shri Champat Rai and many other senior leaders were also present on the occasion. Yogaguru Baba Ramdev also attended a session on June 11.

The Margdarshak Mandal meeting adopted a resolution urging the government to hand over the entire 70 acre land of Ayodhya to the Hindus for construction of the temple. The resolution to this effect was introduced by former Union Minister Swami Chinmayananada. “Now after the court verdict it has been proved beyond any doubt that the disputed place is the birthplace of Sri Ram, the birthplace is itself a deity, the disputed structure was built on a Hindu religious place against the tenants of Islam, the claim of the Muslims has been rejected by the court and it has been proved that Ramlalla owns the entire 70 acre land. The Government of India too is bound with the affidavit, which it had filed in the Supreme Court promising that it would support the Hindus if the disputed land is proved that it had any Hindu structure. Therefore, there is no reason for delaying the construction of Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya now,” the resolution said.

The resolution reiterated that no Islamic structure would be accepted within the 84 Kosi Parikrama. The resolution said through the court the matter will only be delayed, hence the Central Government should enact a law in the Parliament and hand over the land to the Hindus for building a temple. If the government fails to act, the saints warned that an awareness campaign will be launched within 84 Kosi Parikrama area from August 25 to September 13. During the campaign all the villages within the 84 Kosi region will be contacted. On every halt, there will be a meeting.

The meeting on June 11 was conducted by Swami Satyamitrananda Giri Maharaj. Speaking at a session Baba Ramdev said the governments are very cruel and cheaters and nobody should be in any misconception that if the government at the Centre is positive, the construction of the temple will be easy. He said whichever is the government the agitation for the temple should continue with same vigour and spirit till the temple is not constructed. Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati and Swami Rambhadracharya Maharaj appealed to the saints to keep the temple issue on their top priority.            (FOC)

National Convention of Anganwadi Karmachari Mahasangh in Raurkela

The sixth triennial conference of the Akhil Bharatiya Anganwadi Karmachari Mahasangh, a unit of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, has demanded to declare the Anganwadi workers as government employees. The conference said by not recognising the Anganwadi workers as Government employees and denying them adequate wages, benefits and social security the Government has become the biggest exploiter of Indian women. The conference was held in Rourkela (Odisha) from June 8 to 9. The workers said the employees of Anganwadi centres should be treated and allowed to live as human beings by recognising as Government employees and extending all the service conditions and benefits at par with government.

Senior BMS leaders including Shri KC Mishra and Shri Mangalamba Rao addressed the workers. At the conference, Sushri Saudamanidas of Odisha was elected national president while Smt Jayanti Duggal of Himachal Pradesh became national general secretary. Sushri Rita Ekka from Chhattisgarh became joint secretary. Smt Nishibala from Himachal Pradesh will be the treasurer.

“As per the Anganwadi Scheme, a total fo 26. 26 lakh workers including 13.72 lakh Anganwadi workers and 12.54 lakh Anganwadi helpers are engaged in the delivery of health services to the economically and socially backward people in different parts of the country. A total of 13.70 lakh Anganwadi centres are in operation under the administrative control of 7,076 Child Development Project Officers. The Supreme Court of India has identified over 17 lakh places, where these services are to be provided and is pursuing with the Government of India. As such, the Government has to set-up another 3.30 lakh Anganwadi centres. The I C D Services have come to stay and have become a part of the Government activity. Even after 37 years, to continue calling Anganwadi Centres as SCHEME and denying the basic statutory benefits like wage and social security to the service providers is not justified by any measure,” a resolution passed at the conference said.

While the Central Government is funding, the ICDS is administered by the State Governments. Besides the jobs of Central Government, the State Governments are also giving jobs additionally and remunerating. CDPO (Child Development Project Officer) is operating about 150 to 200 Anganwadi Centres, by recruiting one Anganwadi worker and one Anganwadi helper at each Centre. While the C D Project Officer and the Office Staff and Supervisors are treated as Government employees and extended with wage and benefits including social security as are available to Government employees the Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers are left out. Interestingly the former who are non-performers are recognised as State Government employees and the later who are delivering the services and fulfilling the objectives of the Government and the scheme are not treated even as employees and pushed out of the coverage of the labour and service related laws.

Since the AWW and AWH are not treated as Government employees, the benefits as are available to the employees like wage, provident fund, pension and medical assistance are not applicable to them. Economically and socially backward citizens and old and disabled are provided benefits by the Government such as old age pension, housing, etc. The Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, that are paid an insignificant sum of Rs. 3,000/- and 1,500/- are not even treated as economically backward citizens and hence not considered for the same benefits as are available to such citizens. That these Anganwadi employees are not recognised either as employees or as backward citizens by Governments is most deplorable, resolution added.        (FOC)

Free artificial limbs distribution camp by BVP

Ludhiana unit of the Bharat Vikas Parishad (BVP) organised a free artificial limb distribution camp on June 9. Artificial limbs, calipers, tricycles, hearing aids, etc. were presented to 85 physically challenged persons at the camp. Shri Jeevan Dhawan, Member, Punjab Subordinate Services Selection Board, was the chief guest. He applauded the nice work being done by the Bharat Vikas Parishad in rendering selfless services to the needy persons. Such camps inculcate a spirit of self-confidence among the physically challenged persons for becoming self-dependent, he said. Presiding over the function president of the Trust, Shri Suraj Jyoti said the Trust has provided artificial limbs, calipers, tricycles, wheel chairs and hearing aids to more than 39,000 physically challenged persons so far. He said regular camps are held every month for performing polio operations and we have already performed over 2,000 free Polio operations successfully.               (FOC)