RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha in Bengaluru

“The fundamental work of RSS is to work for Rashtraniti (policies in national interest) and not Rajniti (politics). For the purpose RSS has unique way of functioning based on affectionate way of Man Making. Swayamsevaks should strive to completely transform the way we govern, instead of thinking about just changing the people who govern.” This was the crux of the message of RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat for office bearers of the nationalist organisation. He was addressing the concluding session of the largest and all important body of RSS, Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), held at Rashtrotthan Vidya Kendra, Bengaluru on March 9, 2014.

Shri Bhagwat further elaborated that in the current political atmosphere, we should not forget that our ultimate inspiration is Bhagwa Dhwaj and organising the whole society for national reconstruction is our main goal. The way national situation is deteriorated in the last 10 years, who should not rule the nation has become evident for the society. Our role is to ensure 100 per cent voting on the basis of issues of national importance. We have been politically influenced and we can use that in the national interest, when and where required but we know our limits as well. He cited the times of emergency as one such example. “If we have our goals clear then, we can also decide what to do and what not to do. Without flowing with the environment, we know how to work in our limits and therefore, organisationally, we are different,” he said.

In a special guidance on contribution of RSS in national life, Shri Madhu Bhai Kulkarni, Member of the National Executive Committee, said the RSS is working on the principle of “Practical Vedanta” propounded by Vivekananda, as a school of ‘experiential teaching without preaching’. Sangh Prarthana (RSS prayer), Bhagwa Dhwaj (saffron flag) and collective leadership are the unique things that enable us to pursue the goal of Param Vaibhav (Ultimate Prosperity based on Dharma). He concluded that this God given mission is not meant for reconstruction of Bharat but the whole humanity.

The ABPS took an annual stock of activities of Sangh and allied organisations, which included numerous activities pertaining to sewa (social service) and shiksha (education). Besides growth and outstanding functions Hindu Sammelans (conventions) held at various places, review of the exceptional celebration of 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda was another highlight of the ABPS.

However, a section of media wrongly interpreted the views expressed by Sarsanghachalak at the concluding ceremony of Pratinidhi Sabha and also quoted him in wrong context. RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr Manomohan Vaidya said what Shri Bhagwat emphasised in his concluding remarks that RSS workers should keep in mind that they are not working for any political party but for national interest. And after the electoral process is over, they should concentrate on their chosen work of nation building.

 

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New team for 2014-15

The responsibility of some of the Adhikaris was changed on final day of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha. There are no major changes in the list of office bearers. Here is a list provided by Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Bangalore:

Sarsanghachalak:Shri Mohan Bhagwat

Sarkaryavah:Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi

Sah Sarkaryavahs:Shri Suresh Soni,

Shri Dattatreya Hosabale and Dr Krishna Gopal

Baudhik Pramukh:Shri Bhagayyaji

Sah Baudhik Pramukh:Shri Mahavirji

Sharirik Pramukh:Shri Anil Oak

Sah Sharirik Pramukh:Shri Jagadish Prasad

Sampark Pramukh:Shri Hasthimalji

Sah Sampark Pramukh:Shri Ram Madhav

Sah Sampark Pramukh:Shri Arun Kumar

Sah Sampark Pramukh:Dr Aniruddh Deshapande

Seva Pramukh:Shri Suhas Hiremath

Saha Seva Pramukh:Shri Ajith Mahapatra

Sah Seva Pramukh:Shri Gunavant Kothari

Vyavastha Pramukh:Shri Sankal Chand Bagrecha

Sah Vyavastha Pramukh:Shri Mangesh Bhende

Sah Vyavastha Pramukh:Shri Balakrishna Tripathi

Prachar Pramukh:Dr Manmohan Vaidya

Sah Prachar Pramukh:Shri J Nanda Kumar

Pracharak Pramukh:Shri Suresh Chandra

Sah Pracharak Pramukh:Shri Vinod Kumar

Members, Central Executive Council: Shri Madan Das, Shri Indresh Kumar, Shri Madhubhai Kulakarni, Shri Shankar Lal, Dr Dinesh, Shri Mukunda Rao Panashikar, Shri Sethu Madhavan, Shri R Vanyarajan, Shri TV Deshmukh, Dr Ashok Rao Kukade, Srikrishna Maheshwari, Shri Purushottham Paranjape, Dr Bajarangalal Gupta, Shri Darshan Lal Aroda, Dr Ishwar Chandra Gupta, Shri Siddhanath Simha, Shri Ranendralal Banerjee and Shri Aseema Kumar Goswamy.

Invitees: Shri Ashok Bheri, Shri Krishna Mothalagh and Shri Sunilpad Goswamy. All Kshetra Sanghachalaks will be invited members of the Central Executive Council.

Other changes made in the ABPS-2014 at Prant/Kshethra level

(1)Shri Da Ma Ravindra who was Dakshin-Madhya Kshetra Pracharak Pramukh was relieved from the responsibilities due to health reasons. His headquarters will be in Shimoga, Karnataka

(2)Shri Sundar Reddy, new Prant Sah Sanghachalak of Paschim Anhdra

(3)Shri Ashok Soni, new Sanghachalak of Madhya Kshetra

(4)Shri Prashanth Singh, new Sanghachalak of Mahakoshal Prant

(5)Shri Vijay Kumar, new Uttar Kshetra Karyavah

(6)Shri Bharat Bhushan, Delhi’s new Prant Karyavah and Shri Vinayji will be the new Sah Prant Karyavah

(7)Shri Prakashji will be having new responsibility in Laghu Udyog Bharati

(8)Shri Pramodji, new Sah Prant Pracharak of Punjab

(9)Shri Yuddhaveer, new Sah Prant Pracharak of Uttarakhand

(10)Shri Gouraji and Sri Sumanth Amshekarji, new Sah Prant Pracharaks of Uttar Assam

(11)Adhivakta Parishad’s Dr Kamaleshji will be having new responsibility in Hindu Jagaran Manch.

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Nation to celebrate birth centenary of Rani Gaidinliu on large-scale

Briefing the mediapersons on last day of the Pratinidhi Sabha meeting in Bengaluru, Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi said, “the country would celebrate the birth centenary of Rani Maa Gaidinliu on large scale next,” he said, “Ma did not rest after her release from the jail and got engaged in struggle against the religious conversions in the NE hills and the anti-national activities of the Naga National Council. She had to live underground because of that between 1959 and 1966.”

“It is a matter of pride for all of us that the activists of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram have made enormous efforts to carry the story of struggle and sacrifice if Rani Ma to the nook and corner of the country. Followers of Rani Ma have instituted Zaliang Rang Harakka Association in her sacred memory. They decided to celebrate Rani Ma’s birth centenary from 26 January 2014 to 26 Jan 2015. Activists of Kalyan Ashram will join them in the celebrations to make them a success.

We commend the initiatives of the Zaliang Rang Harakka Association and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. We welcome these efforts to take the inspiring life stories of the heroes of the North East to rest of the country. It is our national duty to familiarise our countrymen about the inspiring lives of those great national leaders born in the North East. We call upon the patriotic countrymen to accord national honour to the heroic and inspiring life of Rani Ma by extending wholehearted support to all the activities being undertaken as part of her birth centenary,” he said in a statement.

Bhaiyaji also strongly condemned the shameful attempts to berate a holy saint like Amma and called upon the entire Hindu society and the right-thinking world to denounce those behind these machinations as the enemies of humanity. “On behalf of the RSS, I reiterate our utmost reverence for Amma and her mission, and extend support to all the efforts in challenging the nefarious conspiracy against her and other Hindu saints and institutions,” he quoted.

He said, “Gou Raksha and Gou Seva are two other prominent issues which Sangh feels are a necessity for our nation. Sangh would like to take the message of importance of Gou Raksha and Gou Sewa to the people of this country as the economic and cultural ethos of our nation are tightly coupled with it”. Many organisations, including Sangh’s sister organisations, are working towards the cause and we hope that we will be successful in our endeavor. They have been successful in establishing more than a 1000 Goushalas.

Gram Vikas is another sphere were Sangh has been working continuously. Villages are our backbone. But after 1947, people in our villages have been kept away from basic developments that are most required, if not all which is available for our cities. Though we expect the governments to do more towards our villages, Sangh is also working towards it. Sangh is working in more than 200 villages which are becoming energy centers of our country.

It is true that a family is a basic unit in our society and Sangh also believes in it. But due to several reasons which are economical and cultural, there has been a threat to this structure. To keep the Family system intact, Sangh has taken up several initiatives like ‘Kutumb Prabodhan‘, which aims to re-introduce the values and importance of a Family in our people.

There has been an increase in the number of shakhas in the country. Sangh shakahas run about 55,000 villages in the country today. But Sangh’s work, through various other activities including service, has reached more than one lakh villages.

“We have been successful in most of our endeavours and we wish to keep going in the right direction. Though it is difficult to achieve all our goals within a time frame, as this needs a change in the psychology of our people and the work involves common people from our society, we will keep striving for success in our work,” he said while talking to mediapersons.

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Highlights from Sarkaryavah Report

• During the year 2013-2014 in all 68 Sangh Shiksha Vargs including 48 first year common Sangh Siksha Vargs, 6 first year special Sangh Siksha Vargs, 12 second year Sangh Siksha Vargs, one common third year Sangh Siksha Varg, one third year special Sangh Siksha Varg, were held.
• A total of 44982 Sakhas are being conducted at 29624 places all over the country. Saptahik Milans (weekly congregation) are being held at 10146 places, whereas work is being carried out in the form of Sangh Mandalis (monthly congregation) at 7387 places.
• This year also “Prahar Mahayagna” was planned on December 16. In 19096 Shakhas, 2, 08,386 swayamsevaks took part in the event and executed 8 crore, 28 lakh, 30 thousand and 122 prahars. Compared to last year, there was an increase of almost 25%.
• Ghosh Prasikshan Vargs were held in 30 Prants in which altogether 4792 swayamsevaks took part. In 11 Prants, training in musical instruments like saxophone, clarinet, etc. was specially held, in which 477 Swayamsevaks took training.
• At the All India level, a workshop to impart training in narrating long stories was arranged at Jhansi, in which 58 Karyakarthas (workers) from 30 Prants participated.
• The period of February 16 to 23, was planned as the ‘‘Prarthana week’’. The programme was held, in all, at 20192 Shakhas in which 2 lakh 90 thousand 334 swayamsevaks participated.
• Seminars for columnists were organised by Prachar Vibhag in Kolkata, Delhi, Bengaluru and Karnavati
• Three special meets were organised, one for elderly Pracharaks in Nagpur, second of former Pracharaks in Nagpur and third for Pracharaks of various categories in Ghaziabad.
• Sankalp Mahashivir in Mahakaushal Prant in commemoration of 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
• A college student’s camp to enlist participation of students from colleges in the Madhya Bharath Pranth was organised in Madhya Bharat
• District-wise Ekatrikaran in Gujarat during the period December 2013 and January 2014
• In Arogya Chetana Shivir 877 women and 1066 men from 1648 villages participated in Guwahati.
• Sarsanghachalakji’s tour was arranged Kshethra-wise. The Programmes that need special mention, the Ekatrikaran of Swayamsevaks with full uniform, held at Maneri near Uttarkashi, was highly inspiring. He also had an interaction session with Scientists in Pune. During the Jammu tour, he had interaction with some retired Defence Officers, and had a meeting with leading Tamil litterateurs at Chennai. He also met spiritual leaders, including Acharya Mahasramanji, Jainacharya Srimad Vijay Ratnasunder Surishwarji, Jain Munis Poojya Sri Vidyasagarji, Poojya Sri Tarun Sagarji, Poojya Sri Pulak Sagarji, Kanchi Acharya Poojya Jagatguru Jayendra Saraswathiji Majaraj, Poojya Shivababaji, Poojya Dada J.P. Vasvaniji of Pune, and the Chief of the Radhaswami Satsang Sabha, which needs special mention.
• Swaranjali programme by Samskar Bharati on the occasion of 50th year of the Chinese aggression of 1962
• Programmes to celebrate 150th birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda. The Celebrations were organised under the guidance of Mata Amruthanandamayi Devi and many great personalities.

 

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Eco-friendly Campus receives all round Appreciation

The distinguishing feature of the 3-day top level meeting of the RSS was the eco-friendly developed and maintained at the Rashtrotthana Vidya Kendra Bengaluru. The whole premises, utilised for residence and meetings of more than thousand delegates from all over India, was completely environment friendly. No single piece of plastic or use-and-throw material was brought into use. Food was served in the plates made up of compressed banana trunks, while glass cups were used for tea and coffee, instead of paper or plastic ones. Minimum use of water was also ensured with the help of volunteers and proper instructions. Even the backdrop was made up of handmade paper. The whole campus was interwoven in a single concept of ‘flame’, signifying the contribution and sacrifice made by senior RSS Pracharak in Karnataka Late Yadavrao Joshi. An exhibition displaying the Sangh work was also made its impact. Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat and Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi specially appreciated this initiative in the concluding session and called upon the swayamsevaks to emulate such practice.

 

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Everyone should join hands to strengthen the democracy—Dattatreya Hosabale

RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sah Sarkaryavah Shri Dattatreya Hosabale said, “there is a wave of transformation in the country. When a major event of the democracy is about to happen, everyone should be active in this process.” He said, “the Sangh swayamsevaks are active in this sphere also which will strengthen our democracy. Sangh is also observing Nagaland’s queen Gaidinliu’s centenary this year. She had fought against the British rule at a very young age of 16 and was jailed by the British. After the release she had also worked against conversions of the local populace”.

Shri Hosabale was briefing the mediaperson on first day of the Pratinidhi Sabha. He said around 1385 delegates from all over the country attended the annual meeting of the Sangh. The ABPS reviewed the past one year of Sangh’s growth, its various activities, its impact on national life and considering the present national scenarios decides on the direction of Sangh work for the next one year. The ABPS also planned for the training activities of the Sangh swayamsevaks and related activities.