News Round-up

Massive protest by ABVP against growing crimes against women

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad workers on July 17 held Statewide protest demanding severe punishment to culprits of Bengaluru rape case. In the protest held at 60 places, a total of 28,817 students participated. The protesters also demanded resignation of Home Minister K George, alleging him ineffective to regulate the increasing crime against women and female students in the State.                                     —Bureau Report?

ABVP MobileApp launched

With a view to reach more students through mobile phone the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad national organising secretary Shri Sunil Ambekar on July 17 launched MobileApp of ABVP in Mumbai. ABVP is first and only student organisation to launch such an App. The App provides information to the youth on different topics like ideology, activities and future programmes, phone numbers, email ids of all the State unit leaders. The App will also help in case somebody wants any help. The App can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

Approval of field trials of GM food crops

A betrayal of people”s trust
?

Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) expressed “shock, disbelief and anguish” over the reported approval of field trials of 15 Genetically Modified Food Crops by Genetically Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), under the Union Ministry of Environment & Forest. The crops, which were approved, include major food crops such as rice, sugarcane, chickpea, brinjal and mustard among others on July 18.
The SJM urged the government to immediately put on hold the approval given by the GEAC. It further called upon the government not to rely on the biased and manipulated reports of vested interests among the industry and institute enquiries about the likely impact of GM food crops on soil, human and other species” health to ensure that no harm is done to traditional gene pool /biodiversity of the nation, soil, food security and health of the people of India.
“It is well established beyond any doubt that claims made by GM industry like enhancing of productivity, maintaining soil health and eliminating risk to human life are highly exaggerated. There is no scientific evidence about the positive impact of GM crops on productivity. Government is duty bound to have its own understanding based on trials and studies conducted by trusted institutions. Government must respect the views of reputed institutions like Hon”ble Supreme Court of India and Parliamentary Standing Committee,” said Dr Ashwani Mahajan, national co-convener. —Bureau Report?

Swadeshi Sangam in Allahabad in October?

Swadeshi Jagran Manch is going to organise a Swadeshi Sangam in Allahabad in October. Many prominent swadeshi thinkers, activists and ideologues of different parties will attend the Sangam, which will also decide the future course of action for the Swadeshi movement. The decision to this effect was taken at a seminar organised in Benaras on July 15. Swadeshi Jagran Manch national organising secretary Shri Kashmiri Lal was also present at the seminar. The SJM expressed happiness over the common friendly budget by the new Central government. It also applauded the schemes like Namami Gange, help to small and medium farmers, etc.

When 1,008 children performed ‘Guru Puja’?

On Vyasa Purnima day, 1,008 teachers drawn from Chennai city schools assembled at the sprawling ground where the five day annual Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair was being conducted. A large number of students drawn from Government schools performed ‘Pada Puja’ of the teachers and gave them gifts. The Fair consisting of 250 stalls and participated by several hundred Hindu religious service organisations and groups was inaugurated by Kanchi Shankaracharya Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. On the concluding day a grand Srinivasa Kalyanam Puja was arranged by Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam. On all the five days thousands of Chennai residents were benefitted by the crisp and attractive display of hundreds of Hindu projects run by as many organisations and groups, which have openly identified themselves as Hindu. This Hindu awareness and Hindu identity by all sections of society is the main aim of the fair.                                                                   (VSK Chennai)

Appeal to provide material for  documentary on VHP activities??

The Vishwa Hindus Parishad (VHP) has appealed to the people, activists, well wishers across the world to send copies of audio-visual material available with them in their archives including CDs, Video Cassettes, You-Tube links, etc. that contain footage of VHP activities. People can also send news clippings, reports, etc. This material will be for a documentary being produced to mark the golden jubilee Year of the VHP. According to VHP general secretary Shri Champat Rai, the documentary will highlight the activities and achievements of the VHP in Bharat and its Chapters abroad of the last 50 years. It would also emphasise various constructive activities including the Seva Karyas in different fields such as health care, formal and informal education, vocational training, skill development, self-reliance, etc., and also conferences, seminars, awakening and cultivation of national consciousness, socio-cultural activities, etc.?

India Health Line in Jaipur?

To offer free consulting by specialist doctors to the economically deprived people, VHP president Dr Pravin Togadia launched Rajasthan unit of India Health Line on July 20. Scores of eminent medicos were present on the occasion. India Health Line has a National Call Centre to attend to patients calls who, after seeing the neighbouring general practitioner doctor, want to consult specialist doctors for further advice and necessary treatment.
Launching the unit Dr Togadia said, “There are untreated diseases only because patients after primary examination by the doctor do not approach specialist doctors as advised. It is mainly due to poverty, fear of increased medical expenses if some serious disease is detected and sometimes even ignorance. The disease does not stop; it grows further affecting efficiency of the patient, impacting human working hours and when delayed the serious disease treatment costs much higher. Entire family gets affected by this. He appreciated Jaipur’s business community and doctors for continued working together for social service in Health Care.                                                             —Bureau Report?

Sahitya Parishad unit in Bengaluru

Bengaluru chapter of Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishath was launched recently under the guidance of veteran writer and senior RSS Pracharak Shri Chandrashekhar Bhandari. Shri N Tippeswamy, RSS Prant Karyavah formally announced the list of office bearers. He also deliberated the activities of the newly formed unit before the eminent literary personalities including Shri Babu Krishnamurthy, Shri Raghunath Jahagirdar, Shri Sharada Murthy, Shri Vishnu Murthy, Shri Premakumar, Shri K Sridharan, Shri Narendranath, Sushri Harsha, Shri Vijaykumar, etc. Noted author Shri Babu Krishna Murthy was declared president of the unit, while well known social worker Shri Koteshwar Suryanarayana Rao will be vice president.

Daya Krishna is  no more

Former contributor of Organiser Daya Krishna Bhatnagar passed away in Bengaluru on July 2. He was 89. He is survived by a younger sister and three children and their families. Born on July 5 in Lahore, Daya Krishna authored many books on the topics of green revolution, condition of Indian farmers, analysis of India’s poverty and a review of India’s economy over the last two years. He was an active swayamsewak in Lahore during the turbulent period of Partition. After arriving in Delhi as a refugee in 1947 he worked hard to complete his education, support his family and also continued his contributions to the  society. He was a member of Indian Economic Service and worked for  the Ministry of Agriculture and  the Planning Commission before retiring in 1983.