News Round-up : Hindu Munnani protest against darshan fee in temples
Hindu Munnani questioned the division being created by the State government among the devotees and collecting money in the name of darshan fee. It organised Statewide protest demanding free darshan to temples, exit of Government from temple administration and handing them over to a structured body.
Thousands of people joined the demonstrations organised at 66 places. Shri Ramagopalan, founder of the Hindu Munnani and Shri Kadambareswar C Subramaniam participated at the protest organised in Tirupur. Shri Bakthavatsalam, Hindu Munnani State organiser, Shri Manohar, State Executive Member participated in the protest organised at Purasaiwalkam in Chennai. They were also arrested along with the Hindu Munnani activists. Later all were released.
It is to be noted that there are several large temples in Tamil Nadu and they are under the control of government for several decades. The State Government has unfair, unethical control of these temples. Innumerable acts of negligence of duty have resulted in loss of several thousands of crores of rupees to the temples and their antiquity. (VSK Chennai)
A three-day Ghosh training camp of RSS swayamsevaks was organised in Bikaner from July 12 to 15. RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sharirik Pramukh Shri Sunil Kulkarni and Akhil Bharatiya Sah Sahririk Pramukh Shri Jagdish were in the camp for all the three days to guide the workers. RSS Kshetra Pracharak Shri Durgadas and Jodhpur Sah Prant Pracharak Shri Rajaram also guided the workers during the camp.
On last day of the camp public display of the ghosh was organised, which was applauded by all. The tunes, which were played during the camp included Tilam, Shivraj, Shivranjani, Bhoop, Govar-dhan, Shrichand, Janmabhoomi etc. Many distinguished personalities were also present on the occasion.
Swayamsevaks in the landslide relief operation in Darjeeling
A series of landslides triggered by overnight heavy rain left at least 50 people dead, 23 missing and more than 500 displaced in West Bengal’s Darjeeling District on July 1. The landslides at 25 places in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong sub-divisions also washed away portions of highways, including a bridge, cutting off the road link to the region. 22 deaths occurred in Mirik, where 13 people were also reported missing. The remaining 17 died in Kalimpong, Lava, Sukhia and Gorubathan areas. Twenty persons were reported injured and 15 missing at 8 Mile and 11 Mile areas in Kalimpong. About 300 people shifted to relief camps organised by the administration. Union Minister of State Shri Kiren Rijiju and MP Shri SS Ahluwalia visited the affected areas. The Sangh swayamsevaks rushed to the affected areas as they got the news of landslide. About 60 workers under the banner of Uttar Bang Sewa Bharati joined the relief activity. They provided eatable items, milk powder, biscuits, water, tarpaulin, blankets, clothes, rice, flour, etc to the victims. Bastuhara Sahayata Samiti from Kolkata also dispatched relief material. A team of doctors from Siliguri under the leadership of Dr Mani Lama also rushed to the spot.
Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini and Pratinidhi Baithak of Rashtra Sevika Samiti in Nagpur
Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini and Pratinidhi Baithak of Rashtra Sevika Samiti was held at Ahalya Mandir, the Samiti headquarters in Nagpur from July 17 to 19. Around 200 selected Sevika Samiti functionaries from 32 Prant’s attended the half yearly meeting.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony Pramukh Sanchalika of the Samiti Suhri V Shantha, popularly known as Shantakka, stressed on making the ordinary Sevikas as an active karyakarta. She urged the Sevikas to work towards making the Shakhas efficient, stronger and stable. “Hindu ideology encompasses the world. We as ambassadors of Hinduism need to receive, understand and use this opportunity to spread all over, which will lead to Global peace,” she added.
A book on the ten salutations named as Namaskar was also released on the occasion. The ten namaskars are recited by the Sevikas and others daily. The Samiti has 2,429 shakhas today in the country. On the eve of 80th year of the Samiti, Youth Conferences are being planned all over the country from November 2015 to March 2016. A mega conference exclusively for the karyakartas is being planned in November 2016 in New Delhi.
Swayamsevaks serve devotees in Nabakalebara Rath Yatra
Like previous years, the RSS swayamsevaks joined the Nabakalebara Rath Yatra of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath in Puri on first day of the nine-day event this year also. They took care of the devotees so that they do not face any difficulty during the Yatra. Even at the spot where two devotees died in stampede, the swayamsevaks were quick to provide medical aid to the injured. They were seen rushing with stretchers with fainted devotees on their shoulders and assisting police personnel in controlling the crowd and with extending helping hand in traffic control.
Since Nabakalebara of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath, Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Sri Sudarshan is held after a gap of 19 years there was big enthusiasm among Jagannath devotees to have a glance of deities on their gigantic chariots. It is believed that one who has darshan of Sri Jagannath on his chariot is free of sins. In every 12 to 19 years, when as per Hindu calender double Ashada month comes, the idols of deities are replaced with new ones while the old idols are immersed in water. This ritual is called patali niti. But before that the life force or the Bramha placed in old idols are transferred to newly carved idols. Devotees get the opportunity to have glance of the newly carved deities in Rath Yatra. So, people in record number turned up this year also. Elaborate arrangements for traffic, parking, law and order, accommodation, sanitation, heath were made. Swayamsevaks worked round the clock in coordination with the local administration and helped the devotees to feel comfortable during the Yatra.
(Samanwaya Nanda)
