Report : Awakening for Social Cause

A unique initiative by Pune-based RSS swayamsevaks to engage local people in different sewa activities and to ensure their active participation in the nation
building activities going on in their surrounding areas

Dattatraya Ambulkar

Pune: As part of a unique initiative to connect the swayamsevaks with various social institutions and also to focus on the social cause, a ‘Samartha Bharat Swayamsevak Sammelan’ was organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Pune . The Sammelan was attended by about 1500 swayamsevaks who came forward to take up various social projects in and around Pune.
It is pertinent to note that the Pashchim Maharashtra Prant of RSS had organised massive ‘Shiv Shakti Sangam’ near Pune on January 3, 2016, which was attended by about 1.58 lakh swayamsevaks in
full uniform including about 23,000 swayamsevaks from Pune. About 50 per cent of the swayamsevaks participated from Pune for the first time, in order to involve such swayamsevaks in various projects of social work, widespread contact drive was undertaken in Pune and they were encouraged to participate in ‘Samartha Bharat’ initiative.
About 1,500 selective swayamsevaks attended the Sammelan, who had given their consent and commitment to get involved in the social work for the needy section of the society in various form.  Representatives of over 80 social institutes actively involved in the Sewa and Social work in Pune region interacted with the participants during the day long structured sessions.
The Sammelan was inaugurated by Swami Govind Prabhu, president of ISKON International, Mumbai. Swamiji praised the self-less service orientation of the Sangh and the swayamsevaks alike. During the day, swayamsevaks categorised into 130 teams had 16 sessions of deliberation and presentations and got acquainted and
associated with various avenues of sewa projects.
During the concluding session
organising secretary of Vijnan Bharati Shri Jayantrao Sahastrabuddhe stressed upon various aspects related to the social service consistently being undertaken by the RSS and empahasised on the need to spread the Sewa karya to the needy people of our
society. He also complemented the theme and initiative of Samartha Bharat giving reliance on  Sewa through Sangh Sampark on such a largescale.
Over 40 prominent social organisations from Pune had organised their stalls to display their contribution towards the society, which was appreciated by all.
The Sammelan concluded with a committed resolution of the participating swayamsevaks to spread the Sewa work through Sewa Wardhini, an extended arm of the Samartha Bharat