by Ratan Sharda
A few illustrative examples
I would like to note that the above compilation does not cover disaster management and relief work as it is done on ad-hoc basis, as and when a situation demands. However, it contains long-term resettlement projects taken up for the disaster affected people. I will touch upon a few of the disasters that were so mammoth and terrifying that people still remember them. It is a well accepted fact that, the RSS volunteers reach every place where they can, even before government agencies or other NGOs reach. Thus, there are countless disasters that have seen the RSS workers risk their lives and limbs to save people and give them immediate relief.
The mega disasters like the famine of Bihar in 1966-67, the tidal waves in Andhra Pradesh in 1977, dam break and subsequent flooding in Morbi in 1979, the earthquake in Maharashtra in 1993, cyclone in Kandla port in Kutch in 1998, Gujarat, followed by the most devastating earth quake in Gujarat in year 2002, draught in Maharashtra in 2013, the Tsunami in South India in 2004, Uttarakhand flash floods of 2013, and floods in Bihar in 2017 are some of the incidents that people recall. RSS volunteers take up tasks that others avoid or don’t have stomach to do, like picking up decaying and deformed dead bodies from debris with high risk of contracting some infection. They set up relief camps in shortest possible time with least resources, all contributed by local Sangh volunteers and other members of society in that region. A young volunteer shared his experience rather morbidly, “we had the experience of picking up decaying bloated bodies after the Kandla cyclone, so job during the Gujarat earthquake was a little easy as the bodies were dry and light.”
These boys are not disaster experts nor are they paid workers, but the love for society and its members drives out any fear or feeling of inadequacy as they rush to help fellow members. I have heard of some super human feats from normal men with inspiration they draw from their daily shakha work. Individuals afraid to from heights, risked their lives by taking stairs upto 3-4 floors in decrepit earthquake-hit buildings to rope down stranded people in sarees. There are several such examples of valour. If you were to hear more you would get goose pimples. If you were present in Gujarat, for example, during those days, you might have collapsed out of sheer emotional exhaustion moving in an environment of death and decay.
All the relief camps are run without any religious bias. There are examples of Muslim families being given special space to perform Namaaz. During one such disaster, efforts were made for them to perform their Ramzan fasts well. On an earlier occasion Guruji had said, “Let our workers work in the right spirit of dharma making no distinction in doing service to whoever he may be, a Christian or a Muslim or any other persuasion. For calamities, distress and misfortunes make no such distinction. They afflict all alike.”
Many senior RSS workers realised that disasters are part of life and the swayamsevaks have worked in these situations for years. Every time there is a re-learning process. So, it was decided to have some structure for disaster management work. With this in mind and the learnings over year, a disaster management module has been introduced in the annual Sangh Shiksha Vargas.
I have spoken of thousands of schools running in cities, towns, villages, tribal areas from South to North and West to East. Of the educational projects, Ekal Vidyalay is a unique project which I have mentioned in another chapter describing it as an associate or sister organisations of RSS. There are organisations that run mobile laboratories for schools in remote villages as also vans that educate children and expose them to science education in an innovative way. In most of the places, RSS offices double up as study centres for poor students in an area as also unofficial hostels or sleeping arrangements for students who come from villages to study in towns. Gopinath Munde, a prominent leader of the BJP stayed in the RSS office in Pune for a few years while he was studying for his graduation.
A new initiative by Sewa Bharati, called ‘Swasthya Mitra’ is a kind of ‘bare foot doctor’ primary health project. Within a span of two years, there were around 2500 health volunteers who are recruited from local villages, trained in primary healthcare – both preventive and curative; recognition of some critical diseases of those areas and assisting the affected people in reaching the right place for medical attention. Today the numbers would be much higher as some other groups have also picked up this idea. Approximately 60 per cent of these volunteers are women. Currently, the major focus is in the North East. The volunteers are paid a nominal amount per month. As and when they get time, they also run small ‘balwadis’ for the children and inculcate value education to them as well as assist them in their schooling. The results are outstanding. This could be a major movement in coming years.
Deendayal Research Institute and a few others are focused on self-reliance through rural development, afforestation, horticulture, farming using of traditional systems with innovations in new environment for better returns, indigenous technologies etc. Its Gonda project in UP is considered a must visit project for people who wish to work for integrated rural development. It empowers people to utilise various facilities floated by government and banks, instead of giving out doles or funds. It encourages initiatives taken by local people in farming activity, seed development and irrigation.
Seva Sagar project by swayamsevaks of Sagar tehsil in Shimoga district of Karnataka state has carried out many a movement of social transformation. But, most interesting is their project of afforestation which started with a resistance movement against felling of trees in a 90 acre area, followed by a ‘Vriskha Laksha Andolan’ (movement for lakhs of trees) under which, each village is encouraged to have its own forest land with gifting of saplings on auspicious occasions. They have fought off destructive planting of eucalyptus for plywood industry as they are harmful to the local ecosystem. Such projects are coming up in different states now. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar trust, Aurangabad has also adopted this idea.
The RSS is carrying out a number of Integrated Rural Development projects across India. The villages under rural development projects are divided in two categories – the Udaygram is where the movement has just begun and Prabhat grams are those which can be considered Model Villages. Rural development is one of the focus development area in RSS seva projects. Late Rajju Bhaiyya, the then Sarsanghchaalak of RSS outlined three priorities for this initiative. The villages should be ‘kshudha mukta’ (hunger free), ‘rog mukta’ (disease free) and ‘shiksha yukta’ (literate).
Dr Hedgewar Seva Samiti begun work in Nandurbar, identified by Government of India as one of the most backward of the 50 of Maharashtra districts. Today, this trust is running 270 flexible timing schools for tribal boys and girls. Tribals here move to Gujarat for livelihood after Kharif season is over. To take care that children do not miss their education, a residential school has been started. The trust has done tremendous work in agriculture including new agricultural practices in collaboration with scientists who visit local sites to guide farmers; research in agriculture; creation of seed banks; conduct environmental protection that improves land productivity; farmer clubs for exchanging technology and other information with each other; and community production centres for oil and ‘aamchur’ (dried mango powder) production. All this will undoubtedly reduce work load on women folk, as also micro-banking groups. This project is taking support from various government and non-government bodies including Sir Ratan Tata Memorial Trust in its endeavour.
Gau Vigyan Sansthan, near Nagpur has been doing lot of research on utilising various products made out of cow produce. It is fashionable to laugh out and ridicule at this kind of research. It would be foolish to write off medicinal cures defined clearly in Ayurveda. When the world is accepting the Vedic wisdom, it would be tragedy to laugh it off till westerners actually copyright these cures! This organisation has already got two patents for two products Other researchers are also getting patents on cow based products. It is now well established that organic farming is best for man and land. People are ready to pay more to get organically grown food. Various organis
ations working on these principles have proven that cow is productive and economically viable animal from its birth to death. It is not just milk and ghee producer but also organic manure and medicines. Sikkim has become 100 percent organic farming state. Worldwatch Institute article dated 17-11-2017 says, “A fair number of agribusiness executives, agricultural and ecological scientists, and international agriculture experts believe that a large-scale shift to organic farming would not only increase the world’s food supply, but might be the only way to eradicate hunger”. As usual, we shall accept this knowledge only when it comes from West! Gaushala at Keshav Srishti near Mumbai runs a self-sufficient project selling various kinds of products made of cow produce. It doesn’t depend on donations to take care of non-milk producing cows who are not milking.
Some organisations are working on urban renewal. Janaadhaar Sewabhavi Sansthaa in Latur takes contract for garbage collection and disposal. It employs educated boys and girls as supervisors and uneducated ones as workers. Employees are also chosen amongst the cured leprosy patients, who have been members of Mahatma Gandhi Kushtha dhaam in an adjoining hamlet. It has spun off women’s savings schemes under micro-finance banking as also self-help groups. Needless to say, these individuals are happy to be included into the society. The glow on the faces of these brethren is seen to be believed after they have become productive assets to the society. The project is led by a young engineer swayamsevak who gave up his profession for this programme. The vision of this organisation states: Self Employment, Co-operation, Education, Security leading to Dignity.
There are some outstanding examples of institutions working in public health too. I would just talk of one – Dr. Hedgewar Hospital run by a trust, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Trust, in Aurangabad. Started 20 years back by a team of dedicated doctors with RSS background who raised personal loans and pawned their wives’ jewellery, their hospital took roots in a house given to them by a local RSS leader. Today this organisation has a 370 bed hospital. It is arguably the best in the region and had treated 2.5 million patients in initial 15 years at nearly 1/3rd the cost of private hospitals. Its blood bank has been adjudged one of the best in Asia. The most important part of the narrative is that it runs 40 other projects under its wings in slums and nearby villages ranging from education, computer training, water harvesting, women’s self-help groups, micro-financing, HIV/AIDS, afforestation, horticulture – leaving out hardly any section of the society in the region. Inspired by it, another group of doctors fresh from colleges have started a similar project in Nasik called Shri Guruji Rugnalaya. It took six to seven years of sustained visits by the doctors of Dr Hedgewar hospital to motivate this young band of aspiring doctors through their exposure to social projects and other activities that led them to this new direction in life It shows that it is possible to create and recognise local role models and inspire people.
Swami Vivekanand Yoga Anusandhana Samsthanam (Svyasa) University, Bangalore headed by Dr H R Nagendra is a well known name that conducts basic research on yoga and Indian knowledge beneficial for physical and mental wellbeing. Svyasa University has full time bachelors and masters courses on Yoga. This project was initiated much before Yoga became fashionable and a money making business.
There are more than 5000 women self-help groups (SHGs) and micro-finance groups in Southern Tamil Nadu alone, supported by Sewa Bharati. Such self-help groups and micro-finance schemes are being run by women successfully in thousands of villages and poor colonies across India, giving them new hope in life.
Then, there are local institutions around India running schools and other social projects. I can talk about ‘Asmita’ in Jogeshwari, Mumbai which was established during Emergency in an economically backward area. Today it is housed in a well-designed building, running ISO certified schools, vocational guidance centre and various other including special facilities for handicapped run very efficiently by the people from same locality.
With approximately seventeen hundred thousand (1.70 lakh) projects all over India, you can well imagine the quantum of work done. The narrative above is not even a representative list. It is upto you to know more about them.
Defending and Nurturing Hindu Faith
Insidious attempts to convert Hindus to Christianity and Islam by force or lure have been going on for centuries. Revered Swami Dayanand Saraswati asserts that conversion is not just an act of violence but an act of violence against people are committed to non-violence. It is indeed a harrowing experience when such conversions also mean relinquishing or forced to relinquish old ways of life, customs and rituals. Thus, conversion is not just a change in mode of worship, but it also means severance from one’s roots. In such chasms grow sectarian ills.
Conversion by force is recorded in history, especially during the Mughal period is a truth recorded in many historical accounts. Another truth is the fact that nearly all conversions to that faith in India was by the sword. This is the bitter truth, and we must accept it. Yes, there were a handful of the landed class like the zamindars or jagirdars who may have changed their religion for the lure of lucre. So, does a conversion that has become the new religious practice, a reason strong enough to forego a cultural legacy of thousands of years? They would be happier if they accept their ancient legacy. Even Pakistanis is trying to appropriate the culture of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro and Taxila University to legitimise its nationhood. Then, why should we give up on our rich and great heritage? Indonesia, inspite of being one of the largest Islamic countries today, hasn’t disowned its ancestors. They proudly display it through their names and arts in public life. Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, but proudly displays its Hindu heritage through display of Puranic tales like ‘Samudra Manthan’ as the centre piece in its new airport, significantly called Swarnabhumi airport. It also has statues of Rama and other displays of Mahabharata in and around its capital city.
Forced conversions by Church, specially backed by Portuguese colonialists in Goa, Daman and Diu are too new to be recounted all over again. There have been attempts to wipe away the memories of torturous inquisitions, but only records can be wiped off not the memories. The American Baptist Church under British patronage entered North East via Meghalaya in 1829 and used guile and subtle force to convert majority of tribals in North East by the time India was independent. Special laws like ‘Inner Line Permit’ were made to suit missionaries in North East while Indians from restricted from visiting these areas. Some restrictions still remain.
Nothing much can be done on what is history. The RSS resolved that conversions – forced or by allurement or fraud should not be allowed any more in independent India; and, it has worked with its associate organisations ceaselessly stop these practices. This resolve is not a propaganda against Christians, Muslims or any other community, but against the attempts at changing the demographic structure of India which plants seeds of unrest in our society. It has also helped thousands of people to return to their original beliefs with programmes like ‘Ghar wapsi’ or returning back home.
Following is a small account of work done by Hindu organisations, supported by RSS to fight the multi-billion dollar evangelisation agencies of the West and Saudi Arabia. A report in Firstpost online news portal dated 1-2-2015 gives following statistics –
A majority of donors, including the top three, are church-based organisations such as Compassion International USA (Rs 183.83 crore) followed by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, USA (Rs 130.77 crore) and the Kindernothilfe e.V. (KNH) Germany (Rs 51.76 crore). Of the top 15 donor agencies, 13 are related to some or the other Christian sect. Over 90 percent of the top 30 recipient organizations are engaged in missionary activity. The highest amount of foreign contribution was received by the following Christian organization namely World Vision India, Chennai (Rs 233.38 crore), followed by the Believers Church India Pathanamthitta, Kerala (Rs 190.05 crore) and Rural Development Trust, Ananthapur, Andhra Pradesh, (Rs 144.39 crore). To put this in perspective, India’s total defence allocation
(2011-12) was Rs 1,64,000 crore. Thus, foreign-funded NGOs (FFNGOs) in 2011-12 received seven percent of India’s then defence budget.
Though RSS has been working in this direction for decades, the nation woke up to these harsh realities in 1981 when 800 Hindu families converted enmasse to Islam in Meenakshipuram. Isha-ud-ul-Islam, the body spearheading this drive boasted that they expected around 100,000 ‘harijans’ to come to (the liberating religion) Islam. Whole of South Tamil Nadu was targeted in this drive. Every week, vernacular newspapers talked of some mass conversion ceremony in villages. The RSS swung into action and formed the Hindu Ottraumai Maiyam (Centre for Hindu Unity) which was a forum for various Hindu organisations like Hindu Munnani, VHP and others. The leaders of the organisation moved around and persuaded the heads of various mathams in this region to secure justice for ‘harijans’. The movement to stall such forced conversions gathered force with this unity amongst all Hindu organisations.
The North East, for decades, has been a major centre for conversion especially by Christian missionaries, earlier supported by British and later by non-action of ‘secular’ government. Since, the those pre-independent times, there were efforts to separate them from Hindu mainstream by labeling them ‘animists’. Guruji challenged this notion and pointed out that the root of animist is animus which means principle of life. Not only that, Hindus too worship the nature and animals. ‘Naag’ or cobra is worshipped by Nagas as also all across India. In Tamil Nadu it is worshipped along with Lord Subramanya, while naag panchami is celebrated too all over India. Animals and birds form the back ground of the Hindu pantheon and serve as their vehicles. Though, the Sangh in reaching out to the North East, due to limitations of manpower and resources, it picked up the gauntlet by 1970s.