RSS to focus on rural uplift, family counselling: Bhayyaji Joshi

Bhopal, Oct 15: With its graph continuously rising, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has now embarked upon a plan to improving the rural scenario and strengthening the family bonds in the country.

Giving an indication of this new impetus of the RSS, its General Secratray (Sarkaryawah in RSS parlance) Suresh alias Bhayyaji Joshi disclosed in a press conference at Bhopal at the end of the three-day meeting of the RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal (ABKM) that the organisation would henceforth work on challenges faced by the rural populace.

RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr Manmohan Vaidya was present at the press conference.

India is basically an agrarian nation with over 60 per cent of the population living in the villages and making their livelihood with professions related to either agriculture or farm-related jobs. The RSS has a huge network of shakhas in rural India – over two thirds of its total shakhas are located in the rural areas. As such, the RSS in its ABKM meeting decided to give priority to developmental activities in rural areas with a view to improving the lot of the rural people, Joshi asserted.

Putting the challenge of creating an atmosphere of ‘samasarata’ (homogeneity) in various communities in rural areas above all, the RSS swayamsevaks would strive to achieve this objective by way of educating the rural masses and awakening them to stand as a homogenous society, he added.

Joshi said that in spite of the presence of social media, there was a paucity of information in the rural sector and this calls for pointed efforts in this direction to educate and awaken the rural populace, he added.

Referring to the problems of the farmers the RSS Sarkaryawah said that since last few years the farmers of the country are facing various problems. The RSS felt that efforts should have been made to make them self-reliant. The government must frame the policies after properly understanding the problems of the farmers. The ABKM also discussed the problems in the farm sector.

The RSS would try to convince the farmers to take to bio-farming. It has already conducted some fruitful and successful experiment in this field. This would make them financially competent; Joshi said adding that the farmers should be given appropriate value of their produces.

He further disclosed that the RSS would involve swayamsevaks in the age group of 30-35 years in the mission of rural uplift and awakening.

Another area of concern according to the RSS is the family. Family in Indian milieu is considered as the most important unit in shaping the individual’s life by inculcating moral values and ethos. In the present context this important unit has become the target of consumerism and self-centrism. The RSS has vowed to change this and with this view added a new department of ‘Parivar Prabodhan’ in its hierarchy.

Joshi explained that the RSS considered a family as a unit that influenced and shaped the personality of its members since the childhood. The family played an important role in nation-building activities and act as a pivot in the process of social awakening. The RSS activists are engaged in this mission of educating and awakening the family towards its duty and commitment to its members and to the society as well, he added.

The RSS leader said that the organization has reached out to some two million families and brought over 1.25 crore people in its ambit of contact. The RSS is of the view that ‘Parivar Prabodhan’ is necessary to create an atmosphere of positivity in the society. The issues discussed in the ABKM would be given final shape in next year’s Pratinidhi Sabha meeting, he informed.