Service during Corona pandemic and Ram Mandir Abhiyan showcased resilience and cultural unity of society – Dr. Manmohan Vaidya

Bengaluru, Mar 21: Service during the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide campaign to raise funds for Sri Ram Mandir at Ayodhya showcased the resilience and cultural unity of the Bharatiya society, observed RSS Sah Saarkaryawah Dr. Manmohan Vaidya here today.

He was addressing the media persons on the first day of the two-day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) meeting being held at Chennenahalli near Bangaluru. The meeting will conclude on Saturday.

Dr. Vaidya was accompanied by Sri Arun Kumar, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, Narendra Thakur, and Sunil Ambekar Sah Prachar Pramukh.

The 2020 ABPS was scheduled to be held at Bangaluru but was canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic outbreak in March last year. This year the ABPS was to be held at Nagpur but as the corona cases increased there it was shifted to Bangaluru, Dr. Vaidya said. He further added that the ABPS meets every year to deliberate on the year gone by and plan for the next three years. This year the election of Sarkaryawah of RSS will also be held.

Dr. Vaidya said that due to the covid-19 pandemic the RSS Shakhas and other activities and events have completely stopped between March to June last year. Shakhas gradually resumed in Uly. However, the Sangh swayamsevaks were active from day one in all states in serving the society and help in mitigating the situation caused by the lockdown providing all the possible help to those affected.

This is the unique characteristic of our society where common citizens get involved in serving the society whenever such an emergency arises. In other countries across the world where the idea of a ‘welfare state’ is prevalent, it is the state machinery and administration that take care of its citizens during such crises. In our country also the government machinery and medical fraternity, municipal corporation staff, safai karmacharis, police were all active. They worked tirelessly and served society risking their lives responding to the call of their duty and many amongst them even lost their lives. But India was the only country where the society was equally involved in mitigating the situation along with the government and the administration, Dr. Vaidya said.

He said that the RSS Swayamsevaks have always been at the forefront in serving the needy during any natural calamity and disaster. Despite being aware of the fact that they can also be infected with this virus, the 5.60 lakh Sangh Swayamsevaks served the society throughout the country during the pandemic under the banner of Sewa Bharati.

Dr. Vaidya further said that 5,60,000 RSS Karyakartas served at 92,656 locations in the country. The ration was distributed to around 73 lakh needy and food packets were distributed to 4.5 crore people. 90 lakh masks were distributed and more than 60,000 units of blood were donated. Swayamsevaks helped more than 20 lakh migrant workers and nearly 2.5 lakh nomadic people have been served during this period. Swayamsevaks have reached out and helped other neglected sections of society.

Other than the RSS, many social organizations including temples, trusts, mathas, gurdwaras, have worked to serve society. This aspect is unique to India. As Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore said we are not a welfare state. Mutual understanding in society can evolve only after several generations. It is only then that common people come forward out of their own will to serve the society in such times of need even at the cost of their lives, he said.

In India we have the idea of Rashtra which is different from the notion of a nation-state, is independent of the political system. Hence, despite centuries of colonial rule, the mutual understanding and maintaining a balance in our society is still intact. This was proven by the way the society came together to serve during the pandemic.

Sangh shakhas have gradually resumed. In comparison to March last year, most of the shakhas have become active again. 89% of the shakhas have restarted and the remaining will resume gradually. Sangh shakhas are present in all districts in about 6495 taluks/khands. Among these, shakhas have become active again in 85% khands.

Below the Tehsil level, Mandals comprising of 10-12 villages have been formed. There are 58,500 such Mandals in the country among which active shakhas are present in 40% of such Mandals and contact has been established in 20% of the Mandals. Hence, 60% of the Mandals have been covered either through shakhas or by establishing contact in such places. The Sangh network is expanding throughout the country and in the next 3 years, Sangh aims to reach all the Mandals in the country.

There are 3 categories of Shakhas. (1) Students, (2) Those who are earning but below the age of 40 and, (3) Those who are above 40. 11% of the shakhas are of a last category, which means that nearly 90% of the shakhas comprise of the youth. 60% of these shakhas are of students and more youth and students are becoming part of Sangh shakhas and activities.

Along with Sangh activities, Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan campaign happened across the country. Ram Mandir is not just a temple as Ram is the representative of the cultural ethos of the country. As the then Vice President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad had said during the Pran Pratishtha of Somnath Mandir in 1951, temples have been the centres of our cultural renaissance.

During those times, when banks were not there, temples were the hub of economic activities too due to which merchants from across the world used to come and trade in gold and diamonds. Hence our temples were both the centers of economic activities and representative of our culture. He had said that the task of ‘Mandir Nirman’ will be complete only when India reaches the pinnacle of glory both in terms of economic growth and cultural ethos. In this aspect, the Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan became an activity to bind the entire country with the same purpose. Even if one did not believe Ram as Bhagwan, anyone who considered him as the cultural icon of the land became part of the campaign.

Sangh Swayamsevaks were actively involved in this campaign throughout the country. However, the focus of the campaign was not on collecting donations that people gave wilfully, but on reaching out to maximum people and families in the country. We received an unprecedented response and such a massive campaign had not been undertaken earlier.

RSS Swayamsevaks reached 5,45,737 locations as part of the campaign. Approx. 20 lakh Karyakartas were involved in the campaign and were able to contact 12,47, 21,000 families. The Swayamsevaks reached even the remotest places in Mizoram, Nagaland, Andaman, Ladakh, etc. The goal was to reach every village and approach everyone. The response was very good. The Ram Mandir campaign has been successful in expressing the emotion of unity of the country.

The resolutions that will be passed during the ABPS will be to acknowledge and thank the society which responded positively during the pandemic and the way India helped other countries in mitigating the situation. India has a tradition of helping the world as we have seen in the way we have sent vaccines to 71 countries. Another resolution will be on the unity expressed in the country during the Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan.

During serving the society during the pandemic and the Ram Mandir campaign, there was a curiosity among people to know more about RSS. Hence, Sangh Parichaya varg were conducted. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of people joining and willing to work with RSS. Many people who are eager to work for the sake of society along with RSS have come in our contact. The way to engage and involve such people in building a better society along with expanding and planning Sangh work in the next 3 years will be discussed at the ABPS this time.