1. FESTIVALS: Shravan Poornima which is celebrated throughout the country and by Hindus around the world falls on August 10 this year. It is known by various names in various regions of Bharat, the most prevalent being Rakhee Purnima or Rakshabandhan which is the festival strengthening the bond of love between brothers and sisters.
It is also
celebrated as birthday of Shri Baladeva, elder brother to Bhagwan Krishna. In
Orissa, it is celebrated as Gamha Purnima when all the domesticated cows and
bullocks are decorated and worshipped. In central parts of Bharat such as
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkand Shraavana Poornima day is celebrated
as Kajari Purnima. It is an important day for the farmers and women. In parts
of Gujarat, Shraavana Poornima day is celebrated as Pavitropana. On this day,
people perform the grand pooja or the worship of Bhagwan Shiva.
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2. STRIVE HARD TO BECOME UNIQUE: DR. KALAM TO YOUTH AT
RESHIMBAUG:
Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam giving a
mantra of success to the youth asked them to develop a 'unique personality' in
them. The ‘Missile Man’ as he is known, Dr Kalam was delivering a talk on
"Transforming India through Science and Technology". The program was organized
by Vijnana Bharati, Vidarbha unit, at Dr Hedgewar Smriti Mandir premises,
Reshambag on 29th July.
Interacting
with the students from various colleges of Nagpur, Dr Kalam said "everybody
around you will try to make you just another person. But, remaining unique is
the biggest challenge and perhaps the toughest battle. To win this battle you
will have four tools. They are: big aim, hard work, dedication and
inspiration. These four tools will provide you conducive atmosphere to become
unique".
Union HRD
Minister Smriti Irani who was the chief guest reiterated in her address the
BJP-led NDA Government’s resolve to improve the overall standard of education
in Bharat.
RSS
functionary Dr Manmohan Vaidya, MD Baidyanath Group Suresh Sharma, Pramukh
Sanchalika of Rashtra Sevika Samiti Shantakka, and many others were present on
the occasion.
Earlier Dr
Kalam and Smriti Irani visited the 'Samadhi' of RSS Founder Dr Hedgewar and
his successor Golwalkar Guruji and paid floral tributes.
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3. YUVA
2014 IN AUSTRALIA: HSS
Australia successfully organized second yuva annual camp during 18-20th
July wherein 31 students from 9 universities participated The 3 day camp
activities were mainly focused on seva, mentoring and learning through
physical activities and games. The focus of intellectual activities was on
character building and active transition from thought to selfless action.
Everyday schedule started at 6 am and finished at 10-30 pm including prayers,
yoga, group games, discussions, workshops Garba and quiz etc.
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4.
RASHTRA SEVIKA SAMITI AKHIL BHARATIYA KARYAKARINI
and pratindhi mandal baithak was held from 24-27th July at Nagpur.
A total of 196 delegates attended the baithak including a sevika from USA. At
present, there are a total of 2228 shakhas including 309 daily ones. Programs
to celebrate 80th year of sevika samiti in 2016 were discussed in
the baithak. Dolma Gyari of the Department of Home, Central Tibetan
Administration was also felicitated. Van Shantakka, Pramukh Sanchalika
appealed in her concluding address that sevikas should strive to become
conscious citizens with the values of motherhood and, leadership.
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5.
2ND BHARAT-CHINA YOGA SUMMIT HELD IN DALI, YUNNAN:
The 2nd Bharat -China Yoga Summit was held in
Dali, Yunnan Province in China recently. Around 1500 Yoga Practitioners
participated in the event besides local government officials, media
professionals and academicians.
The theme of the Summit was
“Science of Yoga”. Speaking on the opening ceremony, Bharat’s Ambassador to
China Shri Ashok K Kantha highlighted the importance of Yoga and traced its
long history.
Vice-Mayor
of Yunnan Province Mr. Gao Shuxun at the opening ceremony highlighted the
closer cooperation between Bharat and Yunnan province and termed Yoga summit
as an important milestone in terms of cultural exchange between Bharat and
China. Seventeen Yoga teachers from all over Bharat participated in the
Summit.
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6. VHP INITIATIVE ‘INDIA HEALTH LINE’ LAUNCHED IN INDORE:
INDIA HEALTH LINE Madhya Pradesh launch took
place in Indore in presence of eminent specialist doctors & representatives of
medical fraternity. INDIA HEALTH LINE has a National Call Center to attend to
patients’ calls who, after seeing the neighboring General Practitioner doctor,
want to consult specialist doctors for further advice & necessary treatment.
Launching
INDIA HEALTH LINE, renowned Cancer Surgeon & VHP International Working
President Dr Pravin Togadia said, “There are untreated diseases only because
patients after primary examination by the doctor do not approach specialist
doctors as advised.
The poor,
lower middle class & middle class families suffer more due to this. To avoid
this, INDIA HEALTH LINE aims at connecting Medical Fraternity with the needy &
poor patients.”
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7. TRAIN TO 'MATA VAISHNO DEVI' - SHRI SHAKTI EXPRESS:
After a prolonged wait, pilgrims will be able
to directly reach Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine by
rail, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first train from the
station nestled in Trikuta Hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on 4th
July.
Speaking on
the occassion Prime Minister Modi said, “Here is a facility to connect
devotees with Vaishno Devi." The facility is not only for the people of J&K
but also for the people of India who want to visit J&K, he said, suggesting
that the train be called the Shri Shakti Express.
The train
will traverse through seven tunnels and over 30 small and large bridges. There
will be a small station - Chakrakhwal - between Udhampur and Katra.
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8.
FIRST BALESHWAR AGARWAL MEMORIAL LECTURE:
Smt. Sushma Swaraj, Minister for External Affairs & Overseas Indian Affairs
said that Bharatiya Government gives high priority to engagement with
Bharatiya Diaspora around the world. She was speaking on the India’s Diaspora
Policy and its various Dimensions on the occasion of Ist Baleshwar Agrawal
Memorial Lecture organised by Antar-Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad (Indian Council
for International Co-operation)
Shri
Lal Krishan Advani, former Deputy Prime Minister of Bharat in his presidential
remarks commended the role played by Baleshwar ji Agarwal - veteran journalist
and former Secretary General of Antar Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad. He said that
social organisations like ARSP have complemented the efforts of the Government
in strengthening people to people relationship in these countries.
The program was attended by
envoys from Mauritius, Fiji , Guyana , Suriname , Bhutan , Indonesia and other
dignitaries. Former foreign Secretary and ARSP President Shri Shashak
stressed on the need of promoting research in Bhrat on Diaspora issues.
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9. PANAMA'S FIRST LADY ATTENDS MORARI BAPU'S LECTURE:
The First Lady of the Republic, Lorena Castillo de Varela, attended the
lecture by Hindu spiritual preacher Morari Bapu. At the event, the preacher,
on his first visit to Panama (to present Ram Katha), spoke of truth, love,
compassion and forgiveness as essential values for all religions that can
transform anyone into a peacemaker. The event, organized by the Hindu Temple
at a local hotel, was attended by the Ambassador of Bharat to Panama Shamma
Jain, government representatives, members of the Hindu community in Panama,
and special guests.
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10. TATA GROUP TO INVEST
$35 BILLION IN 3 YEARS; FY14 REVENUE TOPS $100 BILLION:
Tata
group will invest $35 billion in the next three years as part of its vision
2025 by when it expects to achieve market capitalisation comparable to the
world's top 25 companies.
Addressing the Tata group's Annual Leadership Conference in Mumbai, Tata group
Chairman Cyrus Mistry laid out the road map for the diversified conglomerate,
which saw its total revenue crossing the USD 100 billion mark again in
2013-14.
Tata
group's total revenue grew by 18.5 per cent in 2013-14 at Rs Rs 6, 24,757
crore (USD 103.27 billion). Tata companies have operations in more than 100
countries across six continents, and export products and services to over 150
countries.
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11. NAVY GETS NEW FACILITY
TO COMMUNICATE WITH NUCLEAR SUBMARINES:
With Bharat
planning a larger fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, which can prowl
underwater for several months at a time and let loose their nuclear-tipped
missiles as and when required, the Navy has acquired a new advanced facility
to communicate with the silent predators. The state-of-the-art very low
frequency (VLF) transmitting station was commissioned at INS Kattabomman in
Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) by Navy chief Admiral RK Dhowan on 31st
July. "The new facility will boost our ability to communicate with submarines,
which have trailing wire antenna to pick up the coded VLF radio waves, on an
uninterrupted basis throughout the year," said an officer.
Only a handful of nations have such a VLF capability, which is critical to
pass coded orders to nuclear submarines on long-range deterrent patrols.
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12.
DHARMIC
SABHA OPENS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR HOME FOR THE VULNERABLE:
The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha on 8th
May commissioned a multi-million-dollar home for abused women and children at
Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne. Doing the honours of cutting the ribbon
to the majestic multi-wing edifice, Bal Nivas, was no other than Bharatiya
superstar and playback singer Sonu Nigam, President Donald Ramotar; Prime
Minister Samuel Hinds and President of the GHDS, Dr. Vindhya Persaud.
Dr. Persaud spoke about the
project and thanked President Ramotar for giving them the land a few years
ago. “The shelter, which is to become fully operational by July, will house
more than 60 children and their mothers. Additionally, it will encompass a
Skills Training Centre which will be opened to the community and a Counseling
Unit, so we offer this facility to serve you, the Guyanese people.”
Sonu
Nigam expressed delight in being involved in Bal Nivas right from the
beginning a few years ago. President Ramotar congratulated the Dharmic Sabha
on the venture and urged Berbicians to help upkeep and care the facility.
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13. FIVE BJP VETERANS
APPOINTED AS NEW GOVERNORS:
Former union petroleum minister and senior BJP
leader Ram Naik will be the new Governor of Uttar Pradesh. His appointment and
that of four other governors was announced on 14th July by the
President's office. The others, all BJP veterans, are Kesri Nath Tripathi, a
former UP assembly speaker, as the Governor of West Bengal, Delhi leader Om
Prakash Kohli as the Governor of Gujarat and Balramji Dass Tandon as the
Governor of Chhattisgarh. Padmanabha Acharya will be governor of Nagaland.
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14.
BHARAT TO HEAD BRICS' $100 BILLION DEVELOPMENT BANK:
Leaders of the BRICS emerging market nations
launched a $100 billion development bank and a currency reserve pool on 15th
July in their first concrete step toward reshaping the Western-dominated
international financial system.
The bank aimed at funding
infrastructure projects in developing nations will be based in Shanghai.
Bharat
will preside over its operations for the first five years, followed by Brazil
and then Russia, leaders of the five-country group announced at a summit.
"The agreement towards setting
up the BRICS New Development Bank is a significant step. I am happy the
initiative announced in 2012 in Delhi has become a reality," Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said. They also set up a $100 billion currency reserve pool to
help countries forestall short-term liquidity pressures.
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15.
10,000-YEAR-OLD ROCK PAINTINGS DEPICTING ALIENS AND UFOS FOUND IN
CHHATTISGARH: Chhattisgarh
state department of archaeology and culture plans to seek help from NASA and
ISRO for research on 10,000-year-old rock paintings depicting aliens and UFOs
in Charama region in Kanker district in tribal Bastar region. "The findings
suggest that humans in prehistoric times may have seen or imagined beings from
other planets which still create curiosity among people and researchers.
Extensive research is needed for further findings. Chhattisgarh presently
doesn't have any such expert who could give clarity on the subject," said
archaeologist JR Bhagat.
There are several beliefs among
locals in these villages. While few worship the paintings, others narrate
stories they have heard from ancestors about "rohela people" — the small sized
ones — who used to land from sky in a round shaped flying object and take away
one or two persons of village who never returned.
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16.
ONE IN EVERY 3 APPLE ENGINEERS IS BHARAT:
Bharat
has become a major ingredient in
Apple's secret sauce, and the scale may surprise many. It is estimated that a
third of the $171-billion company's engineering staff is Bharatiya, and that a
large and increasing proportion of its enterprise software, service and
support work is done by Bharatiya IT vendors.
Apple filed 1,750 H-1B
applications during the 10-year period 2001 to 2010, but the number increased
sharply to 2,800 during 2011-13. US-based HfS Research that compiled the data
says the majority of the H-1Bs would be Bharatiyas.
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17.
ART MATTERS: TEMPLES IN PAKISTAN:
The book, 'Historic Temples in Pakistan: A Call to Conscience', authored by
Karachi based journalist Reema Abbasi, focuses on minority Hindus who
celebrate Bharatiya festivals on the other side of the border.
A result of extensive research
by Reema Abbasi and Madiha Aijaz, the book highlights around 400 photographs
that cover different aspects of overlooked historical temples and shrines in
Pakistan that few know about. They travelled far and wide to various
pilgrimage sites like Hinglaj, the Katas Raj temple the Panchmukhi Hanuman
Mandir in Karachi, among others.
The book vividly captures
detailed narratives and photographs of shrines, rituals and Hindu festivals in
Pakistan.
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18.
RSS EK PARICHAY: In a video on
youtube Dr. Manmohan Vaidya, Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh of RSS explains
about the RSS and its objectives to few college students of New Delhi. Dr
Manmohan Vaidya gave elaborate answers to the questions related inception of
the organisation, mechanism of function, relationship of RSS with BJP, other
socio-political relevance, seva projects etc. It can be seen at
19.
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri
Saumitra Gokhale , samyojak Vishwa Vibhag is on a tour to Suriname, Guayana
and Trinidad. Ravikumar , sah samyojak is on a tour to Thailand, HongKong and
South Korea after Singapore. Dr.Ram Vaidya, sah samyojak will visit USA and
Canada. Visitors: Ashish Puri and family – USA, Radha Nanku –
Mauritius, Kumar Nawani – Thailand.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
All bad qualities centre round the ego. When the ego is gone, Realisation
results by itself. There are neither good nor bad qualities in the Self. The
Self is free from all qualities. Qualities pertain to the mind only. -
Ramana Maharshi
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JAI SHREE RAM
HINDU
RASHTRA REFLECTS INCLUSION, NOT THEOCRACY
Rakesh
Sinha
The comment
by a Goa minister that India is a Hindu Rashtra is not something which goes
against the spirit of the Indian Constitution or annihilation of secularism.
The connotation Hindu is inclusive in its origin and evolution. Any effort to
draw a parallel between Hindu nation and theocratic states needs to be
contested. India is the only nation in the world which is co-terminus with a
civilisation. In other words, India is an organic example of continuity of
age-old civilisation. Therefore, Hindu Rashtra is an adjective of the nation,
not a political objective. The origin of the connotation, Hindu, has neither
religious origin nor identification with particularism. Its parallel
connotation which is suggested is Bharatiya Rashtra. The nation has been named
after the Hindu legendary Bharat, the son of Shakuntala and Dushyant, and he
was groomed in the ashram of Kanwa, a Hindu saint. Going by epistemology, the
term Bharat is more religious than Hindu.
Such
controversy on the usage of Hindu is due to relentless deconstruction of our
tradition of secularism since colonial period. The colonial India witnessed
development of two parallel streams: one, people with perspective on the
time-tested Hindu culture and world view. There are umpteen examples of such
people—Raj Narayan Bose, Maharishi Aurobindo, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar
Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Mahatma Gandhi, M S Golwalkar and Radhakrishnan.
They used historiography and socio-cultural genealogy to understand India. By
their logical and argumentative writings, they heralded a semi-renaissance in
the country. No nation becomes civilisational antiquity when it fails to trace
its roots and its people feel guilty while answering, who am I? Pal’s The Soul
of India is a classic quest for defining India as a civilisational nation.
But there
was another strand which included people who understood India through the
writings of Western scholars and submitted themselves to Western political
philosophy, assuming it to be superior, more rational and of greater universal
application than what India could offer. People like Keshab Chandra Sen,
Jawaharlal Nehru, R P Dutt and Amartya Sen are representatives of this
dimension. The classic test has been the definition of secularism. The former
understood secularism as a way of life and felt proud of India’s tradition of
diversities. It can be understood by the example of Cheraman Mosque in Kerala
built by a Hindu king to facilitate Muslim traders and immigrants. This is the
world’s second oldest mosque (after Mecca). It denotes culture of coexistence
and progressive assimilation.
Unfortunately, the latter stream borrowed definitions and interpretations from
the West and interpreted secularism as a political duel between competing
communities based on their numerical strength. It is they who made use of the
colonial concepts of majority and minority. This led to mitosis of secularism
into the process of ‘otherings’.
This was
visualised during the debate in the Constituent Assembly. Fathers of the
Constitution wanted to deter any further damage to our civilisational
progress. Tajammul Hussain categorically stated that the majority-minority
dichotomy was the British creation and argued that because he worshipped the
same God in a different way, it didn’t turn him as a minority. He appealed to
the makers of free India to “throw this term (minority-majority) from your
dictionary”. But it could not happen. Contrary to it, the concept got
institutionalised. H C Mukherjee, the Vice-Chairman of the Constituent
Assembly, who was by faith Christian, warned that “if our idea is to have a
secular state, it follows inevitably that we cannot afford to recognise
minorities based upon religion”. Any concept whose practice breeds ‘otherings’
can’t be secular. And here the concept of Hindu Rashtra reflects geo-cultural
inclusiveness which abhors uniformity.
(Rakesh
Sinha is a faculty in Delhi University and Hon Director of India Policy
Foundation, Delhi. New Indian Express July 27, 2014 )
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A
FRUITFUL JOURNEY WITH VARIOUS MILESTONES
Excerpts
from a Special Interview on the occasion of 60th year of Bharatiya
Majdoor Sangh BMS with BMS organizing Secretary KC Mishra
By
Hitesh Shankar and Pramodkumar
How do
you look at the 59 years journey of BMS?
It is very
fruitful and satisfactory journey. The biggest achievement is that we have
been able to establish nationalist vision among the labourers, which has been
our prime objective since inception. Earlier, all trade unions were affiliated
with some or the other the political party but we are the only labour
organisation, which have no political leaning. We have moved forward with the
nationalist thinking and it has been imbibed among the labourers. There was a
time when trade unions were symbolic to red flags, now this perception has
changed. The people with nationalist thinking dominate every sector. It is a
big achievement in six decades. Communism, which influenced two third of the
world, has now has lost ground even from the countries where it originated and
nourished.
Six
Decades, Six Milestones
First was
the bonus, which we called 'differed wage'. We started fighting for it in
1969. Today, if all workers get bonus, it is because of the constant fight of
BMS. The communists too were not with us when we raised this issue.
Second
turning point was Dearness Allowance. The formula used for its calculation was
faulty. We fought and got it rectified.
Third
turning point was becoming largest labour union. There was a time when other
unions were not ready to accept us as a trade union. Leaders like late SA
Dange and Nanasaheb Gore had dictated against sharing any dais with DB
Thengadi. But today, they all are rallying around us under joint front.
Forth is
the regularisation of 1.25 lakh workers in Postal & Telecommunication
Department. It was for the first time in the history of trade unions that
workers in such a large number were regularised in one go in 1998.
Fifth is
'equal pay for equal work' for contract workers. The Government of India
amended the law for it. We got it implemented for the workers of Damodar
Valley Corporation workers in 2006-07. Later, it was implemented in many other
departments. On January 23, 2013, the GoI issued an order that equal wage will
be paid for equal work for all. However it is yet to be implemented all over
the country.
Sixth is
the promotion of nationalism. Even the hardcore communists do not hesitate to
shout the slogans of 'Vandemataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.
The growing
nationalism seems to be changing the heart of even hardcore communists. On
September 8, 2013 CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, during a demonstration
organised by Joint Front of CTUs at Jantar Mantar in Delhi shouted the slogans
of ‘Bharatmata ki jai’ and ‘Vandemataram’. He went on saying that these
slogans can only strengthen the labour movement today.
It shows
the way nationalist thinking has influenced labour movement and even the
communists, who once treated us enemy number one.
The BMS has
also changed the mindset with regard to frequently organised strike. Earlier,
it was the main weapon for left leaning unions, but we used it only as the
last resort, when all negotiations fail. We firmly believe that the industry
and nation should not suffer economic loss due to us.
In your
opinion who suffers due to strikes—labourers, industries or the nation?
Ultimately,
it is the nation which suffers. Labourers too suffer as many of them are
retrenched and we have to fight for years to get them reinstated. By and large
it costs everybody.
How far
the BMS has been able to achieve the dreams envisaged by Thengadiji, the BMS
founder?
Our
ultimate objective is 'workers’ ownership’. Honestly speaking, we are still
far away from this dream. We are not even near to achieving it. We want that
in Board of Directors of every institution at least half of the members should
be from the workers side.
How is
participation of women in the organisation?
It is low
at apex level, but at the ground level it is huge. We have effective women
unions. In Anganwadi sector, they are a formidable force. When they organise
any demonstration, over 50,000 women join it. The work is strong in Odisha,
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, etc. At district and state levels they have
good participation.
It is
believed the contract workers are reluctant to join union activities and the
number of permanent workers is reducing. Then how the unions will survive?
It is a
wrong perception. The contract workers join union activities in large number.
Rather they need unions more for their protection. They fight more
aggressively than the permanent workers. It is also a true that when these
contract workers go on strike the entire operations get paralysed in
industries, because they are in high number and work in all departments. I
feel, time is not so far when the owners will be forced to think for
recruiting workers on regular basis.
What do
you expect from the new Union Government?
As a common
man, workers too have high expectations. But the way government has started
working, it is a matter of concern. All the policies, the Public Private
Partnership, privatisation, outsourcing, etc. are against the interests of
workers. The general budget does not give any healthy sign. We want total ban
on disinvestment, minimum wage Rs 15000, minimum pension Rs 3000 linked to
price index and strengthened labour department. We also want a common labour
union recognition law for the entire country. In multiplicity of unions also
there should be provision for proportionate representation as it is in the
BSNL.
It means
the confrontation may increase with the government in coming days?
Definitely,
if the government continues to promote privatisation and FDI even in key
sectors like defence and railways.
Why do
you oppose FDI?
With the
promotion of FDI there are conspiracies to relax labour laws, which ultimately
lead to exploitation of workers. We want the government should come out with a
white paper on FDI explaining both the inflow and outflow of money. If the
government acts honestly, there is no dearth of funds in our own country. The
government needs to win the trust of people.
The BMS
and those who are running the government come from the same ideology. Then why
this confrontation?
The
confrontation develops when the concerned group is not taken into confidence.
As the
organisation grows, some challenges grow too. What are those for BMS?
Being the
largest labour organisation, the labourers expect we should resolve all of
their issues. But this is not possible for any orgnisation. This is one of the
biggest challenges. We also need new workers, who technically understand the
labour field. It may take time and we are working in that direction.
What has
been planned for the celebration of 60th year?
We have
decided to have at least one fulltime worker in all 643 districts. Today, we
have only 148 workers. Therefore, we need at least 600 new workers. Since huge
money is required to support the expansion of work, we also have decided to
collect Rs 60 to 70 crore during this year. Apart from it, the number of
unions also has to be increased from 5000 to 6000.
(Organizer
Weekly, July 27, 2014)
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NGOS OF THE RSS AND FOREIGN FUNDING
Ashok
Chowgule
Recently, the IB had come out with a report questioning the motives and agenda of the foreign funded NGOs operating in India. It is alleged that they have an anti-development agenda, and has caused serious loss in terms of economic growth in India.
Analysts, including
journalists, have used various stratagems to divert the attention from the
main charge of the IB. One point they make is that there is foreign funding
of NGOs that are set up by volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
There is a malicious intention of linking that the work done by these NGOs is
similar to the ones that the IB has made allegations against.
Some of the NGOs set up by the
volunteers of the RSS do receive funds from abroad, for which they have the
necessary permissions, and the accounts are regularly filed. These NGOs are
involved in service activities of different types all over the country. In
contrast, the ones mentioned by the IB are those involved in agitations, and
ensuring the projects of various types, involving large investments, are held
up. In some cases, even road projects have suffered due to agitation against
land acquisitions.
One of the important service
activities of the RSS affiliated NGOs is the Ekal Vidyalay – one-teacher
school. Nearly 50,000 schools are operating in the tribal areas, providing
education up till the fourth standard. The students are instructed in the
three Rs – read, write and arithmetic. Additionally, they are informed about
their own history as well as of the country, so that they develop a sense of
belonging to the nation. These schools have imparted the necessary skills to
the students, whereby they are able to take advantage of the opportunities
provided by the state to improve their lives.
One such case is of Kavita Raut.
She got education at an Ekal Vidyalay school near Nashik. She then came to
stay at a hostel for girls in Hadsul – another project of RSS related NGO.
This enabled her to get education up till 10th standard. Here, her running
skills came to the notice of Sports Authority of India, who then started to
give her coaching in long distance races. She went on to win the Bronze medal
in 10,000 meters at the Commonwealth Games 2010, and Silver in 10,000 meters
and Bronze in 5000 meters at the Asian Games 2010.
Other tribal boys and girls
have been able to lead lives better than what they otherwise would have been
forced to do. In turn, these youngsters have gone back to their tribals to
help their community members in various ways. One such way is to be a teacher
in the Ekal Vidyalay schools.
This programme is funded by
donations primarily from individuals. Each school costs about Rs 20,000 per
annum, half of which goes to salaries. The teachers are also equipped to
dispense first-aid, and be counselors to the elders, making them social
leaders in their areas.
About 25% of the schools are
funded by Indians living abroad. This has provided them satisfaction that
they are able to make some contribution, however small, in improving lives of
people in India. It has provided a strong emotional link between people of
Indian origin.
Then there is the Dr Hedgewar
Hospital in Aurangabad. It was started in 1989 in a premise of 250 square
meters and 10 beds, by seven swayamsevaks, who had just finished their
education in medicine. These doctors could have gone into private practice
and earned very good income. Instead, they decided to take a very small
salary to maintain themselves. And when they got married, and if the spouse
was a doctor, they motivated the spouse to also be a volunteer.
Within eleven years, they moved
into a 16,000 square meter premise with 150 beds, which has now been expanded
to 27,000 square meters and 300 beds. High quality medical service is
provided at minimal cost to those can afford, and at zero cost those who are
unfortunate. And today, the Hospital also runs projects in 150 villages not
just on health, but also on poverty alleviation and skills development.
There is a project of National
Cleft Lip Foundation of United Kingdom which sends doctors to developing
countries to undertake operations on those who cannot afford the cost. For
India, another RSS affiliated NGO, Sewa International’s Indian and UK units
organize the treatment, with the help of a hospital in Nashik, also run by
swayamsevaks. About 20 doctors and 15 support staff, consisting of Indian
origin and British doctors and nurses, come to India at their own cost. In
India, Sewa International locate the patients that need the treatment, the
facilities of the operation theatre, and post-operation treatment.
There have been allegations
made by groups, belonging to the communist ideology, that some of the funding
goes to organisations that are alleged to be involved in violence against
minorities. These allegations have been given publicity in the media in India
and abroad. One correspondent belonging to a supposedly reputed financial
daily in UK almost made it a mission of his, while in India, to put the RSS-affiliated
organisations on the defensive.
The foreign funding agencies
against whom the allegations have been made have been investigated by the
authorities in their respective countries. And in no case have these
authorities found any evidence that would oblige them to take action against
the funding agencies. Yet, the allegations continue to be made, giving a
clear indication that there is a political agenda at play, and not propagation
of truth.
The RSS believes in doing
positive work for the nation and its people. Where the funds come from
abroad, it is almost always from people of Indian origin, and not the
multi-national corporations or the charities started by the founders of some
of these MNCs. All the RSS-affiliated NGOs, and the funding counterparts, run
on minimal budgets, since the members offer their services on voluntary
basis. In contrast, the salaries in the NGOs, and their funding counterparts
abroad, would match those in large corporations.
We in the RSS would like to ask
organisations like Greenpeaces and others who are under investigation to list
out how many people they have impacted in a positive manner. Let them work
for nation building, and we in the RSS would work with them so that we can
combine our energies in a positive way.
(Ashok Chowgule is the
Working President (External) of Vishwa Hindu Parishad )
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