RSS in Action and Media's antagonism amid COVID-19

 

People don't change; They just become a clearer version of who they really are! The Spread of Corona Virus, being one of the crisis time in India, has revealed laudible rightness of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This is after it paved the way to fight coronavirus with the awareness campaign, masks, soaps and food packets.

 

Registering an upsurge in the corona cases early in the month of March, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat had called on March 25 as the 'Sankalp Diwas' to fight against the epidemic. It decided to step up its support to authorities and the common people in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, with direction to its units across the country to form local-level plans and distribute food packets, masks and soaps to the marginalised. Yet there are some 'so called' left liberal reports unnecessarily pulling the 'RSS Seva' initiative in negative shade.

 

 

Remember the day when PM Modi had announced one day Janata Curfew? Yes, it was March 22 and our beloved Prime Minister had asked all the citizens to lock themselves in their homes from morning 7 to evening 9. Supporting and backing the said Curfew, the RSS for the day had decided to change the timing of its 'Shakha' where Swayamsevaks usually gather, pray together. "Keeping in view the honorable Prime Minister's call of Jan 22 curfew on March 22, the Shakhas will be held before 6.30 am or after 9.30 pm on that day", Sarkaryavah Bhaiya Joshi had tweeted.

 

There banged this 'Aaj Tak' new report, falsely titled, 'RSS will not close branches in Corona curfew', manifesting the wrong fact. "Sangh had praised the PM's decision and promised full cooperation. The Corona virus may have caused a lock-down situation in the country. Schools, colleges, trains, metros, malls, markets, temples and mosques are closing. The whole of Hindustan will be closed, but the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is not closing its branches", the report blatantly noted. What else if not this can you call as 'twisting the facts' to course the agenda?

Now next, let's turn up to the news report by 'The Telegraph - online edition' dated April 12, 2020. The story titled 'Untouchability, even in quarantine' has actually nothing to do with the RSS Seva amid the lockdown, but yet has Swayamsevks serving or packing food on their cover photo. The noted story speaks about people in Uttar Pradesh who refused to (and still do refuse to) consume food cooked by a Scheduled Caste person. But the image (Swayamsevks serving) and the title that clearly refers to 'Untouchability' make altogether a fallacious combination. Well, isn't this one of the smartest way to make reader think what actually is not true?

Ahh! How can we forget 'The Week', one such Indian magazine which has a set of coloumnists including Meenakshi Lekhi, Swara Bhaskar, Shashi Throor, Barkha Dutt, Anuja Chauhan and more in it! So, 'The Week' on March 26 revealed its true colours by making a false stroy that said RSS was exploiting the lockdown. The actual words belonged to Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar who out ad out targeted the BJP led govt of trying to garner political gains by selectively allowing only BJP and RSS volunteers to distribute food and ration to the poor during the current lockdown.

 

"Some BJP workers have set out to exploit the lockdown situation. They are collecting donations in the name of RSS. They are giving away five kilo rice, sugar, oil and salt to daily wagers and migrant workers who have been deprived of livelihood", he said who failed to note RSS's valuable contribution to the society amid such difficult times.

For decades considered to be working behind thick veils of alacrity and strong will to serve the nation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has lately found itself more in the centre of public attention. While all of the liberals, pseudo-secularists and leftists are resting in their houses, RSS is on ground to coordinate with the govt. The selfless work of RSS volunteers during natural disaster is unparalleled. What is more admirable is that they do not discriminate based on caste creed or religion. Newsbharati salutes RSS seva amid COVID outbreak!