Youth associating with RSS in large numbers: Dr. Manmohan Vaidya

 

Karnavati, Mar 11: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sah-Sarkaryawah Dr. Manmohan Vaidya today claimed that large numbers of youth all over the country are associating them with the RSS and its multifaceted works.

 

Addressing a press conference soon after the inaugural session of the three-day RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) here in Gujarat, Dr. Vaidya said that the ABPS is an important decision-making body of Sangh.

 

He said that a total number of 1248 representatives from all states are participating in the three-day meeting of the RSS being held in its full strength after a lapse of nearly two years due to the corona pandemic situation. The 2020 ABPS was scheduled to be held in Bangalore but was canceled halfway through as the government declared a countrywide lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic.

 

The 2021 meeting of the ABPS was held in a hybrid style with some members participating in person while the majority joining virtually from their respective states.

 

Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohanrao Bhagwat and Sarkaryawah Dattatreya Hosabale inaugurated the meeting by offering floral tributes to the portrait of Bharat Mata. Soon after tributes were paid to prominent personalities who passed away during the year gone by, prominent amongst them were Bharat Ratna Ms. Lata Mangeshkar, CDS General Bipin Rawat, Babasaheb Purandare, Shri Rahul Bajaj, Pandit Birju Maharaj, and P. Srinivasa Ramanujacharya Swami.

 

Dr. Vaidya said that despite the covid situation, during the last two years 98.6% of the activities of the RSS resumed as compared to 2020. The number of Saptahik Milan (weekly meetings) has also increased. Of the daily Shakhas, 61% are of Vidyarthi Swayamsevaks and 39% are of Vyavasayi (working) Swayamsevaks. As per arrangement for RSS work, there are 6506 khandas (blocks) in the country out of which 84% have Shakhas. Out of 59,000 Mandal’s, about 41% of the Mandals have Sangh Karya in the form of basic Shakhas. Shakha work is going on in 94% out of 2303 urban areas and efforts will be made during the next two years to have Shakha of Sangh in all the Mandals (Mandal is a cluster of 8-10 villages ). During the period from 2017 to 2021, about 1 lakh to 1.25 lakh youths between the age group of 20 to 35 expressed their desire to join Sangh through the online platform 'Join RSS' made available on the website of RSS.

 

He said that the annual summer training camps known as Sangh Shiksha Varg (SSV) in RSS parlance, will be held from April 15 to mid-July of this year at 104 places wherein the average number would be about 300 per varg.

 

During the Corona period, the volunteers of the Sangh actively conducted Sewa Karya (offered their voluntary services) together with the society. 5.50 lakh Swayamsevaks started Sewa Karya from the very first day of the Pandemic. India is the only country in the world wherein a large number of people from monasteries, temples, and Gurudwaras came out for Sewa Karya. This is a sign of an awakened country.

 

The work of Kutumb Prabodhan (family awareness), Gau-Samvardhan (nurturing cows) and Gramin Vikas (Rural Development) is going on in good proportion in Sangh.

 

Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh accompanied Dr. Vaidya at the press conference. Akhil Bharatiya Sah Prachrar Pramukh Narendra Kumar and Alok Kumar were also present at the Press Conference.