“RSS Swayamsevaks which served the country during Covid induced lockdown and also by actively involved during the Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan has made people curious to know about Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organisation,” said Manmohan Vaidya, Sah Sarkaryavah of the RSS.

Addressing reporters at the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) held in Bengaluru, Vaidya said swayamsevaks despite knowing that they can be infected with the Coronavirus served throughout the country. The swayamsevaks through Seva Bharati actively got involved in various activities during the Covid-19 induced lockdown in the country.

About 5.70 lakh karyakartas served at 92,656 locations in the country. Rations were distributed to around 73 lakh needy and food packets were distributed to 4.5 crore people.

“During the lockdown and later around 90 lakh masks were distributed and more than 60,000 units of blood was donated. Swayamsevaks have helped more than 20 lakh migrant workers and nearly 2.5 lakh nomadic people have been served during this period,” he added.

Ram Mandir Nidhi

Along with other activities, the organisation got involved in the Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan campaign across the country.

Vaidya said the focus of the campaign was not on collecting donations which 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.”

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For Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan, RSS swayamsevaks reached 5.45 lakh locations in the country. About 20 lakh karyakartas were involved in the campaign and were able to contact 12.47 crore people.

“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,” he added.

Curiosity to know RSS

The success of the two programmes - serving people during lockdown and involving in Ram Mandir Nidhi Samarpan in the country in the last one year, has shown that there is a growing curiosity to know about the RSS organisation. “Looking at it, all may not join the sangh but have expressed eagerness to work with us. At ABPS, we will be discussing how to involve them.”

Also at the ABPS meet, discussion as to how to increase the number of shakhas in the country is also being taken up. Vaidya said “At present sangh shakhas are present in all districts in about 6,495 taluks. Among this, shakhas have become active again in 85 percent of taluks. Below the tehsil level, mandals comprising 10-12 villages have been formed.

“There are 58,500 such mandals in the country among which active shakhas are present in 40 percent of such mandals and contact has been established in 20 percent of the mandals. Hence, 60 percent 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 three years, sangh aims to reach all the mandals in the country.”

Published on March 19, 2021