05-01-2004, 02:21 AM
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False propaganda against Hindu agenda
Balram Mishra
The problems with the detractors of the RSS is that since its inception,
Swayamsevaks have been working hard to make Bharat, i.e India, a strong and
prosperous nation. That naturally discourages alien forces who want to weaken
and break Bharat. These forces do not want that every Bharateeya should be proud
of his country in the same manner as the English, German or Chinese are.
Since fervent patriotism is the principal mantra of the RSS, the reaction of
those anti-Indian forces is to spread calumny against the organization. The
latest exercise has been carried out by a London-based organization called
Awaaz: South Asia Watch Limited. The Indian media picked up a false report
floated by Awaaz and published it without crosschecking with the relevant
authorities. The report claims that Sewa International (UK) and Seva Bharati
(Gujarat), the two RSS affiliated organizations devoted to serving society,
misappropriated funds collected from Britain.
The report is full of distortions and lies. Its purpose is mischievous.
Allegations are made that the RSS has constructed schools with the money
collected from abroad. It is true that Seva Bharati in the quake-hit areas of
Gujarat constructed 62 schools in the first phase. To any right-thinking man, it
is unintelligible how it can be a crime to construct schools in villages. Out of
the 62 schools built, the government runs 57 and the remainder are run by
registered private trusts. Seva Bharati has constructed 124 schools in all,
including the 62 in the first phase. Of these, 65 are now run by the government
and 59 by independent trusts affiliated to Vidya Bharati. However, there are 49
schools among them with minorities on their rolls - Muslims as well as
Christians - who live in the neighbourhood.
The report alleges that the money received was spent for anti-Muslim activities.
The fact of the matter is that Seva Bharati had run one of its relief camps from
a mosque in Hajipur village in Bhuj. In two of the six villages reconstructed
with financial aid from Sewa International, all the Muslims who were originally
residing there were provided houses along with others. In Chapredi (Bhuj)
village, nine Muslim families were given houses while in Vachhrajpura (Anjar)
four Muslim families got new houses.
Seva Bharati (Gujarat) has served the minorities without any discrimination
during the relief operations and the media in Bharat has appreciated this
without any reservation. India Today (February 2, 2001) stated: In the absence
of the official machinery in Kutch,
it was the RSS-VHP brigade that helped rescue people, nurse the wounded and even
carry bodies for the last rites. On January 29, the residents of Nanireldi, a
Muslim dominated village in Kutch virtually starving since the day of the quake
were pleasantly surprised to see a batch of RSS and VHP workers land with food
grains, clothes and medicines. Said Abha Ibrahimbhai: "I could never imagine
that the RSS and VHP workers would come to our rescue."
A 51-member delegation representing some 40 organizations in the UK that had
joined hands with Sewa for the fund raising in 2001, visited Gujarat from
January 27 to 31,2004. The delegates visited many villages and schools and were
overwhelmed by the rehabilitation work of Seva Bharati (Gujarat). Some of the
delegates addressed a press conference on January 31, 2004, at Rajkot, in which
they expressed hearty appreciation.
One of the members of the delegation, Dr Wali Tasaruddin, a Bangladeshi now
settled in Edinburgh, Scotland and owner of a chain of Indian restaurants in
Europe, appreciated the efforts of Sewa International and Seva Bharati in
carrying out the enormous task of rehabilitating the earthquake-affected people
of Kutch. He said: "Before reaching Gujarat for this tour I had my own
reservations about the fund that we had collected in Edinburgh and then
forwarded through Sewa International. However, this visit has opened my eyes and
I sincerely appreciate the work done by SIUK and Seva Bharati. I would not
hesitate to associate myself with this organization in future."
The scandalous report betrays a conspicuous, anti-Hindu bias leading one to
question the motives of the persons behind this unknown group. The entire
website of this group, which calls itself a "South Asia Watch" group, doesn't
talk of anything other than Gujarat as far as India is concerned, prompting
fears that it is only a fringe group with some sinister motive. Similar, albeit
futile, efforts were made last year by some groups in the US to denigrate and
defame Hindu organizations working for the welfare of the people of our country.
One would like to know the locus standi of these groups. Have they ever done an
iota of service to India and its people? Who are behind them? A sinister
conspiracy, possibly involving the Church and pseudo-liberal leftists in the
garb of intellectuals, may not be ruled out. They do not have any credibility
within India, hence they resort to this kind of spit and run tactics.
Of course, their campaigns have never succeeded in harming the RSS earlier and
nor can they hope of any now. But the enduring message thrown up by this episode
is that these vested interests have the potential of damaging the reputation of
India and its people. So, the media must guard against their continued
propaganda.
&counter_img=3
False propaganda against Hindu agenda
Balram Mishra
The problems with the detractors of the RSS is that since its inception,
Swayamsevaks have been working hard to make Bharat, i.e India, a strong and
prosperous nation. That naturally discourages alien forces who want to weaken
and break Bharat. These forces do not want that every Bharateeya should be proud
of his country in the same manner as the English, German or Chinese are.
Since fervent patriotism is the principal mantra of the RSS, the reaction of
those anti-Indian forces is to spread calumny against the organization. The
latest exercise has been carried out by a London-based organization called
Awaaz: South Asia Watch Limited. The Indian media picked up a false report
floated by Awaaz and published it without crosschecking with the relevant
authorities. The report claims that Sewa International (UK) and Seva Bharati
(Gujarat), the two RSS affiliated organizations devoted to serving society,
misappropriated funds collected from Britain.
The report is full of distortions and lies. Its purpose is mischievous.
Allegations are made that the RSS has constructed schools with the money
collected from abroad. It is true that Seva Bharati in the quake-hit areas of
Gujarat constructed 62 schools in the first phase. To any right-thinking man, it
is unintelligible how it can be a crime to construct schools in villages. Out of
the 62 schools built, the government runs 57 and the remainder are run by
registered private trusts. Seva Bharati has constructed 124 schools in all,
including the 62 in the first phase. Of these, 65 are now run by the government
and 59 by independent trusts affiliated to Vidya Bharati. However, there are 49
schools among them with minorities on their rolls - Muslims as well as
Christians - who live in the neighbourhood.
The report alleges that the money received was spent for anti-Muslim activities.
The fact of the matter is that Seva Bharati had run one of its relief camps from
a mosque in Hajipur village in Bhuj. In two of the six villages reconstructed
with financial aid from Sewa International, all the Muslims who were originally
residing there were provided houses along with others. In Chapredi (Bhuj)
village, nine Muslim families were given houses while in Vachhrajpura (Anjar)
four Muslim families got new houses.
Seva Bharati (Gujarat) has served the minorities without any discrimination
during the relief operations and the media in Bharat has appreciated this
without any reservation. India Today (February 2, 2001) stated: In the absence
of the official machinery in Kutch,
it was the RSS-VHP brigade that helped rescue people, nurse the wounded and even
carry bodies for the last rites. On January 29, the residents of Nanireldi, a
Muslim dominated village in Kutch virtually starving since the day of the quake
were pleasantly surprised to see a batch of RSS and VHP workers land with food
grains, clothes and medicines. Said Abha Ibrahimbhai: "I could never imagine
that the RSS and VHP workers would come to our rescue."
A 51-member delegation representing some 40 organizations in the UK that had
joined hands with Sewa for the fund raising in 2001, visited Gujarat from
January 27 to 31,2004. The delegates visited many villages and schools and were
overwhelmed by the rehabilitation work of Seva Bharati (Gujarat). Some of the
delegates addressed a press conference on January 31, 2004, at Rajkot, in which
they expressed hearty appreciation.
One of the members of the delegation, Dr Wali Tasaruddin, a Bangladeshi now
settled in Edinburgh, Scotland and owner of a chain of Indian restaurants in
Europe, appreciated the efforts of Sewa International and Seva Bharati in
carrying out the enormous task of rehabilitating the earthquake-affected people
of Kutch. He said: "Before reaching Gujarat for this tour I had my own
reservations about the fund that we had collected in Edinburgh and then
forwarded through Sewa International. However, this visit has opened my eyes and
I sincerely appreciate the work done by SIUK and Seva Bharati. I would not
hesitate to associate myself with this organization in future."
The scandalous report betrays a conspicuous, anti-Hindu bias leading one to
question the motives of the persons behind this unknown group. The entire
website of this group, which calls itself a "South Asia Watch" group, doesn't
talk of anything other than Gujarat as far as India is concerned, prompting
fears that it is only a fringe group with some sinister motive. Similar, albeit
futile, efforts were made last year by some groups in the US to denigrate and
defame Hindu organizations working for the welfare of the people of our country.
One would like to know the locus standi of these groups. Have they ever done an
iota of service to India and its people? Who are behind them? A sinister
conspiracy, possibly involving the Church and pseudo-liberal leftists in the
garb of intellectuals, may not be ruled out. They do not have any credibility
within India, hence they resort to this kind of spit and run tactics.
Of course, their campaigns have never succeeded in harming the RSS earlier and
nor can they hope of any now. But the enduring message thrown up by this episode
is that these vested interests have the potential of damaging the reputation of
India and its people. So, the media must guard against their continued
propaganda.