Sangh Parivar

Originial Link: http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.indian.kerala/msg/a13b3818e94...

It is time to say goodbye.  I will head for India in two weeks after thirty years in the USA to work full time for SEVA programs of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in India.

On this Visitors' Feedback section, I had the honor of reading Partha Banerjee, who frequently attacks the whole Sangh Parivar with gusto, repeatedly claiming at the same time his past membership with RSS.  Perhaps he stresses his alleged RSS connection to prove his credibility.  Myself, on the other hand, have a completely different perspective on the Sangh.  I never belonged to the Sangh, and yet today I have taken an early retirement (voluntarily, on my own terms; can be checked relatively easily), and will plunge headlong into Sangh programs in India.

I was introduced to VHP/RSS in the USA.  I never knew them during my days in India.  In the USA, aside from my engineering job, I have spent twenty years performing priestly duties for the Hindu community (Delaware, New Jersey, and now S.  Carolina).  I attended secular functions arranged by various Indian groups during the last thirty years.  It was only in VHP/RSS meetings that I never heard any offensive ethnic jokes/comments about "other" Indians.  In Sangh meetings alone have I heard Bande Mataram sung for all its entire length, not by someone from Bengal, but by singers from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or Punjab.

In our younger days in India whenever we talked about a resolute character, we thought of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.  But that was then.  Imagine my surprise when I heard someone from Karnataka discussing Vidyasagar to the children at a youth camp in New Jersey organized by VHP of America.  I heard Sangh people from Nasik talking inspiring tales on Brahma Bandhav Upadhyay in youth conferences in the USA.  These Sangh people never said anything bad about anyone, inspired everyone by their conduct, and ran all programs professionally.  Impressed!  Yes, I was impressed with the practices of Sangh family.  They acted when others talked.

As a citizen of India, it is only common sense that I would rally around the safety and integrity of my country.  I found the Sangh people to be uncompromisingly Indians.  This should be mere elementary requirement for the citizens of India.  Yet I found the pan Islamic group and the communists of India lacking on this very basic issue.  Thanks to many contributors of this Visitors' Feedback, I found, they always look the other way if the infiltrators and the aggressors of India meet their political and religious color.  In my simple mind I fail to understand that rationale, and I like to see them banned in Indian political scene. Naturally I gravitated toward the Sangh.

These days, thanks to CalOnLine, I came to know how much lower Shyama Prasad Mookherjee can be dragged down.  I remember how reverently people, with no political affiliation, used to refer to him as a person of strong character and integrity.  Many well known writers, such as Pramatha Nath Bishi, described how the people from the inner circle of Rabindranath Tagore, themselves literary stalwarts, used to respect S.P.Mookherjee for his natural ability to judge literary talents.  So, when I read how mercilessly Shri S.P.Mookherjee is being smeared today by many contributors at CalOnLine, I have no difficulty seeing through their perverted political motives.

I myself have organized Support-a-Child program for VHP of America for the past fifteen years.  More than a thousand children from backward families have been benefited by this program.  Children from families shunned by the fabled middle class of India, get safe home, receive good education and medical help with such a program. I personally know many Sangh workers in India who, inspired by the call of Swami Vivekananda, have given up their careers to be engaged in Seva for the poor.  These Swyam Sevaks go to remote areas, live with our poor folks, offer them education and medical help.  It has been a mantra for the anti Sangh people to accuse Sangh for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, as if these accusers themselves are the followers of Gandhiji.  Nothing can be further from the truth. I met many Sangh organizers who proudly follow the teachings of Gandhiji, and perform seva for the underprivileged in his name. They themselves run so many free hostels in India for the deprived children in the name of either Gandhiji or Vivekananda, because these two names bring hope to anyone.

So much has to be done for the education, health care, job opportunities for the underprivileged in India.  It is not enough to just say that today's children are tomorrow's leaders.  Who is going to rally around those little leaders, and cheer ?  You and I, who else!  I like to see children from the poverty ridden areas of Bharat Varsha grow up as normal children with playground to play, food to eat, school to learn.  Otherwise these children become fodder for social miscreants.  I am going to India to become part of the colossal effort to pull them up.  I invite you to join.  We need money.  But more than that, we need determined people.  What good is education if it is wasted on war of words ?  Can you donate your services, your knowledge for the poor in India?  Can you spare your precious vacation to teach skills free of charge to the impoverished ?  Can you build facilities for drinking water ?  Ask yourself what can you do to build a better India, and then act.  I will wait for you in India.