Premium
This is an archive article published on April 11, 2000

Cong to get its version of RSS, shakhas and all

JAIPUR, APRIL 10: After years of trying to fight off the influence of the RSS, the Congress has decided to have a similar organisation of ...

.

JAIPUR, APRIL 10: After years of trying to fight off the influence of the RSS, the Congress has decided to have a similar organisation of its own.

It would be the Sewa Dal donning the mantle in its changed manifestation. At a meeting of office-bearers of the state Sewa Dal unit last night, it was decided that workers would be trained and the organisation moulded in what seems along the lines of the RSS.

However, the Sewa Dal denies adopting the RSS agenda. “This is actually twisting facts,” Sewa Dal chief organiser M P Jain claims. “The Sewa Dal is an older organisation and it is the RSS which copied it.”

Story continues below this ad

From May 1, the Sewa Dal would hold training camps every morning and evening — like the RSS shakhas — at the district headquarters. Sewa Dal workers, dressed in their uniforms, would line up for the parade twice a day to participate in these camps which would include physical exercise and ideological training.

“These are not shakhas. The Sewa Dal used to hold kendra pravriti, which we intend to revive now. Some old-timers do it even now,” insists Jain. The Sewa Dal, unlike the RSS, is dedicated to the cause of secularism and democracy, he points out. “During the time of the freedom struggle, the Sewa Dal mobilised and educated the people. Gandhiji called it the fauladi chehra (iron face) of the Congress,” Jain adds.

The differences in ideologies apart, the similarity in other aspects is striking. Just as the RSS pays homage to Dr Hedgewar, the Sewa Dal has also decided to dig out its founder from near anonymity and observe his birth anniversary with a rally on May 7. Interestingly, and perhaps appropriately, his name is Dr Subbarao Hardikar. Another similarity is that he founded the Sewa Dal in Nagpur — the RSS headquarters.

The Sewa Dal claims precedence in this too. Jain says that Dr Hedgewar of the RSS actually started off by getting training at the Sewa Dal of Dr Hardikar. Later Dr Hedgewar left Dr Hardikar to float the RSS, Jain adds.

Story continues below this ad

The attempt now is to revive the old character of the Sewa Dal, Jain stresses. Apart from kendra pravriti, the Sewa Dal would organise programmes to honour the great men and women of the country on their birth anniversaries. The workers were urged at last night’s meeting to tell the people about the achievements of the Congress governments. The office-bearers have been given responsibility of implementing the plan of action.

Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement