by Sundar Lakshman
At the time when many of the village girls were not getting
married due to the bad practice of unbearable dowry even at the
age of 28 to 30 years, a swayamsevak, Rajlinga Raja, married a
girl without dowry. This single incident changed the mindset of
all villagers. Now every boy or girl of the village is get married at
the proper age. There is no question of asking or giving dowry.
Not only this, Rajlinga Raja also sheltered some Harijan children
at his home and made all arrangements for their education.
Some of them have now completed graduation, while some are
drawing on handsome salaries from reputed institutions.
Veteran Pracharak Dadarao
Parmarth, who started the
Sangh work in Tamil Nadu
during the 1940s used to
say, “The Sangh work begins after the
Sangh vikira.” He described the shakha
a generator or powerhouse which produces
selfless individuals dedicated to
the cause of social transformation.
Dada was right. The Sangh shakha
is a factory which produces persons
with high character and integrity. For it
some unique techniques are adopted
to mould a person from mud to gold,
illiterate to literate, ordinary to patriot
and a social activist in real sense.
In Tamil Nadu, the first Sangh
shakha began in border village
Maruthancode. Before beginning of
the shakha, the main profession of the
local people was to illegally transport
rice to Kerala on head. But after the
beginning of the shakha, this illegal act
stopped and majority of them joined
rice cultivation in their fields. Under
the guidance of Kasturba Kendra, theyalso learnt making candle, handicraft,
soaps, spindling, bee keeping, etc.
Some swayamsevaks also started regular
coaching classes in the evening.
Sanskar Kendra, weekly shramseva in
Lord Shiva temple and Krishna temple
were also started. Impressed with the
outcome, the nearby villages too followed
it. Finally, all the Hindus united
and a Hindu candidate was elected on
the post of Panchayat president for
three terms. Later, some self-help
groups also began. When some
women joined the groups, it proved to
be a means of fighting against illicit
liquor produced in the village.
Caste differences vanished in
Thozhicode village under Vilavancode
Taluk of Kanyakumari district after a
shakha began there.
Apart from it,
long pending dispute over temple land
title came to an end following unity
among the two major local castes. The
shakha also transformed individual life
of the swayamsevaks. Those who were
habitual of drinking liquor abandonedthe bad habit and started working in
the fields regularly.
Following regular exercises and
observing good habits that the
swayamsevaks gained from daily
shakha in Brahmapuram, about 20
youth of the village joined army, 5 in
fire services, 10 in police, etc. Before
joining the armed forces, majority of
them produced illicit liquors in nearby
hills.
During the Emergency of 1975, six
personsfrom the village were detained
under MISA. Thirteen others were kept
in jail under Defence of India Rule and
20 others joined the satyagraha
against the dictatorship of Smt Indira
Gandhi. Mothers happily sent their
sons to satyagraha offering them new
clothes and putting tilak on their foreheads.
In 1980, Shri Yadavarao Joshi,
then Kshetra Pracharak, visited the village.
About 350 people participated in
the function and took oath to eradicate
untouchability.
They tried to follow that oath throughout their life. Near this village, there is one famous Lord Karthikeya temple. During festivals, thousands of devotees gather there every year. From the village, all youth were doing voluntary services in the temple for making queues, distributing Prasad and arranging for annadana during the festival period. At Ezhuchattupathu Shakha, near Kanyakumari, the shakha developed service mentality among the youth. From that Shakha, one youth went to Arunachal Pradesh for serving the people through Vivekananda Kendra. In Kanchipuram, again through shakha, night adult literacy classes were started. The illiterate weavers from the locality learnt reading, writing and counting. They also became good businessmen. Later, some of them held bigger responsibilities like Vibhag and District Karyavah in the Sangh. In Virudhunagar district, a village shakha started. Youth came to the shakha and the work of village development began. Once incidents of theft increased in the nearby villages. Even idols were stolen from the village temple. In that situation, the swayamsevaks from Avudaiyapuram village safeguarded the village and caught three dacoits red handed. Those decoits were basically in the most wanted list of the local police for over 13 years.
The swamsevaks were felicitated by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Ms J. Jayalalithaa. After a shakha began in Pudupatti village near Srivilliputthur in Virudhunagar district, one swayamsevak, Rajalinga Raja, became a role model for organic farmers in the whole block. Also at the time when so many girls remained unmarried even up to the age of 28 and 30 due to high amount of dowry, he married a girl without any dowry. It changed the mindset of the whole village. Thereafter, all girls of the villages were got married in proper age. He kept some Harijan boys in his house, arranged for their education up to graduation and also got employment in good offices. Whenever there is a call for protecting dharma or there is any natural calamity, most of the swayamsevaks immediately come forward. Following a call from the shakha, swayamsevaks turned to offer their life to build SwamiVivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari. Their family members and villagers still feel proud of it. In Pavoorchatram village under Tirunelveli district, the local youth formed a group and started chit fund activity. A fund was set up with the profit they earned for a small nursery and bought a land to develop it as a school. They built one school building and now it has 160 students studying up to 7th standard. All these incidents are just a tip of an iceberg.
The life mission of the people who came into contact of the shakha changed from selfishness to patriotic. Through the shakhas, a silent social transformation is taking place throughout the country. Since majority of the Indian population reside in villages, there is a dire need to work for education, social harmony, security, health and self-reliance. These are the five areas, which need immediate attention of the policymakers and the countrymen. Though our goal is to restore the pristine glory of the nation, we will continue to persue our work till the rising of the last man in villages is finished.
Through the shakhas, a
silent social transformation
is
taking place throughout
the country. Since
majority
of the Indian population
reside in
villages, there is a
dire need to work for
education,
social harmony,
security, health and selfreliance
there.
They tried to follow that oath throughout their life. Near this village, there is one famous Lord Karthikeya temple. During festivals, thousands of devotees gather there every year. From the village, all youth were doing voluntary services in the temple for making queues, distributing Prasad and arranging for annadana during the festival period. At Ezhuchattupathu Shakha, near Kanyakumari, the shakha developed service mentality among the youth. From that Shakha, one youth went to Arunachal Pradesh for serving the people through Vivekananda Kendra. In Kanchipuram, again through shakha, night adult literacy classes were started. The illiterate weavers from the locality learnt reading, writing and counting. They also became good businessmen. Later, some of them held bigger responsibilities like Vibhag and District Karyavah in the Sangh. In Virudhunagar district, a village shakha started. Youth came to the shakha and the work of village development began. Once incidents of theft increased in the nearby villages. Even idols were stolen from the village temple. In that situation, the swayamsevaks from Avudaiyapuram village safeguarded the village and caught three dacoits red handed. Those decoits were basically in the most wanted list of the local police for over 13 years.
The swamsevaks were felicitated by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Ms J. Jayalalithaa. After a shakha began in Pudupatti village near Srivilliputthur in Virudhunagar district, one swayamsevak, Rajalinga Raja, became a role model for organic farmers in the whole block. Also at the time when so many girls remained unmarried even up to the age of 28 and 30 due to high amount of dowry, he married a girl without any dowry. It changed the mindset of the whole village. Thereafter, all girls of the villages were got married in proper age. He kept some Harijan boys in his house, arranged for their education up to graduation and also got employment in good offices. Whenever there is a call for protecting dharma or there is any natural calamity, most of the swayamsevaks immediately come forward. Following a call from the shakha, swayamsevaks turned to offer their life to build SwamiVivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari. Their family members and villagers still feel proud of it. In Pavoorchatram village under Tirunelveli district, the local youth formed a group and started chit fund activity. A fund was set up with the profit they earned for a small nursery and bought a land to develop it as a school. They built one school building and now it has 160 students studying up to 7th standard. All these incidents are just a tip of an iceberg.
The life mission of the people who came into contact of the shakha changed from selfishness to patriotic. Through the shakhas, a silent social transformation is taking place throughout the country. Since majority of the Indian population reside in villages, there is a dire need to work for education, social harmony, security, health and self-reliance. These are the five areas, which need immediate attention of the policymakers and the countrymen. Though our goal is to restore the pristine glory of the nation, we will continue to persue our work till the rising of the last man in villages is finished.
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