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More than its own ideological appeal, the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) seems to owe its popularity in the backward districts of the
State, mainly western Orissa, to the sustained social service drive
launched in the region by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and
its sister organisation.
The activities of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA), Kalyan Vahini and
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) in districts like Subdergarh, Phulbani,
Gujpati, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nowrangpur, Keonjhar,
Mayurbhanj and Jharsuguda not only help strengthen the base of the
saffron party but also counter the influence of Christian
missionaries in some of these areas, according the informed
sources.
Intelligence officials are keeping a close watch on the voluntary
services being rendered by RSS and its affiliates which have
stepped their drive in the wake of the drought.
Most widespread among them is the network of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram
which has popularised the concept of one teacher-one school in the
interior villages of backward districts where the impact of
Government-sponsored schemes take a long time to be felt.
According to RSS veteran Ajit Prasad Mohapatra, joint chief
coordinator for Orissa, the "ekaka vudyalayas" are being run in 372
villages with minimal expenditure.
"Since the teacher comes from the same village and offer voluntary
service, the expenditure is limited to organising slates and
pencils for students whose number does not exceed 25 in one
village," he explained.
Seva Bharati, another RSS-related organisation, is planning to open
more such school in other parts of the State from this year.
About eight to nine medicine centres are being run by VKA and VHP
in districts like Kalahandi, Jharsuguda, Sundergarh, Phulbani,
Rayagada and Keonjhar, each catering to the need of people within a
radius of 15 to 20 km.
The Kalyan Vahini compliments their work by organising anti-durg
and anti-liquor campaigns. Mohapatra claimed that several villages
around one medicine centre in Rayagada district had gone dry
following Vahini's campaign.
The attempt is to bridge the gap between the Government and the
people in these backward regions on the developmental front.
Significantly, in some instances, these organisations have also
motivated people to draw Government's attention to their problems
in an organised manner. Mohapatra recalled that there were
agitations in Raikia and Baliguda villages of Phulbani district
sometime ago to protest drinking water scarcity.
Though senior RSS leaders are wary of admitting it, the BJP has
taken full advantage of its conscience keeper's philanthropic
campaign parts of the State where its vote bank is increasing
steadily.
The last Lok Sabha elections was an eyeopenere when its candidates
polled more than one lakh votes in Mayurbhanj, Nowrangpur,
Keonjhar, Sundergarh and Bolangir. And more than 62,000 in
Kalahandi and Phulbani. Though the slogan of western Orissa's
development came in handy for the party, the ground for this
popular support was actually laid by RSS and its affiliated who
worked dedicatedly in the area of the last 12 years.
Now as the BJP is preparing to make the most of the drought issue,
they are again likely to come to its aid.
The Sangh Parivar has launched a massive relief drive in the
worst-hit districts like Bolangir, Subarnpur, Naupada, Bargarh and
kalahandi with the expenditure likely to touch upto Rs 8 crore,
according to senior leader, Mr Bharat Das.
The programme includes distribution of rice and milk powder,
construction of tankis, wells and roads on "food for work" basis
and supply of seeds and pesticides to the farmers.
More than 2200 villages have already been covered, said Das
asserting that the work was unalloyed social service with no
political dimension to it.
While that may be true, it is bound to expose the shortcomings in
Government's own relief drive in the drought belt. That is where
the issue would benefit the BJP.
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