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Kanakalapeta of Yanam in Pondicherry, wore a festive look on April 10 as
the entire village turned up to welcome the Sarkaryavah of Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh, Shri H.V. Seshadri who had gone there to inaugurate a
housing complex which has been constructed by the Jana Sankshema
Samithi, a service organisation inspired by the RSS. for the cyclone
victims. Kanakalapeta almost borders on Andhra Pradesh is the village
was badly affected daring the deadly cyclone in Andhra Pradesh in
November 1996.
Workers of the Jana Sankshema Samithi were first among those who reached
the village for providing relief to the victims. Later the Samithi
undertook rehabilitation work and constructed 96 houses at the village
in a record time of 100 days.
Shri Seshadri handed over the houses to the affected families.
Speaking on the ion Shri Seshadri asserted that it would be a memorable
day in his life as he could share the sorrow and suffering of the
cyclone victims. He recalled holy the help was provided for the
cyclone-affected brethren from even, nook and corner of the country. He
felt that only the spirit of nationalism could inspire such a response.
Continuing his speech he said that the entire nation stood as one man
behind the cyclone victims, cutting across any barriers of caste, creed
or language. This, in fact, is the national feeling which testifies to
the oneness of all Hindus and the RSS is engaged in rousing this feeling
of oneness and national integrity. No country can progress without a
fierce nationalist spirit. Mutual co-operation, hard work, self-reliance
and self-respect are the qualities that help the nation to face
calamities with confidence and are necessary for the all-round progress
during normal days also. During the Second World War nations like Japan
and Germany were completely routed. Yet. the aforesaid qualities helped
them rise again to become the prosperous nations of today. Israel, a
tiny nation, has progressed so well only because of these qualities, he
pointed out.
The Sarkaryavah said that the stigma of untouchability should be wiped
off the society. The Shankaracharya had meals at the house of Dom Raja -
a precedent on how to remove the stigma of untouchability. As the story
goes even the Adi Shankaracharya, returning from the Ganga after a holy
bath, saw God in a chandal.
He said that through various organisations such as Vishwa Hindu
Parishad, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad,
Sangh swayamsevaks were running about 20,000 service projects all over
the country. These projects are not run with support either from the
Government or from outside, but with the help of the common man, he
explained. He exhorted the people to serve all living beings since such
unqualified service is service unto God. Swami Vivekananda said that
service to man is service unto God. Ramakrishna Paramahansa also said
that the service of the downtrodden is true service and illustrated his
point with a popular story from Karnataka: In a certain village the
people wanted to build a temple for a neglected idol of Devi. The Devi
resisted the effort of the villagers for the construction of a temple
pleading that unless all her children had houses to live in she had no
need for a temple.
Presiding over the function the local independent MLA Shri Malladi
Krishna Rao appreciated the efforts of RSS. He said that the RSS was
the only organisation which stood by its promise. Unlike some others
who would offer to serve but with an ulterior motive, the RSS, a devoted
non-political, cultural organisation did serve the people selflessly. He
regretted that the Pondicherry government did not come up with a
matching grant for the Samithi's endeavour. Shri B. Vishnu Vardhan Rao,
Managing Director, AVR Chemicals, Ltd, and president of the reception
committee, applauded the efforts made by RSS workers in building houses
for the cyclone victims.
Earlier Shri N. Ravi, Member of the Samithi, gave a detailed account of
the activities carried on in the cyclone-hit areas. He thanked the
organisations, viz, Vidya Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya Kendram, Bharat Vikas
Parishad, Jain Samaj, BJP, ABVP, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bharatiya Kisan
Sangh and others which co-operated voluntarily with the Jana Sankshema
Samithi in carrying out rescue and relief operations and also extending
help for the construction of the housing complex.
Six days later, the BJP President Shri L.K. Advani inaugurated a
community hall for cyclone victims at Rajahmundry, on April 16. The
hall, constructed by the Jana Sankshema Samithi, is named after the late
Gopalrao Thagore who dedicated his life to the nation. In his inaugural
address Shri Advani told that the RSS had been playing an important role
in carrying out relief and rehabilitation services during the natural
calamities.
He also informed that he had visited the worst-affected areas of
Konaseema in the East Godavari district during the last November cyclone
and had been moved by the devastation. When Shri Advani met Andhra
Pradesh Chief Minister he assured all possible help from the Bharatiya
Janata Party. Citing the examples of the flood-hit Morvi and the
plague-affected Surat of Gujarat, where the RSS rendered yeoman service,
Shri Advani maintained that because of the efforts of the Central
Government, the State Government and the voluntary organisations, these
two towns had become more beautiful than they were before the calamity.
However he felt that in Andhra it might take more time for
rehabilitation as since the area affected was very large and coconut
trees yield after a long time.
The chief guest of the function, Shri Y.R. Rama Krishnudu, the Speaker
of the AP Assembly. appreciated the activities of the Jana Sankshema
Samithi and was happy at construction of the community hall at the
Leprosy Rehabilitation Centre. Saying that even after fifty years of
Independence, the condition of people was not improved, he requested the
voluntary service organisations to come forward with such activities as
to elevate the condition of the society. He urged the Government to
work with voluntary organisations for eradicating poverty and for the
welfare of the society. The Jana Sankshema Samithi has undertaken the
rehabilitation work at five places-Kanakalapeta, Kotipalli, Rajahmundry,
Cheyyeru and Pedagatlapalle.
Another function was held at Kotipalli in the East Godavari district
where 32 houses, exclusively constructed for fishermen, and a community
hall-Shri Tulsi Vyasa Mandiram-for use of the entire village, were
handed over to the cyclone victims by Seva Pramukh of the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh, Shri K. Surya Narayana Rao, on April 15.
At the outset Shri Surya Narayana Rao offered his condolences to the
bereaved families. When he toured the cyclone-hit areas in November
1996, he having seen the devastation said that he was very much moved.
Though the whole thing started with grief but ended in a happy note.
During such calamities people feel segregated. But the nation should
not give scope for such feeling to arise. The RSS Swayamsevak are trying
to infuse the feeling of service into the people. Doing service is not
helping but one should feel that it is an opportunity given by God to do
seva.
Shri M. Venkaiyah Naidu, Secretary General of BJP who attended the
function as chief guest, paid glowing tributes to the RSS and narrated
how the RSS workers did serve the people during calamities.
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