RSS eyes Hindu consolidation in rural areas with eye hosp, school

PRAYAGRAJ: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is gearing up to set up a state-of-the-art eye hospital in the backward transYamuna area of Prayagraj.

This proposed 100-bed eye hospital at Naribari area of Shankargarh development block by Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) Seva Smriti Trust comes close on the heels of Jwala Devi Saraswati Vidya Mandir Vidyalaya started in Pasna area of Koraon development block, also in trans-Yamuna area, last year.

The moves are being seen in line with its nationwide mission of increasing its presence in rural areas and also as an effort by the RSS to counter increasing reach of certain religious organisations which in recent years have increased their activities and set up modern schools and other facilities in the region that could prompt economically poor Hindu tribals and villagers to get attracted towards them.

The Sangh has included social harmony as one of its main national issues. RSS chief Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat in the concluding session of the recently held two-day meeting of organisation’s national executive —Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal (ABKM)— of RSS East UP office bearers at Vashisth Vatsalya Global School, Gohania on November 23 had also urged RSS volunteers to promote social harmony and ensure that the temples, water sources and crematoriums were open for everyone irrespective of the caste, informed a senior RSS functionary.

“RSS feels that it is important to remove discrimination of higher and lower strata from society and give due respect to all because this is a big reason behind deviation among residents of backward and tribal areas and disintegration of the

Hindu society,” he added.

A senior RSS office bearer said the Sangh has been continuously increasing its presence in tribal and backward areas for a long time to reduce the influence of disorientation and disruptive forces and to keep the Hindu society united.

“But now these steps are being given a fillip,” he added.

People associated with the eye hospital project believe that it will develop into a satellite center and provide muchneeded health facilities to members of tribal communities and backward areas of not just Shankargarh but also adjoining district of Chitrakoot and even bordering areas of Jharkhand.

Founder trustee of this proposed hospital and chairman of Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Council Prof GC Tripathi said with the help of the society in the future the hospital will be developed into a super specialty hospital, giving treatment facilities for other diseases as well.

“However, its first mission would remain wiping out the curse of preventable blindness from the entire region,” he added.

THE MOVES ARE BEING SEEN IN LINE WITH ITS NATIONWIDE MISSION OF INCREASING ITS PRESENCE IN RURAL AREAS