Something special about this shakha

The occasion was a special RSS ‘shakha’, exclusively for BJP’s members of Parliament. Bhagwat shared the dais with Delhi RSS chief Satyanarain Bansal, while the 100-odd swyamsevaks sat on the chairs in the front in normal dresses, rather than the ganvesh (khaki shorts and while shirt). Giving company to Vajpayee was his deputy, L K Advani, and a score of ministers, including Ram Naik, Ananth Kumar, Kanshi Ram Rana, Satya Narain Jatiya, Sahib Singh Verma, Vijay Goel, Subhash Maharia, Sumitra Mahajan, Jaywantiben Mehta, Bijoya Chakroborty and Bhavana Chikhalia. BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu was around, as was his predecessor K Jana Krishnamurthi, and party colleagues Pramod Mahajan, Madan Lal Khurana and Anita Arya. The proceedings started with a patriotic song, rendered by Jatiya. Thereafter, Bhagwat took the microphone.

He said: ‘‘There is an all-round support for our cause. The Hindu samaj is ideologically with us today. The opposition to us comprises either politically motivated people or those who have a narrow-minded, anti-India mind-set. The present atmosphere in our favour is a result of 75 years of hard-work put in by our swyamsevaks. More and more young men are drawn to our ranks now. Our swyamsevaks have excelled in politics and got in to power as well. It is, therefore, imperative for each one of us to be a model to society. A swyamsevak is supposed to be an embodiment of honesty, discipline and a self-less service to the motherland. We have to see that the faith of society in the swyamsevak is preserved and perpetuated through our conduct and actions.’’

Bhagwat went on to say that ‘‘there is no doubt that standards in all walks of life have fallen. But we have to carry forward the message of Sangh with the public lives of swyamsevaks being the examples for others.’’

The Sarkaryavah focussed on expectations from a swyamsevak throughout his speech, skipping all poltical issues like Ayodhya, cow-protection, common civil code and terrorism.