RSS to take over 8,000 students for spiritual, cultural ‘Kumbh darshan’

“The objective of taking the students for ‘Kumbh darshan’ is to make them aware of India’s rich traditions and culture as well as the spiritual aspect of the Maha Kumbh. This will help when (Christian) missionaries reach their localities and try to convert them claiming they are not Hindus,” instructor of Seva Bharti schools in Awadh region, Ramji Singh, said.

A RSS functionary associated with the programme too confirmed that all touring students hail from the Dalit communities, which are referred to as “vanchit samaj (deprived classes)” in the Sangh.

According to the schedule, around 2,100 children studying in Sanskar Kendras of 14 districts in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh will stay in the Maha Kumbh area between January 16 and 18. The children will visit various ashram of saints, akharas and the Sangam Ghat. The organisation has set up a camp in Sector 9 of the Mela area to facilitate their stay.

Sanskar Kendras, operated by the Vidya Bharti across the country, cater to poor children, mostly of slum dwellers, who cannot afford admission into regular schools. “Children in Sanskar Kendras are taught songs of Bharat Mata, nationalism and patriotism. They are also made aware of our culture and taught how to greet elders, worship gods and chanting slogans like ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ apart from regular school subjects. The cultural education and religious practices improves the atmosphere in their localities,” Singh said.

After the students from Awadh, almost the same number of students from the Goraksh (Gorakhpur) region will embark on the Kumbh visit from January 24 to 26, followed by students from Kashi and Kanpur regions. Discussions on facilitating visits for students from Western UP are currently underway.

Singh said the students will later attend a session where they will share their experiences of the visit.