IDRF and the American Funding of Hindutva |
Full text of the report © 2002, Sabrang Communications & Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, India, and The South Asia Citizens Web, France
|
Sewa Bharati: Hindu Consolidation at Any Cost
IDRF and the American Funding of Hindutva |
Full text of the report © 2002, Sabrang Communications & Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Mumbai, India, and The South Asia Citizens Web, France
|
Sewa Bharati: Hindu Consolidation at Any Cost
Neiraich is a village near Agra with a population of 3 to 4 thousand. For many years, the place had not partaken of any religious programmes like home, haven, katha or kirtan. With the entry of the Seva Bharati, the villagers came forward to conduct haven followed by the Ramayana [the televised version of a Hindu epic] screened on the VCR. And now the village life has become enlivened with religious fervour and community life.
The pradhan [chief] from Deenapurgaon said, ‘Because of Sewa-karya [the work of Sewa Bharati], in our locality the fanaticism of the Muslims has subsided’. ... The elder from Samatadham Basti said with folded hands, ‘[If] Sewa Bharati had not reached our Basti, many of our people would have been converted to Christianity, as there were none of guide us.’ He continued, ‘After Sewa-karya started, a temple has come into being. Daily pooja [prayer service] takes place in the temple with Arati. Because of this, the feeling of Hindutwa in our households has been awakened. All this is the contribution of Sewa Bharati.
A Samskar Kendra [an activity of the Sewa Bharati, meant to help children develop ‘character’] had been opened in the Nagla Singi extension near Hathras in Braj. On the first day, when the teacher asked the children's names, one replied, 'Mahmood', another 'Rashid', and so on. The teacher was surprised, since Nagla was predominantly a locality of the Hindus. How could there be so many Muslim boys? It came out that a certain Moulvi [a Muslim preacher] had been visiting the area from time to time, and it is he who had named the children. Hindu priests had hardly ever come to them. Even dead bodies were disposed of in the Muslim fashion.
After activities of Sewa Bharati started, things changed. Children got new names. The life-style of the people too began changing. Children began to take an interest in learning. They were gradually introduced to tenets of Hinduism.