'Full Of Distortions And Untruths'

Awaaz? Who are they and who are behind them?

We take strong objection to the propaganda unleashed by persons and organizations hitherto unknown againstthe RSS and organizations connected with it like the Seva Bharati with wild and false allegations of misuse offunds received from abroad.

Seva Bharati is an organization registered with the Government in different States and guided by Indianlaws. Every single penny received by Seva Bharati from within or outside India is judiciously spent on thecauses for which it has been collected. The RSS and the organizations connected with it enjoy tremendousamount of credibility and goodwill in matters relating to social service and social reconstruction etc.

The Report in question is full of distortions and untruths, often bordering on mischief. It alleges thatthe RSS has constructed schools with the money collected from abroad. It is true that 62 schools wereconstructed by the Seva Bharati in the quake-hit areas in the first phase. We fail to understand how it is acrime to construct schools in villages. Out of the 62 schools constructed, 57 are run by the Government andthe remaining are run by registered private trusts.

Sewa Bharati has constructed 124 schools in all including the 62 in the first phase. 65 schools among themare Government schools and 59 schools are run by independent trusts and some of these are affiliated to VidyaBharati. However, there are 49 schools among those who have minorities on their rolls - Muslims as well asChristians.

The Report alleges that the money received was spent for anti-Muslim activities. The fact of the matter isthe Seva Bharati had run one of its relief camps from a mosque in a village called Hajipur in Bhuj. In 2 ofthe 6 villages reconstructed with the financial aid from the Sewa International, all the Muslims who wereoriginally residing there were provided houses along with others.

In Chapredi (Bhuj) village, 9 Muslim families were given houses while in Vachhrajpura (Anjar) 4 Muslimfamilies got back new houses. Sewa Bharati, Gujarat has served the minorities without any discriminationduring the relief activities and the media in Bharat has appreciated this without any reservation. IndiaToday report dated 2nd Feb 2001 states,

"In the absence of the official machinery in Kutch, it was the RSS-VHP brigade that helped rescuepeople, nurse the wounded and even carry bodies for the last rites. On January 29, the residents of Nanireldi,a Muslim dominated village in Kutch virtually starving since the day of the quake were pleasantly surprised tosee a batch of RSS and VHP workers land with foodgrain, clothes and medicines. Said Abha Ibrahimbhai: 'I couldnever imagine that the RSS and VHP workers would come to our rescue."

A 51 member strong delegation representing some 40 organizations in UK that had joined hands with SewaInternational UK for the fund raising in 2001, visited Gujarat from 27 to 31 January 2004. The delegatesvisited many villages and schools and were overwhelmed by the rehabilitation work of Sewa Bharati, Gujarat.Some of the delegates addressed a press conference on 31st January 2004 at Rajkot, wherein they expressedtheir sense of fulfillment and hearty appreciation.

One of the members of the delegation Dr. Wali Tasar Uddin, a Bangladeshi now settled in Edinburgh, Scotlandand owner of a chain of Indian restaurants in Europe, appreciated the efforts of Sewa International, UK andSewa Bharati, Gujarat for the enormous task of rehabilitating the earthquake affected in Kutch. He said,

"Before reaching Gujarat for this tour I had my own reservations about the fund that we had collectedin Edinburgh and then forwarded through SIUK. However, this visit has opened my eyes and I sincerelyappreciate the work done by SIUK and Sewa Bharati. I would not hesitate to associate myself with thisorganization in future."

The scandalous Report betrays a conspicuous anti-Hindu bias leading us to question the motives of, and menbehind this unknown group. The entire website of this group, which claims to be a South Asia Watch group,doesn't talk of anything other than Gujarat as far as India is concerned leading us to believe that it is onlya fringe group with some sinister motives.

Similar futile efforts were made last year also by some groups in the US to denigrate and defame Hinduorganizations working for the welfare of the people of our country. We would like to know what is the locusstandi of these groups! Have they ever done an iota of service to India and its people? Who are behindthem?

We see a sinister conspiracy possibly involving the Church and pseudo-liberal left wreckers in the garb ofintellectuals. They do not have any credibility within India; hence resort to this kind of spit and runtactics. While these campaigns have not harmed us earlier and they are not going to do so now either, we wouldlike to caution our people in general and our friends in media in particular that they have the potential ofdamaging the reputation of India and Indian people outside.

We urge Indian media to verify the credentials of the groups that come up with such fraudulent, biased andill-motivated reports before going gaga over their statements.