SANGH : A WORLD-WIDE MOVEMENT

For a Hindu, the entire universe is his home. He considers himself as belonging to the whole world. For him, 'Swadesho bhuvanatrayam' is not a mere slogan, but is the very spirit ingrained in his mind. As such, from time immemorial, Hindus are widely spread the world over. Hindus reside in more than 150 countries and have been at-home wherever they have reached. In fact, in a couple of countries like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, etc., they form the majority and by this virtue are occupying high positions in those countries. It is no wonder that when swayamsevaks, who take pride in being the harbingers of the Sangh ideology, and who for other reasons go abroad, also start Sangh Shakhas in countries they choose to reside in.
The Sangh Shakha made its debut beyond the borders in 1946, on a ship sailing from Bombay to Kenya. One evening, on a tempestuous day, two passengers, both in Khaki shorts, accidentally met on the deck of the ship. One of them was from Punjab and the other from Gujrat, both unknown to each other. But a popular Hindi song that one of them was singing sotto voce, attracted the other towards him with raised eyebrows; and they recognised each other as belonging to the common Sangh family. Facing towards the Motherland., both of them together then sang 'Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhoome'. Thus was born the first Sangh Shakha off-shore! On reaching Kenya, they successfully discovered more of their brethren; and on Makara Sankranti of 1947, the first Shakha of Bharateeya Swayamsevak Sangh (BSS) was formally founded.
Then onwards it has been continuous growth for the Sangh not only in African countries, but also in U.K., Europe, America, Canada and West Indies in the West and Mayanmar (formerly Burma) and SouthEast countries in the East. For obvious reasons, the name is not Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh everywhere. In Mayanmar it is Sanatan Dharma Swayamsevak Sangh (SDSS), in Mauritius the Mauritius Swayamsevak Sangh (MSS) and everywhere else - e.g. in Australia, Hongkong, Nepal, Canada, U.K. USA, the small Caribbean states etc. it is Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS). Swayamsewaks-inspired organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad as in USA and some others like Hindu councils as in Kenya and Mauritius on similar lines, have been very active. Though the names vary, the purpose is the same - i.e., to organise Hindus, to inculcate proper samskars in them, to make them aware and proud of their glorious heritage, and all this with unreserved loyalty to the country of their adoption.
The foremost task before the swayamsevaks in different countries has been to bring the Hindus on a common forum, so that their common probelms be thrashed out, their voice be projected and heard in the local society, and they be able to work out a mechanism for imparting Hindu samskars to all in general and the younger generation in particular, since they being cut away from Hindu atmosphere from their birth itself, are expose and prone to de-Hinduising influence.
In Kenya alone there are about 147 smaller denominational Hindu organisations, but the BSS has brought them all under one umbrella of United Hindu Council of Kenya; and Deendayal Bhavan at Nairobi has now become a hub of Hindu activities. The functionaries of BSS have maintained good rapport with the local government and the public too, as a result of which recently Hindu religious syllabus has been introduced in the school curriculum, Yugadi and Deepavali have been declared as national holidays, and an OM postal stamp has been issued.
In 1984, when the 10th conference of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America was held at Washington with over 4,000 delegates, the secretary to the governor of NewYork, who was the chief guest in one of the sessions, advised the Hindus to be proud of their distinctive cultural identity. Looking at the unprecedented vast gathering of Hindus, he hoped that they would even become a political force before long.
The impact of the work of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh on the public life in the small states of Surinam, Trinidad and Guyana is easily perceptible, with Hindus now proudly asserting their identity. Once a Hindu minister insisted that he would take oath of office only with a copy of the Bhagavadgita in his hand and rejected doing the same with the Bible as was the custom till then. The ceremony itself was postponed for two days and could be had only when a copy of Gita was somehow procured. Those who have gone over to Christianity have also now started coming back.
The swayamsevaks living abroad played a significant role during the internal emergency (1975-77) in helping the underground movement from outside, in every possible way. The two forums, Indians for Democracy' in U.S.A. and 'Friends of India Society' in the U.K., took upon themselves the task of arranging tours of the leaders of underground movement for apprising the intelligentsia in their respective countries, of the actual goings-on in Bharat, and also acted as conduits of information to foreign correspondents like Jack Anderson and George Laizie of 'Newsweek' of U.S.A. It was because of these two forums that the constitutional autocracy of Bharat could be denuded in the eyes of the world. After lifting of the emergency, these two forums became one as 'Friends of India Society International' (FISI) and this society is now trying to build Bharateeya lobbies in world centres such as Washington and London.
The most significant service rendered by the swayamsevaks living abroad is that they, by their word and deed, are recognised as the real cultural ambassadors of Bharat in their respective countries. While always upholding the Hindu identity, they inspire the people of those countries also to recognise the greatness of Bharat and Hindutwa.
A few years ago, the Sanatana Dharma Swayamsevak Sangh of Mayanmar organised an exhibition on the life and message of the Buddha. The impressive exhibition had in it a broad map ofBharat with the holy places connected with the life of Buddha and the spread of Buddhism, marked on it. The visitors felt so inspired by the 'darshan' of the holy land of Bharat that they poured out devotional offerings on that map. This unique exercise generated so much good-will that the previous aversion between the Burmese and the Hindus has begun to fade and an emotional bridge has been built.
Once, after visiting the 'Gandhi Memorial School' in Djakarta, Indonesia, founded by a swayamsevak from Sindh, the first lady of the country, the wife of the then president Suharto, was immensely pleased with the ennobling Hindu environment prevailing in the entire campus. In her remarks she said: "By running such an ideal educational institution, you have indeed rendered a significant service to our country. I request you to open scores of such schools all over this country so that the children of all religious groups can imbibe the same noble qualities."
Recently an educational officer in the U.K. happened to visit a training-camp of the HSS. In the camp an exhibition on Ramayana had been organised. He found it to be very instructive and so requested the camp authorities to organise similar exhibitions in every school in his jurisdiction.
The historic Virat Hindu Sammelan organised to commemorate the birth centenary of Dr. Hedgewar brought together about a lakh of Hindus, men and women representing about 350 Hindu organisations, spread all over England. It was virtually a 'Kumbhamela' on 26th and 27th August 1989, at Milton-Keynes-Bowl, about 50 miles from London.
This unique gathering of the Hindus of the U.K. was inaugurated with a simultaneous hoisting of the sacred Bhagawa Dhwaj along with the Union Jack, with all military honours, to the accompaniment of the band. It may be remembered that in 1818 A.D., the Britishers had pulled down the Bhagawadhwaj from Shaniwarwada fort at Pune and had hoisted the Union Jack on the same mast, as a mark of their victory over the Mahratta empire. Young Keshav, future Dr. Hedgewar, in his childhood had dreamt to avenge this insult by hoisting the Bhagawa at Sitaburdi fort in Nagpur, but for obvious reasons was then unsuccessful. How proud might have been his soul about his worthy followers, who in his very birth centenary year successfully translated his dream into a reality and that too at the very seat of the British empire, the Bhagawa fluttering on equal footing with the Union Jack!
A salutary effect of this historic feat was that the very next year, on Makara Sankranti, the Prime Minister, Mrs. Margaret Thatcher herself came to preside over the function of the Finchley Shakha. She garlanded the bust of Doctorji and in her speech was all praise for the great Hindu culture, especially the time-tested Hindu family system.
Whenever any swayamsevak going abroad approached Sri Guruji, the second Sar-sanghachalak, to seek his blessings, the latter used to say: "It is necessary that our Hindu brethren who have imbibed right samskars in Bharat, should continue meeting regularly with a view to keeping aglow the flame of cultural pride and the awareness of our mission burning bright in their hearts. The First thing that our brothers abroad have to bear in mind, is that while carrying on a profession or an employment there, earning and amassing money should not be their sole aim. They should appreciate the problems of the local people and sympathise with their aspirations. Some portion of their earnings should be kept apart for promoting their welfare and enlightening them on the great principles and values of Hinduism. At the same time, they should, by their behaviour and living, demonstrate that they hail from the land of a great and hoary culture and thus set a personal example to others."
Out of about 150 countries which Hindu immigrants in varying numbers are now inhabiting, the swayamsevaks have established contacts in about forty, and, as advised by Sri Guruji, have proved that they are worthy inheritors of the great and noble legacy of Bharat.