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OUR FIRST
AND FOREMOST COMMITMENT
OUR FIRST
AND FOREMOST COMMITMENT is to India and the
people of India, and to the preservation of
their integrity, security and freedom. We
stand by non-violence as propounded by Mahavir,
Budha, Vivekananda and Gandhi. It is no
use proclaiming our belief in non violence if we
do not go all out to prevent violence. It
is no use pledging ourselves to the progress and
prosperity of India if we cannot protect our
national assets from wanton destruction and
vandalism. It is no use declaring our
commitment to India’s security and integrity if
we do not employ our entire resources to
maintain normal functioning of the public
services. Institutions, offices and courts,
normal manufacture, commerce and trade, any, the
entire normal flow of life, if we do not join
hands in destroying the forces of disintegration
which disturb public peace and order, if we do
not assist in keeping our armed forces free to
maintain their vigil on our threatened borders,
if we do not lend a hand in the suppression of
every anti-social and anti-national elements,
which is working to the determinant of our
integrity, freedom and progress and finally, if
we cannot sacrifice our individual, political,
sectarian, castes', regional and lingual
interests for the greater good of India.
IN FORMING
BHARAT VIKAS PARISHAD, we have dreamed of a
glorious future for our people and our
country, and pledged ourselves to work
relentlessly and make sacrifice, if necessary,
for the fulfillments of our golden dream.
(Niti; October, 1990)
THE BANE OF UNPUNCTUALITY
Bharat Vikas
Parishad has attached great significance to
punctuality, because punctuality is the
expressive symbol of intrinsic culture,
self-discipline and high sense of
responsibility, which should be hallmarks of
every one who wants to be counted among the
elite. Bharat Vikas Parishad being the
most elitist of all socio-cultural organizations
is expected to take the lead in observing
discipline and punctuality not only in our
organizational work but also in our own private
life. It is most disappointing and painful
to come across instances of gross unpunctuality
on almost every occasion in every part of the
country, which shows that during all these years
of our close association with Bharat Vikas
Parishad, the majority of our members have
failed to imbibe this quality and make it a
habit of life. To the masses who are
growing increasingly indifferent to punctuality,
we in the Parishad owe a duty to teach it by our
own example. We expect others to be
punctual but rarely try to be punctual
ourselves. It is disgraceful that
sometimes even the secretary or convener of a
function does not reach the venue in time.
Guests, including the chief guests, have to
waste much time waiting till organizers have
hastily put up the dais and made other
arrangements. This gives a poor impression
of the Parishad and often repels a few
prospective members, who could truly be an
assets to us. Members of the Parishad, in
general, and every office-bearer and member of
the executive, in particular, are duty bound to
observe strict punctuality in Parishad
functions. Office bearers and those
responsible for organizing the function must
reach well in advance and ensure that all
arrangements are completed well before the given
time and before the guests start arriving.
(Niti; August, 1990)
"SARVANGIN
VIKAS"
BHARAT
VIKAS PARISHAD IS COMMITTED TO THE ‘SARVANGIN
VIKAS’ of the country - Vikas in the widest sense,
which includes progress and prosperity, and
these are indivisible from peace.
Instability is the enemy of peace. Nothing
can be achieved when conditions are disturbed
and a sense of insecurity prevails. Bharat
Vikas Parishad has, therefore, a vested interest
in the maintenance of public peace, order and
the normal functioning, of the services,
business, commerce, industry, agriculture,
courts and educational institutions. It
cannot give its blessing to any agitation or activity aimed at disrupting the normal
functioning of life in any part of the country,
because it retards growth. For this
reason, we are opposed to terrorism and
militancy, which weaken the nation. When
the armed forces, instead of keeping a constant
vigil against intrusion and invasion, have to be
diverted to suppress violent or peaceful
agitations, the security of the nation is
jeopardized. At a time when the country is faced
with external aggression and internal disruption
and dismemberment, when our entire attention
should be devoted to the preservation of our
unity and integrity, it is the duty of every
patriotic Indian to desist from involving the
country in controversies and violence over
issues, which are in no way vital for the
country’s well-being and which could wait for
peaceful decision in due course of time.
(Niti; November,1990)
VIKAS IS OUR SOLE AIM
The sole aim
of the entire activity in the Parishad is the
acceleration of the pace of advancement of the
country. Every other aim is secondary and
could be ignored in order to concentrate our
energies and resources on the achievement of the
vital objective. The Parishad machinery
should also be geared to this end. The
first rational step would be to identify the
causes of our backwardness and the factors
responsible for holding up progress. The
next step should be the allocation of priorities
to tackle the problems of VIKAS in the order in
which they should be tackled keeping in mind our
own infrastructural and financial resources.
It must again be remembered that our resources
are extremely limited and must not be frittered
away on things which do not even touch the
fringe of the problem of VIKAS. The sole
test of the usefulness and effectiveness of our
programmes is the extent to which these
programmes would carry the country
forward to the goal of VIKAS.
DISCIPLINE
DISCIPLINE
is the cornerstone of every organization.
The Parishad will prosper only so long it is
based on the firm principles of discipline,
selfless service and sacrifice. Every
exponent of selfless service and sacrifice has
to discipline himself first and subordinate his
own self and ego to the larger organization
through which he has pledged himself to serve
the country and the people. If anyone
mistakenly believes that he is above the
organization and he need not take direction from
above is a misfit in the organization, whose
presence is likely to cause more harm than good,
even if he may be otherwise, sincere and
dynamic. In the three tier organizational
set up of the Parishad, the guidance,
supervision and monitoring of branch activities
is entirely the responsibility of the State
Executive and there can be no questioning the
state’s authority and discretion in any matter
pertaining to the branches under its control.
There can be no alibi for noncompliance of the
State directive and indiscipline will not be
tolerated at any cost.
(Niti;
April, 1990)
SERVICE WITHOUT FANFARE
More service
than publicity is the watchword of Bharat Vikas
Parishad. Publicity of
Parishad’s activities is necessary, but it has
to be watched that self-publicity is not carried
on in the guise of Parishad’s publicity.
The path the Parishad has undertaken to tread is
hard to follow. It requires tremendous
discipline, self-control and sacrifice, as well
as the development of a missionary spirit, which
alone can bring about a change in the people’s
thinking, and revive their ‘sanskars’ and their
faith in the ancient values of our motherland.
We have to mould ourselves, our ideas and
actions so that we are able to rise above
narrow-mindedness and work devotedly for the
unity, integrity and freedom of our country, and
ethical values, broadmindedness and liberalism
are predominant in everything we do.
Constant awareness of the ideals, aims and
objects alone can guarantee the success of our
mission.
If our urge for public service is so easily
satisfied by cheap and superficial service, the
very purpose of Bharat Vikas Parishad will be
defeated and it will not be any different from
the Lions and Rotary. It was never the
intention of the founders of the Parishad to
make it a carbon copy of these clubs. To
justify its existence, the Parishad must provide
such avenues of genuine service which normally
are not available to members of these clubs.
It is because of the special avenues of service
which the Parishad offers that a large number of
Rotarians and Lions of high standing in their
respective clubs have been attracted to the
Parishad. It is our duty to see that they
are not disappointed and they are able to find
what they have come to seek. Bharat Vikas
Parishad should not be allowed to degenerate
into an ordinary club and its identity and
purity should be preserved at any cost.
(Niti; July, 1989)
WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION
A great deal
has been written and said at different fora on
the place of women in the present Indian society
and their role in the ‘Vikas’ of the country.
The aim of this exercise has been mainly to
focus attention on the importance of women as
catalysts of social change, creating an
awareness and awakening among our women,
encouraging them to shed their traditional
inhibitions, so that they may come forward and
take their place in the front rank with those
who have dedicated themselves to transform
society in the light of the ideals, aims and
objects of Bharat Vikas Parishad.
Talking of
women’s participation, we need to be reminded
that membership of the Parishad is extended to
the couple, and not merely to an individual.
Even though membership may be in the name of a
man, the wife is an equal member and should be
encouraged to take her place by her husband’s
side in every activity of the Parishad.
Among other committees, a Mahila samiti is also
formed to execute the policies and programmes at
local level, but the formation of a Mahila Wing
as a parallel body is unthinkable, as it is
repugnant to the very concept of joint
membership, which is a unique feature of Bharat
Vikas Parishad. Mahila Wings with their
paraphernalia of separate president,
vice-president, secretary, treasurer etc.
have no place in our organization. The
Mahila Samiti with its convener should work as
an integral part of the branch under the
supervision and control of the executive body.
However, more and more women should be inducted
into the executive and encouraged to hold
important and sensitive offices like president,
secretary and treasurer, which should not remain
the exclusive preserve of men.
(Niti; November, 1989)
NEED FOR DEVELOPMENT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMES: TREE
PLANTATION
Bharat Vikas
Parishad as its very title signifies, is
dedicated to the comprehensive all round
development of the country, and it is expected
of our branches to concentrate their efforts on
such programmes which are likely to promote the
progress and prosperity of the country.
But a look at the reports of the programmes
taken up by the branches in general reveals that
very little is actually done which could qualify
as genuine constructive activity. Most of
the programmes on which bulk of the time and
money is spent, are of a very superficial
nature, which can in no way improve the quality
of people’s life.
In my
article in July issue of Niti I have tried to
underline the basic difference between the types
of programmes preferred by other clubs and type
of activities we in Bharat Vikas Parishad should
undertake. I am sure, the message has gone
home, and members in general and office-bearers,
in particular, will in future ensure that there
is no deviation from our avowed objectives.
It has been suggested to me that I should on a
regular basis set some guidelines and recommend
specific programmes which should be given high
priority by all of us. Some programmes
have already been recommended for the Parishad
Week to be observed from the 3rd to
the 10th September. Among them
I would lay particular stress of TREE
PLANTATION.
I need
hardly remind our members of the significance of
trees in maintenance of ecological balance, soil
conservation and fertility, improved and assured
rainfall, and being the most important source of
timber and energy with their importance in our
life as a whole and economy, in particular.
Every body knows these things, but hardly
anybody cares to do anything for conservation of
our forest wealth, which has been dwindling very
fast since independence. The Independence
Day, which comes at the peak of the rainy
season, as well as the Parishad Week, which is
also the most appropriate time for planning
trees, should, therefore, be made special
occasions for this programme, which should
receive the pride of place in the Parishad Week.
Let us,
therefore, take up TREE PLANTATION as PROJECT OF
THE MONTH or SEASON. It will be our
endeavor to prescribe a constructive project for
every month or season, which like tree
plantation, will be of national significance.
To enable me to choose the most appropriate
project. I would invite suggestions from
our members and readers.
It is time
we decide upon concrete projects which will
carry us forward on the road of ‘Vikas’.
Let us be more pragmatic and not shy away from
practical problems, which call for practical
solutions, hard thinking, hard work and hard
measures to make our programmes effective.
At the moment, whatever we are doing in the name
of service does not even touch the fringe of the
problem of ‘Vikas’ - all round development.
Let us attack the fundamentals and not waste our
effort on cosmetics. Food, housing,
health, pollution control, education, economic
growth and population control are the problems
which should engage our attention first.
Spiritual vikas will follow. Swami
Vivekananda said that "You cannot talk of God
to a man with an empty stomach". It is,
therefore, futile to talk of conscience and
ideals to a man who is struggling day and night
to keep himself and his family fed to be alive.
It is time
that the Parishad justifies its name. Up
till now, precious little has been done for the
‘Vikas’ of our country and our countrymen.
I hope that delegates at the conferences will
apply their minds to this fundamental question.
(Niti; November, 1989)
SIMPLE LIVING HIGH THINKING
We must also
be careful to eliminate programmes and projects
which serve little purpose, which carry us
nowhere nearer to our cherished goals and which
consume too much of our effort, time and
resources. In this context, I refer to
activities which begin and end with socializing,
feasting and merrymaking - the so called cultural
activities which merely promote the cheap and
decadent culture of the west at the cost of our
own rich and varied cultural heritage, which we
in the Parishad have pledged ourselves to uphold
and strengthen. Some entertainment in the
form of music and dance is not bad, but let it
be in the classical and indigenous tradition of
our country. Feasting and entertainment
should be minimal, so that our limited funds may
not be frittered away on them. Let our
functions be simple but elegant, for elegance
can be achieved without expensive and gaudy
display. Showmanship, gimmickry, excessive
publicity, self-advertisement must yield place
to quiet and efficient organization and
maintenance of proper decorum. Let us not forget
that "SIMPLE LIVING AND HIGH THINKING" is a
cherished motto of our Parishad. By
budgeting our expenditure, and diligent
collections, and exercise of economy and strict
financial discipline we can avoid financial
crises, which many of our branches face due to
lack of foresight. In recent circulars to
the State Presidents and General Secretaries,
the need for careful supervision of the branches
has been emphasized. Let us hope that all
these branches which have failed to fulfill
their financial obligations to the State, the
Center or Niti, will not only clear up the
arrears but also ensure that arrears do not
accumulate in future.
(Niti; December, 1989)
BHARAT VIKAS PARISHAD AND OTHER
SOCIO-CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS
Bharat Vikas
Parishad is a non-political, socio-cultural
service organization of the elite among the
citizens. There are other social
organization of the elite also functioning like
the Rotary and Lions. A member of the
Rotary Club cannot become a member of the Lions,
and vice verse, but no such restriction applies
to the membership of the Bharat Vikas Parishad,
because it is basically different from the other
socio-cultural clubs.
Primarily,
Bharat Vikas Parishad is not a ‘club’. It
is a Council of the elite, intellectuals
and the well-to-do who have dedicated themselves to
the service of the poor, disabled, illiterate
and the ignorant by gradually developing in them
a sense of responsibility and self-confidence,
which is really the concept of our service to
the needy.
The rotary
and other international organizations were born
outside India and they generally draw
inspiration from sources which are alien.
They carry a deep stamp of an alien culture,
which has also affected their thinking and
activities. The ultimate control of those
organization lies in the hands of people outside
India. A big proportion of the funds
raised by these organizations goes to foreign
lands and is spent at the discretion of the
foreigners. A very small proportion of
these funds is available for the benefit of
people in this country. Outwardly, these
clubs have adopted the national grab, local
languages are used and the National Anthem is
also sung, yet a feeling of cultural inferiority
and subjugation to the tinsel world of the West
persist and is discernible all along. On
the contrary, Bharat Vikas Parishad is wholly
and totally an indigenous organization, which is
intensely nationalistic in outlook. It was
conceived and born in India and it draws
inspiration from Indian culture and Indian
values, for the protection and propagation of
which it has been established.
In Bharat
Vikas Parishad women have a significant role to
play. It is fully conscious of its
responsibility for the comprehensive and
multifaceted development of the society.
This cannot be achieved unless, it is able to
carry along with it the women force of India,
who constitute half of our population.
Therefore, women enjoy equal status and
eligibility for membership in our constitution.
In fact, membership granted not to an individual
male or female but jointly to the couple.
The main
distinction, however, lies in our ideals, our
philosophy, aims, objectives, activities and
finally, in our way of thinking.
The aim of
the clubs is essentially social get together,
and eating and entertainment are naturally
integral to it. The Parishad also
appreciates the importance of fellowship,
without which contact (Sampark) and cooperation
(Sahyog) are not possible. But fellowship
in the Parishad is only a means to an end and
not the end in itself. Therefore, only so
much stress need be laid on fellowship as may be
necessary to reach out, create contacts and
secure cooperation.
Social service is the aim of both the Parishad
and the clubs, but the definition of ‘Service’
is different. Service in Bharat Vikas
Parishad denotes working for the total
development of the country, protection of the
national culture and heritage, revival and
propagation of our cultural and moral values and
national reconstruction in the light of these
values. Naturally, the Parishad should
take up such programmes which are likely to have
a deep impact on society and the country, and
for the success of its programmes the very
mentality of our people needs to be changed.
Every programme of the Parishad should aim at
bringing about a change in the thinking of
people and, in this respect, it is an idealistic
missionary organization whose mission needs to
be understood properly. Compared to it,
the social service rendered by the clubs is
merely a cosmetic affair which has no deep
impact on society. Such superficial
service may give a feeling of self-satisfaction
to those who are enabled to spend a fraction of
their immense wealth in the name of public
service, but their real objective is
self-publicity and self-promotion. Hardly
a small fraction of the money spent in the name
of social service in the clubs reaches the needy
who are supposed to be benefited. There is
more publicity than service.
BHARAT VIKAS PARISHAD IS NON-POLITICAL
It has no
political aims or ambitions. It has no
links with any political or, for that matter,
with any other organization. As
individuals, its members are free to hold
political views of their own, so long as their views do not come
into conflict with the ideals of the Parishad.
But no member, howsoever high in Parishad
hierarchy, can be permitted to involve the
Parishad in any programme and activity motivated
by political or likely to serve the political
interest of any political party or individual.
The lure of political power is too great to
resist and some active and dynamic members are
sometimes caught in its web. This not only
reduces their utility to the Parishad but
virtually makes them a liability, because
instead of serving the organisation they want
the organisation to serve them in the
fulfillment of their political ambitions.
Therefore, Bharat Vikas Parishad not only keeps
itself strictly aloof from politics but denies
political activists any significant role in the
organisation.
SIMPLICITY AND ELEGANCE
SIMPLE
LIVING, HIGH THINKING is the motto of Bharat
Vikas Parishad. With its small budget, no
unit of the Parishad can afford to be
extravagant. When we indulge in
extravagance, we do so at the cost of some vital
programme. When we spend on non-essential
and neglect the essential, we expose the
lopsidedness of our thinking and a lack of
proper sense of priorities. Simplicity and
elegance should be the motto of everyone whether
in his or her private life or in the working of
the organisation. In fact, any one who has
failed to apply this motto to his or her private
life could hardly be expected to apply it to
organisational work.
I notice
dozen of photographs being taken in a single
function. Vanity is human weakness.
Some people, who suffer more from this weakness,
are anxious to see themselves in as many photos
as possible, and from every possible angle.
But we in the Parishad are neither film stars
nor politicians, and are expected to rise above
such petty vanities and have a greater sense of
balance. As photos cost a great deal,
their number should be restricted to the barest
minimum, and size and number of prints should
also be restricted so that due publicity is
given to the Parishad function at least possible
cost. We should not loose sight of the
activities of the Parishad. For instance, at a
Charter function, we need only photos of actual
presentation of the charter and oath-taking and
badge pinning ceremonies. Therefore, every
paisa of the Parishad funds should be saved and
used for constructive activity.
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