Ahmedabad: Just half an hour after Air India flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad’s densely populated Meghaninagar area Thursday, scores of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) cadres reached the spot to help with the rescue operation. Along with the local administration and rescue teams, they were spread out across the incident site, offering people support.
The local RSS unit in the Karnavati area—where Dr Hedgewar Bhavan, the headquarters of RSS Ahmedabad unit is also located—gathered quickly to mobilise their cadres. Mahanagar Karyavah of RSS Karnavati Hardik Parikh was busy calling up colleagues to bring everyone together.
“I have dropped the message on our WhatsApp group and also called individually to ask for support for our people who suffered due to the plane crash,” said Parikh as he stood outside the post-mortem section of Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad. “In tough times, RSS always helps people and is at the forefront.”
Outside the port-mortem room of BJ Medical College, around 200 RSS cadres in their typical dark brown trousers, white shirts and black caps, and carrying the traditional dand (bamboo stick) were busy controlling the crowd.
“We have deployed mostly taruns (adults) who can actively work on the ground. It’s our duty to serve society,” said Parikh, instructing the cadres. Gujarat has for decades been an RSS stronghold.
The Air India aircraft crashed into a hostel building housing students of BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital. Air India said the plane was carrying 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 1 Canadian national, and 7 Portuguese nationals.
BJ Medical College—initially established in 1871 as Ahmedabad Medical School, and which in 1946 became BJ Medical College—is a government institute under the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Gujarat government. It is the oldest medical college in the state and one of the oldest in India, according to its website.
At the hospital, RSS cadres were also seen providing food to the victims’ families. “We are providing tea, biscuits and khichdi. Whoever wants to eat can take it,” said Parikh, adding that swayamsevaks were working in shifts to aid in relief work.
“Those who work from afternoon to evening have left for their homes and a fresh batch of people have taken control,” he added. “We are here for the next few days until the situation gets normal on the ground.”
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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When such a tragic and big accident happned how can a private organisation like RSS can be allowed to take the things in their hand,will it be allowed to a Muslim or sikh association to do it.Is it not an insult to govt agencies to allow to take the charge in the hands of private people and is not questionable? what do you want to establish??
Does muslim organisation work for welfare of society?? Even sikh organisation only serve food into gurudwara nothing more