An ideologue at the Congress's service

An ideologue at the Congress's service

After years of staying in cold storage, the Seva Dal is being yanked out and into action to take on the RSS, reports ASHISH TIWARI

He is the Congress party's answer to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).For almost three decades, he has been relegated to the dark recesses of memory, a sepia-tinted photograph gathering dust in the party archives. In the politically charged 60s, 70s and 80s though, the Congress Seva Dal was an important signpost on the horizon, and few thought it politic to forget the role played by Dr N S Hardikar, the outfit's founder-organiser.

Dr Hardikar was last heard of in 1989, when the party celebrated his birth centenary. But this is the new millennium, when the Congress is looking for ideas and leaders to recharge its fortunes. The party is now busy dusting off the cobwebs and is repackaging Dr Hardikar's memory as an answer to the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Born in Ratnagiri district in 1889, Dr Hardikar, a surgeon by profession, completed his medical education in Calcutta and went to the United States of America for higher studies in 1913. During his eight-year stay there, he got acquaintained with Lala Lajpat Rai, and was sufficiently inspired to plunge into the freedom struggle.

During the Jhanda Satyagraha at Nagpur in 1923, scores were jailed for their participation. Unable to face the rigours of prison, they purchased their freedom by handing in a written apology and pledging not to participate in activities which were against the interests of the British. But members of the Hubli Seva Mandal, led by Hardikar, held their ground. The incident left a lasting impression on party bigwigs like Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and Sarojini Naidu, who were in Nagpur at the time to participate in the satyagraha. And the idea of grooming a band of committed volunteers to combat the British took root.

A national convention of volunteers was convened at Kakinada in December that year, and a 13-member board was formed for this purpose. Dr Hardikar was made the general secretary of the board, a post he retained till his death on August 26, 1965. Hardikar was also a Rajya Sabha member between 1954 and 1960.

Following meetings held on December 24 and 26 in 1923 and January 1, 1924, the Hindustani Seva Mandal took birth later rechristened the Seva Dal. According to the resolution passed at the meeting, it was to work under the supervision of the Congress party's working committee. Before Independence and in the subsequent years, the outfit was engaged in imparting physical training and motivating youngsters to work towards communal harmony. In more recent years, the Seva Dal is best remembered for its proactive role in the wake of Indira Gandhi's arrest by the Charan Singh government.

Under Rajiv Gandhi, the outfit along with the Youth Congress acted as stormtroopers, giving the party feedback about the ground level situation, socio-economic problems at the district-level as well as the role played by Congress office-bearers in districts. Rajiv Gandhi also wanted Seva Dal co-ordinators to keep an eye on developmental activities being carried out by elected representatives in their respective areas. They were also required to act as peace-makers between warring factions at the district level. But the proactive role expected of the Seva Dal faced considerable opposition from local Congress leaders, and the party leadership gave the idea a quiet burial.

A Seva Dal veteran stated, ``The outfit went into a state of decline after Tariq Anwar became Seva Dal chief in 1986. Since then, it has ceased to function as an organisation dedicated to social causes.''

In the interim, the RSS has been leaping from strength to strength. Now, the revival package includes a slew of programmes planned to commemorate the Seva Dal's founder-organiser Dr Hardikar's birth anniversary. On May 7, the Seva Dal held conferences of its activists in several states. And on May 21, a national convention has been planned at Talkatora Stadium.

``In keeping with the Panchmarhi decisions and the A K Antony report, Sonia Gandhi wants the Seva Dal to be a cadre-based body,'' said Krishna Kumar Pandey, president of the Maharashtra unit of the Seva Dal, explaining the sudden spurt in activity. Commented another AICC office-bearer, the Seva Dal would `spare no efforts' to expose the RSS and its designs.

Gev Awari, an AICC member, concurred that ``Of late, the Seva Dal has been showing dynamism. I am happy if any frontal organisation takes up programmes to propagate the works of the party and strengthen the organisation.'' The Congress considers the RSS a communal organisation which preaches that one religion and certain communities are superior to others, added another party functionary. Tough words, but with the party's prospects dwindling by the day, clearly the time for soft options is out.

Admitted another party activist, ``We know it is a stupendous task. Many of the grassroots activists are not even aware of the Seva Dal's contribution, or even who Dr Hardikar is.'' Obviously, the party would have to do a lot more groundwork than that if it has to break the back of the RSS.