Page 45 - Prabuddh Gram

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Rural and Tribal Development Activities of Ramakrishna
Mission Centres: A Few Case Studies from India

Ramakrishna Mission was established by a great empowerment and also for the empowerment
patriotic monk of India, Swami Vivekananda on of the Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) viz.
1st May 1897 with a moto- "Atmano Mokshartham Birhor tribe in Jharkhand. It performs relief
Jagat Hitaiya Cha" meaning for one's own work during a crisis. In order to efficient
salvation, and for the welfare of the society. As execution of all these constructive works
of 7 March 2022, the Ramakrishna Math and the on the ground, it has made a village-level
Ramakrishna Mission have 265 branch centres institution in each village called Vivekananda
all over the world. All these centres are working Seva Sangh (VSS).
with the ideologies of "Shiv Gyan se Jeev Seva" 2. Alo at Arunachal Pradesh- The centre was
meaning Serve the Jeeva as God. As Swamiji started in 1966, Ramakrishna Mission Aalo
envisioned that the new India will arise "...out of is serving the Arunachali tribal in the fields
the peasant's cottage, grasping the plough; out of education, healthcare, and livelihood.
of the huts of the fisherman, the cobbler, and the The centre's major activities include a non-
sweeper...", Ramakrishna Mission is working for residential English medium CBSE school
the whole of humanity with a special emphasis on (KG to XII Std.) for about 1400 boys and girls;
the rural and tribal people of our country. Some a Hostel for about 250 tribal boys from KG to
prominent case studies in the context of rural VIII Std; 13 non-formal schools for about 750
and tribal development initiatives are illustrated students from I to IV Std. in remote areas; a
below: charitable hospital with mobile medical unit
1. Divyayan at Ranchi, Jharkhand- The serving more than 15,000 patients annually;
word 'Divyayan' means divine ways. It was and health awareness programmes covering
established in the year 1927 by Swami about 45,000 people annually.
Bishuddhananda ji at Morabadi, Ranchi Regular fire, winter, and distress reliefs are
(Jharkhand). It started like a bloom and carried out throughout the year in the interior
presently it has expanded many folds in its parts of Arunachal by distributing utensils,
activities. It works intensively in more than books, stationery, food grains, blankets, and
100 villages of Ranchi and its surrounding readymade garments to the poor and needy.
districts; mostly in the tribal-dominated Around 7000 poor and needy persons are
villages. It provides training to rural and served annually under this programme.
tribal youths in different fields of agriculture, Poultry, Fishery, Agriculture, and Bakery units
horticulture, animal husbandry, etc., and are run for providing nutrition to children.
makes them self-reliant. It has a free medical Carpentry, Printing Press, and Tailoring units
dispensary, a library with a huge collection for giving in-house Service to the inmates.
of books, a centre of the National Institute 3. Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir at Belur Math,
of Open Schooling (NIOS), an off-campus West Bengal- Swami Vivekananda used to
unit of Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda say that the aim of education must be to solve
Educational and Research Institute for the problems of life. In his view, education
conducting research and higher studies on is the all-round development of physical,
agriculture, rural and tribal development. intellectual, moral, and spiritual values. He
It promotes organic farming, spreads yoga said education should lay proper emphasis
and good habits through Akhandananda on creativity, originality, and excellence. With
Shiksha and Sanskar Kendra at the village, this vision in mind "Ramakrishna Mission
and preaches spirituality to attain the highest Samaj Sevak Sikshan Mandir" started its
goal of human life i.e. dharma, artha, kama, maiden journey in the year 1986 under the
and moksha. Apart from these activities, aegis of Ramakrishna Mission Saradapitha,
it has some special programs for women