Volunteers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will show their “defence and attack” skills using the “dand” (cane) in the Shakhas across the country on December 16 when the organisation will observe Vijay Diwas to mark the anniversary of surrender of Pakistan troops before Indian Army in 1971.
Cane is a part of Ganvesh (uniform of RSS volunteers) that also includes black cap, white shirt, khaki half-pant and black shoes paired with khaki socks.
RSS has issued a directive to all its units to hold Dand Prahar Yagna in Shakhas on December 16 in which volunteers will have to perform at least 1,000 rounds of Dand Prahar (attack by cane).
All the units have been directed to prepare report on the number of rounds of Dand Prahar that an individual swayamsevak performs. Likewise, the total Dand Prahar done collectively by all members of each Shakha would also be counted. A report on the same collected from 41 prants from across the country would be presented in meeting of RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha that will be held next year.
An RSS office bearer said carrying the dand while attending Shakhas is must for the volunteers, particularly those belonging to “physical wing” who are specially given training to use it for defence and attack “in social and national interest”.
“But over the time, volunteers stopped carrying it and have lost the practice to use it. It has become important to revive that culture and enforce their attendance in Shakhas in complete uniform with cane,” said P N Srivastava, Sanghchalak of Awadh prant.
Srivastava said around 1,200 Shakhas are organised in Awadh region and Dand Prahar Yagna will be organised in each of them on December 16.
Another RSS office bearer said training in use of cane is essential for RSS because the organisation depends on its own volunteers for security during its events. RSS does not take security of civil police while holding any organisational event.
“After the formation of BJP government at the Centre, RSS is increasing its activities across the country. In that situation, it has become essential for the organisation to develop more volunteers trained in use of cane for defence and attack,” an RSS functionary said.
To prepare for the Vijay Diwas, RSS swayamsevaks of Lucknow started practice of Dand Prahar Yagna at separate places in the city Sunday. Six Swamsevaks at one Shakha in Gomti Nagar performed 15000 Dand Prahar today.