No political discussion at RSS' Somnath meet

The three-day annual meeting of RSS office-bearers which began in the temple town of Somnath today will discuss the matters concerning the organisation and not political issues, a Sangh functionary has said.

RSS top brass including sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi, apart from 200 delegates of the Hindutva fountainhead, are attending the "Prant Pracharak" meeting.

Gujarat RSS spokesperson Vijay Thaker said the meeting would discuss the activities of the Sangh as well as the plans to strengthen the organisation.

"This is a routine meeting of prant pracharaks from across the country which is held in July every year. No political or even social issues are discussed during such meetings," said Thaker.

Besides the members of the RSS' central executive committee, 'kshetra' pracharaks, 'prant' pracharaks, secretaries of various affiliated organisations from all regions of the country will attend the conclave.

For its administrative purposes, the RSS has divided the country into 12 kshetras (regions), which, in turn are sub-divided into 39 'prants' or states.

"During the meeting, discussions will be held on ways to strengthen the organisation; the works done by the RSS in different parts of the country; and the future course of action," the RSS leader said.

The meeting is divided into two legs.

In the first phase which began on July 12, pracharaks of Gujarat participated while the second stage which includes the national meet began today.

Addressing regional pracharaks, Bhaiyyaji Joshi had stressed the need to get united for the betterment of the country.

"The Hindu community is divided into a number of sub-castes and had faced many problems in the past because of fragmentation. Time has now come that Hindus should get united for betterment of the nation," Joshi had said.

The RSS chief has been camping in Somnath, around 200 kms away from here, since July 11. He had offered prayers at the historic temple of Lord Shiva on July 12.