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RSS to initiate 'online shakhas' to connect with net-savvy youth

December 24, 2009 13:54 IST
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh plans to take the help of the internet to connect with hundreds of thousands of tech-savvy people, particularly youths, who have no time to attend its shakhas (branches).

In the wake of decreasing attendance at shakhas, RSS is working to use internet to draw more and more people into its fold.

A top RSS leader, who is in Patna along with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, told rediff.com on Thursday that RSS has already began the use of internet to connect with people as an experiment before it would be launched formally.

Bhagwat arrived in Patna on Wednesday to hold crucial talks with RSS leaders of Bihar, religious heads, sadhus and saints, besides leaders of different castes, communities and sects during his three day visit to the state.

According to RSS's plans, a pracharak will be online at a fixed time every day like sakha in the ground, to provide opportunity to people across the country to interact and ask questions.

Earlier, RSS began a weekly shakha for high-tech people, particularly youths from information technology sector across India. It was one of the new programmes of RSS to increase its network in the changing world.

In a bid to attract youth from the IT sector, RSS at present is holding nearly 2,000 weekly shakhas in place of daily shakhas for them.

"We have been running weekly shakhas for working youth, who do not have enough time for daily shakhas, due to their busy and stressful professional lives," a RSS leader said.

The RSS is eying to open more weekly shakhas in Noida, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. The RSS is also trying to make inroads into other educational institutions, particularly schools and colleges. "We will also try to attract more and more college students to join RSS," he said.

M I Khan in Patna