Floods, earthquakes and disasters are great organising and funding opportunity for the Hindu Right. A report on their work in West Bengal

The Times of India
11 June 2009

RSS ferries relief to the Sunderbans

KOLKATA: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) claimed that it has succeeded in reaching some relief to remote parts of the Sunderbans by getting
in touch with villagers and asking them to come closer to jetties.

RSS has now launched a drive to collect funds for rehabilitation of these villagers under the banner of the Bastuhara Sahayata Samiti. Members said they have succeeded in reaching 59 villages in South 24-Parganas and 232 in the North.

"The problem is that villagers from near the riverbanks are receiving and stocking relief material. Their land may not yield much in the next few months and they are trying to stock as much food as possible. At the same time, those in remote areas are being deprived. Our swayamsevaks managed to get in touch with some of these villagers and asked them to walk down to the jetties at times when our boats would be in the area. We have already distributed relief material worth Rs 30 lakh in South and North 24-Parganas. Our collection drive will begin on Wednesday and continue till June 20," said Prodyut Kumar Maitra, RSS assistant general secretary, south Bengal.

RSS has received support from a number of NGOs, which do not have the means to carry relief material to remote parts. "Apart from food items, utensils and