Manav Sewa Dal

Introduction

Society has always been benefited and uplifted by generous and compassionate individuals who give freely of their time, skills and resources to help those in need. Such services are made possible and practical only by the availability and willingness of volunteers who are motivated simply by natural human kindness and empathy with others less fortunate than themselves. The potential of this positive side of human nature is readily apparent when disaster strikes and people set aside their normal prejudices and attitudes and rally to help the victims. Such a sympathetic reaction is spontaneous and indicates that the potential for service without any selfish motives is inherent in all human beings.

Meditation is a key for unlocking and unfolding one's positive potential. When a person meditates, s/he becomes more sensitive to the needs and sufferings of others and a natural desire to serve develops. The further one progresses on the spiritual path, the greater his or her desire to serve becomes. Selfless action, in turn, accelerates spiritual evolution. The cornerstone of Christ's teachings was compassionate service to others. Serve man and you serve God.

The sole responsibility of the volunteer is to serve other living beings. This has always been the key inspiration for them to keep on progressing along the spiritual path. A well-organized and united group of volunteers can accomplish a great deal. To be a real servant is no easy task for the average person, as the first and foremost quality of the volunteer is selflessness.

There has been no period in history when human civilization was free from the brutality, injustice and conflicts which retard development. There have been, though, a number of voluntary organisations all over the world playing a stabilising, alleviating and developmental role.

Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj inspecting Guard of Honour presented by Volunteers of Manav Sewa Dal

One of the great humanitarians of the present time, Shri Satpal Maharaj, is famous all over the world for his inspiring example in the spiritual and social fields as he spreads the message of "Manav Dharam". He lives to serve others, irrespective of caste, colour, creed or religion, in any capacity that he can.

Volunteers of Manav Sewa Dal presenting Guard of Honour

A few decades back, Shri Satpal Maharaj realised the need to mobilise and coordinate volunteers so that they could best serve others. In 1976, he put his ideas into practice and formed "Manav Sewa Dal" as the service wing of Manav Utthan Sewa Samiti. In 1985, "Manav Sewa Dal" became a registered and recognized social welfare organization.

Objectives TOP

The scope of service envisaged is wide-ranging. The activities of "Manav Sewa Dal" focus primarily on the following general objectives:

• Disseminating the practical knowledge of the soul.
• Service to all without any discrimination.
• Awakening the unlimited potential within each individual.
• Providing services during natural disasters like earthquakes, cyclones, droughts, floods etc.
• Training novice volunteers to live a high-quality life aspiring to the ideals of co-operation, discipline, honesty, self- development and self-sacrifice.
• Spreading the ideals of service, character-building and spirituality
• To educate and motivate children to be good citizens.
• Establishing libraries, schools, colleges, playgrounds, swimming pools and hostels.

Activities TOP

"Manav Sewa Dal", by its very nature, has an unlimited range of social activities. So far it has successfully engaged in the following:

• Co-ordinating programs promoting Manav Dharma on a national basis.
• Identifying and campaigning against social evils such as alcoholism and the dowry system.
• Organizing get-togethers for children in the 5 to 15 years age group.
• Providing free and clean drinking water facilities in public places.
• Crowd control at public functions/fairs.
• Organizing training camps and workshops for its members to help them serve the public more efficiently.
• Mobilising disaster-relief teams to provide free medical treatment as well as emergency clothing, blankets and food aid to disaster victims.
• Cleanliness campaigns in villages, towns and hospitals.

"Manav Sewa Dal" extends its help in organizing public gatherings, particularly religious and social events, in the following ways:

• Setting up cloak rooms to take care of personal belongings . Taking care of lost children
• Setting up Lost & Found Centers
• Free 'bhandaras' (catering) to feed the huge crowds attending the functions.
• Setting up information centers providing help and guidance during the functions.
• Arranging car parking.
• Arranging temporary shelter (usually in the form of tent cities) to house delegates and public during events.
• Providing special assistance for aged and weak persons.
• Arranging free medical facilities including first aid.
• Supervising the bathing areas on the banks of the Ganges during the functions of Vaisakhi in Hardwar (in April) and Ganga Dusshera in Muradnagar (in June).

Members of Manav Sewa Dal TOP

Members of “Manav Sewa Dal” are generally identified by their uniform i.e. male members wear grey shirt, khaki pant and dark blue cap while female members wear either suit or sari and blouse of mustard colour and khaki cap during their sewa period in various camps either organised by Sewa Dal itself or during the public functions/fairs.