Blackboard messages

    At present, some ideas are being conveyed to the society or awareness about them is being created through various mediums such as newspapers, television channels, websites, discourses, public functions, flex boards, posters and direct contact with individuals.

    Many of us must have experienced the need for funds and manpower in the use of all these mediums. During propaganda for a Hindu function, when 100 individuals are approached only 10 attend a function, and there is probability of only 1 out of these 10 becoming an active volunteer. This is the present state.

    If viewed from another perspective, common people in the society also have limitations. Many Hindus do not have the mindset of spending money and time for Dharma related functions, while others, despite a desire to do so are unable to participate in Hindu functions because of financial constraints and a busy lifestyle.

    Considering the limitations of the mediums and the present state of Hindus, in 2004, volunteers of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) contemplated on what could be done to create day-to-day awareness among Hindus. Then HJS came up with two new, inexpensive and effective mediums of ‘blackboard messages’ and sending SMS of ‘jago’. Today, I am going to place before you  the benefits obtained from these mediums. My earnest prayer unto Bhagawan Shrikrushna is may all Hindu organisations everywhere, in every corner of Bharat use these mediums and create a platform for expression of views by Hindus, from the perspective of establishing the Hindu Nation !

Many of you will wonder what this is about. A ‘blackboard’ is one we use in classrooms. Everyday messages pertaining to the society, Nation and Dharma are written on blackboards put up in crowded places and public squares.

1 B 1. Easy availability : Blackboards are installed outside many temples or created by painting the wall black, to convey messages to devotees. These can be used for writing messages pertaining to the society, Nation and Dharma. For this, all you need is written permission from the concerned authorities. From experience we can say this permission is granted by the authorities without any problems, because usually they have no messages to write on the blackboards they use only to inform about functions pertaining to the temple. Therefore, we are able to use the same blackboard for at least 6 days of the week. In Maharashtra, HJS has been using blackboards in many places to create awareness among Hindus. Priests of Shri Veerupaksha Temple in Hasan (Karnataka) liked the idea of writing messages on blackboards so much that they not only granted permission for it, but also began providing assistance in putting up the blackboard.

1 B 2. Minimum expenditure : If there is no blackboard available for writing messages, you may put up your own blackboard in a crowded place in the village. The cost of a plank of plywood painted black is approximately Rupees 300/- and the metal angle to fix it on the edge of the road costs approximately Rupees 1000/-. Actually this is not an expenditure, but an investment, because once it is put up there is no maintenance cost. If the blackboard and the angles supporting it are painted every 2-4 years, its life is prolonged.

    Sponsorship can be obtained from well-known, Hindu protagonists and well-wishers. The sponsor can also be made to inaugurate the blackboard.

1 B 3. Creating awareness everyday : As everyday a fresh point is written, awareness is created 365 days of the year.

1 B 4. Benefit to thousands and the organisation as well : Passers-by read the blackboard. Since it pertains to some recent event people discuss it; that is, if one person reads it the thought on it reaches a minimum of 6 people. Not just this, but as a chain reaction, it spreads in the society. Along with the discussion, the blackboard as well as the organisation associated with it are discussed with great enthusiasm.

1B 5. Drawing attention : People are used to reading boards in public squares. Lettering in white on a blackboard attracts public attention. Hence this medium is effective.

    Writing on the blackboard can be done about important points with respect to the society, Nation, Dharma and culture.  It can also be used for conveying information on attacks on anti-social elements and the effective steps taken to fight them. Some examples in this context have been cited ahead.

1 C 1. Some examples

1 C 1 A. Last month in Bhagyanagar, the organiser of a procession on the day of Shriramnavami , Shri. Raja Singh (who is present here today – to be spoken only after confirming that he is present) was arrested by the Police and the procession was banned. No TV news channel or newspaper from any State relayed this news. HJS however conveyed this to thousands of Hindus in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa through over a thousand blackboards. On 21st March 2012, awareness was created among Hindus with the following messages.

O Hindus, support Hindus who fight for your rights ! Police banned a procession at Bhagyanagar held to celebrate Shriramnavami and arrested its organiser Shri. Raja Singh. Against this background, Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena provoked the Police with its declaration that ‘a procession will be conducted at all costs’.

1 C 1 B. In a similar manner, in February the leader of ‘Hindu Sanghati’ in West Bengal, Shri. Tapan Ghosh (who is present here today – to be spoken only after confirming that he is present) was arrested by the Police of the anti-Hindu Trinamool Congress Government. On 16th February, we wrote the following message on the blackboards in various places.

O Hindus ! Become aware of the attitude of secular politicians to inflict injustice on Hindus just to please the Jihadis ! The leader of organisation ‘Hindu Sanghati’,  Shri. Tapan Ghosh,  was arrested in West Bengal by the Police employed by the anti-Hindu Trinamool Congress Government. To suppress the Hindu movement, an attempt is being made by the Government to trap him in false cases.

1 C 1 C. This blackboard is used not only for conveying messages pertaining to Hindu Dharma, but also about political crimes. The report of the ‘National Election Watch’ dated 14th January 2012 was advertised in the following manner.

O citizens ! Become aware of the criminalisation of democracy taking place through secular politicians ! In the survey conducted by the ‘National Election Watch’, of the 617  candidates declared till now for the Vidhan Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh, 77 were charged with serious crimes such as murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, dacoity etc.

Several such issues are conveyed to the common Hindus through the writing on blackboards.

    Let us see who has difficulty in finding matter to write on the blackboard.

1D 1. Using matter collected by your organisation : Material of this kind can be published through periodicals or can be telecast on TV news channels of your organisation.

1D 2. Using matter from the periodical ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ or website :  If there is difficulty in compiling such matter, you can take help from ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ Periodicals. Daily and Weekly issues of ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ give space on their last page under the heading ‘Message for Blackboards’. This is also available on the website of the ‘Dainik Sanatan Prabhat’. Hindus all over the world can write on the blackboards with its help. This space gives a message about some recent event in just 40 words. Though it is available in Marathi, it can be translated into various languages at the regional level. Those who cannot get the translation done locally may give us their E-mail address at which we will make arrangements to send English, Hindi, Kannada and other languages translation as required – whatever is possible for us.

    The blackboard can be put up on personal property and public places.

1E 1. Personal property

A.    Outside your house close to the road or at the entrance to a housing colony

B.    Outside your office or shop

1E 2. Public places

A.    Main square

B.    At the entrance to lanes and roads

C.    Crowded places such as bus and railway stations

1E 3. Government formalities : There is no need to seek permission to put up a blackboard on your own property. In the temple premises permission should be obtained from the temple committee. However, to put it up in a public place such as a market square, Government permission is required. Police can confiscate the blackboard if the writing is likely to create communal tension, but if it is thought provoking and seeking to create awareness, then they cannot take action.

1F. At what time should the message be written on the blackboard ?

    The message should preferably be written on the blackboard from dawn to noon, because till that time the roads are more crowded. In the afternoon, there is hardly any crowd on the roads and at dusk, since darkness sets in attention cannot be drawn to the blackboard. That is why, a message written on the blackboard early in the morning can reach the maximum number of people. In some temples where we began writing on the blackboard, due to some reason if there was a delay, the locals would phone to enquire why there was a delay in writing on the blackboard that day !

1G. How should the blackboard be written ?

    HJS has researched the subject to make any message exceptional and effective. If the appropriate colour chalk is used on the blackboard, the desired effect of the message on the blackboard is obtained. Examples :

1. Write the caption with a pink chalk.

2. Write the content below it with a white chalk.

3. If more points are to be written, then for the next point use yellow chalk. Write its caption also with a pink chalk.

4. If the writing is minimum, ensure that the height of each letter is 2 inches. If the writing is more, then the height of each letter should be 1.5 inches. The size of the letters in the caption should be more than that of the content.

1H 1. Spreading the message of attacks on Hindu Dharma everywhere : Today, most incidents of injustice inflicted upon Hindus everywhere are not brought before the society by the media which calls itself secular. These incidents can be conveyed to the society by writing on the blackboards, for instance, on 12th March 2012 messages on the blackboard were on injustice inflicted upon Hindus in Kashmir by Muslim politicians there. Example :

O Hindus ! Become aware of the suffering of your Kashmiri brethren caused by secular politicians ! In Jammu-Kashmir ruled by anti-Hindu National Conference and the Congress, at Rajouri arrogant Muslims pelted stones on a procession of Hindus on the day of Holi. They also threw excreta in the Shiva temple and desecrated it.

1H 2. Creating a mindset of Hindus : If a Hindu gets to read an appropriate and active perspective on a blackboard on a topic seen by him in some newspaper or news channel, then from the perspective of Hindu Dharma it helps create the mindset  of Hindus. On 4th April, ‘Dainik Sanatan Prabhat’ published how Hindu places of worship in Malaysia had been attacked. The blackboard messages in this context were as follows.

O Hindus ! To prevent attacks on Hindu places of worship in Islamic Nations, effective unity of Hindus is inevitable ! At Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, a Muslim building contractor desecrated a Hindu temple. The Government, Police Inspector General and Attorney General ignored this completely

    These blackboard messages gave a proactive perspective for an effective unity among Hindus, which no other newspaper gave.

1H 3. It helps create self-confidence in Hindus :  Realising that there is someone in the Hindu community to protest against attacks on Hindus everyday, they begin to develop a sense of confidence.

1H 4. Unity of like-minded Hindus : Hindus who get inspired to perform some task for Hindu Dharma after reading the blackboard get attached to the mission of Hindu organisations automatically. After reading such blackboards people phone us enquiring how they too can contribute towards the cause.

1H 5. Enhancement of a feeling of unity among Hindus : Since the same thought reaches majority of Hindus, they agree on a particular incident, thereby increasing a feeling of brotherhood.

1H 6. Confirmation of the public opinion of Hindus about the organisation : Due to regular attempts by an organisation to create awareness without any financial gain helps create a firm public opinion of Hindus about it. It is this very opinion that makes the campaigns of the organisation successful. Through this medium, the organisation automatically gains popularity. Take the example of the political party ‘Shiv Sena’ in Maharashtra. When this party was founded it voiced various problems faced by Marathi people by putting up blackboards at various locations. As a result, the public opinion in its favour grew and helped in building the party.

    Another instance is from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, where Hindu Janajagruti Samiti along with Sanatan Sanstha writes messages on blackboards regularly in various temples. Of the 10 blackboards written, 1 is put up near the office of ‘Dainik Jagran’ situated near the ‘Radhakant temple’. Reading this, a reporter of ‘Dainik Jagran’, Shri. Rakesh Chowdhury, wrote an article in his newspaper about how HJS and Sanatan Sanstha are making attempts to create awareness about Dharma.

    When conducting this campaign of writing messages on blackboards, we may also have to face several obstacles. Muslims, anti-Hindu organisations, anti-Hindu political parties, Police, all have attempted to prevent this process through pressure. Yet, not fearing opposition, responding to it legally, HJS has continued with its campaign. You too should start this campaign in your region. When beginning it if you face problems of any kind, we will certainly try to be of assistance.

2. Jago SMS

Today, almost everyone owns a mobile. If we use it for the sake of the Nation and Dharma, we will be able to achieve a lot. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has started this since 2010. Through the chain of volunteers and free messaging services from the Internet, HJS reaches out to over 3 lakh Hindus everyday, telling them of the attacks on the society, Nation and Dharma. Let us now get acquainted with this powerful medium.

2A. Special features of SMS

    When compared with messages on blackboards, the SMS is a little expensive, overcomes certain limitations, but is an extremely effective medium ! Some features of this medium are listed ahead.

1. The message reaches the last member in the chain exactly as it was written.

2. SMS’ are always read.

3. Those who like the SMS forward it to their contacts on their own.

4. Discussion about the SMS takes place everywhere, wherever your friends are. This means that if writing a message on a blackboard is considered a regional medium, an SMS can be considered a state or national medium.

5. The chances of opposition to this medium are very little or are at the individual level; because each one forwards that SMS only to those in his contact.

2B. Adopt a system to send SMS

    A certain system needs to be adopted to send SMS’. Based on events of that day, a message can be composed in the style of the organisation and sent to the chief of every District. Thereafter, this chain can be continued serially in the Taluka, section and groups of volunteers. Everyone can forward this SMS to his contacts as per his planning. In this way, messages sent from mobiles of individuals from 11 a.m. onwards reach the end of the chain by 4 p.m. (In the morning, people are engrossed in personal chores; at times there is also a delay in obtaining a fresh subject. Hence an SMS is sent around 11 a.m.) For this, the bhav of the messaging company is tremendous. By spending only 25-30 Rupees for an ‘SMS recharge coupon’, the benefit of sending 100-500 SMS’ can be obtained. More information on how to make use of websites to send free SMS’ can be obtained from HJS. Those interested in this campaign may contact us.

2C. How to obtain phone numbers to send SMS’ ?

2C 1. Personal contacts (relatives, friends, business contacts)

2C 2. Request at a public function : At a public function, phone numbers of interested people can be procured on request. These can then be distributed to volunteers of the organisation with a request to forward them daily to a certain group of people.

2D. Caution require while sending SMS’ : When sending the first message, do not forget to add that ‘if you are not interested in such SMS’, please let us know’. If he replies so, then delete his name from your contact list.

2E. Assistance : To make use of the medium of SMS’, help of youth from families of those who work for Hindu Dharma can be taken.

2F. Benefits of SMS : If the majority of Hindus in a village can be united through such a chain, then in the adverse times, to caution and unite everyone there will be no medium more powerful than this. I will narrate only three experiences in the context of SMS’ and end my topic.

2F 1. Volunteers of ‘Hindu Sangharsh Samiti’ met volunteers of ‘Hindu Janajagruti Samiti’. While introducing HJS volunteers, they remarked, “They are volunteers of HJS who send the provocative SMS ‘Jago Hindu’. They are the brains behind the revolutionary SMS”.

2F 2. Shri. Manik Deshmukh of Saint Asaramji Bapu sect telephoned seekers and said, “The ‘Jago Hindu’ SMS is revolutionary. Please forward all these messages to me. We wish to publish a booklet on them”.

2F 3. Preaching through the medium of SMS : Through the ‘Jago’ message, we sent information on notebooks for creating sanskars in the children. The SMS was sent in the morning and by noon, sponsors for 3000 notebooks had been obtained. These attempts were made in Udupi and South Karnataka. In the future, this system of SMS’ may prove to be the beginning of contact between Hindus.

    In short, no matter what the medium is, writing messages on the blackboard or SMS, in a way, the reader becomes a part of the unification process of Hindus. Through either media, faith in that organisation develops in the reader’s mind. The effects of this are visible through Hindu campaigns or programmes taking place in that region.

With a request that let us all use these new mediums of reaching out to awaken Hindus, I conclude my topic.