Since its inception on 01 May 1897 by Sri Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Mission has been serving the nation in different capacities in education, health, relief and rehabilitation, etc. True to its goals such as Excellence, Efficiency, and Teamwork, it strives hard to achieve them. Its objective is "Atmano Mokshartham Jagaddhitaya Cha" meaning "for one's own liberation and for the welfare of the world". The liberation of the self and world is its founding principle. Motiveless service or service for the sake of it without any clause attached is its fundamental objective.
Here, its journey of selfless service in Arunachal Pradesh is discussed. It was started in 1966 by Swami Bhavyanandanji at Aalo, West Siang District. Since then, it has been serving the tribal children of Arunachal Pradesh and catering to their educational needs. Despite disconnect, difficulty and despair, the state suffered for quite a long time before its previous status as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and then as a Union Territory (UT) until becoming the state in 1987, the R K Mission reached out to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and served them with great passion, sincerity and selflessness. Today, the state has advanced fairly in different areas such as health, education, etc. But in those days, connectivity was the biggest challenge, and facilities were poor. For the education of tribal students, R K Mission’s efforts were remarkable and continue to be equally consistent even today. The schools that RK Mission run in Arunachal Pradesh include Ramakrishna Mission, Aalo (1966), Ramakrishna Mission School, Narottam Nagar (1971), Ramakrishna Mission Shishu Vidyamandir, Lumdung (2018), Ramakrishna Mission Sarada Vidyalaya, Narottam Nagar (2006), Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Girls' School, Dirang (2011), and Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, Khonsa (1973).
R. K. Mission's educational endeavour focuses on offering scientific and ethical education. Character-building is its top priority because it is equal to nation-building. A student with a good character is an asset to the nation. From the micro to macro, they strive hard to contribute positively to the growth and well-being of the country. Education makes people self-reliant, minimises their dependencies on others and develops a sense of dignity. Therefore, Swami Vivekananda says, “We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on his own feet”. However, these schools are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). They are primarily co-ed except for one or two schools, which are girls only. They also offer residential facilities.
Apart from building schools for children for quality education promoting science, critical thinking, and character building, R K Mission has also been serving the tribal population of Arunachal Pradesh since 1979 by providing health care facilities at Itanagar, the capital city. The R K Mission Hospital, Itanagar, offers the following facilities: A 263-bed hospital with the following departments/facilities: "general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics & gynaecology, urology, otorhinolaryngology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, anaesthesiology, ophthalmology, dentistry, radiology, pathology, homoeopathy, mobile eye unit, dialysis unit, diagnostics, cardiology, and neurosurgery, an outpatient department and TB treatments, blood donation camps and a residential school of nursing (1985)". Therefore, the contributions of RK Mission are immense and incomparable to the entirely tribal state of Arunachal Pradesh. It has been rendering excellent service to the tribal population of Arunachal Pradesh and the neighbouring districts of Assam. Education dispels the darkness of ignorance, and hospitals reduce ailments. R K Mission served the state of Arunachal Pradesh in reducing ignorance and ailment. It contributed significantly to life and living in Arunachal Pradesh, the land of India’s rising Sun, a hotspot of biodiversity and cultural heterogeneity. The journey of the people here has been difficult for a long. During those difficult days, R. K. Mission has extended its warm hands of help and service. It has done its part significantly since there was nothing on the ground to hold onto, and it continues to do so even now when the state is doing remarkably well in every sphere of life today. The challenges of those days do not prevail anymore, but the memory of past years strengthens its grit to achieve more for the benefit of the tribal population of the region.
Dr. Chandan K. Panda teaches at Rajiv Gandhi University (A Central University), Arunachal Pradesh
Dr. Kaushalendra P. Singh teaches at Rajiv Gandhi University (A Central University), Arunachal Pradesh
