Lathi in hand, service in heart: RSS volunteers stand guard at hospital
As chaos unfolded in the aftermath of the devastating Air India crash, the unmistakable sight of white shirts, brown trousers, and lathis in hand came to dominate the scene at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital — not for drills this time, but to serve.
In a remarkable display of ground-level mobilisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling BJP’s mentor outfit, has deployed 150 volunteers at the hospital where both the deceased and the injured from the crashed Air India flight were brought in.
Working in tightly coordinated shifts, these volunteers have formed a human framework of support — guiding traumatised families, regulating traffic and coordinating with local authorities.
The hospital, already overwhelmed with the inflow of ambulances, grieving relatives, and mediapersons, now sees volunteers from the right-wing outfit managing queues, distributing cold water bottles, escorting families to the DNA sampling counter, and in some cases, even providing emotional support to those waiting for news about their loved ones.
“We don’t want to be in front of the camera. This is not about visibility; it’s about service,” said one senior RSS worker stationed near the hospital gate who refused to speak on camera. “We have divided our team into three shifts of eight hours each. Our aim is to ensure that the administration and families face no additional trouble,” he added.
Armed with lathis — their traditional bamboo sticks — and wearing their trademark discipline like a uniform, the swayamsevaks have assumed duties from dawn to midnight, even helping manage the crowd of VIP visitors, medical staff, and frantic relatives.
With over 300 shakhas (branches) functioning in Ahmedabad alone, the Sangh’s strength in the city is formidable. While their presence has triggered quiet murmurs about political optics, many on the ground — including hospital staff — say their help is, at the moment, practical and visible.
One volunteer said softly, while adjusting barricades to make way for a stretcher, “In pain, everyone is the same. We are here to serve.”
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