To Distant Nagaland      

We had the second phase in mind while taking up the first phase – the work that we had to do for which we had to pave the way for. So that geared up the whole machinery for the collection campaign under the first phase.

I went to Nagaland to meet Shri H Sema, the Chief Minister, four times and could meet him only the fourth time. He asked me a significant question: “Mr Ranade, why have you chosen Nagaland for collection of funds? Who told you, we have got funds here? We are not having business houses or industries. The State depends entirely on the Central Govt. So, neither the Govt nor the people can donate”.

I said: “I have not come here for funds. I only want your participation, of the government, of the people here. That is more valuable. I may get one or two thousand rupees here but that does not matter. Swami Vivekananda and his ideals represent the soul of India which is needed for the future of the country. If you agree that by following him we may prosper then people & govt of Nagaland, must respond & take up this work”. He said: “It is all right. But then how can the people here respond when they do not know anything about Vivekananda?”

I said: “That is exactly the reason why I should work here more. Is it not necessary that they should know about Vivekananda?” He admitted & said: “Yes, but Mr Ranade, I myself do not know anything about him”. He was the not the first person to tell this. I met Gen Manekshaw, Chief of Army, because I wanted to organize collection from the armed forces too. After exchange of letters I met and told him that the entire defence forces must respond & donate whatever may be the procedure. He said a significant thing: “I have recently read Vivekananda, that too at my wife’s instance. Once she gave me a book and said: “Look you are reading a lot of novels and all that. But look at this. It has something substantial”. Now I know atleast something about him. I must thank his wife.

I said to Shri Sema: “I will give you some books to read and when I come you must head the Committee for Nagaland for the collection”. When I met him next, he said: “Vivekananda has a very catholic outlook. If the country is mobilized on the basis of his ideas, its future can be surely shaped according to what we desire”. He came President of the State Committee and his education minister Vice-President. Since the people of Nagaland did not know Swami Vivekananda people’s attention had to be attracted for which I suggested that the best thing for you would be to declare a donation of a lakh of rupees for this Memorial by the Nagaland govt.

Initially unsure of how the Central Govt would respond since it gave the state all funds he said the state would donate without checking with the Centre. He gave Rs 15,000/ at present and said that if other State govts gave 1 lakh he would also give the balance 85,000/. A Committee was formed and special folders printed for Nagaland. The folders were circulated to schools & colleges. The collection there was some 7,000/ apart from the 15,000/ given by the State govt yet why did we print these folders. It was because we had our eyes on the second phase of our work.

One Rupee Folders - the idea behind this is to contact as many people as possible. These folders were printed in all local languages and distributed widely. About 50 lakh folders were printed and nearly 30 lakh people donated in 1,3,5, rupees. Folders were printed for Nagaland. There was a campaign which had some impact. The campaign was not only for collection but also for spread of Swamiji’s ideas.

Out strategy was to have all the governments to participitate. All were approached, armed forces, government & NGO’s, trade unions, religious, cultural & educational institutions. There was good response. Students unions also wanted to help in the collection.

Collection of donations & its accounting are not easy. We had experience in this matter & I must say that the RSS cadre helped well in the entire collection campaign. From U.P. & Maharashtra we got Rs 15 lakhs each and the third place went to M.P. which gave 11 lakhs. Then W.Bengal, Mysore, Rajasthan & Punjab. The idea of printing folders in different languages to get funds collected from over the country.

Why did we organize a campaign in this manner? With our eyes on the second phase, we tried to get the views of different people and assess how they would like the second phase to take shape. So, all these were done during the first phase. For the second phase we needed more money. We thought we could publish a big book on an important subject and we could advertisement support from industrialists. They would get to know about VRM and we could come in close contact, they may be prompted to help our second phase.

A Master Plan - So after considerable thought, we decided to have the theme: India’s Contribution to World Thought & Culture. Articles were invited from scholars from across the world & were compiled in 1966. A Committee was formed with Dr Lokesh Chandra to preside over the Publications Committee with the help of some 4,5 enthusiastic young scholars.

We printed 10,000 copies of which 6,000 copies were sold initially and the balance later. We collected 10 lakhs through advertisements. It was announced in 1966 itself that whatever money was got from the book sale proceeds / advertisements would be earmarked for the second phase. We did not define the second phase but said we would take it up – “Man-making & Nation-Building activities envisaged by Swami Vivekananda”. On 7/1/1972, I think, we adopted a resolution on the Rock and formally declared the nature of the second phase.