Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Shri Bageshwar Dham Medical Science and Research Institute in Madhya Pradesh’s Chattarpur on 23rd February. During the event, Bageshwar Dham Chief Pandit Dheerendra Krishna Shastri, MP Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav among other dignitaries were present.
This institute will be established on a 10-acre site, and in its first phase, a 100-bed facility will be completed. The Cancer hospital worth over Rs 200 crore will offer free treatment to underprivileged cancer patients. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art machines and have specialist doctors.
Addressing the crowd, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Dheerendra Shastri for his charity hospital initiative and extended best wishes to the people of Bundelkhand. PM Modi also pointed out that several people including political leaders with a colonial mindset take delight in mocking and deriding Hindu Dharma and foreign powers also back such elements to undermine India’s spiritual foundations.
“In the present times, we observe a certain section of leaders who mock religion, deride it, and engage in divisive tactics. On numerous occasions, foreign powers also attempt to weaken our nation and its spiritual foundations by lending support to such individuals. Those who harbour animosity towards the Hindu faith have, in some form or another, existed for centuries. Those who remain trapped in a colonial mindset persistently attack our beliefs, our temples, our saints, our culture, and our values. They show utter disrespect towards our festivals, traditions, and customs. They even dare to cast aspersions upon a religion and culture that are inherently progressive. Their agenda is to fragment our society and disrupt its unity,” PM Modi said.
Calling Dheerendra Shastri as his younger brother, PM Modi said that Shastri has long been enlightening people with the “mantra of unity” across the nation, and now he has undertaken the noble initiative of establishing a cancer institute. The Prime Minister asserted that now alongside the boon of spirituality, a gift of healthy life would also be bestowed.
“In these circumstances, my younger brother, Dhirendra Shastri Ji, has long been enlightening people with the mantra of unity across the nation. Now, he has taken yet another noble resolution in the service of society and humanity—he has resolved to establish this cancer institute. Thus, here in Bageshwar Dham, not only will bhajans and prasad be offered, but the gift of a healthy life will also be bestowed,” PM Modi said.
He further highlighted that in addition to being the centres of worship and meditation, Hindu institutions, and temples have also been hubs of scientific inquiry, social thought, and collective consciousness. Emphasising the Hindu belief in selfless service, Prime Minister Modi said that Hindu Dharma has bestowed the world with the science of Ayurveda and the discipline of Yoga.
“Our temples, mutts, and sacred sites have always served as centres of both worship and meditation. At the same time, they have also been hubs of scientific inquiry, social thought, and collective consciousness. It was our sages who bestowed upon us the science of Ayurveda, as well as the discipline of yoga—both of which are now celebrated across the world. Our belief is simple: There is no greater religion than selfless service, my friends. In other words, to serve others, to alleviate their suffering, is the essence of true religion. Hence, it has been our long-standing tradition to serve all living beings with the conviction that divinity resides in every human—Narayan in man, Shiva in every being,” PM Modi said.
Ironically, in a Hindu-majority India, it has been a disturbing trend to mock Hindu beliefs and traditions labelling them ‘regressive’, deride saints, and slander Hindus as intolerant despite their inherent secular ethos and pluralistic character. While the left-liberal cabal has persistently been vilifying Hindu saints, many Hindu organisations led by saints are engaged in selfless service—running hospitals, schools and relief programs.
Hindu institutions have long been serving as centres of both spiritual awakening and social welfare. Across the country, numerous health facilities run by Hindu temples and organisations treatment to millions of underprivileged people, reflecting the “Sanatan” legacy of compassion rooted in the ethos of “Niswarth Seva” (selfless service).
Major Hindu organisations running charity health initiatives
Hindu temples and organisations have a long-standing tradition of contributing towards social welfare through initiatives like hospitals, and cancer care centres alongside other community services reflecting their commitment towards selfless service. As Bageshwar Dham Medical Science and Research Institute joins the long list of Hindu organisations running free healthcare initiatives for underprivileged people, it would be interesting to learn about some of these initiatives.
Ramakrishna Mission: Founded by Swami Vivekanand in 1897, Ramakrishna Mission is a major Hindu organisation renowned for its humanitarian work. The Ramakrishna Mission runs charitable hospitals and dispensaries across the country, providing subsidised or free healthcare. These hospitals have world-class tech and infrastructure. The Ramakrishna Mission Hospital in Kolkata offers specialised care for underprivileged people. Besides, the organisation also runs educational institutions like Ramakrishna Mission Student’s Home, offering free education with food and accommodation.
Shri Chaitanya Saraswat Math: This mutt of Gaudiya Vaishnavs based in West Bengal’s Nabdwip runs significant charitable initiatives providing free healthcare through mobile medical units and by organising camps for giving free check-ups and medicines to poor people. In addition, the mutt also supports education and sports.
Siddhi Vinayak Temple Trust: Under its Trust, the famous Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Mumbai runs various initiatives to support healthcare. The temple trust runs a dialysis centre in Prabhadevi and a free cancer hospital in Miraj. The temple also runs educational facilities including libraries both online and offline. The temple trust also runs a Book Bank scheme for the economically poor and needy. Under this scheme, textbooks are provided free of cost to students of 11th to 15th standard in Arts, Commerce and Science from all over Maharashtra.
It must be recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, Siddhi Vinayak Temple Trust donated Rs 5 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The temple trust had donated Rs 25 crore back in 2013 to CM’s Relief Fund to provide relief to drought-hit regions in Maharashtra.
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham: This Hindu institution under the guidance of Shankaracharyas, runs the Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai providing free pediatric care to poor children.
Gorakhnath Temple: Under the stewardship of Mahant Yogi Adityanath, who is also the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur runs the Guru Shri Gorakshanath Chikitsalaya, a 300-bed hospital equipped with a 10-bed ICU featuring ventilators providing affordable healthcare to underprivileged people. Under the aegis of Gorakhnath Temple, the Maharana Pratap Siksha Parishad runs over 47 educational and health institutions across eastern UP.
ISKCON: While the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has its chapters operating across the world, the Hindu group dedicated to spreading the teachings of Bhagwan Krishna also runs various initiatives to support social welfare. ISKCON runs free health clinics, hospitals and mobile medical units in India. The Hindu organisation runs the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mira Road, Mumbai and a satellite center in Varshana providing free medical care. ISKCON is also running free medical carer at the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.
Hindu temples helped India fight the Covid pandemic
While Hindu temples and organisations have helped the people and governments during various disasters, a recent example of their dedication towards helping society beyond religious lines was seen in the Covid pandemic.
Back in 2021, the Hindu Samaj Temple in Thailand’s Bangkok, mobilised support to help India fight the second wave of Coronavirus. The temple coordinated with the Indian embassy as well as the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) to oxygen equipment to India.
Several Hindu temples in the US including Shree Radhey Shyam Temple in Bloomingdale, Georgia, affiliated with SGVP Gurukul USA, raised money directly for medical aid to the SGVP Holistic Hospital in Ahmedabad, India. These temples helped the SGVP Hospital in Ahmedabad acquire a sustainable supply of medical oxygen through on-site liquid oxygen storage and oxygen generation plants in addition to ventilators and oxygen concentrators.
Similarly, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in London also raised funds to the tune of 600,000 pounds ($830,000) through a bikeathon to help India battle the Coronavirus pandemic. The BAPS Temple in Abu Dhabi also came forward to create a supply chain of oxygen tanks and cylinders which will provide upwards of 440 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen.
In April 2021, the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple of Vadodara converted its Yagnapurush Sabhagruh to a Covid-19 facility. The COVID-19 care centre is equipped with 500 beds, oxygen facilities like liquid oxygen tanks and piped oxygen lines, ICU beds and ventilators.
Puri’s Shree Jagannath Temple Administration decided to convert its Nilachal Bhakta Nivas into a Covid-19 Care Centre with 120 beds.
The Pawandham Temple in Mumbai’s Kandivali converted its four-storey building into a COVID-19 quarantine centre equipped with 100 beds. The Mahavir Temple at Patna provided free oxygen cylinders to the infected. A Jain temple in Mumbai was also converted into a Covid care centre. ‘Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’ had also set up an oxygen plant worth Rs 55 lakh in view of the Corona crisis.
These are just a few examples of how Hindu temples and organisations are tirelessly working for social welfare besides their Dharmic obligations. There are numerous temples which offer free or subsidised education and healthcare including conducting free check-ups and medical camps for not just Hindus but for people of other religious communities as well.
The Niswarth Seva of Hindu temples vs the ‘Mother Teresa Syndrome‘
Interestingly, while many Hindu temples and organisations offer free services without any ulterior motives including conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism in exchange for financial inducements, ‘tickets to heaven’, or miraculous solutions to the problems of poor and vulnerable people, there have been ‘saints’ who “harvested souls” of poor Hindus in exchange of minimal health support.
There are frequent reports of Christian missionaries reaching out to poor and vulnerable Hindus including tribals to convert them to Christianity by offering free healthcare, money, jobs and whatnot. OpIndia has reported numerous cases wherein the modus operandi of these elements has been to offer food grains, money, jobs and false ‘miracle cure’ to problems of poor and vulnerable people, denigrate Hinduism to brainwash them and convert them to Christianity. The Hindu temples and organisations, on the contrary, do selfless social service focussing on alleviating suffering and fostering unity without forcing or deceitfully luring non-Hindus into Hinduism.
While the Hindu saints who devoted their lives to promoting the teachings of Hinduism and uniting people have got nothing but contempt and vilification from the ‘secular’ governments and their supportive ecosystem, Mother Teresa who endorsed communist dictators including the Albanian despot Enver Hoxha, and supported the infamous Emergency in India, was awarded Padma Shri, India’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna and a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
Contrary to the popular narrative that Mother Teresa was some sort of messiah and a friend of the oppressed, she was rather a friend of the oppressors. During her life, she often endorsed brutal dictators and thereby, attempted to give their tyranny the veneer of legitimacy. She had a good relationship with the Duvaliers who ruled Haiti as a police state between 1971-86. During her visit in 1981, she described the regime as a ‘friend’ of the poor, the very same regime whose rulers robbed Haitians of millions of dollars as fled following the uprising of 1986.
Besides supporting the dictators, Mother Teresa, the head of the Missionaries of Charity, used to offer a ‘ticket to heaven’ to patients on deathbeds. She admitted to having found joy in people dying after they were deceitfully made to ‘accept’ the ticket to St. Peters where all their ‘sins’ would be forgiven. Basically, patients were converted to Christianity on the deathbed on the promise of a ‘ticket to heaven. Teresa’s ‘social service’ was not her noble and selfless endeavour to help people beyond religious lines but to lure more and more vulnerable and even dying people into the fold of Christianity.
What’s a charity that comes with a catch of religious conversion? Behind the façade of feeding the poor, and treating the sick, was Mother Teresa’s calculated push to “harvest” poor and ailing souls for Christianity. In his book The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice (1995), Christopher Hitchens detailed the morbid saga of how patients were neglected and left to suffer and die at Teresa’s medical facilities in Calcutta. No proper tests and diagnosis were conducted, needles were cleaned with tap water, and patients with treatable conditions were not allowed to be shifted to proper hospitals because Teresa’s disciples would say, “if they do it for one, they had to do it for everybody.”
Susan Shields, who worked as a member of Teresa’s order, revealed that Teresa taught her nuns how to secretly baptise those who were dying. Sisters were to ask each person in danger of death if he wanted a ‘ticket to heaven’. The dying patient’s affirmative response was deemed as consent to baptism. The sisters used to secretly carry out the baptism to prevent the spread of the news that Mother Teresa and her ‘sisters’ were baptising Hindus and Muslims.
Interestingly, the so-called messiah of the poor had so much money in her Vatican Bank account that, according to Susan Shields, if Teresa had withdrawn it, the entire Vatican Bank would have emptied.”
In the past, reports of Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity being involved in baby-selling have also surfaced, indicating that with or without Teresa, the ‘business’ of charity continues.
In India, where Hindu saints, temples and organisations are vilified by the leftist cabal, their unwavering commitment to selfless service continues through free healthcare, education, and other means, but asking nothing in return. Contrast this with Mother Teresa who was adorned with accolades like Padma Shri and Bharat Ratna by the Congress governments, hailed as the messiah, for harvesting souls under the pretext of providing aid and ‘uplifting’ the poor. While Hindu saints and organisations have received neglect under the erstwhile ‘secular’ governments, Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Bageshwar Dham to lay the foundation stone of Bageshwar Dham Medical Science and Research Institute indicates that Hindu saints and temples will no longer be subjected to neglect and their selfless service would receive the deserved recognition and appreciation.
