The closing ceremony of a 15-day residential training camp, hosted by the Rashtra Sevika Samiti in Jharkhand province, took place at Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, Dhurwa, Ranchi. Chitra Tai Joshi, All India Sah-Karyavahika, delivered the main address, stating that Bharat Mata is the essential life force, catering to all needs, and stressing the importance of dedicating every moment to her.
During the event, the 300th birth anniversary of Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar was also commemorated. Joshi described her as a symbol of service, righteousness, and just rule in Indian history. Ahilyabai’s efforts in renovating sacred sites like Kashi Vishwanath, Prayagraj, Rameshwaram, Somnath, and Mathura were acknowledged for revitalizing the nation’s cultural spirit. Joshi also mentioned Rani Durgavati, a figure who exemplified courage and patriotism in defending her homeland, and encouraged attendees to draw inspiration from her life. Joshi emphasized the significance of Ahilyabai’s contributions to women’s safety, dignity, and self-reliance, highlighting her enduring impact.
Nirmal Kaur, the retired Director General of Police and chief guest, commended the Sevikas for their discipline, energy, and dedication to service. She underscored the role of such camps in nurturing duty-bound, virtuous, and patriotic citizens. Over 2,000 individuals from various sectors attended the event, including representatives from educational institutions, social organizations, intellectual communities, women’s organizations, and the general public.
The camp saw the participation of 225 Sevikas from 20 districts of Jharkhand. The primary focus was to cultivate discipline, physical strength, patriotism, and cultural values among the young women. The daily schedule comprised yoga, exercises, intellectual discussions, singing, and community service. The training covered physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual development, and the instructors and provincial officers provided guidance. Senior workers such as Sunita Haldekar, Chitra Tai Joshi, and Nita Ba also provided guidance. Padma Devi offered continuous support to the Sevikas. Discussions and practical sessions centered on patriotism, civic duty, social harmony, the use of indigenous products, and environmental conservation. Manu Shri served as the chief instructor.
A parade of Sevikas in full uniform was conducted on June 6 through the city, which was greeted warmly by the public with flower petals. The parade started from Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, proceeded through Durga Temple and the bus stand, and returned to the starting point.
Attendees included Usha Singh, Sharda Gupta, Dr. Tripula Das, Nirmala Singh, Poonam Singh, Dr. Jigyasa Ojha, Shalini Sachdev, Rita Singh, Suman Sinha, Ganita Jha, Kusum Lata Singh, Jayashree Kujur, Sudha Prajapati, and Aparna Singh. Jamvanti Mishra oversaw the camp, and other key individuals such as Mridul Chaurasia, Siddhanath Singh, Sachchidanand Agarwal, Ashok Srivastava, Vijay Ghosh, Gurusharan, Akhilesh Mishra, Ganesh Mishra, Asha Lakda, Aarti Kujur, Satyanarayan Kanth, Snigdha Ranjan, Sunil, Achal, and representatives from the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh were also present.