“Kerala’s media outlets have aversion towards Sewa Bharati but tend to salivate on DYFI, the youthwing of CPI(M). The media and the government are not ready to even utter the name of Sewa Bharati whose workers are doing a great job in the face of adversity. Wherever they can’t do away with, such as the statements of beneficiaries, Sewa Bharati’s name was heard in news bullettins,” writes noted film producer Ali Akbar in his Facebook post.

According to to the Muslim film producer, the Sangh doesn’t do anything for name or fame. “But I have seen youths in khakhi shorts saving lives from the jaws of deluge: they swam, they rowed, they extricated victims from the swirling waters,” he writes.

“Some of you who read this may think I write this because I am a BJP man. But many don’t know I was a complete Communist four years ago. But then also I have seen the Sangh’s silent service. When Poonthura riots took place, when my Muslim neighbours deserted the place, it was Sangh cadres who protected my life. Till then I also considered them to be my enemies. Later, when I was putting up in Sasthamangalam, they continued to extend their helping hand, even after realizing that I was a Communist. They never showed any discrimination. Ever since I became close to the Sangh, I got several opportunities to take part in their programmes. I never knew that so much work is being carried out under the banner of the Sangh. For instance, no one knows there is an organisation called Sakshama working for the blind. I have never seen so many orphanages. Without any publicity they all work like a well-oiled machine,” recalls Akbar.

Following is the translation of Akbar’s post

The Sangh builds houses for poor but no one will come to know about it — because they don’t publicise it. Once I asked them: ‘Why don’t you publicise such activities. They retorted: What we do is Manava Seva: This is our duty and dharma. That is not something to be publicized. Yes, that is their karma (duty)’…. A hundred documentaries can be made on them but they won’t give a chance….Despite insults (rivals call them cowdung Sanghis), they continue their work, silently.

Among the fisherfolk who came to the rescue of flood-hit people, many were Sewa Bharati volunteers. But they didn’t let the world know that they were from the Sangh.

Lakhs of Sangh workers collected relief materials. They operated more than 300 relief centres directly and supplied food and water to other centres. Khakhi shorts and flex banners fixed to the vehicle indicating from where the relief materials were coming were the only things that publicized their presence. They didn’t wait for the media cameras. They are in a hurry, even now, ignoring their health, leaving behind their families. They figure in a few Channel footages because the editors couldn’t delete those frames and they end up as a few khakhi shorts in the faceless crowd.

What provoked me to pen this down were a few ‘memorable’ scenes in channel reports which showed ‘armies of DYFI men’ alighting buses and ministers inaugurating cleaning work by pouring water… Till yesterday Sewa Bharati workers were cleaning everything including toilets silently…no BJP leader inaugurated their drive… neither did the media discuss it. In the last phase, when DYFI men come in buses, it floods news programmes…now there will be a celebration of selfies… and there will be prime time news bulletins. I heard a sad report that the bodies of those who lost their lives in rescue operation are yet to be recovered and neither CM Pinarayi Vijayan nor his followers cared to visit their families…

I know these faceless Khakhi shorts will go back to their homes and they will continue to suffer the insulting nickname – Cowdung Sanghis. Those who caused the tragedy and fished in the muddy waters will continue to figure on the newspaper pages with grins on their faces…That is our experience…

But I can’t afford not be away from you. I am sad because I couldn’t be one among you, physically. But I was with you…with the quickly bedimming khakhi shorts on TV channel footages, with the kids who rolled chappatis with their tender hands, with the hands that filled bags with rice, with the gasps of those who were carrying huge burdens on their heads…with the hands that washed toilets…

We don’t claim that Sewa Bharati was behind all these. Even if they did only 1 per cent, why is there any reluctance to acknowledge that 1 per cent? Does Pinarayi Vijayan have a rock in the place of a heart?

Sewa Bharati, I express my sincere, heartfelt gratitude to you. Whoever ignores you….the good souls, whom your healing hands had touched, will always be with you.

I have a request to the Sangh families. We should jointly boycott the media outlets, which maligned us, for a definite period. We should block them tight. Let this relief operation conclude. Proudly we will say, Sewa Bharati workers, you are dear to Bharat Mata.