Compassion towards society transforms a person into a good human being, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said while speaking at an event held here as part of the silver jubilee celebrations of the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation (GMRVF) on Friday. “As human beings, it is our responsibility to return what we get from society,” Bhagwat added. The RSS chief urged people and business organisations to engage in social work. “People think that if they earn and save more money, they will become famous, but they don’t realise the folly of their thought. The real hero is one who gives more to society and earns the blessings of people,” he said. Applauding GMR Group’s founder and chairman G.M. Rao for taking up social causes and carrying out social work with devotion through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for 25 years, Bhagwat said, “I have seen that despite being busy, you also look after CSR activities with compassion and it is this that makes your social work extraordinary. CSR work should not be taken as a fashion; that’s not how social work should be done. Compassion towards society has been part of our culture,” Bhagwat said. During the event, the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation launched two Mobile Medical Units that will cater to nearly 30 different locations in Delhi. Rao said, “In order to realise the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have been aligning our foundation’s work with his initiatives like Skill India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.”
The GMRVF’s CSR work in Delhi supports over 3,000 women and specially-abled children through various initiatives focusing on education, health and hygiene, community development and empowerment for livelihoods through vocational training. “CSR is also a kind of Individual Social Responsibility and it is the moral duty of every individual to give back to society. Providing skills and imparting education are the best tools for eradicating poverty from the country,” Rao said. The event was also attended by Union ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Jayant Sinha, Y.S. Chowdary and BJP parliamentarian Rajiv Pratap Rudy.