World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day are celebrated on May 8. This
date is the birth anniversary Jean Henry Dunant, who was born on May
8, 1828. He was the founder of the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) and received the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. Every
year, a Red Cross Day theme encourages Red Cross members and
volunteers. The 202 Red Cross Day theme is #BeHumanKIND.
Acts of kindness are all around us. It doesn't matter how big or small
they are, they make a huge difference in people's lives. We believe that
acts of kindness have the power to spark a ripple effect, multiply, and
spread across communities, countries, and the whole world.
Red Cross is a member-based organisation working with seven
fundamental principles like Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality,
Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality. If the
organization's office-bearer is negligent towards his/her duties, the motto
of being kind towards human beings can never be achieved.
The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Odisha State Branch, is working
as per the Odisha State Branch Rule 1990. To be more effective and to
avoid the Uniform Rules 2009 and Branch Committee Rules 2017, on
February 13, 2019, a special Executive Committee meeting of the Indian
Red Cross Society, Odisha State Branch, was held under the
presidentship of the Governor of Odisha as the president of the
organisation and in the serial No. 6 of the proceeding it was
unanimously resolved that the IRCS Odisha State Branch, all-district
branches, and the city and regional branches shall operate and function
as per the provision of Odisha State Branch (OSB) Rule 1990 with
immediate effect.
So as per the OSB Rule 11 (a), The Annual General meeting (AGM) of
he members of all grades of the Branch shall be held, and in Rule 11(f),
the transactions of the AGM are there. As per OSB Rule 13, it is
mentioned that the general management and control of the business and
affairs of the Branch shall be vested in a Committee called the Executive
Committee (EC). In the power of the EC in rule 13(b), the Annual
Report and Annual Audited report of the Branch will be placed before
the Annual General Meeting by the EC. As per the OSB Rule 19, the
power of the Working Committee is described. So in Rule 19(d), it is
mentioned that "The Working Committee shall exercise all the powers
of the Executive Committee subject to ratification by the latter.
The Odisha State Branch and the Odisha State Branch Rule 1990 are
now on parallel lines. The last Annual General Body meeting of IRCS
Odisha State Branch was held on January 12 2010, 12 years ago. In this
meeting, the Annual Report and the Annual Financial Report for the
financial year 2007-08 were published. Until today, no Annual General
Meeting, no Annual Report, and no Annual Financial Report have been
published, which violates Rule 11. As per Rule 18 (a), the Executive
Committee shall meet ordinarily three times in a year. The last regular
Executive Committee meeting was held on January 12, 2010, and also
the Annual and Financial Reports for the year 2007-08 were prepared for
the AGM. From 2008-09 to date, neither the Annual Reports nor the
Financial Reports were passed by the Executive Committee and
published in the General Body meetings. But without the Executive
Committee's approval, the salary of the office bearers increased.
As per the OSB Rule 15, the Branch shall have a secretary. The
president shall appoint the secretary. Before 2000, the secretary was
called the honorary secretary because they did not take salary and house
rent, etc. Only they were paid an honorarium of Rs 2500. But now, the
secretaries are receiving compensation and house rent from the Red
Cross in the place of honorarium. Then how justified it is to call them as
the honorary secretaries.
Life members are restricted from the Red Cross State branch. Before the
year 2017, the members used to be involved in various activities of the
State Red Cross. The Life members' monthly meeting was held on the
1st Thursday of every month. But without any reason, the life members'
monthly meeting was discontinued from June 2017. So in a member
based organisation, the Annual General Body meeting, the Executive
Committee neeting, and the life members' monthly meeting were
discontinued. As per the Odisha State Branch Rule 1990, as enforced
since 16.04.1990, these are the rights of the Red Cross members.
To get the rights and to organise the monthly meeting, Annual General
Meeting, and Executive Committee Meeting of Indian Red Cross
Society, Odisha State Branch, we the members are knocking on the
doors of the secretary of State Red Cross, Minister of Health as the
Chairman of State Red Cross and the Governor of Odisha as the
president of State Red Cross Branch. But to date, everybody is acting as
deaf and dumb.
Considering the situation, I wonder how the organisation will be able to
fulfil the motto of being Humankind and successfully carry forward its
objective towards the service of humanity!
(The writer is convenor, Red Cross State Branch Protection Committee,
Odisha. Ph: 8984007600)