About Arya Samaj

The most striking features in connection with the Arya Samaj, which makes once the more powerful and the most influential of all reform movements in the country, is it’s complete and unique. Every Arya Samaj is a unit in itself. Generally, there is one in every city or village which has come under its influence, but in some cities there are more, either because of the distances or separating the different parts of the same city, or of some slight variations in principle. The later distinction is mostly confined to Punjab.

Effective membership involves (a) the acceptance of the Ten Principles; (b) the payment of one percent of one’s income, either monthly or yearly, towards the revenues of the Samaj; (c) attendance at meetings; (d) upright conduct.
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The Samaj meets once in a week for congregational service, which consists generally of (a) Homa; (b) singing of hymns; (c) prayer and sermon; (d) lecture. The service can be conducted by any member, regardless of caste, whom the officers of the Samaj select for the purpose. The Samaj does not ordain ministers or priests. Any layman can officiate at the services or at ceremonies and be asked to lecture. The weekly service meetings are open to the public, and no distinction is made between members and non-members, or between Hindus and non – Hindus. Anybody can come into the Church of God and occupy whatever seat he likes?

The affairs of each Arya Samaj are controlled by an executive committee comprising elected officers and as many members as may be elected in proportion to the size of the Samaj. Only effective members can vote in the election of officers and the committee. The officers are: (a) President; one or more Vice- Presidents; (c) one Secretary (d) Accountant (e) Librarian. They must be effective members themselves. They are elected for the year at an annual meeting convened for the purpose, where the voting is by ballot. At this annual meeting the outgoing officers and the committee render to the general body an account of the income and expenditure of the Samaj with a report of the year’s working: after this meeting proceeds to elect officers and committee for the coming year. The outgoing officers and committee are eligible for re-election. In the larger Samajas, the general body of members will divide themselves in to groups of ten each for electing representatives on the committee.

This is in addition to a few members, not exceeding five, who are elected by the whole body of members. The Samaj may meet for the transaction of such business as may be referred to it by the committee, by the officers, or on the requisition of a certain number of members, for the consideration of such proposals as they wish to bring under purview by the general body.

Failure to pay the stipulated one per cent of income, or any other misconduct, may lead to suspension of a member by the Samaj, or to the removal of his name altogether from the register of effective members. This is no bar to readmission at the discretion of the committee, from whose decisions will be final in all matters. Moreover there will be an opportunity of right of appeal to the general body. Neither the committee nor the general body is empowered to make changes in the creed, or the constitution, of the Samaj it is the right of only apex body that will effect the amendments.

Every Arya Samaj has its meeting place. In the principal cities of all over India, it has its own palatial buildings, containing lecture halls, committee rooms, etc. In smaller places it hires rooms for meetings. The young men’s Arya Samajas generally use the premises of the main body, but occasionally have separate rooms of their own. In some places the premises are utilized for daily prayers and for club amenities as well. Every Arya Samaj is supposed to arrange for the teaching of Hindi and Sanskrit to such members as are unacquainted with those languages.

Arya Samajas organized on the above lines progressed very well. But this did not satisfy the Aryas. The provincial level organization as provided by Dayananda in the beginning had not yet been established. In consequence, a voice was raised for creation of provincial level organizations in late eighteen eighties.

After some serious efforts the dream was realized and the provincial apex bodies, called Prantiya Sabhas (Provincial Associations) or Pratinidhi Sabhas (Representatives’ Associations) were formed in different provinces. To run its affairs, each Sabha had: 1 President; 1 or more vice-presidents; 1 secretary; 1 or more joint secretaries, 1 treasurer, 1 librarian, and 7 to 21 members of the executive committee who were elected periodically by the elected delegates of all the Samajas in the province (state).

The office bearers and the executive committee conduct the affairs of the Samaj at the provincial level the way the individual Samajas conduct their affairs in their respective villages, towns or cities. The Sabah’s controlled and supervised the affiliating Arya Samajas and gave them directions whenever needed. They took care of the province level problems concerning the Samaj and its members. They organized research activities of the Samaj, appointed preachers and published periodicals/newspapers and literature for popularizing it among the masses. By 1902, Pratinidhi Sabhas had been established in most of the provinces (state) there was a phenomenal growth in membership of the Samaj. It grew 131 per cent in the first ten years (from 1891 to 1901). The position improved still further in the succeeding decade when the growth rate reached 163 per cent. In subsequent years even this limit was crossed. Although no figures are given in the census reports after 1931, yet it could be guessed that the Aryas in 1947 were over two million marks. The total number of Samajs all over the country was over 2,000.