The History of Scouting in INDIA

 

Scouting came to India very fast. The three cantonment towns of Bangalore, Pune and Jabalpore, all claim the honour of having had the first trop in India by 1909! However in the begning only European and Anglo Indian Boys were given the scout training and Indian boys were denied the opportunity. But not for long, In 1916 Dr, Annie Besant established The Indian Boy Scout Association in Madras and in 1917 pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Pandit HHirdaynath Kunzru assisted by Shri Sri Ram Bajpai established the Seva Samithi Scout Association in Allahabad.

After BP’s visit in 1921, the Indian Boy Scout association merged with BP’s movement while Seva Samithi Scout Association continued function separately.

After 1937, The first All India Jamporee was held at Delhi and BP was present.

In 1938, due to a wave of intense nationalism considerable members of Boy Scout association left it. They along with the Seva Samiti Scout Association and the newly formed the Hindustan Scout Association continued to function.

In 1950 the Boy Scout Association in India and the Hindusthan Scout Association merged under the name of Bharat Scouts and Guides. The Girl Guide Association of India merged on 15th August,1951, thus completing the merger of the Boy Scout Association and the Girl Guide Association as wished by Pandit Javaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abdul Kalam Asad and other leaders of the nation, to form the present day Bharat Scouts and Guides thus adding one more milestone to the world History of Scouting and providing scope for unified organization which will lead the young to their future.

The Scout section is affiliated to the worls Scout Bureau with its Office in Geniva and the Girl Guides section to the WAGGGS(World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) in London.

The Bharat Scouts and Guides is one of the founder member of the Asia Pacific Region, and celebrated the 30 years of its foundation with the 10th Asia Pacific Jampooree held at Hydrabad in 1987.