Young
Swiss businessman, Jean Henry Dunant was appalled
by the condition of the wounded soldiers he
happened to see in the battle field of Solferino ,
Italy in 1859 during the Franco - Austrian war. He
arranged relief services with the help of the
local community immediately. He wrote the book
'Memory of Solferino' suggesting that a neutral
organization be established to aid the wounded
soldiers in times of war. Just a year after the
release of this book, an international conference
was convened in Geneva to consider the suggestions
of Henry Dunant and thus the Red Cross Movement
was born. International Red Cross Movement was
established by Geneva Convention of 1864. The name
and the emblem of the movement are derived from
the reversal of the Swiss national flag, to honor
the country in which Red Cross was found.
Origin
of Indian Red Cross Society
During the first world war in 1914, India had no
organization for relief services to the affected
soldiers, except a branch of the St. John
Ambulance Association and by a Joint Committee of
the British Red Cross. Later, a branch of the same
Committee was started to undertake the much needed
relief services in collaboration with the St. John
Ambulance Association in aid of the soldiers as
well as civilian sufferers of the horrors of that
great war. A bill to constitute the Indian Red
Cross Society, Independent of the British Red
Cross, was introduced in the Indian Legislative
Council on 3rd March 1920 by Sir Claude Hill,
member of the Viceroy's Executive Council who was
also Chairman of the Joint war Committee in India
. The Bill was passed on 17th March 1920 and
became Act XV of 1920 with the assent of the
Governor General on the 20th March 1920 .
On 7th June 1920 , fifty members were formally
nominated to constitute the Indian Red Cross
Society and the first Managing Body was elected
from among them with Sir Malcolm Hailey as
Chairman.
Indian Red
Cross Society is a member of the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Relations between the IRCS and the India
Delegation of the Federation are strong.
Indian Red
Cross Society has partnership with National Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies, St. John
Ambulance, International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement (IFRC), International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Multinational
firms. Individuals and others in supporting IRCS
activities. It also coordinates with Indian
Government and other agencies ( UNDP, WHO etc.)
