Shravan 31Vik Samvat 2066. Yugabda 5111: 16 August 2009

1. FESTIVALS: Rishi Panchami is observed on Bhadrapada Shukla 5 (August 24, this year) primarily to pay homage to the Sapta Rishis – the seven sages – Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadhvaja, Vishvamitra, Gauthama, Jamadagni and Vashishta. Women in many parts of Bharat and Nepal undertake fast dedicated to Bhagwan Shankar. At many places it is the culmination of 3 day vrata starting on Bhadrapad shukla 3 – the day of Hartalika to worship Goddess Parvati. At many places, especially on the western coast, pooja is held as a mark of respect to Rishis who taught ploughing and harvesting and various delicacies from newly harvested crops and monsoon vegetables are prepared. Rishi Panchami comes a day after Ganesh Chaturthi which is celebrated with much fanfare and gaiety and signifies the essential closeness and unity with the nature in the Hindu culture.
2. 63RD INDEPENDENCE DAY AT RED FORT: It could have happened only on Independence Day when India Gate stood gazing at the Red Fort. A group of children from 36 schools across Delhi collected in a meticulous formation of the glorious India Gate as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unfurled national flag at the Red Fort.
In his customary address to the nation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that Bharatiyas had immense faith and confidence in themselves and the world's largest democracy was headed to a "new glory". He referred to a wide range of issues from climate change and water shortage to economy, terrorism and a new world order. But his tone was positive and he vowed to return Bharat to a 9 percent annual growth. He also vowed to step up the campaign against the Naxalites and provide all help to state governments to overcome the Maoist menace. Dr Singh underlined the urgent need to preserve the country's depleting water and other natural resources and went on to say that Bharat needed a new slogan: "Pani Bachao".
3. SHARM EL-SHEIKH A DIPLOMATIC FAUX PAS – P.P. SARSANGHCHALAK: Criticising the Prime Minister for his diplomatic failure at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt in issuing the joint statement with his Pakistani counterpart, RSS Sarsanghchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat said that the reference to problems of Balochistan included for the first time in any dialogue between the two neighbouring countries is not a good omen for Bharat. The UPA government has not bothered to take the opposition into confidence on matters of such diplomatic importance and thereby failed to maintain transparency in such sensitive matters.
These views were expressed by Shri Bhagwat at the "Meet the Press" programme ( his first press meet after becoming Sarsanghchalak ) organised by the Nagpur Union of Working Journalists (NUWJ) at Tilak Patrakar Bhavan in Nagpur on August 3.
In reply to a question on China’s expansionist attitude, the RSS chief cautioned the countrymen and the government to maintain a strict vigil to thwart any such evil move by the Chinese dragon. He referred to the warnings issued by great visionaries like Swami Vivekananda 110 years ago, Shri Ras Behari Bose and the second Sarsanghachalak of RSS Shri Golwalkar Guruji about the Chinese expansionist designs. “Now the Chinese dragon has almost spread its tentacles to encircle Bharat. It has established a good foothold in Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar (Burma) and is even helping Sri Lanka in restricting Bharat’s strategic and diplomatic movements” he added.
4. BHARAT CAN MAKE N-POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIER: Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar has said that Bharat is capable of designing and developing nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. He was speaking to reporters after delivering the 15th Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture on ‘Nuclear Energy in Bharat: Way Ahead’ in Mumbai on August 3. Asked whether Bharat has such capability, he said, ‘‘Yes.’’
A legislation is being planned on nuclear liabilities keeping in mind the growth of N-commerce, the AEC chief said. During the lecture, Kakodkar said AEC was ‘‘close to the launch of the construction of the 300-MW advanced heavy water reactor. The reactor with a design life of 100 years will receive 65% of its power from thorium.’’ Highlighting the importance of Indo-US nuclear deal and stating that the availability of uranium is limited, he said, ‘‘the situation is getting precarious. Thorium will be available for two centuries.’’
‘‘We’re planning power parks consisting of six to eight units of light water reactors. Bharat has set an ambitious target of generating 40,000 mw of nuclear power by 2020,’’ he said.
5. IIIrd BASE AT ANTARCTICA: BHARAT TO JOIN ELITE CLUB: Twenty-five years after it established Dakshin Gangotri, the first permanent research station in the South Polar region, Bharat is all set to build the third such centre in Antarctica to take up cutting-edge research in various fields.
The new station, tentatively named Bharti, is scheduled to be operational by 2012, making Bharat a member of an elite group of nine nations that have multiple stations in the region.
Dakshin Gangotri, set up in 1984, was buried in ice and had to be abandoned in 1990, a year after Bharat set up Maitri, the second station. The National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, will set up the new station on Larsmann Hill, 3,000 km from Schirmacher Oasis, where Maitri stands. While Maitri was more than 100 km from the Antarctic Sea, Bharti will be on a promontory by the sea. Bharat was admitted to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), an international body that coordinates scientific activities in the region, on Oct 1, 1984. Bharat holds the vice-chairman’s post in the panel. Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, France, Russia, the UK and US have multiple stations in Antarctica.
6. ISRO TO LAUNCH NANOSATELLITE DEVELOPED BY IIT KANPUR: Taking a big leap in its technological quest, IIT Kanpur has developed a nanosatellite which is expected to provide real-time data on drought, flood, vegetation and forestation. The satellite, designed and developed by a group of students of the institute, will be handed over to ISRO, which is expected to launch it by the end of the year.
The nanosatellite, which will be named Jugnu, will have a mass of less than 10 kg. It will piggyback on larger launches, avoiding the need for a dedicated launch.
The nanosats, as they are called, are appealing because their small size makes them affordable and opens up potential for a swarm of satellites.
7. P.P. SARSANGHCHALAKJI IN CHENNAI: The first ever visit of Shri. Mohan ji Bhagwat to Chennai after assuming the responsibility of Sarsanghachalak was packed with programs starting with the flag hoisting ceremony on 15th August, at the GK Shetty Vivekananda Vidyalaya Junior College, Ambattur. A grand Public Reception was held in Thiruvanmiyur in which Justice Kumar Rajaratnam, the President of the Reception Committee presided. P.P. Sarsanghachalak in his address said that Hindutva is also basis of unity of Bharat, fountain head of capacity and capabilities of Bharateeyas, hallmark of our national identity and panacea for problems of humanity. Hindutva is non-opposing, non-reactionary and therefore not communal. Despite uncertain weather conditions, more than 5000 Swayamsevaks in uniform and about 7000 citizens attended the function. Besides a program for interaction with prominent citizens, a ‘Sadbhavana’ baithak was also held where representatives of over 25 communities participated.
8. MONOGRAPH ON DECEPTIVE EQUALITY: Intellectuals, academicians and senior politicians strongly opposed the formation of Equal Opportunity Commission and said the term ‘equal’ in the proposed Commission is deceptive and communal. Therefore, it should be rejected on constitutional and administrative ground. The intellectuals included Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Karia Munda, noted economist Dr Bajranglal Gupt, senior journalist and columnist Rajinder Puri and Rakesh Sinha. They were speaking at a monograph release function organised in New Delhi on August 8. The monograph, Deceptive Equality: Deconstructing the Equal Opportunity Commission is written by Rakesh Sinha. It was published by India Policy Foundation.
Karia Munda said there is no need of any Equal Opportunity Commission if we look at the facilities and rights granted to Muslims in the Constitution. "If the Muslims have failed to avail benefit of these rights and opportunities, it is because of their ignorance and illiteracy. It appears that what the government is doing is to appease them," he said.
Rakesh Sinha said the Britain’s Commission for Racial Equality was being touted as inspiration behind the Equal Opportunity Commission, but the expert committee on Equal Opportunity Commission suppressed the fact that Britain has rejected the Commission for Racial Equality and going towards an integrated Commission. He asked when there is a global trend towards integrated Commission why this wastage of resources on a separate Commission.
9. A DIFFERENT STATUE STORY: In the first ever act of its kind, the State Government of Karnataka, deciding to script a new chapter in the history of its relations with neighbouring Tamil Nadu, unveiled the statue of Tamil poet-saint Thiruvalluvar in Bangalore on August 9. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa deserves to be applauded for having made the installation of Thiruvalluvar’s statue possible. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi too has acknowledged as much. Efforts to install a statue of the Tamil poet-saint have been on for the last 18 years. Up till now each time the Karnataka Government tried to conjure up the political will to get the statue installed, it failed. It is in light of this that the Yeddyurappa Government’s achievement becomes more significant. It had to not only whip up popular support for the installation of the statue but also fend off criticism from pro-Kannada outfits like the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and the Kannada Vatal Paksha that were opposed to it. On both counts the Karnataka Government came out with flying colours. It has demonstrated great courage and conviction that will surely help it establish better relations with its neighbour.
The statue diplomacy comes in the backdrop of long-standing problems between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery water sharing dispute, the Hogenakkal dam issue and various border related problems remain major points of contention between the two States. But of all the issues that have led to differences, the issue of according classical language status to Kannada in Tamil Nadu is perhaps the one that is most sensitive. In this respect it is welcome that Mr. Karunanidhi has promised to do all he can to vacate the writ petition filed in the Madras High Court against the conferring of classical language status to Kannada. This was conveyed to the people of Karnataka by Mr Yeddyurappa on the occasion of the unveiling of Thiruvalluvar’s statue. Drawing on the wisdom of Thiruvalluvar he also said that the Tamil poet-saint’s works expressed human virtues and teachings that indirectly advise the Governments of the two States that the crops of the farmers of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka should not be allowed to die for the want of water — a clear reference to the Cauvery water dispute. By acknowledging legendary poets of Tamil and Kannada literatures and by installing their statues in each others capitals, the State Governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have made a significant gesture of goodwill. It can also be construed as a symbol of respect for each others language and culture. Hopefully, this will provide a platform to resolve all the disputes that have plagued the two States for decades. (The Pioneer Editorial 11 August)
10. RENEWABLE ENERGY PUSH: SOLAR PANELS TO LINE BORDER IN KUTCH: Until now, the only thing shining in the Rann of Kutch was a mirage. Now, the scorching sun could light up another sparkling ring along the inhospitable border with Pakistan, if a Rs 61,019 crore dream comes true. And, it won't be an illusion, but real mirrors.
With about 45 investment promises lined up in solar energy sector, Gujarat plans to promote the desert as a hub for renewable energy.
Gujarat has decided to allocate 1,500 hectares of land in the desert and a small stretch in Santalpur in Bankaskantha district. The Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation will create infrastructure for the ambitious `Solar Park'.
Projects with 716MW of solar power capacity have been allotted to 34 national and international project developers, including PLG Power, Lanco Solar, Moser Baer, Solar Semi Conductor, AES Solar, Astonfield, Torrent Power, Adani Power, Abengoa, Electrotherm, Welspun, and NTPC. Put together, these projects will see investment worth Rs 12,000 crore over the next few years. US-based AES Corporation is mulling to set up the world's largest solar project in the state by 2010.
11. SWINE FLU AWARENESS DRIVE by RSS IN PUNE: As the pandemic Swine flue played havoc in Bharat, the worst affected city of Pune saw the city unit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) alongwith Janakalyan Samiti swinging into action to hold swine flu awareness drive. A meeting of officials of various organisations, including the National Institute of Virology (NIV), the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and the Indian Medical Association was held at the RSS office. RSS workers mainly helped in Organizing awareness sessions in over 1000 housing societies, Distributing leaflets for precautions to be taken for Swine Flu, Helping Pune Municipal Corporation & Govt of Maharashtra by providing volunteers at hospitals and screening centers etc.A senior RSS worker Bapu Ghatpande said, “A team of 75 volunteers of RSS was working for at least six hours daily at the swine flu screening centers in the city, including Naidu hospital. Volunteers include medical professionals, IT professionals, youth, women and elderly.”
12. ATHEIST CAMPAIGN PICKING UP: Just as the Church publicly exhorts the faithful to follow religion, various atheist groups came together as the British Humanist Association decided to broadcast their viewpoint by purchasing advertising space on London’s buses. Non-believers were asked to coin interesting slogans and to contribute to campaign finances.
Richard Dawkins, the biologist, admirer of Charles Darwin and author of ‘The God Delusion’, announced he would match the money raised from the public. The scheme set a modest target of £5000 to be raised through public donations. But the actual collection was in excess of £150,000. It was a pointer to the campaign’s appeal and the chord it struck with many. Instead of 40 buses bearing the advertisement, it was eventually carried on 200 — much to the chagrin of the church.
The church complained to the advertising regulatory authority that the campaign was in bad taste and bound to hurt religious sentiment. The adjudicating authority rejected the complaint citing the primacy of “freedom of expression”. Some of the slogans used were:
• There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy yourself.
• You can be good without God.
There were variations too. Two dozen buses in Manhattan, New York, loudly proclaimed: “You don’t have to believe in God to be a moral or ethical person”. And in an acerbic twist to the Bible’s opening sentence, the slogan used on 25 buses in Chicago was, “In the beginning, Man created God.”
In a retaliatory campaign, the Christian party in London hit back with its own advertisement for God. It said, “There definitely is a God. So join the Christian party and enjoy your life”. The transport authorities were, of course, delighted that so much ad revenue was coming their way.
The campaign has spread to Canada and Europe and shows signs of travelling further afield. The atheist associations have happily declared that their main objective has been achieved. Should the church want them to authenticate their claims, the argument can easily be turned on its head by asking the church to prove its case. (Excerpts from Mind set: The religion of reason by Prakash Sesh, Times of India Aug 11 2009)
13. INDUS SCRIPT MAY SOON GIVE UP ITS SECRETS: Bharatiya and American researchers are close to breaking the code behind the script of the Indus Valley civilization, which flourished on the Bharat-Pakistan border 4,000 years ago.
The script, found as inscriptions on numerous objects dating from that period, has puzzled archaeologists ever since Harappa was discovered in 1842.
A study, a joint effort of Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Chennai’s Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the University of Washington, was published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It says there are distinct patterns in the hieroglyphics used by the script, and creates a statistical model for the unknown language.
“The model provides insights into the underlying grammatical structure of the script,” said lead author Rajesh Rao, associate professor of computer science, University of Washington.
14. TEACHING BHARATANATYAM IN PAKISTAN: For the last five decades, 80-year-old Indu Mitha has been teaching the beautiful and deeply religious Bharatanatyam dance to Pakistanis. Dance, it seems, can cross cultural and religious boundaries.
Teaching traditional Bharatiya dance in Pakistan required a delicate balancing act, which she successfully performed along her dance steps. Dance was considered “haraam” - or un Islamic - during the tenure of President Zia ul Haq, when a “no objection certificate” was needed for every performance. (Courtesy: Hindu Press International)
15. DURGA VAHINI ACTIVISTS TIE RAKHI TO SOLDIERS AT WAGAH AND POONCH BORDERS: Durga Vahini activists tied rakhi to the soldiers at Wagha border in Punjab and Poonch border in Jammu & Kashmir which boosted the morale of the soldiers. When some of the soldiers tried to give some money to the activists they said, "We want united Bharat, not this money. Only you soldiers can do it." The 30 member-delegation of Durga Vahini visited Wagah border on July 31 and Poonch border on August 3. After tying rakhi to the soldiers they also visited Budha Amarnath and prayed Lord Shiva to protect the Bharatiya borders. This delegation returned to Delhi on August 6 and tied rakhi to the Delhi police constables and officials in some Police Stations.
16. SANSKRIT SAMBHASHAN SHIVIR IN KOLKATA: Daxinbang unit of Samskrit Bharati organised ten-day Sanskrit Sambhashan Vargas at ten different places in Kolkata from July 16 to 26. About 200 persons including students, teachers and people from almost every section of the society attended the classes, which were conducted for two hours everyday from 6pm to 8 pm. The concluding ceremony was organised at Burrabazar Library Hall on July 26.
17. SUSTAINABLE MICRO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH COWA SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT: Located in Jaipur, a fast developing metro of North-West-Bharat, the Rajasthan Go Seva Sangh presents a scenic bonanza of a beautiful garden under the cover of a green mantle of trees spread over 32 bighas of land. There are about 240 cattle of tharparkar breed, which is one of the best breeds of indigenous cattle. High milk yielding cows, valued oxen and healthy bullocks are being developed through this breed. One ton of organic manure, compost and vermi-compost being produced at center are in good demand. The agricultural production of food, fruits, vegetables and fodder is based on organic manures produced at the center. The land preparations, as well as all agricultural activities, are done with the healthy pair of bullocks. Tractors have not been used at the center for the last nine years.
Bullocks are also employed in electricity generation that is useful in charging of batteries of 12 volt, each to maintain supply of electricity to kitchen and dining hall. The bullocks also support transportation. If converted in terms of monetary gains, one pair of bullocks earns approximately Rs. 200 to 250 per day.
The conversion of biogas into CNG is yet another achievement of center. The biogas is considered an inferior energy source on account of 60:40 ratios of methane and carbon dioxide. The CO2 reduces flammability, and is removed through its dissolution in water. The pure methane is compressed in cylinders as pure CNG. One CNG auto rickshaw plies for the transportation works of the center and leads to a saving of Rs. 300-400 per day on transportation cost. One genset is also operated by CNG produced at the center to run the tube well. The genset does not require mixing of diesel. This is the first “Gober-Gas-CNG” driven vehicle in our country set up in the center with the assistance and guidance of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of Bharat and IIT, Delhi.
The cow urine is equally useful like cow dung, and used for preparing Panchgavya ayurvedic medicines. Baba Balwant Singh Center for Panchgavya Health Care and Research and its laboratory established by the institution provide fresh cow urine free of charge. The 64 types of medicinal and essentially useful items including 17 types of gomutra Ark (essence) combined with medicinal herbs, 11 types of “Ghanabti” tablets are prepared in the center. Around 4000 patients are being treated and benefited every year. Among the beneficiaries are many kidney patients at dylisis stage who got relief by getting rid of regular dylisis process. Besides the medicine, the center markets such as soap, Shampoo, tooth powder, scented stick etc. Panchgavya products worth Rs. 1.50 lakh per month are sold by the institution. About seventy people have got employment in this center. Evidently, the Panchgavya entrepreneurship is a very rewarding venture in rural community. As cottage industry it is a source of employment to every family.
Nutritious and quality feed is prepared at the center, which is a proportionate admixture of beans, khal, choori and jaggery. The feed enhances milk yield and is made available to cattle owners who supply milk to the center just on its production cost. The center produces about 44,000 qts./ year of cattle feed for own use, sale and distribution.
A herbal garden is also located in the premises of center where more than 100 species of medicinal and aromatic plants are under cultivation and conservation. The center has a facility of providing fresh juice and herbal extracts to outdoor and indoor patients of naturopathy and panchgavya hospital. The center has an outlet for sale of nursery plants of aonla, aloe, bael, jamun, ratanjot, mango and giloy etc. The center has a regular routine of a homa, yoga, pranayam, spiritual discourses, interactive meets on topics like organic farming, Panchgavya technology, trainings and symposia. If somebody wants to have a holistic view of the model of development based on indigenous cattle, the Kamdhenu Goshala, Rajasthana Go Seva Sangh, Jaipur is the most ideal place, which is continuously visited by people from Jaipur, other parts of country and foreign countries.
(Excerpts from an article by Bhanwarlal Kothari in Organiser Aug 15 2009. The writer is former chairman of Rajasthan Gou Sewa Ayog. He can be contacted at blkothari@gmail.com).
18. AT IIMs THIS YEAR: A reality show participant, an actor, an ex-Armyman, a social worker, sportspersons, and entrepreneurs: that's the class of 2009-11 at the IIMs. An eclectic mix of aspirants have qualified for Bharat's premier B-schools this year, busting the stereotype that only people with great academic records crack the IIM entrance test.
Shubhajeet Mazumdar (27), an ex-Armyman, managed to get into IIM-B in his first attempt. He had joined the National Defence Academy after class XII, but could not continue in the Army due to medical reasons. He then decided to pursue management. ``The course will help me prepare to work with society,'' says Shubhajeet, who got calls from four IIMs.
Adamya Chandra (23) was a participant at a reality singing talent show. This mechanical engineer from Lucknow UP cracked CAT in his first attempt and has joined IIM-C. ``Music soothes me. If I need a break from a hectic study schedule, I switch to music. But pursuing MBA was my main goal and studying at IIM is the first step towards a successful career,'' he says.
His batchmate, Abhimanyu Girotra (26) from Delhi, is a talented actor who has done various serials and ads. A BTech grad from NIT-Kurukshetra, he played the boyfriend of Priyanka Mehra, better known as `Chhoti' in season 1 of `Hum Paanch', produced by soap queen Ekta Kapoor. In another serial on missing persons produced by Jackie Shroff, he played Salem, a real-life missing boy. Abhimanyu has also acted in serials like `Yug' and `Ghar ek Mandir'.
IIM-Calcutta has a mixed bag ranging from highly accomplished sportspersons to those involved in massive projects, such as modernizing the Bangladesh railway system, besides student entrepreneurs and those associated with NGOs. Ditto with IIM-Indore, which has students who have excelled in sports to those starting a school. IIM-Bangalore has maths and science Olympiad participants, national level players and armed forces, besides university toppers.
Many like Anshuman Atri, an information science engineer from Bangalore who joined IIM-Indore, have left behind promising careers. Atri joined SAP Labs India as a software developer in 2006. He has worked on mobile software platforms and developed a framework for Windows mobile.
Vikram Khaitan, 25, an economics grad from Gujarat worked with World Bank for a year at the Delhi office. ``The reason for not continuing with World Bank was that I would have had to do a PhD to survive in the place for long,'' he says. Khaitan has taken admission at IIM-C.
His classmate Shekhar Chaudhary, 28, worked in RBI for five years. He has taken study leave to join the course. from RBI. ``Studying management will help to gain more information and knowledge about the financial world,'' he said.
19. HP ACHIEVES ‘TWO CHILDREN PER COUPLE’ AHEAD OF TARGET: The tiny State of Himachal has achieved another milestone by achieving the goal of “two children per couple” ahead of schedule and joined the select States of Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal and three Union Territories, Chandigarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry, who had already achieved the TFR target.
“More than 75 per cent villages have accessibility to the facility of a health sub-centre within a distance of three kms, 94.5 per cent villages have access to PHC within 10 kms , about 80 percent of villages have sub-centres located in Government buildings, 83.1 per cent sub-centres have ANM and 70.8 per cent PHCs have at least four beds”, the report released by the Union Ministry of Health said.
20. COMMUNITY RAKSHA BANDAN AT SEATTLE: On August 8th, Raksha Bandhan was held in Balagokulam at Bellevue Seattle. After the usual utsav, tying of rakhis and a bauddhik , all the kids and others met up at the Crossroads Retirement Center . Meaning of Raksha Bandan was explained to the elders. Hemant, Aadithya, and Athulya preformed a skit about the traditional way to tie a rakhi. After that, all the kids got rakhis to tie to the elders. The elders liked to see all the children dressed up in traditional Bharatiya way. To end the meeting, Snehalji sung a song on Raksha Bandan which relaxed everyone. The program was very well received and some elders asked for more events like this one.
21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Visitors: Shri Addapa Prasad, Shri Dinesh Agrawal and Shri Dayashankar Dubey from USA. Shri Virendrakumar Harit from France.
Pravas: Dr.Shankar Tatwawadi, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag is back in UK after his pravas to Norway and Denmark. Shri Bheeshmachari, HSS pracharak in Australia is now in Hyderabad.
22. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Natural mildness should be there in the family. Observance of the vows leads to mildness….Right belief should there be amongst family members…. Crookedness and deception cause unhappiness in the family. Straight forwardness and honesty in one’s body, speech and mental activities lead the family to an auspicipus path. Purity, reverence, ceaseless pursuit of knowledge, charity, removal of obstacles that threaten equanimity, service to others – these make the family happy. – Tattvarthasutra 6.18-24
JAI SHREE RAM
THE SWAMY OF ACCRA- GHANA
AS an Indian in Ghana, I soon became aware of the country’s Indian community. It was while working on a photo-essay about cross-cultural interactions, especially interracial marriages, that I learnt of the African Hindu Monastery. Now, Ghana is by no means homogenous when it comes to religion. Though predominantly Christian, with Islam being prominent in the north, most Ghanaians still maintain their connections to older traditions of ancestor worship and belief in the spirit world. Hinduism, though, is a foreign and recent entrant, associated with the Sindhi business families who dominate the immigrant Indian population. The presence of an African Hindu community, therefore, came as a surprise. I decided to go and see the place for myself.
The African Hindu Monastery (AHM) is a simple white structure in Odorkor, a suburb of the Ghanaian capital city of Accra. Started in 1975, it is headed by Swami Ghanananda Saraswati. The gentle-voiced Saraswati was born into the traditional African faith. Although he converted to Christianity when both his parents became Christian priests, he continued his search for truth. Attracted by Hindu beliefs and the practice of yoga, he travelled to India. While staying at Swami Sivananda’s ashram in Rishikesh, he decided to embrace Hinduism. At 35, he returned to Ghana and acquired his first disciples, holding lectures to educate Ghanaians about this ancient and foreign religion. Initially, his teachings attracted the literate and the academic – university lecturers and lawyers. Soon, some Indian families started to come. Later, a meeting with one Swami Krishnananda (who was visiting from India) inspired him to set up a monastery “where he could tell people about all that he had learnt in India”.
TODAY, GHANA’S population of 23 million includes 12,500 Hindus, of which 10,000, like their Swami Ghanananda Saraswati, are indigenous Africans. While an older Sindhi temple still exists in Accra (and the Sathya Sais, the Ananda Margis, ISKCON and the Brahma Kumaris are also active), the African Hindu Monastery (AHM) is now Ghana’s largest centre of Hindu worship.
Ghana now has a Hindu population of 12,500, of which as many as 10,000 are indigenous Africans
The AHM’s iconography and practices provide clues to its hybrid origins. Its nonexclusionist attitude is apparent from the picture of Jesus alongside the Hindu gods on the main mantelpiece, as well as images of spiritual leaders from other religions. There are even images of secular leaders from India. The monastery’s members also believe that the Supreme God is known by other names, such as Yahweh and Allah.
While it identifies itself with Vedic philosophy, with Vishnu as the primary deity, there is an adjoining temple for Shiva. In fact, the day starts with a Shiva Abhishek, followed by an aarti, conducted by the Swami or one of his disciples. This is followed by a havan (fire sacrifice) and the reciting of the Hanuman Chalisa. In contrast to the specially commissioned havans in most Indian temples, all those present can pour a spoonful of oil into the sacred fire. Bhajans in Hindi — sung exquisitely in a Ghanaian accent — might follow. Later, a Vedic text might be discussed, either in English or in a Ghanaian dialect.
The AHM is not just accommodating of multiple religious traditions but also open to people of all races, classes and communities. Indian worshippers are not only members of the dominant Sindhi community, but also recent immigrants: managers and contract labour alike. But most worshippers are Africans, again from different professions and backgrounds. When I asked a disciple about the group’s opinion of the caste system, he pointed out that there is no society in the world that does not break its people up into the privileged and the unprivileged, be it through profession, ancestry or race. Ghanaian Hindus like him, however, are clear that people have an equal right to education, the means to a good life and most importantly, religion.
Some have given their children Hindu names like Rama or Krishna after a naming ceremony
CONTRARY TO its name, the monastery has only one monk. Saraswati explains, “Hinduism is a new thing [in West Africa], and I do not want to make somebody a monk who later on abandons monkhood. It would bring a bad name to me and to Hinduism.” Believers who want to become disciples enroll in a six-week residential course, after which they are initiated. The transition to Hinduism is a gradual one. For instance, an African Hindu would continue to have a Christian or Muslim first name and a traditional African last name – for example, Daniele Otchere. But there are disciples who have given their children Hindu first names like Rama or Krishna after a Hindu naming ceremony. Hindu rituals at marriage and cremation (rather than burial) at death are also beginning to be adopted, though not obligatory.
The monastery likes disciples to pray and perform pujas at home. In fact, the performance of rituals is seen as essential to being Hindu. Sometimes, new believers’ desire to perform Hindu-ness is so great that it feels like they are play-acting – like the time when several people fell at the feet of a visiting dignitary to show respect ‘in the traditional Hindu manner’. But then, ritual is often the embodied route to faith. -- (From Tehelka Magazine, August 15, 2009)

Shravan 16Vik Samvat 2066. Yugabda 5111: 1 August 2009

1. FESTIVALS: Nag Panchamī which falls on Shravan Shukla 5, (July 26 this year) is a festival to worship snakes or Cobras (Naga); celebrated in most parts of Bharat. This festival is to celebrate the day Lord Krishna defeated the serpent Kalia. The five Nāgas worshipped on Nag Panchami are Ananta, Vāsuki, Takshak, Karkotaka and Pingala.
Elderly women draw pictures of five-headed cobras on wooden planks, recite mantras and pray. Pots of milk and flowers are placed next to holes that are believed to contain snakes as an offering of devotion. If a snake actually drinks the milk it is thought to be the ultimate sign of good luck.
It is also celebrated in Nepal while in Punjab it is known by the name of "Guga-Navami".
2. RSS SERVICE PROJECTS EXPAND MANIFOLD: The service projects being run by RSS swayamsevaks across the country under different banners have registered a phenomenal growth , the total number of projects touching 1,57,776 as on March 31. It include 59,498 projects of education, 38,582 projects of health, 42,304 projects of social and 17,392 projects of self-reliance.
According to the latest edition of Seva Disha 2009, the report of RSS service activities published from Pune after every five years, a total of 59,076 service projects are run by Rashtriya Sewa Bharati, 13,969 projects by Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, 72,370 by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, 461 by Rashtra Sevika Samiti, 9,682 by Vidya Bharati, 1,000 by Deendayal Research Institute and 168 projects are run by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
Seva Disha 2009, published on the occasion of annual meeting of Prant Pracharaks in Merath, also highlighted some remarkable features of the growth of social service projects. The service activities have grown by more than one lakh as compared to 2004. The Arogya Rakshak scheme being run in remote villages of various states specially in North-Eastern states, the ‘Bal Gokulam’ of Kerala, the ‘Char Sutri Dhan’ scheme of Maharashtra, the self-help groups of Tamil Nadu, projects for ‘street children’ in Delhi and other metros, the ‘education for child labour project’ in Andhra Pradesh, are but sample examples of the all encompassing initiatives of swayamsevaks in social service field. The complete issue of Seva Disha 2009 will be available on RSS website (www.rssonnet.org) shortly.
3. BHARAT'S FIRST NUCLEAR SUBMARINE LAUNCHED: Bharat on June 26 joined a select group of five nations, the other countries being US, Russia, China, France and Britain, with the launching of country's first indigenously designed and built nuclear-powered attack submarine, INS Arihant. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described it as a 'historic milestone' in the country's defence preparedness.
He congratulated the Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) Programme and the people associated with it for designing and building the nuclear submarine, which he said was a reflection of the 'immense technical expertise' and the strength of the research and development organizations in the country.
The submarine will be commissioned in the Bharatiya Navy after extensive outfitting and sea trials. It is the first of three such vessels to be built in the country and marks a quantum leap in Bharat’s shipbuilding capabilities. Bharatiya Navy will also get a Russian-built Akula class nuclear submarine INS Chakra, expected to be commissioned by this year-end.
4. HSS YOUTH CAMP AT SYDNEY: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Australia conducted a 5-day “Leadership and Personality development” camp from July 14-19. 44 youth aged between 15 and 34 years attended the camp. The native backgrounds/origins of the youth varied from Bharatiya, Fijian, Srilankan, Singaporean and Malaysian. The camp schedule was interesting with a mixture of activities like niyuddha, danda, khel in shareerik and group discussions and other informative sessions in bauddhik to cater the needs of the body, mind and intellect.
Uncle Evan, the local Aboriginal elder, blessed and welcomed all camp attendees and volunteers. Sri.Ravi Kumar, Intl Joint Coordinator of HSS was present during the camp and also delivered samarop bauddhik. He also addressed a VHP children camp, felicitation function for Bheeshmachari ji – HSS pracharak and Liverpool Bhajan group. He held lectures on Vedic Mathematics and influence of Bhagwad Geeta besides meeting several workers and prominent personalities, during his stay in Sydney.
5. SCHOOL WHERE MUSLIM KIDS ARE HAPPY TO SING HINDU HYMNS: Sanskrit verses are part of the daily prayer for Mantasha Khan (class IX), Inayat Ali (class VIII), Jofisha Khan (class IV) and 30 other Muslim students who study at the Shaishvika Vidyalaya, a high school with 269 students run by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Indore.
It’s not just the Medha Suktam (a Vedic hymn recited to strengthen the intellect) that they recite with perfect diction but they also chant the Gayatri mantra, Surya mantra and shlokas (hymns) from the Bhagvad Gita with equal ease, besides the Ramcharitmanas and the Hanumanchalisa.
And their parents never objected. One of the parents —Shakil Khan —has been encouraging his community members to send their children to this school, founded in 1975. And the results are encouraging. In 1996, it had four Muslim students. This year, out of 50 students who got admission, 25 were from minority community.
Another ex-student and award-winning painter Riyazuddin Patel says, “My ideology has matured after studying there. What I learned is discipline, which is akin to the RSS.” --Padma Shastri, Hindustan Times ,Indore, July 20, 2009
6. 'TURMERIC IS RECEIVING ATTENTION FOR MEDICAL APPLICATIONS': Modern science has substantiated what grandma always knew: the extraordinary healing power of turmeric. A team of scientists led by Ayyalusamy
Ramamoorthy , an IIT Kanpur alumnus and a Professor of Chemistry and Biophysics at the University of Michigan, has deciphered the exact functioning of curcumin, a major ingredient of turmeric powder, in curing wounds, infections and other health problems. ”Curcumin could be used as a supplement to boost health. However, more studies are essential to completely understand how it can be used to treat ageing-related diseases like type-2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and bacterial and viral infections. Some research along these lines is already in progress in our laboratory.” He said.
7. CHANDRAYAAN-1 CAPTURES MOON'S SHADOW: Bharat's lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 has captured the shadow of the moon on the earth's surface during the recent total solar eclipse. The images were captured by the special terrain mapping camera on board the Chandrayaan. ISRO says the capturing of the celestial event confirms that the spacecraft is satisfactorily orbiting the moon at 200 kilometers with all its payloads intact.
ISRO says, the latest pictures are good news, after a setback in late April when its star sensor malfunctioned. The Space agency also said that the clarity of the photographs shows that the mission is back on track.
8. BRITISH COUNCIL TO OUTSOURCE JOBS TO BHARAT: As the Gordon Brown government mulls outsourcing over 100 jobs at the British Council to Bharat as part of its cost-cutting drive, government employees' unions have denounced the move as an "absolute disgrace" and feared that it could be a blueprint for shifting more such services abroad.
The Council, which promotes British culture and language abroad, said that 500 of its 1,300 British workers would have to go in the next 18 months to save 45 million pounds.
More than a fifth of these posts are to be filled in Bharat and the body plans to bring some of the Bharatiya recruits over to "shadow” finance staff in Manchester.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents civil servants, opposed the Council’s decision saying it was against Brown's stated principle of "British jobs for British people" and could not be justified during a recession.
9. POST 26/11, INFOSYS GETS ELITE SECURITY: IT bellwether Infosys Technologies became the first private firm in Bharat, post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, to get security cover from the elite Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for its sprawling campus here.
The CISF personnel will provide a 24X7 protection shield to the Bharatiya software giant which, intelligence agencies believe, could be a target for terrorists.
Infosys will be shelling out around Rs.100,000 daily for the CISF cover. Infosys board member T.V. Mohandas Pai said CISF cover would soon be given to the entire Electronic City that houses several IT companies.
10. VHP NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT BHAVE PASSED AWAY: VHP national vice president Omkar Bhave passed away on July 23 following a brief illness. He was 85. Born on July 26, 1924 at Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, Bhave joined RSS in 1938. He later completed his graduation in 1945 and became a lifetime pracharak of Sangh and served the organisation in various capacities.
Bhave actively participated in Ram Janma Bhumi movement and in the movement launched during emergency in 1975. He was made national vice president of VHP this year.
11. EMOTIONS RULE AS KARGIL BRAVES ARE REMEMBERED: Tears rolled down the faces of family members of the fallen soldiers of Kargil war at the sight of memorials for their loved ones who helped trounce the Pakistani Army 10 years ago while colleagues and superiors paid emotional tributes to the heroes.
“Looking at the faces of the brave soldiers, kin of martyrs and awardees, I wonder what these heroes are made of? “Former Army chief VP Malik, who commanded the force during the Kargil conflict, said while dedicating a war memorial gallery in Drass named after Paramvir Chakra awardee Capt Manoj Panday on July 25.
"After the demise of my son it is the only happy day of my life. I am thankful that my son is finally recognised and remembered," said S P Kalia, father of Lt Saurabh Kalia who was among the first casualties of the Kargil conflict and was captured and brutally tortured by the Pakistani forces
12. INTEL CENTRES TO KEEP TABS ON CHINA'S MISSILES, NAVY: Stung by China's aggressive posturing, including its deployment of missiles in Delingha near Tibet, and other increasingly hostile activities in Bharat's neighbourhood, the Cabinet Committee on Security is considering a proposal to set up separate centres for nuclear or missile intelligence and maritime security.
The way these missiles have been deployed, they can only hit four countries -- Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar and Bharat. And because the other three countries are not potential adversaries of China, there is obviously deep concern here about China's intentions and you can say that this is one way of addressing this concern,'' said a source.
13. AKAL TAKHT TELLS SIKHS TO GO GREEN: Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal body, has embraced the save-the-environment mantra telling Sikhs across the world it was their ‘‘moral and religious duty’’ to care for the nature.
‘‘Whereever in the world you (Sikhs) may be, your focus should now be on cleaning up of natural water resources rather than building gurdwaras,’’ Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh said at a function on the ninth anniversary of cleaning of Kali Bein, a river in Kapurthala district.
The Kali Bein, a much polluted river flowing through Sultanpur Lodhi, was cleaned in an initiative by the Akhat Takht Jathedar through community participation.
14. IAF PLANES WITH SCIENTISTS TRACK TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE: The IAF on Jul 22 successfully undertook aerial sorties to help scientists undertake study of the total solar eclipse. Two separate missions from Agra and Gwalior were flown tracking and filming the entire sequence of the solar eclipse that was deemed hugely successful by scientists associated with the experiment. The AN-32 mission was flown at 25,000 feet. The aircraft flew a south-westerly course from Khajuraho, descending and aligning along the central axis of the eclipse. The Mirage-2000 fighter flew at an altitude of 42,000 feet bisecting the central axis in a north-south direction to film the eclipse.
“Ensuring the sun at 6 am position at the correct angle for cameras to be able to catch the phenomenon demanded a high degree of accuracy in flying,” explained Wing Commander D Singh.
15. BHARATIYA ECONOMY SHOWS SIGNS OF RECOVERY: Bharatiya economy showed definite sign of recovery in June as core industries grew 6.5 per cent in June compared to 2.8 per cent in the previous month.
Recording the fastest pace of growth in the past 18 months, excepting petroleum products, all other five industries namely coal, cement, crude oil, electricity, finished steel ended in the positive terrain. Apart from this, the core industries also displayed a growth scenario for the third month in a row for this fiscal totaling to a growth estimate of around 4.8 per cent as compared to 3.5 per cent during the corresponding period last year.
The Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma Minister said that stimulus packages and steps announced in the Budget are having a positive impact on industry. However, he also added that growth in the core sector does not mean that Bharat has fully recovered from the impact of the global economic crisis.
16. RAMESHBAI OZA INSPIRES FIJI: More than 4000 people gathered to listen to spiritual words delivered by the Sant Sri Rameshbhai Oza, on Jul 23 at Labasa, Fiji..
Sant Oza said he was attracted by the purity of the people and the environment; he said that he could feel that Labasa was closer to God in nature. “People’s emotions are very much pure and they are more dedicated to God,” he said. “I would like to tell everybody in this island to remain with nature and to see God all the time. The best thing is to get away from all the bad habits; stay pure”.
Local priest Kamlesh Maharaj expressed how important the sant’s visit was to the people and said “We learn many basics of philosophy of Hinduism and moral values that we need to practice in our society today. He also helps us to develop our spiritual growth, which is a very important part of life.”
17. ABJECT SURRENDER AT SHARM: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has once again cravenly capitulated to American pressure and Pakistani skulduggery, this time in a shockingly shameful manner. The joint statement issued after Mr Singh’s meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on Thursday not only marks a sharp departure from stated policy but is also a measure of the pusillanimity of the man who now claims that nothing has been surrendered and the huge concessions that have been made actually reflect his Government’s commitment and determination! This is, of course, far from the truth. Pakistan has long been demanding, especially ever since it launched the ghastly 26/11 fidayeen attack on Mumbai, that notwithstanding its sponsorship of cross-border jihadi violence, India should continue with the composite dialogue process by delinking it from terrorism. Till Thursday, the Government had been firm, or seemingly so, in rebuffing Islamabad’s demand and insisting that talks can be resumed only after Pakistan demonstrates its commitment to curbing terrorism emanating from its soil and acts against those who plotted the terror strike on Mumbai. Between November 26, 2008 and July 16, 2009, Pakistan has neither shown any interest in dismantling the jihad factories that are sustained by the ISI with the blessings of both Islamabad and Rawalpindi, nor has it convincingly pursued the prosecution of those who plotted the massacre of 189 innocent people in Mumbai. On the contrary, the sophistry with which the Pakistani establishment has facilitated the release of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba’s chief terrorist, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, from ‘house arrest’ that followed the UN Security Council imposing sanctions against Jamaat-ud-Dawa’h, and its scoffing at the evidence provided by India only underscores its determination to persist with cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy. Protected and mollycoddled by the US — the Obama Administration has been exceptionally generous in funding the criminal enterprise that controls Pakistan — the PPP Government has been cocking a snook at India and daring it to take punitive action. Instead of standing up to Mr Gilani and his benefactors in Washington, DC, Mr Singh has compromised national interest by agreeing to the outrageous, Pakistan-dictated, US-enforced condition that “action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed”. This means Mr Singh’s Government will discuss all outstanding issues, including Jammu & Kashmir, while Pakistan will continue to spill the blood of innocent Indians. Yet, the Prime Minister, having so timidly surrendered India’s advantage, now wants the country to believe that delinking of dialogue from terrorism is not a dilution of his Government’s stand but strengthens it. Mr Singh’s brazen attempt to mislead Parliament, and thus the nation, is reminiscent of the manner in which he foisted the US-dictated nuclear deal on India to our detriment.
As if this were not enough, Mr Singh has allowed, and stunningly so, Mr Gilani to include a cunning reference to Baluchistan in the joint statement, thus legitimising Pakistan’s bogus claim that India has been fomenting Baluchi unrest.
Does the Prime Minister realise the enormity of the blunder he has committed? Is he able to comprehend the consequences of this shifting of goalposts to Pakistan’s advantage? Recall Mr Singh’s abject surrender in Havana where he hugged Gen Pervez Musharraf and declared that both Pakistan and India are victims of terrorism, thus equating the perpetrator of terror with the victim. In the same vein, he has once again equated the terrorism India faces with the terrorism that has begun to recoil on its sponsors in Pakistan. If this is not a concession, if this does not reflect the warped thinking of a gutless Government unable to distinguish national interest from Pakistani perfidy, then Pakistan would not have been laughing at India today. - The Pioneer Editorial 18 July 2009
18. BHARAT TO HAVE 3RD LARGEST NUMBER OF INTERNET USERS BY 2013: The number of internet users worldwide is expected to touch 2.2 billion by 2013 and Bharat is projected to have the third largest online population during the same time, says a report.
"... Bharat will be the third largest internet user base by 2013 - with China and the US taking the first two spots, respectively," technology and market research firm Forrester Research said in a report.
Titled 'Global Online Population Forecast, 2008 to 2013', the report noted that emerging markets like Bharat would see a growth of 10 to 20 per cent by 2013. Bharat’s number of Internet users was estimated to be 52 million in 2008.
19. WITH DOWNTURN NRI PROFS LOOK HOMEWARDS: A good number of the applications for faculty positions lately received by the Indian Institutes of Technology have come from Bharatiyas working or studying abroad. Half the candidates recently selected by IIT Ropar had been based abroad when they applied. So too were a third of those taken in at IIT Hyderabad, and a fourth of those who joined IIT, Bhubaneshwar. Nor were all applicants youngsters.
"Some of the CVs we got were from senior faculty members abroad, who had lost their jobs because of the downturn,” said MK Surappa, Director of IIT Ropar, Haryana.
Niloy Mitra, currently teaching at IIT Delhi’s department of computer science and engineering, post graduated from Stanford University in the United States, and got his Ph.D. from Vienna’s Technical University. But he has no regrets about having returned to Bharat. "The salary difference is huge between Bharatiya teachers and those in the West," he admitted. "But now it is possible to get research grants and the teaching load too is lighter than in the West."
20. TAMIL NADU VILLAGE’S BANANA BONANZA: Sarees made from banana fibre?:
Yes, they existed during the Ramayana era; and the art has been revived after several millennia at a village near Chennai. What’s more, these sarees are eco-friendly. And no, they aren’t slippery.
Several months of trial and error later, Sekar, president of the Anakaputhur Jute Weaver’s Association, and 30 fellow weavers perfected the art of extracting fibres from plantain stems and weaving them.
Now, the association sells 150 such sarees, spun from a mix of banana and cotton or silk fibres, every month at Rs 700-2,500 each.“We will also shortly apply for a patent,” said Sekar.
It was sheer survival instinct that led him to this innovation. A booming handloom centre even 10 years ago, 95 per cent of Anaka-puthur’s 7,000 looms have shut down since then. “There was no market for jute-based handlooms, and the future looked bleak. Fortunately, the banana sarees have been received well,” Sekar, who displayed them for the first time at the Banana Festival in Chennai, told HT.
21. BHARAT HANDLING SWINE FLU BETTER: Bharat’s handling of swine flu got a thumbs-up from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
“Developing countries such as Bharat have so far been able to handle the situation better. It's commendable, there’ve been no death,” said Dan Rutz, who chairs the Global Health Communication Team in the National Centre for Health Marketing at CDC.
The US has reported 43,771 cases and 302 deaths till Friday, July 24, the last date for which data is available. "Deaths were high because the outbreak caught America by surprise one fine morning and people here (in developing countries) had few weeks time to prepare," he said.
22. GAYATRI DEVI: A FAIRY TALE LIFE: Gayatri Devi, the former maharani of Jaipur who passed away Jul 29 , was "one of the last remaining symbols of Bharat's feudal past" and led "a life of novelistic dimensions, part E.M. Forster, part Jackie Collins", says the New York Times.
And "yet the maharani was idolized by the lower-caste Bharatiyas who elected her to parliament by an overwhelming margin, and she was a special inspiration to Bharatiya women of all castes", the Times wrote in an obituary.
The Times recalled that in 1975, after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency, Gayatri Devi was among the many political opponents of the Congress who were arrested and jailed.
"She led a life of novelistic dimensions, part E.M. Forster, and part Jackie Collins. Born into royalty and married to royalty, she had almost unimaginable wealth, and she spent her early life, as a girl and a young woman, in palaces in Bharat and estates in England.
The obituary quotes from a New York Times Magazine report of 1966. Referring to a government briefing Gayatri Devi attended, the report noted: "She was dressed in a turquoise-blue chiffon sari with silver sequins sparkling like stars on a moonless night. She looked around with her large almond eyes. Everyone stood up. As Hillaire Belloc once described someone, 'her face was like the king's command when all the swords are drawn'."
23. NIRUPAMA RAO BHARAT'S FOREIGN SECRETARY: Nirupama Rao took charge as Bharat's foreign secretary on Aug 1 and stressed that she will focus on upgrading the Foreign Service to enable New Delhi to play 'an even more prominent role in world affairs'.
Chokila Iyer was the first woman to serve as Bharat's foreign secretary in 2001. A topper of the 1973 Indian Foreign Service batch, Rao became the first woman spokesperson of the external affairs ministry in 2001. She then went on become the Bharatiya envoy to Sri Lanka and then China before returning to New Delhi.
'Today, in a rapidly evolving world situation, the task is to further augment our diplomatic and professional capabilities as we are called upon to play an even more prominent role in world affairs...This will be an important area of focus in my new responsibilities,' Rao said.
24. IVHP ADOPTS STREET CHILDREN: Indraprastha Vishwa Hindu Parishad (IVHP) adopted 25 street children from various slums of Delhi for providing free education, health and for all-round development. Most of the children belong to the families where parents are suffering from leprosy for a long time. About half a dozen children are from the families of Dadiya Luhar who are said to be the ancestors of the great emperor Maharana Pratap.
Blessing the children at Saraswati Bal Mandir, Nehru Nagar, social worker and director of an orphanage home Sadhvi Samta Shri said we feel proud when a child picked up from streets performs with flying colours. I am confident that the children would become educationally, culturally and physically sound, she added.
25. ANDHRA HIGH COURT STAYS STATE FUNDING OF CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGE: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on July 22 stayed a state government order providing financial assistance to Christians for pilgrimage to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and other places connected with the life of Jesus Christ. A division bench headed by Chief Justice A.R. Dave ruled that the government should not spend public money for any pilgrimage.
The court order came on a public interest litigation challenging the constitutional validity of the order issued by the minorities welfare department by which the state government had announced a financial assistance of Rs.20,000 to each Christian pilgrim undertaking seven-day tour to Jordan and Israel.
26. KANNADA IN BAVARIA UNIVERSITY: The Bavarian government has sought Karnataka's support for teaching Kannada in the University of Wurzburg.
Besides, the Bavarian government under an agreement signed between the two states on July 28, has agreed to extend scholarships to students of Gulbarga and Karnatak Universities under the student-exchange programme, exchange scholars and hold various other seminars and programs.
27. FIRST AUSTRALIANS WERE BHARATIYA: RESEARCH: Clues about how the first Aborigines arrived in Australia have been unveiled by Bharatiya scientists. Based on a series of genetic tests, they believe Aborigines travelled from Africa to Australia via Bharat. Dr Raghavendra Rao and researchers from the Bharatiya-government backed Anthropological Survey of Bharat project found unique genetic mutations were shared between modern-day Bharatiyas and Aborigines, suggesting Australia's indigenous people had spent time on the subcontinent.
The scientists did genetic tests on 966 individuals from 26 of Bharat's "relic populations" and identified seven people from central Dravidian and Austro-Asiatic tribes who shared genetic traits only found in Aborigines. "We found certain mutations in the DNA sequences of the Bharatiyas tribes … that are specific to Aborigines," Dr Rao said.
28. HINDUSTANI MUSIC EXPONENT GANGUBAI HANGAL PASSES AWAY: Doyen of Hindustani vocal music Gangubai Hangal, who mesmerized audiences with her melodious voice for over six decades, passed away at a hospital in Hubli on Jul 21 after a brief illness.
Recipient of many international accolades and national awards including Padma Vibhushan and Tansen award, Gangubai, affectionately known as "Baiji" among the music fraternity, gave her first concert to a select audience on December 15, 2005 after recovering from cancer. Undeterred by her failing health, the renowned musician was still teaching music to her disciples who came from as far as Mumbai and Sangli in Maharashtra.
29. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Visitors: Prof. Prem Sankhyan from Norway; Shri D. B. Sinchauri from Bhutan; Shri Chaman Lal Gohil from UK. Pravas: Dr. .Shankar Tatwawadi, Samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will visit UK, Norway and Denmark, Shri Ramchandra Pandey will visit Kenya and South Africa while Vandaneeya Pramilatai – Pramukh Sanchalika Rashtra Sevika Samiti is in Kenya along with Bhagyashree Sathe. Shri Ravi Kumar, sah-samyojak vishwa vibhag is back in Bharat from Australia.
30. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: When totally free from outer contacts a man finds happiness in himself, He is fully trained in God’s discipline and reaches unending bliss. The experiences we owe to our sense of touch are only sources of unpleasantness. They have a beginning and an end. A wise man takes no pleasure in them. That man is disciplined and happy who can prevail over the turmoil that springs from desire and anger, here on earth, before he leaves his body. -- SriBhagvad Geeta
JAI SHREE RAM
LEFT SEES RED OVER SANSKRIT
SANDEEP B
The arguments against the setting up of a Sanskrit university in Karnataka are rooted in Marxist opposition to any effort to preserve and revive India’s cultural heritage
Ever since the Government announced the idea of forming a Sanskrit university in Karnataka, the forces of hell have been unleashed there. Normally, the two main Opposition parties who are always opposed to each other on every issue in the State are now united in their opposition to this proposal.
Sanskrit-bashing has been in vogue ever since it was institutionalised under the aegis of the Nehruvian secularist state. India’s first brown sahib wrote about Sanskrit in flowery English, but failed to grasp its fragrance. The result was the perpetuation of the missionary system of education that severed hundreds of thousands of Indians from their own roots. That kind of education apart from generating employment breeds a curious sense of audacious entitlement bred by ignorance. And so, these worthies call Sanskrit a “dead” language without learning it.
Ask them why, and you get a list of ‘evidences’ stained with colonial and Marxist hues of Indian history. The ‘dead’ tag has become political fodder for all opponents of Sanskrit. But fundamentally, it stems from a vituperative hatred of Brahmins.
According to this theory, Sanskrit is supposedly associated to Brahmins because it was the language of priests during the Vedic times. This language was kept ‘secret’ and deliberately not taught to the ‘oppressed classes’. The latest variation of this theory is that we need languages that generate employment and Sanskrit doesn’t qualify for this. By this logic, most if not all Indian regional languages qualify as ‘dead’ languages.
Realistically, how many regional languages are used in everyday business? Also, establishing a Sanskrit university is supposed to somehow endanger Kannada’s survival, another baseless argument as we shall see.
The whole hoopla over renaming cities, roads, and insistence on governmental transactions in a particular regional language shows the desperation to retain the ‘purity’ of these languages in face of the onslaught of English.
What these purity proponents don’t realise is that you cannot preserve Indian languages by severing their inextricable link with Sanskrit. The vocabulary and grammar of most Indian languages are derived from Sanskrit. From Telugu (which exhibits the maximum influence of Sanskrit), Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, and Oriya, the root of every Indian language is Sanskrit. Cut off this root and every language will need to find new words for common terms like marg, jan, mantri, parishad, sabha, baarish, sri, guru, and so on. Also, is it a mere coincidence that the script of most major Indian languages (barring all South Indian languages) is a variant of Devanagari, the script of Sanskrit?
There’s plentiful research that shows that Sanskrit was not the language of just the Vedic priests. The most readily available evidence is the Sanskrit idioms that have an echo in their regional counterparts like galli ka kutta, road romeo, eve-teaser, and so on. The obvious conclusion is that Sanskrit was a language of the lay man.
Sanskrit is what gives identity to the Indian civilisation as we know it. From Valmiki to Kalidas, every major Sanskrit literary work spoke of this identity in its own way. From the fourth canto of Raghuvamsham, which describes the length and breadth of India to Meghadootam, where the cloud-messenger describes in intense detail the beauty of the varying diversity of India. Both these exalted works contain the subtext of the cultural unity of the nation. And it is what our secularists want us to forget in their hollow trumpeting of ‘composite culture’ (sic), which actually means denying India its heritage to which Sanskrit contributes the lion’s share.
The real reason for opposing the founding of a Sanskrit university in Karnataka is starkly political than anything noble. It reeks of the tired old rhetoric of Brahmins-are-the-root-of-all-evil-in-India. Those opposing the move have exactly zero accomplishment in promoting the cause of Kannada. Besides, the other overarching factor is that there’s a BJP Government in Karnataka.
We only need to look at all the other Sanskrit universities in India to expose this woeful reasoning. How many of these Sanskrit universities have threatened the language of the State in which they are situated? Or is Kannada (or Telugu or Bengali) that fragile that it can’t withstand Sanskrit’s influence? History shows that Indian regional languages were actually enriched by close contact with Sanskrit and vice versa.
There’s a reason why regional languages are struggling for survival. The Nehruvian state’s removal of Sanskrit from the education system robbed these languages of their original richness. As a result, the Hindi or Tamil we get to hear in the cities contain more English than Hindi or Tamil.
The Karnataka Government’s move is more than welcome. If the Sanskrit university revives the defining language of India, it will create a generation of self-aware and proud Indians who will (hopefully) rediscover the genius of India and Sanskrit. - The Pioneer, 16 July 2009.