1. FESTIVALS: Janakpur marks Vivaha
Panchami with fanfare: Thousands
of devotees gathered at Barhabigha area in Janakpur, Nepal on November 26th to
observe Vivaha Panchami, a weeklong festival held every five years that
marks the wedding between Bhagwan Ram and Sita (Janaki). A wedding
procession was taken out from Janaki Temple that converged at Barahabigha
for Swayambar, a part of the Hindu marriage ritual. Following the ceremony,
the procession moved around the town. More than 100,000 devotees from
various parts of the country, as well as from Bharat, had arrived in
Janakpur for the festival. -go top
2. SANATANA DHARMA RESURGENCE
MOVEMENT GETS BIG BOOST AT WORLD HINDU CONGRESS
By J.V. Lakshmana Rao
One of the prestigious landmarks of Bharat’s capital city –
Hotel Ashok International – wore a festival look with over 1,800 delegates,
including 800 delegates from 50 countries congregated for a three-day
deliberations addressed by 200 speakers in three plenary sessions and seven
conventions that began on November 21 and concluded on November 23.The theme
envisioned for this historic event was the Hindu principle of
Sangachchhadhwam Samvadadhwam, which means ”Step together, express
together”. About 10 percent of the attendees were women, who dressed in
crisp saris and other Bharatiya dresses.
The inaugural session of the historic congress was addressed
by Dalai Lama, Dr. Mohanrao Bhagwat, Sarasanghachalak, RSS; Dr. Ashok
Singhal, patron, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) ; Justice C.V. Wigneswaran,
Chief Minister, Northern Province of Sri Lanka and other dignitaries. Swami
Dayananda Saraswati, a distinguished traditional teacher of Vedanta, could
not attend the congress because of age-related ailment. Swami Vigyananad who
was the brain behind the congress said while explaining the aims and
objectives of the Congress, that one in every six people of the world was a
Hindu, and Hindus carried great traditions in all fields. “Therefore we
should develop a system of education to sustain Hindu excellence. Hindu
resurgence is the need of the hour. The youth are underutilized. They must
be trained to take Hindu excellence to the next level. Only then Hindus will
be respected all over the world. This august gathering aims to devise that
system of Hindu resurgence,” he added. Delivering his inaugural address
titled -- Hindu-Buddhist brotherhood of Dharma, a uniting factor -- the
chief guest, Dalai Lama, said that all human beings were born with same
traits mentally, physically and emotionally. There was love and affection in
everybody. But the differences among people were created by people
themselves. “We should learn to respect all differences. The Indus
civilization is very ancient civilization. It created great thinkers. When
knowledge improves it develops new things.
Thousands of years ago, Buddhism was much developed one
because of it following non-traditional ways, but it respected all ancient
Hindu traditions. Modern Hindus are becoming Westernized. But now you are
trying to return to that ancient wisdom. I respect Hindus, who have
mastered the modern sciences and technology, and secured a place in the
world. To counter today’s problems; we have to develop positive emotions.
Knowledge is important to offset destructive emotions. A Hindu is aware of
inner peace. The world can be peaceful if we develop constructive and
compassionate emotions,” he added.
He said that Ahimsa (non-violence) and religious tolerance
were traits of all Hindus. Wherever Chinese went, they created China towns;
therefore to create and establish Bharat’s ancient culture, the Bharatiyas
must create Bharat towns wherever they would go in the world. “You should
create Bharatiya cultural centers, thus help the world. By doing so you
will establish good relations between Hindus and the people of the world.
You will also unite the Hindus spread all over the world,” he said.
Dalai Lama said that philosophical views might be difficult
to understand for many, but everyone would yearn for peace. “While you
practice your rituals, you can also spread love and peace. I am hoping that
one day we will all have deeper experiences and deeper spiritual
understanding. Bharat is a land of ancient knowledge, which is relevant
even to modern society,” he concluded amid thunderous applause.
Ashok Singhal said that Vishva Hindu Parishad aimed at
creating a fearless Hindu society. “We celebrate August 15 as Bharat’s
independence day. We got political independence but we should strive to get
independence of free mind and thinking, and promote peace in the world. We
have our own government, but it is not allowed to work for us. If the
government does not safeguard Hindus there can be no future for Hindu
society. Hinduism seeks world peace and considers the world is one family –
Vasudhaiva kutumbakam. Hindus must protect their self-respect. VHP and RSS
are working towards that goal,” he said.
Ashok Singhal said that agitations would not help achieving
goals. Foreign elements were following Hindu thought. Big forces were
working against Hindus. Rama Janma Bhoomi agitation had awakened need for
Hindu resurgence. Prithviraj Chouhan had sown seeds of Hindu awakening 800
years ago. It was time to revive that spirit. Sanatana Dharma had connected
countries like Nepal to Bharat. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata had shown
that the evil was fought against to achieve peace. That was the Hindu spirit
to achieve peace.
Justice C.V. Wigneswaran said that truth was universal in a
pluralistic society and political power was derived from it. Bharat had
exemplified it, though peace was threatened there. Because of threat to
Hinduism, several pro-Hindu organizations had come together that led to the
formation of VHP to create greater understanding of Hinduism. VHP restored
pride among Hindus by launching a revivalist movement.
He said that Hindu temples were destroyed in Sri Lanka to
dismantle the Hindu society. Dalai Lama issued a declaration against the
Hindu oppression in Sri Lanka. The most important realization was the need
to protect religious minorities in Sri Lanka. Hindus were needed to be
protected.
Justice Wigneswaran sought suggestions to take up Hindu
renaissance movement in Sri Lanka, and paid tributes to Bharat’s Prime
Minister Narendra Modi for launching “Clean Bharat” campaign.
Speaking on “Right time for global Hindu re-emergence and
collective efforts of Hindu society,” Dr. Mohanrao Bhagwat said that Hindus
were seeking an identity among the people of the world. It was right time
for such an effort. “The balancing comes to those people, who think and act
alike. Unity in diversity is the beauty of Bharatiya thought. This august
gathering is an example of our effort to unite people. It’s not against any
religion. Let us rise in unison as a Hindu society. Let us work and
demonstrate it as Hindus. Let us exemplify collective endurance of Hindu
society. Let us show the value of sameness of humanity. Let us stop not
till we achieve it. That is Sanathan Dharma. Let us work together to
achieve Hindu resurgence,” he concluded.
Thorough debates by several experts and intellectuals
resulted in valuable suggestions at the seven panel discussions held on
topics like World Hindu Economic Forum; Hindu Educational Conference; Hindu
Women’s Conference; Hindu Youth Conference; Hindu Media Conference; Hindu
Organizational Conference; and Hindu Political Conference.
The 200 speakers at the conferences consisted of stalwarts
like political and economic thinkers, intellectuals, scientists in various
fields, industrialists, educationists and mediapersons. Some of the notable
speakers were Smriti Irani, Union Minister of Human Resource Development;
Dr. Vijay Bhatkar, an acclaimed scientist; Dr. Nachiketa Tiwari, an
associate professor at IIT Kanpur; Dr. Viswanathan, founder and chancellor
of VIT University, Vellore; Dr. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of State
for Commerce and Industry; Dr. Pravin Togadia, a cancer specialist and top
VHP leader; and Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Shipping and
Transportation.
The next WHC will be hosted in the United States of America
in 2018. The World Hindu Economic Forum will meet in London in September
2015. -go top
3. MANGALYAAN AMONG BEST INVENTIONS OF 2014: TIME MAGAZINE: Time
magazine has declared Bharat’s Mangalyaan as one of the best inventions of
the year. Calling it as "The Supersmart Spacecraft," Time said, "Nobody gets
Mars right on the first try. The US didn't, Russia didn't, the Europeans
didn't. But on September 24, Bharat did. That's when the Mangalyaan went
into orbit around the Red Planet, a technological feat no other Asian nation
has yet achieved."Mangalyaan is among the 25 'Best Inventions of 2014'
listed by Time magazine that are "making the world better, smarter and in
some cases a little more fun."
Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Mars
spacecraft cost Bharat just USD 74 million, less than the budget for the
multi-Academy Award winning science fiction thriller film Gravity. Time said
at that price, the Mangalyaan is equipped with just five onboard instruments
that allow it to do simple tasks like measure Martian methane and surface
composition.
"More important, however, it allows India to flex its
interplanetary muscles, which portends great things for the country's space
program and for science in general," Time said.
-go top
4. OBAMA
INVOKES BHARATIYA-AMERICAN SCHOLAR THOMAS KAILATH: US
President Obama on November 20 invoked Kailath's life, work, and philosophy
as an example of how the United States needs to keep its doors open to
high-skilled foreign immigrants.
The occasion was the awarding of the annual National Medals
for science, technology, and innovation in the White House, an event Obama's
scientific advisor John Holdren says always perks of the President weighed
down with a myriad issues (since this involves meeting problem-solvers).
As one of 19 honorees, Kailath might have expected to have
his medal presented and moved on. Instead, Obama, with a landmark
immigration speech ahead of him, chose to dwell on the Bharatiya-American
who is a legend in Silicon Valley and in academia, having mentored scores of
scholars and successful companies.
"As Thomas Kailath, one of our honorees today says,
'Scientists are intrinsically hopeful and believe in grand answers and that
if we work hard enough we can find some of them in our lifetime,'" Obama
began. "I'm intrinsically hopeful," he grinned, repeating the phrase. That's
who I am. That's who we are as a people, as Americans, as a nation. We've
had to fight to make stories like the ones here in this room not only
possible, but sometimes likely." -go
top
5. NARENDRA MODI HAS TURNED BHARAT INTO A MAGNET: MCKINSEY
CEO DOMINIC BARTON: Dominic
Barton, the CEO of the world's largest whiteshoe consulting firm, McKinsey,
says that Bharat is back on the priority list of CEOs after Narendra Modi's
ascension to power. "People had given up on Bharat. They felt Bharat is too
complicated and it was difficult to get anything done. It had dropped in the
last five years on people's priority (list). I think it has gone right back
up, people are interested, obviously people are going to want to see action
but I think the feeling is they will, because this government seems
serious," says Barton.
PM Narendra Modi's high profile, the outcome of addresses at
New York's Madison Square Garden and Sydney's Allphones Arena has helped
advance Bharat's cause in global boardrooms. "I hear people say he seems
very determined... We know it is unbelievably complicated but he is going to
get it done. I see it in pharmaceuticals, industrial companies and the
pension funds. The pension funds are interested and that is a big
opportunity and so we are interested in getting more investment here too,"
says Barton. -go top
6. MODI IN SYDNEY: SETS DEADLINE FOR MERGER OF OCI AND PIO
SCHEMES: Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on November 17 said the differences between Overseas
Citizenship of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) schemes would
be ended by January 2015. Addressing the Bharatiya community at the
Allphones Arena in Sydney, the Prime Minister called upon Bharatiyas across
the world to convert the atmosphere of hope and optimism into a reality of
meeting the expectations and aspirations of Bharat`s people.
The PM said on the basis of his experience of the last six
months, he could see no reason why the aspirations of millions of Bharatiyas
could not be fulfilled. He referred to Swami Vivekananda`s dream of seeing
Mother Bharat as a 'Vishva Guru' once again, and said he believed that dream
would be a reality.
The Prime Minister congratulated and complimented the
Bharatiya Australian community for working hard and making their 'karmbhoomi'
proud. He named prominent Bharatiya-Australians who had excelled for
Australia in sports and academics. -go
top
7. CREATE NEW EDUCATION MODEL ACCEPTABLE TO ALL:
MOHAN BHAGWAT: RSS
Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat asked the intellectuals, educationists
and academicians to come out with a new indigenous model of education that
would be universal in its appeal and produce better human beings.
"The change is much-needed and even cause of worry because
education shapes the next generation and impacts whole of humanity. Several
thinkers with varying ideological affinities are at work. So we have a huge
responsibility, more so with the whole world hoping that Bharat would show
the path to better learning for peaceful and contended life," said the RSS
chief. -go top
8. MORE TECHIES TURN SEVAKS, LOG
INTO RSS IT MILANS: Yashas
Nataraj, 31, an IIM-B alumnus with a master's from Singapore, joined IT
Milan 18 months ago. Since then, there has been no looking back.
Like him, around 2,200 techie swayamsevaks have joined IT
Milans in the city since 2001 when the first shakha was launched by the RSS.
"It's a like-minded group and good eco-system to contribute
to the society and fashion the national discourse. At the shakha, we start
with physical exercises like yoga and Surya Namaskar, after which we discuss
various issues, including national security, foreign policy and social
issues," he said.
IT Milans are a weekly adaptation of the daily RSS Shakha
(gathering of swayamsevaks at a common place for an hour daily). It
comprises professionals, mostly from the IT sector.
With 110 shakhas, Bengaluru is home to half the 225 IT Milans
in the country. Mysuru has two Shakhas. At an average of 20 members per IT
Milan, there are about 2,200 techie Swayamsevaks in the city.
"It's growing every year. The online registration has
increased," said Suresh Nayak, an RSS pracharak. The concept was launched in
Bengaluru in 2001 to attract outsiders (non-Kannadigas) in the IT industry.
The saffron IT brigade has kept pace with the growth of IT. This year alone,
the organization has started about a dozen IT Milans in the city.
How's it different from a regular shakha? The regular shakha
is a daily affair, while IT Milan is held on Sundays, normally between 8 am
and 9 am.
The regular shakhas are held in Kannada, while IT Milan will
be either in Hindi or English or Kannada, depending on the profile of the
volunteers. However, like in a daily shakha, IT Milans also have physical
exercises, patriotic songs, group discussions and prayer. "As they are
professionals, there will be more intellectual activity. The focus is more
on how they could help the society," Nayak said.
Besides attending shakhas, the groups take active part in
Swachh Bharat campaign and activities of NGOs associated with the RSS.
3,400 SHAKHAS & 1.2 LAKH VOLUNTEERS!
Karnataka has 3,400 RSS Shakhas, including 600 added in the
past four years, and around 1.2 lakh swayamsevaks (above 18 years). The
process of joining is easy. There is no fee or registration. Once a person
starts attending a shakha, he becomes a member.
A senior RSS leader, who didn't wish to be quoted, said, "We
record about 30,000 online registrations, of which 1,000 are from outside
the country. In Karnataka, the trend (attraction towards the RSS) has been
there for the last three-and-a-half to four years.''
"Both interest and awareness about nationalism and the RSS
have increased after Narendra Modi became the prime minister,'' said Radha
Krishna Holla, who handles the RSS media relations.
(Times of India, December 2, 2014)
-go top
9. A BRAVE DAUGHTER OF MADURAI: Dr.
Kalyani Gomathinayagam is a young Bharatiya doctor who volunteered to spend
four weeks in Foya, Liberia (West Africa) during September-October, 2014,
helping those suffering and dying of Ebola, the awful epidemic. She was one
of the few doctors, and likely the only Bharatiya, who had volunteered to
work in that region. Kalyani is no stranger to practicing medicine in rough
situations. After her medical training in Madurai, and working in rural
Kerala, she opted to spend a decade working as a medical officer with the
Indo-Tibetan Border Police at extremely isolated regions on the border,
including remote places in Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, as well as
a stint, once, on the Kailas-Mansarovar yatra route at Kunji Post.
“The most heartening news is that for the past one month they
have not recorded any new case coming from Foya. There are some cases in the
periphery -- in other districts. On the whole I think the community has
really participated a lot in bringing the epidemic under control in Foya.
That’s a good sign.” -go top
10. AKASH MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY
TEST-FIRED FOR SECOND DAY: For the second
consecutive day, Bharat successfully test-fired its indigenously developed
surface-to-air ‘Akash’ missile from a test range in Odisha as part of the
user trial by the air force.
The trial of the missile was ‘fully successful’; ITR director
M V K V Prasad said on November 18, adding that it hit a para-barrel target.
The test fire was a practice and evaluation trial for a new
squadron and a repeat performance as the medium range missile had been
test-fired successfully on November 17 from the same test range.
’Akash’ missile is a medium range surface-to-air
anti—aircraft defence system with a strike range of 25 km and can carry a
warhead of 60 kg. It has the capability to target aircraft up to 30 km away
and is packed with a battery that can track and attack several targets
simultaneously.
With its capability to neutralize aerial targets like fighter
jets, cruise missiles and air—to—surface missiles, defense experts compare
‘Akash’ to the similar weapons of many other advanced countries.
-go top
11. ‘RESPECT EVERY MEMBER OF HINDU SOCIETY EQUALLY': RSS
Sarakaryavah Bhayyaji Joshi chaired a Social Harmony Meet (Samajik
Sadbhavana Goshti) at Jammu on November 23. Several socio-religious leaders,
social activists attended the meet and discussed the speedy mechanisms to
achieve social harmony.
Addressing on the occasion Bhayyaji Joshi said, “We need to
think above the caste factor and as Hindu we need to communicate and indulge
in daily activities in the society. Every member of Hindu society should be
equally respected. This will solve several problems. Law has its
limitations, cannot eradicate the problem fully. Individually everyone
should think and work for a change to achieve social harmony. To make Bharat
Vishwaguru; we need to unite and strengthen Hindu society”. Pranth Pracharak
Ramesh Pappa and other senior functionaries were present for the program.
-go top
12. HINDUS MAKE IMPRINT ON PITTSBURGH RELIGIOUS SCENE: Seated
in front of the floodlit, intricately sculpted façade of their Hindu temple
in Penn Hills – Pennsylvania USA, hundreds of people recently looked into
the October night sky, their faces glowing with the colors of fireworks
bursting overhead to mark Diwali, a festival of lights marking the god’s
victory over darkness and ignorance. Of all the Pittsburgh’s immigrant
groups, its 10,000-strong Bharatiya-born community has made the most visible
imprint on its diverse religious scene.
Bharatiya-Americans have organized two major Hindu temples
and other smaller Hindu institutions, as well as a Jain shrine, a Sikh
temple besides a small Christian congregation. Worshipers prayed before the
idol of the deity to whom the temple is dedicated – Sri Venkateswara, an
incarnation of Vishnu, surrounded by consorts Lakshmi and Bhoodevi,
goddesses of wealth and the earth. The deities were surrounded by gifts such
as floral garlands, mango leaves and rice.
-go top
13. BHARATIYA - AMERICAN NAMED CHAIRPERSON OF DALLAS FED
BOARD: Bharatiya
- American Renu Khator has been named the chairperson of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Dallas' board of directors. 59-year-old Khator, who has served as
the president of University of Houston (UH) and chancellor of UH System,
joined the board in 2011 and was appointed deputy chair two years later.
Khator was UH System's first woman chancellor, UH's first foreign-born
president and the first ever Bharatiya immigrant to lead a comprehensive
research university in the US. Since 2008, she has overseen the UH System's
more than 65,000 students and a budget of over USD 1.3 billion.
Khator, born in Farrukhabad - Uttar Pradesh, earned her
bachelor's degree from Kanpur before pursuing her master's degree and a Ph.D
in political science from Purdue University in the US. A noted scholar in
the field of global environmental policy, she has published numerous books
and articles on the subject. -go top
14. HAF APPLAUDS TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL
CHANGES IN DEPICTION OF HINDUISM IN TEXAS: In
a landmark moment for the Hindu American community, the Texas State Board of
Education voted in third week of November 2014 to adopt new textbooks that
dramatically improve the way Hinduism is depicted. The Hindu American
Foundation (HAF) was involved in the adoption process from the beginning,
working with scholars and historians to ensure a constructive and accurate
understanding of Hinduism. As a result of the changes made by publishers in
response to HAF's reviews, the textbooks now present a picture of Hinduism
that emphasizes the religion's core philosophies with accurate explanations
of key concepts.
"This is a game-changing moment for our community," said
Houston-based HAF Board Member Rishi Bhutada, testified before the state
board in September, urging changes to the proposed content. "This is the
first time that this type of textbook reform has ever been accomplished on a
statewide level anywhere in the US, and to do it in Texas, one of the two
biggest textbook markets in the country, is amazing."
Educators, several publishers, and other advocacy groups
worked closely with HAF to make sure the representations of Hinduism were
not steeped in the archaic and inaccurate "caste, cows, and karma" approach
that has dominated textbook content for years.
-go top
15. BHARATIYA COUPLE IN UK IS THE WORLD'S OLDEST PARTNERS: A
Bharatiya couple, both over 100 years old and said to be the world's oldest
partners, has celebrated their joint birthdays on November 23 in the UK. The
couple tied the knot almost 89 years ago on December 11, 1925 after meeting
in Bharat as teenagers.
They married the same year Margaret Thatcher was born and
Stanley Baldwin was British prime minister. Karam Chand, a retired mill
worker, reached 109 on the same day his wife turned 102. They marked the
occasion with four generations of their family at their home in Bradford.
-go top
16. US HISTORIAN INSISTS 'ARYANS WERE INDIGENOUS TO BHARAT': Throwing
his weight behind the ‘Aryan Project’ by Delhi University’s Sanskrit
department, noted American scholar David Frawley said there is a need for an
extensive new Vedic study, and insisted that Aryans were indigenous to
Bharat.
“There is a need for extensive new Vedic study and research
in Bharat, including considering the mantric and yogic dimensions of Vedic
knowledge,” Frawley said on November 24 while giving a presentation of his
findings on ‘Aryan Theory in The Light of Textual Evidences’.
Vedic literary evidence — the largest, best preserved and
most complete from the early ancient world — reflects a compilation over a
long period of time by several kingdoms and dynasties, he said. The Sanskrit
department, which has started the project to prove that Aryans were
indigenous to the country, will hold at least seven lectures. It also plans
to invite national and international scholars to speak on the issue.
-go top
17. BHARAT SHOULD BRING BACK AREAS LOST TO PAKISTAN,
CHINA: INDRESH: Senior
RSS leader Indresh Kumar on November 17 suggested that Bharat should take
steps to reclaim territories which are controlled by Pakistan and China. He
also said the people from the Valley who have left Jammu and Kashmir due to
terrorism must be brought back in the greater interest of democracy.
Releasing a book, Plight of Jammu and Kashmir, by Justice (retd)
G D Sharma, RSS national executive member Kumar mentioned a Parliament
resolution on reclaiming Bharatiya territories and said, “Leaders of country
must adhere to the resolution passed by Parliament. Bring back the lost
land.”“Boundaries were changed due to our weakness and their (China and
Pakistan) hawkish approach,” Kumar said. The RSS leader said Jammu and
Kashmir was yet to join the “mainstream”, and that in 2014 there was an
opportunity to bring back “Kashmir, Kashmiriyat and Kashmiri” into the
mainstream of Bharat. -go top
18. BHARAT HAS WORLD’S LARGEST NUMBER OF
VOLUNTARY GIVERS: Bharat
tops the charts when it comes to the largest number of volunteers anywhere
in the world. Nearly 18.65 crore people in Bharat support non-profit
organizations (popularly known as non-government organizations or NGOs) by
volunteering their time and effort. In stark contrast, China, with only 6.8
crore volunteers, was fourth on this list.
Compared with the previous findings relating to 2012, the
number of Bharatiyas volunteering time has shot up by three percentage
points as 29 million more people contributed their time in 2013. These
findings were released by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), a global
non-profit that compiles the World Giving Index annually. This index looks
at three measures of giving during 2013: The number of people who have given
money to charity, volunteered their time or helped a stranger.
-go top
19. ‘GITA MY BASIS FOR COUNSELLING HINDUS IN U.S.
MILITARY’: Bharatiya-American
Pratima Dharm has been a pioneer on multiple counts – last month she was
appointed as the first ever Hindu chaplain of a U.S. university and in 2011
she made history after the Pentagon named her as its first Hindu and
inter-faith chaplain. She served in the U.S. military through some of the
hardest times faced by its soldiers in the battlefields of Iraq, and she
counseled many of them afflicted by PTSD, steering them away from suicide,
and helping them reclaim their familial relationships. She also participated
in humanitarian aid missions into the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq, an
experience that left her with lasting ties to the people there.
In a conversation with Narayan Lakshman, Ms. Dharm spoke of
her deep links with Bharat and the principles of Hinduism that she
associates with her upbringing in the country, and also shared her thoughts
on Hindus in the U.S. military and the kind of leader she hopes Bharatiya
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be.
-go top
20. ‘KRUNVANTO VISHWAMARYAM’ IS BHARAT’S ONLY WORLD
MISSION: J NANDKUMAR: “To
make the world cultured, rich in knowledge, thoughts and actions is the only
world mission of Bharat and we have been pursuing this mission since eons.
There were some obstacles and hurdles in accomplishment of this mission.
Dr Hedgewar started the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to
remove those hurdles and fulfil the mission,” said J Nandkumar, Akhil
Bharatiya Sah Prachar Pramukh of RSS while interacting with the students of
journalism and mass communication at the depart of journalism, Rajasthan
University, Jaipur on Nov 18. Nandkumar said that societal transformation
was necessary for making the country strong and vibrant. We have to take our
nation to the highest pedestal of the world community with the help of our
society thus transformed. -go top
21. BHUTANESE AMERICANS MAKE HISTORY ADVOCATING ON CAPITOL
HILL: A
delegation of nearly 30 Bhutanese Hindus from across the country made
history on Capitol Hill on November 17 with the first ever Bhutanese
American Advocacy Day. The unprecedented event, organized by the Hindu
American Foundation (HAF), featured a congressional briefing along with
meetings with the State Department and several House and Senate offices.
There are now nearly 80,000 Bhutanese Hindu refugees living in major cities
throughout America, and they face a number of challenges, including a high
incidence of mental illness and suicide, trouble obtaining employment, and
difficulty retaining their cultural and religious traditions.
The day was capped off with a meeting between the entire
delegation and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), the first and only Hindu
in the United States Congress. Delegate leaders and HAF directly briefed the
Congresswoman on the circumstances prevailing in Bhutan as well as the
difficulties these refugees face assimilating to life in a new country.
-go top
22. BHARAT LAUNCHES E-VISA FACILITY FOR 43 NATIONS: Electronic
visa facility for visitors from 43 countries including US, Germany and
Israel was launched in New Delhi on November 27."We want to promote tourism
in the country in a big way. The contribution of tourism in the GDP is
approximately 7 per cent and we want to double it up," Home Minister Rajnath
Singh said on the occasion. Now, a visitor from these countries will just
have to apply for an e-visa on the designated website and pay the fee online
to get an electronic travel authorization (ETA) within 72 hours. Russia,
Ukraine, Brazil, UAE, Kenya, Fiji, Mauritius, Norway and Oman and are among
the countries which have got the e-visa facility in the first phase. E-visa
will be valid for 30 days and a tourist can avail the facility twice a year.
-go top
23. SEWA REPORT ON “MY PARK DAY”: On
November 8 Sad-Karma Shakha and Durga Shakha participated in a Sewa project
called “My Park Day” at Kissena Corridor Park in New York City. The main
project was to plant flower bulbs so that patients from the nearby New York
Queens Hospital would be able to take a walk in the park during the Spring
and see the beautiful flowers. The event was organized by Green Earth Urban
Gardens and had over 200 people from several organizations and neighboring
schools. -go top
24. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri
Suresh ji Soni sahsarkaryavaha RSS is on a tour to Thailand, Indonesia,
Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar, Saumitra Gokhale samyojak Vishwa Vibhag
returned to US, Shri Ravikumar sah samyojak is on a tour to Thailand, Dr.
Ram Vaidya sahsamyojak returned to UK Visitors: Ravi
Deo – Guyana, Ma Dr. Ved Nanada, Amrit Mittal Shridhar Damle - USA, Ma
Dhirajbhai Shah – UK, Ranjeev Gowrie – Netherlands, Radhakrishnan – SriLanka,
Regu – Malaysia -go top
FOOD FOR THOGUHT: A
Hindu is someone who sees unity in all human diversity – RSS
Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagawat at World Hindu Congress on November 21,
2014.-go top
JAI
SHREE RAM
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