SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: 2015

Margshirsha Shukla 5, Vik. Samvat 2072. Yugabda 5117: 16 December 2015

1. FESTIVALS: Makar Sankraman	2. AMBEDKAR, HEDGEWAR SIMILAR, PUT COUNTRY BEFORE SELF
3. ABE PERFORMS GANGA PUJA	4. BUILDING RAM TEMPLE OUR GRAND AIM
5. BHARAT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE: DALAI LAMA	6. ACCEPTANCE OF PLURALISM CORE OF OUR UNITY IN DIVERSITY: RASHTRAPATI
7. BHARAT UNVEILS GLOBAL SOLAR ALLIANCE	8. COMPILING DISTRICT HISTORY
9. KIND GESTURE BY NRI COUPLE	10. TIRUPATI TEMPLE MAY MOVE STASH TO GOLD SCHEME
11. SEWA INTERNATIONAL OPENS FIRST SCHOOL IN U'KHAND	12. RSS EXTENDS AID FOR DROUGHT HIT PEOPLE IN MAHARASHTRA
13. BHARATIYA-AMERICAN COUPLE GIFT $4.4 MN TO SET UP DHARMA STUDIES CENTRE	14. UK WOOS BHARATIYA STUDENTS
15. FOUND: BURIED TOWERS IN ANGKOR WAT	16. CAMBODIA'S FAMED ANGKOR EARNS $53.5 MN IN 11 MONTHS
17. TSUNAMI SURVIVOR DEBORAH HEROLD IS WORLD NO. 4 CYCLIST	18. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON 'INDIA-LAOS: INTER-CULTURAL LINKAGES'
19. NATIONAL SCIENCE FAIR BY VIDYA BHARATI	20. WORLD'S HORSES HAVE COMMON ANCESTOR IN GUJARAT
21. WOMEN PLAY CRUCIAL ROLE IN PRESERVING GLORIOUS TRADITIONS - BHAGYASHREE SATHE	22. BUILD BHARATIYA WAR MEMORIALS IN AUSTRALIA, TURKEY
23. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN	FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Articles: STRENGTHENING BONDS BETWEEN BHARAT AND COLOMBIA CHENNAI FLOODS: 'THANKS TO RSS'

1. FESTIVALS: Makar Sankramana usually falling on 14^th of January is an auspicious Hindu festival. Swami Vivekanand was born on this day in 1863. The Sun starts moving north, Uttaraayana patha, from this holy day. This turn in the Sun's course takes place at the point of time when it enters the sign of Makar or Capricorn. As the day-duration starts increasing from this day, it is considered the harbinger of more light and sunshine in life and lessening of its darker aspects. The day is termed as Pongal in Tamilnadu and as Khichadi in northern Bharat. In many areas of Bharat, the distribution of til-gul - the til seed and jiggery - are distributed on this day. Sankraanti also gives the message of intellectual illumination. It is the capacity to discriminate between the right and the wrong, the just and the unjust, truth and falsehood, virtue and vice. It is this wisdom -- Viveka - which leads the individual on the path of human evolution and happiness. A great fare takes place at Prayag on the confluence of Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati this day. -goTop

2. AMBEDKAR, HEDGEWAR SIMILAR, PUT COUNTRY BEFORE SELF in the face of extreme adversity, said RSS Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat on December 6 speaking at the inauguration of the newly-built premises of the K.B. Hedgewar School at Bambolim, on the outskirts of Panaji, in Goa. Bhimrao Ambedkar studied in adversity and put in Herculean efforts. But he used his talents not for himself, but for the country, for society. Like Ambedkar, Hedgewar too worked selflessly towards putting India on the right path from his childhood, Bhagwat said. In his speech, he called upon youths of the country to draw inspiration from prominent leaders like Ambedkar, Swami Vivekananda and K B Hedgewar who contributed to the nation's growth. -goTop

3. ABE PERFORMS GANGA PUJA: Amidst a unique spiritual atmosphere, echoes of ghantas and ghariyals and chanting of Vedic mantras at the Dashashwamedh Ghat, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe along with his Bharatiya counterpart Narendra Modi not only enthusiastically watched the internationally-famous Ganga aarti but also offered Ganga puja and Dugdhabhishek at holy river Ganga on December 12. Abe was so impressed by the rare visual treat at the flower-decked ghat that sparkled with attractive lighting arrangements, that he captured it in his mobile. Both leaders spent nearly an hour at the ghat. Abe's Varanasi visit, which marks a new chapter in traditional cultural ties between the two countries, also assumes significance as it came against the backdrop of Partner City Agreement between Kyoto and Varanasi, signed by the two leaders during the Prime Minister's visit to Japan in August last year. Buddhist monks, Kathak dancers, and drum-beating artistes accorded a warm welcome to the two Prime Ministers. -goTop

4. BUILDING RAM TEMPLE OUR GRAND AIM: Describing Bhagwan Ram as the symbol of Bharat's culture, the essence of which was unity in diversity, RSS Sarasanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat on December 3 called upon the people to honour him by building the temple at Ram Janambhoomi in Ayodhya at an event in Kolkata.

Even as he described building the Ram temple was a grand and pious objective, Bhagwat asserted that "the aim is not to oppose anyone". "To honour that culture is our aim. Our grand aim is to build the temple there. But it is not a question of just a temple, it is his birthplace, the birthplace of the one who is symbol of our intrinsic moral values," he said. Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia on December 6 said in Bhopal, "In the national executive meet of the BJP, a promise was made to build Ram temple on the lines of Gujarat's Somnath temple by passing a law in parliament. I trust Narendra Modi. I trust that fulfilling the promise made in the party's resolution and promised during elections, he would realise the dream of millions of Hindus for building a temple dedicated to Lord Ram." -goTop

5. BHARAT IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE: DALAI LAMA: Reacting to the increasing dialogue on "intolerance" in the country, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said the Bharatiya Constitution stressed on secularism and religious freedom. Speaking at the launch of Tawazun India, a city-based think tank that focuses on "counter extremism", in Bengaluru on December 6, he said Bharat was the best example of religious tolerance, where non-violence and religious harmony was propagated as early as 3,000 years ago. Stressing on the need to educate the young in secularism and teach them the "goodness of being peaceful", he said secular ethics should be part of modern education. He said the attack on people in Paris was a setback to people in France, but a strong will among the multi-religious population in Europe should prevail and the elders should tell the young about peaceful existence.

At the NIAS (National Institute of Advanced Studies) Distinguished Fellow Lecture at the institute later in the evening, the Dalai Lama said the Tibetan Buddhists had preserved "ancient Bharatiya knowledge" while the modern society here had reduced it to "rituals and prayers" or harboured negativity to ways of the old. "It is now time for us to give back the knowledge as many young Bharatiyas are interested in reconnecting with 1,000-year-old knowledge. We (Tibetans) were chelas (disciples) of Bharatiya philosophy in the 8th century" he said. -goTop

6. ACCEPTANCE OF PLURALISM CORE OF OUR UNITY IN DIVERSITY: RASHTRAPATI: Averring that acceptance and belief in pluralism underlines the inherent chemistry of Bharat's unity amidst diversity, Rashtrapati Pranab Mukherjee on December 13 said the mosaic of being multi-religious makes the nation an oasis of peaceful co-existence and communal harmony. "Bharat prides itself in is pluralistic ideas. In Bharat several major religions have thrived due to its assimilative capacity that has come to define our civilization over the centuries," Mukherjee said addressing the concluding ceremony of the bicentenary celebration of the Diocese of Calcutta. Rashtrapatiji said every religion preaches the fundamental value of humanity. "Forbearance, respect and acceptance of different view form some of the core principles of every faith, belief and religion of the world." Elaborating on the ethnological variety, the Rashtrapati said three major ethnic groups - Mongolites, Caucasians and Dravidians - have substantial presence in the country, with all of them living under one system; one flag; one constitution; one administration; and one jurisprudence. -goTop

7. BHARAT UNVEILS GLOBAL SOLAR ALLIANCE: To boost solar energy in developing countries, Pradhan Mantri Modi launched an International Solar Alliance of over 120 countries with the French president, François Hollande, at the Paris COP21 climate summit and said that as fossil fuels put the planet in peril, hopes for future prosperity in the developing world now rest on bold initiatives.

UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, placed the initiative in the context of the body's sustainable development goals, particularly a related target, set in 2011, of achieving universal access to sustainable energy by 2030. "To my long cherished dream of an international alliance of solar-rich countries, President Hollande responded with keen interest and immediate and full offer of support", PM Modi expressed his gratitude.

Pradhan Mantri Modi during his address at the launch of the International Solar Alliance COP 21 in Paris said that since ancient times, different civilizations have given a special place to Sun. In the Bharatiya tradition, Sun is the source of all forms of energy. He mentioned that as Rig Veda says, Sun God is the Soul of all beings, moving and non-moving. Many in Bharat begin their day with a prayer to the Sun.

Modi said, "We want to bring solar energy into our lives and homes, by making it cheaper, more reliable and easier to connect to grid. We will collaborate on research and innovation. We will share knowledge and exchange best practices. We will cooperate on training and building institutions. We will discuss regulatory issues and promote common standards. We will attract investments in the solar sector, encourage joint ventures and develop innovative financing mechanisms. We will partner with other international initiatives on renewable energy". -goTop

8. COMPILING DISTRICT HISTORY: Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Samiti (BISS) has started district-based initiative to compile the history of the country. The initiative began from Meerut Prant where the committees for it have been formed in all the 14 districts. 'Itihas Divas' was celebrated in all the districts. It is first of its kind effort in the country.

It was the late Baba Sahab Apte who stressed way back in 1960's that history of Bharat should be written from Bharatiya perspective. He passed away in 1972. His mantle was taken over by Moropant Pingle, another RSS stalwart. The aim was to write history of all the districts and pilgrim centres scattered in Bharat. Today, the Samiti covers 272 of 650 administrative districts all over the country. But unlike 29 administrative states, the Samiti has divided Bharat into 42 Prants.

The Samiti has been endeavouring to celebrate 'Itihas Divas' in as many districts as possible in order to inculcate a sense of history among Bharateeyas. In its well considered opinion, history consciousness is necessary to tie the people to their moorings. Meerut Prant has now become the first Prant not only to form the committees in all the 14 districts, but also is able to organise 'Itihas Divas' in all of them. -goTop

9. KIND GESTURE BY NRI COUPLE: A US couple, D Jyothi Reddy and Sammi Reddy, arranged the marriage of an orphan girl Saraswati and performed her 'Kanyadanam' at Warangal. A police officer, V Kiran Kumar found the girl abandoned at Hanamkonda bus stand in 2004 and handed over her to Mallikamba Manovikasa Kendram. Since then the orphanage is looking after the girl, who hails from Srikakulam district.

A private company employee, Ch Narender, who is also deaf and mute, came forward to marry the girl. Learning this, Jyothi Reddy volunteered to organize the marriage bearing all expenses. The grand marriage ceremony was held in as per Hindu tradition. Warangal (West) MLA D Vinay Bhasker and others blessed the newlywed couple. The parents of Narender, Ch Upender and Sushila, Kendram's B Ramaleela and others were present. -goTop

10. TIRUPATI TEMPLE MAY MOVE STASH TO GOLD SCHEME: Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, popularly known as the Tirupati Temple that is believed to have been the abode of Lord Venkateswara for 5,000 years, may become the biggest contributor with more than 5.5 tonnes of gold. "It’s a good scheme," said Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, the finance minister of Andhra Pradesh, where the temple is located. He added, "We have already issued a directive to go for the scheme." -goTop

11. SEWA INTERNATIONAL OPENS FIRST SCHOOL IN U'KHAND: Sewa International inaugurated its first school in a remote village, Chhinka, in district Chamoli (Uttarakhand) on December 5, 2015. It is a co-ed school with 148 students receiving education till 8th class.

The old school was badly damaged during Uttarakhand floods in 2013 and needed to be re-built. After inspection of the damaged site in 2013-2014, its new construction was sponsored by the benevolent donors of Sewa International UK.

The occasion was graced by Harish Bhudia, Executive Director, Sewa UK, and Lalit Goswami, All India General Secretary, Vidya Bharati, along with many other dignitaries including ADM (Chamoli), District Education Officer etc., who all were full of praise and gratitude for the noble effort. About 300 people attended the function. -goTop

12. RSS EXTENDS AID FOR DROUGHT HIT PEOPLE IN MAHARASHTRA: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has come forward to find out ground level relief measures for drought hit people in Maharashtra. In association with some organizations which work in the field of water conservation RSS plans to build barrages as well as widening, deepening and rejuvenation of rivers in 12 districts of Maharashtra. Briefing media on steps taken to give relief for drought hit people in Maharashtra, RSS Western Region Sewa Pramukh Dr. Upendra Kulkarni told that with an estimated amount of Rs 7 crores RSS along with 23 different NGO's are about to launch relief programmes for drought affected areas & people in various districts of state.

According to the RSS Maharashtra Unit meeting which held earlier this month, the state is facing water scarcity as the monsoon this year was below 50 percent due to which the crops in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra are damaged on large scale. The estimated amount for relief work would be collected from corporate houses based on CSR method and individual philanthropic donors. -goTop

13. BHARATIYA-AMERICAN COUPLE GIFT $4.4 MN TO SET UP DHARMA STUDIES CENTRE: A Bharatiya-American couple has gifted $4.4 million to the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) of Berkeley to establish and endow the first Centre for Dharma Studies in the US. Ajay and Mira Shingal chose the GTU for their historic gift because "this is a school that incorporates both deep scholarship and interest in the practice of religion". "We understand the need for accredited scholars that can speak about Hinduism with authority in this country," said the San Jose residents.

Both have studied the sacred texts of Hinduism all of their lives and wish for others to be able to explore in depth the treasures of its sacred texts and philosophical principles. They believe the gift of education is one of the greatest gifts one generation can create for future generations, according to a media release. The Centre will focus on leading edge, multidisciplinary, graduate research and teaching in Hindu Studies and Dharma Studies. The GTU currently offers a graduate certificate in Hindu Studies, MA and PhD degree concentrations in Hindu Studies, and courses in Jain Studies.

Rita Sharma has been named the first Director of the Centre for Dharma Studies and Associate Professor of Dharma Studies. She taught most recently at the University of Southern California as the Swami Vivekananda Visiting Faculty in Hindu Studies. Sharma is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Dharma Studies. -goTop

14. UK WOOS BHARATIYA STUDENTS: Sajid Javid, UK secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, has said there is no cap "at all on number of foreign students" visiting Britain for studies. He has said there is misconception in Bharat about student visas given by UK and added, "I want to see more and more Bharatiya students coming to UK for world class education." He said almost 90% of Bharatiya applicants who study in UK get their visas in 15 days.

"Records speak for themselves. I also want to make it clearer to students about the variety of choices on offer. We have four of the top 10 universities of the world and 30 in the top 200," he said, adding that great opportunities exist in areas like science, engineering and humanities which have growing importance in Bharat.

Javid, who met HRD minister Smriti Irani to announce 2016 as the UK-Bharat year of research and innovation, said UK's Chevening Scholarship is worth pound 3 million, the highest anywhere in the word. He also clarified about job opportunities in UK for Bharatiya students studying there, a question repeatedly asked in Bharat. "Yes. First you can work during the holiday period between semesters. Once you graduate, you are welcome to stay in a graduate-level job and there is no limit to that either and that is good for students for building their skills. Eventually when they decide to return to UK, the practical experience helps and it is good for UK economy," he said. -goTop

15. FOUND: BURIED TOWERS IN ANGKOR WAT:: The Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia was much larger and more complex than previously thought, say archaeologists, who discovered buried 'towers' and remains of a huge structure near the world's largest religious monument. The team found the complex had more components than previously envisaged, and was bounded on its south side by a unique and massive structure. "This structure, which has dimensions of more than 1500m x 600m, is the most striking discovery associated with Angkor Wat," said Professor Roland Fletcher. Researchers found that Angkor Wat includes an entire ensemble of buried towers built and demolished during the construction and initial use of the main temple, remains of what is thought might be a shrine used during the construction period. "This challenges our traditional understanding of the social hierarchy of the Angkor Wat community and shows that the temple precinct, bounded by moat and wall, may not have been exclusively the preserve of wealthy or the priestly elite," said Fletcher. -goTop

16. CAMBODIA'S FAMED ANGKOR EARNS $53.5 MN IN 11 MONTHS: Cambodia's famed Angkor Wat Temple, originally built as a Hindu shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu, posted a revenue of $53.5 million from ticket sales to foreigners during the January-November period this year, the authority managing the 12th century temple complex said on December 8. In November alone, the temple welcomed 200,085 tourists, generating a revenue of $5.87 million, the release said. Angkor Wat Temple, inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1992, is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination. Angkor Wat was originally built as a Hindu temple but it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist shrine in the 12th century. The Archaeological Society of India has contributed to its upkeep. -goTop

17. TSUNAMI SURVIVOR DEBORAH HEROLD IS WORLD NO. 4 CYCLIST: Deborah became the first Bharatiya female cyclist to be ranked fourth in the world. Deborah Herold is no stranger to surviving the odds. When just nine years old, she spent a whole day on a tree when the tsunami struck the Car Nicobar base where her father was employed. With her family displaced, she had to wait for the waters to recede and hope for a timely rescue. It was a horrifying experience but this tribal girl from the Andamans was made of stern stuff. She took up cycling, a sport which has few fans in this country and even fewer champions, and went on to become a role model.

On December 10, Deborah, now 20, scaled another unique peak when she became the first Bharatiya female cyclist to be ranked fourth in the world, according to the World Elite Women Ranking issued by cycling world body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for the 500m time trial event. -goTop

18. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON 'INDIA-LAOS: INTER-CULTURAL LINKAGES': Dr. Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism inaugurated a two days "International Conference on 'India-Laos: Inter-Cultural Linkages" on December 11. The Conference was organized by Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art, New Delhi, in collaboration with Shri Bharatvarshiya Digambar Jain Teerth Sanrakshini Mahasabha, New Delhi.

Delivering inaugural address, Dr. Sharma said that Bharat and Laos share a common cultural heritage over the centuries. Laos is very peaceful land locked country. He said that since trade was the most important factor for the spread of Bharatiya culture, traders' community who were mostly Jains, have introduced Jainism and worshipped Tirthankars. Many renowned scholars from Bharat and Abroad participated in this International Conference on 'India-Laos: Inter-Cultural Linkages'.

Ambassador of Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Southam Sakonhninhom narrated the elements of cultural linkages between his country and Bharat as he appreciated the organizers for holding the seminar on the subject. Prof Sachchidanand Sahay, who gave the keynote address at the seminar, highlighted the rich cultural linkages between Bharat and many other South East Asian countries, including linguistic and architectural. -goTop

19. NATIONAL SCIENCE FAIR BY VIDYA BHARATI: The 14th National Science Fair, organised at Geeta Niketan School in Kurukshetra, Haryana, on December 1, received huge applause. The child scientists assembled from all over the country displayed their scientific projects. In 'Science Quick', the students from Madhya Kshetra stood first while the students from east kshetra were second and students from north-eastern kshetra were third. Among the young category, the students from western Uttar Pradesh stood first, while east and north kshetra stood second and third respectively. -goTop

20. WORLD'S HORSES HAVE COMMON ANCESTOR IN GUJARAT: Just 40 km away from industrial town of Ankleshwar in south Gujarat lies the vast abandoned cavernous Vastan lignite mine spread over 1,500 hectares towards the edge of Cambay basin colloquially referred as Khambat.

It is here that a team of scientists extracted a treasure trove of over 200 teeth and bones of an animal which is the ancestor of all horse breeds including the finest -- Akhal-Teke, Appaloosa, Mushtang and even the Arab horses. Christened Cambaytherium thewissi - the ancestor is proudly a Khambati that lived 54.5 million years ago in the Eocene period of earth.

This was revealed by a nine-member team of researchers John Hopkins University, HNB Garhwal University, Rowan University, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Ghent University, Panjab University and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. -goTop

21. WOMEN PLAY CRUCIAL ROLE IN PRESERVING GLORIOUS TRADITIONS - BHAGYASHREE SATHE: Akhil Bharatiya Taruni Pramukh of Rashtriya Sevika Samiti Sushri Bhagyashree Sathe said women in Bharat have shaped the destiny of the nation. In ancient time they played a key role in preserving the glorious traditions and today also they have to take up this task. She was addressing a function organized in Meerut by Meerut Chambers of Commerce to celebrate 80 years of the Samiti on December 3. She said the present education system provides information but not practical knowledge and samskars. The women should recognize their role and start work in eradicating evils from the society. She pointed out that the Samiti has work in 40 countries and it also runs more than 350 service activities. -goTop

22. BUILD BHARATIYA WAR MEMORIALS IN AUSTRALIA, TURKEY: Whenever a pre-1947 conflict involving Bharatiyas is commemorated in Bharat, many people insist that Bharat should have nothing to do with it as it was not a free country then and those Bharatiyas who took part in them were "traitors", "mercenaries" and "colonial dogs".

One of them is Australian military historian Professor Peter Stanley. "It doesn't matter if Bharat was free or not. The fact is Bharat and Bharatiyas had been shaping world events all throughout. Even in the First World War, over a million Bharatiyas had participated," Professor Stanley told in an exclusive interaction post the launch of his book, 'Die in Battle, Do Not Despair', at the Australian High Commission. He consulted archives in different countries to piece together a narrative of the Bharatiya contribution at Gallipoli. He says Bharatiyas and Australians shared a close and warm relationship during the campaign, which even found mention in Australian newspapers of the time.

Yet this was by no means an equal relationship. "Australians, though friendly, were patronising towards the Bharatiyas. They addressed every Bharatiya as 'Johnny'. The Bharatiyas, on the other hand, addressed all as 'sahib'. There's one incident where a Gurkha soldier returned home with all his buttons missing. The Anzacs had taken them as souvenirs. Nobody bothered to seek the poor man's permission; he couldn't object because they were sahibs," Stanley said. -goTop

23. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Visitors: About 700 karyakartas with their families will participate in the "Vishwa Sangh Shibir - 2015" to be held at Indore from 29^th December to 3^rd January 2016.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: God is, in truth, the whole universe: what was, what is and what beyond shall ever be. He is the God of life immortal and of all life that lives by food. His hands and feet are everywhere. He has heads and mouths everywhere. He sees all, He hears all. He is in all, and He Is. - Upanishad -goTop

JAI SHREE RAM

STRENGTHENING BONDS BETWEEN BHARAT AND COLOMBIA

Swadesh Katoch

Last week, I participated in a week long 43rd 'International Festival' (Festival Internacional de la Cultura) that Boyaca (a Colombian State) organises every year at Tunja, a small town. It is an important cultural event in Latin America that is celebrated with the participation of more than 35 countries. It was created to show artistic and cultural expressions of the world, which enable cultural exchange, recognition of cultural diversity and public reaffirmation for strengthening their own identities.

Bharat was invited as a special guest this year. Programmes were performed all over the city and a 400 years old historic home of a famous local author was converted into 'India House'. There were posters of Bharat, Bharateeya culture, Bharateeya architecture and Hindu Gods and Goddesses all over the premises. Many presentations, movies, documentaries were shown on Bharat, Hinduism and spirituality throughout the week. My wife Mannu, and my three children accompanied me. International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS) coordinated the efforts of Bharat with various participating organisations from Bharateeya side and Boyaca government of Colombia. The Bharatiya organisations that participated in the festivals were ICCS, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), Sewa International, Isha Yoga and National Council of Indian Culture (NCIC) from Trinidad and Tobago.

A group of four dancers of Bharateeya origin from Trinidad and Tobago won the heart of the audience by their performances on classical and Bollywood numbers. On the request of local Colombian audience, NCIC group has started training classes in 'India House' on Bharatiya classical and Bollywood movies. My daughter 'Siya' was blessed to perform her 'Shiv Tandav Satotram,' Bharat Natayam dance on the international stage. There were many sessions of Yog by Isha Yog teachers.

There were many lectures/presentations organised in various local universities on different topics such as 'Globalisation: The Impact on India's Economy, Society and Culture' and 'What is Peace and how to achieve it?' by Shri Saumitra Gokhale, international coordinator of the HSS), 'India-Colombia Business Opportunities' by Shri Digant, a HSS Pracharak from the US, 'Youth Leadership' by a young Hollywood director Aditya Patbardhan, etc. I was very lucky to be chosen by Sewa International to give a presentation on 'Intelligent Social Service' at UPTC (Universidad Pedagógicay Tecnológica de Colombia).

While in Colombia, I also got an opportunity to meet Xieguazinsa, the head of Muisca, an Indigenous community that is trying to preserve their thousands of years old culture in Colombia. 'Pueblos Indígenas' in Spain comprise 3.4% of the country's population and belong to 87 different tribes. When he talked about his culture, we found so many similarities between local indigenous cultures and Hinduism. It always amazes me how Bharateeya spirituality and Hindu Gurus are inspiring the entire world. In Bogota, we visited "El Jardin De la Alegria" (The Garden of Joy) in Cazuca.

During my 9-day trip in Colombia we met many people including university professors, teachers, students, pedestrians, Yogis and local community leaders. Each and everyone wanted to know about Bharat and Bharateeya spirituality. Colombians love Bharat and its spirituality. Everyone wanted to click pictures with us. I have never seen such a hospitality in my life. When we reached Colombia, we didn't know any Colombians but when we left Colombia, my family had tears in their eyes, as did our Colombian translators, hosts and 'India House' volunteers. (Swadesh Katoch is associated with Sewa International - USA. Organiser weekly) -goTop

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CHENNAI FLOODS: 'THANKS TO RSS'

With receding flood water and diminishing rain, the relief works entered into the next phase in Chennai’s flood devastated areas. Along with or parallel to the State machinery, the RSS swayamsevaks are volunteering the relief and rescue activities. As water is receding, the post-flood relief activities are gaining momentum in many parts of Chennai such as Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore which were badly submerged under the floodwater.

The RSS volunteers are supervising the relief works at around 75 different places. RSS has been active in relief and rescue works in solidarity with the people of Tamil Nadu. As soon as the news of the incessant rains and the flash floods reached Namakkal District, around 40 volunteers from the RSS and Rasipuram Vidya Mandir School plunged to action. They collected 3 truck-loads of relief materials worth about 10 lakh rupees and distributed it to flood affected people housed in Panimalar Engineering College.

Cuddalore is one of the worst affected districts during the recent incessant rains. About 110 Sewa Bharati volunteers immediately rushed into action after getting news about the pathetic condition at Cuddalore. Food, water, biscuit, bread, saree, dress materials, bed sheets were distributed. So far 20,000 families have been benefited.

A team of 50 doctors, 12 medical and pharmacy students from various parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have poured into Chennai to offer their help. A total of 10 teams were formed and they went about to conduct 40 camps in various parts of Chennai. About one lakh affected people were examined and necessary help was extended. Majority of the people were suffering from Athlete's foot due to prolonged exposure to stagnant and contaminated water. The local RSS volunteers helped in setting up the camps and in maintaining law and order in them.

While selfless groups, both governmental and non-governmental, devote themselves in relief activities, the State political leadership is trying to take advantage of this disaster to yield political mileage. There are severe criticisms from different parts including mainstream media and social media, against the State government's selfish and calculated approach in managing the disaster. Reportedly, 1,800 personnel of National Disaster Response Force are on the ground in Chennai and other affected parts of the State. Swayamsevaks in co-ordination with NDRF and Armed personnel are helping in rescue operations in Mudhichur, Mannivakkam. An MLA JCD Prabhakaran visited one of the Sangh's relief camps. He congratulated the Swayamsevaks for their invaluable contribution. He shook hands with the volunteers and said, "Thanks to RSS". ( Organiser Weekly, December 20, 2015) -goTop

Shri Vishwa Niketan

vishwav@hol.net.in www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com

SAMVAD

Margshirsha Krishna 5, Vik. Samvat 2072. Yugabda 5117: December 1, 2015

1. FESTIVALS: Tripura celebrates Raas Leela	2. BHARAT WILL USE ALL MIGHT TO PROTECT ITS SOVEREIGNTY: RASHTRAPATI
3. Monk Mahan Maharaj gets Infosys Prize 2015 in Mathematical Science	4. SEWA USA delivers 150 handmade scarves, blankets to women's shelters
5. SETTING RIGHT A WRONG	6. TRIBUTES PAID TO SHRI ASHOK SINGHAL WITH PLEDGE FOR RAM TEMPLE IN AYODHYA
7. Culture is the expression of soul of the nation: Dattatreya Hosabale	8. SWAYAMSEVAKS RESCUE FLOOD VICTIMS IN CHENNAI
9. PM NARENDRA MODI UNVEILS SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S STATUE IN MALAYSIA	10. $3.2 million Hindu temple launched in Ontario
11. Australia's largest Hindu Durga Mata temple, opens in Melbourne's west	12. Hindu festival at home at Woodburn
13. BHARATIYA-American judge receives public service award	14. DVD documents all ancient Jain settlements across Tamil Nadu
15. Bharat test fires n-capable Dhanush missile	16. Nuclear capable Arihant submarine successfully test-fires unarmed missile
17. Bharatiya origin South African freedom fighter honoured	18. 83% OF BHARATIYAS BAT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: PEW SURVEY
19. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas & Visitors	FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Articles:
The Carrier of Multi-dimensional Ayodhya Movement

1. FESTIVALS: Tripura celebrates Raas Leela: Thousands of Manipuris celebrated "Maha Raas", a festival celebrating the love life of Lord Krishna, at Agartala on 26^th November. The festival is celebrated every year on the full moon night of "Kartik Purnima" to mark Krishna's love for Radha. Girls in their traditional dresses danced round the idols of Lord Krishna and Radha even as one acting as Gopies sang devotional songs throughout the night at a local temple.

The Maha Raas celebration started in Tripura more than two centuries ago and the Radha-Madhav Jews Temple. Before the partition of Bharat, devotees far from Syllhet and Comilla in present day Bangladesh used to come to participate in the night long festival. The celebration started after a Maharani of the Manikya dynasty of Tripura, daughter of Manipur's Maharaja Bhagya Chandra, brought the idol of Radha-Gobind from there and established a Radhamadhav temple here.

Tripura had a cultural and traditional bond with the Manipur kingdom that started more than 350 years back through matrimonial alliances.

Abhijeet Bhattacharjee, a priest in the temple, said, "The Raas Leela of Tripura state in the 1798 during the rule of second Rajdhar Manika after Hariswari, the second daughter of Manipur's Bhagya Chandra, was married here. Earlier it was funded by the Maharaja's but at present the District administration of West Tripura fund the Rass. From that time the Rass Leela is continuing in this Radhanaga temple."

Raas is a symbol of love and communal harmony where people of all communities gather to celebrate forgetting differences and get united and thus can play a vital role in bringing peace in this state burning with the flames of militancy. --goTop

2. BHARAT WILL USE ALL MIGHT TO PROTECT ITS SOVEREIGNTY: RASHTRAPATI: Rashtrapati Pranab Mukherjee on November 28 said that Bharat is firmly committed to peace but is always prepared to deploy its military might to safeguard its sovereignty as he decorated two gallant IAF fighter aircraft squadrons at a strategic border airbase in Hasimpura, West Bengal. Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, presented the Rashtrapati's Standards to the 22nd and 18th Squadrons of the Indian Air Force operating the strike and combat superior MiG-27 aircraft to secure Bharatiya skies along the eastern theatre during peace times and war. The Squadrons are based in Alipurduar district of West Bengal, strategically located right across the Bharat-Bhutan border with the task to keep a vigil over the entire north east border skies of Bharat.

He lauded the air force by calling it the "cutting edge" of Bharat's military might and praised its men and women as he said the armed forces, "exemplified by the air warriors who stand before us, reflect our steely resolve to defend our interests."

The Rashtrapati's Standards are given to armed forces' units which render exceptional and dedicated service over a period of time. --goTop

3. Monk Mahan Maharaj gets Infosys Prize 2015 in Mathematical Science: Ramakrishna Mission ascetic Mahan Maharaj was awarded the Infosys Prize 2015 in Mathematical Science - which carries a Rs 65lakh purse and a 22-karat gold medallion - for his contributions to geometric group theory, low-dimensional topology and complex geometry. In 1997, Mahajan, then known as Mahan Mitra, earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley on 'Maps on Boundaries of Hyperbolic Metric Spaces'. The very next year, he renounced the world and joined the Ramakrishna Mission order. Maharaj travels all over the world collaborating with mathematicians and lecturing students.

"I am very much a part of the mathematics community, my uniform has got nothing to do with it," he jokes.

Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University Vice Chancellor Swami Atmapriyananda said, "Maharaj is considered one of the brightest mathematicians in the world today. His findings and explanations are extremely sought-after globally. He is the perfect synthesis of religion and scientific quest, a breed that Swami Vivekananda wanted to establish in his Mission." --goTop

4. SEWA USA delivers 150 handmade scarves, blankets to women’s shelters: On the occasion of Diwali, Sewa USA delivered 150 hand-knit scarves and baby blankets to Chicago-based women's shelters. Sixty people from 15 states participated in the drive by knitting and mailing in their handmade items. Participants included knitting novices as well as experts and ranged from the ages of 10 to 75. In some families, mothers and grandmothers used this project as an opportunity to teach their children the art of knitting and crochet.

The scarves and blankets were delivered to Chicago's South Suburban Family Shelter (SSFS) and Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC). These organizations serve victims of domestic violence by providing counseling, legal services, and emergency shelter.

"These women have been through so much suffering, and our aim is to bring warmth to their lives - both literally and figuratively," said Aparna Soni, coordinator of Knit for Sewa.

"Diwali is a time of year when we try to bring the light of love and service into our own lives, as well as the lives of others," said Sreevidya Radhakrishna, coordinator of Knit for Sewa. --goTop

5. SETTING RIGHT A WRONG: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Indian National Army memorial during his recent trip to Singapore has enormous symbolic importance. He is India's first Prime Minister to pay homage there to the fallen soldiers of the INA which had been raised by one of the greatest and until recently least acknowledged freedom-fighters, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Jawaharlal Nehru had pulled out of a confirmed visit to the memorial, which was just taking shape then, during his trip to Singapore in March 1945, apparently because he was advised by people close to him, including Lord Louis Mountbatten, to do so.

This has been documented in Mountbatten's own words, sometime in 1970: "I was able to persuade him not to lay the wreath on (memorial to the) pro-Japanese Indian National Army." He went on to add that Nehru's Singapore trip minus the memorial visit was the beginning of a "deep friendship" between the future Indian Prime Minister and him. In a way, this was not surprising because Nehru over-depended on Mountbatten's advice. He also did not get along politically with Netaji, whom he perhaps saw as a formidable opponent in his political space. Nehru also held the INA in contempt, treating its members as "misguided elements" who had aligned with Fascist forces, rather than freedom-fighters. But politics should not have come in the way of paying tribute to INA soldiers who had, after all, sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom. Mr Modi has, therefore, set right a wrong that Nehru had done 70 years ago.

The foundation stone for the memorial had been laid by Netaji himself and the motto of the army he had raised was inscribed there as follows: 'Unity, Faith and Sacrifice'. How can anybody have a problem with these inspiring words? Besides, it is ironical that, while the Indian leadership maintained a distance from the INA men and women who had fought for the nation's independence, Singapore took the initiative to make the memorial a grand reality. The modern structure which Mr Modi visited came up in 1995 due to the efforts of the Singapore Government. The Indian Prime Minister's gesture was not a mere photo-op; he has set in motion a number of initiatives that demonstrates his Government resolve to re-establish Netaji Bose's pre-eminence. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before he arrived in Singapore, Mr Modi announced that the Indian cultural centre there would be named after Netaji Bose.

The Prime Minister's gestures come in the backdrop of his Government's decision to declassify the Netaji files - the process will begin on January 23, Netaji's Bose's birth anniversary. Mr Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party had, before coming to power, pitched for the declassification so that the country was made aware of Netaji's contributions and of what went behind the scenes to deny him his due place in the freedom struggle. Putting to rest speculation that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance regime too was set to follow in its predecessors' footsteps on the matter (that had steadfastly refused to make the documents public), the Prime Minister not just gave the date for declassification but added that there was "no need to strangle history". He observed that "nations that forget their history lack the power to create it". (Editorial, The Pionner, 26 November) --goTop

6. TRIBUTES PAID TO SHRI ASHOK SINGHAL WITH PLEDGE FOR RAM TEMPLE IN AYODHYA: Thousands of people from different walks of life paid rich tributes to late Shri Ashok Singhal in a condolence meeting held in KD Jadhav wrestling stadium at Indira Gandhi sports complex, New Delhi on 22^nd November. Sharing his memories, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said that Singhal was an orator par excellence, true stalwart of hindutva movement, a good classical singer and a guiding force for all. Shri Bhagwat further stated that Shri Ashok Singhal had two resolves in life: re-building glorious temple of bhagwan Ram in Ayodhya & spreading Vedic wisdom in the world. The real tribute to him will be putting our complete strength towards fulfillment both of his resolves, he added. Others who spoke were BJP Veteran Dr Murli Manohar, JP President Amit Shah, VHP Working President Dr Praveen Togadia, and VHP President Raghav Reddy etc. Several Union Ministers, Dharmacharyas and others were present at the occasion. --goTop

7. Culture is the expression of soul of the nation: Dattatreya Hosabale: "Culture is the expression of soul of the nation. Land, people and culture give birth to a nation. For any nation, culture is the key element. Every nation has its own cultural identity. Soul of the nation is spirituality, which will get expressed in various ways", said RSS Sah-sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale at India Idea Conclave, an international conference of intellectuals which was held at Panaji, Goa from November 15 to 17. Dattatreya Hosabale was addressing the gathering on "RSS and its Cultural agenda" at the conclave which was chaired by Sheshadri Chari.

Hosabale clarified that "RSS has no cultural agenda, but RSS has vision and views on Culture, which is to preserve values from practices since centuries and millennium in this nation".

India Idea Conclave was inaugurated on November 15 with inaugural address of Prime Minister of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Tshering Togbay, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Minister for State for Finance Jayant Sinha and Chief Minister of Goa Laxmikant Parsekar.

Dattatreya Hosbale said that the Bharatiya society has evolved a worldview over centuries, in so far as to live with other members or the society, nature. This worldview gets expressed through various activities in different departments of life. The basic understanding of this is culture and the cultural expressions are the diverse ways of doing it. It is this diverse culture that is expressed in the famous adage 'Unity in diversity'.

The RSS views that this is 'one nation, one people and one culture' and this culture is expressed in variety of ways. Culture of any nation cultured on key elements or the foundational principles of the elements makes the people a nation. Nation is formed because of land, people and culture.

A fine mix of these three gives birth to a nation and the culture is the expression of the soul of a nation. As Swami Vivekananda put it, "Every nation has its own identity, a personality, a message to deliver and that identity is the soul of a nation and expression of the soul is culture."

The diversity which we should celebrate is a unique thing and we have been repeating that there should be no uniformity. Unity is different from uniformity.

Homogenization of the cultural expression is something that any society abhors. You can't have a uniform culture for a people, particularly for Bharat as we are diverse, so-called pluralist, maybe the connotation of pluralism is different and I understand it in a different way. I generally do not use that term but because it is there in the common parlance I used the term pluralist. Then what are cultural expressions if it is not just performing arts. --goTop

8. SWAYAMSEVAKS RESCUE FLOOD VICTIMS IN CHENNAI: Recent heavy rains lashed Chennai city throwing normal life out of gear. The city saw severe water logging and people wading through knee deep water. RSS swayamsevaks in their respective areas carried out the relief activities. In Villiwakkam, Annai Satya Nagar, food packets were distributed to the victims. The swayamsevaks carried out the relief activity at MKB Nagar Vyasarpadi, North Chennai. They cleared the street lamp post which had fallen down and blocked the main road, thus helping in clearing the traffic. The swayamsevaks prepared and distributed food to around 400 people in Arundathi Nagar, Mettupalayam, Perambur Bhag. --goTop

9. PM NARENDRA MODI UNVEILS SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S STATUE IN MALAYSIA: Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi unveiled a 12-ft bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda in Malaysia on 22^nd November, saying the sage is neither the name of a man nor identity of a system but he personifies Bharat's soul.

Addressing a gathering at the unveiling of Swami Vivekananda's statue at the Ram Krishna Mission Kuala Lumpur, Modi said it was Swami Vivekananda who first gave the concept of 'One Asia' that ASEAN and the East Asia Summits are talking about.

The Padhan Mantri Modi unveiled the bronze statue of Vivekananda amid cheers from more than 2,000 Bharatiyas, most of them ethnic Bharatiya -Malaysians. --goTop

10. $3.2 million Hindu temple launched in Ontario: A new about $3.2-million Hindu temple has been launched in Windsor (Ontario, Canada). Known as Hindu Mandir Windsor, this 14,000 square-foot building has reportedly been raised with donations from the area community and is said to be about three times larger than the old temple.

About 1,000 Hindu families reside in the area hailing from various countries besides Bharat.

The temple along with its regular religious services, it also offered cultural and educational services in the area; including services at marriages, funerals and naming ceremonies. It also celebrated various festivals and offered astrology. --goTop

11. Australia's largest Hindu Durga Mata temple, opens in Melbourne's west: Hundreds of Melbourne's Bharatiya community joyfully raised their hands, while others raised their phones to capture the moment, as Sri Durga Temple, Australia's largest Hindu Durga Mata temple, officially opened its new building in Melbourne's west on November 30 night. Sri Durga Temple volunteer Vivek Sharma said the $4.5 million hall was the biggest Bharatiya community building in Australia. More than 95 per cent of the funds for the new building came from community donations. The temple's stone idols, weighing five tonnes in total and carved from quality marble, cost $100,000 to make and import from Bharat. --goTop

12. Hindu festival at home at Woodburn: When Paul Gupta asked Delaware Gov. Jack Markell to commemorate the Hindu holiday of Diwali this year, he was hoping for a proclamation - a gesture, not much more. Markell went quite a bit further, to Gupta's surprise: The governor offered up his house. That's how it came to be that a Diwali ceremony took place in Woodburn, the governor's mansion in Dover, on November 30. Although the ceremony took place a few weeks after this year's observance of Diwali, spirits were still festive among the dozens of Delaware Hindus who gathered in Dover. --goTop

13. BHARATIYA-American judge receives public service award: A Bharatiya-American woman judge in New York has become the first recipient of a US public service award in recognition of her contributions in the field of law.

Queens Senior Assistant District Attorney and newly elected Civil Court Judge Ushir Pandit -Durant was honoured with the 'South Asian Public Service Award' by the Office of Immigrant Affairs under Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

"It is fitting that Senior Assistant District Attorney and Judge-Elect Pandit-Durant to be the first recipient of our office's South Asian Public Service Award as she personifies the determination, strength and vitality of the Bharatiya heritage," Brown said in a statement. --goTop

14. DVD documents all ancient Jain settlements across Tamil Nadu: Six years ago, when K Ramesh Kumar, a research assistant with the French Institute of Pondicherry, climbed a hill which had abandoned Jain sites, he never thought he would go on to photo-document all the sites in the state. With the help of a team of experts from the FIP, Kumar has now produced a DVD containing more than 8,000 photographs of Jain sites for the first time. This is the first time a DVD is coming up with photographs and basic details of all the sites.

"I have documented 459 sites, including 79 sub sites, comprising structural and cave temples, rock beds, inscriptions, converted sites and stray sculptures. Special emphasis has been laid on the iconography of the 24 Tirthankaras and associated gods, Jain rituals and festivals and their role in the development of Tamil language," said Kumar. --goTop

15. Bharat test fires n-capable Dhanush missile: Bharat successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile on November 24 with a strike range of 350 km from a naval ship off the Odisha coast. The surface-to-surface Dhanush was test fired from INS Subhadra in the Bay of Benga. It is a naval variant of Bharat's indigenously-developed Prithvi missile. Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 kg and can hit both land and sea-based targets under 350 km range. It has already been inducted in the armed forces. --goTop

16. Nuclear capable Arihant submarine successfully test-fires unarmed missile: Bharat's first indigenously-developed nuclear-powered nuclear attack submarine, Arihant, successfully test fired a dummy or unarmed missile. The vital first test in ejecting a missile from its onboard silos was conducted on November 25, proverbially adding a feather to the cap of the Bharatiya Navy and scientists from DRDO and BARC. The firing was done remotely from a far away location by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), Bharat's nuclear command authority which is tasked with creating nuclear deterrence. --goTop

17. Bharatiya origin South African freedom fighter honoured: Bharatiya-origin South African freedom fighter Ahmed Kathrada has been awarded the Freedom of the City of Cape Town, becoming only the sixth such recipient in the country’s oldest city. Kathrada was a close confidante of South Africa’s first black president and global anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. --goTop

18. 83% OF BHARATIYAS BAT FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: PEW SURVEY: Bharat is among the countries that have highest support for religious freedom, with eight out of 10 Bharatiyas believing that it is very important to have the freedom to practice their faith, compared to a global median of 74%, according to a survey by Pew Research Center.Non-partisan fact tank US-based Pew Research --that surveyed 38 countries and interviewed 40,786 people between April 5 and May 21, 2015 --found there is strong support for gender equality and religious freedom in Bharat. 83% Bharatiyas say it is very important to have the freedom to practice their religion compared with a global median of 74% across the nations polled. --goTop

19. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Saumitra Gokhale samyojak Vishwa Vibhag and Dr Ram Vaidya sah samyojak would be in Bharat for the upcoming Vishwa Sangh Shibir. Visitors: Yashwant Radia - UK, Pramod Buravalli - USA

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Go on bravely. Do not expect success in a day or a year. Always hold on to the highest. Be steady. Avoid jealousy and selfishness. Be obedient and eternally faithful to the cause of truth, humanity, and your country, and you will move the world. - Swami Vivekanand --goTop

JAI SHREE RAM

The Carrier of Multi-dimensional Ayodhya Movement

Ram Bahadur Rai

Those who were present there on that fateful day would imagine and understand how the scene at completely or reverberates when the body is of a Sanyasi Senapati (Saint Commander). This was on 18^th November 2015, the Sun was to set. The body of Ashok Singhal arrived much later. People thronged the place much before that standing at places waiting for the body to arrive and have the last glimpse of their leader. Nigambodh Ghat has been witness to grief-stricken family members almost daily. It is this place from where the relatives say goodbye to their near and dear ones who have left for heavenly abode. But the day the scene was different. There was a feeling of peace and satisfaction on the each face present there. Many amongst them were such who had just heard the name of Ashok Singhal. It is well nigh impossible to gauge how enlarged that name was. In that atmosphere one friend asked: ''What was so special in Ashok Singhal?"

The word 'special' had a number of nuances – extraordinary, and unique having multi-speciality character traits. For a moment I was dumbfound on his query. I was silent. But the next moment I said to him: "This scene at Nigamboth Ghat is enough to make us understand the extraordinary personality of Ashok Singhal."

Then I remembered the incident happened during 1980s. The incident was narrated by the late Bhanu Pratap Shukla, and scripted by Ramkumar Bhramar. "Ashokji would go, address meetings, but police used to be there but could not identify him". This is essence of that incident. This was considered as a miracle. What was the secret? When asked, Ashokji said his Guru had given him a mantra that this miracle happened. This is not the only one. There are many more. Some of them I know and I was about to share them with my friend I noticed hundreds of youth marching in a martial style. This was a red letter day for Nigambodh Ghat. They were shouting slogans, one amongst them was Ashok Singhal Amar Rahe (Long live Ashok Singhal!). This was a routine slogan but that day the same slogan became very special because it had the signs and signals of history and future, history that was related to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Its roots date back to 1528. The slogans were actually salute to the departed soul. But the sound that reverberated was assuring that Ashok Singhal had given an army of youth to the Hindu society in the form of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). This can be deep sentiment also. Why should we delve deep into the past? The scene in front of me was no less historic and with this thought it became almost impossible to be a witness to that event.

The multi-dimensional feeling of Ayodhya Movement engulfed Nigambodh Ghat that day. People from every section of the society representing each strata and interest groups were present there. Famous leaders, saints, Sanyasins, Sadhu of various Akharas were there in large number, but the extensive presence of youth indicated to the future of Ayodhya Movement and it would reach its destination. Nigambodh Ghat is a crematorium. Anyone who comes here is filled though temporarily, with a feeling of detachment. That is why the saying "Shmashan Vairagya" came into existence. But there were no signs of this detachment. On the contrary there was inspiration of action pervading the atmosphere there because people had come to say goodbye to Ashok Singhal who had left a memory of action-packed life. No one remembers about large screens at Nigambodh Ghat. But this time screen became necessary because of large presence of people and leaders in the cremation of Ashok Singhal.

Ashok Singhal fulfilled three things before he left his mortal frame. Those are his legacy. Did he get a prior warning? This is a matter of perception. His life mission was clear and that is visible in all three of his acts. The importance of 30^th September would be underlined in future. That day he took Dr Subramanian Swamy along with him and talked to media. He did less of the talking and allowed Dr Swamy to speak more. The talk was related to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi. That's why media was called.

Ashok Singhal was well aware with the approach and stand of the respective Central government and their Prime Ministers on Ram Janmabhoomi issue. He knew everything. His role in making Narendra Modi Prime Minister was important and known to everybody. The way he raised this issue 18 months after the Modi government took over displayed his down to earth thinking and behavior. He knew the legal hurdles in way of the temple. That is why he took Dr Swamy with him and made an announcement for a national seminar on legal aspects of the movement. The seminar whenever held would influence the public opinion. They will understand that this legal hurdle can be removed by the Parliament. Next day, he was given a rousing public felicitation on his 90^th birthday. The song he delivered on the special request from Sarsanghchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat became his last expression. That song was "yeh matribhoomi meri, yeh pitrabhoomi meri.."

The information of his third act was given by Shri Mohan Bhagwat himself in the condolence meeting. This was held on 22^nd November in Indira Gandhi Sports Campus auditorium. He described how Ashok Singhal had talked to him on November 10 for an hour. He informed him of two of his life missions: 'To erect a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya' and 'to spread Vedas'. Informing this to the audience Shri Bhagwat appealed to them to adopt 'his resolve and work relentlessly to translate them into reality’. Even after a short notice senior saints, social activists, RSS, VHP workers, political leaders, ministers of Government of Bharat, BJP President Amit Shah were present. The proceedings were conducted by Shri Champat Rai. Notable presence was of nonagenarian Dr Bhai Mahavir.

Ashokji left after making these important resolves a milestone of his life. They will guide us on to the correct direction. They will be guiding posts for those who opt to walk on this road. Ashok Singhal resumed his last journey not before he put these milestones on the path. He reached Allahabad where he lived. His home is now a temple. Here he grew with the time. From here he plunged into public life in 1942 at the age of 16. That is the beginning of his public life. His life was full of simplicity, service, pursuit for truth and transforming the society. The seeds later grew into a large banyan tree.

We can look at his life from a number of angles. But he was a 'satyagrahi' to the root. He learnt his lessons in this during the August Revolution. It would have been impossible for this Allahabad youth to remain aloof from August Revolution. Ashok Singhal was a soldier of that Revolution and he had all the qualities that would make him a commander. This quality was further nursed during his stay at Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He took the path of nationalism as he joined the RSS. And that made all the difference Ashok Singhal did not look back since then not even for a moment.

Only once he was in dilemma. But that did not last long. He searched his way out for himself. That dilemma was about limitations of social service and spiritual pursuit. He was inclined towards spirituality and started pursuing it. But he overcame this dilemma and identified his mission and then whatever responsibility was befallen on his shoulders; he made that a spiritual one. This became the source of his energy. And the one who searches his own source of strength becomes energy source for others and for the society also. Ashok Singhal became one such source for others and for the society also. Ashok Singhal became one such source. Very few people know, and now their number is even less today, that he was the main driving force behind the student-youth revolution. He inspired the agitations. In Emergency he gave a slip to the police of Indira Gandhi. He assumed the responsibility of underground movement then with great precision and expertise.

The best period of his life came in 1980. Or did he select that period. That was his decision, which was approved by the RSS. He joined the VHP with a youthful mind and transformed it. This became possible because of uniqueness of his efforts and organizing skills. Everyone knows of the incident of Meenakshipuram where hundreds of families were converted into Islam. This incident became a challenge for the entire Hindu society and this would have been allowed to pass had Ashok Singhal not taken it as a challenge. He conceived of "Virat Hindu Samaj" and soon this forum became an all party forum for every sect within the Hindu society. Those nationalists in the Congress Party even thought of Ashok Singhal as emancipator of Hindu society. They too joined with the Forum. People know many such names who joined the Ayodhya movement in the initial days.

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi is right when he recalled how Ashok Singhal possessed a melodious voice and was a composer since his childhood. This composer became the music director of Bharteeyata in the entire world. He gave a common platform to different philosophies of Bharat. The way he conducted the Ayodhya movement, it became in reality a movement of national reconstruction of Bharat. Some people allege that Ashok Singhal was a divisive personality. Dr Murli Manohar Joshi says Ashok Singhal possessed the courage to speak the truth. Divisiveness is a debatable issue and if such a debate takes place it would clear the clouds and make our thoughts clear. Not only in Delhi, but also in other parts of the world Ashok Singhal is remembered as historical icon, the person who made history, the one who instilled confidence in the scared, confused Hindu society, who shook the global Hindu mind. He did not say much about self. He was beyond that self-description. He was a "Atmavilopi". He became identified with an intellectual movement more so he would be remembered as for his guidance and inspiration. He achieved a perfect balance of thought and trust. Thought breeds revolution and trust gives meaning to it. Ashok Singhal's life is merged in these two words. (The writer is renowned Hindi journalist) - Organiser Weekly, 6 December 2015. --goTop

Shri Vishwa Niketan www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com vishwav@bol.net.in

SAMVAD

Kartik Shukla 5, Vik. Samvat 2072. Yugabda 5117: November 16, 2015

1. FESTIVALS: Gita Jayanti	2. DIVERSITY IS INDIA’S STRENGTH: RSS CHIEF MOHAN BHAGWAT
3. FIRST P-8I SQUADRON DEDICATED TO THE NATION	4. NATIONAL DIYA LIT IN GUYANA
5. BHARATIYA-ORIGIN EX-SOLDIER SAJJAN IS CANADA'S NEW DEFENCE MINISTER	6. IISC ONLY BHARATIYA INSTITUTE TO MAKE IT TO TOP 100 UNIVERSITIES LIST
7. MODI LAUNCHES BHARAT’S FIRST-EVER GOLD COIN	8. AMERICANS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REPORT BETTER WELLNESS, HEALTH BEHAVIORS
9. GATWICK HAS INTRODUCED FREE PRE-FLIGHT YOGA CLASSES	10. BHARATEEYA VANVASI DIALECTS IN MUMBAI UNIVERSITY
11. RAGHURAM RAJAN FIRST BHARATIYA TO BE APPOINTED BIS VICE CHAIRMAN	12. BHARAT TO BE WORLD'S FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY BY '17
13. JAIN MONK COMPLETES 423 DAYS OF FASTING PENANCE	14. BENGALURU TO HOST 5-DAY MEGA CONCLAVE HINDU SPIRITUAL AND SERVICE FAIR-2015
15. MOZAMBIQUE: NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY FOR HINDUS WORKERS	16. EYE IN THE SKY TO HELP CONSERVE HERITAGE SITES
17. IN 9 US STATES, BHARATIYAS BIGGEST IMMIGRANT BLOC	18. OZ WIZARDS TELL SLUM KIDS MUSICAL TALE OF RAMA
19. STOP MUSLIM POLYGAMY, ITS 'HEINOUSLY PATRIARCHAL' SAYS GUJARAT HC	20. SURGING BHARAT WORLD'S 7TH TOP NATION BRAND: STUDY
21. OBITUARIES	22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Articles: A. THINKER AND POLITICAL NARRATOR B. TRIBUTE ON BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

1. FESTIVALS: Gita Jayanti is celebrated on Margshirsha Shukla Ekadasi (21st December this year) when it is believed that the "Bhagavad Gita" was revealed to Arjuna by Sri Krishna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

Gita Jayanti is celebrated worldwide by all devotees of Lord Krishna who revere Bhagavad Gita as their Divine Mother because She teaches us in a scientific manner how to re-establish our lost relationship with The Supreme.

Gita Jayanti is celebrated all over the world where Hindu society has some presence and is generally observed by mass recitation of all 700 verses of the Gita throughout the day. Devotees fast on this day, Bhajans and Poojas are also held on this day. -goTop

2. DIVERSITY IS INDIA'S STRENGTH: RSS CHIEF MOHAN BHAGWAT said, "Every person should be empowered to ensure equality and co-existence and there should be no concentration of power, money or education.

Stressing on the Bharatiya ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, he said: "We consider it (diversity) as an issue of celebration rather than a problem that the outsiders consider." "He was addressing a gathering in New Delhi on 5^th November on the topic 'National Building Through Inter-Faith Harmony in the Spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' at the birth centenary celebrations of Swami Chinmayananda of Chinmaya Mission. He said foreigners often wonder how Bharat lives with such diversity, as before even British believed that Bharatiyas would fight among themselves if they are given Independence. "People with petty minds divide the world through colour, language… Those with liberal minds consider the entire world their own." -goTop

3. FIRST P-8I SQUADRON DEDICATED TO THE NATION: 13^th November turned out to be a golden letter day in the geo-strategic history of the sub-continent with the Union Defense Minister Manohar Parrikkar inducting eight Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft Boeing Poseidon-8 (Boeing P-8I for short) into service at a simple, but elegant function held at Bharatiya Naval Station Rajali at Arakkonam, 80 km from Chennai.

The Defense Minister said the real East Coast of the country is the 1000-km-long and wide Andaman and Nicobar islands. "Andaman and Nicobar islands are precious to India. In addition to this, the world's busiest and heaviest maritime trade is passing through these islands. We have to fortify and strengthen the surveillance capability from Andaman Islands. Hence we will have a squadron of another four Boeing P-8I aircraft based in Port Blair," he said.

"The electronic surveillance and monitoring instruments are capable of identifying friends, enemies and neutral objects stretching from Malacca Straits to the African coast," said the Defense Minister. -goTop

4. NATIONAL DIYA LIT IN GUYANA: Pomp and splendour marked the illumination of Guyana's first-ever National Diya on the evening of 8^th November at the Rahaman Park Triangle, Houston, Greater Georgetown.

Songs, dances and enlightening speeches were all part of the simple ceremony which was attended by a mass of Hindu Guyanese all decked out in their richest garments.

A special guest all the way from Trinidad and Tobago, Sri Ravi ji Maharaj, during his remarks at the ceremony, underscored the importance of Diwali festivities across the world, and in Guyana. He said, "The idea of Diwali has embraced many different narratives…it invites such thinking of nationalism for this nation." The principle of nationalism was the key focus of the messages delivered by all during the ceremony.

A representative of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha encouraged all Guyanese as they celebrate Diwali whether on November 10 or November 11, to light diyas with their hearts and mind pure. "Light over darkness; good over evil," she chanted. Former Housing Minister Irfaan Ali also delivered remarks where he urged all Guyanese to celebrate in love and unity.

The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Group is the mastermind behind the initiative and the organizers of the cheerful ceremony. HSS representative Ravi Dev also joined his colleagues in wishing Guyanese a happy Diwali. -goTop

5. BHARATIYA-ORIGIN EX-SOLDIER SAJJAN IS CANADA’S NEW DEFENCE MINISTER: Harjit Sajjan, n Bharat -Canadian Sikh, was named Canada's new defense minister on 4^th November as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 30-member cabinet was sworn-in at a ceremony in Ottawa.

Sajjan, a decorated lieutenant-colonel in the Canadian armed forces who was elected as an MP for Vancouver South, is a combat veteran and has served in Bosnia and was thrice deployed to Kandahar in Afghanistan. He has received numerous military honours, including the Meritorious Service Medal in 2013 for reducing Taliban's influence in Kandahar.

Sajjan, who is in his mid-forties, was born in Bharat and moved to Canada with his family when he was five-years-old.

As the new defense minister, Sajjan will work with Trudeau on reshaping Canada’s combat mission fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. -goTop

6. IISC ONLY BHARATIYA INSTITUTE TO MAKE IT TO TOP 100 UNIVERSITIES LIST: A Bharatiya University has featured on the list of top 100 varsities in the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking for the first time.

Bangalore's Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has been ranked 99th in engineering and technology category of the ranking released on 13^th November.

"This year's stand-out success story has to be India, making its debut in this prestigious engineering and technology ranking, which represents the top few per cent of world universities for these subject disciplines," said THE World University Rankings editor Phil Baty.

The number of US institutions on the list has come down to 31 from 34 last year. Asia universities have gone up to 25 positions from 18 in 2014.

IISc scored 60.7 points for teaching and 46.7 in research as per performance breakdown of the ranking. In teaching, IISc is among the top 50 universities while for research it is ranked 77th.

Baty said while the US and UK still dominates the upper echelons of this table, Asia is shifting the balance of power, proving that its institutions are world-class in this field. -goTop

7. MODI LAUNCHES BHARAT’S FIRST-EVER GOLD COIN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5^th November launched three programmes aimed at reducing physical gold demand and luring tonnes of gold from households into the banking system. The three schemes that Modi launched are Gold Monetization Scheme (GMS), Gold Sovereign Bond Scheme and the Gold Coin and Bullion Scheme. Modi also unveiled the first ever national gold coin minted in Bharat with the national emblem of Ashok Chakra engraved on it.

The Gold Monetization Scheme is aimed at tapping part of an estimated 20,000 tonnes of idle gold worth Rs. 5, 40,000 crore in family lockers and temples into the banking system.

The Gold Sovereign Bond will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the government with an interest rate of 2.75%. The bonds will be sold through banks and designated post offices.

Describing the schemes as "sone pe suhaga" (icing on the cake), Modi said gold has often been a source of women's empowerment in the Bharatiya society, and these schemes will underscore that sense of empowerment. -goTop

8. AMERICANS WHO PRACTICE YOGA REPORT BETTER WELLNESS, HEALTH BEHAVIORS: Yoga users reported the most positive health benefits, compared to users of natural products and spinal manipulation. The analysis by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) USA was published in a National Health Statistics Report by the National Center for Health Statistics.

"Though yoga seems to play the biggest role, people who use a variety of complementary health approaches reported better wellbeing," said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of NCCIH. "This may suggest that people perceive more wellness benefit when they are actively involved in their health, for example by practicing yoga. More research is needed to better understand the ways yoga and other approaches impact overall health." -goTop

9. GATWICK HAS INTRODUCED FREE PRE-FLIGHT YOGA CLASSES: Gatwick is offering travelers who face hours cramped in economy class the chance to "de-stress" and ward off aches and pains at pre-flight yoga sessions.

Celebrity yogi Shona Vertue launched the class at the airport’s south terminal on 29^th October, offering a free service to passengers before long-haul flights.

In the so-called "floga" lounge, a 20-minute video class will be shown on loop, featuring moves proven to help improve circulation and digestion, which are put under stress in the air. Ms Vertue, 28, has spent seven years as a yoga teacher and personal trainer and has worked with stars including Natalie Imbruglia and Lara Stone.

Dr Richard Dawood, travel medicine expert at the Fleet Street Clinic, said: "A yoga work-out before boarding will help passengers relax their minds and their bodies, turning what can be a stressful experience into a more enjoyable and relaxing one."

According to organizers, the lounge is the first such facility in a UK airport and was inspired by a service at San Francisco International. Nikki Barton, Gatwick’s head of terminals and passenger services, said: "This will be a great way to help individuals de-stress and unwind before a flight." -goTop

10. BHARATEEYA VANVASI DIALECTS IN MUMBAI UNIVERSITY: A function was recently organized by Mumbai University Vice-Chancellor Dr Sanjay Deshmukh for inauguration of the Rani Ma Gaidinliu Academy for Bharateeya Tribal Dialects.

The inauguration has a historical backdrop since the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of Bharat, while recognizing "official" Bharateeya languages, has made no provision to protect minor languages, especially the tribal languages in general and of the North-East in particular.

Shri Padmanabh Acharya, Governor of Nagaland and Assam who has been mobilizing doctors, teachers and NGOs to visit the North-East in a bid to become a bridge between the mainstream and the N-E region hoped that the academy would be active soon.

Welcoming the Governor, Dr Deshmukh said that this Academy will aim at teaching North-East dialects in Mumbai. The proposed Academy will plan to conduct a six-month certificate course and a one-year PG diploma course, after completion of which, the students will spend six days in 'Angami' area in Nagaland for internship. The Project will comprise teaching elementary levels for speaking and reading of one of the tribal dialects of North-East Bharat. -goTop

11. RAGHURAM RAJAN FIRST BHARATIYA TO BE APPOINTED BIS VICE CHAIRMAN: Raghuram Rajan, Reserve Bank of India Governor, a vocal votary for increased co-ordination among central banks, has been elected vice-chairman of the Bank of International Settlement (BIS). Mr. Rajan will have a three-year term as vice-chairman of the BIS. Mr. Rajan is the first Bharatiya central bank Governor to become the vice-chairman of BIS.

BIS is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, and acts as a coordinating body among central banks to ensure global monetary and financial stability. The BIS board meets at least six times a year. The BIS board comprises all central bankers. The board includes U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney and Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda. -goTop

12. BHARAT TO BE WORLD'S FASTEST GROWING ECONOMY BY '17: The Confederation for British Industry's latest quarterly economic forecast released on the eve of PM Narendra Modi's visit has predicted that Bharat will be the fastest growing economy among the G20 by 2017 (7.6%). The UK is already the single largest G20 investor into Bharat and has invested $22.2 billion between 2000 and 2015 -9% of all FDI in the country.

The confederation said that slower economic growth in China will weigh further on emerging markets, but it is "India which remains a bright spot among more downbeat emerging markets".

Between 2000 and 2015, the UK FDI generated around 138,000 direct jobs, 7% of the total 1.96 million jobs generated by FDI in Bharat. -goTop

13. JAIN MONK COMPLETES 423 DAYS OF FASTING PENANCE: More than 60,000 Jains thronged the MMRDA grounds in Mumbai on 1^st November where a Jain monk, Hansratnavijayji Maharaj Saheb, created history by breaking 423 days of fasting done over a period of 494 days. Jain gurus said that such a feat has been achieved after 2,500 years.

Beneath a huge canopy put up on the ground, a sea of Jain families had come together to witness the monk take his first sip and morsel after the long fast. Such fasting is a form of penance called 'Gunaratna Samvatsar Tap'. Usually, such a religious practice involves 407 fasts over 480 days.

"The idea behind fasting was to purify the soul and attain internal peace. It was to ensure that good things prevail in life," said Shree Hansratnavijayiji Maharaj Saheb. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the event and sought blessings from the monk. -goTop

14. BENGALURU TO HOST 5-DAY MEGA CONCLAVE HINDU SPIRITUAL AND SERVICE FAIR-2015: Showcasing the service projects run by various socio-religious institutes across Karnataka, a 5-day mega Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair-2015 will be held from December 9 to 13, 2015 at National High School Grounds, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru.

Addressing the press conference in Bengaluru, eminent economist S Gurumurthy and President of reception committee of HSSF-2015 Vijaya Sankeshwara said "The Hindu spiritual and service fair will provide a platform for spiritual and service organizations and also to motivate, involve the public to be part of the process of social transformation." -goTop

15. MOZAMBIQUE: NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY FOR HINDUS WORKERS: The Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Victoria Dias Diogo, granted a holiday to all workers and civil servants who profess the Hindu religion in Mozambique on November 12th, so that they can, with their families and friends, celebrate the beginning of the new year, Vikram Savant 2072.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security, this holiday is in response to a request by the Hindu Community, in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 97 of the Labor Law. -goTop

16. EYE IN THE SKY TO HELP CONSERVE HERITAGE SITES: Keen eyes from the sky will help conserve national monuments and other heritage buildings that are under threat from frenzied construction activity.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have joined hands to create a repository of satellite-based surveillance photographs on more than 3,000 protected monuments to begin with. Around 1, 50,000-odd heritage structures will be added to the database in a phased manner.

ISRO has been entrusted with the job of filing high-resolution digital images of each site and its peripheral areas to spot illegal structures that have mushroomed in the neighbourhood of protected monuments. These satellite pictures will help ASI to identify the worst affected areas and take corrective measures. -goTop

17. IN 9 US STATES, BHARATIYAS BIGGEST IMMIGRANT BLOC: Amid reports that indicate Bharat and China are now starting to send more legal immigrants to the United States than Mexico, new data from the US department of homeland security shows that Asian Bharatiyas form the biggest group of naturalized Americans in nine states, mostly in eastern US.

Mexican-Americans still dominate the central and western half of the US, but the fact that Bharatiyas have such a high concentration comes as much as a surprise as Chinese not being the top immigrant population even in a single state.

Each year, about 800,000 to a million immigrants become naturalized US citizens. By country, the biggest groups after Mexico are Bharat, Philippines, Dominican Republic and China.

The DHS data also shows that more than 50% of the emigrating Bharatiyas are in prime earning age of 25-44, suggesting that the US is benefiting from giving citizenship to productive immigrants.. Some 35% of Bharatiya immigrants who took US citizenship worked in management, professional, service, production and sales occupations. -goTop

18. OZ WIZARDS TELL SLUM KIDS MUSICAL TALE OF RAMA: Festivities came calling early for the children of Kanak Durga Slum in RK Puram on 31^st October as four musicians from The Australian World Orchestra recited before them a melodic saga of Rama's return to Ayodhya.

The AWO is on a Bharat tour, performing under the baton of renowned Bharatiya conductor Zubin Mehta. Along with the concert, the group is also exercising its outreach programme that provides mentorship opportunities and workshops to underprivileged children. -goTop

19. STOP MUSLIM POLYGAMY, ITS 'HEINOUSLY PATRIARCHAL' SAYS GUJARAT HC:: The Gujarat high court on 5^th November made a strong pitch for a uniform civil code and called for the abolition of polygamy in Muslim society in Bharat as it's a "heinously patriarchal" act.

The court recommended an amendment of Muslim personal law saying that in this day and age, the practice of polygamy is often driven by selfish motives.

"On the basis of modern progressive thinking, India must shun the practice (of polygamy) and establish a uniform civil code," said Justice JB Pardiwala, while adjudicating on a petition by a Muslim man who faced bigamy charges after marrying for a second time without his first wife's consent. -goTop

20. SURGING BHARAT WORLD'S 7TH TOP NATION BRAND: STUDY: Bharat has moved up one position to become the world's seventh most valued 'nation brand'. US remains on top with a valuation of $19.7 billion , followed by China and Germany at the second and the third positions respectively, according to the annual report on the world's most valuable nation brands compiled by Brand Finance. The UK is ranked 4th, Japan is at 5th position and France is 6th in the list. While Bharat and France have moved up one position each since last year, all the top five countries have retained their respective places. However the surge of 32% for Bharat is the highest among all the top 20 countries on the list. -goTop

21. OBITUARIES: Shri Lakshmanrao Pardikar senior sangh karyakarta from Nagpur and President of Kreeda Bharati passed away in an accident near Nagpur. Madhu ji Limaye, veteran pracharak from Assam breathed his last in Mumbai due to age related illness. He was 89. Senior pracharak from Maharashtra Mukundrao Panshikar who was all Bharat Dharma Jagaran Pramukh passed away during travel while reaching Mumbai on 7^th November. Shri Narain Kataria, former vibhag karyavaha of HSS and President of Indian American Intellectual Forum passed away in New York on 4^th November. -goTop

22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Shyam Parande Secretary Sewa Internatioal is on a tour to Vietnam and Cambodia. Visitors: Sandip Kashyap, Saurabh Choudhary - UK

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind. It was by such work that Janaka attained perfection; others too have followed this path. - Srimad Bhagwad Geeta -goTop

JAI SHREE RAM

THINKER AND POLITICAL NARRATOR

Anirban Ganguly

Deendayal Upadhyaya's political commentaries are as relevant today as they were in his days. His sharp observations on the Congress, the Left movement and the aspirations of a nation that boasts of a rich cultural civilisation, should be a guide to modern-day India

In the introduction to his The Jana Sangh: A Biography of an Indian Political Party (1969), one of the few sympathetic and scholarly work on the evolution and history of the Jana Sangh from its founding up to 1967, American scholar Craig Baxter made an interesting observation. The Bharatiya Jana Sangh, observed Baxter, "enjoys a unique position among the national political parties of India. It is the only party that has increased its percentage of the popular vote and its share of parliamentary and Assembly seats in each successive election from 1952 through 1967". Yet, pointed out Baxter, "Despite the party's strong position, in the Western world it has been undoubtedly least studied and least well known of the major Indian political parties."

For years now, it has been the tradition or the laid out norm, that if one aspired to earn accolades as an adept of Indian affairs and of Indian civilisation, one was enjoined to develop and demonstrate an expertise at demonising Hindu ethos and aspirations, or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh then and the Bharatiya Janata Party now. An additional mastery at demonising Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi is always considered a surest path to an assured tenureship, academic publicity and back thumping.

Any scholar who earned academic spurs by demonising or weaving an end of the world narrative around Mr Modi has always and invariably been welcomed to the club as a true proponent and torch bearer of a 'liberating' narrative. But essentially, this is a narrative that has thrived by generating the spectre of an unstable India under siege. Such a spectre, as I have argued, keeps these narrators and their supporting institutions well-oiled.

The centenary year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya offers an occasion to delve in some depth in the times and political climate he lived in and largely shaped through the power of his intellect and his deep political acumen and reading. Some of these observations, apart from the political-philosophy dimension, give a great insight into the evolution of post-independent India's polity and political traditions. As the legendary Sampurnanand, a formidable Congress Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and a polymath in his own right, once noted, while writing the foreword to a collection of Upadhyaya's political articles, "I shall be failing in my duty if I did not respond to the request to help secure the fullest publicity to the thoughts of the late Sri Deendayal Upadhyaya and it has to be remembered they are not just anybody's thought. These words clothe the idea of one of the most notable political leaders of our time, a man devoted to the highest good of the country, of a person with unimpeachable character, a leader whose weighty words swayed thousands... If we do not agree with him, let us treat them with the respect they deserve and ponder over them."

For a generation of Congressmen habituated to paying obeisance to a single family or dynasty and bent on looking at it as the sole guiding light, those days of political erudition and finesse, which is part of their own history, is of no importance. Political charlatanism and invective-hurling has become the norm for them.

While discussing in his treatise the political direction to be adopted, Upadhyaya, for example, made a very interesting point that is striking. "From time to time", he said, "Congressmen or others declared Welfare Sate, Socialism, Liberalism, etc, as their aims. Slogans have been raised. Apart from slogans, they have attached little significance to ideologies or comprehensive and integrated though-systems, which alone determine the direction one has to follow. I am saying this on the basis of personal discussions." Speaking on the formation of "joint fronts" in order to defeat a dominant party, Upadhyaya noted, "I asked, 'what programme shall we adopt?' for a joint front. Some idea of the programme is essential. What will be our economic policy, what will be our foreign policy, these questions should also be broadly tackled?" The reply was indeed stunning and if imprinted on the current scenario and reversed, assumes significance. "Do not worry about them, was the reply, 'Whatever you like you can adopt. We are ready to support anything from extreme Marxist to downright capitalist programme.' The reply came as if this was natural", observed Upadhyaya.

Speaking of the Congress, against whom he would have succeeded in forging a pan-India coalition, Upadhyaya observed a similar situation, "The behaviour of various Congress leaders shows one thing clearly, that there are no definite principles, no single direction in Congress. There are staunch communists in Congress fold. There are those who have faith in capitalism and oppose communism to the teeth. All sorts of people are arrayed on the Congress platform. If there can be a magic box which contains a cobra and a mangoose living together, it is Congress." Therefore, argued Upadhyaya, it was difficult for such parties to evolve sets of guiding principles or to even comprehensively chalk out the forward national direction.

Upadhyaya's political diary and writings of the period offer interesting insights into the evolving political culture not only of post-independent India but also of the post-Nehruvian epoch. Wit, insight, an earthy connect and an understanding of aspirational India are deeply reflected in his columns. Talking of discipline in the party, for example, Upadhyaya argued that "discipline is to a party what Dharma is to society", and on what was a good party, it was that which was not merely a collection of "individuals but is a body-corporate with a distinctive purposeful existence different from its desire to capture power". The other quality of a good party was, argued Upadhyaya, that it should be wedded to certain ideals and all its policies should be framed with a view to realising these ideals. Its programmes had to be realistic and realisable.

Referring to factionalism in the Congress as early as 1961, when the original Congress party still existed and its symbol was two bullocks, Upadhyaya noted with characteristic humour, "It is needless to refer to groupism in the Congress. The two bullocks invariably symbolise the two groups at every level..." His words for the Communist Party the undivided and dialectically undiluted were equally interesting, and note the prescient, "With its extra-territorial character, a party so well organised becomes all the more dangerous to the nation. It cannot be loved and supported. It has to be exposed and liquidated."

Sampurnanand was right, Upadhyaya's writings needed to be pondered over and contextualised. It proffers a multi-hued perspective of Indian politics and of the effort at creating an indigenous political narrative.

(The writer is a Director, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Research Foundation - Delhi. Daily Pioneer 11^th November, 2015) -goTop

TRIBUTE ON BIRTH ANNIVERSARY

"Time horizon of a seer is hundred years", thus said Thengadi ji. He created mass organisations like Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch etc. Having a long range vision his guidance continues to inspire all such activists of organisations to move forward despite his physical absence. Thengadi ji was a Karmayogi who acquired attributes of a Yogi through sheer commitment to work.

An unforgettable day

While I was staying at Thengadi ji's residence at 57, South Avenue, New Delhi, Thengadi ji after returning from parliament during lunch break asked me to accompany him. In scorching hit in month of May myself and Thengadi ji walked across South Avenue when Thengadi ji stopped in front of a hut, a man came out and touched his feet, he was his cobbler. Further we moved another man met him, he was his dhobi and so on till we made a round trip of South Avenue and sat under a tree to take cold drinks. "Once in a year I used to meet these persons", said Thengadi ji which to me appeared to be only once in my life time.

Jagannath Rath Yatra

Once we were proceeding to Puri from Bhuvaneshwar. Thengadi ji told us how during Rath Yatra of Sri Jagannath devotees offer their obeisance to Sri Jagannath by touching wooden chariot, the rope, and road etc., the chariot, road and rope feel elevated as God deserving such respects. Observing such a scene Sri Jagannath just smiles (it was a Tagore's poem). Thengadi ji went on to say that Shri Guru ji might be smiling when we feel like deserving such praise when we address meetings of thousands of people.

Thane meet in 1972

Shri Guruji was deliberating on different 'isms' evolving in Europe like Fabian Socialism, Syndicalism, and Communism etc. After ending his speech Guruji asked Thengadi ji, "Dattopant have I put everything in order?" Thengadi ji stood up and replied, "In our case, marriage invitation card remained same though addresses over the envelop changes. In their case while addresses changed the content inside also changed." Everyone laughed and Guruji said, "Dattopant is our thought giver".

Thengadi ji and Babu Rao ji Paldhikar (Former Prant Pracharak, Odisha) were schoolmates. It was Shri Paldhikar who brought Thengadi ji to RSS Shakha. About Thengadi ji Shri Paldhikar said, "Sangh like river Ganga flows perennially, sometimes pieces of diamonds roll out in its stream, Thengadi ji was one such diamond".

Emergency 1975 -77

After Nanaji Deshmukh was arrested Thengadi ji took over the charge of Lok Sangharsh Samiti constituted by Jaiprakash Narayan. On September 9, 1975 we met Thengadi ji in Kolkata where he declared that this government would come to grinding halt after seventeen months and exactly in February 1977 emergency was lifted. Though played a crucial role during the emergency he declined to accept any post in existing power politics since his Time Horizon was of hundred years.

( Saroj Mitra, National Co-convener, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch and the year is birth centenary year Shri Dattopant Thengdi - veteran RSS pracharak ) -goTop

Complied by : Shri Vishwa Niketan (New Delhi) - vishwav@bol.net.in