Kartik Shukla 5, Vik. Samvat 2072. Yugabda 5117: November 16, 2015
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 5th 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: 13th 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 8th 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 4th 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 13th 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 5th 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 29th 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 1st 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 31st 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 5th 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 7th November. Shri Narain Kataria, former vibhag karyavaha of HSS and President of Indian American Intellectual Forum passed away in New York on 4th 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 11th 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
