SAMVAD

Chaitra Shukla 10, Vik.Samvat 2073. Yugabda 5118: April 16, 2016


1. festivals: Akshaya Tritiya 2. NO QUESTION OF CHANGING FLAG AND ANTHEM - BHAIYAJI JOSHI
3. HSS UK - KHEL PRATIYOGITA 4. MP TO BE FIRST STATE IN BHARAT TO HAVE A HAPPINESS MINISTRY
5. HARYANA HEADS FOR HARMONY 6. MEERUT GIRL DEVIKA COMES UP WITH DECODING OF DEADLY ZIKA VIRUS
7. GURDWARA NEAR AIRPORT HELPED HUNDREDS AFTER BRUSSELS BLASTS 8. CHHATTISGARH: WHERE WOMEN "RUN" A DISTRICT
9. US ARMY PERMITS SIKH OFFICER TO KEEP TURBAN 10. TRIBAL VILLAGE IN MP BOASTS OF 70 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
11. SWAYAMSEVAKS RESCUE KOLKATA FLYOVER COLLAPSE VICTIMS 12. PM MODI CONFERRED SAUDI ARABIA'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOUR
13. ABHINAV SANDESH YATRA BEGINS IN TAMIL NADU 14. WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP A REALITY: NIRMALA SITHARAMAN
15. CHANDRAYAAN-II WILL BE INDIGENOUS 16. TOTAL AADHAAR ENROLLMENTS CROSS 100-CRORE MARK
17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Articles:

GANDHI OF GUADELOUPE  HENRY SIDAMBARAM

WHAT WE IN BJP/RSS MEAN WHEN WE TALK OF NATIONALISM


1. festivals: Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej falls on the Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya (9th May this year) and is one of the four most auspicious days for Hindus. It is the birthday of Bhagwan  Parasurama who is the sixth incarnation of Bhagwan Vishnu. On this day Veda Vyas and Sri Ganesha began to write Mahabharata. Jains celebrate this day to commemorate Tirthankara Rishabhadev's ending of yearlong fast by consuming sugarcane juice into his cupped hands.

The word "Akshaya" means the never diminishing in Sanskrit and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. It is believed that if you do charity on this day you will be blessed. The day is considered auspicious for starting new ventures. The legend is that any venture initiated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya continues to grow and bring prosperity. Hence, new ventures, like starting a business, construction, etc. is performed on Akshaya Tritiya. -goTop

 

2. NO QUESTION OF CHANGING FLAG AND ANTHEM - BHAIYAJI JOSHI: RSS Sar-karyavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi was recently misquoted by a section of media about his remarks on the National Flag. Speaking at a function in Mumbai, he did not say anything against the tricolour. "Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi was deliberating on the difference between rajya (state) and rashtra (nation).  In 1947 the Constituent Assembly had adopted Tiranga as our State Flag and was subsequently retained as that of a Republic of India.  It is mandatory that every citizen of Bharat should respect this symbol. The saffron flag has been revered by the people of Bharat since time immemorial as a symbol of our ancient culture.  Similarly, while the Jana Gana Mana describes the idea of Rajya, Vande Mataram denotes our cultural identity and our devotion to it.  All of us should equally respect and adore both the National Anthem and the National Song. Nowhere Bhaiyaji asked for any change in the National Flag or the Anthem," said RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr. Manmohan Vaidya in a statement.  -goTop

 

3. HSS UK - KHEL PRATIYOGITA: On 20th March, 603 swayamsevaks assembled at Derby Soccerdome for the annual national sports competition organized by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK. The games played were Kho-kho, ring, kabaddi etc. 58 teams from 22 towns participated in 72 games.  The armed services were the guest of honour. They were represented by Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Manish Tayal, Lieutenant Matt Paterson, AET Nigel Watkinson alongwith HSS sanghachalak Dhirajbhai Shah. On the same day, 252 sevikas from 23 shakhas also participated in 65 games. -goTop

 

4. MP TO BE FIRST STATE IN BHARAT TO HAVE A HAPPINESS MINISTRY: Following the example of Bhutan, which measures its prosperity by gauging the citizens' happiness quotient and not the GDP, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on 1st April a happiness ministry to measure the state's progress. "We will make a happiness ministry to track our growth," he said while addressing a state BJP convention.

Chouhan said,"The state will be made responsible for the happiness and tolerance of its citizens, and will rope in psychologists to counsel people on how to be always happy," He related happiness to developments in the country while showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. -goTop

 

5. HARYANA HEADS FOR HARMONY: Leading saints, social activists, film stars, sportspersons and intellectuals from across the country joined the Sadhbhavana Sammelan organised by Samarasata Manch in Rohtak to spread the message of unity and harmony that witnessed a heavy dent during the recent caste clashes in Haryana

Rohtak  is the same city from where the riots in the name of reservation originated and also which witnessed the largest damage during the recent violent caste clashes carried out in the name of reservation between February 18 and 26. Everybody who saw those visuals felt deeply hurt. The unruly crowd set on fire property worth crores of rupees and the violence claimed lives of many innocent people. It was unexpected for many that over a lakh people from all communities joined the Sadhbhavana Sammelan organised in the same city on April 3. But it happened. People from 6,700 villages-from Chandigarh to Mewat, Karnal and Panipat to Mahendragarh and Rewari participated in the Sammelan organised by Haryana unit of Samarasata Manch. Everybody was hurt over the violence that tore the social fabric of the State. They pledged that no such incident will be allowed to reoccur in future. However, the media that flared up the violence and hatred out of proportion did not pay adequate attention to the initiative aimed at reconnecting the broken hearts.

The main force behind this initiative was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which under the banner of Samarasata Manch organised a meeting of various leaders of social organisations from February 27 to 28 and decided to visit every village of the State to restore peace. The entire campaign was designed under the guidance patron of the Samarasata Manch and Geeta Manishi and Mahamandaleshwar Swami Gyanananda Maharaj. "As part of the contact drive vehicle rallies and Rashtra Ekata Yajnas were conducted up to village level. Such events were conducted in more than 2,000 villages and urban localities till March 27. The decision to organise the Sadbhavana Sammelan on April 3 was taken at the meeting on February 28," says Shri Subhash Ahuja, convener of the Manch in Haryana. For smooth and effective conduct of the Sammelan, the Samarasata Manch constituted four teams comprising of senior saints and Khap leaders. These teams invited the leaders of religious and social organizations, sportspersons, film artists etc. Prominent among those who attended the Sammelan included Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, Jain Muni Tarun Sagar Maharaj, Junapeethadhishwar Swami Avadheshanand Giri, Acharya Lokesh Maharaj, Radha Swami Math chief Huzur Kanwar Saheb Maharaj, Sant Sakshi Gopal Maharaj, Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Dev Vrat, Didi Amrita, Sant Ramsingh, Dr Govardhan Das, Swami Param Chaitanya Maharaj, Sant Satpal Maharaj, etc. Among other big personalities were wrestlers Yogeshwar Datt and Sangram Singh, film actor Randeep Hooda, cricketer Chetan Sharma, singer Himani Kapoor, chess champion Anuradha Beniwal, Google boy Kautilya, etc.

Samarasata meal for all

The people coming to attend the Sammelan were provided with Samarasata meals when they entered Rohtak. The meals were collected from all localities of the city and also 86 surrounding villages. However people of many villagers complaint that why were they not told to provide the meals. Equally the people of Dahiya Khap came with a trolley full of bananas and distributed among the participants outside the Sammelan. Jio Geeta organisation provided 60,000 water pouches. Apart from it Jansewa Sansthan also ensured water to all.

The collective message that came out from the Sammelan was to think above caste differences. The speakers said the people of Haryana are always trusted over their purusharth and never adopted the path of violence for personal gains. They have excelled in every sector. Therefore, we should move forward with unity and harmony only.

Addressing the massive gathering Baba Ramdev said harmony of the State must not be disturbed at any cost. "Haryana is known for bravery and valour and not for any caste. Harmony is solution to no trouble. Therefore, we should move forward with our purusharth ..." he said.

Swami Gyanananda Maharaj said Khaps in Haryana have glorious history. They united and protected the society. Swami Avadheshanand Giri said the thinking that 'only I am right' leads to trouble. Instead of having ego we should think of contributing in nation building. Shri Tarun Sagar Maharaj said Sita of Ramayan and Gita of Mahabharat represent our culture and no step should be taken by anybody which divides the country. Arjun Award winner, wrestler Yogeshwar Datt said, "Our State received a bad name due to the misdeeds of some people. Vested interests caused huge damage. We should not allow such elements to damage the social fabric of the State." People from almost all districts of the State participated in the Sammelan. There were representative from all 36 communities. The solidarity and unity witnessed at the Sammelan showed as if there has never been any clash in the State. When there was onslaught on dharma and truth, Sri Krishna spread the message of Gita from this land. Now when there is attempt to disturb peace, the saints came forward donning the role of unifier through the Sadhbhavana Sammelan. The attempt has been appreciated by all.  (Weekly Organiser, April 17, 2016) -goTop

                               

6. MEERUT GIRL DEVIKA COMES UP WITH DECODING OF DEADLY ZIKA VIRUS: Devika Sirohi who was born and brought up in Meerut city, is a doctoral student at Purdue University in the US and the youngest member of the team in the USA which successfully decoded the Zika virus. Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus behind a major outbreak that began in Brazil last year and has spread to many countries in the Americas.

Stating that it took four months to identify the structure of the virus, speaking to a leading daily, Sirohi said, "During the period of the research, we barely slept for two to three hours a day, but our hard work finally paid off. This discovery will help doctors and researchers to find a cure for the deadly disease that has been reported in 33 countries."  

Devika completed her schooling from Dayawati Modi Academy, honours in biochemistry from Delhi University and MSc from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. Her father SS Sirohi, a pathologist based in Delhi, said he was proud not just because his daughter was part of the project, but that Bharat was part of the breakthrough. -goTop

 

7. GURDWARA NEAR AIRPORT HELPED HUNDREDS AFTER BRUSSELS BLASTS: Volunteers of a gurdwara swung into action soon after two blasts spread death and panic at Brussels airport on March 22, providing food, clothes, medicines and hope to hundreds of stranded passengers, including many Bharatiyas in transit.

The Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib in Velvoorde, located less than 10 km from the airport, received calls from London and Bharat soon after news of the blasts spread, and promptly opened its doors and resources to help.

"We contacted local officials and offered to house passengers in the gurdwara and help in any way possible," Jasvir Singh, the gurdwara prabandhak, told.

"But the passengers were not allowed outside the airport. So we arranged food, clothes and medicines, particularly for children."

Baljit Singh, the gurdwara's granthi, said: "We were contacted through phone and social media. The 'sangat' responded promptly. Initially we were not allowed to meet the passengers, but there was pressure from the passengers too, who wanted to meet us."

Following the two blasts at the airport, nearly 250 passengers were stranded, most of them Bharatiyas who were in transit to destinations in the US and Canada or bound for Bharat.

The Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib, located in a quiet neighbourhood on Lange Molenstraat, is one of seven in Brussels. Established more than 20 years ago, it is the base for more than 150 families in Velvoorde and neighbouring areas. A gurdwara is also being established in Antwerp. -goTop

 

8. CHHATTISGARH: WHERE WOMEN "RUN" A DISTRICT: A district in Chhattisgarh has earned the distinction of being run by women officers, virtually. Mungeli district, carved out of central Chhattisgarh district of Bilaspur a couple of years ago, has got women officers as head  of all administrative as well as law enforcing wings in the district in a recent reshuffle in the middle level bureaucracy in the state.

While Niharika Barik has been appointed divisional commissioner of the region, Kiran Kaushal has been posted as Mungeli district collector. Similarly, young IPS officer Nithu Kamal has been appointed as Mungeli district superintendent of police.

Even, a woman officer has been appointed as deputy director district panchayat and social welfare department. The post of chairperson of the local zilla panchayat has earlier gone to Krushna Baghel. The Mungeli municipal corporation is currently headed by Savitri Soni. Similarly, all the notified area councils in the district have been headed by elected women members. -goTop

 

9. US ARMY PERMITS SIKH OFFICER TO KEEP TURBAN: A Sikh US Army captain has been granted long-term permission to wear a beard, turban and uncut hair while in uniform, a decision supporters hailed as a landmark that could help other Sikhs to serve in the military.

Capt Simratpal Singh received the "religious accommodation" in a memorandum dated March 30. Advocates said Singh is the first active duty Sikh soldier to be permitted to begin wearing a turban, long hair and beard even though he had previously served without them.

The army granted Singh temporary permission to do so in December. In February, with the "temporary accommodation" set to expire, the army told him to report for days of gas mask and helmet testing. He sued, saying other soldiers - even those with beards - faced no such requirements, and the tests amounted to religious discrimination. A judge then ruled the army couldn't impose individualized testing on Singh and ordered the military to decide on his request by March 31. -goTop

 

10. TRIBAL VILLAGE IN MP BOASTS OF 70 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS: Tucked in the remote corner of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar, tribal-dominated Padiyaal village is popularly known as "adhikariyon ka gaon"- or village of administrators- where every child wants to become a civil servant, an engineer or a doctor.

Ninety-nine percent of the 5,000-strong population of the village are is Bhil tribes people and among them they have 70 administrative officers, including lower court judges, Indian Police Service officers, Indian Engineering Services officers, medical officers, prosecution officers, forest officer and doctors.

Bhils, an ethnic community, live in Dhar, Jhabua, and West Nimar districts of Madhya Pradesh and Dhulia and Jalgaon in Maharashtra.

"Some doctors from the village are studying abroad, making the Bhil tribes people proud, says," says Bhupendra Singh Alwa, a retired deputy conservator of forest and president of the village Samiti. Not only men, tribal women are also studying to become doctors, civil servants or an engineer and this is rare among tribes people of the region.

There are three women provincial civil service (PCS) officers from Padiyaal and others are doctors or medical officers, says Meena Alawa, a PCS officer posted in tribal welfare department in Khargone district. -goTop

 

11. SWAYAMSEVAKS RESCUE KOLKATA FLYOVER COLLAPSE VICTIMS: A part of under construction Vivekananda Road Flyover suddenly collapsed on March 31 injuring many and killing 27 people.  Rescue operation began immediately to clear and remove the dead bodies buried under the debris. As the news spread, more than 200 RSS swayamsevaks immediately rushed to help the victims along with the NDRF team and defense personnel. The swayamsevaks also arranged blood for the victims and rescued and controlled the crowd. Police Commissioner who was present at the site appreciated the work done by the RSS workers and requested them to remain there. -goTop

 

12. PM MODI CONFERRED SAUDI ARABIA'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Sash, on 3rd April on his visit to the Gulf kingdom. The honour is named after founder of the modern Saudi state, Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Among other notable recipients of this honour are US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. -goTop

 

13. ABHINAV SANDESH YATRA BEGINS IN TAMIL NADU: Abhinav Sandesh Yatra to commemorate the millennium year celebration of Acharya Abhinavagupta began in Tamil Nadu.  Former Vice Chancellor of Anna University Shri A Kalanidhi, senior journalist Shri Maalan and organiser of the event Shri Ajay Bharati participated in the function. Kanchi Shankaracharya Shri Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal blessed the gathering. Describing the greatness of culture and spiritualism in Kashmir, the Shankaracharya stressed the need to revive the 'Sarada lipi' and 'Kashmiri' language. The Yatra which began in Chennai will culminate on June 7. The Yatra was organised in Kanchipuram on March 31.

Speaking at the function in Chennai Dr A Kalanidhi said the philosophical work of Abninavagupta is still relevant.  -goTop

 

14. WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP A REALITY: NIRMALA SITHARAMAN: Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry (Independent Charge) Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman exhorted the women to utilize their entrepreneurial skills while addressing a gathering of women at 4th Annual Day celebration of Chetana Conscience of Women on April 3 at Delhi. She referred to many Start Ups by women in different fields like engineering, medicine, information technology, agriculture and urged the women to also master the other areas apart from professional ones like social sciences. She praised 'Chetana' for helping women become selfreliant.

President of Chetana, Advocate Jyotika Kalra spoke at the function besides other prominent dignitaries. -goTop

 

15. CHANDRAYAAN-II WILL BE INDIGENOUS: Opting to go solo in its ambitious Chandrayaan II project, Bharat has decided not to take Russia on board and keep the mission completely indigenous with "minor" help from the US.

ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar said Chandrayaan-II, having an indigenously built Lander and Rover, will be launched by December 2017 or first half of 2018. The spacecraft will also have instruments that will collect samples and send the data back to earth. -goTop

 

16. TOTAL AADHAAR ENROLLMENTS CROSS 100-CRORE MARK: Total Aadhaar enrolments have crossed the 100-crore mark noted Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, which will give a boost to various public welfare schemes and ensure that benefits are delivered directly to deserving masses.

This along with the recently notified Aadhaar Act will give a boost to the Government's initiative of bringing a systemic change in the way services, subsidies and benefits will be directly delivered to the deserving masses. Aadhaar coverage now is at 93 percent among people above the age of 18 (as per projected population figures of 2015). As on date, in thirteen states and union territories (UTs) Aadhaar saturation has crossed 90 percent, while in thirteen other statues and UTs it is between 75-90 percent. Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) has been developed which enables disbursal of benefits /other payments directly to the beneficiary through his Aadhaar number without requiring his bank details have shown considerable growth in the past two years.  Today more than 23 crore people have linked their bank accounts to their Aadhaars on the Aadhaar Payment Bridge. Total number of transactions on the APB was logged at 94.71 crore worth Rs. 28,363 crore, a handsome rise compared to the data on May 31, 2014:7.13 crore APB transactions worth Rs. 4,474 crore. -goTop

 

17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Anil Vartak, Vishwa Vibhag Delhi will tour New Zealand.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem. - Jiddu Krishnamurthy  -goTop

JAI SHREE RAM

 --

GANDHI OF GUADELOUPE  HENRY SIDAMBARAM

 Megha Sharma

Guadeloupe, a French colony, lies in the south of Caribbean islands and is a group of Islands. The cause of freedom accelerated in the beginning of 20 century. All the colonies understood the need of an identity for them. Where Mahatma Gandhi became the catalyst of a successful freedom struggle in India, the widespread migration caused a lot of chaos.

The migrations initially were to earn a livelihood, which was becoming difficult in their own land. The primary occupation of being a farmer had no hope for their future survival because of the recurring draughts and even some colonial impositions on the lands.

Thus, rather than owning a land they felt migration to be a better choice. However, the reality was too hard to gather. They not only had to undergo an identity-crisis, but they were asked not to even perform any religious or cultural activities of their land.

A similar story seems to inhabit this Island of Guadeloupe. A decline in the plantation productivity was seen after the abolition of slavery in 1848. Thus after 6 years, about 40,000 people were migrated to this land after a positive response of the work of Indian labours in the south-western Indian Ocean areas. A large number of these were from the South- Indian region and were bonded in a 5 year contract, after which either they could return to their origins or undertake another assignment.

The scenario was such that the first generation of these refugees saw themselves being devoid of any cultural background. One of these first generations is Henry Sidambaram. He was born in Capesterre-Belle-Eau of Guadeloupe and was denied the status of being the Mayor by his own party who considered his Indian origins to be a threat. It was an absurd thought for him as they were neither Indians nor did they receive any concrete French identity.

This made him later take an initiative to restore the long lost individuality. He wanted to demolish the refugees' being in a no man's land, devoid of a background, culture and selfhood. He triggered a lawsuit in this light to attain a French citizenship to all Indians there. He volunteered himself as a lawyer. A long battle of around 19 years (1904-1923) took him to victory. Later, in 1946 France

declared the Island as a part of it, though not a Schengen entity.

He is considered a pioneer in the socio-cultural history of Guadeloupian Indians. So much so that today he is considered equivalent to Gandhi for them. In 2013, his 150 anniversary was celebrated, commemorating his significant role in establishing this movement of acquiring a citizenship and was also rewared with the Félix Eboué Prize.

This is what his granddaughter said about his contribution:

"On the death anniversary of my grandfather, Henry SIDAMBAROM whom I knew well, (I remember like it was yesterday) that day a huge crowd had gathered in the Rue de la Liberte outside his house.His body was greeted by a eulogy delivered by Mr. Auguste SAINTE-LUCE deputy mayor of Capesterre Belle Eau.

Today I have an affectionate thought for my grandfather, and I am very touched by your loyalty to his memory   .... The creation of the Committee Henry SIDAMBAROM whose brother is President JACQUES SIDAMBAROM helped perpetuate the memory of this great man. I hope that in the future, his ideas survive and continue on their way just as a grain thrown to the ground winds, seed, shoot, and generates harvests.

Thank you!

Camille SIDAMBAROM" (translated text)

Without him, Indians would have long forlorn in the alien cultural baggage given to them and of which they couldn't be a part. (http://www.newsgram.com/henry-sidambaram-gandhi-guadeloupe/-goTop

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WHAT WE IN BJP/RSS MEAN WHEN WE TALK OF NATIONALISM

Vinay Sahasrabuddhe

Culture is integral to the concept of the nation. 

What we call public discourse in India, unfortunately, is largely dominated by banner headlines of newspapers. And tragically, newspaper headlines can be influenced to an extent. Earlier, news reportage used to be pure and unadulterated. But now, more often than not, it is served to the readers with some additives to make it spicier and more saleable in a competitive environment. In the process, the ability of newspapers and news channels to shape public discourse is getting weakened from within.

Add to this the politics of vocabulary. Mobs with saffron flags are "masses" to one newspaper while the same are "hordes" to another. This has not only vitiated the public discourse but, in the process, made it bereft of any element of public education through debates and dialogues.

But some 25 years before, when newspapers were known for conducting a real debate through their columns like Readers' Mail, I remember a war of arguments through letters to the editor in one of Mumbai's leading daily. Those were the days of the Ayodhya movement when the slogan "Garv se kaho, hum Hindu hai" had become very popular.

A typically progressive reader argued through his letter that the "Garv se" slogan was completely illogical. His argument was that there was hardly any logic in taking pride in a particular situation which in no way was of your own making.

One could have been born a Muslim, Jew, Parsi or Christian. It is the almighty who decided that you would take birth in a Hindu family and certainly not you. Why should one take pride in a situation which can't be credited to oneself?

Hence, the reader suggested, one should only say "Garv se kaho hum manav hai". Period.

Another reader, objected to the logic of the earlier reader and said that even to take pride in the fact that he/she had taken birth as a human being was equally fraught with an absolute lack of logic. What was so great about the fact that we were all humans as even that was not our own making, the reader averred.

It's the almighty who decided this. One could have taken birth in other species, and become, say a buffalo, bullock, hen, parrot or even cockroach or ant. "If we really have to take a pride, the slogan should merely be 'Garv se kaho, hum hai'!".

When a tradition continues for centuries, it outlives a particular way of worship.  

Not convinced with the logic advanced by two previous letter writers, the third one argued that not to feel naturally proud of your present identity itself was unnatural and hence illogical too. "As human beings, we grow with the people around us, society as well as surroundings. All these factors, place, locality, people around and their culture, weave the ethos in which we spend our formative years.

All this, including our own first name and family name, gives us our identity. Beyond our livelihood needs there are other psychological needs as well and identity takes care of them. It is very natural and normal to feel proud about our identity as no one takes birth and grows in a vacuum."

This explains the fact that of late, social scientists have stopped considering identity as something primordial. It is not without reason, therefore, that the Melting Pot theory was replaced by the Salad Bowl theory a few decades back.

One can't deny that all individuals live under multiple identities at any given time and maturity hinges on how skillfully one manages these identities and more importantly, gradually learns to give more emphasis on larger identity without denying the primacy of the primary or smaller identity.

This identity helps one continuing with a situation where one feels insecure, threatened, lost, or defeated. Identity is a socio-psychological phenomenon. It is because of this symbolism that imagery, vocabulary and terminologies acquire importance. They connote something and when one is able to decode these, communication happens. Culture enables one to unravel this messaging. And this obviously has several ingredients: language, geography, monuments, persons, music, art, fashions et al.

When we in the BJP/RSS talk about cultural nationalism, we mean only this and nothing more. This should explain to the diehard secularists why even a person no less than the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not see anything wrong to have iconographic pictures on the pages of the official copy of the Indian Constitution. Or, for that matter, similar paintings below the canopy of structures of government buildings as important as the South Block.

The Ashok Chakra on our national flag, Sanskrit verses used as a part of the logo of various government institutions, right from the Indian Navy to the LIC, lighting of traditional lamps or breaking coconut at government functions and so on have their origins in the Hindu culture. But when a tradition continues for centuries, it outlives a particular way of worship. It encompasses the entire society regardless of the deity one worships.

We believe that nations haven't just sprouted on the world map. States can be carved out, boundaries can be drawn and redrawn, but nations cannot be made out of the blue. Nations are not artificial but organic entities. They do not come into existence out of thin air or in a vacuum.

Culture, therefore, is integral to the concept of the nation. And when nations are given birth artificially, like Pakistan, they have to artificially create an ethos. In her Marathi book on the basis of her stay in Pakistan for a research assignment, political science teacher Dr Manisha Tikekar, has given several examples of how Pakistan had to struggle to find her roots.

She writes on how textbooks in Pakistan tell that India was carved out of an undivided Pakistan. Also, Pakistan has been struggling to put an effective ban on coaching of dances, especially those of Indian origin like Bharatanatyam or Kuchipudi.

Not just that, when the ban fails, authorities insist that references to Lord Krishna need to be replaced by a common name like "Makhanchor". When a nation is divided and artificial boundaries are drawn, this is what happens. This explains why cultural nationalism is more eternally relevant than material or geographical nationalism. (http://www.dailyo.in/politics/bjp-rss-nationalism-hindu-muslim-pakistan-ayodhya-jawaharlal-nehru-indian-constitution/story/1/9761.html) -goTop


Shri Vishwa Niketan

www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.in : vishwav@bol.net.in



SAMVAD

Chaitra Krishna 8, Vik.Samvat 2072. Yugabda 5117: April 1, 2016


We wish all the readers a very happy and prosperous New Year Yugabda 5118 Durmukh Samvatsar.

1. festivals: hOLI CELERBATIONS 2. PRESIDENT CONFERS PADMA AWARDS
3. SEWA SPIRIT IS THE REMEDY FOR MANY ILLS: BHAIYAJI 4. CALIFORNIA COMMISSION REJECTS SUGGESTIONS TO REPLACE 'INDIA' WITH 'SOUTH ASIA'
5. CYCONE RELIEF WORK BY VHP FIJI 6. SPORTS DAY BY HSS HONGKONG
7. HERB DHALIWAL TO HARJIT SAJJAN: THE RISE OF SIKHS IN CANADIAN POLITICS 8. CHENNAI GIRL WINS AT STREET CHILD GAMES IN RIO
9. SIKH TEMPLE IN HEART OF PESHAWAR REOPENS AFTER 70 YEARS 10. 4 BHARATIYAS IN WEF'S YOUNG GLOBAL LEADERS CLASS OF 2016
11. SIXTH NANAJI DESHMUKH MEMORIAL LECTURE HELD AT DELHI 12. 5 PHD THESES ON THIS CLASS III-DROPOUT POET
13. HINDUS COUNT MORE AMONG HIGHER EDUCATED IN SINGAPORE 14. MEDITATION, YOGA CAN HELP TREAT BACK PAIN: STUDY
15. PM MODI REMOTELY ACTIVATES ASIA'S LARGEST TELESCOPE IN BRUSSELS 16. MANOHAR PARRIKAR FLAGS OFF FIRST INDIGENOUS SONAR DOME
17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article:

RSS PERSEVERED WHERE CONGRESS LOST STEAM


1. festivals: Thousands celebrated Holi on the Falgun Poornima ( 23rd March this year ) which is a festival of color marked with fun and gaiety and makes all to forget ill will and come together in an environment of equality. It is celebrated in Bharat and other parts of the world by Hindus and the festival is getting increasing appreciation in many countries with locals participating with fervor.

Guyana President participates in Chowtal singing at State House: President David Granger joined members of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh for a Chowtal session on the lawns of State House on 22nd March. Chowtal is a genre of folk music originated from the Bhojpuri Region, Northern Bharat and has been preserved for over 178 years in Guyana.

4th Holi Celebration in Manila: The Holi Festival was recently celebrated at SM by the Bay Central Park with more than 2,500 people gathering for the auspicious event.

It was the fourth year of celebration in the Philippines organized by Asia Society and SM by the Bay in partnership with the Embassy of Bharat and others.

More than just a Hindu celebration, the event turned into one multi-colored race united by love and friendship attended by the Bharatiya Ambassador to the Philippines Lalduhthlana Ralte and Asia Society Philippines executive director Suyin Liu Lee.

Holi celebrated in Canadian Parliament for the first time ever: The first ever Holi celebrations at the parliament complex took place on 24th March with a number of parliamentarians joining members of the Indo-Canadian community to play the festival of colour. The event - an initiative of Chandra Arya, a liberal MP was organized with the support of the High Commission of Bharat and was attended by over 300 people. A message of spreading friendship and love from Canada PM Justin Trudeau was read by MP Ramesh Sangha. -goTop

 

2. PRESIDENT CONFERS PADMA AWARDS: President Pranab Mukherjee presented five Padma Vibhushan, eight Padma Bhushan and forty-three Padma Shri awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 28th  March. The President conferred the Padma Vishushan on Dhirubhai Hirachand Ambani (Posthumous), Avinash Kamalakar Dixit, Jagmohan, Yamini Krishnamuthi and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The awardees' who received the Padma Bhushan from the President include Anupam Kher, Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, Saina Nehwal and others. The forty-three Padma Shri awardees to receive the honour include Mylswamy Annadurai, Madhur R. Bhandarkar, Ajay Devgn, Deepika Kumari and Mohammed Imtiaz Qureshi. -goTop

 

3. SEWA SPIRIT IS THE REMEDY FOR MANY ILLS: BHAIYAJI: "The service feeling, if developed among the masses, can help the nation curb many ills that are damaging the nation today. Sewa also develops self-reliance and social harmony, which is primary need for any nation,"said RSS Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi while inaugurating second phase of Sewa Bharati Hospital in Udiapur. Rajasthan Chief Minister Smt Vasundhara Raje was present on the occasion. Home Minister of the State Shri Gulabchand Kataria presided over the function. Many prominent local businessmen were also present.

The significant presence on the occasion was that of Pujya Morari Bapu who appealed to the well to do people of the society to contribute in providing health services to the last man of the society. Chief Minister Smt Raje applauded the effort of Sewa Bharati in serving the needy people of the society. RSS senior functionary Shri Suresh Chandra and other prominent adhikaris were also present. -goTop

 

4. CALIFORNIA COMMISSION REJECTS SUGGESTIONS TO REPLACE 'INDIA' WITH 'SOUTH ASIA': After protests from students and parents, the California Department of Education's Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) has rejected suggestions by a group of professors to replace the word "India" with "South Asia" in California textbooks.

A group of professors including Sheldon Pollock, Robert Goldman, Lawrence Cohen and Kamala Visweswaran, under the name of 'South Asia Faculty Group' had written to the Department of Education, suggesting that most references to 'India' before 1947 be replaced with "South Asia". The suggestions had created a huge uproar in the Bharatiya-American community based in California. A petition by a group of scholars named 'Scholars for People' and signed by over 18,000 people had asked the commission "Would you presume to deny the reality of India's existence and history, and its deep significance to Indian American students in California, simply because a few misinformed professors of "South Asia Studies" wrote you a letter recommending you re-educate California's children in this bizarre manner?"

A large number of students and parents testified at the public hearing of the commission held in Sacramento on March 24th seeking the rejection of these changes. Bill Honig, the Chair of the Subject Matter Committee of the Commission said at the public hearing that they reject the suggestion for removal of India but agreed to add "South Asia" in parenthesis after most mentions to ancient India.  -goTop

 

5. CYCLONE RELIEF WORK BY VHP FIJI: Vishwa Hindu Parishad Fiji volunteers provided all kinds of possible assistance to the Hindu community and other people affected by Cyclone Winston that struck the Pacfic island of Fiji on 20th February.

On the day of cyclone, volunteers in Savusavu district on the island of Vanua Levu bravely rescued more than 100 families and took them to an evacuation centre. Similarly, the team in Ba, on the main island, was busy coordinating with families, rescues operations, media and various agencies trying to provide support to evacuate families.

On 21st February the Hindu Emergency Aid Relief Team provided immediate assistance required by many families that were stranded in remote places. Since that day food packs, clothes and medical assistance were provided to more than 2,400 families. -goTop

 

6. SPORTS DAY BY HSS HONGKONG: The 28th annual sports day organized by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Hong Kong took place at the Perth Sports Ground, Ho Man Tin on 13th March.

This year even though the weather was unpredictable there was a record 259 participants ranging from the age of 3 to 70. It was a wonderful atmosphere of competitiveness as well as team spirit.

The activities for the 3 to 18 year olds included long jump, 100m and 200m sprint and obstacle race. There were over 10 competitions in each category to cover all the age ranges. There was something for the mums and dads too with the sack race and one legged race.

After lunch there were some traditional team games played like Kho Kho and Kabaddi. And finally all the children were given certificates for their participation.

Overall, everyone had a fantastic day, great atmosphere, very well organized and even the weather could not dampen the enthusiasm shown by all. -goTop

 

7. HERB DHALIWAL TO HARJIT SAJJAN: THE RISE OF SIKHS IN CANADIAN POLITICS: Last week, as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a student at the American University in Washington DC that he had more Sikhs in his cabinet than his Bharatiya counterpart Narendra Modi, he was stating a fact but also being facetious.

He appointed four Sikhs in November, giving the high-profile national defense portfolio to combat veteran Harjit Sajjan. But that throwaway remark was evidence of the evolution of the Sikh community in Canadian politics.

"There's a certain amount of pride and it speaks to Canada's multicultural policy but I don't see it as a challenge to India," said Satwinder Kaur Bains, director of the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

While the cliche coming-of-age has often been applied to such moments in time, in this context it's "very very appropriate", Bains said.

But it isn't just in the cabinet that Sikhs are becoming more influential. Recent changes to immigration policy, announced this month by the new Liberal Party government, simplified the process of family reunification and removed the waiting period for spouses to become permanent residents, both significant demands within the community.

As Bains pointed out, "The Sikh community has remained invested in its culture. India is still the main source country for marriage. The fourth cohort of Indo-Canadians didn't want to see that eroded."

Canada's Sikh population is estimated to be between 500,000 and 700,000 and as a percentage of the country's population may be higher than that in Bharat. But its political significance has increased because it is concentrated largely in the Greater Toronto Area and the Vancouver Metro region, with their wealth of seats that decide electoral majorities.

The Liberal Party's victory in the 2015 parliamentary election can partly be attributed to winning over the community. In fact, its campaign graphic for how the middle-class would benefit from proposed tax cuts showed a family named Singh.

"If you simply look at the numbers, it's a significant change. That's a sizeable portion of the cabinet," said Shinder Purewal, professor of political science at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, BC.

But Purewal, who ran as a Liberal candidate for parliament twice, was skeptical of the impact this will have long-term, even as he described Trudeau's statement as "childish".

"Individuals have become more powerful. But it's the bureaucracy that makes the decisions. You don't see Sikhs here. Same thing, perhaps, in private boards. I want to see if this trend of political power leads to more power in the public and private sectors." (By Anirudh Bhattacharyya, Hindustan Times, Toronto |  Mar 20, 2016) -goTop

 

8. CHENNAI GIRL WINS AT STREET CHILD GAMES IN RIO: When Hepsiba runs, it is as if she can fly with the wind and skip through the air. Some say she picked up the skill on the streets where she lived. But her coach believes she is a natural sprinter.

On 20th March, she sprinted to victory in the 100-metre dash at the Street Child Games held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. She also won two more medals at the games. Hepsiba, now 16, earlier lived with her widowed mother on Sydenhams Road in Chennai, the same stretch on which, co-incidentally, Nehru Indoor Stadium is located. When they were evicted from the street, they moved into a shelter for the homeless run by the Chennai Corporation. An unexpected opportunity that came Hepsibah's way finally took her to the global competition in Rio.

"We had organised a sports contest for street children, and this girl was sheer talent," explains Paul Sunder Singh, of Karunalaya, an NGO that took a team of five street children to Rio for the games, "Actually, she just about made it; it was a miracle that her passport came through on time."  -goTop

 

9. SIKH TEMPLE IN HEART OF PESHAWAR REOPENS AFTER 70 YEARS: An ancient Sikh temple, Bhai Beba Singh Temple, which remained non-functional for 70 years, was opened for worship on 30th March.

Minority communities expressed jubilation over the opening of the historic temple located in Mohallah Jogiwara in the Hashtnagri area of the interior city.

Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Siddiq-al-Farooq formally opened the temple by unveiling the plaque. Religious rituals such as Ardas and recitation of Guru Granth Sahib, holy book of Sikhs, were performed. -goTop

 

10. 4 BHARATIYAS IN WEF'S YOUNG GLOBAL LEADERS CLASS OF 2016: Four Bharatiyas - Kanika Dewan, Dhivya Suryadevara, Shaurya Veer Himatsingka and Sheetal Amte-Karajgi - have made it to the list of over 121 young global leaders recognized by the World Economic Forum.

WEF recognized 121 scientists, government leaders, future business leaders, social activists and artists, aged under 40, as the Young Global Leaders Class of 2016. Over half of the Young Global Leaders Class of 2016 are women and the majority are from emerging economies.

The individuals who represented Bharat in the list include three women, Kanika Dewan, President of Bramco Group, Dhivya Suryadevara CEO of GM Asset Management, one of the largest pensions in the US, where she manages USD 80 billion in assets and Sheetal Amte-Karajgi, CEO of Maharogi Sewa Samiti, who is making a significant impact on the lives of the marginalized. Shaurya Veer Himatsingka, Deputy Managing Director, India Carbon, was the other Bharatiya who made it to the coveted list. -goTop

 

11. SIXTH NANAJI DESHMUKH MEMORIAL LECTURE HELD AT DELHI on 25th March where the main speaker was Dr. Anil Kakodkar, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Bharat. The topic of the lecture was Bharatiya Tradition of Science.

The lecture was preceded by a short documentary based on superiority of ancient Bharatiya science prepared by Discovery channel. Dr. Anil Kakodkar started his lecture by paying tributes to Nanaji Dekhmukh and also the acknowledged the scientific knowledge of our ancient time which was shown in the documentary.

He suggested that we need to impart the development and livelihood based education & technology in the villages. He emphasized to have a bridge between urban and rural system. In his presidential speech Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Harshavardhan emphasized the need of the young generation that they should knew our rich heritage and we all have to regain it with our more efforts. -goTop

 

12. 5 PHD THESES ON THIS CLASS III-DROPOUT POET: He has barely attended school, but five scholars have based their PhD research on this writer and poet from western Odisha who received the Padma Shri from the President on 28th March.

Haldhar Nag, the 66-year-old poet in Kosli language, remembers all the poems and 20 epics that he has penned. Sambalpur University is now coming up with a compilation of his writings - Haldhar Granthabali-2 - which will be a part of the university's syllabus.

Born in a poor family of Ghens in Bargarh district of Odisha in 1950, Nag could attend school only up to Class-III. He dropped out after losing his father when he was 10. "Life of a widow's child was tough," Nag said, adding how he had no option but to work as a dishwasher at a local sweet shop. Nag has never worn any footwear and always dons a white dhoti and a vest. "I feel free in this attire," he said.

Known as Lok Kabi Ratna in Odisha, Nag, who draws his themes from the rustic surroundings, writes mostly on nature, society, mythology and religion. He also takes up the cause of the oppressed and social reforms through his writings. -goTop

 

13. HINDUS COUNT MORE AMONG HIGHER EDUCATED IN SINGAPORE: Hindus are among the higher educated in Singapore, according to General Household Survey 2015 published by Singapore Department of Statistics in March 2016.

"Proportions of Christians and Hindus were higher among the higher educated than the lower educated residents", the survey said. Among university graduates aged 15 and over, eight per cent were Hindus although population of Hindus was just five per cent at 162.5 thousands. Buddhists were the largest population group with 33.2 per cent.

According to this survey, 47.1 thousand Hindus aged 15 years and over were living in 5-room & executive flats. Tamil is spoken at home by 3.3 per cent residents aged five years and over. Other languages spoken at home included Malayalam, Hindi, Gujarati, Sindhi, etc. -goTop

 

14. MEDITATION, YOGA CAN HELP TREAT BACK PAIN: STUDY: Meditation, yoga and cognitive behavioural therapy may result in greater improvement among adults with back pain when compared with usual care, researchers, including one of Bharatiya-origin, have found.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) focuses on increasing awareness and acceptance of moment-to-moment experiences, including physical discomfort and difficult emotions.

Researchers from US's Johns Hopkins University assigned 342 adults aged 20 to 70 years with chronic low back pain to receive MBSR, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), or usual care. CBT (training to change pain-related thoughts and behaviours) and MBSR (training in mindfulness meditation and yoga) were delivered in 8 weekly 2-hour groups.

Researchers found that at 26 weeks, the percentage of participants with clinically meaningful improvement on a measure of functional limitations was higher for those who received MBSR (61%) and CBT (58%) than for usual care (44%). The percentage of participants with clinically meaningful improvement in pain bothersomeness at 26 weeks was 44% in the MBSR group and 45% in the CBT group. This was only 27% in the usual care group. -goTop

 

15. PM MODI REMOTELY ACTIVATES ASIA'S LARGEST TELESCOPE IN BRUSSELS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Belgium, Charles Michel, on 30th March jointly carried out the remote technical activation of a 3.6 meter optical telescope located at Deosthal in Uttarakhand.  The telescope at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) has been installed in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, as a result of close collaboration between scientists from the two countries, especially between the teams of ARIES in Bharat, and AMOS (Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems) in Belgium.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi congratulated the scientists of both the countries for the successful installation of this sophisticated "fully steerable optical telescope in the lap of the Himalayas". -goTop

 

16. MANOHAR PARRIKAR FLAGS OFF FIRST INDIGENOUS SONAR DOME: Bharat's first indigenous composites sonar dome, a ship's underwater eyes and ears, was flagged off by Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar on 30th March It will be delivered to Mazgaon docks in Mumbai. Designed and produced by a Defense and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) lab in Pune, the sonar dome is a first of its kind in the country and has been manufactured by a composites manufacturing company.

This is a huge contribution by Bharatiya Industry to the 'Make in India' movement, Defense Ministry officials said. Only a couple of companies worldwide have the capability of realizing such structures. All anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships have a sonar array fitted to the ship structure below the waterline. The sonar functions as the ship's underwater eyes and ears. The sonar dome is a structure fitted over the sonar array so that its electronics and sensors are not exposed to surrounding hostile environment and has to be structurally sound as well as acoustically transparent. -goTop

 

17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Visitors: Naresh Chavda - Canada, Amit Tiwari - UK, Dev Rakhah -Mauritius, Shridhar Damle - USA

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Do not look at anybody in terms of friend or foe, brother or cousin; do not fritter away your mental energies in thoughts of friendship or enmity. Seeking the self everywhere, be amiable and equal minded towards all, treating everyone alike. - Adi Shankaracharya  -goTop

JAI SHREE RAM

 --

RSS PERSEVERED WHERE CONGRESS LOST STEAM

 Shubhabrata Bhattacharya

The first half of the 1920s saw the emergence of many organisations whose aim was to mobilise for the nationalist cause. Disappointed with Mahatma Gandhi's withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience movement, Motilal Nehru, Chittaranjan Das and others floated the hard-line Swaraj Party within the Indian National Congress. The Hindustan Republican Association, with an umbilical link with Bengal's Anushilan Samity embarked on a militant course. Inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, the Communist Party of India was launched in 1925. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was launched in the same year by six activists led by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur. Hedgewar became its first sarsanghchalak. A year earlier, inspired by the Congress' Jhanda Satyagraha in Nagpur, the volunteers from Hubli, who had withstood British oppression, formed the Hindustan Seva Dal, led by Narayan Subbarao Hardikar, who, like, Hedgewar, was a medical doctor. This outfit was the precursor of the present day Congress Seva Dal(CSD)-the Kakinada session of the Congress in 1931 renamed the volunteer force and assigned it a vanguard role. Both RSS and CSD uniforms comprised knickers (shorts worn by men): the RSS wore khaki; CSD uniform was black. The Hindu Mahasabha also originated in that period.

Ninety years later, when the RSS has decided to shed its knickers and wear the pants (brown trousers were adopted at the Nagaur conclave), the CSD, which adopted pants years earlier, remains a poor also-ran. It is primarily assigned ceremonial duties of saluting the flag at the start of AICC meets. CPI, now split into two distinct parties, is trying to keep its faltering flag aloft, the nascent spark of Kanhaiya Kumar notwithstanding. In the centenary year of its fourth sarsanghchalak, Madhukar Dattatreya Deoras (Balasaheb Deoras), RSS can take pride that while one of its pracharaks has occupied the chair of Prime Minister, others are Chief Ministers and important members of the Union Council of Ministers. The RSS is now wearing the pants (this idiom, generally applied to women, dates back to the 1550s when women in England wore skirts-pants signified an authoritative and primarily masculine role). CSD functionaries rarely assumed ministerial duties in the days of Congress raj.

The journey of the RSS vis-à-vis the CSD vividly portrays the ups and downs of national political parties in India. Over the years, CSD was used by the Congress as an organisation whose stewardship was assigned to "adjust" those who could not be accommodated elsewhere. Example: Tariq Anwar was shifted from the presidentship of Youth Congress to head the Seva Dal in the 1980s. Ditto for Jagdish Tytler. The present head of the organisation is a political lightweight. At one stage, when Rahul Gandhi was emerging, Ashok Gehlot and Mukul Wasnik floated the idea of having him as head of CSD.

The Kakinada session in 1931 assigned the Congress Seva Dal (a "militia-like" volunteer force) a vanguard role in the movement against the British Raj. A ban was imposed on Congress in 1932. It was lifted in 1934, but the ban on CSD continued for a while more as the British knew its potential in mobilising for satyagraha. In independent India, the CSD was banned by the West Bengal government in 1948. Jawaharlal Nehru, who had served in the CSD, intervened and got the ban lifted. The Seva Dal lost its primacy during Congress rule. Even after the 1977 debacle, the Congress did not revive the CSD as a tool of mass mobilisation-that role had been taken over by the Youth Congress under Sanjay Gandhi. For a brief while, in the days of Rajiv Gandhi, both as party general secretary and as Prime Minister, the Seva Dal was back in the limelight: Rajiv used Seva Dal members for collecting feedback from the grassroots. (Side by side with the Seva Dal, adolescent Indira Nehru formed the Vanar Sena, primarily in Allahabad and other UP towns-adolescents and children helped the Congress, while leaders were jailed. This was abandoned in the years to come.)

Bharatiya Janata Party veteran L.K. Advani once said in the early 1990s that his party was the best alternative as it had no umbilical link with the Congress. (Communists and Socialists functioned within the Congress during the freedom struggle; the Akalis were allies as was the J&K National Conference.) While the BJP has impeccable "Congress-mukt"credentials-with its precursor, Bharatiya Jan Sangh having been formed in 1952 as an alternative platform to the Nehru regime-the same perhaps cannot be said of RSS. Dr Hedgewar came under the influence of the Anushilan Samity while studying medicine in Calcutta. He also interacted with the Hindustan Republican Party and was in touch with Ramprasad Bismil, whose song, Sarfaroshi ki Tammanna, inspires the youth to this day. He participated in the Congress' Jungle Satyagraha, which took place in the Bombay Presidency almost side by side with the Bardoli Satyagraha in 1930, and was jailed. He attended some Congress sessions until the AICC banned the participation of RSS, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League members from its sessions.

The RSS was launched in the aftermath of the Kakori rail dacoity on Vijaya Dashami day in 1925, thus, while not part of the Congress mainstream, the Sangh has its roots in the freedom struggle. It did not participate in the Quit India movement in 1942. Post Independence, the RSS had differences with Nehru and with B.R. Ambedkar on the question of the national flag. They wanted the bhagwa dhwaj, while the Constituent Assembly opted for the Tricolour. There were serious differences on the style of the Constitution as well. These differences are enunciated in Bunch of Thoughts, penned by the third sarsanghchalak, M.S.Golwalkar.

The RSS was banned in Punjab between 24 and 28 January, 1947 by the Unionist Party government. Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in January 1948 triggered another ban, which was lifted six months later when Sardar Patel obtained an assurance that the Sangh would be a non-political, cultural outfit. Another ban was imposed during 19 months of the Emergency and again in the aftermath of the Babri demolition in 1992, and was lifted as nothing was substantiated. The emergence of the Jan Sangh provided the RSS with an unobtrusive platform. The Janata Party government, of which former Jan Sangh was a constituent, was jinxed by the "dual membership" issue raised by Raj Narain and enlarged by Charan Singh. This ultimately led to the formation of the BJP.

RSS volunteers, while avoiding open political activity in free India, engaged in a movement for the decolonisation of the Portuguese ruled Dadra Nagar Haveli in 1954. A year later, they started a movement for the freedom of Goa, Daman and Diu. These movements have paid long term dividends-Gujarat and Goa are BJP ruled now.

The 1971 cyclone in Odisha, 1977 cyclone in Andhra, the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster and the 2001 Gujarat earthquake saw the RSS in yeoman role. The Bihar drought in 1965 was an opportunity for the RSS to befriend its one time critic, Jayprakash Narayan, who had opposed the lifting of the ban in 1948. Later, the RSS was to play the role of providing sinews to the JP movement and the anti-Emergency stance.

Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi were in dialogue with the RSS during the Emergency after Balasaheb Deoras appreciated the Emergency in writing. Former Intelligence Bureau chief T.V. Rajeshwar has noted in his book that Mrs Gandhi almost met Deoras, but shied away at the eleventh hour. Some observers say that the 1979 December poll was an occasion for the RSS to "take revenge on" Charan Singh, Raj Narain and other Janata leaders inimical to the Sangh, and an invisible hand of support was extended to ensure Mrs Gandhi's return to power. Rajiv Gandhi revived the dialogue with RSS: Balasaheb's brother and lieutenant, Bhaurao Deoras was in constant touch with him.

There were two occasions when the RSS stood by Mrs Gandhi. When Jagannath Puri priests opposed a visit by Indira Gandhi as she was married to a "non-Hindu", Balasaheb Deoras openly backed her right to worship. On another occasion, when Mrs Gandhi offered prayers at Rameshwaram and the RSS mouthpiece's editor, K.R. Malkani described that as an "election stunt", Deoras chided the publication.

The Congress Chief Minister of erstwhile Madhya Bharat, Ravi Shankar Shukla sought Golwalkar's help in handling the trouble in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh. RSS acrivist Ramakant Keshav Deshpande was assigned to it and this ultimately gave birth to the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in Jashpur: the RSS' roots among the tribals continue to this day and have been the subject of controversy at times.

The stand taken at the Nagaur conclave on women's right to enter temples is not a bolt from the blue. Since the days of Hedgewar, the RSS has advocated the training of tribals and backward classes as the high priests of temples. In 1934, Mahatma Gandhi went to an RSS camp in Wardha, where he was impressed by the lack of untouchability. He personally enquired from all the swayamsevaks and praised them for "living and eating together without bothering to know their castes".

Dr Zakir Hussain, who was later President of India, appreciated the RSS on 20 November 1949, barely a year after the ban had been lifted, when he said at a Milad Mehfil in Mungher (Bihar), "The allegations against RSS of violence and hatred against Muslims are wholly false. Muslims should learn the lesson of mutual love, cooperation and organisation from RSS."

The observations of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Zakir Hussain and Jayaprakash Narain on the RSS and the attitude of Golwalkar and Deoras towards the Congress leadership needs to be understood in the present context. Fringe elements should draw a lesson from these.

The fourth stanza of the jhanda geet with which every session of AICC begins, says:

Ho swaraj janata ka nischay

Bolo Bharat Mata ki jai

Vijayi vishv Tiranga pyara

Jhanda ooncha rahe hamara

As the RSS marches on, the Congress, as a national organisation, need not engage in diatribe on Jai Hind or Bharat Mata ki Jai. It's its organisation, and not mere rhetoric, which makes the RSS wear the pants today.

( Shubhabrata Bhattacharya is a former Editor of Sunday and of National Herald.

http://www.sundayguardianlive.com/opinion/3787-rss-persevered-where-congress-lost-steam). -goTop


Shri Vishwa Niketan

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