Ashwin Purnima, Vik. Samvat 2073. Yugabda 5118: October 16, 2016


SAMVAD

Ashwin Purnima, Vik. Samvat 2073. Yugabda 5118: 16 October 2016


1. FESTIVALS: Datta Jayanti,

2. PARAM PUJANEEYA SARSANGHCHALAKJI’S VIJAYA DASHAMI UDABODHAN:

3. DHARMA ALONE WILL HELP BHARAT ACCOMPLISH ITS GLOBAL MISSION: DR. BHAGWAT

4. DUSSERA-MILAN IN JAPAN

5. PM MODI RELEASES FULL VOLUMES OF PANDIT DEENDAYAL UPADHYAYA'S WORKS

6. SEEING DIVINITY IN ALL OF HUMANITY IS THE CORE TENET OF HINDUTVA:  BHAGAIAH

7. DIWALI FOREVER STAMP RELEASED BY US POSTAL SERVICE

8. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY RESEARCH STUDY REVEALS BENEFITS OF MEDITATION

9. SAMITI VIJAYADASHAMI UTSAV

10. A SAGA OF NATIONAL UNITY

11. HSS UK SWAYAMSEVAKS IN UK KABADDI TEAM

12. RENEWED INDIA-UAE TIES

13. ABU DHABI'S TEMPLE TO BE READY IN LESS THAN A YEAR 14. SANATANA DHARMA OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO ECONOMIC PROBLEMS: VIGYANANANDA
15. BHARATIYA DIASPORAS SHOULD BE LOOKED IN TERMS OF ITS STRENGTH, NOT NUMBERS SAYS PM MODI 16. STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA ON NAVRATRI
17. RSS CONGRATULATES ARMY FOR SUCCESSFUL SURGICAL STRIKES IN POK 18. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH PACIFIC CELEBRATES 'HINDI'
19. DHANTERAS TO BE OBSERVED AS NATIONAL AYURVEDA DAY 20. ISRO'S COMMUNICATION SATELLITE GSAT-18 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED
21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1. FESTIVALS: Datta Jayanti, also known as Dattatreya Jayanti commemorates the birth day celebration of Bhagwan Dattatreya (Datta), a combined form of the divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is celebrated on Margashirsha Purnima, December 13 this year.

Dattatreya was the son of the sage Atri and his wife Anasuya who did severe Tapas to beget a son equal in merits as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

On Datta Jayanti, people take bath early in the morning in holy rivers or streams, and observe fast. A puja is performed with flowers, incense, lamps and camphor. Devotees meditate on his image and pray to Dattatreya with a vow to follow in his footsteps. They remember Dattatreya's work and read the sacred books Avadhuta Gita and Jivanmukta Gita, which contain the god's discourse. Some temples like Manik Prabhu Temple, Manik Nagar host an annual 7-day festival in honour of the deity in this period. -goTop


 

"We wish all the subscribers and readers of SAMVAD , their families and well wishers, a very happy and prosperous Deepawali and the new year."

--Samvad Team


2. PARAM PUJANEEYA SARSANGHCHALAKJI'S VIJAYA DASHAMI UDABODHAN: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh celebrated its 91st  ststapana diwas on Vijayadashami, October 11 at Reshim Bagh, Nagpur. The celebration was preceded by a 3 kilometre path sanchalan by Swayamsevaks in brown pants. This was the first Vijayadashami celebration after the brown full pants replaced khaki shorts. Retired Indian Economic Services officer Shri Satya Prakash Rai was the Chief Guest of the program. Other dignitaries present included Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, representatives of and Mahesh Yogi Mission. The gist of speech by PP Sarsanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat follows.

Centenary celebrations of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, started last year, are going to continue this year also. This is the millennium year of Acharya Abhinavagupta's life. He was the foremost among the proponents of Shaiva Darsana. The theoretical analysis he presented on "sound" is not only a treatise that speaks on the efficacy of "sound" to lead one to God-realization, but also a subject for deep study for modern computer scientists. But, of all achievements, the greatest achievement of his lifelong penance was that he could resuscitate from the soil of Kashmir the salient feature of the Sanatana culture that helps one to see unity in diversity. This is also the millennium year of the birth of the renowned saint from the south, great Ramanujacharya, the author of "Sreebhashya." Establishing social equality and practicing Dharma in its pristine form in his life, he was able to invigorate the sense of equality and fraternity throughout the nation. This year, we are also celebrating the 350th birthday of the tenth Guru of the Sikh Panth, Sree Guru Govind Singh, who had donned the dual-mantle of a statesman and a preceptor ( Meeri and Peeri) to protect the nation, society and Dharma, as also to uphold our self-respect and annihilate wickedness. This year also marks the birth centenary of Prajnachakshu Sree Gulabrao Maharaj. He, who called himself the "daughter" of Sant Sree Jnaneshwar, had made painstaking study of our own as well as foreign works on spirituality and empirical sciences. If we carefully study the situation that we have been facing for the last one year, we will certainly be convinced of the need for us to follow the teachings of these four illustrious great masters.           

The policies adopted by the government have resulted in dispelling away the sense of disappointment previously discernible all over the country, and had built some measure of confidence, therefore the nation, it appears, is moving forward. However, the political parties in opposition are busy formulating strategies for their political gains, to focus on the shortcomings and inadequacies of the government and the administration. The picture we have been seeing in the past one year, giving us a clear vision of the dirty tricks being played, is a matter of grave concern. The fundamentalist, extremist, divisive, and selfish forces in the world, for whom an efficient, united and self-confident Bharat with an able government is an eyesore, are busy spreading their tentacles all over the country. There is an urgent need to take necessary protective steps to guard against walking into the trap of their deceit and subterfuges, aimed at creating an atmosphere of division and antagonism in the society.

Sangh Swayamsevaks have stepped up their efforts in this direction to prepare people's minds to find a solution to this problem through the Sangha Shakhas in various villages and locations. Based on a detailed survey of 9000 villages in the Prant called Madhya Bharat by the Sangh, it has come to our knowledge that presently, in 40% villages discrimination prevails on the issue of temple entry; in 30% villages discrimination prevails in the matter of sources of water; and in 35% villages discrimination prevails on the use of crematorium. Efforts are being made to find solution to these problems. Individuals and associations who stand for social good should also become more active in the matter.

Protection, enrichment and growth of indigenous varieties of cows that form a significant part of our cattle wealth, is one of the mottos spelt out in the Directive Principles of our Constitution. Sangh Swayamsevaks, many saints and other people throughout the country are carrying forward this work as a sacred mission. In many of our states, cow-slaughter and cruelty to animals are prohibited by law. But sometimes in some places in these states, the Go-sevaks have to do active campaigns to ensure proper implementation of such laws. But they cannot be compared with those undesirable elements, who raking up the issue of cow-slaughter or spreading unfounded rumours about cow-slaughter, are busy serving their narrow personal or political ends. In the event of such incidents, politicians, while taking sides with an eye on political gains, should also see to it that their thoughts, words and deeds are helpful in lessening the feeling of hatred and ill-will and this is what society expects of them.

The present conditions in the whole of Jammu & Kashmir make our concern all the more confounded. Major areas of the Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh are less disturbed and the situation in these areas is well under control. There should not be any compromise whatsoever on the principle that the whole of Kashmir, including Mirpur, Muzzafarabad, Gilgit and Baltistan, is an inseparable and integral part of Bharat. There is an urgent need to rehabilitate with honor and security and ensuring all-round welfare, our Hindu brethren, who had migrated from those areas, and the Pandits, who were forced out of the Kashmir valley. The discriminatory approach of the state administration towards Jammu and Ladakh also should be ended immediately.

The terrorist attack on our Army camp at Uri has underscored the need for continuous preparedness on the part of our combat forces, and the level of perpetual coordination and cooperation needed among the Army, Defense Forces and Intelligence Agencies, I heartily congratulate our Government and our valorous soldiers and all the wings of our Armed Forces, who, through an efficient and expert move, have given a firm and befitting reply to this wanton attack.

The purpose of education is to improve efficiency, developing the sense of responsibility, and cultivating national and social consciousness in an individual. Along with acquiring knowledge and learning, the individual should have a sense of responsibility, congenial attitude as a citizen, and be a good person leading a life based on values. Education should be such as to meet these demands and the curriculum should be suitable to satisfy these needs.

Our experience shows that when children develop proper behaviour, aim and good tendencies at home, then only they work hard to pursue studies and show the discretion to put it to proper use. It is necessary that dialogues between elders and children in families should start and continue. Many saints, men and organizations are engaged in promoting such dialogues. In Sangh also, "Kutumbaprabhodan" is one such activity, in which our Swayamsevaks are very active. Rather than waiting for someone from outside to take the initiative, we have to start the process in our families on our own.

Different programmes, festivals, campaigns, etc., being organised at the social level, are intended to impart social education and culture. In Maharashtra, groups organizing Sarvajanic (Public) Ganeshotsavas at many places have conducted many good experiments. Some new initiatives have been made at the governmental and non-governmental level, and it is for social activists and our Swayamsevaks to motivate more and more people to take part in such activities. The innate organised state of society is the root cause that ensures perfect order, integrity, peace and progress of a nation and the world, and it is on the basis of this truth, the Rashrtiya Swayamsevak Sangh has been working continuously for the last 90 years, and moving ahead.

The government should move in this direction with firmness, and the administration should implement the government policies in this direction with efficiency and enthusiasm, and both should perpetually ensure that, to the last man in the last row, everyone is happy, fine and safe and enjoys a life of contentment. On the other hand, the people also, remaining harmonious, organized and alert should help the government and the administration and, if needed, should exercise their control, which is necessary for the progression of our national life. If all these three entities move in tandem in the same direction with perfect planning and mutual understanding, then only we will be able to ensure our victory, defeating the evil designs, subterfuges and treachery of the demoniac forces and overcoming the difficulties and adversities we have been facing.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the organization that is working for only this mission of infusing the Samaj with such divine qualities creating a helpful atmosphere by providing living examples. To organize every individual through selfless and unadulterated love and equip him to identify himself with the aim of taking this sacred Hindu Nation to the pinnacle of glory in the world, to make Shakha Sadhana that helps one to cultivate physical, mental and intellectual faculties through common and simple programmes, and to depute such "Sadhaks" according to their efficiency, as and when necessary, in different spheres of our national life to do the required work with a spirit of service, is the programme taken up the  RSS.(Visit www.rss.org for full summary of speech) -goTop

 

3. DHARMA ALONE WILL HELP BHARAT ACCOMPLISH ITS GLOBAL MISSION: DR. BHAGWAT: RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohanrao Bhagwat has said that so long Dharma and culture are in vogue in Bharat no power on the earth can cause any harm to our country. Dharma protects everyone, he added.  Addressing a seminar on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of the late Hanuman Prasad Poddar, founder of Geeta Press, at Gorakhpur he said that in absence of Dharma and Sanskriti, no one could save our country.

Hanuman Prasad Dixit, Director General of 'School of Good Governance and Policy Analysis' and Editor of Geeta Press Radhye Shyam Khemka also spoke on this occasion. -goTop

 

4. DUSSERA-MILAN IN JAPAN: "Dussera-Milan" was organized by HSS Japan on 9th October at Community Hall, Ojima Koto-Ku Tokyo, to utilize the auspicious occasion of "Vijaya-Dashmi" for connecting various Bharatiya organizations which are actively working in Japan for quite some years including some senior Japanese personalities who are having close relation with Bharat. This includes representatives from Odissa community, Maratha Mandal, Telgu Sangham, Kannada group, Principals of Bharatiya schools in Tokyo & Kawasaki and others. Honorable Ambassador of Bharat, Shri Sujan Ji Chinoy was the Chief Guest who delivered very inspirational speech stressing the need of "Bal-Gokulams" to connect next generation with Bharatiya culture. 

All the community leaders were invited to give a short introduction about the various activities which their respective groups have been doing. This was followed by the formal introduction of various activities being executed by HSS Japan in last two years. 

Another highlight of the event was the release of two books, written by Shri Ravikumar 1) Yoga - Bharat's Invaluable Gift to the World, & 2) Indian Heroism in Israle in Japan by Honorable Ambassador. Shri Ravikumar also delivered inspirational Baudhik for Dussera-Milan.

Dussera-Milan has been graced by the presence of many Japanese friends including Japanese followers of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Secretary General Japan-India Association, Mr Yutaka Miyahara, Mr Enomoto, representative of Nippon Kaigi (Japan Conference), Japan's biggest Nationalist group. -goTop

 

5. PM MODI RELEASES FULL VOLUMES OF PANDIT DEENDAYAL UPADHYAYA'S WORKS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi  released full volumes of works of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at New Delhi on 9th October. Addressing an event and recalling Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the Prime Minister said that first thing we remember about Deendayal ji was his simplicity.|

"In a short span of time, one party completed the journey from 'Vipaksh' to 'Vikalp' and this was due to foundations laid by Deendayal Ji. Organisation based political parties; this is a contribution of Deendayal Ji. This was the identity of the Jan Sangh and the BJP", the PM remarked.

RSS Sarkaryavaha Shri Bhaiyyaji Joshi, BJP President Shri Amit Shah and other dignitaries were present at the occasion. The 15 volume set on Deendayal ji named 'Deendaya Samagra' has been compiled under the guidance of Mahesh Chandra Sharma and several other scholars. -goTop

 

6. SEEING DIVINITY IN ALL OF HUMANITY IS THE CORE TENET OF HINDUTVA:  BHAGAIAH: "Seeing divinity in all of humanity is the core tenet of Hindutva" said Shri Bhagaiah, Joint General Secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Shri Bhagaiah who is on a tour to the United States of America was speaking at Vijaya Dashami celebrations at San Francisco Bay Area. The celebrations were held at the Ohlone College in Fremont on the 8th of October.

Attended by over a thousand volunteers of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS), from all age groups, there were various demonstrations of synchronised physical and cultural activities including martial arts, Hindu folk dances, musical band, Yogasanas and Bhagavad Gita chanting. The occasion was rendered colorful by the synchronized Lejim dance (folk dance from Maharashtra) formations by a team of over hundred and fifty women.

Rohit Rathish, Deputy Consulate General of Bharat at San Francisco who was present as a Chief Guest at the celebrations talked about the significance of the festival and also talked of the initiatives taken up by the Bharatiya Government for the welfare of diaspora. Shri Ajay Shingal, the founder of Center of Dharma Studies at Graduate Theological Union (GTU) at Berkeley, who was also a guest at the occasion spoke of the importance of building scholars who are adept in Dharmic worldview. The function was also attended by leaders of the community and representative of different social, spiritual and linguistic organizations who interacted with Shri Bhagaiah in the informal question and answer session after the celebrations. -goTop  

 

7. DIWALI FOREVER STAMP RELEASED BY US POSTAL SERVICE: A Diwali stamp was launched at Washington by the US postal service, capping seven-year-long efforts by Bharatiya Americans and influential American lawmakers to commemorate the festival of lights.

The stamp was unveiled at the Bharatiya Consulate at an elaborate "first-day-of-issue" dedication ceremony on 5th October. .

The ceremony was attended by Consul General Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Diwali Stamp Project Chair Ranju Batra, USPS Vice President for Mail Entry and Payment Technology Pritha Mehra, Bharat's former Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri and eminent Bharatiya -American attorney Ravi Batra.

"It has taken many years of hard work and advocacy but light has finally triumphed. Diwali has received its long awaited commemorative stamp and rightfully joins the ranks of other major religious and cultural holidays such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Eid," Maloney said.

Consul General Das said she was "honoured" to be part of history as the USPS releases the Diwali Forever stamp.

"Now for the first time there is a stamp that celebrates Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists as Americans forever. The Diwali stamp will be a matter of pride for generations to come," Ranju Batra said. -goTop

 

8. SYSTEMS BIOLOGY RESEARCH STUDY REVEALS BENEFITS OF MEDITATION: Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the University of California, San Francisco, and Harvard Medical School used a rigorous study design to assess the biological impact of meditation compared to vacation. They examined the effect of meditation on gene expression patterns in both novice and regular meditators. The researchers found that a resort vacation provides a strong and immediate impact on molecular networks associated with stress and immune pathways, in addition to short- term improvements in well-being, as measured by feelings of vitality and distress. A meditation retreat, for those who already used meditation regularly, was associated with molecular networks that are characterized by antiviral activity. The molecular signature of long-term meditators was distinct from the non-meditating vacationers. The study was published in Springer Nature's journal Translational Psychiatry.

The meditation program included training in mantra meditation, yoga, and self reflection exercises. "Based on our results, the benefit we experience from meditation isn't strictly psychological; there is a clear and quantifiable change in how our bodies function," said Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Meditation is one of the ways to engage in restorative activities that may provide relief for our immune systems, easing the day-to-day stress of a body constantly trying to protect itself. -goTop

 

9. SAMITI VIJAYADASHAMI UTSAV: Each Sevika is inspired with the mission of the Samiti and uses the training she receives through her association with the organisation to play her role in the life, said Dr Uma Vaidya, Vice-Chancellor of Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek while addressing the annual 'Vijayadashami Utsav' of Rashtra Sevika Samiti at Maharshi Vyasa Sabhagriha in Reshambag premises on October 2.

The Pramukh Sanchalika took a brief review of social, political and economic situation in Bharat after independence. Women in their role as mothers shape the families and when they become awakened they play an important role in protecting the motherland. Such women are required and the Sevikas should dedicate their lives to save the mothers and motherland, she appealed.

Earlier, the Sevikas demonstrated different physical drills, combating techniques, yogasana, etc. Prominent among those who were present on the occasion were former Pramukh Sanchalika Pramilatai Medhe, former Nagpur mayor Dr Kalpana Pandey, Nagpur karyavahika Karuna Sathe and others. -goTop

        

10. A SAGA OF NATIONAL UNITY: It was a great day of celebrating Bharat's military power and striking capabilities by instituting greatest naval Emperor Rajendra Chola's portrait at Mazgon Docks Shipbuilders, the Bharatiya Navy's power centre in Mumbai, by Governor of Maharashtra & Tamil Nadu Dr Vidyasagar Rao and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on September 30.

The function began with former Member of Parliament Shri Tarun Vijay who conceptualized the program, narating about celebratins of 1000th year of the coronation of Chola emperor.

Governor Dr Vidyasagar Rao appreciated the campaign to bring Tamil glorious icon to the other parts of the nation and said it is time to strengthen Bharat's naval power taking inspiration from Rajendra Chola's great naval power one thousand years ago. -goTop

 

11. HSS UK SWAYAMSEVAKS IN UK KABADDI TEAM: The English Kabaddi team for the world cup recently held at Karnavati - Ahmedabad interestingly had 6 swayamsevaks of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS UK playing for the UK team. The contributions of HSS UK (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh) and National Hindu Students' Forum (UK) in helping to first popularise the game of kabaddi through shkhas and annual khel comprtition by NHSF and then form a powerful Kabbadi team have been mentioned in the media. -goTop

 

12. RENEWED INDIA-UAE TIES:Crown Prince's 'yes' to R-Day event, big boost

The coming of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, as chief guest at India's Republic Day function in 2017, brings home a strong political message. At a time when the India-Pakistan relationship has been seriously rocked, his acceptance of the invitation shows a paradigm shift, as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been a traditional ally of Pakistan. Though the decision to invite him was taken much before the current India-Pakistan stand-off, drawing the influential powers of the Gulf closer to India will help us fight cross-border terror.

Narendra Modi, who became the first Indian Prime Minister in 34 years to visit the UAE, in August last year, raised the bilateral ties to a new high. Since the creation of the UAE Federation in 1971, the relationship between the two countries flourished, with increasing trade playing a major role. During 2015-16, India's exports to the Gulf-Cooperation Council (GCC) countries increased considerably and trade with the UAE was recorded at around $96 billion. Over the last few months, the relationship has grown beyond trade, as the UAE has become one of the vocal nations in the region to support India in its war against terrorism. During Prime Minister Modi's visit, the joint statement issued by both countries repeatedly expressed concern over the terror threats coming from the neighbourhood. But it needs to be seen how the UAE will deal with critical issues like terror-financing.

Modi's constant foreign outreach has paid dividend. His visit to the UAE received a positive response, as the Emirates promised to invest around $75 billion in the country's infrastructure sector in the long term. The UAE's help to modernise India's infrastructure will play a critical role in generating employment in the country. Unlike other Gulf nations, the UAE is not much affected by the current economic slowdown. Hence, deepening ties with the UAE may bring not only economic prosperity back home, but also help India play a larger role among the GCC countries. Given the fact that India is emerging as among the fastest growing economies of the world, the UAE is also scaling its efforts to come closer to the former. India's reliance on the UAE for its oil imports will grow in the coming years with the ever-rising domestic demand. In terms of imports, India is the third largest partner of the UAE. Thus, both nations are mutually dependent.

India's ambition to play a global role needs support from the Gulf nations, which have remained strong players in boosting our economy for long. Apart from this, the millions of Indians who are working in the Gulf nations also contribute significantly to the growth of our economy. Thus, re-energising ties with the UAE will be significant for India, both politically and economically. It is an opportunity for New Delhi to turn the traditional business ties into a strong, long-term strategic partnership.

(Editorial, Daily Pioneer 06 October 2016) -goTop

 

13. ABU DHABI'S TEMPLE TO BE READY IN LESS THAN A YEAR: The first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi will come up on 20,000 square metres of land at Al Wathba. "Al Wathba is just 30 minutes from Abu Dhabi City. It will be close to the highway on Abu Dhabi-Al Ain road," said BR Shetty -chief executive officer of NMC Healthcare and UAE Exchange, the businessman who heads the temple coordination committee.

Elaborating on the size of the land, he said: "The temple will come up on 4.95 acres of compact and beautiful land. It will be the largest." At present, there are two Hindu temples and one Sikh gurudwara in Dubai.

Specifying the time frame, Shetty said: "It shouldn't take a year. It should be ready in eight to nine months." Inside the temple, the idols will be of "deities Krishna, Maheshwara, Ayyappa and more." The temples in Dubai are dedicated to Shiva and Krishna. The architectural plan has been finalised and a consultant appointed. -goTop

 

14. SANATANA DHARMA OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO ECONOMIC PROBLEMS: VIGYANANANDA: Vedic Sanatana Dharma has the key for global peace, wealth, and prosperity. It is now the time to the roots of Sanatana Dharma and put them to use in our day-to-day life in pursuit of solutions to the current problems confronted by the world economy, said Swami Vigyanananda, founder and global chairman of World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) here on Monday.

He was delivering the keynote address on "Making Society Prosperous" at a program organised by the Laghu Udyog Bharati, Gujarat Unit. On this occasion, Hitendra Joshi, President and Prakash Patel, Secretary, Laghu Udyog Bharati briefed about the activities carried out by LUB, Gujarat. The membership directory was launched on this occasion by LUB. -goTop

 

15. BHARATIYA DIASPORAS SHOULD BE LOOKED IN TERMS OF ITS STRENGTH, NOT NUMBERS SAYS PM MODI: Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on 2nd October in New Delhi. He said, "The Indian Diasporas should be looked at, not just in terms of its numbers, but also in terms of its strength. For years the term 'brain drain' has been in vogue. But if we look at the Diaspora as our strength we can convert it this to 'brain gain'."

On the occasion, the Prime Minister also visited the exhibition on "Gandhi - Ek Pravasi." He launched a booklet on Yoga Protocol for Diabetes control, and distributed prizes to winners of the 'Know India' Quiz. -goTop

 

16. STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA ON NAVRATRI: The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement in recognition of Navratri on 1st October.

Today, we join the Hindu community in Canada - and around the world - to celebrate the beginning of Navratri. "Navratri is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. This year, it takes place at the beginning of October, around harvest time. "To mark this occasion, families and loved ones gather over nine nights to worship, dance, and celebrate, culminating in the tenth night of festivities ... On behalf of our family, Sophie and I invite all Canadians to reflect on the important contributions of Canada's Hindu community to our national fabric, and extend our warmest regards to everyone celebrating Navratri.".-goTop

 

17. RSS CONGRATULATES ARMY FOR SUCCESSFUL SURGICAL STRIKES IN POK: Showering all praises for the Bharatiya Army for destroying terrorists’ training camps in PoK through successful 'surgical strikes', RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohanrao Bhagwat said that the army accomplished the task the country has been waiting for all these years.

Bhagwat was addressing a gathering of elites at a book release function here held to commemorate the 1000th birth anniversary of philosopher and Sanskrit scholar Abhinav Gupta, from Kashmir.

At the same function, he released the book on Acharya Abhinav Gupt titled "Sampurna Sancharvid: Acharya Abhinav Gupt".

Sri Sri Ravishankar of Art of Living who also attended this book release function also congratulated the brave Bharatiya soldiers for their valour and accomplishment.

An official RSS statement while praising the action said , "By conducting successful strikes on terrorists launching pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Indian Army has proved its capability. Congratulations Indian Army".  -goTop

 

18. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH PACIFIC CELEBRATES 'HINDI': On the day of the popular 'Hindi Diwas', that is celebrated to honor and promote both the Hindi-speaking community of the world and the national language of Bharat - Hindi; an amazing program was held at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. The program included a Hindi essay competition on the topic- 'Girmit History' as reported by Vishvas Sapkal, the high commissioner of Bharat to Fiji. This followed an award ceremony and Ms. Ranjini Raj won a trip to Bharat of 25 days long.

Apart from that, a movie based on Girmit history by Dr. Mohit Prasad was also screened on the program. The movie is named 'A for Apple' and it received huge applause. -goTop

 

19. DHANTERAS TO BE OBSERVED AS NATIONAL AYURVEDA DAY:  The ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) has announced its decision to observe Dhanvantari Jayanti, popularly known as Dhanteras, as National Ayurveda Day every year. The first National Ayurveda Day would be observed on October 28. The theme for this year is 'Ayurveda for Prevention and Control of Diabetes'. -goTop

 

20. ISRO'S COMMUNICATION SATELLITE GSAT-18 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED:  Bharat's communication satellite GSAT-18 was launched successfully by the European Ariane 5 VA-231 launch Vehicle in the early morning hours on 6th October.The 3404 kg GSAT-18 carries 48 communication transponders in C-band, upper extended C-band and Ku-band for providing various services to the country.-goTop

 

21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Ravikumar, sah samyojak Vishwa Vibhag returned from his tour to HongKong, Singapore and Japan.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If one undertakes retrospection of the day's events, one must do it regularly at the appointed hour, not fitfully, not doing it today, neglecting to do it tomorrow and the day after and then taking it up again on the fourth day. Such irregular practice is not conducive to the confirmation of the habit of retrospection. - Bhagwan Mahavir -goTop

 

JAI SHREE RAM


SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN vishwav@bol.net.in www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com



SAMVAD

Ashwin Shukla 1, Vik. Samvat 2073. Yugabda 5118: 1 October 2016


1. FESTIVALS: CELEBRATING 1000 YEARS NAROPA 2. VANDE MATARAM SUNG BY MORE THAN A LAKH
3. 11th ANNUAL HINDU MANDIR EXECUTIVES CONFERENCE (HMEC) - 2016 4. RSS SHAKA RESTORED PEACE IN A KERALA VILLAGE KNOWN FOR VIOLENT YOUTH AND CRIME
5. SURGICAL STRIKES: FIRST MAJOR USE OF CARTOSAT IMAGES FOR ARMY 6. Tributes paid to bharatiya soldiers on Haifa Day
7. 'Bharat’s Identity iS Hindu' - Dr. Swamy 8. RSS SWAYAMSEVAKS PARTICIPATED IN FLOOD RELIEF OPERATIONS IN BHAGYANAGAR
9. 'Festival of India' in Australia 10. 'Stop imitating Western philosophers' - DR KRISHNA GOPAL
11. Women in KeralA after 2 centuries participated in 'Pulikali' 12. INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MUST WORK IN TANDEM: MUKUNDA
13. Canada Mints Diwali Gold and Silver Coins 14. ISRO'S LONGEST-EVER PSLV SATELLITE LAUNCH
15. HRSC Serving Over 3 Million Meals a Year in Schools in Kenya 16: Air Force successfully test fires long range air-to-air MICA missile
17. FARMING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WOMEN BREAK GLASS CEILING 18. world's largest solar power plant in tamil nadu
19: Education in mother tongue, Gateway to Glory 20. new Hindu temple OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS
21. VALLEY CALLS TERRORISTS' BLUFF; 25K YOUTHS VIE FOR J&K SPO POSTS 22. Guinness Record: 989 lamps lit simultaneously by specially-abled people
23. 2 bharatiyas and 1 Bharatiya-American in UN sustainable development goals 24. 31 Bharatiya universities feature in World rankings
25. Bharatiya-origin physician awarded National Humanities Medal in US 26. On 350th birthday, world hails Guru Gobind Singh, the poet
27. RSS Punjab Sah-Sanghchalak Gagneja succumbs to injuries 28. Pakistan National Assembly Passes Hindu Marriage Bill
29. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Article : THE STRANGE IRONY OF INDIAN HISTORY

1. FESTIVALS: CELEBRATING 1000 YEARS NAROPA: Ladakh region hosted a spiritual celebration, known as the Naropa Festival (September 16-22), which happens once in 12 years. It honours Saint Naropa (1016-1100), the patron Saint of the Drupka Lineage. The Drupka Lineage is a branch of Kagyu School in Tibetan Buddhism. This year marks the 1000th birth anniversary of Saint Naropa. Naropa hailed from a Brahmin family in Bengal who renounced his married life to pursue the spirit of enlightenment. His quest led him to Nalanda University in Bihar where he became a master of spiritual debate as well as the Chancellor of the university. He relinquished his position to learn from Tilopa - a mahasiddha, even facing hardships for the same.

The most pulling draw at the celebrations was the public unveiling of the six bone ornaments - Crown, Earrings, Necklace, Saralkha, Bangle, and Anklet - that his Holiness the Gyalwang Drupka wore. Known as the Kumbh Mela of the Himalayas, the festival, held around the premises of the famous Hemis Monastery - the monastery of the Drupka Lineage - was attended by lakhs of people from all over the world. Cultural performances from Ladakh, Bhutan, the famous Drukpa Kung Fu nuns, archery competition, Ladakhi fashion show and celebrity performances were some of the chief hightlights of the event. This was the fourth edition of the Naropa Festival.-goTop

 

2. VANDE MATARAM SUNG BY MORE THAN A LAKH: Hindu Adhyatma and Sewa Founation, Jaipur organised a programme in Jaipur in which more than one lakh people sung Vande Mataram together. In the direction of Pt. Alok Bhatt, 504 artists from all over Bharat with 18 different types of musical instrument and wearing tricolor dress performed on the stage for one and half hour. They sung Vande Mataram and the audience participated in it. 600 handicapped children and youth also joined to sing Vande Matram. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje was the chief guest and other dignitaries who were present in the programme were Gunwant Singh Kothari, RSS Akhil Bharatiya sah Sewa Pramukh, Ravi Kumar, Sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag, Jagdish ji, Akhil Bharatiya Sahsharirik Pramukh, Mukund ji, Akhil Bharatiya Sah Bouddhik Pramukh and Kshetra Pracharak Durgadas ji. -goTop

 

3. 11th ANNUAL HINDU MANDIR EXECUTIVES CONFERENCE (HMEC) - 2016:  The eleventh HMEC, organized by Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America - VHPA, was held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Holiday Inn (Roswell) from September 16 to 18, 2016. The first HMEC conference was held in Atlanta. After a ten-year journey to many parts of North America and the Caribbean, the conference was again held this year in Atlanta successfully. The conference sessions were well received by delegates from USA, Canada, Caribbean, Mauritius and Bharat.

There were over 25 Grand Hosts and Co-Hosts of the conference mainly from USA and Canada. Some 200 adult and youth delegates drawn from over 70 organizations and 5 countries participated in the conference.

 The theme of the conference was: Awareness and Awakening: The Future Role of Hindu Mandirs and Institutions. HMEC 2016 provided a platform for stakeholders like mandirs, other Hindu organizations, pundits, gurus, teachers, sanyasis, scholars, activists, and practitioners and non-practitioners to celebrate, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate the state of Dharma in North America and the Caribbean and come up with strategies and action plans.

The sessions included topics like 'Hindu History and Megatrends in America', 'The Future Role of Hindu Mandirs and Institutions.'etc. A number of parallel sessions were held to cover large number of important and relevant topics Stressful Challenges in Modern Hindus, Respect for/Emphasis on Education of Rituals, 2nd Generation Parents etc  and youth sessions. -goTop

 

4. RSS SHAKA RESTORED PEACE IN A KERALA VILLAGE KNOWN FOR VIOLENT YOUTH AND CRIME: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarasanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat visited a shakha in Thamaram, a small hamlet near Kalady in Thiruvananthapuram on September 23. There were about 200 swayamsevaks in the shakha. Thamaram was once notorious for goons and quotation gangs, young men on hire to whoever bid the highest price to maim and kill. That was before the RSS shakha was set up. Today, around 600 families living there vouch that peace is back in their lives. There are several specialties in this shakha. All four sections of the shakha, schoolchildren, teenagers, college-going students and adults are active here. More than 80% members of the shakha come from weaker sections. -goTop

 

5. SURGICAL STRIKES: FIRST MAJOR USE OF CARTOSAT IMAGES FOR ARMY: In what's being described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2C) launched in June this year, sources in ISRO said that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the surgical strikes conducted across the line of control (LoC) in the wee hours of September 29th.

The Cartosat-2C in particular added more teeth to Bharat's military surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and has been providing high resolution images of 0.65 metres, an improvement over the 0.8m resolution of the earlier missions.

"Cartosat also provided Area of Interest (AOI) based images for the armed forces," the source said. Another explained that based on requests, one or more scenes/images covering the AOI as specified is provided in as a single polygon (all the areas in one circle) in the form of a shapefile (non-topological geometry and attribute information for the spatial features). -goTop

 

6. Tributes paid to bharatiya soldiers on Haifa Day: A program was organised on September 23rd on behalf of Indo Israel Friendship Forum to commemorate the anniversary of battle for Haifa in Israel and sacrifice of Bharatiya soldiers. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Prof Jagadish Mukhi and RSS Vishwa Vibhag Joint-coordinator Ravi Kumar, Ambassador of Israel Daniel Karman and Indresh Kumar, Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarnini Member of RSS were present at Teenmurti Chowk in the national capital and paid tributes to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in freeing Haifa. Afterwards a book was realeased penned by Vishwa Vibhag sah samyojak Ravi Kumar - "Indian Heroism in Israel" and published by Vidya Bharati. -goTop

 

7. 'Bharat’s Identity iS Hindu' - Dr. Swamy: "Bharat's Identity is Hindu. This is similar to USA's identity as 'Anglo-Saxon Caucasian Protestant Christian'. It may have citizens from various races and religions. Similarly, Bharat may be home for people practicing various religions, the identity however is Hindu," said senior BJP leader Dr. Subramanian Swamy addressing an audience of about 600 people in a packed hall in Plano (Dallas area), Texas, USA. Dr Swamy was on an invitation from Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) to speak on "The Government control of Temples in Bharat" on 13th September 2016. His speech covered various topics such as the history and significance of Hindu Temples; need for the preservation of Hindu values; difference between Hindu Temples and Christian churches and Mosques; legal battle to construct Rama Temple in Ayodhya etc. -goTop

 

8. RSS SWAYAMSEVAKS PARTICIPATED IN FLOOD RELIEF OPERATIONS IN BHAGYANAGAR: The continuous heavy rains in third week of September in Hyderabad had brought the city to standstill, where several colonies were inundated with water, big and small lakes in and around the city were overflowing. In this hour of crisis, RSS swayamsevaks extended their help in rescue and relief operations at various locations of the city.

Alwal was one of the worst affected areas. A lake in the area was overflowing resulting 10 adjacent colonies to be completely water logged and hampering the traffic movement on the main road. 40 Swayamsevaks from Alwal and Secunderabad bhag participated in the day long sewa activity of distributing 2000 food and water packets and easing the traffic on Alwal main road.

In Nizampet village, houses and parking areas in apartments were completely under rain water due to overflowing of nearby lake. Sensing this dangerous inflow of rain water into the lake, 150 swayamsevaks put 3000 sand sacks to prevent sudden outflow of water or any leakages that may weaken the banks of lake. They worked around the clock along with local youth and administration to ensure that the overflowing lake was prevented and colonies protected from heavy water logging. -goTop

 

9. 'Festival of India' in Australia was inaugurated in Sydney by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma on September 19th. The night witnessed spectacular joint performances by Bharatiya and Australian artists.
"It is the first of its kind festival and it is the matter of pride for all of us today", said Sharma.
The festival, an initiative of Bharatiya government will go on for 10 weeks across seven cities including Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth etc. The event is showcasing Bharatiya cultural art forms such as Manipuri drummers, Sufi singing artist Sonam Kalra, Odissi, Kathak and Bharatnatyam dancers, Australian musicians and aboriginal dancers. 
-goTop

 

10. 'Stop imitating Western philosophers' - DR KRISHNA GOPAL: As a part of a two-day seminar in JNU on 'Post-Independence Indian Literature and Culture', joint general secretary of RSS, Krishna Gopal, was all praise for art and literature showcasing developing nationalistic ideas in the country. Addressing an audience at Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies, Gopal said not many young people read Bharatiya literary artists any more. The Vedas are the most ancient form of literature which had an objective of unifying and not breaking, unlike other literary texts, he said.

Giving examples of Buddha, Nanak, Kabir etc. and how they shaped thinking, Gopal told students they should stop imitating western philosophers and look to inculcate more of Bharatiya belief. Poet and professor of JNU Makarand Paranjape said "Bharatiya literature is something that binds the dialogue and the vernacular of the nation and creates an alternative modernity." -goTop

 

11. Women in KeralA after 2 centuries participated in 'Pulikali': In Kerala, first time in its two-century-old history, women donned tiger costumes and performed Pulikali on September 18th in Thrissur town. The age old tradition was performed only by the men in the state, on the streets, dancing to the beat of drums wearing tiger masks and body painted with the face of big cat.

The organization called Women Integration and Growth through Sports (WINGS) which was initiated by N A Vinaya - who served at Thrissur Police Academy - last year, working for women empowerment took the initiative to participate in the traditional move. Sakkeena, fashion-designer from Kozhikode, assistant sub-inspector Vinaya and Divya, a teacher from Mallapuram were the ones who danced in this old traditional fest breaking the stereotype. These women were a part of 51-member Viyur Desham team that participated in the Pulikali at Thrissur's Thekkinadu Maidanam.  -goTop

 

12. INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MUST WORK IN TANDEM: MUKUNDA: On the occasion of Dr. Ambedkar's125th Birth Anniversary & Birth Centenary of Pt. Deendayal Upadyaya (the proponent of Integral Humanism of Ekatma Manava Darshan), RSS organised Bhagyanagar IT Sangamam on 25th September, 2016 in Hyderabad.

In-spite of continuous rains in Hyderabad, 565 swayamsevaks and well-wishers turned up for the occasion. This included 365 swayamsevaks in new ganavesh and 200 athitis.

The chief speaker of the event was Shri C R Mukunda ji, RSS Akhila Bharatiya Sah-boudhik Pramukh.

He emphasized the need to coordinate among institutional and social changes and bring the good people on board in right direction to reach our objectives by utilizing the demographic dividends. -goTop

 

13. Canada Mints Diwali Gold and Silver Coins: The Canadian Mint has issued a Diwali coin by Canadian artist Meera Sethi. The coin is inspired by the colorful Bharatiya folk art of Rangoli, which traditionally adorns entrances and floors during Diwali. Within the geometric and floral-inspired pattern lie numerous cultural symbols that represent the "Festival of Lights" as a cherished multi-ethnic celebration--one that is very much at home in Canada, where it is celebrated by Bharatiya-Canadians across the country. The one ounce coin issued in gold (US$2,119.84) and the differently designed coin in silver ($69.62), can be ordered at "source" above. -goTop

 

14. ISRO'S LONGEST-EVER PSLV SATELLITE LAUNCH: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed its longest-ever mission on September 26 - launching eight satellites, including weather satellite SCATSAT-1, from one rocket into two different orbits. The 320 tonne Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle rocket (PSLV-C35) carrying eight satellites - three Bharatiya and five foreign - was lifted off from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The total weight of all the eight satellites is about 675 kg. This is ISRO's longest PSLV satellite launch mission spread over two hours and fifteen minutes.

SCATSAT-1 (Scatterometer Satellite-1) is a miniature satellite developed by ISRO to provide weather forecasting, cyclone prediction, and tracking services to Bharat. The mission life of the satellite is 5 years. Besides SCATSAT-1, the two other Bharatiya satellites are: Pratham (10kg), which will study the total electron count in space, built by Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) and Pisat (5.25 kg) from PES University, Bengaluru and its consortium. -goTop

 

15. HRSC Serving Over 3 Million Meals a Year in Schools in Kenya:  Hindu Religious & Service Centre (HRSC) of Kenya has been running school feeding programme since last three years. Six more schools enlisted this year to bring the total to 57 schools. Now HRSC reached a milestone of serving over 3 million hot meals to 18,463 school children in impoverished areas. -goTop

 

16. Air Force successfully test fires long range air-to-air MICA missile: Bharatiya Air Force has successfully fired recently acquired long range air-to-air MICA missile on a manoeuvring target from Mirage-2000 Upgrade combat aircraft.  With the success of this mission by 'Tigers', the first squadron of the force, IAF has become one of the few air forces in the world with the capability of such beyond visual range air-to-air missile. -goTop

 

17. FARMING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WOMEN BREAK GLASS CEILING: Three women farmers, with their innovative and enterprising skills, have broken the barriers and entered the male bastion in agriculture with a bang. And, they won awards, the first Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar, instituted by The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Delhi's Krishna Yadav, began her journey by selling vegetables on the roadside and then became a successful food processing entrepreneur who went on to open a factory to provide jobs to several people. Pooja Sharma, a small farmer from Haryana, won accolades for innovative ways of soyabean farming, Sikkim's Anuradha Chhetri used innovative technologies to increase orchid yields. Both Sharma and Chhetri got zonal awards.

This is the first time that awards have been instituted to recognise contributions of marginal, small and landless farmers for developing integrated and sustainable models of farming. -goTop

 

18. world's largest solar power plant in tamil nadu: World's largest solar power plant involving investment of around Rs 4,550 crore was opened on September 21st by the Adani group. This is a 648-mw solar plant and is situated at Kamuthi, Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu. The plant is connected to a 400 kilo volts substation of Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation. The plant consists of 3.80 lakh foundations, 25 lakh solar modules, 27,000 mt of structure, 576 inverters, and 154 transformers along with 6,000-km cables. The plant was built in eight months using equipment and machinery from around the world. Around 8,500 personnel worked on the project, installing an average of 11MW a day. -goTop

 

19. Education in mother tongue, Gateway to Glory: "Bhartiya Bhasha Manch" organized a symposium on Bharatiya languages in the Constitution club, New Delhi on September 10. Keynote speaker of the program Atul Kothari, National Secretary, Shiksha Sanskriti Uthan Nyas, said he is pleased with the growing acceptance of Hindi both within Bharat and worldwide. Around 100 countries worldwide and universities are running course on Hindi. Most developed and scientifically advanced nations such as Japan, Germany, France, China, etc. conduct all their businesses, education governance in their mother tongue. English is used nowhere. -goTop

 

20. new Hindu temple OF LUBBOCK, TEXAS: Nestled in a three-acre corner of the South Eastern  part of town, Hindu Temple of Lubbock was formally opened on September 17. A committee of organizers spent the past two years working and raising funds for the project. "This was our 20-year dream come true", Tarun Patel temple committee member said. The temple, 1400 84th St., contains a main worship area adorned with idols of Radha & Krishna and a hall for community functions. Total population of Hindus is 700 in the area of South Plains'. -goTop

 

21. VALLEY CALLS TERRORISTS’ BLUFF; 25K YOUTHS VIE FOR J&K SPO POSTS: Showing confidence in the Government's effort to reach out to the people of Jammu & Kashmir, thousands of youth across Kashmir defied terrorists' threat and the separatists' call and turned up to fill 10,000 posts of Special Police Officers (SPOs). "We have received over 25,000 applications from the aspiring candidates willing to serve as SPOs from across the 10 districts of the Valley," said a senior official supervising the recruitment process.

On September 22, the Centre had approved the recruitment of an additional 10,000 SPOs with immediate effect. There are already 25,000 SPOs in the State, engaged on a monthly honorarium of Rs 6,000. The Union Government's move came in the wake of reports which suggested that the majority of Kashmiri youth have opted for the jobs of SPO defying a call by Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani to boycott the recruitment rallies. -goTop

 

22. Guinness Record: 989 lamps lit simultaneously by specially-abled people: The Guinness Book of World Records is due another update after the tiny flames of exactly 989 oil lamps shimmered in unison in Navsari, Gujarat on September 16. As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday celebrations, the Union government's Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities organized a mega camp for 'divyangs' or specially-abled people. "It's the first record of its kind. The benchmark was 500, and what the people of Navsari achieved today was 989. We congratuate everyone, and we're very happy that a new Guiness World Record has been made," a Guinness World Records offical said after the feat was achieved. -goTop

 

23. 2 bharatiyas and 1 Bharatiya-American in UN sustainable development goals: UN declared for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and selected two Bharatiyas and a Bharatiya-American among the 17 people selected for its inaugural class. Trisha Shetty, Ankit Kawatra and Bharatiya-American Karan Jerath have been chosen for this initiative. Selected from over 18,000 nominations from 186 different countries, these leaders, aged 19-30 years old, come from many different backgrounds and will support efforts to engage young people in the realization of the SDGs and will have opportunities to engage in UN and partner-led projects. -goTop

 

24. 31 Bharatiya universities feature in World rankings: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has jumped some 50 places in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2016-17, making it the top Bharatiya educational institution in the list. In the rankings published on September 21, IISc Bengaluru found a place in the 201-250 groups of best universities, up from the 251-300 groups in which it was ranked last year. And the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) was ranked in the 351-400 cohorts. The University of Oxford has become the first UK University to top the list in the 12-year history of the table.

The other Bharatiya universities on the list include IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras, all within the 401-500 ranks, and IIT Kharagpur and IIT Roorkee in the 501-600 band. Bharat has 19 institutes in the top 800, two more than last year and 12 others in the 801-980 band. Overall, Bharat has 31 institutions, including 14 new names, in the list of 980. -goTop

 

25. Bharatiya-origin physician awarded National Humanities Medal in US: Abraham Varghese, a Bharatiya-American physician and author has presented with the National Humanities Medal, America's highest humanities award, by US President Barack Obama for his contribution in the field of medicine. Varghese has authored several acclaimed books including 'My Own Country' and 'Cutting for Stone'. He was presented with the medal along with several other recipients at a ceremony held at the White House on September 22.  "I felt strongly then and now that what I was writing about, and my interest in the human experience of being ill or caring for the ill, was as much a part of medicine as knowledge of the function of the pancreas, for example," said Verghese, also a vice chair of Stanford's Department of Medicine. Born in Addis Ababa in 1955, he studied at Madras Medical College. After graduation, he left Bharat for a medical residency in the US. -goTop

 

26. On 350th birthday, world hails Guru Gobind Singh, the poet: The 10th Sikh preceptor, Guru Gobind Singh, is known to the world as the warrior-saint. But not many outside the Sikh faith are aware that he wrote 17 verse collections that are part of the 'Dasam Granth' - a separate religious text from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Speaking at the Sikh International Conclave observing the 350th birth anniversary of the Guru in Patna, Hindi litterateur Lal Manohar Upadhyaya said on September 23rd that of the 17 verse collections, only one is in Punjabi. The rest are in Hindi, Braj, Persian, Bhojpuri and other languages. "This shows the versatility of the poet-Guru," Upadhyaya said.

Professor Sukhdayal Singh from Delhi said 'Zafarnama', written by Guruji in Persian, is the only example of literature in which a contemporary ruler (Aurangzeb) was criticised so tersely. He said Guruji used poetry not only as a literary piece, but also as a means to instil valour in people. -goTop

 

27. RSS Punjab Sah-Sanghchalak Gagneja succumbs to injuries: Sah-Sanghchalak of RSS Punjab Prant Brig (Retd) Jagdish Gagneja who was injured in a gun attack on August 6, breathed his last on 22 September at a hospital in Ludhiana. Besides members of his family, senior RSS and BJP leaders were present at the hospital and at the cremation. -goTop

 

28. Pakistan National Assembly Passes Hindu Marriage Bill: Six decades after it came into existence, Pakistan gave nod to a Hindu Marriage Bill that seeks to set up a legal framework for marriage and divorce [previous non-existent for Hindus] besides addressing issues including forced conversions. The Hindu Marriage Bill 2016 was tabled before the Pakistan National Assembly by Human Rights Minister Kamran Michael and was passed unanimously. -goTop

 

29. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: RSS sahsarkaryavaha Bhagaiah ji is on a tour to USA and Canada; Ravi Kumar, Sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag is touring Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan; Shyam Parande, secretary Sewa International, returned Bharat after his tour of Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and USA. Visitors:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself. - Jiddu Krishnamurti -goTop

 

JAI SHREE RAM

 --

THE STRANGE IRONY OF INDIAN HISTORY

Michel Danino

Indian history presents us with a delightful irony. On the one hand, most schools and colleges teach it in such offputting manner, with stale textbooks full of howlers, that most students come to hate the topic and happily erase it all from their memories the day after the exam. And on the other hand, Indian history seems to be alive and well, if we judge by the numerous historical debates that have filled the public space, from the Aryan theory to the Ayodhya issue, from the record of Aurangzeb or Tipu Sultan to pinning down the responsibility for the Partition, from "terrorism" in the Freedom Movement to Subhash Chandra Bose's ultimate fate. That such "debates" are conducted more often through mud-slinging, if not demonization, than in a mature and civilized manner is another matter.

We also have a colourful range of scholars: At one end of the spectrum, some, dreaming of Puranic scales of time, are tempted to take Indian history millions of years into the past (or at least many thousands more than archaeology would permit), to visualize vimanas and other advanced technological devices from earliest times, and to imagine ancient India as a perfect golden age. And at the other end, scholars claiming to practise "scientific" history produce, instead, a brand heavily inflected by ill-suited imported ideologies and models, leave alone factual and methodological flaws. In between, are numerous solid, unprejudiced and meticulous historians who are passionate about the discipline; unfortunately, the wider public rarely gets to hear about them as the media can't get desired sound bites from them.

Is this scene unique to India?

By no means. Because history is at the root of the identity individuals, communities and nations choose to give themselves, it has immense bearing on current situations, and no nation escapes historical controversies. Did the Hebrews migrate from Egypt to Palestine as described in the biblical Exodus? Can the French nation be said to have been created by Joan of Arc? Did the "American holocaust" of Native Americans by the Spanish, Portuguese and British wipe out 100 million lives, as asserted by some scholars? Did the nations that declared their "neutrality" during World War II end up helping the Nazis? Did Stalin’s rule of the USSR result in some 60 million deaths? Is there firm evidence for the genocide of Armenians in 1915 by Turkey? Was Tibet ever an integral part of China, as the latter proclaims? Could the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been avoided?

Such questions can rarely be answered with a fair degree of certainty. Yet it is the job of history to try and answer. What is history, then? A few days ago, I was amused to read that Pakistan's Sindh Minister for Culture, Tourism and Antiquities demanded that Ashutosh Gowariker, director of the newly released film Mohenjo Daro apologize to the Sindhi people for "distorting historical facts and making a mockery of the 5000-year-old highly developed [Harappan] culture and civilization." I have not watched the film, which does seem to have taken some liberties, but did not expect an avowed piece of fiction and entertainment to be taken so seriously.

It is interesting to note in passing that many Indians feel similarly connected to the Indus civilization, many of whose sites are located on this side of the international border. Even such a crude example illustrates sharply enough how history - or protohistory, in this case - remains alive in sensitive ways and is intertwined with questions of national identity.

Yet "history is the lie commonly agreed upon," in Voltaire's opinion, which is hardly an optimistic definition. Two hundred years later, the U.S. historians Will and Ariel Durant were a little more explicit: "Our knowledge of any past event is always incomplete, probably inaccurate, beclouded by ambivalent evidence and biased historians, and perhaps distorted by our own patriotic or religious partisanship. Most history is guessing, and the rest is prejudice." An honest statement, but still not too hopeful. If, as the British historian E.H. Carr wrote, history is "an unending dialogue ... between the society of today and the society of yesterday," is such a dialogue possible at all when the data it is built upon is so deficient?

In India's case, Tagore, in an insightful essay titled "The History of Bharatavarsha", bitterly complained in 1903, "Our real ties are with the Bharatavarsha that lies outside our textbooks. . It appears as if we are nobody in India; as if those who came from outside alone matter.” He was echoed in 1942 by the scholar and statesman K M Munshi: "Most of our histories of India ... deal with certain events and periods not from the Indian point of view, but from that of some source to which they are partial and which by its very nature is loaded against India."

That, of course, was a reference to colonial histories written by the colonial masters. Has the situation much improved? Can we claim that we now have an "Indian perspective" on Indian history?

Today, sober-minded Indologists and historians look at India as a civilization rather than a nation in the modern sense of the term; they ask when and how it emerged, and how it managed to integrate the myriad cultures of the subcontinent into one recognizable whole maintaining its original diversity. They query the social, political and administrative systems it evolved, its cultural developments, its myriad ethnic and linguistic units, and its interface with other cultures and civilizations. Despite yawning gaps in the archaeological, epigraphic, literary and economic records, a picture does emerge.

For a perspective of India to be successful, it should, in my opinion, build a sense of identity and belonging to a stream of civilization. But aren't there many "ideas of India"? I propose to explore this question in later articles.

(Michel Danino is author of The Lost River: On the Trail of the Sarasvati and Indian Culture and India's Future. He teaches at IIT Gandhinagar. The New Indian Express, 24 September 2016) -goTop


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