SAMVAD

Ashwin Krishna 11, Vik.Samvat 2074, Yugabda 5119: 16 September 2017


1. FESTIVALS: Karva Chauth 2. FIJI: Devotees Gather To Mark End Of Days Of Prayer
3. Modi invokes Vivekananda to spread message of harmony 4.  SEWA VOLUNTEERS BRING SMILE ON THE FACE OF HURRICANE VICTIMS IN USA
5. Sewa International Takes on The Irma Challenge 6. 'Hinduness'  isn’t about what one wears or eats:  sarsanghchalak
7. FIJI NATIONAL HINDU YOUTH CONFERENCE 8. 150th birth anniversary of sister Nivedita
9. Need To Overhaul bharatiya Education System: Mohan Bhagwat 10.  Three-day RSS SamanvAya Baithak calls for an egalitarian society
11. Sangh Shiksha Varg 2017 12.  Guru tradition combines BHAKTI AND Shakti
13.  MARTYRS’ WIVES START NEW LIVES AS ARMY OFFICERS 14. Swayamsevaks take up flood relief works IN WEST BENGAL
15. BULLET TRAIN PROJECT INAUGURATED 16. AHMEDABAD GETS BHARAT'S FIRST WORLD HERITAGE CITY CERTIFICATE
17. BHARAT DECIDES TO STAND BY MYANMAR IN INTERNATIONAL FORUM 18. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGT

Articles:

GOLDEN JUBLEE OF NANA PALKAR SMRUTI SAMITI: TRUE TRIBUTE TO A KARMAYOGI

 

STAND-OFF WITH CHINA MAY HAVE ENDED BUT THERE COULD BE MORE DOKLAMS


1. FESTIVALS: Karva Chauth, the fourth day of Kartik Krishna Paksh corresponding to October 8 this year, is observed by married women with a fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. The festival is celebrated by most Hindus all over Bharat and the world. While the women pass the day listening to mythological stories, as the sun sets; they wait anxiously for the moon to appear. When the moon is sighted, the terraces of houses are a spectacle in themselves. All the women who fasted during the day, after sighting and worshipping the moon, take the first bite of food for the day from their husband’s hand. This fast thus becomes a romantic festival, symbolizing love between husband and wife. It is believed that no other fast equals this where praying for longevity of husband is concerned. -GoTop

 

2. FIJI: Devotees Gather To Mark End Of Days Of Prayer: Ganesha Utsav is now an annual event in Fiji and the number of devotees taking part in the Ganesh Utsav throughout Fiji has continued to grow. Joining the Attorney-GeneralAiyaz Syed - Khaiyum at the festival was Minister for Local Government, Parveen Bala, and other dignitaries who participated in final prayer and BhagwanGanesh Puja on Ananta Chaturdashi, September 5.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum acknowledged the efforts of the Fiji Sevashram Sangha, which has been organising Ganesh Utsav the past 16 years. Since 2011, the Sangha's efforts and dedication has resulted in this auspicious event being celebrated nationwide with participants from all economic and all ethnic background all around Fiji.

"All religions and certainly Hinduism, emphasise the central importance of the caring for the needy andworshiping together as a family. The fact that you are here, young and old, together with family members and friends, shows us that if we are all united and continue to persevere for the good of all, then our nation will be united as Fijians regardless of our different religious or cultural backgrounds," he said. -GoTop

 

3. Modi invokes Vivekananda to spread message of harmony: Calling upon the youth to "let our creativity also strengthen our nation and fulfil the aspirations of our people," Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi on September 11 batted for innovation and promoting skills towards building a modern Bharat. He was addressing a students' convention to mark the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's address at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago and BJP ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya's centenary celebrations on the theme- "Young India, New India" in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Modi began by saying that the biggest takeaway from Swami Vivekananda's speech of September 11, 1893 was the message of love, harmony and universal brotherhood. He reminded the youth that public service is the highest service. "Swami Vivekananda said that only rituals will not connect an individual to divinity...," he said, adding "Jan Seva is Prabhu Seva". "More than being in search of a Guru, Swami Vivekananda was in search of the truth," said the PM. -GoTop

 

4.  SEWA VOLUNTEERS BRING SMILE ON THE FACE OF HURRICANE VICTIMS IN USA:  They stand for Selfless Efforts for Welfare of All (SEWA) and their efforts in the crisis during Hurricane Harvey proved this beyond doubt! Yes. The young volunteers of Sewa International, a not for profit charity in USA, committed as they are to serve the victims of the Hurricane, exhibited excellent spirit of selfless service and strong determination to help those even risking their own welfare.

"This is the spirit of service", says Arun Kankani, Executive VP of Sewa International in his email message. “Rescue and relief work done by team here, with minimum resources and no experience and expertise, is beyond my expectation and imagination. It is amazing. I think this is a great live example of how passion, perseverance, kindness, dedication and desire to serve can compensate for the skills and experience", Kankani adds.

Many international students from Bharat at the University of Houston have had their first-floor apartments completely flooded and they have had to move in with their friends on second and third floors.Sewa has rescued and relocated many such students. The Sewa volunteers handled 452 requests for rescue and relief received over phone, whatsapp, facebook and twitter. With a battery of over 500 volunteers they rescued 613 people including students, and senior citizens, and served 2500 meals in just two days. -GoTop

 

5. Sewa International Takes on The Irma Challenge: The "Monster" Hurricane Irma measuring 400 miles wide after wreaking a trail of death and destruction through the Caribbean, moved inwards into Florida prompting mandatory evacuation of over 6.8 Million people. Sewa International's chapters in Tampa and Atlanta swung into action as a precaution. "Sewa International's recent experience in rescue and relief in Hurricane Harvey where we rescued 687 people working has been key in fine tuning the plans to deal with Irma," said Swadesh Katoch, Sewa Director of Disaster Relief. Vishwanath Koppaka, Sewa's Coordinator of Hurricane Irma relief in Atlanta, explained "Sewa is leading a coalition of twenty temples, professional, linguistic and religious Bharatiya-American organizations in the Greater Atlanta region."

Together Sewa and partner organizations have provided shelter to over 2,000 families. A number of Bharatiya and Hispanic families have taken advantage of the service. Prof. Sree N. Sreenath, President of Sewa International visiting from Cleveland, OH  made a visit to the Hindu Temple of Atlanta and spoke to some of the displaced families personally.

"We commend the enlightened Board and the Executive Committee of the Hindu Temple of Atlanta who not only open the facilities, but also are providing fresh cooked healthy meals to the families. The folks are scared about what will happen to their homes, but are grateful to the larger Bharatiya community that has stepped up to receive them as guests." -GoTop

 

6. ‘Hinduness’  isn't about what one wears or eats:  sarsanghchalak: Hinduness is not about what one should wear or eat but accepting others as they are, RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat said on September 12 at Delhi. In a rare meeting, Bhagwat spoke to a group of ambassadors and diplomats from around 50 countries at an informal gathering organised by India Foundation. Shri Bhagwat spoke on the activities of the organisation, spoke at some length on "Hinduness", which he said accepted everyone, irrespective of what the person wore or ate.

Several questions were posed, including what kind of work RSS swayamsevaks do. Bhagwat replied that RSS was in the work of "man-making", and runs 1.7 lakh service projects in health, education, rural development. He invited the diplomats to visit RSS shakhas as well as the projects undertaken by RSS. Bhagwat told the gathering that RSS swayamsevaks were free to work anywhere, and were, in fact, also in other political parties. The session attended by large diplomatic community was part of a series called "Breakfast Briefings" hosted by India Foundation every month for diplomats and policy advisers in foreign missions. -GoTop

 

7. FIJI NATIONAL HINDU YOUTH CONFERENCE: The inaugural Fiji National Hindu Youth Conference was organized by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (Fiji) from August 5-6, 2017in Suva. The theme of the conference was "Dynamic Youths Fostering National Development". With development taking a center stage in the national affairs; it was only prudent to bestowsound recognition of this subject as the theme of the conference. The two-day conference congregated more than 200 delegates with 20 eminent speakers who deliberated on a range of issues impacting the Hindu community. The youth wing of VHP Fiji, the Hindu Youth Fiji (HYF), played a pivotal role in organizing this national summit with preparations commencing three months prior to the event. Chief-Guest at the Conference was the Bharatiya High Commissioner to Fiji Vishvas Sapkal. The Keynote Speaker of the conference was the National Federation Party Leader and Opposition Member of Parliament Prof. Biman Prasad.

The sessions saw some of the successful Hindu youths deliberating on their journey to the ladder of success and importantly how dharma had played a vital role in shaping their prosperous journeys. Another session comprised of representatives of Government agencies who outlined their roles and how youths could access their services. One of the resolutions of this Fiji National Hindu Conference was implementing the idea of networking between our respective Hindu denominations.  -GoTop

 

8. 150th birth anniversary of sister Nivedita: "Swami Vivekananda had brought Bhagini Nivedita to Bharat for generating awakening among women. She did the work with perfection which is still relevant. The granddaughter of Nivedita (granddaughter by relation with her sister) was surprised to see the impact of Nivedita in Bharat when she was in Kolkata this year to attend a function at the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. Nivedita sacrificed every drop of her blood for Bharat and for upliftment of the womenhood of Bharat," said Sanyasini Nirbhikprana, head of Ramakrishna Sharada Peeth of Dakshineshwar, Kolkata, while addressing a function organised to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagini Nivedia on September 3. Around 2,000 women joined the function jointly organised by Bhagini Nivedita 150th Birth Anniversary Celebration Committee and Siliguri chapter of Vivekananda Kendra. -GoTop

 

9. Need To Overhaul bharatiya Education System: Mohan Bhagwat: RSS Sarsanghchalak  Mohan Bhagwat said that there is a need to overhaul the existing Bharatiyaeducation system on the lines of Finland, which is based on ancient Bharatiya Gurukul system.There is a "consensus in the society" that the education system needs to be revived, Bhagwat said at the launch of the Bhartiya Shiksha Granth Mala by Ahmedabad based think-tank Punarutthan Vidyapeeth in New Delhi. "Every time whenever there is a talk of progress or development, one looks at U.S. or U.K. On the other hand, in the area of education, Finland has the best school education system in the world, which is similar to ancient Bharatiya Gurukul system," said Bhagwat, and added that "Finland education system is vastly different from that of U.S., U.K. and other European countries". -GoTop

 

10.  Three-day RSS SamanvAya Baithak calls for an egalitarian society: The three-day Akhil Bharatiya Samanvya Baithak of RSS concluded on September 3 at Keshavdham, Vrindavan. Briefing media persons about the meeting, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr Manmohan Vaidya said the heads of RSS inspired organisations exchanged their experiences during the meeting and discussed certain vital issues concerning the society. Dr Vaidya said the global scenario is fast changing and Asia and particularly Bharat are going to play a decisive and significant role in the world in coming days. He pointed out that the issues prominently discussed in the meeting included social harmony, Kutumba Prabodhan, need to generate awareness in border areas and also the economic challenges before the nation.

He said RSS is closely connected with the social life and works in various fields like education, health, self-reliance, arts, etc., through the swayamsevaks. He said the representatives of 35 Sangh inspired organisations attended the meeting. -GoTop

 

11. Sangh Shiksha Varg 2017: The SSV 2017 by HSS UK, a course to train the volunteers in shakha activities, concluded on 6th August with many achievements tomark its success on. A total of 177 shiksharthis, shikshaks andkaryakartas were present fulltime at the SSV.  Similar varg took place for sevikas also. Of the many distinguished visitors who graced SSVwas Lord Jitesh Gadhia who spent an afternoon observing SSV training and interacting with karyakartas. Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambhara also visited and addressed the whole of SSV.

The chief guest at the SSV Samarop was Acharya Vidyabhaskarji of Switzerland. Acharyaji is a scholar of Advaita/Advaya, Comparative Religion, Organisational Psychology. -GoTop

 

12.  Guru tradition combines BHAKTI AND Shakti: "Whenever the nation was in trouble, our great Gurus came forward with solutions. The Guru tradition has unique combination of bhakti and shakti. The Gurus have curbed the troubles in every segment of the society. Guru Govind Singh has immensely contributed in uniting the country," said RSS Sahsarkaryavah V Bhagaiah, while speaking at the 350th birth anniversary celebration function of Shri Guru Govind Singh at the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in Haridwar. Gayatri Parivar Pramuh Dr Pranav Pandya and Uttarakhand Mukhya Mantri Trivendra Singh Rawat were also present. Dr Pranav Pandya said there are three aspects of a great personality - saint, reformer and martyr. Guru Govind Singh was the combination of all of these three qualities.  He sacrificed his entire family for the nation. He declared to include the teachings of Shri Guru Govind Singh in his University syllabus. -GoTop

 

13.  MARTYRS' WIVES START NEW LIVES AS ARMY OFFICERS: After marching to 'Auld Lang Syne' at Chennai's Officers' Training Academy, 332 candidates broke ranks and hugged to celebrate becoming officers of the Bharatiya Army. Among them were Swati Mahadik, wife of Colonel Santosh Mahadik who died fighting terrorists in Kupwara district of Jammu & Kashmir in November 2015, and Nidhi Misra, the widow of a naik who died in 2009. Both were commissioned as lieutenants in the ordnance wing.

After her husband died, Swati would look at his uniform hanging in the wardrobe. "That inspired me to join the Army," she said. "I trained on a par with gentlemen cadets. Everything was the same. So I am waiting for the Army to allow us to take up combat roles," added Swati.

The route to OTA was tougher for Nidhi Misra, whose husband, a naik, died of cardiac arrest in 2009. Nidhi, who holds an MBA, worked in an HR firm before teaching in Army school. She was inspired after she read about Priya Semwal, wife of a martyr, joining the Army. Priya passed out of OTA in 2014. Swati and Nidhi have joined the Army a day after the force, under new defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, gave finishing touches to a plan to induct 800 women in the military police. "If I become a colonel like my husband one day, it would be great. But my immediate focus is to learn new things under the guidance of my superiors," said Swati. -GoTop

 

14. Swayamsevaks take up flood relief works IN WEST BENGAL: North Bengal was under terrible flood for some time after massive rainfall from August 10 to 16 in North Bengal, Bihar and Nepal. Some districts including Alipurduar, Coochbehar, Paschim Coochbehar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda and North Malda are facing severe condition of flood. Many people have been rendered homeless andkinless. People have taken shelter along the Railway lines, in relief camps and also under open sky. Transport and communication network were badly affected. Majority houses were destroyed. Since crops were badly damaged, the farmers are the worst affected. From very first day, the RSS swayamsevaks rendered relief in their all possible ways. Over 1,100 swayamsevaks joined the relief operation in 2,138 villages, eight cities and 52 localities. From August 12 to 25 huge quantity of relief material including chura, sugar, roties, rice, pulses, biscuits, milk, water, medicines and tripal were distributed. -GoTop

 

15. BULLET TRAIN PROJECT INAUGURATED: Speaking at the inauguration of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project on 14thSeptember, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi said Bharat has taken an important step towards fulfilling an old dream. Describing the project as human-friendly and eco-friendly, he added that the project will generate employment and ensure high speed transportation in the country. Modi, along with Japan PM Shinzo Abe, laid the foundation stone for the bullet train project in Ahmedabad.

Thanking Japan and Abe for contributing towards the development of the bullet train project, Modi said, "Japan has shown that it is a true friend of India. Japan has given Bharat a loan of Rs 88,000 crore at 0.1 per cent interest for the construction of the highspeed bullet train network." Abe, who also spoke during the event, said if Bharat and Japan work together, nothing is impossible.

The bullet train which will cover a distance of 508 kilometres long will run between Sabarmati Railway Station and Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. A ticket for the train will cost between Rs 2,700 and Rs 3,000 - by air, travelling the same distance costs Rs 3,500-4,000. -GoTop

 

16. AHMEDABAD GETS BHARAT'S FIRST WORLD HERITAGE CITY CERTIFICATE: UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova handed over the certificate of inscription as world Heritage city to Ahmedabad to Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel on 6th September.

Rupani said that our Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi did a lot of hard work to get the heritage city tag for Ahmedabad from the UNESCO. He said that in 1411 the Ahmedabad city was built by Ahmed shah and world prestige of those architectures, artistic buildings, poles, Hindu, Jain-Islamic places are now accepted with heritage city.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel said that the city of Ahmedabad was previously known for trade and commerce across the globe. But today, it acquired one more tag of 'World Heritage City' and gained recognition worldwide. DG of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova said that Ahmedabad is the first Heritage city of Bharat. -GoTop

 

17. BHARAT DECIDES TO STAND BY MYANMAR IN INTERNATIONAL FORUM: In a show of solidarity with Myanmar, Bharat refused to be a part of a declaration adopted at an international conference as it carried "inappropriate" reference to violence in Rakhine state from where 125,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh.

A Bharatiya parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the 'Bali Declaration' adoped at the World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development held in Indonesia.

Bharat reiterated its stance that the purpose of convening the aforesaid forum was to arrive at mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which requires inclusive and broad-based development processes, it said. "Therefore, the proposed reference to the violence in Rakhine state in the declaration was considered as not consensus-based and inappropriate," said a press release issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. -GoTop

 

18. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Manyavar Suresh (Bhayyaji) Joshi, RSS Sarkaryavaha is visiting Nepal for 3 days. Shri Bhagaiah ji, sahsarkaryavaha will return from his US tour by end of the month. Visitors:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: "It is the same Bharat which has withstood the shocks of centuries, of hundreds of foreign invasions, of hundreds of upheavals of manners and customs. It is the same land, which stands firmer than any rock in the world, with its undying vigour, indestructible life. Its life is of the same nature as the soul, without beginning and without end, immortal; and we are the children of such a country." - Swami Vivekananda. -GoTop

JAI SHREE RAM

 --

GOLDEN JUBLEE OF NANA PALKAR SMRUTI SAMITI: TRUE TRIBUTE TO A KARMAYOGI

Mumbai-based Rugna Seva Sadan, which serves hundreds of patients and their attendants every day in different hospitals of the metro city, received a strange visitor from Siliguri in the last week of September 2016 who insisted that the wedding of his son would not be solemnised until the Sadan staffers and authorities attend the ceremony. He even offered air tickets to those from the Sadan who would join the wedding.

When asked about the reason of his eccentric insistence, the visitor, Bikas Chakravarthy, revealed that it was because of the care and timely help from the Sadan that the life of his son, Biduran Chakravarthy, could be saved 18 years back. Biduran is now an IIT engineer in Bengaluru and the family feels that his wedding should be solemnised in the presence of those, who literally gave him new life.

This incident shows the impact of the initiative taken in 1968 under the banner of NPSS to help the patients visiting different hospitals of Mumbai from various parts of the country for specialized treatment.

There are now thousands of other Bidurans of all age groups who got new life during the last 50 years with the help of dedicated and caring NPSS volunteers for whom 'Service to Sick is Service to God'.

The NPSS was formed in 1968 after untimely demise of RSS Pracharak Shri Narayan Hari Palkar in 1967 to carry forward his service sprit.

A gifted writer and poet Narayan Hari Palkar, popularly called Nana Palkar, was Zilla Pracharak of RSS in Satara. He was also Pracharak in Raigarh. Throughout his life he strove to alleviate the pain and suffering of the sick and needy. His birth centenary year began on August 26 this year. Incidentally, this is the golden jubilee year of the NPSS.

"Our objective is to ensure complete care to the patients. There are plas to improve the facilities through the existing projects and also through several new projects to be started during the Golden Jubilee of the NPSS and also the birth centenary year of Nana Palkar" said AlkaA Savarkar, Joint Secretary, Nana PalkarSamruti Samiti"

How the Idea got Shape

The work of caring the sick was started from a three-room flat situated at SitaSadan, Mumbai. The persons who materialised this idea included  Narayan Bhide, Dr Madhavrao Paralkar, Umesh J Nerurkar, Shri Anantrao aka Mama Sawarkar and Krishnaji Chhatre, etc. Veteran Sangh Pracharak Moropant Pingle also played a key role in giving shape to this project. Later, noted urologist of Mumbai DrAjit G Phadake took it forward. In 1968, the people coming from outside Mumbai did not know much about the city and also how to and where from to get treatment. "The work basically began only to guide them in receiving the treatment. After getting a flat in Sita Sadan on rent, we started providing them accommodation also. We could then accommodate hardly 15 persons, that too was not much comfortable. After construction of Rugna Seva Sadan at Parel in 1997, we started providing accommodation to 76 patients. In the beginning we had only seven floors in the building. Additional three floors were added in 2004 on the suggestion of the then Commissioner of BMC, Karuna Shrivastava, who even named the street as Rugna Seva Sadan. The same year, a dialysis centre and a pathology lab were started," says Alkatai Savarkar.

At the moment, the total capacity of Rugna Seva Sadan is 228 persons. Most patients come from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, etc. The number of patients coming from Maharashtra is very small. Most patients come for treatment at Tata Cancer Hospital. There are many hospitals in nearby area, which include Wadia Children Hospital, Tata Memorial Cancer hospital, KEM Hospital, JJ Hospital, St George's, Nair, etc. Tata Hospital is at the distance of just 10 minutes walk from the Sadan. The Ambulance service provides low cost transportation to patients for connecting them to key Railway stations. It also has a pick up and drop facility for patients going to Tata, KEM and Wadia hospitals in the vicinity. This facility is provided free of cost to the patients.

Some other services provided by NPSS are dialysis every day at Rs 350 per dialysis, Financial medical aid aggregating Rs 7 lakh to needy patients per month, Blood tests at subsidised rates in the Path lab, Counselling to TB and HIV patients, Free medicines to needy, Meals and breakfast to patients and their attendants at the Sadan, Free lunch to patients in various hospitals etc. There are a total of 39 paid employees and many volunteers at Rugna Seva Sadan in Mumbai. The volunteers are attached to the project very emotionally.

Plans for Golden Jubilee Celebration

At the moment, the NPSS provides shelter to 228 persons in Rugna Seva Sadan. Hence, the waiting list is very long. Those who do not get accommodation anywhere stay at the temporary shelters built on the footpath outside hospitals. Many times police and BMC authorities raze their shelters and harass them. Keeping it in view, the NPSS is in the process of purchasing a piece of land so that more patients and their attendants could be provided with accommodation. During the birth centenary of the late Nana Palkar the Samiti has also decided to re-print all his books. "Nana has written the first authentic biography of RSS founder Dr Hedgewar. His book on Israel is still a fascinating one for the readers. Many Jews returned to Israel after reading that book. There was a street in the name of Nana Palkar in Israel," points out Alkatai. (Organizer Weekly, 17 September 2017) -GoTop

 ---

STAND-OFF WITH CHINA MAY HAVE ENDED BUT THERE COULD BE MORE DOKLAMS

Shyam Saran

The stand-off between India and China over the Doklam plateau near the India-Bhutan-China trijunction has eased. Both sides have issued statements announcing that they have come to an understanding. What these mean and how its implications will play out will be speculated for some time. What is clear, however, is that the limited objective which Bhutan and India had - restoring the status quo which China had attempted to alter through its road building activities - has been achieved. At least, for the time being.

Why did China agree to restore the status quo after having insisted, repeatedly and threateningly, that it was the Indian side which should withdraw its forces before there could be any talks at all? Obviously, the fact that an understanding was eventually reached points to a continuing dialogue, perhaps behind the scenes despite the public posture adopted by China.

There may have been two factors which led China to alter its position. One, the continuing stand-off would have disrupted the BRICS summit at Xiamen. If India's Prime Minister absented himself because of the unresolved crisis, then the summit would have been a failure and this would have embarrassed China and its top leadership.

Furthermore, the very important 19th China Communist Party Congress is to be held in October where key leadership positions and policies will be decided. President Xi Jinping's ability to consolidate his position may have been impacted adversely if he were unable to resolve the Doklam crisis.

Where do we go from here? It is encouraging that Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit and judging from the optics, the atmosphere was generally positive and cordial. The two leaders decided to strengthen mechanisms to manage issues which may arise at the border. The foreign secretary claimed that the two leaders adopted a forward-looking approach to developing bilateral relations. These are good signs.

Perhaps China may also wish to keep its western flank with India relatively peaceful while it confronts what could become a much more dangerous situation on the Korean peninsula, the latest being North Korea's test of a hydrogen bomb. China's preoccupation on its east may relieve the pressure on India in the west and that would be welcome.

The BRICS summit declaration carries a strong condemnation of terrorism and names several terrorist groups operating in our region, including Pakistan-based groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. These statements were included in the context of the Afghan situation but are nevertheless to be welcomed. Pakistan has already reacted strongly.

What lessons may be drawn from recent events from the Indian perspective? One, while the Doklam issue has been defused, this does not mean that similar issues will not arise in the future. There is greater likelihood of more frequent encounters between Indian and Chinese forces at the border simply because both sides are improving border infrastructure and communication links, making it possible to undertake patrols in hitherto remote areas with greater frequency. This new situation needs to be acknowledged and existing mechanisms to ensure peace and tranquillity on the borders strengthened. It may be necessary to establish new mechanisms as well.

Two, despite the rhetoric at the BRICS summit, it is unlikely that China's support to Pakistan and involvement in its economy as well as security will diminish.

Pakistan will likely continue to treat cross-border terrorism as an important part of state policy and if US pressure against it increases, it will hide behind the Chinese shield. We will have to deal with the challenge of cross-border terrorism mainly on our own.

Three, China will continue to benchmark itself with the US and pursue policies which reflect its hierarchical way of approaching inter-state relations. It believes that it is rightfully the dominant power in Asia and that other countries should acknowledge this, including India.

What is the essence of this dominance? China would like to be in a position to have a veto over decisions which other countries take on security or economic issues and which it considers important to its own perceived interests. To some extent, it has already achieved this in Southeast Asia and will try to use this template in South Asia as well. Doklam should be seen in this larger context.

Therefore, while welcoming the resolution of the Doklam issue, India must be clear that China will continue to pose a significant challenge to India and handling this challenge will only become more complex.

But at least one thing is clear after the Xiamen summit. Regular engagement at the leadership level plays an important role in keeping India-China relations on an even keel. (The writer is a former foreign secretary. His book, How India Sees the World, has just been released, Times of India 10th September 2017) -GoTop


Shri Vishwa Niketan

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




SAMVAD

Bhadrapad Shukla 10, Vik.Samvat 2074, Yugabda 5119: 1 September 2017


1. FESTIVALS: Vinayaka Chavithi in gulf 2. Jains celebrate 'Maha Paryushana Parv'
3. RASHTRAPATI DEDICATES HIS LADAKH VISIT TO ARMED FORCES 4. Won’t tolerate violence in the name of faith: Pradhan Mantri
5. Doklam defused: Tensions ease for now, use crisis as opportunity to shore up Indian position on China 6. Jasleen Kaur Josan becomes 2nd Bharatiya woman to fly for NASA's Mars Mission
7. 12-year-old BHARATIYA-origin boy crowned 'Child Genius' in UK 8. Late Ushatai was dedication personified: Sarsanghchalak
9. SARASANGHACHALAKJI UNFURLS TRICOLOUR AT KERALA SCHOOL DESPITE ‘BAN’ 10. RSS sarkaryavah calls for boycotting Chinese goods
11. Thousands celebrate at india Day Parade in New York 12. Trudeau’s kurta-pyjama, ‘Jai Hind’ win hearts at Montreal’s Bharat Day parade
13. Harvard teaching 'The Great Epics' Ramayana and Mahabharata 14. SEWA USA SERVES PEOPLE IN DISTRESS IN HOUSTON
15. OBITUARY: Shri Vasant Pandav

16. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Articles:

BURIED ON THE MOUND OF THE DEAD

A RESORT OF SPIRITUAL BLISS

 

1. FESTIVALS: Vinayaka Chavithi in gulf: The Telugu NRI community in Gulf on August 25 celebrated Vinayaka Chavithi with great devotion and dedication. For the first time in Kuwait, 6.5 feet idol of Bhagwan Vinayak was installed and over 3,000 Telugu people performed Puja.Many of NRIs in Dubai, Sharjah and other emirates bought Ganesh idols and worshipped them in their apartments. The Vinayaka Chavithi was celebrated with devotion in several labour camps. In Dubai’s Shiva Mandir, Ganesh Navaratri would continue for nine days. In Saudi Arabia, Telugu NRI families observed Vinayaka Chavithi at homes in privacy. "I adore Ganesha on every chavithi", said Rajani Srihari of Hyderabad. -GoTop

 

2. Jains celebrate 'Maha Paryushana Parv': Lakhs of Jains across Bharat and other places observed Maha Paryushana Parv (The World Forgiveness Day) from August 19 to 26. During this period, the Jain community celebrates Bhagwan Mahaveer's birthday. Jains walk bare foot and avoid using vehicles. At the heart of the philosophy behind Paryushan are ten universal virtues that are believed to help us purify and rectify our minds. The ten universal virtues are: Forbearance, exercising self-control; Gentleness, being kind to the nature; Uprightness, being honest with oneself; Purity, having clean thoughts and actions; Truth, being truthful; Restraint, exercising control over desires; Austerity, consuming only according to necessity; Renunciation, learning to sacrifice; Lack of possession, donating excesses to needy and Chastity, sexual restraint.-GoTop

 

3. RASHTRAPATI DEDICATES HIS LADAKH VISIT TO ARMED FORCES: Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind while presenting Colours to all five Ladakh Scouts Battalions and the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre on August 21 said that it has been 54 years since the Ladakh Scouts became part of the Bharatiya Army. This period has been replete with tales of heroism, honour and glory. Rashtrapatiji noted that the genesis of the Regiment was in the invasion by Pakistani raiders in 1947-48 and the resolve with which Ladakhis defended their motherland. This continues to remain a matter of pride for the entire country. Rashtrapatiji further stated that in a little over half a century, the Regiment has earned 605 Honours and Awards for conspicuous gallantry and distinguished service. This speaks for the exceptional valour and spirit of the Regiment personnel and is a model for all soldiers and officers of our armed forces. They have earned the distinction in various wars and operations and excelled in sports, adventure pursuits and professional challenges.-GoTop

 

4. Won’t tolerate violence in the name of faith: Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi on August 27 reiterated his government’s resolve not to tolerate violence in the name of faith after rioting by 'godman' Gurmeet Ram Rahim's followers left at least 36 dead and scores injured. "I had said it in my address at the Red Fort that violence in the name of faith will not be tolerated whether it is communal belief systems, following a particular political ideology, whether it is allegiance to a person or customs and traditions. No one has the right to take law in their hands in the name of faith..  ..Our Constitution has every provision for ensuring justice for each and every person. Those who take the law in their hands or take to violence, be it a person or a group, neither the country nor the government will tolerate it". Modi said in his monthly radio address Mann Ki Baat.

Modi once again spoke about 'New Bharat', having urged people in his last address to prepare a roadmap for a 'New Bharat' in the next five years. "Cleanliness should be inextricably linked to festivals," he said, urging people to build an environmental consciousness when it comes to celebrating festivals.-GoTop

 

5. Doklam defused: Tensions ease for now, use crisis as opportunity to shore up Indian position on China: Plaudits are due to Indian diplomacy for having defused a dangerous crisis on the border. But there is little room either for triumphalism or for complacency. The end of the Doklam standoff between India and China bolsters stability in Asia - at least for now. The 72 day standoff began when New Delhi objected to Chinese road building in the India-Bhutan-China trijunction area in Doklam. The latter was in contravention of a 2012 agreement that trijunction boundary points are to be decided through consultation between all three parties. India was forced to intervene when the Chinese side disregarded its strategic sensitivities in the region and brushed aside ally Bhutan's protestations.

Unlike China which used its official spokespersons and state-run media to issue strident statements in an attempt to build psychological pressure on India, the latter quietly but firmly stuck to its position on the basis of legal principles and past agreements.

This was smart strategy as dragging the dispute was disadvantageous for Beijing. With a major Chinese Communist Party congress coming up in a few months and the marquee September 3-5 Brics summit being hosted in China's Xiamen, the Chinese leadership was under pressure to resolve the Doklam issue without appearing to concede much.

In that sense, India provided China a face-saver by not contesting Beijing's interpretation of the withdrawal and keeping the terms of Doklam disengagement under wraps. However, the lack of an explicit understanding also means China can resume road building in Doklam in future, or press India at other places along the Line of Actual Control.

This necessitates a two-pronged approach. First, India needs to remain vigilant and strengthen its position on the ground. Building and upgrading critical border infrastructure to facilitate movement of troops is necessary to safeguard strategic interests and add muscle to diplomacy.

Further, India should leverage its huge market for Chinese goods and use this as a bargaining chip - if the Chinese can block Indian goods and services through non-tariff barriers, New Delhi could raise quality issues with Chinese imports. Such economic measures should force China to take Indian interests more seriously. That said, New Delhi should also not lock itself into an anti-China mode. Chinese leadership is neither a monolith nor impractical.

There are many in Beijing who want beneficial ties. New Delhi should be prepared to capitalise on this when an opportunity presents itself.(Editorial, Times of India, August 30’2017). -GoTop

 

6. Jasleen Kaur Josan becomes 2nd Bharatiya woman to fly for NASA's Mars Mission: After Kalpana Chawla, Jasleen Kaur Josan has become the 2nd Bharatiya Woman and the first Sikh woman to be selected by NASA for the Mars Expedition happening in 2030.

The mission called the Orion Mission will be the first man mission to the red planet and candidates were selected from around the world. "It will likely take nine months to reach there, three months to stay there, and then another nine months to return. So it’s a 21-month mission in total", said Jasleen Kaur. She shared that she and her family are more excited than nervous about the chance to go Mars. -GoTop

 

7. 12-year-old BHARATIYA-origin boy crowned 'Child Genius' in UK: A 12-year-old Bharatiya-origin boy has been crowned the UK's 'Child Genius' in a popular television quiz competition, days after he became an overnight sensation after answering all questions correctly. Rahul Doshi won the Channel 4 show 'Child Genius' by beating his nine-year-old opponent Ronan 10-4 in the finale. The schoolboy from North London clinched the title by answering a question on 19th Century artists William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais. "It didn't sink in straight away, but it was really nice," Rahul said after winning the title. In the final, he impressed with knowledge of his chosen subject - Edward Jenner's medical innovation and methodology in 18th Century England. -GoTop

 

8. Late Ushatai was dedication personified: Sarsanghchalak: Late Ushatai Chati was a great personality who showered motherly love and affection to each and every one who came in her contact. She had motherly affection for all, said RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohanrao Bhagwat in Nagpur on August 24. He was speaking at a program organized to pay tributes to late Ushatai Chati, the third Pramukh Sanchalika of Rashtra Sevika Samiti who passed away on 17th August. Present Pramukh Sanchalika of Samiti Shantakka, and Shri Jitendra Nath Maharaj, Head of the Deonath Mutt were present on the dais. Shantakka explained the meaning of 'Usha' and said 'Usha Suktam' is the Vedic Hymn in Rigveda that explains how the dawn of knowledge begins to dissipate the darkness of ignorance before the brilliance of true understanding fills our intellect and mind. Jitendra Nath Maharaj said that Ushatai was the perennial source of divine energy, blessings and guidance.  -GoTop

 

9. SARASANGHACHALAKJI UNFURLS TRICOLOUR AT KERALA SCHOOL DESPITE ‘BAN’: RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on August 15 unfurled the national flag to inaugurate the Swatantrata Diwas celebrations at a higher secondary school in Palakkad district of Kerala despite an instruction of restraint issued by the district administration. The Sarsanghchalak was in Palakkad for a two-day RSS Baithak that started on August 14. "This was entirely a decision of the school management," said U Kailasamani, a member of the management committee. "And this was absolutely legal," he added. Addressing the students, Bhagwat said: "It is our duty to remember the hard efforts and sacrifices of those who had laid down their lives during the Independence struggle.. .. With our efforts and sacrifices we will make this world peaceful and blissful," he said. -GoTop

 

10. RSS sarkaryavah calls for boycotting Chinese goods: Amidst the Sino-Bharatiya border standoff, RSS Sarkaryavah Bhaiyya ji Joshi on August 15 called for boycotting Chinese goods and promoting the use of 'swadeshi' products. "China is constantly making efforts to grab the Bharatiya market. So, Chinese goods should be boycotted," Joshi said at Indore. He advocated use of swadeshi goods to check the "influx" of China-made items in the country.

"Our alert armed forces are capable of checking intrusion at the borders, but to prevent the country from economic slavery, people have to check the entry of Chinese goods into Bharatiya markets," Joshi said after unfurling the tricolour at a college in Indore on the occasion of the Independence Day. -GoTop

 

11. Thousands celebrate at india Day Parade in New York: The 37th India Day Parade organised by the Federation of Bharatiya Associations - New York, New Jersey, Connecticut - ran through several streets in Madison Avenue in Manhattan on August 20 to celebrate Bharat's 71st Swatantrata Divas and featured tableaux by several Bharatiya-American organisations, marching bands, police contingents and cultural performances by young Bharatiya-American children. Greeting the crowd, New York city Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "This is a day we appreciate what people do for the city regardless of what they look like, regardless of what language they speak, regardless of where they were born". -GoTop

 

12. Trudeau’s kurta-pyjama, 'Jai Hind' win hearts at Montreal's Bharat Day parade: Clad in kurta-pyjama, Justin Trudeau made his maiden appearance at an event celebrating Bharat’s Independence Day after he became Canada’s Prime Minister and won the crowd over by concluding his speech with "Jai Hind".While multiple events marked the 71th anniversary of Bharat's independence and were held on the first Sunday following August 15, the Bharat Day Unity Parade in Montreal was the one that drew the Prime Minister. -GoTop

 

13. Harvard teaching 'The Great Epics' Ramayana and Mahabharata: Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana will be taught in the upcoming Fall semester at Harvard University (HU), one of the world's top and United States' oldest institution of higher education established in 1636. These great Sanskrit epics will be focus of the graduate level "Bharatiya Religions Through Their Narrative Literatures: The Epics" class taught by Professor Anne E. Monius of Harvard Divinity School.

 

14. SEWA USA SERVES PEOPLE IN DISTRESS IN HOUSTON: Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Southeast Texas. In Houston, home to almost six million people, most neighborhoods were inundated and thousands of people had their houses flooded with more than a few feet of water on August 29. Sewa International volunteers in Houston were on the ground conducting rescue and relief operations. Preeti Kankikarla, a young professional living with her 65-year-old mother was stranded in her ground floor apartment as the water level kept rising inside her apartment. She heard the radio announcement and called the Sewa hotline. Sewa volunteers in the neighborhood immediately reached her and helped her move into a first-floor apartment. The President of Sewa International’s Houston Chapter, Gitesh Desai said, "Major Indian organizations such as, India House, India Cultural Center, Indo-American Charity Foundation, Hindus of Greater Houston and Indo-American Political Action Committee have decided to coordinate all the relief efforts through Sewa International." -GoTop

 

15. OBITUARY: Shri Vasant Pandav, one of the pioneering swayamsevak of HSS USA passed away at Chicago after a brief illness. He was in USA for over 50 years and was instrumental in the activities of VHP America, HSS and Sewa. -GoTop

 

16. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors:

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We behold what we are, and we are what we behold - Bhagwadgeeta -GoTop

 

JAI SHREE RAM

 --

BURIED ON THE MOUND OF THE DEAD

He discovered the Mohenjodaro ruins that changed history only to find himself thrust into oblivion not only by his British superior but also by future generations of his countrymen. Paromita Sen tells the fascinating story of Rakhaldas Banerji

Exactly a hundred years ago began the journey that led to the discovery of Mohenjodaro in Larkana district in Sind, now in Pakistan. That journey took off in Calcutta. The olden story was unravelling at a talk organised at the Bharatiya Museum in Calcutta in June. The speaker, Phanikanta Mishra, used to be director of the Eastern Circle of the Archaeological Survey of Bharat (ASI).

Mishra's narrative turned around Rakhaldas Banerji, who was also with the ASI. Not too many people remember Rakhaldas, not even within the ASI. His centenary in 1985 passed unmarked, as did his 125th year of birth. There is only one photograph of him, commonly available - it shows an unremarkable Bharatiya in Western wear, hair parted in the middle and a Chaplinesque moustache. Mishra continued. The year 1917 turned out to be a lucky one for Rakhaldas. To begin with, there was the promotion. Rakhaldas, who was at the time assistant superintendent of the ASI and in-charge of the archaeological section at Calcutta's Bharatiya Museum, was made superintendent of the Western Circle. It was a big deal. The Western Circle was, after all, the largest circle and comprised Bombay, Sind, Hyderabad and central Bharat. Rakhaldas moved to Pune to assume his new charge.

Mishra's talk is long but not long enough. His book on Rakhaldas is yet to be published. Is there anyone who can tell us more? Mishra claims Rakhaldas's granddaughters live in Calcutta but won't talk. "They are furious with the ASI for wronging Rakhaldas," he says and clams up on specifics.

A book on Rakhaldas by Banaras Hindu University (BHU) scholar Yama Pande was written in the late 1980s and published in 2016. Pande died in 1991 but her detailed research helps The Telegraph piece together the Mohenjodaro discovery puzzle.

Rakhaldas had joined ASI as an excavation assistant in 1910. It was an open secret that he was the blue-eyed employee of Sir John Marshall, director-general of the ASI, though no one could deny the fact that he was a very learned man - scholar, epigraphist and numismatist.

"Rakhaldas started very young," says Gautam Sengupta of Visva Bharati's department of Ancient Bharatiya History, Culture and Archaeology. The former director-general of the ASI talks about the legend's many-splendoured contributions: his books Bangalar Itihasa or The History of Bengal and Prachin Mudra or Ancient Coins; the coin catalogue for the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, a literary society in Calcutta; and a book on the eastern Bharatiya medieval school of sculpture. In her book Monuments, Objects, Histories, Tapati Guha-Thakurta, professor of History at the Centre for the Study of Social Sciences in Calcutta, writes: "The whole venture of 'scientific' history writing that Rakhaldas and his contemporaries spearheaded in those years was premised on the centrality of the datable artefact and its reliability as an evidence for history... allowing it [the study of the past] to break free of its dependence on mythological or literary texts."

Rakhaldas also wrote historical novels - nine - in Bengali. "They gave him the chance to go beyond limits imposed by archaeology and articulate his own perception of the past," says Sengupta. Commenting on one titled Pashaner Katha, Guha-Thakurta says: "It is a scholar's novel and the way he uses his archaeological knowledge to turn a dead monument into a living history of a people is amazing." The novel is an autobiography of Bharhut Stupa of Satna, Madhya Pradesh. The stupa is now housed at the Bharatiya Museum.

He was also a nationalist. His early novels are mostly set in the pre-Muslim period when the Pala and Sena dynasties (8th to 12th centuries) ruled the eastern part of the Bharatiya subcontinent. This period, according to him, represented "Bengali civilisation" at its heights.

So a picture emerges of Rakhaldas as a scientific man, obsessed with dates, proud of his culture and looking for ways to acknowledge that culture beyond the British framework within which he operated in his professional capacity. He was a man of independent thought, brought up in privilege. His father's family had been in the service of the Nawab of Bengal, while his mother's side served the ruling family of Cooch Behar. This was not a man who was going to unquestioningly accept the superiority of the British.

The situation was ripe for a clash.

As boss of the Western Circle, in 1920, Rakhaldas came upon some mounds in the dry beds of the Indus river. And this while he was looking for Greek victory pillars.

 "The reason he was looking for Greek pillars was that Marshall wanted him to find relics from the Gandhara period (1st to 5th century) to prove J.T. Wheeler's thesis that Bharatiya civilisation learned from the Graeco-Roman one," says Sengupta.

The British notion was that Bharatiyas were incapable of reaching the standards in classical architecture and sculpture that they did just by themselves.

The first round of excavations revealed a Buddhist stupa belonging to the Kusana period (2nd and 3rd centuries). As the area around the stupa was dug up, the archaeological team came upon microliths (tiny flints, part of a bigger tool) and pieces of pottery that did not match anything found earlier. Further excavations revealed a 5,000-year-old civilisation only a few feet below the Buddhist structure.

Former director of the Bharatiya Museum Shyamal Chakrabarty has a story about the discovery of Mohenjodaro. It goes: Rakhaldas was feeling the inside of an earthen vessel found while excavating the stupa. He was checking for cracks, when he cut his finger on something. On close inspection, it turned out to be a microlith or flint. More such microliths were found at the site.

Rakhaldas knew his proto-historic objects. Proto-history refers to the time before recorded history of a culture begins. The microliths helped him join the dots. The dots that put him on the Mohenjodaro trail.

At the time, Pandit Daya Ram Sahni was excavating Harappa. Rakhaldas figured out the connection between the two places.

The discovery of Mohenjodaro immediately put Bharatiya civilisation in the same league as the Egyptian and Mesopotamian ones, the world's oldest. Without it, the British would never have accepted that Bharatiya civilisation pre-dated theirs. Immediately after his "discovery", Rakhaldas submitted an internal report to Marshall. It didn't get published but the news that an ancient Bharatiya civilisation had been found was splashed in the Illustrated London News in 1924. The discovery was credited to Sir John Marshall. Yama Pande writes how Rakhaldas wanted to continue excavations at Mohenjodaro but funds dried up, as did his luck. The next thing we know, a series of incidents took him farther and farther away from Mohenjodaro. First, he was diagnosed with diabetes and had to take a few months off. Then, he was transferred back to the Eastern Circle for medical treatment. But that was all logistics.

Intellectually, Rakhaldas continued to be preoccupied with Mohenjodaro. In 1926, he submitted a detailed report to Marshall.

In Rakhalcharit, Rakhaldas's biography published in the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad magazine, Suniti Kumar Chatterjee writes that when Marshall did not acknowledge the report, Rakhaldas wrote to him saying: "These people [the ASI] will not allow me to publish anything on Mohenjodaro but you can. I am sending you my findings, conclusions and photographs..." The article was eventually published in a Bengali periodical, possibly without the knowledge of the ASI.

Soon after, Rakhaldas sought permission to visit the Chausath Yogini temple in Bhedaghat near Jabalpur to check some inscriptions. Ten days after his visit in October 1925, the temple mahant lodged an FIR against him. Reason cited: removal of a statue from the site. An arrest warrant was issued in his name, writes historian and friend Ramesh Chandra Majumdar in the foreword to the second edition of Bangalar Itihasa.

Eventually, the case was dismissed and the departmental enquiry found the charges against him unsupported. Marshall, however, made it clear that Rakhaldas should resign.

So far as the Marshall-Rakhaldas equation is concerned, different people have different takes. Shyamal Chakraborty holds that Marshall was genuinely fond of Rakhaldas and supported him. "Only when the student became greater than the teacher did the odd jealousy reveal itself."

Jayanta Sengupta, director of the Bharatiya Museum, says this credit-taking was routine behaviour. "In those days Bharatiyas did not get any credit, be it Radhanath Sikdar [mathematician and surveyor who first calculated the height of Mount Everest] or Rakhaldas Banerji. The Bharatiyas did the legwork and the sahibs took all the credit."

After his dismissal, Rakhaldas, who had a lavish lifestyle, found himself short of funds. According to Majumdar, he was generous to a fault, loved good food, employed a Portuguese chef, maintained two phaetons and a bunch of friends. His admirers jumped to his rescue, says Guha-Thakurta. The Maharaja of Mayurbhanj commissioned him to write a history of Odisha, Sir Asutosh Mukherjee offered him a job in Calcutta University, claims the varsity website. Educationist and politician Madan Mohan Malaviya invited Rakhaldas to head the department of Ancient Bharatiya History And Culture at the newly-founded BHU.

Rakhaldas joined BHU in 1928. Two years later, at 45, he succumbed to diabetes-related complications. Shyamal Chakrabarty reveals that in January 1930, Rakhaldas received a letter from the then director-general of the ASI, H. Hargreaves. The letter came along with a 166-page typewritten document - the article on Mohenjodaro that Rakhaldas had sent Marshall four years ago. The letter read: "Sir John thinks it could be unkind to not let you know that many of your theories are quite untenable and your statements incorrect." Hargreaves also urged Rakhaldas to get his "report" printed before the book by Marshall was out so "there are no misunderstandings". The photographs, he informed, had gone missing.

The book, Mohenjodaro and the Indus Civilisation, edited by Sir John Marshall was published in 1931. In the foreword, Marshall mentions Rakhaldas's name as something he "can't pass over in silence" and says "to him belongs the credit of having discovered if not Mohenjodaro itself, at any rate its high antiquity". (The Telegraph India, 27th August 2017) -GoTop

---

A RESORT OF SPIRITUAL BLISS

Dr Asha Goswami

The spiritual and mystical significations of the Krishna concept have inspired the mankind from time immemorial. Spiritualism and mysticism, which are considered its most important aspects, have assimilated with it in the later Puranas. The later vaishnava acharyas, with an objective to provide theological ideals to the people, had purposely woven around Krishna fantastic spiritual aura, which the people could resort to and forget sordid experiences of life.

It is also held that most of the Krishna legends are construed according to the pattern of mysticism and symbology. Now, what is mysticism? It is a process of reaching the direct and intuitive experience of the supreme reality or to experience the transports of the divine passion by using metaphors from amorous phraseology such as when the wine is treated as equivalent to devotion and the drunkenness and merriment are held as arduous religious acts. Such being the signification of mysticism, theology and spiritualism can be also termed its synonyms. The study of Krishna legends shows that mostly these are replete with mystic and spiritual imports. The term lila, which is generally applied for the Krishna legend, being the main basis for the same. Sincelila itself denotes an event which does not belong to the past and is not historical, rather it belongs to the realm of mysticism and is a divine act which is ever present in time, and space; it is even present in the life of every spiritual person.

Moreover, Shri Krishna himself over several centuries had been the object of profound philosophical and mystical speculations with a set of concepts, such as the theory of rebirth and metamorphism (change of personality). Along with it, the ideals of Bengal Vaishavism, which were full of mysticism, were incorporated in the reconstructed Krishna legend. The same led to assume River Yamuna and its waters as symbols of sushumna nadi, the river of life from which flows the nectar prana; Putana in her former life as daughter of the demon King Bali and a great devotee of Vishnu Krishna; Kalpa tree of heaven to have turned into the Kadamb tree; Siddhas, sadhyas and Gandharvas to have incarnated into the birds at Vrindavana. Krishna's flute is held the same as God Rudra himself. Besides, the concept of symbol is applied to Shri Krishna right from his birth. His birth as the eighth child apart from denoting mystical significations that he serves the helping medium for the evolution of a jiva (endowed with seven faculties) also depicts him as representative of super perfection, since the number seven stands for perfection. His association with Yogamaya, who helped him arrive into the world, is held as suggesting Samkhya philosophy’s famous dogma that Param Purusha's arrival into the world is possible with the help of prakriti only.

Similarly, Krishna's other Vrajalilas with Radha are treated ever eternal and being constantly repeated throughout the space. His other associates at Vraja are held as reincarnations of the Gods. Whereas, the asuras killed by him in mystical terminology represent all types of vices. Vrindavana is mystically termed the garden of everybody's heart where Shri Krishna teaches devotion of love through the symphony of flute to all those who offer their hearts to him. As Vraja of Krishna mystically represents the highest platform of the deep realisation of an individual, at the same time, Gokula stands for the abode of bliss incarnate Nanda, who himself is one and the same as Brahma. Hence, his abode Gokula represents the Brahmaloka where the trees represent the ascetics of the previous yuga. Gokula also stands for the field of spiritual growth and devotional pursuits and for the highest state of spiritually awakened person, which is fully under the control of Nanda, the bliss incarnate supreme being. Gopis' love for Krishna mystically implies love of the individual soul for the supreme soul. The lakuti (stick) carried by Krishna is representative of God Brahma. The cows, that are constantly taken care of by him, represent his devotees, as they always give him the  milk of their devotion.

Accordingly, Krishna's stealing of butter from Gopis' houses, which is one of the most sportive Krishna lilas was enacted by him to instil supreme delight in Gopis' hearts and also to steal away their evil thoughts. Krishna's dancing on the hoods of Kaliya serpent spiritually denotes that he could in a sportive way deal with the purification of the surrounding region which was affected by the venomous serpent. His raasa enactment with Radha and the Gopis spiritually denotes his playing and enjoying with his own self, or aatmakreeda, and the Gopis are held representing his own self. Krishna’s raasa dance also runs parallel with erotic mysticism, a mode of Krishnabhakti where the mighty sex impulse is converted into a passionate holy emotion. Krishna’s arrival at Mathura and enthroning his maternal grandfather spiritually denotes a pilgrim's journey and his progress towards the supreme father's abode, and also the individual soul entering the ultimate blissful state. Kamsa, as the Kalanemi incarnate who was killed by Krishna at Mathura, mystically implies the spiritual evolution by jiva by putting down the effects of time. As Dvarakadhisha, Shri Krishna too represents the supreme Brahma himself, while his varied wives are held as representing the rays of the Sun. Spiritually, it is also believed that Krishna does not possess the material body, as the Krishna name itself suggests him as representing accumulation of dark complexion; one who is the resort of glory; is the accumulation of all bright things; one who constitutes the forms of all the beings and is the abode of all. While concluding the spiritual overtones of Krishna legends it may be ascertained that the fantastic dreamland of mysticism and spiritualism reverberates throughout the Krishna legend for the souls seeking onto a new heaven, Krishna Loka, which is divided into different regions Vrindavana-Mathura and Dvaraka. (The writer is a noted Indologist and authority on Krishnaite Studie, Daily Pioneer August 20, 2017 ) -GoTop


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