Pausha Krishna 4/5, Vik. Samvat
2076 Yugabda 5121: 16 December 2019
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1. FESTIVALS:
MAKAR SANKRANTI : Makar Sankranti marks the sun's transit into Makar
(Capricorn) rashi with the end of the winter solstice and the start of longer
days. It is the harbinger of more light and sunshine in life and lessening of
the darker aspects. Light symbolizes the warmth i.e., the love and affection,
the qualities of the heart. In many areas of Bharat, this is symbolized by the
distribution of til-gul – the til seed and jaggery. The til brimming with
fragrant and delicious oil, stands for friendship and comradeship and jaggery
for the sweetness of speech and behaviour. The festivities associated with Makar
Sankranti are known by various names, such as Maghi (preceded by Lohri) in
Northen Bharat, Makara Sankranti (Pedda Pandaga) in Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra
Pradesh, West Bengal (also called Poushsôngkranti), Karnataka and Telangana,
Sukarat in central Bharat, Magh Bihu in Assam and Thai Pongal in Tamilnadu.
Makar Sankranti generally falls on 14 January.-GoTop
2. CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL BECOMES ACT: Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12 turning it into an Act. According to the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution will not be treated as illegal immigrants but will be given Bharatiya citizenship. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on December 11 and by Lok Sabha on Dec 9.The Act says the refugees of the six communities will be given Bharatiya citizenship after residing in Bharat for five years, instead of earlier requirement of 11 years. The Act also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing legal cases after being found as illegal migrants. According to the legislation, it will not be applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit. -GoTop
3. HONOURING WOMEN SHOULD START AT HOME: SHRI MOHAN BHAGWAT: "The men who engage in abuse of women also have mothers and sisters. Honouring women should start from one's own home," said RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat on December 1 at the Geeta Mahotsav programme organized in Delhi by spiritual Guru Swami Gyananand. "Geeta has given all knowledge of spirituality in a condensed form. It is a summarized form of all Upanishads which Lord Krishna espoused to Arjun. It has advocated that one should do devotion along with performing duties," he said. "Life presents many challenges and deals victories and losses to an individual. The key to rise above all these challenges has been elaborated in Bhagavad Geeta," Shri Bhagwat added. -GoTop
4. HSS COMMEMORATES GURU NANAK DEV: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Iowa volunteers prepared and sponsored Sunday langar for around 140 devotees and attended Kirtan and prayer on 24th November on occasion of Guru Nanak's 550th Prakash Varsh. HSS volunteers from the Los Angeles area actively participated in the 550th birth celebration of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, organized by 10 Gurudwaras of Southern California. -GoTop
5. HSS - USA PROGRAMS: Sewa Diwali 2019 - HSS Ohio and Ohio state University Yuva Shakha Volunteers – adults and children alike actively participated in Diwali celebrations to contribute their own and to collect food items from the local community and to donate to the local food distribution charities.
Vijaya Dashami Utsav 2019: HSS celebrated Vijaya Dashami in 43 metro cities in the month of October. Around 9500 participants, both adults, and children, from 207 chapters took part in these celebrations. Among the distinguished guests of honor attending these events, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois at Chicago chapter celebration said, “"We need more of the universal values that I hope and pray that all of us subscribe to that we are Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we are the world as one family and we must take care of entire family all the time." -GoTop
6. VETERAN RSS PRACHARAK RANGA HARI RELEASES A BOOK ‘HINDUTVA FOR THE CHANGING TIMES’: ‘Hindutva For The Changing Times ’ written by convenor of Prajna Pravah J Nandakumar was released at Kochi International Book Festival on December 1st. Speaking at the function, in his inimitable style, veteran RSS pracharak Ranga Hari spoke about the assimilating character of Hindutva which helped it survive external onslaughts. Hindutva has the benevolence to accept even those who reject it. He said,“ Hindutva has always been open to changes but its core ideals remained intact.” Saji Narayanan, President Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, elaborated on the challenges faced by Hindutva in modern times. J. Nandakumar said the book was a modest attempt to analyze some of the pressing issues confronting the country. -GoTop
7. A WAR AGAINST TRAFFICKING: The global Kalinga Fellowship 2019 was held at the Vishwa Yuva Kendra in New Delhi on 9-13 December. The fellowship, organized in partnership with the National Commission for Women (NCW), Government of Bharat, was designed to create breakthrough solutions to stop trafficking of women and children globally. Founded by three partner organisations — Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, FXB Bharat Suraksha and the Bridge Institute — the first fellowship was convened in April 2017 in Odisha. In 2018, the fellowship moved to Telengana. Sewa International and UN Women have joined as partners this year and have helped support the organization in the capital. Dr Achyuta Samanta, member of parliament and founder, Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), said, “Empowerment of women in Bharat should be ingrained at every level of organizations across government, business and social sectors. Only then we will move forward as a country and an economy.
Shyam Parande, secretary, Sewa International, said, “The organization is committed to gender equality through up liftment of women by community-led livelihood initiatives, spreading awareness on women’s rights and creating an environment for girls’ education by providing clean and usable toilets. Mamta Borgoyary, CEO of FXB Bharat Suraksha, said “The fellowship 2019 will set forth a solution-based road map to combat human trafficking, developed and owned by leaders across civil society, corporate and the government.”
Jane Sassienie, founding director of Bridge Institute said, “To solve the global challenges of our time takes a new type of leadership — with skills in empathy, understanding complexity, working across boundaries, visionary activism and many other leadership capacities. The Fellowship program was attended by over 80 participants of diverse backgrounds, from senior police and government officials to civil society and corporate leaders from across Bharat and the world. -GoTop
8. SEVA BHARATI BAGS MANGALA SWAMINATHAN AWARD: Deseeya Seva Bharati, Kerala chapter of the Rashtriya Seva Bharati, the RSS-inspired charity organization, won the Dathopanth Thengadi Award sponsored by Dr. Mangalam Swaminathan Foundation, Delhi, for its unparalleled relief activities during the killer floods which hit Kerala in 2018 and 2019. Foundation Chairman R. Balashankar informed that Seva Bharati saved several flood hit lives from death. Now, the organization is busy in constructing houses for those who lost their houses and belonging in the killer waves. Award consists of Rs 100,000 and a memento. The awards were distributed by former senior union minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and BJP working President J.P. Nadda.-GoTop
9. TURBAN BANK AT BANGLA SAHIB: Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak on November 12, setup the Turban Bank aimed at popularizing the art of tying turbans and reusing old one. Turban cloths for an adult user measure between 5 to 7 metres and cost can range from Rs. 300 to 700. Those who cannot afford a new one; the bank has collected old and faded turbans, re-dyed them and is offering them at a nominal Rs 50. The practice of tying turbans was catching up among visitors, and foreigners especially preferred entering the shrine after donning an authentic turban. -GoTop
10. INTERNATIONAL VEDA CONFERENCE: Third International Veda Conference was held at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on November 1 to 3. It was organized by Brahma Vidya Peetham International in collaboration with the Maharishi Vedic University, Netherlands and the Global Country of World Peace. This year’s theme was “Creating a Peaceful, Prosperous Society: Vedic Technologies for Social Improvement.” President Paula-Mae Weekes inaugurated the conference and said that society can benefit from the application of Vedic concepts and the, “principles found in the Vedas”. Brahma Vidya Peetham International founder Swami Brahma Swarupananda, molecular biologist Dr John Fagan, Physician and scientist Dr Robert Schneider, Minister of Health, Environment and Nature of Curacao, Susanne Camelia-Romer, Bharatiya politician and economist Dr Subramanian Swamy, and many other renowned experts in the fields of science, medicine, spirituality, business, politics, engineering, and a host of other academic and religious fields addressed and introduced a number of topics. On the concluding day, 13 schools and over 120 students participated in the consciousness-based education workshop. -GoTop
11. SERVING THE NEEDY AND FEELING BLESSED IS HINDU PHILOSOPHY: Sant Ishwar Foundation, in association with the Rashtriya Sewa Bharati, felicitated about one and a half dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding services in remote areas of the country. Four individuals and organizations were felicitated with Sant Ishwar Vishisht Sewa Samman, while 12 individuals and organizations were honoured with Sant Ishwar Sewa Samman. Vishesh Sewa Samman was presented to the Siachen Brigade of Bharatiya Army. RSS Sahsarkaryavah Dr Krishna Gopal, Union Minister of State for Culture Prahlad Singh Patel and former Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh of RSS Suhas Hiremath were present for the program. Presenting the Awards, Dr Krishna Gopal said feeling blessed after serving the needy is the Hindu philosophy. He said those who have been felicitated, detected any of the problems in the society and started efforts to cure that at their own level. Sant Ishwar Vishisht SewaSamman consists of Rs five lakh for each winner, while the winners of Sant Ishwar Sewa Samman get Rs one lakh each. -GoTop
12. PM ADDRESSES EKAL VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN: PM Narendra Modi, on December 6 addressed Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan, Gujarat through Video Message. PM congratulated Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan for spearheading the ‘Ekal School Abhiyan’ which aims to promote the education among rural and tribal children. He appreciated the Sangathan volunteers for their role in nation building by imparting education and awareness to more than 2.8 million rural and tribal children who reside in the remotest locations across Bharat and Nepal. Congratulating the Sangathan on reaching the figure of 1 lakh schools across Bharat, PM said that working with passion, dedication and commitment turns an impossible goal into an achievable one. -GoTop
13. 15 INDIAN-ORIGIN POLITICIANS ELECTED TO HOUSE OF COMMONS IN UK: Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative party registered a thumping majority. Bharatiya-origin candidates across both, the ruling Conservative and opposition Labour parties registered equally strong results of seven wins each. Around a dozen MPs retained their seats alongside some new faces, making the number of Bharatiya origin MP’s in the UK's lower house to 15. The former UK Home Secretary Priti Patel is likely to remain in Johnson's top team in the new Cabinet, after her comfortable win. -GoTop
14. PSLV 50TH LAUNCH PLACES BHARAT'S RADAR IMAGING SATELLITE IN SPACE: ISRO has successfully placed in orbit its latest RADAR imaging satellite and nine commercial satellites from other nations including the US and Israel in a PSLV launch on December 11.The launch was the fiftieth from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle stable of ISRO, crossing a significant milestone for the workhorse launch vehicle from the space agency. The 628-kg RISAT 2BR1 was placed in an orbit of 576 km. The satellite, part of the reconnaissance series, is expected to bolster the country's border monitoring measures besides aiding in disaster management, agriculture and tracking forest cover. A visibly elated ISRO Chief K Sivan thanked his team of scientists on the successful launch and laid out the path for more launches in the future. -GoTop
15. CBFF REFLECTING BHARATIYA ETHOS TO BE HELD FROM FEB 21, 2020: With the vision of making Bharat a leading nation in the field of films promoting integral humanism and thereby re-establishing the supremacy of Bharatiya ethos and philosophy, Bharatiya Chitra Sadhana will be organizing its 3rd edition of Chitra Bharati Film Festival (CBFF) from February 21 to 23rd, 2020 at Ahmadabad, Gujarat.
The films have to be under one of the following themes – Bharatiya Culture and Values, Constructive Work, Bharatiya Family, Social Harmony, Folk Arts, Water-Trees-Cleanliness, Women, National Security, Valour, Nationhood and Man Making Education for Nation Building. The films can be short films, documentaries, animated films and campus films too.
The CBFF organizing committee has said that such films have a strong capacity to help Bharat to regain its lost glory and become an effective support system for rejuvenating the Bharatiya society. -GoTop
16. TELLING NUMBERS: WHAT BHARATIYAS LIVING ABROAD HAVE BEEN SENDING HOME OVER THE YEARS: International remittances in 2018 (2020 report) reached $689 billion, out of which Bharat received $78.6 billion from the 17.5 million living abroad. Remittances received by Bharat have consistently increased between the 2005 and 2020 reports, sharply from $22.13 billion in 2005 to $53.48 billion in 2010 and then gradually to $68.91 billion in 2015 and $78.6 billion in the latest report. -GoTop
17. ‘I GET EUPHORIC IN SEEING SOMEBODY'S HAPPINESS’- RATAN TATA: In an interview with Your Story, Tata said that one should be happy about another company or person's prosperity which he called, ‘the closest definition of happiness’. Elaborating on the point, Tata said that while some people are good at causing misery, he feels happy by seeing someone else's happiness."Some people excel in seeing or causing misery. I get euphoric in seeing somebody's happiness. Even if it's a person selling vegetables on the side of the road, if there's humor or happiness on their faces, that makes me happy," he said. -GoTop
2. CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL BECOMES ACT: Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 on December 12 turning it into an Act. According to the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution will not be treated as illegal immigrants but will be given Bharatiya citizenship. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on December 11 and by Lok Sabha on Dec 9.The Act says the refugees of the six communities will be given Bharatiya citizenship after residing in Bharat for five years, instead of earlier requirement of 11 years. The Act also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing legal cases after being found as illegal migrants. According to the legislation, it will not be applicable to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and in the areas covered under the Inner Line Permit. -GoTop
3. HONOURING WOMEN SHOULD START AT HOME: SHRI MOHAN BHAGWAT: "The men who engage in abuse of women also have mothers and sisters. Honouring women should start from one's own home," said RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat on December 1 at the Geeta Mahotsav programme organized in Delhi by spiritual Guru Swami Gyananand. "Geeta has given all knowledge of spirituality in a condensed form. It is a summarized form of all Upanishads which Lord Krishna espoused to Arjun. It has advocated that one should do devotion along with performing duties," he said. "Life presents many challenges and deals victories and losses to an individual. The key to rise above all these challenges has been elaborated in Bhagavad Geeta," Shri Bhagwat added. -GoTop
4. HSS COMMEMORATES GURU NANAK DEV: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Iowa volunteers prepared and sponsored Sunday langar for around 140 devotees and attended Kirtan and prayer on 24th November on occasion of Guru Nanak's 550th Prakash Varsh. HSS volunteers from the Los Angeles area actively participated in the 550th birth celebration of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, organized by 10 Gurudwaras of Southern California. -GoTop
5. HSS - USA PROGRAMS: Sewa Diwali 2019 - HSS Ohio and Ohio state University Yuva Shakha Volunteers – adults and children alike actively participated in Diwali celebrations to contribute their own and to collect food items from the local community and to donate to the local food distribution charities.
Vijaya Dashami Utsav 2019: HSS celebrated Vijaya Dashami in 43 metro cities in the month of October. Around 9500 participants, both adults, and children, from 207 chapters took part in these celebrations. Among the distinguished guests of honor attending these events, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois at Chicago chapter celebration said, “"We need more of the universal values that I hope and pray that all of us subscribe to that we are Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we are the world as one family and we must take care of entire family all the time." -GoTop
6. VETERAN RSS PRACHARAK RANGA HARI RELEASES A BOOK ‘HINDUTVA FOR THE CHANGING TIMES’: ‘Hindutva For The Changing Times ’ written by convenor of Prajna Pravah J Nandakumar was released at Kochi International Book Festival on December 1st. Speaking at the function, in his inimitable style, veteran RSS pracharak Ranga Hari spoke about the assimilating character of Hindutva which helped it survive external onslaughts. Hindutva has the benevolence to accept even those who reject it. He said,“ Hindutva has always been open to changes but its core ideals remained intact.” Saji Narayanan, President Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, elaborated on the challenges faced by Hindutva in modern times. J. Nandakumar said the book was a modest attempt to analyze some of the pressing issues confronting the country. -GoTop
7. A WAR AGAINST TRAFFICKING: The global Kalinga Fellowship 2019 was held at the Vishwa Yuva Kendra in New Delhi on 9-13 December. The fellowship, organized in partnership with the National Commission for Women (NCW), Government of Bharat, was designed to create breakthrough solutions to stop trafficking of women and children globally. Founded by three partner organisations — Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, FXB Bharat Suraksha and the Bridge Institute — the first fellowship was convened in April 2017 in Odisha. In 2018, the fellowship moved to Telengana. Sewa International and UN Women have joined as partners this year and have helped support the organization in the capital. Dr Achyuta Samanta, member of parliament and founder, Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), said, “Empowerment of women in Bharat should be ingrained at every level of organizations across government, business and social sectors. Only then we will move forward as a country and an economy.
Shyam Parande, secretary, Sewa International, said, “The organization is committed to gender equality through up liftment of women by community-led livelihood initiatives, spreading awareness on women’s rights and creating an environment for girls’ education by providing clean and usable toilets. Mamta Borgoyary, CEO of FXB Bharat Suraksha, said “The fellowship 2019 will set forth a solution-based road map to combat human trafficking, developed and owned by leaders across civil society, corporate and the government.”
Jane Sassienie, founding director of Bridge Institute said, “To solve the global challenges of our time takes a new type of leadership — with skills in empathy, understanding complexity, working across boundaries, visionary activism and many other leadership capacities. The Fellowship program was attended by over 80 participants of diverse backgrounds, from senior police and government officials to civil society and corporate leaders from across Bharat and the world. -GoTop
8. SEVA BHARATI BAGS MANGALA SWAMINATHAN AWARD: Deseeya Seva Bharati, Kerala chapter of the Rashtriya Seva Bharati, the RSS-inspired charity organization, won the Dathopanth Thengadi Award sponsored by Dr. Mangalam Swaminathan Foundation, Delhi, for its unparalleled relief activities during the killer floods which hit Kerala in 2018 and 2019. Foundation Chairman R. Balashankar informed that Seva Bharati saved several flood hit lives from death. Now, the organization is busy in constructing houses for those who lost their houses and belonging in the killer waves. Award consists of Rs 100,000 and a memento. The awards were distributed by former senior union minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi and BJP working President J.P. Nadda.-GoTop
9. TURBAN BANK AT BANGLA SAHIB: Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) ahead of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak on November 12, setup the Turban Bank aimed at popularizing the art of tying turbans and reusing old one. Turban cloths for an adult user measure between 5 to 7 metres and cost can range from Rs. 300 to 700. Those who cannot afford a new one; the bank has collected old and faded turbans, re-dyed them and is offering them at a nominal Rs 50. The practice of tying turbans was catching up among visitors, and foreigners especially preferred entering the shrine after donning an authentic turban. -GoTop
10. INTERNATIONAL VEDA CONFERENCE: Third International Veda Conference was held at Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on November 1 to 3. It was organized by Brahma Vidya Peetham International in collaboration with the Maharishi Vedic University, Netherlands and the Global Country of World Peace. This year’s theme was “Creating a Peaceful, Prosperous Society: Vedic Technologies for Social Improvement.” President Paula-Mae Weekes inaugurated the conference and said that society can benefit from the application of Vedic concepts and the, “principles found in the Vedas”. Brahma Vidya Peetham International founder Swami Brahma Swarupananda, molecular biologist Dr John Fagan, Physician and scientist Dr Robert Schneider, Minister of Health, Environment and Nature of Curacao, Susanne Camelia-Romer, Bharatiya politician and economist Dr Subramanian Swamy, and many other renowned experts in the fields of science, medicine, spirituality, business, politics, engineering, and a host of other academic and religious fields addressed and introduced a number of topics. On the concluding day, 13 schools and over 120 students participated in the consciousness-based education workshop. -GoTop
11. SERVING THE NEEDY AND FEELING BLESSED IS HINDU PHILOSOPHY: Sant Ishwar Foundation, in association with the Rashtriya Sewa Bharati, felicitated about one and a half dozen individuals and organizations for their outstanding services in remote areas of the country. Four individuals and organizations were felicitated with Sant Ishwar Vishisht Sewa Samman, while 12 individuals and organizations were honoured with Sant Ishwar Sewa Samman. Vishesh Sewa Samman was presented to the Siachen Brigade of Bharatiya Army. RSS Sahsarkaryavah Dr Krishna Gopal, Union Minister of State for Culture Prahlad Singh Patel and former Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh of RSS Suhas Hiremath were present for the program. Presenting the Awards, Dr Krishna Gopal said feeling blessed after serving the needy is the Hindu philosophy. He said those who have been felicitated, detected any of the problems in the society and started efforts to cure that at their own level. Sant Ishwar Vishisht SewaSamman consists of Rs five lakh for each winner, while the winners of Sant Ishwar Sewa Samman get Rs one lakh each. -GoTop
12. PM ADDRESSES EKAL VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN: PM Narendra Modi, on December 6 addressed Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan, Gujarat through Video Message. PM congratulated Ekal Vidyalaya Sangathan for spearheading the ‘Ekal School Abhiyan’ which aims to promote the education among rural and tribal children. He appreciated the Sangathan volunteers for their role in nation building by imparting education and awareness to more than 2.8 million rural and tribal children who reside in the remotest locations across Bharat and Nepal. Congratulating the Sangathan on reaching the figure of 1 lakh schools across Bharat, PM said that working with passion, dedication and commitment turns an impossible goal into an achievable one. -GoTop
13. 15 INDIAN-ORIGIN POLITICIANS ELECTED TO HOUSE OF COMMONS IN UK: Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative party registered a thumping majority. Bharatiya-origin candidates across both, the ruling Conservative and opposition Labour parties registered equally strong results of seven wins each. Around a dozen MPs retained their seats alongside some new faces, making the number of Bharatiya origin MP’s in the UK's lower house to 15. The former UK Home Secretary Priti Patel is likely to remain in Johnson's top team in the new Cabinet, after her comfortable win. -GoTop
14. PSLV 50TH LAUNCH PLACES BHARAT'S RADAR IMAGING SATELLITE IN SPACE: ISRO has successfully placed in orbit its latest RADAR imaging satellite and nine commercial satellites from other nations including the US and Israel in a PSLV launch on December 11.The launch was the fiftieth from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle stable of ISRO, crossing a significant milestone for the workhorse launch vehicle from the space agency. The 628-kg RISAT 2BR1 was placed in an orbit of 576 km. The satellite, part of the reconnaissance series, is expected to bolster the country's border monitoring measures besides aiding in disaster management, agriculture and tracking forest cover. A visibly elated ISRO Chief K Sivan thanked his team of scientists on the successful launch and laid out the path for more launches in the future. -GoTop
15. CBFF REFLECTING BHARATIYA ETHOS TO BE HELD FROM FEB 21, 2020: With the vision of making Bharat a leading nation in the field of films promoting integral humanism and thereby re-establishing the supremacy of Bharatiya ethos and philosophy, Bharatiya Chitra Sadhana will be organizing its 3rd edition of Chitra Bharati Film Festival (CBFF) from February 21 to 23rd, 2020 at Ahmadabad, Gujarat.
The films have to be under one of the following themes – Bharatiya Culture and Values, Constructive Work, Bharatiya Family, Social Harmony, Folk Arts, Water-Trees-Cleanliness, Women, National Security, Valour, Nationhood and Man Making Education for Nation Building. The films can be short films, documentaries, animated films and campus films too.
The CBFF organizing committee has said that such films have a strong capacity to help Bharat to regain its lost glory and become an effective support system for rejuvenating the Bharatiya society. -GoTop
16. TELLING NUMBERS: WHAT BHARATIYAS LIVING ABROAD HAVE BEEN SENDING HOME OVER THE YEARS: International remittances in 2018 (2020 report) reached $689 billion, out of which Bharat received $78.6 billion from the 17.5 million living abroad. Remittances received by Bharat have consistently increased between the 2005 and 2020 reports, sharply from $22.13 billion in 2005 to $53.48 billion in 2010 and then gradually to $68.91 billion in 2015 and $78.6 billion in the latest report. -GoTop
17. ‘I GET EUPHORIC IN SEEING SOMEBODY'S HAPPINESS’- RATAN TATA: In an interview with Your Story, Tata said that one should be happy about another company or person's prosperity which he called, ‘the closest definition of happiness’. Elaborating on the point, Tata said that while some people are good at causing misery, he feels happy by seeing someone else's happiness."Some people excel in seeing or causing misery. I get euphoric in seeing somebody's happiness. Even if it's a person selling vegetables on the side of the road, if there's humor or happiness on their faces, that makes me happy," he said. -GoTop
18. SHRI VISHWA
NIKETAN: Pravas: Dattatreya Hosabale sahsarkaryavaha RSS will tour Kenya
alongwith Dr Ram Vaidya, Sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag. Saumitra Gokhale, Vishwa
Vibhag samyojak is touring Nepal. Visitors:
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: In reality,
this strength is as sacred and blessed as spiritual strength. We don’t have to
become strong to indulge in violence but to end the violence and atrocities of
the world once and for all. – Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar
-GoTop
JAI SHREE RAM
Ota, a border town between Lagos and
Ogun states, is home to various industries that produce household consumer
brands. It is also blessed with an industrial estate that boasts of a residence
for a small community of Bharatiyas.
The cloud was dark in Ota, Ogun State. The rain poured irregularly as if in a symphony, fast and then soft like a drizzle on the wet tarred, winding road leading to the security check point that keeps unwelcomed visitors away at the Ota Industrial Estate.
As one drives into the estate, some bungalows come within view, then the high rise buildings follow, well-architectured and in orderly fashion. As one approaches one of the flats, one is greeted by cheerful voices of men and women, some with their young children. They are members of the Bharatiya Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh resident in the estate.
The Bharatiya Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh is an organization represented in 44 countries. Its members had gathered there for a family retreat.
“Our mission is to bring global harmony, peace, connectivity, and nature appreciation in the communities that we live in,” began Dr. Ram Vaidya, the group’s world joint coordinator, who flew into town to visit.
”We belong to the Hindu philosophy where our ancestors in Bharat practise these same philosophies to the present day. It is our responsibility to bring these philosophies to the country where we are living in. So we believe that for the family to be sustainable, everybody should take care of the planet, we should always take care of each other, support the fight against terrorism and against exploitation,” he said.
According to him, its is a regular meeting for families. “The meeting is a family retreat where we come to know and understand the vision and mission and mechanism of our organisation. We call it a retreat. This retreat is for understanding our philosophy. We have four Shakha that is branches in Nigeria which meets weekly at weekends when families come together.
When we meet we practice physical fitness, yoga, play some games and sing songs together. We also discuss issues and how to move communities forward and we celebrate some festivals together. Also important is that, we pray to Almighty that He should give strength to all of us. Our motto is that we achieve by our own efforts.” For the joint co-coordinator in Nigeria, Sanjay Srivastava, observed that “Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh is a way of life”. But what does the retreat involve? Srivastava explained that: “What we do when we meet is, we start with warm up exercise, yoga, we play traditional family home games whose main purpose is to get to know one another and bring harmony between us by encouraging strength building and bonding. We also sing songs about our struggles and about our leaders in history. We discuss issues in the society and we take views from everybody on how ills in the society can be solved. So in one hour meeting time, we have six activities that mean that we do not spend much time on each part of the programme. With these practices we build bonds, friendships, relationships, we increase our knowledge and intellectuality and the most important thing we do is character building.
“This is a branch of what we have in Bharat. This is one organization in Bharat that has stood the test of time. It is presently over 90 years old. Founded in Bharat in 1925, it is Bharatiya’s oldest voluntary organization and about the oldest in the world. It is an NGO known by the United Nations and popular with other organizations. But when we came out of Bharat and spread all around the globe, we also spread the voluntary duties of the organization. We have branches now in Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, UK, Australia and so on. You know Bharatiyas are known to love nature, low cost, good management, integrity, loyalty and so on. In 1947, our ancestors came to Kenya and they decided that they will start the Shakha that is a branch there like we have in Bharat. That was achieved in 1947. So anyone coming from Bharat could meet for a retreat there. That was the beginning of the group in Africa.” Taking part in the family retreats helps us so that when we go back to our organizations, we perform better. We work proactively; we work as better leaders, giving service to the people.”
Although Srivastava was not born into the group, he recounted his involvement with the group. “I joined when I was five years old. I saw a retreat like the one we had today, taking place near my house on a football playground. That was when I developed interest in learning about the group and taking interest in the games. From there I started and I have been in Nigeria now for 12 years. Six years ago, we had volunteers and we were able to restart here.”
Another Nigerian coordinator of the group Pushkraj Moghal, who was born into the group, disclosed that he has been a member right from Bharat. “When I came to Nigeria, I became part of the organization which was founded in Kenya, I believe in plurality since childhood, I believe that everybody should be treated equally,” adding that: ”As Hindus, we build our character; behave in a proper way, which in the end automatically means that society will behave in a proper way. At the end of the day, it boils down to Dharma which means duty. That is duty to the society. Everyone is supposed to come together irrespective of your religious belief. And do it for the betterment of each other. That is the Hindu way of life. We believe the whole world is a family. One family! We believe in family. Wherever we are born, we try to be the change within change in the society through character building. We do that by interaction, games, connecting ourselves, irrespective of our different followings, we are one. I lead the Nigerian chapter,” says Pushkraj, “which means that, I lead the team that works for this noble cause.”
During the visit, it was observed that members of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
pray. When asked if the prayers indicate that the group is a religious
organisation. Moghal said: “No,” was his immediate response. “It is not about
religion but about humanity and sustainable development of mankind and we have
many similarities between Nigeria and Bharat. We have same kind of cultural and
traditional way of life. It is that traditional way of life that encourages
building of good character that our group is all about. And we also have a
philanthropy aspect of it, whereby we donate books to schools and teach young
people yoga; it makes them understand us better. It is beyond religion. It is
basically for humanity, philosophy and culture. So any person from any religion
can participate in it.”
Interestingly, according to him, the Bharatiya Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh is also opened to Nigerians and other citizens wherever the group is located. “We have a few Nigerians in our group just like in Kenya. Our activities are attractive to Nigerians but they need to understand that we are ready and open so we have to communicate that to Nigerians because we are one family. There is no hierarchy, it is a family system. Like in family we have grandparents, parents, children and everybody has their own work to do.
“I enjoy eternal freedom. It doesn’t affect my religion. The group allows you to follow your religion, you are still accepted and I can follow mine too. We ensure that whatever we do, we do not hurt the other. That is what I like best. Presently, we have about 150 families here and about 40-50 families are in Northern Nigeria: About 25 to 30 families are in Abuja and perhaps 250 all over Nigeria. And together we try to connect with Nigerian brothers and sisters. We are going to increase the number of families to ensure that society gets better and better. Just like we say, it is a way of life for us,” he said.
To the youth, Srivastava said: “The whole world is going through some transitions now and we cannot just say that the government must be responsible for everything. It is our responsibility to bring about the change in the society wherever we are living in. When we become proactive and assertive to bring about the change in the society, the first thing is to bring about the change in our lives. The youths should not be spectators but be involved.”
‘As Hindus, we build our character; behave in a proper way, which in the end automatically means that society will behave in a proper way’ – ( November 20, 2019 - The Midweek Magazine : (https://thenationonlineng.net) -GoTop
The cloud was dark in Ota, Ogun State. The rain poured irregularly as if in a symphony, fast and then soft like a drizzle on the wet tarred, winding road leading to the security check point that keeps unwelcomed visitors away at the Ota Industrial Estate.
As one drives into the estate, some bungalows come within view, then the high rise buildings follow, well-architectured and in orderly fashion. As one approaches one of the flats, one is greeted by cheerful voices of men and women, some with their young children. They are members of the Bharatiya Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh resident in the estate.
The Bharatiya Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh is an organization represented in 44 countries. Its members had gathered there for a family retreat.
“Our mission is to bring global harmony, peace, connectivity, and nature appreciation in the communities that we live in,” began Dr. Ram Vaidya, the group’s world joint coordinator, who flew into town to visit.
”We belong to the Hindu philosophy where our ancestors in Bharat practise these same philosophies to the present day. It is our responsibility to bring these philosophies to the country where we are living in. So we believe that for the family to be sustainable, everybody should take care of the planet, we should always take care of each other, support the fight against terrorism and against exploitation,” he said.
According to him, its is a regular meeting for families. “The meeting is a family retreat where we come to know and understand the vision and mission and mechanism of our organisation. We call it a retreat. This retreat is for understanding our philosophy. We have four Shakha that is branches in Nigeria which meets weekly at weekends when families come together.
When we meet we practice physical fitness, yoga, play some games and sing songs together. We also discuss issues and how to move communities forward and we celebrate some festivals together. Also important is that, we pray to Almighty that He should give strength to all of us. Our motto is that we achieve by our own efforts.” For the joint co-coordinator in Nigeria, Sanjay Srivastava, observed that “Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh is a way of life”. But what does the retreat involve? Srivastava explained that: “What we do when we meet is, we start with warm up exercise, yoga, we play traditional family home games whose main purpose is to get to know one another and bring harmony between us by encouraging strength building and bonding. We also sing songs about our struggles and about our leaders in history. We discuss issues in the society and we take views from everybody on how ills in the society can be solved. So in one hour meeting time, we have six activities that mean that we do not spend much time on each part of the programme. With these practices we build bonds, friendships, relationships, we increase our knowledge and intellectuality and the most important thing we do is character building.
“This is a branch of what we have in Bharat. This is one organization in Bharat that has stood the test of time. It is presently over 90 years old. Founded in Bharat in 1925, it is Bharatiya’s oldest voluntary organization and about the oldest in the world. It is an NGO known by the United Nations and popular with other organizations. But when we came out of Bharat and spread all around the globe, we also spread the voluntary duties of the organization. We have branches now in Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, UK, Australia and so on. You know Bharatiyas are known to love nature, low cost, good management, integrity, loyalty and so on. In 1947, our ancestors came to Kenya and they decided that they will start the Shakha that is a branch there like we have in Bharat. That was achieved in 1947. So anyone coming from Bharat could meet for a retreat there. That was the beginning of the group in Africa.” Taking part in the family retreats helps us so that when we go back to our organizations, we perform better. We work proactively; we work as better leaders, giving service to the people.”
Although Srivastava was not born into the group, he recounted his involvement with the group. “I joined when I was five years old. I saw a retreat like the one we had today, taking place near my house on a football playground. That was when I developed interest in learning about the group and taking interest in the games. From there I started and I have been in Nigeria now for 12 years. Six years ago, we had volunteers and we were able to restart here.”
Another Nigerian coordinator of the group Pushkraj Moghal, who was born into the group, disclosed that he has been a member right from Bharat. “When I came to Nigeria, I became part of the organization which was founded in Kenya, I believe in plurality since childhood, I believe that everybody should be treated equally,” adding that: ”As Hindus, we build our character; behave in a proper way, which in the end automatically means that society will behave in a proper way. At the end of the day, it boils down to Dharma which means duty. That is duty to the society. Everyone is supposed to come together irrespective of your religious belief. And do it for the betterment of each other. That is the Hindu way of life. We believe the whole world is a family. One family! We believe in family. Wherever we are born, we try to be the change within change in the society through character building. We do that by interaction, games, connecting ourselves, irrespective of our different followings, we are one. I lead the Nigerian chapter,” says Pushkraj, “which means that, I lead the team that works for this noble cause.”
During the visit, it was observed that members of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
pray. When asked if the prayers indicate that the group is a religious
organisation. Moghal said: “No,” was his immediate response. “It is not about
religion but about humanity and sustainable development of mankind and we have
many similarities between Nigeria and Bharat. We have same kind of cultural and
traditional way of life. It is that traditional way of life that encourages
building of good character that our group is all about. And we also have a
philanthropy aspect of it, whereby we donate books to schools and teach young
people yoga; it makes them understand us better. It is beyond religion. It is
basically for humanity, philosophy and culture. So any person from any religion
can participate in it.”Interestingly, according to him, the Bharatiya Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh is also opened to Nigerians and other citizens wherever the group is located. “We have a few Nigerians in our group just like in Kenya. Our activities are attractive to Nigerians but they need to understand that we are ready and open so we have to communicate that to Nigerians because we are one family. There is no hierarchy, it is a family system. Like in family we have grandparents, parents, children and everybody has their own work to do.
“I enjoy eternal freedom. It doesn’t affect my religion. The group allows you to follow your religion, you are still accepted and I can follow mine too. We ensure that whatever we do, we do not hurt the other. That is what I like best. Presently, we have about 150 families here and about 40-50 families are in Northern Nigeria: About 25 to 30 families are in Abuja and perhaps 250 all over Nigeria. And together we try to connect with Nigerian brothers and sisters. We are going to increase the number of families to ensure that society gets better and better. Just like we say, it is a way of life for us,” he said.
To the youth, Srivastava said: “The whole world is going through some transitions now and we cannot just say that the government must be responsible for everything. It is our responsibility to bring about the change in the society wherever we are living in. When we become proactive and assertive to bring about the change in the society, the first thing is to bring about the change in our lives. The youths should not be spectators but be involved.”
‘As Hindus, we build our character; behave in a proper way, which in the end automatically means that society will behave in a proper way’ – ( November 20, 2019 - The Midweek Magazine : (https://thenationonlineng.net) -GoTop
Shri Vishwa Niketan
vishwav@bol.net.in
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