\SAMVAD  श्री विश्व निकेतन SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN
Phalgun Krishna 8, Vik. Samvat 2076 Yugabda 5121: 16 February 2020

1. FESTIVALS: Shivaji Jayanti: 2. WAY CLEARED FOR SRI RAM TEMPLE AS PM ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF TRUST


3. KUMBHABISHEGAM AT HISTORIC SRI BRAHADEESWARAR TEMPLE AFTER 23 YEARS 4. WOMAN PRIEST SOLEMNIZES WEDDING IN CHENNAI
5. DEVELOP COMPETENT WORKERS TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL CHALLENGES: SHRI MOHAN BHAGWAT 6. OPPOSING BJP DOESN'T MEAN BEING AGAINST HINDUS: RSS SARAKARYAVAH
7. CULTURE BINDS US ALL TOGETHER  8. ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE WITH GURU-SHISHYA DEBATES: SURESH SONI
9. INDRESH KUMAR DEDICATES WORLD’S FIRST NETAJI BOSE’S TEMPLE IN KASHI 10. SANSKRIT IS SPIRITUALLY PURE OF ALL LANGUAGES
11. BAPS HINDU MANDIR ABU DHABI NOT TO USE STEEL, IRON 12. INDONESIA'S FIRST HINDU STATE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTED
13. TRINIDAD CELEBRATES WORLD HINDI DAY IN FINE STYLE 14. HSS KENYA ACTIVITIES:MAKAR SANKRANTI UTSAVS: NAIROBI VIBHAG
15. SECOND ANNUAL ‘SEWA DIWALI’ NEW JERSEY 16. A FITTING TRIBUTE! : Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra and Foreign Service Institute RENAMED AFTER SUSHMA SWARAJ
17. 'STATUE OF UNITY' BECOMES HIGHEST -GROSSING MONUMENT 18. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1. FESTIVALS: Shivaji Jayanti: Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great warrior King who established the Maratha Emprire, was born in Vikram Samvat 1686 on Phalgun Vadya Tritiya, falling this year on March 12.
Shiv Jayanti was started in 1870 in Pune by Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, who discovered the tomb of Shivaji Maharaj on Raigad a year earlier and wrote the first and the longest Ballad on his life. Since then Shiv Jayanti expanded on a large scale.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak worked to unite people during British Oppression through Shiv Jayanti. In the 20th century, Babasaheb Ambedkar also celebrated Shiv Jayanti, who was twice the president of Shiv Jayanti's program. Government of Maharashtra has accepted February 19 as the official date of Shivaji Jayanti.--Go Top
PADMA VIBHUSHAN PARAMESWARANJI
NO MORE WITH US 
P Parameswaran, one of the senior-most 'pracharaks' of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), former leader of the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the founder director the Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram took his last breath at 12.10 am on February 9 while undergoing Ayurvedic treatment at Ottappalam in Kerala's Palakkad district. Parameswaran, 91, who had worked with leaders like Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani during the Jana Sangh days, was honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian award in 2018 and Padma Shri in 2004. Fondly called as Parameswar ji by Sangh Parivar and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, Parameswaran was a prolific writer, poet, researcher and a widely-respected RSS ideologue. He was the Bharatiya Jana Sangh's secretary (1967-1971) and vice president (1971-1977), as well as the director of the Deendayal Research Institute (1977-1982), New Delhi.  --Go Top
2. WAY CLEARED FOR SRI RAM TEMPLE AS PM ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF TRUST: Making an important and historical announcement Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi said in the Parliament on February 5 that the Union Cabinet has cleared the formation of a trust for the construction of a magnificent Ram Temple at Ramjanmasthan in Ayodhya. The Trust is named as Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra, Modi said amid thunderous applause and chants of ‘Jai Sri Ram’ in the Lok Sabha. In compliance with the Supreme Court verdict, the Union Cabinet decided to constitute a trust in the name and style of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi TeerthKshetra Trust for the construction of a grant temple at the birthplace of Sri Rama. This trust will be totally independent to take decisions and implement them to facilitate the construction of the grand temple. The Pradhan Mantri said that the government has decided to hand over the 67.703-acre land acquired in Ayodhya to the trust for the temple.
The government has made public the names of the persons in the 15-member Ram Temple Trust announced by Modi. Senior Supreme Court advocate K Parasaran, 93, who led the case finds place right at the top of the list. --Go Top

3. KUMBHABISHEGAM AT HISTORIC SRI BRAHADEESWARAR TEMPLE AFTER 23 YEARS: Tens of thousands of people thronged Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta to witness the kumbhabishegam (consecration) ceremony at the Sri Brahadeeswarar Temple on 5th February morning. The last kumbhabishegam ceremony in 1997 was marred by a fire at the yagasalai, which triggered a stampede in which more than 40 pilgrims were killed. The 1,000th year of the temple was celebrated in 2010.
The consecration ceremony that culminated with the mahapoornahuthi or the main puja at 9.20 am on 5th February, had begun on 1st February evening. Between then and the 5th, about a million devotees are estimated to have visited the temple. The Sri Brahadeeswarar Temple (also spelt Brihadisvara, and called PeruvudaiyarKoyil, which translates simply to ‘Big Temple’) is the most famous of the many temples in Thanjavur. At this event, holy water brought from the yagasalai — the site of the yajna in the temple compound — was poured on the gold-plated kalasam that tops the 216-foot vimanam over the sanctum sanctorum. The other murtis at the temple too, were sanctified with holy water from the yagasalai. --Go Top

4. WOMAN PRIEST SOLEMNIZES WEDDING IN CHENNAI : Perhaps in a first in southern Bharat, a woman priest duly solemnized a wedding following Hindu rituals and religious practices in Chennai on February 7. Much to the pleasant surprise of relatives and friends, the woman performed the rituals of two communities to solemnize the wedding of Sushma Harini, a Telugu, and Vignesh Raghavan, a Tamilian, at Dakshin Chitra on the city outskirts.
“Vedic scholar and wedding priest Bramaramba Maheshwari of Mysore did a good job. She not only performed the rituals followed in Hindu weddings well but also explained the significance every sloka/mantra to the bride and groom in English. It turned out to be a very happy occasion for all us,” said Ms. Sushma’s father Suresh Reddy, an advocate. --Go Top

5. DEVELOP COMPETENT WORKERS TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL CHALLENGES: SHRI MOHAN BHAGWAT
RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohanrao Bhagwat appealed for developing competent workers through the Sangh network to deal effectively with the social challenges and outdated bad customs in vogue in the society. Addressing the concluding session of a coordination meeting of various organizations at Bhopal in Sharda Vihar on February 7, Dr. Bhagwat said that people have posed their confidence in the RSS and accepted the Sangh as their own. He appealed to the workers to spread the Sangh work through all such organizations to create disciplined, courageous, competent voluntary workers to face the challenges and bad customs in the future.
He said that all the organizations should work in coordination with each other and consolidate out the network. The two-day meeting was attended by prominent workers of various organizations from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. --Go Top

6. OPPOSING BJP DOESN'T MEAN BEING AGAINST HINDUS: RSS SARAKARYAVAH - Shri Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on February 9 said that opposing the BJP does not amount to opposing Hindus. Joshi was speaking during a question-answer session as part of his lecture on 'Vishwaguru Bharat' at Dona Paula near Panaji in Goa. "We should not consider opposition to BJP as opposition to Hindus. It is a political fight that will continue. That should not be linked with Hindus," he said responding to a question- 'Why Hindus are becoming the enemy of their own community?'."A Hindu fights against a fellow (Hindu) because they forget the religion. Even Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj faced opposition from his own family," he said. Joshi further said that the Communist rulers in West Bengal claim that they are against Hindus, but when it comes to heading Durga Puja mandals, they are always in the forefront."Similar is the situation in Kerala, where Communists want to be president of temple committee," he added.
He said that those who believe in the ideology of the Sangh can join and they would be given "respectable position but not a separate position". "Sangh has given position to everyone. Whoever wants to come to Sangh they are welcome. We never stopped non-Hindus from joining Sangh. It is true that we have focused on Hindus. But if someone from Christian community or a Muslim agrees with Sangh's ideology, they can also join it," Joshi added.
Swamiji further stressed on generating awareness on protection of the environment. “Nature is part of our worship and we need to preserve our tradition and preserve it for the next generation. We should share our resources with humans and other living beings. This is what is taught in Thirukural, Bhavagatham, Ramayana and Aacharakovai, which will lead to the fulfillment of the heart’, he added. He said the Sangh is a place where swayamsevaks have joined voluntarily and they have extended support in all the aspects either during a natural disaster or normal times.--Go Top

7. CULTURE BINDS US ALL TOGETHER: ’Ekata, Maitree and Sadbhavana are the pillars of Bharat and the nation has been making progress in spite of various forces bent upon destabilizing these three pillars. Everyone should strengthen these pillars”, said Swami Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati from Kanchi Mutt while addressing the RSS Ambattur Bhag Sanghik held on February 2.
Sah Prant Karyavah of Uttar Tamil Nadu A. Ramakrishna Prasad was also present.--Go Top

8. ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE WITH GURU-SHISHYA DEBATES: SURESH SONI - “We need to think as to how the knowledge can be enhanced through Guru-Shishya debates and discussions at the educational institutions”, said RSS Sahsarkaryavah Suresh Soni, while speaking at a seminar on January 19. The seminar titled ‘Bharatiya Perspective of Life was organized as a part of the inauguration of new building of Ved Vigyana Maha Gurukula in Bengaluru. RSS Sahsarkaryavah Mukund CR, Prof. Ramchandra Bhat and other were also present on the occasion.
The later sessions of the seminar were headed by different academicians and researchers. Primarily, Dr. KS Kannan spoke on the topic of ‘Bharatiya Perspective of Life’. He said extensive research and study have to be conducted on lakhs of ancient manuscripts that are hidden all across the country. This has to be published and offered to the world in the appropriate manner. He said the Bharatiya systems of knowledge which are waning have to be revived and safeguarded. Also, it needs to be established with proof that Bharatiya texts are timeless, universal and useful for the entire mankind. He further explained the research happening on the front. A session on ‘Research on Yoga Sutras in Bharat’ was addressed by Dr. M. Jayaraman who is Director of Research Division of Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandir. Later, Dr. Ganesh Ishwar Bhatt, Professor at Rashtriya Sanskrit Samsthanam of Sringeri, spoke on ‘Vision of Self in Darshanas’. Prof. Ramachandra G. Bhat, former Vice Chancellor of SVYASA University,and president of the Veda Vigyana Shodh Samsthan spoke about essence of research in Bharatiya tradition. --Go Top

9. INDRESH KUMAR DEDICATES WORLD’S FIRST NETAJI BOSE’S TEMPLE IN KASHI: Inaugurating and dedicating the world’s first temple of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in Varanasi on his 123rd birth anniversary senior RSS Pracharak and patron of various social organizations Indresh Kumar said that this temple will continue to inspire the people of the country to dedicate them for the service of the motherland. Mahant Balak Dasji, Mahant of Patalpuri Muth was also present at the inauguration and dedication of this unique temple.
Dignitaries present on this occasion were Dr Rajiv Shirvastava, President of Vishal Bharat Sansthan, who conceived this idea, Virag Pachpore, National Convener, Muslim Rashtriya Manch, Sushama Pachpore, senior journalist from Nagpur, Prof R N Pathak from BHU, and many others. Addressing the gathering on this occasion Indresh Kumar said that Netaji Bose was a patriot par excellence and he was the first to form the Government of Bharat in Exile in Singapore which was recognized by a number of nations then. Netaji put his foot on the first liberated soil of Bharat at Port Blair and renamed the Andaman-Nicobar Islands as ‘Shahid Swaraj Dweep Samooh’.--Go Top

10. SANSKRIT IS SPIRITUALLY PURE OF ALL LANGUAGES: An international conference on languages held in Sarawak, Malaysia between February 5 and 8, selected Sanskrit as the language which emits the ‘most positive vibrations’ and ‘spiritually pure in nature’.
The Conference on Asian Linguistic Anthropology (CALA 2020) analyzed the findings on the research held in eight national and 11 international languages and came to the conclusion that ‘languages in written and spoken formats can emit either positive subtle or negative subtle vibrations’.  --Go Top

11. BAPS HINDU MANDIR ABU DHABI NOT TO USE STEEL, IRON : The first Hindu temple coming up in Abu Dhabi will not use steel or ferrous materials, it was revealed during the first fly ash concrete pouring for its raft foundation on 13th February. A large contingent of expatriates from Bharatiya diaspora gathered at the site of the Mandir to witness the major construction milestone.
Describing it as UAE’s largest single pouring of fly ash concrete in 3000 cubic meters, Ashok Kotecha, spokesperson of the temple committee said: “Usually, [building] foundations have a mix of concrete and steel. However, as per traditional temple architecture in Bharat, no steel or iron reinforcements will be used. Throughout the [whole structure of the] temple, the architecture is like several pieces of jigsaw put together without any steel or ferrous materials.” Dr. Omar Al Muthanna, chief executive officer, CDA, Dubai, the religious observer from the government, said: “Religion is a key factor to feel at home. We want you to feel completely at home and this is our commitment to you.” --Go Top

12. INDONESIA'S FIRST HINDU STATE UNIVERSITY INSTITUTED:
In a historic move, Indonesia's first Hindu state university has been instituted. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has issued a presidential regulation (Perpres) turning the Hindu Dharma State Institute (IHDN) in Denpasar, Bali into the country’s first Hindu state university. Though Indonesia is a Muslim country, Bali has a majority Hindu population. The Presidential regulation states that the new university, named I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa State Hindu University (UHN), would administer Hindu higher education programs as well as other types of higher education programs to support Hindu higher education programs. “The change in status has been declared through a Perpres and is just awaiting the handover from the central government. I am very happy and thankful,” IHDN rector I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana said in a statement on the institute’s official website on 31 January. --Go Top

13. TRINIDAD CELEBRATES WORLD HINDI DAY IN FINE STYLE: World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on January 10 in order to promote Hindi as an important language of the world. The first World Hindi Conference was held in Nagpur on January 10, 1975, where 122 delegates from 30 countries participated in the program. Ever since it has been organized in different countries like Mauritius, United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago, among several other countries. The High Commission of Bharat hosted World Hindi Day Celebrations on January 18, 2020 at the prestigious Southern Academy for Performing Arts (SAPA), San Fernando.
The event was organized in collaboration with the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-Operation and The Hindi Nidhi Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago. The event was attended by prominent members of society, socio-cultural and religious organizations, Hindi teachers,  students, trade and business chambers, and the media. The event featured remarks by Hon. Mr. Basdeo Panday -former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Chanka Seeterram- President of the Hindi Foundation of Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs. Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan- Political Leader of COP, Hindi Scholarship Alumni and Deputy Mayor of San Fernando Dr Ferri Hosein. --Go Top

14. HSS KENYA ACTIVITIES:MAKAR SANKRANTI UTSAVS: NAIROBI VIBHAG celebrated Makar Sankranti Utsav on 12th January combined together Samiti & Sangh. Kumari Jiyaji Sagar sang melodiously the Ekal Geet. Dr Ramji Vaidya then gave the Bauddhik for the Utsav. He explained the importance of the Karyakarta.
He said “The inspiration for many Pracharaks is the Gruhasth (married) Karyakarta. These Karyakartas balance Sangh & Family very beautifully” He further elaborated on Dayeetwa, “Let us accept these responsibilities and adjust everything for Sangh work. Let us take Sangh work as Ours & be ever ready”.
COAST VIBHAG, MOMBASA: The Makar Sankranti Utsav was celebrated in Coast Vibhag, Mombasa as a Samilit Utsav on 18th January at M M Shah Academy. Divyeshji Parmar (Kenya Karyawaha) gave the Bauddhik. He elaborated on the social significance of the Utsav in relation to Karyakartas. All enjoyed Prasad of Talsakri at the end after Prarthana.  --Go Top

15. SECOND ANNUAL ‘SEWA DIWALI’ NEW JERSEY:
For the past two years, Sewa Diwali, an initiative led by the Hindu Bharatiya American community to serve people in need through food drives and other community endeavors, has been impacting lives. Started at New Jersey in 2018, Over 70 Hindu, Sikh, Jain organizations spread across 11 states, collected 55,000 pounds of food, helping 73 food banks and food pantries this year with a participation of over 1,000 volunteers. --Go Top

16. A FITTING TRIBUTE! : Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra and Foreign Service Institute RENAMED AFTER SUSHMA SWARAJ: Honoring the legacy and invaluable contributions of former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government has decided to rename Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra located in New Delhi and Foreign Service Institute after her. The announcement has been made to honour the legacy and decades of public service of the former External Affairs Minister ahead of her 68th birth anniversary on February 14.
Sushma Swaraj was also conferred with Padma Vibhushan in January this year. Swaraj, a former Supreme Court lawyer, was one of the firebrand leaders of the BJP and had served as the Minister of External Affairs from May 2014 to May 2019. She had been elected seven times as Member of Parliament and three times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. --Go Top

17. 'STATUE OF UNITY' BECOMES HIGHEST-GROSSING MONUMENT:
Touted as the world’s tallest statue, 'Statue of Unity', a memorial dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, has become the highest-grossing monument among the top 5 monuments in Bharat. The survey conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India responsible for archaeological studies and maintenance of cultural monuments stated that the Statue of Unity has become the highest-grossing monument among the top 5 monuments in the country. Under this, where the Taj Mahal has earned 56 crore rupees in a year, then Statue of Unity has earned 63 crores.

18. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Saumitra Gokhale, Samyojak Vishwa Vibhag is on a tour to Australia. Dr Ram Vaidya sahsamyojak will tour South Korea, Japan and Mauritius.
Visitors: Hemang - Netherlands, Suresh Jain—USA

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. - Swami Vivekananda. --Go Top
JAI SHREE RAM
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P PARAMESWARAN JI: THE DIVINE LAMP THAT NEVER CEASES TO BURN, WILL CONTINUE TO GUIDE US
J. NANDKUMAR
As the legendary poet, Rabindranath Tagore said: Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. For us, Parameswarji is an ever-burning lamp, the divine lamp that never ceases to burn. He will continue to be a light on our path as ever.
Mere words cannot describe the many lives of Shri P Parameswaran. Parameshwarji, as we fondly call him, was an original thinker, a prolific writer, a first-rate poet, an eloquent speaker, and above all, a great human being and an ideal Swayamsevak. He was often called a Rashtra Rishi even by his peers in the Sangh. ‘He was a lamp for our feet, a light on our path’.
A born poet, Parameswarji was an exception among most other intellectuals and thinkers associated with the Sangh who consciously developed their literary skills to meet organisational exigencies. He is indebted to his erudite parents for his inborn talents, be it his natural inclination towards Hindu philosophy and culture or his poetic skills. His father was a known Sanskrit scholar. After passing B.A (Honours) with a gold medal, he chose to become a Pracharak of the Sangh. His close association and contact with the great men of his time, like Swami Agamananda, Kerala Gandhi K Kelappan, Manohardev (who was a Pracharak in Thiruvananthapuram where Parameshwarji studied) and Poojaniya Guruji gave shape to his character and intellect. It is worth remembering that Parameswarji had also met Veer Savarkar at Savarkar Sadan.
An embodiment of modesty and humility, Parameswarji earned respect from all including the ideological foes, that is nearly impossible for a human being with a ‘stigma’ of being Swayamsevak in the most hostile political environment of Kerala, a result of prolonged hate campaign run by the Communist propaganda machinery. Amidst all smear campaigns against the Sangh and Sangh functionaries, even Marxist leaders of his time held high regard for Parameswarji and the leaders of the stature of EMS Namboothiripad and P Govinda Pillai enjoyed a very close relationship with him. He urged Marxists to shun the path of physical violence, inviting them for ideological debates in an attempt to put an end to the political violence in the state.
During my college days, I stayed at the Sangh Karyalaya in Kochi where all senior Sangh Pracharaks make frequent visits. I often recall an incident associated with Parameswarji, which I always cherish. Once, as an inmate of RSS prant karyalaya in Kochi, I happened to walk past Shri Parameswarji’s room, carrying former Communist leader K Damodaran’s book, Indian Thought. Shri Parameswarji called me to his room and asked me to show the book. For a 16-year-old student, it was a rare occasion to show off his choice of the book before an erudite pracharak. I showed him the book. After glancing through it, he asked me: ‘Hope you have studied all the principal texts of Hindu Darsanas?’ I got the hint. He wanted to tell me that one has to become firm on the fundamental principles of a subject before straying out for secondary sources and interpretations. It was a great lesson. He moulded and corrected us mostly in such occasional brief conversations. I consider myself very fortunate to live with Parameswarji, an intellectual giant and a remarkable personality of our times.
As a prolific writer, Parameswarji is best known for his penchant criticism of Communism, Islamism and Evangelism: the three threats to an open society. However, beyond his head-on ideological confrontations with his counterparts in the Communist parties, his scholarly analysis of the spiritual renaissance of Kerala and the lives of Sree Narayana Guru, Sri Aurobindo etc. have to be critically evaluated. The biographical studies on the lives of Sree Narayana Guru and Sri Aurobindo still remain unequalled for content and quality. Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan did a commendable job of compiling his selected articles into three volumes, titled ‘Heart Beats of Hindu Nation’.
In 1957, he was deputed to build the Jan Sangh in Kerala as its State Organising Secretary. In 1968, he became the All India General Secretary and later Vice-President of the Jana Sangh. He underwent two years of imprisonment during the Emergency. In 1977, he stepped back from Politics and entered the realm of social thought and development. He was appointed the Director of the Deendayal Research Institute at New Delhi for four years. In 1982, he returned to Kerala with a new vision. A rare institution builder, he founded the Bharatiya Vichara Kendram, a nation first think tank modelled on the Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) after being inspired from his stint in New Delhi. He built its headquarter, Samskriti Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, precisely at the location where he attended the first Sangh Shakha.
Parameswarji was not just chronicling the history of the spiritual renaissance movement of Kerala led by Sree Narayana Guru that transformed the society from lunatic asylum to a holy land. Taking a step forward, apart from confining himself to the role of a chronicler, he laboured hard to take forward the legacy of the real spiritual renaissance of Kerala that faced a stumbling block with the spread of Communism, which sought to replace the unifying spirit of the great Hindu movement with divisive agenda of caste and political violence. As a part of that, he organized Vishala Hindu Sammelan, giving the clarion call-“Hindus are one”. He infused a tradition in Hindu society as a custom, observation of ‘Ramayana Month’ in Karkadakam-the last month in Malayalam calendar. In 1998, he also proposed observation of 'a Bhagavad Gita decade', seeking to build an enlightened Kerala.
Parameswarji constantly warned against the imminent disaster, which the budding generation of Kerala is going to face, is that if the vacuum created by Communism is not filled with positive ideas, it will soon be filled with ‘garbage’ because nature does not like empty spaces. He prophetically said: "Without Kerala, Bharat will be incomplete; Without Bharat, Kerala will be dangerous.” Now, the present scenario in Kerala suggests that we are bracing for the disaster, which he warned against. His thoughts on ‘little traditions’ without which one cannot even think of building a national organisation. His scholarly written thesis on Fourth Wave also created ripples in the intellectual realm, not only in Kerala but across the nation. Among the many intellectual lives Parameswarji lived, journalism has a pre-eminent place. His fame as a social thinker and activist has, in a way, eclipsed his outstanding contributions to the field of journalism. He has been editing various Malayalam and English publications for the last seven decades. He was the editor of Malayalam weekly magazine 'Kesari'. He became the editor of monthly research journal 'Manthan' during his stint with the Deendayal Research Institute, New Delhi. He also edited a quarterly Malayalam research journal 'Pragati'. He has been the chief editor of the monthly 'Yuva Bharathi' and the quarterly 'Vivekananda Kendra Patrika' till he breathed his last.
A real repository of knowledge, Parameswarji left behind a vast literary universe. He has authored dozens of books in Malayalam and English. Among his noted works are ‘Marx and Vivekananda: A Comparative Study’, Sri Narayana Guru, Bhagavad Gita: The Nectar of Immortality, Heart Beats of Hindu Nation etc. Parameswarji was appointed as the member of the Court (Senate) of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in 2000. The nation honoured him with Padma Shri in 2004 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018.
My words fail to capture emotions and moments, which I spent with him that I cherish throughout my life. Who will fill the vacuum Parameswarji left behind, is a misplaced question. As the legendary poet, Rabindranath Tagore said: “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.” For us, Parameswarji is an ever-burning lamp, the divine lamp that never ceases to burn. He will continue to be a light on our path as ever. (J Nandakumar is Akhil Bharatiya Samyojak, Prajna Pravah.) -- 10-Feb-2020 www.organiser.org --Go Top


\SAMVAD  श्री विश्व निकेतन SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN

Magh Shukla 7, Vik. Samvat 2076 Yugabda 5121: 1 February 2020


1. FESTIVALS: 40 LAKH TAKE HOLY DIP at GANGASAGR 2. THE JAGANNATH TEMPLE KITCHEN
3. RASHTRAPATI KOVIND’S GANATANTRA DIWAS ADDRESS 4. BHARAT CELEBRATED ITS 71ST GANATANTRA DIWAS
5. “THE MAHASWAMI GUIDED MANY PEOPLE THROUGH HIS LIFE”: RSS SARASANGHACHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT 6. SEWA SANGAM 2020 PUNE: Sewa with the spirit of Self Reliance
7. RSS HAS NO CONNECTION WITH POLITICS, WORKS FOR 130 CRORE BHARATIYAS : DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT 8. ISRO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES THREE ORBIT RAISING MANOEUVRES OF GSAT-30 ISRO
9. NEUROSCIENCE AND THE ‘SANSKRIT EFFECT’ 10. RAMAKRISHNA MISSION MONK WINS BHARAT’S HIGHEST MATHS AWARD
11. BHARAT PLAYS KEY ROLE IN WORLD’S LARGEST TELESCOPE 12. 'PARASHURAM MELA' BEGINS AT PARASHURAM KUND IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH
13. HUM WAPAS AAYENGE: KASHMIRI PANDITS PLEDGE TO RETURN TO VALLEY 14. MUSLIM BHAJAN SINGER, ‘LANGAR BABA’, SUNDARBAN DOCTOR AMONG PADMA AWARD WINNERS
15. RICKSHAW RUN 2019 - LET EVERY DEAF CHILD SPEAK (A FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE BY SEWA UK) 16. BHARAT’S FIRST GANDHI CONVENTION CENTRE IN NIGER
17. HINDU AMERICAN SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM INTO VIRGINIA STATE LEGISLATURE 18. REFUGEE, OHIOAN, FIRST NEPALI-BHUTANESE ELECTED IN US
19. PAK-BORN WOMAN WHO GOT BHARATIYA CITIZENSHIP IN SEPTEMBER, ELECTED SARPANCH IN RAJASTHAN 20. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Article:

UNDERSTANDING THE CITIZENSHIP AMENDEMENT ACT


1. FESTIVALS: 40 LAKH TAKE HOLY DIP at GANGASAGR: More than 40 lakh pilgrims from all across the country and abroad took the holy dip in Gangasagar on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on January 15. Makar Sankranti marks the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. Located about 150 km from Kolkata in the South 24 Parganas district Sagar Island hosts Gangasagar mela every year during Makar Sankranti.-GoTop


2. THE JAGANNATH TEMPLE KITCHEN: Considered to be the largest kitchen in the world, a variety of at least 56 meals or ‘bhoga’ are cooked in the kitchen everyday for the Deities at Jagannath Puri, over a wood-fire and in earthen pots. The sacred ‘Mahaprasad’ then feeds a staggering 1,00,000 people a day. On January 15, the Makar Sankranti day, the entire temple was devoted to prepare a special kind of bhoga, known as the "Makara Chaula," or Makara rice. Prepared from harvested rice, Makara Chaula is comprised of banana, jaggery, sesame, milk, ghee, coconut, freshly-made butter, fruits and dry fruits. -GoTop


3. RASHTRAPATI KOVIND’S GANATANTRA DIWAS ADDRESS: ‘We the People’ are the prime movers of the Republic. The central tenets of our democracy – justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are adhering to 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji. The Government has launched a number of welfare campaigns, and what is especially noteworthy about them is the fact that citizens have voluntarily turned them into popular movements. Every policy initiative of the Government is guided by the ‘nation-first’ principle. Bharat is proud of the achievements of ISRO. They are making further progress in Mission Gaganyaan, and the nation excitedly looks forward to the Bharatiya Human Spaceflight Programme gaining further momentum this year. -GoTop
“Padmashree Jaiprakash ji”
"It is with immense pleasure we inform the news of conferment of 'Padmashree' award to Shri Jaiprakash Agarwal ji. Jaiprakash ji has a long association with Vishwa Vibhag and Sangh activities and has been instrumental in initiating various new dimensions like Vishwa Sangh Shibir. A leading industrialist, he has also worked on various social transformation projects through Surya Foundation. Shri Jaiprakash ji is also Trustee to Shri Vishwa Niketan'. Samvad team takes pride in congratulating him and wishing that he continues to guide and motivate all karyakartas." -GoTop


4. BHARAT CELEBRATED ITS 71ST GANATANTRA DIWAS: Bharat celebrated its 71th Ganatantra Diwas on 26th January with a 90-minute display of military might, cultural diversity and socio-economic progress. The armed forces took centre-stage parading an array of weapons, the Defence Research Organization put up a display of state-of-the-art technology and the 22 tableaux held a spectacular display of colours, art and lifestyle. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro was the Chief Guest. The ceremony started with Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi, in a first, visiting the National War Memorial instead of the Amar Jawan Jyoti, where he paid tributes to soldiers who died fighting for the country. The highlights of the parade were the Army's battle tank Bhishma, Infantry Combat Vehicle Ballway Machine Pikate and the Air Force's brand new Rafale fighter jet and Chinook and Apache helicopters.
For the second consecutive year, a woman officer led an all-male contingent. The Corps of Signals marched down the Rajpath, led by Captain Tania Sher Gill, who recently made history by becoming the first woman Parade Adjutant to lead all-men contingents during the Army Day function.
The grand finale, and one of the most keenly awaited segments of the parade, was the fly-past with the "Trishul" formation being carried out by three Advanced Light Helicopters. -GoTop


5. “THE MAHASWAMI GUIDED MANY PEOPLE THROUGH HIS LIFE”: RSS SARASANGHACHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT: Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan ji Bhagwat inaugurated a collection of 56 paintings on the life and teachings of Kanchi Mahaswami and released ‘Param Vani’ Hindi version of ‘Deivathin Kural’at Kanchi Mahaswami Vidya Mandir near Tambaram on Jan 21. Shri Omkarananda Swami graced the occasion. R A Sankara Narayanan M.D & CEO, Canara Bank was the guest of honour. The paintings portray the stiff challenges faced by Kanchi Mahaswami right in his early days, his travel across length and breadth of the country by foot, contribution in kindling patriotism among the masses and spirit of service. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, said: “The Mahaswami symbolized Sanatana Dharma and guided many people through his life.” Bhagwatji also felicitated Priyavrata Patil, a 16 year old lad who achieved a great feat in Vyakarna Shastra studies by clearing all 14 tests in Tenali MahaPariksha. He has completed it in two years what is usually completed in seven years. -GoTop


6. SEWA SANGAM 2020 PUNE: Sewa with the spirit of Self Reliance: “The Sewa projects run in Bharat for the upliftment of deprived people of our society are basically inspired by the spiritual thought. We regard sewa as dharma. That is why sewa has been a means to shun the ego”, said RSS Sahsarkaryavah Dr. Manmohan Vaidya while inaugurating the two day Sewa Sangam Exhibition on January 18 in Pune. Mayor of Pune Murlidhar Mohol, Cleanliness Ambassador of Pune Mahadev Jadhav and film actress YuktaMukhi were also present. About 125 voluntary organizations joined the exhibition and showcased their sewa activities that they carry out in different areas. Addressing the concluding ceremony of the exhibition on January 19, RSS national executive member and former Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh Suhasrao Hiremath stressed on inculcating the spirit among those who are being served today to serve the other needy people after they come out of poverty. -GoTop


7. RSS HAS NO CONNECTION WITH POLITICS, WORKS FOR 130 CRORE BHARATIYAS : DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT: RSS has no connection with politics, it works for 130 crore Bharatiyas and it works only to uplift the moral, cultural and human values of the country said RSS Sarasanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat . Addressing a large gathering in Moradabad on January 18 Shri Bhagwat said people from all walks of life are a part of the organization while some also run political parties. He also denied that the RSS was "remote controlling" the BJP pointing out that the organization was working for all 130 crore Bharatiyas. "There are so many top class intellectuals and social reformers who are not our allies but have our ideology. This is our success," he asserted. Shri Bhagwat said that the RSS was working with very few persons when it was formed in 1925 but has grown into an organization with 1.3 lakh branches throughout the country due to continuous dedication towards nation building. -GoTop


8. ISRO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES THREE ORBIT RAISING MANOEUVRES OF GSAT-30 ISRO has successfully completed the three orbit-raising manoeuvres of communication satellite GSAT-30 and succeeded in placing it in an orbit close to its operational orbit. The cumulative duration of operation of the propulsion system for these manuoeuvres was 2 hours 29 minutes. The satellite was launched on January 17 onboard Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. With a mission life of 15 years, GSAT-30 is an operational communication satellite for DTH, television uplink and VSAT services. -GoTop


9. NEUROSCIENCE AND THE ‘SANSKRIT EFFECT’: Sanskrit scholars in Bharat learn to chant ancient texts from a tender age. They chant simple mantras, Sanskrit poetry, and prose, along with memorizing and chanting the most ancient Sanskrit texts, including the Shukla Yajurveda, which takes six hours to chant. Neuroscience shows how rigorous memorizing can help the brain. The term the ‘Sanskrit Effect’ was coined by neuroscientist James Hartzell, who studied 21 professionally qualified Sanskrit pandits. He discovered that memorizing Vedic mantras increases the size of brain regions associated with cognitive function, including short and long-term memory. Dr. Hartzell, a Sanskrit devotee and postdoctoral researcher at Spain’s Basque Centre on Cognition, Brain and Language, has noticed that the more Sanskrit he studied and translated, the better his verbal memory seemed to become. -GoTop


10. RAMAKRISHNA MISSION MONK WINS BHARAT’S HIGHEST MATHS AWARD: Swami Vidyanandaji Mahan Maharaj alias Mahan Mitra is a monk with the Ramakrishna Mission order and he has been awarded this year’s Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award for mathematics, the highest academic honour for science in Bharat. The 45-year-old Swami is fluent in English, Hindi and Bengali. Mahan Mitra studied in St Xavier’s Collegiate School till Class XII and cracked IIT-JEE to enter the prestigious IIT Kanpur to study electrical engineering. After completing his MSc, he went to University of California, Berkeley. After coming back from US, he renounced the worldly affairs and became a monk. Mahan Maharaj, who teaches M Sc students and takes course work for PhD students, joined the RK Mission institution in 1998 after a PhD from the UCB. -GoTop


11. BHARAT PLAYS KEY ROLE IN WORLD’S LARGEST TELESCOPE: Bharat’s contribution to the world’s largest telescope just got bigger. Apart from producing edge sensors, mirrors, actuators and electronics for the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) which is in development in Hawaii, Bharat will also develop a high-resolution optical spectrometer (HROS) for it. The spectrometer — a device that collects light waves and uses them to determine what material created the light — is expected to enhance the telescope’s glimpse into formation of the first galaxies as well as Milky Way’s neighbour, Andromeda, while also mapping the elements formed during Big Bang such as hydrogen and helium.-GoTop


12. 'PARASHURAM MELA' BEGINS AT PARASHURAM KUND IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH: The famous Parashuram Kund Mela began on 14th January in Arunachal Pradesh on the eve of Makar Sankranti. Devotees from across the country and Nepal visit the sacred place to take a holy dip in the Kund.
The Puranic story mentioned in the Kalika Purana, the Srimad Bhagavata and the Mahabharata says that Bhagwan Parashuram beheads his mother and eventually performs a penance. After his penance, he atones for his sin by taking a bath in the nearby Brahma Kund at this site. Every year thousands of Hindu devotees throng the Mela and take a holy dip in the sacred Kund on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. -GoTop


13. HUM WAPAS AAYENGE: KASHMIRI PANDITS PLEDGE TO RETURN TO VALLEY: To mark the 30th anniversary of the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, members of the community took to social media to post videos of themselves by narrating the "Hum Aayenge Apne Watan" dialogue from an upcoming flick, 'Shikara', with the hope that they would return to their homeland one day. On January 19, the Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy organization that highlights human rights violations against Hindus around the world, held vigils across the United States to mark the 30th anniversary of the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus Day. The HAF partnered with several local organizations to hold candlelight vigils in Sacramento, San Jose, Concord, and Fresno, California; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, PA; and Sugar Land, Texas. A number of other independently organized community events, including memorial services and local seva (service) events, also commemorated the 30th year of Kashmiri Hindu cleansing and exile. The turnout topped 200 people at several locations. -GoTop


14. MUSLIM BHAJAN SINGER, ‘LANGAR BABA’, SUNDARBAN DOCTOR AMONG PADMA AWARD WINNERS: Padma Awards 2020 continue the tradition started by the Modi government a few years ago, of honouring unsung heroes who have been silently contributing to social, cultural, educational and environmental fields.
The list of 21 such Padma Shri awardees includes a Bhopal gas leak victim who spent 35 years of his lifespan working with other survivors, a ‘divyang’ from Anantnag in J&K who runs a school for specially-abled children; a ‘langar baba’ who has been feeding patients and attendants outside a hospital in Punjab; a doctor in West Bengal who travels 6 hours each day to Sundarban villages to treat patients; an orange seller who spends his meagre earnings on educating children; a former manual scavenger lady who now heads the Sulabh International Social Service Organization; an elephant conservationist from Assam; Mysuru based husband and wife who run Sanskrit daily ’Sudharma’ and a Muslim bhajan singer from Rajasthan who has penned bhajans in praise of Lord Krishna and cows. Among the commoners honoured this year is Late Abdul Jabbar, a 1983 Bhopal gas leak victim who ran an advocacy group for other victims and survivors. He provided vocational training to 2300 widows of gas leak victims and fought for medical rehabilitation of victims in courts. -GoTop


15. RICKSHAW RUN 2019 - LET EVERY DEAF CHILD SPEAK (A FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE BY SEWA UK): Rickshaw Run 2019 organized by Sewa UK with Saksham as local partner in Bharat, was a unique event, featuring 30 auto-rickshaws carrying 94 people for 12 days around 2600 km from Kanyakumari (Tamilnadu) to Ahmedabad (Gujarat). It was organized to raise funds for Cochlea Pune for Hearing and Speech, which offers Cochlear Implant surgery for congenitally deaf children and then they offer speech therapy to these children to enable them to speak.
At Cochlea Pune for hearing and speech, the team met and interacted with kids who were undergoing process of cochlear implant and then speech therapy. This organization was started by Dr Avinash Vachasundar. With the funds raised through Rickshaw Run 2019, newer infrastructure will be built which will enable many more kids from larger surrounding area to be given the opportunity to undergo surgery as well as speech therapy and have a chance at better life. -GoTop

 

16. BHARAT’S FIRST GANDHI CONVENTION CENTRE IN NIGER: External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou on 21st January jointly inaugurated the first convention centre established in Africa by Bharat to honour the memory of Mahatma Gandhi whose 150th Birth Anniversary was observed last year. The convention centre has been designed as a spacious, modern and eco-friendly facility, including a 2,000 capacity Plenary Hall, to witness high-level and wide-ranging participation from African Union member states and other high-level conventions. Dr. Jaishankar, the first Bharatiya Foreign Minister to visit the West African country, met PM Brigi Rafini and discussed bilateral ties. -GoTop


17. HINDU AMERICAN SUHAS SUBRAMANYAM INTO VIRGINIA STATE LEGISLATURE: Suhas Subramanyam was officially sworn in as the first Bharatiya American and Hindu-American to the Virginia state Legislature on 8th January. He took oath on Bhagvad Geeta.
Bharatiya American Usha Reddi was chosen as the new mayor of Manhattan, Kansas on 7th January. Reddi, who served as mayor pro tem before being selected as mayor, served as the mayor of Manhattan in 2016 and 2017. -GoTop


18. REFUGEE, OHIOAN, FIRST NEPALI-BHUTANESE ELECTED IN US: Moments after reciting the oath of office, a swarm of people descended upon Bhuwan Pyakurel. In between receiving congratulatory handshakes, the new Reynoldsburg councilman humbly posed for group photos and selfies as loved ones and strangers captured the historic moment. Believed to be the first Nepali-Bhutanese man to be elected into office in the U.S., Pyakurel expressed immense gratitude toward his friends, family, and everyone who helped him along the way. -GoTop


19. PAK-BORN WOMAN WHO GOT BHARATIYA CITIZENSHIP IN SEPTEMBER, ELECTED SARPANCH IN RAJASTHAN: Amid row over Citizenship Amendment Act, and proposed National Register of Citizens, a Pakistani immigrant Neeta Kanwar, who became a Bharatiya citizen in September 2019, was elected sarpanch of a gram panchayat in Rajasthan on 17th January. Born in Pakistan, Kanwar came to Bharat for higher studies. She graduated in Arts from Ajmer’s Sophia College in 2005 and got married to Punya Pratap Karan of Natwara on February 19, 2011. She applied for Bharatiya citizenship after marriage and got it in September 2019. She said she would like to work for the women by organizing them into self-help groups to ensure their financial independence. -GoTop


20. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Saumitra Gokhale, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will visit New Zealand and Australia. Dr Ram Vaidya, sahsamyojak will visit Russia, Ukraine and Japan.
Visitors: Smt Sarlaben and Ma Dhirajbhai Shah —UK.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We must never be dejected. Our work is God’s work. We must be sure that He will definitely get it done.— RSS Founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar  -GoTop

JAI SHREE RAM

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UNDERSTANDING THE CITIZENSHIP AMENDEMENT ACT
RAJIV SIKRI

A widespread and unseemly controversy has broken out in India over the Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Indian Parliament in December 2019 that fast tracks citizenship for persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi faiths. This brings closure to a sad and messy legacy of the Partition of India in 1947, when the new, expressly Muslim, state of Pakistan was carved out of India. There were widespread bloodshed and killings in both India and Pakistan as millions of Hindus and Sikhs migrated from, Punjab, Sindh and Northwest Frontier Province of West Pakistan (now Pakistan) to India, and Muslims, mostly from Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh in India migrated to West Pakistan. Many Hindus and Sikhs living in Afghanistan also migrated to India since there was an open, undefined border and movement of people between Afghanistan and undivided India. However, the exchange of populations was not comprehensive. Some chose not to migrate, others just could not manage to do so. On the India-East India (now Bangladesh) border, although the partition was less violent and bloody, there has been a steady inflow of Hindu refugees into India from East Pakistan/Bangladesh over the last seven decades.
Religious minorities have suffered enormously in Pakistan, and to a lesser extent in Bangladesh (till recently), as well as in Afghanistan. All three countries are today officially Islamic states where Muslims enjoy special rights and privileges, while minorities continue to be discriminated against, humiliated and persecuted. Many have been forcibly converted to Islam. Women belonging to the minority communities have been raped, kidnapped, and forced into marriage with Muslims. Hundreds of Hindu and Sikh temples have been destroyed or allowed to fall into ruin. As a result, the share of minorities in these three countries has come down, drastically. Thousands of people belonging to these persecuted minorities have sought refuge in India, and have been given, on an ad hoc basis, Indian citizenship. The new law merely formalizes this process so that the refugees languishing here can be given Indian citizenship that would enable them to secure admissions in educational institutions, get jobs, buy property, enjoy state welfare benefits and thereby have a more secure and dignified life. This is also India’s moral obligation, one that has been publicly articulated by leaders of all political parties over the decades, including former PM Manmohan Singh, himself a Sikh refugee from Pakistan.
Why then such a brouhaha? Many Indian opposition parties, frustrated at being out of power, have deliberately distorted this issue and stoked a controversy, spreading, imaginary fears among Muslims in India that they would be deprived of their citizenship, even though the new law has no impact on or relevance to those who are already Indian citizens, irrespective of their religion. These parties, with an eye on their traditional, but weakening, Muslim vote bank that relies on creating insecurity among Muslims, continue to mischievously and irresponsibly conflate the Citizenship Amendment Act with a proposed National Register of Citizens, even though Prime Minister Modi has clearly and emphatically declared publicly that the process of having a National Register of Citizens will not be initiated without widespread consultations.
Fears that India would no longer remain a pluralistic society are unwarranted. There is strong and widespread public support for an India where people belonging to all religions and communities feel secure and not discriminated against. India has special legal and constitutional provisions to protect all minorities including Muslims (whose share in India’s total population has steadily risen). It needs to be plainly and unequivocally stated: Indian Muslims are an integral part of India’s society and India is their home. India is proud that some of the biggest Bollywood stars and sports icons are Muslim, as are many successful and prosperous business and Industry leaders. We also have proud and patriotic Muslim soldiers and generals, wise and fair Muslim judges, efficient and committed Muslim officials and policemen, brilliant and respected Muslim scientists and engineers. All sects of Islam can and do peaceably follow their religious practices in India. Minorities, including Muslims, manage their own places of worship and institutions, and can have their own educational institutions where their children are taught about their religions. Whatever development work is being done – roads, water supply, gas connections, housing, toilets, education, health, etc. – is not targeted to favor any particular community.
India remains a robust democracy, where the Constitution is supreme. There is ample room for debate and opposition, and an established legal and judicial process for redressal of grievances. While peaceful protest is acceptable, violence is not. People should be held accountable if they destroy public property and attack police personnel and institutions. Everyone must respect the institution and authority of Parliament. Street mobs and political rhetoric cannot undo laws that have been duly legislated by Parliament after an open debate. Nor can State Governments and legislatures defy laws that, under the Indian Constitution, are the remit of Parliament. One hopes that all political parties will act responsibly and channelize public opinion in a constructive direction. (Rajiv Sikri is the former Bharatiya Ambassador to Kazakhstan and former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs.) January 14, 2020 https://www.indiawest.com  -GoTop


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