श्री विश्व निकेतन SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN
Chaitra Krishna 7, Vik. Samvat 2076, Yugabda 5121:16 March, 2020: SM 1924 (For Private Circulation Only)
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We wish all the readers and their families a very happy and prosperous New Year Yugabda 5122 Sharvari Samvatsar. |
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3. SURYA NAMAKSAR YAGYA (SNY) AT ATLANTA GEORGIA AND PROCLAMATION BY DUNWOODY CITY MAYOR |
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5. BHAGEERATHI AMMA AND KARTHYAYANI AMMA GET NARI SHAKTI PURASKAR |
6. RSS EXEMPLIFIES HOW AN INSTITUTION IS BUILT, NURTURED AND EXPANDED |
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Aricle: CAA IS NECESSARY |
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1. FESTIVALS:
Attukal Pongal: Lakhs of devotees took part in ‘Attukal Pongala': In Kerala,
lakhs of women took part in the famous “Attukal Pongala,” one of the largest
religious festivals of women, on 9th March. Devotees from the State and outside,
converged in temple grounds, roads and bylines across the capital city and
prepared 'pongala', a sweet offering, on makeshift brick stoves. Preparing 'pongala'
(sweet offering) is considered an auspicious all-women ritual as part of the
annual festival of the Attukal Bhahavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram,
popularly known as the “Women's Sabarimala.” In Thiruvananthapuram, the main hub
for Attukal Pongala festivity and rituals, women from neighbouring states also
participated. It's also a big draw for tourists.
-GoTop
2. EXPERIENCING THE ESSENCE OF AYODHYA : “Ayodhya is
significant for all kind of worships. It is not only the birthplace of Shri Ram,
it is also the birthplace of five Jain Theerhankars as well. Guru Nanak Dev and
Guru Govind Singh also stayed in Ayodhya”, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
Sahsarkaryavah Dr Krishna Gopal on the second day of the Ayodhya Parva on 29th
February at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Delhi. Chairman
of IGNCA Ram Bahadur Rai, social activist Nand Kumar Garg, MP from Ayodhya Lallu
Singh were also present at the program.
The second edition of Ayodhya Parva was inaugurated on February 28 in the
presence of Chairman of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Mahant Nriyta
Gopal Das, Ramayana scholar Vijay Kaushal Maharaj, RSS Sahsarkaryavah Dattatreya
Hosabale, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Champat
Rai and scores of eminent personalities.
Mahant Nritya Gopal Das described Ayodhya Parva as a great initiative. “We are
organizing this event to remember Shri Ram and His significance in the
historical, cultural and spiritual evolution of our great civilization,” he
said.
The mega exhibition, organized as part of Ayodhya Parva, showcased over 150
sites around Ayodhya. A book ‘Aho Ayodhya’ was also released on the occasion.
Through this cultural event, the people experienced the real essence of the holy
city. The festival also had series of performances from eminent artists
including singer Malini Awasthi, Kathak Dancer Anu Sinha and presentations from
Awadhi folk dancers and singers. The Ayodhya Parva hosted a series of seminars
and discussions on various aspects of Ayodhya and its contemporary relevance.
-GoTop
3. SURYA NAMAKSAR YAGYA (SNY) AT ATLANTA GEORGIA AND
PROCLAMATION BY DUNWOODY CITY MAYOR : Mayor Lynn P. Deutch, of the city
Dunwoody, Georgia issued a proclamation in recognition of Surya Namaskar
Awareness period January 18 to February 2, 2020. He proclaimed the period
“Health for Humanity Yogathon”.
In Georgia, four separate events were held in different parts of the state. The
24-hour SNY marathon was the highlight event where over 90 participants came
together to perform over 13000 Surya Namaskar in 24 hours. A three-hour SNY
marathon for the Yuva of the midtown Atlanta area was held at Georgia Institute
of Technology. “The Kishore and Kishoris of Georgia vibhag eagerly volunteered
to perform the Surya Namaskars overnight to keep the marathon going while the
elderly performed Surya Namaskar during the day time,” said Suprabha
Satyanarayana, GA coordinator, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA. The Student
Center Ballroom at GA Tech had 17 participants who performed over 2300 Surya
Namaskars, which was in conjunction with the 24-hour marathon at Smyrna. A
couple of participants performed over 250 Surya Namaskars in the allotted 3
hours setting an event record. At the Outreach event at the Ultimate Karate
Fitness, Marietta 19 participants performed 95 Surya Namaskars.
A total of 55 Participants comprised of students from and staff of Balvihar,
Vishwa Hindu Parisad, Cobb Chapter, performed 165 Surya Namaskars completing the
four events in Georgia. Over the period of two weeks Georgia vibhag participants
performed over 25000 Surya Namaskar which was tracked using the SNY web
application. The proclamation by the Mayor thanked HSS for its outstanding job
with helping to preserve and promote the ancient heritage and cultural values
around the world.-GoTop
4. HINDUTVA IS A GREAT CIVILIZATION : JUSTICE THOMAS :
Hindutva is a great civilization that has survived the test of time, said former
Supreme Court judge Justice K T Thomas. “Hindutva has proved that it is relevant
in changing times,” he said. He was speaking at the launch of ‘Hindutva for the
Changing Times’ at the Press Club, Kottayam in Kerala on February 28. The book
is written by Prajna Pravah national convenor J Nandakumar.
“No law-abiding Indian citizen can oppose to Hindutva for it was approved by
Supreme Court as the very content and value system of Bharat. Meaning of 'Hind'
in the slogan Jai Hind raised by the national leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru
was nothing but Hindutva,” Justice KT Thomas added.
Former vice-chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University Dr Cyriac Thomas received a
copy of the book from Justice K T Thomas. Bharatiya Vichara Kendram
vice-president Prof. C I Isaac introduced the book to the audience. The
programme, presided over by Prof P Madhavan Pillai, was attended by several
luminaries from different walks of life. -GoTop
5. BHAGEERATHI AMMA AND KARTHYAYANI AMMA GET NARI SHAKTI
PURASKAR: 106-year-old Bhageerathi Amma and 98-year-old Karthyayani Amma
have been selected for this year’s Nari Shakti Puraskar. The nation's highest
civilian award for recognizing the achievements and contributions of women,
instituted in the year 1999 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, is
given in six institutional categories and two individual categories.
Bhageerathi Amma, a native of Kollam district of Kerala, had cleared the 4th
level equivalency exam in 2019. As a rare honour for her stupendous achievement,
Bhageerathi Amma had found a special mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
Mann Ki Baat programme in February 2020. Karthyayani Amma, who lives in
Alappuzha district of Kerala, Bhageerathi Amma’s fellow learner, also bagged
this year’s Nari Shakti Puraskar. She scored 98 out of 100 in the final
examination, securing the first rank!
Addressing the 9th Episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat 2.0’, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi
narrated the inspiring story of 105-year-old Bhagirathi Amma. She lost her
mother and husband at a very young age. She restarted her school education at
the age of 105! She started studying again! In spite of her advanced age,
Bhagirathi Amma wrote her level 4 exam and then eagerly awaited her results. She
scored 75 per cent in her exams and wants to continue her education. He said
that people like Bhagirathi Amma are the strength of this country; a great
source of inspiration for all of us.
Born in Kollam, in Kerala, Bhageerathi has six children and 16 grandchildren.
She is now living a happy life with her fifth-generation descendants.
Representatives of the Common Wealth had visited her house and honoured her. Her
dream is to pass the 10th level examination.
Karthyayani Amma never attended school when she was young. She earned a
livelihood as a cleaning employee in temples. She was married at 30, widowed
early, and raised six children. Karthyayani Amma enrolled for studies in January
2018 after taking inspiration from her 60-year-old daughter Ammini Amma who
recently passed a literacy mission course. Karthyayani Amma now aims at clearing
the Class 10 equivalency examinations. She also aspires to acquire computer
skills.
The two women from Kerala were also selected as the Commonwealth of Learning
Goodwill Ambassadors. The award will be presented by Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind
at a function organised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on the
International Women's Day. The award carries a cash prize of rupees one lakh (INR
100,000) and a citation. ( www.organiser.org) March 5, 2020 )
-GoTop
6. RSS EXEMPLIFIES HOW AN INSTITUTION IS BUILT, NURTURED AND
EXPANDED: Almost 60 years ago, in 1961, my uncle Shashikant Chauthaiwale,
after completion of his M.Sc. in Statistics from Nagpur University, decided to
devote his life to the country as a Pracharak of RSS. He was sent to Assam
immediately and since then he has become native of Assam. As a cancer survivor
for the last 10 years, he is currently living in Silchar (Assam). As he has now
some spare time, he was encouraged by others to write his experiences as Sangh
Pracharak in Assam, the result of which is a publication of a book titled "Meri
Prachaarak Yaatra" which was released on 26th February in Silchar.
Written in Hindi, this book is a personal narration of experiences, contemporary
events and about the hundreds of people he met and worked with -- he must have
mentioned more than 100 names in this 132-page book. There is no dramatization,
no complaints or over-celebration, no self-compliments, not a word of criticism
or negative comments about anyone he has interacted with, and of course, no
regrets. He has no existence beyond Sangh. He winds up the description of the
lives of his all eight siblings in a few paragraphs, mentioning that he could
not be present during their last rites, except one.
Even today, with good air connectivity, someone in Delhi will think twice before
going to Assam. Imagine 1961 when it used to take 38 hours from Kolkata to reach
Guwahati. It was just a beginning of hardships of Pracharak life, that too in
Assam. He reached Nougaon soon after riots between Assamese speaking and Bangla
speaking natives. Later on, refugees during 1962 China aggression, emergency and
ban on RSS in 1975, Assam agitation in the 1980s, communal riots are other
challenging times to mention a few.
His formative years as Pracharak were under the leadership of then RSS Sar
Sanghchalak Golwalkar “Guruji”. Naturally, he is referred to in this book
multiple times. Two stories in this context are worth mentioning. During their
meeting soon after his arrival in Assam, Golwalkar jokingly asked him if he had
started eating fish. He answered in negative. Golwalkar responded by saying, “In
Maharashtra, if we eat fish, it would be considered a big sin. In Assam, they
think if one does not eat fish, he will be weak and sick. Both are wrong. The
day you will naturally feel like eating fish, you can”.
In 1965, Golwalkar and Pejawar Swami Vishveshteerth were present in a conclave
of tribals at Jorhat. At last minute, few disciples of Swami ji, without his
knowledge, declared that Swamiji would not attend the conclave as the tribals
are beef eaters. In response, Golwalkar argued, “Yes, they do eat beef. But they
do it out of compulsion as no alternative is available. And when is the last
time we have approached them? We were busy all the time in performing rituals,
sitting in a glass house”. When Swamiji came to know about this discussion, he
overruled his disciples and joined the conclave.
Yet another incident involving tribal children is equally insightful. In a
hostel for tribal students (launched by VHP), only vegetarian food was being
served. So frustrated were students for not having meat, they killed a cat,
cooked and ate it, all without knowledge of the administrator. When it came to
light, it was decided to serve non-veg food once a week. Commuting in the North
East was never an easy affair. This book narrates several instances of him and
other senior leaders of Sangh traveling in unreserved compartments of train,
buses, on foot for several kilometers. Sangh in the North East was always under
financial stress. There are so many instances in this book on how these
difficulties were overcome with the help of local residents, hard work of
Swayamsevaks, and novel frugal solutions for resource management.
In the North East, several Sangh
workers were killed by various extremist elements over the decades. Three
Pracharaks originally from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala were killed.
Several local workers too succumbed to terrorist attacks. In 1999, four senior
workers of RSS were kidnapped in Tripura and after several months, they were
declared dead by the government.
In spite of these tragedies and hardships, this book is an account of how a team
of highly motivated and dedicated workers can overcome all these difficulties
with smiling faces. Pracharaks, who devote their entire lives to the cause, are,
of course, an integral part of this journey. But equally or more important are
others who manage their family responsibilities and contribute to the work. This
book is full of stories of several such workers, from someone who exchanged his
new bicycle (without knowledge of spouse) with old one of Pracharak, to others
who donated his living house for Sangh Karyalaya or for a hostel for tribal
students. It is also a vivid account of how massive mass mobilization in favour
of national integrity was carried out multiple times. It also depicts how small
seeds sowed several decades ago by visionary leaders have shown results today
(for example, the union for tea garden workers).
This long journey also has several instances of celebrations and laughter. Once,
after a long walk in severe cold, when he and his colleagues reached army base
and asked for water, an army Jawan instead offered rum to keep them warm (which
was politely declined). In other instance, then RSS General Secretary H V
Seshadri was so keen to watch “Ramayan” serial on DD that he entered a small
house of an unknown family in a remote village (by looking at TV antenna on
roof-top) and watched the episode.
In less than five years, RSS will celebrate it’s centenary. One may or may not
agree with RSS ideology, but no one can deny that this living organization is a
unique case of how an institution is built, nurtured, expanded, remained
uncompromised on core issues, values and shows enough flexibility on other
issues. It is also a touching human story of millions of workers, about whom ex-RSS
Chief Deoras described as “workers whom even God will be envy of”. While
complete dedication and commitment are the hallmarks of these workers, little
known third characteristics are “facelessness”. This book, therefore, is not
only a story of my uncle, but also it’s a tribute to all those faceless
individuals.
(Vijay Chauthaiwale, in-charge of the BJP’s foreign affair’s department, writes
about 'Meri Prachaarak Yaatra' -- a book written by his uncle Shashikant
Chauthaiwale. Views expressed are personal. Www.outlook.com, March 9, 2020)
-GoTop
7. ANCIENT TEMPLE SITES ON SRIRANGAM ISLAND: Srirangam
Island, at the confluence of the Kaveri and Kollidam rivers in Tamil Nadu, is
home to a 2,000-year-old temple complex, major parts of which are still in use
today. However, much of the complex is hidden or damaged. Many older sections
are buried under sediment as a result of centuries of flooding, and the complex
was ransacked in the fourteenth century by the Muslim general Ulugh Khan. Recent
excavations at the site, guided by geologists with knowledge of flood sediment
layers, have begun to reveal what was presumed to have been lost. Researchers
including geologist Mu Ramkumar of Periyar University have uncovered parts of
the temple destroyed by Ulugh Khan and unearthed artifacts such as pendant lamps
and statues of the deity Gopalakrishnan with his consorts. Using geophysical
surveying techniques, they have also identified what they believe to be the tomb
of religious scholar and teacher Sri Manavala Mamunigal, who restored the temple
complex in the fifteenth century. -GoTop
8. SEWA INTERNATIONAL ADVISOR RECEIVES PADMABHUSHAN :
Dr. Jagdish Sheth, Sewa International advisor and Atlanta based professor, was
conferred the Padma Bhushan, for literature and education, on January 26, 2020.
Dr. Sheth has taught and done research at the University of Southern California,
University of Illinois, Columbia University, MIT, and Emory University.
Professor Sheth is a the recipient of all four top awards given by the American
Marketing Association: the Richard D. Irwin Distinguished Marketing Educator
Award, the Charles Coolidge Parlin Award, the P.D. Converse Award for
outstanding contributions to theory in marketing, and the William Wilkie Award
for marketing for a better society. Dr. Sheth has also received over more than
30 awards as an expert in the field of marketing, consumer behavior, and
emerging markets.
Dr. Sheth and his wife, Madhuri, are also well-known philanthropists. Through
the Madhuri and Jagdish Sheth Foundation and the Sheth Family Foundation, they
have given generously, both in terms of financial aid and advice, to over 50
community, academic, and healthcare organizations in Atlanta and around the
world. Among those owing their gratitude is Sewa International, and it was no
coincidence that Jagadish and Madhuri Sheth were honored with the “Outstanding
Community Services” award at the Sewa International Atlanta Chapter Fundraiser
the year before. -GoTop
9. 4TH NEW ZEALAND HINDU YOUTH CONFERENCE : The one day
conference was hosted by Hindu Youth New Zealand (HYNZ) and New Zealand Hindu
Students forum (NZHSF) on 29th February at KPMG, Auckland. The conference had
more than 120 delegates from around the World, including Fiji, Australia,
Malaysia and Bharat. The conference welcomed young people of all ethnicities,
backgrounds, and affiliations providing the opportunity for important
discussions and networking opportunities with various young leaders.
The Minister for Ethnic Communities, Hon. Jenny Salesa inaugurated the event,
which was also attended by the Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon and
National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi who all addressed the young delegation. Both
the Minister for Ethnic Communities and Race Relations Commissioner acknowledged
the participation and contribution of Hindu Youth to New Zealand.
“There are now about 123,500 Hindus in Aotearoa New Zealand, and you are the
second largest, but fastest growing community, ” said Hon’able Salesa speaking
at the occasion. Minister Salesa further went on to acknowledge the
participation of Hindu youth in medicine and technology as well as in a range of
different workplaces throughout the country. She also encouraged young Hindus to
participate in politics and state sector boards whilst opening her doors for
offering mentorships and pathways for young people interested in this sector.
The conference had lined up five separate panels with international guest
speakers throughout the day on key topics including economy, education,
politics, media, human rights etc. -GoTop
10. STATUE OF MORARJI DESAI IN VALSAD: Gujarat Chief
Minister Vijay Rupani unveiled a statue of former Pradhan Mantri minister
Morarji Desai on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary at his birthplace
at Bhadeli village in Valsad district on 29th February. “Gujarat is lucky to
have given two great leaders to the country who also became the Pradhan Mantris
- Morarji Desai and Narendra Modi,” said Rupani.
The chief minister, along with others also visited a photo gallery featuring
pictures of Desai and the school where he did his primary education.
-GoTop
11. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN:Pravas: Saumitra Gokhale ,
samyojak Vishwa Vibhag reached Bharat for Pratinidhi Sabha baithak from
Australia. Dr Ram Vaidya, sahsamyojak reached Bharat from Mauritius and Reunion
Islands. Visitors: Satish Rai—Australia, Ripudaman—USA
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the
degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual
progress. —Ramana Maharshi -GoTop
JAI SHREE RAM
CAA IS NECESSARY
Why the many arguments about its being unconstitutional don’t hold water
Harish Salve
The controversy over the Citizenship
(Amendment) Act appears to simmer – and of late has led to communal riots. I
have failed hopelessly to comprehend what the controversy is all about.
Illegal migrants are deported under the Foreigners Act 1946 and the Citizenship
Act 1955. The procedure to identify illegal migrants in the Northeast was
criticised and for good reason. But the law that requires Muslim migrants from
Pakistan and Bangladesh to be deported is the law of 1946 and 1955. If the CAA
goes away, Muslims from Bangladesh (and elsewhere) who are illegal migrants
would be liable to be deported as would illegal migrants who are Sikh, Buddhist
or Christian.
The citizenship of a country is presently based on similar principles followed
in almost all countries governed by the rule of law. Citizenship is acquired by
birth, descent, naturalisation or by acquisition of territories. Those who seek
to enter a country without its permission are illegal migrants and are liable to
be deported.
The demographic consequences of the Bangladesh war in the Northeast, leading up
to the Assam Accord, resulted in enactment of the Illegal Migrants
(Determination by Tribunals) Act – which made it practically impossible to
identify and remove illegal migrants. This law was successfully challenged by
those who claimed that it was a betrayal of the Assam Accord – the Supreme Court
in Sonowal’s case, taking the government to task for its failure to identify and
deport illegal migrants – it is in this case that the idea of a detention centre
was mooted.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 19 July
2016 and was referred to a joint committee of both Houses of Parliament, which
presented its report on 4 January 2019, recommending the bill.
The Rules framed in 2003 provided for the creation of a national register of
Indian citizens, to be written up after carrying out throughout the country a
house-to-house enumeration and in which doubtful cases were to be noted
separately for further enquiry. These Rules have been in place for the last 16
years but are yet to be operationalised.
I fail to understand how a law which is designed to confer the benefit on an
identified class of persons, and which identification is based on a rational
criterion, can be condemned as being discriminatory on the ground that the
legislation could have created a wider class, arrived at by applying a broader
criterion for identifying the class of those who would benefit by the
legislation.
The principle of equality does not mean that every law must have universal
application. The principle of equality does not take away from the state the
power of making classifications. f a law deals equally with members of a defined
class, it is not open to the charge of denial of equal protection on the ground
that it has no application to other persons.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly held the court cannot interfere simply because
other methods are also possible, even if the court thinks that they are better
for India and the government must be left to determine which of many possible
schemes is the best.
CAA’s avowed objective is to enable conferment of Indian citizenship upon
members of minority communities who hail from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan. Do we really need proof that minorities are persecuted in these
Islamic republics? How can Parliament be faulted for coming to a conclusion that
such minorities in the three named neighbours need to be protected?
Classification on the basis of religion is not per se unconstitutional – it is
worth reminding ourselves that our Constitution confers special rights upon
members of minority religious communities in India. If the law was broader and
allowed members of all religious communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan to migrate into India, we could as well do away with our borders.
An even more tenuous argument is finding discrimination as the law does not
extend to every citizen of every country (or some countries) who has suffered
religious persecution. The boldest lawyers have not gathered courage to advance
any such argument – their disadvantage of course was that they were not TV
anchors or enlightened members of civil society protesting on the streets.
The loudest criticism relates to the supposed intention of the government to
throw all Muslims out of India. There is no law, rule or notification published
– or even a draft circulated – that would suggest that the government has any
such intent. The Prime Minister has denied it. If any procedure put in place
requires Muslims alone all over India to prove their citizenship in a manner
more onerous than that applicable to any other community, such a procedure would
be unconstitutional.
Taking special measures to address demographic distortions caused by the
Bangladesh conflict in defined geographic areas would be a class apart and to
suggest that these measures could be made the template for the rest of India
shows ignorance of the basics of the rule of law.
Polarisation between castes and religions is as old at least as the notion of
modern India. I also find a growing polarisation between those who have enjoyed
the perquisites of power over decades and between those who have replaced them.
Add to this mix the fact that certain ideologies which are but dust on the
bookshelves of political history in the countries of their origin continue to be
romanced by intellectuals, some of whom dominate civil society and civil
discourse. All this creates a fertile ground for protests and aggressive debates
– and when it comes to romanticising such movements, perhaps the feeling is why
let the truth spoil a good story!
— The writer is a senior advocate at Supreme Court and Queen’s Counsel for the
courts of England and Wales., Times of India Edit Page 5th March 2020 )
-GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN vishwav@bol.net.in http://shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com
