Magha Krisha 4, Vik. Samvat 2077, Yugabda 5122 : 1 February, 2021:SM 2020 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS: THAIPUSAM: The word Thaipusam is a
combination of the name of the month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam (Pushya ) in Tamil. This particular star is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan (aka Kartikeya) a Vel "spear" so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman and his
brothers. It is also commonly believed that Thaipusam marks Murugan's birthday.
One of the biggest gathering of devotees is generally observed at Batu caves
Malaysia during Thailpusam. This year too, it has been celebrated on 28th
January with a restricted number. 
2. GLIMPSES OF 72ND REPUBLIC DAY: Rashtrapti Ramnath
Kovind greeted the Bharatiyas on the eve of 72nd Republic day and said that
every Bharatiya salutes the farmers who made country self reliant in
agriculture, the soldiers who ensure security of the country braving their lives
and scientists and healthcare community who contributed in containing the
Covid-19 pandemic and developing a vaccine. He attributed the effective response
of the nation to the pandemic to the Constitutional value of 'Fraternity'. 
Thirty-two tableaux, 17 from States and Union Territories, nine from various
Ministries or Departments and Paramilitary Forces and six from the Ministry of
Defense were rolled down the Rajpath.
A 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces also marched on
Rajpath to commemorate 50 years of its liberation.
A major attraction among the tableaux was the model of proposed Rammandir in
Ayodhya in the tableaux of Uttar Pradesh. Other highlights were Vision for
Carbon neutral Ladakh, Sun Temple of Modhera, Gujarat etc. School children
performed Bajasal Dance of Odisha, Tamil Nadu Folk Dance, and other theme
dances. 
Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth became the first woman fighter pilot to be take
part in the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) tableau at the Republic Day parade.
This time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the parade route had been shortened.
Only around 25 thousand spectators were allowed to witness the parade as
compared to the average of 1.15 lakh people every year. -GoTop
3. SERVING SELFLESSLY WITH CONFIDENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE –
DR SAGDEO: IT WAS some 41 years ago, when a young Dr Dhananjay Diwakar
Sagdeo from Nagpur decided to dedicate his life to serving the people after
completing his medical education from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College.
He moved to tribal area of Wayanad district in Kerala, and started serving the
tribals. What started as a small healthcare unit has now bloomed into an
umbrella of initiatives and, more importantly, into a place that the people
trust.
Dr Sagdeo, a resident of Yashwant Nagar near Gandhi Nagar in Nagpur, has been
among the winners of the coveted ‘Padma Shri’ this year. Since 1980, he made
Kalpetta in Wayanad district of Kerala as his second home. A man with a smiling
face and a doctor with a blessed hand, he is rooted firmly in the sanskaars of
serving the motherland, inspired by the thoughts of Swami Vivekananda and
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Dr Sagdeo, an alumnus of Hadas High School at
Nagpur, is a highly respected figure in Kerala. His model of empowerment of
tribals, especially those affected due to Sickle Cell, is working wonders.
Talking to ‘The Hitavada’ over phone Dr Sagdeo he said, “I am happy that the
work I have been doing for tribals has got recognition. I feel more motivated to
keep on serving the tribals.”
When a young Dr Dhananjay went to Wayanad, he faced several challenges ranging
from acceptance to language. Wayanad district has several tribes. “The tribals
had certain taboos back then. They were reluctant to take medicine. But I was
determined and had prepared myself mentally. So, I started working. Gradually,
selfless work with confidence and consistency started yielding positive results.
Today, the change is for all to see,” he said.
Dr Sagdeo started a small clinic at Muttil. Today, it has developed into a
modern facility with in-patient care including maternity care, outpatient clinic
with full-time doctors, X-ray and Ultrasound facilities, laboratory, pharmacy,
etc. It has six sub-centres run by mobile units that take healthcare to the
doorsteps of tribals. The centre also provides specialty care in ophthalmology,
pediatrics, ENT etc by doctors who visit on a regular basis.
The most important part of his work has been in the field of Sickle Cell. It was
prevalent among tribals. In 1999, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),
New Delhi, joined hands with Swami Vivekananda Medical Mission Trust to
introduce the first pilot project. More than 70 per cent of the tribals were
screened. A separate trust by the name Sickle Cell Anaemia Research Foundation
was formed to continue the campaign. “After screening, we issued red, blue, and
white cards to patients, carriers, and non-affected persons respectively. These
cards helped in marriage counselling, thereby reducing the sufferings of the
people,” Dr Sagdeo said.
The centre has an active microscopic and treatment centre, and works in the
field of tuberculosis treatment too. Other initiatives include alcohol
rehabilitation programme, work as ‘Mother NGO’ for Wayanad district to implement
various National Rural Health Programmes. The centre runs Bamboo craft training
centre to help the tribals preserve their traditional handicraft and also make
some financial gains, which has come in handy for rehabilitation of Sickle Cell
patients. The Mission also plays an active role in organising self-help groups,
micro insurance programmes etc. Further, it has established around 100 ‘Vidya
Kendra’ (coaching centers) along with small libraries and reading rooms.
Dr Sagdeo is serving the society with the mission’s five-point programme --
Shikshan (education), Swasthya (healthcare), Sanskar (grooming), Swavalamban
(self-reliance), and Samajik (social work). He is ably supported by his wife
Sujata, who has won several awards for recipes. Several of her articles on
recipes have appeared in various publications. Elder daughter Aditi Shahapurkar
and her husband Ajay stay in Sahakar Nagar, Nagpur. Younger daughter Dr Gayatri
has completed her MBBS and has joined her father.
Wg Cdr (retd) Vinay Sagdeo, who stays in Nagpur, described his brother as a man
with rock solid determination. “Over the years, he has ushered in several
changes not only in healthcare but also empowerment of tribals. Today, Swami
Vivekanand Medical Mission Trust hospital at Muttil has become a symbol of
trust. Many a time, tribals from remote areas of district come to him at odd
hours and want him first to check their patient before moving into hospital. He
has earned so much trust with his hard work,” he added. (By Kartik Lokhande,
Hitavada28 January 2021) -GoTop
4. PADMA AWARDS TO 119 ACHIEVERS: On the eve of 72nd
Republic Day, the Government announced Padma Awards. Seven Padmavibhushan
awardees include former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, sculptor Sudarshan
Sahoo and scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Eminent Singer late S P
Balasubramaniam will be given the 2nd highest civilian award posthumously. Ten
persons will get Padma Bhushan. Some of them are former Lok Sabha Speaker
Sumitra Mahajan, prominent poet Chandrashekhara Kambara and retired Civil
Servant Nripendra Misra.
102 persons will get Padma Shri. The list includes many unsung heroes of the
country. -GoTop
5. MAHAVIR CHAKRA TO GALWAN VALLEY HERO COL SANTOSH BABU
POSTHUMOUSLY: Rashtrapati has approved awards of 455 Gallantry and other
Defense decorations to the Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of 72nd 
6. PADMASHREE TO SINDHUTAI SAPKAL AND GIRISH PRABHUNE:
Sindhutai Sapkal, popularly known as “Mai”, has been working throughout her life
for orphaned children, starting and running an orphanage in Pune near Hadapsar.
Reacting to the award, Sapkal said, “I am overwhelmed after hearing the news of
me being given the Padmashree award. It will certainly help to reduce the hunger
of my children at the orphanage. All of them, who have till now, helped,
supported and stood behind me strongly - this award is dedicated to them. And to
all my children, who are my backbone. I never give up or have stopped my work
despite the many obstacles in front of me. .. I never forgot my past and look
forward to work more for my children.”
7. OVERWHELMING RESPONSE TO SHRI RAM MANDIR RECONSTRUCTION
SAMARPAN NIDHI: The fundraising campaign for the grand Rammandir at Ayodhya
has gained momentum and all the sections of the society, those occupying highest
offices and high net worth individuals to the daily earners, people from all
communities, age groups and regions are supporting and contributing their money
and resolve for the Rammnadir.
Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind donates 5 lakh 
Dr Mohan Bhagwat at Valmiki Mandir Delhi to start the campaign 
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan handed over a cheque for INR
1 lakh to the VHP delegation. 
And Govindbhai Dholakia is not alone to support the cause from Gujarat. One
Mahesh Kabootarwala of Surat has donated Rs 5 crore, Loveji Badshah has made the
contribution of Rs 1 crore for the construction of the Ram temple.
Sindhi Samaj offeres 200 silver bricks
'Vishwa Sindhi Seva Sangam' donated 200 silver bricks weighing one kilogram each
, for Shri Rammandir construction. Office bearers of the society handed over
tthese o the trust after Puja and Aarti at Ayodhya.
Daily wage labourer from Andhra Pradesh donates Rs 1 Lakh 
We tried to contribute like a squirrel – Haji Ismail
‘Please accept my contribution for Prabhu Shriram, make my life meaningful and
give me a chance to serve Shri Ram’. Saying this, Balmama [Nagma] Gajendra
Kambale, a transgender from Lokmanya basti Paramhans Nagar, Pune.
Christian organization donates for Shri Ram Mandir
PCLM chairman R L Francis, Advocate George Toms and H S Dubey called on Adv Alok
Kumar and handed over the bank cheque to the karyakartas. -GoTop
8. DESHPREM DIVAS AT TOKYO JAPAN: "Deshprem Divas" is
being organized by HSS Japan and Team Netaji Japan for last 9 years to pay
tributes to freedom fighters and recall the Japanese assistance for setting up
Indian National Army on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Shri
Subhash Chandra Bose. Shri Rash Behari Bose whose disappearance day falls on
January 21 is also being remembered for his braveness and acting as a messenger
of Bharat in Japan. This year, Deshprem Divas was celebrated virtually to follow
the ongoing safety measures.
Great Grandsons of Shri Mistsuru Toyama and Shri Shigemaru Sugiyama, both who
helped Netaji and Rash Behari in their endeavour, delivered the greetings on
behalf of Japanese followers of Netaji.
Netaji’s grandnephew, Shri Surya Bose also joined the event from Germany and
conveyed his deep appreciation for the annual celebrations. Keynote was
delivered by Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe who is a Member of Parliament and the
President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR. Dr Vinay Ji appreciated
the cultural performances which included special skit on Netaji and Rash Behari
by the members of HSS Japan and other members of the Bharatiya community in
Japan. -GoTop
9. SEWA INTERNATIONAL’S VOLUNTEERS WALK FOR HEALTH: With
the aim of promoting an active lifestyle and physical and emotional wellbeing,
Sewa International volunteers in Atlanta, Houston, and the Bay Area in
California welcomed the new year by walking five miles and resolving to stay fit
and healthy.
Participating in the walkathon in a park near Sewa’s office in Houston,
President Arun Kankani emphasized the four elements of Sewa’s SELF program –
Sleep, Exercise, Living in the present, and Food and diet. About 50 people
participated in the event at the venue and 20 people joined it virtually. -GoTop
10. INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY VETERANS HONOURED IN THAILAND:
India Thai cultural Forum honored Indian National Army veterans On 23rd January,
the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose as a part of the virtual
meeting Jai Hind — A Tribute to Netaji .
Those honoured were Shri Sheetal Tewari, Shri Raj Sachdev and Shri Tilak Raj
Pawa who were members of Balak Sena initiated by Netaji.
Dr. Sophana Sirichampa , director of Research Institute of Languages and
Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University said that people of Thailand cannot forget
the collection of money under the leadership of Netaji which helped the
establishment of Chulalankorn Medical College in Bangkok. Dr. Amarjiva Lochan of
Delhi University spoke about Netaji’s stay in Thailand and support he received
there. -GoTop
11. HINDU TEMPLE IN DUBAI TO OPEN DOORS BY DIWALI 2022:
A new Hindu temple in Dubai, the foundation stone of which was laid last August
amidst the pandemic, will open its doors to worshippers by Diwali next year.
The temple, being constructed adjacent to the Guru Nanak Singh Darbar in the
city's Jebel Ali area, is an extension of the Sindhi Guru Darbar in Bur Dubai.
The Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples in the country,
open since the 1950s.
According to a Khaleej Times report, the temple will be home to 11 Hindu
deities.
Raju Shroff, one of the trustees, was quoted as saying in the report that the
temple will cater to religious beliefs of Hindu communities belonging to all
parts of Bharat.
The actual structure will cover 25,000 sq ft. of land, while the built up area
of the temple stands at a spacious 75,000 sq ft. -GoTop
12. HINDU ELDERS FOUNDATION CELEBRATE REPUBLIC DAY AT
BHARATIYA MANDIR, NEW ZEALAND: Hindu Elder Foundation, an organization for
the elderly of the community, hosted its Bharatiya Republic Day celebrations at
Bharatiya Mandir on Balmoral Road in Sandringham on January 24. The event was
attended by over a hundred seniors and community members at the temple where the
hosts and guests hoisted the Bharatiya tricolour flag.
13. HAWK-I SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRES SAAW: In a big boost
to the indigenous Hawk-i program, HAL successfully test fired a Smart Anti
Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from the Hawk-i aircraft off the coast of Odisha. The
indigenous stand-off weapon is developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO.
It is the first smart weapon fired from a Bharatiya Hawk-Mk132.
The aircraft executed the weapon release in a text book manner and all mission
objectives were met. 
14. UN SAYS BHARAT TO HAVE WORLD'S LARGEST DIASPORA:
United Nations recently released the report of 'International Migration 2020
Highlights'. According to the report, the Bharatiya diaspora is the largest in
the world, with more than 18 million people from Bharat living outside Bharat,
considering the report of 2020. The other countries with a large diaspora are
Mexico, China, Russia and Syria.
According to the report, Bharat’s diaspora is distributed across a number of
major countries such as UAE with 3.5 million Bharatiya population, Saudi Arabia
with 2.5 million and US with 2.7 million. The other countries hosting large
number of migrants from Bharat are Oman, Australia, Kuwait, Canada, Qatar and
UK. The Bharatiya migration was driven by the factors of labor and family
reasons. The United States was the largest country of destination of
international migrants. There were more than 51 million migrants in the US as of
2020. The growth in the number of international migrants has reached 281
million. It was 173 million in 2000 and 221 million in 2010. Currently, the
total international migrants are about 3.6% of the world population. In terms of
regional migration corridors, the Central and Southern Asia to Northern Africa
and Western Asia has grown the most. In these corridors the migrant population
has almost tripled between 2000 and 2020. -GoTop
15. BHARATIYA–ORIGIN POET WINS T S ELIOT PRIZE IN UK:
Bharatiya origin author – poet Bhanu Kapil has been named the winner of the
prestigious T S Eliot Prize, named after the renowned 20th century
American-British poet. Kapil, who grew up in London, beat nine other shortlisted
entries with ‘How to Wash a Heart’, a poem that explores the relationship
between an immigrant guest and a citizen host. The prize announced on 24th
January is seen as the most valuable award in British poetry and the only one
judged purely by established poets. The 53-year-old – who has six books of
poetry/prose to her credit – won the coveted Windham-Campbell Prize in the US
last year. -GoTop
16. OBITUARY – SHANTIBHAI SHAH – KENYA: Shantilal P
Shah, fondly known as ‘Shantibhai’ became a swayamsevak in his childhood in
Kenya. For the last 70 years, he worked tirelessly for Sangh work and sewa
activities among the local Kenyans under the auspices of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
HSS Kenya and Hindu Religious and Services Center HRSC.
17. SHRI VISHWANIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors:
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: It is our Hindu identity that teaches us to respect and
accept everyone and to do good for everyone. That is why Sangh wants to make
Hindu society capable and undefeatable and it will ultimately achieve this
objective. - Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, P.P. Sarsanghchalak, RSS (Yashaswi
Bharat) -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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BY SENDING CORONAVIRUS VACCINES ABROAD, INDIA ENTERS V5: THE WORLD’S EXCLUSIVE
VAX POWER CLUB
Rajiv Bhatia
Today (i.e.
16 January 2021) India rolls out “the world’s biggest vaccination programme”, as
Prime Minister Narendra Modi put it, in its epic combat against Covid-19.
In the new year, as TS Tirumurti – India’s ambassador to the UN – prepared to
take his seat in the UN Security Council for a two-year tenure as a
non-permanent member, another kind of global security was being concurrently
consolidated. VG Somani, the country’s drugs controller general, announced
approval for two vaccines made in India for “restricted use in emergency
situation.” This cleared the way for the government to provide the much-awaited
vaccines at home as well as to the world community.
It marked India’s entry into the exclusive V5 club – the five anti-corona
vaccine-producing powers (the US, UK, Russia, China, India) – and reflects an
impressive increase in its soft power globally. The two vaccines approved in
India are Covishield,produced by the Serum Institute of India, Pune, in
collaboration with Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and Covaxin indigenously
developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian
Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology. Given the
heavy toll already exacted by the pandemic, approval for both was accorded,
subject to certain “regulatory conditions”.
The goal is to provide vaccinations to about a quarter of the country’s
population rating priority, in the coming months. But while engaged in this
momentous exercise, the needs of India’s external partners will not be ignored.
Here, the government will astutely balance its internal needs and external
requests.
The second category includes friendly countries in the extended neighbourhood:
West Asia, central Asia and the Indian Ocean region states. Official sources
indicate that immediate requests from these two categories may be for 30 million
doses. This can be arranged smoothly as the immediate production capacity of
Indian companies will touch or exceed 300 million doses in the next six months.
The third category will cover the rest of the world, with the choices to be made
carefully in terms of the urgency of need and the nature of relations with
India. Countries in Africa and in Latin America will be provided with
India-produced vaccines. In view of the specific request made by the president
of Brazil, the supply of vaccines is likely to be arranged soon.
There are several striking features of India’s emergence as a major vaccine or
vax power. First, countries that routinely accept Chinese goods, technology and
funds have confided to Delhi that their clear preference is for an Indian
vaccine over a Chinese one. Why? Because India’s pharmaceutical knowhow is
considered far more reliable.
Second, India’s constructive role at the World Health Organization and
endeavours to strengthen the COVAX initiative are significant. This aims to
ensure rapid and equitable access to Covid vaccines to all countries. Funds
available under COVAX can be deployed for the export of Indian vaccines to the
needy regions.
Third, vaccine production offers to India a rare opportunity to make inroads
into global production and supply chains relating to the pharma sector. This
comes on the back of solid achievements of Indian companies in recent decades to
offer life saving products like the AIDS cocktail, and generic products that are
readily accepted in diverse markets. India is the world’s largest exporter of
generics, and already has 40% of the US generics market. With some incremental
effort, India can rapidly scale up its pharma ecosystem. India’s advantages are
innovation, skills, compliance and good production chains.
As Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates pointed out recently, more vaccines are made
in India than anywhere else in the world. The leap into the V5 club is laudable,
providing a solid base to make India a net provider of global health security.
- Writer is a Distinguished Fellow, Gateway House and a former ambassador (Times
of India, 16 January 2021) -GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN vishwav@bol.net.in http://shrivishwaniketan.
