Shravana Shukla 8 Vik. Samvat 2078, Yugabda 5123 : 16 August, 2021:SM 3010 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS: SRI KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI: Sri Krishna Janmashtami, (31st August this year ), the birth of Yogiraj Bhagwan Sri Krishna is celebrated with joy and fervour
There are several tales about the love Bal Krishna had for curd and butter and as a remembrance, ‘Dahihandi’ programs are arranged, especially in Maharashtra, where a human pyramid is made to reach a pot of milk, curd and butter which is then distributed to all as Prasad. -GoTop
2. 75TH INDEPENDENCE DAY: Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind, during his televised address to the nation on the eve of 75th Independence Day, said,“ Parliament is the ‘temple of the country’s democracy’ which provides the highest forum to discuss, debate and decide issues for the well-being of people.”
Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the precincts of Red Fort on 15 August.
3. DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT UNFURLS NATIONAL FLAG AT MUMBAI: RSS Sarsanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat hoisted the national flag at Raja Shivaji School at Matunga in Mumbai on the occasion of Independence Day. During the program, he kept his views on the economic independence of Bharat. Dr Bhagwat added, “We use internet and technology which does not originally come from India.
He further said that had the feet of any foreign invader fallen on our land, the struggle would have started.
The country was attacked many times by the invaders, we gave it a complete stop on 15th August 1947. Great men who fight battles inspire. Today is the time to remember them. -GoTop
4. UPARASHTRAPATI RELEASES POSTAL STAMP ON CHAMAN LAL JI: Hon Uparashtrapati Venkaiah Naidu released a commemorative postage stamp on swargiya Chaman Lal Ji at a program held at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Conference Hall – Residence of Hon Uparashtrapati on 7th August. This commemorative postage Stamp highlights the life & work of swargiya Chaman Lal Ji, renowned social worker and Sangh Pracharak.
5. "WITHOUT MENTIONING CONTRIBUTION OF DALIT COMMUNITY, HISTORY OF INDIA WOULD BE INCOMPLETE”: HOSABALE - Speaking at the launch of the book ‘Makers of Modern Dalit History’ authored by Guru Prakash Paswan and Sudarshan Ramabadran on 10th August at Delhi, RSS Sarkaryavaha Dattatreya Hosabale said, “The great personalities (mentioned in the book) are not only the leaders of a particular community or a section of society but we have to declare proudly that they made history of India.”
Referring to the caste-based reservation as an instrument of affirmative action that has an important role in social justice and equality, he said that reservation and reconciliation (between communities) have to go hand in hand. The book “Makers of Modern Dalit History” features several inspirational Dalit leaders like BR Ambedkar, Babu Jagjivan Ram and many more who tirelessly battled divisive forces all their lives. -GoTop
6. Appeal for HSS History — A CALL FOR INFORMATION: Outside Bharat, many organizations - including HSS - have been working for the Hindu cause for a long time. Some of them are more than two generations old. A need was felt to document their beginnings, efforts and contributions before their origins fade from our memories. Ratan Sharadaji - a research scholar and author of several books - is leading a project to compile the history of HSS and Hindu organisations outside Bharat.
Considering the time frame, collection of historical incidents, individual experiences and data is little difficult and needs your support.
To take this project forward, we request you to share with the contact below any relevant memories in the form of: * Photographs * Audio/Video * Notes in diaries * Press clippings * Letters * Anecdotes etc.
You can email or WhatsApp the information or send it as a recorded audio message. If you are aware of anyone who can provide such information, please share their contacts so that they can be approached for the same.
We request you to begin sending any available content and keep sending as and when you get it.
Ratan Sharda: +91 9867021940: <rnsharda@outlook.com>;
Santosh Pillai: +91 9324331870: <santovpillai@gmail.com>; -GoTop
7. ‘SHIVSHAHIR’ BABASAHEB PURANDARE FELICITATED ON HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY
‘मी बाबासाहेबांना साष्टांग नमस्कार करतो. I pray to God that I imbibe the ideals that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj propagated and upheld and I convey my greetings to Purandare on him entering the 100th year of his life," PM Narendra Modi wished Babasaheb Purandare on his 100th birthday through video conference on 13th August.
Purandare, born in Saswad, near Pune, in 1922, has been honored with Padma Vibhushan in 2019. Since his childhood, he became an ardent lover and devotee of Chhatrapati Shivaji and spent his whole life in studying the life and times of Shivaji, traversed the terrain where Chhatrapati Shivaji waged battles and established Hindu Kingdom. He gave literally thousands of inspiring lectures on the life of Shivaji. He is fondly called ‘Shivshahir- - Bard of Shivaji’ for his relentless work and life devoted to this cause.
He took part in the Goa liberation movement during the struggle to free Dadra Nagarhaveli from Portugese rule, wrote and directed a magnum opus ‘Janata Raja’ – a theatrical performance of over 200 artists on the life of Shivaji. The civic reception held on the day was also addressed by several dignitaries. -GoTop
8. PROTESTS IN AUSTRALIA AGAINST ATROCITIES ON HINDUS IN PAKISTAN: Various Hindu organizations in Australia held protest demonstrations against atrocities on Hindus and other minorities in Paksitan. Following Covid regulations, protests were organized in 3 cities viz Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane on 14th August.
In Adelaide, karyakartas organized walk with posters in main CBD area. The team protested in front of South Australia Parliament as well. Hindu council of Australia is sending letters to PM of Pakistan through the local offices of Pakistan's consulate. -GoTop
9. AUGUST 14 WILL BE OBSERVED AS PARTITION HORRORS REMEMBRANCE DAY—PM MODI: A day before he addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Bharat’s Independence Day, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi declared that August 14 will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
In memory of the struggles and sacrifices of our people, 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day," Modi tweeted.
“May the #PartitionHorrorsRemembranceDay keep reminding us of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment," he added. -GoTop
10. HSS AND SEWA INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES: Hindu Council Australia and Hindu Benevolent Fund have initiated grocery distribution activity at Harry Todd Band Hall, Jubilee Park, Parramatta NSW for anyone who is suffering because of COVID/lockdown. The affected ones can come and collect the
Sewa International aid to South Africa
Sewa Bayarea prepares learning modules
In the month of July, Sewa ASPIRE Bay Area interns under the guidance of Dr Mairal, worked to produce modules for students in grades 7, 9, and 10. The purpose of the modules is to engage students in different ways in order to enhance learning in the classroom. Designed to meet the needs of audio-learners, visual-learners, and hands-on learners, these modules bring real life scenarios to the classroom and allow students to make a difference using topics such as chemistry and biology.
Large turnout at SATT/Sewa TT vaccination mass site in Chaguanas
Scores of people turned up at the mass vaccination site at the Divali Nagar site in Chaguanas in Trinidad & Tobago on 8th August for their second dose of the Covid vaccine.
The Supermarket Association (SATT) ran the site in partnership with the NGO, Sewa TT.
SewaTT is encouraging people to register online to avoid overcrowding for their first dose of WHO-approved AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered. -GoTop
11. HOUSTON HINDU UNITY DAY FOCUSES ON DHARMA CLASSES: The Houston chapter of HSS USA held its annual Hindu Sangathan Divas conference on 31st July at the Arya Samaj of Greater Houston.
Over 120 participants from about 40 Hindu organizations in the Greater Houston area participated in the event.
Laxminarayan Kurella Director HSS Houston chapter made the opening presentation. He introduced this year’s theme as “Hindu Dharma Awareness” and articulated the different challenges faced by Hindu society such as “CISCO issue, Equality lab, Media Bias, California textbooks etc. and urged all participating members to discus structure of response. All participating organizations expressed thoughtful views and agreed to work together with HSS on the capacity building in their respective organization and then take collective efforts in outreach opportunities in 2022 to drive Dharma Awarness Campaign. -GoTop
12. HPD’S YOUNG CADETS GET AN INTRODUCTION TO HINDUISM: 60 young cadets of the Houston Police Department (HPD) were introduced to the core principles of Hinduism through a series of presentations and lectures at Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj (VPSS) on 23rd July. This unique engagement with the HPD was initiated by the Hindus of Greater Houston (HGH). HGH Director Manisha Gandhi led the initiative with the keen involvement of Senior HPD Officer Danish Hussain.
13. IN ALBERTA CANADA AUGUST IS HINDU HERITAGE MONTH: Alberta, a province in western Canada, has announced the month of August as the Hindu Heritage Month to show gratitude towards the works done by the Hindu community. A joint statement issued by Alberta's Minister of Culture Ron Orr and Associate Minister of Immigration Muhammad Yaseen mentioned it as an important way to show appreciation for the Hindu community and all that they do to strengthen this great province.
In 2016, the government of Ontario, another province in Canada, had declared the month of November every year as Hindu Heritage Month. -GoTop
14. IAC VIKRANT SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES MAIDEN SEA VOYAGE: In a huge milestone for Bharat, the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) 'Vikrant' successfully accomplished its maiden sea voyage on 9th August after it had sailed on 4th August from Kochi.
During the maiden sailing, the ship’s performance, including hull, main propulsion, Power Generation and Distribution (PGD) and auxiliary equipment were tested. Delivery of Vikrant is being targeted to coincide with celebrations to commemorate 75th anniversary of Bharat’s independence ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
With the delivery of IAC, India would join a select group of nations with the capability to indigenously design and build an Aircraft Carrier. Delivery of IAC would also strengthen Bharat’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water Navy. -GoTop
15. CHANDRAYAAN –2 CONFIRMS PRESENCE OF WATER ON MOON: The Chandrayaan-2 mission, whose rover had a fatal ending on the Moon, continues to lead to new discoveries. Thanks to its orbiter that is currently orbiting the Moon. The latest is the detection of hydroxyl and water molecules on the lunar surface. Researchers used the data obtained by the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's imaging infrared spectrometer (IIRS), an instrument that collects information from the Moon's electromagnetic spectrum, to understand the mineral composition of the satellite. They analyzed data from three strips on the Chandrayaan-2 IIRS sensor for hydration, which led to "unambiguous detection of OH (hydroxyl) and H2O (water) signatures."
16. BHARAT BUILDS WORLD’S HIGHEST ROAD IN LADAKH: The Border Roads Organization of Bharat BRO has achieved yet another milestone by building the world`s highest road in eastern Ladakh, at a staggering height of 19,300 feet. It has built a 52-kilometer black-top road across Umlingla Pass,
17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Dr Ram Vaidya,
sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag is on Europe tour. Visitors: Rohit Sharma, Alameda USA
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Correcting oneself is correcting the whole world. The
sun is simply bright. It does not correct anyone. Because it shines, the whole
world is full of light. Transforming yourself is a means of giving light to the
whole world. — Ramana Maharshi -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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AMRIT MAHOTSAV – A LOOK BACK INTO THE WAR OF BHARAT INDEPENDENCE
DATTATREYA HOSABALE
Today, Bharat is celebrating the
festival of liberation from colonial dependence. Amid this series of
celebrations, while the journey of 75 years of independent Bharat will be
evaluated, it is also natural to remember the constant struggle and sacrifice of
more than four centuries to achieve it.
The national movement against this colonial slavery in Bharat was inspired by
the spirit of “self” whose manifestation was churning the whole country in the
form of a trilogy of Swa-dharma, Swaraj and Swadeshi. As a result of the
presence of saints and sages in the movement, spiritual consciousness was
constantly flowing in the form of an undercurrent.
The spirit of “self”, which has been in the soul of Bharat since ages,
manifested itself with all its might and these foreign powers had to face
resistance at every step. These forces destroyed Bharat’s economic, social,
cultural, and educational system; and destroyed village self-reliance. It was a
totalitarian invasion by foreign powers, which Bharat retaliated in all spheres
of life. The Bhartiya resistance against European powers is a unique example in
world history. It was a multifaceted effort in which, on the one hand, armed
resistance was being undertaken against the foreign invasion, and on the other
hand, the work of social reconstruction was happening by removing the
distortions in the society to make it strong.
While the kings of the princely states were resisting the British with all their
might, the janjati society rose from place to place against the interference of
the British in their simple life and the attack on their values of life. These
people who woke up to protect their values were brutally massacred by the
British, but they did not back down from the struggle. The nationwide war of
Independence of 1857, in which lakhs of people sacrificed their lives, was a
result of this.
While Hindu fairs being organized by Rajnarayan Bose in Bengal, Ganeshotsav and Shivaji Utsav by Lokmanya Tilak in Maharashtra were watering Bharat’s cultural roots, social reformers like Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule were engaged in the creative campaign of promoting women’s education and empowering the underprivileged sections of the society. Dr. Ambedkar showed the way to organize the society and struggle for achieving social equality.
No area of Bharatiya social life remained untouched by the influence of Mahatma Gandhi. While living abroad, the work of giving edge to the Bhartiya independence movement was progressing under the patronage of people like Shyamji Krishna Varma, Lala Hardayal and Madam Cama. London’s India House had become the center of activities related to Bharat’s independence. The Bhartiya War of Independence 1857, written by Krantiveer Savarkar, was very popular among Bhartiya revolutionaries. Bhagat Singh himself got it published and distributed hundreds of copies of it. The revolutionaries involved in more than four hundred underground organizations operating across the country were engaged in the campaign to free Bharat Mata by putting their lives at stake. Active in the activities of Anushilan Samiti, the revolutionary organization of Bengal, Dr. Hedgewar joined the Congress under the inspiration of Lokmanya Tilak and was elected as the Secretary of the Central Provinces. He was the Vice-President of the organizing committee of the National Convention held in Nagpur in 1920. In this session, he along with his colleagues made every effort to get the resolution of Purna Swaraj passed, but the Congress leadership was not ready for it. Ultimately this resolution was passed in Lahore after eight years.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose took over the leadership of the Azad Hind Fauj during the Second World War. Not only was the first government of independent Bharat formed under his leadership, but the Azad Hind Fauj also succeeded in liberating some parts of Northeast Bharat. The trial of the officers of the Azad Hind Fauj in the Red Fort filled the whole country with fury. Along with this, the rebellion made by the Navy against the British officers forced the British to leave Bharat.
The sun of freedom rose, but the eclipse of partition had fallen on it. The credit for the courage to move forward even in difficult circumstances goes to every Bhartiya who shed his blood and sweat to fulfil the national aspiration of hundreds of years.
Maharishi Arvind had said – Bharat has to wake up, not for itself but for the whole world, for humanity. His declaration proved to be true when Bharat’s independence became an inspiration for the freedom fighters of other countries of the world. One by one, all the colonies became independent, and Britain’s never-ending sun went down forever.
The Portuguese, Dutch, French and lastly the British came to Bharat. Alongside trade, all of them made constant efforts to destroy Bhartiya culture and engage in proselytization. The retaliation against colonialism had begun on the very day Vasco-da-Gama, the first European traveller, set foot on Bhartiya soil in the year 1498. The Dutch had to leave Bharat after being defeated at the hands of Maharaja Marthanda Varma of Travancore. The Portuguese remained confined to Goa. In the struggle for supremacy, the British eventually proved to be the victors who, on the strength of their devious policy, established control over a little more than half of Bharat. The rest of Bharat remained under the control of Bhartiya rulers with whom the British made treaties. After independence the union of these states emerged as the Republic of Bharat.
Bharat chose the path of democracy. Today it is the largest and most successful democracy in the world. Those who contributed to the freedom movement to protect the cultural values of Bharat, also performed the duty of framing the constitution for Bharat. This is the reason that in the first copy of the Constitution, arrangements were made to keep the cultural flow of Bharat intact by displaying the image of Ram Rajya through pictures and exponents of Bhartiyata like Vyasa, Buddha and Mahavira.
This “Amrit Mahotsav of Bhartiya Independence” is an occasion to show gratitude towards patriots due to whose sacrifice, we are moving towards getting our rightful place in the world community as an independent nation. Those unnamed heroes, events left out of discussion, institutions, and places, which gave direction to the freedom movement and proved to be milestones, will have to be reviewed, evaluated, and preserved in the folk memories associated with them. They should be introduced to the mainstream so that the coming generations recon that behind the innately available freedom today, there lies a struggle of the past generations for the nation and their tears, sweat and blood of many centuries.
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN vishwav@bol.net.in http://shrivishwaniketan.
