\Samvad
Margshirsha Krishna 8 Vik. Samvat 2079, Yugabda 5124
: 16 November 2022 : SM 4016 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS: GITA
MAHOTSAV: Gita Mahotsav is celebrated on the Shukla Ekadashi of Margashirsha
month (December 3 this year). It is believed that on this day, Bhagavad Gita was
revealed to Arjuna by Krishna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, now in Haryana.
Gita Mahotsav is also known as Gita Jayanti, Mokshada Ekadashi and Matsya
Dwadashi.
On this day, bhajans, pujas, stage play, Gita chanting competitions
and talks on Gita are organized. Booklets and books containing the essence of
the Gita are also distributed to the public.
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2. TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT IS NON-BHARATIYA THOUGHT: RSS
SARKARYAVAH DATTATREYA HOSABALE: On November 11, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat
Singh Koshyari released ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan – Glossary of Concepts’ brought
out by Centre for Integral Studies and Research. The programme held at Maharshi
Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha, Pune was attended by RSS Sarkaryavaha Dattatreya
Hosbale, Prajna Pravah Samyojak J. Nandakumar, Editor of the Glossary Ravindra
Mahajan, Ravi Dev, Prashant Sathe and others.
Giving an idea of this glossary of terms, Ravindra Mahajan said that 131
concepts have been covered in this compendium and a detailed attempt has been
made to explain the concept behind the words against just giving the meaning
like a traditional dictionary. This encyclopedia was prepared by Ekatma Prabodh
Mandal of Mumbai after a four years long effort with contributions from 30
scholars from across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Hosabale said that the world is searching for
real happiness and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay showed that Bharatiya philosophy could
give this happiness. He added that Pt. Upadhyay presented Integral Humanism when
the country was treading the path of western and socialist ideologies. He also
noted that Bharatiya tradition never followed the path of relying on the
government for everything and many things were undertaken by society itself.
A few of the 30 contributing authors were also felicitated by the Governor.
Coinciding with the release of the compendium, a day-long workshop on various
aspects of Integral Humanism was also organized.
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3. UPRASHTRAPATI DHANKAR INAUGURATED RESTORED ‘HALL OF
DANCERS’ AT TA PROHM MANDIR: On November 13, Uprashtrapati Jagdeep Dhankar
inaugurated the recently restored ‘Hall of Dancers’ at the famed Ta Prohm mandir,
located inside the Angkor Heritage Park adjacent to the cultural and tourist
province of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The restoration work commenced in 2011 under
the Cambodia-Bharat cooperation project and was done by the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI). Besides the dance hall, ASI has also done restoration
work on the South and East gates and the Gopuras.
D S Sood of ASI who has been involved in restoring the Ta Prohm mandir said that
tourists from Bharat, Europe and other countries will now have a glimpse of how
Bharat has gone about the restoration process.-GoTop
4. DEV DEEPAWALI CELEBRATED WITH GRANDEUR IN VARANASI:
On November 7, the age-old city of Kashi was resplendent with an enthralling
spectacle of light and colour on the occasion of Dev Deepawali with lakhs of
diyas illuminating the 8-kilometer-long banks of the Ganga. A scintillating
laser show and fireworks were part of the celebrations. 
> Tributes were also paid
to the brave soldiers of the nation by creating a replica of ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’
at Dashashwamedh Ghat. A major attraction among the onlookers was the Ganga
Aarti performed at the ghats. A 3D projection of 'Ganga Avtaran', and other
religious stories were also organized at the banks of the Ganga. Thousands of
people, including tourists from different parts of the world, gathered at the
famous ghats of Varanasi from early morning for the Dev Deepawali celebrations.
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5. GANGA UTSAV CELEBRATED ACROSS BHARAT: The National
Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) initiative of the Union Jal Shakti ministry held
Ganga Utsav - The River Festival - on November 4 to celebrate rivers and spread
awareness on the significance of river rejuvenation across basins in Bharat.
Since 2017, NMCG has been celebrating Ganga Utsav every year on November 4, the
day on which river Ganga was declared as the National River of Bharat in
2008. The event witnessed coming together of art and culture and people from
different walks of life to honour the river’s sanctity. As a part of ‘Azadi Ka
Amrit Mahotsav’, the Ganga Basin states will observe up to 75 special events to
promote the local culture, raise awareness about the conservation and protection
of the river and generate employment opportunities. This was also the central
theme of a day-long event hosted in New Delhi. On the occasion, Shri Gajendra
Singh Shekhawat, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti, said that Ganga is not just
our national river but also our cultural heritage.
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6. MANGARH DHAM DECLARED NATIONAL MONUMENT: On November
1, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi declared Mangarh Dham in the Banswara district
of Rajasthan as a National Monument and said that Bharat’s past, present and
future are not complete without the tribal community.
Addressing the 'Mangarh Dham Ki Gaurav Gatha', PM Modi said that the Mangarh
Dham is a symbol of the tenacity, sacrifice, penance and patriotism of the
tribal heroes and it is the common heritage of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The Bhil movement challenging the colonial British government and princely
states was initiated by Guru Govindgiri who raised a front against them for
forcing the Bhils into unpaid labour.
In 1903, Govind Guru set up his main camp on Mangarh Hill, situated in the
middle of dense forests on the border of Banswara and Santrampur. Mobilised and
trained by him, the Bhils placed a charter of 33 demands before the British,
primarily relating to forced labour, high tax imposed on Bhils and harassment of
the guru’s followers by the British and rulers of princely states. On November
17, 1913, soldiers of the British Indian Army fired indiscriminately on Bhil
protesters who were demanding the abolition of bonded labour. Approximately
1,500 Bhil tribals and forest dwellers died in the incident which came to be
known as the Mangarh massacre.
PM Modi said that unfortunately, the struggle and sacrifice of the tribal
community didn't get their rightful place in the history written after
independence. Today, the country is rectifying that decades-old mistake. -GoTop
7. FOI CELEBRATED DEEPAVALI AS ‘UNITY IN DIVERSITY’:
Friends of India (FOI) presented a mega cultural bonanza - Deepawali Utsav - on
October 30 at the Etisalat Academy, Al Muhaisana, Dubai.
The central theme this year was ‘unity in diversity’. The event was supported by
the consulate of Bharat. Dr Aman Puri, consul-general of Bharat in Dubai and the
Northern Emirates, was the chief guest for the event and Shri Anil Vartak from
Bharat was the guest of honour. The event included a rangoli competition in
which more than 70 teams participated. More than 4,000 attendees witnessed
cultural dances from 15 different states of Bharat and Nepal. 29 members of
Prerana, an initiative for the development of people with special needs also
displayed a fantastic dance performance.
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8. HINDU YUVA CELEBRATED DIWALI WITH ‘RAMLEELA’ MUSICAL:
Hindu YUVA, a Hindu cultural youth group at McCormick University, organised
“Wildcat Diwali Ramleela: The Story of Ram” - a musical version of the Hindu
epic Ramayana - at Cahn Auditorium. Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, a
Chicago-based organization, performed the tale through instrumental music and
without dialogue so that all audience members could follow the plot. The event
was the second official Diwali celebration at Northwestern, following a ceremony
and musical performances last year.
Hindu chaplain Amar Shah, University
chaplain Rev. Kristen Glass Perez, and McCormick Prof. Sanjay Mehrotra
inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp and discussed the importance of
Diwali. McCormick third-year graduate student and event volunteer Mythreyi
Ramesh said that the event created a sense of camaraderie and belonging across
the campus community and she hopes to see more such events at the university.
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9. DEEPAWALI CELEBRATIONS IN LITTLE INDIA, BANGKOK: For
the very first time, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration- with active
encouragement from the newly elected Governor Khun Chadchart Sittipunt,
organized a 3-day event ‘Deepawali 2022’ from October 21 to 23 at Little India
in the Phaurat area. Vishwa Hindu Parishad Association, Thailand, was the
co-host.
An entire area adjacent to the Klong Ong Ang was divided into two sections. One
area served as a marketplace and the other housed murtis of Bhagwan Ganesha and
Maa Lakshmi. The cultural program every evening gave a glimpse of the wonderful
traditions and culture of Bharat through folk dances and classical
singing. Around 100,000 people attended the event.
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10. HINDU HERITAGE MONTH BEGINS IN CANADA: The Hindu
Heritage Month (HHM) commenced in Canada on November 1 after MP Chandra Arya
raised a flag with the sacred symbol 'Aum' on the Canadian Parliament hill. In
September, the House of Commons had given its approval for the proposal to
celebrate November as Hindu Heritage month in Canada.
MP Arya, shared about the flag hoisting to Twitter and said that HHM provides
opportunity to recognize the contributions of 830,000 Hindu-Canadians to our
country & of Hindu Heritage to the mankind.
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11. PHILANTHROPIST ARUN GANDHI AWARDED PRESIDENT’S LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Bharatiya American businessman and philanthropist Arun
Gandhi was awarded the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of
his more than 5,000 hours of volunteer service and leadership. His award came
with a congratulatory letter from President Joe Biden, a certificate and a
medallion. The award administered by AmeriCorps - the federal agency for
national service and volunteerism - honours individuals whose service positively
impacts communities and inspires others to act.
“By sharing your time and passion, you are helping discover and deliver
solutions to the challenges we face.” President Biden said in an official
letter.
Gandhi is the founder of the International Institute of Solutions, a self-funded
and solution-focused initiative for the advancement and empowerment of
individuals from numerous socio-economic backgrounds in Bharat and the U.S.
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12. SRI LANKA PRESIDENT WICKREMESINGHE LAUDS EFFORTS OF
BHARATIYAS LIVING IN COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe
lauded the Bharatiyas living in Colombo and other parts of Sri Lanka and their
efforts for the crisis-hit country during the COVID pandemic and economic
fallout.
Colombo Expats Cultural Association (CECA) undertook a massive food donation
drive when it received a request from the Ministry of Children Probation to
support the orphanages struggling due to the economic crisis. CECA strategized
this drive to support 10,600 children across 300 orphanages with 100 days of dry
rations.
In a speech, President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted how CECA has helped the
lives of underprivileged children and appreciated CECA's continued involvement
and commitment to Sri Lanka. Moreover, Wickremesinghe also emphasized how Sri
Lanka and Bharat share a similar culture in the region. -GoTop
13. FIVE BHARATIYA-AMERICAN LAWMAKERS ELECTED TO US HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES: In the United States midterm elections, five Bharatiya-American
lawmakers have been elected to the US House of Representatives.
Ami Bera from California's 7th Congressional District is the longest-serving
Bharatiya-American in Congress and has been holding the seat since 2013.
Entrepreneur Shri Thanedar won the Congressional elections from Michigan.
In the eighth Congressional District of Illinois, Raja Krishnamoorthi was
re-elected for the fourth consecutive term. In Silicon Valley, Ro Khanna won the
17th Congressional District of California and Chennai-born Congresswoman Pramila
won in Maryland. Aruna Miller scripted history by becoming the first Bharatiya-American
politician to win the race of Lieutenant Governor.
According to reports, several other Bharatiya-Americans were elected in state
legislatures. -GoTop
14. NO HINDUTVA INVOLVED IN LEICESTER VIOLENCE: REPORT:
The first report into the cause of the recent Hindu-Muslim clashes in Leicester
and Birmingham has found no evidence of any Hindutva or RSS as the cause of the
violence. Instead, the report by the Henry Jackson Society (HJS) UK think tank
has concluded that a group of social media influencers, some with links to
terrorism, peddled this fake narrative to stir up tensions and instigate the
violence.
The report published on the HJS website and written by Charlotte Littlewood, a
research fellow at HJS and former counter-extremism coordinator, said that a
fake narrative of “RSS terrorists” being behind the unrest was peddled by social
media influencers to rally Muslims from across the UK to attend the protests.
One influencer with 150,000 followers spread fake news at the time that Hindus
had kidnapped a Muslim girl. One of the lead agitators against LGBT teaching in
schools played a key role in inciting the crowd that surrounded the Hindu mandir
in Birmingham, the report said.
Police are investigating allegations of both sides engaging in name-calling,
threats of violence and assaults. But there is “no evidence of involvement of
any organised Hindu extremist or terrorist groups,” the report states. “False
allegations of RSS terrorists and Hindutva extremist organisations active in the
UK have put the wider Hindu community at risk from hate, assault and vandalism,”
the report notes.
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15. SIKH PRAYER BOOKS ISSUED TO BRITISH MILITARY PERSONS:
For the first time in 100 years, Sikh personnel in the British military
received Sikh prayer books, BBC reported. The books called Nitnem Gutkas were
issued by the UK defence Sikh network at a ceremony in London and has been
printed in three languages.
The British military had first issued Nitnem Gutkas more than a century ago when
it included steel daggers, bracelets and wooden combs as well. Since then, it
has now been issued for the first time.
UK's ministry of defence said in a statement that it hopes to "directly support
Sikhs to practice a key component of their faith".
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16. STATUE OF SIKH SOLDIER UNVEILED IN LEICESTER: A
statue of a Sikh soldier was recently unveiled in Leicester to honour Sikhs who
fought for the UK in conflicts around the world.
The bronze statue was staged on
a granite plinth in Victoria Park and was unveiled on October 30. According to
the Sikh Troops War Memorial Committee, the recently staged statue of the Sikh
warrior would complement the war memorials that already exist in the UK. Sikhs
comprised of more than 20 per cent of the British Indian Army at the outbreak of
World War I.
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17. MOS MURALEEDHARAN INTERACTS WITH DIASPORA IN BRAZIL:
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan interacted with
the Bharatiya community at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Sao Paulo on
November 7 and invited them to participate in the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event.
In his speech to the Brazilian Parliament or Congresso Nacional in a Solemn
Session on November 8, he highlighted Bharat’s journey over the last 75 years
and significant accomplishments such as advancements in food production,
education, healthcare, science & technology, and infrastructure development. A
Solemn Session is a special session of the Brazilian Parliament, convened to
discuss an important issue - in this case the 75th year of Bharat’s
Independence.
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18. RELIGIOUS LEADERS COME TOGETHER IN BALI: Ahead of
the G20 conference in Bali, Indonesia, the group of Religion Forum (R20) opened
up to religious leaders of all faiths. R20 in Bali is part of a series of G20
events initiated under Indonesia's G20 Presidency.
In an effort to ensure that religion works together in solving world problems
for a peaceful and cooperative world, leaders of all faiths attended the event
to join global efforts to solve global humanitarian problems, including poverty,
COVID-19 and the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war. Addressing the summit, Swami Sri
Govinda Dev Giri Maharaj of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, Bharat praised the
Forum for providing a multi-religious platform for solving problems created in
the name of religion and allowing religions to serve their proper function as a
source of solutions for humanity's problems.
Calling Indonesia a 'diverse' country, Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a
video message at the R20 summit said that 'mutual cooperation' is the pride of
Indonesia and we must work together to solve world problems.
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19. BHARATIYAS MAKE UP LARGEST FOREIGN-BORN RESIDENTS IN
ENGLAND, WALES: CENSUS: Nearly one in six people living in England and Wales
last year were born outside the country and Bharatiyas constituted the largest
chunk at 1.5 per cent of residents, according to the latest statistics based on
the country’s 2021 census data.
The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that Bharat remained the
most common country of birth outside of the UK last year at 920,000 people,
followed by Poland and Pakistan. The census data also shows that Polish,
Romanian and Bharatiya were the three most common non-UK passports held by
residents in England and Wales in 2021.
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20. MADE IN BHARAT IPHONES CROSS ₹1000CR IN JUST 5 MONTHS:
In just 5 months, tech giant Apple has exported products worth ₹1,000 crore
from Bharat and it is expected to reach ₹2,500 crore by March 2023, which is
almost double what was exported last year. The gadgets exported since April
include the iPhone 11, 12, and 13 versions, and its primary market includes
Europe and the Middle East.
Owing to COVID-related lockdowns and tension between Washington and Beijing,
contract manufacturers for US-based companies like Apple are now shifting their
base to countries like Bharat, Mexico and Vietnam.
In what could be an another win for New Delhi in its push for local
manufacturing, it is reported that Apple is asking its suppliers to move some
AirPods and Beats headphone production to Bharat for the first time.
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21. DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TESTS AD-1 MISSILE: In a major
capability boost with the successful test firing of the AD-1 missile off the
Odisha coast on November 2, Bharat can now destroy incoming enemy ballistic
missiles fired at it from 5,000 km. The missile AD-1 is part of the phase 2
development programme of the Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) shield and can
destroy both ballistic missiles and low-flying fighter aircraft.
DRDO Chairman Samir Kamat said that this is a significant jump in our capability
against ballistic missiles. He added that by 2025, we should be able to prove
our capability, including the AD-1 missile as well as the high exo-atmospheric
missile.
The entire BMD system includes long-range tracking radars which can detect the
launch of missiles from submarines, land-based systems, aerial platforms or
warships.
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22. HINDUS FROM PAKISTAN TO VOTE AS BHARATIYA: Over a
thousand Hindu refugees from Pakistan who are now Bharatiya citizens will vote
for the first time in the upcoming assembly election. In all, 1,032 such
refugees, who were awarded Bharatiya citizenship by the Ahmedabad collector in
the past five years, will have a say in electing the new state government.
According to the 2016 and 2018 gazettes, the offices of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar
and Bhuj collectors have the authority to award Bharatiya citizenship documents
to Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Parsis from Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Bangladesh after approval from central and state intelligence agencies. On
August 22, state home minister Harsh Sanghavi had handed over the certificates
of Bharatiya citizenship to 40 Hindu refugees from Pakistan at Ahmedabad
collector’s office.
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23. PLAY ON SHIVAJI MAHARAJ’S LIFE RETURNS TO RED FORT:
"Raja Shiv Chhatrapati", a show depicting the life of Maratha king Shivaji
Maharaj, returned to the Red Fort grounds after a gap of four years.
Based on Shiv Babasaheb Purandare's famous play, the show was performed from
November 2-6. More than 200 artistes from Pune had arrived in the city to
participate in it. The fort grounds were decked up with bright outfits and
traditional flags for a grand display of the Maratha empire. "It is a three-hour
show to educate the public about the life of Shivaji Maharaj," said Vaibhav
Dange, coordinator of the organising committee.
The live show begins with the pre-Shivaji era, during Allauddin Khilji's
invasion and ends with the crowning of Shivaji Maharaj. It was enacted on a
four-storey stage depicting Raigad Fort where Shivaji was crowned 'Chhatrapati',
making him the first king of the Maratha empire. More than 1,000 performances of
the show have been staged across the country, apart from the US and the Wembley
Stadium in the UK.
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24. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Shardul
Takalkar - USA.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: True fasting means ridding ourselves of all selfish
designs, desires, not feeding them, purging ourselves wholly of them. - Swami
Ramtirth.
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JAI SHRI RAM
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SPREADING THE LIGHT OF SEWA
For SewaDiwali, lighting a lamp and serving a meal
was a great way to convey Deepawali’s message to all Americans. Little wonder,
as the 2022 holiday season approaches, thousands of Americans are participating
in SewaDiwali
Deepawali,“the festival of lights,” commemorates the victory of good over evil.
Hindus believe in the saying Asatoma Sadgamaya, Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya (from
untruth to truth and darkness to light); we light lamps during this auspicious
celebration to end the darkness and glorify the divine. Focusing on taking this
beautiful festival to the masses in the United States, numerous organisations
have joined hands to serve the needy and foster togetherness. The growing food
insecurity is a significant threat to harmony in American society.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately
one in ten people in America was affected by food insecurity in the year 2018.
Many Dharmic centres, yogic, spiritual, and linguistic organisations and Indian
socio-cultural organisations in the United States decided to address this issue
by launching a massive food donation campaign during Deepawali that year.
Interestingly, SewaDiwali, the food drive, is now in its fifth year. It is an
attempt by these organisations to chase away the darkness of hunger and provide
a great start to the holiday season in America.
Making the Breakthrough
For the first SewaDiwali in 2018, with over 150 volunteers from New Jersey–
belonging to 25 organisations – collected and donated 18,000 pounds of food to
15 Food Banks.
It was a fantastic start, but more, the merrier. In 2019, more than 70 Dharmic
organisations came together, and SewaDiwali was spread to 11 States involving
1,130 volunteers. That year, the SewaDiwali campaign donated over 49,000 pounds
of non-perishable food to 73 food banks.
Impressed by the campaign, many townships applauded the tremendous efforts of
the Dharmic
organisations to help their local communities.
In the Dharma tradition, one of the paths to moksha (liberation from the cycle
of birth and death) is Karmayoga or virtuous action. In this path, work is a
service always offered to Bhagwan. Many Dharmic scriptures state Sewahi Paramo
Dharmaha- service to society is the service to divinity. Keeping this in mind,
volunteers of SewaDiwali aimed to expand the food drive even further. As the
fall of 2020 entered, many volunteer families started preparing not just for
Diwali in their homes but also for Sewa Diwali in their communities!
COVID-19 Served As Energiser For Karyakarta
The SewaDiwali campaign allowed individuals to register their homes as food
donation collection centres to increase donations. Suddenly, each community had
multiple centres boosting the overall food items collected as part of Sewa
Diwali. The campaign’s success in previous years encouraged more volunteers to
join. However, the deadly COVID-19 pandemic struck the country in 2020, killing
over 170,000 people. As the pandemic raged, the economy tumbled, and thousands
lost their jobs.
But volunteers from Dharmic organisations bravely stepped out of their homes,
risking their lives to help suffering people. COVID-19 served as an energiser
for the Karyakartas rather than becoming a barrier. As a result, the total
donation crossed 290,000 pounds of food- over five times the previous year!
SewaDiwali in 2020 reached 26 States and benefited 400 organisations. The number
of drop-off locations touched 175.
Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., the Governor of Indiana, Eric Holcomb,
said,“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is ‘what are you doing for
others?’. When many people are going through physical, financial, and spiritual
hardships, your actions shine as a beacon of hope.”
Selfless service never-ends, and the SewaDiwali volunteers proved that once
again. As the pandemic refused to go away and thousands of families still could
not put food on their tables, the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA nationally
coordinated SewaDiwali in 2021, and the food collected reached 550,000 pounds.
The numbers kept increasing: over 30 States, 8000 donors, 1800 volunteers, and
315 partner organisations made the 2021 SewaDiwali a roaring success. Over 200
townships recognised these efforts and commended Dharmic organisations’
selfless service. The Mayor of Indianapolis, Joe Hogsett, said,“The overwhelming
participation from Indy Dharmic Organisations during SewaDiwali is a shining
example of unity and generosity.” When the food reached many deserving homes,
volunteers must have felt the same sense of fulfilment they would feel by
worshipping the divine in a temple.
As the 2022 holiday season approaches, thousands of people across America are
participating in SewaDiwali. In 33 States of the country, volunteers are working
tirelessly to serve the needy.
Many States inaugurated SewaDiwali on October 15th/16th in the presence of
Mayors and local council members. Lighting a lamp and serving a meal is a great
way to convey Diwali’s message to all Americans. https://organiser.org/2022/11/08/98173/culture/spreading-the-light-of-sewa/
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