\Samvad

Margshirsha Krishna 8 Vik. Samvat 2079, Yugabda 5124 : 16 November  2022 : SM 4016 (For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS:  GITA MAHOTSAV 2. TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENT IS NON-BHARATIYA THOUGHT: RSS SARKARYAVAH DATTATREYA HOSABALE
3. UPRASHTRAPATI DHANKAR INAUGURATED RESTORED ‘HALL OF DANCERS’ AT TA PROHM MANDIR 4. DEV DEEPAWALI CELEBRATED WITH GRANDEUR IN VARANASI
5. GANGA UTSAV CELEBRATED ACROSS BHARAT 6. MANGARH DHAM DECLARED NATIONAL MONUMENT
7. FOI CELEBRATED DEEPAVALI AS ‘UNITY IN DIVERSITY’ 8. HINDU YUVA CELEBRATED DIWALI WITH ‘RAMLEELA’ MUSICAL
9. DEEPAWALI CELEBRATIONS IN LITTLE INDIA, BANGKOK 10. HINDU HERITAGE MONTH BEGINS IN CANADA
11. PHILANTHROPIST ARUN GANDHI AWARDED PRESIDENT’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD  12. SRI LANKA PRESIDENT WICKREMESINGHE LAUDS EFFORTS OF BHARATIYAS LIVING IN COLOMBO
13. FIVE BHARATIYA-AMERICAN LAWMAKERS ELECTED TO US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 14. NO HINDUTVA INVOLVED IN LEICESTER VIOLENCE: REPORT
15. SIKH PRAYER BOOKS ISSUED TO BRITISH MILITARY PERSONS 16. STATUE OF SIKH SOLDIER UNVEILED IN LEICESTER
17. MOS MURALEEDHARAN INTERACTS WITH DIASPORA IN BRAZIL 18. RELIGIOUS LEADERS COME TOGETHER IN BALI
19. BHARATIYAS MAKE UP LARGEST FOREIGN-BORN RESIDENTS
IN ENGLAND, WALES: CENSUS
20. MADE IN BHARAT IPHONES CROSS ₹1000CR IN JUST 5 MONTHS
21. DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TESTS AD-1 MISSILE 22. HINDUS FROM PAKISTAN TO VOTE AS BHARATIYA
23. PLAY ON SHIVAJI MAHARAJ’S LIFE RETURNS TO RED FORT 24. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN

Article: SPREADING THE LIGHT OF SEWA


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. -GoTop


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. -GoTop

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. 
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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. -GoTop


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. -GoTop

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. 
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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.  
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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. -GoTop


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. -GoTop


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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