\Samvad

Mahashivratri Vik. Samvat 2078, Yugabda 5123 : 1 March, 2022:SM 3023 (For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS: HOLI

2. USE EDUCATION FOR BENEFIT OF ALL: DR. BHAGWAT

3. SRI LANKAN ENVOY AND SARASANGHACHALAK DISCUSS RELIGIOUS RELATIONS, SCOPE FOR DIALOGUE

4. COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT HAS LONG HISTORY IN BHARAT: DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT

5. HANUMAN CHAR DHAM : A CULTURAL AND NATIONAL IDENTITY – DATTATREYA HOSABALE

6. BHARAT EVACUATED 1400 STUDENTS FROM UKRAINE

7. RASHTRAPATI KOVIND INAUGURATED 400TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF LACHIT BORPHUKAN

8. LOK SABHA SPEAKER SHRI OM BIRLA VISITS BAPS HINDU MANDIR, ABU DHABI

9. BHARATIYA LANGUAGES ARE THE EPITOME OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY : VENKAIAH NAIDU

10. HSS USA YOGATHON CONCLUDED

11. SEWA DIWALI EFFORT APPRECIATED IN US CONGRESS

12. HSS USA PAATSHALA INITIATIVE RECOGNITION EVENT

13. NHSF: NATIONAL SPORTS COMPETITION

14. SEWA INTERNATIONAL HONOURED WITH AMEC AWARD

15. RELIEF MATERIALS FROM BHARAT REACH AFGHANISTAN

16. THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT YOUTH PARLIAMENT 2022

17. MEGA EXPO DISPLAYS BHARAT’S SCIENTIFIC LEGACY AND TECHNOLOGY PROWESS

18. 13TH NATIONAL CONVENTION OF BHARATIYA KISAN SANGH

19. MADHYA PRADESH TO OFFER MBBS IN HINDI LANGUAGE FROM APRIL

20. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article: THE NEED TO JOIN HANDS TO CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT HINDU DHARMA IN THE UNITED STATES


1. FESTIVALS: HOLI: Holi is considered as one of the most celebrated festivals of Bharat and is celebrated in almost every part of the country. The festival starts on the evening of Purnima of Falgun (March 19 this year). It is celebrated with the name Holika Dahan or Choti Holi on first evening symbolising the triumph of good over the bad. On the following day of Holi, people play with colours with their friends and families. It is called Phakuwa/Doul in Assamese, Phaguwa in the local Bhojpuri dialect of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Ukkuli or Shigmo in Konkani. During the Shigmo Festival in Goa, temple yatras and Dindis (processions) are held.

Holi is celebrated throughout Bharat but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the diaspora from the Bharatiya subcontinent. -GoTop

2. USE EDUCATION FOR BENEFIT OF ALL: DR. BHAGWAT: On February 22, RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat inaugurated Samrat Vikramaditya Bhawan, the regional office of Vidya Bharati in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The building, spread across 20,000 sq feet, can accommodate 2,000 teachers and is equipped with smart classrooms, library, laboratories, auditorium with seating capacity for 400, meeting rooms, an open air theatre and a temple. It will also serve as teachers' training and research centre.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Bhagwat said that education and health are now part of basic needs. He also said that there is no limit to what a human can learn, but the learning and education should be used for the benefit of all. “Teachers should lead by their own examples”, he added. -GoTop

3. SRI LANKAN ENVOY AND SARASANGHACHALAK DISCUSS RELIGIOUS RELATIONS, SCOPE FOR DIALOGUE: On February 24, Sri Lankan high commissioner H. E. Shri Milinda Moragoda met RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur.
According to a statement from the Sri Lankan high commission, they discussed a range of issues including the age-old cultural and religious relations between Bharat and Sri Lanka and the possibility of establishing a dialogue between Buddhism and Hinduism. Shri Moragoda gifted two framed photographs – featuring murals from the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara, which depict the gift of Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Bharat – to Dr. Bhagwat.
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4. COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT HAS LONG HISTORY IN BHARAT: DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT: On February 25, RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat participated in the concluding ceremony of Maharashtra-based TJSB Sahakari Bank’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations.
Speaking as the chief guest he said that Bharat’s cooperative movement had a long history, which included farmers coming together in the olden days to help each other. He also said that unity among members of a profession was useful.
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5. HANUMAN CHAR DHAM : A CULTURAL AND NATIONAL IDENTITY – DATTATREYA HOSABALE: On February 23, the foundation stone for a 108 feet tall statue of Bhagwan Hanuman was laid in Rameswaram as part of the Hanumanji Char Dham Project. The statue, 3rd in the series after Jakhoo Hill in Shimla and Morbi in Gujarat will be constructed by Harish Chander Nanda Education and Charitable Trust.
The foundation ceremony was presided over by industrialist Nikhil Nanda in the presence of RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Hosabale said that installing such statues in four border areas of four corners North, East, South and West of Bharat is a cultural and national identity.
The statue at Rameshawaram is expected to be completed by 2024. 
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6. BHARAT EVACUATED 1400 STUDENTS FROM UKRAINE: Bharat has launched 'Operation Ganga' and has sent flights to bring back Bharatiya students from Ukraine to Bharat. S Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, informed media on February 28 that the sixth flight carrying 240 stranded Bharatiya nationals had departed for Delhi from Budapest, Hungary. As of February 28, over 1400 people have been evacuated and brought back to Bharat. The embassy informed students that Ukraine Railways was organising special evacuation trains and instructed them to make their way to the station for a journey to the western parts.
While briefing the media, Bharat’s foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a number of advisories prior to the start of war and four thousand of our nationals had left before the conflict began, pursuant to these advisories. “We estimated that about 15,000 citizens were left in Ukraine,” he added. Noting that the airspace in Ukraine was closed, the Foreign Secretary further said, “We have identified land evacuation options from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania wherein the specific border crossing points have been identified.” Shringla said that around 4,000 Bharatiyas were in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions in East Ukraine, as well as Odessa and the Crimea, where fighting is most intense. These regions are also close to the Russian border, just at a distance of 70 km, and teams from the Bharatiya embassy are at the border points, ready to evacuate Bharatiyas as soon as a window opens and there is respite from the fighting.
To assist in the evacuation, MEA Teams have been sent to the land borders with Ukraine in Hungary, Poland, Slovak Republic and Romania.
A dedicated Twitter handle has been set up to assist in the evacuation - @opganga Helpline. The ministry of external affairs also set up 24x7 control centres to assist evacuation through border crossing points with Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovak Republic. In a press release, the MEA shared the numbers for these control rooms. 
The Bharatiya embassy in Ukraine urged citizens to not move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with the Bharatiya government officials there using the helpline numbers. IndiGo has joined Operation Ganga and will be flying on the Delhi-Istanbul-Budapest route. The first IndiGo flight has taken off for Istanbul.
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7. RASHTRAPATI KOVIND INAUGURATED 400TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF LACHIT BORPHUKAN: On February 25, Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the year-long 400th birth anniversary celebrations of Ahom General Veer Lachit Borphukan, who defeated a huge Mughal force in the last battle of Saraighat.
Speaking on the occasion at Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati, he said that the great devotion, poetry and art of Shrimant Sankardev and the great patriotism and bravery and sacrifices of Veer Lachit Borphukan show the two sides of the great tradition of Assam. He added that Assam was one of the few lands in the country that defeated the Mughals' invasion in the medieval period. After the loss of ten thousand Assamese warriors in the battle Battle of Alaboi in 1669, Veer Lachit defeated the Army of Aurangzeb in 1671 in the battle of Saraighat and Mughals could not occupy this land of our country.
Rashtrapati Kovind also laid the foundation stones of the War Memorial of the Battle of Alaboi and Lachit Samadhi in Jorhat.
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8. LOK SABHA SPEAKER SHRI OM BIRLA VISITS BAPS HINDU MANDIR, ABU DHABI: On February 23, a senior delegation of Bharatiya parliamentarians, led by the Hon. Speaker of Bharat’s Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla, visited the BAPS Hindu Mandir site in Abu Dhabi. Among the 20 delegates were members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and representatives from the UAE.
The delegation was traditionally greeted by Brahmavihari Swami and given an overview of the vision behind the mandir and an update of the construction work to date.
The delegation observed the ‘Rivers of Harmony’ exhibit which presents the harmonious purpose, history and construction of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, and the community work by BAPS, including the COVID-19 relief provided.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Birla remarked that the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi was an ideal example of global harmony.
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9. BHARATIYA LANGUAGES ARE THE EPITOME OF UNITY IN DIVERSITY : VENKAIAH NAIDU -Bharat is home to hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects. Observing that numerous languages thrived alongside each other over hundreds of years in Bharat, Uprashtrapati Shri M Venkaiah Naidu suggested referring to them as ‘Bharatiya languages’ instead of ‘regional languages’. This is to signify their equal status and distinct identities. “These ‘Bharatiya languages’ are the epitome of our long-cherished value – unity in diversity,” he said. 
The Uprashtrapati was virtually addressing an event organized by the Ministry of Earth Science on February 21 - International Mother Languages Day. He observed that language is a fundamental bond that unites people and said that the drive to protect and preserve mother tongues should become a people’s movement in the country.
Shri Naidu termed the linguistic richness as key to our creativity and expression and reiterated the need to offer technical courses in Bharatiya languages to make education truly inclusive and to unlock the full potential of our youth.
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10. HSS USA YOGATHON CONCLUDED: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA concluded its two-week-long 15th annual Health for Humanity Yogathon, also known as Surya Namaskar Yajna (SNY), on January 30. It was first launched in 2007 to create awareness about Yoga and its advantages in fostering a healthy body, mind, and spirit for any practitioner regardless of age, faith, gender, or ethnicity. The event is free to the public from all walks of life.
Over 12,600 enthusiasts actively performed daily Surya Namaskar sets for the duration of this project. This year, over 3,000 students and teachers from various schools participated in this activity. 728,795 Surya Namaskars were collectively performed. Many participants acknowledged its benefits in attaining physical and emotional balance and committed to continuing this activity regularly. Additionally, 161 Yoga teachers attended special local events where they were felicitated for their work in the local communities.
129 elected officials, including several US senators, Governors, State representatives, and Mayors, issued proclamations to recognize this initiative and encouraged their constituents to participate in this valuable health awareness program.
“HSS has inspired its members and individuals across the country, as well as globally, to participate in its national Yoga-focused Health for Humanity initiative known as Surya Namaskar Yajna,” said New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy, while appreciating HSS efforts of Health for Humanity despite challenges of the pandemic.
“I enjoyed watching a session and learning about the benefits of incorporating yoga into my daily routine,” said Senator Adriane Johnson, Illinois State Senator, serving the 30th District.
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11. SEWA DIWALI EFFORT APPRECIATED IN US CONGRESS: Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill who represents New Jersey's 11th Congressional District appreciated Sewa Diwali effort in the US Congress. While addressing the house, she said that she appreciated Sewa Diwali for their work in supporting communities in need in NJ-11 and across the country.
She spoke about the efforts of Sewa Diwali to bring people together, foster a commitment to selfless giving and embody the spirit of Diwali by organizing food collection drive for food pantries. “The enthusiasm for doing good and giving back to the community was really heartwarming”, she added. She thanked all the volunteers who participated and hoped to a part of it in 2022.
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12. HSS USA PAATSHALA INITIATIVE RECOGNITION EVENT: The ‘Paatshala’ Initiative is a tutoring project started by HSS USA, Alameda County. From February to May 2021, 10 teenage volunteers dedicated 1-3 hours every week to help tutor the underserved in the Burmese Community in Oakland, California. The children were tutored in the subjects of Mathematics, Science and English. The teen mentors would prepare a lesson plan each week, work on their teaching style, learn how to engage with a youngster, and help them work through some of the difficult topics. On January 30, a Volunteer Recognition Event was organized to appreciate the teens, the parent volunteers and others who contributed in making the project a success. Saumya Baswant who is part of the U.S. Space Force and currently pursuing her masters in astronautical engineering and Kripa Chandran who was a Field Engineer for General Electrics were guest speakers on the occasion.
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13. NHSF: NATIONAL SPORTS COMPETITION: On February 19, National Hindu Student’s Forum - NHSF (UK) - hosted its annual National Sports Competition. Over 900 university students from across the UK came together to play football, netball, badminton, kabaddi, kho kho and cricket.
It was an electrifying atmosphere and a fantastic showcase of young Hindu talent. The England and Wales Cricket Board, England Netball and the British Army were just a few of the special guests who attended the event. Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire was the chief guest for the ocassion.
Traditional Bharatiya sports have taken on a status of their own across many universities and many non-Bharatiya students participated in the competition.
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14. SEWA INTERNATIONAL HONOURED WITH AMEC AWARD: On February 19, Sewa International USA was awarded the ‘Organisation of the Year 2021’ award during Dr VGP’s 11th annual Congressional Global Community Oscars hosted by American Multi Ethnics Coalition Inc (AMEC).
AMEC is a grassroots Bi-Partisan Organization celebrating 38 Ethnic Communities across America. More than 960 persons attended the Annual Congressional Gala in Naperville, Illinois.
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15. RELIEF MATERIALS FROM BHARAT REACH AFGHANISTAN: In response to appeals made by the United Nations for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, the Government of Bharat has decided to send 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to the people of Afghanistan. In a ceremony held in Amritsar on February 22, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, along with Afghan Ambassador Farid Mamundzay and World Food Program Country Director Bishaw Parajuli, flagged off the first convoy of 50 trucks carrying 2500 MT of wheat assistance from Bharat to Afghanistan. The convoy reached Jalalabad on February 26.
Farid Mamundzay, Aghan envoy to Bharat, said that the 50 trucks convoy despatched from ICP Attari travelled through Pakistan to Afghanistan.
"I thank the Indian government for the generosity displayed at a time when more than 20 million Afghans are facing crisis or the worse," the envoy tweeted.
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16. THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT YOUTH PARLIAMENT 2022: The National Environment Youth Parliament 2022 - "Nurturing Environment Leaders" is being organised by Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi (PSG) amongst universities across the country to sensitise the youth about the prevailing environmental problems posing a serious threat to the safety and welfare of humans. It is organized at three levels - university level, regional / zonal level and national level. The objective of conducting NEYP is to encourage students to deliberate and engage on pressing environmental issues and reflect upon the local perspectives on the environment.
More than 50,000 schools participated in the event at the university level which was held from January 12 to 20. The zonal level event was held on January 23 and 10 participants from each of the 11 zones will compete in the finals at the national level.
The National level is scheduled to be conducted at the Parliament House Complex in Delhi by Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad (Haryana).
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17. MEGA EXPO DISPLAYS BHARAT’S SCIENTIFIC LEGACY AND TECHNOLOGY PROWESS: A week-long science exhibition titled ‘Vigyan Sarvatre Pujyate’ was held from February 22 to 28 as part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav commemoration. It was conducted simultaneously at 75 locations across the country through a hybrid model. The inaugural programme was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on February 22. The exhibition features 75 expositions, 75 lectures, 75 films, 75 radio talks, 75 science literary activities and more. It takes a visitor through an absorbing journey of seven and a half decades of development and exploration in Science and Technology in independent Bharat. The event has been grouped into four major themes and prominently features 75 Swadeshi Paramparik Inventions and Innovations which have helped the country in achieving its goal of self-reliance. The programme will end with a valedictory function on February 28, the National Science Day which is celebrated in remembrance of Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman’s path-breaking discovery of the Raman Effect in 1930.
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18. 13TH NATIONAL CONVENTION OF BHARATIYA KISAN SANGH: The 13th national convention of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) was held from February 25 to 27 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Farmers from more than 500 districts of Bharat participated in the convention.
In the inaugural session on February 25, Mahamandaleshwar 1008 Panchanand Swami emphasized the use of organic manure and natural farming. In his address, the then national BKS president IN Basavegowda said that there was a need to make agriculture a business of profit. On February 26, a grand ‘shobhayatra’ was taken out in Bhopal.
During the convention, BKS passed a 6-point resolution aimed to reduce carbon emission, provide market to farmers and promote organic farming. On the final day Shri Badrinarayan Choudhari was elected as the national president and Shri Mohinimohan Mishra was elected as the national General Secretary of BKS. 
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19. MADHYA PRADESH TO OFFER MBBS IN HINDI LANGUAGE FROM APRIL: Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishvas Kailash Sarang while addressing a Press Conference in Bhopal on February 25, informed that the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) will now be taught in Hindi as well. 
Gandhi Medical College in Bhopal will be the first to start offering the course in Hindi. Upon entry into the medical college, a student’s proficiency of Hindi would be assessed. The preferred medium on campus would be Hindi and teachers would be encouraged to teach in Hindi. To begin with, at least three subjects of the first year will be taught in Hindi.
Courses would be translated into Hindi with the option of transliteration, making it easy on the students. The translations will be reviewed and verified by various subject experts.
Three committees have been formed for rolling out medical education in Hindi. Two committees will prepare the medical curriculum and required reference books in Hindi and the third committee verify and finalise them.
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20. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN:Pravas: Visitors: Vipul Seth, Jetinder Rathi - Ukraine

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A person can rise through the efforts of his own mind; or draw himself down, in the same manner. Because each person is his own friend or enemy. -Bhagwat Gita
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JAI SHRI RAM
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THE NEED TO JOIN HANDS TO CREATE AWARENESS ABOUT HINDU DHARMA IN THE UNITED STATES
NIKHIL AJOTIKAR

Raising awareness is going to be a learning and enriching process for those who are engaged in it. It may lead to rediscovering or rejuvenating your own Hindu identity.
Hinduism is the oldest religion on earth. It is the third-largest religion in the world. There are approximately 1.35 billion Hindus in the world, the majority of which live in the Indian subcontinent. Even though Hindus have been living in different parts of the world, the general awareness about the Hindu Dharma, Hindu way of life is lacking outside India. Awareness of the Hindu Dharma is needed on two fronts: Awareness within practicing Hindus (or those who identify themselves as Hindus) and Awareness within non-Hindus.
Dharma awareness is essential for those who already identify themselves as Hindus. This is equally needed for the Hindus living in India. The world around us is changing at a pace never seen before. Globalization, modernization & most importantly capitalism has taken a tight grip over society. There are abundant distractions around us that will take you away from yourself, your identity as a Hindu and your knowledge of Dharma. Unlike before, our daily schedules are now dictated by corporate culture and global norms. As a result, the traditions, festivals, rituals, practices associated with Hinduism are rapidly changing whether we like it or not. Traditions, rituals, festivals, etc. have been important tools to understand the Dharma. As the influence and relevance of these tools change due to our 21st-century lifestyle, Hindus will have to make an extra effort to understand the Dharma.
On the other hand, outside India, Hindus are in the minority. In the U.S., Hindus constitute 1% of the total population whereas this number is 1.5% in the UK. In the West, Knowledge about the Hindu Dharma in the non-Hindu community is limited to the 3C’s (caste, cow, curry), yoga (as an exercise routine), animal god/ idol worshippers (not the right words to describe the Ganesha, Hanumaan or a Murthy but that is how they are commonly used to describe Hindu Dharma).
For socio-political reasons, it becomes important that non-Hindus in these countries have a good understanding of Hindu Dharma. It becomes extremely important when it comes to the next generation of Hindus in these countries (again, this is equally applicable to the next generation of Hindus in India). If we want our generation to be confident and assertive Hindus, then raising the awareness of Hinduism in society is extremely important. It is said that “It takes a village to raise a child. It becomes the responsibility of the current generation of Hindus to ensure that the “village” sees the Hindu Dharma in a positive light and has a positive influence in shaping the Hindu identity of the next generation.
The first step to creating the awareness of Hinduism is to educate yourself on different aspects of Hinduism. Being a Hindu is much more than just being born into a Hindu family. The festivals, yoga, rituals, practices, scriptures, history, etc. are the key pillars/tools of the Hindu Dharma. These pillars/tools help us on the journey to experience divinity. Good knowledge of these pillars is essential in understanding Hinduism. Understanding these aspects will reveal why we do what we do and for that dedicated efforts are needed.
The second step to create awareness is to try explaining the above aspects/tools of Hindu Dharma to others. Dedicated efforts to raise awareness by hosting the seminars, writing a blog/article, giving a talk, making a video blog on this topic are going to play important role in the overall process. One way to prepare yourself for such efforts is to anticipate the questions on various aspects of Hinduism & then try to answer these questions with clarity and facts.
Imagine your son or daughter or neighbor or manager or colleague asking questions about Hinduism, for example — how do you explain the concept of divinity? Does it matter which deity you worship? Why do some of our deities have aspects of animal form associated with them? Why do we do certain rituals, poojas, or ceremonies? Are there any mandatory practices Hindus should perform daily? What are the core beliefs of Hindu Dharma? Did Ramayana or Mahabharata really happen or is it just a figment of someone’s imagination? How are the teachings of this several millennia-old civilization relevant and useful in the 21st century? Our abilities and skills to answer questions such as these will determine how we define our Hindu identity.
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) in the U.S. has launched a “Hindu Dharma Awareness” campaign this year to raise awareness about Hindu Dharma. If you are interested in participating in this campaign, please reach out to the nearby HSS chapter in your area or write to info@hssus.org. This awareness campaign can guide in terms of resources and training in the two steps explained above.
Raising awareness about the Hindu Dharma is going to be a learning and enriching process for those who are engaged in it. It may lead to rediscovering or rejuvenating your own Hindu identity.
On a lighter note, it may be like the Simba from “Lion King.” Simba, while growing up with Timon and Pumbaa, is unaware of his identity as the Lion. He is eating, behaving, living like Pumbaa and Timon. Nala and the spirit of Mufasa help him see things are they are and his duty as the King of the pride rock. It is only when Simba makes a deliberate effort to seek his true identity and meaning of his existence, he finds his roar like a Lion.
(Nikhil Ajotikar is an engineering analyst by profession. He is originally from Pune in Maharashtra and has been living in the United States for the past 12 years. He likes to read and write about Bharatiya history, spirituality, Hinduism, politics and social topics. )
https://americankahani.com/perspectives/the-need-to-join-hands-to-create-awareness-about-hindu-dharma-in-the-united-states
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