\Samvad

Ashadha Krishna 14 Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125 : 16 June, 2023:SM 5006 (For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS: JAGANNATH RATH YATRA 2. RSS TRITIYA VARSHA SANGH SHIKSHA VARG CONCLUDED
3. SAVARKAR'S COURAGE, SACRIFICE CONTINUE TO INSPIRE US: PM MODI 4. SHIVAJI ESTABLISHED ‘SWARAJ’, ENDED SLAVERY MINDSET: PM MODI
5. G20 DELEGATES EXPERIENCE 1000-YR OLD MAHARASHTRIAN 'PALKHI SOHALA’ 6. SHIBIR ORGANIZED BY HSS JAPAN
7. HSS JAPAN BAL MARATHON 2023 8. HSS AUSTRALIA: HINDU SANGHATHAN DIVAS 2023
9. HSS JAPAN ORGANISED CLOTH RECYCLING DRIVE 10. SEWA SANGAM NETHERLANDS 
11. ODISHA TRAIN INCIDENT: RSS AND ABVP HELP SURVIVORS 12. SEWA INTERNATIONAL MANIPUR RELIEF
13. SIF KUWAIT CONDUCTED ANNUAL SCIENCE GALA 14. SURINAME CONFERS HIGHEST CIVILIAN AWARD TO RASHTRAPATI DROUPADI MURMU
15. RAJNATH SINGH MEETS BHARATIYA DIASPORA IN ABUJA 16. S JAISHANKAR INAUGURATED IT CENTRE AT NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY
17. NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE PASSES BILL TO MAKE DIWALI SCHOOL HOLIDAY 18. IIT TO OPEN ITS FIRST CAMPUS IN AFRICA
19. BHARATIYA AMERICAN STUDENT WIN REGENERON YOUNG SCIENTIST AWARD 20. OM SRI SAI BALAJI MANDIR BHOOMI POOJA FOR 25 FT HANUMAN MURTI
21. OBITIUARY : JAYANT SAHASRABUDDHE 22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article: INDIA AS A NORM INITIATOR, DEVELOPER


1. FESTIVALS: JAGANNATH RATH YATRA: Jagannath mandir in Puri is one of the four Hindu pilgrimage centers known as Char Dham. The festival of Puri Rath Yatra is associated with Bhagwan Jagannath, one of the incarnations of Bhagwan Vishnu. Rath Yatra falls on Ashadh Shukla 2 (June 20 this year).

In one of the oldest Rath Yatra of the world, the decorated statues of Bhagwan Jagannath and his siblings - Devi Subhadra and Bhagwan Balabhadra - cover a 3-km-long journey from Jagannath Mandir to the Gundicha Mandir in chariots drawn by hundreds of devotees. After nine days, the deities ride the chariots back to Shri Mandir in ‘bahuda jatra’. This religious procession is also known as Chariot Festival, Navadina Yatra, Gundicha Yatra, or Dasavatara.
The Rath Yatra festival has also become a common sight in many major cities of the world including San Francisco, Prague, Brisbane etc.
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2. RSS TRITIYA VARSHA SANGH SHIKSHA VARG CONCLUDED: On June 1, RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat addressed the concluding ceremony of the Tritiya Varsh Sangh Shiksha Varg of RSS at Reshim Bagh, Nagpur. Kadsiddheshwar Swami of Siddhgiri Sansthan Kaneri Math, Kolhapur was the chief guest of the event and Vidarbha Prant Sanghachalak Ram Harkare and Nagpur Sanghachalak Rajesh Loya were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bhagwat said that it is the duty of all of us to remember our ancient tradition and accept our Bharatiya culture that accommodates all diversities. He added that in our country, since ancient times, there has been a culture of coordination among the diversities and everyone should make efforts for enhancing Bharat’s unity and integrity. Dr. Bhagwat also said that Bharat has done a good job in the financial crisis and in the corona epidemic and it is a matter of pride that Bharat got the prestigious G-20 presidency.
Dr. Bhagwat said that people living in Bharat have Hindu roots since their forefathers were Hindus and that living in Bharat makes everyone Hindu, even if they follow different faiths. He emphasised the need for 'unity in diversity', called for dialogue instead of controversy and urged everyone to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Shri Kadsiddheshwar Swamiji while addressing the swayamsevaks said that Sangh means discipline, sewa, harmony and dedication. He added that Bharat was a Vishwaguru and the seeds of the future to restore it on this pedestal are within us with the medium of its manifestation being the Sangh Shiksha Varg.
The Varg was inaugurated on May 8 by Sah Sarakaryavah Ram Dutt at Maharishi Vyas
Auditorium located in Dr. Hedgewar Smriti Mandir premises. Speaking on the occasion, he had said that Sangh plants the seeds of culture and every Swayamsevak in the varg gets an opportunity to develop the sense of country first, pride, authenticity, patriotism, discipline and affection towards self. 682 swayamsevaks from all over Bharat participated in the varg.
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3. SAVARKAR'S COURAGE, SACRIFICE CONTINUE TO INSPIRE US: PM MODI: On May 28, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi hailed freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, popularly known as Veer Savarkar, and said that his fearless and self-respecting nature did not tolerate the mentality of slavery. While paying homage to Savarkar on his 140th birth anniversary, the PM said his sacrifice, courage and determination continue to inspire us.
Earlier, after inauguration of the new Parliament building project, PM Modi, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and a host of Central ministers paid floral tribute to Savarkar in the Central Hall of the current Parliament.
In his 101st ‘Mann ki Baat’, PM Modi said that Savarkar was a great freedom fighter and the stories related to his sacrifice, courage and resolve inspire us all even today. Veer Savarkar's personality comprised firmness and magnanimity. He is remembered not only for the freedom movement, but also for his contributions towards social equality and social justice.
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4. SHIVAJI ESTABLISHED ‘SWARAJ’, ENDED SLAVERY MINDSET: PM MODI: On June 2, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi said that when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation took place, it carried the slogan of swaraj and pledged that Shivaji’s model would be the guiding principle for governance in Amrit Kaal in the next 25 years to make Bharat a developed nation.
In a video message on the 350th anniversary of Shivaji’s coronation, PM Modi said that Shivaji was a great soldier as well as a great administrator and he ended the mindset of slavery. He added that hundreds of years of slavery had taken away the country’s self-esteem and confidence and Shivaji Maharaj not only fought invaders but also infused a belief in the people that self-rule was possible. He also said that the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj is a special chapter of the historic period 350 years ago and the great tales of self-governance, good governance and prosperity inspire everyone even today.
As per an official press release, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the Cultural Affairs Department has been entrusted with collecting and collating literature, relics, and other things from the era of Shivaji Maharaj from across the world in a bid to propagate his ideas and beliefs and preserve his legacy. According to the CMO release, Shinde also informed that various programs will be organised throughout the year to mark Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation.
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5. G20 DELEGATES EXPERIENCE 1000-YR OLD MAHARASHTRIAN 'PALKHI SOHALA’: Pune, renowned for its cultural heritage, witnessed a mesmerizing display of tradition as delegates from several countries, who are in the city for the G20 summit, experienced the 1000-year old Maharashtrian 'Palkhi Sohala' on June 12. The delegates took the blessings of the 'Palkhi' and were overwhelmed with the devotional environment. 
Maharashtra government had made arrangements for the G20 delegates to witness the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur ahead of the Ashadi Ekadashi festivities.  Pune Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil enlightened the G20 guests about the rich traditions of the warkari sect in the state.
The annual wari or pilgrimage owes its origins to the Bhakti movement and is one of the most important traditions of the Warkari-sampradaya.
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6. SHIBIR ORGANIZED BY HSS JAPAN: After a 4 years hiatus due to COVID-19, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Japan organized a 2-day residential shibir at Yumesen Indian, Chiba, on May 20-21. 87 participants from 39 families attended the shibir. The participants from 9 shakhas were of diverse age groups, including 58 adults and 23 bals. Various physical activities, cultural presentations, and intellectual assignments were carried out promoting a deeper understanding of HSS, key issues faced by Hindu society, the need for Hindu unity and the means of achieving it.
A workshop was conducted in which several teams brainstormed on themes like ‘Dependency on machines in day-to-day-life’ and ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and presented their ideas regarding it. Cultural programs and fireworks were arranged during the evening sessions. A maha khel of four levels including treasure hunt and sand castle building was conducted on the second day. The shibir concluded with the participants sharing their experiences. One participant said that participating in such a large scale shibir was an amazing experience. Some others commented on the exciting and demanding shareerik activities and the thought provoking bauddhik sessions.
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7. HSS JAPAN BAL MARATHON 2023: HSS Japan organised a Bal Marathon to celebrate the 350th Coronation Day of Chhatrapati Shivaji as Hindu Samrajya Divas. The marathon was held at Komatsugawa Park, Ojima on June 4. Mrs. Kanika Aggrawal, Director of Vivekanand Cultural Centre, Bharatiya Embassy in Japan graced this event as the chief guest.
The event started with a shakha attended by more than 500 participants. Mrs. Kanika Aggrawal offered floral tributes to the murti of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and addressed the participants about the history of Shivaji Maharaj. She also flagged off the 256 participants of the marathon in various age and distance categories. Winners were presented with medals and all participants received a participation certificate.
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8. HSS AUSTRALIA: HINDU SANGHATHAN DIVAS 2023: 285 people participated in the Hindu Sanghathan Diwas organised by Queensland Vibhag of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Australia.
On June 4, Victoria Vibhag celebrated Hindu Sanghathan Diwas at Shivaji Shakha, Melbourne. The primary purpose of the Utsav was to promote and foster a sense of unity among Hindus and articulate how the ideals and leadership of Shivaji Maharaj continue to inspire generations even today. More than 150 people of various age groups participated in the event.
200 people participated in the Hindu Sanghathan Divas Utsav organised by the Western Australia Vibhag at Bunbury which is 200 km away from the main Perth city. All the events included khel and bauddhik on Shivaji Maharaj.
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9. HSS JAPAN ORGANISED CLOTH RECYCLING DRIVE: On May 27, HSS Japan organised the cloth recycle drive at shakha level. The drive received a huge response from community members and around 1750 kg clothes were collected.
With this year’s spring cloth recycle drive, HSS Japan has collected 7,050 kg cloths till date for the needy. The clothes are donated to the local NPO in Japan and to Hindu refugees from Pakistan in Adarsh Nagar, Delhi.
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10. SEWA SANGAM NETHERLANDS: On May 28, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Netherlands organized Sewa Sangam for the first time in The Hague. 65 swayamsevak and sevikas from all 12 shakhas across Netherlands participated in sewa activities at 6 different locations (5 Mandirs and 1 Gurudwara) on the same day, at the same time.  
The sewa work included registration desk activities, prasadam/bhojan distribution and cleaning at the Srinivasa Kalyanam Utsav attended by more than 1200 people. In the other Mandirs and Gurudwara, the aim was to do deep cleaning, gardening, and small maintenance activities according to mandir management team needs and directions.
Subsequently, all karyakartas went to the Gurudwara together for darshan and along with the Gurudwara management, sang a sangh geet in front of the premises.
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11. ODISHA TRAIN INCIDENT: RSS AND ABVP HELP SURVIVORS: More than a thousand swayamsevaks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) worked round the clock since the train accident took place in Odisha on June 2. Karyakartas were deployed at the Balasore hospital to help people with identifying their relatives and family members and to provide food and water.
Some provided telephones and mobiles to those who had lost their phones and were looking for their respective family members. Swayamsevaks helped the railway officials and NDRF teams with the rescue operation on site. They also issued numbers for the blood bank and provided a thousand units of blood at the hospital.
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12. SEWA INTERNATIONAL MANIPUR RELIEF: Sewa International and its partner organizations responded to the recent violence in Manipur by establishing 41 relief camps. These camps were equipped with essential services and relief materials to support the victims.
The relief efforts covered five districts and involved more than 50 dedicated volunteers who worked tirelessly to relieve the hardships faced by the 3,677 inmates in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Thoubal districts of Manipur. The volunteers distributed relief materials and organized ten health camps to ensure the well-being and safety of the affected individuals.
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13. SIF KUWAIT CONDUCTED ANNUAL SCIENCE GALA: The Annual Science Gala for the academic year 2022-23 organized by Science International Forum (SIF), Kuwait was conducted on May 26 at Kuwait College of Science and Technology. The ceremony was inaugurated by the chief guest for the evening Dr. Satheesh C Shenoi. He addressed the audience on the subject ‘The Story of Indian Tsunami Early Warning System’. Dr. Suleiman Al Sabah (Director of Research Core Facility, Kuwait University), Dr. Mohamed Bin Sabt (Acting Dean, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University) and Mr. Musaed Al Tamemi (Team leader, Lab Services, EQUATE) also attended the function.
The winners and outstanding performers of Sastra Pratibha Contest 2023 and Kuwait Children’s Science Congress (KCSC) 2022 were honored with trophy and certificate. The students and teachers of Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School (DPS) along with their Vice principal Dr. Sheeba Balraj received the prestigious ‘Acharya J. C. Bose Sastra Puraskar’ for the best performing school. The grand evening was studded with the presence of scientific personalities from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and other eminent academicians.
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14. SURINAME CONFERS HIGHEST CIVILIAN AWARD TO RASHTRAPATI DROUPADI MURMU: On the first leg of her state visit to Serbia and Suriname, Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu had arrived in Paramaribo, Suriname, on June 4. She was welcomed at the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport with full state honours by Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the official release of Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
On June 5, Rashtrapati Murmu was conferred with Suriname’s highest civilian honour award ‘The Grand Order of the Chain of Yellow Star’, the first Bharatiya to receive this award. Rashtrapati Murmu received the award from President Santokhi. After receiving the award, she said that the honour holds tremendous significance for her and the people of Bharat. She dedicated the award to the successive generations of the Bharatiya-Surinamese community who have played a stellar role in enriching the fraternal ties between the two countries.
Bharat and Suriname also signed four major Memoranda of Understanding in health, agriculture and capacity building.
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15. RAJNATH SINGH MEETS BHARATIYA DIASPORA IN ABUJA: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Abuja on a three-day visit, marking the first-ever visit of a Bharatiya defence minister to Nigeria. He represented Bharat at the swearing-in ceremony of Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On May 30, he interacted with the Bharatiya diaspora in Nigeria at an event organised by the Bharatiya High Commission in Abuja. The event was attended by members of the Bharatiya community not just from Abuja, but also from other cities of Nigeria such as Lagos.
Underlining the country’s fast expanding economy and progressive government actions, he highlighted Bharat’s growing importance due to these factors. He emphasised the government’s focus on ‘Aatmanirbharta’ and the significant progress made in defence exports in recent years towards achieving the objective of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.
Rajnath highlighted Bharat’s growing importance on the world stage owing to its fast-expanding economy and appreciated the positive contributions made by the Bharatiya community in Nigeria.
Nigeria is home to more than 50,000 Bharatiyas. Bharatiya-owned or operated companies and businesses are among the largest employers in the country.
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16. S JAISHANKAR INAUGURATED IT CENTRE AT NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY: The Ministry of External Affairs (EAM) and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) signed an Agreement on July 16, 2018 for setting up an ‘India Namibia Centre of Excellence in Information Technology’ (INCEIT) at the Namibia University of Science & Technology.
On June 6, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar inaugurated Namibia University’s fully equipped IT centre, INCEIT. The centre is equipped with a CDAC PARAM Supercomputer with High-Performance Computing (HPC) Applications.
While addressing the inauguration event of the INCEIT, EAM Jaishankar said that it reflects the long-standing people-to-people friendship and linkages between Bharat and Namibia. Speaking on the trainers teaching at the INCEIT, the EAM informed that six master trainers from Namibia were given training in CDAC in Bharat.
The centre has been able to offer courses and to train more than 275 professionals, government officials from various ministries students, teachers and researchers, Jaishankar informed.
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17. NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE PASSES BILL TO MAKE DIWALI SCHOOL HOLIDAY: New York State legislature has passed a Bill to make Diwali a school holiday in the city. Both the Senate and the Assembly voted for the Bill before they ended their session early on June 10 morning and it now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul for her expected signature to make it law.
Introducing the bill, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar said, "It is long past time to honour" the "vibrant cultural heritage" of the South Asian, Indo-Caribbean, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities by making Diwali a school holiday. An estimated 200,000 students from these communities will be able to celebrate the Festival of Lights in their own way, free of school. The Bill overcame a last-minute hurdle after the Bill`s sponsors, Rajkumar and State Senator Joseph Adabo, introduced the proposal to have Diwali replace the Brooklyn-Queens Day holiday.
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18. IIT TO OPEN ITS FIRST CAMPUS IN AFRICA: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will open its first-ever overseas African campus in Tanzania in October 2023 with a batch of 50 undergraduate students and 20 master’s students. The new IIT campus will be set up under the name IIT Madras at Zanzibar. The institution will offer data science and artificial intelligence courses.
President of Zanzibar, Hussein Mwinyi is looking forward to this project and has made it possible for IIT to begin operations this year by giving the necessary premises. He has guaranteed IIT the autonomy it needs to ensure that the quality is maintained.
The initial instructors for Zanzibar will be from Bharat, but the long-term objective is to train a cadre of IIT-trained local instructors to carry the mantle.
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19. BHARATIYA AMERICAN STUDENT WIN REGENERON YOUNG SCIENTIST AWARD: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Society for Science announced that Saathvik Kannan, 17, of Columbia, Missouri, received one of two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards of $50,000. The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair is the world’s largest global pre-college science and engineering competition.
Kannan won for using biocomputational methods to understand the causes of heightened infectivity in the disease mpox after it reemerged in 2022. Saathvik’s approach, named Bioplex, uses a combination of machine learning and three-dimensional comparative protein modeling to decode structures like those that enable the mpox virus to replicate. This allowed him to identify the mutations in the virus that likely made it more infectious as well as other mutations that could make it resistant to antibiotics.
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20. OM SRI SAI BALAJI MANDIR BHOOMI POOJA FOR 25 FT HANUMAN MURTI: The Om Sri Sai Balaji Mandir & Cultural Center based in Monroe, New Jersey, marked a milestone May 14, with the Bhoomi Pooja for its mandir with a 25 foot image of Bhagwan Hanuman. A massive gathering of devotees, community members, and guests attended the event “symbolizing the unity and devotion of the community” the mandir said in a press release. Among those present was the Consul General of Bharat, New York Randhir Jaiswal.
The 11.2-acre site, which will house a Hindu Mandir & Cultural Center and aims to cater to the spiritual needs of the community while cultivating a divine atmosphere, the Mandir said in its press release.
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21. OBITIUARY : JAYANT SAHASRABUDDHE: Jayant Sahasrabuddhe (April 17, 1966 - June 2, 2023), National Organising Secretary of Vijnana Bharati and Pracharak, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, passed away on June 2 early morning. He was 66. He was being treated for a long time after he met with an accident on September 3, 2022. Since then, his health was continuously deteriorating.
After completing BSc Tech (Electronics) from Mumbai University, he worked at Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre (BARC). In 1989, he became Sangh Pracharak and served in Maharashtra. He was Vibhag Pracharak of Goa and Prant Pracharak of Konkan Prant.
Since 2009, he had the responsibility of National Organising Secretary of Vijnana Bharati.
Many initiatives of Vijnana Bharati, like Viddyarthi Vijnana Manthan, Tech for Seva, IISF, Vishva Ved Vijnana Sammelan, Bharatiya Vijnana Sammelan etc., were being guided by him. He used to give direction to many dimensions of Vijnana Bharati, like the World Ayurveda Foundation, GIST- Global Indian Scientist and Technocrats Forum, and NASYA–National Ayurveda Students Youth Association.
Jayant Sahasrabuddhe played a vital role in expanding Vijnana Bharati’s work globally. He also successfully brought the role of Bharatiya Scientists in the country’s independence before the people.
In a shraddhanjali sabha in Delhi on June 15, RSS Sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale highlighted several aspects of Jayant Sahasrabuddhe’s personality and said that he was the embodiment of the 5 gunas mentioned in the sangh prarthana.
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22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN:Pravas: Visitors: Ahinandan Kumar - Botswana.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: I have totally forgotten my jealousy of others, since I found the Saadh, Sangat, the Company of the Holy. No one is my enemy, and no one is a stranger, I get along with everyone … The One God is pervading in all. Gazing upon Him, beholding Him, Nanak blossoms forth in happiness. – Adi Granth.
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JAI SHRI RAM

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INDIA AS A NORM INITIATOR, DEVELOPER
Nishtha Kaushiki

The Indian philosophies of ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah' and ‘Sarve Santu Niramayah' state that all peoples should be happy and contended

Under the guidance of PM Modi, India's stature in the world has grown immensely, and we are being looked to as a 'superpower'. This write-up aims to surface the differences between the Indian concept of a Vishwa Guru and the Western values of a 'great power'. The fundamental values of India's exceptionalism have been the strong foundations of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the entire world is one family) that 'presented the world with a philosophy for uniting humankind. Nevertheless, India's unique approach of 'Sarve Bhantu Sukinah', 'Mitrasya Chakshusha Samikshamahe' (Look at the world with friendly eyes), 'Krinvanto Vishvamaryam' – (be noble and make the world noble) add to India's uniqueness. The same concepts were acknowledged by Dr S. Radhakrishnan, the second president of India, who stated that the "higher concept is world community; it is this kind of world community to which we have to attach ourselves". Thus, India's foreign and security policy has been deeply rooted in the principles of regional and international peace and peaceful co-existence. Thus, India, with exceptional civilisational values, is poised to be the Vishwa Guru once again.

There are fundamental differences between superpowers/ great powers and a 'Vishwa Guru'. As a first, India's civilisation has been scientifically proven to date back to the Indus Valley civilisation (1200-1500 BCE). Later, Bharat's grand stature in the world was defined by the existence of different Universities such as Nalanda and Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu). Thus, the unique civilisation gave us an intellectual legacy. India's academic and philosophical foundations rest on the premise that the ultimate goal of knowledge is not 'power maximisation' but the enhancement of the mental and physical well-being of all; thus, knowledge and justice share an intricate bond.
The Western traditions of Realism and the English School in international politics speak of maintaining the 'hegemony' and the 'status quo' of the stronger power. Liberalism, on the other hand, speaks for a total market economy with little or no regard for the less privileged. On the contrary, Marxism and its critical strands speak of the marginalised groups and countries but primarily present themselves as a critique of liberalism. Consequently, no theory takes a well-balanced approach while maintaining the interests of all the contesting stakeholders. Here, the Indian traditional knowledge system can play an important role wherein there is justice and prosperity for all. 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah' and 'Sarve Santu Niramayah', as core philosophies, firmly believe that all should be happy, contended, and free from diseases as only a healthy mind can contribute to strong nation-building.
Second, the stature of a 'great power is purely a Western or a Eurocentric concept that stands on the bedrock principle of international anarchy and a deep-rooted lust for power. In the West, for external developments and events to serve as triggers for garnering support for specific defence policy agendas, they must be rhetorically portrayed as potential challenges and threats, which in international relations is called 'agenda setting'. The West, in the 1980s and 1990s, had narratives of "rogue states" and "axis of evil" for those "deviant" regimes which did not align with its "ideals and principles". Later, to harness domestic support and finance apart from the international coalition, the fundamental concept of "anti-Christ" leaders came into the picture, the most prominent of which was Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. Later, it was proved that Iraq had dismantled its WMD infrastructure before the invasion. The consequence of such concepts is always a "tragedy" that results in war. The struggle thus is a vicious cycle of power maximisation, security dilemma and great power wars.
India has a very different approach in line with its 'Sarve Bhavantu Sukinah' policy. From ancient times, examples that have used religious terminologies or a religion-based national identity have been deliberately avoided. Later, because of the Mongol and Mughal invasions, India became a multicultural population. India has always tried to adopt an inclusive approach in which it firmly believes that the interests of all countries are better served through the skills of humanitarianism.
Finally, western geopolitics firmly believes in the concept of a geographic 'sphere of influence' for a major power. Since its inception, New Delhi's foreign policy approach has been the opposite of a 'clash of civilisations' and certainly is not "us versus them". India's civilisational glory lies in the fact that it does not believe in 'civilisational subsuming'. Indian philosophers have tried to expand their 'civilisational sphere of influence' where India's soft power, such as cultural values and later Buddhism, were active foreign policy tools.
India has stood in solidarity with the world's countries to ensure that the developing world's concerns are not side-lined. Given the global conflicts with a crisscross of interstate rivalries, the world looks up to India under the leadership of PM Modi. India's presidency of G20 from December last year strongly indicates that PM Modi's multilateral diplomacy based on the ancient Indian knowledge system has been a norm initiator and developer. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/columnists/india-as-a-norm-initiator--developer.html 09 June 2023
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