\Samvad

Bhadrapad Krishna 2 Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125 : 1 September, 2023: SM 5011 (For Private Circulation only)


1. FESTIVALS: GANESH CHATURTHI 2. RSS SARSANGHCHALAK’S PROGRAMS
3. BHARAT LIVES FOR HUMANITY: HOSABALE 4. BHARATIYA INDEPENDENCE DAY CELERBATIONS
5. BHARAT BECOMES FIRST NATION TO REACH SOUTH POLE OF MOON 6. HSS UK SANGH SHIKSHA VARG
7. HSS ARIZONA VIBHAG SAKHI MILAN 8. HSS RAKSHABANDHAN
9. INTERFAITH INITIATIVES OF HSS AT PARLIAMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS 10. WORLD HINDU CONFERENCE 2023
11. HSS – TREWYN SCHOOL BOOK FAIR 12. BHARAT SECURES SECOND RANK AT 16TH IOAA
13. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT  

Article: RECAPTURING THE SENSE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY, FINALLY


1. FESTIVALS: GANESH CHATURTHI (September 19 this year) is replete with divinity, celebrations, and vibrancy. This 10-day long festival not only celebrates the birthday of Bhagwan Ganesh, but is also a social and community event that brings people together and promotes harmony. The popular belief is that Bhagwan Ganesh visits earth during these 10 days to bless his devotees. Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920), a noted leader of the Bharatiya Independence Movement, was instrumental in converting Bhagwan Ganesh into a powerful cultural and religious symbol of unity in an attempt to resist the British rule. In 1893, Tilak reinvented the Ganesh Chaturthi, converting it from an annual family celebration to a public event.

The preparation for the festival begins months earlier with artisans crafting images of Ganesh in different sizes. These idols are installed in specially decorated pandals or at homes. On the last day of the festival, Anant Chaturdashi, the statues are paraded through the streets amidst singing and dancing, and immersed in the ocean or other water bodies. The immersion of the statues reinforces the belief that the universe is in a constant state of change, and eventually gives away to formlessness. The act of immersion denotes the circle of life.  -GoTop

 

2. RSS SARSANGHCHALAK’S PROGRAMS: Addressing the students of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya at Haridwar on August 28, RSS Sarasanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said that unity in diversity has always been Bharat’s strength. His address was part of an ongoing lecture series on the theme, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ being organised by the university. Dr. Bhagwat added that the rise of Bharat as a nation is beneficial for the whole world as the country has been a proponent of peace and harmony since ancient times. Dr. Bhagwat also urged students to contribute to the motherland and society.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Bhagwat offered prayers at Pragyeshwar Mahadev mandir and planted a sandalwood sapling. He also met several spiritual leaders including Dr Pranav Pandya and Shail Jiji of Gayatri Teerth Shantikunj.

On August 27, Dr. Bhagwat laid the foundation stone of 'Vatsalya Peeth' in memory of the head nun of the Jain Shwetambar Terapanth, Sadhvi Kanakprabha. The event was organised by the Delhi Jain Shwetamber Terapanthi Sabha at the premises of Jain Terapanthi Bhawan in Chhatarpur, Delhi.  -GoTop


3. BHARAT LIVES FOR HUMANITY: HOSABALE: While addressing the ‘Amritashatam’ lecture series organised by Kesari Weekly, RSS Sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale said on August 17 that Bharat lives for humanity adding that the mission of the country is to shed light as a beacon to the world with its cultural values and unique vision of life. For this, it is necessary to strengthen the strong sense of nationalism among Bharatiyas.

Further, Hosabale stated that the Sangh was in an emerging phase during the country’s freedom movement and transformed into a national organisation post independence. He added that the history of Sangh cannot be understood without understanding the life of its founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar who dedicated his life to realising the idea of a model nation.  -GoTop


4. BHARATIYA INDEPENDENCE DAY CELERBATIONS: RSS Sarasanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat hoisted the national flag on the occasion of the 77th Independence Day organized by Samartha Bharat at Vasavi Convention Hall, Basavanagudi, Bengaluru. Sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale and scientist and renowned yog guru Dr. S.N. Omkar also took part in the celebrations. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Bhagwat said that Bharat attained independence to enlighten the world. He also said that freedom is a continuous process and our nation needs to forge ahead with selflessness, purity and prosperity as symbolized by the tir-colour and lead the world.

RSS Manipur Prant also marked the Independence day at the Model Relief Center at Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Skill Development Center in Imphal. Imphal Jilla Sanghchalak, Dr Naranbabu Singh unfurled the national flag and Kh. Indira Devi, wife of Veer Saheed Head Constable (CRPF), Kh. Upendra Singh was honoured. Upendra Singh attained martyrdom on July 16, 2016 while fighting against Naxals during a Search and Destroy Operation in Chhakarbandha forest, Bihar.
A record number of people – about 37 lakh - participated in 42,879 Independence Day events across Jammu and Kashmir according to the UT administration. In addition, as part of the ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’ campaign, dozens of tiranga rallies were taken out by panchayat representatives, government employees, students and civil society members.
Burj Khalifa in Dubai was illuminated in the colours of the Bharatiya National flag on the occasion of Independence Day.
On the eve of Independence Day, three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej released a rendition of Bharat’s National Anthem recorded with the largest orchestra ever at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London. The recording of ‘Jana Gana Mana' features a 100-piece British orchestra from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The RPO, recognised as the UK's ‘most in-demand’ orchestra was founded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1946.
On August 20 afternoon, the streets of New York City witnessed an explosion of colour, culture and camaraderie on the occasion of the world’s largest India Day Parade organised by the Federation of India Association. It brought together members of the Bharatiya-American community in a grand display of unity.
Spectators were treated to a dazzling array of sights and music, showcasing the richness of Bharatiya culture. Esteemed guests and representatives of the Bharatiya diaspora graced the parade, including spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as well as prominent actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Jacqueline Fernandez. The parade also witnessed the participation of New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
The parade's motto for this year was ‘Mission Life’, which highlights the critical role of individuals, families and communities in combating climate change alongside governmental efforts.
On the evening of August 19, the Sri Panchamukha Hanuman Mandir played host to the 77th Bharatiya Independence Day Celebrations at the Levy Adult Center in Torrance, USA. The ‘Jai Ho’ event, a testament to the power of unity and diversity, brought together more than 1,500 people for a truly unforgettable evening of festivities. The event was visited by Torrance City Mayor George Chen, Council Members Asam Sheikh & John Kaji, and Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce President Donna Dupperron. Nearly 300 participants showcased their talents through a variety of cultural performances. One of the standout moments of the evening was the ‘Parade of States’, a unique procession featuring re-presentatives from a dozen Bharatiya states.
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5. BHARAT BECOMES FIRST NATION TO REACH SOUTH POLE OF MOON: On August 23, Bharat created history as it became the first country to land on the South Pole of the lunar surface. The Vikram lander had a flawless touchdown at a site close to the lunar south pole. ISRO initiated the Automatic Landing Sequence (ALS) which enabled the Vikram Landing Module to take charge and use its onboard computers and logic to identify a favourable spot and make a soft landing.
ISRO Chairman S Somnath thanked everyone for their support and said that the success was a lesson learnt from failure.
After soft landing, ISRO command centre established the communication link between the Chandrayaan-3 Lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru. After this, ISRO obtained the images from the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera taken during the descent. The pictures of lunar surface at close proximity were tweeted by ISRO.
On August 24, the Pragyan rover was successfully deployed on the Moon. The rover is designed to travel up to 500 meters on the lunar surface and will conduct experiments to study the Moon's geology, mineralogy, and atmosphere. It is expected to operate for one lunar day, which is about 14 Earth days. The rover's data collection and experiments could help determine if there is oxygen and hydrogen on the moon. On August 31, Pragyan confirmed the presence of sulphur and other elements at the lunar south pole. The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument aboard Pragyan was instrumental in confirming the presence of sulphur.
Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu said that the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface was "truly a momentous occasion" and it has made the whole country proud. Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi congratulated Bharat and said that this historic moment sounds the bugle for a developed Bharat.
RSS Sarasanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat expressed his gratitude to the Bharatiya scientists who he said through their relentless hard work were able to give this moment of joy to the whole of Bharat.
World leaders, envoys and global media outlets also lauded Bharat after the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, while addressing the open plenary session of the 15th BRICS Summit, said Chandrayaan-3’s success is a success for the BRICS Family.
Nepal Pradhan Mantri Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Israel foreign minister Eli Cohen, among other world leaders, congratulated Bharat and ISRO for this achievement.
Counterparts of ISRO including NASA administrator Bill Nelson and director general of European Space Agency (ESA) Josef Aschbacher congratulated ISRO for this feat.
UK-based media outlet The Independent reacted to the news by saying: “And they’ve done it”. Russia’s state-run news outlet Russia Today and German news outlet Deutsche Welle also reacted positively to Bharat’s achievement.
With the tri-colour flag in their hands, Bharatiya Americans gathered at Times Square in New York to celebrate the event. Calling the success an “incredible moment”, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella congratulated ISRO for its victory. Gita Gopinath - First Deputy Managing Director of the IMF, Chandra Arya - the Canadian parliamentarian and many other prominent members of the Bharatiya diaspora expressed their pride in the achievement.
While addressing the scientists of ISRO in Bengaluru, PM Modi said that the spot on the Moon where Chandrayaan-3's lander Vikram touched down will be known as 'Shiv Shakti Point'. He also announced August 23 as the ‘National Space Day’.
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6. HSS UK SANGH SHIKSHA VARG:The 46th Annual Sangh Shiksha Varg of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS UK was held from July 29 to August 6 in Leicester.
439 attendees, representing 60 towns and 15 Bharatiya languages spent 9 days completing Prathmik, Pravesh, Praveen, Prabandhak and Shikshak Varsh training. For the third year running, this also included Prathmik and Pravesh Varsh for swayamsevaks and sevika’s over the age of 25 years.
Shiksharthis followed a structured daily timetable from 6.00am to 10.30pm covering shareerik, bauddhik and sewa activities.
Guests including Suresh ji from Shrimad Rajachandra Ashram Koba, Trustees of Heartfulness UK, Key officials of BAPS, ISKCON and other Hindu organisations as well as local councillors visited the varg.
The varg concluded with a samarop function where the Chief Guest Nitin Palan (MBE, FCA), Dr. Ramesh Pattni (OBE, Trustee of Chinmaya Mission UK) and Smt. Madhvi Haria (Joint General Secretary, HSS (UK)) addressed the gathering of over 500 guests.
Dr Ramesh shared his experience of SSV as the Varg Sarvadhikari. Shri Nitin urged shikshrthis to be Hindu Dharma ambassadors spreading the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. Smt. Haria emphasised the joint responsibility of educators, parents & students alike to infuse Hindu Values into our lives.
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7. HSS ARIZONA VIBHAG SAKHI MILAN: HSS USA Arizona Vibhag sevikas hosted a ‘Sakhi Milan’ event on August 5 at Paradise Valley Community Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The event was attended by 81 sevikas and sakhis from all over the Phoenix Metro Area.
The event began with Ganesha Vandana and chanting of Omkara. It was followed by some ice breaking and team building khels.
Sakhis were then divided into six groups to participate in parallel workshops on varying topics. Each group came up with a presentation on their topic.
Dr. Mukta Marathe, an ayurvedic doctor, addressed the gathering on women's health and home remedies. The final session of the day was art and craft in which the sakhis worked on a Warli wall hanging painting. The event concluded with a vote of thanks and the Shanti Mantra. The ‘Sakhi Milan’ received a lot of positive feedback and many sakhis expressed an interest in receiving more information about HSS and shakhas in the valley.
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8. HSS RAKSHABANDHAN: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) UK tied a rakhi to the Lord Mayor at Bradford City Hall. Rajnikant Parmar, honorary president of HSS (UK) Yorkshire, North East, and Scotland region, explained the significance of tying the rakhi. Lord Mayor Gerry Barker thanked HSS (UK) for visiting the City Hall and celebrating the festival with him.
25 volunteers of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA gathered at Fort Bend County Constable Precinct 4 office to express the gratitude towards those who protect the society by tying rakhi on the wrists of law enforcement officers. Constable Mike Beard appreciated the visit to his office to celebrate the festival.
More than 50 people attended the Naperville-Aurora chapter’s annual Raksha Bandhan at the Naperville Police Department. A rakhi was tied to every public servant attending the celebration. Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres, Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis, and Mayor of Naperville Scott Wehrli were also honoured with shawls.
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9. INTERFAITH INITIATIVES OF HSS AT PARLIAMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) had a resounding success at the Parliament of World Religions (PoWR) held in Chicago from August 14 to 18. The organization’s active participation reflected its commitment to interfaith dialogue, cultural exchange, and promotion of universal values.
HSS took the opportunity to communicate its mission and share its annual report. The ‘Darshana: A Glimpse into Hindu Civilization’ exhibition was a central focus of the booth.
People from various faiths, including Paganism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Baha’i, attended the HSS booth and gave positive feedback. This diverse attendance reflects an open and inclusive approach to sharing Hindu culture and fostering interfaith dialogue.
One of the most successful initiatives was the introduction of Raksha Bandhan as ‘Universal Oneness Day’. Attendees eagerly participated in the event, tied rakhis and expressed their excitement and support for recognizing and celebrating universal interconnectedness. Dr. Bharti Raizda of the HSS Chicago Chapter said that it was heartening to witness representatives of various faiths engage in meaningful conversations and explore collaboration possibilities.
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10. WORLD HINDU CONFERENCE 2023: With the vision of realising the potential of Hindus for a better world, the third World Hindu Congress (WHC) 2023, will be held from November 24 to 26, at Bangkok, Thailand. The theme of this WHC is ‘Jayasya Aayatnam Dharmah’, meaning ‘Dharma, the Abode of Victory’. The mission of WHC 2023 is to provide a comprehensive platform for Hindu society to work together for the justice and welfare of all. Seven parallel thematic conferences to articulate the values, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of Hindus will constitute this WHC. The conferences will provide space to discuss and deliberate upon the opportunities and challenges facing Hindus across the world and how to address them. The conference will also focus on areas of strategic importance to Hindus and provide avenues for collaboration among Hindu leaders, activists and thinkers for the Hindu resurgence.
WHC 2023 will provide opportunities for Hindus to network, exchange ideas, and model their future course of action. Guided by the theme of ‘Rise, Organise, Lead, Emerge’, this conference strategically aligns the regional, national and international Hindu youth to work on capacity building. During this conference, a range of issues will be discussed including economy, education, political involvement of Hindus, women and youth.
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11. HSS – TREWYN SCHOOL BOOK FAIR: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA Peoria, IL chapter organized their third annual book fair for students from kindergarten through 8th grade at Trewyn School on May 23-25. Brand-new books were sold at 25 cents, 50 cents, $1.00, $2.00, $3.00, and $5.00. Over 800 new books were available for purchase and more than 200 students purchased over 600 books. The $500 collected from the sale was donated to the school. In addition, over 50 books worth $300 were donated to different classroom libraries at Trewyn.
Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools (District 150) visited the Book fair and encouraged the volunteers. A local TV station broadcasted the fair and shared it with the community.
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12. BHARAT SECURES SECOND RANK AT 16TH IOAA: With four Gold and one Silver medals, Bharat has secured Second Rank at the 16th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) in Chorzów, Poland held from August 10 to 20. The United Kingdom clinched the lead with five Golds.
A total of 236 students from 50 nations participated at the Olympiad, collectively earning 27 gold, 41 silver, and 50 bronze medals across all categories.
Rajdeep Mishra from Kota, Rajasthan, Koduru Tejeswar from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, Md. Sahil Akhtar from Kolkata, West Bengal, and Akarsh Raj Sahay from Nagpur, Maharashtra were awarded Gold medals while Sainavaneet Mukund from Bangalore, Karnataka was awarded a silver medal. The team was led by Prof. Surhud More from IUCAA, Pune, and Pritesh Ranadive from HBCSE-TIFR, Mumbai.
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13. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors:

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. - Srimad Bhagvad Gita
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JAI SHRI RAM
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RECAPTURING THE SENSE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY, FINALLY

J Nandakumar

We stepped into Amritkaal with a strong footing – with a firm resolve to shed the vestiges of the slavish mentality that was instilled in us by colonisers. The clarion call for undertaking this course correction was given by Pujaneeya Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat, who, in his Vijayadashmi speech, emphasised the need to reorient our polity and national life on the basis of our svatva – national selfhood. On August 15, 2022, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi laid out a clear plan of action to erase the traces of colonial mentality through the Panchpran (The Five Promises).“In the next 25 years, we have to focus on ‘Panchpran.’ First, we will move forward with bigger resolves and resolve of developed India. Second, we will erase all the traces of servitude from within and from around us. Third, we will be proud of our legacy. Fourth, we will work on the strength of unity, and fifth, to fulfil our duties to the citizens of India, including the PM and the CMs.” After we gained Independence from the British, there was an opportunity for us to make a departure from the path the colonial masters had laid out for us. But the Eurocentric native rulers did not even move a finger, but rather tried to trample on all expressions of our national selfhood. Confusions were sought to be created on our national identity by Left intellectuals. As a result of 75 years of indoctrination through media and academia, we produced legions of listless men and women who hated their culture and country.

Defining the American creed, US political thinker Samuel Huntington states: “The American Creed is the unique creation of a dissenting Protestant culture”. He further states: “Protestant emphasis on the individual conscience and the responsibility of individuals to learn God’s truths directly from the Bible promoted American commitment to individualism, equality, and the rights to freedom of religion and opinion. Protestantism stressed the work ethic and the responsibility of the individual for his own success or failure in life… With its congregational forms of church organization, Protestantism fostered opposition to hierarchy and the assumption that similar democratic forms should be employed in government.”
Huntington clearly dismisses the argument that America is a “land of settlers” and therefore doesn’t have a national identity. According to him, the American identity has been shaped by Protestantism.
FORCES AND THEIR TOOLS
In no other country has there been confusion about its national identity as pronounced as in Bharat. Before the advent of Europeans, there wasn’t any confusion. There existed a cultural, spiritual and at times political unity.
Inhabitants of this land shared a clear conception about the sacred geographical contours of the nation, notwithstanding existence of numerous kingdoms and principalities. A strong power center was not the force that sustained this unity. Political differences never came in the way of the evolution of a national character that is distinctly Bharatiya. There was something living and dynamic about this heritage which showed itself in its world view and approach to humanity, nature and life’s problems.
Much before the incursions of Muslim invaders, Bharat had weathered several challenges posed by external forces. Characterised by its unique philosophical outlook, the nation not only measured up to the challenge posed by external forces but also showed an urge to synthesis and reform. In this exercise, many of them got assimilated into the cultural mainstream.
British manipulated and appropriated Hindu scriptures. During the Mughal period, too, there were huge manipulations done to confuse the population about Hindu Dharma. Sufis led the movement to convert Hindus to Islam
However, a major challenge to the national life was posed by the Islamic invaders who destroyed not only the cultural and spiritual institutions and centres but indulged in largescale conversion of people. If one looks closely at the centers of knowledge and wealth that they destroyed, the temples they had chosen to demolish, it would be clear that what drove them was not mere wealth. I-have-a-book-so-burn-down-all-libraries was the mindset which led to the destruction of ancient universities and libraries of Bharat.
Resilience of our civilisation helped it survive during those tortuous times. When temples were destroyed, people moved their Gods to their houses. Entire Arabia became completely Islamised in a matter of ten years after the Prophet launched Islam but it could not achieve that same feat in Bharat. Islam erased many civilisations and cultures from the face of earth but its march slowed down in Bharat. But the Sanatanis had to pay a heavy price with their blood. It is often argued that the British manipulated and appropriated Hindu scriptures. During the Mughal period, too, there were huge manipulations done to confuse the population about Hindu Dharma. Sufis led the movement to convert Hindus to Islam.
But the more sinister and scheming were the British, who employed methods to wean us away from our Svatva and Swadharma. All tools at their disposal were used to achieve this. Education, administration, history, religion, statecraft and even archaeology was used to destroy our sense of selfhood. There was an attempt to recast our value systems through a Euro-centric yardstick. As Gandhiji lamented, the “beautiful tree” of Bharatiya Education system was destroyed with an intention to create an army of slavish people to work as clerks for the British.
ARCHAEOLOGY AS A STRATEGY
Archaeology was harnessed to push the Aryan Invasion myth. The pioneer in Bharatiya archaeology Alexander Cunningham, an official with East India Company, is on record stating that the purpose of his excavations was to “show that Brahmanism was of comparatively modern origin, and has been constantly receiving additions and alterations; facts which prove that the establishment of the Christian religion in India must ultimately succeed.”
The British and Western ‘Orientalists’ had deep-rooted conviction that Christianity was superior to Hindu Dharma, Buddhism and Jainism.
In the North East they adopted a different strategy. Author Michel Danino states: “Archaeology in those seven states has been sorely neglected and important finds poorly highlighted. Yet, by documenting the presence of Hindu and Buddhist temples and artefacts dating back to a few centuries BCE and CE, they effectively dispel the widespread but untenable notion that this region was never culturally attached to India.” AK Sharma, who led several excavations in North East, stated: “During the pre-independence era, in spite of some archaeological evidences showing similarities with the rest of the country, the myth of backwardness was deliberately inculcated and propagated as this facilitated the missionaries in conversion of the indigenous people to their faith… Though the entire region abounds in archaeological and cultural wealth, very little has been done so far to unearth the glorious past of the area. If proper attention would have been paid earlier, as was done in the case of other parts of the country, the feeling of aloofness and alienation that was deliberately inculcated by the enemies of the country could have been avoided. We are responsible for keeping our brothers and sisters of the Northeast in the dark about their glorious past, about their very close relationships with the rest of the country.”
Forces of history have been conspiring to weaken our svatva consciousness but there have been efforts by our great leaders to reconnect us with our cultural roots. It should be borne in mind that our cultural heritage is not just an arithmetical aggregate of diverse regional cultures. Actually, the regional cultures are the manifestation of Bharatiya culture. Although they are expressed in diverse idioms and characteristic flavours, the soul of these cultures is same. The totality of all these cultures defines our svatva. Dr Radhakrishnan had said about Bharatiya literature that ‘All Indian literature is one, written in different languages.’
Bharat from time immemorial has been regarded as one country from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari. For us, she was our mother – Bharat Mata. This is reflected in the Prithvi Sukta and the more recent Anand Math of Bankim Chandra Chatopadhyay Every region of Bharat has been a part of the sacred whole. Every part of Bharat is bestowed with teerthas and saints and sages and our social, cultural and spiritual life was linked to them in one way or the other. Beneath the superficial differences and variations, a discernable observer can see the same spiritual inspiration at work.
Even in political sphere, the same thought process is at work. There were leaders who had firmly believed that the Soviet model was the panacea for all problems facing Bharat. Some wanted to go for the American model. But great men like Deendayalji tried to bring in a Bharatiya idiom to politics through his integral humanism – Ekatma Manav Darshan. The atmanirbhar campaign propounded by the present government is also an attempt to move towards our svatva – soul of Bharat.
Bharat from time immemorial has been regarded as one country from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari. For us, she was our mother – Bharat Mata. This is reflected in the Prithvi Sukta and the more recent Anand Math of Bankim Chandra Chatopadhyay. For us, Bharat Mata is the ultimate manifestation of our identity. As rightly put by Sri Aurobindo,“It is not a piece of earth, nor a figure of speech, nor a fiction of the mind. The mighty Shakti we call Bhavani Bharati is the living unity of the Shaktis of three hundred million people.” It is this living unity of Bharat symbolized as our common mother that we have been taught to respect through the ages. Departure from this ideal is the root cause of all fissiparous tendencies rising in our country.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been assiduously working to instill among people to strengthen the national consciousness. As pointed out by the Sarsanghchalak, what we need today is intellectual Kshatriyas who are ready to take on forces that are out to destroy our sense of selfhood at various levels.
https://organiser.org/2023/08/14/189856/bharat/recapturing-the-sense-of-national-identity-finally/  
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