Vaishakha Shukla 11 Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125 : 1 May, 2023:SM 5003 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS:
BUDDHA JAYANTI: Buddha Jayanti or Vesak (May 5 this year) marks the birth of
Gautama Buddha and is celebrated with great fervour in Bharat, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Bhutan, Tibet and numerous other South East Asian countries including Thailand,
Tibet, China, Korea, Laos, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia and Indonesia.
2. PROGRAMS OF SARASANGHACHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT: On
April 25, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarasanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat
said that society needs to be more benevolent for the poor in their
surroundings. He was speaking on the occasion of Kritagyata function organised
by Shree Siddhivinayak Seva Trust, Nagpur, to mark the fifth foundation year of
starting of Deendayal Thali which serves the needs of patients and their
relatives who are often at loss in new places.
3. OPERATION KAVERI LAUNCHED IN SUDAN: Bharat has
launched ‘Operation Kaveri’ with the aim of repatriating all the citizens who
have been stranded in Sudan due to the ongoing conflict.
On April 28, Minister of State, Ministry of External Affairs, V Muraleedharan
who is stationed at Jeddah to supervise ‘Operation Kaveri’ informed that so far,
2,100 Bharatiyas have arrived in Jeddah. The total number of Bharatiyas brought
back home now stands at 1,360, according to official data.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said that there are approximately 3,500
Bharatiya nationals and 1,000 people of Bharatiya origin in Sudan, concentrated
in pockets of Khartoum city with presence in other cities. Committed to ensuring
that no Bharatiya national is left behind in Sudan, Bharat has deployed military
planes and warships in the war-torn country. -GoTop
4. GLOBAL BUDDHIST SUMMIT CONCLUDED: The ‘Global
Buddhist Summit 2023’ – a two day congregation - concluded on April 21 in New
Delhi. Hosted by the International Buddhist Confederation in collaboration with
the Bharatiya Ministry of Culture, the event saw participation of delegates from
around 30 countries, including major Buddhist countries like Taiwan, Myanmar,
Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Mongolia. Those in attendance included monks,
scholars, nuns and heads of Buddhist organisations.
On April 21, His Holiness Dalai Lama spoke about how studying Buddhist
philosophies and imbibing values have given him the courage to face Tibet’s
struggle and its current situation.
The Summit passed the New Delhi Declaration which called upon called upon all
nations, organisations and individuals to work towards creating a world free
from conflict, violence and war. -GoTop
5. ARSP CONFERENCE ON CIVILIZATIONAL AND CULTURAL
CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN NEPAL AND BHARAT: A three-day international conference
on civilizational and cultural connectivity between Nepal and Bharat -
‘Manaskhand: Inevitability of Integrity for Internalizing Civilizational and
Cultural Connectivity between Nepal and India’ - was held from April 15-17 in
Dhangadhi, Nepal.
The event consisted of a full-day academic session and brainstorming discussion
between bureaucrats, diplomats and leaders of both countries on internalising
and conceptualizing the ‘Manaskhand’ as a pilgrimage corridor to strengthen
cultural ties between Sudurpaschim province of Nepal and the Kumaoni region of
Uttarakhand. -GoTop
6. NEW ZEALAND SANGH SHIKSHA VARG: Sangh Shiksha Varg of
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS New Zealand was held from April 7-15 at Brookfield
Outdoor Education Centre, Wainuiomata, Wellington. 57 shiksharthis from 8 cities
across New Zealand (Auckland, Hamilton, Napier – Hastings, Palmerston North,
Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin) participated in the Prathamik, Pravesh and
Praveen vargs. 
7. AUSTRALIA SANGH SHIKSHA VARG: From April 8-16, Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Australia successfully conducted its national Sangh
Shiksha Varg in Perth, Western Australia, in the land of the native Whadjuk
people.
Varg karyavah Suresh Limbani reported that 154 shiksharthis from 6 vibhags of
Australia participated and completed the varg. Of these 73 were in Prathamik
varg, 68 in Pravesh and 13 participated in the Praveen varg. 42 shikshaks and
prabandhaks were also present full time to ensure the success of the vargs.
Arrangements were also made to take care of 27 baals whose parents were
participating in the vargs.
While addressing the samarop function, Zonal Sampark Pramukh Vasu Ramyavaran
mentioned that swayamsevaks and sevikas are the ambassadors of Bharatiya
inspired Sanatana Dharma. They are role-models with impeccable character and
selfless contribution towards vishwa-shanti by practicing vishwa-dharma and
instilling it in our next generation. He emphasised that shakha is a simple yet
profound fountain-head school where we perennially draw our inspiration,
sanskaras, motivation, knowledge and fitness on physical as well as intellectual
planes. -GoTop
8. HSS DENMARK :HOLI UTSAV: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS
Denmark, along with Friends of India in Denmark (FIIDA), celebrated Holi
festival on April 23. The event was planned in active collaboration with
Bharatiya Embassy and Ambassador Pooja Kapur. Around 1000 guests of several
nationalities participated in the celebrations. They included Permanent
Secretary of State in the Danish Prime Minister’s Office Barbara Bertelsen,
Ambassador of Bharat Pooja Kapur, Ambassador of Nepal Prof. Dr. Ram Swarth Ray,
Ambassador of Bangladesh A.K.M. Shahidul Karim and Director of Danish Cultural
Institute Bente Wolff.
9. HSS SCHAUMBURG AWARDED ‘VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION OF THE
YEAR AWARD’: Schaumburg Chapter of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA was named
‘Volunteer Organization of the Year’ from among five nominees. For the past 24
years, the chapter’s volunteers have been meeting at the Schaumburg Park
District’s Community Recreation Center to plan their work in the village and
surrounding communities.
Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly and other village officials were present during the
occasion. “Thank you to all the volunteers who keep Schaumburg working,” Dailly
told all the winners and nominees. -GoTop
10. SEWA SNEHA MILAN HELD IN PACIFIC SOUTHWEST: Pacific
Southwest Sambhag of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA organised its first Sewa
Sneha Milan on April 2 at Gayatri Chetna Mandir, Anahiem. 13 organisations
participated in the event. Dr Amrit Nehru of Kashmir Hindu Foundation, HSS
National Sanghachalak Dr Vinod Ambhastha and other dignitaries inaugurated the
event by lighting the lamp. All the organisations showcased their activities and
the event was concluded with a geet on Sewa. -GoTop
11. CELEBRATING HINDU CULTURE IN NEIGHBORHOOD: A
private event called ‘Celebrating Hindu Culture in My Neighborhood with
Non-Indian Neighbors’ event was held at the Enclave Club House in Edison, New
Jersey with the aim to bring Darshana exhibition to a wider audience with
minimal effort.
12. ‘WILDCAT HINDU EXPERIENCE’ AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY:
Hindu YUVA and OM at Northwestern University came together to host the ‘Wildcat
Hindu Experience’, an event planned to provide a safe space for Hindu students
to share their experiences on campus. The event was sponsored by the Religious
and Spiritual Life Office at Northwestern and supported by Northwestern Seva and
Hillel, the Sikh and Jewish student organizations respectively. Amar Shah, the
Hindu Chaplain, Tahera Ahmad - the Associate University Chaplain, and the
Director of Interfaith Engagement at Northwestern addressed the gathering of 35
attendees on April 13. 
13. BHARATIYA AMERICANS OPPOSE PROPOSED CALIFORNIA CASTE
BILL SB 403: Major Hindu and Bharatiya businesses and mandirs have united to
issue a statement to oppose the proposed California Caste Bill SB 403. The bill,
introduced by State Senator Aisha Wahab, seeks to amend the anti-discrimination
policy under the Unruh Civil Rights Act by adding caste as a protected category.
The signatories to this statement include Asian American Hotel Owners
Association (AAHOA) with 20,000 members, Asian American Store Owners Association
(AASOA) representing over 8300 store owners, Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference
(HMEC) - an umbrella organisation of Hindu mandirs with the participation of 600
mandirs in its conferences, Hindu Business Network (HBN), and, Hindu Policy
Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT).
14. HINDUPHOBIA IN UK SCHOOLS: According to a
London-based think tank, Hinduphobia is propelled by Muslim students in the
United Kingdom against Hindu pupils in the classroom by bullying and racially
discriminating. As per the report by The Telegraph, Muslim pupils call Hindu
students ‘kafirs’ and threaten them for being non-believers to pressure them
repeatedly to convert to Islam.
A research fellow named Charlotte Littlewood conducted this study by surveying
more than 1000 British schools and speaking with 988 Hindu parents. The report
was published on April 19 by the Henery Jackson Society. The think tank said
that amplifying misconceptions about the worship of deities and inappropriate
references to the caste system in religious education “fostered discrimination”
and Hinduphobia towards Hindus, which students felt made “a mockery of them”.
While talking to The Telegraph, Conservative Party MP Ben Everitt said that the
findings shed light on the varying themes and forms in which anti-Hindu
discrimination materialises in the classroom. He also recognised the problematic
way Hinduism was being taught in UK schools and emphasized that to reduce
discrimination against those of minority faiths in schools, we need to make sure
that young people are receiving the best possible education about the many
faiths which are woven into the fabric of the diverse United Kingdom. -GoTop
15. CANADIAN MP CONDEMNS GROWING HINDUPHOBIA: The
leader of Canada’s principal opposition Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre,
has condemned the growing incidences of Hinduphobia in the nation. Poilievre is
the first leader of a major Federal party in Canada to address the phenomenon.
In an interview with the local network, Prime Asia, he said, “We have to stop
Hinduphobia and nasty comments that are made about Hindus and the vandalism and
other violence targeting Hindu Canadians. This is totally unacceptable.”
He also called for bolstering the security of places of worship with matching
government funds for guards and cameras and other protections against religious
violence. 
16. THOUSANDS ATTEND HINDU MANDIR'S RESTORATION CEREMONY IN
AUSTRALIA: ABC News reported that on April 12, more than 20,000 Hindus,
including 15 priests and visitors from Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius
attended a traditional ceremony held to celebrate the restoration of the Sri
Venkateswara Mandir in Helensburgh, a small suburb on the outskirts of Sydney.
The consecration ceremony, ‘Kumbhabhishekam’, is believed to bring prosperity to
the entire community.
"The significance of that is purifying not only the mandir and deities but also
the devotees who are watching the ceremony," mandir director Subra Iyer was
quoted as saying.
The construction and repair of the dozens of stone deities in the mandir were
done by 10 specialist masons and painters brought from Bharat. Hundreds of
volunteers also spent their weekends working on the mandir alongside local
contractors, the report said.
The mandir, one of the largest of its kind outside Bharat, had started
renovations in June last year. -GoTop
17. PENNSYLVANIA DECLARES HINDU FESTIVAL OF DIWALI AS
OFFICIAL HOLIDAY: The state House in Pennsylvania has passed a bill
recognizing the Hindu festival of Diwali as an official holiday, a US Senator
from the Northeastern state said on April 26. The senate voted unanimously to
recognise Diwali as a official holiday.
State Senator Greg Rothman and Senator Nikil Saval introduced a legislation to
make Diwali an official state holiday in Pennsylvania in February this year, My
Twin Tiers reported. 
“Thousands of Pennsylvanians celebrate Diwali each year, including many
residents of the 34th Senatorial District,” Rothman said, adding, “Recognizing
Diwali as an official state holiday upholds and celebrates our Commonwealth’s
rich cultural diversity.” -GoTop
18. HINDU COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA PARTICIPATED IN ANU
RELIGIOUS CONFERENCE: Australian National University had organized a three
day conference on “Religion in Modern Education : Conflict, Policy and Practice”
on April 13-15 in its campus in Canberra. The conference invited scholars to
consider the immediate and enduring impacts that the value, consideration,
accessibility, and format of religious education may have on religious
practices, on public spheres of activity, and on the relationship between
religion and society.
Surinder also presented the case study about creating a new law to ban Nazi hate
symbols but exempt Sacred Swastika used as a religious icon. The second case
study illustrated how even the most difficult issues can be solved through
mutual trust with best possible outcome for everyone involved. -GoTop
19. ISRO'S PSLV-C55 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED SINGAPOREAN
SATELLITES: On April 22, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
launched two customer satellites in a textbook launch of the Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicles. The 228-ton PSLV, on its 57th flight, lifted off from the
Satish Dhawan Space in Sriharikota into an eastward low inclination orbit.
20. OBITUARY : TAREK FATAH: Pakistani-Canadian
journalist Tarek Fatah (73 years) breathed his last on April 21 after a
prolonged illness. Born on November 20, 1949 in Karachi, Pakistan, Fatah moved
to Canada in 1987 and became a vocal advocate for secularism, human rights, and
freedom of speech. 
In a condolence message, RSS Sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale said that Tarek
Fatah was an eminent thinker, author and commentator and his significant
contributions to the media and the literary world will be greatly remembered. He
added that Fatah remained committed to his principles and beliefs throughout his
life and was respected for his courage and conviction. -GoTop
21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Biren
and Poorvi Soni - Canada.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: However many holy words you read, however many you
speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them? - Gautama
Buddha -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
---
“SWABHIMAN”-THE PRIME COMMUNITY CHARACTER OF TRIBES
The British and Turkic invaders targeted
indigenous tribal communities of India as they were insistent on protecting
their rights. Their basic character was Swabhiman (pride) -- Adv. Shine P
Sasidhar
Normally, all communities have
their characters, similar to certain business communities of India. Similarly,
Tribal communities have their unique community characters. These tribal
community characters encompass some community rights apart from the usual
individual rights.
Tribal communities are having certain unique characters distinct from others,
and these characters, by and large, are universal and more specific to Indian
groups. Depending on the geographical habitat, some groups prefer to stay deep
inside the forest. Few are in the buffer zones of the forest and certainly some
groups do not stay permanently in one palace like gipsies. Normally they do not
intermingle with other communities and try to avoid the urban community. Tribes
staying in deep forests will generally tend to be introvert in their basic
nature.
At the same time, it is important to note that as a community they were
self-reliant on their traditional way of life. Their dependency was restricted
to the community only. Irrespective of these, the most important characteristics
of a tribal community are their pride and honour. This character is applicable
to both an individual and a community. They have always liked to live with pride
in their area, never allowed others to rule them with any law and protecting the
homeland (forest and its resources) while giving their lives was a prime goal.
For example, great tribal leaders and martyrs like Talakkal Chandu of Vaynad,
Kerala, Bhagwan Birsa Munda of Central India, Natram Negi of Northern part of
India, U Titrot Singh of Kasi (North East) fought against British and Turkic
invaders to protect their rights. Tribals were treated as criminals by British
due to their proud feelings and their non-compromising characters. Even Samrat
Ashoka conquered Kalinga and was the Samrat of Bharat and the Indian Ocean.
However, the Rock Edict XIII of Samrat reads that tribes of those times, called
“Atavik “ or “Attavikas”, did not agree to his ruling in tribal areas and tested
his patience. All the available history since BCE pointed out that the basic
character of the tribal community is pride (Swabhiman) with the tribal majority,
especially in India.
Upholder of Values
Beggars are not seen in tribal areas, and tribes, especially North Eastern
Scheduled States, reinforce this fact. The tribal communities have high values,
morals and social values. Due to this, communities have high interdependency,
but outside interference is less. Decision-making, gender parity, and respect to
elders and leaders are strong characteristics of tribes. Parallels of
traditional community support systems like “Halma” (Bheel community) are visible
in tribal communities across India.
The community takes over and shares the individual’s or family’s difficulty or
grief. It helps promote positive
thought in the community, and the mental health index of tribal communities is
better than others. Nature andcommunity teach them “how to live happily”. This
is the general perception and thought of tribal communities, while urban
communities are still searching for it. Community gathering and collective
decision on common issues (Sahayog) is another exclusive characteristic of the
tribal community.
Relevance of Traditional Weapons
All tribal community groups have their traditional weapons. These weapons are
depending on their character of food choices like agriculture, hunting and
fighting. Archery is common to most communities; some use only archery, but
others use unique weapons as their identity. Even the ones that use the sword
have different designs in different communities. These weapons have a
prestigious position in their lives, poojas and ceremonial events.
The usage of these traditional weapons (Shastras) is another uniqueness of
tribal communities’ identification.
Swabhiman, Sahayog and Shastra are unique tribal characteristics. Tribal
communities’ characters are developed and continued with their value system,
which is rooted in their belief system and dependency on nature.
More studies are required on these topics by universities and other tribal
research organisations apart from regular anthropological studies.
https://organiser.org/2023/04/04/167596/bharat/swabhiman-the-prime-community-character-of-tribes/
-GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN samvadnewsletter@gmail.com http://shrivishwaniketan.
