Margshirsha Shukla 14 Vik Samvat 2070. Yugabda 5115: December 16, 2013

1.   FESTIVALS:  Thai Pongal or Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated mainly by Tamils at the end of the harvest season. Pongal marks the beginning of uttarayana.It coincides with the festival Makara Sankranthi and is usually held from January 13–16. The second of the four days or the first day of month Thai is the main day of the festival which is known as Pongal or Thai Pongal. This also represents the Indic solstice when the sun purportedly enters the 10th house of the zodiac i.e. Makar or Capricorn.
The word pongal itself refers to the "boiling over" of milk and rice during the month of Thai. The saying "Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum" meaning "the commencement of Thai paves the way for new opportunities" is often quoted regarding the Pongal festival. The festival is to thank the Sun god (Surya) for the good harvest and consecrate the first grain to him on this 'Surya Mangalyam'. Tamilians decorate their homes with banana and mango leaves and embellish the floor with decorative patterns drawn using rice flour. It is celebrated in countries SriLanka, Malaysia etc.

2. SV150 PROGRAMME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI: SV150 Birth Anniversary Celebration Committee Kenya organized a ‘Work-Shop on Ideology of Swami Vivekananda’on 3rd December 2013, at University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Mr. Issac Hussain (who studied at Lucknow in UP for 4 Yrs.) narrated his experiences in Bharat, where he talked   about cultural values and helping nature of people of Bharat.  Ms. Branda, student from Department of Religious Studies &Philosophy gave her experience about visit of 100 students in various temples of Kenya.  
Key Note Speaker Mr.Vijay Swami Ji, executive director RIWATCH in Arunachal Pradesh, mainly dealt on 'how the great visionary Swamiji's approach on education is quite relevant in 21st century and even across the world'.  Further to it, Prof D N Waruta, Former Chairman Department of Religious Studies & Philosophy enlightened all with his speech when he stressed that nobody has monopoly of having truth, he al. Chief Guest Prof.  Henry Muturo, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) called for mutual cooperation between University & HSS in the field of Education.

3. MEDICAL FRATERNITY LAUDS RSS ON EYE DONATION MOTIVATION: “Fantastic” that was the seal of approval stamped by Dr. S S Badrinath, the  world renowned eye surgeon and Chief of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai. He was referring to a unique way of obtaining eye donation pledges in thousands by RSS Karyakarthas of Chennai. Over 3000 families were talked into signing the family eye donation pledge. A thousand pledges were handed over to Sankara Nethralaya eye bank at a function ‘1000 Eye Donors Families’ Meet’ organized by ‘Swami Vivekananda 150th year Birthday Celebration Committee’ on November 23 at Meenakshi College  for Women in Chennai.
Swami Satyaprabananda Ji of Ramakrishna Order, Sri Suhas Rao All Bharat Seva Pramuk of RSS and Sri Sundara Lakshmanan, Organising Secretary of Rashtriya Seva Bharati Dr. Lakshmi, Secretary of Meenakshi College, blessed the families which have signed the pledges. (Dr. Badrinath fondly remembered Late RSS Pracharak Sri Shivaram Joglekar whose pioneering work of involving families in eye donation pledge helped greatly to fight against blindness).

4. BHARAT’S MARS CRAFT TUNED TO STAY COURSE: Bharat's Mars spacecraft was fine tuned on December 10 in the interplanetary space to stay on course in the 680-million-km sun orbit on way to the Red Planet. The spacecraft was 2.9-million km away from the earth when the trajectory correction was carried out and was cruising at 32 km/second to reach the Martian orbit in mid-September 2014 for its geological exploration.
Scientists at the Deep Space Network of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Bylalu, about 40 km from Bangalore , are monitoring the orbiter's odyssey and programming its computer for sending and receiving commands for its operations despite a 20-minute delay in the exercise due to the distance between earth and the orbiter in deep space.
After a nine-month journey, the spacecraft will enter the Mars sphere of influence, which is around 573,473 km from its surface, in a hyperbolic trajectory. When the spacecraft is closest to the Red Planet, it will be captured into the Martian orbit through a crucial manoeuvre, which involves slowing its speed.
Transition from the earth's final orbit to solar orbit is programmed in line with sun's gravity and laws of the universe to ensure the orbiter reaches precisely on time to be slung into Martian orbit.

5. 98.8 PERCENT OF INVESTMENT IN THE COUNTRY CAME FROM WITHIN: GURUMURTHY: Stressing that strong family ties is the real strength behind Bharat’s growth, prominent economist S. Gurumurthy said that during the past 20 years it had come to light that 98.8 percent of investment in the country came from within.
He was speaking at the the all-Bharat conference of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) which began at Thiruvananthapuram on 13th December with a call to propound the virtues of ‘Swadeshi.’
Inaugurating the conference, Gandhian P Gopinathan Nair said Swadeshi movements represent the real Bharat. Mahatma Gandhi had recognised that the real potential of the country was lying in the villages.
Earlier, The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) slammed the Congress-led UPA government for compromising on the interests of country's farmers during the recent WTO convention in Bali, Indonesia.
SJM national convener Arun Ojha, BMS all-Bharat President Saji Narayanan, SJM co-conveners Saroj Madra, Bhagavathi Prakash Sharma, Dhapath Ram Agarawal, Kumaraswamy, organising secretary Kashmirilal and others spoke on the occasion.

6. NEPALI SANSKRITI PARISAD DEMANDS BAN ON CONVERSION: The  central committee meeting of Nepali Sanskriti Parisad was  concluded on 30 November and 1 December 2013 at Varanasi. 105 central committee executives from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharastra of Bharat, Bhutan and Nepal participated in the conference. Various problems related to the socio-economic-cultural, health, education, employment, environmental, safety and security of the society as a whole was been discussed in the meet.
In a resolution the Executive said the government should take care of and properly address the educational, health, employment, and safety and security issues of the Nepali community. The great Nepali culture is in danger due to religious conversion by the Christian Missionaries by means of allurement, conspiracy and use of force. The NSP demanded a complete ban in such an inhuman and sinful act of religious conversion.
On the concluding day, a grand public program with cultural performance by Darjeeling cultural group was organized. More than thousand people from local Nepali and other community took part. Shri Indresh Kumar, member RSS all Bharat executive spoke at the occasion.

7. TEJAS LCA WILL BE BATTLE READY BY 2014: BROWNE: Tejas, Bharat’s first indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), would be fully battle—ready by 2014, IAF chief N.A.K. Browne said on December 12. “Tejas, a fourth-generation fighter aircraft, will replace MIG 21 ... and the aircraft will be the LCA Mark I Type. Forty of them will be inducted by the IAF by end—2014,” Air Chief Marshal Browne told journalists at the Advance Landing Ground in Upper Shillong.

8.          JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS
 ‘Butcher of Mirpur’ walks last mile to gallows
Two days from now, when Bangladesh and India celebrate Victory Day on December 16 to commemorate the surrender of the Pakistani Army and the end of the 1971 War of Liberation, it will be a particularly special one. It will mark not just a stellar military win, the end of a genocide and the birth of a new nation, but also, for the first time, the triumph of justice. On December 12, Abdul Qader Mollah became the first razakar, who collaborated with the Pakistani Army to squash the Bengali nationalist movement, to be hanged to death. An execution in itself is no cause for celebration but the people of Bangladesh and their Government in Dhaka deserve full credit for ensuring that Mollah, also known as Mirpur-er Koshai or the ‘Butcher of Mirpur’ for the mass murders he committed in that Dhaka suburb, has been given his just deserts. Few, in Bangladesh and elsewhere, had ever thought that this would be possible. They had assumed that the likes of Mollah would get away with their crimes because surely they would not be tried in a court of law all these years later, especially since they had secured themselves in positions of power within the political establishment. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proved critics wrong when she set up the war crimes tribunal that over the course of three years has been trying and convicting these Rs. Even then sceptics assumed that the war criminal would never be punished to the fullest extent of their crime, that they would be let out when a new Government comes to power. But the people of Bangladesh came together in the historic Shahbagh protest, pressured their Government to change the rules and overturn the life sentence that Mollah had been initially been given, and ensured that he walks that last mile to the gallows. Yes, all of this has taken more than four decades, and in the intervening years Mollah, and many of his murderous co-conspirators, have not just lived with impunity but wielded political power. Yet, as the wheels of justice slowly but surely come full circle, it is hoped that those who were pained to see the likes of him strut around the country — one that the latter had never wanted to be born in — will finally find a sense of peace and closure.
Critics decrying the hanging of Mollah because he was supposedly made a political scapegoat, must be cautioned. The Jamaati leader was allowed a fair trial that went through the due process of law. Within the country, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party must acknowledge this and indeed reconsider its alliance with the Jamaat-i-Islami, an outfit that is now barred from contesting elections because of its nefarious role in the 1971 war. Outside Bangladesh, Western groups and powers concerned about human rights violations in Mollah's execution must remember that the values of freedom, justice and humanity that drove the war crimes trial in Nuremberg, also govern the trial in Dhaka. (Editorial Daily Pioneer 14 December 2013)

9. DISPUTED STATUE TO BE RETURNED TO CAMBODIA: An ancient statue of a Hindu warrior, pulled from auction two years ago because of assertions that it had been looted from a temple deep in the jungles of Cambodia, will be returned to that country under an agreement signed on December 12 by Sotheby's, its client and federal officials at New York.
The accord ends a long bare-knuckled court battle over the Khmer treasure, a 10th-century statue valued at more than $2 million. The Belgian woman who had consigned it for sale in 2011 will receive no compensation for the statue from Cambodia, and Sotheby's has expressed a willingness to pick up the cost of shipping the 500-pound sandstone antiquity to that country within the next 90 days.

10. BRILL'S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HINDUISM Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Edited by Knut A. Jacobsen (Editor-in-Chief), University of Bergen, is part of the Handbook of Oriental Studies, Section 2: South Asia (HO2), which publishes scholarly reference works, bibliographies, and research tools pertaining to the political, economic, social, linguistic, and religious history of the Bharatiya subcontinent.
The five-volume Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism -with first volume published in 2009 and to be completed in 2013 with Vol. 5- is a thematic encyclopedia, presenting the latest research on all the main aspects of the Hindu traditions in original essays written by the world’s foremost scholars on Hinduism. Illustrated with maps and photographs, Brill’s Encyclopedia presents the learned philosophical and theological traditions of Hinduism as well as its various folk traditions. Covering the spread of Hinduism over the last two hundred years to all the continents as well as the interaction of Hinduism with other religions, it also portrays the various responses of Hindu traditions to a number of contemporary issues of great relevance today, such as feminism, human rights, egalitarianism, bioethics, and so on.
www.brill.com/downloads/Encyc-Hinduism-extra-info.pdf.

11. PORTUGAL: FREE YOGA CLASSES FOR 750 PUBLIC SCHOOL KIDS: Under the "Porto's Kids" project - an initiative of the Municipality of Porto - free yoga lessons during school hours have begun for about 750 children, in 30 classes in Kindergarten and 1st Grade of public schools in the city of Porto. The classes are taught by instructors from the Associacao Ashrama Porto Yoga Center in Porto.
All lessons are free for the children and are given to the whole class during school hours with the presence of the educator/teacher who will give continuity to what is learned during the week, training in self control and concentration. In this project only senior yoga teachers with high qualifications are allowed to teach. All the teachers are graduates of the Portuguese Yoga Confederation program and have had special training in Yoga for Kids.
This is the 7th year that the yoga ashram has collaborated with the City of Porto on this project. From past years it has been seen that there has been a very good acceptance of the program by children and their families, the teachers, and the individual schools.

12. MANIPURI SANKIRTANA ENTERS UNESCO CULTURAL HERITAGE LIST:  The Manipuri Nat-Sankirtana, an art form conceived by the famous Manipur king Bhagyachandra Singh in the 18th century, has entered UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Sankirtana - the ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur - has been selected for inscription on the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was taken on December 4 at the ongoing 8th session of the UNESCO  Intergovernmental Committee in Baku, Azerbaijan. The committee consists of representatives from 24 countries.
The intergovernmental committee said Sankirtana satisfies all the criteria for inscription on the representative list. The art form is transmitted from generation to generation through formal and traditional education. Sankirtana music and dance reinforce the social and spiritual cohesion among the Vaishnavites of Manipur, it added.

13. TATA HALL OPENS AT HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL: Tata Hall, the newest addition to the Harvard Business School (HSB) campus, has thrown open its doors to some of the business school's executive education programmes.
In a dedication ceremony on December 9 , Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Group, and a 1975 graduate of HBS’s advanced management programme, joined Dean Nitin Nohria, former Dean Jay Light and architect William Rawn.
The arc-shaped, seven-storey, glass and stone building features triple glazed windows and a green roof. The building features two classrooms, 179 bedrooms, and three gathering spaces for the nearly 10,000 participants who attend the executive education programmes each year.
Tata Hall was funded by a $50-million gift donated by the philanthropic subsidiaries of Tata Group — the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Tata Education and Development Trust.

14. BIG COMPANIES CLINCH MULTIPLE PLACEMENTS AT IITS: Post-midnight developments at the premier IIT-Bombay campus, early on December 2 left several students thrilled. High-profile companies not just offered seriously high pay packets; they also went in for bulk hires on campus. A similar situation played out at other IITs in the country as well on the first two days of placements.
Samsung Korea, for one, hired around 14 candidates from IIT-B-the highest so far. Google picked up around 10 students. Samsung Korea, which made an offer of $135,000 on campus, excluding performance-based incentives, hired 14 candidates for both its US and Korea offices. Last year, it had hired only one candidate. Google hired three students for its California office and seven for Bharat. Microsoft recruited 9 students at the IIT-B campus placements-5 for US and 4 for Bharat.
"By the end of the first day, more than 150 unique offers were made. Of these, 75% were for international postings," said Avijit Chatterjee, professor-in-charge of placements at the institute.
Among the top companies that have visited the IIT’s of Mumbai, Kanpur and Kharagpur campus and made offers include Google, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Boston Consultancy, Mckinsey and Bain, Credit Suisse etc.
15. N-CAPABALE PRITHVI-II MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED: Bharat on December 2 successfully test-fired indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile with a strike range of 350 km from a test range at Chandipur in Odisha as part of a user trial by defence forces.
The surface-to-surface missile was test-fired at around 10:05am from a mobile launcher in salvo mode from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range in Orissa.
"The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the launch activities were carried out by the specially formed Strategic Force Command (SFC) and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of training exercise," the sources said.
Such training launches clearly indicate Bharat's operational readiness to meet any eventuality and also establishes the reliability of this deterrent component of Bharat's strategic arsenal, the official said.

16. MODI FLAGS OFF 'RUN FOR UNITY' IN VADODARA: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi flagged off 'Run for unity', which seeks to drum up support for his pet 'Statue of unity' project, on the 63rd death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel here on December 15 morning.
The run was being held simultaneously in 1,100 places across the country.
"This run is being organized with a determination to unite the people, unite the villages and unite the nation," Modi said, adding that it was about "patriotism". Senior BJP leader LK Advani flagged off the run in Ahmedabad. He said the event was a true tribute to Patel and praised the people for turning up in large numbers.
Gujarat government is building a gigantic statue of Sardar Patel — 'Statue of unity' — which it claims would be the world's tallest statue — on Sadhu Bet in Narmada river. The run will also start a campaign for collection of iron from all over the country for the statue.
17. VSK’S WEBSITE WWW.SAMVADA.ORG REDESIGNED & RELAUNCHED IN BANGALORE: Rashtreeya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) centre for Media and Mass communication, Vishwa Samvada Kendra’s website www.samvada.org was relaunched with a new design on December 9 in Bangalore.
It is one of the regularly updated websites of RSS which posts regular updates/news/programme reports, related aspects of RSS and Sanghparivar organisations.
The website was inaugurated and launched on August 3, 2006 at Vishwa Samvada Kendra’s office by the then RSS Sarakaryavah Mohan Bhagwat. The updates of www.samvada.org are also available on Twitter (https://twitter.com/samvada) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/samvada ).

18. 1400-YEAR-OLD BUDDHIST TEMPLE DISCOVERED IN CHINA:  A 1,400-year-old Buddhist temple, built during the Northern Qi Dynasty, has been discovered in north China's Shanxi Province, which archaelogists say may help shed light on the early Buddha carvings.
The shrine, enclosed by walls carved with Buddha niches, is part of the Tongzi Temple complex secluded on a mountain near the city of Taiyuan- the capital of Shanxi.
The structure was built in 556 AD during the rule of Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557 AD), a booming period for Buddhism, said researchers with the Institute of Archaeology of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (IA CASS).

19. CONSERVATION OF LEGENDARY GARUDA SUCCEEDS IN BIHAR: In a rare success story of conservation in the country, the population of the endangered Greater Adjutant or the legendary Garuda, has shown a manifold increase at its breeding site at Kosi Diara in the Bhagalpur district of Bihar.
At a time when there are between 800-1200 birds of this species in the world, Bihar alone has claimed to have a population of about 400. The other two places where this bird is found are Cambodia and Assam. But its population is on the decline there.
Arvind Mishra, an avian expert, whose efforts have largely contributed to this success story said, “When we first discovered this breeding site in 2006-07, there was a population of about 78. But the latest survey has come out with a record number of 75 nests, from which we can expect to have a population of at least 400 of them including the young ones”.
Mishra’s multi pronged awareness campaigns covering more than 20 villages in the Kosi Diara region has paid dividends. He admitted of the obvious advantage of the religious significance that this bird enjoys as “Bada Garud”. As per Hindu mythology it is considered the sacred mount of Lord Vishnu.

20.  BHARATIYA DIPLOMAT PENS SAARC ANTHEM: Kathmandu-based Bharatiya diplomat Abhay Kumar has penned an anthem for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in a bid to foster regional consciousness and bring member states closer.
Originally composed in Hindi, the anthem will also be made available in the languages of the other seven SAARC countries.
"I believe a SAARC anthem, a song that all South Asians could sing together, can act as a catalyst in fostering deeper South Asian consciousness and fraternity. Having received a very warm and enthusiastic reception to the Earth Anthem, which I had written and produced recently, it was my thinking that I could do something similar for SAARC," Abhay Kumar, first secretary (Press, Information and Culture) at the Bharatiya Embassy at Kathmandu.

21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Saumitra Gokhale, sayojak Vishwa Vibhag will be touring Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Dec-Jan. Shri Ravikumar sahsamyojak returned from his tour to HongKong and Malaysia. Dr.Sadanand Sapre sahsamyojak would return Bharat after his pravas to Mauritius and South Africa. Visitors: Dr.Mahesh Arora – UK

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Within the lotus of the heart He dwells, where nerves meet like spokesof a wheel at hub. Meditate on Him as Aum. Easily may you cross the sea of darkness.    – Mundaka Upanishad.

JAI SHREE RAM

PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA AT WORLD HINDU CONFERENCE DURBAN

Bharatiyas have been migrating to distant regions of the world since the past couple of centuries.
In the known history they have migrated to far off places since around the middle of the 19th century.
In the precolonial and colonial period they went mostly as bonded labourers to work in the sugar cane fields in many countries.
These included Carribean countries and Fiji in the west and Far East and also to Mauritius and many African countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and also to South Africa.
For quite a long period the South Africa Hindus were virtually cut off from the rest of the world because of the apartheid policy of the white rulers of South Africa.The second half of the 20th century saw the gradual softening of this policy and the steady rise in the intermixing of the south Africa community with the rest of the world. There also started an interaction of the migrated South African Hindus with the mother country which eventually led to the holding of the first Hindu Conference in South Africa with the joint efforts of the South Africa Hindu Mahasabha and other local Hindu organisations.
A local Organising Committee was formed sometime in 1994 and it successfully held the Hindu Conference in Durban in July 1995.
The conference had blessings of Pujya Swami Sahajananda of the Divine Life Society of South Africa which also played as host to a galaxy of
Hindu Saints and Social leaders in its premises.
The idea of the conference was mooted with the pravas in 1993 of Man Seshadriji, the then Sar Karyavah of RSS  along with Dr Yashwantrao Pathak, the then  Sangh Pracharak in Africa.Their pravas was followed by a number of other social karyakartas and religious leaders from Bharat.
The conference was held at the prestigious stadium in Durban and was attended by many prominent Hindu Leaders. These included Shri Dattopant Thengadi,  Shri Murli Manohar Joshi, Shri Giriraj Kishor ji, Bhante Gyan Jagatji, Dr Mahesh Mehta and Shrimati Anjlee Pandya of America, Sadhu Rangarajan, Shri Brahmadeo Upadhyaya from Caribbeans, Shri Ruben Thuku of Africa and many others.
The conference lasted for three days and many interactive sessions were held during this period in addition to the Inaugural and concluding functions.The Chief guest for the concluding  function was none other than the world renowned  South Africa President Mr Nelson Mandela .
The cultural programme was led by Shri Hrudaynath Mangeshkar and his troup The total attendance at the conference was estimated to be around forty thousand (40000).
 The conference paved the way for spreading the Hindu Organisational set up not only in South Africa but also to many neighbouring countries.

NELSON MANDELA’s SPEECH

(CHATSWORTH, 9 July 1995)

Masters of Ceremony;
Leaders of the Hindu community;
Distinguished Guests;
Fellow South Africans;
For our country, and for me personally, today’s event is a fulfillment of a long cherished hope. Here, on our soil, are gathered together members of one of South Africa’s proudest communities, at last able as free people to welcome fellow Hindus from across the world as their guests in a democratic South Africa.
The joy of sharing this moment with you is all the greater for knowing that Hindus from so many countries are present. It is a particular honour to be able to welcome such eminent swamis and sages. Your participation in the World Hindu Conference being held in Durban does honour to our new democracy. May your stay in our country be a pleasant and rewarding one.
I would like to congratulate the organizers of today’s event. You have given us all a rare opportunity to participate in the moment of great historical significance.
Dear friends, the strength and the richness of Hinduism has made it one of the world’s oldest religions. It has endured because it has been able to give succour and guidance to its followers in all ages and all circumstances, whenever they may be. Human civilisation is immeasurably enriched by its vision and the values which it inspires.
Nowhere are these things more vividly demonstrated than in South Africa. Our lands are graced by temples, altars and shrines built by the indentured labourers who first brought Hinduism to these shores and those who followed them. They testify to the indomitable spirit with which they sustained community and religion under adverse circumstances.
The nurturing of Hinduism in South Africa has been woven into the struggle for freedom and justice. The Hindu community has given our nation some of its most reversed leaders, amongst them Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Monty Naicker, Mr. Nana Sita and many others. In the past several Hindu leaders were in the forefront of the struggle against oppression. Today they represent our people as a whole in Parliament and the provincial governments, leading the transformation of our society in order to address the legacy of apartheid.
Our vision of a free and equitable society at peace with itself is also to be found in the core values of Hinduism – tolerance, peace and unity. These values, as expressed in the pronouncements and writings of Gandhi and Nehru, had a profound and lasting influence on our liberation movement, and on my own thinking.
The relevance of these values to our society has never been greater than in this time of nation building and national reconciliation.
If we have been able to aspire to the accolade of the ‘Rainbow Nation’, it is in part because of what we have drawn from the tradition. Our rich country of many cultures and religions is protected constitutionally. But more importantly relevance and respect for the values and the culture of others are written in the hearts of our people and enshrined in the practices of our governments, institutions and parties.
As one recent token of the seriousness of this commitments, our public broadcaster has now acknowledged, the place of Hinduism in the mainstream of our national life.
It is there, at the local level, that the most decisive work must be done to heal the wounds which apartheid inflicted on our society. The Indian community is well placed to contribute to this procost, especially in this province of KwaZulu Nata, and above all in Durban.
The experience of the first year of democratic government has removed the basis of the fears which gave credence to divisive ways of thinking about the diversity of our people. Our diversity is now a source of strength, the strength of one South African nation of many cultures and religions but united to a common destiny.
All cultures and religions now enjoy equal respect, without preference. For the first time in our history this equality and freedom is enshrined in our constitution.
No longer do our communities need to think of themselves as minorities threatened by the majority. Assured that their culture is safe and their religion protected, they are free to think of themselves as part of the South African nation. They can be confident that their traditions are admired and respected.
The conditions are also ripe for all religions to join together in a common commitment to harmony, peace and national reconciliation. Uniting around these noble values that are common to our different faith, will help to safeguard our new freedom and consolidate our democracy. It will also help us avoid the kinds of religious tensions which are being experienced in many other parts of the world.
Hinduism has a special role to play in nation-building and reconciliation, reconstruction and development. As we are gathered here today, from across our land and from communities across the world, let us dedicate ourselves to a vision for the twenty first country. It is a vision based on tolerance and unity, an equitable distribution of resources, on peace and friendship in this our South African nation, and between the nations of the world.
May peace be with you.

(The first World Hindu Conference was held at Durban, South Africa during 7 to 10 July, 1995. On 9th July the President Nelson Mandela visited and gave the speech. The account of the conference is penned by Dr.Shankarrao Tatwawadi who was present on the dias at the conference. )
Posted by at No comments:

Margshirsha Krishna 13/14 Vik Samvat 2070. Yugabda 5115: December 1, 2013



1.   FESTIVALS:   Thaipusam is a festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February, 17 January this year). It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community such as Bharat, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar.
The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam. It commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel "spear" so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman. On Thaipusam day devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common.
2. ‘SARHAD KO SWARANJALI’ BY SANSKAR BHARATI PURBANCHAL IN ITANAGAR: Ninety five year old Smt Leela Devi, mother of martyr Jaswant Singh Rawat, the brave soldier of 1962 Indo-China War, saluted her own martyr son in a grand rally at IG Park in Itanagar on November 24 along with the State Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, in the concluding day celebration of three day mega event ‘Sarhad Ko Swaranjali’. The unique celebration was organised by Sanskar Bharati to commemorate the completion of 50 years of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar’s eternal song Aye mere watan ke logon…, a song which had become a landmark event in the patriotic history of modern Bharat which had a soothing effect to the tragic consequences of the 1962 War.
Along with Smt. Leela Devi, the mothers of Kirti Chakra Shaheed NK Tape Yajo and Shaheed Patey Tassuk and the brother of Shaheed Tagom Taki also offered homage to their martyred kin in presence of an emotional gathering of tens of thousands from the whole North-east Bharat. ‘Shaktimaan’ fame Mukesh Khanna, Lt. Gen. VM Patil, senior RSS Pracharak Shri Indresh Kumar and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
3. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SWAMI VIVEKANANDA AT USC: Through a grant bestowed by the Dharma Civilization Foundation in 2012, the University of Southern California (USC) School of Religion convened the International Conference on the ‘Life, Legacy, and Contemporary Relevance of Swami Vivekananda’, on October 18-19 to mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swamiji. The meeting featured over thirty eminent scholars who arrived from Bharat, from all over the United States, Canada, and UK to offer insights on the major areas of Swamiji’s pioneering teachings and contributions. Many persons were able to view the conference proceedings worldwide through HD streaming. One of the largest academic scholarly conferences, it drew over 250 attendees over the two days, including the general public, university students, scholars, and members of the Bharatiya heritage community. Swamis and sannyasinis were also in attendance. The conference covered a wide area of themes important to the study of Swami Vivekananda’s work.
4. ISRO'S MARS ORBITER SENDS FIRST PICTURE OF EARTH: The severe cyclonic storm "Helen" hurtling towards Andhra Pradesh coast has been captured by Bharat's Mars orbiter in the first image of the country beamed back in its maiden mission to the red planet. "Mangalyaan" has beamed back the first set of pictures of Earth, capturing the Bharatiya subcontinent and parts of Africa, ISRO said in Chennai on November 21. It will reach the red planet's orbit by September 24, 2014 after an over 10 month voyage.
5. NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF VICE CHANCELLORS IN DELHI: “Swami Vivekananda Sardh Shati Samaroh Samiti’’ (SVSSSS) organised a unique national conference of Vice Chancellors  on ‘Swami Vivekananda on Education - Vision for National Resurgence’  on November 16 -17 in New Delhi. It was attended by a total of 239 delegates representing 113 Universities of 22 states comprising of Vice-Chancellors, Chancellors and Directors of Central, State, deemed and private universities and various renowned educationists from all over the country.
At the inaugural session, Dr. Anil Kakodkar (former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission) said that , in our education system something is seriously wrong, we are still suffering from a sense of inferiority. Chief Guest Dr. MM Pallam Raju (Union HRD Minister) said Swami Vivekananda called it a sin to neglect the upliftment and education of masses; he also stressed on learning Sanskrit by all the people in the country. Various parallel sessions were addressed by eminent speakers like Dr. Pranav Pandya, Swami Atmapriyananda of Swami Vivekananda Ramakrishna University, Kolkata; Dr. Vijay Bhatkar addressed a special lecture on ‘Science and Spirituality’.  
The Valedictory function was addressed by Chief Guest Justice (Retd.) Rama Jois who elaborated the Bharatiya perspective of Dharma, law etc. Dr. Subhash Kashyap and Prof. Aniruddha Deshpande also shared the dais.
6. INDIAN SENIOR CITIZENS FORUM (ISCF), an initiative of Sewa International Australia, celebrated Diwali and the festive season at their annual function on 16th November at Melbourne. Coordinator ISCF, Krishan Auplish welcomed the distinguished guests including Anna Burke, Federal Member for Chisolm, Hong Lim, State Member for Clayton, Mayor of Monash City, Cr Geoff Lake . Nearly 70 senior members of the Forum were present at the event. Rakesh Auplish presented a synopsis of the various activities of Sewa International since 2000. The function also featured cultural programs like Bharatnatyam.
7. CHINA HONOURS BHARAT RATNA SCIENTIST CNR RAO: Bharat's top scientist CNR Rao, who was recently named for the Bharat Ratna - the country's highest civilian award - has been elected honorary foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "Dr Rao is the first Bharatiya scientist to be elected recently (November 4) to the prestigious academy, which consists of several Nobel laureates and eminent scientists of the world," the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) where Dr Rao is the founder-president, said in a statement in Bangalore. The Chinese Academy of Science had bestowed upon the 80-year-old Dr Rao the Award for International Scientific Cooperation in January 2012.
8. NUCLEAR-CAPABLE DHANUSH MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED: Bharat successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile from a naval ship off Odisha coast on November 23. The single-stage, liquid propelled Dhanush has already been inducted into the armed services and is one of the five missiles developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 to 1,000 kg for both land and sea-based targets.
9. WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATES GURU NANAK BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: Sikh-Americans in their traditional Punjabi dresses, colourful turbans and business suits came to the White House to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru. Senior Obama administration officials led by Melissa Rogers, special assistant to the president and executive director, White House office of faith-based and neighbourhood partnerships were at hand to greet the invitees to the event November 20. Among them was Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Bharat's charge d'affaires, who conveyed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 'Gurpurb' greetings to the audience.
10.         THEY’RE BHARAT’S RATNA
  AB Vajpayee, Dhyan Chand can’t be ignored
There is no disputing that both CNR Rao and Sachin Tendulkar deserved the Bharat Ratna, and they have been befittingly honoured with the recognition. But what has made the Congress-led UPA Government to gloss over former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's name for the award? It cannot be that the regime is unaware of Mr Vajpayee's stellar contribution in public life over the decades that he has straddled the country's political canvas like a colossus. Both in and out of the Government, Mr Vajpayee has been recognised for his statesmanship. With an unimpeachable track record, he should have been among the first names to be considered by this regime for the Bharat Ratna. Even political leaders outside the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA have pitched for the iconic leader's name. Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar — who recently broke ties with the BJP, and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah — who is a Minister in the UPA Government, have openly favoured the recognition to Mr Vajpayee. So much so that even many Congress leaders are not averse to the Bharat Ratna being bestowed on the BJP's tallest leader. The pressure being such, the UPA must correct itself and extend the honour to Mr Vajpayee, or else it stands the risk of being accused of playing politics over an award that towers over parochial considerations. The Government will only gain in image if it does that. Unfortunately, some spokespersons of the Congress are worsening matters by taking petty positions on the issue, with one of them even questioning Mr Vajpayee's credentials. From Jawaharlal Nehru to PV Narasimha Rao, every leader has recognised the former Prime Minister's contribution to the domestic political discourse and grip over international affairs. Mr Vajpayee is easily among a fistful of the most popular and effective Prime Ministers the country has had. Therefore, while it would have been in the fitness of things to have included his name along with that of Tendulkar (who got the award dot on the day he retired from Test cricket) and a still-serving Mr Rao, it's still not too late. Mr Vajpayee does not, of course, have to depend on the UPA regime for an honour which he richly deserves; it's certain that as and when a BJP-led NDA Government takes charge at the Centre, it will correct the fallacy.
Also, now that the Government has tweaked the rules to include sports personalities for the Bharat Ratna, it must look beyond Tendulkar. The legendary hockey player, Major Dhyan Chand's name has been in contention for long. Given that hockey is our national game, given that Major Dhyan Chand remains the last word in hockey wizardly not just in Bharat but also worldwide, given that this magician with the stick brought immense laurels to the game and the country for years together by his unparalleled brilliance, and given that he, like Tendulkar, carried his fame lightly and became an icon that everybody wanted to emulate, there is no reason why he should not get the Bharat Ratna. At a time when Bharatiya hockey is going through a rough phase, recognition to Major Dhyan Chand will come as a major shot in the arm for the game in the country and encourage youngsters to pursue their dreams on the hockey field.
(Editorial, Pioneer, November 20, 2013)
11. BHARATIYA AMERICANS IN OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: Last fortnight witnessed several Bharatiya Americans rising to high level posts in Obama Adminstraion. Notable among them is Nisha Desai Biswal who was sworn in as the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia on 21 November 2013. Before her appointment to this position, Biswal was assistant administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development. Gargee Ghosh was appointed as a member of the President’s Global Development Council. Holding the current position at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, since 2012, Ghosh also held roles in global health and international economics with the Gates Foundation from 2004 to 2009. Popular Bharatiya American actor and former White House staffer Kal Penn got a key administration post of member of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Born in New Jersey as Kalpen Suresh Modi, Penn is an actor, writer and producer, who shot to fame with the Harold and Kumar film series.
12. HARVARD SCIENTISTS HAVE PROOF YOGA, MEDITATION WORK: Scientists are getting close to proving what yogis have held to be true for centuries — yoga and meditation can ward off stress and disease. John Denninger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, is leading a five-year study on how the ancient practices affect genes and brain activity in the chronically stressed. His latest work follows a study he and others published earlier this year showing how so-called mind-body techniques can switch on and off some genes linked to stress and immune function.
"There is a true biological effect," said Denninger, director of research at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, one of Harvard Medical School's teaching hospitals. "The kinds of things that happen when you meditate do have effects throughout the body, not just in the brain."
13. MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI TO DONATE $2 MN TO PHILIPPINES TYPHOON VICTIMS: Spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi said on November 26, she is donating a relief and rehabilitation package worth $2 million for the people affected by super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Haiyan, believed to be the worst storm to hit the Philippines, has affected 13 million people and destroyed one million homes.er 23
Half of the relief package from the Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) will be donated in cash while the rest will be spent for children's education. The package will come from the Mata Amritanandamayi Center in California.
14. RATAN TATA ELECTED TO BOARD OF US THINK TANK: Top Bharatiya industrialist Ratan Tata has returned as a board member of East West Centre, a Honolulu based education and research organisation established by the US Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific and the US. Tata, 75, is returning to the board and has worked with the organisation several times between 1993 and 2004. The think tank's board consists of 18 members, including 5 appointed by the US secretary of State, 5 appointed by the Governor of Hawaii, 5 from Asia or the Pacific Islands and 3 ex-officio members, including the Governor of Hawaii, the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the President - University of Hawaii.
15. 3-NATION KAILASH-MANSAROVAR TOURISM PLAN IN THE PIPELINE: A meeting of Bharat, China and Nepal officials and tour operators from different countries took place recently in China to develop the holy Kailash Mansarovar landscape in the Himalayan region as a major tourist hub. Kailash Mansarovar assumes special significance for Hindus and Buddhists. Commissioner of Kumaon Division AS Nayal represented Bharat in this meeting. All the participants showed their willingness to go ahead with the ambitious plan of making this holy Kailash Mansarovar landscape a major tourist destination, maintaining a balance between the human interventions and ecological and environmental concerns of this Himalayan zone, Nayal said after returning to Bharat.
16. SIX WOMEN AND A HANDWRITTEN NEWSPAPER:: Bahini Darbar is a newspaper with a difference. It is handwritten; brought out by women; printed once a month and priced at Rs 15. Residents of Dabhora, a village in Rewa in MP look forward to reading it. This month's 10-pager features a special on the right to vote and why it is important. Written in Bagheli, dialect of the Vindhya region, the two-page story written by Editor Usha Yadav reminds people to think before pressing the EVM button. "It all started in 2006-07 when a dalit woman was not allowed to fetch water from a well in Dabhora", Usha remembers. "We decided to start a handwritten paper. Each of us writes 10 pages and we distribute 100 photo-copies," she says.
17. WOMEN LAP UP KRAV MAGA FOR SELF DEFENCE IN CHENNAI: Mischief-mongers are advised to be careful while approaching Chennai women. Chances are that the predators may find themselves “out of order” with broken fingers, damaged eyes and injuries on vulnerable parts of the body.
Enter Krav Maga, the famous self-defence system developed by the Israeli defence forces to counter unexpected attacks. It is a combination of defensive and offensive manoeuvres and aggressions designed for self-protection from all kinds of attacks including rape. Hundreds of Chennai women and girl students are busy mastering Krav Maga, a non-competitive blocking and attacking techniques, S Sree Ram, the Chennai-based chief instructor, said. “Gang-rapes in New Delhi and Mumbai shocked women in Chennai. Parents, employers and heads of educational institutions are a worried lot as they start thinking of the safety of their wives, daughters and the little ones,” said Ram (53) who was trained under the Israeli masters in the Krav Maga “art” form.
“Since January more than 12,000 women have undergone basic training lessons of Krav Maga. We teach the women and girls to dominate the situation, not the attackers.” said Ram.
18. ART AFICIONADOS CELEBRATE BOITA BANDANA UTSAV: On a chilly morning with India Gate as backdrop, people of Odisha and art aficionados of Delhi gathered at Boat Club to celebrate the 10th Boita Bandana Utsav, the traditional boat sailing festival of ancient Odisha, organised by Bal Jagruti Association of Delhi, an association working for downtrodden people since 16 years. The function started with traditional Veda chanting by anchor Hrusikesh Panigrahi to an open and early November sky of Delhi, who also moderated a seminar held by the Association later in the afternoon. The festival, which falls on the full moon day of Kartika maas, is to remind the ancient maritime trade of the then Kalinga Sadhabas. 
19. NAGA YOUTH TAKES ‘TATTOO’ WAY TO RELATE TRIBAL HISTORY, RESTORE GLORY: 28-year-old Mo Naga, a Naga youth hailing from Manipur’s Chandel district, has taken the help of tattoos — which existed in the Naga society since time immemorial — to bring to the fore the untold stories and rich cultural heritage and traditions of the society in the past and thereby to create a better identity for the Nagas.
A Naga tattoo has always been mark of achievement in the headhunting clans. A headhunter used to get a tattoo whenever he demolished his enemy and successfully collected his head. The more the number of heads he collected, the more tattoos he got on his body.
20.  BJYM GUJARAT BREAKS GUINNESS WORLD RECORD: Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Gujarat unit’s eye donation pledge making function has secured place in Guinness book of records. BJYM Gujarat president Pradipsinh Vaghela and vice president Prakash Gurjar shared this detail on November 20 in a press conference in Ahmedabad. The event was organized on the birthday of Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 17 September at Amraiwadi area of Ahmedabad. Guinness book’s witness officer Rakesh Brahmbhatt attended the event. Within 18.53 minutes 2585 people took pledge for eye donation. Earlier record was made by Turkey, where in one hour 1981 people had pledged for eye donation. As per the Guinness book format, within an hour 2755 people pledged for eye donation in Ahmedabad event of BJYM.
21. MUSLIM MANCH, RSS HELP NETAJI'S 'COLONEL' NIZAMUDDIN: Nizamuddin, who was once the most trusted lieutnent of Netaji, was facing hardship for the marriage of his grand daughter Somaiya that was scehduled for November 13. When the Muslim Mahila Foundation of Varanasi came to know about the financial condition of his family, they came forward and appealed to social organizations and philanthropists to help this family of freedom fighter. But alas! No one responded to their appeal.
It was the initiative of RSS pracharak and Patron of Muslim Rashtriya Manch Indresh Kumar that steps could be taken to collect a substantial amount and offered to his family so that the marriage could be solomnized.
22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Saumitra Gokhale - samyojak Vishwa Vibhag returned to USA after his weeklong tour to Colombia; Shri Ravikumar - sahsamyojak is on a tour to HongKong, Malaysia and Singapore; Dr.Sadanand Sapre sahsamyojak will be touring Mauritus and South Africa. Visitors:
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: India of the ages is not dead nor has she spoken her last creative word; she lives and has still something to do for herself and the human peoples. – Sri Aurobindo

JAI SHREE RAM

INTERVIEW OF DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT

Q. There is a Hindu feel of expression everywhere in the country, but most of them are on the basis of temporary issues only. How can we differentiate Hindu feel and Hindutva? Also how do we distinguish a nationalist Hindu from someone who has a tag of the Hindu religion, like a communist Hindu?
A. See the transformation of society according to the times is a real sign of awakening that has not yet happened. Normally in society, even an individual awakens, he is not conscious that he is awake. All he experiences are a few disturbances. Then he feels “I am in those disturbances.”
That is the second stage. Then he gets up wondering, “Who am I, what should I do today, what did I do yesterday, what will I do tomorrow?” Such similar vein of thinking begins. Then he gets up and starts working. That is full awakening……..
Actually Hindus have to be aware of a few things: what their tradition is, their rule, their values and culture, and at present whether they match up to that thinking, how they can present themselves I the modern world and make themselves presentable, what will be of tomorrow, etc. This is the path, though it is not full awakening. However, one can be assured that awakening has just started.
And therefore Hindus now can react and assert too. This forms real awakening. But Hindus will have to make their own social transformation. So when Hindus stand as one society without any discrimination-by nature, Hindu society is diverse. But diversity will not be considered as being different or separate. It only means that society will respond as one, and take care of its own well being, of every single member. This mounts to real awakening. This bound to come tomorrow, it has just stared. The complete awakening is yet to come.
Q. Here in Kerala people says we are Hindus. But political mentality is for communist politics. Their attitude towards a certain issue may be pro Hindu. But politically they are not. Shall we read this too as a sign of Hindutva?
A. That is what I have been saying: this is only partial awakening. That is why this mind of “all right, I am a Hindu but I am a communist” exists. What is wrong in that? The harm is not being a communist, harm is in not understanding what is first and what is second. It is a question of identity. What is our identity? We are in this country. I am a communist. I want to eradicate all these extortions and everything evil from society. That is perfectly fine. But from what society? From which country?
We are Hindus and ours is Hindu Rashtra, this is Hindustan. Thought must be given to everything based on Hindu values. There are many ideologies in the world. Even if I take some ideology from outsiders, I will adopt it to ‘Hinduness’. Not that I will adopt my ‘Hinduness’ to that ideology. That full awakening is yet to come. When the society is awakening fully it will eradicate all social evils. It will get rid of all differences and will stand as one. It will manage its vast diversity in such a way that there will be emotional oneness. It will be reflected socially as well as politically. And all ideologue and ideologies will have to follow the suit……….
We may use any ideology to achieve this goal. But we will think that we are Hindus and as Hindus we have to solve these problems, we have our internal social problems, we will solve them. All these political problems we will solve as Hindus. So it is the Hindu that comes first and the other that comes second. That has to come. And it has started.
Q. Does Sangh believe that anti national forces are getting weakened though their desperate efforts to unleash terror in society is active in a big way? If so what is the role of nationalistic forces like Sangh?
A. Our Hindu society was hailed by Swami Vivekananda as an eternal society. Why, because we stand on the basis of certain solid principles on which the universe functions. Actually we don’t have a mode of basic worship, or modes of economic policy as principle.
This is because everything is subject to changes according to persons and times. They are not eternal. However Dharma is eternal. We have to live and for that we have to let live. We see all these diversities. But there underlies the unity. Realizing that unity bequeaths unending bliss, these are the very facts on the basis of which life thrives.
We go along with them, therefore nothing can finish us, or destroy us. Gradually all those who are destructible, they will get destroyed. Time takes care of that and the same time has come for others. See the world scenario: all forms of extremism are being rejected now. Even Muslims in India and in the world have started raising there voice against these instances of extremism. On the basis of their rules and guns there may be a temporary change. But that will never be long lasting, nor will it continue. Fear doesn’t last. Either fear finishes itself or one gets used to it. So fear will not last. Every aspect of terrorism will come to an end, it is perishable. But Hindu society is not perishable, because it stands on such values. Those values cannot be destroyed.
Q. First ever in the history of Vijayadasami speech you directly attacked the issue of religious discrimination against Hindus by constitutional authorities. Why such an extreme stand?
A. This is not the first time. Sangh is always against all discriminations. No discrimination is supported by Sangh. And therefore, voice against discriminations especially discrimination against Hindus. This is because Sangh is organizing the Hindu society; Sarsangachalaks have always been speaking on Vijayadasami dais about it. But this time it is different. This is the first time when discriminations are so obvious.
Our Home Minister says, “Protect the Muslim youth.” Why not say, protect everybody who is innocent. Prime minister says “minorities have first stake on the wealth of the country.”
These have never been said before. All these things are happening for the first time after independence. Before independence such things happened in the times of Muslim era and it culminated into the division of the country. At that time also our leaders spoke publicly. So these things are obvious. I was mentioning it. We are always against all discriminations.
Q. Corruption, terrorism, social and border security problems-which one you think is the bigger issue?
A. There is no bigger or smaller issue, especially, when society is week and endangered, it cannot afford to ignore any danger. So all these have equal importance. There is no bigger issue or lesser issue. You may say that I will first deal with this and then deal with that. But that is not due to the nature of the problem. That is due to your capacity to deal with them. Everything is important. Corruption is doing the same thing- it erodes our society. Terrorism and others problems are also causing the same destruction. So we have to deal with everything.
Q. Environmental fundamentalism is the new activity face of religious fanatics and some NGOs in the country. Do you think an international design behind this move?
A. All extremism is Adharma. Dharma is always a middle path- Madhyam marg. We want environment, no doubt. Do we refuse to develop? But if we want development, should we destroy environment? You have to take a middle path of protecting our environment. This alone brings in development. For that we have to reconsider paradigms.
The paradigm which the world is going through currently is not such, where we can avoid conflicts. And when there are conflicts, there are extremes. Theoretically no environmentalist is wrong. People are well aware that thriving of humans in this world depends on the condition of environment. Except in Bharath, all over the world, the consciousness was because of science. But now, they understand what plants do, what animals do, what insects do.
The same understanding, we in Bharath, had much before. It is only now that the rest of the world has come to know of it. But the paradigm they construct is such that the fittest will survive. They say there is always struggle. We say no, there is always coordination and co-operation. Our view is to make others survive. So extremism in support of either development or environment is wrong. Both these have to go together. Manage diversities; manage dwaitha- that is dharma. So you have to keep them balanced. Balance is Dharma.
Q. Do you think the wrong policy on population control programmes affected the Demographic balance?
A. All measures regarding controlling population have to be wisely fixed. We are just aping someone. So now we cry about our population, but we must also note the fact that, in the forthcoming 20 years Bharath will be the nation of younger people. So population can be used as an asset. But what we have to do in our country, regarding our own policy, should all be fixed. That has not yet been done. Population is a need too. Now such measures should be discussed, decision must be taken which will apply to everybody. There will be no concession.
Secondly, imbalance will be there when you convert. When some one is converted, if the person in his/ her mind decides to change, it is understandable. But if you lure me, you threaten me, what is happening is different?
And there is migration from outside also. Illegal migration is there, infiltration is there. At times our government also says “We don’t know how many they are.”
Q. During the last 88 years of activities, which are the aspects where Sangh organizations have received more acceptances? And why?
A. We are growing. We are accepted all over the country and that acceptance is growing outside the country also. Now the atmosphere we have created can influence internal affairs of the country also. Now what ever we are saying the whole country is accepting it. There is no opposition, no real opposition. There is some political opposition, but they are not from heart, just mere lip oppositions. Those who oppose too know that they are wrong, but what RSS says is right.
Next thing is to create an atmosphere where every person will be bold enough to voice his thoughts. There will be no petty selfish constrains; there will be no tyranny of any institution. Whatever is proper and good for everyone, that alone should be expressed, that type of atmosphere must be created.
Q. Do you feel the thrust for changes globally is a good sign for the future?
A. The so called global change is concerned only with the exterior, not with the interior. Every change starts from within, from the heart. Therefore the efforts of global change must have its focus on changing the system, any system can be corrupted by individuals. So create the ‘man change man’ system and you will change the world. This is precisely the motto of Sangh works, and that is going on! Manushya nirman.
(Excerpts from an exclusive interview of  Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat with Janmabhoomi (Malayalam Daily ) during the 3-day RSS National Executive Meet held in Kochi from October 25 to 27 2013. For full text pl visit http://samvada.org/2013/news/rss-sarasanghachalak-mohan-bhagwats-exclusive-interview-with-janmabhoomi/)
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)