SAMVAD

Pausha Krishna 12, Vik.Samvat 2074, Yugabda 5119: 16 December2017


1. FESTIVALS: Paush Purnima

2. Rashtrapati ji confers 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist award on Professor Hiroshi Marui

3. 'ASHOK SINGHAL: STAUNCH AND PERSEVERANT EXPONENT OF HINDUTVA'

4. Social service is not business – Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi

5. VICHAR MANTHAN UK

6. OCKHI CYCLONE: RSS STORMS IN

7. UNESCO RECOGNISES KUMBH MELA AS INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

8. Angkor Wat Crowned the Best UNESCO World Heritage Site

9. New bharatiya students' union launched at High Commission of BHARAT in UK

10. Ram Setu, not a myth; it's man made: claims Science Channel show

11. Business leaders pledge support of Rs 500 Cr for 'Namami Gange Mission'

12. Dalai Lama encourages young minds to value 'Ancient bharatiya Knowledge'

13. Labourer's son junks US job, IIM to join the Army

14. Bharatiya CAs in great demand as UAE looks to implement VAT

15. Ancient Oc Eo artefacts on exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City

16. BHARAT SIMPLIFYING FOREIGN POLICY FOR COMMONERS

17. 46k bharatiyas got US citizenship in 2016, second only to Mexicans

18. Yuba City swears in nation's first Sikh woman as mayor

19. FIRST BATCH OF SC-ST PRIESTS READY TO TAKE CHARGE AT TIRUPATI TEMPLES

20. IIT-D DEVELOPS INDIGENOUS BREATH ANALYZER

21. BHARATIYA-ORIGIN SOUTH AFRICAN FREEDOM FIGHTER LALOO CHIBA DIES AT 87

22. Utah Lawyers, Bhutanese Refugees Team Up For Temple

23. bharat to embrace good economic growth: #GDP to rise 7.2% in 2018, 7.4% in 2019

24. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article:

RSS IT Milans - Small steps, impressive achievements


1. FESTIVALS: Paush Purnima, January 2 this year, marks the beginning of Kalpwas (the period of austerity), which is done throughout the month of Magha. Devotees believe that a holy dip in sacred river Ganga and Yamuna on this day frees the soul from cycle of reincarnation and the person is detached from all the bad karmas committed in this birth and previous births as well. Thousands of devotees can be seen in Haridwar, Dashashwamedh Ghat at Varanasi and Triveni Sangam at Prayag. Shakambari Jayanti is also marked on Paush Purnima and Devi Shakambari, who is an incarnation of deity Durga, is worshipped on this day. -GoTop

 

2. Rashtrapati ji confers 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist award on Professor Hiroshi Marui: Rashtrapati, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, conferred the 3rd ICCR Distinguished Indologist Award on Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan on November 27 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Speaking on the occasion, Rashtrapatiji said that Professor Marui has spent over 40 years working on Bharatiya philosophy and Buddhist studies. Many of his acclaimed publications and research papers are considered a final authority on several subjects the world over. As President of the Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies, he has made a significant contribution to Indology in Japan. -GoTop

 

3. 'ASHOK SINGHAL: STAUNCH AND PERSEVERANT EXPONENT OF HINDUTVA': Uparashtrapati Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Ashok Singhal was an exemplary individual who selflessly dedicated himself as a Pracharak and served the society for over six decades. Releasing the book 'Ashok Singhal: Staunch and Perseverant Exponent of Hindutva' authored by Mahesh Bhagchandka, in New Delhi on December 7, Uparashtrapatiji said that the book elucidates life, philosophy, vision, ideas of Shri Singhal, one of Bharat's tallest leaders committed to ideals of Hinduism. Besides Swami SatyamitranandGiri, founder, Bharat Mata Mandir, Haridwar and Bhayyaji Joshi, Sarakaryavah, RSS who spoke at the occasion, many other dignitaries were present on the occasion.Uparashtrapatiji said that despite being asked by many in Congress party to join the freedom struggle under leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, Singhal chose to side with Dr. K.B. Hedgewar's Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh and dedicated his entire life to Sangh. -GoTop

 

4. Social service is not business - Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi: RSS Sarakaryavah Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi said that social workers should try to build a better society by solving the problems of the poor and the needy, with love, compassion, and dedication. "We need social service organisations to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, and to build a better society. We need to change the image of social work which is now being seen as a business in several cases. Social service organisations should work selflessly and should win the faith of the society," he said. Addressing a public meeting on the second day of the Rashtriya Seva Bharati's state-level 'Seva Sangam' programme at Hubbali, Karnataka. Bhayyaji Joshi noted that social service is not a thing to be taught, but only its techniques and mechanism can be learnt. Those who are deprived of basic facilities due to the caste system, or the tribal people who consider themselves as Hindus and as children of Bharat Mata should be helped on priority. We have to try to solve their problems, and to bring positive changes in their life, he added.The KLE Technological University (KLETU) Vice-Chancellor Ashok Shettar, Y Satish, Sundar Laxmanan, Pavitra Gowda, Govindappa Goudappagol, and others were present. -GoTop

 

5. VICHAR MANTHAN UK: Young swayamsevaks in UK (highly educated, born and brought up in England) organise Vichar Manthan every quarter.  This quarter's Vichar Mantahn was organised on the evening of 1st December at the Bharatiya High Commission at London. It was a seminar on Capitalism, Socialism and "Indianism" 

Dr Jamie Whyte, an economist and the Labour Party member Andrew Harrop advocated the merits of capitalism and socialism respectively arguing why their economic theories are better and how they will serve the mankind, again better than any other policies and frameworks.

Shri Dattatreyaji Hosabale's (Sah Sar Karyawah, RSS) refreshing thoughts based on Late Shri Deen Dayalji Upadhya's thinking added new dimensions to political economy. He said only market forces, demand & supply rules championed by other economic theories are inadequate, insufficient to satisfy and uplift human beings' needs, wants and welfare. 

The dimensions of universal ethics and spirituality need to be shrouded to the economic theory to make it holistic, taking care of humanity.  This "Indianism" needs to be based on "Dharma" - not religion.  The equilibrium has to be maintained in the relationship of Individual - Society (Country) - Nature - Creator. Only pursuit of materialism will destroy resources, ecology and balance. The program concluded with a lively Q & A session. -GoTop

 

6. OCKHI CYCLONE: RSS STORMS IN: Severe cyclonic storm Ockhi struck several parts of South Bharat killing many people and destroying properties. Originating near Sri Lanka on Nov 29, the storm increased its intensity by Dec 1. Many parts of coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka were hit. Volunteers of the RSS were involved in relief and rescue operations during Ockhi cyclone that hit the southern parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Swayamsevaks began their rescue work much before the storm turned severe. They toiled day and night at Kanyakumari which was most hit, to rescue stranded civilians.

Kanyakumari witnessed torrential wind and rain unleashed by Cyclone Ockhi after 25 years ravaging the southern-most tip of Bharat. According to sources, around 10 lakh banana trees, one lakh trees, were uprooted and the roads were blocked. Communication lines were disrupted. RSS volunteers immediately acted upon the situation. With the aim of clearing the approach routes as the first step, the volunteers formed around 100 teams and spread out to different areas. These teams cleared the uprooted trees and other obstruction on the roads with the aid of government machinery. Several areas were flooded after the relentless rains. The areas in and around Suchindram was the most affected. Around 4200 houses in 21 villages were surrounded by flood waters. Immediately, upon the receipt of the distress call, swayamsevaks in teams arrived at the location and rescued thousands of people. Swayamsevaks toiled day and night and ensured the people are relocated to safer places.

Sevabharathi Tamil Nadu has sent 1,050 plastic mats, candles and Mosquito mats to cyclone-affected Kanyakumari district. The large consignment contains these relief materials was dispatched to the affected areas in the presence of Chennai Mahanagar Sanghachalak Sri Kalyan Singhji and Sevabharathi Tamilnadu President Sri Rabu Manohar. -GoTop

 

7. UNESCO RECOGNISES KUMBH MELA AS INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE:   Kumbh Mela has been recognised by UNESCO as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity", a tweet by the international organisation said.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the UN body inscribed Kumbh Mela on the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" at its 12th session in Jeju, South Korea. "A matter of immense joy and pride for India," PM Narendra Modi tweeted.

Kumbh Mela, considered the world's largest congregation of religious pilgrims, joins new elements from Botswana, Colombia, Venezuela, Mongolia, Morocco, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates on the list.

The Kumbh Mela, held in Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, represents a syncretic set of rituals related to worship and cleansing in holy rivers. The inscription of Kumbh Mela was recommended by the expert body which examines in detail nominations submitted by Member States.

The Committee also took note of the fact that knowledge and skills related to Kumbh Mela are transmitted through the Guru-Shishya parampara (teacher-student relationship) by way of saints and sadhus teaching their disciples about traditional rituals and chants. -GoTop

 

8. Angkor Wat Crowned the Best UNESCO World Heritage Site: Angkor Wat of Cambodia came out on top of the list of the best UNESCO world heritage sites.Taj Mahal in Agra, Bharat, won the second place followed by Great Wall, China; Machu Picchu, Peru; Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil; Sassi of Materia, Italy; Auschwitz, Poland; Old City of Jerusalem, Israel; Historic areas of Istanbul, Turkey; and Historic Krakow, Poland.

Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Stretching over some 400 square kilometers including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the famous Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. UNESCO has set up a wide-ranging programme to safeguard this symbolic site and its surroundings, listed as a World Heritage Site in 1992. -GoTop

 

9. New bharatiya students' union launched at High Commission of BHARAT in UK: Indian National Students Association of UK (INSA UK) was formally launched in London on 6th November by Lord Karan Bilimoria and Ambassador Dinesh Patnaik, the acting High Commissioner of Bharat to UK. This is the second union for Bharatiya students in the UK, the first being National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) launched 5 years back. NISAU include Bharatiya MP Shashi Tharoor as one of their patrons.INSA was founded in 2016 with the vision to make every Bharatiya student in the UK feel at home when away from home. Currently Bharatiyas make the second largest diaspora of students with approximately 40,000 Bharatiya students in UK and there is a huge demand for the kind of voluntary service based actions undertaken by INSA.Lord Karan Bilimoria said, "The UK's international scholars go on to become world leaders with one in ten global heads of state educated in the UK. British universities are the jewels in the crown yet the number of Bharatiya students coming to study in the UK has halved in the past five years."-GoTop

 

10. Ram Setu, not a myth; it's man made: claims Science Channel show: What on Earth show on the Science Channel in the US has proved the existence of the historical engineering marvel of 5076 BCE 'Ram Setu' between Bharat and Sri Lanka. It has said that such a manmade structure may actually exist rapping the claims of mythology.

A promo released by the channel suggests that the bridge - also called Adam's Bridge - may not be a natural formation and may have been built by humans. "Are the ancient Hindu myths of a land bridge connecting India and Sri Lanka true? Scientific analysis suggests they are," says text accompanying the promo.

Citing images from a NASA satellite, the show claims that investigators have found a line of rocks 30 miles long between Sri Lanka and Bharat.The stones in the image are sitting on a 'sandbar', which occurs in areas with shallow water. As geologist Erin Argyilan explains, sand could accumulate between the land masses. An analysis of the rocks found on the seabed shows that they predate the sand, Rose adds.

Specifically, the 7,000-year-old rocks are sitting on sand that is 4,000-years-old.Geologist Dr Alan Lester believes that the stones were brought from afar and set atop the sandbar island chain.-GoTop

 

11. Business leaders pledge support of Rs 500 Cr for ‘Namami Gange Mission’: Clean Ganga Mission Minister Nitin Gadkari interacted with business leaders in Mumbai on December 8, and appealed to them to participate in the mission to clean Ganga. The interaction was organized by the National Mission for Clean Ganga. Speaking on the occasion Gadkari emphasised that cleaning the Ganga should become a peoples’ movement. He informed that a lot of private individuals from across the world have pledged support for cleaning Ganga and have donated generously. He also said that strict laws will be brought in to check pollution of the river.

The support from the business community in Mumbai follows closely after similar success in London recently where Bharatiya  corporates committed overwhelming support for Namami Gange Mission after an interaction with Gadkari at a road show organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).

The National Mission for Clean Ganga ( NMCG) has sanctioned projects worth about Rs.17,000 crore for Sewerage Management, Industrial Effluents Managements, Biodiversity Conservation, Solid Waste Management, Afforestation, Rural Sanitation, River Front Management, Capacity Building, Development/ Rehabilitation’ of Ghats & Crematoria etc.-GoTop

 

12. Dalai Lama encourages young minds to value 'Ancient bharatiya Knowledge': The Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama addressed over 400 students of Somaiya School, Vidya Vihar. His Holiness interacted with students of Class 5 to 10 and enlightened them about the importance of modern education along with the cultural significance of ancient Bharatiya history. He encouraged students to change their perspective and think differently to bring about a transformation.

The spiritual leader exclaimed mind is the most powerful tool of man. If we sharpen our mind and think differently then we can channelise the potential and ability of our mind to think on a deeper level. He advised students not to accept everything on a superficial level but to figure out the need to go deeper. Young generation is the future of Bharat and ancient history and culture should not be forgotten was the message of the Dalai Lama to the young minds. -GoTop

 

13. Labourer's son junks US job, IIM to join the Army: Barnana Gunnaya couldn't stop his eyes from welling up with tears as he saw his son Barnana Yadagiri in an Army officer's uniform at the Indian Military Academy's passing out parade in Dehradun on December 9.Gunnaya, who till recently used to work as a daily wager earning Rs 100 per day in a cement factory in Hyderabad, didn't even know till a day before the parade that his son was being commissioned as an officer.

"My father is a very simple man. He thought that I was getting into the Army as a soldier. In fact, he told me I was making a huge mistake by leaving a highly-paid software job to join the Army," said Yadagiri, who overcame extreme financial difficulties to become a software engineer from the International Institute of Information Technology in Hyderabad. After refusing a job offer from Union Pacific Rail Road, a US-based company, and saying no to a call from IIM Indore - where he had secured admission after scoring 93.4 percent in the CAT exam - Yadagiri decided to "follow my heart and serve the country."

With his proud parents watching with misty eyes, Barnana received the IMA's prestigious silver medal for standing first in the order of merit in the Technical Graduate Course, which paves the way for cadets with a technical background to join the Army's engineering units. -GoTop

 

14. Bharatiya CAs in great demand as UAE looks to implement VAT: UAE will be introducing Value Added Tax (VAT) from January 1, 2018. This is similar to the GST, which came into force in Bharat from July this year. After UAE, other Gulf countries will also be implementing the new tax. This has led to a demand for Bharatiya experts to help businesses there understand the indirect tax system. Their knowledge of Hindi has become an added advantage for Bharatiya professionals, as many residents of the Gulf are comfortable with the language.

 In fact, Bharatiya professionals find the tax in UAE much simpler than the Bharatiya GST.

Chartered accountants from across the country, including Nagpur, are camping at UAE or making frequent trips there to help a host of clients understand the law. In Dubai alone, hundreds of Bharatiya professionals have got assignments with demand for an equal number still there.

"This is the first time a major levy is being introduced in the Gulf, and businesses need in-depth training to understand the finer points. It will have an impact on the consumers too, as the VAT will be finally passed on," said Pritam Mahure, a CA from Pune camping in Dubai these days. The sectors where many of the CAs are being required include oil and gas, real estate and retail. Oil and gas is the mainstay industry of the Gulf.  -GoTop

 

15. Ancient Oc Eo artefacts on exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City: NDO - An exhibition displaying over 300 ancient Oc Eo artefacts opened at the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Ho Chi Minh on November 29. Flourishing between the first and seventh century, Phu Nam Kingdom covered a large area of the southern plain and hosted the OcEo culture in An Giang Province. After remaining forgotten and buried for thousands of years, traces of OcEo culture were finally discovered in Ba The-OcEo area in An Giang.

In 1944, French archaeologist Louis Malleret carried out excavations at the site, along with his colleagues from the French School of the Far East. They discovered objects offering proof of a flourishing civilisation and well-developed trade with other areas in Southeast Asia. The civilisation produced many handicrafts, including ceramics, as well as the ability to refine copper, iron and tin, along with creating silver and gold jewellery. Statues were also unearthed.

Also on display is a collection of gold, silver and metal currency and jewellery, evidently very popular amongst the OcEo people, along with statues and reliefs of Buddha and Hindu gods such as Ganesh and Vishnu, which illustrate the ancient religious traditions of the southern region. The exhibition is scheduled to run until March 3, 2018. -GoTop

 

16. BHARAT SIMPLIFYING FOREIGN POLICY FOR COMMONERS: In a bid to simplify Bharat's foreign policy and help common people easily understand the achievements and functioning of the Videsh Mantri, the Government is preparing an outreach plan under which it will establish a direct connect with the people, particularly students of schools and colleges through its officers in a more interactive and interesting way. Already Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi and Videsh Mantri Sushma Swaraj have started giving their speeches and media statements in Hindi during the visits of foreign dignitaries.

The MEA will be sending the officers of the Indian Foreign Services (IFS) to various schools to deliver lectures and interact with students of high and middle schools to educate them about the role of the MEA in a common man’s life.

"A lot of people feel that the MEA's main work is to make passport and give visa. Some even do not know this fact. It is important for people to know that apart from making passports, the MEA also does other works and the important role Bharatiya embassies play when people travel abroad. It is also important for people to know how our foreign policy takes shape," said an official. -GoTop

 

17. 46k bharatiyas got US citizenship in 2016, second only to Mexicans: Nearly 46,100 odd Bharatiyas obtained US citizenship during 2016, making them the second largest group, even as Mexicans continued to top the chart. Bharatiyas accounted for 6% of the total citizenship conferred by the US government on 7.53 lakh individuals during the fiscal year 2016 (October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016), according to recent data released by the US department of homeland security (DHS). -GoTop

 

18. Yuba City swears in nation's first Sikh woman as mayor: Preet Didbal made history on 5th December night as the first Sikh woman in the county to be sworn in as mayor. She was appointed as Yuba City mayor by city council. "It's truly a privilege to serve as your mayor," Didbal said during her speech at the ceremony in Yuba City. "I'm feeling overwhelmed but very excited," Didbal said. "This community has just shown me an outpouring of community support and I'm so grateful." As the daughter of parents who emigrated from Bharat to Yuba City in 1968, Didbal is a first-generation American citizen, the first member of her family to attend college and get her master's degree and the first to serve in -- and now lead -- a local government. "I hope it sends a huge message to our young women, young girls, go reach for the stars. Go get it," Didbal said. "You have an equal seat at the table with the men and you can make very big positive impacts in your community." -GoTop

 

19. FIRST BATCH OF SC-ST PRIESTS READY TO TAKE CHARGE AT TIRUPATI TEMPLES: In a sharp departure from tradition, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is ready with its first batch of non-Brahmin priests. The priests, mainly belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe are expected to assume charge soon. About 200 people from Dalit and backward communities have undergone rigorous training for three months as part of a pilot project by the TTD management.

"The management is going to appoint SC, ST priests in temples governed by it very soon," Singhal said this is the first time when members from downtrodden sections of the society are being given a chance in the recruitment process for world’s richest temple.

"The demand for reservation for Dalits for the priesthood has been persisting for several decades. Previous attempts to meet the demand have faced stiff resistance from certain quarters. But now we have made it a reality," TTD executive officer Anil Singhal said. -GoTop

 

20. IIT-D DEVELOPS INDIGENOUS BREATH ANALYZER: The researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) have developed a low cost state-of-the-art indigenous version of breath analyzer used to detect alcohol content in blood from one's breath sample.

They developed 'smart alcohol sensors' to be implanted in breathalyzers which are used to detect the level of intoxication of individual suspected of driving while under the influence of alcohol. It detects the percentage of alcohol or ethanol in blood by detecting PPM of ethanol/alcohol in one's breath.

The IIT researchers claim that the indigenous variety developed by them is not only cost-efficient but also more 'effective' as compared to alternatives available in the market that are used by the police. -GoTop

 

21. BHARATIYA-ORIGIN SOUTH AFRICAN FREEDOM FIGHTER LALOO CHIBA DIES AT 87: Veteran Bharatiya-origin South African freedom fighter Laloo Chiba died on December 9 at his home in the predominantly-Bharatiya suburb of Lenasia here.The 87-year-old Chiba, a political prisoner on the Robben Island alongside former South African President Nelson Mandela, was hospitalised after a mild heart attack a few days ago, but was discharged later on.The Gujarati-origin stalwart was a former platoon commander in the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC) and was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment on the Robben Island. -GoTop

 

22. Utah Lawyers, Bhutanese Refugees Team Up For Temple: A coalition of Salt Lake City attorneys known as the "Refugee Justice League" has begun work to help Bhutanese refugees build a Hindu temple. Thousands of refugees came to Utah in 2008 when the U.S. took in about 60,000 people from the South Asia country Bhutan.

The Utah refugees gathered at a Krishna temple for classes, dances and festivals last year. But they say the need their own temple to practice their faith, preserve traditions and pass on their language. More than 300 lawyers have volunteered their services to make the temple a reality. -GoTop

 

23. bharat to embrace good economic growth: #GDP to rise 7.2% in 2018, 7.4% in 2019: United Nations (UN) in its report stated that Bharat's GDP growth remains fastest and is projected to progress by 7.4% in fiscal 2019. The report said, the nation is to benefit from strong private consumption, public investment and gradual reforms undertaken by the government.

"The outlook for India remains largely positive, underpinned by robust private consumption and public investment as well as ongoing structural reforms. Hence, GDP growth is projected to accelerate from 6.7 per cent in 2017 to 7.2 per cent in 2018 and 7.4 per cent in 2019," the UN DESA report said. -GoTop

 

24. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Suresh Soni, sah sarkaryavaha RSS who is on a tour to South East Asian countries will visit Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia. Shri Dattatreya, sahsarkaryavaha returned from his tour to UK and Europe. Shri Suhas Hiremath, member, Akhil Bharatiya karyakarini will tour Kenya. Shri Saumitra Gokhale, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag and Dr Ram Vaidya, sah samyojak will reach Bharat for various programs. Shri Ravikumar, sah samyojak is touring Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Shyam Parande, Secreatry, Sewa International will join Suresh Soni in the tour.  Visitors: Ramwant Gupta -Fiji -GoTop

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Let our intelligence dwell on the beloved light of that Creative God-head, the Sun who is the Creator, so that He may endow us with the right intelligence. Rig Veda 3.62.10. -GoTop

JAI SHREE RAM

---

RSS IT Milans - Small steps, impressive achievements

Hyderabad. Pictures of Swayamsevaks attending Sangh camps in hundreds always left me in awe. Very recently, I participated in Vijaydashmi Utsav in Bhagynagar in which nearly 10,000 swaymsevaks dressed in the new uniform, marched in sync with the band. That was my first personal tryst with the Sangh's organizational strength. But what will always remain etched in my memory is 32 of us congregating for our Milan’s Dhwaj Pradanutsav.

Till recently the strength was just four. Even 32 definitely is not a big number but our team effort for sure will stand out. Receiving first cheque was awesome feel, but this experience is something else altogether, said Tygraja RSS IT Milans Karyavah Janki Choudhary, an IIT Delhi graduate. Tygraj IT Milan is one of the 50-odd IT Milans being conducted all across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

A Milan is awarded its own Dhwaj only after its average attendance consistently exceeds 10 and has more than 20 swayamsevaks with complete Sangh uniform, Keshavpuram Khand Karyavah Sripad Mansabdar said.

Bhagyanagar IT Milans Sah-karyavah Ramkrishna Ponapally said IT Milans - an experiment initiated just 10 years ago - is now leaping forth in all directions. It's all due to numerous karyakarta's like Janaki ji and Sirpad ji across the city who put their soul into the work and regard Milan work as a personal responsibility. Format of IT Milan is not very different from that of any daily RSS Shakha, except that Milans happen weekly. Today, we get people working for all major global and Indian IT companies, including Microsoft, Google, Accenture, IBM, Oracle, Cognizant, Wipro, Infosys etc. The distinct advantage of IT Milans is that it caters to both local as well people who come to the city for work from various parts of the country.

The fact that people from all states attend IT Milan help us understand our Nation, its rich heritage and culture. Our Milans are in fact mini Bharat. "Geet" of all languages are sung in Milans, no wonder it pains us all equally when regional sentiments are flamed in parts of the country in the name of language and culture.

We follow a very decentralized working model where every Milan is free is to take up activities it thinks their locality needs or their swayamsevaks are keen to pursue. Only pre-requisite condition is that work has to be selfless and in larger national interest.

He cited example of Balagokulam. It was started nearly five years ago to help children discover and manifest inherent spark of divinity by connecting them with Hindu culture and traditions, currently it is being conducted in more than 60 communities across the twin-cities.

Nearly 2000 children participate in Balgokulam activities every week. Increasingly large number of women are volunteering to conduct Balgokulam.

Service activities - Milans in and around Gachibowli area run a daily Free-Tuition centre in a slum located near Gopichand Academy. They also succeeded in enrolling nearly 15 of these into to a nearby government school. These students who hail from Odisha, Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh otherwise would have never got into formal education system. Another Milan conducts Free Medical Camps every month in Siddique Nagar, another locality dominated by migrant people who work as security guards and housekeepers in MNCs.

Senior Professionals Mandali - Another lot of Swayamsevaks took it upon themselves to organize monthly meetings for executives who hold CXO level positions in MNCs. Currently two Mandalis are being run and plans are on to start more. Idea is not to leave any strata of society untouched.

Not to be left far behind were women in our extended Sangh Family. Wives of our Karyakartas started weekly Sevika Samiti Milans. Two Milans are now being conducted every week in Gachibowli and Miyapur. They conduct their own Gurupuja Utsav.

Apart from works that have gained institutional shape now, every IT Milans keep conducting various activity like mass awareness programmes on Conversion, Swadeshi, threat posed by China etc. Collectively, we swaysmsevaks put 100's of man hour every week to realize the dream of Param Vaibhav of Motherland.

We also saw a new and a very positive trend of Swayamsevaks leaving cushy corporate job to take up farming as whole-time profession. They are now associated with Gram Bharati and inspiring more people to take up this noble profession.

Our satisfaction lies not in changing the world, but in small achievements like more new Milans getting Dhwaj and they initiating small activities in their locality, which if not anything instill sense of national duty in them. Tiny as you may say, but so is each drop, Ramkrishna poignantly concluded. (ww.vskbharat.com, December 08, 2017) -GoTop


SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN vishwav@bol.net.in www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com



SAMVAD

Margshirsha S. 13, Vik.Samvat 2074, Yugabda 5119: December 1, 2017


1. FESTIVALS: Makar Sankranti 2. BRAHMOS MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED FROM SUKHOI JET
3. RASHTRAPATI lauds VKVs as source of inspiration for people 4. RASHTRAPATIJI INAUGURATES Gita Mahotsav
5. ONLY MANDIR WILL BE BUILT AT RAM JANMABHOOMI SITE IN AYODHYA:  MOHAN BHAGWAT 6. Muslims not against Ram temple: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
7. 'Terrorism has become global scourge', Pradhan mantri in man ki baa 8.  Only Hindu Buddhist ideology can ensure peace in this world: Suresh Soni
9. Greater London Sammileet Shakha, Bushy Academy 10. BHARAT IS A VIEW OF LIFE BASED ON SPIRITUALITY: DR MANMOHAN VAIDYA, RSS
11. Sewa International receives major disaster relief grant in US 12. After 14 yrs, Moody’s ups bharat’s rating to highest since '91 reforms
13. IIT Kanpur Announces Scripture Website 14. Going to America: Indian students’ dream of a US education serves both countries well
15. Saragarhi Film Receives Applause in UK Parliament 16. These grads are designing a better world
17. Mumbai girl chosen brand ambassador for Rwanda 18. UN environment awards for late mantri Anil Madhav Dave, 3 others
19. Chennai-born Shefali now Seattle deputy mayor 20. Shaheed Jyoti Prakash Nirala, a rare example of 'One Man Army'; Eliminated 5 terrorists in Kashmir
21. Musical play based on Ramayana enthralls leaders at ASEAN opening ceremony 22. Nilekanis pledge half of wealth for philanthropy
23. TDB APPOINTS NON BRAHMIN PRIESTS IN KERAL 24. Samskrita Ganga in Bengaluru
25. OBITUARY - Former Delhi Prant Sanghachalak of RSS, Ramesh Prakash Sharma, passed away 26. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN  & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1. FESTIVALS: Makar Sankranti marks the commencement of the Sun's northern course, the Uttarayan Path when it enters the sign of Makar or Capricorn. Sankranti, signifying change for betterment gives the message of intellectual illumination. The birth of Swami Vivekanand on the Sankranti day in 1863 is an inspiring indication of the passing of the long night of self-oblivion and birth of an effulgent era of resurgent Hinduism. The day is auspiciously celebrated on all Sangh shakhas to give message of transformation in Hindu society and Til-Gur is distributed to the swayamsevaks at the function.-GoTop

 

2. BRAHMOS MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED FROM SUKHOI JET: Rated as the world's fastest supersonic missile, the aerial version of BrahMos was tested in the Bay of Bengal on November 22. The missile was fired from Indian Air Force (IAF) frontline fighter jet Su-30 MKI, which took off from the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal, against a sea-based target in the Bay of Bengal. The missile was gravity-dropped from the jet from fuselage and the two-stage missile's engine fired up and straightway propelled towards the intended target. The successful test-firing of Brahmos Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) will significantly bolster the IAF’s air combat operations capability from stand-off ranges. Brahmos ALCM weighing 2.5 tonne is the heaviest weapon to be deployed on Su-30 aircraft modified by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to carry weapons.

Capable of flying at more than 700 kms per minute and capable of covering a range of 2,000 km, the SU-30 can quickly launch BrahMos. Since the BrahMos weighs 2.5 tonne, the SU-30s can carry one missile at a time and fire it from a distance, escaping the surface-to-air missiles and enemy aircraft since time is very crucial in such missions. -GoTop

 

3. RASHTRAPATI lauds VKVs as source of inspiration for people:  Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind on 19 Nov lauded the Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKV) for their yeoman services in Arunachal Pradesh for rendering quality education by establishing schools in the land-locked State over the past 40 years. Rashtrapatiji arrived in Itanagar to grace the valedictory function at Indira Gandhi Park to mark the 40 years of Vivekananda Kendra in the State.

"Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalayas (VKVs) have become the source of inspiration for the people for their moto and philosophy of 'Service to humanity is service to Nation'," Rashtrpatiji said while addressing the function. Kovind said the VKVs, while keeping the tribal culture and traditions intact, have been imparting quality education to the tribal students of the State along with other co-curricular activities.

Kovind said, "Arunachal is known as the land of rising sun. The State with lush green vegetation, enchanting sceneries and snow clad mountains attract everyone.If Northeast is the crown of the country, Arunachal Pradesh is the jewel in the crown."

"Arunachal Pradesh has a special mention in the epics and history of the country," he said while referring to historical places like Vismaknagar from where Lord Krishna married Rukmini, Tawang for the world famous monastery and Malinithan for the historically important temple.

Speaking on the occasion Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra appreciated the role of VKVs in development of human resources in the country. -GoTop

 

4. RASHTRAPATIJI INAUGURATES Gita Mahotsav: An International seminar on Gita was organized on November 25 as part of International Gita Mahotsav celebrated from 17 November to 3 December in Kurukshetra. Quoting the examples of Kendriya Videsh Mantri Sushma Swaraj, astronaut Kalpana Chawla, mountaineer Santosh Yadav, international wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Geeta, Babita and Vinesh Phogat, he said that all had proved their mettle in different fields.

He further said, "Manushi Chhillar, who hails from Jhajjar district, has also kept the flag of Bharat flying high at the global level in the Miss World event. The success of Haryana's daughters underscores Gita's message on karmayoga."

"The eternal message of Gita transcends the barriers of age and time and the boundaries of countries. All people should celebrate Gita Mahotsav every day in their mind as well as at their homes. This International Gita Mahotsav is a celebration of the moral, spiritual and cultural renaissance not only in Haryana and the country, but in the entire world," Kovind said.

Mukhya Mantri Khattar said, "Gita is the gist of life and it was Lord Krishna who delivered the celestial message of Bhagwad Gita on the sacred land of Kurukshetra.".

Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki said that with a view to fully implement the concept of live and let live to ensure peace and prosperity in the world, there was a need to spread the message of Gita.

David Frawley from American Institute of Vedic Studies said that the teaching of Gita is being followed worldwide by scholars, litterateurs and people from all walks of life. -GoTop

 

5. ONLY MANDIR WILL BE BUILT AT RAM JANMABHOOMI SITE IN AYODHYA:  MOHAN BHAGWAT: Addressing the "Dharma Sansad", a congregation of 2,000 Hindu saints, mutt heads and VHP leaders from across the country in Udupi, Karnataka, RSS Sarasanghalak Mohan Bhagwat said there should be no ambiguity that Ram Temple will be built in Ayodhya."We will construct it. It is not a populist declaration but a matter of our faith. It will not change," Bhagwat said."Only Ram Mandir will be constructed and nothing else. It will be constructed there only" (at the site that is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram), Bhagwat said. -GoTop

 

6. Muslims not against Ram temple: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: After a day-long effort to facilitate a consensus between Hindu and Muslim communities on the contentious Ayodhya issue, Art of Living founder and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar said on November 16: "By and large, Muslims aren't opposing Ram Mandir, but both sides need to come on the same page. I have received very positive signs from both the communities, who feel that we should come together and find a solution. Both communities have goodwill and resolve to solve the issue amicably." -GoTop

 

7. 'Terrorism has become global scourge', Pradhan mantri in man ki baat: Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi recalled the victims of 26/11 Mumbai Attacks saying that "Nobody should forget that 26/11 was the day when, 9 years ago, terrorists attacked Mumbai. Nobody can forget the sacrifice of civilians and brave soldiers". He also highlighted the significance of 'Constitution Day' saying that "the Constitution is the soul of Bharat."

Appreciating the children's involvement into the current happenings, PM Modi said that "Newspaper had urged students to write letters to the Pradhan Mantri, and he was excited to know that young kids are also aware of all the happenings around them. They are socially aware."

Throwing light on the adverse effects of 'Terrorism', PM Modi said that for over 4 decades, Bharat has been raising the issue of terror. Initially, the world did not take us seriously but now the world is realizing the destructive aspects of terrorism. -GoTop

 

8.  Only Hindu Buddhist ideology can ensure peace in this world: Suresh Soni: "The world today is suffering from terrorism, economic break downs, climatic changes and many more. Only Hindu Budhist ideology is relevant in resolving the problems and ensure peace and happiness in this world," said Surtesh soni, Sahasarkaryavah of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He was addressing the Hindu Chetana Sangam organised by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Thailand at Minder Pattana School, Bangkok on 25th November. He added that, Wherever Europeans went; they colonized the people and made them their slaves. In same way, wherever Arabs went, they tried to enforce their religion by terror. But Bharatiya saints and Buddhist Monks approached the world with the message of peace.

Bhisma Phramon Rangsikul, the Royal priest of Thailand said on the occasion that the most significant cultural contribution of Bharat, for which Thailand is greatly indebted to Bharat, is 'Buddhism’. Mahesh Kumar, Karyavah of HSS Thailand briefed about the important activities organised by HSS Thailand. About 500 swayamsevaks from various shakhas participated. -GoTop

 

9. Greater London Sammileet Shakha, Bushy Academy: In his bauddhik in the in Sammileet Shakha, Dattatreya Hosabale, Sah Sarkaryawah of RSS summed up the Sangh's working in just two words - "Samooheek Karmayog!"  This is what the Sangh has been doing since 1925!

This "Samooheek Karmayog" is organised and done in the Shakha for the last 92 years through personality and character building.  Four aspects of human being viz. body, mind, emotions and spirit are developed by discipline, games (expense less, instrument less - limbs are the instruments for the games), drill and parade, physical exercises and lectures (bouddhik parting the knowledge) and "samata".  Late Doctorji's time tested model of creating and constructing abilities, capabilities and capacities in a swayamsevak is being practised in Shakha to do "Samooheek Karmayog".

Dattatreyaji elaborated and explained the Sangh ideology so eloquently that every present swayamsevak went home with clearer picture of the Sangh work. 216 swayamsevaks attended the shakha. -GoTop

 

10. BHARAT IS A VIEW OF LIFE BASED ON SPIRITUALITY: DR MANMOHAN VAIDYA, RSS: Speaking at a symposium 'Emerging Bharat and the rise of Bharat's influence around the World' organised by the HSS NZ at the Balmoral Temple, Auckland on November 19, Dr Manmohan Vaidya asserted "Bharata is not just a country; rather it is a way of life-based on spirituality." Dr Vaidya was sharing his thoughts about the idea of Bharat (India), which he argued was much broader in scope and essence, than what many tend to relate with contemporary Bharat. "Bharat is a Jeevan ka vichar that views and practices the inclusive vision of oneness in the world.The history of Bharat giving refuge to Parsis, Jews, Syrian Christians is a telling testimony of a worldview that has spirituality as its foundation," Dr Vaidya said. "We don't say all are one; rather we say all is one". "Bharat is not a culture of diverse cultures, but Bharat has a culture that celebrates diversity," Dr Vaidya emphasised.

Shri Saumitra Gokhle, the international coordinator of HSS accompanied Dr Vaidya.

Sardar Prithipal Singh (of Kolmar Gurudwara, Papatoetoe) was the chief guest of the event, which was also attended by local MPs - Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Dr Parmjet Parmar - along with former MP Mahesh Bindra. -GoTop

 

11. Sewa International receives major disaster relief grant in US: Sewa International, a Bharatiya- American non-governmental organisation has been awarded with grant money of USD 397,590 in recognition of the relief work it carried out in recent Hurricane Harvey. Sewa International has received the grant from Greater Houston Community Foundation (GHCF) in its second round of grants announced on November 15. GHCF raised more than USD 80 million for the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. As part of the grant, Sewa International Team will identify and assist 600 persons in assessing their "individual/family needs resulting from a specific disaster event, help them develop a recovery plan, and screen for duplication of benefits and provide them access to resources for their unmet needs," the statement said.

The grant money that Sewa received will have to be spent over the next four months. As per the grant guidelines, Sewa has to begin providing disaster case management services within 30 days or less of receiving funding. -GoTop

 

12. After 14 yrs, Moody’s ups bharat’s rating to highest since ’91 reforms: Global ratings agency Moody's on November 17 revised the country's sovereign ranking to Baa2 from Baa3 - its first upgrade in almost 14 years - citing implementation of a string of economic reforms, including demonetization and rollout of the goods and services tax. The new rating, Bharat's highest since the 1991 reforms, comes as a huge boost for the government. The action looks beyond the present slowdown in economic growth and a surge in bank bad loans, and bets on Bharat's medium- and longterm growth potential.The ratings upgrade by Moody's could position Bharat as an attractive investment destination, apart from making it easier for companies to raise resources abroad. -GoTop

 

13. IIT Kanpur Announces Scripture Website: IIT Kanpur has developed a website (https://www.gitasupersite.iitk.ac.in/) on our treasures of Vedas, Shastras etc. Each shloka is rendered in various languages and scripts, often with commentary and even audio rendering. Currently the site has Srimad Bhagavad Gita and other gitas, Valmiki Ramayanam, Brahma Sutra, Ramacharitmanas, Yoga Sutra, Shri Ram Mangal Dasji, Upanishads and more. -GoTop

 

14. Going to America: Indian students’ dream of a US education serves both countries well: Many call Indians in America the model minority. Their success is most visible in the tech field where Indians have both ascended to the top of the biggest firms and have founded an estimated 10-20% of Silicon Valley startups. Belonging to communities that encourage education strongly is a key explanation for their out performance. But there are troubling signs that unfair barriers are being raised against the entry of Indian students into America. The latest Open Doors survey, conducted by the Institute of International Education, shows that though US universities still remain a much favoured destination, the percentage of increase in fresh enrolments by Indians halved in 2016-2017 to 12.3% from almost 25% the previous year.

Although a mix of global and local economic conditions lies behind this slowing, there is also growing evidence that US universities are pursuing racial balancing and campus diversity expressly at the expense of Indians and other Asians. For example the US Department of Justice is now following up a complaint by a coalition of 64 Asian-American organisations, that Asian applicants to Harvard need 140, 270 and 450 more SAT points than whites, Hispanics and blacks respectively. Likewise, high-scoring applicants from India face far higher cutoffs than students from less populous countries.

According to the Open Doors survey, while India's rate of growth outpaces China's, it is China that sends the most students to the US. . In 2016-17 Indian students numbered 1.86 lakh compared to 3.5 lakh Chinese students. Obviously India is yet to make the most of its English-speaking advantage.

On the American side, other than the many social contributions of the 'model minority', another consideration should be how Indians contribute 17% of total earnings from overseas students in US universities; they could happily contribute much more.

Free cross-border flow of intelligent and hard-working people makes the world a better place. Promising as America's strategic handshake with India is, one of the goods it must deliver is smoothening this flow of human capital. On India's part the need is to make this point with the Americans while constructing even more fecund bridges with its diaspora. From how American-educated children of the governing class helped push India's liberalisation in 1991 to the indispensable role of the Indian-American community in the civilian nuclear agreement, the diaspora has played a key role in India's rise. (Editorial, Times of India, November 16, 2018) -GoTop

 

15. Saragarhi Film Receives Applause in UK Parliament: On 14th November, the British Parliament resounded to a thunderous round of applause in honour of 21 native Bharatiya soldiers who fought to defend British Bharat on the unruly North West frontier in 1897. Parliamentarians, leading members of the British Bharatiya community and representatives of Her Majesty's Armed Forces gathered for a special Parliamentary launch and screening of the new docu-drama "Saragarhi: The True Story", hosted by former Justice and Work and Pensions Minister Shailesh Vara MP.

The film, made in honour of the Sikhs who fought at Saragarhi to mark the battle’s 120th anniversary, comes after more than seven years of research and production by Captain J. Singh-Sohal, a British Army reservist and filmmaker.

"Saragarhi: The True Story" narrates, for the first time on film, the fate of the 21 Sikh soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment of Bengal Infantry who on 12th September 1897 found themselves surrounded by 10,000 enemy tribesmen during an uprising on the NorthWest Frontier between colonial Bharat and Afghanistan.The brave 21 fought to the last man despite the odds, in an engagement lasting nearly seven hours and with only limited ammunition. The battle is a significant one which was commemorated by the British with memorials in Bharat, a battle honour for the 36th Sikh regiment that fought (now the 4th Sikh Regiment in the Bharatiya Army) and the issue of the Bharatiya Order of Merit class III, the highest award of gallantry at that time given to native Bharatiyas on par with the Victoria Cross, which was awarded posthumously to the 21 men.

The documentary filmed in Bharat, Pakistan and the UK; tells the story with unique access to private archives, never-before-seen images, stunning visual graphics, effects and re-enactment scenes. -GoTop

 

16. These grads are designing a better world: At Dubai's Global Grad Show which features the cream of young design talent from across the world, you sort of expect the driverless pram (hold on moms, it hasn't hit the market yet) and the cute but gimmicky mirror that will turn on only when you smile. What you don't expect is a low-tech contraption like a shovel that will let thousands of Bharatiya women scoop up cow dung without getting their hands dirty.

Anmol Gupta, a student of Delhi's Pearl Academy, says she got the idea while living in a village in Rajasthan. "It's always the woman's job to pick up dung and doing it by hand is not just yucky, it exposes them to bacteria," says Gupta, who modeled her Gomi shovel on a dustpan and broom. It's an open source project and she hopes that fabricators will soon manufacture the low-cost device.

Three designs from IIT Bombay's Industrial Design Centre made it to the grad show tent which has become one of the highlights of the annual Dubai Design Week. Nishith Parikh focused his energy on a portable solar lamp that kids can use to study and adults can use to cook, light up the bathroom, or carry like a torch when they go out. "In a bathroom or in front of a stove I realised that people need a light with a stand. Everyone has disposable PET bottles lying around and these double up as a stand for my lamp," says Nishith who tested the prototype in a village in Maharash- tra where there are frequent power cuts. Assembly is also Do It Yourself so that villagers don’t need to rely on external help.

After extensive interviews with CRPF jawans, Devanshi Saksena set out to fix the problem they have getting clean water on the move. Her bottle, which she's named Jiva (alive), is lightweight and comes attached with a removable filter. Arun Shah fashioned a portable dental chair that can be used in dental camps where patients are usually just made to plonk on plastic chairs with no way of leaning back. McGetrick says he was intrigued by the local response to a local issue. "A lot of the projects in the show try to use design as a kind of relatively simple, small intervention in someone’s life that could open up more possibilities than they had before," he says. -GoTop

 

17. Mumbai girl chosen brand ambassador for Rwanda: A 17-year-old Mumbai student has been named Rwanda's brand ambassador in Bharat by that country's high commission, for her work among its refugees and genocide survivors over the past one year.

Neysa Sanghavi, a Class XII student of Singapore International School, Dahisar, visited Rwanda twice since September 2016, working with global non-profits and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "We were studying the book 'Things Fall Apart' in an English class. It introduced us to the communities of Africa. I was intrigued and wanted to do something. To begin with, I wanted to know more about the region and its people," she said.

With help from her mother, who had visited Rwanda in her role as a doctor, Neysa sent emails to non-profits she could connect with. "After some research, I made my first trip which lasted seven days. I tagged along with volunteers from NGOs and met survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. I also visited refugee camps and chronicled my trip," she said.She went back in June this year, this time around accompanied by her mother as she was not an adult.

"The refuge camps were near large swamps and hence malaria was rampant. I did observational research to find out the effectiveness of awareness campaigns. I also realised there were skilled and trained talent which was getting wasted," she said.

She has since then submitted six projects to the Rwandan government on avenues near the camps which could employ the refugees. Neysa will meet the country's authorities after her exams to discuss her duties as a brand ambassador. -GoTop

 

18. UN environment awards for late mantri Anil Madhav Dave, 3 others: Four Bharatiyas, including late environment minister Anil Madhav Dave, deputy director of the Centre for Science and Environment, Chandra Bhushan and IIT Delhi Prof R S Agarwal, were honoured with 'Ozone Awards' by the United Nations Environment Programme at the 30th anniversary function of Montreal Protocol in Canada on November 23.

Dave, who died in May, was posthumously awarded in the 'Political Leadership' category while Bhushan and Agarwal were awarded in 'Partnership' and 'Technical Leadership' categories, respectively, for their roles in amendment to the Protocol.-GoTop

 

19. Chennai-born Shefali now Seattle deputy mayor: Having already gained kudos as a policy wonk in the field of transportation, 38-year-old Shefali Ranganathan of Chennai has now achieved another distinction. She has been named deputy mayor of the US city of Seattle.Ranganathan was selected by mayor-elect Jenny Durkan to head her transition team, along with two others. She is the executive director of Transportation Choices Coalition, a nonprofit that lobbies for transit, walking and biking infrastructure in Seattle.

"She was always ahead of her peers, be it in school or in college. This is a recognition of her work in the area of transportation and we hope it acts as an inspiration for young girls in the country and abroad," said Pradeep Ranganathan, her father, who resides in the city with her mother Cheryl Ranganathan. Ranganathan did her schooling at Good Shepherd Convent, Nungambakkam, and went on to pursue a BSc in zoology at Stella Maris. She also studied environmental science at Anna University where she was a gold medallist. Ranganathan moved to the US in 2001 and went on to study at an American University. -GoTop

 

20. Shaheed Jyoti Prakash Nirala, a rare example of 'One Man Army'; Eliminated 5 terrorists in Kashmir: 31-year old Jyoti Prakash Nirala, a Garud Commando of Indian Air Force gave a supreme sacrifice on November 18 during a gunfight with a group of terrorists Hajin area of Bandipora district in North Kashmir. Garud Commando Jyoti Prakash Nirala was equal to 'one many army' as he alone killed five terrorists who were sheltered in a house that was located at Chandergeer in Hajin area of Bandipora district in North Kashmir. Commando Jyoti Prakash Nirala led from the front showcased his bravery and valour at the highest level and killed five terrorists along with the nephew of Zaikur-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Nirala had joined the IAF in 2005. -GoTop

 

21. Musical play based on Ramayana enthralls leaders at ASEAN opening ceremony: A musical performance based on the epic Ramayana on November 13 drew loud applause from several world leaders and delegates at a grand opening ceremony of the two- day ASEAN summit.The play reflected Bharat's cultural linkages with the Philippines and several member countries of the 10-member powerful bloc.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and several other leaders from ASEAN s partner countries attended the glitzy opening ceremony at the highly fortified Cultural Centre in Manila, the bustling metropolis.

The Ramayana in the Philippines is called 'Maharadia Lawana' which means king Ravana. The Philippines' famous dance is called 'Singkil' which is based on the Ramayana.

"You would be happy to know that the @ASEAN opening ceremony included excerpts from the musical Rama Hari, based on the Ramayana. Various parts of the Ramayana were beautifully highlighted in the Rama Hari. This shows our deep historical bonds and shared heritage," he tweeted.

The musical performance was choreographed by Alice Reyes of Ballet Philippines, a leading ballet company in the country founded in 1969.

The prime minister said the Ramayana is widely popular among ASEAN nations and he complimented the cast and crew of the play for their "stupendous performance". -GoTop

 

22. Nilekanis pledge half of wealth for philanthropy: Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani have joined 'The Giving Pledge', an elite network of the world's wealthiest individuals committing half their wealth to philanthropy. The Giving Pledge website uploaded Nilekanis' letter signing up for the cause.The letter said, "We thank Bill and Melinda for creating this unique opportunity to realise a moral aspiration inspired by the Bhagwad Gita - Karmanyeva-dhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma karma phalaheturbhur ma Te Sango-stvakarmani." "We have a right to do our duty, but no automatic right to the fruits from the doing. It is critical that we do not slip into inaction fearing that we may not be able to reap direct reward. It is to this ideal that we pledge," it added. Later Bill Gates tweeted on his handle about Nilekanis' pledge on his Twitter handle. "I'm amazed by how @NandanNilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. I'm delighted to welcome him and his wife Rohini to the Giving Pledge," Gates tweeted. -GoTop

 

23. TDB APPOINTS NON BRAHMIN PRIESTS IN KERAL: On 9th October 2017, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in Kerala decided to appoint 36 non-Brahmin priests, including six Dalits (from different Dalit castes), to the Brahminical temples of Travancore. The majority among the 36 priests are Ezhavas (belonging to the Other Backward Classes [OBCs] group). The TDB has decided to introduce a reservation policy in the recruitment of temple priests, a decision that has garnered attention across Bharat for its "radical" nature. It is being celebrated as a revolutionary decision taken by the Kerala government and an indication of the progressive nature of Malayali society. -GoTop

 

24. Samskrita Ganga in Bengaluru: As part of the Samskrita Bharati's plan to organise Janapada Sammelans in almost 500 districts of Bharat, 'Samskrita Ganga' sammelan was organised on November 19 at Bengaluru. The day-long celebrations were planned with focus on creating awareness amongst the public regarding the treasure chest of knowledge that lies hidden in the Samskrit literature.

Many cultural events and an exhibition on 'Science in Samskrit' were also organised. The event attracted thousands of people from all walks of life including children from many nearby schools. A procession, organised as part of the Sammelan, was flagged off by Sri Swami Harshanandaji Maharaj of the Ramakrishna Math, Shri Shridharaha, proprietor of Hospitality India, Shri MD Kiran, MD of iSol Softech and Dr Priyadarshini Iyer, Sumpreme court advocate, inaugurating the event.

The exhibition was the cynosure of Samskrita Ganga. It exhibited ancient Bharatiya science, science and Samskrit and showcased the use of Samskrit for daily use items. Unique competitions in understanding Samskrit were held for both adults and kids at the even. A workshop on Vedic Mathematics for teachers and parents was also conducted. -GoTop

 

25. OBITUARY - Former Delhi Prant Sanghachalak of RSS, Ramesh Prakash Sharma, passed away on November 21. He was 84. He is survived by his wife Smt Asha Sharma who has been Akhil Bharatiya Sahkaryavahika of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti and now is Uttar Kshetra Palak Adhikari, two daughters and a son. He was cremated at Nigam Bodh Ghat on November 23. Prominent among those who paid tribtue included Union Ministers Shri Arun Jaitley and Dr Harsh Vardhan, Gujarat Governor Prof OP Kohli, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr Manmohan Vaidya, and others.

Swargiya Ramesh Prakash ji was born on November 2, 1933 at Amritsar. His family belonged to Shekhupura in West Pakistan and migrated to Bharat after the Partition. He became a Sangh swayamsevak in his early childhood and held the responsibility of Haryana Prant organising secretary of Bharatiya Jansangh for some time. Then, he rose to become Uttar Kshetra Karyavah and then Delhi Prant Sanghachalak. He was an expert in resolving even the complicated issues through his simple nature and influenced countless workers through his personal conduct. -GoTop

 

26. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Ma Suresh ji Soni sahsarkaryavaha, RSS will continue his tour to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia. Ma Dattatreya ji - sahsarkarayavaha will return Bharat after concluding his tour to UK, Switzerland, Germany and Netherlands. Shri Saumitra Gokhale, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will reach Bharat via Jakarta from Australia. Shri Ravikumar, sah samyojak will tour Singapore and Malaysia. Visitors:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Some act till they meet obstacles, others act inspite of obstacles and conquer them; but some act not fearing the possibility of some obstacles that might arise enroute. - Swami Chinmayananda -GoTop

 JAI SHREE RAM


SHRI VISHW NIKETAN vishwav@bol.net.in www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.com



SAMVAD

Margshirsha Krishna 13, Vik.Samvat 2074, Yugabda 5119: November 16, 2017


1. FESTIVALS: December 25 2. Hinduism means respecting and accepting world’s diversity: Mohan Bhagwat
3. Strengthening Hindu Communities in Australia 4. HINDU AMERICANS WIN HISTORIC VICTORY IN CALIFORNIA TEXTBOOKS
5. MARXIST CITADEL TURNS SAFFRON FOR DAY 6. Bharatiyas hold physical exercises to bond families, mould characters
7.  BHARAT jumps 30 places in World Bank's ease of doing business rankings 8. Tulsi Gabbard named chairperson of World Hindu Congress 2018
9.  Two Delhi boys showcase skills on global stage 10. DONALD Trump greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak Jayanti
11.  WEST BENGAL MUKHYA MANTRI AT BHAGINI NIVEDITA'S LONDON FAMILY HOME 12. Ekal Sansthan to open 60 schools in Lahaul-Spiti district
13. YOGI INVITES NRI'S FROM MAURITIUS 14. HINDUTVA IS THE INTEGRATING FORCE: BHAIYAJI JOSHI
15. Bharatiya-origin girl at top of new pop with debut album 16. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Articles:

GLOBALISING HINDUTVA

LITTLE WONDER CALLED CHHOTI


1. FESTIVALS: December 25 - is celebrated as Christmas day, the birth anniversary of Lord Jesus by the Christian community world over. The day has far greater relevance for Bharat and Hindus. On this day in 1892 Swami Vivekananda after making a studious tour of Bharat went in Dhyan for three days on the holy rock in Kanyakumari and based on his contemplation on this rock addressed the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago 11th September to 27th Septmeber in 1893. This year the birthday of Guru Govind Singh, 10th Guru of Sikhs is also falling on this day. Bharat's first swayamsevak Pradhan Mantri Atal Bihari Vajpai was born on this day in 1924. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, founder of the Banaras Hindu University and a leading light of the nationalist movement, was born in Allahabad on December 25, 1861. -GoTop

 

2. Hinduism means respecting and accepting world’s diversity: Mohan Bhagwat: RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat has said that ours is a Hindu nation, however, the word does not denote a language, prayer, or caste, but it's about respecting and accepting diversity of the whole world and working towards welfare of all by following the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. He was addressing Sangh swayamsevaks and the public at a programme 'Swar Govindam' at Chitrakoot Stadium in Jaipur on November 5. Mukhya Mantri Vasundhara Raje, Kendriya Mantri K J Alphons and state BJP leaders were also present on the occasion.

Quoting Dr BR Ambedkar he said that the country has achieved political and economic independence but social equality is yet to be achieved. "To have both swatantrata (independence) and samta (social equality) we need bandhuta (amity)," he said. Swar Govindam was one of the biggest gatherings of ghosh vadaks in which over 1600 vadaks playing various instruments marched on the streets of Jaipur. -GoTop

 

3. Strengthening Hindu Communities in Australia: The 6th Australian Hindu National Conference 'Strengthening Hindu Communities in Australia' held in Adelaide in early September was attended by leaders of the Hindu community from Bharat, Nepal, Bhutan, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and by pretty much every Hindu organisation in Adelaide.

Governor of South Australia, Hieu Van Le, was the chief guest and the dais was graced by the Minister of Multicultural Affairs, several Members of Parliament, SA Leader of Opposition, federal members of parliament, local council members, mayors etc.

Rajendra Pandey, President of VHP in South Australia, gave an excellent keynote address elaborating on the need to strengthen our own community and also contribute to a prosperous and stronger Australia.

Swami Vigyananand, International Coordinator and Joint General Secretary VHP Bharat, chaired the session 'Collaboration among Hindu Organisations Temples and Associations'. During his address, he explained the purpose of HOTA (Hindu Organisations Temples and Associations) and appealed to more than 40 organisations, associations and temples attending, to work together. Youth participation in the conference was highly evident not only in the volunteers making sure everything ran smoothly, but also in an outstanding Youth Section wherein a panel of 7 young people spoke on topics ranging from faith on campus to how Hindu community organisations create leadership and team spirit among our youth.

Zoe Bettison, Minister for Multicultual Affairs, described the conference as a "wonderful, vibrant event and an excellent opportunity to engage with South Australia's proud Hindu community."

After the event, Tony Zappia, Federal Member for Makin said in Parliament "The VHP focus on that theme is a wonderful example of our Hindu migrants' commitment to Australia's future and their allegiance to Australia, and shows that they want to see Australia grow and prosper." -GoTop

 

4. HINDU AMERICANS WIN HISTORIC VICTORY IN CALIFORNIA TEXTBOOKS:  After more than a decade of constructive civic engagement with the California Department of Education, the Hindu American community won a significant victory in its quest for an accurate, equitable, and culturally competent portrayal of Hinduism and Bharat in California textbooks. In its final public hearing, the Department's State Board of Education (SBE) voted unanimously to approve positive edits submitted by Hindu American community groups to improve the portrayal of Hinduism and Bharat in 10 textbooks. The board also voted to reject two deeply problematic textbook programs from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Grades K-6 and Grades 6-8) for adversely reflecting on Hinduism and other diverse communities.

"This is truly historic. After many years of civic engagement, Hindu-Americans have started to make themselves heard," said Shantharam Nekkar of Hindu Education Foundation USA, an organization dedicated to enriching the understanding of Bharatiya civilization and Hinduism in America. "We will continue to engage constructively and fight biases and prejudices against Hinduism and India." The SBE's decision came after hearing testimonies and receiving letters from thousands of Hindu American parents, children, educators and community members from across California, including immigrant Hindus from Fiji, Caribbean and Bharat, as well as letters from a broad coalition of more than 75 interfaith and community groups, 17 state and federal elected officials, and 38 leading academics. -GoTop

 

5. MARXIST CITADEL TURNS SAFFRON FOR DAY: With thousands of heads marching under the saffron flag of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on the roads of Kerala's Capital, the communist citadel apparently turned saffron for the day. In a massive show of strength of student community, more than 50,000 students who came from all across the nation to participate in ABVP’s "Chalo Kerala" rally on 11th November marched on the streets of Thiruvananthapuram, thus carpeting it completely.

The march against the left party Government in Kerala was carried out protesting against killings of hundreds of the BJP-RSS-ABVP activists in past. ABVP alleges that these murders are done under the political patronage of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and left Government in power.

ABVP also blamed the CM and members of his party CPI (M) are responsible for providing 'political patronage' for the killings and to the 'perpetrators'.

The massive rally by ABVP was a showcase the Bharat’s “Unity in Diversity” in the real sense as it was marked by the presence of hundreds of students from all states, marching in well organised columns. Students from Bihar, Delhi, UP, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, all north-eastern States and from almost all states participated in quite large numbers.

Also, students who came from all across the Kerala were almost equivalent in numbers to those who came from outside. They came from almost all colleges and universities spread across all districts of Kerala. -GoTop

 

6. Bharatiyas hold physical exercises to bond families, mould characters: To ensure that Bharatiyas live happily and in good health with members of their families, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) holds weekly physical exercises involving the fathers, mothers, children and other members of their households are in Victoria Island, Ilupeju, Ikeja and other areas where Bharatiyas reside in large numbers. The exercises also involve social activities to develop the mental health of the people and bring harmony in their families.

Joint Co-ordinator HSS Nigeria chapter, Sanjay Srivastava, stated that the HSS focuses on character development, teach children about their environment, people and how to render services to their communities.

These activities, which consist of building family harmony, living together - playing games, having yoga, intellectual discussions and praying together, play a critical role in bonding families. At these exercises, children are taught to respect their parents, teachers and elders.

Dr Ram Vaidya, World Joint Coordinator of HSS, went on pravas to Nigeria recently. Dr. Vaidya said at one of the exercises session that the HSS began 70 years ago and has branches in about 40 countries in the world. Lamenting the high rate of crimes in the world and discrimination among people, he said that to end to it, we need to focus on the family first and get it right. He advised Bharatiyas residing in Nigeria to be responsible citizens, be selfless and learn to tolerate everyone and contribute to the development of the country where they live and work. -GoTop

 

7.  BHARAT jumps 30 places in World Bank's ease of doing business rankings: Bharat's ranking in the World Bank's ease of doing business index showed a significant improvement driven by reforms in access to credit, power supplies and protection of minority investors. As per the latest report released, Bharat has moved to 100th spot from 130th position. Addressing a press conference after the report was released, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that "this is the highest jump any country has made in the doing business rankings." In "resolving insolvency" parameters, Bharat has jumped 33 places and is now ranked 103, he added.

With implementation of a series of reforms including enactment of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), Bharat has climbed to 4th position in protecting interest of minority investors, according to the report. This is the first time that Bharat has figured in the top five nations in one of the parameters for determining "ease of doing business". On paying taxes Bharat has jumped 53 places, from 172 to 119. -GoTop

 

8. Tulsi Gabbard named chairperson of World Hindu Congress 2018: Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress, has been named as the chairperson of the World Hindu Congress to be held in Chicago next year. Held once every four years, World Hindu Congress (WHC) is a global platform for Hindus to connect, share ideas, inspire one another and impact the common good. Organised by the World Hindu Foundation, the first Congress was held in New Delhi in 2014. The second WHC will take place in Illinois in Chicago from September 7 to 9 next year. Gabbard is an Iraq war veteran and a member of the powerful House Foreign Relations Committee. -GoTop

 

9.  Two Delhi boys showcase skills on global stage: Mohit Dudeja of Delhi, studying making pastries in Bengaluru, recently won a silver medal for the country in the World skills competition in patisserie & confectionery making along with another Delhi boy, Karan Dhaliwal from Mayur Vihar, who was awarded "medal of excellence" in restaurant service category.The two were part of an impressive performance by the Bharatiya contingent. Apart from Dudeja's silver, a bronze medal was won by Kiran Sudhakar and 9 medallions of excellence at the 44th World Skills competition held in Abu Dhabi. Around 1,300 people from 59 WorldSkills member countries showcased their talent across 51 skills competitions.  -GoTop

 

10. DONALD Trump greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak Jayanti: US President Donald Trump greeted Sikh Americans and Sikhs across the world on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 4. "Trump sends warm wishes to Sikh Americans and Sikhs around the world as they celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, the founder and first guru of Sikhism," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

"President Trump also recognises the many contributions Sikh Americans have made to our great nation for more than 100 years, including through military and public service," she said. -GoTop

 

11.  WEST BENGAL MUKHYA MANTRI AT BHAGINI NIVEDITA'S LONDON FAMILY HOME: Sister Nivedita, one of the most loyal disciples of Swami Vivekananda had a significant contribution to social changes, freedom movement during British Raj in Bharat. From contribution in the educational sector to women empowerment, she left her footprint everywhere. Hence it is indeed a proud moment for Bharat; West Bengal Mukhya Mantri Mamata Banerjee on November 12 unveiled a Blue Plaque to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary at her family home.

English Heritage with an aim to preserve history has been marking all important memorials with this Blue Plaque. Scots-Irish social worker Sister Nivedita had lived with her family in this house of 21, High Street London for a few days. Even Swami Vivekananda stayed in this house for some time. Sister Nivedita was originally named Margaret Noble, who received the name Nivedita from Swamiji.

For this special day, a cultural event was organized in Wimbledon library close to her house. West Bengal Mukhya Mantri was the chief guest in the programme. Later she took part in a programme where she was invited to deliver the keynote address on Sister Nivedita.

Later she thanked English Heritage and Ramakrishna Mission for this landmark event of placing Blue Plaque on the heritage family home of Sister Nivedita in London and bestowing upon her this unique honor in her facebook post. -GoTop

 

12. Ekal Sansthan to open 60 schools in Lahaul-Spiti district:  Ekal Sansthan, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-inspired organisation that sets up one-teacher schools across the country with a focus on rural and tribal areas, will open 60 schools in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh as part of its initiative to expand the network of such institutions to all border areas.

The district abuts China, and there have been reports of heightened Chinese activities across the international border close to it during the Doklam crisis in August. 30 such schools have already come up, and the organisation will soon scale up the number to 60. -GoTop

 

13. YOGI INVITES NRI'S FROM MAURITIUS: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the NRIs residing in Mauritius to take advantage of UP Government's "Find Your Root" scheme and visit the places where their ancestors were born and have grown up. "This will be a nostalgic feeling for you people to visit the villages of your ancestors. The Government of Uttar Pradesh will help you to find your ancestor's village under our 'Find Your Root Scheme'. The Tourism department is the nodal agency which will work in tandem with district administration to find the village," Yogi said while addressing a function in Port Louis organized by the Bharatiya Ambassador in Mauritius on 4th November. He said that Bharat and Mauritius enjoy an old relation.

The ties have been further cemented after Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card for NRIs in 2015.

The OCI card holders automatically gets lifelong visa and does not need to apply for visa while coming to Bharat. They are further entitled for basic facilities which a common Bharatiya citizen enjoys in Bharat, Chief Minister said. -GoTop

 

14. HINDUTVA IS THE INTEGRATING FORCE: BHAIYAJI JOSHI: "Sangh work has values of Hindutva as its foundation. Hindu Values and view of life is not opposed to anyone, but is an integrating force", said RSS Sarkaryavah Bhaiyaji Joshi, while addressing the Prant Karyakarta Shivir on November 5 at Karimnagar over 1,657 workers from all districts of Telangana participated in the camp. Dakshin Madhya Kshetra Sanghchalak Shri Nagraj, Prant Sanghchalak Shri Pyata Venkateswara Rao also shared the dais. He said there are people working to increase the gap between the people of various castes. We must identify such forces and work to nullify the impact. -GoTop

 

15. Bharatiya-origin girl at top of new pop with debut album: Early November, a 17-year-old singer-songwriter found herself on BBC Radio 1's Top New Pop chart, along with the likes of Ed Sheeran and Miley Cyrus, for her debut single in the first week of its release. The singer was Rika, aka Chandrika Darbari, a half Bharatiya-Serbian musician from northwest London. Her song 'No Need' is set in an archetypal high school, with the lyrics sending out a clear and timely message: to stop judging and being unkind to others for how they look or talk. Released independently on September 21, the upbeat dance-pop number quickly climbed the music charts in both UK and Bharat. It was also featured in BBC Asia's Artist of the Week list. Since its release, it has got over 840,000 views on YouTube.

The song was inspired by Rika's own experience of being bullied. "I was bullied a lot in school - not because I was Asian but because I had bad acne and was really skinny," Rika said recently during her visit to Mumbai. "Yet, I wanted everyone to connect to the song. It is diverse and can also be about racism, divorced parents or just straight-up bullying. It's just saying that we should try to improve ourselves instead of bringing someone else down." Born to a Serbian mother and a Bharatiya father, Rika's music draws upon her multicultural upbringing. Last year, she penned and performed the song 'For Peace in Syria' with her brother. -GoTop

 

16. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Suresh ji Soni sahsarkaryavaha, RSS would start his tour to South East Asian countries of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore and Indonesia. Dattatreya Hosabale sahsarkaryavaha RSS would visit UK and Germany, Switzerland and Netherlands. Dr Manmohan Vaidya Akhil Bharatiya Prachar pramukh will return from tour to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Shri Saumitra Gokhale, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will be in New Zealand and Australia.  Visitors: Lakshman Godhwani – Spain, Suryadeo Bahadur - Mauritius

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: It is impossible for me to reconcile with the idea of conversion as it happens today. It is an error and perhaps the greatest impediment to the world's progress toward peace. Why should a Christian want to convert a Hindu? Why should he not be satisfied if the Hindu is a good or godly man? -- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948). -GoTop

 

JAI SHREE RAM

 --

GLOBALISING HINDUTVA

Banuchandar Nagarajan

It seems as though, the number of articles written on Hindutva have nosedived post 2014. A cursory search on Google News would direct you to a few ramblings in the The Wire (recently by Nayantara Seghal) or Scroll.in, or in the Communist Party in Kerala, who are bereft of any new ideas. The pro-Hindutva folks have simply not bothered to rebut perhaps due to the current political irrelevance of the opponents or just sheer lack of energy. But one place where the anti-Hindutva propaganda is winning hands down is in Tamil Nadu. The meme makers through clever and innovative ways, piggybacking on Kollywood comedies, are dishing them out through Facebook and WhatsApp to devastating effect. The Right Wing satirists might have at last met their match; but alas the language barrier rules out a meme war.

It is as though political victories in the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and the subsequent string of victories in the states defying the Left-liberal media has lulled the "party intellectuals" into believing that "cultural hegemony" of the Left is broken (borrowing  Marxist intellectual Antonio Gramsci's phrases). But it has been proved false by the unceasing onslaught of the entrenched Left wing in the academia, intelligentsia, media and more importantly in the bureaucracy.

Defence of Hindutva

It is essential that the defence of Hindutva should be kept alive in every sphere and should not be left just to the people in the countryside that kept the flame alive for centuries through dogged practice of simple rituals, only to be provided broad “intellectual” support much later.

While that said about the "present" of the Hindutva debate, "the past" two decades have been one of rediscovery and revival. Articles galore in niche publications, blogs, social media posts and contributions of right leaning authors in mainstream media, reinterpreted and clarified many misconceptions. In an interesting article in the Organiser titled 'Guruji : A drishta-XVI' dated Sep 3 2012, S Gurumurthy has likened "Hindutva" to "American Creed". He goes on to equate the ideas of "core culture" of Guru Golwalkar and "composite culture" as postulated by Samuel Huntington in his book Who Are We?: The Challenges to America's National Identity. It was in some ways an attempt to create an analogy with the dominant phenomenon on the time in American exceptionalism. The article explains that American creed was based on "the English language; Christianity; religious commitment; rule of law; responsibility of rulers; individual rights; Protestant values of individualism, work ethic, and the belief that humans have the ability and the duty to try to create a heaven of earth." In the last couple of years it seems as if the American creed has been reduced to more of a swan song that an affirmation of values. With the first anniversary of the Trump victory approaching, US seems to be irretrievably divided. All the good things that Huntington said perhaps are unable to bring the community together anymore. Religion per se has taken a beating and the waves of immigration have perhaps completely changed the cultural, linguistic and value expectations that citizens ask of each other and the government. American society is hanging on to "rule of law", "individual rights" and its powerful position that it has derived from the past. It leads one to wonder if these are enough to hold a country together. Is there a higher value based union required for sustainability? The "past" and "present" of the Hindutva debate can provide a platform for some analysis going forward into the future.

Hindus are Awakening

While the USA is in self-introspection mode, India is seeing a renaissance in cultural consciousness buoyed political and economic successes. The Hindu is not uncool anymore in India. It is showing that a country can survive centuries of deprivation and slavery by holding on to a core value system. The society of myriad languages, customs and culture stands united (barring the partition of 1947) by a distributed and customised set of values that are not just parochial but resonates completely with the universal human values. This value system, not just the practices of the religion, packaged as Hindutva has to be exported as means to actualise Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

The question of "why" Hindutva (term coined in 1923) can be gleaned from Sri Aurobindo from more than a century ago. In his Uttarapara speech he says, "We speak often of the Hindu religion, of the Sanatan Dharma, but few of us really know what that religion is. Other religions are preponderatingly religions of faith and profession, but the Sanatan Dharma is life itself; it is a thing that has not so much to be believed as lived. This is the Dharma that for the salvation of humanity was cherished in the seclusion of this peninsula from of old. It is to give this religion that India is rising. She does not rise as other countries do, for self or when she is strong, to trample on the weak. She is rising to shed the eternal light entrusted to her over the world. India has always existed for humanity and not for herself and it is for humanity and not for herself that she must be great."

Hence, it becomes the bounden duty of our generation of Indians to play our bit in strengthening Hindutva at home and spreading it abroad. Hindutva provides a platform to handle diversity of beliefs; it is not technophobic; it plays well with "compassionate capitalism"; it has answers for climate change and terrorism. Contrast that with the  Vatican’s recent pronouncements on technology, transgenders, its pyramidal organisational structure etc. They are narrow and not modern enough and does not seem to keep in pace with human progress and aspirations. Not much needed to be said about the state of Islam in which practitioners seem stuck with the rules written for 7th century Arabia. The success of New Age Hindu gurus abroad and popularity of yoga etc. should be just construed as beginning and indicative of a populace yearning for something deeper. There is a demand for stitching a community through a set of values that are spiritual, practical and can be personalised.

Hindus: Think Globally

Hindu organisations, not just theological groups, should jump into the fray for the success of the mission. They should shed their self imposed geographical inhibitions and think global. To look back at  Sri Aurobindo, the mission of globalising Hindutva is not being done for geopolitical expansionism or soft power etc., but as dharma owed to fellow human beings. Flowing from compassion and brotherhood, it differs in spirit from the "White man's burden". The Hindu way is also not to ram down the throats but persuade by offering it as a better alternative to status quo.

Gazing a bit further, the era of robots will be up on us soon and as Ray Kurziwell reminds us, singularity is nearing. Advances in artificial intelligence algorithms, genome editing, bionic implants are rapid. Very notions of "what is being human", "what are relationships", "what is citizenship" etc., will be questioned in more fundamental and in deeper ways. With machines taking over jobs both at factories and households, the nature of work and leisure would be redefined, creating what Yuval Noah Harari calls the "useless class" unfit for economic or military work. The learnings of our rishis that have pondered over timeless ideas of consciousness for centuries have to be bought to the forefront to provide succour to the people in times of great psychological upheaval, lest decay of humanity would begin with just with "bread and circuses". (It is quite interesting to note that the RSS has already thinking about it. A senior leader said there were even discussions on the dystopian TV series "The Black Mirror".)

The rapidly increasing foreign tourist inflows to places like Rishikesh and Banaras are just pointers to the fact that the world is looking to India for leadership.

We can be passive and let things take their shape or play an active role in organising and channelising its growth. (The writer is a Harvard graduate and a Public Policy Advisor), Organiser, November 12, 2017) -GoTop

 ---

LITTLE WONDER CALLED CHHOTI

Chhoti Kumari Singh has won the Women's Creativity in Rural Life Award from the Switzerland-based Women's World Summit Foundation for her efforts in uplifting the Musahar community, considered the most downtrodden in Bihar's caste-ridden social system. At 20, she is the youngest person in Bharat to have received the $1,000 (Rs 65,000) award since it was instituted in 1994 to honour women around the world exhibiting exceptional creativity, courage and commitment to the improvement of the quality of life in rural communities.

"I feel honoured that I have received this global recognition for my work to empower one of the most deprived and oppressed communities of Bharat. I am grateful to Amma and the entire Amrita family. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of Amma's ashram and the Amrita SeRVe programme run by the Mata Amritanandamayi Math," Singh says.

It all began back in 2013 when a few social workers from Amrita SeRVe visited her village Ratnapur and asked the villagers if somebody from their community would be willing to teach. Chhoti, who was studying in senior secondary school back then, agreed.

"When we started the classes there were only three children from the Musahar community. Convincing the parents and the children to attend class even for an hour was tough and challenging. But I knew the problems they faced. The community suffers from poverty, near-total illiteracy and lack of personal hygiene. Child marriages are rampant and school attendance is negligible. The parents work as labourers and earn a couple of hundred rupees which they mostly spend on alcohol," Chhoti tells you.

The children while away their time at a nearby pond, fishing or getting into trouble. But Singh didn't give up even though her family and the society around her was against her working with low caste people, especially her mother.

"My mother was dead against this work. She feared nobody would marry me or associate with the family if I worked with this caste. But I know what poverty can do. My father is a farmer. I couldn't pursue my degree course due to lack of funds. I wanted to give these children a chance in life. I went door to door gathering children and trying to convince the parents to let them study. The children had very bad body odour as personal hygiene was non-existent. We began taking them to the nearby river to bathe them daily. Slowly, they started acquiring new habits," Chhoti recounts.

But all this was not easy. The children were against any kind of hygienic mores and would not even agree to take a bath daily. Some came drunk to class! But with time, attitudes changed. Singh taught them the importance of education and why they must respect elders. Gradually, the children and the parents who used to abuse Chhoti started respecting her.

The number of children in the tuition class stands at 118 today - a significant number in a population of just 1,000. Her mother has come around as well. Now that she has won the award, her parents are proud of her. Her younger brother also teaches at the centre. For her efforts, Singh gets Rs 1,000 a month. But she says it is not the money but the satisfaction of knowing that some of the Musahar community children will end up going to college and uplift their social status.

She wants to pursue her graduation. "If I don't study further how do I convince my students to do the same? I want to do B.Com. with the money that I have earned. I will return and continue to teach the community children. Education is the only means that will help remove discrimination based on caste or religion or any other birth-based criterion. To remove social injustice, the youth must act as agents of change and positively impact not only the community around them but the entire nation," Chhoti says.

Not only does she teach but has also started a Musahar group which she has convinced to save just Rs 20 a month and deposit in a common bank account for starting home-based activities. All pregnant women are now taken to the Primary Healthcare Centre where would be mothers are educated about their child's vaccination schedules.

"This is a big step for the community which did not know anything about saving a single paisa. Money in the bank gives them a sense of security and empowerment," says the little wonder. (Daily Pioneer, 5th November 2017)  -GoTop


SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN

vishwav@bol.net www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.in