SAMVAD

Kartik Krishna 12,Vik.Samvat 2074, Yugabda 5119: 16 October 2017


Samvad team wishes a very happy and prosperous Diwali and new year to the readers, their families and well wishers.


1. FESTIVALS: MANIPUR CELEBRATES 'MERA HOUCHONGBA' FESTIVAL 2. 37 Bharatiya scientists - co-authors of gravitational waves discovery paper
3.  How a gurukul for coders is changing lives 4. RASHTRAPATiji addresses Bharatiya Community in Djibouti
5. REAL ESSENCE OF A DEMOCRACY IS JAN BHAGIDARI AND INTEGRATING PEOPLE IN DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY 6. Hinduism Cultural Identity Of Nation: Venkaiah Naidu
7. Shun caste divide, put Bharat first: mohan bhagwat 8. Sevika Samiti chief urges to imbibe cultural values
9. Keshav Shrishti Puraskar to Sagar Reddy 10.BHARATIYA doctor new WHO deputy director-general
11. BHARAT and Canada jointly release Diwali stamps 12.  BHARAT GRANTS $3 million aid to support rehabilitation efforts in hurricane-affected countries
13. HOW MADURAI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE ATTAINED THE CLEANLINESS FEAT 14. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Article:

AGNISHIKHA


1. FESTIVALS: MANIPUR CELEBRATES 'MERA HOUCHONGBA' FESTIVAL: For the first time Manipur Government and Royal Council of Manipur King jointly organised the Mera Houchongba festival under the auspices of State Level Mera Huchongba Committee on October 5. The celebration began with a cultural procession from Sana Konung (Royal Palace) to Kangla Fort in the morning, which was later attended by the King Leishemba Sanajaoba, Mukhya Mantri, his Ministerial colleagues and hundreds of village chiefs belonging to different communities of the State. Exchange of gifts such as traditional fabrics, vegetables and fruits among the hill and valley people, cultural dances marked the festival. Speaking at the gathering, Mukhya Mantri N Biren Singh appealed to the people of the State to pledge for unity and said respect, trust and sacrifice could protect the integrity of Manipur. -goTop

 

2. 37 Bharatiya scientists - co-authors of gravitational waves discovery paper: As many as 37 Bharatiya scientists from nine institutes, including Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, were co-authors of the gravitational waves discovery paper that was awarded the Nobel prize in Physics on  October 3.Rainer Weiss, Barry C Barish and Kip S Thorne were named for the award for their decisive contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves. 12 IUCAA scientists were co-authors of the paper.Pioneer in gravitational waves astronomy in Bharat, Sanjeev Dhurandhar said Bharatiya contribution played a major role, especially in extracting signal from noise, in detecting the gravitational waves. The group led by Dhurandhar at IUCAA initiated and carried out the foundation work on developing data analysis techniques to detect the weak gravitational wave signals buried in the detector's noise by looking for the best match between the calculated waveforms and the detector's signal. -goTop

 

3.  How a gurukul for coders is changing lives: A brainchild of two techies, the non-profit initiative teaches coding to academically bright but underprivileged students. The course has been rewritten in Hindi and designed to aid self-learning is developed by the founders, Abhishek Gupta and Rishabh Verma.

The duo last year decided to create a mini-gurukul in a three-bedroom flat in Sarita Vihar, where selected students could live and study. Students in the age group of 18-22 years went through a selection process that included three tests to judge if they could grasp software programming. After eight to nine months of training, they were placed for internship in companies as software programmers. Today, all six have job offers from IT start-ups. Nav Gurukul is based on the concept of paying back to society. The two techies have spent about Rs 70,000 on each student over a year and this amount will be paid back once the student starts earning to ensure sustainable platform. -goTop

 

4. RASHTRAPATiji addresses Bharatiya Community in Djibouti: Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind addressed a Bharatiya Community reception hosted by the Ambassador of Bharat to Djibouti Anurag Srivastava on October 3. The reception was attended by about 200 people, roughly half the Bharatiya/Bharatiya origin population in Djibouti.

Addressing the gathering, Rashtrapatiji said that while we have an Ambassador to represent our government, every member of the Bharatiya community present here is a representative of our nation. In whatever capacity they have made Djibouti their home - be it as traders, as professionals, or as skilled workers, they have shown a spirit of selfless and dedicated service to the people around them. They have, while preserving their traditions, family values and strong work ethic, adapted very well in their adopted home, becoming pillars of support for the local community and a source of pride for Bharat. -goTop

 

5. REAL ESSENCE OF A DEMOCRACY IS JAN BHAGIDARI AND INTEGRATING PEOPLE IN DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY: Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi, inaugurating the birth centenary celebration of Nanaji Deshmukh on October 11, said that the real essence of a democracy is Jan Bhagidari and integrating people in the development journey of cities, and villages. Pradhan Mantri addressed 10,000 people, drawn from Self Help Groups, Panchayats, water conservation innovators, and beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. He said that day marked the birth anniversary of two great leaders - Nanaji Deshmukh and Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, who devoted their life to the betterment of the nation. -goTop

 

6. Hinduism Cultural Identity Of Nation: Venkaiah Naidu: Uprashtrapati M Venkaiah Naidu on October 7 said in New Delhi that Hinduism is not a religious concept but the "broader cultural identity" of the nation."Living for others is part of our culture, Indian culture, Bharatiya culture whatever you call it. According to me, Hinduism is not a religious concept but a broader cultural identity of India," Mr Naidu said at a prize-giving ceremony organised by Krishna Foundation, a charitable entity. The first-ever Rashtra Sewa Awards, instituted by the Krishna Foundation, were given to P Parameswaran, a scholar and social philosopher, and Yusuffali, an industrialist and philanthropist. Each award carries a sum of Rs. 2,00,000. -goTop

 

7. Shun caste divide, put Bharat first: mohan bhagwat: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarasanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat, on October 4, exhorted the people to rise above the backward-forward caste divide and embrace the true Bharatiya philosophy bathed in egalitarianism. "There is Narayan within each one of us and the Bharatiya spiritual tradition has answers for all the problems we face today," he said, exhorting the people to look within themselves to look for solace that comes from contentment, instead of hankering after material comforts.“We all are sons of Bharat Mata, followers of one culture and religion that advocate for welfare of one and all," he underlined. Shri Bhagwat was speaking at Swami Ramanujacharya Sahasrabdi (1,000 years of birth) Mahayajna near Chandwa(Ara) in south central Bihar. Swami Ramanujacharya headed a sect from the Bhakti tradition and its saints were known for their selfless service for welfare of the society. Over 1 crore devotees are estimated to have attended the yajna over the past five days. -goTop

 

8. Sevika Samiti chief urges to imbibe cultural values: Rashtra Sevika Samiti Pramukh Sanchalika Shantakka on Octoher 2 asked members of the organisation to keep our civilisational inheritance alive, strengthen the institution of family and pass on the cultural values to next generation to make nation strong. Addressing 81st foundation day of Rashtra Sevika Samiti at Smruti Mandir, Nagpur Shantakka took stock of effects of rapidly changing technology, sense of alienation, pursuit of material pleasure forgetting societal responsibility and how a woman is dealing with all the changes. Giving example from Hindu mythology, she said, "A society can be a good and disciplined place if every individual follows all the rules as per his responsibility." Hundreds of Sevika Samiti members were present on the occasion. Former President of IMA Dr Varsha Dhawale was chief guest. -goTop

 

9. Keshav Shrishti Puraskar to Sagar Reddy: Sagar Reddy, a 28-year old 'unmarried father' for orphans, was honoured with the 8th Keshav Shrishti Puraskar on October 1. Former RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh Suhasrao Hiremath and CEO of Bharat Vikas Group Hanumanth Rao Gaekwad felicitated him with a memento and Rs 1 lakh prize money.

Sagar became orphan at the age of one when his parents were brutally killed by their own relatives following their inter caste marriage. At the age of 18, an orphanage home normally asks its inmates to leave the place. It happened with Sagar also. Without proper documentation, food and place to stay, he spent over a year in temples, foot paths and railway platforms doing odd jobs. A person spotted talent in Sagar and sponsored his education. After finishing degree and getting a job, he was planning to settle in his life. But when he visited the orphanage home where he grew up, he came to know that many of his friends fell into bad company and his Rakhi sister was forced into prostitution. He realised the issues faced by young adolescent orphans and decided to address them by forming "Ekta Niradhar Sangh". He has so far helped over 700 orphans in getting employment and rehabilitated over 1,125. He has arranged more than 60 marriages of orphaned girls by doing ‘Kanyadan’ himself. Around 600 orphans are still under his shelter. His social support activity is spread over Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. -goTop

  

10. BHARATIYA doctor new WHO deputy director-general:  Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and secretary to the department of health research, has been appointed the World Health Organisation's (WHO's) deputy directorgeneral, programmes, in Geneva. This is the second-highest position at the UN agency. -goTop

 

11. BHARAT and Canada jointly release Diwali stamps: Bharat and Canada have unveiled their first joint stamp, as the countries simultaneously issued stamps to celebrate the festival of Diwali. The Canadian event to mark this collaborative release was held in Toronto on September 21 and was attended by Canada Post president and CEO Deepak Chopra, Bharat's high commissioner Vikas Swarup, Bharat's consul general in Toronto Dinesh Bhatia and Toronto mayor John Tory. "The Diwali stamps express our pride in Canada being a land of diverse faiths, customs and celebrations. It is fitting that this historic first joint issue celebrates the strong relationship between Canada and Bharat," Chopra said.

A similar event was held in New Delhi and was attended by Canada’s envoy Nadir Patel and chief postmaster general (Delhi) LN Sharma.Both versions of the stamp feature diyas, the traditional Diwali lamps, with fireworks in the background. -goTop

 

12.  BHARAT GRANTS $3 million aid to support rehabilitation efforts in hurricane-affected countries: To help hurricane-affected countries in Caribbean region, Bharat has contributed an additional $3 million to the Bharat-UN Development Partnership Fund. The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bharat to the United Nations in New York, Syed Akbaruddin said, "The contribution today will also support reconstruction efforts in two of our partner countries, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica."

At the 3rd Bharat-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting on the sidelines of UNGA in New York, the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announced of granting of $2 million from Bharat for rehabilitation projects in CARICOM as a token of solidarity. This was in addition to an emergency aid of US $200,000 to the worst affected countries from hurricanes, already announced. -goTop

 

13. HOW MADURAI MEENAKSHI TEMPLE ATTAINED THE CLEANLINESS FEAT: Twelve years ago, 12 workers and two supervisors in charge of the upkeep of the world-famous Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple in Madurai came together with the aim of figuring out ways to ensure that the sprawling premises is kept spick and span at all times. It could well be said that their efforts have paid off, with the temple winning the ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ award, pipping nine other spots identified by the Central government last year.

The temple has a footfall of about 40,000 a day. On festive days, the number doubles, and sometimes even crosses the one lakh mark.

Detailing the initiatives taken to promote cleanliness in the temple, Kannan, Chairman Board of Trustees said that devotees were given counselling and flower vendors inside the temple premises educated by the staff to use dustbins. Some well-wishers of the temple provided able support by assisting with the herculean task of clearing garbage, he said.On the 'Swachh Iconic Place' award being conferred on the temple, Kannan said, "The recognition should go to the entire team of temple officials and devotees. What was started by a handful of people a decade ago has become a self-propelling movement today."

The temple spent close to 1 crore annually for the upkeep of the sannidhis and praharams. With some well-wishers and philanthropists also deploying ground staff, the temple now has 60 workers in charge of maintenance. -goTop

 

14. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Saumitra Gokhale, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will start his pravas for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Dr Ram Vaidya, sah samyoajk is on a pravas to Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt. Shri Shyam Parande, Secretary Sewa International will visit USA. Visitors: Dr Vipul Mishra - Algeria, Rohit Suji – Liberia, Dr Sarvotam Ooden - Mauritius -goTop

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: You are what your deep, driving desire is. As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny. – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad IV.4.5 -goTop

JAI SHREE RAM

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AGNISHIKHA

In order to truly offer worship to Shiva you have to be Shiva. Shivo Bhutva ShivamYajet. Sister Nivedita, so to say, became one with Mother India. She understood India in all her dimensions

Dr Nivedita Raghunath Bhide

When Swami Vivekananda went to West, he was there without friends, without money and without recognition. Only the knowledge and experience of Hindu Dharma was with him. After his exposition of Hindu Dharma in the Parliament of Religions held in September 1893 at Chicago, he was revered in the West for his knowledge and help came from all quarters, the disciples gathered from all directions. Thus when he returned to India, he was a world-famous Swami Vivekananda; the western disciples were with him.     This visual had a great psychological impact on people of India. They could feel and their confidence grew in the greatness and relevance of Hindu Dharma. An epitome of this efficacy and relevance of Hindu Dharma and of the work of Swami Vivekananda in the West was Sister Nivedita.

Margaret Noble as Nivedita was called before, was from the very race, which had robbed India of her wealth as well as of her confidence. But Nivedita came to India to live like us, to serve us and also to practice all that was higher and noble in our spiritual tradition. She could see beauty and wisdom in all walks of Indian life.

How could a proud and an accomplished British woman see the beauty of Indian life? She had to undergo a painful process of transformation. Margaret Noble came to India to serve Indians after she was totally convinced about the Vedantic Truth of Oneness. After the consecration ceremony, she was given the name 'Nivedita' - 'the dedicated'.  But just a new name was not going to erase all the assumptions and biases that she had harboured till then as Margaret Noble. Swami Vivekananda, in his classes attacked mercilessly on her deep rooted perceptions and misconceptions. Imagine! Swamiji was the only person who was known to her in this vast and strange land and he appeared so harsh. The anguish that Nivedita felt was very great. But not once a thought of returning back or doubting the wisdom of her decision of accepting Swami Vivekananda as her guru came to her mind. Her only concern was "whether I shall understand what my master is trying to tell me". Her sincerity of purpose and utmost efforts ultimately transformed her completely. She became one with India to serve in total surrender. It is said that to truly offer worship to Shiva you have to be Shiva. Shivo Bhutva ShivamYajet. Nivedita so to say became one with Mother India. She understood India in all her dimensions and loved Indians with all their faults. -goTop

Total Transformation

It is this total transformation of Nivedita which is a great example for Macaulay Educated Indians. If a proud and accomplished British woman can burn to ashes all her prejudices, misconceptions and her western mind-set and if with total paradigm shift she could become a true Indian, a great admirer, worshiper and servant of Mother India, then why not we? We the Macaulay educated can also burn to ashes completely all our preconceptions and ignorance and become true Indians. When she could get insight into the depths of Indian wisdom why can't we? When one wants to serve Motherland one has to change oneself so as to become the right instrument in the hands of God.  Sister Nivedita is thus an inspiration for all those who want to serve our society. 

Nivedita was one with the people, their aspirations that her life, her actions, her words reflected that oneness which she experienced. She always said our people, our country. We see many a times that those who go to 'serve' the people in villages and in tribal areas with the sense that they are going to 'civilise' and to 'develop' these people use words like 'this society', 'these people'. They force their ideas and world-views on those simple people. This is what Swami Vivekananda did not want to happen with his foreign disciples. He wanted them to accept India as she was; he wanted them to learn from India. Sister Nivedita internalised it so fully that Bipin Chandra Pal said, "Nivedita came to us not as a teacher but as a learner, not as an adept but as a novice and she loved India more than even we Indians love her."  

She inculcated and internalised the Vedantic vision so well that she wrote, "If the many and the One be indeed the same Reality, then it is not all modes of worship alone, but equally all modes of work, all modes of struggle, all modes of creation, which are paths of realisation. No distinction, henceforth, between sacred and secular. To labour is to pray. To conquer is to renounce. Life is itself religion. To have and to hold is as stern a trust as to quit and to avoid." 

That is what she imbibed from Swami Vivekananda. Thus she wrote about him, "This is the realisation which makes Vivekananda the great preacher of Karma, not as divorced from, but as expressing Jnana and Bhakti. To him, the workshop, the study, the farmyard, and the field are as true and fit scenes for the meeting of God with man as the cell of the monk or the door of the temple. To him, there is no difference between service of man and worship of God, between manliness and faith, between true righteousness and spirituality. All his words, from one point of view, read as a commentary upon this central conviction." "Art, science, and religion," he said once, "are but three different ways of expressing a single truth. But in order to understand this we must have the theory of Advaita."  For Nivedita Vedanta became practical. Her spirituality thus expressed in her contributions to all walks of life. 

It appears that the legacy of fire that was in Swami Vivekananda was given to Sister Nivedita. The flames of burning love for India in Sister Nivedita were so great that Sri Aurobindo called her Agnishikha - the flames of fire! No field of national life was left untouched by her fire. Her top most concern was the well-being of India and the awakening of Indian national consciousness whatever may be the field of action.

New Education Vision -goTop

In the field of Education, Nivedita wanted, "Indian educators to extend and fulfill the vision of Swami Vivekananda". How would it be done? She explained, "This thought that education is not only good for child himself but should be more so for Jana-Desh-Dharma should always be present in the minds of educators. There is no fear of weakness and selfishness for one whose whole training has been formed round this nucleus. Each day should begin with some conscious act of reference to it. Education in India today has to be not only national but Nation-making. We must surround our children with the thought of their nation and their country. …The centre of gravity must lie for them outside the family. We must demand their sacrifices for India; Bhakti for India; learning for India. The ideal for its own sake! India for the sake of India! This must be as the breath of life to them.

…It is a mistake to think that heroes are born. Nothing  of the sort. They are made not born; made by the pressure of heroic thought. All human beings long at bottom of their heart for self sacrifice. No other thirst is so deep as this. Let us recognise this, direct this towards single thought i.e. love for the country. …The universe is the creation of mind not matter. And can any force in the world resist a single thought held with intensity by 700 million of people? …How to do that? A national education then must be made up of familiar elements. Our Imagination must be based upon our heroic literature. Geographical ideals must be built up first through the ideals of India. Same is for history. All other histories should run around the Indian History." The school that Nivedita run for the girls enshrined all these thoughts so well that when  Rabindranath Tagore wanted to start Shantiniketan, most of the lady teachers were the former students of Nivedita's school.

Womanhood of India

Sister Nivedita was so charmed by the womanhood of India among whom she lived in the lanes of Calcutta that her description about them are the best tribute. She says, "What differentiates the Indian training from others? I find one answer which outweighs all others in my estimate. It is this. The special greatness of Indian life and character depends more than on any other feature, on the place that is given to Woman in the social scheme. They say that Indian women are ignorant and oppressed. To all who make this statement we may answer that Indian women are certainly not oppressed. The crimes of ill-treating women is at once less common and less brutal in form here than in younger countries. And the happiness, the social importance, and may I say, the lofty character of Indian women are amongst the grandest possessions of the national life. When we come to the charge that Indian women are ignorant, we meet with a far deeper fallacy. They are ignorant in the modern form, that is to say, few can write, and not very many can read. Are they then illiterate? If so, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and the Puranas and stories every mother and every grandmother tells to the babies, are no literature. But European novels and Strand Magazine by the same token are? Can any of us accept this paradox? The fact is, writing is not culture though it is an occasional result of culture. The greatest literature occurs at the beginning of a literary age and so, to those who know Indian life, it is easy to see that an Indian woman who has the education of the Indian home, the dignity, the gentleness, the cleanliness, the thrift, the religious training, the culture of mind and heart, which that home life entails, though she cannot perhaps read a word of her own language, much less sign her name, may be infinitely better educated in every true sense, and in the literary sense also, than her glib critic."

Guide in the Task of Nation-building

Writings of Sister Nivedita were a symphony of her insight in Indian wisdom and tradition, her intense love for India, her sharp intellect and her mastery over language. So beautiful, deep and moving were her writings that it is really difficult to translate those in other languages. May be that is the reason that most of her literature even today remains un-translated. Her literature has not only historical and literary value but are good guide in the task of nation-building too. 

For example: while comparing with other nations she sums up in few words the journey and contribution of Hindu nation from antiquity to till now. She writes, "Let it be said that to every people who possess the elements of truly national existence, with the responsibility of facing the problems of a nation, this question sooner or later comes to be faced. Have we in the past dreamt dreams great enough, thought thoughts noble enough, willed with a will clear enough, to enable us to strike out new paths into the untried, without error and without defeat? And perhaps of all the peoples of the world only the Hindu people, to this searching enquiry can answer yes." She was a regular contributor to over 20 magazines and the topic was always 'India'. Therefore, not just because Sister Nivedita was a great example of transformation but we have to study her life and works also because, even today she can give insight to us i.e. the English educated about our own nation and its significance. 

Why Imitate Europeans? -goTop

While she helped the country bent under the burden of sorrow whether during plagues or floods or freedom struggle, she lived completely merged in the essence of its freedom one day to come. Thus, she wanted the cultural assertion, the national expression in all walks of life. She stated, "The birth of the National Art of India is my dearest dream."  She disliked the art students imitating the European subjects in their art. When India has such rich culture and history of art she felt why should Indian artists imitate Europeans styles and subjects. She exhorted and inspired the young artists like Abanindranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose to choose India as their topic for expression. She would perceive the beauty of old houses of Bagh Bazar, and ruined temples but detested the modern utilitarian buildings built in India. 

In the field of science, she felt Indians have great ability to contribute. When the British scientists tried to sideline Dr Jagadish Chandra Bose, she realised that Indians were not incapable but were incapacitated by British to achieve great heights. She came forward to help Dr Jagadish Chandra Bose. To make his work known to the world she worked along with him on his six books. Even though, she herself would be suffering for want of money; she saw to it that the work of Dr Jagadish Chandra Bose would not suffer monetarily.

When the revolutionaries would go to jail or in exile to other countries, she would take care of their families. Not a field of national life was left untouched by her.

Bitterness Had no Place in Her Heart

As it was required, Sister Nivedita resigned from Ramakrishna Mission and actively participated and promoted the freedom movement. Ramakrishna Mission-the fledgling organisation to propagate the message of Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda was needed for India. And participation of Sister Nivedita in Freedom Movement and her active role in awakening national consciousness also was equally the need of the hour in the interest of India. Thus to protect Ramakrishna Mission and to promote the work of freedom of India, she resigned from Ramakrishna Mission. But, their relationships remained very cordial till end. 

Nivedita considered herself as part of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda thought movement. Whenever she was sick, she was immediately attended to by Ramakrishna Math. In her work too the help was given by Ramakrishna Math and Mission in all possible ways. When she realised she would not live, in her will she donated all the money that she had got from Mrs. Bull just some time before her own death or from her books to Ramakrishna Mission as an endowment for the use of Sister Christine Greenstidel to run the school; though Christine had left her. Bitterness had no place in her heart. She associated with persons whom she thought would be useful in India’s interest. But she would also disassociate herself from them if she found it otherwise. For anything and everything in her life, the deciding touchstone was India and her well-being.

One of the foremost revolutionary Freedom fighter, Shri Hemachandra Ghosh's reminiscence about Swami Vivekananda and Sister Nivedita narrated to Swami Purnatmananda were later translated from Bengali to English by Prof Kapila Chatterjee and brought out as a book titled as I am India. In that he says, "It is very true that it was Nivedita who  captured the fire of patriotism set alight by Vivekananda. She not only caught that flame, she also scattered the sparks of Indian patriotism and nationalism far and wide, across the length and breadth of India. Wherever Nivedita went, in any city or province of India, her flaming speeches and heroic calls to the Indian people spread the message of Swamiji, his ideals, his patriotism. Side by side, she spread the ideals, the culture, the glory of India, too. To speak frankly, we got to know Swami Vivekananda better through coming in contact with Sister Nivedita. I was with Swamiji for a very short time. But, I have been with Nivedita for a much longer period. Through Nivedita, we got to know Swamiji better and through her India also better. …What I feel about Nivedita is - Sister Nivedita played two important roles in spreading the message and deeds of Vivekananda - one was the role of Mahadeva, the other, that of Bhagiratha. She absorbed the terrific force and power of Vivekananda in her own person, and at the same time she carried the mighty current of that force and directed it along proper channels like Bhagiratha."

Deep Love for India

Her deep love for India was expressed in all walks of life - politics, education, art, literature, sociology, spirituality etc. A spiritual person in all dimensional. That is how Sister Nivedita was. She was a revolutionary, she was a Yogini too. She was an educationist and she was an art critic too. She was a writer and she was involved in rendering service to the people also, be at flood time or plague time. She was at once a child at the feet of Holy Mother Sharada Devi and also a Lokmata to all as she was called by Rabindranath Tagore and above all she was Sister of all. 

Swami Vivekananda had said, "O you of great fortune! I too believe that India will awake again if anyone could love with all his heart the people of the country-bereft of the grace of affluence, of blasted fortune, their discretion totally lost, downtrodden, ever-starved, quarrelsome, and envious." Sister Nivedita was a person of that great fortune! She loved India and Indians with all their faults. 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita is a good occasion to study and understand her life and work. May her life make us love our motherland and our people. May her life give us an insight in our own country and inspiration to work for Mother India.  

(The writer is Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra and a Padam Shri Awardee) (Courtesy: Yuva Bharati, Chennai) -goTop


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



SAMVAD

Ashwin Shukla 11,Vik.Samvat 2074, Yugabda 5119


FESTIVALS

1. Rashtrapatiji visited Deeksha-bhumi and Jain Sites in and around Nagpur 2. Vijayadashami 2017 udbodhan by Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohanji Bhagwat
3. Birth CENTENNARY Year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in Nairobi 4. Celebration of Birth CENTENNARY of Deendayal Ji at India House
5. PM Narendra Modi Releases Postage Stamp On Lord Ram 6. DURGA PUJA - UAE
7. bharatiyas should speak in mother tongue - VP 8. Rare sixth century stone sculpture of Shiva found in Kashmir
9. No more boats! Soon road to lead pilgrims to Guj’s Krishna shrine 10. Appeal to Government of Bangladesh for safety of Hindu Refugees from Myanmar
11. On a tandem, blind girl pulls off Himalayan feat 12.  Hindus Hold Ceremonies for Active Volcano Mt. Agung to Pray That Island Is Spared
13. IIT-MADRAS' NO WEAR & TEAR TECH TO SOAR GDP 14.  Five 'S' for prosperous nation
15. BHARATIYA-AMERICAN COUPLE DONATES USD 250,000 FOR HARVEY RELIEF 16. Ancient Bharatiya text pushes back history of zero by 500 years
17.  MARSHAL ARJAN SINGH: TOUCHING STELLER HEIGHTS 18. 12th Hindu Mandir Executives' Conference
19.  Forex kitty hits $400bn for first time 20. US DIPLOMAT BATS FOR BUILDING ON BHARATIYA DIASPORA CONNECTS

21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 

Article:

How bharatiya-Americans Shouldered Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts


FESTIVALS are refelection of our social values. Celebrating them together is a way in which to imbibe values related to the welfare of our people. Let each of us resolve that by 2022, we will contribute as a citizen to the welfare of our country and I assure you, we will achieve great heights together. - Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi in one of the Ramleelas in Delhi on Vijaya Dashami Day. -GoTop


1. Rashtrapatiji visited Deeksha-bhumi and Jain Sites in and around Nagpur: Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind in his maiden Nagpur tour on Septamber 22 visited Buddhist and Jain sites in and around Nagpur. Situated in West Nagpur's sprawling fields in Bajaj Nagar, Deekshabhumi is the place where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution and pioneer of human equality, embraced Buddhism way back in 1956 along with thousands of his followers. This day which falls on Dusserah festival, is celebrated every year as ‘Dhamma Parivartan Divas’. Lakhs of Buddhists come to Nagpur from far and near and pay their respects to this 'Bodhisattva' of modern times. Pouring out his emotions in a message, Rashtrpatiji wrote in the Visitor's Book: "Param Poojaniya Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar laid the foundation of equality and social revolution here on this sacred land. This pious Deekshabhumi inspires the entire world for sacrifice, peace and humanity. I am deeply satisfied after visiting this place." Rashtrapatiji was accompanied by Maharashtra Rajyapal Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Mukhya Mantri Devendra Fadanvis and Kendriya Mantri Nitin Gadkari and Ramdas Athavale.

Another Buddhist site Rashtrapatiji paid visit to was Dragon Palace temple at Kamptee. Kovindji inaugurated the Vipaasana Meditation Centre here built by Ogawa society of Japan that runs this famous temple. Rashtrapatiji said that Vipassana is form of meditation that purifies one's soul and enables one to lead a tension-free life giving a sense of fulfilment.
He also visited the historical Shantinath Digambar Jain temple during the ongoing Sanyam Swarna Mahotsava commemorating the 50th anniversary of initiation of Acharya Vidya Sagarji Maharaj in the Jain sect. The Jain seer advised Rashtrapatiji to spread 'Bharatiyata' to make the people of the country and the world to know the age-old culture and traditions of our ancient nation. The Jain seer urged him to insist on using the name “Bharat” instead of India. "Rashtra ki bhasha Hindi ho, India nahi, Bharat Kaho," he said. -GoTop
 

2. Vijayadashami 2017 udbodhan by Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohanji Bhagwat: Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh celebrated its 92rd birth anniversary with udbodhan of Sarsanghchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat to the swyamsevaks assembled in Resham Bag after a five kilometers pathsanchalan around Nagpur. At start, Shri Bhagwat remembered Swami Vivekananda, his renowned disciple Bhagini Nivedita and eminent Kushak Bakula Renpoche for their contribution in establishing a national vision of Bharat towards global humanity. Shri Bhagwat said that our Sanskriti, that binds us together in a common thread despite our different languages, regions, sects, religions, castes, customs, etc; and the source of this Sanskriti, our eternal life values that envision humanity as a global family, is our collective bonding spirit. That life vision of nationhood takes shape through collective experiences we have gained on this land from the time immemorial, collective efforts we have taken and collective understanding and realisation of the Truth obtained from those experiences. Due to our initiative, there is a recognition and acceptance of Science of Yoga and our approach towards environment, which gives a feeling of great satisfaction and pride about our ancient heritage.

In the space science brave achievements by our scientists one after another are proving our intellectual power. Through initiatives like Swachhata Abhiyan a sense of duty among citizens is inculcated, ensuring their participation.The provocative actions and propaganda of the separatists is effectively controlled by curbing their illegal financial sources and exposing their linkages with anti-national terrorist forces.

There is an urgent need to take the benefits of development to the masses in the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir, including the Jammu and Ladakh regions, without any discrimination and through transparent and clean governance.

Nation already has been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas who are chased away from Myanmar have infiltrated and many more are ready to migrate illegally. They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with the terrorist groups. Any decision regarding them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity.

For controlling corruption, bringing speedy economic development, introduction of welfare schemes to the last person standing, like Jan Dhan, MUDRA, Gas Subsidy, agricultural insurance etc and some bold decisions are taken at the government level. Yet, the requirement of an integrated and holistic policy, which will take into consideration the diversity and various requirements of the nation; will address the needs of industry, trade, agriculture and environment together, will safeguard the interests of all from big, medium and small industries, to small retailers, farmers and landless labours, is very much felt. Our Niti Ayog and economic advisers of the States will have to come out of the same old economic 'isms', and will have to integrate the most up-to-date economic experiences with the ground reality of our nation.

Agriculture is the large sector in Bharat. Our farmer, who is by nature, feeds not just his family but the entire nation, is in pain today. New technology and traditional non-polluting methods should be amalgamated for farmers so that they can do farming with less investment and without getting into debt trap. The purchases of crops based on the support price will have to be ensured by the Government. Organic farming, mixed farming and farming with cow-based animal husbandry should become a new trend.

New education policy should be carved out in such a manner so that education becomes affordable and accessible even to children and youth living in remote jungles and villages. The education should inculcate the qualities of self-confidence, desire for excellence, knowledge, studiousness and hard work in each and every student along with the values of character, politeness, sensitivity, discretion and respon-sibility. To achieve the desired results, entire society will have to get rid of the contradictions of evil practices and conduct and imbibe the virtues of cognate and egalitarian behaviour. We all will have to commit ourselves and be active after refining all aspects of our life with this approach.

A message from Sant Nirmal Das ji  from Jalandar who was to be the Chief Guest for the program was read out. Notable among the dignitaries present were, for Deputy PM Shri LK Advani, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. While entering the 93rd year of its inception, Sangh is trying to build a nation-wide conglomeration of Karyakartas (activists) who have the clear understanding of our Rashtra, who are daring enough to articulate that with the same clarity, who are cherishing the devotion for this sacred and unified motherland and sensitive and affectionate towards each and every member of this family, the courage and sacrifice of our ancestors is the foundation of whose heart, and taking this nation to the pinnacle of its glory is the only inspiration of his collective aspirations and actions. -GoTop

 

3. Birth CENTENNARY Year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in Nairobi: High Commission of Bharat in Nairobi organized a grand event to celebrate the 100th Birth Anniversary Year of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at Apa Pant Auditorium in Nairobi on 24 September 2017. A panel discussion on "Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya: His Life and Message, His Doctrine of 'Integral Humanism'& its Relevance" was moderated by Ms. Anita Patel and panelists were Mr. Kavingo Matundu, Dr. Prakash Heda (both from Nairobi) and Mr. Divyesh Parmar from Mombasa. Panellists focused on the relevance of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of 'Integral Humanism' and its significance and application in India as well as other parts of the world. A short documentary on "Life and Times of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya" produced by DD News was screened on the occasion.

The event was attended by over 120 people including former Deputy Chief Justice of Kenya Ms. Kalpana Rawal, Member of Nairobi County Assembly Mr. Jayendra Malde; heads of various Bharatiya Community organizations; business community, ITEC alumni and Friends of India.-GoTop

 

4. Celebration of Birth CENTENNARY of Deendayal Ji at India House: High Commission of Bharat in the UK celebrated the 100th birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya at India House on September 25. High Commissioner Y. K. Sinha spoke to those present at the special ceremony about Pandit Deendayal ji's philosophy of 'Antodaya' which literally means the "rise of the last person". In his special address, Chandrakant Sharma spoke of Pandit Upadhyaya's contribution to socio-political philosophy in the form of his idea of 'Ekatma Manav-vad Darshan' - the philosophy of integral humanism. -GoTop

 

5. PM Narendra Modi Releases Postage Stamp On Lord Ram: Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi on September 22 released a postage stamp on different aspects of Lord Ram's life at the historic Tulsi Manas Mandir Varanasi, and said he was a source of inspiration for every individual. "There have been many stamps on Lord Ram, but this is the first of its kind stamp, which depicts different aspects of his life. This has not been done in the past. I am happy that I have got the opportunity to do this from the holy soil of Manas," he said.

High Commission of Bharat, London organized the UK launch of commemorative stamps on 'RAMAYANA' at India House on 22nd September. This followed immediately after Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi released the special stamps in Varanasi.-GoTop

 

6. DURGA PUJA - UAE: Festivity and gaiety continue to mark the Durga Puja festival as expatriates from Bharat and Bangladesh celebrate the homecoming of their deity Durga.The festival reached its high point on Shashti day on September 26 with the community observing the Saptami, Ashtami and Navami days of auspiciousness. The festival culminated in Dashami on September 30 which is also called Dussehra, when the deity is bid farewell. One of the most vibrant aspects of the final day celebrations is the Sindhur Khela ritual which marks the return of the deity to her marital home. An occasion that symbolises exultation mingled with sadness, the deity is offered auspicious vermilion as a symbol of her married status. Women take the vermillion as a blessing from the deity and smear each other with the vibrant colour - a manifestation of their married status.

Sunando Mukhopadhyaya, general secretary of Bharatiya Bangiya Parishad that organises a gathering of more than 1,500 multinational visitors at the Sindhi Ceremonial Hall, Dubai, said: "Durga Puja is an occasion for us to integrate communities. We have been celebrating this festival for 31 years. We have 200 Bengali families who are integral to the festival, but our auditorium is open to everyone. We receive Bharatiyas from all states of Bharat. At least 15-20 per cent of the people who visit us during puja are from Bangladesh as this is a place where they get to relive their culture." -GoTop

 

7. bharatiyas should speak in mother tongue - VP: Bharatiyas should speak in their mother tongue more often, Upa-Rashtrapati M Venkaiah Naidu said at a ministry of culture event to commemorate the birth centenary of music legend M S Subbulakshmi on Septmebr 19. Advising  Bharatiyas to take pride in their native language and attach less importance to English, Naidu also said Amma' and 'Ammi' were far more evocative ways to address one's mother than the English 'mommy' preferred by many .

Naidu, who had prior to his appointment as Upa-Rashtrapati advocated learning 'Rashtra Bhasha' Hindi claiming it was spoken by the majority, said more people should take pride in their native tongue and only speak English when interacting with foreigners. -GoTop

 

8. Rare sixth century stone sculpture of Shiva found in Kashmir: Workers dredging a water reservoir stumbled upon a rare one-faced stone sculpture of Lord Shiva dating back to the 6th century CE in Harwan area in the outskirts Srinagar. The oval-shaped bust is nearly 2.5 feet in height. Harwan area is a known heritage site and has archaeological importance. One of the oldest Budhhist sites is also located there. -GoTop

 

9. No more boats! Soon road to lead pilgrims to Guj’s Krishna shrine: In less than three years from now, pilgrims visiting Lord Krishna's kingdom in Beyt Island in Gujarat will be able to reach by road. The highways ministry will build a four-lane cable-stayed signature bridge over the Arabian Sea and improve the approach roads at a cost of Rs 765 crore. Dwarka is located about 140 km from Jamnagar. The mythical palace of Lord Krishna is believed to be located on Beyt Dwarka which is equally famous for its archaeological, historical and spiritual importance. This palace was believed to be the residence of Lord Sri Krishna and is better known as Dwarkadhish Temple. -GoTop

 

10. Appeal to Government of Bangladesh for safety of Hindu Refugees from Myanmar: A delegation of Human Rights Defense International (HRDI) met the Deputy High Commissioner of the Bangladesh High Commission, Mr. Rokebul Haque at Delhi on September 29.The delegation consisted of Justice (Retd.) M.C. Garg, Advocate Rajesh Gogna, Secretary General (HRDI), Prof Bidyut Chakrabarty and Advocate Rijul Singh Uppal gave a representation on the safety of Hindu refugees from Myanmar and requested the Government of Bangladesh to create safe zones for the Hindu refugees from Myanmar as they are in very small numbers and have become soft targets for the Rohingya Muslims present in these camps in larger numbers.The Deputy High Commissioner assured the delegation that Government of Bangladesh is taking steps to locate Hindus and that Government of Bangladesh will take all necessary steps to ensure that no atrocities are allowed to take place on Hindus. -GoTop

 

11. On a tandem, blind girl pulls off Himalayan feat: All of 15 years old, Manasvi Baheti recently rode a tandem with her father from Manali in Himachal Pradesh to the Khardung La Mountain pass in Jammu & Kashmir.

The tough 500-kilometre expedition through the Himalayas would be a formidable challenge for all but the most ardent adventure enthusiasts, but it proved a liberating experience for the Class X student who beat her 100% visual impairment to accomplish it. Manasvi and her father Kailash's adventure was part of an initiative that has been touted as Bharat’s first blind-and-sighted tandem expedition in the Himalayas, and they were one of 10 pairs who rode through Manali-Leh-Khardung La in less than two weeks. Manasvi was the youngest participant.The expedition was organised by an organisation named Adventure Beyond Barriers Foundation (ABBF), which aims to promote inclusion by enabling people with disabilities and those without to participate in adventure sports together. Founded in 2014, ABBF works across five verticals - trekking, scuba diving, paragliding, and mountaineering.

"Our purpose is to establish a connect, build empathy and, most importantly, remove the awkwardness associated with 'disability'," ABBF founder Divyanshu Ganatra said. He was all praise for the expedition's youngest participant, saying, "Manasvi is a spirited girl. This is a tough ride even for professionals, but the way she overcame the challenges was phenomenal."

Manasvi's mother Sangeetha said, "Cycling was something Manasvi enjoyed as a child. We had to look for a tandem for a very long time." -GoTop

 

12.  Hindus Hold Ceremonies for Active Volcano Mt. Agung to Pray That Island Is Spared: Balinese Hindus have been conducting a number of ceremonies at Mt. Agung, trying to prevent a deadly eruption from the volcano, while Muslims across the island have been getting together and likewise praying that the island is spared from a great natural disaster. Agung, a volcano located in Karangasem, Bali, has shown increased activity with its alert status getting upgraded two times in the past week. Local residents living near the volcano have been evacuated in anticipation of a possible eruption. Late on September 20, a Tilem -- or new moon -- ceremony was conducted by Balinese Hindu communities around the island, while a larger ceremony was also held at Bali's mother temple, Besakih, on the slopes the volcano.  -GoTop

 

13. IIT-MADRAS’ NO WEAR & TEAR TECH TO SOAR GDP: Scientists of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd, the country’s power giant, have succeeded in developing a path breaking and innovative material capable of rejuvenating considerably the country’s Gross Domestic Product. "This innovation will help us to minimise the wear and tear as well as damages caused to components of the machines," Dr Sundara Ramaprabhu, Head, Alternative Energy & Nanotechnology Lab, IIT-Madras who led the team of research scholars in the three-year long research said. Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, an international peer-reviewed journal has published the findings of the IIT-Madras team in its latest issue.

Nano –lubricants may soon replace all kind of lubrication oils in various engineering applications like motor vehicle engines and other mechanical systems. "This is an ongoing research. Right now we have developed nano-lubricants for power generators. More such products are on the anvil," explained Dr Sundara Ramaprabhu, who had developed nano materials for treating effluent water and purifying polluted river waters. -GoTop

 

14.  Five 'S' for prosperous nation: Two-day Sewa Sangamam showcasing the service activities of various voluntary organisations associated with the Rashtriya Sewa Bharati was organised at a Nalli Kuppusami Vivekanandan Vidyalaya from September 18-19. Lt. Governor of Puducherry Dr. Kiran Bedi and Swami Vimurthananda of Ramkrishna Mutt inspired the workers engaged in the sewa activities. Swami Vimurthananda said the Sewa Bharati workers are not only selfless volunteers but also self-disciplined. RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh Parag Abhiyankar said sewa is not the new thing to our country, in every heart of citizen it has been there. Sewa attitude is not inculcated through Veda reciting; it is the Hindu dharma tradition that has developed this attitude. Ups and downs in the society will be there, but discrimination should have no place, he said.

Dr Kiran Bedi threw light on five thoughts which are needed for the nation. She stressed on five 'S' - sanskar, sewa, swachata, sangathan and satsang. When sanskar enters one, he or she will not cheat and one will earn a place in the society. Second 'S' is sewa-action. If any action is done with prerna, then a healthy nation is possible. Third 'S' is swachata. Cleanliness is must for personal, community, society and nation. Fourth 'S' is sangathan - to see results we need sangathan (organisation). Transformation comes from sangathan. Every member can make the sangathan strong or weak. Sangathan is based on sanskar. Fifth 'S' is satsang, which begins from home. Praying together is satsang. Families which eat together, pray together always stay together. To make a healthy nation we need five S and it should start from us. On practicing five 'S' one 'S' will follow that is shanty - that brings together.An exhibition showcasing various service works  was also organised. Around 300 people participated in the Sangamam. -GoTop

 

15. BHARATIYA-AMERICAN COUPLE DONATES USD 250,000 FOR HARVEY RELIEF: Houston residents Amit Bhandari and his wife Arpita Brahmbhatt Bhandari donated USD 250,000 to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, on behalf of the Greater Houston Community Foundation for #HurricaneHarvey relief at a private event on September 24.Bhandari is the owner and CEO of the BioUrja Group, an energy and agricultural commodity trading company based out of Houston. The Bharatiya-American community united in its fund raising efforts to carry out relief and rehabilitation after the catastrophic damage caused by hurricane Harvey. -GoTop

 

16. Ancient Bharatiya text pushes back history of zero by 500 years: The symbol "0" is a familiar sight, but its origins are far from certain. A recent batch of carbon dating is causing the history of mathematics to be rewritten, as it has discovered zeros dating back to a period 500 years before previously seen.The numbers appear in an ancient Bharatiya text called the Bakhshali manuscript, which consists of 70 leaves of birch bark, filled with mathematics and text in the form of Sanskrit. "It seems to be a training manual for Buddhist monks," says Marcus du Sautoy at the University of Oxford. The manuscript was first discovered by a local farmer in 1881, and was named after the village it was found in, in what is now Pakistan. It's been housed by the University of Oxford's Bodleian Library since 1902.

Now, the manuscript has been carbon dated -and this has immediately upturned commonly held beliefs. It was originally thought that the manuscript was from the 9th century, but the dating methods revealed that the oldest pages are from somewhere between 224 AD and 383 AD. This means that the manuscript predates a 9th century inscription of zero on the wall of a temple in Gwalior, Bharat, which was previously considered to be the oldest recorded example of a zero.Across the text there are hundreds of zeros denoted using a dot. It's this dot that later evolved to be the symbol with a hole in the middle that we know today. -GoTop

 

17.  MARSHAL ARJAN SINGH: TOUCHING STELLER HEIGHTS: In the death of Marshal Arjan Singh (98 year old), on 16th September, a glorious era of the Indian Air Force came to an end. The only IAF officer to have been conferred the rank of the "Marshal of the Indian Air Force", Arjan Singh was also the first IAF officer to have been ranked Air Chief Marshal after he had displayed exemplary leadership to neutralise Pakistan's air offensive in the 1965 war when he was just 46. In the most trying period of the Indian Air Force he led the force with elan for five years as the IAF chief between 1964 and 1969.
Born in 1919, in Lyallpur (Pakistan) he had his education in Montgomery before getting selected for the Empire Pilot training course at RAF Cranwell at a young age of 19 years. After his oustanding services in the 1965 Indo-Pak war his post was not only elevated to that of the Air Chief Marshal, but he also received a Padma Vibhushan. -GoTop
 

18. 12th Hindu Mandir Executives' Conference: The twelfth HMEC was held in Indianapolis, Indiana from September 15 to 17, 2017. Some 200 adult and youth delegates drawn from over 70 organizations and 4 countries participated in the conference. The theme for the conference was: "Hindu Temples and Institutions: Challenges of the 21st Century."  In the inaugural session on 15 September, Swamini Svatmavidyananda Saraswati of Arsha Vijnana Gurukulam provided blessings and painted a vision for HMEC. Dr. Raman Khanna from Hindu American Foundation presented a perspective on Hindu Activism highlighting the theme of 'Who Controls the Past, Controls the Future.' In his inaugural address, Swami Pratyagbodhananda of Arsha Vidya Gurukulam inspired all with a call to action to face the 'Challenges of the 21st Century.'

The plenary sessions on 16 September, set the stage for the rest of the conference. Sessions addressed key challenges through a great line up of speakers: Temple & Institutions of the Future, Fulfilling Our Hopes and Needs, Youth, Young Adult Engagement and Seva as an Inter-Generational Bridge. On 17 September, a Hindu Activism panel called for a united effort by all institutions followed by an Indic Faith panel discussion promoting solidarity of all faiths.  The parallel tracks and workshops were summarized by the young HMEC Interns, who also candidly shared their conference experiences.In closure; Sewa International’s hurricane relief work was discussed following an update on US Immigration. -GoTop

 

19.  Forex kitty hits $400bn for first time: Bharat's forex reserves crossed the $400-billion mark for the first time on September 15. The latest $100 billion has been added to the reserves in three and a half years after they crossed the $300-billion level on April 2014. -GoTop

 

20. US DIPLOMAT BATS FOR BUILDING ON BHARATIYA DIASPORA CONNECTS: American diplomat Jeffrey Sexton on September 22 batted for building on the Bharatiya Diaspora in the US to bolster relations, noting it is becoming more and more active in promoting cross cultural ties."The biggest connection that we have now is the size of the Indian diaspora in the US. All of the Bharatiyas who have connections with the US now... relatives, friends studying in the US and if we just keep building on this wonderful positive connection between the two countries, it adds such an important dimension to our relationship," Sexton, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy in New Delhi, said on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Badamtola Ashar Sangha Durga puja and the Great Kolkata Autumn Heritage Festival.The pandal (marquee) represents a slice of America in Kolkata.-GoTop

 

21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Saumitra Gokhale Samyojak, Vishwa Vibhag is visiting Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad. Shri Ravikumar sah samyojak will be visiting Singapore. Visitors: Dr Ritvij from Mauritius

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Ram Setu became a reality because everyone in the Vanara sena collaborated in building a bridge. As a nation, we too have to collaborate and work together for the welfare of our society. - Mahamahim Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind in one the Ramleelas in Delhi on Dushara.  -GoTop

JAI SHREE RAM

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How bharatiya-Americans Shouldered Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

Exceprts from reporting by Ramesh N Rao

Hurricane Harvey, the costliest natural disaster in US history, slammed the Greater Houston area on 25 August 2017 inundating homes, roads, and buildings, and affected one in four Houstonians, as rain poured in a deluge for almost a week. Thirty-three trillion gallons of water got dumped on the region! The damage was so severe that more than 200,000 homes were destroyed (50,000 in Houston alone), a million cars wrecked, and metro stations, schools, highways and other public facilities flooded.

Caught in the hurricane were 150,000 people of Bharatiya origin, with one in six marooned, evacuated or needing rescue. Among them were 247 students from Bharat studying at the University of Houston. Many of these students, motivated by the rescue efforts by Bharatiya-American teams, joined as volunteers, making their first American experience a truly life-affirming experience.

Sewa International coordinated efforts to bring together over 800 volunteers for the critical rescue effort, which has now transitioned into a relief effort. Sewa is active in 20 countries, and has been involved in disaster relief and development work in countries around the world including Colombia, Guyana, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, and Pakistan. Twenty-five national and local Bharatiya-American organisations have partnered with Sewa as it was the only Indian-American organisation first off the starting block and working on the ground at this scale. Sewa volunteers sprung into action even though some of their own homes had been flooded and they and their families had to move into friends’ homes and hotels.

Sewa International raised $250,000 in the first 10 days. In many areas of the city, volunteers reached distressed people much earlier than a big organisation like the Red Cross did. Volunteers worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the US Coast Guard and other agencies in rescue and relief. With a 24/7 telephone hotline, and a band of dedicated volunteers monitoring social media, Sewa International pitched in with more than its expected weight.

Volunteers served hot meals; provided food, water, supplies and medical support; arranged temporary housing; and began helping in cleaning up homes of the underserved and economically-challenged minorities - Hispanics, African Americans, Cambodian Americans, senior citizens, and single mothers. Sewa International received support from 17 local Bharatiya organisations which collaborated with, supported and guided the important work of rescue and relief.

Speaking to Kavita Tewary, project coordinator, Houston Chapter, who herself had to be evacuated with her family, and who spent a week in a friend's home, it became clear about how much emotional and physical energy have gone into these rescue and relief efforts. Many of Sewa Houston's volunteers were evacuated from their own homes but continued to work even though their families were in hotels, or staying with relatives or friends. Motivated by the work of Sewa, garba events in this season of Navratri around the US have turned into self-inspired fundraisers. Each of these teams is going around Houston to help homeowners clean up.

Sewa International has started counselling services and opened medical clinics to help families cope with the disaster. To ensure that the families are not forgotten in this time of stress and worry, the volunteers organised activities to keep children engaged as the parents struggled to put their homes and lives back in order.

In times of crises, people can do amazing work. Shailaja Dixit, living in California, shared her experience on Facebook: "I am sharing this because I am grateful this happened. And I am grateful to the people who made this happen.

Ramesh Rao, professor, Department of Communication, Columbus State University, is a member of the Sewa media team.   -GoTop

- Swarajyamag.com, Sep 22, 2017.


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