SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN

\ SAMVAD

Pausha Krishna 7, Vik. Samvat 2079, Yugabda 5124: 16 December, 2022: SM4018(For Private Circulation Only)

 1. FESTIVALS: GURU GOVIND SINGH JAYANTI: Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti (January 5, 2023) marks the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh Maharaj, the tenth Sikh guru. According to Drik Panchang, Guru Gobind Singh was born on Paush Shukla Saptami to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, and Mata Gujri. He was born in Patna, Bihar. A shrine named Takht Sri Patna Harimandar Sahib marks the site of the house where he was born.

He founded the Sikh warrior community Khalsa in 1699 and enshrined the Guru Granth Sahib as Sikhism's primary scripture and eternal Guru. Guru Gobind Singh lived the life of a saint and inspired millions of Sikhs with his writings. On October 7, 1708, he passed away as the last Sikh Guru. -GoTop

2. VARIOUS PROGRAMS OF SARASANGHACHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT: On December 11, RSS Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said that the nation is a priority for all people, irrespective of their differences. Addressing the concluding event of a karyakarta varg in Assam, he also said that swayamsevaks should work for the progress of the nation with full conviction in Bharat’s heritage.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Tritiya Varsh Sangh Shiksha Varg in Nagpur on December 8, Dr. Bhagwat said that it is not an ordinary thing that Bharat got the G20 presidency and Bharatiyas have now become confident that they can lead the world. He added that entire society needs to walk together as Bharat cannot become Vishwa Guru through one organisation or institution.
On November 27, Dr. Bhagwat attended a ceremony at Malkhachak in Chhapra to honour freedom fighters and released the book ‘Scattered episodes of the freedom movement’ written by senior journalist Ravindra Kumar. On December 12, he also inaugurated the exhibition ‘Gallery of Braves’ - including heroes of 1962 Sino-Bharat war - at Donyi Polo Vidya Niketan, Talom Rukbo Nagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

On November 29, Dr. Bhagwat was the chief guest at the inauguration of ‘Aradhana Mahotsav' organized at the ashram of Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati in Alopibagh, Uttar Pradesh. Speaking on the occasion, he said that spirituality purifies our individual, family and national-social life and all the great men who awakened the society made spirituality their basis. -GoTop

3. NATION WILL BECOME ‘VISHWAGURU’ IN 25 YEARS: RASHTRAPATI MURMU: While addressing the Navy Day celebrations at the Ramakrishna Beach in Vishakhapatnam, Rashtrapati Draupadi Murmu exuded confidence that the country would become ‘Vishwaguru’ by the time it celebrated the centenary of its independence in 2047. She reminded the need to rededicate ourselves to taking Bharat forward, transiting through Amrit Kaal, towards a great future.
On December 9, the second day of her two-day visit to Uttarakhand, Rashtrapati Murmu performed a ‘rudrabhishek’ at the Raj Pragyeshwar Mahadev Temple inside the Raj Bhavan and inaugurated the Nakshatra Vatika at the governor’s official residence.

-GoTop

4. VARIOUS PROGRAMS OF SARAKARYAVAH DATTATREYA HOSABALE: On December 12, RSS Sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale inaugurated employment generation centers in 16 government districts of Madhya Pradesh. The centers are being operated under the Swavlambi Bharat Abhiyan. Speaking on the occasion, he said that there is a need to create an ecosystem for employment and youth should be encouraged to seek self-employment. He added that the campaign to make Bharat self-reliant should become a campaign of the entire society.

On December 5, Shri Hosabale attended the inaugural ceremony of Rashtrotthana Hospital and Research centre along with Jagadguru Sri Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswami of Sri Suttur Math Mysuru, Founder of Infosys Foundation and Chairman of Murthy Foundation Sudha Murthy and Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Founder & Chairman of Narayana Health. In his address, Shri Hosabale emphasized that the health of society is not based only on physical health but also mental, spiritual, and cultural health. He said that creating a healthy society is our shared duty and the nation which has given the call of ‘Sarve Santu Niramaya’ to the world can be a model by providing affordable quality health care.
On December 1, Shri Hosabale inaugurated the special issue of Rashtra Dharma monthly magazine 'Rashtriya Vichar-Sadhana' at Ganna Sansthan in Dalibagh, Lucknow. Speaking on the occasion, he said that Bharat got political freedom on August 15, 1947, but not from intellectual slavery. The British divided Bharat for their selfishness and our history was misrepresented. Hindus of Bharat were declared communal in the illusion of secularism. He added that the work of rectifying this mistake is being done in the new education policy. -GoTop

5. PUT EFFORTS TO BRING OUT TRUTH OF HISTORY: ARUN KUMAR: On December 10, RSS Sah-Sarkaryavah Arun Kumar said that there is a need for positive and constructive approach and instead of blaming the historians who distorted history, it is time to put in dedicated efforts to bring out the truth. He was speaking at the launch of the book, ‘SWA: Struggle for National Selfhood’ by J Nandakumar, Prajna Pravah National Convenor. Renowned historian and author Dr Meenakshi Jain, Sanchi University of Buddhist Indic Studies VC Dr Neeraja Gupta and prominent persons from various walks of life attended the event at the Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi.

Shri Arun Kumar also said that the Islamic invaders destroyed Bharat’s social institutions, whereas the British ruined Bharat’s economy and tried to destroy its social fabric and values. The book talks about these two phases of the invasion and gives an elaborate idea of our struggle for Swatantrata and Swaraj. -GoTop

6. GOLKONDA SAHITYA UTSAV ‘SWADHEENTA KA AMRITAVARSH’: Hyderabad was liberated on September 17, 1948 and a year long celebration is being held to commemorate 75 years of liberation. As part of the celebrations, the media organization Samachar Bharati in collaboration with other organizations including Itihas Sankalan Samiti, Pragna Bharati, Sahitya Parishad and others organised the second edition of Golkonda Literary Festival on December 11 at Agarwal college campus, Patthargatti, Hyderabad. The day-long seminar organized with the spirit of ‘Swadharma, Swabhiman and Swarajya’ had several thought provoking debates and panel discussions and multiple book launches. Several scholars and authors were also felicitated during the event. -GoTop

7. PURPOSE BEHIND CHARITY CANNOT BE RELIGIOUS CONVERSION : SUPREME COURT: On December 5, the Supreme Court said that charity by religious groups is welcome but the intention of such acts cannot be religious conversion.

A division bench of Justice M.R. Shah and Justice C.T. Ravikumar refused to entertain interventions that sought the dismissal of the instant petition by Ashwini Upadhyay, who moved the court against fraudulent religious conversions. The bench asserted that the issue at hand was “very serious” and said that conversion by allurement, by offering food grains and medicines, was wrong. The bench further said that it is against the basic structure of our constitution and everyone who stays in Bharat will have to act as per the culture of Bharat.
Petitioner Upadhyay sought directions from the court to the Union and state governments to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits”. -GoTop

8. NO CASTE RESERVATION FOR PEOPLE WHO CONVERT : MADRAS HIGH COURT: The Madras High Court bench headed by Justice G.R. Swaminathan said that a person who has converted to another religion cannot claim the benefits of the community in which the person existed before the conversion. The court also dismissed a petition seeking the benefits of reservation which was filed by a youth who converted from Hinduism to Islam.

The petitioner had converted to Islam in 2008 along with his family. In 2018, he appeared for the Tamil Nadu Combined Civil Services Examination but failed to enter the merit list. The Public Service Commission, Tamil Nadu considered him under the general category. Following this, the man approached the High Court. However, the court pointed out that the Tamil Nadu government’s letter clarified that the candidate who converted to Islam will be considered as ‘Other category’. -GoTop

9. TWO-DAY ASHTALAKSHMI SANT VICHAR SAMMELAN HELD IN TRIPURA BEGINS IN TRIPURA: The two-day Ashtalakshmi Sant Vichar Sammelan began on December 9 in Tripura with an aim to awaken spiritual thoughts in the northeastern states of the nation. Signifying the gathering as ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, Tripura chief minister Dr Manik Saha inaugurated the Sammelan in presence of Deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Varma, Chairman Haribhakta Parayan Justice Dr Madan Maharaj Gosavi and other important dignitaries. The meeting was presided over by Swami Chittaranjan Maharaj of Tripura’s Shantikali Ashram in Amarpur.

Speaking during the inaugural ceremony at the Rabindra Satavarshiki Bhavan, Dr Manik Saha said that Bharat was a land of sages and saints who have played important roles in establishing world peace since time immemorial. He added that the conference will strengthen ties between all the eight northeastern states and help in overall development.
Deputy chief minister Jishnu Dev Varma said that Bharat is not just a geo-political entity and therefore, to know the nation, we have to know spirituality. He added that the conference will enlighten everyone about the literature and knowledge of the saints in the North-east. -GoTop

10. CENTRAL PACIFIC SAMBHAG PRATHAMIK VARG CONDUCTED: Central Pacific Sambhag of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA - covering Sacramento, San Joaquin and Contra Costa counties - conducted the Prathamik Sangh Shiksha Varg from Novenber 23 to 27 at the HSS Property in Tracy, California. 21 shiksharthis including 4 kishoris, 7 kishors, 2 sevikas and 8 swayamsevaks participated in the varg. The varg was supported by 4 full time shikshaks and the bauddhik and vyvastha teams.

The inauguration ceremony started with Ganapathi vandan, shankhnaad and lighting of the lamp. One highlight of the varg was making of a ‘Rath’ by shiksharthis using simple waste materials. The samarop was attended by around 40 people and National Yuva Praumukh Jaymin Kathiriya delivered the samarop bauddhik. The SSV provided a good experience and training to participating shiksharthis. -GoTop

11. SEWA INTERNATIONAL TRINIDAD FLOOD RELIEF: In the morning of November 26, Trinidad experienced rainfall which was concentrated in the northern and central parts of the island. In the afternoon, Caroni River began to burst its banks in some areas causing flooding in many parts of Trinidad. More than 30 flood incidents and 51 landslides were reported across 12 administrative districts. Approximately 100,000 people were adversely affected.

From November 27 to 29, Sewa Inernational Trinidad and Tobago, along with several partner organisations conducted several rescues and served the flood victims by providing more than 6000 meals at different places. -GoTop

12. SEWA INDONESIA: EARTHQUAKE RELIEF: On November 21, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 struck Cianjur district, West Java Province, Indonesia. The earthquake which was felt strongly for about 3-10 seconds affected many districts. A 30-day state of emergency has been declared by the government and evacuation centers have been set up. According to an ongoing survey, more than 73,000 people have been displaced and more than 40,000 people live in the evacuation centres.

Sewa Indonesia has helped the earthquake victims by supplying / distributing essentials like rice, sugar, cooking oil, dresses, cooking items and non perishable food items to the regional Disaster Management Department. -GoTop

13. SEWADIWALI 2022 CONCLUDED: Sewa Diwali, a large food drive organized by Dharmic communities across the USA, donated over 630,000 pounds of food this year, benefiting more than 200 organizations from 32 states, including food pantries, homeless shelters, worship houses, and schools. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) volunteers enthusiastically coordinated these efforts regionally and nationally.

This year’s Sewa Diwali saw active and spirited participation from Sikh Gurudwaras, Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mandirs, Yogic organizations, Interfaith organizations, Bharatiya American cultural and linguistic associations, and thousands of families and individuals all over the country. Several dharmic organizations such as BAPS, Chinmaya Mission, Arya Samaj, and Sewa International collected food among their supporters.
Sewa Diwali extended to more than 200 cities and towns in 2022, its fifth consecutive year. Since its inception in 2018, the Sewa Diwali project has donated close to 1.5 Million pounds of food nationwide. -GoTop

14. NAGA ICON RANI GAIDINLIU’S BUST UNVEILED IN GORAKHPUR: A 3.5 ft bust of Naga freedom fighter and champion of indigenous faith Padma Bhushan Rani Gaidinliu was installed in a public park in Rail Vihar Colony of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. The bust was unveiled by Gorakhpur Mayor Sitaram Jaiswal on December 6 in a function attended by several socio-cultural organizations of Gorakhpur.

Speaking on the occasion Mayor Sitaram Jaiswal said that Rani Gaidinliu relentlessly fought against the British for the freedom of our country and opposed the conversion crusade of Christian missionaries. He also said that the story of the freedom struggle of Rani Gaidinliu is a golden chapter of Bharat's history and she is a source of inspiration for all of us. The function was marked by the Zeliangrong Heraka devotional song followed by the Heraka dance presented by Naga students of Shri Ram Vanvasi Chhatrawas, Gorakhpur. -GoTop

15. SHABARIMALA MANDIR SEES RECORD FOOTFALL: The Shabarimala mandir in Kerala received record bookings for darshan as over 1 lakh devotees thronged the mandir on December 12. Elaborate arrangements were made keeping the tremendous footfall in mind. Devotees were escorted from Pampa to Sannidhanam in a controlled and segmented manner and devotees waiting in the queue were provided light food and drinking water. The officials added that the darshan timing was also extended by one hour.

According to Kerala Devaswom Department Minister K. Radhakrishnan, more than 2.5 lakh pilgrims had visited Swami Ayappa Mandir at Shabarimala in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district in the first six days of the ongoing pilgrimage season. -GoTop

16. BHARATIYA STARTUP KHEYTI WINS EARTHSHOT PRIZE: Bharatiya startup Kheyti was among the five winners of The Earthshot Prize for their ground-breaking solutions to the greatest environmental challenges facing the planet. Prince William and The Earthshot Prize announced the winners on December 2 in Boston. Each winner was awarded a 1 million pound prize at the second-annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony.
Kheyti has developed a simple Greenhouse-in-a-Box solution designed for small-hold farmers and the crops they grow, offering shelter from unpredictable elements and destructive pests. So far, 1,000 farms have a Kheyti greenhouse. Kheyti hopes they can reach 50,000 farmers by 2027. -GoTop

17. PRAMUKH SWAMI MAHARAJ’S LEGACY CELEBRATED AT UN: On December 7, the Permanent Mission of Bharat to the United Nations and the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha came together to honor the life and message of Pramukh Swami Maharaj and celebrate his centennial birthday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Ruchira Kamboj, Bharat’s UN Ambassador, representatives of several countries and BAPS volunteers attended the event themed ‘The World is One Family’.
Dr. Kashyap Patel, a BAPS volunteer and cardiologist at the Northside Hospital Cardiovascular Institute in Atlanta introduced Pramukh Swami Maharaj, his life work surrounding humanitarian efforts for social and spiritual upliftment, and his foundational belief that the world is one family.
The program concluded with a recital of the Shanti Paath, a prayer for universal peace. -GoTop

18. AROUND THIRTY FIVE COUNTRIES SHOW INTEREST IN RUPEE TRADE MECHANISM: Intending to internationalise the Bharatiya Rupee and ease the flow of payments from certain sanction-hit or crisis-rid countries, Bharatiya Finance Ministry has asked Indian Banks Association to spearhead the awareness campaign of the rupee trade mechanism. This campaign will set the stage for other nations’ more significant and easier adoption of the rupee trade scheme. The Reserve Bank of India will guide the Indian Bank Association in this exercise.

In July 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notified the new rupee trade mechanism to reduce the depreciation of domestic currency against the dollar. More than thirty-five countries from Asia, Scandinavia and Africa have expressed interest in this scheme. All these countries are facing a shortage of dollar reserves. -GoTop

19. BHARAT SET TO BECOME THE FIRST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO RECEIVE $100 BILLION IN REMITTANCES: Bharat, Asia's third-largest economy, is set to become the first country in the world to receive $100 billion in remittances this year from migrant workers abroad. USA has surpassed the UAE as the top source country, according to a study by the World Bank.
Notably, Bharat had received $89.4 billion in remittances in 2021, according to the World Bank report, which then made Bharat the top recipient globally.
One of the reasons for the high remittance is a gradual structural shift in Bharatiya migrants’ key destinations from largely low-skilled, informal employment in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to a dominant share of high-skilled jobs in high-income countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and East Asia.
Around 20 percent of Bharat’s emigrants are in the United States and the United Kingdom. -GoTop

20. BHARATIYAS AMONG TOP FIVE NATIONALITIES WHO BECAME US CITIZENS: Nearly one million immigrants obtained US citizenship during the fiscal year 2022 — the highest number of naturalized citizens in almost 15 years, according to a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report.
The top five countries of birth of immigrants who became naturalized US citizens were Mexico, Bharat, the Philippines, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic, according to the USCIS data. Immigrants with US citizenship are allowed to vote in federal elections, be eligible for candidacy in US elections, have greater access to government assistance programs, like Medicare, sponsor relatives seeking permanent residency, and ensure automatic US citizenship for children. -GoTop

21. BHARATIYA AVIATION SAFETY ACHIEVED 48TH RANK: On December 3, the Director General of Civil Aviation Arun Kumar said that Bharat has been ranked among the top 50 countries of the world in terms of comprehensive safety audits conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). He added that it is a great achievement in terms of ranking as they have jumped from the 102nd rank four years ago to the 48th spot this year and the challenge lies in retaining the newfound status.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had audited the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in November to check its effective implementation (El) of critical safety elements. -GoTop

22. MAJOR MILESTONE ACHIEVED IN SRINAGAR RAIL LINK: The USBRL (Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link) is a National project undertaken by the Bharatiya Railways for construction of broad-gauge railway line through the Himalayas, with the aim of connecting the Kashmir region with rest of the country. On December 15, a major milestone has been achieved by executing the breakthrough of Escape Tunnel T-49 between Sumber and Khari Stations on the Katra –Banihal section of the USBRL project. The breakthrough of the 12.89 km long escape tunnel of T-49 was achieved without any flaw despite many geological challenges.  -GoTop

23. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Vishwa Vibhag Samyojak Saumitra Gokhale and Sah Samyojak Anil Vartak will be travelling to Bharat.
Sah Sarkaryavah Krishnagopalji will be travelling to Kenya Visitors: Nirmal Laungani - Hong Kong -GoTop

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Be a warrior with a noble cause who stands against injustice, promises to uphold dharma, is inwardly spiritual, is a fearless soul and is compassionate within oneself. — Guru Govind Singh -GoTop

JAI SHRI RAM
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RELIGIONS-20: A PIONEERING INITIATIVE IN G-20 TO BUILD A GOD-CENTRIC VALUE SYSTEM
Ram Madhav

Did God exist? This question bothered the West for centuries. One of the earliest arguments for the existence of God, which Immanuel Kant called “ontology”, was given by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Anselm, in 1078 AD. “Id quo maius cogitari nequit”, Anselm argued, meaning “there must be that (thing), the greater than which cannot be conceived”. Since God cannot be conceived to be non-existent, he is deemed existent, was Anselm’s ontological argument.
This idea of an “inconceivable” God had led to conflicts over His interpretation, with various Semitic religions drawing daggers at each other. Crusades followed, tempting Napoleon to famously quip that “religious wars are basically people killing each other over who has the better imaginary friend”.
It led to the rise of Deism which insisted on having God, but not religion, and atheism which rejected both God and religion. Receiving French mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace’s work, Napoleon asks, “They tell me you have written this large book on the system of the universe, and have never even mentioned its Creator”. Laplace defiantly replies, “Je n’avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse-la” (I had no need for that hypothesis).
But the deists and Enlightenment thinkers wanted a universal God. Spinoza, the 17th-century Dutch philosopher, equated God with nature, proclaiming “deus sive natura” (God or Nature). Voltaire, the French philosopher, despite being critical of the Catholic church, declared: “Si Dieu n’existait pas, il faudrait L’inventer” (If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him). “I shall always ask you if, when you have lent your money to someone in your society, you want neither your debtor, nor your attorney, nor your judge to believe in God,” he indignantly asked.
God was reason and ethics for the Enlightenment deists. But the medieval understanding of an inconceivable God, often jealous, continued. Managers of those medieval beliefs became merchants of death. God needed to be rescued. A new enlightenment became the need of the hour.
“The need for spiritual guidance has never been greater. It is imperative that we double our efforts to spread the message of good neighbourliness based on our common humanity, a message shared by all faith traditions,” the United Nations said recently.
Can this enlightenment come from the eastern religious beliefs that offer universalism of divinity, respect for diversity and spirit of dialogue and accommodation as an ontology? “God is not inconceivable; He is omnipresent; there is not One God; there is Only God” — they say.
Two important Muslim organisations, coming from two corners of Asia, want to take the lead in this effort by launching the R-20 (Religions-20) forum on the sidelines of the G-20 summit. Indonesia is the chair of the G20 in 2022 and the leaders’ summit will take place in November in Bali. The Indonesian government has chosen “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” as the theme.
The keen interest taken by Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia, has led to the inclusion of R-20 in the agenda as the G-20 Forum of Religions this year. Global issues like health, economy, climate and technology, besides issues like war, hatred and disharmony have, for a long time, been considered the concern of the political leadership. That religious and cultural leaders too can play a complementary role has not been fully appreciated. Politicians, technocrats and professionals are the new popes and power; economy and technology have become demigods.
It is in this context that the Indonesian government’s initiative to bring religious and cultural leaderships into active discourse acquires significance. The two organisations taking the lead in this endeavour are — the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) of Indonesia and the Muslim World League (MWL) of Saudi Arabia.
The God/religion dichotomy is not fully resolved in the Western world with religions still competing with each other leading to theories like the clash of civilisations. The leadership of the Enlightenment era (17-18th century) had largely addressed this issue within the domain of Christianity. A similar enlightenment is dawning on the world’s second-largest religion, Islam. Countries such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, and organisations like the NU and MWL, are at the forefront of this development.
The NU, the largest Muslim organisation in Indonesia with over 90 million members, has been spearheading what it describes as Eastern Humanitarian Islam. Under the leadership of its dynamic chairman, Yahya Cholil Staquf, it has been working towards rejecting radicalism and exclusivism and bringing humanitarian values to the centre stage. The NU rejects concepts like kafir and insists on putting the love of country ahead of the love of religion.
The MWL, under the leadership of Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, is also actively seeking to promote a more humanitarian version of the Islamic worldview that rejects narrow and fundamentalist interpretations. The invisible hand of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman behind this progressive initiative cannot be missed. The MWL, despite the criticism it has endured in the last six decades, takes a strong stand against extremism today, emphasising that “Islam understands the existence of religions as a universal design that must be celebrated, since difference, diversity and multiplicity are characteristics of human nature”.
At an interfaith forum conducted earlier this year at Riyadh, Al-Issa called for building a universal consensus on “common principles of human values, values of moderation and harmony, tolerance and peace, and rational intellectual frameworks to immunise against the dangers of extremist ideology and behaviour”.
The R-20 will be historic if it succeeds in building a God-centric value system in place of the current religion-centric one. Religion-centrism is no longer limited to the West today. Hatred, exclusivism and cancel culture have entered the eastern religions also as a reaction, diminishing the beauty of their universalist doctrines.
The R-20 will move from Muslim-majority Indonesia this year to Hindu-majority India next year and Catholic-majority Brazil in 2024. This process can help the three world religions, together with Buddhism and other important religions, evolve a universal value system and also become equal partners with the political, economic and technological leadership of the world in defining the destiny of mankind in the 21st century.

SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN shrivishwaniketan@gmail.com http://svn.epapers.in

Labels: 16 December 2022

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\Samvad

Marghashirsha Shukla 9 Vik. Samvat 2079, Yugabda 5124 : 1 December, 2022:SM 4017 (For Private Circulation only)

1. FESTIVALS: BHAGWAN DATTATREYA JAYANTI: Bhagwan Dattatreya Jayanti is a festival commemorating the birth day of the Bhagwan Dattatreya (Datta), a combined form of the divine trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is celebrated throughout the country on the full moon day of Margashirsha ( December 7 this year).

2. ALL PEOPLE OF BHARAT ARE HINDUS : MOHAN BHAGWAT: On November 15, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat said that all people of Bharat who consider Bharat as his motherland is a Hindu irrespective of any religion.

 
3. BREAKING FOUR ECOSYSTEMS KEY TO BHARAT’S RISE: ARUN KUMAR: On November 17, RSS Sah Sarkaryavah Arun Kumar expressed concern over the way anti-Bharat forces have been working against the interest of the nation.  He said that while the ideas of the Sangh are accepted and adopted by the people, Maoists, cultural Marxists, Islamists and global capitalists have set up an ecosystem against Hindutva and Bharat to impose their views on the mainstream. He was addressing the inaugural session of a three day conference on ‘Education System in India’ organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas (SSUN).  Atul Kothari, National secretary of SSUN explained the idea behind the third edition of Gyanotsav, focusing on implementation of NEP-2022. Speaking at the event, Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar underlined the importance of education in the country’s development. -GoTop

4. PM MODI INAUGURATED 'KASHI TAMIL SANGAMAM': On November 19, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi inaugurated a month long 'Kashi Tamil Sangamam' in Varanasi to rediscover, reaffirm and celebrate the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi. More than 2500 delegates from Tamil Nadu will visit Kashi over a one month period. While inaugurating the Sangamam PM said that Kashi and Tamil Nadu were two cultures closely associated with Lord Shiva and the confluence of the two places was as sacred as the Sangam of Ganga and Yamuna. Uttar Pradesh  Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Anandiben Patel, Union ministers Dr L Murugan, Dharmendra Pradhan, MP Ilaiyaraaja were also present on the occasion during which Ilaiyaraaja enthralled the audience through his recitals. -GoTop

5. SANGH SHIKSHA VARG TRITIYA VARSH COMMENCED IN NAGPUR SANGH SHIKSHA VARG: Tritiya Varsh Sangh Shiksha Varg of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh commenced at the Maharshi Vyas Sabhagriha, Dr. Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan premises in Reshimbagh, Nagpur from November 14.

 
6. 400TH JANMAJAYANTI OF LACHIT BORPHUKAN CELEBERATED: On November 25, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi addressed the closing ceremony of the year-long celebrations of 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan. During the event in New Delhi, PM Modi also released the book - 'Lachit Borphukan - Assam's Hero who Halted the Mughals'.
Lachit Borphukan was the General of the Royal Army of the Ahom Kingdom of Assam who defeated the Mughals and successfully halted the ever-expanding ambitions of the Mughals under Aurangzeb.

7. SC: FORCED CONVERSION TO IMPERIL NATIONAL SECURITY: The Supreme Court on November 14 said that forced religious conversion may pose a danger to national security and impinge on the religious freedom of citizens. The apex court warned a “very difficult situation” will emerge if proselytisation through deception, allurement and intimidation is not stopped and asked the Centre to step in and make sincere efforts to tackle the “very serious” issue.
The apex court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking direction to the Centre and States to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits”. -GoTop

8. MAURITIUS SANGH SHIKSHA VARG: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Mauritius successfully conducted 7 days Sangh Shiksha Varga (SSV) from November 20 - 26 at DAV college in Morcellement Saint Andre village. 62 Swayamsevaks and 14 Sevikas from 14 places participated in this first post pandemic SSV. Bauddhik sessions were conducted on the vision and mission of HSS and essence of Prarthana.

9.  HINDU CIVILIZATION EXHIBITION, DARSHANA, CONTINUES TO BE WELL RECEIVED AT STATE CAPITOLS: The Hindu Community of Illinois held an exhibition, "Darshana – A Glimpse into Hindu Civilization," at the Illinois State Capitol Building in Springfield, Illinois, on November 15.

10. RAMAYANA VAIBHAVAM CONTEST CONDUCTED: On October 1, South West Vibhag of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA organised 16 different contests for baal and shishus based on 16 Kalyana Gunas of Shri Rama with the aim to learn and imbibe the qualities of Shri Rama. 110 children participated in these contests and six new families were introduced to HSS.

11. HSS DALLAS-FORTWORTH: SEWA DIWALI: On November 12, Plano Police Department helped the Sewa Diwali Dallas team with a mega food drop-off at the North Texas Food Bank.  More than forty communities in over sixty vehicles donated around 27892 pounds of food. HSS-SEWA volunteers of Dallas-Fortwoth worked together with multiple communities and Hindu American organizations to bring food to those in need.  Plano Police Department thanked HSS and Sewa International for coordinating and bringing all the communities and organizations together for this drive. -GoTop

12. OVER 40 MISSIONS HEADS VISITED CELLULAR JAIL: On November 25, more than 40 mission heads and international organisations visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the G20 curtain raiser. The delegates took a tour of the Cellular Jail where author and ideologue Veer Savarkar was lodged by the British. G20’s Bharat coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla and G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant accompanied the delegates during the tour.

13. AYURVEDA DAY CELEBRATED IN BALI: In October, International Ayurveda Day with the theme of ‘Every Day, Everywhere Ayurveda’ was organised in Bali by International Centre for Cultural Studies in association with Universitas Hindu Indonesia, Fakultas Kesehatan Ayurweda UNHI and other organizations.

The activities included making Herbal Oil On Campus, medicinal plant gardening and Baksos (community social service) at Banjar Tembau Tengah, Denpasar.  Mr. Prakash Cand, Consul general, Consulate of Bharat in Bali attended the concluding event on October 23 in which Dr. Ida Bagus Sutama, Faculty of Health, UNHI, spoke on how traditional Balinese Health services can be uplifted and promoted through Ayurveda Day. Many scholars including Naveen Meghwal, director of Swami Vivekananda Indian Cultural centre, Drs. Ida Bagus Suatama Dean, health faculty of Ayurveda, Universitas Hindu Indonesia, Denpasar, Bali and Dr. Abhishek Joshi, Chair of Ayurveda, UNHI addressed the congress.

This event was intended to introduce Ayurveda and Usadha Bali to Balinese community and raise public awareness about living in harmony with nature through traditional medicine. -GoTop

14. MAURITIUSIAN PRESIDENT, WIFE PAY OBEISANCE AT RAM LAL VIRAJMAN AT AYODHYA: On November 21, a seven member delegation from Mauritius led by President Prithvirajsing Roopun and his wife Sanyukta Roopun paid obeisance at Ram Lala Virajman and offered prayers at Ayodhya.

15. BHARATIYA CANADIAN APPOINTED VICE CHANCELLOR OF MCGILL UNIVERSITY: Bharatiya-origin academic H. Deep Saini has been appointed as Montreal-based McGill University’s 18th Principal and Vice-Chancellor, and will begin his five-year, renewable term from April next year. Saini, who grew up in Punjab, is currently President and Vice-Chancellor of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

16. BHARATIYAS STUDENTS INCREASED IN USA AND UK: The number of Bharatiya students in the United States increased by 19 per cent over last year to two lakh, according to an annual Open Doors report released by the Institution of International Education on November 14. The report, sponsored by the US Department of State, reveals the trend of international student exchange for the academic year 2021-22.
Surpassing Chinese nationals, Bharatiya students have now become the largest group of foreign students in the UK, according to the recently released latest Immigration Statistics Report. The data shows that there has been a 77 per cent increase since 2019 in study visas of Bharatiya students. The UK Home Office data collated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that Bharatiya continue to be the top nationality granted visas in the skilled worker category, with 56,042 granted work visas in the past year.  At 36 per cent of the total, they also represented the highest number of visas under the tailored Skilled Worker Health and Care visa. -GoTop

17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: D. N. Pathak - Tanzania, Abhinav Sharma - UK

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet. - Swami Vivekananda -GoTop

JAI SHRI RAM

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SANATANA DHARMA IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Ravi K umar Iyyer

Environmentalists and economists, physicists and philosophers, linguists and storytellers, astrologers and astronomers, musicians to mathematicians, all have benefitted from Hinduism.
Hinduism is the third largest and the oldest surviving religion in the world with over one billion (100 crores) people belonging to the faith. Hinduism is not a religion but it is a unique faith. It is a way of life. The teachings of this religion have always attracted people from all around the world as they find in it something relevant to their lives. 
Environmentalists and economists, physicists and philosophers, linguists and storytellers, astrologers and astronomers, musicians to mathematicians, all have benefitted from Hinduism.

Labels: Samvad: 1 December 2022

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