\ SAMVAD
Phalgun Shukla 9, Vik. Samvat 2079, Yugabda 5124: 1 March, 2023: SM4023 (For Private Circulation Only)
1. FESTIVALS: VARSHA
PRATIPADA: Varsha Pratipada or Yugaadi - Pratipada of Shukla Paksha of
Chaitra month (22 March this year) - marks the first day of the year (Yugabada
5125) according to the National Calendar of Bharat. In some parts of Bharat it
heralds they new years of Shalivahana Shaka and in some others, the Vikrama
Samvat – corresponding to the era beginning 78 CE and 57 BCE respectively.
Varsha Pratipada is significant both for its historical import and for the
advent of bountiful nature. The day falls in the beginning of spring – Vasanta
Ritu – and fills the human spirit with optimism and hope about one’s future and
injects into them the courage and confidence in facing the trials and
tribulations of life – both individual and national.
The founder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar,
was also born on the day of Yugaadi in 1889.
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2. VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT IS AN ACTIVITY OF SOCIETY : DR. MOHAN
BHAGWAT: In the closing session of Akhil Bharatiya Prabhat Gram Vikas Milan
at Bhemai village in Rajasthan on February 26, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said that village development is an activity
of the society and society based development has been the nature of our country.
3. SEVA HAS TO BE OFFERED VOLUNTARILY: SURESH JOSHI:
Former Sarakaryavah of RSS Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi said that Seva, or service,
is something that cannot be planned and has to be done or offered
voluntarily. He was delivering the keynote address on the topic ‘Indian
Perspective of Seva’ during ‘Seva Tarang’ — a two-day state-level conference of
voluntary organisations organised by Sevavardhini at Mahatma Phule Sanskrutik
Bhawan in Wanowarie, Pune on February 11. Citing the Covid period, he said,
“This showed that if all work together, we can show the world what the country
can do.” A souvenir, comprising the work done by Sevavardhini in the last 25
years, was also released on the occasion.
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4. ARUNACHAL PRADESH IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BHARAT:
RASHTRAPATI MURMU: On January 21, Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu said that
Arunachal Pradesh is an important part of Bharat and a major stakeholder in
Bhart’s Act East Policy. She was addressing the special session of the Arunachal
Pradesh Assembly in Itanagar. She was happy to note that Arunachal Pradesh has
the potential to become an attractive investment destination and a hub of trade
and business.
Rashtrapati Murmu said that a vibrant system of self-governance and grassroots
democracy has existed on the land of Arunachal Pradesh for centuries. The people
of this state have actively participated in the modern democratic process as
well, which reflect their political consciousness and faith in democracy.
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5. SHIVAJI MAHARAJ'S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION HELD AT
AGRA FORT: On the occasion of the 393rd birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj
on February 19, a ceremony (Chhatrapati Shivaji Jayanti) was held at the 'Diwan-E-Aam'
of Agra Fort. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the celebrations. Shivaji Maharaj had made a
daring escape from the Agra fort where he was kept under house arrest by
Aurangzeb. The celebrations were held at Agra Fort for the first time and CM
Shinde termed the occasion as historic.
Born in 1630, Shivaji Maharaj established the Hindavi Swaraj in 1674 against all
odds.
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6. BHARAT WILL NOT ALLOW ITS BASIC BOTTOM LINES TO BE
CROSSED : DR S JAISHANKAR: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has
said that Bharat is a patient country and does not go around picking up quarrels
with others, but it will, at the same time, never allow its “basic bottom lines”
to be crossed. He added that we have today the image of the country which is
willing to do what it takes to defend its national security. He was addressing
the ‘Festival of Thinkers’ organised by the Symbiosis International University
at Pune on February 23. Referring to the Ukraine conflict, Dr Jaishankar said
that the pressures that came with the conflict were also the moment when our
sense of independence and confidence was tested. He touched upon data security
and data privacy as the biggest challenges of the digital world, and said that
issues connected to them are expected to be addressed during the G20 meeting.
He also said that Bharat is also becoming “the voice of the global south” and
that today the international community marvels at how Bharat “managed society,
how the country fed people during Covid19 and how money was put in people’s bank
account”.
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7. AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HINDU COMMUNITIES COME TOGETHER TO
COMMEMORATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH: On February 18, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS
Dallas (McKinney city), and SEWA International, hosted a discussion with four
senior African American leaders to commemorate Black History Month. The event
aimed to inspire attendees to learn from Black history and create social change
through Art, History, and rich Hindu tradition blended with spiritual and
cultural blessings.
The session was well attended by a large number of participants across all age
groups and covered a variety of topics. Speaker Eric Willis explained how Jazz
music is a great example of two diverse communities coming together to create
something new and exciting. The audience was impressed to see how this message
was blended with the live music played by Eric. The guest speakers were pleased
to interact with attendees and appreciated the Hindu concept of ‘Vasudhaiva
Kutumbhakam - the world is one family’.
The event culminated with a visit to the Karya Siddhi Hanuman Mandir. David A.
Gethers, founder of ‘Defy The Odds’ said that it was an unforgettable experience
for him. Karl Berry, the delegation leader and senior executive director of CCRC
said that they found a wonderful new family at the event.
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8. HEALTH FOR HUMANITY YOGATHON CONCLUDED IN USA: Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA concluded the 16th annual Health for Humanity Yogathon,
also known as Surya Namaskar Yajna (SNY). SNY is a true confluence of cultures
in bringing the ancient and universal wisdom from the Indic traditions to the
land that is known as the ‘melting pot’ of cultures.
9. HINDU SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH CELEBRATED MAKAR SANKRANTI IN
SYDNEY: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) New South Wales (NSW) Vibhaag
conducted a programme to celebrate the auspicious festival of Makar Sankranti.
The event was organized at Holroyd Gardens in the suburb of Merrylands and was
attended by hundreds of swayamsevaks across Sydney Mahanagar. The Swayamsevaks
were addressed by Shri Pranav Agarwal, Samparka-Pramukh NSW Vibhaag.
10. 20,000 TAKE PART IN SINGAPORE'S OLDEST HINDU MANDIR’S
CEREMONY: Undeterred by heavy rains, around 20,000 people joined Singapore's
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to mark the restoration and consecration of
the country's oldest Hindu Mandir, built nearly 200 years ago by early Bharatiya
migrants. The Sri Mariamman Mandir, a national monument, was unveiled to the
public on February 12 after a year-long restoration that involved 12 specialist
sculptors and seven metal and wood artisans from Bharat who worked on the
sanctums, domes and ceiling frescoes. The mandir's original colour scheme and
structure have been retained. The one-year restoration was led by Chief Sculptor
Dr K Dakshinamoorthy who is also the restoration advisor to the Hindu Religious
and Charitable Endowments of Tamil Nadu.
11. EARTHQUAKE RELIEF ACTIVITY BY SEWA INTERNATIONAL:
With the combined efforts of the partner organizations like Sewa Canada, Sewa
Europe, DSV Global Transport, and Sewa USA, Sewa International (SI) has begun
direct relief operations in Syria and Turkey following the recent earthquake
that has caused enormous devastation and destruction. More than 21,000 people
have been confirmed dead in the region. In cooperation with the Turkish Ministry
of Disaster and Emergencies, SI is distributing food to the survivors at the
Syrian border.
12. BHARATIYAS IN AUSTRALIA DEMAND STRICT ACTIONS AGAINST
VANDALISATION OF HINDU MANDIRS: In January 2023, several Hindu mandirs were
vandalised in different parts of Australia allegedly by Khalistan supporters.
These included the Shri Shiva Vishnu Mandir in Carrum Downs, ISKCON Mandir in
Melbourne and BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Mill Park. The Bharatiya community in
Australia condemned the vandalism of Hindu mandirs and demanded strict action
against the perpetrators.
13. BHARAT SAVED OVER 3.4 MILLION LIVES BY NATIONWIDE
VACCINATION: STANFORD UNIVERSITY: Bharat was able to save more than 3.4
million lives by undertaking a nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign at an
unprecedented scale, said a report by Stanford University. The Covid vaccination
campaign yielded a positive economic impact by preventing a loss of USD 18.3
billion, said the working paper by Stanford University and Institute for
Competitiveness titled ‘Healing the Economy: Estimating the Economic Impact on
India’s Vaccination and Related Issues’. 
Moreover, Bharat took around 175 days to reach the peak from its first 100 cases
while most countries reached their first peak in less than 50 days (Russia,
Canada, France, Italy, Germany, etc.), the report said.
The paper discusses the role of containment as a measure to prevent the spread
of the virus. It highlights that, as against the top-down approach, a bottom-up
approach was critical in containing the virus.
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14. HYDERABAD HAS MAXIMUM USFDA APPROVED PHARMA UNITS IN
WORLD: Hyderabad, which has emerged as a key global hub in life sciences, is
home to the largest number of US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved
companies in the world.
Telangana Industries, Commerce, and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama
Rao said on February 21 that with 214 units certified by the US drug
administrator, Hyderabad is far ahead of New Jersey, which stands second with
189 USFDA approved units. He said that the state government would make efforts
for setting up of USFDA office in the Hyderabad.
Currently, 9 billion doses of vaccines are made in Hyderabad annually and next
year, this is likely to go up to 14 billion. At present, Hyderabad accounts for
35 percent of the global vaccine production, and next year the city’s
contribution is expected to increase to 50 percent.
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15. BHARAT REMAINS THE WORLD’S 3RD LARGEST TECH STARTUP
ECOSYSTEM GLOBALLY: According to a National Association of Software and
Services Companies (Nasscom) report released in partnership with Zinnov on
February 15, Bharat added more than 1,300 active digital companies in the last
year, taking the country’s total to 25,000–27,000. After the USA and China,
Bharat remains the world’s third largest tech startup ecosystem globally. With
more than 23 added in CY2022, the nation added the second-highest number of
unicorns in the world.
According to the report, tech startups are expected to keep increasing
innovation and deep-tech adoption, particularly in sectors related to the SDGs
that require complex solutions.
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16. TEJAS PARTICIPATED IN UAE INTERNATIONAL AIR EXERCISE:
For the first time, Bharat’s indigenously-made light combat aircraft Tejas
participated in an international multilateral air exercise called Exercise
Desert Flag VIll, being organised in the UAE from February 27 to March 17. This
is a significant development as it reflects Bharat’s increasing efforts at
showcasing indigenously built fighter aircraft on the world stage.
The Bharatiya Vayu Sena said that the LCA Tejas and Sarang Helicopter Display
Team showcased “superior flying skills” at the Dubai Air Show.
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17. ISRO RECEIVES TEST CREW MODULE FOR HUMAN SPACE MISSION
GAGANYAAN: On February 24, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
received the first simulated crew module (SCM) structure assembly for the first
test flight of its human space mission - Gaganyaan.
In a tweet, ISRO said: "Today, ISRO received Simulated Crew Module (SCM)
Structure Assembly for the Gaganyaan project. This first indigenous SCM is
developed by VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre) and realized by Manjira Machine
Builders Pvt Ltd., Hyderabad."
The SCM will be used in test rocket missions to validate crew escape system and
other subsystems. "Actual Crew Module is a pressurised capsule that accommodates
the astronauts during the Gaganyaan mission," ISRO added. The space agency plans
to fly a test rocket later this year.
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18. IN A FIRST, BHARATIYA NAVY SUBMARINE DOCKS IN
INDONESIA: In a first, a Bharatiya submarine docked in Indonesia on February
22 in an attempt to strengthen bilateral relations as part of
diplomatic-military outreach to ASEAN countries.
The Bharatiya navy said that it had highly enriching engagements with Indonesian
Navy during the port call. It also said that it was a moment to strengthen
maritime partnership between Bharat and Indonesia towards a safer and secure
Indo-Pacific. The navy vessel remained in Indonesia from February 22 to 24.
The 3,000-tonne conventional diesel-electric submarine INS Sindhukesari has
become the first Bharatiya submarine to dock in Jakarta as part of its first
operational turnaround. -GoTop
19. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Vishwa Vibhag Samyojak
Saumitra Gokhale will be returning to Bharat for the ABPS after pravas of
Indonesia and Thailand. Visitors: Rajendra Kelkar - USA
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The more we come out and do good to others, the more
our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them. — Swami Vivekananda.
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JAI SHRI RAM
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REMEMBERING NANAJI DESHMUKH: THE SAINT WHO ACTUALIZED: ANTYODAYA THROUGH
GRAMODAYA
We are not for ourselves but for those who are
exploited and vulnerable.” Nanaji Deshmukh said and lived his entire life by
this motto. Today marks the 11th death anniversary of Nanaji who was an able
organiser, thinker, revolutionary and social architect (Samaj Shilpi). He made
successful efforts to implement the ideas of Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj, Deendayal’s
Antyoday and JP’s Sarvodaya through Gramodaya.
In 1951, the RSS loaned a team of committed swayamsewaks under the leadership of
Deendayal Upadhyay to Dr SP Mookerjee to work in the newly launched Bharatiya
Jan Sangh (BJS). Nanaji was one of the committed swayamsewaks, and he was given
the work of Uttar Pradesh where he devoted the next 25 years of his life, taking
BJS to new heights. He established sub-divisional, district and state unit of
BJS over the next five-six years. The credit for the expansion of BJS in Uttar
Pradesh should be given to the organisational skills of Nanaji Deshmukh along
with the remarkable oratory skills of Atal Behari Vajpayee and the able
navigation of Deendayal Upadhyay. Nanaji also developed cordial relations with
opposition leaders like Charan Singh and Ram Manohar Lohia. In fact, Nanaji had
even brought Ram Manohar Lohia to Jan Sangh which helped the latter to study the
organisation closely.
After the mysterious death of Deendayalji, Vajpayee was given the reins of the
party and Nanaji became part of his team along with LK Advani and others.
As corruption and chaos reigned under the Indira Gandhi regime in the 1970s,
students and youth took to the streets across the country. Jayprakash Narayan
(JP) was requested to provide direction and leadership to the movement. It was
due to the efforts of Nanaji that JP agreed to steer the agitation. Nanaji was
very close to JP. Nanaji in an event with JP had made his famous declaration
that politicians should give up politics at the age of 60 and work for the
society. Nanaji later implemented this on himself. Though he had won the 1977
Lok Sabha election from Balrampur and he could have become a minister in the
government, he chose to renounce politics.
In order to give shape to Deendayalji’s Antoydaya and philosophy of Integral
Humanism, Nanaji had set up Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) in 1968.
For this, he received the support of RSS second Sarsanghchalak Guru Golwalkar.
Nanaji turned to rural India to provide an alternative development model to the
villages and set up Jai Prabha Gram in Gonda where thousands of drought-stricken
villages were provided bamboo-pipe tube wells. Jai Prabha Gram was named after
JP and his wife Prabha Devi who was a long-time associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
Projects were also started in Beed and Nagpur areas of Maharashtra. In the
drought-hit Beed, Nanaji got check dams built in large numbers. In the 1980s, he
decided to work in the Chitrakoot region that stretched across parts of Uttar
Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh that suffered from acute poverty and backwardness. He
built his Ashram in Chitrakoot along the banks of Mandakini river and called it
Siyaram Kuteer. He began the task of Gramodaya with 500 villages spread in an
area of 50km around this point and urged young couples to work as social
architects (samaj Shilpi) for Gramodaya.
While Nanaji brought local villagers into his project he also managed to explain
his vision to industrial houses like Tata, Vadia, Mahindra, Goenka, Thapar and
many others. As a result, they provided support and many times even visited the
project sites at Nanaji’s request. Late President APJ Abdul Kalam often
mentioned PURA (Providing Urban Utilities to Rural Areas) as a tool to check
problems of migration and development. Dr. Kalam said that the idea of PURA came
to his mind after visiting Nanaji’s Chitrakoot project in which villages were
organised into clusters where efforts were made to provide all civic amenities.
Under Nanaji’s guidance a Gramodaya song was composed with the lines –‘Har haath
ko denge kaam, har khet ko paani, fir se dharti sajegi, jaise dulhan rani (Every
hand will get work, every field will get water, the earth will bloom again, like
a royal bride)’. Nanaji was convinced that the upliftment of the village would
make villagers independent and with a change in the condition of the village and
villagers, the administration and politics will also change. Hence he inspired
people to become self-reliant and emphasised minimum dependence on government.
He believed that no economic growth is possible without becoming independent.
He talked about making villages fully independent units where the emphasis would
be on agriculture, water resources, health, education, employment as well as
character building. He felt that this was possible only when local traditional
knowledge and technology is used along with the efforts of the villagers to
create a system.
To make agriculture profitable, Nanaji first built check dams for water
conservation. He established Kirishi Vigyan Kendra, where research could be done
to make loss-making cultivations profitable. On the one hand he started the
project ‘Nanhi Duniya’ for the education of children, and on the other, he set
up Mahatma Gandhi Gramodaya Vishvavidyalaya for higher education. This was the
first university that had been set up with rural development as its focus. To
provide health services to villagers, Aarogya Dham was set up where arrangements
were made for medical facilities of international standards and where Ayurveda,
Yoga and Naturopathy were used. As he laid great stress on self-reliance, he
also ensured the establishment of Udyamita Vidyapeeth (Entrepreneurship Training
Centre) where people could be trained in skills to create low-investment jobs
with high returns.
Taking a look at his work in the field of social ervice, the Government
nominated him to the Upper House. For his experiments in development and
selfreliance of villages, he was also conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 1999.
After the announcement of Nanaji’s name for the Bharat Ratna in 2020, PM Modi
had said,“Nanaji Deshmukh’s stellar contribution towards rural development
showed the way for empowering those living in our villages. He personifies
humility, compassion and service to the downtrodden. He is a
Bharat Ratna, in the truest sense.”
Not only did he understand the ideas of Gandhi, Deendayal and JP, he also made
them relevant to our times and manifested them on the ground. Hence a postal
stamp in 2017 to mark the birth centenary of Nanaji thus summarised the essence
of his ideas and vision – Gramodaya will be possible only with the feeling of
cooperation in our society. https://organiser.org/2023/02/27/134198/bharat/remembering-nanaji-deshmukh-the-saint-who-actualised-antyodaya-through-gramodaya-2/
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SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN shrivishwaniketan@gmail.com http://svn.epapers.in
