Vaishakha Krishna 11 Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125 : 1 6 April, 2023:SM 5002 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS:
AKSHAYA TRITIYA: Akshaya Tritiya (22 April this year) also known as Akha
Teej is celebrated on Shukla Paksha Tritiya of Vaishakh. Akshaya means never
diminishing, and it is believed that doing any Japa, Yajna, Pitra-Tarpan, Dan-Punya,
any buying of gold by people on this day never diminish and bring everlasting
prosperity in their lives. Parashurama Jayanti also falls on the same day. Ved
Vyasa began reciting Mahabharata to Ganesha on Akshaya Tritiya and river Ganga
descended to earth on this day. Also, Sudama visited Bhagwan Krishna in Dwarka
on this day and received unlimited wealth.
2. PROGRAMS OF SARSANGHACHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT:
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat on 31 March
said that ‘Akhand Bharat’ was undisputed truth and a divided Bharat was a
nightmare. Dr. Bhagwat said that the separated parts of Bharat would unite one
day. He was speaking at a function in Bhopal to mark the birth anniversary of
freedom fighter and revolutionary Hemu Kalani.
Dr. Mohan Bhagwat on 30 March said that the 'Sanatan' dharma has been proven
true to the test of time. "Today you are taking the resolve to enhance the
prestige of the saffron colour by donning it. The one that is 'Sanatan' doesn't
need any certificate. In English, they say, "time proven". It has proven to
stand true to the test of time," RSS Sarsanghchalak said while addressing an
event of 'Sanyas Diksha' in Uttarkhand's Haridwar. Swami Ramdev Baba who was
also present at the event said that after 75 years of independence, Patanjali is
fulfilling the dream of Maharishi Dayanand, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi
and all the revolutionaries of the Swadeshi education system.
3. BHARAT’S DEFENCE CAPABILITY EXPANDED IMMENSELY TO COVER
ALL FRONTIERS: RASHTRAPATI: On 8 April Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu took a
historic sortie in a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force in
the Tezpur AFS (Air Force Station) located in Sonitpur District of Assam. She
said that it is a matter of pride that Indian Defence Capabilities have expanded
immensely to cover all frontiers of land, sea and air.
4. RASHTRIYA SEWA SANGAM CONCLUDES WITH RESOLUTION OF
SELF-RELIANT BHARAT: The 3-day third edition of the Rashtriya Sewa Sangam,
hosted by Rashtriya Sewa Bharti (RSB), concluded at Jaipur on 9 April with the
resolution of ensuring a "self-reliant society and self-reliant India". As many
as 2,756 representatives, out of whom 515 were women, from 45 provinces
including Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Ladakh, took the pledge of
self-reliant and prosperous Bharat. More than 50 case studies were presented for
the progress of the girl child.
RSS Sarsaghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat, Piramal Group Ajay Piramal, Sant Balayogi
Umesh Nath Maharaj, industrialists Narsiram Kulariya and Ashok Bagla, RSS
sarakaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami
Maheshwaranand, Vishwa Jagruti Mission founder Acharya Sudhanshu Maharaj and
other promiment people graced the occasion.
5. ‘COLOURS OF INDIA’ ORGANISED BY VANBANDHU PARISHAD:
The ‘Colours of India’ event was conducted by Vanbandhu Parishad and Sri Hari
Satsang Samiti, Dhanbad Chapter, with the aim of promoting health awareness and
sports among children living in rural areas. One of the highlights of the event
was the “Ekal Ke Sang” race, covering a distance of 8.4 kilometers, which
witnessed enthusiastic participation of more than 400 children, youth, and
elders.
6. BMS CONVENTION CONCLUDES WITH RESOLUTIONS ON SOCIAL
SECURITY AND LABOUR POLICY: “Since its inception Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has
been raising its voices for the protection of labours’ interest. Being the
largest labour union, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has also been awakening
people to the Sanatan culture point of view,” said V Bhagaiyya, former Sah
Sarkaryavah and member of Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini, Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS), on April 7. The observations were made during the inauguration of
20th Akhil Bharatiya Triennial Convention of BMS (April 7-9) organised at Keshav
Sarswati Vidya Mandir, Patna, Bihar.
A special session for women was organised on the second day (April 8) of the convention. Two resolutions on ‘Social security for all’ and ‘Contract Labour’ were also passed. -GoTop
7. GEORGIA PASSES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HINDUPHOBIA: The
Georgia Assembly in the United States has passed a resolution condemning
Hinduphobia, making it the first State to take such a legislative measure. The
resolution said Hinduism is one of the world's largest and oldest religions with
over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries, and encompasses an array of
diverse traditions and belief systems with values of acceptance, mutual respect,
and peace. The resolution was introduced by Representatives Lauren McDonald and
Todd Jones from Forsyth County in the suburbs of Atlanta, home to one of the
largest Hindu diaspora communities in Georgia.
A move in this regard was spearheaded by the Atlanta chapter of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which organised the first-ever Hindu Advocacy Day held on March 22 at the Georgia State Capitol. It was attended by around 25 lawmakers -- both Republicans and Democrats -- who joined the Hindu community to understand its concerns, pledge to create ways to protect the community against discrimination. -GoTop
8. FAMINE FOOD RELIEF IN KENYA: In the March month - 900
families were given 15 Kilograms of basic food rations each, by Sewa Canada
International via Sewa Kenya and Hindu Religious & Service Centre (HRSC), at
Syumile Health Centre outside Makindu Town, Makueni County, 190 Kms from
Nairobi. The Sewadars of the Makindu Sikh Temple (Gurudwara Sahib) also
participated in this selfless service or Seva.
9. CASTE DISCRIMINATION CASE AGAINST BHARATIYA-ORIGIN CISCO
ENGINEERS DISMISSED: On April 10, 2023 the California Civil Rights
Department voluntarily dismissed its case in Superior Court against Cisco
Systems engineers Sundar Iyer and Ramana Kompella, who faced allegations of
caste based discrimination. A mediation conference between Cisco and the CRD is
still set for May 2. Filed nearly three years ago, CRD’s legal action made
global headlines, with false claims about the Hindu religion and xenophobic
depictions of people of Indian origin, eliciting widespread outrage in the
Indian and Hindu American communities.
The dismissal comes just a few months after the Hindu American Foundation filed
a Section 1983 claim in US District Court asserting that CRD’s case against
Cisco and the engineers infringed on the civil rights of Hindus living in
California by unconstitutionally and falsely asserting that Hinduism mandates
caste discrimination. However, the case against Cisco seems to be still kept
open.
-GoTop
10. HSS UK - KHEL PRATIYOGITA 2023: This year, Khel
Pratiyogita was held in Leicester for both Sevikas and Swayamsevaks on the last
weekend of March. On 25 March sevika khel pratiyogita was held with a record
breaking sankhya of 456 sevikas, 28 nagars and 127 fixtures. It included Kho-Kho,
Ring, Kabbadi etc. The atmosphere was electric and saw many new nagars coming
for the first time, as well as many familiar faces who attend yearly. This
year’s event was witnessed by many guests including owner of Birmingham Bulls
Kabaddi Team and a senior England Cricket Board representative and community
leaders from BAPS, Shree Sanatan Mandir, Leicester Police, Brahma Kumaris, as
well as the leaders from local language associations.
11. MIDWEST SAMBHAG GHOSH VARG: MidWest Sambhag of HSS
USA conducted its first ever 24-hour residential ghosh varg at Chicagoland
during the 1 April weekend. 40 shiksharthis (15 Bala-Kishor, 13 Kishor, 12 Tarun)
and 10 shikshaks (5 yuva, 4 kishor, 1 tarun) from Chicago, Downstate Illinois,
and Wisconsin vibhag attended the varg.
12. VARSH PRATIPADA CELEBRATIONS BY HSS: HSS
Munich had Varsha Pratipada celebration on 1 April. Apart from Varsha
Pratipada, participants also celebrated the Birth Anniversary of Aadya
Sarasanghchalak Poojaniya Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, "Doctor ji" And Bhagwan
Shri Ram "Shri Ramanavami'. One of the main attractions of this Utsav was the
performance by Balagokulam kids. They recited Shlokas, sangh geet and performed
skit on the importance of Varsha Pratipada, speeches on life messages from
Doctor ji and Bhagawan Shri Ram.
13. BIHU PERFORMANCE ENTERS GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS:
Bihu dance entered the Guinness Book of world records in Guwahati on April 14.
More than 11,000 Bihu Nachoni (Bihu dancer girls) and Dhulia (Drum players)
performed a mesmerising show together in Sarusajai stadium in Guwahati, creating
a record for the largest Bihu group dance.
14. BHARATIYA VANAVASI KALYAN ASHRAM KKM: “Criteria and
Procedure laid down by law should be strictly followed in the inclusion of New
castes in the List of Scheduled Tribes (STs),” said Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi
Kalyan Ashram (ABVKA) in its resolution passed in the Kendriya Karyakari Mandal
(KKM) meeting held at Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on February 23, 2023.
15. ODISHA TRIBALS RAISE VOICE AGAINST RELIGIOUS
CONVERSION, DEMAND AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 342: Members from different tribal
communities across Odisha on 25 March gathered in the capital city Bhubaneshwar
seeking delisting of tribals who have undergone religious conversion from the
Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Draped in traditional attire, thousands of tribals from 26 districts conducted
foot-march in different parts of the city. Under the banner of Janajati
Surakshya Manch, the members of 62 communities then staged a huge rally at
Janata Maidan seeking appropriate amendments to Article 342 of the Constitution
to prevent tribals from converting to other religions and at the same time
enjoying the rights given to STs.
Gitanjali Hembram, a woman leader, said tribals are often targeted by the proselytisers for conversion. “In a recent case, they didn’t even spare a person with brain tumor, misleading him to convert to their religion to get cured. The person is now admitted in a hospital in Cuttack for treatment,” she said.
Members of the Janajati Suraksha Manch said tribals usually practice Sanatan dharma and every tribe has its own culture, tradition and presiding deity. -GoTop
16. BHARATIYA-AMERICAN MATHEMATICIAN CR RAO AWARDED
INTERNATIONAL PRIZE IN STATISTICS AT 102: Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, a
prominent Indian-American mathematician and statistician was awarded the 2023
International Prize in Statistics, the equivalent to the Nobel Prize in the
field, for his monumental work 75 years ago that revolutionised statistical
thinking. Rao's work continues to exert a profound influence on science, the
International Prize in Statistics Foundation said in a statement.
Rao, who is now 102, will receive the prize, which comes with $80,000 award,
this July at the biennial International Statistical Institute World Statistics
Congress in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
17. ISRO SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTS AUTONOMOUS LANDING OF
BHARAT’S FIRST REUSABLE ROCKET: The realisation of an Indian Reusable Launch
Vehicle is a step closer to becoming a reality as the Reusable Launch Vehicle
Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) has been successfully accomplished by the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 2 April. At the Aeronautical Test
Range in Chitradurga, Karnataka, the trial involved a winged body lifted to an
altitude of 4.5 km by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter, subsequently freed
to execute an independent landing on a runway.
The Indian Air Force, Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), and Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) collaborated with ISRO to conduct the test. -GoTop
18. BHARAT'S DEFENCE EXPORTS REACH ALL-TIME HIGH: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 1 April shared that Bharat’s defence exports have reached an all-time high of Rs. 15, 920 Crore in the Financial Year 2022-2023. Notably, this year the Ministry of Defence was allocated approximately 5.94 lakh crore in Budget 2023–24, a jump of 13% over the previous year. In March 2023, MoS for Defence Ajay Bhatt informed the parliament that “Expenditure on defence procurement from foreign sources has reduced from 46 percent of the overall expenditure in 2018-19 to 36.7 percent till December last year.” -GoTop
19. J&K'S TULIP GARDEN, ASIA'S LARGEST, WITNESSES 100,000
VISITORS IN FIRST WEEK OF OPENING: Over one lakh tourists have so far
visited Asia's largest Tulip Garden in Jammu and Kashmir in the first seven days
of its opening.
According to the Floriculture department, around 1,15,000 tourists have visited the garden since it opened on March 19, with over 35,000 people visiting it on the third day of its opening. It is situated on the banks of the world-famous Dal Lake and this year it has over 16 lakh tulip bulbs of as many as 68 varieties. The Tulip Garden has played a major role in attracting tourists to Kashmir Valley during the Spring season. -GoTop
20. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Suresh Giri - Thailand. -GoTop
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Three things cannot be long hidden: the Sun, the Moon, and the Truth. – Mahatma Buddha. -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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NATIONALIST NARRATIVE AND SILENT TRANSFORMATION
Dibya Kamal Bordoloi
It has been over 75 years since the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been working tirelessly in the North East for
national integration.
Sangh Pracharaks Dadarao Parmarth, Vasantrao Oak and Krishna Paranjpe arrived in
Assam on October 27, 1946, and went on to establish RSS shakhas in Guwahati,
Shillong (the then capital of Assam) and Dibrugarh. Since then, lakhs of
selfless RSS Pracharaks and Karyakartas have worked indefatigably in the
Northeastern region, overcoming enormous challenges.
Today, 75 years after its quiet beginnings in the North East, the RSS can claim
that it has successfully set the nationalist narrative in the region, which has
a large Muslim and Christian population.
As per the 2011 census, Assam has a whopping 34 per cent Muslim population,
while in five other North East states more than half of its population are
Christians – Nagaland (87.93 per cent), Mizoram (87.16 per cent), Meghalaya
(74.59 per cent), Manipur (41.29 per cent) and Arunachal Pradesh (30.26 per
cent).
RSS in Tripura
The tiny Princely State of Tripura has a Hindu population of over 83 per cent.
The state has a large tribal population and the RSS started its foray in Tripura
by serving this community. In Tripura, the RSS started its activities in 1952
but found it hard to find its ground. The Sangh initially began its activities
in Tripura through “Udbastu Sahayata Samiti” and later started shakhas in 1956.
But the expansion of shakhas was not so easy.
The Sangh also started welfare works for the tribals through ‘Vanvasi Kalyan
Ashram’, which started its functions in the state in 1979. Currently, the
Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram runs 8 hostels and 6 ‘Khelkud Kendra’ for the tribal
people of the State. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were constant threats to the
Sangh Karyakartas from extremist organisations like the Tripura National
Volunteers and the National Liberation Front of Tripura. This came to a head in
1998 when four RSS workers were kidnapped and killed by NLFT. Even though
Tripura is an overwhelmingly Hindu State, the CPI (M) governments made it
difficult for the Sangh to expand its ideology of nationalism in the state.
Tripura, with 83.40 per cent Sanatani followers, was ruled by the Communist
Party for many decades. Sangh Pracharaks and Karyakartas had to overcome the
hurdles caused by Left goons virtually on a daily basis. Many tireless Sangh
Karyakartas sacrificed their lives to build the nation-building narrative in the
State.
Despite its presence since 1956, things gradually changed only after 2014. Now
Tripura has around 150 shakhas, around 60 Milan and around 60 Mandali. In
addition, 200-250 schools are run in the state by RSS inspired organisations
like ‘Sanskar Kendras’. There are hostels as well for the poor and needy
students.
In 2017, when Tripura was still under the rule of Left parties, the RSS
organised a mega Hindu congregation, which was addressed by Sarsanghchalak Mohan
Bhagwat Ji and attended by a number of top RSS Pracharaks. Lakhs of people from
more than 500 villages across Tripura and other districts of nearby northeastern
states attended the event. The RSS said the mega Hindu congregation was
“inspirational” and “effective in every sense”.
“The Hindu Sammelans organised in the northeastern states, especially in Tripura,
were inspirational in many ways,” the Sangh said in its annual report in 2018.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad started its functioning in Tripura in 1984. Since
then, the VHP is involved in organising and consolidating the Hindu society to
serve and protect the Sanatan Dharma. It has been involved in many social
service projects and the organisation is currently running 4 hostels for the
poor and needy students.
EDUCATION AND SERVICE
Likewise, the ‘Ekal Vidyalaya Abhiyan’ has been a transforming factor in the
field of education in remote and hilly tribal areas. Started in 2001, the Ekal
Abhiyan is running more than 60 Ekal Vidyalaya in the tribal areas of Tripura.
Similarly, Vidya Bharti, another frontal educational organisation, has made a
huge impact on the rural and semi-urban educational scenario of Tripura since
1995. Vidya Bharti now runs 11 successful schools in the state. Besides all
these, social awareness initiatives by various organisations, such as Janajati
Kristi Sanskriti Mancha and Reang Saranarthi Seva Kendra are working tirelessly
to bridge the gaps in the society. Some of the very successful social
initiatives are Sarhad Ko Pranam in 2012, Tripura Hindu Malayam 2017, and
Maharaja Bir Bikram Jayanti in 2019. Pujjya Santikali Maharaj Ashram Pratistha
in 2022 had a huge impact on the Hindu society and helped the Sangh gain more
social support in the state. The Sangh umbrella has expanded today in Tripura
and in all other Northeastern states, with shakhas, Vivekananda schools,
Balwadis, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, tuition centres, study circles,
vocational training centres and a hospital.
Dr. Kanak Chaudhury, a physician from Agartala the capital city of Tripura,
said, “I have always been impressed by the social welfare programmes initiated
by the RSS. In my personal capacity as a doctor, I always try to attend the
medical camps for the poor people by Seva Bharti. These types of initiatives
bridge the gap in our society.”
THE SACRIFICE
The journey of the RSS in Tripura was never easy in a state run by Left parties
for 25 years and disturbed by extremism. Four RSS Pracharaks – Shyamal Sengupta,
Dinen De, Sudhamay Datta and Subhankar Chakraborty – were abducted by NLFT
extremists on August 16, 1999 from Kanchanpara in North Tripura district. The
four men had gone to Kanchanpara to visit the Ratanmani Shishu Shiksha Mandir
run by the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram.
Six months later, the Pracharaks were executed in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of
Bangladesh by the extremist group. It was perhaps the first time in the history
of independent India that innocent members of a non-political organisation were
killed in a foreign country in such a manner. Even today, 22 years later, the
conspiracy behind the murders is been revealed. The BJP government had
constituted an SIT to reinvestigate the murders. Apart from the sacrifices of
these four karyakartas, RSS workers have suffered many attacks during the Left
rule.
SANGH AND THE NORTH EAST
In the 80s and 90s, the Sangh established many welfare programs, especially in
education, through the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram in the tribal-dominant States of
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram. During this period, the RSS,
through its like-minded organisations, began to sponsor the education of
students (mainly tribal students) from the region. By the mid-90s, the RSS had
strong roots in the North East states. Not only the Hindu society, Sangh
institutions like the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and Eklavya Vidyalaya have earned
appreciation even from the Christian community for their educational work.
Today the RSS, through its immensely effective social impact initiatives,
especially in the education sector, has established its presence in the region
and successfully implemented the theory of nation-building through
person-building. Dr. Susendra Barman, an educationist of the region, says that
when the elected governments did not provide basic education to the tribals of
far-flung hilly areas of the North East, it is the RSS which is giving them an
opportunity to learn through their affiliated organisations. Giving a chance to
the poor and needy to gain knowledge is the best service to mankind, Barman
added.
https://vskbharat.com/nationalist-narrative-and-silent-transformation/?lang=en
-GoTop
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