Jyestha Krishna 12 Vik. Samvat 2080, Yugabda 5125 : 16 May, 2023:SM 5004 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS: GANGA DUSSEHRA:
Ganga Dussehra falls during Dashami Tithi of Jyeshtha Shukla Paksha (May 30
this year).
2. SARASANGHACHALAK DR MOHAN BHAGWAT UNVEILS STATUE OF
‘SAMPOORNA BHARAT’: The ‘Kumbabhishekam’ ceremony at Bharat Mata Temple in
Neelamangalam Village near Madurantakkam, Chengalpattu District was organised on
May 5. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarasanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat and
Poojya Shri Dr Yudhishtirlal Maharaj, 9th Peethadish of Shadani Darbar Tirth,
Raipur participated in the ceremony.
He further said that the Hindu society must set aside the differences and work together to create the awareness that Truth is One and must take a sankalp to dedicate our thought, deeds and resources for our country.
Thousands of devotees and villagers also participated in the function. -GoTop
3. ‘MANN KI BAAT’ SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF MY BEING: MODI:
Pradhan Mantri Modi’s radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ completed its 100th episode
on April 30. The milestone was regarded as “historic” as the episode was also
broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters in New York and the UNESCO
Director-General Audrey Azoulay featured in the 100th episode. Azoulay has
hailed the radio programme, saying it is certainly one of the most celebrated,
with its hundreds of millions of listeners in more than 50 languages and
dialects. Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi said that whether it is about ‘Beti
Bachao, Beti Padhao’, or the ‘Swachh Bharat’ movement, love for Khadi, Azadi Ka
Amrit Mahotsav or Amrit Sarovar, “any subject it got associated with was turned
into a mass movement” by the people of the country. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ was first
aired on October 3, 2014 within months of Modi becoming Pradhan Mantri. An
emotional Modi said that “for me ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is not a program, for me it is a
matter of faith, of worship, or vrat.”
4. TIME TO DECOLONISE THE COLONIAL HANGOVER ON MEDIA
ESTABLISHMENT: NARENDER KUMAR: On May 6, Narender Kumar Dev, Akhil Bharatiya
Sah Prachar Pramukh of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said that the role of
media is to balance between truth and the general welfare of the whole society
and it should be the mantra for media personnel, as propounded by Devarshi Narad
since time immemorial. Speaking on the annual Maharshi Narad Jayanti celebration
held at Sudarshanalay in Guwahati, he also added that in contrast to Satyam
Bruyat-Priyam Bruyat, many present day’s media outlets prefer to nurture fake
news to propagate their selfish agenda. Arguing that society, in general,
rejects negative news, he opined that the Swa Adharit (selfhood-centric) media
communication system should be promoted. Time is ripe for the colonial hangover
on media establishment to be decolonised, he added.
Organised by Vishwa Samvad Kendra Assam, the function was also attended by many distinguished personalities of the city. Talented young artiste Sarat Raag performed Narad Prasasti to enthrall the audience. -GoTop
5. ‘AKSHAYYA HINDU AWARDS’ CONFERRED IN PUNE: On May 7,
the Humanist Indian Nationalist Democratic Union (HINDU), an organisation based
in Pune, decorated five dedicated contributors to Hinduism with the Akshayya
HINDU Award. The organisation gave awards to Hindu activists tirelessly
contributing across various sectors including Dharma Jagruti, Gorakshan, Media,
Tribal Welfare, Women Empowerment, etc.
6. NATIONAL LAWYERS’
PARLIAMENT FESTIVAL: “For all constitutional issues, the debate must be
ongoing, for no society, no culture is static, things change, society evolves,
requirements evolve, the law cannot be stagnant and the Constitution cannot be
stagnant,” said Justice Sachin Datta, Delhi High Court Judge, in the Valedictory
Ceremony of the first-ever National Lawyers’ Parliament Festival organised at
the Indian Society of International Law on April 29.
The conference hosted more than 300 law students and practising advocates from across the country. The conference’s agenda was “Discussion of the introduction of Uniform Civil Code in India: Need of the Hour”. -GoTop
7. HSS CONTRA COSTA VIBHAG BLOOD DONATION SEWA: On April
22, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA San Ramon chapter conducted a successful
blood donation drive by partnering with Vitalant.org. The primary objective of
the blood donation drive was to promote the ‘Health of Humanity’ as a
continuation to the ‘Sun Salutation Yogathon’ conducted in January. Blood
Donation drive helped to bring the social cohesion among diverse people in the
community coming together for the common cause of saving lives in need.
8. HINDU HERITAGE CAMP BY HSS BOTSWANA: On May 1, Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Botswana successfully conducted ‘Hindu Heritage Camp’ for
students aged between 6 and 16. The venue of the camp was the Livingstone
Kolobeng College in Gaborone. The activity included both physical and
intellectual activities. Various competition were also conducted during the
camp. 182 participants from Gaborone attended the camp and 34 volunteers work
tirelessly towards the success of this camp. Chairperson of the college Mrs.
Nilima Bakaya also visited the camp.
9. GURUVANDANA BY HSS GERMANY: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS)
Germany celebrated Guru Vandana on April 23 at New Berlin Senior Center. 22
teachers, including principals from different school districts, attended the
event. During the event, students performed several activities like
Bharatanatyam, recited Guru Stotram, and enacted four skits about Guru-Shishya.
Different booths like dress-up booths, henna booths, and exhibition boards to
know about the rich Hindu civilization, culture, and heritage were also set up.
10. RAM KATHA READING IN NORTH EAST SAMBHAG: Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA organised 12 Ram Katha reading programmes in the North
East Sambhag. More than 100 sevikas and swayamsevaks read Ram Katha in 20
distinct events. This year, Ram Katha was done in online, in-person and hybrid
formats.
Ram Katha Samarop was done in person at all places with everyone coming together, doing Ram Katha, Bhajans, Stutis, followed by Prasad. On an average, the daily listener sankhya in the sambhag was around 300. -GoTop
11. SAN FRANCISCO NEIGHBORHOOD CELEBRATED HOLI FESTIVAL:
On April 29, the Holi festival, organized by neighborhood groups Ideate SF
and Together SF, commemorated one of the most significant festivals in Hindu
culture. The event marked the second year in a row that organizers in the East
Cut banded together to put on the festival at the Crossing, a 3-acre outdoor
space between Howard and Folsom streets that temporarily served as the city’s
Transbay bus terminal.
12. JEWISH AND HINDU COMMUNITIES BREAK BREAD AND BARRIERS:
A four part Hindu Jewish Dialogue series where members of the Hindu
and Jewish community got together in person in Portland and had a very engaging,
structured conversation covering various topics was organized in February 2023.
This was the product of interactions between Hiral Pandya and
Jewish representative Bob Horenstein as members of the City Diversity Advisory
Board. Bob Horenstein, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Director of
Community Relations was approached about a year ago after he made a
presentation.
The process started as a series of lunches with Horenstein and Associate JCRC
Director Rachel Nelson, along with Pandya and another member of the local branch
of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. Through those conversations, Horenstein and Nelson
spearheaded the JCRC’s participation in a food drive during the Hindu festival
of Diwali, a project that contributed 10,000 pounds of food to families in need.
Then the framework for the dialogue series came together. It was decided to have
the dialogue and meet in the Synagogue for two sessions and at the Hindu Mandir
for two sessions. During these sessions, basic tenets of faith and practice,
history of oppressions and journey of civilization, and connection to homeland
were discussed. The dialogues revealed commonalities: a sense of connection to
homeland and a history of persecution and genocide through the ages.
The dialogue group is reconvening to discuss next steps and future goals and are
coordinating to advocate for legislation to expand ethnic studies education in
Oregon. -GoTop
13. 2ND CENTURY BUDDHA STATUE DISCOVERED IN EGYPT: A
statue depicting Buddha that dates from the 2nd century AD - from the Roman era
- has been unearthed in the ancient Red Sea town of Berenice in Egypt, providing
an intriguing glimpse into the ancient ties between Bharat and Egypt. A
statement by the antiquities ministry said that a Polish-US delegation
discovered the figure “dating back to the Roman era while digging at the ancient
temple in Berenice.” The head of Egypt’s supreme antiquities council Mostafa al-Waziri
said that the finding has important indications over the presence of trade ties
between Egypt and Bharat during the Roman era.
The statue, with part of its right side and its right leg missing, measures 71
centimetres (28 inches) in height and portrays Buddha with a halo around his
head and a lotus flower by his side.
14. SONOWAL INAUGURATES SITTWE PORT IN MYANMAR: Union
Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister Admiral Tin Aung
San jointly inaugurated the Sittwe Port in Myanmar on May 9 and received the
first Bharatiya cargo ship, according to an official statement. The cargo ship
was flagged off from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata.
"This will promote trade connectivity and people-to-people ties between Bharat and Myanmar and the wider region, and will help boost the economic development of NE states under Act East Policy of the government," the statement quoted Mr. Sonowal as saying.
Sittwe Port has been developed as a part of the $484 million Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) funded under grant-in-aid assistance from the Bharatiya government.
"The seaport with maximum capacity of 20,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) will make Sittwe the maritime hub of Myanmar, drastically reduce transportation cost of cargo from other parts of Bharat to our North East and open unprecedented avenues of economic growth in the region," Mr. Sonowal said in a series of tweets. -GoTop
15. UKRAINIAN MINISTER APOLOGISES FOR MAA KALI TWEET:
On May 2, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar took to social media
to apologise for her country’s Ministry of Defence’s offensive tweet about Maa
Kali. After massive backlash from Bharatiyas on social media, the ministry
removed the tweet.
This came a day after the tweet in question sparked outrage among netizens. Kanchan Gupta, senior advisor, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting called the image “an assault on Hindu sentiments”. -GoTop
16. HINDUS, SIKHS SLAM UK’S ‘EXTREMISM’ REPORT: There
has been a furious backlash to the UK government-commissioned “Bloom Review”
from British Sikhs and British Hindus after both Sikh extremism and Hindu
nationalism featured in a chapter called “Faith-based Extremism”, which
describes “subversive or sectarian behaviours” in the UK.
Colin Bloom, independent faith engagement adviser to the UK government, devoted
a chapter to “faith-based extremism” which, the report says, is “incompatible”
with “the great liberal democracy that is Britain”.
Trupti Patel, president of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said that she had
received objections to this part of the review from all over the world. “The
reference to Hindus in Leicester is wrong as numerous reports have found that
the violence was triggered by pro-ISIS anti-Hindu hate preachers spreading fake
news. “, she said.
Anil Bhanot, interfaith director at Hindu Council UK, said that the report’s
view relied on “references to some articles from the BBC and the Guardian which
many British Hindus – certainly the majority – see as part of the problem.” Jay
Shah, a member of Friends of India Society International UK said, “The report
itself is going to create disharmony in the community”.
-GoTop
17. 2,000-YEAR-OLD 'MODERN SOCIETY' UNEARTHED IN
BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK: Archaeologists have stumbled on a 1,500-year-old
rock painting and numerous 1,800-2,000-year-old man-made water bodies in
Bandhavgarh National Park. Superintending archaeologist, Archaeological Society
of India (ASI) Jabalpur circle, Shivakant Bajpai said that the tiger zone of
today was most likely part of an old trade route, with passing traders using
rock-cut caves as shelters.
Eleven rock-cut caves have surfaced during the second phase of exploration in the Tala range of Bandhavgarh. The survey started on April 1 and will continue till June 30.
Last year, ASI explorations in the same range discovered 26 ancient temples/relics, 26 rock-cut caves, two monasteries, two stupas, 24 inscriptions, 46 statues, 20 scattered remains and 19 water structures. Unlike the caves discovered last year, which were Buddhist, the 11 found this time were cut out of rocks for dwelling purposes, ASI added. -GoTop
18. J&K LG MANOJ SINHA INAUGURATES RENOVATED TEMPLE AT
SRINAGAR'S LAL CHOWK: In a historic moment on May 12, Jammu and Kashmir’s
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the renovated old Shiva Temple
located at Abi Guzar, near Lalchowk in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The Shiva
temple had faced destruction during the 2014 floods. The Jammu and Kashmir
administration undertook this project under the Srinagar Smart City initiative.
Manoj Sinha also inaugurated three projects of Srinagar Smart City, 16
development projects of 11 Urban Local Bodies, and 9 solid waste management
facilities in 10 Urban Local bodies. These projects will significantly boost
urban infrastructure and give an impetus to ease of living.
19. COLOURFUL PROCESSION MARKS 11TH DAY OF CHITHIRAI
CHARIOT FESTIVAL: On the 11th day of the annual Chithirai festival on May 3,
thousands of devotees gathered to witness the chariot festival of the Meenakshi
Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
The procession of the Chariot started in East Masi Street. Amidst chanting the
hymns and names of Meenakshi Amman, hundreds of people pulled the ropes of the
Chariot and led it along the four Masi streets.
More than 20 transgenders who came with “mulaipari” on their heads attended the
Chithirai festival on May 2.
The flag hoisting ceremony of the ‘Chithirai’ festival was held at Meenakshi Amman Temple on April 23 and the festival concluded on May 4 with the Theerthavari at the Meenakshi Amman temple. -GoTop
20. ISRO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED MAIDEN TEST OF
SEMI-CRYOGENIC ENGINE: ISRO has initiated the series of tests required for
qualifying and validating its most-powerful liquid-fuelled engine yet, one that
is powered by special refined kerosene (dubbed as ‘ISROsene’) and super-cooled
liquid oxygen.
Once ready, this 2000kN engine and its stage (associated components, fuel tanks
etc.) will be replacing the current L110 (core stage) of Bharat’s largest rocket
– Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3). This is meant to significantly add to the
lifting power of the LVM3 rocket.
The test was carried out at the newly-established ISRO Propulsion Complex test facility at Mahendragiri. -GoTop
21. OBITUARY: HARIBHAU VAZE: Haribhau Chintamanrao Vaze,
a senior sangh pracharak breathed his last on May 13 in Belagavi. He was born on
October 4, 1932 in Belagavi and completed his M. Sc. in Organic Chemistry. He
became a sangh pracharak in 1956 and held various responsibilities. He was the
Organising Secretary of ‘Vidya Bharati’ for close to 20 years.
22. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: Dr Yashodhan Agalgaonkar - USA, Ajith Ramyavaran - Australia.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Think of the power of words! They are a great force in higher philosophy as well as in common life. Day and night we manipulate this force without thought and without inquiry. To know the nature of this force and to use it well is also a part of Karma yog. – Swami Vivekananda. -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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‘HATRED AGAINST HINDUS DOES NOT SHOCK PEOPLE’;
WHERE ARE THE PROTESTERS AGAINST THIS INTOLERANCE?
Charlotte Littlewood
But despite such harrowing case studies, less than
one percent of British schools have reported any form of anti-Hindu bullying
incidents in the last five years.
This particular form of hatred appears poorly understood and is at times fed by
teachers with substandard and prejudicial colonialist teachings on Hinduism.
Research, I conducted last year for the Henry Jackson Society study found a 173
percent increase in anti-semitic incidents in UK schools over the past five
years. With the more general rise in anti-semitism a regular headline, what was
almost more shocking than the research was just how little it shocked people.
This year, we have looked into the experiences of Hindu pupils and found that 51
percent of Hindu parents surveyed said their child had faced anti-Hindu hate in
schools. Where are the protesters against this intolerance?
Why is it that in an age of supposed anti-racism, attacks on both the longest
standing victims of race hate and a people held under British colonial rule for
hundreds of years draw so little concern?
For sections of the left, the world is divided into the “oppressor” and “oppressed”. Should you fall into the oppressor class you are everything that should be opposed and can never be a victim? Jews are viewed as white and powerful, imperialist and establishment, therefore deemed not able by definition to face racism and incapable of being victims. Hindus, it seems, have joined them.
Last summer, more than 600 people took to the streets of Leicester in violent protest against alleged “Hindutva”, a term unfamiliar to many. To some it means Hindu nationalism, to others simply outward expression of “Hinduness”. While Muslim and Hindu youths had fought in what looked like gang-style territorial violence, there was little evidence of any political nationalist allegiances with India.
Instead, concern over Hindu extremism lead to threats to find Hindus and “chop them up”, to “chase Hindus out of Leicester like they were chased out of Kashmir”, vandalism of vehicles and homes that displayed Hindu symbols and attacks on Hindu temples – all while the majority of mainstream media seemed to comment on any aspect other than Hindu-hate.
Despite the evidence pointing towards youth gang violence dressed up as “Hindtuva” terrorism, reporting on the unrest in Leicester either endorsed the notion of “Hindutva” by giving a voice to key Islamist activists, or ignored the specific issues in Leicester by discussing nationalism on the subcontinent.
Mohammed Hijab, for example, who declared at a pro-Palestine rally in 2021 that “we love death” and rallied the crowds in Leicester with anti-Hindu slurs, referring to them as “violent vegetarians” and declaring he was leading a Muslim patrol, was interviewed on Channel 4.
The reporter described him as an influencer with conservative views. The results of our study showed parents reporting their children to have experienced anti-Hindu hate, with cases ranging from having beef thrown at them to physical assaults, being held accountable for politics in India and the caste system and being told the bullying will stop when they convert to Islam.
But despite such harrowing case studies, less than one percent of British schools have reported any form of anti-Hindu bullying incidents in the last five years.
This particular form of hatred appears poorly understood and is at times fed by teachers with substandard and prejudicial colonialist teachings on Hinduism.
Similar accusations have, of course, been made on teaching about Israel and Palestine in schools and a lack of consistent understanding and approach to defining anti-semitism.
The British Hindu community has joined the Jews in not being fit for victim-hood. The perceived economic success of the community, the relative lack of engagement in issuing critiques against the West – indeed, enthusiastic embrace of it with a Hindu prime minister – bars Hindus from the class of the oppressed.
India’s growing relationship with Israel has led far-left activists to associate Hindutva with Zionism, the death knell for leftist victim support.
It is an uphill battle but we must challenge at every opportunity this narrative of “oppressed” and “oppressor” classes, which underlie antisemitic and anti-Hindu frameworks of thinking – or risk seeing intolerance and extremism continue on their upward trajectory.
(Charlotte Littlewood is a researcher at the Henry Jackson Society. This article was first published in London-based The Jewish Chronicle) https://vskbharat.com/hatred-against-hindus-does-not-shock-people-where-are-the-protesters-against-this-intolerance/?lang=en -GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN samvadnewsletter@gmail.com http://shrivishwaniketan.
