Vaisakha Krishna 8, Vik. Samvat 2081, Yugabda 5126 : 1 May, 2024: SM 6003 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS:
AKSHAYA TRITIYA (10 May), also known as Akti or Akha Teej, is a festival
which falls on the third tithi of Shukla Paksha of Vaisakha month and signifies
the third day of unending prosperity.
The Yamunotri Mandir and Gangotri Mandir are opened on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya during the Chota Char Dham pilgrimage. People in Maharashtra consider these days as the days to start anything new as it is believed that the work started on Akshaya Tritiya brings long lasting success. In Odisha, farmers start the day with ritual worship of mother Earth, bullocks, seeds and other traditional farm equipments for the blessings of a good harvest. The construction of chariots for the Ratha Yatra festivities of Jagannath Mandir also commences on this day at Puri.
2. PROGRAMS OF SARSANGHCHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT:
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said that there is
a lack of knowledge about our identity among the countrymen, adding that people
should proudly acknowledge that their identity is Hindu.
3. SANSKRIT IS CULTURAL ANCHOR FOR HUMAN CIVILIZATION :
DHANKHAR: UpRashtrapati Jagdeep Dhankhar said that Sanskrit is the language
of divinity and serves as a sacred bridge in our pursuit of spirituality and the
quest to connect with the divine. Addressing the third convocation of National
Sanskrit University in Tirupati, he described Sanskrit as a cultural anchor for
human civilization.
4. SURYA TILAK ADORNS BHAGWAN RAM LALLA’S FOREHEAD ON RAM
NAVAMI: During the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami on April 17, Ayodhya’s
Ram Mandir witnessed a ‘Surya Tilak' as the forehead of Ram Lalla’s murti was
adorned with a unique mark of sunlight. The extraordinary event, which took
place at noon, involved a meticulously planned process utilising mirrors and
lenses within the mandir premises.
Earlier, Acharya Satyendra Das, Chief Priest of Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, informed that the mandir has been decorated and said, “The murti of Bhagwan Ram is dressed in yellow clothes, and after this he is bathed with Panchamrit. Four-five types of panjiris are made and along with that, 56 types of offerings are made to the Bhagwan.” -GoTop
5. AYODHYA RAM MANDIR WITNESSES OVER 1.5 CR DEVOTEES SINCE 'PRAN-PRATISHTHA':
Champat Rai, the General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra,
revealed on April 22 that since the pran-pratishtha of Ram Lalla, more than 15
million devotees have visited to pay homage.
6. RAM NAVAMI CELEBRATIONS BY HINDU MOHAJOT: On April
17, the spirit of Ram Navami resonated through 45 districts of Bangladesh,
including Dhaka, Chittagong, Gopalganj, Nilphamari, Mymensingh and Narsingdi, as
the Bangladesh National Hindu Mohajot spearheaded vibrant festivities to honour
Bhagwan Sri Ramchandra.
7. 2550TH MAHAVIR NIRVANA MAHOTSAV: On Mahavir Jayanti
(April 21), Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 2550th Bhagwan Mahavir
Nirvana Mahotsav at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi.
8. HSS VARSH PRATIPADA UTSAVS: On April 7, Nairobi
Maha-vibhag of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Kenya celebrated the Varsh
Pratipada utsav at the Dindayal Bhavan in Nairobi. 274 people including senior
Consulate of the Bharatiya High commission Shri Sudeepji Kulasari attended the
utsav.
On April 14, the Bharat-Nepal community celebrated Hindu Nav Varsha Utsav and Nepali Topi Divas at Yokodai, Yokohama, Japan.
9. SANGHA SHIKSHA VARG NEW ZEALAND: The Sangha Shiksha
Varg of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS NZ concluded in Auckland on April 20
with participants from 8 major cities of New Zealand attending the 7 days
residential varg. The varg from April 13 to 20 focused on all the 3 years of
shikshan (Prathamik, Pravesh and Praveen). The theme of the varg was ‘Yato
Dharmastato Jayah’ and 51 shiksharthis and 13 shikshaks attended it.
10. SANGHA SHIKSHA VARG AUSTRALIA: Sangh Shiksha Varg (SSV)
of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS Australia was conducted in Melbourne, from
March 30 to April 7. SSV served as a platform for both established and budding
generations to foster a sense of 'aatmeeyata' (bond) whilst providing in-depth
insights into Sangh, Hindu Dharma, leadership principles, and more. The program
was structured to deliver knowledge and skills through intellectual and physical
activities.
Shareerik programmes encompassed training sessions on padvinyas, niyuddh, dand, yogchaap, samata, achar paddhati, khel and yoga. Meanwhile, baudhik programmes consisted of lectures, group discussions, workshops and light entertainment sessions, all aimed at instilling dharmic principles and values.
The concluding Samarop ceremony on April 7 had Cassandra Fernando, Federal Member of Parliament for Holt as the principle dignitary. A demonstration of all physical skills learnt during SSV was displayed by the shikshartis. -GoTop
11. HSS TAIWAN UTSAV: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS
Taiwan celebrated the Hindu Nutan Varsharambh, Shri Ram Navami, and Vasant Utsav
together on April 27. 36 people including swayamsevaks, several new Hindu family
members and children participated in the utsav. The preparations included flower
decorations and rangoli in front of Prabhu Ramchandra’s photo frame. Prasadam
and homemade food were also arranged.
Several participants delivered various performances including chanting of the Ram Dhyana Mantra and rendition of the song ‘Shri Ramachandra Kripalu’ by the shishu gana, violin recital of ‘Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram’, bhajans and Ram Naam Sankirtan. A quiz on the Hindu Nutan Varsh and Ramayan was organized in between the performances, in which both children and adults participated enthusiastically. Many new families came in contact with HSS as a result of the program. -GoTop
12. HSS HOUSTON FAMILIES SUPPORTED VETERANS: During
the Hindu New Year, Varshapratipada, families associated with the Houston branch
of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh HSS USA visited Camp Hope which is a PTSD foundation
of America that mentors combat veterans and their families with post traumatic
stress.
13. HSS-SEWA USA EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES: Central Jersey
chapters teamed up with the Edison Health Department in park cleaning. The event
saw the enthusiastic participation of children and women HSS volunteers.
In Dublin CA, Mayor Melissa Hernandez kicked off the Dublin Pride Volunteer Day festivities to mark Earth Day. HSS volunteers participated in the park enrichment and landscaping activities, also volunteering for the setup and cleanup of the event.
Netaji and Nivedita Shakha volunteers participated in the Earth Day Arbor Day event organized by the City of Mission Viejo CA and planted 120 trees.
A singer volunteer from Seattle WA composed and sang a musical rendition honoring Mother Earth.
HSS chapters in Chicago IL, Dublin and Cleveland OH, South Jersey, and Washington DC undertook similar environmental projects. -GoTop
14. HUNDREDS DO YOGA ON THAI AIRPORT RUNWAY: Hundreds
of yoga devotees rolled out their mats on the runway of Bangkok's main airport
on April 27 early morning as flights rumbled overhead.
15. BHARATIYA ENVOY TO FOSTER RAMAYANA TRAIL GROWTH IN SRI
LANKA: In a significant diplomatic move, Santosh Jha, the Bharatiya High
Commissioner to Sri Lanka, welcomed Swami Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, the Treasurer
of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, and his delegation at India
House on April 22. Their meeting centered around exploring avenues for Bharat's
support in the development of the Ramayana Trail in Sri Lanka.
Highlighting the significance of the Ramayana Trail Project, the High Commission emphasized its role in strengthening the cultural ties between Bharat and Sri Lanka, promoting tourism, and bolstering local economies. This initiative is in line with the bilateral agreement reached in 2023 between Bharat and Sri Lanka to promote and popularise cultural and religious heritage sites, including the Buddhist circuit and the Ramayana trail. -GoTop
16. KUWAIT LAUNCHES FIRST HINDI RADIO BROADCAST: The
first ever Hindi radio broadcast has started in Kuwait, the Bharatiya Embassy in
Kuwait said on April 22. The Bharatiya Embassy lauded Kuwait’s Ministry of
Information for starting a Hindi programme on Kuwait Radio on FM 93.3 and AM
96.3 every Sunday.
17. MEXICO-BASED BHARATIYA SCIENTIST GETS PADMA SHRI:
Ravi Prakash Singh, the Mexico-based scientist who received the Padma Shri
award, has been hailed for his achievement in making wheat strains resistant to
rust diseases and protecting the supply of the foodgrain that is an essential
element in diets around the world. The Padma Shri awards ceremony took place
with Rashtrapati Draupadi Murmu on April 22 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New
Delhi.
“Singh has contributed to the development of 649 wheat varieties released in 48 countries, working closely with scientists at national wheat programs in the Global South,” Mexico-based CIMMYT said.
About his pioneering technique, CIMMYT said that Singh helped establish the practice of ‘pyramiding’ several rust-resistance genes into a single variety making it difficult for evolving pathogens to be able to attack the new varieties of wheat. -GoTop
18. GUKESH BECOMES YOUNGEST WINNER AT CANDIDATES
TOURNAMENT: On April 22, 17-year-old Bharatiya grandmaster D Gukesh scripted
history by becoming the youngest player ever to win the Candidates Tournament.
The tournament was held from April 5 to 22 in Canada.
With his historic triumph, Gukesh will challenge the reigning World Champion Ding Liren of China in the World Chess Championship match. He is now the second Bharatiya after Anand to fight for the Classical World Championship title. -GoTop
19. DRDO DEVELOPS LIGHTEST BULLET PROOF JACKET: DRDO’s
Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE),
Kanpur has successfully developed the lightest Bullet Proof Jacket in the
country for protection against 7.62 x 54 R API (Level 6 of BIS 17051)
ammunition. This bullet proof jacket was successfully tested at TBRL, Chandigarh
as per BIS 17051-2018.
20. IIT MADRAS LAUNCHES MOBILE MEDICAL DEVICES CALIBRATION
FACILITY: Indian Institute of Technology Madras on April 15 launched
Bharat’s first medical devices calibration facility on wheels. Irrespective of
geographical locations across the country, the new mobile facility will ensure
quality healthcare. This will also help test and maintain medical devices that
are used in a wide range of hospitals including those in remote villages.
21. BHARATIYA UNIVERSITIES DEMONSTRATE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE
IMPROVEMENT AMONGST G20 NATIONS: Bharatiya universities demonstrated the
highest performance improvement among all the G20 nations this year, a
significant 14 per cent year-on-year improvement in their average ranking,
according to QS president Nunzio Quacquarelli.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was identified as the highest-ranked
university in Bharat in the rankings announced by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the
London-based higher education analytics firm. The university was ranked at 20th
position globally for development studies.
From 2017 to 2022, Bharat’s research output surged by an impressive 54 per cent, making it the world’s fourth-largest producer of research, the QS president said. -GoTop
22. CENTURIES-OLD BRONZE STATUES UNEARTHED IN MANESAR:
In a surprising discovery, three centuries-old bronze statues of Bhagwan Vishnu
and Ma Lakshmi were unearthed in Baghanki village, Manesar, during excavation
work for a new house foundation. The statues, one of Bhagwan Vishnu, one of Ma
Lakshmi, and a third depicting both seated together, were found by Prabhu Dyal,
who had recently purchased the land.
23. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors: -GoTop
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should
regard all creatures as we regard our own self.- Bhagwan Mahavir. -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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ACT OF INCLUSION, NOT EXCLUSION
RAM MADHAV
As the rules for the Citizenship
Amendment Act (CAA), passed by Parliament on December 10, 2019, are being
gazetted by the government, the specious argument that it is anti-secular and
makes religion the basis for determining refugee status has resurfaced.
Globally, religion is considered one of the key factors for persecution and is
an important criterion for refugee status. The US Code book defines a refugee as
any person of special humanitarian concern to the US with “a well-founded fear
of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a
particular social group, or political opinion.”
The criticism that the CAA is anti-Muslim because it excludes Muslims from the
list of persecuted minorities doesn’t hold any water. The Act doesn’t say
anything against Muslims. It talks about the victims of religious persecution
from the minority communities in three neighbouring countries — Bangladesh,
Pakistan and Afghanistan — which declared themselves as Islamic nations long
ago. Muslims are the majority there. If they face any other kind of persecution
and thereby seek refuge in India, they have access to other laws. In fact, many
Afghan refugees live in India. Political volatility and regular incidents of
violence against minorities are common in these countries, resulting in India
experiencing the migration of those persecuted minorities — largely Hindus,
Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians — into its border states.
The CAA’s limited mandate is to address the challenge of this influx. It is an amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955. The Act is a non-discriminatory piece of legislation that stipulates five categories of citizenship — by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation or incorporation of territory. While the first two categories are for Indians by birth or descent, the last three categories are available to non-Indians under specific conditions like marriage to an Indian citizen or legal migration to India. Its non-discriminatory nature can be appreciated from the citizenship acquired by senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 1983 and Pakistan-born singer Adnan Sami in 2016. In the last eight to nine years, the government has given citizenship to hundreds of such applicants, including more than 550 Muslims.
The CAA doesn’t change this character of the Citizenship Act. It only seeks to fast-track this process for the persecuted minorities as a one-time special measure. Instead of waiting for 12 years under the normal rules, this amendment offers them citizenship in five years. The propaganda that Muslims of India will be removed from citizenship is baseless. There is no provision in the Act for the termination or deprivation of citizenship of any Indian citizen, except that they can voluntarily renounce the same.
This amendment is also not an open-ended invitation to the minorities in the neighbourhood. Only those refugees who moved to India before 2014 can avail this opportunity. It essentially helps those who were victims of violent communal politics in these countries in the last century. Rise in awareness about minority rights and improved political situation in countries like Bangladesh did reduce this phenomenon although it did not eliminate it.
It is not unusual for countries to offer special provisions to select groups occasionally. For example, the Vietnam War had left a large number of Vietnamese as refugees. Gerald Ford was the US President at that time. Several airlifts were organised to bring Vietnamese refugees and asylum-seekers to the US. About 120,000 were relocated. “To ignore the refugees in their hour of need would be to repudiate the values we cherish as a nation of immigrants, and I was not about to let Congress do that”, Ford had declared. Similarly, the crisis in Laos after the Vietnam War had left thousands of Hmar tribes as refugees in Thailand. Thousands of such stateless Vietnamese and Hmar refugees were granted a one-time citizenship offer by the US administration in 2004.
For various reasons, the framing of rules for the implementation of the historic CAA amendment took more than four years. The eruption of a movement, followed by the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic must have caused this delay. Initially, the challenge of determining persecution for refugee status became a subject of discussion. It was proposed that the refugees must be asked to provide proof of their persecution, an obvious impossibility for a majority of them, who happen to be from marginalised and depressed classes. The final gazette notification relaxed this significantly by not insisting on the proof of persecution but seeking evidence of citizenship of one of these countries. Similarly, rules have been eased with respect to the proof of stay in India for more than five years. Over 20 different types of documents have been allowed as evidence of stay.
With the promulgation of the CAA rules, the government has fulfilled a promise it made decades ago. Yet, there is a process involved in submitting applications online together with a few valid documents. The endorsement of one Indian citizen is also required in support of each application. The success of this effort will require NGOs and concerned citizens to come forward to help the refugees navigate this process.
https://www.rammadhav.in/articles/act-of-inclusion-not-exclusion/ (The article was originally published in Indian Express on March 16, 2024) -GoTop
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