Ashwin Krishna 14 Vik. Samvat 2081, Yugabda 5126 : 1 October, 2024: SM 6013 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS: VIJAYADASHAMI:
Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra, is celebrated on Ashwin Shukla
Dashami (October 12 this year). Vijayadashami marks the end of Durga Puja,
commemorating Bhagawati Durga's victory against Mahishasura. It also marks the
end of Ramlila and commemorates Bhagwan Ram's victory over Ravana.
Vijayadashami celebrations include processions of statues of Durga which are
immersed in water. The 9 day performance of Ramlila is concluded with the
burning of towering effigies of Ravana with fireworks.
Mysuru procession and Kullu mela are other famous events of Dussehra. Dashain
celebrations in Nepal include the elders blessing youngsters for success and
prosperity by applying tilak and jamra on their foreheads.
2. PROGRAMS OF SARSANGHCHALAK DR MOHAN BHAGWAT: “Vedas
are the treasure of physical and spiritual knowledge and the root of the whole
universe. They work to connect the whole world” said RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr.
Mohan Bhagwat on September 18 at the launch of the third edition of the Hindi
commentary of the Vedas by Shripad Damodar Satvalekar in New Delhi. “Both Vedas
and Bharat are one. They are the basis of Sanatan Dharma”, he added. “The time
has come for the rise of Sanatan Dharma. The attitude of the world is also
changing regarding this. We also know that these Vedas are our means to move
forward,” he said.
On September 16, Dr Bhagwat called upon the RSS swayamsevaks to embody five key areas in their lives: social harmony, environmental conservation, family awareness, a sense of selfhood, and civic discipline. He was addressing a RSS shakha of over 4000 swayamsevaks at the Indira Gandhi Sports Ground in Alwar. He noted that next year marks the 100 years of the RSS. He urged swayamsevaks to understand the ideas behind the RSS work and always keep those principles in mind. -GoTop
3. FOR BHARAT, ONE EARTH, ONE FAMILY, ONE FUTURE IS A
COMMITMENT: PM MODI AT UN: On September 23, while addressing the UN’s
‘Summit of The Future’, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi said that ‘One earth, One
Family and One future’ is a commitment for Bharat.
4. HINDU SPIRITUAL AND SEVA MELA 2024: On September 26,
Uprashtrapati Jagdeep Dhankhar delivered the inaugural address at the 5-day
Hindu Spiritual and Seva (HSS) Mela 2024 in Jaipur. He underscored the
fundamental values of Sanatan Dharma and expressed concern over religious
conversions. Sadhavi Ritambhara; Swami Chidananda Saraswati, Parmarth Niketan
Ashram, Rishikesh; Dr Chinmaya Pandya of Gyatri Parivar and other dignitaries
were present on the occasion.
5. PRE-LOKMANTHAN 2024 - HERBAL HEALING IN FOCUS: The
two-day international conference on the non-codified herbal healing systems used
by Janjatiya Samuh was concluded on September 22 in Bhopal. The event ended with
the presentation of a policy draft to Minister of Higher Education Inder Singh
Parmar.
6. ABVKA’S KARYAKARTA SAMMELAN: The Akhil Bharatiya
Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (ABVKA) organised its triennial three-day karyakarta
sammelan from September 20-22 at Samalkha, Haryana.
During the sammelan, VKA discussed and addressed various issues including its activities and programs. VKA is running 22152 projects at 17394 places all over Bharat for upliftment of tribal society. -GoTop
7. WOSY CEC MEETING HELD IN CHANDIGARH: World
Organisation of Students and Youth (WOSY) conducted Central Executive Committee
(CEC) Meeting in Chandigarh on September 27. The event witnessed participation
from students representing more than 20 countries. Besides the WOSY’s office
bearers, Prof. Renu Vig, Vice Chancellor of Punjab University and Ashish Chauhan,
National Organisation Secretary of ABVP were present during the CEC.
8. SEWA INTERNATIONAL USA HONOURS 9/11 HEROS: On
September 14, Sewa International DFW commemorated the 9/11 Day of Service
at the Coppell Senior Center by honouring the courage and dedication of Veterans
and First Responders . The event welcomed over 30 active military personnel,
veterans and first responders. Coppell Mayor Pro Tem, Kevin Nevels, initiated
the ceremony with the Pledge of Allegiance. Over 150 community members attended
the event. On September 11, Sewa International's South Jersey Chapter in
partnership with Chesterfield Township unveiled a new 9/11 memorial in
Chesterfield to honour the victims and heroes of the 9/11 terror attacks.
9. SANSKRIT CONFERENCES 2024, AUSTRALIA: BAPS
Swaminarayan Research Institute, Australia, held two-day Sanskrit Conferences in
Brisbane and Sydney in the month of September. A special
delegation from Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi, Bharat, along with
Mahamahopadhyaya Bhadreshdas Swami were the main guests at the conferences. Many
scholars, community leaders, students and enthusiasts participated, exploring
the profound significance of the Sanskrit language while appreciating the
timeless wisdom found in ancient shastras.
10. SANSKRIT DAY AND BHARAT WEEK IN GUYANA: On
September 7, the Badrinath Ashram, in collaboration with the Bharatiya High
Commission and the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, hosted World Sanskrit Day
and Bharat Week in Guyana. The event at the Badrinath Ashram in Spring Garden,
Region Two, featured a variety of cultural activities, including singing,
dancing, and prayers. On the occasion Bharatiya High Commissioner Guyana Dr.
Amit Telang said that the celebration of Sanskrit Day reflects the preservation
of traditions and that the cultural performances offered unique and enriching
experiences.
11. HINDU AND CHRISTIAN INTERFAITH DIALOGUE, AUSTRALIA:
On September 25, Charles Sturt University (CSU) hosted its inaugural
Hindu-Christian dialogue event at the Port Macquarie campus. The event focused
on the shared spiritual tenets between Hindu Dharma and Christianity, aiming to
build mutual understanding and respect between the two faiths. Professor Ross
Chambers, Kate Wood-Foye, CSU’s External Engagement Director and Amita
Krautloher, Educational Designer at CSU shared their passion for dialogues that
build understanding and respect across diverse faith communities. Rev. Professor
Sathi Clarke from the CSU School of Theology and a minister in the Church of
South India presented a Christian theological perspective.
12. ONAM CELEBRATIONS: From September 6 to 15,
Keralites celebrated Onam with gifts, group games, new clothes, floral
decorations, dances, fireworks, house visits and a lavish traditional spread
served on emerald green banana leaves. It also saw a revival of harvest season
games played on fallow fields like Ola Panthu, Kuttiyum Kolum and Uri Adi.
13. MURUGAN MANDIR OF SAINT LOUIS HOLDS CONSECRATION
CEREMONY: On September 14-15, a consecration ceremony of smaller deities –
Utsava Vigraha – was held for the Murugan Mandir of Saint Louis. Priest Shri
Bharadwaj conducted the ceremony and explained the significance of a Utsava
Vigraha. “Since we don't have a proper structure of a mandir, Murugan mandir of
St Louis has decided to at least bring the Utsava Vigrahas to Saint Louis so
that the mandir can function for the next couple of years until construction is
complete” Bharadwaj said.
Devotees started a 501(c)(3) organization and purchased the land located off Turkey Track Lane in 2021. Last August, two idols made out of stone were installed in the mandir. At the moment the Murugan Mandir awaits city approval to start construction. -GoTop
14. CANADIAN MP CONCERNED OVER ATTACKS ON BANGLADESHI
HINDUS: Canadian MP Chandra Arya on September 16 expressed deep concern over
the ongoing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. In a statement in the
Canadian Parliament, Bharatiya origin Arya highlighted the troubling situation
faced by religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists and Christians in
Bangladesh. The Canadian MP shared his statement in his verified Facebook page.
He also said that the share of religious minorities in the population of
Bangladesh has significantly decreased since it achieved its independence in
1971. In this connection, he said that from 23.1 percent, including about 20
percent Hindus, it has now come down to just about 9.6 percent, including about
8.5 percent Hindus. -GoTop
15. US LAWMAKER RO KHANNA CONDEMNS DESECRATION OF BAPS
SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR IN SACRAMENTO: Bharatiya-American Congressman Ro Khanna,
in a post on X, has condemned the desecration of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
with anti-Hindu messages in California’s Sacramento and called on the US
Department of Justice to investigate these hate crimes. He made the statement in
response to a social media X post shared by BAPS Public Affair on September 17
which stated, “Less than 10 days after the desecration of the @BAPS Mandir in
New York, BAPS Mandir in the Sacramento, CA area was desecrated last night with
anti-Hindu hate: “Hindus go back!” We stand united against hate with prayers for
peace.”
Bharatiya American Congressman Ami Bera, the Consulate General of Bharat in New
York, Bharatiya-American Congressman Shri Thanedar and many other US authorities
condemned the attack and demanded strict action against the culprits. -GoTop
16. BHARAT TO OPEN CONSULATES IN LOS ANGELES, BOSTON:
While addressing a packed crowd at Nassau Coliseum in New York on September 22,
Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi announced that Bharat will open two new consulates
in the United States, one in Boston and another in Los Angeles. Bharatiya
diaspora welcomed this announcement.
17. BHARAT CALLS FOR URGENT REFORMS OF INTERNATIONAL
DECISION-MAKING STRUCTURES: Bharat has called for urgent reforms of the
international decision-making structures, especially the UN Security Council, to
give the Global South its due representation.
He emphasised the urgent need to reform the UN to ensure it is representative, credible, and effective. Dr. Jaishankar said the reforms should include the expansion of both permanent and elected seats on the Security Council. -GoTop
18. BHARAT WINS HISTORIC DOUBLE GOLD IN CHESS OLYMPIAD:
Bharat’s men’s and women’s chess teams both won their first-ever gold medals at
the 45th Chess Olympiad on September 22. The men’s team, featuring young and
talented grandmasters like D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R. Praggnanandha,
displayed their skills in the final round and defeated Slovenia 3-0.
Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi acknowledged Team Bharat’s double gold victory at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Chess Olympiad and said that “Bharat is full of energy and dreams”. -GoTop
19. BHARAT RANKS AS 3RD MOST POWERFUL NATION IN ASIA:
Bharat has become 3rd most powerful nation in Asia in Asia Power Index report
for 2024. Report indicated that strong post-COVID economic growth has led Bharat
to increase its economic capability by 4.2 points.
20. SHRADDHANJALI SABHA - M. BHISHMACHARY: A
Shraddhanjali Sabha was held in Bhagyanagar on September 22 to pay the tributes
to M. Bhishmachary. Mallapuram Bhishmachary, a senior RSS pracharak, passed away
on September 12. He held various responsibilities in countries like Bharat,
Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.
21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors:
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes
from an indomitable will.- Mahrishi Sri Valmiki -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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RSS SAMANVAY BAITHAK AND ITS IMPORTANCE
Ratan
Sharda
The Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay
Baithak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will be organised in Palakkad, Kerala,
from August 31 to September 2, 2024. The three days Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay
Baithak is generally organised once in a year. During this meeting, activists of
Sangh inspired organisations will share the information and exchange experiences
about their respective work.
How RSS came into existence?: A small organisation that began in an open ground
with around 14-15 teenage boys brought together by a former revolutionary and
political leader has blossomed today into a giant banyan tree with so many
branches and roots that it is difficult to distinguish between the main trunk
and various branches that have struck roots on their own and many that have
grown independently under its benign shadow.
It reminds me of the legendary giant banyan tree in Kolkata described thus in a
Times of India report – “Estimated to be more than 250 years old, the Great
Banyan is occupies an area of 4.67 acres! […] We all know how banyan trees
extend their aerial roots, and they spread and cover a very large area. But is
it possible without the main trunk? Looks like it is. The Great Banyan lost its
original trunk to disease after being struck by two massive cyclones, and so in
1925, its original trunk had to be removed in order to stop the spread of the
disease. That didn’t stop the tree from growing, and grew it did! A total of
3772 aerial roots to be precise!”
Those who have a little idea about these mass organisations know that many of them have more membership than even RSS. Scholars like Nalin Mehta tell us that BJP (with 18 crore members) has many times more members than RSS and RSS can no more influence BJP or dictate BJP the way it could earlier. Others indifferent social sphere are number one organisations in their respective fields. In 2008 VHP claimed to have 68 lakh members, ABVP has 45 lakh student members. BMS has a membership of nearly 1 crore with 5000 unions under its flag. There are smaller specialised organisations that have changed the direction of Indian history, like Itihas Sankalan Samiti established by renowned archaeologist Haribhau Wakankar by discovering evidences that demolished the Aryan Invasion or Migration Theory. Then there is Sewa Bharati, an apex body coordinating work of social service with over 150 thousand social service projects. Ekal Vidyalaya (single teacher, any time schools in remote areas) has crossed a figure of 1 lakh schools, replicated by many other organisations independently.
In such a scenario, how does the trunk that fed the original sap to these huge branches keep track of its expanse and keep nurturing them with the vital spirit of philosophy without which they may be cut off from the huge family some day even as they survive on their roots that they have struck.
Spirit of extended family: This is the question that many inquisitive people ask. It is a question that has baffled many social scientists. They have tried to find answers in their western organisational models. The answer, however, lies in the Bharatiya roots of this organisation. It is a unique organisation in terms of management and organizational structure though it looks like a typical pyramid like structure if one looks at it superficially. You can see the hierarchy from the local units of an RSS shakha at the base, you see a mandal (a local geographical group of a few shakhas, tehsil, district, state, region and finally an elected Pratinidhi Sabha and a national executive presided over by the Sarsanghchalak. Similarly, you see such organisational structures in all its allied organisations. What is the difference between other organisations and RSS then? What helps it work harmoniously for nearly 100 years within and without, with its allied organisation?
Answer lies in a pithy observation made by the fourth Sarsanghchalak, Prof Rajendra Singh aka Rajju bhaiyya. He noted that RSS is a family organisation, not a cultural or social organisation etc. With family comes, affection, taking care of each other, mutual bonding, readiness to sacrifice for others in the family and readiness to listen to each other and respecting the elders’ views and ability of the senior members to take along other members of the extended family – samyukta parivar.
Now, extend this logic to the larger ‘parivar’ of RSS inspired or allied organisations. Since, all of them are generally started by an RSS swayamsevak or aligned organisations, he or she carry with them this skill of consensus building and also relationship building. As I note elsewhere in my writings, RSS doesn’t just build IQ, it builds EQ and SQ – Emotional quotient and social quotient. Thus, none of its allied organisations split. A few members may have walked out, some returning subsequently, but none tried to break their organisations.
As RSS ecosystem grew over years, a need was felt to have some kind of co-ordination, so different organisations knew what their sister organisations were doing in their own field. Therefore, periodic ‘samanvay baithaks’ or co-ordination meetings began taking place. It helped them appreciate each other’s work and also empathise with their area of work. This understanding of each other’s work and conditions in which they worked, helped avoid any clash that might develop when they come from fields that may be considered as antagonist to each other.
For example, a Laghu Udyog Bharati member may have some problem with a Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh trade union in his factory. Or a Swadeshi Jagaran Manch or Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh may not like some policies of BJP. And we see them criticising BJP or opposing a policy. But there are occasions when both sides meet in a ‘samanvay baithak’ and understand each other and try to work out some consensus or hold their ideas till a solution is found. Here, the role of the RSS is only that of a facilitator; it does not guide or push its views on others.
How does RSS control its urge to dictate terms to its allied organisations? It is the spirit of autonomy. It is a misunderstanding that RSS does micro-tunes its organisations. Its role is only to share its views on various issues and it is upto the other organisation whether to accept it or not. Yes, there is a strong moral pressure when the Sarsanghchalak or Sarkaryavah make a point. This is the reason that the top leadership thinks multiple times before it shares its views with the other organisations. Generally, the leadership responds when the other organisation reaches out for a solution or advice.
Autonomous, still connected: The spirit of autonomy is kept alive by treating organisations as equals. In early days, it was RSS that was the providing necessary human resources and even pracharaks for a particular work. At that time too, it would urge the organisation to create its own cadre. Slowly, most of the organisations have been able to have their own workers/karyakartas and own working style depending on the field they are in. Thus, RSS may have been the provider of seed capital, but it does not hold equity beyond that. Understanding this, the RSS seniors try to give advice but not force it, respecting an organisations own compulsions and area of expertise.
I have been reading about Communist party these days for my new project. I find that this spirit of giving autonomy to the others in the organisation, creating consensus with serious efforts and nurturing the spirit of affection of a family is missing there. It is a structure that holds people in certain hierarchy for organisation purpose, nothing more. So, is it in most of the organisations.
We recall the construction of Vivekanand Rock Memorial, struggle against Emergency for restoration of democracy, Ram Mandir movement, campaign for ‘shat pratishat matadaan’ (100 per cent voting) conducted by the larger ‘Sangh Parivar’ in a coordinated manner in 2014 and its enormous impact on the society of all these activities. As time passes, the direction of RSS founder Dr KB Hedgewar that RSS should not be an organisation within the society, but an organisation of the society is coming to fruition. Even without formally attending RSS Shakha many are imbibing or following Sangh way of thinking and functioning–that is the biggest success. There are more Sanghis who have never been to Shakha than Shakha trained swayamsevaks, that is the success of coordination –the RSS Way. The evolution of RSS from an organisation to a movement is the result of this coordination or samanvay managed by RSS since years.
Fortunately for RSS, and unfortunately for other organisations, no one has studied or researched RSS with this view point. Their gaze on RSS has always been to find fault. For RSS, samanvay or harmonious co-ordination within and with organisations allied with it is a serious business, and that is the secret of the harmonious existence of this large Hindu Undivided Family.
https://organiser.org/2024/08/30/104009/opinion/sangh-parivar-where-coordination-is-the-crux/ -GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN samvadnewsletter@gmail.com http://shrivishwaniketan.
