Chaitra Krishna 2, Vik. Samvat 2081, Yugabda 5126:16 March 2025: SM 6024 (For Private Circulation Only)
1. FESTIVALS :
VARSH PRATIPADA (Chaitra Shukla 1, Vikram Samvat 2082, Yugabada 5127,
‘Visvavasu Nam Samvatsar’) falls on March 30. It is an example of
Bharat’s rich scientific and mathematical heritage which is celebrated across
the country. It is known as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Goa and Konkan region,
Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Thapna in Marwar region of
Rajasthan, Navareh in Jammu and Kashmir and Cheti Chand in Sindh region. It is
believed that on this day, Brahma began the creation of the universe.
2. PROGRAMS OF SARSANGHCHALAK DR. MOHAN BHAGWAT: The
five-day Akhil Bharatiya Purnakalik Karyakarta Abhyas Varg hosted by Vidya
Bharati commenced on March 4 at Sharda Vihar Residential School campus in
Bhopal. RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat inaugurated the event, marking the
beginning of a comprehensive training programme designed to enhance educational,
managerial, and administrative skills. Over 700 full-time workers from across
Bharat attended the camp, alongside NCERT and CBSE officials, Bhasha Bharati
President, and education experts. The 22-session programme was aimed to
strengthen Vidya Bharati’s mission in over 22,000 schools nationwide.
3. BHARAT IS NOT JUST A LAND, BUT A CULTURAL FORCE:
DATTATREYA HOSABALE: Speaking at the launch of ‘Vimarsh Bharat Ka’ at
Panchsheel Balak Inter College, Noida on March 10, RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya
Hosabale said that Bharat is not just a land but a civilisational philosophy and
called for an intellectual resurgence to reclaim its true history and identity.
He also said that Bharat’s rise as a global lighthouse is inevitable, but
requires strength, self-reliance, and intellectual clarity.
4. VETERAN PRACHARAK, SCHOLAR AND FORMER VISHWA VIBHAG
SAMYOJAK DR. SHANKAR RAO TATWAWADI PASSES AWAY: Dr. Shankar Rao Tatwawadi,
fondly known as Shankar ji, a veteran Pracharak, an eminent scholar, and the
former Samyojak of Vishwa Vibhag, passed away on March 12, 2025, at the age of
92. Born on March 20, 1933, in Nagpur, he dedicated his entire life to the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its global outreach.
Dr. Tatwawadi joined BHU as a professor in the Department of Pharmacy, where he later became the Head of the Department.
He took early retirement in 1992 to devote himself fully to the Sangh work. Even during his academic career, he remained deeply involved with RSS activities, holding responsibilities at the shakha level in Nagpur and at the prant level in Banaras. He also served as a Shikshak in Sangh Shiksha Vargas.
Dr. Tatwawadi played a pivotal role in expanding Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) activities in the USA and worked as a vistarak there for some time. He frequently travelled to the UK and other countries while continuing his professorship. In 1989, he was officially assigned as pracharak for the UK, where he worked tirelessly until 2011. He took charge as Vishwa Vibhag Samyojak in 1993, travelling across more than 60 countries, overseeing major programs like Vishwa Sangh Shiksha Varg, Vishwa Sangh Shibir, Hindu Sangam in Milton Keynes (UK), and the Hindu Marathon in the UK. Under his leadership, shakha activities outside Bharat expanded significantly across all continents.
After 2011, Dr. Tatwawadi associated himself with Vijnana Bharati as a Margadarshak, travelling across Bharat to mentor karyakartas and engage with prominent personalities in the scientific field.
A deeply affectionate and approachable person, Dr Tatwawadi maintained close ties with countless karyakartas and their families worldwide. His ability to remember the names and personal details of everyone he met was truly remarkable. He had a keen eye for detail - whether it was travel arrangements, Sanskrit words and their meanings, the tune of a geet, or the chronology of events. Fluent in Sanskrit and well-versed in Hindu scriptures, he was also known for his melodious singing.
Since 2011, he was based at Dr. Hedgewar Bhavan, Mahal Karyalay in Nagpur, where visiting karyakartas always looked forward to meeting him. In recent months, his health had declined, and he faced difficulty walking. On March 12, 2025, at 10:30 AM, he breathed his last at Mahal Karyalay. Fulfilling his wishes, his mortal remains were donated to AIIMS Nagpur on the same evening.
Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi, RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat, RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale, several Union Ministers including Nitin Gadkari and several dignitaries along with Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh swayamsevaks from all over word and Vishwa Vibhag family joins hand to offer their heartfelt shraddhanjali to the soul of Shri Shankar Rao ji and pray to Parmeshwar for his sadgati.
The Pradhan Mantri posted on X :
"Pained by the passing away of Dr. Shankar Rao Tatwawadi Ji. He will be remembered for his extensive contribution to nation-building and India's cultural regeneration. He dedicated himself to RSS and made a mark by furthering its global outreach. He was also a distinguished scholar, always encouraging a spirit of enquiry among the youth. Students and scholars fondly recall his association with BHU. His various passions included science, Sanskrit and spirituality.
I consider myself fortunate to have interacted with him on several occasions, both in India and overseas. His ideological clarity and meticulous style of working always stood out.“
Om Shantih Shantih Shantih. -GoTop
5. RSS AKHIL BHARATIYA PRATINIDHI SABHA 2025: On March
5, Akhil Bharaitya Prachar Pramukh of RSS Sunil Ambekar briefed that the Akhil
Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will held in Bengaluru
from March 21-23.
Along with Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah Dattatreya, all Sahsarkaryavahs and national adhikaris, a total of 1500 karyakartas from prant and kshetra levels are expected to participate in this meeting. The national office bearers of RSS-inspired organisations will also participate in the meet. -GoTop
6. BHARATIYA KNOWLEDGE TRADITION SHOULD BE REVIVED, SAYS J.
NANDAKUMAR: On February 28, J. Nandakumar, National Samyojak of Prajna
Pravah, inaugurated the Kerala University unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Shaikshik
Mahasangh. On the occasion he said that we need an educational system that would
mould teachers to serve the interests of the country. He added that after
independence, we required an educational system centred around teachers, but
that was neglected. He also said that we must now revive the Bharatiya knowledge
tradition and the New Education Policy (NEP) is a step in the right direction.
7. ABVP TRIBAL YOUTH PARLIAMENT: Akhil Bharatiya
Vidyarathi Parishad organised a three-day Tribal Youth Students Parliament on
March 9-11 in New Delhi. More than 300 tribal students from various tribes
across the country participated in it. It witnessed in depth discourse on
education, health, employment, language, culture, preservation and empowerment
of tribal heritage. The sessions had representation from more than 124 tribal
communities across Bharat. Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durga Das Uikey
was the Chief Guest of the inaugural session and the keynote speaker was ABVP’s
Organising Secretary Ashish Chauhan.
8. ‘SHRI GURUJI DRISHTI – DARSHANIKATA’ TELUGU EDITION
LAUNCHED IN HYDERABAD: On March 4, a Telugu adaptation of ‘Shri Guruji
Samagra’ titled ‘Shri Guruji Drishti –Darshanikata’ was released in Hyderabad.
Navayuga Bharati organized the book launch which saw the presence of prominent
intellectuals and academicians.
9. HSS VOLUNTEERS PERFORM SEVA DURING LA WILDFIRES:
Devastating wildfires ravaged Los Angeles, CA, in early January. HSS volunteers
in the area, including those affected by the fires, took up the task of serving
their community in crisis.
10. HSS BAND MARCHES IN SOUTHERN LA PARADE: On February
22, HSS volunteers participated in the Camellia Festival Parade in Temple City,
CA, playing traditional renditions on musical instruments.
11. YOGA KULAM YOGA AND AYURVEDA RETREAT IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA: From February 22 to 23, Yoga Kulam organised a yoga and Ayurveda
retreat in southern California for happy and prosperous living by implementing
the yogic and ayurvedic principles in daily routine.
12. SEWA USA FUND RAISER EVENTS: Sewa's South Jersey
chapter began the year with a fundraiser at the Tamil Sangam event held at
Hightstown High School in Mercer County, NJ, on February 1, raising over $1,172.
A group of Sewa LEAD (Leadership, Education, and Development) youth volunteers organized a fundraiser in Central Jersey on February 13 to support the Sewa SHE (Sanitation, Hygiene, and Empowerment) Project, which empowers the girl child’s health and hygiene awareness in government schools across Bharat.
13. SEWA CLEANUP DRIVES: Over twenty volunteers from
the Sewa Green Team joined forces with National Park Service rangers to
clean up the Chattahoochee River's Jones Bridge Corridor in Atlanta, GA, on
February 9.
14. HSS USA AND BHARAT CALLS FOR UNITY AGAINST HATE:
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, Government of Bharat and Vishwa Hindu Parishad
strongly condemned the recent attack on the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Hindu
Mandir in Chino Hills, California. Over the past five years, there have been 15
to 20 incidents of vandalism targeting Hindu mandirs across cities and towns in
the United States. Despite these repeated attacks, no perpetrators have been
apprehended or brought to justice.
HSS urged elected officials, community leaders, media, educators, and law
enforcement authorities to recognize the gravity of this attack. It calls for
unity against such hate acts.
Reacting to the incident, spokesperson of Bharat’s Ministry of External Affairs
Randhir Jaiswal said, “We condemn such despicable acts in the strongest terms
and call on local law enforcement to take stringent action and ensure adequate
security for places of worship.”
VHP Bharat’s national spokesperson Vinod Bansal criticized the attacks and
demanded strict actions from the US administration and the police.
-GoTop
15. HSS NEPAL: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA SANSKRITI GYAN PARIKSHA:
HSS Nepal conducted its annual country wide Swami Vivekananda Sanskriti Gyan
Pariksha during February-March. The aim of this examination is to familiarise
students with their glorious culture, religion, customs, traditions and
scriptures (Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Puranas, Gita, etc.). For this a
syllabus booklet was published which comprises question and answer based on
Hindu culture, tradition and knowledge.
16. CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ’S STATUE UNVEILED IN TOKYO:
In a historic moment of Indo-Japanese cultural exchange, the statue of
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was officially unveiled in Tokyo on March 8. The
grand ceremony was conducted by Swami Govind Devgiriji Maharaj, Treasurer, Ram
Janmbhoomi Trust, in the presence of dignitaries, cultural scholars, and
Shivabhakts from around the world.
17. PM MODI BECOMES FIRST BHARATIYA TO RECEIVE HIGHEST
NATIONAL AWARD OF MAURITIUS: On March 12, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi
received the Highest National Award of Mauritius, the Grand Commander of the
Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean.
18. ‘MANTHAN – MAHAKUMBH & BEYOND’: The Mahakumbh was
not merely a religious congregation but a historical grand manifestation of
Bharat’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage, unity and integrity. Recognising
its immense significance, Organiser and Panchjanya hosted a day-long confluence,
‘Manthan – Mahakumbh & Beyond’ on March 12 at Lucknow.
Speaking at the confluence National Convener of Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi (PSG) Gopal Arya elaborated the impact of PSG’s efforts such as ‘Ek Thaila, Ek Thali’ that prevented 29,000 tonnes of plastic waste from being generated.
National Convener of Prajna Pravah J Nandakumar emphasised, “Kumbh is deeply connected to Bharat’s unity and integrity. The responsibility of carrying forward this spirit lies with all of us. The initiative by Organiser and Panchjanya to organise this event is highly commendable.”
The Secretary-General of International Buddhist Confederation Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden, who also attended the event, called Bharat as ‘the motherland of Buddhism,’ a cultural legacy unmatched by any other nation. -GoTop
19. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: A person can rise through the efforts of his own mind;
or draw himself down, in the same manner. Because each person is his own friend
or enemy. — Bhagvad Gita
-GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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RSS MAHILA SAMANVAY : CELEBRATING BHARATIYA WOMANHOOD
Women deserve
to be given respect. This is followed by Sangh inspired organisations that
believes that women need to be treated with reverence as it will eventually lead
to progression -Dr V Sujatha
In Bharat, since ancient times,
women have been an integral part of the nation’s history and culture. That women
had continued to play a decisive role in shaping the country’s socio-political
narratives was shown by their great contribution towards the country’s freedom
struggle against the British Empire. Women had enjoyed equal rights with men.
This was evidenced by their involvement in framing the Constitution as well–15
members of the Constituent Assembly were women. When we achieved freedom in
1947, in advanced countries like Britain that had built up empires by exploiting
the rich resources of nations like Bharat, their women had no right to vote. It
prompted the feminist movement in Europe during the early 20th century, the
initial stage of which had to focus on women’s suffrage along with other legal
rights. Whereas in Bharat’s, women have always been enjoying not only equal
rights with men but an added privilege granted to motherhood also, as has been
pointed out by famous thinkers like Will Durant, Arthur L Basham etc.
Values Based on Eternal Truth
Mahila Samanvay Vedi
It is a national forum of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the most prominent national volunteer organization that comprises Karma – yogis, who do selfless service in the interest of our nation’s prosperity and well-being. There are around 40 Sangh inspired organisations, some are comprised exclusively of women, for instance Rashtra Sevika Samiti, Siksha Bharati, Durga Vahini and so on. Samanvay Vedi is a forum meant to discuss and exchange the ideas and the nature of activities undertaken by the various organisations of the Parivar. It helps to integrate the varied functions of the Parivar in different domains under the common banner of national welfare. Mahila Samanvay Vedi reflects the attitude of Bharatiya society that women share with men, equal rights and responsibilities in shaping the future of the nation.
The Vedi has been constituted especially to conduct programmes that promote the cause of equal opportunities for women and also protection of women against atrocities. The activities of the Mahila Samanvay clearly depict the significance that the Sangh Parivar grants to the progression of women.
The National Mahila Samanvay has been conducting seminars in various States to bring home various aspects of women upliftment. Last year, as its special programme the Mahila Samanvay put in a massive exertion to back up the stupendous efforts of the Modi Government towards the upliftment of women. The initiatives taken include:
- Conducting of seminars at the national, state and district levels to identify the various difficulties that dissuade women from undertaking social activities
- Motivate women to take up challenging opportunities and become leaders in profession and business
- Provide opportunity for women folk of villages along with that of the metropolitan cities to assume leading roles in public activities in their own respective communities and organisations
- Make women aware of their equal rights and duties as citizens
- Alert women to prevent exploitation
- Provide a secure environment for women to progress
In addition, the Samanvay conveys to women the importance of their financial freedom. Economic independence provides them with opportunities to make free choices about their lives. It also makes them participate in enhancing the national economy as well as the domestic. Today, Bharat has become the fastest growing economy of the world. The country can reach the pinnacle of economic growth if its women, constituting nearly half of the population, also reach out to help national advancement.
Mahila Samanvay in Kerala
Within the last one year, National Mahila Samanvay conducted more than 500 mass conferences in various parts of the country, each attracting thousands of women. Activities of Mahila Samanvay in Kerala deserves special mention in that it was widely recognised and acclaimed by the public. It was quite unprecedented in the history of Kerala to platform such huge gatherings for the cause of women’s empowerment.
All the districts, were covered 14 mega conventions were held; each one saw thousands of women participants. All meetings were organised, chaired and participated exclusively by women including Central Ministers and other national dignitaries as chief guests. Other leading women in various professions and business enterprises at the state-district-taluk village levels also took part in these grand symposiums.
In Kerala, during the modern period several Hindu Acharyas and writers had taken up the cause of women liberation. But today’s vote bank politics is of the nature of foiling the efforts of those great reformers. Of course, disguised as social workers, some activists bring women to public forums raising slogans of gender equality, equal opportunity, freedom etc. but with devious intentions. The true nature of their underhand tactics has come to light recently in a programme run by a Marxistislamists alliance. A large number of poets including office-bearers of Kerala Sahitya Academy participated in it, but female poets were not allowed to take part, though there are innumerable poetesses in Kerala. There arose accusations in certain quarters that women were not permitted since the function was held in connection with the religion of Islam. The contradiction here is two-fold.How could the Islamists accommodate recitation of poems since even the display of innate human creativity is considered illegitimate (harām) by the fundamentalists who excluded women from the programme? The other contradiction is that Marxists, who joined hands with the Islamists, washed their hands of their own dogma of dialectical materialism that ‘religion is the opium of the people’. On one hand, we come across dogmatists pulling the wheel of women’s progress backwards by conducting such ridiculous programmes with the blind belief that they are marching forward and call themselves ‘neo liberals’. On the other hand, we see forums like Mahila Samanvay putting in great effort to move the machinery of progress in favour of women.
A special programme of the Mahila Samanvay conducted last year on November 5th as a prelude to the grand convention in Thiruvananthapuram deserves mention in this context. It was a unique performance where 21 poetesses recited their own poems. The subject of all the poems was women-oriented, various trials, disadvantages and stumbling blocks women face at home and work place that impede their progress. As a continuation of the programme, a book was published, i.e. a collection of poems on the subject Pañca Kanya Smrti released by the well-known writer Prof George Onakkur and received by Yedu VijayaKrishnan the film director and writer. On November 1, 2023, another notable event arranged by the Mahila Samanvay was Kalaripayattu, a traditional martial art form of Kerala, where more than 30 girls displayed their martial skills.
Personal freedom for everybody to grow is the primary indication of any culturally advanced society and forms the ideal of a nation. Thus, gender equality and sufficient opportunities for the fair sex to grow determines the culture of a country and its economy too. To quote RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat: “To progress, allow women equal rights and freedom to work. If women are given freedom they can help everyone grow”. This expression contains respect and esteem regarding the women of Bharat, for they can shoulder responsibilities both inside and outside their homes.
Individual freedom, as we know, is not unfettered or absolute as some neo-liberals imagine. When the neo-liberals demand absolute individual freedom, their aim is not progressive but misleading. They are actually asking for unrestricted sensory pleasures. Sensory craving is not freedom but enslavement. Since we have to respect every one’s freedom to grow, it necessitates certain standards of conduct. These standards are prescribed not merely by the law of the land but by the basic values of life or Dharma. While the law points out the wrong-doings and the punishments thereof, Dharma equips as with the wisdom that reveals the right path. Bharat is the motherland of a great variety of cultural communities speaking different languages and following different religions. Yet they stand united because the humanitarian import of the culture of this land based on Dharma cannot be denied by anyone. Thus in Bharat along with the Law, Dharma is also held in high esteem since every living being has a proper place in it. Gender discrimination cannot be admitted either in the system of Law or as per our Dharma.
Today many of the old customs have become obsolete throughout the world. Even ‘the established truths’ of the physical sciences, for instance some of the concepts of Newtonian Physics have turned out false. In this context some people call this age as one of post-realism. But for Bharat, the land of the ultimate wisdom, there exists nothing like post-realism. For it this is the age of awakening of its traditional wisdom that supports life, culture and progress. The narratives of an age should not beleft to immature minds to dictate. It should be determined by those who have judicious vision and synoptic insight. The Amritotsav period of Bharat should be the initiation of an age of spiritual and moral wisdom and women have a major role to play in making it meaningful.
https://organiser.org/2025/03/04/280832/bharat/rss-mahila-samanvay-celebrating-bharatiya-womanhood/ -GoTop
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