Janmashtami, Vik. Samvat 2082, Yugabda 5127 : 16 August, 2025: SM 7010 (For Private Circulation only)
1. FESTIVALS :
SRI GANESH CHATURTHI: Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on Chaturthi Tithi of
Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada (August 27 this year). This day is
celebrated as the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi assumed
the nature of a gala public celebration in 1893. When the British banned
political assemblies, the festival was revived by the Bharatiya nationalist
leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
2. PROGRAMS OF SARSANGHCHALAK DR MOHAN BHAGWAT: While
speaking at the inauguration of the Cancer Care Center of Shri Guruji Seva Nyas
Madhav Srishti in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat
elaborated on the importance of accessible healthcare and education for all. He
said that the nation needs affordable and easily accessible healthcare.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Abhinav Bharati International Academic
Building at the Kavi Kulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University in Waranga, Ramtek, Dr.
Bhagwat called for national self-reliance rooted in cultural identity and the
widespread revival of Sanskrit as a living language.
On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the Regional Tibetan Women’s
Association and sisters from the Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch tied rakhi to Dr.
Bhagwat, symbolizing the bond of protection and goodwill.
On August 12, Dr. Bhagwat visited Raivasa Dham in Sikar. He unveiled a statue of
Sant Raghavacharya and inaugurated the Gurukul building.
3. RASHTRAPATI’S ADDRESS TO THE NATION: On the eve of
Bharat’s 79th Independence Day, Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu addressed the nation
and said that the nation is on the path to becoming self-reliant and is
progressing with great confidence. Citing a GDP growth rate of 6.5 per cent in
the last fiscal year, she noted that Bharat remains the fastest-growing major
economy in the world. She also hailed the completion of the rail link in the
Kashmir Valley as a significant achievement that will boost trade and tourism.
She added that the all-round economic growth complemented by social sector
initiatives has placed Bharat well on the path of becoming a developed economy
by 2047.
The Rashtrapati also used the opportunity to highlight Bharat’s strides in
self-dependence in defence manufacturing. “Operation Sindoor was also a test
case of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission in the defence sector. The outcome has
proved that we are on the right path. Our indigenous manufacturing has achieved
the critical level that makes us self-sufficient in meeting many of our security
requirements,” Murmu said.
She also said that after regaining our freedom, we became a democracy with
universal adult franchise. In spite of many challenges, the people of Bharat
made a successful transition to democracy. The transition was a natural
reflection of our ancient democratic ethos. Bharat had the oldest republics in
the world. It is rightly acknowledged as the mother of democracy. When we
adopted the Constitution, it provided the edifice of democracy. We built
democratic institutions that strengthened the practice of democracy. We prize
our Constitution and our democracy above everything else.
On the occasion, Rashtrapati Murmu greeted the soldiers guarding our borders,
and the police as well as Central Armed Police Forces. She also extended
heartfelt greetings to the Bharatiya officials in the missions abroad and also to
the Bharatiya diaspora. -GoTop
4. PM MODI UNFURLS NATIONAL FLAG AT RED FORT: On the
occasion of Bharat’s 79th Independence Day, Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi
addressed the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort for the 12th
consecutive time. The celebration began with PM Modi paying floral tribute to
Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. After receiving the Guard of Honour upon arrival at
the Red Fort, PM Modi hoisted the National flag. The theme of this year - 'Naya
Bharat' - reflected the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by
2047.
5. HSS RAKSHABANDHAN: On the occasion of Rakshabandhan,
volunteers from the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA in Iowa City visited the
North Liberty Fire Department. HSS chapters in Arizona visited Honorable
Jennifer Crawford, Vice Mayor of City of Peoria, Arizona Government along with
Council Members Matt Bullock and Jon Edwards.
6. TELFORD AADARSH PARIVAAR SHAKHA HOSTS 'VAANI' CONTEST:
On June 27, a Ramayana themed ‘Vaani’ speech competition was organized at
Telford Aadarsh Parivaar shakha. It brought together participants of all ages in
a vibrant celebration of cultural and spiritual heritage. The purpose of the
event was to nurture public speaking skills and intergenerational dialogue by
encouraging reflection on the moral lessons, character values, and timeless
relevance of the Ramayana, which had been the focus of bauddhiks over the
previous two months.
The competition not only enhanced public speaking and critical thinking skills
but also served as a meaningful reminder of the guiding principles and ancient
wisdom that the Ramayana offers for personal growth and societal harmony. -GoTop
7. KENYA : THE YUVA LEAGUE 2025: Organized by Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh Kenya Yuvas, The Yuva League 2025, a vibrant full-day
celebration of sports, culture, and community, brought together more than a
hundred Hindu youth from across Kenya at CGHU High School in Parklands on July
27. Yuva pramukh, Veer Shah, said that the event aimed to promote traditional
Bharatiya games while fostering unity, leadership, and values among the youth.
The day began with a yuva shakha, setting a spirited tone for what followed. The
atmosphere was marked by enthusiastic competition, strong sportsmanship, and an
inspiring display of resilience and camaraderie.
Beyond sports, the league featured enriching educational sessions. Sah Karyavah
of HSS Kenya, Mayur Shir, delivered a thought-provoking talk on Sangh values and
vision.
Many participants spoke of the joy, learning, and connection they experienced —
with several expressing a strong desire to stay engaged with Hindu Swayamsevak
Sangh Yuvas and attend future shakhas and events. -GoTop
8. HSS LILONGWE HHC: On August 3, HSS Malawi, in
association with Hindu Seva Samaj, organized a Hindu Heritage Camp at the Radha
Krishna Mandir in Lilongwe. 68 participants attended the camp and 15 youth
volunteers led all the camp activities.
9. SWAYAMSEVAK MILAN 2025 – LAGOS, NIGERIA: On July 13,
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Nigeria hosted a Swayamsevak Milan in Lagos. More
than 600 swayamsevaks, sevikas, and well-wishers attended the milan.
Families from all across Nigeria arrived with children, parents, and
grandparents—reflecting the core Sangh belief that family is the first school of
sanskar, and that nation-building begins at home. The milan was graced by Dr.
Ram Vaidya, World Joint Coordinator and senior functionary of the HSS Global
Coordination Team.
The Consulate General of Bharat to Nigeria, Trustees of HSS foundation, Sewa
International Nigeria and representatives of several Bhartiya Samaj in Nigeria
attended the event. -GoTop
10. UTHO ANNUAL PARIVAR SHIBIR: The UK Telugu Hindu
Organisation (UTHO) hosted its annual Parivar Shibir on July 6, with over 300
members from the Telugu community in attendance. Themed ‘Yuva’, the event
focused on energizing and inspiring youth and families through a vibrant blend
of STEM, Bharatiya knowledge systems, and cultural wisdom.
The event concluded with a thought-provoking bauddhik by Dr. Yogesh Joshi,
HSS(UK) Sah Karyavah, tying together the theme of Yuva with the timeless vision
of Bharat’s spiritual and intellectual legacy. -GoTop
11. KAHO-UK SHIBIR 2025: Kannada Hindu Organisation of
UK (KAHO) organised an annual Shibir at Orpington, themed Karavaliya Sobagina
Shibir, i.e, Glories of the Malabar region.
12. RSS VOLUNTEERS LEAD RELIEF IN FLOOD-HIT UTTARKASHI:
The unabating monsoon rains in Uttarakhand brought extensive devastation,
particularly in Uttarkashi and Pauri Garhwal districts. Landslides, swept-away
bridges, and flooded roads isolated numerous remote villages, leaving people
stranded with minimal access to basic supplies. During the crisis, the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) moved in with a big relief effort, deploying its
volunteers to reach out to disaster-struck families in some of the most remote
locations.
Although the present emphasis is on immediate needs—food, water, and
medicine—the RSS’s organized approach also anticipates eventual long-term
recovery activities. -GoTop
13. BHARAT SENDS 5 TONNES OF COWPEA SEEDS TO FIJI:
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the first tranche of cowpea
seeds departed from Delhi for Fiji on July 26. The Bharatiya mission handed over
five metric tonnes of cowpea seeds as humanitarian assistance to the Fijian
government on August 11 to support agricultural production.
14. BHARAT INAUGURATED EIGHT NEW ICA CENTRES ACROSS
AMERICA: Bharat has opened eight new Indian Consular Application Centres (ICAC)
across the USA, significantly expanding the delivery footprint for visa,
passport and other services and streamlining them for the Bharatiya diaspora in
the country.
All consular services, including passport, visa, OCI, surrender certificate,
life certificate, birth/marriage certificate, police clearance, attestations,
and more, will be provided exclusively through VFS Global Centres.
The expansion brings the total number of ICACs across the US to 17, making
consular services more accessible to Bharatiya and American citizens in the
country. -GoTop
15. MHA TIGHTENS OCI CARD RULES: The Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA) has introduced stricter regulations for Overseas Citizens of India
(OCI), allowing cancellation of OCI registration for individuals convicted of
serious crimes. The new notification, issued on August 12, will apply to OCI
cardholders sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more, or those
charge-sheeted for offences punishable with seven years or above.
16. TALLEST MURTI OF BHAGWAN RAM IN NORTH AMERICA:
Federal Cabinet ministers and the leader of the opposition in the House of
Commons joined thousands of devotees on August 3 as the tallest murti of Bhagwan
Ram in North America was unveiled at the Hindu Heritage Center in Mississauga,
Ontario. The Bharatiya government was also represented by Acting Consul General
in Toronto Kapidhwaja Pratap Singh.
17. BHARAT MANDAP AT OSAKA WORLD EXPO DRAWS 20,000
VISITORS: In Japan, the Bharatiya Pavilion - titled Bharat Mandap - at the
World Expo 2025 being held in Osaka attracted over 20,000 visitors on August 2,
as people came to witness the richness of Bharat’s cultural heritage, space
achievements, and handicrafts. The Bharatiya Embassy in Japan, on a social media
platform, mentioned how the visitors experienced a yoga session embracing
Bharat’s age-old journey towards holistic wellness. Other attractions at the
Expo included a ‘Chandrayaan Zone’, showcasing Bharat’s pioneering achievements
in space exploration and its lunar missions. The One-District One-Product zone
showcased walnut wood carving from Jammu & Kashmir, and Tarakashi art from
Odisha.
The Expo has drawn participation from over 160 countries and 9 international
organisations. -GoTop
18. MATHURA SRIDHARAN APPOINTED OHIO’S NEW SOLICITOR
GENERAL: In a significant legal and cultural milestone, Mathura Sridharan, a
highly accomplished Bharatiyan-origin attorney, has been appointed as the 12th
Solicitor General of Ohio.
19. OBITUARY : MA. DEOROOP TEEMAL: Deoroop Teemal ji,
Ma. Sanghchalak of Trinidad and Tobago died peacefully at his home in St
Augustine on August 3. He was 68 and would have turned 69 in September. He is
survived by his wife, two daughters and three grandchildren.
Through his Sangh work, he spearheaded initiatives such as the Hindu Mandirs
Conference and the International Day of Yoga Committee of Trinidad and Tobago.
Apart from being the Sanghchalak of HSS Trinidad and Tobago, and President of
NCIC, he was also on the Advisory Board for Sewa International Trinidad and
Tobago.
As an Independent Senator, his calm wisdom and principled voice brought dignity
and reason to national discourse. His legacy is one of quiet strength, deep
compassion, and a life lived in services to others.-GoTop
20. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Visitors
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We want the education by which character is formed,
strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can
stand on one's own feet. —Swami Vivekananda -GoTop
JAI SHRI RAM
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BHARATIYA WORLD VIEW: BUILD BRAND BHARAT
As we celebrate Independence Day, we reflect on our past achievements and continue to strengthen our capabilities, addressing our weaknesses to build 'Brand Bharat,' that rises with purpose, overcomes its challenges, and leads the world as a true Vishwaguru (global leader) - Ram Madhav
Bharat is celebrating 79th
Independence day this month. The Bharat of today is not the same as the one in
the past. It has grown in prosperity, strength and global recognition. Its
leadership has the ambition and determination to take it to the pinnacle of
glory. That Bharat should emerge as a Vishwaguru is the aspiration of 1.4
billion countrymen today. Given the country’s hoary history and the surreal rise
it has witnessed in the last one decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
leadership, such an ambition and aspiration is fully justified. But there is an
important question that the entire nation needs to ponder over. Should Bharat
simply emulate the West and rest in its pursuit of greatness? Or should it rise
as a brand by itself?
Like humans, nations also look for role models. Generally, countries that are
economically and militarily strong are considered role models to emulate.
Progress and development are often measured by the size of a country’s GDP and
the strength of its military forces. Militarily powerful and economically
developed countries like the US and China thus came to present those role models
to many national societies.
Initially, the Bharatiya leadership also attempted to ape their successful
trajectory. In the first three or four decades, the fad of socialism dominated
the Bharatiya political and policy establishment. After the 1990s, joining the
club of the so-called developed West became the singular obsession of the
Bharatiya leadership. There is nothing wrong with the leadership’s desire to
create better living standards for all its people, but there never existed any
clarity as to what path to choose, or what models to build. Ideally, at the time
of Independence, Bharat should have debated over its global mission, and
strategised on the direction to take. It should have turned to its vast
civilisational experience to find its national soul, and build a future in
harmony with that.
People of a nation cannot be motivated by principles that are alien to their
inner soul or what Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, the proponent of Ekatma Manav
Darshan (Integral Humanism), used to describe as Chiti. “Chiti is the soul of
the nation. It is on the foundation of this Chiti that a nation arises and
becomes strong and virile,” he said. Chiti can inspire people to make supreme
sacrifices to achieve the lofty goals of their national mission. This kind of
awakening of the inner Purushartha—the force of a nation, on the basis of its
Chiti was described by Deendayal as the Virat or the superior being.
Need of Virat Awakening
Gandhi’s efforts at using cultural symbols like ahimsa, satyagraha and Ram Rajya
to mobilise national power during the freedom struggle was an example of it.
Speaking in the Constituent Assembly of Bharat, T Prakasam, a member of the
Madras Presidency, and later the first Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,
highlighted Gandhi’s contribution to the freedom movement by calling him a
‘seer’. He said, “I myself, Sir, had a talk with the great Lala Lajpat Rai more
than forty five years ago in England. He was the earliest of the sufferers for
freedom and he said: ‘Look at the organisational discipline and the way in which
people here conduct themselves. Can we ever hope to send away these British
people from our country and establish freedom?’ That was my feeling when I
touched that shore. Under those circumstances it was, that this man Gandhi ji,
came as a seer and lifted us up…”
Once the Virat of a nation wakes up, its success cannot be stalled. Such
awakening was witnessed on several occasions after Independence – for cow
protection in the 1950s, during the Chinese aggression in the early 1960s,
against the draconian Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1970s, during the
Ekatmata Yatra against unscrupulous religious conversions in 1980s, and during
the Ram Janmabhoomi temple agitation in 1990s.
Leaders of the present Government come from that school of thought which always
upheld the view that Bharat should rise as a great nation not merely by
imitating others, but by presenting an idealist vision based on its age-old
wisdom. From taking yoga to the world platform through a UN resolution in 2014
to adopting Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—a lofty ideal proclaimed by ancient Bharatiya
scriptures as the motto of the G-20 during Bharat’s presidency in 2023, PM Modi
demonstrated that commitment time and again.
Amrit Kaal of Independence
He also introduced a quintessentially Bharatiya nomenclature and symbolism into
Bharatiya polity. Rajpath, the central ceremonial boulevard of British vintage,
became Kartavya Path, and Race Course Road—where the prime minister’s residence
is located—became Lok Kalyan Marg. Pinnacle of this transformation came when the
sengol, the sacred sceptre that symbolises the supreme authority of Dharma in
statecraft, was installed in the new Parliament building. Some of these
decisions invited criticism and derision from some quarters. But Modi insisted
that the country has now entered the Amrit Kaal of Independence and “preserving
the heritage and forging new dimensions of development” will be the leitmotif of
this new age. A majority of the countrymen do not see cultural and religious
symbols of Bharat as anti-secular or revivalist. In fact, secularism draws from
ancient Bharatiya spiritual and cultural traditions which upheld pluralism and
celebrated diversity.
Nehru or Gandhi
Nehru called religion obsolete and saw a dichotomy between culture and
modernity. But there was Gandhi, for whom politics bereft of dharma was a sin.
He declared that ‘I could not live for a single second without Dharma. Many of
my political friends despair of me because they say that even my politics is
derived from dharma. And they are right. My politics and all other activities of
mine are derived from my dharma,’ and admonished Nehruvians that they ‘do not
know what Dharma means’. After Independence, Gandhi was installed outside the
Parliament, but the inside was overwhelmed by the Nehruvian vision. Gandhi
continues to be there outside the new Parliament building, but the sengol—representing
Gandhi’s Ram Rajya, the Dharma Rajya—is inside the Parliament now.
Having established a post-Nehruvian symbolism, we now have to establish those
values in governance and national life. We adopted Westminster model of
democracy after independence. It served us well and we are a beacon for the
entire democratic world. But the Bharatiya concept of democracy was never
majoritarian. Gandhi described it as a system where ‘the weakest should have the
same opportunity as the strongest’. That is ‘Dharmocracy’, the Bharatiya model
of statecraft.
Vishwaguru Bharat
Challenges that the world faces today are all products of the flawed thinking in
the Western and communist worldviews. Sadly, the answers to mitigate those
challenges are also being offered by the same forces today. The World Economic
Forum has emerged as the go-to institution on economic questions while the COP
meetings emerged as the panacea for environmental challenges. Bharat, through
its concepts like Dharmakartrutva – trusteeship and Prithvi Sukta – the hymn of
ecology, has enormous wisdom to offer to the mankind. As we rise in the new
world as a confident power, Bharat should not allow it to be dominated by the
same Western institutions and thought processes once again. It should come
forward to proactively promote its distinct ideas and solutions to the global
challenges in the light of its cultural and civilisational uniqueness. That is
how Bharat can and should build its mojo—the Brand Bharat.
https://organiser.org/2025/08/12/307682/bharat/bharatiya-world-view-build-brand-bharat/
-GoTop
SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN samvadnewsletter@gmail.com http://shrivishwaniketan.
