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Amar Bharati
अमर भारती
December 2017
70 Yrs
Contents
Editorial
Global News
Humble Pen
Yuvas Speak
Did You Know…
Deendayalji
Kids Zone
Sangh News from Kenya
My Travels in Africa
Arise Kenya
Sangh Utsavs and Sanskaars
The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of HSS.
Some pictures used in this publication have been sourced from various
websites using Google Search.
The year 2017 marks the auspicious culmination of 70 years of
Sangh karya in Kenya. As we rejoice the great day, naturally we
look back to see how Sangh got firmly established in Kenya,
how it spread the great ideal of Hindu Sanghatan to our neigh-
bouring countries and a beautiful Hindu Sanghatan took shape
in East Africa. We review the achievements we have made so
far in creating Karyakartas with admirable qualities of service
and self-sacrifice, who have built strong foundations on which
our Sangh stands on. These Karyakartas work this hard because
they believe in the mission and vision of Sangh. They understand
that we must sacrifice for the samaj.
एकोऽहम बहुष्यामम । Ekoham; bahushyami.
I am one. let me become many.
We must take it upon ourselves to create the ideal environment
for Karyakarta Nirmaan. Whatever role we may come to play,
we must look to the vision and mission of Sangh, and work for its
fulfilment. We should spread the ideal of Sangh through pleas-
ant and spotless behaviour.
एकोऽहम एक दीपसे जले दसूरा बने श ृंखला ज्योमत अनके ।
इस ध्येयमनष्ठा के साथ काम करते हुए अगे बढे ॥
Ek deep se jale dushra bane srikhla jyoti anek. Is dhyenisthakesath kam karte hue age badhe.
Let one lamp light another; Thus let them become a chain of
many lamps. With this strong determination, let us move forward
performing our duties.
| J. J. Dave
E D I T O R I A L
Global News
Harvard Teaching 'The Great Epics' Ramayana and
Mahabharata: Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana is
taught at Harvard University (HU), one of the world's top and
United States' oldest institution of higher education, established
in 1636. These great Sanskrit epics will be taught at the graduate
level "Bharatiya Religions through their Narrative Literatures: The
Epics" class taught by Professor Anne Monius of Harvard Divinity
School.
Rashtrapati ji addresses Bharatiya Community in Djibouti:
Rashtrapati Ram Nath Kovind addressed about 200 people of
Bharatiya Community in Djibouti. He said, “While we have an
Ambassador to represent our government, every member of the
Bharatiya community present here is a representative of our
nation. In whatever capacity you have made Djibouti your
home, you have shown a spirit of selfless and dedicated service
to the people of Djibouti, and become pillars of support for the
local community and a source of pride for Bharat.
Saraswati: Filled with 20 Million Billion Suns, Bharatiya
Astronomers Discover Supercluster of Galaxies: A team of
Bharatiya astronomers have identified an extremely large
supercluster of galaxies and have named it Saraswati. The super
cluster of 43 galaxies is located in the direction of constellation
Pisces and is one of the largest known structures in the universe
which may contain the mass equivalent to over 20 million billion
suns. According to Inter University Centre for Astronomy &
Astrophysics IUCAA, this is one of the largest-known structures in
the nearby Universe and is at a distance of 4,000 million light
years from us, and stretching over 600 million light years.
Bharat and Canada jointly release Diwali Stamps: Bharat and
Canada have unveiled their first joint stamp, as the countries
simultaneously issued stamps to celebrate the festival of Diwali.
Jasleen Kaur Josan to fly for NASA's Mars Mission: After Kalpana
Chawla, Jasleen Kaur Josan has become the 2nd Bharatiya
Woman to be selected by NASA for the Mars Expedition
happening in 2030.
Guru Gobind Singh ji is our Torchbearer - Dr. Mohan Bhagwat:
“The tenth Guru Guru Gobind Singh Ji has been among those
who took the country forward. That is why everybody holds him
as an ideal and aspires to be like him. It was for this reason that
Swami Vivekananda said in order to regain the dignity of the
country every citizen would have to follow the ideals of Guru
Gobind Singh Ji,” said RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat Ji
at an event organised to commemorate the 350th anniversary
of the Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Donald Trump Greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak Jayanti: US President
Donald Trump greeted Sikh Americans and Sikhs across the world
on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 4. The
President also recognised the many contributions that the Sikh
Americans have made for more than 100 years, that includes
through military and public service.
Unesco Declares Ahmedabad as World Heritage City: The largest
city and former capital of Gujarat, Ahmedabad, has been
declared as a World Heritage City at the 41st session of United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO) world heritage in Poland.
150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita: "Swami Vivekananda
had brought Bhagini Nivedita to Bharat for generating
awakening among women. Nivedita sacrificed every drop of
her blood for Bharat and for the upliftment of womanhood in
Bharat. Around 2,000 women joined the function jointly
organised by the Bhagini Nivedita 150th Birth Anniversary
Celebration Committee and Siliguri chapter of Vivekananda
Kendra.
Humble Pen
| Ram Vaidya
Faceless Leaders
It is heard frequently that Sangh produces great leaders, however,
they are often faceless. Babanrao Sathey was one amongst the many
such leaders that did not receive this recognition. He wasn’t known to
have even the slightest shadow of an ego and was considered to
have taken a Vrat, which embodied Sangh character down to the
blood and muscles of his body.
Discipline was a personality trait that came naturally to Babanrao.
Upon his arrival at the Shakha Sthan, he developed a lasting habit of
arranging the shoes in a neat row. Although only a small example, it
was this strict adherence to discipline that applied to all parts of his
life…
There once happened to be a shortage of water in his locality and
the local council had to arrange for the purchase of drinking water
through a water tanker. As can be predicted in times of shortage,
when the water tanker arrived, everyone was jostling around it to get
to the water and fill their vessels first, which caused a lot of
inconvenience to the very people that needed that water. Babanrao
would take it upon himself to arrange everyone in an orderly fashion
thereby making sure that all those that needed water would get
some, with as little being wasted as possible. This is another shining
example of how he would use samskaars picked up in shakha to
organize a large number of people and show them how to benefit
from orderly behavior.
Punctuality was as important to Babanraoji as was discipline, always
being one of the first person to assist at weddings and other functions.
It was humorously said that at the Pune Karyalay, when swayamsevaks
heard the hum of his bike, they’d check their watches and would
adjust them.
One of Babanrao’s friend Arun ji Dharmadhikari narrated an
incident as follows...
“I think it was a Wednesday at around 8.30pm while I was
getting ready to go to a weekly Nagar Baithak and I was
listening the famous Film music program (Binaka) on my radio. It
was raining heavily so I thought to wait for a while before
leaving to go to the Baithak, though I was inclined to stay at
home if the rain did not cease soon. The radio program further
tempted me to remain in the comfort of my home. Despite
waiting for another hour and a half, there was no respite from
the rain and so I decided not to go. Wrapping myself in a shawl,
I settled down for the evening. Then, I heard the door bell.
Imagine my surprise to see Babanraoji at the door step in his very
familiar attire: sky blue shirt, white shorts and the addition of an
umbrella tonight.
‘I think you are supposed to come to the baithak at 9pm.’ he
told me with a straight face. I was speechless. Needless to say
that I switched off the Radio, put my shoes on and we left for the
baithak. There were many swayamsevaks present for the
baithak that evening, all pursued relentlessly by Babanraoji, it
would seem. Unfortunately for some reasons the Baithak did not
go very well. It wasn't a conducive atmosphere and though
Babanrao was observing all proceedings he seldom spoke up.
Upon the end of the baithak everyone was treated to hot
snacks that he had previously arranged and there was a
complete turnabout in the atmosphere of the Baithak. Whereas
previously nothing could be agreed upon collectively, now
everyone was contributing positive ideas. What we all took
away from that Baithak was that if we were expected to be
somewhere it was our duty to make sure that we attended,
though Babanrao did not express that to any of us, it was noted
with diligence by all. A Sanskaar was engraved in our minds.”
Sangh as we know it today is as a result of such faceless
leadership.
(Babanrao Sathey was the father of Chanda Tai Sathey: National
University students coordinator Rashtra Sevika Samiti)
Yuvas Speak
“Shakha is a Sanskaar Kendra”
We have often heard this in Baudhiks and even used this
phrase during our Sampark visits to swayamsevak and sevikas
homes. In this issue we ask Yuvas what is their experience in
this regards.
What Shakha has done to me cannot fully be expressed in
words. I would have never known the fruits of Shakha if I
wouldn’t have moved out of my comfort zone. It is only after
joining Shakha that I came to understand it. I started Shakha
through a friend, who taught me the value of selfless service
and influenced me to become a worker.
My first SSV taught me all the things I was unaware of. VSSV in
turn taught me discipline and at the same time exposed me to
HSS work worldwide. It also taught me to do things at the right
time and on time. This in turn has enabled me to set timetables
and follow them in my daily routine. When we started the
Nairobi West Shakha, it was a difficult task. It was very hard to
gather Sevikas but it trained me to learn how to organize myself.
Shakha has definitely became a tool for me to totally transform
myself for the better. What Shakha has done for me cannot
fully be expressed in words. | Jasvanti Hirani
I joined shakha at the age of 10, when I used to come to play
games but now after 3 years learning the vision and mission of
Sangh, it has inculcated a lot of manners, discipline and wisdom
in me. I am proud and very lucky to be a part of the highly
knowledgeable and respected Sangh Parivaar. | Meet Patel
Shakha has instilled important sanskaars in me that have helped
me think critically and move forward in life with ease. These
sanskaars are patience and discipline. When I was first
introduced to Shakha, I was unable to understand its relevance
to one’s life. I just thought it was a place to play and have fun.
However, now after being part of this Parivaar for a long time I
have realized that Shakha is not just a place to play Khel, It’s so
much more than that.
It develops one mentally, spiritually and physically. It’s a
complete sanskaar Kendra. I’m glad to be part of this vast
Parivaar. | Shivani Sutaria V
I was introduced to Shakha when I was six years old when it was
just a way to pass my free time. Attending shakhas used to give
me immense joy and over the years it has taught me useful life
skills and lessons. It ensures physical fitness through activities such
as yoga, Dand and Niyuddh. Some of these activities i.e
Niyuddh also taught me self-defense and strengthened my
body to the core. One of my favorite physical activities would
be Khel. It refreshed me when I was 6 and it still does. Khel
taught me sportsmanship, team work, quick reflexes etc. Being
part of this sanskaar Kendra, I believe I have the opportunity to
give back to the society e.g by helping to feed the needy.
Other than sewa, Shakha also organizes camp in which we are
taught to be independent and they become life changing
experiences. Shakha converted me from a shy and quiet girl to
confident and motivated Sevika; teaching me qualities such as
friendliness, care for others, belongingness and
self-empowerment .Shakha can definitely be called an ideal
Sanskaar Kendra | Riya Das
I have been in shakha for a long time now. It has brought a lot
of changes in me and modified the way I look at different
circumstances. It brought out such sanskaars in me, that I had
no idea of.
For example, importance of punctuality and respect for every
human. It has made me a much more responsible person as in
Shakha even the smallest responsibility given needs to be
carried out to perfection. By providing a platform to speak, it
has boosted my self-confidence. the stern rules and Shikshikas
was definitely a challenge at first, but now I realize that the
severity was important to strengthen ourselves mentally and
physically.
Shakha is my family. Young or old, everyone has something to
teach and learn. This is the ultimate sanskaar “machine”. | Meera Chandria
Shakha, is a branch stretching from the main trunk (Hindu
Dharma) spreading all over enlightening several Hindus
accompanied by its beautiful flowers that are saturated with
several benefits.
One of the benefits saturated in these flowers is Sanskaar.
Sanskaar is a process that converts a person into an ideal
personality by killing the negatives within him/her and
inculcating good human values and qualities.
Sanskaar is instilled through many seemingly unimportant acts
such as greeting someone with Namaste, adding Ji behind
everyone’s name, playing different games, participating and
contributing on a charcha topic and many other ways. Sanskar
is the main element that enables the transformation of a
Swayamsevak to a Karyakarta.
| Kishan Valani
Did You know…
The Sulba Theorem/ Baudhayana Theorem
दीर्घचतुरश्रस्याक्ष्णया रज्ज:ु पार्श्र घ्मानी मतयघग् मानी च यत ्प थग् भूत ेकुरूतस्तदभुयृं करोमत ॥
dīrghachatursrasyākṣaṇayā rajjuḥ pārśvamānī, tiryagmānī,
cha yatpṛthagbhūte kurutastadubhayāṅ karoti.
A rope stretched along the length of the diagonal produces an
area which the vertical and horizontal sides make together.
This same statement was later paraphrased into the following.
The areas (of the squares) produced separately by the length
and breadth of a rectangle together equal the area (of the
square) produced by the diagonal.
This theorem is generally attributed to Pythagoras, however it
can be found in the Baudhayana Sutras as early as the year
800 CE. The Baudhyana Sutra is also known for one of the
earliest approximations of √2, a very important number in
modern day mathematics.
a2 + b2 = c2
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya
1916 — 1968
Celebrating the 100th Birth Centenary
|Divyesh Parmar
Deendayal Bhavan – The first Sangh Karyalay !!!
Deendayal Bhavan, the first Sangh Karyalay outside Bharat, is a
Tirthsthan for Swayamsevaks. It has very many firsts, including the first
statue of Deendayalji in the world !!! It was inaugurated in Nairobi on
28 July 1968.
Panditji visited Kenya on his overseas tour of USA, Europe and Africa.
Whilst on His tour of Kenya, he mingled with the Sangh Karyakartas
and Swayamsevaks as His own old friends. He was a very simple man,
all who met Him would say.
All were very shocked to hear about His death on 11 Feb 1968. The
Kenyan Swayamsevaks decided to honour this great Hero by naming
the first Sangh Karyalay (Deendayal Bhavan) outside Bharat, after
Panditji. A statue of Him was ordered and brought to Kenya by Shri
Vasant Dharmaadhikari, the Professor at Nairobi University, and a
Karyakarta of Sangh. Man. Shree Bhideji, our Pracharak of those days,
organised the making of the statue in Bharat.
Birth Centenary Year
BJP has celebrated hugely the Birth Centenary of Pandit Deendayalji
with year-long events and functions from 25 Sept 2016 to 25 Sept 2017.
The BJP’s principles are outlined by Integral Humanism (Ekatma
Manavavaad), a philosophy reinvented by Panditji. This is based on
the principles of Sanathan Dharma. Integral Humanism is
Deendayalji´s greatest contribution. Today Integral Humanism is being
studied all over the world, as a philosophy for not only the political
field but Human kind itself. On Oct 15 2016, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, released “The Complete Works of Deendayal Upadhyaya” a 15
volume publication, highlighting the key events in the life of Panditji
and the journey of Jana Sangh
Ideal Swayamsevak
For us though, we remember Deendayalji as an ideal swayamsevak.
He showed us, by His utmost discipline and spotless character, how a
swayamsevak behaves in other (Political, Social, Cultural)
organisations. The incidences below demonstrated this...
In 1948 Deendayalji launched a Hindi Weekly magazine
Panchajanya, of which He was the founder Editor. From 1952
onwards, He was the General Secretary of Jan Sangh. In 1961,
Bharat was facing a possible war with China. At that time a
number of political parties and trade unions called for a
nationwide strike to support certain demands of the Railway
employees. In view of the elections in 1962, Jan Sangh supported
the call. Of course it was expected Panchajanya would support
the strike. But the then Editor, Sharmaji, took the stand that the
strike is not in the interest of the Nation. The Jan Sangh leaders
complained to Deendayalji. Deendayalji organised a meeting
between the Editor and Jan Sangh leaders. He congratulated the
Editor, and said, the nation is greater than any Party, even if it
maybe Your own. The national interest comes first, and a
Journalist should be loyal to the Country.
Friends of Panditji were delighted to learn that He was going on an
overseas tour. The decided to give Him a gift. Panditji smilingly
refused and said “Just give me Your blessings”. The Friends gave
him an envelope with some US Dollars in it. He accepted this upon
insistence of His Friends. He travelled to USA, Europe and Kenya,
and returned to Bharat. In the next Guru Pooja Utsav he placed
the full envelope as his part of his Dakshina. He never used any
money from it.
In those years, there were few Journalists who came to interviews
and/or press conferences of political parties. Everyone knew all by
names. The Congress leaders and other political party leaders
were used to coming late for all the briefings. It was norm that only
1 or 2 journalists arrived on time, and then all would trickle in slowly.
The Political leaders were known to come more than 30 minutes
late. Deendayalji insisted to arrive on time. The Jan Sangh
Karyakartas advised Him to come a bit late as this was the norm,
but He totally opposed it. He said as workers of the Nation we
have to be punctual. He said if we don’t do this punctuality thing,
who will?
In 1963 there were by Elections held in Jaunpur. Here the Jana
Sangh was assured of victory if it played the caste card. With a
large Brahmin vote bank, the Jana Sangh candidate Pandit
Deendayalji was assured of victory, He too being a Brahmin. But he
opposed against the Caste Card and declared to all in Jana
Sangh that He would not use this. The election will be run on values
and not on caste basis. The Jan Sangh leaders begged him, but
he didn’t bulge. He lost the by election. He insisted that we have
to stick to our values, and not to dirty politics .
Pandit Deendayalji travelled by the Passenger train a lot. Most of
the time it was Third class. This He insisted as it saved money and
also allowed him to meet people. It also gave him time to read
books, which he loved. The first time He learnt Marathi was at the
camp of 1937 in Nagpur. In the 40 day camp He learnt a few
sentences every day, and by the end of 30 days, He could read
the Marathi newspaper. In 1963 He translated a 500 Page
volume on P.P. Doctorji from Marathi to Hindi. He insisted that as
Swayamsevaks we should keep on learning and reading.
Once whilst travelling by train, the Karyakartas of Jan Sangh
gave him a first class ticket and a third class ticket for the person
accompanying him, a low ranking Jan Sangh worker. Whilst
waiting for the train to come at the station, Deendayalji excused
himself, and returned after a while. When the train came, He
asked the Worker to accompany him to the first class, as He
wanted to discuss few issues. Once the train started He gave him
the two rail tickets, both of first class. Caring about Workers was
his speciality. He built the Jana Sangh single handed, from 1952
to 1968, from a small regional party, to a large National Party.
A Karyakarta par excellence, simple living and high thinking
were his trademarks. He moved about in very simple dressing, a
Kurta and Dhoti on him. Once His Kurta and Dhoti were torn and
worn out, but He refused to change them. So when he went for
a bath, the Jan Sangh Karyakartas removed his old clothes and
put in its place new Dhoti and Kurta. After coming from bath, He
laughed with the Karyakartas, though He insisted He wanted His
old clothes, after much pressure from the Younger Karyakartas
He agreed and wore the new ones.
Deendayalji is remembered for His Philosophy of Integral Humanism, as
a great scholar, excellent Organiser, Thinker, great Leader, but above
all he is remembered as an ideal swayamsevak.
Kids Zone
Can you name all the Lakes and Mountains Labelled above?
A Brother like Bharat
Shri Ram was ordered by King Dasharatha to go to the forest for
fourteen years. It was the wish of Queen Kaikayi that her son
Bharat should become king of Ayodhya instead of Shri Rama.
Being a faithful son and a prince, Shri Ram along with Sitaji and
Lakshmana, departed for the jungle.
All this was decided when Bharat was away at his uncles. By the
time he returned, Shri Ram had already left. Even the king had
died because he could not bear the departure. Bharat was very
shocked and angry to hear what had happened. He loved Shri
Ram so much that he could never imagine that he could take
the throne of Ayodhya.
Bharat begged all present in the court of Ayodhya that they pre-
pare to go and find Shri Ram, to bring him back and crown him
King. Bharat was very excited when his proposal brought cheers
of acceptance and joy. Bharat even suggested that all the
requirements for crowning Shri Ram as king, including the crown,
should be taken so that Shri Ram could be crowned king as soon
as he was found. A great party of ministers, soldiers, servants and
people began the search of Shri Ram.
Meanwhile Shri Ram had made temporary home in the forest
and Lakshmana was keeping guard nearby. He saw a huge
army approach, which was led at the front by Bharat.
Lakshmana immediately went to Shri Ram and said that Bharat
had arrived. “Bhaiya, Bharat has come with a large army to fight
us. Let us get prepared”, said Lakshmana.
Shri Ram did not understand why Lakshmana was showing anger
and preparing to start a battle.
“No, Lakshmana. It’s my beloved Bharat. He has come to see us
as he could not live without us. Put down you bow and arrows”,
said Shri Ram.
Bharat approached Shri Ram’s ashram and saw Him in a robe
made for sages. Tears began to flow in his eyes. He rushed to
Him and fell at His feet. Tear began flowing in both their eyes.
“Please forgive me, my brother. You are my beloved brother
and should be king of Ayodhya. I have never wanted the crown,
yet all of this was done in my name”, explained Bharat.
Bharat pleaded to Shri Ram to return to Ayodhya and become
king. Everyone’s hearts broke at Bharat’s pleas.
Shri Ram said to Lakshmana, “See Lakshmana, this is my beloved
brother. He loves me more than anything else in the world. He
cannot live without me. He is prepared to throw himself in the fire
for my sake. If anyone should have a brother, he should be like
Bharat”.
After much deliberation and with Shri Ram adamant that he
would not go back to Ayodhya until he served fourteen years in
the forest, the brothers came to a unique solution.
Bharat prostrat2ed before Shri Ram and asked for His sandals.
Ram removed his sandals and presented them to Bharat. Bharat
then said to Shri Ram, “O brother, I shall take these sandals and
place them on the throne as if you were there yourself. I shall rule
Ayodhya on your behalf as your servant for fourteen years till you
return. But if you are a day late then fourteen years, I shall give
up my life on a fire”.
Then Bharat picked Shri Ram’s sandals and placed them on his
head. He began to walk back to Ayodhya followed by the
entourage who had come with him. This brought many tears to
everyone eyes.
This is how a spirit of a brother should be. One who is willing to do
and give up everything for the sake of his brother. Only then,
can you expect to be loved in the same spirit.
In Shakha, we learn this very quality between each other also.
Sangh News from Kenya
Govind Sayam and Kawangware joint Shakha
10 Swayamsevaks from the Kawangware shakha attended a
day and night program at Deendayal Bhavan together with
Govind Sayam.
The program started off with a wholesome meal of beans and
rice after which workshops and charcha sessions were held with
all swayamsevaks by Mayur ji Rabadia.
During Shakha, a khel competition was held between Govind
Sayam and Kawangware Shakha, in which dodgeball and
Langdi were played. Thereafter everyone played together
games such as Sher Bakri, Shatranj, Kashmir Kiska and many
others.
In the late evening, a session of Dand was also conducted.
On Sunday morning, these Swayamsevaks joined the Samillit
Shakha and later part of the day, more Khel and football was
enjoyed by all.
Sangh News from Kenya
Mombasa,s Prahlaad shakha goes for a day-long outing
The Prahlad Sayam Shakha organized a night out with
swayamsevaks, taking place at Wasons cottages Bamburi from
16/09/2017 3 PM till 17/09/2017 5 pm. It was a wonderful
experience for many swayamsevaks, especially the young ones
who were learning how to wash their own plates for the first
time.
Sangh News from Kenya
Nakuru nagar holds a Shareerik Pradarshini in public for the first
time
Nakuru Nagar shakhas held their first pradarshini for the public
held at Arya Samaj on the Vijya Dashmi day. It was a wonderful
program with swayamsevaks and sevikas showcasing various
shareeriks they have learnt, including Niyudh, Yogasan, Vyayam
Yog and some Khels.
The public was made up of friends and family of the
swayamsevaks and sevikas participating as well as other
members of the Hindu Community. This was a great milestone
for Shakhas in Nakuru holding their first Shareerik Pradarshini for
the public which went on so well, it assures us that we will be
seeing much more of the same.
Sangh News from Kenya
Birth Centenary year celebrations at indian high commission
The Indian High Commission celebrated the 100th birth
centenary of Deendayal Upadhyaya ji. On this occasion the IHC
held a panel discussion on Deendayalji where they invited 4
panelists of which 2 are active Karyakartas in HSS Kenya, namely
Divyeshji Parmar and Anitaji Hirani.
Many members were present to take part in the discussion to
learn about the life of Deendayalji and his philosophy of integral
humanism, and how it can help our society today. Incidentally
the annual shibir taking place in December 2017 is named
Deendayal nagar in commemoration of his 100th birth
anniversary.
Revival of Machakos Shakha
We are proud to say that there is again an active Shakha being
held in Machakos town after a hiatus of some years. The shakha
is running well with Karyakartas from Nairobi regularly attending
and assisting in the Shakha planning and execution.
My Travels in Africa
| Sandip Paithankar
In April 2015, I visited Lesotho though I was in possession of
only a few contacts. My working base is South Africa hence
it was a bit of an easy journey for me to reach there by road.
Upon an invitation from Shree Anil Kumar (A Swayamsevak
originally from Kerala but now based in Lesotho for over 12
years) I had planned to make a stay of 10 days in the capital
city of Lesotho, known as Maseru.
With Anil Ji’s support and initiative I managed to meet almost
30 families in Maseru, mostly from Kerala with almost all
engaged in the teaching profession and a few families from
Kashmir who are now running businesses there. It was a
proud moment for me as a Hindu when I was informed of
two well established primary schools started & run by Hindu
families from Kerala.
After individual sampark & personal conversations with a lot
of the swayamsevaks, we invited all the families for a 2 hr.
get-together where we had arranged for some games and
general discussions.
That was the proud beginning of HSS activity in Lesotho,
where everybody enjoyed themselves and expressed the
strong wishes to come again. I can now say confidently that
once a month, they are all coming together to have a family
shakha.
It was noted that the native community were attracted
chiefly towards YOGA and wanted to learn more, we had
therefore arranged for a 3 hour yoga session for them in
association with the Lesotho Ministry of Sports.
Hindu Heritage Camp at Lusaka, Zambia
HSS Karyakarta team at Lusaka, Zambia
In April 2016 I visited Mozambique where there is a local
group that is successfully running social & religious activities
under the name of “Maputo Hindu Samaj”. They have built a
small Temple and celebrate all Hindu Festivals with utmost
faith and devotion on the temple grounds.
I opened a communication channel through email with the
authorities in which I requested them to plan and carry out
activities for students, such as youth Camps; keeping focus
mainly on students, with the goal of improving their holistic
development.
It was to help them execute such an activity that I went
there by their invitation. Near Maputo (Capital of
Mozambique) there is one very ancient temple established in
the 1900s, known as Salemanga. This is where we conducted
the ‘Hindu Youth Camp” for 3 days. It was a great success
with a total of 42 students (aged 12 years and above) that
participated in the camp. The concluding function of the
camp was held at Maputo, with the intention of ensuring
that the parents would attend the program and so we could
educate them about the mission of HSS & the training
Swyamsevaks received at the “Hindu Youth Camp”.
It was an excellent program with demonstrations by Youth
participants on Chanting shloka, Vyayamyog, Niyudhha &
Suryanamaskar. All parents & participants were so impressed
with what they saw and learnt from the program that they
started a weekly HSS shakha at Maputo at the Salemanga
Temple premises in the weeks following.
In September 2017 I went to Lusaka, Zambia. where I found
that though Ramakrishna Mission, ISKON, Brahmakumaris,
Marathi Mandal and various social platforms were present.
There were talks about the youth that did not have faith in
our Hindu Culture and that there was no suitable activity for
students to inculcate great Hindu Cultural values , to expose
them to our great Hindu Culture.
We planned a one day “Hindu Heritage Camp” for students
(aged 10 years and above) and almost 45 students
attended the camp from all different linguistic background.
It was considered one of the most successful programs in all
aspects in the history of Lusaka, dedicated to students only.
Dignitaries from various social & spiritual platforms were
present at the conclusion of the program and gave their
blessings for the possibility of similar programs in the future,
after the Hindu Heritage Camp we have now started HSS
shakha there.
After Zambia I went to Zimbabwe (Harare), it was a 7 hour
Journey by road. They have a similar platform known as the
Harare Hindu Society that has been operational for a long
time. All social and religious festivals are celebrated at the
Omkar Mandeer which is beautiful with large grounds. I had
the honor of multiple individual meetings with Hindu families
who have been living there for 20 -30 years.
We organized a meeting at the Omkar Mandeer premises at
which there were more than 30 attendees who were willing
to support HSS activity, who have now created a HSS Harare
WhatsApp group and are constantly trying to create a good
platform and active team to conduct the upcoming Hindu
Heritage Camp in Harare in April 2018.
Hindu Youth camp at Maputo, Mozambique
Participants of the Hindu Youth camp at Maputo,
Mozambique
Yoga session at Maseru, Lesotho
HSS Presence in Africa
The Republic of Kenya is home to some of the world's most
mesmerizing natural wonders. It possesses a wealth of cultural
and bio diversity. Kenya is a culturally rich country, with a
beautiful blend of several different cultures and ethnic groups.
Today there are 44 ethnic groups living in Kenya, each with its
own unique values, skills, language and cultural practices.
Mother Kenya is also blessed with abundance of natural
resources such as wildlife, limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones,
hydropower, etc. In terms of education, Kenya has one of the
best literacy rates on the African continent which is close to 87%.
Despite the abundance of natural resources and high literacy
rate, like most other developing countries in Africa, Kenya is
crippled with so many problems today; security, tribalism,
corruption and unemployment are major reasons why she still
wallows in poverty. These show the enormous barriers to progress
that we as Kenyans are facing.
Over the last 50 years, Africa has received a lot of aid from the
international community. Between 1960 & 2003, our continent
received 600 billion dollars of aid, and we are still told that there
is a lot of poverty in Africa. Where has all the aid gone? The
Western view of Africa's economic dilemma is framed wrongly.
The wrong framing is a product of thinking that Africa is a place
of despair. What should we do with it? We should give medicines
to the poor, food to the hungry, and send peacekeepers for
those who are facing civil war. And in the process, none of these
are productive because we are treating the symptoms, and not
the causes of Africa's fundamental problems. Giving food and
medicines does not create wealth for them. In this process, the
Africans have been stripped of self-initiative.
Mother Kenya provides many opportunities and boasts a large
potential but it is also important to recognize that she has some
weaknesses. The time is now to reframe the challenge that is
facing Kenya; from a challenge of despair, to a challenge of
hope. There’s an African proverb that says, “We have not
inherited this land from our forebears, we have borrowed it from
our children.” Now is the time for us to do the hard work and live
up to that inheritance; of building a Kenya where the inherent
dignity of every person is respected and protected, and there’s
no limit to what one can achieve.
Nation building does not just mean building infrastructure, it
means building people. If we as a nation have to rise, the
foremost thing will be to empower the people. Therefore, there is
an urgent need to develop self-less and proud Kenyans, who will
contribute for the welfare of all Kenyans. This can only happen if
we organize ourselves by bringing a sense of discipline and focus
to build a stronger value system of patriotism.
Arise Kenya Project is an Initiative that seeks to achieve this.
Some of the on-going initiatives are:
· Ideal Village Initiative – This is a transformative initiative, as it
has a holistic approach towards development. It envisages
integrated development of the village across multiple areas
such as agriculture, health, education, sanitation,
environment, livelihoods etc.
· Yoga in Schools Initiative - aims to transform the lives of young
Kenyans, who will grow up to become leaders in their
community promoting good wellbeing of the society in which
they live.
Shakha Initiative (Character Building Program) - Shakha is the
core functional unit of Arise Kenya Project. It is the regular
meeting of diverse individuals partaking in physical,
intellectual and social activities, in order to nurture their
capacity to give more for society. All these areas of life
require development. Shakha is the field of training and
character building which nurtures the individual to become a
strong and capable instrument for social good. This is a
simple, yet most effective technique that has been tested
over 9 decades by Hindus across the world. To make this
program self-sustainable, residential youth leadership camps
have been conducted.
Currently pilot projects are running in various parts of the country.
Having said this, it becomes the responsibility of each & every
citizen of Kenya to build our Nation. Let us stand up and make it
happen; as we pledge in our National Anthem:
“Tuungane Mikono,
Pamoja Kazini
Tujenge Taifa Letu”
“Let us join our hands together,
Let us put efforts together,
To build our Nation. “
Sangh Utsavs and Sanskaars
These two utsavs are only optional for the Vishwa Vibhaag, as
their relevance is mainly important for Bharat.
Varsh Pratipada: This is the first day of the Vikram Samvant Hindu
calendar. It is a day to review the year gone past and how to improve
in the coming year. Co-incidentally, it is also the day on which Poojya
Doctorji was born in 1889. It is a day to take up a Sankalp (Resolution).
Raksha Bandhan: Going beyond the surface notion of brothers
protecting their sisters, Sangh goes deeper to bring awareness
about the importance to protect Dharma. A feeling of
Bandhutvataa (family or brotherhood) is seen in the Samaaj.
Sri Guru Pooja: A very important utsav from Sangh point of view. We
consider the Bhagwa Dwaj as the Guru and offer our reverence to it. Bhagwa
Dwaj is symbolic to Dharma and values alongwith and we learn a lot from
this. Along with this utsav, Guru Dakshina is performed in Shakhas, which
makes Sangh a completely self sustaining organization.
Makar Sankranti: An astronomical event which marks the movement of
the Sun’s orbit towards the North, which results in days getting longer (in
Northern Hemisphere). A day to celebrate and worship the Sun. We remind
ourselves that we should be like the Sun, always active and giving while
asking nothing in return. A warm and joyful utsav marking the end of inaction.
Vijya Dashami: A day to perform Shastra Poojan (worship of
weapons or instruments). With the Shareerik and Baudhik capabilities
we do Pradarshini (demonstration) on this day to symbolize the
progress towards the victory of the Dharma side… the side of God.
Hindu Sanghatan Divas: On this day, Chhatrapati Shivaji was coronated
king after defeating the oppressing forces of the Mughal. A sense of pride
was restored among the Hindus. We also remember other similar heroes like
Rana Pratap and Gobind Singh. A feeling of Sanghatan (unity) and
Samarastaa (harmony) is seen in the Samaaj.
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (Kenya)
www.hsskenya.org
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