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