VISHWA VED SAMMELAN

AUM
WOMEN LEAD AT THE INTERNATIONAL VEDIC CONFERENCE
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM
There was a time in India, not long ago, when women were not permitted by the Hindu priests to read Vedas, the most ancient scriptures in the library of MAN. Indeed it was heartening to see that at the Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, at the Vedic Conference, out of 1500 research papers presented and read, more than half were those of women. Indeed a marvellous show it was. The credit for this socio-religious revolution goes to Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati who opened the doors to the Vedas to the entire mankind, irrespective of caste, creed, region or religion.
The Rishivar who wrote his commentary on the Vedas in Hindi, common man's language, said that the Vedas themselves give the right to ONE AND ALL to read the Ved Mantras and meditate. The Vedas, thereafter, became popular all over the country and later the world too.
The Gurukul was founded by Swami Shraddhanand, a disciple of Swami Dayanand and it has done a yeoman's service in the field of education. It has blossomed into a Deemed University and organises intellectual seminars and literary conferences on all issues and topics that serve the cause of education and ameliorate the living conditions of Man leading the humanity to health and happiness.
The delegates who had come from various universities of India were well looked after. They were well billeted, dined and were given food for thought too. The Ved sammelan was held from 20th November to 22nd November 09 on the premises of the Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, India. It was a treat to the mind of man.
At the inauguration ceremony the chief guest was Swami Ramdev Maharaj. His august personality and his style of lecture impressed one and all. He was present at the Havan too at the yajnashala and made a short speech there also to bless the intelligentsia and common folks alike. Swami Ramdev Maharaj had invited all the delegates to his Ashram, the PATANJALI YOGPEETH, the campus hosts and boasts of a university too. The great Yoga Rishi regaled them with interesting anecdotes and Vedic tales. The Swami hosted a sumptuous vegetarian dinner and in the Vedic tradition gave a good DAKSHINA to one and all. The celebrites on the dais were honoured with a shawl each and literature on the Bharat Swabhiman Abhiyan and Vyavastha Parivartan was given too. It may be said that it was a unique experience of the Vedic delegates to have seen and heard Swami Ramdev Maharaj from close quarters. Indeed it was an experience of a lifetime, so said many delegates, both men and women.
Swami Satya Mitranand Saraswati was another guest of honour at the inaugural ceremony and his speech was a stirring one. He gave a clarion call to all Indians to rally round the OM DHWAJ to work for the betterment of Bharat Mata and root out corruption and terrorism plaguing the country at present.
The credit for making the Ved Sammelan a grand success goes to Professor Mahavir Ji, Head of the Sanskrit Department, Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyaya and also Acharya of the Vishwavidyalaya, Prof Ved Prakash Shastri whose brainchild the Vishwa Ved sammelan was. Professor Swatantra Kumar, Kulpati of the Gurukul was the guiding hand and the leading light who made it a point to be everywhere where a major activity was going on. Of course, organising such a big event needed a team work and a good team of dedicated soldier-scholars was there working selflessly day and night. The dividing line between departments and faculties was obliterated as the Veda is the guiding light of one and all. Prof Rajendra Kumar of the Engineering Department, Dr Roop kishore of the Veda department or Dr Purohit of the Physics department, not forgetting Harish Gururani, baby of the Sanskrit department and now a Ph.D. himself – they all worked for the Veda sammelan as if they all belonged to the Veda department. Prof Mahavir who doubled as the compere at every function thanked them all and had all selfless team mates honoured at the Samapan Samaroh which was an in-house function. While we have made a mention of some stalwarts of the Veda Vibhag and the Sanskrit Vibhag, amention may be made of a delegate who like some others read his paper in Sanskrit. He was Dr Krishna Narain Pandey, Joint Director Rajbhasha in the Directorate general of AIR. He read his paper in simple Sanskrit which the non-Sanskrit knowing staff and students present in that session followed effortlessly. Another hallmark was that the delegates who nag presenters of papers were just silent in appreciation of Dr Pande’s Sanskrit.
The three -day Veda sammelan attracted scholars from France, America and some other countries too. Most of them said that they were non-resident Indians and had felt deeply attached to the Vedic dharm as propounded by Mahrishi Dayanand Saraswati. A feedback was taken by the organisors informally and it was found that there was no lacuna worth reporting. Among the delegates were Dr Pratibha Shukla and Dr Aruna Shukla, the former from Hariyana and the latter from the Punjab, who gave similar comments about their experiences and praised the sammelan for letting delegates have an interaction with saints and seers mentioned heretofore and scholars like Swami Govind Giri and a celebrity like Acharya Balkrishna ji, Vice-Chancellor of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Maharishi Dayanand gram. Some media persons did go round tlaking to delegates freely about their trails and tribulations during the international Vedic conference but they drew a blank. Both the print and the electronic media had a word of praise for the good work done. Indeed the Hindi press was as supportive as ever and published many photographs and short interviews of non-celebrites too.
The soul of Swami Shraddhanand Ji, wherever and in whatever form it may be, will feel elated that the Veda prachar that he advocated through the Gurukulas from the Lahore days, is being successfully carried on by his favourite Gurukul Kangri that has blossomed into a deemed university where every department is committed to teaching the Vedic Thought enunciated by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.
On a successful completion of the three-day Vishwa Ved Sammelan, there was not even a single soul who would not say that the Gurukul Kangri gave him the Vedic knowledge and spiritual light and delight in three days what he had aspired for all his life. Indeed it was a delightful Vedic interaction and a gainful experience of a lifetime.
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UPVANOM, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA-201303,INDIA. Mobile - 0091-9811173590.

Hillary Clinton Makes Surprise Visit To Afghanistan For Karzai Inauguration

AUM.

It is indeed a good idea that Hillary Clinton attend the swearing in ceremony of president Hamid karzai. The Afghans will feel encouraged that the US Secretary of State attended notwithstanding the threat of the terror outfits.

Secondly, Hamid karzai will not only feel important but also will have the overseeing eyes of an important functionary of the United States. The perennial problem of corruption at various levels of the government in Afghanistan is sapping the nation's energy and is in turn encouragfing the islamist terror outfits.

Rooting out corruption should be the top priority of the new government when Karzai begins his second term in office. Much has been said about the corrupt practices in voting. It should be left behind and a new chapter should herald a new sun rise in Afghanistan.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP

TALKING TO TEENAGERS
- By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM
The ever green generation gap is growing and growing. The teenagers and the senior citizens apparently do not have much in common. The generation in between, that is, parents of teenagers have a lot to do with their teenaged sons and daughters and it is equally true the other way round. However, the proverbial communication gap is now too fashionable to go away. In fact it has almost become a fad and is being nursed. However, if one looks at the future of human society one will indeed be concerned about the ill health of the society as such. The society rests on the youth, middle aged and the aged. If these three segments of the society do not find anything in common among them, what are they going to converse . Even talking about the weather will be of little interest under the prevailing circumstances. The global warming too will fail to break the ice between the teenagers and the parents, parents and the grandparents. Talking to teenagers is not a difficult proposition. It is not a piece of cake either. A deliberate attempt is needed on the part of the parents and grandparents to bring the teenagers in line. The values of society have to be transmitted to teenagers in such a way that they comprehend them, assimilate them and live by them. Let us first talk about the basic values of life to be introduced to teenagers so that they voluntarily accept them and practice them.
The basic values of social life comprise independence of thought and expression, liberty, equality and fraternity, individual and community action to achieve results and enhance social efficiency. By and large all major religions incorporate them and expect their followers to live by these tenets. The Vedas, the most ancient scriptures in the library of mankind have summed up the aim of social efficiency for the youth in one word ``Manurbhav,’’ that is become good human beings. If the teenagers take to this voluntarily and practice what the teachers teach, many ills of the present day society will ipso facto disappear. At first sight this may appear to be a Utopian dream which may not be realized but on a close examination it will be crystal clear that making a good human being out of the basic material called man is a pragmatic idea. Idea is fine but how do we go about implementing it?
The aged citizens or the senior citizens will find it more convenient to communicate with the youth provided they avoid the pitfall of narrating their own ancient experiences to Generation Next. Besides taking the help of teachers in classrooms from nursery to university, it is the senior citizens on whose shoulders will fall the onerous responsibility of talking to teenagers and keeping them within the fold. After all the senior citizens have already discharged their personal duties of bringing up their own children and should now bring up not only their own grand children but grandchildren of others too. Of course, the primary job will be that of capturing the imagination and bringing about a meeting of minds of generations which are almost half a century apart. The most effective tool of this task is a four letter word called LOVE. The senior citizens should not only love teenagers as their own kith and kin but also let them feel the love. In due course of time it will be two- way traffic. Talking to the teenagers will pay rich dividends and the teenagers will confide in the senior citizens to the extent of discussing their sweet hearts. When love and trust rise to this high level, the ground is ready for sowing the seeds of human values which senior citizens wish to pass on to generation next.
An atmosphere of intensive receptivity in the two distinctly different age groups is to be created after the foundation of love is laid. Togetherness is an important tool to achieve this. Who has the time, one may ask. Well, you get nothing for nothing. To achieve something you have to give something. If you cannot give time to teenagers how are you going to talk to them and help them imbibe human values which are so basic to the smooth running of the civilized social order. Indeed these human values are the foundation of the civilized society. If the dialogue between the teenagers and senior citizens breaks down for good, the civilized society will return to the state of complete chaos. Men and women will start behaving like primitives. No one will show any respect for human life, what to say of property. Do we want to revert to that chaotic state? If not let us get down to business of attracting the youth by talking to them and helping them imbibe human values. Sometimes, some cynics talk of transmission of values through text books alone and feel this all can be done in class rooms . Little do they realize that a class of boys and girls is not like a herd of animals that can be driven through brute force. Each boy or girl should be treated as an individual. Individual differences in physical and mental make up should be recognized and addressed too. Even the spiritual needs should be attended to in order to help teenagers develop well rounded personalities. Reverting to the role of a teacher in a classroom, he or she will complement the efforts of the parents and the grandparents at home. The Shatpath Brahman has elucidated it beautifully in just one sentence: Matriman Pitriman Acharyavan Purusho Ved. The parents, even the grandparents or a senior citizen in the form of a vanprasthi or a sanyasi (those who have started treating the entire world as their own family and care for the entire humanity) and of course the Acharya, that is, the teacher who becomes a role model for teenagers are the pivots on whom the life of the youth will be shaped. Thus talking to teenagers is not the job of a single individual but all those individuals who are close to them and have acquired meaningful experience of life which can be passed on to generation next. Let us now take a look at the process and the tools which will be helpful in talking to teenagers. To my mind, music takes precedence over everything else. One need not be a Mozart or a Beethoven to be in love with music. One should know the ABC of music so that the assembly of teenagers and senior citizens as well as middle aged men and women can sing a chorus together. While out on hikes, treks and picnic ,singing together brings in emotional cohesion. When the spirits are down in the dumps, an appropriate note of music is helpful in raising the spirits again. Shakespeare had said in a different context: If music be the food of love, play on. Irrespective of the change of context music should and can still be played on to bring different generations together emotionally.
A short while ago a reference was made to creating an atmosphere for interior receptivity. This can be done not only by words alone but by action. Showing concern for each other’s health in the form of advice, medication and tender loving care (TLC) go a long way in bringing different generations together. Playing simple games is always helpful. Of course, age of the players has to be taken into consideration. Spiritual togetherness, that is, reciting a Ved mantra or delivering a simple sermon ,without sermonizing, will help in imbibing virtues like fearlessness, honesty, compassion and becoming humane. A family that prays together stays together. Let it be a non denominational prayer to steel ones own nerves without giving rise to bickering. After all talking to teenagers is not as difficult a task as it looks initially. It is indeed achievable. We must achieve the aim to let the human social order survive and flourish.
-Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM

VANDE MATARAM - NATIONAL SONG OF INDIA

VSM awardee's note: Vande Mataram: Brig. Chitranjan Sawant
VANDE MATARAMBy Brig Chitranjan Sawant,VSM Vande Mataram had indeed worked like a Ved mantra. This is what the author and poet, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya had prophesied in answer to the criticism that the words used in the song were too difficult to pronounce. He said to his critics "I may not live to see its popularity, but this song will be sung by every Indian like a Ved mantra". How true his words were. The history of the Indian freedom struggle bears a testimony to it. Vande Mataram has spontaneity and emotional appeal to arouse patriotism even in a slavish heart. The song has the capability to transcend barriers of caste, creed, region and religion. It was sung with gusto by patriotic Indians throughout the length and breadth of Bharat. When the song was sung , with the fading notes of the last stanza, the emotionally surcharged crowd of men and women would raise the slogan : Bharat Mata Ki Jai. The sound and the echo shook the mighty British Empire to its foundation. Bankim babu wrote Vande Mataram in one sitting in his native village, Naihati, just a few miles away from the metropolis, Calcutta..It was Akshay Naomi which fell on a Sunday on 7 November 1875 and Bankim babu, a Deputy Collector of the British Raj was relaxing in his ancestral home. His mind and heart were in turmoil. The English masters were forcing their own national anthem, God Save the Queen, down the throat of all Indians. Bankim babu felt the divine inspiration and words came pouring out of his heart and on to his pen. An immortal song, Vande Mataram, stood composed. It was seven years later that Vande Mataram was incorporated in the famous novel of the author, Anand Math, dealing with the history of the Sanyasi uprising in Dacca, North Bengal and other places from 1763 to 1780. The Dharm Yudh was against the foreign domination. The English and their collaborators were targeted. The saints uprising has inspired the youth of Bengal ever since. Indeed, it was a never fading source of inspiration for the patriots all over Bharat No less a person than Gurudev Ravindra Nath Tagore lent his voice to Vande Mataram when he sang it in the session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta in 1896. It was a stirring moment, although the tempo was rather slow compared to that of the rendering of Vande Mataram by Lata Mangeshkar in the movie, Anand Math. Nevertheless, Vande Mataram had come out of the rural landscape to play its all important role on the national stage. Bengal loved the song and the rest of India was not far behind. Vande Mataram was sung in many tunes, in many languages by many men and women voluntarily. North, South, East and West of India were equally involved. 1905 was the high noon of the national fervour that Vande Mataram generated. Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy, passed a decree dividing Bengal into two parts, east and west. The British are at their best when they play the game called, Divide and Rule. However, it was rather unfortunate for the rulers that the Bang Bhang united India as a whole. Men and women of all faiths walked the streets of towns and talukas of Bengal singing Vande Mataram with religious fervour. It was a sight to be seen to be believed. The decree of Curzon was rescinded. But the British were back to their game of dividing the united people. They made some elements believe that singing Vande Mataram was a sign of Hindu domination. Their trick worked. The bogey of religion took its toll. The Muslim League was born. No one was happier than the British masters. The Indian National Congress, at its Varanasi session , adopted Vande Mataram as the national song on 7th September 1905. The cohesive spirit that the song generated could not be lost sight of by the national leaders. The momentous decision was taken unanimously a century ago. Since then the national song is sung at all sessions not only of the Congress but also the Bhartiya Janata Party and some others. It is sung in the closing session of the parliament too. Truly national in word and deed. Vande Mataram has all along been a song of patriotism and unification. Gandhi and Jinnah sang it together on the Congress platform till the latter quit the Congress as he was a non-believer in the principle of Swaraj . Of course, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Shri Purshottam Das Tandon, born rivals, were in the forefront in singing Vande Mataram at the beginning of the session everywhere. Shri Rafi Ahmad Kidwai , out and out a nationalist, never had a second thought about singing Vande Mataram. Nevertheless, the divisive forces were working overtime at the behest of their British masters to upset the applecart. How sad, the mischief mongers had their way. The rest is history. Is history repeating itsef ? Time alone will tell. Singing Vande Mataram the Indian people had waged the war of Independence non-violently. The song was all along the National Anthem to the rank and file of freedom fighters. A committee comprising Nehru, Azad, Subhash Bose and Narendra Dev had said that the first two stanzas of the song had no reference to any religion and should be our anthem. It came as a rude shock when the controversial decision to make Jana Gana Mana the national anthem was announced on 24 January 1950. However, the words of Dr Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly, came as a soothing balm. He said, "…the song Vande Mataram , which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana mana and shall have equal status with it."Taking a look at the English translation of Vande Mataram, done by Shree Aurobindo, one may safely surmise that the storm in a tea cup brewing at the behest of separatists will blow away and patriotism will prevail. The stanzas of the song are given below : Mother, I bow to Thee !Rich with thy hurrying streamsBright with orchard gleams.Cool with thy winds of delightGreen fields waving Mother of might,Mother free.Glory of moonlight dreams,Over thy branches and lordly streams,Clad in thy blossoming trees,Mother, giver of easeLaughing low and sweet!Mother I kiss thy feet,Speaker sweet and low!Mother, to thee I bowIndeed the original song in Bangala with a rich dose of Sanskrit words is soul stirring. Although the British government in India had banned the national song Vande Mataram, it surfaced and resurfaced. The British failed in suppressing the spirit of independence. The Indians won their freedom. Let us now all sing in unison the song of the People, VANDE MATARAM.________________________Upvan, 609, Sector 29, NOIDA – 201303, INDIA Mobile : 9811173590

WAR OF WORDS BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

AUM
WAR OF WORDS BETWEEN INDIA & PAKISTAN
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

The newspaper readers devoted to the print media do not wish to miss a single line on the political page and international page. There is an interesting feature in the India-Pakistan relationship that a feature writer would like to present in the most humorous way so that humour of healthy nature tickles men and women across the Wagah border. That is the place where one can officially cross over from one country to the other provided relevant papers are in order. Failing that one just feels free to cross over from any point in the porous border. If caught, just grease the palm of the border guard who may even thank you for your generosity.
It was the Interior minister of Pakistan, Abdul Rahman Malik, who fired the first shot. In a press conference, he went on record and said that the bomb blasts and civil cum political unrest in Pakistan are generated by the Taliban. So far so good and no one, east or west of the Suez canal, could object to this statement of fact. However, where he crossed the Lakshman rekha was when he declared as a Mr Knowall that it was India that provided all kinds of help and guidance to the Taliban terrorists to destabilise Pakistan. Some politicians shoot from the hip but old Rahman shot from the mouth. It is learnt that even India-haters and India baiters in Pakistan found it hard to swallow this line of the interior minister of Pakistan. There is not even an iota of evidence to substantiate what the interior minister of Pakistan had said in public. Some sober men thought that the minister was fresh from a diplomatic party where booze flows like water and, therefore, he was not to blame for being a bit high.
However, this wild statement made on the soil of Pakistan surpassed any of the wildest shots of cowboys in the wild west in Texas. Catching a straw in the wind, P Chidambaram, home minister of India thought it was an opportune moment to grab a headline in the international newspapers. He declared from the housetops that any terrorist misadventure by Pakistan on the soil of India would be given a fitting reply. That statement sent conscientious news reporters to the major cantonments in India to see and report any large scale movement of troops. None, my dear, none, said an old hat in an old cantonment.
The BSF and the CRPF that come directly under the home minister were not aware of any orders asking them to rush to the Pakistan border post haste. Obviously, Chidambaram had made this brave statement in the Meenakshi temple town of Madurai in Tamilnadu for the consumption of vegetarian men and women in his parliamentary constituency to ginger them up and be ready for any eventuality. Chidambaram was applauded by citizens down south because he had given a fitting reply to Rahman of Pakistan( not to be mixed up with our boy back home who is busy with composing a lullaby for warring groups of Tamil parties). Indeed it was more than a befitting reply from a knight in shining armour. It was RDX poised to have the better of TNT.
The political analysts are of the opinion that a war of words is any day better than a battle of tanks or clash of missiles with nuclear war heads. Let us thank the Almighty that the peaceful citizens are safe while politicians in the home departments of India and Pakistan are pouring ink on white paper and leaving children confused and adults laughing in their sleeves.
Well, the battle between two stalwarts has just been joined in. Indeed the lawyer from South India is an intellectual whereas personal information about the challenger across the border is rather scanty. He has just made a debut on the South Asian stage when he shot himself in the foot. You see, illegal ammunition in Pakistan is in plenty and is sold like red meat at every street corner. No wonder there are so many shooting incidents that the pressmen find it hard to cover.
Let us leave the warring ministers of both the countries alone so that they have an opportunity to be cool and sort out the nagging problems for ever.

UPVAN, 609, Sector 29, Noida-201303, INDIA.
Mobile : 0091-9811173590.
Email sawantg.chitranjan@gmail.com