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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side - Rigv Veda, 1-89-i

Christmas in India Epics of the World Festivals of the month

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam “The whole world is but one family”

Life | Literature | Culture

Dec 2010 | Vol 8 No.6 | ISSN 1449 - 3551 Human Rights Day

The tremendous irreparable damage and loss of Treaties and Guidelines valuable human lives in the Second World War shook the whole planet! Besides myriads of All governments across the world are liable to priceless lives lost, the world witnessed probably uphold, express, and guarantee the basic human the most macabre human rights violation during rights in all its purity by means of laws in the forms the time. The war was a wakeup call in a way, for of law, general principles treaties, primary the entire human race. In 1945, the founding transnational laws, and other international laws. member countries of the then newly established United Nations, join hands to draft many solid laws While the focus of the Universal Declaration to promote and protect the primary human rights remained the same of safeguarding human rights, of its citizens. In 1948, after a lapse of 3 years, the wherever its violations occur, the economic, social, combined efforts of these counties paid off in the cultural, and political changes in all these years has form of proclamation of “Universal Declaration of created the requirement to have a new network of Human Rights” by United Nations’ General instruments and tools in place. In the wake of the Assembly. This was the declaring which economic meltdown faced by almost all the entire established that respect for human rights and countries, the UN High Commissioner for Human human modesty “is the pillar of freedom, peace and Rights (OHCHR) conducted convention and justice in the world.” Thereafter in 1950, the UN seminars to discuss the human rights violations on called on all member States and organizations marginalized populations in various member around the globe to commemorate World Human nations. It has appealed the countries to do Rights Day on 10th of December every year. everything possible by all means to ensure that the current slowdown does not affect the fundamental Human Rights rights to work, food, housing, health, education and social security of the people. Human rights are interlinked and interdependent rights inherent to all human beings without any What we should do! discrimination of any nationality, ethnic origin, sex, religion, language, or cast and creed or any other The UN has streamlined many methods through status, as stated by the UN. The 60th Anniversary of which the Day could be utilized as an opportunity “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” was observed to create and inculcate an awareness and assist in 2008. To celebrate this eventful year, the UN floated protect our community and beyond. General a yearlong campaign during which all its country campaigns like distribution of hand notes based on members revitalize the vision of the Declaration in the human rights or as SMS messages, or conducting a form of commitment to universal modesty and justice meeting or publicizing the real-life stories of and not to be viewed as a wish-list or luxury. activists, or submitting petitions to complement

2 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 the rights of an organization or body in our area, all authorities to prevent conflicts at their level, through these could be a great option and opportunity to respect for human rights and policies toward celebrate the Day in a fruitful way. However, the big sustainable progress and for eliminating poverty. support has to come from the government! The Human Rights Council In the genre of human rights, UNESCO works to promote and display human rights research; to The Human Rights Council is an individual advocate education in human rights; to take action independent entity. It supports the work of and combat against all kind of discrimination at rapporteurs, working bodies, and representatives regional, national and international level; to via its Special Procedures Division and the promote coordination among all actors and social Research and Right to Development Division that networks; and to advocate democracy. aims to develop the integration of human rights principles and standards, including the rights to UNESCO development; whereas the Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division assists the work of UNESCO consolidates awareness, works as a country-mandates. catalyst for regional, national and international promotion in human rights and nurtures History is the witness to all our combined efforts to coordination with all actors and social networks. protect the fundamental rights of human being, but UNESCO tries to detect the obstacles hampering without the contribution of each and every the full execution of human rights: the individual we cannot reach the target of viewing a repercussions of nationalism, discrimination unbiased planet where every individual is free to against minorities, religious intolerance, and other take his own decisions on his own sweet will, forms of discrimination arising from technological irrespective any kind of pressure from any corner progress or from illness such as HIV and AIDS. of society and system.

In 2002-2003 UNESCO developed a strategy for an Source: www.altiusdirectory.com international program on democracy. This strategy is cooperated by the International Centre for Human Sciences at Byblos in close coordination with the Democracy and Development International Panel.

UNESCO advocates and conducts research on new form of violence and promotes regional plans for human protection by enhancing links with local

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 3 Chairman

Epics of the World raja-vidya raja-guhyam pavitram idam uttamam pratyak savagamam dharmyam susukham kartum avyayam This knowledge is the king of all wisdom, the king of all that is confidential. It is the purest and the topmost and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization it is the perfection of all religion and everlastingly joyful to perform. Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 2

Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-Gita on the battlefield of Kuruksetra in 3102 BC; just prior to the commencement of the Mahabharata war. This date corresponds to 1700 years before Moses, 2500 years before Buddha, 3000 years before Jesus and 3800 years before Mohammed. Thus the eternal knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita has not been influenced by Buddhism, Christianity, Hebrewism or Islam. A number of knowledgeable Indologists endorse the date 3102 BC based on the fact that this was the year when the Pandava King Yudhisthira ascended the throne and was coronated as Emperor of the Earth. Also according to the Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II, the Battle of Kuruksetra took place in 3102 BC with Lord Krishna reciting the Bhagavad-Gita before its commencement. As well precise information of the positions of the constellation at the commencement of the Battle of Kuruksetra have been given in the great historical epic Mahabharata itself, which is based on the 26,920 year astronomical cycle known as the precession of the equinoxes which is the time it takes our solar system to revolve around the central sun.

Bhagavad-Gita is the very essence of Mahabharata. The Bhagavad- Gita literally translates as the Song of God! It was originally revealed in the classical language of Sanskrit spoken on the Indian sub- continent. It was first translated into English in 1785 by Charles Wilkins. It was translated into Latin in 1823 by Schlegel, into German in 1826 by Von Humbolt, into French in 1846 by Lassens and into Greek in 1848 by Galanos. By now it has been translated into all the major languages of the world such as Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Hebrew, Portugese, Arabic, Hindi and Bengali. Many great and notable individuals from modern times as well as bygone eras have read the Bhagavad-Gita and have extolled its universal message.

Albert Einstein stated that when reading the Bhagavad-Gita he thinks about how God created the universe and then everything else seemed so superfluous.

Mahatma Gandhi stated that the Bhagavad-Gita calls on humanity to dedicate mind, body and soul to purity.

Dr. Albert Schweizer stated that the Bhagavad-Gita has a profound influence on the spirit of mankind by its devotion to God which is manifested in all actions.

4 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Sri Aurobindo stated the Bhagavad-Gita has a new message for every age and every civilization.

Herman Hesse stated that the wonder of the Bhagavad-Gita is its beautiful revelation of life’s wisdom which has made philosophy blossom into religion.

Ramanuja has stated that the Bhagavad-Gita reveals the goal of the all the Vedic scriptures.

Aldous Huxley stated that the Bhagavad-Gita is the most comprehensive statement of perennial philosophy.

Madhvacarya has stated that the Bhagavad-Gita is apauruseya which means divine origin and eternal.

The knowledge found within the Bhagavad-Gita is incomparable. It gives specific information regarding the purpose of human existence, the immortality of the soul and our eternal relationship with God. This applies to each and every one of us without exception. Without realization of our divine relationship with the God it is impossible to establish our eternal relationship with Him. This divine relationship is our natural constitutional position and birthright of every human being.

Many of us have been taught by our religions that God is to be feared. Many of us have been taught that this life is found only once and after this life there is nothing more. Others have been taught that after death one goes to heaven or hell. Still others have been taught that it is possible for the soul to be possessed. Some of us believe the possibility of reincarnation and others among us cannot fathom what is true and what is false. Many of us have been conditioned by erroneous conceptions, programmed by false realities and even brainwashed to follow belief systems that intelligently are difficult to follow.

Bhagavad-Gita gives everyone the opportunity to learn the eternal message. All intelligent species of life, human being and otherwise can take advantage of these instructions and benefit eternally by the transcendental knowledge contained within the Bhagavad-Gita.

Gambhir Watts Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 5 Contents

52 58 22

Epics of the World ...... 14 Yoga in Daily Life in Macedonia.doc ...... 52

Christmas in India ...... 22 Mool Mantra and Mangalaacharan The One Indivisble Truth Book ...... 54 SBS Chairman’s Address SBS 30th Anniversary . . 24 Rogue Diplomacy ...... 56 Deepavali Treats Vimala Sarma ...... 33 Samskrutotsavam - Celebrating Sanskrit ...... 58 Eid-al-Adha ...... 36 Subramanya Bharathi ...... 60 Epic Is Eternal ...... 39 Education in Vedic Age ...... 62 Epic as History With Embellishment ...... 40 The Alliance of World Religions and Ecology . . . .64 Epics A Voice Forever ...... 44 The Evils of Adhikarivada Swami Vivekananda . . .67 Role of Epics in the Modern Age ...... 46 The Beginning of My Journey ...... 68

Publisher & General Editor: Gambhir Watts BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF [email protected] BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN AUSTRALIA Editorial Committee: Shanker Dhar, Parveen Dahiya, Office Bearers: Sridhar Kumar Kondepudi Chairman Gambhir Watts [email protected] President Surendralal Mehta Design: Executive Secretary The Aqua Agency - 02 9810 5831 and Director General Homi Navroji Dastur www.aquaagency.com.au Advertising: Other Directors: [email protected] Abbas Raza Alvi, Shanker Dhar, Catherine Knox, Mathoor Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Krishnamurti, Rozene Kulkarni, Palladam Narayana Sathanagopal, Suite 100 / 515 Kent Street, Kalpana Shriram, Jagannathan Veeraraghavan, Moksha Watts Sydney NSW 2000

Patron: Her Excellency Mrs Sujatha Singh The views of contributors to Bhavan Australia are not necessarily the views of Bhavan Australia or High Commissioner of India in Australia the Editor. Bhavan Australia reserves the right to edit any contributed articles and letters submitted for publication. Copyright: all advertisements and Honorary Life Patron: His Excellency M Ganapathi, original editorial material appearing remain the Currently High Commissioner of India in Mauritius property of Bhavan Australia and may not be reproduced except with the written consent of the (Founder Member/Director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia) owner of the copyright. Bhavan Australia: - ISSN 1449 – 3551 aqua.2644

6 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Rabindranath Tagore’s Geetanjali

Prisoner ‘Prisoner, tell me, who was it that bound you?’ ‘It was my master,’ said the prisoner. ‘I thought I could outdo everybody in the world in wealth and power, and I amassed in my own treasure-house the money due to my king. When sleep overcame me I lay upon the bed that was for my lord, and on waking up I found I was a prisoner in my own treasure-house.’ ‘Prisoner, tell me, who was it that wrought this unbreakable chain?’ ‘It was I,’ said the prisoner, ‘who forged this chain very carefully. I thought my invincible power would hold the world captive leaving me in a freedom undisturbed. Thus night and day I worked at the chain with huge fires and cruel hard strokes. When at last the work was done and the links were complete and unbreakable, I found that it held me in its grip.’

Free Love By all means they try to hold me secure who love me in this world. But it is otherwise with thy love which is greater than theirs, and thou keepest me free. Lest I forget them they never venture to leave me alone. But day passes by after day and thou art not seen. If I call not thee in my prayers, if I keep not thee in my heart, thy love for me still waits for my love.

Little of Me Let only that little be left of me whereby I may name thee my all. Let only that little be left of my will whereby I may feel thee on every side, and come to thee in everything, and offer to thee my love every moment. Let only that little be left of me whereby I may never hide thee. Let only that little of my fetters be left whereby I am bound with thy will, and thy purpose is carried out in my life—and that is the fetter of thy love.

Give Me Strength This is my prayer to thee, my lord—strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart. Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows. Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service. Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might. Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles. And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 7 Festivals of the Month

Muharram supposed to have created the heavens and the earth on this blessed day. On this day He gave His The festival commemorates the martyrdom of the infinite blessings and bounties to many of His prophet Mohammed’s grandson, Hazrat Imam Prophets and released them from the clutches of Hussein. It is celebrated with great fervour by the their enemies. Muslims especially the Shia community. Tazias, glittering replicas of the Martyr’s tomb, are carried Allah created Hazrat Adam in this month and in procession through the streets. The Tazias of pardoned him of his mistake. Hazrat Noah’s Ark Lucknow and Hyderabad are noted for their landed successfully on Mount Judi during this time splendour. In places like Lucknow, Delhi, Agra and centuries ago. God is also said to have saved Jaipur, grand scale processions are held. People Hazrat Ibrahim from fire and rescued Hazrat Musa beat their chest in mourning to the tune of beating from the Pharaoh during the month of Muharram. drums and chants ‘Ya Hussein’. Devotees beat themselves and inflict wounds on their own bodies. The Tragedy at Kerbala This festival starts at the 1st day of Muharram and lasts for 10 days until 10th of Muharram. Muharram In the month of Muharram many centuries ago, is the first month of Islamic calendar. Muharram in (approximately October 20th 680 A.D.), an event 2010 will start on 7th of December. Muharram is not took place in Iraq at a place known as Kerbala on a particular day, but the name of a month that the bank of the river Euphrates. marks the beginning of the year according to the Islamic calendar. Muharram is one of four months A large army, which had been mobilised by the that have been designated as holy according to the Umayyad regime, besieged a group of persons Islamic calendar, the other three being—Dhul- numbering less than a hundred and put them under Qa’adah, Dhul-Hijjah and Rajab. pressure to pay allegiance to the Caliph of the time and submit to his authority. The Caliph was a man Auspicious Time much taken with earthly pleasures that deviated from the Islamic way of life. The small group resisted The month of Muharram is also associated with and a severe battle took place in which they were all many auspicious events in Islamic history. Allah is killed. The leader of the small band of men who were

8 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Muharrram Tazia martyred in Kerbala was none other than Imam and on the lives of martyrs. The Shias, however, Hussein, the grandson of the Holy Prophet. observe this festival in a different fashion. As Muharram, the first month of the Muslim year, Imam Hussein’s martyrdom at Kerbala represents a approaches, they put on black clothes, as black is conscious confrontation with anti-Islamic forces regarded as a colour of mourning. Majalis and a courageous resistance for a sacred cause. (assemblies) are held every day during the first The tragedy was that the one who stood up to nine days where Shia orators relate the incident of defend Islam was cut down in so cruel a manner. It the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussein and his is for this reason that the death of Imam Hussein is party in a great detail. On the 10th day of mourned annually in the Muslim world. Muharram, large processions are formed and the devoted followers parade the streets holding Fasting banners and carrying models of the mausoleum of Hazrat Imam Hussein and his people, who fell at Fasting is advocated in the month of Muharram. Kerbala. They show their grief and sorrow. A white The Prophet is believed to have said: “The best horse beautifully decorated for the occasion, is fasts after the fasts of Ramadan are those of the also included in the procession, to mark the empty month of Muharram.” Although the fasts of the mount of Hazrat Imam Hussein after his month of Muharram are not obligatory, yet one martyrdom. Sunni Muslims also commemorate who fasts in these days out of his own will is Hussein’s death but in a less demonstrative entitled to a great reward by Allah Almighty. Fasting manner, concentrating instead on the redemptive on the tenth day of Muharram, called Ashura, is aspect of his martyrdom. particularly important, as it leads to great rewards. A person does not have to fast for the whole Gita Jayanthi month, on the contrary, each fast during this month has merit. Gita Jayanthi or the birthday of the Bhagavad-Gita is celebrated throughout India by all admirers and Observance lovers of this sacred scripture on the 11th day (Ekadashi) of the bright half of the month of Some sects of Muslims hold meetings where Margaseersha (December-January) according to speeches are made on the happenings of Kerbala

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 9 is the universal gospel. It contains the message of life that appeals to all, irrespective of race, creed, age or religion.

The Gita was given to Arjuna, an Indian prince, by Sri Krishna, the Lord incarnate. The teachings are based on the Upanishads, the ancient, revealed metaphysical classics of India. The Gita shows a way to rise above the world of duality and the pairs of opposites and to attain eternal bliss and immortality. It is a gospel of action. It teaches the rigid performance of one’s duty in society, the life of active struggle, keeping one’s inner being untouched by outer surroundings and renouncing all fruits of actions as offerings unto the Lord.

The Gita is a source of power and wisdom. It strengthens us when we are weak and inspires us when we are feeble. It teaches us to embrace righteousness and resist unrighteousness.

Lord Krishna Gita Jayanthi the Hindu almanac. That was the day on which The Gita is not merely a book; it is not a mere Sanjaya narrated the dialogue between Sri Krishna scripture. It is a living voice carrying an eternally and Arjuna, to King Dhritarashtra, and thus made vital and indispensable message to mankind. Its the glorious teachings of the Lord available to us, verses embody words of wisdom, coming from the to all the people of the world, and for all time. Gita infinite ocean of knowledge, the Absolute Itself. Jayanti 2010 date is December 17. Call of the Supreme The Gita Jayanthi marks one of the greatest days in the history of mankind. Nearly six thousand years The voice of the Gita is the call of the Supreme. It is ago on that day a dazzling flash of brilliant lightning the divine sound explained. The mightiest primal lit up the firmament of human civilization. That source of all existence, all power, is the manifested spiritual effulgence, that flash, was the message of sound, Om. This is the divine Word. It is the Nada the Bhagavad Gita, given by the Lord Himself on Brahman whose unceasing can is: “Be ye all ever the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Unlike ordinary merged in the eternal unbroken continuous dashes of lightning which die away after dashing consciousness of the Supreme Truth”. This is the for a split-second, this brilliant dash of that sublime message that the great Gita elaborates and memorable day continued to shine through the presents in all comprehensiveness and in a centuries and even now illumines the path of universally accepted form. humanity on its onward march to perfection. Kurukshetra True Philosophical Song Srimad Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Lord Sri The Gita is the most beautiful and only truly Krishna at the place now known as Jyotisar Tirtha philosophical song. It contains sublime lessons on amid the waring families of the Kurus and the wisdom and philosophy. It is the “Song Celestial’. It Pandavas at Kurukshetra. Devotees come to

10 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Kurukshetra (Dharmakshetra) and recite Bhagavad and made his home under a banyan tree. He started Gita from early morning until the next morning, killing animals and eating the raw meat. perform arati to Bhagavad Gita and to Krishna and Arjuna upon the chariot, offer lamps ‘deep daan’ at Once on Saphala Ekadashi day he fell very ill and as Brahma Sarovar, shloka recitals, shobha yatras and a result he kept a fast the whole day and stayed seminars on the significance of the Gita today. awake during the night and thus unknowingly he undertook the Safala Ekadasi Vrat. Next morning he Devotees remember the blessed event by reciting felt good and realized that all this was due to the Bhagavad Gita, performing Bhagavad Gita ahuti of blessing of Lord Vishnu. He realized his mistake each verse or selected chapters into the sacred and returned to his father and lived a happy life. All fire, and discussing the subject matter of Bhagavad the normal rules associated with Ekadasi are Gita. Distribution of Bhagavad Gitas’ on this day is observed during Safala Ekadasi. also a very auspicious activity to perform. Upvaas Saphala Ekadashi Millions of Hindu devotees observe Ekadasi, which Saphala Ekadasi is observed during the waning is considered highly auspicious by Lord Vishnu phase of the moon in the month of December- devotees. The traditional approach is to abstain January. In 2010, the date of Saphala Ekadashi is from food completely on the day. December 31. It is mentioned in the Brahmanda Purana that fasting on Saphala Ekadashi is believed Karthigai Deepam to help in cleansing the sins committed and it also opens the door of fame in earthly life. Ekadashi is a Karthigai Deepam is the popular festival of highly auspicious day dedicated to Lord Vishnu southern part of India and is the oldest festival with and it falls on the eleventh day of every lunar splendid and elaborated celebrations all over the fortnight in Hindu calendar. state of Tamil Nadu. The festival is also termed as “Festival of Lights” and is also considered the Legend extension of Deepavali Festival. According to Tamil calendar the festival falls in the Tamil month of Legend has it that Lumbaka, one of the four sons of Karthigai. Karthigai Deepam is celebrated on the a famous king, was always questioning the full moon day f the Karthigai month which authority of Lord Vishnu. Due to this attitude, he coincides with the Krithigai Star. Even the name was exiled. Lumbaka continued with his behavior Karithigai of this month was also derived on the and started plundering the wealth of poor villagers basis of the name of the star Krithigai. The month

Saphala Ekadasi

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 11 of Karthigai is of special importance as it is Muruga has six faces. Special pujas are performed believed that Lord Muruga, the divine light of Lord to Lord Muruga on this day. Shiva, took his form during this month. In 2010, the festival is on December 1. Antiquity

Legend Karthigai Deepam is the oldest festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Southern India, even before Once upon a time the Devas, the heavenly Deepavali and Navarathri celebrations. The immortals, put in their best possible efforts to have reference of Karthigai Deepam can be found in a complete Darshan of Lord Shiva. During this many ancient Tamil literatures like ‘Ahananuru’ process Lord Brahma took the form of a swan and (200 BC to 300 AD) ‘Tolkappiyam’ that dates back Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar conducted an to 2,000 or 2,500 BC, ‘Jeevakachintamani’, an epic extensive search in the sky and in the neither world written by Jain poet, Thiruthakka Thevar, in the did they find him. Lord Shiva asked Lord Brahma Sangam period, ‘Karnarpadu’, ‘Kalavazhi Narpadu’ and Lord Vishnu to find out the exact location of dating around 1,000 BC and ‘Pazhamozhi’. his head and his feet. Extension of Deepavali Since Lord Shiva took a gigantic form, they were not able to find him anywhere. Then Lord Shiva Many families practice the trend of doubling the appeared before them in the form of a flaming light number of lamps every day from the day of whose ends cannot be defined on the hill of Deepavali till the festival day of Karthigai Deepam. Thiruvannamalai. Therefore, this festival is also Large number of blazing lamps offers a captivating known as Annamalai Deepam. Here, a special torch manifestation during the night. is lighted on the zenith of the hill and it is believed that Lord Shiva’s Jyoti will be visible on this day. Like Deepavali, there is general practice of cleaning The festival is celebrated in a special manner in houses and decking up houses beautifully with Thiruvannamalai. stunning illuminations and multihued ‘Kolams’ or Rangoli. People place lamps or Agal in their puja Lord Muruga took the form of six babies in a lake room and place them at different places in the called “Saravana Poigai”. On this day, Parvati (his house after the completion of ‘Deeparathana’ mother) united all his six forms and so Lord (puja). The streets provide visual treat on this festival with lamps all around.

Celebrations

The festival is celebrated for nine auspicious days with each day having its own special importance. The celebrations begin with the flag hoisting on the Uttradam day and the festivity continues for nine days. The popular Bharani Deepam in five ‘agantams’ is lit in Arunachaleswarar’s Sannithi in early morning hours of the tenth day. Devotees move to the Annamali Hills to worship the Bharani Deepam on the final day of the festival. It is believed that the flame of the lamp does not sputter on this day and divulge into the form of Lord Muruga, reaching up to the sky.

The Bharani Deepam is actually a colossal circular metal vessel with a capacity to hold about 2,000 liters of ghee, a height of five and half feet and diameter of five feet. The wick of the lamp itself is made up of 30 m of ‘Ghada’ cloth burnt using 2 kilos of camphor. It is claimed that on the night of ‘Karthigai Pournami’, when the lamp is lit it can be seen across an area of 35 km around the shrine.

In the evening, the Pancha Murthis are brought to the Katchi Mandapam. At dusk (Pradosham), with the Karthigai day harmonizing with full moon day, the deity, Ardhanareeswarar, is taken in a grand procession on the decorated vehicle to this place with the five deepams, which are put in a big receptacle near the flag staff. At the same time, the Lord Vishnu guiding light on the hill is lit and huge crowd raise

12 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Karthigai Deepam Hanukkah cry in a loud voice “Annamalaikku Arogara”. It is a missing or broken, including the golden menorah. sight for the Gods! The lighting of the beacon on They cleaned and repaired the Temple, and when the top of the hill is the finale of ten days of they were finished, they decided to have a big merriment in the town. The burning lamp with the dedication ceremony. For the celebration, the divine flame is considered an auspicious symbol Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. They and believed to fend off evil forces and escort looked everywhere for oil, and found a small flask ecstasy and prosperity. that contained only enough oil to light the menorah for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight Hanukkah days. This gave them enough time to obtain new oil to keep the menorah lit. Today Jews celebrate The Jewish celebrates the re-dedication of the Holy Hanukkah for eight days by lighting candles in a Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC. menorah every night, thus commemorating the Hanukkah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew, eight-day miracle. begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar and usually falls in November or Celebrations December.” This year, the 25th of Kislev corresponds to December 1st, 2010. Hanukkah is celebrated with excellent food, an exchange of gifts, and the lighting of beautiful History menorahs (special Hanukkah candelabras) filled with brightly colored candles. The celebration also Antiochus, the Greek King of Syria, outlawed Jewish reaffirms the continuing struggle to live by God’s rituals and ordered the Jews to worship Greek commandments and to lead Jewish lives. Gods. In 168 BC the Jews’ Holy Temple was seized and dedicated to the worship of Zeus. Some Jews Parveen Dahiya were afraid of the Greek soldiers and obeyed them, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan but most were angry and decided to fight back. Source: http://festivalsofindia.in, The fighting began in Modiin, a village not far from www.festivalsindia.com, www.hindu-blog.com, Jerusalem. A Greek officer and soldiers assembled www.aryabhatt.com, www.salagram.net, the villagers, asking them to bow to an idol and eat www.scribd.com, www.history.com, http://joi.org, the flesh of a pig, activities forbidden to Jews. The www.theholidayspot.com, officer asked Mattathias, a Jewish High Priest, to www.indiaparenting.com take part in the ceremony. He refused, and another villager stepped forward and offered to do it instead. Mattathias became outraged, took out his sword and killed the man, then killed the officer. His five sons and the other villagers then attacked and killed the soldiers. Mattathias’ family went into hiding in the nearby mountains, where many other Jews who wanted to fight the Greeks joined them. They attacked the Greek soldiers whenever possible.

Judah Maccabee and his soldiers went to the holy Temple, and were saddened that many things were

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 13 Gilgamesh

An epic (from the ancient Greek word epos) is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject, containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. An epic always opens in ‘medias res’ (in the middle of things) and has a setting that is vast, covering many nations, the world or the universe. It begins with an invocation to a muse and a statement of the theme. It uses epithets, long lists and long and formal Epics of speeches. Humans and human affairs are always subjected to divine intervention. The epic hero illustrates traits, performs deeds, and exemplifies certain morals that are valued by the society from which the epic originates. Here is a brief account of the World the epics of the world that historically ante-dated our own Ramayana and Mahabharata.

14 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Gilgamesh king of Sparta. The epic tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a struggle between King The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient poem from Agamemnon (brother of King Menelaus) and the Mesopotamia is among the earliest known works of warrior Achilles. Though both are on the same literature. side, the two men come to hate each other, and their conflict nearly leads to Greek defeat. Scholars believe that it originated around 1300 BC as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about The end of the war came with one final plan. the mythological hero-king Gilgamesh. Odysseus devised a new ruse-a giant hollow wooden horse, an animal that was sacred to the The most complete version existing today is preserved Trojans. The hollow horse was filled with soldiers on 12 clay tablets from the library collection of 7th led by Odysseus. The rest of the army burned the century BC Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. camp and sailed away. When the Trojans discovered that the Greeks were gone, believing the war was Gilgamesh was probably a real ruler in the late over, they “joyfully dragged the horse inside the Early Dynastic II period (ca.27th century BC). The city”, while they debated what to do with it. story revolves around a relationship between Gilgamesh and his close companion, Enkidu. Some thought they ought to hurl it down from the rocks, others thought they should burn it, while Enkidu is a wild man created by the gods as others said they ought to dedicate it to Athena (the Gilgamesh’s equal to distract him from oppressing Greek goddess of war). The Trojans decided to the citizens of Uruk. keep the horse and turned to a night of mad revelry and celebration. At midnight, the soldiers from Together they undertake dangerous quests that inside the horse emerged and killed the guards. incur the displeasure of the gods. Although the story covers only a few weeks in the Firstly, they journey to the Cedar Mountain to final year of the war, the Iliad alludes to many of the defeat Humbaba, its monstrous guardian. Greek legends about the siege. Later they kill the Bull of Heaven that the goddess The Iliad begins with the poet’s famous evocation Ishtar has sent to punish Gilgamesh for spurning of the Muse: her advances. Anger be now your song, immortal one, The latter part of the epic focuses on Gilgamesh’s Achilles’ anger, doomed and ruinous, distressed reaction to Enkidu’s death, which takes the form of a quest for immortality. Gilgamesh that caused the Achaeans loss on bitter loss attempts to learn the secret of eternal life by and crowded brave souls into the undergloom, undertaking a long and perilous journey to meet leaving so many dead men-carrion the immortal flood hero, Utnapishtim. for dogs and birds; and the will of Zeus was done.

Ultimately the poignant words addressed to The Iliad has several themes running through the Gilgamesh in the midst of his quest foreshadow the poem. The poem’s principal theme, established by end result: “The life that you are seeking you will the very first word of the poem is Wrath—the never find. When the gods created man they “Wrath of Achilles”—his personal rage and allotted to him death, but life they retained in their wounded soldier’s vanity, propels the story— the own keeping.” Gilgamesh, however, was celebrated Greeks’ faltering in battle, the slayings of Patroclus by posterity for his building achievements, and for and Hector, and finally the fall of Troy. bringing back long-lost Celtic knowledge to Uruk as a result of his meeting with Utnapishtim. There is a strong theme of Nostos or homecoming, Kleos which is the concept of glory or fame earned Iliad and Odyssey in heroic battle; the theme of time (respect, honour), the concept denoting the respectability an No other texts in the Western imagination occupy as honourable man accrues with accomplishment central a position in the self-definition of Western (cultural, political, martial), as per his station in life. culture as the two epic poems of Homer, the legendary Greek poet, the author of the Iliad and The Iliad also explores the power of fate, and how the Odyssey. These two epics are among the oldest one cannot avoid one’s fate. extant works of Western literature, and its written version is dated to around eighth century BC. The Odyssey, the other major ancient Greek epic poem, also attributed to Homer is, in part, a sequel The Iliad (or Song of Ilium) is set during the Trojan to the Iliad. War, the ten-year siege of Ilium by a coalition of Greek states. The Trojan war was waged against the It is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of work of Western literature. It was probably Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the composed near the end of the eighth century BC,

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 15 somewhere in Ionia, the Greek-speaking coastal At times Odysseus nearly forgets his goal-to return region of what is now Turkey. to Ithaca and his family.

The poem mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus At other times he is shown as the lonely Greek who (or Ulysses, as he was known in Roman myths) and stands against the alien and barbaric customs of his long journey home after the fall of Troy. the foreign places in which he wanders.

It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after Virgil’s Aeneid the ten-year Trojan War. In his absence, it is assumed he has died, and his wife Penelope and Virgil was a classical Roman poet, best known for son Telemachus must deal with a group of unruly three major works—the Eclogues, the Georgics, and suitors, the Mnesteres, competing for Penelope’s the Aeneid. hand in marriage. The Aeneid is widely considered Virgil’s finest work Like the Iliad, the Odyssey begins with an and one of the most important poems in the evocation of the Muse: history of western literature.

Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of Virgil worked on the Aeneid during the last ten that man skilled in all ways of contending, the years of his life (29-19 BCE), commissioned, wanderer, harried for years on end, after the according to tradition, by Augustus. plundered the stronghold of the proud height of Troy. The hero Aeneas was already known to Greco- Roman legend and myth, having been a character in the Iliad. Virgil took the various disjointed tales of Aeneas’ wanderings, his ambiguous association “The poem mainly with the foundation of Rome and fashioned this into a compelling nationalist epic that at once tied centers on the Greek hero Rome to the legends of Troy, glorified traditional Roman virtues and legitimized the Julio-Claudian dynasty as descendants of the founders, heroes Odysseus (or Ulysses, as and gods of Rome and Troy. he was known in Roman The epic poem consists of 12 books which describe the journey of Aeneas, a prince fleeing from Troy, to myths) and his long Italy, his battle with the Italian prince Turnus, and the journey home after the foundation of a city from where Rome would emerge. The Aeneid’s first six books describe the journey of fall of Troy.” Aeneas from Troy to Rome. The poem’s second half tells of the Trojans’ ultimately victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are The Odyssey tells of the great adventures of Odysseus destined to be subsumed. and his crew as their ship makes its way home from Troy to Ithaca. Driven off-course by storms, they visit The Aeneid is full of prophecies about the future of the lethargic island of the Lotus-Eaters. Rome, the deeds of Augustus, his ancestors, and famous Romans, and the Carthaginian Wars. Then, they are captured by the Cyclops Polyphemus, only escaping by blinding him with a The Aeneid was written in a time of major political wooden stake. They re-embark and encounter the and social change in Rome, with the fall of the cannibalistic island of the Laestrygonians. Roman Republic having torn through society and Odysseus’s ship is the only one to escape. He sails many Romans’ faith in the “Greatness of Rome” on and visits the witch-goddess Circe, in the island severely faltering. of Aeaea. However, the new emperor, Augustus Caesar, began They finally leave the island of Circe after a year to institute a new era of prosperity and peace, and skirting the land of the Sirens, pass between specifically through the re-introduction of the six-headed monster Scylla and the whirlpool traditional Roman moral values. Charybdis, and land on the island of Thrinacia before finally reaching Ithaca. The Aeneid was seen as reflecting this aim, by depicting the heroic Aeneas as a man devoted and In Homer’s Odyssey the adventures of the hero loyal to his country and its prominence, rather Odysseus are arranged around a vision of moral than personal gains, and going off on a journey for purpose and national identity. the betterment of Rome.

16 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Aeneid Trojans wooden hourse

The Divine Comedy the Inferno represents the Christian soul seeing sin for what it really is, and the three beasts represent The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by three types of sin: the self-indulgent, the violent, Dante Alighieri between 1308 and before his death and the malicious. Having survived the depths of in 1321. It is widely considered the pre-eminent Hell, Dante and Virgil ascend out of the work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the undergloom; to the Mountain of Purgatory on the greatest works of world literature. far side of the world. The mountain has seven terraces, corresponding to the seven deadly sins. The poem’s imaginative and allegorical vision of the Christian afterlife is a culmination of the The classification of sin here is more psychological medieval world-view as it had developed in the than that of the Inferno, being based on motives, Western Church. rather than actions. Allegorically, the Purgatorio represents the Christian life. Christian souls arrive It is divided into three parts, the Inferno, Purgatorio, escorted by an angel. In Paradiso, after an initial and Paradiso. ascension, Beatrice guides Dante through the nine celestial spheres of Heaven. On the surface the poem describes Dante’s travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven; but, at a Dante meets and converses with several great deeper level, it represents allegorically the soul’s saints of the Church including Thomas Aquinas, St. journey towards God. At this deeper level, Dante Bonaventure, St. Peter, and St. John. draws on medieval Christian theology and philosophy, especially the writings of Thomas The Divine Comedy finishes with Dante seeing the Aquinas. The poem is written in the first person, Triune God. In a flash of understanding, which he and tells of Dante’s journey through the three cannot express, Dante finally understands the realms of the dead, lasting from the night before mystery of Christ’s divinity and humanity, and his Good Friday to the Wednesday after Easter in the soul becomes aligned with God’s love: spring of 1300. “But already my desire and my will were being The Roman poet Virgil guides him through Hell and turned like a wheel, all at one speed, by the Love Purgatory; Beatrice, Dante’s ideal woman, guides which moves the sun and the other stars.” him through Heaven. though the Divine Comedy is primarily a religious The poem begins on the night before Good Friday poem, discussing sin, virtue, and theology, Dante in the year 1300. also discusses several elements of the science of his day. The Purgatorio repeatedly refers to the Dante is thirty-five years old, half of the biblical life implications of a spherical earth, such as the expectancy of 70, lost in a dark wood and unable to different stars visible in the southern hemisphere, find the ‘straight way to salvation’. Conscious that the altered position of the sun, and the various he is ruining himself and that he is falling into a time zones of the earth. The Paradiso discusses “deep place”. astronomy extensively, but of course in the Ptolemaic sense. It also discusses the importance Dante is at last rescued by Virgil, and the two of of the experimental method in science. them begin their journey to the underworld.

Each sin’s punishment in Inferno is a contrapasso, a symbolic instance of poetic justice. Allegorically,

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 17 in Buckinghamshire, and was based on the Gospel of Luke’s version of the Temptation of Christ. Paradise Regained is four books in length, in contrast with Paradise Lost’s twelve.

One of the major concepts emphasised throughout Paradise Regained is the play on reversals. As implied by its title, Milton sets out to reverse the “loss” of paradise.

Thus, antonyms are often found next to each other throughout the poem, reinforcing the idea that everything that was lost in the first epic is going to be regained by the end of the mini-epic. Additionally, this work focuses on the idea of “hunger”, both in a literal and in a spiritual sense. After wandering in the wilderness for forty days La Araucana Jesus is starved of both food and the Word of God.

Satan, too blind to see any non-literal meanings of Paradise Lost/Regained the term, offers Christ food and various other temptations, but Jesus continually denies him. Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th century English poet John Milton. It was Beowulf originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse. Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English A second edition followed in 1674, redividing the heroic epic poem set in Scandinavia, commonly epic into twelve books in the tradition of Virgil. The cited as one of the most important works of Anglo- majority of the poem was written while Milton was Saxon literature. blind, and was transcribed for him. It survives in a single manuscript known as the The poem concerns the Christian story of the Fall Nowell Codex. Its composition by an anonymous of Man—the temptation of Adam and Eve by the Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the early 11th century. Garden of Eden. Milton’s purpose, stated in Book I, is to “justify the ways of God to men” and elucidate In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the conflict between God’s eternal foresight and the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose free will. Milton incorporates Paganism, classical great hall, Heorot, is plagued by the monster Grendel. Greek references, and Christianity within the poem. Beowulf kills both Grendel and Grendel’s mother, It deals with diverse topics from marriage, politics, the latter with a magical sword. monarchy and grapples with many difficult theological issues, including fate, predestination, Later in his life, Beowulf is himself king of the the Trinity, and the introduction of sin and death Geats, and finds his realm terrorised by a dragon into the world, as well as angels, fallen angels, whose treasure had been stolen from his hoard in a Satan, and the war in heaven. Milton draws on his burial mound. He attacks the dragon with the help knowledge of languages, and diverse sources— of his thegns (noblemen), but they do not succeed. primarily Genesis, much of the New Testament, the Beowulf decides to follow the dragon into its lair, deuterocanonical Book of Enoch, and other parts of but only his young Swedish relative Wiglaf dares the Old Testament. Milton’s epic is generally join him. Beowulf finally slays the dragon, but is considered one of the greatest literary works in the mortally wounded. He is buried in a tumulus in English language. Geatland by the sea. Later in life, Milton wrote the much shorter sequel The events described in the poem take place in the to Paradise Lost entitled Paradise Regained, late 5th century, after the Anglo-Saxons had begun charting the temptation of Christ by Satan, and the migration and settlement in England, and before return of the possibility of paradise. The reputation the beginning of the 7th century, a time when the of the sequel never equaled its antecedent. Saxons were either newly arrived or in close Paradise Regained written as a sequel to Milton’s contact with their fellow Germanic kinsmen in earlier and more famous epic poem Paradise Lost Scandinavia and Northern Germany. was published in 1671. It shares similar theological Beowulf thus depicts a Germanic warrior society, in themes to the earlier poem and deals with the which the relationship between the lord of the subject of the Temptation of Christ. The poem was region and those who served under him was of composed in Milton’s cottage in Chalfont St. Giles

18 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 paramount importance. contempt of pain and death of the legendary Araucanian leaders and makes them national heroes This society was strongly defined in terms of today. Thus we see Ercilla appealing to the concept kinship. If someone was killed, it was the duty of of the “noble savage”, which has its origins in surviving kin to exact revenge either with their own classical authors and took on a new lease of life in lives or through weregild, a payment of reparation. the renaissance. Ercilla embodied the Renaissance ideal of being at once a man of action and a man of La Araucana letters as no other in his time was. He was adept at blending personal, lived experience with literary La Araucana is an epic poem in Spanish about the tradition. He was widely acclaimed in Spain. Spanish conquest of Chile, by Alonso de Ercilla. It was considered the national epic of the Kingdom of The Tale of the Heike Chile and one of the most important works of the Spanish Golden Age. Published between 1569 and The Tale of the Heike (Heike monogatari) is an epic 1589, La Araucana consists of 37 cantos that are account of the struggle between the Taira and distributed across the poem’s three parts. Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180-1185). The The author of the poem, Alonso de Ercilla was born story of the Heike was compiled from a collection of into a noble family in Madrid, Spain He occupied oral stories recited by travelling monks who several positions in the household of Prince Philip chanted to the accompaniment of the biwa, an (later King Philip II of Spain), before requesting and instrument reminiscent of the lute. The most widely receiving appointment to a military expedition to read version of the Heike monogatari was compiled Chile to subdue the Araucanians of Chile. by a blind monk named Kakuichi in 1371.

He joined the adventurers and distinguished The Heike is considered one of the great classics of himself in the ensuing campaign. La Araucana medieval Japanese literature. It is primarily a describes the initial phase of the Arauco War, a samurai epic focusing on warrior culture—an conflict between colonial Spaniards and the ideology that ultimately laid the groundwork for Mapuche people in what is now the Araucania and bushido (the way of the warrior). The Heike has Biobio regions of modern Chile. also many love stories, which dates back to earlier Heian literature. The conflict lasted three centuries, making it one of the longest wars in history. Ercilla placed this Mikhail Matveyevish Kheraskov conquest of the Spanish in Chile at the core of his poem, because he himself was a participant in the Mikhail Matveyevish Kheraskov (1733-1807) was conquest and the story is based on his regarded as the most important Russian poet by experiences there. Catherine the Great and her contemporaries. In 1771 he wrote Rossiad, the only Russian epic in the It was the first epic poem of its kind written by a tradition of Homer and Virgil, about Ivan the participant in the course of the events narrated Terrible’s taking of Kazan in 1552. and the first to immortalise the beginnings of a modern country. Vindhya Source: Bhavan’s Journal October 31, 2010 In the minds of the Chilean people La Araucana is a kind of Iliad that exalts the heroism, pride, and

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Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 19 Christmas

In December a joyful spirit embraces everybody; embracing four Sundays. Purple is historically the homes, offices, public places are decorated and main color used for it because it reflects penitence, people join together to celebrate Christmas. We fasting, and the color of royalty to welcome the should remember the real meaning of this holiday Advent of the king (Jesus Christ). Throughout that is the Birth of Jesus Christ. The Christmas feast Advent we have seen how the preparation for is a festival full of joy. The Church longed ardently for Jesus’ coming became more and more precise. the coming of our Savior. She celebrates His birth with unrestrained joy. “The Word was made flesh and During this period, it is a custom to have an Advent dwelt among us.” The Son of God became man to crown also known as an Advent Wreath. It is made give us a share in that divine life which is eternally from evergreen wreath. It symbolizes God is His. The longings of the patriarchs and prophets are eternal, with no beginning or end. Four candles are fulfilled. With the shepherds we hurry to the manger fixed round the circle. One by one is lit up every and adore the Incarnate Son of God, who for us and Sunday. This presented how God gradually lead for our salvation descended upon earth. The from the darkness of the sin to the light of salvation purpose of the Christmas feast is delightfully with the coming of Christ to our world. expressed in the Preface of the Nativity: “For by the mystery of the Word made flesh the light of Thy glory Christmas Crib hath shone anew upon the eyes of our mind; so that while we acknowledge Him a God seen by men, we The popular tradition of the Christmas crib or may be drawn by Him to the love of things unseen.” Nazareth scene was adopted by St. Francis of Assisi who conducted the first performance in Greccio, The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Italy, on Christmas 1225. Then Saint Clara spread it Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038, and throughout Franciscan convents in Italy and then Cristes-messe, in 1131. In Dutch it is Kerst-misse, in the order contributed to the extension of the living Latin Dies Natalis, whence comes the French Noël, manger or represented by figures. and Italian Il natale; in German Weihnachtsfest, from the preceding sacred vigil. Christmas time begins It is a concrete and vivid way of representing to on December 24 with the first Vespers of the feast ourselves the Incarnation and birth of Christ. It and ends on the feast of the Baptism of Christ. depicts in a striking manner the virtues of the newborn Savior, especially His humility, poverty, The traditions and customs aim to represent what and charity. happened. We should know their reason and meaning to deeply live them. There are plenty of traditions and During the middle Age and the Renaissance it was customs which help us to live the Christmas spirit. customary to depict scenes of Christmas in the churches. In both traditions started the current Advent cribs with figures of wood, plaster, lead, clay or cardboard. It reached its peak in the kingdom of Advent, from the Latin word adventus meaning Naples in the eighteenth century and from there to “coming”, is originally a time to reflect and prepare Spain, where he was taken to Latin America. for the symbolic birth of Christ each year similarly to how Lent is in preparation for Easter. It cannot The Christmas Tree be determined with certainty when the celebration of Advent was first introduced into the Church. The ancient Germans believed that the world and all Advent is a period beginning with the Sunday the stars were held hanging from the branches of a nearest to the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle and gigantic tree called the “divine Idrasil” or “god Odin, who worshiped it each year at the winter solstice,

20 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 when they supposed life is renewed. The celebration During the Christmas season there is also an of this day was an oak tree decorated with torches exchange of gifts. This custom should recall to us representing the stars, moon and sun. They danced that on this day God Himself gave to us the greatest and sang around this tree worshiping their god. of all gifts, His beloved Son: “God so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son” (John 3: 16). It is said that Saint Boniface, evangelist of Germany, shot down the tree that represented the god Odin, Priscila Molina M. and at the same place he planted a pine tree, symbol of God’s eternal love and decorated with apples and Business and Development Project Management, candles, giving it a Christian symbolism: the apples working in Bhavan in a cultural exchange represented the temptations, original sin and the sins through AIESEC of men; the candles represented Christ, the world’s light and grace given to men who accept Jesus as Source: www.aciprensa.com, www.zenit.org, Savior. This custom spread throughout Europe http://www.catholicculture.org, during the Middle Age; with the conquests and www.catholicity.com migrations came to America. Gradually, the tradition has been evolving: the apples were replaced by spheres and lights by candles representing the joy and light that Jesus brought to the world.

Carols

The carols encourage participation in the liturgy of Advent and Christmas. Caroling is a way to show our joy and gratitude to Jesus and hear during Advent helps prepare the heart for the Christmas.

The first known Christmas carols is “Omnium Refulsit Iesus” (Jesus, Light of all nations) in IV century, and it is attributed to St. Hilary of Poitiers. In the thirteenth century, St. Francis of Assisi spread the tradition of Christmas songs.

The best known, however is “Silent Night.” Its original title is “Stille nacht, heilige Yach” and was written by the Austrian priest Joseph Mohr in 1818. Now it is translated into 330 languages.

During the Christmas season there is an extensive exchange of greetings and good wishes among friends. These greetings are a reminder of those “good tidings of great joy that shall be to all the people, for this day is born to you a Savior Who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11). They are a reminder, too, that all blessings and graces come to us from Christ: “Hath He not also with Him given us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 21 Christmas in India

Christmas is embraced by people from different pieces and covered with translucent color paper. A creeds and beliefs in India. Indians commemorate lighted lamp or oil-lamp is placed inside the star at the Birth of Jesus with carols, cribs and delicious night. In addition people prepare clay oil-burning Christmas food. Even in India the proportion of lamps as Christmas decorations and place them Christians is relatively small. December 25th is a outside the house along with the star. national holiday. Most Catholic Schools and Catholic Universities get the week off from 24th of It is a very common tradition that children join December to the 2nd of January. together to form local carol troops. They visit their neighborhood homes and perform in the courtyard. The main celebrations of Christmas take place on Christmas Eve, which is December 24th. That day, As pine trees are not common in India plastic trees family and friends join together and go to Mass by were introduced roughly 10 years ago. Traditionally midnight. Afterwards, the celebrations continue. the Casuarina tree was used and decorated as The traditional midnight Mass is called Missa de Christmas tree. Galo or Cock Crow as people take part of it into early hours of the morning. Cribs are very well There are some different Christmas celebrations decorated and displayed at parks, shops, etc. Most around the country. In South India, Christians light Christian families will also have a crib and a clay oil-lamps on the rooftops and walls of their Christmas tree outside their homes. In addition, the houses. In several states of sending of greeting cards is common. India a popular custom is to decorate banana or mango In Mangalore, people get together at home to share tree instead of traditional a variety of delicious Christmas dishes, such as, pine tree. In northwest India, Rice ‘chakli’, crispy chocolate slices, parsley cake, the tribal Christians of the potato ‘chakli’, ‘bebinca’, ‘karakaddi’, Father Bhil tribe go out night after Christmas cake, cashewnut macroons, Christmas night for a week during choco cake, ‘besan’ (chickpeas), rice marbles, Christmas to sing their ‘kokkisam’, rose cookies, rosettes, Christmas fruit equivalent of carols the cake, rich cake and ‘sooji’ coconut cake. whole night through.

During Christmas time in Delhi all the churches are Priscila Molina M. beautifully lit up and decorated, especially the Sacred Heart. Santa Claus can be found in public spaces. Business and Development Project Management, working in Bhavan in a cultural exchange Hanging a Christmas star outside homes and shops through AIESEC is one of the most popular traditions in Keralan and Goa. Usually the star is made from bamboo log Source: www.happywink.org/christmas- day/christmas-in-india.html

22 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 A Recovery for All

New York: Over the last two years, the majority of as the “lost decade.” UNICEF responded with countries in the world chose to expand public Adjustment with a Human Face, which argued that spending in order to buffer the impact of the global children must be protected during economic crises. financial crisis on their economies and populations. It argued for more expansionary macroeconomic But, this year, with signs of economic recovery policies to generate employment, public-sector emerging, advanced countries have quickly shifted investments to serve the poor, and the from fiscal stimulus to fiscal consolidation. establishment of social-protection systems.

Now developing countries are also following the Thirty years later, déjà vu, the same message trend to consolidate. A recent UNICEF survey of 126 applies. The poor in developing countries are again countries shows that a significant number of low- being made to endure the worst consequences of a and middle-income countries are expected to crisis that they played no part in creating. It is reduce public expenditures in 2010-2011. critically important that this does not lead to a new lost decade of development, and that poor This comes at a bad time, just after world households—especially children—do not suffer as governments committed themselves to achieving they did in the 1980’s. the development goals, such as reducing poverty and infant mortality, agreed last September at the And yet that could very well happen. Our UNICEF United Nations’ Millennium Summit. survey of 126 developing countries found that among the nearly one-half that are reducing public For most low- and middle-income countries, the expenditures, common adjustment measures include incipient economic recovery appears to be fragile public-sector wage cuts or caps, withdrawal of food and uneven. Indeed, many of these countries remain subsidies, and the targeting and rationalization of vulnerable to volatile commodity prices, financial- already meager social-protection systems. system weaknesses, depressed demand from world markets, and shortfalls in external finance, overseas As the global recession ebbs, the most urgent development assistance, and investment. imperative is recovery for all—a recovery that is inclusive, expands employment opportunities, More importantly, according to the UN and the reduces inequalities, and sustains development World Bank, the social impact of the global processes. economic crisis continues to be felt in terms of rising hunger, unemployment, and social unrest. This can be achieved. It requires that aid to poor The combination of rising food and fuel prices and countries be sustained; that governments focus on the financial and economic crisis has reduced poor expansionary macroeconomic policies that support families’ purchasing power, access to social employment and broad-based economic activities; services, and employment opportunities. that new schemes be introduced to extend health services and social protection for the poor; and Moreover, poor households have reduced food that investments in education, water supply, consumption, with the UN Food and Agricultural sanitation, agriculture, and food security receive Organization estimating that nearly one billion the support they need. people are hungry and malnourished.

In the 1980’s, adjustment programs required countries to cut back on their expenditures, Isabel Ortiz including outlays on education, health, water, agriculture, and other sectors that make a difference Isabel Ortiz is Associate to poor households. As the late Tanzanian President Director, Policy and Julius Nyerere demanded publicly: “Must we starve Practice, UNICEF our children to pay our debts?” Copyright: Project Infant mortality rates rose among low-income Syndicate, 2010 groups in many developing countries, and Source: www.project- inequality increased. This period came to be known syndicate.org

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 23 SBS Chairman’s Address: 28 October 2010

30th Anniversary

Tonight is a celebration, and I trust you will enjoy many Australians as in 1975, who speak a language seeing, hearing and tasting from our multicultural other than English at home, and the diversity of buffet. At the same time it is important to reflect on race, religion and cultures has multiplied among such an occasion as to how we are fulfilling our newer arrivals, so that the mission has in fact mission, and how we think of the future. The expanded, quantitatively and qualitatively! context for SBS is that Australia is a new world multicultural society, absorbing successive waves Technology has presented fresh challenges. Global of migrants from different countries. SBS was satellite distribution and cheap home receivers created to welcome and support them, and to mean many, especially newer migrants, can and do inform and educate them in their own languages tune into home country broadcasts to the virtual and in English about Australia, and at the same exclusion of English language Australian media, time inform, educate and entertain all Australians posing the risk of them falling into “media ghettoes”, so that they better understand and value cultural where their principal source of knowledge about diversity at home and abroad. Australia is through the eyes of their old country media. Our surveys show that they distrust From humble beginnings, with coverage of eight mainstream Australian media, other than SBS. languages on radio with limited coverage, SBS has grown to be a national broadcaster, broadcasting in So the need for SBS “in language” and English 68 languages weekly on radio, reaching about 40% services is greater than ever. The cohesion of our of Australians each week across two free-to-air multicultural society cannot be taken for granted. It channels, in addition to World Movies and STVDIO is a work in progress, and requires continuing and on subscription television, and over a million visits sophisticated government programs, including a a month across our websites in English and in 68 vigorous SBS to ensure its success. other languages. In recognition of these enormous social and It is indisputably not only Australia’s, but the technological changes impacting upon our services world’s most distinctive and diverse broadcaster, and industry, we recently re-examined the and has been a potent factor in making Australia a organisation’s strategic direction and reshaped cosmopolitan society in a rapidly globalising world. SBS’s corporate plan.

It has garnered numerous international and The plan outlines our ambitions for the future, and national awards for its programs along the way, explicitly states that the role of SBS is to contribute including an Academy Award, and this year the to social inclusion in Australia. majority of the peer group awarded Logies—and, just last night, 8 nominations for the AFI. Our aim is to be a vital factor in the harmonious integration of migrants into Australian society, Now the success of Australia as a multicultural whilst valuing their distinctiveness; to be a catalyst society could lead some to think that SBS is for the nation’s conversation about multiculturalism “mission accomplished”. They would be wrong. — informing and educating all Australians so as to Today there are more than 3 million, or twice as promote harmony and enable us to minimise

24 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 friction and maximise the benefits of the skills, way that other broadcasters simply do not. This cultural and linguistic richness and global networks means more programs like the award winning East of our diverse migrant communities. West 101, The Circuit and First Australians.

The strategies to do this are based on creatively So, this is the anniversary vision for SBS exploiting new technologies. Digital TV has tripled incorporated in its new corporate plan. It will be the channel capacity of SBS TV. This resolves the implemented progressively as funding permits. dilemma of the past, whereby with just one channel, English language programming of broad On behalf of SBS, thank you for being part of the appeal across all communities competed with story so far, and welcome to the next exciting niche “in language” programs in prime time. episode of SBS, “six billion stories and counting”.

Across all its TV channels, SBS will be able to be Joseph Skrzynski, AO both broad and distinctive, with much more “in Chairman, SBS language” programming. Appointed 27 March 2009 for five years, Mr Skrzynski Another new strategy which I can announce tonight was appointed Chairman of SBS on 6 November 2009. sees the further development of SBS “on demand” Mr Skrzynski has made a significant contribution to services to pilot Virtual Community Centres for the community, arts and the media since 1969. individual language groups. These will be the “go He is a Board Member of the Sydney Film School and to” media destination for those communities, a Fellow of the University of Sydney Senate. He providing on-demand access to SBS TV and radio served as the Chairman of the Sydney Opera House programs, additional on line content specially Trust (1996-2004) and on the Major Organisations commissioned or acquired, links to community and Fund of the Australia Council (1995-2000). He has government services information and, a first for extensive experience in managing private and public SBS, user generated content from the individual companies and strong expertise in financial matters, community itself. including his position as Founding Partner, CHAMP The first of these Virtual Community Centres will Private Equity. be for Australian Chinese speaking communities, and will be launched next month, including the pilot of an Australian-Mandarin language news service. This will be a first for Australian television - a domestic in-language news service. We have had in-language Australian news on radio, but now will pilot extending that to television.

But some things will not change, notably our commitment to drama and documentaries that reflect the reality of our multicultural society in a

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 25 World AIDS Day

The World AIDS Day is celebrated on 1st December History every year. It is dedicated to elevate the awareness of AIDS pandemic sources by spreading of HIV The World AIDS Day was primary conceived in infectivity. AIDS stands for: Acquired Immune August 1987 by Thomas Netter and James W. Bunn, Deficiency Syndrome. It is ordinary to hold information officers for Global Program on AIDS at remembrance to respect persons who have expired World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. from HIV/AIDS on this day. Health officials and Govt Netter and Bunn took their scheme to Dr. Jonathan detect the event, often with forums or speeches on Mann, Director of Global Program on AIDS AIDS theme. (UNAIDS). Dr. Mann liked the idea, permitted it, and consent with the proposal that the initial ceremony This disease has killed above 25 million people of the World AIDS Day ought to be 1st December, between 1981 and 2007. About 33.2 million people 1988. live with HIV/AIDS as of 2007. It has become the most critical epidemic in the recorded history. UNAIDS Many people think there is a ‘cure’ for AIDS, which makes them feel safer, and perhaps take risks that The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS they otherwise wouldn’t. However, there is still no (UNAIDS) became equipped in 1996, it captured the cure for AIDS. The only way to stay safe is to be preparation and endorsement of the World AIDS aware of how HIV is transmitted and how to Day. UNAIDS made World AIDS crusade in 1997 to prevent HIV infection. focus on constant communications education and prevention. “This disease Theme In the year 2004, World AIDS crusade became a has killed above 25 sovereign organization. From its beginning until 2004, UNAIDS organized the World AIDS Day million people between operation, selecting annual topics in discussion with other worldwide health associations.

1981 and 2007.” As of 2008, every year’s World AIDS Day idea is chosen through the World AIDS Campaign’s universal Steering Committee following extensive In all parts of the world, people living with HIV still discussion with organizations, people, and Govt face AIDS related stigma and discrimination, and agencies occupied in the treatment and prevention many people still cannot access sufficient HIV of HIV/AIDS. treatment and care. In America and some countries of Western and Central and Eastern Europe, For all World AIDS Day from 2005 through 2010, the infection rates are rising, indicating that HIV subject is “Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise” with an prevention is just as important now as it ever has annual sub-theme. This overarching topic is been. Prevention efforts that have proved to be intended to persuade supporting leaders to keep effective need to be scaled-up and treatment their pledge to achieve worldwide access to targets reached. Commitments from national HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention, support and care governments right down to the community level by the year 2010. need to be intensified and subsequently met, so that one day the world might see an end to the Source: www.avert.org, www.altiusdirectory.com, global AIDS epidemic. www.worldaidsday.org

26 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Anything is possible

Most of us slip into a state of paranoia beset by bluer, the trees fuller of foliage and the flowers to anxieties of knotty and insufferable problems that be more beautiful and fragrant. You will find are conjectured rather than factually occurring. yourself to be enjoying the emerging rays of the sun. You will find your pulse pounding and you will Mental exhaustion comes to those who look ahead be thrilled by the consciousness of strength and with premonition and, as it were, psychologically vigour in every cell in your body. attempt to climb mountains even before reaching them. Hence, already sapped and worn, they stumble All the riches of the world cannot make you happy if when confronted with the actual mission of climbing. you still feel that you need more than what you have. The poorest among the poor can burst into a Most of our present-day misgivings are coloured delightful happy smile if he is content with what he and conditioned by our experiences of the past, in has chanced to come by even if it is a morsel of food particular, of disappointments. We hardly ever that will douse the fire of hunger gnawing inside him. pause to consider the positive experiences of our bygone years. Here is a poem that is very pithy and expresses this concept beautifully We must learn to admire and derive aesthetic pleasure from the colour of a rose and its heady “Believe in yourself, fragrance instead of contemplating the thorns And remember that below, on the stem of the plant. Anything that Anything is possible. cheers, even if it is a fantasy, is any day better than Believe in what makes you feel good. something that depresses, even in fantasy. Believe in what makes you happy. Believe in the dreams you’ve Emerson wrote “I find the gayest castles in the air that always wanted to come true, were ever piled far better for comfort and for use than And give them every chance to. the dungeons in the air that are daily dug and Life holds no promises caverned out by grumbling, discontented people”. As to what will come your way. God has endowed each one of us with a free will You must search for your own ideals and the faculty of discrimination to choose And work towards reaching them. between being optimistic and pessimistic. Most of Life makes no guarantees as to us easily slip into pessimism refusing to look at the what you’ll have, sunny sides of life. It just gives you time to make choices, And to take chances, He alone is the happy man who has learnt to glean And to discover whatever happiness, not from ideal conditions, but from the secrets might come your way. ground realities about him. The man who has If you are willing to take the mastered this ingenuity will not wait for the ideal opportunities you are given conditions to form; he will not wait for a better And utilise the abilities you have, hour of the day, a better tomorrow, month, year or You will constantly fill your life a decade or until he becomes rich or famous. With special moments and He will make the most out of life today, now and unforgettable times. right where he is. If only we look hard enough we No one knows the mysteries of will discover enough to cheer up our disposition life or its ultimate meaning, even if circumstances seem to be dark and murky. But for those who are willing To believe in their dreams and When you wake after a night’s sleep, begin the day in themselves, only by remembering those events of the previous Life is a precious gift in which day that filled you with hope and satisfaction anything is possible”. instead of those that made you wince with pain or distaste. That alone is sufficient to help you begin Dena Dilaconi your day with verve and optimism. Surendralal G Mehta When you begin your day on this cheerful note you President, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan will discover the air to be balmier, the sky to be

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 27 Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

28 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Chakravarti Rajagopalachari known as Rajaji or C.R., of the Swatantra party in the fifties, he attacked the was an Indian lawyer, writer and statesman. He was ‘permit-license Raj’ fearing its potential for the second Governor-General of independent India. corruption and stagnation, even while the tide was Later he became the Chief Minister of Madras State, in favour of Nehru’s socialistic pattern. and was one of the first recipients of India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954. Rajaji was amongst the initial Congress leaders during 1940s to accept the right of Muslims to self- Early Life determination. He even worked out a solution by which there could be common defense and Rajagopalachari was born in a small village called communications between the two nations. But this Thorapalli of the then Salem District on December idea was discarded by Ali Jinnah and also some 10, 1878. He had his school education at Hosur and Congress leaders. Rajaji was always known to be a college education at Madras (Chennai) and staunch protector of his political principles and Bangalore. He was married to Alamelu Mangamma. never hesitated to disagree with his closest allies They had five children. His wife died when he was 37. even in front of the public. Academic Career “Rajaji steadily Rajaji studied law in Bangalore and started his practice at Salem. He was even elected as the rose in rank and even Municipal Chairman of Salem and he held that post for two years. Rajaji started to take part in the politics of the nation at the beginning of the 1900s. came to be regarded as At first he was drawn towards Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In the year 1919 Rajaji chose to follow Mahatma Gandhiji’s successor.” Gandhi, who had just returned from South Africa. Profound thinker Mahatma Gandhi Rajaji was also a profound thinker in matters of After Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa in spirituality and religion. A popular anecdote recalls 1919, Rajaji made up his mind to follow him. C. his encounter with the Hindu spiritual leader Swami Rajagopalachari was appointed the general-secretary Vivekananda, during his student days. Swami was of the Congress in 1921 and thus, got opportunity to visiting a student hostel where Rajaji was staying, gain acquaintance with other leaders like Jawaharlal and he drew the attention of the inmates of the Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Azad, Rajendra hostel to a painting of Lord Vishnu hanging over the Prasad. Rajaji steadily rose in rank and even came to wall and asked them as to why Vishnu in all his be regarded as Gandhiji’s successor. He shared close images, was always depicted blue in colour? Rajaji kinship with Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel too, showed some amazing intellect by answering that despite the difference in their viewpoints. Rajaji the Lord has been ascribed the color of the infinite developed differences with Nehru later, but still both sky and the unlimited sea, which were both blue in respected one another tremendously. Nehru wrote colour. Rajaji received rich praises from the about Rajaji in his autobiography of how Rajaji’s immensely pleased spiritual leader, for his profound “brilliant intellect, selfless character, and penetrating understanding of the Hindu spiritual philosophy. powers of analysis have been a tremendous asset to our cause”. A writer

Indian National Congress As a writer, besides his own material, he published English translations of many important Indian and Being among the five most important leaders in the Hindu works: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Indian National Congress, C. Rajagopalachari Gita, Upanishads and Bhaja Govindam. He also played a pivotal role in the life history of this party. translated the Ramayana into Tamil. Kurai Onrum Rajaji was the member of its Working Committee illai, I have no unfulfilled desires left, oh! God, is a from 1919 to 1942 and then again from time period very famous song in the semi-Carnatic music genre 1950 to 1955. Rajaji was active in Congress for written by Rajaji. The most popular version, about half a century. In the year 1932, he was (widely acknowledged as soul-stirring) was been chosen as the acting president of the Congress and rendered by MS Subbulakshmi. played crucial role in formulating the Poona Pact with Ambedkar. Later when he was asked by Rajaji died on December 25, 1972 after a short Gandhiji and Nehru to head the Congress a couple illness. The nonagenarian’s public life, spanning of times, he refused. nearly eighty years are perhaps best recognized by Mahatma Gandhi’s rich tribute to him praising him Man of Principles as the: “the keeper of my conscience”.

Rajaji was the earliest Congress leader in the forties Source: www.biographybase.com, to admit to the likelihood of Partition. As a founder www.iloveindia.com, www.indiainfolibrary.com

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 29 Burma: India’s bad neighbour policy

New Delhi: As stage-managed elections ratify the Canton. And the generals began providing safe consequences of three decades of military rule in havens and arms to a motley assortment of anti- Burma, the perspective from its neighbor India may Indian rebel movements that would wreak havoc in help explain why there is continued international India’s northeastern states and retreat to acceptance of the country’s long-ruling junta. sanctuaries in the newly-renamed Myanmar.

Burma was ruled as part of Britain’s Indian Empire All this was troubling enough to Indian until 1935, and the links between the two countries policymakers, who were being painfully reminded remained strong after Burma gained its of the country’s vulnerability to a determined independence in 1947. An Indian business neighbor. The clincher came when large deposits of community thrived in Burma’s major cities, and natural gas were found in Burma, which, it was cultural and political affinities were well clear, would not be available to an India deemed established. India’s nationalist leader and first hostile to the junta. India’s rivals were gaining Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, was a close ground in its own backyard, while Indian friend of the Burmese nationalist hero Aung San, businesses were losing out on new economic whose daughter, the Nobel laureate and opposition opportunities. The price of pursuing a moral leader Aung San Suu Kyi, studied in New Delhi. foreign policy simply became too high.

For many years, India was unambiguously on the So India turned 180 degrees. When Pakistan’s side of democracy, freedom, and human rights in President, Pervez Musharraf traveled to Myanmar Burma—and in ways more tangible than the to celebrate his country’s new relationship with his rhetoric of the regime’s Western critics. When the fellow generals, India’s Foreign Minister Jaswant generals suppressed the popular uprising of 1988, Singh soon followed. The increasingly forlorn nullified the overwhelming election victory by resistance operations staged from Indian territory Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy were shut down in the hope of reciprocation from (NLD) in 1990, shot students, and arrested the the Burmese side. And India sweetened the newly-elected leaders, India’s government initially generals’ tea by providing military assistance and reacted as most Indians would have wanted. India intelligence support to their own never-ending gave asylum to fleeing students and a base for their counter-insurgencies. resistance movement (along with some financial India’s journey was complete: from standing up for help), and supported a newspaper and a radio democracy, India had graduated to aiding and station that propagated the democratic voice. abetting the military regime in Rangoon (now But then reality intruded. India’s strategic rivals, Yangon). When monks were being mown down on China and Pakistan, began to court the Burmese the streets of Yangon in 2006, the Indian generals. Major economic and geopolitical government called for negotiations, muttered concessions were offered to both suitors. The banalities about national reconciliation, and Chinese even began developing a port on the opposed sanctions. India also sent its minister for Burmese coast, far closer to Calcutta than to oil to negotiate an energy deal, making it clear that

30 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 the country’s real priorities lay with its own India’s government national economic interests, ahead of its solidarity cannot be blamed for with Burmese democrats. (At the same time, deciding that its Indian diplomats intervened discreetly from time national interests in to time on behalf of Suu Kyi, though their Burma are more effectiveness was limited by India’s unwillingness important than to alienate the junta.) standing up for democracy there. The All of this was in fact perfectly understandable. member countries of the Officials in New Delhi were justified in reacting Association of South East Asian Nations, acerbically to Western critics of its policy. India on Burma’s eastern flank, have made needed no ethical lessons from a United States similar calculations. and a Britain that have long coddled military dictators in India’s South Asian neighborhood, But many Indians are asking themselves what notably in Pakistan. such a policy does to India as a civilization. If that idealistic democrat Nehru had not been Any Indian government’s primary obligation is to cremated, India’s stance toward Burma might its own people, and there is little doubt that the cause him to turn over in his grave. It is a economic opportunities provided by Burmese oil policy that is governed by the head rather than and gas are of real benefit to Indians. There is also the heart, but in the process India is losing a little the strategic imperative of not ceding ground to bit of its soul. India’s enemies on its own borders. India confronts an inescapable fact of geopolitics: you can put your Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2010 ideals on hold, but you cannot change who your Source: www.project-syndicate.org neighbors are.

Shashi Tharoor, a former Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and UN Under-Secretary General, is a member of India’s parliament and the author of several books, most recently Nehru: the Invention of India (in German).

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 31 India: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

A lecture series was organised on 27th August, at the YB Chavan Auditorium to celebrate the 90th birth anniversary of communist leader YB Chavan. Eminent personalities Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, UID, historian Ramchandra Guha and journalist Kumar Ketkar graced the event and shared their thoughts with the audience.

Mr. Guha talked about India’s ‘Yesterday’. He narrated tales from cricket history about how one of the first Dalits to have broken the barriers of exclusion was P.R. Balu, a bowler who was part of the Hindu team during British regime. In sum he spoke about the structure and thinking of the Indian society.

Mr. Ketkar talked about ‘Today’. He touched upon how India’s future is linked to that of the world and about events happening around the world which impact India. He stressed upon the fact that we must accept ‘change’ so as to progress as a nation.

Mr. Nilekani spoke about ‘Tomorrow’. He talked about the challenges that our country is facing today and how the UIDIA (Aadhar) project can solve numerous problems and promote inclusive growth. He said that there is an impending need to change existing systems to outpace this dynamic environment,

He spoke about how the UID (a mobile identity) would be a ‘number for life’ for millions of Indians who are now excluded from access to public schemes due to lack of identity proof. The UID which would be given to every Indian irrespective of his/her financial or residential status would mean that even the poorest Indian would get a chance to reap the benefits of India’s growth story.

The audience which consisted mainly of students from colleges TISS, SPJIMR and HR among others was enthralled by the speeches. At this juncture the Indian youth especially those who are going to be tomorrow’s managers must understand how the country has evolved, where it stands today and what lies ahead in order to contribute better and this event addressed exactly that.

Source: Bhavan’s Andheri Parivar, From top: Nandan Nilekani; Kumar Ketkar; Vol. 4, October 2010 Ramchandra Guha

32 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Deepavali Treats

“Deepavali Treats” by Nayika Indian Dance played to dancing. Finally, the Katha which occupied the rest a full house at the Seymour Theatre on 18 November. of the time (one hour) was very compelling It was a program of classical Indian dances with a few listening. I particularly liked the contemporary surprises, like the chanting of the names of the 24 asides of Ananth Rao. The Sound Lounge provided single hand gestures in Sanskrit from the Natyasastra just the right intimate atmosphere for him as well text the Balinese mask dance, depicting characters as his accompanying musicians.” from the Ramayana, and a Katha told in English with singing in Sanskrit about how the epic poem the Vimala Sarma Ramayana came to be written in a new verse form, the sloka, by the poet, Valmiki.

One member of the audience, Pamela Schuttler, who has been coming to Nayika Indian Dance performances over a number of years, had this to say about the show.

“The first dance by Vimala, Gajah Vadana Beduve, was beautifully mimed. It was very expressive dancing with beautiful costume—just like a temple dancer. Her second piece was an Annamacharya song, Muthugare Yasoda. Even though we did not understand the words, we loved the melodic song, and Vimala mined the roles of characters in the stories told in the dance very convincingly. The chanting of the Sanskrit verses with the names of the single hand gestures, from the theatrical text, the Natyasastra, written in about the 2-5th centuries, by students Carol Ng and Evgenia Titova, was really interesting as one does not realise the amount of practice and skill required to remember those twenty-four hand gestures. An unexpected twist was that the gestures were demonstrated with a white glove on the hand giving an unusual western effect. The Balinese mask dance, done by Sisca Hunt, had an interesting storyline, and set to very dramatic kechak music. The death of the vulture, Jatayu, was particularly effective. Tillana by Aziz Haque and Sheetal Challam had quite complex footwork, although the stage was a little small for them to be really expressive in their

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 33 Dr Rajendra Prasad

Dr Rajendra Prasad was the first President of political leadership of the twenties in Bihar. He also independent India. He was the President of the joined the Dawn Society run by Satish Chandra Constituent Assembly that drafted the Mukherjee, and Sister Nivedita. Constitution. He had also served as a Cabinet Minister in the first Government of independent Nationalist Movement India. Dr Rajendra Prasad was one of the foremost disciples of Gandhiji and he played a crucial role in In 1911, during his stay in Calcutta (now Kolkata) as Indian freedom struggle. a legal practitioner, Rajendra Prasad joined the Indian National Congress Party and was Early Life subsequently elected to the AICC. In 1915, Rajendra Prasad passed with a Gold medal in Masters in Law Dr Rajendra Prasad was born on December 3, 1884 examination with honors. He then went on to in Ziradei village in Siwan district of Bihar. His complete his Doctorate in Law. Rajendra Prasad father’s name was Mahadev Sahay and his mother’s used to practice his Law & studies at Bhagalpur in name was Kamleshwari Devi. Rajendra Prasad was Bihar and eventually emerged as a popular and youngest among his siblings. Mahadev Sahay was a eminent figure of the entire region. In 1916, Persian and Sanskrit language scholar. Dr Rajendra Rajendra Prasad joined the High Court of Bihar and Prasad was greatly attached to his mother and Orissa. Such was his intellect and his integrity, that elder brother Mahendra. often when his adversary failed to cite a precedent, the judges asked Rajendra Prasad to cite a When Rajendra Prasad was five years old, his precedent against himself. parents put him under a Maulavi to learn Persian language followed by Hindi and arithmetic. After the completion of traditional elementary education, Rajendra Prasad was sent to the Chhapra District “Dr Rajendra School. At the age of 12, Rajendra Prasad was married to Rajavanshi Devi. He, along with his elder Prasad was one of the brother Mahendra Prasad, then went on to study at R.K. Ghosh’s Academy in Patna. Mahendra was foremost disciples of eight years older than him. Gandhiji.” Academic Career

Dr Rajendra Prasad was a brilliant student. He Mahatma Gandhi stood first in the entrance examination to the University of Calcutta, and was awarded a monthly The arrival of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian scholarship of Rs 30. He joined the famous Calcutta national scene greatly influenced Dr Rajendra Presidency College in 1902. Here his teachers Prasad. While Gandhiji was on a fact-finding mission included the great Scientist Jagdish Chandra Bose in Champaran district of Bihar, he called on Rajendra and the highly respected Prafulla Chandra Roy. Prasad to come to Champaran with volunteers. Dr Later on he switched from Science to Arts and Rajendra Prasad was greatly impressed by the completed his M.A. and Masters in Law. Meanwhile, dedication, conviction and courage that Gandhiji in 1905, Doctor, Rajendra Prasad was initiated into displayed. Gandhiji’s influence greatly altered Dr the Swadeshi Movement by his elder brother Rajendra Prasad’s outlook. Mahendra. Dr Rajendra Prasad was instrumental in the formation of the Bihari Students’ Conference in Rajendra Prasad also responded to the call of 1908. It was the first organization of its kind in the Mahatma Gandhi to boycott Western education. He whole of India. The move produced the entire asked his son Mrityunjaya Prasad, a brilliant

34 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 student to leave the University and enroll himself in Bihar Vidyapeeth. He would write articles for magazines like “Searchlight” and “Desh”. When the earthquake of Bihar occurred on January 15, 1934, Rajendra Prasad was in jail. He was released two days later. He set himself for the task of raising funds and collected over Rs 38 Lakhs. Nationalist India expressed its admiration by electing Rajendra Prasad as the President of the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress Party in October 1934.

He sought ways to simplify his life and reduced the number of servants he had to one. He started doing his daily chores such as sweeping the floor, washing the utensils—the tasks he had all along assumed others would do for him.

Freedom Struggle never After coming into contact with Gandhiji, Dr looked into the Rajendra Prasad, immersed himself fully into the mirror of history. There were occasions when he freedom struggle. He played active role during Non- differed from the Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Cooperation Movement. Dr Rajendra Prasad was But that was nothing new. They had differed for arrested in 1930 while participating in Salt almost three decades and yet worked together in Satyagraha. Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as the the Congress. The differences never embittered President of the Bombay session of the Indian their personal relations. Perhaps, both realized that National Congress. He was elected as Congress they arose out of their differing backgrounds, President again in 1939 in the following the beliefs, approaches and attitudes. resignation of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose. It was in 1960 that he announced his intention to First President of India retire, and though there were many regrets and many tried to persuade him to continue for a third In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was term, his mind was made up. established to frame the Constitution of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected its President. Two and Final Days a half years after independence, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of independent India was In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr Rajendra ratified and Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as Prasad retired, and was subsequently awarded the India’s first President. As a President, he used his Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian award. moderating influence silently and unobtrusively He spent the last few months of his life in and set a healthy precedent for others to follow. retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. Dr During his tenure as President he visited many Rajendra Prasad died on February 28, 1963. countries on missions of goodwill and sought to establish and nourish new relationships. He never Source: www.iloveindia.com, worried about what people said about him. He www.culturalindia.net, www.maxabout.com

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 35 Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha (Eid ul-Adha) is also known as the Feast Eid al-Adha celebrations start after the Hajj. The of Sacrifice or Festival of Sacrifice. This observance first day of Eid al-Adha is celebrated on the tenth commemorates accomplishment. Eid al-Adha also day of Duhl-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic year. serves as a reminder of when Ibrahim (Abraham) In some areas Eid al-Adha is celebrated for several was willing to sacrifice his son to God, according to days by Muslims. Islamic belief. Celebrations Eid al-Adha is one of the special festivals of Muslim. Eid al-Adha is also known as Bakr-Eid and festival of Eid is one of the most celebrated festivals around sacrifice. On this festival Muslims sacrifice their the world. It marks the end of the holy month of domestic animals like goat (Bakr-Eid), sheep, cow, Ramadan, during which Muslims perform the rituals camel etc. This sacrifice made by Muslims is a of fasting in a very accurate manner. The Eid al-Adha symbol of sacrifice made by Prophet Abraham. festival has a special atmosphere of peace, respect, This year Eid al-Adha was on November 17, 2010. giving and receiving, as well as sharing and caring. It

36 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 is a special day for children because it is a day to animal. Muslims spend time with their near and socialize with family, friends and other children in dear ones to spread love and happiness all around. celebrating Eid al-Adha. Many Muslims are united in prayer at mosques and other appropriate venues In the evening Muslims visit to the places of their during Eid al-Adha. People exchange gifts with one near and dear ones and celebrate the festival. another and celebrate feasts together. Eid al-Adha is Delicious food and drinks are served to all those a time for many Muslims to make donations to the people who visit Muslim places on this festival. Kids poor and the needy. make handmade Eid al-Adha greetings and present them to all their near and dear ones. Markets Eid across the World remain open and decorated on the occasion of Eid for all the Muslims to do their shopping. There is diversity in the traditions and customs of celebrating Eid due to Muslims settled in different Chand Raat Eid Festival in Australia parts of world. While Iraqis and Palestinians embark on the festivities by having sweetmeat Chand Raat Eid Festival is a unique event as it is called klaicha, Egyptian Muslims go to Mosques held at night like the Chand Raat late night with an empty stomach and later on have an shopping in various parts of the Muslim world. It is elaborate luncheon with a fish delicacy in the an open festival-style carnival that starts in the middle of it. evening and goes late into the night.

People thank Allah for giving the endurance to complete the fasting successfully. Be it India or Indonesia, Pakistan or USA, the spirit remains the “Adha is a time to same. All wear new clothes and offer prayers to Allah by reciting Namaz. make donations to the Eid Fairs at grand level are organized and people poor and the needy.” participate and share their happiness with their fellow Muslims. The religion of Islam preaches humanity, brotherhood and love. These fairs are the best way to spread all around the goodness of Allah. The aim of celebrating the Chand Raat Eid Festival is to promote traditional Eid celebrations in The Day multicultural Australia among the younger generation of multicultural society; especially those Muslims celebrate the festival of Eid al-Adha with born and raised in Australia. lot of enthusiasm, enjoying each and every moment. On this day Muslims dress themselves in The festival is an opportunity for families to get new clothes. Early in the morning, prayers are together, do Eid shopping and eat delicious foods. recited by them to remember God and then the day People buy clothes, jewelry, henna, bangles, shoes, beings with the breakfast of Sheer Korma. food, toys and many other traditional items. It also provides the opportunity for many Australians unaware of such festivities to get together and enjoy the various different cultural exhibitions. The “Sacrifice made Chand Raat Eid Festival has become a long awaited annual event where many renowned South Asian by Muslims is a symbol community and local leaders also participate. of sacrifice made Source: www.timeanddate.com, www.chandraat.net, www.theeid.com by Prophet Abraham.”

Soon after the breakfast the animal is forfeited and then the meat of the slaughtered animal is distributed among the neighbors, friends, family and poor people. It is believed that the meat of the sacrificed animal must be distributed in three equal parts among neighbors and friends, family members and poor people.

Muslims greet each other with well wishes for the festival along with the meat of the slaughtered

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 37 Inspired Initiative to fight Racism,

Dr Kerkyasharian speaking at the Bigotry launch of the booklet, ‘Practical Guide’

There must be constant vigilance against racism “How better to do it than to provide their teachers and prejudice, warned the chairman of the with such a practical guide which can so easily be Community Relations Commission of NSW, Dr implemented in the classroom... so easily dipped Stepan Kerkyasharian. into and out of.

“Make no mistake, racism can only be gratified by “This handbook is so well designed that just one the ultimate removal of the object of its hatred— exercise of 30-40 minutes could have an impact on genocide. a child’s life forever.

Despite us all enjoying the fruits of a civilised and “We all know that children approach the world with egalitarian society, he said, racism, bigotry, narrow- an open, untainted mind. Their innocence knows mindedness and intolerance for those “not like us” no bigotry until they are presented with it. do exist in this country. “We also know that they are at their most Dr Kerkyasharian was speaking at the launch of receptive when they are young. And most able to Without Prejudice—Towards a Harmonious Society in absorb lessons that will last with them for the rest the Strangers Lounge of NSW Parliament House on of their lives.” Tuesday, November 9. Kerry Myers The book is a further initiative to combat prejudice Source: The Catholic Weekly, November 21, 2010 in classrooms and is a revision of an earlier project produced and supported by B’nai B’rith, the world’s oldest and largest Jewish community service organisation.

Guests included parliamentarians and community representatives, including Anthony Cleary, the CEO’s director of religious education and evangelisation, who represented the Archbishop of Sydney, George Cardinal Pell.

“What an inspired initiative by B’nai B’rith... to enlighten children at this most influential point in their young lives,” Dr Kerkyasharian said.

38 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Epic Is Eternal

The Allahabad High Court verdict on the Ayodhya Kannada, Oriya, Malayalam, Hindi and others. dispute has raised a debate on whether jurisprudence should rely on faith to settle a legal The issue takes a broad look at epics in major dispute when there is a written constitution and western languages, some well-known and some established laws, it is injudicious to exercise unknown but all of them having had their impact judicial liberty to stray from legality. on the tradition and culture of the respective countries and regions. All of them transcend It is not our intention to discuss the merit and historical veracity but have embedded themselves demerit of the judgment or the disputants’ cases. in the psyche of the populations. The fact that at the core of the seemingly national divide is an epic hero, venerated by millions as the Epics have a way of mocking at history by their ultimate divine incarnation and a vandalised sheer survival over the ages. History has often shrine, raises an intriguing question about the been distorted by the historians moved by historicity of epics. prejudiced views and considerations of race, ethnicity and, and above all, by the perception of This issue of Bhavan’s Journal seeks to analyse the the conqueror over the conquered. An epic like place of epics in human history. The theme was Ramayana for Indians is more real than Robert decided two months ago, when there was no Clive or Warren Hastings. We love our Rama and indication of the timing of the court verdict on the Sita and Radha and Krishna, not as fictional Ayodhya dispute. characters but as a part of ourselves. And that makes an epic higher history, more real than even “An epic like contemporary leaders of society and politics. To quote Henry Ford, the famous car-maker, Ramayana for Indians “history is bunk”. Epic is eternal. Source: Editorial, Bhavan’s Journal is more real than Robert October 31, 2010 Clive or Warren Hastings.”

Every civilisation cherished its own system of faith and generated its own myths, legends and epics. Successive generations have accepted these as a legacy to pass on and built their cultural and spiritual edifices around the epics and legends without seriously questioning their authenticity.

India in particular, specialised in the oral tradition relying on phonetic transfer of knowledge and information. A stupendous volume of scriptural literature was preserved by word-of-mouth from generation to generation. There are said to be 18 Puranas, each running into million or more verses, four Vedas, 10 major and hundreds of minor Upanishads and two Itihasas (epics), Ramayana and Mahabharata, all in Sanskrit.

There are later epics in Sanskrit, the most famous of this being Raghuvamsa Mahakavya by Kalidasa. The two epics have transcended linguistic borders and have independent versions in other Indian languages like Tamil (Kamba’s Ramayana and Villi Bharatam), Telugu (Pothana Bhagavatham)

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 39 They do not generally believe that the poem means something other than what it says. For them the events described in the epic are—however fantastic they may seem—things that actually happened in real, historical if very distantly past time.

Vimalasuri, the author of the Prakrit Ramayana known as the Paumacariya, there are no talking monkeys, only tribal groups that use the monkey as their banner; while the description of ten heads to Epic as History Ravana derives from the fact that he wore a necklace of nine brilliant gems which bore the with Embellishment reflected image of his one head. This critical attitude towards the supernatural feats The debate about the meaning and importance of of the epic heroes is charmingly represented in a the Ramayana is just as vibrant now as it was in the verse from Vidyakara’s eleventh century anthology days of the medieval commentators on this great of courtly Sanskrit poetry. religious and literary work. In a poem ascribed to Dharmakirti, the poet For the vast contemporary worldwide audience of laments his lack of critical acclaim, as follows in those devoted to this immortal work, the Ingalls’ translation: discussion of the meaning of the Ramayana is as much a piece of unfinished business as it was for Valmiki dammed the sea with rocks the learned commentators on the poem of the Put in place by monkeys, thirteenth through the eighteenth centuries. For and Vyasa filled it with them, in turn, the adikavya was as vital a work as it arrows shot by Partha; had been for its original audiences who preceded yet neither is suspected of them by millennia. hyperbole. On the other hand, I weigh Readers of texts like the Ramayana or the both word and sense Mahabharata must approach them after making a and yet the public sneers profound but generally unexamined choice, as to whether to see them on the one hand as some kind and scorns my work. of historically informed mythology or, on the other, Oh Reputation, I salute thee! to understand them as inspired records of actual Indeed, even the epic commentators may balk at historical events. too lofty a flight of fancy, characterising some Early Western scholarship on the epics was often utterly fantastic episodes as “stories for children” harshly critical of the poems for their apparently (balakatha). chaotic structure, and what European scholars saw, An example of exactly where some commentators as their fanciful and even juvenile representation of may draw the line between fact and fiction can be absurd events. seen in the opening sarga of the poems’s For what are we supposed to make of a ‘national Sundarakanda. epic’ like the Ramayana filled with monstrous Here, in the course of his epic leap across the demons as huge as mountains and gigantic talking ocean—a feat, the historicity of which none of the monkeys who could fly through the air and build a commentators questions—Hanuman engages in a bridge across the sea? peculiar contest with the great Serpent Mother To the rationalist, post-enlightenment scholar such Surasa whom the gods have induced to take the phenomena call for interpretation. Are these folk form of a monstrous all-devouring demoness in tales that have expanded to the dimension of epic order to test the monkey’s mettle. narratives? Are the events described in them Each time the giantess opens her gaping jaws the allegorical? Are they primitive versions of nature monkey expands ten yojanas higher until he myths in which powerful celestial and reached the stupendous height of one hundred meteorological forces are personified? Are they the yojanas. Finally Hanuman shrinks in an instant to a literary analogs of dreams in which the deepest tiny size so he can fly in and out of Surasa’s mouth psychic concerns of a civilisation are acted out in and thus satisfy everyone’s honour. shared and deeply cherished saga? Govindaraja, an important Shrivaishnava The medieval Sanskrit commentators on the commentator of the late fifteenth or early sixteenth Valmiki Ramayana do not see the work as calling century understands this episode to be an for interpretation in the sense in which most interpolation that fits poorly with its context. Western-scholarship has read the work.

40 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 martial skill of the rakshasa champion Indrajit. Indeed the poster-art image of Hanuman carrying the mountain through the sky is one of the most commonly duplicated and widely recognised among Hindu India’s popular religious icons.

According to Valmiki the power of the medicinal herbs brought by Hanuman is such that the slain and mortally wounded warriors are revived, restored and healed of their wounds by their mere fragrance as it wafts across the battlefield. Yet those same healing herbs do not revive the demon warriors whose bodies also would be expected to litter the field.

This issue has not escaped the attention of the southern commentators, several of whom refer to a verse unique to the southern recension in which it is observed that the bodies of the slain rakshasas had been cast into the sea “for the sake of honour on the orders of Ravana.”

What is more interesting is that they also supply a plausible military explanation for Ravana’s order. They claim that he commanded that his slain troops be hurled into the sea in order to conceal from his enemies the number of his casualties so that the monkey army does not immediately invade the city of Lanka in the realisation of how small a force must be left to defend it.

Mention of this episode calls to mind a similar Taking a rationalist stance, he argues that some of effort on the part of several of the commentators to the more extravagant verses are inconsistent and determine exactly how long it took Hanuman to clearly interpolated since it would surely have complete his heroic feat of fetching the mountain of been noticeable both to the monkeys (on the healing herbs. In order for Hanuman to bring the northern shore of the sea) and the inhabitants of mountain from the Himalayas to Lanka, replace it in Lanka (on the southern shore) if indeed Hanuman its proper location once he had accomplished his and Surasa had enlarged themselves to the size of mission, and then return to the battlefield, he one hundred yojanas. would have had to make two round trip flights between the Ravana’s island citadel and what is Independent minded seventeenth century today Western Tibet. commentator Kataka Madhava Yogindra, finds this passage a perfect place for interpolation. He The herb mountain is close to Mount Kailasa and if comments, “How fortunate that they quit at one we make the assumption that ancient Lanka and hundred yojanas and did not go on to expand modern Sri Lanka are one and the same, then we can to a thousand!” estimate four trips of roughly 2000 kilometers each or a total of approximately 8,000 kilometers in all. It is important to note too that even in regard to example such as this the instinct of the Although the commentators do not specify the commentators is never to falsify the words of the precise distance, they do engage in an interesting poet-seer, which according to a well established debate over the time that it took Hanuman to make cultural convention can never be other than true. these trips.

Instead they resort to another form of scientific Valmiki’s account of Hanuman’s mission is bracketed reasoning—that of the textual critic—in order to by two verses relevant to the question of timing. argue that such questionable passages are not the work of Valmiki at all but are instead interpolated In the first of these, Hanuman and the rakshasa (prakshipta) by later hands. Vibhisana, Ravana’s defector brother, virtually the only two of Rama’s champions left standing in the The episode in which Hanuman brings to Lanka a wake of Indrajit’s massacre, search the battlefield Himalayan mountain rich in medicinal herbs is for other survivors. familiar: in order to revive and heal Rama, Lakshmana and the thousands of monkey troops After the completion of Hanuman’s mission, the who have been laid low by the magical arts and monkeys, now restored to life and health, prepared

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 41 The idea here is that because of Hanuman’s inconceivable speed, he accomplishes the fetching and return of the healing herb mountain in a mere instant.Thus rather than the twelve hours of day envisaged by Kataka and Nagoji, Maheshvaratirtha, and Govindaraja believe that no more than the blink of an eye has elapsed while Hanuman was in the air. In this case, Hanuman would have flown at the astronomical speed of at least 30,000,000 kilometers per hour. But for the commentators this is no light- hearted mental exercise. They are deadly serious about the matter. Maheshvaratirtha even responsibly acknowledges the position of Madhava Yogindra and Nagoji as a possible alternative to his own.

The point here is not to determine the actual speed of Hanuman’s heroic flight, but rather to show how intent the commentators are on providing a factual and, wherever possible, accurate chronological accounting of every event in the epic that they believe to be part of the text of the original author.

In this way a primary concern of the commentators who exert considerable influence on the textual and interpretive history of the poem from around the twelfth to the eighteenth century is to validate the work as a basically unitary and internally consistent narrative of real events, which played out in real and calculable time in identifiable geographic locations. to launch another assault on the citadel. The They do not blindly accept everything in their second of the two relevant verses, reads as follows: received manuscripts as belonging to the authentic “Then, when the sun had set and the dread onset of composition of the First Poet or therefore as night had come, the leaping monkeys with their correct history. torches marched towards Lanka.” On the contrary, they argue among themselves The commentators differ however as to how much about many matters both philological and time, if any, has elapsed between the two periods of hermeneutic declaring one passage or another to darkness mentioned in the verses. Madhava be either authentic or interpolated and engaging Yogindra and Nagoji Bhatta understand that interpretive disputation with their predecessors Vibhishana and Hanuman searched the battle field and contemporaries. in the waning moments of the night while the revived monkeys’ renewed assault on Lanka takes Although they may thus disagree, with each other place at the onset of the following night. in these matters, the common goal of each is to edit, and explain the Ramayana as a clear, unitary Thus, allowing for the passage of one tropical day, and internally consistent narrative of an exemplary they calculate Hanuman’s four flights (allowing of and theologically significant history. course for a brief interval during which he searches for the recalcitrant herbs) have taken precisely The commentators’ approach to textual variance thirty ghatikas which, at 24 minutes per ghatika and the supernatural in the epics present us with corresponds to a period of exactly 12 hours, thus an interesting and useful object of study. It has bringing us to the evening of the following day. presented us with a fascinating and valuable corpus of textual exegesis that shows us how By this reckoning, Hanuman; would have sailed deeply imbedded the epics were in the complex along at a bit over the impressive jet-age speed of cultural and intellectual universe of pre-modern some 650 kilometers an hour. On the other hand Sanskrit scholarship. It also demonstrates the Maheshvaratirtha and Govindaraja, believe that the extraordinary intellectual and linguistic resources reference to the sun setting is not a specific marker traditional scholars had at their disposal in pursuit of the time of day, but merely a way of indicating of their hermeneutic project. that it is dark. By ‘the onset of night’, Govindaraja further understands that the first watch (yama), of In pursuit of their interpretive and rationalising the night his intended and that the assault takes project the commentators deploy a vast array of place at the end of that period so that it occurs not cultural and scientific information that spans the at twilight, but when it is pitch dark. spectrum of the knowledge systems available to

42 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 the intellectuals of their era. To comment connection with the theology of the epic and the appropriately on an encyclopedic work like the differing sectarian orientations of the different sub- Ramayana a commentator must have access to and schools of the Shrivaishnava commentators in be able to creatively cite a dizzying array of works particular that we see some of the most intense including, the Vedas, ritual science, grammar, disputes among them. lexicography, poetics, logic, hermeneutics, theology, architecture, military science, the science But in addition, they each often contribute, when the of bodily characteristics, cookery, astronomy and theological tenor of a passage seems to them to astrology, the various branches of natural history, warrant it, different kinds of ‘deeper’ or even mythology, as well as an established, but not fully allegorical readings in which they strive to bring out a codified tradition of what can only be called kind of latent of hidden level of meaning. philology or text criticism. Maheshvaratirtha makes a frequent distinction between the clear, manifest meaning of a verse The point is that these authors approach the epic (spashtartha), and its real, inner meaning vastavartha. as public intellectuals who must have had access to significant collections of manuscripts to enable Where the manifest meaning of the text indicates them to carry on their work. For surely they cannot that Rama or Lakshmana is defeated, injured, or at be thought to have memorised all of the texts and a loss, he reads the verse in two ways to bring out sciences they apply. its two levels of meaning to demonstrate that in reality (vastutas tu) the Lord is ever victorious, invulnerable etc. “The common At other places, he will reverse the valence of an emotional speech so as to show, for example, that goal of each is to edit, Ravana’s threats towards Sita and his declaration of his carnal passion for her are in reality to be interpreted as expressions of the bhakti or religious and explain the devotion of a passionate devotee for the Goddess.

Ramayana as a clear, In a related but different way, Govindaraja sometimes reads verses or passages in accordance unitary and internally with what appear to be a particular Shrivaishnava allegorical interpretations in which the consistent narrative of relationships among the epic characters are seen as representing the quest of the individual soul for an exemplary and union with the Lord. theologically Several of the commentators, notably Maheshvaratirtha and Satyatirtha, fully exploit the significant history” virtually unique capacity of the Sanskrit language to have a given sequence of syllables yield a variety of different meanings by breaking up words in Reading these works then can give us important different ways and by making use of the insight into what the intellectual universe of the opportunities provided by sandhi and the rich learned generalist must have been like in the lexical resources of the language. centuries before the advent of Europena political The many interpretive strategies that the and scientific power began to change the Ramayana commentators employ to bring out the conditions under which this kind of intellectual rich, complex and profound levels of meaning in culture could thrive. this magnificent text are worthy of much closer Teaching these texts, moreover, enables us to study than has hitherto been afforded them. expose our students directly to this world with all Robert P. Goldman of its concerns, its intellectual strategies, its resources and its ongoing debates and discussions Prof Goldman was the Director of a project to about the meanings of the culture’s most translate Valmiki’s Ramayana. As Professor of foundational documents. Sanskrit and India studies at the University of California, he had led research studies on the One should not, however, entertain the idea that great Indian epics. The article is excerpted from the Ramayana commentators were simply a group an address he delivered in New Delhi. of objective, disinterested text critics and cultural historians. On the contrary, they come to their task Source: Bhavan’s Journal October 31, 2010 in a spirit of reverence for Rama as an avatara of Lord Vishnu, in order to punish evildoers and bring his virtuous devotees to salvation. Indeed, it is in

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 43 Epics: A Voice Forever

An Epic is a cyclic poem written by time upon the Veerasena, king of Nishadha. Enchanted by her memories of man. beauty Indra, Agni, Varuna and Yama too cherished - Shelley their wish to marry Damayanthi. But when they came to know that she had given her heart to Nala, The crystallisation of popular belief they gave up their wish and blessed the lovers. The - Don Piatt four Lords attended the wedding of the couple. They bestowed upon Nala a boon each and went back. Philosophy learned from examples - Dionysius of Helicarnassus Meanwhile, Kali, the incarnation of all evil got the news of the royal union. He, who too had An epic is a chronicle woven out of elements like an eye on Damayanthi decided to ruin the cosmogony, chronology, cosmology and Geneology. happiness of the newlyweds with some assistance from his friend Dwapara. It generally tells, at times explains, often demonstrates, but nearly always, inspires. Nothing After years of awaiting Kali entered Nala at the first exerts its influence on human life like an epic does. given chance. Soon enough, Nala began to lead an unrighteous life. He challenged his younger brother Great Epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Iliad, Pushkara to a game of dice (gambling). Pushkara Odyssey, Metamorphosis, Shah Nameh defeated his brother. Nala had to surrender his land Budhacharitha, etc. share with us a lot of learnings. in favour of his younger brother. He then left the They empower us to distinguish between good and land with only a piece of cloth to clad himself. bad, right and wrong, truth and untruth and, of course violence and non-violence. Damayanthi sent her children to her father’s palace and followed Nala. Meanwhile, Pushkara had They throw light on the seven cardinal virtues of man proclaimed that anyone who helped Nala would be through the science of interpretation. In short, there beheaded. is nothing that has not been touched upon by Epics. Nala and Damayanthi wandered across mountains There is an episodic chapter in Mahabharatha (the and forests in search of food and water. As they great Indian Epic scripted by Sage Vyasa) which were about to collapse due to hunger and thirst, demonstrates the fact that broken fortunes will not Nala’s eyes caught a glimpse of a flock of golden walk the earth forever. The sage accentuates how birds. He untucked the cloth from his waist and luck changes at the turn of time, by quoting the tried to trap the birds with it. The birds were very story of Nala and his consort Damayanthi. clever. They managed to slip away carrying the cloth along. Nala was stranded naked. Damayanthi, the pretty daughter of Bheema, the king of Vidarbha falls in love with Nala, the son of

44 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Desperate and despondent he advised his wife to reunited with her children Damayanthi was follow a group of merchants who happened to pass unhappy without her husband. that way. But she insisted on following him. King Bheema was very clever. He announced his At night whilst she was fast asleep, Nala tore a daughter’s second marriage. Kings from lands far and piece of her cloth, wrapped it around his waist and near went to Vidharbha in the hope that Damayanthi left her side. would accept one of them as her husband.

The next morning, Damayanthi got up, shocked to Rithuparna who had heard a lot about her realise that her husband had deserted her. She sat at enchanting beauty set off for Vidharbha in his the foot of a tree cursing her fate and shedding tears. chariot with Bahuka as his sarathi. On the way, Nala taught him Aswahridayamantra on an Suddenly, a python caught hold of her. She was appropriate occasion. In turn, the king taught his nearly half-dead with fear when a hunter appeared driver Akshahridayamantra. out of nowhere and killed the snake. Though she wanted to thank him, his amorous advances Instantly, after Nala learnt the mantra, Kali, who antagonised her. “I am a Pativrata (a wife devoted was still living in Nala’s being sprang out vomiting to her husband) and I curse you! You shall fall dead the venom of Karkkotaka. The moment Kali left this moment, on this spot!” She had hardly uttered him, Nala regained his charm and virtues. her curse and lo! the hunter was reduced to ashes! Both Nala and Rithuparna resumed their journey Damayanthi cursed her fate and wandered here and and reached the palace of Vidharbha. Then there lamenting. Soon she joined a group of followed a series of dramatic happenings. Once merchants and reached the land of Chaedi with Nala was in the palace, the reunion was inevitable. them. There, the street urchins attacked the Damayanthi and Nala embraced each other and stranger taking her for a lunatic. The queen got shed tears of joy. wind of this. She sent her maids and had Damayanthi escorted to the queen’s boudoir. “I had no intentions of marrying my daughter off to Damayanthi poured out her sad story to the queen. anyone. It was only a tactic to find out the whereabouts of my son-in-law. I was confident that However, she did not reveal the fact that she was once he heard the announcement of her marriage, the Queen of Nishadha. The queen of Chaedi he would reveal himself to claim her hand! And see employed her as the first attendant of her daughter what happened” Bheema explained to Rithuparna, Princess Sunanda. Damayanthi began to live in who returned without grudge after wishing Nala their palace. and Damayanthi a happy re-union.

Meanwhile, Nala who was wandering deep in the Nala went to Nishadha with a small army and forests heard a voice calling out his name. He challenged Pushkara to a game of dice. Though followed the voice and reached a place where he saw reluctant, Pushkara had little option but to accept Karkkotaka, the king of serpants caught in a blaze. the challenge.

Since Nala had the blessings of Lord Agni, he saved Nala defeated him in no time. But he did not banish Karkkotaka from the fire. The moment he was safe, his brother from the land. Pushkara surrendered Karkkotaka stung Nala. As a result, of the venom, back the land belonging to Nala, who ascended the Nala’s figure turned black. throne as king. Nala and his Queen Damayanthi led a long and happy life with their children. “Pardon me, oh great Nala. I bit you purposely so as to save you from Kali. My venom will numb him. The story emboldens us to face the test of time and Now please proceed to Ayodhya and meet king take on the challenges of life head on. Epics carry Rithuparna. Live there as Bahuka. You will soon get similar anecdotes relevant on earth and to lead a an appropriate occasion when you shall teach him happy, fulfilling and meaningful life. The challenge Aswahridaya (A sacred chant that enables one to in this day and age is to get our fellow beings to control a horse). As a token of appreciation he will accept and read these epics and extract the teach you Akshahridayamantra (A sacred chant goodness from them. that reveals the secrets of gambling). You will thereafter win back your land and crown”, Sreekumari Ramachandran Karkkotaka said before bidding good bye. Sreekumari Ramachandran has authored over 20 Nala went to Ayodhya and began to live in the books on various topics. Her English translation of palace as Bahuka King Rithuparna and Bahuka ‘Aithihyamala’ (Malayalam) is her latest work. She soon became good friends. is the wife of Adv. C. Ramachandra Menon, Hon. Secretary of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kochi Kendra. Meanwhile at Chaedi, the king came to know the truth about Damayanthi. He had her escorted Source: Bhavan’s Journal October 31, 2010 safely back to her father’s palace. Though she was

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 45 Role of Epics in the Modern Age

According to Concise Oxford Dictionary, an epic is a overcome collectively, at great cost, must be ‘long poem narrating the deeds of heroic or legendary narrated as victory of good over evil. This is figures or the past history of a nation’. A long poem psychologically necessary, to turn people’s hearts narrating the deeds of heroic figures becomes an epic and minds away from hardships and the negative only if: (a) it excels as a poem, and (b) it finds its aspects of human behaviour, and to help establish home in the hearts and minds of the nation or positive shared values and examples essential to community whose heroes or history it represents. get on with life.

In the periods of early human history, epics played Over the millennia, communities have needed a vital role in maintaining a sense of well-being of inspiration and moral compass on an ongoing societies. As reference points, we may keep in mind basis, to regenerate hope and assurance amidst the Ramayana and Mahabharata of our own tradition. anxiety, uncertainty and threats posed by life. Community members must feel—deep within, and We view Krishna as a friend, and Rama sensitive to therefore almost instinctively—the need for shared a washerman’s criticism. Even when Rama and values which serve as bonds between them, since Krishna are regarded as Gods, they are gods of this these bonds are essential for collective well-being world. As central characters of epics—and even as and survival. Gods—Krishna and Rama give us freedom to question, debate and disagree. The heroes and avatars of epics were seen as the genesis of shared values, and they inspired To throw some light on the role of epics in older communities to become stronger and better, to face societies, let us consider a modern expression of the challenges of life with hope and confidence. what we presume is an eternal human dilemma. Epics might not have had much direct influence on Simone Weil was a French philosopher who read, the actual governance of society. Governance must thought and wrote about the character of modern necessarily be constrained by the extreme society. Is there a Marxist doctrine? was an specificity of challenges faced by society, and by incomplete essay she wrote in 1943, just before she the personalities of the main actors on the scene. It died at the age of 34. In this essay, she wrote: would, therefore, seem that epics have had a much stronger influence on popular values and culture, The essential contradiction in human life is that man, and thereby a crucial role in the community’s long- with a straining after the good constituting his very term survival and well-being. being, is at the same time subject in his entire being, both in mind and in flesh, to a blind force, to a When faced with a moral dilemma in the aftermath necessity completely indifferent to the good. of a bloody victory, King Ashoka turned to Buddha’s philosophy to resolve his dilemma. One Weil cited Plato’s views on the contradiction presumes that Ashoka would have been familiar between necessity and good. Let us take this with all our epics, nonetheless he turned to contradiction as being a central fact of human life, Buddha’s path of enlightenment. and ponder over how epics might have helped earlier communities to deal with it. If this In earlier times, a society would be made up of contradiction is indeed a fact of life, it must have members of one community. Later, when different existed even before philosophers discovered it. We communities began to intermingle in the same therefore propose the following hypothesis: society, messages of saints—messages such as Rama Rahima ek hi hain—attempted to bridge the Epics played a vital role in older societies precisely gap between members of different communities. because they helped society to resolve—at least in a pragmatic sense—the dilemmas posed by the We are living in a fractured age. Globalised contradiction between necessity and good. communication and information flows fill our minds and shrink our hearts from a tender age. From times immemorial, societies have faced Therefore the traditional epics are beginning to threats and challenges to their survival, originating lose their places in our hearts and minds. The stuff in the forces of nature, predators, and conflicts that is displacing them from our hearts and minds within and between societies. Challenges faced and does not touch the difficult problems of human life,

46 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 and therefore cannot ever fulfill the earlier useful Today we are living in the age of science, role of epics. technology and industry, whose ruling principles do not provide answers to issues such as those Today communities and nations are being churned articulated by Simone Weil or William James. The through the process of globalisation, and losing only values of modern life seem to be individual their older identities. Through the high-tech media, fame, wealth and material comfort. While natural a flood of messages is bringing people closer to one disasters in various parts of the world receive another, by focusing on common material material support, psychological disasters in the aspirations. Covertly, however, these very midst of material prosperity go unrecognised. messages are dividing people because the messages do not touch people’s innermost beings. One clear symptom of such psychological disasters is the trillions of dollars spent each year in producing A divide between inner and outer being seems a and spreading means of death and destruction. characteristic of the present age, and in such a world, the unifying capacity of traditional epics is Since only material products and material thereby inevitably diminished. experiences are valued, their true cost to human welfare is not correctly reckoned. Denial of Today a positive ‘spin’ is routinely given to facts in experiences of the inner life and the values arising an attempt to bridge the gap between necessity and thereby is blatant and extreme. good. The ‘spin’ created over Britain’s role in the Iraq war is an example; ‘spin’ was badly needed in The powers of technology, mass production and this instance because there was no shared international commerce and finance have created perception in the community of a serious common an illusion that society has overcome the types of threat. The fact that such ‘spin’ is needed testifies contradiction discussed above. However, the to the unresolved—and irresolvable?— damage being done to our societies and to the contradiction between necessity and good. ecosystem is likely to soon shatter this illusion.

More than a hundred years ago, renowned It is not clear what role the older epics of human American psychologist William James made an in- societies will play as mankind faces the challenges depth study of religious experiences. In 1901-02, he of the future. But surely help received from every delivered a series of lectures collectively entitled corner will be greatly appreciated in difficult times. The Varieties of Religious Experience—A Study in Human Nature (available today in book form). In the Naresh Jotwani concluding lecture, James identified the following two as essential elements in all religious experience: Dr Naresh Jotwani obtained his BTech degree (1) An uneasiness ... a sense that there is from IIT Bombay, and PhD from Rice University. something wrong about us as we naturally Bhavan has published his books The Master of stand, and Gujarat and Conqueror of the Self: G.D. Birla. (2) A solution ... a sense that we are saved from the wrongness by making proper connection with the higher powers.

As we did with reference to necessity and good, we may say that epics addressed the collective psychological needs of communities by providing solutions to the unease felt within societies, with promise of help from higher powers. Thus epics helped the communities regain the fullness and joy of collective life.

In the simpler, less differentiated societies of earlier times, epics and religious beliefs thus supplemented each other; epics, in other words, served a religious function.

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 47 International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

2 December, The International Day for the Abolition declaration of the first black state, Haïti, of Slavery, has been adopted by the General manifestation of the struggle and resistance of Assembly of the United Nations convention for the slaves, and victory of the principles of equality, prevention of the human trafficking and of the liberty, dignity and the rights of the persons, and, on exploitation of the human being and of others. the other hand, the fraternal integrity of the peoples of Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe. Slave trade is perhaps the biggest human tragedy that affected the highest number of people for the History longest span of time in History. Some kind of slavery has existed as time immemorial. Today, it exists in the new forms of immense violations Ruling people—often designated as barbarians—and of the human rights proclaimed by United Nations in persons detained and imprisoned for debt were 1948 (forced labour, child labour, prostitution) in the treated as slaves by the Babylonians, the Egyptians, Universal Declaration of Human Rights. the Greeks, the Romans and the Persians.

The Day 2004 was declared as “The International Year to “In black slavery men, Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition” by General Assembly of United Nations women and children were on 18 December 2002. Yet again the Assembly proclaimed March 25, 2007 as the International Day for the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of captured and sold.” the Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on 28 November 2006. The Middle Ages witnessed the arrival of the Nilotic, The declaration proclamation of the year 2004 Saharian and Great Lakes network of Arab routes marks, on the one hand, the 200th centenary of the for the depleting of slaves from the heart of Africa.

48 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 The advent of the Americas by westerners and related organizations in several Latin American, represents the beginning of a black slave trade on a African, and Caribbean countries, with a mission to wide scale. The Portuguese and Spanish, who upgrading their amenities and services to ensure divided the new earth between them after 1493, adequate protection of original records, to get copies aspired to capture these lands. However, the in appropriate formats of records and other papers populations of some provinces, specifically the related to the slave trade and slavery. The 1st phase Greater Antilles, were destroyed by war. And the was limited to Atlantic Slave Trade. exploitation of American land and gold and silver mines would aspire for big numbers of strong and, if This project emphasized on enhancing knowledge possible, cheap human labor. Las Casas, disturbed of subjugation of slave trade records. Digitization of by the treatment meted out to the Indians, wanted to these sources, particularly those inclined to use Africans whom he considered of sterner stuff. deterioration, would help to establish a wide memory of this aspect of human history. A strategy of access is streamline, with a view to launching on- line access through the UNESCO web site and other “...affected the highest committed sites, and through release of multimedia CD-ROMs on slave trade, including information on number of people for the methods of resistance to slavery. longest span of time Presently the project is operating in eleven nations: Senegal, Benin, and Ghana in Africa, Cuba, Brazil, in history.” Argentina, Colombia, Gambia, Cape Verde, Barbados and Haiti in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Over the preceding hundred years the English Let’s join hands together to consolidate this noble joined the bandwagon for the American colonies, cause of UNESCO in whatsoever way we could and followed by number of countries of Europe contribute our part of efforts towards this cause to including France, Denmark, and the Netherlands. make this planet a better place to live in without Colbert wanted to control slavery when he any discrimination of race, gender, caste and creed. constituted the first Code Noir in 1685, thus transforming slavery official. Thus the slavery Source: www.altiusdirectory.com including the Indian and the black communities was of entirely of different natures.

In black slavery men, women and children were captured and sold. The various waves of slavery witnessed the deportation of approximately 25 to 30 million persons, excluding those who died on board ship or in wars and raids.

UNESCO Projects

Slave Route Project was launched by UNESCO in 1994. Its objective was to break the silence and stir a universal issue of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, its reasons and results, by means of scientific methods.

An International Scientific Committee was established for this project to examine the whole issue of the slave trade and its influence on the prevailing economic and political scenario in a number of nations as well as to act as a medium of advocating trans-cultural dialogue. This committee emphasized the importance of related materials as the source for the study of the slave trade.

The Slave Trade Archives Project was floated in 1999 with the aim of accelerating access to, and protecting, original documents pertaining to the transatlantic slave trade and slavery around the world. As part of the UNESCO Memory of the World program and in co- operation with the International Council on Archives, a study was carried out to recognize national archives

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 49 International Day of Disabled Persons

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is the right to act. People with disabilities should be annually observed on 3 December with an assisted and supported by other people of their objective to promote an awareness of disability own free sweet will in taking their decisions. issues, the fundamental rights of persons with disabilities and integration of persons with The right to act is universally endorsed as a disabilities in the main stream of each aspect of the fundamental and basic human right. Its social, political, economic and cultural status of implementation as a right to all individuals seems their communities. The day extends an opportunity so rudimentary that we forget that for persons with to initialize action to reach the target of full and disabilities, the right to work is not always equal pleasure of human rights and contribution in imperative. In terms of physical, institutional and society by disabled persons, launched by the World attitudinal barriers, disabled persons are often Program of Action for Disabled Persons, declared refrained from their right to act. by the UN General Assembly in the year 1982. Today, Change is Imperative! United Nations and Disabled Persons The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Over the period of the United Nations’ first 50 Disabilities had called upon all states to revise the years, disabled persons have become importantly laws, practice and regulations in their respective proactive in asserting empowerment and country in tune with the Convention on this particular confidence in their own respective abilities to lead day of recognition. It was a call for the end of self-dependent lives. History represents efforts by discrimination for all disabled persons and the the UN which have endorsed their efforts. endorsement of the right to act, as a basic and fundamental virtue for every person all over the world. The foundation of The United Nations was based on the principle of equality for all. The Preamble to This day provides us with a chance to make a the United Nations Charter states the elegance and dedicated commitment to the principles of worth of every human being and provides entrusting powers to the disabled persons with the elementary significance to the advocacy of social right to act. justice. Disabled Persons are entitled to all the fundamental human rights declared by the Charter International Year of Disabled Persons and their human rights instruments. 1981 was proclaimed The International Year of The General Assembly launched the foundation for Disabled Persons (IYDP) by the General Assembly the protection and promotion of human rights in the in 1976. It launched a plan of action at the national, year 1948, when it endorsed the Universal international and regional levels, with an emphasis Declaration of Human Rights. Article 25 of the on similar opportunities, rehabilitation and Declaration proclaims that each person has “the prevention of disabilities. right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack The theme of IYDP was “full participation and of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” equality”, designated as the right of disabled persons to participate entirely in the life and People across the world have joined together to development of their respective societies, enjoy recognize the persons with disabilities expressing good living conditions similar to those of other support, and enhancing awareness. It is focused on people, and have an equal share in developed conditions after socio-economic development.

50 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Objectives organizations, a simple breach of the rights to freedom to live in their respective communities. Enhancing public awareness; knowledge and acceptance of disabled persons and enabling Activities persons with disabilities to build bodies through which they can manifest their views and promote The day is full of activities and observance. These activities to improve their conditions. include conducting days of discussion and campaigns raising awareness on the theme of right The United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons to act. Thus ensuring that legislation ensured that was held from 1983 to 1992 to enable governments the disabled people are provided with the right to and organizations to implement measures to select helps on their own free will and taking improve the life of disabled persons all over the measures to extinguish the guardianship method world. On October 14, 1992, as this decade drew to and to replace it by a process in which persons a close, the UN General Assembly proclaimed with disabilities are assisted only in their own December 3 as the International Day of Disabled decision making. Persons. This day was first observed on December 3, 1992. On December 18, 2007, the assembly Observance changed the observance’s name from the “International Day of Disabled Persons” to the • Involve: Observance of the Day provides “International Day of Persons with Disabilities”. The opportunities for participation by all interested new name was first used in 2008. communities—governmental, non-governmental and the private sector—to focus upon catalytic Handicap International and innovative measures to further implement international norms and standards related to Since its inception, as long as 20 years, Handicap persons with disabilities. Schools, universities International has transformed from being an and similar institutions can make particular emergency body with a medical emphasis on contributions with regard to promoting greater disabled people, to an institution which promotes interest and awareness among interested parties the human rights of disabled people. of the social, cultural, economic, civil and political rights of persons with disabilities. • Organize: Hold forums, public discussions and information campaigns in support of the Day “Globally one in every focusing on disability issues and trends and ways and means by which persons with ten people is a person disabilities and their families are pursuing independent life styles, sustainable livelihoods with a disability.” and financial security. • Celebrate: Plan and organize performances everywhere to showcase—and celebrate—the The organization is working in collaboration with contributions by persons with disabilities to the Disabled Peoples’ Organizations at regional, societies in which they live and convene national and international levels to understand exchanges and dialogues focusing on the rich disabled people worldwide and encourage their and varied skills, interests and aspirations of inclusion into the stream of society. Handicap persons with disabilities. International assists organizations in developing • Take Action: A major focus of the Day is countries and Europe to incorporate the convention practical action to further implement and other legal techniques in everyday life. international norms and standards concerning persons with disabilities and to further their Facts and Figures participation in social life and development on the basis of equality. The media have especially The World Health Organization affirms that there important contributions to make in support of are 600 million disabled people living worldwide, the observance of the Day—and throughout the about almost 10% of the entire earth population. It year—regarding appropriate presentation of is also evaluated that about 80% of these disabled progress and obstacles implementing disability- people live in developing nations. sensitive policies, programmes and projects and to promote public awareness of the Globally, it is assumed that one in every ten people contributions by persons with disabilities. is a person with a disability and recent studies states that persons with disabilities populates up Source: www.altiusdirectory.com, to 20 per cent of the population living in under www.timeanddate.com, poverty line in developing countries. Number of www.disabilityrightsoregon.org persons with disabilities still face barriers to their participation in activities of their communities and are mostly compelled to live under the poverty line. Many disabled persons are also forced into

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 51 Yoga in Daily Life in Macedonia

Serbia, Novi Sad, November 29, 2010: On a cold but bright winter day, His Holiness Vishwaguruji planted his 50th World Peace Tree in the park of an orphanage village in the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. He was officially greeted and introduced as one of the greatest humanitarian workers in Europe and worldwide by Mr. Vladimir Kopici, the Deputy Mayor of Novi Sad, and other officials from the City Council and the Assembly of Novi Sad. Hundreds of children as well as delegates and guests from several countries followed the ceremony. In his address His Holiness Vishwaguruji emphazised that this tree should stay as a symbol of Peace and at the same time shall fulfill the wishes of all who come and touch this tree with pure heart and wishes.

52 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Bear performs Yoga

Meet the female brown bear who performs a 15- minute yoga routine every morning.

‘Santra’, from Ahtari Zoo in Finland, stretches both legs before balancing on her bottom and pulling them up around her ears.

The hilarious display was captured by amateur photographer Meta Penca, reports Rex Features.

Penca said: “It was exactly the same as when you see people do yoga —easy, slow, focused and calm.

“She looked pretty into it, a really straight face, no looking around just very serious and calm and kept her eyes slightly opened and focused.

“We were all trying to be as quiet as possible. Most looked amazed and were just smiling and not saying anything. She looked like she didn’t notice us at all.”

Source: Bhavan’s Journal October 31, 2010

The evening before, His Holiness delivered a highly appreciated lecture on “Yoga - Ancient Wisdom for Modern Man” at a fully booked hall in the Serbian National Theatre. More than 1,000 people offered their standing ovations to Vishwaguruji after the lecture. Both events attracted great attention of media and interviews and reports were broadcasted on more than 10 TV channels, newspapers and magazines. www.yogaindailylife.org, www.swamiji.tv

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 53 Mool Mantra and Mangalaacharan

Fundamental Meanings and Shri Guru Nanak Devji is the Rishi who is the Philosophical Implications mantra dhrashtaa or ‘seer’ of the ‘Ik-Onkaar...’ mool mantra, which means that this mantra was revealed Mantras are those mystical sound symbols, or to Him in His meditation. It was with this mool words of deep significance, which serve to protect mantra as well that He performed mangalaacharan, the person who chants them and reflects upon their praising the Lord before starting on His major meaning. In fact, they are minute “word-capsules” or works, the “Japji Sahib” and “Sukhmaniji”. “phrase-capsules” filled with immense knowledge. Ik-OnkaarSat-Naam Kartaa-PurakhNirbhau Nirvair In the term mool mantra, mool means ‘root’. Every Akaal-Moorat Ajuni Saibangh Gurparsaad Jap tree has roots without which it cannot exist. The tree is sustained and nourished through these Ik Onkaar: The One, the Reality, Om roots. They constitute the very foundation of the tree from which it grows and expands. In the same Sat Naam: Of Name ever True and Eternal way, mool mantra means ‘that mantra in which lies the very essence of the Scripture’, the entire Kartaa Purakh: The Prime Doer, the Creator Scripture being an elaboration, expansion or explanation of that mantra. Nirbhau: Fearless

Just as Om is considered to be the mool mantra of Nirvair: Without enmity the Vedas and the name Shri Ram the essence of Akaal Moorat: Of Eternal Form the “Ramayan”, so too Ik-Onkaar Sat Naam Kartaa- Purakh Nirbhau Nirvair Akaal-Moorat Ajuni Saibangh Ajuni: Without birth, Uncaused Gurparsaad is considered to be the mool mantra of the “Granth Sahib”. Revealing and expounding on Saibangh: Self-existent and Self-illuminating the Truth enshrined in this mantra is the entire “Japji Sahib”, and the elaboration of the “Japji Gurparsaad: Known by the Grace of the Sahib” is the entire “Granth Sahib”. Enlightened Teacher

From time immemorial it has been the tradition of Jap: Constantly repeat all the great Rishis of the Holy Land of Bharat to first invoke the Higher to bestow auspiciousness (This word is not part of the mool mantra, but can upon Them before They commence writing or be taken as the instruction of the Teacher to composing any sacred textbook. All such prayers, constantly repeat and contemplate on the mantra.) invocations, and praises are called mangalaacharan. Swami Swaroopananda Through these invocations the Rishis surrendered Their ego, Their sense of limited individuality, so that Source: Meditations on The One Indivisble it would not “contaminate” or influence the sacred Truth, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, p. 7-10, task They were about to embark on. At the same time to be continued… They sought the blessings of the Higher, by whose Grace alone can anything be successfully achieved.

54 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Promotion of Yoga in US for School Children

It is yet another example of India and the US joining hands and this time it is for creativity. Musicians Anoushka Shankar (daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar), Sheryl Chow, Seal and Sting among many others have come together to promote Indian yoga among school children in the US.

A highly placed informer reveals on conditions of anonymity, “It’s still not in black and white and so it’s all hush-hush. A record company has approached them all to be part of a yoga CD that will have around 14 tracks.

It will have diverse mixes of Irish folk, rock anthems, world music, vedic chants, hip hop beats, new age kirtan etc. The idea is to bring the sounds from across the world into one project that inspires people and tells them about the goodness of yoga.” The Hindu community in the US has lauded this Indo-US venture and they are also urging other The informer says, “It is also a novel project Hollywood and sports celebrities to come forward because we hear all of them will be raising funds to help incorporate yoga in the lives of youth and for the CD that will aim at providing in-school yoga children. The rise of violence in the world has seen programmes for kids. The CD has been titled Yoga many countries incorporate yoga in their school Revolution and it will also feature the likes of Sarah and college education programmes. McLachlan, Ziggy Marley, Peter Gabriel, Michael Franti, Krishna Das, Anjelique Kidjo, Guru Singh Source: Bhavan’s Andheri Parivar and Donna De Lory.”

Abode of God

Never ending diamonds on a field of greens, Sparkling to the tune of the birds’ song, That is the sound of music, That is the sound of dawn. Those leaves rustle in a familiar way, Those birds descend on your path, That silence in itself, music, That peace in itself, God. Can the sky be so clear With no cloud in sight, Maybe the man has cleansed his heart, Soul and mind. That gust of wind brings stories from far far away, It even takes back the stories that I narrate. The leaves have stopped their motion, The birds make sound no more, My thoughts have reached a standstill, A t the place so longed for before. I have found my destination, My feet need no longer trod, As I realize I have reached, Reached the abode of God. Source: Bhavan’s Andheri Parivar, Vol. 4, October 2010

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 55 Rogue Diplomacy

New Delhi: “Such very fine brains” filled with “such Iran in return for fuel rods was “not acceptable” to bad ideas.” That was how the late Daniel Patrick the US. Indeed, after years of sanctions, threats, Moynihan, a former United States senator and negotiations, and then more sanctions and threats, perhaps the keenest mind to enter US politics since the US remains unclear about what specific nuclear World War II, once described India, where he was US program it might accept. ambassador in the 1970’s. That snappy description of my country is also a very good way to describe So what does the US want? “Crippling sanctions,” the current—and seemingly unending—contretemps Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once said, though between the leaders of Iran and the US. she quickly retracted that impromptu remark. But no such caution restrains US senators like South As a new round of negotiations with Iran begins— Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, who says that the “evil with European Union High Representative Catherine (of) a nuclear … Iran” will affect the US “far more Ashton the first into the breach—finding a way to than (any) conflict.” Following the hopeful early move Iran-US relations beyond their freighted past months of the Obama administration, this “stop is an urgent matter. In both countries, deep and Iran” policy has become America’s focus. mutually paralyzing suspicion has poisoned relations for three decades. Negotiations in such an Iran, of course, repeatedly asserts its commitment atmosphere are almost fated to failure. to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but its past relations with Dr. A.Q. Khan—the self- America’s acceptance of Iran’s current regime is proclaimed “godfather” of Pakistan’s nuclear- grudging. Iranian leaders demonize the US as if the weapons program, and the world’s most notorious millions killed in the 1980’s in the Iran-Iraq War (in nuclear proliferator—invites skepticism. Indeed, which the US backed Saddam Hussein’s invading the US holds the “Khan network” responsible for army) died only yesterday. So long as these dark helping Iran start its own nuclear program. shadows are allowed to linger, “resetting” relations between the two countries, in the manner of US- Mistrust is compounded by Iranian President Russia relations, will be impossible. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s incendiary pronouncements, particularly about Israel. The list of disputes between the two countries is Although the origins of Iran’s nuclear program are almost endless, but Iran’s plan to enrich uranium to be found in the “enlightened” presidency of now stands above everything else. The Iranians insist Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005)—it was just before that they need nuclear power to generate electricity. Ahmadinejad’s inauguration that Iran ended its self- Their secretiveness, maintains the US, betrays the imposed moratorium on uranium enrichment— regime’s drive to develop nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad’s bombast has made matters worse.

Not surprisingly, given the Americans’ deeply And not just with the US. In September 2005, the ingrained suspicion, the agreement reached earlier International Atomic Energy Agency deemed Iran this year between Iran and Turkey and Brazil to “non-compliant” with the NPT. Between 2006 and allow for the export of low-enriched uranium from 2008, Iran was subjected to three United Nations

56 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Security Council resolutions, each imposing yet needs to start talking more openly about what is. more sanctions. Yet, despite increasing economic His Nobel Peace Prize demands it. costs, Iran’s response only hardened. And talking should not be impossible. As India’s Iran’s insecurity goes back at least to 1953, when Foreign Minister, I engaged in successful talks with US and British officials plotted the military coup Iran frequently. Iran may be a self-proclaimed that removed from office Mohammed Mossadegh, theocracy, but it has conducted foreign relations Iran’s first elected Prime Minister and an ardent since the 1979 revolution in a rational, if not always nationalist, and installed General Fazlollah Zahedi. emollient, way. Ahmadinejad may bluster, but there Mossadegh’s sin was his plan to nationalize Iran’s is usually considerable ambiguity and calculation oil industry. But, in the process of laying claim to behind his outbursts. Iran’s oil, subverting its democracy, and jeopardizing its national security, the US and Iran is obstinate, prideful, ambitious, and, yes, Britain committed a much graver sin: the wounding sometimes paranoid. But it also sees itself as of Iranians’ national pride. vulnerable. A young population with no memory of the Islamic Revolution is desperate for the jobs that Then there is the Shah’s ouster, Ayatollah Ruhollah its leaders have failed to provide. Khomeini’s Islamic Revolution, the absurd abduction of US diplomats, President Jimmy In these circumstances, if Iran is offered a Carter’s disastrous attempt to free them militarily, diplomatic ladder that it can climb down with its and the “Iran-Contra” scandal, when Reagan dignity intact—above all, a credible promise of an administration officials sought to sell weapons to historic reconciliation with the US that includes Iran through third parties and channel the specific economic benefits, not Obama’s current proceeds to anti-Sandinista guerrillas in Nicaragua. vague offers—a tired revolution’s troubled leadership might take it. That, not Western bluster Iran sits at the heart of an extremely volatile region. and sanctions, is the way ahead. The country’s Shia footprint stretches from the Mediterranean to the Hindu Kush. It has a vital role Jaswant Singh, a former Foreign in Afghanistan; indeed, it was passively supportive Minister, Finance Minister, and of the removal of the Taliban from power in 2001. Defense Minister of India, is a member of the opposition in With such a country, “non-engagement” means India’s Parliament. He is the having no policy at all. America’s failure to talk to Author of Jinnah: India – Iran is as foolhardy as its decades-long failure to Partition – Independence. talk with Mao’s China. And the ongoing failure to talk to North Korea does not appear to be working either, as the recent shelling of South Korea Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2010, demonstrates. Even if Iranian nuclear weapons are Source: www.project-syndicate.org not acceptable to the US, President Barack Obama Vol. 4, October 2010

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 57 Samskrutotsavam Celebrating Sanskrit

“Lord Shiva transmitted the Sanskrit language to proud to have Sydney Sanskrit School as one of the humans and its sounds are also known as ‘Devas’. 56 languages it represents,” he said. “Even though it The word ‘Deva’ has three meanings—God, protector is a small community, it is important that the (or guardian angel) and cosmic vibration. Lord Shiva Sanskrit language is continued to be taught to brought the Devas down to earth in the form of letters younger generations, so they can learn about their and this is why the characters of Sanskrit are called heritage and be proud of their ancestry. Sanskrit ‘Devanagari’—the ‘citizens of God’…” says which is one of the 22 official languages of India, is Paramahans Swami Maheshwarananda, a great yoga also one of the threads in the fabric of the diverse teacher and founder of Yoga in Daily Life Society. multicultural society of Australia,” he said. While speaking about the power of spiritual mantra in one of his books, he adds, “In Sanskrit, there are Distinguished guests Dr McCommas Taylor head of 52 letters, the same number as the levels (lokas) in the South Asia Program, Australian National the cosmos. As these levels also exist within us, the University and Ann MacArthur senior coordinator Sanskrit language is a key to our inner world. In deep of Asian Programs, Art Gallery of New South Wales meditation, we occasionally perceive the inaugurated the annual day celebrations by lighting corresponding Sanskrit letters and mantras and feel a lamp, a traditional gesture to symbolise the the qualities associated with them…” importance of knowledge in the world of ignorance. The gesture was accompanied by rendition of a Such being the greatness of the divine Sanskrit Sanskrit song ‘lead me from the darkness to the language, it is with pride that the Sydney Sanskrit light’ to accompany the illumination of the lamp. Dr School is engaged in the preservation and McComas, congratulated Dr Meenakshi Srinivasan, promotion of Sanskrit in Australia. Principal of the Sydney Sanskrit School on the occasion and addressed the audience in Sanskrit. Established in 2006, the Sydney Sanskrit School is He reminded everyone “what a wonderful living headed by Dr Meenakshi Srinivasan, and is tradition Sanskrit language is and encouraged the supported by the NSW Department of Education community to use the Sanskrit language in their under the NSW Community Languages Program. daily life as and when they can”. Dr McComas also launched the first edition of the school magazine Sydney Sanskrit School celebrated its second ‘Medha’ which means ‘intellectual knowledge’. The annual ‘Samskrutotsavam’ day of celebration on 30 school created the magazine with the aim of it to October at Ermington Community Centre. become a platform for the cultural thoughts and Samkrutotsavam highlights the achievement of the expressions of students, teachers and parents of students, teachers and parents in learning the Sydney Sanskrit School. Alex Di Prinzio, Education Sanskrit language. It also acknowledges community Officer, NSW Federation of Community Language participation and the immense support the Sydney Schools was present at the occasion and Sanskrit School receives from organizations such as congratulated the school management committee the NSW Department of Education, Hindu Council of for their achievements. Australia and Hindu Heritage Society to name a few. Students of the Sydney Sanskrit School then Samkrutotsavam 2010 commenced with a prayer presented a cultural extravaganza in Sanskrit. The ‘Ganeshavandana’ and the recitation of some of the cultural programme commenced with a Upanishad vakyas by the students of the school. Bharatanatyam recital in praise of lord Ganesha, by Following this, was the Saraswathi pooja performed Deepti Bhat (a disciple of Guru Akila and a student by Pundit Narayan Bhat, the welcome speech by of Sydney Sanskrit School), followed by Durga Sloka Soumya Raman and lighting of lamps by the guests by Siri Srinivas. Students presented a song of honour. In his opening speech, Mr Albert Vella, dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, father of the non- President of the NSW Federation of the Community violence movement leading to Indian Languages Program congratulated the students, independence. The junior students further parents and the management committee of the enthralled the audience with beautiful recitation of school for organising the celebration. “NSW the Sanskrit rhyme for “I am a little Tea Pot”. The Federation of Community Languages School is programme also featured Sanskrit Panchatantra

58 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 story narration by Lavanya Raman, violin recital by Vikram, Neeti Shastram recitation (sayings that convey messages for upliftment of mankind) by the senior students, ‘Vande Bharata Matharam’, a song written by Pareekshit Sharma, recitation of verses from Bhagavad Gita and ‘Aham Cricket Kreedami’ a Sanskrit rhyme on the game of cricket!

The highlight of the programme was a Sanskrit play, ‘Samskruta Gramam Matturu’, themed on the story of a village Matturu in Karnataka, India, where Sanskrit is the primary spoken language of the people there. The villagers speak in Sanskrit for their day to day conversation and Mattur is also a hub for those aspiring to learn the Vedas. And the play had all the students of Sydney Sanskrit School taking various roles in the village and speaking so eloquently and effortlessly in Sanskrit.

After the play, member for Liverpool, Mr Paul Lynch distributed prizes to the winners of the Bhagwad-Gita and Subhashitam competitions. He encouraged and appreciated the participants for their hard work and enthusiasm and mentioned “it is one of the strengths of the Australian society which has made space for the culture of the migrants to prosper and in this case it being Sanskrit”. Mr Nihal Agar, President of the Hindu Council of Australia present on the occasion reiterated importance of the living tradition of Sanskrit and appreciated the efforts made by Sydney Sanskrit School in up keeping this great linguistic heritage of India.

The programme concluded with a Bharatanatyam performance by Aruna Gandhimathinathan, a senior disciple of Prof. Sudharani Raghupathy. The 20-minute presentation featured ‘Dasavataram’ from the ancient Gita Govinda composed by the 12th C. Sanskrit poet Jayadeva, describing the ten incarnations of lord Vishnu. Aruna is the Founder- Director of Silambam-Sydney, School of Indian Traditional Dance, and offers classes in Bharatanatyam at Liverpool.

A quiz in Sanskrit, a song by the parents and distribution of the prizes to raffle winners were the lighter side of the event. And the compere Vandana Anand, with her cheerfulness and spontaneity made the whole programme lively and enjoyable for the audience.

Sydney Sanskrit School offers classes on Sundays at Marsden Road Public School, Liverpool. The main objectives of the school are to enable students to converse, read and write in Sanskrit, comprehend Sanskrit literature relating to Vedas, yoga, meditation, spirituality, culture and history and also enable them to appreciate the significance of the language, its role and influence in their own personal development.

Dr Meenakshi Srinivasan, Principal, Sydney Sanskrit School

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 59 struggle. It is sometimes said of Bharathi that he was first an Indian and then a Tamil. Perhaps, it would be more correct to say that he was a Tamil and because he was a Tamil he was also an Indian. For him it was not either or but both—it was not possible for him to be one without also being the other.

Man of Many Languages

Bharathi often referred to Tamil as his ‘mother’. At the same time, he was fluent in many languages including Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, Kuuch, and English and frequently translated works from other languages into Tamil. His said “among all the languages I have known, I do not see any of them”, any as sweet as Tamil, was his moving tribute to his mother tongue.

Sister Nivedita

Subramanya Bharathi got attracted to the Hindu spirituality and nationalism during his stay at Varanasi. He attended the meeting of the All India National Congress in the year 1905 here and on his return also got the opportunity to meet Sister Nivedita, the spiritual daughter of the great Indian philosopher and thinker, Swami Vivekananda. Subramanya Bharathi felt very impressed on meeting Sister Nivedita. This phase proved to be a crucial turning point in the life history of Subramanya Bharathi. Bharathi was a Hindu. But his spirituality was not limited. He sang to the Hindu deities, and at the same time he wrote songs of devotion to Jesus Christ and Allah. Bharathi was Subramanya a vigorous campaigner against casteism. He wrote in ‘Vande Matharam’ : Bharathi We shall not look at caste or religion; all human beings in this land—whether they be those who preach the vedas or who belong to other castes—are one Subramanya Bharathi was a Tamil poet, reformer and freedom fighter during the pre-independence Eventful Life era. His used his adeptness at poetry to coax the masses in the south to join the great Indian Bharathi lived during an eventful period of Indian struggle for independence. Bharathi’s name is history. Gandhi, Tilak, Aurbindo and V.V.S. Aiyar counted amongst the most celebrated bards of the were his contemporaries. He involved himself with country. passion in the Indian freedom struggle. His ‘Viduthalai, Viduthalai’ was a clarion call for Early Life freedom from alien rule. He saw a great India. He saw an India of skilled workers and an educated Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathi was born on 11 people. He saw an India where women would be December 1882. Bharathi’s mother died in 1887 and free. He expressed the depth of his love and the two years later, his father also died. At the age of breadth of his vision for India. 11, in 1893 his prowess as a poet was recognized and he was accorded the title of ‘Bharathi’ at He participated in the 1906 All India Congress Ettiyapuram. He was a student at Nellai Hindu meeting in Calcutta (chaired by Dadabhai Naoroji) School and in 1897 he married Sellamal. Thereafter, where the demand for ‘Swaraj’ was raised for the from 1898 to 1902, he lived in Kasi. first time. Bharathi supported the demand wholeheartedly and found himself in the militant Bharathi worked as a school teacher and as a wing of the Indian National Congress together with journal editor at various times in his life. As a Tamil Tilak and Aurobindo. Aurobindo writing on the poet he ranked with Ilanko, Thiruvalluvar and historic 1906 Congress had this to say: Kamban. His writings gave new life to the Tamil language—and to Tamil national consciousness. He “We were prepared to give the old weakness of the involved himself actively in the Indian freedom congress plenty of time to die out if we could get

60 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 realities recognized. Only in one particular have we The British suppression of the militancy was been disappointed and that is the President’s address. systematic and thorough. Tilak was exiled to But even here the closing address, with which Mr. Burma. Aurobindo escaped to Pondicherry in 1910. Naoroji dissolved the Congress, has made amends for Bharathi met with Aurobindo in Pondicherry and the deficiencies of his opening speech. the discussions often turned to religion and philosophy. He assisted Aurobindo in the ‘Arya’ He once more declared Self-Government, Swaraj, as journal and later ‘Karma Yogi’ in Pondicherry. In in an inspired moment he termed it, to be our one November 1910, Bharathi released an ‘Anthology of ideal and called upon the young men to achieve it. Poems’ which included ‘Kanavu’. The work of the older men had been done in preparing a generation which were determined to V.V.S. Aiyar also arrived in Pondicherry in 1910 and have this great ideal and nothing else; the work of the British Indian patriots, who were called making the ideal a reality lies lies with us. We accept ‘Swadeshis’ would meet often. They included Mr. Naoroji’s call and to carry out his last injunctions Bharathi, Aurobindo and V.V.S. Aiyar. R.S. will devote our lives and, if necessary, sacrifice Padmanabhan in his Biography of V.V.S. Aiyar writes: them.” (Bande Mataram, 31 December 1906) “All of them, whether there was any warrant against them or not, were constantly being watched by British agents in Pondicherry. Bharathi was a convinced “His prowess as a poet believer in constitutional agitation. Aurobindo had given up politics altogether... and Aiyar had arrived was recognized and he in their midst with all the halo of a dedicated revolutionary who believed in the cult of the bomb was accorded the title of and in individual terrorism.” ‘Bharathi’.” In 1912, Bharathy published the Bhagavad Gita in Tamil as well as Kannan Paatu, Kuyil and Panjali Sabatham. After the end of World War I, Bharathi In April 1907, Bharathi became the editor of the entered British India near Cuddalore in November Tamil weekly ‘India’. At the same time he also 1918. He was arrested. He was released after three edited the English newspaper ‘Bala Bharatham’. He weeks in custody. These were years of hardship participated in the historic Surat Congress in 1907, and poverty. (Eventually, the General Amnesty which saw a sharpening of the divisions within the Order of 1920 removed all restrictions on his Indian National Congress between the militant wing movement). Bharathy met with Mahatma Gandhi in led by Tilak and Aurobindo and the ‘moderates’. 1919 and in 1920, Bharathy resumed editorship of Subramanya Bharathi supported Tilak and the Swadeshamitran in Madras. Aurobindo together with ‘Kapal Otiya Thamilan’ V.O. Chidambarampillai and Kanchi Varathaachariyar. Tilak openly supported armed resistance and the Swadeshi movement. “...he was fluent These were the years when Bharathi immersed in many languages himself in writing and in political activity. In Madras, in 1908, he organised a mammoth public meeting to including Bengali, celebrate ‘Swaraj Day’. His poems ‘Vanthe Matharam’, ‘Enthayum Thayum’, ‘Jaya Bharath’ were Hindi, Sanskrit, Kuuch, printed and distributed free to the Tamil people.

In 1908, he gave evidence in the case which had been and English.” instituted by the British against ‘Kappal Otiya Thamizhan’, V.O. Chidambarampillai. In the same year, the proprietor of the ‘India’ was arrested in Madras. Final Days Faced with the prospect of arrest, Bharathi escaped to Pondicherry which was under French rule. Bharathi died on 11 September 1921. In a relatively short life span of 39 years, He left an indelible mark From there Bharathi edited and published the as the poet of Tamil nationalism and Indian ‘India’ weekly. He also edited and published freedom. Today, more than seventy five years later, ‘Vijaya’, a Tamil daily, Bala Bharatha, an English Subaramanya Bharathy stands as an undying monthly, and ‘Suryothayam’ a local weekly of symbol not only of a vibrant Tamil nationalism but Pondicherry. Under his leadership the Bala also of the unity that is India. Bharatha Sangam was also started. The British waylaid and stopped remittances and letters to the Source: www.iloveindia.com, papers. Both ‘India’ and ‘Vijaya’ were banned in http://neyveliweb.tripod.com British India in 1909.

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 61 Doing Poorly by Doing Good

KIEL: The new catchphrase in business seems to be payments out of her income, the housewife “do well by doing good.” In other words, borrows to save – she no longer has spare cash undertaking socially responsible activities boosts lying around for others to fritter away. profits. For example, Pepsi bolsters its bottom line by shifting to more nutritious, healthier food. The “asset” that is purchased need not be a physical asset. In India, a big portion of college dues Yet, in much of the world, doing well still implies is paid at the beginning of the year. Households that you must be up to no good, especially if you whose members have steady jobs borrow from are dealing with the poor. A recent case in point is micro-financiers to pay the fees, and then spend the the imbroglio in Andhra Pradesh in India, where the rest of the year repaying the loan. That way, they do administration has moved to curb microfinance. not have to cut spending substantially in the months before the fee is due, but can instead Microfinance has become the darling of smooth spending over the year. This is helpful when development enthusiasts. After all, who could be people live at the margin – where cutting spending against an activity that produces uplifting stories means foregoing food or medicines. like the cell phone ladies of Bangladesh, who lift themselves out of poverty by obtaining loans to Emergency loans are equally important. When buy phones and then selling minutes to others in children fall sick, parents do not have the time to the village. apply for a loan from a state-owned bank (perhaps the only alternative source of loans for the poor The benefits of microfinance are in danger of being other than the moneylender). Usually, the bank over-hyped – there are not that many successful takes months to process the application, and may micro-businesses that the poor can start solely with demand a bribe even in the unlikely event it is the help of loans, because skills and management willing to take on the credit risk. The micro-financier, abilities are also often necessary. Nevertheless, the confident of being repaid, is willing to extend the benefits are real: while there is little evidence that emergency loan quickly and with little bureaucracy. microfinance sets substantial numbers of poor people on the path to riches, it does help the poor Finally, while I am skeptical that microfinance alone save, smooth consumption, deal with emergencies, can promote a lot of successful entrepreneurship, it and expand existing businesses. certainly can be helpful in allowing a farmer to buy more cattle or a tractor, or allowing a village These are not trivial benefits. One problem the shopkeeper to expand inventory. Thus, it also poor often have in accumulating savings is lack of helps expand incomes. easy access to savings accounts where they can deposit money. The money is kept in a tin at home, But, despite all these benefits, politicians are and is easily spent when a neighbor is in difficulty, generally unwilling to accept that money can be or the ne’er-do-well cousin comes calling. By taking earned honestly from those at the bottom of the a loan from a micro-financier to buy a needed asset, income pyramid. If micro-financiers are making and then making regular mandatory weekly profits off the poor, it must be because they are

62 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 bilking them. Suspicions are further reinforced by powerful opponent, who found an opportune politicians’ underlying paternalism – the poor do not moment to strike. know what is good for them and are easily fooled. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle – Of course, the fact that micro-financiers charge the the microfinance sector has made some mistakes, very poor relatively high interest rates exacerbates which politicians have exaggerated in an effort to the perception that they are gouging society’s most destroy an industry that undermines them by vulnerable members. But micro-financiers may making the poor more independent. There is a have no choice: given the small size of the loans, lesson to draw from all this. There is money to be the costs of processing them and collecting made at the bottom of the income pyramid, and payments are relatively large, driving up the break- businesses can do immense good while making that even interest rate. money by giving the poor choices that they have never had. But skepticism that money can be made Matters came to a head in August this year, when off the poor extends well beyond the politician. It is an initial public offering in India of SKS, a incumbent on industries that deal with the poor to microfinance institution started by Vikram Akula, a be transparent about how they earn their money – graduate of the University of Chicago’s Booth and to make the case for their activities strongly School of Business, raised roughly $ 350 million. and publicly. Like Caesar’s wife, microfinance has The IPO valued the company at $1.6 billion. Such a to be above suspicion. high valuation can be justified if SKS provides a better service than the competition, but darker Raghuram Rajan interpretations are possible. If SKS is doing so well, the official thinking went, it must be up to no good. Raghuram Rajan is Professor of Finance at the Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, So the authorities acted. The Andhra Pradesh and author of Fault Lines: How Hidden Fractures administration accused the industry of charging Still Threaten the World Economy, which was usurious interest rates, urging the gullible poor to recently awarded The Financial Times/Goldman over-borrow, and then driving some delinquent Sachs Business Book of borrowers to commit suicide. It imposed severe the Year Award. curbs on the industry in October. Copyright: Project The widespread belief among micro-financiers is Syndicate, 2010 that the curbs were imposed not because the Source: www.project- industry was exploitative, but because it offered an syndicate.org alternative to political patronage. Politicians gained influence and popular support by directing state- owned banks to make loans to favored constituencies. By threatening this source of power, the microfinance industry created a

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 63 The Alliance of World Religions and Ecology

Getty Images

64 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 The world’s major religions are often regarded as are part of the dynamics of religions. This realization preservers of traditional views and behaviors, and thus leads to a more balanced understanding of the conservative in their outlooks. What should not be possibilities and limitations of religions regarding overlooked is that religions can also be liberating and environmental concerns. Many religions retain capable of provoking social change. Although religions otherworldly orientations toward personal salvation do not immediately spring to mind as catalysts for outside this world; at the same time they have fostered environmental action, the moral authority and commitments to social justice, peace and ecological institutional power of religions means they are well integrity in the world. There are new alliances emerging situated to help effect a change in attitudes, practices now that join social justice with environmental justice. and public policies in respect to sustainability. Concern for how poor communities are being adversely affected by climate change has given rise to intense Clearly religions have a central role in the formulation discussions regarding “climate justice.” of worldviews that orient humans to the natural world and the articulation of rituals and ethics that In this spirit, religious leaders are increasingly guide human behavior. In addition, they have the speaking out for protection of the environment. institutional capacity to affect millions of people Leaders such as the Dalai Lama, the Greek Orthodox around the world. Islam, Hinduism and Christianity Patriarch Bartholomew, Rowan Williams, the each represent more than one billion people. Archbishop of Canterbury, and Pope Benedict have all spoken out on behalf of the environment. In December The size and complexity of the problems we face of 2009, at a historic gathering of the Parliament of the require collaborative efforts both among the World’s Religions in Melbourne, the environment was religions and in dialogue with other key domains of a major topic of discussion. Many religious leaders human endeavor such as science, economics and also sent messages to the Copenhagen climate public policy. conference. The SGI played a major role at the conference and continues to support concern for the Defining Religion environment as well as promotion of the Earth Charter, a statement of a global ethics for a A broadened definition of religion is helpful for sustainable future that integrates ecological integrity, understanding this convergence of world religions social and economic justice, democracy, nonviolence and ecology. Religion is more than simply a belief in and peace. A unifying framework for care for the larger a transcendent deity or a means to an afterlife. It is, Earth community, the Charter has been embraced by also, an orientation to the cosmos and our role in many religious communities around the world. In it. Religion thus refers to cosmological stories, addition, in the United States, Interfaith Power and symbol systems, ritual practices, ethical norms, Light has contributed to new awareness in religious historical processes and institutional structures congregations of their carbon footprint. The film that transmit a view of the human as embedded in Renewal has documented eight case studies of a world of meaning and responsibility, grassroots religious environmentalism. Thus, as key transformation and celebration. Religion connects repositories of values and as indispensable motivators humans with a divine or numinous presence, with in moral transformation, religions are playing an the human community and with the broader Earth increasingly important role in projecting persuasive community. It links humans to the larger matrix of visions of a more sustainable future. mystery in which life arises, unfolds and flourishes. The Academic Field Nature, meanwhile, provides a revelatory context for orienting humans to abiding religious questions The historian Lynn White observed that our about the cosmological origins of the universe, the attitudes toward nature have been consciously and meaning of the emergence of life, and human unconsciously conditioned by our religious responsibility for life processes. Religion thus situates worldviews: “What people do about their ecology humans in relation to both the natural and human depends on what they think about themselves in worlds with regard to meaning and responsibility. relation to things around them. Human ecology is deeply conditioned by beliefs about our nature and For many religions, the natural world is understood destiny—that is, by religion.” (Science, 1967) This as a source of teaching, guidance, visionary perspective articulates one major orientation in inspiration, revelation or power. At the same time, which the field of religion and ecology has emerged nature is also a source of food, clothing and shelter. within academia over the last 15 years. While it is Thus, religions have developed intricate systems of still a relatively new field, the academic study of exchange and thanksgiving around human religion and ecology is drawing on other disciplines dependence on animals and plants, on forests and and thinkers to develop theoretical, historical, fields, on rivers and oceans. ethical, cultural and engaged dimensions.

Religions have been significant catalysts in coping with From 1996-98, an international conference series took change and transcending suffering while at the same place at Harvard University’s Center for the Study of time grounding humans in natureís rhythms. The World Religions (CSWR). The goal was to examine creative tensions between humans seeking to the varied ways in which human-Earth relations have transcend this world and yearning to be embedded in it

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 65 Reverence for Earth

The common values that most of the world’s religions hold in relation to the natural world might be summarized as reverence, respect, restraint, redistribution, responsibility and renewal. While there are clearly variations of interpretation within and between religions regarding these principles, it may be said that religions are moving toward an expanded understanding of their cosmological orientations and ethical obligations. Although An interfaith panel on religion and ecology in these principles have been previously understood Israel organized by the Sulha Peace Project primarily with regard to relations toward other humans, the challenge now is to extend them to the natural world. As this shift occurs—and there are been conceived in the world’s religions. The project signs it is already happening—religions can was launched to provide a broad survey that would advocate reverence for the Earth and its profound help ground a new field of study in religion and cosmological processes, respect for the Earth’s ecology. Acknowledging the gap between ancient myriad species, an extension of ethics to include all texts and traditions and modern environmental life forms, restraint in the use of natural resources challenges, it drew on a broad method of retrieval, combined with support for effective alternative reevaluation and reconstruction. technologies and equitable redistribution of wealth. The Harvard conferences were also designed to They can establish a broader acknowledgment of foster interdisciplinary conversations that drew on human responsibility for the continuity of life on the synergy of historians, theologians, ethicists and our planet and help renew the energies of hope for scientists as well as on the work of grassroots the transformative work to be done. environmentalists. Within the last 15 years, religion and ecology has The scholars were engaged in critically retrieving emerged as an academic field as well as an aspects of the religious traditions for reexamination engaged force in environmental issues. No doubt it and reevaluation in the contemporary context. This will continue to grow as interest is increasing has been part of the dynamic unfolding of religions among students, clergy and lay people as well as historically as they have struggled to balance religious leaders. orthodoxy with the urgencies of adapting to new Mary Evelyn Tucker is a senior lecturer in circumstances or cultures. Religion and the Environment at Yale University, Religious traditions have never been monolithic, holding joint appointments as a research scholar but have embraced a broad range of interpretive in the Divinity School, the School of Forestry & positions ranging from orthodox to reform. Environmental Studies and the Department of Discerning appropriate change and the abiding Religious Studies. She is a cofounder and value of tradition has been an important part of the codirector with John Grim of the Forum on life of religious teachers for centuries. Jewish Religion and Ecology. Together they edited the rabbis, Christian theologians and Islamic imams in 10-volume series from Harvard on Religions of the West and Hindu pundits, Buddhist monks and the World and Ecology. She is also the author of Confucian scholars in Asia have all been involved Worldly Wonder: Religions Enter Their Ecological with interpretation of their respective traditions Phase (Open Court Press, 2003). over time. The religion and ecology project draws Source: www.sgiquarterly.org on that ongoing process of discernment and © Mike Brinson/Getty Images, An interfaith panel exegesis so as to move toward a constructive on religion and ecology in Israel organized by the phase in which the scholars of the various religions Sulha Peace Project [© Eliyahu] can point toward actual or potential sources of ecological awareness and action from within the particular traditions. The edited papers from these conferences have been published in 10 volumes by Harvard University Press.

The Forum on Religion and Ecology arose from these conferences and was formed at a culminating conference at the United Nations in 1998. The Forum is now based at Yale University where it maintains a comprehensive website and sends out a monthly newsletter. The Forum continues to work within academia and outside academia to encourage the development of religious environmentalism.

66 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 The Evils of Adhikarivada

In one of his question classes the talk drifted on to Jnana); the wise man, himself steadily acting, the Adhikarivada, or the doctrine of special rights should engage the ignorant in all work.” and privileges, and Swamiji in pointing out vehemently the evils that have resulted from it I cannot believe in the self-contradictory statement spoke to the following effect: that light brings greater darkness. It is like losing life in the ocean of Sachchidananda, in the ocean of With all my respect for the Rishis of yore I cannot Absolute Existence and Immortality. How absurd! but denounce their method in instructing the Knowledge means freedom from the errors which people. They always enjoined upon them to do ignorance leads to. Knowledge paving the way to certain things but took care never to explain to error! Enlightenment leading to confusion ! Is it them the reason why. This method was pernicious possible ? Men are not bold enough to speak out to the very core, and instead of enabling men to broad truths, for fear of losing the respect of the attain the end it laid upon their shoulders a mass of people. They try to make a compromise between meaningless nonsense. Their excuse for keeping the real, eternal truths and the nonsensical the end hidden from view was that the people prejudices of the people, and thus set up the could not have understood their real meaning even doctrine that Lokacharas (customs of the people) if they had presented it to them, not being worthy and Deshacharas (customs of the country) must be recipients. This Adhikarivada is the outcome of adhered to. No compromise ! No whitewashing ! No pure selfishness. They knew that by this covering of corpses beneath flowers ! Throw away enlightenment of their special subject they would such texts as: “Yet the customs of the people have lose their superior position of instructors to the to be followed.” Nonsense! The result of this sort of people. Hence their endeavour to support this compromise is that the grand truths are soon theory. If you consider a man too weak to receive buried under heaps of rubbish, and the latter are these. Lessons you should try the more to teach eagerly held as real truths. Even the grand truths of and educate him; you should give him the the Gita, so boldly preached by Sri Krishna, advantage of more teaching, instead of less, to train received the gloss of compromise in the hands of up his intellect, so as to enable him to comprehend future generations of disciples, and the result is the more subtle problems. These advocates of that the grandest scripture of the world now Adhikarivada ignored the tremendous fact of the contains many things which go to lead men astray. infinite possibilities of the human soul. Every man is capable of receiving knowledge if it is imparted in This attempt at compromise proceeds from arrant his own language. A teacher who cannot convince downright cowardice. Be bold ! My children should others should weep on account of his own inability be brave, above all. Not the least compromise on to teach the people in their own language, instead any account. Preach the highest truths broadcast. of cursing them and dooming them to live in Do not fear losing your respect or causing unhappy ignorance and superstition, setting up the plea that friction. Rest assured that if you serve truth in spite the higher knowledge is not for them. Speak out the of temptation to forsake it you will attain a truth boldly, without any fear that it will puzzle the heavenly strength in the face of which men will weak. Men are selfish; they do not want others to quail to speak before you things which you do not come up to the same level of their knowledge, for believe to be true. People will be convinced of what fear of losing their own privilege and prestige over you will say to them, if you can strictly serve truth others. Their contention is that the knowledge of for fourteen years continually, without swerving the highest spiritual truths will bring about from it. Thus you will confer the greatest blessing confusion in the understanding of the weak-minded on the masses, unshackle their bondages and uplift men, and so the sloka goes: the whole nation.

“One should not unsettle the understanding of the Swami Vivekananda ignorant, attached to action (by teaching them Source: Swami Vivekananda’s Works, p. 190–192

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 67 The Beginnings of My Journey

This history flows like melting ice from Canada into reasons for desiring return were as complex and the Atlantic ocean, sweeping us in its currents back to individual as the returnees, and included hope for the centre—the Caribbean; and across the Kala Pani deliverance from hardships, family reunification, or to the source: India. a desire to have one’s ashes scattered in the river Ganges. However, my Aja, attributed the main My Aja, Chhablal Ramcharan reason to sentimental longing. Indentureship historian Hugh Tinker suggested that the Stemming from planters greed, four hundred Britisher’s suspension of colonial Guyana’s “coolies” were or¬dered, thousands followed. A constitution in 1953 contributed to the Resurgent’s system of indentureship ensured cheap labour to voyage. According to Ramcharan’s first-hand feed the plantation economies of the Caribbean. account, this was not accurate as most returnees Indians were taken as indentured labourers to were from villages and estates, not the urban areas Caribbean from 1838-1917. Return ships back to affected by political instability. Although India carrying those who had completed the terms Ramcharan’s use of “sentimental” is open to many of their servitude began sailing in 1843. The last interpretations including nostalgic desire for the return ship from the Caribbean sailed in 1955. motherland, I prefer to understand “sentimental” as a desire to belong somewhere—to find a way not to The year before he died, my Aja, Chhablal be left behind by history. Ramcharan, and I engaged in a series of conversations. He was 87, and still agile. He could This journey marked the end of an important sit in lotus position for the entire length of a Havan chapter in history, but it had been ignored, (service). And his mind was just as agile. silenced, or maybe we had become indifferent? How is it that we do not know? During the last year of his life (2006), I was enrolled in the Masters of Immigration and Settlement Fortunately, I had a professor, Dr. Hyacinth Studies program at Ryerson University, Toronto. Simpson, who along with other members of the My parents and grandparents had left the West Caribbean community helped me to see that even Indies more than thirty years ago, eventually when you cross dark waters, connections do not settling in Canada. As I asked Aja about our own simply disappear. With her encouragement, I began family’s history of migration, I came to realize he to record this history. was a part of history. He was British Guiana’s last Repatriation Officer—charged with accompanying Although homeward bound ships of indentured the final group of returning indentured labourers labourers attracted less attention than the initial and their families from the Caribbean back to India vessels that sailed from India, return ships are on board the M.V. Resurgent in 1955. important. They provide evidence of one of the few areas in which a marginalised people could assert At that point, nearly forty years had passed since their rights. Initially, the right to return to India (as the end of Indentureship, and six years since the stipulated in the indenture contracts) was previous ship, the M.V. Orna, had sailed. The instrumental in persuading labourers to leave their

68 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 villages; the West Indies was a long way from home. Likewise, the hope of return sustained indentured labourers over a decade or more spent toiling under the harsh conditions of plantations.

At first glance, the demand for a mid-twentieth century return ship appears surprising. The M.V. Resurgent sailed in 1955, some four decades after the last indenture/ship (in 1917) brought Indians to colonial Guyana. As early as 1880, un-indentured Indians already outnumbered indentured Indians on British Guianese plantations,1 and by 1955, Indians had become the majority ethnic population in British Guiana.2 With 238,969 indentured Indians arriving between 1838 and 1917, Guiana had the largest presence of Indians in the Caribbean3. Though, not everyone was a “victim” of arkatis, for a number, their lives were marked by displacement.

The final number of individuals who opted to return in 1955 was small (243)4; however the significance of the last return journey lies in its symbolism. It was subversive. To agitate for the right to leave the “West” to return to a decolonized India was undoubtedly an anti-colonial act, albeit under the controlled conditions of return passage regulations.

Nalini Mohabir

Source: Published with Permission. Finding the West Indies in India, Indira Gandhi National Clockwise from top left: The Whitby, first indenture/ship to anchor in Georgetown, Guyana; Route of M.V. Resurgent’s voyage, as well Centre for the Arts, Diaspora Cultural Resource as prior return ships; Nalini Mohabir and Dr. Hyacinth Simpson, Centre, New Delhi Caribbean Migrations Conference, Ryerson University, 2005; Chhablal Ramcharan and Nalini Mohabir, 2005

References: 1 Rodney, Walter. A History of Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905. Baltimore, Maryland: John Hopkins University Press, 1981. 2 Nath, Dwarka. A History of Indians in Guyana. 1950. London: Self-published, 1970. 3 Dabydeen, David. “Indo-Guyanese Resistance.” Indo Caribbean Resistance. Ed. Frank Birbalsingh. Toronto: TSAR, 1993. 27-32. 4 “Going Home... to a Home They Never Saw.” The Daily Chronicle 5 September 1955: Front Page.

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 69 China & India Exposed

Berkeley: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s than one-quarter of GDP growth, whereas domestic forthcoming trip to India, following hard on the investment contributed a substantially larger share. heels of President Barack Obama’s recent visit, will provide another opportunity for the media to gush Moreover, contrary to popular belief, much of the about the growing global economic clout of China dramatic poverty reduction in China over the last and India. We can be sure that the soft underbellies three decades was due not to integration into the of both economies will be kept hidden from view. global economy, but to domestic factors like growth in the agricultural sector (where mass After a couple of centuries of relative stagnation, poverty was concentrated). This is attributable these two countries, containing nearly two-fifths of largely to public investment in rural infrastructure, the world’s population, have experienced and, in the initial period, to institutional changes in remarkably rapid income growth in the last three agrarian production organization and an egalitarian decades. In manufacturing and services (particularly distribution of land-cultivation rights. software, business processing, etc.), respectively, China and India have made huge strides Expansion of exports of labor-intensive internationally, and their acquisition of global manufactures has nonetheless lifted many Chinese companies has attracted considerable attention. out of poverty. That is not true of India, where exports are still mainly skill- and capital-intensive. But some dubious assertions have, through Economic reform clearly has made the Indian constant repetition in recent, often breathless, corporate sector more vibrant and competitive, but accounts about the two economies, become part of most of the Indian economy is not in the corporate conventional wisdom. Much of what really goes on sector (public or private). Indeed, 92% of the labor inside these two large countries is often left out. force is employed in the informal sector.

For example, in terms of value added (the value of Indian poverty reduction has been significant, but output after deducting the cost of materials and not substantial. However, in terms of non-income components), China, contrary to popular indicators of poverty – for example, child mortality, impression, is not yet the manufacturing center of malnutrition, and school dropouts – India’s the world. The Chinese produce about 15% of value performance has been dismal (in some respects added in world manufacturing, while the United worse even than in sub-Saharan Africa). States contributes about 24% and the European Union about 20%. In the financial media, China and India have become poster children for market reform and Similarly, while India’s information technology-enabled globalization, even though in matters of services have gained an international reputation, the privatization, property rights, deregulation, and total number of people employed in this sector is less lingering bureaucratic rigidities, both countries than 0.5% of India’s workforce. As such, it cannot, by have in many ways departed from economic itself, transform the Indian economy. orthodoxy. According to the US-based Heritage Foundation’s widely cited Index of Economic Chinese growth is widely regarded as furiously Freedom, China and India are relegated to the export-driven, but domestic investment has in fact group described as “mostly unfree.” Out of a total been the major component. Even at the height of of 157 countries in 2008, China ranked 126th and global trade expansion in 2002-2007, exports (in India 115th. value-added terms) accounted for only a little more

70 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Although socialist economic policies in both Communist Party officials. And, thanks to the large countries inhibited initiative and enterprise, a pool of savings generated by Chinese households positive legacy of that period cannot be denied. It and state-owned companies, the Chinese economy is arguable, for example, that Chinese socialism can for the time being bear the waste and provided a strong launching pad for growth, misallocation implied by such crony capitalism. particularly in terms of a solid base of education and health, rural electrification, a safety net Without political reform, the long-run viability of enabled by equitable distribution of land rights, such a system is in doubt. Premier Wen himself regional economic decentralization, and high indicated as much in a speech in August that was female participation in the labor force. Moreover, a widely noted abroad, but largely blacked out in major part of the socialist legacy in both countries Chinese media. The global media should now go is the cumulative effect of the state’s active role in further, and begin to examine the many features of technological development. the rise of China and India that depart from the simplistic narrative of the triumph of market reform. Unlike in India, where the private corporate sector is the most dynamic sector, in China state- Pranab Bardhan controlled companies are some of the globally more successful. Even in famous private Chinese Pranab Bardhan is Professor of Economics, companies like Lenovo and Huawei Technologies, University of California at Berkeley and the the ownership structure is highly convoluted, and author, most recently, of Awakening Giants, Feet the boundaries of state and private control rights of Clay: Assessing the Rise of China and India. blurred. The recent purchase of Volvo by the private Chinese automaker Geely generated much Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2010. publicity, but most of the money was put up by Source: www.project-syndicate.org municipal governments.

Powerful political families run many Chinese state- owned enterprises. Indeed, there is some evidence that the overwhelming majority of multi- millionaires in China are relatives of high-ranking

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 71 continued from last issue...

Twilight Glimmering and Hazy Dharam Pal Landscape of Indian Politics

Rajeev sat tranquil near the moment of eternity. He The procession took the direction and road to the made abortive attempts to console the family but it nearest burial ground. There was hardly any mirth proved beyond him. The old man was a crumpled, and hospitality in the surroundings. The sky was heap of sorrow. drenched, overloaded and hung like a leaking canopy. Krishna’s father was supported by two A drizzle at the moment was like the most men as it was almost impossible for the dreary unwelcomed guest at mid-night. The outsiders figure to be a step forward. His legs hung like two sought shelter under tiny sheds and way-side sticks balancing a tattering table. projections. They were waiting for Krishna’s last rites. But why didn’t they come out to face the Rajeev’s mind went into philosophical ramblings rioters? Rajeev pondered in snatches over the and he came upon his favourite contemplation, issue. They have forgotten the language of peaceful man set against the vastness of the universe. Yet protest. They have forgotten Gandhi’s language. the tiny human brain carries consciousness of the But what about Krishna. He must have been in vast, endless universe. Twenty years grown body frenzy. A frenzy fuelled in him by his surroundings. was given to flames rising toward the sky. The sky didn’t receive any tarnish because of the smoke ‘Let’s prepare for his cremation. People can’t wait. burnt out ends of the day. Weather is getting out of hand?’ Some one of them suggested rather meekly. It sent a vibration of A car was moving along the muddy, broken, warning and the waiting came to a sudden halt. He cracked path. The landscape lay scattered around must be taken away from the house where he had consisting of sprawling fields, still, grim trees. spent twenty years of his life. Dispatched from the There was hardly any movement in the leaves. The earth for no fault of his own. whole of the moon was there under a big bundle of packed up clouds rendering the night partially Strife torn town, devastated by a handful of rioters! opaque. In the mighty movement a ray or two Who will take care of Krishna’s family? The streaked out along the distant rims of the sky. The question assumed a glooming shape in Rajeev’s firmament of the sky seemed to be oozing in the sub-conscious. Krishna’s father was non-entity and partial darkness. his mother a wasted human frame. The three sisters all beautiful and attractive. They were The occupant of the car was silent, lost and fixed picking up for the final scene of Krishna’s life. with the day’s happenings in the city. How could he help the riff-raff? The burnt precints of the city ‘Hurry-up... hurry-up...’ a blinking middle aged man were distantly visible to him. It is a part of the tried to make his presence felt. The dog was there game. He chuckled to himself and adjusted his cap sequestered in a corner at the thresh-hold waiting on his bald-pate. The movement of the car was for the funeral procession to start. Rajeev looked at rather slow. He could not help it. He reassured it and wondered at its fidelity. After all why should himself on the verge of a nagging. he follow him? He mumbled to himself, “Politics being what it is Animals have an uncanny sense for human beings today. We belong to the same flock. All of them and situations. We, humans, hardly find any time to raise strikes, dharnas, rigging, bribing, ballot-box understand them and go into animal psyche. lifting and what not? Why should he feel guilty?’

72 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 The car came to a sudden halt. ‘Police did not interfere. They arrived after our job was over. They didn’t identify us.’ Ajeet drew an ‘Shahab, very bad path. Pits and pits.’ The driver’s immense satisfaction at his brilliant performance. complaint was low-pitched. The incumbent of the chair was more interested in listening to Ajeet than expressing anything of his ‘Ram Singh, try your best. I must reach there. It’s own. He seemed to be assured of his supremacy as quite important. They are waiting for me.’ a background to the chain of events since morning. The town was already in the grip of intense tension ‘Yes...Shahab...? prone silence. The only way to defeat his political rivals. He reflected inwardly. His awareness did not The car made a whirring sound and lurched out like go beyond this. There was an air of causality to his a snail. There was the cry of an owl. active broodings. ‘Bad omen’... the occupant rather spoke to himself. ‘Krishna’s body reduced to ashes. None of our ‘What does it forecast?’ his palm moved on his faults. No one prompted him. rough forehead touching drops of sweat. ‘Did you ‘It wasn’t our scheming.’ Ajeet’s voice echoed speak to me... Shahab”’ ‘No’ the leader was a bit sharply.’ taken aback at his own mumblings. There they were. A small room at the receding ends of the town. A distance of five kilometers. A small room invisible to the casual, inattentive, naked eye. Cow- to be continued... dung plastered room. Dharam Pal Sooryakant came out of his car, adjusted his cap and headed towards the room. It was a very Born on October 1, 1941, Prof Dharam Pal, Retd narrow-mud path, he trod upon. A bit difficult for Head, Department of English, Hindu College, him to balance his bulging paunch. Sonepat, Haryana, India has published Novels, Short-stories in Hindi and English. These include, Ajeet was the first to walk towards the political Upnevesh, Mukti, Raj Ghat ki Aur, Tharav, Basti, figure. His face presented an aspect of dismay and Avshes, Nirvastra, Ramsharnam, Twilight, The expectation. His furrowed forehead was glaring Eclipsed Serialized in Indo-Asian Literature and because of the lines on it. ‘Namskaar...’ his folded other stories. Two students have been awarded hands welcomed Sooryakant. MPhil Degrees on his Hindi Works. His plays, stories have also been broadcast on Indian Radio. ‘I did my best. Almost all public buildings burnt or He has been twice honoured by Governor of left half unburnt. Fear, tension, rumour in the town. Haryana, India. He has won Hindi Rashtriya What else do you want? Our project is a complete Shatabdi Samman, 200 and also Penguin Award. success!’

The leader was already seated on an old chair and was attentive to the flow of news.

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 73 Puppetry Today

Dreaming a New Future

It was almost thirty years back when I first read an puppet could be a plaything, for an adult perhaps article on puppetry in Target—a popular children’s an intriguing mirror that portrays life and for the magazine. My interest stemmed from the fact that it scholar a never-ending source of tales and images featured my brother and some of his friends, linking and stimulating our subconscious. But, for receiving hands-on training on making puppets the puppeteer, it is a sacred image that should not from the renowned and iconic puppeteer Dadi be taken in jest as just another inanimate object Pudumjee. Though I was overwhelmed by the joy of that is temporarily brought to life, a trap that one sibling celebrity, the field of puppetry held often falls into in modern times. For him, very immense interest for me even in those early days. much in keeping with the traditionalist notion, the With time, I have come to know the art form and its eyes of the puppets are the focus and the main pioneering practitioner better. What follows is a feature. In India, most puppeteers and puppet brief overview of a form which has deep roots in makers will, even today, paint in the eye at the very the narrative traditions of this country, which has end of completing the figures, thus infusing them seen far-reaching transformations over time and with life. In many of our languages, therefore, for which has managed to overcome a phase of example in Hindi, Sanskrit and Bangla, the word for dormancy to reinstate itself afresh in popular a puppet is putli or putul, panchalika, puttikaa or public taste and elicit appreciation that continues putulika, all of which share a double meaning - of to increase. the pupil of the eye and that of a puppet. Many other languages have similar sounding variations Puppetry is an art form and Dadi Pudumjee firmly as well. In fact, the English word puppet derives believes in its divine origins. He says, for a child, a from the Latin Pupa or Pupula, which describes

74 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 equally well a little girl and a doll. Pupula also eighty-year old history of the world body UNIMA, means the pupil of the eye. In German the word is which is the world’s first registered international Puppe, while the French one is Poupee. These puppet-theatre organisation (www.unima.org). To words ascribe to the puppets a quality of celebrate this feat in its true spirit, one has to be observation, of being able to look back into the aware not only of India and its varied local past as well as of possessing the ability to see into traditions but of some sixty-four worldwide the future, that makes the art form at once national centres involved in working with puppet traditional as well as contemporary. For Dadi, and traditions, their aspirations and the problems they perhaps for many other practitioners as well, this is encounter, and their efforts to continuously also what holds the key to making puppetry a overcome them. It is essential as a puppeteer to be global form, one that originates across countries in aware of the terminologies and ideas of the west individual ways but which also has a deep-rooted which can sometimes greatly differ from those of shared history and import. the east and near east.

Dadi Pudumjee entered the field as a young As Dadi sees it, in India there was a traditional enthusiast in 1958. Today he is well known and phase, followed by a modern one which saw many established as a pioneer of modern puppetry in changes made to the older forms. Then there was a India, but by his own confession, in his early days cohesive phase, where a balance was worked out in Pune he treated puppetry mainly as a hobby, between the two major phases, especially in terms playing around mostly with string puppets. He had of their content and expression. Today, there are very little information on the subject and the many young artistes who are carving a niche for knowledge that he possessed was limited to the themselves within the field. However, some others puppets of Rajasthan. It was only later at the are stuck in the past or in the beginnings of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in early nineteenth century. In terms of an actual Ahmedabad that he encountered the vast gamut of palpable shift in the form, content, story, import, techniques and styles of Indian puppetry under the and so on, between the old and the new, between late Meher R. Contractor. Later, in the mid- the first crop of modern puppeteers and the seventies in Sweden under Michael Meschke of the younger ones today, the major changes, rather Swedish Marionette Theatre Institute he began to work, seems to be happening mostly in the urban understand and appreciate what the form was pockets. There seems to be a far greater need for really all about. Meschke’s outlook to puppetry was exposure for many groups to modern and radically different, incorporating ideas from various contemporary trends that are also continuously other art forms and transforming puppetry into a evolving. There is an urgency to create our own, means to something and a form that did not simply individualistic vocabularies, contexts and themes remain an end. This philosophy had a tremendous while simultaneously addressing these areas in a influence on Dadi. In fact, Dadi has always valued fresh manner. The first schools and trends of the inherent similarities of puppetry around the modern Indian puppetry were chiefly from Kolkata world and still acknowledges the power of the form and Ahmedabad, but today many young he witnessed in certain other traditions such as the puppeteers have taken these ideas and evolved Bunraku of Japan and the puppet styles of the new expressions of their own. For Dadi the fear also erstwhile socialist block which have had a lasting is that puppeteers today seem to be getting influence on the conceptualization and creation of obsessed with technique to look “modern” while his own characters. overlooking the essence of the art form.

Looking back anew at his first creative phase, he Dadi also happens to be the Founder-Director of says, “My first job at ISRO SAC in Ahmedabad was the Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, started in 1986 to with the serial Hun and Hann where I used modern acquaint people with puppetry. After several puppets for TV. At the time it possibly was the first successful years and growth, the team thought of puppet serial made for TV using puppet-characters the Annual Ishara Festival, now in its eighth year. specially made and scripted for that medium and This has grown tremendously in scale with major not theatre puppets shot for it.” Reflecting on the support from the Ishara Puppet Theatre Trust, traditional-modern mix then and now, he finds that helped by Teamwork Productions, and some the traditional forms are rarely stagnant and where support from the Indian Council for Cultural they haven’t died out, they have surely changed, Relations, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the National some for the better and others not so. In all, he Centre for Performing Arts and the Ford considers that puppetry in India has used its time Foundation. Besides its own productions, the very well, with the art form having had a successful Ishara Trust has been working with collaborators stint afld a winning revival. and agencies, producing puppets and masks for various TV and video programmes and events. It As a puppeteer he is joyous, glad to have made his has spread the use of Muppets and Marrots in hobby into a profession after having studied it in education through folk tales and satires. Ishara also Ahmedabad and Sweden. And it is no mean conducts workshops in various forms of puppetry, moment for India to have him for the last two years for children, adults and theatre groups. Dadi’s as a proud first non-European President in the ultimate ambition is to modernize the art to a

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 75 degree when puppet theatre can become an acceptable medium of education by itself.

After much hard work, puppi now seems indeed to have managed to “break even,” with its audience willing to pay to enjoy themselves. It seems, therefore, well on its way to being a commercially! sustainable art form. Having witnessed eight years of encouragement from audience in Delhi and Gurgaon, the te^ at Ishara was encouraged to extend the Festival to Mumbai in the last two years where too it has seen great success. Now Dadi is working hard on a plan to take it around other cities of India. The Ishara Festival has definitely created a platform for puppeteers to showcase their work in India but the puppeteers are sure that they will still need support from government authorities, cultural organizations, corporate houses, and other suchlike institutions in order to ensure a fulfilling future and a world-class presence for a form that has languished unnoticed for many years.

There are, of course, some cautionary points, the most important perhaps being to come to a happy balance between the modern and the traditional. Though the modern successes of puppetry have given a boost and focus in some ways to the traditional styles and artistes in India, certain practitioners take recourse to the very strong techniques of the older ways without giving credit to it. This displaces the respect due to each style. At the same time, traditional puppeteers also need to understand that times are changing and they need to be conscious enough to evolve their styles, techniques of production, the quality of manipulation and storytelling to fit in with audience tastes. It is urgent, therefore, for all those involved with the form to grasp well the language of puppetry as well as the vocabulary of the times.

It may be apt to conclude with Dadi’s own words on what puppetry means to him as an art form. “I consider myself to be at par with a painter, writer or dramatist who uses new techniques in a given context to elevate his work to universal and contemporary levels of acceptability. If this art form remains static it will definitely lose its audience.” And it is this stasis that he is trying to work against.

The author has worked as Assistant Director for the publishing wing of Katha, a pioneering non-profit venture in the field of translations, set up the publishing outfit Indialog of which she was the Chief Editor, and has also been Editor, Indian Horizons, a quarterly journal on art and culture published by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi.

Chandana Dutta

Photographs: Dadi Pudumjee, Vipul Sangoi, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, S. Thyagarajan, Sanjoy Roy, Anay Mann

Source: India Perspectives, Vol. 24, No. 3/2010

76 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 Pratipaksh Bhawana

(Moving to the other side of the Mansion/Feeling)

Pratipaksh Bhawana consists of three words, 1) Prati —is Unfavorable or negative. 2) Paksha—in favor or Positive, and 3) Bhawana—Is feeling or emotions.

The literal meaning of this term is “moving to the other side of the mansion feeling” and it points to the mind’s ability to completely transfer its awareness from a negative object to another more Some emotions could be towards others and some positive one (prati—other, opposing; paksha—wing, could be for your inner self. And your inner feeling half; bhavana—dwelling, home, mansion, being). will always reflect in others what is going on in your mind—that is very important. Our feelings are a natural response to our thoughts and intentions. Actually it’s one’s natural reaction to The positive feelings can create a very positive the situation. We don’t really choose our feelings surrounding in the society, and on the other directly. Our feelings are a feedback mechanism. They hand—negative feelings can destroy everything. indicate whether we are moving with our positive Negative feelings reveal that I moved away from my feelings or we are going with our negative feelings. true desires.

I think emotions are the driving force of our actions. If we can control our emotions or feelings we can Negative and positive feelings are the two sides of a control our lives, our surroundings which can help coin. With the knowledge and experience your mind to build a healthy society. makes the decision that how you are going to react to that situation, positively or negatively? Rajesh K. Singh (Student, Bhavan’s Yoga Bharati) Most of the time feelings arise from our own Source: Bhavan’s Andheri Parivar, thoughts. Vol. 4, October 2010

and think, just for the sake of if? Enigma No innocence in the feeling of ambition without that portion of selfishness, superiority. Expressions of Students from SPIT & SPCE No innocence in the feeling of faith, devotion (DISHA’10) without that part of impatience, weakness or fear. No innocence in the feeling of love without that A thought came to my mild today. pinch of insecurity and frustration. About how innocence in today’s world, is really Maybe all this have always been realities of adult lost. We knew long back that innocence in life, side effects of the society our fore fathers thought had been long lost, in actions too. have built. Succumbing to this is very simple, But the fact which startles me is how we’ve even fighting it exponentially hard. But in whatever lost innocence in feelings. About how there is no little way I can, I shall try and hold on to that innocence left even in any emotion we experience. school uniform, my window seat in the bus, No innocence in the feeling of happiness. If we’re those walks in the rain to retain that innocence. very honest to ourselves, we’ll think to find that In the smallest way possible. there have been very few moments in the ‘non- childhood’ part of our lives where happiness has “Don’t care what people say, not been accompanied by a hint of pride or ego. Just follow your own way, No innocence in the feeling of sadness without Don’t give up and use the chance, the disgust and jealousy, mostly because of To return to innocence” happiness being experienced by someone else at that point. Ashmita Sengupta Source: Bhavan’s Andheri Parivar, No innocence in the objective of thought. No one Vol. 4, October 2010 thinks without a motive. How often do we just sit

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 77 Bhavan’s Children

Extract from Creation: A Story from Ancient India

The Golden Age

The first of the four ages, the Golden Age, lasted for 1,728,000 years. During this time, all people were pious and religious, and understood the soul and Lord Krishna through meditation. Going to forests or mountains, they would lay a deerskin on the ground (to keep away snakes), and cover it with a soft cloth. They would sit there perfectly still, with a straight back and crossed legs. Half closing their eyes, and staring at the tip of the nose, they relaxed themselves by deep breathing. This helped to make the mind calm and steady. Looking within, and concentrating on the heart, they would eventually see the beautiful form of Lord Krishna.

Did you know? Meditation is still an important part of yoga, which originally comes from India. There are many types of meditation. In one process, people chant a mantra, a short prayer, over and over again. Some take a vow to recite a set number of mantras each day. They count the mantras on a string of 108 beads, made from wood of the sacred The Silver Age Tulasi tree or from dried Rudraksha berries. The second age, known as the Silver Age, lasted for Some people chant the Gayatri mantra three times 1,296,000 years. During this period, priests a day—at dawn, noon and dusk. Like many other performed sacrifice to thank Lord Vishnu for the prayers, it begins with the famous ‘Om’ mantra. Om gifts of nature. The cow was especially important in consists of three letters—A, U and M. It represents these rituals. She gave the milk needed to make the sound of Krishna’s flute, as Brahma heard it just clarified butter (ghee), which the priests poured before the creation. onto the sacrificial fire. The priests also offered to Lord Vishnu various other gifts of the earth, such as grains, fruit and coconuts. The utensils, such as the ladle for pouring ghee, were fashioned from precious metals like gold and silver.

These costly rituals were performed to satisfy Vishnu, and other deities such as Agni, the fire god. The Vedas explain how Vishnu, pleased with the sacrifice performed in his honour, would sometimes appear there, descending from Vaikuntha on the back of Garuda.

Did you know? Vedic worshippers still perform the havan (sacred fire sacrifice) on special occasions. At weddings, the bride and groom sit side by side and toss grains into the fire. They later walk round it four times. If the ceremony is at night, the groom points to the pole star, indicating that the couple will be fixed in their devotion to each other. In some traditions, the couple prays that their children will be liberated from the cycle of reincarnation, and return home to the spiritual world.

Source: ISKCON Educational Services

78 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 reader.com

Acharya Vinoba Bhave—An Exemplary Life

Acharya Vinoba Bhave was a grand personality of plant,’ his reply was ‘no’. ‘Then go and do it now. I great purity and a true embodiment of the spirit of will not give you food unless it’s done.” Gita. Vinobaji was neither a politician, social reformer nor a revolutionary but service to man Vinobaji’s mother never refused alms to any beggar. was the motto of his life, accelerating his One day a sturdy looking beggar came and mother endeavours to unite with God. Consequently, he gave him alm. Vinobaji protested “Mother, Gita could transform the hearts of land lords, capitalists teaches us to give alms only to a worthy person”. and communities, when even a piece of legislation Mother replied, “Vinu, who are we to judge who is could not change the minds of the landlords. worthy and who is unworthy? We should regard every one who comes to our door worthy.” His mother imbibed the culture of teaching him some of the deepest truths of philosophy as “giving Vinobaji’s mother passed away at the age of 42. is divine, hoarding is devilness.” Once his mother asked Vinu, “Have you kept my gold bangles intact.” He replied “yes”. But later on There was a jack fruit tree in their compound. When he prayed to the Almighty that those bangles the fruits ripened his mother told him to distribute should not become an obstacle in her eternal the fruits in their neighborhood. “Give first to others journey. and afterwards eat” was her motto. M.S. Trivedi, Ratlam Vinobaji’s mother was a good teacher. When he was barely six years old his mother instructed him to Note: We invite frank opinion from our readers. water the Tulsi plant. One day after his bath he Source: Bhavan’s Journal, October 15, 2010 came straight to the kitchen. His mother asked Vinu (his personal name): “Have you watered the Tulsi

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 79 Charter of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Bhavan) is a non-profit, non-religious, non- The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan ( political Non Government Organisation (NGO). Bhavan has been playing a crucial role in educational and cultural interactions in the world, holding aloft the best of Indian traditions and at the same time meeting the needs of modernity and multiculturalism. Bhavan’s ideal ‘is the whole world is but one family’ and its motto: ‘let noble thoughts come to us from all sides’.

Like Bhavan’s other centres around the world, Bhavan Australia facilitates intercultural activities and provides a forum for true understanding of Indian culture, multiculturalism and foster closer cultural ties among individuals, Governments and cultural institutions in Australia.

Bhavan Australia Charter derived from its constitution is:

• To advance the education of the public in: a) the cultures (both spiritual and temporal) of the world, b) literature, music, the dance, c) the arts, d) languages of the world, e) philosophies of the world.

• To foster awareness of the contribution of a diversity of cultures to the continuing development of multicultural society of Australia.

• To foster understanding and acceptance of the cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity of the Australian people of widely diverse heritages.

• To edit, publish and issue books, journals and periodicals, documentaries in Sanskrit, English and other languages, to promote the objects of the Bhavan or to impart or further education as authorized.

• To foster and undertake research studies in the areas of interest to Bhavan and to print and publish the results of any research which is undertaken.

www.bhavanaustralia.org

The Test of Bhavan’s Right to Exist

The test of Bhavan’s right to exist is whether those who work for it in different spheres and in different places and those who study in its many institutions can develop a sense of mission as would enable them to translate the fundamental values, even in a small measure, into their individual life.

Creative vitality of a culture consists in this: whether the ‘best’ among those who belong to it, however small their number, find self-fulfilment by living up to the fundamental values of our ageless culture.

It must be realised that the history of the world is a story of men who had faith in themselves and in their mission. When an age does not produce men of such faith, its culture is on its way to extinction. The real strength of the Bhavan, therefore, would lie not so much in the number of its buildings or institutions it conducts, nor in the volume of its assets and budgets, nor even in its growing publication, cultural and educational activities. It would lie in the character, humility, selflessness and dedicated work of its devoted workers, honorary and stipendiary. They alone can release the regenerative influences, bringing into play the invisible pressure which alone can transform human nature.

80 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 < < < Flash back

Science and Religion - Swami Rajeswarananda It is impossible for us to rise to any height without a realisation of this truth. Can science, as practised at present, do anything to make the world a better and happier place to live in? This is one of the fundamental problems which this country has been tackling from time immemorial, Physical science reads through its sense of touch but its urgency needs to be re-emphasised today like a blind man. As such, man cannot adopt the when we have freed ourselves from foreign very poor philosophies it constructs. Whereas in domination and are left to our own resources to philosophy it is reasonable for science to cease shape our destinies. reasoning on things above reason. News & Notes Discourses on Ramayana As true spiritual knowledge advances, neither science scoffs at religion nor religion frowns at science. Brahmasri S. Anantharama Dikshitar of Sengalipuram conducted a series of religious Science is not the enemy of the religion proper, discourses on Srimad Valmiki Ramayana at the though it may be the antagonist of school-divinity. Asthika Samaj, Matunga.

Science and religion can dwell together in unity The discourses began on October 2 and ended on and goodwill. They will have to mutually illustrate November 6 after which he started discourses on and demonstrate the wisdom, power and grace of Srimad Bhagavata. Sri Dikshitar recites verses from the Almighty. great epics and expounded with stories, illustrations, philosophy and humour. A great Science should adorn and enrich religion and teacher and preacher, who knows by heart the religion should ennoble and sanctify science. great epics and the Bhagavata, his discourses are daily listened to with great attention by a very large My Belief - Rajendra Prasad and appreciative audience.

My belief is—and it is the opinion of all true On October 22, he paid a visit to the Bharatiya followers of all religious—that true religions is Vidya Bhavan, where he was welcomed by Sri and concerned with belief in a supernatural power. Smt. Munshi. On November 2, Sri Sri Prakasa, Governor of the Maharashtra State, attended Sri Since that supernatural power is above all, and all Dikshitar’s discourse. others are like her children, all human beings must be, more or less, like brothers and sisters to one another.

If that is the teaching of all religions, then, in spite of differences in the way in which we worship God, there is no reason why we should not really be brothers.

Here in India, our ancestors—the Rishis of old- realised this and laid down once and for all that the truth is one but the wise reach it by different paths.

We want a realisation of this truth not only as a matter of intellectual conviction, but also as a rule of From Bhavan’s Journal November 27, 1960 conduct to be followed every moment of our lives. Reprinted in Bhavan’s Journal November 30, 2010

Dec 2010 | Bhavan Australia | 81 Holy & Wise

“May we follow the motion of the sun and moon in the sky, that gives us light and delight, expecting nothing from us in return. May we also never destruct the passage of others nor injure each other.” “The moon is a friend for the Rig Veda 5.51.15 lonesome to talk to.”

Carl Sandburg

“The scriptures of Christians, Mussalmans and Hindus are all replete with the teaching of ahimsa.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Kulapativani

I went, I saw, I was Conquered

Accompanied by Mummy, members of the family and close associates, I went to Andheri, in Bombay, on May 15, 1968, where a Trust created by Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s devotees has put up a magnificent building, Dharmakshetra, in the shape of a huge cement lotus. Thousands of people crowded on its grounds for his blessings; or to secure his healing touch. We were taken to a circular hall in which about 40 or 50 followers had gathered. Among them were several foreigners.

Baba suddenly entered the hall in an informal way. He was clad in an overall of yellow or orange- coloured silk from neck to ankle. He would be somewhere about 40 or 45 years. He was clean- shaven. He was well-built; his broad features had a rare dignity, his eyes were highly expressive. His locks were gathered in a huge mop of thick black hair. His voice was resonant. He speaks in Telugu, his mother-tongue, and his sentences are translated by a disciple. He instructed that the The mental reservation with which I had chair reserved for him on the platform should be approached Baba, disappeared. Julius Caesar removed and sat on the edge of the platform. He described his campaign in Britain: Veni Vedi Vici—‘I referred to my friend, the late Dr. B. Ramakrishna came, I saw, I conquered.’ In this case, I went, I saw, Rao, and said a few complimentary things about I was conquered. the Bhavan. What struck me most was Baba’s human touch, which enables him to enter the Dr K.M. Munshi hearts of those who come into contact with him. Founder Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

82 | Bhavan Australia | Dec 2010 presented by

www.bhavanaustralia.org 18 - 20 March 2011 Darling Harbour, Sydney

Friday 18 March - 6:30pm - 10pm > Orchestra and Bhangra Dances

Saturday 19 March - 11am - 8pm > Cultural Performances, Prayers, Meditation, Yoga and Ayurveda demonstrations > 12:30pm - Rath Yatra departs from Hyde Park (North) > Food and Craft Stalls

Sunday 20 March - 11am - 7pm DON’T > Cultural Performances MISS THIS > Colour Throwing Sessions at regular intervals > Food and Craft Stalls FREE ENTRY

www.holimahotsav.com.au 1300 BHAVAN (1300 242 826) [email protected] aqua.2629 Issued by HSBC Bank Australia Limited ABN 48 006 434 162 AFSL 232595. MC HSBC0148