An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Mahatma Gandhi Our Tribute to Tribal People of Every Nation 6.4 / 6.5 October / November 2008 WWorldorld PeacePeace MMultiulti ffaithaith PPrayerrayer mmeetingeeting fforor tthehe vvictimsictims ooff tthehe tterroristerrorist aattacksttacks iinn MMumbai,umbai, IIndia.ndia. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia in association with Australia India Business Council, NSW (AIBC), United Indian Association (UIA) and Global Organisation of Person of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Chapters in Sydney, Federation of Australian Indian Associations (FAIA) and Australian Sikh Association hosted a Multi faith Prayer meeting for peace to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. This event was hosted with the Courtesy of Hon Virginia Judge MP, Minister for Citizenship, Minister for Fair Trading, Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts and the Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW (CRC) Various dignitaries, religious leaders and VIP’s from various religions and faiths condemned the attacks and offered prayers and condolences for the victims of the heinous terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Some of the people who prayed / expressed their condolences included › Virginia Judge MP NSW Minister for Citizenship and Minister assisting the Premier on the Arts. › H.E. Sujatha Singh, High Commissioner Hon Virginia Judge MP NSW Minister for H.E Sujata Singh, High Commissioner of of India for Australia Citizenship India for Australia › Hon. Sujan Chinoy, Consul General of India, Sydney › Dr. Stepan Kerkyasharian, Chair Community Relation Commission for NSW › Hindu prayers by Nandu Mehta, Secretary Ramakrishna Sarda Mission Hon Sujan Chinoy, Consul General of Dr. Stepan Kerkyasharian, Chair Community Vedanta Society, Sydney (Hindu) and India, Sydney Relation Commission for a Multicultural NSW by Vara Nayaka, President ISKCON Sydney › Jewish prayers by Rabi Mandel Kastel › Sikh Prayers by Surinder Singh Mutani - President Australian Sikh Association › Muslim prayers by Keysar Trad, President Islamic Friendship Group of Graeme Lyall AM, President Amitabha Gambhir Watts, President Bharatiya Vidya Buddhist Association of NSW Bhavan Australia Australia 6.4 / 6.5 October / November 2008 › Hindu prayers by Vara Nayaka, President ISKCON Sydney › Buddhist Prayers by Graeme Lyall AM, President Amitabha Buddhist Association of NSW › Gambhir Watts, President Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia remembered Mahatma Gandhi’s remarkable optimism for the possibility of peace as long as we have faith in Human Nature. Other dignitaries and VIP’s who attended the event included: Hon Barry O’ Rabi Mandel Kastel Farrell MP, NSW Opposition Leader, Gladys Berejiklian MP, Amanda Fazio MP MLC, Dr Neville Roach AO, Wajiha Ahmed, Commisioner CRC, Josie Lacey, Hon Sec Jewish Community Organisation and Ian Lacey, Gajendra Kumar, Assistant Director, India Tourism Sydney, Raj Natarajan, President UIA, Vish Vishwanathan, President FAIA, Harmohan Singh Walia, Rohitas Batta, Jagdish Lodhia Presidents of GOPIO chapters, Dipen Rughani, President elect AIBC NSW, Moninder Singh, Bhai, Jasbir Singh, Granthi of Parklea Gurudwara, Minoo Batliwalla, Representing Parsi Community, Ejaz Khan, President Pakistan Austalia Association, Sumati Advani, President Sydney Abbas Raza Alvi, Cutural Director, Bharatiyayyy Vidyay Bhavan Australia Sindhi Assocation, Noshir Sachinwalla, past president FAIA and Australian Zoroastrian Association, Sister Asha Trivedi, Brahma Kumaris, Mala Mehta AOM and others. Media reresentatives included SBS Television, ABC Radio, Indian Down Under, Bangla-Sydney.Com and others. The event was concluded by a peace poetry in Hindi / Urdu and translated in English titled ‘ Gandhiji Ki Awaz’ (Gandhi’s Voice) composed and recited by Abbas Raza Alvi, Cultural Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia. Vara Nayaka, President ISKCON Sydney Nandu Mehta, Secretary Ramakrishna Sarda › Keysar Trad, President Islamic Surinder Singh Mutani, President Australian Mission Vedanta Society, Sydney Friendship Group of Australia Sikh Association We Sollute too thhee Brraavee Officcers wwhho laidd down their lives fighting the terrorists in Mumbai, India Constable Jaywant Patil, Constable Yogesh Patil, Constable Ambadas Pawar, Railyway Police officer M.C. Choudhary, NSG Commando Gajendra Singh, Inspector Shashank Shinde, Sub Inspector Prakash More, Constable A.R. Chitte, Constable Vijay Khandekar, Asst Sub Inspector V.Obale, Sub Inspector Babusaheb Durgude, Sub Inspector Nanasaheb Bhonsale, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Add Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte, Senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar, ATS Chief Hemant Karkare, Staff of Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai, Staff of Trident (Oberoi) Towers, Mumbai. A Youth View : “As one of the person who was involved in organising the Multifaith Prayer Meeting. I was so impressed with the idea of “Multifaith”. I’ve been in so many pray events in different cultures, but this is the first time I saw so many religions from Hindu to Muslim came together to pray for those who died in Mumbai Terrorist Attack. This is the event where love and human kind were glorified. Every one forgot about their background, cultures, religion. Together, people pray for the victims of the attack. It such a beautiful thing! The Multifaith Prayer Meeting reminded me the words of my late grandma told me when we were in the Holy Hour praying for Vietnamese – American War Victims. “War is the fight between countries and countries, regimes and other regimes, but not between person and person” she said. And that idea just showed right here at the Multifaith Prayer Meeting. During the event, I personally also pray for the terrorists, because I believe whatever side of the war people are, every one are still the victims of selfish, death and evil. I pray that god will lead them back to the right way.. - Tai Do, Vietnamese Student Association 6.4 / 6.5 October / November 2008 EEditorialditorial PagePage CCurrenturrent BoardBoard ofof DirectorsDirectors Publisher & General Editor: CCurrenturrent BBoardoard ofof DirectorsDirectors ofof Gambhir Watts BBharatiyaharatiya VVidyaidya BBhavanhavan AustraliaAustralia [email protected] Editorial Committee: J Rao Palagummi OOfficeffice BBearersearers : Catherine Knox Rajesh Katakdhond [email protected] President Gambhir Watts Designing Team: Treasurer Catherine Knox Utkarsh Doshi J Rao Palagummi Surendralal Mehta- Chairman Emeritus Advertising: President Bhavan Worldwide [email protected] Company Secretary Sridhar Kumar Kondepudi Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia Suite 100 / 515 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000 OOtherther ddirectorsirectors aarere * The views of contributors to Bhavan Australia are not necessarily the views Abbas Raza Alvi; Moksha Watts of Bhavan Australia or the editor. *Bhavan Australia reserves the right to edit any contributed articles and NNomineesominees ooff BBharatiyaharatiya VVidyaidya BBhavanhavan Worldwide:Worldwide: letters submitted for publication. Copyright: all advertisements and Homi Navroji Dastur, Executive Secretary and Director General original editorial material appearing remain the property of Bhavan Jagannathan Veeraraghavan, Executive Director, Delhi Australia and may not be reproduced except with the written consent of the Mathoor Krishnamurti, Executive Director, Bangalore owner of the copyright. Palladam Narayana Sathanagopal, Joint Director Bhavan Australia - ISSN 1449 – 3551 AArticlesrticles & FocusFocus ThemesThemes World Peace 2 Bharata’s Natya Shashtra 26 Gandhi’s Voice - A poetry 6 Secularism and Kashmir 29 Echoes of Mahatma Gandhi 8 Stalwarts who shaped the face of India 32 Dance and Music from Assam 13 Arthritis 34 Women Diplomats 14 Dr Richard Cashman 36 I will always be Honest with You - Barack Let the Downtrodden be your Gods 18 38 Obama Highway to Human Harmony 20 Be Realistic - Have Faith in Miracles 40 I have a Dream - Martin Luther 22 Save Mother Earth - Severn Suzuki 44 King 6.4 / 6.5 October /6.3 November September 2008 2008 PPresidentsresidents PPageage Terrorists do not belong to any particular religion or caste or creed. They are misguided and disgruntled human beings having no remorse for what they do or for anyone of their innocent victims. I personally consider terrorist mentality a mental disease which can be cured with sustained compassion and ongoing dialogues over an extended period of time. As Mahatma Gandhi would often say an eye for eye mentality will leave everyone bind. Having said that nevertheless in the interest of security of the innocent citizens the terrorist attacks need to be instantly faced and tackled proficiently with force or otherwise. That is what has been witnessed here. This is however a short term measure. In the interest of long term solution we must be prepared to consider that the terrorists are not born terrorists; they are the victims of their environments economic and social and become easy prey to a handful of evil elements in the societies. The international community need to get into the root causes and eradicate the social and economic injustices experienced and / or perceived by the underprivileged sections of the regional and tribal populace. That again reminds me of the Gandhian economics and the social systems as advocated by Mahatma Gandhi. The recent terrorist attacks in India’s financial capital Mumbai have shocked the world with their brazenness and brutality. The attacks have added to a mounting sense of insecurity in the city and people are still struggling