Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Welcome the New Year by celebrating Samvatsararambh: Chaitra Shukla Pratipada on 22.03.2012

Welcome the New Year by celebrating Samvatsararambh: Chaitra Shukla Pratipada

Celebrations on the eve of the Western New Year, that is 1st January, is accepted by Hindus as a day of celebration for them as well. They make big plans for this day, with regards to shopping, eating at a restaurant, taking a vacation, etc. And mind you this is not only in big cities, it is also happening in villages, which do not even have the basic amenities of regular electricity and water supply ! By aping the West you are not only destroying your own tradition but are also impressing materialistic values upon the future generation. Hindus are completely in the dark about this fact. This article is therefore meant to highlight these facts.

‘Conversion’ for a day!

When a person converts to a new religion he begins to follow the customs and celebrates festivals of that religion. In the same way, in neglecting our own customs if we Hindus start celebrating Christmas or New Year as per the Christian calendar, then even if it be for a day we too are like converts to Christianity ! Hindus are completely oblivious to the fact that they will have to face the demerits of neglecting their own rituals and of being anti-Hindu, for following the materialistic 'Western days of celebration'. Today, to create respect for their religion and Dharma amongst Hindus, religious education is an absolute necessity.

Hindus endow more importance to 31st December !

Nowadays, from the young to the old, all wish each other a 'Happy New Year' or send greeting cards, on the night of 31st December; but Chaitra Shukla Pratipada is the New Year as per our Hindu culture. They consider this as a prestige point. In fact you will find only a handful of Hindus greeting each other on the occasion of Chaitra Shukla Pratipada.

Parents of the materialistic new generation are in hibernation !

As per the Hindu religion every auspicious event begins with ritualistic worship at the auspicious time (Brahma muhurta), which is on awakening at dawn, after a bath, wearing clean attire and ornaments. As a result, the sattva component in the atmosphere creates good impressions on the doer.
On the eve of the Western New Year people drink and make merry, in other words spend the night enjoying the pleasures of life. Thus automatically impressions of materialism are created on their subconscious minds. Besides, since at night the atmosphere is tama predominant the tama component in them grows. People are unaware of this because of the lack of religious education; the young generation falls prey to this materialism, fun and frolic. Their parents too are completely oblivious about what is happening to their children.

Destroy the invasion of foreign culture in the form of the demon Ravan

Today the Hindu religion is being attacked on all fronts, influence by Western culture being the most invasive. It is the duty of each and every Hindu to combat this attack. Just as on the day of Gudhi Padva Lord Rama killed the demon Ravan and returned to Ayodhya to hoist the flag of victory, so also Hindus must now combat Ravan who has assumed the form of Western cultural invasion and raise the Gudhi this year !

Hindus! Live as a true Hindu at least for a day !

On this day one can take note of the 'do's' and don'ts' given below -
1. Do not wish a fellow Hindu 'Happy New Year' either on 31st December or 1st January.
2. If a fellow Hindu greets you that way, take time to explain to him how this is wrong and impress upon him that Chaitra Shukla Pratipada is actually our new year.
3. Instead of sending New Year greetings to relatives and friends for 1st January, do it on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada.
4. Ensure that you pass on this valuable information to your near and dear ones, thus preventing them from sinning by celebrating New Year on a day other than our real New Year.
5. Remember that ushering in the New Year on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada will help you develop pride in your religion, nation and language.

Monday, March 19, 2012

RSS RESOLUTIONS AT ABPS NAGPUR


RASHTRIYA SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH
AKHIL BHARATIYA PRATINIDHI SABHA
16-18 MARCH, 2012 NAGPUR

RESOLUTION -1


Uphold Unity and Integrity of Our Society as Paramount


Bharat is witnessing upsurge of popular movements in different parts of the country over various issues like land rights, political rights, dams and river water sharing, movement of people from one state to the other, conflicts between different groups based on tribe, caste, religion etc. The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha expresses concern over the growing ill will among various sections of our society due to the actions of certain vested interests of these movements.

The ABPS exhorts that mature polity should handle such movements with utmost care and sensitivity. It should accord greater priority to unity and integrity of the society while handling these issues. Unfortunately what we experience today is exploitation of public sentiments for political expediency resulting in harm to our social cohesion.

Media plays an important role in public education and awakening. Sensationalism of sections of media in such matters will not only cause harm to the interest of the movement but also adversely impact the social fabric. Leaders of voluntary and Non-Government Organisations, who take active part in several such movements, have an onerous responsibility of ensuring that fissiparous tendencies don’t creep in and vested and foreign interests don’t take advantage of the movements to vitiate the atmosphere of social harmony and national unity. The ABPS calls upon the media and the NGO leadership to play a constructive role in providing right direction to such movements.

There are bound to be genuine grievances and complaints from each side in most of the issues that give rise to such movements. However the ABPS appeals to the leaders and participant people of these movements to never lose sight of the greater unity and integrity of our society. Nothing should be said or done in the course of pursuing demands that would create fissures in our social fabric and weaken our national bonds.

It is a matter of grave concern for the ABPS that the actions of the Government in issues like Communal and Targeted Violence Bill and Minority Reservations are potential triggers for creating disunity and discord among various sections of the society. Anti-Constitutional decision of the Union and certain State governments to carve out 4.5% as Minority Quota from the OBC Quota of 27% reservations calls for rejection by the entire nation. The ABPS exhorts that the national policy should be guided not by short-term political gains but by the principle of One Nation – One People.

The ABPS calls upon the countrymen in general and Swayamsevaks in particular to play a proactive role in ensuring that the attempts by some sections of our society to destroy our social unity for narrow selfish ends never succeed.

RESOLUTION -2

Draft National Water Policy-2012 Needs to be Reconsidered

Natural wealth of the nation is sacred heritage of all the living beings. Hence the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha is of the considered opinion that our water resources, soil, air, minerals, cattle wealth, biodiversity and other such natural resources should not be treated as means of commercial profit. Our approach, policy and practices towards utilization and conservation of these resources should be based on the principle of our long sustained reciprocal coexistence of entire living universe, rather than being based on short term motive of private profits. We constitute 17 percent of the world population and are dependent upon 2.5 percent of the earth’s land mass and 4 percent of fresh water. In view of the above facts, Government’s initiative towards private monopoly and commercial profiteering in water which is one of the sacred elements among the “Panch-Mahabhootas”, is a matter of grave concern.
In the recently circulated draft National Water Policy – 2012 of the Central Government while describing water as the basis of life, has very cleverly incorporated the formulations and models of the World Bank and MNCs. This clearly manifests the evil designs of the Central Government. The proposals in the new draft on water policy regarding increase in water and electricity tariffs in the name of rationalizing consumption of water and also making it cost based, will only make water scarce for ordinary people and will pave the way for earning massive profits by the corporate engaged in water trade. As suggested by the World Bank, attempts at handing over the control of water distribution in the hands of private monopoly in the name of public-private partnership, indicates the intentions of handing over this vital basic necessity of life totally in the control of private ownership and to a large extent foreign multi-national corporations. Experiences of private monopoly of water across the world have not been satisfactory with respect to the quantity and quality of water supply, regularity of supplies and tariffs. By accepting water as a tradable commodity or as an economic good in the water policy, the Government is in fact supporting the logic of those international business consultants who view privatization of water as booming trade opportunity worth billions of dollars in Bharat and other developing countries.
ABPS is of the opinion that water is life line for our entire living world. Therefore, rational water resource management ensuring availability of pure water to each and every citizen, appropriate water supply to agriculture and different meaningful economic activities at proper rates are administrative imperatives for the Government. Serious debate and deliberations from village panchayats to top level regarding the National Water Policy, changes in land utilization and other basic issues concerning management of natural wealth, should form the first priority of the Government while formulating the policies.
In such a scenario, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha calls upon all the countrymen to desist themselves from misuse, wastage and all those activities which pollute this divine gift of nature. They should leave no stone unturned in the conservation of water. The Pratinidhi Sabha also expects from the Government that instead of handing over natural wealth like water in private monopoly, it should adopt all appropriate measures to ensure water conservation, harvesting and proper management. In view of the growing demand, effective steps like reprocessing, desalination and optimum utilization of river water should be taken for easy availability of water. For conservation and augmentation of major sources of water it is necessary to curb pollution in sacred rivers like Ganga and Yamuna. It is also equally important to take effective steps for revival of the ancient river Saraswati. The Government should also call upon the society, social organizations and Dharmacharyas to co-operate in this endeavour. With respect to the National Water Policy draft, the Pratinidhi Sabha also cautions the Government that if it accepts the recommendations of the new water policy document in toto and makes the water tariff cost based to ensure private profit out of it, then it would have to face public wrath.

Vagish Issar (Ivsk Delhi) 09810068474

(sarve bhavantu sukhinah, sarve santu niramaya;
sarve bhadrani pashyantu, ma kashchit dukkh bhagbhavet}