Ratilal Solanki passes away
Former Sanghchalak of Toranto City (Canada), Ratilal Solanki, passed away in Toranto on January 14. He was 81. Born in 1923 at Navsari in Gujarat, he became a Sangh Swayamsevak in 1943. At the age of 20, he went to South Africa to join his father’sbusiness. In 1959 he decided to bring back his family, two sons and two daughters to Bharat so that they can have Hindu samskars. After a few years he again went back to South Africa where he started daily shakha in his town Roodeoort and a weekly shakha in Lanesia and Benoni. At that time it was difficult for him to find grounds there as the country was governed under racial discrimination law called Apartheid. Indians were seen as non-whites, thus second-class citizens. Ratilal Solanki inspired the natives of South Africa to get united in order to free the land from Apartheid. In this fight he won the love of the local Africans as well as Europeans. He conducted a Sangh training camp there along with Naginbhai Jina. He sent his daughter Hemlakshmi to Bharat to participate in a training camp of Rashtra Sevika Samiti so that she can start a shakha in South Africa. In 1979 he left for Canada where he joined the HSS and held the responsibility of Sanghchalak for 18 years.
UK VHP team visits
Europe’slargest Gurudwara
A 23-member team of UK unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) visited the Europe’snewly built largest Gurudwara at Southall in West London on February 15. The local Guru Singh Sabha president, Himmat Singh Sohi welcomed at the Gurudwara which is visited not only by thousands of devotees from distant places but also by so many people of other faiths? who come to see the wonder on the English soil.
The VHP Secretary, Vinoo Wadher, thanked the Gurudwara president for inviting them at the Gurudwara and reiterated how both the communities shared the greatness of Shri Guru Gobind Singh’ssacrifice for dharma, nation and the society. ?The Guru’slife is full of inspiration and have been an ideal for the whole Hindu society,? he said informing that the VHP had celebrated Guru Nanak’sJayanti in 1998 and an exhibition depicting the life of ten Gurus, Khalsa and Sikh history, was displayed throughout UK during the celebration of 300 years of the Khalsa. Describing the visit as historic, VHP UK president, Harhar Patel presented a cheque of 101 pound to Shri Himmat Singh Sohi and a book explaining Hindu dharma.
Seminar on Hinduism in USA
The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), USA and ICATS jointly organised a seminar on Hinduism at Ardenwood Elementary School, Fremont in California. A total 77 teachers from Fremont Union School district attended the Seminar. The seminar was organised at the invitation of one of the teachers of the Ardenwood Elementary School, Sari Millard. Smt Madhulika Singh, a Sevika of Sunnyvale Shakha was the main speaker at the seminar. She was assisted by Raghu Seshadri in question-answer session. Along with the religion and history, the presentation also included present day contribution of Hindus in America. The seminar included a section on making rotis, paraanthas and poories. A yoga session for half an hour was conducted by Yoga-Bharati.
A move to revive Sanskrit
The Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi has started projects in Uttaranchal to make Sanskrit the language of the masses. So far 35 informal evening classes have been started at different places of the State. The study centres provide the techniques based on an easy and psychology curriculum to the learners who have never written or learnt Sanskrit. The facility has been provided free of cost. After completing the course the candidates will be issued certificates by the Sansthan, which is recognized by the Union HRD Ministry. Inaugurating such a centre at Saraswati Vidya Mandir, a senior secondary school run by Vidya Bharati at Vikasnagar, Dehradun, Vice Chancellor of Gurukul Kangadi University, Hardwar, Prof. Ved Prakash Shastri pointed out that Sanskrit is the most favourable language for modern technologies. He described the attack on Sanskrit as an attack on culture of the country. Presiding over the function, Director Education, Government of Uttaranchal, Dr Mahesh Pant stressed the need to remove doubts from the minds of people that Sanskrit was a difficult language. ?Sanskrit is pride of India because it was the language of the ancient India and even today it is spoken by millions of people. At the time when countries like France, Germany, America, Bangladesh and Japan are trying to promote and learn Sanskrit, it is great shame that we the Indians ignore it,? he said. ?By Ravindra Saini
VHP’sSeva Sangam in Mumbai
Serve poor and downtrodden with selflessness?K.S. Sudarshan
From Our Correspondent
?While working for poor and downtrodden we need to work with the sense that it is our own work and we are serving our own people,? said RSS Sarsanghchalak, K.S. Sudarshan inaugurating a two-day Seva Sangam organised by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Mumbai recently. About 300 delegates belonging to 130 Trusts and Societies associated with the VHP participated in the Sangam. Shri Sudarshan exhorted the workers to realise that service to man is service to God and emphasised the need of selflessness while working for poor and downtrodden.
Speaking on the occasion, VHP Working President, Ashok Singhal said all round development of the country is not possible with the help of government subsidy and the team of bureaucrats. ?Development of the country is possible only through the social organisations that have true sense of service and a team of dedicated workers. It is evident with more than 140 Trusts and Societies, which are working in association with VHP,? he said adding that uncontrolled corruption was taking place in Government funds and hardly 16 paisa of a rupee is truly spent for people. Shri Singhal claimed that the service activities run by VHP activists in the field of education, health and social reforms, a social awakening has taken place in the country and a large number of people have now started coming back to their original roots.
VHP General Secretary, Dr Pravin Togadia cautioned the VHP activists of the coming dangers of Islamic jehad. He pointed out that due to infiltration of Bangladeshi Muslims into Assam, West Bengal, several parts of Bihar and North-Eastern states, they have started affecting the demography of the country all over the country. He said that extermination of Kashmiri Pandits, growing number of madarsas in border areas, activities of ISI, Tablique, Jamait-e- Hind and SIMI were all set to convert Bharat into Darul Islam. Dr Togadia also gave details of the separatist activities of Christian Missionaries going on in the country. He cautioned the activists to be alert from the sinister designs of both Islam and Christianity.
All India Secretary of VHP and incharge of Seva activities, Shri Sitaram Aggrawal appealed to all trusts and societies affiliated to VHP, to create an atmosphere of unity and love amongst all sections of the society through. Shri Murlidhar Chaini of Reliance group welcomed the delegates and praised the work being done by the VHP. Others prominent dignitaries who attended the Sangam included the VHP’sSenior Vice President, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, VHP Vice presidents, Anand Shankar Pandya, Atmaram Samtani and Sadanand Kakare and Konkan Prant Sanghchalak, Bapurao Mokashi.
Souvenir on Kashmiri poet Krishanjoo Razdan
A souvenir published by the Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch, dedicated to the memory of famous saint and Kashmiri poet Krishanjoo Razdan was released by senior BJP leader Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Sahsampark Pramukh of RSS, Indresh Kumar in New Delhi. The souvenir was published on the completion of saint-poet’s150th birth anniversary celebrations. Krishnajoo Razdan was a leading light of Bhakti movement in Kashmir.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Indresh Kumar termed the leaders of Bhakti movement as freedom fighters. Expressing concern on the condition of displaced Kashmir Pandits, termed the half hearted moves on their return to the Valley, as childish. He opined that unless the entire country is ready to deal with Pakistan and its activities in a befitting manner, Hindus couldn’tlive with honour in the Kashmir Valley.
Dr S.S. Toshkahni, editor of the souvenir, described the late saint as the most musical poet of Kashmir who composed poetry on varied subjects and decorated them with local idioms and in common Mans? language. Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that the faulty education policy of post Independence India desisted from letting people know about national heroes like Krishnajoo Razdan. Great grand son of Pt. Krishanjoo Razdan and Kshetriya Sampark Pramukh of RSS Dr Suresh Vajpayee also attended the function.
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