Bharatiya Vidya Kendram, an organisation dedicated to the cause of Indanised and value-based education, has been imparting education to the people residing in urban and rural areas, coastal and Vanvasi areas of Andhra Pradesh. It has turned 50 this year. As part of the golden jubilee celebration, a training camp was organised for its staff from December 25 to 26, 2007. A total of 450 staff members participated in the two-day camp. Prominent personalities who guided the participants included Vidya Bharati president Shri P.K. Madhavan, joint organisational secretary of Vidya Bharati Shri V. Prakash Chandra, joint secretary Shri J.M. Kasipathi, Shri R.S. Haldekar, executive member of Dakshin Madhya Kshetra, Shri S. Parbatrao, retired judge and Kshetra Sanghachalak, Prant Pracharak Dr Sukumar, Prant Karyvah Shri D. Ramakrishnarao, founder president of Bharatiya Vidya Kendram Shri Bhandaru Sadasivarao.
Addressing the participants, RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan advised the teachers and students to perform their duty towards the society. He emphasised the need to replace western education with traditional Indian values and ethics and lauded Bharatiya Vidya Kendram group of institutions for working in this direction in letter and spirit. ?In the western countries the political system and government play a major role. But in our country the society acts as a guiding force. No force in any society can shun dharma, the base of the society,? he said.
He further said the country has been following the educational system introduced by Macaulay, which has eroded the moral and cultural values of Bharat. Our intellectuals should take pride in our society, culture and knowledge and instill a sense of gratitude towards society and national outlook into students. He opined that Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi were responsible for the current state of Indian education system that lacks Indian values but encourages foreign culture. ?Nehru'sinfluence on the Indian education system was obvious as he was educated in England unaware of Indian values,? he added.
Shri Sudarshan said the Indians have always probed everything with a scientific outlook. In the western countries there was no progress in scientific and technological fields. The theories of Galileo and Copernicus were turned down by the church and in fact some scientists faced the wrath of Pope in the form of death. Brown was torched in Italy. The scientific concept of Indians that the tree was hidden in the seed and the seed in the tree was propounded by Indians only long ago. He said the well-known ideal of Bharat?let the mankind live happily?should be the ultimate aim of the Indian system of education.
Earlier, in his inaugural address Shri R.S. Haldekar said that imparting education is a noble practice and the teachers are real sadhaks who always try to bring out the innate talents of pupils and felicitate them to achieve the goal. Expressing his concern on the present education system and its backlogs Shri Madhavan exhorted the parents and teachers not to neglect the youth and try to channalise their energies properly to reach the expected goal of Bharat. He also exhorted the teachers to bring a harmonious change and all-round development among the students.
Shri K. Sivananda Murty of Ananda Vanam, Shri Parvatrao, Shri D.V. Subbarao, Shri Pilla Ramarao and Shri S. Rama Krishna also spoke on the occasion. Shri G.S.A. Narasimham, secretary of Bharatiya Vidya Kendram, gave a detailed report of the activities. Smt. Dharani Priya proposed a vote of thanks. Earlier, students also performed yogasanas, fire jumps and kolatam very skillfully. Dimasa dance by Vanvasi students and yogachap by the students of fisherman areas, won applause of the audience. (FOC)
