“Swaraj- Native Models of Governance”, a three-day international conference that concluded at Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University Gadag on March 3, was a grand success.
Exchange of Thoughts
With 52 delegates from 15 foreign countries, the conference was international in the true sense. The conference also had 255 delegates from across the length and breadth of Bharat. These delegates represented more than 30 organisations and institutions from within the country and abroad. Forty-four resource persons from diverse academic and professional domains shared their thoughts during the discourses.
Importantly, the conference received 170 abstracts and more than 100 full length research papers by the authors during the conference. Also, 560 essays were received for the competition which was organised as part of the conference. The conference was enriched by the presence of 4 Padmashree awardees, 15 Vice-Chancellors of Universities across India. It included Prof Santishree Dhu, Vice Chancellor, JNU New Delhi and Prof Neraja A Gupta, Vice Chancellor Sanchi University of Budhist-Indic Studies. Policymakers, bureaucrats and practitioners from areas as diverse as Agriculture, Science and Technology, Medicine, Social Sciences, Arts and literature also made their presence felt.
World Is One Family
The three-day conference witnessed technical sessions, panel discussions, paper presentations, case studies along with cultural programmes which are in tune with the theme of the conference and reflect the global ethos of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam.
The first day’s proceedings began at the Auditorium of Kayshalya Vikas Bhavan which reverberated to the mesmerising Nadaswara beats and tunes played by Sri Harish and team from Mandya.
An exhibition showcasing various aspects related to Swaraj was inaugurated on March 1, 2023, at the conference venue by Dr Ashok Dalwai, IAS Retd. CEO of National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt.of India, Padmashree Awardee Mata Manjamma Jogati Veteran Loka Kala Artist, and. Chi. Su Krishna Setty, Renowned Artist and former Chairman Lalit kala Academy, Govt. of India were the guests of Honour. Prof. Vishnukant Chatpalli Hon. VC KSRDPRU chaired the proceedings.
Inauguration of the conference took place on March 1, 2023, in the Auditorium of Kaushalya Vikas Bhavan. Padmasree awardee Sri Agus Indra Udayana, Founder and Chairman of Gandhi Ashram Puri, Bali and Lombok, Indonesia was the Chief Guest. Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Hon. Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Prof Neraja A Gupta, Hon. Vice Chancellor of Sanchi University of Budhist-Indic Studies, Sanchi Madhya Pradesh were the guests of honour. Prof Vishnukant Chatpalli, Hon. VC KSRDPRU, who chaired the proceedings and, Sri Nandakumar, National Convenor of Prajna Pravah were present during the ceremony.
The inaugural event was preceded by Nadaswara Concert, enthralling performances of Dollu Kunita. Gau Pooja was performed at the venue followed by Mantra Ghosh by Veda Pundits.
On the second day, March 2, the conference began in the auditorium of KVB with an enchanting classical dance presentation based on the theme of ‘Pancha Mahabhuta’ by Mayur Academy Hubballi.
The days sessions opened at the Auditorium of KVB with a special talk on ‘Pancha Mahabhuta’ by Sri Bhaiyyaji Joshi, RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini Sadasya. Parallel Sessions were held during the first half of the days proceeding at five different venues where selected delegates made paper presentations on topics related to Pancha Mahabhoota, Dharma, Abhyudaya, Surajya and Swathya. The second session was on “Decolonisation” wherein Nivedita Bhide, Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari delivered a special talk.
The third day, March 3, began with a classical dance metaphor titled ‘Nritya Roopaka’ on Holistic Development by Shweta, a faculty member of KSRDPRU and her team. The team drew accolades for their gracious performance.
This session was followed by a group discussion, in which academicians, policymakers, and practitioners expressed their views on matters of relevance. It saw the participation of Prof MS Chaitra, Associate Prof at Chanakya University Bengaluru, Sri Kiran DM, Sous Sherpas C20 India and Sri Basavaraj Patil Sedam, former MLC Government of Karnataka. The Valedictory session of the conference was held post-lunch. Sri J Nandakumar, National Convenor of Prajna Pravah, delivered the valedictory address.
Prof Vishnukant Chatpalli, Hon. VC KSRDPRU, presided over the proceedings, by reading out the Swaraj Resolution and making his Presidential and concluding remarks. He said Swaraj conference was not just an event.
“Recognise and acknowledge the importance of Swaraj as a model of self-governance, and integrate it into policy-making processes at all levels of government and giving it legal authority. Develop and implement policies that prioritise the promotion of social, economic, educational and environmental justice and equity, based on local culture and autonomy. Foster partnerships and collaborations between government institutions, civil society organisations, and community groups to promote Swaraj values and principles in policy-making processes. Establish and support mechanisms for transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in the policy-making process, based on Swaraj principles and among others,” the conference resolution reads.
On academics and research, Swaraj Resolution has advocated for establishing centres at various institutions to study ‘Swaraj’ as a theory for Self Governance, encouraging and facilitating collaborations between academics, researchers, and practitioners of Swaraj to promote inter-disciplinary / trans-disciplinary research, knowledge sharing and facilitating local communities to develop models of governance suited locally, developing and implementing Swaraj-based curriculum in schools and universities to promote research awareness and understanding of the philosophy among students and scholars, organising conferences, workshops, and seminars to facilitate knowledge exchange, outreach and dialogue on Swaraj in collaboration with like-minded organisations and its relevance to contemporary issues, develop and disseminate open access resources such as journals, books, and online courses to promote the accessibility and dissemination of Swaraj knowledge and practices and among others.
