Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 20 - The Indian EYE 091126
P. 20

    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                           SEPTEMBER 11, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 20

            Indians from conflict zones.                                                                             “Let us awaken as Bharatiyas to
               “There are so many instances; it is                                                                that  destiny  and  fulfil  our  duties  in
            still continuing,” he said.                                                                           our karma bhumi as well as our jan-
                For Bhagwat,  such episodes                                                                       ma bhumi,” he said.
            demonstrate that India’s civilisational                                                                   The sequencing matters. Karma
            influence did not historically depend                                                                 Bhumi comes first.
            on conquest.                                                                                              For Indian Americans, that
               “Our ancestors travelled from                                                                      means being committed Americans.
            Mexico to Siberia... They crossed the                                                                 For Indian Canadians, it means being
            Himalayas on foot, went to Southeast                                                                  committed Canadians. Their Indian
            Asia through small boats, but they                                                                    heritage remains important, but it
            conquered no country,” he said.                                                                       should enrich their contribution to
                Instead, he argued, they spread                                                                   their adopted countries rather than
            knowledge,  astronomy,  Ayurveda                                                                      compete with it.
            and civilisational values.                                                                                At the same time, Bhagwat does
               “This is the tradition. This is the                                                                not suggest that diaspora members
            DNA of Bharat,” Bhagwat said.                                                                         should sever their emotional or cul-
                The message to the diaspora is                                                                    tural relationship with India. On the
            implicit  but  important:  if  Indians                                                                contrary, he believes their Janma
            abroad want to represent India, they                                                                  Bhumi has given them values that they
            should do so through conduct rather                                                                   should preserve and demonstrate.
            than slogans.                                                                                             He argued that Indian civilisa-
                                                                                                                  tion had historically understood di-
                    Unity in diversity                                                                            versity as natural while seeing unity as
                At Madison Square Garden,                                                                         the deeper reality. “There have been
            Bhagwat developed the argument                                                                        many castes, many creeds, many lan-
            further, placing the Indian experience                                                                guages. Everything is many,” he said.
            alongside that of the United States.                                                                     “Nature, expression of reality, is
               “When we say United States of                                                                      diverse. Diversity is natural. Unity is
            America, one word is often discussed                                                                  the reality.”
            frequently.  That  is  pluralism.  And   RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat during his visit to the ISKCON temple, in New York on   For a diaspora living in multi-
            when we say Bharat, another phrase is   Friday. Minister of Communications and Governing Body Commissioner (GBC) of ISKCON,   cultural societies, this is a message
            discussed: unity in diversity,” he said.                                                              that has particular resonance. In-
               “For Bharat, this unity and this di-             Anuttama Dasa (L) also present (ANI Photo)        dians abroad are negotiating  mul-
            versity, both are in their DNA.”                                                                      tiple identities at once — Indian by
                The distinction is particularly rel-  one, and due  to diversity, that one-  may differ in appearance and cir-  ancestry, American or Canadian by
            evant for Indian-origin communities   ness is decorated,” he said.  cumstances but are united in essence.  citizenship and increasingly global in
            in North America, which are them-     It is  this philosophy  that  Bhag-  “Therefore, serving others is our   their outlook.
            selves deeply diverse. They encom-  wat wants the diaspora to embody in   duty,” he said.                 Bhagwat’s answer is not to reject
            pass different religions, languages, re-  North America.                That gives his message to the   these overlapping identities but to
            gions, castes and political beliefs and   From philosophy to service  diaspora a practical dimension. The   place them within a broader frame-
            include both recent immigrants and    His visit to the ISKCON temple   measure  of  Indian  identity  abroad,  work of responsibility.
            generations of Indian-origin Ameri-  in  New  York  provided  a  more  prac-  in his formulation, should not simply   The diaspora can be proud of In-
            cans and Canadians who have grown   tical expression of the same message.   be participation in cultural events or   dia without becoming disconnected
            up entirely in the West.          During the visit, Bhagwat participat-  preservation of traditions. It should   from its adopted country. It can pre-
                Bhagwat’s  argument is that di-                                 also be the contribution Indians make   serve Indian traditions without reject-
            versity should not be regarded as an   ed in a food distribution initiative for   to the societies in which they live.  ing pluralism. And it can contribute
                                              homeless  people  and  spoke  about
            obstacle to unity.                Krishna consciousness as a means of                                 to  India  without  making  that  contri-
               “Diversity  has  to be celebrated,                                 A different kind of diaspora    bution an obligation at the expense of
            has to be respected, has to be accepted.   overcoming conflict and division.    politics              its responsibilities abroad.
                                                 “In today’s world, there are so
            And at the same time, we must keep in   many conflicts, so many dualities. The   Bhagwat’s emphasis on Kar-  This is also why his distinction be-
            mind this feeling of oneness,” he said.  only thing that unites is consciousness.   ma Bhumi is also notable because it   tween  Vishwaguru  and  Mahashakti
                He invoked Swami Vivekananda                                    avoids asking the diaspora to operate   matters.
            to make the larger point that nations   That consciousness is Krishna Con-  as an extension of Indian domestic   India’s  rise,  Bhagwat  argues,
                                              sciousness — we are one,” he said.
            have purposes beyond their geo-       He argued that recognising an   politics.                       should not be understood merely
            graphical boundaries.             underlying unity behind the world’s   The Indian-origin community in   as the emergence of another pow-
               “Every nation has a message to                                   North America has become an im-   erful  state  competing  for  influence.
            deliver.  Every  nation  has  a  mission   differences could help create a more   portant bridge between India and   Its larger contribution should be to
                                              harmonious society.
            to accomplish. Every nation has a    “Everything is Krishna — if that   the United States. Business leaders   demonstrate how a diverse society
            destiny  to  fulfil,”  Bhagwat  quoted                              have  highlighted  the  diaspora’s  role   can maintain a sense of unity and
            Vivekananda as saying.            world reaches every heart, the world   in strengthening cooperation in trade,  how growing national power can be
                                              will definitely be a better world,” he said.
                For India, he said, that destiny is                             defence, technology and investment.  converted into service.
                                                  The food distribution activity was
            to demonstrate repeatedly that diver-  significant in the context of his wider   The community is also increasingly   That is the civilisational role he
            sity and unity can coexist.       message. Bhagwat’s speeches have   visible in politics, academia and pub-  sees for India — and, by extension,
               “What is the destiny given to                                    lic institutions.                 for Indians living across the world.
            Bharat? Bharat is there to realise and   repeatedly  linked  Indian  civilisation-  Bhagwat’s message appears to   “Your  janma  bhumi  expects  you
                                              al identity with seva, or service. In
            from  time  to  time  make  the  world   Toronto, he said that human beings   be that this influence should be exer-  to live the values it has imparted on
            realise this unity in diversity. We are                             cised responsibly.                you,” Bhagwat told the diaspora.

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 |