Universalization of Yog : Step towards India Becoming "Vishwa Guru"

Universalization of Yog : Step towards India Becoming "Vishwa Guru"

International Day of Yoga is celebrated annually on 21st June. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice originated in India. 

The idea of International Day of Yoga was first proposed by the incumbent Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi during his address at United Nations General Assembly on 27th September 2014. 

It is to be kept in mind that Shri Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister of India on 26th May 2014 only, the first ever Prime Minster to be born after India attained Independence.

Image courtesy: dailyworld.in

The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared an international day for yoga on 11th December 2014. A total of 177 nations co-sponsored resolution regarding international day for yoga, which is the highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA resolution of such nature. First International Day of Yoga was observed all over the world on 21st June 2015.

Image courtesy: mea.gov.in

Today Yoga -'prescription to health and wellness' has been universalized, globalized. From East to West and North to South, on land sea and mountain, on almost every country of all the continents of the earth, by people of all religions and races, of all age groups irrespective of gender, Yoga is being practiced and International Yoga of Day is being observed with great enthusiasm and liveliness, eagerness and keenness. India has been connected with the every part of the world through "Yogaization". 

Indian Jawans Performing Yoga in -25 Degree Celsius on Siachin
Image courtesy : jansatta.com

Yoga means union of individual consciousness or soul with the universal consciousness or spirit. The science of Yoga assimilates the complete essence of 'the way of life'.  

Is not the universalization  of Yoga, a 5000 year old Indian body of knowledge, a step towards the process of India becoming 'Vishwa Guru' ?

Image courtesy: indianexpress.com

Hesal a Tribal Village : Home to Hockey (Women) Players for Decades

Hesal a Tribal Village : Home to Hockey (Women) Players 

for Decades

Hesal is a small, remote tribal village in Jharkhand state of India. Nestled in sprawling paddy fields, it is roughly 50 km from Ranchi in Khunti district. This area is  infested by left-wing extremists .

Image courtesy:timesofindia.indiatimes.com

But this small village of 50 homes has big achievement to its credit. Undeterred by the extremists threat,  every girl of the hardscrabble huts of the village aspire to play for India.

Hesal is to Jharkhand what Mokhra Khas is for Haryana. While Mokhra Khas is a village of wrestlers, Hesal a village of hockey players.

This nondescript village has the distinction of producing around 20 international women players including an Olympian Nikki Pradhan who represented India in Rio 2016 in women's hockey team.

Image courtesy : youtube

For thousands all over the country, sports has unfolded huge opportunities for overcoming life's unkind miseries. It has become a vehicle for a better future, a transmitter of dreams. Hesal has found hope in hockey and Nikki Pradhan who became the first woman to represent Jharkhand on the world's biggest stage breaking gender barriers, has been the source of inspiration for all the aspiring women hockey players.

Hockey runs in the blood of of this village. Where farming is the main occupation hockey sticks are found in every hamlet. Hockey serves as the only source of entertainment for them.

Lack of infrastructure is a persistent irritant but this does not dampen their spirits. Hesal does not have even a playing field of its own. But enthusiasm does not evaporate as there is hope and determination to become like "Nikki Didi" and play for India. 

Plight of Tharus of West Champaran & Champaran Satyagraha Centenary Year

Plight of Tharus of West Champaran 

& Champaran Satyagraha Centenary Year

(All the images are subject to IPR)

The Tharus are an ethnic group indigenous to southern foothills of Himalayas. Most of the Tharu tribe live in the Terai region of Nepal. Some Tharu groups also live in the Terai region of India - Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Most of the Tharus in Bihar live in West Champaran district. The region inhabited by the Tharus is known as Tharuhat which is a stretch of land from East to West along Indo-Nepal border. It is surrounded in the North by Someshwar parvat (mountain) and West by Gandak river bordering Uttar Pradesh.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

The land of Tharuhat is very fertile even more fertile than that of Punjab and the Tharus are very peace loving people - very simple and gentle, straight forward and transparent. The Tharus of Uttar Pradesh ( now Uttarakhand also) have been recognized as Schedule Tribe almost five decades ago. But their brethren  of West Champaran could not get the same status thus throwing them open to all kinds of exploitation and oppression, torture and traumatization, plundering and looting by the non- tharus. Non-tharus are called bajis in local parlance. 

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

After more than five decades of continuous and peaceful struggle the Tharus of West Champaran have been recognized as Schedule Tribe in 2003. 

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

But can the damage done  be undone ?  Can the land grabbed by the bajis be returned to them ? Can the damage done to their culture be revived ? Can the damage done  to their social system be made up? Can the damage done to the honour of Tharu women be returned? Can the damage done to their image, identity and dignity be compensated? There are many and more such questions which are crying for answers.

We are celebrating centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha which was against the exploitation and  oppression of the indigo planters/farmers by the Britishers - non-Indians. 

But today,  the Tharuhat is waiting for another Mahatma in Champaran itself to get the simple and innocent Tharus  rid of sufferings and miseries, pain and pang, agony and grief, distress and dejection, exploitation and oppression, humiliation and embarrassment,  indignity and ignominy perpetrated by non-Tharus who are not Britishers, but Indians.

Regime changes, government changes, power changes, authority changes, but what does not change is "the mentality of exploitation and oppression of the weak by the strong" even after becoming educated. After-all man is an (social) animal - at macro-level and also at micro-level.    

Murli Bharahwa Village of West Champaran : Epicentre of Champaran Satyagraha Socialquake

Murli Bharahwa Village of West Champaran : 

Epicentre of Champaran Satyagraha Socialquake

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Murli Bharahwa is a small village in Belwa panchayat of West Champaran district of Bihar India. It is situated in the south of Pandai river 14 km from Gaunaha, near Narkatiyaganj railway station.

The village got flashed in the news once again during the centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar visited this village on 27th April 2017 to inaugurate Champaran Satyagraha Centenary year in a grand ceremony.

Land of West Champaran
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

This village has a very important place in the Champaran Satyagrah of Mahatma Gandhi. In fact it is the epicentre of Champaran Satyagraha Socialquake which became the background of India's Independence movement.There is a village named Belwa 6 km away from Murli Bharahwa where there was a Neelaha Kothi. The manager of this Kothi A.C.Amon was a very cruel person who used to torture indigo planters- farmers. The farmers of Champaran were in great distress.

Pandit Rajkumar Shukla, who was instrumental in bringing Mahatma Gandhi to Champaran for witnessing the grief and agony of the farmers, had land and house in the same village. When Barrister Gandhi came to Bettiah, Pt Rajkumar Shukla narrated the story of his pain and pang. Amon got his house destroyed and produce looted. Mahatma Gandhi witnessed all this with his own eyes in Murli Bharahwa  and became very disturbed. Hundreds of people present there told about the miseries of the farmers and the incidence of looting and squandering.

Mahatma Gandhi led a satyagraha movement after witnessing the  plight of the farmers of Champaran. This satyagraha culminated into abolition of the exploitation and oppression of the Britishers on the indigo planters and farmers.

Murli Bharahwa village of West Champaran will always be remembered for its crucial  and epicentric role in Champaran Satyagraha and India's Freedom Struggle. Murli Bharahwa thus has been the epicentre of not only Champaran Satyagraha but also India's Freedom Struggle socialquake.

Copy of Awesome "Tharu Land" of West Champaran Bihar India

Published on Jun 19, 2017

Video uploaded by Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

"Land of Tharus" of West Champaran Bihar India is very fertile , full of greenery, full of natural beauty, full of flora & fauna, full of simplicity away from techniques of manipulations and manoeuvrings even today, home to famous Valmiki Nagar Tiger Reserve, dotted with captivating destinations such as Valmiki Nagar, Masan , Someshwar, Bhikhna Thori etc. Tharus of West Champaran have been declared as Schedule Tribe recently in 2003 whereas Tharus of Uttar Pradesh and now Uttarakhand became Schedule Tribe almost six decades ago thus making this area prey to reckless exploitation, senseless torture and traumatization, insensitive suppression & oppression. This video clip made on 13th June 2017 takes the viewers through the magnificent and marvellous land of the Tharus. Watch it for yourself.

Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha amidst the Tharu Schedule Tribe

Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha amidst the Tharu Schedule Tribe 

(All the images are subject to IPR)

Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha in a Tharu Tribe Hut
Image (C) Dr Kumar Anubhav

Image (C) Dr Kumar Anubhav

The Tharu Girls Gathering
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

The Tharu Children Gathering
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha with two Tharus Yogendra Prasad (Mahto) and Phanindra
Image (C) Dr Kumar Anubhav

Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha amidst Tharu Children of Bakhari Baazar Village Inspiring them "To Keep Their Surroundings Neat & Clean"  and  "Become Well Educated" with slogan " Swachh Rahenge , Swasth Rahenge" and "Khoob Padhenge, Aage Badhenge".
Image (C) Dr Kumar Anubhav

Image (C) Dr Kumar Anubhav

Image (C) Dr Kumar Anubhav

Bridge on Singha River on way to Bakhari Baazar Tharuhat West Champaran Bihar

Bridge on Singha River on way to Bakhari Baazar 

Tharuhat West Champaran Bihar

(All the images are subject to IPR)

Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha on Singha River Bridge on Way to Bakhari Baazar

Singha River Bridge on Way to Bakhari Baazar. There was no bridge on the river even in the nineties of the last century. Bakhari Baazar and other surrounding villages beyond Singha river on Ramnagar-Gobardhana road remained completely cut-off from Ramnagar during rainy season. At that time there was no proper road also as we do find today.I have been witness to the trauma during my stay in Bakhari Baazar for my PhD fieldwork based on participant observation during late eighties of 20th century.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Image (C) Dr Kumar Anubhav

Someshwar Parvat ( Mountain) can be seen in the background of Singha River Bridge
Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha