Report of 2nd Lakshmanrao Bhide Memorial Lecture
The programme commenced with a documentary film on Lakshmanrao Bhide portraying vividly his tireless efforts over four decades in uniting the hindu community spread in various countries and continents.
Shri Mukund Chitale, leading chartered accountant and Chairman of Keshavsrishti presided over the function. In his presidential remarks he said that the seed for Ram Ratna Vidya Mandir at Keshavsrishti was sown in the minds of sangh karyakarta of Mumbai by Late Lakshamanrao Bhide and the school has very recently completed 11 years of its successful existence. He remarked that society faces more harm from inaction of good people than action of bad people and hence taking cue from the life of Lakshmanrao Bhide we need to resolve to channelise the energies of good people to do good work for the society which was precisely what Lakshmanrao Bhide did all his life.
Sow. Manjari Gokhale rendered a soul stirring Hindi song vasundhara parivar hamara'.
Shri Surendra Sharda of Canada read a message for the occasion sent by Mananeeya Jagdish Shastri ji.
Dr. Shankarrao Tatwawadi ji, Vishwa Vibhag Samyojak, introduced the two books that were released by Shri Mohanrao Bhagwat that evening viz. Moving Spirit behind Global Hindu Cause' and 'Memoirs of a Global Hindu. The former is an English translation of the book on Bhide ji released a year ago. The latter memoirs of Ma. Jagdish Shastry ji about the story of sangh growth and expansion outside Bharat in the last 6 decades.
Later, Dr Satish Modh, President of VAK briefly detailed the aims and objectives of VAK and explained the idea behind the Bharatvamshi Samaj Bhushan Puraskar that was being instituted from this year.
Ma. Mohan ji Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah of RSS, later honoured Swami Aksharananda of Guyana by presenting him a shawl, sreefal, plaque and cheque for Rs 51000/-.
After a short presentation on Swami Aksharananda and his work in Guyana, Swami ji delivered the Keynote Address. He thanked VAK for selecting him for the award but said he considered it was given NOT for his personal achievements at all but his collective achievements along with others.
He recalled some memorable anecdotes from his association with Chamanlal ji and Bhide ji. Speaking on 'Challenges before Global PIO Community' he cited the recent Malaysia crisis and said that the Hindus there are conducting a vigorous effort for self-preservation and dignity. He also reminded about the severe security threat faced by Hindus of Kenya.
He reasoned that though Person of Indian Origin and Bharatvamshi refer to the large population of people whose roots are from Bharat they are Indians no matter how long they have left because Chinese settled world over are called just Chinese.
