Culture Nurture Unity

5th Dr Minati Hazarika Memorial Annual Lecture  Dr. Rita Moni Baishya, Associate Professor of Hindi, Gauhati University delivered the 5 th  Dr Minati Hazarika Memorial Annual Lecture on December 27, 2017 in VKIC’s W.M. Auditorium. She spoke on ‘Assam’s contribution to the Indian Bhakti Movement.’ According to her the Indian Bhakti Movement was a great process that contributed to the religious and spiritual emancipation of a large mass of people. There are many reasons for its emergence and subsequent growth. One of the reasons cited was the threat of Islamic aggression, which was not the main reason. In the literature and philosophy of the movement one can find much more than a mere response to a particular situation. The men behind the movement dwelled in different parts of India, and through their words, gave us Bhakti, philosophy as well as literature.  There were many saints and seekers in India of that time among which were Ramananda, Kabir, Chaita...

From the Director’s Desk Human lives have since time immemorial been shaped by forces of Nature, more than by any other power made by their will and efforts. Settlements grew near forest lands where fruits and flesh were not scarce for hunter gatherers. The first of the civilisations took root in the valleys of rivers where water was copious. Long migration routes unfolded through natural mountain passes connecting ancient societies enabling trade and commerce. In India too, natural spaces evolved over thousands of years and created a rich tapestry of community life where Nature determines or influences the rhythm of life. Our Adivasi communities, or Vanbasi communities exemplify such a Nature-reliant, Nature-inspired lifestyle, which from another perspective can be understood as a deeper appreciation of something sublime. Amid their day to day activities they adhere to traditions, rites and rituals which in a way pays obeisance to one forest deity or another. A sense of gratitude ...

A talk on Sister Nivedita was organised by Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture at Assam Institute of Management on 4th December at 11 A.M. Mananeeya Shraddha Vays Patil from Mumbai delivered the oration which centered on the subject- "Sister Nivedita and Indian Women" SRADDHA DIDI SPEAKS ON NIVEDITA MANAGEMENT STUDENTS OF AIM ASSAM INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT Sixty eight management students along with four karyakartas were taking part in the event.To spread the message of Swami Vivekananda the book "Vijay Hi Vijay" distributed to the student.

Gita Jayanti was solemnly organised in VKIC on Thursday, November 30 at its own auditorium with a large number of people taking part in the event. Sri Govindramji Sharma from Belda, Haridwar delivered the oration which centered on the subject – What Gita tells about Karma-yoga. The elder Gita Pracharak mentioned that although many physical developments were happening all around us, there was an absence of peace. “People are doing Karma, but is that in accordance with what the Gita says?” SWAGATAM SRI GOVINDARAJI SHARMA SPEAKS ON GITA The development we see around us has not contributed to the welfare of all. Working for one’s own narrow interest is not Karma yoga, our saints and visionaries make us learn that one has to go much beyond.They are remembered and worshiped because they worked for the good of others, the welfare of society and the nation. Swami Vivekananda had aid, “Expansion is life. Contraction is death,” and we have to abide by this. AUDIENCE  ...

  “ FUTURE ENERGY CONFERENCE ” on  1st November’17  (Wednesday) To be participated by major Energy Companies operating  in the region & the students from selected Engineering Colleges of Assam. Organized by-"Vivekananda Kendra Skill Development Group" Venue: Vivekananda Institute of Culture, Uzan Bazar, Guwahati-781001.  Date & Time: 1 st  November’17. 9.30 AM - 5.30 PM      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                         In Support with Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Department of Youth Aff...

Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari,Assam Pranta has organized a volunteer blood donation camp in association with GMCH blood bank at Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture at Uzanbazar on 15th August 2017.Swami Vikramananda of Ramakrishna Mission Guwahati along with Dr.Ramen Talukdar superintendent of GMCH inaugurated the camp.Swami Vikramananda also donated blood and  thirty four volunteer blood  donors donated blood in the  camp and the Karyakartas of VKIC are standing with him.

A discussion cum knowledge sharing programme on 'Intellectual Property Rights and its Status in Karbi Anglong' was initiated by Minakshi Goswami, Research Fellow, VKIC. The programme was organized on 13th August, 2017 at Desoi Homestay, Diphu, by People’s Initiative for Indigenous Culture & Tradition Consciousness (PIICATC). Fourteen people including members of Karbi Farmers Association, Trinity Hills Society, government employees, weavers, researchers and few more attended and participated in the programme. The main aim of this event was to generate awareness on the meaning and importance of IPR for a traditionally and culturally rich district like Karbi Anglong. Pointing to the substandard quality of traditional Karbi attires that has now flooded the local markets, the people present agreed that the cultural richness of Karbi Anglong is exposed to the threats of extinction. In this gathering the importance of documentation on the traditional knowledge and practices ...

4th Sanskriti Anveshak Lecture at VKIC. Padma Shri Ravindra Kumar Sinha delivered a Sanskriti Anveshak Lecture at VKIC on August 8, 2017. The senior scientist spoke on riverine ecosystems with special reference to threats facing Gangetic river dolphins and River Ganga. According to him rampant human interventions have throttled the river, which is revered by all Hindus. The river in the middle and upper reaches has been polluted by human and industrial waste and sustained efforts will be needed to improve the situation. It is no surprise that the population of Gangetic river dolphin has nosedived over decades. Not just the animal, but many ecosystems depending on the river water have been adversely affected. The River Brahmaputra too needs the attention of the authorities concerned; unplanned development in the river’s proximity. Protecting existing vegetation on the river’s bordering areas is just as important as planting new trees, he added.  

Audience at Mangaldoi on the topic Namghar  Sri Pulin Kalita, senior journalist of Dainik Asam, delivered a lecture on July 16, 2017 at Mangaldoi on the topic Namghar as a cultural school (Namghar Eti Sanskritik Sikhyaloy). Since its beginning as a Harigriha in the time of Mahapurush Sankardeva, the Namghar has been the center of spirituality and culture. It acted as a platform where the faithful could share equal space regardless of their social and economic background. It was thus a great initiative promoting Sanatana Dharma and at the same time establishing social equity. Namghar Eti Sanskritik Sikhyaloy   However, it also has carried out a role of spreading cultural awareness through many events held at the venue. The Nam Sankirtans, bhaona, to name a few were great cultural feats which were kept alive in the Namghar across the State. Thus a religious place, in essence, has been a silent facilitator of forming the Assamese cultural ident...

VKIC has recently started offering Yoga Modules for different sections of society. These highly appreciated modules developed by Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari have attracted many people to practice yoga as a means of holistic personal development. Yoga Pratiman Modules     Pratimans for Professionals     Pratimans for Learners             *  Swananda                      *  Pariksha De Haste  *  Sahayog                         *  Haste *  Samarth                          *  Tejas Swananda is meant for busy executives and professionals. Sahayog benefits young and working couple...

Intellectual property (IP), a product of human intellect, includes writings, designs, inventions, symbols, names, songs etc. IP allows the creator or owner to enjoy benefits of his or her creation. Protections under the IP regime allow the inventors to exclude others from using, dealing or tampering with his or her product without prior permission. The NER comprising eight North Eastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura is a great treasure trove of diverse cultures, social practices, and languages. The traditional methods practiced by the locals for preservation of food, preparation of medicines and a sustainable use of the available resources is a great source of knowledge. The knowledge and diverse practices of the communities is a fit subject for protection under the domain of Intellectual Property. For VKIC, the research institute that works with the moto of strengthening the indigenous communities of NE, Int...

Sri Jayanta Sarma spoke in  Sanskriti Anveshak Noted conservation activist Sri Jayanta Sarma spoke about leveraging traditional knowledge for development in NE India in a Sanskriti Anveshak Lecture at VKIC on April 22, 2017. With information gleaned through extensive tours of NE India, Sri Sarma revealed some of the remarkable facts about indigenous communities coping with nature. Away from urban access to technology, they have collected huge amounts of information on forests, soil, farming methods and architecture. A common element of their ways of life is a respect for Nature and sustainable use of natural resources. Unfortunately, many of their traditional knowledge and practices are yet to be scientifically documented. Humanity has much to learn from them and make use of such information and skills spread over this part of the country. 

Community participation with support from NGOs and the Forest Department has triggered successful conservation efforts, as witnessed in many ecologically sensitive areas across the world. In parts of North East India also, local community involvement has enabled the emergence of positive environmental stories, according to Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, a noted conservationist from Assam. Speaking on the topic ‘Contribution of Local Communities to Conservation,’ in the Second Sanskriti Anveshak Lecture on February 13, Dr Lahkar pointed to Protected Areas in Western Assam in particular where local communities are now helping preserve Manas National Park and neighbouring Reserve Forests. “Once a community identifies themselves with a forest, and realises its value for them, they make efforts to protect the flora and fauna therein,” said the IUCN’s World Heritage Hero (People’s Choice), 2016. It is, however, a challenge to motivate the communities to do that. It may take year...

Mananeeya Nivedita Bhide, Vice President of Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari, interacted with a select gathering of people from varied backgrounds at VKIC on March 14, 2017. She was introduced to the audience by Prof. Parimal Chandra Bhattacharjee, Director of Research Advisory Council.  Prof. Bhattacharjee explained the purpose of the gathering, and after briefly mentioning about VKIC and its vision,  spoke about the tremendous scope of work that an organisation like VKIC can explore in the near future. He sought guidance of the assembled well-wishers of VKIC in framing the road map for the coming years.  The programme was carried forward with a thematic presentation of VKIC by Dipankar Mahanta on the 20 years journey of VKIC. In his presentation, Sri  Mahanta referred to VKIC as a social enterprise and its founder Mananeeya Eknathji Ranade as a great social entrepreneur.  After the presentation Prof. Kalyan Das, Honorary Associate Director...

VKIC celebrated its 21st Foundation Day on January 31st, 2017 at its Williamson Magor Auditorium in a solemn function. The main highlight of the programme was the conferring of VKIC Sanmaan 2017. Every year VKIC honours a person of distinction who has worked tirelessly for the promotion of indigenous faith and culture of his or her people on its Foundation Day. This year the award was conferred on Srimad Shyamananda Brahmachary of West Garo Hills. The Award comprised a selang chadar, citation, memento and a sum of Rs. 25,000. In his welcome address, Dr. Parimal Chandra Bhattacharjee, Director, Research Advisory Council, stated that the objective of VKIC is to find the commonalities existing within the different ethnic communities; focusing mainly on the cultural aspect of the communities. VKIC works with the belief that “Cultures nurtures Unity.” Srimad Shyamananda Brahmachary, the spiritual leader of Borkona Ashram Dhubri, in his acceptance speech shared his experienc...

As part of VKIC Foundation Day celebration, a panel discussion on 'Development through Culture' was organized on January 29 at the conference hall of VKIC. It centred on the book by the same name by S. Gurumurthy, the noted economist. Sri Gurumurthy had carried out field studies travelling across India trying to understand what made certain regions of the country excel in the field of production and export of industrial goods through mutual support or collaboration. His study of small towns like Tiruppur, Morbi and Ludhiana which emerged as premier production and export centres of industrial goods revealed that these successful local production systems are entirely driven by mature local institutions where personal and social relations ensure intra and inter community cooperation, trust as well as competition. He concludes that culture-driven model of development is the only sustainable model of development. The panel discussion was undertaken to carry forward...