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The Daily Janchetna

Year11, Issue:18, Wednesday, Nov.25,2020.

. Message of the Day .

People become prey to various deceases when basic needs are not fulfilled. Children with malnutrition are forced to lead a hopeless life. They remain deprived of the blessings of beautifying life. Some, unable to earn enough to meet the basic needs of their dependents, commit suicide. More disappointed opt extremism to deprive humanity of its happiness.

The only solution to this problem is to declare the basic needs of humanity as Fundamental Rights and shoulder the responsibility of satisfying the basic needs of every one by the society itself. Individuals, once they are born, must not face the problems of food, clothing and shelter. They ought to be the fundamental rights of one and all.

.  History of Mankind-6 .

According to another theory, the first molecules of life might have met on clay. The idea was elaborated by organic chemist Alexander Graham Cairns-Smith at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. These surfaces might not only have concentrated these organic compounds together, but also helped organize them into patterns much like our genes do now.

The main role of DNA is to store information on how other molecules should be arranged. Genetic sequences in DNA are essentially instructions on how amino acids should be arranged in proteins. Cairns-Smith suggests that mineral crystals in clay could have arranged organic molecules into organized patterns. After a while, organic molecules took over this job and organized themselves.

Or maybe life began at the bottom of the sea. Keep going to learn how.

. Today’s History .

25th November

Important Events:

1898 — Debaki Bose, Bengali film director and writer, was born 

1926 — Ranganath Misra, Chief Justice of India was born  

1987--Major Ramaswamy Parameswaran, the Param Vir Chakra, died

Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan

One of the most renowned leaders from Maharashtra, Yashwantrao Balwantrao Chavan was born on March 12, 1913, in Devrashtre village (now in the Maharashtra’s Sangli District). Chavan, who was the first Chief Minister of Maharashtra and later held several important portfolios in the union cabinet, died on November 25, 1984, in Delhi after suffering a heart attack.  

His father died when he was young. His mother and uncle brought him up. As a youngster he took part in the freedom movement. He was fined in 1930 for taking part in the Non-Cooperation movement and jailed in 1932 for hoisting the Indian flag.

He secured a degree from Bombay University in history and political science. He came to know senior Congress leaders such as Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru in the course of the independence struggle, and became president of the Satara District Congress in 1940. He participated in the famous All India Congress Committee session of 1942 in which the Quit India movement was launched, and was jailed for taking active part in the movement.

Chavan was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Bombay state in 1946, and became minister of civil supplies, social welfare and forests in the next government. After being elected from Karad constituency in 1957, he became the state leader of the Congress and chief minister of Bombay, which was then a bilingual state. Though Chavan did not join the Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti, a popular agitation in favour of a separate state for Marathi-speaking people, he participated in the larger struggle for the creation of Maharashtra and went on to become the first chief minister of the new state.  

As chief minister he passed the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, which came into force in 1962, for the “orderly development of the cooperative movement” in the state, according to a research paper titled ‘Leadership of Yashwantrao Chavan in Modern

Maharashtra: historical review’ by Dr. Bhavana Patole. “He [Chavan] specifically promoted the industrial development in the backward regions like Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan,” the paper adds, and “laid the solid foundation of agricultural and industrial transformation in Maharashtra”.

Recalling Chavan’s transition from Maharashtra to national politics, in an article in Pune Mirror in March 2012, Ajit Ranade wrote: “He was summoned to Delhi by Nehru, after the humiliation of the war with China, and (defence minister) Krishna Menon’s resignation. Morale in the armed forces was utterly low…. YB had just embarked on building a brand new state which was born on May 1, 1960, after a considerable struggle, in which he participated. He wrote to Nehru that he had zero knowledge or competence to become defence minister of India. But owing to the affection and confidence reposed on him he had to bid farewell to his dear state.”

Chavan, who had the challenging task of overseeing defence preparedness and modernisation in wake of the 1962 debacle in the border war with China, was also defence minister in Lal Bahadur Shastri cabinet during the 1965 India-Pakistan War. When Shastri died, Chavan was one of the several contenders for the post of Prime Minister, but the most powerful job in the country eventually went to Indira Gandhi. In 1966, Chavan became Home Minister in the Indira Gandhi government. He was the one to introduce the bill in Parliament that annulled princes’ privileges.

He went on to become the Finance Minister in 1970 and Foreign Minister in 1974. During the India-Pakistan War of December 1971, Chavan, who had a good understanding of the demands of war thanks to his years in the defence ministry, took steps to boost the morale of the defence forces. Recalling his interaction with Chavan during the war, well-known defence analyst  who in 1971 was the director of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, wrote in the Indian Express in 2005: “Chavan called me and solicited my suggestions for schemes which would boost the morale of the army. I suggested two steps which I had tried to push through as a deputy secretary in the Ministry of Defence during 1962 and 1965 wars and had failed because of opposition from the Finance Ministry. They were that all disabled servicemen should be given lifetime employment and children of servicemen killed in action should get government-funded university education to the extent they deserved. I told Chavan he could then implement them as he was the finance minister. He did.”

In 1978 Chavan joined a faction of the Congress that was opposed to Indira Gandhi. For a short while he was Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the Charan Singh

government. But he returned to the party fold in 1982, and was appointed Chairman of the Finance Commission.  

Recalling Chavan’s contribution to the country in the various positions he held in his political career, President Pranab Mukherjee said during a speech in 2013: “He raised the morale of the Indian armed forces resulting in decisive victories in the war against Pakistan in 1965 and the Bangladesh liberation war against Pakistan in 1971. Same was the contribution as the chairman of the eighth planning commission in the early 80s. The precedents laid by him were followed by his successors in the planning commission.”

. Current .

Contribution by the Second Nanak

Guru Angad Dev

According to Shiromani Gurduara Parbandak Committee, Bhai Lehna Ji took over the command of Gurmat Movement from Guru Nanak Dev on 14^th June, 1539 viz Harh Vadi Thirteen, Bikrami  Samvat 1596. He was asked to go to Khadur Sahib and preach Gurmat as Guru Angad Dev. He was 35 years old at that time.

He discharged his duties for thirteen years and breathed his last on 29^th March, 1609 viz Chetar Sudi Fourth, Bikrami Samvat 1609. Shiromani Committee is observing the Gurparve today, the 15^th April, 2012.

Purpose of this article is to assess his contribution during his tenure as Second Nanak.

Guru Angad Dev had to face many difficulties in the beginning of his leadership.

The first opposition came from the family of Guru Nanak Dev. Baba Sri Chand and Baba Lakhmi Chand did not accept him as Guru. Baba Sri Chand had founded Udasi Sect and was insisting on  his succession as Guru because he was the eldest son of Guru Nanak. This had created lot of confusion among disciples.

Guru Angad Dev faced his propaganda firmly. He declared that successor of Guru Nanak can be he who strictly followed principles propounded by him. Gurmat is the religion of the household where as Baba Sri Chand has neither got married himself nor does he preaches among his followers to get married. Contrarily he is opposed to the family life. Therefore, he cannot be successor of Guru Nanak Dev.

Thus, in the first place, contribution of Guru Angad Dev is in keeping the originality and sanctity of Gurmat intact.

The second major contribution of Guru Angad Dev is the establishment of Langer. Arrangements were made to serve the visitors and the needy with food and Mata Khiwi, wife of the Guru actively participated in the service. Langer was served to all without discrimination. The phenomenon was followed so strictly that Langer became a part and parcel of Gurmat.

The third contribution of Guru Angad Dev was to establish Code of Conduct for disciples. Guru Nanak led a very customary life, especially at Kartarpur but he had not laid rules and regulations for the followers. Guru Angad Dev at Khadoor Sahib laid down a programme from morning till evening, followed it strictly and advised his followers to abide by it religiously. After some amendments, this programme became code of religious conduct for Sikhs.

Guru Angad Dev asked his followers to get up early in the morning. After having bath, he should join the congregation to listen kirtan. He should have his meals after rendering services in the Langer. In the evening too, he should join the congregation before going to bed.

The Guru himself used to get up early in the morning. After having bath, he used to join the congregation where bards recited kirtan. After the kirtan, he used to address the disciples and answer their quarries. Then he used to join the Langer to cook food. After having his breakfast, he used to have rest.

The Guru used to teach students in the morning.

In the evening, games were played. The Guru had established a gim for wrestlers.

 Evening congregations were held for prayers. After supplication, the Guru used to have his meals in the Langer and leave to retire.

The disciples followed the Guru. Thus a routine was established which by and by became a code of conduct for Sikhs.

(Contd)

. Informative .

Evolution of Civilization & Religion

The man has been toiling hard for a secure, comfortable living even  before the dawn of civilization but in vain. He has been forced to face scorching heat of deprivation of basic necessities to live in peace. He did question his pathetic fate despite the hardest labor he put in time and again but of no avail. No one has been able to give logical reply till date.

History of mankind starts with Stone Age. The man was not the familiar with fire even. Evidently, he led life that of an animal. Surface of the earth or at the most branches of trees under specific conditions was his abode. He had to collect vegetables, fruits and other eatables to fill his belly. Sometimes, he got them in abundance and sometimes,
they were scarce. Evidently, he had to remain hungry at times.
What to think of wild animals, protection from heat, cold, rain is unassumable under the circumstances. Life was basically insecure and full of scarcity. Groups were formed, families were established and ultimately state came into existence. Foundations of civilization were laid.

After advent of civilization, man realized hard pinches of insecurity and hardships in life. “I put so much of labor but unable to get enough food to fill my belly. My near & dears die and I can do nothing to save them. Why does this all happen? What has rendered me so helpless? What do to be out of this menace?”

By this time, many gods, goddesses and one Almighty had emerged in. An Almighty God was there at the helm of affairs. He not only created this universe, He was managing its day to day affairs through reliable agents. All functions of nature had been attributed to this or that supernatural power. People were afraid of them and worshipping had been started. Wisest among them became officiant (now priest).

When people compliant of their hardships, he used to console them by saying, “It is He that sent you in the world. And He Himself marked your fortune. Whatever is determined by Him, you have to bear. Do it willingly. He will be happy and bless you.”
Spiritualism could never be expected to deal with the question of hardships faced by humanity because of its basic conception that manhad been a part of the Almighty God/ Allah/ Satguru and was separated from Him because of follies he committed.

“Man is sent to this planet as punishment and will remain unhappy till the reunion takes place. Reunion is an uphill task: soul is the living man has to be made pious detaching himself from all the worldly comforts, find a solitary place for meditation, locate and persuade Him for a reunion. Persuasions constitute penances, self-mortification and submission to His will. Votary has to use all means to convince Him of his complete submission: butter Him by singing in His praise, endeavor for His clemency & grace, cajole Him by concentrating on Him only discarding all others and frighten Him by observing long fasts & undergoing other painful activities. Complete security and comfort prevails in His place after reunion but this is possible at His will only.”

Since this concept did not bring enough offerings for priests, they went on amending it to their convenience. The most popular amendment was that the Almighty God is one. He created this universe at His will and is operating it through his agents (gods & goddesses). Man’s fortune is also predetermined by Him and there can be no change
in this. Yes! If one is able to oblige the operating god by offerings and worshipping, some alteration may be made and results are liable to be changed in favor of the devotee.

Results of this amendment were amazing. Number of gods and priests increased many folds.