MEMORIAL PROGRAMMES AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION
This chapter deals with the aftermath of the various Centenary Celebrations observed during the past two years and with programmes designed to promote national cohesion by involving teachers and students and the members of the writing profession in such activities as are germane to their field of work.
Lenin Centenary celebrations The various papers discussed at the several seminars held on Lenin were compiled into two publications, one in Hindi and the other in English. They help to present the views of Indian thinkers on Lenin's economic policy, how he tackled the problem of minorities and how equalisation of opportunity was made a reality.
The Delhi Indo-Soviet Cultural Society held a Mushaira and a Kavi Sammelan in connection with the Centenary Celebrations-
An All-India Essay Competition on Lenin was conducted among school children by the National Council of Educational Research and Training. Fourteen candidates came out successful in this competition. Medallions are proposed to be awarded to the winners at an appropriate function.
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Two programmes remain to be organized an all-university seminar to make a comparative analysis of the political, economic and social conditions and policies in Russia in the decade after the revolution and in India after independence. It is proposed to hold this seminar in February-March 1972. The second programme is to hold a seminar to discuss Lenin's contribution to make culture an instrument of mass education. On the basis of the discussions at this seminar, it is hoped to evolve a national cultural policy resolution. Preparations are under way for organizing this seminar in the summer of 1972. It is expected that delegates from the USSR will also be participating in this seminar.
C.R. Das Centenary Celebrations As part of the centenary celebrations of Deshbandhu C.R. Das which fell on November 5, 1970, the Government of India decided to establish 16 Mobile Training-cum-Service Hospitals known as "Chittaranjan Mobile Hospitals" at the rate of one per State which had at least one Medical College. An account of these hospitals is given on the chapter on Youth Welfare.
C. R. Andrews Centenary Celebrations The birth centenary Celebrations of C.F. Andrews were started in February 1971. The various programmes under these centenary celebrations continued throughout the year 1971-72.
Mr. Horace Alexander, an old associate of Andrews, Gandhiji and Tagore was invited to visit this country and participate in some of the Andrews centenary functions Mr. & Mrs. Alexander spent four weeks in November-December, 1971 as guests of the Government of India. Mr. Alexander delivered the Andrew's Memorial Lecture in New Delhi and similar lectures at Ahmedabad, Bombay and Madras. He also participated in the national symposium on Andrews organized at New Delhi in November, by the Gandhi peace Foundation on behalf of the Ministry of Education. This seminar discussed three facets of Andrews life; Andrews as a
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teacher; Andrews and Gandhiji; and Andrews and international understanding. An exhibition on Andrews was organized on this occasion by the Gandhi Museum, New Delhi.
It has been proposed to bring out a biography of Andrews through the National Book Trust of India. Miss Majorie Sykes has undertaken to write the biography. The book is expected to be published shortly.
Another project under the Centenary Celebrations was to bring out a commemoration volume on Andrews. This project has been assigned to the Gandhi Peace Foundation. An Editorial Board with Miss Marjorie Sykes, the biographer of Andrews, as chairman has been set up. This Board met twice in Delhi in November and discussed the major emphasis and the outline of the volume. It was decided that the commemoration volume should bring together carefully chosen-selections from Andrews writings with appropriate explanatory notes. The volume would also include a biographical sketch and very selective tributes, as for example, the one paid by Gurdev Tagore on the occasion of the death of C.F. Andrews. This volume when completed, is expected to fill a gap in the available literature on Andrews and to serve as a valuable piece of reference material for young and old alike. The sources of the material have been located and listed and the work on the selection and compilation is expected to start very shortly.
Dr. Zakir Husain Memorial Programmes
Zakir Husain Memorial It was Dr. Zakir Husain's wish that he should be buried in the campus of Jamia Millia, an institution which he founded and brought up. That was where he lies now in a spot chosen by himself. It was decided that it would be a most befitting homage to his memory to erect a mausoleum over the gave and also build a museum nearby to house books and other collections. Plans and estimates were prepared by the Ministry of
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Works, Housing and Urban Development. The foundation stone of the Mausoleum was laid by the President of India, Shri V.V. Giri, on the 1st of October, 1971. The construction has also begun.
Biography of Dr Zakir Husain Prof. M. Mujeeb, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia was entrusted with the task of bringing out the biography of Dr. Zakir Husain. The manuscript is now in press.
Establishment of Dr Zakir Hussain Chair The Centre of Studies in the Jawaharlal Nehru University has been renamed after Dr. Zakir Husain and is being developed as part of the School of Social Sciences.
Children's Books in Urdu Dr. Zakir Husain had great love for and faith in children. He had himself written several children's books, some of which were published in his life-time. A programme has been drawn up under which a series of 24 books for children will be brought out under the Nehru Bal Pustakalaya Series. The National Book Trust is in charge of this assignment. The series will cover books on mythological stories of major religions, and a biography of Dr. Zakir Husain written specially for children.
The following titles have been brought out so far:
-Kachhua aur Kharosh: Story written by Dr. Zakir Husain for children.
-Abu Khan Ki Bakri: a collection of stories written by Dr. Zakir Husain.
-Anokhi Dukan: a collection of stories prepared by the late Begum Qudsia Zaidi under Dr. Zakir Husain's supervision.
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Two more books prepared-by the late Begum Qudsia at the instance of Dr. Zakir Husain are in press.
Establishment of Department of Islamic Studies It has been decided to establish a Department of Islamic Studies in the Jamia Millia Islamia. The Ministry released an amount of Rs. 3,00,000 to the university for creating an endowment fund for the purpose. The University Grants Commission has agreed to offer financial assistance for research projects to which Jamia Millia will attach priority and which will be undertaken by the new Department.
Development of Delhi College The College was formerly run by the Anglo-Arabic College and School Society. When after partition, most of its trustees migrated to Pakistan, the management broke down completely and at this stage the Jamia Millia took over as a trustee of the Society. The Memorial Committee decided to rename the Delhi College as Dr. Zakir Husain Memorial College, and develop it further so as to promote the ideas for which the late President strove. The immediate need for the College is a better campus, the existing campus having little accommodation for expansion and development. The Delhi Development Authority have offered a site of about 8 acres in the zonal development plan of Mata Sundari Road or Minto Road area.
Bio-centenary Celebrations of Raja Ram Mohan Roy The bi-centenary of the birth of Raja Ram Mohan Roy falls in May, 1972. A National Committee has been set up to advise on planning and organizing the centenary celebrations in an appropriate manner. The President of India is the Committee's patron and Prime Minister its President. The Committee is expected to meet shortly and determine the programmes that are to be undertaken.
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Establishment of Nanak Bhavans In connection with the 500th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak celebrated in 1969-70, it had been decided to establish Nanak Bhavans or Student Service Institutes in States, with the object of inculcating a spirit of self help and self-reliance among students, to provide opportunities to students to utilise their spare time in activities useful for themselves, the community and the nation, and to encourage sports and literary activities. Each Bhavan is expected to accommodate about 1000 students and offer facilities of a workshop, a class room, an auditorium a library-cum-reading room, a cafeteria and a gymnasium.
The Nanak Bhavan is to be constructed by the State Governments concerned at a total cost not exceeding Rs. 5 lakhs, of which 75 per cent would be met by the Government of India. The Central Government will also bear 75 per cent of the expenditure on running classes for teaching modern Indian languages during the current plan period, and will also finance adult literacy work and the adoption of village-cum- rural development work projects. The State Governments are expected to provide 10 acres of land for each Bhavan free of cost and to bear the rest of the non-recurring and recurring expenditure on the Bhavans. The School of Social Work-University Departments of Social Work in the States will exercise over-all control over the implementation of the scheme, organize student co-operatives for the day-to-day running of the student service institutes and continuous guidance and evaluation of the scheme.
The Governments of Mysore, Gujarat and Rajasthan had initiated action to set up these Bhavans during 1969-70 and those of Madras, Orissa and Maharashtra during 1970-71. The first instalment of grant had been released to these States earlier. Work is in various stages of progress in these States. The second and the final instalment of grant will be paid to them after the completion of the Bhavans. Proposals to set up similar Bhavans in Punjab and U.P. are expected.
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400th Anniversary of Ram Charit Manas The 400th anniversary of the Ram Charit Manas is to be clearance of the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission Rashtriya Samiti which is organizing the celebrations on a national scale made a request for financial assistance from the Ministry of Education for some of the programmes. Subject to the clearance of the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission wherever necessary, the following programmes will be supported within the approved programmes of the Ministry of Education:
(i) A grant of about Rs. 3 to 5 lakhs will be made available for bringing out translations of the Ram Charit Manas in different modern Indian languages provided the publications are brought out through voluntary organizations. These grants will be on a sharing basis and up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the total cost.
(ii) The academies of foreign countries will be requested to bring out editions of the Ram Charit Manas in their respective languages.
(iii) A World Conference on Ramayana will be held during the centenary year. At the time of this Conference, an exhibition of paintings, sculptures and masks connected with the Ramayana will be held as also Ramayana ballets from Indonesia, Thailand and Laos. UNESCO has been requested to defray the international air fare in respect of participants who might like to attend the Conference from abroad.
(iv) UNESCO has been requested to include the 4th centenary celebrations of Ram Charit Manas In their calendar for important anniversaries for the year 1973- 74. They have also been requested to consider publication of English/French translation of Ram Charit Manas under UNESCO'S programme of collection of representative works-India series.
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(v) An Essay Competition on the subject will be held for the children in Middle and Higher Secondary Schools by the National Council for Educational Research and Training.
(vi) Awards of scholarships in universities to be called "Tulsi scholarships" may be arranged through the U.G.C. The U.G.C. will also be requested to allot a few existing scholarships for research in subjects like philosophy, and religious literature, particularly on Ram Charit Manas and Tulsidas during the years of centenary celebrations.
(vii) Three different editions of Ram Charit Manas suitable for children of primary, middle and secondary schools will be brought out through the National Book Trust. The fourth edition will also be brought out for neo-literates.
The extent of Government of India's assistance to these pro- grammes may be about Rs. 14 lakhs.
Quincentenary of Copernicus The Quin-centenary of Copernicus falls on 19th February 1973 and it has been decided to celebrate this occasion appropriately in the country, under the auspices of the Indian National Science Academy and the Delhi University. The following programmes have been included in the celebrations:
(i) A seminar on the life and contributions of Copernicus to be organized on the 19th and 20th February, 1973 by the Indian National Science Academy, to which eminent Indian and Polish scientists will be invited.
(ii) Polish scientists and scholars will be invited to deliver lectures in selected universities in India during the celebrations.
(iii) Exhibitions on the life and, work of Copernicus will be organized where seminars and lectures are held.
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(iv) Translations of the book of Copernicus "De Revolu- tionbus Orbiun Coeleseium" will be translated into Hindi for the benefit of students at the undergraduate and graduate level.
(v) A paper on Copernicus will be prepared by Prof. Auluck to be supplied to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for holding talks on Copernicus on the national hook-up of the All India Radio. Films made available by the Polish Embassy will be supplied to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for showing on the T.V.
(vi) The N.C.E.R.T. will bring out a brochure on the life and work of Copernicus.
The Indian National Science Academy has set up an Organizing Committee to plan and guide the celebrations.
25th Centenary of Lord Mahavira's Nirwan The 25th centenary of Lord Mahavira's Nirwan falls in 1974. It is proposed to celebrate this in an appropriate manner on a national scale. A National Committee is being constituted for the purpose.
Planning Forums The Scheme continues to be administered by the State Government, the Centre bearing 60 per cent of the total expenditure. There are 1096 Planning Forums functioning at present in the various universities and colleges in the country. Out of these only three belongs to the 'C' category. The total provision for the scheme in the Fourth Plan is Rs. 20 lakhs and for the current year the provision in the Revised Estimate is Rs. 1.30 lakhs.
Writers' Campus The programme of Writers' Camps as in the previous year was continued this year also. Two regional camps were held,
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one at Simla in April, 1971 and the other at Poona in August, 1971. To the Simla camp were invited writers of Hindi, Punjabi, Assamese and English and to the second at Poona were invited writers of Bengali, Oriya, Kashmiri and Sanskrit.
A National Camp is being organized in Delhi in February, 1972 to which will be invited all the participants of the earlier four regional camps. In addition, other eminent writers who could not attend the regional camps would also be invited. This regional camp will discuss aspects of Indian literature, such as Indianness in Indian literature, universality in Indian literature, literature of protest and the writer as an instrument of change.
The Writers' Camp has been a highly useful activity and has gone a long way in bringing our creative writers together. It has enabled writers from various regions to forge abiding friendship among them. Opinion makers of society, as they are, creative writers meeting regularly at such camps could contribute a great deal towards fostering inter-regional understanding and emotional integration.
National Integration Samitis Mention was made in the last year's Report, about the formation of National Integration Samitis in universities and colleges and public undertakings.
At present there is a total number of 105 Samitis functioning in the country, 55 of which are in universities, 44 in colleges and six in public undertakings.
The Ministry of Education extends financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 400 per month to each Samiti functioning in universities and colleges, and Rs. 200 to those run by public undertakings. (The latter contributing an equal share). An amount of Rs. 1,84,226 was sanctioned during the first half of the current year. The second instalment of Rs. 1,76,00 is being released currently.