MEMORIAL PROGRAMMES & CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
Centenaries, Anniversaries and Memorials The programme of celebrating eminent personalities continued during the year with emphasis on programmes which are of direct bene- fit to the common man. A brief account of these celebrations is given below:
Bicentenary Celebrations of Raja Rammohun Roy The bicentenary of the birth of the great social reformer and visionary, Raja Rammohun Roy, fell on May 22, 1972. The National Committee for the Bicentenary Celebrations under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, decided that the most appropriate way of celebrat- ing his memory would be to establish a network of library services which would carry books and the reading habit to the remotest parts of the country. The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation was thus estab- lished as an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act, West Bengal, with the major objectives of promoting library movement in the country and building a national library system.
The details of the activities of the Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation are given in another section. The Foundation was formally inaugurated at Calcutta on May 20, 1972, by the Governor of West Bengal. On that occasion, a Symposium. on Raja Rammohun Roy was organised under the direction of Prof. Nihar Ranjan Ray, Member, Pay Commission. Biographies of Raja Rammohun Roy were also released on the occasion.
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In addition, as recommended by the National Committee, a gift of books worth about Rs. 50,000 was given to the Bristol Art Gallery, for, it is in Bristol that Raja Rammohun Roy died and lies burried. Prof. S. Nurul Hasan, Union Minister of Education and Social Welfare, presented the gift in person during his visit to the U.K. He also laid a wreath on the grave of Raja Rammohun Roy during his visit.
Raja Rammohun Roy Educational Resource Centre, New Delhi An Educational Resources Centre was set up in New Delhi to serve as a reference library of textbooks at university level. It has been named after Raja Rammohun Roy. The Centre will provide bibliography of all university-level textbooks and a set of such books for refer- ence. In addition, a separate set of these books is being used as a mobile exhibition.
Sri Aurobindo Centenary Celebrations The National Committee under the chairmanship of the Prime Minis- ter had approved several programmes for the observance of this occa- sion at a total cost of Rs. 50 lakhs. A brief account of the various programmes carried out during the year is given below:
Assistance to Auroville Education Project An assistance of Rs. 10 lakhs has been earmarked for the con- struction of an Audio-Visual Youth Centre, hostel and staff quarters. An amount of Rs. 9 lakhs has been released. The work is nearing completion.
Sri Aurobindo Memorial at Baroda Renovation of the building No. 15, Dandi Bazar, Baroda, which was donated by the Government of Gujarat has been taken up and is nearing completion. A sum of Rs. 50,000 has been released. The Government of Gujarat have donated an
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additional land around Bungalow No. 15 to the Sri Aurobindo Society, Baroda, free of cost for making a permanent memorial of Sri Aurobindo and his spiritual teachers.
Sri Aurobindo Memorial, Calcutta The Government of West Bengal, have constituted, by legislation, Sri Aurobindo Samiti of West Bengal and transferred the ownership of No. 8, Theatre Road (now known as Sri Aurobindo Bhavan) where Sri Aurobindo was born to the Samiti for propagating the teachings of Sri Aurobindo amongst the masses. The sacred Relics of Sri Aurobindo are to be preserved here. A reading room library and a permanent exhibi- tion will be part of the Bhavan. A sum of Rs. 50,000 has been re- leased to the Sri Aurobindo Samiti.
Bharat Niwas, Pondicherry Financial assistance of Rs. 10 lakhs has been earmarked for the construction of an auditorium-cum-conference hall for international seminars and conferences. This is the first phase of Bharat Niwas. The construction is nearing completion. A sum of Rs. 9 lakhs has been released.
Financial Assistance for Sri Aurobindo's Action This grant is for holding youth camps and far publishing litera- tures on Sri Aurobindo in different languages. Five camps have been held and a large number of publications in different languages have been issued. Shri Udar Pinto, Secretary of Sri Aurobindo's Action, toured the USA for two months lecturing on the ideals of Sri Aurobindo and setting up a number of Sri Aurobindo study circles. His tour was sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
Endowment for Sri Aurobindo Memorial Lectures A grant of Rs. 3 lakhs was released to the University Grant Commission for creating an endowment for the purpose. The 1972 Sri Aurobindo Memorial Lectures were delivered by Prof.
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Arabinda Basu of Banaras Hindu University in Delhi University in August 1972. The 1973 Sri Aurobindo Memorial Lectures are to be delivered by Dr. Carl-Friederich Von Weiz-sacker of the Federal Repub- lic of Germany.
National and Regional Seminars and Lectures on Sri Aurobindo The Sahitya Akademi organised four Regional Seminars at Madras, Calcutta, Bombay and Varanasi. The Akademi also organised a National Seminar on Sri Aurobindo at New Delhi from 16 to 20 August, 1972. The Seminar was inaugurated by the President. The papers read and dis- cussed in the Seminar will be brought out in a commemorative volume along with the papers of the International Seminar. The Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan and the Sri Aurobindo Society also organised lectures at different places. A sum of Rs. 1.30 lakhs has been spent on these programmes.
International Seminar This Seminar was organised from December 5-7, 1972 at New Delhi. Thirty-two foreign participants and about 30 Indian participants were associated with it.
Distribution of Writings of Sri Aurobindo 125 sets of the Deluxe Edition and 250 sets of Library Edition of Sri Aurobindo's works were distributed to the Indian Missions abroad and presentations were made by the Missions to the Heads of State/Vice-Chancellors/important cultural societies, etc. during the Centenary functions held by our Missions on August 15, 1972.
Books on the Life and Teachings of Sri Aurobindo The English edition of this book prepared by Shri Navajata was brought out by the National Book Trust. Copies of the book were sent to all the foreign delegates to the International Seminar and also to our Missions abroad for their libraries.
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The Indian editions of the book will be released shortly.
Long Playing Record This record was released in a function held on 1st January 1973 under the Chairmanship of the Education Minister.
Commemorative Stamp A special postage stamp of Sri Aurobindo's symbol brought out by the Ministry of Communications was released by the Minister of Commu- nications in a function organised by the Delhi State Centenary Commit- tee at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, New Delhi on August 15, 1972.
Centenary Celebrations by UNESCO in Paris The French National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO held a joint commemoration meeting with the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO during the 17th Unesco General Conference meeting held in October 1972 in Paris. The function was attended by the Union Education Minister, Professor S. Nurul Hasan. The Director- General of UNESCO addressed the meeting. A special issue of the Courier was brought out by UNESCO on the life and work of Sri Aurobin- do.
Centenary Celebrations by the Indian Missions Abroad Reports were received from many Indian Missions abroad about the centenary celebrations held on August 15, 1972. The reports indicate that the functions held by the Indian Missions were well attended and a lively interest was taken by the participants in Sri Aurobindo's life and work. Exhibitions were also held during these functions for which material was sent by the Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry.
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Other programmes include the establishment of a Youth Hostel at Pondicherry at a cost of Rs. 2.50 lakhs, an Anditorium at Pondicherry at a cost of Rs. 2.50 lakhs and an Aurobindo Bhavan at Bhubaneswar at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.00 lakh. The projects are nearing comple- tion.
Sri Aurobindo Children's Centres It is proposed to set up 16 Aurobindo Bal Kendras in slum areas each at a total cost of Rs. 10.00 lakhs. The distribution will be as follows: 3 Aurobindo Bal Kendras in Delhi, 4 in Calcutta, 4 in Bombay, 2 in Madras, 1 in Ahemedabad, 1 in Hyderabad and 1 in Bangalore. The programme is to be implemented through the State Governments who will provide the land for the construction of the centres and also ensure the services of one full-time teacher. The Government of India will provide assistance for the construction of the building and for equip- ment. The activities are to be conducted with the help of the Nation- al Service Scheme Volunteers of the nearby colleges. Action is being taken to set up Planning Committees in each of the cities where the centres are to be established.
2500th Anniversary of Bhagwan Mahavir's Nirvan This falls in 1974. A National Committee was set up under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister which met in May 1972 to discuss the overall programmes. The Executive Committee set up by the Nation- al Committee has worked out the detailed programmes of the celebra- tions and these are under finalisation.
400th Anniversary of Ram Charit Manas Programmes at a total estimated cost of Rs. 20.00 lakhs have been approved. These include, bringing out publications on Ram Charit Manas, a World Conference on Ramayana and the establishment of an Auditorium-cum-Cultural Centre in Delhi.
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500th Birth Anniversary of Nicolaus Copernicus The 500th Birth Anniversary of the famous Polish Astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus, fell on February 19, 1973. The Union Minister of Education and Social Welfare, Prof. S. Nurul Hasan, inaugurated the two-day programme of celebrations which included a Seminar on Coperni- cus and Astronomy. The Seminar was attended by scientists from India and abroad. Two Polish scientists and one Soviet scientist partici- pated in the celebrations. The Hindi translation of Copernicus' monumental work 'De Revolutionibus', brought out by the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare through the agency of the Physics Cell of the Banaras Hindu University, was released by the Union Education Minister on the occasion. A brochure brought out by the National Council of Educational Research and Training on the biography of Copernicus was also released. The Polish Embassy organised an Exhibi- tion on Copernicus on the occasion which was subsequently placed on display in the National Museum for a week. The programme of the foreign scientists included visits to selected centres and lectures at these places.
Lenin's Centenary Celebrations Two items were carried over under these celebrations from the previous year, one a Seminar on Cultural Policy for India and the other the distribution of prizes to the winners of the essay contest on Lenin. In respect of the first, a Seminar was organised at the Institute of Advanced Study, Simla in June 1972, to appraise the present cultural situation in India and to evolve the broad outline of a cultural' policy for the country suited to a self-reliant and egali- tarian social order. The Cultural Policy Statement issued by the Seminar at the conclusion of a week-long discussion was widely circu- lated and comments invited. The Policy Statement has served as the basis for the formulation of programmes of Cultural Development in the. Fifth Plan.
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The medallions for the winners of the essay contests were des- patched to the winners along with a letter of appreciation.
C. F. Andrew's Centenary The Memorial Volume of C. F. Andrews compiled and edited by Miss 'Marjorie Sykes, a close associate of C. F. Andrews, was completed during the year and sent to the press. The book is expected to be released shortly.
Dr. Zakir Husain Memorial Programmes
(a) Children's Books in Urdu The programme of bringing out children's books in Urduinitiated in the previous year was continued through the National Book Trust. The following two further titles were brought out:
1. Duniya Ke Janwar-Begum Qudisa Zaidi
2. Gulabo Chuhiya Aur Parizad- -do-
The following titles are in the press:
1. Raja Rammohun Roy-Balmukand 'Arsh'
2. Khwaja Altaf Hussain 'Hali'-Saleha Abid Husain
The manuscript of Sultan Zaimulabidin of Kashmir prepared by Razia Sajjad Zaheer will be sent to the press shortly.
The following titles have been assigned and the manuscripts are getting ready:
1. lqbal-Sardar Jafri
2. Gotam Buddha-Professor M. M. Beg
3. Stories of Puranas-Dr. G. C. Narang
4. Biography of Dr. Zakir Husain for Children-Smt. Saeeda Khurshid
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(b) Dr. Zakir Husain Mausoleum-cum-Museum The Mausoleum was completed during the year under report and was formally dedicated at a brief and solemn function by the President of India on February 8, 1973.
The President laid a wreath on the grave of Dr. Zakir Husain. A wreath was laid on behalf of the Vice-President. The Union Education Minister, Prof. S. Nurul Hasan, laid the wreath on behalf of the Prime Minister.
A museum is being built nearby to house books and other collec- tions of the late President. The cost of the two structures together is about Rs. 14 lakhs. The museum is expected to be completed in the next two months.
C.R. Das Centenary Celebrations During the year under report, the 17th Mobile Hospital was sanctioned to the Himachal Pradesh. Reports indicate that the hospitals are rendering very valuable service in rural areas and reaching medical services to sections of people who had been denied these facilities hitherto.
Other Programmes
Exhibition of Documents relating to the Freedom Struggle As part of the celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of India's independence, the National Archives of India organised an exhibition of documents and photographs on the freedom struggle from February 9 to 17, 1973. The exhibition was opened by the President of India, Shri V. V. Giri. The exhibition showed vividly the country's march towards freedom from the start of the Gandhian era in 1919 to the final achievement of independence on August 15, 1947. On this occa- sion, the President also released Volumes III and IV of the History of the Freedom Movement edited by Dr. Tara Chand.
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Bharat Bhavan Programme In connection with 25th Anniversary of India's Independence, the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare has drawn up a scheme for establishing Bharat Bhavans in Delhi as well as in the State capitals with a view to depicting the concept of unity amidst diversity of the culture of India.
The Bharat Bhavans have two major aspects, one presenting the rich variety of the cultural heritage of India and the other consist- ing of a library of books in different languages.
State Governments have been requested to make a beginning with the establishment of a Library of books. posters,films and other audio-visual material, location being either in the Rabindra Bhavan in the State capitals or in any other suitable place.
Cultural Festival As regards Bharat Bhavans in the country's capital, a cultural festival of classical music and dance, drama and mass songs was orga- nised at Diwan-e-Aam, Red Fort, Delhi from 16-25, February, 1973. It was inaugurated by the Vice-President, Dr. Gopal Swarup Pathak. The programme consisted of Classical Hindustani Music and Dance, Karnatak Music and Dance, in which eminent artists participated, a presentation of Utpal Dutt's play entitled 'Tota or Lal Quilla' presenting the freedom struggle early in 1857, and a programme of 'Songs of the Indian National Army' other patriotic songs, folk and mass songs of the different regions of India by the Calcutta Youth Choir. Large sections of the capital's population attended the festival, the en- trance fee to which was kept particularly low, with further concession to students. Close-circuit television facilities were provided both inside and Outside the audience hall in order to present better view- ing to the audience both inside and outside Diwan-e-Aam. Further, loudspeaker arrangements were made right up to the ramparts on the Red Fort to carry the programme to the common man.