VSK TN
‘Swami Vivekananda 150 Women’s Convention’ with a vision
to rearticulate and self-introspect on the Indian concept of womanhood has been
initiated in Chennai on 23rd January, 2014 being the Punyathithi of
Swami Vivekananda. The theme of the
convention being ‘Indian Women as the Guide for the World at crossroads’
initially started with a lighting of lamp by the woman achievers from different
walks of life. Thousands of women from all walks of life converged at Narada
Gana Sabha Hall, Chennai.
to rearticulate and self-introspect on the Indian concept of womanhood has been
initiated in Chennai on 23rd January, 2014 being the Punyathithi of
Swami Vivekananda. The theme of the
convention being ‘Indian Women as the Guide for the World at crossroads’
initially started with a lighting of lamp by the woman achievers from different
walks of life. Thousands of women from all walks of life converged at Narada
Gana Sabha Hall, Chennai.
Dr. V Shanta, in her welcome address, gave a clarion
call to women in India—in the words of Swami Ji “Awake, Arise, Stop not till
the goal is reached”—a call to women to be part of what is happening around
them, to bring back values and principles in life and for women to understand
and appreciate their respective roles and responsibilities. She also quoted the songs of Mahakavi
Bharatiyar on women.
call to women in India—in the words of Swami Ji “Awake, Arise, Stop not till
the goal is reached”—a call to women to be part of what is happening around
them, to bring back values and principles in life and for women to understand
and appreciate their respective roles and responsibilities. She also quoted the songs of Mahakavi
Bharatiyar on women.
She highlighted the importance of ‘empowerment of
women’ which can be achieved only by women by helping themselves, rid
themselves of the inferiority complex that permeates the mind of Indian women.
women’ which can be achieved only by women by helping themselves, rid
themselves of the inferiority complex that permeates the mind of Indian women.
(Dr. V.Shanta, Chairman of Cancer Institute
(WIA). She belongs to the distinguished
scientific family of India in Chennai—the Nobel Laureates Sir C V Raman and Dr.
S Chandrasekhar. Dr. V Shanta dedicated
herself, in the field of medicine, was in the WHO Advisory Committee. She is
the recipient of many awards including prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Public Service (2005), Padma Shri (1986) and Padma Bhushan (2006).)
(WIA). She belongs to the distinguished
scientific family of India in Chennai—the Nobel Laureates Sir C V Raman and Dr.
S Chandrasekhar. Dr. V Shanta dedicated
herself, in the field of medicine, was in the WHO Advisory Committee. She is
the recipient of many awards including prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for
Public Service (2005), Padma Shri (1986) and Padma Bhushan (2006).)
Dr. Padma Subramanyam, Chairperson, Organising
Committee of Swami Vivekananda 150 Women’s Initiative, in her welcome address,
gave a short brief on the origin of this convention. She cited various
contributions of women in vedic times namely Gargi, Avvaiyar (Sangam period),
Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Saiva Nayanmars), Brahmavadini, Andal (Srivilliputhur),
Queen Akka Mahadevi (Karnataka), Meera (Rajasthan), Rani Padmini (Chittoor),
Velu Nachiyar, Jhansi Rani and gave an outlook on how women are high in
religious, spiritual and temporal traditions. Due to rise of women’s rebellious emancipation
movements in the west, the women of west are said to be unhappy more than
before their fight for rights. While referring to modernity, she claims that
west-centric modernity at the expense of traditional, moral and ethical values
of the orient is unacceptable.
Committee of Swami Vivekananda 150 Women’s Initiative, in her welcome address,
gave a short brief on the origin of this convention. She cited various
contributions of women in vedic times namely Gargi, Avvaiyar (Sangam period),
Karaikkal Ammaiyar (Saiva Nayanmars), Brahmavadini, Andal (Srivilliputhur),
Queen Akka Mahadevi (Karnataka), Meera (Rajasthan), Rani Padmini (Chittoor),
Velu Nachiyar, Jhansi Rani and gave an outlook on how women are high in
religious, spiritual and temporal traditions. Due to rise of women’s rebellious emancipation
movements in the west, the women of west are said to be unhappy more than
before their fight for rights. While referring to modernity, she claims that
west-centric modernity at the expense of traditional, moral and ethical values
of the orient is unacceptable.
(Dr. Padma Subramanyam—a dancer, research scholar,
choreographer, singer, music composer, teacher, author and indologist. She is the member of the Expert Committee,
Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. She
is recipient of several awards Padmasri, Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award and Akademi Ratna (Fellow) and various recognitions in the field of dance
and culture.)
choreographer, singer, music composer, teacher, author and indologist. She is the member of the Expert Committee,
Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. She
is recipient of several awards Padmasri, Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award and Akademi Ratna (Fellow) and various recognitions in the field of dance
and culture.)
Mrs Rajashree Birla, in her thematic address, quoted
some stark facts on cases of female infanticide and the morbid stories that we
see in newspaper on women abuse. As per
Thomson Reuters Foundation report, India ranks 6th in ‘World’s most
dangerous countries for women’ for the reasons cited female foeticide, child
marriages, trafficking, assault and domestic servitude. She insisted to collectively look into this
problem, deal and annihilate it, as we owe to this country and to
ourselves.
some stark facts on cases of female infanticide and the morbid stories that we
see in newspaper on women abuse. As per
Thomson Reuters Foundation report, India ranks 6th in ‘World’s most
dangerous countries for women’ for the reasons cited female foeticide, child
marriages, trafficking, assault and domestic servitude. She insisted to collectively look into this
problem, deal and annihilate it, as we owe to this country and to
ourselves.
She reminded the audience with the pages of history,
where our women folk are enterprising.
(Kadambini Basu (first woman doctor), Sister Subbalakshmi (first lady graduate), Karaikkal
Ammaiyar, Andal and Akka Mahadevi. She enticed that this convention will bring a
paradigm shift among Indian women when they are at crossroads.
where our women folk are enterprising.
(Kadambini Basu (first woman doctor), Sister Subbalakshmi (first lady graduate), Karaikkal
Ammaiyar, Andal and Akka Mahadevi. She enticed that this convention will bring a
paradigm shift among Indian women when they are at crossroads.
(Mrs. Rajashree Birla, born and raised in Madurai, is
a Director on the Board of all the major Aditya Birla Group of Companies. She has been spearheading various development
projects and was also conferred with various awards to name few— ‘The Economic
Times’ Corporate Citizen 2001-2002 Award’, ‘The Seva Shiromani Award’ ‘The
Woman Achiever 2001’ ‘The Pride of
India’ Award etc. She is also a Chairperson of Advisory Board of University of
Kanchipuram, ‘The Research Society for the Care, Treatment and Training of
Children in need of Special Care’, and prestigious Tirumala Tirupathi
Devasthanams Development Advisory Council and a trustee of various foundations.)
a Director on the Board of all the major Aditya Birla Group of Companies. She has been spearheading various development
projects and was also conferred with various awards to name few— ‘The Economic
Times’ Corporate Citizen 2001-2002 Award’, ‘The Seva Shiromani Award’ ‘The
Woman Achiever 2001’ ‘The Pride of
India’ Award etc. She is also a Chairperson of Advisory Board of University of
Kanchipuram, ‘The Research Society for the Care, Treatment and Training of
Children in need of Special Care’, and prestigious Tirumala Tirupathi
Devasthanams Development Advisory Council and a trustee of various foundations.)
Prof. Prema Pandurang enlightened the audience on
the Indian concept of womanhood which is highly spiritual. Referring to Swami
Vivekananda, “Swami Ji prescribed an unforgettable panacea for the betterment
of society—that is respect to women”.
the Indian concept of womanhood which is highly spiritual. Referring to Swami
Vivekananda, “Swami Ji prescribed an unforgettable panacea for the betterment
of society—that is respect to women”.
Further, “If you do not raise the women who are the
living embodiment of the Divine Mother, don’t think that you have any other way
to rise…….. any attempt to modernize our women, if it tries to take our women
away from that ideal of Sita, is immediately a failure, as we see every day……”
living embodiment of the Divine Mother, don’t think that you have any other way
to rise…….. any attempt to modernize our women, if it tries to take our women
away from that ideal of Sita, is immediately a failure, as we see every day……”
(Professor Prema Pandurang is the founder President
of Samskriti and Kshetropasna Charitable Trust and Founder Trustee of Shree
Chakra Foundation. She is eloquent and
wields a powerful pen; stimulating thought and inner peace. Participated many
international conferences and she cuts across all articial barriers of
religion, age, caste, creed etc. with her soul-inspiring discourses.)
of Samskriti and Kshetropasna Charitable Trust and Founder Trustee of Shree
Chakra Foundation. She is eloquent and
wields a powerful pen; stimulating thought and inner peace. Participated many
international conferences and she cuts across all articial barriers of
religion, age, caste, creed etc. with her soul-inspiring discourses.)
Speaking about his mother who raised his stature,
the factory of Dharma Sri Gurumurthy said, “Indian economy was essentially
family based and woman centric. This is
in contrast to the rights-based and duty based approach of the West. The savings-based model of the Indian economy
had women forming the backbone. This is
in contrast to the investment-centric and materialistic western models. He said the huge savings of Indian households
has enabled the government to borrow from it for infrastructure development,
while in a country like the US, almost every citizen is in debt and the
government borrows three-fourth of the world’s savings.
the factory of Dharma Sri Gurumurthy said, “Indian economy was essentially
family based and woman centric. This is
in contrast to the rights-based and duty based approach of the West. The savings-based model of the Indian economy
had women forming the backbone. This is
in contrast to the investment-centric and materialistic western models. He said the huge savings of Indian households
has enabled the government to borrow from it for infrastructure development,
while in a country like the US, almost every citizen is in debt and the
government borrows three-fourth of the world’s savings.
In India there is no gender conflict like in western
countries. When the Swiss allowed their
women to vote in 1972 India already had a woman Prime Minister, Indira
Gandhi. When the Swiss Parliament
refused their women the right to vote, India’s largest state already had a
woman as Chief Minister; that too a state that had only 20 percent literacy. He
said despite the belief that female feticides existed in rural areas, the sex
ratio told a different story. While in
rural India, the sex ratio is 947 females to 1000 males, in towns it is 926 and
in metros 918. In modern Indian cities
like Ludhiana and Chandigarh, it is 900. Illiterates have kept up female
population alive.
countries. When the Swiss allowed their
women to vote in 1972 India already had a woman Prime Minister, Indira
Gandhi. When the Swiss Parliament
refused their women the right to vote, India’s largest state already had a
woman as Chief Minister; that too a state that had only 20 percent literacy. He
said despite the belief that female feticides existed in rural areas, the sex
ratio told a different story. While in
rural India, the sex ratio is 947 females to 1000 males, in towns it is 926 and
in metros 918. In modern Indian cities
like Ludhiana and Chandigarh, it is 900. Illiterates have kept up female
population alive.
In the Western view, the family itself is a
contract, a terminable one. There is nothing called society, said Margaret
Thatcher.
contract, a terminable one. There is nothing called society, said Margaret
Thatcher.
Bahuka, the advisor of economics has been rejected
in India and followed in US making half of American families state-dependent
and dysfunctional. He also quoted the views of Jagdish Bhagwathi, an economist
that the contribution of Indian families has led to structural change in the
economy; its trade to GDP ratio has tripled.
in India and followed in US making half of American families state-dependent
and dysfunctional. He also quoted the views of Jagdish Bhagwathi, an economist
that the contribution of Indian families has led to structural change in the
economy; its trade to GDP ratio has tripled.
The convention concluded with an oath to resolve the
views of Swami Vivekananda on women and become a contributor and exporter of
Indian thoughts to the world. Ms.Nivedita Bhide, All India Secretary, Swami Vivekananda 150th year celebration Committee was also present with other dignitaries in the dais.
views of Swami Vivekananda on women and become a contributor and exporter of
Indian thoughts to the world. Ms.Nivedita Bhide, All India Secretary, Swami Vivekananda 150th year celebration Committee was also present with other dignitaries in the dais.