NEW DELHI
Cultural thinkers, educators, and social advocates from India, Mauritius, and the United Kingdom converged at an international webinar on Wednesday to call for environmental stewardship, women's dignity, and dietary restraint.
The discussions linked the conclusion of Pitru Paksha and Wildlife Week to the upcoming Sharadiya Navratri and Ramlila festivities, urging that traditional rituals be translated into daily social and ecological action.
The event marked the 666th web gathering organized by RJS Positive Media. Centered on the theme of nature, faith, power, and the values of Ram and Sita as a confluence of traditions in the month of Ashwin, the session highlighted practical reforms across community life, heritage preservation, and public health.
The event marked the 666th web gathering organized by RJS Positive Media. Centered on the theme of nature, faith, power, and the values of Ram and Sita as a confluence of traditions in the month of Ashwin, the session highlighted practical reforms across community life, heritage preservation, and public health.
Presiding over the webinar, Rajesh Sharma, founder of the Prakriti Bhakt Foundation and patron of Delhi's Dharmik Bal Utsav Trust, announced that an eco-conscious Ramlila will be staged from October 10 to October 21 at the Jan Sabha Ground in Sector 14, Dwarka, New Delhi.
Sharma stated that the production would incorporate depictions of national martyrs alongside extensive messaging on environmental preservation and afforestation. He expressed deep concern over the displacement of wildlife, remarking that animals appearing near human settlements are victims of habitat destruction rather than threats, and called on society to respect the right of all living creatures to inhabit the planet.
Outlining a major upcoming advocacy initiative, Special Guest Nitin Mehta, MBE, founder of the Indian Vegetarian and Vegan Society in London and Hon.In-charge of RJS Positive Branch, London ,UK chapter, announced plans for a large-scale non-violence and vegetarian campaign in Delhi this coming January. Mehta said the movement will ask participants to pledge against consuming meat, fish, and eggs, while encouraging a gradual transition away from dairy products to curb animal suffering. He asserted that reverence for animals is a foundational gift of Indian civilization to the world and must be revived actively.
Dr. Vinod Bala Arun, president of the Ramayan Centre in Mauritius and chief guest at the session, observed that Indian festivals celebrated across the diaspora reflect deep connections to nature and seasonal shifts. Explaining the contrast in seasons between the northern and southern hemispheres, she noted that fasting and festivals serve to discipline the human body and mind in rhythm with climatic changes. She emphasized that Navratri's worship of the goddess embodies three vital forces: physical vitality through Kali, material resources through Lakshmi, and intellect and discretion through Saraswati. Dr. Arun shared that while full-scale Ramlila performances remain limited in Mauritius compared to India or Fiji, the Ramayan Centre organizes an Akhand Ramayan recitation on Vijaya Dashami alongside youth-focused cultural presentations to root the younger generation in core moral values.
Addressing the assembly from Mauritius as a special guest, Dr. Somdutt Kasinath, deputy head master and multilingual author associated with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, stressed that ecological balance is embedded in ancient Indian texts. Quoting the Prithvi Sukta from the Atharvaveda, which reveres the Earth as a mother, he argued that religious rituals lose meaning if natural water bodies and trees are left polluted and destroyed. He insisted that worshipping divine feminine power in temples must be matched by guaranteeing real safety, education, and equal opportunity for women across homes and workplaces. Dr. Kasinath proposed four collective resolutions: integrating conservation into routine life, uniting faith with rational wisdom, defending women's dignity, and adopting the truth and restraint personified by Ram and Sita.
Delivering the keynote address, Brahma Kumari Lata Didi, motivational speaker from the Rajyoga Centre in Derawal Nagar, Delhi, called for a shift from superficial ritualism to internal transformation. She remarked that true faith during Pitru Paksha lies in respecting living parents and elders rather than merely performing ceremonial offerings after their demise. Speaking on the spiritual essence of diet, she explained that preparing sattvik food requires a conscious intent of offering and purity rather than viewing dietary restrictions as a temporary nine-day burden. She also analyzed the philosophical dimensions of Ram, describing the ideal personality as one defined by disciplined adherence to duty, humility, and the conquest of internal vices.
Offering ground-level observations from the Himalayan region, participant Pitamber Manoj from Uttarakhand contrasted the restorative qualities of clean mountain air and herbal biodiversity with unchecked urban pollution. However, he warned of evident ecological distress in the hills, pointing out that butterfly populations and native birds have dropped dramatically over the past two decades due to environmental disruptions.
Uday Manna, founder and national convenor of Positive Media, coordinated the proceedings and announced that a 10-day video awareness series on Navratri, Ramlila, and positive living will be anchored by Dr. Om Prakash of the organization's youth wing in Patna. Manna also highlighted ongoing social initiatives, including a blood donation awareness drive in collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Society and the departure of the 26th Asthi Kalash Visarjan Yatra from Delhi to Haridwar, led by Vijay Sharma of the Shri Devotthan Seva Samiti with 5,366 unclaimed mortal remains. Toward the end of the broadcast, Manna paid condolences referencing reports of the demise of veteran actor Nana Patekar. The deliberations of the international session are scheduled to be documented in a monthly newsletter to be released on National Unity Day, October 31.
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