Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan, Wardha

  National Academy of Direct Taxes , Nagpur  requested the Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan  to facilitate a study visit of  75 th  batch of Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes)  from National Academy of Customs , Indirect Taxes and Narcotics  who were undergoing a four week training at Nagpur from  27 May 2024 onwards. The 45 officer trainees including 5 officers from Royal Service of Bhutan visited the ashram on May 30,2024. The purpose of the study visit was to provide the officer trainees a fairly good knowledge of Sevagram Ashram.  Shri Pankaj Desmukh, Assistant Director (I& CT), NADT Nagpur was instrumental in coordinating the programme. The trainees on arrival at the ashram visited the heritage buildings  and  the importance of each building was explained to them in  brief. After the ashram visit, they went to the library and Research Centre of Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan for  further interaction. Dr...

  Three Pencil drawings dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of Democracy By Susheel Kumar Gotla     Susheel Kumar Gotla is  a Hyderabad based artist who uses his pencil or brush when he is moved by certain ideas. He is very much concerned about eroding the values of democracy. He said   “Over the past two months, there has been a cacophony of political noise emanating from various parties, with candidates engaging in mudslinging rather than addressing the issues faced by the less fortunate in our country.”  In the midst of all these he channelized his mind reflecting on Gandhi's vision of "swaraj" for his motherland. He feels that every citizen should reflect upon it. After casting his vote  in the morning  he returned home to immerse himself in his artistic passion.  He spent almost four hours creating three pencil portraits of Mahatma Gandhi.         Democracy is an impossible thing until the power is shared ...

  How to improve the upholding of Positive Power Dynamics in an Organization ? Some Strategies or measures  within   the Conflict Transformation Framework Siby Kollappallil  Joseph  Summary of Virtual presentation on May 11, 2024 for the training programme of  Executive Members of Nonviolence Advocates Association  at Creative Art Studio, Farato , The Gambia.   "Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by arts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment. " M. K. Gandhi  Young India , 8-1-1925 Power is basically looked upon with suspicion and considers it  a sinister one. 1   The approach of M. K. Gandhi 2  was also on similar lines. In each and every organization there is a power structure. It is believed that it is essential for the orderly functioning of an organization or an association. Even in organizat...

  Nonviolence Advocates Association, the Gambia organised a training programme for its executive members on May 11 th and 12 th , 2024. The venue of the programme was Creative Art Studio, Farato. The programme included both online and onsite sessions.  The Upholding of Positive Power Dynamics in an Organization, Understanding the Correlation between Nonviolence and Peace, The ability to be Nonviolent within ourselves and how to use it to change society for better Gandhism, Trauma and Stress Management.  The key facilitators of the programme were Dr. Siby K. Joseph, Prof. John  Chelladurai Prof. Michael Sonnleitner,  Mr.Ousman Samba  and Mr. Mbaye Mballow.   Dr. Siby K. Joseph , Director of Sri Jamnalal  Bajaj Library and Research Centre for  Gandhian Studies of Sevagram Ashram Pratishthan , Wardha addressed the participants on virtual mode on the theme  What Strategies can be used in Connection with the Conflict Transformation Fra...

Tagore and Gandhi : The beauty of in-depth debates     When Mahatma Gandhi came and opened up the path of freedom for India, he had no obvious medium of power in his hand, no overwhelming authority of coercion. The influence which emanated from his personality was ineffable, like music, like beauty. Its claim upon others was great because of its revelation of a spontaneous self-giving. This is the reason why our people have hardly ever laid emphasis upon his natural cleverness in manipulating recalcitrant facts. They have rather dwelt upon the truth which shines through his character in lucid simplicity . Rabindranath Tagore Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and  Mahatma  Gandhi    maintained a unique relationship despite their differences on some key issues. Gandhi returned to India   in 1915 and Gurudev welcomed his Phoenix party at Shantiniketan and gave Gandhi a free hand to undertake experiments in education at his ashram, and described it as key to swa...

Dr. Ambedkar's discussion with Mahatma  on the Question of Conversion on May 1, 1936 at Segaon   Mahatma Gandhi left Satyagraha Ashram, Ahmedabad  in  March 1930 in the wake of Salt March with a solemn vow that he will return to the Ashram only when India gets independence from  British rule. Gandhi came to Wardha on September 23, 1933 and started his Harijan tour from here on November 7. Gandhi returned to Wardha again on August 7 and stayed in Satyagraha Ashram of Vinoba Bhave at Wardha, which is presently known as Mahila Ashram. It was during this period Gandhi decided to retire from the Indian National Congress. On December 15, 1934, the All India Village Industries Association was formed at Wardha.  Jamnalal Bajaj had donated twenty acres of land and a house to Gandhi which was later renamed as Maganwadi in the memory of Maganlal Gandhi, which became the headquarters of All India Village Industries Association. By March 1936 Gandhi decided to live in a...