International Foundation for Indian Heritage

[Guest guest]

"Michel Danino" <micheld@s...> wrote:

Friends,

 

I am happy to inform members of a new organization, the International

Forum

for India's Heritage. Its website is at

http://ifihhome.tripod.com/ifih.html

..

 

In India, a child can go through his or her entire schooling without

imbibing even a modicum of Indian culture. Since Independence, India's

heritage has not only been kept out of the educational system, but

has been

increasingly neglected and denigrated by the Indian media

and "elite." This

unnatural situation is behind the creation of this body of eminent and

respected lovers of Indian culture, so they may come together and act

together, instead of being isolated voices or helplessly silent.

 

The idea is not one more association or society, but an informal,

flexible,

expanding forum-cum-network centred around a strong core of eminent

academics, artists, scientists, journalists, writers, social workers,

environmentalists etc. IFIH has over 150 founder members ; the

complete list

can be found on its website http://ifihhome.tripod.com/ifih.html .

 

IFIH is a strictly non-political and non-ideological body, whose

positive

mission is to promote, first in India's national life, the best

values of

India's heritage in its various aspects — spiritual, cultural,

artistic,

educational, scientific, social, medical, archaeological, tribal,

traditional, etc. It will also seek to highlight India's contribution

to

world civilization.

 

Some of IFIH's better-known founder members are include : Swami

Dayananda

Saraswati, Dr. Kiran Bedi, Dr. Lokesh Chandra, Dr. P. N. Chopra, Dr.

David

Frawley, Shri S. Gurumurthy, Dr. Kireet Joshi, Prof. Subhash Kak,

Shri D. R.

Karthikeyan, Dr. Subhash Kashyap, Shri M. K. Kaw, Smt. Madhu Kishwar,

Prof.

B. B. Lal, Shri Rajiv Malhotra, Dr. V. N. Misra, Dr. R. Nagaswamy,

Shri C.

V. Devan Nair, Dr. V. R. Panchamukhi, Prof. Prema Pandurang, Maj.

Gen. Vinod

Saighal, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Prof. Ajay Mitra Shastri, Dr. L. M.

Singhvi, Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, Prof. Daya Nath Tripathi, Shri R. C.

Tripathi, Prof. K. I. Vasu, Dr. K. Venkatasubramanian... Many lesser-

known

members are no less eminent in their respective fields.

 

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has endorsed IFIH's ideals and expressed

his

support. His message can be found on IFIH's website.

 

IFIH was inaugurated exactly two months ago, on November 18, at a two-

day

convention in New Delhi attended by 64 of the founder members and

inaugurated by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

 

Its first task is to prepare a series on all important facets of

India's

heritage. Each volume will be of small format, with fewer than 200

pages,

well illustrated and produced, and written in a living, entertaining

language aimed at the ordinary Indian rather than the scholar. Such a

"popular" series of high quality will be widely distributed, and also

adopted by numerous schools. It will then form the basis for a full-

fledged

heritage course which educational institutions will be able to take

up in

turn. IFIH's heritage course will eventually be made available through

correspondence and over the Internet. Audiovisual material,

exhibitions etc.

will be prepared on the same basis. IFIH will also seek to

collaborate with

organizations outside India working along parallel lines so as to

benefit

Indians abroad and non-Indians alike.

 

IFIH is now open to all individuals and institutions that support its

Charter, are genuinely concerned with the state of things and eager

to do

something about it. The main focus will be on action more than

discussion,

and action especially on the educational and cultural fronts. (IFIH

also has

an egroup open to its members.)

 

Preliminary reactions to IFIH in India have been very enthusiastic.

Please

support this important initiative.

 

Regards,

 

Michel Danino

convener, IFIH

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