WAVES PRESS RELEASE - International Conference on India's Contributions to the World

[Guest guest]

>Bal Ram Singh

>bsingh (AT) UMassD (DOT) Edu >PRESS RELEASE - International Conference on

India's Contributions to the World >Tue, 23 Jul 2002 16:48:27 -0400 >

>Dear Friends, > >Here is our first press release on the WAVES conference just

>concluded at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. We are very glad >that the

Center for Indic Studies was able to co-sponsor this event. >We at the Center

look forward more such events in the future. > >Regards, > >Bal Ram >

>International Conference Highlights and Exhorts India's >Contributions and

Influences to Solve World's Current Problems > > > Academic scholars and

non-academic practitioners alike >presented Vedic and Upanishadic ideas of

understanding and Ahimsa to >address some of the most pressing global problems

in today's world. >Dr. Francis Clooney of Boston College presented ideas how

today's >global audience with diverse religious, philosophical, and cultural

>interests, can still learn from the language, methods, and >conclusions of the

Upnishads. > > Professor Hope Fitz of Eastern Connecticut University >stated

that "never has there been a time when ahimsa, basically >nonharm and

compassion, was needed more than it is today." She >elaborated principles of

ahimsa as practiced by Gandhi as well as in >the Jain and Buddhist traditions.

> >The Center for Indic Studies (CIS) of UMass Dartmouth hosted the

>international conference on India's contributions and influence in >the world

on July 12-14, 2002. The conference was coordinated by >the World Association

for Vedic Studies (WAVES) Inc., which has >organized such biennial conferences

since 1996. This was the fourth >of such WAVES event; the three previous ones

were at Atlanta (GA) >in 1996, at Los Angeles (CA) in 1998, and at Hoboken (NJ)

in 2000. > > The conference attracted many international scholars on >Vedic

literature and Indic civilization, with nearly 200 abstracts >submitted for

presentations to run in the course of three days. >UMass Dartmouth with its

beautiful and serene campus provided its >auditorium, lecture halls, parking,

housing facilities for almost >four days to the Center for Indic Studies to

host this conference. > > The inaugural address presented by Dr. Kalyanraman

>highlighted incrementally acceptable theory and existence of on >Sarasvati

Civilisation. Dr. Frawley followed up on this in his >lecture on the R.gveda

and the Ocean, referring to the significance >of the discovery of the course of

River Sarasvati over 1,600 kms. >from Manasarovar to Gujarat (with an average

width of a staggering 6 >to 8 kms. of palaeo-channels of the river, as seen

from the >satellite images) and the discovery of over 2,000 archaeological

>sites of the civilisation (i.e. 80% of the so-called sites of >Harappan

culture). The R.gveda was composed on the banks of River >Sarasvati, the same

river along the banks of which Balara_ma (elder >brother of Kr.s.n.a) goes on a

pilgrimage for 40 plus days visiting >the ancient pilgrimage sites, r.s.i

a_s'rama-s and offers homage to >the r.s.i-s and pitr.-s (as described in the

S'alya Parva of the >Maha_bha_rata in 200 s'lokas). The continuity of this

Sarasvati >culture in Bha_rata was elaborated by presenting emphatic cultural

>markers, for example, wearing of the sindhur by married women > > The campus

and community was abuzz with nearly 250 >participants during the conference,

some lingered on even after the >last day just to relax a bit or to arrange a

suitable departure >flight. > > The program officially started on July 12, with

breakfast >and registration at 7 a.m. But many international delegates had

>begun to arrive as early as the morning of July 11 at the T.F. Green >and

Logan airports in Providence, R.I. and Boston, MA, respectively. > Picking them

up from the airports, rail and bus stations and >housing them created some

challenging logistic and manpower >difficulties. The dedicated faculty members

of CIS, graduate >students and other volunteers had to manage and resolve these

>problems. Most of the work ran very smoothly, despite their limited >resources.

Their hospitality was specially appreciated by most >attendees. > >More than one

hundred and fifty presentations ranging from spiritual >Vedic literature to

tradition to science took place over the course >of 30 parallel sessions, in

addition to inaugural addresses, keynote >speeches, plenary and public

lectures, keynote speeches, and a panel >discussion. > >Breakfast, lunch and

dinner were served by volunteers many of whom >also manned bookstands and

directed attendees to the next >presentation. Conches were blown to indicate

the beginning of a new >lecture or the end of a tea break. > >Many prominent

Indologists were in attendance, like author Dr. David >Frawley, who spoke on

the Rig-Veda; Professor Hope K. Fitz, who >spoke on ahimsa in yoga sutras; and

Dr. S. Kalyanraman, member of >the Akhila Bharateeya Itihaasa Sankalana Yojana,

who presented an >in-depth and scholarly lecture on Sarasvati Civilization. >

>International and local delegates alike lingered in the vicinity of >the main

auditorium from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and >Saturday, and from 7:30

a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, often engaged in >heated debates of Vedic

significance, socializing, or reading. > >"What I would like to do is bring

India to the West," said French >journalist and author Francois Gautier. "I

believe India is going >to be the spiritual leader of the world. That is why I

fight for >India." > >Other scholars from China, India, Nepal, the Caribbean,

Germany, >Netherlands, UK, Canada, and the U.S., as well as artists of all

>kinds were also in attendance. > >A general theme running throughout the

conference reflected on the >deep scientific and systematic nature of life of

Vedic tradition >people, and the culture of celebrated diversity commonly

visible >even in today's India. > >Dr. B. K. Modi, President of Indian Council

of Religious Leaders, >presented a general overview of India and Hinduism as an

epitomy of >Arts and Sciences of Human Welfare. Mr. Rajiv Malhotra, President,

>Infinity Foundation, presented ideas for repositioning Hinduism in >the

American education system. He was particularly critical of >Western

academicians who after learning many ideas from the Indic >traditions end up

trashing the source of their information. > > One of the non-academic,

nevertheless most attractive items of the >conference was featured on Saturday

July 13 th evening in the Main >Auditorium of UMass Dartmouth. Wearing gleaming

garments that >resembled flower petals, as well as bangles, anklets, and jewelry

>that adorned even their hair, professional dancers performed in >sequences that

lasted anywhere from two to twenty minutes. This >cultural program of dance

recitals was open and free to public. >Mrs. Ranjani Saigal, Director of Eastern

Rhythms School of Dance >organized and presented this program. > >On Sunday July

14, in the plenary session, Dr. Vasant Lad of the >Ayuvedic Instite, NM, gave a

scholarly overview of Ayurveda in daily >life, followed by a two-hour special

workshop for interested >participants on the basic principles of Ayurveda. >

>Ayurveda and Health, and Consciousness sessions attracted the most >delegates.

Several presentations emphasized the scientific nature of >Ayurveda, and the

opportunity for an enormous market for Ayurvedic >medicine in the west.

Consciousness studies are becoming popular in >Psychology departments on most

US universities. According to Don >Salmon of Salem, South Carolina, said that

"when compared to Indian >Philosophy/Psychology, the western psychology,

neuroscience, and >consciousness studies combined do not correspond to even

significant >fraction". > > Dr. Koenraad Elst of Belgium presented a lecture

entitled >"Hindu Influence on Christianity" outlining some of the

>philosophical elements of Christianity including the doctrine of >incarnation

have their roots in Vedic/Buddhist traditions. > > The enormity and challenges

in organizing the conference >can be judged by the fact that the organizers,

had to run six >parallel sessions simultaneously on various special theme areas

each >afternoon of the conference to accommodate the number of >presentations. >

> The last part of the program, which followed a lunch >break, was a very lively

panel discussion on Current Global >Influences of Vedic Thoughts and Hindu

Practices; panelists >consisted of Dr. Deen B. Chandora, Dr. Konraa Elst, Mr.

Francois >Gautier, Mr. Rajeev Malhotra, and Dr. Bal Ram Singh, with a very

>heavy participation from the audience. Issues related to Hindu vs. >India,

ways to include other groups who follow Indic tradition of >dharma and accept

diversity of cultures and religions, less than >adequate representation of

practicing Indians to be involved in >academic Indic scholarship, and need for

an assertive Indian/Hindu >point of view were discussed. > > Dr.Bal Ram Singh,

Dr. Suku Sengupta and Dr. T. K. Roy of CIS at >UMass Dartmouth worked

tirelessly in organizing and conducting the >event. Dr. Shankha Bhowmick, Dr.

Madhu Jhaveri and many volunteers >from the campus and the community provided

their assistance. Prof. >Bhu Dev Sharma, President of the Hindu University of

America, was >the coordinator and arranged for most of the speakers in various

>symposia in the conference. Without the Himalayan efforts of Mr. >Ishwar

Patel, Mr. Mahesh Patel, and their families and friends the >program could not

have been successful. > > The Center for Indic Studies at UMass Dartmouth

hosted the >conference whose mission is to "highlight India's time-tested

>eternal values for world's progress, peace and harmony" and >"cultivate

relevance of ancient Indic human values through scholarly >understanding and

promotion." Some of its goals are to "promote >awareness among Americans of

contemporary India and its demographic >diversity in the 21st century" as well

as "disseminate understanding >of issues relating to the arts, philosophy,

culture, societal >values, and customs of India " for the benefit of the world

as a >family. > > The program concluded on July 14 th by remarks from

>Professor Bhu Dev Sharma and Mr. Dhirendra Shah of WAVES. Dr. Bal >Ram Singh, of CIS, expressed thanks to all the >participants, the various

organizations, and the volunteers who >worked tirelessly to make the conference

a success. > > The proceedings of the conference with all the edited >papers

presented in full-length is planned to be published and will >be available for

public perusal and dissemination. Further details >can be accessed at the

website: www.umassd.edu/indic/waves. > > >Prepared by Professors TK Roy and Bal

Ram Singh, Center for Indic >Studies, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

7/22/02. > >Pictures: > >1. IndicStudiesWAVES_0702_1858.jpg - Inaugural session

being >addressed by Professor Bal Ram Singh. Seated at the dais are Prof.

>Thomas Forsthoefel, Prof. Hope Fitz, Dr. Kalyanraman, Prof. BhuDev >Sharma and

Prof. T. S. Rukmani > >2. IndicStudiesWAVES_0702_2010.jpg - An unidentified

classical >dancer at the cultural program > >3. IndicStudiesWAVES_0702_1937.jpg

Fancois Gautier, French >journalist and author giving a public lecture > > >

>Bal Ram Singh, Ph.D. >Director, Center for Indic Studies >University of

Massachusetts Dartmouth >285 Old Westport Road >Dartmouth, MA 02747 > >Phone:

508-999-8588 >Fax: 508-999-8451 >Email: bsingh (AT) umassd (DOT) edu > >Internet address:

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