Ayush Nadimpalli
Dakshin Madhya Kshetra Prachar Pramukh, R.S.S
Hey, look! They have tattoos all over their bodies!” exclaimed one girl student to her friends at Shilparamam. I asked if they would like to see the tattoos up close. When they discovered that this group of devotees had images of Shri Rama tattooed on their bodies, they were both shocked and amazed. The Ramnaami Sampradaya had travelled from Chhattisgarh to participate in Lokmanthan 2024 at Bhagyanagar.
Lokmanthan 2024 provided an opportunity for thousands of students and elders from the city to learn through Darshanam (seeing) and Shravanam (listening). The event featured various programmes and a large immersive exhibition. The Lok Pradarshani or exhibition was unique, showcasing live performances and stalls that displayed diverse themes.
Being part of the organising team for Lokmanthan 2024 and collaborating with dedicated volunteers for over a year—from planning to execution— was an immense learning experience for me. I gained valuable insights from elders during the planning stages and was inspired by the many young volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure that the delegates and participants were satisfied. Lokmanthan 2024 allowed us to experience the joy of our ancient traditions and learn from the wisdom of people from across the country. As such, it has been rightly termed as a Colloquium of Nation-First Thinkers and Practitioners. The key takeaway from Lokmanthan 2024 was its impact on correcting established narratives ingrained in our psyche. Here are six major contributions:
Establishing the Oneness of Bharath:
“Vanvasi, Gramvasi, Nagarvasi, hum sab Bharatvasi” (Those living in forests, villages and towns/cities are all citizens of Bharat), said our Honourable President Droupadi Murmu. While we may live in different parts of the country, our culture celebrates diversity. Unfortunately, some sections of the academia and media have framed this diversity as division. The worship of divinity in nature is a hallmark of all traditions tracing their origins to Bharat. Lokmanthan 2024 also showcased fire worship and sun worship rituals practiced by the Yezidis, Lithuanians, Romas, Armenians and others from thirteen different countries.
Lok Beyond Folk: An artificial divide has been created between what is termed Classical Forms and Folk. This distinction, rooted in European constructs, hints at the superiority of city dwellers over villagers, labelling folk as inferior. In Bharat, however, our Rishis lived in forests and developed knowledge systems there. Our art forms and instruments are deeply inspired by nature. The term “Lok” should be used extensively, as it is non-translatable.
Dakshinapatha, The Ancient South of Bharat: South India has been misinterpreted, primarily during the British period and later in Independent India, to promote narratives around the Dravidian language and Aryan-Dravidian races. Historically, the term “South of Bharat” referred to territories below the Vindhyas or south of the Narmada, encompassing present-day Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh and parts of Odisha. The exhibition at Lokmanthan highlighted the historical bond among people in this region, illustrating how they supported each other during Islamic and colonial invasions. The current royal family of Bastar traces its lineage back to Warangal in Telangana, having migrated during invasions while carrying images of their deity, the Mother Goddess Maa Durga.
Women’s Education: A key figure at Lokmanthan 2024 was Rani Rudrama Devi. Attendees from across the country and beyond were surprised to learn that she ruled for over 40 years and died on the battlefield at the age of 80. Her life exemplified the fact that women in our country had access to education in statecraft, warfare and administration.
Genius of Native Education: Bharat had a school-or often more than one—in every village. ”You destroyed our tree of knowledge,” declared MK Gandhi at the second round table conference, addressing the British. Lokmanthan 2024 introduced delegates to our experiential knowledge system, highlighting Shri Dharampal’s extensive work documenting Indian knowledge systems based on British surveys and records. To revive our native genius, we must return to the Bharatiya tradition of learning, which includes श्रवणम् (active listening), दर्शशनम् (observing and contemplating), पठनम् (studying texts), म्ननम् (reflecting and internalising) and निधिध्यासनम् (meditative absorption). This holistic approach ensures that knowledge is deeply understood and applied in life.
Listen and Learn: In his valedictory address, Pujaniya Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat ji urged us to visit remote areas in small groups, listen to the profound knowledge of the local people, document their insights and build upon that material. The process of decolonisation has begun; however, rebuilding Bharat must be founded on the solid principles of our ancient knowledge and wisdom, empowering us to address modern challenges with sustainable solutions.
Shri Aurobindo, in his essay “The Need for Original Thinking,” emphasises the importance of harnessing our native genius to build Bharat. He writes, “Our first necessity, if India is to survive and do her appointed work in the world, is that the youth of India should learn to think—think on all subjects, think independently and fruitfully, go to the heart of things, unimpeded by surface distractions, free from prejudgments, and cutting through obscurantism with clarity of thought.” Let us encourage our intellect to flourish, reclaiming the freedom and mastery inherent in the intellect of Bharat, which can easily be regained if we acknowledge our potential and value.
