Window Seat: Ramakrishna Mission @ 125

Prameyanews English

Published By : Prameya News Bureau | June 19, 2022 IST

Ramakrishna Mission is mostly known in India for its extensive educational and philanthropic work including relief work and medical service during disasters.It also expounds a modern version ofAdvaita Vedanta- a school of Indian philosophy in Western countries. Ramakrishna Mission was founded by Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) in 1897 to spread the teachings of ShriRamkrishnaand to improve the social conditions of the people in India. Ramakrishna Mission and its sister organization, the Ramakrishna Math (monastery), constitute two different but related branches of the Ramakrishna Order. {"align":"center","id":191458,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} ShriRamkrishna (1836-86) was a saint who endorsed that all religions are paths to the same goal. He said, joto mat tato path, which means ‘there are so many ways, as many views are there’. It resonates with the teachings of Sri Krishna to Arjuna inBhagavad Gita: "As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take, through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee! In Ramkrishna’s lifetime there grew a small but devoted band of disciples. Among them was the young NarendranathDatta (who later took the name Vivekananda). He was chosen by Ramakrishna as his successor. These disciples were also the nucleus of the Ramakrishna math (“monastery”) established at Belur, on the banks of the Ganges near Calcutta, and consecrated in 1898. {"align":"center","id":191459,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} Ramkrishna Mission presently has many centres around the world in several countries including US, UK, France, Germany, South Africa even in far off Brazil. The VedantaSociety of the City of New York incorporated in 1898, is the oldest branch of the Ramakrishna Mission in the US. It grew out of classes held by Vivekananda while on a visit to the United States to speak before the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. OTT content in regional languges Creative content in regional languages is touching new heights in terms of scale and breaking into new and hitherto unheard of spaces thanks to the growing popularity of OTT platforms in India. As per 2021 Ficci EY report, the share of regional languages in overall OTT video content is expected to double from 27 per cent in 2020 to 54 per cent in 2024, as more streaming platforms take to vernacular programming and films. In 2021 alone, 47% of OTT originals and 69% of films released on platforms were in Indian languages other than Hindi. With time and upgrade of technology and internet ecosphere, regional language will provide limitless possibilities for OTT. With twenty two officially recongnised languages (included in the eighth schedule of the constitution) and 1,576 rationalized languages and 1796 other mother –tongues recorded by Census in India- OTT contents in regional languages have a great potential both in terms of scale, monetization and experimentation. Shame The other day morning while reading newspaper, which gave this news of a government officer being caught by the vigilance department taking bribe, my wife remarked, “Don’t they have any shame?What would their children think of them? And their neighbours?” Her comments made me ruminate over the concept of shame. Why don’t the politicians, government officers, et al do not feel any shame while taking bribes. Why are they so shameless? Although some researchers suggest that shame may be a “a basic part of human biology”, most believe that shame is a social construct. We only learn to feel inadequate and exposed because our particular culture sends us messages about what falls outside the realm of acceptability. Contemporary social and cultural norm plays a dominant role in determining what a shameful act is and what is not. Probably the present society is looking at corruption with benign eye if not approving. And that’s probably why people do not feel ashamed of asking or offering bribe.That’s why corruption has ceased to be an election issue. Tailpiece: Two old Santa-Banta jokes Santa apnigirlfriendko I Luv U kehtahaiaurgirjatahai. Gal: Yehkyakarrahe ho? Santa: I'm falling in love. Banta: Yehchaakukyonubaalrahe ho? Santa: Suicide karnekeliye Banta: To phirubalnekikyazaroorathai? Santa: Kahin infection na ho jaaye! (Courtesy: Social Media) About the Author: Journalist turned media academician Mrinal Chatterjee lives in Dhenkanal, Odisha. He also writes fiction and plays. He can be reached at [email protected] DISCLAIMER This is the personal opinion of the author. The views expressed in this write up have nothing to do with those of prameyanews.com

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