Nagaloka 2011 Annual Report

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Nagarjuna Training Institute ‘Nagaloka’, Kamptee Road, Near Akashwani Tower, Bhilgaon, Nagpur, India Phone: +91-712-264 2003/ 6699 Fax: +91-712- 264 3994 Website: www.Nagaloka.org

To spread Buddhism is to serve mankind

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Nagaloka Annual Report 2011

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1. OVERVIEW………………………………………………………………….………….……….……04

2. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….…….……..…06

3. REVIVAL OF BUDDHISM IN INDIA……………………………………………………..…………..08

4. TOWARDS GLOBAL BUDDHIST COMMUNITY…………………………….…………….……….….....15

5. BUDDHIST BASED SOCIAL ACTION…………………………………………………………..……….….20

6. HOW YOU CAN HELP………...………………………..……………………………………….….……..…..22

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Nagaloka is situated in Nagpur, in the centre of India. It is also the centre of the new Buddhist

Movement for the very fact that Dr. Ambedkar converted there on 14th October 1956 with

500,000 followers largely from the most oppressed sections of society – formerly known as

untouchables and now known as Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Castes.

The Nagaloka campus is almost 15 acres, and consists of a large Dhamma Teaching Hall, library

and teaching rooms, residential accommodation for students as well as for conferences, and other

facilities. At the centre of the campus is a beautiful statue of the Buddha walking – 36 feet high,

on a 20 foot mound.

Nagaloka‟s vision is to create a casteless society based on the Buddhist values of liberty,

equality and fraternity as envisioned by Dr. Ambedkar, through walking in the footsteps of the

Buddha.

Dr. Ambedkar (1891-1956), born a so-called untouchable, is a revered figure for millions

because of his struggle to eradicate untouchability and caste. Although he brought about many

significant social and legal changes in India, and played the leading role in drafting the new

constitution, it was Buddhism more than these that he felt would help bring about the most

effective changes in Indian society. Unfortunately he died on December 6, 1956, just six weeks

after his conversion, and was not able to see his great work through.

There are estimated to be 40 million Buddhists in India today, but more than 200 million

Scheduled Castes are to some extent open to Dr. Ambedkar’s message of the Dhamma, as well

as many from other backgrounds. There is very little effective teaching available to them, most

being extremely poor, and having been largely ignored by the Buddhist world.

There are three aspects to Nagaloka.

1. The Nagarjuna Institute (NI) was established at Nagaloka, to train young people from all

over India in basic Buddhist teachings and practices, as well as social work..

- The students come from some of the most deprived and oppressed situations, often with a

feeling of no hope whatsoever. After a year of Dhamma practice most feel transformed, with a

new vision of life, and the Dhamma tools to develop it.

- The new confidence in the Dhamma they develop gives them energy to share what they have

learnt with many others in their villages and towns.

1. Overview

5


- Many have started social projects in their villages and towns.

- The all- India network of NI graduates is the basis for organising local activities, retreats and

lecture tours, making a significant contribution to the revival of Buddhism in India.

2. A Place of Interaction between Buddhist in India and Abroad Most Indian Buddhists are

too poor to travel abroad to meet other Buddhists, and so cannot learn from them. At the same

time most foreign Buddhists know nothing of the remarkable attempts by the new Buddhists to

transform their individual and social lives through the practice of the Dhamma, and so lose out

on a very rich source of inspiration. Many people from throughout the Buddhist world visit

Nagaloka every year, besides which several international conferences have been held there.

Many leading Buddhists have visited from Taiwan and elsewhere, including the Dalai Lama,

Sulak Sivaraksa and Ven Thicht Nhat Hanh.

3. A Place for Pilgrimage Central to the vision of Nagaloka is creating faith in the Buddha, At

the centre of the campus there is a very beautiful statue of the Buddha walking, in the mudra of

giving confidence and courage. This represents the Buddha’s compassion and helps us to

remember that he spent eight months a year of his life walking the roads of 4 Nagaloka Annual

Report 2011

India, continually going out to help people. Nagaloka is part of the family known as the Triratna

Buddhist Community, founded by Sangharakshita in 1967.

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Buddhism flourished in the Indian subcontinent for over 1500 years. During this

period it developed in a rich kaleidoscope of different forms. All the major schools of Buddhism

worldwide can trace their origin to India.

With teachers, monks, scholars and traders constantly were travelling throughout Asia,

Buddhism played a unifying role for humanity, inspiring cultures of peace, respect, compassion

and beauty, and transcending the limited identities of race and language.

The decline of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent removed a great source of inspiration for

Buddhists throughout the rest of Asia although by then local schools had developed their own

momentum. While Buddhism as an institutional faith died in India, it had profound and long

lasting effects on Indian culture and civilisation.

Modern developments in the west have influenced societies all over the world, with regard to

human rights, nation states, and government. The principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity

have become the guiding principles of governments throughout the world. In the past Buddhism

had a highly beneficial effect on the societies and cultures which it came in contact with. The

combination of modernity and Buddhism today present a unique opportunity to humanity. Dr.

Ambedkar was convinced that Buddhism was the only religion suitable for the modern world.

But, he said “the world cannot be reformed except reformation of the mind of man and the mind

of world”.

Dr. Ambedkar found that Buddhism was the only means to effectively destroy the inequality of

the caste system, and the cruelty of untouchability. More than a quarter of Indian population (that

is, roughly 360 million) live below poverty line and 20 percent people (that is 200 million) live

below hunger line. The vast majority of these have been dehumanised by the designation of

untouchability. Buddhism, with its humane and egalitarian values and methods, can fight

poverty and discrimination through the practice of the Paramita.

Dr. Ambedkar saw through Buddhism a possibility of new and just India. He made the Buddhist

values of liberty, equality and fraternity the core of the Constitution of India, which he drafted.

Although he died in 1956, he inspired millions of Indians to bring back Buddhism to the land of

its birth. After 55 years, this great peaceful revolution is beginning to develop a snowball effect -

and many millions are ready to learn and practice Buddhism to transform themselves and

society.

But there is little training available and if the newly converted Buddhists get no help in this area

they will not be able to overcome the cruel caste system, and Buddhism will not return to the

land of its birth. This was the reason for starting the Nagarjuna Institute at Nagaloka in Nagpur.

It has been conducting a one year residential course on "Buddhism and Social Action" since

2003 during which over 650 students from 22 states have been trained. After training, most of

2. Introduction by Lokamitra

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them have been working in different parts of India to spread the teachings of the Buddha and

work to improve society. They have come to believe that to spread Buddhism is to serve

mankind.

Buddhism is also undergoing a thorough review in the traditional Asian Buddhist countries of

south and south East Asia, while it is reviving in China and developing in the west. India is well

placed to act as a meeting point for exploring the relevance of Buddhism in the modern world.

Besides the revival of Buddhism in India Nagaloka is committed to promoting interaction

between Buddhists from all over the world, investigating the social implications of Buddhist

practice, and exploring ways in which Buddhism can strengthen democracy in India and

elsewhere. Every year Buddhist leaders such as the Dalai Lama as well as people from all over

the Buddhist world and the west visit Nagaloka and contribute to this interaction, to see how they

can help, through their Buddhist practice, to work together for a more humane world.

This is the beginning of the huge but achievable dream we started Nagaloka and the Nagarjuna

Institute for.

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Dr. Ambedkar‟s Birth Celebration: 14th April, 2010.

Dr. Ambedkar fought for social justice throughout his life and it is because of his efforts that

Scheduled Caste communities enjoy safeguards in politics, law and education. And because of

his conversion to Buddhism they enjoy the possibility of a life of human dignity and social life

based on the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity.

His birthday is celebrated throughout India with great joy. On this occasion, at Nagaloka we

gather together near his larger than life-size statue in the campus to pay our respects and go for

refuge to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, just as he did in 1956 a few weeks before his

passing away. This was followed this year by a seminar, organised by Dhammachari Aryashur

on Liberty, Equality and Fraternity during which several student made presentations. In the

evening the students organised a cultural programme.

Retreat for Nagaloka NI graduates; 1st - 10th May, 2010

Astangik Marg Retreat Centre, near Pune.

This was first of the retreats aimed at working with the Nagaloka NI graduates, these participants

coming from the States of Orissa, Kerala, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. For the first five days we

studied the Sigalavada Sutta from the Pali Canon. Although this is widely referred to as the

Laymen’s Vinaya, it goes into a number of crucial areas of Dhamma practice, ethics, and

especially the four speech precepts, spiritual friendship, and the application of the Dhamma to

our social relationships. While the social situation at the time of the Buddha was very different,

we tried to take the principles enunciated by the Buddha and apply them in today’s social

3. Revival of Buddhism in India: Training, teaching, retreats and Dhamma study

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conditions. The second five days were devoted to more intensive meditation. 7Nagaloka Annual

Report 2011

Buddha Jayanti and Graduation Ceremony 27th May, 2010.

The full moon day on the month of May or Vaishakha Purnima is the day when Siddhartha

became the Buddha. We celebrated this with a three day retreat, looking at greater depth at the

Three Jewels. The culmination of that retreat took place on the full moon night marking the end

of the 8th one year course of studies. Students made a commitment to try and practice the

Dhamma throughout their life. 8Nagaloka Annual Report 2011

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Inauguration of the 9th Year of Studies 5th July, 2010.

Each New Year of studies is started on Dhamma Day, the full moon day of July, when the

Buddha set the Wheel of the Dhamma turning at Sarnath. The chief guests were Mr. E Z

Khobragade, Chairman of the Social Welfare Department, Government of Maharashtra and Ven.

Khemachara from Hyderabad. 40 male and 30 female students were present.

Nagaloka Advisory meeting 20-21 August, 2010.

Nagaloka this year started twice yearly meetings of an Indian advisory body to review its various

projects. At this first meeting Dhammachari Lokamitra gave an overview of all the projects –

The Nagarjuna Institute (NI), the NI graduate programme and network development, local

Buddhist activities, building relationship with international Buddhist communities and Nagaloka

as a centre for pilgrimage, as well as of course, the financial situation. The meeting discussed the

significance of these projects for the development of Buddhism in India, the difficulties each

project faced, and how they could be enhanced.

Retreat for NI graduates; 23rd - 30th October, 2010.

Lokamitra and Vivekaratna led a Dhamma study retreat for 12 NI graduates, on the Sigalavada

Sutta from the Pali Canon.. Discussions revolved around the difficulties of working with the

suffering created by the caste system in the areas where the NI graduates were working, and

especially the deeply entrenched views so many people hold, making it very difficult for them to

change, even though they suffer so much from them. During the week we heard how the NI

graduates responded to Nagaloka when they first attended the course. Almost all remarked on the

feeling of equality they experienced when they first visited, something most of them had not

experienced before.

Study Retreat on “Which Way Freedom”: 4th

– 11th

November, 2010.

In the year 1936, Dr. Ambedkar gave one of his most

important speeches on finding a solution to the problem

of caste and untouchability - essential reading for anyone

who wants to understand how he set out on the path to

Buddhism. Dhammachari Vivekaratna, the director of the

Nagarjuna Institute, led the study, with a view to looking

at the present situation of Scheduled Castes, and how we

can best communicate today the teaching of the Buddha

to help them escape the hell of caste and purify their

minds. 9Nagaloka Annual Report 2011

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Dhamma Tour to Tamil Nadu: November 2010.

Community Centre in Kerala: November 2010.

There are very few Buddhists in Kerala, but over 40 NI graduates from Nagaloka, many of

whom are very active in different parts of the State. Vivekaratna visited Kerala after Tamil Nadu

for lectures and to finalise the purchase of a community centre Kollam District, which now

serves as a base for some Dhamma and social activities. The activities that are run in Kerala

include regular Dhamma classes, Dhamma tours, retreats, creating awareness of caste and how to

go beyond it, as well as tuition and English classes for very poor students. In December a three

day camp was held for learning English for Scheduled Caste and Buddhist women. Kerala has

the highest literacy rate in India, and had a strong Communist movement for many years. Even

so the Scheduled Castes experience considerable discrimination and many are seriously

interested in Buddhism, as a way to develop their lives.

After the Tsunami in 2004, some of our NI graduates in

Tamil Nadu started two hostels for Scheduled Caste

children who were badly affected in the calamity. Those

hostels are still going very well, and have a very joyful

atmosphere. Since then our NI graduates have been also

conducting Dhamma activities. There is very little known

about Buddhism in Tamil Nadu, although enormous

interest amongst the Scheduled Castes. Vivekaratna and

Nagamitra went to keep contact with our NI graduates and

to give talks on Buddhism to the general public, as well as

to conduct a Buddhist wedding ceremony for one of the NI

graduates. 10 Nagaloka Annual Report 2011

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School for Mushahar Children, Utter Pradesh.

Deepamala, from Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, studied at Nagaloka 2009-2010. She was from one

of the most degraded communities, the human scavengers. After finishing at Nagaloka she

started working with the Koshish (meaning “to try”) school at Malwabar village, for children

from the Mushahar community. This is one of the lowest in the caste hierarchy. They have to

live outside the village, are landless, survive on the verge of starvation, with no schools, no

electricity, and no health centres. Many have to eat rats to survive.

The school rooms are made out of bamboo thatched hut, accommodating between 150-250

children ranging from the age of two till the age of 15. When they first find these children, they

bath them, give them new clothes, and feed them. Most of the children suffer from

malnutrition and the other serious deficiencies when they join the school, but after a couple of

months their health condition noticeably improves.

To encourage Deepamala in this work, we have raised money to help develop the school and

community centre for these children.

Dhamma Tour to Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, 4th

- 6th

December 2010.

Dhammachari Maitreyanath gave several lectures in and around Luck now, the capital of Utter

Pradesh, which has the largest number of Scheduled Castes in India. Many are interested in

Buddhism, but trained Dhamma teachers are very few. As Dr. Ambedkar passed away on 6th

December, 1956, his talks centred on Dr. Ambedkar and his contribution to the revival of

Buddhism in India. His talks were organised by NI graduates, and others associated with

Nagaloka, and aimed to support their local activities.

13


Annual Graduate Conference; 1st - 10

th January, 2011

These conferences enable the NI graduates to renew connections, and strengthen the fast

developing all-India network. Lokamitra gave a series of four talks looking at the situation with

regard to Buddhists and Scheduled Castes, a Buddhist vision for India, an approach to Dhamma

practice, and the practical tasks we need to undertake to engage in this work. There were other

lectures by Mangesh, Priyadarshi, Manidhamma, Viradhamma, Maitreyanath, and Vivekaratna,

exploring other aspects of this theme, as well as workshops looking at more specifically social

action themes. Most inspiring was listening to the NI graduates relate how they were spreading

the Dhamma and conducting social activities in their states.

Nagaloka advisory meeting: 10th - 11th January, 2011.

The Nagaloka Trustees (Vivekaratna, Maitreyanath and Lokamitra) and the Management team

held its second 6 monthly review of Nagaloka activities with the advisory body, While many

subjects were covered in the two day meeting, most time was spent on the question of the acute

funding difficulties, and more positively on developing a thorough review of the one year course

of studies.

14


Padmavajra's Teaching: 17th

– 28th

February, 2011.

Dhammachari Padmavajra came out to India with Lokamitra in 1978, and has spent considerable

time in India since then. However this was his first visit for ten years, and the first time he taught

students at Nagaloka, the subject being the Bodhisattva Ideal. He is a very popular speaker, and

gave a number of talks, including the Dhamma talk on the full moon day under the Walking

Buddha on 18th February (every full moon day is celebrated in front of the Walking

Buddha). 13 Nagaloka Annual Report2011

Nagaloka Graduate Network Development Workshop 2nd -4th March, 2011.

Astangik Marg Retreat Centre, near Pune.

The idea of this workshop was developed during the INEB executive committee meeting in

Thailand last November out of a concern to explore ways to support the fast increasing number

of Buddhists from the most oppressed sections of Indian society. It was organised jointly by

INEB, Manuski and Nagaloka. We identified some of the needs of workers in the new Buddhist

movement, especially young Dhamma workers trained at Nagaloka, a number of who were

present, and started to develop strategies to support them for the next three to five years. Harsha

Navaratne, Lokamitra and Mangesh Dahiwale played a leading part in the discussions.

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Introduction

Most Indian Buddhists are too poor to travel abroad to meet other Buddhists, and so cannot learn

from them. At the same time most foreign Buddhists know nothing of the remarkable attempts

by the new Buddhists in India to transform their individual and social lives through the practice

of the Dhamma, and so lose out on a very rich source of inspiration. Many people from

throughout the Buddhist world visit Nagaloka every year, besides which several international

conferences have been held there. Many leading Buddhists have visited from Taiwan and

elsewhere, including the Dalai Lama, Sulak Sivaraksa and Ven Thicht Nhat Hanh.

54th Anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar‟s Conversion to Buddhism – Ashok Vijaya Dashmi:

17th October, 2010.

On 17th October over 10,000 people gathered at Nagaloka to celebrate the anniversary of the day

when Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in 1956 (also the day of the victory of King Ashok,

that is, the real victory when he converted to Buddhism). We always try and invite friends from

abroad to help them understand the situation for themselves and to provide local Buddhists with

a sense of brother and sisterhood. Our chief guest this year was Harsha Navaratne the founder of

the Sewalanka Foundation, Sri Lanka, and the chairman of the International Network of Engaged

Buddhists (INEB). The other guests were Somboon Chungprempree (the Thai secretary of

INEB), Savi Sawarkar, the most prominent artist from the Buddhist community, and

Dhammacharini Vajrapushpa, the chairperson of Karuna Trust, UK.

4. Towards Global Buddhist Community.

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Seminar on “The Importance of the Buddha Image”, 18th

October, 2010.

Visit of Ami Yilin; 9

th – 13

th February, 2011.

Ami has been translating for Lokamitra and Mangesh during their visits to Taiwan and is keen to

help make the new Buddhist Movement and especially the work at Nagaloka more well-known

and appreciated in the Chinese speaking. She came out to see for herself the situation.

One of the most important things we have to do is to see that

Buddhist teachings permeate the local culture. There are

many ways in which we have to do this, one of them being to

explore Buddhist symbols. We took the opportunity of the

annual celebrations to explore the Buddha image. After

Lokamitra gave an introduction on the spiritual significance

of the Buddha image, the following fascinating presentations

were made:

1. Dhammachari Manidhamma on the history of the Buddha

image in India;

2. Harsha Navaratne on his own personal experience of the

Buddha image in Sri Lanka;

3. The artist Savi Sawarkar on working with the Buddha

image in his painting;

4. Dhammachari Professor Maitriveer Nagarjuna spoke on the

significance of the Buddha image to Dr. Ambedkar.

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Alan Senauke „s Teaching: 1st – 4th March, 2011.

Alan Senauke is a Soto Zen priest, folk musician, and poet residing at the Berkeley Zen Centre in

California, where he is Vice Abbot. He was the Executive Director of the Buddhist Peace

Fellowship from 1991 to 2001. He spend a couple of weeks with us early last year and was so

inspired by the situation that this March he returned for a few days to teach about socially

engaged Buddhism. He wrote an account of his first visit to Nagaloka in February 2010

(www.clearviewproject.org), which he endorsed on this visit; 16 Nagaloka Annual Report 2011

nowhere else have I met young

people with their kind of intuitive grasp

of Buddhist practice and social action

arising together. Nowhere else have I

had deeper discussion that never slipped

into abstraction, but focused on the

conditions of oppression these students

know only too well. Nowhere else have

I encountered anything like their determination

to remake the world in peace.

My heart is with them.

“Think Sangha” Visit: 7th – 12th March, 2011.

Think Sangha is a community within INEB, who meet every two years, and interact with local

Buddhist communities to try and understand their situation. This year they spent two weeks in

India, mainly at Nagaloka and Deer Park in Bir, Himachal Pradesh. They spent a lot of time with

the NI students, listening to their stories of their home situation, how they came to Nagaloka, and

the impact of Buddhism on their lives. Members of Think Sangha were in turn able to tell

something of Buddhism in their country. The Thing Sangha team consisted of: Ven. Kalupahana

(Sri Lanka), David Loy (USA), Somboon Chungprempree (Thailand), Anchalee Kurutach

(Thailand - living in USA), P. Alphorn (Thailand), Jonathan Watt (USA – living in Japan), Jill

Jameson (Australia), Phulchari (Thailand), Wintomo (Indonesia), Pappa (Burma), Alan Senauke

(USA).

http://www.clearviewproject.org/

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Lama Rangdol‟s Visit; 4th

-11th

March, 2011.

Lama Rangdol is a leading African-American teacher, who

came to India to establish a link in the Dhamma between

Buddhist followers of Dr. Ambedkar in India and Black

American Buddhists. He thinks very highly of Dr.

Ambedkar’s work, and feels that he has a lot to say of value

to the modern world, Before reaching Nagaloka he gave

public talks in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad, also leading

a workshop on “Buddhism beyond Discrimination: A Quest

for a New and Just Society”, at the Manuski centre, Pune. In

Nagaloka, he taught the students, participated in the seminar

on “Buddhism in Modern India and the World” and talked

on Black American experience and Buddhism.

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Felicitation of Prof. Sukhadeo Thorat: 31st October, 2010.

Prof. Thorat is the Chairperson of the

University Grants Commission in India, an

extremely influential post, in which he can

make sure that subjects pertaining to caste and

untouchability are not ignored. He is also a

highly respected academic and a prolific

writer, and has made a significant contribution

to understanding the situation of Scheduled

Castes and Buddhists, with a view to

safeguarding their basic rights. It was our

honour to welcome him to Nagaloka and to

appreciate his service. 19 Nagaloka Annual

Report 2011

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Conference on Manual Scavenging 27th -29th August, 2011.

Shameful, `degrading', `dehumanising', `disgusting', `obnoxious', `abhorrent', a `blot on

humanity' - these are some of the words used to describe `manual scavenging', which in plain

language means people lifting human excreta with their hands and carrying it on their heads, hips

or shoulders. This is the traditional occupations of one Scheduled Caste or Schedule Caste, the

Bhangi community. Manuski is been working on this issue for last couple of years. As an effort

to advocate, eradicate such dehumanising practice, Manuski organised a conference at Nagaloka

inviting a number of NGOs and individuals from Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, Haryana, West

Bengal, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat, who are working on the issue, to discuss and come up with

strategies to get rid of this evil from Indian society.

Study class on Human Rights for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. 21-22 February

2011.

While the study retreat was going on, this seminar on Human Rights was being conducted for the

current students, by members of the Manuski Network. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled

Tribes form approximately 25% of the Indian population. They still suffer enormous

discrimination and violence, and are mostly extremely poor and otherwise socially

disadvantaged. In Pune, through the Manuski Network, and in Nagaloka, with the students, we

are trying to help people affected to understand that they can change the situation and explore

different means of doing so. This was concluded with a workshop on atrocities against

Scheduled Castes and Buddhists, which are still extremely common all over India.

5. Buddhist Based Social Action

21


The Manuski Network (part of the Jambudvipa Trust, Pune, which Lokamitra and colleagues

initiated in 1998) is concerned with training social workers and activists from the

discriminated 20Nagaloka Annual Report 2011

communities (Scheduled Castes [formerly known as untouchables and often known as Dalits

today] and Tribes), with a view to taking more initiative to change their situation, work on

Human Rights, and much more. The earth quake relief work and hostels in Gujarat, as well as

the Tsunami hostels in Tamil Nadu were started under Manuski’s auspices.

Study on “Annihilation of Caste”: 24th - 31st December, 2011.

This is perhaps Dr. Ambedkar’s most famous and dynamic writing, written just before “Which

Way Freedom”. In this he shows what must be done to eradicate caste and untouchability in

India. It was his very last attempt to reform Hinduism. The study was led by Maitriveer

Nagarjuna, a professor in Hyderabad University for students and graduates of Nagarjuna

Institute.

Conference on “The Annihilation of Caste: The Next step”; 18th – 20th February, 2011.

This was initiated by Manuski, and organised in conjunction with Nagaloka. The Scheduled

Castes and Scheduled Tribes constitute one fourth of India's population, over 300 million people.

Although their situation has changed in the last 60 years since Independence, they remain the

poorest, least educated people in India, with very limited access to employment, vulnerable to

discrimination and caste-based violence and often treated worse than animals. Various national

and international agencies are working in India on a number of social issues, but the extent to

which the caste system still exerts a stranglehold on Indian society is rarely appreciated and

given due attention.

This conference brought together grass root activists from different discriminated backgrounds in

Maharashtra. They all shared the view that as long as caste remains a significant factor in the

mechanics of Indian society, democracy, egalitarianism, and development will be severely

limited. The most important way forward was Dr. Ambedkar’s solution of conversion to, and

practice of Buddhism, and this needed to be given much more serious attention by activists,

NGOs, and international funding organisations (Karuna Trust and Action Aid were represented

in the conference). Those present committed themselves to doing all they could to take this

forward.

22


In order to continue and develop this work of reviving Buddhism in India we have prioritised four areas

A. 10 month course in Buddhism and Social Action for 100 Students.

Supports food for one day for 100 students. This can be given in the name of a relative or temple.

US$100 Rs 4,500

B. Development of an All-India Network of Dhamma Workers and Social Activists

Supports further training for one Dhamma worker or a social activist for one year. (In all 30 Dhamma workers)

US$ 1000 Rs 45,000

C. Construction of Community Centres

For Dhamma and Social Work in Slums and Villages.

US$ 7,000 Rs 300,000

D. Development of Residential Facilities for Students at Nagaloka Accommodation for 60 Students Meditation Hall for 60 Students Large Classroom, Common Area and Meeting Hall for 60 Students

US$183,000 US$50,000 US$ 50,000

RS 8235000 RS 2250000 RS 2250000

6. How you can help

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Nagaloka 2011 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of Nagaloka 2011 Annual Report