WOMAN & RELIGIONS EVENT AT SNEHASADAN, PUNE - 411 030

                                

Two Sides of The Invitation Card

The Director is welcoming & introducing the day's topic.

Fr. Ovid Pereira, SJ lighting the lamp. 

“Today’s subject is very well chosen. The subject itself points out to the fact that nearly fifty percent of silent population of women in the society are made the topic of all the speakers,” said the local corporator Mrs. Mukta Tilak in her inaugural speech at Snehasadan. On Sunday 27 October, Snehasadan, Institute for the Study of Religion had organized a Lecture Series. The Main Subject of the Series was ‘Woman and Religion’ Mrs. Tilak was the Chief Invitee to inaugurate the function. ‘Such talks and discussions,’ she said, ‘need to be organized and attended oftener to learn good things about each others’ religions in order to forge ahead in our daily life.’ 

Fr. Robert Das, SJ is lighting the lamp. 

The function began with lighting the traditional Samai, the symbol of Shiva and Parvati, the male and female creative principles of the Hindu Universe. Present were Dr. Cecilia Carvalho, the Professor of Gonsalo Gartia College, Vasai, Shri Anwar Rajan, the Trustee of Mahatma Gandhi Smarak Nidhi Institute, Vaidik Samshodhan Kendra Dr. Bhagyalata pataskar, Rev. Fr. Ovid Pereira, the Superior of Snehasadan and Rev. Fr. Robert Das were there to light the auspicious lamp. 

Dr. Bhagyalata Pataskar speaks on Hindu Religious view on
Woman. 

The Director of the Vaidic  Samshodhan Kendra and Sanskrit Scholar shared the views of some of the Hindu women she had interviewed on the subject. On inquiring of their experience of being Hindus, many women expressed their happiness over their relationship with the Hindu festivals. ‘Due to various festivals’ they said, ‘we were permitted to step out of our houses and connect with the outside world.’ Had it not been for the festivals, they could not imagine what could have been their state in the society. However, Dr. Pataskar had taken a very narrow view of the subject given to her. She was to speak on ‘Woman and the Modern Hindu Society.’ But she, as one for the Sociology Department students from the Pune University present for the talks pointed out during the ‘question and answer session’, ‘limited her speech to a much too narrow, in fact to a particular Brahmin Caste. Hence, he said that there was hardly any space left for the listeners to ask any questions. ‘There was an intermingling of tradition and modernity in the lives of today’s Hindu women’, further elaborated Dr. Pataskar, the author of several books on Vedas, Aranyakas and Brahmanas.

Dr. Celcilia Carvalho, presently the Principal if  St. Gonsalo Gartian
College, Vasai speaks on Christian Perspective of a Woman

‘Vedic Society was the patristic and hence more wakeful to the humaneness in man. Today’s society is mainly male-dominated. Therefore mostly the animal is dominant factor,’ said Dr. Cecilia Carvalho. Dr. Carvalho is the professor in Saint Gonzalo Garcia College, Vasai. She has nearly 35 books of short stories, novels and poems with over 1000 speeches on various subjects to her credit so far... While speaking on the ‘Woman and the Modern Christian Society’ she shared her personal experiences of the women who sought her help. ‘Reading and content of the Scriptures needs to be considered according to the time; the Biblical myths, especially those connected with women have to be studied anew.’ Further she said, ‘The Religious Scriptures,’ she reiterated, ‘do not teach us wrong things. It is the priests, who have to study the content of the scriptures deeply, understand it in the relevant context of the time and space, interpret the text and disseminate it to the listeners for the benefit of the society. ‘I must,’ she expressed her desire, ‘study and discuss all religions so that I can have dialogue with them...’ ‘Men should change their way of looking at women. Instead of her mere body they need to look at her as a human person who, like any other man, has a heart and mind,’ challenged the column writer in various Marathi News papers who The State Government had recently selected as a member of the Bal Bharati Pathya Pustak Mandal.

Shri Anwar Rajan, is delivering final address to the particpants 

In his speech, the member of the YUKRAND, Shri Anwar Rajan said, ‘No matter which religion she belongs to, a woman has always been atrociously treated.’ This celebrated Social Thinker and one time detainee in Yerwada Jail for 15 months during emergency under MISA said, ‘All religions have so far controlled women either for political or religious gains. The social changes that we see today among women are not in the whole society. They are mainly among the well educated women. However, the rural and uneducated women are still far from the main stream of religion. He expressed his happiness at Snehasadan and said, Snehasadan Institute was once again taking up such religio-socio-philosophical issues and courageously bringing people together to discuss.’ ‘Only this will help people to look at their religions and communities constructively. Therefore, Snehasadan needs to plunge fully and continue unceasingly to bring the people of different faiths and philosophies to intellectually injected Interfaith Mission,’ he further underlined. Acknowledging its need for today, he expressed his eager desire, ‘I would personally like to collaborate with Snehasadan.’

Woman Participant is asking a question to one of the Speakers.
Br. Sandeep Jagtap, SJ was active during this period, helping the participants.

LOCAL NEWSPAPER LINKED:

1.  http://epaper3.esakal.com/30Oct2013/Enlarge/PuneCity/index.htm , 
                    page 6 ( A small News in the left corner at the bottom)

2. http://epaper.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimes/29Oct2013/Enlarge/index.htm 
                    Page 2 ( A Photo)

COMMENTS SENT ON EMAIL.

* Dear Anil,
Many thanks for your message and other communications! You are doing very well. Keep it up!
My regards and Diwali greetings to your friend, Dr. Soman. Also to Bro. Sandeep.    Fr. Kenny, sj

* Dear Anil,
Hearty congrtulations for conducting successfully the seminar on Women and Religion, Thanks for sending the report of the same. Best wishes,               Fr. Joe Gaikwad, SJ

                                                                                                              By  Fr. Anil Chakranarayan, SJ

Snehasadan, 

Pune - 411 030