International Conference on

Revisiting the Indus-Sarasvati Age and Ancient India

(Held October 4 - 6, 1996)

Sunset Lodge, 2942 Ember Dr., Atlanta, GA 30034


Minutes of the Concluding Session (Session # 20) held on Sunday, October 6, 1996


The session began at 3:00 p.m., with following persons present:

1. Dr. Bhu Dev Sharma, Co-organizer, Chairman

2. Dr. Subhash Kak, Recorder

3. Dr. Deen B. Chandora, Co-organizer

4. Over 200 participants from USA, Canada, Nepal, India, Italy, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Netherlands. These included eminent archaeologists, Sanskritists, historians, Vedic scholars, historians of religion and science, linguists, philosophers, psychologists, doctors, engineers, journalists and others.

Agenda:

1. Review of the Conference

2. Remarks and comments from the participants

3. Future Planning.

4. Vote of Thanks

Review of the Conference:

Chairman Bhu Dev Sharma welcomed the participants and said that the persons present did not represent any organization. He said that it was an assembly of people from different academic disciplines, social/cultural backgrounds, and from different countries. He gave an overview of the planning of the conference, expressed satisfaction on the number of participants, and the quality and variety of papers presented at the conference. He also mentioned that some people from distant countries like Nepal and India had not been able to come, because of last minute technical problems, and remarked that two persons from Nepal came just on October 5. That so many people came spending their time, money and efforts showed the interest that the conference was able to generate, internationally, in academics in the universities and elsewhere.

Bhu Dev Sharma said that, in the interest of saving time, it was perhaps not necessary to invite the chairmen/recorders of the sessions to give their reports on different sessions (the complete program of the conference is enclosed). He then invited participants to give their brief critical comments on the conference and also to give any suggestions.

A large number of participants came forward to speak.. This included:

Dr. S.P. Singh, Mr. Shankerpresad Bhatt, Mr. B. Gupta, Mrs. Sudha Rani Shrivastava, Mr. Gobardhan Bahadur Karki, Mrs. Kasturi Laxmi, Mr. Dharam Jit Jigyasu, Mr. Madan Matharani, Professor T.R.N. Rao, Mr. Subhash. Sehgal, Mr. W. Parker, Mr. Seetha Ramaiha, Dr. Narasimhan, Dr. K. H. Durga, Mrs. Reeta Singh, Mr. Kanchan Banerjee, Professor Rajendra Singh, Dr. Shakuntala Bahadur, Professor Shiva G. Bajpai, Dr. Mridula Puri, Dr. Vedagya Arya, Ms. Beatrice Reusch, Mrs. Reshmi Ramdhony, Mr. Amaresh Tiwari, Professor Ram P. Agarwal, Professor Kuldip C. Gupta, Professor B.B. Lal, and Dr. Olga Ammann.

Many of them mentioned that the conference was well organized; that it had far exceeded their expectations, and that there was need to continue and strengthen such activities. A couple of persons did complain about shortage of time for some speakers. There were also suggestions for having activities for the youth. There was a overwhelming consensus about its being a successful conference.

There was also a strong demand put forth for holding such conferences at least once every two years and to found an organization which should include this as one of its activities.


Proposal for forming a new organization:

Chairman Bhu Dev Sharma said that the participants had seen a proposal for establishing an organization with the suggested name 'American Vedic Association'. Copies of the proposal, that was distributed in advance, were made available on the floor (copy of the proposal is enclosed), and the chairman requested Dr. Subhash Kak to present the proposal.

Dr. Subhash Kak outlined the proposal for establishing an association, which emphasizes the need of Vedic studies in view of many new ongoing researches and studies in the field of science that have bearing on Vedic knowledge, and for proper understanding of this ancient knowledge.

He mentioned that the proposal for a multi-disciplinary association has been discussed informally with several people, both in the academia as well as in the larger community, and the response had been very positive. The association could organize further conferences on ancient India and the Vedic tradition. The association could be the vehicle for the dissemination of new results through its journal and other publications.

The proposal was enthusiastically welcomed by the assembly.

Discussion followed and many constructive suggestions were made. These included the use of modern technology like the internet to keep in touch, the publication of the proceedings of the conferences, drawing up a list of the participants to be shared with all attendees, essay competition and other activities for the youth, linkages with other multicultural organizations, association with like-minded organizations in India and elsewhere, and so on.

There were suggestions on the name that this organization should be given.

After a clear opinion had emerged, a resolution was moved by Bhu Dev Sharma as follows:

RESOLUTION: An association of multidisciplinary community of those who are interested in the study of the Vedic tradition, including its science, psychology, medicine, history, philosophy, and so on. be formed. with the attendees of the Conference, honoring the membership dues, as the founding members.

On a point of clarification, the Chairman emphasized that the proposed new organization shall be a non-sectarian organization open to all interested person in Vedic studies, irrespective of their religious, cultural, racial, ethnic backgrounds, and would not be governed by any ideology.

The resolution was seconded by Professors Shiva Bajpai and was unanimously adopted by voice-vote, with a thunderous applause.

Chairman then invited suggestions on membership dues, name for the association and framework of initial steps to form the new organization. Several persons spoke and made suggestions. These are reflected in the following decisions.

Dues: It was agreed that the membership will be based on dues which will be US$ 50 for members from the developed world. For membership dues from other countries there were suggestion to keep the dues not more than those equivalent to US$ 25.00 but it was left for a committee (Steering Committee) to decide on the matter later.

Steering/Interim Committee: It was agreed that there should be an Steering Committee to formalize the founding of the new organization. The assembly agreed to a five member Steering Committee and unanimously elected the five-following members to it: Bhu Dev Sharma, Deen Bandhu Chandora, Shiva Bajpai, David Frawley, and Subhash Kak.

The Steering Committee was charged with the task of completing the procedures to register the Association within six months.

Name for the Organization: Several names for the proposed organization were suggested: International Vedic Association, International Association for Vedic Studies, World Vedic Association, World Association of Vedic Studies, and so on.

It was agreed, at the suggestion of the chairman, that the Steering Committee will finalize the name, keeping in mind the suggestions made on the floor.

It was emphasized that the Association will be non-sectarian and open to all qualified applicants and it will not promote any ideology. Its multidisciplinary nature will be like any other multi-disciplinary academic society. It was emphasized that it will:

(i) encourage Vedic studies in all countries;

(ii) support studies in various Vedic subspecialties such as philosophy, chronology, archaeoastronomy, history of science, ritual, philology, history, literature, and so on;

(iii) hold biennial meetings on the Vedic traditions;

(iv) encourage research in developing a scientific chronology of the Vedic literature in light of the recent results from archaeology, history of science, and literary analysis;

(v) publish a high quality peer reviewed journal (tentatively called The Journal of the World Vedic Association) as a quarterly. Members of association will receive copies of this journal.


The Steering Committee was also given the authority to make minor modifications to the objectives.


It was decided that the steering committee, in a reasonable period of time (not exceeding two years), will:

(i) register the organization;

(ii) draw up a management structure and begin developing the slate of officers;

(iii) put a slate of officers, that will take charge of the Association;

(iv) open a bank account;

(v) mail a list of addresses of all attendees of the Atlanta Conference to each registrant;

(vi) draw up a list of special committees that will consider specialty areas within the umbrella of Vedic studies;

(vii) decide on a program for fund-raising;

(viii) make an early announcement of the Journal of the new organization.


The chairman mentioned that the Steering Committee will elect its chairman, will discuss and decide all matters pertaining to formally incorporating this international, multidisciplinary, academic organization.

Invitations for Next Conference: Mr. Govind Bahadur Karki from Kathmandu (Nepal) invited that the next Conference of this series be held in 1998 in Kathmandu.

Mrs. Reshmi Ramdhony wanted that Mauritius be considered as a possible venue for a conference in 1998 or 2000.

Dr. K. H. Durga from Hague (Netherlands), extended an invitation for the Conference in future. He also offered to form a chapter of the new organization in Netherlands.

Dr. Kuldip C. Gupta offered full support of the Hindu University of America, Orlando, in the future activities of the new organization.

Chairman Bhu Dev Sharma thanked the persons for their above helpful gestures, and assured that the new organization, once formed shall consider the above and other invitations and support in its future activities.

Some members present, handed over their membership dues of $50.00/$25.00, as founder members of the proposed new organization. The same were gratefully accepted, and the foundation of the new organization was thus laid.


Vote of Thanks: Chairman Bhu Dev Sharma thanked Dr. Chandora for his initiative, untiring work and dedication in organizing this conference. He than requested Dr. Chandora to move a vote of thanks for other persons involved in the organization of the conference.

Deen Bandhu Chandora thanked all the persons who helped in organizing the conference. The resolution of the vote of thanks moved by Deen Bandhu Chandora was unanimously adopted.

The meeting came to an end at 4:45 PM.

Respectfully submitted: Subhash Kak, Recorder


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