media.syndicate

Eminent Dr. Kambara gets Jnanapeetha - Towering Dr. Byrappa is sidelined again

2011-09-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. Chandrashekhara Kambara with his family

Dr Chandrashekhara Kambara, Veteran Kannada Writer and the founder vice chancellor of Kannada University in Hampi now gets India’s highest literary Award, Jnanapith for the year 2009

The selection of the poet, playwright and novelist Dr Chandrasekhar Kambar for the Jnanpith Award has strengthened the perception of ideological bias in the selection process that was suspected in the selection of previous two winners from Kannada, U.R. Anantha Murthy and Girish Karnad. Veteran wrtier Kambars choice has generated a feeling that Bhyrappa is being sidelined for his right-wing views. Out of the seven Jnanpith awardees so far in Kannada, all were giants except the last two - U.R. Anantha Murthy and Girish Karnad. It is now perceived that the award selection is being subtly influenced by so-called secularists with leftist leanings in recent years.

Churmuri blog has articulated the public feeling with clarity. The lobby of the secularists, here in Bangalore and there in Delhi, apparently has worked overtime to deprive a deserving candidate, S.L. Bhyrappa, a rightful place in the world of Kannada literature adorned with the ultimate stamp of recognition — a Jnanpith award. It is believed that S.L. Bhyrappa is branded as one with rightist orientation or as being a pro-Hindu in his writings. If this is so, one can also brand U.R. Anantha Murthy, Girish Karnad and Kambar as those with leftist orientation and as being anti-Hindu. No literature of creative kind should be evaluated on the basis of its ideology. It happens only in a totalitarian or a communist country. It should be evaluated on its pure literary quality — style, technic, use of language, rhetoric and above all, artistic merit. Further more, even if one takes into account the volume of works turned out by the last three winners of Jnanpith award, it is not comparable to other earlier winners and of S.L. Bhyrappa.

Dr. S. L. Bhyrappa

Patil Puttappa while reacting to the selection of 2011 award, has demanded more transparency in the selection process. It could be noted that the members of the Regional Advisory Committee are mostly out of the public view and their names are not available in the official website of Jnanapeeth Trust. The Jnanpith award panel should make the selection process more transparent and rectify some of these mistakes. Otherwise, it may have to to be apologetic one day in future for not giving its award to S.L. Bhyrappa. Also, such ommissions and controversies around them will be embarassing to other eminent desrving recipients of the award like Chandrasekara Kambara.

Selection process for the Jnanapeetha Award

The process of selection begins with the submission of proposals by a large number of litterateurs, teachers, critics and discriminating readers, also from various universities, literary and language associations and other similar organisations. Once a language gets the award, it is not eligible for consideration during the next three years. Thus three languages are out of reckoning for the award every year. There is an Advisory Committee for each language, consisting of three eminent literary critics and scholars. These committees are reconstituted every three years. The proposals received are scrutinised by the concerned Language Advisory Committee. A Language Advisory Committee is not obliged to make its recommendations out of these proposals only. It is free to consider other writers before making its recommendation for the award. In fact, a Language Advisory Committee is expected to ensure that no deserving writer of the language concerned is left out of its consideration. A committee is expected to take into account the entire literary creativity of the author and evaluate it in the background of contemporary writing.

The rule has been slightly revised since the 18th Award. The works of a writer during the period of last 20 years, excluding the year for which the award is to be given, are taken into account for the award. The recommendations of various Language Advisory Committees are placed before the Selection Board. The Board consists of not less than seven and not more than eleven members, who are all of high repute and integrity. The Board, to begin with, was constituted by the Bharatiya Jnanpith Trust but, subsequently, vacancies continue to be filled in on the recommendations of the Selection Board itself. Each member has a term of three years but is eligible to continue for a further period of two more terms. Eminent scholars and writers of the country have become chairman or members of the Selection Board. The Selection Board makes a comparative evaluation of the recommendations of the Language Advisory Committees. The final selection is the result of comprehensive and in depth deliberations of the Selection Board. The entire responsibility for selection is that of the Selection Board.

Present Selection Board

1. Dr. Sitakant Mahapatra (Chairman)

2. Dr. K. Satchidanandan

3. Shri Gurdial Singh

4. Shri Keshubhai Desai

5. Shri Manager Pandey

6. Dr. Gopi Chand Narang

7. Shri Dinesh Misra (Ex-officio)

8. Shri Ravindra Kalia (Ex-officio)

Some of the prominent members in the past include Dr. Karan Singh, Smt. Rama Jain, Dr. Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Dr. Vinayak K. Gokak (Chairman), Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao (Chairman), Dr. H.M. Nayak, Prof. U.R. Anantha Murthy, Shri M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Smt. Mahasveta Devi and Shri Ashok Vajpeyi

Anti corruption agitation by Anna - Final analysis

2011-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Anna Hazare

On 27th Aug 2011, Team Anna has succeeded in extracting an assurance from the parliament to enact a stronger Lokpal bill. Here is an analysis of the responses of various social stakeholders.

First of all, Team Anna had not done their homework on circumventing the difficulties that they would face while pressing the political class to toe their line. They had a draft bill of their version. But rest of the dynamics of the agitation was not worked out by them. They were expecting that the fast by Anna will do the rest of the work.

The communication by Team Anna was not accurate and simple. People were rallying behind them. But, it was not easy for the public to understand the reasons behind the delay in progress when the negations between the Team Anna and the government. Team Anna was reluctant to initiate a matured debate on corruption. They were engaged in rhetoric and increasing the public anger. Probably their lack of home work forced them to toe this line and it was clear that they could not raise the quality of the public debate and understanding of the systemic issues involved.

Initially, Team Anna was suspected by the Left, The Congress and the BJP. Social organizations like Sangh Parivar were not admitted eagerly by the Team Anna. Tactical mistakes by Team Anna were delaying the support from various quarters which they deserved.

Congress, the ruling party at the centre, made several mistakes in responding to the demands. It initially showed insensitivity to the demands with underestimated public support. Even when the wider support base was revealed, it tried to scuttle the agitation by creating several hurdles in the form of technicalities and procedures. It made an attempt to portray the agitation as a mask of Leftist, Maoist and Anarchist forces who are waiting to dismantle the democratic institutions in India. They tried to arrest Anna to prevent him from starting a fasting agitation. Even when everything has failed, it still took time to come to terms with the agitation.

BJP took a very long time to assess the nature of the agitation. Only after 10 days of fasting their representatives met meaningfully with Team Anna for a detailed understanding of various issues. Till then they refused to respond to the public agitation and they were watching the difficulties of the government and were probably making an assessment of electoral gain that they may be able to get because of the agitation.

Left inspired Dalit leaders opposed Team Anna citing lack of Dalit representation in the movement. Muslim leaders stayed away from the agitation opposing Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai slogan used by agitators. Among the social organizations, RSS was a big success in responding to the public agitation. They announced their support early even when the equations of Team Anna with other ideologies and interest groups was very hazy. Sangh Parivar could calibrate their position carefully. They faced the risk of being labeled as opportunistic in attempting to ride the wave created by Team Anna. Their simple approach of committing to the cause could not be imitated by either Leftist, Muslim or Dalit intellectuals. Christians stayed completely outside the mass movement.

In the final analysis, Team Anna will be remembered for their contribution towards anti corruption agitation. Congress needs to introspect and adopt more honest approach in dealing with issues of public interest. BJP too has to be more social conscious and less political in its thinking and actions. Sangh Parivar might have moved ahead in reinforcing the public attitude in terms of cultural nationalistic mannerisms.

References

Tactical moves of Team Anna

Now, Anna demands poll reforms, farmers rights.

Hazares associates meet Bukhari

Team Anna meets BJP top brass, gets assurance on Jan Lokpal Bill.

Government / Political Response

Hazare detained along with aides ahead of fast

Standing Committee members who are examining the Lokpal Bill.

A deluded Team Anna is feeding a dangerous intolerance.

House committee can not study Lokpal Bill in 10 days.

All-party meet fails to reach political consensus on Lokpal Bill.

Govt sends Jan Lokpal Bill to Parliamentary Standing Committee.

Manish Tewari Expresses Regret to Hazare for calling him as corrupt.

Bal Thackeray asks Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal to fast.

Social response

RSS chief seeks battle against graft

Muslim leaders oppose – common people support

Bukhari calls stir anti-Islam, tells Muslims to stay away.

Muslims spurn Team Anna.

Muslim leaders back Anna in fight against corruption.

Muslims snub imam.

Leftist intellectuals

Arundhati Roy blasts Hazare

Preventing future terrorist attacks

2011-07-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

US has successfully prevented all terror attacks after Sept 11th. Why are we failing?

Implication of a terror incident

1. Shows that it is an ongoing tussle

The tussle between the civil society and the barbaric society has not ended. Terrorists are still making their determined attempt to dominate and control the civic system.
A terror attack is a tactical move towards a strategic goal - Tactical wins strengthen their position and take terrorists near to their strategic goals.
It reminds us that the final outcome is still uncertain. It is possible that civic society may be miscalculating the dynamics of the tussle. And terrorists are know better what they are doing

2. Underlines the need for policy changes

The incident is a definite pointer to the need of changes in legal and administrative measures and implementation of newer laws are needed to effectively contain future terrorist attacks.
Hints inadequacy of the contribution of intellectuals, opinion makers in the fight against terrorism
Exhibits lack of political will in containing the continuing menace

3. Demands review of fundamental concepts of internal security

Policy options are generated typically based on a certain widely accepted axioms, conjectures and thumb rules. Continued terror incidents highlight the necessity of revisiting these concepts
Specifically, it is time to analyze our perceptions about tolerance, peace, secularism, religion, politics and freedom and to debate them in the context of terrorism.

4. Calls for redefining / Calibrating our social attitudes

Basic rules of engagement among different players in the society determines the way we implement our policies and programmes. They need to be reviewed.
Specific aspects of our social interactions are to be changed, modified or calibrated in the light of the above points

Notes

Lull between two consecutive terror attacks is misleading the public to perceive it as something different than the war. Terrorist modules are, in fact, engaged in unconventional war against civic society. Each successfully launched terror act is similar to a battle with specific objective. It is like running over a post. It may be true that the number of attacks foiled by the security agencies may be more than the number of terror incidents, it is not an indication that civic society is advancing in the battlefield of terror war. Assessment of the war on terror can be done in an relatively more abstract framework.

Recurring terror attacks is an indication of inadequacy of existing policies - legal and administrative measures apart from the well understood intelligence aspect. Policy change management starts in democracy from opinion makers. Policy options are generated by intellectuals and media. Politicians respond to the need and adopt suitably policy changes. Focus on fine-tuning the policies is an important activity till the strategic superiority of civic society over the terrorist modules is achieved.

When a solution is offered for a problem, it is built upon observations, assumptions and conjectures. When the proposed solution does not end the problem, it is an indication that the offered solution is not working. Then it is evident that at least some of the assumptions and conjectures are not in tune with the reality. First thing that has to be done is to revisit these things thoroughly and reformulate our solution.

In US, after the Sept 11 attack, the conjecture that internal terrorist attack as a near impossibility based on which the Homeland security was built up, was given up. Many fundamental security concepts were modified as a measure to tackle the new terrorist threat. To dismantle state support to the terrorists, two wars - Iraq and Afghanistan - were waged at an enormous cost. Although US was the most powerful country in the world, it had to deal with the duplicity of Pakistan cautiously with utmost patience.

In Europe, before the Sept 11, multiculturalism was promoted by many countries. After the emergence of global Jihadi meanace by Al-Queda, multiculturalism was givenup as a failed concept. Israel, in order to continue its existence and to protect its people from terrorism, is constantly finding ingenuous ways to preserve its tactical / strategic interests.

In all these instances, adaptability of the society and its institutions to the newer situation is clearly seen. None of the axioms, conjectures or conclusions are considered as more sacred than the objective of preventing anti national elements from gaining tactical advantage.

In India, the debate after every terrorist attack does not go beyond superficial level. Except for a series of investigations around the incident of terrorist act, none of additional measures are taken either in legal or judicial systems. Social systems and political discourse are not being affected by shocks created by the terrorist attacks.

Who should do what?

Government

Should enforce existing laws and create newer laws to effectively tackle the problem. Pressure from civic society should not influence the political class in delaying the necessary measures

Media and Intellectuals

Should initiate discussion about the change that needs to be brought in the government /social institutions in a focused way. Generating effective policy options is a an important activity to manage change for solving national problems.

Elected representatives

Elected representatives, especially local body representatives, find minimal role in the fight against terrorism. They can play an important role in establishing basic rules dictating interactions among various entities of society. They need to give prominence to the security angle while discharging their duties as elected representatives.

Common people

Awareness about the issues of current affairs, discharging their duties, observing the performance of the government, elected representatives and media is an important duty of the common people. At the same time, supporting security agencies, government and elected representatives towards the smooth functioning of the system is the duty of all citizens of this country. More basically, it is important to have a clear understanding of the true nature of the individuals and organizations who are are involved in promoting and sustaining terrorism.

Black Money - A Recapitulation

2011-06-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Income earned without reporting to the government (without paying taxes) is called Black Money. Illegally earned money becomes black. Black money includes embezzled government funds, private money hidden from tax collectors, and the profits of illegal enterprises. Black money is concealed in form of gold, land and building, apartment, big bazaars, farm houses, private professional colleges.

Black money is a major source for corruption. The Black Money is not accounted by the system and therefore its circulation in the system will have destabilizing effect. Many illegal activities are conducted around the black money. A parallel economy based on Black money is called Black Economy.

Hawala is an alternative or parallel remittance system. Hawala system is called underground banking. A unique feature of hawala transaction is that it is built over trust. Unlike traditional banking hawala makes minimal (often no) use of any sort of negotiable instrument. Transfers of money take place based on communications between members of a network of hawaladars, or hawala dealers and in most of the cases actual money transfers does not take place between the Hawala dealers.

In 2006, the most recent Global Financial Integrity study, shows that the average amount stashed away from India annually during 2002-06 is $27.3 billion (about 136,466 crore). Similar amounts ofBlack money is generated every year. This money is preserved in Swiss banks and in different tax and secret shelters. The share of Swiss banks in black money being a third of the global aggregate. It has been estimated that in India, about 1.4 trillion dollars of Black money is generated from Independence. Out of this about $500 billion have been hoarded in Swiss banks.

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a Paris-based group of 34 countries. These countries accounts for nearly 80 percent of world trade. Although India is not a member of OECD, it has close relations with it and has joined its multilateral platform initiative to check tax evasion and money laundering. G20 and OECD are putting enormous pressure on tax havens like Switzerland, Luxembourg and Ausria including threat of sanctions, to change opaque laws and share information that will help countries like India trace huge sums of black money stashed abroad.

The root cause of corruption and black money is greedy individuals and private companies. Political parties who are in charge of Governments realize that black moneys are amassed by people who were responsible for bringing them to power.

International legal framework for recovering more of these funds is slowly emerging with the signing of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) by 140 countries. India recently ratified the treaty, which binds countries to adopt a standardized set of laws for handling corruption. Without these standards in place, countries like Switzerland may be disinclined to help recover stolen assets. It will take a couple years at least to implement UNCAC, says a Western diplomat.

Many experts around the world feels that States are not willing to tackle corruption and take action to recover assets. Moves are afoot to interpret UNCAC in a way that allows private citizens – not just governments – to initiate legal proceedings to recover black money on behalf of victim states. But some government representatives rejected that interpretation saying “these are government dues, so government has to do it.”

Acording to the Indian Government, the government is spending $1.7 million to figure out just how much black money is at home and abroad. On top of ratifying UNCAC, India has signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements that can penetrate bank secrecy with 27 countries. The finance ministry says it is prosecuting black money cases totaling some $17 million from accounts in Germany. At home, the ministry claims recovering $6.7 billion in unpaid income tax and detection of $12.4 billion in other tax scams over the past two years. Experts say, however, that implementation of UNCAC should surmount most hurdles to asset recovery – so long as a country’s government keeps working to recover black money.

Many people are not convinced of Government sincerity. There are a couple of reasons for this mistrust. Recently, a series of corruption cases have been exposed. Commonwealth and the 2G scam, the bigger ones among them were carried out by the people who were involved with the government. Role of money in winning elections is very well known. Major political parties are not able to reverse the trend. Governments, typically run by these parties, are not able to initiate anything significant in tackling corruption. They are also seen as scuttling the adoption of newer measures proposed by NGOs into the legal system.

Anticorruption activism is gaining momentum. Anna Hazare and his team successfully staged a protest and entered the committee to draft Lokpal (anticorruption) bill. Baba Ramdev is creating awareness among people about the need to bring black money back to India. He is also protesting against government to initiate actions immediately. One of the big Social organization RSS has passed resolutions and are ready to participate in anti corruption movements. All political parties are vocal in exttending their support against corruption. Recently, Baba Ramdev spoke of raising an army of youths – unarmed. Statements made at an April convention held by Transparency International India at the Habitat Center, were much more critical. One speaker, a formear income tax commissioner named Vishwa Bandhu Gupta, lamented that during the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament some policemen gave their lives to save these scoundrels. He claimed another problem was that most Indian media has been bought off. Many in the audience cheered and offered drastic remedies. One suggested it was time for the Army to take over and clean house. Another spoke of creating a paramilitary army to target the corrupt.Feeding off such energy, Mr. Gupta suggested it was time to boycott Switzerland, a country where Indians suspect much of the black money is stashed in secret accounts.

Osama's death - Too late, if not too little?

2011-05-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Almost after 10 years since we saw one of the biggest atrocities committed on earth by Islamic terrorists, we hear the news that Osama is dead today. But is it too late, if not too little?

Sure, there is a sigh of relief among all who vehemently or even passively opposed terrorism. There is also a great sense of satisfaction among those who lost the loved ones in the 9/11 crime. But, if we analyze carefully this should have had a great impact had it happened soon after the incident happened. By taking so much time, it looks, there was ample time for Osama to have set a wrong precedence that terrorists can roam scott- free for years after committing a crime - that too of such a high level crime. It also seems like Osama found enough time to have preached his ugly skills to others, has misled others to take up more such heinous acts.

Incidents in Glasgow, India stand as open examples of such acts. We also saw incidents such as protests against Jiladi Posten, French communal clashes in the past decade. They all show either the aggression of Islamic terrorists or the "siege mentality" set among the Muslims who are just a step away from joining the radical groups.

Today Osama might be dead. But the problem is far from over. One way out is to strengthen the community level intelligence, educating the public, making them aware of how to spot & prevent an "about to happen crime". The other way is to make the Muslim community think more rationally about the inciting talks provided by some of their leaders. Educate them that they are being utilized for some kind of mileage by their leaders. Unless we actively engage in multiple strategies to alleviate the issue, it is far from over.

Contributed by: Ananda

Ayuta Chandi Mahayaga at Sringeri by Jagadguru Shankaracharya

2011-04-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

Several Yagas and Homas were conducted in a grand manner at Sringeri beginning from 4th April 2011 - 16th April 2011. Ayuta Chandi Mahayaga, Ati Rudra Mahayaga, Rik-Samhita Yaga, Yajus-Samhita Yaga and Sama-Samhita Yagas were performed as part of the Shashtyabdapurti Vardhanti Mahotsava celebrating the (completion of) 60 years of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya, Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji. Along with Yagas, Mrityunjaya Homa, Lakshamodaka Ganapati Homa, Ugra-ratha homa, Ayushya Homa and Navagraha Homas were also performed during this period. All these Dharmic activities were performed in accordance with the scriptural injunctions.

The Shastras have prescribed parayana of this Durga Saptashati one, ten, hundred or thousand times known as Chandi, Nava-Chandi, Shata Chandi and Sahasra Chandi respectively for the fulfilment of various wishes. Ayuta means ten thousand in Sanskrit. Ten thousand parayanas of Durga Saptashati will be performed in Ayuta Chandi Mahayaga.

Ayuta Chandi Mahayaga was conducted by the Math for the welfare of the world as resolved by Jagadguru Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji. This great Yajna was conducted perhaps for the first time in the known History of Sringeri or even South India. In this Yagna,, over one thousand Ritwijas performed a total of ten thousand parayanas of Durga Saptashati, one crore japas of Chandi-Navakshari Mantra throughout the five days. Kalpokta Avarana Puja, was performed by the Pradhana-Acharya to the newly made murti and yantra of Sri Chandika Parameshwari as a part of Purashcharana. Sahasranamarchana, Mahamangalarati and Ashtavadhana Seva and other ceremonies were performed in the evening throughout the five days.

Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji graced the Yagashala for the Sankalpa ceremony at around 9:00 A.M on 5th April 2011, and offered Diksha-Vastram, Rudraksha-mala and other atrefacts required for the performance of the Yajna to the officiating preists in the Varunam ceremony.

As a part of the ceremony, the chief priest of the Yajna, Sri-Vidya-Upasana Dhurandhara Veda Brahmasri Narahari Subrahmanya Bhatt, Asthana Archaka of the Math at the temple of Sri Sharadamba performed Kalpokta Avarana Pujas to the newly made murti and yantra of Devi Chandika throught the five days.

Yagas were performed at a specially built Chandi Yagashala at Narasimhavanam. Oblations of Payasa were offered by the thousand officiating priests in one hundred Homa-Kundas blazing with the sacrificial fire on the final sixth day. The Yaga was concluded with the Purnahuti ceremony conducted by the Pradhana-Acharya or the chief officiating priest in the august presence of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya, on completion of the Homa.

Chief priest of the Yagas led the 1,200 odd priests in performing the Yajna and also conducted the Purnahuti ceremony in the august presence of the Jagadguru on the 11th of April 2011.

Ati-Rudra Mahayaga commenced on 5th of April 2011 at around 8:30 AM. 121 ritwijas who have come from all the four states of South India and from Maharashtra to participate in the event, chanted Rudra mantras of the Yajur Veda eleven times every day in the morning followed by Mangalarati at noon for ten days. Rudra-Kramapatha and archana were conducted every evening followed by Mahamangalarati, throughout the ten days. The eleven day long event concluded on the 16th of April 2011 with the Purnahuti ceremony at noon which was also be conducted in the august presence of the Jagadguru.

Samhita Yajna of the three Vedas namely Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samaveda were conducted in three seperately constructed Yagashalas opposite Sri Sacchidananda Vilas in Narasimhavanam.

Officiating priests from South India, the Yajus-Samhita Yaga was performed for three days while the Sama and Rik Samhita Yagas were conducted for five days. In the Rik-samhita Yaga, Mantras comprising the 64 adhyayas of the Samhita of the Shakala school of Rigveda were chanted and oblations of clarified butter (ghee) were poured in the sacrificial fire to the chanting while Mantras of the Taittiriya Samhita belonging to the Krishna Yajur Veda were chanted and oblations of clarified butter were poured to the chanting in the Yajus Samhita Yaga. Mantras of the Kauthuma school of Samaveda were chanted while pouring oblations of ghee in the Scrificial fire.

Purnahuti of the Rik-Samhita yaga and Sama-Samhita yaga were conducted on the 15th of April 2011 while that of the Yajus-Samhita Yaga was conducted on the 12th of April 2011 at noon in the august presence of the Jagadguru.

Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sri Sri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji, worshipped Lord Malahanikareshwara at the hill-top shrine located at the centre of Sringeri on the 8th of April 2011.

It is customary for the Jagadguru Shankaracharya to propitiate Lord Shiva at the hoary shrine of Lord Sri Malahanikareshwara on the eve of Vardhanti. In continuation of this practice, the Jagadguru arrived at the hill top to the accompaniment of Vadya Ghosha at around 11:00 A.M. after having darshanam of Goddess Sri Sharadamba and performing Sankalpa for the Ugra-ratha shanti and other homas conducted in conjunction with the Vardhanti festivities.

The Jagadguru first propitiated Lord Ganesha at the shrine of Sri Stambha Ganapati to the accompaniment of Sri Ganapati Atharvashirsha, Ganapati Sukta and other Vedic Mantras chanted by the Math pandits and students of Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrita Mahapathashala. Lord Ganapati was worshipped with Panchamrita ahisheka, archana, Modaka Naivedya and deeparadhana. Thence, the Jagadguru entered the age old shrine of Lord Malahanikareshwara and propiatiated Lord Shiva by offerings of Milk, Panchamrita and Udaka Abhisheka, to the accompaniment of Rudradhyaya and other Vedic mantras by Pandits - of Math and those who had gathered to officiate in various ceremonies from the four corners of the country and students of the Sadvidya Sanjeevini Samskrita Maha-Pathashala. The Jagadguru performed Mahamangalarati to Lord Shiva upon completion of the Puja and thereafter worshipped Goddess Bhavani at the shrine adjacent to the Lord.

The event concluded at around 3:00 P.M. with the distribution of Prasadam to all devotees who had gathered at the temple by the Math authorities.

Shastric basis for Ayuta Chandi Mahayaga

The Shastras proclaim that such happiness can be begotten by worship of the Divine Godhead.

By propitiating Devi, the mother of all creation all misery can be overcome and happiness can be derived. Puja, Japa, Parayana, Homa are aspects of worshipping the Divine mother. The greatness of the Divine mother has been extolled in the Devi Bhagavata, Brahmanda Purana, Skanda Mahapurana, Mahabharata and other scriptures. However the Durga-Saptashati or Devi-Mahatmya occuring in the Markandeya Purana is of paramount importance. The greatness of this text, Sri Durga Saptashati as occuring in the Markandeya Purana has been extolled in Damara Tantra and other tantrik texts. By the parayana of this sacred text, difficulties are over come, diseases are cured and wishes fulfilled.

The Durga Saptashati is comprised of three Charitras, namely Prathama, Madhyama and Uttama in thirteen chapters.

The Prathama Charitra describes the glories of the Divine mother as revealed by a Rishi to a Vaishya and Raja Suratha who prayed to the Rishi to alleviate his problems while roaming about the forest after being abandoned by his kith and kin.

In the second Charitra, the Avatara of Goddess Mahalakshmi, the slaying of Mahishasura along with his entire army of warriors, Eulogy of the Divine mother by the Gods, and granting of boons to Indra and other Gods by the Divine Mother have been described vividly.

The third Charitra describes

○ the slaying of Chanda-Munda and other demons by the Divine mother through her Fiery eye as an answer to the prayer by the Gods who were aggrieved by the pains inflicted by Shumba and other wicked demons

○ the Avatara of Brahmi, Maheshwari and other divine goddesses from the body of the Divine Mother

○ the slaying of Raktabija, Nishumbha and Shumba by the Divine Mother

○ Eulogy of the Divine Mother by the Gods and her granting wishes to them

○ worship of the Divine Mother by Suratha and Samadhi, and vision of the pleased Divine mother granted to them
○ granting of Kingdom to King Suratha and Divine knowledge to the Vaishya.

Readership

White Paper on Public Review for Media Regulation

2011-03-26T04:06:00.000-07:00

Published by media.syndicate PDF File

Executive Summary

Media (print, audio and visual) is a guardian of Public Interest among other things. In a Democracy, media has prominence next to Judiciary, Legislature and Executive - custodians of the constitution. In general, the sentiment that media should not be regulated by the state is accepted. In India, media has been allowed to regulate itself through its own institutions like Press Council of India (PCI) and Editors Guild (EG). With the growth of media business and its commercialization, there are some new trends in media business and newer practices among media professionals. The problem of media bias has been known from a very long time. Sensationalism and trivialization of news were some of the effects of the new trends in media. With the exposure of the Paid News phenomenon, the credibility of the media and the very basis of the journalistic ethics is presently under discussion. Public Interest has been compromised as an institutional practice. In this context, there is a need to strengthen the regulation mechanism for the media. Many of the available suggestions fall within the self regulation framework. Here, the opportunity for Citizen Activism through social groups as public ombudsman is mooted.

Media as a guardian of Public Interest

The role of media in preserving the public interest in a democratic setup is very well understood. Media provides critical feedback to the three limbs of the constitution – The Judiciary, The Legislature and The Executive. Media has the responsibility of informing the Public at large with facts and figures in the appropriate form so that their participation in governance becomes possible. It has the mandate of directing the public opinion along the right track. Historically, journalism, in India has been considered to be sacred.

Regulations and Business Trends

In recent decades, media business has been commercialized. Increased competition has resulted in a fall in journalistic standards, and public interest by and large has been compromised. The Government, aligning itself to strong public opinion favoring press freedom, has allowed self regulation of media. In India, the Press Council of India (PCI), an organization mainly composed of professional journalists and eminent people from different fields, has been assigned the role of regulating media affairs.

From a long time, the problems arising from media bias and yellow journalism were known to both the working journalists and to the general public. Yellow journalism with its tabloid manifestations was easily recognized whereas the media bias problem was misleading the general public. The main stream media reflected one particular set of ideas, prescribed in general a particular approach for addressing problems reiterating similar policies and solutions.

Hindus, Traditionalists and Brahmins, Dalits¸ Poor and Uneducated, and Women constantly complained of media bias against them. The bias was apparent, but still it was not considered seriously. For a very long time, political adversaries of The Congress were neglected by the media. Policy alternatives were never covered seriously. Still, self regulatory mechanisms were never activated in the media circles. No one found it necessary to do something more in this direction.

Recently, with the media houses becoming bigger and more powerful, the increasing competition gave rise to sensationalism and trivialization of news which were noticed both by discerning media professionals as well as by the general public. Impact of such news on the youth was discussed. Ineffectiveness of the media in public education as well as inability of the media to create a strong public opinion were evident. Journalists were lured with gifts by the powerful and the wealthy. With journalism influenced by leftist ideology, journalists in general deviated from conservatism in their view point.

Editors became rich and joined the elite class. Journalists were accused of blackmailing. Corruption - both financial and ideological – was not unknown in journalism.

Paid News

As the motive of profit making became deep rooted, journalism became subordinate to the bottom line. Advertisement revenues became indispensable. Dependency on the governments was unavoidable for sustenance. PR (Public Relation) business entities came into the picture. Those who had self interest in public debate owned media houses and editorial policies were formulated preserving their own interests.

Till this point of time, a fairly distinct demarcation was observed between the news content and the advertisements. A reader would have distinguished an advertisement from the news. Editorial preferences were noticed but it was viewed as the considered opinion of the editorial board within the boundaries of freedom of expression.

Existence of Paid News phenomenon, revealed in 2009, exposed the blurring of the distinction line between the news and the advertisement. According to PCI, paid news is “Any news or analysis appearing in any media (Print & Electronic) for a price in cash or kind as consideration.” Paid News was found to play a significant role during elections trying to mislead people in favor for or against a particular candidate. There is a realization that, this new trend may undermine the democratic process and can have serious destabilizing effects.

Public scrutiny of Nira Radia tapes in the background of 2G spectrum scam, has once again confirmed the influence of money on the working of the media.

Implications and Examples

Paid –news is a fraud operating at three levels.

1. The reader does not distinguish the paid content from other news/views

2. The person who is paying hides his/her expenditure from legal scrutiny (EC)

3. Income of Media Company is not disclosed in the balance sheet.

A couple of examples are cited. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL) started a paid content service in 2003 called Medianet. In 2005, it initiated Private Treaties with Corporates – about 200 companies entered private treaties with BCCL exchanging their equity to the advertisement space. The deal size with each of those companies was 15-20crores making BCCL biggest private equity investor with a worth of approximately 4000 crores. Paid news service is being argued as the remedy for corrupt PR agencies influencing the journalists of BCCL. CNN-IBN initiated Exclusive Partnerships with companies, Gillette being one of the known examples. During elections, media houses offered several packages to the contesting candidates for a price. Advertorials, advertisements in the form of editorials, were offered for sale. Although, very little material is available which can act as clinching evidence that pins responsibility for such malpractices on particular persons and organizations, a huge volume of circumstantial evidence is available. Fortunately, there is a wide agreement in the media circles about the presence of Paid News.

Suggestions for Reforms

Self Regulatory mechanism of media has come under scrutiny with the revelation of Paid News phenomenon. Present regulatory mechanisms involving PCI is not very effective. Additional checks by the government agencies required to curb the Paid News menace could interfere with the self regulatory mechanism of the media. Following reforms have been suggested to tackle the corrupt practices in media.

1. Amendment of Representation of the People Act 1951 making incidence of paid news a punishable electoral malpractice

2. Empowering Press Council of India to adjudicate the complaints of “paid news’ and give final judgment in the matter.

3. Making the recommendations of the Press Council binding on the authorities

4. Expanding purview of PCI to include Electronic media

5. Media professionals should declare their commitment to good journalism

6. Additional self regulatory mechanisms like Peer review and Public Review of media performance

Readers responsibility – Public Review

Educating readers about the role of media in Democracy and expected deliverables from publications could go a long way in addressing the emerging corrupt practices. Learning to identify media bias, acquiring the ability to distinguish paid content from the legitimate news accurately would help in sustaining citizen activism to monitor media. NGOs and emerging media channels could take the responsibility of institutionalizing the Public Review Process for evaluating the media performance.

Public Review of media could take the following forms

• Media watch activity

• Identify Paid content and help the general public to filter it out

• Act as ombudsman, from public perspective

• Assist present mechanisms like PCI and EC to ensure public interest.

Summary

Media, the fourth estate, is a vital organ of Democracy. Regulatory mechanisms of media are to be made effective with additional assistance from government agencies without basically changing the Self Regulatory framework. Public Review as a new regulatory mechanism for media involving Citizens and Non Governmental Organizations has to be institutionalized. Focus on higher journalistic standards ha to be sustained by addressing media bias, sensationalism / trivialization of news and Paid News.

The Principle of Separation

2011-03-14T04:47:00.000-07:00

Any two entities A & B can be separated if and only if

A is separated from B and also

B is separated from A.

So two persons can be separated if person A goes to another place and at the same time person B remains in another place A. A divorce, on grounds of separation, happens when one spouse goes away to another location and at the same time the other spouse remains in another location. In case the second person goes to the place of the first person, then separation is not effected and hence divorce does not happen.

In other words, there must be control over both the entities and at the same time each entity must not encroach on the space of the other.

So if religion and the state have to be separated, in any sense, then if the state stays away from religion, then the religion must also stay away and separate itself from the state at the same time. So if the state becomes ‘secular’, the religion must also stay away from the state in order for the separation to be effected. However, for state religions, the religion explicitly has a characteristic of a state and gets into the affairs of the state. In other words, if the religion or followers of the religion want to implement Nizam-e-Mustafa or the Shariat, then it is explicitly stating that it wants to implement the divine law or the religious law in the state. So even if the state stays away from religion, as long as the (state) religion has this characteristic, for such religions, separation cannot be achieved as they themselves get into the affairs of the state or behave like another state. Hence, for state religions, secularism is a false and unachievable concept, precisely because it is the religion which does not separate itself from the state.

Note that in terms of the subjects addressed by the state and by any or all religions, there is a great overlap. So the separation, if at all, can be in whether the authorities, the implementation apparatus or the power / administrative structure is different between the state and the religion or if the legal code can be permitted to be different from the moral code / divine law.

State religions have the latter characteristics and hence do not leave the state alone. For this reason, for state religions, the concept of separation and hence secularism is ab-initio void and false. Hence such a religion, system or institution, cannot be recognized or admitted by a secular state and the followers of such religions are not secular.

In other words, if the state separates itself from the religion, and becomes secular, i.e. “secularises” itself, then at the same time, the religion in question must separate itself from the state and “de-statise” itself, in order to ensure and effect the principle of separation.

The problem arises for the state because the while the state can define itself in a certain way, there is no control over how the religion defines itself. So if the religion defines itself (or is given by Divine Law) such that it has a principle of dictating divine law to be the only law and excludes everything else, such a religion is not secular nor is separation or secularism possible for such religions, once they are admitted or recognized.

Choice of the individual v/s demand from the other side:

Gifts may voluntarily be given or exchanged in a marriage. However, if there is a demand from the other side (note: even a mere mention is sufficient as per the Supreme Court), it amounts to a demand of dowry, which is a cognizable and punishable offence. Similarly, the Constitution protects the right of the individual i.e. the citizen, to move into or adopt another belief system. In other words, the right to change the belief and practice belongs to the individual/citizen, i.e. the ‘outgoing’ individual, and not of the other side, the potentially ‘incoming’ system.

However, the statement, or assertion, or demand as a right from the other side i.e. the proselytizing belief system, is like asking for dowry. Hence, this must also be a cognizable and punishable offence.

Certain belief systems or institutions may or may not be able to perceive the trespass here because they have a priori arrogated the right to ‘own and convert’ to themselves, which in reality is a statement as to the end result of the exercise which is a foregone conclusion, by the ‘incoming’ system, like a dictate. Arrogating the right to exclusive ownership and implementing it also precludes the concept of ownership or possibility of trespass happening to the target, the victim of the ‘conversion’ activity.

The most fundamental attribute in democracy, of an individual, of a citizen, is choice, or election. This attribute is so fundamental that it is implicit in many concepts and even does not need to be stated. However, it belongs to the individual, the citizen. This is the exact opposite of some other ‘incoming’/’to be elected’ entity arrogating something or some end result to itself and hence would dictate and in doing so see itself as committing no trespass.

Propagation v/s ‘conversion’ and multiplication of numbers:

Mathematics and logic permeate every activity, and every person uses this explicitly or implicitly in a small or big manner. If instruction is given in this subject i.e. Mathematics say, then one can use it for whatever purposes or improve based on the acquisition and application of this skill. However, this does not mean that such persons need to leave whatever they are doing or alter it and become a mathematician. So the propagation and practice of the subject does not imply or necessitate a ‘conversion’. Note that the Supreme Court has observed that the right to practice and propagate religion does not imply the right to convert.

The statement or claim of belief, practice and propagation = conversion i.e., it implies and necessitates conversion, is a statement of their particular Divine Law which cannot be modified or excluded. Hence this is a statement about such a religion and its followers being non- or anti-secular.

Written by - onimusha

Tormentor or Savior, the language is the same!

2011-03-01T03:08:00.000-08:00

Arundhati Roy in her ramblings on Naxalism, social justice etc. uses the phrase the ‘Brahmanic Hindu state’ to vent her anger against the Indian state. Justice Michael F. Saldhana speaks about Brahmanic dominance of Hindu society. Both are Roman Catholics and they are often joined by deracinated Hindus who either are ignorant or deliberately feign ignorance about the origin, structures, religious and cultural practices of the Hindus. [Article by Dr. Vijaya Rajiva]

Justice Saldhana, disagreeing with Somashekar report on attacks on Chrristians in Karnataka, says that impartial inquiry cannot emanate from government steered by a ‘Hindu’ nationalist party.

Brahmins, according to Hindu baiters, have played a leading role in Karnataka’s Hindutva movement. Hindu nationalism is driven primarily by Brahmins desperate to preserve caste privilege. As those at the very top of the Hindu caste system, powerful Brahmins have the most to lose from any spread of Christian egalitarianism. So they are compelled to fight Christianity – unless ofcourse the Holy Spirit transforms and humbles their hearts.

Dr. Vijaya Rajiva, The writer is a Political Philosopher who taught at a Canadian university, analyses these reactions. The writer correctly identifies the assault on Bharat by the two proselytizing faiths : Islam and Christianity.

"Since independence missionaries have conspired to balkanize the country so that the Christian faith can spread unquestioned and unopposed. It also helps that real political power is in the hands of an Italian Roman Catholic, quite indifferent to Hindu India, and is said to be behind much of the discrimination practiced against Hindu religious centres and institutions. People like Saldhana spread various canards ....".

Dr. Vijaya Rajiva attempts to prove that Hinduism is as much non brahminical as Brahminical as alleged by Saldana or Arundhati Roy. He shows that at present, increasing number of non Brahmin Hindus are taking important positions in all walks of life. And finally says that both Arundhati and Saldana set up a straw man, a Brahman, and then try to demolish it.

Increasing number of pro Hindu thinkers are toeing similar line. They articulate the insignificance of Brahmins in the overall Hindu map. They stress the minority nature of Brahmins and highlight the increasing number of non - Brahmins in all prominent walks of life. In summary,

1. Votaries of Christian egalitarianism and Islamic Universal Brotherhood are painting non-Brahmins as the exploited population within the Hindu society.

2. They are also accusing Brahmins as discriminators and practicers of untouchability.

3. Increasing number of supporters of Hinduism are highlighting the non-Brahmin aspects of Hinduism and undermining Brahminical aspects of Hinduism.

By 1, non-Brahmins are being provoked against Brahmins and as their anger grows, they are made to believe that Hinduism as a synonym to Brahminism. A non-Brahmin could easily be separated from Hinduism to be later converted to non-Hindu fold.

By 2, Brahmins are made defensive and apologetic so that their reasoning is blunted against conversions.

By 3, Hindu supporters are trying to neutralise the arguments of anti Hindu accusers - by demonstrating that non-Brahmins are as much part of Hinduism as Brahmins.

Hindu reformists are advocating reservation in education and jobs, discouraging caste practices in food, vocation, marriage and customs. Some of the fundamental tenets of Hinduism related to non-materialistic view point are compromised in the process.

By the way these reforms are being carried out, the argument that non-Brahmins are exploited population within the Hindu society is reinforced. This implies that Brahminical practices created discrimination in the society at some point of time knowingly (or unknowingly) by the Brahmins.

By reinfrocing the arguments of a Hindu baiter, a misled non-Brahmin will grow more conviction in his/her erroneous judgements about Hinduism. By reforming Hinduism through materialistic lens, both a Brahmin and a non-Brahmin, will go further away from a thinking process which may be the only path available to us for achieving world peace and individual realization.

[Contributed by SS, SH and KHB]

Kashmir and Varnashrama - problems due to propaganda

2011-02-19T23:45:00.000-08:00

Propaganda by definition is spreading biased information for the purpose of promoting some cause. It helps in creating and strengthening an environment which is conducive to take steps towards the goal that it is intended to achieve. Understandably, a typical propaganda will create some negative consequences and subsequently undesirable situations. To understand and reduce ill effects of any propaganda, the extent of damage it has already created has to be assessed.

In any propaganda, there will be two groups - propagandists, those who design propaganda and the target group - those who are recipients of the propaganda.

In this context, it is instructive to list the stages of progression of propaganda. To decide on how to tackle the ill effects of the propaganda, the first step would be to identify the maturity level of the propaganda campaign.

A propaganda campaign has four sequential stages.

Exposure - Distribution of material, Making aware of the argument - The target group of the propaganda is aware of the allegations or criticisms stated by the propagandists against them.
Compel - Making one to respond In this stage, the members of the target group are compelled to react and respond to the allegations hurled at them.
Involve - Make someone to reinforce, reiterate or approve As the propaganda becomes stronger, many groups in the target group start reinforcing the ideas, allegations or criticisms of the propagandists while making an attempt to respond to ward off the criticisms.
Ambassadorial - Advocate, vouch A member of the target group internalizes the criticisms but continues to respond simultaneously - exhibit dichotomy in thoughts and actions

A propaganda becomes more successful as it proceeds from one stage to the next. It becomes more difficult to reverse the ill effects the propaganda in higher stages.

In India, there are two problems which are influenced by the sustained propaganda from a very long period of time. Here they are identified and an assessment of the stage of the propaganda in each of these cases is made.

Varnasharama

Propaganda against Varnashrama of Hinduism is going on at least from last 400 years. Propaganda has already reached the 4th stage and we see many Hindus, especially socially active, vouching for the points raised by the anti Varnashrama propagandists. More number of Hindus reiterate and reinforce the allegations and conclusions about Varnashrama in a casual way even addressing topics that are not directly related to Varnashrama in particular and Hinduism in general. Awareness about the allegation is so high (almost 100%) and internalization of the allegations is so complete that most of the time, reactions / response / discussion about these things is not seen.

Kashmir

Kashmir as a disputed land and Pakistan and China as parties to it has wider acceptance. Arguments in favor of India is less widely known compared to the arguments in favor of Pakistan. Response is typically high from official circles and it appears as it there are few takers among the general public. Reinforcement of Pakistani / Jihadi allegations against India is seen in most of the discussions about Kashmir in India. The propaganda against Kashmir as integral part of India has reached third stage

[Contributed by VS and SH]

How do we tackle corruption and ensure propriety?

2010-11-24T01:27:00.000-08:00

Preface

Chavan and Adarsh Scam in Maharashtra, BSY episode in Karnataka and Resignation of Rosaiah in Andhrapradesh highlights the interplay of corruption, propriety and political ambitions of individuals creating political instability. 2G Scam, Radia tapes, Landscams in Karnataka, CVC appointment have exposed all political parties and some journalists. In this context, tackling corruption and ensuring propriety in public affairs becomes important. Lone voices (example - samAlochaka) are heard attempting to analyze the situation. Here is contribution by media.syndicate.

Corruption and Honesty
Everyone talks about political corruption all the time. Public perception about almost all Prime Minister (PM) / Chief Minister (CM) / minister is the same - that they are corrupt. With little differences. But only some of them are caught. People think that it their fate! Still, strangely, some politicians are still perceived as honest (relatively?) and they command respect (relatively in the true sense). How is it possible?

In today’s political climate, money is playing a significant role. Persons who could spend money are considered for candidature from all political parties. Stability of the government is also dependent on the money power of the people who are managing it. Political parties need huge amounts of money to fight elections and to save government.

In this context, honesty (or corruption), it is said, has taken a new definition. It is not who (who is not) honest (or corrupt). The questions is who is more (or less) corrupt (honest)?

If the corruption money goes to the party coffers, then it is widely accepted. If the money is meant for the wider circle of neighborhood of the corrupt, it is okay. The corruption is unacceptable only if it is destined to the restricted circle of relatives and personal friends.

High command culture
Prominent office bearers at the national level is called High Command. The party has a responsibility of ensuring that propriety in public life. It may have to discipline Chief Minister of a state, as an example. Presently public opinion has become the sole criteria for measuring propriety. It has many negative consequences. General public will not know many things. Manipulation of the perception of the public could be easy. In these contexts, political managers, if they depend only on the public opinion as the criteria for deciding boundaries of propriety, then, their actions and decisions can only become sheer adhocness in perpetuity.

Democracy and political parties
The process of decision making involving High Command model is debatable from constitution perspective. Can High Command of a political party decide to replace a Chief Minister of a state? Whether the High Command of the political party be allowed to modify the verdict given by the people of a state? Under what circumstances?

The questions are pertinent because, a coterie of people at the center may subvert the aspirations of the people and this could go against principles of democracy. All the political parties are known for their reluctance to promote internal democracy. Office bearers are more comfortable with obedient subordinates and there is no sincere effort to promote dynamic leadership.

Funding for political parties
Political parties need funds to fight elections. This necessity is promoting the role of the money in public life to newer heights. There is a wide agreement that financial requirements of political parties is a major factor for the corruption at individual level as well as at the systemic level.

To reduce the role of money in public affairs, there is a suggestion that budgetary allocation to be made available to meet the expenses of the political parties. But there are several consequences. Some of the weaker political entities may not be able to get government funds. Secondly, major political parties who get funds will be able to create authoritative High Commands who will eventually dictate terms to local democratic institutions and elected representatives.

Personal ambitions and political stability
In the present system, and probably in any other revamped systems as well, personal ambitions has been identified as a major factor in the generation of political crises. Desire to become PM / CM / Minister, eagerness to replace the incumbent are causing political instability to governments in many cases. How can a political party contain personal ambitions of its leaders? What are the mechanisms a political party should adopt to motivate its leaders to work together to fight its political adversaries and simultaneously not fight among themselves for power?

[Contributed by mksri and SW]

Discussion on Fundamental concepts

2010-09-12T22:19:00.001-07:00

In one of the previous discussion, opinions were exchanged over the definitions of various terms like Dharma, Dharmashastra etc. In fact, we observe that discussions around various aspects of India and Hindu Dharma revolve round this kind of discussions.

To resolve some of these topics once and for all, a separate discussion on the fundamental concepts is found necessary. In this blog, we would like to address the following concepts.

1. Are truth, Justice, equality relative? Or absolute?

2. Is religion and Dharma same? Or different?

3. Is religion/Dharma one? Or many

4. Are all religions same? Are the eseence of their teaching same?

5. What are Dharma Shasta’s? Could we consider Quran, Bible, Manusmrithi as Dharmashastras?

6. Could/should we change Dharmashastras over time?

7. Could we change Vedas? In accordance with our times?

8. If Varna is birth based, is it impossible to justify?

9. Is it not possible to prove that Hinduism as a just system with Varnashrama as its integral part?

Please note that this discussion will focus on fundamental concepts equipping us to resolve more complicated socio-political problems of the day.

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Article 25 and Admissible Belief Systems

2010-08-18T02:08:00.001-07:00

Article by Pankaj

The Constitution of India gives fundamental rights to its citizens, vide article 25 – The right to a) freedom of conscience, b) profess, practice and propagate religion.

25. (1) Subject to public order, morality and health

and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are

equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right

freely to profess, practise and propagate religion.

(2) Nothing in this article shall affect the operation

of any existing law or prevent the State from making

any law—

(a) regulating or restricting any economic, financial,

political or other secular activity which may be

associated with religious practice;

(b) providing for social welfare and reform or the

throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a

public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.

However, there are certain religions or religious systems / institutions, which do NOT give to its followers the right to their belief or conscience. One MUST Believe in the system, a certain God, etc. More specifically, its followers MUST subjugate their conscience to their specific religious principles, which are not just some principles but more specifically religious dogma. This is exemplified by those systems which themselves claim to 'harvest the souls' of the persons and keep it in the 'custody' of the ecclesiastical authority, rather than let it remain where it originally, naturally and rightfully belongs – as the conscience of the person, with the person.

[An aside – that there are fundamental differences in the systems is a known fact. As an example, it is a judgement of the High court that the Hindu marriage is a 'sacrament' whereas the christian or islamic marriages are a 'contract'.]

Moreover, not only does it not approve of any of its followers the right to freely practice and modify or even change his / her beliefs, it goes further so as to DENY this right. There are religions / systems which go even beyond a Denial of the right. The followers who do so may be excommunicated or sentenced with death, as per the beliefs and practices of such systems. As an example, not believing in Allah but some other God, or the prophet, may be heresy or apostasy, punishable with death in Islam. Similarly, the church denies its followers the right to move out of the system at all or practice varying or other beliefs, even within the christian fold.

The above are not some kind of restrictions or peer pressure, rather they are a matter of principle and practice, which is enforced by such systems. Hence, such religions or institutions not only abrogate the fundamental rights of Citizens, who happen to be its followers, they go further so as to deny the most fundamental and basic 'right', existence itself. Thereafter, they go even further, to the extreme, by punishing with death. Moreover, in doing so, it assumes for itself an extra judicial and extra constitutional authority – note.

Hence, the Constitution cannot explicitly or implicitly recognize, or allow to operate, Institutions or systems connected to or depending on such belief systems.

The other rights, to minority rights for example, do not explicitly specify which kind of Religions or their allied institutions in particular are allowed or not – surely they cannot be any of those which deny or abrogate the fundamental rights, or as a matter of principle may deny the right to exist (by means of the death penalty) itself.

As the State can legislate on the secular aspects of any religious institutions or rights, the State can ask any such institution to give an explicit undertaking that it does NOT deny or abrogate any fundamental rights of the citizens. Surely those propagating christianity or islam, or allied institutions doing any social service, cannot be permitted. Note that the citizens who are the followers finally do not have any say in this matter but rather it is the church or clergy / mullahs who have the authority in their respective systems.

In other words, if such (allied) institutions want to operate at all, it is the church or ulema which must declare that they themselves permit the right to conscience / belief, practice and worship freely. More specifically, they must permit the right of their followers to convert out of their belief systems into others, freely, as a matter of principle.

Also, the right to convert, or freely practice any belief system, of a citizen, has an obvious Fundamental

Limitation – they cannot convert into a system which itself abrogates the fundamental rights of the citizen him / herself. So the constitution cannot recognize conversion into christianity or islam for that matter, or even recognise the two religions, or christians and muslims, as the fundamental nature of the constitution itself would be changed (refer the Keshavananda Bharati case), if it does so.

The constitution obviously recognizes the Hindu family of religions, which do NOT abrogate the Fundamental Rights of the citizens to freely believe, practice or worship but THEMSELVES GRANT this right.

Any admissible system per the constitution must obviously not deny or abrogate or murder any Fundamental Rights. Any exercise of the right to change / convert or practice his / her beliefs cannot be into a system which itself abrogates the Fundamental Rights. Suicide and murder are not allowed as a fundamental limitation of the right to freedom.

It is not just ultra vires, ab initio void but also in direct contradiction and opposition to the fundamental nature of the constitution itself and the existence of a citizen as a citizen, along with his / her Fundamental Rights.

Some of the major problems we face as a nation are because we do not recognize this fact.

Ambedkar's conclusions on Shudras - are they valid?

2010-08-16T04:41:00.000-07:00

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was a scholar. He studied scriptures and came out with the following 10 conclusions about various aspects of Varnashrma and status of Shudras. Are they valid conclusions? Here is a debate.

What is the position of Shudra in the social order?

BRA summarises that the Shudra was to take the last place in the social order.

Is Shudra impure?

BRA summarises that Shudra was impure and therefore no sacred act should be done within his sight and within his hearing.

Should Shudra be not shown respect?

BRA summarises that the Shudra is not to be respected in the same way as the other classes.

Is life of a Shudra less valuable compared to others?

BRA summarises that the life of a Shudra is of no value and anybody may kill him without having to pay compensation and if at all of small value as compared with that of the Brahmana, Kshatriya and Vaishya.

Should Shudras be denied of Education?

BRA summarises that the Shudra must not acquire knowledge and it is a sin and a crime to give him education.

Should Shudras not be allowed to acquire property?

BRA summarises that a Shudra must not acquire property. A Brahmin can take his property at his pleasure.

Should Shudras be denied of holding public office?

BRA summarises that a Shudra cannot hold office under the State.

Should Shudra serve higher classess as a means of attaining salvation?

BRA summarises that the duty and salvation of the Shudra lies in his serving the higher classes.

Could other varnas keep a Shudra woman as a concubine?

BRA summarises that the higher Classes must not inter-marry with the Shudra. They can however keep a Shudra woman as a concubine But if the Shudra touches a woman of the higher classes he will be liable to dire punishment.

Should Shudra be kept in servility forever?

BRA summarises that the Shudra is born in servility and must be kept in servility for ever.

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medsyn policy statement on freedom of expression

2010-08-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

media.syndicate always committed to support free speech and healthy discussion. We dont censor writings of the authors of the syndicated blog. It is a policy and we are serious about it.

media.syndicate is not owned by its chief editor(s) or the owner(s) of the site / blog. It is not meant to promote a particular ideology. Not that we dont have values - or that they can not be articulated. This only means that our values are not codified (or inflexible). We dont choose this occasion - in the aftermath of the statement of samalochaka that he has resigned - to reiterate or explain our policy. We dont react - we take actions proactively. We continue our policy of supporting free expression of authors of the syndicated blog.

So far, penname Samalochaka was used to publish analysis of issues of current affairs. medsyn blog continues to publish similar writings in the future too. Old Samalochaka has suggested media syndicate to continue the same penname. We are not averse. We are not sure - whether it will be one or a group of Samalochakas, a Newsamalochaka or some other name. Whether it will be on medsyn blog or a new blog - media syndicate has ready made framework to support any of these options. Whatever it is, media syndicate readers will not miss news analysis.

media.syndicate will also evolve its policy on blog posting and add new features in future and publish it to all the authors of the syndicated blog.

The Author Behind Samalochaka Resigns

2010-07-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Syndicated blogging is a strange thing. Like politics, it makes for strange bed-fellows, and further it turns old friends into ideological foes.

Who would have dreamt that after being invited to write in a blog (along with the companion blog - samAlochaka) this author would some day be shown the door. Well, almost the same has happened.

I, the resigning author, have developed so serious differences with the chief editor of this blog that I find it no longer tenable to continue contributing to this blog. I, for one, have always been candid, and it is this candor which seems to ruffle many a feather. We (I and the Editor) reached a point where either I have to tone down what I want to say or the Editor will delete whatever I wrote.

So, we decided to have a frank discussion. And it turns out that parting our blogging ways is the only solution. So here I am, informing you all, that I, until now known to you as samAlochaka, resign from this blog. I requested the Editor to retain this name which is my intellectual child, and he has kindly agreed. He has further promised that he will appoint a new author to write on behalf of the same author-name, and try to emulate the spirit as much as possible, and as much as allowed in the blog.

So from tomorrow, when you read samAlochaka, understand that you are reading a different author, although in the same name. It has been nice having your audience, and I thank you all for the attention you have given me.

I wish all of you and this blog, all the very best. And I request you all to expect, nay demand, from the new author, the same outspokenness that you have got used to.

Kashmir Update - July 2010

2010-07-10T01:03:00.000-07:00

From June 11, 2010 onwards, 15 protesting civilians have been killed in Kashmir valley by Police and Paramilitary forces. Starting with the first death of a 17-year old student by a police teargas shell, each death has sparked a new cycle of violence. Hardline separatists urged residents to march to the streets and continue with the protests. Kupwara and Handwara in the north, Kakpora and Pulwama in south and Gandherbal in the east , Sopore, Srinagar and Anantnag were the maily affected places. Eight more companies of the BSF and the CRPF have been sent to assist the police.

The army was called in to control the situation. No local newspapers hit the stands for the second day running amid tight restrictions on the local and international media. The state's Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, under pressure to contain the violence. Union Home Minister has appealed to the people of Kashmir to respect the curfew. He also urged parents to discourage their children from participating in the mob violence.

The protests have been characterised by stone throwing by hundreds of protestors throughout the day. Separatists have devised stone-pelting as an instrument of organized and orchestrated protest. Instead of acting tough against the professional stone pelters, the government declared a rehabilitation package for such 'surrendered stone pelters'.

The Union home ministry has found evidence that stone throwers in the Kashmir Valley are being paid from abroad by Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives through a money-transfer agency. One of the well-known agency in the business of channelling funds across countries has been used by the Lashkar operatives in Pakistan to route money to Dubai and then transfer it to Srinagar and other towns in Kashmir. The remittances for throwing stones sometimes as less as Rs 300 daily have been tracked by intelligence agencies. In the last year, the agencies were perplexed by observing transfer of small amounts of money from places in Europe to Kashmir. The riddle has apparently been solved now. Involvement of hardline separatists in engineering some of the violence in the Kashmir valley is indicated by an intercepted conversations. According to the transcript, two of the office-bearers, Ghulam Ahmed Dar and Shabir Ahmed Wani were heard planning at least 15 people more deaths among the protestors.

Protests in Kashmir in recent years follow a known pattern. Anything can provoke anger - blasphemous cartoons, America's invasion of Iraq or Afghanistan, Pakistan's Lal Masjid, Kashmir's infamous sex scandal, murder, rape, or for that matter the death of a militant in a gun battle with the Indian Army or police. Roadblocks follow the demonstrations and any vehicle that passes by becomes a target of stone pelting. Police personnel swing in and the action starts. The area around the mosque every Friday afternoon smells of burning rubber tyres and tear gas, and one can also intermittently hear the sound of cracking windshields. In the months of Apri-June, 2010, 716 incidents of violence have been reported in the Valley and more than 200 paramilitary personnel injured.

Pro Pakistani lobbies are exploiting the situation for their advantage. The Kashmiri-American Council has asked the international community to conduct an impartial probe into the killings of innocent unarmed civilians in the heavily militarized Indian Occupied Kashmir.Commenting on the massive riots taking place in Kashmir, due to the deaths of more than 17 civilians including women and children, Dr.Ghulam Nabi Fai, head of the Council, stated the myth of Indian democracy and respect for the rights of others has been exposed with the deaths and injuries throughout the occupied Kashmir.

[Contributed by mksri]

Who do I criticize and Why do I criticize.

2010-04-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

A reader has blamed me for being selective in my criticisms. In particular, the reader, sdn, wrote:

To preserving hindu interest what we need is forward looking outlook what to be done next, by whom, how constructive suggestions proactive actions.

But typically what we are seeing is reassessment of past - where nothing is new but gaining more and more experience and expertise!

Blame Nehru, Gandhi, Indira, Vajpayee, LKA and now add Golwalkar (dont talk about Namboodari pad, Charu Mujumdar, Lohia ....)

Blame game - RSS blaming Congress, VoI blaming RSS, etc.

Skewed analysis criticising LKA talking of Hindu ethos (Note that Manmohan singh, Gadkari, Karat and Laloo dont talk about Hindu ethos and they are not criticised)

SDN's comment has two parts.

1. That reassessment of past is incompatible with forward looking outlook.

and

2. I criticize many but not all. Specifically, I have not criticized Namboodripad, Charu Majumdar, Lohia, Manmohan and so on.

The first point is moot. If SDN is recommending that we must not look at and reassess the past, and that we must just concentrate on deciding future course of actions, one can at best sympathize with his acumen. Endless reassessment with no hint of a plan for proactive future action may merit disapproval, but censuring even a reasonable reassessment before action is downright foolhardiness.

The attempt to understand the past is indeed intended to develop a proper attitude for forward looking outlook. Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past. Any preoccupation with an urgency for the new with no understanding of the past will result in merely a cosmetic change of the policies of the past. This will clearly precipitate in the very mistakes that we should actively want to avoid.

This partially answers why I criticize.

The second point is rather good. Even though I often clarify my stand on targets of my frequent criticism, I have never outlined a principled stand regarding my choice.

The purpose of this author is to work towards bringing about a reestablishment through reawakening of Truth Based Civilization. We have been using the terms, Sanatana Dharma, or Hindu-WOL (Hindu Way of Life) synonymously.

Mohandasian Non-violence, Jawaharian Secular State, Socialistic Affirmative-action have all been termed poisonous. Having swept all political leaders belonging to this creed in one stroke, I do not think there is any need to mention them and their follies again and again. In my opinion, they are so worthless that it is not worth criticizing them except occasionally.

Sangh Parivar and its members are a different matter. They claim to be the protectors of the Hindu interests. So, to the undiscerning, they appear quite worthy. I have also mentioned that some of their actions which spring from their heart do merit appreciation. However, their biggest shortcoming is in the cerebral domain. Despite claiming to be avowed opponents of poisonous ideologies, their words often betray implicit acceptance of the very poisonous ideas.

What can one surmise to be the fate of Hindus, if their best protagonists are so far below the necessary standards? What should one do, if not to point out this lacunae again and again, till the points sink in and understanding emerges?

Who should one criticize, if not those who lay claim on the crown of protectors of the Hindus? Is it worth wasting the critical acumen on worthless creeps, which is what Congress and Communist parties of various denominations mostly comprise of?

The need of the hour is to work towards a political scenario wherein even the Communist parties fight for always the cause of Hindus, rather than continuing in the present situation wherein the Hindutva brigade remains busy proving itself to be secular! And under these circumstance, it is only those who claim to profess Hindutva, while betraying secularism, who need to be chastised. The non-Hindutva types do not even deserve mention, except sparingly.

Some important questions about Bharat Swabhiman Andolan (BSA), Baba Ramdev (BR), and RSS

2010-04-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

A reader, Kiran, has posed two very important questions in my blog entry on Sangh Parivar (SP). And they are:

1. Does BSA or Baba Ramadev support Dar ul Uloom as a back up plan if his drive for Hindutva in BSA fails?

2. Has RSS too become secular(so called) in nature and in action? They started Andolans, but why it stopped/fazed?

Background:

Before we address these questions, we need to understand the mind-set of Hindus in India, and how that mind-set has come about. If we take a look at the state of our nation, it is not difficult to observe that:

1. Hindus think that being Secular is a great virtue, Hinduism is Secular and India is, rightly, a Secular country.

2. Non-Hindus (Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs ...) think that India is a Hindu country, but it should be a Secular country, and it is the responsibility of Hindus in India to ensure that India becomes a truly Secular country.

Contemporary History:

Let me outline a few points from my understanding of the contemporary history.

1. Mohandas, who is touted as the role model for Indians, always claimed that he was a Sanatani Hindu, and therefore arrogated himself to be the sole representative of all the Hindus, was in his actions always an appeaser of non-Hindus, especially the Muslims.

Mr. Nathuram Godse has very clearly and skillfully analyzed and presented this aspect, in his defense statement.

2. Jawahar, who was Mohandas's illegitimate intellectual child was proactively anti-traditions, and since he identified Hinduism as representing Indian tradition, he was proactively and violently anti-hindu. That he was opposed to his daughter, Indira, marrying a Muslim, is another story, but it reveals how hypocritical this man was.

3. Mr. Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS, perceived the plight of Hindus, as he noticed that during most riots, which were quite frequent in his times (early twentieth centuries), Muslims were aggressors and Hindus were at the receiving end.

4. Mohandas proclaimed that a typical Muslim was a brave bully while a typical Hindu was a coward.

This might well have been true, and Mr. Hedgewar rightly wanted to change the attitude of the Hindus.

5. Further, as a consequence of Jawaharian direction in education, Communists of the likes of Romila Thapar, wrote, rather rewrote a doctored history of Indian subcontinent. The whole design was to achieve mass-indoctrination of the following two points :

a. Hinduism preaches tolerance, is secular, and is open from all sides.

b. Anything in Hinduism, that is other than the above, is superstition, casteism, and sexually perverted stories.

The Mistakes:

While Jawahar was being touted as a great intellectual (phew), and Mohandas was being hoisted as the role model (huh); most Hindus sucked up to it. And as a consequence of Jawaharian education with Mohandas as the role model, the above mentioned mass-indoctrination has been eminently successful.

Hedgewar entrusted the intellectual leadership with Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar, and in my opinion, he was less than equal to the job. Notwithstanding his other insights and his spiritual-intellectual competence, he expressed, at some places, his greatest admiration for the founder of Islam. And that has been one of his greatest undoings.

In my opinion, Hedgewar is the heart (emotion) of RSS, while Golwalkar is the head (reason) of RSS. It is not difficult to appreciate that while the heart of RSS may be passable, but its head is undeniably egregious.

The Present:

Owing to the success of the evil design of the education system, most Hindus have wrong ideas and even worse suicidal tendencies regarding India as the nation.

In that sense, it is not surprising that even some of the so called leaders, be it Atal Bihari Vajpeyee or Lal Krishna Advani, exhibit such rank stupidity when it comes to the survival or security of Hindus.

Needless to add that I have skipped the mention of Congress-Prime-Ministers as most of them including the current PM and super-PM, except Lal Bahadur Shastry, have been arch traitors, and have callously betrayed the Hindu electorate, who invested their confidence in them.

The members of the RSS, as well as Baba Ramdev are the products of the same educational-ethos. So it is not surprising that they have imbibed Mohandasian and Jawaharian instincts.

The Conclusion:

In light of the above, my answers to the questions you have posed are:

1. Baba Ramdev might shamelessly surrender to the Dar ul Uloom, even if he gets the support of very large number of hindus.

2. RSS is Secular in nature and in action, because they allow their Golwalkarian head to over-ride their (hopefully) Hedgewarian heart. Thus they start with a heart, and then stop without a head.

Can we dream Sangh Parivar taking such initiatives?

2010-04-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

When I lambaste RSS, BJP and the Sangh Parivar (SP), people often feel that I am over doing it. But when it comes to matters of head, these organizations have surely proven to be headless chickens.

Fortunately the world is not that bad. While the limp-d*ck old man was depicting nudity in the name of Hindu goddesses; Danish people were publishing, and republishing cartoons. Naturally it ruffled a lot of feathers. Now it turns out that it has ruffled a lot of forefathers as well.

Pamela Geller in her blog reported a nice item. I have copy pasted the item for the readers below, but don't miss the comments section at the original post.

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Reverse lawfare -- a lawsuit is being prepared against the 94,000 Moe descendants for over a millennium of jihad wars, land expropriations, enslavements, and humiliations of the conquered non-Muslim populations on three continents.

Back in March I reported on a new front that opened in the Islamic litigation jihad on the vastly superior West. A Saudi Arabian law firm launched a mega Muslim lawfare attack against the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten for the cartoons of Muhammad. The Saudi firm claims to represent 94,000 of Muhammad’s descendants.

In a major counter offensive, Hans Erling Jensen, Eticha (HEJ), has counter sued -- "now we know where to send our claims for all the threats, the bullying and violent acts that have come out of the Quran and hadith the last many centuries!” The Quran violates Danish law, specifically the well known 'hate speech' article 266b. Turning lawfare against jihad. I love it!

The lawsuit demands that the verses, suras, Islamic texts and teachings that prescribe, command, demand jihad be changed or expunged from Islam. The suit is to claim that Muhammad is responsible for a centuries-old persecution of women by asserting that they are worth less than men in intelligence, in matters of inheritance economy and parentage.

A future lawsuit will address that the Quran and Hadith imply that non-Muslims are the enemies of Allah and therefore were and are to be treated as outlaws. Due to the fact that Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi claimed that not he but Allah was the author of this insult, and thus ascribed the saying to him, we find this not only blasphemous but also a thinly disguised attempt to decriminalize Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi's own misdemeanors.

The lawsuit demands that designated changes be made in libraries, in all mosques and other public places in which these abominations are disseminated before December 31, 2010. Prior to this date the owners (we assume that Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants possess the rights to the koran, their ancestor's work!) must forbid publication in its present variation and likewise forbid its distribution by anybody remotely connected to Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants. It must neither be financed by funds nor organisations supporting these descendants in any other issue

Hans Erling Jensen, Founder of Eticha, sent me the following backgrounder and letter to the Saudi law firm outlining the lawsuit. This is the primer, the template on which to forge ahead. Clearly Armenia, Bosnia, Batak, Darfur, Nigeria, and all the countless genocides committed in the name of allah and jihad must be redressed as well. Legal minds, start your engines.

Robert and I of SIOA, Anders Gravers of SIOE, and Siad strongly support this action.

Eticha informs lawyer Faizal Yamani of upcoming lawsuit against Muhammad's descendants Supported by a number of Danish and foreign associations, the virtual network Eticha is planning to sue the Muslim prophet Muhammad’s descendants, the group preparing a libel case against a number of Danish newspapers. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Background

It all began when Jyllands Posten in September 2005 published the now famous Muhammad cartoons. After half a year of boycotts, flag and embassy burnings, and various diplomatic crises between Denmark and the Muslim countries, we thought it was over. But no, nay, never! In the spring of 2008 the CIA revealed a plot to murder Kurt Westergaard - the cartoonist who had placed the bomb in Mo’s turban, and thus created the greatest symbol of "freedom of speech and expression" yet in this century.

The Danish newspapers reprinted the cartoons to show solidarity with Kurt Westergaard, which got the ball rolling. In august 2009, Faizal Yamana demanded an unconditional apology from the 15 newspapers to be published in various media across the world, in four different languages. By reprinting the drawings - and especially that of Kurt Westergaard – the newspapers had, according to Faizal Yamani, made themselves guilty of slander against the Muslim prophet Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

Consequently, Hans Erling Jensen of Eticha.dk, sent his now famous letter to the law firm, where he drew attention to Denmark's position in history and in the world. But little did it help.

Lawyer Yamani claims to represent 94,000 people, all descendants of Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, who demand an apology for the insult (they claim) their ancestor was subjected to by the Danish newspapers once again publishing the infamous cartoons.

Faizal Yamana intends to open a libel case in London against the Danish newspapers. Not that he expects to win it, he is too well educated to even dream of that. On the other hand, he has funding from a very wealthy foundation whose, objective is to protect Muhammad’s reputation at any cost. This libel case therefore constitutes nothing else than economic blackmail. One newspaper, Politiken, has already done the bean-counting, caved, and apologized.

At Eticha.dk, we presented a new plan. Due to Yamanis' unethical initiative targeting the Danish newspapers, there was an obvious opportunity to countersue Muhammad's descendants, to one time for all obtain an apology from people as closely related as possible to the source of the outrageous accusations, slander and the consequences of these statements that generations of innocent and defenseless people have suffered for (the Koran). In contrast to Mr. Yamani, we have a solid case, and now we even know exactly who to target with the lawsuit, that we can achieve justice.

As of today’s date, we have sent the following letter to the law firm in Saudi Arabia:

Law Firm Of Ahmed Zaki Yamani Lawyers and Legal Consultants 35 Hassan Yamani Street, Al Hamra District P.O Box 1351 Jeddah 21431 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Denmark, 15th 15.th of April 2010

Dear Mr. Faisal A Z. Yamani

I am writing to you after being notified that your legal firm represents 94.000 descendants of the prophet Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi in a libel suit against several Danish newspapers. It is a relief to learn that the descendants of Muhammad have a representative, to whom we can raise our claim on behalf of people verbally vilified and physically attacked by the adherents of your religion.

This year alone, we have been contacted by a large number of individuals and organizations who are of the impression that you and your clients are not disposed to change your attitudes with regard to the scripture that Muslims allege to be Allah's words to Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.

You and your clients apparently continue to insist that Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi may not be portrayed or caricatured. This implies that you and your clients give your unconditional support to the text of the Quran, as it exists today, as well as to the Hadith that, combined with the Quran (and the Sirat) form the basis of Islam and Sharia.

The descendants of the people whom your clients' forefather compared to apes, pigs and rats, and whose case we now represent, feel not only personally insulted, but also emotionally aggrieved by these denigrations, as their own ancestors have been ridiculed, persecuted and expelled from their lands, since the Quran and Hadith imply that non-Muslims are the enemies of Allah and therefore were and are to be treated as outlaws. Due to the fact that Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi claimed, that not he, but Allah was the author of this insult and thus ascribed the saying to him, we find this not only blasphemous but also a thinly disguised attempt to decriminalize Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi's own misdemeanors. This will possibly be addressed in a later court case.

Descendants' claim

With regard to the above, we request you to contact Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants, to demand an unconditional rejection of and an apology for a series of statements and verses in the Quran and Hadith which the said descendants must remove. This includes articles on the world wide web and all new editions of the Quran, Hadith and Sirat.
Our demand includes a long series of texts and/or assertions which your clients' self-appointed prophet said that he received as direct commands from Allah (via the archangel Gabriel) and which insult and intimidate non-muslims while inciting muslims either to violence or at best to the oppression of people who do not unconditionally submit to islam's dogma
Unacceptable passages

We have made a list of passages obviously inappropriate for a religion professing to preach peace and tolerance. There are passages asserting that certain Jews are descendants of apes and pigs [1], that there is only one god and that this god is Allah [2], that Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi is his last prophet [3], that everyone who does not believe this and the day of judgment are doomed to spend eternity in hell and here on earth they shall be persecuted, tortured or murdered unless they convert to the Muslims' god Allah and approve the Muslims' prophet Muhammed as god’s messenger [4], that Allah should furnish detailed revelations of certain people's sex-life [5], that Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi seen in today's light still is the best example people can have (in spite of his barbaric behavior) [6]. We also claim that the said Muhammad is responsible for a century-old persecution of women by asserting that they are worth less than men in intelligence, in matters of inheritance economy and parentage. For that we need a major alteration to be made public [7]

Changes necessary

These changes must also be made in libraries, in all mosques and other public places in which these abominations are disseminated before December 31 st 2010. Prior to this date the owners (we assume that Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants possess the rights to the koran, their ancestor's work!) must forbid publication in its present variation and likewise forbid its distribution by anybody remotely connected to Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants. It must neither be financed by funds nor organisations supporting these descendants in any other issue

We also demand that you before the termination of the year 2010 on behalf of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants publish a clear and unconditional correction of and apology for the long series of gross insults, violations and persecutions of an immense number of people of other persuasions resulting from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s koran and its influence on his uncritical proselytes.

The corrections and apologies must be published globally with press-releases in English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. We are acquainted with the fact that your legal firm has previously produced texts for this kind of apology and have therefore no hesitation in allotting this task to you and the descendants of Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, in conjunction with whom we are confident you will produce a suitable document.

Regarding the apology and the desired corrections in the Koran we imagine that the affair will have such high news value that it not will be necessary to make specific demands on which media are to be employed. We have confidence in the media's own ability to administrate and disseminate this fitting gesture from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants. If you fulfill our demands before ultimo December 2010 the involved parties I have been in contact with will relinquish all further demands on Muhammed ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Hashimi al-Qurashi’s descendants and proselytes. Here in Eticha we are at your disposal for any further information that may be necessary.

Conditions

We are convinced that fulfillment of the conditions stated above will be seen as a commendable sign of respect and understanding among first of all women, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Asa-worshippers and atheists of all kinds in the entire world, and that you thereby will contribute to resolving the serious conflict which the koran's irreconcilable and denunciatory message has created through the centuries

I would appreciate an answer from you at your earliest convenience - though not later than 60 days from today's date - informing me as to whether your clients intend to fulfill the above mentioned demands or can suggest a compromise worth discussing.

If your clients - contrary to our expectations - decide not to collaborate, we reserve the right to initiate a global process of which the principal aim will be a court case against your clients for breach of compliance with international law on hate-crimes, incitement to persecution of dissidents and incitement to committing genocide.

Regards
Hans Erling Jensen, Fu. Eticha.dk POBOX
XXXX Døllefjelle

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Now, Sitaram Goyal did initiate such a thing in India, called the Calcutta Koran Petition. But these are not things that you must let go. The Parivar (SP) could have easily kept the fire burning all the while. That would have been a sample of serious and intelligent politics. Attacking the evil at the highest intellectual level. But again, what head can one expect in headless chickens? Instead, as I lamented, LKA is busy blabbering about Hindu-Ethos!

Advani and his blabber on Hindu Ethos

2010-04-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

Now the former president of the BJP, Mr. Lal Krishna Advani (LKA) has jumped into the fray for sermonizing on Hindu Ethos. Of all the people in the world, LKA could find only Mr. Fareed Zakaria (FZ) as the expert, and thus LKA has, in his sermon, quoted FZ: "Zakaria argues that it is this non-doctrinaire character that gives Hinduism its absorptive and assimilative power. I hold that it is this Hindu ethos that accounts for the success of both democracy as well as secularism in India,".

The emphasis is on tolerance, secularism and democracy. The same old bull-sh*t, like the one propagandized about "Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti". If LKA has lost the ability to pursue on his own the understanding of the scriptures of Hinduism, why can he not learn from numerous Sadhus and Sants who will be more than willing to explain the Dharma-Shastras to him.

But No! LKA is too big a hypocrite to be so humble. So he will lead mobs to demolish structures, and then lament that it was a sad event in Indian History. Where was LKA's Hindu Ethos of tolerance, secularism and democracy on that fateful day? Or was he being tolerant towards those who wanted to demolish the structure thus agreeing to lead their movement, secular towards those who wanted the structure to remain intact thus lamenting it to be a sad event, and democratic towards election and thus use this incident in making electoral gains?

If LKA is so tolerant, why did he endorse expulsion of Mr. Jaswant Singh (JS), even though LKA himself had orchestrated opinions similar to those of JS on Pakistani soil?

If LKA is so secular, why does he not speak the truth about Islam?

If LKA respects democracy so much, why is he bent upon hoisting his stooges like Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj etc., on the BJP despite opposition from grass-roots level?

The answers are simple. LKA and many leaders of the BJP, e.g. Atal Bihari Vajpeyee (ABV), are neither tolerant, nor secular, nor democratic. They could not tolerate a Govidacharya, a Kalyan Singh, or a Uma Bharti. Claiming to represent "Hindu Ethos", they have never spoken the truth about Islam, the single most dangerous thing against tolerance, secularism, and democracy. And they are so democratic that they indulge in holding the "high-command", just like the Congress which they are so wont to criticize.

Again, lest my readers feel confused about my point of view, I present my opinion in the following. In my opinion, Truth Based Civilization (And the related discoveries and "doctrines" of Sanatana Dharma) is the most important thing. If we hold, Satyameva Jayate (सत्यमेवजयते) as a part of our national icon then we must owe allegiance to truth. And not to tolerance, secularism or democracy per se. We have to have the freedom, necessary diligence, and unlimited perseverance to pursue Truth. And then have courage to live by what we discover and/or learn.

The Dumb Fuckery of parrot like repetition of someone's scribblings amounting to attempted indoctrination, although using phrases like "non-doctrinaire character of ethos", can at best beguile unsuspecting masses. In the eyes of the discerning, this is cheap gimmicks, treacherous leadership, and unadulterated stupidity.

Baba Ramdev, BJP and Politics ...

2010-04-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

So, Baba Ramdev (BR) wants to float a political party, and BJP wants Baba Ramdev to shun his plans lest Hindu votes be divided! See the news item here.

Baba Ramdev wants to arouse the self-respect of Bharat, and Gadkari of the BJP assumes that BR will be representing Hindus. Hence his fear that BR will eat into BJP's Hindu vote bank.

In this way, the confusion regarding India, Bharat and Hindus starts all over again! BR is replacing India with Bharat. One more emotional technique to trap unsuspecting, gullible, and frankly speaking downright stupid Hindu citizens.

BR claims that he wants to promote Yoga for all Indians, and is busy establishing his secular credentials (presumably) by teaching Yoga to Darul Uloom Deoband. BR also recommends 50 percent quota for women.

So when I say that Indian blood has been so deeply poisoned by this Mohandas and Jawahar that secularism (read sacrificing interests of the adherents of Sanatana Dharma), and affirmative-action (read sacrificing interests of healthy upper-caste males who are adherents of Sanatana Dharma) form their logical core; I am not exaggerating a bit! Indian politicians, past, present and aspiring ones, betray the poison unabashedly.

Gadkari wrongly assumes that BJP represents the interests of the Hindus. Never mind the confusion regarding the term Hindu. We take it to mean Hindu-WOL. And he wrongly fears that BR will divide Hindu votes. BJP and the party that would be floated by BR, are both secular Mohandasian, Jawaharian parties pretending to be protectors of Hindus.

And lest it should give my readers the impression that others like the Congress are any better, I must mention that Congress, the Left and the rest do not even feel the need to pretend. They are blatantly anti-Hindu, anti-upper-caste-healthy-hindu-male.

Nevertheless, I recommend that let there be many parties who pretend to be Hindu-protectors, which can later be forced by the will of the Hindu people to be more and more pro-Hindu; and who compete with each other to be more and more pro-Hindu. This should exactly be similar to the situation now where all political parties (certainly including the BJP and future party of BR) are competing against each other to be more and more secular.

So BR is welcome to launch his political party, but Hindus beware, his party will be as secular as they come!

The need of the hour is to detoxify the effects of the poison of Mohandas and Jawahar. BR is extremely prone to fall prey to Mohandas instincts; as A B Vajpeyee fell prey to Jawaharian instincts!

A possible deconvolution for the convoluted logic of RSS: What Mohan Bhagwat could have said ....

2010-03-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

In a recent blog entry the chief of RSS, Mr. Mohan Bhagwat (MB) was criticised for saying: He who is an Indian is a Hindu and he who is not a Hindu is not an Indian.

A long and winding debate ensued. It was desirable to retain the informal notions related to the words Hindu and Indian, and yet certain specificity was needed for precision, unambiguousness and substantiveness.

Mr. Thammayya, in one of his comments, had asked: Hey, I have another suggestion. What do you think, MB should have told? Interesting to know this.

I have recently outlined an abstract version of Hindu-WOL (Hindu Way of Life), terming it, for various reasons, Sanatana Dharma. In light of this article, here is my take on what MB could have said:

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One of the essential underpinnings of an open and free mind regarding religious truths is: There can be points of view regarding the Truth and the ways of attaining the Truth which are seemingly quite different from the ones I uphold but are equally valid.

Hindus pursue and practice such openness and freedom.

A belief in exclusive monopoly regarding religious truths and/or insistence on one's concrete details regarding the same, is inconsistent with this notion of freedom.

India, in our view, is a home-nation for Hindus. Those who are not Hindus are not legitimately Indian.

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Remarks:

0. The term Hindu is not defined comprehensively here. And yet, whatever is essential for the political debate is captured in terms of the concepts of openness and freedom.

For example:

a. The term Hindu is free from geographical, racial, linguistic, regional connotations and overtones.

b. So there can be Hindus residing as citizens of other nations.

1. Similarly, India, although not defined comprehensively, is hinted in the last sentence, to be the current geopolitical entity, whose citizens we are. This suffices for the political debate.

For example:

a. The term India is free from racial, linguistic, and regional connotations and overtones.

b. Those, who are currently residing in India as citizens but do not honor this openness and freedom are termed illegitimate citizens.

This allows us to use the terms "Hindu" and "India" with specificity necessary for the relevant aspects of political debate, while retaining the same informal notions regarding these words, which most of us may entertain.

Nonetheless, this is still a tentative version, and is open to be improved upon. Readers' suggestions are welcome.

Interestingly, a Dutch Politician, Geert Wilders has said many things which RSS could have, and should have articulated long long ago. Some of these are, I have provided links obtained from the same wikipedia page: "not tolerate the intolerant", "Ban Koran like Mein Kampf", and "There might be moderate muslims, but there is no moderate Islam".

However, as I have repeatedly alleged, owing to intellectual lethargy among those who are supposed to provide India with political leadership, these things have not happened here in India.

Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, ... Truth Based Civilization.

2010-03-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

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In a recent blog entry there has been a debate on what Hinduism is. In another entry the author KMS has proposed his answers to the question :"Who is a Hindu?"

Here we propose what we believe to be a very general and yet specific definition of Hinduism. We will also point out, that often various confusions arise out of inappropriate mix of concepts. And therefore we will make a case for our preferred term for the subject matter of the present description.

To begin with, we call this perspective a belief-system or world-view.

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Belief-System, World-view:

0. Truth, whatever that may be, is amenable to being investigated using one or many from a myriad of tools, for example, reason, experience, perception, emotion, etc.; and Truth can stand any inquiry.

1. In the past, various investigations have been conducted into Truth, and many of the findings have been recorded or handed down through generations.

2. One is free to investigate ab initio, and one is also free to investigate, starting from some or all of previous findings and continuing them further. Also one is free to make use of previous findings if and when these are available.

It is evident that there are two broad methodologies:

2.a One begins with a willingness to try out some of the previous findings (This is called the Faith aspect), and attempts to verify them to gain conviction for oneself (This is the Confidence aspect).

2.b One sets out with a clean slate and attempts to discover things for oneself (This is the inquiry aspect).

3. Properly conducted investigations -- whether by an individual or in a collaborative way, whether conducted in the past, present or future, independent of the tools used for investigation -- lead to fundamentally and essentially identical results and eventually final understanding; albeit the expressions of the understanding may vary and differ depending upon time, location, language, context, understanding capacity of the listener and also the speaker.

4. Science too is a part of the outcome of such an investigation. Usually science focuses on demonstrable (Personal, Objective) truths, whereas the larger truth encompasses the verifiable (Impersonal, Subjective) truths as well.

5. The underlying principles, that provide sustenance to a Civilization based on such an understanding of Truth, are called Sanatana Dharma.

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We can now propose that those who accept, even if tentatively, such a broad understanding of Sanatana Dharma, and live by it, can be stated to be leading a Hindu-Way-of-Life.

Remarks:

0. Sanatana Dharma is not confined to geo-political India and so on. It may be practiced anywhere and by any people, speaking whatsoever language.

1. The validity or applicability of this Sanatana Dharma is universal and does not depend upon whether someone knows it or not. It was pointed out that some scholar once remarked that everyone was subject to the Eternal Law and it was not a matter of choice!

2. The discoverers of these truths have been called seers, sages or Rishis. Those who pondered over the discoveries were called Munis and so on.

3. There are no fixed text-books for Sanatana Dharma. However, there are many usable text-books. Some of them are even considered canonical.

4. Incidentally, Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti, एकं सत विप्राः बहुधा वदन्ति। does not mean that "All religions contain the same Truth". Sat is technically synonymous with immutable, and the purport of this dictum is to state that This unique immutable can be referred to by many different names.

5. As we tend to agree that even if human civilization forgot all of science and began from scratch, they will rediscover largely the same science again; similarly Sanatana Dharma will also be rediscovered.

6. The word Hindu, historically was used for a geographical region, and the word India came from Hind(u), hence there usually is a confusion between the ancient Way-of-life and current geographical situation.

7. On a more technical footing, the word Dharma is an equally usable term, however since it can be confused with Dhamma of the Buddhists, we prefer the term Sanatana Dharma. However, we are open to new suggestions.

8. It can be conjectured that if there ever has to be a Universal framework for various belief-systems, Sanatana Dharma would be a logical and legitimate choice.

9. Like there are occasional frauds in Science, there can be frauds in religious life as well.

Socio-Cultural and Political Consequences:

0. There may be a way seemingly different from what a person oneself might prefer, which would lead to an understanding of the same Truth, is inherent in Sanatana Dharma. Certain observable aspects like variety, and tolerance, are eminent and exemplary outcomes of this inherent quality.

1. Sanatana Dharma thrived without the need for the notion of a Single-Nation-State to be felt. We welcome more and more peoples and nations to adopt Sanatana Dharma and they have no need to become a part of India! This is again is the same as the fact that India (or any other nation-state) does not become a colony of Europe or USA merely by adopting Science and Technology for its development.

2. Similarly language too was never a barrier. Various kingdoms could exists, and even fight wars without in any way destroying this underlying unity. This is like the axis-countries fighting against the allied-forces during Worl War II, both having the same world-view regarding Science.

3. This does not mean that we encourage fissiparous or secessionist tendencies of the likes of Maoists. We surely disagree with those who claim that Hinduism is the cause of such separatist movements. If at all, the intellectual ideologies behind these movements are the real cause for such political strife. And nothing else, other than, a perspective emerging out of Sanatana Dharma can salvage India from such a turmoil.

Certain Inconvenient Facts:

0. In view of the first point in the previous section, it is a simple corollary that Islamic claims regarding some person being the final messenger are all inconsistent with Sanatana Dharma.

Therefore a muslim, inasmuch as he/she is a follower of Islam, can not be a leading a Hindu-WOL. Period.

1. Similarly a christian, inasmuch as he/she believes his holy-book, the Bible, to be the only and exclusive source of Truth, can not be leading a Hindu-WOL. Period.

2. Even some of those who claim to be Hindus, like the followers of ISCKON, inasmuch as they insist, that their point of view is the only correct view, are not leading a Hindu-WOL.

3. Merely stating that they accept all as True, does not make one a Hindu-WOL. Accepting all as true is like a scientist who accepts all superstitions as true.

4. It is important to be broadminded with regards to Truth, but it is also important to reject the False.

5. Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs largely honor a similar understanding, however they CLAIM to begin with the recorded discoveries of only their preferred masters, viz., The Buddha, The Teerthankaras, and The Gurus.

We emphasize the word Claim, because the doctrines of Karma, and rebirth which had already been there with the ancient "Hindus" for long period, were co-opted by all these three; and yet each of these insist that they are all Original and New, and pretend as if they began from Scratch!

Therefore, often the followers of Sanatana Dharma consider these to be co-travellers, but these groups in their own view consider themselves to be different, for various reasons including Philosophical reasons, and not excluding social, political, financial reasons.

...... still in progress ...

Who is a Hindu?

2010-03-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

To answer this question, first we need to characterize Hinduism. Here is a tentative list.

1. Varnashrama - Caste, marriage, family, Sanyasa.
2. Vedic gods - in various forms as idols, female, animals and plants.
3. Rituals - Samskar, shradda and special occasions like Grahana, melas (Kumbh)
4. Philosophy - Vedas, Upanishads, Ayurveda, Yoga, Gita, Ramayana
5. Hindu values - stable families, harmonious living, etc
6. Associated with India.

One who has some characteristic of Hinduism could be called as a Hindu.
1. Those who are followers of Varnashrama Dharma
2. Those who worship idols, gods and goddesses - of Vedas, animals and plants.
3. Those who perform shradda, rituals during Grahana
4. Those who understand Vedic philosophy - rebirth and karma, benefit from Ayurveda and Yoga.
5. Those who have an inbuilt sense of tolerance, harmonious approach towards diversity.
6. Those who reside in (citizens of) India.

Explanations

Those who are aligned with Varna Dharma, even partially, are readily identified as Hindus. Caste identities and associated life style features determine could be used to identify a Hindu. Such a person may not be aware of Vedic philosophy or other important aspects of Hinduism. But he/she cannot be excluded from being termed as Hindu.

A Hindu worships Gods of Vedas and Puranas - as an idol, in the form of female form, as an animal or as a plant, many of them simultaneously. Performer of rituals related to Shradda, Grahana, Melas, variants of them – is a Hindu.

Those who are not aligned with rituals may still be influenced by Upanishads and other parts of Vedas. Those who believe in rebirth and causal Karma cannot be termed anything other than Hindu. Slightly extending, those who are benefiting from yoga, Ayurveda could also be considered as Hindus.

All of them, have an inbuilt sense of tolerance towards those who follow different rituals, lifestyle and thought process. They have a predisposition towards a harmonious living.

A nation is defined on a common history, culture and people. Historically, India was a land of Hindus. Today, majority of the people are Hindus and cultural elements of the nation are dominantly Hindu. Hindu culture and Hindu as religion is naturally the main stream culture and religion of the modern India. The harmonious living of various diverse groups including Muslims and Christians is possible only if some of the tolerant ways of Hindus are adopted as a public policy. When these statements are inverted, Hindus could be generally defined as those who are in India.

Discussion

In current times, there are two trends in defining Hindu/Hinduism. One is to include all aspects of the Hinduism which are good (or beneficial to the society) into the definition and exclude all the other aspects which are difficult to understand and explain. Second one is to include all aspects which are attracting criticism into the definition and to separate attractive and demonstrably useful characteristics from Hinduism.

A – Exclude Varna & rituals - Include Upanishads & Yoga

Some people try to restrict Hinduism to a subset of noble aspects of Upanishads and exclude ritualistic and Varna and caste characterization from Hinduism. These people argue that rituals and noble thoughts of Vedas, Darshanas are separable. Varnashrama, for them, is time and space dependent. For the present, Varna is obsolete or irrelevant. They may be proud or possessive about Yoga or Ayurveda. Some of them define Hinduism as the set of all concepts which are demonstrably beneficial.

B – Include Varna & rituals – Exclude Upanishads & Yoga

On the other hand, there are some who are keener to restrict Hindu definition to ritualistic aspects. They accept Varnashrama as an integral part of Hinduism. Untouchability, for them, is an unavoidable consequence of Varna vyavastha. Some of them don’t accept that rituals are inseparable from the noble Upanishad philosophy, Yoga or any such topic. They would prefer to use them in isolation and independently. Some of them would like to delink them from Hinduism.

Interestingly, both camps A and B agree that rituals and the philosophy are separable. It is instructive to identify the groups in each of the camp.

Group A – Who exclude rituals and include Yoga

1. Those who are not following rituals
2. Those who are finding it difficult to follow rituals
3. Who are not able to explain rituals or who have not understood them or both
4. Those who are unable to explain or understand Varnashrama system.

Typically, Educated Hindus (precisely stating, those who have imbibed western values), those who have accepted the criticism against rituals and Varna vyavastha are in this category. Restricting the definition of Hindu is an attempt to avoid problems.

Group B – Who exclude Yoga and include rituals

1. Those who are trying to undermine Hindus (Hinduism)
2. Those who are detached from Hinduism
3. Those who are trying to hijack Yoga and Upanishads away from Hinduism
4. Those who lack understanding or unable to get into the details.

Mostly non Hindus - mainly proselytizing Christians, Jihadi Muslims and other intolerants are in this category. Hindus who have detached themselves with wrong notions also fall under this category. People who lack understanding of fairness and justice and misinterpret Varna are included in this category.
With the above considerations, it is fair to define a Hindu in the following way

One who is guided by Sanatana Dharma in all aspects of life

Who see divinity in many forms, human, plants and animals – as an idol

Who adopts Dharmic lifestyle based on Varnashrama, rituals, samskaras, shradda etc

Who adopts values and outlook determined by Vedas, Upanishads, Smrithis, Puranas

Who receives guidance through guru, inspiration from India.

Sanatana Dharma being the sustaining principle of the manifestation.

The real question is how much you are Hindu? Not whether you are a Hindu?

[Contributed by VS and SH]

Gujarat Riots: Zakia's charges and investigations into Modi's actions

2010-03-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

Modi may or may not have had his role in the riots, but some of the important charges against him are source of great entertainment. According to the allegation "Modi along with other ministers in his government, conspired to 'allow the massacre of Muslims'" and "that the chief minister and his colleagues instructed policemen and bureaucrats not to respond to pleas for help from Muslims being attacked during the riots."

In our country, do you have to ever instruct policemen and bureaucrats not to respond? If Mr. Modi spends his time in ensuring things that happen automatically, viz., "policemen and bureaucrats do not respond to pleas of anyone", then that is a sheer waste of tax payer's money on Modi's salary. And for this, Mr. Modi can at best be charged with wasting tax-payer's money, nothing more!

I have picked the details from the news given in MSN. On the last page in the news, the following charges are mentioned:

1. Why were bodies of Godhra train victims paraded on the streets of Ahmedabad?

2. Why was the bandh called by the Sangh Parivar on Feb 27, 2002, not stopped?

3. Why are there no records of the meetings held by Modi Feb 27, 2002, onwards?

4. Why were no minutes of the meetings held by the chief minister and other senior officers for review of the situation from feb 27, 2002, onwards prepared and circulated to the concerned officials?

5. Why were bodies of the Godhra train fire victims paraded through the streets of Ahmedabad city and that too when over 50 percent of the dead belonged to places outside Ahmedabad city and a few bodies were not even identified at that juncture?

Now 1 and 5 say pretty much the same thing, except that 5 informs us that over 50 percent of the dead belonged to places outside Ahmedabad.

I provide some tentative answers to these charges. I am sure the lawyers would do a much more professional job of this.

1. Godhra carnage was a savage act wherein a coach, containing human beings including women and children, was set on fire. If burning helpless humans is not an act of terror then one wonders what an act of terror is. I am sure that a very large number of people, all law-abiding peace-loving citizens, wanted to pay their homage to the innocent victims of this act of brutal savagery. It would be foolish to imagine that the peoples of India who are sensitive enough to pay homage to even a tyrannical DF like Mr. Jyotirmoy Basu, would be heartlessly cruel and not want to pay homage to martyr victims of terrorism. If this paying of homage was facilitated, then the facilitator must be felicitated and not charged with conspiracy.

Those who allege that this was intentionally done, by Mr. Modi, to drive up passions, are, in my opinion, ascribing too much intelligence to our dim-witted friend, I mean Mr. Modi.

2. In a democratic country like India, bandhs are called almost everyday, often for no reasons at all. After a dilapidated structure at Ayodhya fell on December 6, 2002, the number of bandhs called by various democratic groups and secular organizations far exceeded 1000. It might be surmised that Ms. Teesta Setalvad and Ms Zakia too must have joined some of those peaceful bandhs. There is no reason why another organization, viz., the RSS should be forbidden from calling a bandh as a mark of respect to helpless victims of savagery by terrorists.

The short answer is that groups are free to call for bandhs. Unless you want India to become like China where students were massacred by the government troops for merely gathering peacefully at Tiananmen Square in Peking.

3. Firstly, I am not sure if emergency meetings are required to be recorded. It seems highly unlikely. Unless we are cursed with a Home Minister like Mr. Shivraj Patil who was telecasting his meetings live for the benefit of the most afflicted, viz., the terrorists from Pakistan.

Even if they are supposed to be recorded, there are hundreds of ways in which the records quickly become untraceable in India. I wonder if Ms Teesta Setalvad and Ms Zakia can trace their land records in the registrar's office. No points for guessing what the duo would want to be done in case they can not trace the records.

4. This gets me. If no minutes were prepared and circulated, then I fail to understand, how exactly was our dear chief minister allegedly conspiring?

Looks like someone was calling over phones to people and inciting them? But my dear folks, don't you know that one could mimic another person's voice? If you have not heard of Mr. Nagarwala, it would be quite informative to read about his case. A person, allegedly Mr. Nagarwala, allegedly mimicked the voice of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, and withdrew Rs. 60 lac in cash!

5. In light of the facts mentioned in point 1, it is purely human to expect that those who wanted to pay their homage to victims were not as parochial as our large-hearted accusers want them to be. Who would expect that law-abiding, peace-loving citizens of this country would want to deprive homily to someone merely because the deceased person happened to be from another city?

To see a conspiracy where none exists can be termed simple-mindedness. But not to see a conspiracy, when there indeed is one, is criminal-mindedness. It is worthwhile to recall that after the long-awaited though sudden demise of Mrs. Indira Gandhi in 1984, when the goons of the Secular Peace-loving Mohandasian-Jawaharian Congress Party, allegedly killed in cold blood, thousands of helpless Sikhs, including women and children, one of our ex-Prime ministers, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, beloved of our current super-prime-minister Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, made a historical remark. And his remark was, "But, when a mighty tree falls, it is only natural that the earth around it does shake a little."

It will be much more humane on part of Ms Teesta Setalwad and Ms Zakia to investigate the conspiracy of 1984, than to conspire against a dim-witted politician.

If the anti-Hindu Brigade consists of people of the ilk of Ms. Setalvad and Ms. Zakia, then I still have some hope for the intellectually dead folks on the Hindu Brigade.

My heart feels sorry for Ms. Zakia who lost her husband, and her son who lost his father. I think, they must firmly resolve to fight against the evil designs of Jihadis.

On another level, I also understand the difficulties faced by the Jihadis. They are torn between their religious obligation to kill infidels, no holds barred, women and children not spared; and the law, which forbids them from killing.

Now it is P Chidambaram who is Deceiving Indian Public using Convoluted Logic.

2010-03-12T06:21:00.000-08:00

I was happy to read a headline on samachar.com that our home minister Mr. P Chidambaram has said that "India will act decisively if another attack happens". But as ill luck would have it, my joy was only short-lived.

The detailed news item reports, Mr. PC as saying "If we are able to establish with a reasonable degree of certainty that another attack on India emanated from Pakistani soil, we will respond swiftly and decisively. Now the key part of the sentence is If we are able to establish.

So how does our PC go about establishing it? Further down the article PC provides the answer. PC said, "Investigations around the world are carried out in a certain way. If Pakistan does not know how to interrogate Saeed, then they should allow my agents to go in there and do the job. I am willing to get this done." Do you observe the they should allow?

And then PC goes on to tell us that, as usual, Pakistan does not allow. PC continued: "The voice samples can be tested in India or in a neutral country - maybe in Quantico, USA - and that would go a certain distance in helping establish what we believe - that state actors are indeed involved, but Pakistan refuses to provide us with these samples".

So what does PC propose if they do not allow? PC answers: "The two nations are nuclear powers, and war is not an option, so we must talk" - the home minister said. PC continues: "At other times, we must remain vigilant."

So what is the summary? PC begins by saying India will act decisively if another attack happens, but adds a rider If we are able to establish. Now if we want to establish we need that they should allow. But the fact is that Pakistan does not allow. And so in such a case we will not be able to establish.

And now comes the icing on the cake. What do we do if Pakistan does not allow? PC answers: we must talk and we must remain vigilant.

Have you ever heard a more entertaining joke than this? A home-minister, in charge of the safety of more than one billion people, says that if another attack happens his decisive action will be to talk and to remain vigilant.

Women's reservation bill, another DF-ery

2010-03-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, March 8, 2010, on the international woman's day, Women's Reservation Bill was introduced in the parliament. Today, March 9, 2010, Rajya Sabha passed the bill.

What can a bunch of idiots, who have been educated in the Jawaharian Education System, propose as solution, other than a degenerated form of Affirmative Action.

B. R. Ambedkar had proposed the reservation for the SC/ST for 10 years, starting in the year 1947/1950. When did it end? Oh, will it ever end? Has it made the status of SC/STs in India much better? The answer is essentially in the negative.

Now a lot of my readers are outraged when I use the phrase DF (Dumb Fuck) liberally and frequently. But I am facing a very difficult situation myself. Indian political system keeps throwing up so many people who deserve the phrase that I would be accused of partisanship if I denied this title to some while showering it on the rest.

Going by the effect that reservation for SC/ST has had for their group, can we say that reservation as a policy has worked? In my opinion, reservation has worked only in a few cases like travel booking. On social front it has not only not worked, it has failed miserably.

Now, if something does not help as a solution, what should one do? Should one use one's creative energies in trying to identify different solution techniques, or should one try more of the same thing? And what if more of the same thing does not work? Should one try even more of the same thing?

Our political elite, across party lines, form groups who advocate more, even more, and so on, of the same thing, when it is abundantly clear, that the thing does not work. That is why I call them DFs.

So, I oppose this Women's Reservation Bill. Then do I stand beside the Lalus, and Mulayams? No. Lalus are Mulayams are opposed to the bill in the present form, otherwise they are forever in support of Reservation Bills. That is why, they are bigger DFs.

If reservation does not worked for other groups, and it is common experience that it has not worked; then it will not work for any new group, even if it be that of women.

But it is the quality of DFs, to try more rather even more and more of the same thing, though the thing does not work. We need to put a stop to this DFery.

Oppose the Women's Reservation Bill.

At the very least, Muslims need to be educated by Mr. Anees Jillani

2010-03-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

Mr. Anees Jillani, a regular contributor to Indian Express has recently written an article.

Let Shahmira Oad’s body rest in peace:

The universe has existed for more than four billion years, and it may last several more billion years. And maybe even for infinity. The scale is beyond our comprehension, and the least we all can realise is the fact that all religions are recent occurrences when placed on this mammoth time scale of four billion years.

Discrimination on the basis of religion thus makes no sense, but it seems that some who have appropriated the role of mediators between ourselves and a higher truth are determined to prove that some people, on the basis of their religious affiliation, are more equal than others, even to the point of not allowing the dead to rest in peace.

Sheeraz Qureshi, a maulvi claiming to hold a master’s degree in Physics, is leading a crusade in a village in Sindh, in Pakistan, to remove the body of a Hindu girl from a Muslim graveyard. Seventeen-year old Shahmira Oad, the daughter of Bachayo Oad, a resident of Hala, died on April 28, 2009, and was buried at the Khudabad graveyard, three kilometres southwest of New Hala town.

Shahmira Oad’s relatives buried her there only after receiving permission from the locals, including the caretaker of the graveyard. But Sheeraz Qureshi and other religious elements are quoting fatwas pronounced by some traditional religious leaders that only Muslims are allowed to bury their loved ones in Muslim graveyards.

All religions are supposed to be in conformity with the basic human values. It is doubtful if any religion calls for exhuming the body of a poor 17-year-old Hindu girl from a Muslim graveyard because her body is ‘defiling’ the graveyard. If anything, the removal of the body is likely to desecrate it and such an act would defile everybody buried there.

Shahmira’s family and the Hindu community in the area, which is not surprisingly poor, has been getting threats about her body. The local notables, instead of telling off the cleric not to rake up such a mindless issue, are pressuring the poor family to remove the body.

Shahmira’s grave is not even located anywhere close to the other graves in the graveyard, not that it would have made any difference. It is about five metres away from other graves. Despite this, in order to save her body from defilement and avoid a clash in the community, her family has expressed willingness to build a boundary wall around her grave.

The issue is fast threatening to turn into communal imbroglio and a suit has been filed in the court of a civil judge for removal of the grave. The judge is under immense local pressure. The opponents are saying that they “will not keep silent until the bones of the strange girl are thrown out of the graveyard”.

There are some sane voices in the community opposing the exhumation of the body on the grounds that several graveyards in the Sindh province are common burial grounds for both Hindus and Muslims. For instance, the graveyards alongside the famous shrines of great Sufi saints, like Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, Sachchal Sarmast, Sufi Shah Inayat Shaheed, and other spiritual leaders, are open for burial regardless of religion.

It is said that Islam is the most tolerant religion. But if this is how we behave then what would distinguish us from the upper caste Hindus in Indian villages who refuse to permit people of lower castes to use the same well to draw water? Ganga is a holy river for all the Hindus; should the Hindus then forbid persons belonging to all other denominations from using its water?

We all feel the pinch when something happens to a Muslim and an Islamic symbol, like the mosque but we have no qualms about the religious feelings of others. Almost every Muslim in the world was saddened by the destruction of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992. But we don’t even think for a second about the conversion of innumerable Hindu and Sikh temples in the whole of Pakistan to schools, police stations, offices and sometimes even for keeping cattle. We cannot imagine such a thing happening to a mosque but have no objection to treating the religious places of others with utter contempt.

We all resent the recent ban on minarets in Switzerland; many of the Swiss and Europeans themselves are saddened by this development. But have we ever thought about the complete ban on construction of churches and temples in the whole of Saudi Arabia and in most of the Gulf countries? Non-Muslims are not even permitted to enter the cities of Mecca and Medina and we consider it our human right to even get elected to the parliaments of the so-called Christian countries, and acquire as much property as we can.

When will we in Pakistan learn to remember the basic truth that whatever we give to others, good or bad, it comes back, many times? Shouldn’t then we give more and more of what we want for ourselves to others so that the same will come back to us in greater quantities? We need to overcome our historical inability to follow the ethic of reciprocity, and to understand that it applies to all humans, and not merely to Muslims. Only when this is accomplished will religiously-related oppression, and mass murder cease. We all can make a beginning in this respect by letting Shahmira Oad rest in peace at her last resting place forever with Muslims as her neighbours.

(The author is a prominent Pakistan Supreme Court lawyer. E-mail: aJ@Jillani.org)

A relatively decent piece of writing, given that it is coming from some muslim author in Pakistan. He has brought out certain very disturbing facts to the fore and he must be commended for the same. Some of these important facts about Pakistan, Islam and Muslims have been laid bare:

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Disdain for non-Islamic religions:

1. But we don’t even think for a second about the conversion of innumerable Hindu and Sikh temples in the whole of Pakistan to schools, police stations, offices and sometimes even for keeping cattle. We cannot imagine such a thing happening to a mosque but have no objection to treating the religious places of others with utter contempt.

Further disdain for non-Muslims:

2. But have we ever thought about the complete ban on construction of churches and temples in the whole of Saudi Arabia and in most of the Gulf countries? Non-Muslims are not even permitted to enter the cities of Mecca and Medina and we consider it our human right to even get elected to the parliaments of the so-called Christian countries, and acquire as much property as we can.

The game so far of Pakistan:

3. When will we in Pakistan learn to remember the basic truth that whatever we give to others, good or bad, it comes back, many times?

Historical inabilities of Islam and Muslims:

4. We need to overcome our historical inability to follow the ethic of reciprocity, and to understand that it applies to all humans, and not merely to Muslims.

---

Of course there are certain truths which have been indicated obliquely, here we state them forthrightly.

Mr Jillani wrote:

1. All religions are supposed to be in conformity with the basic human values.

Yes, all or most religions, except Islam, which is erroneously thought of as a religion. Towards a non-muslim or an apostate, Islam is in conformity with the utmost inhuman values.

2. It is said that Islam is the most tolerant religion.

It is erroneously said so. It is the most intolerant of all ideologies.

3. But if this is how we behave then what would distinguish us from the upper caste Hindus in Indian villages who refuse to permit people of lower castes to use the same well to draw water?

Upper caste Hindus refused only during some period. It is to be remembered that the lower caste people, even then, had their own wells. This is unlike Islam and Muslims, where non-Muslims can not have their shrines.

----

It is important for those who are saner amongst the muslims to realize many of the facts which have been pointed out here.

However, more importantly, we, as non-muslims, should not be lulled in to benign optimism or complacence. We must always remember that Islam can not be reformed.

Once those who are sane amongst the muslims, see these two facts in conjunction, that Islam is evil, and that Islam can not be reformed, they will realize that the only course left for the saner amongst muslims is to leave Islam.

Bhyrappa echoes Mrs. Raja's thoughts in his comments on Hussein Episode

2010-03-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

Noted Kannada writer Mr. SL Bhyrappa has said that:

A section of the media had been commenting that the “banishment” of the renowned artist M.F. Husain was a “national shame”. But how many of Mr. Husain's paintings had reflected his views on the religion he belonged to had remained to be clarified, he said.

Now this man is talking sense. Please recall that Mrs. Hilda Raja expressed similar emotions when she wrote:

Nobody would have protested against the sexual perversion and his orientatation to sexual signs and symbols. But would he dare to caption it as ‘Fatima enjoying in Jannat with animals’?

and

Now that he is in a country that gives him complete freedom let him go ahead and paint Fatima copulating with a lion or any other animal of his choice. And then turn around and prove to India-the Freedom of expression he enjoys in Qatar.

Now here is man who has echoed what a lady has said with due rational consideration. Of course both of them arrived at their conclusions independently.

Let us wish there are more and more of them saying more and more of the same and sane things.

The question of who an artist is .. revisited

2010-03-04T06:35:00.000-08:00

Before her retirement from Stella Maris College, Dr.Hilda Raja used to write columns regularly in The Hindu. It is conjectured that even after retirement, she used to write once in a while. Though she has sent the following letter to Ram in personal capacity, she sent copies to some of her friends.

For those who may not know, Mr. N Ram is the chief editor of the famous news paper The Hindu.

The following is the text of her letter.

Dear Ram,

I have taken time to write this to you Ram-for the simple reason that we have known you for so many years- you and The Hindu bring back happy memories Please take what I am putting down as those that come from an agonized soul. You know that I do not mince words and what I have to say I will-I call a spade a spade-now it is too late for me to learn the tricks of being called a ‘secularist’ if that means a bias for, one, and a bias against, another.

Hussain is now a citizen of Qatar-this has generated enough of heat and less of light. Qatar you know better than me is not a country which respects democracy or freedom of expression. Hussain says he has complete freedom-I challenge him to paint a picture of Mohammed fully clad.

There is no second opinion that artists have the Right of Freedom of expression. Is such a right restricted only to Hussain? Will that right not flow to Dan Brown-why was his film-Da Vinci Code not screened? Why was Satanic Verses banned-does Salman Rushdie not have that freedom of expression? Similarly why is Taslima hunted and hounded and why fatwas have been issued on both these writers? Why has Qatar not offered citizenship to Taslima? In the present rioting in Shimoga in Karnataka against the article Taslima wrote against the tradition of burqua which appeared in the Out Look in Jan 2007. No body protested then either in Delhi or in any other part of the country; now when it reappears in a Karnataka paper there is rioting. Is there a political agenda to create a problem in Karnataka by the intolerant goons? Why has the media not condemned this insensitivity and intolerance of the Muslims against Taslima’s views? When it comes to the Sangh Parivar it is quick to call them goons and intolerant etc. Now who are the goons and where is this tolerance and sensitivity?

Regarding Hussain’s artistic freedom it seems to run unfettered in an expression of sexual perversion only when he envisages the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. There is no quarrel had he painted a nude woman sitting on the tail of a monkey. The point is he captioned it as Sita. Nobody would have protested against the sexual perversion and his orientatation to sexual signs and symbols. But would he dare to caption it as ‘Fatima enjoying in Jannat with animals’?

Next example-is the painting of Saraswati copulating with a lion. Here again his perversion is evident and so is his intent. Even that lets concede cannot be faulted-each one’s sexual orientation is each one’s business I suppose. But he captioned it as Saraswati. This is the problem. It is Hussain’s business to enjoy in painting his sexual perversion. But why use Saraswati and Sita for his perverted expressions? Use Fatima and watch the consequence. Let the media people come to his rescue then. Now that he is in a country that gives him complete freedom let him go ahead and paint Fatima copulating with a lion or any other animal of his choice. And then turn around and prove to India-the Freedom of expression he enjoys in Qatar.

Talking about Freedom of Expression-this is the Hussain who supported Emergency-painted Indira Gandhi as Durga slaying Jayaprakas Narayan. He supported the jailing of artists and writers. Where did this Freedom of Expression go? And you call him secularist? Would you support the jailing of artists and writers Ram –would you support the abeyance of the Constitution and all that we held sacred in democracy and the excessiveness of Indira Gandhi to gag the media- writers- political opponents? Tell me honesty why does Hussain expect this Freedom when he himself did not support others with the same freedom he wants? And the media has rushed to his rescue. Had it been a Ram who painted such obnoxious, .degrading painting-the reactions of the media and the elite ‘secularists’ would have been different; because there is a different perception/and index of secularism when it comes to Ram-and a different perception/and index of secularism when it comes to Rahim/Hussain.

It brings back to my mind an episode that happened to The Hindu some years ago.[1991]. You had a separate weekly page for children with cartoons, quizzes, and with poems and articles of school children. In one such weekly page The Hindu printed a venerable bearded man-fully robed with head dress, mouthing some passages of the Koran-trying to teach children .It was done not only in good faith but as a part of inculcating values to children from the Koran. All hell broke loose. Your office witnessed goons who rushed in-demanded an apology-held out threats. In Ambur,Vaniambadi and Vellore the papers stands were burned-the copies of The Hindu were consigned to the fire. A threat to raise the issue in Parliament through a Private Members Bill was held out-Hectic activities went on-I am not sure of the nature and the machinations behind the scene. But The Hindu next day brought out a public apology in its front page. Where were you Ram? How secular and tolerant were the Muslims?

Well this is of the past-today it is worse because the communal temperature in this country is at a all high-even a small friction can ignite and demolition the country’s peace and harmony. It is against this background that one should view Hussain who is bent on abusing and insulting the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Respect for religious sentiments, need to maintain peace and harmony should also be part of the agenda of an artist-if he is great. If it is absent then he cannot say that he respects India and express his longing for India.

Let’s face it-he is a fugitive of law. Age and religion are immaterial. What does the media want-that he be absolved by the courts? Even for that he has to appear in the courts-he cannot run away-After all this is the country where he lived and gave expression to his pervert sadist, erotic artistic mind under Freedom of Expression. I simply cannot jump into the bandwagon of the elite ‘secularist’ and uphold what he had done. With his brush he had committed jihad-bloodletting.

The issue is just not nudity-Yes the temples-the frescos in Konarak and Kajhuraho have nude figures-But does it say that they are Sita, Sarswati or any goddesses? We have the Yoni and the Phallus as sacred signs of Life-of Siva and Shakthi-take these icons to the streets, paint them -give it a caption it become vulgar. Times have changed. Even granted that our ancients sculptured and painted naked forms and figures, with a pervert mind to demean religion is no license to repeat that in today’s changed political and social scenario and is not a sign of secularism and tolerance. I repeat there is no quarrel with nudity-painters have time and again found in it the perfection of God’s hand craft.

Let me wish Hussain peace in Qatar-the totalitarian regime with zero tolerance May be he will convince the regime there to permit freedom of expression in word, writing and painting. For this he could start experimenting painting forms and figure of Mohamed the Prophet-and his family And may I fervently wish that the media-especially The Hindu does not discriminate goons-let it not substitute tolerance for intolerance when it comes to Rahim and Antony and another index for Ram.

I hope you will read this in the same spirit that I have written. All the best to you Ram.

Dr Mrs Hilda Raja,

Vadodara

Let us congratulate Mrs. Raja for making a point so well. It is a lady once again who has to come to the fore. It was Ms. Shobha De who had exhibited great courage (I guess Ms. Simi Grewal too), though both of them later chickened out, as they were being hounded out. It is a pity that there was no man who supported them.

Coming back to this letter, it reads nice. However, being a very cultured and a sensitive lady, Mrs. Raja has still minced words. She has, in a very friendly note, merely pleaded with Mr. Ram to exhibit reasonable fairness.

In my opinion, Mr. N. Ram, the chief editor of The Hindu is not just a DF, he is a coward, national-cultural suicide inciting DF. Hypocrisy is his art.

I also disagree with Mrs. Raja on her recommended constraint of artistic freedom. I would rather request to articulate a principled stand on the freedom of expression, which does not thwart truth. Having been a contributor to the MSM (Main Stream Media), she must surely be capable to doing this.

I also do not wish Hussain any peace in Qatar. May he be cut to pieces! May not even these pieces not rest in peace!!

The convoluted logic of RSS exposed once again ....

2010-03-04T05:39:00.000-08:00

In a recent press gathering, the chief of RSS, Mr. Mohan Bhagwat has said:

1. “He who is an Indian is a Hindu and he who is not a Hindu is not an Indian.”

2. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that those who were Indians were Hindus and if one was not a Hindu he could not be an Indian.

3. "For us the word Hindu did not mean any religion but a way of life,"

We need to look at it a little closely to find out what MB must have meant by this. Some of my friends tell me that this has always been the stance of the RSS.

There are some very interesting consequences arising out of this. Firstly, since MB(RSS) has not defined what a Hindu is, and what an Indian is, this statement is like "Something that we do not know" is same as "Something that we do not know". Fair enough. MB and RSS have enough space for maneuver.

Therefore we have some interesting questions for the RSS. What is the way of life that is called by the name Hinduism? And who is an Indian? Let us try and analyze what these terms can not mean.

Let us call the present geopolitical entity India as India-GP. Similarly let us call the so called geographical Akhand-Bharat of the RSS India-AB. The passport holders of India-GP as Indian(s)-GP. Let us call those who live south-east of the Hindukush valley and in the peninsular region as Hindu-GP. If we add the Tibetan region to this Hindu-GP, we term it as Hindu-AB. Let us call the yet to be defined "way of life" WOL, and those who are Hindus by this way of life Hindu-WOL.

There are two interesting observations to be made here. India-GP, India-AB, Hindu-GP, Hindu-AB are geographic regions. Hindu-WOL is not a geographic definition.

MB's statement consists of two parts besides mentioning that by the term Hindu, MB meant Hindu-WOL.

a. Every Indian is a Hindu,

and

b. A person who is not a Hindu can not be an Indian.

We have following questions:

0. How do we determine who is a Hindu-WOL?

1. Are there Hindu-WOL residing outside India-GP? If yes, then in what sense does MB mean that they are Indians? Does RSS advocate issuing Indian-GP passport to them?

2. Are there people who are not Hindu-WOL within India-GP? If yes, what does RSS recommend towards non-Hindu-WOL living in India-GP? For example, are they to be thrown out of the India-GP?

3. What is the attitude of the RSS towards the government representing the India-GP state?

There is one easy path that RSS can take. They can define that a Hindu-WOL respects all religions. This leads to a funny situation that a Hindu-WOL need not respect Hinduism-WOL, and yet can be a Hindu-WOL . The compulsion to respect Hinduism-WOL is absent because Hinduism-WOL is not a religion!

Another question is: Does a Hindu-WOL have to respect those religions who are bloodthirsty against them, for example those who have vowed to destroy Hindu-WOL?

Mr. MB, now the time is here to stand up and be counted. Your convoluted language will not work. The least you can do to allay these misgivings is to make your notions of Hindu and Indian very very clear, preferably giving examples. Hiding behind the veil of secrecy and ambiguity will be counterproductive.

Who among these two are artists? MF Hussein or Tasleema Nasreen, or both?

2010-03-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

Ms. Taslima Nasreen is known to be an ardent critic of certain practices in Islam. A Kannada translation of her article has sparked violence leaving two persons dead and many injured. The news is here.

Now the question is, if MFH can paint whatever he wants to paint, why can't Taslima write whatever she wants to write? And where is the Main Stream Media, Ms. Sharmila Pataudi, The Artists of India, The Government of India? Why aren't they expressing outrage and anger? All of these are conspicuously absent, though their silence is eloquent. Of course it was only yesterday that this happened. But I bet that the whole of this bunch will remain silent.

I am anxiously waiting for the reaction of the BJP, and the RSS on this. I surmise that the BJP and the RSS will advocate restraint in artistic freedom lest it should hurt the sentiments of any section of society. The MSM, The Government, The artists will term the publisher of the translation and the translator as mischief monger and antisocial elements. However, before they have opined, we can still give them a small benefit of the doubt against all odds. However, don't be disappointed if you are disappointed!

But don't forget to ask the question: Who among these two are artists? MF Hussein or Tasleema Nasreen, or both?

Where is our country going?

2010-02-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

I was under the wrong impression that I was being outrageous while describing our MSM (Main Stream Media), The Government, The Political Leadership as Dumb Fucks (DFs). I realize that I have been, in fact, understating the facts. What else can explain the following?

Recently, when MF Hussein was conferred Qatar citizenship, the "whole nation" rose in support of the nonagenarian.

Exhibiting their DF-ness are: The Center, Artists from India, Sharmila Khan Pataudi, The Center once again, The inimitable N. Ram, and none other than Mr. Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of RSS!

All these asses cite "Freedom of Expression" as their argument. Well, OK, MFH needs to be allowed to publish nude pics of Hindu deities due to this clause.

Now, watch the contrast. Another "artist", by name Macha Laxmaiah alias Krantikar, also a civil rights activist, wants to warn his fellow countrymen, nay, fellow human beings in the world, of a stinker of an ideology in his book titled "Crescent over the world - is a boon or the silent Holocaust?". It results in a protest, claiming that it contained quotes from "banned" books "The Satanic Verses", and "Lajja" by authors Mr. Salman Rushdie, and Ms Taslima Nasreen. The result(?) is the "arrest" of the author and his two "helpers". I wonder, if "The Hindu" even reported this. What are MFH's "protectors", The Center, Sharmila, Artists, N. Ram, Mohan Bhagwat and so on doing?

Are Salman Rushdie, and Ms Taslima Nasreen any less artistic than MFH? Why should MFH have the "freedom of expression" but not SR or TN, or anyone else including Mr. Macha Laxmaiah?

Mark my words, I am not being outrageous when I call this whole group starting from The Center to Mr Mohan Bhagwat, a bunch of DFs. I am understating the facts.

And, I am not being outrageous even when I say that: I wish this ninety year old stinking shit-pack of a painter goes to say hello to another departed shit-pack, pain in the backside, Mr. Jyotirmoy Basu.

Where is our country going? O my people, come and save this country.

Budget 2010: Is Pranav a Mukherji or a Murkhaji (Foolish)

2010-02-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

It doesn't require a genius to observe that Mr. Finance Minister is a DF(Dumb-Fuck). Well, at least as far as the individual income tax is concerned. Our bright man from Bengal has bettered another DF from his state, the Railway Minister Ms Mamata Banerji. One wonders if the members of this government are ministers or sinister(s).

While Mamata presented the Rail Budget of West Bengal, not of the Indian Union, Pranav presented the budgetary insight of a damn fool. Coming to brass tacks, leaving the zero tax limit for an individual to the previous limit of Rs. 1.6 lac is moronic. Mr FM possibly wants to better sadistic performance of his bong senior Monsieur Jyotirmoy Basu, who fortunately logged off after tormenting his motherland for about nine decades.

An "ideal balanced family" of six - grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, and two children (a son and a daughter) - requires, at the very least, about Rs. 30,000 every month for a decent living. This makes it, Rs. 3.6 lac per annum. A small allowance, for occasional luxury should make it about Rs. 4 lac an annum. Now, circa 2010, this should be the zero tax limit. And if, as usual, other sinister members of Mr. PM's cabinet conspire to perpetrate the present inflationary trends, by circa 2011 this limit has to be pushed to Rs. 5 lac per annum.

Now, instead of this, the DF moron has "relaxed" the tax-regime, by upping the other slab limits, making some of the tax slabs wider.

We must understand a few things very clearly. The taxes are way too high, even now anyway; so widening of the slabs, albeit necessary and hence welcome, is not enough. Meaning therefore, that this government is merely reducing its sins, and is still far from being virtuous by even sufficiently low standards. And finally, the absence of any relaxation in the zero tax limit, even this penitence effect is grossly undermined.

This clearly shows that this government intends to bloody rob the "hardest working" Aam Aadami population and subsidize and sponsor the luxurious life styles of its over-sized "twittering" ministries along with the cartel of goons who will be the "real" recipients of all the affirmative action programs which this government proposes to undertake using the tax-collections.

Mr PM, FM and the accompanying DF's, where is your promise to be the government of the "Aam Aadami"?

Idiocy of the Election Commission

2010-02-23T06:02:00.000-08:00

In a news item, the EC of India has said that "Burqa is not integral to Islam". This has come up with regards to the issuing of voter-identity cards to Muslim women. A simple question is, "Does it matter?". For, the more important question is, what would EC do if it indeed is integral to Islam?

Our policy makers, starting from the DF Jawahar, have always been sidestepping on crucial issues. What EC must have said is that, "A photograph of the full face is a MUST" period. Islam or No Islam ain't matter. Instead they have made bleating noises regarding burqa not being integral to Islam. What happens if the Darul Uloom Deoband or Bareilley issues a fatwa stating that "burqa is integral to Islam"? EC will tie itself into knots!!

Nitin Gadakari's DF-ness

2010-02-23T05:49:00.000-08:00

Nitin Gadakari, the new chief of the BJP, has appealed to the muslims to support the making of Ram temple in Ayodhya. Worst of all, he says that he is NOT opposed to the construction of a mosque beside the temple. As if there are not already more than enough numbers of mosques in this country. Isn't NG `such a lovely' DF?

I wonder what makes our leaders lick the toes of these muslims? Are muslim toes very tasty? And remember that NG has been hoisted by the RSS! I pity the intelligence of Shri Mohan Bhagwat.

If our so called "hard-liners" are such wishy-washy blobs of cotton, imagine what our "peace-loving, tolerant, secular" Hindu Indians will be?

I surmise that If NG is made the Prime-Minister of this country, he will appeal to Pakistan (as our DF PM's have been doing over the years) to make India a terror-attack free nation. And this DF will do it with an ardent hope!

SIkhs Beheaded by Muslims

2010-02-23T05:33:00.000-08:00

The newspaper "The Hindu" reported that two sikhs were beheaded by Pakistani Taliban. The whole report, from the above link, is copied below:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two Sikhs beheaded

Peshawar/Islamabad: Two Sikhs who were kidnapped over a month back have been beheaded by the Pakistani Taliban in the country’s restive tribal belt in a brutal act by the militants.

Some more members of the minority community are still in the custody of the rebels.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's news in this?" you may ask. Watch carefully, the report calls the killers "militants". Had these killers been Pramod Mutalik's men or Shiv Sainiks, they would have been termed "Hindu Fundamentalists".

So every time you read/watch news, observe how the media is conning your subconscious against "Hinduism", while softening you towards "Islam" and other such faiths.

This also should be a message to the Sikh community (truly speaking all non-muslims), that Islam or muslims can never be, and will never be friends or well-wishers of non-muslims.

DF-ery Continued

2010-02-11T08:43:00.000-08:00

When two big fools fight, it is difficult to imagine who'll be worse off than the other. Messrs. Bal Thakerey, and Raj Thakerey are displaying just that. In his recent remarks Mr. Raj tacitly supports SRK. Raj should oppose Big B, if he is upset with him, and oppose SRK too.

SRK is busy displaying his "integrity" here. SRK has proved himself to be a sinister guy when he proclaimed post 26/11 Mumbai attacks that Islam was being portrayed in bad light and that he would work towards salvaging its image. Can you imagine? "Islam being portrayed in bad light"? Phew. What has Islam been doing for past 1400 years? Running charity shows?

For the unsuspecting and gullible readers, let me inform you that the real story on which "Chak De India" was based had a Hindu coach. The movie had the name altered to a muslim name at the insistence of SRK. The buzz doing the rounds is that SRK insists on having a muslim name for himself in his movies. Even if it is statistically true, it shows the man that he is, rather the Shylock that he is.

Avoid buying such bull**its.

Paid News - A New Corruption in Journalism

2010-02-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

A new form of corruption, News selling, is emerging in Journalism. It is also being referred to as Paid Content. The Times of India group has set up a division for this purpose called Medianet (http://medianet.indiatimes.com/), complete with a rate card for the sale of news. Many other news papers, TV channels and other news agencies are actively engaged in this unethical practice.

Sale of news is different and distinct from paid advertisements, advertorials or special supplements, all of which are clearly identified as sponsored features while paid news is not. Such spurious news has become attractive for flop movies, fashion and lifestyle products and the promotion of hotels and restaurants that enter into a payment arrangement with the organization.

Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan officially spent a little over Rs11,000 on paid advertising but got coverage worth much more in newspapers such as the Maharashtra Times and Lokmat. More than 89 full page news items were published in the newspapers, mostly in colors, on the Chief Minister appearing during the State poll campaign. The glaring mismatch between Mr. Chavan’s claims and the news coverage was analyzed. Three Marathi newspapers carried identical news reports praising Mr. Chavan. Only the headlines were different. Prima facie, EC felt that it was an advertisement masquerading as news.

Based on data compiled by media monitoring agency AdEx (a unit of TAM Media Research Private Ltd), Mint reported on 2 December that in the recent assembly elections in Maharashtra, advertising volume (in column cm) in Marathi newspapers declined by around one-fifth from 2004, suggesting the possibility of the increased incidence of advertisements disguised as news.

Yellow journalism and blackmailing were known forms of corruption in journalism but today, a subtle and implicit form of corruption is creating greater mischief. The paid news syndrome is aimed at promoting certain interests and suppression of news and concerns of other interests have become a usual feature in media. Media turning into a commercial enterprise and the newspaper into a commodity-the media was being driven by market forces. Such media is indulging in trivialization, sensationalisation and tainted corporate communication, trial by media, incorrect reporting of court cases and devaluation of the office of editor.

Sections of media indulging in paid coverage especially during elections were undermining the democracy. MP or an MLA paying money to a newspaper or a television channel to elicit favorable news coverage is becoming common.

Haryana CM has revealed that he approached the leading newspaper of his state with money for positive stories after learning that the newspaper had signed a package deal with his rivals to print negative stories. The selling of editorial space has become both blatant and institutionalized, and that neither the print nor the electronic media are immune to the malaise.

Media barons responsible for turning newspapers into mammon-worshipping behemoths where everything is available for a price, including sacred editorial space. Fact-finding journalism has now become a commercialized activity. Owners have turned newspapers into a business proposition.

A top management executive from Punjab Kesri (readership 1.04 crore) admits that the newspaper made anywhere between Rs 10 crore and Rs 12 crore during the assembly election season. They were forced to sell editorial space because of tremendous pressure from politicians. We were also being pushed by the so-called national English dailies who had their packages and were mopping up revenue. We could not have missed out on the opportunity.

Television news channels are equally guilty of selling editorial space. Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit was approached by a news channel in Delhi with a package to cover Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the East Delhi constituency during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Campaign managers of the Congress spent money for the Delhi assembly elections last year when a TV channel insisted on projecting a lesser tally for the Congress in its opinion polls. The tally improved after the channel was paid off.

In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the 24-hour TV9 channel in Telugu and Kannada has been accused of promoting politicians for a monetary consideration and is alleged to have run an hour-long interview with a prominent politician who paid for the airtime. Channel director Mahendra Mishra denies this, though. Marathi channel IBN-Lokmat too found itself in the middle of a controversy when it ran a feel good interview with one of its directors, Congress candidate Rajendra Darda, during the Maharashtra assembly elections. Editor Nikhil Wagle, however, says he took extra precaution to ensure that Darda got lesser airtime than other politicians.

Media owners squeezed as much money as possible from political parties and candidates during the Lok Sabha elections. There are recorded cases of open blackmailing of candidates.

With the emergence of Paid content issue, the media is not the fourth estate any more. Journalism is no more a sacred profession. Though the advertisement helps news agency to subsidies the news to the readers, the readers willingly pay for the news and editorial content. They have a right to expect that advertisements and news are distinct and segregated. In the absence of such clarity, the reader ought to be outraged at the attempt to pass off paid news as the real thing. In such a situation, the consumer, far from being king, is totally irrelevant. The selling of news becomes unethical.

Editors Guild of India expressed shock on the publication of Paid News. It issued a statement on Wednesday, 23 December 2009 and sent a letter to each of its member-editors throughout the country asking for pledges that his/her ‘publication/TV channel will not carry any paid news' as the practice ‘violates and undermines the principles of free and fair journalism'. It also formed an ethics committee to look into the matter.

The Indian Election Commission recently asked the Press Council of India "to define what constitutes paid political news," so it can adopt appropriate guidelines. During a December meeting, the elections body also directed the press council to "formulate guidelines to the media houses" to require that the money involved be incorporated in the political party and candidate expenditures. The press council, a quasi judicial body, has decided to investigate, establishing a committee to examine violations of the journalistic code of fair and objective reporting.

[Contributed by mksri]

Linguistic minorities and Marathis

2010-02-09T20:22:00.000-08:00

More than four thousand taxi permits are given to the taxi drivers each year in Mumbai, Maharashtra and other neighboring cities. The Motor Vehicle Rules framed in 1989, which say cab drivers should know any local language like Marathi, Hindi or Gujarati and should be domiciled in the state of Maharashtra for 15 years. According to Maharashtra Congress party, the cabinet has not changed the rules. As such, a person seeking a permit must know Marathi and any one of the local languages.

Thousands of migrants come to Mumbai each year from various places such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bangladesh and other cities. All of them are not learning Marathi and many of them are taking up the driving jobs. To understand the problem more comprehensively, the following facts in Mumbai are useful.

1. People living in Maharashtra for more than 15 years and cannot communicate in Marathi. Many of these people maintain that it is not necessary to learn the local language. Some of them show contempt towards the local language in one way or the other.

2. Marathi schools are being closed down by the government due to decreased number of students. Any attempt to make the local language compulsory is met with resistance by non locals. [Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has closed down 37 Marathi schools in the city. The city also saw a drop of over 70,000 students in the last five years with more children being inclined towards English medium schools for better career prospects. In the year, 2004-05 there were 450 Marathi medium schools with 1,77,538 students while in the year 2009-10, there are 413 schools with 1,07,413 students.]

3. Unemployment is increasing: Employed non locals, in many instances, create groups among the workplace and are more active in helping their friends and relatives. Some of them maintain that the locals are not hardworking, not talented or not skilled as reasons for unemployment among the locals.

Recently, the Maharashtra cabinet decided to grant 24,000 taxi permits, which have not been renewed since 2002, to companies which would operate fleet taxi services. In the meeting, a senior Congress minister and NCB ministers had specifically demanded that the new permits should be given only to Marathi-speaking persons. From one point of view, this was intended to ensure strict implementation of existing provisions.

City Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, and other north Indian leaders of the Congress had put pressure on Chavan to reverse the decision. With the civic elections around the corner, the Congress did not want to alienate non-Marathi voters who are in a majority in the metropolis. A senior Congress leader confirmed that following the strong protests lodged by the chief ministers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and former railway minister Lalu Prasad, the Congress high command sought an explanation from Chavan and asked him to maintain status quo instead of taking hasty decisions.

Shiv Sena and the MNS have always championed the cause of the Marathi people. Their stance is more consistent among all the political parties in Maharashtra with respect to local interests. In the past, they have symbolically taken up protests like blackening of English signboards across the city. Now they have displayed hoardings in the city asking the North Indian drivers to learn the language in 40 days. After the reversal of the decision, spokesperson for the Sena Neelam Gorhe said the CM had succumbed to pressure from the Hindi lobby.

While all Indian languages are struggling to face the onslaught of the English, linguistic minorities are taking easy options and thereby complicating the situation. Parties and organizations are reacting with partial understanding of the problem, addressing specific aspects of the issue.

Baba Ramdev thinks that local people should get preference in jobs in their respective states, but not at the cost of peace. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said there were no takers for the slogan Mumbai for Marathis even in Maharashtra itself. Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief, highlighted unity of India saying that all Indians were children of Bharat Mata, and every inch of India belonged to all patriotic Indians, irrespective of region, religion and language. Swamy congratulated RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on showing true statesmanship and Hindutva for his statement. Nitin Gadkari, BJP president, questioned Shiv Sena's commitment towards its demand to repeal article 370 in Kashmir.

While Sangh Parivar has tactfully brought Kashmir issue and unity of India into the discussion, it did not admit the problem created by linguistic minorities or the problem faced by Marathi people. It may be easy to target political parties like Sena and MNS and blame them for the problem. But two steps are to be supported by all who would like to retain Indian culture.

1. A set of guidelines for linguistic minorities

2. Government policies to strengthen the Indian languages (local languages) against the onslaught of English.

Guideline should advice non locals to respect local language. Practically it means, interest and willingness to learn local language at least to a minimum extent. Linguistic minorities should learn to avoid creating resentment among linguistic majority by mingling harmoniously.

Government should adopt firm, consistent policies to promote and strengthen Indian languages. English usage need not be discontinued or discouraged. But, We should always remember that a part of Indian identity is embedded in our native languages and in Sanskrit.

After following these two steps, remnants of the regional intolerance, if any, could be suppressed effectively by legal means.

[Contributed by mksri and SS]

Skewed arguments in public domain

2010-01-05T03:28:00.000-08:00

Before trying to address Hindu Bashing, a better understanding of dynamics of a typical discussion is essential. Here, the term world view is used to refer Hinduism, Christianity, Islam or Communism. While analyzing (or discussing) a world view, one of the following routes is taken to arrive at a conclusion.

1. A theoretically faulty framework need not be defended. It deserves to be discarded in favor of a better construct.

2. It is usually possible to suggest modifications to correct a faulty system. But then, the faultless edition is not the same as faulty version. For convenience and by consensus, both could be referred by the same name. If there is no consensus, such referece could create additional confusions. Insisting that they are same is seen as foolishness.

3.When something is wrong, either the understanding/principles are wrong or its application is done in a wrong way. Or both.When something goes wrong, associated theoretical framework is not immediately suspected / discarded. Typically, failure/faults will be attribted to implementation details. Simultaneously, the theoretical framework will be closely evaluated/analysed.

4.This approach is sensible as we should not be misguided by the undesirable results of a incorrect application of a good principle. But, stretching this approach too far by defending an unsound theory leads to undesirable results.

5. A fair principle, correctly applied may bring a situation which is not liked by the individuals involved. In that situation, it is not easy to see fairness of the principle by by those who are involved. Common good is achieved by disciplined individual adherents. Inability of individuals to follow principles may harm the greater common good.

6. On the otherhand, when a faulty system is followed strictly it creates a situation which is not desirable.

7. A system with many principles is typically viewed as a package. Either the package is accepted as a whole or completely discarded. Those who vouch for the package, selectively highlight or temporarily understate certain aspects to ward off attack on the package.

8. There is also a tendency to equate different world views, as a starting point as well as a conclusion of a discussion. Religious systems are considered by some as scientific. Some others dismiss these systems as unscientific.

Fairness demands application of above stated arguments in the same way to different systems (theories, value systems or packages). But unfortunately it is not so. The following is the summary of present day discussion around different world views.

Hinduism is considered as theoretically faulty because there are four varnas. Therefore there is no point in defending / following it. Excerpts from Manusmrithi is cited as a proof to show that women and shudras are discriminated. Untouchability is an inevitable consequence of Achara; shunning it, is the solution.

Soviet collapse, Chinese capitalism, Bengali underdevelopment, Naxal violence have demonstrated repeated failures of the Left. They are generally considered as implementation mistakes. There is not much problem in the theory behind it. Arguments are presented to blame caste feelings as an impediment to communism in its effort to establish a better society.

Inability to live harmoniously with non Muslims, inflexible world view, violent attitudes, Jihad and fatwas have created serious doubts about Islam; its theory and practice. But, Islam is portrayed as a synonym for peace and violence is viewed as a forced reaction from the Islamic society. Suggesting changes to Islamic way of life is a proof that they are pressurized by others. Their anger and revolt is a result of suppression of their identity.

Fixation over conversions, retrograde role played historically - during holocost, against scientists, persecution and colonialism, drive against condoms, women, controversies around child abuse, sex scandals are the challenges faced by the Church. But Church organizations are being appreciated for their leading role in education, health and humanitarian gestures. They are helping Dalits suppressed by Hinduism, When they are doing so much for the society, why should not they attempt to spread their world view?

Thus, the approach of analysis towards different world views (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Communism) is skewed.

[Contributed by SS and VS]

The Times of India - Undertakers of the nation

2010-01-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

There are many buffoons on the scene now. As an example, Shashi the boor (Shashi Tharoor). Why was he not equally internet savvy while he lost to Mr Moon in the UN election? I wish he can teach the cattle to tweet. Cattle are much better than prattlers like this buffoon.

There are many criminals on the scene too. As an example, DGP Rat-hole (DGP Rathod of molestation fame). I wonder who taught him. By the way, if Shri Ram Sene folks could go and publicly bash up this DGP, they will garner a lot of support for themselves.

There are many DF's on the scene as well. I ask you to think of examples. I politely suggest this as a homework for you. And I can assure you that this is a very very easy homework!

Coming back to buffoons, criminals and DF's, the Times of India has worsted them all. They have set a new standard of buffoonery, criminality, and DFery. They have a death-wish for our nation. Can even an ass imagine wishing one's own country a new year, the way these idiots did? It looks as if the mantle of Mohandas has descended on them. They want to hatch a plot and lead us to national suicide as skillfully as that crafty sly conspired.

Who was it, who was screaming Enough is enough, post 26/11 on TV. Was it the inimitable Shobha De? I would strongly urge her to terminate her writing contract with the TOI. For the TOI surely is going completely against her. Rather than echoing with Ms De, TOI is saying much beyond It's not enough, they are shouting from the roof-tops that it can never be enough. It is like pronouncing the judgment To be hanged till death.

For the benefit of our vernacular fellow beings, let me mention that the word undertaker refers to a person who digs holes in the ground for the dead to be buried. In that sense, the TOI have arraigned on themselves the title of Undertakers of the nation. And they started this evil exercise on a new year day!

Instead of pursuing aman-ki-asha we need to cherish a man ki asha. We need to look around with fervent hope for a man. When will we get one sane man? Better still, why don't we each struggle and become a man? How long will we keep waiting?

Three DO's for 2010

2009-12-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

Wishing the readers a very happy and prosperous new year and the decade 2010. In light of the ND Tiwari episode, I recommend a wish list for 2010.

Our society and nation must reconsider and lift the bans on Prostitution, Alcohol consumption, and Gambling. I am not recommeding lawlessness, I am merely recommending a regulated and moderate openness, and permissiveness. What is good for the powerful and the rich must be allowed for the cattle class as well.

Further, I am not recommending indulgence, I am merely recommending a gentle tolerance for individual freedom to indulge, at one's own risk and cost.

How to formulate a policy to do the same is a matter of debate, and let us do that too openly ....

Thayee's (Mom's) Children in Trouble?

2009-12-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

The conflict between the Reddys and Yeddy has taken an interesting turn. The Thayee of all thayees, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has instigated a CBI inquiry into the mining activities of Obulapuram Mining Corporation, the fund factory of the Reddys. Reddys' thayee, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj is rendered mute! Since these obedient sons have assiduously maintained that they always obeyed the dictats of their esteemed thayee, any indictment of the Reddys would implicate their thayee as well!

Santa-Banta are laughing their intestines out!

Santa's guess is that the thayee who was furious that Yeddy was not seeking her blessings, may herself be forced to seek Yeddy's blessings now!

But the question is, how can Yeddy bless the thayee? By reinstating Ms. Shobha Karandlaje and Mr. Baligar?

Banta's surmise is that now the Reddys will be looking for either a thande (Dad) or switch from thayee to ajjee.

Can my honorable readers make out who the ajjee is? By the way, ajjee in Kannada means grand-mom.

I am very happy that the things have come to this pass. I hope that these things are taken to their logical ends. The opportunistic thayees must realize that the political heights that they have attained in their career is owing to the austerity of the khaki-shorts wearing legitimate children of the RSS, and not the embezzled funds of the their even more uncouth illegitimate political children, like the Reddys.

Summary of Liberhan Ayodhya commission Report

2009-11-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Summary of the Conclusions of Liberhan Ayodhya commission of inquiry

Groups that are culpable

For the purpose of quantifying the culpability, the various persons and organizations named in this report at various places have been divided into three groups.

The first group represents those who bear the primary and the greatest responsibility. These people had complete knowledge of the events as they were scripted. These individuals and organizations were a part of the decision making process or were instrumental in the assault.

The second group consists of those who bear physical, ideological and intellectual responsibility. They were not decision makers and could not change the course charted by those bearing primary responsibility. These include those who portrayed the benign face of the Ayodhya campaign and gave false reassurances to the courts, the people and the nation as a whole. These are referred to as pseudo moderates. This is not to suggest that their objectives do or do not differ from the first group. The term is used to indicate the mode adopted rather than the ends they may have been trying to achieve. Pseudo-moderates had the construction of the temple on its primary agenda while the radicals were more fanatical about the demolition of what they called a national shame.

There are also those who bear tertiary responsibility. These people may or may not have been associated with Sangh Parivar or had any influence over the situation at all. Their complicity stems from their ommission rather than commission.

The blame or the credit for the movement must necessarily be attributed to Sangh Parivar. The Parivar is an extensive and widespread organic body which encompasses organization which address and assimilate just about every type of social, professional or other demographic grouping individuals. The parivar is a highly successful and corporatized model of a political party and has developed a highly efficient organizational structure.

The structure or the methods of the Sangh Parivar for aggregating substantial public base may neither be illegal nor strictly objectionable. But the use of this gargantum whole for the purpose of Ayodhya campaign was clearly against the letter and spirit of Indian law and ethos. The Sangh Parivar spent long years and mobilized its immense media clout and ensured least resistance to its designs. The attempts by pseudo moderate elements even within Sangh Parivar were predictably of little significance and were destined to fail, whether by design or otherwise.

As the inner core of the Parivar, the top leadership of the RSS, VHP, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and the BJP bear primary responsibility.

The commission, having analysed tens of thousands of pages worth of press reports, books, official records and documentation, many hours of audio and video recordings and having observed witness is unable to hold psuedo moderates innocent of any wrongdoings. It can not be assumed even for a moment that LK Advani, AB Vajpayee or MM Joshi did not know the designs of Sangh Parivar. These pseudo moderates could not have defied the mandate of Sangh Parivar, and more specifically the diktat of the RSS, without having bowed out of public life as leaders of the BJP. They were not in control of the RSS and had absolutely no influence over the direction that they have been told to follow.

The BJP was an essential ingredient in the Parivar smorgasbord and essential to capture de jure power and authority, in furtherance of its goals of establishing the Hindu Rashtra. These leaders have violated the trust of the people and have allowed their actions to be dictated not by voters but by a small number of individuals who have used them to implement agendas unsactioned by the will of the common man.

Contribution of Muslim leadership

Selective communal Muslim leaders, obsessed with building personal or individual influence or following for enhancing their political influence and for self gain, were merely bystanders during the entire period and put dismal performance. The fanatic Muslim leadership were either completely complacent and had no substantial or effective leadership or were simply incompetent in projecting their own lopsided counter view to the people throughout the half century leading upto 6th December 1992. Their feeble attempts after 1983 to present a blinkered view of History were without researched substance and therefore possibly incapable of being believed.

The BMAC and later the AIBMAC never setup or presented any claim to the disputed structure in any negotiation with the intervention of any person or at any time and their stand was merely simplitor denial of the claims of the Sangh Parivar which too underwent changes and shifts and articulation with the passage of time. The Muslim and Hindu leadership's shrill cries echoed the divisive and mischievous sentiments which had been heard around 1947.

The Muslim leadership did little to counter the latent fears stoked by the RSS and VHP leadership and instead provided it with the opportunity to embark on what started as a defensive strategy. They provided rabid Hindu ideologues sufficient cause to instill fear into the common citizen of India. Whether the political Muslim leadership represented the views of the average Muslim citizen of India is highly doubtful. The elite political Muslim leadership constituted a class by itself and was neither responsible to, not caring for the welfare of those they purported to champion.

Those who pretend to speak for those who are the downtrodden, only highlight the differences between the people and prevent the integration of the people within the mainstream of the country. In any case, it is inexplicable why the people belonging to the same community which effectively ruled the country for centuries not too long ago should not endeavour, struggle, compete, thrive and succeed in all segments of national life like every other citizen of India, and without having to rely on their religious difference to seek special privilages.

The Muslim leadership wittingly or unwittingly fulfilled the requirement of an adversary role for RSS and VHP to wage war. The Muslim leadership failed the community and its electorate not only in being able to put forth a logical, cohesive and consistent pov, within and outside the courtroom, but also failed to protect the life and property of the innocent massess who got caught up in the post facto riots. The Muslim leadership was conspicuous by its absence from the national debates and its failure to protect effectively against the events which were building up to a crescendo.

The Muslim leadership failed to highlight the extremely high handed and extra-legal methods adopted half a century ago to install the idols in the disputed structure or to open the locks on the gates. The sins of ommission of the Muslim leadership made the Sangh Parivar's task easier. The organizations and individuals who failed to effectively champion the cause of their constituents and of the neutrals who failed as an effective opposition are guilty at the tertiary level.

Role of High Court, Supreme Court

The intransigent stance of the High Court of Uttar Pradesh, the obdurate attitude of Governor, the inexplicable irresponsibility of the Supreme COurt's observer and the short-sightedness of the Supreme Court itself are fascinating and complex stories.

Historians, journalists, and jurists may - and should - explore these dimensions and tell these untold stories for the benefit of the current and unborn generations.

The Central Government was crippled by the failure of the intelligence agencies to provide an analysis of the situation. Supreme Court was misled by the pretentious undertaking given to it by the UP government and the leadership of the movement and the all-is-well reports by its rapporteur Tej Shankar.

About RSS, Parivar and other Hindu organizations

The single minded agenda of the RSS and VHP, and the extremely patient and focussed manner in which the handful of ideologues and theologians manipulated the common masses and turned them into a frenzied mob, capable of acts of the greatest deprivity agenda, is unparalled in recent times.

The events leading upto the 6th December were tainted by a joint conspiratorial enterprise. A rank of leaders emerged within BJP, RSS, VHP, Shiv Sena, Bajarang Dal etc who were lured by the prospect of power or wealth, who were neither guided by any ideology not imbued with any dogma not restrained by any moral trepidation. These leaders saw the Ayodhya issue as thier road to success and sped down this highway mindless of the casualties they scattered about. These leaders were the executioners wielding the sword handed to them by the ideologues.

The RSS, Shiv Sena, Bajranga Dal, BJP etc are collectively an immense and awesome entity with a shrewd brain, a wide encompassing sweep and the crushing strength of a mob. The leadership provided by these organizations in furtherance of the suspect theories of their founders was consistent and unabased.

The RSS, BJP and VHP core have turned the tables - they have redefined seularism and turned the definition on its head to mean the exact opposite of what it has always been held to be and understood all over the world. Their version of Secularism is neither benign nor tolerant of the ideals enshrined in our constitution.

It was not a movement, Demolition was not spontaneous

Ram Janmabhoomi movement is a misnomer to Ayodhya campaign. Rabble rousing organs of Sangh Parivar and inflamatory leaders were focussed on shaming the thinking masses into inaction and suppressing any voices of sanity or moderation that might arise. They were not focussed on tugging at the emotional heartsrings of the common man and building a consensus for a temple at Ayodhya.

The mobilization required logistic support and the amounts transacted exceeded many tens of crores of Rupees. The mode of assault, small number of Karsevaks who carried out the demolition, veiling of their identities, removal of idols and the cash box from under the dome and subsequent reinstallation in the make shift temple, construction of the makeshift temple, availability of material and instruments for demolition and the swift construction of the make-shift temple categorically leads to the conclusion and finding that the demolition was carried out with great painstaking preparation and planning.

All these things does not give credence to the claim that demolition carried out by Karsevaks spontaneously.

About Kalyan Singh Government

The Chief Minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, its ministers and its mandarins supported the destruction with tacit, open, active and material support at every step, but did not make it part of the officially stated agenda. Kalyan Singh, his ministers and his handpicked bureaucrats created man made and cataclysmic circumstances which could result in no consequences other tha andthe demolition of the disputed structure.

There is no manner of doubt admissible in the culpability and responsibility of the chief ministe, his ministers and his cohorts who were handpicked to occupy selected posts. Paramhans Ramchander Das, Ashok Singhal, Vinay Katiyar, Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, Vamdev, KS Sudarshan, HV Sheshadri, Lalji Tandon, Kalraj Mishra, Govindacharya and others named in my report formed this complete cartel lead by Kalyan Singh and supported by the icons of the movement like LK Advani, MM Joshi, AB Vajpayee.

Chief Minister Kalyan Singh stood on guard against the possibility of any pre-emptive or preventive action by the Central Government or the Supreme Court of India or the other courts or any other institution. He and his trusted lieutenants spared no lie before the highest authorities of the land to befool them and to tie their hands with the niceties of our constitutional democracy.

Chief Minister, members of the Council of Ministers, the officials of the Government of the Uttar Pradesh systematically eliminated all impediments and the RSS, BJP and their allies filled the void with malevolence.

Kalyan Singh's government was the essential component needed by the Sangh Parivar for its purposes. On assuming office, he embarked on a focussed mission to replace the administrative and police officers who were inclined to resist a change in the status quo or who demonstrated the slightestt hesitation in conniving, supporting or collaborating with the new de facto leadership which was gradually taking control in Ayodhya and Faizabad.

These postings and transfers had the singular intent, purpose and effect of smoothening the ride for the demolition which the RSS and BJP had made a part of their election campaign. This was the plank on which they had managed to secure the Chief Ministership for Kalyan Singh and this was the test case which resurgent RSS, BJP and VHP wanted to make a success of.

The second step was to ensure that the hands that wielded the battons and carried the guns were friendly to Karsevaks and did not pose any potential threat to the Karseva. This gratuitous dismantling was secured by posting raw untested personnel or trainees and sympathetic provincial armed constabulary in the twin towns. They were exposed to the religious fervor and harangues of the eloquent RSS and VHP preachers. They had been turned into uniformed karsevaks rather than protectors.

The hands of these troops were tied by the Chief Minister's unequivocal orders to the rank and file that they were to desist from the use of force or resort to firing in any circumstance against the karsevaks or their leaders. The orders were also allowed to be interpreted as a forbearance of use even of less deadly methods such as tear gas or the plain old lathis. Instead of using the riot shields to oppose the violent karsevaks, they were actually handed over willingly to them by the police personnel.

The electronic measures including closed circuit televisions, metal detectors etc were intentionally rendered inoperative and ineffective by the administration to ensure anonymity of the miscreants and easy access to the disputed structure. Senior police officers allowed the destruction and refused to identify those henchmen even before the commission.

The state government leaked the information that the police personnel had been hobbled and would not react or retaliate under any circumstances into the public domain. All the categories of Karsevaks were aware that they were at zero risk from the state's agencies.

The only non manageable variable, from the Sangh Parivar point of view was the possible deployment of central forces in the state, either at the behest of the Central Govenment or sanctioned by the Supreme Court. This threat was also neutralized by senior and well respected individuals stating blatant lies on oath before Supreme Court, apart from protesting against even the stationing of central paramilitary forces sent.

The Supreme Courts' observer, who was handpicked by the High Court of Uttar Pradesh, did not alert the Court about the unfolding duplicity. Even at the moment that the domes were being pulled down, he was not at the spot, having been delayed by his family members whom he had brought along to witness the spectacle.

To sum up, December 6th 1992 saw a state of Uttar Pradesh unwilling and unable to uphold the majesty of the law. The ennui followed from the very office of the Chief Minister downwards and infected the state's minons down till the bottom. The state had become a willing ally and co-conspirator in the joint common enterprise.

The civil service in the state actively abetted the demolition of every democratic safeguard provided in the constitution. The police and bureaucrats of the state actively connived and curried favour with the Chief Ministe and the Sangh Parivar by systematically paralyzing the state machinery. They were the executors of the designs of the RSS, VHP, BJP, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena etc.

About media

The reporting of events in 1992 was possibly not as tactful and mature as it could have been. In reporting, some sections of the media overshot the restraints of common place prudence and were perceived as inimical to one or the other side of the dispute.The close patronage of certain newspapers, journals and other electronic media by one or the other interested groups tended to expose them to the allegation of malice and bias against others.

As soon as the assault on the structure commensed, the journalists were subjected to systematic harassment and they were not only prevented from carrying on their duties as chronicles of the events, but were also instilled with a real fear for their own safety. The reporters were confined to small rooms or molested or otherwise threatened so that their attention was less on the events they were supposed to cover, and more on their very survival.

Some small sections of the media were possibly guilty of incitement or malicious reporting. The media was a protogonist in the build up to the events of December 6th. It was also a victim of the events of the day.

The Sangh Parivar used the media masterfully in its campaign. A part of the media lent itself willingly to being used throughout the Ayodhya campaign. The inflammatory speeches of the more vocal elements were gleefully reported and sensationalized. The liberalized and newly launched mass media organizations at the time, including private satellite channels stoked the need for feretting out newsy items which could be reported. Media savvy Parivar go the maximum public exposure and canvassed its agenda - or atleast the BJP sanitized version of its agenda - to the entire country. The journalits were equally happy at having access to the material which was capable of weaning the masses away off the staid goverment run television networks or the old school print media.

The media at that time revealed a clear bias in either direction. The media was polarized to be friendly and inimical to the interests of the Parivar. The media managers of the Parivar were conscious of the fact that while their actions would be projected in a positive light by one section of the media, the other sections were going to be far more critical.

On 6th December 1992, media personnel were attacked by Karsevaks at the same time as the commencement of the assault on the disputed structure. The attack was primarily against jouranlists who were carrying recording equipment. The cameras, video recorders and the audio recorders were smashed up and even the exposed films and used tapes were systematically destroyed.

[Contributed by mksri]

Three Main Blunders in the history of Modern India

2009-11-27T08:29:00.000-08:00

Prehistory:

The invasions began sometime in 700 A.D. A lot of historical research needs to be done to analyse the causes and effects of the period that ensued. That is not in the scope of this article.

Let us start at just about independence. In 1947, we began with a great hope. Things happened potentially rightly but not actually.

Partition:

Praising Jinnah is irrelevant and can be left to pig-heads like Lalkrishn A. and Jaswant S. What we must praise is partition. Not the geographical, but the religious. For long, fools toyed with the idea that Hindus and Muslims can live together. Note that Hindu is being used as synonym for some one who practices Sanatana Dharma, and Muslim denotes a practitioner of Islam. For once, wisdom thought that Hindus and Muslims can never live together. Nothing new in this, Muslims can never stay in peace with non-Muslims. It is another matter that often they do not live in peace with even other Muslims. But then we made the blunder of ignoring (not seeing) the fact that Hindus and Muslims cannot live together.

Hence, although partition could have happened for the good, but it did not happen rightly. It should either have been in to Muslim India and Hindu India, or into three parts Muslim India, Hindu India, and Secular India.

Just imagine! Mohandas, Jawahar, and Communists could have gone to Muslim India, or Secular India. So partition was not bad per se, it was badly done!

Post Partition:

What ensued was one DF-ness after another. Let's mention the salient ones.

1. Mohandas-ian non-violence and SP-ian Sarva-Dharma-Sambhav (applied to include Islam).

Consequence: This resulted in spineless surrender to nuisance makers, made us weak, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.

2. Jawahar-ian-statism: Socialism/Central-Planning. This was propaganda based dictatorship. Not even the debacle in 1962 opened our eyes. Fools galore all over the place shouting that we must strengthen Panditji's hands post-humiliating-defeat. Emergency in 1975 evoked a knee-jerk reaction. Janata Party came, struggled, and fell. And the DF-ness continues.

Consequence: This made us dependent and unself-reliant, instead of innovating and enterprising.

3. Communistic-Secularism: Appeasement-Affirmative-Action. This blamed all evils of India on Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism. Brahminical-tyrrany, casteist-exploitation were some of the frequently used swear words. Not that we had no ills in our society.

Consequence: But it made us self-hating, self-doubting; practically suicidal.

Symptoms:

1. After 26/11 we have been furnishing "proofs" to Pakistan. Did US even have (let alone furnish) any proof to Afganistan post 9/11? We will say, but we are not as strong as US, not even as strong as China. But why? We believe in being weak! See our Manmohanian nuclear policy. DFs like K Subramanian , R Rajaraman writing that we donot need fusion bombs, because fission devises are lethal enough!! Since deterrence is not effective against irrational adversary. So what should we do? Their answer is, "nothing can be done"! Ask them what they will do if a potential irrational rapist was staying next to their holiday beach-resort.

In my opinion, India's current doctrine of no-first-use of force is useless at best. Firstly, the terrorists have already struck innumerable blows! So even if we strike now, we are only retaliating. Secondaly, even if the terrorists had not struck, and we had tangible evidence, we should have struck. One of the things that can certainly work against an irrational adversary is pre-emptive strikes.

2. In 2009, recession struck. Commies went berserk shouting at roof tops blaming free-market, and capitalism for the down slide. What they didn't shout is that the sub-prime lending crisis of the US was an outcome of central-planning (a thoroughly commie idea), and not free-market. And let me remind you that this government bail-out package too is a commie idea. And this bail-out is the cause for the second-dip that will come in 2010!

In my opinion, the more we rely on government, the more we empower the government, and thereby the more it becomes bigger and more and more wasteful and corrupt.

3. On Dec. 6, 1992 Babri-mosque was demolished, and the media has been shrieking since that Hindu-fundamentalism has been on rise. Liberhan commission has indicted numerous persons and has mentioned many causes, errors of omission and commission. As if the gravest danger to the nation comes from Hindus!

In my opinion, if Pakistan was made for Muslims (Islam followers), then India must be for non-Muslims! Importantly, the question one must be asking oneself is, if there were three partitions of the nation in 1947, namely Muslim, Secular, and Hindu; which part would one have chosen to be a citizen of? I give my answer: I would have chosen to be in Hindu India.

Remedy:

I mentioned various problems, and now I propose my preferred solution to them. In my opinion, in the place of what we have been practicing so far, we need:

1. Krishna's non-violence. Not Mohandas's

We must educate ourselves about dharma (a righteousness which alone can truly sustain us) well, so that we can discern if adharma is masquerading as dharma. Never practise tolerance, or non-violence towards adharma!

2. Chanakya's State. Not Jawahar's.

Free market with good moral values. Moral values through quality education about "Freedom, Personal Responsibility, and Wisdom of our heritage Sanatana Dharma". For the moment, we can make only a beginning with this. It may be too far fetched to talk of achieving Ram-rajya at this juncture.

3. Sanatana Dharma's open-mindedness. Not commie-secularism.

Truthful and honest recording of experiences. Learning by verifying or assimilating the wisdom of these experiences. Exploring in a spirit of freedom mellowed with a sense of responsibility. An unswerving and bold allegiance to truth. Discovering, and rediscovering truths pertaining to both Spirituality and Science and reaping benefits from them.

The Common Factor:

The answer has been given time and over again and again. Education, education, education. From the ancient times of the Vedas, to modern India's Vivekananda, to recent saints viz., Ramana, J Krishnamurti, have all emphasized one word. Education. Macaulay destroyed India by destroying its education, Communists (Jawahar to Romila thapar and company) have been destroying India by poisoning education. And now, if and when we want to rebuild our civilization, we must do it through education.

Let us begin NOW.

Do not forget the horror - A nice, albeit incomplete, piece by Aditya Sinha

2009-11-27T06:40:00.000-08:00

Aditya Sinha of the New Indian Express wrote a very good piece on the anniversary of 26/11. It is reproduced below, the original appeared here.

There are several eye-openers in the documentary film Terror in Mumbai, a 48-minute documentary on 26/11 made by Dan Reed for Britain’s Channel 4. One is the entire narrative itself; despite non-stop television coverage of the siege of Mumbai by the Lashkar-e-Toiba, you will not find a more taut, suspenseful, poignant and frightening document of the worst terrorist attack on India. It pains me to have to say that the best film on the subject is not by an Indian, but there you have it (by the way, Dan Reed was commissioned to do this documentary by Eamonn Matthews, who had seen Reed’s 2003 award-winning documentary Terror in Moscow about the siege by Chechen terrorists of a Moscow theatre). The film is being shown in the West (HBO is telecasting it in the USA) but, ironically, it is not being shown on Indian television (though you can see it on the internet: liveleak.com/view?i=1e4 _1246490858).

Perhaps many of you will yawn, for after all there has been a mind-numbing amount of writing in observance of the anniversary of 26/11, and most of it is so paint-by-numbers that it does disservice to the gravity of the event and the innocents who lost their lives. Indeed, that is the second eye-opener of Dan Reed’s documentary: how awful the Indian media is. True, we are not as bad as the Americans: their media processed the pack of lies that George W Bush’s administration fed its people, and is to blame for misleading the American public into that ruinous war on Iraq, the consequences of which include President Barack Obama’s struggle on the direction to take in Afghanistan (this is especially important for India, since leaving Afghanistan to the Taliban means empowering the ISI, as Steve Coll’s excellent 2004 book Ghost Wars repeatedly shows; and that means more terrorist attacks on India). Yet whereas the US media is complicit in screwing the planet, the Indian media is complicit in keeping us a zombie nation. The Indian media shrieks but does not inform us, which is why even those of us whose job is to eat, breathe and live the news, would be taken aback by the Channel 4 documentary.

Dan Reed uses the interrogation of Ajmal Kasab — the only LeT attacker caught alive — and conversations of the terrorists at the Taj Mahal hotel and Chabad House with their handlers in Pakistan to help structure the narrative. He also uses testimonies by some victims, which is more effective because it does not rely on cheap maudlin effects like the weepy music you will hear on whichever TV channel you turn to today; tellingly, most of the testimony used was from the poor victims at the VT railway station where Kasab and Ismail randomly shot dead dozens of victims (in an interview to MOB magazine, Dan Reed says the wealthier of the hostages or victims did not want to be interviewed, perhaps due to their nausea at the way the Indian media treated the event, but to the detriment of maintaining a fuller record). In this documentary, however, the fact that you hear the terrorists clearly, and their conversations used in the script intelligently, makes these parts the third eye-opener.

Frankly, we all knew that our intelligence agencies had recorded the conversations between the terrorists and their LeT handlers, but I think very few of us had heard them, and even so, the snippets that did appear in TV or in print were without context. In Terror in Mumbai the fact that the handlers sound like Punjabi shopkeepers makes it even more terrifying. The LeT, according to Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid’s Descent in Chaos, is a creation of the ISI solely for Indian operations. The ISI has long been a totally ruthless organisation; for instance, during the 1990s, when current Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s father tried to speak out against the Taliban, he was shot dead coming out of a Quetta mosque, according to Coll’s book. According to Rashid’s book, when the UN imposed arms sanctions on the Taliban regime after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, the ISI made it clear it would kill any UN monitors posted on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to stop the arms and fuel flow. The ISI takes no prisoners.

To fully grasp the enormity of this, listen to the handlers’ voices in these conversations, congratulating the terrorists while watching them on TV; ordering them to take hostages when they learn that Kasab has been captured, because the handlers don’t want anyone taken alive (for reasons made obvious by Kasab’s confessional statements); ordering them to overcome their hesitation and kill the Holtzberg husband-wife duo at Chabad House (to the extent of ordering the terrorists to keep the phone line open so that they could listen as the execution takes place); and at the end of the film, chillingly ordering the terrorists to tell the government that 26/11 is only a “trailer”; that the rest of the picture is yet to come.

That the rest of the picture will come is in no doubt. A year after the attacks, the same people who were asleep on the job when Kasab and associates floated onto our shores are still asleep on the job. If you watch the documentary then it becomes apparent: the lower-level policemen admit that their brains “froze” when the attack happened, that they did not know what to do. Telling them what to do is the job of higher officials. Listen to Rakesh Maria in this film, and you will realise that our babudom is too self-important and self-serving to ever learn their lessons. They need to train our forces, again and again, in reacting, and in simply shooting on target. Unfortunately, 26/11 has just become an occasion to spend money on new weaponry, and you all know what happens when government servants are given money to spend. Then there are our intelligence agencies and the political management. As the Express showed last week, the less said the better.

Of course, this column does not advocate going out and bombing ISI headquarters in Islamabad (the Pakistani Taliban are already on the job), but if you watch Dan Reed’s documentary, you may feel like going out and doing the deed yourself. Which is why, despite the usual even-temper and level-headedness of this column, I urge you all to watch this film, and make your children watch Dan Reed’s documentary. In all the clamour and clutter that will mark today, this is the one testament to the horror no Indian should be allowed to forget.

Though reminding us that we must not foget 26/11, Mr. Sinha does not suggest what we must understand from 26/11. He does give his pointers: Our establishment is still asleep, media was abysmal, and so on. The mediocrity of our media was pointed out by this author recently. But I am not the first. Countless Indians have been feeling this for long now.

Administrative efficiency, media performance, etc., do need improvement. But is that enough? I feel Mr. Sinha fails in his endeavour by not pointing out that Islam is seriously, certainly, and intimately related to terror, and 26/11 was a blatant and bloody reminder of that. And unless we realize that the premise we are being fed everyday, namely Islam is a religion of peace, is a false premise, we would be far from waking up.

It is just not that the establishment, administration, and the media is sleeping,. It is also that they are also putting all of us, the Indians who finally have to suffer the consequences, to sleep by fostering propaganda of false premises.

Icons of a nation.

2009-11-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

In early twentieth century, a demagogue inspired his followers by the adjoining image. It taught, he said, "hear no evil", "see no evil", "speak no evil". However, he thought, it said, "close your ears to warnings of evil", "close your eyes to dangers of evil", and "never talk about the causes of evil". And so his followers have become a society, which closes its eyes, very much like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, to impending dangers. It refuses to discuss about the causes of grave and horrendous events in history, and it chooses to ignore, any sane voice that strives to tell us its point of view.

Monkeys, or gorillas may not be as smart as Santa-Banta, but they are much smarter than most of the followers of this demagogue. They know how to survive, but these followers only know how to be servile.

There must certainly be an effort to chronicle and analyse some of the events epitomising the DF-titude. Let us help ourselves in this endeavour, and learn from the DF-ness of the past.

Drama-2009 in Karnataka BJP.

2009-11-19T09:47:00.000-08:00

Thayee (Ms. Sushma Swaraj) has finally spilled the beans. Ms. Swaraj said that "The crisis has put all of us to shame!" And you know what caused it? Shhhh... don't tell anyone, "It is the lack of communication on part of Yeddy."

I am tempted to relate a grand old joke about Santa and Banta. If you already know the joke, please skip the following paragraph. It's the one about horses.

Santa and Banta buy a pair of horses, one each for themselves. They have a hard time identifying which horse belongs to who because the horses look identical. Santa comes up with a brilliant idea, and suggests that he will cut-off the tail of his horse, so that the horse without tail will be Santa's and the one with a tail will be Banta's. But the children in their neighbourhood are very mischievous. Noticing Santa-Banta's predicament they play a trick and cut-off the tail of Banta's horse as well. This brings Santa-Banta back to square one. Now it is Banta's turn to make a bold gesture, and he kindly agrees to rip-off his horse's one ear. But the neighbourhood-kids are equally smart, and they rip-off Santa's horse's corresponding ear too. This continues for a few days and finally Santa and Banta have their horses whose ears, tails are all severed. Then Santa gets the idea of the century. If you want to visualize the light on Banta's face on hearing Santa's idea, recall what-an-idea-Sirji advertisement. Santa tells Banta, "Oye Banta, you take the white horse, I take the black horse".

I know you will ask, "But what has this joke got to do with this piece of news?" The answer is simple. Santa and Banta are poor-butt-of-the-jokes blokes numbering a meagre two. Nevertheless, despite all the mutilations to their respective horses, they could finally figure it out! Here we have four geniuses from the parliamentary committee of the party-with-a-difference, and do you think that they have figured it out at all? Not an iota of a chance.

The intelligence-equation is obvious: Two poor-butt-of-the-jokes blokes have much greater intelligence than four parliamentarians of BJP put together. No points for guessing what that difference is in the party-with-a-difference.

Remember that even though horses may look ugly when their ears or tails are mutilated, they can still run or pull carts. However, can political parties run if they amputate their own slogging members?

This, by no means, implies that non-BJP parties are better off than Santa-Banta. Far, very far from it. Rather, the most difficult question that the pundits are facing is: "Who is the stupidest political party of them all?", and opinion is divided on the matter. But they all agree that none from them can better Santa-Banta.

Santa-Banta were heard discussing among themselves:

1. Santa asked Banta: If BSYeddy was not communicating, why were Mr. Baligar and Ms. Karandlaje ex-communicated?

2. Banta asked Santa: Why could thayee not order her maklu to stop illegal mining business and concentrate on minding their legitimate business?

3. Santa-Banta are not feminists but they did notice a strange phenomenon! Two "He"s get into an "ego" problem, One "She" arrives to find a solution, and the solution she imposes is: another "She" has to go! So the ego-problem between two "He"s may or may not have been solved, but the ego-problem between the two "She"s must have undeniably got aggravated.

May I ask you esteemed readers with keen intelligence to help Santa and Banta?

Should he be referred to as Dean Headley or Dawood Gilani? At the very least "Mr. David Headley formerly known as Dawood Gilani".

2009-11-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

There have been frequent question marks about the sense of responsibility displayed by the Indian news media, who wholeheartedly subscribe to preaching Gandhian-Non-violence, Nehruvian-Socialist-Central-Planning, Communist-Secularism-(Muslim Appeasement), each thing being a DF-ness in itself.

What takes the cake, in the present situation, is their constant reference to a recent accused as Mr. David Headley. I wonder how many of us know that this person changed his name from Dawood Gilani to Dean Headley. Notice how this fact has been mentioned in the media link in a cursory reference. In view of the fact that the perpetrators of 26/11 came from Pakistan; any responsible media-person must not just mention, but rather highlight the person not as Mr. Headley but as "Mr Headley formerly known as Mr. Dawood Gilani". Better still, "Dawood Gilani who changed his name to David Headley". This way of mentioning is not only factual and not merely more complete and accurate, but rather it also helps the reader (or viewer) to place the person in a more complete perspective. Mr. Headley is not an American who converted to Islam. He is a Muslim who has recently (in 2006) assumed a western-sounding name. Imagine how our media would report if a person with a title Sharma or Singh had forbidden from defacating in front of his own home, another person with a title Koda. From NDTV to AajTak, they would harangue the viewers by referring to the incident as an "Upper-caste atrocity on a Dalit". Of course, from the perspective of our news-media, what else is there in Hinduism other than horrible practices like casteism? By the way, a somewhat sober view on casteism is presented here. So a Sharma/Singh vs. a Koda is "atrocious casteism". Whereas in the case of Headley (Dawood Gilani), his former name is irrelevant! Talk of responsible jounalism? Phew!

All right thinking people must guard against such deceptions.

W's of Hindu bashing

2009-11-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hindu bashing refers to the harsh, gratuitous, prejudicial attack on Sanatana Dharma (or Hindu dharma) and anything associated with it (concepts, history, attitude and values). This article explains everything about Hindu bashing.

What?

Many Gods (Polytheism) concept is interpreted as inferior. Varna Vyavastha is condemned as something that is inherently bad. Manusmrithi is selectively quoted and willfully misrepresented. Hindu rituals are discarded as unscientific and superstitious. Many aspects of Hindu values, dress code and lifestyle becomes subject for Hindu bashing.

Where?

From coffee table discussions to parliament discussions, from news paper articles to doctoral thesis, from private exchanges to public discourses, Hindu bashing could be seen in various shades.

When?

Almost always, whenever social conditions are reviewed, national problems are discussed, personal or community problems are discussed Hindu bashing creeps in and sometimes takes the main stage.

Who?

Almost all of us. Some of us unknowingly. Involuntarily. Unconsciously. Those who have agenda of promotion of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or Communism. Some of the Dalits who think that they are suppressed because of Hinduism and Brahmins. Some of the Brahmins who accept that Hinduism and Brahmans have exploited Shudras. Politicians who are trying to garner support of these groups. Intellectuals who are convinced of arguments built by these groups (around many distortions).

Why?

There is a belief that Hindu bashing will help promoting perceived proselytizing / Jihadi / socialistic / political / Dalit interests. Hindus take part in Hindu bashing, because it offers them the least resistance path. It is safe, non controversial and politically correct.

How?

By arguing that social problem (ills) are the result (effect) of Hinduism. Linking problems with caste system. Implying Varna Vyavastha and equating it to untouchability. Citing examples of reported atrocities on Shudras as proof. Concluding that caste as the root cause of failing electoral system (democratic system). By Brahman bashing. Through attempts to create hatred among Shudras.

Promoting inter caste marriages as a progressive tendency. Encouraging love marriages. And remarriages. Influencing young generation towards inter religion marriages. Advocating destruction of caste. Conversion to Islam or Christianity or to Buddhism is also a method of achieving this goal.

Attempts to reduce barriers to premarital sex. Considering promiscuity not as a taboo. Single mother is a new virtue. Legalizing Homosexual, lesbian, gay relationship is a mission.

Joint family system is unacceptable. Living with parents after marriage is difficult. Taking care of old aged people is not easy. Child less couple consider adoption of destitute. But they don't want to bring up parent less children in their family. These ideas are reinforced by media, policy and public discourse. By design and by imbibed value system.

Distorting Hindu concepts – Karma, dharma, moksha, Yoga, Varna and Stree Dharma. Labelling Hindu greatness – Kula and Acara, Rituals. Repeating distorted vesrions of Hindu aspects. By initiating discussion on liberating Hindu women, uplifting of Dalits and providing freedom to individuals. Implying Hinduism as inhuman, unscientific and irrational.

Attacking RSS, Sanatana Samstha, Ananda Marg and other pro Hindu organizations. Undermining Satya Saibaba, Sri. Ravishankar, Mata Amritanandamayee, Baba Ramdev and Osho. Not recognizing people of Hindu origin.

Suppressing Samskrita. Avoiding stories from Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Distorting Manusmrithi. Ridiculing Veda study. Neglecting Ayurveda and Yoga. Hiding Hindu architecture, art, literature and achievements in science, technology and Mathematics. Institutional support to Christianity, Islam, Left ideology and Buddhists. Unreasonable restriction on Hindus – unnecessary relaxation of legal restrictions to others.

Visitors

About Ram-Rajya

2009-11-11T06:23:00.000-08:00

It was on a Vijaya-dashami day that Bhagwan Ram administered euthanasia to Ravana. The austerities of Bharat (and Shatrughna), valour of Bhagwan Ram (and Lakshaman), and devoted sacrifices by the Vanar Sena culminated in the establishment of Rama-Rajya not only in Ayodhya, but all over the world.

Rama-Rajya is not merely an “excellent system of governance”; it is a state where the citizens are so good that “no system is necessary to govern them”. It was not that “Bhagwan Ram” ruled over the world. It was an epoch wherein all over the world, irrespective of who their local king was, the people reached a citizenship where “no system” was necessary to govern them. And yet they also had peace and prosperity.

How is it, that we degenerated ourselves so much that at the present times “no system is able to govern us”? Can we recoup ourselves again? If we can, how can we? These are some of the questions that we need to address.

I came across this piece of writing in a blog. Let's hope that the blogger writes more. Nevertheless, for the moment, can we see how far removed we are from Ram-Rajya? Does our present leadership, be it in BJP, SP or anywhere else, elicit confidence in us that they can lead us, let alone lead us to Ram-Rajya? Do we really want Ram-Rajya? Who are we? What do we really want? We need to ponder over many of these questions. Or do we even need to ponder? We need to ponder at least on whether we need to ponder ...

Monotheism, RSS taking over BJP, and Crisis in BJP in Karnataka

2009-11-09T04:39:00.000-08:00

Prologue:

I would comment on each the above points independently, but let me begin by giving my one line comment on these.

And those with weaker hearts and/or those who have delicate sensibilities, please excuse me for my explicit comments.

One Liner:

Each point epitomises, in a summary manner; thoughts, words, and actions of a Dumb Fuck, hereafter abbreviated as DF, or df.

Details:

1. On the Article on Monotheism

Fallacy:

The article is another attempt to understand Islam and Islamic point of view, with an aim to accommodating them.

Fact:

Rather than beating about the bush, we must unambiguously understand that Islam is incompatible with non-Islam, and therefore with us. Islam is non-reformable, always at WAR with others, and is mercilessly no-holds-barred including deception against non-Islamic faiths. So we rather be on our guard.

2. On RSS Taking over BJP

Fallacy:

BJP has swerved a lot from its lofty ideals while RSS, and Sangh Parivar have ideological clarity and depth to set the BJP right.

Fact:

BJP and its mentor RSS (and its family Sangh-Parivar) both have almost always been and are a buch of DFs. Time and again, they repeat the same mistakes. They have no ideological clarity, intellectual depth, or emotional understanding of the matter. They cheated people on Ram-Janmabhoomi in their hurry to form a government. Later, pig-headed leaders like Mr. Pramod Mahajan (in 2004) provided the ill-fated direction to the BJP, while Sushma Swaraj, and Arun Jaitley (in 2009) were busy enacting a Congress-like-high-command and installing L K Advani in the throne of a Sonia-of-BJP.

Indian politicians have Jawahar-meme in them, and therefore political parties have the congress-meme. Each politician is trying to become a Gandhi-Nehru of his constituency/region. And they are always sure that they have all the answers even before they even know the questions, an unmistakable symptom of a DF. Jawahar indeed was a DF, and so are his memetic clones. This is true across all political parties. Absence of fundamental and basic ingredients like intra-party democracy, a functional disagreement handling mechanism, a healthy platform to redress dissent ; all of these are symptoms of a sick political creed. Examples galore. YSR, Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra; Bal Thakery, Raj Thakery in Maharashtra, Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan, etc., the list is almost endless.

BJP started out with claims of offering a genuinely different alternative. They may claim that they had (more so during Jansangh days) genuinely good intentions too. But we must be aware that good intentions are only a beginning, and hence they alone are not enough. But the speed with which they have replicated a congress within them is astonishing.

It is worth mentioning that an erstwhile leader of BJP (someone who was called 'the windbag' by the inimitable Sitaram Goel) took great pride in the fact that in his younger days he used to be compared with the great Jawahar.

3. On the Crisis in BJP in Karnataka

Fallacy:

B S Yeddyurappa is an honest innocent man who has been wronged by dissidence, and intra party subterfuge.

Fact:

While those at the helm of SP (both) are intellectually negligible, their state-leadership is comfortably ensconced in unmanliness. BSY wept in front of the mainstream media (MSM) like a pussy. He does not deserve any sympathy. He betrays pussillanimity, and yet seeks to be a leader! Even Baligar and Shobha would be happier if he was manly.

Suggestions:

1. We must be extremely alert against any efforts to portray Islam in a sanitized way. Islam is a sick ideology with a psychopath, mass-murderer, paedophile as its founder and eternal role-model for its followers. Its history is a story in deception and violence. Don't be deceived.

2. We, the admirers and followers of the Sanatana Dharma, need to found new political parties. We need to shift the platform of political debate, rather than eternally conceding ground to our adversaries in the name of tolerance and non-violence. We need to diligently do our home work and chalk out a lucid framework in which we can work together, where we can dissent, and also have a reasonable mechanism to redress dissent and our disagreements.

3. Karnataka situation is precariously poised and, I am afraid, doomed. After providing some more tamasha on TV, both Yeddys and Reddys will bid adieu to people and hold on to their money. May be elections again! We the people have to hold ourselves up and proceed. It is high time that we realize that politics is too serious a work to be left for Yeddys, Reddys, Gowdas, Swamys, Siddus, Prakashs etc. Don't hesitate to ask those among your friends and relatives, who promise competent performance, to contest elections, and deliver what the people vote them for, i.e. good governance. And remember, lesser government is good governance. Big government is almost always bad government. Let us move towards Freedom and Responsibility.

Epilogue:

Please do express your opinions freely. If you found what I have written to be outrageous, well that was my intention. Hindus in India have, unfortunately, become so docile and submissive, that they need a waking up. Once they are awake, I am sure they will do the needful. They have been a great civilization, and they will surely be one.

Improving Indian Democracy

2009-11-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Money and muscle have become part of the Indian political landscape, — the growing number of multicrore-patis in Parliament and State legislatures are witness to this as are the increasing number of politicians who have had more than a brush with the law. The amount of money spent by political parties for fighting elections has been going up steadily. If it was about a crore for a parliamentary seat a decade ago, this sum is not enough today even for contesting in an Assembly segment. It has become a general rule in national parties that wherever the party has a Chief Minister there is also a dissident faction that would like to see him or her toppled.[Neena Vyas in The Hindu]

BJP, which was considered as a party with difference is no exception. In fact, the dissidence in BJP seems to be more than that of Congress. What is the remedy for this situation?

Arun Shourie, an intellectual turned politician, advocated "RSS taking over BJP"

BJP needs radical surgery - one swift execution is better than a slow execution. The correction should be applied to whole party - Lock, stock and barrel. There should be a total transformation. RSS should take charge. Sangh had been too democratic and had given too much latitude to the party. BJP being the most visible face, biggest instrument of RSS. It could not be left to its own devices in the current situation of drift. RSS should keep an eye on the moral conduct of the party like an eagle.[ToI, 25th Aug 2009]

The suggestion was not considered seriously. BJP considered it as an academic exercise. Even Arun Shourie did not provide the details on how RSS could take over BJP.

The recent Karnataka political crises has again exposed the fault lines of BJP in particular and Indian politics in general. No one seems to have control over the situation and every one is help less. It appears as if no one has any role to play as the crises unfolds. Analysis of the present Karnataka situation or previous Delhi crises could be elaborately taken up. But, it is very clear that BJP will face similar crises in the near future.

It is the duty of every one, including those who have no interest in politics, to consider suggestions and think about solutions. Nothing should be excluded without exploring. Including the suggestion of "RSS taking over BJP".

On Monotheism

2009-11-05T03:53:00.000-08:00

Picture: Mahmood Madani Chief, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind

The 30th general session of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind at Deoband, western Uttar Pradesh adopted a resolution on November 3, 2009 upholding a fatwa of 2006 by the Deoband Ulema, describing the singing of the Vande Mataram as anti-Islamic because some of its verses were against the tenets of Islam. the Muslim ulema said certain lines in the song violated the spirit of Islam and as such it should not be recited by the Muslims.

Vande Mataram was termed as un-Islamic even before indepenence. According to clerics, Vande Mataram violates monotheism faith that is the foundation of Islam. Muslims love and respect the mother but do not worship her. The Vande Mataram has strong Hindu connotations by depicting the Indian nation as Goddess Durga. It has explicitly Hindu and idolatrous imageries which are objected to by many outside the Hindu community.

Monotheism is the belief in one true God. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are all examples of religions based on this belief. Monotheism in Islam (Tawhid) has three aspects.

1. declaring that there is only one who holds divine functions of creating and sustaining the universe.

2. declaring God one in His names and attributes

3. declaring God one through our service

Polytheism and atheism negates the first aspect. Deitification and humanization negates second aspect. Offering worship to other than God (outward) and showing off (hypocricy or inward) acts are against the third aspect.

Place of Mother in Islam

Paradise is at the feet of mothers. The most worthy person for love and respect is Mother. Beautiful conduct to parents is the most important duty for a Muslim after worshiping Allah. They should be shown thankfulness, obedience, and gentleness towards their faults. Taking care of parents takes precedence even over hijra and jihad.

Different names for God in Islam

The Qur'an refers to the attributes of God as God's most beautiful names. All Knower, All hearing, All seeing, All forgiving, preserver, nourisher, ever living, wise, truth, witness etc are included in the list.

Interpretion of Quaran in shwing respect to Mother

Bowing to touch the feet of the parents is too close to bowing in prostration (sajdah) to Allah and therefore the scholars might consider the practice of touching one’s parents feet forbidden. Kissing the a person’s feet out of respect is similar to touching a person’s feet out of respect could be similar. Doing sajdah before any other being except Allah is haraam and is shirk. Respecting mother by touching her feet is not allowed. What about bowing as in Vande Mataram? If bowing could be interpreted as not equivalent to worshipping the God, then Vande Mataram should be acceptable.

Interpretations of Quaran in explaining Monotheism

Most of the attributes that we see are adjectives. The same adjectives translated to a different language, say sanskrit, refering to a single god should not create problems. And infact, this is the case.

Problem with national anthem

The problesm associated with Vande Mataram are also associated with Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem. Bhagya vidhata (dispenser of India's destiny) is interpreted as God in national anthem of India. How do Clerics provide a consistent explanation of not issuing fatwa against the nationa anthem?

Fundamental Questions
Analysing further, What is the fundamental problem in idol worship or polytheism? Even if we consider that one God is more appealing, why polytheism should be opposed? Is it not true that in a pluralistic society, polytheism is natural and proves to be a superior concept as it ensures social harmony and encourage tolerance? Monotheism if interpreted as exclusive formulation, could become divisive especially in a pluralistic society. Interpretations that disturbs social harmony must be narrow and incorrect. Secondly, why so much of opposition to Idol worship? Deitification and humanization may be a open and free approach towards God.

Finally, why these interpretations are applied to Vande Mataram? Vande is taken as bowing and not as showing respect. Bowing is taken as Sajdah meant for the Allah. Durga is taken as a second God other than the single God.

Story of Battlefield Nursing

2009-10-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Up until the middle of the 19th century, there were no organized and well-established army nursing systems for casualties and no safe and protected institutions to accommodate and treat those who were wounded on the battlefield. In June 1859, the Swiss businessman Henry Dunant witnessed the Battle of Solferino. In a single day, about 40,000 soldiers on both sides died or were left wounded on the field. Henry Dunant was shocked by the terrible aftermath of the battle, the suffering of the wounded soldiers, and the near-total lack of medical attendance and basic care.

On February 9, 1863 in Geneva, Henry Dunant founded the "Committee of the Five" as an

investigatory commission of the "Geneva Society for Public Welfare". Eight months later, In October (26–29) 1863, the five men decided to rename the committee to the "International Committee for Relief to the Wounded". Only one year later, the Swiss government organized an official diplomatic conference. On August 22, 1864, the conference adopted the first Geneva Convention. Sixteen countries sent a total of

twenty-six delegates to Geneva. Govern

ments of all European countries, as well as the United States, Brazil, and Mexico, attended the conference. The Red Cross symbol was declared as the protection symbol at the conference.

National societies were founded after the Geneva Convention. In 1867, Henry Dunant declared bankruptcy and later he was removed from the movement. In 1876, the committee adopted the name "International Committee of the Red Cross" (ICRC). During the Russo-Turkish War from 1876 to 1878, the Ottoman Empire used a Red Crescent instead of the Red Cross because its government believed that the cross would alienate its Muslim soldiers. Many Muslim countries started using Red Crescent instead of Red Cross which was considered as a symbol of

Christianity.

In 1919, representatives from the national Red Cross societies of Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and the US came together in Paris to found the "League of Red Cross Societies". This move, led by the American Red Cross, expanded the international activities of the Red Cross movement beyond the strict mission of the ICRC to include relief assistance in response to emergency situat

ions which were not caused by war (such as man-made or natural disasters). In 1928, the "International Council" was founded to coordinate cooperation between the ICRC and the League, a task which was later taken over by the "Standing Commission". In the same year, a common statute for the movement was adopted for the first time, defining the respective roles of the ICRC and the League within the movement.

Turkey and Egypt were granted membership while using the Islamic Red Crescent as their emblem. ICRC aggreed to adopt Red Crescent as an additional official protection symbol for non-Christian countries. The Red Crescent was formally recognized in 1929 when the Geneva

Conventions were amended. In 1983, the League was renamed to the "League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies" to reflect the growing number of national societies operating under the Red Crescent symbol. The name of the League was changed again in 1991 to its current official designation the "International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies". In 1997, the ICRC and the Federation signed the Seville Agreement which further defined the responsibilities of both organizations within the movement.

Israel was not happy with both Red Cross and Red Crescent symbols believed to representing Christianity and Islam respectively. It was demanding Red Star of David as the rec

ognized symbol. The Swiss government organized a conference on December 5–6, 2005, to adopt a third additional protocol to the Geneva Conventions introducing the Red Crystal as an additional symbol with equal status to the Red Cross or Red Crescent. Israel was allowed to use Red Star of David inside Red Crystal.

From 1924 to 1980, Iran used a 'Red Lion with Sun' symbol for its national society, based on the flag and emblem of the Qajar Dynasty. The Red Lion with Sun was formally recognized as a protection symbol in 1929, together with the Red Crescent. Despite the country's shift to the Red Crescent in 1980, Iran explicitly maintains the right to use the symbol. Therefore, it is still recognized by the Geneva Convention as a protection symbol with equal status to the Red Cross, Red Crescent and Red Crystal.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies exist in nearly every country in the world. Within their home country, they take on the duties and responsibilities of a national relief society as

defined by International Humanitarian Law. Within the Movement, the I

CRC is responsible for legally recognizing a relief society as an official national Red Cross

or Red Crescent society. The exact rules for recognition are defined in the statutes of the Movement. Article 4 of these statutes contains the "Conditions for recognition of National Societies". The rules makes the usage of official symbols mandatory.

Similar concerns of India, Ceylon and the former Soviet Union regarding the use of Christian and Islamic religious symbols were dismissed by the ICRC. In 1977, India requested Red Swastika or Red Wheel instead of Cross or Crescent. But after some time, India relented and accepted Red Cross as its official symbol in order to gain entry.

Visitors so far

BJP - Reducing internal confusions?

2009-08-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Immediaely after Jaswant Singh published a book on Jinnah, a meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board in Shimla unanimously decided to remove the former Union Minister from the primary membership. Anti party activities by Jaswant against Vasundhararaje in Rajasthan, ideological deviation as revealed by the contents of the book and criticism of the central leadership were the reasons for the expulsion #.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi banned the book in Gujarat immediately after the expulsion for its negative portrayal of Sardar Patel. The decision is being read in the party as a stern message of zero tolerance to ideological deviation and indiscipline. These were among several messages clearly conveyed to the BJP by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat in a television interview.

After a couple of days, the 52-year-old Mr Kulkarni, who was the co-author of Mr Advani’s June, 2005, Jinnah script ended his ``active association’’ with the party as he wanted to have the ``freedom to express,’’ his views but insisted that his decision had nothing to do with the ouster of Mr Jaswant Singh #. He did not see any difference between Mr Advani’s Jinnah appraisal, and the views expressed by Mr Jaswant Singh on the Quaid-e-Azam in his book. Mr Kulkarni was quite critical of BJP’s decision to expel the former Union minister, also alleged the party was now being controlled by “Stalinists.”

Followed by Kulkarni's departure, In an unusually candid interview another senior leader Arun Shourie described BJP as a kite without a string #. He urged RSS to take hold of the party and to watch conduct of individuals. He disapproved Jaswant's judgement on Jinnah but at the same time, differed with Narendra Modi's view on the book with respect to Patel. Arun Shourie has cited criticism of Patel in The Tragic Story of Partition by the RSS ideologue H V Sheshadri for his role in Partition of the country#. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked senior leader Arun Shourie to explain his statements against the party leadership #.

Commenting on Arun Shourie’s call for the RSS to intervene in BJP’s affairs, RSS leader Ram Madhav stated that the Sangh had nothing to do with the party and that it will handle its affairs on its own #.

Election 2009

2009-04-24T10:38:00.001-07:00

It is not what they say they can do. But what they have demonstrated that they can do, that must decide who we vote for.

Remember: Performance, and not Promises matter.

Look at the Promises: 1950 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 1970 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 1990 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 2009 (Electricity, Water, Roads), 2020 (Electricity, Water, Roads ???)

Look at the Performance: 1950 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 1970 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 1990 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 2009 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes), 2020 (Power Cuts, Water Scarcity, Pot holes ???)

So, don't look at promises, look at performace. At the very least look at their potential to perform and then critically evaluate their performance.

Remember: Consistent non-performers won't turn into performers over-night.

If you make a wrong choice, you condemn and hurt not just yourself but also your children, your grand-children and their future.

Make Right-Choice. And exercise your choice.

They have made you pay till now, now it's your turn to make them pay.

In 2014 don't just think of voting, decide to contest in elections.

Our beloved mother-land needs not just your vote, it needs you.

If those who you elect do not perform, you must get elected and perform.

Mangalore Pub incident: Important reactions

2009-02-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

Pramod Mutalik justified the Mangalore attacks saying that raid was against drug mafia and sex mafia working in the area. A lot of females are becoming victims of the pub culture and the attack was intended to highlight the problem and to protect the women.

A survey conducted by an NGO Campaign Against Drunken Driving (CADD) says nearly 80 percent of those visiting pubs and bars in the Indian capital are below the legal age of 25 years. Excise Law bans the sale of liquor to or by anyone below 25 years and it recommends a fine of Rs.10,000 for violators. However, as nearly 33.9 percent of those below 16 years of age easily procure alcohol from government authorised liquor shops, bars and pubs. Although the law prohibits young people to be employed at any bar or pub, nearly 55 percent of those working as service attendants in bars and restaurants are young boys and girls below the age of 25. The offence is punishable with a fine of up to Rs.50,000 or imprisonment of three months to be levied on the outlet but the enforcement of the law is not effective.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss criticised the “pub culture,” saying it resulted in young men and women taking to drinking. He has initiated National Policy on Alcohol, to be introduced in the next 3-6 months which would limit the number of days for liquor shops to remain open, fix hours and specify the age for drinking. 40 per cent of the road accidents in the country were caused by drunken driving by young men women, who jeopardised not only their own lives but also of others. A number of people who lost their lives in these accidents were in their 20s, the most productive period of life.
The National Commision for Women (NCW) is blaming the pub-owner for not providing proper security to the women. The head of the National Commission for Women's fact finding commission, Nirmala Venkatesh has blamed the pub-owner and holds them responsible for the attack on girls in the Mangalore pub.

But, the report prepared by Ms. Nirmala Venkatesh was not accepted by the commission. NCW rejected member's report on Mangalore pub attack. Further, National Commission for Women member Nirmala Venkatesh was given a show cause notice by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for not submitting her report on the Mangalore pub attack case.

Equating attack on women at a pub in Mangalore with terrorism, Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jakhar said in a democracy nobody has any right to hit others. Veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah has urged women victims of the recent pub attack in Mangalore to be courageous and protest against it.

Film actress and MP Hema Malini condemned the attack on pub by Sri Rama Sene activist and said pub going culture was not the Hindu tradition. “I have two daughters, I always keep on calling them when they go out for party" she said.

Noted crooner Usha Uthup admitted that Valentine's day is not part of Indian culture but supported its celebration by interested people.

U.R.Ananthamurthy, a noted Kannada writer and an intellectual strongly criticised Sangh Parivar for the attack. “Banning the Shri Ram Sena is not the solution. A ban on the entire Sangh Parivar would help prevent such incidents in the future” U.R.Ananthmurthy says.
Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust (SAHMAT) opposed the Mangalore incident. Four Delhi based NGOs Nirantar, Jagori, Sama and Saheli, all of which work on women's rights issues have opposed Pub attack in Mangalore.

The Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) has condemned the alleged abuse of women. Bishop Aloysius Paul D'Souza of the Diocese of Mangalore has criticised the pub attackers. Organisations such as People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Komu Sauharda Vedike, Karnataka Rakshna Vedike, and some educational institutions have decided to stage a protest in front Town Hall

BJP leader Anantha Kumar has supported the right of people to enjoy pleasures. But, BJP accuses media of biased reporting in Mangalore attack.

Readers count

[Contributed by mksri and SS]