Kidnapping and Forced Conversion of Aristocratic Hindu Princes during Muslim Rule in India
Sunday, 28 March 2010 01:07 Dr. Radhasyam Brahmachari
It is well-known that Muslim invaders and rulers enslaved Hindus en masse and converted them to Islam to swell the Muslim population in India. There was another mode. Muslim rulers, given their large harems, used to have too many princesses, and found difficulty of getting suitable grooms from amongst Muslims to marry them off. So, they kidnapped and forcibly converted talented Hindu princes or aristocratic Hindu youngmen to marry off their daughters...
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A Muslim lady, called Nusrat Jahan Ayesha Siddiqa, has written a book in Bengali, titled “Islamic Peace and Massacring the Infidels”. She has given a nice description of the events, in the preface of her book, about how the Muslim kings and nobles used to hijack best Hindu young men, convert them to Islam and give their daughters in marriage to them. The book has been published by another Muslim lady, named Laila Anjumand Ara Banu. The paragraphs below present a translation of the Preface of the book by the authoress (as quoted by R N Datta in his book “The Silent Terror”):
“Many Hindus of Bengal are aware of the Hindu kingdom and the Hindu kings of Ektakia, in the district of Rajshahi, now in Bangladesh. Saptadurga or Satgarah was their capital. When Syed Hussain Shah was the Badshah (king) of Bengal, having capital at Gaur, now situated in the district of Maldah in West Bengal, Raja Madan Narayan, a Brahmin, was the king of Ektakia. These Hindu kingdoms like Ektakia were not independent but tributaries to the Badshah of Bengal and had to pay annual tax or revenue to the Badshah of Gaur. In one occasion, King Madan Narayan took his two sons Kandarpa Narayan and Kamdeb Narayan with him during his annual visit to Gaur for paying his tribute.
Syed Hussain Shah had many daughters out of his four wives. Being a Sayed, the Badshah used to look down upon ordinary Muslims, converts to Islam from Hinduism or Buddhism. So, several of his daughters, though grown up, had remained unwed for lack of suitable grooms. But the two charming, educated, intelligent, young and chaste sons of Madan Narayan instantly attracted the attention of Hussain Shah, who decided to marry his two eldest daughters to them.
When the Badshah disclosed his mind to Madan Narayan, he told the Badshah with folded hands: “O King! You are my Lord and hence you should not play a tyrant to me as it does not look nice and befitting for you.”
But the Badshah very cleverly replied: “O dear King, you should not misunderstand me. I personally have much respect and love for the kings of Ektakia. I, being a Syed, is the guru of the Muslims, as you, a Brahmin, is to the Hindus. As your daughters cannot marry anyone except he is a Brahmin, similarly my daughters cannot marry ordinary Muslims. I want to give the hands of my daughters to your sons in marriage, not as a tyrant, but as respect and deep regards for your illustrious family. I do not say that, your sons will have to embrace Islam. It is a natural and common social rule that the wife must follow the religion of her husband and hence you are at liberty to convert my daughters to Hinduism before marriage. If you do not agree, then I should say that your sons have to be converted to Islam. And we shall be glad to include them into our community. Out of these two proposals, I shall follow which you will consider best, but I shall never apply force in any circumstances.”
King Madan Narayan could smell that, the Badshah would show his real face if he disagreed both the proposal. Secondly, being a devout Brahmin, it would not be possible for him to bring a girl from a Muslim family, though after a possible conversion to Hinduism. So, he gave up the hope of his sons and consequently they were converted to Islam and married to the daughters of Hussain Shah. Later on, he kidnapped 11 more young men of the family of Madan Narayan, including his sons and nephews, converted them to Islam and married them with 11 princesses of his family. Only one boy, Ratikanta, the fourth son of Madan Narayan was spared because of his poor eye sight. “Let the fellow with bad eye sight remain a Hindu and for the others with good eye sight, it has been better for them to convert to Islam”, said the Badshah ironically to Madan Narayan on one occasion. In this way, 20 Hindu princes were hijacked from the Royal family of Ektakia.
This process of hijacking Hindu young men and giving them Muslim princesses in marriage, of course after converting to Islam, was not confined to the Badshah of Bengal only. Even Mughal Emperors, in several occasions, adopted this policy to find suitable grooms for their princesses. Emperor Akbar married two of her daughters using this policy: one to the Music maestro, named Tansen, after converting him to Islam, and the other daughter to Chandra Narayan, a Prince of the Royal family of Ektakia. Aurangzeb married his eldest daughter to a Kashmiri Pundit, named Krishna Narayan, after kidnapping and converting him to Islam. When Sayesta Khan was the subedar of Bengal, Aurangzeb wrote him a letter asking him to kidnap suitable princes of the Royal family of Ektakia and convert them to Islam, and send them to Delhi under strong protection of the security staff. The order also carried a strict instruction that said: no such converted Hindu prince should be sent to Delhi until he turns into a devout Muslim, because the Emperor disliked meeting a converted Muslim, who still possessed the hateful habits of the Hindu kafirs.
We used to listen to these stories from my grandmother. She also told us that we were the descendants of Prince Kandarpa Narayan. Though Prince Kamdeb could have been able to accept his conversion to Islam as his destiny, but Kandarpa Narayan could not. He could never become a Muslim by his heart. As there was no other alternative but to accept it as his fate, he ordered his descendants to carry the remembrance of their Hindu root from generation after generation. I belong to the 23rd generation of Prince Kandarpa Narayan and my blood begins to boil when I remember the Humiliation, coercion and torture that compelled my forefathers to convert to Islam.”
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sikh Sangat service touches the heart of devotees in Mahakumbh
IN order to promote the feeling of social harmony and apprise the devotees of the rich traditions of Sikh Gurus, the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat organised various camps in Haridwar Mahakumbh from March 21 to April 18. The langar and boarding arrangements were made at the huge premises of 12 bighas at Nirmal Virakta Kutia near Prem Nagar Ashram Chowk. Around 5000 people in normal days and over 10,000 on the days of Shahi snan had prasad at the langar.
In the medical camp organised under the banner of Bhai Kanhaiyaji, from 3000 to 4000 patients were treated every day. A huge exhibition displaying the rich sacrificial traditions of Sikh Gurus was also organised at this premises. More than five lakh people including the devotees from Bangladesh, Nepal, America, Canada, France, Italy, Sri Lanka, Japan, Hong Kong etc. not only had langar but also visited the exhibition. The Sikh Sangat workers from 28 Prants also visited the camps.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and many of his cabinet colleagues, former Union Law Minister Dr Subramanian Swamy, National Executive Member of RSS Shri Madhubhai Kulkarni, VHP general secretary (organisation) Shri Dinesh Chandra, VHP vice president Shri Balkrishna Naik, founder of Sikh Sangat Sardar Chiranjiv Singh, Sikh Sangat national president Sardar Gurucharan Singh Gill and many others were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
A Kavi Darbar was organised at Neeldhara Pandal in which many leading poets including Shri Nirala from Punjab, Shri Sajan, Shri Mohan Singh Mohani, Shri Divana, Dr Dayashankar Vidyalankar, Dr Buddhadev Sharma, etc. recited their poems.
National president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Gyandas Maharaj was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony. He lauded the activities of the Sikh Sangat. Shrimahant of Nirmal Akhara Sant Shri Gyandev, representative of Sri Sri Ravi Shanakar Guruji Shri Bhanuji Maharaj, Mahamandaleshwar Shri Hansdevacharya Maharaj also blessed the devotees.
In the medical camp organised under the banner of Bhai Kanhaiyaji, from 3000 to 4000 patients were treated every day. A huge exhibition displaying the rich sacrificial traditions of Sikh Gurus was also organised at this premises. More than five lakh people including the devotees from Bangladesh, Nepal, America, Canada, France, Italy, Sri Lanka, Japan, Hong Kong etc. not only had langar but also visited the exhibition. The Sikh Sangat workers from 28 Prants also visited the camps.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh and many of his cabinet colleagues, former Union Law Minister Dr Subramanian Swamy, National Executive Member of RSS Shri Madhubhai Kulkarni, VHP general secretary (organisation) Shri Dinesh Chandra, VHP vice president Shri Balkrishna Naik, founder of Sikh Sangat Sardar Chiranjiv Singh, Sikh Sangat national president Sardar Gurucharan Singh Gill and many others were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
A Kavi Darbar was organised at Neeldhara Pandal in which many leading poets including Shri Nirala from Punjab, Shri Sajan, Shri Mohan Singh Mohani, Shri Divana, Dr Dayashankar Vidyalankar, Dr Buddhadev Sharma, etc. recited their poems.
National president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad Mahant Gyandas Maharaj was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony. He lauded the activities of the Sikh Sangat. Shrimahant of Nirmal Akhara Sant Shri Gyandev, representative of Sri Sri Ravi Shanakar Guruji Shri Bhanuji Maharaj, Mahamandaleshwar Shri Hansdevacharya Maharaj also blessed the devotees.
Catholic clergy want all Christians under Congress tent
By Arun Lakshman from Thiruvananthapuram
Catholic clergy forces Kerala Congress (Joseph) to merge with Kerala Congress (Mani) and join Congress led UDF
However the Congress camp led by Oomen Chandy is not happy at the merger between the Kerala Congress groups as the party knows that there would be bargain for more seats to the Assembly and impossible demands for plum postings for the cadres and second rung leaders will create new fissures.
THE Catholic clergy is again getting active in Kerala .The Catholic clergy which was instrumental in ousting the first communist government in the State in 1957 and has always been a major bargaining power in the political landscape of the State is now in the process of unifying the Kerala Congress splinter groups to enter into a major bargaining position in the run-up to the 2011 Assembly elections and in the new government to be formed.
The Kerala Congress (Joseph) group which has been an old ally with the LDF is now in the process of merging the party with the Kerala Congress (Mani) led by the veteran leader KM Mani. Sources in both the parties told Organiser that it was at the behest of the Catholic church that both the leaders, who were bitter opponents, buried their differences of opinion and decided to merge into the Kerala Congress. The former Arch Bishop of Changanachery and one of the most respected voices in the Catholic community Mar Joseph Powathil has initiated the discussion between the two groups on behalf of the Catholic church .
The Kerala Congress(Joseph) group chairman PJ Joseph is now a minister in the CPI-M led LDF government and sources said that he would put in his papers in a day or two .The Chief Minister is also, according to CPI-M sources, calling for the resignation of Joseph after reports have started appearing in local media about the merger of the two Kerala Congress entities .
The Kerala Congress (Mani) has now eight MLAs in the State Assembly while the Kerala Congress (Joseph) has four MLAs. After the merger, the Kerala Congress party would be the biggest block in the UDF after the Congress pushing Indian Union Muslim League to the third spot. The IUML has seven MLAs.
The Kothamangalam Arch Bishop and the Pala Arch Bishop were also instrumental in the discussions to bring both the Kerala Congress groups together and sources told this correspondent that these discussions were first held at the Divine Retreat Centre at Muringoor at the behest of Mar Joseph Powathil.
However the Congress camp led by Oomen Chandy is not all that happy at the merger between the Kerala Congress groups as the party knows that there would be bargain for more seats to the Assembly and demands would throng for plum postings for the cadres and second rung leaders. They have to be accommodated into several corporations and boards.
Sources also indicated that the Congress party has already communicated with both Mani and Joseph that they would have to share the total number of seats allocated and that there should not be a fresh demand for more seats showing the collective bargain power. However the Congress leaders in private do admit that they may have to make some compromises as there could be a huge demand from the unified Kerala Congress party for more seats. With the Catholic church supporting the unity move there could be a landslide victory for the UDF in the 2011 Assembly elections and this idea of a major victory for the UDF would be one reason for the Congress to soft pedal in the issue .
However the estranged Kerala Congress (Joseph) leader PC Thomas has announced that a section of the party would continue with the LDF and that there would be Kerala Congress representation in the present LDF government even if PJ Joseph walks out of the LDF. This has given rise to speculation that the lone non Christian Kerala Congress MLA V Surendran Pillai may continue in the LDF and become a minister in place of PJ Joseph.
Catholic clergy forces Kerala Congress (Joseph) to merge with Kerala Congress (Mani) and join Congress led UDF
However the Congress camp led by Oomen Chandy is not happy at the merger between the Kerala Congress groups as the party knows that there would be bargain for more seats to the Assembly and impossible demands for plum postings for the cadres and second rung leaders will create new fissures.
THE Catholic clergy is again getting active in Kerala .The Catholic clergy which was instrumental in ousting the first communist government in the State in 1957 and has always been a major bargaining power in the political landscape of the State is now in the process of unifying the Kerala Congress splinter groups to enter into a major bargaining position in the run-up to the 2011 Assembly elections and in the new government to be formed.
The Kerala Congress (Joseph) group which has been an old ally with the LDF is now in the process of merging the party with the Kerala Congress (Mani) led by the veteran leader KM Mani. Sources in both the parties told Organiser that it was at the behest of the Catholic church that both the leaders, who were bitter opponents, buried their differences of opinion and decided to merge into the Kerala Congress. The former Arch Bishop of Changanachery and one of the most respected voices in the Catholic community Mar Joseph Powathil has initiated the discussion between the two groups on behalf of the Catholic church .
The Kerala Congress(Joseph) group chairman PJ Joseph is now a minister in the CPI-M led LDF government and sources said that he would put in his papers in a day or two .The Chief Minister is also, according to CPI-M sources, calling for the resignation of Joseph after reports have started appearing in local media about the merger of the two Kerala Congress entities .
The Kerala Congress (Mani) has now eight MLAs in the State Assembly while the Kerala Congress (Joseph) has four MLAs. After the merger, the Kerala Congress party would be the biggest block in the UDF after the Congress pushing Indian Union Muslim League to the third spot. The IUML has seven MLAs.
The Kothamangalam Arch Bishop and the Pala Arch Bishop were also instrumental in the discussions to bring both the Kerala Congress groups together and sources told this correspondent that these discussions were first held at the Divine Retreat Centre at Muringoor at the behest of Mar Joseph Powathil.
However the Congress camp led by Oomen Chandy is not all that happy at the merger between the Kerala Congress groups as the party knows that there would be bargain for more seats to the Assembly and demands would throng for plum postings for the cadres and second rung leaders. They have to be accommodated into several corporations and boards.
Sources also indicated that the Congress party has already communicated with both Mani and Joseph that they would have to share the total number of seats allocated and that there should not be a fresh demand for more seats showing the collective bargain power. However the Congress leaders in private do admit that they may have to make some compromises as there could be a huge demand from the unified Kerala Congress party for more seats. With the Catholic church supporting the unity move there could be a landslide victory for the UDF in the 2011 Assembly elections and this idea of a major victory for the UDF would be one reason for the Congress to soft pedal in the issue .
However the estranged Kerala Congress (Joseph) leader PC Thomas has announced that a section of the party would continue with the LDF and that there would be Kerala Congress representation in the present LDF government even if PJ Joseph walks out of the LDF. This has given rise to speculation that the lone non Christian Kerala Congress MLA V Surendran Pillai may continue in the LDF and become a minister in place of PJ Joseph.
Hindu villagers attacked by Muslim mafia in Birbhum
Hindu villagers attacked by Muslim mafia in Birbhum, West Bengal
SURI: One person was killed and several others were injured in a clash at several Hindu tribal-dominated villages in Birbhum’s Mohammad Bazaar, the heart of the stone mining belt on April 29, 2010.
A mob, reportedly backed by the local stone crushers and mine owners (all Muslims), launched an attack on the Hindu villages early in the morning. The attack was reportedly in retaliation to the killing of a corrupt Muslim stone crusher supervisor on April 26, 2010.
The Hindu villages have seen simmering tension for the past couple of months, with villagers alleging that poor tribals were exploited and their land snatched away by the Muslims in the stone-crushing industry. They had also been complaining that villagers were often injured during blasting in stone mines. Also, there has been rampant complaints of Hindu women being attacked and assaulted by Muslim activists along the whole mining belt in West Bengal and Jharkhand.
On April 26, night, a supervisor of a stone crushing unit, Basirul Seikh (50, a Muslim and known Hindu baiter), was killed by a group of villagers at Talbandi. Though Basirul worked in a stone product company, he recently procured a plot of land to set up a stone mine in the area. His brother, Jamirul, alleged that his elder brother was summoned to resolve a dispute over the plot with some locals. He reached the house of one Debu Hansda, with whom he was acquainted. Suddenly, a group of armed villagers attacked Basirul and hacked him to death. Both the brothers were involved in various anti-social activities and often conspired with Muslims in the area to torture and molest local Hindu tribal women.
Early on April 26, morning, thousands of people-labourers and villagers backed by stone crushing unit owners-gathered at a place near Sagarbandi village, said police. The heavily armed mob rushed to Talbandi and Sagarbandi, which is dominated by Santhal tribals. More than 100 thatched houses were set on fire, people were dragged out of their homes and beaten up mercilessly and bombs hurled indiscriminately. Women were molested and raped, children were not spared.
Though it took some time for the initial shock to go away, the tribal Hindu victims-numbering thousands-regrouped and started attacking the nearby stone crusher units, many of them owned by Muslim mining mafia bosses. A weighbridge and some crushers were set ablaze. The situation was so tense that police could not enter the trouble zone initially. It was only after six hours that senior officers - District Magistrate Saumitra Mohan, DIG, Burdwan range, Jagmohan, SP Rabindranath Mukherjee and ASP Farhat Abbas - managed to get in with force backup.
The angry tribals surrounded them for some time. Two injured Hindu men-Mangala Murdi and Kabiraj Murmu, who received serious bomb injuries-were taken to Suri hospital in serious condition. A large team- including combat force and EFR jawans-was deployed in the area, but stray clashes continued to occur in some areas. The forces discovered the body of a Hindu villager, Motilal Tudu, from Sagarbandhi.
The media, too, was not allowed into the villages. A cameraperson who tried to enter was chased out. The District Magistrate said: "We are discussing the situation with villagers. The villagers are cooperating with us." When asked whether they were encircled by the villagers, he denied it.
The District Magistrate said that they would distribute relief materials and the district administration would help the villagers to reconstruct the destroyed homes.
Najir Hossain Mallik (a known Islamist), the president of Panchami Stone Mines and Owners Association, said: "We, the owners, were not at all involved in the attack. We have requested the administration to bring back peace at any cost." Mallik is known as ‘Mr Terror’ in the area and the non-Muslim crowd in the area has expressed serious concerns about this man and his unholy Islamic nexus.
SURI: One person was killed and several others were injured in a clash at several Hindu tribal-dominated villages in Birbhum’s Mohammad Bazaar, the heart of the stone mining belt on April 29, 2010.
A mob, reportedly backed by the local stone crushers and mine owners (all Muslims), launched an attack on the Hindu villages early in the morning. The attack was reportedly in retaliation to the killing of a corrupt Muslim stone crusher supervisor on April 26, 2010.
The Hindu villages have seen simmering tension for the past couple of months, with villagers alleging that poor tribals were exploited and their land snatched away by the Muslims in the stone-crushing industry. They had also been complaining that villagers were often injured during blasting in stone mines. Also, there has been rampant complaints of Hindu women being attacked and assaulted by Muslim activists along the whole mining belt in West Bengal and Jharkhand.
On April 26, night, a supervisor of a stone crushing unit, Basirul Seikh (50, a Muslim and known Hindu baiter), was killed by a group of villagers at Talbandi. Though Basirul worked in a stone product company, he recently procured a plot of land to set up a stone mine in the area. His brother, Jamirul, alleged that his elder brother was summoned to resolve a dispute over the plot with some locals. He reached the house of one Debu Hansda, with whom he was acquainted. Suddenly, a group of armed villagers attacked Basirul and hacked him to death. Both the brothers were involved in various anti-social activities and often conspired with Muslims in the area to torture and molest local Hindu tribal women.
Early on April 26, morning, thousands of people-labourers and villagers backed by stone crushing unit owners-gathered at a place near Sagarbandi village, said police. The heavily armed mob rushed to Talbandi and Sagarbandi, which is dominated by Santhal tribals. More than 100 thatched houses were set on fire, people were dragged out of their homes and beaten up mercilessly and bombs hurled indiscriminately. Women were molested and raped, children were not spared.
Though it took some time for the initial shock to go away, the tribal Hindu victims-numbering thousands-regrouped and started attacking the nearby stone crusher units, many of them owned by Muslim mining mafia bosses. A weighbridge and some crushers were set ablaze. The situation was so tense that police could not enter the trouble zone initially. It was only after six hours that senior officers - District Magistrate Saumitra Mohan, DIG, Burdwan range, Jagmohan, SP Rabindranath Mukherjee and ASP Farhat Abbas - managed to get in with force backup.
The angry tribals surrounded them for some time. Two injured Hindu men-Mangala Murdi and Kabiraj Murmu, who received serious bomb injuries-were taken to Suri hospital in serious condition. A large team- including combat force and EFR jawans-was deployed in the area, but stray clashes continued to occur in some areas. The forces discovered the body of a Hindu villager, Motilal Tudu, from Sagarbandhi.
The media, too, was not allowed into the villages. A cameraperson who tried to enter was chased out. The District Magistrate said: "We are discussing the situation with villagers. The villagers are cooperating with us." When asked whether they were encircled by the villagers, he denied it.
The District Magistrate said that they would distribute relief materials and the district administration would help the villagers to reconstruct the destroyed homes.
Najir Hossain Mallik (a known Islamist), the president of Panchami Stone Mines and Owners Association, said: "We, the owners, were not at all involved in the attack. We have requested the administration to bring back peace at any cost." Mallik is known as ‘Mr Terror’ in the area and the non-Muslim crowd in the area has expressed serious concerns about this man and his unholy Islamic nexus.
Children fathered by Holy Fathers to sue Church!
By John Folain and Bojan Pancevski
The Church, already reeling under a series of scandals, faces a new battle over the children of priests. Many former lovers and their offspring are preparing to mount lawsuits.
ROME/VIENNA: When Pat Bond told her lover Henry Willenborg, a Franciscan priest, she was pregnant, he urged her to have an abortion. Bond, who was 28, had a miscarriage, then became pregnant again. This time Willenborg’s superiors urged her to give up the child for adoption. Bond kept the child but agreed to a vow of silence. In a signed contract with the Catholic Church, she undertook to keep the priest’s identity secret in exchange for financial support for her son, Nathan.
In America, Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Austria, women made pregnant by priests have signed such pledges in exchange for hush money from the Church.
The Church, already reeling under a series of scandals, faces a new battle over the children of priests. Many former lovers and their offspring are preparing to mount lawsuits.
Bond was 25 when she started a five-year relationship with Willenborg in 1983, after going to him for marriage counselling. He kissed her passionately as she left his parlour, she left her husband. After Bond became pregnant for the second time in 1986, Willenborg’s order, the Order of Friars Minor, offered her $50,000 and a confidentiality contract. "They said: ‘Take this money, sign this contract and you’ll have support for your child’. I signed," said Bond. She broke her vow last year after the Franciscans refused to meet part of the cost of treatment for Nathan, then 22, who died in November from a brain tumour.
When Willenborg’s liaisons with Bond, now 53, and another woman became public, the priest was suspended from his parish in Ashland, Wisconsin.
He was treated for sex addiction, then returned to his pastoral duties. Catherine Schroeder, a St Louis lawyer for the Order of Friars Minor, declined to comment. Willenborg and the order failed to return calls and emails.
Other cases are reaching the American courts. In Maryland, two children of the late Father Francis Ryan are filing a lawsuit against their local archdiocese and a religious order for $10 million after discovering through DNA tests that he was their father.
Carla Latty, 58, and Adrian Senna, 65, say Ryan never admitted he was their father or made any payments to their late mother. Senna was sent to an orphanage, while Latty was put up for adoption.
Cait Finnegan, of the Good Tidings association, an American charity for priests and their lovers, has been contacted by nearly 2,000 women who had relationships with priests. She said one pregnant friend had been told by a bishop to "get rid of the child" - a comment she took to mean she should have an abortion.
The woman kept the baby.
Thousands of priests in German-speaking countries are believed to have fathered children. Paul Zuhlener, an Austrian theologian, has estimated that up to 22 per cent of Austrian priests have sexual relationships.
In Britain, Adrianna Alsworth, who has two children by a priest and runs the Sonflowers helpline for those who have had relationships with priests, said she knew of several women who had been offered confidentiality contracts in return for child support. "The children aren’t given an opportunity to have a normal family life, and they suffer," she said.
(Courtesy: Sunday Times, London April 19, 2010)
The Church, already reeling under a series of scandals, faces a new battle over the children of priests. Many former lovers and their offspring are preparing to mount lawsuits.
ROME/VIENNA: When Pat Bond told her lover Henry Willenborg, a Franciscan priest, she was pregnant, he urged her to have an abortion. Bond, who was 28, had a miscarriage, then became pregnant again. This time Willenborg’s superiors urged her to give up the child for adoption. Bond kept the child but agreed to a vow of silence. In a signed contract with the Catholic Church, she undertook to keep the priest’s identity secret in exchange for financial support for her son, Nathan.
In America, Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Austria, women made pregnant by priests have signed such pledges in exchange for hush money from the Church.
The Church, already reeling under a series of scandals, faces a new battle over the children of priests. Many former lovers and their offspring are preparing to mount lawsuits.
Bond was 25 when she started a five-year relationship with Willenborg in 1983, after going to him for marriage counselling. He kissed her passionately as she left his parlour, she left her husband. After Bond became pregnant for the second time in 1986, Willenborg’s order, the Order of Friars Minor, offered her $50,000 and a confidentiality contract. "They said: ‘Take this money, sign this contract and you’ll have support for your child’. I signed," said Bond. She broke her vow last year after the Franciscans refused to meet part of the cost of treatment for Nathan, then 22, who died in November from a brain tumour.
When Willenborg’s liaisons with Bond, now 53, and another woman became public, the priest was suspended from his parish in Ashland, Wisconsin.
He was treated for sex addiction, then returned to his pastoral duties. Catherine Schroeder, a St Louis lawyer for the Order of Friars Minor, declined to comment. Willenborg and the order failed to return calls and emails.
Other cases are reaching the American courts. In Maryland, two children of the late Father Francis Ryan are filing a lawsuit against their local archdiocese and a religious order for $10 million after discovering through DNA tests that he was their father.
Carla Latty, 58, and Adrian Senna, 65, say Ryan never admitted he was their father or made any payments to their late mother. Senna was sent to an orphanage, while Latty was put up for adoption.
Cait Finnegan, of the Good Tidings association, an American charity for priests and their lovers, has been contacted by nearly 2,000 women who had relationships with priests. She said one pregnant friend had been told by a bishop to "get rid of the child" - a comment she took to mean she should have an abortion.
The woman kept the baby.
Thousands of priests in German-speaking countries are believed to have fathered children. Paul Zuhlener, an Austrian theologian, has estimated that up to 22 per cent of Austrian priests have sexual relationships.
In Britain, Adrianna Alsworth, who has two children by a priest and runs the Sonflowers helpline for those who have had relationships with priests, said she knew of several women who had been offered confidentiality contracts in return for child support. "The children aren’t given an opportunity to have a normal family life, and they suffer," she said.
(Courtesy: Sunday Times, London April 19, 2010)
The annual ritual of greeting on the new year
How many new years do we have?
By Ram Gopal Ratnam
Most of our festivals are lunar based and are located in lunar calendar. The earth’s movement around the Sun is not cognizable for a common man. We can infer the same by observing the climatic changes. We can merely know it is winter or summer or rainy season. All these are solar phenomenons. It is a matter for the scientists or the Astro mathematicians who computes the Panchang. The solar calendar can be called a scientist’s calendar. Festivals are common man’s domain.
There was one GU Pope in Tamil Nadu in the 15th century. He was a European Christian pastor. He learnt Tamil and interpreted, rather misinterpreted the Tamil literature and sowed the seeds of separatism. Karunanidhi and other Tamil ‘scholars’ quote him for all their separatist ideologies. The British, under the chairmanship of Macaulay, layed the trap (and it is a well laid trap) and all our leaders, administrators, teachers and other ‘intellectuals’ have innocently, ignorantly, foolishly or wilfully fallen in the trap.
EVERY year we witness a ritual of the political leaders right from the Prime Minister down to city Mayor wishing the people for a happy new year. The Tamils for a Tamil new year, the Bengalis for a Bengali new year, the Malayalies for a Malayali new year, the Assamese for an Assami new year. and believe me, all fall on the same day. Simple logic tells me that if it is new year for so many regions, it has to be a single, common new year and not different new years. Yet, thanks to Goebbels, this falsehood has percolated down and now newspapers, teachers, temples and social organisations have joined senseless chorus. The effect? A common Tamilian has started to believe that it is Tamil’s new year. Now, it has gone beyond mere belief. He firmly knows that it is Tamil’s new year. Is it so? Is it Tamil new year or a Bengali new year or an Assami new year or would you call January 1st as American new year, British new year, French new year, Australian new year? No. It is just Christian new year and is the new year wherever the Christians live.
What is a new year day? It is the first day of a calendar. There are many calendars, the Christian or Gregorian calendar, the Muslim calendar, the Chinese calendar, etc. Basically, there are two types of calendars, the solar and the lunar. The solar one is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun and the lunar is based on the Moon’s rotation around the Earth. These two calendars are different as these have different basis for calculation. The Christian calendar is solar and the Muslim one is lunar and we, the Hindus have both. This so-called ‘Tamil’ new year is a Hindu solar calendar and the other one, which is ignorantly called Telugu new year by all the ‘great’ leaders in Tamil Nadu and a Marathi new year by the same catagory of leaders in the North, is actually Hindu lunar calendar.
Let me elaborate. Why do you need a calendar? To know your festivals. When is the Christmas? December 25th. Where did you find it? In the Christian calendar of course. You can not find it in the Muslim calendar. This year it is on the 13th of the month called Moharram. Next year, it will fall in the month of Julhej. It will be a different month every year. Can you locate the Deepavali day in the Christian calendar? You can not? It may fall in October or November. It was in October last year and this year it will be in November. You have to refer to the lunar calendar to know the Deepavali date. It falls on Ashwin Amavasya day.
Which are the festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu? The same as those celebrated in other parts of our nation. The Deepavali, Vijayadashami, Navaratri, Ramnavami, Skanda Sasti, Gokulashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Maha Shivaratri, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Shravan Poornima, etc. etc. I challange you to locate any of these festival days in the so-called ‘Tamil’ calendar. You can not, because this calendar is solar based and all these festivals fall on lunar days like Sashti, Ashtami, Navami, Amavasya, Poornima. How sad that a community has a calendar of its own, but all its major festivals have to be located from the calendar of a different community, the Telugu calendar in this instance?
It is not Tamil calendar or Telugu calendar. It is a Hindu solar calendar and a Hindu lunar calendar. Most of our festivals are lunar based and are located in lunar calendar. The Earth’s movement around the Sun is not cognizable for a common man. We can infer the same by observing the climatic changes. We can merely know it is winter or summer or rainy season. All these are solar phenomenons. It is a matter for the scientist or the Astro mathematician who computes the Panchang. The solar calendar can be called a scientist’s calendar. Festivals are common man’s domain. You need a more ‘user-friendly’ calendar. The lunar movement is visible. Even a lay man can observe and understand the lunar movement. You have to just observe the sky and do some simple calculations and you can arrive at the festival days. So, you can call this common man’s calendar.
Both are Hindu calendars. Both are referred to and used in all parts of our nation. All the major festivals are to be found in the lunar calendar, except Makara Sankranti. This is an important festival for all Hindus and is found in the solar calendar. The ‘Kumbh’, Uttarayana and Dakshinayana Punya Kala, and monthly Pitru Tarpanam on every Sankranti day (Sankranti is the 1st of a solar month and makara sankranti is the 1st of the month called Makara.) are the other special days in the solar calendar. These are special not only to the Tamils, but to all the Hindus, throughout the length and breadth of Bharat. Is not Makara Sankranti an important festival for the Marathis? How is it that they do not have it in their calendar and have to reach out to the ‘Tamil calendar’ for finding it? It is neither Marathi calendar nor Tamil calendar, but just lunar and solar calendars.
Our formal education system does not teach these subjects which help us to know who we are. Long after Independance in 1947, we continue to churn out Mc’Caulay-putras from our schools. In my school days, Avani Avittam fell in the month of Aadi. Aavani Avittam is Shravan Poornima and Aavani and Aadi are names of fourth and fifth solar months. How can Aavani Avittam fall in the month of Aadi? It is like celebrating October revolution in November or Good Friday falling on a Thursday. This simple question arose in my childish mind and I used to ask many of my teachers, the social leaders in Tamil community. Unfortunately, none were able to give me a convincing answer. I had three options before me. I could have concluded that our ancestors were ignorant. I could have ignored and forgotten the question and concentrated on more practical things like career building, money making, etc. I could have pondered over the question spending restless moments till I found an answer. I chose the third option and was awestruck by the genius of our ancestors. The western mind wants to standardise everything. Uni-sex clothing, Uniform (American) breakfasts, uniform way of worship, uniform structures. It can not comprehend variety. It is not mature enough to appreciate more complex things. It wants to simplify everything. Many of our own English-educated are in the same mind frame. Nature is full of variety and is very complex. It requires a more mature mind and higher intelligence to understand, even appreciate complexities.
Our nation has nourished variety in every walk of life. We have so many ways of wearing our Dhoti and saree. (I’ve found 28 ways of wearing a saree in Tamil Nadu.) We have so many languages and dialects. Recipes? We do not have an Indian food. These words south Indian food and north Indian food are misnomers. There is no Tamil food either. The food system varies from community to community and region to region within Tamil Nadu and is very different from food in Andhra or Kerala or Karnataka. The same is the case in Maharashtra. The Warhadi is different from Konkani, which is again different from Khandeshi. That which is known as south Indian food is more a Tamil Brahmin food type. This vast variety flourishing in Bharat was exploited by the British, to drive a wedge, sorry, drive many wedges in the Hindu community. There was one GU Pope in Tamil Nadu in the 15th century. He was a European Christian Pastor. He learnt Tamil and interpreted, rather misinterpreted the Tamil literature and sowed the seeds of separatism. Karunanidhi and other Tamil ‘scholars’ quote him for all their separatist ideologies. The British, under the chairmanship of Macaulay, layed the trap (and it is a well laid trap) and all our leaders, administrators, teachers and other ‘intellectuals’ have innocently, ignorantly, foolishly or wilfully fallen in the trap. There is a Panchtantra story of a monkey fooling a crocodile wanting to kill and devour it, by saying that it has removed its heart and left the same in the tree. Now, it seems, all our intellectuals have removed and thrown their brains and thinking capacity and have decided never to use it again.
Let me conclude by narrating an encounter with a school principal. Shri Narayanan is MGR’s brother-in-law and runs many schools and colleges in and around Chennai. His daughter, Smt Latha Rajendran was the principal of Janaki Ramachandran School in Chennai in the eighties. She is double MA, MPhil, and PhD. I used to go to these schools once a week to teach ‘patriotism’, as they called it. On one occassion, I was invited to be the chief guest in their annual social gathering. There was the usual tamasha of filmy dances and filmy dialogues. There was one group dance with Bharat Mata, holding the tricolour, in the centre and girls and boys in pairs dancing around Bharat Mata. The Principal turned to me and proudly said, “We also instill patriotism through such programmes”. “Who are these pairs dancing around Bharat Mata?” I asked her. “You don’t know. I can’t believe it. The third pair is a Marathi pair. That one is a Bengali pair. This a Manipuri, the next a Punjabi. These are all pairs from various parts of Bharat and the message is “We are One”. said the principal. “The last pair on this side and the last one on that side. Which state do they belong to?” I asked her innocently. “That is a Muslim pair and this a Christian pair”, she replied. One was dressed in lungi and purdah and the other in coat-suit and skirt. “So you are teaching the Muslim and Christian students in your school that they are not Tamils, but Muslims or Christians. Are you teaching patriotism or separatism?”, I asked her. You should have been there to see her face and know the intensity of shock she got. She was so much disturbed that she came out of the pandal. She was dumb-struck for a few moments and then she said, “I have gone to so many institutions and got so many degrees. I have been the Principal here since last eighteen years. I have always heard the same thing everywhere and have been talking the same thing to students all these years. Now, this was the first time I have heard something different. I feel I have done injustice to thousands of my students all these years.” She was so much disturbed that she went on talking, no, blabbering for the next half an hour.
The incident is not connected to calendar issue, but reveals the trapped mind set. So, what do you intend to do when someone accosts you with ‘Happy Tamil New Year’ wish next time?
How many new years do we have?
By Ram Gopal Ratnam
Most of our festivals are lunar based and are located in lunar calendar. The earth’s movement around the Sun is not cognizable for a common man. We can infer the same by observing the climatic changes. We can merely know it is winter or summer or rainy season. All these are solar phenomenons. It is a matter for the scientists or the Astro mathematicians who computes the Panchang. The solar calendar can be called a scientist’s calendar. Festivals are common man’s domain.
There was one GU Pope in Tamil Nadu in the 15th century. He was a European Christian pastor. He learnt Tamil and interpreted, rather misinterpreted the Tamil literature and sowed the seeds of separatism. Karunanidhi and other Tamil ‘scholars’ quote him for all their separatist ideologies. The British, under the chairmanship of Macaulay, layed the trap (and it is a well laid trap) and all our leaders, administrators, teachers and other ‘intellectuals’ have innocently, ignorantly, foolishly or wilfully fallen in the trap.
EVERY year we witness a ritual of the political leaders right from the Prime Minister down to city Mayor wishing the people for a happy new year. The Tamils for a Tamil new year, the Bengalis for a Bengali new year, the Malayalies for a Malayali new year, the Assamese for an Assami new year. and believe me, all fall on the same day. Simple logic tells me that if it is new year for so many regions, it has to be a single, common new year and not different new years. Yet, thanks to Goebbels, this falsehood has percolated down and now newspapers, teachers, temples and social organisations have joined senseless chorus. The effect? A common Tamilian has started to believe that it is Tamil’s new year. Now, it has gone beyond mere belief. He firmly knows that it is Tamil’s new year. Is it so? Is it Tamil new year or a Bengali new year or an Assami new year or would you call January 1st as American new year, British new year, French new year, Australian new year? No. It is just Christian new year and is the new year wherever the Christians live.
What is a new year day? It is the first day of a calendar. There are many calendars, the Christian or Gregorian calendar, the Muslim calendar, the Chinese calendar, etc. Basically, there are two types of calendars, the solar and the lunar. The solar one is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun and the lunar is based on the Moon’s rotation around the Earth. These two calendars are different as these have different basis for calculation. The Christian calendar is solar and the Muslim one is lunar and we, the Hindus have both. This so-called ‘Tamil’ new year is a Hindu solar calendar and the other one, which is ignorantly called Telugu new year by all the ‘great’ leaders in Tamil Nadu and a Marathi new year by the same catagory of leaders in the North, is actually Hindu lunar calendar.
Let me elaborate. Why do you need a calendar? To know your festivals. When is the Christmas? December 25th. Where did you find it? In the Christian calendar of course. You can not find it in the Muslim calendar. This year it is on the 13th of the month called Moharram. Next year, it will fall in the month of Julhej. It will be a different month every year. Can you locate the Deepavali day in the Christian calendar? You can not? It may fall in October or November. It was in October last year and this year it will be in November. You have to refer to the lunar calendar to know the Deepavali date. It falls on Ashwin Amavasya day.
Which are the festivals celebrated in Tamil Nadu? The same as those celebrated in other parts of our nation. The Deepavali, Vijayadashami, Navaratri, Ramnavami, Skanda Sasti, Gokulashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Maha Shivaratri, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Shravan Poornima, etc. etc. I challange you to locate any of these festival days in the so-called ‘Tamil’ calendar. You can not, because this calendar is solar based and all these festivals fall on lunar days like Sashti, Ashtami, Navami, Amavasya, Poornima. How sad that a community has a calendar of its own, but all its major festivals have to be located from the calendar of a different community, the Telugu calendar in this instance?
It is not Tamil calendar or Telugu calendar. It is a Hindu solar calendar and a Hindu lunar calendar. Most of our festivals are lunar based and are located in lunar calendar. The Earth’s movement around the Sun is not cognizable for a common man. We can infer the same by observing the climatic changes. We can merely know it is winter or summer or rainy season. All these are solar phenomenons. It is a matter for the scientist or the Astro mathematician who computes the Panchang. The solar calendar can be called a scientist’s calendar. Festivals are common man’s domain. You need a more ‘user-friendly’ calendar. The lunar movement is visible. Even a lay man can observe and understand the lunar movement. You have to just observe the sky and do some simple calculations and you can arrive at the festival days. So, you can call this common man’s calendar.
Both are Hindu calendars. Both are referred to and used in all parts of our nation. All the major festivals are to be found in the lunar calendar, except Makara Sankranti. This is an important festival for all Hindus and is found in the solar calendar. The ‘Kumbh’, Uttarayana and Dakshinayana Punya Kala, and monthly Pitru Tarpanam on every Sankranti day (Sankranti is the 1st of a solar month and makara sankranti is the 1st of the month called Makara.) are the other special days in the solar calendar. These are special not only to the Tamils, but to all the Hindus, throughout the length and breadth of Bharat. Is not Makara Sankranti an important festival for the Marathis? How is it that they do not have it in their calendar and have to reach out to the ‘Tamil calendar’ for finding it? It is neither Marathi calendar nor Tamil calendar, but just lunar and solar calendars.
Our formal education system does not teach these subjects which help us to know who we are. Long after Independance in 1947, we continue to churn out Mc’Caulay-putras from our schools. In my school days, Avani Avittam fell in the month of Aadi. Aavani Avittam is Shravan Poornima and Aavani and Aadi are names of fourth and fifth solar months. How can Aavani Avittam fall in the month of Aadi? It is like celebrating October revolution in November or Good Friday falling on a Thursday. This simple question arose in my childish mind and I used to ask many of my teachers, the social leaders in Tamil community. Unfortunately, none were able to give me a convincing answer. I had three options before me. I could have concluded that our ancestors were ignorant. I could have ignored and forgotten the question and concentrated on more practical things like career building, money making, etc. I could have pondered over the question spending restless moments till I found an answer. I chose the third option and was awestruck by the genius of our ancestors. The western mind wants to standardise everything. Uni-sex clothing, Uniform (American) breakfasts, uniform way of worship, uniform structures. It can not comprehend variety. It is not mature enough to appreciate more complex things. It wants to simplify everything. Many of our own English-educated are in the same mind frame. Nature is full of variety and is very complex. It requires a more mature mind and higher intelligence to understand, even appreciate complexities.
Our nation has nourished variety in every walk of life. We have so many ways of wearing our Dhoti and saree. (I’ve found 28 ways of wearing a saree in Tamil Nadu.) We have so many languages and dialects. Recipes? We do not have an Indian food. These words south Indian food and north Indian food are misnomers. There is no Tamil food either. The food system varies from community to community and region to region within Tamil Nadu and is very different from food in Andhra or Kerala or Karnataka. The same is the case in Maharashtra. The Warhadi is different from Konkani, which is again different from Khandeshi. That which is known as south Indian food is more a Tamil Brahmin food type. This vast variety flourishing in Bharat was exploited by the British, to drive a wedge, sorry, drive many wedges in the Hindu community. There was one GU Pope in Tamil Nadu in the 15th century. He was a European Christian Pastor. He learnt Tamil and interpreted, rather misinterpreted the Tamil literature and sowed the seeds of separatism. Karunanidhi and other Tamil ‘scholars’ quote him for all their separatist ideologies. The British, under the chairmanship of Macaulay, layed the trap (and it is a well laid trap) and all our leaders, administrators, teachers and other ‘intellectuals’ have innocently, ignorantly, foolishly or wilfully fallen in the trap. There is a Panchtantra story of a monkey fooling a crocodile wanting to kill and devour it, by saying that it has removed its heart and left the same in the tree. Now, it seems, all our intellectuals have removed and thrown their brains and thinking capacity and have decided never to use it again.
Let me conclude by narrating an encounter with a school principal. Shri Narayanan is MGR’s brother-in-law and runs many schools and colleges in and around Chennai. His daughter, Smt Latha Rajendran was the principal of Janaki Ramachandran School in Chennai in the eighties. She is double MA, MPhil, and PhD. I used to go to these schools once a week to teach ‘patriotism’, as they called it. On one occassion, I was invited to be the chief guest in their annual social gathering. There was the usual tamasha of filmy dances and filmy dialogues. There was one group dance with Bharat Mata, holding the tricolour, in the centre and girls and boys in pairs dancing around Bharat Mata. The Principal turned to me and proudly said, “We also instill patriotism through such programmes”. “Who are these pairs dancing around Bharat Mata?” I asked her. “You don’t know. I can’t believe it. The third pair is a Marathi pair. That one is a Bengali pair. This a Manipuri, the next a Punjabi. These are all pairs from various parts of Bharat and the message is “We are One”. said the principal. “The last pair on this side and the last one on that side. Which state do they belong to?” I asked her innocently. “That is a Muslim pair and this a Christian pair”, she replied. One was dressed in lungi and purdah and the other in coat-suit and skirt. “So you are teaching the Muslim and Christian students in your school that they are not Tamils, but Muslims or Christians. Are you teaching patriotism or separatism?”, I asked her. You should have been there to see her face and know the intensity of shock she got. She was so much disturbed that she came out of the pandal. She was dumb-struck for a few moments and then she said, “I have gone to so many institutions and got so many degrees. I have been the Principal here since last eighteen years. I have always heard the same thing everywhere and have been talking the same thing to students all these years. Now, this was the first time I have heard something different. I feel I have done injustice to thousands of my students all these years.” She was so much disturbed that she went on talking, no, blabbering for the next half an hour.
The incident is not connected to calendar issue, but reveals the trapped mind set. So, what do you intend to do when someone accosts you with ‘Happy Tamil New Year’ wish next time?
Mahakumbh-2010 concludes peacefully
The biggest-ever Hindu congregation
The silken threadof Hindu oneness
By Ravindra Saini
Over six crore pilgrims from 140 countries took holy dip in the Ganga during the Kumbh
MAHAKUMBH-2010, the unique cultural, religious festival unfurled the flag of Indian philosophy in the whole world by giving the message of spiritualism, peace and unity. Despite the fact that about six crore devotees from more than 140 countries speaking 56 languages visited Haridwar and took a dip in the holy river Ganga, the Kumbh concluded peacefully. It was in fact an opportunity for Uttarakhand to showcase the rich and varied cultural heritage of India, and everyone felt the state successfully managed to do so.
All the 13 akharas participated in this Mahakumbh in the four shahi snans that took place; and one of the best things that was witnessed during this Mahakumbh was that numerous saints from all parts of Uttarakhand assembled at Haridwar along with thousands of devotees and took a holy dip in the Ganga.
It was for the first time in the history of the Kumbh that 80 per cent of the total works done during the Kumbh were of permanent nature, and only 20 per cent were of temporary nature. The Government of Uttarakhand had made elaborate arrangements for parking of about one lakh vehicles in an area of 300 hectare land at 45 places. Six permanent bridges and 5.35-km-long ghats were constructed for the Mahakumbh.
The security system was perfect and it had 25 companies of PAC, 20 companies of CRPF, 10 companies of RAF, 10 companies of ITBP, one company of BMP, and 50 police horse-riders were deployed during the Mahakumbh; and 32 sector police stations, 38 police posts, and 10 police lines were established for the smooth conduct of the Mahakumbh.
The Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ himself made many visits to the Kumbh area without informing the Mela authorities, in order to ensure that the security and other systems remained alert during the course of the Kumbh. Six permanent base hospitals, 20 temporary 10 bed hospitals, and 19 primary health centres were established, while 264 doctors and 50 ambulances were placed in the Kumbh area.
About 14,000 temporary toilets were constructed out of which 4,000 toilets were of semi permanent nature. Many new roads were constructed and maintenance of 170 km-long roads made the access to Kumbh area at Haridwar easy.
The Mahakumbh concluded after a span of three-and-half months with 15 lakh devotees taking a holy dip in river Ganga on the occasion of Vaishakh Adhimaas Purnima. More than six crore pilgrims, including around 3.5 crore on 11 major auspicious days, attended the Mela which started on January 14 in Haridwar. Barring the death of eight persons in a road accident followed by a stampede on the last shahi snan on April 14, when around 1.6 crore pilgrims thronged Haridwar in a single day, the event was peaceful.
More than 1,6000 personnel of state police, central paramilitary forces and 125 close circuit cameras (CCTVs) were used to monitor and regulate the movement of pilgrims. It was made mandatory for pilgrims including saints to carry their identity proof if they wanted to stay in Haridwar. And keeping in view the terror activities across the country, for the first time coconut and flower bowls used in “Ganga Puja” were banned on bathing ghats.
Lakhs of saints belonging to 13 akharas participated in this Kumbh. They took dips in river Ganga on four shahi snans on February 12 (Maha Shivratri), March 15 (Somvati Amavasya), March 30 (Chaitra Poornima) and April 14 (Mesh Sankranti).
As the security arrangements were tight and the vehicles of devotees were stopped at temporary parkings on the outskirts of Haridwar, the devotees were seen walking on foot ranging from 6 kilometres to 12 kilometres to take a dip at the bathing ghats of their choice. The parking arrangements made at a distance from bathing ghats helped in keeping the queues of devotees thin and manageable.
Chief Minister Dr ‘Nishank’ said the Mahakumbh deserved a Nobel Prize for being the world’s largest religious gathering. He noted that Kumbh Mela during the current year had attracted more than six crore pilgrims, which was the highest-ever number for a religious gathering anywhere in the world. The High Commissioner of Britain Sir Richard Stagg called on Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ at the Secretariat and congratulated him on the successful conduct of Kumbh Mela 2010 at Haridwar. Sir Stagg said that managing a crowd of millions of people in a small city like Haridwar during the Kumbh Mela was truly praiseworthy.
On the successful completion of the Kumbh all the ministers of Uttarakhand took a bath in the Ganga on April 30. This followed a meeting of the Council of Ministers on the banks of the river. At the meeting the ministers took a pledge to make the stretch of the Ganga from Gaumukh to Haridwar pollution free. They also passed a resolution that the Ganga, which is a national heritage, should be declared an international heritage and so they have decided to send a request to the union government to take up this matter at UNESCO.
Initially, the state would run the Gangotri Nirmal project and clean the Ganga from Gangotri to Uttarkashi by the end of 2010. The Cabinet has also decided to upgrade the Chardham Yatra route on the pattern of Kumbh Mela. A Save Ganga Authorities Board will also be constituted for the purpose.
Shri ‘Nishank’ said that in order to provide better facilities to common devotees and pilgrims, the Government of Uttarakhand had appealed to the VIPs from India and abroad not to visit Haridwar at the time of the major snans, so that the common pilgrims did not face any inconvenience. Despite this appeal, about six crore people took a dip in the Ganga in addition to many VIPs who visited there.
The silken threadof Hindu oneness
By Ravindra Saini
Over six crore pilgrims from 140 countries took holy dip in the Ganga during the Kumbh
MAHAKUMBH-2010, the unique cultural, religious festival unfurled the flag of Indian philosophy in the whole world by giving the message of spiritualism, peace and unity. Despite the fact that about six crore devotees from more than 140 countries speaking 56 languages visited Haridwar and took a dip in the holy river Ganga, the Kumbh concluded peacefully. It was in fact an opportunity for Uttarakhand to showcase the rich and varied cultural heritage of India, and everyone felt the state successfully managed to do so.
All the 13 akharas participated in this Mahakumbh in the four shahi snans that took place; and one of the best things that was witnessed during this Mahakumbh was that numerous saints from all parts of Uttarakhand assembled at Haridwar along with thousands of devotees and took a holy dip in the Ganga.
It was for the first time in the history of the Kumbh that 80 per cent of the total works done during the Kumbh were of permanent nature, and only 20 per cent were of temporary nature. The Government of Uttarakhand had made elaborate arrangements for parking of about one lakh vehicles in an area of 300 hectare land at 45 places. Six permanent bridges and 5.35-km-long ghats were constructed for the Mahakumbh.
The security system was perfect and it had 25 companies of PAC, 20 companies of CRPF, 10 companies of RAF, 10 companies of ITBP, one company of BMP, and 50 police horse-riders were deployed during the Mahakumbh; and 32 sector police stations, 38 police posts, and 10 police lines were established for the smooth conduct of the Mahakumbh.
The Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ himself made many visits to the Kumbh area without informing the Mela authorities, in order to ensure that the security and other systems remained alert during the course of the Kumbh. Six permanent base hospitals, 20 temporary 10 bed hospitals, and 19 primary health centres were established, while 264 doctors and 50 ambulances were placed in the Kumbh area.
About 14,000 temporary toilets were constructed out of which 4,000 toilets were of semi permanent nature. Many new roads were constructed and maintenance of 170 km-long roads made the access to Kumbh area at Haridwar easy.
The Mahakumbh concluded after a span of three-and-half months with 15 lakh devotees taking a holy dip in river Ganga on the occasion of Vaishakh Adhimaas Purnima. More than six crore pilgrims, including around 3.5 crore on 11 major auspicious days, attended the Mela which started on January 14 in Haridwar. Barring the death of eight persons in a road accident followed by a stampede on the last shahi snan on April 14, when around 1.6 crore pilgrims thronged Haridwar in a single day, the event was peaceful.
More than 1,6000 personnel of state police, central paramilitary forces and 125 close circuit cameras (CCTVs) were used to monitor and regulate the movement of pilgrims. It was made mandatory for pilgrims including saints to carry their identity proof if they wanted to stay in Haridwar. And keeping in view the terror activities across the country, for the first time coconut and flower bowls used in “Ganga Puja” were banned on bathing ghats.
Lakhs of saints belonging to 13 akharas participated in this Kumbh. They took dips in river Ganga on four shahi snans on February 12 (Maha Shivratri), March 15 (Somvati Amavasya), March 30 (Chaitra Poornima) and April 14 (Mesh Sankranti).
As the security arrangements were tight and the vehicles of devotees were stopped at temporary parkings on the outskirts of Haridwar, the devotees were seen walking on foot ranging from 6 kilometres to 12 kilometres to take a dip at the bathing ghats of their choice. The parking arrangements made at a distance from bathing ghats helped in keeping the queues of devotees thin and manageable.
Chief Minister Dr ‘Nishank’ said the Mahakumbh deserved a Nobel Prize for being the world’s largest religious gathering. He noted that Kumbh Mela during the current year had attracted more than six crore pilgrims, which was the highest-ever number for a religious gathering anywhere in the world. The High Commissioner of Britain Sir Richard Stagg called on Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ at the Secretariat and congratulated him on the successful conduct of Kumbh Mela 2010 at Haridwar. Sir Stagg said that managing a crowd of millions of people in a small city like Haridwar during the Kumbh Mela was truly praiseworthy.
On the successful completion of the Kumbh all the ministers of Uttarakhand took a bath in the Ganga on April 30. This followed a meeting of the Council of Ministers on the banks of the river. At the meeting the ministers took a pledge to make the stretch of the Ganga from Gaumukh to Haridwar pollution free. They also passed a resolution that the Ganga, which is a national heritage, should be declared an international heritage and so they have decided to send a request to the union government to take up this matter at UNESCO.
Initially, the state would run the Gangotri Nirmal project and clean the Ganga from Gangotri to Uttarkashi by the end of 2010. The Cabinet has also decided to upgrade the Chardham Yatra route on the pattern of Kumbh Mela. A Save Ganga Authorities Board will also be constituted for the purpose.
Shri ‘Nishank’ said that in order to provide better facilities to common devotees and pilgrims, the Government of Uttarakhand had appealed to the VIPs from India and abroad not to visit Haridwar at the time of the major snans, so that the common pilgrims did not face any inconvenience. Despite this appeal, about six crore people took a dip in the Ganga in addition to many VIPs who visited there.
The ISI plot to depict India unsafe
By MD Nalapat
Unless the US understands that the military in Pakistan is part of the problem, and begins to support moderates in civil society and in the administration, Pakistan will soon evolve into what Taliban Afghanistan was, a haven for those seeking to attack the world’s biggest economy. Rather than play the ISI game of painting India as unsafe, what Washington needs to do is to understand that the distinction between the "Afghan Taliban" and the "Pakistan Taliban" is illusory and that the two together have fused into a machine that endangers the globe.
THE quality of "Chutzpah" is exemplified by the twins who murdered their parents and then asked for mercy on the grounds that they were orphans. In other words,it means a situation where an individual creates a situation, and then claims himself to be a victim of it. No other word can describe the outburst of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Pakistan,that the country will have to pay "serious consequences" should a terror attack on the US get traced back to its shores. Of course, this is the exact opposite of the course Clinton is urging on India. In our case, her advice is to ignore Pakistan-directed terror attacks and continue on the path of giving concessions to the only military that has jehad as its motto, the Pakistan army.
When Asif Ali Zardari became President of Pakistan in 2008, a window of opportunity opened to cleanse the higher echelons of the army from the infestation of jihadist elements that have remained dominant since Zia-ul-Haq began the talibanisation of Pakistan. While Zardari’s affinity for money puts him in the same wealth league as many heavyweight Indian politicians (especially former chief ministers), the man himself is a Sufi, far removed from the religious zeal that characterises both General Pervez Ashfaq Kayani and his faithful lieutenant, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, both Sunni Punjabis. The new Head of the State was aware that his ambitious prime minister reported not to him but to the army chief with whom he had regular meetings, often at Army HQ. Had the US backed him, Zardari would have removed from office more than thirty officers who are in league with the Taliban, thus delivering a lethal blow to that outfit. However, in 2009, Hillary Clinton backed the Punjabi lobby in Pakistan by agreeing to return to the office of Iftikhar Hussein Choudhury, the Punjabi who had been removed as Chief Justice of Pakistan by President Musharraf two years previously.
While very friendly to the Sharif brothers-neither of whom is known to be Mr Clean-as well as to other Punjabis, Justice Choudhury has contempt for Mohajirs such as Pervez Musharraf and Sindhis such as President Zardari, who is also a Shia rather than a Wahabbi, the way Kayani and Gilani are. Both have roots in the Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan, which (unlike its Indian counterpart) has been taken over by the Wahabbis since the 1980s and has very close links with both the military as well as the Taliban, often serving as the go-between. Most of these linkages are invisible to the CIA,the Defense Intelligence Agency and other US Intelligence Agencies, because of the fact that these have outsourced much of their field activity to the Pakistan army. The overwhelming majority of CIA and other US "assets" in Pakistan (and more disturbingly, in Afghanistan) are double agents, with their primary loyalty being to the ISI and its agenda of ensuring that the Taliban return to power in Kabul by 2013-15.
Most of what passes for "field intelligence" in the US-especially that collected from human sources-is in fact disinformation created and disseminated by the Pakistan army. The purpose of such deceit is to ensure that those inconvenient to Kayani and his allies (including the Taliban) get picked up by the US, while those who are secretly in league with the ISI and its Taliban-centred gameplan are presented as "moderates" deserving of the huge cash handouts that the US regularly disburses in Afghanistan "to keep moderate tribal leaders happy" and-it is assumed-out of the clutches of the Taliban. The fact is that more than 80 per cent of the present Taliban leadership has been the receipient of US cash and assistance, funneled to them on the advice of the ISI. In exchange, more mock-Taliban get arrested or killed, and desultory sweeps get conducted in those areas where the Taliban are known to be concentrating. Of course,few get caught, given that they are warned in advance of the approaching raid.
Nine days after 9/11, the US lost the longer-term war against the Taliban, by taking a decision to once again repeat the mistake of Zbigniew Brezezinski and Bob Casey in outsourcing operations to the Pakistan military. Most of the "independent" analysts in the US of Afghanistan are dependent on the ISI for logistics and contacts, and faithfully sing the song that has been scripted for them,which is that "cooperation with the Pakistan army is essential" to success. Indeed, that would be the case, were that army to get cleansed of its jihadist elements. Unfortunately, as these enjoy the sponsorship of a powerful intelligence agency based in the Arabian Peninsula, such elements have never been weeded out, including by Pervez Musharraf, who considered himself less as the leader of Pakistan than as the trade union leader for his beloved army and invariably took the military’s side in a dispute. It was only when Zardari came to power that Pakistan had a President willing to cleanse the military of jihadist elements, but he was soon rendered powerless by the Clinton-backed Punjabi lobby.
What passes off as "Pakistan occupied Kashmir" is in reality a territory that has been almost totally cleansed of Kashmiris.The Mirpuris who demonstrate-at a handsome profit in terms of the business opportunities they are given in Pakistan-speak not Kashmiri but a Punjabi dialect. Having colonised PoK, they seek to ensure Punjabi dominance in the Valley of Kashmir, which is why they have (through inter-marriage and through clandestine cash payments, often routed through the Gulf countries) converted most of the so-called "Azaadi" lobby into foot soldiers serving the Punjabi cause. Should the separatists ever succeed in taking over the Valley, it would soon become as dominated by the Punjabis as Mirpur or Muzaffarabad has become. Kashmiris would be reduced to a second-class status, the way some of their "Azaadi" politicians already are. It is surprising that those in the higher policy circles of India who favour "making borders irrelevant" do not understand that this would inevitably result in the drowning of Kashmiri identity under the weight of the Punjabi strand that already dominates PoK and which has infiltrated into "Azaadi" groups in the Valley.
Since the time of Zia-ul-Haq, the Sunni Punjabi component that dominates the Pakistan military has cast its fortunes with jihadists. And because of the backing they have got from Hillary Clinton (who was known as the "Senator from Punjab" some years ago), they have administratively finished off President Zardari,thus leaving Army Chief of Staff Kayani as the paramount authority in the country. Small wonder that when US officials visit Pakistan, they spend far more time at Army HQ than in offices nominally controlled by civilians, thereby further weakning the civilian government.
The ISI has been extremely effective in using the CIA and other foreign intelligence agencies to spread a global panic about India. A week ago, one more of a long list of US "Terror Advisories" was issued, which warned of an "imminent attack" in Delhi on May 1 or May 2. This columnist spent most of those two days going to several shopping malls in Delhi and Gurgaon, and was happy to see the contempt with which this warning was treated. On cue, Australia, Canada and the UK joined the US in portraying India as a country that is as prone to terrorism as Pakistan, when the reality is that the country is still resistant to this scourge. Clearly, the bogus information about the "imminent" threat was given to the CIA by the ISI, which-as has been the case for fifty years-swallowed it entirely. The objective of the ISI is to generate an international perception that India is as unstable as Pakistan, so that economic growth gets affected. By their uncritical reliance on ISI inputs about India,the CIA and its allied agencies are acting to the ISI’s game plan.
The reality is that not a single one of the many US terror advisories about India has been followed by a terror attack. Clearly, when it does execute an attack, as in Mumbai two years ago,the ISI takes care to ensure that no foreign agency gets warned about its plans. In the case of the May 1-2 advisory, it transpired, the Terror Advisory was right about the attack, but wrong about the city. For an attempt was made not on Delhi but on New York. Thanks to the benign neglect by the US of the jihadi core of the Pakistan army leadership, the Taliban have been facilitated in setting up a network across the US that is estimated to become fully operational within the next two years.Once this terror network establishes roots across major cities, it would be able to carry out mass terror attacks almost every month. Such are the fruits
of the Clinton-Bush-Obama policy of relying on the Pakistan army to fight the very terrorists that this force has created and continues to nurture. It will take more than synthetic tough talk from Hillary Clinton to retrieve the US from the abyss into which it is being pushed by the proliferation of Pakistan-sponsored groups that nestle in Houston, Detroit, Chicago and Miami.
Unless the jihadi elements within the Pakistan army are identified and removed, that institution will continue to be a breeding ground for terrorists. However, the chance for that has disappeared after Hillary Clinton blessed the neutralisation of President Zardari by siding with old followers of Zia-ul-Haq, Prime Minister Gilani and Army Chief Kayani. Since Justice Choudhury has been brought back as Chief Justice, terror attacks have gone up sharply, because it has become clear that the protective shield of the army over the jihadists will continue. Every now and then, some jihadi found to be inconvenient will be apprehended or killed, but no action will be taken to prevent the large-scale recruitment of youths into the jihad machine, something that has accelerated since President Zardari was reduced to the status of a figurehead.
Unless the US understands that the military in Pakistan is part of the problem, and begins to support moderates in civil society and in the administration, Pakistan will soon evolve into what Taliban Afghanistan was, a haven for those seeking to attack the world’s biggest economy. Rather than play the ISI game of painting India as unsafe, what Washington needs to do is to understand that the distinction between the "Afghan Taliban" and the "Pakistan Taliban" is illusory and that the two together have fused into a machine that endangers the globe. George W Bush made a historic blunder in 2001, when he took the advice of the CIA and the Pentagon and chose Pakistan as his principal regional ally against the terrorists, even ensuring the escape of leading Al Qaeda elements at Kunduz into Pakistan. Sadly, President Barack Obama is making the same mistake, embracing an enemy while ignoring a friend.
Unless the US understands that the military in Pakistan is part of the problem, and begins to support moderates in civil society and in the administration, Pakistan will soon evolve into what Taliban Afghanistan was, a haven for those seeking to attack the world’s biggest economy. Rather than play the ISI game of painting India as unsafe, what Washington needs to do is to understand that the distinction between the "Afghan Taliban" and the "Pakistan Taliban" is illusory and that the two together have fused into a machine that endangers the globe.
THE quality of "Chutzpah" is exemplified by the twins who murdered their parents and then asked for mercy on the grounds that they were orphans. In other words,it means a situation where an individual creates a situation, and then claims himself to be a victim of it. No other word can describe the outburst of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Pakistan,that the country will have to pay "serious consequences" should a terror attack on the US get traced back to its shores. Of course, this is the exact opposite of the course Clinton is urging on India. In our case, her advice is to ignore Pakistan-directed terror attacks and continue on the path of giving concessions to the only military that has jehad as its motto, the Pakistan army.
When Asif Ali Zardari became President of Pakistan in 2008, a window of opportunity opened to cleanse the higher echelons of the army from the infestation of jihadist elements that have remained dominant since Zia-ul-Haq began the talibanisation of Pakistan. While Zardari’s affinity for money puts him in the same wealth league as many heavyweight Indian politicians (especially former chief ministers), the man himself is a Sufi, far removed from the religious zeal that characterises both General Pervez Ashfaq Kayani and his faithful lieutenant, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, both Sunni Punjabis. The new Head of the State was aware that his ambitious prime minister reported not to him but to the army chief with whom he had regular meetings, often at Army HQ. Had the US backed him, Zardari would have removed from office more than thirty officers who are in league with the Taliban, thus delivering a lethal blow to that outfit. However, in 2009, Hillary Clinton backed the Punjabi lobby in Pakistan by agreeing to return to the office of Iftikhar Hussein Choudhury, the Punjabi who had been removed as Chief Justice of Pakistan by President Musharraf two years previously.
While very friendly to the Sharif brothers-neither of whom is known to be Mr Clean-as well as to other Punjabis, Justice Choudhury has contempt for Mohajirs such as Pervez Musharraf and Sindhis such as President Zardari, who is also a Shia rather than a Wahabbi, the way Kayani and Gilani are. Both have roots in the Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan, which (unlike its Indian counterpart) has been taken over by the Wahabbis since the 1980s and has very close links with both the military as well as the Taliban, often serving as the go-between. Most of these linkages are invisible to the CIA,the Defense Intelligence Agency and other US Intelligence Agencies, because of the fact that these have outsourced much of their field activity to the Pakistan army. The overwhelming majority of CIA and other US "assets" in Pakistan (and more disturbingly, in Afghanistan) are double agents, with their primary loyalty being to the ISI and its agenda of ensuring that the Taliban return to power in Kabul by 2013-15.
Most of what passes for "field intelligence" in the US-especially that collected from human sources-is in fact disinformation created and disseminated by the Pakistan army. The purpose of such deceit is to ensure that those inconvenient to Kayani and his allies (including the Taliban) get picked up by the US, while those who are secretly in league with the ISI and its Taliban-centred gameplan are presented as "moderates" deserving of the huge cash handouts that the US regularly disburses in Afghanistan "to keep moderate tribal leaders happy" and-it is assumed-out of the clutches of the Taliban. The fact is that more than 80 per cent of the present Taliban leadership has been the receipient of US cash and assistance, funneled to them on the advice of the ISI. In exchange, more mock-Taliban get arrested or killed, and desultory sweeps get conducted in those areas where the Taliban are known to be concentrating. Of course,few get caught, given that they are warned in advance of the approaching raid.
Nine days after 9/11, the US lost the longer-term war against the Taliban, by taking a decision to once again repeat the mistake of Zbigniew Brezezinski and Bob Casey in outsourcing operations to the Pakistan military. Most of the "independent" analysts in the US of Afghanistan are dependent on the ISI for logistics and contacts, and faithfully sing the song that has been scripted for them,which is that "cooperation with the Pakistan army is essential" to success. Indeed, that would be the case, were that army to get cleansed of its jihadist elements. Unfortunately, as these enjoy the sponsorship of a powerful intelligence agency based in the Arabian Peninsula, such elements have never been weeded out, including by Pervez Musharraf, who considered himself less as the leader of Pakistan than as the trade union leader for his beloved army and invariably took the military’s side in a dispute. It was only when Zardari came to power that Pakistan had a President willing to cleanse the military of jihadist elements, but he was soon rendered powerless by the Clinton-backed Punjabi lobby.
What passes off as "Pakistan occupied Kashmir" is in reality a territory that has been almost totally cleansed of Kashmiris.The Mirpuris who demonstrate-at a handsome profit in terms of the business opportunities they are given in Pakistan-speak not Kashmiri but a Punjabi dialect. Having colonised PoK, they seek to ensure Punjabi dominance in the Valley of Kashmir, which is why they have (through inter-marriage and through clandestine cash payments, often routed through the Gulf countries) converted most of the so-called "Azaadi" lobby into foot soldiers serving the Punjabi cause. Should the separatists ever succeed in taking over the Valley, it would soon become as dominated by the Punjabis as Mirpur or Muzaffarabad has become. Kashmiris would be reduced to a second-class status, the way some of their "Azaadi" politicians already are. It is surprising that those in the higher policy circles of India who favour "making borders irrelevant" do not understand that this would inevitably result in the drowning of Kashmiri identity under the weight of the Punjabi strand that already dominates PoK and which has infiltrated into "Azaadi" groups in the Valley.
Since the time of Zia-ul-Haq, the Sunni Punjabi component that dominates the Pakistan military has cast its fortunes with jihadists. And because of the backing they have got from Hillary Clinton (who was known as the "Senator from Punjab" some years ago), they have administratively finished off President Zardari,thus leaving Army Chief of Staff Kayani as the paramount authority in the country. Small wonder that when US officials visit Pakistan, they spend far more time at Army HQ than in offices nominally controlled by civilians, thereby further weakning the civilian government.
The ISI has been extremely effective in using the CIA and other foreign intelligence agencies to spread a global panic about India. A week ago, one more of a long list of US "Terror Advisories" was issued, which warned of an "imminent attack" in Delhi on May 1 or May 2. This columnist spent most of those two days going to several shopping malls in Delhi and Gurgaon, and was happy to see the contempt with which this warning was treated. On cue, Australia, Canada and the UK joined the US in portraying India as a country that is as prone to terrorism as Pakistan, when the reality is that the country is still resistant to this scourge. Clearly, the bogus information about the "imminent" threat was given to the CIA by the ISI, which-as has been the case for fifty years-swallowed it entirely. The objective of the ISI is to generate an international perception that India is as unstable as Pakistan, so that economic growth gets affected. By their uncritical reliance on ISI inputs about India,the CIA and its allied agencies are acting to the ISI’s game plan.
The reality is that not a single one of the many US terror advisories about India has been followed by a terror attack. Clearly, when it does execute an attack, as in Mumbai two years ago,the ISI takes care to ensure that no foreign agency gets warned about its plans. In the case of the May 1-2 advisory, it transpired, the Terror Advisory was right about the attack, but wrong about the city. For an attempt was made not on Delhi but on New York. Thanks to the benign neglect by the US of the jihadi core of the Pakistan army leadership, the Taliban have been facilitated in setting up a network across the US that is estimated to become fully operational within the next two years.Once this terror network establishes roots across major cities, it would be able to carry out mass terror attacks almost every month. Such are the fruits
of the Clinton-Bush-Obama policy of relying on the Pakistan army to fight the very terrorists that this force has created and continues to nurture. It will take more than synthetic tough talk from Hillary Clinton to retrieve the US from the abyss into which it is being pushed by the proliferation of Pakistan-sponsored groups that nestle in Houston, Detroit, Chicago and Miami.
Unless the jihadi elements within the Pakistan army are identified and removed, that institution will continue to be a breeding ground for terrorists. However, the chance for that has disappeared after Hillary Clinton blessed the neutralisation of President Zardari by siding with old followers of Zia-ul-Haq, Prime Minister Gilani and Army Chief Kayani. Since Justice Choudhury has been brought back as Chief Justice, terror attacks have gone up sharply, because it has become clear that the protective shield of the army over the jihadists will continue. Every now and then, some jihadi found to be inconvenient will be apprehended or killed, but no action will be taken to prevent the large-scale recruitment of youths into the jihad machine, something that has accelerated since President Zardari was reduced to the status of a figurehead.
Unless the US understands that the military in Pakistan is part of the problem, and begins to support moderates in civil society and in the administration, Pakistan will soon evolve into what Taliban Afghanistan was, a haven for those seeking to attack the world’s biggest economy. Rather than play the ISI game of painting India as unsafe, what Washington needs to do is to understand that the distinction between the "Afghan Taliban" and the "Pakistan Taliban" is illusory and that the two together have fused into a machine that endangers the globe. George W Bush made a historic blunder in 2001, when he took the advice of the CIA and the Pentagon and chose Pakistan as his principal regional ally against the terrorists, even ensuring the escape of leading Al Qaeda elements at Kunduz into Pakistan. Sadly, President Barack Obama is making the same mistake, embracing an enemy while ignoring a friend.
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