Sunday, March 20, 2011

A bill to derail Indian Society ?

By Dr Pravin Togadia

I am not speaking of Kaamsutra or Midnight Rendezvous. Government of India is said to be introducing a bill that makes sex at 12 for girls legitimate. Kids under 14 are not allowed to work per Child Labour Law; kids under 18 are not allowed to vote with the logic that they are not capable to know right or wrong and kids under 18 are not allowed to watch ‘A’ category films because they can affect kids impressionable minds. But the government feels that girls at 12 are mature enough to not only have sex but also to select the partner only two years older to them for it.

The riddle of this bill does not stop here. The bill proposes that girls at 12 are allowed to have ‘Non-Penetrating’ sex. Meaning the government believes that a girl at 12 is mature enough to kiss, cuddle, caress and be kissed, cuddled and caressed but have control to say no for penetrating sex to the boy who is 14 to 16. Meaning the government also believes that the boy at 14 to 16 is mature enough to kiss, caress and cuddle a girl, then control himself and stop before penetrating. You thought that I was joking? No. This is the bill government of India is said to be proposing in this session.

As a doctor we are taught physiology and psychiatry both. I know that certain feelings get aroused when girls and boys reach certain age of puberty. I know they are natural. Do we allow all natural feelings and acts legally and as a social norm? A rapist also has natural feelings of sex in his mind and body. Anger, jealousy, hunger, sex, greed are natural feelings. If government starts allowing all such feelings and the ensuing actions under law then government would have to legitimise rape, murder, loot etc.

Logic that anyways today’s kids are exposed to sex at early age and they practice it - so legitimise it - is a logical fallacy? I am not even speaking of moral and immoral here. Accepting the natural feelings clinically of girls and boys of that tender age, even as a doctor, I am stunned by the sheer apathy of the government towards well-being of Indian girls. Child Marriage Act was made to avoid child mortality because a girl before 18 is not bodily and mentally prepared to bear a child. Strangely, the TV panelists who shout against marriages of girls under 18 in tribes and some communities; are the same people who are propagating sex at 12 for girls assuming that if the girl says no the boy will stop at a particular stage when necking each other or even hoping that such a kid girl can exercise control to say no or she would know when and where to stop that boy. As a doctor anyone can tell that certain chemicals are created during kissing and cuddling that have overpowering effect like a trans; and government wants kids to practice restraint at that stage in that gullible age. Even the grown ups trying to impose such bills onto Bharat, can not vouch that they can practice such a restraint in sex.

The serious issue is the ongoing conspiracy to break Hindu family system and tear into the strong fabric of family. Net, drugs and sex addicts is not Bharat; Bharat lives in villages and little towns. Urban phenomena of relationships is yet to penetrate rural Bharat; but with this bill and with the purposely created debates on this bill, government wants to instigate girls at 12 - who are not allowed to marry till 18

(If the new bill goes through then 21!) - to go berserk. I am sure the TV panelists will give examples from Hindu mythology from which they do not even understand the metaphors.

Has the government invented a removable male organ like nut and bolt so that the boy can keep it at home while kissing and cuddling such a little girl? Sounds crude and shocking? Then the proposed bill is yet more shocking and has no provisions to protect girls. Bharat is not the West with stricter laws - when She says no, it is rape. Girls in Bharat are not sitting on the streets for anyone to kiss and cuddle. Any boy of 14 - 16 may kiss her and then say it is allowed in law and the girl - scared and embarrassed for not being able to protect family pride, may commit suicide. Imagine the spate of rapes and unwed mothers arising out of this as no girl of that age has mental and physical strength to stop sexual aggression at a particular stage. Not only girls, even the parents’ suicides will go up because the stress will be so high worrying if their little kid daughter or boy are safe.

Marriage, family and children are symbols of Bharat’s strong culture. Those who broke temples, then broke Bharat for Pak and now are constantly making Jehadi and other attacks on Bharat’s economy and systems, are now all set to break families in Bharat. Freedom of expression, love or sex are vague concepts. Because the government is under pressure to sell condoms and anti-pregnancy pills of foreign companies, we can never allow such ‘rapist’ bill to loot our daughters and sisters. Not only girls, even boys would get distracted from their goal of studies, sports and arts at that tender age. Orkut, You-Tube, Face-Book or any other net places are already doing such distracting agent’s job; now even Govt of India is coming ahead to break peace and tranquility in families of Bharat so that the youth can go berserk and rebel. This sure will help the West because then the budding scientists, artists and sportsmen would be nipped in the bud and get swayed to early immature sex, diseases and mental stress leading to total failure in life.

Bharat will stand up democratically against such a dirty conspiracy. Those who propose or propagate such a demeaning bill: Let their 12 yr girl tell them, "Mom, I had sex; but it hurts as he did not stop" - then the rapists of Bharat’s families will realise what hit them.

(The writer is a renowned Cancer Surgeon and International Secretary General of VHP. Contact: drtogadia@gmail.com)

No place for minorities in Pakistan

The assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, minister for minority affairs of Pakistan, has posed a few questions for the world community. The persecution of minorities in that country is unabated and calls for immediate intervention from the world powers. A couple of months ago, Salman Taseer, governor of the Pakistani Punjab State was also murdered - for his liberal views against the stringent blasphemy law - in broad daylight. More unfortunate aspect of Salman’s murder is: his bodyguard, who killed him, is showered with flower petals by the onlookers, whenever he is brought to the court for hearings.

The draconian blasphemy law has been invariably being used to suppress and blackmail the minorities in Pakistan. Shahbaz Bhatti, who was a Christian and one of the most vocal critics of the said law, had been receiving threats from the ultras for quite some time but valiantly kept on defying the diktats of the extremists; but eventually, he had to pay the price of his fighting for the rights of the minorities of his country, with his life.

The suppression of minorities in Pakistan is not a new phenomenon; it started immediately after the state of Pakistan was created. Although, the creator of that country, Muhammad Ali Jinnah declared in the first session of the Constituent Assembly that he wanted the country to become a secular state, yet, the successive military and civilian regimes of that country could not give secular character to the political system.

Hindus in the states of Sindh and Balochistan are incessantly being persecuted and their lives, property and dignity are constantly threatened by the zealots. The state of Sindh, in the aftermath of the partition of the country, used to have a sizeable population of Hindus, but due to the religious persecution, the community has been reduced to very small numbers in the said state; most of it has been migrating either to India or has been forcibly converted. Every now and then, the community faces the attacks of the religious bigots and lives under the constant threat of terror. Recently, a group of Hindus coming back from the famous historical shrine of Hinglaj Devi in Balochistan, was waylaid and murdered. The unfortunate fact is, the authorities remain mute spectators and as the reports trickle in, many a times tacitly support the attacks on the community.

The intolerance of the Pakistani state is not restricted to the minorities belonging to the other faiths only; even the Ahamadiyas - actually a sect belonging to the majority community of Pakistan - are not allowed to live in peace and are constantly being harassed. Their story of woes started with General Zia ul Haq - the erstwhile military dictator of Pakistan - declaring them non-Muslims, in the decade of seventies. Intermittent attacks by the armed extremist groups on the hapless Ahamadiyas keep on taking place in that country and the successive governments have miserably failed in providing any protection to the said community.

The ugly face of the religious persecution was seen again in the Ourkazai tribal agency of the NWFP of Pakistan. The members of the Sikh community were issued notices to pay Zaziya or face death by the Talibani militia. Although, the threats were coming thick and large for quite some time, yet, the government did nothing to save the lives and the property of those Sikh masses, who opted to stay back - at the soil of their birth and their forefathers - in the aftermath of the partition of the country. Many innocent Sikh lives were taken by the religious zealots and the rest of Pakistan and the world community kept on watching the massacre as mute spectators.

The Christian minority, which is largely scattered in the Punjab province of Pakistan, is on the receiving end of the constant attacks by the extremist groups. Whenever any incident which is considered to be provocative - by the fundamentalists of Pakistan - occurs in any western country, the Churches and the houses of the Christian minority become targets of the radical forces.

Late Shahbaz Bhatti, who was a vociferous critic of some of the provisions of the Blasphemy law, was a dominant voice of the Christian community of Pakistan; his assassination should not only be condemned unequivocally by the world leaders, pressure should be brought on the Pakistani regime to protect the lives, property, dignity and the institutions of various minorities living in that country.

The complicity of the government of Pakistan and its agencies like ISI - in attacks on the minorities - is glaringly evident, therefore, trade embargoes against the state which has been sponsoring terrorism from the very first day of its creation, should be brought and the UN should depute the emissaries of UNHRC in Pakistan to safeguard the lives and the properties of the terrorised minorities.

Seminar on ban on conversion in Bengaluru

Proselytisation is a violence on human dignity - Danie Periera

"WE are born in Bharat and with due regards to my elders and the society I like to declare that I am a Hindu Christian. The organisations, individuals, group of evangelists, trusts or the missionaries which are converting the Hindus to Christianity through illegal and unfair means are nothing but traitors, as they are weakening the very back bone of this country," said Shri Danie Periera, a converted Christian who runs educational institutions in Karnataka. He was speaking at a seminar organised by Varthamana in Bengaluru on March 11 on the topic of ‘Ban on Conversions - Problems and Possible Solutions’.

Raising his voice against conversion, he said the Christian missionaries are using foreign funds for conversions. "I endorse the words of the great saints that this land is my mother and I am her child," he said. He said those who are indulging in conversions can go to any extent to take advantage of the situation.

Supreme Court advocate Shri Sathish Chandra said Christian missionaries normally come up with three points to counter the allegations on conversion-right to propagate Christianity under Article 25(2), percentage of Christians is stagnant at 2.8 per cent, and Christians are serving the society by running schools, colleges, orphanages, hospitals, etc, so they should not be questioned. He said it is completely wrong on the part of the missionaries to claim that they have legal support to conversion. He said the actual population of converted Christians in India may have crossed 11 to 12 per cent.

Noted writer, thinker and retired scientist of NASA, Dr NS Rajaram said the Christians cannot be called a minority in India and should be treated as a worldwide Christian community just as any multinational company starting its operation in India cannot be isolated from their main office. He said ‘conversion to Christianity is what jehad is to Islam.

President of Madiga Dandora Dalit community Shri M Shankarappa requested the upper caste Hindus to extend friendly gesture to the low caste Hindus who are basically trapped by the evangelists on the promise that they will get respect with them. Shri M Chidananda Murthy urged the Karnataka Government to enact anti-conversion law immediately on the lines of Madhya Pradesh.

Sri Mahanta Linga Swamiji of Vibhutipura Mutt said those who are getting education through Christian schools are either looking down at the Hindu way of life or getting converted to Christianity, which is a national disaster. Karnataka ST Board chairperson Smt Mangala Sridhar and noted writer Shri SL Byrappa who presided over the seminar, also spoke on the occasion.
(By R Guru Prasad)

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Bali preserves its unique Hindu tradition

For one full day, Balinese and the tourists are urged to remain silent and engage in introspection.

The resort island of Bali fell quiet over the weekend as the authorities shut down its airport and seaports, and switched off all radio and television transmissions.

Its streets, normally jammed with tourists, were deserted as security guards patrolled the island, ensuring that locals and foreigners alike stayed indoors, and even exhorting them to turn off their lights.

The authorities closed down Bali not to stamp down on political unrest, but to mark the Annual Day of Silence, a Balinese Hindu holiday called Nyepi that ushers in the New Year. For a full 24 hours starting at 6 am Saturday (March 5), Balinese Hindus were urged to remain silent and engage in introspection. Bali, which first became known as a destination among hippies from the West a couple of generations ago, tuned in and dropped out, at least for the day.

"Have a quiet time! Enjoy the silent day!" Wayan Sutama, 51, a traditional security guard called a pecalang, called out to a group of potentially unquiet Australians gathered on a terrace overlooking the beach here. With a half-wary smile, he flashed them a thumbs-up.

In Kuta, a rowdy beach resort on the southern tip of the island, only roosters and pigeons, usually drowned out by the din, could be heard on Saturday. The pecalang peered down side streets in search of transgressors but found only other pecalang looking back, or the occasional stray cat.

As the last redoubt of Hinduism in Indonesia, the nation with the world’s largest Muslim population, the island of Bali has been attracting increasing numbers of outsiders in recent years, thanks to its booming tourism industry. While Hollywood romanticised Bali in the recent movie Eat Pray Love, Indonesians, mostly Muslims from the islands of Java and Sumatra, have been gravitating here looking for jobs.

The tension between local tradition and outside forces is perhaps at its most intense in Kuta, where Islamic extremists bombed a nightclub in 2002, killing 202 people, and bombed three restaurants in 2005, killing more than 20 people.

In reaction, officials in Bali have been reinforcing local customs, especially those surrounding Nyepi. Three years ago, they began sealing off Bali from the rest of Indonesia for 24 hours after tour organisers were caught smuggling in tourists on the Day of Silence as part of ‘Nyepi packages.’ At the same time, the authorities banned radio and television, starting with local broadcasters and, last year, extending the ban to all satellite transmissions.

"The lesson from the Bali bombings was to return to our traditions and not be too influenced by outsiders," Sutama said. He and another pecalang, Nengah Renda, 51, spoke as they faced a memorial for the bombing victims on Kuta’s main commercial strip; behind them, a lingerie shop called 69Slam featured an image of a woman with a man on all fours attached to a dog leash.

The day before, in one of the many local temples squeezed between shops in Kuta, the residents of a neighbourhood called Pande Mas had been putting the final touches on their ogoh-ogohs, effigies 20 feet tall representing evil spirits that would be burned later.

Purify minds
"After chasing away the evil spirits, we have Nyepi to purify our minds, to reflect on what we did in the past year and to engage in introspection," said Made Mastra, 52, the neighbourhood chief. "Then we will be clean to enter the new year."

Neighbourhood boys, who can often be seen rubbing shoulders on Kuta’s streets with Australian, Asian and European tourists, were required to make their own ogoh-ogohs. On Saturday, a group of boys, led by Wayan Putra Setiaman, 14, said they would obediently stay home, not daring to step outside lest they be caught by the pecalang.

They would not be allowed to use their television sets.
"But we can send SMSs to our friends as long as we’re quiet?" he said, zeroing in on a subject under debate among the pecalang.

How about video games? "Yes," he said. "No!" said another boy, Wayan Wima Putra, 10, said, tapping the older boy across the chest.

"No," the older boy corrected himself, explaining that video games connected to television sets were forbidden but that portable ones were OK.

Even as Bali has reinforced its traditions, some outsiders said it had lost a bit of its legendary openness. Ucok, 41, the manager of a tattoo shop who moved to Bali from Sumatra 15 years ago, said he and other Muslims felt a little ‘discrimination.’

"Since the bombing, the locals are more suspicious towards Muslims," Ucok said, adding that outsiders would nonetheless keep coming here. "Bali is like sugar. Ants come to it."

Made Darsana, 59, the deputy chief of one of Kuta’s three subdistricts, said outsiders were occupying an increasingly larger share of the population.

On Saturday, Darsana and a dozen pecalang were taking a break from their patrol at a temple where they quietly shared fried rice. Darsana, who spoke English with an unmistakably American accent, explained that he learned English about 40 years ago from an American Indian named Joe. Joe was among the hippies who discovered Bali, back in the day when Kuta had perhaps a single guesthouse, Darsana said.

"Life isn’t about material things, about tall buildings," he said. "It’s about being one with the world. That’s the core teaching of Hinduism. I didn’t know this when I was younger. You learn these things as you live. Been there, done that."

With development and the influx of outsiders, Bali’s environment has been irreparably damaged, he said. Outsiders now owned almost all the major businesses in Kuta.

"It’s sad," Darsana said. "We now have only our culture."
His smile and constant cheerfulness, though, belied his expression of loss. Despite the Day of Silence, Darsana grew increasingly loquacious as he reminisced about his hippie youth - hanging out with Joe, mastering the surfboard as well as the bong, taking a three-day drive all the way to Jakarta.

"And my girlfriend was in the back," he added, to roars of approval from the subdistrict chief as the other pecalang nearby immediately chided him in unison, "Shhhh!"

Sheepishly, Darsana mentioned that, at night, he himself would make sure that his neighbours turned off any electric lights or candles. Only nursing mothers or the sick would be allowed to leave their lights on.

"It’s going to be like Kuta in the 1960s," he said. After a long pause and perhaps some memories left unmentioned, he added. "Been there, done that."

http://www.deccanherald.com)

(Courtesy: Norimitsu Onishi, The New York Times, March 8, 2011.)

Baba Ramdev in Kohima

Yoga is nothing but a pure science
By Jagdamba Mall

NOTED Yogaguru Baba Ramdev was recently on a tour of north-eastern states. At a camp organised in Kohima, Nagaland, he displayed over twenty exercises for gymnasts and body-builders, few of which were really very difficult which only regular practitioner could do. He displayed Suryanamaskars, over 50 asnas and a set of eight pranayams in correct sequence.

In between, he narrated the significance of Yoga, pranayam and meditation. He said in the beginning when he was coming here, many of his well-wishers advised him to be very alert and careful for his security because Nagas were, as advised, ferocious and very violent in nature, but I am surprised to notice that Nagas whomsoever I have met were not so as I was told. "Naga log bahut sunder hain, kewal bahar se hi nahi bheetar se bhi. Inka man bahut saaf hai (Nagas are very beautiful not only from outside but also from inside. They are very honest people). He said Haipou Jadonang was a Naga who challenged the British Empire. He fought for the freedom of the country along with whole nation because of which Britishers hanged him. He lauded the sacrifices made by Rani Maa Gaidinliu for Bharatmata. Baba showered his blessing and praised the scarified made by three Naga jawans of Indian Army who were martyred during the Kargil war. He said there is no difference between Nagas and other Bharatiyas in other part of the country.

Baba Ramdev has branches of Patanjali Yog Trust in over 200 countries of the world where people are practising yoga in their daily life. He said he had two life missions-(i) to make Bharat and the world free from diseases and most healthy through the teaching of yoga and (ii) to make Bharat richest and strongest and corruption-free in the world through his Bharat Swabhiman Yatra.

In an indirect reference to secessionist uprising in Northeast region, Baba said the country’s international boundaries were completely secured and well-guarded by 21 lakh Bharatiya forces. Indian economy would be ten times more than USA if all the Rs 400 lakh crore black money deposited by corrupt politicians, corporate houses and high officers in foreign banks is brought back. With a special reference to religion he said there is full freedom to practice any religion. Nobody hinders in the practice of any individual’s way of worship. Thus, everybody is free to become richest through righteous means and everybody is free to practice his religion. "What more freedom an individual or a community needs?" Baba asked.

In Baba Ramdev’s context, many find similarity in the stand taken by church against scientists like Darwin, Galileo, Archimedes, Einstein, Nobel Laureate Philosopher Bertrand Russel and many more whatever might be the reason. Nagas got themselves deprived of an opportunity to learn the Yoga therapy that, too, taught by internationally famous and highly revered Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev. This parochial mindset hinders the development of Nagas in Nagaland and other neighbouring states. It also hinders the cultural exchange and social assimilation. The parochialism leads Nagas to total isolation which is not good for a healthy and developing society.

Forcible Conversion of Tutsa janjatis to Christianity by NSCN (K)

Janjati Manch writes to PM
By Jagdamba Mall

JANJATI Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to protect the Tutsa people of Kothung village of Tirap district including Lazu circle and whole of Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. In a letter dated February 14, 2011 addressed to Prime Minister, Shri BB Jamatia, the president of the Manch said, "One Wangdong Chaktey, a self-styled Central Intelligence Officer (CIO) UT/III of Government of People’s Republic of Nagaland (GPRN-NSCN-K) served a threat letter dated January 4, 2011 to the president, Central Rangfra Administrative Council (CRAC), district Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh. NSCN-K has ordered vide this letter to stop by January 9, 2011 and there after all the socio-cultural and faith promotional activities of Rangsomhum (Rangfra temple) of Kothung village of Tirap district including Lazu circle and whole of Changlang district." NSCN-K has warned that non-compliance of that order would invite a dire consequence.

The NSCN-K official Wangdong Chaktey has ordered that no Rangsomhum could be constructed in any village of that area. Neither, the followers of Rangfra faith can take any religious and cultural activity anywhere. Shri Jamatia says further that when Shri Wangjam Chaktey and Shri Kamjam Hangphuk, the priest and secretary respectively of Rangfra Administrative Council (RAC) of Kothung village could not comply with orders of NSCN-K, they were summoned to their designated camp located in nearby jungle. There, the priest Wangjam Chaktey, 75, was tied in a post and tortured for four hours from 11 am to 3 pm on January 11. Earlier, the same militant official of NSCN-K had issued similar threat letter on October 30, 2010 to stop all the religious activities of Rangfra religion. Again on February 1, Kamjam Hangphuk was kidnapped and retained in their designated camp for six days till February 6. He was thoroughly beaten there and was released only when 65 thousand in cash was paid and a pig worth rupees ten thousand was given to him. This is with an intention of converting the followers of Rangfra religion into Christianity and integrating Changlang and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh into their proposed "Greater Nagaland".

The Manch president has drawn the attention of Prime Minister stating that armed groups in hundreds, brandishing lethal weapons are roaming in the villages since November 2010, creating tension and fear psychosis among the common masses especially the villagers because of that they could not celebrate their festivals. Some remote villages are completely under control of the factions with instances of villagers not being allowed to move out of their villages and their mobile phones seized. And with the latest spurt of armed conflicts, the villagers have not been able to move out to clear their jhum fields causing serious concern among people. The hardest hit is Khonsa, the district headquater of Tirap which is under control of cadres of the two waring factions - NSCN-IM and NSCN-K.

The letter to Prime Minister describe that on January 14, Chief of Ozakho village - Awang Wangsu, the lone son of his parents was shot dead. A decade ago, his father was also killed by militants of one of the factions. Hence, the entire generation of the Chief of Ozakha village has become extinct due to the armed conflicts. A number of Govt. officers have also been receiving intimidations and threat letters leading to hampering of many developmental activities. While taking into account the intensity, magnitude and movement of the latest turn of events, it is apprehended that the war of supremacy between two factions will become more vigorous with potential of damaging the prospect of peaceful survival of innocent people of these two districts - Changlang and Tirap which have become the battleground of NSCN-IM and NSCN-K.

Drawing attention further Shri Jamatia, narrates that under the protective cover of NSCN-IM in their area of operation and NSCN-K in its area of control, the Naga Christian missionaries are masquerading as peace-makers with Bible in one hand and AK-47 in the other. It may be noted that the Naga Christian missionaries are in both the factions working for the extension of sphere of "Nagaland for Christ". The official logos of both the factions bear prominently the slogan "Nagaland for Christ" signaling that Christianity is the only recognised religion in the area of their control.

It is requested through this letter that criminals be arrested immediately along with all the armed cadres responsible for creating panic in the area and punished as per the law of the land so that peace prevails there. Also appropriate security be provided to office bearers of Rangsomhum in all the villages. It is also requested to check the conversion crusade and missionary menace of Naga missionaries sponsored by different Naga churches of Nagaland who are moving freely under the protection of armed terrorists of NSCN-K and NSCN-IM. NSCN-IM and NSCN-K are two rival factions of Naga terrorists but when it comes to the question of conversion, they are one and the same because church acts as the Godfather of both of them.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda, an eternal source of inspiration
By Santosh Rastogi

IF there is a question as to who is the greatest inspirator of modern India, I don’t think there would be two answers. Just like a thunderbolt, Swami Vivekananda appeared among the comity of Indian great men to shred light for the benefit of the whole world, and left the stage without completing even 40 years. Still he left behind enough energy and inspiration for so many generations to come.

He lived among us at a time when India was preparing for the final push against the foreign rulers towards the end of the millennium long slavery. At that time, vast majority of the people were living under the grip of superstitions and gross poverty. It looked as if weakness and slavery have become part of their blood. People lived cursing their fate. For most of them, anything foreign was great. There were no original leaders to be seen. It was at this juncture, Swami Vivekananda rose like a Sun from India’s east horizon. The clouds generated by that Sun rained down the much needed nectar of spiritual inspiration across the vast barren lands of India. Thousands of hearts blossomed by the touch of his gentle rays. The land which was being looked down upon as a wasteland by the world, all of a sudden turned into a beautiful garden. Thousands of seeds which were lying hidden under it’s soil, sprouted and grew to become fruit bearing trees. Once as he himself described about incarnations, a great tidal wave of spirituality, a spiritual tsunami hit the Indian shores and filled the dried ponds, wells and all water bodies to their brims. When we study the lives of the leaders of freedom movement, we understand that it was none other than Swami Vivekananda who was the real inspiration behind them. From Subhas Chandra Bose and Gandhiji to Dr Hedgewar and Arobindo Ghosh. From Swami Rama Thirtha to Swami Chinmayananda. From C V Raman to Jamshedji Tata. That unparalleled inspiration keeps flowing like a continuous stream and touches thousands of hearts even today.

His magnificent personality was a right mix of the greatness and depth of India’s ancient wisdom, and the creative energy of modern day youth. The rest of the world at that time was in a state of ‘shock and awe’ at the sight of the materialistic advancement and military prowess of the west. Swamiji stood like a lighthouse in front of them holding the eternal promise of the Vedic wisdom of India. His personality was akin to those wise men from Puranas and epics. Great thinkers and intellectuals felt themselves like dwarfs in front of this giant.

Budhism was the first missionary driven religion in the world. But because of the millennium long foreign slavery and the indifference towards self propagation, there were no serious and organised efforts from India to spread it’s religion and philosophy after Budhism. At the same time foreign missionary driven religions engulfed the world within the short time span of few centuries. While proclaiming about god as the ‘ultimate truth’ and ‘ever blissful consciousness’ etc, infact Hinduism as a religion had actually forgotten its basic duty of providing love and care to the large sections of its followers. Swami Vivekananda made up for that deficiency by establishing the spiritual oriented service organisation called Sri Ramakrishna Mission. This Hindu missionary organisation was successful in distributing the much needed spiritual solace to those unfortunate, poor and illiterate masses.

‘Service to Man is Service to God" became the national mantra of India. Thousands of similar social initiatives were founded following this. That trend continues even today. We saw great humanitarians like Baba Amte, Nanaji Deshmukh and Eknath Ranade being nurtured by this life giving flow of inspiration. Today we see that Vivekananda Kendra in one of the few nationalist organisations working to connect those Indians living in the North Eastern states to our national main stream. While being addressed as a "Yogaarooda’ and ‘Brahmajnani’ etc, even the adjective "Patriot Saint of India’ was equally befitting for his personality. Even while teaching the deeper truth that, this worldly life is nothing but an eternal flow to merge with the absolute, he consistently upheld the importance of three milestones in that progress of human life - the Individual, Family and Nation.

Today, a century after his demise the world look at India with awe and respect. It is considered as the invaluable treasure house of spiritual knowledge. People all over the world move towards a path of sustainable development which gives equal importance to spiritual well being along with material prosperity. Everywhere we see the enthusiasm to learn the techniques of inner world - ayurveda, yoga, meditation and so on. The message of east has found its place in the western minds. He had gatecrashed into their fortresses of ego by his famous speech delivered at the Parliament of Religions on September 11, 1893. His success in the west triggered a great flow of seekers from west to east in search of great masters. Even today ripples of that flow reaches upto the remotest and inaccessible caves of Himalayas. About a century later on another September 11, another group of youths visited the west and delivered the message of their belief. It was another face of religious indoctrination. Again it triggered a flow of humans from west to east. But this time it was armed combatants searching for the master minds of terror in the remotest caves of Hindukush ranges. These two events in contrast reminds us the importance of India’s culture and civilization for the peaceful existence of the humanity as a whole.

India celebrates his birth day on Jan 12 as National Youth Day. We don’t see a greater ambassador to represent India’s youth. His 150th birth anniversary is in 2013. Year long programme are being planned by various organisations including central and state governments to commemorate this event in a grand manner. Sri Ramakrishna Mission is celebrating it as a four-year programme starting from January 12. Some of the ambitious programmes being envisioned are establishing study centers at 150 universities, adopting 150 villages for overall development, movies and tv serials in multiple languages aiming international audience, making available lakhs of copies of books on Swamiji’s life at subsidised price and so on. His birth centenary celebrations gave us a world class memorial at Kanyakumari and lead to the founding of a nationalist service organisation like Vivekananda Kendra. Millions of people across India participated in that effort at that time by making contributions from one rupee onwards. If a proper vision is presented and people come forward with the same enthusiasm, we will be able to offer a much greater token of respect at his lotus feet this time too. We have enough time to plan for this event. Will we do that?

Media is selective on exposing corruption

Take a column in Hindustan Times about celebrating New Year Eve at leading hotels in Delhi. Consider the rates charged for a midnight meal. At Orient Express, Taj Palace, the cost was `25,000 per couple inclusive of taxes. Thank god for that. At Amnesia, the VVIP Lounge cost `25,000 per couple. It was ‘cheaper’ at places like LAP, Parkland Exotica which charged a measly `15,000 and so all the way down the line.

WHAT is it that has gone wrong with this great country? Ministers are corrupt; politicians are blatantly corrupt, the media is showing itself to be no better. And now, we learn, even the malaise has hit the judiciary -and nobody seems to care. Charges have been levied against a retired Supreme Court Judge. Tehelka (December 18, 2010), the acme of investigative journalism, carries a story that is frightening. On November 26, two Supreme Court Judges, Markendeya Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra said: "We are sorry to say, but a lot of complaints are coming against certain judges of the Allahabad High Court, relating to their integrity. Some judges have their kith and kin practicing in the same court and within a few years of starting practices, the sons or relatives of the judges become multimillionaires, have huge bank balances, luxurious cars, huge houses and are enjoying a luxurious life. This is a far cry from the days when the sons and other relatives of judges could derive no benefit from their relationship and had to struggle at the Bar like any other lawyer."

According to an investigative story written by Brijesh Pandey and Kunal Majumdar, the Allahabad High Court, India’s oldest and biggest, "is awash with families of judges practicing in the same court (as the presiding judges), casting doubts over the impartiality of justice". This is a serious charge. Tehelka has gone to the extent of naming the judges whose close relatives practice under them. Thirty five judges have been named. And advocate of the Supreme Court, Prashant Bhushan, has been quoted as saying that "there are no rules that bar relatives of judges from practicing in the same court", though "many of them do get the advantage. The time has come for the Establishment to take a call on this. Judges should not be appointed where immediate relatives are practising. Immediate relatives mean spouse, children, brothers and sisters".

And Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney General is quoted as saying: "It all depends on the integrity of a judge and lawyer. The practice has been there for some years now, but what is disturbing is the current numbers. If lawyers are getting favourable judgements repeatedly, the Bar Council must intervene. There must be peer pressure to stop this practice." Does peer pressure really help? Shouldn’t there be a law? If a judge hears a case being argued either by his father, or brother or son, sister or daughter, what fairness can one expect in the final judgement? Isn’t that for all citizens to worry about?

Tehelka’s January 11 issue is not less alarming. It says: "It’s not just BJP, Congress and JD(S)" that give prime property to people close to the party. "DMK Supremo Karunanidhi has also been handing out prime property to judges, politicians and their kids. Who’s going to rein them all in?" The trouble seems to be that Chief Ministers have "discretionary" quotas that they can allot to their favourites. And these "favourites’ can be fellow politicians, judges, bureaucrats and even journalists. Asks Tehelka: "Why should the government have the power to give coveted land to selected employees and journalists over others? Lies are perpetrated. Many bureaucrats and their relatives have been given plots or flats under the "social worker" category. Rules are violated. When will people revolt against these heinous practices and bring offending Chief Ministers to book? If one studies the current situation, the answer is Never. It is money alone that matters. How does it show?

Take a column in Hindustan Times (December 26, 2010). It is about celebrating New Year Eve at leading hotels in Delhi. Consider the rates charged for a midnight meals. At Orient Express, Taj Palace, the cost was `25,000 per couple inclusive of taxes. Thank god for that. At Amnesia, the VVIP Lounge cost `25,000 per couple. It was ‘cheaper’ at places like LAP, Parkland Exotica which charged a measly Rs 15,000 and so all the way down the line. One can be sure it was House Full everywhere? What is a `25,000 when one Minister managed to get the government lose `1,760 lakh crore? The trouble is that we are fast becoming a nation of 10 per cent wealthy people for whom money is no consideration. It is affecting our moral standards as well. Or should one be more liberal and say not ‘moral’ but cultural standards?

Look at our newspapers. More semi-nude pictures of women are published than ever and one wonders whether Debonair has taken over our dailies. One paper-should one mention names?-once carried in just one issue, as many as 19 pictures of girls in bikinis, which must be something of a record. Now the situation is getting reversed. According to DNA (December 11, 2010) "fully nude photographs of a teenage boy in a women’s magazine Grihshobha have landed the publisher in a police case. Grihashobha is a Hindi biweekly for young women that covers entertainment, fashion, celebrity gossip, lifestyle, cookery and health. In a December edition the magazine published three full nudes of a western teenager. On the photographs was a morphed image of a girl looking at the photographs. The Hindi text below said, "Earlier, nude photographs of women were in vogue. Now a photographer has organised an exhibition of 200 nudes of a teenager. However, it is not known how many women would want to solicit him." Grihashobha began publication in 1979 and is amongst the largest sold magazines in its category in India, with editions in many Indian languages. The Group also publishes Grihalakshmi and Woman’s Era.

Incidentally, the case against the journal was filed not by a woman but by a man, a lawyer, by name Manoj Jaiswal. He filed a complaint at the Worli (Mumbai) police station, submitting the purchase bill and the magazine. The Worli police have apparently filed an FIR against the magazine publisher, a Worli-based vendor and the local distributors under Section 292 and 293 of the Indian Penal Code which deal with the sale and printing of obscene books. But what is really obscene? Are pictures of scantilyclad teenagers acceptable? Just as importantly, do serious dailies of national reputation need to publish them? What sort of journalism are we practicing? Shouldn’t someone pull up editors of these dailies and tell them they are bringing disgrace to the profession? The Press Council can do nothing in such matters.

A Hindu renaissance in North-east region

By Jagdamba Mall

THE northeast Bharat has been encoiled by the nexus of church, Christian terrorists, Muslims and Muslim terrorist organisations, China and China-sponsored naxalites/Maoists Human Rightists, masked NGOs and pseudo-secular politicians across the party line in ruling and opposition in Parliament and various state assemblies as well. These enemy forces are trying to entrench each and every individual community, big or small Janajati or non-Janajati both. They hammer at the very root of Hindutva-the umbilical cord. They preach that Janajatis are not Hindus.

Against all these odds and opposition, the Hindus - Janajatis and non-Janajatis living in plains or hills or forests or in far-flung bordering villages, risen above all odds and came out to defend the country on the call given by a group of nationalist organisations. The Hindus living in all the seven states - Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, have come out from the odds.

Manipur is the most disturbed state today witnessing bloodshed every now and then. In this state, total 18 Hindu Sammelans were organised. In all the Sammelans, people participated with great enthusiasm. There are 32 villages in Waochung Area. Nepali Hindus have been living in all these inaccessible villages from British time. The British Government had declared this area as ‘Grazing Zone’ for cows and other pets. The Nepalese were asked to settle there. The Nepalese brothers have been living there since then. They are facing the attacks from church, Christian militants and the hostility of state government. When a call was given to organise a Hindu Sammelan, they all assembled in Irang village on December 25 last year many waiting for 5-6 hours. The 500 strong assembly of men and women-young and old, listened with apt attentively to what was spoken by various speakers. Shri Badari Guruji, though unable to see by external eyes but enlightened by his inner divine eyes, is a Vedic scholar, divine person and the Pracharya of a Sanskrit Pathshala in Charhazere of Manipur. He is the most venerated spiritual Guru of the people of this area. He continuously tours the area to organise Hindus. He said in the Irang Hindu Sammelan, "When the Dharma, Sanskriti, Rishis and righteous people were tortured and existence of nation was in danger, Lord Krishna organised the righteous people and defeated the evil forces. Similarly, Bhagwan Ram did the same by killing Ravana and his heinous army. Today, similar situation is arising in every corner of the country. Dharma, Sanskriti, righteous people and the international boundary of the country are threatened by evil and enemy forces. Drawing a lesson from the life of Bhagwan Ram and Yogiraj Krishna, the Hindu society has to be organised today in defence of Dharma, Sanskriti, righteous people and Bharatmata."

He further said, "The devil of conversion to Christianity is lurking at very doorstep of us. The missionary military of church is at work. The Hindus are required to pose an organised opposition to such evil force." The meeting was also addressed by Shri Bhawani Suvedo, Shri Jagdamba Mall and others. Similar, Sammelans were organised at Senapati, Char Hazare, Marom, Imphal Money, Tamlro (inside Myanmar), Ukhrul, Churachandpur and other several places.

Addressing a large assembly of Hindus in Guwahati on December 26, 2010 VHP president Dr Pravin Togdia, said, "Today, the politicians are harassing and defaming Hindu Sanyasis and patriotic organisations in the name of saffron terrorism to appease Muslim voters and Muslim terrorists. This has posed a threat to sovereignty of our nation." Dr Togadia cautioned the Hindu society against Christian conversion, Bangladeshi Muslims infiltration, terrorism and threat from China. He said that the Central Government is causing hurdle in the construction of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya.

Addressing another Hindu Sammelan, a prominent social worker Shri Vashistha Buzurbaruah underlined these problems and narrated that every Hindu living in Assam is a Assomiya irrespective of language and state. He put the fact other way round also. He said that every Assomiya is a Hindu and they should pronounce this Hindu identity boldly so that the threats coming from every corner can be defeated successfully.

Burney apologises for his vicious canard against RSS

Burney apologises for his vicious canard against RSS
Will Digvijay follow suit or face trial?
By Pramod Kumar

A contempt of court proceeding is to begin against Burney in the Mumbai court as he, despite being the matter subjudice, continued to use his paper to pressurise the judiciary and to reproduce pro-Pakistani claims in more objectionable manner. There is possibility that non-bailable warrant may be issued against him by the court. Secondly, the police, which investigated the case, may also file its report in the Court shortly.

EDITOR of Urdu daily Rojnama Rashtriya Sahara, Aziz Burney, who hit the national headlines when he got Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh to throw his weight behind his provocatively titled book, RSS ka Shadyantra, 26/11 (RSS conspiracy, 26/11), has now tendered unconditional apology.

In a front-page apology appeared in Hindi edition of Rashtriya Sahara on January 28 and also carried in Urdu edition, Aziz Burney said, "He apologises if he has hurt anyone or any group while discussing events around 26/11." He also said that he would like to clarify and apologise if he has hurt anyone by the title of his book and is happy to change the title if that would assuage feelings.

The apology, titled Aziz Burney ki taraf se safaai aur maafi (A clarification and apology from Burney) further said, "I am an Indian and stand by my government on all international matters. I will never do anything to compromise its position in the rest of the world." Citing an article he wrote on December 17 last year entitled, Hafiz Sayed hamara apraadhi hai, ise hamein saunpo, (Hafiz Sayed is our enemy, hand him over to us), he said the piece does not talk about 26/11 nor links the incident with the RSS.

However, Burney did not mention what made him to tender this apology. This is a fact that the lies repeatedly mentioned by him in his articles, which later culminated in a book titled RSS ka Shadyantra, 26/11, stand fully exposed. Burney is also facing a lawsuit filed at Navi Mumbai Session Court for publishing unsubstantiated, false, derogatory and malicious reports in Rojnama Rashtriya Sahara about 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Advocate Prashant Maggu filed the case on August 7, 2009 for his client Shri Vinay Joshi of Mumbai under IPC Sections of 121, 108, 107, 117, 124(A), 153(A), 153(B), 505(2) and 506.

It is believed that a contempt of court proceeding is to begin against Burney in the Mumbai court as he, despite being the matter subjudice, continued to use his paper to pressurise the judiciary and to reproduce pro-Pakistani claims in more objectionable manner. There is possibility that non-bailable warrant may be issued against him by the court. Secondly, the police, which investigated the case, may also file its report in the Court shortly.

Even after this apology Shri Vinay Joshi made it clear that he will not withdraw his case and will continue to fight till Burney is punished for his misdeeds. Shri Joshi is also planning to make Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh a co-accused in this case.

For more than two years since the Mumbai attacks, Aziz Burney was presenting what he called an "alternative" picture through a series of more than 100 articles in Rojnama Rashtriya Sahara alleging the involvement of RSS in the attack. These articles basically contradicted the claims made by the External Affairs Ministry and Union Home Ministry as well as Mumbai Police regarding the Pakistan involvement in the attack.

Apart from filing a lawsuit in the court, Shri Vinay Joshi also appealed to the Press Council of India to investigate the anti-India and pro-Pakistanti articles of Rojanama Rashtriya Sahara and demanded exemplary action against Sahara Publication. "Indian leaders including Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Home Minister and Mumbai Police officers are repeatedly stressing about Pakistani Militant outfit’s involvement in Mumbai attack but the Rojnama Rashtriya Sahara has continuously been publishing reports of involvement of Mumbai police officials, military intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and RAW’s hand in training Pakistani militants for Mumbai attack so as to defame Indian Muslims. For couple of times, Pakistani diplomats and leaders have referred the Sahara reports on international platforms for their benefits saying that even Indian newspapers are saying that not Pakistani outfits but Indian agencies are behind the Mumbai attack. These claims are highly anti-national and hampering the reputation of India on international level. For Rojnama Rashtriya Sahara what Pakistani media and diplomats said has been highly reliable but what Indian diplomats and leaders said has been false, concoctions and not trustworthy. For scores of times I wrote to the editor of the paper to seek clarification in this matter but for no reply from editor’s side," Shri Joshi said in his complaint to Press Council of India.

Shri Joshi also sought information under RTI from Prime Minister’s Office on August 31, 2009 seeking the names of the countries to which Burney accompanied Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 2009. He also sought the names of the PMO Officials who shortlisted the name of Burney to accompany the PM on foreign trips. Shri Joshi sought this information for the reason that Burney published an article in the issue dated January 5, 2009 in which he wrote that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh might be involved in the Mumbai terror attack directly or indirectly, or he was aware of the conspiracy of Mumbai terror attack. As the allegation which Burney levelled against Intelligence Bureau (IB) for Mumbai terror attack directly comes under PMO and also PMO is responsible for the control of acts committed by IB, Burney has blatantly commented that IB was involved in Mumbai attack.

Shri Joshi then requested the Union Home Ministry and sought the removal of CISF security provided to Burney. Though Burney has no faith in Indian security forces CISF’s armed soldiers have been deployed in his personal security. Shri Joshi pleaded to the Union Home Minister that there is no point in providing security to the person who is openly taking pro-Pakistani stand in Mumbai attack case and linking Indian security forces for their so-called invisible hand in terror attack.

When the misdeeds of Burney surfaced he received strong opposition from different sections of the society. New Delhi-based India Policy Foundation (IPF) published a detailed report in December 2010 exposing the lies of Burney mentioned in his controversial book RSS ka Shadyantra-26/11. Burney’s book made repeated attempts to give a clean chit to Pakistan and its jehadi associates for Mumbai terrorist attack. The IPF also exposed the real intentions of Burney and proved that it is part of a larger conspiracy to weaken the internal security of India and also to defame the nationalist forces, Indian intelligence and investigative agencies.

The intellectual terrorists are the dubious fifth estate of Indian democracy.

They come in varied hues - social activists, ‘noted’ historians, journalists, advocates, litterateurs and of course prominent citizens. They are over active and reactive when it comes to the protection of evangelists, jehadis and Maoists and their silence is articulate in any matter that concerns the sentiments of the Hindus or the nation.

They browbeat the governments and have of late taken to bullying the judiciary. When the Ayodhya verdict came and all sides concerned were relieved and happy, this brigade was beating their chest and crying for the ‘loss’ of Muslims. The invasion of faith. The Raipur court verdict on their beloved colleague Binayak Sen brought tears of blood to their eyes. They who had not shed a tear for the hundreds of tribals killed and security forces blown up like flies were proclaiming the innocence of Sen, appropriating more knowledge and information on the case than the investigative officers and the judge who heard the trial. When the Supreme Court made an observation against forced and coerced religious conversions by evangelists that are creating social tensions, in the Staines murder case, these chorus singers saw ‘danger’ to India’s pluralism and pressurised the court into deleting the reference.

The fact that India is plural and secular because of the Hindus is never acknowledged by these pamphleteers, who re-write India’s history to suit the convenience of their bias. Hence, the marauder invader Ghazni becomes a routine plunderer who was attracted by the wealth. That each of these foreign Muslim invaders broke our temples, set on fire our libraries and attempted to spread Islam through the sword is never mentioned in any of their history text book.

Kashmiri Pandits who were thrown out of their homeland are not sympathised with by this crowd. But they take to podiums and wax eloquent on the ‘missing’ children in Kashmir. Ask these characters if they have ever attended the funeral of one soldier killed defending the nation. The answer would be a no. They even forget that they can talk about Kashmir so freely in the air conditioned halls in the metros only because these jawans are guarding the borders.

They never condemn the naxalite violence. During TV debates they in passing mention, of course we do, and hastily add, but we must go to the root cause of this. They would never call Afzal, Kasab and scores of other terrorists as Muslim terrorists. The 26/11 attack is not described as Islamic terror. But persons like Sadhvi Pragya, Col Purohit have been branded as Hindu terrorists. They rave and rant about ‘draconian’ terror laws and campaign for the human rights of terrorists.

The media, especially some of the English newspapers, magazines and TV channels are the oxygen that keeps this motley crowd alive. Kashmir separatists have more supporters in Delhi than in the state. So they survive. There are some regulars who are seen in this club. The National Advisory Committee has been filled with these people by Sonia Gandhi to direct and dictate to the nominated Prime Minister of India. They of course operate in different circles and routes but come together as if on cue on Pakistan, Maoists, jehadis and the evangelists. Some of the most familiar faces are Arundhati Roy, who declared she is no more a citizen of this country, but continues to hold the Indian passport, Ramachandra Guha, whose heart bleeds selectively for the threat to pluralism (from Hindus!), Swami Agnivesh, forever looking for an opportunity to run down the handful of Hindu organisations, N Ram, who wears multiple hats as social activist, journalist and Hindu baiter, members of the Tehelka club, who also pass for journalists, Teesta Setelvad with a Modi obsession, Kuldip Nayyar too senior to change his ways and the loud and brash Pak admirer at large Mani Shankar Iyer. This group has of course shed the jhola and the coarse cotton and the unkept look that used to be the group identity. Their fashion and style have changed with official patronage. English is their lingua franca, for maximizing international impact.

Between India and Pakistan, they would take the side of our neighbour. They would campaign against India going nuclear and yet refuse to see the threat from our east and west. Their love for freedom and human rights does not extend to the Tibetans. The religious persecution of Tamils in Malaysia and their plight in Sri Lanka are non-issues as far as these club members are concerned.

They attempt to divide the Hindu society by declaring tribals as non-Hindu, wean away the dalits and other socially deprived classes as outside the Hindu fold. Without a drop of understanding they discuss the caste issue. Paradoxically, they support reservation to Christian and Muslim converts from SC/ST. RSS-VHP-Bajrang Dal are the proverbial red rag for them. Politically, their preference is Congress, since the communists have no presence outside Kerala and West Bengal. Outside that they support anyone who can defeat the BJP, because it is tinged by saffron and hence a huge no-no.

What is clear is that they are playing to a gallery that is not India. The issues they select, the positions they highlight and the posturing they assume are all so consistently against the sentiments of an ordinary Indian. They are perched in their comfortable chairs, not having to go anywhere near the poor and the wretched of this country, but to speak for them in sound bites for TV and produce articles for cohort publications. It is high time we identified and recognised these intellectual terrorists and isolated them, so that we can live in a free society, with a system that is unmindful to their ilk.

given urine bottle in place of drinking water

Expose
Brute Kashmiri policemen misbehaved with brave BJP workers in Srinagar
Removed turban, dragged by hair, given urine bottle in place of drinking water.

T HE J&K Government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah adopted all unfair and inhuman means to crush the moral of BJP workers in the Valley. The state police, allegedly on the instance of Omar Abdullah, committed inhuman atrocities on BJP workers participating in the Tiranga Yatra and also to check them hoisting the National Flag at Lal Chowk, Srinagar on January 26.

When separatist leader Yasin Malik and others marched to Lal Chowk with black flags, the police offered them hot tea and cigarettes. "But we were arrested for trying to hoist the National Flag... When we asked for water, the police offered us urine."

"The prime objective behind perpetuating inhuman atrocities on BJP workers in the Valley was to eliminate the ground support of BJP and other nationalist forces in the Valley so that the anti-national elements active in the Valley could work freely," alleged BJP leader Shri RP Singh who successfully reached Srinagar on January 26 and tried to hoist the tricolour along with nine other party workers.

According to reports, Miss Halima Akhtar, a woman activist of BJP in Uri, was lifted on January 24 by some policemen in plain clothes and was kept at unknown place till January 28 and was thrown at Jehangir Chowk of Srinagar. She was tortured inhumanly during the captivity. When she was left at the Chowk she was very frightened. She called another party worker, Altaf Thakur, to seek his help. When Thakur reached Jehangir Chowk he found burn marks over her body and found her in semi-conscious condition. Her hairs were cut from the back. Altaf immediately took her to a hospital from where she was taken away by the police. After picking up her from the hospital, Srinagar SSP Asif Bukhari organised a press conference next day in which Halima was forced to give the statement that since she was unable to bring 50 workers for the Tiranga Yatra she burnt herself so that the BJP leaders could not punish her for not brining the workers to the Yatra.

KK Upadhyaya, an engineer from Gurgaon, was the first who tried. He was beaten up. The next group of workers came as close as 20 metres from Lal Chowk. No sooner did one of them take the flag out of his pocket and wave it, that several policemen pounced on him, snatched away the flag, tore it (the National Flag) into pieces and beat him up, fracturing his left hand in the process.

"We were ten workers including two from Delhi and eight from Rajasthan including a lady worker Shikha Rai. We also had three other supporters-two from Jammu and two from Valley but they skipped the police attention when we were being arrested. Immediately being arrested, I informed the vice president of Yuva Morcha over mobile phone that the police was taking us to Ram Munshi Bagh police station. When we were taken to the police station the policemen started torturing us as if we were Pakistanis or anti-nationals. We were beaten mercilessly by lathi and rifle butt. There are still 48 marks of beating over my body. It has been confirmed in the MLC report also. Not only this, they pushed by pagari and used very derogatory words against Sikhism. They said they would tight the screw of the Sikhs also in the Valley and the time is not far when there would be no Sikh in the Valley.

"They also used highly objectionable words against the tricolour while beating us. They uninterruptedly beat us till 7.30 pm. We were ten persons while the policemen were 35. When we were arrested there was no lady police as we had a lady worker also. The whole episode shows that the local police are also with the radicals. Their only agenda is that no nationalist voice should emerge from the Valley," said Shri RP Singh while narrating the trauma he and his associates underwent in Kashmir, while talking to Organiser in New Delhi.

"J&K Police personnel were carrying posters - ‘Indian dogs, go back’. The arrested BJP activists were forced to take off their clothes in sub-zero temperatures. Third degree torture was meted out. Does Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have any explanation for this kind of an action? He should apologise to the nation," BJYM national president Shri Anurag Thakur questioned.

A lesson for Nalanda University revival

Alexandria Library Restoration
By Priyadarshi Dutta

In 1986, the idea of Bibliotheca Alexandrian resurged after a number of serious scientific studies by a panel of scientists. A preparatory committee consisting eminent writers, thinkers, and intellectuals was formed to chalk out a plan for reviving the library. UNESCO Director-General responded promptly and announced UNESCO was ready to assist in the project. UNESCO took up the project and in March 1987 presented Phase I of the project feasibility study.

WHILE Egypt is the flavour of the season with an ‘Ozymandias’ fighting for his survival in the Nile Valley, an event in the Gangetic plain captured some attention. The mutation papers regarding 446 acres of land meant for proposed Nalanda University were handed over by Bihar administration to Dr Gopa Sabharwal, the Vice Chancellor-designate. The adulatory tone in which some newspapers reported the event betrays a black hole of thinking. We had seen similar panegyrics in the both Houses of Parliament when the Nalanda University Bill was passed in August 2010. Unfortunately, the political class, intelligentsia and media have indulged in little analytical thinking about the project touted as the revival of India’s glorious heritage. It is ironic that the revival of India’s glory should be surrogated by a bunch of NRIs and non-Indian figures in a highly non-transparent fashion. It was never put on the website even though such a project of ‘national importance’ warranted voluntary disclosure and wide public participation. How come Dr Gopa Sabharwal, a Reader of Sociology in the Lady Shri Ram College (Delhi University), who heads a department of three teachers, and has two published books to her credit got catapulted to the position of Vice Chancellor is a secret best known to the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) or its head viz. Amartya Sen.

The project has indulged in misusing the brand name of Nalanda in ways more than one. In claiming itself to be a modern avatar of ancient Nalanda it has completely disregarded an already flourishing institution of Buddhist scholarship Nava Nalanda Mahavihara (estd. 1952), working under the aegis of Union Ministry of Culture in the same Nalanda district of Bihar. Its foundation stone was laid by the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad in 1951. It is a living institution whose activities and affairs one can keep abreast of at http://navanalandamahavihara.org/.

We have a strange situation where two ministries of the UPA government viz. Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Culture would claim guardianship of two institutions, utterly unrelated, but both claiming to be heirs of ancient Nalanda. No representative from Ministry of Culture or Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, was ever invited to the Mentors Group meeting as RTIs to both ministries confirm.

The NMG seems to have a love-hate relationship with the idea of ancient Nalanda being a centre of Buddhist scholarship. They seem to be hell-bent on proving that Buddhism was merely one of the subjects pursued at ancient Nalanda, which was also famed for science, mathematics, medicine, chemistry etc. I would be obliged if anybody could name a proper scientist or mathematician produced by ancient Nalanda; or conversely trace any known ancient Indian scientist or mathematician to Nalanda University.

Amartya Sen failed to cite the name of even one scientist in his recent speech themed ‘Nalanda and the Quest of Science’ at Indian Science Congress at Chennai. The truth is that the Nalanda University Bill envisaged Nalanda as a university in humanities, and no scientist or mathematician was ever associated with the project. The NMG wants to gloss over the fact that Ancient Nalanda was a Buddhist Mahavihara, more preciously of Mahayana doctrine and not a university for secular subjects. Its teachers and students were all Buddhist monks.

Ancient Nalanda despite its appeal throughout Asia was after all an Indian institution. Its chancellors and scholars were all from India. But why this obsession with ‘South East Asian friendship’ that the Mentors Group was composed of entirely NRIs and non-Indians. But when it came to Tibetans, they were firmly shunted out. Dalai Lama was kept away, perhaps not to offend China, who has a major stake in the University. Ancient Nalanda had become a centre of Tibetan scholarship. The overseas Tibetans have founded Nalanda Institute (Olympia, Washington State, USA), Nalanda Bodhi Halifax Study Group (Seattle) etc.

Thus Nalanda University is an instance of how one should not approach a project of national importance. We could have done it better without handling over the project to a shadowy cabal. Egypt furnishes an example of heritage revival through international cooperation in transparent and accountable manner. And we are talking about the UNESCO-backed project Bibliotheca Alexandrina or the Grand Library of Alexandria. This state-of-art futuristic library (visit it at www.bibalex.org), inaugurated in October, 2002 is a throbbing centre of activities, attracting over 1.5 million visitors every year.

The ancient library of Alexandria, apparently an integral part of ancient university, flourished during the Ptolemaic rule in Egypt. Ptolemy I ‘Soter’, a top general of Alexander, had received Egypt as part heir to Alexander’s empire. The ancient university amd library at Alexandria, metaphorically, was the true lighthouse of Alexandria. There are several politically-loaded opinions on how the library got destroyed in fire almost without trace. Julius Caesar’s invasion of Egypt, Christian fanaticism against pagan past (4th century AD), and Arab-Muslim invasions (7th century AD) have been blamed.

But Egypt under Mubarak made a concerted and successful effort to re-establish a futuristic version of the grand library. The project was overseen by first lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, as the Chairman of Board of Trustees.

In 1986, the idea of Bibliotheca Alexandrian resurged after a number of serious scientific studies by a panel of scientists. A preparatory committee consisting eminent writers, thinkers, and intellectuals was formed to chalk out a plan for reviving the library. UNESCO Director-General responded promptly and announced UNESCO was ready to assist in the project. UNESCO took up the project and in March 1987 presented Phase I of the project feasibility study.

In December 1987 was a momentous hour. The Director-General of UNESCO sent a call for countries of the world to support the project of Bibliotheca Alexandrina as a beacon of culture and civilisation in the Mediterranean region. The Prime Minister of Egypt issued an ordinance to form the Supreme National Committee for Bibliotheca Alexandrina project. The foundation stone was laid by President Hosni Mubarak on June 28, 1988. The UNESCO Director General Frederico Mayor and number of Nobel laureates participated in that function. In October 1988, an International competition was announced to select the best architectural design for the library. 1400 architectural firms from 77 countries invited in this competition. The first prize was awarded to Snøhetta, Norway in association with Hamza Associates of Egypt, who would carry out the engineering designs. The jury cited Snøhetta’s design as one not only meeting all functional aspects of a modern library, but also reflecting the historical dimensions of the city of Alexandria in perspective, expressing as well the Egyptian spirit of Egypt, in terms of heritage and component.

On February 12, 1990 Aswan International Conference was held in presence of several world dignitaries. It resulted in the Aswan Declaration that attracted pledge of financial support from several countries. In Cooperation with UNESCO, a project construction agreement was signed in October 1990.

The conceptual as well as constructional work went into several phases until the inauguration of the library on October 16, 2002. Bibliotheca Alexandrina shape can hold millions of books, has six specialised libraries including digital/microfilming, four museums, a planetarium, eight academic research centres, 15 permanent exhibition, four art galleries, a huge convention centre, a dialogue forum for authors, artists, thinkers besides fast becoming a nerve centre for several Arab and international intellectual network. In 2008-09 it hosted 717 cultural programmes, 44 workshops, 89 training and educational programmes and 316 art workshops.

The librarian of Bibliotheca Alexandrina is Ismail Serageldin, known as the wisest man in Egypt alive. The library has numerous international patrons, donors and panelists but unlike proposed Nalanda it is rooted to Egypt. It is a pity that Amartya Sen, who speaks of Nalanda’s cooperation with Al Azhar, never studied the Bibliotheca Alexandrina revival model.

Why is China itching for a fight everywhere?

Because war is in the genes of every great power. Why did Hitler take on not only Britain and America, but also Soviet Russia? Because, he knew that without settling scores with these nations, he would never be taken seriously. He would be laughed at as a joker and made fun of, as Charlie Chaplin did in his film.

The next great war is going to be between America and China. China is actually spoiling for a fight, though it doesn’t show it. The presidents of the two countries met in Washington last month but the Americans admit in private that the summit didn’t go very well. There were the usual talks and, of course, the usual state dinner, but neither China nor America came out with what was in their minds. The Chinese are an inscrutable lot and what they kept to themselves is probably more important than what they said for the record.

Just as you cannot force two swords into the same scabbard, you cannot expect two great powers to remain at peace with each other for a long time. The British, once a great imperial power fought with every great nation in the world from time to time. So did Russia, Germany and Japan. Now, there are only two powerful countries in the world-America and China. The latter is still to gain strength, which it will in another 20 or 30 years. According to estimates being made by American experts, China will overtake America in 20 to 30 years, by which time India will also do so. Such calculations do not always prove accurate-there was a time when Japan was supposed to overtake the US-but China is gaining economic strength so rapidly that the experts are unlikely to go wrong.

Why is China itching for a fight? Because war is in the genes of every great power. Why did Hitler take on not only Britain and America, but also Soviet Russia? Because, he knew that without settling scores with these nations, he would never be taken seriously. He would be laughed at as a joker and made fun of, as Charlie Chaplin did in his film. War is the only accepted way of proving to your enemies that you are a genuine power, and can take on the whole world to prove it. War, in fact, is politics in another form, and it does not matter whether you win or lose it. You wage a great war only once, even if you lose it.

In any case, you cannot expect a power to remain at the top for ever, for there are ups and downs in the life of every country, and even the Americans now feel that their days are over. The Americans are not what they used to be. Take their economy. It is still the topmost economy in the world, but others-like China and India-are catching up. There was a time when America used to be the workshop of the world. It manufactured every thing from pins to missiles. Now, if you go to any mall in the US, you hardly come across any thing made in the US. Almost, all textiles are made in Asia or South America. Most other consumer goods, from bicycles to electronics are made in China. The Americans in their search for profits have stuck only to information industry-what in India is called IT, which brings in huge profits, but you can’t eat money. Another industry they specialise in is banking, which also brings in huge profits, so huge that even junior bankers make millions of dollars a year.

But this is just paper money, here today and gone tomorrow. And how do they make this money? Through investment banking, which is nothing but investing somebody else’s money-since the Americans save nothing and are always broke-in somebody else’s industry. So you have bankers like Goldman Sachs investing Saudi money in China or Brazil and taking some commission on it. Sachs is only acting as a commission agent which is what America has become. And this is also what Britain also has become, whose largest industry in tourism-showing Buckingham Palace to tired tourists-not anything solid, like, say, automobiles or machine tools or airplanes. The Americans and the British do have cash-all commission agents have cash-but they have nothing else.

Countries that did not suffer during the recent recession were countries that had real industries, industries you could see and touch like engineering and metals, not bogus industries like IT and investment banking. For instance, Germany and France did not suffer much, and were able to survive. Germany is backed by its engineering industries, among the finest in the world, and France is backed by defense and atomic industries. Their currencies did not fall, nor did their stock markets. The Chinese and Indian economies also survived because of the same reason. The nations that went under and nearly collapsed were America and Britain, where the banks went bankrupt and had to be bailed out by the government.

America has all the money in the world although it is not US money but other nations’ money, but it cannot win a single war. Either it is fighting wrong wars or it does not know how to fight wars. Its soldiers go into battle armed with computers and Coca-Cola tins and are promptly massacred. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has neither computers nor Coke, but it is winning. America has lost almost all wars in the last twenty or thirty years. It lost in Vietnam, where not a single man or soldier had ever seen a computer, also in Somalia, where its soldiers were slaughtered, and is now losing in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is waiting to take over the country as soon as the Americans go home. Ditto in Iraq, where the Shias are lying in wait to take over the country, with the help of Iran. The Americans have spent over 25 billion dollar in the two wars-may be twice as much if you count all the costs-but in the end, has got nothing in return.

The same thing is happening in Pakistan. The Americans are so foolish they do not know whether Pakistan is their friend or foe. They think they are winning in Pakistan but Pakistan is a country you see only on the map, just like Afghanistan, but has neither a proper government nor a proper army. In Pakistan, as in Afghanistan and most other so-called Islamic countries, everyone is for himself and cares two hoots for what is happening to other, or to the country. I won’t be surprised if, within months, may be days, of Americans leaving these countries, which, one day, they will be forced to do, both Asif Zardari in Pakistan and Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan will commandeer one of their planes-which no doubt they have kept in reserve-to flee their countries for the more salubrious climate of Zurich in Switzerland, where their investment bankers, almost certainly some American from Goldman Sachs, will be waiting for them, with cocktails in hand and a couple of cheque books in their pockets.

If you ask me when the Chinese will be ready for their coming war with the Americans, I must say I don’t know. Did Neville Chamberlain know when Hitler would attack his country? I suspect the Chinese have ordered a thousand copies of Mein Kampf and are going through its fine type. And the copies are being printed right now in - where else-America!

Get your facts right before you stump on two-nation idea!

Sir Syed Ahmed: Have you heard of him Digvijay?
Get your facts right before you stump on two-nation idea!
By OP Gupta, IFS (Retd)

Digvijay Singh, general secretary of Congress Party, was quoted asserting that Savarkar was the first person to have mooted the two-nation theory, which was later adopted by Jinnah. Insinuation is that Hindutva forces are responsible for Partition. My research shows that Sir Syed Ahmed was the first person to have talked in terms of two-nation theory.

THE two-nation theory basically implies that Hindus and Muslims cannot live in peace and harmony with each other as they with different history and different socio-cultural-religious norms constitute two different nations.

A handful of Congressi, communist and socialist Hindus and some Hindu historians falsely assert time and again that Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883-1966) is the first person to have propounded the two-nation theory. The Hindustan Times of January 28, 2011, has quoted Digvijay Singh, a general secretary of the Sonia Congress Party asserting: "It is a historical fact (that) Savarkar was the first person to have mooted the idea of a two-nation theory..........it was later adopted by Muhammad Ali Jinnah." This is totally false accusation by Digvijay Singh.

Muslim separatism has its roots in Islamic jurisprudence as Qur’an divides humanity into two watertight compartments- momins (Muslims who believe in Muhammad Sahib as the last Prophet) and, kafirs (who do not accept Muhammad Sahib as their Prophet). Under Islamic laws Muslims and non-Muslims do not have equal rights.

There are about 125 verses in Qur’an which are quoted by al Qaeda and jihadi Muslims to incite and justify violence against non-Muslims. Therefore there is inbuilt conflict everywhere between Muslims and non-Muslims, between Hindus and Muslims in India, and, between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq, UK, USA etc, and; between Jews and Muslims. Shias and Sunnis too are at war against each other.

According to al Qaeda interpretation, Qur’an prohibits friendship between Muslims and non-Muslims. Surah III.28 reads: "Let not the believers take unbelievers for friends......" Surah III.73 "and do not believe but in him who follows your religion." Surah III.12 reads: "Say to those who disbelieve, you shall be vanquished and driven together to hell." Surah IX.29 reads: "Fight those who do not believe in Allah." Surah IX. 123 and 5 also refer. Surah II.221 prohibits giving a Muslim girl in marriage to a non-Muslim and asks to convert a non-Muslim girl into Islam before marriage. Islamic writers and some Hindus often hide these Surahs.

Killing a kafir or an apostate is not always a crime for a Muslim under Islamic laws. On January 4, 2011 a police bodyguard of the Governor of Pakistani Punjab shot dead Governor Salman Taseer. In the court Qadri, assassin commando, accepted that he had killed Taseer but denied it was murder saying he had acted on the directives of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed "regarding an apostate" (Dawn, February 14, 2011). So it would be wise for all Hindus to take serious note of above verses of Qur’an.

Most Muslim authors, fundamentalist or liberal, hold the Congress leaders, especially Jawaharlal Nehru personally responsible for Partition of India. They argue that, among others, by refusing to share power in the United Provinces Ministry in 1937; and, by sabotaging the Cabinet Mission Plan in 1946 after first having accepted it Jawaharlal Nehru forced Jinnah to stick for Pakistan. This line was often taken by Pakistan ambassadors in discussions with me.

MJ Akbar in his recent book Tinderbox: The Past and Future of Pakistan, has followed the same Muslim line of putting primary blame on Jawaharlal Nehru for Partition. By implication Muslim authors try to free Indian Muslims of their guilt for Partition though in the 1945-46 elections, bulk of Indian Muslims had wholeheartedly voted for the Muslim League, which was demanding Partition, as the Muslim League won 425 out of 492 seats reserved for Muslims in the central and provincial legislatures.

And, Congress leaders in order to protect Jawaharlal Nehru and as per their Muslim appeasement policy try to divert responsibility for Partition away from Congress and Jawaharlal Nehru to Hindutva forces by resorting to canards and lies about Savarkar, as Digvijay Singh did on January 28.

It is true that Savarkar is the first person to have coined the term ‘Hindutva’ but he is certainly not the first person to have propounded the two-nation theory. Savarkar gave his Hindutva theory in his book Essentials of Hindutva around 1923 in which he said that Hindus constituted a nation.

AG Noorani, a Muslim critic of Hindutva, wrote in The Frontline of March 2003; "He (Savarkar) pronounced the two-nation theory, first, in 1923 in his essay Hindutva and next in 1937 in his presidential address to the Mahasabha". According to Noorani, in 1923 Savarkar wrote: "We Hindus are bound together not only by the love we bear to a common fatherland and by the blood that courses through our veins... but also by the tie of the common homage we pay to our great civilisation - our Hindu culture... we are one because we are a nation, a race and own a common Sanskriti (civilisation)."

In this 1923 quote, Savarkar merely asserted Hindus being a Nation without conceding that Muslims too constituted a nation. So this quote does not support Noorani’s charge that Savarkar propounded the two-nation theory in 1923.

According to Noorani, Savarkar at the Ahmedabad session of Hindu Mahasabha in 1937 said: "I warn the Hindus that the Mohammedans are likely to prove dangerous to our Hindu Nation... India cannot be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main: the Hindus and the Moslems in India." So it is in 1937 that one could say that Savarkar too talked about Muslims constituting a nation.

At his 1937 presidential address at Ahmedabad, Savarkar said Hindus and Muslims were two-nations and called for a scientific study of the Muslim separatist problems, and, how to accommodate Muslims in united Hindustan. In fact, the Hindu Mahasabha led by Savarkar had opposed the very creation of Pakistan.

Political insinuation of this Jaichandi canard (that Savarkar was the first to moot this theory in 1923) is to blame the Hindutva forces for Partition. Congress Party spreads this canard so as to absolve itself as well as Jawaharlal Nehru of the guilt of half cooked Partition which caused death and rape of millions of Hindu men and women.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898) of the Aligarh Muslim University fame is the real godfather of the two-nation theory, as he is the first person to have advocated that Muslims of India were a separate nation.

Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, a Pakistani writer, in his book Evolution of Pakistan (The All-Pakistan Legal Decisions, Nabha Road, Lahore, 1963) has proudly asserted that (page 48): "Sir Syed was the first statesman who openly denounced Hindu domination and declared that Mussalmans are a separate nation."

Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada has written in his book Evolution of Pakistan chapter 3: (i) In 1867, in his conversation with Mr Shakespeare, Commissioner of Benares, Sir Ahmed said; "Now I am convinced that both these nations (Hindus and Muslims) will not join wholeheartedly in anything." (page 48, Pirzada). (ii) In a speech in 1883, Sir Syed said, "Now suppose that all the English were to leave India... then who would be the rulers of India? Is it possible that under the circumstances the two-nations-the Muslims and the Hindus-could sit on the same throne and remain equal in power? Most certainly not. It is necessary that one of them should conquer the other and thrust it down. To hope that both could remain equal is to desire the impossible and the inconceivable." (Page 49 Pirzada). (iii) In his letter dated 14th November 1911, Syed Ameer Ali wrote to Sir Mohammed Shafi that "the only sound basis of cooperation is a modus vivendi by which two-nations (i.e. Hindus and Muslims) may work together for the common good whilst retaining their own communal existence and their communal rights"(page 69, Pirzada).

KK Aziz in his book Rahmat Ali-A Biography (Vanguard 45, The Mall, Lahore) has quoted Sir Syed Ahmed Khan saying: (i) 1867... "Hindus and Muslims are two-nations; they will never join together in anything". (ii) 1883....... "One of the two-nations, Hindus and Muslims must conquer the other, the two cannot remain equal" (iii) 1883...... "India contains many nationalities and they are unfit to have representative institutions." (quoted by Khaliqazzaman) (iv) 1888....... "India is not a nation and can never become one".

Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s presidential address to the Muslim League on December 29, 1930 was the first deployment of the two-nation theory from a political party forum.

Thus, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1863 and 1883), Syed Ameer Ali (1910), Iqbal (1930) and other Muslim leaders much before Savarkar (1937) had propounded the two-nation theory which was later used by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in forcing Partition of India. But in true Jaichandi style Shri Digvijay Singh, a Hindu, has chosen to level false charge against another Hindu, Savarkar.

Report on North-East scams

BJP report on North-East scams
Thousands of crores swindled in the name of development
By Pramod Kumar

EVERY individual in Damin, a revenue circle in Kurung Kumey District of Arunachal Pradesh, consumed at least 24 kg of salt per month. This salt was ‘distributed’ through Public Distribution System (PDS). Similarly, in Koloriang circle of the same State, every individual consumed 64 kg of rice per month. Under the Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojna (SGRY) scheme in the State, a bill of Rs 2.31 crore was raised for lifting just 2,500 quintals load to cover a 5 km distance. In Manipur, more than Rs 300 crore were spent on cleaning the Loktak Lake. The firm to which the contract was awarded was found dubious and is reportedly owned by Manipur Chief Minister’s nephew. The hydro power scam of Arunachal Pradesh alone is another 2G scam.

These are some of the incidents of grave corruption that have been recorded by BJP’s Fact Finding Committee in its report which was presented to party president Shri Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on February 12. The Committee pegged the total value of the scams in north-east at around a whopping Rs 58,000 crore including Rs 20,000 crore kickbacks in Arunachal Pradesh alone.

Shri Gadkari had appointed this three-member Committee to probe in to various scams of north-east last year. The team comprising of vice president Smt Bijoya Chakravorty, general secretary Shri Tapir Gao and national secretary Dr Kirit Somaiya visited Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and other parts of the region to unearth and document various scams. They submitted a preliminary report at party’s National Executive Meeting in Guwahati on January 9 this year.

After going through the whole report it appears that when the country was busy in discussing Congress loot in 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games, Adarsh Housing Society, etc, away from the limelight it was indeed raining corruption in north-eastern states. All the seven sisters and Sikkim were witnessing systematic loot of the State exchequer by politicians in power and the officials in all these states.

In all, the Committee recorded 50 different major scams in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Nagaland. It said the projects worth Rs 4,00,000 crore were given in non-transparent manners in the region. The maximum corruption was reported in hydro power projects. Direct MOUs were signed and highly technical projects of hundreds of crore rupees were allotted to newly formed companies with NIL experience in Arunachal Pradesh. A total of 137 MOU/MOA’s were signed by Dorji Khandu government in 2 years.

In the report, Assam was described the most corrupt State on the basis of corruption in 11 vital services as also exposed by Transparency International and Centre for Media Study in their joint study. These 11 services included ‘basic services’ like PDS, hospital service, school education, electricity and water supply services and ‘need-based services’ like land records, registration, housing service, forest, NREGA, banking service and police service. "The total bribe involved in a year in BPL households availing the 11 services is estimated at Rs 8,830 crore. This is the condition of the State from where the Prime Minister of the country (Dr Manmohan Singh) is elected," the report said.

It is not that these scams remained unnoticed. All the investigative agencies, regulators, authorities, social activists, NGOs, opposition parties raised questions and concern about them. Courts also passed orders, CAG passed strictures in its reports, CVC and SIT (Special Investigative Team appointed by the Court) and media also castigated the authorities.

"The Congress leaders manipulated PDS not only in Assam but also in Arunachal Pradesh and other states. Its costs the region over Rs 3,000 crore. The NIA unearthed a scam of Rs 1,000 crore in North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council. Seven ministers and several bureaucrats have been identified by the NIA as the beneficiaries of the scam. Rs 13.45 crore cash was recovered by the CBI from the house of one of the Ministers," the report says.

Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the country’s biggest PDS scandal. Former Congress Chief Minister Gegong Apang along with 96 other ruling party leaders and officials were found involved in black marketing of PDS foodgrains. In this Rs 1,000 crore fraud, the former CM was arrested by the Special Investigation Cell constituted by the Guwahati High Court. The list of accused in this case also includes Pema Khandu, the son of present CM Dorjee Khandu, Jarkar Gamlin who is sitting MLA and brother of Cabinet Minister Jarbom Gamlin. It is intriguing to know that out of 96 accused not a single, except former CM Apang, has been arrested so far. The SGRY scam and Hydro power allotment of the State are also catching attention of the courts. There are also scams in the mines and mineral allotments, construction of dams, implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban

Renewal Mission (JNNURM), food control and distribution, police recruitment and even drinking water. "Instead of providing employment to poor, the Khandu Government gave transport contract to Chief Minister’s wife’s company," the report said. The Committee also found Nayuma Cable, owned by the family of Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, involved in an Entertainment Tax scam wherein the firm acknowledged 2,200 cable subscribers, but deposited tax for only 170 of them for several years in row. The Sikkim Government also gave contract for supply of TB medicine to the families of Ministers, who in turn supplied substandard medicines. There are also shoe scam, Khadi Board scam Kanchendzonga tourist Villa scam, fraudulent bank deposit scam, etc. in the State.

Receiving the Report in New Delhi Shri Nitin Gadkari deplored the massive atmosphere of corruption in North-Eastern States under the Congress rule there. He said on one hand the Congress president Sonia Gandhi makes declarations of intent to curb corruption, on the other hand the states ruled by Congress Party, especially in the North-East, are openly indulging in loot of public wealth.

The BJP has sought the constitution of special courts to speed up the judiciary process and to punish the scamsters. Demanding special audit of all these scams, and speedy and coordinated investigation by NIA, CBI and other agencies, the BJP stressed on time-bound action by the Government on the observations/strictures of Courts, CAG and other investigative agencies. The Party also demanded seizing the property of the scamsters to recover the public money from them. Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Smt Sushma Swaraj and Shri Arun Jaitley respectively are expected to meet Prime Minister in this regard while Shri Nitin Gadkari would personally lead a delegation to the President to submit this report.

Major scams of North-East

NC Hills Scam: Assam
Subsidy (transport) Scam: Assam
Irrigation Scam: Assam
Guwahati Municipal Corporation Scam: Assam
Guwahati Urban Development (JNNURM) Scam: Assam
Police Constable Recruitment Scam: Assam
Teachers Appointments Scam: Assam
National Highway Scam: Assam
PDS Scam of Rs 1,000 crore: Assam
Flood Control Scam: Assam
Fake/Fraudulent Payments Scam: Assam
SGRY Funds Scam: Assam
NREGA Funds Misappropriation Scam: Assam
Rural Development Fund Embezzlement Scam: Assam
Hydro Power Scam: Arunachal
SGRY Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
PDS Scam of Rs 1,000 crore: Arunachal Pradesh
Mines & Mineral Allotment Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Drinking Water Mission Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Hydro Power Projects Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
PDS Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Public Private Partnership scam: Arunachal Pradesh
NREGA Scam: Arunachal Pradesh
Siphoning of Entertainment Tax: Sikkim
Scam of Nayuma Cable (NC): Sikkim
Fraudulent fire to declare burning of 25,000 pairs of shoes meant for poor children: Sikkim
Smuggling of Red Sandalwood to China: Sikkim
Sikkim Power Development Corporation Scam: Sikkim
Ranka Tourist Villa Scam: Sikkim
Sikkim Khadi Board Fraud: Sikkim
Kanchandzonga Tourist Villa Scam: Sikkim
TB Medicine Scam: Sikkim
Fake/Stolen Bank Deposits Scam: Sikkim
Rs 150 crore Fraudulent Bank Deposit Scam: Sikkim
Hydero Power Scam: Sikkim
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Scam: Sikkim
SGRY Scam: Sikkim
NREGA Scam: Sikkim
Midday Meal Scam: Sikkim
PDS Scam: Sikkim
Rajiv Gandhi Vidyutikaran Scam: Sikkim
Loktak Lake Cleaning Scam: Manipur
Teachers Appointment Scam: Manipur
Road Construction Scam: Manipur
Big Dam/Irrigation Scam: Mizoram
Cement Land Scam: Meghalaya
North-East Subsidy Scam
AIBP Scam: Nagaland
Rural Infrastructure Development Fund Scam: Nagaland
NREGA Scam: Nagaland

Golwalkar message

Shri Guruji sent this message from Lucknow where he was attending a camp on September 21, 1960
Shri MS Golwalkar's message to the people of USA

IT was not an accident-but Divine Dispensation, it seems, that Swami Vivekananda proclaimed the Universal Gospel as manifested in the life of his Master Bhagwan Shri Ramakrishna first in the USA, the youngest and therefore, the most virile of the peoples believing in the freedom and dignity of man. By force of world events the USA has emerged as the leader of the free world and it can successfully discharge the great responsibility by recalling the Swami’s prophetic words and striving to live up to them.

The world is torn into two sections desperately trying to establish supremacy over all the peoples. The conflict is not of democracy versus communism as appears to superficial observers. Communism stands for the former and tries to manifest itself as an universal ideology. It can be countered not by make-shift materialistic arrangements, nor by sectarian religious dogmas but only by Universal Religion founded on the unshakeable realistic foundations of Advaita, wherein all sectarian religions come to an understanding and find concord and ultimate fulfillment. It is not a negation of personal beliefs but a sublimation of them into something higher, real and universal. This alone is a world ideology with common appeal, which, backed with right conduct, correct policies and indomitable determination to fight the forces of destructive materialism that can lead the free world to ultimate success over the growing menace of what is called communism.

The present day Bharat may not be as prosperous materially as some other countries, but despite its many vicissitudes of life has held firmly to this Universal Gospel of Advaita and is once again standing on its feet and finding its mission in life to supply this world ideology to the free peoples and thus help them to victory in the present crisis enveloping the world.

May the people of the USA remember the clarion call of Swami Vivekananda, join with Bharat in bonds of inviolable friendship and victory to the forces of Dharma is assured; the world will be freed from interminable wars and Peace and Prosperity descend upon Man.

Sd./-
MS Golwalkar