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.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
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)
"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.)
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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