another 'dravidian' pees in his pants when confronted by a mohammedan

nov 29th, 2007

as i have been saying about the great god periyar, karunanidhi is also going to keep quiet, tail between his legs, when a mullah challenges him.

what happened to all the great 'dravidian' courage? is it only against poor harmless tamil brahmins that these guys are lions? otherwise all these thugs are pussycats. let them send t r "sethusamudram" baalu to malaysia to speak up for tamil rights! and get his ass kicked.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/nov/29malay2.htm

of course only mohammedans have human rights

nov 29th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Expressindia



http://indianexpress.com/story/244061.html

Intolerant Malaysia, tolerant faith? - Times of India

nov 29th, 2007

'tolerant' 'faith'?

as i have said before, more affluent mohammedans are more bigoted, that's all this shows. when malaysia was poorer, the mohammedans were less obnoxious.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: v

Intolerant Malaysia, tolerant faith?
28 Nov 2007, 1136 hrs IST ,Tarun Vijay

 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/The_Right_View/Intolerant_Malaysia_tolerant_faith/articleshow/2577230.cms

When Hindus gathered courage and protested in an unprecedented solidarity on November 26 in Kuala Lumpur, they were crushed brutally by the Malay police using chemicals in the water cannons. None of those who had put up a united front against a cartoon created in Denmark felt anything bad or condemnable in the injustices meted out to the Hindus in an Islamic country. When it's a question of Hindus getting unfair treatment in a Muslim majority region, the 'civil, sophisticated and articulate' Muslim intellectuals take refuge in the statement that it's a matter concerning a foreign country. But when it's a question regarding a cartoon or a fatwa for beheading a writer, they say -we are a global Ummah, anything happening anywhere to Muslims is our common concern! All big lies and a bigger hypocrisy traded in the name of a religion.

... deleted

hyderabad: Social Cause Invitation to a Seminar on "Violence in Nandigram - Root Cause & Remedies"

nov 29th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Social Cause

 

Social Cause

(A registered society with No.614/2003)

 

cordially invites you and your friends to a Seminar on

 

 

Violence in Nandigram –

Root Cause & Remedies

 

Sri K. Ramachandra Murthy

Editor, Andhra Jyothii

 

Sri G. Kishan Reddy

BJP Floor Leader in Legislative Assembly

 

Dr. M. Channa Basavaiah

Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Osmania University

 

Dr. G. Krishna Reddy

Associate Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Osmania University

 

will speak.

 

Sri K. Raka Sudhakar Rao

Vice-President, Social Cause

 

will preside.

 

 

Venue:

Mini Hall

Sundaraiah Vigyana Kendram, Chikkadapally, Hyderabad

 

 

Date & Time:

1^st December, 2007 (Saturday) at 10.00 a.m.

 

 All are welcome.

 

Dr . Somaraju Suseela

President, Social Cause

 

---

 

May we solicit the favour of circulating this invitation to your friends in Hyderabad please?

 

Note:  If incase you do not wish to receive communications from Social Cause, a blank mail with 'unsubscribe' or 'remove' in subject line would be sufficient for suitable action.

 

Thanks and regards,

Srihari

for 'Social Cause'

www.socialcause.org

E-mail: SocialCause.India@gmail.com

 

Tarun Tejpal sells his fiction to "U.S. muslims"

nov 29th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sujoy

Dear Rajeev,
After having failed to sells his fiction to Gujarati and Indian audience, this shameless propagandist is trying to sell  them to young gullible muslims.
http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyNTgmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcyMjY4OTcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky
Of course, this will encourage terrorism towards India while the secular progressive will sit and watch.
Sujoy.

foregone conclusion: Will a Hillary Clinton Presidency tilt toward China to the detriment of India?

nov 29th, 2007

bloody non proliferation ayatollahs.

also hillary knows that china can't be pushed around, but indian poodles can. she's being rational.

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Ram

Dear Rajeev Srinivasan:

 

Will Hillary Clinton, if elected President, tilt toward China to the detriment of India? In the following article, Ambassador Parthasarathy thinks she will.

 

Friends of India in the US, especially the politically conscious Indian American community, need to carefully read this article and plan an appropriate action program.  

 

Ram Narayanan

US-India Friendship

http://usindiafriendship.net/

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071129/edit.htm#4

 

THE TRIBUNE, NOVEMBER 29, 2007

Emerging power equations
Is multipolarity achievable? 
by G. Parthasarathy 

When the Cold War ended with the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States emerged as the world's sole superpower. Even today, the US remains the preeminent power on the global stage, but is increasingly conscious of its limitations. It realises that it has to act in concert with other influential powers to achieve common goals. A crucial question for India is how it figures in the emerging equations of global power.

... deleted

India Appeases Radical Islam - Wall Street Journal

nov 29th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: secular


Hits it on the nail.  Interestingly secular India was the first country to ban Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" to appease its Muslim minorities. Secularism in India has come to mean pandering to minority demands. The message is: to protect democracy and secularism, stand up to Radical Islam, not bow down to it.  

India Appeases Radical Islam
By SADANAND DHUME, November 27, 2007; Page A18

Friday's multiple bomb blasts in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh — which killed 13 people and injured about 80 — ought to give pause to those who see the world's largest democracy as a linchpin in the war on terror. India's leaders and diplomats seek to portray the country as a firebreak against radical Islam, or the drive to impose the medieval Arab norms enshrined in Shariah law on 21st century life. In reality, India is ill- equipped to fight this scourge.

Full article
http://secularindia.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/secular-india-appeases-radical-islam-wall-street-journal/

No X'mas quake - but Hyde is dead

http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/nov/30ndeal.htm

I am waiting for the Christist interpretation of this 'miracle' - or maybe this guy will rise up in another three days, float gently in the air leaving a 'shroud' that says 'halt, rollback and eliminate' to our nuclear program.

Interesting record on abortion - the Christists found one of theirs to push the agenda on emasculating India's nuclear capability

Manmohan Singh a 'one trick pony' on nuke affairs?

N. Ram of the Chindu calls MMS a "one trick pony" :-) Apparently, India was getting a better nuclear energy deal from the Russians and the Kaangress dhimmis backed off to avoid risking American displeasure. Actually, MMS is more like a poodle (credit to Prakash Karat for the terminology). The curiosity factor should be about who delivered the "SIT" command to MMS this time? Was it a phone call from Nicholas Burns or did Condi herself wield the whip?

Malaysia’s Racial Policies Draw International Scrutiny

Finally, it appears that the Hindu diaspora has found it's voice and the world takes notice, even if grudgingly. This acquired some momentum only after Hindu organisations in India protested against Malay Muslim discrimination against Hindus, i.e. "DHARMO RAKSHATI RAKSHITAH". Now, several Indian politicians have discovered a hitherto latent "compassion" for Hindus, albeit as "Indians" or "Tamils". Hindus are unworthy of compassion, you see. Typical negationism to be expected from Dravidians and Communists who are repressing Hindus within India itself !!!
And yet that champion of Tamil interests, the LTTE does not find this a worthwhile cause to support? The Malay Mohammedan repression of "ethnic Indians" actually has little to do with their being "Indian" and is rather based on a doctrine of religious and racial supremacy that clearly inspires temple demolitions and forcible conversions of women and children in Mohammedan "re-education camps", all done with the enthusiastic support and approval of Muslim Indians in Malaysia. No amount of rationalisation by secular dhimmis can minimise or negate this fact.

Side note: Consistent with his policy of muzzling debate over the past 3 years, Lok Sabha speaker, Marxist lunatic Somnath Chatterjee disallowed a debate on the matter saying: "We are a very responsible democracy. We don't discuss any friendly country in such a manner"
Does democracy mean a sinister silence of "See no evil, Hear no evil, Say no evil" in Parliament when a hostile Jihadi regime is brutally and deliberately repressing your own people? What flavour of Stalinist democracy is that? The "German Democractic republic" one or "Democratic People's republic of Korea" one? Meanwhile, on the floor of that friendly Jihadi democracy's parliament, some pompous official said "Indians in Malaysia were better off than those in India" The cheek of the fellow!

Google LatLong: Another way to take in the view

nov 29th, 2007

less privacy. more convenience. now you can get a street view in google maps.

Google LatLong: Another way to take in the view

Press Release Re: Tasleema Nasreen, the Victim of Islamic Jihad

nov 29th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <KatariaN

INDIAN AMERICAN INTELLECTUALS FORUM

Katarian@aol.com

 

 

Press Release Re: Tasleema Nasreen, the Victim of Islamic Jihad

 

Shame on India Government, ignominy for West Bengal Government, disgrace for Rajasthan Government and insult to one billion Indians

 

Indian American Intellectuals Forum, a New York based organization, vehemently condemns the India Government, the West Bengal Government and the Rajasthan Government  for their inability to protect the honor and dignity of Dr. Tasleema Nasreen, a world-renowned intellectual and a native of Bangladesh.

 

Dr. Nasreen is an outspoken proponent of freedom of expression for women,  courageous  feminist writer, human rights activist and a great social reformer who has been fighting single-handedly against the persecution of half-a-billion Muslim women that are silently suffering at the hands of radical Islamists.

 

It is truly a paradox that on one hand 400 fully trained counter-terrorism experts of the Special Protection Group (SPG) are deployed to protect Sonia Gandhi and her family, on the other the Government of India is not prepared to provide protection to a woman within its borders who is resisting and exposing the injustice and orthodoxy in our neighborhood.

 

Tasleema is well known as a great social reformer.  She has unflinchingly resolved to help and free the women-folks from the stranglehold of religious bigots.  Had she been born in a Hindu family, she would have been raised to the status of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Swami Dayanand. 

 

It is disconcerting to note that on one or the other pretext, the members of a minority community take advantage of the fundamental rights guaranteed to them under the Indian Constitution. They continue terrorizing her and indulge in the Jihadi activities against her.  It is a matter of great shame and disgrace that in attempting to oppose her, a few rufficans of All India Minority Forum recently held the entire City of Kolkata to ransom.

 

In the month of August, Dr. Nasreen was roughed up by a group of 20 Islamists led by three Muslim MLAs from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.  These rowdies attacked the press photographers, damaged the furniture and shattered the glass panes. 

 

Later the same month, the Muslim mobs started violence in the City of Agra and set fire to more than 20 vehicles, torched millions of dollars worth of property, injured 50 police officials, and forced the government to close famous Taj Mahal. 

 

We all know that it is the first and the foremost responsibility of any government to maintain law and order and save its citizens from the elements that indulge in violence and hatred.  Such uncivilized characters should not be handled with kid gloves. 

 

Taslima Nasreen's case should not be treated in isolation.  It is a part of the greater strategy hatched by pan-Islamic movement that is bent upon destabilizing India by creating chaos and damaging its economy.  We should also understand in unambiguous terms that this conflict is between reason and irrationality, modernity and obscurantism. 

 

It is demoralizing to note that even the Rajasthan BJP government that proclaims to be different from other state governments in India, also got so wracked by the terror of jihadists that its Home Minister sent away Dr. Nasreen under armed escort to New Delhi.

 

We should understand that Dr. Nasreen is a brave Muslim woman like Dr. Wafa Sultan of USA and Irshad Manji of Canada, a Canadian woman of Indian descent.  Tasleema Nasreen is working for the emancipation of persecuted women whose voice has been gagged for centuries.  It is the responsibility of Indian citizens, state governments, human right activists and civilized nations to join hands in this cause and come to the help of this lady of valor.

 

No matter how the anti-Hindutva groups portray the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, but by inviting Tasleema Nasreen to his state and offering her the adequate security he has established his credentials as a courageous Man with the Capital "M."  

 

Bharateeya people believe in the Vedic concept of Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is like God).  In free societies such as India, there is no room for religious extremism, retrogression and the barbaric conduct.  The people of India cannot allow the religious fanatics to destroy our noble cultural ethos. 

 

 

Narain Kataria

President

 Indian American Intellectuals Forum

 

---

Check out AOL Money & Finance's list of the hottest products and top money wasters of 2007.

Malaysia PM threatens Hindus with draconian law

"He suggested the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows indefinite detention without trial, could be used."

Quite appropriate behaviour for the head of a Jihadi state. By the way, it turns out that his predecessor and elder UMNO "statesman" Tun Mahathir Mohammad is half Moplah!!
No surprises there considering his ideological preferences and track record in office. Who knows, he may even turn out to be a cousin of head MOPLAH BUTCHER Abdul Madani -)

this is funny and sad: older white females bonking young black guys in kenya and paying for it

nov 28th, 2007

risky behavior, though, all this unprotected sex.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2007-11-26T162851Z_01_N26389797_RTRUKOC_0_US-SEXTOURISM.xml

How Hinduism was depicted by the Tour Group lecturer at the British Museum

nov 27th, 2007

this sort of gentle but persistent protest can and will have an impact, although not as much as some mohammedans cutting off some white guy's head (like they did to daniel pearl).

if anyone else reading this blog has had similar experiences, you might want to write to the worthies that R R has written to. i used to like going to the british museum, just to marvel at how much, and with what good taste, the blighters had managed to steal from everywhere while 'civilizing' us barbarians. it's about the only place in britain that i like, given that (s)limeys are such creeps.

thank you, R R (copied). i don't want to reveal your name or email id as a matter of policy on this blog http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com. but you are free to do so or add to this post.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: R R
Date: Nov 25, 2007 2:55 AM
Subject: How Hinduism was depicted by the Tour Group lecturer the British Museum
To: jboyd@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Cc: ASIA@thebritishmuseum.ac.uk, information@britishmuseum.org , communications@britishmuseum.org, asia@britishmuseum.org, info@nchtuk.org,

Dear Chairman or Whoever it may concern,

I was unhappy about the inaccurate and blasphemous depiction of the Godess Kali by a Tour Guide when I visited the British Museum last Wedneday.  I made a polite attempt to rebut what I heard, whilst on site but was not given the opportunity to do by the individuals giving the Tour. Everyone was hustled away by the Tour leader and Margaret, the lecturer, excepting a few ladies who were interested.

I noted that the security guard was gestured over as I voiced my opinion, and should I have gotten stroppy, would have no doubt evicted me, taking the focus away from the issue. 

Verbiage of my original email to the Asia group at the museum  is below.   No response has yet been received.

I am amazed at the lack of knowledge put forth by 'Margaret' during my brief visit, which was then lauded by someone who appeared to represent the museum.  In any case, it was a disappointing and disheartening display of defamation and denigration towards a widely worshiped form of the almighty for Hindus.

Far be it from me to comment as a visitor, as such appalling lack of knowledge and denigration of our faith is as prevalent in the US as it apparently is in the UK, but as a Hindu it was as outrageous as someone demeaning the Christ, Prophet Mohammed or Yahweh. 

The galling thing is that because we (Hindus) do not resort to course and vulger displays of outrage, threats and thuggish behavior when our faith is denigrated, we are seen as soft targets and non Hindus feel they can defame and denigrate our faith with impunity.

It is truly disheartening that I would have to hear such tripe when visiting such a prestigious institution as the British Museum.

I am not asking for an apology from these individuals,as based on their reactions to my attempt to set the record straight showed all too clearly they are not interested in the Hindu perspective. An apology from  the individuals in question would be worthless.

What I am respectfully asking is:

1. How could the British Museum vet how Hinduism is represented and depicted.
2. How could members of the Hindu Community, Hindu Council or Temples authorities give input into how our religion and history are depicted at the Museum?

Instead of a negative process as a reaction to my experience, what can the Museum do to ensure that our beliefs and History is depicted accurately and properly?  Does the Museum even care to do so?

At the present time, the information level and standard seems to be that of a B grade hollywood movie or straight from India Jones and the temple of Doom.  

Is this the best the British Museum can offer to non Hindus?

Sincerely Yours

R R


> Dear Sir or Madam,
>
> I am writing to express disappointment regarding the explanation off Hindu
> Deities given to a Tour Group today by  a lecturer  called 'Margaret'
> during a visit to the British Museum, London.
> I happened to be visiting at the time and was disconcerted,offended   and
> angered by her comments.
>
> I will limit my comments to her description of the the Godesss Kali.
>
> 1. Her tongue is sticking out because she is stoned or drunk
> 2. Her foot is on the Lord Shiva showing his 'helplessness'.
> 3. She is worshiped mostly by the lower castes.
> 4. Followers routinely conduct sacrifices to her in India.
> 5. Hindus put great stock on 'blood' in their beliefs.
>
> I consider her statements on Hinduism to be defamatory and outrageous
> misrepresentations. At the end of her talk, I politely interrupted,
> mentioned that I was Hindu,.and asked to put forward an alternative
> explanation.
>
> I was denied my opportunity to do so to the group in question and the group
> was ushered out by the British Museum representative who thanked this lady
> for the factual nature of the talk in glowing terms.
>
> I am at a loss to understand why a prestigious institution which prides
> itself on historical antiquity and accuracy would allow:
>
> 1. Inaccurate statements about Hindu Deities.
> 2. Defamation of Hindu Beliefs.
>
> Yours sincerely,
>
> R R
>

---

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best places to live in india: don't believe it

nov 27th, 2007

kerala towns are not great places to live in because of all the flag-waving and strikes. you can't get to work, and the shops are closed on very small pretexts, and it costs a ton to buy land. besides, kerala is not a very friendly place for outsiders -- unless you speak malayalam, you are sort of never accepted. in other words, it's like 'thank you for coming and spending your money here, now please go home'.

kerala villages, on the other hand, are very nice. i have said for years that they are the best places to live in india, and the people are much nicer too. villages have all the positives of the towns, and few of the negatives, other than lack of employment opportunities.

in my opinion, the best town in india is bangalore despite the horrible traffic and the vertigo-inducing housing prices. chennai has such awful weather it's not acceptable. i didn't use to like mumbai, but now i am more positive about it. hyderabad is not bad either.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Harish

Rajeev,

In a recent survey, 5 of the top places to live are in Kerala.

 

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Cities_best_to_earn_a_living_are_not_the_best_to_live_Survey/articleshow/2572349.cms

 

Kind of relates to the dichotomy b/w the best places to live and best places in India..

 

Cheers

harish

 

thorium

nov 27th, 2007

i have long conjectured that the yanks are trying to shut down india's thorium research, while proceeding on their own. here it is in black and white, more or less. this is undoubtedly part of the small print in the 123 agreement. they don't want india to have energy independence -- ever. their world view is that india is to be a second-rate power for ever. honestly, can't blame them for it, because the politicians they deal with in india are second-rate buffoons.

i have come to the conclusion that nuclear fission is just not a good thing for india, period. this is the visceral reason behind my opposition to the indo-us 'deal'.

i think we should take a page from bhutto's book and 'eat grass' to make alternative energy (especially solar) happen.

my big concern about fission is that it a) produces huge amounts of highly radioactive waste that will pollute india's precious land, b) the fissile material will easily land up in the hands of terrorists. in fact, the politicians will simply give it to them.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Giri

Cleaner Nuclear Power?

Congress pushes for another look at thorium fuel, saying it could reduce the amount of high-level nuclear waste produced by reactors.

 

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19758/

 

http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2007/3401us_india_nuke.html

 

 

.

---

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Indian workers committing suicide after deportation from gulf

Clearly, despite all the generosity being showered by the UPA on Bangladesh now and on Pakistan in 2005 - desperate poverty exists in India itself. Even a relatively prosperous state like Andhra Pradesh saw 50 suicides by desperate workers deported from the Gulf. Sonia's man in AP, Kaangress CM Samuel Reddy initially refused to even acknowledge such cases. Hindus do not rejoice at human suffering - even that of enemies. But, since when did Pakistanis and Bangladeshis start paying taxes to the Indian exchequer? Therefore, somebody needs to be politically incorrect and remind Manmohan of the adage "Charity begins at home". Send those Rice bags and Rupees to taxpaying Indian citizens first before you dole out a single penny to Bangladeshi Mohammedans. Implement a Social Security and Medicare system for Indians first - apparently, we can afford that and more.
If largesse to East Pakistan is wilfully persisted with, and there are more suicides by farmers and workers in India (which there will be), Manmohan, Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee should be held personally liable for homicide and prosecuted by a Nuremberg type tribunal for causing mass death and destitution of the people whose welfare they were entrusted with.

Nuke Deal Folly: by ex-RAW Chief Vikram Sood

Vikram Sood gives a spook's perspective on India's strategic hara-kiri through the Nuke Deal. Lots of interesting nuggets in there, including the "Pakistan Nuke Nude" theory.

You can find a treasure trove of other articles at http://soodvikram.blogspot.com/

Prithvi missile defense system to be tested soon

Success in developing a credible missile defense system is critical to India's national security given the WMD delivery capabilities, not only of our hostile neighbours, but also others with hostile intent in the extended neighbourhood who may be potential threats in the future. Until then, the foolhardy posture of "No first use" should be abandoned. Ditto with the dhimmitude necessarily entailed by the concept of a "Minimum Credible Deterrent". (Who invented that obnoxious term anyway?) Could we first assemble a credible deterrent, please? The task of turning that into an "Optimal credible deterrent" can be deferred until we can afford it.

ROL's treatment of rape victims similar to ROP

The Saudi punishment of the rape victim is too recent to require repetition, but here's an interesting parallel in the treatment of rape victims by christist believers that confirms that the difference between Christian and Mohammedan is only a matter of degree of Semitic indoctrination.

In the latest incident, apparently doctors in Chile are refusing to provide emergency contraceptives to victims of rape on the grounds that it would be contrary to their religious beliefs!! Their stance has gained traction since Pope Benedict aka Ratzy's fatwa to that effect. Ratzy is male, but I'm sure the Ghoul of Calcutta would have approved.

Now, lest the Mormons, Baptists etc claim that its a Catholic thing - this is actually widespread across all christist denominations. Apparently, it is legal for doctors/pharmacists to do this in several states across the US and also in predominantly Anglican Britain. An old, but very relevant article on the enforcement of christist "morals" on rape victims. These are the same perverted Abrahamic principles being propagated in the name of "Christian philanthropy" in India as well, including in secular and government facilities by stealth. This is the context of the Dravidian christist insistence on reservations in the AIIMS - it is part of a conspiracy to subordinate health care in India to christian evangelism!! This is one more reason why christist monopolisation of health care & educational institutions in India needs to be defeated - it is aimed at suffocating Hindu civilisation.

Islamists protest US naval presence for cyclone relief

Do I hear a cry from Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat for the American relief ships to withdraw from the Bay of Bengal forthwith for offending Mohammedan sentiments?
It is only a matter of time before the Islamists start protesting aid from the Hindoos. This article says: "India will provide assistance of $22 million, including 40,000 tonnes of rice, 10,000 tonnes of wheat and 1,000 tonnes of milk powder, media reports said Friday." This other one from TOI says India is increasing its aid after the Bangladesh foreign minister stretched out the begging bowl on behalf of his wretched nation. Yet another source says "Operation Sahayata" will gift 50000 tonnes of rice, i.e the Kaangress wallahs are throwing around confusing numbers. What is the real quantum of the UPA's "aid" gift to East Pakistan? Inquiring minds want to know. Also how can East Pakistan accept such "aid" from the "dirty Hindu infidels"? Secular traditions dictate that this aid be cancelled - it has the potential to offend Mohammedan sensitivities...

Indian protest rocks Malaysia : ULTRA CURRENTS

nov 27th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yash

Indian protest rocks Malaysia ahead of polls

By Mark Bendeich & Clarence Fernandez

http://ultracurrents.blogspot.com/
Sun Nov 25, 2007 , REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's ethnic Indian community staged its biggest anti-government street protest on Sunday when more than 10,000 pro testers defied tear gas and water cannon to voice complaints of racial discrimination.

The sheer size of the protest, called by a Hindu rights group, represents a political challenge for the government as it heads toward possible early elections in the next few months.
Ethnic Indians from around the country swarmed into Kuala Lumpur for the rally, despite a virtual lock-down of the capital over the previous three days and warnings from police and the government that people should not take part.

"Malaysian Indians have never gathered in such large numbers in this way...," said organizer P. Uthaya Kumar, of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

"They are frustrated and have no job opportunities in the government or the private sector. They are not given business licenses or places in university," he said, adding that Indians were also incensed by some recent demolitions of Hindu temples.

Riot police fired at the protesters with sustained volleys of tear gas and jets of water laced with an eye-stinging chemical, but it took more than five hours to finally clear the streets of downtown Kuala Lumpur, by then littered with empty gas canisters.

Veteran journalists and analysts could not recall a bigger anti-government protest by ethnic Indians, who make up about 7 percent of the population, although some said a larger rally had been held over internal Indian politics in the late 1980s.

Political columnist Zainon Ahmad said the protest would shake the Indian community's establishment party, the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a junior member of the ruling coalition.

"The MIC is severely challenged on this matter," he said.
MIC leader S. Samy Vellu, who is also works minister, denied the protest spelt trouble for his party. "We represent the Indian community and will remain so," he said in a statement.
But Vellu, who has himself voiced unease over a recent Hindu temple demolition by local authorities outside the capital, added: "There is still a lot to be done for the Indians and we will continue with our struggle."

"LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES"
Many protesters complained of a lack of educational and business opportunities, saying a government affirmative-action policy in favor of majority ethnic Malays had marginalized them.
Malays make up about 60 percent of the population and, according to official data, remain the poorest group by some average measures such as household income. Opposition groups say the most severe cases of poverty exist among Indians.

Brought over as indentured labor from the late 1800s by colonial ruler Britain, Indians worked Malaya's rubber estates. These estates were later broken up, forcing many unskilled Indian workers into poverty in the city.

Ostensibly, Sunday's protesters wanted to hand a petition to the British embassy in support of a legal claim by Hindraf for reparations from Britain for colonial-era abuses. But Hindraf said the protest was also aimed at the Malaysian government.

"We are here for our rights," one protester told Reuters as he sat cross-legged on the road.
"The British brought our forefathers here 150 years ago," he added. "Whatever the government is supposed to give us, to look after our welfare, well, they have failed."

Police fired tear gas outside Kuala Lumpur's iconic twin towers and five-star hotels. Curious tourists ventured out to take a look but rushed back inside once the gas stung their eyes.
At the Batu Caves, a Hindu place of worship just outside the capital, police clashed with 2,000 protesters early on Sunday after barring entry to the temple.

Many Malaysians, including an Indian Muslim group, opposed the rally, fearing it could spark violence. Malaysia has not experienced a major race riot since 1969, but many seasoned politicians fear racial and religious tensions could flare again.

At least one policeman was injured when protesters hit him with crash helmets, one officer said. Organizers said 400 had been arrested and 19 injured. Police said they had no figures.
It was the second crackdown this month on a demonstration critical of the government, as speculation grows that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will call snap elections early next year. The next election is not due until May 2009.

Early in November, about 10,000 protesters demanding electoral reform defied a police ban to rally in the capital. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSKLR16504820071125

 

P.S. Is that how minorities are treated in Islamic nations? Indian Muslims are lucky!

 

http://ultracurrents.blogspot.com/

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livemint.com - Gowdas turn goodwill into greed, pay the price

nov 27, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <M

Manju saw this story and thought you might be interested to view it:

Gowdas turn goodwill into greed, pay the price

The JD(S)'s behaviour is a classic example of how short-term goals can blind politicians to seemingly long-term gains

Click here to view full story

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Malaysia crushes Indian rally (video report by Aljazeera)

nov 26th, 2007

no human rights for these darn pesky hindoos of course.

but manmohan singh and company have plenty of tears to shed for bangladesh's mohammedans.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: j

 

See report in video (aljazeera)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m96FCTKHNA8

 

 

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071126/asp/foreign/story_8592442.asp

 

Malaysia crushes Indian rally - Biggest protest in a decade against government discrimination exposes deep racial divisions

(From Top)A protester runs away from a water cannon. (Reuters),A protester throws back a tear gas canister at Malaysian riot police during the protest in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. (AFP),Police detain a protester in Kuala Lumpur. (Reuters), Kuala Lumpur, Nov. 25 (AP): Police today used tear gas and water cannons to crush a banned rally by more than 10,000 ethnic minority Indians — a rare street clash that exposed Muslim Malaysia's deep racial divisions. Slogan-shouting protesters hurled water bottles and stones at the police, who chased them through streets surrounding the famous Petronas Twin Towers and doused them repeatedly with tear gas and chemical-laced water for more than eight hours. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Witnesses saw people being beaten and dragged into trucks by the police. Shoes and broken flower pots littered the scene after protesters scattered to hide in hotels and shops. Organisers said hundreds of people were detained by the time the protesters dispersed. The rally — rooted in complaints that the ethnic Malay Muslim-dominated government discriminates against minorities — was the largest protest in at least a decade involving ethnic Indians, the country's second-biggest minority after the Chinese and the most underprivileged. "This gathering is unprecedented," said protest leader P. Uthayakumar. "This is a community that can no longer tolerate discrimination." It was the second such street protest in Kuala Lumpur this month. A rally on November 10, that drew thousands of people, demanding electoral reforms was also broken up with similar force, but lasted only a few hours. Street demonstrations are extremely rare in multi-ethnic Malaysia, which prides itself on its communal and political stability. The two protests indicate that Malaysians are becoming bolder about venting their frustrations publicly against a political system that concentrates power and influence in the hands of the Malay ruling elite. Today's rally was meant to support a $4 trillion lawsuit filed in London in August by the Hindu Rights Action Force, a Malaysian rights group, demanding that Britain compensate Malaysian Indians for bringing their ancestors to the country as "indentured labourers" and exploiting them. Ethnic Indians say discrimination continued after Malaysia's independence in 1957 because of an affirmative action policy favouring Malays, who form about 60 per cent of the country's 27 million people. Ethnic Chinese, who comprise a quarter of the population, have similar complaints. Activists say more than two-thirds of ethnic Indians, who constitute about 8 per cent of the population, live in poverty, with many trapped in a cycle of alcoholism and crime. Samy Vellu, the government's top ethnic Indian politician, denounced today's protest as "an Opposition ploy to smear the government's image". "We do not support street demonstrations," Samy said in a statement. "We have been working within the system to resolve the problems faced by the Indian community." Today, thousands of ethnic Indians — some of whom carried pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and banners that read "We want our rights" — gathered before dawn near the Petronas towers. Thousands more gathered in Batu Caves, a Hindu temple in a limestone cave on the city's outskirts, hoping to join the others in a march to the British high commission. "If they push us against the wall, we don't know what will happen," demonstrator Lingam Suppiah said. "The day must come when the time bomb will explode. We cannot be patient forever." The police had obtained an unprecedented court order prohibiting the public from rallying. On Friday, three of the Hindu group's leaders were arrested and charged with sedition. Kuala Lumpur police chief Zulhasnan Najib Baharudin declined to say how many people were arrested today.

UPA dhimmis to send more aid to Bangladesh

"The visit was fixed up after Mukherjee met Iftikhar Chowdhury, foreign affairs adviser in the caretaker government, in Kampala during the recent CHOGM summit. Officials said the visit would only delve into bilateral issues, of which the recent supercyclone would dominate discussions between the two sides.
Since June, when Bangladesh suffered severe mudslides, officials said India had sent almost $30 million in aid to Dhaka, including 9,500 tonnes of rice during Eid..."

...As predicted, but we've got to ask a few questions. How does a cyclone in Bangladesh become a "bilateral issue"? When did the Kaangress/UPA dhimmis acquire a mandate to gift away millions of dollars in aid to an enemy country when farmers suicides, starvation deaths, malnutrition are a regular occurrence within India itself? Why not send those 9500 tonnes of rice to Orissa, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Vidarbha, Telangana etc to prevent the alarming production of rice christians there?
Has Bangladesh declared an armistice in the Mohammedan demographic warfare on India?
Has Bangladesh ceased mutilating Indian soldiers or regretted doing so in the past?
Has Bangladesh decided to permit export of natural gas to India?
Has Bangladesh decided to grant transit rights to Indian freight traffic through its territory? Has Bangladesh cracked down on the anti-Indian terrorist groups operating with impunity from its soil? Has Bangladesh decided to take back Taslima Nasreen?
Has Bangladesh stopped the Mohammedan pogrom against Hindus and other minorities?
Then why the sudden outpouring of generosity to these wretches? Is this Shikhandi Manmohan Singh's attempt to reinvent himself as a "Daan veer Karna"?

Indian Catholics Up in Arms Over Shekhar Kapur's 'Elizabeth'

Shekhar Kapur is drawing fire from Indian Catholics over his new movie, Elizabeth.

Heh, their label makes me laugh: The Catholic Secular Forum

Oh, I see, campaigning to ban or censor movies that don't support your sectarian worldview is very 'secular', huh?

URGENT situation in Malaysia

nov 25th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mihir Meghani, M.D. [HAF]

Dear Friends, I would like to update you on the delicate situation in Malaysia in the hope that you will cover this story.

 

URGENT NEWS: (See links and 3 articles below). The leadership of the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) was arrested Friday morning for attempting to organize a rally in Kuala Lumpur this Sunday. This group has worked with HAF on human rights, and their leader Waytha Moorthy and I met in DC after our DC days program and met with Professor Ramesh Rao (HAF's Research Fellow and Human Rights Coordinator). As documented in HAF's 3^rd Annual Human Rights Report (http://hafsite.org/pdf/HHR2006.pdf), Hindus in Malaysia have been facing a variety of problems including destruction of temples and violation of rights to cremation and conversion to Hinduism. While temple destruction has been ongoing, recently a major temple was destroyed and was reported in our most recent press release (http://hafsite.org/media_press_release_malaysia_temples.htm ). Waytha Moorthy filed lawsuit under British law asking for compensation from the British Govt for failing to protect the rights of its former citizens – the Hindus of Malaysia. This Sunday, HINDRAF had planned a peaceful rally outside the British High Commission to draw attention to the human rights problems and to the British government for not acting on behalf of its former colonial citizens. The Malaysian government Friday morning in Malaysia arrested the Hindraf leaders and have blocked roads into Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, to prevent the rally from taking place and to scare people away from protesting.

 

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/23/nation/20071123193219&sec=nation

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/2090344/Article/index_html

http://sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=20061

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75216

http://policewatchmalaysia.com/

 

 

Here are the contacts you need for discussing the situation of Hindus in Malaysia this weekend for Sanatana Dharma Radio out of Dallas:

1)      Ramesh Rao, Ph.D; Hindu American Foundation Research Fellow and Coordinator-Human Rights Campaign; cell (434) 607-5581, email ramesh@hafsite.org

2)      Uthaykumar is a lawyer with HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) and brother of HINDRAF leader Waytha Moorthy. He was arrested on Friday and released on nail. Uthayakumar home 60-320945604, cell 60133504711, work 60322825622, fax 60322825616, email uth@tm.net.my and pr_im@hotmail.com; website http://policewatchmalaysia.com/

 

WHAT HAS HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION DONE IN THE PAST FEW DAYS:

1)      HAF's press release issued prior to the arrests is on the web and was sent to our media list on Wednesday night

2)      HAF's letters to the Malaysian Prime Minister and Inspector General of Police was faxed and/or emailed

a.       to them Wednesday night

b.      to the foreign offices of the UK, US and Indian govt in Malaysia, as well as the UK and Indian embassies in the US, and the Malaysian embassy and consulates in the US on Wednesday night

c.       to all the Human Rights Watch offices and to Amnesty Intl in London late Thursday night

d.      to Lawyers Without Borders on Friday morning

3)      HAF is contacting US government officials, but it is a holiday from November 21-25.

 

Thanks,

Mihir Meghani, M.D.

President, Hindu American Foundation

www.HAFsite.org

cell 510-396-2745

FOR URGENT EMAILS: mihir.meghani@gmail.com

 

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75130

 

Nov 22, 07 4:00pm

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has urged Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan to allow the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) gathering to proceed on Sunday.  The Maryland-based human rights group said Malaysian police should stop the campaign of intimidation and threat against Malaysian Hindus. "The Malaysian government restricts freedom of peaceful assembly and association in contrary to Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the Federal Constitution, and the application (for a permit) has been arbitrarily rejected by the police," it noted. The thousands expected at the rally on Sunday will be forced to assemble illegally at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur if their appeal to KL police chief Zul Hasnan Najib Baharuddin for a permit is rejected. Cheras police chief Ahmad Amir Mohd Hashim rejected the initial application on grounds that it had been made by an individual, rather than by the organisation.  Under Section 27 of the Police Act 1967, any application for a permit to assemble in a public place must made by an organisation or jointly by three individuals. The police also stated their doubt as to whether the applicant would be able to control the crowd, and claimed that the gathering could disrupt traffic as well as law and order. The gathering is expected to attract 10,000 people to hand over a petition to the Queen of England to support a class-action suit against the British government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years.  The quantum being sought is US$4 trillion (RM14 trillion) - or US$2 million for every Indian currently residing in Malaysia. 'Stop temple demolitions' HAF has also urged Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to issue orders to stop temple demolitions and to set up a high-level committee to deal with issues relating to land occupied by such structures. "We note that the Hindu population has faced increased discrimination and intimidation including the destruction of temples and placed of worship in the past," HAF said in the same statement. "The government has continued to treat pre-independence era Hindu temples differently than mosques in the same era and has given preference to mosques in the allocation of public funds and lands." HAF was referring to the demolition of the century-old Maha Mariamman temple in Padang Jawa, Selangor, on Oct 30, by the Shah Alam City Council. This was part of an exercise to tear down a squatter colony in Kampung Rimba Jaya.  A violent stand off ensued when Hindu devotees tried to stop the demolition, resulting in 14 devotees being arrested. They were later released, while the state government has identified an alternate site to rebuild the temple. This was the latest in a series of temple demolitions by the Selangor government, causing much frustration and a sense of dejection among the Indian Malaysian community.

 

 

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75165

 

Soon Li Tsin Nov 23, 07 11:13am

Lawyer P Uthayakumar was arrested this morning under the Sedition Act and taken to the Shah Alam district police headquarters. Uthayakumar was arrested at his legal firm in Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur at about 10.30am , said the lawyer's employee K Vasan. "He was arrested under the Sedition Act. Five police officers from IPK Shah Alam picked him up," he said. On Monday, the police had raided Uthayakumar's law office in Kuala Lumpur with a warrant, in search of a publication deemed to be seditious in content. Five police officers conducted a search of his office, while about 10 officers searched another office operated by his brother and Hindraf chairperson Waythamoorthy in Seremban, Negri Sembilan. While the police left Uthayakumar's office empty handed, they were said to have seized certain documents from Wathyamoorthy's office. The brothers are key activists in the planning of a mass rally on Sunday, which has been banned by the police. The rally is organised by Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), in which Uthayakumar serves as legal adviser. Hindraf plans to gather 10,000 Indians to hand a memorandum addressed to the Queen of England to support a class-action suit against Her Majesty's government for bringing Indians to Malaysia as indentured labourers and exploiting them for 150 years. A total of US$4 trillion (RM14 trillion) is being sought for US$2 million for every Indian residing in Malaysia. Restraining order Prior to the arrest, the police had gone to Uthayakumar's house in Bangsar to serve him with a restraining order against participating in the rally. The order, obtained from the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court, restrains Uthayakumar, Waythamoorthy, lawyers M Mahonaran, S Ganapathy, R Kengadharan and all Hindraf supporters from participating in the gathering, on grounds that the rally could endanger the public. When contacted, Manoharan said he too has been served with the order which prevents him and the others from going to the British High Commission for seven days beginning on Nov 22. "The notice was served on me at 7.50am today. The order was made under Section 98 of the Criminal Procedure Code by the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court," he said. Section 98 grants the court powers to issue an immediate order in urgent cases of potential nuisance. According to Manoharan, the application for the restraining order was made by the Cheras police station and served on him by officers from police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. He said he will be making the necessary application to set aside the court order. Manoharan was one of four lawyers - the others being Uthayakumar, Waythamoorthy and S Ganabathi Rao - arrested in Kampung Rimba Jaya in Padang Jawa, near Shah Alam, during a fracas surrounding the demolition of a century-old Hindu temple on Oct 31. They were later released.

 

 

 

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/75216

 

Hindraf trio freed on bail

Soon Li Tsin Nov 23, 07 7:07pm

Three Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders who were to be charged with sedition at the Klang Sessions Court this afternoon, managed to walk free on technical grounds.

The trio, who were not charged today, were granted bail set at RM800 per person by judge Zumaidah Mohd Idris.

However, Hindraf chairperson and lawyer P Waythamoorty refused to post bail as a mark of protest against the 'police being used by the government'.

He will be detained by the police until Monday and had vowed to go on a hunger strike. He was reportedly sent to Sungai Buloh prison.

However, his brother and Hindraf legal adviser Uthayakumar and another Hindraf lawyer, Ganapathy Rao, posted bail. Nevertheless, all three will be back in court on Monday to be formally charged.

Some 2,000 supporters, who were cheering throughout the proceeding, mobbed the duo as they walked out of the court building at about 6.45pm.

At press time, the supporters garlanded the duo and hoisted Uthayakumar on their shoulders and are holding a procession through the streets in Klang, bringing traffic in the surrounding areas to a halt.

A truckload of Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel had been dispatched to the area.

The group marched to a nearby temple, where Uthayakumar gave a speech urging them to come to the rally on Sunday before dispersing.

Amend charge

Earlier in court, Zumaidah instructed the deputy public prosecutor to amend the charge and put off the hearing to Monday.

The trio were to be charged under Section 4 (1B) of the Sedition Act based on police investigations pertaining to reports lodged against them in relation to their speeches made at a recent forum in Batang Berjuntai, Selangor.

DPP Ishak Yusuff had argued in court that their whole speeches were seditious.

However, the trio's counsel M Manoharan pointed out that according to the charge sheet, only one word in the speeches was seditious.

The judge also pointed out that the particular seditious word was not highlighted in the charge sheet.

Apart from Manoharan, the trio were also represented by A Sivanesan and N Surendran. Lawyer Amer Hamzah held a watching brief for the Bar Council.

Waythamoorthy, Uthayakumar and Ganapathy were arrested earlier today at separate locations ahead of a mass rally planned by Hindraf outside the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

In a SMS to Malaysiakini this evening, Waythamoorthy described the incident as a "conspiracy by the state."

"I am going in (to jail) as a protest. This whole saga is a state conspiracy. It's not too late, they (the authorities) can still issue a permit for Sunday," he said.

 

 

 

coming: another christmas quake

nov 25th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: v

Subject: Tsunami Predictor, predicts Indonesia earthquake on Dec 23
To:

Posted for our reference. Let us see if it comes true

Note: Antara said da Luz had sent a letter in 1998 predicting the tsunami that devastated Indonesia in 2004. He also issued a warning in 2006 forecasting September's 8.4-magnitude quake in Bengkulu, which left 23 people dead, it said."

Indonesia prepares after psychic 'predicts quake'
Mon Nov 19, 7:59 AM

JAKARTA (AFP) - Local officials in a quake-prone Indonesian province said Monday they were taking precautionary measures after a Brazilian psychic warned a powerful earthquake would strike next month.

Husni Hassanuddin, a spokesman for Bengkulu province on Sumatra island, said the Indonesian embassy in Brasilia had passed on a letter from a "professor" and psychic predicting a quake would rock the island on December 23.

"During a recent meeting with all senior officials in Bengkulu, we determined a number of evacuation shelters for residents, especially those who live in the coastal areas," he told ElShinta radio.

He said there would be several evacuation drills around the province prior to December 23.

"Though we call it a rumour, we take this information seriously. We don't want people to blame us if it really happens," he said.

Another Bengkulu official, Fauzan Rahim, told state-run Antara news agency that he had seen a copy of the letter from Jucelino Nobrega da Luz, which predicted an 8.5-magnitude quake on Sumatra, but did not give an exact location. Sumatra is home to nine other provinces.

Antara said da Luz had sent a letter in 1998 predicting the tsunami that devastated Indonesia in 2004. He also issued a warning in 2006 forecasting September's 8.4-magnitude quake in Bengkulu, which left 23 people dead, it said.

A seismologist from the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency told ElShinta that no technology in the world could predict an earthquake.

"We have told people repeatedly that we cannot predict a quake. If there's information about the date on which a quake will occur, it is surely untrue," he said.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

kanchan gupta: For freedom, stand by Taslima Nasreen

nov 25th, 2007

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kanchan

Sunday Pioneer / Coffee Break

 

Marxists and Mullahs in West Bengal

For freedom, stand by Taslima Nasreen
Kanchan Gupta

 

Those acquainted with contemporary Bengali literature would agree that dissident Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen is not a talented writer. But there are few who would disagree that she is an extremely courageous woman who has struck out at Islamic fanatics and mullahs whose sole passion in life is to come up with the most perverse interpretations of the Quran so that they can live out their dark fantasies born of obscurantism and twisted notions of patriarchy. Ms Nasreen gave up her profession as a qualified physician to take on radical Islamists who had begun to gather strength under the tutelage of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Dhaka cantonment queen Begum Khaleda Zia, as well as Awami League, headed by a fork-tongued Sheikh Hasina Wajed. Her newspaper columns were hugely popular, especially among Bangladeshi women, although the Jamaat-e-Islami was none too pleased that someone should dare question the mullahs' diktats.
Ms Nasreen became a celebrity of sorts in Kolkata after the publication of Nirbachito Column, a collection of her newspaper columns, which won her a prestigious literary award. Back in Dhaka, her success raised the hackles of those discomfited by the fact that rather than disappear behind a burqa and meekly accept the oppressive ways of the clergy, a Bangladeshi woman had begun to inspire others to emulate her defiance. They began to sharpen their knives for the kill; in the meanwhile, they turned on Bangladesh's minuscule and disinherited, disempowered Hindu community, committing horrendous atrocities. After the demolition of the disputed Babri structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, they let loose a reign of terror, killing Hindu men, raping Hindu women and destroying Hindu temples. Lest all this be denied by Islamic fanatics on both sides of Padma — including those who fly the banners of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, All-India Milli Council and assorted organisations like All-India Minority Forum that make up the Brotherhood in Green — and their 'secular' patrons, the most casual scan of newspapers of those days will reveal the extent of the crimes committed against Hindus in Bangladesh in the guise of protesting the demolition of the disputed Babri structure.
It is a tribute to Ms Nasreen's courage that rather than silently watch the persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus, she recorded those crimes in a slim volume, Lajja. Within days of the publication of the novel — it was 'fiction' based on incontrovertible facts — it was slammed by the Government of Bangladesh, which had clearly colluded with the fanatics by allowing them a free run, and the mullahs who, typically, were outraged that a Muslim (although Ms Nasreen says she is a 'humanist') should have dared put their misdeeds on record. The book was banned and a mullah issued a fatwa, calling for her execution as she had committed 'blasphemy'! During Friday prayers in mosques across Bangladesh, believers were urged to murder Ms Nasreen if the Government failed to carry out the death sentence. Another mullah offered a reward of $ 2,000, which was really more a reflection of his cash flow problems than his desire to see her head brought to him on an aluminium platter borrowed from his kitchen.
But all this did not dampen the demand for Lajja. Pirated copies of the book sold in thousands even as fanatics took to the streets, clamouring that Ms Nasreen be executed to uphold shari'ah. Overnight, Ms Nasreen became a household name, here and abroad. In those days The Pioneer had a fiesty correspondent in Dhaka. I recall asking him for a copy of the book. He got hold of a pirated copy and sent it to us by courier. Since everybody was curious about what Ms Nasreen had written that had so angered the mullahs, The Pioneer published the relevant extracts. Later, the book was published in both Bengali and English in India; thankfully, the Government did not ban Lajja. That was the beginning of Ms Nasreen's woes. Hounded by Islamists baying for her blood (in the hope of pocketing the promised $ 2,000), she fled her beloved country in 1995 and sought shelter in Sweden. Two decades earlier, another Bangladeshi writer, Daud Haider, had to similarly flee Bangladesh after fanatics declared him a heretic. We shall return to Daud's story later.
Feted by Kolkata's intellectuals, Ms Nasreen decided to shift to West Bengal and was granted a one-year visa in September 2005. But before that, she had run into trouble with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who, despite his pretensions of being a writer and a Marxist, gave in without a fight and banned her autobiographical book, Dwikhondito, in November 2003 because it had references to the perversion of Islam by those who use religion to perpetuate their twisted notions of a Muslim woman's place in society. Another book, Aamar Meyebela, also ran into trouble and was promptly banned in Bangladesh. The publishers of Dwikhondito went to court and appealed against the ban. The Calcutta High Court declared the ban was "untenable" and "unjustifiable" in September 2005. Dwikhondito reappeared in bookshops and became an instant bestseller, not least because it rips off many a 'secular' and 'progressive' mask.
On August 10 this year, when Ms Nasreen visited Hyderabad for the launch of her translated works, she was set upon by leaders of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen who insisted that she should be handed over to them so that they could punish her for her 'sins'. She escaped the lynching but the incident showed that fanatics had put in motion a plan to hound her out of India. Last Wednesday's riots in central Kolkata when murderous mobs owing allegiance to All-India Minority Forum, headed by Mr Idris Ali, a Congress leader, demanded that she be thrown out of the country, are part of this devious plan whose ultimate goal is to demonstrate the might of radical Islamism in 'secular' India. Mr Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front and a member of the CPI(M) Polit Bureau who loves to be portrayed in media as a remorseless, cold-blooded commissar, wilted in the face of Muslim fury and ensured Ms Nasreen's eviction from Kolkata and West Bengal. Since then, she has been on the run, first seeking shelter in Jaipur and then in Rajasthan House in Delhi.
It is anybody's guess as to whether the UPA Government will be able to summon the courage to stand up to fanatics and insist that Ms Nasreen shall remain in India. On another occasion, Mrs Indira Gandhi had succumbed to Muslim pressure and was on the verge of deporting Daud Haider to face death in Bangladesh when the dissident poet was rescued by German Nobel laureate Gunter Grass. If Ms Nasreen is forced to leave India, make no mistake that a time will come when anybody who doesn't subscribe to the twisted worldview of Islamic fanatics will be similarly hounded in this wondrous secular democracy of ours.
 

November 23, 2007.
 

© CMYK Printech Ltd. Unauthorised reproduction prohibited.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/

--
Kanchan Gupta
Associate Editor,
The Pioneer,