Monday, June 29, 2015

Quick notes: Oil reserve, PV memorial...

  • Engineering marvel: India’s first underground rock cavern for storage of crude oil is ready.


  • PV, the architect of ‘Look East’ policy: The man under whose term India brought in momentous economic reforms which pulled India from the brink of an economic catastrophe.


  • Lip service to Sanskrit, no revival roadmap: A year after it assumed office, there is little evidence that the Modi govt has done much for India's classical languages, including Sanskrit, which many in the current administration claim to hold dear.


  • Robots and jobless growth: The use of robots is driven not by the urge to cut labor costs. The business case for automation is first and foremost "line speed - and you get the benefits of high levels of quality". Robots, it turns out, are more reliable welders than their human counterparts. There are typically 3,500 welding points in a car; so reducing human error means the production line has to be halted much less frequently.


  • Circadian Rythms: LEDs Mimic Sunlight to Help You Sleep Better



  • World class cancer:

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Sons of Nano

While Tata's Nano ran into hurdles which delayed its launch, and the product later disappointed in not fulfilling its market potential, it may nevertheless end up having transformed the marketplace by influencing the approach of others, and in spawning imitators who are now forming a next wave of offerings. As the old American saying goes, "the pioneers get the arrows, the settlers get the land."

In contrast to the All-in-One approach of the new Multix from Eicher-Polaris, Mahindra is now coming out with the Jeeto, which is actually an assortment of small mini-trucks offering significant improvements in value for money, and targeted at the small commercial market segment, which is a very important demographic in India:

http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/mahindra-launches-jeeto-cv-rs-232-lakh-variants-8685



The newer crop of Nano-like offspring are reminiscent of Japan's famous micro-sized Kei-cars and Kei-trucks, which helped to power that country's post-war economic revival:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_truck

History of the Kei Truck

These cheaper yet important products helped to empower the lower end of society by helping to raise their productivity and give them a leg up on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder.

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Quick notes: Congestion fees, Kobani redux...

Friday, June 26, 2015

Fwd: China moves controversial oil rig back towards Vietnam coast


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Capt


http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/26/us-southchinasea-china-vietnam-idUSKBN0P60X320150626
Fri Jun 26, 2015 5:16am EDT

China has moved an oil rig at the center of last year's violent dispute with Vietnam closer to Vietnam's coast in the disputed South China Sea, just weeks ahead of the first visit by a chief of Vietnam's Communist Party to Washington.

The move, announced by China's maritime safety authorities, comes soon after the country indicated it was close to setting up new outposts in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, as it nears completion of land reclamation in the South China Sea.

China claims most of the potentially energy-rich South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims.


gautam sen on the emergency

http://indiafacts.co.in/lessons-indian-emergency/

--
sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

Fwd: Iran deal: hardliners in Teheran+ Beguiling Americans: a guide for Indian Diplomats+Time to bell the FAT CATS+Japan stands up+A week in India


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sanjeev Nayyar
To: 

1. Iran deal: hardliners in Teheran by kourosh ziabari 17.6.15 http://www.gatewayhouse.in/tel-aviv-tehran-singing-the-same-song/
 
2. Beguiling Americans: a guide for Indian Diplomats 25.6.15 by christine fair VG READ.  http://www.gatewayhouse.in/beguiling-americans-a-guide-for-indian-diplomats/
 
3. Time to bell the FAT CATS by sudeep vhakravarti 26.6.15 http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/DabL7q3pMBK8cqn6eN4LLL/Time-to-bell-the-fat-cats.html
 
My take – The author uses a CAG report to highlight the massive corruption in Nagaland and Manipur. Who is going to correct this? The political parties that rule or SC or Central Govt. People are forever blaming the Central Government for ignoring the North-East. Some merit but it is the responsibility of people in states like Nagaland to stop corruption and improve quality of governance.
 
 
5. A week in India by akash prakash 26.6.15 the author is a fund manager based in singapore who has written about the changed sentiment in India. http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/akash-prakash-a-week-in-india-115062501320_1.html
 
6. The shifting qualities of Make in China by david frey 26.6.15 http://en.people.cn/business/n/2015/0626/c90778-8911694.html
 
7. China, India agree to cooperate in Nepal reconstruction says Wang by Xinhua 26.6.15 http://thehimalayantimes.com/latest/china-india-to-cooperate-in-nepal-reconstruction-wang/ 
 
My take – Seems like a plant. Why should India work together with China? What does MEA have to say.
 
'Closing in on the militant camps operating in Myanmmar, the army of that country has positioned itself nearer Indian border in a bid to choke the supply route of insurgents after surgical strikes by Indian forces earlier this month. The current operation is aimed at insurgent camps operating in Taga of Myanmmar which requires seven days of travel through dense jungles from Indo-Myanmmar border, official sources said here. Taga has camps of several insurgent outfits including NSCN(K) and UNLF, they said.
 
My take – Report is dated New Delhi. Take your call.
 
9. Indo Myanmar GATE at Tamu closed for an unsually long time 25.6.15 http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/15208-indian-gate-closed-for-unusually-long-time.html
'According to Ministry of Commerce data, in the 2013-14 fiscal year Myanmar exports totalled US$16.46 million and imports totalled $26.12 million, while in 2014-15 Myanmar exports totalled $17.03 and imports totalled $39.86 million.
Mr Thangal also said that India and Myanmar have signed an MoU on border cooperation in 2014, covering cooperation against insurgencies among other provisions.
"The MoU includes a provision for coordinated patrols on either side of the boundary and regular interaction to maintain peace and stability along the border," he said.
 
10. Ugly fall outs of Dzuko dispute Time for Kohima, Imphal to act editorial Sangai Express http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/page/items/53139/ugly-fall-outs-of-dzuko-dispute-time-for-kohima-imphal-to-act
 
My take – Manipur Nagaland can temperatures be lowered. GOI must repair the road from Silchar to Imphal so that Nagas do not block the road to Imphal and blackmail Manipur.
 
 
 
Warm Regards
sanjeev nayyar
TO UNSUBSCRIBE WRITE BACK



--
sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Fwd: China’s move on Zakiur Lakhvi not about terrorism, but about sending India and the US a signal


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Capt.


http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-commentary/chinas-move-on-zakiur-lakhvi-not-about-terrorism-but-about-sending-india-and-the-us-a-signal/
June 25, 2015, 4:53 AM IST

Vikram Sood

The Chinese bailout of Pakistan on the Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi case in the United Nations on Tuesday was as obvious as a hurtling fivetonne truck around the corner. What was more astonishing was that one expected that the UN Sanctions Committee would ask Pakistan to rearrest Lakhvi. The release last April of the mastermind of 26/11 was in violation of the UN resolution on terrorist organisations and groups.

The Chinese have behaved similarly in the past. Beijing blocked sanctions against the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar in 2009. In December 2010, they prevented the UN Security Council (UNSC) from imposing sanctions on Hafiz Saeed and the Jamat-ud Dawa. And earlier this year, they blocked Indian efforts to put Hizb-ul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin on the terrorist list.

Lakhvi is not important to the Chinese. But the symbolism of their move is. It suits China to be difficult with India and express its irritation with our attitude on oil exploration in the South China Sea. A veto on Lakhvi is a painless exhibition of solidarity with Pakistan that plays the victim card effectively. Beijing is aware that Pakistan will never take any action in the 26/11 case that will give India comfort. It is simply gathering another IOU from Pakistan knowing how important Lakhvi's incarceration is for India.

...deleted

Fwd: Despite Its Roar, China’s Military Is a Paper Tiger


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Capt.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/06/24/Despite-Its-Roar-China-s-Military-Paper-Tiger
DAVID AXE,
Reuters 
June 24, 2015

Both of these statements are true:

1)     China possesses a rapidly improving military that, in certain local or regional engagements, could match — and even defeat — U.S. forces in battle.

2)    In military terms, China is a paper dragon that, despite its apparent strength, is powerless to intervene in world events far from its shores.

Seeing the distinction between these two ideas is the key to understanding China's strategic aims, its military means and the threat, if any, that the country poses to its neighbors, the United States and the existing world order.

....deleted

Quick notes: Exit sign, Google's bike vision...

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Quick notes: JF-17, Shipwrecks...

  • Confirmed: Sino-Pak JF-17 fighter jet has its first buyer. Sri Lanka? JF-17 fighter flying with indigenous Chinese turbofan


  • Socialization of losses: The punishment for polluting India's coasts is a measly Rs 10 lakh or six months in jail. The Indian owners usually get off the hook by just paying the fine; the foreign owners stay out of reach. Coastguard and navy take up rescue burden.


  • Sangh affiliates oppose Land Bill: “This message has gone far and wide that the earlier law is being changed to promote the interest of industrialists and capitalists in place of the interests of the common man and farmers."


  • $20-bn for solar power parks: Of the 100-Gw target set by the PM, the SoftBank venture will look at solar power generation of 20 Gw.


  • Center of Excellence: India emerging as top choice for joint replacement surgery


  • Contamination:  India extends ban on milk and other dairy products imported from China. But a number of Chinese products are entering India by way of mis-classification and grey markets


  • IPL tamasha:




  • S-Works Venge ViAS from Specialized: The world's hottest new road bike
    http://www.businessinsider.com/new-specialized-s-works-venge-vias-for-tour-de-france-revealed-2015-6


  • Tuesday, June 23, 2015

    Fwd: How Machiavelli's World Shaped Our Own


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt


    https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/how-machiavellis-world-shaped-our-own#
    JUNE 21, 2015

    Analysis

    The world in which Florentine statesman Niccolo Machiavelli lived scarcely resembles our own. City-states have been replaced with nation-states. Empires have collapsed, never to be rebuilt. And modern warfare is waged with weapons and tactics the likes of which he could have never imagined. Yet similarities remain. Although he died nearly 500 years ago today, Machiavelli would be able to navigate our politics as deftly as he navigated his, because the principles that govern them remain much the same.

    At the time of his death, Machiavelli was well known in northern Italy for his service as a politician and diplomat in Republican Florence from 1498 to 1512 and as a writer of Commedia Erudita, or "learned comedy" plays. He was less well known for two works that now define his legacy: The Prince, first distributed under the title On Principalities in 1513 but not officially published until five years after his death in 1527, and Discourses on Livy, written in 1517 but published posthumously in 1531. Thomas Cromwell, the legal mastermind behind the English Reformation, is said to have admired Machiavelli, and Henry VIII and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V both owned copies of The Prince. But at the time of Machiavelli's death, few people, if any, recognized in his thought and actions the start of a new, radically modern epoch in politics.

    Machiavelli's legacy has since grown to colossal proportions. He is credited with introducing the difference between public and private virtue — between the principles that govern personal morality in friendship, family and business, and the moral logic that guides the politician or statesman. In doing so, as political philosopher Leo Strauss observed, Machiavelli broke from politics as understood by "the Ancients" as the pursuit of a unified public and private "good life" and gave us the notion that politicians can and should operate according to the demands of the state as an entity independent from civil society and its moral imperatives. He understood that in private morality, where a person's integrity is at stake, the means matter as much, if not more than, the ends. But in public morality, where the power and prosperity of states are at stake, the ends are fundamental even if they do not entirely justify the means. A leader who embraces personal moral imperfection to protect their realm is, in this sense, more virtuous than a ruler who, in their pursuit of moral perfection, fails to consolidate their power, make critical if unsavory alliances and secure, through violence if necessary, that which ensures the survival of their realm. 

    Of course, Machiavelli was not the first to submit that statesmen play by different rules than private individuals. But he was the first to argue persuasively that these rules constitute a morality every bit as legitimate as that of everyday life. The persuasiveness of his case rests not in its philosophical expansiveness — unlike most philosophical discourse, his writing draws heavily on aphorism and anecdote — but in its relation to the world — his world. Machiavelli wrote from life, and his writing has shaped the way generations of political leaders, philosophers and publics understand politics. Just as important, it also shaped the way politicians and statesmen practice politics. Grasping Machiavelli's legacy thus requires that we look not only at what he wrote but also the world in which his work was written, for it was in that world that the modern state was given birth.

    Blueprints for the State

    In 1453, two events utterly transformed the world in which Machiavelli himself would soon be born. That year, the armies of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, armed with a 17-foot long, 37,000-pound cannon, burst through the great walls of Constantinople. Once inside, they laid waste to the Byzantine Empire, sounding a death knell for the siege-based warfare that had characterized Medieval Europe and, more broadly, for the feudal social and political orders it supported. Mehmed's invasion also sent a wave of scholars and artisans, many of them Greek, from the eastern Mediterranean to Italy. By the time of Machiavelli's birth in 1469, these immigrants were well on their way to planting the seeds for what would become the Italian Renaissance.

    ... deleted

    Fwd: Modi govt keeps Pakistan out of regional plans, signs pacts with other countries


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt


    http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-keeps-pak-out-of-regional-plans-signs-pacts-with-other-countries/article1-1361773.aspx
    Jayanth Jacob/Moushumi Das Gupta, Hindustan Times, New Delhi| Jun 23, 2015 03:34 IST

    The Modi government is changing the way it conducts its foreign policy, entering into regional pacts while leaving out Pakistan that New Delhi sees as a reluctant player in achieving Saarc's goal of greater integration.

    India has gone ahead and signed agreements on roads, ports, power and education with South Asian countries to build and strengthen ties, circumventing the Pakistan hurdle.

    "For long it was a Pakistan-obsessed regional policy, for that matter foreign policy. Time has come to think out of the box and move ahead," a government source said.

    These plans were not just aimed at greater cooperation but had strategic intent as well, sources said, citing the example of Chabahar Port in Iran.

    The signing of the BBIN (Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal) corridor agreement in the Bhutanese capital Thimpu on June 15 is a shot in the arm for Delhi's regional plan.

    A similar pact would be signed with Afghanistan in the coming months. The India-Myanmar-Thailand road connectivity plan would be completed by year-end and would eventually be integrated with the BBIN corridor, sources said.

    ... deleted

    Fwd: India, China to fight for top two positions this century: Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt.

    http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/india-china-to-fight-for-top-two-positions-this-century-masayoshi-son-softbank-group/articleshow/47776228.cms?utm_source=Offstumped_Report&utm_medium=Offstumped_Report&utm_term=Offstumped_Report&utm_campaign=Offstumped_Report
    , ET Bureau | 23 Jun, 2015, 04.00AM IST
    NEW DELHI: India's economy is on the cusp of the "hockey stick" curve before takeoff, and has the potential to overtake the United States within 25 years, the billionaire chairman of Japan's SoftBank Group said, promising to back his conviction with money to make such an outcome a reality.

    Masayoshi Son, 57, who has pledged to invest a total of $30 billion (Rs 1.9 lakh crore) in India so far, told ET in an interview on Monday that it will be India and China fighting for the number one and two positions this century after overtaking the United States.

    "I would like to participate in this exciting moment, as we participated in China's hockey stick moment," he said, referring to the shape of the growth curve of the Middle Kingdom's economy.

    "That's why I am not just saying these beautiful words, but I am saying it with the money. I am really interested in participating in India's hockey stick moment," said Son.
    Son added that the country today had the right leader that "you should be proud of."
    ... deleted

    Fwd: The deadly new age war


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt


    http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-deadly-new-age-war/article7342982.ece?utm_source=Offstumped_Report&utm_medium=Offstumped_Report&utm_term=Offstumped_Report&utm_campaign=Offstumped_Report
    June 23, 2015 07:36 IST
    • SAIKAT DATTA
    • Without a single shot fired or a drop of blood spilled, an entire country can be crippled. That is cyber warfare, and the government must start working right away to combat the new enemy

      In late 2006, the U.S Department of Defence detected a major breach in their computer systems leading them to believe that their $337 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme had been compromised. Investigations that started at Pentagon, the department headquarters, revealed that the breach had taken place far away from HQ.

      The JSF programme, claimed to be producing one the world's most advanced combat aircraft, was primarily being developed by the private defence contractor Lockheed Martin, along with many sub-contractors. While the companies were busy meeting deadlines, no one had noticed a deliberate Computer Network Exploitation (CNE) attack that had taken place on their premises.

      ... deleted

    Fwd: The Christian roots of our ecological crisis


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt

    http://indiafacts.co.in/christian-roots-ecological-crisis/
    Since the roots of our trouble are so largely religious, the remedy must also be essentially religious, whether we call it that or not.
    23-06-2015
    Prof White was a historian of medieval Christianity who conjectured that Christian influence in the Middle Ages was the root cause of the ecological crisis in the 20th century. He gave a lecture on December 26, 1966, called "The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis" at the Washington meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, that was later published in the journal Science. White's article was based on the premise that "all forms of life modify their context," that is, we all create change in our environment. His ideas were considered by some to be a direct attack on Christianity and set off an extended debate about the role of religion in creating and sustaining the West's destructive attitude towards—and exploitation of—the natural world. — Editor

    A conversation with Aldous Huxley not infrequently put one at the receiving end of an unforgettable monologue. About a year before his lamented death he was discoursing on a favorite topic: Man's unnatural treatment of nature and its sad results. To illustrate his point he told how, during the previous summer, he had returned to a little valley in England where he had spent many happy months as a child. Once it had been composed of delightful grassy glades; now it was becoming overgrown with unsightly brush because the rabbits that formerly kept such growth under control had largely succumbed to a disease, myxomatosis, that was deliberately introduced by the local farmers to reduce the rabbits' destruction of crops. Being something of a Philistine, I could be silent no longer, even in the interests of great rhetoric. I interrupted to point out that the rabbit itself had been brought as a domestic animal to England in 1176, presumably to improve the protein diet of the peasantry.

    ... deleted; #longread

    China Raising Proxies in Myanmar

    China continues to meddle in Myanmar's territory, in order to exert control over its neighbor - and over us:

    http://www.wsj.com/articles/battleground-burma-1435071487


    Fwd: last article in SandHI series: "Harnessing heritage" by Amita Sharma


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Michel Danino


    This is the last article in the weekly SandHI series on Indian knowledge systems published by Financial Chronicle:

     

    Harnessing heritage

    By Amita Sharma

    June 22, 2015

    http://www.mydigitalfc.com/indian-knowledge-series/harnessing-heritage-543

     

    Links to the previous seven articles in the series — introductory article, ancient metallurgy, architecture, Ayurveda, ecological traditions, agriculture, mathematics, cosmology, historical roots — can be found here: http://www.mydigitalfc.com/sandhiseries

     

    If you have enjoyed any of the articles in the series, please consider leaving a comment online; it will help the series attract notice. (You will find a comment box at the bottom of every article.)

     

    Regards,

     

    Michel

     

     

     




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    sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

    Multix: Rural Nano for Farmers/Tradesmen?

    The Eicher-Polaris joint venture has come up with the Multix mini-truck, an original idea for a diesel-fuelled multi-purpose utility vehicle which can also supply electricity to power a home, or equipment, etc. At Rs 2.32 lakhs, this All-In-One isn't horrendously expensive either. Given the nature of India's demographics, this looks like it could be an interesting market segment to cater to. A step beyond the distributed power grid - how about a mobile grid?

    http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/passenger-vehicle/uv/eicher-polaris-launches-personal-utility-vehicle-multix-at-rs-2-32-lakh/47715819

    http://www.tfltruck.com/2015/06/polariseicher-motors-multix-mini-truck-tata-nano-pickups/

    http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/smartbuy/automobiles/entrepreneurs-mobility-solution/article7329707.ece







    Monday, June 22, 2015

    Fwd: Digitizing Defence & Security+Why thousands of Chinese are migrating to Europe+Yoga day is a good beginning, but only a beginning


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Sanjeev Nayyar


    'India was reportedly told to conduct the recent Army operation in 10 km limited area , but the operation spread to as much as 70 km inside Myanmar operation.'
     
    2. External and Internal threats to China by claude arpi 18.6.15 http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/external-and-internal-threats-to-china.html
     
    3. Digitizing Defence & Security- beyond Digital India: by lt gen prakash katoch 22.6.15 http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/digitizing-defence-security-beyond-digital-india/
     
     
    5. Ferment against Pakistan Army domination of political process starts mounting 22.6.15 by dr subhash kapila. http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1802
     
    6. Return of Kashmiri Pandits by pran pandit 20.6.15 http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/return-of-kashmiri-pandits/
     
    7. Why thousands of Chinese are migrating to Europe 22.6.15 by r butt http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0622/c90882-8909600.html
     
    'Apparently, to be a frontline state of China, Pakistan would be prepared to pay a price in losing some area of autonomy in handling its own foreign policy. It is forgetting that in the affairs of the nations, a frontline state can always become a front paw with little will to move on its own.'
     
    9. Yoga day is a good beginning, but only a beginning. India needs to build a long narrative by rajeev srinivasan 22.6.15 http://www.rediff.com/news/column/yoga-day-is-a-good-beginning-but-only-a-beginning/20150621.htm
     
    Warm Regards
    sanjeev nayyar
    to unsubscribe write back



    --
    sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

    yoga has no religion? atanu dey begs to differ

    http://www.deeshaa.org/2015/06/08/yoga-has-no-religion/#.dpuf

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    sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

    sanskrit: US East Coast Family Camp - Registration Open


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: arun


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: चन्द्रशेखरः shekhar4sanskrit@gmail.com

     

    नमो नमः 
    अधुना जाह्नवी-शिबिरस्य पञ्जीकरणम्  अत्र कर्तुं शक्यते ||
    स्वकेन्द्रेषु विशिष्य  NE तटे, प्रत्येकस्मिन् वर्गे स्मर्यताम्   ||
    Please remind in every class regarding "Register Soon!"

    GREAT NEWS, REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

    धन्यवादाः 
    jaahnavii Registration Team



    --






    --
    sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

    Fwd: Why Wahhabi fanaticism is opposed to yoga


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt.


    http://www.dailyo.in/politics/wahhabism-yoga-islam-fanaticism-hindu-muslim-unity-sufism-barelvi-urdu-saudi-arabia/story/1/4472.html

    The answer lies in a book called 'Taqwiat-ul-Iman' (Strengthening Faith), written in 1820s, by a famous Indian preacher, Shah Ismail Dehlvi.

    20-06-2015
    UDAY MAHURKAR

    After key leaders of the Wahhabi umbrella in the form of Deoband, its missionary wing Tabligh Jamaat and Ahle-Hadis, a stream that is followed by Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan, took an anti-yoga stand saying it was against the tenets of true Islam, it has been indeed heartening for patriotic Indians to see many Wahhabis, particularly students, doing yoga in cities like Ahmedabad. A Deobandi leader even performed yoga with Baba Ramdev at a public stage in Delhi recently. It only shows that apart from Sufi or Barelvi Muslims, who have openly supported yoga, there is a moderate section in Wahhabis too which is not opposed to yoga, howsoever small or big that might be.

    Still, it is necessary to go into facts as to why the Wahhabis oppose yoga. A look into the Wahhabi history shows that the anti-yoga stand is rooted in a book called Taqwiat-ul-Iman (Strengthening Faith) written in 1820s by a famous Indian preacher, Shah Ismail Dehlvi, who died fighting against the Sikhs in the battle of Balakot (now in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) in 1831 along with his preceptor, Syed Ahmed Barelvi, labelled as Syed Ahmed Wahhabi by the Britishers at that time.

    ...deleted

    Fwd: Why India desperately needs a Special Operations Command


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt

    http://www.dailyo.in/politics/narendra-modi-special-operations-command-indian-army-myanmar-strike-nscnk-navy-armed-forces-defence/story/1/4407.html

    The Modi government's delay in approving this is baffling.

    17-06-2015
    SANDEEP UNNITHAN

    On June 9, Indian Army special forces teams raided camps of the NSCN(K) and the PLA in Myanmar. This first-of-a-kind strike in recent years, illustrates how special forces are best utilised. Lightning intelligence based thrusts to achieve specific objectives. With the prospects of a full-scale conventional war receding intelligence-based operations like Myanmar are likely to be the norm. In recent years, special forces operators have found their skill sets being utilised in Humanitarian and Disaster Relief and other-than-war situations. During the Uttarakhand floods last year, Army commandos created rough helipads to rescue stricken pilgrims.


    Quick notes: Loan restructuring, Gun homicides...

    • Ambani privilege: Reliance Gas to repay loans by 2031 instead of the next four years. The company currently has a total debt of Rs 16,010 crore.


    • India's English advantage: Cisco to invest $60 Million in India, $10 billion in China.


    • FII privilege: FIIs are not investors but "arbitrageurs" engaged in buying and selling of financial assets globally in order to realize gains from price differences. By expanding their space, the govt is reducing its own autonomy of policy making.


    • Making Pakistan Proud: Mamata government practically ignored Yoga Day event.


    • Guns in America: For every criminal killed in self-defense, 34 innocent people die
    • http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/06/19/guns-in-america-for-every-criminal-killed-in-self-defense-34-innocent-people-die/?tid=pm_business_pop_b



    • Meditate on the Sun:

    Sunday, June 21, 2015

    AAP Looking to Enter Bihar Election Contest

    AAP is sending signals that it's getting ready to contest in the upcoming Bihar elections:

    http://focusnews.com/india/bihar-polls-aap-likely-to-campaign-against-bjp/61076/

    What did I tell you? AK49 is getting tired of Delhi, and is seeking a new gig - just like how he previously absconded from Delhi after 49 days to chase votes Varanasi. The fellow obviously suffers from ADHD. Let's hope that Bihar's voters recognize him as the political carpetbagger he is, so that his Jungle Raj in Delhi doesn't lead to a revival of it in Bihar.

    Saturday, June 20, 2015

    Quick notes: Soda rise, Sin tax...

    • Guess Which Country Has The Biggest Increase In Soda Drinking -- India sees 73.4% rise in 5 years, highest among major nations. 


    • Sin Tax: Mexico's Sugary Drink Tax Makes A Dent In Consumption.


    • Fobbing off Facebook:  Facebook is, by and large, for the idle, attention-seeking (somewhat insecure), a bit anti-social and lazy people. It's also for those who think their every action matters - including what they put into their mouth through the day.


    • Russia's Superjet: China+Russia could, some day, threaten Airbus and Boeing.


    • Ions: The Body's Electrical Energy Source


    Fwd: Ramayana is real, say experts -- Amar Tejaswi


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: S. Kalyanaraman
    Date: Fri, Jun 19, 2015 at 10:15 AM
    Subject: Ramayana is real, say experts -- Amar Tejaswi
    To:


    See: Ramayana not a work of fiction -- Kumar Chedllappan. Kudos to Gyaneshwer Chaubey's and Saroj Bala's team and the reaffirmation through genetic and literary studies 

    http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/06/ramayana-not-work-of-fiction-kumar.html 


    Ramayana is real, say experts

    Deccan Chronicle | Amar tejaswi | June 18, 2015, 02.06 am IST
    New research carried out by anthropological scientists from the Estonian Biocentre and the University of Delhi claims that events of the mythological epic Ramayana occurred in reality thousands of years ago.
    New research carried out by anthropological scientists from the Estonian Biocentre and the University of Delhi claims that events of the mythological epic Ramayana occurred in reality thousands of years ago.

    Hyderabad: New research carried out by anthropological scientists from the Estonian Biocentre and the University of Delhi claims that events of the mythological epic Ramayana occurred in reality thousands of years ago. Scientists say that results of their genetic studies, with existing data, show genetic signatures of tribal groups featured in the Ramayana such as the Gonds, Kols and Bhils. Gonds are  a prominent group in Adilabad district of Telangana.

    Researchers claimed that populations in the Indian subcontinent can trace their ancestors to more than 60,000 years back. Scientists say that this is proof of the authenticity and actual occurrence of the events described in Ramayana, which would have occurred more than 12,000 years ago. The Gonds, Kols and Bhils are believed to be the ancient tribal groups of the region and have found mention in the Ramayana. Authenticity of the mythological text has been questioned several times. While there have been voices proclaiming the authenticity of the Ramayana, research to prove it has increased in recent times.

    Dr Vadlamudi Raghavendra Rao, professor of anthropology, University of Delhi, and one of the authors of the study, said, "Definitely, the events described in Ramayana occurred in real. Our research has showed close genetic affinity of these tribes to other ethnic groups. We have shown that there is continuity in the populations groups living here.  Other researchers are working to prove other angles of this."

    The study was carried out by Estonian Biocentre researcher Gyaneshwar Chaubey, Institute of Scientific Research on Vedas, Dr Saroj Bala and Dr Raghavendra Rao. The Bhil, Kol and Gond are three major Indian tribes that have been widely acknowledged in the epic Ramayana, particularly in the chapters Ayodhyakanda, Aranyakanda and Kishkindhakanda. Gonds are prominently found in Adilabad district and other states and number about 40 lakh.
    The research study says since these tribes are inhabitants of the country since the Stone Age, their genetic affinity to existing populations show the authenticity of the Ramayana.
    Researchers said these tribal groups form a closed cluster with Dravidian groups, known as inhabitants of South India.

    http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150618/nation-current-affairs/article/ramayana-real-say-experts

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    sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

    Fwd: Yoga Day

    a very apt response by chitra. i don't know if she published it, but it was so well written i had to share it.

    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: syn
    To:




    The New York Time's Ellen Barry  is back to what she does best --   jeering at Indians, particularly if there's a Hindu angle involved.   The silly headline sets the mood of this essay : "'Om' meets 'Ouch!' ''  

    This is how she sums up Delhi residents:   

    "Behind the headlines, there is little doubt that the yoga campaign amounts to a cultural challenge, in a capital city powerfully shaped by its British and Mughal past.  New Delhi's elites are mostly Anglophiles, fond of their whisky and butter chicken; its clerks spend their days in dim warrens of paper files, tensed against the next supervisory tongue-lashing. Many rank-and-file civil servants have bellies like first-floor balconies."

    The implication seems to be that the Anglophilia of Delhi elites renders them bereft of any other identity or cultural affiliation.  Yes, there are those who try consciously to distance themselves from their Indian identity but the large majority of people I know do not.  Speaking for myself, my interest in English literature and my curiosity about other cultures hardly diminished my affinity for my own culture and philosophy.  

    By the same token, I've known many western Indophiles who take a keen interest in a lot more than Indian culinary interpretations of chicken.  But they never ceased to identify themselves as primarily American, British or German!

    The claim that this yoga campaign poses a "cultural challenge" to a city "powerfully" shaped by the British and Mughals is nitwitted, to put it mildly. Firstly, Ms Barry could stand to be reminded that India has a past of considerably greater antiquity than Mughal or British influence. Yoga happens to be from that past, and its original treatises are inextricably connected with the requirement of mental and philosophical conditioning which IS clearly a Hindu view of existence.  No amount of sneering can alter that historical fact.  

    However, no one is *required* to subscribe to those views in order to do Yoga.  But don't abuse the openness and inclusiveness of Hinduism  to appropriate its cultural gifts to the world and then claim it never had a deeper meaning to begin with.

    Besides, can you imagine Barry indulging in this kind of "bellies like balconies" jibe with any other group on the pages of the New York Times? Would she make derisive generalizations about the miserable oral hygiene of nationality A or the restrictive women's clothing of  nationality B?  What if she were writing about fellow Americans many of whom are not exactly wraith-like?

    " Though the Western world regards yoga primarily as physical exercise, Indians are more apt to see its postures and Sanskrit chants as freighted with ideological or religious meaning."

    Yes, just as the hymns I sang in high school or the pieces that my daughter Divya performed with her high school choir were "freighted with ideological or religious meaning" -- containing frequent references to the paramount truth of the Christian approach to divinity.  How does that make me or Divya any less Hindu? How does participating in, respecting and understanding the way of worship of another affect one's basic tenets of decency and morality, or preferred relationship with and visualization of God? 

    I see Pope Francis weighing in on everything from homosexuality to climate change in his mission to effect change.  I don't see him being ridiculed for it by the media or being accused of making his faith out to be something it is not.  On the contrary, his spokespersons are invited on programs like the BBC and their views are aired with respect and without interruption. He is regarded with affection by many and acclaimed as an agent of transformation.  

    But when it comes to an event like "Yoga Day" -- however imperfectly executed, or whatever be the level of political pandering involved to placate the leaders of communities that see nothing wrong in ramming their faith down the throats of others -- it must be given a sinister spin, made out to be part of some larger Hindu right-wing agenda, rather than an attempt by Indians including Hindus, at reclaiming something that was always theirs to begin with,

    As for Yoga and Hinduism, the people in the west who claim authoritatively and absurdly that the two have no connection are inevitably those who stand to make a lot of money from it --such as Deepak Chopra, for instance. I have one of his earliest books and I can see that he was a lot more honest when he started out. Now he carefully and meticulously launders out any references to the word "Hindu" or the origins of his metaphysical ideas so as to promote himself as being all things to all people.  How else could he have amassed millions by promoting the philosophy of *non-attachment*?

    -- Chitra Raman









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    sent from samsung galaxy note3 neo, so please excuse brevity

    Fwd: Tomgram: Alfred McCoy, Washington's Great Game and Why It's Failing


    ---------- Forwarded message ----------
    From: Capt

    http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176007/tomgram%3A_alfred_mccoy%2C_washington%27s_great_game_and_why_it%27s_failing_/#more
    Alfred McCoy at 4:30pm, June 7, 2015.

    It might have been the most influential single sentence of that era: "In these circumstances it is clear that the main element of any United States policy toward the Soviet Union must be that of long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies." And it originated in an 8,000 word telegram -- yes, in those days, unbelievably enough, there was no email, no Internet, no Snapchat, no Facebook -- sent back to Washington in February 1946 by George F. Kennan, the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Moscow, at a moment when the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union was just gaining traction.

    The next year, a reworked version of Kennan's "Long Telegram" with that sentence would be published as "The Sources of Soviet Conduct" in the prestigious magazine Foreign Affairs under the pseudonym "Mr. X" (though it was common knowledge in Washington who had written it).  From that moment on, "containment" of what, until the Sino-Soviet split, was called the Soviet bloc, would be Washington's signature foreign and military policy of the era. The idea was to ring the Soviet Union and China with bases and then militarily, economically, and diplomatically hem in a gaggle of communist states from Hungary and Czechoslovakia in Eastern Europe to North Korea on the Pacific and from Siberia south to the Central Asian SSRs of the Soviet Union. In other words, much of the Eurasian land mass.

    ...deleted

    long read