Quick notes: Drugged chickens, E-retail marketplace...

• Drugged Chickens: Use of antibiotics in animals in India is projected to more than double by 2030, driven by a surge in chicken production. “Are animals a good way to get protein?”



• Govt defines e-commerce marketplace rules : Allows 100% FDI



• 100% EVs by 2030: Piyush Goyal's pipedream.. "We are working (on the scheme). Can we actually give electric car for free (zero down payment) and people can pay for that out of the savings on the petroleum products".



• Nissan CEO knows better: Very cheap, low-range electric cars key for China, India.



• Benefits Of Ghee: - Rujuta Diwekar




• What alcohol does to your body and brain: In general, the liver can only process 1 oz of liquor per hour



• Better than N Ram and Malini: China editor resigns over media censorship



• FTC sues Volkswagen over diesel car advertisements: In January, the Justice Department sued VW for up to $46bn for violating environmental laws.

A Man Who Can Say No to NATO

Donald Trump is intent on getting the best deal for his country, the USA - and he's even willing to take a hard look at American participation in NATO:






As you can imagine, this has the Atlanticists extremely alarmed:




But Trump's ability to challenge sacred taboos shows his strong reasoning from first principles, free from the encumbrances of traditional preconceptions and clichés.




And so part of Trump's America-First strategy is The America That Can Say No.
While Atlanticists and other trans-nationalist carpetbaggers may feel fundamentally threatened by this, perhaps it's an idea that's long overdue:

http://www.app.com/story/opinion/columnists/2016/03/29/buchanan-trump-right-nato/82398928/

Quick notes: Soft Modi, iPhone unlocked...

• Military overruled on Pak access: On Pathankot, the Indian Air Force had told the government that granting access to the Pakistanis could compromise its security. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar too was of the same view.



• Playing into Pakis' hands? It is not known if there is any assurance from the Pakistani side, whether at the PM level or the NSA level, that Pakistan will take swift, credible and positive action after the JIT's investigations.  Even if such assurances exist, these will mean precious little as ultimately it is the other Sharif -- General Raheel Sharif, the Pakistan army chief who will take a final call.



• FBI breaks into iPhone: The FBI has managed to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino gunman without Apple's help.



• Count Prana, not calories:




• Britain's taint:

Photos of a man who starved 4m Indians to death. Terrible. https://t.co/rrfFJMGt74

— Tony Nash (@TonyNashOnAsia) March 27, 2016





• Just because technology makes it possible..:

"Just because technology makes it possible to be always available, doesn’t mean you should be." ~ @JesseLynStoner pic.twitter.com/aH1DH3LoHS

— Jesse Lyn Stoner (@JesseLynStoner) March 20, 2016

72 Killed in Lahore Easter Blast Targeting Christians

67 people were killed as suicide bombers attacked a park where Christians had gathered to celebrate Easter:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/27/asia/pakistan-lahore-deadly-blast/

Quick notes: Yoga garden, Print media...

• Yoga Garden: Yoga sessions to be part of Obama's final White House Easter celebrations.



• Adarsh Liberal's next hero: Headley says he felt 'hatred' for India



• India's print media: Vernacular newspapers and magazines will “overshadow the English print media, which is likely to continue facing headwinds from the growing acceptance of digital media content”.



• Failed State? Belgium is an artificial state with the wrong kind of immigrants.



• Incentives for corporations: Companies making larger profits are now paying a lower rate of effective tax because of concessions 



• Pre-diabetes: Eating foods such as nuts and vegetable oil can slow the progress of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.



• Bill Maher: Too much self-esteem.

that loud sucking sound: was that clinton's prez dreams being flushed down the toilet after #brussels?

quite possibly. my swarajya piece.

http://swarajyamag.com/world/is-hillarys-presidential-campaign-the-biggest-victim-of-the-brussels-attack#.VvJtXyxOhS8.twitter

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my rediff piece, is this the end of civilization?

http://www.rediff.com/news/column/the-end-of-civilisation-as-we-know-it-not-really/20160323.htm

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for a change, a positive story on india from FT

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4d6e5bc0-ef92-11e5-9f20-c3a047354386.html?ftcamp=published_links%2Frss%2Fworld_asiapacific_india%2Ffeed%2F%2Fproduct#axzz43hzwY7HZ

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Quick notes: Andy Grove, Simpsons' prediction...

• When Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison told Andy Grove he was the only person in Silicon Valley who they would willingly work for, he told them he wouldn’t have hired either because they were “a couple of flakes.”... “If you went into a meeting, you’d better have your data; you’d better have your opinion; and if you can’t defend your opinion, you have no right to be there.”



• Will the IAF not get its Rafales? Claude Arpi examines the issue



• Mexico City imposes driving ban as pollution soars: In recent years, we've seen similar measures in cities like Beijing, Bogota, New Delhi, Milan, Rome and Paris.



• Curbing pollution: Milan considers paying people to bike to work.



• Trump: ‘The Simpsons’ predicted a Donald Trump presidency 16 years ago





• No Texts, Please, We’re Meditating: “Meditation is part of a wellness trend. It was once part of a culture associated with monks and hippies, and now we see professional athletes and high-level achievers using meditation to enhance performance.”



• India’s Agasthyamala among 20 UNESCO world biosphere reserves: The ABR is situated at the southern-most end of the Western Ghats and spread over Kerala and Tamil Nadu and covers an area of 3,500 sq km at an altitude ranging from 100 metres to 1,868 metres above the Mean Sea Level. 



• Rate of carbon emissions put in context: At present, human emissions of CO2 are approaching 40 billion tonnes a year.



• The West’s big lie about Mother Teresa: Her “glorification of suffering instead of relieving it” has had little impact on her glowing reputation

34 Killed in Brussels Terror Attack; Trump Vindicated

Bombing attacks at the main airport and a metro station in Brussels have killed 34, and injured at least 130 more. They're believed to have occurred in response to the arrest of an ISIS terrorist apprehended over the November Paris terror attacks.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/22/bomb-blasts-rip-into-heart-of-europe.html



US Presidential candidate Donald Trump gave his response:




In an interview in January, a couple of months ago, Trump had pointed to Brussels as an Islamist "hellhole":




11 days ago - a week-and-a-half before today's attacks - a Belgian political leader issued this video:




The attack comes on today's latest round of SuperTuesday voting for the US presidential primaries.

Some thoughts on Modi and his team

BJP has recently rightly kicked out from the party panel, the likes of Varun Gandhi, Shatrughan Sinha, Vinod Khanna, SS Alhuwalia, Kirti Azad, and Dushyant Singh.

Still, his team, which includes several economists with investment and multilateral banking backgrounds, seems to be attempting to push certain items which will favour international financial institutions at the cost of the Indian public. Subramaniam Swamy has alluded to this as well.

The taxing of Employer's Provident fund, as introduced in the Union Budget, 2016-17, was rolled back after Modi's intervention. Now again, the government has slashed interest rates of PPF, Kisan Vikas Patra, and NSC. Government has also introduced a 1% Excise Duty on gold jewellery which is also being rolled back amidst strike from jewelers.

When Modi has given clear directions to his team, why do they keep surreptitiously trying this repeated Chidambaram-esque tinkering? Modi does intervene once in a while, but he surely does not have the financial sophistication to keep track of every such move.

Indians like saving and gold. We do not need international financial institutions to come in here and force us into their crappy pension funds.

Major overhaul is needed within the Finance Ministry as they seem not to be in sync with the people's mandate.




 

Small savings scheme such as PPF, NSC and Kisan Vikas Patra

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51459583.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Small savings scheme such as PPF, NSC and Kisan Vikas Patra

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51459583.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Interest rates on Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra slashed

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51459583.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Interest rates on Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra slashed

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51459583.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Interest rates on Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra slashed

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51459583.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Interest rates on Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra slashed

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51459583.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Small savings scheme such as PPF, NSC and Kisan Vikas Patra

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51459583.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

love this contest: #hotelJNU as parody of eagles' 'Hotel california'

http://swarajyamag.com/featured/now-going-viral-welcome-to-the-hotel-jnu-and-win-prizes-too

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my swarajya piece on the new opensource electronics opportunity

http://swarajyamag.com/magazine/the-new-open-opportunity

don't ask me why they put up the graphic of an envelope with a bomb in it

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the alternative universe that indian msm inhabits: my swarajya piece

http://swarajyamag.com/politics/the-alternate-universe-that-the-indian-old-media-lives-in

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my piece wondering why the heck indians/indian-americans like hillary

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/us-presidential-candidates-its-baffling-that-indians-like-hillary-as-much-as-they-do-2685930.html

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Quick notes: Approval ratings, Christie's loot...

• Comparable to Ronald Reagan: Obama's approval rating just hit its highest point in years, and that could be a huge problem for the GOP



• Christie's loot: 1,000-Year-Old Indian Statues Seized From NYC Auction House



• Storage follows Solar: India Looks to Battery Storage to Supplement Its Solar Boom 



• 180 miles per charge: First all-electric London double-decker bus in service; made in China by BYD



• The Man Who Knew Infinity: Film: 'Celebration of Ramanujan', April 21 at 7:30pm in Cubberley Auditorium, Stanford University.



• Vertigo treatment:




• Godman's Own Country:

Environment protection in compliance with #AdarshLiberal Idea of India #NGT #WesternGhats #KeralaModel pic.twitter.com/t4IVDNiL7B

— Anjali George (@Kuvalayamala) March 11, 2016

Fwd: Vande Mataram library to challenge Sheldon Pollock’s Murty Classical Library of India -- Dr. Sampadananda Mishra

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: kalyan
Date: Thu, Mar 17, 2016 at 6:11 PM
Subject: Vande Mataram library to challenge Sheldon Pollock's Murty Classical Library of India -- Dr. Sampadananda Mishra
To:

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2016/03/vande-mataram-library-to-challenge.html

MAR

17

Vande Mataram library to challenge Sheldon Pollock's Murty Classical Library of India -- Dr. Sampadananda Mishra 

Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay updates the status of a Petition.

Mar 12, 2016 — http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2016/03/08/vande-mataram-library-to-challenge-sheldon-pollocks-murty-classical-library-of-india407643/

Dr. Sampadananda Mishra, director of the Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Indian Culture at the Sri Aurobindo Society in Puducherry, is planning to set up a new library to translate Sanskrit scriptures to English.

The library called 'Vande Mataram' library will be an open-source, volunteer-driven project.

Mishra had earlier signed a petition demanding the removal of Sanskrit scholar Sheldon Pollock from his post as general editor of the Murty Classical Library of India established through a $5.2 million gift from Rohan Murty, the son of Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy and social worker and author Sudha Murty.

Mishra is working with businessman and amateur historian Rajiv Malhotra who drives the campaign against Pollock and has written a book called 'The Battle for Sanskrit,' in which he has criticized Pollock's conclusions on Sanskrit writing.

He has also written another book called 'Being Different' and Mishra had closely worked with him for this book.

Mishra is working on Sanskrit projects at the Sri Aurobindo Society and also on a project on the potential healing power of certain Sanskrit chhandas (metres of verse).

The concept of the new library is said to be a challenge to Murty Library.

In an interview with Scroll.in, Mishra said that the library is still in the conceptual stage and nothing more has been decided. There will be three trustees. One among them will be Mishra and the two other members are to be decided. They are planning to produce 500 volumes of religious and non-religious Sanskrit work.

"The whole vision is to create – you know with this [technology entrepreneur] Narayana Murthy's contribution to Columbia University and all – the whole idea is to create a virtual library with authentic people and authentic translators, which will be a technologically empowered project. Everything will be transparent and authentic. Unquestionable," Mishra told Scroll.

"The idea was floated only two or three days ago. With what is going on – the petition and all these things – I floated this idea. Let that battle go on one side, but at the same time, we should create a virtual library and prove our competence. If people are saying Indians are not competent enough to do that [translate Sanskrit], let's prove it by creating good works, not fighting just like this," he added.

He said that the publications of Murty library are good, but sometimes they lack the spirit of the poem. He also said that Western and European scholars always tried to twist Sanskrit words at crucial places.

"For them, it will be like Chhatrapati is "Lord of Umbrella". Or Ramakrishna Paramhansa will be the "Great Swan". A common reader will be convinced that he is great, but the word "supreme" will not seed. "Great Swan" is fine. But where is the whole spirit behind the word Paramhansa? It is not the word but the spirit that has to be translated," he said.

The library will be concentrating on Sanskrit texts, even scientific texts and unpublished manuscripts. It will also consider secular texts. They are also planning to translate Sanskrit works into other languages like Hindi.

Dr. Mishra replies some queries: 

Vande Mataram Library.

0. What is Vande Mataram Library?

A. It is an ambitious project to execute a great infusion of knowledge into English. In the true sense of the word knowledge, where realisation and experience illuminates and is not merely information or opinion. A knowledge that is organised in linguistic terms as far as possible to our current technical expertise and to the state of our mentality. 

1. When will the library open? Will it be both a physical and a virtual (online) operation?

‎A. The library is in the stages of its conception and therefore no time lines have been set till now. It will sprung forth from virtual operations. The work on its supporting technologies has been initiated. How or if this work will flow into physical library system is not clear. 

2. What will be the scope and size of the library?

A. The aggregate of India's Knowledge and Experience is the scope.

3. What languages will the works in Sanskrit be translated into and will they be available online?

A. We have resolved to limit the translations from Sanskrit to English only. The order of priority would flow from revealed scripture, Sruti, to the ‎remembered works, Smriti--from major to minor works. 

Petition update:

https://www.change.org/p/mr-n-r-narayana-murthy-and-mr-rohan-narayan-murty-removal-of-prof-sheldon-pollock-as-mentor-and-chief-editor-of-murty-classical-library/u/15803312?recruiter=60196578&utm_source=share_update&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=facebook_link

Share this petition 17,205 supporters

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Fwd: The Indian Ocean Challenge +Defence Budget not compatible with threat perception+Modi can't allow Pakistan SIT inside Pathankot base+ CPEC China Pak differ over Tax Exemptions

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

1. The Indian Ocean Challenge by g parthasarathy 10.3.16 http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/the-indian-ocean-challenge/206656.html

"Despite these developments, India cannot ignore the fact that China has acted as a spoiler in every effort New Delhi has made to enhance its role in its eastern neighbourhood. Beijing vigorously opposed our participation in economic and security forums linked with ASEAN, including the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit. China continues to maintain links across its borders with Myanmar, with some of our northeastern separatist outfits. We are now steadily moving towards a more proactive response to counter these Chinese efforts."

China has simultaneously commenced an effort to strengthen Pakistan's navy, with the supply of four  frigates and eight submarines, to reinforce these efforts.

What India cannot afford to ignore is that while the silk road envelops both its eastern and western neighbours, this road links up with the Maritime Silk Road and the Indian Ocean, in the Pakistani Port of Gwadar, located at the mouth of the Persian Gulf".

 

2. Defence Budget not compatible with threat perception and modernisation severely hit 10.3.16 by col pk vasudeva http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/defence-budget-not-compatible-with-threat-perception-and-modernisation-severely-hit/

"China has over double the number of combat aircraft than India. IAFs edge over PAF is at an all-time low of 1.5:1. Capital requirements for IAF itself could be Rs 50,000 crore. Indian Army needs money for Russian T-90 MBTs and indigenous Arjun battle tanks, Kamov 226 Light Utility helicopters, BrahMos tactical cruise missiles, 155 mm wheeled self-propelled guns, Ultra-light howitzers, and modern kits and assault rifles for its soldiers among many other things.
The Blue water Indian Navy needs to fast-track submarine acquisitions, including Arihant class nuclear subs and funds for already under construction Vikrant aircraft carrier. The 12 Japanese Shin Maywa Industries' US-2i amphibious aircraft need around $1.65 billion. By 2019, the Navy dreams of having 150 ships and close to 500 aircraft and helicopters."

 

3. Why the Chinese Defence Budget calls for introspection by gurmeet kanwal 9.3.16 http://www.thequint.com/opinion/2016/03/09/why-the-hike-in-chinas-defence-budget-calls-for-introspection

 

4. China to draft new law to manage NGO activities 10.3.16 http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/972950.shtml

My take – When will GOI do so? That would mean taking on the West, U.S. Germany and U.K. being the biggest contributors.

 

5. March 9 - A high level team constituted by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for security audit of military installations will shortly visit Jammu and Kashmir to take review of 'Vulnerable Areas and Vulnerable Places' and suggest measures for quick reaction in case of January 2 like Pathankot attack and ensure that the encounters didn't prolong. The team is headed by Lt Gen (Retired) Philip Campose, former Vice Chief of Army Staff, who had also served as Western Command chief.

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/mods-high-level-team-undertake-security-audit-vulnerable-areas/

 

6. Modi can't allow Pakistan SIT inside Pathankot base 10.3.16 by rajeev sharma http://www.rediff.com/news/column/modi-cant-allow-pakistan-sit-inside-pathankot-base/20160310.htm

 

7. A remarkabe past – Without altertness, Pakistan will lose evidence of its history by westminster gleanings 10.3.16   http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160310/jsp/opinion/story_73621.jsp   8. CPEC China Pak differ over Tax Exemptions 10.3.16 http://tribune.com.pk/story/1062662/loans-for-cpec-projects-pakistan-china-divided-over-tax-exemptions/   9. Spare the Service Chiefs 9.3.16 by major gen mrinal suman http://mrinalsuman.blogspot.in/2016/03/spare-service-chiefs.html

Warm Regards
sanjeev nayyar
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Fwd: Excercise Force18+ Modi continues to play into Pakistan's hands +Turmoil in the Middle East and its implications+South China Sea: Is China baring its fangs +Indo-Nepal Thaw: Does Compellence Work

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

1. Defence budget: Surrendering funds has put brakes on India's military modernisation 7.3.16 by lt gen prakash katoch http://www.firstpost.com/india/defence-budget-surrendering-funds-has-put-brakes-on-indias-military-modernisation-2660566.html

"Talking of criticalities, take the example of bullet proof jackets in the army. Past several years one has heard about 1,86,000 being imported but nothing has materialized, mainly because the Ordnance Factory Board under DRDO has not been able to produce any worthwhile bullet proof jacket. Interestingly, a media report of 2015 revealed that many of our private companies are exporting bullet proof jackets and even helmets to more than 230 forces in over 100 countries including British, German, Spanish and French Armies, plus police forces stretching from Japan in the East to the US in the West. Why can't Service Chiefs have the authority of making emergency purchases with troops continuously engaged in counter insurgency operations, and when Army Commander Northern Command purchases such bullet proof jackets under his Special Financial Powers, duly cleared by the IFA, why does the IFA object? When will we break the mafia."

 

2. China's military reforms: Is all well? 9.3.16 by mandeep singh http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/chinas-military-reforms_msingh_090316

 

3. China puts development of aircraft engine high on agenda say military experts 8.3.16 http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0308/c90000-9027133.html

 

4. Foreign Ministers sends candid message 8.3.16 editorial globaltimes http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/972622.shtml

 

5. Turmoil in the Middle East and its implications 8.3.16 by talat mahmood http://tribune.com.pk/story/1061875/turmoil-in-the-middle-east-and-its-implications/

 

6. Islamabad to support extend cooperation with Riyadh 9.3.16 http://tribune.com.pk/story/1061932/islamabad-to-extend-military-cooperation-with-riyadh/

 

My take – coming days before Modi's visit to Saudi does it imply anything.

 

7. South China Sea: Is China baring its fangs 9.3.16 by lt gen js bajwa http://www.indiandefencereview.com/news/south-china-sea-is-china-baring-its-fangs/

 

8. Indo-Nepal Thaw: Does Compellence Work? 9.3.16 by Jayanna K http://www.indiandefencereview.com/indo-nepal-thaw-does-compellence-work/

 

9. Exercise Force 18 takes India's 'Act East policy' to the next level by dr rahul mishra 8.3.16 http://www.rediff.com/news/column/exercise-force-18-takes-indias-act-east-policy-to-the-next-level/20160308.htm

"Concluding today is one of the biggest-ever multi-nation field training exercises hosted by India. The six-day long Exercise Force 18, conducted under the framework of the ASEAN defence ministers' meetings plus, is being undertaken since March 2 at the Aundh military station at the headquarters of the southern command of the Indian Army at Pune. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations and eight other member countries of the ADMM Plus are participants in Exercise Force 18, which is themed around 'Humanitarian mine action' and 'peacekeeping operations'.

The '18' in Exercise Force 18 denotes the number of participating countries: The 10 ASEAN member States (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Republic of Korea, and the US, with the participation of over 360 military personnel from these countries. "

READ report from VIETNAM http://english.vov.vn/politics/defence-officer-observes-military-exercise-in-india-314231.vov

 

10. Modi continues to play into Pakistan's hands 9.3.16 by Brahma C http://www.rediff.com/news/column/modi-continues-to-play-into-pakistans-hands/20160309.htm

Creating political space for further top-level engagement with Pakistan has become necessary because Modi's famous hug of Sharif in Lahore on Christmas Day backfired. That hug, like Atal Bihari Vajpayee's hug of Sharif at the Wagah border in 1999, brought not peace but greater terrorism.

Obama did not question Sharif about the public activities of Hafiz Saeed, Azhar and other terrorist proxies or about Pakistan's violation of the Security Council and FATF requirements in the case relating to Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, a LeT leader whom Pakistan arrested and charged with involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistan failed to investigate the source of funds used to bail out Lakhvi in April 2015.

Obama, however, has exerted Pakistan-related pressure on India. After Obama's New Delhi visit in early 2015, Modi's Pakistan policy transformed conspicuously. He resumed bilateral dialogue with Pakistan, only to invite new terror attacks in Punjab and Kashmir states. Still, he paid an unannounced visit to Pakistan.

Unfortunately, India's Pakistan policy has become unhinged and directionless. It remains unmoored in reality, even though the Indian public is sick and tired of the national leadership's acts of commission and omission that have made the country repeatedly relive history."

11.

Warm Regards
sanjeev nayyar
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Fwd: Contribute to Indian Army Central Welfare Fund + Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, Pune

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

Namaskar,

 

The Indian soldier, the guardian of our frontiers and the custodian of peace, is a role model for the people of India. He is the epitome of courage and unflinching devotion to duty. More than any other group or community in the country, the Indian soldier embodies and represents the idea of India.

 

From the snow-clad and wind-swept mountains of the Himalayas in the north, to the steaming hot and humid jungles of the seven sisters in the north-east and the shimmering sands of the burning Thar Desert in the west, he never lowers his guard. Along the LoC, he braves daily spells of intermittent small arms and mortar fire from the enemy. Sometimes he lives through many days of heavy artillery shelling when the very earth around him shakes ominously.

 

Despite the omnipresent danger, hardships and privations of life on the nation's troubled frontiers, he stands tall and firm. Stoic and resolute, his courage never wavers, his spirit never flags. When the situation so demands, he makes the supreme sacrifice without flinching. For our tomorrow, he smilingly gives his today.

 

The Indian soldier is worthy of our support. Let us contribute generously to his welfare and to the welfare of our Veterans. It would be a noble gesture on our part to contribute to welfare funds designed to help disabled soldiers, some of whom are boarded out, and to the families of our martyred soldiers.

 

You can help in two ways. 1. Army Central Welfare Fund (only individuals can donate 100% tax exemption). 2. Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre, Pune. (individuals+corporates can donate, tax exemption under 80G is 50%).

 

Link has all details of how and to which account to remit money, either electronically or by post. http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Contribute-to-Indian-Army-Welfare-Fund-1.aspx

 

In case you have any problems in connecting or getting contribution receipts please mail and I will try to facilitate the process.

 

Bharat Mata Ki Jai + Jai Hind

 

Warm Regards
sanjeev nayyar
to unsubscribe write back

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Fwd: India Was Right To Deny Visas To US Commission Wanting To Review 'Deteriorating' Religious Freedom

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: S G Naravane

India Was Right To Deny Visas To US Commission Wanting To Review 'Deteriorating' Religious FreedomGaurav Singhal 11/03/2016

				India Was Right To Deny Visas To US Commission Wanti... Why do we need a certificate from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) about the status of religious freedom in our country? USC...
				View on www.huffingtonpost.in	Preview by Yahoo

The US has built up quite a reputation for meddling in the internal affairs of other countries. One of their methods is to investigate the religious freedoms, or lack thereof, in other countries. India recently denied visas to members of a federal government commission known as the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The delegation had a visit planned to India for reviewing alleged violations of religious freedom. The Modi government, however, argues that the United States has no locus-standi (legal standing).

According to the official website of USCIRF, it is a federal government commission:

"USCIRF's principal responsibilities include reviewing, through the lens of international human rights law, the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom internationally and making policy recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission with commissioners appointed by the President and the leaders in both Houses of Congress."

... deleted

Fwd: Our Univesities Are Being Captured By Rebels Without A Cause: Makarand Paranjape

rebels without a clue, actually

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: S G Naravane

Our univesities are being captured by rebels without a cause: Makarand ParanjapeToday, 3 hours ago

				Our univesities are being captured by rebels without a c... Our univesities are being captured by rebels without a cause: Makarand Paranjape
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JNU professor Dr. Makarand Paranjape was recently in news for differing with the student leader Kanhaiya Kumar's statements. Newsd spoke to him on issues of campus politics and beyond. The professor spoke about how students activism has degenerated in our universities, how slogans are raised and protests held just to deliberately hurt the sentiments of some communities.The full video is available below.

Swarajya thanks newsd for the footage.

https://youtu.be/y_-TZrEKwMU

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Fwd: Note To A Comrade: Your Kind Of Revolutions Don’t Happen In India

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From: Capt.(Dr.) S G Naravane

http://swarajyamag.com/politics/note-to-a-comrade-your-kind-of-revolutions-dont-happen-in-india

Arush Tandon Today, 26 minutes ago

If you're reading this piece, you know what was in the news all of last week. Kanhaiya Kumar was released on bail for six months and in the week Finance Minister Arun Jaitley delivered what might be the most important budget of the Modi government, it was Kanhaiya who was the subject of headlines.

His speech—embarrassingly loaded with stale Leftist clichés and ideas but delivered in a likeable eastern-UP-Bihar accent—was played up by some news channels as the perfect and popular ideological argument against the Modi government. The enthusiasm of Kanhaiya's supporters and fans was even louder on social media. If you saw Kanhaiya supporters on TV, you would have thought they would smile to sleep. But if you saw their tweets, you'd think they'd dance the night out.

Amidst this Kanhaiya-as-messiah campaign and social media push, there came a point where one couldn't help but wonder if there was a fantastical motive to all of it.

This will be denied, but I'm certain that on the night Kanhaiya made his speech, some of his cheerleaders were hoping for a Tahrir Square-like moment in India. Just to recall, Tahrir Square is shorthand for a popular movement in Egypt in 2011 where massive protests were staged at Cairo's Tahrir Square, ultimately leading to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. Something similar in Delhi would not only fulfill their (Kanhaiya's gang's) romantic fantasy of a revolution but would also topple a 'hopelessly intolerant' government. There is terrible beauty in the imagined utopia of a revolution, and never was it closer to their reality than on Thursday night.

But, almost simultaneously, there was a pleasure in the realisation that such a revolution is not possible in India. The immediate thought that followed was "why?".

While a comprehensive, complete answer to that question is best left to someone more experienced and accomplished, here are some of the points which come to my mind:

First, India is a functioning democracy. There are problems, sure, but by and large it has done well on the democratic front. This allows the citizens a regular opportunity for collective catharsis. Long before social or political tensions reach unmanageable levels, they are purged or at least diluted via elections. Of course, these elections might be bitterly contested, but it's a democratic contest within the guidelines of the Constitution. Thus, the required threshold level of tensions is never reached.

Second, and this observation is restricted to India—here, any significant political change is realised through a process of evolution rather than revolution. Political changes happen as a consequence of a long drawn-out struggle, rather than by spontaneous bursts of popular emotions.

Third, one suspects stable democracies are institutionally wary of so-called revolutions. They operate on a bipartisan consensus on the core nature and workings of the State. Revolutions, or movements which claim to be so, mostly fall outside this capacious consensus.

Fourth, such democracies are also wary of revolutions for the sake of revolutions. Democracy is a contest between alternatives. Any movement which does not offer a substitute will immediately be seen as destructive. The imagined utopia of revolution doesn't include alternatives. The removal of the targeted leader or power is seen as the end in itself. Just recall the tone and words of the usual suspects from last week. Were they interested in anything but the immediate fall of the Modi government?

The fact is that today Narendra Modi leads a BJP government in India and the only way to change that is to defeat the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Till then, breathe comrade. Your kind of 'revolutions' don't happen in India.

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Fwd: Liberal Hatred For Tulsi Gabbard

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From: S G Naravane <sgnaravane@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, Mar 8, 201

Liberal Hatred For Tulsi Gabbard | IndiaFactsMayuresh Didolkar06-03-2016

				Liberal Hatred For Tulsi Gabbard | IndiaFacts Journalists like Jilani did not create this situation where attributing violence committed in the name of a religion will be referred to as Islamophobia.
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Journalists like Jilani did not create this situation where attributing violence committed in the name of a religion will be referred to as Islamophobia.

Question: whom does today's Left-Liberal hate the most? The answer is easy- anyone with a position contrary to one held by them. After all, "disagreement from opposition as a proof of moral deficiency "is Left-Lib's go-to defence in all arguments.

Next Question- Among all those disagree with them whom does today's' liberal hate most? The answer once again is easy- all things being equal, the Left-Lib is likely to take criticism from a woman far less kindly than from a man. That is one of the reason, why, for all their talk of gender equality, Left-Libs are some of the biggest misogynists on the planet. In India women leaders from HRD Minister Smriti Irani to state CMs like Anandiben Patel, Vasundhara Raje Scindia or EAM Sushma Swaraj,have all been at the receiving end of the left vitriol otherwise aimed only at the PM.

Then how about a liberal woman who disagrees with a Left-Liberal? A woman disagreeing and claiming to be one of their own. The Traitor!! Must ! Not ! Be ! Tolerated!!

In this light the hit job on Hawaii Rep (D) Tulsi Gabbard by alternet.org hack Zaid Jilani should come as no surprise to anyone. What surprised me mostly was how uninspired and shoddy the hit job was. The assertions made by the writer are so ludicrous and self-contradictory that exposing them gives me no pleasure.

The subject of this anti-Gabbard rant is nominally her appearance on Fox News where she questioned the wisdom behind White House holding an extremism summit with Muslim Americans. Rep Gabbard termed this outreach by the Obama administration as diversion from what our real focus needs to be. And that focus is on Islamic extremist threat. Needless to say Jillani got riled. He took exception to Rep Gabbard's claim that the Islamic extremism is essentially theological and not fuelled by materialistic motivation.  The writer quotes "To Gabbard, the fact that Syria and Iraq have been through years of brutal civil war, wrecked economies and massive displacement is irrelevant; the only reason they have an extremism problem is because of Islamic theology."

Fact check- If Jilani actually saw the whole 5.52 minute interview clip he posted, he would be forced to admit that of the two countries mentioned above, Rep Gabbard makes a specific reference to Iraq war (3.11 onwards in the clip) "we were diverted from that and ended up in a nation building mission in Iraq, deposing Saddam, pushing forward this Western ideal of democracy in Iraq, costing trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives and to what end?"

Doesn't sound like someone who finds the brutal war and wrecked economy irrelevant, does it?

And of course she is 100% right on the Islamic extremism not being fuelled by materialistic motivations. As the Fox News journalist points out at 1.47 in the clip 13 out of the 19 Saudi hijackers of the 9/11 belonged to wealthy Saudi families. Nor is Rep Gabbard the only politician to point this out. British PM David Cameron in a speech in July 2015 stated "The root cause of the threat we face is the extremist ideology itself." This opinion is also supported by studies like the one done by RAND Corporation in 2009 that showed Terrorists are not particularly impoverished, uneducated, or afflicted by mental disease," and "Terrorist leaders actually tend to come from relatively privileged backgrounds." Osama Bin Laden anyone?

Of course Jilani knows all this and reveals his real agenda in the next para itself where he claims "the case of Rep Gabbard becomes less curious and more expected once you look at her links to a different set of ethnic and religious hardliners- the Hindu nationalist Indian Bhartiya Janta Party ( BJP)"

Aha!!

The writer introduces us to the "Islamophobic" BJP.  The writer mentions ( as you would ) PM Modi's past i.e. Gujarat 2002 riots and says  "Although Modi was never indicted, many including a senior police officer who testified before India's Supreme Court said Modi believed his region's Hindus should be allowed to "vent their anger," and deliberately allowed the rioting to happen for some time before intervening.

The senior officer? Disgraced IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt. The meeting Bhatt talks about never took place as confirmed by the other senior officers Bhatt claimed to have attended the meeting with. Bhatt's own boss R. B. Sreekumar denies Bhatt ever speaking to him about this meeting prior to him filing an affidavit (9 years after the riots). His own driver claims Bhatt took him to the local Indian National Congress leader's house and threatened to corroborate Bhatt's version.

Yes, and the officer you have cited at this moment stands terminated from his service. His plea to constitute Special Investigative Team for cases filed against him by Gujarat government is quashed by the Supreme Court with thefollowing observation "petitioner (Bhatt) was in active touch with leaders of rival political party, NGOs, their lawyers tried to play media card, was being tutored by NGOs. He had probably forgotten that he was a senior IPS officer. In case he was fairly stating a fact after nine years, he ought not to have entered into the aforesaid exercise and kept away from all politics and activism of creating pressure, even upon 3-judge bench of this court, amicus and many others…"

A tip about citing past news for you Zaid- if you are quoting an article from 2011, just make sure none of the claims made there are refuted later on. You can google this stuff, you know.

His question "why did the state government not intervene sooner?" sounds hollow in face of the facts that –

1. Narendra Modi issued orders of curfew and shoot-at-sight at the town of Godhra in less than 2 hours after Muslim mob murdered 59 Hindus without provocation.
2. After his visit to the station that evening more than 800 people, mostly Hindus were taken in preventive custody to stop them from retaliating this gruesome mass killing of Hindus.
3. 70,000 strong police force was deployed, Rapid Action Force was used on the day after riots and the first Army unit was called for and landed in Ahemdabad in less than 48 hours from the Hindus were massacred at Godhra.
4. Almost all people killed in police firing in first week were Hindus.

Interestingly, Modi had requested 3 neighbouring states, namely Madhya Pradesh, Maharahstra and Rajasthan  (all ruled by BJP's opponent Indian National Congress ) to send in their state police / state reserved police since the Gujarat police was hopelessly outnumbered and barring Maharashtra who sent 2 companies of the state reserved police, the other two states did not help. A true investigative journalist will present these facts since they are easily accessible and verifiable. A hit job artist will sweep them under the rug and hope for the best.

The writer also uses the clichéd lie, namely mostly Muslims were killed in the riots in 2002. Facts do not bear this out. The riots started when a mob of Muslim extremists burned 59 Hindus including 15 children alive at the train station of Godhra. In the subsequent riots too, there was a cycle of violence where each attack by Hindu mob was answered with similar attack by Muslims in the hope of cowering Hindus into giving up. Dalits were targeted and killed by Muslims. Muslims formed cordons and cut off their power supplies to make it impossible for law enforcement personnel to search for Islamic miscreants and allowed them to escape so they could continue to perpetrate violence. These are facts and they are undisputed.

Moving on, our intrepid truth seeker claims Modi was unapologetic about the riots and again hilariously (if it was not so tragic) quotes this NY times story published in 2002.

Another tip for you- never use a story as reference material when nearly every claim made in that story has been refuted later on.

Like where the story claims (in the riots) "A pregnant woman's belly was slit open, her foetus raised skyward on the tip of a sword and then tossed onto one of the fires that blazed across the city."

We all know now that the doctor who performed post mortem on the woman in question has clarifiedthat the foetus was intact and in fact he had stated the same in his original post mortem report. A report any conscientious journalist would have cross checked with if his objective was reporting truth instead of doing his political master's bidding.

The same NYT story also portrays the victims of Godhra train massacre as religious zealots who insulted the Muslims on the platform and thus their gruesome murder was kind of a spontaneous reaction. Guess the NYT reporter assumed the mob just kept the large amount of quantities of petrol needed to burn a train coach with them , you know just in case.

I feel the perpetrators of both attack need to be punished and you cannot explain one case of violence with another. At the same time there is no denying that if the 59 peaceful Hindus were not butchered in a cold blooded attack by Islamic extremists, then the subsequent riots would not have taken place. Jilani ;whose mission is to explain away beheadings and planes flying into buildings with socio economic deprivation should see my viewpoint. Except he doesn't.

The falsehood continues as Jilani makes the ridiculous assertion that "several BJP figures who were accused of spurring on the violence, and noted they had yet to be arrested."

Are you even real ? For the record a grand total of 443 people were convicted for the riots in 2002. Almost 75 % of them were Hindus. Maya Kodnani, the sitting minister for women and child development of the state government was convicted and sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment in 2009. Compared to that, United States has convicted 319 people (as per the Bush administration) on terrorism related charges arising out of investigations primarily after 9/11.

 

The writer then states "Modi escaped repercussions at home", on the contrary he faced every inquiry by various law enforcement agencies, provided them with all the co-operation that was expected out of himas the CM of the state and as a person of interest in the case and won an acquittal.But Jilani the crusader makes it sound like Modi fled India in the middle of the night.

The string of disasters continue in the article as Jilani gets the freaking surname of RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat wrong (referred to as Bhagway). The author lives up to every cliché of the ugly American who can neither pronounce nor spell a foreigner's name and does not care. Once again- google this stuff.

Next on his peeve list is Gabbard's opposition to HR 417 where she cited the timing (the resolution urged the US government to continue its policy to not grant Visa to Narendra Modi and largely held Hindus responsible for communal violence in India) of the resolution since it was introduced on the floor of the house the same time India was preparing for elections. Jilani says "her concern was that Modi's electoral chances would be hurt by an honest look at religious persecution in India."

Except she was not the only one.Republican house representative of the Congressional 39th district Ed Royce who was the chairman of the House Foreign Relations committee said of the resolution "H Res 417 weakens, rather than strengthens, the friendship between the US and India. The resolution runs counter to all the hard work that the American people, particularly those in the Indian American community, have done to improve the relationship," Rep Gabbard was not even the only Democrat to oppose the offensive resolution.  Eni Faleomavaega Jr. (note to Jilani- I spelled this one correctly, you can get Bhagwat right bud), American Samoan delegate to the House of Representatives who was a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Asia and Pacific- which has broad jurisdiction for US foreign policy for the Asian region said he would not support the resolution and described it as "flawed".

But then Royce is a Republican and Faleomavaega Jr is a man. And most of all none of them are Hindus. So Jilani will pretend they do not exist for the purpose of this discussion. Sounds to me that Jilani's concern about Rep Gabbard is that she did not allow Modi's electoral chances to be unfairly hurt by a "flawed" piece of resolution.

And that brings me to the origin of Jilani's hatred of Gabbard. Rep Gabbard, is an American Samoan who converted to Hinduism as Teenager. In Jilani's world where terrorists who fly planes in buildings are nothing but expression of extreme poverty, Hindus and Jews (he makes a reference to Zionist government) are the root source of evil. At the beginning of this article I talked about the anger liberals feel towards liberal women who do not buy their brand of liberalism. This anger ought to multiply many times when the woman in question chooses a religion that you have neatly pigeon holed as evil.

And how does he get away with it? Why, by using the magic word- Islamophobia, of course. In the new cowardly politically correct world exploited best by radical extremists, the baseless attack on a Hindu woman by a Muslim journalist cannot be called out for communalism because you would be immediately termed an islamophobe by him and other radical lefties like him.

The article in itself merits no rebuttal because of the lack of research and unfair representation.  It makes no case of representing Rep Gabbard as a communal thug that it tries to make her. It even descends into ultimate cheap tactic- threatening Rep Gabbard in the last line of the article.  But the trend it shows, the trend of Islamic terror apologists feeling confident of taking pot-shots at their ideological opponents and then hiding behind Islamophobia ought to worry you and me.

As Edward R Murrow mulled about Senator Joseph McCarthy in his iconic speech on free speech "The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad, and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear; he merely exploited it — and rather successfully."

Journalists like Jilani did not create this situation where attributing violence committed in the name of a religion will be referred to as Islamophobia. He is merely exploiting the situation (rather ineptly I may add, but still ) and if a young, idealistic legislator, one who chose to put herself in the harm's way for her country becomes the casualty of this venomous brand of communal politics, why the liberals fully expect us to stand and do nothing. Or termed as Islamophobe.

Old ED was right, the fault indeed Brutus is not in our stars but in ourselves.

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