apr 29th, 2008
is that giant sucking sound we're hearing... wait, wrong metaphor, let me start again.
is that sound of the obama campaign self-destructing? guy's having a bit of a hard time having the cake and eating it too, i suppose.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/opinion/30dowd.html?th&emc=th
the guy has always struck me as a major fake and a hoax. perfect christist, in that sense. now it's delightful to see him try to wriggle out of all the contradictions here. clinton (bill) said famously, "i didn't inhale". now obama is saying, "i didn't hear any of the bad things wright said, i was just overwhelmed by his spirituality." yeah, right.
un-electable, that's what obama is now seeing. no bloody bubba is going to vote for him, and increasingly large numbers of regular white folks aren't going to, either.
bye, bye, obama, maybe? and perhaps hello, mccain?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Gene-Sequencing Goes Open Source
Just as IBM changed the computing world with its introduction of the PC, with its open architecture and off-the-shelf parts, likewise Harvard's George Church has now introduced his own open-architecture gene-sequencing machine. At a price of $150,000 per unit, the Polonator could bring full-blown gene-sequencing to the masses. They now have a homepage.
Amitabh's blog
apr 29th, 2008
i have never been a fan of bollywood in general, or amitabh bacchan in particular. i have found him, um... distasteful, and not the great superstar everyone says he is. anyway, forwarding this comment from a reader. i have not read amitabh bacchan's blog. caveat emptor.
i have never been a fan of bollywood in general, or amitabh bacchan in particular. i have found him, um... distasteful, and not the great superstar everyone says he is. anyway, forwarding this comment from a reader. i have not read amitabh bacchan's blog. caveat emptor.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Soniya
Namaste,
I am not normally a worshipper of Bollywood and certainly don't worship fillum stars like a vast majority of Indians do, but I thought this was pretty interesting. Secular journalists have constantly derided Hindus going to temples, donating money to religious causes, and following Hindu rites and customs. They raised a great hue and cry about how Amitabh and his family made Aishwarya marry a tree as she was Manglik; something that hasn't been proven to be true. Amitabh now has a blog (looks like a lot of them are jumping on this bandwagon) and has replied to several of them. He refuses to be apologetic for being Hindu and hits back at the journalists but with real grace. I wish we had more Hindus with backbones and had the kind of phenomenal public following like Amitabh does.
For example, just look at the first question by this reporter:
http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/2008/04/17/ab-interview-with-mumbai-mirroranil-t/#more-7
"I guess you are feeling these days much like a section of the Muslim community is often made to feel in this nation: Keep providing proof that you care for Mumbai and Maharashtra"
Amitabh refused to be taken in, and minces no words when he says:
"Firstly, the premise of your query is something that I do not contribute to or believe in..."
I thought you might find this interesting.
Thanks,
Soniya
From: Soniya
Namaste,
I am not normally a worshipper of Bollywood and certainly don't worship fillum stars like a vast majority of Indians do, but I thought this was pretty interesting. Secular journalists have constantly derided Hindus going to temples, donating money to religious causes, and following Hindu rites and customs. They raised a great hue and cry about how Amitabh and his family made Aishwarya marry a tree as she was Manglik; something that hasn't been proven to be true. Amitabh now has a blog (looks like a lot of them are jumping on this bandwagon) and has replied to several of them. He refuses to be apologetic for being Hindu and hits back at the journalists but with real grace. I wish we had more Hindus with backbones and had the kind of phenomenal public following like Amitabh does.
For example, just look at the first question by this reporter:
http://blogs.bigadda.com/ab/2008/04/17/ab-interview-with-mumbai-mirroranil-t/#more-7
"I guess you are feeling these days much like a section of the Muslim community is often made to feel in this nation: Keep providing proof that you care for Mumbai and Maharashtra"
Amitabh refused to be taken in, and minces no words when he says:
"Firstly, the premise of your query is something that I do not contribute to or believe in..."
I thought you might find this interesting.
Thanks,
Soniya
LTTE-Sonia link-'Dravidian' nexus -- gurumurthy
apr 29th, 2008
'dravidians' and sonia nehru collaborating. i guess the whole idea was to have power in the hands of sonia herself. in this, that rajiv nehru was an obstacle.
and now the 'dravidians' like t r baalu (of the gas scam and sethu destruction fame) and karunanidhi are prospering under the sonia raj.
isn't this wondrously like zardari bhutto not being all that heart-broken at the death of benazir bhutto? better to get that pesky person out of the way and enjoy the power themselves, directly.
'dravidians' and sonia nehru collaborating. i guess the whole idea was to have power in the hands of sonia herself. in this, that rajiv nehru was an obstacle.
and now the 'dravidians' like t r baalu (of the gas scam and sethu destruction fame) and karunanidhi are prospering under the sonia raj.
isn't this wondrously like zardari bhutto not being all that heart-broken at the death of benazir bhutto? better to get that pesky person out of the way and enjoy the power themselves, directly.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yash
You are successful and creative only when
you see an opportunity in every difficulty.
From: Yash
An LTTE-Sonia family link?
S. Gurumurthy
April 29 2008
The LTTE suicide squad did plan and eliminate Rajiv Gandhi. But, why did the LTTE do it? Was there a larger conspiracy that extended beyond the LTTE as the strike force? Was the LTTE the author of the crime or the mercenary for some one else or for some purpose that yielded some benefit to it? These questions persisted even after the actual assassins were brought to book. The Narasimha Rao government appointed the Jain Commission to go into the conspiracy angle to the murder.
In its interim report the commission did exceedingly good work to bring on record evidence about the political forces involved in promoting the LTTE in Tamil Nadu that made the crime possible. Yet it made a mockery of its main work, the conspiracy angle. It floated dubious and wild theories, involving Mossad! CIA! Besides adding confusion, it ended up trivialising a very serious exercise. This also robbed the commission of its credibility.As the commission's final report proved a flop, the Vajpayee government appointed a Multi- Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) in 1998 to unearth the conspiracy angle.
But the person who first demanded, but, ultimately made, investigation into the conspiracy to murder Rajiv Gandhi irrelevant was none other than his widow Sonia Gandhi. Her attitude to the investigation and suspected actors in the murder dramatically changed. Her conduct in 1997 when she was working to enter active politics was a stark contrast to her attitude after taking over the congress leadership on the Jain Commission issue.
In 1997, she demanded that the DMK which, the Jain commission had said, was part of the conspiracy, be sacked as a partner of the UF alliance and pulled down the government when the demand was not met. Her party insisted the entire facts about the conspiracy be investigated and revealed.
Addressing a meeting at Amethi, Sonia hinted that the DMK was a fan of the LTTE and charged that those who doubted the Jain commission report were diverting the attention from the investigation into the conspiracy to murder Rajiv and demanded that the probe be completed expeditiously (Indian Express 2.2.1998). But, once she took over the party leadership, she not only ceased to evince any interest in pursuing the Rajiv Gandhi murder conspiracy, but also began allying with the alleged conspirators themselves. The developments, put together, reveal a shocking picture.
The year after taking over the Congress, Sonia Gandhi makes a secret move. In the year 1999, she told then President Dr K R Narayanan privately that 'neither she nor her son and daughter wanted any of the four convicts' sentenced to death for Rajiv's assassination 'to be hanged', and pleaded that no child should be orphaned by an act of the State. Noted the Indian Express (Nov 20, 1999) that before her plea for mercy to the Rajiv killers the Congress party was the leading opponent of mercy to them. This silenced the party once and for all. What transpired at her private meeting with the President was revealed not by Sonia, but by Mohini Giri (the former chairperson of the National Women's Commission) and on that basis Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life. (Frontline Nov 5-18, 2005).
Then, in February 2004, there were reports, editorially commented by the Island newspaper in Colombo on Feb 20, 2004, that Eduardo Faleiro, her emissary, had a secret meeting with the LTTE chief Prabhakaran at Killinochi. Island had also referred to reports that Sonia's mother Ms Paula Maino had met Anton Balasingham, LTTE's point man in London, in connection with the electoral alliance between the DMK and the Congress. While Eduardo Faleiro at least made a feeble attempt to deny the meeting, Paulo Maino would not even deny that.
Third, the Paulo Maino meeting preceded, and the Faleiro meeting succeeded, the unbelievable U-turn of Sonia Gandhi to forge alliance with the DMK which was accused by her own party in 1997 of being part of the conspiracy to murder her husband. The DMK-Congress alliance seems to have been agreed upon sometime in December 2003. In January 2004, Sonia met the DMK chief and concretised the alliance. The coming together of one of the alleged conspirators and the victim of the conspiracy made a mockery of any further investigation into Rajiv Gandhi murder. For the last four years there is not a single word spoken by Sonia on pursuing the Rajiv Gandhi murderers and on unearthing the conspiracy or for the extradition of Prabhakaran or Pottu Amman.
This is despite the fact that, when, on April 10, 2002, Prabhakaran met the press at Killinochi, he did not even deny that LTTE was involved in Rajiv assassination. Fourth, the LTTE too responded favourably to signals from Sonia that she was not against LTTE. On January 27, 2006, Anton Balasingham, told an Indian TV news channel that the Rajiv killing was 'monumental tragedy' and asked the people of India to be 'magnanimous to put the past behind' and deal with the LTTE.
Fifth, Sonia did not object to the inclusion of the DMK woman MP in whose house Sivarasan the main killer of Rajiv Gandhi had stayed for which she was detained under the TADA, as a minister in the UPA government. Sixth, the MDMA which was appointed by the NDA government after Sonia rejected the Action Taken Report on the Jain Commission, has virtually become defunct under the UPA regime. Since 2004, she has not uttered a single word asking what the MDMA is doing. And finally now in March 2008, Priyanka Vadra, Sonia's daughter makes a secret visit to Vellore jail and meets the first accused in the murder of Rajiv, for over an hour.
Media reports say that they sat by each other's side, cried and professed goodwill towards each other! No one knows what transpired between them. The meeting clearly illegal, looks almost a conspiracy, would have remained a secret had the media not exposed it. Priyanka said that neither Sonia nor Rahul or Priyanka believe in hate or anger, and that the visit was her way of coming to terms with the Rajiv Gandhi murder.
Moral high ground seems to be a cover for undisclosed political strategies. But where was this high moral ground when Sonia angrily pulled down the UF government on the ground that DMK, a suspected co-conspirator with LTTE, was part of the alliance? Is Rajiv Gandhi's assassination a personal affair between the Sonia Gandhi family and the LTTE for the former to punish or pardon the latter? LTTE has neither confessed nor regretted its action for the Gandhis to pardon. The LTTE is even today unrepenting.
The prosecution case is that the LTTE supremo decided to avenge Rajiv Gandhi for sending IPKF to Sri Lanka and betraying the LTTE. But that was no personal decision of Rajiv Gandhi. The assassination was an act against the state of India.
This is how it should be seen and pursued. Neither Sonia nor Priyanka nor the Congress has the right to pardon the criminals who have challenged the sovereignty of India.
QED: Sonia Gandhi family and the LTTE connection is mysterious. Is the maverick Dr Subramanian Swamy right after all in his theory that LTTE and the Maino family have had links before? comment@gurumurthy.net
In its interim report the commission did exceedingly good work to bring on record evidence about the political forces involved in promoting the LTTE in Tamil Nadu that made the crime possible. Yet it made a mockery of its main work, the conspiracy angle. It floated dubious and wild theories, involving Mossad! CIA! Besides adding confusion, it ended up trivialising a very serious exercise. This also robbed the commission of its credibility.As the commission's final report proved a flop, the Vajpayee government appointed a Multi- Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) in 1998 to unearth the conspiracy angle.
But the person who first demanded, but, ultimately made, investigation into the conspiracy to murder Rajiv Gandhi irrelevant was none other than his widow Sonia Gandhi. Her attitude to the investigation and suspected actors in the murder dramatically changed. Her conduct in 1997 when she was working to enter active politics was a stark contrast to her attitude after taking over the congress leadership on the Jain Commission issue.
In 1997, she demanded that the DMK which, the Jain commission had said, was part of the conspiracy, be sacked as a partner of the UF alliance and pulled down the government when the demand was not met. Her party insisted the entire facts about the conspiracy be investigated and revealed.
Addressing a meeting at Amethi, Sonia hinted that the DMK was a fan of the LTTE and charged that those who doubted the Jain commission report were diverting the attention from the investigation into the conspiracy to murder Rajiv and demanded that the probe be completed expeditiously (Indian Express 2.2.1998). But, once she took over the party leadership, she not only ceased to evince any interest in pursuing the Rajiv Gandhi murder conspiracy, but also began allying with the alleged conspirators themselves. The developments, put together, reveal a shocking picture.
The year after taking over the Congress, Sonia Gandhi makes a secret move. In the year 1999, she told then President Dr K R Narayanan privately that 'neither she nor her son and daughter wanted any of the four convicts' sentenced to death for Rajiv's assassination 'to be hanged', and pleaded that no child should be orphaned by an act of the State. Noted the Indian Express (Nov 20, 1999) that before her plea for mercy to the Rajiv killers the Congress party was the leading opponent of mercy to them. This silenced the party once and for all. What transpired at her private meeting with the President was revealed not by Sonia, but by Mohini Giri (the former chairperson of the National Women's Commission) and on that basis Nalini's death sentence was commuted to life. (Frontline Nov 5-18, 2005).
Then, in February 2004, there were reports, editorially commented by the Island newspaper in Colombo on Feb 20, 2004, that Eduardo Faleiro, her emissary, had a secret meeting with the LTTE chief Prabhakaran at Killinochi. Island had also referred to reports that Sonia's mother Ms Paula Maino had met Anton Balasingham, LTTE's point man in London, in connection with the electoral alliance between the DMK and the Congress. While Eduardo Faleiro at least made a feeble attempt to deny the meeting, Paulo Maino would not even deny that.
Third, the Paulo Maino meeting preceded, and the Faleiro meeting succeeded, the unbelievable U-turn of Sonia Gandhi to forge alliance with the DMK which was accused by her own party in 1997 of being part of the conspiracy to murder her husband. The DMK-Congress alliance seems to have been agreed upon sometime in December 2003. In January 2004, Sonia met the DMK chief and concretised the alliance. The coming together of one of the alleged conspirators and the victim of the conspiracy made a mockery of any further investigation into Rajiv Gandhi murder. For the last four years there is not a single word spoken by Sonia on pursuing the Rajiv Gandhi murderers and on unearthing the conspiracy or for the extradition of Prabhakaran or Pottu Amman.
This is despite the fact that, when, on April 10, 2002, Prabhakaran met the press at Killinochi, he did not even deny that LTTE was involved in Rajiv assassination. Fourth, the LTTE too responded favourably to signals from Sonia that she was not against LTTE. On January 27, 2006, Anton Balasingham, told an Indian TV news channel that the Rajiv killing was 'monumental tragedy' and asked the people of India to be 'magnanimous to put the past behind' and deal with the LTTE.
Fifth, Sonia did not object to the inclusion of the DMK woman MP in whose house Sivarasan the main killer of Rajiv Gandhi had stayed for which she was detained under the TADA, as a minister in the UPA government. Sixth, the MDMA which was appointed by the NDA government after Sonia rejected the Action Taken Report on the Jain Commission, has virtually become defunct under the UPA regime. Since 2004, she has not uttered a single word asking what the MDMA is doing. And finally now in March 2008, Priyanka Vadra, Sonia's daughter makes a secret visit to Vellore jail and meets the first accused in the murder of Rajiv, for over an hour.
Media reports say that they sat by each other's side, cried and professed goodwill towards each other! No one knows what transpired between them. The meeting clearly illegal, looks almost a conspiracy, would have remained a secret had the media not exposed it. Priyanka said that neither Sonia nor Rahul or Priyanka believe in hate or anger, and that the visit was her way of coming to terms with the Rajiv Gandhi murder.
Moral high ground seems to be a cover for undisclosed political strategies. But where was this high moral ground when Sonia angrily pulled down the UF government on the ground that DMK, a suspected co-conspirator with LTTE, was part of the alliance? Is Rajiv Gandhi's assassination a personal affair between the Sonia Gandhi family and the LTTE for the former to punish or pardon the latter? LTTE has neither confessed nor regretted its action for the Gandhis to pardon. The LTTE is even today unrepenting.
The prosecution case is that the LTTE supremo decided to avenge Rajiv Gandhi for sending IPKF to Sri Lanka and betraying the LTTE. But that was no personal decision of Rajiv Gandhi. The assassination was an act against the state of India.
This is how it should be seen and pursued. Neither Sonia nor Priyanka nor the Congress has the right to pardon the criminals who have challenged the sovereignty of India.
QED: Sonia Gandhi family and the LTTE connection is mysterious. Is the maverick Dr Subramanian Swamy right after all in his theory that LTTE and the Maino family have had links before? comment@gurumurthy.net
You are successful and creative only when
you see an opportunity in every difficulty.
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
What's up with Brajesh Mishra's dhimmitude?
This individual supposedly served as the BJP's "National Security Adviser" and is the latest "strategic expert" to be co opted by the Kaangress traitors for the purpose of parroting his advocacy for the nuclear surrender.
I'm afraid he has turned out to be an incorrigible dhimmi windbag. Once a Nehruvian Stalinist, always a Nehruvian Stalinist!
It is quite appropriate that the BJP has disowned dhimmi Mishra. It is high time that the "Hindu nationalist party" is reclaimed from the psec impostors who have infiltrated it, confused old Kaangressmen like Brajesh Mishra and much more malicious capitulationists like that Sudheendra Kulkarni. Given his past association with the likes of Teesta Setalvad (UGH), it is my considered opinion that the latter is a psec mole out to sabotage the Hindu resistance from within. Apparently, Advaniji has fallen for his IIT credentials.
Off topic, those IIT credentials won't be worth much in the near future after Durjan Singh's devaluation of the IIT brand with his divisive quota politics. What do the IIT'ians on this blog opine about that?
I'm afraid he has turned out to be an incorrigible dhimmi windbag. Once a Nehruvian Stalinist, always a Nehruvian Stalinist!
It is quite appropriate that the BJP has disowned dhimmi Mishra. It is high time that the "Hindu nationalist party" is reclaimed from the psec impostors who have infiltrated it, confused old Kaangressmen like Brajesh Mishra and much more malicious capitulationists like that Sudheendra Kulkarni. Given his past association with the likes of Teesta Setalvad (UGH), it is my considered opinion that the latter is a psec mole out to sabotage the Hindu resistance from within. Apparently, Advaniji has fallen for his IIT credentials.
Off topic, those IIT credentials won't be worth much in the near future after Durjan Singh's devaluation of the IIT brand with his divisive quota politics. What do the IIT'ians on this blog opine about that?
yogendra yadav 'awards' karnataka to the kkkangress
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ven
From: ven
Here is Deccan herald's coverage
| Cong surges, BJP way behind | |
| By Sandeep Shastri, Sanjay Kumar & Yogendra Yadav | |
honesty in government in karnataka
apr 29, 2008
will this mean clean, decent people will win in karnataka? or will the kkkangress come back?
will this mean clean, decent people will win in karnataka? or will the kkkangress come back?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <thehindu@web1.hinduonnet.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 5:34 AM
Subject: Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by Manju
To:
Hi Rajeev,
When politics is the last refuge of scoundrels, there are millions who think of public service in honest incorruptible way of Modi. The example given of Shankar Rao would show why BJP will come to power in Karnataka.
=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by Manju
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2008/04/29/stories/2008042951830500.htm)
Karnataka
-
Shimoga
Municipal chief blazes a new trail
From: <thehindu@web1.hinduonnet.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 5:34 AM
Subject: Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by Manju
To:
Hi Rajeev,
When politics is the last refuge of scoundrels, there are millions who think of public service in honest incorruptible way of Modi. The example given of Shankar Rao would show why BJP will come to power in Karnataka.
=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by Manju
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2008/04/29/stories/2008042951830500.htm)
Karnataka
-
Shimoga
Municipal chief blazes a new trail
karnataka polls a decisive event: congress wants SP now
apr 29, 2008
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: M
Message:
Last ditch attempt in Karnataka to prevent BJP from forming govt. A couple of opinion surveys already predict BJP victory. If UNPA helps congress will TDP return back to NDA.
Cong, Samajwadi near south poll bridge
New Delhi, April 28: The Congress has fielded a lightweight against S. Bangarappa in Karnataka, the first substantive indication that the party is willing to do business with the Samajwadi Party. | Read
Page url: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080429/jsp/nation/story_9202759.jsp
Send feedback
Disclaimer:
The Telegraph accepts no liability for the content of this email, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect The Telegraph's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have been verified.
© The Telegraph.
From: M
Message:
Last ditch attempt in Karnataka to prevent BJP from forming govt. A couple of opinion surveys already predict BJP victory. If UNPA helps congress will TDP return back to NDA.
Cong, Samajwadi near south poll bridge
New Delhi, April 28: The Congress has fielded a lightweight against S. Bangarappa in Karnataka, the first substantive indication that the party is willing to do business with the Samajwadi Party. | Read
Page url: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080429/jsp/nation/story_9202759.jsp
Send feedback
Disclaimer:
The Telegraph accepts no liability for the content of this email, and anything written in this e-mail does not necessarily reflect The Telegraph's views or opinions. Please note that neither the e-mail address nor name of the sender have been verified.
© The Telegraph.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
ny state shoots down arab school
apr 28th, 2008
interesting that the tide might well be turning a wee bit against mohammedan demands for extraordinary concessions to them in non-mohammedan countries (think how many sanskrit schools they would allow in saudi arabia!). normally their money buys acquiescence from everybody.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/nyregion/28school.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=65f582b0f5c6df77&ex=1209614400
the money for this effort, some $400k, came from the bill gates foundation. interesting entity the NGO, "New Visions for Public Schools". why on earth didn't the various arab governments who have pots of money now, not fund the school themselves?
they do that in india. for instance, i went to iim calicut some time ago, and in the vicinity of that, there's a 500-acre compound (which is gigantic by kerala standards in that land-poor state) for teaching kashmiri children! and it's funded by some persian gulf government. why kashmiri children need to be taught in calicut and what exactly they are being taught are both extremely interesting. i have seen large groups of these youngsters walking around, all dressed in white, with religious caps on, and they didn't all look kashmiri to me. quite a few might have been local mohammedan kids too.
as a coincidence (not connected to the above, of course), let me mention how the SIMI has become more and more active in malabar.
education is a most effective weapon in many ways. it's lucrative too, as the godmen and padres have demonstrated in india.
interesting that the tide might well be turning a wee bit against mohammedan demands for extraordinary concessions to them in non-mohammedan countries (think how many sanskrit schools they would allow in saudi arabia!). normally their money buys acquiescence from everybody.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/nyregion/28school.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=65f582b0f5c6df77&ex=1209614400
the money for this effort, some $400k, came from the bill gates foundation. interesting entity the NGO, "New Visions for Public Schools". why on earth didn't the various arab governments who have pots of money now, not fund the school themselves?
they do that in india. for instance, i went to iim calicut some time ago, and in the vicinity of that, there's a 500-acre compound (which is gigantic by kerala standards in that land-poor state) for teaching kashmiri children! and it's funded by some persian gulf government. why kashmiri children need to be taught in calicut and what exactly they are being taught are both extremely interesting. i have seen large groups of these youngsters walking around, all dressed in white, with religious caps on, and they didn't all look kashmiri to me. quite a few might have been local mohammedan kids too.
as a coincidence (not connected to the above, of course), let me mention how the SIMI has become more and more active in malabar.
education is a most effective weapon in many ways. it's lucrative too, as the godmen and padres have demonstrated in india.
Important interview vis-a-vis Ram Sethu.
apr 28th, 2008
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Swami
From: Swami
If you haven't already seen the interview below, take a look. It is very good.
SDS
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: GP Srinivasan
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: GP Srinivasan
Dear all:
Hindu scribes and their sense of timing
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Supreme court is having heraing tomorrow, 29 April, 2008. It is now 2.26 Pm in my watch, i desperately tried to get one point point 31 from the fiollowing interview of Kuppuram into public domain. I faced granite wall in hindu publishing houses. I wish to thank to Dr.Vijayalakshmi who forwared the interviw to Daily Pioneer mR Chandan Mitra. as it they hardly acknowledge even.
I have enclosed an interview of D.Kuppuramu, advocate Ramsethu protection movement. this was along interview lasting for around 3 hours. He has answered all his critics, and the critics of Ramsethu movement very well. Point no 9 and 31 are very important. in that he has predicted about the judiciary, and what best we can expect out of them. The 31st point is about public opinion, 31 laks signatures obtained to save ram sethu, on a single day on Rama navami day of 2006. If is this is not world record , what then is it he asked? If democracy is about numbers, it is also about public opinion. the polticians must respect this if not anything. unfortunately this point has not hit the media attention. even the so called hindu friendly media like , pioneer, news today care a dam to publish this , but they will have space to publish all sundry. i spoke to BR Haran, and requested him to excise point 9 and publish atleast 31, who is not seeming to realise the timing of the interview as the supreme court is having the next heraing on 29.April. Chandan mitra has not repsonded. So far so good. there is always the Hindu voice , and Deivamuthu has promised to carry out the full interview.
Thank you Hindu scribes!
GP.Srinivasan
An interview with Shri.D.Kuppuramu, Advocate, and Convener, Ram Sethu Protection Movement, based at Ramnathapuram, Tamil Nadu
Shri.D.Kuppuramu is district president of RSS Ramnad District, Convenor of Rameshwaram Rama Sethu Protection Movement. He hails from a distinguished family and his father is Shri.Durai Paandi and mother is Smt.Muthammal. He served as the Panchayat Board President of Pattanamkathan village from 1986 to 2006. His wife is Smt Damayanthi and Son Vendurai is a software engineer. He owns a business, and his daughter is doing first year BE Computer Science.
We met him at the RSS HQs, Chennai on the 9th of May 2007, at a time when the Rama Sethu Protection Movement was picking up momentum. Shri.D.Kuppuram was kind enough to spare a few hours with us despite his busy schedules. As the Ram Sethu issue was in the initial stages of the Litigations, we felt that we should better delay the publication for this might be interfering in the legal proceedings. Even now, the questions and answers are extremely relevant and hence we publish this interview.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By: GP.Srinivasan
1. Q: Your critics say that this movement to save Ram Sethu has been instigated by North Indian Hindu Fundamentalists.
DK: Firstly, there is nothing known as Hindu Fundamentalist. In today's world the word, 'Fundamentalist' has acquired a sinister aura; meaning, an intolerant & religious bigot, out to create mayhem. In other words, a 'terrorist'. Even a cursory glance at the history of Bharathvarsh would be enough proof that Hindus have always been very tolerant & accommodative and treated people of other religious faiths with due regard & respect, and given asylum to people who were uprooted from their land of birth on account of religious bigotry, in the wake of spread of Islam. Classic example being, the Parsis who are 'fire worshippers' and followers of Zoroastrianism, from Iran, erstwhile Persia, came to India as refugees, hundreds of years ago and were allowed to settle peacefully. When the Jews faced persecution all over Christendom some 1800 years ago they came to India to escape persecution. Hindu kings granted permission and full rights allowed them to live peacefully, side by side with Hindus, unlike anywhere else. Recently in the 1950s when Red China Invaded Tibet, the Tibetan Head, the Dalai Lama escaped from Chinese, and came to India. They were allotted land and are having their temporary HQ at Dharamshala in the Himalayas. I am a Hindu and a proud citizen of India. I am a son of the soil, born & brought up in Ramanathapuram, a district of Tamil Nadu. As a devout Hindu (Indian): leading life as per SANATANA DHARMA, a patriotic Hindu (Indian): proud of the rich culture & heritage of Bharathvarsh, a responsible Hindu (Indian): having concern for the protection & preservation of ecology, environment, biodiversity, livelihood of lakhs of fishermen & their families living along the southern Tamil Nadu coast, national resources, viz. millions of tons of THORIUM reserves, enough to produce nuclear energy for generation of electricity for over 400 years; and above all, NATIONAL SECURITY; I have filed the petition to protect Ramsethu on behalf of all Hindus (over a billion, living in India and abroad). Hence, the criticisms that I have filed the case at the instance of Hindus living in North India is both unfounded and mischievous, to mislead the gullible.
2. Q: Do you mean to say that it is not the North Indian Cow belt, Hindutvavadis?
DK: No Certainly not from Ramanathapuram, and I am not Brahmin. I am son of the Soil and I have no other interest other than protecting this ancient monument. Hence I represent all Hindus, since 2001, as son from Ramanathapuram Rameshwaram Protection Group, in 2002. We tried to high light the issues by organizing meeting and press releases. We are very satisfied with the coverage we got .We struggled very hard and raised the public opinion
3. Q: You were a leftist in younger days; Leftists are generally known to be anti-Hindu, how come you were attracted towards religion and to Save Ramsethu?
DK: I was born in traditional and religious family. In college days, I was inclined towards leftist thinking. In 1984-85 I came in contact with Sri Atmananda Swami. I had extended debates with him for more than one year, and got convinced in the Spiritual principles. Since 1985 I have been associated with RSS. The Swami is now no more. He was my friend, Guru and guide.
4. Q: What is the state of the civil suit that you had filed in Ramanathapuram?
DK: The Civil suit we filed is pending in Ramanathapuram Sub Court. The judge, in the course of arguments, has suggested that an expert committee must be formed from various disciplines and according to its recommendations the Government must act. The Hon. Judge has repeated that three times during the hearings.
5. Q: When did you become involved in the Rama Sethu Protection movement?
DK: Since 2001. They wanted the Kodandarama Koil to be demolished in order to implement the Channel three alignments. We opposed it. By 2002 we wanted a broad gauge line extended up to Danushkodi and we made an appeal to the then Railway Minister Nitish Kumar. We also approached the then defense minister George Fernandez. He cleared the fourth alignment between Danushkodi and Kodandarama Koil. This was first recommended by NEERI. After 2003 fifth alignment was cleared, after Danushkodi, that would cut through Ram Sethu, which falls near the Imaginary, non existing international border.
6. Q: What is the 6th alignment?
DK: This is a planned conspiracy to demarcate India-Srilanka. Due to the pressure from USA the UPA govt is bent upon destroying the Rama Sethu. The alignment number 6 is now referred to as T.R.Balu's alignment after the name of the central minister who is hell bent to destroy and create a channel by breaking in the middle of the Ramsethu. This is a village man's understanding. An international conspiracy has been hatched, to transfer the Indian Territory to Overseas Controllers, who will take control of the channel perpetually.
7. Q: What was the response from common people?
DK: The response was overwhelming! We had an Anjaneya vigraha carved out of 'Atti' wood and we had planned for taking it to Danushkodi and arranged for the chanting of Ram Nama. We had deployed 360 Swayamsevaks to organize the japam. Suddenly we were overwhelmed by the presence of over one lakh (one hundred thousand) people! Everybody in Rameshwaram participated in the japam. Local people fed more than 40000 outsiders. We arranged local tractors to transport the people.
8. Q: Now, what is the situation?
DK: Now Navy, Coast Guard and special police are deployed to prevent people from going near the site.
9. Q: What is your experience with the Judiciary?
DK: Good numbers of the judiciary in are political appointees, from the lowest to the highest courts in the country. In Tamilnadu especially the unwritten rule of thumb is the one has to be in the good books of DMK, and DK to win a judge post. Even though the Judges may not be Atheists at home, they cannot profess openly their faith if they are practicing Hindus. For Christians and Muslim judges this rule does not apply. Judges will not go against the political ideology of ruling party. More so ever the malady can be traced to the Indian Constitution. The Constitution and law has inbuilt that discriminates Hindus negatively. Those 15 % of judges who are independent are also gagged. Even the Supreme Court is not free. Hindus cannot establish their rights through courts as we have seen in so many cases. Even the media is against Hindus and gives a negative propaganda for any Hindu cause. Hindus have been betrayed by the rulers, by practice we are victimized and politically we have been cheated by the constitution. Hindus cannot seek protection from the police nor establish their rights through courts as we have seen in so many cases. One has to be a minority Muslim or a Christian, or member of a political party or belonging to a SC/ST Community if the case has to admitted. Many cases filed by Hindu activists have been dismissed even at the time of submitting an application to the Court registrar. As you know the Acharya Sabha's review petition has been dismissed by the Supreme Court. (This was in May 2007)... Even the Supreme Court is not free. Hindus will find it very difficult establish their rights through courts. Hindus have been betrayed by the rulers, by practice we are victimized and politically we have been cheated. (April 15, 2008: The Comments of the Hon Judges of Supreme Court have since been published in all News papers, has vindicated the statement that D.Kuppuramu made in May 2007.)
10. Q: Now, who will protect the Ram Sethu?
DK: Lord Anjaneya is the sole protector of Ramsethu. We are like squirrels. Divine Power actually exists. DMK is a weak party in Tamilnadu running a minority government with the support of its allies. The AIDMK has got around 80 seats.
11. Q: Do you mean to say that it is not the North Indian Cow belt, Hindutvadis?
DK: No Certainly not from Ramanathapuram, and I am not Brahmin. I am son of the Soil and I have no other interest other than protecting this ancient monument. Hence I represent all Hindus, since 2001, as son from Ramanathapuram Rameshwaram Protection Group, in 2002. We tried to high light the issues by organizing meeting and press releases. We are very satisfied with the coverage we got .We struggled very hard and raised the public opinion.
12. Q: Who are your supporters in Ramanathapuram?
DK: All local people! Even a communist, Mr.Thillai Backiam who had been in the party since childhood, was expelled from the CPI M party for opposing the SSCP and extending support for us. Now he is with us in the struggle.
13. Q: What about the fishermen who depend on the seas?
DK: The fishermen are 100% opposed to the project, as it will affect their livelihood. From kanyakumari to Cuddalore 22 Fishermen/Environmental groups under the "Coastal Action Network" wants the SSCP to be totally scrapped. The sanctuaries for fisheries and hatchlings and an estimated 3600 species of marine life will be totally destroyed. The Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Straights are the breeding grounds for rare species.
14. Q: What about Srilankan fishermen?
DK: This is historical waters .Fishermen of India and Srilanka share the waters. More than 360 Indian fisher men have died (as of May 2007) allegedly due to the firing of Srilankan Navy. In spite of such dangers our fisherman are going into sea for fishing. Their livelihood will be affected if the project comes into existence.
15. Q: Why is T.R.Baalu singularly adamant?
DK: We learn from sources that TR Baalu (Union minister for Shipping & Roads) is having commercial interests in the project. He is alleged to have seven ships, all in benami names. ."T.R.Balu's son said "we have commercial interest in this and contractors are benami and we are going to blast Ram Sethu". However, we are unable to verify.
16. Q: What would be the reason according to you for T.R.Baalu's visit to Saraswathi Mahal library in Thanjavur?
DK: As soon as T.R.Baalu went to the Saraswathi Mahal library, we were tipped off, and we swung into action. It was a library developed by the Saraboji Raja of Thanjavur. There is a very rare Map of year 1747 that refers to "Raman Coil". In 1788 Rennel's Map says it was Raman Bridge. In 1804, it became Adam's Bridge. Now unfortunately the library is under the Government of Tamilnadu, managed by a retired Thasildar, who has no knowledge of History, archaeology or preservation. The Thanjavur District collector is the director .Anything could happen there. Anything might have happened to the documents. We will soon send a delegation to inspect the documents if they are intact. There is a great deal of historical distortions going on all over the country, with infiltration by vested interests in the libraries also.
17. Q: What about the Bridge? Was it under use anytime in the past?
DK: In 1480 it was used as Road Bridge. Milk used to be brought to Ramanthaswamy for daily usages like abhishekam & naivedyam from (Thalai Mannar) Jaffna to Ramanathapuram daily on horse back on this road.
18. Q: What are the floating stones?
DK: There are stones, rocks and boulders though big, still float. Sri Ashok Singhalji was presented a smaller one, by a devotee. He requested me to bring a tub with water to demonstrate the floating stone. Singhal ji was taken aback when the Stone really floated when dropped into water.
19. Q: What is the reaction from Srilankan side?
DK: Experts from various fields have congregated in Colombo and have opposed this. They will put their expertise and study this for one year.
20. Q: Some say it is another Bofors scandal. (Swedish Gun maker)
DK: Bofors is only 65 Crores. SSCP is a 2500 Crore project, with not les than 40 percent commission.
21. Q: Whether it is possible to get information on the awarding of this project and other details from RTI (rights to Information act)?
DK: Yes. We are trying that also.
22. Q: Is it a jinxed project? Is it true that, those who are touching Rama Sethu are meeting with accidental deaths?
DK: Yes .The local congress leader So.Balakrishnan went to address the public on the inauguration of the project. On his way back, his car lost control in Paramakudi town and dashed against a Temple entrance. He had serious injuries, and was admitted to a hospital where he later succumbed to those injuries. His son Sri.Ranganthan considers this as bad omen and God's curse, since his father touched the holy bund; he was punished and therefore died. He wanted me to spread this message to one and all.
To recall another incident, a Dravidian Minister Thamizh Kudimaghan, when he visited the Ramanthaswamy temple for Kumbabhishekam, he disrespectfully threw the Prasadam and vibuthi offered to him by the chief Temple priest. Within three months he lost his job of Temple endowments Minster. He was expelled from the party. He switched to AIDMK, where he died unknown and unheard of, unsung. The same fate awaits anyone who touches Rama Sethu. .
23. Q: It is said that there are mysterious forces at play in Rameshwaram, is it true?
DK: Yes. Those who remain one night at Danushkodi will experience eerie things.
24 Q: what is the fate of those who respect the Soil?
DK: Those who respect the soil like Justice MM.Ismail and Shri APJ Abdul Kalam (the former president) have gone up in life.
25. Q: Did you meet the President Mr. Abdul Kalam?
DK: We met him on 27th September 2006 at Rashtrapathi Bhavan and submitted memorandum with 35 lakhs signatures, carried them in Steel trunks all the way to Delhi and on a Tata Sumo to Rashtrapathi Bhavan. (One lakh is 100000). The Principal Secretary to the Rashtrapathi Bhavan has acknowledged the receipt of all these signatures. You should know that all these signatures were obtained in a single day, that is, on the auspicious day of Rama Navami in 2006. The president then requested us to take this back. These are kept in a safe place.
26. Q: The DMK and DK say that Sethu was never an object of worship?
DK: What else they will say? The history has shown us that the Rama Sethu has been an object of worship. In fact, I would say that anything connected to Lord Rama is worshipped in this great country. The soil, waters, trees, sea, shells, stones, everything in Rameshwaram is worshipped. Who are these atheists to talk about worship?
(A phone call interrupts and some one talks to D.Kuppuram from New Delhi and enquires about the attack on the family feud between M.Karunanidhi's sons Stalin & Azhagiri and the Maran brothers, the attack on Tamil Daily Dinakaran's office that resulted in the death of three employees of the Newspaper. A messenger comes and tells that a researcher has called up, and DK asked him to refer to page 131 of Encyclopedia Britannica.)
27. Q: What about the Environmental Protection Groups?
DK: Ms.Jesurathnam of Coastal Action Network group is a ferocious lady. She has extended all support to the movement.
Then D.Kuppuramu narrates his experience during Tsunami (Nagapattinam) where he had gone to render volunteer service. He said conversions were carried out using the cloak of rendering service by the missionaries. After a pause he recalls another incident. Former HRD Minister Murali Manohar Joshi, when he came to visit Rameshwaram Allah Baksh a PTI correspondent aged (71) came to meet and said "I am Muslim. This is wrong. The Ram's bridge is our heritage. I condemn the destruction of the Bridge".
28. The DK has announced that they will object to the stoppage of the SSCP…
DK: M.Karunanidhi is cornered. So he is banking upon DK to come to his rescue by using his 60 year old rhetoric. " North Indian Versus South Indians", "Hindi versus Tamils", "Aryans Versus Dravidians", "Brahmins versus Non Brahmins" and Minority Versus majority". But what I started as a son of the soil has become a movement spreading all over the world, Tamilians, Gujarthis, Marathas, Bengalese, Telugus, Kannadigas, Punjabis, all are involved. NRIs are involved. Tamilians of all castes Nadar, Vanniayars, Yadavs, Devars.Mudaliars, Chettiars Forwards, Backward, SCs, and ST and Fishermen are all involved. People cutting across a wide spectrum of all classes, castes and Hindus and non Hindus are all involved.
29. Q: Many say this has put an end to the Divisive politics started by the British Rulers?
Yes. The 150 year old divisive Politics initiated by British appointed Maxmuller, Bishop Caldwell, and Macaulay is dead. Dravidian Divisive politics also is dead. If Ramsethu is broken the future Tsunami will affect the southern coastal fishermen and their dwellings, not the land locked north Indian 'Hindutvavadis' who have no access to sea.
30. Q: Who are supporting your movement to save Rama Sethu?
DK: Some 167 organizations were invited and some 120 came to the meeting and have pledged their support. Christian padres, mullahs, fishermen have come together to join our movement.
31. Q: Who now owns the movement?
DK: RSS has mobilized the masses on the subject .People now own up the issue. In a democracy Politicians are answerable to people. People are the real masters. Getting 3500000 people to sign the petition in a single day is not a joke. It will merit attention by the Guinness book of world records. It is doubtful if anywhere in the world people came together in such huge numbers on a single day! Democracy is about numbers and gaining majority. The UPA coalition must respect this "strength" at least, if not anything else.
Thank you for your time.
Contact Shri D.Kuppuramu: at dkupuram@gmail.com
Media Centre Srinivasan, D.Kuppuramu (centre) and BR Haran
Photo by: GP.Srinivasan
On 4/28/08, swamijyoti <swamijyoti@vivekanandagospel.org> wrote:
Karunanidhi's stupid equation: Vivekananda = Periyar & Anna!
http://vivekajyoti.blogspot.com/2008/04/karunanidhis-stupid-equation.html
Kerala sits on riot report indicting Cong govt, Muslim League
apr 27th, 2008
not surprising. kerala (= khyr-allah according to arabs, ie. allah's favorite land) is after all allah's own country.
not surprising. kerala (= khyr-allah according to arabs, ie. allah's favorite land) is after all allah's own country.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Naresh
From: Naresh
Evil UPA's crimes against the majority community. (Hindus). Majority's human rights are not worth at all because of vote bank dirty politics.
This is the congi-commie style democracy, sonia (Antonia Maino) ghandi practices and preaches.
Kerala sits on riot report indicting Cong govt, Muslim League
RAJEEV PI
Posted online: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 at 0000 hrs IST
KOCHI, APRIL 25
The judicial commission probing Kerala's worst communal massacre in Marad in 2003 has severely indicted almost every arm of the Congress-led United Democratic Front Government: politicians, police officers and top bureaucrats.
It has also found that the massacre was a planned conspiracy involving extremist organizations, including those funded from abroad, organisations, it said, successive state governments have used to cultivate "vote banks."
And that at least one senior politician belonging to the Muslim League, part of the ruling Congress-led front, had advance knowledge of the conspiracy.
The report of the commission, set up in 2004 and headed by District Judge Thomas P Joseph, has been kept under wraps by the state government which received it two months ago. It has been accessed by The Indian Express.
The report asks the state government—which declined to allow a CBI probe—to hand over the investigation to a special investigation team. Its reason: the state police not only botched up investigation, it planted false leads and avoided looking at the wider conspiracy.
Marad, a sleepy fishing village off Kozhikode, hit headlines on January 3, 2002 when Hindu and Muslim extremist elements were quick to hijack what began as a trivial altercation over drinking water at the public tap.
A couple of Hindus and three Muslims lay dead the morning after.
This was the first communal eruption in this village of 275 Hindu and 191 Muslim families. The police did round up a few men, almost all were found to belong to mainstream political groups, Congress, CPI(M), BJP and the Muslim League. Police later found several had a dual identity as members of a rash of extremist outfits.
No chargesheet was filed for a year and a half— until after Marad erupted again, much more violently, at sunset on May 2, 2003. Armed men chopped and hacked eight Hindu fishermen to death on the beach. One assailant was reportedly hacked by mistake in the melee. The killers then escaped into the local Juma Masjid.
The commission's report notes the submission of then Kozhikode Police Commissioner T K Vinod Kumar that hundreds of local Muslim women converged on the mosque to prevent the police from entering it to catch the killers.
While the police tried to reason with them, a nearly 300-strong armed Hindu mob gathered as well threatening to attack the cops if they didn't catch the killers.
Driven to the wall, the cops opened fire after lathicharges and teargassing failed, injuring one man. Vinod Kumar's deposition asserts that ''the conspiracy was hatched in the Marad Juma Masjid and other places.''
The cops later confiscated a huge cache of arms from this mosque, including explosives.
By then, the communal rift in Marad was total. The Sangh Parivar had driven away all Muslim families from the village, not allowing them to return and rapidly converting Marad into a saffron bastion.
So much so that even then chief minister A K Antony had to plead with the Sangh leadership to be allowed into Marad after the incident.
Local Muslim families, all 191 of them, had to live in exile in relief camps or with relatives elsewhere, for over a year. The Antony Government did not dare to help them get back to their homes.
The Muslim League, meanwhile, vehemently opposed demands to have the Marad massacre probed by the CBI. Though Antony said his Government would consider a ''partial CBI probe,'' the Government later submitted to the commission that it decided not to have a CBI probe since a partial probe was not ''procedurally possible.''
The commission, however, dismisses this Government view saying it would not stand legal scrutiny. Its report cites a Supreme Court order asserting that such a probe was indeed possible, and adds that the Government's stubborn unwillingness to have the CBI look into the massacre was ''mysterious''.
But the commission's documents are more revealing. One is the deposition of N P Rajendran, president of the Calicut Press Club, which the Government sought to help restore peace in Marad. Rajendran told the commission that Muslim League state secretary and then state Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty had asked him while he was at the Chief Minister's residence for the Marad meeting: "Where's the guarantee that the CBI, if allowed to probe the incident, will not arrest me or Panakkad Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal (Muslim League supremo)?" The commission's report also says a senior Muslim League leader knew about the conspiracy that later led to the killings.
Its other key findings:
• Coming in for strong indictment is then Kozhikode District Collector T O Sooraj, currently director of Industries. The commission has observed that allegations that the Collector was a communalist cannot be dismissed as untrue.
The Collector had taken custody of the mosque from where the police had seized lethal weapons. But, the commission noted, he allowed Muslim League leader E Ahmed, then an MP and now Minister of State for External Affairs, to enter the mosque and offer prayers, even as an explosive situation prevailed in the area.
• The commission dismissed as ''untrue'' the Collector's deposition that intelligence officials had not alerted him about the possibility of violence.
• The commission has taken a serious note of the deposition of state DGP K J Joseph, that the then Assistant Commissioner of Police (Kozhikode) Abdul Rahim "failed to investigate and take prompt action in Marad.'' The DGP deposed that Rahim not only ''hid the truth from his superior officers'' but also tried to establish that the key accused in the massacre on the beach on May 2, 2003 were not guilty.
• The report talks about the presence of extremist outfits with foreign links operating in Kerala, and slams the current and previous state Governments for their failure to take any effective action against these elements, being ''interested only in the vote banks.''
The commission has asserted that there was a much larger conspiracy than what the police crime branch has revealed in Marad, and it must be probed.
What happened in sleepy Marad
• On Jan 3, 2002 a couple of Hindus and 3 Muslims were killed after a trivial altercation over drinking water.
• No chargesheet filed for over a year
• On May 2, 2003, 8 Hindu fishermen hacked to death, killers escape into mosque
• All 191 Muslim families driven out of the village by Sangh Parivar
• Cong ally Muslim League opposed CBI probe, Govt agreed
• Then Kozhikode district collector T O Sooraj indicted for bias in favour of Muslim League
• The commission dismissed as ''untrue'' Sooraj's deposition that he had no intelligence alert
• State DGP said ACP "hid truth" from superior officers.
• The report talks about the presence of extremist outfits with foreign links operating in Kerala
Monday, April 28, 2008
Maoist Nepal A Knife to India's Throat
If you read the latest from Brahma Chellaney and also B Raman, both concur that there can be no coexisting with a Maoist Nepal.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Why must Shri.Advani endorse Christism ?
I have my reasons for disappointment with the "Hindu nationalist" BJP, but usually refrain from criticising them, But unless the "Hindustan Times" is indulging in information warfare, it appears that the supreme leader of India's only Hindu nationalist party is endorsing the binary death cult and conferring existence on the mythical creature called Yesu.
It is extremely lamentable and anguishing that Advaniji apparently has absolutely no cognition of the GOA inquisition, the forcible conversions by Christist missionaries in the North East and the hateful Christist aggression on Indian soil that continues unhindered to the present day. This is sickeningly symptomatic of Indian dhimmitude which V.S Naipaul lamented as an absent sense of history.
While there is no call for actual persecution of Indian nationals who happen to
be Christians, specially the non-interfering and non-evangelical types (such creatures do exist), it is naive on the part of Advani to pander to the predatory Christist hyenas among Indian Christians in the idiotic hope that they will somehow be swayed into voting for the "communal", "right wing", "Hindu radical" BJP.
And it is an unacceptable criminal offence to actually praise to the skies that mutilated dead Arab on a stick of christist mythology who never walked this earth.
The Hindu resistance embodied by the RSS, VHP and other organisations is
fighting evangelical conquistador aggression on the one hand and demonisation by christists and stealth christists in the media. Advani's eulogy of the death cult as a "Religion of love and universal brotherhood" is not merely unhelpful.
It undermines the efforts of the Hindu nationalist resistance.
Advaniji - what were you thinking? With leaders like these, do Hindus need any external enemies?
It is extremely lamentable and anguishing that Advaniji apparently has absolutely no cognition of the GOA inquisition, the forcible conversions by Christist missionaries in the North East and the hateful Christist aggression on Indian soil that continues unhindered to the present day. This is sickeningly symptomatic of Indian dhimmitude which V.S Naipaul lamented as an absent sense of history.
While there is no call for actual persecution of Indian nationals who happen to
be Christians, specially the non-interfering and non-evangelical types (such creatures do exist), it is naive on the part of Advani to pander to the predatory Christist hyenas among Indian Christians in the idiotic hope that they will somehow be swayed into voting for the "communal", "right wing", "Hindu radical" BJP.
And it is an unacceptable criminal offence to actually praise to the skies that mutilated dead Arab on a stick of christist mythology who never walked this earth.
The Hindu resistance embodied by the RSS, VHP and other organisations is
fighting evangelical conquistador aggression on the one hand and demonisation by christists and stealth christists in the media. Advani's eulogy of the death cult as a "Religion of love and universal brotherhood" is not merely unhelpful.
It undermines the efforts of the Hindu nationalist resistance.
Advaniji - what were you thinking? With leaders like these, do Hindus need any external enemies?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
`Constantine' Follows Murderous Christian Soldiers
apr 26th, 2008
more about the premier semitic death cult and its history of blood and gore.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The
more about the premier semitic death cult and its history of blood and gore.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The
`Constantine' Follows Murderous Christian Soldiers
Thursday, 24 April 2008
source: Bloomberg, April 24, 2008
April 24 (Bloomberg) -- Oren Jacoby's film ``Constantine's Sword'' begins and ends in Colorado Springs, Colorado, home of the U.S. Air Force Academy and several of the country's biggest evangelical Christian ministries.
These include the New Life Church, the 14,000-member Pentecostal congregation founded and run by Ted Haggard until November 2006, when he was removed following allegations that he had a relationship with a male prostitute and a fondness for methamphetamines.
Based on James P. Carroll's 2001 book of the same name, the film packs 2,000 years of violence perpetrated in Jesus' name into 95 minutes of visually mesmerizing history -- from the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity, through the Crusades and the Inquisition and, inevitably, to the Holocaust and the modern era.
A native New Yorker whose previous documentary, ``Sister Rose's Passion,'' was nominated for an Oscar in 2004, Jacoby himself looks like he might have just walked out of the Air Force Academy. Slim and silver-haired, the director met with me earlier this week at Bloomberg's New York headquarters.
Jacoby, 52, said he began with the Air Force Academy after hearing that the fundamentalist churches were infiltrating the military school. When ``The Passion of the Christ'' was released, for example, cadets found fliers on their dining-room plates promoting local screenings of the film.
Second-Class Citizens
``They had so become a presence on the campus that students who were not members of these churches, or were not fundamentalist Christian evangelicals, were treated as second- class citizens,'' Jacoby said. ``They were being proselytized all the time, and they were being pressured -- often by people who were officers or faculty members.''
Carroll, a former priest and the son of a prominent Air Force general, argues that the cross-shaped sword symbolized Christianity's transformation into a brutal crusading force. It's an image chillingly invoked whenever President Bush refers to the war on terrorism as a ``crusade.'' In Colorado Springs, the line between the military and the church is unsettlingly blurred.
``This story fit in with the historical part of `Constantine's Sword,' which concerns proselytizing in order to convert,'' Jacoby said, ``and contempt for those `others' --Jews, Muslims and, at the Air Force Academy, it included Catholics, atheists -- who didn't fit the current mold.''
Youth in Germany
Carroll spent much of his youth in postwar Germany, where he and Jacoby returned with the film crew. The story took another unexpected turn when they toured the ancient Jewish cemetery in the Rhineland city of Mainz, not far from where Carroll had lived as a teenager. Many of the people buried there were butchered by rampaging Crusaders after the traditional Good Friday sermon, which blamed the Jews for the killing of Jesus.
``At the cemetery there were several graves dating to the 12th century,'' Jacoby said. ``We were filming with a local historian and I noticed another guy following along behind us, by the grave of a Cohen, a Jewish priest.
``Jim asked him why he was there, and he said, `I'm here to show people around. I do it because I care about the people who died and their stories.' And he just burst into tears. It was the most upsetting thing I'd ever witnessed. We later found out that he was a survivor of Auschwitz and that his whole family had died there.''
Detective Story
While in Germany, Jacoby also retraced the wrenching story of Edith Stein. Born in 1891 to a Jewish family in Breslau, she converted to Catholicism, eventually becoming a Carmelite nun. In 1933, Stein wrote to Pope Pius XI, urging him to speak out against Hitler's growing persecution of Jews and Catholics. She got no response.
``It became kind of a detective story,'' Jacoby said. ``The trail took us to Auschwitz.''
Jacoby found Stein's copy of the impassioned letter at the convent in Cologne, Germany, where she had lived. In July 1942, she was deported along with other Jewish converts to Poland, where, a month later, she died in the Auschwitz gas chambers. Stein was canonized in 1998 by Pope John Paul II.
``Anybody who goes to Auschwitz, that's a deeply traumatic experience,'' Jacoby said. ``But I was also shocked when I got there because you expect this place to look horrific.
``Yet what struck me is that it was one of the most beautiful natural environments I'd ever seen. Within 50 or 60 years, this life had grown up in this place of death. It was kind of shocking.''
(``Constantine's Sword'' is running in Manhattan at the Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St., and Lincoln Plaza Cinema, Broadway at 62nd Street. Starting tomorrow, it will be showing in Los Angeles at Laemmle Music Hall, 9036 Wilshire Blvd.)
http://www.crusadewatch.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=937&Itemid=
To contact the writer on this story: Jeremy Gerard in New York at jgerard2@bloomberg.net
Friday, April 25, 2008
Panic over rice prices hits California + US stores forced to ration rice (panic buying)
apr 25, 2008
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ven
Cheap food era is over, says ADB
P. S. Suryanarayana
"Impact of rice price increases in Asia is very, very serious"
SINGAPORE: The rice stocks across Asia "are the lowest in decades" but
there is no cause for a "doomsday picture of huge scarcity," according
to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/25/stories/2008042555841400.htm
Panic over rice prices hits California
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/24/20080424ricepanic24-on.html
US stores forced to ration rice
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23595722-2703,00.html
Asa Wahlquist | April 25, 2008
THE panic over global food shortages and rising prices gripping
developing nations has spread to the world's wealthiest countries,
with giant US-based retailer Wal-Mart rationing rice sales.
Wal-Mart's warehouse chain Sam's Club became the second retailer in
the US to limit bulk purchases of rice this week, citing "recent
supply and demand trends". Earlier in the week, Seattle-based Costco
Wholesale Corporation imposed limits in some stores on bulk rice
purchases.
The extraordinary move constitutes the first time food rationing has
been introduced in the US. While Americans suffered some rationing
during World War II for items such as petrol, light bulbs and
stockings, they have never had to limit consumption of a key food
item.
World rice prices have more than doubled in the past year as demand
has outstripped supply, with the drought-ravaged Australian crop
blamed for contributing to the problem.
Australia's rice production has collapsed, with many farmers given a
zero water allocation from the Murray River. This year's crop will be
the smallest since 1960, with exports barely a 10th of recent years.
Until 2002-03, Australia exported on average 620,000 tonnes of rice a
year - or 80 per cent of what it produced. But figures compiled by the
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics show the
2007-08 export crop will be 70,000 tonnes, with no improvement the
following year.
Around the world, countries are restricting exports of rice and other
grains as food prices rocket and nations move to ensure their own food
security. The international price of rice has risen 118per cent in the
past year despite world rice exports rising from 22.7 million tonnes
in 2000 to a forecast 29.6 million tonnes this year.
Gary Helou, chief executive of Australian rice exporter Sunrice, said
the accusation that the drought in Australia was causing food
rationing in the US was "terribly ill-informed", saying Australia was
a small player in the global rice market.
Ricegrowers' Association president Les Gordon agreed, saying prices
were high due to "a straight-up case of supply and demand". "Supply
has been slowly dwindling all around the world for the last 10 years,
and it became apparent to our grain marketers 12 months, two years ago
that it really was heading for a very low level," he said.
He is bemused by US supermarkets blaming Australia for shortages. "I
can understand them having a run on rice in the supermarkets, but how
they could tag that to drought in Australia is ... nonsense. None of
our rice goes to America."
In Britain, rice is being rationed by shopkeepers in Asian districts
to prevent hoarding.
Wal-Mart said Sam's Club, which sells food to restaurants and other
retailers, had limited each customer to four 9kg bags of long-grain
white rice per visit.
Sam's Club spokeswoman Kristy Reed would not comment on whether the
problem was caused by short supplies or by customers stocking up in
anticipation of higher prices.
"We are working with our suppliers to address this matter to ensure we
are in stock, and we are asking for our members' co-operation and
patience," Ms Reed said in a statement.
US Rice Federation spokesman David Coia denied there was a rice
shortage in the US and suggested the panic run was due to small
restaurants and retailers buying rice in larger quantities than usual
to avoid higher prices.
Sam's Club has 593 stores, compared with 2523 Wal-Mart Supercentres
that combine a full grocery section with general merchandise. Costco
has 534 warehouses worldwide.
Costco Wholesale, the largest warehouse operator in the US, said this
week that demand for rice and flour had risen, with customers
panicking about shortages and hoarded produce.
Tim Johnson, of the California Rice Commission, said: "This is
unprecedented. Americans, particularly in states such as California,
have on occasion walked into a supermarket after a natural disaster
and seen the shelves are less full than usual, but we have never
experienced this."
In the past three months, wholesalers have experienced a sharp rise in
demand for food items such as wheat, rice and milk as businesses have
stocked up to protect themselves against rising prices.
Global rice prices have risen about 70 per cent this year, partly
because countries such as China and India - whose economies are
booming - are buying more food from abroad. Poor crop yields have
contributed to the trend, raising concerns of severe shortages of the
staple food consumed by almost half the world's population.
Food prices have also been driven up by increased demand for corn -
the grain that is fermented to produce ethanol, the biofuel. Similar
jumps in the price of wheat, corn and soybeans have led to riots in
Haiti, Senegal and Pakistan.
Key rice producers have banned exports of rice to ensure their own
people have access: India, China, Vietnam and Egypt have blocked
exports and so demand for rice from countries such as the US has
increased.
Additional reporting: The Times, AP
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ven
Cheap food era is over, says ADB
P. S. Suryanarayana
"Impact of rice price increases in Asia is very, very serious"
SINGAPORE: The rice stocks across Asia "are the lowest in decades" but
there is no cause for a "doomsday picture of huge scarcity," according
to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/25/stories/2008042555841400.htm
Panic over rice prices hits California
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/04/24/20080424ricepanic24-on.html
US stores forced to ration rice
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23595722-2703,00.html
Asa Wahlquist | April 25, 2008
THE panic over global food shortages and rising prices gripping
developing nations has spread to the world's wealthiest countries,
with giant US-based retailer Wal-Mart rationing rice sales.
Wal-Mart's warehouse chain Sam's Club became the second retailer in
the US to limit bulk purchases of rice this week, citing "recent
supply and demand trends". Earlier in the week, Seattle-based Costco
Wholesale Corporation imposed limits in some stores on bulk rice
purchases.
The extraordinary move constitutes the first time food rationing has
been introduced in the US. While Americans suffered some rationing
during World War II for items such as petrol, light bulbs and
stockings, they have never had to limit consumption of a key food
item.
World rice prices have more than doubled in the past year as demand
has outstripped supply, with the drought-ravaged Australian crop
blamed for contributing to the problem.
Australia's rice production has collapsed, with many farmers given a
zero water allocation from the Murray River. This year's crop will be
the smallest since 1960, with exports barely a 10th of recent years.
Until 2002-03, Australia exported on average 620,000 tonnes of rice a
year - or 80 per cent of what it produced. But figures compiled by the
Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics show the
2007-08 export crop will be 70,000 tonnes, with no improvement the
following year.
Around the world, countries are restricting exports of rice and other
grains as food prices rocket and nations move to ensure their own food
security. The international price of rice has risen 118per cent in the
past year despite world rice exports rising from 22.7 million tonnes
in 2000 to a forecast 29.6 million tonnes this year.
Gary Helou, chief executive of Australian rice exporter Sunrice, said
the accusation that the drought in Australia was causing food
rationing in the US was "terribly ill-informed", saying Australia was
a small player in the global rice market.
Ricegrowers' Association president Les Gordon agreed, saying prices
were high due to "a straight-up case of supply and demand". "Supply
has been slowly dwindling all around the world for the last 10 years,
and it became apparent to our grain marketers 12 months, two years ago
that it really was heading for a very low level," he said.
He is bemused by US supermarkets blaming Australia for shortages. "I
can understand them having a run on rice in the supermarkets, but how
they could tag that to drought in Australia is ... nonsense. None of
our rice goes to America."
In Britain, rice is being rationed by shopkeepers in Asian districts
to prevent hoarding.
Wal-Mart said Sam's Club, which sells food to restaurants and other
retailers, had limited each customer to four 9kg bags of long-grain
white rice per visit.
Sam's Club spokeswoman Kristy Reed would not comment on whether the
problem was caused by short supplies or by customers stocking up in
anticipation of higher prices.
"We are working with our suppliers to address this matter to ensure we
are in stock, and we are asking for our members' co-operation and
patience," Ms Reed said in a statement.
US Rice Federation spokesman David Coia denied there was a rice
shortage in the US and suggested the panic run was due to small
restaurants and retailers buying rice in larger quantities than usual
to avoid higher prices.
Sam's Club has 593 stores, compared with 2523 Wal-Mart Supercentres
that combine a full grocery section with general merchandise. Costco
has 534 warehouses worldwide.
Costco Wholesale, the largest warehouse operator in the US, said this
week that demand for rice and flour had risen, with customers
panicking about shortages and hoarded produce.
Tim Johnson, of the California Rice Commission, said: "This is
unprecedented. Americans, particularly in states such as California,
have on occasion walked into a supermarket after a natural disaster
and seen the shelves are less full than usual, but we have never
experienced this."
In the past three months, wholesalers have experienced a sharp rise in
demand for food items such as wheat, rice and milk as businesses have
stocked up to protect themselves against rising prices.
Global rice prices have risen about 70 per cent this year, partly
because countries such as China and India - whose economies are
booming - are buying more food from abroad. Poor crop yields have
contributed to the trend, raising concerns of severe shortages of the
staple food consumed by almost half the world's population.
Food prices have also been driven up by increased demand for corn -
the grain that is fermented to produce ethanol, the biofuel. Similar
jumps in the price of wheat, corn and soybeans have led to riots in
Haiti, Senegal and Pakistan.
Key rice producers have banned exports of rice to ensure their own
people have access: India, China, Vietnam and Egypt have blocked
exports and so demand for rice from countries such as the US has
increased.
Additional reporting: The Times, AP
World food prices: ‘Standing Room Only’ scenario -- (Cebu Daily News)
apr 25, 2008
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ven
'Standing Room Only' scenario
Cebu Daily News / Opinion
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/opinion/view/20080423-132213/Standing-Room-Only-scenario
Food prices have dramatically gone up in recent months because of (a) increased demand, especially among recently prosperous people, especially in India and China who now eat twice or thrice a day compared to only once or twice in the recent past; (b) severe weather conditions which ruined crops: abnormally heavy snowfall in China, floods in Southeast Asia; and (c) an increase in the use of farm lands to grow bio-fuel crops.
In the past 12 months, the price of wheat has gone up 130 percent; soy beans 87 percent; rice 74 percent; and corn 31 percent. According to BBC News, per-capita meat consumption in China has gone up from 20 kilograms in 1980 to 50 kilograms in 2007. And an indication of another looming global crisis: water. It takes 1,000-2,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of wheat, but 10,000 to 13,000 liters to produce one kilogram of beef.
Another disturbing statistics from BBC News: the global population was 2.5 billion in 1950; 4.1 billion in 1975; and 6.l billion in 2000. The forecast is 8.0 billion in 2025 and 9.2 billion in 2050. And judging from the population growth rates in 2007, most of those additional two to three billion earthlings in the next 17 to 42 years will be impoverished Black Africans and possibly jihadist Muslims, with tens of millions of additional Roman Catholics, notably Filipinos, to contribute to the "Standing Room Only" scenario.
Even if our population growth rate were to decline from 2.3 to 2.0 percent, there would still be 122.9 million Filipinos by 2025 (only 17 years from now), and 201.7 million by 2050 (only 42 years from now). In 2007, our population growth rate is said to have dropped to 1.91 percent. So our projected population can be scaled down to "only" 100.01 million by 2014, "only" 122.17 million by 2025, and "only" 194.5 million by 2050.
Impoverished Black Africans do not have the means to wage war on Europe and North America, for food or other reasons. But they can flood Europe with illegal immigrants. Would that they instead just drastically reduce their galloping population growth rates and use their vast and fertile lands to grow the food that they need. But, of course, that is easier said than done.
As for jihadist Muslims, they are already at war with the Crusaders and the Zionists, not over food, but for world domination. Islam is not just a religion, it is also a political system. Its ideal is that all countries are governed under Sharia law. Islam is also a global ideology that urges its followers to use all means to work for the conversion of the rest of the world to its embrace.
So by the year 2025, there will be 1.9 billion more people on the planet, counting from 2000, and most of them will be impoverished Black Africans and possibly jihadist Muslims, together with some 33 million more Filipinos on top of our present 90 million. What was the title of that Broadway comedy hit in the 1960s? "Stop the World. I Want to Get Off!" — Antonio C. Abaya, www.tapatt.org
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ven
'Standing Room Only' scenario
Cebu Daily News / Opinion
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/opinion/view/20080423-132213/Standing-Room-Only-scenario
Food prices have dramatically gone up in recent months because of (a) increased demand, especially among recently prosperous people, especially in India and China who now eat twice or thrice a day compared to only once or twice in the recent past; (b) severe weather conditions which ruined crops: abnormally heavy snowfall in China, floods in Southeast Asia; and (c) an increase in the use of farm lands to grow bio-fuel crops.
In the past 12 months, the price of wheat has gone up 130 percent; soy beans 87 percent; rice 74 percent; and corn 31 percent. According to BBC News, per-capita meat consumption in China has gone up from 20 kilograms in 1980 to 50 kilograms in 2007. And an indication of another looming global crisis: water. It takes 1,000-2,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of wheat, but 10,000 to 13,000 liters to produce one kilogram of beef.
Another disturbing statistics from BBC News: the global population was 2.5 billion in 1950; 4.1 billion in 1975; and 6.l billion in 2000. The forecast is 8.0 billion in 2025 and 9.2 billion in 2050. And judging from the population growth rates in 2007, most of those additional two to three billion earthlings in the next 17 to 42 years will be impoverished Black Africans and possibly jihadist Muslims, with tens of millions of additional Roman Catholics, notably Filipinos, to contribute to the "Standing Room Only" scenario.
Even if our population growth rate were to decline from 2.3 to 2.0 percent, there would still be 122.9 million Filipinos by 2025 (only 17 years from now), and 201.7 million by 2050 (only 42 years from now). In 2007, our population growth rate is said to have dropped to 1.91 percent. So our projected population can be scaled down to "only" 100.01 million by 2014, "only" 122.17 million by 2025, and "only" 194.5 million by 2050.
Impoverished Black Africans do not have the means to wage war on Europe and North America, for food or other reasons. But they can flood Europe with illegal immigrants. Would that they instead just drastically reduce their galloping population growth rates and use their vast and fertile lands to grow the food that they need. But, of course, that is easier said than done.
As for jihadist Muslims, they are already at war with the Crusaders and the Zionists, not over food, but for world domination. Islam is not just a religion, it is also a political system. Its ideal is that all countries are governed under Sharia law. Islam is also a global ideology that urges its followers to use all means to work for the conversion of the rest of the world to its embrace.
So by the year 2025, there will be 1.9 billion more people on the planet, counting from 2000, and most of them will be impoverished Black Africans and possibly jihadist Muslims, together with some 33 million more Filipinos on top of our present 90 million. What was the title of that Broadway comedy hit in the 1960s? "Stop the World. I Want to Get Off!" — Antonio C. Abaya, www.tapatt.org
Why Sub Prime is not a crisis in India
apr 25, 2008
very interesting analysis by the good professor.
the other side of this is that the immense amounts of capital generated in india -- which has been the case since time immemorial -- were being siphoned off by the mohammedans, then by the limeys, and more recently by the nehruvian stalinists and other netas into their swiss bank accounts. this is now appearing in the conscious consumption of the glitterati, and in the speculation in real estate.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Vaidyanathan R
very interesting analysis by the good professor.
the other side of this is that the immense amounts of capital generated in india -- which has been the case since time immemorial -- were being siphoned off by the mohammedans, then by the limeys, and more recently by the nehruvian stalinists and other netas into their swiss bank accounts. this is now appearing in the conscious consumption of the glitterati, and in the speculation in real estate.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Vaidyanathan R
Why sub-Prime is not a Crisis in India
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/04/25/stories/2008042550750800.htm
R.vaidyanathan
____________________________________________________________________________
R.VAIDYANATHAN
PROFESSOR OF FINANCE
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
BANNERGHATTA ROAD
BANGALORE
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A 15 YEAR OLD'S "MOST WONDERFUL" EXPOSITION OF "SANATANA DHARMA"
apr 22nd, 2008
for a change, a kid who hasn't been brought up to hate her religion. we need more like them, which is why we have to support CAPEEM and oppose the witzels and farmers and other nazi monsters.
anyway, the fact is that hinduism is a far superior religion to these semitic death cults. by calling it 'a way of life' we obscure the fact that hinduism is in direct competition with the death cults, which are like nothing when compared to the subtleties of hinduism.
it's like we were discussing ghatotkacha's death as compared to the great limey epic beowulf. one single episode from the mahabharata is equal to or greater than the great limey epic.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sra
Planning marriage in 2008! Join Shaadi.com matrimony FREE! Try it now!
for a change, a kid who hasn't been brought up to hate her religion. we need more like them, which is why we have to support CAPEEM and oppose the witzels and farmers and other nazi monsters.
anyway, the fact is that hinduism is a far superior religion to these semitic death cults. by calling it 'a way of life' we obscure the fact that hinduism is in direct competition with the death cults, which are like nothing when compared to the subtleties of hinduism.
it's like we were discussing ghatotkacha's death as compared to the great limey epic beowulf. one single episode from the mahabharata is equal to or greater than the great limey epic.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sra
Interesting Facts about Hinduism, by Soumya Murag
IntroductionHinduism or Sanatana Dharma is the oldest of the world's living faiths. Though its origin is dated between 10,000 - 7,000 BCE by most historians, its traditions extend back before recorded history. Despite its antiquity, Hinduism is interestingly still a living and growing religion and has global acceptance. There is no founder to give credit to its discovery and establishment. Rather, Hinduism is a dharma or way of life evolved by the great sages of ancient India. In this article, you will find interesting facts about Hinduism that I have learned from attending Cupertino, CA Shakha, run by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh.Hindu Philosophy, Rituals and MythsIn every religion there are three main parts: philosophy, rituals and myths. It is important to completely understand these aspects since many people have misconceptions about Hinduism.Philosophy is the essence of religion. It sets forth its basic principles or fundamental tenets, the goal and the means of attaining it. Myths explain and illustrate philosophy by means of legendary lives of great men or of supernatural beings. Ritual gives an even more concrete form to philosophy so that everyone may understand it. Ritual consists of forms, ceremonies, etc.All religions have their own mythology. Although the word mythology is sometimes deliberately used by the media about Hinduism, Hinduism is more about "Truth" at different levels of understandings. It is difficult to make a clear distinction between history and mythology. If a Christian stands up and says, "My prophet did such and such a marvelous thing," others will say, "This is only a myth. Our prophets did still more marvelous things which are really historical." It is not easy to differentiate the two into watertight compartments.Hindus hold the belief of the four Vedas high in their minds. This is considered the most ancient scripture in the world. The Puranas describe the teachings of the Vedas through myths, legends and examples of great people. The cosmogonic myths of the Puranas are very interesting. A certain portion of Hindu mythology is even now presented to the public in the form of dramas during days of Hindu festivals. Thus the minds of the people are saturated with sublime ideas and ideals and lifted to great spiritual heights.Basic tenets of HinduismHinduism is a conglomeration of diverse beliefs and traditions and hence cannot be confined to any one system of belief and ideas. Nevertheless, the prominent themes include:• Dharma (ethics and duties)• Samsara (rebirth)• Karma (right action)• Moksha (liberation from the cycle of Samsara)Hinduism also encourages truth, honesty, non-violence, celibacy, cleanliness, contentment, prayers, austerity, perseverance, penance, and pious company.The essence of the Hindu vision of reality lies in the relation between dharma (social duty or righteousness) and moksha (release from the material world, final liberation from the endless cycles of rebirth). Both these perspectives, the world-supporting and the world-denying, are necessary to fulfill human destiny.Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma, that is, the law that governs all action. It has its own beliefs, traditions, advanced system of ethics, meaningful rituals, philosophy and theology. The religious tradition of Hinduism is responsible for the creation of such concepts and practices as Yoga, Ayurveda, Vastu, Jyotish, Yajna, Puja, Tantra, Vedanta, Karma, etc.Hundreds of millions of people continue to believe in the multitudes of gods which inhabit the Hindu pantheon. This tapestry of religion is the result of millennia of integration. The Indian sub-continent has been a crossroad for several cultures, and the Indian people have incorporated numerous ideas from different faiths.Though there are some core beliefs common to virtually all Hindus, there really is no "Hindu orthodoxy"- no hard and fast dogma that all Hindus must believe. It's actually a family of gradually developing beliefs and practices.Ten important Hindu Realities vs. MythsHinduism is like an ocean of the combined knowledge of various rishis, sages, and saints. It was they who gave the religion the depth and complexity for which it is known today. Because of them Hinduism became more or less like an ocean that would absorb every thing that flowed into it from all directions.There are wide misconceptions about the Hindu religion.According to my understanding, the following facts are realities in an effort to clarify such misconceptions.1. Who is Hindu? Anybody who practices a little of and believes in the above listed tenets of Hinduism is a Hindu. There is no baptism, no fixed gods, and going to the temple is not compulsory.2. Idol Worship: Hinduism does not promote idol worship. To the contrary, Hinduism urges to transcend all physical aids to worship, in our spiritual progress. Realizing that it is impossible for the mortal human to visualize the Infinite and instead of sustaining false hopes of such achievements, the religion urges us to slowly and steadily continue our progress in pursuit of the Truth. For such steady progress, it asks to start with physical aids such as temples and idols, and through practice and devotion, ultimately succeed in visualizing God without the aid of temples and idols.3. Habits: There are no specifically laid out rules constricting a person's eating/drinking habits, or clothing style or anything like that. In fact, Hinduism deals with concepts on a much higher platform, where such things are insignificant. It deals with the spiritual aspects of trying to understand God and to approach Him through many varied means (principal of which is love). As natural fallout, it also shows how to lead a meaningful life full of bliss, peace and love.4. Conversion: Since Hinduism is a way of life, there is no formal conversion process. In fact, there is no fixed name for Hinduism; some call it Sanatana Dharma, some call it just Dharma, some call it Bhagawat Dharma, etc. There was no name "Hindu" in old scriptures but later invaders of India named people here as Hindu because they used to live on the banks of the river Sindhu.5. Unity: This feature of Hindu religion has been unique. Some call the religion broadminded because Hindus believe in 'Vasudhev Kutumbakam,' meaning that all the world's people are one family.6. Rituals or superstitions: Hinduism runs on value education and some rituals. These rituals are added from time to time and changeable. But these rituals convey a lot of meaning when deeply thought and understood. They are not compulsory for Hinduism; some follow, some don't.7. Criticism: Another feature of Hinduism is there is no blasphemy clause; you may criticize openly some features you don't like and may not follow or change them still you will be a good Hindu. I think it's democracy like.8. Food: Though many Hindus are vegetarian, still many Hindus are not. The rationale behind a vegetarian diet is to promote a physically, mentally and spiritually healthy lifestyle. However, there are no rigid rules concerning vegetarianism.9. Caste System: The caste system, originally described in the Vedas, but much abused and maligned over the years, is nothing but a representation of an efficient human society. The four castes described in the scriptures are - the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and the Shudras. According to the Vedas, an efficient human society is based on the strength of its educational/knowledge-pursuit system (Brahmin), its military and defense system (Kshatriya), its economical and business system (Vaishya), and a strong, happy, productive workforce (Shudras).This noble representation was misinterpreted, exploited, and abused by a few in the Indian society, leading to the indiscriminate creation of thousands of castes and sub-castes, including the so-called "upper" castes. It can be seen as a means of maintaining the status quo to the benefit of those in power. However, in ancient times, castes were not rigid (one could move from one caste to another). They were based on one's karma (actions), not birth.
Fortunately, the distorted caste system has been more or less abolished since Indian independence and the distinctions are beginning to disappear.10. Hindu Women: The role of women in Hinduism is often misunderstood. In Vedic times women and men were equal as far as education and religion was concerned. In ancient India, women occupied a very important position, in fact in some ways, a superior position to men. It is a culture whose only words for strength and power are feminine -"Shakti" means "power" and "strength." All male power comes from the feminine.There are many stories and media attention about Child Marriage, Dowry, Bride-Burning, and Property matters for equality, mass Wife-Burning (Jauhar), Widow-Burning (Sati). Due to Islamic conquest, political instability, poor economic conditions and foreign invasion further made women's freedom impossible. Hence, society became more protective about the women community, education, power, name and fame; also they linked these issues with caste status. Such situations ceased women rights. But after India's freedom, the law again restored and protected women's rights.How Hinduism differs from other organized religions:In summary, Hinduism differs from other organized religions in the following aspects:• It is not based upon one particular founder.• It is not based upon one particular book.• It is not controlled by a central institution or authority such as a church or an association.• It is not averse to examine and assimilate fundamentally diverse thoughts and beliefs into its system.• It accepts other religions as various paths to salvation and does not favor organized attempts to convert people.• It has been evolving continuously, through internal reforms and as a reaction to the threats and challenges.• Hinduism is a way of life, more than a religion• An attitude of understanding and tolerance is taught within the religion, where all religious teachings are not to be looked down upon and that no one way of worship should be considered better than another.
Interesting Facts about HinduismHinduism teaches the following simple and interesting aspects that are very important to our daily life:Healthy lifestyle: Unlike others, Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. Hinduism grants you a healthy lifestyle. The Hindu practices like bath in the morning, do Yoga, stay away from meat etc. promote health and hygiene.Promotes peace universally: Hinduism does not say that only Hindus go to heaven, nor proclaims that only Hindu gods are the true one. Hinduism is the only religion, which says that all paths lead to that ultimate one. An important Hindu prayer is "Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu" which means let the whole world be happy!Respect living beings: Hindus believe that there is divinity in every one. The Hindu salutation 'Namaskar' or 'Namaste' means that I bow to that divinity in you.No hard and fast dogma: Hinduism is flexible and there are really no hard and fast rules you need to follow. It is entirely dependant on you to choose what you want to do. For instance, we are free to worship God in whichever form we choose, wherever we choose, and whenever we choose.No conversion, no pressure: You do not need to undergo a formal conversion ceremony to lead a Hindu way of life.Care for the environment: You will see that the temples have gardens and promote growing of trees and vegetation. Even snakes, cows are given a place and fed in some places. Animals are given protection and shelter. The Hindu way of life is based on living in harmony with the environment and not exploiting nature.Promotes art and art forms: The Hindu temples themselves are masterpieces of art and sculpture. Dance and music forms an integral part of the religion and the classical dance and music are closely tied to Hinduism and a must for many Hindu festivals and occasions.Hindu festivals: There are lots of fun activities associated with Hindu festivals. For Deepavali or Diwali, playing with fireworks or crackers. For Holi, playing with colors and the list is endless. For Hindus, life is a celebration.ConclusionThe foundation of Hinduism has been laid on the bedrock of spiritual truths. The entire structure of Hindu life is built on eternal truths, the findings of the Hindu Rishis or seers. That is the reason why this structure has lasted through scores of centuries.The glory of Hinduism lies in the fact that it has all the features of a universal religion. Its Dharma is universal. Its doctrines are sublime. Its philosophy is grand. Its ethics are soul-elevating. Its scriptures are wonderful. Its Sadhanas or Yoga-Vedanta practices are unique. It has a message to give to a world to get rid of hatred, dissension and war—the message of cosmic love, truth and non-violence, the gospel of unity of Self or Upanishadic oneness.ReferencesBoudhik Sessions of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh; taken from several speech, discussion sessionsHinduism Article <http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/mar/14spec.htm>Knappert, Jan. Encyclopedia of Indian Mythology. 1995Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Hinduism>Soumya Murag soumyamurag@gmail.com
Age 15, Sophomore, Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, CA 95014
I have put together some of the thoughts shared in many boudhik sessions of Cupertino Shakha in the form of this article. I have also presented this material to the 'Hindu Awareness Club' of my high school in an effort to clarify misconceptions and spread awareness about Hinduism.
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