Voice of India Features Newsletter - 18 October 2009

oct 22nd, 2009

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From: VOI Features <voi.features@vhs-net.com>
Date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Subject: Voice of India Features Newsletter - 18 October 2009
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Editorial: Jihad in the Name of 'Love' The Editorial Team In a shocking revelation it has come to light that organized rackets are operating to wage Jihad through 'love'. What is now known as "Love Jihad" shows the ugly face of the 'Jihad' which some apologists of Islam try to portray as something personal and self purifying. The modus operandi of such Jihad is to trap non-Muslim girls feigning love and then convert them to Islam by forcing them to accept their fate. So far 4,500 girls are reported to have been converted to Islam in Kerala and its coastal belt. Read more... The Other Side of Shopian Amba Charan Vashishtha For about six months there had been a great commotion, violence and strife in Shopian in Kashmir valley over the alleged 'rape and murder' of two women, But this time there is not a ripple in the peaceful waters of the Dal Lake in Srinagar where a Jammu-based businessman Rajneesh Sharma was found hanging inside the lock-up bathroom of the Munshi Bagh police station on October 5, 2009. But Jammu is seething with anger. According to reports, Rajneesh was picked up by the Kashmir police on September 30 from the Jammu residence of his elder brother, Pawan Sharma, an employee of the State Road Transport Corporation. He was the only bread-winner for the family. Read more... Sant Gyaneshwar and Reversing Radical Islam Lt. Col. (Retd.) Mahendra Mathur Sant Gnaneshwar was initiated by his elder brother, Nvrittinath. Soon after his initiation, he realized that the Bhagvad Gita is the best text in satisfying the spiritual needs of people. At the same time, he appreciated the fact that it is difficult for the common people to comprehend the great text, since it was written in Sanskrit. It was then that he took the decision to translate the great text into a common language.  His interpretation of the Gita, which is called the 'Gnaneshwari' and is read today by millions, was a miracle. Young Gnaneshwar took mahasamadhi, while he was still a young lad. Miraculous stories are connected with the above episode and site. The book was completed at Nevasa, a town on the banks of the Prainara River in the district of Ahmednagar. The actual writer was Sachidananda Pava. Gyandev's commentary on the Gita is considered as one of the best. Read more... Rise and Fall of Indology - IV NS Rajaram In recent weeks there have been cries of 'Sanskrit in danger of disappearing' from Sanskrit professors and other Indologists in Western academia. This is certainly true in their own case, but their next claim that they need more funding (what else?) to reverse the decline must be taken with a large grain of salt. Sanskrit existed and flourished for thousands of years before Indology and Indologists came into existence, and will no doubt continue to exist without them. If Sanskrit ever faces the danger of extinction, it will be for reasons of social and political developments in India and not due to lack of funds for Indologists in the West. They can no more save Sanskrit than Indian scholars can save ancient Greek. Read more... The Lonely Kashmiri Aneeta Chakrabarty It was his second week in America, and Suresh Razdan was bewildered, lonely and longing for somebody to connect. He felt his stomach rumbling and making weird noises and realized it was way past lunchtime. In spite of bringing his lunch of chapatis and vegetables in his tin lunch box, he felt ashamed to open it and eat it in the cafeteria. Two days ago when he had done just that and ate with his fingers, a loud raucous laughter greeted him. He timidly looked in the direction of the laughter, and saw teenagers who looked Indian but acted very different. They seemed to be very hostile and spat out a new word "FOB" with utter contempt. Read more... Your Subscription: Change your subscription Unsubscribe