Bharat Rakshak

Sagar; certainly not in the wider literature. However Oxford, Cambrige, Leipzig and other major centers of learning all had scholars involved wih Sanskrit, but their interests were basically linguistic in nature. This was obviously a small group, but they did have access to to the vedas, so I'm sure...

Thank you, Sagar, I always appreciate compliments from a professional, or even a soon-to-be professional http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ubb/smile.gif <P> Thank you for bringing up the issue of out of wedlock children fathered by upper castes- I hadn't considered that. <P> Yes, I too am cautious about...

I'm sorry Mathew, but your 1st post did seem defensive and close minded to me. Your next post was qualitatively different, and in a good way http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ubb/smile.gif . One of the problems with the net is that my basis for judgement is limited to the words I can see on the screen. ...

Sathydas, the evidence suggests that your time frame is a little off. Caucasians seem to have diversified about from the other races roughly about 50,000 years ago. Skin, hair and eye colour variations developed much later.<P> Yes Negroids and Mongloids show a great deal of diversification within; N...

Krish, thank you for your post, I didn't realise people like George assumed that I was trying to build some sort of a case for the AIT. <P> Let me confirm what Krish has said in that regard; I am interested only in the truth as determined by evidence- I have no predispositions to what the truth actu...

Sathydas; thank you for asking those important questions. I will try to answer them as best as I can. Please remember that while I am reasonably well versed in these disciplines, you shouldn't confuse me for a professional. <P>A lot of this comes back to genetic drift; populations isolated from each...

Scientific education has certainly failed the world as a whole. These are not 'my' theories but those that are widely accepted in the relevant fields. Matthew I don't blame you for your reaction; you are faced with unfamiliar terms and apparently abstract theories which come to conclusions that seem...

Sathydas; pseudoscience is that which is not falsifiable. Science is a set of methods used to draw conclusions from available data. Theories change, because new evidence comes to light. The bit that you quoted illustrates a case where there is insufficient evidence for one theory to gain precedence ...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>What proportion of "austric" blood do you imagine Indians have? Must be extremely high, right? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Sathydas, the study (which was conducted by Indians if you're interested) which we're dis...

Sagar, no I am not a biologist, but if it helps, my profile lists interests as 'everything' http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ubb/smile.gif If Salman and Ashok Kumar were not far more professionally qualified than I, you'd be just as likely to see me in the (meta)physics thread doing my best to answer p...

Krish, you've asked a very, very good question. Evolution (which I accept) is a metaprocess involving two major components; natural selection, the well known survival of the fittest and the other not so well known one, genetic drift which is also known as random mutation. <P>Populations evolve, wher...

The distribution of Australoid people is a geodosic (the shortest path between two points on a curved surface) stretching from Madagascar to Australia They seem to represent one of the ealiest patterns of human (Homo Sapiens) migration and expansion(perhaps even before the last Ice Age which ended 1...

It's unfortunate that the thread entitled "A Scientific study of Caste" was deleted". It would have provided a solid basis for this discussion.<P> The term 'Caucasian' has been batted around quite a bit. The term 'race' means different things to different people. To many laypersons it...

Thank you for the welcome Salman, though I won't be able to spend nearly as much time as I'd like. <P>Yes, another thread would be a splendid idea. Here are some suggested criteria for comparison, feel free to add more before we start the thread:<P> cost, combat radius fully loaded refuelled and unr...

You're preaching to the converted; any comparison we made would not be in terms of 'which would shoot down which' but in terms of comparing capabilities and costs from the standpoint of acquisition and operations for the Indian Fleet Air Arm. <P>Yes, go on Sukumar, egg me on with those kinds of comm...

Actually this might be a good time for that F.A.2 vs MiG 29 comparison I proposed so long ago.

Irfan, the refuelling probes are bolt-ons, installed when required. <P> The RN Blue Vixen/AMRAAM combo gives the F.A.2 Harrier the best of both worlds; long range BVR engagement as well as short range dogfighting. The USMC uses it's AV 8B II Plus a/c for fleet CAP and of the deck interceptions as we...

This thread has cerainly gone off on a tangent. I will start a new thread on Indian contributions to WW1 and WW2.

Sukumar is accurate in his explanation of Jag performance characteristics. With it's small wing area, the Jag is optimised for low level strike and recon. The same wing area compromises lift in the thinner air at 18,000 feet. Oh and by the way, I caught a glimpse of the discussion between Sukumar an...

Anuradhapura was founded in the 3rdcentury BC and remained the capital until it was abandoned in 993 AD by a combination of expansion by South Indian kings and royal family feud. Most of the great monastries, palaces and monuments still stand. If you ever visit Ceylon, don't miss it, it's quite beau...

S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike was PM from 1956-59, whn he was assasinated. His wife Sirmavo who had absolutely no interest in politics until that point took his poision in the SLFP and was PM from 60-65 and 70-77. I suppose it was some sort of freudian slip referring to her as 'he' considering that her poli...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>As far as SL Tamils, go, I was fortunate in knowing a truly accomplished individual in graduate school (in my field of engineering). His lectures were always a joy to attend. Also have had a good Sinhalese friend f...

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The LTTE raises money by:<BR>1. Smuggling <BR>2. Gun running <BR>3. Extortion and donations from expat Tamils<BR>UK, Canada, Australia,Germany are the main areas<BR>4. Taxes in Jaffna<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>3 & 4 t...

I actually lived in Ceylon through some of the most turbulent periods in the '80s. Narayanan, you left out Bandaranaike's radical changes and his institutionalisation of Sinhalese domination and segregation in the '60s. The Sinhalese after independance were basically both the landowning and the work...

Sukumar, keeping your feet and your arse warm, dry and clean are the most important priorities on the field (well other than not getting killed). It will keep your men fresh and effective. Bergens are always dumped during a firefight and retrieved later. Members of a section usually have specialised...

The M-14 had a few other problems as well; it's fore end was too fat to allow proper use with a bayonet attached, and rifle lacked a pistol grip. This is not to say the rifle was a complete toss up. In fact it's quite pleasant to shoot on semi-auto and is actually rather accurate, and is easy to ste...

A yomp is a nice bracing walk out in the open. In the light infantry it means a nice bracing between anywhere from 2 to 12 miles walk out in the open with boots and in full kit with a 50lbs in pack, possibly cross country at up to 3mph. The idea is not to turn you into a marathon runner;The purpose ...

The British, Canadian, Dutch and Indian armies all chose to disable full-auto on their FN FALs. There were many other small local differences between national models. The FN FAL is not a terribly accurate or controllable weapon when firing on automatic. The H&K G3/G41 which is otherwise identica...

"I agree that the full auto option should be available.<P>i think the army based it on the fact that in Sri Lanka, men under stress fired off entire clips (just like the Americans in Vietnam)."<P>The British Army like the Indian Army chose the SLR (or FN FAL)in the '60's as a replacement f...

As pointed out earlier the term 'carbine' is somewhat generic, much like 'sports car' or 'lorry'. In general it refers to a version of a regular assult rifle that is shorter (overall, and in barell length) and lighter, and withfeatures such as folding tubular frame buttplates (or none at all). Earli...

up..., before this this thread is pruned.

Sukumar, my comment was meant for Ramen Das. I have had some experience with Soviet weapons. <P> Ah, I checked the pictures, I see the lug now. Thank you. <P> S Sharma, the LMG is meant for the sustainable fire role, with appropriate sights, barrel and the bipod. The individual weapon is not optimis...

The 5.45x39 cartrige used in the AK-74 uses a steel solid slug, it is NOT a soft nosed or hollow pointed round. It is designed to tumble rather than penetrate, to maximise tissue damage. It violates the spirit rather than the letter of the Geneva Convention. NATO ammunition is full metal jacket, des...