Indian Interests (09-08-2014)

[Manny]

Not All Countries Celebrate Christmas on 25th Dec.

Japan : The birthday of the current emperor, Akihito, on December 23 is a national holiday.Christmas is not a national holiday.

Republic of China (Taiwan) : Christmas is not officially celebrated or legally recognized. However, coincidentally, 25 December isthe date of the signing of the Constitution of Taiwan

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, North Korea, Libya, Mauritania, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen do not recognize Christmas as a public holiday.
Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam do not recognize Christmas as a public holiday

Not a single western country with the christians as the majority recognize any other major religions holidays... Nada!


Why should India? India needs to stop the shackles of Colonialism.

[Manny]

CR Nath Said

Quote:

"The conversion issues is a Gordian Knot of Indian social life repeatedly attacke by foreign powers who ruled this country for 1200 years and imposed their religion and culture in days when the concept of "right to freedom of practice and propagate one's own religion. So the conquerors were free to impose their own religion, culture and language on the conquered Indians. The Hindus society had been denuded of their numerical strength ( they were no doubt far more in number ) but could not resist conversion due to subordinate position. In Delhi this blogger had to deal with preachers several times in my own apartment. There was of course no allure net -- only persuasion. But poor people could could easily be alluded. Freedom to choose your religion is all humbug for the poor. Even if it is not admitted the fact is that vast number Indians, mostly Hindus were helplessly converted into Islamor Christianity over last millennium and a half. And the Hindus were deeply hurt over the tide of conversion into Islam and Christianity chiefly. This hurt feeling was accentuated by politically wrong interpretation of the words ' secularism' and 'communalism'. An a priori assumption was Hindus were not secular ; they were communal. It was an insult to the Hindus in their own land where they were born. These two words gave more powers to Muslims and Christians that they were good and. Responsible citizens and that the Hindus were villains of the piece. Ancient Vedas certainly did not visually and intend that. Their generous and sublime philosophy would require their OWN EXTINCTION SO THAT PEOPLE BELONGINGTO"

[Arjun]

The role of exclusivist ideologies in lowering IQ demonstrated well by two examples from the ongoing 'Conversion' debate (one Commie and one Christian)

Christianity up first (Mass Conversion Sparks Anger):

A Gujarat-based priest said he could not "accept that anyone who has been a Christian will convert to other religion by personal choice".

Clearly our good Padre sincerely believes that any conversion away from Christianity HAS to be forced, since nobody who is a Christian will convert by personal choice. Blinding logic, I must say

Next up, the Commies (CPIM asks Govt to Check Conversions):

Accusing BJP-RSS of "indulging in double speak" on the issue of religious conversions, CPI(M) today said there was no need for a separate anti-conversion law as there were already provisions under the IPC to put a check on forcible conversions.

Attacking RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, the party said that he has justified this reconversion as bringing back people to their original faith and added that the episode of reconversion in Agra has exposed how false assurances and inducements were used for reconversion.

If forcible conversions are already addressed by the IPC, then why doesn't the CPI(M) lodge an FIR under the same provisions against the Agra reconversion ? If there are already judicial means of redressal - then why the political demand for RSS to stop its reconversion campaign ?

Bure Din seem to have arrived for the intellectually challenged foot-soldiers of exclusivist creeds.

[abhishek_sharma]

How ‘Mr Clean’ lost his shine: Inder Malhotra

[JE Menon]

^^Which century is this chap living in? I thought he was writing about MMS... Filler article. Food on the table.

[ramana]

Ghar wapsi or returning to fold is not conversion.
In US they have born again and returnees of all kinds.

[vishvak]

Ghar wapsi or returning to fold is not conversion.
In US they have born again and returnees of all kinds.

How do people treat news of 'returnees' or 'born again' wrt systemic or manner of propaganda. Just want to know if there is any difference. I think some post on US-India thread on it would be useful. After all, there can not be different standards for different countries.

[arshyam]

The Mendacity Of Conversion

http://swarajyamag.com/culture/the-mend ... onversion/

One of the best article I have seen on the politics (This is not religion) of conversion.

Thanks for sharing this, Manny-ji. This article is worth posting in full. I request all to read the bolded part in the end. It is so blatantly illegal! I request fellow forumers active on twitter to please tweet this info out.

Conversion is in the air again. Heated conversations ON AIR again. Emotions run high. Provocative headlines mislead. Certain media houses want to be heard in the new political monologue. Media is mostly the least reliable source to draw any definitive conclusions, as we saw recently in the case of the “Rohtak braveheart sisters” who turned out to be extortionists.

But here, we will talk about conversion, most recently brought to centerstage by the Agra conversion case. Was it forced, coerced or just fake? Who knows? Maybe a court investigation will find out or maybe not, but the results will remain unreported by the media, for it is not the results but the uproar that is of importance here. Greater mysteries have remained unsolved. What will remain though are the refrains of ‘conversion into Hinduism’.

The event details are of no consequence for our discussion. You can argue till the BPO employee comes home but that armchair fencing will yield no touché. So let us discuss the idea. While whole books have been written on this topic’s dark agenda, for this short discussion, I want to add just a few notes that are missing from the media cacophony around conversion. Is conversion even worth a debate, worth the existence? What is the need for it? And who really benefits?

Worldwide, the only time conversions create an outcry in the media is when someone is being converted from Judaism, usually into Christianity. The only other time is when someone converts to Hinduism, and that usually happens only in the Indian media. In the Jewish context converting from the ‘original’ group is considered wrong, but in the Hindu context it is converting to the original group that is considered wrong.

While every religion’s art, culture, rituals, history and even people must be preserved, fostered and grown with a sense of humanitarian fundamental duty of the universe, for Hinduism and all Indian indigenous faiths, the yardstick is the other way around.

Everything of Hinduism must be cleansed, painted, converted, whitewashed and waterproofed. Anyone who manages to escape from the gory clutches of this most oppressive practice, of course with the help of the benevolent act of ‘reaching out’ by the Holders of Truth, should never be able to come back; like treating wooden furniture for termites. For you see, Hinduism is the root of all evil. The one and only authoritative scholar of Sanskrit and historian of Hinduism, Wendy Doniger, has even written a book called Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology as early as in 1980. So there is nothing left to discuss or dispute.

Let us at the outset make it clear—almost all human beings are good by nature, it is the peer pressure and institutionalized fossils of ideas that cause the problems.

So what are the arguments given in favour of conversion out of Hinduism?

Choice Of Personal Faith Is Human Right Of The Convertee

When conversions happen to Islam or Christianity, ‘It is a personal choice, a right to follow any religion’ is all we hear. There are no coercion allegations brought in. If it happens into Hinduism from Christianity or Islam, then it is nothing but allegations of coercion or force. And what happens when the conversions happen from Islam to Christianity or vice versa? Here is a video warning that makes you think. But watch it till the end and listen to the last line.

News sometimes trickles out of Pakistan or about ISIS, and we witness that it is not the personal right of the convertee that is exercised; tragically it is the religious right of the converter. Recently there was news of four kids being beheaded since they refused to say the conversion chant. But nothing can be said conclusively based only on media reports.

If conversion was so personal then how do mass conversions happen? Entire villages in Andhra or Tamil Nadu or the North-East have been converted out of indigenous Indian faiths. When religious leaders themselves are in dark of enlightenment, what with cases of gross sexual misconduct abounding worldwide and in India as well, how are these masses of laity all of sudden getting enlightened?

Conversion Provides Social Justice For The Masses Oppressed By Hinduism

Hinduism, the oldest surviving system of knowledge, way-of-living and faith, is the epitome of social injustice and oppression from time immemorial. And yet somehow it has survived every onslaught so far.

The newest two global religions though have been embraced the world over by rural and urban, smart and stupid, weak and powerful people alike; like Coke by the thirsty, purely on the basis of their open and unoppressive ideologies. The same unoppressive, welcoming ideologies that carry blasphemy laws and provisions of religious supari!

Even if we believe the allegation to be true, still, why convert? And the obvious answer comes: Because after that, the converted will get social justice, duh! Well, now I have two problems. One, why can’t a Hindu citizen of India get social justice, no matter who commits the injustice? And two, why can a non-Hindu get more justice just because of being a non-Hindu minority? Isn’t that a massive failure of society and democracy? Shouldn’t that be corrected? Hinduism is perhaps the most reformed of them all via legal process.

When a single can of mustard oil is found to cause fatal health hazard, as we see every few years in India, the entire lot of thousands of litres of mustard oil is banned, and soy oil is imported.

Instead of correcting the problem with the lot and the factory where the mustard oil was manufactured, the action taken is to ban mustard oil itself. On top of it, instead of importing mustard oil, a different oil is imported. So, somehow mustard oil itself is bad now? And not that particular lot? Why? Because India produces a lot of mustard oil, and they produce a lot of soy oil. That makes you think there is probably a nefarious agenda to promote foreign soy oil over Indian mustard oil; promote imported oppression over indigenous.

The same is true of religion. When Islam and terrorism are correlated anywhere in the world, this exact logic is given by them that ‘only few are bad, don’t generalize’.

But when something like this happens with Hinduism, a self-proclaimed swami here and a bapu there, it is entire Hinduism that is wrong, to the core principles, without doubt or hesitation. If there is a problem with Hinduism, correct it there itself. Why convert into another religion to get social ‘justice’?

Hindus Are Not Doing Anything For The Poor Masses, So What If Missionaries Do?

Poverty is an economic issue, not of faith. How can religious conversion help elevate poverty? Christianity was well-imposed on Europe while it was still extremely poor. Books like Malleus Maleficarum were used to guide the whole process of imposition and inquisition.

Only when the conquest of the world began, with the guilt-dissolving sanction of the Holy orders, did some wealth pour into Europe. Same with the Middle East. So, if mere conversion was the solution, then every country would solve the economy issue.

What happens when an entire country converts to Christianity or Islam? Is poverty solved? There still are poor Christians and Muslims all over the world, even in non-secular countries.

Africa and the Americas are the recent converted populations (after Europe). And we can see the rampant poverty of Africa, which is majorly either Christian or Muslim. How come they are not as affluent as Europe, which too has its own poor! ‘Uncivilized’ Africa has been a free battleground for slavery and conversion for a long time. Civilized Asia is unaware of that.

And if poverty is indeed a matter of faith, and the most poor are in Hinduism who are being helped by conversion, then why pamper non-Hindus at all, since they are not poor, owing to their great faiths.

The real reason why conversion temporarily solves poverty to some extent in India are the government policies of forever pampering sections of societies on this or that basis—with quotas and schemes galore. They never let people be equal. Abolish the pampering policies that are not based on poverty alone and then see how many conversions happen without private coercions and inducements.

So What If Money Is Involved In Conversion? It Is Helping People After All

If you claim to do something for the poor, inspired by spiritual calling, don’t ask anything in return. Selfless act is the first thing of spirituality and divinity, though maybe not for the religion of a vengeful God. If the richer Hindus are not doing anything for poorer Hindus, why is that an issue at all? Poverty is not about religion.

Giving monetary benefits for conversion is tantamount to bribing, money-laundering. You collect millions or billions in mission funds in some richer countries and pump it in India. Are there no more poor people left in America or Europe or the Middle East? Ask Obama , Greece, Ireland , Italy and Sao Paolo.

When you give money but ask for something in return, it is not charity. It is bribery. Countries have laws against that. Aren’t the recent scams of 2G, 3G, Coalgate, CWG etc. cases of bribery? Or you could call it a sale. Then, while trafficking of human bodies is illegal, why is trafficking of the human souls legal?

If there is nothing wrong in the exchange of souls for a little money, then what is wrong in pimping the mere mortal material body for some money? Even a labourer uses his body to earn money by working to satisfy material needs of others. Then why is it a sin and crime to satisfy carnal needs of others for exchange of money? After all, it is helping someone earn a living. Better than dying poor and hungry! Conversion as seen today is either pimping or rape of the soul. And it is euphemistically called a ‘harvest’.

But My Holy Book Says, I need to Spread The Word, So It Is My Religious Duty And Right

Isn’t faith a matter of personal choice? Then choose your faith and beliefs properly. If you choose a faith of 50 beliefs from two millennia ago, you may find that 17 of those 50 don’t apply now anymore.

You should be ready to let go of them. Else you are stuck in history. If being stuck in a time capsule of thoughts was a good thing, then all of these new religions are bad, because they tried to bring change during their birthing pains. So, adapting with time and space must be allowed and encouraged.

How is one’s choice of personal beliefs a license to encroach on others’ lives? If you want to bow to A or B or C, it is your personal matter. Why even make it public? And if you have to, do it amicably with the current society you live in.

If this logic of ‘my religious right’ was really sound, then why are reforms brought only in Hinduism? Why not allow them to practice their bad diktats as well? One knows about the evils of caste,women oppression and sati but the ills in other religions are barely discussed.

Other Religions Are Better Than Hinduism

This is such a big topic that it needs a separate series of posts. Let us just look at the core principles (not practices); everything else can be blamed and corrected as ‘improper implementation’. The core principle of Hinduism has been a continued pursuit of truth, harmonious existence with nature, a balance, a self-realization with the divine. Divine principle permeates everything, so nothing is ‘other’.

Love for God is promoted, and you don’t have to believe in one particular form to be a good human being. Woman is equally divine as man. There has never been any conflict between Hindu thought and science. In Taittiriya Upanishad, Shiksha Valli, Anuvak 11, the Chancellor of the University tells his graduating class to ‘Speak the truth. Follow the dharma. Only follow our good habits and ignore the wrongs ones’ (admitting that even they could have flaws).

But in others, your pursuit is bounded by the one and only book. There is no harmony possible among various groups, since the sole purpose is to convert or conquer everyone else. Nature is to be subjugated. You are not part of the show. God is surely not part of creation. Fear of God is promoted, and you have to believe only in one particular form or name of God, else it is all hell for you. God is to be feared even by the innocent, for it is a vengeful God! Woman is subservient to man. There have been clear conflicts between science and other religions.

There is no possibility of making amends in the light of new experiences of newer generations. Those who dare or dream or suggest editing the frozen knowledge base, for them there is hell in store, sometimes after death, sometimes even before. And this is all in the one and only original guide book. There is no recourse in case of conflict.

Hinduism says God Himself walked among humans in form of avatars. Christianity says he sent his only son. Islam says he sent his last messenger and no more direct interaction with him. And we can see the increasing rigidity, oppression, violence and fear as we move away from God. The former says you are the divine light, the latter says you are a born sinner in need to be saved.

Real Reason For The Soul-Harvest

So, who benefits from conversion carried out with ‘missionary zeal’? If the convertee doesn’t benefit much after conversion (poverty is still rampant in the Americas, Africa and Europe), then it must be the converter who is to gain. After conversion into the club, one is expected to pay as much as 15 per cent.

There are even conversion-tourism trips where the ‘volunteers’ pay for their trip in name of tourism and do conversion work (See below). Pumping millions or billions of dollars into another country is usually used to destabilize a country—whether for weapons, drugs or conversion purposes.

Here are three brief examples of the business of soul-harvesting and how it is run like a business. Read the associated links for more.

Pope in New Delhi on Diwali 1999

On November 8th, 1999, on the day of Diwali, the Pope visited New Delhi:

The 79-year-old pontiff exhorted a synod of Asian bishops to evangelize the region in the coming millennium. He told them to go forth and conquer the continent for Christ just as the church had done in Europe during the first millennium and in the Americas in the second.

The Pope, known for his fervor to expand the global influence of his church, was criticized for using India as a launching pad for what his critics say is an attempt to replenish the dwindling ranks of practising Catholics in the West with Asian converts.”

Impact Nations

Impact Nations organizes an annual ‘Journey of Compassion’. The one from 15 to 27 March 2015 will cost the participants $1,850. That is, you pay money to go to another poor country to harvest some souls. What better business model can you get? This is Proselytizing-Tourism!

“We are so excited to be taking a team into the North of India, where we will be partnering with the largest church planting movement in India to bring healing, medicine, clean water and most importantly Jesus to the Punjab. Come and you will heal the sick, lead many to Jesus, give medicine and clean water to the sick and poor and be the face of Jesus to thousands.”

The Journey Information Document even says this: “You should apply for a single entry, six months tourist visa (not a missionary visa). When asked the purpose for your visit, indicate ‘tourism’. If asked, the places of tourist Interest in Chandigarh are: Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake , Sector 17, IT Park, etc.”

US Center For World Mission

Some excerpts from the organization’s front page:

Research is about pushing boundaries, discovering the boundaries past which the Kingdom has not yet come and unearthing insight that leads to breakthrough.

We must be willing to re-examine the way we fund, support and do mission. The right tools, technologies and processes can speed the advance of the gospel.

Media is about transformation. When we do media well, we change lives.

Jesus has commanded us to disciple all the ethne in the world.

This is sheer marketing strategy of the divine conglomerate.

[Added later]I checked the website, looks like they have postponed the trip for some reason. But the point about awareness still stands - how our rules and facilities are being misused by such folk.

[arshyam]

These are the rules specified by the Govt of India (MHA/BoI), speaks for itself:

BoI FAQ page: http://boi.gov.in/content/frequently-as ... tions-faqs

FAQs relating to Tourist Visa

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RELATING TO TOURIST VISA
Updated on 11.8.2014
As per the extant instructions of the Government of India, a Tourist Visa can only be granted to a foreigner who does not have a residence or occupation in India and whose sole objective of visiting India is recreation, sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives etc. No other activity is permissible on a Tourist Visa. The Tourist Visa is non-extendable and non-convertible.
2.Instructions were earlier issued by the Government stipulating that there should be a gap of at least 2 months between two visits to India on a Tourist Visa. This matter has been reviewed by the Government and it has been decided to lift the restriction of two-month gap on re-entry of foreign nationals coming to India except in case of nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, foreigners of Pakistan origin and Stateless persons.
3.Frequently asked questions with regard to the above issues and replies thereto are outlined below for information, guidance and compliance of all concerned:-

Q.1:Whether the gap of two months between two visits would apply to all Tourist Visa holders ?
Ans. : The gap of two months between two visits on a Tourist Visa will apply to nationals of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, foreigners of Pakistan origin and Stateless persons.

Q.2: How will medical tourists who return regularly to India for onward treatment be handled?
Ans.: For persons coming for medical treatment, there is a separate category of Medical Vis. Foreign nationals coming for medical treatment will have to come only on Medical Visa and not on Tourist Visa.

Q.3 How will the family members of diplomatic households who do not qualify for diplomatic visas (e.g. older children or domestic partners) be handled?
Ans.: The family members of diplomatic households who do not qualify for diplomatic visas may have to come on an ‘Entry (X); Visa if eligible. If they come on Tourist Visa, the restrictions as laid down will be applicable.

Q.4 How will individuals who come to India to volunteer for various charity organisations be treated? Many of them travel around the region while volunteering in India for extended periods on tourist visas.
Ans.: A person coming for voluntary work can apply for ‘Employment (E)’ Visa.Tourist Visa is not the appropriate visa in such cases.

Q.5 What activities are permissible on ‘Tourist’ Visa?
Ans.: Tourist Visa is granted for visiting India for recreations,sight seeing, casual visit to meet friends and relatives etc. No other activity is permissible on a Tourist Visa.

Q.6 Can a person holding ‘Tourist Visa indulge in Business activities?
Ans.: No. If a person holding ‘Tourist’ visa is found to be involved in Business activities, action may be taken for visa violation?

Q.7 Can a person holding “Tourist” visa accept employment?
Ans.: No. If a person is found working, while holding “Tourist” visa, he/she may be booked for visa violation.

[abhishek_sharma]

President of India ‏@RashtrapatiBhvn 2m2 minutes ago
#PresidentMukherjee has been pleased to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously) and to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

[Manny]

COMING HOME TO INTUITION AND REASON – FROM BLIND BELIEF

December 28, 2014 · by mariawirthblog

http://mariawirthblog.wordpress.com/201 ... nd-belief/

‘How dare Hindus do what only Christians and Muslims are entitled to?’ seems to be the motto. Strangely, not only representatives of the dogmatic religions and western mainstream media, including the New York Times, are outraged, but even Indians with Hindu names. Why would they bat for religions that require blind faith, and not for their own Dharma that is based on deep philosophy? The reason may be that many Indians are ignorant, when it comes to religion. They neither know their own tradition, as they have been to convent schools or grown up in westernized families, nor do they know the insidious effect of dogmatic religions as they never were insiders.

Since I grew up as a Christian, I may see clearer why the dogmatic religions depend on conversion and indoctrination to gain followers. The reason is simple: Suppose a community on some island is completely unconnected to the modern world. They will never become Christians or Muslims because they would need to be told a story about God sending his only son to earth 2000 years ago, etc. and then they would need to believe it blindly and get baptized. Yet if these islanders had wondered about the truth, they might have come to similar conclusions like Sanatana Dharma, as it doesn’t depend on some event in history. It only requires dedicated, deep enquiry into “That What Truly Is – Now And Always”.

[Manny]

The Hit keeps on coming!

The past of Leela Samson

http://shankhnaad.net/index.php/heritag ... amson-past

1) Leela Samson's story, for all means and purpose, begins with Kalakshetra, a Classical Dance instituition founded by Rukmini Arundale - a guru who rescued the Bharat Natyam dance form from the era of colonial evangelism. Rukmini spoke of dance as ”Sadhana which requires total devotion.”


2) Rukmini was a bit reluctant to admit Leela Samson to the institution given her Judeo-Christian background. Little did she know her fears will come true tenfold in years to come.

3) Leela faked her qualifications to become Director of Kalakshetra in 2005. Ministry of culture (under UPA govt.) permitted her to continue despite her fraud getting exposed.

4) The first thing she did after her appointment was elimination of the spiritual roots of Bharata Natyam. She ordered removal of all Ganesha and Nataraja statues from the campus (despite heavy student & faculty protest) calling it 'Hindu superstition'.

5) She changed the logo(which was there since 1936) because it had Lord Nartana Ganesha with Lord Shiva‘s Emblem.Again, citing superstition.

6) She refused permission and threatened expulsion of students from participating in inaugural dance piece in the Health and Happiness Program Organized by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ‘s The Art of Living in Chennai between Dec 5th to 8th 2006. Reason cited: It is a “Hindu Event”.
( The Student-Artistes ignored her threat, came and participated in the event, reminding her that Art is bigger than the Artist. She then continued harassing the Faculty who participated and coordinated in the event.)

7) In the morning assembly, Samson allegedly told the students and teachers that "idol worship" is superstition and should be discouraged at Kalakshetra.
Samson used to ridicule Hindu scriptures and deities, comparing them to walt disney characters.

A CAG report severely indicted her ways of functioning during her seven year tenure (2005-12). She demolished the temple structure of the Kalakshetra Auditorium with the excuse of modernising it. Then there were fund irregularities in tunes of crores and at least 16 appointments were done defying qualification standards and institution norms. A blatant misuse of her power because she had Sonia's backing. And why not - Leela was a dance teacher for Priyanka Vadra.

9) Despite being over age, she was given a grand extension and made the Censor Board Chief .
Her own cinema knowledge was zero but she used to call most members of the board uneducated and an embarrassment. When legal notice was issued by 2 of the members, she was forced to apologize.

10) Although she'd strongly object to anything remotely funny about Christians or Muslims in cinemas, she'd routinely pass cinemas ridiculing Hindu beliefs in name of freedom of expression.


She is not alone. There is a massive nexus of such Congress appointed stooges of Sonia who often indulge in anti-Hindu anti-Indian propaganda. These are the very people who represent our nation at international forums and present a sorry picture of our nation to please the west. The new government at the centre has a huge challenge at its hand of cleaning up the system which is so rotten from inside that it may fall from the consequences of it.

[Manny]

Gujarat Riots: The True Story: The Truth of the 2002 Riots Paperback – December 22, 2014
by M. D. Deshpande (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1482841649/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

The first few pages are very interesting to read. You can read them in Amazon

[Prem]

The Hit keeps on coming!
[She is not alone. There is a massive nexus of such Congress appointed stooges of Sonia who often indulge in anti-Hindu anti-Indian propaganda. These are the very people who represent our nation at international forums and present a sorry picture of our nation to please the west. The new government at the centre has a huge challenge at its hand of cleaning up the system which is so rotten from inside that it may fall from the consequences of it.

I noticed this on my visit to India four years ago and reported here on BR. UPA leaders knew very well that they will be exposed sooner or latter hence they build multiple road blocks at every Governing level by appointing RNIs. Not all of them are exposed yet, we have to wait few more months. Looking back few years, India had been projected by ruling dispensation as part of islamic or christian world and now suddenly tables are turned with little assertion of identity by the children of civilisation. Natural logical consequences will flow from this coming together of sons of soil.

[rgosain]

Speaking of Leila Samson, the jaipur literary festival run by William Dalyrymple is another one that spouts a lot of propaganda and tries to control a key cultural space, whilst masquerading as a serious intellectual event. Why ism't there a Lahore, Bangkok or Shanghai literary festival since these places should be more anglophilic than India? A closer look at its tax status might be in order

[Karan M]

Modi, by letting these parasites prosper is making a serious mistake.

[Hari Seldon]

Anyone know if the below quote is true? Mucho appreciated in advance.



BTW, had long ago once tried to read Will Durant's classic "The Story of Philosophy". Was young and impatient then, should re-try now perhaps.

[SaiK]

Concern over PK sharing stage with ISI ally ARY
The Pakistani TV channel, also believed to be linked to terrorist groups, was associated with a promotional event for the film in Dubai.
MADHAV NALAPAT New Delhi | 3rd Jan 2015
Officials regard reports of Pakistan-based ARY (Abdul Rehman Yakub) television channel being associated with a function connected with the promotion of the film PK in Dubai as "unfortunate", because of that company's perceived links with terror groups as well as with the state agency in Pakistan, which is the primary sponsor of such groups on the sub-continent, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Its founder A.R. Yakub was an associate of Iqbal Mirchi, who was wanted for the 1993 Mumbai blasts and was placed in the Specially Designated Terrorist list by the UN, the UK and the US despite his linkages with the Pakistan establishment. The channel sought entry into India in 2007 through an attempted partnership with an Indian company, which ran a Punjabi channel as well as a Gujarati channel. Their plan was to set up an "ARY Just for India" channel. However, intelligence inputs from R&AW about some of the promoters of this channel led to permission being refused. However, officials say that entry into the Indian market continues to be a high priority for the channel, and that it is actively searching for partners which would enable this.

Entry into the film industry would be a plus for a Pakistan-based company eager to expand the reach of its patrons into locations in India. However, as yet, no concrete evidence has emerged of a business link between the producers of PK and ARY, barring a function in Dubai reportedly attended by both sides. A BJP leader, Subramanian Swamy, has called for an investigation into the funding of the film, which hopefully will reveal more details than what is presently available. An official claimed that the channel "appears to have used the tax haven route to make investments in India", principally in Hyderabad and Mumbai.

ARY's affiliate in the UK, ARY Digital UK, found itself under investigation by authorities in London during 2004-05 on suspicion of being associated with hawala channels. Incidentally, the UK was the favoured domicile of A.R. Yakub, and it was in that country that he passed away last year. He became a billionaire through gold trading in Dubai It is not a secret that huge profits were made in that trade through smuggling of the precious metal into India during the period when there were severe curbs on legal private import of gold into India. Yakub was close to the Bhutto family and is suspected of having been a front for some of the money kept abroad of that super-rich political dynasty. He was also known to Mullah Omar, and is known by intelligence agencies in India of having assisted the Taliban, presumably on the request of the ISI. More ominously, the ARY Group was alleged by agencies in India of having provided funding to ULFA in Assam to enable the group to secure sophisticated weapons through Bangladesh, a country where ARY has extensive contacts, especially within the groups close to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, a known backer of Pakistan against India, but who is also a favourite of Washington. An arms consignment designated for ULFA was seized from two vessels at Chittagong port in 2004 after an alert from Delhi, but others are known to have got away. Interestingly, A.R. Yakub was close to Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the "father" of the Pakistan nuclear bomb and has been accused by agencies in the US and India of having been a front for the assets of the nuclear scientist, who set up a merchandise depot for sensitive nuclear technology before it was shut down because of US pressure.

ARY Digital and ARY Aurum Plus are some of the other businesses of the group. Its bullion business suffered a setback in 2005 when the London Bullion Market Association cancelled its licence after an investigation into a UAE-based affiliate. The investigation focused on allegations of money laundering, narco trafficking and terror financing, although details have not been released. Intelligence agencies in India warn that the group has extensive ties to the ISI. A senior official claimed that the group has "often facilitated the ISI in its global operations". A colleague pointed out that Yakub "was (alleged to have been) the intermediary between the Taliban in Afghanistan and tribal groups in Pakistan, theologically and operationally allied to that militia". Yakub was close to Pervez Musharraf. In 2002, former PM Benazir Bhutto was convicted on corruption charges for making ARY Gold the monopoly importer of the precious metal into Pakistan, from which country a significant chunk gets smuggled into India via the porous coasts of the two countries.

In the UK, group affiliates have been accused of assisting Taliban leaders to convert their cash hoards into gold, thereby converting illegal cash (often the proceeds of narcotics or terror operations) into a commodity freely traded in legal exchanges worldwide. Interestingly, Yakub had visited India in 2008, holding discussions with two Mumbai-based jewellers.

Should Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh accept Swamy's suggestion that a probe be launched into the funding of PK, hopefully such an investigation will also zero in on ARY, which has for years been active in India through intermediaries and cutouts, and which has extensive links that are problematic from a security standpoint. What would be interesting to find out is exactly who in the Indian establishment lobbied for ARY media entities to set up shop in India, before such moves were scuttled by adverse intelligence on the group. It needs to be reiterated that thus far, there has been no substantive evidence produced of any formal linkage between the producers of PK and ARY, and that the truth can emerge only after the suggested probe has been completed, if it is begun.

http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/con ... i-ally-ary

.PK for pakistan!

[SaiK]

Please don't read this fast!

Egg on their faces

One of the apocryphal stories that came to symbolise the absurdity of Indira Gandhi's totalitarian rule during the Emergency years when the press was whipped into submission by the dear departed mother-in-law of Sonia Gandhi (who is so fond of singing, in her lispingly guttural Italian accent, hosannas to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty's commitment to democracy) is about why The Guardian was blacklisted by the terror regime.

According to the purveyors of this apocryphal story (mostly drunken hacks), The Guardian ran a full-page special report on the 'Empress of India' along with an eight-column headline that screamed: 'Mrs Gandhi's Pubic Image Takes A Beating'. The venerable newspaper of the British working class was quick to spot the printer's devil and insert the letter 'l' in its rightful place in all further editions, but Mrs Gandhi was not amused: The Guardian's correspondent was banished from Indian shores.

I was reminded of this wickedly delightful story when the Congress recently quoted a news report from The Guardian to buttress its allegation that the Vajpayee government had struck a deal with the Pakistan government on Kargil almost three weeks before the guns fell silent. According to The Guardian, or so the Congress claimed, even after the deal had been struck, the Vajpayee government had dragged on the conflict for political gains at the cost of the lives of our soldiers.

In spite of its best efforts to portray India's thumping military triumph over Pakistan and unprecedented diplomatic success over Kargil as a "defeat" and a "failure", the Congress has so far not succeeded in convincing any self-respecting Indian newspaper to portray India as the loser and Pakistan as the winner. Coincidentally, Mian Nawaz Sharief has failed to convince the Pakistani press to portray his army's humiliating defeat and his government's diplomatic debacle as a victory over India.

Hence, the Congress has had to seize upon a report based on Pakistan Information Minister Mushahid Hussain's insidious propaganda and published in The Guardian to berate the Vajpayee government. Depending upon a foreigner to get votes is not enough for the party that aspires to rule India; it must now depend on foreign media patently hostile to India for its survival in domestic politics.

Incidentally, at the height of the Kargil conflict, when the Indian Army and Air Force had unleashed their combined might on the Pakistanis, giving the intruders a taste of death and destruction, The Guardian had published a report, filed by its New Delhi-based correspondent, on how Indian forces were handicapped by lack of weapons and ammunition. The source of this absurd claim was a "Western defence analyst" in New Delhi.

It later transpired that the "Western defence analyst" was actually an arms dealer who had landed in Delhi in the hope of securing emergency wartime contracts, but found that our national armoury was quite well-stocked. In sheer frustration, he put out the story that found its way into The Guardian, hoping that it would force a rethink among decision-makers in New Delhi. What he had not reckoned with is that a certain Italian called Ottavio Quattrocchi no longer presides over India's defence purchases.

But we digress. The fact of the matter is that the Congress president and her colleagues are a frustrated lot today -- each attempt of theirs to embarrass the Vajpayee government ever since the Kargil conflict erupted has failed. Indeed, all that they have to show for their efforts is egg on their faces.

First it was the clamour for an emergency session of the Rajya Sabha. Sonia Gandhi, who does not have the foggiest idea of what the 1962 war was all about and the humiliating debacle India had to suffer at the hands of China, petulantly told journalists: If Panditji could call a session then, why can't a session be called now? We need to discuss Kargil. She, of course, chose not to attend the all-party meetings called by the prime minister to discuss the Kargil conflict.

Next was a demand for an inquiry into the government's "failure" in Kargil. When it was pointed out that the Indian Army had won the battle for Kargil, Sonia Gandhi's retainers retorted: the army may have won, but the government has lost. It is touching, this faith in inquiry commissions.

This faith, however, was nowhere in sight when Rajiv Gandhi tried to suppress the findings of commission after commission. Those who prompt his widow today have forgotten to inform her that it took the combined effort of the Opposition to force the government into making public the Ranganath Misra Commission report on the massacre of Sikhs by Congress hoodlums. That the Thakkar Commission's report on Indira Gandhi's assassination would not have seen the light of day if The Indian Express had not published its damning contents.

Nor did the illustrious predecessors of Sonia Gandhi, who happened to be prime ministers and members of the exalted Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, ever bother with setting up commissions of inquiry to assess failures and look into loss of lives in wars fought by India. Such details, of course, would be unknown to Sonia Gandhi who has as much disdain for historical facts as Rajiv Gandhi had once openly proclaimed.

Be that as it may, now that the government has constituted a team to look into all aspects of the Kargil conflict, the Congress has done the expected: it has denounced the inquiry by questioning the credibility of those charged with the responsibility of conducting the inquiry. We need to learn from our mistakes, not gloss over them, argue members of Sonia Gandhi's charmed circle.

Learn from our past? The best way to do so would be to read the authentic history of our military operations prepared by the Military History Division of the Army; they were equipped and trained to do this job and were best placed to assess things in their right perspective.

But the last Congress government to rule India from 1991 to 1996 decided that there was no need to maintain a division to record India's military operations; obviously, the Congress did not believe in learning lessons. And, as part of its abject undertaking to the International Monetary Fund that India's defence costs would be cut, the Military History Division was axed.

Sonia Gandhi would, of course, not know of these and other minor details. Therefore, it would be in order to draw her attention to the 'Memorandum of Economic Policies for 1992-93' submitted by then Union Finance Minister Manmohan Singh on behalf of the Congress government to the managing director of the IMF in June 1992. Genuflecting at the IMF altar, the memorandum said: "Total defence spending is budgeted to rise by 7 per cent in nominal terms, resulting in a further real decline to 2.5 per cent of GDP."

The axing of the Military History Division was only one of the fallouts of this cutback on defence expenditure. By persisting with reducing funds for our defence forces in real terms, enormous damage was caused to the preparedness of our army, air force and navy, both in terms of men and material, during Congress rule. Should not any inquiry that is now ordered begin with the Congress neglect, under foreign pressure, of national security concerns?

Or, since no inquiry was ever ordered into any war fought by India and its outcome, should we not go further back and begin with the outcome of the first war independent India fought in 1947-48? For, if we were to accept the reasons now being proffered by Sonia Gandhi and her flock of faithful, then the same reasons would, and justifiably so, apply to the wars that India fought under Congress rule.

Look at the evidence:

In October 1947, Pakistani Army regulars intruded into Jammu and Kashmir while Jawaharlal Nehru fiddled in New Delhi, refusing to act till Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession. By the time formalities -- for which Mohammed Ali Jinnah cared a toss -- had been attended to, murderous Pakistani soldiers were on the outskirts of Srinagar.

The Indian Army fought valiantly -- 1,103 soldiers sacrificed their lives and another 3,152 were wounded. By the beginning of 1948, the Indian Army had managed to turn the tide; the Pakistanis began to retreat. But even as India stood on the threshold of victory, Nehru meekly accepted a United Nations-dictated ceasefire, halting the Indian Army in its tracks and preventing our soldiers from wresting back from Pakistan 83,100 square kilometres of Indian territory, thus creating what is now known as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

A decade-and-a-half later, in 1962, a dumb-founded Government of India, headed by a paralysed Nehru, watched the Chinese army march into India. An ill-clothed, ill-armed, ill-fed Indian Army was sent to defend our national frontier with nothing more than defunct .303 rifles and cotton shirts to protect them from snow and blizzard. India lost 1,521 soldiers; 548 were injured and 1,729 listed as missing.

In what till date remains the most dishonourable act of New Delhi, the people of Assam were left to fend for themselves after the army was asked to withdraw south of the Brahmaputra. We lost Aksai Chin (38,000 square kilometres) and inherited a border dispute that continues to fester.

Today when we hear Sonia Gandhi's personal bawarchis allege that Kashmir has been "internationalised" by the Vajpayee government by seeking international support against Pakistan's perfidy, Nehru's pathetic appeal for American assistance against the Chinese army comes to mind. Maj Gen D K ('Monty') Palit, who was director general of military operations, Army Headquarters, in 1962, records in his book, War in High Himalaya: The Indian Army in Crisis, 1962, how Nehru wrote to President Kennedy, begging for American assistance.

"I do not now recollect what the opening paragraph was," Maj Gen Palit, who was shown a copy of the letter, says, "but my diary records what the second contained: in it the PM was pleading for 'the active participation of the US Air Force' for the defence of India. The specific request was for 'twelve squadrons of F-104 fighters and two squadrons of B-57 bombers'."

Should we not inquire into why that letter was written? What was the quid pro quo offered by Nehru? Was it a promise to let the Americans set up a Voice of America transmitter on Indian soil? Was the council of ministers taken into confidence before the letter was written? Was the Opposition consulted, and if so, who in the Opposition agreed to Nehru's plan? Should we not learn from the unmitigated debacle of India and the resultant loss of 38,000 square kilometres of our land?

Soon after the debacle in Bomdilla, in 1965 India was forced into its second war with Pakistan. India lost 2,902 soldiers; 8,622 were wounded and 361 listed as missing. But strategic gains secured by the Indian forces were surrendered by Lal Bahadur Shastri at Tashkent. No inquiry was ever ordered into why the Government of India, then under Congress control, thought it fit to give up vantage positions that would have today put India at an advantage over Pakistan.

India's decisive victory in 1971 cost the nation dearly: 3,630 soldiers died on the battlefield; 9,856 were wounded and 212 listed as missing. With more than 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war, India could have secured a full and final solution to the Kashmir issue by driving a hard bargain with Pakistan. But Indira Gandhi did not do so while signing the Simla Agreement. If anything, she signed away India's advantage. Is it worth inquiring into what compelled her to give away so easily what had been secured by the blood and sweat of our soldiers?

As for the disastrous Indian Peace-Keeping Force mission to Sri Lanka, India's former foreign secretary and high commissioner to Colombo, J N Dixit, records in his book Across Borders: "Rajiv Gandhi insisted on the (Indo-Sri Lankan) agreement despite his being advised by the intelligence agencies and the armed forces not to take on the responsibilities envisaged in the agreement. Rajiv Gandhi should not have sent in the Indian Peace-Keeping Forces to Sri Lanka; (The disastrous IPKF mission) signified a major foreign policy failure for India, which Rajiv Gandhi could have avoided."

The nation had to bear the cost of Rajiv Gandhi's juvenile delinquency: 1,157 Indian soldiers were killed and 2,065 wounded. And there was nothing to show as gains for this enormous loss. Let us then inquire into why Indian soldiers were sent into the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam minefields. Why intelligence reports were ignored? Why the army's opinion was overruled? And why didn't the government cut its losses when it was evident to all that we were in the wrong place for the wrong reasons at the wrong time?

The only inquiry that has ever been conducted into military operations is the Henderson Brooke inquiry into the 1962 war. But it was an inquiry instituted by Army Headquarters, not the government, and its mandate was limited to the Bomdilla debacle. The Congress never made the findings of this inquiry public. On the contrary, "national interest" was cited to keep it a secret.

It's a pity that knowledge of India and Indian affairs is so lacking in the woman who wants to be prime minister of India. If she had had the intelligence to grasp more than the sound bytes that are provided to her on cue cards by her equally ill-informed advisers, then she would have had the good sense to "shut up" (to borrow one of her on-camera expressions) than make a mockery of national sentiment and pride.

Post Script: Larry Feign's cartoon strip in the July 26 issue of Time magazine is no apocryphal story peddled by a drunken hack. Mian Nawaz Sharief is caricatured as wishing Sonia Gandhi were the prime minister of India during the Kargil conflict as that would have fetched victory for Pakistan. Asked why, he retorts, "Since when has an Italian ever won a war?"

There's history again teaching us a lesson.

Kanchan Gupta
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/jul/28gupta.htm

[Prem]

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/inter ... nt-2049866
hina is a little wary of Modi the nationalist, says Simon Denyer, author of 'Rogue Elephant'

In your book, you talk about the fact that parliament had become dysfunctional towards the end of UPA 2. Given the scenes that have unfolded in Parliament in the current session – do you still see this as being an issue?
This will always be an issue to watch. As I said in the book, some simple reforms would help parliament function much more effectively, and create fewer incentives for the opposition to adopt disruptive tactics. That remains true. However, in a democracy, the opposition obviously has a complete right to vote against legislation.
If India takes the ordinance route to legislation, would it induce foreign investment, or will FDI still wait for the legislation to be passed by Parliament?
I believe that foreign direct investment will only really flow when it sees legislation passed by parliament. These are long-term investments, and investors will want to see real commitment from parliament before putting large sums of money down. But an ordinance can of course be a useful tactic to create momentum behind reforms and put pressure on the opposition.

RTI – how important is this in empowering people. There are those who say that the threat of RTIs keep administrators from making decisions, especially towards the end of their tenure
The RTI Act has tremendous value in empowering India's most vulnerable and least powerful members of society. It is shining the light of transparency into corners of India's administration that have purposely been kept dark, and that has to be a good thing. It has introduced a brand new concept into the bureaucracy -- being answerable to the people instead of just answerable to one's immediate boss. It gives people an alternative to bribery to get service from their government.
But it is not working perfectly -- far from it. I believe that constant pressure will need to be applied to prevent the bureaucracy from subverting the RTI, at least until a new culture of transparency becomes embedded in the culture of governance, and that could take a long time. To an extent, transparency may have paralysed governance, but I strongly believe this cannot be used as an argument against transparency. India's governing institutions (and the people who staff them) simply have to learn to become answerable to the people -- otherwise there is very little hope for the nation to progress. In the past decade, we had a government that often seemed paralysed, and too often accepted paralysis within the bureaucracy. I do not believe Modi will so readily accept such excuses for inaction.

[Sagar G]

Nothing to fear secularism is here !!!!

Two years on, Malayalam film awaits Censor Board clearance

The Aamir Khan-starrer PK, which faced the wrath of a section of people allegedly for depicting Hindu religion in bad light, is setting collection records besides garnering support from the progressive groups. On the other hand, a Malayalam filmmaker has been running from pillar to post for nearly two years after his film was denied censor certificate, allegedly for hurting the sentiments of the Christian community.

Koothuparamba native T Deepesh completed the film Pithavinum Puthranum in 2012, with great expectations because that was a departure from the kind of films that the Malayali audience were used to. But, unfortunately, it was rejected clearance by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) even after the director approached the review committee.

"According to CBFC, the film could not be certified for public exhibition because the content of the film was likely to hurt the religious sentiments of the Christian community," said Deepesh, who has already made a couple of feature films and a few award-winning short films, including Typewriter and Save. "But in my film there is nothing that could hurt Christianity as such, because it explores the lives of two nuns," he pointed out. "Though some dark characters among the priests find place in the film, it is not about religion," he vouches.

"It explores the inner yearnings of a nun who dreams of colorful dress and the brightness of life. If the authorities can permit the book by Sister Jesmi, why not a film that explores the depths of a nun's thoughts?" he asked. But Deepesh is yet to get a clear answer, even as he is finalizing the print with English subtitles to submit to the appellate tribunal as the last attempt to get the clearance. What is ironic is that the Censor Board members were all praise for the film but they said they could not give clearance because there were more than 20 complaints against the film. "But how come anybody raise the complaint without watching the film," asked the director.

"Even the Pope has said there are some shady elements among the priests. Then why they are after my film, that too without seeing it?" Deepesh wondered. "Though the earlier name of the film was 'Pithavinum Puthranum Parisudhathmavinum' (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), it was later renamed 'Pithavinum Puthranum' to avoid any controversy," he added. "Unfortunately even the progressive movements that came to support PK, or the Left parties that vouch for freedom of expression, did not come to support us and the industry organizations feign ignorance," Deepesh said. "We made the film under banner of Track & Trolly Productions spending Rs 1.75 crore and the uncertainty has affected the producers too."

[vishvak]

So freedom of speech / right to free speech is selective and producers who actually believed it are losing money. There are more than 20 complaints against the movie too - which is actually freedom to protest. It is all selective and secular.

[Manny]

The Left and "Je suis Charlie!": No you're not

http://www.azcentral.com/story/dougmace ... /21449731/

Progressives want to embrace the cause of "standing with" the murdered French journalists, satirists, columnists and artists of Charlie Hebdo.

That's great. Everyone does. The crowds swelling in plazas from Paris to Montreal to New York don't ask for political ID cards. Everyone is outraged. Everyone.

But people of the Left really need to ask themselves: Outraged at... what, exactly?

At the murders? Sure. We all despise mass murder. But, beyond that, what?

The killers were Muslim terrorists. They object to the right of Charlie Hebdo's journalists and cartoonists and columnists to say and draw words and images they find offensive. As we have witnessed, in unified horror, they really object to it. What they did wasn't "senseless." It was well planned and tactical. The terrorists wanted to kill, obviously. But they also wanted to silence -- really, permanently silence -- anyone else who might come after all those dead French satirists.

They want to silence speech. They want "free speech" permanently encased in scare-quote marks. Really scary quote marks.

Are progressives outraged at that? At the central purpose of those murders? Maybe today they are. Maybe, in some generalized, sentimentalized, First Amendment-ish way they are outraged. But in terms of commitment to the kind of free speech that those French journalists died for? The record says otherwise.

You can't stand with Charlie Hebdo if you believe people who oppose, say, same-sex marriage are not just wrong, but blasphemous and hateful. If your first inclination is to use the word "homophobe," you can't utter the phrase, "Je suis Charlie." Not with any honesty, you can't. If your first inclination upon discovering that someone contributed to California's Proposition 8 was to chase them out of their jobs and onto the streets, you have no business in a Paris plaza today.

If you seriously think words like "denier" or "anti-science" are a proper retorts to anyone who questions environmentalism's campaign against carbon, you can't stand with the Parisians, either. All those words mean is, "Shut up. Stop your anti-science, climate-change denials. Shut up." They are incompatible with no-holds-barred free speech as practiced by Charlie Hebdo.

If caring about the integrity of U.S. borders is indistinguishable from racism, xenophobia and nativism, same deal. If "race hatred" is your default response to (in no particular order) objections to the welfare state, the Tucson Unified School District's ethnic studies program, the deconstruction of the Black nuclear family or inner-city crime, then you need to turn in your "Je suis Charlie!" placard. Because you're not Charlie.

If you think driving George Will and Ann Coulter off the American university campus in order to keep their offensive words from singing the ears of students is a righteous act, you really should find something else to do during the next Charlie Hebdo rally. You are a free speech-hater, to coin a phrase.

If your first inclination upon hearing about the slaughter in Paris is to fret about an "Islamophobic" backlash, you probably aren't Charlie material. If that's all you worry about, you really aren't.

Because what ever it is you claim to value, it isn't free speech.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Same for the desi leftists..these douchebags never support Hindus right to free speech... When the leftists of India stand with these folks, it makes me puke..

How about getting rid of these anti free speech penal code in India you leftists? eh? I want the same rights as Charlie to say offensive things against you and whoever I see fit. Until you can do that, STFU about Charlie! I don't want to hear a peep from you lefties in The Hindu, or TOIlet or the Outlook or in any of these leftist trash periodicals.



Section 153(A)[edit]
Section 153A of the penal code says,[3] inter alia:

Whoever (a) by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, or (b) commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquility, . . . shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 295(A)[edit]
Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) enacted in 1927[4] says:[5]

Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of [citizens of India], [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both.[6]

[Manny]

I understand that Bollywood is making a movie on Pan Am Flight 73 Hijacking.


"Would the terrorists be Muslims or would Bollywood make them wear Saffron and make them be Hindus like they did in "who shot Jessica"?

I saw the movie "Who shot Jessica" and was convinced the murderer was a BJP Ministers son... only later someone told me it was a congress minister's son. But in the movie, they made it out to be a Saffron wearing Minister.

And remember that movie made by the Bengalies "Mr and Mrs Aiyer" where the Hindus were like in Schindler's list killing Muslims and they even had a Judas..a real Indian Jew as the Judas for good measure.. Ha Ha! Oh Lord! I can't make this sh!t up", India's left has totally lost it..they are lunatics.

[vishvak]

May be they will hire artists to give make and touch up as Bharatnaatyam dancer, with huge big solar powered winding saffron thread, to clearly show how murderer must be a Right Wing Hindoo kommunal bla bla man.

[ramana]

Movie Review from Burkha Forum aka GDF:

The last Hindi film I watched, "Chennai Express" was loaded with extreme stereotypes of various groups (Tamils for example). Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed the unbelievable but coherent plot, hummable music and picturesque scenes. It was theater as most good Indian films are. In masala films, one overlooks plot holes and focuses on the action, plot transitions, acting and music. My expectations for PK were modest. No intellectual coherence or consistency. Just fantasy that works. I did not expect a critically acclaimed award-winning movie like Amir Khan's Lagaan.

PK starts off as a comedy. PK, the alien is the autistic bstard child of Dustin "Rainman" Hoffman and Tom "Forrest Gump" Hanks, with bad Star Trek Spock pointy-ears makeup and a jumpy temperament. Not very original. That's fine; our music directors copy, our script writers cut and paste, so why should not our actors take inspiration as well? The CGI for the spacecraft is probably second hand Hollywood studio FX. The alien PK gets his spacecraft remote stolen by a petty thief and is stuck in Rajasthan buck naked. He manages to obtain clothes by repeatedly filching them from couples making out in small cars. Interesting the first time they show such a scene but they repeat the same damn scene multiple times (different clothes). So do Indian couples use small cars to make love, in open daylight, naked? I was willing to believe it but the repeated execution of these scenes was awkward. There were colorful costumes and stilted dances but none of the songs were any good. Bummer.

PK has enormous computational abilities but lacks pragmatic reasoning and ability to experience emotions; that is he takes things literally in spoken or written language. So mentions of God by various folks are inferred by him to refer to some mysterious external all powerful entity who intervenes and fixes problems. He downloads Bhojpuri (the language) from a prostitute via a "USB" connection. After that, we have to endure the Bhojpuri and PK getting into awkward situations so that the audience gets a laugh. Few of these scenes were particularly memorable and some were cringe-worthy and focused on below the belt activities. Amir Khan labors with the autistic look inspired from Hopkins/Hanks and I couldn't achieve suspension of disbelief required to get "into" the movie.

There is a parallel story regarding the heroine (Anushka Sharma) and the presence of a Pakistani boyfriend was a sop to Pakistani/Muslim viewers. The Hindu Guru is the bad guy and did a decent job with the lines he had but he wasn't truly evil. He resembled a garden variety televangelist you find on American TV. If you need to make a convincing bad guy, why not do it properly? Sanjay Dutt's role was another plot distraction put together to extend the minutes on the story (and he must have done this while in prison? who made the decision to cast Mr. Dutt who is a Muslim who has had associations with Terrorists?). As devout Hindus, Anushka's parents have weak lines/characterisation. So it's not just the Hindu Guru who has a negative role. The girl's Hindu parents are presented as naive, prejudiced and lacking sophistication.

So PK the alien is trying to figure out human God(s), in his quest for his lost remote. The notion of God we are presented with is a pure transactional diety, one who receives and gives favors. This God is also external to creation itself. The Heroine's Hindu father has a line in which he tells someone to burn in hell (in shuddh Hindi, not in the way we might use it as abuse "go to hell"). I found this very odd. This odd imposition of memes of Semitic religions onto Hinduism happened multiple times. A shop keeper who sells murtis cannot provide a simple explanation of the role of the symbol in religious practices. You get the idea. PK is super smart and we are shown various exemplars of "Hinduism" looking stupid (including the rather strange travails of an actor who has a Shiva costume and runs around looking pathetic. one felt sorry for this character.. and again there was no logic or closure to this role). The Shiva character and his scenes did not quite work as entertainment and it must hurt many people who do Shiva puja. I found the rather odd portrayal of Dharma to be disturbing and the ideal religion which is offered by PK sounds oddly like Islam (no intermediaries, just make a direct connection with "God"). In Hinduism, the Guru is a teacher who eases the path of Self discovery (i.e. finding the God within). But PK is adamant that the Guru (and by extension, all Gurus) has a "wrong" number. PK and the heroine disturb religious gatherings of the Guru where Bhajans are interrupted.

One could justify the Hindu Guru in this film because most of the audience is Hindu and that Hinduism is far more interesting than the other main alternative, Christianity. Islam is ruled out because Amir Khan is not in line to be the next Salman Rushdie or the next Houellebecq. The censor board would not have released such a movie. In the US, a similar movie about a rogue Televangelist might work for the same reasons if it were a pure comedy (without the preachiness). The brief Church scene in PK may have made some Christians uncomfortable as it had a representation of Jesus. Muslims were comedic targets in a scene at the entrance to a mosque where PK (carrying alcohol) is chased by a mob. There is a random bomb blast attributed to unnamed "terrorists" (implied to be Muslims). These Christians and Muslim scenes seem patched up in order to provide the semblance of "balance". The movie which began as a comedy quickly became serious and preachy. The TV set finale at the end sounded very contrived, moralistic, and anti-Hindu Guru. Note that because the Guru is presented as a buffoon (and not truly evil), this demonization becomes more effective. If the Guru, say, had been behind the Bomb blast and done other evil acts, then his role as a credible target for demonization declines. It would make for better comedy but it would less effective moralizing by the alien.

If the film was reworked as a comedy lampooning Islam, it would not have passed the censor board. But this is a film that many Hindus will watch and some may genuinely enjoy. There were many scenes and dialogues that was truly offensive to Hindus who visit temples and holy places, do puja with murtis, and those who meditate and seek advice from Gurus. It is quite reasonable to be offended or feel uncomfortable.The film was not censored and nor was it banned (unlike other movies that offended religious feelings of other religions in India, See http://www.mediacrooks.com/2015/01/the- ... art-3.html for examples).

If I give Sholay a 10, then Chennai Express would be a 7 and PK would be a 4 to 5 at best. It fails as compelling entertainment and it mixes anti-Hindu preachiness with comedy. The preachiness compromises the quality of the film and some of the dialogues are suspect in regards to their motivation. A deconstruction of the actual dialogues might be an interesting project. I find it hard to believe that the principal actor/star Amir Khan, reportedly a devout Sunni Muslim, would not have provided creative inputs, especially regarding plot elements, dialogues and punchlines. From there, it is a short step to inferring that his identity as a Muslim may have guided his creative choices.

[Prem]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 878990.cms

NEW DELHI: It's not widely known outside his friends circle, but UN secretary general Ban ki Moon really likes a crisp "naan". Perhaps that came from the time he spent as a tenant in C Block, Vasant Vihar, in the 1970s. On his way to the airport on Tuesday afternoon, Ban ki Moon and his wife walked down memory lane when they stopped to see their old home.Looking back, Ban told TOI, "I started my diplomatic career in 1972 here. My son was born here in 1974. Even after I returned to Korea I was dealing with South Asia as a desk officer for the region. I have continuously dealt with regional issues. It has brought me to India many times." Ban ki Moon topped Korea's foreign service examination, joining the foreign ministry in 1970. He took his first overseas posting to India, turning down an opportunity to go to the US."It was quite natural that my daughter found an Indian as her spouse. I'm very proud. Yesterday I met my in-laws in Delhi. They live here." His daughter, Ban Hyun Hee, married UN official Siddharth Chatterjee, who currently works for the UN Population Fund. Talking to TOI in 2012, Ban ki Moon had lovingly described his grandson as the "best joint venture between Korea and India."On Tuesday, getting ready to visit his erstwhile landlady, Ban was wistful. "I have a sentimental attachment to the place and I wanted to visit them. I met the landlord, Sangram Singh, last time. But this time I was informed he had passed away. So I'm going to meet his wife and son."And he did. Garlanded by his former landlady's family in welcome, Ban and his wife looked around their old home. They noticed, regretfully, that the big banana tree was no longer there.

[Manny]

Hindu-Christian Debate Between Rajiv Malhotra & Christian Eberhart, India House, Houston Dec 13 2014

[nawabs]

Are you a citizen or resident of India?

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 002_1.html

One of the secretaries in the Union government grew agitated when it was pointed out to him that though he might be holding an Indian passport, an Aadhaar number and a voter identity card, it did not necessarily mean he was a citizen of India.

Shocked, the secretary wondered how. It was explained to him that none of these documents validates him as an Indian citizen, according to the existing laws, and the onus was on him to prove his citizenship before the state.

This is because the Union government neglected to provide certification or a national identity card in accordance with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2003, with its genesis in the Citizenship Act, 1955. A citizen is eligible for all entitlements, including voting rights, whereas a resident can be a foreign national.

The latest law says a person can be a citizen of India by birth, naturalisation, descent, incorporation of territory and through the government's special grants, provided he or she meets certain specifications. For instance, those born after December 3, 2004, can claim citizenship by birth only if both parents are Indian citizens or one of them is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant. Those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, have to prove that either parent was an Indian citizen at the time of his or her birth. The restriction does not apply to those born on or after January 26, 1950, and before July 1, 1987.

But people born between January 26, 1950, and July 1, 1987, need to produce any of the 19 documents, including birth certificate, radio licence issued in the 1970s, land records, matriculation certification and death certificate, to have their names registered in the National Register of Indian Citizens. The 2003 law says the Registrar General of India (RGI) must create this citizens' register and issue a national identity card to citizens after verifying their documents and antecedents. Only the RGI's office can provide certification for citizenship.

"Even people in the highest echelons of society and the bureaucracy have not proved their citizenship to the right authority. The law makes it compulsory for everyone to enroll for the National Register of Indian Citizens," said a senior government official.

"It is also true that the voting right is only given to a citizen but in India, the Election Commission could not verify through a robust mechanism whether someone is an Indian citizen or a person from another country. Faking documents is very common in India and it is a Rs 1,000 crore industry in the border areas," the official added.

The Citizenship Act of 1955 was amended following the recommendations of the K Subrahmanyam committee set up to look into security lapses that led to the Kargil war in 1999. The purpose of amending the law was to weed out illegal migrants and provide a credible individual identification system. It gave the RGI the authority to develop a mechanism through which each citizenship claim was verified.

As a follow-up to the Act, the government took up a pilot project in 2003-07 in the border and coastal areas and found 98 per cent of residents were citizens of the country by birth. But the citizenship scheme remained in cold storage till the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed over 166 people. After that, the government was quick to launch an exercise to create the National Population Register (NPR) for all residents, a precursor to the citizen register . The NPR has been created and digitised.

The next logical step is to visit each household and obtain documents from residents about their birth claims. These documents will be cross-checked against data collected during the census and NPR process.

The officials say a proposal worth Rs 5,500 crore is pending for months at the Prime Minister Office (PMO) for creating the citizens' register and issuance of national identity card. After the PMO's nod, it will be presented to Cabinet for a final approval.

"It will take another three years to finish the entire exercise and issue the national identity cards," said the official quoted above.

Many believe the government is reluctant to give citizenship clearance due to political reasons. Many parties depend on migrant votes, but it will be almost impossible for an illegal migrant to obtain a fake voter identity card and vote during the elections.

[ramana]

Something to chew on about remittances from and to India;

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/ ... tance-map/

[Tuvaluan]

deleted -OT

[chetak]

A lot of the angst in India among the hindus about conversion would go away if they did the simple thing and did more of community support -- I know it is already being done, but it has to be institutionalized like it is in sikhism and abrahamic religions. The whole debate on conversions is being done the wrong way, like the legal route to stop it etc., while lots of hindu-hindu discrimination exists on the ground.

http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.c ... mmunities/

The sikhs like others control their own religious institutions. One hears that they take pride in never allowing a fellow sikh member to ever beg in the street. That shows deep self respect and even deeper respect for others of their faith.

The Hindu temples are controlled by the govt be they communists or terrorists like in kerala, for example.

Docile, timid and disunited Hindus, cut off from their own temple contributed steady flow of funds and the need to placate various tribes/castes formations have committed political suicide. Thus the Hindus have successfully sunk their own boats and left themselves no means to save themselves. This harakiri is being successfully exploited by others who are increasingly emboldened nay, even claim the inalienable birthright, to make inroads into developing ever novel methods of poaching the "flock" so to speak.

[ramana]

India has been renewing itself every ~30 years. And we have a figurehead for that period.

Eg. 1952 ushers in the new Republic which has JLN and his Independence cohort.

1981-82 represents the Nehru-Gandhi period of new Congress under Indira Gandhi, which cut off links to the previous generation.

2012-2014 represents the end of the Indira Congress and rise of nationalists under NaMo..

These changes are bottoms up changes and not top driven as the figure heads appear to represent.

Incidentally 1922 ushers in the Mahatma Gandhi led period which replaced the Gokhale cohort.


---
Above is summary of BRF members in conversation.....

[Prem]

India has been renewing itself every ~30 years. And we have a figurehead for that period. Eg. 1952 ushers in the new Republic which has JLN and his Independence cohort.
1981-82 represents the Nehru-Gandhi period of new Congress under Indira Gandhi, which cut off links to the previous generation.2012-2014 represents the end of the Indira Congress and rise of nationalists under NaMo..These changes are bottoms up changes and not top driven as the figure heads appear to represent.Incidentally 1922 ushers in the Mahatma Gandhi led period which replaced the Gokhale cohort.Above is summary of BRF members in conversation.....

Next 30 years will have 10 time the regular impact. India will emerge as Jagat Guru, Kshatria and Baniya importing Sudras from far and wide regions. This will complete 1947-2047 cycle and Yug will change. Indians will look back and say Acche Din Aa Gye.

[Jarita]

A lot of the angst in India among the hindus about conversion would go away if they did the simple thing and did more of community support -- I know it is already being done, but it has to be institutionalized like it is in sikhism and abrahamic religions. The whole debate on conversions is being done the wrong way, like the legal route to stop it etc., while lots of hindu-hindu discrimination exists on the ground.

http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.c ... mmunities/

The sikhs like others control their own religious institutions. One hears that they take pride in never allowing a fellow sikh member to ever beg in the street. That shows deep self respect and even deeper respect for others of their faith.

The Hindu temples are controlled by the govt be they communists or terrorists like in kerala, for example.

Docile, timid and disunited Hindus, cut off from their own temple contributed steady flow of funds and the need to placate various tribes/castes formations have committed political suicide. Thus the Hindus have successfully sunk their own boats and left themselves no means to save themselves. This harakiri is being successfully exploited by others who are increasingly emboldened nay, even claim the inalienable birthright, to make inroads into developing ever novel methods of poaching the "flock" so to speak.

Sikhism is in rapid decline. They are being targeted by missionaries in Punjab and are converting.
Before bemoaning the Hindu model we need to strengthen it rather than tearing it down. Pride is a stupid thing since it is transient. BTW nothing wrong with begging.
Also the Jaati system in Hindus instituted the same pride. Patels help patels etc. We need to strengthen the hindu model. It has worked for 1400 years.

[Prem]

Importance of Education thousand year ago

[Hari Seldon]

India’s Poor Are More Upwardly Mobile Than You Think (WSJ Blog)

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015 ... you-think/

[vishvak]

Jarita ji, enrollments of Sikhs in IA at entry level has dropped too, more like plummeted from more than 16% to 1%. link1 , link2 . I think Indians as a whole need to find new versions and forms of soma-rasa that is pure, and not in any way corrupted by other changing factors; and much unlike other substances (hashish/opium/teenage-fantasy-life during rise of other WUs (Arap/colonial/post-colonial).

[Vamsee]

India has been renewing itself every ~30 years. And we have a figurehead for that period. Eg. 1952 ushers in the new Republic which has JLN and his Independence cohort.
1981-82 represents the Nehru-Gandhi period of new Congress under Indira Gandhi, which cut off links to the previous generation.2012-2014 represents the end of the Indira Congress and rise of nationalists under NaMo..These changes are bottoms up changes and not top driven as the figure heads appear to represent.Incidentally 1922 ushers in the Mahatma Gandhi led period which replaced the Gokhale cohort.Above is summary of BRF members in conversation.....

Next 30 years will have 10 time the regular impact. India will emerge as Jagat Guru, Kshatria and Baniya importing Sudras from far and wide regions. This will complete 1947-2047 cycle and Yug will change. Indians will look back and say Acche Din Aa Gye.

+1
We will be one of the top 3 economies in the world (Other 2 will be US & China). We are truly living in an extraordinary period. We will probably see largest number of people (~ 1 Billion) lifted out of poverty and pushed firmly into middle class over next 30 years.

[ramana]

vamsee Need to be thought leaders too otherwise we will end up attracting invaders of all types.