Just posting some articles on the Indian elections which I found interesting
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61cdbcda-33ad-11de-8f1b-00144feabdc0.html
(An interview with Raj Thakeray)
"Raj Thackeray: I do not think anything should be given for free. Everything has a price attached to it. And also people do not want it for free. People just want these things to be reliable. If electricity is provided on a regular basis without load shedding, they will be willing to pay for it. In the last 10 years, we [Maharashtra State] have not been able to deliver one megawatt of [new capacity in] electricity. And they are promising to deliver it for free. I don’t think anything needs to be given for free. And I am not talking only of Maharashtra but of the whole world."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Communities-rise-against-poll-propaganda/articleshow/4461438.cms
"As candidates roped in all their resources to muster support on the last day of the election campaigning on Tuesday in Lucknow, BSP candidate Akhikesh Das's blitzkrieg on caste, religious and regional lines appeared to be backfiring."
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090425/jsp/nation/story_10873681.jsp
"When a journalist pressed on and asked her to respond to ADMK leader Jayalalithaa asking her to protest against the DMK position, Priyanka artfully dodged it: “Oh, but these are political issues, and I do not want to comment on them, I am not in politics.”
Are we to believe, then, that all she has been holding forth on during her extended outing for “my mother and brother” have been positions not even remotely political?
And for someone who professes no political interest beyond the two family seats, Priyanka has a hyperactive publicity machine backing her. Each speech of hers is emailed to a select, though huge, media list and at the end of each campaign day, dozens of photographs of her on the trail are processed and sent out.
After Amethi voted on Thursday, Priyanka has shifted next door to Rae Bareli where her mother is in the fray. We haven’t heard the last from her on this campaign yet. Congress-baiters, beware."
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1251570
"The best apology one can expect from those in power is a gradual shift in their political emphasis. Both Advani and Modi have shifted their politics away from pure Hindutva. Both are talking development. It is the secular mafia that keeps pushing them back into their communal shells by refusing to forget or forgive. They have no right to demand an apology from anybody."
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1251282
"Even if all the "communal" remarks attributed to Varun Gandhi are indeed correct,the refusal of the Congress-led UPA government to revoke the prosecution of Varun Gandhi under the draconian National Security Act invoked by the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh is a clear sign of political vendetta. This is not to suggest that if he is found guilty of making inflammatory speeches against any community, he should be allowed to go scot-free. But his arrest under a law enacted ostensibly for the preventive detention of those suspected of undermining the security and safety of the Indian State, amounts to using an AK-47 to kill a cat because it used its paws to scratch someone."
http://election.rediff.com/column/2009/apr/29/loksabhapolls-the-cbi-is-a-habitual-offender.htm
"The CBI should be dubbed a habitual offender if one looks at the politically important cases that the agency has handled and mishandled over the years."
http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/2009/04/nation-outraged-over-2611-terrorist.html
"In a shocking development today, Kasab took the entire country for granted and sought facilities like Urdu newspaper, perfumes and flavoured toothpaste. He also demanded fresh air and asked to be allowed to stroll on the verandah of his cell in the jail. Kasab made it clear that he wanted special treatment.Special Judge ML Tahilyani has adjourned the 26/11 trial till May 2. "Will he be given special treatment for the special work he did in Mumbai?", asks Bank Official Suresh Raut in Mumbai."
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Indianizing the Bible - the latest trick to convert
Missionaries have now resorted to changing the "Word of God" to make it more palatable to Hindus who can now be fooled into thinking that Christianity is just another way to the truth. It is amazing how they have no sense of morals when it comes to conversions, its as if Jesus said its ok to commit sins as long as you convert people!
Found some info on it from a Satya Sai blog post.
"THE words of the Bhagavadgita, the songs of a Hindu mystic and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi have all found a place in a controversial Bible published in India.
An illustration in the new version depicts the Holy Family as poor Indian villagers - Mary wears a simple sari and has a bindi on her forehead alongside Joseph in a turban and loincloth. There is also a full-page portrait of Mother Teresa, the nun who served the destitute on the streets of Kolkata, above the words “pure and blameless religion lies in coming to help orphans and widows”. ( I have in my previous posts shown that Teresa was similar to an evil witch who enjoyed seeing the poor people suffer)
Promoters of the project, called the New Community Bible, claim it will help Indian readers understand the Bible by drawing on “the rich culture and religious heritage of our motherland”. (If we have a rich culture and religious heritage then we'd rather focus on that than understand the Bible)
A team of 30 Indian biblical scholars worked for more than 15 years on the new edition, which has been approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and is published by the Society of St Paul.
“I am sure this Bible, made in India and for Indians, will bring the word of God closer to millions of our people, not only Christians,” said Oswald Gracias, the Catholic Archbishop of Bombay."
"The manager of the St Paul’s bookshop in New Delhi, Father Stephen, said the New Community Bible had only been available for about a month but the first edition of 15,000 copies had almost sold out. A new print run is being prepared.
“People in India are really appreciating it, especially the pictures,” he said.
The 2200-page hardcover costs 250 rupees ($6.60).
According to local tradition Christianity was brought to South India by the Apostle Thomas - “doubting” Thomas - in AD52. (This has been confirmed to be a falsehood perpetuated by local Pastors to justify their activities)
Christianity is the third largest religion in India after Hinduism and Islam. India’s last census in 2001 found there were 24 million Christians, about 2.5 per cent of the population, although some estimates put the proportion above 5 per cent.
It is alleged many poor communities do not admit to being Christian because they fear losing benefits reserved for low-caste Hindus."
Found some info on it from a Satya Sai blog post.
"THE words of the Bhagavadgita, the songs of a Hindu mystic and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi have all found a place in a controversial Bible published in India.
An illustration in the new version depicts the Holy Family as poor Indian villagers - Mary wears a simple sari and has a bindi on her forehead alongside Joseph in a turban and loincloth. There is also a full-page portrait of Mother Teresa, the nun who served the destitute on the streets of Kolkata, above the words “pure and blameless religion lies in coming to help orphans and widows”. ( I have in my previous posts shown that Teresa was similar to an evil witch who enjoyed seeing the poor people suffer)
Promoters of the project, called the New Community Bible, claim it will help Indian readers understand the Bible by drawing on “the rich culture and religious heritage of our motherland”. (If we have a rich culture and religious heritage then we'd rather focus on that than understand the Bible)
A team of 30 Indian biblical scholars worked for more than 15 years on the new edition, which has been approved by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and is published by the Society of St Paul.
“I am sure this Bible, made in India and for Indians, will bring the word of God closer to millions of our people, not only Christians,” said Oswald Gracias, the Catholic Archbishop of Bombay."
"The manager of the St Paul’s bookshop in New Delhi, Father Stephen, said the New Community Bible had only been available for about a month but the first edition of 15,000 copies had almost sold out. A new print run is being prepared.
“People in India are really appreciating it, especially the pictures,” he said.
The 2200-page hardcover costs 250 rupees ($6.60).
According to local tradition Christianity was brought to South India by the Apostle Thomas - “doubting” Thomas - in AD52. (This has been confirmed to be a falsehood perpetuated by local Pastors to justify their activities)
Christianity is the third largest religion in India after Hinduism and Islam. India’s last census in 2001 found there were 24 million Christians, about 2.5 per cent of the population, although some estimates put the proportion above 5 per cent.
It is alleged many poor communities do not admit to being Christian because they fear losing benefits reserved for low-caste Hindus."
Demanding Hindu rights in Europe
It is high time the hindus started standing up for their rights in other countries especially when their people have no qualm in demanding rights in India.
Hinduism and other religions are treated a cults instead of respectable religions in Europe.
Rajan Zed, the Hindu priest from the US, who became famous after his opening prayer at a state senate, is making waves in the international ciruit.
Hinduism is not recognized as a religion in Europe
"Hindus presented a groundbreaking memorandum to European Parliament (EP) President Hans-Gert Pottering on Wednesday asking Hinduism to be recognized fully and officially in all the 27 member states of EP.
Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman from USA, who met with Pottering in his Brussels office Wednesday on an historic invitation to discuss Hindu issues and promote interfaith dialogue, listed fifteen more European Hindu issues besides recognition.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked for announcement of Diwali as major festival of European Union (EU), consulting Hindus at national levels on religious and related issues as equal partners, adequate Hindu representation in various EU bodies, fair treatment of all major religions instead of patronizing only one kind of religion or denomination, complete freedom of practice of chosen religion by the citizens, availability of suitable and adequate facilities for Hindu funerals, and promotion of interfaith dialogue.
Rajan Zed said that acquiring permits for building new Hindu temples was a difficult and cumbersome process and many times ended in delay or denial. He asked for introduction of comparative religion as a subject in high schools, including all the major religions of the world, and added that states should work for more assimilation and inclusiveness of all major religions.
Zed told Pottering that EU should ensure better labeling of foods clarifying that whether the contents included any non-vegetarian (meat, seafood, eggs, etc.) matter or the contents were purely vegetarian.
Rajan Zed further noted that there were reports that in an EU country, schools refused to mention "Hindu" in the "religion" column of student records and asked students/parents to bring certificates to prove that they were Hindu. This practice should be stopped immediately and whatever religion the student (in case he/she was adult) or his/her parents (in case he/she was minor) mention, should be included in the records, Zed stressed.
Zed pointed out that in an EU country, municipalities reportedly avoided writing "Hindu" in the "religion" column on birth certificates and instead wrote "no religion" or left blank. Municipalities in EU area should be clearly directed to write whatever religion parents of the child (whose birth certificate they were issuing) told them to write, without asking any questions.
Zed also mentioned that there were allegations of glass ceiling for top jobs and institutional discrimination."
No equality of religions in Europe
"MALTA CRIMINAL Code reportedly makes one liable to imprisonment up to six months for publicly vilifying 'Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion', while committing such act against 'any cult tolerated by law' makes one liable to imprisonment only up to three months.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it seemed to imply that except Roman Catholic, other religions and denominations, including Hinduism, were just one of the cults.
Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that it was perturbing to note that a country of European Union, which prided itself for its human rights initiatives, apparently treated crimes against religious sentiment of 'other' religions/denominations as less serious than against majority religion and described religions/denominations other than majority religion as cults.
The Venice Commission of Council of Europe in a report concluded that 'offence of blasphemy should be abolished'. It states core values of effective democracy as: pluralism, tolerance, respect for human rights and non-discrimination. It points to education leading to better understanding of the convictions of others and to tolerance."
Hindus ask for compensation for Roma deaths
"Hindus have asked for minimum one million euros compensation for each of the Roma and other victims of lead poisoning in northern Kosovo.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was highly shocking to learn that that the world let this environmental health and humanitarian disaster happen in 21st century Europe, which boasts of its human rights record.
According to reports, lead poisoning caused severe and sometimes irreversible organ and brain damage, including death and abortion, to Roma and other families relocated to these camps in a polluted area near a lead smelter in Mitrovica temporarily (some say for maximum 45 days) in 1999 by the United Nations following the Kosovo war on land reportedly highly contaminated with lead, zinc, arsenic and other metals. They still remain on this toxic land, thus further aggravating already existing health problems.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that United Nations, European Union, Kosovo Government, World Health Organization (WHO) and others involved should formally apologize to affected families besides compensating each victim (family of the victim in case the person died due to lead contamination) with minimum one million Euros each.
Rajan Zed further said that an independent enquiry should be instituted into this preventable disaster. Immediately relocate affected families from this so called toxic wasteland, arrange thorough medical treatment for them, find them safe permanent housing, improve their health condition, and provide them livelihood support, Zed adds.
An investigation by Kosovo Ombudsperson Institution concerning this lead contamination, concluded “that the elements of the case give rise to a continuous violation by UNMIK (United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) of more than one international human rights standards directly applicable in Kosovo, among which the right to life, the right to health, the right to adequate housing, the principle of non-discrimination and several rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”"
Hindus urge Norway to treat religions equally in schools
"Hindus and Jews have asked Norway to treat all major religions evenly while teaching religion in its schools.
Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a joint statement, said that syllabus of subject “Christian knowledge and religious and ethical education”, taught in Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools, was firmly based in the majority religion and culture, thus resulting in minority faiths getting step-motherly treatment.
According to reports, under this religious education, approximately 55 per cent of the teaching hours are allocated to Christianity; about 25 per cent on Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religious diversity and views on life; and approximately 20 per cent on philosophy and ethics. This class is mandatory, without any exceptions for children of other religious groups.
According to Norway Education Act: Teaching in Religion and Ethics shall—provide a “thorough knowledge” of the Bible and Christianity…, provide a “thorough knowledge” of the Evangelical-Lutheran faith and of different Christian denominations, provide “knowledge” of other world religions and philosophies of life, promote understanding and respect for Christian and humanist values,…
Zed and Freirich argued that offering equal treatment to each of the major world religions and non-believers’ viewpoint would make the Norwegian schoolchildren well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow."
http://www.sindhtoday.net/entertainment/93779.htm
"Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of Council of Europe, in his Viewpoint published on April 27 on Council website, said, “Anti-Gypsyism continues to be a major human rights problem in Europe – governments must start taking serious action against both official and inter-personal discrimination of Roma”.
Hinduism and other religions are treated a cults instead of respectable religions in Europe.
Rajan Zed, the Hindu priest from the US, who became famous after his opening prayer at a state senate, is making waves in the international ciruit.
Hinduism is not recognized as a religion in Europe
"Hindus presented a groundbreaking memorandum to European Parliament (EP) President Hans-Gert Pottering on Wednesday asking Hinduism to be recognized fully and officially in all the 27 member states of EP.
Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman from USA, who met with Pottering in his Brussels office Wednesday on an historic invitation to discuss Hindu issues and promote interfaith dialogue, listed fifteen more European Hindu issues besides recognition.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked for announcement of Diwali as major festival of European Union (EU), consulting Hindus at national levels on religious and related issues as equal partners, adequate Hindu representation in various EU bodies, fair treatment of all major religions instead of patronizing only one kind of religion or denomination, complete freedom of practice of chosen religion by the citizens, availability of suitable and adequate facilities for Hindu funerals, and promotion of interfaith dialogue.
Rajan Zed said that acquiring permits for building new Hindu temples was a difficult and cumbersome process and many times ended in delay or denial. He asked for introduction of comparative religion as a subject in high schools, including all the major religions of the world, and added that states should work for more assimilation and inclusiveness of all major religions.
Zed told Pottering that EU should ensure better labeling of foods clarifying that whether the contents included any non-vegetarian (meat, seafood, eggs, etc.) matter or the contents were purely vegetarian.
Rajan Zed further noted that there were reports that in an EU country, schools refused to mention "Hindu" in the "religion" column of student records and asked students/parents to bring certificates to prove that they were Hindu. This practice should be stopped immediately and whatever religion the student (in case he/she was adult) or his/her parents (in case he/she was minor) mention, should be included in the records, Zed stressed.
Zed pointed out that in an EU country, municipalities reportedly avoided writing "Hindu" in the "religion" column on birth certificates and instead wrote "no religion" or left blank. Municipalities in EU area should be clearly directed to write whatever religion parents of the child (whose birth certificate they were issuing) told them to write, without asking any questions.
Zed also mentioned that there were allegations of glass ceiling for top jobs and institutional discrimination."
No equality of religions in Europe
"MALTA CRIMINAL Code reportedly makes one liable to imprisonment up to six months for publicly vilifying 'Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion', while committing such act against 'any cult tolerated by law' makes one liable to imprisonment only up to three months.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it seemed to imply that except Roman Catholic, other religions and denominations, including Hinduism, were just one of the cults.
Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that it was perturbing to note that a country of European Union, which prided itself for its human rights initiatives, apparently treated crimes against religious sentiment of 'other' religions/denominations as less serious than against majority religion and described religions/denominations other than majority religion as cults.
The Venice Commission of Council of Europe in a report concluded that 'offence of blasphemy should be abolished'. It states core values of effective democracy as: pluralism, tolerance, respect for human rights and non-discrimination. It points to education leading to better understanding of the convictions of others and to tolerance."
Hindus ask for compensation for Roma deaths
"Hindus have asked for minimum one million euros compensation for each of the Roma and other victims of lead poisoning in northern Kosovo.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that it was highly shocking to learn that that the world let this environmental health and humanitarian disaster happen in 21st century Europe, which boasts of its human rights record.
According to reports, lead poisoning caused severe and sometimes irreversible organ and brain damage, including death and abortion, to Roma and other families relocated to these camps in a polluted area near a lead smelter in Mitrovica temporarily (some say for maximum 45 days) in 1999 by the United Nations following the Kosovo war on land reportedly highly contaminated with lead, zinc, arsenic and other metals. They still remain on this toxic land, thus further aggravating already existing health problems.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that United Nations, European Union, Kosovo Government, World Health Organization (WHO) and others involved should formally apologize to affected families besides compensating each victim (family of the victim in case the person died due to lead contamination) with minimum one million Euros each.
Rajan Zed further said that an independent enquiry should be instituted into this preventable disaster. Immediately relocate affected families from this so called toxic wasteland, arrange thorough medical treatment for them, find them safe permanent housing, improve their health condition, and provide them livelihood support, Zed adds.
An investigation by Kosovo Ombudsperson Institution concerning this lead contamination, concluded “that the elements of the case give rise to a continuous violation by UNMIK (United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) of more than one international human rights standards directly applicable in Kosovo, among which the right to life, the right to health, the right to adequate housing, the principle of non-discrimination and several rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”"
Hindus urge Norway to treat religions equally in schools
"Hindus and Jews have asked Norway to treat all major religions evenly while teaching religion in its schools.
Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a joint statement, said that syllabus of subject “Christian knowledge and religious and ethical education”, taught in Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools, was firmly based in the majority religion and culture, thus resulting in minority faiths getting step-motherly treatment.
According to reports, under this religious education, approximately 55 per cent of the teaching hours are allocated to Christianity; about 25 per cent on Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religious diversity and views on life; and approximately 20 per cent on philosophy and ethics. This class is mandatory, without any exceptions for children of other religious groups.
According to Norway Education Act: Teaching in Religion and Ethics shall—provide a “thorough knowledge” of the Bible and Christianity…, provide a “thorough knowledge” of the Evangelical-Lutheran faith and of different Christian denominations, provide “knowledge” of other world religions and philosophies of life, promote understanding and respect for Christian and humanist values,…
Zed and Freirich argued that offering equal treatment to each of the major world religions and non-believers’ viewpoint would make the Norwegian schoolchildren well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow."
http://www.sindhtoday.net/entertainment/93779.htm
"Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of Council of Europe, in his Viewpoint published on April 27 on Council website, said, “Anti-Gypsyism continues to be a major human rights problem in Europe – governments must start taking serious action against both official and inter-personal discrimination of Roma”.
He cited incidents where Roma children were forced to strip and violently slap one another in a Slovakia police station, sudden eviction of Roma families in Belgrade without alternative accommodation, etc. He asks in the Viewpoint, “Would this have happened to non-Roma?”
A joint statement recently released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, said, "Our organisations are deeply concerned by the continuing discriminatory treatment and exclusion of the Roma, and particularly by the recent escalation in hate motivated incidents and racist rhetoric reported in a number of States.”"
Monday, April 27, 2009
Revisiting the Dara Singh-Graham Staines incident
After seeing how the media handled the recent Kandhamal incident with blatantly biased (read anti-hindu) reporting and fabricated reports I thought I should check up on what might have actually happened in the Graham Staines incident. This time I went through news articles relating to that incident again to see how the media cooked up stuff to mould public and world opinion to paint anything Hindu as evil.
The fact that the state government did nothing to prevent conversion in Orissa even thought it is illegal only shows how useless naveen Patnaik really is. I now strongly suspect that Dara Singh is innocent and what actually happened was a trial by media which forced the State government to take action against innocent people.
Here are some articles which I found quite interesting,
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=317172
(The latest on Dara Singh-2008 article)
"The conviction of Dara is solely on the basis of mere presumption, which is contrary to the principles of criminal justice and devoid of law," the petition filed by his counsel Sibo Sankar Mishra said. "However, the High Court had acquitted 11 others who were awarded life terms by the trial court in the case that had sparked worldwide outrage in 1999. Does that mean the trial court was totally incompetent?"
Pointing out loopholes in the evidence, the High court had said it was "risky" and "dangerous" to convict so many accused on the basis of speculative evidence of a witness who did not disclose the matter to anyone except a CBI officer five months after the incident."
http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20000522/interview.html
"No. I didn't kill them. But I spearheaded the movement against missionaries. I was also actively involved in the movement against illegal trade in cows and cowslaughter. Since I was possibly the most famous name in the region, the police implicated me in the killings. The day the Staines were killed at Manoharpur, I was at least 12-13 km away from the place. But yes, I did not like Graham Staines. For that matter, I never liked missionaries."
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/aug/07oris.htm
"Instead he digresses on the Commission's report on Staines' character: ''Who says he was a good man? Ask any local person. There was forcible conversion and Dara is popular and yet to be nabbed because the local people shield him for fighting such conversion," he fumes."
http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/mar/29dara.htm
(He seems to have had a huge support from the local people! How would that be possible if the local people did not approve of his activities. Is it possible that he is innocent? Also, he actually surrendered to the police since the cops were torturing the innocent tribals!!)
http://www.hindu.com/2003/10/11/stories/2003101102021300.htm
(We know how reliable the CBI is!!)
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/03/25/stories/2003032501741300.htm
"However, Mahendra Hembram, another accused in the case, stood by his earlier statement before the court. In a written statement in February last year, Hembram, a resident of Manoharpur, had claimed that he had set fire to the vehicle in which the victims were sleeping.The remaining accused were innocent, he said."
http://us.rediff.com/news/2003/sep/22staines.htm
"The case had come under intense media scrutiny considering that foreign citizens and the issue of religious conversions were involved. (Not at all surprising is it?)."
http://www.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19990402/ige02012.html
(So no one is supposed to have a different opinion)
Notice that the BJP raised its tally from 9 seats in 1995 to 38 seats in 2000 (a year after this happened-shows the public opinion)
I found a comment from the internet in a forum requesting signatures for a petition in Singh's name,
"Bhaskar, I don't know if you are joking or are you serious? The whole Indian press has already made him guilty even before proving if he's innocent or guilty. And there's enough evidence to prove that he was not there at the scene of the crime but the courts don't want to know, all they want to do is convict him and make him the scape goat for the murder of one WHITE Christian missionary. So many Hindus get killed all the time, but do ever see the Indian media highlight those crimes?? Never!! For example, last week a Hindu priest was killed while praying in Tripura by Christian backed militants, did the Indian media give it any coverage?? None at all !! I bet you don't even know about it yourself?? Signing the online petition may be the least we can do at the moment but at least, the pseudosecularists in India will get the message that Hindu's around theworld are watching and will act against injustices on Hindu's like Dara Singh."
The best of the lot is this brillaint analysis on the subject by Arun Shourie:
http://arunshourie.voiceofdharma.com/articles/wadhwa.htm
The Wadhwa commision which was set up to investigate the killing came up with very interesting conclusions. Here are some excerpts from Shourie's analysis of the commission's report.
"On the face of it, the report of the Wadhwa Commission on the murder of the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons should have been very welcome to our secular friends. Justice Wadhwa has concluded that the main person who organised the attack was Rabindra Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh, and that his motive in doing so was "misplaced fundamentalism", namely his conviction that conversions by missionaries were threatening Hinduism. He also records evidence to the effect that Dara Singh had been involved in an activity which, in the eyes of secularists, is as deplorable as an activity can get: protection of cows from slaughter.
But no, the secularists are all in rage. "A stained report," "A whitewash," "A politically tutored report" -- they have been shouting. Justice Wadhwa has failed the litmus test: if only he had included a sentence -- a single sentence! -- imputing -- howsoever obliquely -- that Dara Singh was in some way affiliated to some organization that can be linked to the RSS or the BJP, what applause would have greeted the Report! "
"The second incident occurred on 7 February, 1999. Two children, aged 10 and 19, were found murdered, a third had sustained injuries. "This incident again attracted a great deal of publicity in the media, including electronic media," writes Justice Wadhwa. "Newspapers came up with the headings, 'Two Christians killed, one injured in Orissa,' '2 tribal Christians done to death in Kandhamal,' and 'Orissa hunts for Christians' killer'. Additional D. G. P. John Nayak reportedly said that the communal angle to the attempted rape and murder could not be ruled out...." "A certain political party even blamed the State and Central Governments," Justice Wadhwa recalls, "and stated that the inaction of the State Government in the Manoharpur missionary killing incident (the killing of Staines and his sons) and the alleged rape of the nun in Baripada encouraged miscreants to commit yet another crime in Kandhamal." "In short," he concludes, "as per various reports that appeared in the newspapers, the incident was taken as an attack on the Christians."
And what turned out to be the truth? "Ultimately investigation revealed that the crime was committed by a relative of the victims who was also a Christian," the Commission notes. "
"That is one lesson, and Justice Wadhwa draws special attention to it: the press should not rush to conclusions before it has investigated the facts. The facts he has recorded urge that the caution be made specific: the press should be particularly wary of going by allegations of communalism-mongers.
The second institution which comes out most poorly is the Minorities Commission. For quite some time now, this Commission has been putting out patently partisan reports, reports so partisan as to appear to be designed to inflame. It is all too the good, therefore, that in the course of his inquiries into the incidents, Justice Wadhwa has given us a glimpse into the way it goes about its work. The incident I postponed mentioning is typical. "
"B. B. Panda, who was then Director General of Police, Orissa, told the Commission that the New Indian Express -- that is, the southern editions of the Indian Express -- of 25 January, 1999, quoted him as saying, "over 50 people suspected to be activists of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were involved in the incident, and so far 47 persons have been arrested." He told the Commission that as he had not said this, he sent the paper a contradiction. The paper did not publish the contradiction. "
The fact that the state government did nothing to prevent conversion in Orissa even thought it is illegal only shows how useless naveen Patnaik really is. I now strongly suspect that Dara Singh is innocent and what actually happened was a trial by media which forced the State government to take action against innocent people.
Here are some articles which I found quite interesting,
http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=317172
(The latest on Dara Singh-2008 article)
"The conviction of Dara is solely on the basis of mere presumption, which is contrary to the principles of criminal justice and devoid of law," the petition filed by his counsel Sibo Sankar Mishra said. "However, the High Court had acquitted 11 others who were awarded life terms by the trial court in the case that had sparked worldwide outrage in 1999. Does that mean the trial court was totally incompetent?"
Pointing out loopholes in the evidence, the High court had said it was "risky" and "dangerous" to convict so many accused on the basis of speculative evidence of a witness who did not disclose the matter to anyone except a CBI officer five months after the incident."
http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20000522/interview.html
"No. I didn't kill them. But I spearheaded the movement against missionaries. I was also actively involved in the movement against illegal trade in cows and cowslaughter. Since I was possibly the most famous name in the region, the police implicated me in the killings. The day the Staines were killed at Manoharpur, I was at least 12-13 km away from the place. But yes, I did not like Graham Staines. For that matter, I never liked missionaries."
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/aug/07oris.htm
"Instead he digresses on the Commission's report on Staines' character: ''Who says he was a good man? Ask any local person. There was forcible conversion and Dara is popular and yet to be nabbed because the local people shield him for fighting such conversion," he fumes."
http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/mar/29dara.htm
(He seems to have had a huge support from the local people! How would that be possible if the local people did not approve of his activities. Is it possible that he is innocent? Also, he actually surrendered to the police since the cops were torturing the innocent tribals!!)
http://www.hindu.com/2003/10/11/stories/2003101102021300.htm
(We know how reliable the CBI is!!)
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003/03/25/stories/2003032501741300.htm
"However, Mahendra Hembram, another accused in the case, stood by his earlier statement before the court. In a written statement in February last year, Hembram, a resident of Manoharpur, had claimed that he had set fire to the vehicle in which the victims were sleeping.The remaining accused were innocent, he said."
http://us.rediff.com/news/2003/sep/22staines.htm
"The case had come under intense media scrutiny considering that foreign citizens and the issue of religious conversions were involved. (Not at all surprising is it?)."
http://www.indianexpress.com/ie/daily/19990402/ige02012.html
(So no one is supposed to have a different opinion)
Notice that the BJP raised its tally from 9 seats in 1995 to 38 seats in 2000 (a year after this happened-shows the public opinion)
I found a comment from the internet in a forum requesting signatures for a petition in Singh's name,
"Bhaskar, I don't know if you are joking or are you serious? The whole Indian press has already made him guilty even before proving if he's innocent or guilty. And there's enough evidence to prove that he was not there at the scene of the crime but the courts don't want to know, all they want to do is convict him and make him the scape goat for the murder of one WHITE Christian missionary. So many Hindus get killed all the time, but do ever see the Indian media highlight those crimes?? Never!! For example, last week a Hindu priest was killed while praying in Tripura by Christian backed militants, did the Indian media give it any coverage?? None at all !! I bet you don't even know about it yourself?? Signing the online petition may be the least we can do at the moment but at least, the pseudosecularists in India will get the message that Hindu's around theworld are watching and will act against injustices on Hindu's like Dara Singh."
The best of the lot is this brillaint analysis on the subject by Arun Shourie:
http://arunshourie.voiceofdharma.com/articles/wadhwa.htm
The Wadhwa commision which was set up to investigate the killing came up with very interesting conclusions. Here are some excerpts from Shourie's analysis of the commission's report.
"On the face of it, the report of the Wadhwa Commission on the murder of the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons should have been very welcome to our secular friends. Justice Wadhwa has concluded that the main person who organised the attack was Rabindra Kumar Pal alias Dara Singh, and that his motive in doing so was "misplaced fundamentalism", namely his conviction that conversions by missionaries were threatening Hinduism. He also records evidence to the effect that Dara Singh had been involved in an activity which, in the eyes of secularists, is as deplorable as an activity can get: protection of cows from slaughter.
But no, the secularists are all in rage. "A stained report," "A whitewash," "A politically tutored report" -- they have been shouting. Justice Wadhwa has failed the litmus test: if only he had included a sentence -- a single sentence! -- imputing -- howsoever obliquely -- that Dara Singh was in some way affiliated to some organization that can be linked to the RSS or the BJP, what applause would have greeted the Report! "
"The second incident occurred on 7 February, 1999. Two children, aged 10 and 19, were found murdered, a third had sustained injuries. "This incident again attracted a great deal of publicity in the media, including electronic media," writes Justice Wadhwa. "Newspapers came up with the headings, 'Two Christians killed, one injured in Orissa,' '2 tribal Christians done to death in Kandhamal,' and 'Orissa hunts for Christians' killer'. Additional D. G. P. John Nayak reportedly said that the communal angle to the attempted rape and murder could not be ruled out...." "A certain political party even blamed the State and Central Governments," Justice Wadhwa recalls, "and stated that the inaction of the State Government in the Manoharpur missionary killing incident (the killing of Staines and his sons) and the alleged rape of the nun in Baripada encouraged miscreants to commit yet another crime in Kandhamal." "In short," he concludes, "as per various reports that appeared in the newspapers, the incident was taken as an attack on the Christians."
And what turned out to be the truth? "Ultimately investigation revealed that the crime was committed by a relative of the victims who was also a Christian," the Commission notes. "
"That is one lesson, and Justice Wadhwa draws special attention to it: the press should not rush to conclusions before it has investigated the facts. The facts he has recorded urge that the caution be made specific: the press should be particularly wary of going by allegations of communalism-mongers.
The second institution which comes out most poorly is the Minorities Commission. For quite some time now, this Commission has been putting out patently partisan reports, reports so partisan as to appear to be designed to inflame. It is all too the good, therefore, that in the course of his inquiries into the incidents, Justice Wadhwa has given us a glimpse into the way it goes about its work. The incident I postponed mentioning is typical. "
"B. B. Panda, who was then Director General of Police, Orissa, told the Commission that the New Indian Express -- that is, the southern editions of the Indian Express -- of 25 January, 1999, quoted him as saying, "over 50 people suspected to be activists of the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were involved in the incident, and so far 47 persons have been arrested." He told the Commission that as he had not said this, he sent the paper a contradiction. The paper did not publish the contradiction. "
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Who is Sonia Gandhi?
Dr. Subramanian Swamy is one of the rare genius people in Indian politics. Unfortunately he doesn't have as much influence in political matters are he should have. He has done immense reaserch in various topics involving Indian security and pride.
One of his most important researches has involved exposing Sonia Gandhi who pretends to be a saint with ample help from the Indian sold out media. The link given below is form Dr. Swamy's Janata Party website which gives a lot of details on exactly who Sonia Gandhi is and what her intentions are. The very fact that Sonia nor her family has threatened to sue Dr. Swamy for defamation clearly proves that all his statement about her must be true!
http://janataparty.org/sonia.html
"Patriotic Indians should thank the President of India for having the courage, by citing a legal hitch, to dissuade Ms. Sonia Gandhi from staking her claim to form the government on May 17th this year. She therefore, despite all the contrived media hype, did not, and could not, become the Prime Minister of 1 billion plus people of India.
It can now be said that Bharat Mata has been saved from a monumental, devastating, and permanent injury to her national interest and to the patriotic psyche of Indians.
Therefore, it should be the resolve of every Indian to make any and every effort that can be made in a democracy, to ensure that Ms. Sonia Gandhi is kept permanently out of reckoning for any public office. For those who instinctively understand that imperative, this Note has been written to explain the factual basis for this rational determination, and suggest what patriotic Indians can do now to implement that democratic and patriotic resolution.
My opposition to Ms. Sonia Gandhi is not merely because she is Italian---born, although that by itself is a major issue. In other democratic countries, including in Italy, such an issue [of foreign-born aspiring to be head of government]would not even arise at all because the issue has already been settled by incorporating into law that a person cannot hold the highest public office unless he or she is native born. "
"The nation by the stalling of Sonia becoming Prime Minister of India, has thus got an unexpected but temporary reprieve, a reprieve received not only because her citizenship of India by registration is not equal to one by birth even by Indian law, but a reprieve more because of the national security risk that was averted.
To comprehend that risk, we must however first understand who Sonia Gandhi really is and what kind of danger she, her family and her friends in Italy, hold for India’s national security. Very little is known about the Mainos’ murky past, and the little that we are told about Sonia are lies. In other words, Indians do not know who Sonia really is or what she represents [see Annexure-4].
Even for an Indian born citizen, we find it difficult to know a person’s true background, but for a foreign-born it is extremely hard because of the remoteness of the place and the language barrier for most people, in this case---Italian.
This note is thus an aide d’memoir of certain verifiable facts that taken together constitute the danger that Sonia Gandhi represents for the nation. And that is the real Sonia and what she represents."
One of his most important researches has involved exposing Sonia Gandhi who pretends to be a saint with ample help from the Indian sold out media. The link given below is form Dr. Swamy's Janata Party website which gives a lot of details on exactly who Sonia Gandhi is and what her intentions are. The very fact that Sonia nor her family has threatened to sue Dr. Swamy for defamation clearly proves that all his statement about her must be true!
http://janataparty.org/sonia.html
"Patriotic Indians should thank the President of India for having the courage, by citing a legal hitch, to dissuade Ms. Sonia Gandhi from staking her claim to form the government on May 17th this year. She therefore, despite all the contrived media hype, did not, and could not, become the Prime Minister of 1 billion plus people of India.
It can now be said that Bharat Mata has been saved from a monumental, devastating, and permanent injury to her national interest and to the patriotic psyche of Indians.
Therefore, it should be the resolve of every Indian to make any and every effort that can be made in a democracy, to ensure that Ms. Sonia Gandhi is kept permanently out of reckoning for any public office. For those who instinctively understand that imperative, this Note has been written to explain the factual basis for this rational determination, and suggest what patriotic Indians can do now to implement that democratic and patriotic resolution.
My opposition to Ms. Sonia Gandhi is not merely because she is Italian---born, although that by itself is a major issue. In other democratic countries, including in Italy, such an issue [of foreign-born aspiring to be head of government]would not even arise at all because the issue has already been settled by incorporating into law that a person cannot hold the highest public office unless he or she is native born. "
"The nation by the stalling of Sonia becoming Prime Minister of India, has thus got an unexpected but temporary reprieve, a reprieve received not only because her citizenship of India by registration is not equal to one by birth even by Indian law, but a reprieve more because of the national security risk that was averted.
To comprehend that risk, we must however first understand who Sonia Gandhi really is and what kind of danger she, her family and her friends in Italy, hold for India’s national security. Very little is known about the Mainos’ murky past, and the little that we are told about Sonia are lies. In other words, Indians do not know who Sonia really is or what she represents [see Annexure-4].
Even for an Indian born citizen, we find it difficult to know a person’s true background, but for a foreign-born it is extremely hard because of the remoteness of the place and the language barrier for most people, in this case---Italian.
This note is thus an aide d’memoir of certain verifiable facts that taken together constitute the danger that Sonia Gandhi represents for the nation. And that is the real Sonia and what she represents."
Friday, April 24, 2009
Understanding the Kashmir problem
I found an amazing e-book on Kashmir called "Converted Kashmir: Memorial of mistakes" written by Narendra Sehgal.
It gives a very good picture of the history of Kashmir beginning from ancient times to the present where the beautiful land of Kashmir, one of the main seats of Hindu philosophy has been converted into a prejudiced and hateful society of islamic hindu haters.
http://www.kashmir-information.com/ConvertedKashmir/index.html
The entire book is chock full of information on Kashmir and is a must read to gain a good perspective on the whole issue. I wish this book were given to all Indians to read.
An interesting section is the part where he writes about the major blunders with respect to Kashmir in which he mentions about how Nehru had a huge contribution to the present crisis. He also gives good info on how the RSS helped defend Kashmir ( a fact that has been conviniently erased from public memory thanks to the Congress-Marxist nexus in Indian politics and academia) against the marauding Pakistanis.
It gives a very good picture of the history of Kashmir beginning from ancient times to the present where the beautiful land of Kashmir, one of the main seats of Hindu philosophy has been converted into a prejudiced and hateful society of islamic hindu haters.
http://www.kashmir-information.com/ConvertedKashmir/index.html
The entire book is chock full of information on Kashmir and is a must read to gain a good perspective on the whole issue. I wish this book were given to all Indians to read.
An interesting section is the part where he writes about the major blunders with respect to Kashmir in which he mentions about how Nehru had a huge contribution to the present crisis. He also gives good info on how the RSS helped defend Kashmir ( a fact that has been conviniently erased from public memory thanks to the Congress-Marxist nexus in Indian politics and academia) against the marauding Pakistanis.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
AP gone crazy
The first phase of elections included all the Naxal torn regions. Surprisingly, there turned out to be more violence in the second phase of polls that too in Andhra Pradesh. It is well known that AP is the next target of the Xtian missionaries supported by the congress chief minister Samuel Reddy. They seem to be deparate to hold on to power so they can continue in their nefarious conversion crusade.
http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/apr/23/loksabhapoll-ap-1-killed-as-violence-mars-phase-2.htm
"Despite the unprecedented security arrangements involving more than 60,000 personnel of state police and the paramilitary forces, the polling was marred by large scale violence across several districts in which one person was killed and more than 50 were injured, mostly in clashes between the workers of the ruling Congress party and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party.
The president of Election Watch, an NGO, K J Rao after monitoring the polling in Pulivendula constituency said that at many polling booths there were election agents of only the Congress party. "
http://election.rediff.com/report/2009/apr/23/loksabhapoll-ap-1-killed-as-violence-mars-phase-2.htm
"Despite the unprecedented security arrangements involving more than 60,000 personnel of state police and the paramilitary forces, the polling was marred by large scale violence across several districts in which one person was killed and more than 50 were injured, mostly in clashes between the workers of the ruling Congress party and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party.
The president of Election Watch, an NGO, K J Rao after monitoring the polling in Pulivendula constituency said that at many polling booths there were election agents of only the Congress party. "
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
True colors of Sangliana
WHen HT Sangliana joined the BJP and won in Bangalore, I was very happy. Firstly, to see a christian accept the BJP ideology of loving the nation first and secondly to see a native of the north east being accepted in the heart of India.
But he disappointed me when he voted for the Congress on the shady nuclear deal and was subsequently disqualified as an MP and then suspended from the BJP. He is now a candidate for the congress in Bangalore and is now showing his true colors. I've always wondered if it is possible for converts in India to ever respect and love the nations culture and traditions and am realizing that it is not possible because if they did they would never have converted in the first place.
Sangliana was a great cop, its sad to see him go against the nation by joining the congress for his religious beliefs.
Here is an article that appeared in the Indian Express exposing Sangliana,
Contest wide open in Bangalore
Rajashekara S
First Published : 18 Apr 2009 09:45:49 AM IST
Last Updated : 18 Apr 2009 10:59:48 AM IST
BANGALORE: It took five years for ‘super cop’ H T Sangliana to find that the BJP is “communal and anti-national,” before switching sides to the Congress on the floor of the House to nurture his political career.
The Indo-US nuke deal gave him a perfect opportunity to “hop” onto the Congress bandwagon and Sangliana has been rewarded with a ticket to contest as the party candidate from the newlycarved out Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency. In fact, he was considered by the party high command by refusing the ticket to seasoned leader and former union minister C K Jaffer Sharief, whom the former Bangalore City Police Commissioner defeated in 2004 from Bangalore North LS constituency, on a BJP ticket.
Soon after his retirement from the police department, Sangliana - hailing from Mizoram - surprised everyone when he joined the BJP stating that he “was inspired by Atal Behari Vajpayee.” After making controversial statements like terming the BJP as Bharatiya Jesus Party, Sangliana could not gel with the local BJP leaders and started distancing himself from the rank and file within a few months after getting elected.
Now, as a Congress candidate, Sangliana has the Herculean task to first establish a rapport with the Congress workers and leaders and second to get re-elected.
Denial of ticket to Sharief in Bangalore Central could prove to be a thorn in the poll prospects of Sangliana. This apart, Sangliana’s earlier charges against former chief minister S M Krishna, when he was a BJP MP may boomerang on him. Sangliana had supported the now convicted, former ASP Sangram Singh, when Singh had levelled charges against Krishna and other Congress leaders, of allegedly accepting money from stamp paper racket kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi, to secure the release of Dr Rajkumar from the clutches of forest brigand Veerappan.
As a result, Krishna turned down the request of Sangliana to campaign for him. Bangalore Central has four Congress MLAs and four BJP MLAs, representing its eight Assembly segments.
But lack of necessary support by Cong ress MLAs has proved to be a handicap for Sangliana to some extent.
On the other hand, BJP candidate P C Mohan and JD(S) nominee B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan have been aggressively campaigning.
Known for his “honesty and integrity” during service, Sangliana is a poor match when it comes to spending money for the polls, vis-a-vis Khan and Mohan, who are established businessmen.
Other than money bags, Khan is depending on the goodwill that he enjoys among Muslim voters besides the huge Vokkaliga population in the constituency.
Khan had offered to stay out of the contest, if Sharief were to contest from Bangalore Central to avoid division of “secular votes.” This has turned out to be a boon in disguise for the JD(S) as Sharief himself is understood to have sent a message to the community to stand behind the proprietor of the National Travels.
Sangliana, however, expresses confidence of winning the constituency and is pinning hopes on the good work done by him as an MP in the previous term.
In fact, he is one of the few MPs from the state who judiciously utilised the MPLAD fund to take up development works in the constituency.
But his recent public support to “everything Christian,” seems to have taken a toll on his otherwise clean image. More than Mohan’s influence and image, BJP is hoping for a repeat of the 2004 results when its then candidate Sangliana surprised all by trouncing a senior leader Sharief. Then, the party managed to win because of the split in minority votes between the JD(S) which had fielded C M Ibrahim and Sharief.
This time, the saffron party is hoping a similar split in votes between Sangliana and Khan.
On the whole, the contest appears to be equally matched as Sangliana is set to get almost the full chunk of Christian votes, which are around 1.5 lakh, while Khan could bag nearly 80 to 90 per cent of the Muslim votes. BJP, on the other hand, is keeping its fingers crossed waiting for a split in the minority votes.
With no particular wave in anyone’s favour and the general disenchantment among the electorate, it has made it difficult and uncertain for all three main candidates who can never take victory for granted, until the last vote is counted.
But he disappointed me when he voted for the Congress on the shady nuclear deal and was subsequently disqualified as an MP and then suspended from the BJP. He is now a candidate for the congress in Bangalore and is now showing his true colors. I've always wondered if it is possible for converts in India to ever respect and love the nations culture and traditions and am realizing that it is not possible because if they did they would never have converted in the first place.
Sangliana was a great cop, its sad to see him go against the nation by joining the congress for his religious beliefs.
Here is an article that appeared in the Indian Express exposing Sangliana,
Contest wide open in Bangalore
Rajashekara S
First Published : 18 Apr 2009 09:45:49 AM IST
Last Updated : 18 Apr 2009 10:59:48 AM IST
BANGALORE: It took five years for ‘super cop’ H T Sangliana to find that the BJP is “communal and anti-national,” before switching sides to the Congress on the floor of the House to nurture his political career.
The Indo-US nuke deal gave him a perfect opportunity to “hop” onto the Congress bandwagon and Sangliana has been rewarded with a ticket to contest as the party candidate from the newlycarved out Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency. In fact, he was considered by the party high command by refusing the ticket to seasoned leader and former union minister C K Jaffer Sharief, whom the former Bangalore City Police Commissioner defeated in 2004 from Bangalore North LS constituency, on a BJP ticket.
Soon after his retirement from the police department, Sangliana - hailing from Mizoram - surprised everyone when he joined the BJP stating that he “was inspired by Atal Behari Vajpayee.” After making controversial statements like terming the BJP as Bharatiya Jesus Party, Sangliana could not gel with the local BJP leaders and started distancing himself from the rank and file within a few months after getting elected.
Now, as a Congress candidate, Sangliana has the Herculean task to first establish a rapport with the Congress workers and leaders and second to get re-elected.
Denial of ticket to Sharief in Bangalore Central could prove to be a thorn in the poll prospects of Sangliana. This apart, Sangliana’s earlier charges against former chief minister S M Krishna, when he was a BJP MP may boomerang on him. Sangliana had supported the now convicted, former ASP Sangram Singh, when Singh had levelled charges against Krishna and other Congress leaders, of allegedly accepting money from stamp paper racket kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi, to secure the release of Dr Rajkumar from the clutches of forest brigand Veerappan.
As a result, Krishna turned down the request of Sangliana to campaign for him. Bangalore Central has four Congress MLAs and four BJP MLAs, representing its eight Assembly segments.
But lack of necessary support by Cong ress MLAs has proved to be a handicap for Sangliana to some extent.
On the other hand, BJP candidate P C Mohan and JD(S) nominee B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan have been aggressively campaigning.
Known for his “honesty and integrity” during service, Sangliana is a poor match when it comes to spending money for the polls, vis-a-vis Khan and Mohan, who are established businessmen.
Other than money bags, Khan is depending on the goodwill that he enjoys among Muslim voters besides the huge Vokkaliga population in the constituency.
Khan had offered to stay out of the contest, if Sharief were to contest from Bangalore Central to avoid division of “secular votes.” This has turned out to be a boon in disguise for the JD(S) as Sharief himself is understood to have sent a message to the community to stand behind the proprietor of the National Travels.
Sangliana, however, expresses confidence of winning the constituency and is pinning hopes on the good work done by him as an MP in the previous term.
In fact, he is one of the few MPs from the state who judiciously utilised the MPLAD fund to take up development works in the constituency.
But his recent public support to “everything Christian,” seems to have taken a toll on his otherwise clean image. More than Mohan’s influence and image, BJP is hoping for a repeat of the 2004 results when its then candidate Sangliana surprised all by trouncing a senior leader Sharief. Then, the party managed to win because of the split in minority votes between the JD(S) which had fielded C M Ibrahim and Sharief.
This time, the saffron party is hoping a similar split in votes between Sangliana and Khan.
On the whole, the contest appears to be equally matched as Sangliana is set to get almost the full chunk of Christian votes, which are around 1.5 lakh, while Khan could bag nearly 80 to 90 per cent of the Muslim votes. BJP, on the other hand, is keeping its fingers crossed waiting for a split in the minority votes.
With no particular wave in anyone’s favour and the general disenchantment among the electorate, it has made it difficult and uncertain for all three main candidates who can never take victory for granted, until the last vote is counted.
Why I like Modi
Narendra Modi, the CM of Gujarat, is much vilified by the pseudo-secular ELM but he is one man who is just so high in stature and character that all the the shit they throw at him just lands on their own faces!
Here is one of his superb interviews he has given to rediff. He is one of the very few people who gives perfect interview and who the ELM cannot frustrate however hard they try.
Here are some excerpts,
Do you think the development debate in this country has turned pro-business? And that ordinary people are feeling left behind?
You've asked a very good question, and I will be pleased to answer this one.
In my Gujarat I hold the Vibrant Gujarat global investor summit once in two years, on January 13-14. Some 700-800 government officers of mine are involved in it, and I invite industrialists and businessmen to come for the summit and invest in the state.
Also in my state, for one month every year, we hold an agricultural festival in which about a lakh government servants go to the villages in May-June, braving the 44 degree temperatures, sit down with the farmers and work towards agricultural development. You remember what we do for two days out of two years, but where the government travels to the countryside for a month every year and promotes agriculture, you are not interested.
Is it because of rural migration to the cities?
Not because of rural migration. In my Gujarat we have the Jyoti Gram Yojana thanks to which rural migration to cities has ended, all arrangements have been made. Very few of our villagers go to cities, which is a very interesting development about Gujarat.
If you provide urban amenities in villages, they will not go to the cities.
Isn't the nuclear deal an achievement?
The issue is, India has uranium. Earlier the government would make budgetary allocation for uranium exploration. What was the reason for Dr Manmohan Singh, as finance minister, to make it zero budgeting for uranium exploration?
What was the reason when he became PM to halt research into uranium? And what is the reason for him enter into a restrictive agreement with foreign nations for the same uranium? Now the question arises.
Will you deny that you have no ambition whatsoever to become the prime minister?
I have a mission, not ambition. I was not born to become something, I was born to do something.
I did not have a desire to become somebody when I was a child, I don't have it now, nor will I have it in the future.
I have a dream, to do something. I want to do something for the nation. I am part of the mission, not ambition.
Ambition doesn't inspire me, mission does.
Here is one of his superb interviews he has given to rediff. He is one of the very few people who gives perfect interview and who the ELM cannot frustrate however hard they try.
Here are some excerpts,
Do you think the development debate in this country has turned pro-business? And that ordinary people are feeling left behind?
You've asked a very good question, and I will be pleased to answer this one.
In my Gujarat I hold the Vibrant Gujarat global investor summit once in two years, on January 13-14. Some 700-800 government officers of mine are involved in it, and I invite industrialists and businessmen to come for the summit and invest in the state.
Also in my state, for one month every year, we hold an agricultural festival in which about a lakh government servants go to the villages in May-June, braving the 44 degree temperatures, sit down with the farmers and work towards agricultural development. You remember what we do for two days out of two years, but where the government travels to the countryside for a month every year and promotes agriculture, you are not interested.
Is it because of rural migration to the cities?
Not because of rural migration. In my Gujarat we have the Jyoti Gram Yojana thanks to which rural migration to cities has ended, all arrangements have been made. Very few of our villagers go to cities, which is a very interesting development about Gujarat.
If you provide urban amenities in villages, they will not go to the cities.
Isn't the nuclear deal an achievement?
The issue is, India has uranium. Earlier the government would make budgetary allocation for uranium exploration. What was the reason for Dr Manmohan Singh, as finance minister, to make it zero budgeting for uranium exploration?
What was the reason when he became PM to halt research into uranium? And what is the reason for him enter into a restrictive agreement with foreign nations for the same uranium? Now the question arises.
Will you deny that you have no ambition whatsoever to become the prime minister?
I have a mission, not ambition. I was not born to become something, I was born to do something.
I did not have a desire to become somebody when I was a child, I don't have it now, nor will I have it in the future.
I have a dream, to do something. I want to do something for the nation. I am part of the mission, not ambition.
Ambition doesn't inspire me, mission does.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Swamy on Vajpayee
I am impressed by the scholarship of Dr. Subramanian Swamy, who quit from a position of faculty in Harvard to join active politics in India. I enjoy listening to him speak on various issues concerning India. What does bother me about him is his tendency to change sides. I wonder if it is because of his love for truth or something else! He once was completely against Jayalilitha (and was nearly killed for that) and then he became her personal confidant. He appears to be a Hindutva supporter but is against the BJP. He is a very unpredictable person which must be the reason that he is called the "Captain without a ship".
Here is an excerpt from Dr. Swamy's article on his association with Moraji Desai in which he questions the character of ex-prime minister A.B. Vajpayee. I wonder what truth there is to this. One thing is for certain, Dr. Swamy has no qualms in questioning someones character.
http://janataparty.org/articledetail.asp?rowid=10
"From that day on wards, even if Morarji did nothing much for me politically, he was always on my side helping me where he could and I remained his friend till his last breath. When his Cabinet was formed, it was widely thought that I would be made a Cabinet Minister for my role in the Emergency, but Atal Behari Vajpayee, who had played a disgraceful role of writing an apology letter to Mrs.Gandhi during the Emergency - to come out on parole out of jail, - controlled 91 Jan Sangh MPs. Vajpayee was given to tremendous jealousy, and it is the root cause of the mess BJP is in today. He found my "Emergency Hero" status unbearable especially since he wanted to hide his own surrender shame. He therefore prevailed upon Morarji to offer me only a Minister of State with independent charge. Morarji also thought that at the age of 37, a Cabinet Ministership was too early."
"Morarji helped me to break the ice with China. Vajpayee as Foreign Minister blocked my visit for one year, but in 1978, Morarji saw that I went first to China. He accepted my view about China, and rejected Vajpayee's, who was keen to keep the Soviet Union pleased. Even on Israel, Morarji accepted my view and invited Moshe Dayan to visit India." - It must be mentioned that Vajpayee is credited with opening relations with China.
"Because of the factionalism in the Janata Party, during his tenure as PM, he could not make me a Cabinet Minister. Delhi was always abuzz with the rumour that he was about to induct me as Foreign Minister because he was fed up with Vajpayee's drinking habits whenever he went abroad or his indiscretion with women. But the 91 MPs of the Jan Sangh group was Vajpayee's strength, so Morarji kept postponing the date. Then there was the Raj Narain nuisance. However in June 1979, Raj Narain was expelled from the Janatha Party, and everything was under control-- or so it seemed. It was then I was confidently told by insiders that Morarji would bring me into the Cabinet in the September 1979 re-shuffle. That re-shuffle never came because Morarji quit office in July 1979. But the greatness of Morarji was exhibited in those trying moments when he was betrayed by colleague after colleague, each trying to become Prime Minister. Some got a bad name for it such as Charan Singh, but the real culprits were Vajpayee and Ramakrishna Hegde who pushed Morarji into a confrontation with Charan Singh, and then let Morarji down.
Provoked by what he mistakenly took as Morarji induced insults, Charan Singh broke the party, and the Janatha Party lost majority. Then Vajpayee and Hegde produced a list of 279 MPs of which 23 MPs signatures were forged. The President Mr.Sanjiva Reddy was alerted to it by the IB, and he made it public. Morarji gallantly took the blame and quit public life. It should have been Vajpayee and Hegde who should have quit, but they left Morarji holding the bag and owning responsibility! Such was their character."
I am a supporter of the BJP but at the same time I do realize that it is not a perfect party and has its shortcomings. Here is another of Swamy's retorts against the BJP.
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2005/sep/119551.htm
"While the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded action by the UPA government regarding the KGB revelations against Congress leaders being bribed by the Russian spy agency, it had failed to take action when NDA was in power.
The party, in an aggressive mode lead by deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, V K Malhotra, demanded that action be taken against Congress and CPI leaders who were allegedly on the KGB payroll, as revealed by agent Vasili Mitrokhin in a book.
However, the BJP failed to take action against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and others who were reportedly being paid by the KGB. Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, who has been raising this issue, questions the silence of the BJP, when it was in power during Prime Minister A B Vajpayee era.
Jaswant Singh, the BJP leader in Rajya Sabha, admitted to Swamy in a letter that the issue was raised when he was the external affairs minister during the NDA regime. The MEA had approached the KGB through the Indian Embassy in Moscow to get the details. The KGB informed the Indian Embassy that it could only correspond with the Indian spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, under the Prime Ministers office.
According to Singh, the information was received by the RAW but expressed his inability to recall the outcome of the KGB information.
Interestingly, Swamy had informed the PMO, when Vajpayee was PM, through the proper channels. He wrote to MoS Vasundara Raje Scindia on March 3, 2001.
In his letter, Swamy mentioned how Sonia Gandhi appointed the managing director of Maruti Technical Services Private Limited in the presence of two shareholders Sanjay Gandhi and Maruti Heavy Vehicles Private Limited.
The KGB had said that it paid money to certain Congress leaders and a company funded by the Gandhi family.
According to a letter written by KGB chief Viktor Chebrikov, in 1992, to the Central Committee of Communist Party of Soviet Union, the family of Rajiv Gandhi had expressed gratitude for the help being received by them through commercial deals of an Indian firm controlled by them with Soviet foreign trade organisations.
He wrote, They (Mainos Sonias paternal family name) informed that a major part of these resources were used to support the party of Mr Rajiv Gandhi.
This information was available to Vajpayee and the PMO, who failed to take action. On Tuesday, the BJP general secretary demanded a thorough probe. An Intelligence Bureau official said the information was available to the Vajpayee regime but failed to take action.
However, Swamy, fighting a legal battle in the Delhi High Court, faced a hurdle from the NDA government when the court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to record a FIR in the case. However, the NDA government did not give permission to the CBI and the matter languished for four years.
On January 10, 2001, home minister L K Advani was appraised of the reported funding of the Congress leaders by KGB, but no action was taken, according to sources. Now the issue is in the Supreme Court and comes up for hearing on October 24, 2005.
The Congress and the CPI have rubbished the claims and former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu said that the Americans had paid money to Indira Gandhi and the Congress to curb the communists in India. "
Here is an excerpt from Dr. Swamy's article on his association with Moraji Desai in which he questions the character of ex-prime minister A.B. Vajpayee. I wonder what truth there is to this. One thing is for certain, Dr. Swamy has no qualms in questioning someones character.
http://janataparty.org/articledetail.asp?rowid=10
"From that day on wards, even if Morarji did nothing much for me politically, he was always on my side helping me where he could and I remained his friend till his last breath. When his Cabinet was formed, it was widely thought that I would be made a Cabinet Minister for my role in the Emergency, but Atal Behari Vajpayee, who had played a disgraceful role of writing an apology letter to Mrs.Gandhi during the Emergency - to come out on parole out of jail, - controlled 91 Jan Sangh MPs. Vajpayee was given to tremendous jealousy, and it is the root cause of the mess BJP is in today. He found my "Emergency Hero" status unbearable especially since he wanted to hide his own surrender shame. He therefore prevailed upon Morarji to offer me only a Minister of State with independent charge. Morarji also thought that at the age of 37, a Cabinet Ministership was too early."
"Morarji helped me to break the ice with China. Vajpayee as Foreign Minister blocked my visit for one year, but in 1978, Morarji saw that I went first to China. He accepted my view about China, and rejected Vajpayee's, who was keen to keep the Soviet Union pleased. Even on Israel, Morarji accepted my view and invited Moshe Dayan to visit India." - It must be mentioned that Vajpayee is credited with opening relations with China.
"Because of the factionalism in the Janata Party, during his tenure as PM, he could not make me a Cabinet Minister. Delhi was always abuzz with the rumour that he was about to induct me as Foreign Minister because he was fed up with Vajpayee's drinking habits whenever he went abroad or his indiscretion with women. But the 91 MPs of the Jan Sangh group was Vajpayee's strength, so Morarji kept postponing the date. Then there was the Raj Narain nuisance. However in June 1979, Raj Narain was expelled from the Janatha Party, and everything was under control-- or so it seemed. It was then I was confidently told by insiders that Morarji would bring me into the Cabinet in the September 1979 re-shuffle. That re-shuffle never came because Morarji quit office in July 1979. But the greatness of Morarji was exhibited in those trying moments when he was betrayed by colleague after colleague, each trying to become Prime Minister. Some got a bad name for it such as Charan Singh, but the real culprits were Vajpayee and Ramakrishna Hegde who pushed Morarji into a confrontation with Charan Singh, and then let Morarji down.
Provoked by what he mistakenly took as Morarji induced insults, Charan Singh broke the party, and the Janatha Party lost majority. Then Vajpayee and Hegde produced a list of 279 MPs of which 23 MPs signatures were forged. The President Mr.Sanjiva Reddy was alerted to it by the IB, and he made it public. Morarji gallantly took the blame and quit public life. It should have been Vajpayee and Hegde who should have quit, but they left Morarji holding the bag and owning responsibility! Such was their character."
I am a supporter of the BJP but at the same time I do realize that it is not a perfect party and has its shortcomings. Here is another of Swamy's retorts against the BJP.
http://www.mid-day.com/news/2005/sep/119551.htm
"While the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded action by the UPA government regarding the KGB revelations against Congress leaders being bribed by the Russian spy agency, it had failed to take action when NDA was in power.
The party, in an aggressive mode lead by deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, V K Malhotra, demanded that action be taken against Congress and CPI leaders who were allegedly on the KGB payroll, as revealed by agent Vasili Mitrokhin in a book.
However, the BJP failed to take action against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and others who were reportedly being paid by the KGB. Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, who has been raising this issue, questions the silence of the BJP, when it was in power during Prime Minister A B Vajpayee era.
Jaswant Singh, the BJP leader in Rajya Sabha, admitted to Swamy in a letter that the issue was raised when he was the external affairs minister during the NDA regime. The MEA had approached the KGB through the Indian Embassy in Moscow to get the details. The KGB informed the Indian Embassy that it could only correspond with the Indian spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, under the Prime Ministers office.
According to Singh, the information was received by the RAW but expressed his inability to recall the outcome of the KGB information.
Interestingly, Swamy had informed the PMO, when Vajpayee was PM, through the proper channels. He wrote to MoS Vasundara Raje Scindia on March 3, 2001.
In his letter, Swamy mentioned how Sonia Gandhi appointed the managing director of Maruti Technical Services Private Limited in the presence of two shareholders Sanjay Gandhi and Maruti Heavy Vehicles Private Limited.
The KGB had said that it paid money to certain Congress leaders and a company funded by the Gandhi family.
According to a letter written by KGB chief Viktor Chebrikov, in 1992, to the Central Committee of Communist Party of Soviet Union, the family of Rajiv Gandhi had expressed gratitude for the help being received by them through commercial deals of an Indian firm controlled by them with Soviet foreign trade organisations.
He wrote, They (Mainos Sonias paternal family name) informed that a major part of these resources were used to support the party of Mr Rajiv Gandhi.
This information was available to Vajpayee and the PMO, who failed to take action. On Tuesday, the BJP general secretary demanded a thorough probe. An Intelligence Bureau official said the information was available to the Vajpayee regime but failed to take action.
However, Swamy, fighting a legal battle in the Delhi High Court, faced a hurdle from the NDA government when the court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to record a FIR in the case. However, the NDA government did not give permission to the CBI and the matter languished for four years.
On January 10, 2001, home minister L K Advani was appraised of the reported funding of the Congress leaders by KGB, but no action was taken, according to sources. Now the issue is in the Supreme Court and comes up for hearing on October 24, 2005.
The Congress and the CPI have rubbished the claims and former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu said that the Americans had paid money to Indira Gandhi and the Congress to curb the communists in India. "
The Nehru legacy - brainwashing the public
Found a very good piece in LK Advani's website which gives very good information on how the Congress has worked to influence Indian minds and brainwash them so that they think that it is only the Gandhi-Nehru family which contributed anything for India!
It only goes to show that Indian never really got its freedom and what happened on August 15th was merely the passing of the Baton from the brits to the Nehru family. The way the congress thinks it owns India while itself being ruled by the Nehru family clearly shows that India is struggling to get itself out of the monarchy minset.
All in the name of the Nehru Gandhi Family
- Surya Prakash
1. BUILDING BRAND CONGRESS WITH PUBLIC MONEY
In a planned and systematic effort to gain unfair advantage over other political parties, the Congress Party has named all major government programmes, projects and institutions in the country after three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family - Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru – who are its icons, and disturbed the level playing field in the electoral arena.
2. WHERE IS THE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD?
Such is the obsession of the Congress Party with three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family that even the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi has been virtually forgotten. The Congress Party’s contempt for Mahatma Gandhi is best explained by the fact that just one central scheme – the Mahatma Gandhi Backward Region Development Fund- has been named after him. Even this tokenism has come as an after thought only in 2007, almost 60 years after the Mahatma’s assassination. On the other hand, schemes to promote rural electrification, drinking water, crèche for children and micro and small industries in rural areas ( each of which was close to the heart of the Mahatma) are all named after Rajiv Gandhi. Again, the scheme to build houses for the rural poor (something that would have made the Mahatma proud) is named after Indira Gandhi, as also the national old age pension scheme. Yet another programme which ought to have been named after the Mahatma - the greatest Indian of the 20 th Century- is the Rozgar Yojana which guarantees 100 days of work for the rural unemployed all over the country. Even this programme was initially named after Jawaharlal Nehru as also the Urban Renewal Mission (annual budgetary allocation of over Rs 10,000 Crores).
3. LIST OF THE 450 SCHEMES
Inside is the list of Government Schemes and Projects; Universities and Educational Institutions; Ports and Airports; National Parks and Sanctuaries; Sports Tournaments, Trophies and Stadia; Hospitals and Medical Institutions; National Scientific and Research Institutions; University Chairs, Scholarships and Fellowships; Festivals; Roads and Buildings named after three member of the Nehru Gandhi family viz. Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, which has been submitted to the Election Commission by A.Surya Prakash as an Annexure to his complaint. This list includes most of the projects, schemes and institutions funded by the Union Government and the Governments in the States.
It only goes to show that Indian never really got its freedom and what happened on August 15th was merely the passing of the Baton from the brits to the Nehru family. The way the congress thinks it owns India while itself being ruled by the Nehru family clearly shows that India is struggling to get itself out of the monarchy minset.
All in the name of the Nehru Gandhi Family
- Surya Prakash
1. BUILDING BRAND CONGRESS WITH PUBLIC MONEY
In a planned and systematic effort to gain unfair advantage over other political parties, the Congress Party has named all major government programmes, projects and institutions in the country after three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family - Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru – who are its icons, and disturbed the level playing field in the electoral arena.
2. WHERE IS THE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD?
Such is the obsession of the Congress Party with three members of the Nehru-Gandhi family that even the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi has been virtually forgotten. The Congress Party’s contempt for Mahatma Gandhi is best explained by the fact that just one central scheme – the Mahatma Gandhi Backward Region Development Fund- has been named after him. Even this tokenism has come as an after thought only in 2007, almost 60 years after the Mahatma’s assassination. On the other hand, schemes to promote rural electrification, drinking water, crèche for children and micro and small industries in rural areas ( each of which was close to the heart of the Mahatma) are all named after Rajiv Gandhi. Again, the scheme to build houses for the rural poor (something that would have made the Mahatma proud) is named after Indira Gandhi, as also the national old age pension scheme. Yet another programme which ought to have been named after the Mahatma - the greatest Indian of the 20 th Century- is the Rozgar Yojana which guarantees 100 days of work for the rural unemployed all over the country. Even this programme was initially named after Jawaharlal Nehru as also the Urban Renewal Mission (annual budgetary allocation of over Rs 10,000 Crores).
3. LIST OF THE 450 SCHEMES
Inside is the list of Government Schemes and Projects; Universities and Educational Institutions; Ports and Airports; National Parks and Sanctuaries; Sports Tournaments, Trophies and Stadia; Hospitals and Medical Institutions; National Scientific and Research Institutions; University Chairs, Scholarships and Fellowships; Festivals; Roads and Buildings named after three member of the Nehru Gandhi family viz. Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, which has been submitted to the Election Commission by A.Surya Prakash as an Annexure to his complaint. This list includes most of the projects, schemes and institutions funded by the Union Government and the Governments in the States.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Facts about Gujarat 2002
A very interesting update on the Gujarat riots. It clearly shows how so called social activists like Teesta Setalvad are nothing but fronts for anti-India organizations such as the ISI.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/169490/Gujarat-riot-myths-busted.html
"The so-called human rights activist, Teesta Setalvad — who paraded the Gujarat riot victims before the Supreme Court and claimed they had been denied justice — suffered embarrassment on Monday after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) gave sufficient grounds for the apex court to doubt the authenticity of incidents highlighted by her NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace.
The SIT, headed by former CBI Director RK Raghavan along with former DGP CB Satpathy and three senior IPS officers — Geetha Johri, Shivanand Jha and Ashish Bhatia — had been entrusted with the enquiry into post-Godhra riot incidents in Godhra, Gulbarg Society, Naroda Gaon, Naroda Patiya and Sardarpura.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the State, read out portions of the report that refuted the petitioner’s charge of the State’s complicity in the riots.
Pointing out a specific instance, the SIT report stated how the evidence of 22 witnesses was “suspect” owing to the identical submissions made in their affidavits submitted to the court. On enquiry, the SIT found that all the 22 affidavits were drafted, typed and printed from the same computer, giving sufficient grounds to believe they were “tutored”. When the SIT questioned those who signed the affidavits, it was shocked to learn that these complainants were not even aware of the incidents.
Referring to another instance that exposed the Citizens for Justice and Peace’s much ‘trumpeted’ charges, Rohtagi said the SIT investigation found untrue allegation about a gangrape of a pregnant woman Kauser Bano, whose stomach was allegedly pierced by sword and her foetus killed.
Even the instance of dumping of bodies into a well at Naroda Patiya and a charge of the police allegedly shielding accused persons in murder of a British national was found to be untrue, Rohtagi said.
Firing a salvo at the NGO, Rohtagi said, “It is clear from the report that the horrendous allegations made by the NGO were false. Cyclostyled affidavits were supplied by a social activist and the allegations made in them were untrue,” he added, with an obvious reference to Setalvad."
I hope there is a strong legal process initiated against her to prevent her from doing any more "social" activity.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/169490/Gujarat-riot-myths-busted.html
"The so-called human rights activist, Teesta Setalvad — who paraded the Gujarat riot victims before the Supreme Court and claimed they had been denied justice — suffered embarrassment on Monday after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) gave sufficient grounds for the apex court to doubt the authenticity of incidents highlighted by her NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace.
The SIT, headed by former CBI Director RK Raghavan along with former DGP CB Satpathy and three senior IPS officers — Geetha Johri, Shivanand Jha and Ashish Bhatia — had been entrusted with the enquiry into post-Godhra riot incidents in Godhra, Gulbarg Society, Naroda Gaon, Naroda Patiya and Sardarpura.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the State, read out portions of the report that refuted the petitioner’s charge of the State’s complicity in the riots.
Pointing out a specific instance, the SIT report stated how the evidence of 22 witnesses was “suspect” owing to the identical submissions made in their affidavits submitted to the court. On enquiry, the SIT found that all the 22 affidavits were drafted, typed and printed from the same computer, giving sufficient grounds to believe they were “tutored”. When the SIT questioned those who signed the affidavits, it was shocked to learn that these complainants were not even aware of the incidents.
Referring to another instance that exposed the Citizens for Justice and Peace’s much ‘trumpeted’ charges, Rohtagi said the SIT investigation found untrue allegation about a gangrape of a pregnant woman Kauser Bano, whose stomach was allegedly pierced by sword and her foetus killed.
Even the instance of dumping of bodies into a well at Naroda Patiya and a charge of the police allegedly shielding accused persons in murder of a British national was found to be untrue, Rohtagi said.
Firing a salvo at the NGO, Rohtagi said, “It is clear from the report that the horrendous allegations made by the NGO were false. Cyclostyled affidavits were supplied by a social activist and the allegations made in them were untrue,” he added, with an obvious reference to Setalvad."
I hope there is a strong legal process initiated against her to prevent her from doing any more "social" activity.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Rahul Gandhi lies to the people
A good editorial in the New Indian Express (one of the very few coming out in Indian MSM).
"When former President A P J Abdul Kalam said Indians should build a knowledge society to achieve our national aims of economic transformation and world leadership, he did not realise that some would try to take a shortcut. Yet shortcuts never work. Take the Tamil Nadu chief minister, Mr Kalaignar, for instance; he has an honorary doctorate when he should have been bestowed a Master of Maladministration instead.
Even that will be snatched from him some day, going by the way he is busy with his children’s political careers, neglecting the fact that Tamil children are being killed by Sri Lankan warplanes.
Another example of a shortcut is the degree honoris causa given to liquor baron Vijay Mallya, a man in debt of approximately Rs 15,000 crore these days. True, his contributions to society are multiple and weighty: this columnist has himself cheered Mallya through many a Sunday afternoon’s drunken haze. Do not be judgmental. After all, Mallya did get back Gandhiji’s chappals from an unscrupulous American collector who had the temerity to demand India increase expenditure on healthcare (no honorary doctorate for him!). And as Mallya bragged on TV: “Gandhiji was a great man because he made India famous in the world with his philosophy”.
Yet that quote is not half as brilliant as tennis player Sania Mirza’s when she got her honorary doctorate: “I always wanted to be a doctor”. This is ironic not because degrees honoris causa have nothing to do with medicine, but because its recipients are not supposed to use the title “doctor”, even though bullies like Mallya insist on being called “Dr”. So in future, you may call him Dr King of Good Times (or just Dr Times).
Rahul Gandhi, as Express reported this week, took a different shortcut to fulfilling Kalam’s dreams. His nomination affidavit to the Election Commission says he received an MPhil in Developmental Economics from Cambridge University in 1994-95.
He made the same claim in 2004. Cambridge University, however, says that he was registered for an MPhil course in 2004-2005 (yes, we do not know if he even completed the course), and that it was not in Developmental Economics but in Development Studies (one of the four papers he took was titled “Developmental Economics”).
He also failed one of the subjects, National Economic Planning and Policy. This is not surprising for a man who can’t even remember what degree he’s sitting for. You would hope that a possible future ruler of India would try to master this paper. Maybe Rahul did not try hard because he believes in free markets (but if that is the case, why did he take this course in the first place?). So he didn’t do the MPhil out of intellectual interest, but to pad his CV with a respectable academic qualification, having flunked out of prestigious institutions in India (St Stephen’s) and the USA (Harvard) before collecting a degree from a college in Florida, a state known for having the best “party schools” in America.
Why would Rahul Gandhi falsify his CV? One reason: maybe he does as his Mum advises.
After all, she too falsified her affidavit by claiming to have attended Cambridge University, when all she attended was a language school in the town of Cambridge (she attributed it to a “secretarial typing error”).
But Rahul has not heeded his Mum’s repeated advice to take on more responsibility in government, so we can count that explanation out. Maybe he has a girlfriend somewhere (and in all fairness he should publicly reveal her name, so that we know the name of a potential prime ministerial candidate 20 years from now), whose parents insist on an educated son-in-law. But since youngsters today don’t listen to their parents, we can discount this theory. Maybe he thinks you need an MPhil in Developmental Economics to open a Swiss bank account.
The only plausible explanation for Rahul’s mysterious MPhil is that he thinks it will give him an edge in Uttar Pradesh during the elections. This is not as far-fetched as it sounds. At this point, the two states with the most exciting races (in an election which everyone accepts will give a bits-andpieces Lok Sabha) are UP and Andhra Pradesh. UP is more of a cliffhanger because it has 80 seats and it is a four-way contest which, of late, threatens to become a twoparty fight. This is because of the other young Gandhi, namely Varun who, according to Outlook, falsely claimed to be a graduate of the London School of Economics, and whose speech against Muslims remains an issue in the Hindi heartland (as opposed to the Congress party’s attempts to pacify shoe-throwing Sikhs in Delhi and Punjab).
UP Chief Minister Mayawati has played along with the BJP’s none-too-subtle attempt to polarise the electorate by jailing Varun under the National Security Act, attracting those voters he repelled to her party, the BSP. Suddenly, the Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav does not know what has hit him, other than the fact that he is being end-played. The panic is evident in the squabbling in his party between trusted lieutenant Amar Singh, and key western UP party leader Mohd Azam Khan. Mulayam would not have been pandering to Azam Khan if he did not feel queasy about Muslim support of late.
And while Mulayam is being end-played, the Congress is being squeeze played. Rahul, who is in charge of UP, had put a brave face to the cavalier way in which erstwhile allies have treated his party; he said the Congress would contest on its own in UP and Bihar as it was time to build the party in the Hindi heartland, necessarily a long-term project.
Yet the Congress is non-existent in UP; it may not win any seats other than his or his Mum’s. In Bihar, recent Congressman Pappu Yadav and Jagjivan Ram’s daughter Meera Kumar are said at least to have realistic chances of entering the Lok Sabha. In UP, not only does the party not have its house in order, it lacks the mortar and bricks to even start construction of its house. Rebuilding the party in UP is not just a long-term project, but a very-long-term project.
Perhaps Rahul’s phantom MPhil is intended for just that: to build the party. After all, it makes him look more respectable than rabble-rousers like Mayawati or Mulayam.
Picture the average UP voter, entering the polling booth and thinking: “Rahul is an MPhil. I will vote for Congress.” I can’t picture it either. Obviously, if Rahul had the intellectual stamina to sincerely pursue an education, he could have added to his knowledge, he could have trained himself in rigorous thought, and he could have combined that methodological thinking with the experience his privileged position provides him, and come up with a sensible and practical vision for India. Who knows — he could have convincingly preached the knowledge society and become as popular as Dr Kalam.
Instead, he took the shortcut.
editorchief@epmltd.com
About The Author:
Aditya Sinha is the Editor-in-Chief of The New Indian Express and is based in Chennai.
"When former President A P J Abdul Kalam said Indians should build a knowledge society to achieve our national aims of economic transformation and world leadership, he did not realise that some would try to take a shortcut. Yet shortcuts never work. Take the Tamil Nadu chief minister, Mr Kalaignar, for instance; he has an honorary doctorate when he should have been bestowed a Master of Maladministration instead.
Even that will be snatched from him some day, going by the way he is busy with his children’s political careers, neglecting the fact that Tamil children are being killed by Sri Lankan warplanes.
Another example of a shortcut is the degree honoris causa given to liquor baron Vijay Mallya, a man in debt of approximately Rs 15,000 crore these days. True, his contributions to society are multiple and weighty: this columnist has himself cheered Mallya through many a Sunday afternoon’s drunken haze. Do not be judgmental. After all, Mallya did get back Gandhiji’s chappals from an unscrupulous American collector who had the temerity to demand India increase expenditure on healthcare (no honorary doctorate for him!). And as Mallya bragged on TV: “Gandhiji was a great man because he made India famous in the world with his philosophy”.
Yet that quote is not half as brilliant as tennis player Sania Mirza’s when she got her honorary doctorate: “I always wanted to be a doctor”. This is ironic not because degrees honoris causa have nothing to do with medicine, but because its recipients are not supposed to use the title “doctor”, even though bullies like Mallya insist on being called “Dr”. So in future, you may call him Dr King of Good Times (or just Dr Times).
Rahul Gandhi, as Express reported this week, took a different shortcut to fulfilling Kalam’s dreams. His nomination affidavit to the Election Commission says he received an MPhil in Developmental Economics from Cambridge University in 1994-95.
He made the same claim in 2004. Cambridge University, however, says that he was registered for an MPhil course in 2004-2005 (yes, we do not know if he even completed the course), and that it was not in Developmental Economics but in Development Studies (one of the four papers he took was titled “Developmental Economics”).
He also failed one of the subjects, National Economic Planning and Policy. This is not surprising for a man who can’t even remember what degree he’s sitting for. You would hope that a possible future ruler of India would try to master this paper. Maybe Rahul did not try hard because he believes in free markets (but if that is the case, why did he take this course in the first place?). So he didn’t do the MPhil out of intellectual interest, but to pad his CV with a respectable academic qualification, having flunked out of prestigious institutions in India (St Stephen’s) and the USA (Harvard) before collecting a degree from a college in Florida, a state known for having the best “party schools” in America.
Why would Rahul Gandhi falsify his CV? One reason: maybe he does as his Mum advises.
After all, she too falsified her affidavit by claiming to have attended Cambridge University, when all she attended was a language school in the town of Cambridge (she attributed it to a “secretarial typing error”).
But Rahul has not heeded his Mum’s repeated advice to take on more responsibility in government, so we can count that explanation out. Maybe he has a girlfriend somewhere (and in all fairness he should publicly reveal her name, so that we know the name of a potential prime ministerial candidate 20 years from now), whose parents insist on an educated son-in-law. But since youngsters today don’t listen to their parents, we can discount this theory. Maybe he thinks you need an MPhil in Developmental Economics to open a Swiss bank account.
The only plausible explanation for Rahul’s mysterious MPhil is that he thinks it will give him an edge in Uttar Pradesh during the elections. This is not as far-fetched as it sounds. At this point, the two states with the most exciting races (in an election which everyone accepts will give a bits-andpieces Lok Sabha) are UP and Andhra Pradesh. UP is more of a cliffhanger because it has 80 seats and it is a four-way contest which, of late, threatens to become a twoparty fight. This is because of the other young Gandhi, namely Varun who, according to Outlook, falsely claimed to be a graduate of the London School of Economics, and whose speech against Muslims remains an issue in the Hindi heartland (as opposed to the Congress party’s attempts to pacify shoe-throwing Sikhs in Delhi and Punjab).
UP Chief Minister Mayawati has played along with the BJP’s none-too-subtle attempt to polarise the electorate by jailing Varun under the National Security Act, attracting those voters he repelled to her party, the BSP. Suddenly, the Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav does not know what has hit him, other than the fact that he is being end-played. The panic is evident in the squabbling in his party between trusted lieutenant Amar Singh, and key western UP party leader Mohd Azam Khan. Mulayam would not have been pandering to Azam Khan if he did not feel queasy about Muslim support of late.
And while Mulayam is being end-played, the Congress is being squeeze played. Rahul, who is in charge of UP, had put a brave face to the cavalier way in which erstwhile allies have treated his party; he said the Congress would contest on its own in UP and Bihar as it was time to build the party in the Hindi heartland, necessarily a long-term project.
Yet the Congress is non-existent in UP; it may not win any seats other than his or his Mum’s. In Bihar, recent Congressman Pappu Yadav and Jagjivan Ram’s daughter Meera Kumar are said at least to have realistic chances of entering the Lok Sabha. In UP, not only does the party not have its house in order, it lacks the mortar and bricks to even start construction of its house. Rebuilding the party in UP is not just a long-term project, but a very-long-term project.
Perhaps Rahul’s phantom MPhil is intended for just that: to build the party. After all, it makes him look more respectable than rabble-rousers like Mayawati or Mulayam.
Picture the average UP voter, entering the polling booth and thinking: “Rahul is an MPhil. I will vote for Congress.” I can’t picture it either. Obviously, if Rahul had the intellectual stamina to sincerely pursue an education, he could have added to his knowledge, he could have trained himself in rigorous thought, and he could have combined that methodological thinking with the experience his privileged position provides him, and come up with a sensible and practical vision for India. Who knows — he could have convincingly preached the knowledge society and become as popular as Dr Kalam.
Instead, he took the shortcut.
editorchief@epmltd.com
About The Author:
Aditya Sinha is the Editor-in-Chief of The New Indian Express and is based in Chennai.
EC crossing limits again
Ashok Sahu is a retired Police Officer contesting from the Kandhamal region in Orissa. He has been slapped with an EC notice which has also directed the District Magistrate (DM) to book cases against him that would lead to his arrest. The reason for this is said to be because of his "hate" speech.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200904122025.htm
"The Election Commission on Sunday asked the authorities in Orissa to add two more sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the criminal case filed against Ashok Sahu, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency, who has been booked for an inflammatory speech.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200904122025.htm
"The Election Commission on Sunday asked the authorities in Orissa to add two more sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the criminal case filed against Ashok Sahu, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency, who has been booked for an inflammatory speech.
The Election Commission, which examined a CD recording of Mr. Sahu's speech, also issued notice to him for violating the model code of conduct and asked him to reply by 3 p.m. April 15.
"The Election Commission today directed the Kandhamal district magistrate that in the criminal case filed by him against Ashok Sahu for adding two more sections 505 and 295 of IPC along with existing 125 of RPA and 153 IPC," the commission said in a statement here.
"This decision was taken after examination of the CD today," it said.
While section 505 of the IPC deals with the "statements conducing to public mischief", section 295 deals with "injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class".
At a public meeting at Raikia town on April 5, Mr. Sahu had accused the church of indulging in conversion.
Kandhamal district superintendent of police S. Praveen Kumar said on Saturday that a case was registered against Mr. Sahu and the matter was under investigation.
Kandhamal district, about 200 km from Bhubaneswar, witnessed widespread communal violence after the murder of a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader in August 2008."
In what way is stating the fact that the church is involved in conversions qualify as "hate" speech?!!!
The EC has not bothered to direct the DM's to arrest Congress, Smajwadi party, RJD, Commies, MDMK................ leaders who have threatened to kill and seccede from India!!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Indian Media Bias
Found a good post on one of topics (Understanding media bias and other white lies) in L.K. Advani's website forum made by a person called "TheRightIndian" questioning the Indian Media
"I’ve been struggling to understand the media bias against the BJP. I have spent painful days and nights just trying to understand what these so called media fellows and the purported ‘progressives’ really represent. I always failed, simply because the test of reason and logic did not seem to work with them. So, what does it mean? Does it mean that these ‘progressive Jhollawalahs’ and media folks are anti national? This question has troubled me for many nights. How can I sleep knowing that the fourth pillar of our democracy has been compromised? Why do they have such a hatred towards India being ‘itself’?
Advani does'nt stand for the 'founding principles' ??!!!!
As I was watching a TV program tonight, I heard one of those Congress spokespersons speak that Mr. Advani does not stand for what India is about and does not stand for the ‘founding principles’ on which this country was ‘founded’. That really set me thinking. Yeah? Oh really? Is that how it is? Then the realization just struck me like a thunderbolt:
It is very simply because these media folks and the JNU fellows believe that India came into existence in 1947!! They don’t think that India was ‘liberated’ from ‘external’ powers in 1947. They think it was ‘born’ in 1947! For them, (the nowadays, often quoted term) the ‘Idea of India’ occurred in 1947! AND THEREFORE THEY PROPOSE ALL THE OTHER JUNK AS A COROLLARY TO THIS HYPOTHESIS. They suffer from a civilizational and cultural amnesia compounded and abetted by their alien education.
Were we an Australia or a US of A? Where there was no human inhabitation (or whatever was existing, was conveniently extinguished), and the conquerors got to phrase the ‘founding principles’ in a piece of paper in 19th / 20th century. Is that what our country is? A piece of barren land in 1947? A clean slate that could be written on in 1947? Did the millions in our country offer that clean slate to Congress/Nehru? They just don't realize that India has existed for as long as one can remember. And the 'founding principles' of India are much more ancient, pervasive and pervasive than what a few English educated lawyers could articulate in 1940s and 50s.
Thousands of years of history and achievements in every field of human progress including (but not limited to) art, literature, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, political science and spirituality becomes ‘mythical’, ‘surreal’ and ‘supposed’ at the ‘stroke of a midnight’! And imitating the past aggressors in their dressing, world view, shallowness of intellect and abhorrence of spiritualism (which did not exist in either of the two aggressive systems) has become contemporary, modern, secular and more than anything else fashionable!
Can thousands of years of history, culture, values and accomplishments be rubbished as dust on the slate one fine day? Can hundreds of years of external aggressions, wars, religious crusades, submission and subjugation be wiped out by ‘mere stroke of the midnight’ and made available to ‘tryst with destiny’? Is that it?
If the Hindu society can offer amends, offer apologies, constitutionalised affirmative action and reprieve to our Dalit brothers who were wronged (from) hundreds of years back and if the contemporary German society can do the same for the (recently wronged) Jews, is it not fair to expect that aggressors against Hindu civilization do the same? At least do not completely deny that those atrocities ever took place! That’s not just denial but negationism.
An ancient pluralistic civilization with rich culture was plundered by two quasi-political, quasi- religious regimes for hundreds of years, and today we are told that to represent and believe in that age-old pluralism is being ‘communal’ or worse ‘fascist’ ! What a farce!
I am no big fan of Karl Marx. But he’s spoken a prophetic line :
History always repeats itself. First time as a tragedy and the second time as a farce!
Who should we blame? The ‘progressive media’ Jaychands? Or the even the Prithiviraj Chauhans who forgave Mohamad Ghori 18 times? (Only to be cheated by him the 19th time!)
Say both?
Another post in reply to a person exhibiting the typical dhimmi attitude he gives a very nice analogy of the Indian situation.
"China captured Tibet in the 50's. The Buddhist monasteries are thousands of years old and are an inseparable part of Tibetan identity. Now suppose (god forbid), Chinese government, to intimidate and humiliate the Buddhists, destroys those magnificent monasteries as it believes in atheism and builds Communist party offices there. The people of Tibet are terribly humiliated and upset but helpless in front of the Chinese might. Their very identity is shattered to smithereens. The Chinese stay in power for many many years. And then, India (hopefully) captures Tibet. By this time, Tibet is made up of mostly Buddhists and some communists (apparently the Chinese converted quite a few Buddhists into Communism). To stay in power, and to not to disturb the equilibrium, Indians do not touch the issue of monasteries and maintain status-quo for for many many years. Because of a freedom movement in Tibet and India's own other pressures, India decides to give freedom Tibet. But the minority communists do not want to be part of Tibet; they want their own country 'Communistan'. India agrees and Tibet is divided.The communist majority northern Tibet is made into a new country 'Communistan' and the Buddhist majority Tibet is now free. A new 'Tibetan' government is formed. The Tibetan Buddhists are kind hearted people. They don't want to impose their religion on the remaining communists and other minorities. Therefore the country adopts a secular constitution. But the Tibetan Buddhist identity has been severely dented because of the destruction of their most sacred monasteries and then by the partition of their beloved motherland. It is now demanded by many Tibetans that the monasteries be rebuilt at the same place and if the communist offices need to be preserved for archeological reasons, those communist offices can be 'scientifically shifted' in toto ( yes, it is possible) to some nearby location.
Now what should the Tibetan government do ? Two options :
1. Agree to the demand, rebuild the monasteries, restore the Buddhist pride, restore the place for the millions of Buddhists to pray and perform their other religious ceremonies. Shift the communist offices elsewhere.
2.Take the pitch of
(As I type, there's a third ,very very Indian option that comes to mind)
3. Question the existence of Buddha. Ask for his birth certificate.
Write history text books which do not talk about the destruction of monasteries by the communists. Ask for proof that monasteries once stood there. Create a media culture where those Tibetans asking for the monasteries to be rebuilt are branded as 'communal' and fascists. Create a political culture where the minority communists are appeased to the extent of giving subsidy to the communists for their pilgrimage to Beijing!! 
Blame the Tibetans totally for everything that happened in the past (Remember?, it's because of disunity among Tibetans that the Chinese and the Indians were able to gain control over Tibet !!).
Which of the above three options suits Tibet the best? I leave it to the readers to decide.
"I’ve been struggling to understand the media bias against the BJP. I have spent painful days and nights just trying to understand what these so called media fellows and the purported ‘progressives’ really represent. I always failed, simply because the test of reason and logic did not seem to work with them. So, what does it mean? Does it mean that these ‘progressive Jhollawalahs’ and media folks are anti national? This question has troubled me for many nights. How can I sleep knowing that the fourth pillar of our democracy has been compromised? Why do they have such a hatred towards India being ‘itself’?
Advani does'nt stand for the 'founding principles' ??!!!!
As I was watching a TV program tonight, I heard one of those Congress spokespersons speak that Mr. Advani does not stand for what India is about and does not stand for the ‘founding principles’ on which this country was ‘founded’. That really set me thinking. Yeah? Oh really? Is that how it is? Then the realization just struck me like a thunderbolt:
It is very simply because these media folks and the JNU fellows believe that India came into existence in 1947!! They don’t think that India was ‘liberated’ from ‘external’ powers in 1947. They think it was ‘born’ in 1947! For them, (the nowadays, often quoted term) the ‘Idea of India’ occurred in 1947! AND THEREFORE THEY PROPOSE ALL THE OTHER JUNK AS A COROLLARY TO THIS HYPOTHESIS. They suffer from a civilizational and cultural amnesia compounded and abetted by their alien education.
Were we an Australia or a US of A? Where there was no human inhabitation (or whatever was existing, was conveniently extinguished), and the conquerors got to phrase the ‘founding principles’ in a piece of paper in 19th / 20th century. Is that what our country is? A piece of barren land in 1947? A clean slate that could be written on in 1947? Did the millions in our country offer that clean slate to Congress/Nehru? They just don't realize that India has existed for as long as one can remember. And the 'founding principles' of India are much more ancient, pervasive and pervasive than what a few English educated lawyers could articulate in 1940s and 50s.
Thousands of years of history and achievements in every field of human progress including (but not limited to) art, literature, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, political science and spirituality becomes ‘mythical’, ‘surreal’ and ‘supposed’ at the ‘stroke of a midnight’! And imitating the past aggressors in their dressing, world view, shallowness of intellect and abhorrence of spiritualism (which did not exist in either of the two aggressive systems) has become contemporary, modern, secular and more than anything else fashionable!
Can thousands of years of history, culture, values and accomplishments be rubbished as dust on the slate one fine day? Can hundreds of years of external aggressions, wars, religious crusades, submission and subjugation be wiped out by ‘mere stroke of the midnight’ and made available to ‘tryst with destiny’? Is that it?
If the Hindu society can offer amends, offer apologies, constitutionalised affirmative action and reprieve to our Dalit brothers who were wronged (from) hundreds of years back and if the contemporary German society can do the same for the (recently wronged) Jews, is it not fair to expect that aggressors against Hindu civilization do the same? At least do not completely deny that those atrocities ever took place! That’s not just denial but negationism.
An ancient pluralistic civilization with rich culture was plundered by two quasi-political, quasi- religious regimes for hundreds of years, and today we are told that to represent and believe in that age-old pluralism is being ‘communal’ or worse ‘fascist’ ! What a farce!
I am no big fan of Karl Marx. But he’s spoken a prophetic line :
History always repeats itself. First time as a tragedy and the second time as a farce!
Who should we blame? The ‘progressive media’ Jaychands? Or the even the Prithiviraj Chauhans who forgave Mohamad Ghori 18 times? (Only to be cheated by him the 19th time!)
Say both?
Another post in reply to a person exhibiting the typical dhimmi attitude he gives a very nice analogy of the Indian situation.
"China captured Tibet in the 50's. The Buddhist monasteries are thousands of years old and are an inseparable part of Tibetan identity. Now suppose (god forbid), Chinese government, to intimidate and humiliate the Buddhists, destroys those magnificent monasteries as it believes in atheism and builds Communist party offices there. The people of Tibet are terribly humiliated and upset but helpless in front of the Chinese might. Their very identity is shattered to smithereens. The Chinese stay in power for many many years. And then, India (hopefully) captures Tibet. By this time, Tibet is made up of mostly Buddhists and some communists (apparently the Chinese converted quite a few Buddhists into Communism). To stay in power, and to not to disturb the equilibrium, Indians do not touch the issue of monasteries and maintain status-quo for for many many years. Because of a freedom movement in Tibet and India's own other pressures, India decides to give freedom Tibet. But the minority communists do not want to be part of Tibet; they want their own country 'Communistan'. India agrees and Tibet is divided.The communist majority northern Tibet is made into a new country 'Communistan' and the Buddhist majority Tibet is now free. A new 'Tibetan' government is formed. The Tibetan Buddhists are kind hearted people. They don't want to impose their religion on the remaining communists and other minorities. Therefore the country adopts a secular constitution. But the Tibetan Buddhist identity has been severely dented because of the destruction of their most sacred monasteries and then by the partition of their beloved motherland. It is now demanded by many Tibetans that the monasteries be rebuilt at the same place and if the communist offices need to be preserved for archeological reasons, those communist offices can be 'scientifically shifted' in toto ( yes, it is possible) to some nearby location.
Now what should the Tibetan government do ? Two options :
1. Agree to the demand, rebuild the monasteries, restore the Buddhist pride, restore the place for the millions of Buddhists to pray and perform their other religious ceremonies. Shift the communist offices elsewhere.
2.Take the pitch of
, and keep staring at those communist offices everyday."And why do we want to destroy structures because we believe it is standing on something else that existed at the same spot in the past? For that matter, everywhere that we are standing or sitting, we are doing so on some history!!"
(As I type, there's a third ,very very Indian option that comes to mind)
3. Question the existence of Buddha. Ask for his birth certificate.
Write history text books which do not talk about the destruction of monasteries by the communists. Ask for proof that monasteries once stood there. Create a media culture where those Tibetans asking for the monasteries to be rebuilt are branded as 'communal' and fascists. Create a political culture where the minority communists are appeased to the extent of giving subsidy to the communists for their pilgrimage to Beijing!! Blame the Tibetans totally for everything that happened in the past (Remember?, it's because of disunity among Tibetans that the Chinese and the Indians were able to gain control over Tibet !!). Which of the above three options suits Tibet the best? I leave it to the readers to decide.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Shocking sops in AP
PRP chief Chiranjeevi and TDP president C. Naidu promise poll sops to Christians in AP. The media hasn't given any importance to these promises!!
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20090129/1164315.html
"Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) President Chiranjeevi today anounced that the party would set up a special Board to safeguard the properties of Christians if it was voted to power in the ensuing assembly elections.
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20090129/1164315.html
"Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) President Chiranjeevi today anounced that the party would set up a special Board to safeguard the properties of Christians if it was voted to power in the ensuing assembly elections.
The Board would be formed on the lines of Endowment Boards created to protect the properties of Muslims, he said, addressing the devotees at the three-day 70th annual Bible Mission convention here.
He said the PRP would strive to thwart any attacks on Christians.
The party would also provide financial assistance to Christians who wish to visit Jerusalem in Israel.
The PRP would strive to maintain peace among people of all religions, he said and added he entered politics only to serve the people with the inspiration provided by Mother Theresa.
He later sought the blessing of the preachers."
http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/28/stories/2009012859250800.htm
"A separate corporation will be opened in the State to provide protection to all the Christian properties, renovate churches, and provide amounts to larger number of Christians to travel to Bethlehem, said Telugu Desam Party President Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
Addressing a gathering of more than a lakh of people on the inaugural day of the Bible Mission Annual Conventions opposite Acharya Nagarjuna University, the TDP leader said that the attacks on Christians all over the country had increased multi-fold and were never seen during his regime.
Promising to scrap the new Government Orders 746 and 747 amid loud cheers, as the GOs were allegedly being used to attack Christians, Mr. Naidu promised to provide additional land for the burial grounds.
Thanking the organising secretary Jerripothula Samuel Kiran for making efforts to help people have faith in the Jesus, who had only promoted peace in the world, he said conversions were not the route for reaching out to the disadvantaged.
Asking the devotees and the preachers gathered at the massive Bible Mission Convention venue at 4.30 p.m., he asked them to continue to pray for the world peace and end of terrorism.
All TDP leaders including party district president Prattipati Pulla Rao, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, former Mayor Yesuratnam, and Mangalagiri in-charge Madala Rajendra received him at the Helipad arranged at Kantheru."
Christian deceit - Benny Hinn
Found an interesting documentary on Benny Hinn on Youtube made by CBS.
It is a 5 part series and is a must watch.
Another video is,
It is so funny to watch the antics of this joker on stage!! It is shocking that there are so many people who actually believe in such trash!
He spews venom like no on else and talks complete gibberish, typical of evangelists.
What disappoints me greatly is the way the Indian media has covered his visit to India. Also shocking was the support the Congress people gave by attending his "service"!! Only the BJP spoke against his bullshit.
http://www.indiasalvationcrusade.com/
It is a 5 part series and is a must watch.
Another video is,
It is so funny to watch the antics of this joker on stage!! It is shocking that there are so many people who actually believe in such trash!
He spews venom like no on else and talks complete gibberish, typical of evangelists.
What disappoints me greatly is the way the Indian media has covered his visit to India. Also shocking was the support the Congress people gave by attending his "service"!! Only the BJP spoke against his bullshit.
http://www.indiasalvationcrusade.com/
AP Congress in hate speech
I wonder why the media is not going full steam with this news piece where the Congress leader spews venom against Hindus!!
http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15765033
THE CONGRESS, which is jubilant with the arrest of BJP young campaigner Varun Gandhi for his alleged remarks against Muslim minorities, is now facing the same music with its Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas facing similar charges.
The Chief Electoral Officer of the Election Commission in Hyderabad Dr IV Subba Rao viewed the video-footage of the speech made by Srinivas in Nizamabad, from where he is seeking re-election to the State Assembly. He later submitted a report to the Election Commission for suitable action.
On the line of Varun Gandhi, the Election Commission is expected to issue a notice to Srinivas. However, it will be interesting to observe whether the EC makes a similar move by advising the AICC to withdraw him from the contest.
The BJP, which feels isolated with regard to Varun Gandhi episode, is now challenging Congress government in the state to arrest Srinivas on the lines of Varun Gandhi. But interestingly all Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy are silent.
In an obvious riposte to BJP leader Varun Gandhi, the APCC chief reportedly stated that he would sacrifice his head for the minorities if need be and would cut off the hands of those who pointed a finger at them.
This prompted the BJP, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal to submit separate representations to the Chief Electoral Officer demanding disqualification of Srinivas and action against him under the National Security Act.
Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu slammed the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas for making “highly objectionable” remarks relating to minorities and demanded that the party high command respond whether the National Security Act (NSA) should be applied.
Accusing the Congress of adopting “double standards” on the issue, he said that his party had already complained to the Election Commission. He was not advocating that the NSA should be invoked, but wanted the Congress leadership to respond. Srinivas was not a “political greenhorn” like Varun Gandhi and his remarks that he became PCC chief due to the “mercy” of minorities were tantamount to appeasement.
BJP state spokesperson N Ramchander Rao said the statement had hurt the religious sentiments of the majority community and was liable to cause tension between communities. He charged the PCC chief with making a “very overt attempt’’ to divide the people on communal lines for the sake of votes.
Meanwhile, learning of the complaints pouring in at the CEO’s office, the Congress rushed its representatives to the CEO to explain that the remarks by D Srinivas were misquoted by the print media and it was on the basis of these that complaints were lodged by the BJP, VHP and the Bajrang Dal.
Cracking the whip against police officials, the Election Commission on Tuesday suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police of Adoni in Kurnool district, TS Krishna Murthy, and ordered an inquiry against him for “negligence of duty.”
The EC also shifted Y Nagi Reddy from East Godavari district where he is serving as Superintendent of Police, following a similar report by the DGP accompanied by comments by the CEO. Ms Charu Sinha has been appointed in his place.
http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15765033
THE CONGRESS, which is jubilant with the arrest of BJP young campaigner Varun Gandhi for his alleged remarks against Muslim minorities, is now facing the same music with its Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas facing similar charges.
The Chief Electoral Officer of the Election Commission in Hyderabad Dr IV Subba Rao viewed the video-footage of the speech made by Srinivas in Nizamabad, from where he is seeking re-election to the State Assembly. He later submitted a report to the Election Commission for suitable action.
On the line of Varun Gandhi, the Election Commission is expected to issue a notice to Srinivas. However, it will be interesting to observe whether the EC makes a similar move by advising the AICC to withdraw him from the contest.
The BJP, which feels isolated with regard to Varun Gandhi episode, is now challenging Congress government in the state to arrest Srinivas on the lines of Varun Gandhi. But interestingly all Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy are silent.
In an obvious riposte to BJP leader Varun Gandhi, the APCC chief reportedly stated that he would sacrifice his head for the minorities if need be and would cut off the hands of those who pointed a finger at them.
This prompted the BJP, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal to submit separate representations to the Chief Electoral Officer demanding disqualification of Srinivas and action against him under the National Security Act.
Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu slammed the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas for making “highly objectionable” remarks relating to minorities and demanded that the party high command respond whether the National Security Act (NSA) should be applied.
Accusing the Congress of adopting “double standards” on the issue, he said that his party had already complained to the Election Commission. He was not advocating that the NSA should be invoked, but wanted the Congress leadership to respond. Srinivas was not a “political greenhorn” like Varun Gandhi and his remarks that he became PCC chief due to the “mercy” of minorities were tantamount to appeasement.
BJP state spokesperson N Ramchander Rao said the statement had hurt the religious sentiments of the majority community and was liable to cause tension between communities. He charged the PCC chief with making a “very overt attempt’’ to divide the people on communal lines for the sake of votes.
Meanwhile, learning of the complaints pouring in at the CEO’s office, the Congress rushed its representatives to the CEO to explain that the remarks by D Srinivas were misquoted by the print media and it was on the basis of these that complaints were lodged by the BJP, VHP and the Bajrang Dal.
Cracking the whip against police officials, the Election Commission on Tuesday suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police of Adoni in Kurnool district, TS Krishna Murthy, and ordered an inquiry against him for “negligence of duty.”
The EC also shifted Y Nagi Reddy from East Godavari district where he is serving as Superintendent of Police, following a similar report by the DGP accompanied by comments by the CEO. Ms Charu Sinha has been appointed in his place.
Barkha Dutt beats a retreat
This is from a discussion on the nuclear deal that the UPA government passed through parliament without giving out any details on the deal and also paid crores of rupees to buy votes from opposition MP's!
This video is a must watch to understand what the controversy over the nuclear deal was all about.
Shourie very nicely cuts Barkha Dutt down to size and puts her in her place! 8 minutes into the discussion he tells Barkha to stop shouting and tells her to first read the document and questions her on her stupid comments. She quickly beats a retreat saying its not her comments but the oppositions.
Shouries arguments are so well thought out and detailed that it is a joy to listen to him analyze the nuclear deal.
This video is a must watch to understand what the controversy over the nuclear deal was all about.
Shourie very nicely cuts Barkha Dutt down to size and puts her in her place! 8 minutes into the discussion he tells Barkha to stop shouting and tells her to first read the document and questions her on her stupid comments. She quickly beats a retreat saying its not her comments but the oppositions.
Shouries arguments are so well thought out and detailed that it is a joy to listen to him analyze the nuclear deal.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Indian media makes mountains out of molehills
A very nice article from the organiser on how the media blows things totally out of proportion.
"In the twenties, thirties and forties of the 20th century, Charlie Chaplin was a name to be reckoned with in the cinematic world. He was not just a comedian, as many have taken him to be. He was an intense humanist who could mock at the frailties of life. His greatest achievement was in turning Hitler into a joke in his famous film The Dictator. There was no one like him before and there has never been one like him following his death. He was reportedly born in Britain, made his mark in the United States and spent the evening of his life in Switzerland. Has any of these countries put up a 67 ft statue in his honour? For that matter even a 6 ft statue? Not that one is aware of, though one could be wrong or ignorant.
There are many great celebrities in the world of medicines, science, art, culture, literature, dance, drama and music. There is only one Bach, one Beethoven, one Picasso, one Darwin, one Einstein. How many of them have had statues raised in their honour in the western world? In India we have literally dozens of great men worthy of honour. They remain in our hearts, loved, honoured and worshipped. They don’t need statues 67 ft high built at a cost of over Rs 35 lakh. Certainly, nobody in the Konkan coast, especially close to the temple town of Udupi, would object to a statue for Swami Vivekananda or CV Raman or Rabindranath Tagore. But to raise a statue for Charlie Chaplin, who is totally irrelevant to the ethos not just of the Konkan coast but even of India, is to make a mockery of homage.
Chaplin has no relevance to India, great though he may have been as an actor. But for everything there is a time and place. One can’t think of a statue to Chaplin in Banaras or Thirupathi or for that matter even in Rome. In the first place, one can imagine the ruckus that would be raised; in the second place, it would reduce personal homage into an absurdity. The Bangalore edition of The Times of India, however, has its own ridiculous views on the subject. It has dismissed the anger raised in the coastal areas as the “latest act of culture policing”, which is nothing of the sort. The paper has quoted certified intellectuals of the stature of Girish Kasaravali, Mahesh Dattani, UR Ananthamurthy as damning those who have strongly objected to the planned Chaplin statue. They are welcome to their views.
This is a free country with a free press, but one begins to wonder whether the freedom of expression is used in sensible way. In the first place, the beach is not a private property. It cannot be used for personal whims and pleasure. In the second place, one is told that the proposed statue was supposedly to be raised close to a temple showing poor taste. If the gentleman willing to spend over Rs 35 lakh had any sense, he would have thought twice before attempting to hurt Hindu sensitivities.
The Times of India obviously does not know what ‘culture’ means. A cultured person will never hurt the feelings of his fellow men. The individual who has sponsored the statue obviously has no understanding of culture. And it saddens one to think that The Times of India has even less. And the less said about our intellectuals, the better. The media champions of culture seem more anxious to sensationalise an event than to understand it in its proper perspective. And that is something to worry about. “Culture policing” is a serious charge that cannot be taken lightly. It is becoming fashionable to take people’s sensitivities as irrelevant, and to charge them with offences they never dreamt of. When will our newspapers and our intellectuals stop making asses of themselves? Fancy an NRI in the United States raising a statue to one of our comedians on a California beach? Or raising a statue to Shiva next to a Cathedral in Italy! When will our intellectuals stop their tomfoolery? There has been no vandalism. No statue has been razed to the ground. People revolted when they heard that raising a statue was in the planning stage. And, surely, they have every right to do so? The point has been made that the protestors object to raising a statue to Chaplin because he happens to be a Christian. That seems to be a false accusation. The Times of India seems hell-bent on damning the BJP. A report on March 15 says: “Has the BJP’s nine-month rule in Karnataka created an atmosphere wherein just about anybody with a very narrow, bigoted view of culture and religion finds it not only easy to air their extreme and highly harmful views in public but also to act on it, to the detriment of society at large?” In what way is objecting to raising a 67 ft statue to Chaplin, whose life has no relevance to India, detrimental to society? Have we all gone mad?
The Times of India, incidentally, carried a report of a railway station in North England putting up a ‘no kissing zone’ sign because departing passengers were holding up traffic with their long and passionate farewells at a crowded drop-off point. Public demonstration of affection is all very well, but one has to draw the line somewhere. It is not cultural policing. Schools across the US often take a dim view of students hugging and hand-holding. The Times of India itself says in its report: “The student handbook of an Illinois school declares that ‘displays of affection should not occur on the school campus at any time’ and that ‘it is in poor taste, reflects poor judgment and brings discredit to the school and to the persons involved’.” Would that be cultural policing? Restricting the rights of an individual to show his or her emotions?
It is bad enough to have self-appointed judges on what is right and what is wrong. But when the media starts dictating what is right and what is objectionable, as if it is the prerogative of the occupant of the editorial chair to lay down law, it is time to sit up. One hasn’t heard much from the media on a whole range of shortcomings that the UPA government suffers from. Senior army officers are returning their medals in protest against the government’s indifference towards their pensions. The pensions of some officers is in some cases as low as Rs 900, when a peon these days gets a wage of some Rs 5000 p.m. The media probably couldn’t care less. What it revels in is to turn irrelevant issues into catchy stories, molehills into mountains. That is poor journalism. But just think what Rs 35 lakh can do to help the needy in the very society whose welfare the media pretends to defend! We can do without a self-righteous media. Society can on its own settle controversial issues without the moral hectoring of an irresponsible media."
"In the twenties, thirties and forties of the 20th century, Charlie Chaplin was a name to be reckoned with in the cinematic world. He was not just a comedian, as many have taken him to be. He was an intense humanist who could mock at the frailties of life. His greatest achievement was in turning Hitler into a joke in his famous film The Dictator. There was no one like him before and there has never been one like him following his death. He was reportedly born in Britain, made his mark in the United States and spent the evening of his life in Switzerland. Has any of these countries put up a 67 ft statue in his honour? For that matter even a 6 ft statue? Not that one is aware of, though one could be wrong or ignorant.
There are many great celebrities in the world of medicines, science, art, culture, literature, dance, drama and music. There is only one Bach, one Beethoven, one Picasso, one Darwin, one Einstein. How many of them have had statues raised in their honour in the western world? In India we have literally dozens of great men worthy of honour. They remain in our hearts, loved, honoured and worshipped. They don’t need statues 67 ft high built at a cost of over Rs 35 lakh. Certainly, nobody in the Konkan coast, especially close to the temple town of Udupi, would object to a statue for Swami Vivekananda or CV Raman or Rabindranath Tagore. But to raise a statue for Charlie Chaplin, who is totally irrelevant to the ethos not just of the Konkan coast but even of India, is to make a mockery of homage.
Chaplin has no relevance to India, great though he may have been as an actor. But for everything there is a time and place. One can’t think of a statue to Chaplin in Banaras or Thirupathi or for that matter even in Rome. In the first place, one can imagine the ruckus that would be raised; in the second place, it would reduce personal homage into an absurdity. The Bangalore edition of The Times of India, however, has its own ridiculous views on the subject. It has dismissed the anger raised in the coastal areas as the “latest act of culture policing”, which is nothing of the sort. The paper has quoted certified intellectuals of the stature of Girish Kasaravali, Mahesh Dattani, UR Ananthamurthy as damning those who have strongly objected to the planned Chaplin statue. They are welcome to their views.
This is a free country with a free press, but one begins to wonder whether the freedom of expression is used in sensible way. In the first place, the beach is not a private property. It cannot be used for personal whims and pleasure. In the second place, one is told that the proposed statue was supposedly to be raised close to a temple showing poor taste. If the gentleman willing to spend over Rs 35 lakh had any sense, he would have thought twice before attempting to hurt Hindu sensitivities.
The Times of India obviously does not know what ‘culture’ means. A cultured person will never hurt the feelings of his fellow men. The individual who has sponsored the statue obviously has no understanding of culture. And it saddens one to think that The Times of India has even less. And the less said about our intellectuals, the better. The media champions of culture seem more anxious to sensationalise an event than to understand it in its proper perspective. And that is something to worry about. “Culture policing” is a serious charge that cannot be taken lightly. It is becoming fashionable to take people’s sensitivities as irrelevant, and to charge them with offences they never dreamt of. When will our newspapers and our intellectuals stop making asses of themselves? Fancy an NRI in the United States raising a statue to one of our comedians on a California beach? Or raising a statue to Shiva next to a Cathedral in Italy! When will our intellectuals stop their tomfoolery? There has been no vandalism. No statue has been razed to the ground. People revolted when they heard that raising a statue was in the planning stage. And, surely, they have every right to do so? The point has been made that the protestors object to raising a statue to Chaplin because he happens to be a Christian. That seems to be a false accusation. The Times of India seems hell-bent on damning the BJP. A report on March 15 says: “Has the BJP’s nine-month rule in Karnataka created an atmosphere wherein just about anybody with a very narrow, bigoted view of culture and religion finds it not only easy to air their extreme and highly harmful views in public but also to act on it, to the detriment of society at large?” In what way is objecting to raising a 67 ft statue to Chaplin, whose life has no relevance to India, detrimental to society? Have we all gone mad?
The Times of India, incidentally, carried a report of a railway station in North England putting up a ‘no kissing zone’ sign because departing passengers were holding up traffic with their long and passionate farewells at a crowded drop-off point. Public demonstration of affection is all very well, but one has to draw the line somewhere. It is not cultural policing. Schools across the US often take a dim view of students hugging and hand-holding. The Times of India itself says in its report: “The student handbook of an Illinois school declares that ‘displays of affection should not occur on the school campus at any time’ and that ‘it is in poor taste, reflects poor judgment and brings discredit to the school and to the persons involved’.” Would that be cultural policing? Restricting the rights of an individual to show his or her emotions?
It is bad enough to have self-appointed judges on what is right and what is wrong. But when the media starts dictating what is right and what is objectionable, as if it is the prerogative of the occupant of the editorial chair to lay down law, it is time to sit up. One hasn’t heard much from the media on a whole range of shortcomings that the UPA government suffers from. Senior army officers are returning their medals in protest against the government’s indifference towards their pensions. The pensions of some officers is in some cases as low as Rs 900, when a peon these days gets a wage of some Rs 5000 p.m. The media probably couldn’t care less. What it revels in is to turn irrelevant issues into catchy stories, molehills into mountains. That is poor journalism. But just think what Rs 35 lakh can do to help the needy in the very society whose welfare the media pretends to defend! We can do without a self-righteous media. Society can on its own settle controversial issues without the moral hectoring of an irresponsible media."
Friday, April 3, 2009
Indian Historians
Another brilliant article by Arun Shourie from the hvk.org website. This one is a reply to the communist poseurs who claim to be honest sincere historians. He gives details of how the communists in Bengal have distorted history in school textbooks to paint a nice picture of Islam and communism!!
Title: OBJECTIVE WHITEWASH FOR OBJECTIVE HISTORY!
Author: by Arun Shourie
"This is an old charge which keeps surfacing now and then," wrote one of those "eminent historians", K. N. Panikkar, in an vituperative response to an article of mine -- the charge that close to two crores had been spent on the "Towards Freedom" project of the Indian Council of Historical Project, and little had been achieved. "About a year back Times of India carried a front page story on this. The historians had then clarified through a public statement published in several newspapers, that they have not drawn any money from the ICHR and that they worked for five years purely in an honorary capacity. When he [that is, me] gets the information from the ministry, if he does, that the editors have not taken any money, I would normally expect Shourie to tender a public apology. But given the intellectual honesty and cultural level reflected in his article, I do not think it would be forthcoming. The alternative of suing for defamation the likes of Shourie is below one's dignity. But I do expect at least the ministry to make a public statement on the factual position."
Strong stuff, and definitive, one would think. It turns out that on 17 July, 1998, in answer to a question tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry stated that only one part of the project has been completed and published since the original volume of Dr. P. N. Chopra. This is the volume -- in three parts -- by Dr. Partha Sarthi Gupta covering 1943-44. In answer to another question, the Ministry has reported that "After publication of the Volume he was paid an honorarium of Rs. 25,000/- in September, 1997."
Dr. Partha Sarthi Gupta, in other words, is the one editor who has completed the work which he had undertaken. For that he has been paid Rs. 25,000. The others have not completed the work they had undertaken, they have therefore not been paid the Rs. 25,000 which are to be paid to them only when their volumes are completed and published. That is how they go about proclaiming themselves to be social workers -- we have been working in an honorary capacity, we have not taken a penny !
And as bits and pieces about the ICHR at last start trickling out, we learn that the "Towards Freedom" project isn't the only one on which large amounts have been spent and which has not been completed. There is an "Economic History of India Project." Rs. NINETEEN LAKHS AND FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND have been spent on it. Nothing has been published as a result. Though, the Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that "according to the information furnished by the ICHR," two volumes of the project -- on Railways and Agriculture -- are "ready for the press".
The Ministry also told the Rajya Sabha that "Professor Bipin Chandra was sanctioned a sum of Rs. 75,000/- during 1987-88 for the assignment entitled 'A History of the Indian National Congress'. A sum of Rs. 57,500/- [FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED] has been released to him till 23.6.1989. The remaining balance of Rs. 17,500/- is yet to be released because a formal manuscript in this regard is yet to be received." In a word, spare readers this social-worker stance -- "doing all this in a strictly honorary capacity". It is as if Bipin Chandra were to go about saying, "See, I have not even taken the Rs. 17,500/- which the ICHR still owes me." And do not miss that effort from the ICHR to help to the extent possible -- "The remaining balance of Rs. 17,500/- is yet to be released because a formal manuscript in this regard is yet to be received." Does that mean that some "informal" manuscript has been received, or that no manuscript has been received ?
As newspapers and magazines such as Outlook had done, Panikkar had concocted his conspiracy theory on the charge that the BJP Government had changed the word "Rational" into "National", and that it had suppressed three of the five objectives of the ICHR by changing the Memorandum of Association of the ICHR. I had reproduced relevant paragraphs from the Resolutions to show that the same wording had continued for at least twenty years. I had given the numbers and dates of the Resolutions. I had also reported that I had requested the Secretary of the Ministry to help ascertain the year since which the same wording had continued. And what was the response of this "eminent" historian who, as he said, writes signed articles in publications of the Communist Party "because I believe in the ideals it stands for" ? "Even if Shourie's contention is true (unlike Shourie who is a BJP MP, a resident of Delhi elected from UP, I have no means to ascertain from the Ministry)...."
That is a much favoured stance : when caught peddling a lie, insinuate that the other fellow is privileged ! And that as you are from the working masses, you cannot ascertain whether the facts he has stated are true. Therefore, what you stated must stand as fact -- Q.E.D.
Exactly the same dodge was used a day or so later by another of these progressives. Manoj Raghuvanshi had invited K. M. Shrimali and me to discuss on Zee Television's Aap ki Adalat the charge that history was being rewritten in communal colours. Raghuvanshi read out what Outlook had reported -- that the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education had issued instructions in 1989 that "Muslim rule should never attract any criticism. Destruction of temples by Muslim rulers and invaders should not be mentioned."
Raghuvanshi asked Shrimali, whether this did not amount to distortion ? True, that was a painful period of our history, Raghuvanshi said, but should it be erased from our history books ? Would that be objective, rational history? Shrimali's response was the well-practised script : firstly, he did not know that such an instruction was ever issued; if it was issued, he said, he was against it; but one must see what the context was in which the instruction had been issued....
Concerned teachers in West Bengal have been so kind as to send me the circular relating to textbooks for class IX. Dated 28 April, 1989, it is issued by the West Bengal Secondary Board. It is in Bengali, and carries the number "Syl/89/1".
"All the West Bengal Government recognised secondary school Headmasters are being informed," it begins, "that in History textbooks recommended by this Board for Class IX the following amendments to the chapter on the medieval period have been decided after due discussions and review by experts." "
"The authors and publishers of Class IX History textbooks," it continues, "are being requested to incorporate the amendments if books published by them have these aushuddho [impurities, errors] in all subsequent editions, and paste a corrigendum in books which have already been published. A copy of the book with the corrigendum should be deposited with the Syllabus Office (74, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Calcutta -- 16)." Signed,
"....Chattopadhyaya, Secretary."
The accompanying pages contain two columns : aushuddho -- impurity, or error -- and shuddho.
One has just to glance through the changes to see the objective the progressives are trying to achieve through their "objective", "rational" approach to the writing of history. Here are some of the changes.
Book : Bharat Katha, prepared by the Burdwan Education Society, Teachers Enterprise, published by Sukhomoy Das....
Page 140 : Aushuddho -- "In Sindhudesh the Arabs did not describe Hindus as Kafir. They had banned cow-slaughter." Shuddho -- "Delete, 'They had banned cow-slaughter'."
Page 141 : Aushuddho -- "Fourthly, using force to destroy Hindu temples was also an expression of aggression. Fifthly, forcibly marrying Hindu women and converting them to Islam before marriage was another way to propagate the fundamentalism of the ulema." Shuddho : though the column reproduces the sentences only from "Fourthly....", the Board directs that the entire matter from "Secondly.... to ulema" be deleted.
Page 141 : Aushuddho -- The logical, philosophical, materialist Mutazilla disappeared. On the one hand, the fundamentalist thinking based on the Quran and the Hadis...." Shuddho -- "Delete, 'On the one hand, the fundamentalist thinking based on the Quran and the Hadis'...."
Book : Bharatvarsher Itihash, by Dr. Narendranath Bhattacharya, published by Chakravarty and Son....
Page 89 : Aushuddho -- "Sultan Mahmud used force for widespread murder, loot, destruction and conversion." Shuddho -- "There was widespread loot and destruction by Mahmud." That is, no reference to killing, no reference to forcible conversions.
Page 89 : Aushuddho -- "He looted valuables worth 2 crore dirham from the Somnath temple and used the Shivling as a step leading up to the masjid in Ghazni." Shuddho -- "Delete 'and used the Shivling as a step leading up to the masjid in Ghazni.'"
Page 112 : Aushuddho -- "Hindu-Muslim relations of the medieval ages is a very sensitive issue. The non-believers had to embrace Islam or death." Shuddho -- All matter on pages 112-13 to be deleted.
Page 113 : Aushuddho -- "According to Islamic law non-Muslims will have to choose between death and Islam. Only the Hanafis allow non-Muslims to pay jaziya in exchange for their lives." Shuddho -- Rewrite this as follows : "By paying jaziya to Allauddin Khilji, Hindus could lead normal lives." Moreover, all the subsequent sentences "Qazi....", "Taimur's arrival in India...." to be deleted.
Page 113 : Aushuddho -- "Mahmud was a believer in the rule of Islam whose core was 'Either Islam or death'. Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharuter Itihash, by Shobhankar Chattopadhyaya, published by Narmada Publishers.
Page 181 : Aushuddho -- "To prevent Hindu women >from being seen by Muslims, they were directed to remain indoors." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Itihasher Kahini, by Nalini Bhushan Dasgupta, published by B. B. Kumar.
Page 132 : Aushuddho -- According to Todd [the famous chronicler of Rajasthan annals] the purpose behind Allauddin's Chittor expedition was to secure Rana Rattan Singh's beautiful wife, Padmini." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 154 : Aushuddho -- "As dictated by Islam, there were three options for non-Muslims : get yourself converted to Islam; pay jaziya; accept death. In an Islamic State non-Muslims had to accept one of these three options." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 161 : Aushuddho -- "The early Sultans were eager to expand the sway of Islam by forcibly converting Hindus into Islam." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharuter Itihash, by P. Maiti, Sreedhar Prakashini.
Page 117 : Aushuddho -- "There is an account that Allauddin attacked the capital of Mewar, Chittorgarh, to get Padmini, the beautiful wife of Rana Rattan Singh." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 139 : Ashuddho -- "There was a sense of aristocratic superiority in the purdah system. That is why upper-class Hindus adopted this system from upper-class Muslims. Another opinion has it that purdah came into practice to save Hindu women from Muslims. Most probably, purdah came into vogue because of both factors." Shuddho -- delete.
The most extensive deletions are ordered in regard to the chapter on "Aurangezeb's policy on religion". Every allusion to what he actually did to the Hindus, to their temples, to the very leitmotif of his rule -- to spread the sway of Islam -- are directed to be excised from the book. He is to be presented as one who had an aversion -- an ordinary sort of aversion, almost a secular one -- to music and dancing, to the presence of prostitutes in the Court, and that it is these things he banished. The only allusion to his having done anything in regard to Islam which is allowed to remain is that "By distancing himself from Akbar's policy of religious tolerance and policy of equal treatment, Aurangzebe caused damage to Mughal rule."
Book : Swadesho Shobhyota, by Dr. P. K. Basu and S. B. Ghatak, Abhinav Prakashan.
Page 126 : Ashuddho -- "Some people believe that Allauddin's Mewar expedition was to get hold of Padmini, the wife of Rana Rattan Singh." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 145 : Ashuddho -- "Apart from this, because Islam used extreme inhuman means to establish itself in India, this became an obstacle for the coming together of Indian and Islamic cultures." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharat Katha, by G. Bhattacharya, Bulbul Prakashan.
Page 40 : Ashuddho -- "Muslims used to take recourse to torture and inhuman means to force their religious beliefs and practices on Indians." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 41 : Ashuddho -- "The liberal, humane elements in Islam held out hope for oppressed Hindus." Shuddho -- The entire paragraph beginning with "the caste system among Hindus.... was attacked" is to be deleted. Instead write, "There was no place for casteism in Islam. Understandably, the influence of Islam created an awakening among Hindus against caste discrimination. Lower caste oppressed Hindus embraced Islam."
Page 77 : Ashuddho -- "His main task was to oppress non-believers, especially Hindus." Shuddho -- This and the preceding sentence to be deleted.
Book : Bharuter Itihash, by A. C. Roy, published by Prantik.
Page 102 : Ashuddho -- "There is an account that Allauddin attacked Chittor to get the beautiful wife of Rana Rattan Singh, Padmini." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 164 : Ashuddho -- "It was his commitment to Islam which made him a fundamentalist." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharut Kahini, by G. C. Rowchoudhury, published by A. K. Sarkar and Co.
Page 130 : Ashuddho -- "That is why he adopted the policy of converting Hindus to Islam -- so as to increase the number of Muslims. Those Hindus who refused to discard their religion were indiscriminately massacred by him or his generals." Shuddho -- Delete.
In a word, no forcible conversions, no massacres, no destruction of temples. Just that Hinduism had created an exploitative, casteist society. Islam was egalitarian. Hence the oppressed Hindus embraced Islam !
Muslim historians of those times are in raptures at the heap of Kafirs who have been dispatched to hell. Muslim historians are forever lavishing praise on the ruler for the temples he has destroyed, for the hundreds of thousands he has got to see the light of Islam. Law books like The Hedaya prescribe exactly the options to which these little textbooks alluded. All whitewashed away.
Objective whitewash for objective history. And today if anyone seeks to restore truth to these textbooks, the scream, "Communal rewriting of history."
But there isn't just whitewash of Islam. For after Islam came another great emancipatory ideology -- Marxism-Leninism.
The teachers furnish extracts from the textbook for Class V.
".... in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cuba and in other East European countries, the workers and peasants are ruling the country after capturing power, whereas in U.S.A., England, France and Germany the owners of mills and factories are ruling the country."
".... after the Revolution in Russia the first exploitation-free society was established."
".... Islam and Christianity are the only religions which treated man with honour and equality...."
Thus, not just whitewash, there is hogwash too.
Title: OBJECTIVE WHITEWASH FOR OBJECTIVE HISTORY!
Author: by Arun Shourie
"This is an old charge which keeps surfacing now and then," wrote one of those "eminent historians", K. N. Panikkar, in an vituperative response to an article of mine -- the charge that close to two crores had been spent on the "Towards Freedom" project of the Indian Council of Historical Project, and little had been achieved. "About a year back Times of India carried a front page story on this. The historians had then clarified through a public statement published in several newspapers, that they have not drawn any money from the ICHR and that they worked for five years purely in an honorary capacity. When he [that is, me] gets the information from the ministry, if he does, that the editors have not taken any money, I would normally expect Shourie to tender a public apology. But given the intellectual honesty and cultural level reflected in his article, I do not think it would be forthcoming. The alternative of suing for defamation the likes of Shourie is below one's dignity. But I do expect at least the ministry to make a public statement on the factual position."
Strong stuff, and definitive, one would think. It turns out that on 17 July, 1998, in answer to a question tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry stated that only one part of the project has been completed and published since the original volume of Dr. P. N. Chopra. This is the volume -- in three parts -- by Dr. Partha Sarthi Gupta covering 1943-44. In answer to another question, the Ministry has reported that "After publication of the Volume he was paid an honorarium of Rs. 25,000/- in September, 1997."
Dr. Partha Sarthi Gupta, in other words, is the one editor who has completed the work which he had undertaken. For that he has been paid Rs. 25,000. The others have not completed the work they had undertaken, they have therefore not been paid the Rs. 25,000 which are to be paid to them only when their volumes are completed and published. That is how they go about proclaiming themselves to be social workers -- we have been working in an honorary capacity, we have not taken a penny !
And as bits and pieces about the ICHR at last start trickling out, we learn that the "Towards Freedom" project isn't the only one on which large amounts have been spent and which has not been completed. There is an "Economic History of India Project." Rs. NINETEEN LAKHS AND FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND have been spent on it. Nothing has been published as a result. Though, the Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that "according to the information furnished by the ICHR," two volumes of the project -- on Railways and Agriculture -- are "ready for the press".
The Ministry also told the Rajya Sabha that "Professor Bipin Chandra was sanctioned a sum of Rs. 75,000/- during 1987-88 for the assignment entitled 'A History of the Indian National Congress'. A sum of Rs. 57,500/- [FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED] has been released to him till 23.6.1989. The remaining balance of Rs. 17,500/- is yet to be released because a formal manuscript in this regard is yet to be received." In a word, spare readers this social-worker stance -- "doing all this in a strictly honorary capacity". It is as if Bipin Chandra were to go about saying, "See, I have not even taken the Rs. 17,500/- which the ICHR still owes me." And do not miss that effort from the ICHR to help to the extent possible -- "The remaining balance of Rs. 17,500/- is yet to be released because a formal manuscript in this regard is yet to be received." Does that mean that some "informal" manuscript has been received, or that no manuscript has been received ?
As newspapers and magazines such as Outlook had done, Panikkar had concocted his conspiracy theory on the charge that the BJP Government had changed the word "Rational" into "National", and that it had suppressed three of the five objectives of the ICHR by changing the Memorandum of Association of the ICHR. I had reproduced relevant paragraphs from the Resolutions to show that the same wording had continued for at least twenty years. I had given the numbers and dates of the Resolutions. I had also reported that I had requested the Secretary of the Ministry to help ascertain the year since which the same wording had continued. And what was the response of this "eminent" historian who, as he said, writes signed articles in publications of the Communist Party "because I believe in the ideals it stands for" ? "Even if Shourie's contention is true (unlike Shourie who is a BJP MP, a resident of Delhi elected from UP, I have no means to ascertain from the Ministry)...."
That is a much favoured stance : when caught peddling a lie, insinuate that the other fellow is privileged ! And that as you are from the working masses, you cannot ascertain whether the facts he has stated are true. Therefore, what you stated must stand as fact -- Q.E.D.
Exactly the same dodge was used a day or so later by another of these progressives. Manoj Raghuvanshi had invited K. M. Shrimali and me to discuss on Zee Television's Aap ki Adalat the charge that history was being rewritten in communal colours. Raghuvanshi read out what Outlook had reported -- that the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education had issued instructions in 1989 that "Muslim rule should never attract any criticism. Destruction of temples by Muslim rulers and invaders should not be mentioned."
Raghuvanshi asked Shrimali, whether this did not amount to distortion ? True, that was a painful period of our history, Raghuvanshi said, but should it be erased from our history books ? Would that be objective, rational history? Shrimali's response was the well-practised script : firstly, he did not know that such an instruction was ever issued; if it was issued, he said, he was against it; but one must see what the context was in which the instruction had been issued....
Concerned teachers in West Bengal have been so kind as to send me the circular relating to textbooks for class IX. Dated 28 April, 1989, it is issued by the West Bengal Secondary Board. It is in Bengali, and carries the number "Syl/89/1".
"All the West Bengal Government recognised secondary school Headmasters are being informed," it begins, "that in History textbooks recommended by this Board for Class IX the following amendments to the chapter on the medieval period have been decided after due discussions and review by experts." "
"The authors and publishers of Class IX History textbooks," it continues, "are being requested to incorporate the amendments if books published by them have these aushuddho [impurities, errors] in all subsequent editions, and paste a corrigendum in books which have already been published. A copy of the book with the corrigendum should be deposited with the Syllabus Office (74, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Calcutta -- 16)." Signed,
"....Chattopadhyaya, Secretary."
The accompanying pages contain two columns : aushuddho -- impurity, or error -- and shuddho.
One has just to glance through the changes to see the objective the progressives are trying to achieve through their "objective", "rational" approach to the writing of history. Here are some of the changes.
Book : Bharat Katha, prepared by the Burdwan Education Society, Teachers Enterprise, published by Sukhomoy Das....
Page 140 : Aushuddho -- "In Sindhudesh the Arabs did not describe Hindus as Kafir. They had banned cow-slaughter." Shuddho -- "Delete, 'They had banned cow-slaughter'."
Page 141 : Aushuddho -- "Fourthly, using force to destroy Hindu temples was also an expression of aggression. Fifthly, forcibly marrying Hindu women and converting them to Islam before marriage was another way to propagate the fundamentalism of the ulema." Shuddho : though the column reproduces the sentences only from "Fourthly....", the Board directs that the entire matter from "Secondly.... to ulema" be deleted.
Page 141 : Aushuddho -- The logical, philosophical, materialist Mutazilla disappeared. On the one hand, the fundamentalist thinking based on the Quran and the Hadis...." Shuddho -- "Delete, 'On the one hand, the fundamentalist thinking based on the Quran and the Hadis'...."
Book : Bharatvarsher Itihash, by Dr. Narendranath Bhattacharya, published by Chakravarty and Son....
Page 89 : Aushuddho -- "Sultan Mahmud used force for widespread murder, loot, destruction and conversion." Shuddho -- "There was widespread loot and destruction by Mahmud." That is, no reference to killing, no reference to forcible conversions.
Page 89 : Aushuddho -- "He looted valuables worth 2 crore dirham from the Somnath temple and used the Shivling as a step leading up to the masjid in Ghazni." Shuddho -- "Delete 'and used the Shivling as a step leading up to the masjid in Ghazni.'"
Page 112 : Aushuddho -- "Hindu-Muslim relations of the medieval ages is a very sensitive issue. The non-believers had to embrace Islam or death." Shuddho -- All matter on pages 112-13 to be deleted.
Page 113 : Aushuddho -- "According to Islamic law non-Muslims will have to choose between death and Islam. Only the Hanafis allow non-Muslims to pay jaziya in exchange for their lives." Shuddho -- Rewrite this as follows : "By paying jaziya to Allauddin Khilji, Hindus could lead normal lives." Moreover, all the subsequent sentences "Qazi....", "Taimur's arrival in India...." to be deleted.
Page 113 : Aushuddho -- "Mahmud was a believer in the rule of Islam whose core was 'Either Islam or death'. Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharuter Itihash, by Shobhankar Chattopadhyaya, published by Narmada Publishers.
Page 181 : Aushuddho -- "To prevent Hindu women >from being seen by Muslims, they were directed to remain indoors." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Itihasher Kahini, by Nalini Bhushan Dasgupta, published by B. B. Kumar.
Page 132 : Aushuddho -- According to Todd [the famous chronicler of Rajasthan annals] the purpose behind Allauddin's Chittor expedition was to secure Rana Rattan Singh's beautiful wife, Padmini." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 154 : Aushuddho -- "As dictated by Islam, there were three options for non-Muslims : get yourself converted to Islam; pay jaziya; accept death. In an Islamic State non-Muslims had to accept one of these three options." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 161 : Aushuddho -- "The early Sultans were eager to expand the sway of Islam by forcibly converting Hindus into Islam." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharuter Itihash, by P. Maiti, Sreedhar Prakashini.
Page 117 : Aushuddho -- "There is an account that Allauddin attacked the capital of Mewar, Chittorgarh, to get Padmini, the beautiful wife of Rana Rattan Singh." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 139 : Ashuddho -- "There was a sense of aristocratic superiority in the purdah system. That is why upper-class Hindus adopted this system from upper-class Muslims. Another opinion has it that purdah came into practice to save Hindu women from Muslims. Most probably, purdah came into vogue because of both factors." Shuddho -- delete.
The most extensive deletions are ordered in regard to the chapter on "Aurangezeb's policy on religion". Every allusion to what he actually did to the Hindus, to their temples, to the very leitmotif of his rule -- to spread the sway of Islam -- are directed to be excised from the book. He is to be presented as one who had an aversion -- an ordinary sort of aversion, almost a secular one -- to music and dancing, to the presence of prostitutes in the Court, and that it is these things he banished. The only allusion to his having done anything in regard to Islam which is allowed to remain is that "By distancing himself from Akbar's policy of religious tolerance and policy of equal treatment, Aurangzebe caused damage to Mughal rule."
Book : Swadesho Shobhyota, by Dr. P. K. Basu and S. B. Ghatak, Abhinav Prakashan.
Page 126 : Ashuddho -- "Some people believe that Allauddin's Mewar expedition was to get hold of Padmini, the wife of Rana Rattan Singh." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 145 : Ashuddho -- "Apart from this, because Islam used extreme inhuman means to establish itself in India, this became an obstacle for the coming together of Indian and Islamic cultures." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharat Katha, by G. Bhattacharya, Bulbul Prakashan.
Page 40 : Ashuddho -- "Muslims used to take recourse to torture and inhuman means to force their religious beliefs and practices on Indians." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 41 : Ashuddho -- "The liberal, humane elements in Islam held out hope for oppressed Hindus." Shuddho -- The entire paragraph beginning with "the caste system among Hindus.... was attacked" is to be deleted. Instead write, "There was no place for casteism in Islam. Understandably, the influence of Islam created an awakening among Hindus against caste discrimination. Lower caste oppressed Hindus embraced Islam."
Page 77 : Ashuddho -- "His main task was to oppress non-believers, especially Hindus." Shuddho -- This and the preceding sentence to be deleted.
Book : Bharuter Itihash, by A. C. Roy, published by Prantik.
Page 102 : Ashuddho -- "There is an account that Allauddin attacked Chittor to get the beautiful wife of Rana Rattan Singh, Padmini." Shuddho -- Delete.
Page 164 : Ashuddho -- "It was his commitment to Islam which made him a fundamentalist." Shuddho -- Delete.
Book : Bharut Kahini, by G. C. Rowchoudhury, published by A. K. Sarkar and Co.
Page 130 : Ashuddho -- "That is why he adopted the policy of converting Hindus to Islam -- so as to increase the number of Muslims. Those Hindus who refused to discard their religion were indiscriminately massacred by him or his generals." Shuddho -- Delete.
In a word, no forcible conversions, no massacres, no destruction of temples. Just that Hinduism had created an exploitative, casteist society. Islam was egalitarian. Hence the oppressed Hindus embraced Islam !
Muslim historians of those times are in raptures at the heap of Kafirs who have been dispatched to hell. Muslim historians are forever lavishing praise on the ruler for the temples he has destroyed, for the hundreds of thousands he has got to see the light of Islam. Law books like The Hedaya prescribe exactly the options to which these little textbooks alluded. All whitewashed away.
Objective whitewash for objective history. And today if anyone seeks to restore truth to these textbooks, the scream, "Communal rewriting of history."
But there isn't just whitewash of Islam. For after Islam came another great emancipatory ideology -- Marxism-Leninism.
The teachers furnish extracts from the textbook for Class V.
".... in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cuba and in other East European countries, the workers and peasants are ruling the country after capturing power, whereas in U.S.A., England, France and Germany the owners of mills and factories are ruling the country."
".... after the Revolution in Russia the first exploitation-free society was established."
".... Islam and Christianity are the only religions which treated man with honour and equality...."
Thus, not just whitewash, there is hogwash too.
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