Hindutva

How come an Ukraiine NGO honored JJ and also Putin? US hypocrisy on Ukraine and Christist conspiracy in Kanchi?

2008-08-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

How come an Ukraiine NGO honored JJ and also Putin? US hypocrisy on Ukraine and Christist conspiracy in Kanchi?

We have witnessed in Kandhamal, how christist terrorists will stoop to any depths to proselytize.

Swamy Laxmananda ji was murdered on Krishna Janmashtami day. Kanchi Acharya was arrested on Diwali day on a false charge.

Were these merely extraordinary coincidences?

Jury is still out on who murdered S'ankararaman. But there are shocking links between US hypocrisy in Ukraine and christist conspiracies.

It is unfortunate that voices of free expression were muffled in an evil state as the great institution set up by Adi Shankara was desecrated by state action.

Psec supporters of SIMI, or Samuel Reddy promoting state-sponsored christist pilgrimages or multi-national church bureaucracies seen to be involved in violence in Kandhamal are straws in the wind, pointing to the same source of evil: any means are justified in the eyes of christist terrorists to achieve conversions. All gloves are off for the christist terrorists who think they are saving the blind heathen who will go to hell if they are not converted.

Thanks, but no thanks. Leave the heathen alone in their blindness. Dharma protects those who protect dharma. Dharmo rakshati rakshitah.

kalyanaraman

December 9, 2004
US Hypocrisy on Ukraine

by Rep. Ron Paul

President Bush said last week that, "Any election [in Ukraine], if there is one, ought to be free from any foreign influence." I agree with the president wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, it seems that several U.S. government agencies saw things differently and sent U.S. taxpayer dollars into Ukraine in attempt to influence the outcome.

We do not know exactly how many millions – or tens of millions – of dollars the United States government spent on the presidential election in Ukraine. We do know that much of that money was targeted to assist one particular candidate, and that through a series of cut-out non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – both American and Ukrainian – millions of dollars ended up in support of the presidential candidate, Viktor Yushchenko.

Let me add that I do not think we should be supporting either of the candidates. While I am certainly no supporter of Viktor Yushchenko, I am not a supporter of his opponent, Viktor Yanukovich, either. Simply, it is none of our business who the Ukrainian people select to be their president. And, if they feel the vote was not fair, it is up to them to work it out.

How did this one-sided U.S. funding in Ukraine come about? While I am afraid we may have seen only the tip of the iceberg, one part that we do know thus far is that the U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), granted millions of dollars to the Poland-America-Ukraine Cooperation Initiative (PAUCI), which is administered by the U.S.-based Freedom House.

PAUCI then sent U.S. government funds to numerous Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This would be bad enough and would in itself constitute meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. But, what is worse is that many of these grantee organizations in Ukraine are blatantly in favor of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko.

Consider the Ukrainian NGO International Center for Policy Studies. It is an organization funded by the U.S. government through PAUCI. On its Web site, we discover that this NGO was founded by George Soros' Open Society Institute. And further on we can see that Viktor Yushchenko himself sits on the advisory board!

And this NGO is not the only one the U.S. government funds that is openly supportive of Viktor Yushchenko. The Western Ukraine Regional Training Center, as another example, features a prominent USAID logo on one side of its Web site's front page and an orange ribbon of the candidate Yushchenko's party and movement on the other. By their proximity, the message to Ukrainian readers is clear: the U.S. government supports Yushchenko.

The Center for Political and Legal Reforms, another Ukrainian NGO funded by the U.S. government, features a link at the top of its Web site's front page to Viktor Yushchenko's personal Web site. Yushchenko's picture is at the top of this U.S.-government-funded Web site.

This May, the Virginia-based private management consultancy Development Associates, Inc., was awarded $100 million by the U.S. government "for strengthening national legislatures and other deliberative bodies worldwide." According to the organization's Web site, several million dollars from this went to Ukraine in advance of the elections.

As I have said, this may only be the tip of the iceberg. There may be many more such organizations involved in this twisted tale.

It is clear that a significant amount of U.S. taxpayer dollars went to support one candidate in Ukraine. Recall how most of us felt when it became known that the Chinese government was trying to funnel campaign funding to a U.S. presidential campaign. This foreign funding of American elections is rightly illegal. Yet, it appears that that is exactly what we are doing abroad. What we do not know, however, is just how much U.S. government money was spent to influence the outcome of the Ukrainian election.

Dozens of organizations are granted funds under the PAUCI program alone, and this is only one of many programs that funneled dollars into Ukraine. We do not know how many millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) sent to Ukraine through NED's National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute. Nor do we know how many other efforts, overt or covert, have been made to support one candidate over the other in Ukraine.

That is what I find so disturbing: there are so many cut-out organizations and sub-grantees that we have no idea how much U.S. government money was really spent on Ukraine, and most importantly how it was spent. Perhaps the several examples of blatant partisan support that we have been able to uncover are but an anomaly. I believe Congress and the American taxpayers have a right to know. I believe we urgently need an investigation by the Government Accounting Office into how much U.S. government money was spent in Ukraine and exactly how it was spent. I would hope very much for the support of Chairman Hyde, Chairman Lugar, Deputy Assistant Secretary Tefft, and my colleagues on the House International Relations Committee in this request.

President Bush is absolutely correct: elections in Ukraine should be free of foreign influence. It is our job here and now to discover just how far we have violated this very important principle, and to cease any funding of political candidates or campaigns henceforth.

http://www.antiwar.com/paul/?articleid=4135

A Kanchi christist conspiracy?

Preamble

It is not easy to track international money transfers and provide evidence to the satisfaction of a court of law. This has been well demonstrated by the protracted Bofors cases despite CBI and Interpol investigations.

Similarly, it is not easy to provide 'hard evidence' in conspiratorial and diabolical events. But, a reasonable framework can be provided to raise a reasonable doubt about the conspirators involved in a criminal undertaking.

S'ankararaman's murder was a criminal act.

The question yet to be answered is: who murdered S'ankararaman? There is a larger question: Was there a conspiracy to destabilize the Hindu nation considering that a great Hindu institution was targeted in the wake of this murder?

Background and sequence of events pointing to a conspiracy

A day prior to the murder of S'ankararaman a midnight order was issued transferring the Superintendent of Police of Vishnukanchi was transferred to Cuddalore. The same person (fondly referred to by Tamil Press as Cyanide Premkumar) was brought back to head the Special Investigation Team to investigate the murder.

Premkumar's association with Christian groups has also been reported in the media.

The link with the Christian groups leads to a remarkable sequence of events preceding S'ankararaman's murder.

The AIADMK website contains photos showing the award of Golden Star of Dignity and Honour Award to Jayalalithaa, then CM of Tamilnadu. The Award was given by an organization called International Human Rights Defense Committee (IHRDC), Ukraine. She is the second recipient of the Award; the first was Putin, President of Russia.

The IHRDC has a Vice President who was also present during the Award ceremony. Her name is Natalya Krivutsa. Surprise ! She is an American, who lives in America.

Another surprise ! On the dias during the award ceremony organized by the Tamilnadu Government was seated a person called Mallavarapu Prakash who announced himself as India Representative of IHRDC.

Another surprise! This Mallavarapu Prakash also happens to be Bishop of Vijayawada.

Yet another surprise! Mallavarapu Prakash who is an Andhra and who is based in Vijayawada was made the Chairman of the Tamilnadu Minorities Welfare Commission by CM of Tamilnadu. How come an Andhra and a Christian was named? Why wasn't a Christian or a Muslim resident of Tamilnadu named to this Commission? Was it a reward for the Award recommended by the India Rep. of IHRDC? The Award is so important that a Tamil translation of it calling it Thanga Taarakai Award is splashed in colourful posters all over Tamilnadu hailing the Chief. Amma she is called with reverence on these posters.

The Award was preceded by another surprise ! A two-page colour supplement appeared as an Advertisement in US Wall Street Journal. Such an Advertisement costs millions of dollars apparently paid for by the Tamilnadu Government. The Advertisement was full of praise and adoration of the CM of Tamilnadu. A special report was written about the contributions made by Jayalalithaa. The writer of this report is an evangelist, a reporter named Carlos Andrade who works for Times of India. Why this prelude of world-wide coverage of the glory of Tamilnadu and of TN's CM? Was it to justify to the world that the 'international award' was warranted?

Months after the murder of S'ankararaman, CM sends a team to Hyderabad where S'ankaracharya's had camped.

It was Deepavali night.

It is well known that Christists abhor this grand festival of lights whenever they attempt to proselytize and harvest souls.

On this well-chosen day, the Acharya, Jayendra Saraswati was arrested.

Surprise! He was brought in a police van by road, from Hyderabad to Kanchipuram. Two journalists appear on the scene and accompany the Acharya, in an unprecedented procedure of allowing journalists in a police van. The journalists were: N. Ram, Chief Editor of The Hindu and Jennifer Arul, Director, NDTV. After all, the event was so important that the work could not be assigned to mere staff reporters.

N. Ram's The Hindu is a communist politburo tabloid. Jennifer Arul has contributed to a website called gegrapha.org where she has vowed to destroy Hindu dharma and plant the cross of Christ. Sordid details get announced on a CD pirated to Sun TV and other TV channels reporting concocted and sordid tales about the S'ankaramatham and sexploits there. One rumor was that sorbitol was administered during the journey. Another was that the Acharya was told by the cops to the effect that: To preempt the case being taken up by CBI, the state police had to act to fetch you to Kanchipuram, to keep the case within state control. In other words, the Acharya was duped into accompanying the police team with a false alibi.

Surprise! The CM of AP was also involved because he had to permit the TM police action in Hyderabad. It is unlikely that CM of AP (fondly called Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy) would have acted without informing the Catholic Chairperson of UPA and the then Chair of National Advisory Council (in otherwords, the supreme leader of the Central government).

The most stunning revelation was made in US Congress by a Texas Congressman called Ron Paul. The info. is detailed in his website and congressional record. He made a startling allegation that President Bush administration was transferring through USAID upto a billion US dollars under the US-Poland-Ukraine Cooperation Initiative and most of the money was going to NGOs to manipulate for example, elections in Ukraine. We have noted that IHRDC was an NGO based in Ukraine.

An interlude to the actions preceding S'ankararaman's murder is the enactment of Anti-Conversion Law and later repeal (after the rout of AIADMK in the Parliamentary elections). The withdrawal of the anti-conversion law is lauded by US government in its annual report by the US Commission for International Religious Freedom, USCIRF. In addition to lauding the withdrawal of the law, the Consulate of Chennai is directed to keep a tab on Tamilnadu Government on the implementation of the withdrawal.

Isn't the money trail apparent? Isn't the involvement of christist groups apparent?

When tsunami struck Tamilnadu coast, who gets photographed with CM of Tamilnadu for undertaking relief efforts? Mallavarapu Prakash, Bishop of Vijayawada. There are also reports of TN government entrusting relief efforts to christist agencies.

How come the new TN Government imposes a ban on Da Vinci Code with alacrity? (An action declared illegal by the High Court). Where did the money trail lead?

Surprise! The accused was identified well before the murder happened, because dossiers were constructed to prepare the ground for alleging animosity between the murdered and the accused. This was affirmed by a lawyer in Kanchi defending the acharya's.

Why did the CM of TN take undue interest in the prosecution of the case as was argued by Nariman in the Supreme Court?

Events following the murder have tell-tale signs. Benny Hinn comes to Bangalore adored by 6 CMs and Benny Hinn hails Sonia Gandhi in a public evangelizing platform. Nuns arrive in Tirupati. AP is littered with churches all along the Coromandel coast. Ron Watts claims to have converted 8 lakh Hindu's as Seventh Day Adventists, just living in Hosur on an illegal business visa after getting photographed with Sonia Gandhi and publishing the photo on cover page of his magazine. He is introduced to Advani by another Seventh Day Adventist who happened to be an MP from Mizoram. There is another Mizoram resident who got elected as BJP MP from Bangalore, after retiring from Karnataka police force. The conversion spree has reached a crescendo with the christists having a firm grip over the state apparatus.

In Tamilnadu, the police force became a pocketburo, a private army acting at the dictates of the supreme and a reign of terror was let loose and nobody could talk even in a bus stop about the murder. Anyone who talked was booked by the cops under CrPC and the draconian criminal justice system of the land.

Nobody is safe. Not even an accountant of a Kanchi temple who had earlier worked in the Kanchi S'ankaramatham. His association with the Hindu institutions was his undoing. He became a victim of a christist conspiracy to demonstrate the impotence of the Hindu samajam, by booking a mathadhipati of a matham which is said to have been established by Adi S'ankara 2500 years ago and by choosing the sacred Deepavali day to make it happen. The humiliation of Hindu samajam is complete. S'ankararaman had to pay a price with his life to accomplish this humiliation.

Background notes:

Jayalalithaa is a product of the well known Sacred Heart Matriculation school, Chennai, conducted by the famous Presentation Sisters of Church Park. Bro. Berchmans asks the question: Had Jayalalithaa become a nun, would that have brought any positive change

in her life? Good question, ain't it? Try searching for an answer in the following link:

http://www.patricianbrothers.com/patwebsite/newsletterhome/indiannewsletter/indianews0604/indiannews0604.html#slogan

http://www.patricianbrothers.com/patwebsite/newsletterhome/indiannewsletter/indianews0604/indiannews0604.html

Let us see how in my opinion the christists manipulated Jayalalithaa and she succumbed to their guile.

The early and open wooing of Jayalalitha started with naming a street in USA after her.

Monument for J. proposed in Wisconsin.

Chicago Street Named after Jayalalitha

by Nand Kapoor, Chicaho Bureau Chief

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

Chicago, April 29 - On April 27 '96,

The Dr. J. Jayalalitha Way on Devon Avenue from Broadway to Lakewood Avenue was unveiled & dedicated with an Inter-Faith Prayer and an impressive community rally. Dr. J.Jayalalitha Way is located at a major intersection in the Northside of the City of Chicago where major roads, Broadway Avenue, Devon Avenue and North Sheridan meet. The Dr. J. Jayalalitha Way is the first portion of the long winding West Devon Avenue which bears Honorary street designations for Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Golda Mier (Ex Israeli Prime Minister), at different segments of the Avenue.

For details just click:

http://groups.msn.com/Newsandcurrentaffairs/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=28335&LastModified=4675504423072200478

THE THANGA THARAGAI - GOLDEN STAR AWARD

One is now familiar of her being given the "most prestigious" award - the Thanga Tharagai or the Golden Star Award. Millions of posters were pasted all over Tamil Nadu hailing her as "Golden Star" Amma or "Thanga Tharagai" Idaya Deivam etc.,

What is the origin of this Thanga Tharagai award and who are the persons behind it? And why should they suddenly cosy up to Jayalalithaa? Just keep in mind that this was the time the TN Forcible Conversion Act was in place and there was no talk of repealment by the government.

To get a logical answer to this, one must honestly look into the Presidential elections in Ukraine. What has the election of President of Ukraine to do with the Golden Star Award to Jayalalithaa?

The Bush Administration in USA wants a pliable president in the Ukraine. They consider it important to their affairs and what do they do? They locate a pliable candidate, Viktor Yushchinko. And decide to prop him up. So how do they go about funding his elections to the Presidency of Ukraine? Simple, they choose Poland as the medium. Why Poland? The former Pope is from Poland, stupid. This "initiative" is called as the Poland-America-Ukraine Cooperation Initiative (PAUCI), which is administered by the US based Freedom House and funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID). Millions of dollars was granted by USAID to PAUCI in Poland. And PAUCI sent these funds to numerous Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Ukraine and needless to say that these NGOs acted on the behest of US government to get their candidate elected as the President.

Take a look at this:

On 7 December 2004, U.S. Congressman Ron E. Paul made this statement before the House of Representatives International Relations Committee.How did this one-sided US funding in Ukraine come about? While I am afraid we may have seen only the tip of the iceberg, one part that we do know thus far is that the US government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), granted millions of dollars to the Poland-America-Ukraine Cooperation Initiative (PAUCI), which is administered by the US-based Freedom House.

PAUCI then sent US Government funds to numerous Ukrainian non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This would be bad enough and would in itself constitute meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation. But, what is worse is that many of these grantee organizations in Ukraine are blatantly in favor of presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko.

Consider the Ukrainian NGO International Centre for Policy Studies. It is an organization funded by the US Government through PAUCI, but on its website you will find that the front page in the English section features a prominent orange ribbon, the symbol of Yushchenko's party and movement. Reading further on, we discover that this NGO was founded by George Soros's Open Society Institute. And further on we can see that Viktor Yushchenko himself sits on the advisory board!

And this NGO is not the only one the US government funds that is openly supportive of Viktor Yushchenko. The Western Ukraine Regional Training Center, as another example, features a prominent USAID logo on one side of its website's front page and an orange ribbon of the candidate Yushchenko's party and movement on the other. By their proximity, the message to Ukrainian readers is clear: the US government supports Yushchenko.

The Center for Political and Law Reforms, another Ukrainian NGO funded by the US government, features a link at the top of its website's front page to Viktor Yushchenko's personal website. Yushchenko's picture is at the top of this US government funded website.

That May, the Virginia-based Private Management Consultancy Development Associates, Inc., was awarded $100 million by the US government for strengthening national legislatures and other deliberative bodies worldwide. According to the organization's website, several million dollars from this went to Ukraine in advance of the elections .

As I have said, this may only be the tip of the iceberg. There may be many more such organizations involved in this twisted tale.

There has been a blackout in the American media about his statement. Instead, they have been focussing mostly on an alleged poisoning of the pro-Western candidate. If there is any side that will benefit most from the poisoning, it is the United States. It is probable they

poisoned their own candidate. The Cold War may be officially over. But as long as Russia remains a challenge to American power, the bleeding without fighting will continue.

http://vsubhash.blogspot.com/

What is relevant to us is that

1. USA wanted Viktor Yushchenko elected as President of Ukraine.

2. The US Goverment floated PAUCI

3. Sent millions of dollars to it from USAID

4. PAUCI floated hundreds of NGOs in Ukraine to which these millions were distributed for "election duty".

5. Coordinating the efforts was IHRDC (International Human Rights Defence Committee) is one such NGO based in USA with Natalya Krivutsa a Naturalised citizen of USA, with a Ukraine background.

Now to the vital question:

Who conferred the "Golden Star" or the "Thanga Tharagai" Award on Jayalalitha?

It is IHRDC (International Human Rights Defence Committee) headed by Natalya l Krivutsa.

It is claimed that this was a body under the United Nations (check the banners behind the photographs of the Awards function in Chennai). But the fact is that UN has nothing to do with this Organisation (Just check the UN website to find any relationshiip with this body - zilch) Bishop Mallawarappu Prakash, who is also associated with this NGO, as heading their office in India and with the Awarding of the Golden Star to Jayalalitha defended this saying that the website of the organisation shows that it is a UN organisation (can there be more silly argument than this?).

Now take a look at the Award function photos in the AIADMK website:

On 10 Oct. 2004, Ukraine delegates in city to honour Jaya

Ukraine delegates representing the International Human Rights Defence Committee (IHRDC) which has selected Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for the Golden Star of Honour and Dignity Award, have arrived in Chennai. The IHRDC will present the award to the Chief Minister for her stellar role in gender equality and protection of weaker sections of society.

See photos at

http://www.aiadmkindia.org/111004%20human%20rightsaward.htm

Now on to some simple questions that very badly need to be answered:

1. Who is Bishop Mallavarapu Prakash? Why was this Bishop Mallavarapu Prakash of Vijayawada made head of the minorities welfare board in Tamil Nadu? Why not a muslim from Tamil Nadu?

Bishop Mallavarapu Prakash was on the dais as India representative of IHRDC of Ukraine when the Golden Star (Thanga Tarakai) Award was presented in October 2004 and was made the State's chairman of the Minorities Board, though he belongs to the neighbouring State, the State of Andhra Pradesh.

2. In Feb. 2005 a monument is proposed for Jayalalithaa, together with the Bharat Jyoti Award from India International Friendship Society.

3. The timing of the Thanga Tarakai award is after withdrawing the Anti-conversion Act. Is there a connection between this withdrawal and the award? Some kind of a thanks-giving and an incentive for more action?

4.The award celebration was certainly paralleled by

(a) The tax payers' money spent by Tamil Nadu Government on the 4 page Wall Street Journal advertisement eulogising the achievements of AIADMK government -- the interview was conducted by Ms. Carlose Andrade of Times of India; and

(b) US State Dept. (Office of International Religious Freedom of the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor) is backing such conversion initiatives. The last paragraph of this year's report of USCIRF states that US embassy officials had been interacting regularly with TN Govt. state officials on the anti-conversion law and its reversal. (May 2004).

5. There is an intricate web of a christist Prabhakar offering Bharat Jyoti Award from India International Friendship Society of USA, Bishop M. Prakash, IHRDC Ukraine, Natalya Krivutsa of USA, K.A. Paul coming in his private jet meeting CM and handing over unlisted materials post-Tsunami. The events take place in a suspicious order or sequence.

7. The take over of the Veera S'aiva (Lingayata) Matham in Kumbakonam on 16 Jan. 2005 and the crippling of the Kanchi Matham from Deepavali Day (November 2004).

All these lead one to wonder "is there any connection between the awards, the christists who were behind the awards and attacks on these Hindu institutions"?

The advertisement in Wall Street Journal hailing Jayalalithaa should have cost a fortune for the TN Govt. See the ad (interview by Carol Andrade) at

http://www.tn.gov.in/pressclippings/wallstreet/wsj-lr72-1.pdf

http://www.tn.gov.in/pressclippings/wallstreet/wsj-lr72-p2.pdf

http://www.tn.gov.in/pressclippings/wallstreet/wsj-lr72-p3.pdf

http://www.tn.gov.in/pressclippings/wallstreet/wsj-lr72-p4.pdf

This jibes with the move to withdraw the anti-conversion bill through an ordinance after she got a drubbing in the TN Lok Sabha polls.

The interviewer whose interview becomes a TN Govt. ad is Ms. Carol Andrade. She is Times of India Supplements Editor and claims to be a journalist for 27 years.

http://www.thaneweb.com/interviews/97interview_carol_thaneplus.htm

She is also editor (for Economic Times) of Strategic Marketing (together with a guy from IIM, Calcuta).

http://www.etstrategicmarketing.com/smNov-Dec1/lets.htm

Bishop Rt Rev Dr M Prakash noted that the downtrodden were given all privileges in the state and said, ``as many as 10,000 independent churches in the state would spread the peace message of Jayalalithaa to the entire world. And downtrodden are given all the privileges in the state.''

ANOTHER AWARD: By way of adding yet another feather in her cap, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will be awarded International Best Statesperson Award in February 2005 by International Friendship Society in the USA.

Announcing this, Dr Vijay Prabhakar, president, World Federation of Tamil Youth, USA, said, ``this award will be conferred for being a

true statesperson.''

http://www.tn.gov.in/pressclippings/newindpress/newindpress12102004.htm

http://www.tn.gov.in/pressclippings/newindpress/newindpress09102004.htmNote

that this is on a Government site.

VAIKO'S CRITICISM OF THE AWARD

At that point of time, see what Vaiko, her current christist "brother" said:

Referring to the honour of `Golden Star of Honour and Dignity Award' bestowed on the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, by the Ukraine-based International Human Rights Defence Committee, he said the award meant `nothing' since the organisation was not recognised by the United Nations. The award episode was `funny' given the backdrop of increasing violence and crime against women in Tamil Nadu, he said.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2004101813620400.htm&date=2004/10/18/&prd=th&

THE CHRISTIST TEAM THAT WORKED ON JAYALALITHAA

So we have a Natalya Kirutsva, a Bishop Mallavarapu Prakash, Dr K.A.Paul, who came in his Private Jet offering Rs4,000 crores relief to Tsunami and offering to adopt 400 children orphaned by Tsunami, Dr Vijay Prabhakar of World Federation of Tamil Youth USA, a Carlos Andrade, Uncle Sam and his Consul in Chennai plus a few church leaders thrown in for pepper. Great Team.

See photo of Natalya at http://www.committee.org.ua/dok35.html (Text in Russian)

See Bishop Prakash Mallavarapu of Vijayawada on the catholic hierarchy. As director fo the India Chapter of IHRDC based in Ukraine (funded by Uncle Sam), he is clearly the conduit for getting the award for Jayalalithaa.

http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmalp.html

Bishop Mallavarapu Prakash is also a member of the doctrine commission.

Dr K A Paul, chairman, Global Peace Initiative in Washington and Tamilnadu Minorities Welfare Board's chairman Bishop Dr M Prakash met the Chief Minister and handed over the relief materials for the Tsunami affected with Boxer Hollifield adding the punch to the team.

That Jayalalithaa was flattered from this "award" was evident from the number of posters her party men put up through out the State. In addition, look at what she has to say about the award:

Make Tamil Nadu a premier state: CM

Sunday, October 17, 2004

PTI

CHENNAI: AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday asked her partymen to work for making the state 'number one' in the country.

The Golden Star of Honour and Dignity Award conferred on her recentlyby the Ukraine based International Human Rights Defence Committee was a proof to this, she said.

On receiving the International award instituted by International Human Rights Defence Committee (IHRDC) from Natalya l Krivutsa, Head of IHRDC, USA, for her efforts to eliminate gender inequality and protection of the weaker section of the society, Jayalalithaa said, ``A society that cannot protect the dignity and honour of its women cannot be termed as a civil society.''

Now pause for a moment and think:

1. A rather circuitous route from US Government is established through Poland, Ukraine and a web of NGOs and christist-activists, evangelists and they start wooing CM. It ends with the US government getting the Anti-conversion Act repealed by CM.

2. A street in USA is named after her and she gets an award from a dubious NGO with christists at the helm of affairs.

3. She makes a bishop from neighbouring state as the Chairman of the Minority Welfare Board in Tamil Nadu and he happens to be the India representative of the dubious NGO that gives her the "Golden Star" Award.

4. The US Consul in Chennai has specially posted officials dealing with her administration to repeal the Anti-conversion Act

5. Her Deva Prasnam Expert and astrologer says no harm will befall if the Kanchi Acharya is arrested.

And on the Diwali night, which is so holy to all Hindus, she decides to ruin the festival of lights for millions of Hindus, by ordering arrest of one of the most sacred Institutions of the Hindus, The Kanchi Acharya Himself.

It is said that there was a stage in her life when she would not even sneeze without consulting Unnikrishna Panicker. Her close aide, Sasikala reportedly visited Panicker one week before the actual arrest of Kanchi Acharya to make a "divine inquiry" if His arrest would bring her government down and if there would be any repurcussions from the Hindu Samaj. Panicker gave the green signal and the the brutal assault was executed on one of our most revered institutions, the Kanchi Acharyas and the Kanchi Mutt.

Defining national identity by paying tribute to the yoddha (veterans) of Hindusthan

2008-08-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Defining national identity by paying tribute to the yoddha (veterans) of Hindusthan.

Please see the film of Steven Spielberg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLq8hmmxcOA

Steven Speilberg's film, 'Timeless Call' which defines American identity. This is a rivetting tribute to the veterans of US Army whose patriotism is the defining image of Americans' commitment to what they hold dear -- their nation.

Hindusthan has to reach such a stage when such a video should reverberate in every school, in every farm, every legislature, every bureaucratic institution of Hindusthan. A nation finds her identity and pays a tribute to Bharata Maata by remembering the heroes who have kept their lives on the line in defence of Hindusthana. Every child should remember these pitru-s, these ancestors who have defined sanatana dharma, that is Hindu rashtram.

We have 10 Jannpath chamchas amidst us who seem to be more ashamed than proud of the difficult battles and wars won with their lives by the soldiers of Hindusthana. These soldiers are the jyoti punj of Hindu dharma.

The temporary mad grip of third rate politicians permeating every public activity should end.

The nation of Hindusthan is greater than everyone of us. She is a reality, she is our mother who has nurtured us and has given us the opportunity to serve her. There cannot be a greater privilege than this.

To start with, let us remember our pitru-s by offering them tarpanam by setting up a War Memorial so that present and future generations will never ever forget that their sacrificees to achieve true swarajyam for Bharatam have not gone in vain.

The isssue is not about chamcha-s.

Ths issue is about every citizen of Bharata des'am who has a promise to fulfil and hand over the deepam of our civilizational heritage to the future generations.

Ths issue is about the future of the youngest nation on the face of the globe.

Ths issue is about every child saying in unison, Hindusthanam shall prevail. I am proud to be part of this journey in dharma. There can be no greater privilege in life.

namaskaram.

kalyanaraman

On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 10:05 PM, S. Kalyanaraman wrote:

Defining national identity by paying tribute to the yoddha (veterans) of Hindusthan. Yes, we need a Hindusthan Patriot Act.

I watched almost the entire proceedings of the Democratic National Convention, Denver for 3 nights and many hours of talk shows on MSNBC and CNNpolitics.com .

As I recollect the memories of the events which unfolded in this Convention, I recall one event as the highlight of the entire Convention. To me, this is the defining moment, the very definition of American identity.

This was a 7 minute short film made by Steven Spielberg. The film was titled , 'A Timeless Call' and was a tribute to the veterans of US armed forces.

The message was gripping; the narrative and visuals were stunning.

I have to submit with sadness that in our civilizational history, we have not paid such a tribute to the yoddha (soldiers) of Hindusthan who have been fighting the longest, relentless war on terror for over 60 years now.

Will this event of Steven Spielberg's short film trigger two initiatives in Hindusthan? 1. A war memorial on the lines of the Arlington Cemetery in honour of the brave men and women bearing arms to protect Hindusthan. 2. A short film as a tribute to these brave men and women to protect dharma and the land of Hindusthan which is the only hope for heralding a world in dharma.

Kalyanaraman

Excerpts from the speech of Chet Edwards, Member of the US House of Representatives, Texas, delivered in the Democratic National Convention, Denver, on 27 August 2008:

Last month my wife and I took our 11- and 12-year-old sons to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit wounded soldiers. We met a young soldier in a wheelchair. He had lost both of his legs in combat in Iraq, and this courageous father was holding his infant child lovingly in his lap.

As we talked, I held tightly to my sons' hands, overwhelmed by a father who will sacrifice every day for the rest of his life because he served his country. We can never give that soldier his legs back, but he should never have to give up on the dreams he has for his child.

As we watch this Steven Spielberg film, let us remember that in the 21st century, we are the land of the free, because we are still the home of the brave.

http://digitalproducer.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=499749

Three Academy Award Winners Produce Tribute to Veterans for Democratic National Convention Tonight

| 27 Aug 2008 | 04:19 PM ET

LOS ANGELES, Aug 27, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- James Moll, Emmy winner and an Academy Award winning filmmaker for "The Last Days," Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks, the Oscar winning producers of "American Beauty," produced the seven minute tribute to the country's veterans to be shown Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention.

"A Timeless Call" is narrated by Tom Hanks, directed by Steven Spielberg, with music by John Williams. It was written by Lorna Graham, a New York based television writer and producer. Andy Spahn, who runs his own entertainment industry based consulting firm, served as a consultant.

SOURCE: Steven Spielberg's office CONTACT: Steven Spielberg's office Marvin Levy, 818-733-9787 Copyright Business Wire 2008 -0- KEYWORD: United States

Antony seeks PM's intervention for War Memorial
[]
Friday, June 13 2008 15:27 (IST)
[]
New Delhi, Jun 13 (UNI) Defence Minister A K Antony has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an early construction of a National War Memorial in the national capital as a mark of rememberance for the over 50,000 soldiers who died in various incidents since Independence.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister has said his intervention could pave the way for the construction of the Memorial near India Gate. He also blamed the Union Urban Development Ministry with dragging its feet on the issue.

The issue is wrapped in ''bureaucratic red tape'' for the past 40 years. The Urban Development Ministry has claimed that the proposed War Memorial will not be suitable near India Gate.

Noted designer Charles Correa had designed the memorial.

Meanwhile, the Defence Minister has also asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to prepare a Cabinet Note on the War Memorial and its progress in the last 40 years.

When approved, it would be India's first National War Memorial, commemorating soldiers who died in all the wars since World War II.

The India Gate is a War Memorial in New Delhi commemorating the Indian dead of World War I. The India Gate today also houses the tomb of the Unknown Soldier -- the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

A few days ago, the three Service Chiefs had called on Dr Singh and raised the almost five-decade delay in building the proposed Memorial. The Cabinet Note is said to be a follow up of the meeting.

Over 50,000 soldiers have died in wars with Pakistan, China and the counter-insurgency operations in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and the North East.

http://news.oneindia.in/2008/06/13/antony-seeks-pms-intervention-for-war-memorial-1213353190.html

Dateline: New Delhi.

National War Memorial

A concept plan for the National War Memorial, which envisages its location at India Gate complex, has been presented before the regulatory bodies namely, Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC), Central Vista Committee (CVC) and Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC). Ministry of Urban Development has also been approached to assign the land around 'Chhatri' at the India Gate complex to Ministry of Defence for proceeding in the matter.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence, Mr M M Pallam Raju in a written reply to Mr Ravi PrakashVerma and others in Lok Sabha.

http://demotemp92.nic.in/writereaddata/2008/english/may01-08/h15.html

Christist terrorists murdered Swami Laxmananda Ssaraswati

2008-08-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

Ambruta
Angri
Guard
Gulibidha
Jalesipatare
Kishore 1
Kishore 2
Laxmananda
Mata
Orissa
Rakta
Swami
Swami Jinka
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Viswa sambad kendra Bhubaneswar sambad kendra"
To: visakeobbsr@gmail.com
Date: 29 Aug. 2008
Subject: SWAMI LAXMANANANDA SARASWATI
SWAMI LAXMANANANDA SARASWATI
Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati (84) is known as second incarnation of
Lord Parsuram. He took the vow to develop the down trodden class of
people of the society and made his centre of activities at CHAKAPAD in
the tribal district, Kandhmal of Orissa.Besides social and religious
development of the tribal people he made them economically sound and
academically well up. He established a Gurukul pattern of school and
a college to teach Sanskrit in Chakapada a remote place of Kandhmal
district.
Jalespatta is another ashram of Swamijee in Ganjam district of Orissa
where education is being imparted to women population with an
intention to build women workers for economic development of masses
who are culturally and politically neglected.
While there was a move to ban cow slaughter in India, Swamijee came
from Himalaya to Orissa. After the movement of cow protection was
over, Swamijee decided to return back to his Tapashya when the then
chief of RSS of Orissa Sri Bhupendra Kumar Basu narrated the sad
stories of the tribal population of the state and requested him to
help the suffering population. Swamijee went to Phulbani (Kondhmal)
with Sri Basu, saw the life of people there and decided to serve the
backward people there and focus them to join into the main stream of
the society. In 1969 he started his first ashram at Chakapada and the
ashram became a centre for brisk activities. He renovated the temples:
Birupakshya, Kumareswar and Jogeswar and established a Sanskrit school
and a college. Swamijee invested his full energy to teach the youth of
schedule caste and schedule tribe in Sanskrit and through Sanskrit he
built the youths to disciplined citizen well civilized, well
cultured, well educated, well spiritual and protector of the society.
Swamijee was well versed in Vedanta philosophy, Sanskrit grammer and
was awarded with the honour as "VEDANTA KESHARI". He was not only
giving philosophical talks to the people but looking to the
cultivation, animal care, and horticulture and so on. The students
coming out from Kalyan Ashram Gurukula are providing leadership in the
society in economic, social and cultural fields.
Due to his selfless service to humanity he received the award:
VIVEKANANDA SEVA PURASKAR" from Kumar Pustakalya, Kolkota.
As he stood firm in Phulbani district for a long time and struggled
against elements of Anti- dharma, the Sankaracharya of Govardhan
Pitha, Puri awarded him with the Upadhi as"BIDHARMI KUCHAKRA VIDARAN
MAHARATHI"
While he started his work in Kandhamal, a devoted RSS Pracharak,
Sri Raghunath Sethi associated with him for a long period for the
said noble work.Swamijee was born in 1924 in the village Gurujang of
Angul district.He left his house in1953 with the blessing of his
father-in-law:"KALAJAYI SANYASI BHABA".He initially selected his place
of activities at Chakapad because there is Birupakhya temple.
Subsequently he established Kanyashram at Jalespatta, a Seva school at
Tulasipur, Banki in Cuttack district and an Ashram at Panitola in
Angul district..
The significance of Birupakshya Temple
The Birupakshya temple at Chakapada is situated in the district of
Kandhamala (Phulbani). It stands on an elevation of about 800ft. from
sea level. River Burutanga is flowing near the temple. The place is
surrounded by beautiful natural scenaries. Chakapada has also been
mentioned in the Ramayana. The old age name of Chakapada is
Ekachakranagari. The name is connected with Ramayana. Here exists a
siva temple where linga is bent to south and all the trees of the
place are also bent to south
Chakapada Hindu Sammelan
On the eve of Parama Pujaniya Sri Gurujee(Madhab Sadasiba Golwalkar)
Janma Satabarsik celeberation a unique Hindu Sammelan was held from
8th to 10th April06at Chakapada. More than 5 lakhs Vanabasi Hindus
participated in the sammelan. During this programme seven MAHAJAGNA
was perforformed:
1) NAMAJAGNA-1000 groups of Bhajan Mandalis(both gents &ladies)
participated for chanting the name of god.
2) GHRUTA JAGNA:-Besides offering ghee , a Sphatika Siva Linga
(Cristal) and statue of Adi Shankaracharya, Sata rudra, Sapta sati
were installed. This spatika sivalinga was installed in a temple
named as Laxmaneswar temple . The name was suggested by the
Shankaracharya of Puri- Swami Nischalananda Saraswati in the name of
Swamijee.
3) GYANA JAGNA-Spiritual discourses were delivered by eminent monks
including Shankaracharya of Puri ,Swami Nischalananda Saraswati.
4) ANNA JAGNA-Prasad was provided to all participants
5) DEEPA JAGNA- Lakhs of deepa were offered by doveetes
6) SEVA JAGNA Medical checkup was provided to the needy for treatment
of eye, teeth, and hemoglobin deficiency
7) DHARMA JAGARAN JAGNA A meeting of monks and tribals was organized
who have faith in swadharma. Such type of gatherings were organied in
1986 where one lakh devotees participated. Besides that 8 Raths
traveled from various corners of Orissa to Chakapada and assembled
there on the first day of Hindu New Year i.e 30th March06.
Due to his multi dimensional activities for the development of the
Hindu Culture , Hindu Traditions, Hindu Dharma, as well as the
economical background of the poor mass a wave of consciousness
overwhelmed in the society which was eyesore to the anti Hindu and
anti-social elements. After contributing a lot to the society , he
sacrificed his life on the occasion of Janmastami on 23rd Augest08,
along with his four colleagues-Madhubaba,Kishorebaba,Maunibaba,and
Matajee, who was in charge of Girls Hostel, at Jalespatta, by a group
of miscreants who attacked in the night with Rifle and bomb.

Pujya Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati

Date of Birth: 1924 Shravan Krushna Navami
Birth Place: Nua Sahi, Gurujanga, Anugul Jilla

Swami Ji came out of home for pursuit of spirituality in 1953, at the age of 29.

DVD Track and Meaning

1:35 - 2:20 - Conversion initiative in Phulbani area, creating

3:00 - Sangh Started working in the tribal area

3:45 - Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati Ji's introduction by karyakartas -
Vhupen Kumar Basu Chakapada - the then Ma. Pranta Sangh Chalak

4:45 - Swamiji worked for School, Mandirs (Birupakhya Pith), Satsangs,
Nisa nibran - Creating alcohol free society - Shri Dukhiram Kuaanra
and his First Sahyogi Shri Raghunath Sethi.

8:00 - In 1986 Sar. Karyavah Ma Yadav Rao Joshi Ji inagurated Rath to
Phulbani - Ma. Sankaracharya Ji welcomed it.

9:15 - Kalinga Jagannath Mandir established and Rath went to Chakapada
(With Ma. Governer B.N.Pande, Sah Prant Pracharak Ma. Shyam Ji gupt
welcoming guests) Harihar Da was also present.

11:35 - 12:15 Jagnas, Eye Camps, and massive gatherings to brought in
confidence and awareness among everyone the need of sewa in the weaker
section of the society.

12:45 - 14:30 Banvasi Kalyan Ashram started Hanuman temple brought in
social transformations like liquor free village, and personal hygiene
through education, pravachans, Geta, Bhagbat chantngs and Satsangs.

16:00 - 17:00 Many temple established by VHP more than 16 temples and
numerous satsangs. Where as some hostile churches did not hesitate to
grab Devottara properties of Gramadevi.

17:00 - 20:15 Swami Ji started Samskrit Vidylaya - Education and self
employment training is imparted here. Students learn veda path and
Jagnya, pooja vidhi along with other subjects. In 1978 it became a
collage, 300 students studying currently and more than 1650 studens
have graduated from here.

21:20 - 25:20 Cow protection and gorakhya - Pujya Swami Ji inspired
villagers, leading by example. The villagers along with their
Sarpanchs were doing cultivation traditionally at wrong time there by
getting very less yield, also were not ready to accept any change. To
bring in prosperity to the villages swamiji started cultivation in the
ashram land and showed the villagers the benefits of having cows for
milk, milk products, and proper way of cultivation.

His perseverance and patience changed the ways the villagers were
operating and started getting better yields. Cultivation became an
initiative for economic growth for the entire village. He emphasized
the need of forestation - brought in Kranti to save the forest and
made use of forest products. His vision was to make each village self
sufficient in food thereby make the whole country proud.

25:20 - 27:10 Like a Drasta (visionary) Pujya swamji encouraged
saving the forest. To bring in harmony (samarasata), and eliminate
cast discrimination between Savarna and Asavarna swamiji started Nama
Jagnya celebration in 1982 (Chanting divine name of God), where
everyone irrespective of cast and creed comes together to get immerged
in the divine experience.

27:10 - 28:50 - Ashram for girl students - Near the bank of Rahul Nadi
there is Shiva Pith Swami Ji established Jalespata Shankaracharya
Kanyashrama in 1988. More than 250 students are residing and studying
there.

33:00 - 34:20 Shikshya Vikash Parishad started Saraswati Shishu Mandir
schools in Phubni. Temple Trusty Natabar Panda explains Pujya swamiji
Ji's initiatives for communal harmony.

34:50 - 36:20 While comparing Missionary work vs VHP, Shri Laxmikant
Malik, Baliguda Congress MLA explained - while the former
(Missionaries) worked with Allurement of the poor the later (VHP)
focused on cultural program, self development and education of the
youth. For instance the Samskrut Vidyalay established in 1980's
trained the youths in understanding scriptures like Vedas and
increased their appreciation of our culture and traditions.

37:00 - 37:45 Social Transformation - Shri Jagannath Mandir - Raja
Shri Nalinikanta Deo Bad habits were eradicated, education and
vocational training brought in economic empowerment. Medical camps,
health awareness camps brought well being of the whole village -
explained Mangulu Patra, Dharma Jagaran Samiti state president.

37:45 - 38:30 Shri Santosh Pradhan (OAS), Alumni of the school at
Chakapada - He learned to work with the common people, take everyone's
cooperation while working, a practice he learned in the school,
implements in his administrative role as well.

39:40 - 40:50 Pavitra Kahanra, from Telapalli village, Kashimpadar
High School Samskrit Teacher, introduces himself as a Vanvasi Kandha
(tribal) - did study in the samskrut school in 1978 and got inspired
to pursue higher education and went to Puri to study Samkrita Acharya
,and became first Samskrut teacher in Phulbani. Pujya SwamiJi's
samskrita Vidyalaya trained and inspired thousands of Samskrut
Shiksaks, that are have gone to Phulbani, Koraput, Malkangiri
districts and have become teachers there (than 50% of the teachers are
form the Ashram School).

Puri Seer, Orissa CM condoled death of Swamiji, 144 in entire Kandhamal

Bhubaneswar: Puri Gobardhan Pitha Sankaracharya Jagadguru Swami
Nischalananda Saraswati and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
condoled the death of senior VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati,
who was gun down by some unidentified assailants at Jalaspata Ashram
under Tumulibandha Police limits of tribal dominated Phulabani, the
erstwhile Kandhamal.

Christians killed Swamiji, blames VHP, calls 12-hour Orissa bandh on Monday

Bhubaneswar: 23/8(viswasambad Kendra,orissa)Viswa Hindu Parishad has
blamed the Christians for the gruesome killing of Swami Laxmananda
Saraswati at Jalaspatta Ashram under Tumlibandha Police limits of
tribal dominated Phulabani district, the erstwhile Kandhamal on
Saturday night.

"The killing of Swamiji was most unfortunate incident and unwarranted.
He was a true social reformer. We all missed Guruji of Chakapa for a
longtime, his security concerns downplayed," VHP said. Swami, who is
more a social reformer than a religious thinker was killed by
Christians, VHP said.

The killing took place even at a time, when the entire tribal
community in that area was celebrating Janmastami, birthday of Lord
Krishan. The Hindu Seer had on Friday received a threat letter and
informed the Tumulibandha Police Station but adequate security was not
made to protect Swamiji and his followers. Madhu Baba and Kishor Baba,
two close aids of the Seer also killed in the grenade attack.

"Christians have killed Swamiji, we would give a befitting reply to it
very soon," VHP State general secretary Gouri Prasad Rath said. He
further demanded a high level probe into the issue and ban on Churches
working in the district. VHP went on to add that as a mark of protest,
it would shut down Orissa on Monday.

"We would forced to opt violent protest if action not taken against
the killers," Rath warned. "We have called a 12-hour shut down on
Monday protesting against the killing," he added.

Swamiji's contribution to the socio-economic empowerment of tribal
living in Orissa's southern region has posed a major threat for the
conversion activities and finally the missionaries killed Swamiji,
Rath added. He further informed Swamiji has been attacked for ninth
consecutive time till his death and each time the Christians hatched
the conspiracy.

Swamiji have been working in Kandhamal area since late 70s and he
successfully understands object poverty of that region and worked
relentlessly for the socio-economic empowerment of tribal, the VHP
said. VHP also hosted a condoled meeting to pay homage to the departed
soul.

HINDU JAGARANA SAMUKHYA : ORISSA

PRESS RELEASE
Dated the 24th August 2008

Yesterday, around 9.30 p.m. Vedanta Keshari Swami Laxanananda
Saraswati was murdered at his Ashram by armed assailants who used
grenades and sophisticated arms. Along with him Mataji (a female saint
who was looking after the Girls' Boarding School at Jaleshpata), Madhu
baba, Kishore baba and Mauni Baba also got killed by the bullets of
the assailants. The assailants are suspected to be from among the
Dalit Christians blonging to the Baptist church and the Catholic
Church who had threatened him in writing after resolving in a meeting
held at Raikia on the 9th August 2008. There was a well calculated
conspiracy to do away with the Swamijee as he was the biggest obstacle
against proselytisation of the Kondh tribes and the scheduled caste
people in the Kondhmal District. On Friday Swamijee had brought it to
the notice of the district administration, but inspite of the fact
that he was a repeated target of the militant Christians, still the
state government miserably failed to protect his life. He had
organized the local Hindus to prevent Cow slaughter and conversion to
Christianity by strictly implementing two different Acts by the Orissa
Legislature to this effect. Only a month back there was an attack by
more than two thousand armed people at Tumudibandh, only three kilo
meters from his Jalaspata Ashram.
We strongly demand that CBI should enquire into the matter and bring
the consipiracy out of the bag and the real culprits be brought to
book. We do not suspect any Maoist hand behind the incident. Maoist
façade is used deliberately by the church to obfuscate the issue and
terrorize the public.
Hindu organizations suspect Church hand in Swamijee murder
Bhubaneswar, 24/8 (Viswasambadkendra, Orissa ) In a Press release the
President of Hindu Jagarana Samukhya, Shri Ashok Sahu accused the
State Government of deliberately misleading the public by giving a
Maoist color to the gruesome murder of Swamijee Laxanananda Saraswati
at his ashram in Jalasapata in Orissa. For having utterly failed to
give adequate security to Swamijee in the face of repeated attack and
imminent danger to his life and frequent letters from Swamijee himself
to the authorities. In last December on 23rd he escaped a violent
attack and was hospitalized with fatal injuries. Shri Sahu revealed
quoting Swamijee that there was a meeting at Raikia Community Centre
on the 9th August 2008 attended by many Christian militants
representing NGOs and persons like Nakul Nayak the ex-Member of
Parliament and Krishna Padseth the ex- Chairman of the Block from
Tumudibandh. The conspiracy to kill Swami Laxanananda was hatched in
the meeting and on 13th August a threatening letter was circulated to
the district and state authorities along with copies to individual
targets including Swamijee. On 22nd August Swamijee appealed the
District magistrate to enhance his personal security. The news that
his life is in danger has been broadcast by the media in the morning
hours, but alas he was done away with in a well planned cold blooded
murder by the evening before midnight in his own room. He died on the
spot along with all those four others who were with him in the
spiritual discourse. Besides him, the deceased included Mataji who was
in charge of the Girls' Boarding School, Amritananda Baba, Kishore
Baba and guardian of a female student in the Ashram.Swamijee was
preventing the Kondh tribes who were targeted by the Missionaries for
baptisation and was also trying to bring back the Dalit and tribal
converts among Christians back to Hindu fold. For last forty-two years
Swamijee was relentlessly fighting for prevention of Cow- slaughter
and conversion to Christianity particularly the poor and illiterate
Kondh tribes who constitute more than 50% of the population in the
district. He had made Kondhmal his abode and centre of missionary
movement to protect Hindutwa in Orissa. He was one man Army against
the onslaughts of the Church which the Missionaries could not
withstand and at last resorted to the most cowardly act of killing an
84 years old saint in his own hermit, Shri Sahu stated. Earlier also
there were seven such attacks from which he used to providentially
escape. His last words before getting killed, while speaking to one of
his devotees "Never have fears of death when you are working for the
cause of the Motherland". He laid his life for the cause for which he
stood his entire life.Shri Sahu demanded CBI enquiry into the ghastly
incident and wanted the conspiracy angle to unravel. Being queried by
the Press whether the CBI is free from the clutches of the Catholic
Sonia Gandhi at the center, Shri Sahu replied that one has to choose
between two evils and CBI is a lesser evil. Shri Sahu demanded that
the State government has lost their moral right to continue in power
and specially the BJP which has been benefiting by aligning at times
with Hindu cause. The Government failure in protecting Hindu saints
will only compel the peace loving Hindus of Orissa to arm themselves
to protect their interest, Shri Sahu warned. The Press conference
addressed by Shri Sahu was also attended by Shri Ajit Kumar patnaik
the General secretary and Shri Simanchal Khatua the media chief.
Puri Maharaja Shri Dibya Singdeo has strongly demanded the CBI to
bring the culprits to book. Jagadguru Shankaracharya has demanded
resignation of the BJP ministers who have failed to protect the
Swamijee and compel the government to fall for this classic failure of
governance. The Hindu Organizations have given a dawn to dusk bundh
call on Monday, the 25th August through out the State of Orissa to
respect Hindu solidarity and tribute to the departed soul.
Christians killed Swamiji, blames VHP, calls 12-hour Orissa bandh on Monday
Bhubaneswar: 23/8(viswasambad Kendra,orissa)Viswa Hindu Parishad has
blamed the Christians for the gruesome killing of Swami Laxmananda
Saraswati at Jalaspatta Ashram under Tumlibandha Police limits of
tribal dominated Phulabani district, the erstwhile Kandhamal on
Saturday night.
"The killing of Swamiji was most unfortunate incident and unwarranted.
He was a true social reformer. We all missed Guruji of Chakapa for a
longtime, his security concerns downplayed," VHP said. Swami, who is
more a social reformer than a religious thinker was killed by
Christians, VHP said. The killing took place even at a time, when the
entire tribal community in that area was celebrating Janmastami,
birthday of Lord Krishan. The Hindu Seer had on Friday received a
threat letter and informed the Tumulibandha Police Station but
adequate security was not made to protect Swamiji and his followers.
Madhu Baba and Kishor Baba, two close aids of the Seer also killed in
the grenade attack. "Christians have killed Swamiji, we would give a
befitting reply to it very soon," VHP State general secretary Gouri
Prasad Rath said. He further demanded a high level probe into the
issue and ban on Churches working in the district. VHP went on to add
that as a mark of protest, it would shut down Orissa on Monday. "We
would forced to opt violent protest if action not taken against the
killers," Rath warned. "We have called a 12-hour shut down on Monday
protesting against the killing," he added. Swamiji's contribution to
the socio-economic empowerment of tribal living in Orissa's southern
region has posed a major threat for the conversion activities and
finally the missionaries killed Swamiji, Rath added. He further
informed Swamiji has been attacked for ninth consecutive time till his
death and each time the Christians hatched the conspiracy. Swamiji
have been working in Kandhamal area since late 70s and he successfully
understands object poverty of that region and worked relentlessly for
the socio-economic empowerment of tribal, the VHP said. VHP also
hosted a condoled meeting to pay homage to the departed soul.
VHP demands Special Court to trail killers of Swamiji

Expressing strong displeasure over the failure of BJD-BJP Government
led by Naveen Patnaik, Viswa Hindu Parishad on Tuesday demanded to set
up a Special Court to trail the killers of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati
at Jalasapata Ashram in Kandhamal district. Parishad also demanded
death sentence for the Christian Militants, those who shot dead
Swamiji.

"Christian Militants have killed Swamiji not Maoists. Police as well
as the Orissa Government trying to cover up the matter and sheltering
the Church sponsored Militants," the VHP lambasted.

Speaking at a Press Conference here, VHP International General
Secretary Dr Prabin Bhai Togadia demanded that the Orissa Government
should set up a Special Court to trail the killers of Swami and ensure
death sentence for them for their heinous activities.

"We have also demanded to set up a Commission to look into the
activities of Churches, Missionaries, Church sponsored NGOs, foreign
funding to NGOs working for conversion and strict implementation of
anti-conversion laws," Dr Togadiaji said.

Holding the Orissa Government responsible for the gruesome killing of
the noted reformer, Togadia asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to
book the accused as soon as possible and trial them in a Special
Court. Government neglected Swamiji's security concerns, he added.

"It seems, Orissa Government is patronizing conversion activities and
it is also under pressure from the Churches," he argued. He further
warned that if Orissa Government did not take action against the
killers, VHP would opt violent way to take revenge.

"We can't keep silent, Sadhus and Santhas from across the country
would march towards Orissa Chief Minister's office in Bhubaneswar," he
added.

VHP would conduct Ratha Yatras carrying the ashes of Swamiji through
out Orissa and spread his message and create public opinion against
conversion activities of the Churches, Togadia informed.

Dr Vedantiji, who is leading the Ram Janmabhumi Movement in Ayodhya,
however came down heavily on Missionaries and warned for a violent
agitation. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh jointly hatching conspiracy against the Hindus in support of the
Churches, the fire brand Hindu Seer said.

"From Nepal to Kashmir to Kandhamal, they only want to eliminate
Hindus. In a country like India, majority feeling persecuted under the
UPA's rule at Centre," Dr Vedantiji added. VHP State secretary Gouri
Prasad Rath, Bajarang Dal national co-convener Subash Chouhan and
State coordinator Umashankar Acharya were among those present at the
meeting. Earlier on Monday, both Togadiaji and Dr Vedantiji attended
funeral ceremony of Swamiji at Chakapada.

Golakha Chandra Das

http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=OPED&file_name=opd3%2Etxt&counter_img=3

Violent blowback in Kandhamal

Anuradha Dutt

[ Rice bowl conversions and 'harvesting of souls' by christian missionaries lead to social strife ]

Violence is raging across Kandhamal district in Orissa in the wake of the killing of the aged Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others by a gang of suspected Christian proselytisers at an ashram on the night of August 24. A VHP leader, the swami had been steering the anti-conversion movement in vulnerable tribal areas since the late 1960s. He was reported to have survived an attack last Christmas.

His death has ignited a vicious cycle of reprisal, with an orphanage run by Christian missionaries in the district and some small 'prayer halls' being set on fire on August 25. The VHP enforced a bandh on the same day. Killings and arson are continuing, with most of the district under curfew and the police and paramilitary contingents patrolling the disturbed areas.

Kandhamal district has experienced clashes between Hindus and Christians over the years. Its estimated population of 6,00,000 includes about 1,50,000 Christians. Orissa, on account of widespread poverty and backwardness, is fertile ground for professional proselytisers, whose conversion activities, hinging on economic inducements, often prove counter-productive.

A case in point is the brutal killing of Australian evangelist Graham Staines and his two minor sons at Manoharpur village of Orissa's Keonjhar district in the early morning of January 23, 1999. They were burnt alive by an angry mob that set their station wagon afire while they were asleep.

Dara Singh, a Hindu activist, is standing trial for the crime, with the secular lobby castigating Hindutva proponents and their outfits. But they seem to have overlooked the fact that Staines, secretary-cum-treasurer of the Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj, was not merely engaged in converting tribals and other disadvantaged people; he was also virulently opposed to Hinduism. This is reportedly apparent in his progress reports to sponsors, carried in a journal called Tidings.

The demand by Hindu organisations for the expulsion of Christian missionaries from India arises from the perception that the latter, besides converting people by giving them monetary, educational and health benefits, also try to subvert the dominant Hindu ethos.

Staines, for instance, while doing commendable work via the Leprosy Mission, was also seen by adversaries to be insidiously spreading the poison of hatred against the mainstream faith.

The issue has two important facets. The first is the colossal failure of the state and Hindu preceptors to address the problems of social oppression and economic deprivation, suffered by disadvantaged groups. And the second is the willingness of Christian missionaries to ameliorate their lot, often -- though not always -- for a price. Yet, after all these decades of frenetic evangelism, a mere 2.3 per cent of the population is Christian as per the 2001 Census.

The Constitution's article 25 enshrines the right to "free profession, practice and propagation of religion", subject to curbs. There are anti-conversion laws in several States to prevent forced conversions. It is important to draw a distinction between unscrupulous professional proselytisers, who are paid by head-count, and missionaries, dedicated to good work such as running excellent hospitals and health centres, schools and colleges for the poor and for the vast middle class.

One cannot tar everyone with the same brush. Politician Eduardo Faleiro observes in an article, Freedom of Religion (June 6, 2006): "Whilst freedom of religion is a basic human right, proselytism receives universal condemnation. Proselytism is defined as the use of unscrupulous methods of persuasion such as material inducements, psychological pressure or spiritual threats to compel a person to change his or her religion. Proselytism... attacks other religious beliefs and practices and proclaims that its own religion is the only way to salvation. It is often supported by financial resources and marketing techniques that make local religious activities seem second rate and inferior".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXTRACTS FROM ARUN SHOURIE'S " HARVESTING OUR SOULS: MISSIONARIES, THEIR DESIGNS, THEIR CLAIMS" (RUPA & CO) -- [pp 16-19.]

QUOTE:

" It turns out that Staines and his wife Gladys,regularly filed despatches for a journal in Australia, TIDINGS. This journal is run by a missionary organization in Australia which financed Staines and his activities in Manoharpur. When the Commission (Justice Wadhwa) learned about the despatches,it requested the concerned persons for copies of the journal. None were supplied! The Commission had to obtain these from other sources. Justice Wadhwa reproduces several extracts from these despatches.

GRAHAM and GLADYS STAINES - MAYURBHANJ, 25 APRIL 1997: The first jungle camp in Ramchandrapur was a fruitful time and the Spirit of God worked among the people. About 100 attended and some were baptized t the camp. At present Misayel and some of the Church leaders are touring a number of places where people are asking for baptism. Five were baptized at Bigonbadi. Pray for the Etani Trust in which the mission properties are vested. One man managed by underhand means to get parts of the property in his own name and a number of nominal Christians of the Baripada Church are also trying to get some of this valuable property for themselves. The Trust is having to take legal action to rectify this.

GRAHAM and GLADYS STAINES, MAYURBHANJ, 23 July 1997: Praise God for answered prayer in recent Jagannath car festival at Baripada. A good team of preachers came from the village churches and four OM workers helped in the second part of the festival. There were record book sales,so a lot of literature has gone into people's hands - - - . [ Incidentally, OM is a carefully chosen acronym: the organization it signifies is actually one of the largest publishers and distributors of missionary literature, and has its offices in Carlisle, Cumbria, United Kingdom.]

GRAHAM and GLADYS STAINES, MAYURBHANJ, 19 September 1997: Praise God we now have the HO New Testament in Oriya script and many copies are now in the hands of the HO people [Staines had done the translation himself]. Pray God that it will be used of God to speak to many as they read his word in their own language - - - .

GRAHAM and GLADYS STAINES, MAYURBHANJ, 11 February 1998: Jungle camp means four days of Bible teaching, prayer and fellowship of Christians living together.It enables believers from other churches to meet with local Christians to discuss experiences and encourage one another - - - . The camp can also create hunger in the hearts of those who come just to observe. Each camp has a bookstall,which for many is the only chance to buy Christian literature - - -. It was also encouraging to see so many HO people following the references in the HO New Testament during the messages at Sarat Jungle Camp. We sold all the New Testaments that we took there - - -.

GRAHAM and GLADYS STAINES, MAYURBHANJ, 19 December 1998: It is encouraging to hear of some improvement in the Church at Manoharpur and that they are preparing for the jungle camp. Misayel, Paul and Nehemiah visited Patana in early December but, as many were away rice harvesting,they could meet only with a few. They were able to encourage a new believer who had been a priest of the Sana Dhoram, an animist sect.The village people pleaded with him not to become a Christian saying 'How can we continue our worship if you leave us?'. 'You can do as you like, but I am following Christ', he said. Continue to pray. God is working.

The typical concerns of a typical missionary - harvesting souls for the Church,ensuring that properties of the Church do not fall into the hands of others,ensuring that control of the Church affairs remains in the hands of persons who will heed the missionary. The prejudices of a missionary - Sanatana Dharma, an animist sect! While his wife and some others denied this,one of his close associates spoke of his "hatred" for other religions. This associate reported - and even Gladys, Staines wife, acknowledged - that, if he happened to be at any non-Christian function,Graham Staines would never take PRASAD,as, Mrs. Staines claimed, doing so is prohibited in the Bible -- - .

After reviewing the evidence, the Wadhwa Commission concludes: " Besides his involvement with the Leprosy House,Staines was also involved in missionary work.The missionary work of Staines has come to light from the various desptches sent by him to Australia,which are published in the newsletter TIDINGS. Staines also used to take part in baptism ceremonies - - - - - -. However,it is the despatchs sent by Staines to Australia in the newsletter TIDINGS that make it clear that Staines was also involved in active propogation of his religion apart from his social work. It is also clear from the said despatches that conversions were taking place in jungle camps. -- - - . It is obvious, therefore, that Staines was both a social worker engaged in the treatment and eradication of leprosy amongst the poorest of the poor and also a missionary driven by a deep commitment to his religion and the belief that he should spread its tenets amongst the people in the area. His missionary activities,did lead to conversions of tribals to his faith."

UNQUOTE.

Manmohan, this should be a matter of national shame and should affect your sleep. Are you spending sleepless nights reading reports of the trauma of schoolgirls of an ashram in Kandhamal?
kalyanaraman
Trauma in ashram, schoolgirls witnessed Swami’s murder
Ravik Bhattacharya
Posted online: Friday, August 29, 2008 at 0127 hrs IST
Jelaspota (Orissa), August 28
While violence rages across Kandhamal district, in the ashram, where its spark was lit when Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four others were killed on August 24, the adults are angry, the children traumatised.
Many of the 130 girls in the Kanya Ashram, a residential school on the campus, were eyewitnesses to the killing of the VHP leader and that incident has burnt memories they will never forget.
“First, we thought someone is bursting crackers and so we ran towards the main gate. Then we saw and heard people screaming and running. There was blood all over the place. Swamiji and Mataji and others were lying in blood. I shouted and ran away, we all started running here and there,” said 15-year old Anita Pradhan. She is from Raikia and has been in the ashram for three years.
According to Anita, it was around 7 in the evening, prayer time in the students’ quarters. Swamiji and Mataji Bhaktimoyee, head of the girls hostel, were inside Swamiji’s room adjacent to the main entrance.
According to eyewitnesses, 10 to 15 men climbed the wall and started firing indiscriminately. They first shot dead Amritanandji, a disciple of Swamiji. The attackers then entered a small room, home to Prabhati Ganta, the guardian of one of the students who was living there. They shot him, too. Later, Kishore Baba, a resident of Boudh, was shot just outside this room.
It was then that they broke open Saraswati’s room. “Swamiji ran into the toilet to save himself and shut the door. Mataji, who hid behind the door, was shot first. The miscreants then broke open the toilet door and sprayed bullets,” said an eyewitness.
Vijaylaxmi Mullick, a Class X student at the ashram, is too traumatised to narrate the incident. Her voice trembles and falters as she remembers. “I rushed towards the main gate along with others only to see some men running around and loud cracking noise. I heard the cries of Swamiji and others. I saw other Swamijis running here and there. I was scared and ran inside the hostel room with another girl. We sat huddled together. Until after a long time, one of the Swamijis came and escorted us out of the room.”
Kusum Pradhan, a Class 6 student, could not venture out of her hostel room after dark following the incident. “I too rushed out after hearing the noise. I saw bodies lying in blood. I touched Swamiji’s feet, who was lying in the bathroom. It was still warm but he did not move. Nor did Mataji, who lay inside the room,” was all Kusum could say.
The 130 girls, who now reside inside the hostels of the sprawling ashram, now cannot venture out. The ashram is guarded by CRPF and Orissa police constables. The girls’ relatives are unable to visit the ashram and take them home because of the violence and the ongoing curfew in the district.
Brahmachari Shankar Chaitanya, who is now in charge of the ashram and is always escorted by police constables and CRPF personnel, seethes with anger against both Christians and the state government. “We had written 30 times to the state government that Swamiji’s and our lives were at stake, that we were being threatened by Christian leaders. Before the incident, we got a letter threatening to kill Swamiji. We formally complained to the police and district authorities. They sent only four baton-wielding constables,” said Shankar Chaitanya. “Not a single minister visited us after the incident, not even of our BJP. The Collector comes sometimes. He gave us rice, dal and sugar for the children.”
Chaitanya alleged that it was Christians, not Maoists, who were responsible for the incident. “The Maoists can never do this. It is Christians who threaten us everyday and they did this,” he said. He alleged that the ashram has been kept out of the peace process. “No one called us for any meeting or to take part in any peace process. As long as are kept out, the violence will continue.”
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/354813.html

CHURCH IN THE DISGUISE OF MAOIST LED ATTACK ON SWAMI LAXMANANDA SARASWATI

Swami Laxamananda Saraswati was instrumental in bringing out a dramatic developments in the tribals in Phulbani district, in Orissa , for last 42 years almost half of his age . He was born in the district of Anugul(erstwhile Dhenkanal) and led an ascetic life . He left his home and went to Himalayas for meditation.

During one of his visit to the state of Orissa in 1966, he was moved by the miseries of the tribals in Phulbani and took on himself for the up-liftment of these down-trodden mass.. He established an Ashram at Birupakshya Pitha, Chakapad, Phulbani, school for education, hostel for the poor, kanyaahram for the girls, taught various methods of cultivation and farming .

He succeeded in bringing out a drastic change in the day-to-day living of the locals in the field of education, health and culture and thus protected the inhabitants from the false allurement shown by the missionaries with the sole aim of conversion to Christianity.

Thus Swami Laxamananda Saraswati became the soft target to the missionaries who use to exploit the tribals. The missionaries has both money and hence muscle power. These organizations attempted to kill him several times - nine attempts have failed. They tried to kill him in last week of December 2007- where about 200 people were organized with all the hand weapons to kill him but he was luckily saved. This was not the end of the conspiracy.

There was a meeting on 9th Aug 2008 at Kulmaha village near Tumudibandha . This was attended by the infamous John Dayal spokeman of All India Christian Council who had already hinted earlier that the attack on Hindus by Christians had started, Arch Bishop of Bhubaneswar Raphel Chinath. They had conspired the plot. John Dayal was in the state for last 15 days probably to oversee the details of planning. A letter of threatening was dispatched to Swamiji on 13 Aug 08 .He returned from Cuttack on 22 Aug 08. In a well planned way he was assassinated on 23 Aug 08 evening at 1945 hours when mass prayer was going in the Ashram .

Swamiji was like a God to the locals. The day when Lord Krishna was borne Swamiji was assassinated. Is this a Janmstami Present by the Christians to the Hindu community ? The Christian missionaries are mistaken that they have achieved their goal . Probably another Krishna will be borne. .
-- Dr. Umesh Patri,

Please visit following website for all articles.

http://vivekajyoti. blogspot. com/2008/ 08/who-killed- swami-lakshmanan anda.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71O8LzOWaWo Christian war on India and Africa

Maoists deny role in VHP leader's murder
http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/29/stories/2008082952080300.htm
Staff Reporter
'Some wayward cadre lured by some committed the crime'

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copy of the letter sent to VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders

Maoists also deny role in the murder of VHP activists at Jalaspata
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

BERHAMPUR: Mystery behind the gruesome murder of VHP leader Swami
Lakshmanananda Saraswati and his four associates has deepened. The
Bajrang Dal and VHP activists as well sections of the media have
received a suspected Maoists' letter where they claim that their
central committee had no role in the murder.

The letter claimed that some wayward cadre of the Maoist outfit were
lured by nefarious elements to commit the crime. Meanwhile naxal
sympathizers of Orissa have also claimed that Maoists had no hand in
the murder of the VHP activists at Jalaspata in Kandhamal district.

A copy of the letter was sent to the State joint secretary of the VHP
and the State joint coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, Ramakant Rath. The
letter was claimed to be written by the Kotgarh unit of the CPI-Maoist
party.

'Action planned'
As per the letter the organization would initiate action against some
of their cadres in Kandhamal district who could be hired for money by
communal Christian miscreants for the murder of the VHP leader and his
associates. The reason for the murder was their opposition to
religious conversion by missionaries and recent clash over cow
slaughter in Tumudibadh area. "The State central committee of the
Maoists had no knowledge of this", the letter claimed. The naxals felt
police were putting the blame of murder of VHP leader on them trying
to detach them from the common mass.

Many Maoist sympathizers of south Orissa have also denied the role of
CPI-Maoist in the murder of VHP leaders that sparked off communal
violence in Kandhamnal district.

Through a press note Dandapani Mohanty, general secretary of the
Orissa Forest Mazdoor Union said Maoists had no role in the communal
murders in Kandhamal district. It may be noted that Mr Mohanty earlier
headed the Daman Pratirodh Manch, which was banned by the State
Government for its pro-naxal activities. The case filed by against the
ban order is sub judice in the Orissa High Court.

It may be noted that the State unit of the BJP is also not buying the
claim of the State Government that Maoists had murdered the VHP
leader.

Threats to Hindu dharma

2008-08-28T03:39:00.000-07:00

Threat to Hinduism - Upload a Document to Scribd

Bam Bam Bhole ! Jammu’s National Movement for Hindusthan – movement for Sri Amarnath land.

2008-08-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

Bam Bam Bhole ! Jammu’s National Movement for Hindusthan – movement for Sri Amarnath land.

A video on Shri Amarnathji movement.
Tandava in Jammu - Movement for Sri Amarnath Land
http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=Mom7hukrn8E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRXKOJ3XC3A Kadam kadam badhayega… Video on Hindu revolution in Jammu.

'Jammu is treated like a pariah, because we are patriots'
August 27, 2008

The agitation in Jammu over revocation of the allotment of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has taken an unprecedented turn. The only similar mass upsurge was during the Praja Parishad movement in 1952 to end the two dual constitutional provisions (thanks to Article 370) in Jammu and Kashmir that allowed two flags, a separate head of the state and separate laws.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has been supporting the agitation and the Congress's local leaders too have expressed their support for fear of losing Hindu votes. The agitation has seen small children with their mothers and grandmothers coming out on the roads with the tricolour in their hands and demanding that the land be given back to the SASB.
Leela Karan Sharma, 68, a senior advocate of the Jammu and Kashmir high court for 41 years, has been active in every Hindu religious organisation including the Dogra Brahmin Pratinidhi Sabha as its vice-president. He emerged on the national stage as president of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti, which is leading the mass movement in Jammu for the last two months. His day begins at 6 in the morning and ends past midnight.
The agitation, which took shape on a modest note on June 29, has taken an expanse none had imagined. Can he control the tiger he is riding? Has it contributed more to divide society on communal lines? He spoke exclusively to Tarun Vijay, director, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation.
Image: Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti President Leela Karan Sharma
http://im.rediff.com/news/2008/aug/27sld1.jpg

'The agitation is an expression of accumulated anger'
August 27, 2008

What was the need to form this Samiti? Was it just the Amarnath land row?
Of course, taking back the land allocated to build facilities for Amarnath pilgrims was a great insult and was the spur for the movement. Now it has become an expression of accumulated anger against the (Kashmir) valley's discrimination for the last 60 years.
In every walk of life, Jammu is treated like a pariah, a discardable part just because we are patriots and lay our lives for the tricolour. As far as the land for Amarnath pilgrims is concerned, it has to be noted that we had not demanded it. It was the government which felt the need and passed the order to allocate land to another government body -- the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.
Still under pressure from the separatists, the government took back its order, which was earlier signed by ministers belonging to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's People's Democratic Party and the Congress. The state government was hesitant to give facilities to the yatris from the beginning.
Also this year, the governor, who is the ex-officio head of the shrine board, was changed midway through the yatra, resulting in confusion and mismanagement.
After the PDP and National Conference opposed the allotment of land, the new governor, N N Vohra, who is an old confidante of Sayeed, unilaterally took back the letter for land allotment to the SASB and handed over the organisation of the yatra back to the state tourism department on June 29.
The same day we decided enough is enough and took a vow to wage a battle till the land was given back to the SASB.
Did you anticipate this kind of response?
No, this has become the largest-ever mass movement I have ever seen. It's beyond my imagination. Children, old men, ladies and youngsters, all are on the road and it has become a self-propelled agitation growing every day. People are using novel ways and innovative methods to make it more effective.
'We have the support of various Muslim organisations'
August 27, 2008

It is alleged the movement has communal overtones.
It is all the propaganda of the valley's lie masters and Delhi's politicians who would have liked this movement to become a Hindu-Muslim issue. It hasn't so they are baffled and disappointed. No one believes the calumnious charges against us because we have the full support of various Muslim organisations like the Muslim Front, Jammu Kashmir Muslim Federation and Gujjar and Bakkarwal Muslim groups.
Apart from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the doctors association, bar association, engineers, other professionals active in various fields like IT, women's groups, Sikhs -- everyone has come out to support us unequivocally. The BJP and Congress, both are supporting us locally. Congress MLAs and MPs have publicly pledged their support to our demands.
Why did you block roads that take essential supplies to the valley?
We had only appealed for a Chakka Jam (blockade). Immediately, the army was deployed and supplies to the valley were restored. But no one speaks about the stoppage of supplies to Jammu. Why? We are still facing difficulties and essential daily needs are still not coming to Jammu.
In the valley, the separatists go on anti-India strikes every other day and life comes to a standstill. Nobody complains then, because the strike is against India.
When we agitate for securing national integrity and the honour of the tricolour, they complain. Secondly, people are not told that the separatists beat up truck drivers carrying supplies and burnt some trucks too.
'The separatists are blackmailing Delhi'
August 27, 2008

Have you seen the eruption in the valley? They say you are the reason behind revival of the anti-India agitation in the valley?
As if before the Amarnathji Yatra Sangharsh Samiti, they were great patriots and held the Indian tricolour high? Every now and then, for the last 60 years, these separatists have used their affinity to Pakistan to blackmail Delhi.
The central government must allow them to leave Kashmir if they are so keen to go to Pakistan. They will surely be treated worse than the Muhajirs were treated. Even US has changed policies toward them after 9/11. They can't get better opportunities outside India.
Don't you think if Jammu and Kashmir remains friendly to each other it helps the national interest?
Indian interests are served only when India lives in the valley. To safeguard Indian interests, the Centre will have to take Jammu's help. You have to strengthen Jammu to strengthen India in this region. After all, how long will we have to suffer because we are patriots?
Kashmir has become the gateway of terrorism in India. Someday this was going to happen and now is the time to take proper remedial measures without any fear.
Are you not being led by a political party? What's the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and BJP? Why did you stop BJP leaders from joining your rally?
We are a completely non-political movement supported by all parties, organisations and ideologies. We did not stop any leader of the BJP as none was coming, but have issued a clarification that for the August 23 rally we have not invited any BJP leader.
What's the next course of action? What will make Jammu return to normal?
We are beginning a complete non-cooperation movement on the Gandhian pattern and no Jammu citizen will pay taxes to the government.
As far as the solution is concerned, since day one we have just one demand -- give back the land to the SASB and we will take back the agitation.
Image: All Parties Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, other leaders and supporters during a march towards the United Nations office in Srinagar on August 18 to demand that the UN recognise their right to self-determination. Photograph: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images.
http://im.rediff.com/news/2008/aug/27sld4.jpg

http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/aug/27sld1.htm

~EIGHT LIES OF A MOTHER~

1.The story began when I was a child;
I was born as a son of a poor family.
Even for eating, we often got lack of food.
Whenever the time for eating, mother often gave me her portion of rice.
While she was removing her rice into my bowl,
she would say "Eat this rice, son. I'm not hungry".
That was Mother's First Lie

2.When I was getting to grow up,
the persevering mother gave her spare time for fishing in a river near our house,
she hoped that from the fishes she got,
she could gave me a little bit nutritious food for my growth.
After fishing, she would cook the fishes to be a fresh fish soup,
which raised my appetite. While I was eating the soup,
mother would sit beside me and eat the rest meat of fish,
which was still on the bone of the fish I ate.
My heart was touched when I saw it.
I then used my chopstick and gave the other fish to her.
But she immediately refused it and said "Eat this fish, son.
I don't really like fish."
That was Mother's Second Lie.

3.Then, when I was in Junior High School,
to fund my study,
mother went to an economic enterprise to bring some used-matches boxes that would be stuck in.
It gave her some money for covering our needs.
As the winter came,
I woke up from my sleep and looked at my mother who was still awoke,
supported by a little candlelight and within her perseverance she continued
the work of sticking some used-matches box.
I said, "Mother, go to sleep, it's late,
tomorrow morning you still have to go for work.
" Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep,
dear. I'm not tired."
That was Mother's Third Lie.

4.At the time of final term,
mother asked for a leave from her work in order to accompany me.
While the daytime was coming and the heat of the sun was starting to shine,
the strong and persevering mother
waited for me under the heat of the sun's shine for several hours.
As the bell rang, which indicated that the final exam had finished,
mother immediately welcomed me and poured me a glass of tea
that she had prepared before in a cold bottle.
The very thick tea was not as thick as my mother's love,
which was much thicker. Seeing my mother covering with perspiration,
I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too.
Mother said "Drink, son. I'm not thirsty!".
That was Mother's Fourth Lie.

5.After the death of my father because of illness,
my poor mother had to play her role as a single parent.
By held on her former job, she had to fund our needs alone.
Our family's life was more complicated. No days without sufferance.
Seeing our family's condition that was getting worse,
there was a nice uncle who lived near my house came to help us,
either in a big problem and a small problem.
Our other neighbors who lived next to us saw that our family's life was so unfortunate,
they often advised my mother to marry again. But mother,
who was stubborn, didn't care to their advice,
she said "I don't need love."
That was Mother's Fifth Lie.

6.After I had finished my study and then got a job,
it was the time for my old mother to retire.
But she didn't want to; she was sincere to go to the marketplace every morning,
just to sell some vegetable for fulfilling her needs.
I, who worked in the other city, often sent her some money to help her in fulfilling her needs,
but she was stubborn for not accepting the money.
She even sent the money back to me.
She said "I have enough money."
That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

7.After graduated from Bachelor Degree,
I then continued my study to Master Degree.
I took the degree, which was funded by a company through a scholarship program,
from a famous University in America .
I finally worked in the company. Within a quite high salary,
I intended to take my mother to enjoy her life in America .
But my lovely mother didn't want to bother her son,
she said to me "I'm not used to."
That was Mother's Seventh Lie.

8.After entering her old age,
mother got a flank cancer and had to be hospitalized.
I, who lived in miles away and across the ocean,
directly went home to visit my dearest mother.
She lied down in weakness on her bed after having an operation.
Mother, who looked so old, was staring at me in deep yearn.
She tried to spread her smile on her face;
even it looked so stiff because of the disease she held out.
It was clear enough to see how the disease broke my mother's body,
thus she looked so weak and thin.
I stared at my mother within tears flowing on my face.
My heart was hurt, so hurt, seeing my mother on that condition.
But mother, with her strength, said "Don't cry, my dear.
I'm not in pain."
That was Mother's Eight Lie.

After saying her eighth lie, She closed her eyes forever!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fun_and_fun_only/

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Bullet-for-Bullet Could Eliminate Terrorism from India
Bullet-for-Bullet Could Eliminate Terrorism from India
– Sardar Joginder Singh, Ex CBI Chief

From: Narain Kataria

FOURTEENTH HINDU SANGATHAN DIVAS
(HINDU UNITY DAY) REPORT

The Hindu Temple Society of North America, The Indian American Intellectuals Forum (“Forum”) and several other Hindu organizations joined hands to celebrate with pomp, pageantry and enthusiasm the Fourteenth Hindu Sangathan Divas (Hindu Unity Day) on August 10, 2008 at Hindu Temple Auditorium in Flushing, New York.

The upscale auditorium was packed to capacity, including the balcony. Inside, there were more than 1000 Hindus present. Putting aside their caste, creed, color, nationality, the Hindus from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Guyana, Trinidad and many other countries, participated in the most unique event of the times – the Hindu Unity Day – with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, zeal and gusto. The assertion of the newly born Hindu pride and confidence had to be seen to be believed.

The high-profile dignitaries, who addressed the huge audience were: Dr. Subramanian Swamy, the Chief Guest and President of Janata Party in India and the former Law Minister; Sardar Joginder Singh, the Keynote Speaker and former Chief of India’s Central Bureau of Intelligence; Rajeev Malhotra, the Founder of Infinity Foundation and a philanthropist; Sri Nithya Bhaktananda Swamy, the very successful business professional turned spiritual master, and Dr. Uma Mysorekar, the President of Hindu Temple Society of North America.

The fact that the event evoked so much of interest and involvement of so many Hindus from the tri-state area, and elsewhere, demolished the frequently propounded theory by the prophets of doom, and exploded their much-hyped myth that the Hindus simply cannot work in unison.

The Hindu public and the assembled leaders deliberated over the serious problems of the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, the terrorist bomb blasts in mega Indian cities such as Bangaluru, Jaipur and Ahmedabad, the forcible conversion of Hindus to other religions, the acquisition of Hindu temple lands by governments in India, the return of 100 acre land back to the Amarnath Shrine, widespread terrorism and rampant corruption in governmental agencies. Numerous resolutions were proposed and were passed unanimously by voice vote, and are attached herewith.

In his hard-hitting speech supported by facts, Dr. Subramanian Swamy stated that the anti-Hindu focus of the present UPA government in India has become abundantly obvious, especially in the case of Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project that was supposedly needed to accomplish certain maritime objectives. Here, all along, the government was insisting to follow one particular route that required destroying the historical Rama Setu, the ancient bridge built by the army of Rama in order to reach the island of Lanka.

That was despite the fact that there are five other alternative routes available to accomplish what was needed. Yet, the government was hell-bent on breaking the Rama Setu and hurting the sentiments of nine hundred fifty million Hindus. “Why?” Dr. Swamy asked. “Is that because Karunanidhi (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) and Sonia (Congress Party Chairperson) hate the Hinduism?”

For the first time since 1947, Hindus have won a court case for Hinduism, by having the Supreme Court direct the national government look for another route because, as the Judges observed, "Where the faith is hurt, development project has to give way." Now the government is exploring an alternative route, which was Dr. Swamy's demand in his Writ Petition, to begin with.

Dr. Swamy argued that the terrorists have political objectives that we can act to nullify. For example, he cited the fact that terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir have killed the Hindu Pandits and driven out 375,000 Hindus to create a Caliphate there. "Retaliate," he thundered, "by sending one million ex-servicemen to settle in the Valley for good. Give them the necessary weapons to defend themselves and also an amount of Rs. 5 lakh each to build their homes."

Furthermore, Dr. Swamy said, “If the terrorists bomb our temples, then send the army to take over the Mosque built on the Kashi-Vishwanath temple, and restore the entire area to Lord Shiva." “If the Bangladeshis infiltrate into India as they have,” Dr. Swamy pointed out, “then demand the territory from Bangladesh.” "Let us send a column of Indian army from Khulna to Sylhet in Bangladesh and annex the top one-third of that nation as the compensation," he said.

The jam-packed auditorium roared with approval at every punch line and gave Dr. Swamy a standing ovation for five minutes when he finally finished his talk.

Speaking on the menace of terrorism, former CBI chief Sardar Joginder Singh said, “Nowhere in the world was the problem of terrorism ever tackled through talks with the terrorists.” Quoting Gulam Nabi Azad, a Congress veteran leader and an ex-Chief Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Joginder Singh said, “He (Azad) had once said that ‘bullet-for-bullet’ was the only way to solve the problem of terrorism. You have to kill the terrorists or else they will kill you.”

“Thousands of innocent people have been killed in India due to terrorism,” lamented Joginder Singh, “We should follow the Israeli model to handle terrorism. In Israel, citizens have been trained to be vigilant about the suspicious activities of anti-national elements. Hence, it is the duty of government to encourage citizens to cooperate with it. At the same time, it is the responsibility of every citizen to cooperate with security agencies in capturing terrorists.

Rajeev Malhotra, a highly acclaimed intellectual and a philanthropist, was honored at the Unity event for his exceptional services to the Hindu society. Mr. Malhotra emphasized the importance of maintaining our Hindu identity.

Sri Nitya Bhaktananda Swamy said that Hinduism believes in giving, loving, sharing and caring. Temples play very important role in uniting the Hindu people. Scriptures, Guru-shishya tradition, temples and society are the four pillars of Hindu Dharma.

Dr. Uma Mysorekar said, “It was wrong to say that Hinduism is merely a way of life. Hinduism is a full-fledged religion and has its own scriptures, methodology and identity.”

Earlier in the event, Indira Narasimharajan welcomed the audience. Narain Kataria, the President of Intellectual Forum, while welcoming Sardar Joginder Singh, said that Hindus and Sikhs have suffered immensely at the hands of invaders while they have also rejoiced together. Hindus consider Sikhs as their blood brothers. The system of “Roti” and “Beti” is still prevalent between the Sikhs and Hindus in Punjab. Guru Arjun Dev, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh and his four sons sacrificed their lives for the protection of Hindu Dharma. Contributions of Sikhs in the struggle for India’s freedom are unparalleled in the annals of history.

Arish Sahani, the Vice President of the Forum proposed a vote of thanks and Rene Lobo, a distinguished journalist, Director of Community News at television channel ITV and a budding politician emceed the event.

14th HINDU SANGATHAN DIVAS
RESOLUTIONS PASSED

We believe that under the present conditions, the future of Hindus is in peril and the survival of India is in danger. To avert this calamity, we strongly urge the Government of India to initiate a process to implement the following resolutions:

1. Abrogate the Article 30 of Indian Constitution because it is discriminatory against majority community (Hindus). It allows state and federal funding to minority institutions, including Madrasas that have become the breeding ground for Islamic terrorism.
2. Implement Uniform Civil Code (Article 44).
3. Repeal Article 370 of India’s Constitution in order to fully integrate Jammu & Kashmir with the rest of India.
4. Expel all illegal infiltrators and set-up stringent conditions to prevent any further infiltration from Bangladesh, Pakistan etc.
5. Free all Hindu temples from the Government control.
6. Ban cow slaughter throughout India.
7. Build Ramjnmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya (India) by passing a law in the Parliament.
8. Restore the land allotment to the Board of Amarnath Shrine in Jammu.
9. No reservations of any kind on the basis of religion.
10. All citizens must be treated equally; there must be no appeasement and no discrimination.
11. Hindus should establish one billion dollar strong “Hindu Support Fund” to take care of Hindus suffering from the terrorism.
12. In order to bring the Hindus of the world on one platform, Hindu leaders should agree to observe one day in a year, preferably the Guru Purnima Day, as the “International Hindu Unity Day.”
http://narainkataria.blogspot.com/2008/08/bullet-for-bullet-could-eliminate.html

Separatism is unacceptableClaude ArpiIn the past fortnight, several senior commentators have decided it is time to accept the separatists' demand for self-determination in the Kashmir Valley. One commentator has written, "As a liberal, I dislike ruling people against their will... Let Kashmiris decide the outcome, not the politicians and Armies of India and Pakistan... The parallels between British rule in India and Indian rule in Kashmir have become too close for my comfort."Such reasoning is fallacious. To "dislike ruling people against their will" is not reason enough to let parts of India secede. Don't you think that the people of Arunachal Pradesh often feel neglected by the rulers in Delhi who decide their future without consulting them and 'against their will'? Any 'liberal' (if he/she is honest) will apply the same reasoning to the entire North-East. Should these States also secede? In the 1980s, the Khalistanis in Punjab also felt that Delhi was ruling them 'against their will'. Should Punjab have become independent? As for the 'promised' plebiscite, which is being resurrected by 'liberal' commentators, the UN resolutions of August 1948 and January 1949 were clear and specific. The proposed plebiscite was for all the regions of Jammu & Kashmir. Further it was conditional to the Pakistani troops withdrawing from all the areas it had occupied in the State; and, second, Pakistan withdrawing its tribesmen and nationals not ordinarily resident in these areas from the entire State.For the UN, there was no question of first changing the demography of the occupied areas. To hold a plebiscite after the Kashmir Valley has been cleansed of its Hindu population will only encourage secessionists and terrorists to use similar tactics in other parts of India. Another eminent columnist has written, "If you believe in democracy, then giving Kashmiris the right to self-determination is the correct thing to do... This is India's century. We have the world to conquer -- and the means to do it. Kashmir is a 20th century problem. We cannot let it drag us down and bleed us as we assume our rightful place in the world." This merits only one comment: If India is further dismembered, it is doubtful that the 21st century will be India's century. Allowing Kashmiris to secede is certain to become a precedent for others in India to 'democratically' ask for their right to self-determination. Similar to the position taken by our 'liberals' has been that of the foreign media which has reacted to the recent troubles with its old prediction that 'Kashmir will soon be lost for India". Le Monde quotes Ahmed, a young Kashmiri, as saying, "I prefer to die in the streets shouting 'Long Live Free Kashmir' than in an isolated confinement after being tortured (by the Indian Army)." Ahmed's friends, says Le Monde, threw stones at security forces while screaming, "Indians are dogs." Then, referring to Abhinav Bindra's gold medal, Ahmed says, "But it is in Kashmir that Indians are the best shooters."Le Figaro, in an article headlined "Kashmir bye-bye?", its correspondent spoke of the "beauty of the Valley which nobody questions, though some in India have nonetheless begun to ask themselves if the future of their great democracy is to keep four million Kashmiris against their will. It is a new tune!" The correspondent, however, asked a relevant question: "Why has the Government in New Delhi kept silent and inactive for so long when the tension had already started mounting in July?"The problem is not only the poor leadership of the rulers in Delhi, though nobody can deny that the present crisis has been created by the inept handling of the situation, but also the wily leadership in the Kashmir Valley. If one looks at the history of Jammu & Kashmir, one realises that whenever the Valley has been stricken by famine, war or invasion, it was due to the poor leadership and despotism of its kings, sultans and maharajas. The Chinese pilgrim Hsuan-tsang has described Kashmiris thus: "They are volatile and timid; they are good-looking, but deceitful."The history of Kashmir is a succession of alternating periods when just and fair rulers made the Valley a 'Paradise on Earth' and times when "people were treated as grass", to quote the historian Srivara, one of the authors of Rajatarangini. He describes one of these periods during the 15th century when "accepting bribes was considered by the officers as virtue, oppressing the subjects was regarded as wisdom and the addiction to wine and women was reckoned as happiness".Take the more recent example of Sheikh Abdullah, described by historian S Gopal as "Nehru's old friend, colleague and blood-brother." Sheikh Abdullah was chosen by Jawaharlal Nehru in January 1948 to plead India's case in the UN. Though a member of the official Indian delegation to Lake Success, Abdullah had a secret meeting with US Ambassador Austin, who reported to the US Secretary of State, "It is possible that the principal purpose of Abdullah's visit was to make clear to US that there is a third alternative, namely independence... He made quite a long and impassioned statement on the subject. He said in effect that whether Kashmir went to Pakistan or India, the other dominion would always be against a solution... (Kashmir) is a rich country. He did not want his people torn by dissension between Pakistan and India. It would be much better if Kashmir were independent and could seek American and British aid for development of the country" Thus was the seed 'azadi' planted by Nehru's 'blood-brother'. Adlai Stevenson came to Srinagar to meet Abdullah in May 1953. The creation of an independent 'Sheikdom of Kashmir' was the purpose of the visit. This would perfectly suit American interests by checking the advances of the Chinese in Xinjiang and the Russians in Afghanistan. A 'non-aligned' Nehru could not be considered a reliable ally. At that time, The New York Times published a map hinting at an independent status for the Valley and a few days later, Abdullah asserted in a speech, "It is not necessary that our State should become an appendage of either India or Pakistan."This habit of saying something one day and doing the opposite the next has been characteristic of most of the leaders of Jammu & Kashmir for the past 60 years. Sheikh Abdullah's grandson, Mr Omar Abdullah, recently said in Parliament, "We fought for our land and will continue to fight for our land till our last breath." This same person shamelessly sides with those who say that Hindus are trying to change the demography of the Kashmir Valley by erecting some temporary structures for pilgrims.With a vacillating Centre, a weak Governor, a father-and-daughter duo always ready to pull the carpet from under their partner's feet and the secessionists back in the news after several years, the State of Jammu & Kashmir seems doomed. But not if India were to stand firm and resist those who wish to see the country disintegrate.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=EDITS&file_name=edit3%2Etxt&counter_img=3

DIVERSITY-USA
(A National Democratic Think Tank on Minority Affairs)
3145 Gilbert Ave., Roseburg , OR ( USA ) 97471
Tel. & Fax 1-541-957-8414

August. 27, 2oo8

ISLAMIC JIHAD IN KASHMIR HAS A DIRECT BEARING ON SOUTH ASIA

Considering the various aspects of the ongoing agitations in Kashmir brought about by the Muslim generated Shri Amarnath Land dispute in which about a dozen lives have already been lost and hundreds of thousands of people, men, women and children, have courted arrest and filled jails, and complete bunds observed for months at a time, Diversity-USA, a Democratic Think Tank on Minority Issues, has issued the following assessment report. Among other things the report presents a few well thought out proposals for the consideration of the concerned authorities and the thinking public with a view to help resolve the internal crisis in Kashmir and at the same time fulfill the demands and aspirations of all segments of the Kashmiri society. The National Chairperson of the Diversity-USA, Dr. Jagan Kaul, cautioned that the Islamic insurgency and civilizational war in Kashmir aided and abated by Pakistan and the Pan Islamic movement and its outcome has a direct bearing upon the future of democracy and the prevention of fundamentalist advancement in South Asia .

SELF CONFESSED PAKISTANIS OF KASHMIR HAVE LOST THEIR RIGHT TO RULE J&K

No matter what the outcome of Shri Amarnath Yatra Land dispute, the complexion of J&K politics, administration, regional consciousness & trust, political alignments and the federal government’s disintegrative appeasement policy – all will have to under go a serious radical transformation. Thanks to the governing elite’s unprecedented communal attempts at out right talibanization and drift away from India and subsequently the massive retaliation and grassroots resurgence of the nationalist forces, the ‘politics as usual’ in J&K is soon likely to be a thing of the past. The nationalists are determined to put an end to the civilizational war unleashed by Islamists and their collaborators - the Al Qaeda operatives from Pakistan. Henceforth any government run by the Sunni Muslims of Kashmir, with out any regard to the guarantees it or its promoters from New Delhi may be willing to offer, will be fully, wholly and completely unacceptable to the rest of the J&K population. Any steps by the otherwise ineffective government compelling the populace for submission and compliance will have the potential of triggering off still stronger agitations even, “civil disobedience” and “satyagraha”.

SECULARISTS HAVE JOINED THE RANKS OF ISLAMISTS IN J&k

The oft repeated declarations made in presence of hundreds of thousands of people (by some estimates12 lakh Muslims) by the Sunni leaders of Kashmir valley during the past two months that “they were Pakistanis” and “Pakistan was theirs”, raising Pakistani flags and burning the Indian flags, shouting slogans like Ham Kya Chahte hein – Aazaadi – Aazaadi; Ragda Ragda – Tiranga Ragda; Bharat Teri Maut Aayi-Lashkar Aayi – Lashkar Aayi; and scores of similar anti-India – pro-Pakistan slogans, has made one thing crystal clear that Kashmiri Muslims in general and the Hurriyat, the conglomerate of anti-national organizations they follow, in particular are disloyal citizens having their allegiance with Pakistan and other outside anti-India entities. It has been a demonstration of naked and treasonous lethality of Saudi born Wahabbism in this volatile area. By not challenging, opposing, contradicting or condemning these treacherous activities of Pakistan supported Islamists and jihadists, all elements of Kashmir region’s political spectrum claiming to be patriotic, secular and nationalist by implication extended their silent yet firm support to these seditious declarations. They included the Abdullah and Mufti clans whose entire political careers have been nurtured and brought to blossom by various Indian establishments. And this patronage was extended at the cost of the political cultures of Jammu & Ladakh and the Pandits & Sikhs of the valley. No country in the world would have dealt with separatist and secessionist movements more gently or irresponsibly than the Indian Govt. has.

APPEASEMENT BY INDIA BOOSTED TALIBANIZATION IN KASHMIR
KASHMIR CONFLICT IS WAR BETWEEN THE NATIONALISTS & ISLAMISTS

Following an anti-India Islamist policy in Kashmir the Indian governments, one after the other, have heavily contributed in worsening the socio-political and administrative conditions in the state. However, now the State is at a point when the lines of regional, ethnic, religious and cultural boundaries for confrontation are drawn. When interpreted in an honest and non-prejudicial manner the ongoing agitations in various regions of the state at this point in time have become a well demarcated war between patriotic and anti-India pro-Pak separatist forces. In this struggle in view of the federal government’s erroneous policy the loyal and patriotic citizens of India residing in J&K State have been on the receiving end for the past six decades.

` KASHMIR HAS BECOME EPICENTER OF ISLAMIC TERRORISM
INDIA MUST SET AN EXAMPLE BY OUTLAWING JIHAD

Kashmir has already become the epicenter of Islamic terrorism which has spread its tentacles through out the length and breadth of India . Kashmiri Islamists have participated in most of the major terrorist bombings including the one meant to blow up the Indian parliament and kill parliamentarians. Now these terrorists can strike at will any time and any where. In reality leaving a state Govt., its resources and personnel and entire apparatus and the largest amount of federal aid drawn from Delhi at the disposal of the Islamic fundamentalists and followers of Osama bin Laden is clearly tantamount to aiding the Islamic plans to destroy India. Beginning with outlawing the Islamic jihad in India this irrational and dangerous policy must change. The violation of the ban on jihad must be punishable with death. Keeping India ’s own demographic compulsions and infiltration by the soldiers of jihad trained in the jihad factories of Pakistan and Bangladesh in mind enforcing such a law in the country is absolutely necessary.

India must also ban all contributions made by Saudi charities to religious and educational institutions in Kashmir as they are almost always politically motivated for preaching and spreading Wahabbism. The Sunnis of Kashmir by virtue of being Pakistanis are not entitled to any Haj subsidies from Indian or J&K and therefore, must be denied the same. Last year J&K sent the largest Muslim group for Haj pilgrimage.

CONSTITUTION BARS GOVT. FROM IMPOSING PAKISTANI RULE UPON LOYAL CITIZENS OF INDIA

The unchallenged public declarations by the Islamists that they are Pakistanis has landed the state at the top of a new judicial and constitutional volcano raising the fundamental question i.e., Can the self pronounced Pakistanis be allowed to rule over the loyal and patriotic citizens of India in their own country? Under the tenets of her own jurisprudence India has neither power nor rights to force the Buddhists of Ladakh, Pandits & Sikhs of Kashmir, Dogras, Gujjars and Bakarwaals of Jammu to submit to the rule of the Sunni Muslims of Kashmir valley who as Pakistanis have enmass declared their allegiance and loyalty with Pakistan . This leads the constitutional scholars to believe that even if the Shri Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti were to call off its agitation, for which obviously there is no possibility, the political situation in the state and mechanism of distribution of power has changed for ever. The above stated ethnic communities (Buddhists, Pandits, Sikhs, Dogras, Gujjars, Bakarwaals and others) will not allow themselves to be ruled ever again by the self confessed Pakistanis of Kashmir valley. On the other hand it is their right and responsibility to refuse accepting and/or recognizing a Govt. in J&K set up by Pakistanis. From their standpoint things cannot be allowed to be as usual any more. The Indian authorities will be acting outside the legal boundaries set forth by the Indian Constitution should they condemn the loyal Indian citizens to subjugation under the rule of Pakistanis within the territorial jurisdiction of the Indian Union. Thus the mockery of democracy in J&K perpetuated by New Delhi and Srinagar over the years is about to be buried under its own weight.

REORGANIZATION OF J&K ONLY VIABLE & DEMOCRATIC OPTION

Under these circumstances the two viable alternatives available to India for resolving this unrest are either deny the right of vote to all those who have openly and publicly declared themselves to be the citizens of India’s mortal enemy i.e., Pakistan – as Pakistanis cannot exercise franchise in India, or undertake the much awaited and demanded new political reorganization of J&K State. Such reorganization will divide the state in four politically equal and autonomous parts i.e., Ladakh, Panun Kashmir, Kashmir and Jammu . Given the traditional strategy of pampering of the Sunnis by GOI over the years they are expected to make hue and cry claiming that Indian Hindus were robbing them of their legitimate right of ruling the J&K state by breaking up the state. They have tasted blood and they are not going to give it up without fighting back and expressing their indignation – a usual tactic applied by Islamists. There is however, one more pragmatic option for reorganizing the state without breaking it up yet empowering all communities without discrimination.

CREATE A NEW STATE CALLED “ UNION OF LJPK”

Under this option a Union of LJPK (representing Ladakh, Jammu , Panun Kashmir and Kashmir ) be created, in which all newly created four autonomous regions will rule themselves democratically and independently of each other. However, the matters pertaining to the state as a whole will fall in the portfolio of the state and will be determined and deliberated upon by the state legislature composed of equal number of elected representatives from all regions. A system of rotation should be used for composing the cabinets and appointing Chief Ministers. However, the state will not interfere in the internal affairs of the regions without the express consent and permission of the regional authorities and the regions will be free to design their relationship with India and her Constitution. This formula will enfranchise and empower the entire population of the state without eroding the territorial integrity of the state. Those persons of the autonomous regions particularly of the region of Kashmir still expressing their allegiance with Pakistan should be free even encouraged to go to the land of their choosing.
Dr. Jagan N. Kaul drjagankaul@rosenet.net

Truth about Holy Amarnath

2008-08-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

truthbehindholyamarnath - Upload a Document to Scribd

Where should the National Hindu revolution of Jammu arrive? Deletion of Art. 370.

2008-08-23T05:48:00.001-07:00

Where should the National Hindu revolution of Jammu arrive? Deletion of Art. 370.

In a restored Sun temple of Martand in Jammu and Kashmir.

The bases for the National Hindu revolution triggered in Jammu have to be discovered in the perceptions of deprivation felt by the Hindu majority in Jammu and Kashmir state of Hindusthan. As will be clear from the following indicators, there is discrimination against Jammu in terms of political representation, even though Jammu accounts for 75% of the States’ revenue. Discrimination against Jammu is most pronounced in the fact that unemployment is almost 70% in Jammu while only 29% of Kashmir labour-force are unemployed.

The real solution to the perceived discrimination against residents of Jammu goes beyond the humiliation piled upon them by denying a simple request for civic amenities to the pilgrims of Amarnath. It is natural to compare this inequity with the extraordinarily luxurious arrangements made all over Hindusthan for the Haj pilgrims and heavy subsidies given from the Central and state exchequers for the Haj pilgrimages.

The basic issues are thus economic and little to do with only ‘emotions’ as the Hon’ble Union Minister seems to indicate. Amarnath is for all humanity and should be the guiding paramaatman for all people of Hindusthan and should not be reduced to a mere ‘religious’ issue.

The question to ask is: Has the temporary provision of Art. 370 in the Constitution served its purpose? Yes, indeed. It has been on the statute for nearly 57 years now and it is time that this temporary provision is rescinded by a Presidential proclamation as provided for in the very same Article, thus absorbing Jammu and Kashmir (including the regions under Pakistani occupation) into the Union of India, that is Bharat.

The civilizational history of Jammu and Kashmir marks the region clearly as a crown-jewel of Hindu civilization, exemplified by the presence of Adi S’ankara in a hill near Srinagar.

Appended are selected verses from Nilamata Purana which indicate how Vasudeva (possibly Son of Devaki, Sri Krishna) made the unborn child of a queen as the King of Kas’mira. Vasudeva referred to in Nilamata Purana had anointed the unborn child (later named Gonanda) as King of Kas'mira.

King Lalitaditya had built the Sun temple at Martand. Avantivarman (9th cent.) built Srinagar as the capital city.
Kashmir Shaivism, exemplified by Abhinavagupta and Kshemaraja (10th -11th century ) presented S’iva as consciousness, s’akti its energy, and anN as the material world. “The mind is viewed as a hierarchical (krama) collection of agents ( kula ) that perceives its true self spontaneously ( pratyabhijna ) with a creative power that may be viewed as being pulsating (spanda) .” Prtyabhijna was recognition of Is’vara or S’iva by Utpala (c 900-950).
Hindu queen Kota Rani ruled from 1323 to 1338 after the death of King Rinchana. It was during the reign of Sikandar (1389-1413) that conversions to Islamism intensified. The tolerant regime of Sikandar's son Zain-ul-Abidin (1420-1470) helped many Hindus to return to the Kashmir valley. Akbar incorporated the region into his empire in 1587. In 1752, Afghans took control of the region; they were later defeated by Ranjit Singh in 1819. Gulab Singh, the Dogra ruler of Jammu purchased the Kashmir valley from the British in 1846; he also annexed Ladakh into the kingdom. When, in October 1947, some tribes of Pakistan tried to invade the valley, Maharaja of the region acceded to the Indian portion of partitioned Hindusthan. In a UN-supervised cease-fire declared on 1 Jan. 1949, Pakistan had been allowed to occupy 33,000 square miles of the 86,500 square miles of Jammu and Kashmir State.

Sheikh Abdullah (1905-1982) rejected the sectarian policies of M.A. Jinnah and the Muslim League. In 1939 the name of Muslim Conference headed by Sheikh Abdullah was changed to National Conference to emphasize its secular character.
http://kashmir-information.com/Poplar.html

This historical outline should form the basis for a peaceful resolution of the National Hindu revolution unleashed by the people of Jammu region. The solution lies in the deletion of temporary Constitutional provision Art. 370 by a Presidential Proclamation recognizing that all the people of Jammu and Kashmir state of the Union of Hindusthan were all Hindu before the onrush of Islamism in the 15th century. This move will be consistent with the directive principle of state polity which enjoins the State to institute a Uniform Civil Code applicable to the entire nation, just as the Criminal Procedure Code is a nationally-applicable criminal code.
Kalyanaraman
Some key indicators of inequity in Jammu vis-à-vis Kashmir region of J&K State:
1 Area-26293 sq kms (Jammu) 15948 sq kms (Kashmir)
2 Total revenue generated-75 % (Jammu) 20% (Kashmir)
3 Total voters-3059986 (Jammu); 2883950 (Kashmir)
4 Assembly seats allotted-37 (Jammu); 46 (Kashmir)
5 Loksabha seats-2 (Jammu); 3 (Kashmir)
6 Cabinet ministers(till 7th July,08) –5 (Jammu); 14 (Kashmir)
7 Unemployment status-69.70 % (Jammu); 29.30% (Kashmir)
8 Representation in state govt. jobs-1.2 lakhs (Jammu); 3lakhs (Kashmir)
9 Percentage of employees from local area-less than 25% (Jammu); 99% (Kashmir)
10 Power generation -22 Mega Watt (Jammu); 304 Mega Watt (Kashmir)
11 Rural electrification-less than 70% (Jammu); 100% (Kashmir)

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3396388,flstry-1.cms

Translation of Nilamata Purana by Dr. Ved Kumari Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Srinagar
Om auspiciousness. Salutation to the auspicious Ganes'a.
Salutation to the venerable Vasudeva Om.
Verses 1-100
1-2. Having paid homage to the god Hari - the abode of Sri, the giver of boons, the highest lord, the master of three worlds, the finder of cow (earth), the imperishable and the unchangeable - the honourable king Janamejaya, the supporter of the family of Pariksita, asked Vyasa's pupil Vaisampayana.
3. Janamejaya (said): "Kings of various countries - the great heroes - came to the great Bharata war of my forefathers.
4-5. Say, why did not the king of Kas'mira come there ? Why was that king not chosen by the sons of Pandu and Dhrtarastra? The region of Kas'mira, of course, occupies an important place in the world.
6. Vaisampayana (said): "Accompanied by his four-fold armies (the king of Kas'mira) went to the Svayamvara to fight with Madhava, the son of Vasudeva.
7. A fight between him and the wise Vasudeva took place there as had taken place between Naraka and Vasudeva.
8-9. Consequently he was thrown down by Vasudeva in that good combat. Out of respect for that country, Vasudeva coronated his pregnant queen, so that the posthumous son might rule.
10. Afterwards, she gave birth to a male child who was named Gonanda. Being a child, he was brought neither by the Pandavas nor by the Kauravas."
11. Janamejaya (spoke): "O best among the twice-born, why did the high-minded Vasudeva honour (so much) the country that he himself coronated a woman ?"
12- 13. Vaisampayana (said): "O best amongst the kings, the goddess Uma is the same as Kas'mira. What was formerly, an enjoyable, heart-enrapturing lake for six Manvantaras since the beginning of the Kalpa, became a beautiful territory in this Manvantara.
14-16. Filled with rows of rice-fields, fully thriving and endowed with good fruits etc., inhabited by the people who perform sacrifices and are engaged in self-study and contemplation - virtuous ascetics well-versed in the Vedas and the Vedangas - by highly prosperous Ksatriyas adept in (the use of) all the arms and weapons, by Vaisyas engaged in (earning) the means of livelihood, and by sudras serving the twice-born, it is bedecked with the temples of the gods and all the holy places, and is auspicious.
17. 0 protector of men ! all the sacred places, which are on the earth, are there. Thronged with the hermitages of the sages ( it is ) pleasant in heat and cold and is auspicious.
18. Unconquerable by the enemy-kingdoms, ignorant of the fears born of them, rich in cows, horses. elephants etc. it is devoid of the fear of famines.
19. Not dependent on rains, enjoyable, holy, beneficial for living beings, endowed with the qualities (of producing) all grains, it is devoid of dangers and is thickly populated.
20. Possessed of the grace like that of a temple due to the (presence of) tender ladies, it is devoid of evil serpents, tigers, buffaloes and bears.
21. Always full of festivals, twangings of the bows and the sounds of the Vedic recitals, it is crowded with ever- sportive men and is surrounded by ever happy persons.
22. Full of gardens and pleasure-groves and resounding with the sounds of drums and lutes, it is always crowded with people fond of drinks and is dear to the hearts of good men.
23. Laden with various types of flowers, fruits, trees, creepers and medicinal herbs, it is full of hosts of wild beasts and is enjoyed by the Siddhas and the Caranas.
24-25. O controller of the enemies, the holy region of Kas'mira is possessed of all the sacred places. There are sacred lakes of the Nagas and the holy mountains; there are holy rivers and also the holy lakes; there are highly sacred temples and also the hermitages attached to them. .
26. In the center flows, making as it were the parting of the hair, the Vitasta - the highest goddess visibly born of the Himalaya."
http://www.koausa.org/Purana/Verses1-100.html

Geopolitics of Kashmir valley and Hindu identity

2008-07-16T04:39:00.001-07:00

Geopolitics of Kashmir valley and Hindu identity

Read also: http://www.scribd.com/doc/3963268/ahimsa-and-dharma-Kalyan-Viswanathan
A brilliant article by Kalyan Viswanathan, "Bhagavad Gita and Mahatma Gandhi -- dharma and ahimsa; the relevance of ahimsa in resolving political conflicts today; responding to islamic terrorism." (July 2008).

This note includes three reports:

1. George Bush’s undertaking to investigate Paki role in the attack on Indian mission in Kabul
2. Pioneer edit on Islamist in valley with particular reference to Saudi-Paki money fomenting islamist jehadi activity in the valley
3. Summary of Vohra Committee Report on Internal Security (of topical importance because Vohra now happened to be Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and has just visited and prayed at the sacred Amarnath temple).
4. Note on the importance of the valley for Hindu identity (Dr. Swamy’s lecture).

These have to read with A. Surya Prakash’s article on the denial of land to Hindus in Kashmir (Pioneer, July 15, 2008). http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=EDITS&file_name=edit3%2Etxt&counter_img=3

This is the most serious challenge to Hindu identity and national sovereignty. The next Government should resolve to delete Art. 370 from the Constitution by a Presidential proclamation (this is all it takes to absorb Jammu and Kashmir into the mainstream of national interests). Given the background of Paki and Saudi involvement, India should resolve to send Antonia back to Luciana and engage the foreign forces at work in the Valley, if necessary in coordination with the NATO forces fighting the war against the islamist jehadis in Afghanistan. Surely, the war will spill over into the Paki occupied portion of the valley; it is the bounden duty of the Government of India, the Indian State to get rid of this occupation.

The pace of development of Jammu and Kashmir will gain rapidity once Jammu, Kashmir and Leh are declared as separate states and Indians allowed to invest in developmental projects in all these three states.

Kalyanaraman

Press Trust Of India Washington, July 16, 2008 First Published: 11:47 IST(16/7/2008)
Last Updated: 14:52 IST(16/7/2008)
US to probe Afghan charge on Pak role in Indian mission attack
The US will "investigate" Afghan President Hamid Karzai's allegation of involvement of Pakistan's ISI in the recent terrorist attack in his country, including the bombing of Indian embassy, President George W Bush has said.
"First of all, we'll investigate his charge and we'll work with his service...To get to the bottom of his allegation," Bush told reporters when asked in Washington about Karzai statement.
The US President's statement came days after US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said there was no evidence available of Pakistan's involvement in the attack on Indian embassy in Kabul last week that killed its Brigadier-rank defence attache, an IFS officer and 58 others.
Bush said extremists were coming out of parts of Pakistan into Afghanistan which "should be troubling to Pakistan" as it was to Washington.
"No question, however, that some extremists are coming out of parts of Pakistan into Afghanistan. And that's troubling to us, it's troubling Afghanistan, and it should be troubling to Pakistan.
"We share a common enemy; that would be extremists who use violence to either disrupt democracy or prevent democracy from taking hold. Al-Qaeda is -- they're there. We have hurt Al-Qaeda hard -- hit them hard and hurt them around the world, including in Pakistan," he added.
Bush said that the United States would jointly with Pakistan continue to apply pressure on Al Qaida.
"I certainly hope that the government understands the dangers of extremists moving in their country. I think they do," Bush said.
In a strongly worded statement on Monday, Karzai had said the attacks in Afghanistan were "carried out by the intelligence administration of Pakistan, its military intelligence institutions."
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=bd617faf-0539-4ab2-9881-1b5fd40785f8

Islamism in Valley

The Pioneer Edit Desk (July 16, 2008)

Protest prelude to greater jihad?

While the Congress itself has downplayed it, the statement by the former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose actions while in office have set him apart from his self-seeking and Islam-pandering predecessors, that the violent agitation against the transfer of land -- for temporary shelters and facilities to be used by Hindu pilgrims visiting the Amaranth shrine -- was funded by Pakistani and Saudi Arabian sources, is actually fairly noteworthy. It amounts to the first serious admission, by a politician who has been in Government in Srinagar, that the so-called 'Kashmir cause' is actually camouflage for a global Islamist network that transcends borders and barriers. That the Saudis have got into the game is particularly disturbing as it would indicate a return to the early-1990s when petro-dollars funded the surge in radical Islam in this part of the world. The parallels are eerie. In 1990, after the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan and after American retreat from the region, the internationalist jihadi armies turned their attention to new battlegrounds. The Kashmir Valley was one such. Jammu & Kashmir saw extensive blood-letting at the hands of not just Kashmiri and Pakistani terrorists, but Afghans and Yemenis, too. Indeed, in that turbulent period, Osama bin Laden and the nascent Al Qaeda trained terrorists at camps in Afghanistan for deployment in Jammu & Kashmir. The logistical patrons were Pakistani Generals at the Inter-Services Intelligence and rogue elements in the teeming establishment in Riyadh. Today, history may be repeating itself. The American-led forces are facing a resurgent, Pakistan-backed Taliban offensive. The jihadis smell success, perhaps even triumph. The fact that a new, untested American President will be in charge in 2009, gives them even more hope. India cannot escape the spill-over. Perhaps, as the recent Amarnath episode suggests, the pan-Islamic coalition is already training its guns in this direction. That the All-Party Hurriyat Conference and the PDP have been at the forefront of the chilling protests against the allotment of land for Hindu pilgrims only adds to suspicions. These groups have been closely linked to radical Islamist organisations, tacitly or otherwise. The Hurriyat is openly Islamist, comparing the recent Amarnath episode to the Israeli attempt to settle Jews on territories Palestinians claim as their own.

Sometimes a simple sentence anticipates a larger truth. Mr Azad's attack on his political opponents the other day may have been just such an example. If the Pakistani meddling in Jammu & Kashmir is being re-intensified in an election year -- admittedly, it had never gone away in the first place -- and if the Saudis are entering the fray, India can brace for a long-drawn terrorist war. With vast tracts of Pakistani territory under the control of radical forces and the private armies of mullahs, India can no longer pretend that the notional regime in Islamabad offers it a buffer. The hard reality is that the frontline has shifted in these past seven years -- since 9/11 -- and India, not Pakistan, is now the frontline state; Pakistan, not Afghanistan, is the war zone. The resurgence of radical Islamist groups, after three or four quiet years, in the Valley indicates a greater design. In a nutshell, that is what Mr Azad is trying to warn New Delhi about.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=EDITS&file_name=edit1%2Etxt&counter_img=1

Vohra Committee Report
[Scanned and compared from the publicly available, i.e., abridged, document,
with no guarantee of authenticity. Please obtain the original from Home Ministry.]
VOHRA COMMITTEE REPORT
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
l. l Government had (through its Order No.S/7937/SS(ISP)/93 dated 9th July ‘93) established a Committee, comprised as below, to take stock of all available information about the activities of crime Syndicates/Mafia organisations which had developed links with and were being protected by Government functionaries and political personalities. Based on the recommendations of the Committee, Government shall determine the need, if any, to establish a special organisation/agency to regularly collect information and pursue cases against such elements:
(i) Home Secretary Chairman
(ii) Secretary (R) Member
(iii) DIB Member
(iv) Director CBI Member
(v) JS(PP) MHA Member Secy.
1.2 The Committee was authorised to invite senior officers of various concerned Departments to gather the required information.
1.3 Special Secretary (Internal Security & Police), MHA, was subsequently added as a Member of the Committee. The Committee was desired to submit its Report within 3 months.
2.1 In the first meeting of the Committee (held on l5th July ‘93), I had explained to the Members that Government had established the Committee after seeing the reports of our Intelligence and Investigation agencies on the activities/linkages of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, consequent to the bomb blasts in Bombay in March 1993. From these various reports, it was apparent that the activities of Memon Brothers and Dawood Ibrahim had progressed over the years, leading to the establishment of a powerful network. This could not have happened without these elements having been protected by the functionaries of the concerned Government departments, specially Customs, Income Tax, Police and others. It was, therefore, necessary to identify the linkages and to also determine how such information could be timely collected and acted upon in the future.
2.2 In the course of the discussions, I perceived that some of the Members appeared to have some hesitation in openly expressing their views and also seemed unconvinced that Government actually intended to pursue such matters. Accordingly, I addressed separate personal letters to each of the Mernbers of the Committee seeking their well considered suggestions and recommendations. Their responses are briefly brought out below.
Secretary (R&AW)
2.3 The various offices abroad of this Agency have limited strength and are largely geared to the collection of military, economic, scientific and political intelligence. R&AW monitor the activities of certain organisations abroad only insofar as they relate to their involvement with narco-rerrorist elements and smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives, etc. into the country. It does not monitor the activities of criminal elements abroad, which are mainly confined to "normal smuggling without any links to terrorist elements". The present strength of the Agency’s offices abroad would not permit it to enlarge its field of activities. If, however, there is evidence to suggest that these organisations have links with Intelligence agencies of other countries, particularly Pakistan, and that they are being used or are likely to be used by such countries for destabilising our economy, it would become R&AW’s responsibility to monitor their activities, as is being done by this Agency to collect vital information in regard to the investigations in the Bombay bomb blasts case.
2.4 The creation of a nodal agency to collect information regarding the activities of Mafia organisations is very essential. All the existing information/data available with R&AW, IB and CBI could be made available to this nodal agency. R&AW will nominate an officer of suitable rank to Iiaise with the nodal agency on a
regular basis to enable expeditious follow-up action.
Director CBI
3. l A Report on the nexus between the Bombay City Police and the Bombay under-world was prepared by CBI in 1986. It would be useful to institute a fresh study by CBI, on the basis of which appropriate administrative/ legal measures could be initiated.
]
3.2 An organised crime Syndicate/Mafia generally commences its activities by indulging in petty crime at the local level, mostly relating to illicit distillation/gambling/organised satta and prostitution in the larger towns. In port towns, their activities involve smuggling and sale of imported goods and progressively graduate
to narcotics and drug trafficking. In the bigger cities, the main source of income relates to real estate - forcibly occupying lands/buildings, procuring such properties at cheap rates by forcing out the existing occupants/tenants etc. Over time, the money power thus acquired is used for building up contacts with bureaucrats and politicians and expansion of activities with impunity. The money power is used to develop a network of muscle-power which is also used by the politicians during elections.
3.3 CBI has reported that all over India crime Syndicates have become a law unto themselves. Even in the smaller towns and rural areas, muscle-men have become the order of the day. Hired assassins have become a part of these organisations. The nexus between the criminal gangs, police, bureaucracy and politicians has come out clearly in various parts of the country. The existing criminal justice system, which was essentially designed to deal with the individual offences/crimes, is unable to deal with the activities of the Mafia; the provisions of law in regard economic offences are weak; there are insurmountable legal difficulties in attaching/confiscation of the property acquired through Mafia activities.
3.4 It has been suggested that the menace has first to be tackled at the local level where the agencies of the State and the concerned Central Enforcement Agencies like Customs and Excise, Income Tax etc. would be required to take effective action. In cases where a crime Syndicate has graduated to big business, it would be necessary to conduct detailed investigations into its assets, both movable and immovable. It has been stressed that when such action is not timely and effectively taken, the lower functionaries of the concerned State and Central Departments/organisations start over-looking the activities of the crime Syndicates. To elucidate this point, the Director CBI has given the example of IQBAL MIRCHI of Bombay who, till the late 80’s, was
merely a visitor to passenger and carrier ships to obtain liquor and cigarettes for selling the same at a profit. In the last 3-4 years, MIRCHI acquired real estate valuing crores of rupees; he has many bank accounts and has been paying lakhs of rupees to his carriers. The growth of MIRCHI is due to the fact that the concerned Enforcement agencies did not timely take action against him and, later, this perhaps became difficult on account of the enormous patronage that he had developed. If MIRCHI is investigated, the entire patronage enjoyed by him and his linkages will come to light. Director CBI has observed that there are many such cases, as that of MIRCHI where the initial failure has led to the emergence of Mafia giants who have become too big to be tackled.
3.5 Director CBI has stated that the main mode of communications/contacts of the Mafias operating at the international level is through telephonic communications. Referring to the useful leads emerging from the investigations into the activities of Dawood Ibrahim, a Mafia leader, the director CBI has stated that the effective monitoring of the telephone calls made from India/received from abroad would yield useful information and, for this being done, Government may grant sanction to monitor certain telephone connections.
3.6 The assistance of Banks is an essential input. The Bank Managers can be placed under obligation to render reports on all heavy transactions and suspicious accounts to the Enforcement agencies. Such a practice obtains in UK.
3.7 Concluding his analysis, Director CBI has made the following suggestions to bring under control the activities of the criminal Syndicates:
(i) Identification of offences and award of deterrent punishments, including preventive detention.
(ii) Trial procedures should be simplified and hastened.
(iii) Surveillance should be carried out through finger printing, photographs and dossiers.
(iv) Monitoring mechanisms should be established at the State and Central levels.
(v) Establishment of Special Cells in the States CIDs and CBI.
(vi) Suitable amendments should be introduced in the existing laws to more effectively deal with the activities of Maixa organisations, etc.; this would also include review of the existing laws.
(vii) A detailed case study of l0-15 cases would provide useful information regarding the administrative/legal measures, which would be required to be taken to effectively tackle the functioning of Mafia organizations. The CBI can do this within a short period.
Director, IB
6.1 DIB has reported that due to the progressive decline in the values of public life in the country "warning signals of sinister linkage between thc underworld politicians and the bureaucracy have been evident with disturbing regularity, as exemplified by the exposures of the networks of the Bombay blast case". He has
recommended itnmediate attention to:-
(i) Identification of the nexus between the criminals/Mafias and anti-national elements on the one hand and bureaucrats, politicians and other sensitively located individuals on the other.
(ii) Identification of the nature and dimensions of these linkages and the modus operandi of their operations.
(iii) Assessment of the impact of these linkages on the various institutions, viz., the electoral, political, economic, law and order and the administrative apparatus.
(iv) Nexus, if any, between the domestic linkages with foreign intelligence.
(v) Necessary action to show effective action to counteract/ neutralise the Mafia activities.
(vi) Political and legal constraints in dealing with the covert/illegal functioning of the linkages.
6.2 Like the Director CBI, the DIB has also stated that there has been a rapid spread and growth of criminal gangs, armed senas, drug Mafias, smuggling gangs, drug peddlers and economic lobbies in the country which have, over the years, developed an extensive network of contacts with the bureaucrats/Government functionaries at the local levels, politicians, media persons and strategically located individuals in the non-State sector. Some of these Syndicates also have international linkages, including the foreign intelligence agencies. In this context, the DIB has given the following examples
(i) In certain States, like Bihar, Haryana and UP, these gangs enjoy the patronage of local level politicians, cutting across party lines and the protection of governmental functionaries. Some political leaders become the leaders of these gangs/armed senas and, over the years, get themselves elected to local bodies, State Assemblies and the national Parliament. Resultantly, such elements have acquired considerable political clout seriously jeopardizing the smooth functioning of the administration and the safety of life and property of the common man, causing a sense of despair and alienation among the people.
(ii) The big smuggling Syndicates, having international linkages, have spread into and infected the various economic and financial activities, including havala transactions, circulation of black money and operations of a vicious parallel economy causing serious damage to the economic fibre of the country. These Syndicates have acquired substantial financial and muscle power and social respectability and have successfully corrupted the government machinery at all levels and wield enough influence to make the task of Investigating and Prosecuting agencies extremely difficult; even the members of the Judicial system have not escaped the embrace of the Mafia.
(iii) Certain elements of the Mafia have shifted to narcotics, drugs and weapon smuggling and established narco-terrorism networks, specially in the States of J&K, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The cost of contesting elections has thrown the politician into the lap of these elements and led to a grave compromise by officials of the preventive/detective systems. The virus has spread to almost all the centres in the country; the coastal and the border States have been particularly affected.
(iv) The Bombay bomb blast case and the communal, riots in Surat and Ahmedabad have demonstrated how the Indian underworld has been exploited by the Pak ISI and the latter’s network in UAE to cause sabotage, subversion and communal tension in various parts of the country. The investigations into the Bombay bomb blast cases have revealed extensive linkages of the underworld in the various governmental agencies, political circles, business sector and the film world.
6.3 DIB has stated that the network of the Mafia is virtually running a parallel Government, pushing the State apparatus into irrelevance. It is thus most immediately necessary that an institution is established to effectively deal with the menace. In this connection, the DIB has stated:
(i) Presently, there. is no system/ mechanism which is specifically designated to collect and collate intelligence pertaining to the linkages developed by crime Syndicates/Mafias with the governmental set up. Nonetheless, the various intelligence/investigation/enforcement agencies collect, in the normal course of their functioning, information about the nexus between the bureaucracy and politicians with the Mafia gangs, smugglers and the underworld. These agencies use such available inputs "only within the narrow confines of their work charter and choose not to take undue cognisance and follow-up action, leave alone sharing with any other agencies". Thus, all these agencies "function within their own cocoons, with the result that a plethora of information fails to get specific and purposeful attention needed for the exposure of the Linkages". It is, therefore, necessary to immediately have an institutionalized system which "while giving total freedom to the various agencies to pursue their charter of work, would simultaneously cast on them the onus of sharing such inputs to a nodal outfit whose job will be to process this information for attention of a single designated authority". This will enable the nodal Group to provide useful leads to the various agencies and, over time, a progressive database will get generated "to facilitate periodic reviews and analysis which could then be passed to a designated body".
7.1 As would be seen from the afore-stated brief discussion, specially the views expressed by Director CBI and DIB, it is evident that the muscle power of the crime Syndicates is sustained by their enormous financial power which, in turn, is, secured by the Mafia elements by committing economic offences with impunity. In this context, I held detailed personal discussions with Secretary (Revenue) under whose control operate the various economic intelligence/investigative/enforcement agencies.
7.2 The Department of Revenue functions through the following major agencies:
(i) Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC)
Inter alia, CBSE is responsible for the prevention of smuggling, In this and other tasks, it is assisted by the by the Director General of Revenue Intelligence (DGRI) and the Directorate General of Anti-Evasion (DGAE). The DGRI deals with the evasion of customs duties; the DGAE with Excise duty evasion.
(ii) Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
Income Tax Department administers the Income Tax Act, Wealth Tax Act, etc.
(iii) Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB)
The CEIB is responsible for coordinating and strengthening the intelligence gathering activities and the investigative and enforcement actions of the various agencies responsible for investigation into economic offences and the enforcement of economic laws. The CEIB is responsible for maintaining liaison with the concemed Departments Directorates both at the Centre and at the State levels and is expected to provide overall direction to the investigative agencies under the Department of Revenue.
The CEIB is expected, inter alia, to attend to the following tasks:
(a) Identification of major sources generating black money; directing and developing intelligence about such sources; planning and coordinating action and operations against such sources.
(b) Assisting the various enforcement agencies in strengthening the intelligence gathering infrastructure and building up their capability for storage and retrieval of intelligence.
(c) Conducting investigative and analytical studies in difficult areas of black money operations and monitoring indicators thereof.
(iv) Enforcement Directorate
This Directorate is concerned with the enforcement of the investigation and penal provision of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act; collection of intelligence relating to foreign exchange offences; enquiries into suspected violations of the provisions of FERA, etc.
(v) Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)
The NCB is responsible for the administration of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. It is responsible for coordination with different Central and State Government Departments/Ministries and the various Central and State law enforcement agencies for the implementation of the NDPS Act. I explained to Secretary (Revenue) the broad considerations on account of which the government had set up a Committee to look into the linkages developed by the Mafia elements. He informed me that he had recently held a meeting with senior representatives of the RBI, the Chairman CBEC, Chairman CBDT and the Economic Intelligence Council in the Department of Revenue, and readily agreed with my request to attend a meeting of the Committee along with his concerned officers for a full discussion on the issues before the Committee. Accordingly, I arranged a meeting of the Committee (30th Aug ‘93) to hear the views of Seeretary (Revenue), who was accompanied by chairman CBDT, DGRI, Member (Customs) and Director (Enforcement). During the course of the discussions with Secretary (Revenue) and his aforesaid principal officers, the following significant observations were made:

(i) In the normal course of his work, to detect violations of Customs & Excise laws, the DGRI comes across information on linkages crime Syndicates and governmental functionaries etc. As following of such information is not within the charter of duties of DGRI, his officers focus primarily on the information relating to the violation of laws relating to their charter.
(ii) As in the case of DGRT, indirect information also becomes available the CBDT about linkages. Here again, not being directly relating to their charter of responsibilities, the CBDT do not follow up such leads.
(iii) While the NCB is specifically responsible for booking drug traffickers, with the increasing importance being given to Narco-terrorism, the NCB has been asked to gather further information so that the real king-pins in the narcotics trade can be apprehended.
(iv) The Directorate of’ Enforcement comes across information on linkages and passes it on to the CBI and IB.
(v) Of late, currency amounting to crores of rupees is being seized, invariably packed in suitcases and gunny bags. The Banks are reluctant to pass on informaton about account holders to CBDT and do not allow their officers to hold exploratory enquiries.
(vi) While a certain arnount of information is shared between the various organisations under the Department of Revenue, and those under the MHA and Cabinet Secretariat, the exchanges are sporadic and limited. This is perhaps due to the fact that each concerned organisation/agency is anxious to protect its sources and is apprehensive that a full sharing of all information might jeopardise its operations, on account of premature leakage of information.
(vii) While DGRI, Director (Enforcement) and DG NCB are authorised to undertake phone tapping of suspected offenders, the DGRI has not been allowed to enforce surveillance on the telephonic communications of political personalities.
(viii) Senior Police officers, even in the border States, are not trained or adequately informed of the work done by the Directorate of Enforcement, specially in regard to money laundering operations.
(ix) Information about the activities of drug traffickers is passed on by DG NCB to the concerned State Governments and their agencies. However, niggardly responses by the latter and prolonged delays in the disposal of cases before the Courts seriously hampers. the effective functioning of the NCB. While the NDPS Act prescribes the award of deterrent punishments to offenders, the results are to the contrary. It is necessary that the Directorates of Prosecution in the State Governments are urgently brought under the control of the State Police.
7.5 Secretary (Revenue) stated that the field officers of his various Departments were faced with various problems, amongst which are:
(i) The utter inadequacy of the criminal justice system; cases are not heard timely; functioning of the Government lawyers is grossly inadequate; all this results in a low percentage of convictions and mild punishments. Unless the criminal justice system is geared up, the work of the enforcement agencies cannot be effective.
(ii) The field officers of the various agencies of the Revenue Department are often pressurized by senior government functionaries/political leaders, apparently at the behest of crime Syndicates/Mafia elements. Unless the field level officers are offered effective protection, they cannot be expected to maintain interest in vigorously pursuing action against the activities of such elements.
7.6 Chairman CBDT stated that insofar as the functioning of his officers is concerned, whenever they come into possession of any information regarding the violation of any other law, they pass it on to the concerned agency. He suggested that if the information available with other agencies is passed on to him, his officers could pursue the sane.
8.l As a result of the discussions held by the Committee with Secretary (Reveriue) and his principal officers, it is evident that:
(i) While, in the course of their normal activities, information on the linkages of the crime Syndicates sometimes becomes available, such information is not pursued on the score that it is not directly related to offences falling within the laws administered by these agencies;
(ii) such information is occasionally passed on by these agencies to the CBI and or IB;
(iii) the various agencies under the Department of Revenue do not specifically search out information on the linkages of crime Syndicates.
9. 1 Consequent to the Committee’s discussions with the Secretary (Revenue) and his principal officers, I held a series of further personal discussions with the Secretary (Revenue). At my request, Secretary (Revenue) gave me a personal note indicating his views, which are briefly as below:
(i) The information gathered by the various agencies under the Revenue Department, while gathering intelligence on offences relating to the laws administered by them, is generally not put to any use unless it is required to be passed on to other intelligence agencies outside the Department of Revenue.
(ii) The linkages developed by crime Syndicates get generally confirmed when pressure is mounted on the concerned agencies not to take action against the offenders or to go slow in the cases against them. Such pressures are mounted either immediately after a raid is conducted or at the time when prosecution is about to be initiated. Pressures are also exerted whenever corrupt and undesirable officers are shifted from sensitive assignments (Preventive Customs Divisions at the Airports, sensitive Collectorates in the Central Excise etc.).
(iii) In the narcotics arena, which includes cultivation of opium, manufacture of alkaloids, prevention of narcotics, smuggling etc. the financial stakes are astronomically high. Consequently, the level of corruption is of a very high order in this area of functioning and enormous pressures are brought to bear even when subordinate officials are posted away specially when the shift of an officer adversely affects the interests of those who are making easy money.
(iv) Narcotics trade has a world-wide network of smugglers who also have close links with terrorists. Terrorists indulge in narcotics trade to amass huge funds, in various foreign currencies, from which they source their procurement of weapons etc.
9.2 While the Department of Revenue has initiated a number of steps to deal with the activities of smugglers and to plug loop-holes in the system, Secretary (Revenue) has stated that a possible approach to effectively liquidating the linkages developed by the crime Syndicates would be to mercilessly prosecute the offenders without succumbing to any pressure whatsoever. He is of the view that once the offenders are deterrently punished under the law, their influence and strength will start declining, as also of all those who support them, wherever located. He has emphasised that for this objective being achieved it will be extremely necessary that: the entire governmental machinery involved in taking action against the crime Syndicates is allowed to perform its duties with total freedom; officers with impeccable integrity should be posted to head the various organisations which are responsible for taking action against tax offenders, smugglers etc; such officers should be selected with utmost care and provided sufficiently long tenures, giving them the clear mandate to ruthlessly punish the offenders; action must be taken to ensure the objective functioning of Courts which deal with the trial of economic offences; all cases before the Courts should be speedily concluded without the judicial officers coming under any pressure or succumbing to temptations; inefficient and corrupt elements in the various organisations venue must be weeded out and Government should take stringent action against officers who seek to exert political pressure for securing postings and appointments of their choice.
10.1 From the above narrated analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn:-

(i) On the basis of the extensive experience gained by our various concerned intelligence, investigative and enforcement agencies, it is apparent that crime Syndicates and Mafia organisations have established themselves in various parts of the country.
(ii) The various crime Syndicates /Mafia organisations have developed significant muscle and money power and established linkages with governmental functionaries, political leaders and others to be able to operate with impunity (as recently exemplified by the activities of the Memon Brothers and Dawood Ibrahim).
(iii) While the CBI and IB and the various agencies under the Department of Revenue, in their normal course of functioning, come across information relating to the linkages of crime Syndicates/Mafia organisations, there is presently no system under which they are expected to pass on such information to an indentified nodal agency. Sharing of such information is presently of an occasional nature and no evidence is available of the same having been put to any operational use (the only mentionable exception perhaps relates to the recent investigations into the activities of Memon Brothers and the Dawood gang on which several of our agencies were put to work collectively).
11.1 Even where an agency comes across certam information about the linkages of crime Syndicates, it has no mandate to immediately pass it on to one or more agencies. An agency which comes across information regarding linkages is also apprehensive that the sharing of such information may jeopardize its own functioning through premature leakage. In sum, the various agencies presently in the field take care to essentially focus on their respective charter of duties, dealing with the infringement of laws relating to their organisations and consciously putting aside any information on linkages which they may come across.
12. 1 In the discussions in lhe Committee, I asked each of the Members as well as the Secretary (Revenue) and his principal officers about their views regarding the establishment of a Nodal Agency for the collection, collation and operationalisation of all information relating to the activities of crime Syndicates. Broadly, the following approaches have been mooted:
(i) The DIB has stated that while considering the establishment of any nodal mechanism, "It must be appreciated that the problems has enormous impact on national security and is indeed highly political in nature". In this context, he has suggested that the nodal set up should be under the IB, which is even otherwise engaged in monitoring various political activities having a bearing on national security. He has recommended that "an exclusive Top Secret Cell be established in the IB to function as the Nodal Group for receipt of inputs from various security/revenue agencies which reveal a politician-bureaucrat-underworld nexus. Such sharing will be through personal communications in writing, while operating difficulties could be sorted out through periodic meetings among the heads of these organisations to be chaired by the Home Secretary". The Top Secret Cel1 will share all tactical and operational information with other concerned agencies on "need to know and act basis".
(ii) The other approach recommended is to set up a system under which the Heads of the various Intelligence and Revenue agencies shall meet on a regular basis and exchange vital information, without there being any leakage.
13.1 In the background of the discussions so far, there does not appear to be need for any further debate on the vital importance of setting up a nodal point to which all existing intelligence and Enforcement agencies (irrespective of the Department under which they are located ) shall promptly pass on any information which they may come across, which relates to the activities of crime Syndicates.
13.2 If the preposition in the preceding para is sustained, a decision will need to be taken regarding the Department/Ministry under which the nodal set-up should be located.
14.1 Under the existing arrangements for the transaction of Government business, the Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for all matters relating to internal security. It is for this reason that the Intelligence Bureau is a part and parcel of this Ministry (It is only by tradition that the DIB reports directly to authorities
outside MHA). R&AW functions under the Cabinet Secretariat and deals with external intelligence. The various Intelligence, Investigation and Enforcement agencies dealing with the implementation of economic laws report to the Revenue Department under the Ministry of Finance. The CBI, which is the principal criminal investigation agency of the Centre, is under the Department of Personnel.
14.2 In my view, considerable care would have to be taken to ensure that the information which becomes available to the Nodal Cell is handled by a very senior and trust-worthy officer. Any leakage of such information would not only jeopardize potential action against the powerful criminal Syndicates, but may also be susceptible to political exploitation. Under all circumstances, it will have to be ensured that the information available with the nodal set-up is used strictly and entirely for stringent action against the crime Syndicates, without allowing any scope whatever of its being exploited for political gain.
14.3 In the preceding context, it would be logical if the nodal set-up is under the MHA, directly handled by the Home Secretary who can be assisted by one or more selected officers of the Ministry for the collation and compilation of all information received from IB, CBI, R&AW and the various agencies under the Department of Revenue The manner in which such information is operationalised would need to be confidentially discussed with the concerned Heads of Organisation and, as necessary, with Secretary (Revenue). It will also need to be ensured that the nodal set-up functions with extreme secrecy. Needless to say, any leakage whatever about the linkages of crime Syndicate senior Government functionaries or political leaders in the states or at the centre could have a destabilizing effect on the functioning of Government. As such, it would not appear prudent to entrust the functioning of the Nodal Cell to any level below that of the Home Secretary. Further, the government would also have to carefully consider and prescribe the authorities to whom the Home Secretary will report in regard to the sensitive information received by the nodal set-up as well as regarding the operations to be launched by one or more of the concerned agencies to apprehend, investigate and prosecute the offenders.
15.1 In the normal course this report would have been drafted by the Mernber Secretary and finalized by the Committee. Considering the nature of the issues involved, I did not consider it desirable to burden the Members of the Committee with any further involvement beyond the views expressed by them. Accordingly, I decided to personally dictate this Report.
15.2 I have prepared only three copies of this Report. One copy each is being submitted to MOS(IS) and HM, the third copy being retained by rne. After HM has perused this Report, I request him to consider discussing further action with finance Minister, MOS(IS) and myself. The emerging approach could thereafter be got approved from Prime Minister before being implemented. At that stage other concerned senior officers would be taken into confidence.
15.3 After an initial discussion at the level of MOS(IS) and HM I could send a copy of this Report to FM, before the issues are discussed with him.
Sd/-
(N. N. VOHRA )
HOME SCRETARY
5.10.93
HM [Copy No.1/3]
MOS [Copy No.2/3]
http://mahendra-agarwalonline.20m.com/PR_VohraCommitteeReport.htm

Kashmir is the Defining Issue of Indian Identity
by Dr. Subramanian Swamy

[Lecture on July 9, 2008 to Indian students and Americans scholars at MIT, USA]
I believe that the Kashmir "issue" can no more be solved by dialogue either with the Pakistanis or the Hurriyat. This is because the Pakistan army has now a majority of captains and colonels owing allegiance to the Taliban. In another five years, they will reach, by promotions, the corp commander level. We know that the government in Pakistan is controlled by the seven corp commanders of the army. Therefore a Taliban government in Pakistan is inevitable and a jehad against India the logical consequence of the same. In turn the Hurriyat is an organization that cannot go against Pakistan.
Hence India has about five years to prepare for a decisive and defining war with Pakistan and we must prepare to win it. We therefore have to throw out of office in the coming elections all those Indian politicians who crave or preen themselves on being popular in Pakistan by sounding reasonable and secular as also equivocating on every issue. For the survival of the ancient civilization of India we have to win that inevitable war and recover the whole of Kashmir.
I will not blame the jehadis for the coming war. They are after all programmed that way by Islamic theology. I will blame ourselves for not understanding the fundamentals of Islam as propounded in the Sira and the Hadith. It teaches that if Muslims are in a majority, they must rule [Darul Islam], and then everyone else is a dhimmi and a kafir who do not have equal rights of worship. Thus in Saudi Arabia, you cannot even display a picture of a Hindu god inside your own home ! When Muslims are in a hopeless minority, then Sira and Hadith urges Muslims to make a deal with the majority and make no demands[Darul Ahad]. In US and Australia for example, Muslims will therefore never ask for separate shariat personal law. If Muslims are not hopelessly in a minority, then Islam directs that true Muslims conduct subversions and act against all human values to leverage their position[Darul Harab] to become of defining influence in the polity and ultimately rulers. We saw this in Kashmir recently when the government was made to cave in on the most humane gesture of allotting land to make Hindu pilgrims feel comfortable while on arduous journey to Amarnath caves.And we have it on the authority of the Chief Minister of the state that the agitation against the allotment was financed by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
It is foolish therefore in the face of this reality to expound the banal sentiment that "all Muslims are not terrorists or fanatics". Of course that is true. Or that Koran is a message of peace. May be it is. However, the Islam of the cutting edge of Muslim thought propounded by leaders such as Osama Bin Laden is in Sira and Hadith, which calls on the faithful to wage war against the infidels who cannot strike back effectively and crush them.
The struggle for Kashmir by the jehadis thus is not just for independence. They instead want a Darul Islam there and for the state to become a part of the Caliphate. Hindus are a special target because despite Iran, Iraq, Egypt and other countries becoming 100 percent Muslims after less than two decades of conquest and brutalization, India after a thousand years of massacres, mayhem and rape remained dominantly Hindu. This is a living affront for the fundamentalist Muslim, and in their seminaries and madrassas in Iran and Saudi Arabia, they even today debate and agonize over it.
Contrary to the British imperialist propaganda, Hindus did not just lie down and be conquered by foreign invaders. Hindu fighting spirit had never dimmed even if weakened by traitors within. Periodically Hindus rose in revolt symbolized by the Vijayanagaram empire[which lasted 300 years] or in Shivaji's bravery, or Guru Gobind Singh's campaigns or the Mahratta national onslaught.
Most of us thus remained Hindus, defiant, even if in poverty and misery singing Vande Mataram. This the true history of India which the fundamentalist Muslim and the British imperialist historians cannot bear to acknowledge.
Accommodation and compromise with Islamic terrorists is self-defeating and suicide. We have instead to fight back, for which Kashmir is the starting point. Hindu renaissance, long overdue, will be nurtured if we look for an opportunity to seize back the occupied areas of Kashmir, and make the jehadis feel that in India there can only be Darul Ahad for Muslims. We had opportunities earlier to demonstrate that: e.g.,in 1948, 1971, 1999, and 2001. But we let it go.
Hence, let there be no more intellectual confusion about the identity of India as a Hindu Rashtra, which means a land of Hindus and those others who acknowledge proudly that their ancestors are Hindus. If Muslims acknowledge this truth, then they are welcome as a part of our family. And those who do not so acknowledge cannot be equal citizens in India. Hence, we shall not agree to any more truncation of Indian territory
We have to therefore disown UN Resolutions and India-Pakistan treaties such as signed in Simla]1972] as unauthorized Nehruvian policy blunders. The legality of the Instrument of Accession signed in favour of India by the then Maharaja of J&K on October 26, 1947 has to prevail. Otherwise it will create a plethora of legal issues including what will become the status of the Maharaja if we abrogate this Instrument. Will Dr. Karan Singh, the son of Maharaja Hari Singh, have then a claim to be regarded again as an independent and sovereign King of J&K ? In the Junagadh issue, Pakistan had held the Instrument once signed is "final, irrevocable, and not requiring the wishes of the people to be ascertained". That is the correct position. But the Junagadh Nawab after signing the Instrument in favour of Pakistan, invaded the neighbouring princely states, states which had acceded to India. So when the Indian Army was moved by Patel to defend these areas, the Nawab ran away to Pakistan. His subjects were mostly Hindu who then welcomed the Indian army.
Furthermore, on what legal basis can we de novo seek to ascertain the wishes of the people of J&K when the Indian Independence Act[1947] passed by the British Parliament makes no provision for the same ? After all it was this same Act which created a legal entity called Pakistan, carved out from the united India. India under the Act was a settled and continuing entity out which the British Parliament made a new entity called Pakistan. Never in previous history there was ever a country called Pakistan. The concept itself was formulated only in 1947.
By what mechanism can then Pakistan today seek to amend or even de-recognise the Act without unwittingly undermining the legal status of Pakistan itself? That is, if the Instrument of Accession is called into question, will not Partition itself be subject to challenge as without legal basis on the same consideration? I raise this question also because in the case of Beruberi in Eastern India, the transfer of that area to Bangla Desh although agreed to, has been enmeshed in prolonged litigation in the Indian Supreme Court because of Article 1 of the Indian Constitution which bars de-merger of any Indian territory after 1950.
Indian army jawans created Bangla Desh out of Pakistan. But despite that, and drunk with their Darul Islam status, the Bengali Muslims have not only driven out the Hindus or butchered them or forcibly converted them but millions of Bengali Muslims have sneaked into India and are happily working with Hindus in India. Partition was agreed to by Hindus only for those Muslims who could not bear to live under Hindu hegemony. And now after getting their territory, they cannot now say that they are happy to live in India with Hindus.
Hence, a virat Hindu Rashtra should tell Bangla Desh to take back their Muslims or hand over one-third of Bangla Desh territory as compensation. If they do not agree, then we must send two divisions of Indian army from Sylhet to Khulna and annex one third of north Bangla Desh as our due for bearing the economic and political burden of Bangla Deshis in our country. This will make our access to Assam and Northeast much easier too.But most of all it will send a powerful and salutary signal to Pakistani terrorists: that Hindus will no more be passive.
These actions are possible if we gear up diplomatically for it. Today the world is sick of the terrorism and the greed of Muslims nations to make money out the sale of oil which they have got by sheer accident of geology. Hence, we must make strong allies. Israel is one such country. We must find ways to make China see our interests. It can be done if we know how to come to an understanding with them. This is essential for isolating Pakistan. At present China has begun to see the tinder box that Pakistan has become. Uighurs from Xinjiang have been to madrassas of Pakistan for training in subversion in Urumuchi and to sabotage the Beijing Olympics This worries China. It should concern us too.
Hence to lay the foundation for the liberation of Kashmir, we must have President's Rule for some time. India should refuse to engage in any dialogue on Kashmir in which the other side does not accept the whole of Kashmir as an integral and inalienable part of India. The people of Kashmir should be left in no doubt in their minds where the citizens of Hindu Rashtra stand on the future of the state: that it lies with us. Every Hindu has a claim on Kashmir. I for one claim it because my gotra is Kashyapa. It was rshi Kashyapa who invented Kashmir out the Dal lake. Hence my claim.
We should undo the "cleansing" of the state of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits by sending 1 million ex-servicemen and families into the Kashmir valley for re-settlement. Article 370 of the Constitution will have to be removed for that purpose, but according to the Constitution itself, it is supposed to be a "temporary provision" not requiring a Parliamentary two-thirds majority for amendment. It can be erased by a Presidential Notification on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.
Then we await a war. We do not have to go to war with Pakistan on Kashmir because a Talibanised Pakistan will provide us with the opportunity. What I am advocating here is that we prepare mentally and militarily for that eventuality, and having been provided that opportunity, go for the jackpot-- to use an American slang.

ahimsa and dharma -- Kalyan Viswanathan - Upload a Document to Scribd

Honouring a Hindu fighter, Dr. Subramanian Swamy at Stroudsburg Sharada devi mandiram

2008-07-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

Honouring a Hindu fighter, Dr. Subramanian Swamy at Stroudsburg Sharada devi mandiram

Press Release (July 15, 2008)

At a special function held today in the newly consecrated Sharada Devi temple in hills of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania in US, with the blessings of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Sringeri Mutt the representative of the Mutt Mr. Gauri Shankar and Dr. Yegna Subramanian honoured Dr. Subramanian Swamy, Janata Party President before a gathering of 3000 NRIs. In the citation, the Sringeri Pontiff lauded the efforts of Dr. Swamy for articulating the interests of the Hindu community and his unforgettable service in defending the Rama Setu in the Supreme Court. Dr. Swamy is currently teaching economics at Harvard University and is expected to return to India mid August to resume his political activities.

Issued by the TN Janata Party Office.

St. Thomas, the myth

2008-07-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

St Thomas, the myth

http://hindutva97.blogspot.com/2008/07/st-thomas-myth.html

St. Thomas’ two skeletons (Mylapore, India; Ortona, Italy)

Can you name the only Saint who left behind his two skeletions?: One was the skeleton as a youth (Found in Mylapore, Chennai), and the second skeleton as an old man (Found in Ortona, Italy). St. Thomas deserves a Bollywood movie to celebrate creationism.

Kalyanaraman

Read more… http://www.scribd.com/doc/3826832/St-Thomas

St. Thomas - Upload a Document to Scribd

Mt. kailas, abode of Shiva; Manasarovar, world's greatest water tower

2008-06-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Mt. kailas, abode of Shiva; Manasarovar, world's greatest water tower

Thanks to Tarun Vijay ji for this exquisite article. The abode of Shiva is Mt. Kailas. At the foothills of this stunner is Manasarovar glacier, which is the world's greater tower in the Himalayas yielding glacier melts which service 10 of the greatest perennial rivers of the world. This water tower, if managed well, can make every river in Bharatam a jeevanadi, and in the process help create a National Water Grid which will be a revolution for abhyudayam of Bharatam -- adding 9 crore acres of additional wet land with assured irrigation and over 60,000 kms. of national waterway, complementing the highway-railway networks. So, a form of Shiva is a S’ivalingam as the metaphor for the summit of Mt. Kailas, the water-giving divinity, devatatmaa himalaya; hence, the perpetual abhishekam in the jyotirlinga sthalams in Bharatam venerating the water-giving, life-giving Mahes’wara, paramaatman.

Kalyanaraman

Abode of the gods
June 20, 2008

As devotees prepare for the arduous annual trek to Kailas Manasarovar, Tarun Vijay reflects on that most sublime of spiritual experiences -- a pilgrimage to Shiva's home.

A group of atheists had accompanied us during an earlier pilgrimage to Kailas Manasarovar. I still recall them standing, frozen in place by their first glimpse of Mount Kailas; I saw tears of pure joy running down their faces -- and I was not surprised.

If there is one place on this planet where God can be touched and felt, it has to be the Kailas Manasarovar region -- it is indescribable, beyond the power of words to capture; it is perhaps the one experience that defines the state of being.
The trek is often called a pilgrimage, but it is so much more -- the fulfillment of a dream, a realisation of life's highest aspirations. People let themselves in for uncertainty, for incredible hardship, year after year because they know that what is in store for them is not simple anand, joy, but sachidanand, sublime joy.
It is for this experience that people wait a lifetime, offering up prayers to god to grant them an opportunity to go on this journey of self-realisation. That is one of the unique aspects of this trek -- unlike routine pilgrimages to even venerated sites, which you make when you want to, the trek to Kailas is not about your schedule. Trite though it seems to say this, the 'call' has to come; for some, it never does during their lifetimes; for others, who dream of this for years, suddenly it all falls into place and often in completely unexpected fashion, they find themselves readying for an experience they have dreamt about. I had the good fortune to get such a 'call', to go on a pilgrimage that brought me such bliss at the time, and that now feels like a dream.
Image: For pilgrims, this first frontal view of the legendary abode of Lord Shiva is the culmination of a lifetime's hopes and dreams.
The MEA has made this year's yatra possible
June 20, 2008

When news appeared earlier this year that China has cancelled this year's yatra, thus, it cast a pall of gloom not merely on those who had planned to make the trek this year, but on the community at large -- for even those who cannot go derive a measure of satisfaction from the knowledge that the experience is there, that others are savoring it, and that sooner or later, their turn will come.
Thanks largely to the efforts of our Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, the Chinese government has agreed to allow the yatra to proceed in batches, on a revised schedule -- irrespective of the nature of government in New Delhi, our external affairs ministry boasts dedicated officers like Menon, who leave no stone unturned to ensure that the yatra is always on schedule. It needs pointing out that though the Chinese have cancelled all batches originating in Kathmandu, for fear of Tibetan infiltration into the group, they have allowed Indian pilgrims to make the journey.
I guess we need to thank the Chinese for allowing us to continue with our most revered pilgrimage -- though Shiva is a Hindu god, Tibet falls in their territory. Then army chief in Kashmir General Zoravar Singh had tried in 1841 to bring Kailas back to India; he in fact won the first phase of the battle and annexed the Kailas Manasarovar region into Maharaja Ranjit Singh's territory - but then winter intervened, and the enemy got the better of him in the treacherous climate.
Such was his bravery, however, such the heroism he displayed before dying in battle, that the Tibetans were moved to build a monument for him at Toya village near the Kailas route, adjoining Taklakot. The flag that General Zoravar Singh's soldiers brought back from Tibet is called the flag of Mantalai (Manasarovar), and forms part of the glorious heritage of the Jammu Kashmir Rifles. A military fort near Leh has also been named after General Singh.
Image: Clouds that shround the north face of Mount Kailas shift, in answer to pilgrims' prayers, to afford a clear view.
The quest for salvation
June 20, 2008

It takes two days to complete the 54-kilometre long parikrama (circumambulation) of Kailas -- 24 hours of immersing yourself in the spirituality that envelops this abode of Shiva, God of Gods. To the south of Kailas is Lake Manasarovar, whose circumference of 90 kilometres can be circumambulated in two days. The Tibetans call the lake Tso Mapham or Tso Mawang.
To the south of Manas is the Gurla Mandhata mountain named after Mandhata, a great king of yore who reportedly did penance here. The region finds numerous mentions in Indian scriptures, in the Ramayan and Mahabharat. The great poet Kalidasa beautifully described Kailas and Manasarovar in his masterpiece Kumarsambhavam: 'In the northern part there is a mighty mountain by name Himalaya -- the abode of perpetual snow -- fittingly called the Lord of mountains, animated by Divinity as its soul and internal spirit; spanning the wide land from the eastern to the western sea, it stands, as it were, like the measuring rod of the earth. At the direction of King Prithu, the selfsame mountain was used as a calf by all other mountains, while Mount Meru (Kailas) stood as an expert milker of cows and milched from Mother Earth the milk of shining gems and medicinal herbs of wonderful virtue and supreme efficacy.'
Image: Pilgrims on yaks make the two-day parikrama of Mount Kailas.
None to equal that transcendent moment when you stand at the threshold of Shiva's abode
June 20, 2008

Of all the many memories pilgrims carry away, and nurse for a lifetime, there is none to equal that transcendent moment when you stand at the threshold of Shiva's abode. I remember my own experience as if it were yesterday: The sun shone bright and high in the clearest blue sky I had ever seen. The peak of the holy mountain, alone, was shrouded in clouds, like a white silken curtain.
We were a group of 30 pilgrims, who came out of our base camp rooms to offer obeisance to the mountain. With folded hands and prayers on our lips, we waited for the clouds to move away -- and in that icy cold silence, pierced only by the prayers of the pilgrims, magic happened. The clouds suddenly moved away, and Mount Kailas appeared in full majestic effulgence, even as our voices rose in the chant of the Mahamrityunjay, the supreme mantra of victory over death.
You felt the tears roll down your faces; you looked around, and realized that everyone was crying in sheer bliss. There were some who said they had waited through several lifetimes for this chance to stand, head bowed in veneration, before the 22,028 feet high Mount Kailas, abode of Lord Shiva and the 'Navel of the Earth'.
Tarun Vijay, director, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, is the author of books on Kailas Manasarovar, available in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi.
Image: On the Chinese side of the pilgrimage, the signs of Indian culture are everywhere.
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2008/jun/20sld4.htm

"...if the Jews can revive Hebrew, why can't we revive Sanskrit?" -- Arvind Sharma

2008-06-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

"...if the Jews can revive Hebrew, why can't we revive Sanskrit?" -- Arvind Sharma

1. A blog entry by Dr. Arvind Sharma
2. A report in Washington Post.

k

Hebrew – What Has That Got To Do With Sanskrit? – Arvind Sharma

I was visiting my lawyer friend. As soon as he let me into the chamber I remarked: “Have you decided to grow a beard?” It was an obvious question for a man in his condition.

“You know,” he began, after he had offered me a seat and settled into one himself, “I am the member of a theatre group and my role requires a person with a beard. So my director suggested that I grow one, instead of wearing a made-up one.”

I began to muse why I hadn’t joined an elocution society, I am so dissatisfied at the way I make conversation, when I do, that is. My silent soliloquy ended as he resumed speaking.

“Have you heard of Yiddish?” he suddenly asked.

“A German dialect used by the Jews”, I ventured and then bit my tongue. Why didn’t I say sociolect? See, I do need those lessons after all.

“Only it was spoken all over – in Germany, Poland, Ukraine – kind of Jewish Lingua Franca”, he ever so gently corrected me. “It started along the Rhine around eleventh century. Has a vast literature.”

“Have you ever heard of Salinger?”

My thoughts went to a news item about an affair of a famous author with a younger girl – apparently dug out to show Clinton was not reinventing the wheel with Monica…he used my silence to fill the gap himself.

“He won a Nobel Prize”

I must have looked mildly surprised, for he added: “The only one awarded in Yiddish.”
If Yiddish was so well entrenched as a language among the Jews – why Hebrew then?
He read my mind.

“Hebrew of course was there as the language of ritual, but everything else was done in Yiddish. In 1908 a resolution was passed that Yiddish should be the language of Israel.”

Was Yiddish like Hindi? His talk flowed on regardless of my self-interrogation.
“Of course, for Theodore Herzl the language could only be German. But history marches to its own drumbeat. It was Hebrew which ended up being Israel’s language. It’s a miracle.”

I had long thought so - reviving a dead language. I finally said: “the first time I learnt of this was as a teenager. An Indian leader returned from a visit to Israel and said: if the Jews can revive Hebrew, why can’t we revive Sanskrit?” Then I let out a soft laugh.

“They also laughed when attempts were made to revive the Hebrew language. Then came the first family in which Hebrew was the mother tongue. Now when I hear people make baby-talk in Hebrew – it’s just unbelievable”

Ya – but in India people still laugh at the idea of Sanskrit.

Comment:
ushma williams Says:
June 14, 2008 at 3:04 pm

as a recent student of Hinduism I have just started to learn Sanskrit. what I have over the years having gone through a english colonial education in India have just now realised, how much of the intellectual culture of India was unaccessible to me, and how regrettable that was.

All I know that India does not even realise her big loss by losing Sanskrit. the language and its people are so completely interlinked and the Indic worldview cannot be put accross in its entirety in English.

As i teach my own children and others Hinduism for their board exams we have to learn the religion through its Sankrit words, and it is wonderful to see British born childrens amazement at the language of their ancestors ,how proud it makes me to be of this heritage with its long intellectual and spiritual tradition and how easy Sanskrit makes it for me to understand this.Each word opens up the Indic philosophy so ably and precisely is amazing.
http://arvindsharma.wordpress.com/2008/06/13/29-hebrew-%e2%80%93-what-has-that-got-to-do-with-sanskrit/

Summer Camps Revive India's Ancient Sanskrit

Effort Is Part of Bitter Debate Over the Role of Hindu Language in a Diverse Society

By Rama Lakshmi
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, June 15, 2008; A12

NEW DELHI -- Hemant Singh Yadav, a lean and sprightly 15-year-old, was sent by his parents to a summer camp to learn to speak Sanskrit, or what he calls the language of the gods.

He had studied the 4,000-year-old classical Indian language at school for six years. He knew its grammar and could chant the ancient hymns. But he could not converse in it. During a two-week course at the camp, Sanskrit Samvad Shala, he had no choice: He was forbidden to speak any other language.

"At first I thought it was impossible. The teachers and attendants spoke to us only in Sanskrit, and I did not understand anything," said Hemant, one of the 150 students gathered inside a Hindu temple on the outskirts of New Delhi. "I knew big, heavy bookish words before, but not the simple ones. But now Sanskrit feels like an everyday language."

Such camps, run by volunteers from Hindu nationalist groups, are designed to promote a language long dismissed as dead, and to instill in Hindus religious and cultural pride. Many Sanskrit speakers, though, believe that the camps are a steppingstone to a higher goal: turning back the clock and making Sanskrit modern India's spoken language.

Their endeavors are viewed with suspicion by many scholars here as part of an increasingly acrimonious debate over the role of Sanskrit in schools and society. The scholars warn against exploiting Indians' reverence for Sanskrit to promote the supremacy of Hindu thought in a country that, while predominantly Hindu, is also home to a large Muslim population and other religious minorities.

"It is critical to understand Sanskrit in order to study ancient Indian civilization and knowledge. But the language should not be used to push Hindu political ideology into school textbooks," said Arjun Dev, a historian and textbook author. "They want to say that all that is great about India happened in the Hindu Sanskrit texts."
One of the oldest members of what is known as the Indo-European family of languages, Sanskrit is a beleaguered language in India today, caught in a web of widespread apathy and questions about its utility.

Mainstream Indian schools teach the 49-letter language unimaginatively through tedious grammar lessons, and children learn by rote. Many parents see little use in encouraging their children to pursue a language that is not in any official use.
"Some people are constantly saying that Sanskrit is a dead language. It cripples our psyche to hear that, because we are nothing without Sanskrit," said Vijay Singh, 33, a teacher at Sanskrit Samvad Shala. "In the name of so-called secularism, it has become fashionable to attack any attempt to promote Sanskrit."

In January, government funding for a major Sanskrit program in schools was abruptly cut, prompting the program's managers to allege that officials were biased against the language.

The program, which encouraged immersive methods and developed computer-aided teaching tools and games, had been set up in 2003 by a Hindu nationalist government. One of the recommendations of the project included translations of English nursery rhymes such as "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" into Sanskrit.
When a new government was sworn in two years later, it ordered a massive review of the program, as well as other initiatives that were seen as being infused with Hindu supremacist rhetoric.

"The Sanskrit project was initiated by the previous government. They had their own priorities. The project was so-so. How many people really speak Sanskrit in India?" said Ramjanam Sharma, head of languages at the National Council of Educational Research and Training, a government body that designs school curriculums. Defending the decision to cut the funding, he said it was not appropriate for schools to teach children how to converse in Sanskrit. "We cannot replicate the teaching methods of traditional religious schools in our mainstream schools."

Although Sanskrit is one of the 22 official Indian languages, census figures show that only about 14,100 people speak it fluently, in a nation of more than a billion people. Still, it is prevalent in the hymns and chants at Hindu temple rituals, as well as at birth, marriage and death ceremonies. Not unlike Latin in the West, Sanskrit was long the language of intellectual activity in ancient India.

"Some people oppose anything that promotes Sanskrit because of its association with Hinduism. We were just trying to make the language a fun experience for students," said Kamla Kant Mishra, a Sanksrit professor and a member of the government project.
"To talk about Sanskrit is very political in India today," Mishra added. "That is the plight of the language."

The Indian government funds many colleges and universities that teach Sanskrit literature and scriptures, but it is not uncommon for even PhD students in the language to be unable to speak it. State-run schools offer a choice between a regional Indian language and Sanskrit. Many private schools offer Sanskrit, French, German and Spanish.

"I tell my students to opt for French, because it is useful if they choose to work in the hotel industry, or fashion or legal field. But there is no tangible use for Sanskrit except that they will learn an important part of our culture," said Vishakha Sharma, 40, a French teacher who teaches fifth- through eighth-graders in a private school. She said her school begins each morning with a Sanskrit chant. "It feels good to the ear, but students don't understand the meaning."

Meanwhile, some scholars are developing computer programs for Sanskrit and translating its rich repository of children's stories online. Last month, an alliance of international scholars from the United States, France and Germany was formed for Sanskrit computing.

"Sanskrit is very suitable for computing, because its grammar is complete with 4,000 rules and has a regular structure," said Girish Nath Jha, assistant professor of computational linguistics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.
At Sanskrit camp, a 19-year old undergraduate said that Sanskrit is in her blood.
"When I learn any language, I learn about its history and its literature," said Jaya Priyam. "But when I study Sanskrit, I learn who I am. It is my identity."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/14/AR2008061400892.html

Imperative of National Water Grid Authority to revolutionise the agricultural sector and the Indian economy

2008-06-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

Imperative of National Water Grid Authority to revolutionise the agricultural sector and the Indian economy

Fervent plea to Policy-makers and Socio-Political leadership of the nation

I request you to make a historic announcement which will benefit the present and future generations and offer an infrastructure for reviving the sick agricultural sector by creating command areas of irrigation in every part of the nation assuring water supply on a 24X7, 365-days of the year-basis.

The desired announcement is the constitution of a National Water Grid Authority, declaring water as a national asset. The constitution of National Water Grid Authority has to be done by an Act of Parliament. If needed, Supreme Court’s opinion can be obtained if concurrence from the States is required for such an enactment or if a Constitutional amendment is necessary to nationalize every river or if Entry 56 of Central List is wide enough to treat every river as a potential inter-state river, given the trend of constituting new states periodically.

This one move alone has the potential to create 60,000 km. of national water way saving precious foreign exchange for import transport diesel fuels, make available 9 crore acres of additional wet lands with assured irrigation to 9 crore poor families and create a potential for quadrupling agricultural production from the present level of 250 m. tonnes per annum. With assured water supply and effective soil health management, India can become a granary of the world to mitigate world hunger. A bonus will be the disbandment of Inter-state water dispute tribunals by declaring separate River Basin Management groups irrespective of current or future provincial boundaries.
The following aspects are briefly outlined in this note:
1. Legal issues regarding the rights/consent of States and permissions/clearances required
2. Organisation required for creating a National Water Grid
3. Whether NWGA can be public-private exercise
4. Total estimated cost
5. Composition of experts required to work out a DPR
6. Period of implementation
Background and Execuitive summary
It is time to create a National Water Grid Authority (NWGA) and realize the Grid with an extreme urgency to make every river a jeevanadi and to reach water to everyone of the 6 lakhs villages to create 9 crore acres of additional wet land with assured round-the-clock irrigation available on tap for four crops per year and 60,000 km. national waterways.
The NWGA can be put in place on the lines of Konkan Railway Corporation as a self-financing enterprise issuing Brahmaputra and Sarasvati Bonds without involving the central treasury.
Legal issues regarding the rights/consent of States and permissions/clearances required
I request you to announce that a bill will be introduced for enacting National Water Grid Authority Act.

The justification is as follows:

Entry 56 of List I of Seventh Schedule provides that "Regulation and development of inter-State rivers and river valleys to the extent to which such regulation and development under the control of the Union is declared by Parliament by law to be expedient in the public interest".

India is union of States. The constitutional provisions in respect of allocation of responsibilities between the State and Centre fall into three categories: The Union List (List-I), the State List (List-II) and the Concurrent List (List-III). Article 246 of the Constitution deals with subject matter of laws to be made by the Parliament and by Legislature of the States. As most of the rivers in the country are inter-State, the regulation and development of waters of these rivers, is a source of inter-State differences and disputes. In the Constitution, water is a matter included in Entry 17 of List-II i.e. State List. This entry is subject to the provision of Entry 56 of List-I i.e. Union List.

In case of disputes relating to waters, Article 262 provides:

• Parliament may by law provide for the adjudication of any dispute or complaint with respect to the use, distribution or control of the waters of, or in, any inter-State river or river valley.

The Constitution provides for declaring inter-state rivers as national assets and the NWGA should be a central agency with full powers for land acquisition and distribution in coordination with the agencies dealing with issues such as soil health cards and land use management. The NWGA has to implement the Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers drawn up by NWDA after 25 years of study and should also be given the responsibility for constructing the Saagara Maala (National Water Way) and integrating all water management aspects including desalination of seawater for supplying water to the coastal regions and regulations related to maintaining the groundwater tables and increasing the forest cover to 30% of land area.

In this perspective, the declaration of 14 rivers as national assets is a welcome first step in resolving the water supply situation in the nation (Annex A). The nation is endowed with the resources of the world’s largest water tower, the Himalayas. Using the surplus flood waters of Brahmaputra alone, everyone of the rivers south of the Vindhya mountains can made into a perennial river, to provide for 24/7 supply of water on tap or on putting on a switch for a bore pump. This can be done if we set up a National Water Grid as Britain has done during its Canal Age with a network of canal waterways preceding the industrial revolution. NWDA has provided the framework for setting up this Grid.

Annex B details Measures to avoid Inter-state water wars and water management options for the World’s Greatest Water Tower (Himalayas). This annex places in perspectives the geo-political imperative of instituting entities such as NWGA to ensure that the riparian rights of the nation are effectively enforced, while avoiding inter-state conflicts. Four appendixes are attached:
Appendix 1: Cultural and national significance of archaeological projects in north-west Bharat

Appendix 2: Contour Canal along Sahyadri Ranges for augmenting water harvesting for rain-shadow regions and uplands of Deccan Plateau

Appendix 3 The Indus Waters Treaty

Appendix 4: One reason why China should be forced out of Tibet: China's evil designs on Brahmaputra

The kind of organisation required for implementation: National Water Grid Authority

The National Water Grid Authority (NWGA) will be the nodal agency will be responsible for
1) creating and maintaining a National Water Grid to reach water – from every source, that is glaciers, rivers, lakes, swamps, groundwater aquifers, desalinated seawater -- to every village of the nation through an effective interlinking of the nation’s tanks and lakes, contribute to enhancing the forest cover and creating a National Water Way to complement the Indian Railway transport system; and

2) and acting as a regulatory authority to ensure the sustainability and integrated use of sea-surface-underground water resources and economical, cost-efficient-effective use of water as a national asset, as a vital developmental resource of the Nation while ensuring the supply of uncontaminated, potable water to every household.

NWGA will work in close coordination with the Union Ministry of Water Resources, Irrigation, Groundwater Departments at the Centre and the States, and all Panchayati Raj Institutions who will be share-holders and stake-holders in NWGA.

NWGA will also work in close collaboration with private enterprises engaged in water management to act as economic multipliers all along the new waterways and irrigation channels which will be created across the length and breadth of the nation.

NWGA will set up decentralized sub-units at the district, panchayat parishads at taluk levels to grant approvals for development of wells and tube-wells for sustainable use of groundwater resources and reaching water for every farm, household and industrial use.

Build-operate-transfer

• NWGA will build, operate and transfer the waterways, water reservoirs/tanks/lakes and irrigation channels to the Panchayati Raj Institutions.

NWGA will be an implementing agency on the lines of the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. which was incorporated on 19 July 1990 a broad gauge railway line along the west coast of India connecting Roha (in Maharashtra, near Mumbai) in the North to Mangalore in the South and for raising the necessary finance for the project from the market. The Project was envisaged under the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) concept for the first time in India where KRCL shall build the railway line, operate the same and transfer the railway line to the Indian Railways after discharging the liabilities. The line was commissioned on 26.01.1998. The autonomy provided to this Corporation enabled the completion of the remarkable engineering project in record time, despite hurdles created during land acquisition processes.

Water Management through Regulation

• NWGA will be a regulatory agency for effective and cost-efficient use of water a national asset.

On the same lines, and incorporating the provisions similar to those incorporated in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 No. 24 of 1997, a National Water Grid Authority Act should be passed by the Parliament, to build the National Water Grid, operate the same and transfer the Grid to the Ministry of Water Resources together with provisions for raising the necessary finance for the Grid from the market, inclusion of the Panchayati Raj institutions as share-and-stake holders of NWGA and provisions for private-public sector partnership. The key components of the functions of the NWGA should be: 1. settlement of people displaced and offering appropriate compensation as part of the Grid operations; 2. distribution of 9 crore acres of additional arable wet land created by the grid to the designated beneficiaries, prioritizing the distribution to the economically poor sections of the nation. http://www.trai.gov.in/trai_act.asp
Whether NWGA can be public-private exercise
NWGA to be effective has to be a public-private enterprise to ensure that the fundamental right of every citizen for water is guaranteed.
As discussed in the details of the NWGA responsibilities and functions in the previous paragraphs, NWGA has to be composed of representatives from every State Government, and include every Panchayati Raj Institution as a share-and-stake-holder. Participation of Private enterprise has to be ensured for financial participation without impacting on the central or state exchequers by the issuance by Indian financial institutions such as SBI, LIC, NABARD, other Nationalised Banks, private sector banks of Sarasvati and Brahmaputra Bonds to finance the mandate given to NWGA. Private enterprise has a phenomenal opportunity to act as economic multipliers along the watereways and irrigation channels to ensure provision of urban facilities in rural areas and bring about a revolutionary transformation in the lives of the rural people. Corollary legislations will be called for to empower the Panchayati Raj Institutions transferring responsibilities from the State List to the Panchayati Raj Schedule List in the Constitution for items such as irrigation channels, wells and bore-wells for use of groundwater resources and operation of sea-water desalination plants in villages close to the coastal areas. or desalination plants on brackish water rivers such as Luni (Lavanavati) river n Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Total estimated cost
A major component of the National Water Grid is the number of Himalayan and Peninsular links identified by National Water Development Agency (NWDA) as the Perspective Plan. These river links have to be treated as National Water Assets and become an integral part of the Grid which will ensure that these links effectively recharge the water availability in lakes and tanks, identify desalination plant requirements and commission them all along the coastline and on brackish waterbodies such as Luni river and maintain groundwater table at sustainable levels all over the nation.
NWDA’s Perspective Plan was estimated in 2004 to cost Rs. 5,36,000 crores which represents an investment of about 2% of the GDP over a 10-year period. This investment has to be generated from the financial system without impacting the Govt. of India or State Government budgets. The only funding requirement from the exchequer will be in the initial capital investment in NWGA as a Public Enterprise.
Many plan items related to large-scale and small-scale irrigation projects, command area of irrigation, water distribution projects such as the Rajiv Gandhi Jal pariyojanas should be transferred to the control of NWGA for effective coordination and dovetailing into the Water Grid.
The overall costs for the NWG are expected to be a capital investment of the order of Rs. 6,00,000 crores over a ten year period.
Composition of experts required to work out a DPR
A vital component of the NWGA is the imperative of a Himalayan Glacier Management Group which should become a sub-set of NWGA. Since Himalayas constitute the World’s Greatest Water Tower growing every day (by the upliftment of Himalayas by about 1 cm. every year), management of the glaciers is a vital requirement. Until a multi-national Authority is constituted to manage this Water Tower (on the lines of the Mekong Delta authority), India should take the lead in setting up such an Authority on the India portion of the Himalayan ranges by drawing upon the expertise of glaciologists, geologists, seismologists, hydrologists and irrigation engineers.
NWDA, which is operating as a Cooperative on the lines of C-DOT (Centre for Development of Telematics) should be converted into a sub-agency of NWGA and mandated to complete the detailed project reports within a period of 24 months drawing upon the technical expertise from ISRO, IITs and Central and State Government agencies currently involved in water and irrigation projects.
Members of the National Agricultural Commission, Members of Transport Ministry responsibility for inter-modal-transport systems coordination and experts in Command Area of Irrigation should be co-opted in advisory panels of NWGA.
Current members of River Dispute panels and commissions should be co-opted as legal advisory panels of NWGA.
Every Panchayati Raj Institution should be a member of the NWGA to act as Peoples’ Assembly to ensure effective participation of the people in the programs of NWGA.
To ensure transparency in NWGA operations, Public Grievance and Remediation processes should be in place on the lines enunciated in the Environmental Protection Act and Wildlife Protection Act.
State Government agencies involved in rehabilitation and resettlement of people, in ensuring increase in forest cover should be co-opted as Social panel members of NWGA to avoid the types of problems encountered in implementation of projects such as Narmada dam. The costs involved for such rehabilitation and to ensure forest cover should be made integral part of the Water Grid cost estimations and detailed project formulations.
Padma Vibhushan Sreedharan has shown what can be achieved on Konkan railway or on Delhi metro with meticulous planning and involvement of people in a development project. Using this model, NWGA should upon the nation’s expertise from all Management Institutes and Institutes of Technology and other premier Agricultural institutions, Engineering and universities involved in hydrology systems.
Period of implementation
The NWG should be put in place in 7 years’ time PLUS a 3 year grace period during the transfer period of the Build-operate-transfer process.
The NWGA Act should provide for the capital investments immediately from the Central exchequer and the entire cost of the setting up and operation of the Grid should be underwritten by the Govt. of India. When the facilities of waterways and irrigation channels are transferred to the Panchayati Raj Institutions, adequate budget support should be ensured by GOI by direct transfer of money from the Centre to these institutions which should operate a local savings bank account to be jointly signed by the President and Secretary of the respective Grama or Taluk Panchayat Samitis who are stake-holders of the Grid. Such support will be necessary until the Panchayati Raj Institutions become self-financing entities. To start with, water should be supplied as a free resource and any water charges or levies should be decided upon only by the Panchayati Raj Institutions with the consent of the citizens of the Panchayat.
(Note: In this note, Panchayati Raj Institutions refer not only to Grama Panchayats, Taluk Panchayat Samitis and Zilla Panchayat Parishads but also to Municipalities and Corporations in the urban sector of the nation).

Annex A: Rivers as national assets

Govt. to declare 14 river projects as national assets
New Delhi (PTI): With an aim of improving irrigation and enhancing power generation capacity, the Centre on Thursday decided to declare 14 river projects as national assets for which it would provide as much as 90 per cent funds.
The proposal, cleared by the Union Cabinet, would benefit West Bengal, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The projects to be covered include Teesta Barrage (West Bengal), Shahpur Kandi and Second Ravi Vyas Link (both in Punjab), Bursar and Ujh Multipurpose Project (J & K), Gyspa project (HP), all of which have international ramifications and are of strategic importance.
Renuka (HP), Lakhvar Vyasi (Uttarakhand), Kishau (HP/Uttarakhand) which are on Yamuna basin, are important from the perspective of Commonwealth Games besides drinking water and environmental aspects, Water Resources Minister, Saifuddin Soz, told reporters here.
Noa-Dehang Dam Project and Upper Siang (both in Arunachal Pradesh), Kulsi Dam Project (Assam), Gosikhurd (Maharashtra) and Ken Betwa (MP) would also be covered.
Terming it as a "landmark" decision, he said that some rivers needed to be treated specially as national projects.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/002200802080351.htm

Four states set to sign river linking pacts
Move by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is a welcome change in govt focus, experts say
Siddhartha Sarma

New Delhi: The governments of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are poised to sign three new agreements to link their rivers in an attempt to harvest surplus water for irrigation and drinking purposes, and address shortages in some of the states.

The so-called river linking schemes are part of an ambitious national river linking project, or RLP, and they are being overseen by the Union ministry of water resources. However, experts say the decision to sign agreements such as these reflects a change in focus of RLP, from linking geographically distant rivers to more realistic projects.

Three agreements to link rivers are in the pipeline (Graphic)

RLP was conceived by the National Democratic Alliance government in 2003 and envisaged connecting 30 rivers across India—14 rivers in north India and 16 in peninsular India. The government believed that this would help irrigate 37 million hectares of land, generate 34 million MW of electricity, control floods, and prevent drought.

Since then, experts have said it is not feasible to link divergent river systems. And states have bickered on the contours of the project. That makes the three agreements that will be signed significant.

The first of these could be signed between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and will link the rivers Parbati and Kalisindh to Chambal.

“The two states have approached a consensus on linking the rivers and the boundary issues involved,” and will soon sign an agreement, said a water resources ministry official who did not wish to be identified.

According to officials at the National Water Development Agency, or NWDA, an autonomous society under the government that carries out surveys and makes plans regarding water bodies and irrigation, the project will divert surplus waters of two rivers, Parbati and Kalisindh, to the Gandhisagar (in Madhya Pradesh) and Rana Pratap Sagar (in Rajasthan) dams across the Chambal river.

“The water from these two rivers will irrigate areas around the link canals and at the Kota barrage in Rajasthan. The water saved in the Chambal by using the water from these rivers will be used in the drought-prone areas of the upper Chambal,” said an NWDA official who did not wish to be identified.

According to the feasibility report discussed by the two state governments, the length of the link to Rana Pratap Sagar dam will be 243km.

Similarly, Gujarat and Maharashtra are also on the verge of concluding their discussions on two river linking projects. One of them is the Damanganga-Pinjal project.

This link, say planners, will divert surplus waters from Bhugad and Khargi Hill reservoirs in Damanganga basin, Gujarat, to Pinjal dam, set up across the river Pinjal in the Vaitarna basin north of Thane, Maharashtra. When completed, the link will supply 909 million cubic metres of water to Mumbai.

“Two link tunnels will transmit the water. The tunnel from Bhugad to Khargi Hill will be 17km long, and the tunnel from Khargi Hill to Pinjal reservoir will be 25km long,” the NWDA official said.

Both state governments have informed the Union government that since the tunnels will be underground, it will not involve displacement of inhabitants. In addition, Gujarat and Maharashtra have also ironed out the details of linking the rivers Par, Tapi and Narmada and will sign an agreement on this shortly.

NWDA has so far prepared 14 feasibility reports, including these three.

It is also close to finalizing the detailed project report, or DPR, of the Ken-Betwa link between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This was the first ever river linkage project in the country but was delayed because of differences between the two states. The two governments had signed an agreement in 2005 for linking the basins of the two rivers through a 230km canal.

DPR is a document which outlines the finer details of projects and is the final step before work on the project begins. Work on the Ken-Betwa link is expected to begin later this year.

In 2005, analysts had said that the Ken-Betwa link did not make sense as the Ken didn’t have surplus water. That has changed now, said the NWDA official.

Experts view these developments as a shift by the Union government away from linking geographically distant river systems—an idea floated when the river linking issue first emerged—to more realistic projects such as linking adjacent river systems.

“Linkages like the Damanganga-Pinjal project are very interesting. These are very pr-oximate water bodies and surplus water can be diverted to the reservoirs planned as part of the project,” said Dinesh Kumar Mishra, an expert on irrigation systems and floods, and head of Barh Mukti Abhiyan, a non-governmental organization.

“This is a realistic project and so is the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal. These are a far cry from the wild theories about linking northern and southern rivers. However, each project approved or signed by the states in the future must be carefully studied to see if the rivers or basins involved are suitable for these linkages,” he added.

http://www.livemint.com/2008/02/27224443/Four-states-set-to-sign-river.html

Annex B: Measures to avoid Inter-state water wars and water management options for the World’s Greatest Water Tower (Himalayas)

June 2008

S. Kalyanaraman,
Former Sr. Exec., Asian Development Bank,
Sarasvati Research Centre, 3 Temple Avenue, Chennai 600015 kalyan97@gmail.com

Inter-state water wars in Asia (home to over 2 billion people) became inevitable once China was allowed to occupy Tibet for two principal reasons: 1) to station nuclear-tipped missiles on the Roof of the World at a height of 17,000 ft. to shoot down San Francisco or Delhi or London, like killing flies on the streets from top floor of a World Trade Centre; 2) to divert the Waters of Brahmaputra (Tsangpo) river to wet the Gobi desert in a desperate bid to create additional cultivable land for the hungry Chinese.

Contrasted with this is the experience of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and the resultant building of dams of Sindhu (Indus) River system, dams like the Bhakra-Nangal, Pong dam on Beas which have helped create a Harike reservoir to feed the reborn River Sarasvati upto Sabarmati river in Gujarat as part of a National Water Grid.

A third nightmare relates to the negative growth rate of a populous region called Bangladesh. The principal reason for this negative growth rate is the devastation caused by annual floods on the Meghna-Brahmaputra-Padma river basins.

The extraordinary potential for increased command area of irrigation in India with a consequent beneficial possibility of quadrupling agricultural production with upto four crops per year to feed the entire world adds another dimension to this vice formed by 1) water wars which will be created by China; 2) water table management including management of the aquifers in cooperation with Pakistan; and 3) flood control measures in Bangladesh to render this neighbour of India move on the path of development.

The centre-piece of this frightening challenge and remarkable opportunity is the Greatest Water Tower of the World, the Himalayas stretching from Teheran in Iran to Hanoi in Vietnam over an arc of 2,600 kms. and a width of 400 kms. The most remarkable feature about this Water tower is that it is a growing reservoir, growing at the rate of 1 cm. every year (due to plate tectonics) with precipitation condensing into snow and ice in the heights between 7,000 to 21,000 feet. Glaciologists like Dr. VMK Puri estimate that this Water Tower will continue to service the mighty river systems emanating from around the Manasarovar Glacier (Mt. Kailas) for the next 15,000 years and beyond even skipping the next ice age. The Water Tower is a great divide between the regions in Europe/Asia subject to the impact of glacial/ice age and the continuous available of vegetation cover south of the Water Tower (Himalayas).

The management of the waters from this Water Tower will constitute the centre-piece of strategic food security for the most populous regions on the globe – India and China. It is cost-effective and economical to harness the alluvium of India to grow food grains not only for India, but also for China; rather than try to convert Gobi desert into a wet land which is a virtual impossibility. All the hydropower produced from Brahmaputra will not be adequate to lift up the waters into the Gobi desert.

Some vignettes of the potential for a National Water Grid (a dream dreamt by that great hydrological engineer Arthur Cotton of Dawaleshwaram Anicut fame near Rajahmundry on the River Godavari) are presented. A NWG in India is possible because of the unique topographic formations. Skirting the vindhyas it is possible to move the flood waters of the Brahmaputra upto Kanyakumari. Similarly, the rain waters wasted into the Arabian Sea from the Sahyadri mountain regions (Western Ghats of India) can be tunneled through to double the quantum of water flowing through the peninsular river systems. In fact, it is possible to covert all the rivers of India into jeevanadi (perennial rivers) creating 9 crore acres (35 million hectares) of wet land with assured command area of irrigation with a potential for 4 crops every year freeing the farmer from the vagaries of the monsoons which have so far maintained a secular regularity. There may be meteorological chances caused global warming. It is time to start thinking of desalinating sea water for drinking water supply to the coastal towns and cities using a nuclear power plant on a floating barge (technology proven by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre), increase forest cover from 11 percent to 30 percent , create navigable waterway/s to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, create a network of tanks, swamps and lakes, ensure the maintenance of the groundwater table, ensure a minimum flow in river systems at all times as an ecological balance imperative, prevent the emergence of cartels controlling water resources, converting a free-good into a marketed commodity, and prevent the emergence of water-dogs preventing access to water to the poor people or tenant farmers.

On a global, strategic plane, the hegemony of China should be kept under check by breaking it up into ethnic communities and help India emerge as a nuclear-power state to maintain nuclear balance, given the situation of the illegal occupation of Tibet. It is in this context, Free Tibet becomes a first step in preventing inter-state water wars.

A very simple, ethical principle should govern water management. If the poor man cannot be moved to the mountain, move the mountain to the poor man. Make water available at the turn of a tap where the settlements of people are. If dams are the way to make this happen, do it. If there is an alternative for carrying pots of water on heads of water-carrying women from Himalayas to Kanyakumari, do it. The opponents of dams indulge in hyperbole little realizing that the Green Revolution of the 1980’s was made possible only because irrigation systems introduced the technology of water management reducing dependence on rain-fed agriculture. It is no mean achievement for India that while the population grew from 33 crores in 1951 to 100 crores in 2008, everyone is fed without depending upon PL-480 types of food doles. The farmers have made this possible thanks to irrigation systems. This is a cause for celebration. Even if the population increases to 400 crores, the nation’s soil has the capacity to feed them all and with something to spare, if only water availability can be ensured 24X7, 365 days of the year. A blue revolution is waiting to happen, after the inter-state water waters are negated.

National Water Grid Authority in India will be a desirable first step to create tirthasthanas in a civilization which reveres sacred water-bodies as divinity in action. NWG is dharma in action; dharma defined by the twin tenets of abhyudayam (welfare) and nihs’reyas (an aatman personally relating to the supreme divine). Technologies must be designed to keep the River Ganga, for example, flowing perennially without trying to block it up and creating water pools imparing the sacredness of the waters. Surely, the ecosystems can coexist with projects to satisfy human desires and needs.

This NWG Authority can be complemented by a trans-national set up such as a Himalayan Water Tower Management Authority. This is possible if the experience of the Mekong delta projects can be replicated on the Great Water Tower of the World. A good step has been taken by setting up a World Glacier Inventory based in Switzerland and an International Commission for Snow and Ice.

The plea of this monograph is for setting up a Himalayan Water Tower Management Authority.

Imperative of a National Water Grid for Bharatam, that is India

The following stark statistics should make one pause and evaluate the imperative of increasing the irrigated area in the alluvial land of Bharatam, that is India.

Population 33 crores (1951) 100 crores (2001)
Agri.Prodn 65 m. t. (1951) 200 m. t. (2001)
Irrigated area 22.6 m.ha. (1951) 90 m. ha. (2001)

Alluvial land is available in India to increase the irrigated area to 175 m. ha. The interlinking of rivers alone will yield an additional 35 m. ha. of land with assured irrigation.

35 m. ha. = 9 crore acres of land (1 ha. = 2.5 acres)

This is one measure to increase the land under 3 crop cultivation and save the dying Krishna and Kaveri rivers and reach water to the unreached.

With increased availability of water and maintenance of soil health, productivity of land also can be increased from the present 2.5 tons/ha to 3 tons/ha in irrigated land; from 0.75 tons/ha to 1 ton/ha in non-irrigated land.

If these 9 crore acres of land are distributed to 9 crore poor families, the village India will progress and India can become a developed nation by 2020 with increased per capita income and employment opportunities (apart from land ownership).

Satellite view of the interlinked system of lakes in Peninsular Bharat

The topography of the land is such that water run-offs generally tend southwards. Thus, it is possible to move Brahmaputra flood waters to Kanyakumari only through gravity flows (involving lift of about 300 ft. for part of the flows only at Inchampalli on Godavari river).

Mhm = Million hectare metres

This is a good sample of the nature of the monsoon systems in India which are unevenl
y distributed in space resulting in rain-shadow regions. In a time dimension also, precipitation (rainfall) occurs only during the monsoon periods for a few months of a year; about 75% of the rainfall occurs in just 120 hours or 5 days of a year necessitating storage systems and distribution systems to use these 5 days’ supply for the remaining 360 days of a year and to reach water to the unreached areas (such as the uplands on Western and Eastern ghats) and unreached people.

Table 1 River basin and average water availability per sq. km. (MHM –Million hectare metres)
River Basin Water resources av MHM Land area covered sq.km. Water availability (mhm) per one lakh sq. km.
Ganga 52.5 8,61,452 6.09
Brahmaputra 53.7 1,94,413 27.68
Godavari 11.05 3,12,812 3.54
Krishna 7.81 2,58,948 3.02
Kaveri 2.14 81,155 2.64
Subarnarekha 1.24 29,196 4.27
Mahanadi 6.69 1,41,580 4.74
Pennar 0.6 55,213 1.09
Narmada 4.6 98,796 4.65
West-flowing Tapi to Tadri 8.74 55,940 15.63
West-flowing Tadri to Kanyakumari 11.35 56,177 20.20

This table shows that there is NOT enough land available in Brahmaputra River Basin and the regions west of Western Ghats, to optimally use the water resources. This table also shows the vital importance of Ganga River basin which supports a land area of 8.61 lakh sq. kms. This river basin is the largest alluvial plain the world and it should be ensured that there is no water deficiency in this river basin since a large percentage of the country’s population is dependent upon agricultural activities in this basin.

This calls for treating the water resources of the nation as a national resource and the National Water Grid should provide for an optimal balancing of water supply to meet the demand for water resources in all parts of the nation.

Water resources: Supply situation

Brackish and fresh water resources combined:

Seawater 97.475%
Glaciers 1.725%
Groundwater 0.775%
Rivers, tanks, swamps 0.025%

Freshwater resources only:

Glaciers 68%
Groundwater 31%
Rivers, tanks, swamps 1%

The National Water Grid design will take into account the balancing of supply resources by the following measures:
1. Seawater will be desalinated for meeting the demand for drinking water requirements of large people settlements (cities, towns) along the 7,500 coastline of the nation.
2. Glacial waters will be optimally regulated into ALL river systems and tanks of the nation to provide for:
a. Recharging of the groundwater table
b. Converting all river systems into perennial rivers
c. Providing for three crop cultivation round the year
d. Afforestation to increase forest cover from 11% to 30%

3. Groundwater tables will be maintained at an optimal level as a water safety-net in cases of failures of regular monsoons; this will be accomplished by a network of percolation tanks.
4. Rainwater harvesting will be intensified in uplands to increase the forest cover
5. Water will be reached into the marusthali desert, salty marshes of Rann of kutch and semi-arid zones of Vidarbha, Telengana, Rayalaseema and Ramanathapuram and also water-deficit urban settlements in Kerala and in the upland districts such as Coimbatore, Erode, Pollachi, Kollegal with optimal cropping patterns of forests, halophytes (salt-resistant crops), plantations, grasslands.

The attached table shows that there will be minimal environmental impacts (which can be alleviated) and minimal resettlements of people involved in the Peninsular Water Grid and that the feasibility studies on the Grid have reached a stage when the special vehicle for implementation, a Peninsular Water Grid Corporation (on the lines of Konkan Railway Corporation) can be announced immediately. This will be to implement the commitment included in the Common Minimum Program about the Peninsular Water Grid.

The work on National Water Grid should be progressed by creating a National Water Grid Corporation (under 256 of the Central List of the Constitution which provides for the Centre to take up projects involving interstate river basins) and by announcing a Himalayan River Delta project in cooperation with Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. The National Water Grid gains urgency also 1) to stem the negative growth rates recorded in Bangladesh; 2) slow pace of developmental activities in northeastern states of India, principally due to the recurrent floodings in the Padma-Meghna-Barak basins; 3) imperative of accelerating the hydroelectric projects on Mahakali-Karnali-Sharada (25,000 MW power potential) to provide economic resources to the land-locked nation of Nepal by sale of electric power to India and to provide additional electricity resource flows into the National Power Grid.

At the Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Project in Kalpakkam. S.R. Jayaraman, Project Engineer (Civil), is seen. Use of semi-permeable membrane and pressurised sea-water

3-D Satellite radar topography

*Superimpose GIS data, to expedite choice of optimal waterways

*To monitor waterflows

Available from NASA for the globe, 90m. resolution

Details are in the Appendix in two parts:

1. Integrated Water resources management: National Water Grid
2. Contour canal along the Sahyadri mountain ranges
Appendix 1
Integrated Water resources management: National Water Grid

In his address to the Planning Commission in October 2006, Hon’ble Prime Minister has underscored the importance of water resources for rejuvenating agricultural sector and the development of rural Bharat.

After the Pokhran nuclear explosion on May 11, 1998, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre conducted tests to assess the impact of the explosions
on the quality of water in the area around. These tests, interalia, revealed that the
water in the area was potable, about 8,000 to 14,000 years old, came from the
Himalayan glaciers and was being slowly recharged through aquifers from
somewhere in the north. Separately, the Central Ground Water Commission dug
a number of wells on and along the dry bed. Out of 24 wells dug, 23 yielded
potable water.

Ministry of Water Resources (National Water Development Agency) set up in 1982 has over the last 24 years and engaging the expertise of hundreds of scientists and engineers have drawn up a Perspective Plan for the development and harnessing of water resources and equitable distribution throughout the country. An undertaking was also given
in the Supreme Court, “an affidavit dated 5th May, 2003 has been filed by Mr.BP Pandey, Deputy Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, annexing thereto the resolution dated 13.12.2002 constituting a Task Force, time table for interlinking of rivers, other resolutions nominating part time and full time members of the Task Force and few other documents. It seems that in last about four months three meetings of Task Force have been held on 6th January, 2003, 27th March, 2003 and 28th April, 2003. In the last meeting the first Action Plan as per Government Resolution was considered and adopted. Now as per Action Plan-I the schedule for impelementation is 10 years from the start. It stipulates that the work on the links can be started from 2007. It is envisaged to be completed by say end of 2016.” http://nwda.gov.in/indexmain.asp?linkid=95&langid=1

Four links are indicated in the map (Feasbility Reports have been completed for Links 4 and 5): Link 4: Ghagra-Yamuna; 5. Sarda-Yamuna; 6. Yamuna-Rajasthan; 7. Rajasthan-Sabarmati. These links constitute the rejuvenation of the drainage system in North-west Bharat by expanding the contributions made by Rajasthan Nahar (people refer to this as Sarasvati Nahar according to a tower set up at Mohangarh, 55 kms. west of Jaisalmer along the Nahar) to meet the water supply needs of the region of over 20 crore people. This is a crucial component for the greening of the desert and increasing the forest cover in the region.

What steps are proposed to be initiated by the Government pursuant to the undertaking given to the Supreme Court and the Common Minimum Program of UPA government which includes an item called ‘Peninsular Water Grid’, to create a National Water Grid Authority on the lines of the Konkan Railway Corporation to promote joint sector and peoples’ participation to put in place a National Water Grid with integrated water-shed management projects?

Contour canal along the Sahyadri mountain ranges

Farmers’ suicides in many parts of the country are a national concern. The situation in many rain-shadow regions of the nation is very acute with uncertainties related to the availability of water for drinking purposes and for irrigation. Water is a vital component to realize the dream of India Vision 2020.

Many west-flowing rivers run about 100 kms. West of the Western Ghats and discharge rapidly into the Arabian Sea. This rapid discharge impedes the forest development and maintenance of ecological balance. The waters which discharge into the sea are almost equal to the total quantity of water which flows through the east-flowing rivers.

Engineer Pandurang Todkar had presented to a number of authorities including Hon’ble Sushil Kumar Shinde ji, a project to construct a contour canal along the Sahyadri ranges (Western Ghats) to meet the water resource needs of the rain-shadow region of the western Deccan Plateau while improving the forest cover along the western slopes of Sahyadri ranges. This project should be made an integral component of the National Water Grid project has the potential to add 30 million hectares of irrigated land on both sides of the Sahyadri ranges.
Source: http://www.mowr.gov.in/resource/swresource.htm
Basinwise Surface Water Potential Of The INDIA
Sl.
No. Name of the River Basin Average annual potential in river cu.km/yr Drainage area (Sq. km.)
1. Indus (up to Border) 73.31 321289
2. a) Ganga 525.02 861452 +
b) Brahmaputra Barak & Others 585.60 236136+
3. Godavari 110.54 312812
4. Krishna 78.12 258948
5. Cauvery 21.36 81155
6. Pennar 6.32 55213
7. East Flowing Rivers Between Mahanadi & Pennar 22.52
8. East Flowing Rivers Between Pennar and Kanyakumari 16.46
9. Mahanadi 66.88 141589
10. Brahmani & Baitarni 28.48 39033
11. Subernarekha 12.37
12. Sabarmati 3.81 21674
13. Mahi 11.02 34842
15. Narmada 45.64 98796
16. Tapi 14.88 65145
18. West Flowing Rivers of Kutch, Sabarmati including Luni
From Tapi to Tadri
from Tadri to Kanyakumari
15.10
87.41
113.53 76508
Total 1869.35
Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Pennar account for a total drainage area of 708128 sq. km. with a total water flow of 216.34 cu. km. per year. Compared to these figures, the west-flowing rivers south of Kutch aaccount for a drainage area of 76508 sq. km. with a total water flow of 215.04. The water available for harvesting from the west-flowing rivers is thus almost equal to the water flow in east-flowing major Peninsular rivers and can be effectively used for forestation of the Sahyadri ranges and the uplands of the Deccan Plateau as well as for augmenting the irrigated area of land east of Sahyadri ranges in the entire southern Bharat peninsula.

It is therefore essential to focus on water-harvesting of Sahyadri Range rainfall by constructing the contour canal and other projects to equitably make available water resources for the water-starved regions of the country. These have to become integral parts of the National Water Grid together with desalination projects using nuclear powered plants taken on barges and boats all along the 6500 km. long coastline of Bharat to make available drinking water to the populated coastal cities, towns and villages while improving the lives of the fishermen through aquatic industries and to meet the needs other people of the coastal region.
NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES AT A GLANCE
S. No. Items Quantity (Cu.Km)
1. Annual Precipitation Volume (Including snowfall) 4000
2. Average Annual Potential flow in Rivers 1869
3. Per Capita Water Availability (1997) 1967
4. Estimated Utilizable Water Resources 1122
(i) Surface Water Resources 690 Cu.Km.
(ii) Ground Water Resources 432 Cu.Km.
About 65 percent of fresh water resources of Bharat come from Himalayan glaciers. Glaciologist Dr. VMK Puri has estimated that one glacier, Gangotri can service the river of the size and flow of Ganga for the next 15,000 years. One estimate is that the accumulation of glacier-waters is larger than the discharge through melting from the over 1500 glaciers of Himalayas, thus making Himalayas which is dynamically growing by 1 cm. every year the greatest water tower of the world and can meet the needs of water resources of Bharat. It is possible to make every river a jiva nadi, a perennial river by creating the National Water Grid.
What are the implementation plans and schedules for the National Water Grid, including the creation of the Contour Canal along the Sahyadri Ranges?
National Water Grid Authority Act

Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. was incorporated on 19 July 1990 a broad gauge railway line along the west coast of India connecting Roha (in Maharashtra, near Mumbai) in the North to Mangalore in the South and for raising the necessary finance for the project from the market. The Project was envisaged under the BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) concept for the first time in India where KRCL shall build the railway line, operate the same and transfer the railway line to the Indian Railways after discharging the liabilities. The line was commissioned on 26.01.1998. The autonomy provided to this Corporation enabled the completion of the remarkable engineering project in record time, despite hurdles created during land acquisition processes.

On the same lines, and incorporating the provisions similar to those incorporated in the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 No. 24 of 1997, a National Water Grid Authority Act should be passed by the Parliament, to build the National Water Grid, operate the same and transfer the Grid to the Ministry of Water Resources together with provisions for raising the necessary finance for the Grid from the market, inclusion of the Panchayati Raj institutions as share-and-stake holders of NWGA and provisions for private-public sector partnership. The key components of the functions of the NWGA should be: 1. settlement of people displaced and offering appropriate compensation as part of the Grid operations; 2. distribution of 9 crore acres of additional arable wet land created by the grid to the designated beneficiaries, prioritizing the distribution to the economically poor sections of the nation. http://www.trai.gov.in/trai_act.asp

The Constitution provides for declaring inter-state rivers as national assets and the NWGA should be a central agency with full powers for land acquisition and distribution in coordination with the agencies dealing with issues such as soil health cards and land use management. The NWGA has to implement the Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers drawn up by NWDA after 25 years of study and should also be given the responsibility for constructing the Saagara Maala (National Water Way) and integrating all water management aspects including desalination of seawater for supplying water to the coastal regions and regulations related to maintaining the groundwater tables and increasing the forest cover to 30% of land area.

Govt. to declare 14 river projects as national assets
New Delhi (PTI): With an aim of improving irrigation and enhancing power generation capacity, the Centre on Thursday decided to declare 14 river projects as national assets for which it would provide as much as 90 per cent funds.
The proposal, cleared by the Union Cabinet, would benefit West Bengal, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The projects to be covered include Teesta Barrage (West Bengal), Shahpur Kandi and Second Ravi Vyas Link (both in Punjab), Bursar and Ujh Multipurpose Project (J & K), Gyspa project (HP), all of which have international ramifications and are of strategic importance.
Renuka (HP), Lakhvar Vyasi (Uttarakhand), Kishau (HP/Uttarakhand) which are on Yamuna basin, are important from the perspective of Commonwealth Games besides drinking water and environmental aspects, Water Resources Minister, Saifuddin Soz, told reporters here.
Noa-Dehang Dam Project and Upper Siang (both in Arunachal Pradesh), Kulsi Dam Project (Assam), Gosikhurd (Maharashtra) and Ken Betwa (MP) would also be covered.
Terming it as a "landmark" decision, he said that some rivers needed to be treated specially as national projects.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/002200802080351.htm

http://hinduthought.googlepages.com/fourstates.pdf
Four states agree on 3 river linking project
It is time to create a National Water Grid Authority and realize the Grid with an extreme urgency to make every river a jeevanadi and to read water to everyone of the 6 lakhs villages to create 9 crore acres of additional wet land with assured round-the-clock irrigation available on tap for four crops per year. Can the Authority be put in place on the lines of Konkan Railway Corporation as a self-financing enterprise issuing Brahmaputra and Sarasvati Bonds without involving the central treasury?
kalyan
Posted: Wed, Feb 27 2008. 10:44 PM IST (Livemnt.com)
Four states set to sign river linking pacts
Move by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh is a welcome change in govt focus, experts say
Siddhartha Sarma

New Delhi: The governments of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are poised to sign three new agreements to link their rivers in an attempt to harvest surplus water for irrigation and drinking purposes, and address shortages in some of the states.

The so-called river linking schemes are part of an ambitious national river linking project, or RLP, and they are being overseen by the Union ministry of water resources. However, experts say the decision to sign agreements such as these reflects a change in focus of RLP, from linking geographically distant rivers to more realistic projects.

Three agreements to link rivers are in the pipeline (Graphic)

RLP was conceived by the National Democratic Alliance government in 2003 and envisaged connecting 30 rivers across India—14 rivers in north India and 16 in peninsular India. The government believed that this would help irrigate 37 million hectares of land, generate 34 million MW of electricity, control floods, and prevent drought.

Since then, experts have said it is not feasible to link divergent river systems. And states have bickered on the contours of the project. That makes the three agreements that will be signed significant.

The first of these could be signed between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and will link the rivers Parbati and Kalisindh to Chambal.

“The two states have approached a consensus on linking the rivers and the boundary issues involved,” and will soon sign an agreement, said a water resources ministry official who did not wish to be identified.

According to officials at the National Water Development Agency, or NWDA, an autonomous society under the government that carries out surveys and makes plans regarding water bodies and irrigation, the project will divert surplus waters of two rivers, Parbati and Kalisindh, to the Gandhisagar (in Madhya Pradesh) and Rana Pratap Sagar (in Rajasthan) dams across the Chambal river.

“The water from these two rivers will irrigate areas around the link canals and at the Kota barrage in Rajasthan. The water saved in the Chambal by using the water from these rivers will be used in the drought-prone areas of the upper Chambal,” said an NWDA official who did not wish to be identified.

According to the feasibility report discussed by the two state governments, the length of the link to Rana Pratap Sagar dam will be 243km.

Similarly, Gujarat and Maharashtra are also on the verge of concluding their discussions on two river linking projects. One of them is the Damanganga-Pinjal project.

This link, say planners, will divert surplus waters from Bhugad and Khargi Hill reservoirs in Damanganga basin, Gujarat, to Pinjal dam, set up across the river Pinjal in the Vaitarna basin north of Thane, Maharashtra. When completed, the link will supply 909 million cubic metres of water to Mumbai.

“Two link tunnels will transmit the water. The tunnel from Bhugad to Khargi Hill will be 17km long, and the tunnel from Khargi Hill to Pinjal reservoir will be 25km long,” the NWDA official said.

Both state governments have informed the Union government that since the tunnels will be underground, it will not involve displacement of inhabitants. In addition, Gujarat and Maharashtra have also ironed out the details of linking the rivers Par, Tapi and Narmada and will sign an agreement on this shortly.

NWDA has so far prepared 14 feasibility reports, including these three.

It is also close to finalizing the detailed project report, or DPR, of the Ken-Betwa link between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This was the first ever river linkage project in the country but was delayed because of differences between the two states. The two governments had signed an agreement in 2005 for linking the basins of the two rivers through a 230km canal.

DPR is a document which outlines the finer details of projects and is the final step before work on the project begins. Work on the Ken-Betwa link is expected to begin later this year.

In 2005, analysts had said that the Ken-Betwa link did not make sense as the Ken didn’t have surplus water. That has changed now, said the NWDA official.

Experts view these developments as a shift by the Union government away from linking geographically distant river systems—an idea floated when the river linking issue first emerged—to more realistic projects such as linking adjacent river systems.

“Linkages like the Damanganga-Pinjal project are very interesting. These are very pr-oximate water bodies and surplus water can be diverted to the reservoirs planned as part of the project,” said Dinesh Kumar Mishra, an expert on irrigation systems and floods, and head of Barh Mukti Abhiyan, a non-governmental organization.

“This is a realistic project and so is the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal. These are a far cry from the wild theories about linking northern and southern rivers. However, each project approved or signed by the states in the future must be carefully studied to see if the rivers or basins involved are suitable for these linkages,” he added.

http://www.livemint.com/2008/02/27224443/Four-states-set-to-sign-river.html

Appendix 1: Cultural and national significance of archaeological projects in north-west Bharat

Jagmohan's open letter to Prime Minister on Saraswati civilization
(www.hindustantimes.com)
A search for our lost cities: Letter to PM

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1692583,0035.htm

A search for our lost cities
May 7, 2006

Dear Dr Manmohan Singh-ji,
This pertains to a special project, which I had conceived when I was working as Culture and Tourism Minister. The project, I thought, would have enlarged the dimensions of tourism, provided new insight into the origin of our civilization, and attracted a number of scholars and archaeologists to study the unexplored layers of our past. Unfortunately, it has since been given up.

Through this letter, I am approaching you with the request to intervene and ensure that the project is viewed in the right perspective and revived. I give below a brief backdrop of the project and the course that it intended to follow. From the point of view of culture, the project was named as “A search For Lost Cities, A Lost Civilization and A Lost River”, and from the tourism point of view it was titled, “Travels Around Lost Cities, A Lost Civilization and a Lost River”. The river was Sarasvati and the civilization was the one known as Harappan/Indus-Sarasvati.

There were five major objectives that the project sought to achieve: 1) To undertake extensive excavations of the Harappan settlements in the basin of the now dried-up Sarasvati, and build archaeological museums at the sites. 2) Set up small tourist-cent res nearby. 3) Establish documentation-cum-multidisciplinary research units with attached pavilions, showing 5,000 years of Indian civilization through large panelphotographs, 3-D models etc. 4) Make the newly created complex attractive for residents of the neighboring towns and villages. 5) Open at each of the cent res, a small window to the visitors.

The significance lay in the attempt to provide clear answers to some crucial questions, which I will answer one by one:
Was there an Aryan invasion?

It has been propagated by Western scholars and their Indian disciples that between 1,500 to 1,000 BC, there was an invasion of India by light-skinned nomadic tribes, the Aryans, which gave birth to the Vedic civilization of India. But this hypothesis has no legs to stand upon. The study of Colin Renfrew, a noted archaeologist at Cambridge University, not only debunks the theory propounded by Mortimer Wheeler but also points at the similarities between the Aryan Vedic civilization and the Harappan one. Nor can the theory of invasion/migration provide answers to pertinent questions like: How come the ‘Aryans’, who showed strong attachment to lands, did not carry with them the memories of their previous homeland and nurse no nostalgia about their past? Is it not clear that the
Rig-Vedic expressions like ‘sabha’, ‘samiti’, ‘samrat’, ‘ranjan’, ‘rajaka’, which indicate the existence of organized assemblies and rulers of different ranks, are relevant not to the nomadic invaders, but to the advanced urban society of the Vedic Aryans who were indigenous inhabitants of Harappan settlements? Was not the evolution of chariot more likely in the flat lands of North India rather than in the uneven terrain of the Central Asia?

The last nail in the coffin of the invasion/migration theory has been hammered in by the recent genetic studies, conducted by scientists in Calcutta with foreign scientists. They analyzed the Y-Chromosomes of 936 men and 77 castes, and referred to the work of the international research teams that found that the earliest modern human arrived in India from Africa, trudging along the Indian Ocean coast about 60,000 years ago. They concluded: “Our findings suggest that most modern Indians have genetic affinities to the earlier settlers and subsequent migrants and not to central Asians or ‘Aryans’, as they are called”.

Nature of Civilization

When, in 1922, the Harappan civilization was discovered, only two major settlements — Mohenjo-daro and Harappa — had been excavated and that too partially. On this basis, views were formulated about the origin of these advanced urban civilizations. It was given out that its roots lay in Mesopotamia. Subsequent excavations of more Harappan sites have shown that these views and assertions were made without adequate evidence. John Reader, a noted scholar of anthropology and geography, has pointed out that emergence of cities and civilizations in six widely separated places around the world — Mesopotamia, India, Egypt, China, Central America and Peru — was spontaneous and none resulted from contact with one another. Excavations carried out by a French team, headed by Jean-Francois Jarrige, during the last 15 years, at Mehrgarh, Pakistan, have pin-pointed the beginnings of civilization in India and shown that Indus-Sarasvati civilization had no moorings in Mesopotamia or any civilization outside India. It has been rightly observed: “The people in Mehrgarh tradition are the people of India today”. There are similarities between the social and religious practices of the Harappan people and the people of present-day India. For example, the spiralled bangles of the type found around the figurine of the Harappan dancing girl can still be seen on the arms of women in Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, etc. Again, as was the case with Harappan women, ‘sindoor’ is applied by married women of Hindu families. Some other common features of the two periods are: the practice of worshipping trees, putting of Svastika symbol at the entrance of the houses etc.

Did Sarasvati exist?

There is ample evidence that supports the view that river Sarasvati once existed. Literary: The Rig Veda mentions the Sarasvati about 50 times, describing it as “the best mother, the best river, the best goddess”. The famous Nadi-stuti hymn mentions a set of rivers, including Ganga, Yamuna, Sarasvati and Sutudori (Sutlej) and places Sarasvati between Yamuna and Sutlej. Its origin is indicated in the hymn that says: “Purest among all rivers and vibrant, the Sarasvati moves on from the mountains to the ocean, manifesting immense riches of the world…” She is also called the seventh “Indus Mother”. Ancient literature also talks of when Sarasvati began to decline. The Mahabharata, the Aitareya and the Satapatha Brahamana refer to its disappearance in the desert.

Archaeological: In 1872, C.F. Oldham and R.D. Oldham undertook a detailed survey of the area where the Sarasvati and its tributaries were said to be flowing in earlier times. They concluded that it was once fed by the Sutlej and the Yamuna, and that it disappeared after the westward movement of the former and eastward movement of the latter.

Geological: A group of scientists led by V.M.K. Puri and B.C. Verma, made a detailed study of the areas from which Sarasvati could have originated. They observed: “This river was in existence during the upper Pleistocene period as it was fed by glaciers that had descended to much lower limits in Garhwal Himalaya than the present day level due
to the influence of Pleistocene Ice Age.”

Hydrological: After the Pokhran nuclear explosion on May 11, 1998, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre conducted tests to assess the impact of the explosions on the quality of water in the area around. These tests, interalia, revealed that the water in the area was potable, about 8,000 to 14,000 years old, came from the Himalayan glaciers and was being slowly recharged through aquifers from somewhere in the north. Separately, the Central Ground Water Commission dug a number of wells on and along the dry bed. Out of 24 wells dug, 23 yielded potable water.

If all that I have said is viewed in entirety, this is the picture that will emerge: the period 6,500-3,100 BC saw the growth of pre-Harappan/Indus-Sarasvati civilization, corresponding broadly to the times when the Rig Veda was composed; that during the period 3,100 to 1,900 BC, the Harappan/Indus- Sarasvati civilization prevailed and these were the times when the hymns of four Vedas were composed; and that 1,900 to 1,000 BC was the time of the late Harappan/Indus-Sarasvati civilization which saw the decline and ultimate disappearance of the surface water of the Sarasvati, forcing the people to move eastward towards the Gangetic plain.

While the puzzles of archaeology and ancient Indian history cannot be resolved with certainty, particularly with regard to Harappa where the script has not so far been deciphered, it could be stated with a fair degree of accuracy that the Harappan/Indus-Sarasvati civilization was born and brought up on the soil of India and its people and Vedic people were one and the same. A lot of additional work needs to be done to unravel a number of features of one of the most significant civilizations of the ancient world. Hundreds of sites in the basin of now the submerged Sarasvati need to be excavated. It was this need that the special project intended to meet.

This would also be of huge benefit to the tourism sector. I request you to recommence the special project. I am confident that the project, if implemented in the spirit it was conceived, would show new facets of India’s past, new initiatives of her present and new visions for her future.

Yours sincerely,
Jagmohan

Appendix 2: Contour Canal along Sahyadri Ranges for augmenting water harvesting for rain-shadow regions and uplands of Deccan Plateau
A monsoon dream
ATUL DEULGAONKAR
A novel plan to harvest the excess rainwater on the Konkan side of the Sahyadri and take it across the hills to benefit the drought-prone central Maharashtra attracts attention.

THE Konkan region, which falls on the Sahyadri range, is the Cherrapunji of Maharashtra. It occupies a mere 10 per cent of the State's total area but receives an annual rainfall of 4,000 mm. On the other side of the Sahyadri is central Maharashtra, which is in the rain shadow area and gets only 400 to 800 mm of rain annually. As per the report of the Maharashtra Water Commission, about 1,680 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of excess rainwater received in the Konkan flows into the sea, while adjoining areas experience drought-like conditions.
This disparity prompted the take-off of a watershed development movement in Maharashtra in the 1970s. Anna Hazare and the late Vilasrao Salunke showed the way as far as rainwater harvesting was concerned and and thereby inculcated water literacy in the State.
The principles enunciated by Anna Hazare and the technology of CCT (continuous contour trenches) is gaining acceptance in Ahmednagar district. Both non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government agencies are promoting them. As many as 23 million trees have been planted over 25,000 km of contours in Ahmednagar and Dhule districts.
Hiware Bazaar, a small village in Ahmednagar district, is the talk of the State now. Until 1989, Hiware Bazaar was infamous for crimes and infighting. Land was barren and migration was on the rise. But after Popat Pawar, a post-graduate in commerce, became the head of the village pancahayat, things started changing. He motivated the youth and told them: "If Ralegan, a village in our own district, has risen to an ideal level it is because of its residents. We too can move on the path of prosperity. The choice is ours." Inspired youth collectively decided to ban free grazing, felling of trees and liquor vending. With the help of the State Agriculture and Forest Departments, a massive CCT programme was undertaken on 450 hectares. The government grant was Rs.66 lakhs while the contribution from the villagers in the form of shramadan (voluntary labour) was Rs.21 lakhs. As many as seven lakh trees were planted. Life in the village blossomed once soil erosion and water runoff were arrested.
As per a government survey made in 2003, more than a decade ago Hiware Bazaar had 168 of its 180 families living below the poverty line. Now not one of its 210 families faces poverty. Hiware Bazaar has all the characteristics of an ideal village - active self-help groups, biogas plants, dairy development and community farming. Many awards have been showered on Hiware Bazaar. In 1997, it won the National Productivity Award for dryland farming. The Maharashtra government honoured it with the best village award for cleanliness and sanitation in 2001. Popat Pawar was felicitated on a number of occasions for his innovative leadership. He was chosen to attend the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan.
"We have been able to use every drop of rainwater because of CCT. It is a very low-cost and efficient method of rainwater harvesting and does not require any steel or cement, construction or structure. Studies have shown that with CCT 60-80 per cent of the total rainwater received will percolate. We decided that this rainwater is public property and that nobody should overuse it. You can dig wells but borewells are prohibited. That is why we were self-sufficient in water in 2002-03 when we received only a 200 mm rainfall. Any handpump here would give you water. We live a community life and that is the reason why we are all happy," says Popat Pawar.
TEN years ago, Pandurang Todkar, a Sectional Engineer in the State Irrigation Department, came up with a novel idea to divert excess rainwater off the Sahyadri hills along a continuous contour canal in the eastward direction. This canal, 6 metres wide and 5 m deep and 1,000 km long and situated on the western side of Sahyadri at a height between 550 and 600 m (from mean sea level) could store a day's rainwater in a 5,000 sq km catchment area (where the average rainfall is 4,000 mm in 120 rainy days). Todkar's plan also considers the fact that the levels of eastern rivers originating from the Sahyadri are in that range. So it need not store water for more than 24 hours. The water stored in the canal would be discharged to eastern rivers through tunnels and canals along natural contours. In this way the eastern rivers originating from the Sahyadri can be interlinked by continuous contours. As water flows with gravity, about 500 tmcft water will be available to acutely water-short Maharashtra. Major dams in the State - such as Jayakwadi near Paithan, with a capacity of 102 tmcft and Bhima near Indapur, with a capacity of 110 tmcft - can be used to full capacity. A proper gradient between the canal and the tunnel would enable the production of hydroelectric power. The project would irrigate an additional 30 million ha of land (1 tmcft irrigates 6,000 ha).
Bringing excess water from the Konkan region to the rest of Maharashtra has always been on the agenda of water experts. One idea mooted was to reduce the height of the Sahyadri hills, which arrests rain clouds from entering the rest of Maharashtra from the Konkan. The minimum and maximum widths of the Sahyadri are 0.5 km and 40 km, while the minimum and maximum heights are 600 m and 1,646 m respectively. The total length of the Sahyadri is 700 km. A reduction of height by one metre means brutal deforestation and tremendous excavation. Another dam on such steep terrain means yet another Sardar Sarovar project.
Hence the Todkar option of a 1,000-km long canal on the Sahyadri, a 400-500 km long canal for joining rivers, and four or five tunnels 1,500 to 5,000 m long is much simpler. The Sahyadri range is full of basalt rocks. The canal would control floods in the Konkan and also supply water to the water-deficient areas. Todkar estimates the total cost of the scheme to be around Rs.1,500 crores; and that it will require two to three years to complete it.

For the past 10 years Todkar has been explaining his `watering Maharashtra scheme' to engineers, bureaucrats, politicians, and agricultural experts at all levels. Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and water expert Vijay Anna Borade, among others, have appreciated the scheme. Irrigation Minister Ajit Ghorpade was so impressed that he went to Nagpur this January with Todkar to check the technical feasibility of the concept with the help of remote sensing and GIS (geographical information systems). "Technically, it is an excellent idea. The financial aspects of the project are under scrutiny. The government is seriously considering it," said Ghorpade.
``I am convinced that this scheme would benefit the entire State. But top-level engineers seem hesitant to accept an idea coming from the junior level. So they initially ignored it, later they questioned the feasibility of the initiative. They hiked the project cost by eight to 10 times to prove that it was financially non-viable. The tendency here is to prefer billion-dollar projects, even if they cannot be completed, to low-cost and implementable ones,'' regrets former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. He suggested working out a small demonstration project.
A simple water conservation scheme that Todkar designed and proposed involves a 5-km-long canal on natural contour near Latur. When one kilometre of the canal's entire length was built at a cost of Rs.1.2 million, it helped conserve 60,000 cubic metres of water last year and irrigate 100 ha of drought-prone areas (as opposed to Rs.10 million to build percolation tanks to irrigate 100 ha). Enthusiastic people were rushing to see this novel type of dam, which raised the water level of wells and tanks in the area.
Agricultural scientist Prof. B.K. Dhonde, a national award winner for contour marker, who has trained forest officers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, says: "Natural contour is the ideal method for river linking. Cement and steel consumption would be minimal. The Krishna and Godavari basin development projects have reached a standstill for want of huge financial resources. Small and yet very attractive contour canal is a fantastic alternative. It should be used everywhere in the country to collect water from hilly terrain - especially water going to the sea on the west coast can be diverted to southern India which is facing a severe water crisis."
Ghorpade has announced that the State government would arrange a scheme to divert excess water from the Konkan to the rest of the State. The ground reality is that four years of drought in the State has made people furious. They will feel good only when they become water-secure.
A serious debate on this method of rainwater harvesting at the national level is the need of the hour.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2114/stories/20040716003111200.htm

Appendix 3: The Indus Waters Treaty
Taken from http://www.stimson.org/print.cfm?SN=sa20020116300
Historical context
The partition of the Indian subcontinent created a conflict over the waters of the Indus basin. In 1951, David Lilienthal wrote an influential article in Colliers magazine suggesting that the World Bank use its good offices to bring India and Pakistan to an agreement over how to share and manage the river system. The President of the World Bank, Eugene R. Black, agreed to act as a conduit of agreement between the two states. Finally, in 1960, after several years of arduous negotiations did an agreement take form. Even today, the Indus Waters Treaty is the only agreement that has been faithfully implemented and upheld by both India and Pakistan. Following the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001, several high profile commentators in India suggested that the treaty should be scrapped, though the Indian government made no intimations that it was considering such a move. [For further information...]
Abridged Text of Indus Waters Treaty (Signed in Karachi on September 19, 1960)
The Government of India and the Government of Pakistan, being equally desirous of attaining the most complete and satisfactory utilisation of the waters of the Indus system of rivers and recognising the need, therefore, of fixing and delineating, in a spirit of goodwill and friendship, the rights and obligations of each in relation to the other concerning the use of these waters and of making provision for the settlement, in a cooperative spirit, of all such questions as may hereafter arise in regard to the interpretation or application of the provisions agreed upon herein, have resolved to conclude a Treaty in furtherance of these objectives, and for this purpose have named as their plenipotentiaries:
The Government of India: Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, and The Government of Pakistan: Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan, H.P., H.J., President of Pakistan, who, having communicated to each other their respective Full Powers and having found them in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles and An
Article II
PROVISIONS REGARDING EASTERN RIVERS
All the waters of the Eastern Rivers shall be available for the unrestricted use of Inida, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Article.
Except for Domestic Use and Non-Consumptive Use, Pakistan shall be under an obligation to let flow, and shall not permit any interference with, the waters of the Sutlej Main and the Ravi Main in the reaches where these rivers flow in Pakistan and have not yet finally crossed into Pakistan. The points of final crossing are the following: (a) near the new Hasta Bund upstream of Suleimanke in the case of the Sutlej Main, and (b) about one and a half miles upstream of the syphon for the B-D Link in the case of the Ravi Main.
Except for Domestic Use, Non-Consumptive Use and Agricultural Use, Pakistan shall be under an obligation to let flow, and shall not permit any interference with, the waters (while flowing in Pakistan) of any Tributary which in its natural course joins the Sutlej Main or the Ravi Main before these rivers have finally crossed into Pakistan.
All the waters, while flowing in Pakistan, of any Tributary which, in its natural course, joins the Sutlej Main or the Ravi Main after these rivers have finally crossed into Pakistan shall be available for the unrestricted use of Pakistan: Provided however that this provision shall not be construed as giving Pakistan any claim or right to any releases by India in any such Tributary.
There shall be a Transition Period during which India shall (i) limit its withdrawals for Agricultural Use, (ii) limit abstractions for storages, and (iii) make deliveries to Pakistan from the Eastern Rivers.
The Transition Period shall begin on 1st April 1960 and it shall end on 31st March 1970, or, if extended under the provisions of Part 8 of Annexure H, on the date up to which it has been extended. In any event, whether the Transition Period shall end not later than 31st March 1973.
During the Transition Period, Pakistan shall receive for unrestricted use the waters of the Eastern Rivers which are to be released by India in accordance with the provisions of Annexure H. After the end of the Transition Period, Pakistan shall have no claim or right to releases by India of any of the waters of the Eastern Rivers. In case there are any releases, Pakistan shall enjoy the unrestricted use of the waters so released after they have finally crossed into Pakistan: Provided that in the event that Pakistan makes any use of these waters, Pakistan shall not acquire any right whatsover, by prescription or otherwise, to a continuance of such releases or such use.
Article III
PROVISION REGARDING WESTERN RIVERS
Pakistan shall receive for unrestricted use all those waters of the Western Rivers which India is under obligation to let flow under the provisions of Paragraph (2).
India shall be under an obligation to let flow all the waters of the Western Rivers, and shall not permit any interference with these waters, except for the following uses, restricted in the case of each of the rivers, The Indus, The Jhelum and The Chenab, to the drainage basin thereof: (a) Domestic Use; (b) Non-Consumptive Use; (c) Agricultural Use, as set out in Annexure C; and (d) Generation of hydro-electric power, as set out in Annexure D.
Pakistan shall have the unrestricted use of all waters originating from sources other than the Eastern Rivers which are delivered by Pakistan into The Ravi or The Sutlej, and India shall not make use of these waters.
Except as provided in Annexures D and E, India shall not store any water of, or construct any storage works on, the Western Rivers.
Article IV
PROVISIONS REGARDING EASTERN RIVERS AND WESTERN RIVERS
Pakistan shall use its best endeavors to construct and bring into operation with due regard to expedition and economy, that part of a system of work which will accomplish the replacement, from the Western Rivers and other sources, of water supplies for irrigation canals in Pakistan which, on 15th August 1947, were dependent on water supplies from the Eastern Rivers.
Each Party agrees that any Non-Consumptive Use made by it shall be made as not to materially change, on account of such use, the flow in any channel to the prejudice of the uses on that channel by the other Party under the provisions of this Treaty.
Nothing in this Treaty shall be construed as having the effect of preventing either Party from undertaking schemes of drainage, river training, conservation of soil against erosion and dredging, or from removal of stones, gravel or sand from the beds of the Rivers: Provided that in executing any of the schemes mentioned above, each Party will avoid, as far as practicable, any material damage to the other Party.
Pakistan shall maintain in good order its portions of the drainages mentioned below with capacities not less than the capacities as on the Effective Date: (i) Hudiara Drain, (ii) Kasur Nala, (iii) Salimshah Drain, (iv) Fazilka Drain.
If Inida finds it necessary that any of the drainages mentioned in Paragraph (4) should be deepened or widened in Pakistan, Pakistan agrees to undertake to do so as a work of public interest, provided India agrees to pay the cost of the deepening or widening.
Each Party will use its best endeavors to maintain the natural channels of the Rivers, as on the Effective Date, in such condition as will avoid, as far as practicable, any obstruction to the flow in these channels likely to cause material damage to the other Party.
Neither Party will take any action which would have the effect of diverting the Ravi Main between Madhopur and Lahore, or the Sutlej Main between Harike and Suleimanke, from its natural channel between high banks.
The use of the natural channels of the Rivers for the discharge of flood or other excess waters shall be free and not subject to limitation by either Party, and neither Party shall have any claim against the other in respect of any damage caused by such use. Each Party agrees to communicate to the other Party, as far in advance as practicable, any information it may have in regard to such extraordinary discharges of water from reservoirs and flood flows as may affect the other Party.
Each Party declares its intention to operate its storage dams, barrages and irrigation canals in such manner, consistent with the normal operations of its hydraulic systems, as to avoid, as far as feasible, material damage to the other Party.
Each Party declares its intention to prevent, as far as practicable, undue pollution of the waters of the Rivers which might affect adversely uses similar in nature to those to which the waters were put on the Effective Date, and agrees to take all reasonable measures to ensure that, before any sewage or industrial waste is allowed to flow into the Rivers, it will be treated, where necessary, in such manner as not materially to affect those uses: Provided that the criterion of reasonableness shall be the customary practice in similar situations on the Rivers.
The Parties agree to adopt, as far as feasible, appropriate measures for recovery, and restoration to owners, of timber and other property floated or floating down the Rivers, subject to appropriate charges being paid by the owners.
Except as otherwise required by the express provisions of this Treaty, nothing in this Treaty shall be construed as affecting existing territorial rights over the waters of any of the Rivers or the beds or banks thereof, or as affecting existing property rights under municipal law over such waters or beds or banks.
Article V
FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
In consideration of the fact that the purpose of part of the system of works referred to in Article IV (1) is the replacement, from the Western Rivers and other sources, of water supplies for irrigation canals in Pakistan which on 15th August 1947 were dependent on water supplies from the Eastern Rivers, India agrees to make a fixed contribution of Pounds Sterling 62,060,000 towards the costs of these works.
The sum of Pounds Sterling 62,060,000 shall be paid in ten equal installments on the 1st of November of each year.
Each of the instalments shall be paid to the Bank for the credit of the Indus Basin Development Fund to be established and administered by the Bank.
These financial provisions shall not be construed as conferring upon India any right to participate in the decisions as to the system of works which Pakistan constructs or as constituting an assumption of any responsibility by India or as an agreement by India in regard to such works.
Except for such payments as are specifically provided for in this Treaty, neither Party shall be entitled to claim any payment for observance of the provisions of this Treaty or to make any charge for water received from it by the other Party.
Article VI
EXCHANGE OF DATA
The following data with respect to the flow in, and utilisation of the waters of, the Rivers shall be exchanged regularly between the Parties: (a) Daily guage and discharge data relating to flow of the Rivers at all observation sites. (b) Daily extractions for or releases from reservoirs. (c) Daily withdrawals at the heads of all canals operated by government or by a government agency, including link canals. (d) Daily escapages from all canals, including link canals. (e) Daily deliveries from link canals.
Article VII
FUTURE CO-OPERATION
The two Parties recognize that they have a common interest in the optimum development of the Rivers, and, to that end, they declare their intention to co-operate, by mutual agreement, to the fullest possible extent.
Article VIII
PERMANENT INDUS COMMISSION
India and Pakistan shall each create a permanent post of Commissioner for Indus Waters, and shall appoint to this post, as often as a vacancy occurs, a person who should ordinarily be a high-ranking engineer competent in the field of hydrology and water-use. Unless either Government should decide to take up any particular question directly with the other Government, each Commissioner will be the representative of his Government for all matters arising out of this Treaty, and will serve as the regular channel of communication on all matters relating to the implementation of the Treaty, and, in particular, with respect to (a) the furnishing or exchange of information or data provided for in the Treaty; and (b) the giving of any notice or response to any notice provided for in the Treaty.
The status of each Commissioner and his duties and responsibilities towards his Government will be determined by that Government.
The two Commissioners shall together form the Permanent Indus Commission.
The purpose and functions of the Commission shall be to establish and maintain co-operative arrangements for the implementation of this Treaty and to promote co-operation between the Parties in the development of the waters of the Rivers.
The Commission shall determine its own procedures.
Article IX
SETTLEMENT OF DIFFERENCES AND DISPUTES
Any question which arises between the Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Treaty or the existence of any fact which, if established, might constitute a breach of this Treaty shall first be examined by the Commission, which will endeavor to resolve the question by agreement.
If the Commission does not reach agreement on any of the questions mentioned in the Paragraph (1), then a difference will be deemed to have arisen, which shall be dealt with by a Neutral Expert. If the Neutral Expert has informed the Commission that, in his opinion, the difference should be treated as a dispute, then a dispute will be deemed to have arisen.
As soon as a dispute to be settled has arisen, the Commission shall, at the request of either Commissioner, report the fact to the two Governments, as early as practicable, stating in its report the points on which the Commisssion is in agreement and the issues in dispute, the views of each Commissioner on these issues and his reasons therefor.
Either Government may, following receipt of the report, or if it comes to the conclusion that this report is being unduly delayed in the Commission, invite the other Government to resolve the dispute by agreement.
A court of Arbitration shall be established to resolve the dispute.
Article X
EMERGENCY PROVISIONS
If, at any time prior to 31st March 1965, Pakistan should represent to the Bank that, because of the outbreak of large-scale international hostilities arising out of causes beyond the control of Pakistan, it is unable to obtain from abroad the materials and equipment necessary for the completion, by 31st March 1973, of that part of the system of works referred to in Article IV (1) which related to the replacement referred to therein, (hereinafter referred to as the replacement element) and if, after consideration of this representation in consultation with India, the Bank is of the opinion that (a) these hostilities are on a scale of which the consequence is that Pakistan is unable to obtain in time such materials and equipment as must be procured from abroad for the completion, by 31st March 1973, of the replacement element, and (b) since the Effective Date, Pakistan has taken all reasonable steps to obtain the said materials and equipment and has carried forward the construction of the replacement element with due dilligence and all reasonable expedition, the Bank shall immediately notify each of the Parties accordingly. The Parties undertake that in being so notified, they will forthwith consult together and enlist the good offices of the Bank in their consultation, with a view to reaching mutual agreement as to whether or not, in light of all circumstances prevailing, any modifications of the provisions of this Treaty are appropriate and advisable and, if so, the nature and the extent of the modifications.
Article XII
FINAL PROVISIONS
This Treaty consists of the Preamble, the Articles hereof and Annexures A to H hereto, and may be cited as "The Indus Waters Treaty 1960."
This Treaty shall be ratified and the ratifications therof shall be exchanged in New Delhi. It shall enter into force upon the exchange of ratifications, and will then take effect retrospectively form the first of April 1960.
The provisions of this Treaty may from time to time be modified by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments.
The provisions of this Treaty, or the provisions of this Treaty as modified under the provisions of Paragraph (3), shall continue in force until terminated by a duly ratified treaty concluded for that purpose between the two Governments.
In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty and have hereunto affixed their seals.
Done in triplicate in English at Karachi on this Nineteenth day of September 1960.
[Signed:]
For the Government of India:
Jawaharlal Nehru

For the Government of Pakistan:
Mohammad Ayub Khan
Field Marshal, H.P., H.J.

For the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development:
W. A. B. Iliff

Appendix 4: One reason why China should be forced out of Tibet: China's evil designs on Brahmaputra
http://cpmindia.blogspot.com/2008/03/one-reason-why-china-should-be-forced.html
One reason why China should be forced out of Tibet: China's evil designs on Brahmaputra waters

If China touches Brahmaputra waters, India should declare all-out war on the imperialist China. Now, people should know why China annexed Free Tibet in 1950. Let us hope that there are patriotic Indians who will not countenance another stab in the back after Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai. It is shocking that CPM should be supporting China in the ongoing genocide in Tibet, couched as 'people's war'. Who are the people at war?

India, together with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal has historic, Riparian rights under international law for the Brahmaputra waters. The history dates back to the written records of the Mahabharata (circa 4th millennium BCE). China cannot play with these established norms of inter-state relationships and the fundamental right to water by every citizen of the world.

Brahmaputra jitters from China project
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (Kolkata, Telegraph, 31 March 2008)

New Delhi, March 30: Hints have emerged from China that it may be gearing for a project on the Brahmaputra that threatens drought in India’s Northeast, environment experts and Indian officials claim.

Delhi, however, has decided to ignore the developments and instead volunteered to pay Beijing for help in avoiding floods in the region, government sources here said.

China, despite official disclaimers, has long been suspected of planning to divert the waters of the Brahmaputra — which originates in southwest Tibet as the Yarlung Zangbo or Tsangpo —to its thirsty northwest.

Experts have warned that such a project could trigger an ecological disaster in India’s Northeast and Bangladesh.

In recent weeks, a flood of technical articles has appeared in China backing the diversion plan, indicating Beijing is setting the stage for the project, Indian officials said. They said the Chinese government had also built an airstrip on the river’s banks close to a potential diversion point where a dam could come up.

Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People, an NGO, said the Chinese project could divert 200 billion cubic metres of water annually to the Yellow River, leaving Assam dry during the lean season.

However, the Union water resources ministry secretary, Umesh Narayan Panjiar, said: “There are no concrete developments. We are watching.”

Other government sources said from all indications, Delhi had no plans to respond till detailed project reports came out in China. “Then it could be too late,” an official said.

The Centre has not carried out any study on the possible magnitude of the impact of a Chinese diversion project, or worked out a contingency plan for Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, the states that would be hit the worst.

Delhi, however, is happy that Beijing has agreed to add two more monitoring stations to its array of three on the Tsangpo/Brahmaputra to forewarn against floods. India has decided to fund the maintenance of the two new stations. China shares weather forecast data from its three existing stations with India.

“They have not asked for money, but at least one of the stations is in a very remote area, so we don’t mind paying for maintenance. It’s a goodwill gesture,” an official said.

Some like the Asom Gana Parishad MP from Assam’s Lakhimpur, Arun Sarma, feel that the government knows something about the Chinese plans but has been “covering it up”. He had asked water resources minister Saifuddin Soz for a clarification but the answer did not satisfy him.

In his reply on December 17, 2007, Soz had quoted a Chinese spokesperson telling a PTI correspondent that Beijing had no plans to divert the Brahmaputra’s waters.

http://telegraphindia.com/1080331/jsp/frontpage/story_9076974.jsp

Revival of Hindu temples

2008-05-31T22:19:00.000-07:00

Revival of Hindu temples
See: http://www.conserveheritage.org/projects.html Structural restoration of Kailasanatha temple : Uttaramerur

REACH Foundation's contact is: reach.foundation.india@gmail.com

REACH Foundation's Blog has more details on Hindu temple restoration efforts in Tamil Nadu by its volunteers, including software engineers:

http://templesrevival.blogspot.com/
Restoration of 1,200-year-old temple to begin soon
T.S. Subramanian
REACH Foundation to conserve Kailasanatha temple at Uttaramerur in Kancheepuram district
________________________________________
The temple has inscriptions of Chola kings and Nayaka rulers
It has three storeys with sanctum sanctorums on all floors
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http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/01/images/2008060156281501.jpg — Photo: S. Thanthoni

Uncovering an era: ‘Bhoomi puja’ for the restoration and conservation of this 1,200-year old Kailasanatha temple at Uttaramerur, 90 km from Chennai, is to take place on June 2.
CHENNAI: Restoration and conservation of a 1,200-year old Siva temple called Kailasanatha temple built by the Pallava king Dantivarman at Uttaramerur in Tamil Nadu’s Kancheepuram district is all set to begin.

The “bhoomi puja” for the restoration will be done on June 3. The beautiful temple, which has inscriptions in Tamil of the Chola kings Raja Raja Chola and his son Rajendra Chola, the Vijayanagara king Krishnadevaraya and the Nayaka rulers Bommu Nayaka and Krishnama Nayaka, is in ruins today. A non-governmental organisation called REACH Foundation will undertake the restoration.

The challenge
T. Satyamurthy, a founder of REACH Foundation and B. Narasimhaiah, its consultant, visited the temple on Saturday (May 31) and held discussions on how to go about the restoration. “The challenge is to make the temple stand for a long time with its original splendour,” they said. Both retired as Superintending Archaeologists, Archaeological Survey of India. The restoration would be done with the cooperation of local residents, who were enthusiastic about it.

The Kailasanatha temple was built towards the end of the 8th century. While its base was made of granite slabs, the temple proper and its vimana were built with bricks. It has three storeys with sanctum sanctorums on the ground, first and second floors. But only the sanctum sanctorum on the ground floor has a beautiful Sivalinga now, which is still being worshipped.

R. Nagaswamy, former Director, Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology, who has written a book called Uttaramerur in both Tamil and English, calls this “a great temple, a Mahaprasada,” as “seen from the construction technique.” The book has been published by Tamil Arts Academy, Chennai. According to Dr. Nagaswamy, the main temple is built with two walls, the inner and outer, with an intervening space (technically called ‘sandhara’) over which rises the vimana superstructure. “The Chola records call this temple ‘Sri Kailayam Udaiya Mahadeva’ and refer to the gift of lands for puja, food offering (naivedya) and burning perpetual lamps,” he says. There is also an inscription of Krishnadevaraya.

This temple, thus suffused with history, presents a pathetic picture now. Dense vegetation over the vimana has dislocated its brick structure. Beautiful stucco figures, which adorned the vimana, are no longer there. Granite slabs of the base have moved from their position. The vegetation’s deep roots have sprung long cracks in the brick walls around the sanctum sanctorum. On the northern side, the crack is three-foot wide. The front mantapa, made of granite slabs and built by the Chola kings, has totally collapsed.

Dr. Satyamurthy said: “To save this temple from further collapse and preserve it, the cracks have to be stitched with the same type of bricks. Besides, the lower portion of the brick structure should be made to stand on granite slabs. The vimana, built of bricks, will be made to stand on granite slabs. These new granite slabs will bear the weight of the vimana and also distribute its weight uniformly. In short, it is transplantation of the vimana in situ.”

Dr. Narasimhaiah said it was easier to conserve temples built of stones than those built of bricks. “If vegetation has dislocated the stones, they can be dismantled and re-assembled. But bricks become brittle. So you have to stitch the joints and cracks, and ensure that the roots do not remain in the brick work,” he explained. The collapsed front mantapa would be re-assembled.

Uttaramerur is also known for its Sundara Varadaraja Perumal temple built by the Pallava and Chola kings, and Krishnadevaraya. It has sanctum sanctorums in three tiers of standing, sitting and reclining Vishnu.

Uttaramerur is the only village with a written constitution, inscribed on the granite slab-walls of the village assembly.

Dr. Nagaswamy says: “This inscription, dated around 920 A.D. in the reign of Parantaka Chola, is an outstanding document in the history of India. It gives astonishing details about the constitution of wards, the qualification of candidates standing for elections, the disqualification [norms], the mode of election, the constitution of committees with elected members, the functions of committees, the power to remove the wrong-doer, etc.”

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/01/stories/2008060156281500.htm

Amartya Sen spinning a tale of two peoples

2008-05-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

Amartya Sen spinning a tale of two peoples

While the example cited by Amartya Sen is correct that the Bengal famine (resulting in the death of 3 million people) was caused by the British colonial regime, his diagnosis of the demand-driven situation creating ‘two peoples’ today is questionable.

He has no basis in fact to make such a pontificating statement. Take the example of the Indian situation. It is not demand-driven shortage for one of the ‘two peoples’ but a failure to sustain the rate of growth in supply of food grains, particularly after the ‘green revolution’. If the proposal initiated by NDA to set up a National Water Grid including interlinking of rivers had been put in place, making available 9 crore acres of additional wet land with assured irrigation by an expanded command area of irrigation could have been started. The alluvium in the nation provides for a potential quadrupling of agricultural production.

Yes, the nature of the problem has to be understood first. But, not the way Amartya Sen pontificates.

kalyanaraman

The rich get hungrier

By Amartya Sen (Deccan Chronicle, 29 May 2008)

WILL the food crisis that is menacing the lives of millions ease up — or grow worse over time? The answer may be both. The recent rise in food prices has largely been caused by temporary problems like drought in Australia, Ukraine and elsewhere. Though the need for huge rescue operations is urgent, the present acute crisis will eventually end. But underlying it is a basic problem that will only intensify unless we recognise it and try to remedy it.
It is a tale of two peoples. In one version of the story, a country with a lot of poor people suddenly experiences fast economic expansion, but only half of the people share in the new prosperity. The favoured ones spend a lot of their new income on food, and unless supply expands very quickly, prices shoot up. The rest of the poor now face higher food prices but no greater income, and begin to starve. Tragedies like this happen repeatedly in the world.
A stark example is the Bengal famine of 1943, during the last days of the British rule in India. The poor who lived in cities experienced rapidly rising incomes, especially in Kolkata, where huge expenditures for the war against Japan caused a boom that quadrupled food prices. The rural poor faced these skyrocketing prices with little increase in income.
Misdirected government policy worsened the division. The British rulers were determined to prevent urban discontent during the war, so the government bought food in the villages and sold it, heavily subsidised, in the cities, a move that increased rural food prices even further. Low earners in the villages starved. Two million to three million people died in that famine and its aftermath.
Much discussion is rightly devoted to the division between haves and have-nots in the global economy, but the world’s poor are themselves divided between those who are experiencing high growth and those who are not. The rapid economic expansion in countries like China, India and Vietnam tends to sharply increase the demand for food. This is, of course, an excellent thing in itself, and if these countries could manage to reduce their unequal internal sharing of growth, even those left behind there would eat much better.
But the same growth also puts pressure on global food markets — sometimes through increased imports, but also through restrictions or bans on exports to moderate the rise in food prices at home, as has happened recently in countries like India, China, Vietnam and Argentina. Those hit particularly hard have been the poor, especially in Africa.
There is also a high-tech version of the tale of two peoples. Agricultural crops like corn and soybeans can be used for making ethanol for motor fuel. So the stomachs of the hungry must also compete with fuel tanks.
Misdirected government policy plays a part here, too. In 2005, the United States Congress began to require widespread use of ethanol in motor fuels. This law combined with a subsidy for this use has created a flourishing corn market in the United States, but has also diverted agricultural resources from food to fuel. This makes it even harder for the hungry stomachs to compete.
Ethanol use does little to prevent global warming and environmental deterioration, and clear-headed policy reforms could be urgently carried out, if American politics would permit it. Ethanol use could be curtailed, rather than being subsidised and enforced.
The global food problem is not being caused by a falling trend in world production, or for that matter in food output per person (this is often asserted without much evidence). It is the result of accelerating demand.
However, a demand-induced problem also calls for rapid expansion in food production, which can be done through more global cooperation.
While population growth accounts for only a modest part of the growing demand for food, it can contribute to global warming, and long-term climate change can threaten agriculture. Happily, population growth is already slowing and there is overwhelming evidence that women’s empowerment (including expansion of schooling for girls) can rapidly reduce it even further.
What is most challenging is to find effective policies to deal with the consequences of extremely asymmetric expansion of the global economy. Domestic economic reforms are badly needed in many slow-growth countries, but there is also a big need for more global cooperation and assistance. The first task is to understand the nature of the problem.
Amartya Sen, who teaches economics and philosophy at Harvard, received the Nobel Prize in economics in 1998 and is the author, most recently, of Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny.

http://deccan.com/Columnists/Columnists.asp?#The rich get hungrier

Why Kaveri wears saffron -- Tarun Vijay

2008-05-29T03:38:00.000-07:00

THE RIGHT VIEW

Why Kaveri wears saffron
28 May 2008, 1943 hrs IST,Tarun Vijay (Times of India)

The saffron Karnataka wears is aglow with the sacrifices of the anonymous workers who lived with a reason, for a cause. Who sowed saffron in Karnataka's soil – like Yadav Rao Joshi, H V Seshadri, Suryanarain Rao, often going to sleep on an empty stomach but worked day and night to spread the message of a strong nationalism, motherland first and foremost. Everything else was secondary.

When Seshadri breathed his last, he was listening to the Sangh prayer – namaste sada vatsale matribhume (Salutations to thee, O beloved motherland...) But Vidhan Saudha was never on their radar of achievements. Their mission was and remains a total transformation of society into a proud, strong, self-reliant, knowledge reservoir with character which would lead Bharat, which is India, into the highest ranks of the comity of nations. Political power is just one small step in that direction.

The people who remember their past have a future. The saffron we see blooming in the South is powered with the ideas of a man whose birth anniversary would largely go unnoticed today. Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was the name of the man who shook Hindus from their lethargic and self-demeaning attitude and who put the word Hindutva in vogue.

I remember Madhumangal Sharma who was killed while reading a book by Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya in his Imphal house. The day bullets pierced his heart, through the book, happened to be 11th February, 1995. It was also the martyrdom day of the author he liked most, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, who was murdered mysteriously on 11th Feb 1968 on a moving train.

One could wonder in these times of extreme parochialism why a Manipuri in Imphal would be reading a book by a northerner? The same Manipur has banned all books of Hindi writers, Hindi movies, and finally the national anthem now.

The martyrdom of Pt Upadhyaya and Madhumangal and many others for a cause energised a collective will to bring change in polity. That's what nationalism is all about. Different parts, one body. There are youngsters who still have the courage to stand for a broader, Indian nationalism in Manipur facing foreign-funded extremists who have otherwise succeeded in silencing all other voices reflecting Indianness.

What makes them brave the bullets? Love for motherland, and that's saffron unquestioningly.

Shyama Prasad Mookerjee was born in Bengal and became the youngest ever vice-chancellor of Calcutta University at the age of 33. He was a close friend of Kaji Nazrul Islam, helped him when he needed most, was a part of the family of Rabindranath Tagore, became a legendary figure in his life time, inherited a legacy Bengal is justifiably proud of, and he died for Kashmir. His mysterious “death” in the jail of Sheikh Abdullah, in Srinagar on 23rd June 1953 raised questions that are still unanswered. The only reason for his untimely death was his demand that Kashmir be assimilated in India like any other state. And there should not be two flags, two constitutional provisions and two heads in relation to Kashmir. He was arrested for entering the valley without a permit, in his own country and jailed where he met a sudden death.

Mookerjee’s mother, Jogmaya Devi wrote to Nehru on 4 July 1953: “His death is shrouded in mystery. Is it not most astounding and shocking that ever since his detention there, the first information that I, his mother, received from the government of Kashmir was that my son was 'no more', and that also at least two hours after the end? And in what a cruel, cryptic way the message was conveyed! '. A fearless son of free India has met his death while 'in detention without trial' under most tragic and mysterious circumstances. I, the mother of the great departed soul, demand that an absolutely impartial and open enquiry by independent and competent persons be held without any delay. I know nothing can bring back to us the life that is no more. But I do want that the people of India must judge for themselves, the real causes of this great tragedy enacted in a free country and the part that was played by your government.”

Nehru gave a short reply on 5 July 1953: “l did not venture to write to you before without going into the matter of Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerjee's detention and death fairly carefully. I have since enquired further into it from a number of persons who had occasion to know 'some facts'. I can only say to you that I arrived at the clear and honest conclusion that there is no mystery in this and that Dr Mookerjee was given every consideration.”

This was really rude and Jogmaya Devi replied on 9th July, 1953: “Your letter dated 5th July reached me on the 7th. It is a sad commentary on the whole situation. Instead of helping to clear up the mystery, your attitude deepens it (further). I demanded an open enquiry. I did not ask 'for your clear and honest conclusion'. Your reaction to the whole affair is now well known. The people of India and I, the mother, have got to be convinced. There is a rooted suspicion in the mind of many. What is required is 'an open, impartial, immediate enquiry'.

'Your experience in jails is known to all. It was at one time a matter of great national pride with us. But you had suffered imprisonment under an alien rule and my son has met his death in detention without trial under a national government. It is futile to address you further. You are afraid to face facts. I hold the Kashmir government responsible for the death of my son. I accuse your government of complicity in the matter.”

Nehru never cared to reply.

Shyama Prasad's martyrdom too has added to the saffron we see in Karnataka.

The Kothari brothers and others who died facing brutal police repression in Ayodhya during their satyagraha to demand a Ram Temple in 1990 is a scar on India's body that would hardly be forgotten. The other side of the secular Talibanism creates ghettoes of Gulags and Siberia-ism for votebank politics. Hasn't the accumulated angst against these discriminations fuelled a change in the Indian political scene? Remember the best of Indian soldiers, editors and actors like Gen Candeth, Gen. Jacob, Girilal Jain and Victor Banerjee joined the saffron side in the aftermath of Ayodhya. And who were those who died demanding a ban on cow slaughter? Were they simply an expendable crowd of illiterate, empty-headed buffoons, trampling on other's rights in times when editors love to write about restaurants serving the most tasty beef?

Those teachers and truck drivers and auto-rickshaw owners who were killed in Kannur and Palakad just for wearing saffron have also contributed to the Karnataka victory.

And those hundreds of highly qualified selfless workers who lived and died anonymously for seeing saffron bloom, did help in paving the way for the leaders who rule today with a broad smile on their faces, though they never aspired to work for a political fortune.

Who were those workers who dedicated their lives for a cause that would never provide them comfort or fame? What was that magic bond that bound them in a solidarity that would not be shaken under any circumstances. They first fought the British, then the Communists and their political mates in Congress and progressed astoundingly well in spite of a collective media assault and opposition that would surpass every logic and sense of balance. Today the saffron brotherhood is running the largest number of successful schools, has the highest number of service projects in slums and tribal areas across the country from Port Blair to Leh and Naharlagun to the Nilgiris, runs centres to train Scheduled Caste youths as priests and computer engineers and provides the nation the sinews it needs during any crisis. None will see these elements of fire and light but will only comment frivolously on the electoral underpinnings and caste-religion equations. The saffron we see blooming over the Vidhan Saudha in Bangalore is the result of a collective will engulfing the grand Indian picture we worship as mother incarnate.

Those who occupy the plush chairs inside must remember this and the responsibility that comes along with wearing colour. The land of Hampi and Basaveshwara and Kanak Dasa wants to see that the polluted Kaveri (Cauvery) of public administration, behavior and accountability be cleaned and Sanskrit and Sanskriti (culture) flowers unhindered. Always remember why Hampi was razed and for whom. Should the children of that past forget their ancestors and get glued to elements that negate the fragrance of the land?
Karnataka results have defied the pettiness of the polity we had been witnessing over water sharing and language–regional conflicts and have proved that merger with the nationalist cause is worthier than asserting parochial and smaller identities. It's also a verdict against hate and ideological apartheid.

Media with seculars of the red variety have turned saffron into a term of abuse and derided its use as if belonging to saffron is a sin. Today with Karnataka, saffron rules over seven states on its own. The red smart seculars, self-obsessed “upholders” of the peace marches and candle-burning rituals for Afzals and betrayers of faith, find themselves completely marginalized and shrunk. Naturally so. As the grand Indian vision expands, the myopic market managers of Marx and Macs will have to squeeze into a smaller space.

I have always maintained that the hate factor in Indian politics is a contribution of the left and alien thought processes. Swami Dayananda fiercely attacked the practice of idol worship among Hindus but he was accommodated and respected, not turned into an outcaste and fatwa-ed to death. Guru Nanak and Kabir criticized ritualism and the blind faith prevalent among influential Hindus. But they were revered and adored. Hate and animosity on the basis of beliefs is alien to Hindus and was introduced by those who are inherently intolerant to the different viewpoint.

There is no reason for the hate between various political parties in India – after all they all swear to work for the good of India and Indians. The polity must play on the foundation of a pan-Indian vision. Programmes may differ but the fragmentisation must come to an end giving way to fraternisation. Seculars have so far invested their pride in being backward, most backward and other backwards. Yet they call themselves as most progressives. See what's happening in Rajasthan. A matter of pride?

It's the dharma of all Indian political organisations to see that India prospers and doesn't fall prey to divisive and mutually hateful policies to nurse vote banks. The nation must stand taller than the South Blocked ambitions.

The author is the Director, Dr Syamaprasad Mookerjee Research Foundation.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3080819,flstry-1.cms

Manvantaras, pralaya, desiccation of R. Sarasvati and kaalagan.ana (time-reckoning)

2008-05-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Manvantaras, pralaya, desiccation of R. Sarasvati and kaalagan.ana (time-reckoning)

Manvantaras (stages of cyclical creation) and kaalagan.ana in the context of the cosmic events of Pralaya and the temporal event of desiccation of River Sarasvati

Many Hindu ancient texts contain a lucid account of the Pralaya, sarga (creation) and visarga (dissolution) in the cosmic dance exemplified by the taand.ava nr.tya of Mahes’vara as Nat.araaja. I am quoting extensively from two accounts of these texts collated by PV Kane and SA Dange.

These texts embody a living oral tradition, of emphatic collective socio-cultural memories, be they related to the super-eruption of Mt. Toba or the submergence of the Kumari-kan.d.am in a great deluge or tsunami. As we traverse into the mists of history, trying to trace peopling of Bharatam in a continuum called Hindu civilization using genetic markers, we also have to relate these markers to the oral traditions which form the basis for the texts written down as Puraan.a-s.

I am fascinated by the brilliant insights of an engineer from IIT, Kharagpur, Shri GV Subramanian who relates the super-eruption of Mt. Toba to Vaivasvata Manu –- Satyavrata of Dravid.ades’a -- in Hindu tradition. I am sure he will document his perceptions (based on earth science interpretations and genetic differentiation markers) in the eternal quest for satyam and heritage. I give below the following two extensive excerpts from Kane and Dange to provide a framework for documenting the traditions of the Hindu community and to contribute to an understanding of the Peopling of Bharatam, say between 74k years ago (Mt. Toba super-eruption) and the flow of Himalayan Glacial Vedic River Sarasvati (say, 10 k years ago).

(quote) Saavarn.ya Manu was a great benefactor and leader of some terrority occurs in RV X.62.11. It is said that each manvantara had a separate set of sages, sons of Manu, gods, kings, smr.tis, Indra and guardians for the proper regulation of dharma and for the protection of the people (Brahma 5.29, VishnuP. II, Ch. 1-2). In the VishnuP. it is said that some gods remain for four yugas, some for a manvantara and some stay for a kalpa. Vishnudharmasootra (ch. XX.1-15) has the same account of Manvantaras and Kalpas as Manu’s but it adds one detail viz. that the whole age of Brahmaa is equal to a day of Purusha (Vishnu) and the night of Purusha is also as long. It is remarkable that the same view is attributed to Alberuni (Sachau vol. I, p. 332) to be Pulis’asiddhaanta. It is not known whether those European scholars who regard Pulis’a to be Paulus Alexandinus have shown that this detal occurs in the work of the Greek Astrologer Paulus. In the Vanaparva (188.22-29) the same account as in Manu occurs except this that 12000 years are called Yuga simply and not caturyuga (as in Manu I.71) The Maarkan.deya P. has a long story about Svaarochisha in chapters 58-65, devotes to Uttama to Caakshusa, chap. 74-76 to Vaivasvata, chap. 77 to Saavarn.i, chap. 78-90 to Devee, chap. 91-95 to Raucya or Ruci, chap. 96-97 is to Bhautya. The word ‘vaivasvata’ (son of Vivasvat, the Sun) is applied to Yama in several passages of the RV (X.14.1, X.58.1, X.60.10, X. 164.2). The Anukraman.ee, however, ascribes RV VIII.27-31 to Vaivasvata Manu as the r.s.i and in one of the Vaalakhilya hymns (RV X.52.1) occus the following verse ‘O Indra! Just as you drank the soma extracted in (the sacrifice of) Manu vivasvat, just as you frequently accept the hymn of praise in (sacrifice of) Aayu. It may be noted that the Manusmr.ti names only the seven Manus (1.61-63) and states that each Manu during his own time (which extended over thousands of years) created the movable and immovable world and protected it, that Manvantaras are numberless (Manusmr.ti I.80) and that the Great God (Parames.t.hin) brought about the creation and destruction of the world during the Manvantaras. Some of the Puraan.as such as Matsya (9.37-39, 142.40, 144, 97-98), Vaayu (59.34), Agni (150.21), Vishn.u (I.3 and VI.3) state that Manu and the seven sages in each Manvantara (i.e. there there is a change of Manu) who are the s’is.t.as that then exist are devoted to dharma, being ordered by Brahmaa for the purpose of continuing the worlds, declare the truth and promulgate the Vedas. Some modern writers (like Dr. Dattari) think (vide ‘The rationalistic and realistic interpretation of the Upanishads’ pp. 2 and 3 published at Nagpur in 1958) that in ancient times there was an Indian institution of public functionaries called Manu and the Saptars.is, whose function was to legislate and promulgate the Vedas. With great respect to the erudite scholar, I disagree with him. The extant Puraan.a passages are less than 2000 years old, while the present Vaivasvata Manvantara started several millions of years ago and even Kaliyuga in which we are deemed to live started in 3102 BCE. Besides, there is a dissolution of the world at each day of Brahmaa, if one is to rely on the Pauraan.ik accounts. How could a tradition of the several Manus survive such pralaya? A rationalistic interpretation requires that all this that is stated in the Puraan.as is mere conjecture and imagination and that one cannot safely build theories about the governance of society in ancient times on the accounts contained in the Puraan.as. The Manusmr.ti (II.19) appears to assign the function of the regulation of the conduct of all men in the world to the learned braahman.as born in Brahmars.ides’a (i.e. Kuruks.etra, the contries of Matsya, Pancala and S’oorasena or Mathuraa) at least after his own code was promulgated…In the Puran.aas pralaya is said to be of four sorts, viz. nitya (the every day deaths of those that are born), naimittika (when a day of Brahmaa ends, then there is a dissolution of the world), praak.tika (when everything dissolves itself into prakr.ti, primordial substance) and aatyantika pralaya is moks.a (liberation of the soul due to correct knowledge of Reality and absorption into the Supreme Spirit). Harrowing descriptions of the naimittika and praakr.tika pralayas are given in several puraan.as. A lengthy description of the naimittika dissolution is contained in Koorma P. II. 45.11-59 of which a brief summary is given here. When the one thousand Caturyugas end, there is the absence of rain for a hundred years; the result is that living beings perish and are reduced to earth; the sun’s rays become unbearable, and even the ocean is dried up; the earth is burnt by the fierce heat of sun together with its mountains, forests and continents. As the sun’s rays fall burning up everything, the whole world presents the appearance of one huge fire. Fire burns everything whether mobile or immovable. The animals in the big seas come out and are reduced to ashed. Then the samvartaka fire growing by the force of the wind burns the whole earth and its flames rise upto a height of thousand yojanas and the flames burn up gandharvas, goblins, yakshas, serpents and raakshasas and not only the earth but the worlds called ‘bhuvah’ and ‘mahah’ ar burnt; then huge samvartaka clouds resembling herds of elephants, lit up by lightning, rise in the sky, some looking like blue lotuses, some yellowish, some having the colour of smoke, some like sealing wax and fill the whole sky and then extinguish the fires by sending down heavy showers. When the fires are extinguished, the clouds of destruction cover the whole world with floods; mountains are concealed and the earth is plunged in waters and all becomes one ocean of water and then god Brahmaa resorts to Yogic sleep. Vanaparva (Chap. 272. 32-48) also contains a brief description of naimittika pralaya. The Koorma P. I.46 and Vishn.u P. 4.12-39 furnish a description of the praakr.tika pralaya which takes Saankhya terminology for granted, and is briefly as follows: when all the worlds including all the nether regions are destroyed by absence of rains and all effects from mahat onwards are destroyed, waters first absorb the gandha (the special quality of the earth) and when gandha-tanmaatra is destroyed, the earth is reduced to water; the special quality of waters, viz. rasa-tanmaatra is destroyed and nothing but fire remains and the whole world is filled with flames, then Vaayu absorbs fire and roopa-tanmaatra vanishes; Vaayu shakes all the ten quarters; aakaas’a absorbs the spars’a-gun.a of Vaayu and only aakaas’a remains as void and s’abda-tanmaatra is gone and in this way the seven prakr.tis including mahat and ahankaara are absorbed in order; even Prakr.ti and Purusha are dissolved in Paramaatman (named Vishn.u). The day of Vishn.u is said to be two Paraardhas of human years. Some works like the Harivams’a (Bhavishaparva chap. 10.12-68) provide that at the end of Kalpa the sage Maarkan.deya alone remains and lies at the time of the Pralaya (or kalpa) in the side of Lord Vishn.u and then comes out of His mouth. The Brahma P. (52.1-19 and 53,55) says that Maarkan.d.eya sees a vat.a tree at the end of Kalpa and a jeweled bed on which he sees a boy lying down (i.e. Vishn.u himself) and then he enters the side of that boy and later comes out. Vide also Matsya 167. (14-66) for the same story in almost the same words. The Bhagavadgeetaa (VIII.18-19) speaks of the recurrent absorption of all beings at the advent of the night of Brahmaa and reappearance of beings when the day of Brahmaa starts. The theory of yugas, manvantaras and kalpas with their fabulous numbers of years and harrowing descriptions of pralaya, appears unreal, bizarre and called up by sheer fancy. But underlying it there is the idea of timelessness of the universe, though from time to time it evolves, gradually declines and perishes, only to reappear in perfection after a cosmic night. There is alsothe hankering after Reality and pursuit of different ideals. It enshrines the ideas that humanity embarks on a certain goal, pursues it with great efforts and, after achieving some success, gives up that goal and the way that was thought to lead to it and pursues some other goal for aeons in the ope that at some distant date it will be able to evolve and construct a perfect society. These ideas are at the bottom of what Manu (I.86) and others (VaayuP 65-66; Paraas’araS I.23; Brahmaan.d.a II.7.59) say ‘Tapas was the highest goal (deemed to yield great results) in Kr.tayuga, knowledge (of the self) was the highest in Tretaa, yajna (sacrifices to God) in Dvaapara, charity alone in Kali’. This further implies that there are different impelling motives in different sages an dmodern men should not assess the actions and ideals. It is implicit in the words of Manu (IX.301) that the four ages are not water tight specific periods of time, but that the Ruler or Government can produce conditions of Kr.ta age in what is popularly called Kali by appropriate conduct or measures and Medhaatithi expressly says so. (Comment on Manu IX.301: kr.tam tretaa yugam caiva dvaaparam kalireva ca raajno vrttaani sarvaan.i raajaa hi yugamucyate; na caivam mantavyam raajnaa kalirnaama kaalavis’esha itihaasaprasiddhah kathamaham syaamiti yato raajno vr.ttaani yugaadi’ medaatithi). Prof. Mankad has a novel theory in a paper on the Manvantaras in IHQ Vol. XVIII pp. 208-230, where he states that the Caturyuga formula took 40 years for a ruling unit and not for one king’s regnal period and that the Manvantara was the regular method of calculating regnal periods of different kings in a dynasty (p. 227). Hardly any scholar has accepted this theory and for reasons of space and relevance, it is not possible to discuss it here. In the details about the theory of yugas, manvantaras and kalpas there are some divergences. A few may be pointed out. Aaryabhat.a appears to hold that the extent of each of the four yugas was the same and not in the traditional proportion of 4,3,2,1, when he says that he was twenty-three years old when three yugapaadas and 3500 years had elapsed (vide Kaalakriyaapaada 10: shasht.abhandaanaam shasht.iryadaa vyateetaasrayas’ca yugapaadaah tryadhikaa vims’atiragrastadeha mama janmanoteetaah – Aaryabhat.eeya, Kaalakriyaapaada Verse 10 ed. Kern). Brahmagupta (I.9) says that though Aaryabhat.a declared that the four paadas of yugas, viz. Kr.ta and the others were equal, not one of them was equal to what the Smr.tis declare them to be. There is another discrepancy also. Aaryabhat.a in his Das’ageetikaa verse 3 states that Manu is a period of 72 yugas, while all the Smr.tis and Puraan.as declare that a manvantara is equal to 71 yugas. Aaryabhat.a appears to have held that the day of Brahmaa is equal to 1008 caturyugas and Brahmgupta (I.12) refers to this view. The celebrated scientific astronomer Bhaaskaraacaarya (born in s’aka 1036, 1114 CE) impatiently says, ‘some say that half of the lifeof Brahmaa (i.e. 50 years) has passed away, whiel others say that half plus eight years have passed away. Whatever the true tradition may be, it is of no use, since planetary positions are to be established from the days that have passed in the current day of Brahmaa’ (unquote) (P.V. Kane, 1994, History of Dharma s’aastra, Pune, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, pp. 691-697).

(quote) Manu. The word indicates a proper name, and also the Lord of an era. Manu is the principal figure in the account of the flood, wherein a fish is said to have saved him (Matsya P. I. 17-35 ff upto end of II. The legend occurs early in S’at.Br. I.8.1.1 ff; Kaat.haka Sam. 11.2; as the father of the human race RV I.80.16; II.33.13 etc.) According to the legend as it occurs in the Matsya P. Manu was giving the oblation to his ancestors, when a little fish fell out of the water that he had collected in the cavity of his palms to offer to the manes. It grew to the size of 16 angulas in one day and night. Manu placed in a big sized vessel. Then in a lake. The fish went on increasing; and Manu had to leave him into the sea. This fish saved him in the deluge (also Agni P. 2.4-16). As the father of manking, Manu became famous; and in different eras different Manu-s are said to rule. The first Manu is said to be Svaayambhuva. Then, in chronological order, they are svaarocisha, Auttama, Taamasa, Raivata, Caakshusa, Vaivasvata, Saavarn.i, Daaksha saavarn.i, Brahma saavarn.i, Dharma saavarn.i, Rudra saavarn.i, Raucya and Bhautya (Garuda P. I. 87.1 ff.) There is slight change in the case of certain names; thus, in the place of Daaksha saavarn.i there is Arka saavarn.i (saavarn.i indicates in all places ‘the son of saavarn.aa’; savarn.aa is the wife of Vivasvant, the aspect of the sun); and in the place of Bhautya, there appears bhootya (Sk. P. VII. 1.105.39-40). The S’iva P. (V.34.2-5) does not mention Vaivasvata, Daksha saavarn.i_, and Bhautya (or Bhootya); but instead again Manu, Deva saavarn.i and Indra saavarn.i. An era, presided over by each of these Manus is called manvantara (‘different Manu’). Each of the Manus is said to have his sons, the seers in that manvantara, the gods in it, the Indra (‘Lord’ in this context) and the incarnation (ibid., Agni P. 219.14-16; also Koorma P. I.49.4 ff; Maark. P. 53.6 ff.; Brahmaan.d.a P. II.4.1.9 ff; also I.2.36.3 ff; Brahma P. I.53 ff). The Agni P. (150.1-21) has Vipas’cit in the place of the Svaarocisha, and Uttama for Auttama; it has also Sooryaputra, the son of the sun from Chaayaa in the place of Rudra saavarn.i (actually saavarn.aa was the substitute of Saran.yoo, the wife of Vivasvant, whom she placed for herself and ran away to her father’s place, being unable to bear the luster of her husband); (see ‘Chaayaa’, ‘Earth’). The fourteen Manus are identified with 14 letters (Sk. P. I.2.5.71 ff). Legends about the creation of certain Manus obtain. According to the Brahma P. (I.53-55) Vishn.u created Viraaj; the latter created Purusha (the man); he himself is Manu; he created the various manvantaras. Purusha was himself the Prajaapati (‘Lord of creation’) and Svaayambhuva. He married S’ataroopaa, who was born supernaturally (ayan-jaa, ‘not born from the female organ’). Every manvantara consists of seventy-one yugas (eras) (Ib. 2.1.4). According to the Maark. P. (50.9-10) from the wrath of Brahmaa was produced Svaayambhuva Manu, having a two-fold nature – man and woman into one (Ib. 10 ardhanaari_naravapuh). He divided his body in many forms to suit S’araroopaa (‘Of hundred forms’). Among the Manus, Caakshusa has an interesting account. Apart from the fact that he is born from the eye (cakshus) of Brahmaa, he is said to have been born, in one of his previous births, to Giribhadraa, the queen of the king of Avantee. But, soon after his birth, he was transferred by an evil power to Haiminee, the wife of king Vikraanta, whose fresh-born babe was carried by the evil power to a Brahman.a’s wife, whose fresh-born she (the Evil power) devoured. Vikraanta names the (transferred) child Aananda (Mark. P. 76.2 ff). The Sk. P. (V.2.33), which records the account, gives the name of the king of Avantee as Agnimitra. Aananda was destined to be the Sixth Manu. The account uses the well-known motif of transfer of foetus. Taamasa Manu is said to be the son of king Svaraashtra and Utpalaavatee. He is said to be so named as he was born when Utpalaavatee was in her taamasa birth (i.e., birth marked by unholy acts). He is said to have gained many divine powers by propitiating the Sun-god, and defeated his enemy Vimarda (Maark. P. 74.48-52). The following chart gives various entities in the reign of various Manus according to the Garud.a P. (I.87.1 ff; cf. Agni. P. 150.1-21 for slight variation).

Svaayambhuva (Sons: Aagneedhra etc.); Vishnu incarnation: Cakradhara
Svaarochisha (Sons : Man.d.ales’vara, Ravi etc.) Vishnu incarnation : elephant form
Auttama (Sons : Aaja, Paras’u etc.) Vishnu incarnation : Fish-form
Taamasa (Sons : Jaanujangha, Nirbhaya etc.) Vishnu incarnation: Tortoise-form
Raivata (Sons: Ampran.a, Saadhaka etc.) Vishnu incarnation : Swan-form
Chaakshusa (Sons : Uru, Puru etc.) Vishnu incarnation : Horse-form

About Chaayaa : ‘Chaayaa comes in the Vedic myth of the Sun (in his aspect of Vivasvaan) and Saran.yoo, which states that the former ran after the latter to unite with her. The latter took the form of a mare; hence the former took that of a horse (RV. X.17.2) To avoid the sun, Saran.yoo (who is called Sanjnaa in the Puraan.a-s) created her substitute names Chaayaa. When the sun united with Chaayaa, Saavarn.ee Manu, S’ani (the planet Saturn) and the daughter Tapatee were born, while Yama was the son of the sun from Sanjnaa. Chaayaa loved her children more than she did Yama. This enranged Yama, who cursed her to be black. Yama raised his foot to hit Chaayaa, his step-mother. The latter cursed hism that his foot will fall off (Maark. P. 77.11-35). The Brahma P. (6.9 ff) which as the same account, adds that Sanjnaa created the substitute, as she was unable to bear the luster of the sun. When Yama complained to the sun of the ill-treatment of Chaayaa, the sun held her by her hair and admonished her (Ib. 33-34). The same account occurs further also (Ib. 32.52 ff). When the sun united with Sanjnaa in his horse-form, the latter doubted him to be another person and threw off his semen from her mouth and nose; thence were born the twin-gods As’vins (S’iva P. V. 35.32-34). Earlier when Chaayaa was rebuked by the sun for the ill-treatment of Yama, she told that she was not Sanjnaa; that the latter was busy practicing yoga in the forest (Ib. 26 vane vasati s’aadvale), not being able to bear the sun’s luster. Chaayaa then made the sun’s luster mild (Ib. 26-29). The Brahmaan.d.a P. (I.2-36.96-98) has a different story. According to it one Sr.s.t.i was the son of Dhruva and Bhoomi. Sr.s.t.i told his own shadow to be a woman. Hence his shadow became a woman, from whom Sr.s.t.i produced five sons. Obviously, the story has no connection with the Chaaya-Sanjnaa myth. (unquote)(Sadashiv Ambadas Dange, 1987, Encyclopaedia of Puranic beliefs and practices, Navrang, New Delhi, pp. 989-992).

S. Kalyanaraman
29 May 2008

Indian Judiciary’s savage attack on Ramayana -- V. Sundaram

2008-05-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

Indian Judiciary’s savage attack on Ramayana

V SUNDARAM

Tue, 27 May, 2008 , 03:33 PM (Newstoday)

The Delhi High Court gave a deliberate death blow to the religious feelings, sentiments and susceptibilities of nearly one billion Hindus of India in absolute majority and several millions of Hindus abroad last week (19th of May 2008) when it dismissed a Writ Petition filed by Ms.Monica Arora on behalf of Shri Dina Nath Mishra, Dr.Ravindra Nath Pal, Sri Vidya Sagar Verma, Sri Achraya Sohan Lal Ram Rang, Dr. Payal Mago, Shri Mahesh Chandra Sharma, Shri Ramgopal Agarwal and Shri Atul Rawat under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuing of writ or direction or order in the nature of Mandamus or any other Writ or Direction or order directing the respondents (University of Delhi represented by its Vice Chancellor, Members of its Academic Council, Dr.Upinder Singh, Reader in History, University of Delhi and others) to withdraw the derogatory, defamatory and offensive Article written by Mr. A.K.Ramanujam, compiled by Dr. Upinder Singh being taught in B.A.(Hons) II Year History course in Delhi University under the title – Culture in India: Ancient. The petitioners included eminent educationists, former Ambassador, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of University, Principal, Lecturer, Teacher, Journalist, Deputy Mayor of MCD and renowned socio-religious leaders. I AM QUOTING THE RELEVANT EXTRACTS FROM THEIR WRIT PETITION: The petitioners are deeply aggrieved by the course curriculum of B.A. (Hons.) II year History Course being taught in Delhi University. The aforesaid course consists of three articles in which the article under controversy is written by Shri A.K. Ramanujan titled, ‘300 Ramayanas: five examples and three thoughts on translation.’ ………….
That in the aforesaid article the revered figures of Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) namely Lord Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman have been depicted in bad light. It uses derogatory, defamatory and offensive language, regarding Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
i. That the Article terms Lord Hanuman as henchman of Lord Ram and then again as a ‘Tiny monkey’.
ii. The Article states that Ravana became Pregnant, his month wise pregnancy has been described and that he gives birth to Sita through his sneeze.
iii. It is further stated that both Ravana and Laxman used to seduce Sita.
iv. Sita has been described as unfaithful to Ram.
v. That the King of Gods Indra has been described as a base and a perverse man.
vi. Revered Hindu Saintly mother Ahalya has been described as unfaithful to her husband –The Great Rishi Gautama.
vii. That the Great Rishi Gautama curses King Indra in such a manner that his Testicles fall down. Then on the request of the gods animal’s testicles are implanted on his body.
viii. That the body of God Indra gets covered with vaginas of thousands of women
4. The language of the article is so abusive, perverse and below the accepted standards that it will cause irreparable damage to the impressionable minds of the students studying in B.A. (Hons) II year History Course in Delhi University.
5. That there is growing concern and alarm among the public at large regarding the teaching of such a sacrilegious and perverse material being taught in Delhi University. That the said Article is not only derogatory, defamatory and hurtful to the Hindus but also is an offence under various provisions of Indian Penal Code.
6. That there has been considerable opposition to this syllabus and demand for removal of this Article by students, teachers, lecturers, academicians, historians, religious & political leaders and social activists. They have sent many representations, legal notices and Memorandums to the President of India, Minister of Human Resource & Development and Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University. There have also been signature campaigns and Demonstrations for the removal of the aforesaid Article. That many Newspapers have also carried out Articles against the aforesaid Article being taught in Delhi University and called for its removal.
7. That the aforesaid article is violative of Articles 14, 15, 19, 21, 25 and Article 15A of the Constitution of India. That it is an offence under Section 153,153(A), 295(A), 298,505(2), 292,293 and other provisions of Indian Penal Code. That it is also violative of the judgement of Hon’ble Supreme Court in Aruna Roy v. Union of India, W.P.(C) No.98/2002, 2002AIR (SC) 3176.

HENCE THE PRESENT WRIT PETITION.In their Writ Petition, the Petitioners had alleged that the respondent No.3 is Dr. Upinder Singh, Reader Department of History, University of Delhi. That she has compiled the course material for B.A. (Hons) II year History course being taught in Delhi University. All the educated Hindus of India have taken due note of the fact that Dr.Upinder Singh is the daughter of our de jure Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh (a surrogate non-entity!), who is nominally heading an Islam-embracing, Christianity-coveting, Hindu-hating, Hindu-baiting and Hinduism destroying UPA Government under the strangle hold of a de facto woman Prime Minister – a dictatorial imposter from Italy owing her allegiance to the Pope in Rome and not to the letter and spirit to the Indian Constitution. The Hindus of India are therefore not shocked that Sonia Gandhi and her anti-Hindu men operated through the surrogate Prime Minister to influence Delhi University to get A.K.Ramanujan’s anti-Rama and anti-Ramayana essay included in the syllabus of Delhi University in an effortless manner.

The Delhi High Court rejected the contention by the Petitioners that the Hindu Gods and Goddesses were referred to by A.K.Ramanujan in a ‘defamatory’ and ‘derogatory’ language by saying that these are folklore and interpreted in various ways. The High Court said that the Ramayan subject was part of a well-researched article done by noted scholar A.K.Ramanujan.

I reliably understand that the following conversation took place between Ms.Monica Arora, the Advocate for the Petitioners and the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, during the course of the judicial proceedings in open court.

Chief Justice: Have you read Periyar’s Keemaayana?Advocate: No, my Lord.Chief Justice: Do you know that Periyar’s Keemaayana is very popular in Tamilnadu? Are you aware of the fact that in Kamba Raamayana there are extensive references to Ahalya and her intimate overtures?Advocate: The language of A.K. Ramanujun is so abusive, perverse and below the accepted standards that it is causing irreparable damage to the impressionable minds of the students studying in B.A.(Hons) II year History Course in the University of Delhi.

Ms.Monica Arora invited the attention of the Chief Justice in open Court to the brutal fact as to how the University of Ranchi, on 1st of May 2008, had hurriedly cancelled its post-graduation history paper after thousands of Muslims took to the streets protesting against a reference to Prophet Mohammed in a history question paper which they said was derogatory. Ranchi University Vice Chancellor A.H. Khan, shortly after his meeting with Chief Minister Madhu Koda, announced: ‘a five-member committee has been constituted (to probe) the question paper. The examination has been cancelled’. Muslim organisations organised a march and ransacked the university office to protest against the offending question in the history paper. The police used force to control the mob. Finally Chief Minister Koda said: ‘We have asked the vice chancellor to probe the matter and take suitable action against the person who prepared the question. We appeal to people to maintain calm’.

Against this factual background, not belonging to superstitious ancient Hindu History but to Ranchi city of 1st of May 2008, Ms.Monica Arora posed these questions to the Chief Justice: ‘How can there be two different kinds of responses from Government, Courts of Law and other Public Organizations? One kind of paternal response towards the beloved Muslims and another kind of malignant response towards the hated and hunted Hindus? If Muslims go on a rampage, they would be heard with fear, kindness and reverence, whether they are right or wrong? If Hindus make a reasonable representation to the public authorities, their requests and entreaties would be treated with indifference, and insensitivity (particularly towards their long-cherished and sacred religious feelings and beliefs), in a manner bordering on supreme contempt?’

Ms.Monica Arora also invited the attention of the Chief Justice to the ruling given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Manzer Sayed Khan v. State of Maharashtra, Criminal Appeal No. 491 and 491/ 2007 (05/04/2007) in 2007 AIR (SC) 2074 that ‘intention has to be judged primarily by the language of the book and the circumstances in which the book was written and published’. Applying this judicial yardstick, she told the Chief Justice that A.K. Ramanujan has picked up anything negative found in different versions of Ramayan spread all over the world with malicious intention of defaming and denigrating the characters of Lord Ram, Hanuman, Laxman and Sita. The Article aims at projecting the entire epic of Ramayana and its characters as fallacious, capricious, imaginary and fake. She asserted as a practicing Hindu that this article is greatly humiliating and grossly offending to the religious belief and faith of the Hindu. Finally she said that A.K.Ramanujan is neither a historian nor an authority on such historical or religious texts. The Petition of Ms.Monica Arora, constitutes by itself, a great piece of legal literature.

Chief Justice Hidayatullah once observed that the Prime Minister of India couldn’t function like a great Mughal. The common Hindus of India would like to declare to all the anti-Hindu Judges of India that they too cannot function in a capricious manner like great Mughals. I would like to invite the kind attention of the Delhi High Court to the following irreplaceable words of American Justice Benamin Cardozo spoken in 1921: ‘My analysis of the Judicial process comes then to this, and little more: logic, and history, and custom and utility, and the accepted standards of right conduct, or the forces which singly or in combination shape the progress of the law’. 127 years earlier, another great British Justice Thomas Erskine, Lord Chancellor of England had declared in a similar manner in 1794: ‘The rules of evidence are founded in the charities of religion – in the philosophy of nature — in the truths of history, and in the experience of common life’. In short they are not based on the banalities and prejudices of political pseudo-secularism, career-oriented servile political opportunism, blatant philosophy of undeclared and unstated Hindu discrimination and in the private lives, prejudices and passions of transitory individual Judges, holding their briefs for the moment, in our Courts of Law. Individual and mortal Judges may come and go but eternal Hinduism will go on forever. No Court of Law in India can shake this deathless faith of the Hindus of India.

Wed, 28 May, 2008 , 04:28 PM

Even a cursory reading of the book `MANY RAMAYANAS', The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia, edited by Paula Richman, in which the controversial article of A.K. Ramanujan was included as the second lead article (Oxford University Press Publication of 1992) will show how prejudiced Paula Richman and her team of chosen anti-Hindu `intellectual' gangsters (A.K.Ramanujan included!) were even before they set out on this combined `criminal' intellectual assault on Lord Rama, Ramayana and Hinduism. The point I am making will be clear from Paragraph one (1) of Chapter One (1) of Paula Richman's article titled `Introduction: The Diversity of the Ramayana Tradition':

'In January 1987 viewers in India began to tune in, each Sunday morning for a Hindi television serial based on the Ramayana story. Observers estimate that over eighty million people watched the weekly broadcasts. In a land where most people do not own televisions and electricity remains in short supply, many gathered at the homes of relatives or at local tea shops to view the epic, while engineers worked overtime to supply adequate current. In some places entire villages joined together to rent a television set. It was not just that people watched the show: they became so involved in it that they were loath to see it end. Despite the fact that Doordarshan, the government-run network, had only contracted with the producer for a year's worth of episodes, the audience demanded more. In fact, sanitation workers in Jalandhar went on strike because the serial was due to end without depicting the events of the seventh, and final, book of the Ramayana. The strike spread among sanitation workers in many major cities in North India, compelling the government to sponsor the desired episodes in order to prevent a major health hazard. Quite apart from such militant enthusiasm, the manner in which viewers watched the serial was also striking. Many people responded to the image of Rama on the television screen as if it were an icon in a temple. They bathed before watching, garlanded the set like a shrine, and considered the viewing of Rama to be a religious experience'.

In the light of the above pompously supercilious and uncalled for observations of Paula Richman, any self respecting Hindu or Indian for that matter would be forced to ask the following simple questions in this context:

a. What are the credentials of Paula Richman to question the intellectual, cultural, social and religious rights of the Hindus in India to tune in each Sunday morning for a Hindi television serial based on the Ramayana Story?
b. Is she not talking like a typical Western Christian Missionary Racist of the 19th century? What does she mean by `militant enthusiasm' of the Hindus of India?
c. How does the `manner' in which the viewers watched the Ramayana serial affect her? What did she find `striking' in that `manner'?
d. Is Paula Richman a global turnkey contractor for the spiritual and social conscience of the heathenish and paganish Hindus of India or Asia? How does it matter to her as a Christian (We in India are not concerned with the Christian denomination to which she belongs nor are we interested in whether she is a Christian at all?) as to how many people in India and South East Asia responded to the image of Rama on the television screen as if it were an icon in a temple?
e. Would Paula Richman be interested in raising such questions relating to Christian viewers of a TV Serial on Jesus Christ in different parts of Europe, USA or Africa or Australia?

Paula Richman's anti-Hindu, anti-Rama and anti-Ramayana prejudice comes out into the open when she says `They (Hindus) bathed before watching, garlanded the TV set like a shrine, and considered the viewing of Rama to be a religious experience'. She is guilty of both calculated sanctimonious humbug on the one hand and unabashed anti-Hindu racism on the other.

Cover Photo of the book, Many Ramayanas: Delhi University’s Valmiki Ramayana!! (Duly Approved by Delhi HighCourt)

And then Paula Richman goes on to talk about the views of another kindred anti-Hindu spirit like Philip Lutgendorf regarding the size, response, and nature of the television Ramayana's audience. Let us hear Philip Lutgendorf `s learned views on this exciting and from their point of view, sexually titillating theme:
`The Ramayan serial had become the most popular programme ever shown on Indian television — and something more; an event, a phenomenon of such proportions that intellectuals and policy makers struggled to come to terms with its significance and long-range import. Never before had such a large percentage of South Asia's population been united in a single activity; never before had a single message instantaneously reached so enormous a regional audience'. Paula Richman and Philip Lutgendorf would have gone into flights of divine ecstasy if only the single message of Jesus Christ had reached these millions in India and Asia.

The Ramayana TV serial of 1987 created a new cultural revolution in India. It united all the Hindus of India and South East Asia for the first time and made them feel that they were all part of one large and extended family. The anti-Hindu Congress Party under Rajiv Gandhi, and the Communist Party of India joined together and contacted the Missionary and Christian agencies in Europe and America and thought of an intellectual plot to counter the expanding new cultural impact of the Ramayana TV serial on India and South East Asia. I have no doubt that the book edited by Paula Richman titled `Many Ramayanas' was a direct outcome of such political initiatives of anti-Hindu groups and political parties in India.

My suspicion in this regard has been confirmed by the bumptious reference made by Paula Richman to the Ramayana of Periyar in her preface. To quote her own words, `This book began owing to my puzzlement. For years I had heard people refer to E.V.Ramasami's interpretation of the Ramayana in a mocking and dismissive way. When I actually analyzed his reading of the story of Rama, however, I found much of it strikingly compelling and coherent if viewed in light of his anti-North Indian ideology. While I was talking one day with A.K.Ramanujan about my attempts to make sense of this particular reading of the Rama story, he gave me a copy of a paper he had presented entitled `Three Hundred Ramayanas'. I read this piece again and again because it challenges us to look at the Ramayana tradition in a new way. Each contributor to the volume also read Ramanujan's essay, which now comprises Chapter 2 of this volume. Every other chapter can be seen, in some way, as a response to some of the questions that Ramanujan raises'. Paula Richman is the ringleader of this conspiracy against Lord Rama, Ramayana and Hinduism.

In order to gain the political acceptance of pseudo-secular anti-Hindu intellectuals in India, she has roped in A.K.Ramanujan and included his article in her book of anti-Hindu propaganda. By declaring that all the other articles in her volume by writers like Frank E.Reynolds, Kathleen M. Erndl, David Shulman, Velcheru Narayana Rao, Clinton Seely, Stuart H. Blackburn, Patricia Y.Mumme, Philip Lugendorf and Ramdass Lamb etc. etc. can be seen, in some way, as a response to some of the questions that A.K.Ramanujan raises, Paula Richman has made it very clear that her whole book has been designed, planned, organized and launched as a new Bible of this anti-Rama and anti-Ramayana Brigade.

It ought to be a matter of great concern that the Delhi High Court has failed to take note of the simple fact that Paula Richman's book is nothing but a cheap and crude book with complete focus only on anti-Rama and anti-Ramayana (and of course anti-Hindu) propaganda. Our Courts of Law have no business to function as Marketing Managers of such dirty tricksters and anti-Hindu intellectual gangsters and paid mercenaries. To quote the brilliant words of Dr. Kalyanaraman, an international authority on Saraswathi Civilization and Culture: `Whether it is A.K. Ramanujam's perverted view of some anecdotes in the journey of Rama ignoring the fact that Rama was the embodiment of dharma (vigrahavaan dharma), or Paul Courtright's perception of Ganesha's trunk as a limp phallus or Wendy Doniger's critique of Bhagavad Gita as a dishonest book — all these pseudo-scholarship accounts belong to the same genre _ that of Gutter Inspectors' Sexist Reports. Sex in Sanskrit texts seem to hold a special fascination for some of these, possibly sex-starved, academics, ignoring the sublime aadhyaatmika message sought to be conveyed by many Hindu religious traditions governed by twin precepts of dharma _ nihs'reyas (bliss) and abhyudayam (welfare). The texts, which are held sacred by millions of Hindus, are sought to be smudged. The messages of global, eternal ethic of Dharma, which constitute the essence of the texts, are sought to be distorted. This gutter inspection continues to be indulged in, in the name of `academic freedom'. The phrase, `gutter inspectors' report' was made popular by Gandhi's description of Katherine Mayo's book, `Mother India' in 1927'.

What is most shocking and repulsive to the Hindus of India is the fact that many of our Supreme Court and High Court Judges today seem to be consciously joining this anti-Rama, anti-Ramayana and anti-Hindu intellectual brigade with tremendous judicial and secular enthusiasm in so unconscionable a manner.

Thu, 29 May, 2008 , 04:11 PM
.
Cicero in his classic work De Republica, De Legibus wrote for all time that, ‘it can truly be said that the Magistrate is a speaking law, and the law a silent agistrate’.
Most of our politically-tuned and legally-dead High Court and Supreme Court Judges seem to be subscribing to this day-to-day working philosophy: ‘It can truly be said that any Judge is a speaking politician and the law a silent politician’. These thoughts came to my mind when it was brought to my notice that the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court in a recent case relating to a textbook controversy

relating to Delhi University put this question to the advocate for the petitioners:
‘Have you read the Ramayana of Periyar?’This question raised by the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has hurt the religious feelings and sentiments of millions and millions of Hindus in India and abroad. The accepted axiom is that the ignorance of law on the part of any citizen cannot be an excuse for violation of the law. If that be so, blatant ignorance of known facts about Periyar cannot also be conceded as an inherent and vested legal right on the part of Judges at any level dealing with public cases.
Periyar was well known for his anti-Hindu, anti-Aryan, anti-Rama, anti-Ramayana and anti-Brahmin writings and political propaganda for nearly five decades from 1920 to 1970.

In 1958 (AIR 1958 SC 1032), the Supreme Court of India, in a case relating to Veerabathra Chettiar Vs. E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker (Periyar), ruled that Periyar had grossly violated the provisions of Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code when he broke a Vinayaka Vigraha (idol). The Supreme Court also ruled that it did not matter whether the statue broken was from a temple or whether puja was being done to the Vigraha (idol). Periyar was punished by the Supreme Court of India under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). When Periyar was punished, he was 79 years old and not a young man of uncontrolled or uncontrollable impulses. In other words, he was indulging in a deliberate criminal act to wound the religious feelings of the Hindus of India and he was duly punished by the Supreme Court. What does Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) state or say? Indian Penal Code states:

IPC Section 295A: Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs’Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of 2 [citizens of India], 3 [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 4 [three years], or with fine, or with both.’ In the light of this analysis, it should be clear that Periyar’s Ramayana (known as Keemayana) will attract Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and to the best of my lowly knowledge as a private citizen, neither the High Court of Delhi nor for that matter any other High Court in India, has been vested with the Constitutional right to overlook or ignore the provisions of Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

The controversial anti-Rama and anti-Ramayana article of A.K.Ramanujan has been prescribed as a textbook by Delhi University in violation of Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code. And yet the Delhi High Court has chosen to uphold the stand of Delhi University. This Article formed a part of a book titled Many Ramayanas (The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia) edited by Paula Richman. I had written about her anti-Hindu and anti-Rama propaganda in these columns yesterday. In the same book there is an article titled
E.V.Ramasami’s (Periyar) ‘Reading of the Ramayana’ by Paula Richman.

How Periyar led his followers in burning pictures of Lord Rama on 1st of August 1956 on the Marina Beach has been described by Paula Richman in this Article: ‘On the 1st day of August in 1956, E.V.Ramasami (Periyar) set out for the Madras Marina to lead his followers in burning pictures of Lord Rama, Hero of the Ramayana. This symbolic action would represent a reversal of the culmination of North Indian performances of the Ramayana, in which the images of the epic’s villain, Ravana, are put to the flames as spectators watch in delight. Rejecting Rama as hypocritical and weak, worthy only of scorn, E.V.Ramasami (Periyar) saw Ravana as the true Hero of the tale. E.V.Ramasami’s (EVR) iconoclastic reading comprised more than just another exegesis of a religious text, however. It was the centerpiece of his campaign against Brahmincal Hinduism, conducted in the context of his assertion of Dravidian, that is, South Indian, identity…. EVR’s Rama-burning campaign was neither an isolated incident nor a stunt of some prankster. From the late 1920s through to the end of his life, he developed as a serious and thorough critic of the characters of the Ramayana, of which the 1956 agitation was simply one manifestation. EVR (Periyar) reads the Ramayana as a text of political domination’. Thus we can see that Paula Richman, A.K.Ramanujan and other so-called scholars who have contributed articles to the book Many Ramayanas already referred to above, are all intellectual gangsters belonging to an anti-Hindu, anti-Rama and anti-Ramayana brigade with a clear political and evangelical agenda. The University of Delhi is also part of this brigade. They are guilty of violation of Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code. This simple fact has been ignored by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. The Delhi High Court showed greater consideration towards Periyar’s political Ramayana than towards Valmiki’s sacred Ramayana and this has caused grievous hurt to the religious feelings of all the Hindus of India.
Periyar was very proud of his Himalayan ignorance about the Ramayana (which he called Keemayana), an ignorance that was rooted in his unabashed arrogance. The simplest example to prove how he embraced ignorance with his characteristic Dravidian fervour and ferocity is this: He thought that Lord Rama was a Brahmin and Ravana was a Sudra. The real truth of the matter is Lord Rama was a Kshatriya and Ravana was an orthodox Brahmin. This fact known for ages cannot be ignored by any Court of Law in India today (excepting perhaps the Delhi High Court!) Justice Holmes said, ‘To a clear judicial eye, the smallest fact is a window through which the Infinite may be seen’. The Delhi High Court should have been able to see through the political games of Paula Richman, A.K.Ramanujan and Periyar.
Moreover no publicly responsible Court of Law in India can fail to take note of the following barbarous sayings of Periyar. Here are a few flashes of wisdom and knowledge from the armory of Periyaraana:
‘Tamil is a barbarous language and Tamilians are barbarians’
‘15th August 1947 is a day of national mourning and sorrow and not freedom’ (Periyar and his party observed the day of our Independence on 15th August 1947 as a day of mourning)
‘King Dasaratha married his own sister Kausalya, mother of Lord Rama’.
‘There is no harm whatsoever in any father marrying his own daughter’.
‘There is no harm whatsoever in any man marrying his own younger or elder sister’.
‘Married women indulging in extra marital relations, is the starting point of Women’s freedom and emancipation’.
‘Anybody who worships any God is a fool’.
‘I don’t say that you should not worship any God or Gods. All that I am saying is that you should do it as a Christian or as a Muslim and not as a superstitious Hindu’. (This brings out that Periyar was a true anti-Hindu communal racist)
The Delhi High Court ought to have been aware of the savage anti-Hindu and anti-national ravings and rantings of Periyar cited above. The Chief Justice put this question to the advocate for one of the petitioners in the case under review: Have you read Periyar’s Ramayana? Perhaps the Delhi High Court was under the impression that Periyar is one of the greatest intellectual giants like Bertrand Russell or Karl Marx in the history of mankind. When I mentioned this episode to a former retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India, he told me that the question raised by Delhi High Court can be likened only to a question that was put by a Judge to a woman who had come up before his Court with a petition for divorce against her husband for his extra-marital faithlessness. The Judge even before hearing the woman’s complaint asked with great solemnity ‘Have you read Vatsyayana’s Kamasutra or Havelock Ellis’s treatise on Sex?’ All the helpless Hindus of India are feeling like this divorced woman today.

It has been reported that when the case relating to the Lord Rama and Ramayana textbook controversy in Delhi University came up before the Delhi High Court, the Chief Justice put this question to Monica Arora, the counsel for the Petitioners who had moved the High Court for a writ of mandamus to be issued to the University of Delhi:
‘Have you read Periyar’s Ramayana?’ How sublime was Periyar’s attitude towards Lord Rama and Ramayana can be seen from the cartoon presented above. Perhaps Periyar treated Shoes and Chappals offered to Lord Rama as his sacred flowers!

Perhaps Delhi High Court is unaware of the fact that Periyar and his followers took out a procession in 1970 in Salem city in Tamilnadu, carrying the pictures and idols of Lord Rama, decorated with garlands of Shoes and Chappals and their main objective was to cause a deliberate hurt to the religious feelings and sentiments of the Hindus of India. In my view all of them were guilty of grave offences under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

About two years ago I had written an article in News Today under the Title ‘Decoding the Dravidian Drival’ in which I wrote: ‘By his highly original writings and platform speeches Periyar tried to educate the Tamilians that he was being rational when in fact he was being racist. The quintessence of rational-racial Dravidianism is that all spiritual knowledge is superstitious and all secular ignorance is rational; character is superstitious and debauchery is rational; chastity is superstitious and prostitution of mind, body, heart and soul is rational; any form of discipline is superstitious and all forms of indiscipline are rational; universally accepted truth is superstitious and blatant ‘Dravidian’ untruth is rational, refinement is superstitious and brutality is rational; justice is superstitious and rapacity is rational, counsels of the wise and the good (especially if they are Hindus) are generally superstitious and the flattery of knaves particularly rational. And finally to crown it all having a legally wedded wife is superstitious and irrational and having innumerable concubines is logically rational’.

Against this background, it should be clear that the essays of Paula Richman on Periyar and A.K.Ramanujan on 300 Ramayanas in the controversial book Many Ramayanas edited by Paula Richman are tarred with the same brush of anti-Rama and anti-Hindu barbarous political propaganda. How could the textbook committee of the University of Delhi have overlooked this patently obvious background of Periyar and his admirers like Paula Richman, A.K.Ramanujan, David Shallman, Frank E.Reynolds, Philip Lutgendorf and others?

Montaigne, the great French writer of the 16th century observed, ‘No man is exempt from talking nonsense. The misfortune is to do it solemnly’. This observation of Montaigne came to my mind when I read in the Newspapers that the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court observed in the Delhi University textbook controversy case: ‘The essay of A.K.Ramanujan prescribed as a textbook for B.A.(Hons) II year History students is a well researched one’.

How well researched A.K.Ramanujan’s article is has been thoroughly exposed by Ms.Monica Arora, counsel for the Petitioners, in her brilliantly drawn up petition. I am presenting below the relevant extracts from this petition:

A.K.Ramanujan, ‘300 Ramayanas: five examples and three thoughts on translation’. In Paula Richman ed., Many Ramayanas: the diversity of a narrative tradition in South Asia (New Delhi, 1992). PP 22-49.
(Page no: 131 of ANNEXURE-2)
18. To quote from the Article:

The King of Spirits said, ‘There have been as many Ramas as there are rings on this platter. When you return to earth, you will not find Rama. This incarnation of Rama is now over. Whenever an incarnation of Rama is about to be over, his ring falls down. I collect them and keep them. Now you can go’. So Hanuman Left.

This story is usually told to suggest that for every Rama there is a Ramayana.

(Page no: 133 of ANNEXURE-2)
19. That further the author narrate the story of Ahalya.

The Ahalya Episode: Valmiki:
Men pursuing their desire do not wait for the proper season, ‘O you who have a perfect body. Making love with you: that’s what I want. That waist of yours is lovely’, She knew it was Indra of the Thousand Eyes in the guise of the sage. Yet she, wrongheaded woman, made up her mind, excited, curious about the king of the gods. And then, her inner being satisfied, she said to the god, ‘I’m satisfied, king of the gods, Go quickly from here. O giver of honour, lover, protect yourself and me’. And Indra smiled and said to Ahalya, ‘Woman of lovely hips, I am very content. I’ll go the way I came.’Thus after making love, he came out of the hut made of leaves. The sage, facing Thousand Eyes now dressed as the sage, the one rich in virtue and the other with none, spoke to him in anger: You took my form; you fool, and did this that should never be done. Therefore, you will lose your testicles.’ At once, they fell to the ground, they fell even as the great sage spoke.

(Page no: 135, 136 of ANNEXURE-2)
‘I’ve only done this work on behalf of the gods, putting great Gautama in a rage, blocking his tapas’. ‘Great gods, sages, and celestial singers, help me, helper of the gods, to regain my testicles,’ And the gods led by Agni, listened and went with the Marut hosts to the divine ancestors, and said, ‘Some time ago, Indra, infatuated, ravished the sage’s wife and was then emasculated by the sage’s curse. Indra, king of gods, destroyer of cities, is now angry with the gods. This Ram has testicles but great Indra has lost his., So take the Ram’s testicles’.Eyes dropping fire, Gautama saw what was done, and his words flew like the burning arrows at your hand: ‘May you be covered by the vaginas of a thousand women!’ In the twinkle of an eye they came and covered him.

(Page no: 140 of ANNEXURE-2) 22. That the author further states that in Jaina Tellings:
‘Ravana is not a demon, he is not cannibal and a flesh eater. Wrong–thinking poetasters and fools tell these lies’. ‘Ravana is one of the sixty-three leaders or Salakapurushas of the Jaina tradition. He is noble, learned, earns all his magical powers and weapons through austerities (tapas), and is devotee of Jaina masters’.

(Page no: 144 of ANNEXURE-2)
‘It is such a Ravana who falls in love with Sita’s beauty, abducts her, tries to win her favors in vain, watches himself fall, and finally dies on the battlefield. In these tellings, he is a great man undone by a passion’.
(Page no: 145 of ANNEXURE-2) (Page no: 146, 147 of ANNEXURE-2)
24. That the author states that the ‘abnormal birth of Sita as the daughter born directly to the male, Ravana brings to story of new range of suggestions: The male envy of womb and child birth’.
(Page no: 148 of ANNEXURE-2)
25. That he says that in ‘several folk traditions of Kannada and Telugu as ell as in several Southeast Asian Ramayanas, the motif of Sita as Ravana’s daughter is not unknown’.

‘In some traditions, Ravana in his lusty youth molests a young woman, who vows vengeance and is reborn as his daughter to destroy him. Thus the oral traditions seem to partake of yet another set of themes unknown in Valmiki’.

(Page no: 149 of ANNEXURE-2)
27. That further the author states that ‘a crow steals some of the rice and takes it to Ravana’s wife, who eats it and gives birth to Sita. A prophecy that his daughter will cause his death makes Ravana throw Sita into the sea, where the sea goddess protects her and takes her to Janaka’.

28.That in the next paragraph the author states that ‘neither celibate nor devout, as in the Hindu Ramayanas, here Hanuman is quite a ladies’ man, who does not at all mind looking into the bedrooms of Lanka and does not consider seeing another man’s sleeping wife anything immoral, as Valmiki’s or kampan’s Hanuman does’.

Any self-respecting scholar can see that A.K.Ramanujan has violated the advice of the great scientist Thomas Huxley: ‘My business is to teach my aspirations to conform themselves to fact, not to try to make facts harmonize with my aspirations’. A.K.Ramanujan has only attempted to twist and present pre-chosen dirty and vulgar facts to suit his prejudiced anti-Rama, anti-Ramayana and anti-Hindu notions.

Nobody questions the intellectual freedom and liberty of A.K.Ramanujan to write any amount of pornographic literature loaded with all forms of imagined vulgarity. The main point is whether such vulgar writings should be considered as fit enough for being prescribed as a textbook for the second year B.A. (Hons) History students in Delhi University, and that too under the title ‘Ancient India – Culture’. Are they the best specimens of ‘Ancient Indian Culture’? Is A.K.Ramanujan the best representative of ancient Indian culture? This is the moot question. Will the Delhi University dare to include some of the pornographic portions from the Old Testament, New Testament and the Quran as prescribed texts for the study of ‘Ancient Christian Culture’ or ‘Ancient Islamic Culture’? What would be the ruling of the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court on such initiatives? The besieged Hindus of India are waiting with bated breath for an answer from the Delhi High Court rooted in equity and natural justice.

I derive my inspiration for all this from Justice Lord Atkin who said justice is not a cloistered virtue; she must be allowed to suffer the scrutiny and respectful, even though outspoken, comments of ordinary men. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes has said that the law is the witness and external deposit of our moral life. Its history is the history of the moral development of our race. Finally I would conclude in the words of Justice Benjamin Cardozo: ‘The judge is under a duty, within the limits of his power of innovation, to maintain a relation between law and morals, between the precepts of jurisprudence and those of reason and good conscience’.

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)e-mail the writer at vsundaram@newstodaynet.com

http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)
e-mail the writer at
vsundaram@newstodaynet.com
http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33

Certifying the lowest status: whither quota raj?

2008-05-28T02:36:00.000-07:00

Certifying the lowest status: whither quota raj?

Gujjar agitation is a demand for ST status that is a status lower than that of OBC.

Will grant of the status solve Gujjars' perceived problems? Or, will it generate a process of schedulisation with every jaati demanding the lowest status possible for the crumbs of the quota raj?

Schedulisation is the inclusion of a jaati in the special schedules of the Constitution (as Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe or now also as Backward Class or Other Backward Class). This schedulisation is the exact reverse of what MN Srinivas called sanskritisation.

Politicos are competing with themselves in achieving the lowest schedulisation possible for every jaati on the assumption that jaati identity is a critical vote-bank criterion.

Ain’t there no other way of ensuring affirmative action to undo the status of deprivation? Is quota raj the only method known to a civil society?

Jaati is a proud identity of an extende family. Let not this noble identity become a pawn in the hands of politico-s. Scrap the schedules of the Constitution and declare every Hindu a scheduled citizen of the nation entitled to equal treatment and justice. Aam admi is being misled that the downtrodden people are being cared for by this quota raj; what in fact is happening is that the politico-s are ensuring special privileges for their own clans.

The Youth for Equality are fighting a rear-guard battle for enshrining excellence in the process of admissions or special privileges instead of merely fooling around with terms like ‘creamy layer’. Courts are also playing the political game, little concerned with the shattering impact on the larger national identity which should inform every jaati. Yearning for a day when there will be one Hindu jaati, one Hindu identity.

We are burdened with a polity where a foreign-born person is ruling as the empress who claims offices of profit. Where do we go to get the sense of pride of being a citizen of a swarajya rashtram?

kalyanaraman

Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Gujjar stir: A fallout of quota raj
The raging Gujjar agitation for Scheduled Tribe(ST) status is the creation of a lopsided reservation policy followed by the Government. In fact, Gujjars are now agitating for a lower status from that of OBC to ST which will fetch them more benefits of reservation.

The government is now caught in a dilemma of its own making. If it rejects the Gujjar demand, the agitation will intensify and take a more violent turn. Already 36 people have died in police firing. Last year, over a dozen Gujjars lost their lives fighting for the same cause.

If, on the other hand, the government yields to their organised might, it could lead to similar demands from other castes and sub-castes. For instance, the Kurubas of Karnataka and the Dhangars and the Ramoshi-Berads of West India have been demanding ST status for long.

After the government decided to implement the Supreme Court verdict on OBC quota, there is a clamour from various communities in different states for inclusion in the OBC category. There will be endless demands for special status so long as the quota raj continues.

It is high time to have a relook at the communal reservation reservation policy. As the founding farthers of the Constitution envisaged, there has to be a periodic review of the status of the communities enjoying reservation benefits and a timeframe should be fixed for continuing reservation. Reservation based on economic backwardness is another option worth pursuing.

Source: India Syndicate
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1420669

Too many reservations
Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Posted online: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 2245 hrs IST (Indian Express)

When the Gurjjar agitation started, knowledgeable observers had widely feared that its denouement would be something resembling war. More than 50 deaths, several districts under blockade, some virtually under a state of siege, mobile services suspended, transport interrupted, leaders unable to move freely, and a deep sense of foreboding, all suggest that the worst fears about this agitation have come true. Like so many tragedies, this one was long in the making. But no one, not the state government, not the opposition, not society at large, was willing to face up to the fact that Rajasthan was digging itself deeper and deeper into a hole. And positions are now so entrenched that a just and honourable resolution of the underlying issues seems all but impossible.

The state government’s attitude to this agitation, ever since it started, has been a mixture of condescension and brutality. When the agitation first started, it did not take it seriously. When violence broke out, it bought time for itself by creating a facade of a procedure whose outcome everyone knew would not resolve the issue. Simply put, the state government was not going to recommend ST status for Gurjjars. But it did not use this window of opportunity to politically engage the Gurjjars. Rather, it thought, with condescension typical of this government, that it could buy out Gurjjars by giving them a ministerial berth or two. It says something about the state of the country that when the Gurjjars peacefully courted arrest in the thousands last year, we all breathed a sigh of relief. Peace was associated with declining momentum for the movement, and we all went to sleep. The only lesson the Gurjjars learnt as a result was that violence is necessary to get attention.

The state, for the most part was stuck. Having reduced classifications for affirmative action to a power play, buttressed by a facade of a procedure, it could not move in any direction. If it gave Gurjjars what they wanted, it risked a backlash from powerful communities like the Meenas. On the other hand, it could not acknowledge that the net result of the state’s caving in to Jat assertion of power and granting them OBC status, was to send a signal to communities like the Gurjjars that the whole system was unfair. And even now the government (and the Congress) are stuck: damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Within the current paradigm of classifications, the Gurjjar concerns had some justification. But the political terrain has already shifted from reasoned argument to violence.

But it would be a mistake to think that this agitation is about legal classification. The social equilibrium of Rajasthan has been under considerable stress for a number of years. Three underlying trends are particularly worrying. First, many of those killed were in the age group of 16 to 25. Access to bad-quality education has created an odd social disequilibrium: youths too educated to be satisfied with their traditional status, too untrained to participate in the new economy. Government jobs matter to them precisely for this reason. That is why they feel so much is still at stake in changing their legal classification to ST. All across North India, this disquieting possibility exists. Sub-groups within the broad classifications like OBC and SC feel that benefits under those classifications are going only to a few sub-castes. This issue is going to come to the political forefront in the coming years. When these groups get minimally educated and feel cheated that their education has not equipped them for much, a social catastrophe will be in the making. It is no accident that this agitation comes at the end of the decimation of quality higher education in Rajasthan, abetted by all parties.

Second, a slow and incipient culture of violence has been spreading through Rajasthan’s villages. Arms have become more ubiquitous, paradoxically because the few who have benefited from the increasing land values need guns to protect their new riches. But in several districts like Sawai Madhopur the state has been suffering attrition at the local level. It was perhaps symbolic that one of the first people to console the victims was a prominent local “anti-social element” to use the government’s bizarre euphemism. There are several districts in Rajasthan where the potential of recurring violence is increasing by the day: an odd combination of social discontent which can easily be hijacked by elements that are looking for a pretext to be violent.

Finally, there is an utter breakdown of the political process. Communities like the Gurjjars do not have a leadership that can take a long-term view. They feel for their community, but have no long-term vision for expanding opportunity for them. One indication of this is their harping on one theme, that the state government send a letter to the Centre recommending ST status for Gurjjars. This is not likely to end the legal issue, nor is it likely to seriously impact the spectre of alienation that hovers over the youth of the community.

The chief minister’s instinctive response to political problems is to respond with excessive force, as if the expression of any social discontent is simply a form of impunity. It is the state’s responsibility to quell violence. But it cannot do this if it does not back its might up with an intelligent political process. But the tragedy of Rajasthan is that there are very few social mediators left. It is not an accident that the chief minister has found it very difficult to reach out. The Gurjjars, on the other hand, are wary of letting Bainsala negotiate alone in Jaipur. Their last experience of negotiating was, many in the community feel, an exercise in bad faith. It is absolutely amazing that police firings are so rapidly on the rise. Even after so much experience dealing with crowds, the state has not found ways to manage them without large number of casualties. The Congress is, as always, timid at best, trapped in vague gestures of protest. In short, there is no political force that is capable of changing the paradigm within which questions of social inclusion are posed.

It would be comfortable to dismiss all of this as Rajasthan’s exceptionalism. But the truth is that our politics is driving us into an explosive cul de sac. The recent, terrible violence is a reminder of what happens to societies when they can neither endure their current social condition, nor the means to overcome it. It will take extraordinary political imagination to overcome this condition.

The writer is president,Centre for Policy Research, Delhi pratapbmehta@gmail.com

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/314823.html

Justice Chopra Committee rejects Gujjars' demand for ST status

December 18, 2007 | 17:15 IST
A high-level official committee has rejected the demand by Gujjars in Rajasthan for Scheduled Tribe status but suggested a special package to members of the community living in under-developed and remote areas of the state.
Significantly, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state decided to forward the report to the Centre without any comment or recommendation of its own, Digamber Singh, chief spokesman and Health Minister, told media persons in Jaipur on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
The summary of the 294-page report submitted by the committee headed by Justice Jasraj Chopra said it would be desirable to provide the benefits to Gujjars in a special package rather than incorporating them in already existing schemes.
The report suggested scrapping of the criteria used so far to include any class of people in the list of Scheduled Tribe as these have become 'obsolete and outdated.'
It asked the state government to take immediate steps to set up a board to attend to the problems faced by the people living a life of abject poverty in inaccessible and remote areas like ravines, forests and hills where development has not yet reached as these are the places where most of the backward among the Gujjars reside and for whom their community leaders had raised their voice.
The Gujjars had waged a violent campaign across Rajasthan for ST status in May and June this year during which 26 people were killed in police firing and clashes with Meena community members who already enjoy ST status but oppose the same for Gujjars.
The Chopra committee report said development of remote and inaccessible areas where Gujjars live should not wait for the outcome of a classificatory exercise.
For this purpose, the government should benevolently allocate sizeable funds for a reasonable period of time by re-prioritising its developmental activities, according to the report.
Emphasis will have to be paid on building roads to link the communities living in underdeveloped and remote areas with the mainstream, motivating the children of these families to get educated and improving health and hygiene of their members through provisions of drinking water, immunisation against major illness and better care of children and of the aged, it concluded.
The state cabinet announced the setting up of a four-member committee to prepare a special package for Gujjars based on the committee's report. The committee will be headed by BJP Treasurer Ramdas Agarwal and have three ministers G S Tiwari (Education), Digamber Singh (Health) and Madan Dilawar (Social Justice and Empowerment).
The committee is of the view that the existing criteria to classify a particular community as ST should be replaced by quantifiable criteria that are relevant in the present context and could stand judicial scrutiny and enable future commissions or committees appointed by the government to examine the issue with exactitude and reliability.
The Chopra committee said 'it remains a naked truth that the benefit of reservation has not obviously percolated to the needy among SC and ST masses as intended but at the same time it is stolen either by the elites and the developed among SC and ST masses or by others who masquerade as SC and ST.

'Several people -- leaders, scholars and even the judiciary -- have expressed their concern over continuing plight of the people who are included in the SC and ST categories. To quote just one example, in its judgment in the case of Nagraj vs Union of India, delivered on October 19, 2006, the apex court had observed: Periodic extension of reservation itself recapitulates a fact that major chunk of SC and ST brethren are still waiting to be uplifted by way of reservation, the report pointed out.
The fact that the Gujjar community that is already in the category of OBC, and therefore officially recognised as backward and thus enjoying the benefits attended with such recognition, including reservation, has made a demand for reclassification gives the strong message that gaining OBC status has not helped much the members of this community.'
It is this desperation that led the leaders of Gujjar community to compare their lot with others included in the ST category and belonging to the same region, it added.
The demand for the tribal status for the entire community covered by the umbrella term of Gujjar is an example of over accentuation to bring home the point that development has not reached all sections of the society despite several years of positive discrimination as part of the policy of reservations, it said.

________________________________________
URL for this article:
http://www.rediff.com///news/2007/dec/18rajriot.htm

Why the Gujjars are so aggrieved
By Jyotsna Singh
BBC News, Delhi

Recent violent protests by the Gujjar community in India's north-western state of Rajasthan have once again focused attention on the government's affirmative action plan to give lower caste and minority people better access to jobs, healthcare and education.
Trouble began on Tuesday when the Gujjars began blocking major highways in order to press for their demands.
The Gujjars are traditional shepherds found across many states in north and western India. They are both Hindus and Muslims.
"The Gujjars are a very heterogeneous people today. They were originally nomadic shepherds," Professor DL Sheth, Director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, told the BBC.
Untouchables
The Gujjars are currently classified as Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and are entitled to quotas in state-run education centres and in government jobs.
But the community wants to be listed under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
In states such as Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh they have been given ST status.
But in western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat they are more settled on the land and more involved in agriculture, which is why they have been categorised as OBCs.
The Indian government offers places in jobs, educational institutes and other privileges to people in three categories, as part of its affirmative action policy.
The communities listed as the Scheduled Castes (SCs) are essentially the lowest in the Hindu caste hierarchy locally referred to as Dalits.
The Scheduled Tribes (STs) are the people living in the forests or on the hills, physically isolated from modern life, but are not necessarily socially backward.
The Other Backward Classes (OBCs) comprise the castes - in the middle of the Hindu caste hierarchy - who do not face so much exclusion or isolation in society but are educationally and economically backward.
The identification of communities in the three categories is based on a data prepared in 1935 by the British when they ruled India.
Reservation 'benefits'
In theory, it is possible for a caste or community to have its status reviewed. But it is a very complex issue and the power for such a review vests solely with the central government.
Experts say the criteria for identification of castes and groups in the different categories is not transparent at all. That has resulted in confusion for the various communities clamouring to be added to or taken off the lists.
In 1999, the government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) included the Jat community on its OBC list. The Jats are a relatively prosperous community in Rajasthan who form nearly 15% of the state's population.
Some allege that the real reason why the BJP made such a move was because it wanted to win their support in state elections in Rajasthan. The community had traditionally backed the Congress party.
"Once Jats were identified as OBCs , the Gujjars who were already placed in the OBC category felt threatened. They felt the better-off Jats would corner the benefits of reservation," said Professor Sheth.
The demand by the Gujjars is also fuelled by the success of the Meenas, a large community in the state who were granted ST status in 1954.
"The Meenas were basically a borderline case who used their political influence to be classified as STs.
"The community has benefited immensely in the last 50 years under the reservation policy.
"The Gujjars are now trying to put pressure on political parties to allow them to reap similar benefits," said Dr Sheth.
"There is an explosion of aspirations following many years of affirmative action pursued by the Indian government, and the latest protests are a manifestation of that.
"The reservation policy brought a silent bloodless revolution to the country, but because of electoral policy, politicians are in a way discrediting it," he said.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/6705521.stm

Published: 2007/05/31 05:50:31 GMT

Scheduled Tribe Status for Paharis in J&K: A Gujjar Nightmare?

Priyashree Andley
Research Intern, IPCS
e-mail: priya@ipcs.org

On 2 August 2006, the J&K Government discussed a 'Scheduled Tribe' (ST) status for the Paharis with the Centre. Ghulam Nabi Azad reiterated the importance of the community for the State's composite culture and plural character. The Paharis' demand for ST status is based on a claim that their socio-economic condition is similar to the Gujjars, who got ST status in 1991. The Congress recognized this demand in its manifesto and the Common Minimum Programme (CMP). The Government of India had rejected this demand in 2000 and 2002, based on the recommendations of a Parliament panel due to lack of evidence supporting the existence of a Pahari tribe. Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir Pahari Cultural and Welfare Forum complained that Pahari areas in Kupwara were without electricity, water, roads and schools. Hospitals in these areas are ill equipped and schools are without infrastructure and teaching staff.
The people of the two Muslim-dominated districts of Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch, mainly belong to the Gujjar, Bakerwal and Rajput communities. The Gujjars are predominantly nomadic pastoralists, with low levels of wealth and literacy. The ST status of the Gujjars, under Article 342 of the Indian Constitution and Section 50, sub-section 6, of the J & K Constitution, are allowed reserved seats in the Lok Sabha, State Assembly and State Legislative Council.
However, even after 15 years of enjoying this status, the community has only progressed marginally. Granting a similar status to the Paharis is unacceptable to the Gujjars because, firstly, they are still struggling for their rights; secondly, this issue gets embroiled in the politics of terrorism; and thirdly, political groups are using these vulnerable tribal people for electoral gains. This article addresses these issues and their possible repercussions.
In February 2006, Haji Buland Khan, President of the Gujjar-Bakerwal Conference, asserted the need to address the injustice to Gujjars and Bakerwals. One way to achieve this was by implementing the policy of reservations. For years, development funds meant for Gujjar areas were used elsewhere; while the State Government failed to provide them with basic amenities like safe drinking water, electricity, health and education. Besides, the government notification provided for a 10 percent reservation in employment, which has been limited to 5 percent. The percentage of funds allotted to housing for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, under the Indira Aawas Yojna, has not been adhered to.
Though the Gujjars have suffered from terrorist attacks in Poonch and Rajouri districts, they have also played a key role in anti-terrorist operations. Village Defense Committees (VDCs) in Jammu division comprise Gujjars, which boosts their morale in isolated villages, despite being poorly equipped. A new trend is the increasing numbers of women in the Pir Panjal ranges enlisting as VDC cadres, who are getting trained in using weapons. Apart from terrorist threats, the Gujjars also suffer due to natural calamities, losing family members and cattle in avalanches. Survivors often flee tosafety when the civil administration warns them of impending calamities.
Gujjars claim that the Pahari movement has the patronage of leaders like Sikandar Hayat Khan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In 2004-05, questions were raised about their cross-border linkages when it was found that Sardar Rafiq Khan, a Pahari leader in Poonch, was Sikandar Hayat Khan's relative. However, some Gujjars have also figured in anti-national activities by colluding with terrorists in executing their plans. Is this not a cause for worry since Gujjars are the most patriotic tribe in the State? With the arrest of Indian Muslims in the recent Mumbai blasts case, forming the modules of terrorist organizations, will 'dissatisfied' Gujjars also change their allegiance?
The Gujjar tribe's large population plays a key role in the electoral calculations of the political parties in the State. This could explain why they were not invited to the round table conferences held by the PM. In 2004, the PDP led government used the proposal to grant of ST status to Paharis to create a constituency for itself in Jammu and the Pir Panjal region. In September 2005, Omar Abdullah accused Mufti's government of dividing the people of Rajouri and Poonch between Gujjars and Paharis by creating a wedge between these two communities, resulting in the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary seat being won by a Congress MP. Mian Altaf, a Gujjar NC leader, recently won elections from the Kangan constituency of J&K. He pointed out that the Gujjars are suffering because of this tug-of-war between the different coalition partners. Meanwhile, the Paharis complain of being ignored by earlier governments.
For years, the Gujjars have displayed pro-India sentiments but are now feeling neglected. The Gujjars are not against Paharis but they do not want them to attain ST status, as they fear losing their own minimal share. Moreover, the Paharis will benefit from ST status only if the government addresses the basic problems being faced by the Gujjar tribe.
http://www.ipcs.org/printArticle.jsp?kValue=2111

A tribute to Prophet Savarkar: Ashok Malik

2008-05-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

The 125th birth anniversary of Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar falls on 28 May 2008. It is a fitting occasion to remember the man and his manifold contribution to the Hindu Nation.

Savarkar was born when India was under British yoke. Savarkar was clear that a nation in bondage can never achieve her destiny. He was also clear that freedom cannot be attained through pleas and petitions but by self-sacrifice. Savarkar belongs to a rare breed of Indian patriots who pledged to serve their motherland while still in childhood. What is more, he stood by his pledge till his last breath. Savarkar was among the first to place the case for India's freedom at the international level. He established contacts with revolutionaries from different countries to achieve this goal. At a time when British rule was still widely regarded as a divine blessing and Dominion Status was discussed in hushed tones, Savarkar fearlessly proclaimed absolute freedom as his goal. Savarkar had a clear vision of independent India even as a youth. He put forth the vision of a sovereign republic with Sanskritised Hindi as the national language and Devanagari as the national script.

In Savarkar's time, there was a debate about the relative importance of political struggle and social reform. Savarkar held that freedom won without social reform would not last for three days. Savarkar's thoughts and actions in the field of social reform are radical even by today's standards.

To Savarkar, freedom did not merely mean replacing the colonial masters with their brown-skinned versions. He meditated deeply on India's identity. To him, Hindutva was synonymous with India's nationhood. To a very large extent, the credit for elucidating the philosophy of Hindutva and Hindu Nationalism in modern times goes to Savarkar. To this day, the Hindu Revivalist movement owes its intellectual underpinnings to Savarkar.

Savarkar had to fight on various fronts. His opposition to the British rulers did not waver even after immense personal suffering. His campaign for social reform put him at loggerheads with conservative Hindus. His reasoned stand on ethics, truth, non-violence and Hindu-Muslim relations placed him in conflict with so-called political saints and their bumbling followers. His relentless and almost solitary opposition to Partition meant that he was at war with Islamists. Even decades after his death, Savarkar continues to be reviled by assorted secularists and leftists. Possible loss of power, popularity and prestige never stopped Savarkar from putting forth his views. Welfare of the people and not merely their praise was his guiding principle in these matters.

The Hindu nation can become resurgent once again only if it imbibes Savarkar's thoughts on different aspects of national life. Ours is a humble effort in that direction.

Other Updates:

Savarkar's historic book 'The War of Independence 1857' (Marathi version) and our website www.savarkar.org were inaugurated by the Hon. Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Narendra Modi at a glittering function held on 24 May 2008 (Savarkar's anniversary as per Hindu calender) at the Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, Pune. Noted litterateur Ram Shewalkar and Shivshahir Babasaheb Purandare were also present

Thanks,
Savarkar.org Team
www.savarkar.org

A tribute to Prophet Savarkar: Ashok Malik

The man who saw tomorrow

Ashok Malik (Pioneer, 28 May 2008)

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar would have been 125 today. In life, he was a demonised, marginalised 'political Hindu'. Yet, in contemporary India, Savarkar stands vindicated and Savarkarism is more accepted than ever before

In 2004, when the historian Ron Chernow wrote his eponymous biography of Alexander Hamilton, he was partly impelled by the sense that his subject had not been given his due. Hamilton was an American nationalist, a votary of federal institutions, a Republican, an advocate of limited Government and a patron of the industrial society before these terms were coined or at least entirely understood. He was also the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States and a widely influential figure in the early years of the new republic.

Yet, over the decades, memories of Hamilton's contemporaries overwhelmed his legacy. He was America's forgotten Founding Father, lost in the crevices between George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Hamilton had opposed slavery even while his great rival Thomas Jefferson had kept slaves; yet, it wasn't Hamilton who was remembered by human rights chroniclers.

What Hamilton lost in life, Hamiltonism won in history. By the 20th century, Hamilton's ideas had triumphed. His initial postulates continue to define American strategic thinking, foreign policy and economic philosophy. Every White House resident in the past 20 years has paid homage to Ronald Reagan; Reagan himself often evoked Hamilton.

It is tempting to see Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who would have been 125 this morning, as an Indian Alexander Hamilton. By the time he died in 1966, he had shrunk to a limited presence. Surrounded only by a few devoted adherents and members of the Hindu Mahasabha, his writings read mainly by his fellow Maharastrians, his heroic role in the freedom movement had been effaced by official historians.

Savarkar was the intellectual equal of Jawaharlal Nehru. Revisit the writings of the stalwarts of the pre-1947 period and you will encounter few besides these two with a grasp and informed assessment of contemporary world affairs. Yet, in the hard, harsh world of politics and political ideas, Savarkar, by the 1960s, had lost to Nehru's cult and charisma.

There were many reasons why the Left-liberal intelligentsia, most of whom are, in some form or the other, pensioners of the Nehruvian state structure, despised Savarkar. For a start, he was flesh-and-blood refutation of the charge that Hindu nationalism lacked an intellectual tradition. Second, he represented a cogent and coherent position that believed the political choices India and the Congress had made in 1947 (or 1950 or 1952, after the first election) were not necessarily correct.

These were inconvenient truths for Nehruvian fellow travellers, Savarkar the inconvenient man. There was astonishing virulence towards Savarkar. Some, like the perverse and bigoted Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, even mocked the 10 years that Savarkar spent in Cellular Jail, Port Blair, in horrific conditions, alone in a tiny cell.

The antipathy to Savarkar has to be seen in a larger context. Post-independence, the Congress establishment sought to rewrite history in its own image. It determinedly underplayed the role of the early Indian elites -- the Poona Brahmins, Bombay's Parsi constitutionalists, Calcutta's Bengali and Brahmo activists -- who had dominated public life prior to the Mahatma's mass politics.

As the Congress set out to establish that there was no history and no freedom struggle before Gandhi, and no politics and no consciousness of modern India before Nehru, these pioneer groups became expendable. The Marxist historians who actually wrote the textbooks had their own theories. For instance, not just was Savarkar demonised, even the venerable Bal Gangadhar Tilak was painted in sectarian colours.

Even so, history has a strange way of getting back. Savarkar's idea of the political Hindu, of a polity and of political parties that would be sensitive to the Hindu cultural mainstay of Indian nationhood, that would, while eschewing ritualism and dogma, incorporate robust nationalism into policy-making, is more relevant than it has ever been. Nehruvianism is in retreat and, even though Savarkar has been dead 42 years, Savarkarism has never been more alive.

Written in 1923, Savarkar's slim tract, Hindutva, remains a remarkably contemporary articulation of organic nationalism. Indeed, it anticipates some of the ideas expanded upon by Samuel Huntington in Who Are We? (2004).

Leftist historians often divide Savarkar's life into two -- the supposedly "acceptable" first part, till the mid-1920s; and, his espousal of Hindutva after that. Actually, this division is bogus.

Admittedly, Savarkar's early life was one of a romantic revolutionary. As a student in London, he was in touch with Irish, Turkish and Chinese dissidents and rebels. In 1907, he wrote The War of Independence of 1857. The book was deeply researched and provided an interpretation of documents and events from the Indian perspective.

Admittedly, it is not the last word on the Indian Uprising. In hindsight, Savarkar could be accused of glossing over the differing motivations of the participants of the 1857 war and of being simplistic in believing that there was overwhelming consensus in re-establishing the Delhi throne as a Maratha protectorate -- as had been the case till 1803.

Nevertheless, this was a passionate young man of 24 writing the first non-imperial account of a dramatic struggle. It was passionate and pulsating, being smuggled to India wrapped in dust jackets saying Don Quixote and Pickwick Papers. The British Government arrested Savarkar and sought to send him to India to stand trial. At Marseilles, in a dramatic move, he squeezed out of the porthole and swam to the shore, claiming asylum from the French Government.

It was refused and he was re-arrested on French soil and handed over to the British. This was in breach of international law and among those who protested at Savarkar being denied asylum was Jean Longuet, French lawyer-editor and grandson of Karl Marx.

Savarkar was heavily influenced by Italian thinkers such as Mazzini. He saw Hindutva as an Indian Risorgimeto, conceptualising it as a reawakening of the national spirit and of a pride in, and understanding of, the territorial frontiers of India. He was not a religious sort and did not interpret 'Hindu' solely in terms of worship. He was an early opponent of Dalit exclusion, seeing a Hindu harmonisation process as essential to national unity.

Savarkar was often impatient with the RSS and it is piquant to compare him with MS Golwalkar, 'Guruji' as he is called and the man who made the Sangh the all-India institution that it is today. Savarkar was a thinker, Golwalkar a do-er; Savarkar was the rare Hindu mind who understood statecraft and the importance of state power, Golwalkar sought to change society by working bottom-up from grassroots communities. For Golwalkar (as for Gandhi), the Hindu was ascetic-exemplar; for Savarkar, he was warrior-ideal.

The two streams were not antithetical but clearly complementary. When they finally merged, consciously or otherwise, in the late-1980s, it changed Indian politics and moved the polity irrevocably to the Right. At its best, the BJP is a confluence of Savarkar and Golwalkar.

Savarkar had known it all along. Just before his death, in an emotional piece called "This, My Legacy", he had written: "If we are to live with honour and dignity as a Hindu nation -- and we have the right to do so -- that nation must emerge under the Hindu flag. This, my dream, shall come true -- if not in this generation at least in the next. If it remains an empty dream, I shall prove a fool. If it comes true, I shall prove a prophet. This, my legacy, I bequeath to you."

Savarkar is gone. Let us cherish his legacy, salute the prophet.

http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=oped&file_name=opd1%2Etxt&counter_img=1

Shameless seeking of doles from a US foundation and UK, the colonial looter

2008-05-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

Shameless seeking of doles from a US foundation and UK, the colonial looter

Two documents are annexed:

Annex 1 Taking foreign help to set up world class university

Annex 2 Taking foreign help to set up a museum

Both documents bring out an issue which should be treated as a matter of shame for swarajya bharatam. Globalization is one thing but to lose swaabhimaan is quite another.

Treasuring and cherishing Hindu civilization heritage should be done with a lot of pride in the quest for satyam and assuring reinforcement of national identity. The tragedy of the polity we are in is that the polity has been mortgaged to foreign interests with little concern for setting goals for the state to reach great heights, for example, realizing India Vision 2020.

Prof. Chakrabarti has permitted me to publish his open letter to Ms. Ambika Soni. I feel proud that Prof. Chakrabarti has taken up the issue of what he calls, ‘one of the most crucial dimensions of our heritage’ in right earnest. I wish more would join his clarion call for an honest study of the heritage, without the claptrap of motivated, academic dishonesty of many in a gang called ‘indologists.’ with little academic credentials.

We had seen the spectacle of the Hon’ble PM of India going to UK to receive some honorary degree and lavishing praise on the erstwhile colonial regime, forgetting the economist lapel he wears and forgetting the colonial loot which occurred during that inglorious regime leading to the impoverishment of Hindusthana, genocide caused by Bengal famine and social upheavals by the divide-and-rule policies followed by the imperialists.

It is time for the politico-s ruling the state to start realizing that the nation is larger than mere bureaucratizing with mission-less institutions and at the minimum, we should stop seeking a few crumbs from a US foundation or from someone called Bill Rammell of United Kingdom.

What needs to be done is to make UK account for the colonial loot and pay up reparations to swarajya bharatam and to tell the US foundation: thanks for your benevolence, but we can do the Sarasvati Centre on our own.

kalyanaraman

Annex 1 Taking foreign help to set up world class university

Kolkata Telegraph, Issue Date: Wednesday , May 28 , 2008

India at foreign door for varsity - Appeal for help after half a century
CHARU SUDAN KASTURI

Role Models: Institutes set up earlier with foreign help.

IIT Mumbai, USSR, 1958
IIT Madras, W. Germany, 1959
IIT Kanpur, US, 1959
IIT Delhi, UK 1961

New Delhi, May 27: India has asked Britain for financial and technical assistance to set up a new “world class” university (WCU), nearly half a century after it last asked for foreign help in starting a premier education institution.
Junior higher education minister Purandeswari Devi has also asked her British counterpart Bill Rammell for assistance in upgrading facilities and teaching standards at the Indian Institutes of Technology, government officials told The Telegraph.

No post-Independence central university — the WCUs will be run from New Delhi — has been set up with support from a foreign country.

Some of the older IITs — like those in Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai and Delhi — were set up in the late 1950s and early 1960s with assistance from the USSR, Cold War rival US, West Germany and the UK.

The human resource development ministry’s latest call for help has come at a time when other developing countries — especially in Asia and Africa — are increasingly turning to India for assistance in improving their education system.

IIT Delhi is helping Nepal’s Tribhuvan University develop its engineering wing. IIT Mumbai is working with the Nelson Mandela Foundation — an NGO — to start a pan-African institute of excellence. It is also helping Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries develop engineering schools.

Sources said Purandeswari told Rammell at a meeting in Delhi yesterday that India needed assistance in modernising teacher-training programmes in higher education.
Faculty support — a euphemism for greater participation of guest lecturers from the foreign country — was another request put forward by Purandeswari, the sources said, adding that she also dwelt on skill development — educating students for the job market — as a “key issue”.

Rammell is learnt to have told the minister that the UK was in the process of restructuring its own skill development process, and was willing to share its experiences.

The two ministers are expected to meet again in London on July 18 or 19.
The sources said India, at yesterday’s meeting, indicated its desire to firm up details of the plan before the end of the year. Higher education secretary R.P. Agrawal asked Rammell if the deal could be finalised by July, but the British minister evaded any commitment to a timeline.

“Since our academic session starts in July, we wanted an early conclusion to the talks,” an official said.

In March this year, education minister Arjun Singh had announced locations for 14 WCUs the Centre plans to set up during the eleventh plan.

The universities are set to come up in Bengal (Calcutta), Assam, Orissa, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

The universities will be controlled by the Centre but kept distinct from existing central universities, and will be nurtured to compete with institutions like Harvard and Cambridge.

http://telegraphindia.com/1080528/jsp/frontpage/story_9331088.jsp#

Annex 2 Taking foreign help to set up a museum

24 April 2008
To
Mrs Ambika Soni
The Honourable Minister of Culture
Government of India
Shastri Bhavan
Delhi, India

Sub: the proposed Indus Centre under the aegis of the American Global Heritage Fund in Vadodara

Dear Mrs Soni,

As one of the seniormost academic archaeologists of the country, I would be failing in my duty both as a professional archaeologist and as an Indian citizen if I do not draw your attention to the implications of the proposal to establish a centre for the study of the Indus Civilization in Vadodara under the auspices of the Global Heritage Fund, an American organization .

The Indian members of its Senior Advisory Board comprise the following persons :

(1) Dr Kalpana Desai, Director of the Chhatrapati Sivaji Maharaj Vastu Samgrahalaya, Mumbai (also listed as the Project Director) ; (2)Shri Hasmukh Shah, a retired bureaucrat, (3) Shri Sunil Parekh, a former chairman of the Gujarat Confederation of Industries; (4) Dr Madhu Mehta, an architect in the Nirma University; (5)Dr Rumi Mistry, Technology Promotion Board, Vadodara, (6) Professor K K Bhan , an archaeology professor of the M.S,University of Baroda; and (7) Shri Nitin Desai of a financial firm.
As Dr Kalpana Desai heads a museum of national importance in Mumbai, which comes within the purview of your Ministry, and has been listed as the Project Director of the proposed centre, I would assume that the proposal has passed through the Ministry of Culture under your care.

The American members include, among others, Professor Mark Kenoyer of the Anthropology department of University of Michigan, Wisconsin, USA.

The main point to note in this list is that the Indian advisors have only one archaeologist’s name, i.e. of K K Bhan, and similarly, the American list has one archaeologist in the form of M Kenoyer. I further point out that Professor Kenoyer , who had Professor Bhan as his Indian collaborator in his study of the beads of Cambay, has excavated as a part of an American team at Harappa in Pakistan and is known in print to have declared Pakistan a secular country and the Koran as a text providing inspiration to look for (archaeological) ‘mounds’( “Archaeology”, March-June issue, 2002, pp. 19-21). I have also argued in one of my publications (“The Battle for Ancient India, an Essay in the Socio-politics of Indian Archaeology” , Delhi, 2008, Aryan Books International, p. 96) that he has tried to give a Pakistani angle to the study of the Indus Civilization by repeatedly calling it, wilfully and without any justification, “ Indus Valley Civilization”. The term implies that this civilization was primarily limited to the Indus valley which is in Pakistan and undermines the role of the hundreds of sites of this civilization that we have in our Panjab, Haryana, Gujarat and western Uttar Pradesh.

Thus the first major point I am making is that it would be impossible to argue that the proposed foreign-sponsored centre for the study of the Indus Civilization in Vadodara has any substantive academic credential.

The second point to be noted in this connection is that this proposed ‘Centre’ is the first foreign-funded archaeological institute in India, ostensibly to take care of one of the most crucial dimensions of our heritage. It has serious long-term implications, and before the authorities apparently decided to give it a green signal, the matter ought to have been discussed openly and threadbare in the country’s professional bodies and “Societies” of archaeology. Indian archaeologists ought to have been given the opportunity of voicing their opinion before the Government apparently decided to ‘outsource’ as important a segment of the Indian past as the Indus Civilization.

My third point in this connection is that the study of the past is related to a range of delicate issues, the most important of which is the nation's sense of identity based on that past. This sense of identity is subject to manipulations of all kinds. The way these manipulations take place, is, in fact, a matter of extensive enquiry as a sub-branch of Archaeology - "socio-politics of the past".

On the basis of my research in this field I can say that the study of India’s ancient past has never been an innocuous scholarly matter. It has always been accompanied by political sub-texts of various kinds. For instance, the politics of the study of the Indus Civilization has been discussed at length in my aforementioned publication (pp. 51-102).

This civilization has had a very rich and distinguished history of research in India, and in no way can a patriotic Indian like myself condone the idea of setting up a foreign-funded institute for the purpose.

The Government of India followed, till recently, a fairly consistent attitude which was commensurate with national interests regarding foreign participation in Indian archaeology. The policy seems to have been abandoned in recent years, although even now, all applications for foreign collaborations should be subject to close scrutiny by a separate review committee, taking into view a wide variety of professional issues, including the background and history of research and publication of the applicants.

I do hope, Madam, that you will kindly look into the proposal of setting up this foreign-sponsored institute in Vadodara in detail, remembering all the time that the study of the past is not as innocent as it appears on the surface.

With best regards,
Yours sincerely,

Dilip K Chakrabarti
Professor of South Asian Archaeology
Cambridge University, UK