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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Wed, Mar 31 2010 2:05 pm
From: nazmul hossain1
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TOPIC: MODI CALLS BIG B'S DETRACTORS TALIBAN
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== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Apr 1 2010 5:16 am
From: chhotemianinshallah
March 25, 2010 • 8:00 am
Socio-economic Engineering – an Electoral roadmap for the Center Right
Social Engineering is commonly understood to mean:
efforts to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large
scale, whether by governments or private groups.
Within the Indian political discouse, Social Engineering has been used
to refer to the calculus of caste in electoral politics. More
specifically to the political art of striking the right combination of
caste based entitlements or quotas for electoral succes.
Together with religion based Vote bank politics, caste based Social
Engineering has come to represent conventional political wisdom in
India on which most electoral strategy is formulated.
The common assumption underlying both religion based Vote bank
politics and caste based Social Engineering, is that members will
largely vote with the group in anticipation of group entitlements or
quotas unmindful of individual socio-economic interests.
This assumption has largely held true for the first six decades of
electoral politics in India.
But then the decade gone by has induced a new dynamic into this
calculus of the group. A growing economy has created new avenues and
opportunities where the socio-economic calculus for the Individual is
not necessarily in alignment with the erstwhile politics of the group.
While group entitlements offer the Individual's family a safety net,
economic aspirations are taking the Individual beyond the comfort zone
of community, village and district.
The cognitive dissonance between
settling for the least common denominator within the group
and
personal advancement by seeking opportunities outside and beyond the
group
may not be a significant factor today, with the false comfort of the
security blanket offered by the Congress Party's Liberal Left policies
like NREGA, Food Security etc.
But this cognitive dissonance is bound to grow with the passage of
time as the economy rebounds and grows.
It wont be long before this cognitive dissonance reaches a threshold
beyond which it starts to have a bearing on electoral politics.
Unlike Social Engineering, Socio-Economic Engineering is not a well
defined discipline of Political Science.
The Center Right movement in India can give it meaning with a focus on
this latent cognitive dissonance.
Socio Economic engineering could come to mean challenging the
conventional political wisdom on the calculus of vote bank and caste.
to be defined as the act of influencing Individuals to break away from
the group (religious Minority voting block, caste) in making electoral
choices.
Back in December of 2008, Offstumped had dissected the electoral
landscape in Uttar Pradesh from a socio-economic standpoint with the
2002 Census Household Income data as the basis. The key takeaway from
this analysis was the strong correlation between dominant income level
within a district and the dominant political players in that district.
(More details on the analysis below).
This correlation between household income and electoral preferences
gives a basis for the target demographic of Socio-Economic
engineering.
A starting point for the Center Right in electoral politics would be
to identify that Voter with cross-over economic aspirations who can
potentially break away from his or her group.
Socio-Economic engineering by the Center Right would then come to mean
targeting the Individual with cross-over economic aspirations by
#1 creating incentives to break away from the group
#2 emphasizing discincentives in voting with the group.
Summary of Analysis on UP income levels and voting patterns
In this analysis household income was classified into 5 buckets
a) less than 250
b) between 250 and 500
c) between 500 and 1500
d) between 1500 and 2500
e) greater than 2500
While the districts in Uttar Pradesh where classified within six
levels – Level 0 to Level 5
Level 0 – districts where households with income less than 500
outnumber all other income groups
Level 1 – districts where households with income between 500-1500 are
the highest but also have more people with income less than 500 than
those with income greater than 1500 (more poorest of poor than middle
income or rich).
Level 2 – districts where households with income between 500-1500 are
not just the highest but also outnumber the poorest of poor and the
rich by a wide margin. (middle income districts where both the poor
and the relatively well to do are a minority)
Level 3 – districts where households with income between 500-1500 are
the highest but the relatively rich (income greater 1500) outnumber
the poor (income less than 500) consistent with the overall
characteristics of the state
Level 4 – districts where households with income greater than 1500
outnumber households with income between 500-1500
Level 5 – districts where 1500-2500 is the highest income group
overall in the state
At the aggregate state level it was also interesting to note that
Uttar Pradesh not only has the highest number rural households in the
middle income group of 500-1500 with 71 lakhs but more interestingly
the number of households with income greater than 1500 (60 lakhs) far
outnumbers the number of households with income less than 500 (30
lakhs).
An interesting insight from the analysis was the strong correlation
between dominant income level within a District and the nature of
electoral contest in the assembly seats within that the District in
the 2007 assembly elections.
3 Responses
sridhar krishna says:
March 25, 2010 at 8:53 am
A good effort. Just to indicate how big the gulf is – look at the
income levels used. Though you have not indicated the periodicity it
would be safe to assume it is per month.
on the other hand the income of the top percentile (or so) per day
would be more. These are the group that are active on the internet and
talk of "State of Union" address or "health Bill". Shades of Marie
Antoinette.
Though i dont want to be alarmist like Arundati roy and talk of
revolution the gap is certainly not shrinking but widening. unless
this is addressed as a priority nothing else would work in the long
run
rgds / sridhar
Ladder of Opportunity versus Safety of the Net « Offstumped – Center
Right Indian Politics says:
March 27, 2010 at 6:01 am
[...] Older » [...]
Pub Chick says:
March 27, 2010 at 1:04 pm
"with the false comfort of the security blanket offered by the
Congress Party's Liberal Left policies like NREGA, Food Security etc."
So you admit this NREGA gives a sense of comfort — true or false —
that being the case what's the rationale for your following post
quoting Surjit Bhalla? I am really curious to know. You can't have it
both ways — you either say it's a fiscally ruinous scheme which lulls
people into false sense of security or say it's not working on the
ground in any way at all. One excludes the other.
March 27, 2010 • 6:00 am
Ladder of Opportunity versus Safety of the Net
Part 2 of series on Socio Economic Engineering – an electoral roadmap
for the Center Right
Eminent economist Dr. Surjit Bhalla writing in the Business Standard
had this to say of the UPA's flagship program – National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA/NREGS/MNREG)
Despite tall claims, the NREGA programme is just a dud as most other
"in the name of the poor" expenditures – and as much of a dud as
predicted by Rajiv Gandhi
Despite repeated evidence for the last 20 years that "in the name of
the poor programmes" reach everybody but the poor, the well-meaning
socialist but not-so-realist Congress party renamed and expanded
existing food for work programmes under its own Congress brand as
NREGA, and now MREGA. (Ironically, but poetic-justice style, the
latter acronym also means "to die"!). It spends Rs 8,823 crore on the
programme in 2006-07 (and Rs 39,000 crore in 2009-10) and is able to
actually deliver only 14.7 per cent (Rs 1,270 crore) to the targeted
audience?!
Dr. Bhalla is being very charitable in his description of the Congress
Party but his pithy remarks on NREGA highlight the false sense of
security and comfort underlying the Liberal Left policies of the UPA.
Social Engineering of the communal variety receieved a boost this week
with the Supreme Court's interim order upholding Muslim Reservations
in Andhra. This is just the beginning, more can be expected if this
reaction from Abhishek Singhvi is anything to go by. It is clear that
the Congress Party wants to further its Liberal Left agenda by
expanding group entitlements or quotas on religious grounds.
This brings us back to the fundamental challenge for Socio-economic
Engineering -
how must it capture popular imagination of the aspirational voter to
motivate him or her to cross-over ?
If the core premise behind Social Engineering and Left Liberalism was
to convince the voter to settle for the least common denominator
within his or her group on the pretext of having the security of a
safety net
then the core premise behind Socio-Economic Engineering must be
to motivate the voter that there is no reason to settle for the least
common denominator within the group for even the highest of
aspirations will be within reach by climbing on to the Ladder of
Opportunity
There maybe merit in framing the popular debate between the Liberal
Left policies of the Congress and the policy of prescriptions of the
Center Right as a choice between the Ladder and the Net.
The Net may offer safety but then there is no getting out of the Net
once trapped.
There is nothing progressive about the Net for there is no avenue to
progress.
The Net only weighs you down as it gets burdened with more and more to
support
The metaphorical Ladder on the other hand is
by design progressive with opportunities to rise in each and every
step.
by design inclusive and non-discriminatory for with every step an
individual takes to rise, an opportunity is created for the next to
rise and occupy
Pragmatism and realism would suggest that the Ladder of Opportunity
cannot stand alone without the Safety of the Net, leading one to ask
where lies the distinction between Socio-economic Engineering and
Social Engineering ?
That distinction will have to be made by emphasizing the primacy of
the Ladder over the Net
for if there was no ladder there would be no need to cast a wide net
for safety
It may also be asked how different is the metaphor of "Ladder plus
Net"for Socio-Economic Engineering from the "Growth with Distribution"
model touted by Rahul Gandhi.
More on that in the third and concluding part in this series on Socio-
economic Engineering.
37 Responses
Pub Chick says:
March 27, 2010 at 10:00 am
Surjit Bhalla is a money manager (and not a very good one if his
returns are to be taken into account). Since when did money managers
become eminent economists?
And you or your eminence seem to ignore the basic function of a social
net: to be a net that's only purpose is to exist, regardless of its
efficiency. Simply because its existence encourages risk and growth in
other aspects of the economy.
cynicalcount says:
March 27, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Pubchick
How did you arrive at the conclusion that Surjit bhalla is a money
manager? Kindly educate us poor folks on how you concluded what bhalla
is?
Pub Chick says:
March 27, 2010 at 12:37 pm
That's he calls himself. It's not even my definition. In case you did
not know, he owns and runs an investment firm called Oxus Investments
(www.oxusinvestments.com ). Apart from being a money manager, he
writes for the Business Standard and has a talk show on TV. These
things don't make anyone an Economist.
Pub Chick says:
March 27, 2010 at 12:54 pm
And by the way, why would you question something as obvious as Surjit
Bhalla's occupation? I mean he says that every time he writes a column
or makes one of those annoying appearances on TV.
What's with the overall hostile tone, darling? Don't you like this
blog author being questioned or do you dislike my dislike for ugly
men?
iHindu007 says:
March 28, 2010 at 5:14 am
"Since when did money managers become eminent economists?"
Since when did pub chicks become political analysts?
Pub Chick says:
March 28, 2010 at 8:00 am
Dearest horny boy, it takes no political analysis to say people who
are not economists by profession and have no eminence to show for that
profession which they don't claim to practice are not eminent
economists.
iHindu007 says:
March 29, 2010 at 12:30 pm
About NREGA
Sreelatha Menon: Caderisation of rural India
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sreelatha-menon-caderisationrural-india/00/31/388513/
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has converted many
villagers in India into card-holders, who will get a minimum of 100
days work every year. Since that is not happening so easily, the
strategy devised by civil society leaders is to unite the villagers
into cadres, on the lines of trade unions.
The drive, led by top activists, will create many a local Joan of Arc
who can at a moment's notice get entire villages to take to the
streets, file petitions in courts and make it difficult for the state
to ignore their concerns.
MUCH MUCH MORE IN THE ARTICLE.
Pub Chick says:
March 29, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Yes yes, can you please stop pasting someone else's opinion/ source
and actually do your own analysis?
Or tell me why Surjit Bhalla is an eminent economist or how this post
of the blog author squares with his previous post? The author seems to
contradict himself and none of the horny boys seem to notice.
It's not enough to criticize something darlings, you should at the
very least have the courage to be consistent within that framework —
and not pick two criticisms which contradict each other.
Mala says:
March 29, 2010 at 2:17 pm
@Pubchick – I suppose you have lot of time on your hands as you post
so regularly and frequently. I have a small doubt, if you find every
reader of this blog as ugly and horny, why are you here? I mean doesnt
it make better sense to go to some blog where handsome hunks post
messages and the author of the blog is always consistent? My IQ is
much lower than an eminent personality like you who I am sure will be
remembered as the next Albert Einstein in times to come but will be
obliged if you can reply your purpose of coming to his blog and
calling everyone names. Does calling others ugly make you feel happy
in life?
Pub Chick says:
March 29, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Mala, assume it does make me happy.
Now, will you explain the contradictions of blog author? And explain
why someone is an eminent economist or how the NREGA can't fail and
succeed at the same time?
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 29, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Surjit S. Bhalla is managing director of Oxus Research and
Investments, a New Delhi-based economic research, asset management,
and emerging-markets advisory firm. He taught at the Delhi School of
Economics and worked at the Rand Corporation, the Brookings
Institution, and at both the research and _treasury departments of the
World Bank. He has also worked at Goldman Sachs (1992-94) and Deutsche
Bank (1994-96). He is author of Imagine There's No Country: Poverty,
Inequality, and Growth in the Era of Globalization(2002). His research
interests are fiscal policy (flat tax?), economic history (do
institutions cause growth?), and macroeconomic policy (the role of
exchange rates in economic development). He has been a member of
several government of India committees on economic policy, most
recently the committee on capital account convertibility. He is on the
board of India's largest think tank and is an appointed member of the
National Statistical Commission of India. He is also a regular
contributor to
newspapers and magazines on economics, politics, and cricket.
And Karvy calls him "Dr. Bhalla is a well known and respected
economist" source:http://www.karvy.com/face2face/surjitbhalla.htm
Now Pub Chick, tell us why you think he shouldn't be considered an
economist ?
———————————————————————————————————————————–
On why NREGA is a failure, because :-
1) It wasting away hard earned money most of which ends up with Babus,
you Google away on this. I think PubChick lives on Babus kala dhan
that is why she supports NREGA scam.
2) And for thousands of crores it is wasting away, It provides only
TEMPORARY jobs for only 100 days, tell me Pub Chick will these people
and their children go into hibernation for the rest of 265 days ?
3) Money and effort is being used for silly things like planting
tress, rather than in construction of lakhs of schools delivering
skill development courses.
4) These people's life and employment is dependent on continuous
supply of lakhs of cores. Once the money stop, they lose their job and
many would lose their life,
5) It is hampering the growth of Industry which is lot more
sustainable than NREGA(dependent of lakhs of cores of tax money) which
can provide employment to masses by artificially inflating the cost of
labor and making them less competitive than Vietnam China etc.
6) This money is doing NOTHING in terms of skill and entrepreneurial
development which is the need of hour. With their current skill set
the are simply unemployable in anything other than Agriculture which
we cannot reply upon.
So rather than teaching them how to fish, we are giving them fish for
100 days only.
I guess those 100 days are enough to make the poor vote for the same
people, and keep elites like Pub Chick in power.
While rest of 265 days the poor can contemplate killing themselves and
their children, at least our Pub Chick can drown on tequila.
———————————————————————————————————————————-
On Pub Chick's use of words like "horny" "ugly" :-
These are clearly a sign of Freudian Projection. Which is defined
as :- "is the unconscious act of denial of a person's own attributes,
thoughts, and emotions, which are then ascribed to the outside world,
such as to the weather, the government, a tool, or to other people.
Thus, it involves imagining or projecting that others have those
feelings."
So IMHO Pub Chick suffers from some inferiority complex related to her
physical appearance, you know feels "ugly" due social isolation
"horny".
If feel sad and also concerned for her, because I have seen other
people on Internet who had similar trollish behaviour and would create
a cocoon of lies around themselves related to their physical
appearance and would taunt other random people calling them ugly and
whore etc.
She is obviously trying to project "ugliness" "hornyness" to make
herself feel better, to feel like she is not alone and there might be
people uglier and with more fetishes than her. She does that on
Internet because peoples true appearance is hidden and such Freudian
Projection in real life with real people with result into cognitive
dissonance
But sadly, the trolls cannot keep up with lies. Often their true
pictures and videos would leak and reveal their true identity. I
remember a girl who tried to commit suicide when this happened to her.
So Pub Chick, for your own good please consult a good psychiatrist.
And remember you must not give up on life. And also no matter what the
world says, you must remain confident and believe that there is some
good inside you.
What is outside is irrelevant.
And you can always fall back on your pub and drown in tequila to
forget about these sad things, also you can always come here and troll
random people.
Pub Chick says:
March 29, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Karvy calls him an Economist? What's next? Rediff? Or that RSS thing
called Organizer? He is not an eminent economist because he is not a
professional economist anymore and has no papers of any repute to
claim at any time. He is now a money manager because he calls himself
that.
And whatever makes you think I claim NREGA is a success? I don't have
the data to claim either way. I had just pointed out this blog's
author had made contradicting criticism which can't both be right. One
can't claim no money is being spent and also claim it's fiscally
ruinous. That takes no googling even.
Regarding your Freudian analysis, I suspect Wren & Martin may be more
offended than Freud. That's alright, we shall work on that.
drummasala says:
March 29, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Jadhav Saheb,
This Pubchick has little IQ. She does not know what BP stands for? i.e
Blood Pressure.
She has negative attraction or fetish towards what she thinks are ugly
men. I think she had earlier fallen in love with one ugly man, who
dumped her. Thats why she has some grudge and thinks every man is
ugly. She definitely needs a psychiatrist.
way2go says:
March 29, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Hey People..just chyll…….. PUBCHIC is just drunk so no need to argue.
She should better find out Why Barkha Datt was awarded and what made
her an eminent journalist?
Maybe Barkha can explain her while both can enjoy in the Pub at the
same time.
offstumped says:
March 30, 2010 at 12:38 am
Dear Pub Chick
Dont know who is sponsoring you but thanks for keeping the comments on
this blog alive.
As far as Surjit S Bhalla's economic credentials go a simple search on
Google Scholar would have settled the issue.
As far as your other comments on NREGA go
Observation #1 NREGA is a disaster by SS Bhalla's yardstick because it
doesnt deliver on its promise
Observation #2 NREGA gives a false hope of safety
are distinct and unrrelated.
The first is an objective assessment of the scheme against its
promised goals.
The second is a subjective assessment of voter's attitude towards NREA
from a electoral politics standpoint.
Hope that settles the issue for you.
Keep them coming.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 5:44 am
If you think those two observations are actually unreLated, what can I
say. Except to say I offer to draw a tautology cheat sheet for you.
And thanks for reinforcing the lack of eminence of our Bhalla with
that scholar link. There is not a dingle paper there worth the
mention. If I did miss something, let me know.
Targeting Middle India – Socio-economic Engineering Part 3 «
Offstumped – Center Right Indian Politics says:
March 30, 2010 at 6:27 am
[...] Targeting Middle India – Socio-economic Engineering Part 3 Third
and Concluding part of series on Socio-Economic Engineering (Part 1 &
Part 2) [...]
offstumped says:
March 30, 2010 at 6:56 am
Please enlighten with tautology and on your yardstick on "worthy of
mention"
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 7:16 am
Sure, will do that when I get to a computer. But I must say it's
rather astonishing that you state an obvious tautology with a straight
face and call it unrelated.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 10:31 am
Your observation #1 is dependent on actual disbursement and
utilization of the funds. Bhalla is basically saying NREGA is a
failure because it is not even good enough to use the fund it's
allotted. He also throws some random Rajiv quotes on efficiency in the
middle of the original column — as I remember reading it in the print
version of his column.
Now your Observation #2 says it gives false hope and safety. In your
original post you even claim this is visible on the ground and even
credit this policy of changing electoral outcomes. For a policy to
actually translate to the hope and safety you claim, however false
they may be, observation #1 has to essentially be false. Since the
disbursement of the funds in some sense is what gives the false hope/
change. It is perfectly reasonable to assume those who do get that
sense are not the kind of people who read the entire legislative
paperwork or the latest story on this by The Economist (the one last
week). And your own post accepts to this reality.
So, unless observation #1 is absolutely false, observation #2 cannot
stand. And vice-versa. Now, please pick one of the above and not both
to criticize the NREGA.
Coming to our man Bhalla, I think the established way of ascertaining
someone's eminence in a modern academic discipline is to hunt for
their citations and the h-index. On that, Bhalla scores a near 0. So,
it's fair to say he is not an eminent economist. But I think the
looking into his research productivity and citation is meaningless
when he himself does not call him an economist! Forget an eminent one.
That should be your biggest hint.
Jai71 says:
March 30, 2010 at 11:39 am
Pub Chick,
You are IMO driving a logical argument – but not willing to look
beyond the words used per se. And also trying to be simplistic i feel.
A. NREGA is a failure because it did not meet / is not meeting the
goals it had for itself – low disbursement could be one of the issues
B. But NREGA has affected electoral outcomes – there are two aspects
you should look at:
a. To affect electoral outcomes, it is not necessary for NREGA to
actually be implemented FULLY. Implementation to the tune of the vote
swing should be sufficient (am sure you are aware how close the
electoral race is – and what % of votes the winner actually needs)
b. "Poor villager (NREGA recipient) being happy about NREGA" does NOT
mean NREGA SUCCESS! – Some of NREGA goals may have been met, but then
I hope a give away of this size also has some other goals!!
*** Disclaimer – I have only limited knowledge about NREGA and its
goals…
Cheers!
Jai
Mala says:
March 30, 2010 at 11:47 am
@Pubchick – I dont see the purpose of u logging to this blog except to
show your arguementative powers. Perhaps you have memorized wren and
martin as a child but why exhibit that talent here. Is this a forum to
show your language skills? Also be kind enough to show us some link
where Bhalla calls himself a money manager.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Jai,
I think your larger disclaimer must have been about your ignorance of
the electoral sample space and significance parameters of variables. I
am ignorant on those aspects as well. Which is why I took this blog
authors' assertion at face value for the purpose of this argument.
I have no idea of NREGA and its merits on the ground. My only point is
that this author was being intellectually dishonest by using two
contradictory criticisms.
Mala, I don't know where you live. But I am sure Business Standard is
available in some form. Please buy a copy on a Sunday and read
Bhalla's byline. And, why would I shy away from showing my
argumentative powers if I think this blog author is being self-
contradictory?
Jai71 says:
March 30, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Pub Chick,
You are unbelievable – so your ignorance is better than mine… wow!
What logic & argument!!
And as for intellectual dishonesty – please re-read my post.
Bottomline: NREGA affects electoral outcome (positively for Congress)
_IS_NOT_EQUAL_ to NREGA is a failure.
if you still dont get it – pl stop acting like you are some guru of
logical reasoning…
Cheers!
Jai
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Jai, I am sorry I actually thought you were non-ugly.
Jai71 says:
March 30, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Hey Pub Chick!
I like what you are thinking…
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Excellent.
Now get back to argumentation and ignore the argument.
cynicalcount says:
March 30, 2010 at 2:02 pm
I remember a year or two ago there was this troll called "Balaji" who
used to act in a fashion similar to this newbie troll "Pubchick".
Maybe, Balaji has changed his gender. Good thing about them is they
keep the debates going with light/fun postings which are can provide
laughter for sometime atleast.
-Pubchick – Do you have a blog somewhere? I would like to get my daily
laughter quota from there if you dont mind.
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 30, 2010 at 5:23 pm
>Now your Observation #2 says it gives false hope and safety. In your original post you even claim this is visible on the ground and even credit this policy of changing electoral outcomes.
Electoral gains can be cause of many reasons, one must remember that
those who handle the process of elections also handle the process of
disbursement of NREGA's money.
And one mustn't underestimate our Babudom's capability to squeeze out
some honey for Buccha logs, may be PapaPub chick brings a lot of honey
or Daru for our PubChick to drown her depression and self
loathing ??
And whichever party helps to increase under the table and over the
table income, will get Officialdom's protection
At the same time, some chillad can be thrown to the needy the same way
they are given chicken and daru before voting for our eminent Mannu.
And let us not underestimate ignorance of the masses, who votes simply
on the basis of promises made, especially when those are for Jaat and
Minorities.
>For a policy to actually translate to the hope and safety you claim, however false they may be, observation #1 has to essentially be false. Since the disbursement of the funds in some sense is what gives the false hope/ change. It is perfectly reasonable to assume those who do get that sense are not the kind of people who read the entire legislative paperwork or the latest story on this by The Economist (the one last week). And your own post accepts to this reality.
Can't help your ignorance or maybe daru that makes you see world in
black 'n white, But lets work on it (you won't need daru if only you
world work on your mental illness and physical situation).
The poor can get false sense of hope thanks to promises by Babus-Baba-
Mannu-Amma(s), that if they lose their current job or if agriculture
isn't enough to drown the hunger that they can fall back on 100 days
of GUARANTEED job.
At the same time, there MANY who managed to get job for only few days
and not 100 and many more didn't get paid for work. So even those who
are getting work right now, may not get work in future or many not get
paid. So they are also libing on flase sense of hope
And lastly, this schme in not certainly not sustainable and might get
cancelled of amended in future, hence again it gives false sense of
hope to poor.
But at least our Pub Chick is getting her daru, right. ??
Now was it so hard to figure it out on your own ??, of course it was
but we will work on it Pub Chick and make your feel smart and Pretty.
So lets do a mantra because certainly this is too much work for your
sad brain, :-
Repeat following 20 times every 6 hours or when you feel very sad :-
"I am smarty, I am pretty, not horny, not ugly, THE WORLD is HORNY,
THE WORLD IS UGLY, but I am PRETTY"
>So, unless observation #1 is absolutely false, observation #2 cannot stand. And vice-versa. Now, please pick one of the above and not both to criticize the NREGA.
Experience cognitive dissonance ? Just do as your Psychologist told
you to do when this happens, don't accept the reality and kindly
continue with your self righteous journey through your ass.
>Coming to our man Bhalla, I think the established way of ascertaining someone's eminence in a modern academic discipline
Since when was Economics was limited to "academic discipline" ?? Sure
there is need to teach and further its development, but this is done
with objective to apply this knowledge.
And Bhalla is involved in its application, his work requires the
knowledge of functioning if economies and how it can be exploited for
better returns.
So your way is simply the daru doing the thinking, it is certainly not
the established way. The established way of ascertaining eminence on
an individual is by the recognition of their knowledge ans skills by
their peers and recognized institution in the said field.
> is to hunt for their citations and the h-index. On that, Bhalla scores a near 0. So, it's fair to say he is not an eminent economist.
Let me say that this is a big hint for everyone that Pub Chick is a
retard or simply ignorant.
>But I think the looking into his research productivity and citation is meaningless when he himself does not call him an economist! Forget an eminent one.
Did he tell you personally that he is not an economist ?, and what do
you call people who have studied and apply the knowledge of economics
in different feild ?
His firm is involved in "economic research", yet you are still spewing
our this drivel.
Lets see what his firm which is involved in economic research says
about Bhalla :-
"Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla is the Chairman of Oxus Investments. His profile
provides Oxus with a powerful mix of fund management, and applied
economic and policy research. His experience with premier policy
institutes such as the Rand Corporation, the Brookings Institution and
the World Bank offers useful input in formulating global macro
strategies.
Since 1991, Dr. Bhalla has been directly engaged in financial markets.
Prior to establishing Oxus, he was Director and Chief Global
Strategist, Emerging Markets Deutsche Bank; Vice President and
Proprietary Trader Goldman Sachs; and Chief Investment Officer, World
Bank. He has been a consultant/advisor to Warburg Pincus since 1998.
He is on the board of a major think tank (NCAER), as well as Gargi
College, Delhi University. He has been a member of the Change and
Prosperity program at The Aspen Institute since 2002. He is also a
frequent contributor to media on issues related to government policy
and financial markets. He is also the author of a widely read
fortnightly column in leading financial newspapers.
___Dr. Bhalla holds a PhD in Economics from Princeton University____,
a Masters degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from the
Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University and a Bachelors degree in
Electrical Engineering from Purdue University".
——————————————————————————————————————————
So he have studied Economics and that do at one of the best
institution in the world, those who can use Google Scholar certainly
won't be acting like a retard, in his work he applies his knowledge in
Economic research, recognized institution in field of economics like
Delhi School of Economics,Rand Corporation, World Bank,Goldman
Sachs,Deutsche Bank have recognized him and hence he is an EMINENT
ECONOMIST.
Also he have written various papers, studies and books in the same
field.
This is obvious enough for anyone who is endowed with even average
mental faculties, but certainly it is too much stress for a Pub Chik.
>That should be your biggest hint.
It is a hint that our Pub Chick is suffering from some serious disease
preventing her/him the use of more than few brain cells.
I know how you feel Pub Chick, no worries there is more to the world
that Sex and Knowledge and Love. There is Daru.
And yes those Hindu Sri Ram Sena guys who left you high and dry and
ignored you as if you were some kind of stool even when you were
trying hard to lure even a blind to show some love.
They did this because they were Ugly and Horny and into Ugly and Horny
girls.
They couldn't see the pretty in you.
But the Psecular Zakhir Naik sees the Pretty in you, so what he ues
the faciliy of bown paper bag. He is into Pubchik. Hes loves your.
And yes YOU ARE PRETTY, and you don't need to devour those sleeiping
pills because there is someone who can see pretty in you.
And then there is always Daru, that you can fall back on.
Just repeat the mantra I taught you.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 7:44 pm
This is awesome. BabuJhadhav, I now nominate you my first project. I
take upon myself the task of making you non-ugly and non-stupid.
6 months.
Ashok says:
March 30, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Pub Chick seems to be paid by Congis to act as their full time
supporter on the web. They may have hired lot of others too. After
controlling TV and news paper media, now they want to control the web
too. Unless these "ugly" creatures are blocked, we cannot have
sensible discussion here.
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 30, 2010 at 8:14 pm
@Pub Chick
Yup that is the attitude you need to survive in this hard environment,
especially with your physical _situation_
And yes the world is ugly and you are pretty,
In fact we need a internalBeauty Contest for Special People to remind
that there exist some internal beauty in people of your kind.
BTW, I can see noticeable difference in your behavior so it seems that
Daru and Zakir Naiks Brown bag therapy is working you.
And are you chaning the "I am Pretty and the rest Ugly" mantra ??
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Ashok, who is Congis? I really would like to get paid for this though
— that would make for a novel that many many white boys will fawn
over.
drummasala says:
March 30, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Because of pubchik, Offstumped has become very interesting. People
relieves their day to day tensions by reading pubchick's posts. Keep
them coming.
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 30, 2010 at 8:42 pm
@Pub Chick
You should stop the use of word "ugly" "horny", remember you need to
do this to feel good about yourself.
And you need to feel good about yourself so that you don't drastic
description to end your harsh life by cutting your wrist and such.
==========================================
Guys make Pub Chick feel comfortable, by doing this you are doing
social service by helping an emo.
Therefore help make Pub Chick feel pretty, as far as her rest of the
drivel is concerned please ignore it as she is not in proper state of
mind to use more than fe brain cells.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Babu boy, here is first lesson. Stop speaking to others assuming
intellect over them. Now this mostly makes you non-ugly.
But it's easier said than done. Watch me.
drummasala says:
March 30, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Pubchick, do you know any pubs for ugly horny men? I think you might
know lot of those.
http://offstumped.wordpress.com/2010/03/27/ladder-of-opportunity-versus-safety-of-the-net/
March 30, 2010 • 6:27 am
Targeting Middle India – Socio-economic Engineering Part 3
Third and Concluding part of series on Socio-Economic Engineering
(Part 1 & Part 2)
Duetsche Bank Research released a report on February 15th 2010 titled
The Middle Class in India – Issues and Opportunities
Some highlights extracted from this report that are of relevance to
this discussion on Socio-Economic Engineering and targeting Middle
India.
#1 -While there is no official definition of the middle class,
estimates range from 30 million to approximately 300 million people.
#2 Even using the most generous estimates of the group‟s size, the
middle class comprises less than 30 percent of the population
#3 The importance of the middle class lies in the fact that it is the
fastest growing segment of the population
#4 while the total population will increase almost 30% between 2005
and 2025, the middle class population will increase approximately 10
times or almost 1000% during this period
#5 the middle class might see less of a link between their priorities
(the CLSA survey found the number one political priority for the
middle class over the next 12 months was employment) and a new
government vs. the poor (who are typically more concerned with things
such as basic healthcare infrastructure or farm loan waivers that are
more directly linked to the government).
#6 A stronger political drive in the middle class would force or
enable the government to also focus on issues that are of concern to
them.
The report also puts into perspective why the flawed Liberal Left
agenda of the Congress is meeting with electoral success
#1 The Gini coefficient (a measure of inequality where 100 = high
levels of inequality and 0 equals no inequality in an economy) is
rather low for India overall compared to other EMs at less than 35 but
has been increasing since economic liberalisation
#2 although the poverty rate has been reduced, the rich continue to
get richer in comparison
#3 As the middle class remains apathetic towards political
participation as is currently thought, then the trend of focusing on
poorer (often rural) voters to win elections could remain the dominant
political paradigm in India.
The Liberal Left agenda of the Congress has benefited from the twin
factors of Middle Class apathy and Demographic advantage by
simultaneously targeting the poor and the elite rich.
This simultaneous targeting of a Demographic majority by the Congress
can be best appreciated when viewed through the prism of what Rahul
Gandhi calls "Growth with distribution".
"Growth with distribution" is not just about targeting the poor with
entitlements but it also about keeping the elite rich in power through
this unholy nexus between Crony Capitalism and Politicians.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta writing in the Indian Express today (clicking on
this link may lead to virus infection), alerts us once again to the
Congress' strategy to consolidate power.
The Congress is widening its target demographic base by giving a new
definition to the Poverty Line to expand Entitlements and is giving a
religious twist to Backwardness to increase Quotas.
But then as Pratap Bhanu Mehta puts it hubris and complacency can
still trip the Congress but it will take bold imagination for an
alternative agenda to succeed.
Where is the Opportunity
As the Duetsche Bank Report says
#1 The growth of the middle class and the economic growth of India are
in a virtuous cycle.
#2 As the middle class grows and continues to increase domestic
demand, the economy will also continue to grow
#4 The growth of the middle class will force more businesses to expand
and also force new business to take root
The opportunity for the Center Right agenda lies in what the Deutsche
Bank Report calls
the key point in ensuring that the link between middle class growth
and economic growth continues to strengthen
And that is in
providing the right education and skills to the middle class and
creating enough opportunities in society to absorb these
Conclusion
Socio Economic Engineering could be the vehicle for the Center Right
movement to target Middle India with a "bold and imaginative" agenda.
A beginning must be made by
Step#1 – Giving a new broad definition to this fast growing
demographic segment called the "Middle Class"
Step#2 – Micro-targeting based on issues that directly relate to
economic priorities of the various sub-segments that make up this
broad Middle Class
Step#3 – Structuring an electoral agenda around the "Ladder of
Opportunites plus Safety Net" paradigm to address those priorities
22 Responses
Umesh says:
March 30, 2010 at 7:34 am
Yossarin,
A moot point. Your views are very well taken. But, the problem is
that, u need to articulate the same in much more simplified fashion.
The Bottomline of ur argument deals with economics. But, this blog
attracts mostly Ideological people.
if you want to attract a different segment , you might need to write
in a much more lucid and simpler language.
Bottomline is, india understands money. You could write this in a
language ur ordinary IT professional or a simple trader in a
stationary shop understands better.
have to say, that ur comments are very incisive.
offstumped says:
March 30, 2010 at 7:38 am
Umeshji – point well taken, all debate is work in progress, will
refine the points over time with contextual examples.
arjun says:
March 30, 2010 at 11:26 am
BJP has to do the following;
1) Hold the base i.e 18% of the vote share.
2) Increase voteshare among SCs STs. Even a gain of 2-3% voteshare
would reduce Congress voteshare by the same amount. This ca be done by
consistently reaching out to SCs/STs and giving them prominent
position in the organisation.
3) Alliances with regional parties in key states to consolidate anti
Congress votes.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 12:42 pm
arjun,
why are you worried about the BJP? Does the BJP worry about you? But
if you ugly or horny, no one will. The answer, my boy, is Unilever. Or
some other company that produces skincare products.
Maybe we should make the global CEO of Unilever India's Prime Minister
by default. That will solve bad politics and ugly people. Two birds,
one stone.
Though, horniness might remain yet.
cynicalcount says:
March 30, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Pubchick – Why are you worried about Arjun or anyone else being ugly
or horny? Does the ugly or horny people worry about you? The answer my
boy or my girl is a good counsellor. Or some good reputed mental
asylum.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Worry not darling, I shall help you too.
cynicalcount says:
March 30, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Unfortunately I would have to decline your offer Pubchick. Kindly
continue your rantings here. Good fun they are.
Pub Chick says:
March 30, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I am the one ranting? Okay!
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 30, 2010 at 6:50 pm
@Pub Chick
You are still carrying around the grudge, that certainly isn't good
for you.
You know how that affects your diet and BP and in turn your physical
appearance.
This is a vicious cycle that you must come out of.
Repeat after me :-
"Sri Ram sena boys neglected me not because I am ugly even when I was
trying hard to lure them, but because _they_ are ugly and horny and
are into ugly and horny girls"
Say that :-
"I am Pub Chick, and I have inner beauty that my love Pseculars like
Zakir Naik can see"
Also :-
"My Daru loves me and makes me feel good about myself"
——————————————————–
Guys let us sympathize with people with mental illness, lets make her
feel better about herself. Otherwise who knows she might give up and
devour sleeping pills leaving behind one ugly world that continuously
reminded her of her external appearance.
She compensates for lack of love and self confidence with use of
perverted word and indulges in Freudian Projection.
Poor PubChick, I think it is time for your Daru therapy. Remember
world is ugly, but you have inner beauty.
Fanatic_Hiindu says:
March 30, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Awright,
If pubchick responds this will be fun . Incidentally, we Hindu
fanatics are enjoy our drink too along with a spice of Pink floyd.
Too bad the Christmas carols with the Paedophiliac touch does not
enthuse us well enough.
Jingle the bell , Pussy's[Pun completely unintended] in the well
Where are you, My sweet[pinch of salt] little Pubby queen?
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 31, 2010 at 12:28 am
@Fanatic_Hiindu
She may call you horny and ugly, but trust me bro you attention has
given her a new life.
After the attack by the Boys of Sri Ram Sena, she was heart broken
that every one ignored her as if she didn't exist.
What you have done is a pure social serivice, might have even saved a
life.
Aapne Punya ka kaam Kiya hai.
I think at least today she don't need to resort to intoxicant to put
her self to rest.
Sweet dreams, remember at least Fanatic_Hiindu likes you.
And yes chant your mantra.
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 31, 2010 at 12:29 am
[Sweet dreams, remember at least Fanatic_Hiindu likes you.
And yes chant your mantra.]( <<<<<< Meant for dear Pub Chick)
Ketan says:
March 31, 2010 at 2:51 am
My suspicion is that Pub Chick and Babu are the same people, just what
while posting her comments as Babu, Pub Chick is making more typos
than usual to distract others.
Can any eminent impostorologist prove that Pub Chick and Babu are not
the same people?
psecular says:
March 31, 2010 at 4:04 am
Guys IGNORE pube-chic,the gender bender. It has hired someone to write
English paragraphs with some heavy words and is happily inserting
"ugly", "horny" in between the sentences to show them off as her own.
Its plagiarizing shamelessly. Nevertheless, I observe that pube chics
obsession for Indians (fox & the sour grapes) and its fear of a
stronger India are real
Pub Chick says:
March 31, 2010 at 8:35 am
I am quite insulted that you think I am some random guy who can't even
type. Plus, I am also flattered you think I plagiarize.
On balance, I guess I am.
Fanatic_Hiindu says:
March 31, 2010 at 10:03 am
ok, if anybody thinks I like pubchick, all I say is that, forget it.
I've much better taste.
Secondly, Pubchick thinks that he/she is the ulra-cool lady and us
Hindu extremists dont have a sense of Humour, so, I'm giving him/her a
taste of his/her own medicine.
It is interesting that he/she chose not to respond to me. Shows how
scared he/she is.
Other guys, Dont take it seriously. Let us wait and see if Pubchick
responds. I bet that he/she is too scared to do so, since, he/she met
someone of him/her own size who can beat him/her in him/her own game.
Cheers
Ketan says:
March 31, 2010 at 11:15 am
Oh dear Pub Chick, please don't feel insulted. And even if you did,
that was not the intent. It was implicit in my previous comment that
those typos were deliberate on your part.
To plagiarize would be to not just copy, but also claim that work to
be originally one's own?
And why has Babu not yet responded expressing his feeling of shock/
jubilation at finally being recognized for what he is?
Fanatic_Hiindu says:
March 31, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I'm coming around to your view, Ketan. You might be right. Good
deduction. Cheers
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 31, 2010 at 1:11 pm
@Fanatic_Hiindu @Ketan
Biraders, ugly folks like you and me cannot be as beautiful like our
Pub Chick. I doubt if you fully appreciate the beauty of Pub Chick.
May be you need some daru or some paper bag(for pub chick) to see her
Prettiness.
rightnow I am busy and tired of typing from mobile phone. I will be
remind you of contrasting differences in beauty of ugky folks like us
hindus and beautiful people like Osama Zakir Naik and Pub Chick.
Ketan says:
March 31, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Babu,
Now I have become even more convinced that you are Pub Chick
masquerading (hope, I got the spelling right!) as Babu.
The more you try to convince me otherwise, deeper will my suspicion
get.
Fanatic_Hindu,
Just a few days back Babu/Pub Chick and I had reached this conclusion
that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder (at least Pub Chick did
not contest this maxim).
Truth is elective (not a typo). And, Pub Chick is spectacular.
cynicalcount says:
March 31, 2010 at 3:59 pm
@ketan – Please stop trivialising. I didnt expect this from you. Let
us all stop talking about this pubchick and discuss the issues related
to the topic of this post by Offstumped. It is better to laugh at
posts by pubchick rather than giving him/her any importance. Its like
how media gives importance to non-entities and makes them larger than
life. He/She is not worth even talking about and my request to you is
to stop mentioning that nick. Thanks.
BabuJadhav(Jai Shri Ram) says:
March 31, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Bhaiyon Naam Main Kya Rakha Hai, Bhavnao Ko Samjho.
I am certainly not worthy enough to be compared to Pub Chik.
===================================================
Okay now, even I am tired of trolling a troll. And cynicalcount is
right, this tool is not deserving of any more of our attention. Sadly
I must admit my mistake for feeding this POS Pub Shit, I thought I
will keep this character busy but this really affected the process of
dialogue and debate.
Centre-right shouldn't be trivialized by such nonsensical exchange of
intellectual excrete.
I am sorry.
========================================================
@Pub Shit Hoe, before you work on me kindly work on your own arguments
that were raised by you regarding.(Silence was pretty deafening and
was an expose of your unmatched intellectual vanity) :-
1) Why do you think that Bhalla is not an economist when _Dr._ Bhalla
holds a PhD in Economics from _Princeton_ University.
2) Why do you think he is not an _eminent_ economist, with his
illustrious educational credentials :-
" Dr. Bhalla holds a PhD in Economics from Princeton University____, a
Masters degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from the
Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University and a Bachelors degree in
Electrical Engineering from Purdue University"."
========Occupational achievement :-=====================
""Dr. Surjit S. Bhalla is the Chairman of Oxus Investments. His
profile provides Oxus with a powerful mix of fund management, and
applied economic and policy research. His experience with premier
policy institutes such as the Rand Corporation, the Brookings
Institution and the World Bank offers useful input in formulating
global macro strategies.
Since 1991, Dr. Bhalla has been directly engaged in financial markets.
Prior to establishing Oxus, he was Director and Chief Global
Strategist, Emerging Markets Deutsche Bank; Vice President and
Proprietary Trader Goldman Sachs; and Chief Investment Officer, World
Bank. He has been a consultant/advisor to Warburg Pincus since 1998."
========His contribution to academia :-==================
"He is on the board of a major think tank (NCAER), as well as Gargi
College, Delhi University. He has been a member of the Change and
Prosperity program at The Aspen Institute since 2002. He is also a
frequent contributor to media on issues related to government policy
and financial markets. He is also the author of a widely read
fortnightly column in leading financial newspapers."
Other than the numerous and well cited papers and books he have
written, (learn to use Google Scholar and comprehend what comes on the
screen before you. And please don't blame the poor computer and the
world, because the problem lies between your keyboard and the chair.)
And lastly he is recognized by Media, Economic Institutions,
Educational Institutions and Governmental Insinuations(and that to the
very best / big / global ones at that)
3) Alleged contradictions in post regarding NREGA
Your fallacy have been well contradicted, either prove the refutation
wrong or accept that you are a well established retard deserving of no
attention.
4) By your own measure of ascertaining ones eminence in particular
field, Bhalla is very much eminent. You must agree that this
establishes your lack of intellect.
5) Why IYO is an Economist only limited to academic activities, why
cannot IYO a person be considered eminent for expertise/work/
achievement in the field of application of economics (which you are
too ignorant to know that this field exist and is really the objective
for the knowledge R&D by academia)
6) You said something about his skills and how he is not very good at
what he does, FYI in last 5 years his investments had higher returns
than say HDFC/Reliance Growth/DSPBR/IDFC/Birla Sun life/Fiedelity
Equity/ICICI Prudential/Tata Grown.
Hell returning as good as the index is considered to be a very good
investment (according to Buffet), but ROI on his investment were ~50%
better than index.
Hence in light of the stated facts it is very obvious that your
contribution to this blog is :- SHUNYA, in fact a 10 year old kid can
come up with better observations.
So take my advise, but yourself out of misery as you are trying to
hard to get attention in this world. Any further direct indirect
requests for hand-holding and attention will be ignored.
You can ask for attention from Psecs like Zakir Nalaiks and Osamas of
the world who will join you in the mission of psecular eradication of
ugly and horny non Psecular an non EvanJihadi-Psemitics.
Ram Ram
http://offstumped.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/targeting-middle-india-socio-economic-engineering-part-3/
Posted: Wed, Mar 31 2010. 9:56 PM IST
Bachchan meets the worldThe actor is actually available for all kinds
of things, from interviews with rookie journalists to launching books
to becoming part of public service campaignsSidharth Bhatia
A huge picture on his blog shows Amitabh Bachchan with his mouth open,
in what looks like a roar, with a tiger in the background. This is
Bachchan expressing his support for the Save the Tiger campaign, but
it could be a double metaphor: his anger at his critics and his
proximity to Bal Thackeray, whose party symbol is the roaring tiger.
Such a misinterpretation would confirm Bachchan's fears that many are
out to malign his good name. Recently, he has been criticized by Raj
Thackeray, the Congress and the media. On Twitter, people are
expressing their distaste for his support to various controversial
politicians and causes. Not surprisingly, Bachchan is feeling hounded
and is now hitting back on his blog.
When he went to attend a function on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in
Mumbai last week, the local Congress objected to Bachchan's
association with Gujarat as its tourism brand ambassador. How could a
Congress chief minister sit on the same dais with a man who was ready
to help the Bharatiya Janata Party, that too someone like Narendra
Modi? Chief minister Ashok Chavan, always on the lookout for ways to
please his Delhi bosses, tried to distance himself from Bachchan till
it was pointed out that the star had been officially invited.
Local political machinations were behind this so-called controversy.
Chavan is under siege from his coalition partner Nationalist Congress
Party and also from local Congress party bosses. A day or two later, a
recorded speech by Abhishek Bachchan on the occasion of Earth Day was
pulled out hours before Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit landed at
a function.
Bachchan is wondering if there is a "pattern" in all this. It would be
naive to think there isn't, given the vehemence with which Congress
spokesperson Manish Tiwari went after the actor on television
channels. A bit rich this, considering that Bachchan became a Congress
member of Parliament after the 1984 elections in the wake of the anti-
Sikh riots in Delhi and elsewhere.
Bachchan's other bête noire is the media which, for him, is
incompetent, arrogant, unprofessional and, most of all, against him
and his family. He regularly takes digs at journalists, sometimes by
name, and is at war with a large newspaper group whose tabloid paper
carried a report about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being afflicted with an
illness that prevented her from getting pregnant.
So what does all of this make Bachchan? A crotchety old uncle, an
angry ageing man, an arrogant star who can't stand being criticized?
The irony is that Bachchan is one of the most accessible stars in
Mumbai. His office never fails to reply to a message or a request, and
he is available for all kinds of things, from interviews with rookie
journalists to launching books to becoming part of public service
campaigns. So what gives with this newfound aggression? The truth is
that Bachchan has discovered that he can now access his fans directly.
His blog is popular, and he writes it every night. That has been an
empowering experience and he is encouraged by the response he gets
when he hits back.
But there is also little doubt that he has become touchy at being
questioned about his choice of friends—Amar Singh, Bal Thackeray,
Mulayam Singh Yadav and now Narendra Modi: This is, by any token, not
a guest list any man in public life would like to associate with.
By taking on the media and cohabiting with the likes of Thackeray and
Modi, Bachchan has won no friends. But the pettiness and hypocrisy of
the Congress has gone too far. On his part, Bachchan would do well by
shrugging off adverse comments instead of choosing to react to
everything. He has the right to speak out, but we expect more from our
greatest movie icon.
Sidharth Bhatia is a Mumbai-based senior journalist. Comment at
otherviews@livemint.com
http://www.livemint.com/2010/03/31215657/Bachchan-meets-the-world.html?h=B
BJP-Sena to roll out big guns for AMC polls
Syed Rizwanullah, TNN, Apr 1, 2010, 05.57am IST
AURANGABAD: The Shiv Sena-BJP combine is all set to rope in national-
level party leaders to campaign for its candidates for the April 11
Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
The Sena is also planning to introduce Aditya Thackeray, son of the
party's executive president Uddhav Thackeray, in the town by
organising his road show in the run-up to the polls.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Sena deputy leader and MP
Chandrakant Khaire and state BJP unit vice-president Haribhau Bagade
announced the list of big names being brought in to campaign. The BJP
big guns include its national president Nitin Gadkari and senior
leaders Gopinath Munde, Eknath Khadse, Vinod Tawde, Smriti Irani,
Poonam Mahajan and Sudheer Mungantiwar. The Sena list includes Uddhav
Thackeray, his son Aditya, Manohar Joshi, Subhash Desai, Anant Gite,
Anand Adsul and Vishwanath Nerurkar.
Congress candidate Abdul Sajed has already been declared elected
unopposed. Of the remaining 98 wards, the saffron combine is
contesting from 88 wards the Shiv Sena from 55 and the BJP from 33.
The duo has also declared that a strong warning has been issued to
rebels who have filed their nominations from crucial wards to withdraw
within two days and support the official nominees. If they fail to do
so, they will be sacked from the respective parties, the alliance
said.
Some Sena rebels have been using pictures of the party's leaders in
their election material. "We will lodge complaints with the Election
Commission (EC) against such people," Khaire said.
The Sena-BJP leaders have also accused Congress leaders including
guardian minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, industries minister
Rajendra Darda and minister of state for civic supplies Abdul Sattar
of misusing government machinery to influence voters and candidates.
"They have also lured many of our workers by offering them tickets,"
Khaire said.
Specifically naming Abdul Sattar, who had assaulted a Congress
activist following a row over party tickets, Khaire alleged, "He is
threatening many of our workers and also misusing the police machinery
for this purpose. We will approach the EC and draw its attention to
ministers' meddling in the election process."
"The combine is sure to retain its hold on the AMC by bagging at least
55 seats," district Sena unit president Ambadas Danve said.
Dismal conviction rate in rape cases in Maharashtra
Umesh Isalkar & Mihir Tanksale, TNN, Mar 31, 2010, 06.06am IST
PUNE: The poor annual rate of conviction in rape cases in Maharashtra
— barely 15-16 per cent as per statistics recently published by the
state criminal investigation department (CID) — has raised the hackles
of human rights activists in the city.
On an average, as many as 1,400 rape cases were registered each year
in the state between 2006 and 2009. While the conviction in these
cases has been pathetic, conviction in related areas like sexual
harassment and molestation is equally dismal even as these offences
are only rising every year, the report says.
Dilip Bhujbal, superintendent of police (law and research) of the CID,
told TOI on Monday that crimes against women in Maharashtra have been
on the rise over the last three years. He said the state government
has initiated measures to ensure more convictions in these cases. "A
comprehensive sensitisation programme for police officers is regularly
conducted at the Centre for Police Research (CPR) in Pune.
Besides, NGOs working against human trafficking and other crimes have
been roped in to train police officials," he said.
Training in methods of collecting evidence to help victims during
trials, leading to conviction, is imparted during these programmes,
Bhujbal said.
According to the CID report, the state registered 1,500 cases of rape
in 2006, 1,452 in 2007 and 1,558 cases in 2008.
Human rights activists in the city have expressed serious concern over
the situation. According to an analysis done by Asim Sarode, who is
working on criminal justice reforms, the percentage of conviction in
all rape cases was 16.21 in 2006, 16.69 in 2007 and 15.25 in 2008.
On the reasons for the low conviction rate, Sarode said, "Sexual abuse
that does not amount to penile penetration should be included as a
crime. Rape victims must be given interim compensation when there is
prima facie evidence and final compensation after conviction."
According to Sarode, only 8.43%, 5.95% and 7.37% cases of rape,
molestation and sexual harassment respectively were tried in 2008.
Private schools to face penalty for violating RTE: SIbal
PTI, Apr 1, 2010, 02.40pm IST
NEW DELHI: All private and minority schools have to reserve 25 percent
seats in elementary education for underprivileged children, and any
breach of the Right to Education act will fetch punishment, human
resource development minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday.
Sibal told Times Now television that it was obligatory to set aside a
quarter of all seats for poor children from classes 1 to 8 but added
that the reservation would start in Class 1 only from 2011.
It would take eight years by the time the reservation extends to Class
8, he pointed out.
Asked if there will be penalty for not complying with the legislation,
the minister said: "It is now law, it can be statutorily enforced."
He said both aided and non-aided schools across the country have to
follow the legislation.
Sibal warned that schools will not be allowed to segregate students
from the disadvantage community in any form. "That is not acceptable
to us," he said.
The minister clarified that minority schools were not exempt from the
act.
"We believe every minority institution would itself like to (go for
the reservation). There are disadvantaged sections in minority
communities too. The minorities will be part of the national
endeavour."
The government, he said, was "committed to root out the capitation
fee" from the education system. "I will not spare anybody who indulges
in this educational malpractice."
The minister said the legislation would succeed only if all the
stakeholders join hands. "(Educating the child) is a community effort.
We are not doing this ourselves. We are doing this for the unborn
child".
The Right to Education act came into force on Thursday as a
fundamental right.
From today, every child has a right to education
PTI, Apr 1, 2010, 09.48am IST
Children of India are our future: Manmohan SinghNEW DELHI: Nearly
eight years after the Constitution was amended to make education a
fundamental right, the government today implemented a historic law to
provide free and compulsory education to all children in age group of
6-14 years.
The 86th Constitutional amendment making education a fundamental right
was passed by Parliament in 2002. The Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act, a law to enable the implementation of the
fundamental right, was passed by Parliament last year. Both the
Constitutional amendment and the new law came into force from today.
The new law makes it obligatory on part of the state governments and
local bodies to ensure that every child gets education in a school in
the neighbourhood.
Its implementation will directly benefit close to one crore children
who do not go to schools at present. These children, who have either
dropped out from schools or have never been to any educational
institution, will be enrolled in schools.
The Right To Education is being touted by the UPA government as
another major achievement after Right To Information Act and National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
At present, there are nearly 22 crore children in the relevant age
group. However, 4.6 per cent of these children (nearly 92 lakh) are
out of school, a ministry official said.
The school management committee or the local authority will identify
the drop-outs or out of school children above six years of age and
admit them in classes appropriate to their age after giving special
training.
The Act makes it a right of every child to get education. The Act
makes it obligatory for the appropriate governments to ensure that
every child gets free elementary education.
The Act mandates that even private educational institutions have to
reserve 25 per cent seats for children from weaker sections.
Certain schools have already challenged the law in the Supreme Court
as being "unconstitutional" and violating fundamental rights of
unaided private educational institutions. However, HRD Minister Kapil
Sibal has said that legal process would not affect the implementation
of law.
The Finance Commission has provided Rs 25,000 crore to the states for
implementation of the Act.
As per the government's estimate, there will be a requirement of Rs
1.71 lakh crore in the next five years for implementation of the Act.
Sibal said that the government has arranged the required funds for
implementing the law.
The Act says no school can deny admission to a student and all schools
need to have trained teachers. In case of schools not having trained
teachers, they will have to comply with the provision within three
years.
As per the new law, the schools need to have certain minimum
facilities like adequate teachers, playground and infrastructure. The
government will evolve some mechanism to help marginalised schools
comply with the provisions of the Act.
The government has already prepared model rules which have been
circulated to the states for preparing their own rules for
implementation of the Act. The Centre has also prepared separate rules
for the Union Territories which will be notified by the Law Ministry
next week.
As per the Model rules, the local bodies and the state governments
will undertake household surveys and neighbourhood school mapping to
ensure that all children are sent to school.
The rules say that the state governments or local authorities will
determine the neighbourhood schools by undertaking school mapping.
Such agencies shall ensure that no child is subjected to caste, class,
religious or gender abuse in the school.
The local authority will conduct a household survey and maintain a
record of all children in its jurisdiction. The record will contain
detailed information about the child and the parents and will specify
whether the child belongs to the weaker section or disadvantaged group
or having any disability.
The state government or local authorities will identify children with
disabilities and children from disadvantaged groups every year.
Unaided and private schools shall ensure that children from weaker
sections and disadvantaged groups shall not be segregated from the
other children in the classrooms nor shall their classes be held at
places and timings different from the classes held for the other
children.
The new law will ensure that quality education is provided to children
of all community, including minorities and backward classes.
However, the reservation for weaker section will not be implemented
from this year as the admission season is almost over. It will be
implemented from 2011-12.
The state government and local authorities will establish primary
schools within walking distance of one km of the neighbourhood. In
case of children for Class VI to VIII, the school should be within a
walking distance of three km of the neighbourhood.
The government has prepared a short film on the new law which would be
aired on TV channels to create awareness.
I am what I am today because of education: PM
PTI, Apr 1, 2010, 09.55am IST
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the government was
committed to ensuring that all children irrespective of gender and
social category have access to education and fund constraints would
not be allowed to hamper implementation of the Right to Education
Act.
Addressing the nation as the Right to Education Act went into force on
Thursday, he said "the government is committed to ensuring that all
children irrespective of gender and social category, have access to
education."
"Our government, in partnership with state governments, will ensure
that financial constraints do not hamper the implementation of the
Right to Education Act" he said.
Adding a personal touch to the importance of education, the Prime
Minister recalled his own childhood days as someone born in a family
of modest means who had to walk a long distance to go to school. "I
read under the dim light of a kerosene lamp. I am what I am today
because of education," he said.
"I want every Indian child, girl and boy, to be so touched by the
light of education. I want every Indian to dream of a better future
and live that dream", Singh said.
Recalling the desire of Gopal Krishna Gokhale about 100 years ago when
he had urged the Imperial Assembly to confer on the Indian people the
Right to Education, Singh said about 90 years later the Constitution
was amended to enshrine the Right to Education as a fundamental
right.
"Today, our government comes before you to redeem the pledge of giving
all our children the right to elementary education," Singh said adding
"this demonstrates our national commitment to the education of our
children and to the future of India ".
Pointing out that India is a country of young people, he said "it is
the belief of our government that if we nurture our children and young
people with the right education, India's future as a strong and
prosperous country is secure."
Singh said the government at the Centre, in states and union
territories and authorities at district and village levels must work
together as part of a common national endeavour to realise the Right
to Education and asked the states to join in this national effort with
"full resolve and determination".
Noting that success of any educational endeavour was based on the
ability and motivation of teachers and the implementation of the Right
to Education is no exception, he asked the teachers across the country
to become partners in this effort.
At the same time, Singh said it was also incumbent upon all to work
together to improve the working conditions of teachers and enable them
to teach with dignity, giving full expression to their talent and
creativity.
Parents and guardians too have a critical role to play having been
assigned school management responsibilities under the Act, he said
adding "the needs of every disadvantaged section of our society,
particularly girls, Dalits, adivasis and minorities must be of
particular focus as we implement this Act."
QnA: Will the bill help eradicate illiteracy in the decades
Right to Education: HRD frames model rules for states
Akshaya Mukul, TNN, Jan 21, 2010, 02.57am IST
NEW DELHI: In a significant step towards notification of the Right to
Education Act, HRD ministry has finalised the model rules for states
for implementation of the new law.
The model rules finally define the concept of neighbourhood schools
and make it clear that there will no discrimination against the 25%
children from weaker and disadvantaged groups who will get
reservation.
Also, the minimum qualification for teachers can be relaxed only by
the Centre and the period should not exceed three years. The
relaxation has to take place within five years of the commencement of
the Act. Each state will have to set up a state commission for the
protection of child rights and in the interim period they can have a
Right to Education Protection Authority. A State Advisory Council will
be the highest body to oversee RTE's implementation.
There has been considerable confusion about what neighbourhood schools
mean. As per the model rules finalised now, a neighbourhood school for
class I to V means an institution that exists within one kilometre.
For class VI to VIII, neighbourhood schools will be within three
kilometres. The rules also ask the states to upgrade the existing
class I-V schools to include classes VI-VIII.
The model rules also make it clear that in case there is no school
within the prescribed distance, the state government will make
arrangement for free transportation and residential facilities. States
have been asked to carry out a detailed school mapping for
establishing neighbourhood schools.
While reiterating that no discrimination on the basis of caste, class,
religion or gender be carried out by the states, especially against
the 25% reserved children, the model rules say that reimbursement to
be paid to schools for reserved students should only consist of
expenditure on students.
The model rules also state that the period of admission can be
extended six months from the date of commencement of the academic
year. Only schools run by a society, not-for-profit trusts and open to
government inspection can be given recognition. The schools should not
be used for commercial or residential purpose except for employees.
The important school management committee in all government-aided
schools should be reconstituted every two years. Seventy-five per cent
of the members consist of parents. Of the remaining 25%, one-third
will be elected members of local authorities, one-third teachers and
one-third local educationists. The committee will see the annual
accounts of expenditure and also bring to light deviation from the
right of the child, mental, physical harassment of children, denial of
admission and timely reimbursements to the children.
The rules also say that a three-year School Development Plan will be
chalked out about classwise enrolment, requirment of teachers and
physical requirement of infrastructure as well as additional financial
requirement.
Why has Amitabh become persona non-grata?
Nikhat Kazmi, 29 March 2010, 09:54 PM IST
And I wonder. Am I hallucinating, or is there a pattern in all
this!!!?? This is the pertinent query that a much agitated Mr Amitabh
Bachchan poses in his blog on day 705. The cause for his agitation?
Sundry. The brand ambassadorship of Gujarat as a tourist destination
followed by a photo-op and handshake with Narendra Modi, the
salutation to Bal Thackeray in the midst of the MNS-MNIK face-off, the
The Worli Sea link controversy with the Congress, the Earth hour
blackout of Abhishek Bachchan….Yes, Amitabh Bachchan ko gussa phir
aata hai!
So why has the famous angry young man on celluloid during the golden
1970s turned into the angry old man, in real life, in 2010? That's
because the erstwhile superstar suddenly sees himself becoming persona
non-grata in certain circles which not only pertain to the political
sphere? Before Mr Bachchan decodes the `pattern' in this social
distancing and sudden alienation, he must answer the paramount
question: Is there a connection between art and politics or is an
artist above politics and political divides?
Ideal situation? Let's visualize a scenario where today, the actor
anchors a short film that sings paeans to Narendra Modi and his
contributions to Gujarat, blanking out the events of 2002. Tomorrow,
he hobnobs with Bal Thackeray and wins the title of a `true
Hindustani' from him, irrespective of the divisive politics of the MNS
and Thackeray's relentless politically insensitive rhetoric. Then, he
gets co-opted by the BJP who wants to promote him as the brand
ambassador for the Commonwealth Games. Later, he sashays with the Left
Parties as the mascot for Kerala tourism and shares the platform with
Bhai Amar Singh as he floats his new party or joins back the SP. And
finally, someday, he recites Nehru's tryst-with-destiny speech in his
famous baritone for a promotional film on the Congress centenary on
the behest of Sonia Gandhi. Maybe, someday, he'd even be a guest of
Shibu Soren who wants him to put the state of Jharkand center-stage on
the map of India or Mayawati, who wants him to garland her statute
with a garland of currency.
In our hypothetical ideal state, nobody would have a problem with
Bachchan's changing loyalties, because hey, he's representing himself
as a public personae rather than a political person who kowtows a
particular political ideology. He's representing himself as an artist
who spawns across four decades of Indian cinema with an iconic
filmography that stretches from Vijay Verma (the hero of most of his
blockbusters in the 1970s) to Auro, the 13-year-old hero of Paa. Does
anybody care what his personal political ideology is all about?
Sadly, life, art and society aren't about ideal states at all. They
never have been. Israel still follows an unofficial ban on the music
maestro Richard Wagner because he was supposedly an inspiration for
Adolf Hitler. This despite the fact that Hitler was born six years
after Wagner died. But, for many Israelis, the images conjured up by
Tristen and Isolde, Parcifal and other Wagner compositions are not of
operas alone. Instead, they are reminiscent of the Nazi leader's
progrom against the Jews. In a seminal article on Wagner's influence
on Hitler, the New Yorker asks the million dollar question: "Should an
artist be punished because he happened to fascinate a lunatic who was
born six years after he dies?" Rationally, no. Emotionally, maybe.
So, here's a lesson for Amitabh Bachchan. Before people begin to doubt
his ideological leanings with his `I-just-accept-invitations' rhetoric
and his fan following begins to diminish, he needs to enunciate his
politics. What are you, Mr Bachchan? Right-wing, centrist,
communalist, regionalist or are you liberal, secular, progressive?
Honestly, some of your hobnobbing does seem to have created dismay
amongst those who admire your art. And much as we'd like to believe
your `I'm just an actor' tirade, the lines have begun to blur.
Give us back our Vijay of yore: 'messiah of the underdog'. And we
promise to give you back our unquestioning respect.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/pulpfriction/entry/why-has-amitabh-become-persona
Atheism is the best worshipJug Suraiya, 29 March 2010, 10:50 AM IST
In the British comedy Bedazzled there is a scene where the Devil,
played by Peter Cook, comes to earth and meets Dudley Moore, your
average man-on-the-street. Moore asks the Devil, "Why did you revolt
against God."
"Come, I'll show you," says the Devil. He perches himself atop a
pillar box and tells Moore to kneel at its base. "Now, start
grovelling and praising me," says the Devil.
Moore starts grovelling and singing the Devil's praises. When he shows
signs of flagging the Devil goads him into grovelling more
obsequiously, praising him even more loudly.
After a while Moore says: "Hey, this is getting boring. Can't we
change places for a while."
"Exactly," says the Devil. "That answers your question as to why I
walked out on God: worshipping Him is boring."
God-worship is not just boring; it is the ultimate in trivialisation.
It infinitely trivialises the boundlessness of the cosmos that lies,
seamlessly, both outside and within us. God-worship reduces the
Creator – the First Principle, the Big Bang, the Singularity, whatever
you want to call whatever it is that started it all – to a Lalaji who
likes to surround himself with sycophantic yes-men, forever extolling
his virtues. Is the Force that created everything, from the gossamer
glow of the endless galaxies to the rainbow sheen of the dragonfly's
wings, no more than that, a petty bossman who thrives on the most
undiluted flattery? God help us, and the universe, if he is.
And what does God-worship make of us, the devotees? In public, we say
that when we pray, when we petition God for a boon, it is for all
humankind, for all creation. We say we pray for world peace, for a
cure for cancer, for a solution to global warming and climate change.
And perhaps we do.
In the privacy of our innermost desires, however, our prayers are
almost invariably personal: Oh, God, help me to pass my exam, get a
good job, find someone suitable to marry, get my green card, win the
lottery of life.
There is absolutely nothing wrong in wishing for any or all of these
things. Indeed, they're all good things which any sensible person
would wish for. But why make it God's job to get you what you want?
Why give up your responsibility to make of your life what you can and
what you will?
A French sociologist has likened personal prayer and the giving of
votive offerings to bribery. He has noted that in countries where the
tradition of personalised God-worship is most entrenched –as in India,
and in Roman Catholic Italy – the incidence of bribery in everyday
life is also proportionately high. If God himself is a Babu who can be
bribed to do your bidding with a prayer and a few diyas or candles,
where's the harm in slipping some currency notes to a bureaucrat or
politician or policeman to do what you want done? Doesn't God himself
teach us to bribe? In which case, how can bribery and corruption be
bad things, if they're God-given?
The atheist not only lives according to a higher code of ethics than
that sanctioned by a bribable God, but also inhabits a higher plane of
spirituality. This is far from being a paradox. God-worship, in which
typically the devotee seeks to get personal desires granted,
inevitably reinforces and entrenches the sense of self, of one's
individual ego which is special and separate from all other created
beings and forms. God-worship is really self-worship, a deification
of one's ego, and as such the hardest obstacle to overcome in the
journey of spiritual liberation.
The atheist realises that God did not create humankind in his image;
humankind created God in its own image: selfish, gullible and by
nature susceptible to flattery and bribes. Rather than pay lip service
to such a God, the atheist chooses to disown God and God-worship. And
in doing so, the atheist takes the first step on the path to freedom
from the silken bonds of maya.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/entry/atheism-is-the-best-worship
BJP demands judicial probe in Hyderabad communal clashes
2010-03-31 22:30:00
Last Updated: 2010-04-01 04:08:59
Hyderabad: BJP on Wednesday demanded that the Andhra Pradesh
government order a judicial inquiry into the communal clashes in the
city.
"We should know the truth about the clashes in the old city. BJP
demands a judicial probe into the incident to bring out the truth. We
feel the investigation should be conducted by a sitting judge of the
High Court," State BJP president and MLA G Kishan Reddy told reporters
here.
Shoot-at-sight orders issued in Hyderabad as riots spread
He recalled that some Congress leaders had suspected that the clashes
could be an attempt to create trouble for Chief Minister K Rosaiah.
Asked about reports in a section of media that a minister from a
neighbouring state could be behind the incident, Reddy said a judicial
inquiry should bring out the truth.
He demanded that the government control the communal clashes with an
iron hand.
On the reported allegation of Congress MP L Rajagopal that the BJP
could be behind the communal incidents to safeguard its existence,
Reddy asserted that his party did not require any certificate from
someone like Rajagopal.
Hyderabad peaceful, curfew to be relaxed on Thursday
Sharply attacking the city-based Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), he
said the party violated laws freely several times in the past few
years.
"MIM leaders openly abused and attacked Taslima Nasreen. They also
attacked government officials and were also involved in several other
such incidents. No concrete action has been taken against them," Reddy
said.
Shoot-at-sight orders issued in Hyderabad as riots spread
Hyderabad: Communal riots spread to new areas in Hyderabad on Tuesday
even as shoot-at-sight orders were issued in the old city and curfew
was imposed in the areas under eight more police stations.
While curfew continued the old city without any relaxation, it was
imposed in new areas following fresh clashes. Hyderabad police
Commissioner A.K. Khan said on Tuesday evening that indefinite curfew
would be in force in Afzalgunz, Begumbazar, Shahinathgunz,
Tappachaputra, Asifnagar, Mangalhat, Kulsumpura and Habibnagar police
stations.
Fresh violence in Hyderabad; 8 hurt
Image: Security personnel patrol a street in curfew bound old city of
Hyderabad on March 30, 2010.
Text: IANS
Images: PTI
Shoot-at-sight orders issued in Hyderabad as riots spread
He also imposed prohibitory orders banning processions and rallies
across this Andhra Pradesh capital after clashes in new areas.
The indefinite curfew in the riot-hit old city of Hyderabad continued
on Tuesday without relaxation. All 17 police stations under the south
zone were brought under curfew on Monday night to control the
situation.
The communal violence, which was so far confined to the old city,
spread to other areas in the city, triggering tension. Groups
belonging to two different communities clashed in Musheerabad,
Bholakpur and Rani Gunj and other areas in central Hyderabad and its
twin city Secunderabad.
Curfew continues in tense Hyderabad
Image: Security personnel at the gate of Charminar while enforcing
curfew in the old city of Hyderabad on March 30, 2010
IANS
Hyderabad peaceful, curfew to be relaxed on Thursday
2010-03-31 22:50:00
Last Updated: 2010-04-01 04:11:21
Hyderabad: The situation in riot-hit parts of Hyderabad remained
peaceful on Wednesday and the police decided to relax curfew for two
hours on Thursday in some areas.
No untoward incident was reported from any of the curfew-bound or
other areas of the city since Wednesday night.
Shoot-at-sight orders issued in Hyderabad as riots spread
Police Commissioner A.K. Khan told reporters that curfew would be
relaxed for two hours in 17 police stations of the old city where
curfew was imposed Monday night following communal clashes.
'Only women and men over the age of 50 will be allowed to come out
during the relaxation,' said Khan.
However, there will be no relaxation in eight police station areas
where the curfew was clamped Tuesday night.
Stating that there would be no relaxation in any area on Friday, the
police chief appealed to people in the old city to buy essential
commodities for two days.
Stray incidents of violence were reported from some curfew-bound areas
adjoining the worst-hit old city but police and paramilitary forces
acted swiftly to bring the situation under control.
Khan appealed to people not to believe rumours being spread through
SMSes and warned that strong action would be taken against those
involved in circulating such SMSes.
The commissioner said those who created trouble during the Hanuman
Jayanti procession Wednesday were being identified through video
footage and they would be arrested soon.
BJP demands judicial probe in Hyderabad communal clashes
'The police have so far booked 67 cases and arrested 136 persons in
connection with various incidents of violence,' Khan said.
There was an eerie silence in the centuries-old markets around the
historic Charminar, which teem with thousands of shoppers and tourists
on any normal day. Only the sirens of police vehicles sporadically
broke the uneasy calm in the area, famous for pearls, jewellery,
bangles, bridal wear, garments and eateries.
Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Chowmahalla Palace and other monuments in the
old city wore a deserted look. Salar Jung Museum, which houses the
world's largest collection of artefacts by one man, was also shut.
On the other side of Musi River, Begumbazar, a major commercial hub
for wholesale grain markets and consumer goods, was also deserted.
Sporadic incidents of violence continued till late Tuesday even after
police brought eight more police station areas under curfew following
clashes in new city localities while police top brass issued shoot-at-
sight orders to policemen in the old city.
The communal clashes since Saturday has claimed two lives and left
over 150 people injured.
March 28, 2010 • 9:56 am
Day after Narendra Modi's SIT deposition
Narendra Modi's marathon 9 hour deposition before the Supreme Court
appointed Special Investigation Team, SIT is unprecedented.
Whether you are a diehard Modi advocate or a self-proclaimed
conscientious Modi detractor, the highly anticipated deposition has
set a new benchmark by which many an elected leader shall be judged in
the years to come.
The Congress Party justifiably can be expected score political points,
but it would be missing the deeper implications to its favored
dynasty's much blotted record when in elected office, some of which
has never been put to Trial nor been subjected to reparations.
The politics apart, the day after the SIT deposition has revealed many
an aspect of what this non-trial has come to be.
A non-trial because no charges have been filed, not even a criminal
case has been made out, yet much of the public debate proceeds on the
presumption of guilt, principles of Justice be damned.
First is this online petition by Ehsan Jaffrey's children which has
now started to make headlines – calling on the Chief Justice of Indian
Supreme Court not to a share a dias with Narendra Modi at an official
State function in honor of the visting Chief Justice of Zimbabwe.
No amount of empathy or sympathy can erase the loss suffered by Ehsan
Jaffrey's family. Their ordeal demands justice and no civil society or
modern democracy should settle for anything less.
But this petition is not about Justice, it is about something much
else.
If this petition was about Justice it would not be prejudging the
outcome of a yet to be conceived Judicial process against Narendra
Modi.
The Jaffrey's may have deep personal animosity towards Mr. Modi, they
may also have low confidence in the overall delivery of Justice for
2002 riot victims. But to conflate those sentiments and emotions and
to make demands on what those holding Constitutional Offices must do
and not do reflects a motivated campaign blinded by vengeance and
retribution.
This is by no means a pursuit for Justice.
Back in 2007, Offstumped had observed that on Narendra Modi the
politcal maxim had become – "Why beat him when you can bait him" ?
The same must be said of this campaign for retribution – "Why try him
when you can trip him" ?
A glimpse of this campaign can also be seen in this supposedly news
analysis piece by Manoj Mitta in the Times Of India taking his cue
from highly discredited Teesta Setalvaad to suggest that the SIT
itself lacks credibility.
In closing it must be said that Salil Tripathi's piece gave hope that
there can be a basis for reconciliation and closure, but this game of
baiting and tripping far from bringing justice and closure will only
widen the chasm.
15 Responses
sridhar krishna says:
March 28, 2010 at 11:01 am
The online petition is poorly drafted with many bloomers.
1. "Not long ago, the Supreme Court of India had called the Chief
Minister Narendra Modi a modern day 'Hero'." should have been Nero.
2. "An association of the chief justices of India and Zimbabwe with a
person who is being examined for his role in killing of innocent
people, under the directives of the Supreme Court will send out wrong
signals and undermine the process of justice in Gujarat."
killing of innocent people, under the directives of supreme court –
sends a wrong message. It should have been examined under the
directives of the supreme court for his role in killing of innocent
people.
It is not just about mistakes in English. When the Gujarat High Court
reprimanded Teesta Setalvad in the best bakery case she went to
Supreme Court to remove the obnoxious comments. The Supreme Court
quoted Justice Gajendragadkar while striking down the words and ruled
that the Judges should not make comments. This Judgement would
squarely apply to the wrongly quoted "Nero/Hero" comment.
It is unfortunate that in this country
1) a ruling prime minister had lost her election related case and
found her rule illegitimate but went on to declare emergency.
2) she again sought to impose an election (Assam) when nobody wanted
and this resulted in a gory murder of 3,000 muslims in Nellie.
3) another dynasty rigged elections in an already troubled state and
we are still feeling the ramifications.
4) another prime minister (in waiting) pointed to a random flight
during an election campaign and said that is the flight in which the
sitting PM was running away with the loot.
5) there were scores of politicians who were indicted in the Jain
diaries.
6) a minister's house was raided and the toilet was overflowing with –
of all things – money.
7) lakhubhai pathak's case – Shri PVN
PVN's acse of buying Sibhu Soren.
the lsit is endless. the president's chair and the CEC is also not
beyond the specter of such accusations.
we are a Nation who get cheap thrill in the excesses of our leaders.
under these circumsatnces one lone voice against Modi loses its Moral
value.
one can laud that voice if it is the first of such voices against all
simillar cases. would the same group look into the accusations against
the president and the CEC.
all said and done, they are doing a decent job of at least trying to
set right one scar on the face of india. hope somebody has it in them
to tackle the rest.
rgds/sridhar
Pub Chick says:
March 28, 2010 at 11:21 am
Sridhar, Bloomers? That explains all else.
abir says:
March 28, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Since Mr Modi has appeared before the SIT now Sajjan kumar and Jagdish
Tytler (accused in the anti-Sikh riots) also should be brought to
justice
Jyotindra Khandwalla says:
March 28, 2010 at 4:53 pm
A disturbing report in Economic Times today states the road for filing
FIR against Modi would open after SIT probe.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/After-SIT-will-FIR-be-filed-against-Narendra-Modi/articleshow/5733732.cms
Pub Chick says:
March 28, 2010 at 5:26 pm
abir, are you saying legal action against people accused of other
crimes is contingent upon Modi facing legal action? Watch what you
wish for etc.
Prashanth says:
March 28, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Offstumped, please remove this pubchick, which is such a big nuisance.
She is just trying to divert all serious discussions. After having all
media for themselves, these pseudos are trying to infiltrate rightist
blogs as well.
Pub Chick says:
March 28, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Prashanth, you also seem insecure apart from being ugly and horny.
That's alright. We shall work on it.
psecular says:
March 28, 2010 at 10:26 pm
@prashant
pubechick is a gender bender, it keeps typing "ugly", "horny" in its
sentences in various compbinations. Ignore it.
@abir
True, now that a bench mark of 9hr questioning marathon for riot
probes has been set, will the 1984 culprits who are alive (Rajiv is
dead anyways) be brought to attend such probes.
@offstumped,
Why is Teesta "aatank"vaad being allowed to fester anti-Indian
elements. Am I missing some development or is it intentional ?. Why is
she roaming free in civilized society in spite of getting caught red-
handed for perjury and manipulation of witness statements in crucial
cases ?. She is the queen of the colony where anti-indian elements,
thoughts and practices are being spawned and sheltered. Is Gujarat
govt or some citizens for real justice doing something to fix the
meance of teesta "aatank"vaad
Ketan says:
March 29, 2010 at 12:54 am
Pub Chick,
After reading many of your comments, it seems you don't use "ugly" &
"horny" in their conventional sense.
By "ugly" you seem to mean someone taking a leap of faith, or in other
words, reaching inferences not led to by the available data; missing a
link in chain of reasoning, etc.
Or am I reading too much into your comments?
And I could not gather at all what you mean by "horny".
Offstumped,
Firstly, what's strange is that the list of Jaffrey's petition does
not seem to contain name of any person actually present in the mob
that had killed the 68 people in her bungalow. She might have her
grievances with the office bearers, but in all her TV appearances, she
has hardly expressed anger at those who had actually committed the
crime. This dogged obsession with Narendra Modi to the exclusion of
those who actually committed the crime is, to repeat, strange.
The conjectural allegation that the entire judicial process' fairness
is lost if the CJI shares dais with Modi is too imaginative to be
taken seriously.
The event was convocation of law students in a University in Gujarat,
so the choice of guests was quite apt – chief minister (representative
of the state where college is located) and the CJI (representative of
the judiciary with who the graduates were to get associated).
Independence of Judiciary is not compromised upon simply because both
Modi & CJI I had attended the same function in official capacities.
Moreover, it is not the CJI who is currently sitting over any of the
cases involving Modi. To imply that CJI by sharing dais with Modi will
influence his juniors who might hear cases involving Modi, is actually
a serious charge.
Applying that logic, the President of India who has historically been
aligned with the political adversary of Modi should not share dais
with any of the judges! Because promotions & appointments of certain
judges are carried out by the the CJI in consultation with the
president. That can influence the independence of the judiciary. Also,
none of the politicians must ever share stage with anyone from the
judiciary – you never know when someone from a political party will
commit a crime!
Raghavan was looking visibly irritated by enquiries about allegations
of Teesta against SIT's fairness….
iHindu007 says:
March 29, 2010 at 12:54 am
I second Prashanth's proposal. Can somebody show me what positive
content she has added to this site?
Ketan says:
March 29, 2010 at 12:55 am
…I don't know if it matters, but Teesta is alienating many people, not
in the least, the CJI. This gives the impression that she does not
hope much from the final outcome of the entire judicial process, but
wants to gain as much victimhood as possible by making as many
allegations of unfairness & automatic victimization as possible.
Petitioning an official & trying to tell him how to spend time outside
his office is pretty gross.
Ketan says:
March 29, 2010 at 1:12 am
Offstumped, particularly, & others,
I have a small conflict of interest here in that I am finding a few
comments by Pub Chick very logical & pertinent to the agenda set by
Offstumped, though I must confess they have been numerically far in
between.
I urge Pub chick to desist from making personal remarks that would not
have relation to the blog post. This I am urging with the idea that
the pot can indeed objectively call a kettle black, ideally without
being sanctimonious about it.
To others, I can only urge that though difficult, please do not
respond to the personal aspects of Pub Chick's comments.
Of course, eventually choice is Offstumped's as to what to do.
Thanks!
Anon says:
March 29, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Manoj Mitta is a usual name.
You must read Sunday's M u m b a i M i r r o r to see how Teesta's
press release made to the first page
Pub Chick says:
March 29, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Ketan,
What I'd want explained really is what this Prashanth means by calling
me pseudos. What does that mean? I must assure him through you that I
am real and I am spectacular.
Ketan says:
March 29, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Pub Chick,
I find you spectacular.
But I can't be your interloctor
Or interloctator
Or whatever!
[see, I rhymed so well ]
To find you spectacular, Prashanth's vision will have to get deranged
to the same degree as mine (as beauty lies in the eye of the beholder;
though spectacle lies just outside it).
And though consistency is desired, I can try but, may not be able to
maintain it. Our opinions should change or at least the strength of
conviction behind them should each time we come across a new piece of
information.
http://offstumped.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/day-after-narendra-modis-sit-deposition/
March 31, 2010 • 5:00 am
Narendra Modi for PM – Lazy op-ed by Sadanand Dhume
Sadananad Dhume, a columnist for the WSJ Asia, usually makes sound
arguments but this latest one by him on Narendra Modi can at best be
characterized as lazy.
It relies on Liberal Left cliches to make its point without offering
anything new by way of insight or analysis.
Dhume's core point being
#1 – It will be difficult for BJP to attract allies willing to be
associated with Mr. Modi's anti-Muslim image
#2 – India cannot afford to be led by someone who appears to believe
that only Hindus can be authentically Indian
#3 – The last thing India needs is a question mark over its reputation
as an oasis of secular democracy in a tough neighborhood
#4 - Leaders should also be free of even the slightest hint of blood
on their hands.
Now if Mr. Dhume had done a little more homework he would have
discovered that
#1 There is no substance to the canard that Mr. Modi believes only
Hindus can be authentically Indian. In fact if Mr. Dhume had paid any
attention to the media coverage of the 2007 elections the only kind of
identity Mr. Modi invoked was Gujarati pride.
#2 The campaign to deny Mr. Modi a visa was sponsored by those in the
United States with overt and covert links to Chicago's Pakistani
Muslim Community. (Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3)
Sadanand Dhume's column comes at the same time as the Congress Party
scoring self goals by likening Mr. Modi to Dawood Ibrahim and by
treating Amitabh Bacchan as a pariah and as an untouchable for being a
brand ambassador for Gujarat.
Mr. Dhume does have a point on the steep challenge Mr. Modi faces on
his acceptability gap visa-vis the Nehru-Gandhis.
But the rate at which Congress spokesperson like Manish Tiwari are
scoring self goals, Mr. Dhume may very will have to eat his words on
the immortality of that acceptability gap.
The litmus test for Leaders suggested by Mr. Dhume
"leaders should be free of even the slightest blood on their hands"
is disingenuous to say the least.
If we were to apply Mr. Dhume's yardstick and hold other leaders
accountable for the failure of their Governments to protect, then Dr.
Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi would also end up with blood on their
hands on account of the 13 attacks of Mass Terror between 2005 and
2008.
Incidentally Mr. Dhume did write an op-ed on Islamist Terror in India
a couple of weeks back in which he says
when elected politicians pander to fundamentalist Muslim leaders—as
is common in large parts of the country—the bureaucracy, the courts
and the press must hold them accountable
before stopping short of either taking names of either Politicians or
Parties or suggesting that one must carry the taint for life for
pandering to Islamists.
It is an open question at this time whether Mr. Modi has firm Prime
Ministerial ambitions or if the BJP intends to project him.
However Sadanand Dhume's litmus test for disbarring him even before
the contest has begun rests on disingenuous logic.
This makes his case against Narendra Modi for Prime Minister both
shallow and prejudiced.
6 Responses
Jyotindra Khandwalla says:
March 31, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Modi has always preferred himseld to be CM – Common Man – and devoted
to development of Gujarat. He has always said his life is governed by
mission and not ambition. Until and unless he is given clean chit of
bill by SC, he would not allow himself to be persuaded by his peers in
the party and coalition to think of becoming PM.
In his yesterday's blog, his You-tube video of his Gujarati address on
Doordarshan next day after Godhra incident speaks volume of his
courage and character. This video is by-lined in English and English
transcript is available of his Gujarati speech.
chetan sharma says:
March 31, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Modi has implemented his final solution, hopefully for the last time,
in Gujarat. The people of India do not wish to see that taint spread
through the rest of the country. It is better that he stays as the CM
– Con Man – of Gujarat and continue trying to evade justice until he
his finally brought to trial for his crimes against humanity.
It will be a cold day in hell and a sorry day for India if and when
Modi represents this great country.
Ketan says:
March 31, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Offstumped,
I could not access the full article, guess, it requires subscription.
From the points you have quoted, I found only the first one of some
merit.
But I also believe, Modi has largely remained silent knowing whatever
he would have spoken would be distorted and only selectively reported
by the media. But as penetration of twitter and blogs is increasing,
it is becoming increasingly difficult for the media to continue to
distort. Probably, that is why now he has started coming out with
refutations of all the charges one by one. And needless to say, law is
taking its own course concurrently, which might totally absolve him of
guilt. There might come a time, when those accusing Modi will not be
taken seriously owing to lack of substance, & then fewer alliance
partners would want to distance themselves from Modi citing his
complicity/involvement in 2002 riots. I just hope media will report
these happening faithfully.
But one thing I fail to understand is why did you choose to address
points raised in an article that would be read by very few Indians and
which arguably does not have anything new to offer.
Chetan Sharma,
Which country are you referring to as "great"? And could you please
enlist a few criteria for greatness met by the said country? It would
also be nice if you could elaborate on the "taint", the spread of
which you are afraid of.
Thanks in advance!
SlimShadee says:
March 31, 2010 at 10:02 pm
I love reading some of your posts and you come across as a fairly
intelligent person. So it's rather surprising that you want to believe
that Modi was not involved in the 2002 genocide of Muslims. There were
lots of murmurs about his direct involvement immediately after the
incidents endorsed by many NGOs and certain people who were part of
the Gujarat administration. ( Read this to know what I am talking
about: http://www.twocircles.net/2008jul19/ex_dgp_rb_sreekumar_who_took_gujarat_govt_protect_law_and_human_rights.html)
And after the Tehelka sting operation everything was out in the open
about who was behind this dastardly act. Hardliners from the Sangh
Parivar are quick to say that these are all fabricated evidence which
is laughable really. There are hard facts my dear friend that
"Narendra bhai" not only let these killers loose, he also played with
the judicial system so that they went scot-free after the carnage. And
this by itself blots out all his other achievements, if any.
arjun says:
April 1, 2010 at 12:53 am
The same things can be said about Rajiv Gandhi and Sikh riots in 84.
But some people are selectively righteous and focus only on Gujarat.
Probably because Modi belongs to ideologically different political
thought.
This kind of intellectual dishonesty people can see through and that
is why Modi has so much support.
It is upto the people of Gujarat to decide whether Modi is a con man
or not. Not upto NGOs whose agenda and leanings are not above
suspicion.
psecular says:
April 1, 2010 at 1:38 pm
@arjun
also kashmir & kashmir pandits, I see no one talking about them. More
these anti-nationals get unreasonably vociferous about Gujarat and
Modi, more will they create awareness in Hindus about the hatred the
minorities have for Hinduism and force Hinduism to become radical like
the minority religions.
http://offstumped.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/lazy-op-ed-by-sadanand-dhume/
April 1, 2010 • 5:00 am
Right To Education – BJP missing in action
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the nation today as the Right
to Education Bill came in to law.
It was surprising to note that there was no response from the
principal political opposition to the Prime Minister's speech.
In fact on the whole subject of the "Right to Education" it was
surprising to note that there was no policy paper or point of view
published by the BJP on its website.
All one gets to find on the BJP's website on the subject of "Right to
Education" are passing remarks in a press conference in 2009 and some
cursory references in a Rajya Sabha debate.
Its a different matter that the original bill – "The Free and
Compulsory Education Bill tabled of 2003″, was tabled by a BJP lead
government.
The BJP has been missing in action on the policy debate ever since
neither having reviewed its policy stance from 2003 nor having offered
a credible alternative to the Congress sponsored legislation of 2009.
The Center for Civil Society, CCS has a comprehensive portal on
education tracing the debate on "Right to Education" from the 2003
bill through subsequent versions of legislation that eventually got
passed in 2009.
In fact Parth Shah of the CCS has a blistering article in the Mint
today on how the Right to Education act is the wrong way to go to
school.
Parth Shah's critique of RTE centers mainly on three issues
#1 It is a massive takeover of education by the Government at the
expense of private institutions
#2 It essentially has morphed into a Right to Employment act for
Teachers with no direct accountability to Parents/School Management
and wide latitude to to Teachers Unions and unspecified School
Tribunals
#3 The legislation is half baked in that the model rules of
enforcement have not even been framed and left to the state
governments
It is surprising that the BJP that is seeking to reinvent itself as a
credible alternative to the Congress has failed to put up a policy
challenge to differentiate itself from the Congress on what is
essentially a Liberal Left sellout to lobbies and special interests
based on vast expansion of Government role in education including in
Private Schools.
The surprise is profound for the Sangh Parivar runs a large string of
private schools called "Sishu Mandirs" targeting the rural and urban
poor.
The lack of depth in its policy focus is one of many reasons the BJP
has failed to drive a sharp differentiation from the Congress leading
many to conclude that it is merely a B-team of the Congress.
As much as the BJP is critical of the Congress' National Advisory
Council it must acknowledge the fact that the Congress has atleast
created a formal avenue to engage with outside policy experts even if
they are of the Liberal Left persuasion.
The absence of a similar forum within the BJP to engage with policy
experts is reflected in the poor quality of its political responses to
policy issues.
Engaging tired and retired journalists and bureaucrats (with the
notable exception of few eminent voices) is no substitute for a sound
body of policy research, knowledge and experise.
In fact the BJP's policy incoherence must be directly attributed to
its failure to nurture Policy Institutions in its 6 years in office to
advance an alternative philosophy of governance and to create a body
of policy knowledge.
This entire episode highlights once again the fallacy of using
Identity as an Ideological label.
For political Hindutva of the 1990s neither offers a basis to
articulate the BJP's position on the Right to Education Bill nor does
it help the BJP differentiate itself from the Congress on the Right to
Education Bill.
BJP's claim that Integral Humanism is its guiding philosophy is also
shallow.
For example Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay in his remarks on Integral
Humanism says that
When the state-acquires all powers, both political and economic, the
result is a decline of Dharma. In this way if the state has unlimited
powers, the whole society looks towards the state, for everything.
Officers of the government neglect their duties and acquire vested
interests. These are all signs of the preponderance of the powers of
state.
Yet the BJP has no policy position on what must be called the largest
acquisition of political and economic power on Education by the State.
The reality is that the BJP has not even bothered to revisit Integral
Humanism since the 1960s nor has it attempted to make Integral
Humanism current and relevant .
This goes to highlight the damage political Hindutva has done to
intellectual faculties within the Party.
The result is the present state of the BJP where there is no coherent
ideological framework within the Party based on which policies can be
formulated.
What is worse Hindutva has become a Litmus Test of sorts
#1 causing the Party to narrowly look within its ranks for Policy
formulation
#2 preventing the Party from engaging a wider pool of Professional
experts who are ideologically opposed to Left Liberalism but are not
necessarily of the saffron hue
As Mr. Nitin Gadkari looks beyond his political A-team he must
seriously consider constituting a Policy Advisory Council by seeking
participation from a wide pool of Policy Experts who are broadly
opposed to the Left Liberal prescriptions of the Congress.
4 Responses
Pilid says:
April 1, 2010 at 6:08 am
1. Agree with your critique about the BJP's lack of engagement but I
am mystified why you are so upset about it since the problem is hardly
new or novel. On how many other issues, particularly domestic ones
affecting the general public, has the BJP offered coherent, well
considered, alternative policy positions or come out with policy
papers? I cannot recall many. Not price rise, not on the healthcare
bill, not on GM crops…On the WRB, it was engaged but offered no
alternative at all.
Since the BJP is prone to swinging to the Leftist drumbeat on many an
occasion, I am not sure whether the BJP is being a B-team of the
Congress or the Left.
The party would do well to take a leaf out of the CPM's handbook and
come out with cogent proposals made from a right-of-center
perspective. But it would have to clear the profound ideological
confusion within ranks before there can be any prospect of such
change. Policy experts can only opine; their political backers have to
be supportive of the effort for it to succeed.
2. I don't see the RTE act as govt. takeover. Takeover would mean
govt. also taking responsibility for running the schools but here it
does nothing of the sort. RTE Act gives govt. power to intervene
without the commensurate responsibility but this is hardly new. We
have seen this before in professional colleges and the same thing is
being extended now to schools.
3. Others have commented as well on the need for teachers'
accountability. The government is empowered to enforce accountability
under the Act; whether it will do so still remains to be seen. Since
implementation has only begun, the last word has not yet been said.
Teachers are held to account based on their service rules which could
mean that private schools will continue to have the autonomy to follow
their own accountability & disciplinary methods (which is probably a
good thing).
4. Agree that model rules are half baked which is the cause of all the
litigation but because of that, it might get resolved more quickly
than otherwise.
drummasala says:
April 1, 2010 at 6:26 am
Offstumped is right in saying this about BJP. I have one question
though, if BJP does all the things you mentioned:
1) Will this things reach to aam admi taking hostile media into
account?
2) Even if it reaches, how many people will understand this taking lot
of illiterate population.
3) Even if people understand, will they vote for BJP?
I don't believe. People will vote based on caste or good looking
candidates like prince charming (pub chick is one of the voter in this
category).
If people could not vote out CON party even after 26/11, I don't see
any chances even if BJP brings these things on RTI.
Umesh says:
April 1, 2010 at 9:01 am
If BJP needs to capture the Intellectual space. Then they need to be
involved in the debate.
I propose the following strategy.
a) Be gracious and accept that RTE is a good step.
b) Make the point that due to lack of resources 10 years back we could
not do it. Hopefully, things are better now.
c) Attack the flaws in the Bill
i) How is financing for the 25% quota come across. The Bill seems to
be clueless on this. State Govt's are already crying foul. I dont seen
an allocation like MNREGA being mentioned here.
Without financial allocation this will be just pure paper, No action.
My two pence.
Yossarinji,
Please comment on this..
Sudhir says:
April 1, 2010 at 4:21 pm
@drummasala – I don't think media not taking it up or illetrate
population not caring, should be reason enough for BJP not to explain
positions in detail.
There is a large chunk of literate audience out there, who can be
influeced too. I agree with Yoss on the broad point – BJP needs to
have an alternative view point on many of such cases – merely
accepting the government's proposal or shouting rhetoric from the roof
top will not help.
- Sudhir
Real Time Commentary via Twitter
No Sachar or Mishra prescription can make a difference to this
backwardness perpetuated by competitive ghetto politics Offstumped on
Twitter 7 hours ago
This is the second instance where Muslim factional politics has lead
to power projection on the streets and ended up provoking riots
Offstumped on Twitter 7 hours ago
Hyderabad Riots and Muslim factional politics RT @ssudhirkumar best
accounts of why the riots actually happened. http://bit.ly/aIA5R
Offstumped on Twitter 7 hours ago
Looks like Social Engineering will trip politics of Muslim vote bank
consolidation thanks to caste/class divide within Indian Muslims
Offstumped on Twitter 7 hours ago
Vidya Subramaniams reality check on Muslim quota
http://bit.ly/cYUS7Z
oped in Indian express confirms Muslim divide
http://bit.ly/cVvD
MY Offstumped on Twitter 7 hours ago
And here is the real reason for avoiding Parliament
http://bit.ly/c8KlRv Offstumped on Twitter 8 hours ago
RT @PRSLegislative 5 positions @ PRS PRS is looking for 5 motivated
individuals to join its team. For further details
http://bit.ly/dmSRlt Offstumped on Twitter 8 hours ago
Why have the Parliament at all if debate is going to subverted to suit
the convenience of the Party in Government
http://bit.ly/9G7FPp Offstumped on Twitter 8 hours ago
Syed Saleem Shahzad writes on Culture too
http://bit.ly/akEl74
no it's not an April Fools day joke Offstumped on Twitter 9 hours ago
On Right To Education BJP is missing in action:
http://wp.me/ptnDV-Ft Offstumped on Twitter 11 hours ago
If the BJP cannot differentiate itself from the Congress on half baked
legislations like RTE then it is no better than a B-Team of Congress
Offstumped on Twitter 16 hours ago
Surprised how the BJP allowed such a massive government takeover of
Education without the semblance of debate or challenge Offstumped on
Twitter 16 hours ago
Blistering critique from @ParthJShah RTE has become "Right to
Employment" to Teachers
http://bit.ly/9qoF8g Offstumped on Twitter 16 hours ago
Must read @PrathJShah on Right To Education - The wrong way to school
http://www.livemint.com/2010/03/31215740/The-wrong-way-to-school.html
Offstumped on Twitter 16 hours ago
As much as BJP mocks the National Advisory Council time it put in
place a Policy Advisory Council of outside experts
http://is.gd/b8nOm Offstumped on Twitter 19 hours ago
More details on the 100 hours of Community Service for Youth here
http://is.gd/b8jIY Offstumped on Twitter 20 hours ago
Speaking of Education Just got an email from Narendra Mod's Portal on
"Vanche Gujarat" a Community initiative of 100 hrs to promote Reading
Offstumped on Twitter 20 hours ago
CCS has a comprehensive portal on Right To Education starting with
2003 bill http://is.gd/b8j4l least BJP can do is co-opt policy experts
Offstumped on Twitter 20 hours ago
http://offstumped.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/right-to-education-bjp-missing-in-action/
Gadkari blames UPA's bad governance for price rise
By IANS
March 31st, 2010
KOLKATA - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari
Wednesday blamed "bad governance" of the United Progressive Alliance
(UPA) government for the spiralling prices of essential items.
History tells us that whenever the Congress is in power, prices go up,
Gadkari said at a party convention here.
The BJP chief said unless the present government is ousted, prices
would remain high.
"The commoners are facing serious problems due to skyrocketing prices.
This is due to bad governance of the UPA government," he said.
BJP amends party constitution, to have more office-bearers
By IANS
February 18th, 2010
INDORE - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has amended its constitution
to increase the number of posts of central office-bearers and simplify
the process of organisational elections.
The resolution to amend the constitution was moved by party vice-
president Balasaheb Apte at the meeting of the party's national
council here Thursday, party sources said.
The move to increase the number of its office-bearers follows the
party's decision to keep one-third posts at all levels for women.
Party sources said that following the amendment, the strength of
central office-bearers will go up from 29 to 37.
The party will now have nine general secretaries (seven earlier), 12
vice-presidents (nine earlier), and 15 secretaries (twelve earlier),
apart from a treasurer.
The national executive will now have 120 members, the sources said.
New BJP office bearers to meet April 2
By IANS
March 24th, 2010
NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari will
meet his new office bearers on April 2 to chalk out the strategy for
the party's campaign against rising prices.
"The April 2 meeting of office-bearers will discuss BJP's anti-price
rise agitation and preparations for the April 21 rally in Delhi," BJP
headquarters in-charge Shyam Jaju told IANS.
This will be the first meeting of party office bearers after Gadkari
announced his team March 16.
The meeting will be attended by senior party leader L.K. Advani,
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Leader of
Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, among others.
The BJP has planned a big rally in the capital against price rise
April 21 and the meeting is expected to discuss efforts to mobilise
people for it.
The meeting will also chalk out programmes for the future, a party
official said adding that Gadkari would distribute work among new
office bearers only after meeting them.
The announcement of the new team had led to criticism about its
composition from some party leaders from Bihar including Shatrughan
Sinha and C.P. Thakur. Gadkari told them not to raise their grievances
in the media.
Gadkari's new team has 12 general secretaries, 11 vice-presidents (two
posts are vacant) and 15 secretaries. Women have been given 33 percent
representation in the national executive committee.
http://blog.taragana.com/politics/2010/03/24/new-bjp-office-bearers-to-meet-april-2-25056/
Horseplay in Harappa: Sid Harth
http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.indian.marathi/browse_thread/thread/f9b738e079fef9fb/29e89ff9c3ac525d
Troubled Tribal: Sid Harth
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Indian Morality Meltdown: Sid Harth
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Hindus'Tantrum: Sid Harth
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I Write, Therefore I am: Sid Harth
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Indian Morality Meltdown: Sid Harth
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Sex and CD Scandal: Sid Harth
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Not Required Indian, NRI: Sid Harth
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Why 'Marathi'?
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Telangana Tempest: Sid Harth
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Of States and Statesmanship: Sid Harth
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Sa for Sanskrit Pop: Sid Harth
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Black Money Monster: Sid Harth
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Superpower Syndrome: Sid Harth
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Indian Power-Pow-Wow, Wow!: Sid Harth
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26/11 Saga Continues: Sid Harth
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Superpower Syndrome: Sid Harth
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Of Justice and Injustice: Sid Harth
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Sangh Parivar Pageant: Sid Harth
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Stop this terroristic activities of Shiv Sena
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BJP RIP: Sid Harth
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Superpower Syndrome: Sid Harth
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Sangh Parivar Pageant: Sid Harth
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Sudharma, Sanskrit Newspaper: Sid Harth
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Hindu Worldview: Sid Harth
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Shimla Shenanigans: Sid Harth
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...and I am Sid Harth
== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Apr 1 2010 8:10 am
From: Sid Harth
hindurenaissance.com/index.php/contact-us/samskriti-viv - [Cached
Version]
Published on: 1/19/2010 Last Visited: 1/19/2010
Dr. Srinivasan Kalyanaraman
hindurenaissance.com/index.php?option=com_magazine&func - [Cached
Version]
Published on: 10/5/2007 Last Visited: 1/4/2008
Dr. S. Kalyanaraman was a senior executive in the Asian Development
Bank for 18 years until 1995.He was responsible for disbursing a
portfolio of US Dollars 60 Billion for over 650 development projects
in 29 countries.He also introduced a world-wide information network
for managing the assets of the bank.He has travelled widely in Bharat,
and has visited many countries around the world.Earlier to 1978, he
was Chief Controller of Accounts, Karnataka Electricity Board and as
member of Indian Railway Accounts Service, a financial advisor on the
Railways, for 17 years.He has also worked in the Accountant General's
Office, Bangalore for 4 years from 1958 to 1961.He was involved in the
introduction of the first computers on the Railways in 1965, as a
member of a Task Force set up by the Electronics Commission of
India.He has a Ph.D. in Public Administration and his two volume work,
Public Administration in Asia has been published which is a
comparative study of development administration in six Asian
countries.His graduate degree is in Economics and Statistics.He was
born in 1939 in Tanjore district.He is well-versed in Kannada, Telugu,
Tamil, Hindi and Sanskrit languages.He took voluntary retirement from
the Bank and returned to Bharat, to devote himself to his life-
activity of researches on River Sarasvati and Bharatiya
Civilization.He directs the Sarasvati Research Centre which is
affiliated with Akhil Bharatiya Itihasa Sankalana Yojana.He has done
researches on the discovery of the courses of Vedic River Sarasvati
and the possibility of this river flowing again as part of a national
network of rivers.He has been involved in promoting the National Water
Grid to ensure water for everyone for several generations to come and
to take the nation to a developed country status by the year 2010.He
has set up a website with over 30,000 files on River Sarasvati and
Civilization at http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati The site includes
his multi-lingual dictionary for over 25 ancient languages of Bharat,
Rigveda rica-s and translation into English based on Sa yana Bhaashya
The Indiancivilization internet group set up by him has over 750
active members from all parts of the world, discussing Bharatiya
Civilization issues..His 1100-page volume on Sarasvati was published
from Bangalore in 2001.His 7-volume encyclopaedic work on Sarasvati
Civilization was published in 2004.The 7 volumes are: Sarasvati:
Civilization; Sarasvati: Rigveda; Sarasvati: River; Sarasvati:
Bharati; Sarasvati: Technology; Sarasvati: Language; Sarasvati:
Epigraphs.He has cracked the code of Sarasvati hieroglyphs as artisan
guilds' activities related to minerals, metals, furnaces and artifacts
of metals in a transition from chalcolithic to alloy (bronze/brass)
phase of civilization.He presented his research findings on Sarasvati
in the World Sanskrit Conference held in Bangalore in 1996.He is a
recipient of the prestigious Vakankar Award in the year 2000.He is
President of the World Association of Vedic Studies in Bharat, and is
associated with many research and non-governmental voluntary
organizations including Rashtrotthana Research and Communications
Centre in Bangalore, India.S. Kalyanaraman20 August
2005kalyan97@gmail.com
http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati
Exploring Religious Conflicts? RAND as New Religious Media (NRM)
By: Dr S Kalyanaraman
August 23, 2005
Views expressed here are author's own and not of this website. Full
disclaimer is at the bottom.
The author is Former Sr. Exec., Asian Development Bank. Director of
Sarasvati Research Centre, Chennai
Gregory F. Treverton[1], Heather S. Gregg, Daniel Gibran, Charles W.
Yost have authored a RAND Corporation report titled "Exploring
Religious Conflict". The "new" finding of this report, is an acronym
"NRM" denoting "New Religious Movement", which, according to the
authors, threaten to develop like tumors into violent organizations
(think "Al Qaida"), threatening the USA and the rest of the world.
Apparently this was the product of a 3-day Worskhop of 'intelligence
analysts and religious experts' on religious conflict, hosted by RAND
corporation (estimated cost to the US taxpayer: $100,000). This report
is interesting primarily because it either plumbs depths of
incompetence hitherto unreached by the American "Strategic Affairs"
community, or caters to a strange combination of Marxist Communist
and extreme right-wing Christian fundamentalist propaganda. It appears
that RAND has "found" religion and joined another "NRM": New Religious
Media
What is cited as the intellectual foundation of the report is
(University of California leftist academic ) Mark Juergensmeyer's
concept of "Cosmic War". Is this just an attempt to go one better on
Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations"? Hard to tell, but the
reader is welcome to try:
"This concept refers to the metaphysical battle between the forces of
Good and Evil that enlivens the religious imagination and compels
violent action. Cosmic war has roots in the theology of most
religions. In the three monotheistic religions, it is the Day of
Judgment, the cosmic battle between Good and Evil, and the realization
of God's ultimate purpose for His creation. In Hinduism and Buddhism,
it is the perennial struggle to exit the Wheel of Existences with its
continuous cycle of rebirths in order to return to Brahman or achieve
Nirvana. Cosmic war ensues when this inner conflict between Good and
Evil becomes manifest – physical, not metaphysical."
If that doesn't give pause to the reader who thought RAND was a
professional organization, the methodology, data, analysis and
conclusions of the RAND report certainly will. According to Treverton
et al,
"NRMs (New Religious Movements) can be found in Hinduism – the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, Israel (Gush Emunim), Christianity
(the US-based Identity Movement) and Islam, including Al-Qaeda, a
global network with a transcendant vision that draws support in the
defence of Islam." And added, "…Al-Qaeda cannot be defeated by force,
but only by reaching out to its roots in religion and promoting
convergence of Christianity and Islam."
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had a succinct term: "weasel words"
to describe the contortions of left-wing "analysts" and Saudi-owned
American politicians to argue for appeasement of terrorism. For those
who might depend on RAND for information, let us point out that Al
Qaeda is considered to be a 1992 or 1996 invention. The timing
coincided with the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, when
the Pakistani ISI, funded by the unwitting American taxpayer through
the largesse of "experts" like RAND's, helped to turn weapons,
training and the surviving hordes of Islamic extremists brainwashed in
the madarssas of Pakistan, against the Infidels of the West – viz,
America. Now let us examine RAND's list of "New Religious Movements"
that Treverton et al try to club with Al Qaeda – both for what it
includes, and what it omits.
The report's contribution is a false generalization on metaphysical,
co(s)mic war, flippant comparisons unrelated to cultural or
civilizational contexts. There is little evidence of analytical rigor
and virtually no empirical basis. Lacking original thought or
evidence, the report trivializes the threat of terror with the
arbitrary choice of 'New Religious Movements' (NRMs) cited as examples
of a new innovative category.
The report appears to whitewash Al Qaeda, with its proclaimed mission
of jihad against the world, by clubbing it with a mishmash of socio-
political entities and obscure movements. For instance, "Gush Emunim"
is an organization of Israeli Settlers in the Middle East, with no
evidence of any axe to grind against anyone except those who try to
oust them from their homes. The "Christian Identity Movement" is a
superset of weekend warriors in America who don camouflage and prance
around the pine forests of Alabama or Idaho, imagining a world of
"Aryan Domination". And with these is RAND's amazing classification of
the Indian "RSS" (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh") as a "NEW" Religious
Movement! The RSS, just to give Treverton and his gang of Einsteins a
hint, was formed in 1925. That, per the calendar normally followed
even in California, was 80 years ago. It predates RAND and Treverton
by a long way. It may even predate the American entities such as the
Neo Conservative Movement, the Moral Majority, and the Jubilee Mission
Baptist Church. The RSS is the world's largest volunteer organization,
with over 12 million volunteers. How RAND came to the conclusion that
the RSS is "new" and poses a threat to the rest of the world, is a
question that the US taxpayers who funded this "Workshop" and "Report"
may well ask.
Is RAND trying to deflect the focus of American lawmakers from the
focus on war on terror? It was not too long ago that RAND's Parachini
noted:
"Given the thousands of Jihadists trained in Afghanistan, the struggle
with al Qaeda is liable to last for a decade or more."
The principal author of the present RAND report, Treverton, seemed to
have different ideas:
"Al Qaeda may eventually be contained, but new threats are likely to
emerge. So the task is to contain terrorism; it cannot be rooted out.
That task sometimes requires military instruments, as in Afghanistan,
but most of the time it is a matter of patient, multilateral police
and intelligence work."
Both quotes from a symposium held in 2003 by RAND jointly with
Frontpage Magazine.
Garbage in, garbage out is the adage of the information age. Treverton
clarifies what he meant in the above quote, with his new statement in
the present report. Here is an example of terse observations and
profound policy recommendations in the present report:
"…Al-Qaeda cannot be defeated by force, but only by reaching out to
its roots in religion and promoting convergence of Christianity and
Islam."
Such a policy prescription of Christian-Islam religious convergence
has, unfortunately, NOT been backed up by evidence and critical
analysis of the underlying causes and patterns of Islamist terror.
After all, almost all major terror events, recorded so far, have
emanated only from Taliban (that is, madarasa students) or traceable
only to terrorists trained in or with links to non-democratic,
Islamist countries of Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. What does
'convergence of Christianity and Islam' mean? Should Christianity
adopt Islamist jihad as a central doctrine?
When they take a break from hallucinating on 'cosmic wars', RAND
thinkers might consider introspecting on the Hindu response to jihad
in India for nearly 8 centuries. They may find it useful to refer to
Andrew Bostom, 2005, 'The Legacy of Jihad - Islamic Holy War and the
Fate of Non-muslims,' Prometheus Books. Al Qaeda is not another NRM,
it provides the justification for all the terror activities the world
has witnessed so far, be it in New York, Thailand, London or Ayodhya.
See also Andrew Bostom's 'Legacy of Jihad in India', July 2005 in the
American Thinker.
"Rarely understood, let alone acknowledged, however, is the history of
brutal jihad conquest, Muslim colonization, and the imposition of
dhimmitude shared by the Jews of historical Palestine, and the Hindus
of the Indian subcontinent. Moreover, both peoples and nations also
have in common, a subsequent, albeit much briefer British colonial
legacy, which despite its own abuses, abrogated the system of
dhimmitude (permanently for Israel and India, if not, sadly, for their
contemporary Muslim neighboring states), and created the nascent
institutions upon which thriving democratic societies have been
constructed."
Dhimmitude: the Islamic system of governing populations conquered by
jihad wars, encompassing all of the demographic, ethnic, and religious
aspects of the political system. The word "dhimmitude" as a historical
concept, was coined by Bat Ye'or in 1983 to describe the legal and
social conditions of Jews and Christians subjected to Islamic rule.
The word "dhimmitude" comes from dhimmi, an Arabic word meaning
"protected". Dhimmi was the name applied by the Arab-Muslim conquerors
to indigenous non-Muslim populations who surrendered by a treaty
(dhimma) to Muslim domination.
We note that the project was funded by the CIA's Directorate of
Intelligence – the same people who did not see any threat in Mohammed
Atta and Co. as they watched them enter the US and "learn to fly" in
2001. One wonders why the CIA Directorate of Intelligence would fund a
public-release report, especially with such a contortion of logic. Is
this to impress the taxpayer with the forward-looking attitude at the
top levels of the new US Intelligence Administration? Does the new CIA
operate through public conferences and reports to do its intelligence-
gathering? Perhaps the more relevant link to this report is from the
creation in January 2001 of a White House Office of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives.
Religious Motivation of RAND's Expertise
Many, including the present author, believed RAND to be a secular,
objective think-tank. We were clearly mistaken. The experts who
participated in the workshop that led to Treverton's Report have very
clear ideas on how Christianity should spread over the globe. Some
quotes from their works may be apposite. RAND should clearly be
considered to be a New Religious Medium of modern-day crusaders,
producing a denominational newsletter. The Jubliee Mission Baptist
Church would be proud. Let us look at some of the Workshop
participants.
Philip Jenkins, who claims to provide an alternative analytical
framework opposing Samuel Huntington's Clash of Civilizations,
notes:
Moreover, conversions will swell the Christian share of world
population. Meanwhile, historically low birthrates in the
traditionally Christian states of Europe mean that their populations
are declining or stagnant…Christianity should enjoy a worldwide boom
in the new century, but the vast majority of believers will be neither
white nor European, nor Euro-American…But far from Islam being the
world's largest religion by 2020 or so, as Huntington suggests,
Christianity will still have a massive lead, and will maintain its
position into the foreseeable future. By 2050, there should still be
about three Christians for every two Muslims worldwide…I dispute
Huntington's assertion that "Christianity spreads primarily by
conversion, Islam by conversion and reproduction…No less than
Christians, Muslims will be transformed by the epochal demographic
events of the coming decades, the shift of gravity of population to
the Two-Thirds World. Muslim and Christian nations will expand
adjacent to each other, and, often, Muslim and Christian communities
will both grow within the same country."
Jack Miles is best known for his Website: Author of: God: A biography,
Christ: A crisis in the Life of God. He is the author of: 'Ringing
the firebell for freedom of religion - keynote address: 'March of
theocrats' Rally and Teach-in' (LA, June 2005). Quote:
"We are not alone, friends, but many who are our natural allies are
asleep, and it falls to us to awaken them."
Ian Lustick's views are recorded at this website . Guru that he is,
Lustick comes up with some novel little ideas about big world
problems, like:
"I supported the war [in Afghanistan] but I warned that we needed a
Goldilocks outcome and we didn't get it."
"I think about terrorism in terms of popcorn. You can't tell which
kernels are popcorn and which are not, but you assume you'll always
have some kernels that are going to pop."
According to a book review by Joshua Sinai, Ph.D., which appears on
homelanddefense.org:
"Lustick dismisses the concept of terrorism as a valid conceptual
term. Instead, he embraces what he terms an 'extensive', as opposed to
an 'intensive', definition of terrorism that is not bound by any
limiting 'conditions'. This, he claims, enables one to classify
activities as 'terrorist' if they encompass any violent 'actions and
threats' by governmental militaries and even 'tax collectors', as well
as insurgents."
(source: (1) URL1, URL3
Thus RAND's new authorities on terrorism appear to such theologians or
Jesuit seminarians with their fire-and-brimstone orations of bigotry.
RAND is therefore appropriately branded as an extension of a seminary
and an entity not unlike the Seventh Day Adventists or Jubilee
Mission. A New Religious Medium.
A splendid exception is Juan Cole who wrote his piece 'Can ethnic
cleansing bring back Jesus?' on May 20, 2004. Juan cites Rick
Perlstein's piece in the Village Voice with admiration.
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0420/perlstein.php
"The gem in the article is the account of how Iran-Contra criminal
mastermind and current National Security Adviser Elliot Abrams tried
to reassure the Christian Zionists that an Israeli "withdrawal" from
Gaza will not interfere with Jesus coming back because it wasn't part
of ancient Israel. Actually, this is right. Gaza was in Philistia, not
Judah, which was to its east. But for that matter, when the kingdoms
split, the West Bank wasn't in "Israel" either, it was in Judah... It
has for some time been obvious to me that the Bush foreign policy in
the Middle East is driven by irrational and often puzzling
considerations. But I hadn't stopped to consider, until Perlstein's
excellent piece, that the White House is trying to bring about an
apocalypse that would hasten Christ's return. And a damn fine job
they're doing of it, if that's what they are up to. Why, the place is
more apocalyptic every day." (Source: Anti war website)
The RAND report said: "NRMs (New Religious Movements) can be found in
Hinduism - the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, Israel (Gush
Emunim), Christianity (the US-based Identity Movement) and Islam,
including Al-Qaeda, a global network with a transcendant vision that
draws support in the defence of Islam." And added, "…Al-Qaeda cannot
be defeated by force, but only by reaching out to its roots in
religion and promoting convergence of Christianity and Islam."
Convergence of Christianity and Islam? A breath-taking prognosis,
indeed. RAND should consider a larger workshop on this issue in the
context of jihad as anti-terror. Sure, dancing with the devil is an
option when all other options are not on the table. Seriously, does
RAND endorse this recommendation to counter jihad?
This innovation of a new definition for a 'New Religious Movement'
which identifies RSS, Gush Emunim, Identity Movement and Al-Qaeda is,
to put it mildly, ridiculous, reducing the cosmic war of Mark to a
comic war.
The US taxpayer might have saved a lot of money by getting Treverton
instead to read to the CIA the report long-since published by Indian
tank ORF (Observer Research Foundation. They might have learned more
about the true nature of Al Qaeda and a vivid scan of religious
conflicts. Indeed, any academic worth his/her salt would have known
the conclusion:
"Al Qaeda is a revanchist organisation, which holds the West in
general and the US in particular responsible for all the evils
afflicting the Islamic world and for the decline of the political
power of Islam since the end of the Ottoman Empire. It wants to avenge
the wrongs allegedly committed against the Muslims since the end of
the Ottoman Empire, re-write history and restore an Islamic Caliphate
from which Western influence would be totally excluded. It is
comparable to the Nazis of Germany in its revanchist ideas and
actions. The Nazis blamed the rest of the Western world for the
decline of Germany since the First World War and for all the evils
afflicting Germany. They wanted to restore the pre-eminent position of
Germany in the world. If the world leaders of that time had said "Let
us address the root causes of Nazism first, before we fight the Nazis
and Adolf Hitler", where would the world be today?
The call to address the root causes of the Al Qaeda today is as short-
sighted as a call to first address the root causes of Nazism would
have been in the early 1940s… The conventional wisdom relating to
terrorism attributes the rise of terrorism to political, economic and
social factors such as perceptions of social injustice, violations of
human rights, suppression of the democratic rights of the people, lack
of economic development resulting in poverty and unemployment etc. It,
therefore, holds that if these so-called root causes are addressed,
terrorism will wither away. Does this theory apply to the Al Qaeda?
No, it does not. If this theory is correct, there should be no
activities of the Jemaah Islamiya (JI) in Malaysia and Singapore, the
two most prosperous and progressive states of South-East Asia. There
should be no Al Qaeda activities in Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Turkey
where there is greater prosperity than in many other countries of Asia
and Africa. There should be no Al Qaeda activities in West Europe
where there is economic prosperity, greater social justice and better
observance of human rights than in many countries of Asia and Africa.
There should have been less terrorism in Pakistan because of its
impressive economic growth since 9/11, but its economic gains have had
no impact on its jihadi terrorists. The Al Qaeda is not fighting for
democratic rights for the Muslims. On the contrary, it is fighting
against the principles of liberal democracy on the ground that they
are anti-Islam…The world has much to learn from India. How to continue
to keep India such an oasis? That is one of the questions we have to
address, while drawing lessons for the future. We cannot afford to be
complacent that India does not provide a fertile soil for the Al
Qaeda. The Al Qaeda may not be active in India, but many of the
Pakistani members of the International Islamic Front are. They could
turn out to be the Trojan Horse of the Al Qaeda. The success of the
Indian example is due to the success of its democracy, its non-
military approach to counter-terrorism, the role of the leaders of
different communities in countering tendencies towards religious or
ideological extremism and the cultural unity in the midst of religious
and linguistic diversity in India."
Source: see link See also: Symposium of RAND and Frontpage: Diagnosing
Al Qaeda "Given the thousands of Jihadists trained in Afghanistan, the
struggle with al Qaeda is liable to last for a decade or more." (John
Parachini)
Naming the US-based Identity Movement in this category is also amusing
and seems to be only for effect, just to show that the RAND report is
unbiased and dares to include a christist movement also in the New
Religious Movement category. A fair appraisal of christist activities
through various denominations in various parts of the globe as
baptizing missions, proselytizers, evangelists would clearly have
demonstrated the core causes of religious conflicts created by such
activities. That such large numbers of christist organizations are
left out is indeed strange considering that the inspiration is drawn
from the concept of 'cosmic wars' between 'good and evil'. If
christism is not a battle between Good and Evil, what other religious
movement, with the exception of Islamism, is? This mysterious,
unidentified 'Identity Movement' has been left undefined in the RAND
report, leaving it to the readers, congressmen, and policy makers to
draw their own conclusions.
We would agree with Nicole Nichols: make the outlaws accountable and
would add: don't give them a cosmic wacko status. Source: See link:
link Has RAND noted the involvement of a Pakistani Hamas leader in the
bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma city?
The absurdity of Juergensmeyer's analysis would have been apparent to
any student of theology, but since Mark wears at least three hats, of
sociology, of global conflict and of religious studies, his work
presents the potential for becoming the basis for any drastic
conclusions and plans of action by the intelligence community. His
postulation should have naturally led to the identification of Dalai
Lama's Tibetan Lama groups as a 'New Religious Movement' entering into
physical conflicts. That the report does not categorize these groups
is indeed surprising. It is also surprising that Mark does not even
refer to sanatana dharma or dhammo sanantano in the context of
'Brahman or Nirvana.' as 'exits'. We will not digress by exposing the
ridiculous nature of analysis by Mark referring to 'exits'.
Unfortunately, Mark has not provided any evidence for this 'exit'
postulation.
The logical application of Juergensmeyer's profound analysis of cosmic
wars and exits should have led to the identification of all the
adherents of Bauddha (aka Buddhism) and Dharma (Sanatana dharma or
Hindu dharma or dhammo sanantano) as prone to violence, manifesting
evil in physical terms, dramatically descending (by some unknown
processes) from the metaphysical levels.
Such a framework should have normally led to the identification of the
entire spectrum of those seeking return to 'Brahman or achieve
Nirvana' as a cult. Unfortunately, this would be absurd because the
'cults' cannot be declared as 'new' since both groups pre-date the
arrival of Christ and certainly Mohammed.
Why Does RAND Squirm When Exposed?
When the principal author, Greg Treverton was asked for
clarifications, he waffled with statements such as:
"The press story is basically accurate, but its headline is not. The
headline implies we somehow link RSS and Al Qaeda. In fact, what we
say, and the story has accurately, is that many religious traditions
have spawned "new" religious movements, and we cite RSS as an example
from Hinduism, along with AlQaeda as one from Islam, along with Jewish
and Christian examples. We also say, and the story quotes, that almost
all of these new movements are non-violent. There is nothing to imply
any connection at all between RSS and Al Qaeda. Do have a look at the
study."
Apparently it had still not occurred to this uber-genius that the RSS
was created before he was born. When asked for detailed information
on the workshop and papers if any, presented, the response of Greg
Treverton was equally elusive:
"Thank you for your note. You have the report, which has all the
details about the workshops."
Unfortunately, the Report authored by Treveton DOES NOT provide the
details, and he certainly implied that the RSS was not only new, but
was likely to become a threat to US security (what the taxpayer paid
RAND to explore). So much for the way RAND deals with comments
provided in response to the Report, even though the Report proclaims:
"Comments are welcome." So much for transparency in dealing with
issues dealt with in Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area.
See: Rand.org
We agree with Greg Treverton who said in another context:
"In a world in which everyone is dependent on information processors,
(the CIA) should think of themselves as the shapers and verifiers of
all that information," says Treverton, now an analyst at Rand Corp.
See: link
It is therefore not surprising that the RAND has little information,
logic or evidence of intelligent information processing. The intent
appears to be that the RAND name and the CIA sponsorship label are
enough to propagate the authors' personal religious agendas.
So DID RAND "Explore Religious Conflicts"?
We would have expected RAND to address the most serious issue of
Religious Conflicts with a careful evaluation of facts and figures. We
find neither facts nor figures in the Report. Here are samples of
statements made and opinions expressed, sans evidence:
"Are there potential NRMs, even violent ones, apart from those spawned
by Islamic radicalism? The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India,
an ultra-Hindu nationalist movement, is one such organization."
"…the movement was banned for a few years by the Indian government
because of its acts of violence and terrorism and its exhortation to
followers to resort to terrorist methods in the promulgation of its
religious ideas."
"…the RSS continued to gain momentum and was engaged in violence,
particularly against what it viewed to be threats against the Hindu
state, namely Muslims and Christians. Their religious view, with its
cosmic dimension, remains a threat to the idea of India as a secular
state."
"The RSS is largely middle class, as is the BJP."
That RSS has nothing to do with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
and that it was a movement born during the fight for independence of
India from the British colonial regime, has been recognized by courts
of law in India ; to cite Wikipedia, which is apparently beyond the
means of RAND to have looked up:
"In 1925, Dr. Balasaheb Hedgewar, a Nagpur doctor formed the Rashtriya
Swayemsevak Sangh. The word "Rashtriya" means "National," and the word
"Sangh" means "Union". The word "Swayemsevak" may be translated to
mean a self-reliant servant of the people and country, a volunteer in
spirit and patriot in action…The RSS fought alongside the Congress for
national independence…the RSS opposed the partition of the country,
and is widely associated with anti-Muslim riots and the assassination
of Mahatma Gandhi, it had in fact performed important work by serving
the millions of Hindu and Sikh refugees coming out of Pakistan,
escaping bloody violence and leaving behind ancestral homes in terror.
Although there was no link whatsoever between the RSS and Gandhi's
assassins…" Source: Wikipedia
See what Jack Miles, an expert who participated in the workshop had to
say in another context:
"'Thus, in India, those who want to respond to Islamist terrorism
originating in Pakistan by reasserting the secularity of the Indian
state have steadily been losing power to Hindu religious nationalists
of India's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 'Muslims are cancer to this
country', BJP leader Bal Thackeray said in a speech quoted in a recent
issue of The New Yorker; 'Cancer is an incurable disease. Its only
cure is operation. O Hindus, take weapons in your hands and remove
this cancer from the roots'. ' (Larissa MacFarq1uhar, "Letter from
India. The Strongman", The New Yorker, 26 May 2003, pp. 50-57)."
Jack Miles of course did not check, or did not honestly cite, the
facts; Bal Thackeray is not a leader of the BJP. Nor is he associated
with RSS.
Has Jack Miles checked out the figures of fatalities of terror attacks
in the Northeast and in Jammu and Kashmir, caused principally by
christist and Islamist terrorists?
If RSS, an independence movement is categorized as a 'New Religious
Movement', shouldn't the almost-as new George Washington and his band
who desired to create 'One nation under God' also get categorized as
'New Religious Movement' under the Mark Jurgensmeyer's mythical theme
of metaphysical transforming into physical? What about the Daughters
of the American Revolution? By Mark Jurgensmeyer's definition,
shouldn't Protestant movement also get categorized as a 'New
Religious Movement'?
RAND appears to be incapable of distinguishing between the Al Qaeda,
out to create a global Caliphate of one religion, from Israeli
movements created in self-defence against terrorists who would not
hesitate to kill even innocent children.
In the face of sustained terror attacks by intolerant Islamists
governed by only hatred as their credo, two democracies, Israel and
India have repulsed the terror attacks despite repeated casualties
suffered by them. Israeli movements to defend their land and the
Indian attempts to counter the terror attacks have been remarkably
restrained, facts which should also have been noted by the RAND
'intelligence analysts and religious experts'.
RAND should ask the 'intelligence analysts and religious experts' to
substantiate these bland statements by evidence.
Some questions which need to be asked and answered by these analysts
and experts are:
-- Were these experts named the only participants in the 'day-long
workshops'? What are the days when the workshops were conducted?
-- Were there any other participants?
-- Does the report represent the consensus conclusions and
recommendations of the workshop?
-- Were there any dissenting opinions?
-- Did the participants submit any written papers? (We have read
through the report again and have noted the bibliographical references
to books and monographs of earlier years appended to the report after
end notes). Were any other evidences and databases used for the
serious conclusions drawn in the report? It is important that all the
papers be made available so that the evidence used to reach the
conclusions of the report can be evaluated. Hopefully, CIA which has
funded the RAND project will seek answers to these questions.
Does RAND Allow Data to Affect It's Conclusions?
In the face of terror emanating from Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, it is indeed surprising that RAND tries to invent phantoms of
'New Religious Movements' based on a wacko thesis of 'cosmic wars' and
exits to Brahman and Nirvana. There is no iota of evidence produced by
Greg Treverton's reporting of conversations, to show that the
proponents of Brahman and Nirvana have contributed to the acts of
terror.
Have the fatalities of terror caused by religious conflicts in all
parts of the globe, been taken into account, for example, in just one
country:
1994-2005: Jammu and Kashmir (Islamist violence): 31782 Northeast
(christist violence): 13933 Naxal violence: 5041 Punjab: 175 Others: 6
Total: 50937
Note: Are Naxals (Communist gangs) considered a cult or an NRM? RAND
should answer this question.
US policy makers should take a fresh look at the problem in the
context of the "objective compilation from reports by credible human
rights groups of the genocide, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, and
Islamist laws that Hindus have faced in parts of South Asia where they
are minorities." Source: HAF "The human rights violations that are
occurring against Hindus must no longer be ignored without
reprobation," said Rep. Ros-Lehtinen after reviewing the HAF report.
"Hindus have a history of being peaceful, pluralistic and
understanding of other faiths and peoples, yet minority Hindus have
endured decades of pain and suffering without the attention of the
world." See HAF Release. RAND experts should review and evaluate the
190 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh from January 1, 2004 to November
30, 2004 detailed in the Appendix of the Hindu Human Rights report
2004: (page 38). RAND experts should also explain the cosmic war
category which will explain these atrocities in Bangladesh against a
minority community called the Hindu in that state.
Are the experts of the workshop conducted by RAND aware that there are
a billion people in India? And, have they computed the numbers of
fatalities caused by 'religious conflicts' worldwide and seen the
fatalities of 50,937 in the last 11 years in India? Have the group
studied the Terrorism Whitepaper brought out by Govt. of India in
2002? Or, reviewed the conflicts detailed in South Asia Terrorism
Portal?
In Buddha nirvana country, Thailand,
"a current wave of jihadi terrorist violence in the three Muslim
majority southern provinces, which started in January last year, has
already cost over 800 lives of Government servants, innocent civilians
and suspected Muslim militants. This is directly linked with the
presence of nearly a thousand Pattanis (that is, muslims of Thailand
so called in Pakistan and Bangladesh) in Pakistan madarasas." Source:
SAAG.org (15 August 2005).
There is no evidence in the Report on the conflicts resulting from
'conversion' activities by Christian groups. 'Conversions' categorized
as 'propagation of the Gospel', 'baptizing all nations',
'proselytization', 'evangelisation' followed by threat of
'condemnation' of those who do not so spread the Gospel or the
salvific nature of Jesus. Such an exclusion of a whole range of
conflicts which resulted in the phenomenon of East Timor, certainly
draws critical questions on objectivity of the RAND report.
Without an analysis of the impact of 'religious conflicts', the RAND
report reads like a kindergarten account. Some remedial steps are
called for by naming the culprit experts and releasing their 'papers'
presented at the workshop and subjecting those 'papers' to critical,
peer reviews. After all, we are dealing with a serious issue of
homeland security and there can be no compromise with half-baked,
opinionated reports based on absurd, unfalsifiable, ridiculous cosmic
fantasies.
Conclusions
RAND should seriously review the 'scholarly' or 'expert' nature of the
Report in question and examine if it is consistent with RAND's vision,
aspirations, and advertised credentials and standards.
It is, indeed, shocking that RAND has recommend appeasement of the
Islamist terrorists.
This report clearly shows RAND to be peddling a narrow, bigoted
religious agenda. That this is purported to be a preview of United
States Government policy in the future is indeed scary for those who
believe in the Constitution of the United States.
The ludicrous nature of the report poses serious questions about
RAND's quality controls, especially since the principal author is
cited as being a "Professor" at RAND's "university".
So it is, RAND has become the New Religious Media.
Dr S Kalyanaraman
[1] Gregory F. Treverton, Heather S. Gregg, Daniel Gibran, Charles W.
Yost, Principal author, Gregory F Treverton, 2005, Exploring Religious
Conflicts, RAND Corporation, USA http://www.rand.org/publications/CF/CF211/index.html
Copyright and Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and not of
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this article. This website does not represent or endorse the accuracy,
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or any other information in the article. Our readers are free to
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http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_050823.htm
Aryan Tourist Theory (TM)
By: Dr. S. Kalyanaraman
December 24, 2005
Views expressed here are author's own and not of this website. Full
disclaimer is at the bottom.
The title of this article is borrowed from Rajeev Srinivasan's
trademark ATT (Aryan Tourist Theory) as a counter to the Aryan Influx
(Invasion) Theory being promoted by indologist creationists who
believe in the creation of the universe in 4004 BC, following the
Biblical tradition.
Close on the heels of this report published on December 20, 2005, on
IVarta.com Harvard's scandal & Hindu conspiracy the renowned
newsmagazine, The Economist of London, has been recruited as of
December 21, 2005, as a co-conspirator in this global Hindu
conspiracy.
The title of the cover story is: The long march of everyman.
Since the information is premium content, only excerpts can be
provided. Coded contents using DNA/Genetic code words and the cypher
will be revealed only to privileged clients such as the Harvard
University group led by Witzel.
The scoop is that Rajeev Srinivasan has trademarked a new version of
AIT and calls it "Aryan Tourist Theory". Congratulations to Rajeev on
this invention which could have far-reaching implications for bringing
the Harvard international scandal to the desired outcome. Romila
Thapar, Michael Witzel have to contend with discovery of tourist visas
used by 'Aryans' as they influxed into Bharatam.
Since the prestige of Harvard University is at stake, new methods have
to be evolved to perpetuate the possibility of Aryan tourist entry
into India in 1500 BCE. One method being contemplated, informed
sources report, is to say that this is another hindutva plot to
humiliate the prestigious Harvard University which alone has the right
to teach Hindu children a lesson. A larger task lies ahead of the
Harvard group led by Witzel: to educate the international community of
parents on what hindutva means. (Hindu conspirators claim that this
means the essence of being hindu in dharma-dhamma-veda-bauddha-jaina
continuum of bharatiya tradition; clearly a tough continuum to contend
with in sixth grade classrooms). Yet the job has to be done; the
prestige of Harvard University is on the line.
Fwd. with thanks, a precise note from Rajeev Srinivasan (Dec. 20,
2005).
[quote]
I'm afraid this link is premium content, but it clearly states that
the evidence from genetics precludes an 'aryan' invasion of India in
1500 BCE. the first human migration to India is around 60,000 years
ago, and europe was populated much later.
however, there are elements of 'conquest' still in the theories about
India, see end of the excerpts below about female and male dna. this
sounds like 'aryan tourist theory' (trademarked by me) warmed over,
and I am sceptical about it. southerners ki jai :-)
TM 'aryan tourist theory': white guys go live in other countries on
tourist visas, marry local women and settle down. thus their genes
appear in the local population.
http://www.economist.com/surveys/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_VNJJNDJ
excerpts only, to protect the economist's copyright. it has a great
chart too.
Detail, however is not the same as consensus, and there are two
schools of thought about how people left Africa in the first place.
Appropriately, some of their main protagonists are at the rival
English universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The Oxford school,
championed by Stephen Oppenheimer, believes that the descendants of a
single emigration some 85,000 years ago, across the strait of Bab el
Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea, are responsible for
populating the rest of the world. The Cambridge school, championed by
Robert Foley and Marta Mirazón Lahr, agrees that there was, indeed, a
migration across this strait, though probably nearer to 60,000 years
ago. However, it argues that many non-Africans are the descendants of
at least one subsequent exodus.
Both schools agree that the Bab el Mandebites spread rapidly along the
coast of southern Arabia and thence along the south coast of Asia to
Australia, though Dr Oppenheimer has them turning inland, too, once
they crossed the strait of Hormuz. But it is in describing what
happened next that the two versions really part company, for it is
here that the descendants of the Oxford migration run into the
eruption of Toba.
That Toba devastated South and South-East Asia is not in doubt. Thick
layers of ash from the eruption have been found as far afield as
northern Pakistan. The question is whether there were people in Asia
at the time. One of the most important pieces of evidence for Dr
Oppenheimer's version of events is some stone tools in the ash layer
in Malaysia, which he thinks were made by Homo sapiens. Molecular
clocks have a regrettable margin of error, but radioactive dating is a
lot more accurate. If he is right, modern humans must have left Africa
before the eruption. The tools might, however, have been crafted by an
earlier species of human that lived there before Homo sapiens. For Dr
Oppenheimer, the eruption was a crucial event, dividing the nascent
human population of Asia into two disconnected parts, which then
recolonised the intermediate ground. In the Cambridge version, Homo
sapiens was still confined to Africa 74,000 years ago, and would
merely have suffered the equivalent of a nuclear winter, not an ash-
fall of up to five metres—though Dr Ambrose and his colleagues think
even that would have done the population no good. The Cambridge
version is far more gentle. The descendants of its subsequent exodus
expanded north-eastwards into central Asia, and thence scattered
north, south, east and west—though in a spirit of open-mindedness,
Sacha Jones, a research student in Dr Foley's department, is looking
in the ash layer in India to see what she can find there.
Both also agree that Europe received two waves of migration. The
ancestors of the bulk of modern Europeans came via central Asia about
35,000 years ago, though some people in the Balkans and other parts of
southern Europe trace their lines back to an earlier migration from
the Middle East. But the spread of agriculture from its Middle Eastern
cradle into the farthest reaches of Europe does not, as some
researchers once thought, seem to have been accompanied by a mass
movement of Middle Eastern farmers.
The coming together of two groups of humans can be seen in modern
India, too. In the south of the subcontinent, people have Y-
chromosomes derived almost exclusively from what the Cambridge school
would interpret as being northern folk (and the Oxford school as the
western survivors of Toba). However, more than 20% of their
mitochondria arrived in Asia with the first migration from Africa (or,
according to taste, clung on along the south-eastern fringes of the
ash plume).
That discovery speaks volumes about what happened when the two groups
met. It suggests that many modern south Indians are descended from
southern-fringe women, but few from southern-fringe men—implying a
comprehensive conquest of the southerners by the northerners, who won
extra southern wives.
[unquote]
Another co-conspirator has emerged surprisingly from down-under.
Now for the breath-taking ice age footsteps. This is the decisive blow
to the creationist indologists who believe in AIT (Aryan Influx
Theory) because the universe according to the Bible was created only
in 4004 BC. Any evidence prior to this date is a scientific hoax if
the indologists are to be believed. When will the indologists learn to
respect science?
See the photo at http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/ap/syd80112220055.hmedium.jpg
In this photo released by the Environment Ministry, a footprint
believed to be that of a man is shown in the Willandra Lakes district
in western New South Wales of Australia. Michael Amendolia / AP "The
prints were made in moist clay near the Willandra Lakes 19,000 to
23,000 years ago, the newspaper reported ahead of archeologists'
report on the find to be published in the Journal of Human Evolution."
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10566347/
Dr. S. Kalyanaraman
The author is Director, Sarasvati Research Centre. Email:
kalyan97@gmail.com
Copyright and Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and not of
this website. The author is solely responsible for the contents of
this article. This website does not represent or endorse the accuracy,
completeness or reliability of any opinion, statement, appeal, advice
or any other information in the article. Our readers are free to
forward this page URL to anyone. This column may NOT be transmitted or
distributed by others in any manner whatsoever (other than forwarding
or weblisting page URL) without the prior permission from us and the
author.
http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_051224.htm
Indian scholar deciphers Indus scriptAuthor
Indian
Date Created
19 Jan 2006
Date Edited19 Jan 2006 08:09:31 PMRatingCurrent rating: 6LicenseThis
work is in the public domain. 1/16/2006 7:28:44 AM HK Correspondent
CHENNAI: The Indus valley script, an enigma for scholars for over 130
years, has been deciphered by Dr S Kalyanaraman, a Chennai based
scholar. Ever since the first Indus seal with script was discovered in
1870 by Alexander Cunningham, efforts were on to decipher the
script."The decipherment of the script is central to unraveling the
true chronology and history of Indian civilization and culture," Dr
Kalyanaraman told Haindava Keralam.
Dr Kalyanaraman, a former senior executive with the Asian Development
Bank at Manila quit his job to devote full time for the research on
Inter-linking of Indian rivers and deciphering the script of the Indus
seal. Over the last 26 years, Dr Kalyanaraman has compiled a multi-
lingual comparative dictionary for over 25 ancient Indian languages
with about half-a-million words and has put it up on the internet.
It was a journey in a Pakistan International Airlines flight which
made Dr Kalyanaraman to quit his high paying ADB job. "I was presented
with replicas of two seals, really paper-weights, by the PIA sincve I
was travelkling by the first class on that day," said Dr Kalyanaraman.
Curiosity forced Dr Kalyanaraman to ask the PIA staff about the
replicas. He was literally shocked by the reply gioven by them. "They
said that the seals were from Mohenjodaro and it established the 5,000-
year old history of the civilization of Pakistan. They kept silent
when I pointed out to them that ther was no Pakistan at that time," Dr
Kalyanaraman explained.
"About 5000 years ago, there was only Bharat mentioned in the Rigveda.
Visvamitra, a Rigveda rishi, refers to the people of Bharat as
Bharatam Janam (that is, people of the nation of Bharata),"pointed out
Dr Kalyanaraman, author of a major book "Saraswathi".
He pointed out that the word Bharatiyo in Gujarati means 'caster of
metals' and goes on to present an array of evidence from about 4000
epigraphs on a variety of objects from what he calls "Sarasvati
Civilization". The epigraphs appear on seals, tablets, potsherds,
ivory rods, copper plates, even on metallic weapons.
The breakthrough in confirming his decipherment has come from two
sources: 1. the presence of Sarasvati hieroglyphs on two pure tin
ingots discovered in a ship-wreck in Haifa, Israel; and the presence
of Sarasvati hieroglyphs on artefacts in archaeological sites of
Jiroft (Iran) and Adichanallur (Tirunelveli, South India).
According to Dr Kalyanaraman, the glyphs are pictorials connoting
homonyms (similar sounding words which could be depicted pictorially)
of metals, minerals, alloys and furnaces. "For example, a jar with a
rim, an antelope, an elephant, a rhinoceros, a heifer (bull-calf) can
be depicted pictorially. The words related to these glyphs are
homonymous with words for varieties of minerals, metals, alloys and
furnaces," Dr Kalyanaraman explained.
Dr Kalyanaraman, claims that the code of the script or writing system
has been decoded simply as representation of the repertoire of smiths,
smithy, mines, and metal workshops. The artefacts are gathered from
many sites; there are about 2,000 archaeological sites on the banks of
a desiccated River Sarasvati (representing about 80% of the 2600 total
archaeological sites of the civilization dated to between 3500 to 1900
Before Common Era, BCE).
Some of the sites are: Rakhigarhi (near Delhi), Kunal, Kalibangan,
Banawali, Ropar (near Kurukshetra, Chandigarh), Dholavira, Lothal,
Surkotada, Prabhas Patan, Dwaraka (Gujarat) and of course,
Mohenjodaro, Harappa (Pakistan), Mehergarh (Afghanistan). A woman's
burial found at Mehergarh contained ornaments including a wide bangle
made of s'ankha; the surprise was that this burial was dated to 6500
BCE. The s'ankha industry continues even today in Tiruchendur, near
Gulf of Mannar, South Indian coastline where West Bengal handicraft
corporation obtains s'ankha to make bangles which are a must for every
Bengali bride to wear during marriage. A remarkable continuity of
culture and an industry unbroken for the last 8500 years !
He quotes profusely from the great Indian epics to substantiate his
claims. "The language of the epigraphs is said to be mleccha (Meluhha,
mentioned in cuneiform records of Mesopotamia). Vatsyayana refers to
cipher writing as mlecchita-vikalpa ( alternative representation by
copper workers)," according to Dr Kalyanaraman.
Mleccha is also referred to as a spoken language in Mahabharata;
Yudhishthira and Vidura converse in Mleccha about the shellac palace
(lakshagriha) constructed to trap the Pandavas with metallic and non-
metallic killer devices. An example of mleccha is 'helava, helava'
comparable to the 'elo,elo' boatmen's song by seafaring and river-
faring navigators who navigate hugging the coastline and along rivers
which were the highways of ancient times, enabling long-distance trade
over very long distances exceeding 3,000 kms., making the Sarasvati
civilization the most extensive civilization of its times.
"Languages of present-day India can be explained from a common source
and the theory is called 'Proto-Vedic Continuity Theory', "says Dr
Kalyanaraman.
These claims could have a significant effect on the study of languages
and contribute to historical studies emphasizing the essential
continuity and unity of Indian civilization and culture as a continuum
from 6500 BCE to the present-day.
haindavakeralam.org/PageModule.aspx
See also: spaces.msn.com/members/sarasvati97
protovedic.blogspot.com (S.Kalyanaraman and Mayuresh Kelkar)
www.hindunet.org/saraswati
kalyan97-AT-gmail.com
haindavakeralam.org/PageModule.aspx
PS: svastika is satthiya in Punjabi; rebus zasta, satthiya
'zinc' (Hindi)
TEHRAN, July 12 (MNA) -- The discovery of a number of shards bearing a
swastika motif astonished a team of Iranian archaeologists working at
Sabz Tepe in the Elamite site of Arjan, Khuzestan Province, the
director of the team said on Tuesday.
"Our team found the shards during operations conducted to save the
site from being destroyed by farming activities," Mahnaz Sharifi
added.
Located 10 kilometers north of Behbahan in eastern Khuzestan Province,
Arjan contains many ancient mounds which are believed to be various
sections of an Elamite city.
"Farmers plow the ground in Arjan, destroying the ancient site. A
cluster of shards bearing unique motifs and inscriptions can be seen
scattered on the ground," Behbahan Cultural Heritage and Tourism
Office expert Farzad Mesbah said.
Agricultural officials of Behbahan gave the land to the farmers.
"The farmers have said that they will continue working on the land,
but Khuzestan cultural officials have filed a lawsuit against the
farmers, in an attempt to solve the problem through the judicial
process," said Saeid Mohammadpur, an official of the Khuzestan
Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department.
In 1983, the first bronze coffin ever found in Iran, was discovered in
Arjan. The U-shaped coffin contained a large inscribed golden ring, 98
bracteate coins, a dagger, some textile fragments, and a
silver rod, which came from the treasury of the Elamite king Kidin-
Hutran.
Archaeologists plan to conduct additional research on the newly
discovered shards in order to learn why the swastika motif was used.
The origin of the swastika symbol is unknown. For thousands of years,
it has been used as a symbol of the revolving sun, fire, infinity, or
continuing recreation, as well as a decorative motif in the Americas,
China, Egypt, Greece, and Scandinavia. Swastikas have been found in
the catacombs of Rome, on textiles of the Inca period, and on relics
unearthed at the site of Troy. The swastika has also been important in
Eastern religions; to Buddhists, it represents resignation; to Jains,
it represents their seventh saint; and to Hindus, a swastika with arms
bent to the left represents night, magic, and the
destructive goddess Kali.
In the mid-20th century in Germany, a swastika with arms bent to the
right became the symbol of the Nazi Party. Some members of the German
Free Corps, who later formed the nucleus of the early Nazi Party, are
believed to have brought the swastika to Germany from Finland and
Estonia, where it had been an official and decorative emblem.
From March 1933, a few weeks after the ascent of Adolf Hitler to power
in Germany, the swastika flag flew side by side with the German
national colors. From September 1935 until the downfall of the Nazi
regime in 1945, the swastika flag was the official flag of the Third
Reich and was prominently displayed. The swastika is still used as a
symbol by supremacist and separatist hate groups.
www.mehrnews.ir/en/Archive.aspx
http://baltimore.indymedia.org/newswire/display/11807/index.php
Ancient Indian History, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India,
Indian History
Placeholder for Saraswati-Sindhu script
5 July 2009 87
This is a placeholder post for various references and resources
related to Saraswati-Sindhu Script.
Dr Kalyanaraman-ji's work:
http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/mlecchitavikalpa
http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/indus-script
http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/a-new-decipherment-paradigm
http://sarasvati97.blogspot.com/
Varnam's posts and research:
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/05/undeciphered-scripts/
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/04/indus-script-a-formal-language/
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/05/hostile-reactions/
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/05/indian-history-carnival-17/
Asko Parpola's works:
http://www.helsinki.fi/~aparpola/
Please feel free to add any other links (to articles/documents) that
you may be aware of – using the comments form below.
Thanks.
Related Post: Breaking the code: the Sarasvati-Sindhu Script
*** UPDATE ***
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access. There will be some delay before I am able to respond to (and
moderate) comments.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
***
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comment, it is very likely to get stuck in the moderation/spam queue.
To avoid this, pl. enter a valid email address OR use this email
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. 14 Comments »
1. B Shantanu said:
Some of you will find this interesting:
Can Computers Decipher a 5,000-Year-Old Language? by David Zax
.20 July 2009
2. B Shantanu said:
In a paper which renders the issue of 'illiteracy' moot or of little
practical value, Kalyanaraman has claimed that the script was used for
smith guild tokens encoding speech repertoire of smiths and that the
legacy of the writing system continued in mints which issued punch-
marked coins during the historical periods using Indus script glyphs.
The paper also reiterates that the critique of Massimo Vidale has not
so far been answered by the 'Harappan illiteracy' proponents.
The paper can also be downloaded from here
.5 August 2009
3. B Shantanu (author) said:
Some more research from Dr Kalyanaraman:
Decoding Indus Script – Mleccha, mlecchita vikalpa in Sarasvati
hieroglyphs
Monograph
Ppt slides
Abstract of Lecture at Rojah Muthiah Library at 5 PM on 26 February
2009 by S. Kalyanaraman
Script is decoded as sarasvati hieroglyphs composed of all pictorial
motifs — over 100 — and signs — over 400 – and read rebus in mleccha
vācas (as distinct from arya vācas — Manu). The context is: miners'
and smiths' repertoire (not unlike the viśwakarma working on utsava
bera in Swamimalai following the cire perdue technique of Sarasvati
civilization bronzes or asur/agaria working in iron ore smelters in
Ganga basin of 18th century BCE).
Sarasvati hieroglyphs are in mleccha, mlecchita vikalpa (Vatsyayana).
Hypothesis posited: Language X + Proto-Munda = Proto-mleccha (with
borrowings in Sarasvati Linguistic Area).
Rebus readings of almost all glyphs (pictorial motifs as well as
signs) relate to mine workers' and metalsmiths' repertoire. The
writing system is a vikalpa (alternative representation) of their
vernacular, mleccha, cognate: meluhha. Presented in 15 e-books at
http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97
In view of the essentially pictographic nature of the writing system,
the presentation is made in three parts:
a. monograph on vernacular (deśī), the linguistic area and the
continuity of proto-mleccha vernacular; structure and semantics of
hieroglyphs of mlecchita vikalpa, the decoded writing system;
b. powerpoint slides with selected glyphs and readings; and
c. Epigraphica Sarasvati of about 4000 inscribed epigraphs on photo
albums. http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/epigraphica-sarasvati
Two fundamental questions should be researched further:
1. the continuity of the civilization evidenced by cultural markers
all over India and the neighbouring regions;
2. the formation and evolution of languages in a linguistic area of
the Sarasvati civilization continuum in India, proved by the decoding
of the Indus script (Sarasvati hieroglyphs).
***
Separately from a blog post by Jayasree :
…This finding makes me recall some instances from the past. One is
from Valmiki Ramayana wherein Hanuman debates within himself on what
language he could speak to Sita who was languishing in the Ashoka
vana. Should I speak in the language of the learned persons (in
Sanskrit) or speak in the language of common persons, Hanuman asked
himself.
Sanskrit was the language of education and was used in discourses on
intellectual stuff. This existed in written form. But the dialect
spoken by people was different and it was not given a written form. We
come to know from Megasthanes that transactions were done orally.
There was no habit of recording or writing anything in trade. It was
because people adhered to word of mouth and rarely indulged in
cheating. Wherever writing was done it was done in Sanskrit. But the
common dialect that people spoke was not given a written form.
This had existed till the times of onset of Jain and Buddha culture.
The Jains were the forerunners in giving written form to spoken
language of the commoner. In a scenario dominated by Sanskrit based
Vedic religion, the Jains wanted to reach out to the common man. They
could reach him easily only by speaking his language and making him
read their views in the language they speak.
The earliest books written in language other than Sanskrit were by
Jains. They were in Prakrith. The earliest Jain book of astrology is
'Surya Pragnapti' which was an adaptation of Lagadha's Rig Jyothisha.
This was in 'Arthamagadhi Prakrith'. Lagadha's Jyothisha was written
when the sun entered Dhanishta in uttarayana. Jain's Surya pragnapthi
has the sun entering Abhijit in uttarayana!
That means this book of the Jains was written when Abhijith was still
part of the sky. Abhijit is placed in between Utthradam and ThiruvONam
(shravaNa). Abhijit was part of the sky until Mahabharatha times. Even
if we want to discount the existence of abhijith for lack of evidence
now astronomically, we can still enumerate the period of this book.
This book was written when the sun entered uttarayana at a point left
of Shravana star. Today the sun enters uttarayana in Moola star. The
time gap can be ascertained and it is possible to find the time of
Surya pragnapti from this. That time is when the spoken language of
the people of most of Bharatham was given a written form.
From Prakrit, other Indian languages sprang with a written libi.
But Tamil was a case apart from all these.
When Mahabharatha war happened, Tamil was already there in written
form supported by the sophistry of a well developed Grammar. A verse
on the praise of the Cheran king who supplied food to the armies
engaged in Mahabharatha war is found in PurananUru. Another verse is
about the Pandyan king who lived in the now- submerged landmass, south
of present day Kanyakumari. Tamil was referred to as "Agastheeyam" in
one of Srivaishnava books (Acharya Hrudhayam) Agastheeyam is said to
be a grammar work of Tamil done by sage Agasthya. This sage is also
said to have given a written form to Tamil.
That means Tamil had once existed as a spoken language among the
masses. There are however many Sanskrit terms in Tamil (eg daanam,
thavam) as part and parcel of Tamil language itself. Unless Tamil had
co-existed along with Sanskrit, this can not have happened. The aiding
tool for this combination is Hindu dharma or Sanatana Dharma as it was
the only dharma prevalent everywhere in those days. Since the Tamil
lands were stretched far down the South and were part of a huge
landmass connecting Africa and Australia, my guess is that Tamil was a
spoken language in that part of the world.
Coming to the findings of Dr S.Kalyanaraman, he has pointed out an
interesting similarity in the writing on metallurgy and of artisans of
India in those days. The cast for making statues (utsava bhEra)
recovered from Harappan sites (Saraswathy sites) are the same as what
the Vishwakarmas settled near Swamimalai in Tamil nadu do today! It
was because there was a single cult of Vishwakarma, a single cult of
Maya followed by artisans all through the Ithihasic and Puranic times.
As such, these informations are not news to me! Without even going
into research of this kind, we can say everything about the antiquity
and unanimity of Bharatheeya culture just from our arm chairs with the
help of Ithihasas, Puranas, Samhitas and a host of other texts given
by Maharishis.
.14 August 2009
4. K. Harapriya said:
"Since Tamil lands stretched far down south and were a part of a huge
landmass connecting Africa and Australia"
This statement is an anachronism. The continental drift that split the
various land masses from the one large continent called pangea
happened some 400 million years ago.
India split from the southern portion of what is now Africa around 55
million years ago. (This is known by the dating of the Himalayas).
However , man , as a species separate from other primates has only
existed on this earth around one million years. Of this, civilization
existed only for the last 10,000 years. So the contention that Tamil
was a language spoken in the entire southern hemisphere is inaccurate
to say the least.
Secondly, Tamil's borrowings from Sanskrit as evidence of them
coexisting at the same time and/or originating at the same time. That
is like saying English originated at the same time as Latin since
there are so many latin terms in it. One interesting note is that
while Tamil has many sanskrit words, the reverse is not true–we do not
find Tamil words in Sanskrit very often.
Let us look at what the facts tell us. The oldest literature in Tamil
(of the Sangam period) dates back two thousand years–approximately the
beginning of the common era (exact dates betw. 3rd Century BCE and 3rd
Century A.D). Since the language was highly developed, it is assumed
that it had a longer history.
In comparison, the Rg Veda originates, even when conservatively dated,
1500 BCE. Even by conservative estimates, that is at least a 1000
years before the appearance of Tamil literature. Since the literature
of the Vedas is also highly developed we have to assume an older
history for the language. If we use the internal evidence of the Rg
Veda (i.e cosmology, astromical positions of stars), the Rg Veda can
even be dated anywhere from 5000 to 10,000 years old (depending on the
scholar).
It is almost a truism accepted in India that Tamil is the oldest
language. But is it really true?
Here is an article on the dating of the Mahabharata War by a fairly
respected scholar.
http://www.ece.lsu.edu/kak/MahabharataII.pdf
.19 August 2009
5. gajanan said:
Markov model of the Indus script
Rajesh P. N. Raoa,1, Nisha Yadavb,c, Mayank N. Vahiab,c, Hrishikesh
Joglekard, R. Adhikarie, and Iravatham Mahadevanf
aDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, University of
Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; bDepartment of Astronomy and
Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 400005,
India; cCentre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai 400098, India;
d14, Dhus Wadi, Laxminiketan, Thakurdwar, Mumbai 400002, India;
eInstitute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai 600113, India; and fIndus
Research Centre, Roja Muthiah Research Library,
Chennai 600113, India
Abstract.
Although no historical information exists about the Indus civilization
(flourished ca. 2600–1900 B.C.), archaeologists have uncovered about
3,800 short samples of a script that was used throughout the
civilization. The script remains undeciphered, despite a large number
of attempts and claimed decipherments over the past 80 years. Here, we
propose the use of probabilistic models to analyze the structure of
the Indus script. The goal is to reveal,
through probabilistic analysis, syntactic patterns that could point
the way to eventual decipherment. We illustrate the approach using a
simple Markov chain model to capture sequential dependencies between
signs in the Indus script. The trained model allows new sample texts
to be generated, revealing recurring patterns of signs that could
potentially form functional subunits of a possible
underlying language. The model also provides a quantitative way of
testing whether a particular string belongs to the putative language
as captured by the Markov model. Application of this test to Indus
seals found in Mesopotamia and other sites in West Asia reveals that
the script may have been used to express different content in these
regions or unreadable signs on damaged objects can be filled in with
most likely predictions from the model. Taken together, our results
indicate that the Indus script exhibits rich synactic structure and
the ability to represent diverse content. both of which are suggestive
of a linguistic writing system rather than a nonlinguistic symbol
system.
Published in Proceedings in National Academy of Sciences 2009. USA.
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.0906237106
This is very good science, if you can go thru this site above. It is
very difficult to understand for those not conversant with Markov
maths. They recently published in the journal Science and some more is
probably in the offing.
.19 August 2009
6. B Shantanu (author) said:
Harapriya and Gajanan: Thanks for the links and comment.
Harapriya: Interesting question about Tamil. I don't know. Perhaps
other readers would wish to comment?
.21 August 2009
7. K. Harapriya said:
Here is a good link on the latest archaeological findings.
http://www.archaeologyonline.net/
.22 August 2009
8. B Shantanu (author) said:
Pl. read Varnam's latest post The Markov Model of Indus Script
.14 September 2009
9. B Shantanu (author) said:
From an email sent by Dr Kalyanaraman:
Source: http://www.harappa.com/indus2/index.html Slide 142 reports the
discovery in 1998 of a four-sided molded tablet — ca. 2450-2200 BCE.
"Molded tablets from Trench 11 sometimes have impressions on one, two,
three or four sides. This group of molded tablets shows the complete
set of motifs. One side is comprised entirely of script and has six
(five?) characters, the first of which (on the very top) appears to be
some sort of animal. A second side shows a human figure grappling with
a short horned bull. A small plant with at least six branches is
discernible behind the individual. The third panel portrays a figure
seated on a charpoy or throne in a yogic position, with arms resting
on the knees. Both arms are covered with bangles, and traces of a
horned headdress and long hair are visible on some of the impressions.
A second individual, also with long hair and wearing bangles, is
seated on a short stool to the proper left of the individual on the
"throne." The fourth panel shows a deity standing with both feet on
the ground and wearing a horned headdress. A branch with three pipal
leaves projects from the center of the headdress. Bangles seen on both
arms."
This is decoded as a professional calling card of a smiths' artisan
guild, as may be seen from the homonyms of all glyptic elements (both
signs and pictorial motifs) — presented on two slides.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/11869632/Slide-142-harappa
Addendum: man.d.a 'twig, branch' (Te.); rebus: man.d.a_ 'warehouse,
workshop' (Kon.)
namaskaram. kalyanaraman
.25 September 2009
10. B Shantanu (author) said:
Those of you with an interest in this topic will enjoy Varnam's
excellent post on this from last week: The Harappan Volumetric System
.7 December 2009
11. Shaan said:
@Harapriya, @Jayasree
There is no proof that Tamil lands would have stretched too much
southwards. Tamil literature talks about Kumari kandam and the
incident of it submerging in sea but it may have been a small area
beyond kanyakumari. Regarding Udhiyan Cheralathan there is an
explanation that the nootruvar(100 men) given in the poem are actually
Satavahanas. But Mahabharatha itself mentions that Pandyas, Cheras and
Cholas were fighting alongside Pandavas and against the Kauravas.
When it is debatable that whether Tamil as old as Sanskrit, atleast in
written form it must have been in written form before Sanksrit. There
is a term 'ezhuthaa kiLavi' in Tamil denoting Sanskrit. It literally
means 'the language that is not written'. Earlier it was believed that
Tamil Brahmi was created after Ashoka era Brahmi script was introduced
in the South. But the latest discoveries point that Tamil Brahmi was
in existence even before Ashoka's time.
.14 December 2009
12. I Gege Putrayasa said:
I found the sincere and trusted work on Indus-Sarasvati script
decipherment by Dr. Natwar Jha. Please follow the link below. I hope
that more scientists will continue and expand the work that had been
done by Dr. Jha as been shown by NS. Rajaram.
http://placelife.com/timeline/sarasvati-indus/sarasvati-script/natwarjhabyrajaram.html
.23 January 2010
13. I Gege Putrayasa said:
Forgot to include in my previous post. Here's another link of Natwar
Jha and NS. Rajaram work on book reviewed by IndiaStar:
http://www.indiastar.com/wallia27.htm
.23 January 2010
14. B Shantanu (author) said:
Thank you. I will have a look at the links.
.24 January 2010
http://satyameva-jayate.org/2009/07/05/saraswati-sindhu-script/
Dr. S. Kalyanaraman using the Doe Library in University of California,
Berkeley (June 22, 1998); he acknowledges gratefully the use of
indological resources of this library, the Green Library in Stanford
University, Library of Congress, University of the Philippines Library
System, Manila, Adyar Library and Connemara Library, Chennai, National
Museum, Delhi, National Library, Calcutta and the British Library,
London, apart from the resources available on the web.
From Indology to Reviving City Waterways:
From "The Hindu" - 29-09-1997.
Despite his pre-occupation with high profile activities, Dr. S.
Kalyanaraman, former senior executive of the ADB, has varied interests
including matters mundane. He shares them with T. Ramakrishnan.
A paperweight may be a routine dull object for most people, but it can
trigger unexpected reactions among some: such as a deep desire to take
up Indological studies.
One such scholar eventually went on to do a unique work of writing a
multilingual dictionary of the Dravidian, Aryan and Mundarica language
families.
The author of the dictionary, Dr. S. Kalyanaraman (58), started on his
voyage of discovery in the office of his boss, Dr. Trujillo from the
U.S., while working in the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The
paperweight, given to him by the officer, was a brass replica of an
Indus seal depicting a short-horned bull and some Indus script as an
inscription.
In the meantime, an Indologist wrote a letter to Dr. Kalayanaraman
asking for comments on the former's decipherment of a script. The
paperweight and this letter led him to embark on studies on the
subject.
At present, he is working on the `mythical' Sarasvathi river which can
be revived by tapping groundwater resources and making the Thar desert
in Rajasthan bloom. His study is centered on providing leads for
resolving the decipherment problem of the Indus script.
Dr. Kalayanaraman has interest in a variety of subjects. A graduate in
economics and statistics from the Annamalai University, he became a
Member of the Indian Railway Accounts Service in 1962. He secured his
doctorate from the University of Philippines in 1982 and his Ph.D.
thesis was a comparative study of development administration in six
Asian countries.
In the '70s, the Indologist's performance on coal accounting for and
the drawing up the Railways' perspective plan for information
technology (IT) came in for praise and subsequently, he was deputed to
the ADB. Dr. Kalayanaraman helped establish the Bank's IT network with
2,500 workstations. He administered loan disbursements on a multi-
currency portfolio of equivalent US $60 billions on 600 development
projects in the Asia-Pacific region.
Despite his high-profile activities, the ADB's former senior executive
has not lost sight of the more "mundane" things. The beautification of
the city waterways is one of his pet subjects. "The waterways are, in
a way, a blessing for the city. Otherwise, the situation will be worse
when Chennai receives heavy rainfall."
His suggestion is that as a demonstration project, the Cooum can be
taken up first. The execution of its improvement should be split into
different segments, which can be entrusted to different contractors.
In addition to desludging the waterway, a series of checkdams can be
built along the Cooum for regulating the discharge of water. Tanks,
located on the outskirts of the city and functioning as sources for
the waterway, have to be renovated.
For improving the water supply network for the southern suburbs of
Chennai, Dr. Kalayanaraman says the aquifer of the Palar river can be
tapped. He wants the Government to act strongly against those who
pollute the river.
As the senior ADB executive, he had exposure to the Chinese system of
governance. "China has made rapid strides, particularly in the area of
local self-governance. It is not just because it's a communist country
but its rulers have immense faith in decentralisation".
One lesson that can be drawn from the Chinese, he says, is to grant
more powers to the Chennai Mayor. In Beijing, the Mayor is the focal
point of all activities and has the authority to mobilise resources
and personnel from various agencies and departments for improving the
state of affairs in the Metro.
The same thing is possible here as the 74th Constitutional amendment
has made it mandatory that the Metropolitan Planning Committee and
other local bodies falling within the Metro to take up responsibility
to prepare and implement urban development schemes. The existing
mechanism for utilising financial and personnel resources should also
undergo suitable changes.
Moreover, this amendment can be used for strengthening urban local
bodies and bringing about a revolutionary change in their functioning
and administration, Dr. Kalyanaraman feels.
As his presentation to mark the golden jubilee of Independence, Dr.
Kalyanaraman has created a website running to 2,500 pages of
information on India at www.investindia.com. As his social obligation,
he offers his Internet access at the domain address http://www.investindia.com
free of cost to the younger generation with the goal of preparing them
intellectually and academically.
See also the Sarasvati River Website: http://www.probys.com/sarasvati
Indian Alchemy: Soma in the Rigveda (in press, Delhi, Munshiram
Manoharlal)
His email: kalyan99@netscape.net
http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/sarasvati/html/hindu29091997.html
Sanatana Dharma Foundation Honors Dr Subramanian Swamy and Dr S.
Kalyanaraman for their Courageous Effort in Protecting the Historic
Rama Sethu
Sanatana Dharma Foundation, Dallas, Texas organized its first Hindu
Unity Day, at the DFW Hindu Temple, in Dallas on the 19th and 20th of
July, 2008. Symbolizing Hindu Unity, Representatives of Dallas
Chapters of several organizations like the Art of living Foundation,
Ammachi Satsang, Hare Krishna ISCKON group, Gayatri Parivar,
Brahmakumaris, Carribbean Mandir, Chinmaya Mission, Hanuman Temple,
Sathya Sai groups, Datta Yoga Peetam and other prominent Hindu
personalities from the local Dallas-Fort Worth community in Texas,
were present at this unique event. Dr Subramanian Swamy's latest book
"Rama Sethu Symbol of National Unity" was released and distributed at
the Event, to key members of these organizations and other prominent
members of the community.
Rama Sethu Symbol of National Unity
Hindu Dharma Rakshaka Kshatriya Award
This award, a first of its kind, has been instituted to honor and
celebrate the 'Kshatriya Spirit', specifically the courage shown by
Hindus in taking risks and standing up to fight for the protection and
preservation of Dharma. The word Kshatriya is a Sanskrit word that
refers to the royal and noble class of Hindus who historically
defended their nation, and the Dharma of the land.
Rama Sethu Symbol of National Unity
Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) July 26, 2008 -- Dr Subramanian Swamy, PhD,
visiting professor of Economics, Harvard University and former Union
Law Minister of India, and Dr S. Kalyanaraman, Director, Saraswati
River Research Center, and President of Sri Rameshwaram Rama Sethu
Raksha Manch, received awards in Dallas, Texas for their courageous
effort in protecting the historic Rama Sethu, from being destroyed by
the Government of India in the name of a development project.
NASA Photograph of Rama Sethu
Rama Sethu is the original Sanskrit name given to a bridge built by
the legendary King Rama, who crossed over to Sri Lanka from India to
fight the King of Lanka, Ravana, recover his wife Sita, and restore
Dharma (Order) in the land of India. While it is difficult to
establish the exact historical age of these events, the bridge is
thought to be at least 5000 years old, if not much older, making it
the oldest causeway built across an ocean channel. The Rama Sethu is
referred to in numerous ancient Sanskrit texts and scriptures, as a
man made structure, and in recent times, it has been vividly
photographed by both NASA and Indian Satellites.
When India fell under Colonial rule, the British renamed this
construction as "Adam's Bridge". The Government of India, in recent
years, has been trying to establish a Shipping Channel between India
and Sri Lanka, by breaking and destroying the continuity of this
ancient structure. Hindus in India and around the world have been
protesting and fighting this decision of the Government of India, and
have demanded that the Rama Sethu be declared a monument of historic
importance and a world heritage site. On May 8th, 2008, the Supreme
Court of India directed the Government of India to go back to the
drawing board to see if it can create an alternate shipping route, and
at the same time, study the Rama Sethu as a monument of historic
importance. It is yet to be seen if the Government of India will
comply with the Court's direction, and thereby uphold due
constitutional process, or continue on its path of destroying the Rama
Sethu, dis-regarding the Supreme court's direction.
Sanatana Dharma Foundation, (www.sdfglobal.org) a Dallas based Non-
Profit organization inspired by the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha,
(www.acharyasabha.org) the apex body of Hindus in India, presented the
"Hindu Dharma Rakshaka Kshatriya Award" to Dr Subramanian Swamy & Dr
S. Kalyanaraman on the occassion of the Hindu Unity Day organized at
the DFW Hindu Temple in Dallas, Texas on July 19, 2008. Speaking on
the occasion, the President of Sanatana Dharma Foundation, Kalyan
Viswanathan, said that "This award, a first of its kind, has been
instituted to honor and celebrate the 'Kshatriya Spirit', specifically
the courage shown by Hindus in taking risks and standing up to fight
for the protection and preservation of Dharma. The word Kshatriya is a
Sanskrit word that refers to the royal and noble class of Hindus who
historically defended their nation, and the Dharma of the land."
The Highlight of the Hindu Unity Day Event was the speech by Dr
Subramanian Swamy on his personal experiences during his defense of
Rama Sethu in the Supreme Court of India, which was greeted by a
spontaneous standing ovation. In presenting the "Hindu Dharma Rakshaka
Kshatriya" Award, his fearless defense in the Supreme Court of India,
getting a critical and timely stay order, the subsequent withdrawal of
the Government of India's petition, and the later Verdict of the
Supreme Court were all highlighted.
Dr S. Kalyanaraman made a scholarly presentation on the River
Saraswati, highlighting the recent research findings, the origins of
the Vedic civilization on the banks of River Saraswati and the fact
that it holds the central "Key" to the re-writing of the history of
India and re-establishing the real historicity of the Vedas. While
presenting the Award, his dedicated research in supporting the
struggle of the Rama Sethu, and his pioneering contributions in
researching and resurfacing the River Saraswati were lauded.
Symbolizing Hindu Unity, Representatives of Dallas Chapters of several
organizations like the Art of living Foundation, Ammachi Satsang, Hare
Krishna ISCKON group, Gayatri Parivar, Brahmakumaris, Carribbean
Mandir, Chinmaya Mission, Hanuman Temple, Sathya Sai groups and other
prominent Hindu personalities from the local Dallas-Fort Worth
community in Texas, were present at this unique event. Dr Subramanian
Swamy's latest book "Rama Sethu Symbol of National Unity" was released
and distributed at the Event, to key members of these organizations
and other prominent members of the community.
Smt. Ranna Jani, President, DFW Hindu Temple in Texas speaking on the
occassion on behalf of the Temple, thanked both Dr Subramaniam Swamy &
Dr S. Kalyanaraman for coming to Dallas and sharing their experiences
with the participants. On the second day, a workshop was organized,
where challenges facing Hinduism today, were discussed. Presentations
on the state of Hindu Temples in India, challenges posed by
Christianity and Islam were also discussed. The session was very
interactive, and educational, as per the feedback received.
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The challenge of terrorism
S. KALYANARAMAN
ON 23 December 1929, a bomb planted by Indian revolutionaries exploded
under the Viceroy's special train but without causing any serious
injury to Lord Irwin. At the Lahore session of the Indian National
Congress held the very next week, Mahatma Gandhi pushed through a
resolution 'condemning the cowardly deed of the misguided youth.'
Though he urged that the resolution be passed unanimously, a reluctant
Congress did so by a thin majority of 81 in a house numbering 1713.
Subsequently, Gandhi wrote an article in Young India titled 'The Cult
of the Bomb', in which he dismissed bomb-throwing as nothing but
'froth coming to the surface in an agitated liquid.' At the same time,
he warned that it is an 'easy, natural step' from violence done to the
foreign ruler 'to violence to our own people whom we may consider to
be obstructing the country's progress.'
To rebut Gandhi's condemnation, Bhagawati Charan, in consultation with
Chandra Shekhar Azad, drafted a manifesto in 1930 titled 'The
Philosophy of the Bomb'. Terrorism, the manifesto asserted, is a
'necessary' and 'inevitable' phase of the revolution. 'Terrorism
instils fear in the hearts of the oppressors, it brings hopes of
revenge and redemption to the oppressed masses, it gives courage and
self-confidence to the wavering, it shatters the spell of the
superiority of the ruling class and raises the status of the subject
race in the eyes of the world, because it is the most convincing proof
of a nation's hunger for freedom.' The manifesto went on to note that
it is reason and conscience which force the revolutionary to 'risk his
life'. And it concluded by proclaiming that the revolutionaries will
take 'a people's righteous revenge on the tyrant' and that theirs is
'a war to the end – to victory or death.'
This episode is indicative of the divide that exists between the idea
that terrorists are freedom fighters and martyrs, the characterisation
of terrorist attacks as cowardly and dastardly, and the in-between
view that while terrorism is indeed unjustifiable, the genuine
grievances that drive terrorists cannot also be overlooked. In
addition, the debate on terrorism has also thrown up the question of
'state terrorism'. After all, the origins of the modern usage of the
word terrorism lie in the 'state terror' unleashed by the French
revolutionary regime to intimidate those opposed to the revolution or
otherwise sympathetic to or nostalgic about the ancien régime.
Moreover, states also deliberately target civilians and non-combatants
in the course of wars and internal conflicts.
Are we to therefore simply conclude that terrorism is a relative term
best defined as 'violence that I don't support?' To chart a path
through the minefield that is the debate on defining terrorism and how
to address this phenomenon, one approach is to look at terrorism as a
strategy, a means to achieve an objective. A strategy adopted by a
political group in which civilians and non-combatants are deliberately
targeted to generate terror as well as to highlight the cause. The
objective is to undermine the foundations of the state, its
legitimacy, and its ability to command the people's compliance.
Terrorist actions are conceived as either ends in themselves or
designed to be precursors to a mass uprising. Terrorism is thus a
subset of political violence.
Terrorism, however, needs to be distinguished from other forms of
political violence employed by armed rebel groups. This is
particularly the case with guerrilla warfare (or insurgency) with
which terrorism is often confused and conflated. True, guerrilla
warfare, like terrorism, is a weapon of the weak, employed precisely
because weakness precludes a rebel group from engaging in regular war
against organised state forces. Notwithstanding this surface
similarity, the two strategies proceed along very different paths.
Guerrillas (or insurgents) primarily target state forces, mobilise
people and acquire popular support, establish a parallel government in
'liberated zones', and over time seek to expand control over
surrounding territories and transform their ragtag forces into a
regular army. Guerrillas, in Mao's famous formulation, are the fish
and people the water.
In contrast, the people have become the target of terrorist violence,
especially since the 1970s. Gandhi's prophetic words about the 'easy,
natural step' from violence done to the oppressor to violence
inflicted on non-cooperative or unresponsive compatriots, have indeed
become a reality. The deliberate targeting of innocent civilians is a
hallmark particularly of the contemporary avatar of terrorism. This
was not the case in the historical practice of terrorism, which
largely involved targeting the symbols of political authority – heads
of state, viceroys and proconsuls, ministers, civilian and military
officials, leading political figures, among others. These attacks were
intended as 'propaganda by deed' in an era when terrorism was
considered the ultima ratio, the final resort. But the 'new' terrorism
does not discriminate in its choice of victims and its motto is,
'there are no innocents.'
Further, while the earlier practice of terrorism was largely directed
against tyrannical or despotic regimes and colonial or imperial
authorities, democracies have emerged as principal targets of the
contemporary exercise in terrorism. Thus, from ultima ratio terrorism
seems to be becoming the prima ratio of political protest. Another
significant difference between 'old' and 'new' terrorism is state
support for and sponsorship of terrorist groups. While the earlier
breed of terrorists by and large operated on their own, the employment
of terrorism as an instrument of statecraft (a cost-effective means of
destabilising adversaries) is a key feature of latter-day terrorism.
Terrorism has acquired a pejorative connotation over the last few
decades precisely because of these changes.
There have been various hues of armed rebellion in India since
independence. Telangana and Naxalbari were insurrections. The Maoist
groups operating across many states are engaged in a classic
insurgency. Most armed political groups in the North East also began
as separatist or autonomist insurgencies. But, over the years, some
have become mere extortion rackets, while others like the United
Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in particular have taken to terrorism.
Terrorism, the deliberate targeting of civilians, was first practised
by separatist groups in Punjab. In the 1990s, this practice also
became prevalent as part of the separatist struggle in Jammu and
Kashmir. The involvement of Pakistani and transnational groups in the
so-called jihad in Kashmir has contributed to the further expansion of
the terror campaign to the hinterland.
The most significant terrorist group in the North East today is ULFA.
Founded in 1979 with the aim of establishing a 'sovereign socialist
Assam through armed struggle', it built up its armed strength and ran
a parallel government in Assam in the latter half of the 1980s. When
it initiated armed action in the 1990s, targets were limited to the
security forces, railway lines, the oil pipeline, and political
opponents. However, after the group was expelled from Bhutan in 2003
and it relocated its base areas in Bangladesh, ULFA has initiated a
terror campaign inside Assam. Most targets struck since then have been
civilian.
The August 2004 bombing in Dhemaji town, which killed 17 people,
mostly children, has come to be seen as the turning point in this
regard. 73 bomb explosions were triggered in 2005, 59 in 2006, 54 in
2007, and 10 in 2008 – all in public places. ULFA has also been
targeting Hindi-speaking migrant labourers over the last couple of
years. Its turn towards terrorism seems to have coincided with its
linkages and dependence upon the intelligence agencies of Bangladesh
and Pakistan. The support it receives includes arms training, safe
havens, funds and weaponry. ULFA is also known to have links with the
Bangladeshi jihadi group, Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami.
In Punjab, competitive politics led to the emergence of a religious
extremist like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as a key figure. Inspired by
the vision of leading the Sikhs to 'ultimate purity' and an
independent Khalistan, Bhindranwale started an incipient campaign of
violence against his political opponents in the early 1980s. But a
full-blown terrorist movement emerged only in the aftermath of
Operation Bluestar, the consequent assassination of Indira Gandhi and
the anti-Sikh riots that followed. The terror campaign unleashed by
the various groups was indiscriminate in nature and saw the killing of
political leaders, officials, journalists, businessmen, and the common
people at large, both Sikh and Hindu.
K.P.S. Gill notes that in the peak years of 1990 and 1991, 1702 and
1851 Sikhs, respectively, were killed by the terrorists. The number of
non-Sikhs killed in these two years was 765 and 740. One of the worst
massacres was the mid-air bombing of the Kanishka in 1985, killing all
passengers and crew on board. Bombs were also placed in public
transport in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. In all,
11,500 civilians were killed in Punjab between 1981 when the terrorist
violence first manifested itself and 1993 when the back of the
terrorist movement was broken. About 1750 security forces personnel
also died during the same period. A significant factor in the greater
intensity of violence was Pakistan's provision of sophisticated
weaponry and explosives as well as training to the terrorist groups.
Punjab, in many ways, was a training ground for Pakistan's sponsorship
of cross-border terrorism against India in Jammu and Kashmir. An armed
separatist movement arose in the state in the wake of the fraudulent
elections of 1987. Some 20,000 youth crossed the border into Pakistan
for military training by the mid-1990s. The pro-independence Jammu and
Kashmir Liberation Front stood at the forefront of this movement in
the initial years. But Pakistan threw its weight behind the Hizbul
Mujahideen, which favoured Kashmir's accession to Pakistan. When India
gained the upper hand against the separatists in the next few years,
Pakistan began to funnel its own citizens and other 'graduates of the
Afghan war' into Jammu and Kashmir.
With groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Harkat-ul-Ansar, and Harkat-ul-
Mujahideen assuming a greater role, what was hitherto an internal
rebellion, albeit with considerable support from Pakistan, degenerated
into cross-border terrorism. Mass killings, especially of minorities,
began with the introduction of transnational jihadists. Neither have
they spared Kashmiri Muslims, in whose name they wage their so-called
jihad. Overall, between 1988 when the violence first began and 2008,
some 14,500 civilians have been killed in terrorist violence in the
state. In addition, more than 5,800 security forces personnel have
also lost their lives during this period.
Involving foreign jihadists has provided a lever for Pakistan to
scuttle any movement towards peace in the state, as demonstrated
during the short-lived Ramzan ceasefire between Indian security forces
and the Hizbul Mujahideen in the year 2000. When Pakistan's Kargil
misadventure failed to revive the flagging interest for the struggle
within the state and in the world at large, transnational groups began
to engage in fidayeen attacks against security forces. Subsequently,
this campaign was extended to other parts of India as well. The first
target to be attacked was the Red Fort in Delhi in December 2000. A
year later, it was the turn of the Indian Parliament. India's threat
of war against this grave provocation, combined with international
condemnation and pressure, forced Pakistan to lower the intensity of
operations being carried out by terrorist groups based on its
territory. But even as infiltration from Pakistan into Jammu and
Kashmir showed a decline in the succeeding years, a terror campaign
targeting India's hinterland began to unfold.
Links between Indian citizens engaged in this new wave of urban
terrorism and their friends, if not masters, in Pakistan are gradually
unravelling. The shameful tragedy of Gujarat 2002 and the earlier
demolition of the Babri Masjid served as catalysts for a handful of
youth to travel to Pakistan, acquire training in arms, and forge links
with the Establishment as well as transnational groups there. These
men have come together under the banner of Indian Mujahideen. The
group is a diffuse network spread across several states. Its aim
appears to include causing maximum casualties and mayhem by targeting
places where people congregate, arousing communal passions by
targeting mosques and temples, and disrupting the economy by targeting
important sectors like tourism and information technology.
Thus, seven bombs were placed on Mumbai suburban trains in July 2006,
killing 209 people and injuring over 700; the Sankatmochan Temple in
Varanasi was bombed in March 2006 and the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad in
May 2007; and, Jaipur and Bengaluru were targeted in May and July
2008, respectively. According to the email claiming responsibility for
the multiple bomb blasts in the markets of Delhi in September 2008,
the group's aim was to 'stop the heart of India from beating.' Other
places that have been targeted as part of this terror campaign include
Ahmedabad, Faizabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Surat and Varanasi.
A significant feature of the Indian Mujahideen's tactics is the use of
the widely available fertilizer ammonium nitrate as explosive. The
group has also demonstrated its coordination capabilities by carrying
out serial bomb blasts on successive days in more than one place – the
July 2008 attacks in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and the bombs that failed to
detonate in Surat. Their use of email to claim responsibility, the
manner in which emails were sent from hacked wi-fi connections, and
the ability to vary the intensity of the explosions in Bengaluru and
Ahmedabad, all point to the group's technological capabilities.
Even as Indian agencies were attempting to piece together the Indian
Mujahideen puzzle, 10 well-armed and well-trained Lashkar-e-Taiba
terrorists landed in Mumbai and launched a commando-style operation
against the maximum city's symbols. 164 people and security forces
personnel died in this assault, including 26 foreign nationals. The
trail led to Pakistani territory and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist
commanders and many in India suspected the role of elements within the
Pakistani establishment. The reasoning was that the attack was meant
to divert the incoming Obama administration's central focus from the
Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier towards the India-Pakistan border.
Coincidentally, unidentified militants in Pakistan targeted American
and NATO military supplies meant for their war efforts in Afghanistan,
seemingly to remind the West about its vulnerabilities. It is not
clear what kind of a grand bargain was being hinted at. But the
Machiavellian strategy came to nought because of the restraint shown
by India in the face of such an enormous provocation. However,
Pakistan's conviction that terrorist groups serve as 'strategic
assets' in its foreign policy repertoire is likely to continue,
notwithstanding ongoing American efforts to force a change in
thinking.
Each of the above challenges necessitates a distinct policy approach.
Separatist groups have to be dealt with through a policy of political
accommodation and concessions backed by counter-insurgency and counter-
terror measures. In the case of Pakistan-based terrorist groups,
domestic counter-terror measures have to be accompanied by diplomatic
and covert intelligence campaigns to disrupt and dismantle the
terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan. And dealing with domestic urban
terror groups would involve counter-terror measures, including the
strengthening of laws, police and intelligence efforts to trace and
neutralise terrorist cells and leadership, and mobilising communities
and the people at large against subversives living in our midst.
India's counterinsurgency strategy has been dealt with elsewhere in
these pages. Suffice it to note here that since the 1950s India has
followed a consistent and successful policy of using minimum force to
deal with separatist groups and bringing them into the political
mainstream through accommodation and concessions. While this approach
is likely to prove useful in dealing with ULFA in Assam, it is
inadequate for dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir where
the principal indigenous group, the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, has become
inextricably intertwined with Pakistani and transnational terrorist
groups under the umbrella of the United Jihad Council.
Any attempt by the Hizb to seek a separate peace is likely to result
in the whittling down of Pakistani support (as happened in the case of
the JKLF) and consequent marginalisation and irrelevance. Under the
circumstances, the security efforts in Jammu and Kashmir need to be
supplemented by measures to force Pakistan to cease support for
terrorist groups targeting India as well as measures to disrupt and
dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in that country.
At the diplomatic level India's leverage vis-a-vis Pakistan is
limited, especially at this juncture when the state of affairs in that
country is delicately poised and when more powerful actors are engaged
in attempting to save it from itself. All that can be done at the
diplomatic level is to continually highlight Pakistan's continuing use
of terrorism as an instrument of policy and sustain international
pressure to force Islamabad to take meaningful action against
terrorist groups targeting India. At the same time, military measures
aimed at either coercing the Pakistani establishment or disrupting the
infrastructure of the terrorist groups would also be ill-advised. As
seen during the crises of 2002, military coercion of the Pakistan
government on one hand and leveraging military tensions for
international diplomatic support on the other can yield only limited
dividends.
It was also realised at that time that military strikes against
terrorist camps would have only limited impact on the terror
infrastructure. Moreover, military action would aggravate bilateral
tensions, strengthen hawkish elements, and generally provide Pakistan
an excuse for not taking action against terrorist groups which it
continues to perceive as 'strategic assets'. Instead of overt military
strikes, India should adopt covert measures to both raise the cost to
Islamabad as well as to degrade the terrorist leadership and
infrastructure on Pakistani territory. A good example in this regard
was India's response in the late 1980s to the support Pakistan
provided for Khalistan groups.
At the same time, India also needs to focus on domestic counter-terror
measures, which have indeed received a fillip in the wake of the
Mumbai attack. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been
legislated to provide the legal framework for counter-terrorism, and
the National Investigation Agency has been established to investigate
and prosecute terrorist offences. In addition, a number of measures
have been taken to raise 'the level of preparedness' and enhance 'the
speed and decisiveness' in responding to terrorist attacks or threats.
These include a fresh mandate to the Multi Agency Centre and its
subsidiaries to smoothen the collation and sharing of intelligence,
and the establishment of National Security Guard hubs in different
parts of the country to enable a quicker response to terrorist
attacks.
However useful these institutions and mechanisms prove to be in the
coming years, the key to counter-terrorism is the police force which
falls within the purview of state governments. Until such time state
governments shed their apathy and begin to appreciate the imperative
of modernising and de-politicising their police forces, India's
counter-terrorism efforts are likely to remain ineffective.
http://www.india-seminar.com/2009/599/599_s_kalyanaraman.htm
Sarasvati (7 Vols-Set)
S. Kalyanaraman, Baba Saheb, 2003, 2044 p, 7 Vols, figs, plates, maps,
ISBN : 81-901126-1-0 (Vol. I); 81-901126-2-0 (Vol. II); 81-901126-3-0
(Vol. III); 81-901126-4-0 (Vol. IV); 81-901126-5-0 (Vol. V);
81-901126-6-0 (Vol. VI); 81-901126-7-0 (Vol. VII)., $231.00 (Includes
free airmail shipping)
Contents: Vol. I: Civilization: 1. New light on Sarasvati
civilization. 2. Sarasvati: discovery and rebirth. 3. River Sarasvati:
archaeology, culture and heritage tourism. 4. Ecology, River Sarasvati
and roots of civilization of Bharat. 5. Revival of River Sarasvati
begins. 6. River Sarasvati: archaeology, tradition and water
resources. 7. Bharati, Sarasvati. 8. Vidya_devi Sarasvati. 9. Dilmun,
Magan, and sea-faring merchants of Meluhha. 10. From Sarasvati to
Haraquaiti. 11. Mleccha, Mlecchita vikalpa: language and writing
system. 12. Hieroglyphs of Sarasvati Civilization. 13. S'ankha,
Bhairava, Man.d.ala. 14. Sculptural tradition. 15. Bead-making
tradition. 16. Archery tradition. 17. Mahabharata as the sheet-anchor
of Bharatiya Itihasa. 18. Sarasvati Civilization. Index.
Vol. II: R.gveda: 1. R.gveda and Sarasvati. 2. Vedic roots of early
metallurgy. 3. Soma. 4. Vedic Ratha. Index. End notes.
Vol. III: River: 1. River Indo-brahm, River Sarasvati of quaternary
periods. 2. Riverine traditions of Bharat. 3. Maritime traditions of
Bharat. 4. Seafaring artisans of Meluhha. 5. Settlements and forts. 6.
Kot., fortified settlements in Sarasvati Sindhu River Basins. 7.
Sarasvati Civilization. 8. Archaeological sites. Bibliography. Index.
End notes.
Vol. IV: Bharati: 1. Westward migrations out of Bharat. 2. Veneration
of ancestors. 3. Bha_ratam Janam. 4. Vra_tya and building a ra_s.t.ra.
5. Maritime, riverine trade in Vedic times. 6. Vedic and Avestan
people. 7. Vedic and Avestan. 8. Defence. 9. Roots of civilization.
10. Evolution of traditions of the civilization. 11. Contacts. 12.
Sarasvati Civilization. Index. End notes.
Vol. V: Technology: 1. Metallurgy tradition. 2. Natural resource map
of ancient Bharat. 3. Tin from Meluhha. 4. Ancient trade in Tin. 5.
Copper hoard weapons: autochthonous evolution and links with Sarasvati
Civilization. 6. The cultural markers of legacy of the civilization.
7. Words for copper. 8. Tradition of sacred weapons. 9. Bronze age
artifacts in areas neighbouring Sarasvati Civilization. 10. Bharat,
Hurrian, Mitanni. 11. Harappan spoked wheel. Index. End notes.
Vol. VI: Language: 1. Lingua Franca. 2. Linguistic area of Bharat,
circa 5500 years before present. 3. IE homeland. 4. Language and
archaeology. 5. Desi_, bha_s.a_: substrate. 6. Silver ingot with
Hittite (?) hieroglyphs. 7. Rim (karn.aka, kan-) of a jar, kan,
'copper'. 8. Svastika, endless-knot and other glyphs. 9. On Siddham
and other symbols used in Bharatiya inscriptions. 10. Tiger, three
ligatured tigers, tiger looking back. 11. Human-faced markhor and
other glyphs. 12. Orthography of the one-horned bull (ibex, urus) and
the standard device. 13. List of possessions: copper ingot merchant,
metal furnace. 14. Squirrel and glyphs on weapons. 15. Dholavira sign
board. 16. Inscribed weapons. 17. Glyphs on Gundestrup Cauldron and
parallels with Sarasvati hieroglyphs. 18. Sarasvati Civilization.
Index. End notes.
Vol. VII: Epigraphs: 1. Sarasvati hieroglyphs: Mlecchita Vikalpa. 2.
Method to decode sets or categories of inscribed objects. 3.
Hieroglyph sign list (after Mahadevan). 4. Discovery sites. 5. Writing
system: structure, form and function. 6. Speculations on the functions
of the script. 7. Mlecchita Vikalpa: minerals, metals and furnaces. 8.
Tools-of-trade and property possessions of artisans depicted in
epigraphs. 9. Bastion, kottala, trough. 10. Smithy, pasra. 11.
Mineral, stone. 12. Tin, Pewter. 13. Iron, ib. 14. Bronze. 15. Alloy:
brass and bell-metal or bharan. 16. Metal ingot, trade. 17. Gold,
mint. 18. An alloy of five metals. 19. Erka, era, 'copper'. 20.
Duplicated and paired glyphs. 21. Person (woman) seated on a tree
branch, a spy, eraka. 22. Portable stove of a goldsmith, ban:gala. 23.
Fire-pit, furnace, kulme. 24. Smith, karma_ra. 25. Copper work. 26.
Smelting furnace, bat.i. 27. Smelting furnace, kut.hi. 28. Goldsmith's
tool, saw. 29. Standard device. 30. Dotted circles. 31. Rosetta
stones. 32. Dotted circles and standard. 33. Double-axe. 34. Glyph
ligatures. 35. Fish and lizard. 36. Standing person glyph. 37. Tree
glyphs. 38. Fish glyph. 39. Sarasvati Civilization. Index. End notes.
From the foreword: "This septet constitutes a fitting homage to
Babasaheb (Uma_ka_nt kes'av) Apte, particularly in the wake of the
centenary celebrations planned for 2003 in memory of this patriot who
wanted a presentation of the history of Bha_rata from a Bha_rati_ya
socio-cultural perspective.
"The dream of the late Padmashri Vakankar, archaeologist is also
partly fulfilled with the delineation of the peoples' lives over 5,000
years on the banks of the Rivers Sarasvati and Sindhu.
"The Sarasvati Nadi Shodh Prakalp which is headed by Dr. Kalyanaraman
under the guidance of Shri Haribhau Vaze, All-India Organizing
Secretary, Akhila Bharateeya Itihaasa Sankalana Yojana should be
complimented for bringing to successful completion this important
phase of writing of the history of ancient Bha-rata.
"The River Sarasvati has not only been established as ground-truth
(bhu_mi satyam), but the vibrant civilization which was nurtured on
the banks of this river has been exquisitely unraveled in the five
volumes, covering virtually all aspects of the lives of the pitr.-s,
many of whose a_s'rama-s are venerated even today in many parts of
Bha_rata.
"The seven volumes provide a framework for understanding the writing
system evolved ca. 5,300 years ago to record the possessions and items
traded by metal- and fire- workers, the bharata-s. The language spoken
by the people is also becoming clearer, with the existence of a
linguistic area on the banks of the two rivers - the substrata and ad-
strata lexemes which seem to match the glyphs of inscribed objects are
a testimony to this discovery. This calls for a paradigm shift in the
study of languages of Bha_rata with particular reference to the
essential semantic unity of all the language families, thanks to
intense socio-economic and cultural interactions across the length and
breadth of Bha_rata.
"Hopefully, this work should generate many more research studies of
this kind to further study the impact of the civilization on the
cultural unity of the nation."
https://www.vedamsbooks.com/no34694.htm
Dr. Jai Maharaj
Jul 4 2009, 8:44 pm
From: use...@mantra.com and/or www.mantra.com/jai (Dr. Jai Maharaj)
Date: Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:44:47 GMT
Local: Sat, Jul 4 2009 8:44 pm
Subject: WITZEL, HARVARD PROFESSOR LAUNCHES ANTI-HINDU CRUSADE
Forwarded message from S. Kalyanaraman
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Witzel, Harvard professor launches anti-Hindu Crusade
Dr. Srinivasan Kalyanaraman
Quiz #1:
"Hindus in the USA are lost or abandoned people!"
"NRI stands for Non-Returning Indians!"
"Indians in the USA do not invest in the higher education of their
children!"
Who in the USA do you think would have made derogatory statements to
this effect?
A. A Ku Klux Klansman
B. A Bible thumping fundamentalist from Alabama
C. A Xenophobe who is paranoid about immigrants settling in the USA
D. A Harvard Sanskrit professor
Correct answer: D.
I am sure none of you scored right on this. So, read on and get
informed.
Harvard professor disparages Hindus
Recently, in a Communist-leaning political list better known for its
uncritical beliefs in myths like Aryan Invasion and its negation of
historical facts, Harvard professor Michael Witzel made some
startling claims about Hindu immigrants to the USA. One of his
acolytes invented the acronym HINA for Hindus in North America.
Witzel disingenuously and infamously transliterated it as "hiina"and
translated it as "lost" or "abandoned." This Sanskrit word has many
other derogatory meanings such as "inferior," "insecure," "lowly" and
"defective."
It caught my attention that Witzel had described Hindus using the
very same phrase -- "lost people" -- which a rabid Christian
fundamentalist and anti-Semite had used to describe the Jews a few
years ago.
Rev. Bailey Smith, then-president of the Southern Baptists, had
infamously declared:
"God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew" and added, "without
Jesus Christ, they [the Jews] are lost." [1]
One does not know whether, or to what extant, Witzel shares Smith's
fanatical and bigoted beliefs. But Witzel was instrumental in urging
activism against the Hindu initiative, as a result of which his
cosignatory urged a Hindu-bashing Christian fundamentalist to
mobilize a show of strength against the Hindus of California, as we
will see later. Witzel also makes fun of the Hindu custom of
cremating their dead:
"[Hindus immigrants to the USA] have begun -- as an old, very
conservative US Brahmin friend pointed out to me already in 1994—
building crematoria as well." [2]
Witzel also makes fun of Hindu Gods, rituals and second generation
American Hindus:
"Second generation [Hindu] people just understand [Hinduism] as
"boaring rituals" (puja, etc.), temple visits and Indian
(mythological) comic books ... All such items add to the heady brew
that we have seen emerging here..." [3]
Considering that our Harvard professor has specifically enclosed the
words "boaring rituals" within quotes, one cannot but assume that it
was intended to make fun of the Hindu God Vishnu, who incarnated as a
boar.
Background
Some of the proposed textbooks for grade six of the State of
California portrayed Hinduism in the most derogatory manner. A
textbook described Goddess Kali as "bloodthirsty" and, while talking
about the Ramayana and Lord Hanuman, asked the students to look
around and see if there was a monkey in the classroom. Another
textbook claimed that Hinduism taught that women were inferior. Yet
another textbook repeated the long discredited racist theory, which
contrasted the supposedly tall, blond and blue-eyed invading Aryans
with the supposedly curly-haired, snub-nosed native Dravidians.
Naturally, Hindus in California were offended by this offensive
treatment of their religion and culture. So, they worked with the
State Board of Education, understood the procedures and submitted a
list of proposed changes with due explanation. Perhaps, Max Muller,
the 19 th century German racist and Christian fundamentalist, who had
stated very clearly that Hindus as a race are inferior to the Whites
but superior to the Blacks, [4]would not have countenanced such
audacious gestures from erstwhile colonial slaves seeking parity with
other religionists according to rules. A section of Eurocentric
academics that faithfully propagate Muller's racist theory and
chronology of Indian history too did not tolerate such a gesture from
the Hindus.
'Rev.' Witzel launches anti-Hindu Crusade
Witzel and some of his cosignatories admitted that they knew nothing
about the nature of the changes proposed . But, in the same breath,
they concluded that this is an unacceptable Hindutva initiative,
which must be opposed tooth and nail. On Sunday, November 06, 2005
9:46 AM Steve Farmer [a cosignatory and originator of Witzel et al's
protest petition] wrote:
"There is little time to research and respond to exactly what is
happening in California, since we only learned about organized
Hindutva challenges to California history textbooks yesterday. ...
The final School Board meeting on this will apparently occur in
Sacramento (the state capital) in three days. Even given the short
time, a collective response of some nature by internationally known
S. Asianists is certainly in order. At a minimum, the Board should be
made aware in some way of the religious and political nature of the
attacks, be provided with a quick overview of similar attacks on
textbooks in S. Asia in the last decade, and be given notice of the
opposition of the vast majority of S. Asian researchers to such
changes. Given the short time frame, the response may have to be
largely symbolic, but a letter endorsed by a dozen or more
internationally known S. Asianists from every continent might still
have some effect."[5]
Witzel, on behalf of another 46 signatories, petitioned the State
Board of Education [SBE] against the proposed changes [the nature of
which he and his cosignatories were unaware]. He launched an ad
hominem and slanderous attack on the Hindus who had proposed the
changes.
The petition, like Lallu Prasad's election campaign, provided a
"balanced" mix of ignorance, slander and comic relief. Jonathan Mark
Kenoyer, whose parents were Christian missionaries in Asia, was one
of the signatories on the petition. He is also the author of the
proposed textbook from the Oxford University Press. California Hindus
had reviewed the OUP textbook and suggested changes in a meeting with
OUP officials. The OUP officials informed in writing that Kenoyer
agreed with the suggestions. Should one then suspect the inclusion of
Kenoyer's name in the petition or was Kenoyer filled with the Holy
Spirit and began speaking in tongues [The New Testament, Acts 19:6]?
Sometime back, in a review of Edwin Bryant's 2001 book, The Quest for
the Origins of Vedic Culture -- the Indo-Aryan Migration Debate,
Witzel wrote:
"[Bryant's book is] A balanced description and evaluation of the two
century old debate dealing with the origins of the Indo-Aryan
speaking peoples of South Asia. [Bryant] presents both sides of the
issue, that is the traditional western, linguistic and philological
consensus of immigration from Central Asia, and the more recent
Indian position that denies any immigration and that asserts an
indigenous South Asian origin."
Now, the same Witzel calls it Hindu Nationalistic propagandawhen
California Hindus say the same! Perhaps, he is filled with the Holy
Spirit and speaking in tongues!
The SBE of California capitulates
In 1850 CE, when the Harvard Medical School admitted three black men
and a white woman, racists protested against the move. The school
capitulated. [6] Just like those racists offered no substantive
arguments for throwing out the blacks and the woman, this time too,
the infamous petitioners offered no substantive reason for
campaigning against the changes suggested by Hindus. Still, the SBE
capitulated. One wonders if the SBE wanted to emulate the Harvard of
1850 CE.
The SBE went a step further. It appointed two of the signatories --
Michael Witzel and Stanley Wolpert -- and James Heitzman, who
protested at the venue repeating Witzel's ad hominem attack to review
the suggested changes. Is not appointing a petitioner to review
suggested changes tantamount to conflict of interest?
On the other hand, the SBE is not known to have acted on a letter
signed by over 30 distinguished experts that included world's
foremost archeologists who have been working on the IVC and its
script for decades. These signatories cited many references showing
why Aryan Invasion is merely an unsubstantiated myth.
The above said letter was sent on November 21, 2005. The SBE, for
reasons unknown, did not accord it the same respect it accorded
Witzel's defamatory petition.
Crusaders form an axis of protestors
Witzel made it clear that he was a political activist. On November
26, 2005 17:26, he wrote his fellow petitioners:
"There will be a meeting with California Dept. of Education [...]
Please note that on Dec. 1/2 a higher body than last time, the
Curriculum Commission, is scheduled to take up this issue in the
morning on December 2 (note all times are tentative—if they move
through the agenda faster than expected, things will happen earlier).
This is not a public hearing. But all that means is that there is no
official published time for the public to speak before the
commissioners take action . Nonetheless, each meeting has a time for
"public comment" and people will be allowed to come up and speak.
(Thus, we have to be present).
If they follow the order of the published agenda, public comment
comes after the actual vote. They will only hear Tom Adam's (CA Dept.
of Education) report on the earlier (Hindutva-inspired) and our
(Wolpert, Heitzman, Witzel) findings.
But if they see the huge Hindutva crowd expected and decide to let
them speak first, it is possible votes will be swayed back the other
way simply because no political person likes to say no, in public, to
an unhappy minority group seeking redress of grievances.
It also appears that in the afternoon of December 1, the day before
the vote, the History-Social Science subcommittee will hear reports
about recent events in the adoption of the text books. This should
not involve any discussion of the "Hindu" issue. But the Hindu groups
might show up for that discussion too. Public comment is allowed and
it will give them a chance to speak to some of the commissioners
before the vote the next day.
SO PLEASE TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION: Alert your friends in California
to attend!" [7]
How appropriate is it for a reviewer on contract with the SBE who is
expected to be neutral, to indulge in political activism, falsely
label California Hindus as of a political persuasion and seek
unethical mobilization of support? How appropriate is it for the SBE
to hire such politicized academics to review school textbooks?
In any case, Lars Martin Fosse, a cosignatory on the petition and a
collaborator of Witzel, wrote John Dayal and Amarjit Singh, citing
Witzel's letter:
"It would probably be an advantage if Dalits were present and could
demonstrate that the Hindutvavadins do not speak for all Indians. I
have been reluctant to announce this on the Dalit lists because we
don't know if they are infiltrated, we therefore turn to you for
advice and help. Is there a way to (discretely) mobilize Dalits in
California and elsewhere in this matter? Could you get some support
from Afro-American organizations here?We don't want to create the
impression that only a few outsiders are against the Hindutva version
of history." [8]
Please note that Fosse uses the word "WE," clearly indicating that he
is writing on behalf of a group while seeking mobilization of
protestors. The only group one could think of in this situation is
the list of cosignatories on the petition whom Witzel had addressed
in his email. So, who are these people -- John Dayal and Amarjit
Singh -- whom Fosse writes? P.N. Benjamin, a distinguished Christian
scholar and the coordinator of Bangalore Initiative for Religious
Dialogue [BIRD], says of John Dayal:
"[John Dayal] opens his mouth and wields his pen only to spew venom
on the Hindu community." [9]
Benjamin then goes on to expose the kind of lies that the likes of
Dayal perpetrate when they invent stories of Hindu rape of Christian
nuns and propagate those abroad with the sole intent of discrediting
the Hindus. John Dayal is also infamous for ardently supporting Benny
Hinn, who defrauds the poorest illiterates in the Third World by
promising them "miracle healing." [10]
According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal [SATP], Amarjit Singh is
closely associated with the banned terror organization International
Sikh Youth Federation [ISYF]. [11] Many countries such as the USA
[12] and the UK [13] have designated ISYF as a terrorist
organization. Singh also heads the Khalistan Affairs Centre [KAC]. I
am not implying that KAC is connected with Khalistani terrorism as I
have no means to judge that but it is a well-known fact that
Khalistani terrorists have massacred 21,000 innocent civilian Hindus
and Sikhs, and have committed untold crimes such as rape of countless
Sikh women. [14] A US State department notification states:
"Sikh terrorism is sponsored by expatriate and Indian Sikh groups who
want to carve out an independent Sikh state called Khalistan (Land of
the Pure) from Indian territory." [15]
Khalistani terrorists were also tried for the bombing of the Air
India civilian aircraft"Kanishka" in 1985, killing hundreds of
innocent passengers. [16] Amarjit Singh is an advocate of Khalistan
ideology.
There is no indication that Witzel or any other signatory on the
petition condemned Fosse [himself a signatory] for unethically
mobilizing political support and that too, by instigating highly
controversial persons. It is beyond my comprehension how an academic
could join hands with a rabid Christian fundamentalist and a
proponent of the lethal Khalistan ideology. What kind of academics
would sign the petition but remain silent and not condemn unethically
seeking support from such controversial individuals?
Quiz #2:
"The miraculously undecayed body of Saint Francis Xavier is still on
public view in a glass coffin at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa."
Who in the USA do you think would have made a statement to this
effect?
A. A pre-school child visiting Goa for the first time
B. A Bible thumping Catholic Christian fundamentalist
C. A Creation scientist
D. A U C Davis history professor
Correct answer: D.
I am sure you got this too wrong. So, read on and get informed.
An SBE appointed reviewer advertises Christian miracles
James Heitzman, professor of history at U C Davis, is one of the
three reviewers appointed by the SBE. It does not seem as if he
accepts that mummified bodies do not decay. [17] He is wonderstruck
that it is a miracle that the mummified body of the infamous St.
Francis Xavier, who sought the terrible Inquisition of Goa, [18]
which persecuted Hindus, Indian Orthodox Christians, Jews and Muslims
in the most vicious manner, should be preserved for five centuries.
Someone needs to direct our distinguished professor to any museum of
natural history, where Egyptian mummies are preserved. Of course, one
cannot guarantee that Heitzman will return scientifically informed.
He may see the hand of miracle in their preservation too!
It seems as if Heitzman strongly believes that history should be
supplanted with false propaganda if it suits the proselytizing
efforts of the Christian Church. He writes:
"Christianity, represented by almost all denominations, traces its
history in India back to the time of the apostles and counted 19.6
million members in India in 1991." [19]
Numerous scholars have refuted this dangerous fiction, which falsely
painted the Brahmin ethnic minority as Thomas-killers, and resulted
in their demonization and persecution, just as the false myth of the
Jews as Jesus-killers resulted in their historic persecution. The
Vatican itself has declared that this is an unverified claim.
Numerous distinguished academics such as E.J. Rapson, Sylvain Levi,
K.S. Latourette, Fr. H.Heras etc, to name a few, have refuted that
St. Thomas ever came to India. [20] It seems as if Heitzman prefers
dangerous Christian fiction to facts.
Heitzman believes in revelations
Heitzman unquestioningly accepts revelations. He writes:
"Muhammad received visions in which the Archangel Gabriel revealed
the word of God to him . After 620 he publicly preached the message
of these visions, stressing the oneness of God (Allah), denouncing
the polytheism of his fellow Arabs, and calling for moral uplift of
the population." [21]
Since Heitzman is mesmerized by revelations, he is unimpressed by the
inquiries into the truth, a common feature of Hindu philosophy, which
he dismisses as speculations. He writes:
"Some of the later hymns of the Rig Veda contain speculations that
form the basis for much of Indian religious and philosophical
thought." [22]
Heitzman, while discussing Hindu festivals, calls Hindus cross-
dressers:
"Major Hindu events include Ramanavami, the birthday of Ram in the
month of Chaitra (March-April), and Holi, celebrated at the end of
the month of Phalguna (February-March), when people engage in cross-
dressing, play tricks on each other, and squirt colored water or
powder on each other." [23]
How can the SBE nominate an academic, who believes in miracles and
fits history to suit Christian propaganda, to review contents
relating to Hinduism in school textbooks, especially when he is also
a signatory on Witzel's petition? Does the SBE agree with Heitzman's
uncharitable remarks on Hinduism and Hindus?
Quiz #3:
"The most important invasion in all of India's history, since the
Aryans brought with their Caucasian genes [is Aryan invasion]."
Who in the USA do you think would have made a statement to this
effect?
A. A Ku Klux Klansman
B. A eugenics advocate
C. A White Supremacist
D. A U C Los Angeles history professor
Correct answer: D.
I am sure you got this too wrong, unless you have by now learnt that
only Western historians can make such statements. Anyway, read on.
Wolpert celebrates the Caucasian gene
While discussing Aryan invasion theory [AIT], Stanley Wolpert, a UCLA
historian writes:
"This was the most important invasion in all of India's history,
since the Aryans brought with their Caucasian genes a new language --
Sanskrit -- and a new pantheon of gods…"[24]
It seems that to our UCLA professor the importance of an invasion
depends on whether it involved the inflow of Caucasian genes! Hey,
what is next? The most important invasion in all of Americas' history
is the 16 th century invasion of Europeans because it brought in
Caucasian genes? Thank god, African Americans, who do not possess
Caucasian genes, did not invade Americas!
I could not but think of the 18th century racist Benjamin Rush's
writings on "Lovely White"skin contrasted with the Black skin as I
read Wolpert wax eloquent on the importance of coming in of the
Caucasian genes. Benjamin Rush, a medical doctor, attributed Black
skin to leprosy and advocated "curing" African-Americans by bleeding
and purging. [25]
Not to be outdone by Heitzman, Wolpert also repeats the dangerous
Christian propaganda of the imagined visit of St. Thomas to India. He
writes:
"A small but influential group of Syrian Christians in Kerala persist
in claiming that their sect was founded by St. Thomas, who may have
sailed to Malabar in the first century and who was supposedly
martyred at Mylapore , a suburb of modern Madras, in A.D. 68. The
tiny Jewish community of Cochin also claims to have been founded in
the first century, but no clear historical evidence of such early
Jewish settlement in Malabar has as yet been discovered." [26]
The reference of Mylapore is to the mythical killing of St. Thomas by
a peaceful and scholarly ethnic minority of Tamil Brahmins. A
rational person might be at a loss to understand how St. Thomas, who
did not even visit India, could have been killed there. But, Wolpert
has no compunctions in repeating this perniciously false propaganda,
which, since the Portuguese colonial period, has resulted in the most
terrible persecution of Brahmins. Is anything acceptable if it helps
demonize Hindus and help perpetuate Christianity?
Why is the SBE nominating such a biased academic, who is also a
signatory on Witzel's petition, to review contents relating to
Hinduism?
Conclusion
1. I have shown that the SBE capitulated to political pressure
by nominating a trio of academics who have indulged in the most
despicable form of political activism, disparaged Hinduism or
collaborated with controversial elements.
2. The SBE did not accord any respect to the scholars who
supported the Hindu initiative by presenting solid references.
3. One of these academics has also expressed his admiration for
Christian miracles, while another has propagated falsified [over 80
years ago!] Christian propaganda.
4. Is it not a clear violation of guidelines, and law, to
subject Hinduism and Hindus to such treatment? Does the SBE want
Hindu children of California to be indoctrinated in false propaganda?
5. It is heartening to note that the Commission constituted by
the SBE dismissed virtually all demands made by this trio -- Witzel,
Wolpert and Heitzman -- with the contempt they deserved. According to
a report of December 4, 2005 by the HPI, Heitzman unsuccessfully
pleaded to replace Aryan Invasion Theory [AIT] with Aryan Migration
Theory [AMT]. But Commissioner Metzenberg, a biologist, objected on
scientific grounds. He said:
"I've read the DNA research and there was no Aryan migration. I
believe the hard evidence of DNA more than I believe historians."
It was finally agreed to say, "Some historians believe in the
theory of an Aryan migration."
This shows how false theories motivated by racist politics never
stand scientific scrutiny. Of course, there is no justification even
in retaining AMT, which is merely a belief, and not supported by
facts. Hindus must meet the SBE to ensure that theories which are not
scientifically substantiated be removed altogether.
6. Heitzman, apparently frustrated that his advocacies failed
the test of scientific evidence, said to the Commission:
"I advise you to err on the side of conservatism and be very careful
about adopting any of these changes."
Commissioner Metzenberg replied pointedly:
"On the contrary, to err on the side of conservatism, we should use
the Hindu suggestions. After all, it's their religion."
7. Metzenberg also felt a comment by Witzel's panel on one edit
was "insensitive."The edit was to fix the incorrect statement that
the Ramayana was written later than the Mahabharata. Witzel's group
wrote condescendingly:
"Who in Sixth Grade cares which epic was 'written' first?"
Metzenberg observed that "it obviously matters to Hindus."
8. Hindus must also make it very clear to the SBE that no
academic that is known to be inimical to Hinduism or known to have
distorted facts to fit pet beliefs be not allowed to have any say in
the process of reviewing and amending textbooks. As such, the trio of
reviewers was admitted into the process without justification. I have
presented solid evidence that they indulged in political activism
contrary to the spirit of their contract with the SBE. Hindus must
demand that the SBE should terminate their contract right away.
9. Hindus must demand that the SBE does not entertain any of
the signatories of Witzel's petition in the textbook review and
adoption process as I have already demonstrated that they are biased
and politically motivated.
10. Witzel has ridiculed the most sacred of the Hindu mantras or
sacred chants. He writes:
"Many short mantras (the later biija mantras) like oM have humble
origins the Veda. Him (hiM) is used in the Veda to call your goat ..
and your wife." [27]
Steve Farmer's [who initiated the petition] and also signed on
Witzel's petition declared, in pathetic attempt at humor, that he
would try this mantra on his girlfriend. [28] Hindus must demand that
academics with a history of disparaging Hinduism cannot influence
what goes into textbooks meant for children.
11. Finally, only academics and experts on religion with a non-
controversial record should be nominated to influence the process of
textbook adoption. Academics that are accused of having used
unethical means of scholarship should not be used for this purpose.
Prof. B.B. Lal, the world's foremost archeologist and expert on Indus
Valley Civilization, in his most recent publication,The Homeland of
the Aryans -- Evidence of Rigvedic Flora and Fauna & Archaeology, pp.
85-89 (New Delhi, 2005) writes that Dr. Witzel unethically and
willfully assigned two opposite meanings to two occurrences of the
same Sanskrit word to artificially make the verse support Aryan
migration into India, whereas the verse actually makes it very clear
that Aryans migrated in two branches, one to the West and another to
the East, from northwestern India.
It was a very sad day for Sanskrit scholarship in general, and
Harvard in particular when one of its academics was accused of and
disgraced for willfully and unethically mistranslating a verse. When
the error was pointed to him in the past, Witzel conveniently blamed
it on the editor of the relevant publication concerned, despite the
fact that the same mistranslation has been printed by him in many
other publications of his.
12. Even in the petition he sent the SBE, Witzel claims that one of
the signatories, S. Palaniappan as: "S. Palaniappan, PhD, Indology,
Texas." It must be pointed out that Palaniappan, who works for the
Minute Maid Company in Texas, is not an Indologist by any stretch of
that word. Certainly, he is not a Ph.D. in Indology as Witzel
misleads in his petition. Palaniappan received his doctorate in
engineering. Should one then infer that Palaniappan is a 'made in a
minute' instant Indologist? Did Witzel use Heitzman's miracle to
transform engineer Palaniappan into an Indologist?
Dr. Srinivasan Kalyanaraman, a former Sr. Exec. of Asian Development
Bank, is a Hindu. His two grandchildren, US citizens, study in US
schools. His email id is kalya...@gmail.com
[1] http://www.religioustolerance.org/jud_chrr.htm
[2] Vide message number 2300 at Yahoo groups Indo-Eurasian_research
[3] In the above message
[4] Muller, M.: History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, page 294.
Also see, a paper presented by Arvind Kumar at the SBE
hearing:
http://jitnasa.india-forum.com/Docs/ProAryanInvasionTheoryargumentspr...
[5] Vide message number 2225 Yahoo groups Indo-Eurasian_research
[6] Takaki, R.T.: Iron Cages -- Race and Culture in 19th Century
America, p. 137
[7] This email was posted vide message number 8893 at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bahujan/message/8893
[8] Cited from the abovementioned email
[9] Benjamin, P.N .: When Intolerance Begets Loss Of Reason.
Available at http://www.hvk.org/articles/0905/43.html
[10] http://www.rickross.com/reference/hinn/hinn32.html
[11] http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/kpsgill/security/04Feb21Pio.htm
[12] http://www.state.gov/www/global/terrorism/1999report/appb.html
andhttp://japan.usembassy.gov/e/p/tp-20040430-33.html
[13] http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/terrorism...
[14] Bruce Hoffman "Holy Terror": The Implications Of Terrorism
Motivated By A Religious Imperative RAND Paper P-7834, 1993
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