Opinion: Handling a sensitive issue with care
18 Jun 2006
CHOW KUM HOR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hindu temples should be documented as soon as possible. CHOW KUM HOR talks to religious leaders and activists about the first step towards resolving the long-standing issue of temples making way for development projects.
THE Hindu temple at the Mid Valley Megamall along Kuala Lumpur's Federal Highway offers a worldly lesson on godly places.
The Sri Maha Sakthi Muhambikai Amman Temple once faced demolition when construction for the office and shopping precinct started about a dozen years ago.
But the developer of one of the largest malls in the country decided to retain the place of worship, believed to be over a century old. Concrete pillars were added to the temple and a major refurbishment took place.
Today, the temple is a testament to how shoppers and devotees can share the same vicinity, and how progress and preserving religious heritage can go together.
Such feel-good tales - and the lessons behind them - stand in stark contrast to the usual fate of temples that stand in development's way.
One recent high-profile case involved the 60-year-old Muniswarar temple in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, demolished by City Hall officials last week.
The temple was in the path of the Kuala Lumpur-Damansara-Hulu Klang Expressway.
Four days later, the Shah Alam City Council tore down a century-old temple in Midland Estate, near Klang.
"I could only watch helplessly when the authorities came. There was nothing we could do," says E. Subramaniam, 44, the temple's caretaker.
The former rubber estate where the temple was situated has been earmarked for a housing project. No alternative land was offered.
The Hindu Rights Action Force, a pressure group, alleges that some 15 houses of worship have been demolished over the past three months, mostly in the Klang Valley, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Kedah.
They say that often no alternative sites are offered for the temples to relocate.
Even if there are, says Hindu activist M. Raman, the locations are either not suitable or the plots too small.
One example is the Sri Maha Muneeswarar temple in Kapar, Klang.
Raman, who is secretary of the Selangor Cahaya Wawasan Welfare Association, says that based on the area's development blueprint, the 80-year-old temple will be relocated next to an oxidation pond.
The association acts on behalf of temples facing a similar plight in the State.
Malaysia Hindu Sangam president Datuk A. Vaithilingam says the problem is largely a historical legacy.
During British rule, thousands of workers from India were brought to Malaya to help build railway tracks and roads, and to work as tappers in rubber estates.
The migrants brought along their Hindu faith and set up shrines and temples near their homes.
"These temples were sanctioned by the landlords and the Government which allowed them to practise their religious beliefs. The problem is that they do not have land titles."
In other words, many of the smaller Hindu temples that dot the country, some over a century old, are technically illegal.
This was not a problem until development took place and rubber estates were turned into real estate and government quarters made way for six-lane highways.
Without legal recognition, the caretakers of these holy sites often found themselves helpless against the bulldozers and excavators.
"We (Hindu Sangam) often try to mediate between temples and the developers or the State Governments. We also get MIC leaders to come in.
"So far, the authorities have been rather concerned," says Vaithilingam.
"The problem is that some of these temples, including the one in Setapak, came to us only when it was too late or after the temples were demolished."
It doesn't help that some developers, eager to make the most from the pricey land they are building on, stinge on allocating even the smallest plots for devotees to pray.
Ipoh Barat Member of Parliament M. Kulasegaran says, besides the developers' greed, reckless planning is aggravating the temples' woes.
"This is a great setback to race relations. Religion is a sensitive issue in this multi-racial country and it is unfortunate that the Government is not handling it well," says Kulasegaran, who is also DAP vice-chairman.
Still, even temple caretakers and activists are not opposed to development, argues Housing and Local Government Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Dr S. Subramaniam.
The question is really about how to accommodate temples that used to be surrounded by rubber trees in newly-built concrete jungles.
Negotiations between temple caretakers and local authorities or developers have helped to keep emotions in check in an issue where passions can run high.
"I admit getting alternative land for temples is a problem. It is up to the State Governments to find a solution. But so far, in most cases, these temples were either not touched or alternative sites were given."
In Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, and surrounding areas, for example, four temples have been relocated or spared from demolition after talks between caretakers and the authorities.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall, after meeting with Hindu Sangam officials earlier this week, has also agreed to suspend demolition work pending a meeting with MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.
"But when negotiations are not successful, at least the demolition should be carried out in a dignified and respectful manner," says Vaithilingam.
"Of late, some powerful enforcement agencies seem to have been carried away by their work. Perhaps it is time these people underwent religious-sensitivity training."
A spokesman of the Shah Alam local authority says the council will look into allegations that its officers were unruly when demolishing the temple in the Midland Estate.
Meanwhile, the Hindu Sangam, the umbrella body for Hindu organisations in the country, is working with the MIC to draw up a list of all Hindu temples in the country.
But given the estimated 17,000 temples nationwide, some in far-flung estates or sparsely occupied areas, compiling a master list is as daunting as it is costly.
The Hindu Sangam hopes that when the list is completed, the Government will gazette these places of worship, making them legal entities.
This means developers need to get a court order if they want to demolish these temples.
In the mid-1990s, then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had directed that the demolition of places of worship must get the approval of the respective menteris besar or chief ministers. In the Federal Territory, the prime minister must give the green light.
"Unfortunately, this understanding was ignored after a while. I hope the Government can revive this practice," adds Vaithilingam.
Suara Rakyat Malaysia, a civil rights group, says it is time that the Government set up a commission to preserve or relocate these places of worship.
Its executive director, Yap Swee Seng, says while these temples may be sited on land not belonging to them, the Government is obliged to look after their welfare.
But in the end, says Kulasegaran, only proper planning on the part of the Government can avert a stand-off like the one in Setapak last week.
Before an area is developed, government officials and politicians should undertake a survey, taking into account religious sensitivities like places of worship.
"Don't wear blinkers and hope that the problem will go away. It will not. There must be co-ordinated development by the different government agencies," says Kulasegaran.
Clearly, on the matter of demolition of Hindu temples, it doesn't take divine intervention to solve the woes - not when more earthly answers are at hand.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Communal tension in Rajasthan town
Communal tension in Rajasthan town: "Trouble started on June 15 a mentally unstable man allegedly smeared dung and wrote something objectionable on a copy of the Quran at a tea stall, showing it to the people in the Muslim-dominated area.
There have been several sporadic bouts of violence and activists of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and BJP called a shutdown on Monday demanding that action be taken against those ionvolved in the violence."
There have been several sporadic bouts of violence and activists of the VHP, Bajrang Dal and BJP called a shutdown on Monday demanding that action be taken against those ionvolved in the violence."
Malaysia: 'End demolition of Hindu temples'
Malaysia: 'End demolition of Hindu temples': "A small group of ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus, held a peaceful protest in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday appealing for an end to demolition of Hindu temples by local authorities.
Holding a banner outside the palace of Malaysia's king, about 20 protesters, led by members of the opposition People's Justice Party urged King Seed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullai to help 'save Hindu temples' in the country.
A few Hindu temples have been demolished this year and some have been served notice of demolition, a spokesman said, although sources claimed that some of these temples could have been built on unauthorised sites.
The spokesman said many Hindu temples had been destroyed in the past decade across Malaysia where Indians form about 8 per cent of the population.
He claimed local council officials were disrespectful towards places of worship.
'We are not against development, but they should give devotees an alternative site to worship. We are very concerned about the fate of the Hindu community,' he said.
In a memorandum to the king submitted to a palace official, the activists called for an immediate halt to temple demolition by local councils and for affected land to be set aside as Hindu temple reserves."
Holding a banner outside the palace of Malaysia's king, about 20 protesters, led by members of the opposition People's Justice Party urged King Seed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullai to help 'save Hindu temples' in the country.
A few Hindu temples have been demolished this year and some have been served notice of demolition, a spokesman said, although sources claimed that some of these temples could have been built on unauthorised sites.
The spokesman said many Hindu temples had been destroyed in the past decade across Malaysia where Indians form about 8 per cent of the population.
He claimed local council officials were disrespectful towards places of worship.
'We are not against development, but they should give devotees an alternative site to worship. We are very concerned about the fate of the Hindu community,' he said.
In a memorandum to the king submitted to a palace official, the activists called for an immediate halt to temple demolition by local councils and for affected land to be set aside as Hindu temple reserves."
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
kanchi-sathya.org - information on the kanchi seer, latest news on the the seer trial, facts about the kanchi mutt :: media article ::
kanchi-sathya.org - information on the kanchi seer, latest news on the the seer trial, facts about the kanchi mutt :: media article ::: "Originally, the trust filed a civil suit seeking permission to sell its property to settle its dues, running to several crores, to various banks. The hospital was incurring huge losses and the medical college could not be started as the State Government had refused to grant the essentiality certificate, it had contended.
However, Justice R Banumathi on January 31, 2006, dismissed the petition on the ground that permitting the trust to sell the property would amount to defeating the very purpose of establishing the charitable trust.
The difficulty in running the hospital and the college could not be a reason for selling the entire assets, the judge had held. Hence, the present appeal from the trust."
Is this why Jaya arrested Sri Jayendrar? Looks like it.
However, Justice R Banumathi on January 31, 2006, dismissed the petition on the ground that permitting the trust to sell the property would amount to defeating the very purpose of establishing the charitable trust.
The difficulty in running the hospital and the college could not be a reason for selling the entire assets, the judge had held. Hence, the present appeal from the trust."
Is this why Jaya arrested Sri Jayendrar? Looks like it.
Where is my bus to Kashmir?
Where is my bus to Kashmir?: "It has been 16 long years that Kashmiri Hindus have not been able to go back to their homes in Kashmir. And please keep in mind that they are all on this side. None of these 700,000+ innocent victims of terrorism and political games are living in areas across the Lal-Pul. They are all on this side of the Jawahar Tunnel in India itself. But they cannot just board a bus and travel back to their homes in Kashmir and live there. They just cannot.
Governmental agencies will tell you lot of stories about what all they are doing to get Kashmiri Hindus back into the valley but please do not get sold on those. All those are just that, stories. Fictional stories.
A few years ago, I had written a column, 'Daddy, Why can't we go to Kashmir?' in which I mentioned how my six-year-old daughter at that time asked me that poignant question and how I could not answer her simple question. Last year, when the first bus service was flagged off, my daughter watched and read the media clippings showing the reception given to Kashmiris from across the LOAC and I could see the same agonising questions on her face all over again.
So I made up my mind to visit my homeland and take her along. And off we went to my homeland. It was after 16 long years of forced exile that I took a chance, went back and touched and kissed my lovely homeland. It was an experience, full of nostalgia as well as heartbreaks.
While we were there, I stopped by at a Kashmiri music store to buy some audio cassettes of Kashmiri music. While I was shopping, the merchant was very cordial. But as soon as the trade was over, he made a comment and I quote: 'So how long are you going to be here?' And that brought me back to the reality that we, the Kashmiri Hindus, are still not welcome in our homeland.
As long as we go there as tourists, it is fine. But if we demand our just rights, we are not welcome. And the Government of India is perpetuating that notion by implementin"
Governmental agencies will tell you lot of stories about what all they are doing to get Kashmiri Hindus back into the valley but please do not get sold on those. All those are just that, stories. Fictional stories.
A few years ago, I had written a column, 'Daddy, Why can't we go to Kashmir?' in which I mentioned how my six-year-old daughter at that time asked me that poignant question and how I could not answer her simple question. Last year, when the first bus service was flagged off, my daughter watched and read the media clippings showing the reception given to Kashmiris from across the LOAC and I could see the same agonising questions on her face all over again.
So I made up my mind to visit my homeland and take her along. And off we went to my homeland. It was after 16 long years of forced exile that I took a chance, went back and touched and kissed my lovely homeland. It was an experience, full of nostalgia as well as heartbreaks.
While we were there, I stopped by at a Kashmiri music store to buy some audio cassettes of Kashmiri music. While I was shopping, the merchant was very cordial. But as soon as the trade was over, he made a comment and I quote: 'So how long are you going to be here?' And that brought me back to the reality that we, the Kashmiri Hindus, are still not welcome in our homeland.
As long as we go there as tourists, it is fine. But if we demand our just rights, we are not welcome. And the Government of India is perpetuating that notion by implementin"
Monday, June 19, 2006
IndianExpress.com :: NRI killed after he complained to Gujarat govt against sect
IndianExpress.com :: NRI killed after he complained to Gujarat govt against sect: "Swadhyay Parivar is a socio-religious organisation, founded by the late Pandurang Shastri Athavale, winner of the Magsaysay and the Padma Vibhushan.
Trivedi’s letter to Modi, a copy of which was made available to The Sunday Express by one of Trivedi’s family friends, names Jayashree alias Dhanashree Talwalkar, adopted daughter of Pandurang Shastri, who now heads the organisation.
In the letter, Trivedi alleged that in the past, too, “goons have attempted to kill our friends as they (Swadhyay Parivar leaderhip) feared that we would expose them in public, and we are getting regular threat calls from them.”
Trivedi claimed in the letter that a 200-page report on mismanagement of trust property, misuse of earthquake relief funds, and use of Trust property for personal purposes, had been sent to the state government calling for protection to Parivar members who had turned whistleblowers.
Asked about the letter and the report, the Officer on Special Duty in the Chief Minister’s Office said, “This is a very sensitive issue and we would not like to comment.”
Asked if Swadhyay Parivar officials were being investigated, Additional Commissioner of Police P K Jha said there had been no breakthrough so far, nor any reason to question anyone from the Swadhyay Parivar.
Trivedi’s family, which in the US, is expected to arrive in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Despite several attempts to reach Bharat Bhatt, a leading representative of the Swadhyay Parivar in Ahmedabad, he could not be contacted. Calls to his residence were met with the response that he was out of town.
There are others like Trivedi who allege they have been attacked. One of them is Satish Patel, BJP president of the Waghodia unit in Vadodara, who was attacked in January, 2003.
The attack was made on his employer Mahesh Shah and Patel got injured trying to save him. “As I am the local BJP leader here, seven people were arrested i"
Trivedi’s letter to Modi, a copy of which was made available to The Sunday Express by one of Trivedi’s family friends, names Jayashree alias Dhanashree Talwalkar, adopted daughter of Pandurang Shastri, who now heads the organisation.
In the letter, Trivedi alleged that in the past, too, “goons have attempted to kill our friends as they (Swadhyay Parivar leaderhip) feared that we would expose them in public, and we are getting regular threat calls from them.”
Trivedi claimed in the letter that a 200-page report on mismanagement of trust property, misuse of earthquake relief funds, and use of Trust property for personal purposes, had been sent to the state government calling for protection to Parivar members who had turned whistleblowers.
Asked about the letter and the report, the Officer on Special Duty in the Chief Minister’s Office said, “This is a very sensitive issue and we would not like to comment.”
Asked if Swadhyay Parivar officials were being investigated, Additional Commissioner of Police P K Jha said there had been no breakthrough so far, nor any reason to question anyone from the Swadhyay Parivar.
Trivedi’s family, which in the US, is expected to arrive in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Despite several attempts to reach Bharat Bhatt, a leading representative of the Swadhyay Parivar in Ahmedabad, he could not be contacted. Calls to his residence were met with the response that he was out of town.
There are others like Trivedi who allege they have been attacked. One of them is Satish Patel, BJP president of the Waghodia unit in Vadodara, who was attacked in January, 2003.
The attack was made on his employer Mahesh Shah and Patel got injured trying to save him. “As I am the local BJP leader here, seven people were arrested i"
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Faith Freedom International :: View topic - Which religion is the right religion?
Faith Freedom International :: View topic - Which religion is the right religion?: "Qutations from scriptures:
Brihaddaranaka Upanishada:
1:4:50 'Even after this [creating three other varnas] he was not effective /fully manifest. Therefore he created the Sudra varna' --- there is nothing here to show that Sudra is inferior. On the contray God was not complete until Sudras came into existence.
1:4:52 'Thus God became Brahman, Ksitriya, Vaishya and Sudra' --- God is in everyone
from Manusamhita itself:
'A devout person shall accept even best knowledge from Shudras; accept ultimate truth from outcastes like chandalas; an excellent wife even from low families.' (2:238).
'Wife, jewels, learning, dharma, rules of purity/pure objects, good advice, and various vocational skills can be accepted from anyone by anyone.' (2,240).
There are also many verses legalising intercaste marriages, including those between brahmin women and sudra men.
Mahabharata:
Yudhisthira is asked what is the cause of being a Brahmin. He declares that neither birth nor learning makes a Brahmin; only proper conduct does. Even a Brahmin learned in four Vedas cannot be considered as a Brahmin if his conduct is evil. (Vanaparva, ch. 312)
To a serpent he says 'the person in whom resides truth, charity, forgiveness, courtesy, rejection of cruelty, austerity is a Brahmin'. The serpent argues that the Vedas have given every varna their Dharma or law. 'Therefore truth, charity, forgiveness, non-violence, rejection of cruelty and compassion based on Vedas is noticed even in Sudras. If even in Sudras these characteristics of Brahamindharma appear, then Sudras too can be Brahmins.' Yudhisthira's answer is, 'In many Sudras symptoms of Brahmin appear, and among many of the twice-born, symptoms of Sudras appear. Therefore it is not that to be born in a Sudra family makes one a Sudra or that to be born in a Brahmin family makes one a Brahmin. The persons in whom s"
Brihaddaranaka Upanishada:
1:4:50 'Even after this [creating three other varnas] he was not effective /fully manifest. Therefore he created the Sudra varna' --- there is nothing here to show that Sudra is inferior. On the contray God was not complete until Sudras came into existence.
1:4:52 'Thus God became Brahman, Ksitriya, Vaishya and Sudra' --- God is in everyone
from Manusamhita itself:
'A devout person shall accept even best knowledge from Shudras; accept ultimate truth from outcastes like chandalas; an excellent wife even from low families.' (2:238).
'Wife, jewels, learning, dharma, rules of purity/pure objects, good advice, and various vocational skills can be accepted from anyone by anyone.' (2,240).
There are also many verses legalising intercaste marriages, including those between brahmin women and sudra men.
Mahabharata:
Yudhisthira is asked what is the cause of being a Brahmin. He declares that neither birth nor learning makes a Brahmin; only proper conduct does. Even a Brahmin learned in four Vedas cannot be considered as a Brahmin if his conduct is evil. (Vanaparva, ch. 312)
To a serpent he says 'the person in whom resides truth, charity, forgiveness, courtesy, rejection of cruelty, austerity is a Brahmin'. The serpent argues that the Vedas have given every varna their Dharma or law. 'Therefore truth, charity, forgiveness, non-violence, rejection of cruelty and compassion based on Vedas is noticed even in Sudras. If even in Sudras these characteristics of Brahamindharma appear, then Sudras too can be Brahmins.' Yudhisthira's answer is, 'In many Sudras symptoms of Brahmin appear, and among many of the twice-born, symptoms of Sudras appear. Therefore it is not that to be born in a Sudra family makes one a Sudra or that to be born in a Brahmin family makes one a Brahmin. The persons in whom s"
UP: 2 killed in communal violence
UP: 2 killed in communal violence: "Two girls were charred to death and over 100 houses were burnt as communal violence erupted on Sunday in a village bordering Pratapgarh district following the murder of a Hindu youth."
IIT students seek action against Dean over quota : HindustanTimes.com
IIT students seek action against Dean over quota : HindustanTimes.com: "The quota controversy refuses to die down — at least in IIT Delhi. In the latest twist in the quota protests, representatives of the Pan IIT Foundation for Rural Development (PIFort) have lodged a police complaint against the Dean, Director and some senior members of the management for allegedly threatening students demonstrating peacefully against caste-based reservations.
The students said they would approach the judicial magistrate if no action is taken. The police confirmed that they had received the complaint, but said that no case had been registered so far.
The row erupted on Friday. “The students were sitting on a relay hunger strike since May 31 opposite the main building (in IIT) when Prof S M Ishtiaque, Dean of Students, IIT, came with the security officer and ten other men. He threatened them with dire consequences concerning their career and forcibly brought down the shamiana,” the students alleged.
They also alleged that many PhD students sitting on hunger strike for a fortnight were warned that they might not get their Phd degrees if they did not call off the protests.
Rubbishing the allegations, Prof Ishtiaque said, “It’s a campaign of misinformation launched by the students against us. The decision to remove the shamiana was taken by students themselves after their meeting last evening. They conveyed the decision to us, and we proceeded to remove the structure.”
PIFort president Omesh Saigal, however, called it a criminal conspiracy and said the Dean and Director should be punished.
“We sought legal advice and then presented the facts before the Hauz Khas police at 11 am today,” he said.
Praveen Kumar of PIFort said they have now planned meetings over the next couple of days in an attempt to bring faculty, students and the alumnus on the same platform. “It’s only after these meets that we will be able to c"
The students said they would approach the judicial magistrate if no action is taken. The police confirmed that they had received the complaint, but said that no case had been registered so far.
The row erupted on Friday. “The students were sitting on a relay hunger strike since May 31 opposite the main building (in IIT) when Prof S M Ishtiaque, Dean of Students, IIT, came with the security officer and ten other men. He threatened them with dire consequences concerning their career and forcibly brought down the shamiana,” the students alleged.
They also alleged that many PhD students sitting on hunger strike for a fortnight were warned that they might not get their Phd degrees if they did not call off the protests.
Rubbishing the allegations, Prof Ishtiaque said, “It’s a campaign of misinformation launched by the students against us. The decision to remove the shamiana was taken by students themselves after their meeting last evening. They conveyed the decision to us, and we proceeded to remove the structure.”
PIFort president Omesh Saigal, however, called it a criminal conspiracy and said the Dean and Director should be punished.
“We sought legal advice and then presented the facts before the Hauz Khas police at 11 am today,” he said.
Praveen Kumar of PIFort said they have now planned meetings over the next couple of days in an attempt to bring faculty, students and the alumnus on the same platform. “It’s only after these meets that we will be able to c"
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Daily Times - Site Edition
Daily Times - Site Edition: "Whenever a terrorist outrage occurs in any Muslim country and the victims are ordinary Muslims, we are told that Muslims must never kill Muslims. Even fatwas are issued to that effect. The unspoken and unwritten subtext seems to suggest that it is acceptable for Muslims to kill non-Muslims, provided there is a pretext
In their nearly 400-page Report of the Court of Inquiry into the Punjab Disturbances of 1953, popularly known as the Munir Report, two eminently learned Pakistani judges, Chief Justice Muhammad Munir and Justice MR Kayani had concluded, after 117 sittings, perusing 3,600 pages of written statements and sifting through 2,700 pages of evidence over eight months:
“Nothing but a bold reorientation of Islam to separate the vital from the lifeless can preserve it as a world idea and convert the Musalman into a citizen of the present and the future world from the archaic incongruity that he is today.”
Has anything changed since this bold statement was made by the justices over half a century ago?
Seventeen Canadian Muslims, five of whom are teenagers, were arrested earlier this month in Toronto for conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks in the very country which not only hosted and nurtured them but is also considered a model of multiculturalism and tolerance. Indeed, the province of Ontario recently came close to allowing Muslims to be governed by their own Sharia courts instead of secular civil courts.
At least six of those arrested regularly attended the same mosque in a middle-class Toronto suburb. The oldest, Qayyum Abdul Jamal, 43, is said to be an active member of the mosque who frequently led prayers and made fiery speeches.
In England, another bastion of multiculturism with a massive and thriving Muslim presence, less than a year after 9/11 Al Qaeda sympathisers were openly selling a video at Birmingham’s Central Mosque after the busy Friday prayers showing the chillin"
In their nearly 400-page Report of the Court of Inquiry into the Punjab Disturbances of 1953, popularly known as the Munir Report, two eminently learned Pakistani judges, Chief Justice Muhammad Munir and Justice MR Kayani had concluded, after 117 sittings, perusing 3,600 pages of written statements and sifting through 2,700 pages of evidence over eight months:
“Nothing but a bold reorientation of Islam to separate the vital from the lifeless can preserve it as a world idea and convert the Musalman into a citizen of the present and the future world from the archaic incongruity that he is today.”
Has anything changed since this bold statement was made by the justices over half a century ago?
Seventeen Canadian Muslims, five of whom are teenagers, were arrested earlier this month in Toronto for conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks in the very country which not only hosted and nurtured them but is also considered a model of multiculturalism and tolerance. Indeed, the province of Ontario recently came close to allowing Muslims to be governed by their own Sharia courts instead of secular civil courts.
At least six of those arrested regularly attended the same mosque in a middle-class Toronto suburb. The oldest, Qayyum Abdul Jamal, 43, is said to be an active member of the mosque who frequently led prayers and made fiery speeches.
In England, another bastion of multiculturism with a massive and thriving Muslim presence, less than a year after 9/11 Al Qaeda sympathisers were openly selling a video at Birmingham’s Central Mosque after the busy Friday prayers showing the chillin"
Friday, June 16, 2006
43-yr-old NRI beaten to death in Gujarat : HindustanTimes.com
43-yr-old NRI beaten to death in Gujarat : HindustanTimes.com: "A non-resident Indian (NRI) from the US was brutally beaten to death by four unidentified attackers late on Thursday evening in the city, police said on Friday.
Pankaj Trivedi, a 43-year-old professional from Cincinnati, was hit in his head with a baseball bat by the attackers outside the Ellis Bridge Gymkhana in the upscale Law Garden neighbourhood, a police official said.
A relative of Trivedi, whose wife and two children are in the US, identified the body.
The victim, who had migrated to Cincinnati nine years ago, was on one of his regular visits to India. In the city, he used to live in Satyagrah Chhavni in the Satellite area, the official said.
While the assailants were still at large, police were talking with the only witness of the murder - the guard of the excusive club.
The victim was closely associated with the spiritual movement of Swadhyaya, inspired by the late Pandurang Shastri Athawale, and was involved in the legal battle between two factions of the movement, according to media reports.
"
Pankaj Trivedi, a 43-year-old professional from Cincinnati, was hit in his head with a baseball bat by the attackers outside the Ellis Bridge Gymkhana in the upscale Law Garden neighbourhood, a police official said.
A relative of Trivedi, whose wife and two children are in the US, identified the body.
The victim, who had migrated to Cincinnati nine years ago, was on one of his regular visits to India. In the city, he used to live in Satyagrah Chhavni in the Satellite area, the official said.
While the assailants were still at large, police were talking with the only witness of the murder - the guard of the excusive club.
The victim was closely associated with the spiritual movement of Swadhyaya, inspired by the late Pandurang Shastri Athawale, and was involved in the legal battle between two factions of the movement, according to media reports.
"
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Krishna temple is safe: Pakistan
Krishna temple is safe: Pakistan: "Pakistan on Thursday denied media reports that the only Krishna temple in Lahore has been razed and said the temple is safe.
A structure was demolished to make way for the construction of a commercial complex, but there was no temple there, a foreign office statement said.
'The only Krishna temple that exists in Lahore is safe and the temple referred to in a section of the press is an abandoned property being used partly for residential and commercial purposes since the time of the independence according to a clarification of Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan,' a Foreign Office statement said.
'The media report is factually incorrect. In fact, the Krishna temple is situated on Ravi Road, Lahore, whereas the property under reference is in Rang Mahal, Lahore. Both the locations are several kilometers apart,' it said.
However, there is a temple in Wachhowali Bazar in Lahore, which is about 300 feet away from the property under reference. That temple too is intact, the foreign office said.
Contrary to the alleged demolition, the Evacuee Trust Property Board has made considerable improvements in a number of temples including the Krishna temple, at the cost of Rs 13.8 million during the last three years, it said.
Report in a Pakistani newspaper that the only Krishna temple in Lahore has been demolished for construction of a commercial complex sparked off a strong reaction by the Sangh Parivar, including the Bharatiya Janata party, and the Indian government sought a clarification from Pakistan on the issue."
A structure was demolished to make way for the construction of a commercial complex, but there was no temple there, a foreign office statement said.
'The only Krishna temple that exists in Lahore is safe and the temple referred to in a section of the press is an abandoned property being used partly for residential and commercial purposes since the time of the independence according to a clarification of Evacuee Trust Property Board of Pakistan,' a Foreign Office statement said.
'The media report is factually incorrect. In fact, the Krishna temple is situated on Ravi Road, Lahore, whereas the property under reference is in Rang Mahal, Lahore. Both the locations are several kilometers apart,' it said.
However, there is a temple in Wachhowali Bazar in Lahore, which is about 300 feet away from the property under reference. That temple too is intact, the foreign office said.
Contrary to the alleged demolition, the Evacuee Trust Property Board has made considerable improvements in a number of temples including the Krishna temple, at the cost of Rs 13.8 million during the last three years, it said.
Report in a Pakistani newspaper that the only Krishna temple in Lahore has been demolished for construction of a commercial complex sparked off a strong reaction by the Sangh Parivar, including the Bharatiya Janata party, and the Indian government sought a clarification from Pakistan on the issue."
Anti-Brahmanism has to be stopped!
Anti-Brahmanism has to be stopped!: "The first article published by rediff on Brahmins as an underprivileged community, brought a flurry of reactions, mostly of surprise: 'What, Brahmins as toilet cleaners, coolies, rickshaw pullers, priests earning less than Rs 150 a month... How is it possible, we always thought that Brahmins were a rich, fat, arrogant community?'
Many Brahmins and other upper castes expressed online their relief that someone was speaking about their plight, that for once they were not attacked, made fun of, ridiculed. Of course there were also a few hostile e-mails, accusing the author of upper casteism, of anti-Dalits bias.
One would have thought however, that at a time when reservation was the hottest journalistic topic, the media would have seized this story and made it its own. After all, isn't impartial journalism to show both sides of the story?
Don't you think, for instance, that the discovery that all 50 Sulabh Shauchalayas (public toilets) in Delhi are cleaned and looked after by Brahmins -- traditionally the task of the lowest of the lowest caste -- and that this noble institution was started by a Brahmin, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, makes a wonderful story, both for the print and electronic media?
That is what I believed, at any rate. So when I discovered that the Art of Living Foundation was conducting workshops for all coolies, irrespective of their religion and caste of the Delhi railway station -- and that quite a few of them were Brahmins -- I thought I could share this story and the Sulabh Shauchalayas scoop, with a few journalistic acquaintances, who would jump on it with glee. Unfortunately I was very wrong.
Initially, some young journalists were enthusiastic and joined us in our investigation. We expected the story to hit the headlines soon and be taken up by the entire press, hungry for something different than the strike of the medicos, or Arjun Singh's adamant attitude. But nothing happened.
We called "
Many Brahmins and other upper castes expressed online their relief that someone was speaking about their plight, that for once they were not attacked, made fun of, ridiculed. Of course there were also a few hostile e-mails, accusing the author of upper casteism, of anti-Dalits bias.
One would have thought however, that at a time when reservation was the hottest journalistic topic, the media would have seized this story and made it its own. After all, isn't impartial journalism to show both sides of the story?
Don't you think, for instance, that the discovery that all 50 Sulabh Shauchalayas (public toilets) in Delhi are cleaned and looked after by Brahmins -- traditionally the task of the lowest of the lowest caste -- and that this noble institution was started by a Brahmin, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, makes a wonderful story, both for the print and electronic media?
That is what I believed, at any rate. So when I discovered that the Art of Living Foundation was conducting workshops for all coolies, irrespective of their religion and caste of the Delhi railway station -- and that quite a few of them were Brahmins -- I thought I could share this story and the Sulabh Shauchalayas scoop, with a few journalistic acquaintances, who would jump on it with glee. Unfortunately I was very wrong.
Initially, some young journalists were enthusiastic and joined us in our investigation. We expected the story to hit the headlines soon and be taken up by the entire press, hungry for something different than the strike of the medicos, or Arjun Singh's adamant attitude. But nothing happened.
We called "
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
'Dalits have not benefited from quotas'
'Dalits have not benefited from quotas': "A few months ago, you wrote an article, 'The great education muddle, state failure and judicial jigsaw'. Why did you call it the great education muddle?
I wrote that in the context of Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh's move to bring about the amendment. It is a great education muddle because there was a great opportunity for the government to reform the education system using directives of the Supreme Court.
No educational system in a large country like India can survive and improve without public-private partnership.
What will happen if the government extends reservations to private educational institutions? They will go before the Supreme Court and get the legislation stayed. If the Supreme Court does not stay the legislation, they will pull down shutters, saying enough is enough.
Students are bound to lose both ways, so also the State. It is in that context that I called the situation the great education muddle."
I wrote that in the context of Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh's move to bring about the amendment. It is a great education muddle because there was a great opportunity for the government to reform the education system using directives of the Supreme Court.
No educational system in a large country like India can survive and improve without public-private partnership.
What will happen if the government extends reservations to private educational institutions? They will go before the Supreme Court and get the legislation stayed. If the Supreme Court does not stay the legislation, they will pull down shutters, saying enough is enough.
Students are bound to lose both ways, so also the State. It is in that context that I called the situation the great education muddle."
IBNLive : Devil's Advocate: PC quota-unquote
IBNLive : Devil's Advocate: PC quota-unquote: "Karan Thapar: Hello and welcome to Devil's Advocate. Now that the Supreme Court has asked the Government on what basis it proposes reservation for OBCs in higher education, I want to ask the Government precisely what explanation will it give. That is the key question that I should put today to one of the minister concern with the issue, Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
Finance Minister the protesting students who met you some 10 or 12 days ago said that you are an ardent advocate for the cause of reservations in higher education for OBCs. Is that a correct description of your position?
P Chidambaram: Those adjectives are their’s. I support reservation.
Karan Thapar: So you think that reservation is the right thing?
P Chidambaram: Among all the instruments available to us for affirmative action, the one that is proved most effective is reservation.
Karan Thapar: Explain to me. Many people would say that there is no doubt that steps need to be taken to help the OBCs to get greater access to higher education. Why do you believe reservation is the right way of doing it?
P Chidambaram: Experience tells us that.
Karan Thapar: What experience?
P Chidambaram: The experience of Southern states.
Karan Thapar: What is the experience of Southern states?
P Chidambaram: Let me tell you. It all began in the state of Mysore almost 75 years ago. In Tamil Nadu we have had reservations now for over 60 years. Andhra and Kerala have reservations for over 50 years.
Karan Thapar: Have they succeeded?
P Chidambaram: Yes undoubtedly they have. Let me explain. Once you get a set of parents from the backward communities who are educated, the degrees the graduation the post graduation, then you find the second generation child is able to compete more effectively with children of families who have say 200 years of unbroken tradition of learning.
Karan Thapar: So you are saying that r"
Finance Minister the protesting students who met you some 10 or 12 days ago said that you are an ardent advocate for the cause of reservations in higher education for OBCs. Is that a correct description of your position?
P Chidambaram: Those adjectives are their’s. I support reservation.
Karan Thapar: So you think that reservation is the right thing?
P Chidambaram: Among all the instruments available to us for affirmative action, the one that is proved most effective is reservation.
Karan Thapar: Explain to me. Many people would say that there is no doubt that steps need to be taken to help the OBCs to get greater access to higher education. Why do you believe reservation is the right way of doing it?
P Chidambaram: Experience tells us that.
Karan Thapar: What experience?
P Chidambaram: The experience of Southern states.
Karan Thapar: What is the experience of Southern states?
P Chidambaram: Let me tell you. It all began in the state of Mysore almost 75 years ago. In Tamil Nadu we have had reservations now for over 60 years. Andhra and Kerala have reservations for over 50 years.
Karan Thapar: Have they succeeded?
P Chidambaram: Yes undoubtedly they have. Let me explain. Once you get a set of parents from the backward communities who are educated, the degrees the graduation the post graduation, then you find the second generation child is able to compete more effectively with children of families who have say 200 years of unbroken tradition of learning.
Karan Thapar: So you are saying that r"
Monday, June 12, 2006
indianexpress.com
indianexpress.com: "On the very day last week that I learned that a property in a leafy avenue in Lutyens Delhi had sold for more than Rs 100 crore, I happened to visit a minister in his home. He was late so I had time to look around and time to reflect on when we are going to realise that we cannot afford to allow our ministers, elected representatives and bureaucrats to live like princes. Not any more. For those of you who may not have seen one let me describe for you an average ministerial bungalow in Delhi.
It is usually set in between one and five acres of land with one acre costing more than Rs 100 crore at current prices. The bungalow itself consists of several large, high-ceilinged rooms and my own estimate is that each of these rooms would accommodate 10 tenements from a Mumbai shanty. In our old socialist days these ministerial bungalows used to be sparsely furnished with badly made PWD (Public Works Department) furniture. This has changed. You see expensive furniture and carpets, bathrooms fitted with modern plumbing and Mantriji spares no effort in getting himself the latest in televisions and computers. The only other people in India who can afford to live as well as our rulers are big industrialists, and in Mumbai many of them live in flats that would fit into two rooms of a ministerial bungalow in Delhi.
Is this fair when half of Mumbai’s citizens live in one-room shacks in the filthiest shanties in the world? In Delhi the situation is not quite so bad but around 20 per cent of its citizens are believed to live in similarly abysmal conditions, and the same is true of other Indian cities. Living standards are no higher in rural India. A windowless hovel is home for our poorer villagers and the 300 million Indian citizens who live below the poverty line would be lucky to get even that. It is estimated that in these wretched homes there are 60 million children who do not get two meals a day.
It is sick that those who bang on endlessly about "
It is usually set in between one and five acres of land with one acre costing more than Rs 100 crore at current prices. The bungalow itself consists of several large, high-ceilinged rooms and my own estimate is that each of these rooms would accommodate 10 tenements from a Mumbai shanty. In our old socialist days these ministerial bungalows used to be sparsely furnished with badly made PWD (Public Works Department) furniture. This has changed. You see expensive furniture and carpets, bathrooms fitted with modern plumbing and Mantriji spares no effort in getting himself the latest in televisions and computers. The only other people in India who can afford to live as well as our rulers are big industrialists, and in Mumbai many of them live in flats that would fit into two rooms of a ministerial bungalow in Delhi.
Is this fair when half of Mumbai’s citizens live in one-room shacks in the filthiest shanties in the world? In Delhi the situation is not quite so bad but around 20 per cent of its citizens are believed to live in similarly abysmal conditions, and the same is true of other Indian cities. Living standards are no higher in rural India. A windowless hovel is home for our poorer villagers and the 300 million Indian citizens who live below the poverty line would be lucky to get even that. It is estimated that in these wretched homes there are 60 million children who do not get two meals a day.
It is sick that those who bang on endlessly about "
Hindu-Muslim wedlock, up for a deadlock
Hindu-Muslim wedlock, up for a deadlock: "'When I protested, he threatened to kill my family members. After the Nikah I was taken to Anand, Surat and Vadodara. They did not allow me to communicate with my parents,' Dave said.
Following the incident her parents had filed a police complaint and also approached a VHP functionary Babu Bajrangi who found out her whereabouts and claimed to have traced her out from the Sarkhej Roza mosque in Ahmedabad.
Bajrangi, who has in the past also claimed to have `rescued' Hindu girls who got married to Muslim men, said when contacted on the issue, 'the girl was kept in a very bad condition. She was rescued on June 7 from Sarkhej Roza by VHP workers and the help of police.'
"
Following the incident her parents had filed a police complaint and also approached a VHP functionary Babu Bajrangi who found out her whereabouts and claimed to have traced her out from the Sarkhej Roza mosque in Ahmedabad.
Bajrangi, who has in the past also claimed to have `rescued' Hindu girls who got married to Muslim men, said when contacted on the issue, 'the girl was kept in a very bad condition. She was rescued on June 7 from Sarkhej Roza by VHP workers and the help of police.'
"
Jammu: 1 killed, 31 injured in grenade attack
Jammu: 1 killed, 31 injured in grenade attack: "Three grenade explosions took place in the winter capital of Jammu on Monday morning, killing one person and injuring 31 others.
Militants hurled the first grenade at the General Bus Stand around 7:32 am, hitting a bus headed for Katra, the base of the Vaishnodevi shrine. Within seconds, two other attacks hit three other buses, police said.
An unidentified person was killed on the spot and 31 people, including two Amarnath pilgrims, were injured, they said adding that three of the wounded persons are in a critical condition.
At least six buses were damaged, four badly, in the attack. Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel have rushed to the spot and cordoned off the entire area.
However, the extent of the damage and casualties was limited as most of these buses were empty and were awaiting passengers.
Dr S P Vaid, inspector general of police, Jammu range, told rediff.com that militants hurled three powerful hand-grenades in the heavily crowded bus-stand.
'One person was killed on the spot and 31 others have been wounded in the explosions,' he said. The injured have been rushed to Jammu's GMC hospital.
Apart from the Amarnath pilgrims, the injured also included two women and a child, two personnel of the Central Industrial Police Force and locals.
'We are investigating these attacks. Three grenades were hurled on the buses, one of them of Vaishnodevi pilgrims,' Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh told PTI on the spot.
Singh, who was monitoring the security situation following the attacks, said, 'Grenade pins and other evidence is being searched for to determine if grenades were thrown from the bus stand area or from the road above it.'
'Possibility of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Tayiba's involvement in these attacks is there,' the police officials said adding that there were also intelligence inputs that militants wanted to disturb the Amarnath Yatra.
The identity"
Militants hurled the first grenade at the General Bus Stand around 7:32 am, hitting a bus headed for Katra, the base of the Vaishnodevi shrine. Within seconds, two other attacks hit three other buses, police said.
An unidentified person was killed on the spot and 31 people, including two Amarnath pilgrims, were injured, they said adding that three of the wounded persons are in a critical condition.
At least six buses were damaged, four badly, in the attack. Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel have rushed to the spot and cordoned off the entire area.
However, the extent of the damage and casualties was limited as most of these buses were empty and were awaiting passengers.
Dr S P Vaid, inspector general of police, Jammu range, told rediff.com that militants hurled three powerful hand-grenades in the heavily crowded bus-stand.
'One person was killed on the spot and 31 others have been wounded in the explosions,' he said. The injured have been rushed to Jammu's GMC hospital.
Apart from the Amarnath pilgrims, the injured also included two women and a child, two personnel of the Central Industrial Police Force and locals.
'We are investigating these attacks. Three grenades were hurled on the buses, one of them of Vaishnodevi pilgrims,' Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Mukesh Singh told PTI on the spot.
Singh, who was monitoring the security situation following the attacks, said, 'Grenade pins and other evidence is being searched for to determine if grenades were thrown from the bus stand area or from the road above it.'
'Possibility of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Tayiba's involvement in these attacks is there,' the police officials said adding that there were also intelligence inputs that militants wanted to disturb the Amarnath Yatra.
The identity"
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Brahmins lose domination over Sanskrit!- The Times of India
Brahmins lose domination over Sanskrit!- The Times of India: "These are SC, ST and OBC students, studying Sanskrit at the Gujarat University, whose names occupy 70 per cent of the merit list! Of the 275 students in the open category merit list who cleared their bachelors for MA in Sanskrit at the University School of Languages, 200 are SCs, STs and OBCs. Seven of the top 10 on the list are from the backward classes.
Professor and director of school of languages Vasantkumar Bhatt says, 'Looks like the Brahmins have lost their monopoly in Sanskrit!' But for Kalol-based Mital Chavda, who tops the merit list at the school, it has nothing to do with caste. 'Is English a language of the British anymore?' she argues. Agrees Mahesh Solanki, standing fifth on the merit list. Also an SC candidate, this son of a farmer from Radhanpur says, 'No particular caste can lay their claim to a language.'
Both claim to have chosen Sanskrit for higher education, because they aspire to be teachers. With most of these students hailing from villages around Ahmedabad and belonging to economically backward families, a secure job figures on top of their priority list. 'Their financial position often leads them to take up Sanskrit which assures a job as a vidya sahayak in government schools,' Bhatt says.
Last year, 70 per cent of the students in MA-I and 69 per cent in MA-II who enrolled for undertaking study in Sanskrit at the university, were from the backward category. According to Bhatt, the dominance of these classes in taking up the Sanskrit course has been the dominating trend for the past six years-- which takes you to the reservation debate once again.
While Chavda, daughter of a police constable, feels that reservation does boost opportunities for the backward classes, another SC candidate for the MA programme, Haripriya Amin, is vehemently against it. 'It's because of our performance that we got through the open category. "
Professor and director of school of languages Vasantkumar Bhatt says, 'Looks like the Brahmins have lost their monopoly in Sanskrit!' But for Kalol-based Mital Chavda, who tops the merit list at the school, it has nothing to do with caste. 'Is English a language of the British anymore?' she argues. Agrees Mahesh Solanki, standing fifth on the merit list. Also an SC candidate, this son of a farmer from Radhanpur says, 'No particular caste can lay their claim to a language.'
Both claim to have chosen Sanskrit for higher education, because they aspire to be teachers. With most of these students hailing from villages around Ahmedabad and belonging to economically backward families, a secure job figures on top of their priority list. 'Their financial position often leads them to take up Sanskrit which assures a job as a vidya sahayak in government schools,' Bhatt says.
Last year, 70 per cent of the students in MA-I and 69 per cent in MA-II who enrolled for undertaking study in Sanskrit at the university, were from the backward category. According to Bhatt, the dominance of these classes in taking up the Sanskrit course has been the dominating trend for the past six years-- which takes you to the reservation debate once again.
While Chavda, daughter of a police constable, feels that reservation does boost opportunities for the backward classes, another SC candidate for the MA programme, Haripriya Amin, is vehemently against it. 'It's because of our performance that we got through the open category. "
Lok Paritran on the party split
Lok Paritran - the Official Site - Press Release at Chennai: "On the former party members
We are extremely disappointed by the fact that some of our fellow partymen who also carry due credit for the party's election performance have left the party and are not here with us at a time we should show our solidarity. While we reserve any comments on what caused their separation, we would like to use this opportunity to appeal to the parted colleagues to come back and join us setting aside all the differences as we have one goal, one ideology and one vision. We will have to accept the fact that we are novices in this field of politics and are in the primitive stages of learning its nuances. As amateur politcians, we tend to make mistakes by sheer impulse, nevertheless we quickly realise our mistakes, repent for the same, learn lessons out of it and in the process we are getting ourselves transformed into political veterans."
We are extremely disappointed by the fact that some of our fellow partymen who also carry due credit for the party's election performance have left the party and are not here with us at a time we should show our solidarity. While we reserve any comments on what caused their separation, we would like to use this opportunity to appeal to the parted colleagues to come back and join us setting aside all the differences as we have one goal, one ideology and one vision. We will have to accept the fact that we are novices in this field of politics and are in the primitive stages of learning its nuances. As amateur politcians, we tend to make mistakes by sheer impulse, nevertheless we quickly realise our mistakes, repent for the same, learn lessons out of it and in the process we are getting ourselves transformed into political veterans."
IITians' party looking for strong foothold in state- The Times of India
IITians' party looking for strong foothold in state- The Times of India: "
'The party will contest the Assembly polls due in the state after three years. The immediate priority is Goa and Delhi elections,'said national treasurer Ajit Shukla.
The party expects to put in place an organisational set up for all the states in the country within an year. The first step will be to set up the district-level committees. Though no internal elections are being held as of now, they would be organised once the party has an organisational setup and active members.
The party, which is three-month old, has already witnessed some desertions. After the Tamil Nadu polls, a few of the candidates quit the party alleging nepotism and lack of accountability. The party, however, dismissed this, saying the quitters did not get their desired posts. The party termed it as 'disciplinary action'."
'The party will contest the Assembly polls due in the state after three years. The immediate priority is Goa and Delhi elections,'said national treasurer Ajit Shukla.
The party expects to put in place an organisational set up for all the states in the country within an year. The first step will be to set up the district-level committees. Though no internal elections are being held as of now, they would be organised once the party has an organisational setup and active members.
The party, which is three-month old, has already witnessed some desertions. After the Tamil Nadu polls, a few of the candidates quit the party alleging nepotism and lack of accountability. The party, however, dismissed this, saying the quitters did not get their desired posts. The party termed it as 'disciplinary action'."
Lok Paritran Splits
REGIONAL FARE: "Lok Paritran (LP), a party that symbolised the emergence of a positive new thinking among the youth of the country, in nation building formally split yesterday. K Rajamany, A Ishrareyal Maheswar and P Ellanthirumaran, LP candidates of Anna Nagar, Thousand Lights and Chepauk respectively, broke off to form a separate party alleging nepotism, lack of transperancy and non-maintenance of party accounts by the party higher-ups.
Apart from these charges they also alleged dominance of a particular community in the party, and stated that persons belonging to other communities were ignored.
In a press meet held here yesterday, the three candidates along with their supporters briefed the media on the reasons for resigning from the party. They also circulated a statement 'The other face of Lok Paritran' to substantiate their points
'During election campaign the volunteers and other resources including party funds were utilised only for Mylapore constituency where Santanagopalan Vasudevan contested and all others were ignored,' said Ellanthirumaran, who has resigned from the State party presidentship of the LP. He also charged Santana Gopal Vasudevan, (Chief Advisor and founder member of LP) Tanmay Raj Purohit, Chandrasekhar, and Ajit Shukla (All founder members of LP and 'National' office-bearers) as biased in favour of a particular community and dictatorial in their ways. 'We intend dedicating fully ourselves to the social causes. If people are happy with us, we would float a political party and truly strive for their betterment,' he said explaining the future plans of the break-away group and also thanked the 35000 voters who had voted for the LP. He also informed the media that many more persons in the small party were disillusioned with the way the party was conducted and expressed hope that many would leave the party in the days to come.
Joining him, K Rajamany said that there was no proper accounts, no party constitution or p"
Apart from these charges they also alleged dominance of a particular community in the party, and stated that persons belonging to other communities were ignored.
In a press meet held here yesterday, the three candidates along with their supporters briefed the media on the reasons for resigning from the party. They also circulated a statement 'The other face of Lok Paritran' to substantiate their points
'During election campaign the volunteers and other resources including party funds were utilised only for Mylapore constituency where Santanagopalan Vasudevan contested and all others were ignored,' said Ellanthirumaran, who has resigned from the State party presidentship of the LP. He also charged Santana Gopal Vasudevan, (Chief Advisor and founder member of LP) Tanmay Raj Purohit, Chandrasekhar, and Ajit Shukla (All founder members of LP and 'National' office-bearers) as biased in favour of a particular community and dictatorial in their ways. 'We intend dedicating fully ourselves to the social causes. If people are happy with us, we would float a political party and truly strive for their betterment,' he said explaining the future plans of the break-away group and also thanked the 35000 voters who had voted for the LP. He also informed the media that many more persons in the small party were disillusioned with the way the party was conducted and expressed hope that many would leave the party in the days to come.
Joining him, K Rajamany said that there was no proper accounts, no party constitution or p"
Engineering education: Can India overtake China?
Engineering education: Can India overtake China?: "But despite the rise in colleges, Prof Madhavan says the quality of Indian engineers is questionable on account of 'the lack of trained faculty and dismal state spending on research and development in higher education.' As engineering education grows, he adds, its quality has to improve.
According to the National Institute of Education Planning & Administration, the share of government expenditure on technical education presently hovers around 4 per cent. In China, the amount spent on research and development, especially in engineering fields, is a good 10 per cent.
What, apart from poor government expenditure, could slow India down? Experts say one of the biggest drawbacks is overlapping. 'We have degrees like a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA), Master of Computer Applications (MCA), Bachelor of Engineering or Technology (BE/B.Tech.) in computer science, BE/B.Tech. in information technology, Bachelor of Science in computer science, Master of Science in computer science and an integrated M.Sc. in computer science /software engineering,' says C R Muthukrishnan, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT-Madras."
According to the National Institute of Education Planning & Administration, the share of government expenditure on technical education presently hovers around 4 per cent. In China, the amount spent on research and development, especially in engineering fields, is a good 10 per cent.
What, apart from poor government expenditure, could slow India down? Experts say one of the biggest drawbacks is overlapping. 'We have degrees like a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA), Master of Computer Applications (MCA), Bachelor of Engineering or Technology (BE/B.Tech.) in computer science, BE/B.Tech. in information technology, Bachelor of Science in computer science, Master of Science in computer science and an integrated M.Sc. in computer science /software engineering,' says C R Muthukrishnan, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT-Madras."
Saturday, June 10, 2006
NASSCOM to oppose job quotas totally
NASSCOM to oppose job quotas totally: "NASSCOM President Kiran Karnik on Thursday said the IT industry body would oppose any move to introduce reservation in the private sector as it would affect the performance of the businesses.
'In industry, it is not productive and also not a wise move. Industries are competing globally and we want best people for the job. We cannot introduce reservation as it will affect the performance of the industry,' he said.
'If at all reservation is imposed on industries, NASSCOM will oppose it totally,' he told reporters here.
Karnik also said the proposed 27 per cent reservation for OBCs would have 'historical disadvantage' and lead to permanent division in the society."
'In industry, it is not productive and also not a wise move. Industries are competing globally and we want best people for the job. We cannot introduce reservation as it will affect the performance of the industry,' he said.
'If at all reservation is imposed on industries, NASSCOM will oppose it totally,' he told reporters here.
Karnik also said the proposed 27 per cent reservation for OBCs would have 'historical disadvantage' and lead to permanent division in the society."
'One has to cater to market's choice'
'One has to cater to market's choice': "Yadav, who was a bit impatient, took on the TV media and alleged that the coverage of the 19-days' anti-reservation movement was biased and lopsided.
He argued that most of the media were upper caste and that was reflected in the coverage.
Yadav said anti-reservation protests had only 200 students at AIIMS, but TV coverage made it a big issue as if they were countering Indian Parliament.
Sardesai, whose channel CNN-IBN had gone overboard over the issue, stoutly defended Yadav's allegations.
He pointed out that there is a difference in the media of 1990 and 2006.
In India there are around 34 news channels providing 24/7 coverage. More than eight news channels are in Hindi and in English, three news channels are facing fierce competition.
Sardesai said in his defence that he refused to believe there was any kind of conspiracy behind the coverage of the reservation issue.
He said although there are more upper caste journalists in the Indian media, a recent survey showed that large number of journalists were Mandalites.
'On the reservation issue, there is a level of intolerance on both sides. People who are trying to seek the middle ground are finding it difficult,' he said."
He argued that most of the media were upper caste and that was reflected in the coverage.
Yadav said anti-reservation protests had only 200 students at AIIMS, but TV coverage made it a big issue as if they were countering Indian Parliament.
Sardesai, whose channel CNN-IBN had gone overboard over the issue, stoutly defended Yadav's allegations.
He pointed out that there is a difference in the media of 1990 and 2006.
In India there are around 34 news channels providing 24/7 coverage. More than eight news channels are in Hindi and in English, three news channels are facing fierce competition.
Sardesai said in his defence that he refused to believe there was any kind of conspiracy behind the coverage of the reservation issue.
He said although there are more upper caste journalists in the Indian media, a recent survey showed that large number of journalists were Mandalites.
'On the reservation issue, there is a level of intolerance on both sides. People who are trying to seek the middle ground are finding it difficult,' he said."
Quotas and the notion of merit
Quotas and the notion of merit: "There is some minimal reservation for those good in sports, and some in extra-curricular activities (ECA). One also hears that students who get in through these quotas are looked down upon by the so-called general stream, as less intelligent or less worthy of the seat in that college. And everybody seems to go along with this perception.
So, we are actually saying that those who can manage to secure good marks are necessarily better than those who have a creative streak, who have a more rounded personality, who can very often really enrich and give the society much more than the others. It is the whole way of looking at merit once more and how we define it.
Till such time as the education establishment can do some reassessment of the system and come out with a criterion for merit in the holistic sense, I would say that thanks to this reservation we get some outstanding budding talent in the arts into the university framework."
So, we are actually saying that those who can manage to secure good marks are necessarily better than those who have a creative streak, who have a more rounded personality, who can very often really enrich and give the society much more than the others. It is the whole way of looking at merit once more and how we define it.
Till such time as the education establishment can do some reassessment of the system and come out with a criterion for merit in the holistic sense, I would say that thanks to this reservation we get some outstanding budding talent in the arts into the university framework."
Govt won't review quota policy: Chidambaram
Govt won't review quota policy: Chidambaram: "The government, which has proposed expanding quotas for OBCs in higher education, has not yet established the basis for arriving at the decision and also has no plans to review the country's caste-based reservation policy, says Finance Minister P Chidambaram.
Though the Centre has plenty of time to reply to the Supreme Court's queries on reservation, including its rationale, the lack of a clear basis casts doubts on the fairness of the government's decision to expand quotas."
Though the Centre has plenty of time to reply to the Supreme Court's queries on reservation, including its rationale, the lack of a clear basis casts doubts on the fairness of the government's decision to expand quotas."
Friday, June 09, 2006
TM centre faces opposition in Kansas
TM centre faces opposition in Kansas: "But it has been getting plenty of that with a group of pastors led by a Lutheran, John Hubbard, opposing (in vain, some could say) the construction of over a dozen peace palaces for Transcendental Meditation.
Hubbard has accused the movement of lying, hiding its Hindu roots, and said doing so is a violation of good neighbourly policy.
The TM leaders involved in various projects connected to TM and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi believe that the spiritual complex would eventually cost over $100 million.
The construction of some 20, two-story peace palaces within the next year could cost about $30 million. They also sound hopeful that hundreds of jobs would be created on a long-term basis, and the work on the projects will be carried out without any legal hassles.
Unlike in many towns where the opponents of a Hindu temple or a mosque have used zoning laws to prevent them opening, Smith Center seems to have no such devices.
The opponents also do not like the idea of TM practitioners and men and women, allied to the peace movement started by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, wanting to set up their World Capital of Peace there.
But many of Smith Center's farming citizens and pastors would tell you that this is not a racial issue. For, except for the Maharishi, the only people who have been there on TM missions are whites, and they are mostly American.
Many of the struggling farmers could also be a bit envious that suddenly (at least to their eyes) a group of outsiders have turned up to buy 1,100 acres of land for organic farming and peace palaces.
But more than anything else, the Rev Hubbard would say it is the question of transparency.
Hubbard, who led an opposing effort soon after the March 28 bhoomi pooja for the peace complex and published a letter in a local newspaper questioning TM movement, does not believe it is not religious.
He does not buy the arg"
Hubbard has accused the movement of lying, hiding its Hindu roots, and said doing so is a violation of good neighbourly policy.
The TM leaders involved in various projects connected to TM and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi believe that the spiritual complex would eventually cost over $100 million.
The construction of some 20, two-story peace palaces within the next year could cost about $30 million. They also sound hopeful that hundreds of jobs would be created on a long-term basis, and the work on the projects will be carried out without any legal hassles.
Unlike in many towns where the opponents of a Hindu temple or a mosque have used zoning laws to prevent them opening, Smith Center seems to have no such devices.
The opponents also do not like the idea of TM practitioners and men and women, allied to the peace movement started by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, wanting to set up their World Capital of Peace there.
But many of Smith Center's farming citizens and pastors would tell you that this is not a racial issue. For, except for the Maharishi, the only people who have been there on TM missions are whites, and they are mostly American.
Many of the struggling farmers could also be a bit envious that suddenly (at least to their eyes) a group of outsiders have turned up to buy 1,100 acres of land for organic farming and peace palaces.
But more than anything else, the Rev Hubbard would say it is the question of transparency.
Hubbard, who led an opposing effort soon after the March 28 bhoomi pooja for the peace complex and published a letter in a local newspaper questioning TM movement, does not believe it is not religious.
He does not buy the arg"
Bid to attack Somnath temple foiled; 2 LeT men held - Sify.com
Bid to attack Somnath temple foiled; 2 LeT men held - Sify.com: "Ahmedabad: The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat police on Friday arrested two Lashkar-e-Taiba men and claimed to have cracked the LeT module in the state that planned to target several commercial and religious places, including the historic Somnath temple and the Kandla-Bhatinda crude oil pipeline.
'Two LeT militants were arrested by a team of ATS sleuths. The duo were identified as Vakil Ahmed Saiyed alias Taffo and Umar Farooq Sheikh,' Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of ATS DG Vanzara said.
Vanzara said the ATS had tracked down the two men after their names were revealed by two LeT militants Mohammed Chand Miyan Chippa and Feroz alias Abdullah Ghaswala who were brought to the city on a transfer warrant from Delhi.
These two were arrested by the Delhi police on May 8, 2006 from Nizamuddin railway station with four kilogram of RDX, four electronics detonators and Rs 50,000.
'With this arrest, we have cracked an LeT module that was beginning to consolidate itself in the state and had planned to target the historic Somnath temple in Junagadh district of the state,' Vanzara said.
'Besides the temple, the terrorists had planned to blow up the Kandla-Bhatinda pipeline which takes crude oil from Kutch district to a refinery in Punjab,' he added."
'Two LeT militants were arrested by a team of ATS sleuths. The duo were identified as Vakil Ahmed Saiyed alias Taffo and Umar Farooq Sheikh,' Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of ATS DG Vanzara said.
Vanzara said the ATS had tracked down the two men after their names were revealed by two LeT militants Mohammed Chand Miyan Chippa and Feroz alias Abdullah Ghaswala who were brought to the city on a transfer warrant from Delhi.
These two were arrested by the Delhi police on May 8, 2006 from Nizamuddin railway station with four kilogram of RDX, four electronics detonators and Rs 50,000.
'With this arrest, we have cracked an LeT module that was beginning to consolidate itself in the state and had planned to target the historic Somnath temple in Junagadh district of the state,' Vanzara said.
'Besides the temple, the terrorists had planned to blow up the Kandla-Bhatinda pipeline which takes crude oil from Kutch district to a refinery in Punjab,' he added."
Indian Americans hold rally to protest quota - Newindpress.com
I was here!
Swami
Indian Americans hold rally to protest quota - Newindpress.com: "WASHINGTON: The anti-quota protests in India found an echo in the United States with over 500 Indian American professionals and students from the San Francisco Bay Area holding a demonstration against what they dubbed as the disturbing trend of using reservation for politics.
Under the banner of Bay Area Indians for Equality, Indian Americans from the region including Berkeley, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Milpitas and San Jose organised a protest on Sunday at Fair Oaks Park in Sunnyvale, California.
The rally included a signature campaign on a petition addressed to the President of India questioning the proposed policy of reservation for OBCs in Central institutes.
A street-skit performance poked fun at the politics and policies of reservation while sending a serious message on the long-term impact of reservations on society.
'We are not pro or anti-reservation, but question the facts, figures and basis of the Government policy. We ask for complete analysis to show why it is the best strategy for India's development,' said Manish, one of the organisers.
'The Government has not measured the success of reservation policies of the past. On what basis can they extend such a policy?' questioned Shambhoo, another organiser of the rally.
'We need clearly defined goals, well analysed strategies and time-bound metric to measure its success. Results of reservations are long lasting and we need to study them properly before moving forward,' he added"
Swami
Indian Americans hold rally to protest quota - Newindpress.com: "WASHINGTON: The anti-quota protests in India found an echo in the United States with over 500 Indian American professionals and students from the San Francisco Bay Area holding a demonstration against what they dubbed as the disturbing trend of using reservation for politics.
Under the banner of Bay Area Indians for Equality, Indian Americans from the region including Berkeley, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Milpitas and San Jose organised a protest on Sunday at Fair Oaks Park in Sunnyvale, California.
The rally included a signature campaign on a petition addressed to the President of India questioning the proposed policy of reservation for OBCs in Central institutes.
A street-skit performance poked fun at the politics and policies of reservation while sending a serious message on the long-term impact of reservations on society.
'We are not pro or anti-reservation, but question the facts, figures and basis of the Government policy. We ask for complete analysis to show why it is the best strategy for India's development,' said Manish, one of the organisers.
'The Government has not measured the success of reservation policies of the past. On what basis can they extend such a policy?' questioned Shambhoo, another organiser of the rally.
'We need clearly defined goals, well analysed strategies and time-bound metric to measure its success. Results of reservations are long lasting and we need to study them properly before moving forward,' he added"
Indian origin doctor brutally murdered in South Africa - Newindpress.com
Indian origin doctor brutally murdered in South Africa - Newindpress.com: "JOHANNESBURG: The medical community in Pietermaritzburg is still in a state of shock over the weekend murder of a South African-Indian gynaecologist who was also the wife of a member of parliament.
Sadera Bhamjee, 56, was brutally murdered in her consulting room in the capital of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province on Friday by unknown assailants, when her receptionist, Reshma Sookraj, was out for lunch.
According to media reports here, Sadera, wife of Yusuf Bhamjee, the African National Congress MP who represents KwaZulu-Natal in the National Assembly, was stabbed in her head and neck.
"
Sadera Bhamjee, 56, was brutally murdered in her consulting room in the capital of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province on Friday by unknown assailants, when her receptionist, Reshma Sookraj, was out for lunch.
According to media reports here, Sadera, wife of Yusuf Bhamjee, the African National Congress MP who represents KwaZulu-Natal in the National Assembly, was stabbed in her head and neck.
"
After Premji, Murthy says NO to reservation
After Premji, Murthy says NO to reservation: "As the government keeps harping on and on about reservation, Infosys Chairman N R Narayana Murthy on Thursday said providing best of opportunities to the socially underprivileged was the only way to correct social imbalances.
Making a mention about his strong belief in providing opportunities, he said Infosys last year chose 65 candidates from the disadvantaged sections and put them under intensive training, and after they were subjected to recruitment tests, 35 of them qualified for jobs in the company's BPO arm ‘Progeon’.
'This should be the approach,' he said.
A similar exercise is being launched by Infosys on August 15 in association with Canara Bank and Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore."
Making a mention about his strong belief in providing opportunities, he said Infosys last year chose 65 candidates from the disadvantaged sections and put them under intensive training, and after they were subjected to recruitment tests, 35 of them qualified for jobs in the company's BPO arm ‘Progeon’.
'This should be the approach,' he said.
A similar exercise is being launched by Infosys on August 15 in association with Canara Bank and Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore."
Pawar has smacked Cong in the face
Pawar has smacked Cong in the face: "Follow-up: Reader 'Shiva' commented: 'I disagree with you in the statement that there would be a shortage of teachers in India, resulting from the exodus of teachers in the near future. Taking the case of IT, many experienced professionals and students have left their Indian jobs for better paying jobs elsewhere. Is India in dearth of IT professionals today?'
Response: Actually, yes there is a lacuna, and it is one of the things that scares me. Here are two citations: Both NASSCOM and Microsoft agree that only a quarter of the software graduates fresh out of college are any good. This leaves Indian software giants with two options: set up their own colleges, or tap sources outside India. When TCS set up its office in Shanghai, China, its press note said it would 'collaborate with the local universities of repute in research and development.' How long shall it be before the others follow?"
Response: Actually, yes there is a lacuna, and it is one of the things that scares me. Here are two citations: Both NASSCOM and Microsoft agree that only a quarter of the software graduates fresh out of college are any good. This leaves Indian software giants with two options: set up their own colleges, or tap sources outside India. When TCS set up its office in Shanghai, China, its press note said it would 'collaborate with the local universities of repute in research and development.' How long shall it be before the others follow?"
IndianExpress.com :: Being middle class is ok
IndianExpress.com :: Being middle class is ok: "One of the more insidious effects of quota politics is that identity has colonised reason. We assume that positions on issues are determined by who people are. On this view the upper caste will oppose quotas, because it is in their caste interests, and the so-called lower castes will demand them because it is in their interest. There is no doubt much self-interested calculation at work in our positions, and there is gratuitous name-calling. Protesters against the quota sometimes used images that could be construed as demeaning; just as defenders of quota level the charge manuwadi or draw analogies of upper castes with the Ku-Klux clan, as if such moral charges should be bandied about easily. There is little doubt that different groups are often not as well represented in different walks of life as they should be. But from this premise we have gone to the insidious conclusion that identity determines the validity of arguments. Show me your identity and I can impugn you, the logic of the argument be damned. This is the profound sense in which caste based politics has diminished us. All there is, is a clash of interests and wills. No leader or thinker can speak on behalf of the whole, the authority of each will remain confined to the groups they come from. What a corrosion of democracy and subversion of public reason! The whole idea of citizenship and reciprocity is effaced if caste is equated with reason, which many protagonists in the debate are doing.
Advertisment
The second corrosion we have witnessed is that democracy has been equated with a numbers game and reduced to pure identity head counts. Of course in a representative democracy, numbers matter; and in the end we have no option but to accede to elected representatives. But when instead of focusing on the quality of arguments and consequences of policy, mere numbers are cited (only a tiny minority thinks this), democracy is put at risk. After all, this is exact"
Advertisment
The second corrosion we have witnessed is that democracy has been equated with a numbers game and reduced to pure identity head counts. Of course in a representative democracy, numbers matter; and in the end we have no option but to accede to elected representatives. But when instead of focusing on the quality of arguments and consequences of policy, mere numbers are cited (only a tiny minority thinks this), democracy is put at risk. After all, this is exact"
OBCs should throw away the demeaning crutches
OBCs should throw away the demeaning crutches: "I am by brand an 'Other Backward Class'. I did my PhD at an IIT and taught at another IIT for 27 years before retiring. It is to the credit of the IIT system that it never asked me my caste brand, neither when I entered as a student or faculty nor when I was promoted. It is sad that these things are going to change. It may not be irrelevant to note that they didn't ask my caste or religion at Oxford University in the UK, McGill University in Canada or the German Universities where I went to work.
If you are socially disadvantaged, you must strive to overcome that disadvantage and the only way to do that is to educate yourself and your children. Ask for good schools, good teachers and scholarships. If you opt for charity and crutches, you will always remain for generations to come, a receiver of charity limping on borrowed crutches. Charity demeans both the giver and the receiver.
*
Complete coverage: The reservation ruckus
I was born to poor, virtually illiterate parents in a remote village. But I was lucky to have a great science teacher in our village school who excited me about science; not just to learn textbook science, but to do experiments after school hours and on holidays and to do Socratic debates about science with him. Whatever modest success I have had in my professional scientific career, I can trace to such early fortunate circumstances and influences.
If you haven't had proper schooling and if you are just airlifted into an IIT by virtue of your scheduled or backward caste, you will be a miserable misfit in the intellectually and socially elite IIT atmosphere. You cannot cope with the courses; you cannot speak the campus lingo. You feel ostracized, intellectually and socially. I am saying this based on my decades of long experience with such students at IIT. Even after special coaching for a year at IIT and being exempted from the dreaded Entrance Examination, the SC/ST reserved studen"
If you are socially disadvantaged, you must strive to overcome that disadvantage and the only way to do that is to educate yourself and your children. Ask for good schools, good teachers and scholarships. If you opt for charity and crutches, you will always remain for generations to come, a receiver of charity limping on borrowed crutches. Charity demeans both the giver and the receiver.
*
Complete coverage: The reservation ruckus
I was born to poor, virtually illiterate parents in a remote village. But I was lucky to have a great science teacher in our village school who excited me about science; not just to learn textbook science, but to do experiments after school hours and on holidays and to do Socratic debates about science with him. Whatever modest success I have had in my professional scientific career, I can trace to such early fortunate circumstances and influences.
If you haven't had proper schooling and if you are just airlifted into an IIT by virtue of your scheduled or backward caste, you will be a miserable misfit in the intellectually and socially elite IIT atmosphere. You cannot cope with the courses; you cannot speak the campus lingo. You feel ostracized, intellectually and socially. I am saying this based on my decades of long experience with such students at IIT. Even after special coaching for a year at IIT and being exempted from the dreaded Entrance Examination, the SC/ST reserved studen"
Indian origin girl raped, killed in Guyana - Newindpress.com
Indian origin girl raped, killed in Guyana - Newindpress.com: "PORT OF SPAIN: A 16-year-old girl of Indian origin was brutally raped and murdered in the Berbice region of eastern Guyana.
According to media reports here, the 16-year-old girl had gone over to an elderly person's home on Wednesday to sleep when the incident took place.
The victim, who was a student of Berbice Educational Institute in Corentyne, acted as a night companion for the elderly woman who lived just two houses down from her own house and was sleeping when she was attacked.
The reports said the attackers raped her before slashing her throat. The elderly woman, also of Indian origin, was found bound with wires and gagged. The killers then took her downstairs where they locked her in a room. It was also reported that nothing was stolen from the house.
The victim had been writing her Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate examination this year.
There has been growing concern over rise in crime in several Caribbean countries, and people of Indian origin have often been targets. Indo-Guyanese comprise 50 percent of Guyana's population of over 750,000."
According to media reports here, the 16-year-old girl had gone over to an elderly person's home on Wednesday to sleep when the incident took place.
The victim, who was a student of Berbice Educational Institute in Corentyne, acted as a night companion for the elderly woman who lived just two houses down from her own house and was sleeping when she was attacked.
The reports said the attackers raped her before slashing her throat. The elderly woman, also of Indian origin, was found bound with wires and gagged. The killers then took her downstairs where they locked her in a room. It was also reported that nothing was stolen from the house.
The victim had been writing her Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate examination this year.
There has been growing concern over rise in crime in several Caribbean countries, and people of Indian origin have often been targets. Indo-Guyanese comprise 50 percent of Guyana's population of over 750,000."
When Arjun Singh made him feel 'backward'
When Arjun Singh made him feel 'backward': "But then our leaders reminded me of my caste. They made me feel 'backward' all over again. They made me remember my childhood days. It has suddenly become difficult for me to feel the same as I did before this latest announcement.
I am truly worried about my alma mater. I feel our leaders are going to spoil our haven on earth for their own narrow, selfish motives. I would like to propose a solution: send all our leaders to the IITs. Only then would they come to realise the real meaning of secularism, the value they keep trumpeting. I would not take umbrage if IIT seats were given to our leaders to make them understand the true meaning of secularism.
But now I am sure that once they make reservations mandatory for admissions in institutes, equality shall be replaced with hatred and discrimination. I urge our leaders: please don’t do this to us. Our generation has changed. Please don’t separate us on the basis of our birth, something over which one has no control. We have the power to mould our destinies and fortunes; allow us to do that. We have started believing in equality, hard work and dedication as the recipe for success. Please don’t break our faith. It will endanger the unity of our nation. Please let the new generation of India live in a world where ideas matter, not the caste or religion into which one is born.
The writer was in the Class of 2004, B-Tech Chemical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur."
I am truly worried about my alma mater. I feel our leaders are going to spoil our haven on earth for their own narrow, selfish motives. I would like to propose a solution: send all our leaders to the IITs. Only then would they come to realise the real meaning of secularism, the value they keep trumpeting. I would not take umbrage if IIT seats were given to our leaders to make them understand the true meaning of secularism.
But now I am sure that once they make reservations mandatory for admissions in institutes, equality shall be replaced with hatred and discrimination. I urge our leaders: please don’t do this to us. Our generation has changed. Please don’t separate us on the basis of our birth, something over which one has no control. We have the power to mould our destinies and fortunes; allow us to do that. We have started believing in equality, hard work and dedication as the recipe for success. Please don’t break our faith. It will endanger the unity of our nation. Please let the new generation of India live in a world where ideas matter, not the caste or religion into which one is born.
The writer was in the Class of 2004, B-Tech Chemical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur."
Friday, June 02, 2006
The next exodus will be of teachers
The next exodus will be of teachers: "But even engineering college professors state that some of their students are unfamiliar with concepts taught in high school maths. College professors as a class are not as patient as school teachers, and they resent the call on their time when bringing backward students up to speed.
The second reason is that they fear not just a (further) dilution in the quality of students but also in the quality of the teaching staff. If you increase the number of seats by roughly 55 per cent you must also increase the number of teachers. Teaching in an IIT or IIM is not a joke. Where are the qualified personnel? It is galling for a professor who has put in the hard years to be told to share his space with someone who is much less qualified.
A professor in a reputed American university can easily earn ten times as much as his colleague in India (to say nothing of superior research facilities). But salaries are not at the top of the list when considering options outside India; some are people who came back to India rather than stick around in the United States or Europe.
Yet coupled with the prospect of dealing with poorly qualified students and colleagues those pay packets suddenly loom large. I know for a fact that it is not just western universities who are rolling out the red carpet, Indian professors are being offered posts everywhere from Dubai to South-East Asia.
The quality of Kerala's educational system started declining when Keralites lost their respect for teaching. I wince every time I hear that pernicious adage 'Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach!' Now, that lack of respect is being replicated on a national scale.
Did anyone in the Manmohan Singh ministry actually talk to the teachers in the IITs, IIMs, or AIIMS before deciding to increase numbers wholesale? If you don't consult teachers in decision that directly affect them aren't you treating th"
The second reason is that they fear not just a (further) dilution in the quality of students but also in the quality of the teaching staff. If you increase the number of seats by roughly 55 per cent you must also increase the number of teachers. Teaching in an IIT or IIM is not a joke. Where are the qualified personnel? It is galling for a professor who has put in the hard years to be told to share his space with someone who is much less qualified.
A professor in a reputed American university can easily earn ten times as much as his colleague in India (to say nothing of superior research facilities). But salaries are not at the top of the list when considering options outside India; some are people who came back to India rather than stick around in the United States or Europe.
Yet coupled with the prospect of dealing with poorly qualified students and colleagues those pay packets suddenly loom large. I know for a fact that it is not just western universities who are rolling out the red carpet, Indian professors are being offered posts everywhere from Dubai to South-East Asia.
The quality of Kerala's educational system started declining when Keralites lost their respect for teaching. I wince every time I hear that pernicious adage 'Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach!' Now, that lack of respect is being replicated on a national scale.
Did anyone in the Manmohan Singh ministry actually talk to the teachers in the IITs, IIMs, or AIIMS before deciding to increase numbers wholesale? If you don't consult teachers in decision that directly affect them aren't you treating th"
New graffiti hits New Jersey: 'I hate Indians' - Newindpress.com
New graffiti hits New Jersey: 'I hate Indians' - Newindpress.com: "New graffiti hits New Jersey: 'I hate Indians'
Saturday June 3 2006 00:01 IST
PTI
NEW YORK: An Indian origin family in the US state of New Jersey has become a victim of hate crime with vandals spraying anti-Indian slogans and scribbling graffiti against Hindus on their house.
The family, which has three children, is living in fear as police searches for the culprits, who painted the hate slogans 'I hate Indians' on back of the house and front steps last weekend.
Police has not released the name of the family members. It is learnt that the 42-year old husband was born and brought up in Tanzania and married to a woman from Mumbai. The family is not sure who could have done it but say that the neighbours had been friendly.
The family say it is unable to blot out the profanities, which are spray painted in orange and neon green, as it would cost them thousands of dollars to hire professionals to do the job.
The family had first received hate letters in January but police had treated it as an isolated case."
Saturday June 3 2006 00:01 IST
PTI
NEW YORK: An Indian origin family in the US state of New Jersey has become a victim of hate crime with vandals spraying anti-Indian slogans and scribbling graffiti against Hindus on their house.
The family, which has three children, is living in fear as police searches for the culprits, who painted the hate slogans 'I hate Indians' on back of the house and front steps last weekend.
Police has not released the name of the family members. It is learnt that the 42-year old husband was born and brought up in Tanzania and married to a woman from Mumbai. The family is not sure who could have done it but say that the neighbours had been friendly.
The family say it is unable to blot out the profanities, which are spray painted in orange and neon green, as it would cost them thousands of dollars to hire professionals to do the job.
The family had first received hate letters in January but police had treated it as an isolated case."
No cremation ground for Hindus in Lahore- The Times of India
No cremation ground for Hindus in Lahore- The Times of India: "The Hindu community's grievance is clear: Lahore, that had 11 cremation grounds at the time of the partition, has none today. It does not want to take responsibility of cremating Radha.
A member of the Hindu community, whom the report did not identify, said that the cremation sites that had existed in Lahore before 1947 had either been demolished or converted into houses.
Moreover, cremation was an expensive ritual, and required at least 800 kg of wood and at least two canisters of ghee. The only remaining option for them was to have their dead cremated in Nankana or bury them in the city, which most Hindus chose to do, he said.
The Hindu and Sikh communities in Lahore have been asking the government for a cremation site."
A member of the Hindu community, whom the report did not identify, said that the cremation sites that had existed in Lahore before 1947 had either been demolished or converted into houses.
Moreover, cremation was an expensive ritual, and required at least 800 kg of wood and at least two canisters of ghee. The only remaining option for them was to have their dead cremated in Nankana or bury them in the city, which most Hindus chose to do, he said.
The Hindu and Sikh communities in Lahore have been asking the government for a cremation site."
Grotesque assertion of minorityism - Sify.com
Grotesque assertion of minorityism - Sify.com: "Grotesque assertion of minorityism
By Swapan Dasgupta |
In his compelling critique of majoritarianism and the impending 'clash of civilisations', Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen has argued that each individual embraces a multiplicity of identities and not merely a religious one.
In short, we are all, in some way or other, a minority. Sen's argument has been enthusiastically endorsed by India's politically correct community. The mere invocation of the term 'minority' is enough to make them mushy and infuriatingly sanctimonious.
Minority rights, we are repeatedly told, must be preserved at all costs, even if it involves making hideous compromises with the principles of equity and modernity.
Earlier this month, we had a grotesque assertion of minorityism when Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Das Munshi chose to obliterate the crucial distinction between accuser and judge. A clutch of people, said to be the custodians of Roman Catholicism in India, were called upon to judge the universal suitability of the celluloid version of The Da Vinci Code.
Read more hard-hitting columns
Although the central command of the Christian faith police confined itself to demanding that the film contain a faith warning, some state governments-notably Nagaland, Goa and Punjab-travelled the extra mile and banned the film altogether.
There were the usual 'free speech' protests, not incidentally from the Communists, but the controversy didn't really snowball. However, no one disagreed with the fundamental approach of the Government-that it is necessary to consult and respect 'minority' sentiments.
I am not going to address the issue of whether or not the Government would have displayed similar concern had the offence been caused to people who call themselves Hindus. A privileged status for minorities has become the Great Indian Consensus.
However, this consensus also involves taking Hindus for granted for the simple"
By Swapan Dasgupta |
In his compelling critique of majoritarianism and the impending 'clash of civilisations', Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen has argued that each individual embraces a multiplicity of identities and not merely a religious one.
In short, we are all, in some way or other, a minority. Sen's argument has been enthusiastically endorsed by India's politically correct community. The mere invocation of the term 'minority' is enough to make them mushy and infuriatingly sanctimonious.
Minority rights, we are repeatedly told, must be preserved at all costs, even if it involves making hideous compromises with the principles of equity and modernity.
Earlier this month, we had a grotesque assertion of minorityism when Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Das Munshi chose to obliterate the crucial distinction between accuser and judge. A clutch of people, said to be the custodians of Roman Catholicism in India, were called upon to judge the universal suitability of the celluloid version of The Da Vinci Code.
Read more hard-hitting columns
Although the central command of the Christian faith police confined itself to demanding that the film contain a faith warning, some state governments-notably Nagaland, Goa and Punjab-travelled the extra mile and banned the film altogether.
There were the usual 'free speech' protests, not incidentally from the Communists, but the controversy didn't really snowball. However, no one disagreed with the fundamental approach of the Government-that it is necessary to consult and respect 'minority' sentiments.
I am not going to address the issue of whether or not the Government would have displayed similar concern had the offence been caused to people who call themselves Hindus. A privileged status for minorities has become the Great Indian Consensus.
However, this consensus also involves taking Hindus for granted for the simple"
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Deccan Chronicle on the web
Deccan Chronicle on the web: "Brahmins seek ‘Dalit jobs’
Lucknow, June 1: It could be fire in the belly or simply the necessity to survive, but a quiet social revolution has begun unfolding in several cities of Uttar Pradesh, where brahmins and upper caste Hindus are applying for posts of sanitary workers, known as “safai karamcharis.” The posts of sanitary workers, on an ad hoc basis, were recently advertised in several towns and cities and, for the first time, the applicants include members of the brahmin community in large numbers.
“There are vaishyas and kayasthas too who have applied for the post of safai karamchari but the number of brahmin applicants is sizeable,” says an Agra Nagar Nigam official.
Udit Sharma and Suraj Misra, both young graduates, are among the applicants for the post of safai karamchari in Agra. “We have been looking for jobs for the past two years but we have failed to get one so far. We need to earn our living, and so we thought we might as well work as safai karamcharis here,” says Udit Sharma.
Suraj Misra’s mother, Savitri Misra, has already warned her son that if he goes ahead with the job, he would be shown the door and, the family would have to face social ostracism. But Suraj is not perturbed. “I am not bothered about society and relatives because no one came forward to help us when my sister’s engagement broke off due to paucity of funds. I need a job and any job will do. Once I start earning, everything else will fall into place,” he says.
The chief development officer at Sitapur, Tahir Iqbal, admits that the upper caste candidates who have applied for the jobs of safai karamcharis appear determined to get the job. “There is a long list of Misra, Shukla, Tripathi and Tiwari candidates who have applied for these posts and they are eagerly waiting to get selected,” he said. One of the candidates who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “It is better to become a scavenger than"
Lucknow, June 1: It could be fire in the belly or simply the necessity to survive, but a quiet social revolution has begun unfolding in several cities of Uttar Pradesh, where brahmins and upper caste Hindus are applying for posts of sanitary workers, known as “safai karamcharis.” The posts of sanitary workers, on an ad hoc basis, were recently advertised in several towns and cities and, for the first time, the applicants include members of the brahmin community in large numbers.
“There are vaishyas and kayasthas too who have applied for the post of safai karamchari but the number of brahmin applicants is sizeable,” says an Agra Nagar Nigam official.
Udit Sharma and Suraj Misra, both young graduates, are among the applicants for the post of safai karamchari in Agra. “We have been looking for jobs for the past two years but we have failed to get one so far. We need to earn our living, and so we thought we might as well work as safai karamcharis here,” says Udit Sharma.
Suraj Misra’s mother, Savitri Misra, has already warned her son that if he goes ahead with the job, he would be shown the door and, the family would have to face social ostracism. But Suraj is not perturbed. “I am not bothered about society and relatives because no one came forward to help us when my sister’s engagement broke off due to paucity of funds. I need a job and any job will do. Once I start earning, everything else will fall into place,” he says.
The chief development officer at Sitapur, Tahir Iqbal, admits that the upper caste candidates who have applied for the jobs of safai karamcharis appear determined to get the job. “There is a long list of Misra, Shukla, Tripathi and Tiwari candidates who have applied for these posts and they are eagerly waiting to get selected,” he said. One of the candidates who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “It is better to become a scavenger than"
Moscow may allocate new plot for Krishna temple
Moscow may allocate new plot for Krishna temple: "Moscow may allocate a new plot for the construction of a Krishna temple despite opposition from the powerful Christian Orthodox Church and Muslim clergy.
The earlier allotment of plot to the Moscow chapter of ISKCON for building the Krishna temple was revoked by the prosecutor's office due to alleged 'irregularities'.
The Christian Orthodox Church and Muslim clergy were also opposed to the allotment of plot for the purpose."
The earlier allotment of plot to the Moscow chapter of ISKCON for building the Krishna temple was revoked by the prosecutor's office due to alleged 'irregularities'.
The Christian Orthodox Church and Muslim clergy were also opposed to the allotment of plot for the purpose."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
