Varun’s mistake is he called himself a Hindu!

From

Editorial – Organiser

To kill a mocking bird Bane of being Hindu

http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=284&page=3

The country’s politics has become minority centric. This facet comes into sharper focus at the time of election because that is the occasion to decide the destiny of the country. Varun Gandhi would have got away unnoticed had he said all that he had allegedly said to protect the Muslims or even a Kasab, Shahabuddin or Mohammad Afzal instead of the Hindus. The issue is not the use of religion in politics but the use of wrong religion on a right occasion.

If Sonia Gandhi goes to Tirupati, or Guruvayoor—these temples are not open to non-Hindus and after her visit the temple priests conduct elaborate purification rites—though she is a Catholic it is not for vote but a generous fashion parade of secularism. Look at the Congress manifesto. Or the Trinamool Congress manifesto. Both have chapter and verses of promises for specific religious groups(not Hindu) and by all interpretations the crux of their promise is a separate religious charter exclusively to woo minority vote bank. (This is a clear violation of the Constitution.) Not only that. They are highly patronising to terrorists. The Congress manifesto claims to have defanged the security forces fighting terror by repealing POTA. The Congress manifesto was released on the day twelve brave Indian soldiers lost their lives in Kashmir fighting the Lashkar infiltrators. The country has lost over 7000 innocent citizens in terror attacks in the last five years as part of the Jehadi design to inflict a thousand cuts to destroy India. But the Congress manifesto is silent on fighting terror. Rather it claims terrorists have no religion. Terror patrons in the country are honourable men. They are the torch-bearers of secularism.

The Congress is openly seeking the support of ulemas of Deoband, Jamaat-e-Islami and Maulavis of Bahralvi, Imam of Jama Masjid and Bangladeshi infiltrators on purely communal lines. But neither the Election Commission nor the media accuses it of communal politics. The media does not expose them either. In Mizoram, Nagaland and other North-eastern states, the Congress plays Christian card promising the land of the Bible, but it gets away in the name of secularism. Any number of Bishops have written to the Congress high command demanding tickets for their nominees and many of them were given ticket.

More blatant is the crass minorityism cynically being promoted by the CPI(M), Samajwadi Party, BSP and others. CPM’s closest ally in Kerala is Madani, a religious fanatic whose links with various terrorist incidents in the country is well-known. Another fanatic leader who wants to introduce shariat in the country, Kantapuram Musaliar is a bosom ally who is canvassing for the CPM. All these people are known for their communally charged vitriol.

A report from Uttar Pradesh said the Samajwadi Party and BSP together have fielded nearly fifty candidates with serious criminal record, mostly from the minority community and it is likely as many as two dozen of them would enter Lok Sabha. The Samajwadi Party which defended terrorists from Azamgarh who attacked Delhi and insulted the memory of the slain police officer MC Sharma by offering his widow a fake cheque has no qualms about its crass communal politics. All these go scot-free not only because the Constitutional authorities are biased, but also because the political milieu in the country is such that only the word “Hindu” is objectionable and communal.

For people holding Constitutional posts their religion comes first, if they are not Hindu. Vice President A R Ansari recently advocated separate budgetary provision for Muslims. Nobody objected. Perhaps he was not satisfied with Sachar Committee, separate ministry, quota and scholarship for Muslims. But even a “Hindu” tag is detrimental to a person’s political progress. We have seen it at the time of Presidential election when both Shivraj Patil and Dr. Karan Singh were rejected only because they happened to have a Hindu tag. If Varun Gandhi had spoken in the name of any particular caste, then also no charge-sheet would have been filed. After all caste politics also is passé.

Varun is the first Gandhi to declare that he is a proud Hindu. So he is in trouble. Tomorrow if he joins the SP, BSP or Congress he will immediately be paraded as a secular messiah. It would become natural, that the scion of the Nehru-Gandhis has returned to where he belonged, the pro-establishment media will take no time singing paeans for him. For instance, they have no quarrel with Narayan Rane, Chagan Bhujbal or even Raj Thackarey all former Shivsainiks who were riled by the media as long as they were in the Shiv Sena.

The point is that all the breast beating and moral indignation and trial by media are exclusively reserved for the BJP. It is because Varun is the BJP candidate. The model code of conduct has been specially sharpened and imposed retrospectively with the Election Commission working overtime. The alleged speech actually was made weeks before the code came into operation. The EC has always displayed a double standard in the case of the BJP and other parties. This we have seen during the Gujarat assembly election when it acted hastily in the complaint against Narendra Modi even as it let Sonia Gandhi off the hook with her mout ka saudagar innuendo. “We are testing the waters” a senior EC official reportedly said of EC’s advice to the BJP asking it to drop Varun as a candidate. It is a dangerous precedent it was trying to push. The EC cannot have been more careless with the choice of words. Did it intent to intimidate the party into following a particular line? The EC has not taken a view on complaints filed many days before the complaint against Varun was filed. It is similarly slow and silent—the media is equally co-operative by indifference—on all other instances of violations. But the EC was “seized” of the Varun case ever since it came to light. And when the Commission pronounced its order one channel claimed credit for the “impact” its expose had.

Advising Varun on reading Bhagwat Gita Priyanka Vadra Gandhi was repeatedly shown as coming out of a Hanuman temple as if that was of essence. If a non-Hindu pretending to be a religious Hindu goes to temple on poll eve it is only to hoodwink the voter. Gita of course is not a treatise on pacifism for Priyanka to advise Varun to read it. It can only strengthen his conviction. It is more a doctrine of war against evil, to protect one’s dharma even if that brings death. Perhaps Ms Vadra might have thought the Gita read like the Bible.

It is time Sonia Gandhi and her family declared their faith. A Nehru-Gandhi in the eye of the dominant establishment in the country can be a Catholic, a Parsi, an atheist or a Muslim and they will automatically be declared “secular” by the servile, obnoxiously bootlicking media. But to be a Hindu is blasphemous. They bay for blood. They want the abrupt termination of a budding political career, they are so unforgiving, vindictive, vengeful and mercilessly cruel.

Varun's reported views can also be taken as a first mistake of an over-enthusiastic debutant politician. Should a promising young career be so cruelly nipped in the bud invoking even the name of his father who was tragically killed orphaning him when he was only two months? Our chattering class like the proverbial wolf wants to punish him for the alleged omissions and commissions of his father also. Like a lynch mob they create the macabre atmospheric for the partisan establishment to convict and crucify. So we stand by anybody and everybody who speak for the Hindu. Because we want to make Indian polity Hindu centric.

*********************

Related news:-

Advani equates Varun's arrest to Emergency era

PTI | March 31, 2009 | 23:00 IST

Senior BJP leader L K Advani has drawn a parallel between the arrest of Varun Gandhi under NSA and imprisonment of leaders like Jay Prakash Narayan and Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the Emergency.

"I remember the Emergency when great patriots like Jai Prakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee were arrested under MISA contending that they were a threat to national security," he said referring to the Varun Gandhi episode in an interview to Zee News.

Advani said Varun's arrest was a work of "perverse mentality" and the people of the country would not forgive such an act.

"Nothing can be more perverse than using NSA during elections... people should not forget that elections were conducted after Emergency and those who were jailed had won," he said.

Advani said the Congress' attempts to call him the scriptwriter of the Varun episode as an act of "desperation and surrender."

The National Security Act was invoked against Varun, who had been booked for making anti-Muslim speeches, last Sunday.

http://www.rediff.com///election/2009/mar/31loksabhapoll-advani-likens-varun-arrest-to-emergency-period.htm

Related link:-

http://india_resource.tripod.com/India-Secular-Terror.html

New 'thaaval'drama by S.Ve. Sekhar

Super Vazhukkal Sekar

அவர்தான் எஸ். வி. சேகர்!

மேடை காமெடியன், அரசியல் காமெடியனாக ஆகி விட்டார்.

மஞ்சள் துண்டை தவறாமல் தன் நாடகங்களிள் கிண்டல் செய்த அவர்

காவி சட்டை போட்டுக் கொண்டு,

கலைஞருக்கு ஆரஞ்சு துண்டைப் போர்த்தி விட்டார்.

பச்சையிலிருந்து மஞ்சள் கலருக்கு வந்தால் என்ன அர்த்தம்?

அடுத்து வரப் போவது சிவப்பு தானே ?

சிவப்பு என்றால் left தான் - left-out தான்.

ஜாக்கிரதை!

தாவல் நாடகத்தில தொலைந்து போயிடப் போறார்!!

சிவப்பில right வருமோ?

Right இல்லாமல் பிராம்மணனும் வர மாட்டான்.

ரைட்டா இல்லாத விஷயத்திலயும் பிராம்மணன் வர மாட்டான்.

அவனுக்குத் தேவை ஒதுக்கீடு அல்ல.

அவனுக்குத் தேவை -

இட ஒதுக்கீட்டுக்கு ஒதுக்கீடு.

பிராமண துவேஷத்துக்கு ஒதுக்கீடு.

தெய்வ நிந்தனைக்கு ஒதுக்கீடு.

இந்து மத துவேஷத்துக்கு ஒதுக்கீடு.

இதையெல்லாம் அவருடைய புதுத் தலைவர் செய்தார் என்றால்

அவர் காட்டுகிற இடத்தில் ஒட்டு போடுகிறோம்.

அதற்குள் அவர் வேற கலர் மாறாமல் இருக்கணும்!

ஏன் என்றால், இது 'தாவல் சீசன்'

சிக்னல் போட்டாலும், எல்லாரும் எல்லா திசையிலும் போகிற

நம்ம ஊர் டிராபிக் மாதிரி,

அரசியல் டிராபிக்-ல் இவரும் ஐக்கியமானாப் போல தெரிகிறது.

அதற்கு அவருக்கு கிடைச்ச வாகனம் பிராமணனா?

தள்ளி நின்று அவரை வேடிக்கை பார்க்கிறதுதான்

பிராமணனுக்கு நல்லது.

டிராமாக்கு டிராமா பார்த்த மாதிரியும் இருக்கும்.

எஸ். வி யின் புது காமெடி-யும் கிடைக்கும்.

பிராமணனும் தன் தன்-மானத்தை இழக்க வேண்டாம்.

***************

From

http://epaper.dinamalar.com/DM/DINAMALAR/2009/03/31/ArticleHtmls/31_03_2009_006_009.shtml?Mode=1

From Deccan chronicle, dated 31-03-2009

Mr Shekher who met Mr Karunanidhi at the latter’s Gopalapuram residence on Monday, in his capacity as founder of the Federation of Brahmin Associations of South India (FEBAS), submitted a memorandum demanding a quota for Brahmins.

He said several lakh persons in the community were being denied of educational and employment opportunities as they hailed from the forward community.

It was very vital to provide them reservation because many of them in the community were economically backward and underwent grinding poverty, he said.

Speaking to this newspaper, he said the chief minister had responded positively and agreed to consider the demand.

The AIADMK legislator representing the Mylapore Assembly constituency, who recently floated the FEBAS, said it was the duty of the chief minister to provide social justice to all sections in the society.

“The community will reciprocate positively if the state government introduced the reservation for Brahmins,” Mr Shekher said.

The federation has decided to support the Brahmin candidates fielded by the political parties for the May 13 Lok Sabha polls, he said adding he would soon tour the state to unite the Brahmins and actively lobby for reservation.

*****

Related post:-

http://kaveriramani.sulekha.com/blog/post/2009/03/s-v-sekar-new-drama-halwa-for-brahmins-thambraas.htm

FAQs on the tax havens etc.-- R Vaidyanathan

FAQ on the --Tax Havens etc. (31 March 2009)

Prof R. Vaidyanathan;

IIM-Bangalore

a) Which are the various tax havens, where the ill-gotten wealth of Indian businessmen and politicians is stored?

There are presumably more than 70 Tax havens in the world. Indian wealth could be more in Switzerland and various British /US islands. At least forty countries market themselves aggressively as tax havens [Source: Internal revenue Service USA on Abusive a Off-shore Tax Avoidance schemes –Talking Points Jan 2008]

The well known Tax Havens are Switzerland/ Liechtenstein/Luxemburg/ Channel islands etc

b) How much Indian money do you think would be locked away in Swiss banks? What is the basis for the estimate you make?

Illicit Financial Flows from Developing

Countries: 2002—2006

GLOBAL FINANCIAL INTEGRITY – [GFI]

Authors DEV Kar and Devon-Cartwright Smith

A PROJECT OF FORD FOUNDATION—

Source: http://www.gfip.org/storage/gfip/executive%20-%20final%20version%201-5-09.pdf

Financial flows in the context of this report includes the proceeds from both illicit activities such as corruption (bribery and embezzlement of national wealth), criminal activity, and the proceeds of licit business that become illicit when transported across borders in contravention of applicable laws and regulatory frameworks (most commonly in order to evade payment of taxes).

1) In 2006, the most recent year of the Global Financial Integrity-[GFI] study, developing countries lost an estimated $858.6 billion to $1.06 trillion in illicit financial outflows.

2) Even at the lower end of the range of estimates, the volume of illicit financial

flows coming out of developing countries increased at a compound rate of 18.2 percent over the 5 year period analyzed for the study.

3) On average, for the five-year period of this study, Asia accounts for

approximately 50 percent of overall illicit financial flows from all developing countries.

4) This report shows that the average amount stashed away from India annually during 2002-06 is $27.3 billion. It means that during the 5 year period the amount stashed away is 27.3x5=136.5 billion. It is not that all these amounts had gone to Swiss. It has gone to different tax and secret shelters. The share of Swiss banks in dirty money being a third of the global aggregate, some $ 45 billion out of the 136.5 billion stashed away from India would have been hoarded in these years in Swiss banks. This appears in page 30 of the report mentioned above

5) The important point is that this is only for 5 years. More amounts were stashed away during the Nehruvian socialist regime. So the loot for 55 years would be several times the above-cited money. In fact in those days the Indian rupee commanded a better value per Dollar. So fewer rupee could get more dollars. So the estimation that the Indian money stashed away may be of the order of $1.4 trillion.

c) How did the money get there in the first place? (if you could elaborate a little on this, that would be great)

There are several methods /reasons. Under invoicing/over invoicing of exports and imports and getting the balance stored abroad.Kick backs from major defense/civilian contracts. Not bringing the earnings abroad. In the olden days smuggling of Gold and illegal money. Transactions done abroad and not reported here. Hawala funds. Funds earned by artists/ Entertainment industry /sports people and stashed abroad. When you want to indulge in Adharma hundred ways are open!

d) Do you feel international terrorist organisations use the tax haven route, to send across money all over the world, to finance their nefarious activities?

Even our NSA—M.K Narayanan has spoken about it in Berlin

e) You recently wrote, "Under pressure from federal authorities, Swiss bank UBS is closing the hidden offshore accounts of its well-heeled American clients, potentially allowing their secrets to spill into the open." Do you feel the government of India should also demand all the Indian black money in Swiss banks, back?

Of course. India should and must act. We are not a banana republic.

f) How can the government go about doing the same? What are the different ways in which it can try and get this money back?

Put it on the Global Agenda. Put it in G 20 Put it in IMF Put it in EGMONT GROUP. Also take a lead among all developing countries. Support US /German/French Efforts.

g) Do you feel Swiss authorities and other tax havens will co-operate with us on this issue, if we do take the initiative?

It is not due to our pressure but that of US which will make them co-operate. When a family is in deep financial crisis then it tries to look at the small amount saved under the sugar jar by the grandma. Same way developed economies are desperate for every dollar. Even if we do not act due to their efforts the list of crooks may be out .Then we will be in a dangerous social situation since Who's Who of India will be there. Instead we should get it and get the funds and decide on the steps to sterilise it and punishment etc. Otherwise world will laugh at us. We will be worse than a Nigeria [Sani Abacha] or Phillipines [Markose]

h) Do you feel the government will do this, given that a lot of black money of politicians is stored in the Swiss banks?

Public pressure will make them do it. Plus the evolving global situation against Tax Havens. The money belongs to the poor farmers and unorganised workers of India.

i) Also Indian businessmen have a lot of their ill-gotten gains in these banks. Do you see pressure being applied by them on the government on not to get this money back?

The world situation is such that Indian Business man will want to bring it back now given the attractive returns in India. The entire PN route was conceived for that.

j) You wrote in your column that the German foreign intelligence agency BND got names of 1400 clients of the Liechtenstein based LTG bank who were supposed to be suspected tax evaders. Of the 1400, 600 were supposed to be Germans. Do you think of the remaining there will be Indians as well? Has the Indian government approached the German government for the list?

Indian names will be there. Our Tax evaders and crooks are like Maha Vishnu present in all continents and all tax havens in the sea, on the earth, in the air. But our Government has been lukewarm in this issue. It should have despatched immediately senior officials plus the FM to get the names.

Related posts:-

On measures to bring back money:-

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/04/measures-to-bring-back-indian-money.html

Arun Shoutie on Indian money in tax havens :-

http://jayasreesaranathan.blogspot.com/2009/04/arun-shourie-on-indian-money-in-tax.html

Birth of baby in the star of a parent.

 

 

Half-baked knowledge of anything is likely to play a spoilsport.

In astrology such knowledge is dangerous.

One such bit of knowledge is about the birth star of babies.

The birth of a baby is a happy occasion for the parents.

But hear-say is that it will bring suffering or even death

if the baby is born in mother’s or father’s birth star.

 

The most popular source of this is – ironically –

the most respected and followed Brihat Parashara Hora sastra.

In chapter 85 detailing ‘Inauspicious births’,

sage Parashara does say that if a baby is born

 in the birth star of brother or father or mother,

they will undergo death like suffering (text below).

So saying, the sage continues to say that the malefic effects can be mitigated and

does give the remedial measures in the next chapter.

The details of the redial measure is also given below.

The recommendation to do remedial goes to show that this issue is not a grave one.

 

When two or more persons in a family are born in the same star,

they experience similar gochara (transit) effects in their lives simultaneously.

In the case of afflictions due to eclipses,

they will face similar prospects of badness.

Due to these reasons, it is told that birth in same star brings inauspiciousness.

But not all sages share the same opinion in this regard.

Different versions do exist.

 

One such version is given in ‘Brahma rishi Vaakhyam’,

supposedly narrated by the four-faced Brahma.

According to him, there is a qualified reference to same-star birth.

If a daughter born in mother’s star

or a son born in father’s star it will cause ‘eka nakshathra dosha’.

It causes problems to the concerned parent.

He recommends a shanthi pooja to avert the problems.

 

 

But a variation of this is given by Prithuyashas, the son of Varahamihira.

He does not consider the above births as causing hardships.

Instead he says that eka nakshthra affliction applies to sons only. 

In chapter 28 -30 of Hora sara, he says that

a son born in mother’s star is not good for the father and

a son born in father’s star is not good for mother.

The application is only to sons and not daughters.

This affliction caused by son’s birth can be averted by shanti pooja.

 

There is however another issue of birth stars that are said to cause malefic effects to the parents.

They are the gandantha stars that come in the sandhi (meeting points)

of the three groups of rasis in the zodiac.

 

Of these Aslesha (ayilyam) last pada,  Maga 1^st pada.

Jyeshta last pada and Moola 1^st pada are seen to be dreaded ones.

Revathy last pada and Aswini 1^st pada are also gandantha stars

But they do not necessarily cause suffering.

It is because Ashwini is a curative star.

There may be exceptions to this and we need to study them.

 

In reality, we have seen the births in these stars causing concern –

say, due to difficult labour for the mother or caesarian births or 

complications in birth or some anxiety at the time of birth associated with birth.

In this context I request interested readers to send me the birth details

of those born in these stars (6 stars) or star padas.

I am doing a research on this issue and I assure you all confidentiality.

I don’t even require the name or any other details except the information

if there was any trouble at the time of birth (the troubles as noted above or otherwise)

The only details I require are the date of birth , time of birth and place of birth.

 

There is another group of stars that can not be ignored.

There are 5 stars that are said to cause suffering to parents

The 5 stars are

Poorvashada – 3

Revathy -3

Pushya -2

Chitthra -2

Uttara phalguni -1

 

In these cases too, there is no arishta (death) feared.

In practice we do come across these stars with the effects of gandhantha stars

(like difficult labour and caesarian delivery. The afflictions end with that.)

 

In the above 5 star-births, the father is not supposed to see the child

for specific months for each of these stars,

at the end of which a shanthi pooja must be done.

 

In any case of same-star birth (eka-nakshthra birth),

there is no need for panic.

Consult the Purohits and they will do the required poojas for remedy.

 

************

 

From Brihat Parashara Hora sastra:-

 

 

Ch. 85. Inauspicious Births

 

1-4. The Venerable Sage said. O Maitreya!

Now I will describe to you the circumstances, in which the births are inauspicious in spite of Lagna and the Grahas being well disposed.

 

Although Lagna may be well disposed, births will be inauspicious, if they take place on Amavasya (last day of the Krishna Paksha),

on Chaturdasi (14^th Tithi),

in Krishna Paksha (dark half of the month),

in Bhadra Karan,

in the Nakshatr of the brother,

in the Nakshatras of father and mother,

at the time of entry of Sūrya in a Rāśi,

at the time of solar and lunar eclipses,

at the time of Vyati Pata,

in Gandantas of all the three kinds,

in Yamaghant, Tithikshaya, in Dagdha Yog etc.

The birth of a son after three daughters and birth of a daughter after three sons and the birth of a freak are inauspicious.

But there are remedial measures for obtaining relief from the evil effects of such births, which are being described in the following chapters.

 

 

 

Ch. 89. Remedies from Nakshatr Birth

 

1-7. The Sage Parasara said. O Maitreya!

If the birth takes place in the Nakshatras of the brother and the parents,

death takes place, without doubt, of the brother and the father, or mother,

or they have to undergo death-like suffering.

Therefore I am going to describe the remedial measures to be adopted to escape from these evil effects.

The remedial rites should be performed in a Muhurta,

when Chnadra and stars are favourable on a day,

on which there is no Rikta-Bhadra Dosha.

The remedial rites should be performed in the following order.

Install an idol of the Janm Nakshatr on a Kalash

in the North-East direction from the fire.

Cover it with a red piece of cloth and

then warp two pieces of cloth round it.

Worship the idol

by chanting the Mantras of the Janma Nakshatr.

According to one’s Gotra,

perform Havan 108 times with the recitation of the same Mantra,

facing the fire, with Ghī and other Havan material.

Then the priest, performing the Puja, should sprinkle water

on the parents and brother (whoever is concerned).

Give presents in cash (Dakshena) to the priest and his colleagues,

associated with the ceremony, to the best of one’s means and

then feed the Brahmins to the best of one’s means.

 

 

 

 

 

Tamil version of The Myth of St. Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva Temple

The Myth of St. Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva Temple

Translated into Tamil by Dr. B.M. Sundaram


http://www.hamsa.org/Myth.of.St.Thomas.Tamil.version.pdf

English version is at http://hamsa.org/myth_of_saint_thomas.pdf

and additional resources on the portal http://hamsa.org

Hinduism Week at Princeton.

 

 

Princeton university to host first-ever Hinduism week

 

Arthur J Pais in New York

March 27, 2009 12:27 IST

 

 

Princeton, one of America's eight Ivy League universities and widely regarded as one of the world's leading universities, is creating history.

 

For the first time, the New Jersey-based university which was founded in 1746 and where Albert Einstein taught for many years and which is also home to Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, will hold a week full of celebrations related to Hinduism.

 

Although student groups have presented a Hinduism week at Princeton in previous years, the organisers said this is the first year the celebration will be hosted by the Office of Hindu Life founded last year. And this sponsorship gives the event a high official profile.

 

Called Hinduism in the 21st Century: A week of Awareness and Celebration, the March 28-April 5 events will explore the intersection of India's spiritual traditions with the modernity of American life. The events are co-sponsored by the student group, Hindu Satsangam.

 

Organisers believe the celebrations will not only resonate with Hindu students and professors and staff and Princeton's Hindu community, but also serve as an impetus for those from the broader community to learn more about the faith. The events will be of interest to over 1,000 Indian families in and around Princeton.

'In presenting such a variety of programming, we wish to convey the diversity within Hinduism itself,' said Vineet Chander, Princeton's coordinator for Hindu life and principal organiser of the event. 'At the same time, we hope that each event will allow us to go deeper in exploring our theme, and gain insight into the faith as a fluid, living tradition faced with both challenges and opportunities in the modern world.'  

Uma Mysorekar, president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America which runs the Ganesha Temple in Queens, New York, will give the keynote address during a vegetarian banquet. Mysorekar will speak about challenges and opportunities facing the next generation of Hindu-Americans. She also will be honored by event organisers with the first Hindu-American Inspiration of the Year Award.

 

Other highlights of the week include a field trip to one of the first Hindu temples established in the United States, the Ganesha Temple which is over three decades old; a panel discussion exploring the tensions between the academic and practitioner's approaches to Hinduism (with professor Ravi Gupta from the College of William [Images] and Mary and professor Deepak Sarma of Case Western Reserve University); the Bhagavad Gita's case for monotheism (with professor Gupta), and a discussion about Hinduism's take on the real-life struggles faced by American college students. 

Hinduism in the 21st Century also pays homage to the popularity of yoga and spiritual vegetarianism -- perhaps Hinduism's biggest contribution to American pop-culture -- with an interactive yoga class and a discussion of Hinduism and animal rights, held jointly with the student group Princeton Animal Welfare Society, a press release said. 

The celebration is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required to attend some of the events; check the Hindu Satsangam's web site: http://www.princeton.edu/~hindu/

 

Genetic study on Brahmins

Genetic study on Brahmins and other castes of India can be read here:-

The Indian origin of paternal haplogroup R1a1* substantiates the autochthonous origin of Brahmins and the caste system by Swarkar Sharma et al., Journal of Human Genetics (2009) 54, 47-55

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A compilation of a host of genetic studies done on the origins of the people of Bharath varsha can be read here:-

http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/palaeolithic

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A genetic study that might be of interest:-

North Indian Muslims: enclaves of foreign DNA or Hindu converts?

Terreros MC, Rowold D, Luis JR, Khan F, Agrawal S, Herrera RJ.

Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, University Park, Miami, FL 33199, USA.

The mtDNA composition of two Muslim sects from the northern Indian province of Uttar Pradesh, the Sunni and Shia, have been delineated using sequence information from hypervariable regions 1 and 2 (HVI and HVII, respectively) as well as coding region polymorphisms. A comparison of this data to that from Middle Eastern, Central Asian, North East African, and other Indian groups reveals that, at the mtDNA haplogroup level, both of these Indo-Sunni and Indo-Shia populations are more similar to each other and other Indian groups than to those from the other regions. In addition, these two Muslim sects exhibit a conspicuous absence of West Asian mtDNA haplogroups suggesting that their maternal lineages are of Indian origin. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the maternal lineage data indicates differences between the Sunni and Shia collections of Uttar Pradesh with respect to the relative distributions of Indian-specific M sub-haplogroups (Indo Shia > Indo Sunni) and the R haplogroup (Indo Sunni > Indo Shia), a disparity that does not appear to be related to social status or geographic regions within India. Finally, the mtDNA data integrated with the Y-chromosome results from an earlier study, which indicated a major Indian genetic (Y-chromosomal) contribution as well, suggests a scenario of Hindu to Islamic conversion in these two populations. However, given the substantial level of the African/Middle Eastern YAP lineage in the Indo-Shia versus its absence in the Indo-Sunni, it is likely that this conversion was somewhat gender biased in favor of females in the Indo-Shia. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 17427927 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17427927?ordinalpos=22&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Song of Mother Earth on vanity of rulers!

The current scenario of all round deterioration in moral values and thirst for power reminds me of the ‘Song of Mother Earth’ found in Vishnu Purana.

The Earth is in-conquerable. Yet people think that they can conquer her and claim the land to be theirs.

Many kings with perishable frames have come and claimed that the non-perishable earth is theirs! Blinded with deceptive notions of individual occupation, they have indulged the feeling that suggests, "This earth is mine--it is my son's--it belongs to my dynasty.”

But they all have gone. Gone are even the traces of their names and identity.

This blinded perception continues even in the democratic times of today making this appear a ‘Monarchic democracy”. The dynastic control over the political parties has become the norm of times. Every self proclaimed leader is seen fighting to get a share in ruling this land for himself, his sons and his relatives - not out of love for giving people a golden age, but for making times golden for themselves.

Mother Earth has seen thousands of this kind of breed in the past. Earth has seen even a better crop of leaders in the past who wished to possess her. The present day leaders come near them only as a contrast to those olden kings as if to show how a ruler should not be.

The pre-election scenario looks like a thriller of who is going to go with whom, who is going to ditch whom and who is cleverer in reaping better returns after the elections.

Mother earth laughs at all these selfish mortals.

Such a scene was explained by sage Parashara to Maityeya in Vishnu purana.

The Chant of the Earth was earlier communicated to King Janaka by Sage Asita and was repeated by sage Parashara in Vishnu purana.

The Song of Earth goes like this (Vishnu purana, 4-24):-

"How great is the folly of princes, who are endowed with the faculty of reason, to cherish the confidence of ambition, when they themselves are but foam upon the wave.

Before they have subdued themselves, they seek to reduce their ministers, their servants, their subjects, under their authority; they then endeavor to overcome their foes.

'Thus,' say they, 'will we conquer the ocean-circled earth;' and, intent upon their project, behold not death, which is not far off. But what mighty matter is the subjugation of the sea-girt earth to one who can subdue himself.

Emancipation from existence is the fruit of self-control. It is through infatuation that kings desire to possess me, whom their predecessors have been forced to leave, whom their fathers have not retained.

Beguiled by the selfish love of sway, fathers contend with sons, and brothers with brothers, for my possession.

Foolishness has been the character of every king who has boasted, 'All this earth is mine--every thing is mine--it will be in my house for ever;' for he is dead. How is it possible that such vain desires should survive in the hearts of his descendants, who have seen their progenitor, absorbed by the thirst of dominion, compelled to relinquish me, whom he called his own, and tread the path of dissolution?

When I hear a king sending word to another by his ambassador, 'This earth is mine; immediately resign your pretensions to it;' I am moved to violent laughter at first, but it soon subsides in pity for the infatuated fool."

Then continued sage Parashra,

“These were the verses, Maitreya, which Earth recited, and by listening to which ambition fades away like snow before the sun.

I have now related to you the whole account of the descendants of the Manu; amongst whom have flourished kings endowed with a portion of Vishńu, engaged in the preservation of the earth.

Whoever shall listen reverently and with faith to this narrative, proceeding from the posterity of Manu, shall be purified entirely from all his sins, and, with the perfect possession of his faculties, shall live in unequalled affluence, plenty, and prosperity.

He who has heard of the races of the sun and moon, of Ikshwá.ku, Jahnu, Mańd́hátri, Sagara, and Raghu, who have all perished; of Yayáti, Nahusha, and their posterity, who are no more; of kings of great might, resistless valour, and unbounded wealth, who have been overcome by still more powerful time, and are now only a tale; he will learn wisdom, and forbear to call either children, or wife, or house, or lands, or wealth, his own.

The arduous penances that have been performed by heroic men obstructing fate for countless years, religious rites and sacrifices of great efficacy and virtue, have been made by time the subject only of narration.

The valiant Prithu traversed the universe, every where triumphant over his foes; yet he was blown away, like the light down of the Simal tree, before the blast of time.

He who was Kártavíryya subdued innumerable enemies, and conquered the seven zones of the earth; but now he is only the topic of a theme, a subject for affirmation and contradiction.

Fie upon the empire of the sons of Raghu, who triumphed over Daśánana, and extended their sway to the ends of the earth; for was it not consumed in an instant by the frown of the destroyer?

Mańd́hátri, the emperor of the universe, is embodied only in a legend; and what pious man who hears it will ever be so unwise as to cherish the desire of possession in his soul?

Bhagíratha, Sagara, Kakutstha, Daśánana, Ráma, Lakshmana, Yudhisht́hira, and others, have been.

Is it so?

Have they ever really existed?

Where are they now?

we know not!

The powerful kings who now are, or who will be, as I have related them to you, or any others who are unspecified, are all subject to the same fate, and the present and the future will perish and be forgotten, like their predecessors.

Aware of this truth, a wise man will never be influenced by the principle of individual appropriation; and regarding them as only transient and temporal possessions, he will not consider children and posterity, lands and property, or whatever else is personal, to be his own.”

Dr Kalam sets agenda for MPs

Dr Abdul Kalam suggests a 5-point agenda for the MPs of the coming Lok Sabha.
Will they listen?


1) Increase the pre capita income of the constituency by 3 times in their 5-year term
2) Increase the literacy rate by 20% in 5 years
3) Work towards improving the water resources in the constituency.
4) Ensure value added employment to everyone in conformity with his or her qualification.
5) Bring down infant mortality to less than 10 per 1000 in the next 5 years.





News report

http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2009/03/26/ArticleHtmls/26_03_2009_009_007.shtml?Mode=0

Kalam sets an agenda for MPs

(Deccan Chronicle, Chennai March 26,2009)


Former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has set a five-point agenda for the new MPs of the 15th Lok Sabha, the elections for which will be held shortly.


He also appealed to the people to exercise their franchise, pointing out, “the right to vote is sacred and it’s an onerous responsibility that we owe to the motherland.” “Assess the present percapita income of your constituency with the aim of increasing it by three times in five years. Also, you must work towards raising the literacy rate in your constituency by at least 20 per cent during your five-yearterm,” Dr Kalam said, in a message to the future MPs through the India Vision Group that has now launched a campaign to ‘Celebrate Democracy: Vote India’.



The former President said the MPs in the next Lok Sabha should also “take statistics of the water-bodies in their constituencies and review the status of their desilting and interlinking through the five-year term.” He said the MPs should create programmes for providing value-added employment for every member in the constituency, “consistent with her or his qualification.” The fifth mission in the MPs’ agenda, Dr Kalam said, should be to bring down the infant mortality in the constituencies to less than 10 per thousand in five years. The present infant mortality rate is 50 per thousand.