Paush 1 Vik Samvat 2066. Yugabda 5111: 16 December 2009

1. FESTIVALS: Mauni Amavasya, also known as Mauna Amavasya, is observed on Magh amavasya January 15 this year. It is one of the most auspicious days to perform ritual bath at Triveni Sangam at Prayag -Allahabad.
Derived from the word muni, a Sanyasi or saint who practices mauna ideally symbolizes a state of oneness with the Self. It is believed that conjunction of the sun and the moon takes place on this day..
Mauni Amavasya is known as Chollangi Amavasya in Andhra Pradesh. January this year also sees Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, at Haridwar besides Makar Sankranti on January 14.
2. COW GIVES ENDLESS LOVE -- MORARI BAPU: “God is our father and the cow is our mother. She gives endless love and affection. But only a cow herder can realise it,” said leading saint and renowned Ramkatha Vachak Shri Morai Bapu. He was addressing a gathering of goubhaktas during a program of Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra at Borivali in Mumbai on Dec 13. “It is not we who rear the cow but it is the cow that rears us. A cow can easily fulfill the needs of a family of five members,” he said.
The gathering was addressed by Gokarna Peethadhishwar Shri Raghaveshwar Bharati Swamiji, Swami Akhileshwaranand of Jabalpur, Shri Labh Singh Batra of Gurudwara Samiti and other dharmacharyas and national president of the Yatra Samiti Dr HR Nagendra.
3. ANCESTORS OF CHINESE CAME FROM BHARAT- STUDY: The ancestors of most Asian populations, including the Chinese and southeast Asians, came from Bharat, a new genetic study across 10 countries has revealed. The study found that humans first migrated to the Bharatiya subcontinent from Africa some 100,000 years ago and then spread to other parts of Asia.
The study — Mapping Human Genetic History in Asia — was conducted in 10 Asian countries including Bharat. Apart from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research DG Samir Brahmachari, the Bharatiya study team comprised eight members and some students from IGIB, New Delhi, anthropologist Partha Majumdar and researchers from the Centre for Genomic Applications.The study contradicts earlier findings that humans directly went to East Asia from Africa.
4. MINORITIES DESCENDANTS OF HINDUS - BHAGWAT: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said all people living in the country are progeny of Hindu ancestors and there was no such thing as ‘minorities’ in Bharat. This has even been proved by the science as DNA of all the people in this region matches. He was speaking at a national seminar organised in New Delhi by Baba Saheb Apte Smarak Samiti on December 4.
"Partition of the country is temporary. The people of both sides of the border too treat it temporary. Therefore, it has to go. It will happen only when we sincerely go through its reasons and remove the shortcomings. This is a fact that Hindutva is the feeling that binds all together. The day it becomes strong the Partition will automatically go. The new generation has to be educated accordingly.” He said.
Others who spoke included Former Governor of Goa and Sikkim Shri Kidar Nath Sahani and veteran Sangh Pracharak Thakur Ram Singh.
5. VIVEKANANDA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION – VIF INAGURAED: Inauguration of VIF took place on 1st December 09 at its newly constructed premises at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi in presence of revered Mata Amritanandamayi while Justice M.N Venkatachaliah, the former Chief Justice of Bharat, delivered keynote address.
Mata Amritanandamayi in her mellifluous speech rendered in Malayalam, which was simultaneously translated in English and Hindi, touched upon a entire spectrum of topics, ranging from the lofty humanistic views of Swami Vivekananda to the problems being faced in the modern society.
Chief Justice Venkatachaliah in his scholarly style recapitulated the advent of Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda as cosmic events. Others who spoke were P Parmeswaranji, the President of Vivekananda Kendra and Ajit Doval, the honorary Director of VIF. The ceremony attended by over 600 included various luminaries including retired defence and foreign service officials.
6. BHARATIYA CULTURAL EVENING IN TAMPERE, FINLAND: was co-organised by Bharatiya Students Union of Finland and TAMY. The colorful multi-cultural event provided an excellent platform for Bharatiya and Finnish cultures to interact. The program comprised of Bharatiya classical music and Vocal and Instrumental Music performance by classical music group Saptakam, Bollywood dance performance and authentic Bharatiya ethnic wear show.Om Prakash, the Ambassador of Bharat to Finland and Estonia was present on the occasion.
7. TALKING WISDOM : Speaking at a seminar on ‘Towards a New Paradigm of Business Management’ Prof. B Mahadeva, dean (Admin), IIMB said “Though we have some key aspects of ancient wisdom in our syllabus, this is for the first time that we will be introducing the Gita. To make it as a syllabus will take some time”.
Dr Satish Modh, management consultant, Mumbai, explained the three GUNAS — Tamasika, Rajasika, Satvika Guna. “The human resources wing of companies should use these GUNAS to judge the capabilities of workers and help them climb the ladder of corporate management” he observed.
Dr Shamsundar of Yugayatri which jointly organized the semiar with Bangalore Chamber of Industries and Commerce (BCIC) said, “Yugayatri is working to implement and educate organisations on Bharatiya culture and heritage.”
8. WELLINGTON REGIONAL HINDU CONFERENCE IN FEB 2010: The Hindu Council of New Zealand Inc. (HCNZ) is organising the Wellington Regional Hindu Conference on 27th February 2010, in Lower Hutt, Wellington. The theme of the conference is “Community Development – A Hindu Perspective”.
The conference will discuss initiatives that government agencies have shown in community development, role of volunteers in community development, development of community based health, wellbeing and social services, involvement of youth for community development and youth perspectives of community development. It will be of interest to members of the community, government agencies who work in the area of community wellbeing, academics, students, and NGO’s. For more information, please contact:
Dr Rajiv Chaturvedi, Coordinator, Wellington Regional Hindu Conference, Phone: 021 079 5036
Email: hinduconference@gmail.com
9. SRI RAM TEMPLE IS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO AYODHYA DISPUTE-KS SUDARSHAN: "The incredibility of the report that Liberhan Commission submitted to Central Government can be gauged from the fact that it has the name of Atal Behari Vajpayee in the list of accused who was not even present in Ayodhya that day. The number of karsevaks reached Ayodhya that day was beyond our calculation. The Sangh was not in favour of demolition of the disputed structure. We wanted a peaceful agitation. But sentiments of the karsevaks was so much hurt by the actions of the centre that the demolition of the structure could not be stopped. The role of the then Central Government in demolition of the structure too cannot be ruled out," said former RSS Sarsanghachalak KS Sudarshan while talking to media persons in Bhopal on November 24.
He said the excavations by both Bharatiya and foreign experts have proved beyond doubt that there existed a temple in Ayodhya for centuries.
10. HC CALLS FOR LAW TO CHECK 'LOVE JEHAD': Calling the state government to enact a legislation to prevent forceful conversions, the Kerala High Court on December 9 observed that such incidents under the pretext of love were rampant in certain parts of the state.
Rejecting bail pleas of two Muslim youths who had lured two MBA students — one Hindu and the other Christian — to get converted to Islam under the guise of love, Justice K T Shankaran said the forcible conversion amounted to an infringement of an individual's freedom.
Quoting the police report, the judge said 3 - 4,000 forced conversions under this banner of ‘love’ had been reported in Kerala within past 4 years.
11. IDEA HE PLANTED GROWS INTO MASSIVE GREEN MOVEMENT: For nearly 15 years, the mountain women of Uttarakhand have been leading a simple, self-sustaining and inexpensive movement that is set to become a major ecological revolution.
How? A nuptial couple plants a sapling in the maternal village of the bride to be nurtured by her family: The cost — negligible. This practice spreads and becomes a tradition at every wedding solemnised: The return — a quantum leap in the forest cover of the area. This is the Maiti movement, meaning mother’s home, the vision of Kalyan Singh Rawat, an unassuming common man with an uncommon urge to protect the environment.
Today, without much resources or hefty funds, the people’s movement replicates in over 6,000 villages in 18 States of Bharat and has caught international attention of the likes of former Foreign Minister of Canada, Flora Donald.
In the movement, young unmarried girls of a village form a Maiti association and cultivate a nursery.
As soon as a girl’s marriage is fixed, the Maiti didis, as they are locally called, spur into action. They prepare the plantation site within or near the bride’s home, manure it and select a sapling. The tree-plantation ceremony has become an integral ritual of these weddings and finds mention in the invitation cards, adding to its endorsement and cultural connotation.
The spirit behind the Maiti movement is the emotional motivation of the simple natives that has made it a thriving force. And it has important lessons to teach to the multitudes of us whose contribution to saving the environment is limited to mere rhetoric.
12. BHARAT'S PER CAPITA EMISSION 70% BELOW WORLD AVERAGE: Despite being the fourth largest economy, Bharat's per capita emission levels are 70% below world average and 93% lower than those in the US.
A report , jointly prepared by business chamber Assocham and consultancy firm Ernest and Young, has highlighted that carbon emissions in Bharat increased by 65% between 1990 and now and are projected to grow by close to 70% in the next decade or so. But it remained low as compared to other major economies, accounting for only two per cent of cumulative energy related emissions since many decades. On a per capita basis, Bharat's emissions are 70% world average and 93% below the level in the US.
13. KOTNIS IN CHINA'S TOP 10 FRIENDS LIST: Bharatiya doctor Dwarkanath Kotnis, who treated Chinese soldiers during the Sino-Japanese war of 1938 and won the heart of Mao Zedong with his selfless service, has been chosen in a nationwide poll in China as one of 10 foreigners who have made exceptional contributions to the country in the past 100 years.
The internet poll organized by China Radio International (CRI) has the stamp of official approval as Jia Qinglin, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, took a direct interest in it. Kotnis died at 32 after spending four years in China. On his death, Mao Zedong said, "The army has lost a helping hand, the nation a friend. Let's always bear in mind his internationalist spirit."
14. DESPITE DOWNTURN, MORE BHARATIYAS ARE WEALTHIER NOW: Despite the worst recession since World War II, affluent Bharatiyas have not only managed to survive but in fact grew wealthier than before.
According to HSBC Affluent Asian Tracker survey, leading Asia's affluent are 70% of mainland Chinese respondents who reported a rise in net worth compared to only 46% six months ago. Similarly, across Asia, the number of affluent respondents reporting an increase in wealth in the past six months nearly doubled. In Bharat, 68 % have reported higher accumulation of wealth compared to 28% six months ago. In Taiwan 61% reported a similar trend against 33% six months ago. In Malaysia, 55% have seen their wealth multiplying in last six months.
15. HEMANT SHIVIR 2009: RSS IT Milans Hyderabad organized its first Hemant Shibir (Winter Camp) on December 5th-6th at Oasis Public School in Hyderabad attended by 65 Swayamsevaks working in the IT and related sectors.
Yogasanas, Martial Arts, charcha sessions , an informative talk by Camp Karyawah Krishnamurty on the Japanese Art of Zazen, an innovative session on developing a socially conscious business and a call by Ram Madhav to the young Swayamsevaks to take part in the Nation building process were the highlights of the Shivir.
16. 3G MOBILE VERSION OF VHTV LAUNCHED: As part of its efforts to reach out to the Hindu community, VHP on December 7 launched in Chennai the 3G mobile version of VHTV, its web TV, which was launched in September.
The new facility along with a high-tech web studio that will enable live telecast of various programmes, was jointly launched by Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, VHP International president Ashok Singhal and Janata Party president Subamanian Swamy.
17. SANSKRIT AND SANSKRITI ARE INTERLINKED - ASI DG: Director General of Archaeological Survey of India and Acharya Bhadant Gayan Jagat K N Shrivastava, who presided over the function to launch Indira Gandhi National Open University – IGNOU’s online certificate programme in Sanskrit noted that ''Without an understanding of Sanskrit, it is not possible to understand Bharatiya culture.” “IGNOU has plans to launch several advanced programmes in Indology and Vedanta as well as certificate programmes in other Bharatiya languages” asserted IGNOU Vice Chancellor V N Rajasekharan Pillai.
18. THE WORLD BANKS ON INDIA: ZOELLICK: The most startling change Robert Zoellick, World Bank President has seen is in the way the world views India.
‘‘The outside world’s image of India now is of cutting-edge competitive companies that are going to take jobs away from the developed world. I get more and more voices coming from Europe and North America saying, ‘Why should we give money to India when they’re going to be a threat to our businesses?’ I have to constantly explain the huge income diversity of India and the fact that a lot of development work still needs to be done,’’ he chuckles.
Dwelling on achievements and challenges before India he concluded “You have some of the world’s finest minds, impressive companies and dynamic entrepreneurs. There are still huge challenges, but India has made impressive progress in developing programs that reach poor people. I believe the world has a lot to learn from India.”( From Times of India Dec 5,2009 )
19. TATA NANO TO BE FEATURED AT NEW YORK DESIGN MUSEUM: The Tata Nano, designed to be the world's most affordable car, will be on view at prestigious Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York's from Feb 18 through April 25 next year.
'Cooper-Hewitt's mission is to present the very latest developments in design and technology and the Tata Nano introduces more families in India to the new world of affordable and safer mobility,' said Cara McCarty, curatorial director of the museum. 'We're eager to display the Tata Nano at the museum, where many visitors will see it for the first time.' She said.
20. SWAMI SATYANANDA SARASWATI ATTAINS MAHASAMADHI: Swami Satyananda Saraswati, the founder of the world famous Bihar School of Yoga (Munger), took Mahasamadhi on December 5 at Rikhia Dham in Deoghar. According to the tradition for Paramahansas, ashodashi puja (sixteen day ritual) will be observed at Rikhiapeeth for Paramahansaji which will culminate in the final puja on December 22.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati, born in Almora in the Himalayan foothills experienced spontaneous spiritual experiences as a child. At 19, Swami Satyananda took sannyasa from Swami Sivananda at Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh. After wandering through Bharat, Afghanistan, Nepal, Burma and Ceylon for the next 8 years, he eventually found his way to Munger, Bihar where he founded world famous International Yoga Fellowship and the Bihar School of Yoga.
21. SAVE GANGA MOVEMENT: The International President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad Ashok Singhal and the Janata Party President & former Union Cabinet Minister, Dr. Subramanian Swamy together met the Union Environment and Forests Minister Dr. Jairam Ramesh on December 10 to discuss the state of the holy river Ganga.
Dr. Jairam Ramesh told the two visiting leaders that following the receipt of letters from them last October, the Prime Minister as chairman of the National Ganga River Authority had in the last meeting on October 5th directed a stay of all the hydel projects under construction and for a review by a high powered committee.
22. THOUSANDS PARTICIPATE IN IMPRESSIVE GITA JAYANTI CELEBRATIONS: Like every year, the Gita Jayanti was observed in on November 28 at the Attukal Durga Temple, the Sabarimala of women on behalf of Bharatiya Vichar Kendram Thiruvananthapuram. Breaking all previous records almost 4000 children from 30 schools of Thiruvananthapuram, participated in the group chanting of 18 chapters of the Bhagvad Gita.
Inaugurating the massive meet, poet Vishnu Narayanaa Nampoothiri observed that leftists have created a wrong impression that anything Hindu including the Gita is moving backward. "Nothing offers so much solution to modern-day life and problems as does the Bhagavad Gita.”he said.
Shri Gopalaraman, secretary of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, and P.Parmeswaran, President BVK also spoke at the occasion.
23. BAJAJ SCOOTER RIDES INTO THE SUNSET: In March 2010, the last of “Hamara Bajaj” scooters will roll out of the Bajaj factory at Waluj, Aurangabad. “We are not developing scooters anymore. We will focus on motorcycles,” said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto Ltd. “As we try to become a motorcycle specialist, this is a sacrifice we have to make.”
This brings to a close Bajaj’s story as a legendary scooter manufacturer when it was once one of the largest in its business worldwide. Products like the Chetak, Bajaj’s first in-house product, Super and Priya were ubiquitous on Bharatiya roads and a coveted possession in the average Bharatiya household of the 1980s.
24. LESSONS FROM THE BHAGAVAD GITA AT IIM-INDORE: Indian Institute of Management-Indore has incorporated the Bhagavad Gita as a part of the course module on “Ancient Oriental Philosophy and Spirituality”. The institute’s first batch of the recently launched one-year full-time Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) went through 10 sessions, from November 24-31, that took them through the discourses on Karma Yog and Raj Yog detailed in the Gita.
The sessions were conducted by Swami Samarpanananda of Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University (Belur Math), who imparted lessons on “how to develop and channelise their spiritual and mental energies to achieve excellence in the field of business management”.
25. BHARAT EMERGES AS UAE'S TOP TRADING PARTNER: Bharat's two-way non-oil trade with the UAE jumped 53.45 per cent to USD 44.53 billion in fiscal year that ended March 2009, enabling the UAE to retain its status as Bharat's largest trading partner.
China was Bharat's second largest trading partner in 2008-09 with two-way trade valued at USD 40.61 billion; followed by the US with USD 38.98 billion, Singapore with USD 15.64 billion and Hong Kong with USD 13.07 billion, the data by the Bharatiya embassy showed.
Bharat's exports to the UAE comprise mainly petroleum products, finished precious and semi-precious jewellery, machinery, textiles, apparel and cereals. Bharat's imports from the UAE consist primarily of crude oil, petroleum products, raw pearls, precious metals etc.
26. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Visitors: Shri. Sunil Gupta – Hongkong; Shri Umesh Rohatgi, Smt Sarla and Shri Vinod Prakash USA.
Pravas: Dr.Shankar Tatwawadi, samyojak Vishwa Vibhag is back in UK after visiting Spain. Shri Venkatesh Murthy is visiting South Africa while Shri Shyam Parande, secretary Sewa International is going to SA and Kenya.
27. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: It is thought which is the propelling force in us. Fill the mind with the highest thoughts, hear them day after day, and think them month after month. Never mind failures; the are quite natural, they are the beauty of life, these failures. What would life be without them? It would not be worth having it if it were not for strugglers. – Swami Vivekananda

JAI SHREE RAM

DEFINING THE FUTURE
Timothy J Roemer

Sitting with President Barack Obama at the historic State Dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, i watched as our nations' leaders launched a new phase in the enduring global partnership between the United States and India that will shape and define the 21st century. Prime Minister Singh's visit was a watershed in the partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies. We are moving forward from phrases like "natural allies" to "indispensable partners" and "one of the defining relationships in the next century".
This was a time to reflect on the great achievements of our past and to look forward to our bold initiatives to solve global challenges through an expanded partnership that encompasses all the critical challenges in the decades ahead from counterterrorism to climate change, education to women's empowerment, and science to security.
We are committed to working together to protect our citizens from terrorism, to develop trade and economic opportunities for Americans and Indians, to educate our future generations so they can solve the global challenges facing the planet, and to invest in new technologies which will provide us all an environmentally-sustainable and economically bright future. Prime Minister Singh's visit reaffirmed our energetic and optimistic partnership whose ties are local in nature but global in their legacy and impact. I will enumerate five key cornerstone outcomes that frame the relationship moving forward.
First, our partnership is indispensable for global peace and security. Together, the United States and India will work together to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia. Our new Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative will strengthen our combined efforts already at unprecedented levels in critical areas such as forensic science, information sharing and transportation security. Our leaders are committed to strengthening efforts to build a free and stable Afghanistan. We have committed to expand defence cooperation between our two nations and together, our two great democracies will work for global non-proliferation and to realise our shared vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.
Second, energy security, food security and climate change are interlinked the solutions to these 21st century global threats cannot be sought in isolation and will be pursued collectively in a new US-India Green Partnership. This will ensure greater access to clean and affordable energy for all Indians, while producing economic opportunities for citizens of both countries. We both understand the importance of promoting a successful outcome in Copenhagen in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Third, i am proud to see the strong cooperation between the United States and India in the field of public health. Our nations stand committed to implementing a joint Global Disease Detection Programme to enhance detection of new health threats and better respond to pandemic disease.
Fourth, the dignity, strength, safety and prosperity of our nations depend on the education of our citizens. In visits to schools in New Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, i have seen the determination and commitment of students and their families to use education as the key to unlocking a better future. The new Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative will further strengthen linkages between American and Indian universities. We are also substantially expanding the Fulbright-Nehru fellowship programme, a catalyst to the exchange of ideas and innovation that has helped our great countries become what they are today.
Finally, the United States boasts the largest economy in the world, while India has one of the fastest growing. Together, our countries have the potential for greater expansion that will spur the world's economic growth. We are working together to fuel the increase of trade between our countries and developing a Framework for Cooperation on Trade and Investment that will push technological innovation and collaboration while promoting inclusive growth and job creation.
Democracy, pluralism, tolerance, respect for fundamental freedoms these shared ideals are beacons of freedom, peace and stability to the world. They energise the vibrant linkages between our citizens that make our partnership truly unique in the world. Both our countries begin their constitutions with the words "We the people..." and the people of our nations form one of the closest bonds.
When i met with President Obama in the White House last July, he challenged me to meet as many of the one billion Indians as possible from all walks of life. I have since met with a broad range of national and community leaders, businessmen, farmers, Nobel laureates and schoolchildren. There are many miles to go in this magnificent journey. The bright intellects, smiling faces and courageous hearts have inspired me and will do the same for President Obama when he visits India. I am honoured to embrace the promise of our interlinked aspirations. My time in India assures me that the strategic partnership our great nations share is enduring. There will be difficult moments and occasional disagreements as in any relationship. Most of all, it is a partnership and warm friendship that will deepen, shaping and defining this new global era. -- The writer is the US ambassador to India. (Times of India , Dec 4 2009 )

UPA NOW ADMITS SARASWATI EXISTED

In a significant shift from its earlier stand that probes conducted so far showed no trace of the mythical river, the Union Government has recently admitted that scientists have discovered water channels indicating “beyond doubt” the existence of the “Vedic Saraswati.”
The Government’s fresh submission came in response to an unstarred question in Rajya Sabha on December 3 by Prakash Javadekar (BJP), who wanted to know whether satellite images had “established the underground track of Saraswati, and if so, why should the precious water resources not be exploited to meet growing demands.”
To this, the Union Water Resources Ministry quoted in writing the conclusion of a study jointly conducted by scientists of ISRO, Jodhpur and the Rajasthan Government’s Ground Water Department, published in the Journal of Indian Society of Remote Sensing. Besides other things, the authors had said that “clear signals of palaeo-channels on the satellite imagery in the form of a strong and powerful continuous drainage system in the North-West region and occurrence of archaeological sites of pre-Harappan, Harappan and post-Harappan ages beyond doubt indicate the existence of a mighty palaeo-drainage system of the Vedic Saraswati river in this region… The description and magnanimity of these channels also matches with the river Saraswati described in the Vedic literature.”
A leading educationist and currently chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Yash Pal, who had published in 1980 in his own words “a small paper on the existence of Saraswati river which attracted attention,” concurred with the view. “Surveys so far have brought out clearly the path the river had taken when in flow,” the national research professor told The Pioneer. He did a stint with ISRO (which has played a pivotal role in the probes so far) from 1973-1980 where he set up the Space Application Centre.
On whether the Union Government should assume a proactive role on the issue of reviving the river to tackle the water shortages, he said, “With advancement of technology more research should be conducted. The river was not lost yesterday; perhaps due to tectonic shifts it disappeared ten thousand years ago. We have to keep these issues in mind.”
All through its tenure until now, the UPA Government had denied the existence of the mystery river. Then Culture Minister Jaipal Reddy had told Parliament that excavations conducted so far at nine sites had not revealed any trace of the lost river Saraswati. He stated that the UPA Government had not extended the sanction for the project given by the NDA Government. Giving a progress report of the Saraswati River Heritage Project launched by the NDA Government, he had said that though the project report was prepared in September 2003 envisaging a cost of Rs 36.02 crore, it was later slashed to Rs 4.98 crore.
The Leftists, who commanded great influence over the first five years of the UPA regime, too, were dismissive of the evidences. Senior leaders even castigated probe agencies for ‘wasting’ time and money over the study of the mystery river. Three years ago, senior CPI(M) leader and Politburo member Sitaram Yechury slammed the ASI for its efforts.
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which he headed in 2006, said, “The ASI has deviated in its working and has failed in spearheading a scientific discipline of archaeology. A scientific institution like the ASI did not proceed correctly in this matter.”
These assertions had come despite mounting evidence of the river collected by central agencies such as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Geological Survey of India (GSI), Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Central Groundwater Authority (under the Water Resources Ministry). The Government had also failed to acknowledge expert opinion that the river’s revival could tackle the increasing water demands of more than 20 crore people in the North-West region of the country.
The first national impetus for research on Saraswati came during the NDA regime when the then Union Culture Minister Jagmohan in June 2002 announced excavations to trace the river’s course. He named a team of four experts - Baldeo Sahai of ISRO, Ahmedabad, archaeologist S Kalyan Raman, glaciologist Y K Puri and water consultant Madhav Chitle - for the task. But even earlier, States like Haryana had begun their study of the ‘underground river.’
Talking of the progress, SL Aggarwal, an official in Haryana Irrigation Department said, “Work on the 3.5 km stretch of river Saraswati between Jyotisar and Bibipur would be completed in one-and-a-half months and then we would be able to revive the ancient river and be able to use the water for irrigation purposes.” The Haryana Government recently sanctioned Rs 10.05 crore for the project of revival of the river, with the Oil and Natural Gas Commission carrying out geophysical and geoelectric surveys for drilling of wells in association with Kurukshetra University for exploratory purposes.
A non-government organisation (NGO), Saraswati Nadi Sodh Sansthan, has also been working for the revival of the ancient river through its entire track. Two seminars were held on this issue on October 22, 2008 and November 21, 2009 at Kurukshetra where representatives from ONGC, Geological Survey of India and Indian Space Research Organisation were invited.
Rajasthan too has been an active participant in the project. Some four decades ago the Archeological Survey of India (GSI) had conducted excavations at a village named Kalibanga in Srigananagar district of Rajasthan, unearthing a full- fledged township beneath a mound, locally called ‘Thed.’
The ASI researchers came to the conclusion that the sight belonged to the Harappan period. Subsequent studies revealed that this flourishing town was situated on the banks of the Saraswati which once flowed from this part of the Rajasthan desert.
About two decades ago, scientists at Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) at Jodhpur launched a project to track down the traces. They concluded that the ancient channels were a dead river that could well be Saraswati. Interestingly, here, the ancient texts and the geographical history of the region were constant bases of reference of the studies.
Analyses of images earlier taken by the American satellite Landsat in the 1970’s clearly showed the presence of underground water in a definitive pattern in the Jaisalmer region. As part of the project, then, underground water researchers were asked to dig bore wells at places from where this lost river used to flow. They selected Chandan Lathi near Jaisalmer for this purpose.
To the surprise of researchers, the water found after digging the bore wells at places on the course of the river was not only sweet but available in plenty. Encouraged by this discovery, they dug two dozen bore well in the area, from where the river used to flow, and in all of them they found sweet water.
A few years later Dr Vakankar, a noted historian, as part his Itihas Sanklan Yojna, visited this and other sites linked with the river. Together with another expert Moropant Pingle, he concluded that the Saraswati used to flow from this part of Rajasthan, Sirsa in Haryana, Bhatinda in Punjab and Srigangangar district in Rajasthan.
With the Government indicating a shift in its position, it remains to be seen whether the research work by central agencies that had come to a near halt, will now resume. --Rajesh Singh/Santanu Banerjee - .New Delhi with inputs from Lokpal Sethi - Jaipur and Nishu Mahajan- Chandigarh ( Pioneer Dec 13,2009 )

Margshirsha 16Vik Samvat 2066. Yugabda 5111: December 1, 2009

1. FESTIVALS: Magh Snana: Magh Snan is the annual holy bathing ritual, held in the month of Magh, on the banks of Sangam at Prayag. In 2010, Magh Snana starts on Paush Poornima which falls on December 31. Important dates for taking holy dip in the confluence of holy rivers – Ganaga, Yamuna and Saraswati during Magh Snan are Paush Punima, Makar Sankranthi, Mauni Amavas, Basant Panchmi, Magh Poornima and Mahashivaratri spread over a period of 45 days. Maha Shivaratri falls on February 12, 2010. Magh Snan is not held when Kumbh Mela and Ardh Kumbh Mela take place.
2. WE OWN AYODHYA MOVEMENT, BUT NOT GOING TO APOLOGISE: RSS: Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on November 24 owned the Ayodhya movement but refused to apologize about what happened in Ayodhya in 1992 which led to demolition of the Babri mosque.
"We fully own up the movement. We mobilize people. People should respect the sentiment of crores of people," said Ram Madhav, the RSS leader and former spokesman of the Sangh on a private channel.
"We are not going to apologize. Our agitation echoed the sentiment of the people at the time. It was a spontaneous act of anger by people," Madhav added.
3. Modi keeps wheels of tribal uplift in motion: In yet another landmark achievement, Gujarat on November 22 became the first State in the country to have an ultra-modern technical training institute dedicated for the tribal youth.
Earlier this year, Gujarat had become the first State in the country to start a climate change department in view of the increasing dangers from global warming. The All Gujarat Institute of Driving, Technical Training and Research at Gajadara village in the tribal taluka of Vaghodia in Vadodara district, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Narendra Modi on November 22.
A joint venture of the Gujarat Government and Maruti Suzuki (India) limited, the newly opened institute will provide training to tribal youth in car driving, repairs and maintenance.
Inaugurating the institute, Modi said that technically-trained and highly-skilled tribal youth can change the face of Gujarat’s tribal belt in near future. The State has plans to obtain best results of technological advances in tribal areas by equipping the tribal youth with modern technology under the ‘Vanbandhu’ scheme, the Chief Minister said. Constructed on 25 acres of land, the institute has 18 class rooms, modern workshop, laboratory and separate hostels for tribal boys and girls.
In the initial phase, the institute would train 2,250 tribal youth in a year. The Tribal Development department of the State has contributed Rs 16.35 crore for the construction of the institute.
4. ENCOURAGE USE OF MODERN TECHNOOGY- MOHAN BHAGWAT: "There is no harm in using the modern technology with changing time and needs. We need to impart the knowledge of new technology in ourown languages. The means have their own significance and they make us strong, which is need of the hour today," said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat while inaugurating the website of Himachal Shiksha Samiti in Shimla (www.svmschools.org) during his recent visit to the state.
"We need to get and imbibe the knowledge of modern techniques. But this technique should be used by right hands. If the technique goes to the wrong hands the destruction is certain and if it is used in proper way it would benefit the whole world," Shri Bhagwat added.
Enumerating the activities of Himachal Shiksha Samiti organizing secretary of the Samiti Rajendra Kumar said the work of Vidya Bharati under the banner of Himachal Shiksha Samiti began in the state in 1980 and now there are 257 schools and 108 Samskar Kendras in all the districts of the state.
5. ANY SYMBOL OF HINDU HUMILIATION IS A NATIONAL SHAME - HINDUS ARE PROUD OF BABRI DEMOLITION: VHP :Reiterating the stand of VHP about Sri Rama Janma Bhumi at Ayodhya, Dr Pravin Togadiya, Secretary General of VHP said on November 24, "Any symbol created, built or otherwise, by any foreign invader in Akhand Bharat is a national shame. It never happens in any nation that a majority is consistently humiliated, hurt & persecuted. If it so happens anywhere then it is a national shame. A structure built by Babur cracking & destroying majority Hindus' place of worship & place of utter faith can never be glorified in Bharat. Whoever tries to do so are putting Bharat at a risk of losing again to the modern day methods of foreign invasions like Jehadi attack, economic exploitation etc. Therefore, falling of Babri is the proudest moment of Hindus in Bharat.”
Dr Togadiya further reassured, “Irrespective of political parties, governments & a limited biased people’s chatter box debates, HINDUS STAND TALL IN BHARAT & WITH VHP in the Sri Rama Janma Bhumi movement. Bharat recently saw similar Hindu unity in Rameswaram Ramsethu movement, in Amarnath movement & in Gouraksha movement. This Hindu unity will make wonders for Bharat & stand up against any odds. Hindus & VHP are ready for any sacrifice for building Sri Ram temple at the site.”
6. PRIME MINISTER INVITES BHARATIYAS WORLDWIDE TO RETURN HOME: Noting that he prefers the term "brain gain" to "reverse brain drain", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Nov 26 at Washington thanked the Bharatiya-American community for their contribution in building bridges between Bharat and the United States and invited Bharatiyas worldwide to return home. Prime Minister Singh highlighted the Five Es - economy, energy, environment, education and empowerment that forms a critical part of the "next phase" of the relationship between the two countries.
7. DALAI PRAISES BHARAT FOR STANDING UP TO CHINA: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said that he was “anxious” ahead of his Arunachal Pradesh visit and praised Bharat for standing up to China. “I was very anxious before going to Tawang”, the Dalai Lama said in an interview to a private TV channel. “I did not want things to escalate between Bharat and China”, the Tibetan leader said. Sino-Bharat relations became tense ahead of the Dalai Lama’s trip of a Tibetan monastery at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, a sprawling region Beijing claims as its own.
8. STOP EATING BEEF TO OUT EMISSIONS, SAYS JARAM: That was the suggestion mooted out by Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to major beef-consuming nations on Nov. 19 from a UN forum.
“You may laugh at it. But the solution to cut emissions is to stop eating beef. It leads to emission of methane (CH4) that is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide. But the best thing for us, India, is we are not a beef-eating nation,” he said, while speaking after the release of the United Nation’s Population Fund’s (UNFPA) report: State of World Population 2009 — Facing A Changing World: Women, Population and Climate.
Ramesh’s suggestion comes amid ever-growing concerns worldwide over livestock methane adding to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and countries like Germany and Australia discouraging its consumption.
9. HINDU-MAORI INITIATIVE LAUDED: The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has expressed appreciation of and support to the initiative taken by Hindu Council of New Zealand in building Hindu-Maori relations.
En route to attending the World Parliament of Religions in Melbourne, Australia Dr. Mihir Meghani, President of the Hindu American Foundation visited New Zealand to see part of New Zealand’s landscape and also to meet with Hindu and Maori community leaders.
Dr. Meghani met with Kaumatua John Marsh (MBE JP), Shaloh Mitchell of Ohinemutu village tours, and Natanahira Te pona, Rotorua’s Tohunga Whakairo (master carver), who sculpted a Maori carving of a "Rehua" to celebrate the journey of friendship between Hindu and Maori communities during the Rotorua Deepawali Festival recently. Dr. Guna Magesan, general secretary of Hindu Council of New Zealand, briefed the visitor how Hindu Council of New Zealand built relations with the Maori community over the years and the partnership with Maori community during recent festival.
10. BHARATIYA NAVY INDUCTS TWO WOMEN NAVIGATORS: The Bharatiya Navy scripted history on November 20 by inducting Sub-Lieutenants Seema Rani Sharma and Ambica Hooda as the first women navigators into the force. With the awarding of the 'Wings' at a passing-out ceremony at INS Garuda, Southern Naval Command, Kochi, Seema and Ambica, both 22, became the first women airborne tacticians of the Bharatiya Navy.
"I am feeling proud for I have set the course for young women to follow," Seema, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, said. "During the course, we had flown 17 sorties and each of these sorties was of three-hour duration," Seema added. Ambica said, "Still there are heights we should scale."
Sub Lt Ambica Hooda, belonging to Haryana, was also adjudged the best trainee in flying of the First Short Service Commission Observer course. They would now join different squadrons of the Navy, where they would fly Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and helicopters. Both the women officers said they were excited about their first Dornier sortie as navigators.
Seema and Ambica completed a 16-month course at the Naval Academy at Mandovi in Goa and other professional schools of the Bharatiya Navy before landing up at the Observer School at INS.
11. BJP NOT AGAINST MINORITIES, SAYS ADVANI: Senior BJP leader LK Advani on Nov 22 sought to debunk the “motivated propaganda” of calling his party anti-minority and maintained that Bharat had embraced the diversities in faith, language, customs, appearance and many things, not out of circumstantial compulsion but due to its innate assimilative nature.
At a function to mark the conclusion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Archdiocese of Delhi, Advani said, he was a product of a Church-run school — St Patrick’s High School in Karachi, which was in undivided Bharat before Partition. “All my teachers in the school, including Father Modestine, the principal, were Christian. I am forever grateful to my teachers,” Advani said.
Though he refrained from speaking much about political issues, Advani invoked Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, founder of Bharatiya Jan Sangh (predecessor of BJP), to justify that BJP was not anti-Minority or anti-Christian.
He recalled saying in his speech at the founding conference of the BJP, “It is not without significance that we were expelled from the Janata Party on the day of crucifixion of Christ, and that we are experiencing our political rebirth in the form of the BJP on the day of resurrection of Christ.”
12. NEW-AGE TREATMENT FOR DIABETES: In January next year, Niranjan Singh (name changed) was scheduled to fly off to the United States and get his diabetic foot amputated as a last ditch effort to save himself from dying due to excessive bleeding.
Despite making all the advance travel bookings he has now called off his trip to the United States. The reason: He has found a remedy for his blood sugar closer home.
The 70-year-old retired professional has been undergoing human embryonic stem cell (HESC) treatment at a private hospital here. "The wound in my foot caused by high sugar has healed and I do not need an amputation," said Singh, who considers himself lucky to have followed a friend's advice and tried out the new-age HESC treatment available in the country.
"I am encouraged on seeing his progress," said Dr Geeta Shroff, who has applied for a patent for her HESC technique with which she has been treating Singh at Nutech Mediworld hospital,New Delhi.
The WHO estimates that there were 19.4 million persons with diabetes in Bharat in 1995 and that this number is likely to be 57.2 million in 2025.
13. INDIA TESTS NUCLEAR-CAPABLE MISSILE AFTER SUNSET: Bharat’s army tested a nuclear-capable Agni missile after sunset on November 23 for the first time to demonstrate it could be fired whenever required. The surface-to-surface Agni II missile is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to targets around 2,000 km (1,200 miles) away.
The missile was test launched from Wheeler's Island, off Bharat's east coast in Orissa state.
Its range can be increased to 3000 km (1,900 miles) by reducing the load. It is 65 feet (20 meters) long and can carry a payload of one tonne.
14. HINDU SWYAMSEVAK SANGH (HSS), USA: South East Sambhag karyakarta varg was attended by 37 karyakartas. All vibhags were represented and 15 out of 20 shakha karyakartas participated including 7 sevikas. Varg was in Atlanta.
Speaker on Campus was organized at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) on November 20th by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and Samskrita Bharati. The topic was "Introductory Sanskrit workshop" and the session was conducted by Sabitha ji,Nalini ji and Hari ji.Total Sankhya was 13. The event was hosted by Bharatiyam (Indian Students Association at UCLA).
Mananeeya Alkataiji Inamdar, Akhila Bharateeya Saha - Karyavahika of Rashtra Sevika Samiti visited bay area from 31st October to 10th November 2009 to attend Kendra KaryaKarini Mandal baithak and National Sevika Abhyas varg. Alkataiji's eight days stay was packed with baudhiks, baithaks and sneha bhojans with many kishoris, swayamsevaks and sevikas.
15. KOSHYARI ADDRESSES UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Rajya Sabha MP Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari appealed to the world to turn to yoga for getting complete liberation from addiction. Addressing the 64th Session of United Nations General Assembly in New York on November 5, Shri Koshyari said apart from making strict laws to curb the trafficking of drugs, the addicted youth of the world ought to be inspired to take up yoga regularly and such other positive and spiritual things that could instill a new meaning to their lives. This would keep them away from drugs and also their involvement in anti-social or terrorist activities.
16. GANDHARA ART IN TALIBAN CORSSHAIRS: Archaeologists warn that the Taliban are destroying Pakistan’s ancient Gandhara heritage and rich Buddhist legacy as pilgrimage and foreign research dries up in the country’s northwest. “Militants are the enemies of culture,” said Abdul Nasir Khan, curator of Taxila Museum, one of the premier archaeological collections in Pakistan. “It is very clear that if the situation carries on like this, it will destroy our culture and will destroy our cultural heritage,” he said.
Taxila, a small town around 20 kilometres south of Islamabad, is one of Pakistan’s foremost archaeological attractions given its history as a centre of Buddhist learning from the 5th century BC to the 2nd century.
17. BHARAT TARGETS 1,000MW SOLAR POWER IN 2013: Bharat is ready to launch its Solar Mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, with plans to generate 1,000 mw of power by 2013.
The Union Cabinet is going to consider the mission document, which requires Bharat to generate 1,000 mw of solar power every year by 2013. A complete package has been proposed to propel the power sector into `solar reforms' that could lead to annual production of 20,000 mw by 2020 if phase I of the solar mission goes well. The country currently produces less than 5 mw every year.
Solar lighting systems would also be provided to 9,000 villages under existing schemes by providing soft loans which would be refinanced by the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited.
Roof-top solar power will be promoted by providing a generation based incentive for self-use as well as putting the power on to the grid.
18. BOYCOTT CHINESE GOODS: Bajrang Dal: Bajrang Dal on November, 19 wrote to all major trade associations and chambers of commerce in Delhi, asking them to boycott Chinese goods. The outfit claimed inferior and cheap Chinese goods were resulting in closure of small and cottage industries of Bharat, thereby adding to problems of unemployment. Bajrang Dal state convener Ashok Kapoor said people should stop buying Chinese goods, as the country has always shown anti-Bharat behaviour, like illegal occupation of Aksai Chin and Tibet, illegitimate claim over various parts like the Finger area of Sikkim and Tawag district of Arunachal Pradesh.
19. ‘BHARAT VERY IMPORTANT FOR DEMOCRACY’: A top Maoist leader on November 23 underlined the key role of Bharat in the democratic process of Nepal, saying it would be difficult to establish peace and democracy without good relations with New Delhi. Baburam Bhattarai, the deputy leader of the UCPN (Maoists), said even though Nepal needs a ‘balanced relation with our immediate neighbours’ Bharat and China, “We know that without good relations with Bharat, it would be difficult to establish peace and democracy in Nepal”.
The former Finance Minister said “since we have been virtually Bharat-locked, we are forced to interact more with Bharat than any other country”.
20. BHARAT NOW AMONG CHOICE DESTINATIONS FOR AMERICAN STUDENTS: Bharatiya students may be flocking in large numbers to American universities, but a new report by the Washington-based Institute of International Education reveals that Bharat and China are among the new destinations of choice for American students.
The IIE’s “Open Doors 2009” report says “a record number of US students are now studying abroad, reflecting the value of an international academic experience as preparation to live and work in a global society”. The number of Americans studying abroad increased by 8.5 per cent to 262,416 in the 2007/08 academic year, it says.
The distinguishing aspect of this two-way flow now is that American students are ‘increasingly heading to less traditional places’ such as Bharat, China, Japan, South Africa and Argentina. In earlier years, they mostly went to Europe — Britain, Italy, Spain and France.
India, China, Ireland and Austria have witnessed notable increases of about 20 per cent in terms of attracting American students, followed by Japan, Argentina, South Africa and Costa Rice with about 15 per cent each.
21. N-MILESTONE: 18th plant begins ops: Bharat's nuclear programme crossed a milestone at 12.51pm on November 24 with fifth unit of the 220 megawatt Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (Raps-5) attaining criticality.
With this, the number of operating nuclear power reactors in Bharat has gone up from 17 to 18, increasing the total atomic power generating capacity from 4,120 mw to 4,330 mw. In simple terms, attaining criticality in the jargon of the atomic scientists means the start of self-sustaining nuclear fission chain.
Nuclear Power Corporation chief engineer N Nagaich said after conducting some tests, Raps-5 will be sychronised with the state electricity grid in a month, and would be ready for commercial operations.
22. EMERGING POWERS JOIN HANDS: China, Bharat, South Africa and Brazil have united to draw the battle-lines of the Copenhagen climate summit, after their own surprise seven-hour summit skillfully staged by the Chinese leadership in Beijing on November 28.
In a pre-Copenhagen coup quietly planned by China, as it grappled with global pressure to curb emissions as the world’s biggest polluter, the four nations have clinched their own deal to counter targets from the developed world.
For Bharat and this new combine, it will be ‘non-negotiable’ under any circumstances to accept legally binding emission cuts.
This is the first attempt by developing nations to present a plan for the Copenhagen summit when the world will negotiate a global deal to curb manmade emissions that cause global warming.
23. PAK SIKH THRASHED FOR NOT CONVERTING: A Sikh advocate in Pakistan was reportedly thrashed and threatened with dire consequences recently if he did not convert to Islam, forcing his family to run for safety to a gurdwara in Hassanabdal near Rawalpindi.
While the victim, Anup Singh, was yet to regain consciousness, the incident has left the Sikh community in Pakistan rattled and insecure.
24. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Visitors:Shri Umesh Rohatgi and Rashmiji, USA Pravaas:Dr.Shankar Tatwawadi, Sayojak Vishwa Vibhag returned to UK, Dr.Yashwant Pathak Sah Samyojak returned to USA after a 2 day ICCS meeting in Mumbai.
25. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: We want nothing more or nothing less than Hindutva; going after something ‘bigger’ would be pointless for the present. Practical wisdom lies in avoiding the two extremes of too small and too big. Even the task of awakening human values in the hearts of aggressive powers in the world possible only through a united and strong Hindu Society. – Shri Guruji.

JAI SHREE RAM

Linguistic chauvinism is a threat to unity
Justice (Retd.) Dr M Rama Jois

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in his last speech at Doddaballapur pointed out that when a Kannadiga or Tamilian or Maharashtrian goes to Delhi for staying there, he has an all Bharat outlook and as a citizen of Bharat he has the right to stay there and carry on any occupation or business but unfortunately when the same person comes back to Mumbai, Bengaluru or Chennai, he exhibits a narrow loyalty on the basis of so called "sons of the soil" slogan and forgets that there is only one soil called Bharat Mata and every part and particle of Bharat is sacred to all of us just as every part of one’s mother is sacred to him.
Recent controversy raised over the truthful statement of Sachin Tendulkar that Mumbai belongs to Bharat though he was a Maharashtrian, he was Bharatiya first, bylinguistic chauvinists led by Bal Thackery indicates a dangerous trend which can be ignored only at the peril to the nation.
We got rid of foreign rule and secured independence after a century long struggle during which millions of freedom fighters sacrificed their all, inspired by the burning sense of patriotism. Thereafter, we framed and gave to ourselves the Constitution. The opening words of the Preamble are very significant. They are "We the people of Bharat". This is in conformity with the declaration made in Vishnu Purana several centuries ago, to the effect that "the country which lies to the north of seas and south of Himalaya is Bharat and people of this country are Bharatiyas being the descendents of Emperor Bharat". It is this spirit of oneness that electrified and united the entire nation and enabled us to fight against and get rid of slavery. The only one slogan which inspired the entire nation has been "Bharat mata ke jai". After securing independence we framed one Constitution to obey, adopted one National Anthem to sing and one National Flag to hoist and protect. We formed linguistic provinces only for administrative convenience. By and large this feeling of nationhood is the basis of our strength and unity and feeling of fraternity among all the citizens. But unfortunately now and then weeds of linguistic chauvinism have been growing here and there which are threatening our national life.
KM Munshi, when he found such weeds growing, in his foreword to the book, History and Culture of India, bemoaned that when the country opted for linguistic states, we never imagined that they are likely to become sub-nation states, but expressed the hope that it was only a passing phase. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya in his last speech at Doddaballapur pointed out that when a Kannadiga or Tamilian or Maharashtrian goes to Delhi for staying there, he has an all India outlook and as a citizen of Bharat he has the right to stay there and carry on any occupation or business but unfortunately when the same person comes back to Mumbai, Bengaluru or Chennai, he exhibits a narrow loyalty on the basis of so called "sons of the soil" slogan and forgets that there is only one soil called Bharat Mata and every part and particle of Bharat is sacred to all of us just as every part of one’s mother is sacred to him. Therefore, Sachin Tendulkar was right when he said that Mumbai belongs to the entire nation and he was Bharatiya first though a Maharashtrian. The stand of Bal Thackery and his tribe in taking exception to it, has proved the growing of weeds of linguistic chauvinism. In fact two decades back when a statue of Shivaji was proposed to be installed at Bengaluru a few Kannada enthusiasts opposed it. But soon it was given up when many pointed out that Shivaji was a national hero of exceptional merit. Thereafter, a grand statue of Shivaji has been installed which has become a source of inspiration. Therefore, all nationalist forces irrespective of the political party to which they belong should without loss of time remove these weeds so that our nationalism grows profusely. In this behalf it is appropriate to quote what a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has said in the case of Pradeep Jain Vs. Union of India-AIR 1984 SC 1420] thus:
"We find that today the integrity of the nation is threatened by the divisive forces of regionalism, linguism and communalism and regional linguistic and communal loyalties are gaining ascendancy in national life and seeking to tear apart and destroy national integrity. We tend to forget that Bharat is one nation and we are all Bharatiyas first and Bharatiyas last. It is time we remind ourselves what the great visionary and builder of modern Bharat Jawaharlal Nehru said, "Who dies if Bharat lives; who lives if Bharat dies?". "We must realise; and this is unfortunately that many in public life tend to overlook; sometimes out of ignorance of the forces of history and sometimes deliberately with a view to promoting their self-interest, that national interest must inevitably and forever prevail over any other considerations proceeding from regional, linguistic or communal attachments". AIR 1984 SC 1420, Para-1
These words of warning by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court as above made as early as in the year 1984 should guide us to remove the weeds of linguistic chauvinism by the feeling of intense patriotism, fraternity and integrity of the nation, sub-ordinating the regional and linguistic feelings.
(The writer is Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court and former Governor of Jharkhand and Bihar and can be contacted at "Sri. Shaila", No. 870/C, 5th Block, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru.)

India key to global recovery
Shivaji Sarkar

Our economy may not be as large as that of many Western countries, but it has the capacity to ward off financial crises that afflict developed economies
Bharat has emerged as one of the most resilient economies. Whether it would be able to lead the world or not has been rocking the discussions at the Bharat Economic Summit. There are some positives and some negatives in the process.
The world is looking towards Bharat for more than one reason. Despite its close trade, business and to a large extent financial rupee-rouble alliance, the country did not succumb to the pressures created by the fall of the Soviet Union. In 1997-98, it withstood the pressures of the South-East Asian crisis with equal élan. The 2008 Lehman Brother scandal-led global recession did not hit it gravely.
The economy of the country may not be as large as that of the US or many European countries, but what surprises the international experts is its capacity to insulate against odds that hit and often devastate major economies like that of the Soviet Union or the US.
Bharat's mixed economy - Government-owned socialist ideology dictated public sector and capitalist ideology based private sector - has emerged as the greatest strength. If one dithers even a bit, the other comes to the rescue of the system. The Government is not actively involved in day-to-day functioning of industries or business but it acts as an effective benign intervener or regulator.
World Economic Forum associate director Michele Petochi on his approach to Global Redesign initiative says, "The challenge is to have a compelling approach to complex problems". This is where Bharat is expected give cue to the world's complex economic system.
Bharat has also emerged as a country that generates credible statistics unlike that of China. Bharat is beating China in the latest edition of the London-based Legatum Institute's prosperity index. Index processing data for 104 countries puts Bharat at the 45th rank and China at 75th rank. Bharat was a lowly 70th and China 54th in 2008. The index is now broad-based to include how citizens in a country feel about personal freedom, institutional maturity and mutual trust. The parameter for Bharat is increasing.
So would Bharat be able to come up again with the same kind of resilience in the latest IMF predicted mother of all meltdowns in emerging markets, a crash that would make the 2008 one look like a pigmy?
In a situation like this Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcement to withdraw stimulus package next year would be a help or hindrance also needs to be debated. But if the Reserve Bank of Bharat (RBB) is to be believed earlier the package is withdrawn it is good and wise for the economy. Some economists say that autonomous institutions like the RBB have helped the country take the right decisions and create the necessary resilience.
If banks did not collapse in the wake of global Lehman scandal, the credit is given to the RBB and its allied organisations like SEBI, NABARD, and NHB.
There is synchronisation in politics and economics. It is not always that the Government listens to the RBB, which decides on financial and economic consideration. The Government acts on broader parameters taking the people's aspirations into account. This has pushed Bharat below China in the Eurasia Group compiled Global Political Index. The index gives credit to tough political decisions, which a monolithic China can and Bharat cannot.
But this alone is not the impediment. Bharat has not been found to be very competitive. It has been placed 49th out of 133 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index 2009-10. The country lags behind in infrastructure, health, primary education and galloping inflation and fiscal situation prevents the Government from making the much needed investment. Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in his presentation also mentioned infrastructure as the most important constraint.
The index says that bureaucracy, over-regulation and corruption still affect the functioning of Bharatiya markets. And by global standards, the diffusion of information and communication technologies remains very low. Minister for Roads and Highways Kamal Nath accepted it in a different way saying, "We had our decade of information technology, now let's have our decade of infrastructure". -- The writer is a senior economic affairs journalist. -- The Pioneer November 18, 2009

Learn to be green from India
Sudhansu R Das

The vision of development is so blurred with greed that there is little hope of anything concrete emerging out of the soon-to-be-held climate summit in Copenhagen. Nonetheless, India has the opportunity to showcase its vibrant natural sector economy, which is the path to sustainable development.
India is divided into 20 agro-ecological regions and 60 sub-regions that support all kinds of crops. The country produces 11 per cent of the world’s vegetables and 15 per cent of its fruits. India also accounts for 10.78 per cent of the world’s flora. It has the largest variety of livestocks with 26 cattle breeds, 40 sheep breeds, 20 goat breeds and 18 types of farmed poultry birds. Plus, with a coastline measuring 850 km and 14 major rivers to boast of, India has all the basic tools for a robust economy based on the natural sector.
More than 15 crore Indians visit places of pilgrimage every year. This is the source of a host of economic activities. Travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, the health sector as a whole, as well as those trading in religious artifacts, handicrafts, etc, benefit immensely from pilgrimages For example, the Tirupathi Devasthanam in Tirumala requires more than 20 tonnes of flowers every day during the peak season.
Hundreds of forest products are available in Indian forests. To highlight how valuable this is to the Indian economy, it would be worthwhile to note that the export of natural honey and related processed products has increased from Rs 60.92 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 93.30 crore in 2007-08. According to Millennium Eco-system Assessment eco-system services sustain and fulfil human life in big way. There are altogether as many as 32 such services in the entire Himalayan region. The Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts has set an export target of Rs 25,000 crore per annum by 2010 accruing from such eco-system services. The Kalahandi region of Orissa has a well-knit natural sector economy based on tourism, forestry, agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and craft making. More than 87 per cent of the people here grow exotic variety of paddy, maize, millets, jowar, jute, vegetables, chilli, etc.
All of this is evidence of the fact that preserving and enhancing the natural sector not only helps fight global warming and climate change but also make sound economic sense. In fact, India should lead the way in this regard and help spread the message to the rest of the world. - The Pioneer November 24, 2009

Kartika 30 Vik Samvat 2066. Yugabda 5111: 16 November 2009

1. FESTIVALS: Sabarimala : Hundreds of devotees started trekking the holy Sabari Hills in Kerala as the two-month long annual pilgrimage season got under way on Nov 16 with the temple opening on the eve of the auspicious month of ‘Vrishchikam’ of the Malayalam calendar.The first leg of the pilgrimage, 41-day “mandala” season, got under way with traditional high priest Kantararu Maheswaru opening the temple portals. The “Mandala pooja” would be held on December 26. The temple will be closed for four days, after which the “Makaravilakku” season will start, culminating with the ‘makara jyoti’ (celestial light) darshan on January 14.
2. COMMONWEALTH BATON RELAY STARTS WITH RIGVEDA : Chanting of Vedic hymns in Sanskrit was adopted at the kick-start of Commonwealth Games 2010 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain and Rashtrapati of Bharat Smt. Pratibha Patil in London in a spectacular ceremony. Chanting of Vedic hymns by British children in chorus for several minutes in fluent Sanskrit that too without reading any script was indeed worth-appreciating.
3. THE DALAI LAMA VISITS ARUNACHAL PRADESH: A shadow of grief descended over the mountains of Itanagar and its adjoining areas when the Pawan Hans chopper took-off from the Raj Bhawan helipad at Itanagar in the morning of November 15 with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
The week-long visit of the spritual leader to this frontier state amid protest from China was successful and was completely peaceful without any untoward incidents.
The 76-year-old Dalai Lama mesmerized thousands of people in this Himalayan state with his divine oratory skill, as people from all walks of life thronged every venues where His Holiness delivered discourse.
The Dalai Lama arrived at Tawang on November 8 with his ten-member entourage. He stayed in the district for four days and addressed religious discourse at Yid Gha Chozin besides visiting various monastries in the district including the famous Tawang Monastery. The Tibetan leader also inaugurated a multi-speciality hospital at Tawang for which he had donated an amount of Rs 20, 00,000.
On November 12 enroute to Bomdila from Tawang, His Holiness has sanctified Thupsang-dhargye-Ling monastery and planted Christmas tree at Dirang. While addressing devotees at Dirang stadium the Dalai Lama categorically stressed on four noble thoughts of Buddhism. He also visited Kalaktang before he left for Itanagar.
At Itanagar, the Dalai Lama visited the Thupten Gatsalling Gompa and the Theraveda Buddha Vihar at Vivek Vihar belonging to the Hinayana Sect of Buddhism. He also interacted with intellectuals at Banquet Hall in the evening.
4. VISHWA MANGAL GOU GRAM YATRA: By and large the mass awakening campaign of the Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra is proving to be a success. There is high enthusiasm among the people for the cow protection and sustainable development of villages. It is getting touching response in all the states it passes through. People turn to the welcome meetings in large number and also resolve for cow protection.
“If the cow slaughter was not stopped today the cow will soon become a history. There is an urgent need that all modes of worship in the country should join hands against this heinous crime against humanity,” said Sant Balak Nath addressing a gathering of gobhaktas at Khalikot Stadium of Brahmapur on November 10, the last day of 4-day sojourn of Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra in Odisha. Addressing the gathering Paramhans Sant Prajnanand Maharaj of Hariharpuri said the cow slaughter is going on due to ignorance and there is a need to eradicate that ignorance.
On November 11, the first day in Andhra Pradesh, when the Yatra reached Visakhapatanam a caravan of two-wheelers welcomed it accompanied by traditional music instruments. The Yatra passed through various streets of the city for about two hours in which local people in large number welcomed it by showering flowers and dancing on the tune of drums. The welcome meeting was organised at the Sea Beach in which Shardapeethadhishwar Shankaracharya Swarupanand Maharaj and many saints and central leaders of the Yatra addressed the goubhaktas.
On November 12 evening, the yatra reached Rajahmundry where Swami Amit Krishna from ISKCON temple, Belgium, said the cow has been highly regarded in Bharat since time immemorial. He said he has been living in Bharat since the last 15 years and been taking cow milk everyday. “That is why I am fit and free from any disease,” he added. He pointed out that not only in Bharat very critical diseases are being cured through panchgavya but also in foreign countries. He appealed to the Government of India to declare the cow an asset and enact a central law banning cow slaughter. On November 13, the scene in Vijayawada was totally different to the party politics seen in New Delhi. Many MLAs belonging to various political parties including TDP, Congress and BJP, were present at the dais, not as representative of their political parties but as gobhaktas. They all extended their support to the campaign for cow protection.
In Vardhman Pet on November 14, noted Vanvasi saint Swami Sangram said “the cow gives milk and other things to each and everyone and other things to all irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, etc., then why this cruelty against her?” He stressed the need that the cow should be reared and protected as was protected during the ancient time if we really wish to live a healthy life.
A cow never discriminates between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians or others and the person of every mode of worship takes her milk. In this way the cow feeds the whole world. Despite it, the cow which is regarded as mother is sold to butchers for merciless killing in the slaughterhouses. This is nothing but suicidal practice which will prove to be highly costly to the nation,” said Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Gokarna Peeth Shri Raghaveshwar Bharati Swamiji. He was addressing a gathering of gobhaktas at Exhibition Ground of Hyderabad on November 15.
5. SET UP COW-BASED INDUSTRIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY – K S SUDARSHAN: Former RSS Sarsangha-chalak Shri KS Sudarshan appealed to the industrialists to set up cow-based industries on large scale, as it is the most effective way of preserving and protecting the govansh and also encouraging the common man for herding the cow. He was addressing a gathering of gobhakta industrialists in New Delhi on October 29. The meeting was attended by many eminent industrialists already running successful cow-based industries in different parts of the country.
Veteran Sangh Pracharak Shri Omprakash who is dedicated to the cause of cow protection, said the Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra has successfully exhorted the people about the significance of the cow. "There is no lack of respect to the cow among the masses. But it would not be protected even if a central law is enacted. The economic aspect of the cow is very important," he said.
Shri Purushottam Toshniwal appealed to the industrialists to use the cow urine and cow dung as raw material in their factories to earn good profit.
6. RSS SERVICE PROJECTS MULTIPLY TEN-FOLD: Recording an impressive growth, the service units of the Sangh parivar grew ten times in little over one decade.
'Sewa Disha' a special journal published by RSS front organisation released to the media on November 3 reveals that its service projects all over the country that numbered 15,063 in 1997 have grown into a massive network of 1,57,776 in 2009. The journal, published once in five years, gives full account of the service work done by the innumerable units of the Sangh.
The service projects are engaged mainly in four fields-- education, healthcare, social work and economic self-reliance. Of the total 1.5 lakh projects, nearly 40% or 59,498 are into imparting education. This work is mainly done through Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (3147 units), Rashtriya Sewa Bharti (20,500 schools), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (25, 922 units), Vidya Bharti (9682) units, Rashtriya Sevika Sangh (149 units) and Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (98 units). Similarly, 38,582 health-related units are being currently operated through mainly Seva Bharti, VHP, Bharat Vikas Parishad and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashrams. While the number of social projects that do village development to disaster management have now grown 42,304, economic activity is being executed through 17,392 projects, according to the journal.
It is in Kerala that the RSS projects have grown the most-- from 688 in 2004 to 8921 this year while Karnataka follows with 9662 projects, up from 2535 in five years ago. Practically every state has RSS presence through these projects. Special attention is paid to north-eastern states that are reeling under insurgency problem and in difficult terrains like jungles, hills and the strife-ridden Jammu and Kashmir to spread education and health in places where the government facilities are non-existent or neglected.
7. A NEW SHAKHA/BALAGOKULAM IS BORN IN COLORADO, US: The first shakha on November 1 was attended by around 25-30 families and every one was on time with lot of curiosity, total sankhya 65 (35 Balas and shishus and 30 adults). The shakha kicked off with warm up exercises followed by surya namaskars. For khel session, there were four groups – Tarun, Sevika, Bala and Shishus. The whole hall was reverberating with enthusiasm. Shloka/ story session for kids and Yoga session for adults were other attractions. There was a presentation on Balagokulam and its purpose was explained by Krishnamurthy ji, Colorado Vibhag Karyavaha. Karyakarthas from other shakhas and vibhag did pravas for the new shakha. Ashok Pukale ji, Mukhya Shikshak of Longmont Shakha, Milind ji fromi Westminster Shakha, Rohini ji Woonnimani, VIbhag Sevika Pramukh helped local karyakarthas for the first shakha so that local volunteers team could experience and enjoy.
8. FOUNDATION STONE FOR RIWATCH CAMPUS AT ROING, ARUNACHAL PRADESH LAID: “To have a better understanding of the richness of age-old cultural assets of any region or state, it is very important that we initiate comparative and cross cultural studies of ethnic societies and I trust, once established, this institute will be the flag bearer of such endeavours covering different countries, and also with that of Bharat in general, and north east in particular, said Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen JJ Singh, while laying the foundation stone of the proposed campus of Research Institute of World’s ancient traditions Cultures & Heritage at Iduli Village, near Roing in Lower Dibang Valley on November 8.
MP Mukut Mithi, local MLA Laeta Umbrey, Deputy Commissioner Y W Ringu and SP Tojo Karga were present on the occasion along with public and RIWATCH members. Speaking on the occasion, Vice President of International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), USA and representing the organization, Janardan Bhatt said, the institute aims to bring different ethenic groups and learn about them so that they do not wipe out due to on-slot of modern civilization.
Welcoming the dignitaries to the proposed campus, RIWATCH Executive Director Vijay Swami gave a brief on the background of the organization and its objectives. He informed that RIWATCH is an affiliated unit of International Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS), Pennsylvania, USA. The basic objective of RIWATCH is to cater to the needs of research scholars in studying different ethnic groups of north eastern Bharat and initiate comparative and cross cultural studies of various ethnic groups of different countries with that of India in general and north east Bharat in particular.
9. FIRST NEW ZEALAND HINDU ELDERS’ CONFERENCE: The Hindu Elders Foundation, a division of the Hindu Council of New Zealand Inc, organised the first NZ Hindu Elders Conference at Hindu Heritage Centre, Mangere, Auckland on October 3. The theme of the conference was "Old is Gold".
Welcoming the participants to the historic event, the conference coordinator Pravin Patel said the aim of the conference was "to facilitate and empower the community so that the Hindu elders live with confidence, and be productive and participating citizens of New Zealand".
More than 160 delegates participated in the conference. Three parliamentarians graced the conference with their presence. Ross Robertson, Opposition spokesperson for Senior Citizens, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi representing the Government and Dr Rajen Prasad participated.
10. FULL CIRCLE: BHARAT BUYS 200 TONS GOLD FROM IMF: More than 18 years after New Delhi pawned 67 tons of gold to tide over a balance of payments crisis, the Reserve Bank of India has bought thrice that amount of gold from the International Monetary Fund to diversify its assets. Welcoming the purchase of 200 metric tons of gold by India's RBI, IMF MD Dominique Strauss-Kahn said, "I strongly welcome this transaction with RBI."
For India, the purchase, apart from signaling that its economy has come full circle, is a way of spreading its assets which are said to be currently over-weighted with foreign currency, mainly in the form of sovereign US Treasury bonds. In other words, it is a hedge against a falling dollar.
11. BANGLADESH CABINET APPROVES LAW TO RETURN 1965 WAR HINDU PROPERTY: The Bangladesh cabinet on November 2 approved a proposed law to return Hindu property which were confiscated during the 1965 Indo-Pak war, when the country was eastern wing of Pakistan, ending a major violation of the rights of minorities in the country.
The final cabinet approval for the law came after some amendments were made to it in line with the cabinet directives two months ago.
Many Hindus were unable to recover landholdings lost because of discrimination under the now-defunct Vested Property Act, an East Pakistan-era law that allowed the Government to expropriate "enemy", in practice Hindu, lands.
The then Pakistani government had seized approximately 2.5 million acres of land from Hindus, affecting nearly 10 million Hindus in the country until parliament scrapped it in April 2001.
The 2001 law stipulated that land that was seized under the law be returned to its original owners, provided that the original owners or their heirs remained resident citizens.
12. Ministers of Himalayan States Sign Declaration on Sustainable Himalayan Development: In a bid to protect the Himalayas from global warming, Chief Ministers of five Himalayan states signed the Shimla Declaration concluding day of a two-day meet. Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim issued a detailed action plan.
Experts from the five Himalayan states discussed in detail the impact of climatic change in Himalayan region and its bearing on people living in the zone.
13. LEARNING HINDI IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN: Learning Hindi, or Sanskrit or any other language of this family has an advantage over English: it exercises more areas of the brain. Scientists at the Manesar-based National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) have for the first time studied the processing of an Indian script-Devanagari- in the human brain using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). English, which uses the Roman script, is alphabetic. That is, it has vowels and consonants that are written linearly from left to right. Reading English-and other alphabetic languages-involves activation of areas in the left hemisphere of the brain. In contrast, Devanagari has the properties of both alphabetic and syllabic scripts. Scientists have found reading the language involves activation of the left and right hemisphere.
14. MUSLIMS DEFY 'FATWA', SING VANDE MATARAM: Defying the 'fatwa' issued by Jamiat-Ulama-e-Hind against rendition of Vande Mataram, a group of Muslims led by a clergyman joined people from other communities in singing the national song in front of a mosque in Betul, Madhya Pradesh.
A large number of people from a cross section of the society collected in front of the Jama Masjid at Betul Bazar at the invitation of its Imam Hafiz Abdul Razique and recited the song yesterday.
The event was organised by "Rukmani Balaji Mandir", its founder Sam Verma, an NRI, said.
15. NINE BHARATIYA-ORIGIN PEOPLE WORK IN WHITE HOUSE: At least nine Bharatiya-origin people work in the White House, with some getting $100,000 or more a year, official figures released by President Barack Obama's office have revealed.
According to the figures, Sonal Shah, who's the deputy assistant to the US President and director at Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, gets an annual salary of $120,000.
Both Rachana Bhowmick, who is the director of special projects, and Aditya Kumar, also director of special projects as well as special assistant to Office of Chief of Staff, earn $99,000 a year each. Those in the salary slab less than $90,000 are Anisha Dasgupta who works as a Counsel at an annual package of $86,927 and Pradeep Ramamurthy, the Director of Response Policy, whose gross salary is $86,927.
Kavita Patel who is the Director of Policy for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement gets USD 65,000 annually, while Shomik Dutta, the Special Assistant to White House Counsel, earns $62,000.
Likewise, White House Policy Advisor Manashi Deshpande earns $54,000 a year while Taara Rangarajan gets $40,000 for her services as Deputy Associate Director.
16. GLOBAL COOPERATION NEEDED TO WARD OFF TERROR: ADVANI: Speaking at a summit organised by Modern School, Barakhamba Road, on November 11, Advani said, "As far as Bharat is concerned, we must become strong and resolute in fighting this scourge of terrorism which has been imported from outside. A weak nation cannot face this campaign of terrorism which imperils our national unity, integrity and security. India must become strong in every sense of the word." While sharing his views on the importance of good governance and clean politics, Advani said, "I have been a political activist for nearly six decades and I have always tried to serve my nation honestly. My political life has taught me that politics is a noble profession and there should be a commitment to clean politics." Advani further said there is no doubt that Bharat has made tremendous progress in many fields in recent decades. The Commonwealth Games next year will make New Delhi even more attractive, he said on the occasion.
17. SPEAKER ON CAMPUS REPORT, NEW ENGLAND VIBHAG: Speaker on Campus (SoC) is a project that was taken up by the HSS yuva team a few years back. The idea is to spread awareness about Hindu Dharma on university campuses by organizing talks by eminent speakers.
Highlights:
· Linda ji was in Boston from November 1st to November 6th. She delivered talks at three universities – Northeastern, Boston University, and Harvard – and met with a few prominent Hindus in the community.
· This was the first time we had an SoC speaker of non-Bharatiya origin; this gave great exposure and a new perspective on things we may think we already know. It was inspiring to hear Linda ji’s experiences, such as how she came to embrace Hinduism when she was 16 and her time studying with yogis in India.
Northeastern University (Sunday, November 1, 2009): Topic: Living Dharma: Why Hinduism Matters · The sankhya was 14. The audience were mostly undergraduate students, a high school senior, and a couple of young professionals.
Boston University (Tuesday, November 3, 2009): Topic: Karma and Reincarnation · The sankhya was 20. The audience were mostly undergraduate students, a couple of young professionals, a professor, and the BUHSC advisor.
Harvard University (Friday, November 6, 2009): Topic: Hinduism’s Influence on Ancient Western Cultures (Greek, Roman, etc) · The sankhya was 30+. The audience were mostly students and a couple of professors.
Three more universities – UMass Amherst, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Brandeis University – wanted to organize SoC, but the timing could not work out. It has been decided to organize talks at these places by local speakers in the next semester.
18. CHHATTISGARH TO LAUNCH ITS OWN AIR SERVICE: Chhattisgarh will have its own domestic air service within a month as the Chief Minister Raman Singh has given orders for the same to Chhattisgarh Aviation Academy.
“Chhattisgarh will be first State to have its own domestic air service” Singh said, adding, the facility will not only boost tourism, commerce and business in the State but also in times of medical emergency enable people from remote areas to seek prompt medical treatment and care.
The domestic air service will begin in two sectors initially. While the first sector will cover to-and-fro flights touching Bhilai, Raipur, Bilaspur, Korba Raigarh, Ambikapur and Jashpur, the second sector will include Raipur, Bhilai and Jagdalpur, Bastar’s central town.
19. CALIFORNIA GETS ITS FIRST SIKH MAYOR: Bharatiyas, predominantly Sikhs, began migrating to California and other parts of the United States more than 100 years ago. This week, Yuba City in California, regarded as the oldest and largest settlement of Punjabis in the US, has made history by electing its first-ever Sikh Mayor.
Kashmir Singh Gill, better known as ‘Kash Gill’ in these parts, has been sworn in amid great fanfare. “We have made history tonight, and everyone is part of that history,” the 46-year-old Gill exulted as outgoing Mayor Leslie McBride passed the gavel to him. “
“Everybody may have a different definition of the American dream,” he said. “To me, I guess I’m living it right now.”
A native of Lakhsian village in Punjab, Gill arrived in Yuba City as a three-year-old child with his parents. The US’s Sikh community regards Yuba City as the Californian pindh (Punjabi village).
Yuba City has 15,000 Bharatiya Americans, making up 12 per cent of the city’s population.
20. SITARAMJI AGRAWAL (85), PASSES AWAY: Shri Sitaramji Agrawal (b. 1924, March 16) found his peace and left for his heavenly abode at 05.00 A.M. on November 03, 2009 at his hometown Kota (Rajasthan, Bharat) leaving us all Karyakartas deeply saddened and in shock, while celebrating a life fully lived that brought joy to so many - especially the needy people in the remote areas of Bharat who got the divine music of his loving care, warmth and compassion. He was fully conscious till his last breath and satisfied that he tried to do his bit for the welfare of the needy brethren and consolidation of the Putraroop Samaj of Bharat.
He was a Central Secretary and Akhil Bharatiya Seva Pramukh of Vishva Hindu Parishad. Sri Sitaramji, a chemical engineer from HBTI-Kanpur by training but a Samaj Shilpi (Social Engineer) by choice and passion, was a man of culture and had great empathy with the underprivileged, oppressed and ignored - especially among the remote Vanavasi and Girivasi (tribal) brethren - and deeply cared for their allround welfare - physical, mental, intellectual, spiritual, socio-economic, et al. He firmly believed in the signature tune and motto of Hindu scriptures articulated by Bhagwan Vyasdev that: "Paropakaaraaya PUNYAAYA, Paapaaya Para Peedanam" [Serving the needy is a great PUNYA (best of spiritual merits), and harming the innocent is wickedness and an unpardonable sin.]. Our deepest condolences to his Sahadharmini, elder son, younger son and all family members who have been a source of great strength and support during his long service mission and the last days of his brief illness. We pray to Sri Sachchidanand Bhagwan to grant the departed noble soul a pride of place in Baikunth Dham and strength to the bereaved family to bear the irreparable loss!
21. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Dr. Tatwawadi, Samyojak, Vishwa Vibhag, will be in Bharat after touring Sri Lanka and Hong Kong and leave for UK in the third week of November. Dr.Yashwant Pathak, sah samyojak will be in Bharat to attend ICCS meeting. Visitors: Shri Hasmukh Shah, Shri Hasmukh Patel and Shri Navinchandra Joshi from UK; Shri Mohankumar fromVietnam; Shri Rameshbhai Shah from USA,
22. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The flowing river has one day to fuse into the vast and endless ocean. If it refuses to do so in order to retain its own identity, then one day it will dry up and cease to exist. To attain immortality, we have to fuse with God and move on. That is the secret as well as the eternal law of evolution. - Sw.Satyananda

JAI SHREE RAM

GOING BACK TO SQUARE ONE
A Surya Prakash

The resolution adopted by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind at its annual conference at Deoband endorsing the fatwa of the Darul Uloom Islamic Seminary that Muslims should not recite Vande Mataram because it is against the religious principles of Islam, has once again reminded us of how some people can disturb the secular rhythm of India by raking up issues which were settled long years ago when we adopted our Constitution and chose to become a democratic republic.
Even more annoying is the fact that the arguments that are now being advanced against the National Song by Muslim leaders, is a rehash of the arguments that were put forth by the Muslim League when it demanded the country’s partition. Mohammed Ali Jinnah raised a dispute over the National Flag, Vande Mataram and Hindi while addressing delegates at the Muslim League Conference in 1937. He argued that the flag, the song and the language were all Hindu symbols and that, therefore, they were unacceptable to the Muslims. Anxious to avert partition, India’s political leaders offered to treat only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram — which describes the bounteous gifts that nature has showered on India — as the National Song. But, despite this and many other concessions offered to him, Jinnah achieved his ambition of vivisecting the country and carving out an Islamic state a decade after he announced his opposition to Vande Mataram, the tricolour and Hindi.
However, despite the partition and the creation of a separate Muslim state, secular India’s political leadership, in deference to the religious sensitivities of the Muslims who chose to stay back in India, decided to retain only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram as the National Song. It is therefore sad to see present day Muslim clerics — all citizens of secular, democratic India — echoing the views of Jinnah, who wanted the communal division of India.
We need to ask those who oppose Vande Mataram as to what their objection is. Here is Sri Aurobindo’s translation of the first two stanzas: Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams, bright with orchard gleams, cool with thy hands of delight, dark fields waving Mother of might, Mother free; Glory of moonlight dreams, Over thy branches and lordly streams, Clad in thy blossoming trees, Mother, giver of ease, laughing bow and sweet!; Mother, I kiss thy feet, Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.
Pray, what is the problem with this song? This is an ode to our motherland which talks of the abundant riches that nature has showered on her including the many rivers, the lush fields and the trees in full bloom. Poets in hundreds of languages have, over many centuries, paid such eulogies to nature and to their lands of birth. Shall we all now begin to view the work of every poet through the prism of religion and expurgate much of the poetry that is taught in our schools?
India’s founding fathers and Constitution makers had no doubt in their minds about the exalted status that the people accorded to Vande Mataram. Just take a look at what transpired in the Constituent Assembly on the day India became independent and on the day its members signed the first copies of the Constitution. The Constituent Assembly met at 11 pm on August 14, 1947. This historic session, which marked the transfer of power from Britain at the stroke of midnight, began with the signing of the first verse of Vande Mataram by Sucheta Kripalani. The session concluded with Kripalani singing the first lines of Sare Jahan Se Accha and the first verse of Jana Gana Mana. The Constituent Assembly met for the last time on January 24, 1950. This meeting began with a statement by its President, Rajendra Prasad on the National Anthem. Prasad said: “The composition consisting of the words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India …………and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. I hope this will satisfy the members”.
The meeting ended with members signing the English and Hindi copies of the Constitution. After the signing ceremony was over, Purnima Banerji and other members sang Jana Gana Mana. This was followed by Vande Mataram sung by Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra and other members, after which the Assembly adjourned sine die. Thus, the Constituent Assembly, which wrote the Constitution, declared that Vande Mataram “shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it”. This is non-negotiable. Nobody can now be allowed to re-open this issue or to show disrespect to the National Song.
Jamait Ulama e-Hind’s stand may be compatible with an Islamic state, but it is certainly against the fundamental tenets of a democracy like India. The Preamble to the Constitution expects all citizens to promote fraternity. Further, the chapter on Fundamental Duties says it is the duty of every citizen “to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities”.
National symbols offer a point of convergence in a democracy whose citizens belong to different races, cultures, languages and religious persuasions. When the polity is so diverse, as in India, the national flag and the national songs constitute the focal point of unity and act as the secular adhesive that holds the mosaic together.
It is through these devices that fraternity and common brotherhood are achieved. What prevents those who question Vande Mataram from raising a dispute tomorrow about Jana Gana Mana or the National Flag? If Vande Mataram is ‘un-Islamic’, is Jana Gana Mana compatible with tenets of that religion? What about the Asoka Chakra inside the National Flag and the tricolour itself? Shall we now await the verdict of the mullahs on the Ashoka Chakra and on the colours of the flag? We just cannot grant this veto power to Muslim clerics in a secular, democratic country. Nor can we take minority rights to such lofty heights that they begin to dwarf the few secular symbols that unite us all. – The Pioneer, November 17, 2009.

TAKE A VOTE

The Left Front government in West Bengal has not exactly been the Kremlin whose imposing edifice would collapse if only someone hammered down the door. Rather, the Left’s “impregnable” Fortress Bengal appears to be crumbling all over simultaneously, with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee looking like the patriarch surprised by sudden ageing and weakening, humiliatingly relegated to contemplating in silence the piling ruins around. Perhaps it is easier and more pertinent to discuss what can be done to avoid total political and administrative disaster in Bengal than dwell on Bhattacharjee’s predicament. What began in Nandigram and Singur, routed through Lalgarh and a most embarrassing engagement with Maoists, as well as cadre-related political violence, has since the Lok Sabha results exposed itself as a near-total collapse of governance. Bhattacharjee’s government has long lost the will, to say nothing of the way, to govern. It would not be an exaggeration to remark that the promise offered by Bhattacharjee taking over as chief minister has been ingloriously belied on all fronts. Given the current political circumstances in Bengal, the Left Front government should resign and call for assembly elections. In technical terms, the 32-year-old state government has not lost the mandate to rule, since the Left’s defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, in the recent assembly by-elections and in civic polls earlier does not negate the 2006 assembly election verdict till 2011. However, for practical purposes, Bengal has no functioning government and the Left Front’s administration is popularly per-ceived to lack legitimacy. Not surprisingly, the rumblings are shaking the Left Front from within, with a veteran minister in Bhattacharjee’s cabinet calling for his resignation and fresh polls. The fracture within the Left Front characterises the state CPM too and, despite the terseness and evasiveness of official comments, the chief minister is not exactly being looked up to within his party. Meanwhile, residents of Bengal are being increasingly exposed to the Maoist menace and the crossfire from Trinamool-CPM cadre battles. Not only should the violence stop but the state must also have a government capable of taking decisions and acting on them. Above all, it cannot persist with a paralysed administration that cannot provide security and a socio-economic direction.A fresh mandate, no matter who wins, will have the benefit of conferring perceptible legitimacy on the state government and, hopefully, help to halt outbreaks of violence. A new administration is more likely to display the will and ability to govern. And the very process of bidding for a fresh mandate would cleanse the Left of some of its internal contradictions. The use-by date on the Left’s singular institutional mechanism in Bengal has expired. The vacuum created by the overlap of party and administration needs now to be filled afresh. -- Editorial, Indian Express, November15, 2009.