Aashwin 30, Vik Samvat 2067. Yugabda 5112: October 16, 22010

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1.FESTIVALS: Narak Chaturdashi, the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Aashwin, a day before Diwali, falling on November 4 this year, is about the demon king Narakasur who was ruler of Pragjyotishpur, a province to the South of Nepal. During a war he defeated Lord Indra and snatched away the magnificent earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi who was not only the ruler of Suraloka but also a relative of Lord Krishna's wife, Satyabhama. Narakasur also imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of Gods and saints in his harem.

When Satyabhama came to know about this malevolent act of Narakasur she got furious and prayed to Lord Krishna to empower her so that she could destroy Narakasur. Narakasur was under a curse that a woman would kill him. Lord Krishna empowered Satyabhama to fight with Narakasur and himself became the charioteer of her 'Ratha' in the battlefield. Satyabhama beheaded Narakasur on Narak Chaturdashi and released the imprisoned ladies from Narakasur's harem and also recovered the precious earrings of Mother Goddess Aditi. Lord Krishna accepted all these ladies as his wives.

The mother of the Narakasura, Bhoodevi, declared that the death of her son should not be a day of mourning but an occasion for celebrations. Since then people celebrate diwali with joy and fun every year.

2. TERRORISM NOT LINKED TO HINDUISM: RSS Sarasanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday October 17 said the "golden opportunity" provided by the Allahabad High Court's Ayodhya verdict should not be lost and a massive Ram temple be built while castigating the government for raising the "bogey" of Hindu terrorism. He was speaking at RSS's annual Vijayadashami celebrations in Nagpur. Shri Bhagwat attacked critics of the judgment that upheld the Hindu claim to a temple saying this was an about-turn on their part. "They shamefully abandoned all concerns. Till 4 pm of September 30, they talked of respecting the court verdict and immediately after, they renewed their efforts to create fear and mistrust in society," he said.

"Ram Mandir is our pride and there are hundreds of Ram Mandirs in the county but Ayodhya was significant since it was the birth place of Bhagwan

Rama. It was a national monument. It was demolished by then rulers to create a new structure.” Bhagwat said.

"Now that the court has endorsed the belief that it was indeed the birthplace of Lord Ram... forgetting the past, let us all come together to build a massive temple at Ayodhya for Lord Ram who represents our national heritage and honour," he added.

Shri Bhagwat also said that the matter should be resolved out of court instead of further legal action in Supreme Court. He reiterated the RSS commitment to a massive temple rather than a modest one.

Shri Bhagwat's focus on "Hindu terror" was significant as the Sangh has seen a "conspiracy" to drag it into a terror net. Linking those opposed to a temple at Ayodhya to the attempts to "divide society", he said, "Due to these tendencies, a dangerous conspiracy is afoot to bring into vogue words like Hindu terror and saffron terror under the pretext that some Hindu individuals were allegedly involved in incidents of terror here and there."

He further said the government was making such allegations to cover up its failure to curb terrorism. He said further, "There is a sinister conspiracy to mislead Hindus through a campaign of lies and to defame Hindi saints, temples and organisations."

Shri Bhagwat argued that Hinduism and terror were contradictory. "There is only one country left in the world on which you can't put the blame of terrorism and that is Bharat. Terrorism and Hindus, terrorism and saffron, and terrorism and the Sangh are oxymorons," he said.

"This (effort to connect the two) is an attempt to weaken the strength of Hindus in Bharat and, at the same time, to appease Muslims," he said. A handful of incidents involving Hindus were reported and to blame the entire Hindu community was improper and unjust, he added.

On the Kashmir situation, Bhagwat said, "The crisis in Kashmir has become serious and complicated since we neglected Batlisthan and Gilgit which has become part of Pakistan. Now China is attempting to encircle Bharat by positioning its Army in these regions."

The United States is looking for a safe passage from Afghanistan and secure foothold in Kashmir with the help of Pakistan, he said.

Speaking further on Kashmir, Bhagwat said the valley is not the entire Jammu and Kashmir which has three regions. "Even in the valley not all but a small minority is clamouring for autonomy and dreaming of independence by promoting secessionism," he said.

"At the same time it is imperative on our part to appreciate the feelings, needs and aspirations of various other sections like patriotic Muslims, Gujjar-Bakarwals, Shias, Sikhs and Hindus including the Kashmiri Pandits and Buddhists. The displaced Pandits must return to their homes and dignity," he said.

He said there was no need to talk to separatists and Pakistan-sponsored perpetrators of violence and stone-pelting, He also warned against withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Protection Act. “Accession of Kashmir into Bharat through the instrument of accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh is final and non-negotiable. The direction of our policies should be guided by the unanimous resolution of our Parliament in 1994,” Bhagwat said. Sarasanghachalakji also criticised the government for ignoring the patriotic people in north-eastern states and pandering to the wishes of the separatists and anti-national forces there. While dwelling at length on “Chinese designs”, Bhagwat said, “Delay in tackling the Chinese designs in J&K, Arunachal Pradesh and other N-E states will be suicidal.”

Referring to infiltration by Bangladeshis, Bhagwat said it has led to insecurity among Hindus in border districts. “All citizens are to get the UID. How will we verify if those getting it are indeed Bharatiyas?” Bhagwat asked.

Music director Hridaynath Mangeshkar was chief guest on the occasion. A special note was circulated among journalists, explaining the meaning of various provisions of the Instrument of Accession and demanding abolishment of Article 370, full integration of J&K with Bharat with no separate constitution and flags and no autonomy or self-rule. October 26 will be observed as “J&K accession day” and a special awareness drive has been planned on Kojagiri Pournima day.

3. WOMEN SHOULD PLAY MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF BHARAT-PRAMILATAI MEDHE: "To erase all the signs of defeat by freeing our social mind from the bindings of all kinds of slavery is the only way to take our nation to the height of glory and make it the world leader," said Rashtra Sevika Samiti Pramukh Sanchalika Pramilatai Medhe in Nagpur on October 10. She was addressing the annual Vijayadashami rally organised by Nagpur unit of the Samiti.

Addressing a fairly large contingent of Sevikas and sympathisers of the organisation, Pramilatai called for accelerating the process of decolonising the mind of the countrymen. "Our society has been plagued by the evils of Mecaulay’s education system and Marxism’s hollow ideals. There is an urgent need to decolonise the social psyche from the shackles of western lifestyle. Once this is achieved no power on the earth can stop Bharat from becoming world leader guiding the humanity to the path of peace, progress and tranquility," she maintained.

Samiti chief further said September 30 verdict of Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court on Sri Ramjanmabhoomi heralded the victory for Hindu society. This has cleared the way for reconstruction of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya, she said that the calm and poise exhibited by the people on that day has shown the world how tolerant and understanding we Bharatiyas can be.

Reminding the activists of the higher goal of organising the society for a better tomorrow, she said women have to play an important role in shaping the future of the society. She urged them to follow the role model of Sister Nivedita who after joining the movement of Swami Vivekananda devoted herself to the cause of Bharat and Bharatiyas.

Dr Ajit Gupta, National president of Bharat Vikas Parishad presiding over the function, called for reinforcing the family system in the society and urged the women to come forward to accomplish this task. She said the family which was the very backbone of the society is on the brink of disintegration. This must be stopped forthwith and the womenfolk can play a vital role in this endeavor, she added.

4. BHARAT WINS UNSC SEAT WITH HIGHEST VOTES IN 5 YRS: With 187 votes, out of the 190 countries that voted, Bharat has received the highest number of votes for getting into the United Nations Security Council in the past five years. Bharat, which is a founding member of the UN, is returning to the Security Council after a gap of 19 years.

It has been on the Council six times before, having last served in 1992. Other countries to be elected are South Africa, Colombia, Germany and Portugal.

5. 1300-YR-OLD TEMPLES FOUND: The Archeological Department have found the remains of 1,300-yr-old ancient temples at Ashapuri village near Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Ashapuri village is located around 36 kms from Bhopal. The debris of the temple seems to be massive in which the Bhootnath temple was the biggest. The archeologists have named this excavation project as ‘Bhootnath Temple’ series. Built on the banks of once sparkling lake, the temple – dedicated to Lord Vishnu – was built by rulers of ancient time.

“We have found ruins of the temples dating back to 1,300 years, even before the Parmar dynasty. Before the Parmar dynasty there were rulers of Pratihar dynasty in this area. They were succeeded by Parmar dynasty. Pratihar dynasty rulers constructed temples with steeple-shaped structure. These temples were large and beautiful,” said Ashok Das, Commissioner, Madhya Pradesh Archeological Survey of India.

“The 21 temples you can see here were made during the Pratihar rule. The largest temple whose cleaniliness is yet to be done might have been made by the Parmar dynasty,” he added.

6. NANAJI A ROLE MODEL FOR PEOPLE IN POLITICS-LK ADVANI: "When people see the life and ideals of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers like Nanaji Deshmukh and Deendayalji, they wonder. They are role models for the people working in political field. Nanaji resolved to quit politics at the age of 60 and he did it. Nobody had told him to do it. After that whatever work he did in his life he took it to new heights of success. The work of rural development, self-reliance, education, health, sanitation, and many other activities that we see through Deendayal Research Institute is due to the sole efforts of Nanaji. He was a rare person with extraordinary qualities," said senior BJP leader Shri LK Advani. He was releasing a pictorial book on Nanaji Deshmukh, Rashtra Rishi Nanaji, on his 94th birth anniversary in New Delhi on October 10. The book has been published by the Culture Department of Madhya Pradesh Government. There are 15 chapters in the book and 14 inspiring letters of Nanaji have also been accommodated in it. These letters explain the thinking and vision of Nanaji very well.

7. HUGE OFBJP RALLY IN WASHINGTON DC: A huge gathering of over 500 young displaced Kashmiri Hindu children led a huge demonstration organised by Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (OFBJP) outside Bharatiya Embassy in Washington DC on October 2, 2010 to protest the Islamic terror in autonomy to Kashmir. The children expressed their deep anguish at the continued neglect of their legitimate aspirations of dwelling in the land of their forefathers. These children born to the parents who were ruthlessly hounded out of Kashmir by the fundamentalist Islamic terrorists about 20 years ago, vociferously condemned the deprivation of their cultural roots, civilisational heritage, traditional practices and rituals; right to live in their ancestral homeland.

The demonstration also demanded that Government of Bharat secures full constitutional rights of Kashmiri minorities guaranteed by the Bharatiya Constitution. It also demanded that the minuscule minority of Kashmiri Hindus still in the valley be provided the much needed security.

8. WOMEN PRIESTS STEAL THE SHOW: The experiment of imparting purohit (priest) training to women by women wing of the VHP in Vidarbha has proved to be a big hit. The VHP had started this project in 2000 so that women can also perform religious rituals. The women responded well to the project. In order to unite them at one platform, a Women Purohit Sammelan was organised in Nagpur by the VHP. It was presided over by Smt Jaishree Jichkar, wife of noted Congress leader of Nagpur Shrikant Jichkar. A directory of women priests was also released at the Sammelan by the then Gouraksha Vibhag Pramukh of the VHP Shri Hukumachand Sanwala. Shri Ashok Singhal also blessed the Sammelan.

9. GANESH CHATURTHI CELEBRATION: PORT BLAIR, Andaman unit of Sewa Bharati celebrated Sree Ganesh Chaturthi form September 11 to 13. The festival was celebrated with great devotion. Special bhoj was served on September 11 and 12. On September 12, the children of Bal Smaskar Kendra of the Sewa Bharati participated in a speech addressing and Ganesh bhusa competition. Dr Prem Kishad was the chief guest. After the competition, all the children had prasad. On September 13, the visarjan of Ganpati was done.

10. DHAKA OKAYS CRUCIAL HIGHWAY LINK TO KOLKATA: In major development, Bharat’s eastern neighbour Bangladesh has finally agreed to start the construction of a highway that will not only provide transit facilities, ensuring easy movement of goods, but also drastically shorten the circuitous route — crucial from the military point of view — between northeastern states and the port city of Kolkata.

Sources said Bangladesh has promised to start the construction work in the next few weeks. The project — to be primarily financed by Bharat — is part of the larger Asian Highway network project connecting the Asian nations. Once ready, the highway will solve Bharat’s major problem of moving goods into northeastern states of Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. At present, it can take up to five days for a truck from Kolkata to reach these areas, adding up to the costs besides the time delay. Similarly, the highway will give the northeastern states a better and a speedy access to the sea port.

11. VISHWA SANGH SHIBIR 2010: Vishwa Sangh Shibir ( VSS ), a gathering of overseas Hindus working to promote Hindu culture in various countries is held every 5 years. VSS 2010 is planned to be held at Pune from December 29 , 2010 to January 3 2011. About 550 delegates from 50 countries including workers, bhaginis ,and youth are expected to participate. The public concluding function will be held on January 2 in presence of RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan ji Bhagwat.

Vishwa Adhyayan Kendra ( VAK ) Mumbai has also planned 6^th Lakshmanrao Bhide memorial lecture on January 7^th at Vidyanagari, Kalina. Dr.Mahesh Mehta, USA will deliver keynote address.

12. AYURVEDIC THERAPY MOST SOUGHT-AFTER AT KHEL GRAM: While the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee propagated the importance of the centuries-old Ayurvedic therapy, there was, however, shortage of Ayurved specialists in Khel Gram. It showed the Ayurved is gaining popularity among foreign players who have resorted to this ancient Bharatiya therapy to keep them fit.

All the practitioners underwent various tests prior to their deputation for the Commonwealth Games. They had also attended a five-day training session in Kerala by an expert team from Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi. Ayurved was more popular among the gymnasts, cyclists, wrestlers and weightlifters.

13. SI UK DONATES KITCHEN IN KENYA : A nutrition kitchen has been constructed and handed over to Grogan ‘A’ school in Korogocho, Kenya on 26th September 2010. The school was established in 1992 with support from Action Aid. The main aim then was to give a chance to overage childrens acquire literacy and numeric skills. The main objectives being: To rehabilitate orphaned, destitute, and vulnerable Childrens in the area. Due to the high poverty levels, most parents are unable to contribute the monthly fee of 200/- Per pupil. The feeding programme that was started is on the verge of collapse as most parents are unable to contribute K Sh.10/- per day, towards its sustenance – buying of food, cooking oil, charcoal and other needs. A regular feeding programme will be started from the kitchen so as to maintain the pupils in the school and to eradicate illiteracy.

14. J&K INTEGRAL PART OF BHARAT: DEOBAND – Pointedly snubbing the separatists in the Kashmir Valley, who have often used Islam as a rallying point, the Darul Uloom Deoband, the spiritual headquarters of Sunni Islam, and its influential social front, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, affirmed on October 10, 2010 that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of Bharat. At a massive conclave called by the Jamaat at the Deoband seminary campus, 150 km northeast of Delhi, the gathered clerics sent out a clear message that Kashmir’s unrest should not be exploited to fuel separatism.

15. HARVARD GETS BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL DONATION IN 102 YRS, FROM TATA GROUP: Bharat’s Tata Group has given a whopping $50 million to the prestigious Harvard Business School here to fund a new academic and residential building on its campus, the largest gift received by the institute from an international donor in its 102-year-old history.

The gift comes from Tata Companies, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Tata Education and Development Trust, the philanthropic entities of the Group.

16. THE SILICON VALLEY BHARATIYA COMMUNITY SAYS ‘NO’ TO UPA EFFORTS ON COMPROMISE OF AFSPA: In show of solidarity with displaced Kashmiri Hindus, a multitude of organisations came together on October 3, 2010 at Fremont CA Hindu Temple to resolve to send memorandum to the Government of Bharat to take a tough stand against terrorist elements in J & K and to assure that Bharat does not dilute its stand on AFSPA.

Representatives like Moti Parimoo, Gaurang Desai and Rajesh Verma spoke on ways and means of taking action from US. Other prominent persons including Bansi Tikoo, Sandeep Dhedge, Manorama Joshi, Dinesh Neelaver also actively participated in the event.

17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Dr.Shankar Tatwawadi, samyojak, Vishwa Vibhag is on a tour to Kenya and Uganda. Shri Ravikumar, sah samyojak , returned Bharat after his visit to Chile, Argentina, Australia & HongKong. Visitors: Smt. Usha and Shri Devendra Chand, UK.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

O Goddess Mahalakshmi,

Who bestows complete attainment (siddhi) and wisdom,

Who bestows salvation and luxuries in our life and

Who is pure like mantra ; Salutations to You.

-Mahalakshmi Stotra

JAI SHREE RAM

DECONSTRUCTING THE VERDICT

Adv. Bhupendra Yadav

After examining the conclusions of the judgement of Honourable judges the following facts are undisputed that Ayodhya is a sacred place where Bhagwan Sri Ram was born and the place under litigation is the birthplace of Bhagwan Sri Ram. It is also confirmed that the mosque was constructed on structure of old Hindu temples.

THE Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court gave a historical verdict on Sri Ramjanmabhoomi case on September 30, 2010. It was unanimously accepted by the Bench that the disputed place is birthplace of Sri Ram. It is a historical battle being fought for the last more than 450 years. As the present legal case is concerned it was going on for the last 60 years.

In this legal battle, four suits were decided and judgement was pronounced by the honourable High Court. The relevant issue before the High Court was that is the property in suit, the site of Janmabhoomi of Sri Ramchandraji? Have the Hindus been worshipping the place in dispute as Sri Ramjamnabhoomi or Janmasthan and have been visiting it as a sacred place of pilgrimage as of right since time immemorial? Have the Muslims been in possession of the property in suit from 1528 AD continuously, openly and to the knowledge of defendants and Hindus in general? Whether even after construction of the building in suit deities of Bhagwan Sri Ram Virajman and Sthan Sri Ramjanmabhoomi continued to exist on the property of the suit? Whether any portion of property in suit was used as a place of worship by Hindus immediately prior to the construction of building in question? If the finding is in the affirmative, whether no mosque could come into existence in view of the Islamic tenets at the place in dispute? Whether the premises in question or any part thereof is by tradition, belief and faith the birthplace of Sri Ram? These were the important questions before the High Court to come on the conclusion. Apart from these questions there were other questions, belonging to principle of res-judicita, estopple, limitation, adverse possession also pending before the court. Some of the questions were unanimously answered by the judges in their different judgements. Justice SU Khan who held on the question that the mosque was constructed in 1528 by Babar, stated: "It is not proved by the direct evidence that premises in dispute including constructed portion belongs to Babar or the person who constructed the mosque or whose under it was constructed."

Justice Dharmavir Sharma took a clear stand that the mosque was constructed by the Babar after the demolition of Hindu structure and he affirmed the ASI report. Justice Sudhir Agrawal also affirmed that the ASI report established that prior to 1528 the temple existed.

Justice SU Khan gave a finding that "mosque was constructed over the ruins of temples which were lying in utter ruins since a very long time before the construction of mosque and some material thereof was used in the construction of the mosque." But the question before the bench was that is this the same place which the Hindus believe Janmabhoomi of Bhagwan Ram.

Justice SU Khan held in his gist of findings "that for a very long time till the construction of the mosque it was treated/believed by Hindus that somewhere in a large area of which premises in dispute is a very small part birth place of Lord Ram was situated, however, the belief did not relate to any specified small area within that bigger area specifically the premises in dispute." "That for some decades before 1949 Hindus started treating/believing the place beneath the central dome of mosque (where at present makeshift temple stands) to be exact birthplace of Lord Ram."

Justice Sudhir Agrawal mentions in his findings that "it is declared that the area covered by the central dome of the three domed structure, i.e. the disputed structure being the deity of Bhagwan Ram Janmasthan and place of birth of Lord Rama as per faith and belief of the Hindus, belong to plaintiffs (Suit-5) and shall not be obstructed or interfered in any manner by the defendants."

However Justice SU Khan and Justice Sudhir Agrawal held that the portion of the land will be divided into three parts. Justice SU Khan held "that in view of the above both the parties are declared to be joint title holders in possession of the entire premises in dispute and a preliminary decree to that effect is passed with the condition that at the time of actual partition by metes and bounds at the stage of preparation of final decree the portion beneath the central dome where at present makeshift temple stands will be allotted to the share of the Hindus."

Justice Sudhir Agrawal held in his findings the direction for division of land is "the area within the inner courtyard denoted by letters B C D L K J H G in Appendix 7 (excluding (i) above) belong to members of both the communities, i.e. Hindus (here plaintiffs, Suit 5) and Muslims since it was being used by both since decades and centuries. It is however, made clear that for the purpose of share of plaintiffs, Suit 5 under this direction the area which is covered by (i) above shall also be included.

"The area covered by the structure, namely, Ram Chabutra, (EE FF GG HH in Appendix 7) Sita Rasoi (MM NN OO PP in Appendix 7) and Bhandar (II JJ KK LL in Appendix 7) in the outer courtyard is declared in the share of Nirmohi Akhara (defendant no. 3) and they shall be entitled to possession thereof in the absence of any person with better title.

"The open area within the outer courtyard (A G H J K L E F in Appendix 7) (except that covered by (iii) above) shall be shared by Nirmohi Akhara (defendant no. 3) and plaintiffs (Suit 5) since it has been generally used by the Hindu people for worship at both places.

"It is however made clear that the share of Muslim parties shall not be less than one third (1/3) of the total area of the premises and if necessary it may be given some area of outer courtyard. It is also made clear that while making partition by metes and bounds, if some minor adjustments are to be made with respect to the share of different parties, the affected party may be compensated by allotting the requisite land from the area which is under acquisition of the Government of India.

"The land which is available with the Government of India acquired under Ayodhya Act 1993 for providing it to the parties who are successful in the suit for better enjoyment of the property shall be made available to the above concerned parties in such manner so that all the three parties may utilise the area to which they are entitled to, by having separate entry for egress and ingress of the people without disturbing each others rights. For this purpose the concerned parties may approach the Government of India who shall act in accordance with the above directions and also as contained in the judgement of Apex Court in Dr. Ismail Farooqi (Supra)."

After examining the conclusions of the judgement of Honourable judges the following facts are undisputed that Ayodhya is a sacred place where Bhagwan Sri Ram was born and the place under litigation is the birthplace of Bhagwan Ram. It is also confirmed that the mosque was constructed on structure of old Hindu temples.

It was widely published after the judgement that this judgement considered only the question of faith which is not correct. The honourable judges came on the conclusion after considering the classical texts, oral evidences, documentary evidences, travellers reports, excavations by Archaeological Survey of India, relevant case laws, GPRS survey conducted by the scientific international institution and other relevant materials. The judgement came after the critical examination of the documents. It is a fact that there are numerous accounts which clearly prove that the Hindus continue to worship Sri Ramjanmabhoomi as holy and sacred after the disputed structure was constructed on it. These documents are by foreign travellers and British officials who were shocked to see the continued struggle Hindus waged to recover their holy place. In this connection the account of Joseph Tieffenthaler during his visit to India in the 18th century is of the great significance.

This judgement has virtually opened the door to all Bharatiyas to construct a magnificent temple of Sri Ram. Bhagwan Ram represents civilisation of this country. His compassion, ethics, and rule of law is a parameter to a welfare state which we call Ramrajya. The judgement provides an opportunity to all communities to come forward and unitedly work for a strong Bharat. (The writer is an advocate in Supreme Court of India) Organiser October10,2010

MALIGNING THE RSS

Rahul Gandhi should have known better

It is shocking, to say the least, that the Congress general secretary should have equated the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to the Students’ Islamic Movement of India during a Press conference in Bhopal on Wednesday. It was a gratuitous comment that need not have been made or elaborated upon; the heir apparent to the masnad of Delhi should have known better than to say, “I know only that both SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and hold fundamentalist views.” By saying so, he has placed on display his appalling ignorance of both organisations as also of the nation’s history and its current affairs. Irrespective of whether or not one subscribes to the RSS’s philosophy or worldview, few would make bold to suggest that it is an organisation wedded to anti-national activities. Close to a century its pracharaks and cadre have dedicated their lives to the service of the nation and its people. Whenever and wherever there has been a natural disaster, the RSS’s cadre have waded in to assist the civil administration, most recently in the aftermath of the super-cyclone in Odisha. It was the RSS that sent in its cadre to salvage the bodies of victims after two planes collided mid-air a short distance from Delhi: All the dead were Muslims. In remote areas and dense forests where the Government is yet to send in its officials, the RSS runs schools and development programmes for tribals. Despite its track record, the RSS continues to be vilified and maligned by pseudo-secularists: It has been banned thrice since independence, but on each occasion the ban had to be lifted as it failed to pass judicial scrutiny. But these details are obviously unknown to Mr Rahul Gandhi; he is equally unaware of the fact that his great grandfather invited the RSS to participate in the Republic Day parade of 1963 for its unstinted assistance to the Government during the 1962 war with China. No other non-Government organisation has been extended this privilege. In sharp contrast, SIMI has been banned for its role in seditious and terrorist activities; many of its members are in jail. Further comment is not needed. (Excerpts from Editorial, the Pioneer dated October 8, 2010)

INTEGRAL TO CULTURE

Don't let India's languages die

The discovery of a new language in Arunachal Pradesh by a National Geographic team of linguists is both good and bad news. The good news is that it opens a new door for experts to further understand the cultural heritage of the region and the country. The bad news is that the language is spoken by less than a thousand people and is severely endangered. It is a stroke of luck that the team stumbled upon the language; had it arrived some years later the language might have been wiped away. There is now a chance, even if slim, that Koro, as it is known, may be preserved and promoted through the initiatives of academics, including the team members. This will take some effort because Koro is not even a written language, but one can expect the linguists to at least take sincere steps in saving this invaluable piece of our cultural legacy. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the Union Government, which has demonstrated total indifference to the plight of 200 other Indian languages that are in various stages of extinction. When the UNESCO’s Atlas of World Languages in Danger, that listed the endangered Indian languages, was brought to the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s notice, it had brushed it aside, saying they were not even recognised as languages in the Census of India report. The Ministry’s claim was off the mark since the atlas mentioned the 2001 Census numbers for several of the endangered languages like Deori, Kinnauri, Godabov and Bhadravahi. The Indian languages in the ‘danger zone’ are spread across the country, from the far north in Jammu & Kashmir to Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh as well as Assam and Manipur in the North-East. What is even more shocking is that despite having the Census figures for these languages that showed the high levels of endangerment, the Government has done precious little to keep them alive.

The Ministry has been content with passing the buck to the Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages, claiming the institute was engaged in documenting and digitally recording several of the imperilled languages. But clearly little is happening in reality because the languages are dying. The UNESCO atlas listed 82 languages as vulnerable, 41 critically endangered and 62 as definitely endangered. There is continuing drop in the usage of these languages and the fear is that, with the passing of the older generation that is keeping them alive, the languages will die. And it is not just languages with speakers who can be counted on finger-tips that face extinction, but the relatively well-off ones too. For instance, although Kolami is spoken by more than 1,00,000 people in the Dravidian belt, it is slowly dying with each new generation. Experts believe that in the immediate decades from now, there could be only a few thousand Kolami speakers left. Since these ancient languages are now less a means of communication and more a link to our cultural history, the Ministry of Culture should step forward for their preservation. Not to do so would amount to disowning our past. (Editorial, the Pioneer, October 18, 2010)

Ashwin 15 Vik Samvat 2067. Yugabda 5112: October 1, 2010

1. FESTIVALS: Santhal Tradition in its Pristine Glory: For a large section of Santhals from Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal, choosing a spouse is a spectacular event, a grand ritual that celebrates tribal life and tradition in all its glory. They gather at the Chhata Utsab or umbrella festival held at Chakoltore, 30km from the Purulia district headquarters. At the end of a rollicking evening, many walk away with a partner whom they can choose to marry at the venue itself before the night is out. The rest must return a year later on the same day — September 17 — and try their luck. The fair was inaugurated on Friday, the September 17 this year by Raja Debiprasad Singh Deo’s 19-year-old grandson Amit Singh Deo.

"It's not certain if this tradition is really seven centuries old. But it's been there for centuries and has held the Santhals together,” says Subhankar Maity, a researcher on Purulia.

2. DISPUTED SITE IS RAM BIRTHPLACE - HC: On September 30, the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court, comprising of Justice Sudhir Agarwal, Justice S U khan and Justice Dharamveer Sharma, gave its stamp of judicial approval to the Hindu belief that Lord Ram was indeed born at the disputed spot. It also ruled by a majority verdict that the dispute 120 feet by 90 feet area should be divided into three equal parts among three petitioners – the Sunni Central Wakf Boar, the Nirmohi Akhara and the party representing the deity, Ram Lalla.

3. JUDGES’ RESPONSE TO SIX CORE QUESTIONS:

Issue 1: Who has the exclusive possession of the disputed site? Justice Sudhir declined exclusive possession to either of the contesting parties as the members of both the communities visited the inner courtyard for the purpose of worship. Justice SU Khan held it was “unique and absolutely unprecedented” that inside the compound Hindu and Muslims worshipped at the same site. Justice D V Sharma ruled the entire property is the site of Janm Bhumi of Lord Ram.

Issue 2: What would be the status of the 2.77 acres disputed site? Justice Agarwal concluded the disputed site belonged to both communities. Ordered its partition into three portions. Specified that the site where idols are present would belong to Ram Lalla. Justice Khan declared both parties as joint title-holders in possession and directed the site’s partition. Agreed with Justice Agarwal on handing over the idols-site to Hindus, Justice Sharma held the entire site belonged to Hindus. Issue 3: Whether the disputed structure was a mosque built by Babar: Justice Agarwal held that it has not been proved that Babar or Mir Baqi built disputed structure. Justice Khan said there was no direct evidence that Babar got the disputed structure built. Justice Sharma concluded the structure did not have the character of a mosque as it was built against the tenets of Islam.

Issue 4: Whether the structure was constructed after pulling down a Hindu temple: Justice Agarwal held the disputed structure was constructed after demolition of a Hindu temple. Justice Khan said no temple was demolished and mosque was built over temple ruins. Justice Sharma cited the Archaeological Survey of India report, proving there was a Hindu structure.

Issue 5: Is the disputed site the birth place of Lord Ram? Justice Agarwal held the area covered under the central dome is the birthplace of Lord Ram as per faith and belief of Hindus. Justice Khan too said that Hindus had started believing that the place beneath the central dome was the exact birth place of Lord Ram. Justice Sharma declared the disputed site as Lord Ram’s birthplace.

Issue 6: Whether there were idols in the disputed structure: Justice Agarwal said the idols were under the shikhar “but not from time immemorial” and were kept there in the night of December 22 and 23, 1949. Justice Khan agreed the idol was placed for the first time beneath the central dome of the mosque. Justice Sharma said the idols were placed in the middle dome of the disputed structure.

4. RSS SARSANGHACHALAK MOHAN BHAGWAT’s STATEMENT ON THE AYODHYA JUDGEMENT: Through today's verdict the Allahabad High Court has acknowledged and ratified the age-old faith of crores of people of Bharat in Maryada Purushottam Sri Ram and his Janm Bhumi. Therefore, I welcome and congratulate the honourable Justices who delivered it. I also congratulate the battery of lawyers who were involved in this legal battle, all the saints who were leading the Ram Janm Bhumi movement and all others including the people of the country who participated in it in a big way. I offer my respectful homage to the sacred and inspiring memory of all those Karsevaks like Kothari brothers who have laid down their lives in the movement for reestablishing that faith.

Building of the Ram temple signifies the identity, honour, independence and valour of our country. Sri Ram is the epitome of the eternal, inclusive, caring and tolerant culture of our Bharat. The movement for Ram Temple is not a reactionary one, nor is it against any particular community.

Hence this verdict, that facilitates building of a magnificent temple for Maryada Purushottam Ram, should not be seen by the society as a victory to any group or defeat to the other. Our joy and happiness should find expression in a controlled, peaceful manner within the limits of law and Constitution; uncalled for provocations must be avoided. This is an excellent opportunity to rise above all the past experiences in the spirit of our tolerant and inclusive national culture and strive to organise our diverse, multiple-lingual and multiple-religious society into a united, disciplined and conflict-free one inspired by a grand and sacred vision.

Hence I take this opportunity to heartily and affectionately call upon all our countrymen including the Muslims to forget all the ill-will and hard feelings borne out of the conflicts of the past decades and welcome the verdict of the judiciary, thus becoming active colla-borators in organising necessary constitutional and practical means for building the magnificent temple for Maryadapurushottam Sri Ram.

5. BRAHADEESWARAR TEMPLE’S MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS : Thanjavur witnessed grand celebrations to commemorate the 1000th year of Brahadeeshwara Temple built by King Raja Raja Chola in 1000 AD. Seminars, music, dance and variety entertainment shows were organised as part of the five day mega event from 22^nd to 26^th September. .

Folk artistes performed Thanjai Sangamam that comprised Tamil folk arts at five different locations in Thanjavur. The town was beautifully lit-up and idols of Raja Raja Chola were kept at various places. An exhibition on Chola’s contribution to Tamil culture, art and music at Thanjavur Palace ground was thronged by several thousands of visitors.

A symposium organized on this occasion was attended by Tamil scholars from different parts of the State. A conference on the architectural marvel of the Big Temple was also held.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi who arrived on September 25 witnessed a Bharatanatyam recital by 1,000 dancers led by Padma Subrahmanyam. Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, Union and State Ministers also attended the event.

At the valedictory function, Karunanidhi delivered a special address. The event was presided over by Anbazhagan. A postal stamp on King Raja Raja Chola was released by Union IT and Communication Minister A Raja. Also a coin on the Big Temple and the Chola King was released by Union Minister of State for Finance S S Palani Manickam.

6. ISI CHIEF LIED TO CIA, BLAMED ONLY ‘ROGUES’ FOR MUMBAI ATTACKS: Less than a month after the Mumbai attacks, Pakistan’s spy agency chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had admitted to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that the terror strikes had ISI links but claimed it was not an “authorised” operation and carried out by “rogue” elements, according to a new book.

However, CIA later received reliable intelligence that the ISI was directly involved in the training for Mumbai, says the book, Obama’s War, written by American investigative journalist Bob Woodward.

The author says the Mumbai terrorists spoke with handlers back in Pakistan with satellite phones that went through a VoIP phone service in New Jersey, making the calls difficult — if not impossible — to trace.

7. ‘HUJI, NOT HINDU GROUP, BEHIND MECCA MASJID BLAST’: Though the CBI has sought to establish the hand of a Hindu terror group in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast, a US counter-terrorism agency thinks otherwise. According to the National Counter-terrorism Center (NCTC), the blast was allegedly executed by a Pakistan-sponsored terror outfit, the Harkat ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HuJI).

NCTC director Michael Leiter, submitted as much in his ‘Statement for the Record’ before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on September 22. Before the CBI took over the case, the Hyderabad police too had named the HuJI as the blast’s alleged executor.

8. FIRST ASTROSAT TO BE LAUNCHED BY ISRO NEXT YEAR: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Byalalu campus, 30km from Bangalore off Mysore Road, is a space powerhouse now. It has been readied to undertake Bharat's first astronomy mission, Astrosat, under which ISRO will launch the country's first dedicated astronomy satellite in 2011.

Earlier, Byalalu had helped Bharat coast through its first Moon mission Chandrayaan-1. It also houses Bharat's Deep Space Network (IDSN).

S K Shivakumar, director of ISRO's ISTRAC centre which oversees the Byalalu campus, said, ''Byalalu is ready for Bharat's first dedicated astronomy mission. The building, technology and equipment to handle the mission are ready. ISRO has installed technology for the Astrosat mission that is comparable to the best in the world. ISRO developed, designed and installed all infrastructure on its own.''

9. DESI FIRMS SCORE OVER MNCs IN ATTRACTING TALENT: With the Bharatiya economy growing fast and the job market picking up momentum , headhunters across the country are on a hiring spree. And this time around it is not the MNCs but the desi companies.

Industry experts say Bharat's mid-level executives which were once attracted to the glamour of MNCs, are now preferring financially robust Bharatiya firms. Experts are of the opinion that the definition of a Bharatiya company itself has changed over the years with a new face of Bharat Inc emerging and it's not just the Wipro or Infosys.

Staffing companies who provide manpower to companies agree that there's an increased interest among premium talent to be part of up-and-coming ventures across sectors like travel, telecom, healthcare, financial services, product development and IT. Some even estimate that there is 30%-40 % increased hiring in these companies in roles such as sales and marketing compared to MNCs.

10. IIT-M TO SET UP OBSERVATORY TO KEEP AN EYE ON CHINA: It was the ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu who spoke of the importance of knowing one's enemy when he said, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles". Bharat has evidently decided to take a cue from that principle: It will now keep a keen eye on its competitors on the global stage. And it will do this through its best centres of excellence — the Indian Institutes of Technology.

Each IIT, which is free to pick the country it wants to study, will establish an observatory and study the developments of nations strategic to Bharat. IIT-Madras, which mooted the proposal, is setting up a centre that will follow China — right from Mao Tse Tung's revolution and Deng Xioping's reforms to every step that the dragon takes today. Experts say that observatories are as much international watchdogs as they are vehicles for turbo-charging bilateral relations.

11. A Divya First Woman To Get Sword Of Honour: Year after year, a gentleman cadet receives the ‘sword of honour’, the best all-round cadet award, at the passing-out parade of the Officers’ Training Academy, Chennai. On 18 September, for the first time in the history of the Bharatiya Army, a lady cadet received the honour from chief of army staff Gen V K Singh. A Divya (21) prevailed over stiff competition from 157 men and 70 women to be awarded the coveted title. She also bagged three medals, including a gold and a silver in the endurance and physical training categories.

Daughter of Ajith Kumar, a Chennai-based businessman, Divya’s childhood ambition was to become an IAS officer. “But once I started interacting with Army officers in the NCC camps, I was clear about my career,’’ she says.

12. BMS TO FOCUS ON WORKERS OF UNORGANISED SECTOR- MADAN DAS: Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) conducted many programmes across the country on September 17 to celebrate Vishwakarma Jayanti. Big rallies were held in Shimla, Rohtak and Ludhiana. The function in Delhi was attended by RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pracharak Pramukh Madan Das. Addressing a gathering at BMS headquarters he advised the BMS workers to strengthen the work in unorganised and Vanvasi sectors. "The work in organised sector has now many limitations. But the problems of the workers in unorganised sectors and Vanvasi areas are still unattended. Since the BMS is number one labour organisation, it is the responsibility of it to address the problems of those workers also," he said.

13. Kashmiris should be the focus, not separatists - Jaitley: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has suggested to the Government that it should address the alienation of common Kashmiris before engaging the separatists.

"The common people are certainly alienated while the separatists are stoking the feeling of disenchantment for legitimising their azadi demand. The Government needs to create a distinction between these two. It must revisit its Kashmir policy, which has made the issue more complex in the last few decades," Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who was part of the all-party delegation to Kashmir last week said. He was speaking at the interaction programme Root of Separatism in Jammu & Kashmir; Separate State Constitution organised by Jammu & Kashmir People's Forum (Delhi). Others who spoke on the occasion include Lt. Gen. (Retd.) SK Sinha (Ex-Governor, J&K), Prof KL Bhatia (Retd. HoD Law, Jammu University) and Shri Narender Sehgal, Senior Journalist. Shri Vijay Kranti, Convener J&K Study & Research Centre (K&KPF) moderated. The BJP was also firm on its demand for non-dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and wanted the Government to realise that the separatists had refused to allow normality to return to the Valley.

The party was seriously worried about the popular perception that military was out to kill the average Kashmiri — though not a single person has been killed by Army’s bullets—and wanted the Government to spread the message that the armed forces also had suffered heavy casualties. At least 2,500 security personnel are recuperating in various hospitals of Srinagar after being hit by stone throwers who, according to the BJP, were not necessarily acting at the behest of the neighbouring country.

14. Rashtrapati Gives Grant To Cambodian School: Rashtrapati Pratibha Patil took time out from her official engagements to meet a group of students and teachers from the Cambodia-Bharat Friendship School at Phnom Penh in Combodia on September15. The students and teachers of the rural primary school travelled from Trea Sar village in Kamping Cham province to meet the President.

Patil announced a grant of $246,000 for the school. This is the only engagement Bharat has with Cambodia in the field of primary education.

The school has an interesting history, and an accidental Bharatiya association. First built in 1981 and named the Trea Sar School, it was renamed ten years later after a visit by the then Bharatiya ambassador in Cambodia. The ambassador had given some rice and a mere $300 as goodwill assistance to the school. Cambodian PM Hun Sen who accompanied the ambassador on the visit, instructed that the school be renamed.

The Bharatiya Embassy recently gave financial aid for a new tube well and playing equipment to the school.

15. BHARAT, CHINA, NEPAL JOIN HANDS TO CONSERVE KAILASH LANDSCAPE: Bharat has joined hands with Nepal and China for conservation of the sacred Kailash landscape. Representatives from the three nations, met in Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, in China, recently to discuss on the landscape conservation initiative. The workshop was organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

According to a release issued by the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF), the members have discussed initial steps in developing a regional cooperation framework for the sacred landscape, including a feasibility report, conservation strategy and environment monitoring plan.

The landscape includes the southwestern parts of Tibet Autonomous Region of China and adjacent Himalayan regions in Bharat and Nepal. These regions are among the most culturally and ecologically diverse and fragile areas in the world, having sacred significance for hundreds of millions of people in Asia and around the globe.

The framework is expected to focus on trans-boundary biodiversity and environmental and cultural conservation, scientific and technical cooperation, information exchange and sharing, regional guidelines and policy mechanisms. The workshop had 25 participants representing 14 institutions and senior Government officials from Bharat and Nepal, besides senior officials from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

16. SPEAKERS FROM BHARAT AT HINDU SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH MEET IN NAIROBI: On 18^th Sept 2010, distinguished speakers of state assemblies from various states of Bharat got together for a brief meeting organized by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh at Deendayal Bhavan on Muranga road. These speakers have been in Nairobi to take part in the 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference which was held at KICC, (Kenyatta International Conference Center), Nairobi from 14th to 19th Sept 2010. The speakers present were Bopayya from Karnataka, Dharampal Kaushik from Chhattisgarh, Harbans Kapoor from Uttarakhand, Secretary of Legislative Assembly from Chhattisgarh, Devendra Verma. Also present were Dilipbhai Parmar and the Opposition Leader from Gujarat Shaktisinh Gohil.

They were utterly delighted to be among Hindus who have maintained the tradition and culture so much, so that they felt they were at home. An attendance of more than a hundred people had the opportunity to hear from the experienced speakers about their views on the visit to Kenya and how Bharat is always happy to cater for the Bharatiyas living outside Bharat. One speaker from Gujarat went ahead to emphasize that religion is purely for the well being of an individual.

17. GANESH PUJA IN US: Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh (HSS) celebrated Ganesh Pooja in many cities of US. Practicing Hindus and others gathered on September 19 at the Governor Hotel in Olympia to help their children learn the Ganesha pooja.

“This is a family,” Basavapatna said of the organization. “We learn together.” Mallik Bulusu asked the children to name Ganesha’s characteristics, many of which are deeply rooted in symbolism. “Big ears,” one child shouted, with the idea that we must listen more. “Small eyes,” another child said, meaning one should concentrate.

Participants, about 1000, varied from strict Hindus to those who were just becoming interested. Balaji Narayanan, who moved to the US from Bharat in 1995 with his wife brought his 4-year-old daughter with the hope that she will continue the Hindu tradition in his family.

Other attendees, including Les Peterson of Tumwater, had never attended a Hindu ceremony prior to Sunday. After growing up in a Christian household and dabbling in many religions, Peterson arrived at Hinduism, a religion he says lines up closely with his interpretation of modern science. He brought along his 13-year-old son to check out the ceremony.

In Naperville-Aurora Shakha on September 12, kids had made Ganesh Murthis. On September 19, 135 including 70 kids participated in the Ganesh Puja, 3rd year in succession. The Sevikas decorated the room with a flower rangoli and beautiful banners. Individual kits were prepared for each child to carry with them all the essentials for performing pooja.

The function began with a Bharatnatyam dance performance by Natasha Gupta, praising the manifestations of different forms of MahaVishnu. Balagokulam kids invoked the blessings of Sri Ganesh by chanting Ganapati. Kavya, a fifth grader then performed a beautiful Bharatnatyam dance to invoke the blessings of Lord Padmanabha and goddess Lakshmi. Ganesh pooja was led by Tushar and Jaya Bhawtankar and was performed individually by all the children.

18. HINDU HERITAGE CAMP FOR THE BHUTANESE REFUGEES was a great success. The camp was held in a shelter at Lincoln Park in Rock Island on September 18th 2010. HSS swayamsevaks from Peoria and Bloomington helped out at the camp.

Twenty Bhutanese kids (mostly teenagers and some younger children) attended the camp. The prayers from the Ish Chintan, games like Sher-Bakri, Sudharshan Chakra, Dog and Bone, Cockfight, and Ram-Krishna; and Bouddhik on Prominent Hindus in America, followed by an arts and crafts session, where the campers made “kandils” were the highlights of the camp. The children immensely enjoyed the camp and were heartened by the support and the feeling of inclusion in the Hindu Community in the USA.

19. AMERICAN FOOTBALLER RICKY WILLIAMS TURNS TO HINDUISM: Welcoming well-known American football player Ricky Williams to Hinduism fold on September 11, a US-based Hindu group has suggested inclusion of yoga into practice routine of National Football League (NFL) teams. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed applauded Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams Jr., running back for the Miami Dolphins of NFL, for 'resurrecting' his career reportedly through spirituality, yoga, meditation and ayurveda.

His spiritual journey, which reportedly transformed him to a healthy warrior at the ripe age of 33, could prove inspiring to other players. He reportedly visited Bharat, and is vegetarian and a certified yoga instructor. Name of one of his daughters is Asha and he has reportedly learnt selfless action and humility from Hinduism.

20. BHARAT TO RENOVATE 11TH CENTURY SHIVA TEMPLE IN LAOS: Bharat has agreed to renovate the Vat Phou or Wat Phou temple complex in southern Laos as part of deepening cultural and historical ties which have existed between the two countries for more than 2000 years.

Wat Phou is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of Mount Phu Kao near the Mekong river in Champasak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the sixth century. The summit of Phu Kao is like Linga, the phallic symbol of Shiva, thus giving it the more popular name, Lingaparvat.

"It is an ongoing restoration project which started in 2009. The work restarts again after the end of rainy season in Lao. It will take seven years for completion of the project. It will also help us to understand common cultural heritage of Lao," Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Vijaya Latha Reddy said.

The inscriptions found in the area suggest that the ancient city itself was founded around the middle of 5th century. The site is now a major centre of Theravada Buddhist worship.

In the 12 century, Wat Phou and Angkor Vat formed the axis of Khmer Empire which also were linked by a 200 km long ancient road between the two heritage sites.

21. SUPREME COURT ON CWG: RS. 70,000 CRORE AND RAMPANT CORRUPTION: The audacious corruption cultivated by the Commonwealth Games has irked the Supreme Court. In particular, the court is livid about the pedestrian bridge that collapsed near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium earlier this month, just days after it was completed.
"In this country, payments are made without work being done. Newly constructed bridge collapsed like a pack of cards. 70,000 crores are involved. There is rampant corruption in the country. We cannot shut our eyes. Till October 15, Common wealth is a public purpose - thereafter, everything will become private purpose," observed the court.
The comments came during a case that establishes that the government has violated laws aimed at preserving the historic Jantar Mantar monument in the capital.

22. SEWA BHARATI TO REHABILITATE LEH FLOOD VICTIMS: The relief operation by Sangh swayamsevaks in flood hit areas of Ladakh is still going on. According to Srinivas Murthy, Uttar Kshetra Sewa Pramukh of the RSS, a total of 70 trucks relief material collected from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, etc. has already been dispatched to Ladakh with the help of the Army and the relief material has been distributed in 49 of the total 52 affected villages. He said the Sangh swayamsevaks during the rescue operations saved the life of 27 people. Now the Sewa Bharati activists have decided to set up hostel, multi-purpose community centres and also building houses for the victims in all 52 villages, he said.

23. ALUMNUS GIVES 18.6CR IN ASSETS TO MADRAS UNIV: Bharat-born Rajasekar Sham, who specialized in nuclear medicine in the US, and his wife Lucila made extensive plans before attempting to end their lives two years ago.The couple cancelled their phone, stopped their social security benefits, and prepaid the years income taxes. They also drew up their wills bequeathing 50% of the money from their assets to the University of Madras, where Sham studied radiology. Dr Rajasekar Shams donation of Rs 18,60,86,747 is the biggest sum we have received from an alumnus, said the universitys VC G Thiruvasagam on September 16.

24. BHARAT DONATES $20M TO UN TOWARDS PAK FLOOD RELIEF: Permanent Representative of Bharat to the UN Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri on September 17 met Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and handed him a cheque for US$ 20 million as Bharat’s contribution towards the Pakistan Emergency Response Plan in presence of the Pakistani Ambassador to the UN, Abdullah Hussain Haroon in New York.

Mr Puri conveyed the messages of solidarity, sympathy and support from the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and external affairs minister SM Krishna to their Pakistani counterparts in the immediate aftermath of the devastating floods that affected parts of Pakistan this year.

25. PIRATE ATTACK NEUTRALIZED IN GULF OF ADEN: Striking yet another blow against piracy in the Gulf of Aden, a Bharatiya warship neutralized a pirate vessel carrying arms and ammunition, the fourth such operation conducted over the last 10 days. Guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi was escorting six merchant vessels through the international recommended transit corridor when the pirate dhow was spotted approaching the formation around 108 km south of the Yemeni coast about 10 am on September 15.

26. THREE BHARATIYA-AMERICANS IN US ADVISORY COMMISSION: US President Barack Obama has appointed three eminent Bharatiya-Americans to key administration posts as members of his advisory panel on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, a body aimed at increasing participation of the over 16 million-strong community in federal programs.

The three Bharatiya-Americans appointed to the commission are Farooq Kathwari, Chairman, President and CEO of Ethan Allen Interiors; Sunil Puri, President and sole owner of First Rockford Group, Inc, a real estate development firm he founded in 1984; and Amardeep Singh, co-founder and presently Director of Programs at ‘Sikh Coalition’, the US’ largest Sikh civil rights organization.

27. TWO-DAY WORKERS SAMMELAN OF NEPALI SANSKRITI PARISHAD: "Bharat is the only country in the world which can ensure security to all the ways of worship today. The reason is that majority of the Bharatiyas are followers of Sanatan Hindu culture. There is no country in the world other than Bharat, where the minorities are enjoying every kind of freedom and are fully safe," said RSS National Executive Member Indresh Kumar. He was addressing the concluding ceremony of a two day workers sammelan of Nepali Sanskriti Parishad in Siliguri on September 12. Indresh Kumar is also founder and patron of the Parishad.

28. VHP HONOURED SALIM ALI WHO CHASED JAMA MASZID SHOOTERS: Vishwa Hindu Prishad on September 25 honoured Salim Ali who chased Jama Maszid shooters on September 19. The highest spritual guru Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Vashudevanand Saraswati honoured him with a shawl, chunni & shri fal in a function organised by the Delhi unit of Vishva Hindu Parishad in New Delhi. He was also awarded with a cash reward of Rs. 21000/- for his daring chase of the armed shooters.

29. SENSEX AT ANOTHER 32-MONTH HIGH: On September 27 BSE benchmark Sensex closed at a fresh 32-month high, led by blue-chips such as RIL and SBI amid firm global cues. Rising for the second straight session, Sensex ended higher by 72.20 points, or 0.36 per cent, at 20,117.38 its best finish since January, 15, 2008, when the index settled at 20,251.09. The Nifty-50 index of the National Stock Exchange ended 0.29 per cent higher at 6,035.6. The Sensex shuttled between a high of 20,267.98 and a low of 20,082.26 points during the day's trade.

30. FINALLY, BHARATIYA PAVILION AT 2011 VENICE BIENNALE: Venice Biennale, the most prestigious and the oldest International art festival, will finally have a Bharatiya pavilion. The festival will be held next in June 2011. Work for securing the Bharatiya pavilion would start next month at a meeting of all the Art Commissioners intending to participate in the festival. Well-known art critic, curator and commentator Mumbai-based Ranjit Hoskote will curate the work and represent Bharat at the meeting.

31. Pandits brush up mantras ahead of Puja: It was raining since morning. There was heavy waterlogging in most areas of North Kolkata. But neither the weather nor the water deterred the 50-odd students. Braving it all, they pulled their dhotis — compulsory uniform — up to their knees to reach the Jorashankho Dawn bari (House) in North Kolkata to attend the refresher’s course in performing Durga Puja. The course was organised by the Sarba Bhartiya Prachya Vidya Academy, Kolkata.

Purohits from across the State and even across the border had gathered here for the last 10 days to understand the rituals and mantras better. “It is imperative for these pandits to know what they are doing. Most often, they chant mantras and perform rituals without comprehending their significance,” said Jayanta Kusharya, a Sanskrit professor.

32. ADVANI LAUDS AMERICAN VEDIC SCHOLAR ON BLOG: BJP leader LK Advani has lauded great American Vedic scholar David Frawley aka Vamdev Shastri who has expertise in Yoga and Ayurveda and heads the American Institute of Vedic Studies in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Advani, who participated in a function to felicitate the American scholar on his 60th birthday along with BJP MP Chandan Mitra and RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale at senior party leader M Venkaiah Naidu’s residence, has appreciated the invaluable work done by Frawley in his blog. He lauded Frawley for telling to the world, the values and concepts propounded by Hinduism, valid not only for Hindus but the universe.

Frawley, who works with Dr Deepak Chopra and Dr David Simon, has written many books his latest work is Universal Hinduism: Towards a New Vision of Sanatana Dharma.

33. AFSPA WITHDRAWAL NOT GOOD IDEA: ARMY CHIEF: Supporting the reservations Bharatiya Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik has against the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Army chief General VK Singh too on September 25 expressed the doubt if the withdrawal would be a good idea.

Talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a passing-out parade at the Officers’ Training Academy, Gen Singh said the Act was an ‘enabling’ provision and ‘not arbitrary’. He was replying to a question if the Act was breaching any international convention. He expressed the hope that the Central Government would take the “correct decision”.

34. TV ANANDAN PASSES AWAY: Former Prant Karyavah and Prant Sanghachalak of RSS, Keral prant TV Anandan passed away at Kochi on 15-09-2010. He was 79. For more than a decade, he was under treatment for diabetes. He is survived by his wife Vijayalakshmi, daughter Vidya and son-in-law Dr Govindaraj.

35. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Dr.Shankar Tatwawadi, Samyojak Vishwa Vibhag has arrived in Bharat from UK.He will tour Kenya, Uganda from Oct 12-24. Sh. Ravikumar, sah samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will reach Bharat after his tour to Chile, Argentina, Australia and HongKong. Visitors: Ramesh Mathur – Japan, Nipun Mehra USA

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: "We want a temple constructed at the Janmabhoomi because earlier there existed a temple and it was demolished to humiliate the Hindu society. It was an act of invasion. This is only righting a wrong. Reconstruction of the temple is everybody’s responsibility. It is not fair to oppose it since Sri Ram is a symbol of our national identity." -- RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat speaking at the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) in New Delhi on September 14, 2010.

JAI SHREE RAM