Chaitra 2 Vik Samvat 2067. Yugabda 5112: March 16, 2011

1. FESTIVALS: Mahashivratri is one of the most important Hindu festivals in Mauritius, celebrated with utmost devotion by all Hindus and some non-Hindus too. Thousands of foreign Hindus from all over the world and tourists also participate in the prayers and attend the cultural programmes presented by local and foreign artists. Many cultural groups, VIPs and Pundits are invited from Bharat to boost up the celebrations. This year the festivities started on February 20 with a Rudra Mahayajya at Ganga Talao. The pilgrimage started on February, 25, 2011 with devotees walking from far away villages in groups singing Shiva kirtans and reciting ‘Aum Namashshivaaya’ and shouting jayakars. Some carried beautiful Kanwars, some pulled beautiful Rathas, others walked with a Trishul or Gada, whereas some only a Jhola to keep the Ganga Jal taken out from the lake.
This year, Ganga Talao received daily, during the four consecutive days, some one hundred to two hundred thousand visitors. In the villages and towns, this year, Mahashivratri prayers were held during the day of March, 2, 2011, and special prayers were said at night, divided into four equal sessions (the Char Pahar Ki Puja) which lasted till dawn. Some one thousand Sanatanist’s temples; Hindi speaking Shivalay, Tamil speaking Kovils, Marathi speaking Mandirs and Telegu speaking temples, were all crowded with hundreds of devotees.
The Arya Samaj brothers celebrated Mahashivrati as Rishi Bodh, the Grand Night of Lord Shiva, Mahashivratri, during which the founder of Arya Samaj, Swami Dayanand Saraswati got inspiration to find the Real Truth. Rishi Bodh was celebrated in more than five hundred Arya Mandirs of the country.
2. SARSANGHACHALAK JI ADDRESSES THE SANGHIK AT PUTTUR: “The Governments have forgotten integrity of the nation and are treating the country as a private property instead of treating her as Motherland’, said RSS Sarsanghachalak, Shri Mohan Bhagwat, while addressing the ‘Sanghik’, a huge gathering of RSS Swayamsevaks at Puttur, a town in Karnataka on March 6 as a prologue to the annual meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS).
The people of Jammu and Ladakh, 4 lakh Kashmir Pandits, 33,000 Sikhs and a section of Muslims who are the residents of Kashmir desire Jammu and Kashmir to remain as an integral part of Bharat. But, leaving them, government is talking to anti-national separatists, who are demanding dominion status for J&K, Bhagwat lamented.
“Hinduism is the strength of our nation. Despite Muslim kings ruling Bharat for about 500 years, none of their tactics could weaken the spirit of Hindu culture. Former Rashtrapati Dr A P J Abdul Kalam has said, ‘Hindus have remained as slaves because they refuse to use the power,’” Shri Bhagwat said. Noble laureate, Ravindra Nath Thakur in his essay on ‘Swadeshi Samaj’ has clearly said, a day will come when Bharatiyas will find a way out to solve the problems prevailing between the Hindus and the Muslims and that solution will be in the form of Hindutva, he added.
More than 15,000 swayamsevaks and thousands of well wishers participated in the event.
Earlier Shri Bhagwat unraveled a statue of Swamy Vivekanand at the premises of Vivekananda College in Puttur.
3. AKHIL BHARATIYA PRATINIDHI SABHA: The 3-day annual meeting of Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS concluded in Puttur near Mangalore – Karnataka on 13th March 2011. Held in a sprawling campus of Vivekananda Vidyavardhak Sangh insitiutions and attended by about 1200 delegates, it deliberated on present status of sangh work and affliated organizations, passed 2 resolutions and some other topics. Advocate K.N.Bhat who played instrumrntal role in the Ramjanmabhoomi case was felicitated at the hands of P.P. Sarsanghchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat.
Shri Suresh Joshi, popularly known as Bhayyaji, RSS Sarkaryavaha, addressing media persons on ABPS on 13th March 2011 said: ABPS is like an annual general body meeting which focuses on social and national issues, as well as reviews last year’s programmes and decides the future course of action. Dr Manmohan Vaidya, Akhila Bharatiya Prachara Pramukh was also present.
Bhayyaji expressed his anguish that some political parties are branding Hindu organisations as terrorist organisations just to achieve their political means, which is a dangerous trend. He opined “If Hindus really want to become terrorists, who will survive then ?”.
“The height of corruption, the country is facing” he said: “is dragging the common man also into it knowingly or unknowingly”. Corruption is rampant at the political leaders’ level, ministers’ level, and at the judiciary level due to wrong government policies, the general environment with which we live in, and the lack of value based education.
There is an imminent threat to National Security due to China’s expansionist tendency. China has always been “Samrajya-vadi”. Its symbol is a dragon which we must be aware. It always wants to expand influencing smaller states and in turn increase its grip. Keeping this in mind the meet discussed the urgent need to strengthen the North-Eastern border as well as installing a strong communication network and transport system.
This apart, we also see several positive things happening in this country. Citing specific examples he said: there is a huge awareness among the Hindus regarding the issues plaguing the country. They are slowly taking to their cultural roots and that was evident in the huge Sanskrit Book Fare at Bangalore recently, which was visited by 4-5 lakh ordinary people.
There is also a trend of Kumbha Melas happening in various parts of the country with the theme of social harmony which were earlier being held for Dharmic purposes. This is a welcome sign. The Shabari Kumba at Gujarat was one such which awakened dharmic responsibilities through social harmony. We even celebrate the birthday of rivers. One such was the Narmada Kumba at Madhya Pradesh which was attended by 30 lakh Hindus as a good example of social harmony.
Sangh work is always positive in spite of governments suppressing it. There could be some temporary setback here and there, but Sangh is surging forward with its positive work and that is what statistics indicate, be it Gram Vikas Yojana, at universal level Vishwa Go Gram yojana – protecting the indigenous cows, or the training camps and workshops from the micro to macro level through out the country. Replying to a query he said: BJP is not a sister organisation of the Sangh and RSS has no wings. But they too carry the same ideology and during their difficult times they take brotherly advice.
Replying to another question, he said, the topics chosen for discussion at ABPS were those which concern the common man most and are threat to national security. Corruption could be defeated with an action plan of mass mobilisation and awareness programme in a democratic way as well as cooperation with already existing movements which address these issues, he concluded.
Some of the changes in the organizational responcibilities are Saumitra Gokhale ji ( till now America Zone Pracharak ) is Vishwa Vibhag Samyojak in place of Dr. Shankarrao Tatwawadi. Sthanu Malayan ji is sah kshetra pracharak – Dakshin Kshetra and Gopalkrishnan ji ( Keral Prant Pracharak ) will be sah samyojak – Seema Jagaran Manch.
4. THE DALAI LAMA BOWLS A GOOGLY: The 14th Dalai Lama’s decision to relinquish his political authority while retaining his spiritual role marks a significant development for the Tibetan community around the world. For more than five decades, the Dalai Lama has been the focal point of the Tibetan movement for self-determination. Under his stewardship, the demand for a free Tibet was refined to meaningful autonomy. However, at 76, the Buddhist leader is well aware that if the Tibetan movement is to last beyond him it cannot be centred on the cult of an individual. Particularly so when the institution of the Dalai Lama as the temporal head of the Tibetan community can itself prove to be a stumbling block. With the Chinese government insisting that the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must be born in Chinese-controlled Tibet and with the Panchen Lama already having been appropriated by Beijing, the Tibetan movement needs a long term solution to the leadership question. This is precisely why the Dalai Lama has decided to devolve his political powers to the next elected prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile. This body is’nt recognised by the government of Bharat or for that matter any government in the world, and its influence is strictly limited. Nevertheless the move is bound to change the character of the Tibetan movement, as its direction can no longer be attributed to (or blamed on) a single individual. It will be an irritant for Beijing, not only because it is likely to keep the flag of self-determination flying but also because it raises the question of representative democracy to which Beijing is sensitive. Managing the consequences of the Dalai Lama’s googly could also become a diplomatic challenge for New Delhi. Editorial, Times of India, March 14, 2011.
5. ‘BHARAT'S BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENCE TEST A MILESTONE’: In a clear indicator that the programme to develop an indigenous ballistic missile defence system is rapidly maturing, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently successfully tested a ballistic missile interception from its missile test facilities in the state of Orissa.
The ‘interceptor’ missile was fired from Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast near Dhamra in Bhadrak district about 170 kilometres from Bhuvaneswar, at 9.37am which successfully intercepted an incoming hostile missile fired five minutes earlier. The ‘hostile’ missile was a specially modified Prithvi missile, fired from the Launch Complex III of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 70km away from Wheeler Island across the sea.
6. PRITHVI-II, DHANUSH MISSILES TEST FIRED: Bharat on March 11 successfully test fired its nuclear-capable ballistic missiles Prithvi-II and "Dhanush", both having a range of 350 kms.
While 'Dhanush' was flight tested from a naval ship in the Bay of Bengal at a spot between Paradip and Puri at around 10 a.m., 'Prithvi-II' was test-fired at around 11 a.m. from a mobile launcher at launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur, 15 km from Balasore. Both the missiles are under production after successful completion of developmental trials and have been inducted into the Armed Forces.
Prithvi-II is capable of carrying a 500-1000 kg warhead. Dhanush has a pay-load capacity of 500 kg and is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
7. BRAHMOS TO BE DEPLOYED ON 5TH GEN FIGHTER AIRCRAFT: The BrahMos supersonic missile, capable of hitting a target at a range of 290 km, will be deployed on the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) to be jointly designed and produced by Bharat and Russia. Bharat proposes to induct 300 of these aircrafts in the next five to seven years. BrahMos is the first joint venture between Bharat and Russia for joint design and production of weapon systems and the Bharatiya Army and Navy have already inducted this missile. Tests are now on to deploy this missile on the frontline SU-30 fighter jets of the IAF. Pillai said he was hopeful of achieving the target of starting trials by the end of 2012.
Asked if the missile could be put on others such as Tejas light combat aircraft or the proposed Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA), the BrahMos chief said it would not be possible for the LCA and there were no plans for the MMRCA.
As regards the underwater version of the BrahMos to be fired from a submarine, Pillai said the trials would start by this year end.
8. GEN PRAISES GUJARAT CM MODI: Maj-Gen IS Singha, who as general officer commanding of the Golden Katar Division in Ahmedabad is the seniormost Army officer in Gujarat, lavished praise on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, attributing to him qualities of a top-notch army commander who sets targets and then goes all out to achieve them in time, while speaking at the launch of the three-day 'Know Your Army' exhibition which was inaugurated by Modi at the police stadium ground on March 14. "He (Modi) works like we in the Army do. He sets a deadline for completion of projects and then ensures that targets are achieved in time. These are qualities of a successful Army commander," said Maj-Gen Singha.
9. MIT TECH MAGAZINE TO HONOUR 18 BHARATIYAS: Eighteen Bharatiya innovators under the age of 35 will be honoured by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Technology Review magazine for developing novel solutions to problems in biotechnology, telecommunications, computer engineering, energy and nanotechnology.
The prestigious TR 35 India awards for 2011 will be presented at the EmTech technology conference in Bangalore starting March 22. The innovations are socially relevant and address real problems.
10. SEWA EXPERIENCE FROM USA: In July 2010, my sister Manusri Viswanathan and I began a drive to collect school supplies for the Bhutanese Refugees in Jacksonville. It first began as a campaign for supplies, then transformed into a money drive. I wrote the attached emails, as well as thank you emails, and counted, accounted for, and organized the money and supplies. After the drive, the checks, totalling over $1,000, as well as the supplies and bags collected were sent to Jacksonville. Then I, as president of my school's chapter of NJHS, coordinated with SEWA international and created a proposal for a blanket drive at my school, to provide blankets and winter clothing for refugees in cold climates. The project was greeted enthusiastically and a slide show was created for morning announcements. For the following two weeks, NJHS members, along with the coordinator Ms. Erin Manly-Lahey, spent every morning from 8:15 to 9:00 and every afternoon form 3:30 to 4:00 collecting blankets at the car line beside the school.
After the drive, my father and I, with the help of a few friends, transported the 149 blankets and 3 black garbage bags of winter clothing to our home. We spent many hours packaging, labeling, and calculating the costs of shipping. Then, we asked an Atlanta resident to take a few bags with him, and shipped the rest of the bags to Salt Lake City, Utah. This experience was very inspiring in many ways. It taught me many valuable lessons about leadership, management, and organization. More important, it taught me about the joy of giving and working for others. There is an extreme joy and purpose in helping others, and during this process, I felt a drive and determination to get this done that was greater than any determination I had ever felt in my life. – Mayuri Viswanathan
11. US ARMY INCORPORATES YOGA IN TRAINING: The US Army has introduced yoga for the first time in its physical fitness regimen. The changes in its "combat readiness test" are being made as part of an overhaul of its fitness programme for the first time in 30 years. The training will incorporate the elements of yoga and benefits of rest among other workouts. The new regimen, announced March 1, will be carried out in phases.
12. SINGAPORE ARMY CHIEF A SIKH: Singapore has appointed Brigadier General Ravinder Singh as its next Army Chief, the first Sikh in 30 years to be given the force's baton. A Singaporean of Bharatiya origin, Singh, is currently Deputy Secretary (Technology) at the Defence Ministry. He joined the Singapore Armed Forces in December 1982.
13. BHARATIYA GETS `UNESCO L'OREAL FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE FELLOWSHIP': A Bharatiya has been awarded the prestigious "UNESCO L'Oreal For Women in Science Fellowship" programme, which recognises the achievements of exceptional females across the globe. Jyoti Jiban Panda, a doctoral student at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in New Delhi, was presented the fellowship along with 14 other young women scientists at a ceremony in Paris on March 3.
14. BHARAT AMONG TOP 10 GLOBAL MANUFACTURERS: Bharat has figured among the top ten manufacturers of the world in 2010 in the International Yearbook of Industrial Statistics 2011, published by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
Bharat, China and Brazil posted strong economic growth in 2010 and the manufacturing value added (MVA) of all three countries grew by more than 10% during the year.
15. A LEFT HANDED TRIBUTE TO DR HEDGEWAR FROM AN UNEXPECTED QUARTER: The visionary leadership quality of Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was highlighted by Shri Aaloor Shah Nawaz, Director of documentary films, in a seminar on the topic ‘Muslims - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ held at Pallaptti in Karur district of Tamil Nadu on November 20, 2010, organised by Uswa Library.
In his address Shri Aaloor Shah Nawaz on ‘Foundation 2010, Goal 2050’ blamed the Muslims, particularly the Muslim leadership for having failed to notice the continuous struggle carried out by RSS to get a judgement in 2010 in respect of the Ayodhya dispute. He pointed out that Muslim leaders have failed to formulate action plans to counter the strategy of RSS. RSS has sown the seeds way back in 1942 itself by opening up Hindu schools and incorporating the epic of Rama in the curriculum and produced leaders to carry out their plans out of those who have internalised them. He questioned, ‘Do we have any one such leader like Dr Hedgewar who could effectively plan and teach his followers of next generation to win? Is Dr Hedgewar a real leader or are our leaders real?"
He narrated that Dr Hedgewar laid the base for RSS in 1925. When he started the Sangh he did not plan to become the Prime Minister nor did he plan to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra nor aim for becoming a Ward Councillor in the next five years. He had the dream of a hundred years. He had a long term goal. In 1925, he sowed the seed, planned and worked for it. He taught the next generation the working system which gradually led to Vajpayee, an RSS man trained in his generation, becoming the Prime Minister in 1997. Sri Shah Nawaz lamented, "Do we find such leaders like Hedgewar in our community who could think for his progeny? Our leaders wish to reap for themselves what they have sown. They are anxious to taste power or administration in their own life. They wish to reap in excess of what they have invested." He concluded that all the Muslim leaders wish to be kings and there is none like Hedgewar who was a ‘King Maker’.
The function was presided over by Moulvi Mubarrack Basha Ullavi. Former Member of Parliament Liyavutheen Sait, social worker Asgar Ali and Moulvi Mohammed Yousuf Davood also addressed the gathering. (FOC)
16. MOST BHARATIYA STUDENTS IN US LOOK FOR CAREERS BACK HOME: A new study has concluded that an overwhelming majority of Bharatiya students pursuing higher education in the United States would prefer to return home to begin their professional careers. Only 8 per cent of nearly 1,000 Bharatiya students who were surveyed expressed their strong preference to remain in the US. The rest are either planning to return home or are undecided as of now, says the study conducted by Rutgers University, Pennsylvania State University and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
17. ANCIENT INSCRIPTION THROWS LIGHT ON CHERA HISTORY: An inscription that could prove to be a landmark in the history of Chera rule in South Bharat has been found at a temple in Kurumathur, near Areekode at Malappuram. Epigraphist MR Raghava Varier, who deciphered the inscription, said "the epigraph provided the first objective and direct proof to establish the date and rule of the first Perumal of Mahodayapura (Kodungallur)." The inscription, unearthed during the renovation of the Kurumathur Vishnu Temple, gives not only the date of the first Chera king but also his name in full. It validates the inferences made by historian MGS Narayanan.
18. JAPAN TSUNAMI APPEAL, MARCH, 2011: A ferocious tsunami spawned by the biggest earthquake ever recorded in Japan (and the fifth worst in the world since 1900) slammed the country’s eastern coast on March 11, killing at least 1000 people, sweeping away houses, boats and cars across cities and farmlands.
Even for a country used to earthquakes, this one was horrific because of the tsunami that swallowed everything in its path as it surged several kilometers inland before retreating. The apocalyptic images of surging water and uncontrolled conflagrations broadcast by Japanese TV resembled scenes from a Hollywood disaster movie.
SEWA INTERNATIONAL Bharat, having been at the forefront of many disaster relief projects and with wide experience in rehabilitation, launches this appeal to help and provide succor to these unfortunate victims. Your support will help reduce the sufferings of the people in the Tsunami hit Japan.
For further information please contact: Telephone: +91-11-23232850, 23684445
Email: sewainternationaldelhi@gmail.com, Website: www.sewainternational.org
Please send your generous donations to: SEWA INTERNATIONAL, 49, Deendayal Upadhyay Marg, New Delhi – 110002
Bank Account Details:
Sewa International, Account No.- 10080533326, State Bank of India, Jhandewala Extn Branch, Branch Code- 9371, Swift Code-SBININBB550, New Delhi- 110055.
In a similar appeal, SEWA INTERNATIONAL USA has also solicited your tax-deductible contribution for the support of these victims. Donate online at http://www.sewausa.org or make check payable to ‘SEWA’ & mention ‘Japan Earthquake-Tsunami’, Sewa International USA, 3908 Westhollow Parkway, Houston, TX 77082
Contact: info@sewausa.org, (708) USA-SEWA
19. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri. Saumitra Gokhale, Samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will leave for US on Mar 21.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY: World today understands only one language – language of strength. A nation can progress and maintain its position only on the basis of strong foundation and immeasurable strength. We must proceed on this path of duty with great effort with this sentiment. Even an ordinary person can be completely successful in attaining one’s goal in life with this resolve. – Guruji, Shri M S Golwalkar.

JAI SHREE RAM

AKHIL BHARATIYA PRATINIDHI SABHA, Yugabda 5112, March 11-13, 2011 Puttur (Karnataka)

Resolution 1: NEED FOR A DECISIVE BLOW AGAINST CORRUPTION: Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha expresses grave concern over the endless chain of incidents of widespread corruption surfacing in the country. It is all the more shocking that the people occupying the upper echelons in the government, including the Prime Minister are engaged in protecting their guilty colleagues till the end by describing them as innocent in spite of incontrovertible evidences pouring out against them.
The ABPS is deeply pained at the cases of corruption coming to light, day in and day out, tarnishing the image and reputation of the nation. The magnitude of corruption is such that not only the common man, but even the experts get bewildered. The gross misdeeds in organizing the Commonwealth games have gravely damaged the prestige of the country. People at the helm of power are either turning a blind eye or taking steps against the guilty as an eye wash under the pressure of the judiciary and media. The country wants to know as to what was the compulsion and which invisible hand was behind the misdemeanor of the top rung of power in a most sensitive matter like the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner.
Unfortunately, the influence of politics is growing in almost every walk of life and the instances of corruption indulged in by the people in seats of power in the post independence era are constantly on the rise. After independence, the country has witnessed public anger against corruption resulting in powerful mass movements. The J. P. movement of 1974-75 and imposition of emergency and the mass movement triggered by the Bofors scandal in 1987-1989 culminated in the change of power at the center. But, the change does not seem to have brought about any decline in corruption. On the contrary the form and dimensions of corruption seem to have become more complex and extensive in the wake of economic liberalization. Whether it is the share scandal of 1992 or the recent 2G spectrum scandal, mind boggling figures of money are found to be involved. What needs special mention is that the people involved in these ever increasing acts of corruption are the ones who are highly educated and belong to the affluent class of the society. All these facts clearly indicate that there is need for further intensification and expansion of the process of man-making.
In this regard the ABPS believes that there is a dire need to organise every rung of social order on the firm foundation of value-based and morally strong conduct of life rooted in the eternal principles of Dharma. This is possible only by reorienting education-system to reflect the national ethos and serve as an effective instrument of character-building and imparting noble samskars. At the same time it is imperative for the people in high positions that they present exemplary models of conduct in their private and public life.
Apart from these reforms of far-reaching consequences, reform in the system of governance & administration and mobilising effective public opinion in favour of that, is equally important. Transparency in governance, administration through minimum and simplified regulations, judicial system based on easy access and timely dispensation of justice, elimination of black money, electoral system capable of effectively curbing the criminalisation of politics and checking the growing influence of money power are a few reforms urgently needed. It is also imperative to ensure proper security for the whistle blowers who courageously expose corruption in the present system at different levels and to have stringent penal provisions against the corrupt. Indeed the poisonous creeper of corruption is responsible for all the contemporary social ills like inflation, unemployment and black money which has also been affecting the country’s development and the internal and external security. In connection with the problem of black money, the government should acquire black money stashed in the country and outside, declare it as the nation’s asset and deploy it for developmental purposes.
The ABPS appreciates the efforts of such courageous individuals, organizations, constitutional institutions, alert media and vigilant Judiciary for their efforts against corruption in the present challenging scenario and calls upon the countrymen to extend their active support for such noble endeavours with utmost personal integrity and also nourish our traditional social institutions actively involved in character-building of our citizens.
Resolution 2: DEFEAT CHINESE DESIGNS AGAINST OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS AND SECURITY: The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha expresses serious concern over the growing multi-dimensional threat from China and the lackluster response of the Government of Bharat to its aggressive and intimidator tactics. Casual attitude and perpetual denial of our Government in describing gross border violations by the Chinese People's Liberation Army as a case of 'lack of common perception on the LAC', attempts to underplay the severe strategic dissonance between the two countries and failure to expose the expansionist and imperialist manouvers of China can prove fatal to our national interests.
The ABPS cautions that the growing civilian and defence ties between China and Pakistan are a matter of grave concern to our national security. Presence of the 10,000-strong Chinese Army in Skardu ( PoK) in the guise of construction works and repairs to Karakoram highway is a serious issue as it allows China to encircle Kashmir . Other issues of concern that best exemplify Chinese' assertiveness include its offer to export one - Gigawatt (GW) nuclear plant and transfer of ballistic missile technology to Pakistan thus precipitating potential nuclear conflict in the region.
The malafide intentions of China are conspicuous in a number of recent developments. It has falsely charged Bharat of occupying 90,000 sq. km of its territory (including Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim); It is excluding the state of J&K from Bharat in its maps; It is also excluding 1600 KM-long border in J&K from the LAC on the Tibet-Bharat border; It has initiated issuing paper visas for Bharatiya citizens from J&K besides citizens from Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese troops entered Gombir area in Demchok region last year and threatened the civilian workers to stop construction work. In November 2009, a road project under Centrally-sponsored National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Ladakh, was stopped after objections were raised by the Chinese Army. Infact, it is China which has encroached upon our territory inside the LOC in that region and constructed a 54 km long road for military purposes.
The ABPS sees potential danger from the Chinese machinations in our North East. Its continued claims over Arunachal Pradesh shouldn't be taken lightly as it has set its eyes not only on that state but on the entire North East. Recent expose' in a leading Bharatiya weekly about the extent of the involvement of China in arming, encouraging and funding insurgent groups like the NSCN should awaken us to this danger. Besides NSCN insurgents other insurgent groups in the North East like the NDFB, ULFA etc also get patronage from China. It is also a matter of serious concern that the ISI too is operating in cahoots with China in this region. The A.B.P.S. expresses concern over the growing number of cases of Chinese spies being arrested in different parts of the country.
It is well-known that the weapons from the Chinese government weapon manufacturers find their way to the Maoists and other terrorist groups in Bharat through illegal weapon ports like Cox Bazar in Bangladesh. Fake currency also is being pumped into Bharat from China. The ABPS wants to draw the attention of the Government and people to the occasional publications in the officially-controlled Chinese media about dismembering Bharat into 20-30 pieces.
Penetration of Chinese goods into Bharatiya market is affecting our manufacturing industry adversely besides posing a serious challenge to our security, health, environment and strategic concerns. The ABPS wants the Government to tackle this issue of China's penetration into our system through trade and commerce with utmost seriousness. All citizens should refrain from using Chinese products as an expression of patriotism.
The ABPS wants to draw the attention of our government and countrymen to the threat from China in the form of diversion of river waters in the South - Central Tibetan region. In the process it would be robbing lower riparian states like Bharat, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand of their right to the waters from rivers like Brahmaputra and Sindhu which originate from Kailash - Manasarovar in Tibet. Joint mechanism established in 2007 between Bharat and China to oversee water related issues remain dysfunctional mainly due to the utmost secrecy maintained by China in its water management plans. Two of our states i.e. Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh were hit by flash floods and it was suspected at that time that these floods were due to some form of interference in the river flow by the Chinese. Our engineers were not allowed to inspect the upper streams of the river by the Chinese government. The ABPS warns the government that unless the issue is addressed immediately the situation may lead to serious crises between the two countries.
The ABPS urges our Government to take note of the expanding military and diplomatic might of China not only in the immediate neighbourhood but also in the strategically important regions like Africa and the West Asia. China's 3.1 million strong Army is being rapidly modernized with newer weapons and technology. It has built all-weather roads and extended railway network along Tibet, Nepal and Bharat border. China today is a formidable player in the Indian Ocean region. It is establishing contact with all kinds of renegade dictators in the world including the North Korean and Sudanese dictators. Its strategic experts are propounding such disdainfully dangerous theories like Preventive Use of Nuclear Weapons suggesting that China should reserve the right of first attack against any nuclear power with nuclear weapons as a preventive measure.
In such a challenging scenario the ABPS calls upon the government to:
1. Reiterate the Parliament’s unanimous resolution of 1962 to get back the territory acquired by China to the last inch.
2. Take effective measures for rapid modernization and upgradation of our military infrastructure. Special focus should be on building infrastructure in the border areas. Towards that, constitution of a Border Region Development Agency should be considered which would help prevent the migration of the people from the border villages.
3. Use aggressive diplomacy to expose the Chinese' designs globally. Use all fora including ASEAN, UN etc for mobilizing global opinion.
4. Disallow Chinese manufacturing industry free run in our markets. Prohibit Chinese products like toys, mobiles, electronic and electrical goods etc. Illegal trade being carried out through the border passes must be curbed with iron hand.
5. Follow strict Visa norms and maintain strict vigil on the Chinese nationals working in Bharat.
6. Restrict the entry of Chinese companies in strategic sectors and sensitive locations.
7. Mobilize the lower riparian states like Myanmar, Bangladesh etc to tell China to stop their illegal diversion of river waters.

Phalgun 17 Vik Samvat 2067. Yugabda 5112: 1 March 2011

1. FESTIVALS: Varsh Pratipada, Gudi Padwa or Ugadi, the first day of the month of Chaitra and of the Hindu year, falls on April 4 this year. Gudi Padwa is dedicated to the worship of Lord Brahma, as according to the Brahma Purana this is the day when Brahma created the world. This festival is also celebrated to commemorate the victory of Shree Rama over Bali. Chaitra Navaratra starts on this day. In some parts of Bharat neem leaves are mixed with jaggery (gur) and distributed on this day. The contrast between the bitterness of neem and the sweetness of jaggery signifies the conflicting aspects of human life - joy and sorrow, success and failure, ecstasy and agony. Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of RSS was born on this day in 1889 AD. Adya Sarasanghachalak pranam is offered before hoisting dhwaj at shakhas on this day.
2. Cong responsible for 99% corruption: Ramdev: Baba Ramdev launched his campaign against black money by singling out Congress in front of a big crowd at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on 27 Feb 2011.
The yoga guru, who recently confirmed his desire to enter the political arena, was harsh on Congress, calling the UPA government the "most corrupt". Ramdev held Congress responsible for 99% corruption in the country as the party has been in power the longest.
The assorted cast that gave him company included leading social activists and Muslim religious leaders. Notably, Baba Ramdev was soft on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, though he said the latter happened to lead the most corrupt government.
3. Isro’s ‘lunar tunnel’ could be future base: Scientists at the Space Applications Centre (SAC), using data gathered from Chandrayaan-I's Terrain Mapping Camera and Hyper Spectral Imager (HySI) payloads, found a 1.2km-long buried, uncollapsed and near horizontal lava tube.
The hollow cave situated just above the lunar equator on the nearside of moon, can accommodate a large number of astronauts and scientific instruments, and also protect them from hostile lunar environment. "Such a lava tube could be a potential site for future human habitability on the moon for future human missions and scientific explorations, providing a safe environment from hazardous radiations, micro-meteoritic impacts, extreme temperatures and dust storms," a team of scientists led by A S Arya of SAC, Ahmedabad said reporting the findings in 'Current Science'.
4. First of its Kind: RSS IT Sangam at BEngalURU: 10th anniversary of RSS IT milan shakhas attended by IT Profssionals in Bengaluru and Mysore saw a participation of about 1000 IT professionals. The concluding function was attended by Ram Madhav, the member of the Rastriya Karyakarini Samiti and of Lead India fame Rajendra K Misra.
R.K.Misra in his speech appreciated the values and ethics that RSS carries & said ‘In spite of all false allegations & all the bad publicity, RSS has just not survived but it has thrived. RSS’s affiliate Seva Bharati is carrying out more than 1.5 lakhs of service activities & it is the RSS activists who first help the needy during calamities’.
Talking about the role of youth, Ram Madhv said, Bharat is the world’s ancient country with at least 5,000 years of heritage & also the youngest country with more than 60% of its population below the age of 30 years and more talented young population than any other nation.
5. BHARATIYA SOLVES 400-YEAR-OLD SUNSPOT MYSTERY: A Calcutta physicist Dibyendu Nandy at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Calcutta and American scientists Andres Munoz-Jaramillo and Petrus Martens and two US scientists have solved a 400-year old mystery on the working of the sun.
The scientists found that variation in speed of flow of plasma within the sun towards its equator affects the frequency of sunspots. The work offers the possibility for short term forecasts of space weather that can be used for scheduling space missions and air traffic near Polar Regions.
6. ELEVEN GET DEATH PENALTY FOR GODHRA TRAIN CARNAGE: 11 people were sentenced to death and 20 to life imprisonment for the February 27, 2002 Godhra train carnage by a special trial court in Ahmedabad on March 1, 2011. Fifty-nine kar sevaks were burnt alive in the S6 coach of the Sabarmati Express near Godhra railway station, sparking the worst communal riots in Gujarat that left more than 1200 people dead in three weeks. Terming the case “rarest of rare”, the court said all the active conspirators deserved the death penalty while their associates were spared the gallows and given life terms. It also said it wasn’t an act of ‘terror’ but rather, a planted ‘conspiracy’ to target the kar sevaks in the train.
7. Four Sanskrit scholars get literary awards: The Ramkrishna Jaidayal Dalmia Shreevani Alankar for Sanskrit literature has been awarded to Pt Mohan Lal Pandey, Prof Piyushkant Dixit (2009), Prof Hare Krishna Satapathy and Dr Dhanurdhar Jha (2010) for their contribution to Sanskrit literature. The award was presented by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar at a function in New Delhi on 26th February.
The awards comprise Rs 2 lakh in cash, a citation, an idol of Shreevani, Mangalvastra and Shreephal. The selection board is headed by former CJI Ranganath Mishra and has six eminent scholars of Sanskrit on it. Three foreign scholars also assess the work.
8. BABA RAMDEV’s CONTRIBUTION: PRESS STATEMENT BY ASHOK SINGHAL: The 2-G spectrum scam causing a loss to the national exchequer an amount of Rs. 176,000 crores, the ISRO scam causing a loss of 200,000 crores and the CWG scam are now the hot topics of discussion in nook and corner of the country. Congress has recently commented on Baba Ramdevji. The contributions that Baba Ramdevji has made towards the causes of globalization of the Patanjali Yoga system and the Ayurvedic system of medicine makes not only Bharat but the entire world thankful to him.
Pointing fingers at the government machinery in the matter of the Batala House terrorist incident, visiting and encouraging people at Sanjarpur in Azamgarh that were involved in terrorist activities,
making Pakistan happy by misleading the Bharatiya nation about the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist act and unwittingly making a mockery of Hemant Karkare’s martyrdom by trying to misquote the latter, are a few of Digvijay Sing’s perverted actions that give the impression that he is playing to the galleries of Pakistanis and other foreign forces.
Godhra carnage, the Court has clearly accepted, was the result of a big conspiracy, carried out meticulously. But even then how could the kingpins of the conspiracy get release orders – it is now a topic of discussion in the whole country.
9. Dr. Vishwas gets Sahitya Academy Award: Samsktit Bharati’s Akhil Bharatiya Prashikshana Pramukh Dr Vishwas, Mangalore has been awarded the reputed Kendra Sahitya Academy Award for Translation. He received the award of 2010 for translating well known littérateur Dr SL Bhairappa’s most debated Kannada novel ‘Avarana’ to Samskrit. Dr Vishwas is considered to be one amongst top contemporary analyst of Samskrit literature in Bharat.
10. SEWA USA APPEAL: Yuva for Sewa 2011: Sewa International USA encourages young adults (ages 18-30) to volunteer and provide a helping hand to one that needs it most. Yuva For Sewa (YFS) is a volunteering opportunity with projects of 1 to 6 months duration available in Bharat and the US. The projects are designed for youth to channel their talent, energy and enthusiasm and to help them in making a difference for the communities they volunteer in.
Projects available in various fields are such as Basic Education, Technical Education, Self Employment, Women Empowerment, Healthcare, and others that will match your interest.
Prerequisites:
· Minimum 18 years of age
· Must be living currently in the US or Canada
· Commitment of at least 1 month for US projects and 2 ½ months for Bharat projects
· Enthusiasm and a will to make a change.
Project Locations:
· Bharat (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh)
· USA (Cleveland, Houston, Atlanta, Washington D.C.)
· Application Deadline: March 31st, 2011
· Bharat interns must be able to reach Bharat by June 6th for the Orientation. For more info pl visit www.sewausa.org/yuva-for-sewa or mail to yfs@sewausa.org
11. YOUTH For SEVA Hyderabad: – Cloth Bags and Narayan Patra Drive has been designed to encourage people to minimize the use of plastic in their daily lives. As part of this, YFS volunteers conduct a door-to-door campaign, where people are given a cloth bag with a pamphlet inside containing a list of eco-friendly practices and are signed up for Narayana Patra. Narayana Patra is a program where every household puts aside a fistful of foodgrains of their choice before they begin cooking for the day. These foodgrains are collected at the end of a fixed period, about a month or more and are then distributed amongst the needy.
12. Gujarat House gets first tribal Speaker: Legislator from Mangrol in Surat district, Ganpatbhai Vasava on February 24 became the first tribal to become Speaker of the House. Vasava was elected unanimously with CM Narendra Modi proposing his name and Leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil supporting him. The post had fallen vacant due to the death of veteran Ashok Bhatt in September last year.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that a tribal leader ascending the post of the Speaker is a great tribute to the golden jubilee year of the State's formation.
13. Satyanarain Bansal ji is no more: A Tribute : Veteran sangh activist and former Delhi Prant Sanghachalak Satyanarain ji Bansal passed away at Maharaja Agrasen hospital in New Delhi on february 19. He was 84. He is survived by a son Ravi Bansal who is now prant prachar pramukh of Delhi, and four daughters. He was suffering from some age-related ailments for some time.
He played a key role in expanding the Sangh, Bharatiya Jansangh and then the BJP work in Delhi with full devotion. Despite getting very weak and losing eye sight he used to attend the Thursday shakha in Keshav Kunj till a few weeks ago. He presented an ideal before all his friends and the swayamsevaks.
He actively participated in the freedom movement. Satyanarainji was general secretary of Shri Vaishya Agrawal Panchayat, and also held various responsibilities in Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha, Shri Dharmik Ramlila Committee and many other such organisations.
14. NOT AUTONOMY , DISPLACEMENT OF HINDUS THE REAL ISSUE: BHAGWAT: RSS chief, Dr Mohan Rao Bhagwat assured the displaced Hindu community of Kashmir that entire Bharat is with them and their problems are the problems of entire Bharat.
Speaking at the Samoohik Shivratri Mahotsava on Feb 27 in Delhi. a function organized by Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch, he stressed on the need to mobilize public opinion on grass root level throughout the country for resolution of all such issues in J&K.
Others who spoke at the occasion were Smriti Irani, President Mahila morcha BJP and TN Razdan, President, national JKVM,
15. LARGEST HINDU TEMPLE COMPLEX IN EUROPE IN HAGUE: Hague in Netherlands will have the largest Hindu temple complex in mainland Europe. Hague Mayor and Council have reportedly approved the construction of this about one million Euros temple complex, which is a consortium of three different movements, and will be an icon for Hague and Netherlands when finished. Construction is expected to begin in 2013 and complex is said to open in 2014.
This complex, located directly behind the station Hollands Spoor in Laakhaven West area, will result in three temples built side by side and linked together, including International Society for Krishna Consciousness and Arya Samaj, and containing two towers, 90 apartments, and facilities for yoga and meditation.
16. WESTERN INTERVENTIONS IN DRAVIDIAN AND DALIT FAULTLINE: BREAKING India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines, a book jointly authored by Shri Rajiv Malhotra, chief of the Infinity Foundation and Shri Aravindan Neelakandan, intellectual activist, columnist launched in New Delhi on February 9.
Releasing the book, eminent jurist and MP Shri Ram Jethmalani said the book is ‘an eye opener, a warning to us’ not only of internal enemies but external enemies outside our border who are collaborating with dummies, proxies inside our border trying to weaken Bharat, break her unity. Author Aravindan Neelakandan said that it essentially seeks to put in spotlight foreign-based organisations that seek to shape and govern certain political and ideological movements inside Bharat so that hatred and violent conflicts can be generated inside Bharatiya communities leading to eventual balkanisation of the country. Shri S Gurumurthy, Professor Upendra Baxi, former Vice-Chancellor, Delhi University, Shri Rajiv Malhotra presented a whole background to the book and his experiences and findings while working on it.
17. Ladakh council drops J&K logo, adopts new emblem: The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has decided to adopt an insignia similar to the national emblem by replacing the Jammu & Kashmir's logo, drawing a sharp reaction from Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) which said it was "unfortunate".
In a unanimous resolution in this regard, the council adopted the symbol with the Ashoka pillar which almost resembles the national emblem.
18. BHARATIYA soldiers may don sci-fi gear: The defence ministry has floated a global request for information (RFI) to procure "integrated computer and communication systems (ICCS)" for infantry soldiers, who constitute well over one-third of the 1.13-million strong Army.
Under “integrated computer and communication systems” (ICCS), infantry battalions will be equipped with "soldier-wearable" computers, radios and GPS, backed by central power pack modules and battle-load carrier vests.
The computer module, for instance, will include data terminals for senior commanders, portable planning boards for commanders and wrist displays for soldiers. This will ensure soldiers are able to receive, store and transmit complex voice, data and video signals for advanced "situational awareness".
"ICCS must have the ability to accept and present real-time information provided by C4I (command, control, communication, computer and intelligence) tools," says the RFI. "Soldiers should have the ability to exchange pertinent information up and laterally across the chain of command under all environmental and climatic conditions," it adds. All these taken together will bolster the soldier's "lethality, survivability, sustainability, mobility and situational awareness" in the digitized battlefield.
19. Creator of Bharatiya Comics Anant Pai expires: Anant Pai Mangalore, popularly known as Uncle Pai, was a Bharatiya educationalist and creator of Bharatiya comics, in particular the Amar Chitra Katha series in 1967 passed away on February 24th, 2011.
The idea behind starting a comic book series devoted to Bharatiya culture and history came to Pai from a quiz contest aired on Doordarshan in February 1967, in which participants could easily answer questions pertaining to Greek mythology, but were unable to reply to the question “In the Ramayana, who was Rama’s mother?”
He left his job and started Amar Chitra Katha the same year. The series went on to become a publishing milestone for the Bharaitya comic book scene, selling over 86 million copies of about 440 titles.
20. Eat and feel like the Pandavas: The main objective of holding Jaya Utsav is to showcase collective pictures or stories of the vast culture of Mahabharata with many contradictions and deviations in different parts of the country," says Molly Kaushal of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts which is holding the month-long festival to bring alive the living traditions of Mahabharata with art exhibitions, ritual demonstrations, lawn performances, master craftsmen workshops, literary evenings and chalchitra.
“This festival aims to highlight interesting stories through various sections with Bhim ki rasoi being one of them. We know Bhim was fond of food so we introduced some traditional delicacies like kunti ka achaar and draupadi ki kheer apart from bhim ki chaat here,” she adds.
The festival also has a master craftsmen workshop with a variety of items like Agad jewellery from Gujarat, black coloured Gambhira mask from West Bengal, Gond paintings from Madhya Pradesh and leather puppets called Tolu bommalatta from Andhra Pradesh apart from vividly-coloured dolls showing different characters and episodes of Mahabharata. To bring out more facts from the epic, there is screening of some films and TV adaptations of Mahabharata.
21. Hindu 'kanyadaan' of Muslim girls on Godhra anniversary: A mass 'nikaah' of 25 Muslim couples was organized by the Godhra Samagra Muslim Samaj, which brought the two communities on a single platform and had Hindus perform a ritual akin to 'kanyadaan'. It also, to some extent, lifted the mood in Godhra on the ninth anniversary of the train carnage in which 59 persons were burnt to death in the Sabarmati Express, sparking riots that left over 1200 people killed.
The 'nikaah' where young brides and bridegroom from Panchmahal district tied knots witnessed a gathering of 8,000 guests at the Masjid-e-Kuba near Chandni chowk area. The menu had only vegetarian items as organizers wanted to respect the religious sentiments of the non-Muslims.
22. BHARAT may be largest eco by 2050: In view of its continuing robust growth, Bharat is expected to be the world’s largest economy by 2050, surpassing China and the US a Citi report said. China should overtake the US to become the largest economy in the world by 2020, then be overtaken by Bharat by 2050, financial services group Citi said.
The estimates are based on purchasing power parity (PPP), an economic growth indicator that takes into account the purchasing power of each countrys currency, instead of the prevailing exchange rate conversion. Bharatiya economy is expected to be nearly $85.97 trillion on PPP basis by 2050 from $3.92 trillion in 2010,Citi said.
23. The many shades of Shiva: One of the shades of Lord Shiva. Mahashivaratri, three days from now, will be a special day for Umer Farukh. He will celebrate the festival through the night, by reciting ballads and songs in praise of Shiva. Farukh belongs to the community of Muslim jogis, spread across the historical region of Mewat, which comprises parts of Haryana and Rajasthan. They are Muslim, but the jogis worship Shiva and other Hindu gods such as Hanuman. "We consider Hanuman as our elder brother and Shiva as our patron deity," says Farukh.
What is it that has made this Mewati community — comprising more than 10,000 families — embrace Hindu gods as their own? The answer lies in the community's origins. The jogis trace their lineage to the legendary guru Gorakhnath. Ismail Khan, a wandering minstrel from Bengal — and a follower of the Nath sect — is believed to have started the lineage. "Our community is also called Ismail-panthi, after him," says Farukh.
In keeping with their lineage, the traditional role of the jogis is that of wandering minstrels — who survive on alms received for their singing. The jogis, who are also referred to as Mirasis, perform for their jajmans on occasions like marriage or aqeeqah — the naming ceremony of a child.
The uniqueness extends to the way the compositions are sung, often accompanied by traditional instruments like jogia sarangi and bhapang — a characteristic, one-stringed instrument reminiscent of Shiva's damru. Since Shiva is a favourite of the community, songs in his praise form a bulk of the jogis' repertoire, with "Shivji ka byavla" (Shiva's wedding) being a popular theme.
On Mahashivaratri, as the bhapang and other instruments are played and songs sung from the Shivleela, the jogis may also be sending out a silent prayer to their patron deity to take care of their future. ( Atul Sethi ,Times of India , February 27,2011)
24. Mountain camels to boost ITBP prowess: Near-extinct species of “double-humped” mountain camels and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) are set to complement each other’s interests in the cold inhospitable terrain of the Himalayas.
The ITBP is raising a new camel unit composed of the Bactrian species. These double-humped animals are found only in the high-altitude areas and are different from those found in the sandy deserts. These are classified as “critically endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, which estimates about 800 such animals surviving in the remote and mountainous areas of Central Asia.“The aim of raising this unit is two-fold,” a senior ITBP officer said. “While these animals would boost out logistic and patrolling capability in the mountains, we would also like to protect the species and increase their numbers through a breeding programme,” he added. To begin with, the force is procuring five such animals from local sources, which would be based in the Nubra Valley, adjacent to the Siachen glacier in Ladakh. One animal costs about Rs 30,000 and officers expect it would take about a year to train them for the military tasks expected from them. These sturdy animals can carry up to 300 kg of load, much greater than ponies, mules and yaks, and go without food and water for a long time. ITBP officers said that the height of these animals and the long strides gives troops better view and greater tactical advantage during patrolling.
25. Karnal women find place in Guinness World Records: Women from Karnal have secured a place for themselves in the Guinness World Records for having converged on one place to push 446 prams for a 1.8 km-long pram walk. The event was organised by the National Integrated Forum of Artists and Activists (NIFAA) on January 13 this year to propagate gender equality. More than 65 per cent of the 500 participants were from rural areas.
The earlier record of 306 prams was held by the Mother Center Hviezdicka, Slovakia. Chairman of NIFAA Pritpal Singh Pannu said an official communication had been sent by the Guinness World Records, approving NIFAA’s claim under the “Most People Pushing Pram” category.
26. Garo and Rabha Hindus Janjati Manch petitions PM: In a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, BB Jamatia, president of Janjati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch has made a request to institute a National Enquiry Commission headed by a retired judge of Supreme Court to investigate the hostile role and anti-national activities of church in the sensitive, volatile, vulnerable and strategic zone of Northeast Bharat. Jamatia stated that with the help of militant organisations, church has been very aggressive in Garo and Rabha inhabitation. Even after when Rabha Hindus and remaining portion of Garo Hindus refused to convert, the church applied the tactics of offering booze, bullets and Bible. In doing so, church has centuries’ old experience in this field at international fora.
27. Sahaja Yoga guru passes away in Genoa: Mataji Nirmala Devi, who popularized the Sahaja Yoga form of meditation around the world, died at the age of 88 in Genova in Italy. Born in a family of freedom fighters in 1923, the spiritual guru also participated actively in freedom struggle and later founded the Vishwa Nirmal Dharma.
Thousands of her followers across the globe have expressed deep sorrow and grief at her demise.
28. HINDUS JOIN QUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS: Christchurch . . . a city on its knees. Members and volunteers of the Hindu community have joined the nation in offering prayers to give strength to the families and friends of earthquake victims.
“In this hour of national emergency, a number of Hindu organisations, temples and associations have come forward to provide relief to earthquake victims,” Dr Chaturvedi said.
The Hindu Organisations, Temples and Associations (HOTA) Forum, in coordination with Sewa International, have launched an appeal to contribute to the ongoing aid and relief work in Christchurch, and to residents who have been displaced to various New Zealand cities. To assist with Sewa International relief work, contact nz_hota@yahoo.com or Kishor Mistry on 09 537 2766. You can make monetary donations to Sewa International through the ASB account number: 12-3055-0216216-00.
29. HONORING TAGORE WITH THE SANSKRITI EXPRESS: The Minister for Railways, Mamata Banerjee has said that 'Sanskriti Express', a special exhibition train to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, is set to go on a cultural exchange program to Bangladesh on an invitation by Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.
The Sanskriti Express launched in May 2010 is showcasing artistic works, philosophy and teachings of Tagore. The train has been moving across the country and has been visited by more than 2.4 million people in 18 States so far.
30. NOT JUST ANOTHER HOSPITAL: Dr. Hedgewar Hospital, Aurangabad is in service of common man for last 21 years. Besides providing good primary health services, the project looks at Integrated Development of villagers and slum dwellers, in and around the city. Under the project called as “Bhagirath Water and Land Management Program” the project, with the help of a businessman, had provided soft loan to 12 farmers of Morhira village (population less than 5000 as per census 2002). This was given 9 months ago to install Drip Irrigation system in their farm land. They were supposed to repay after 2 years.
These farmers have produced yield 5 to 10 times more than last year, experimented to produce turmeric which others think is a miracle, incurred income 6 times more than expenditure. All of 12 decided to repay back the hand loan ahead of the date. On 16th February 2011 at 10 AM, all 12 farmers handed entire amount to the businessman who had helped them.
Now, farmers of all nearby villages have started visiting their farms to understand and follow them. Change agents have born!That is why we claim that “Dr. Hedgewar Hospital is not the just another hospital”.
31. Amarnath Yatra from June 29: Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said on February 18 that the annual Amarnath Yatra would be held from June 29 to August 13.
32. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Dr. Shankar Tatwawadi, Samyojak Vishwa Vibhag will be back in Bharat after touring Singapore and Thailand. Visitors: Dalip Mistry and Prabhubhai Mistry – UK.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Winning gives birth to hostility/ Losing, one lies in pain. / The calmed lie down with ease/having set winning and losing aside. – Dhammapada

JAI SHREE RAM

LETTING PAKISTAN OFF THE HOOK
G Parthasarathy

By agreeing to resume dialogue with Islamabad, New Delhi has allowed those behind the 26/11 carnage to walk free. Will Manmohan Singh now hand over Siachen?
New Delhi appears to have lost its sense of direction in dealing with Islamabad. Mr Manmohan Singh came close to fashioning an agreement with General Pervez Musharraf on Jammu & Kashmir, which recognised that “while borders cannot be redrawn, we can work towards making them irrelevant — towards making them just lines on a map”. But Mr Singh’s belief that terrorism should not be allowed to undermine the ‘composite dialogue process’ with Pakistan has cost us dearly both before and after the 26/11 attack on Mumbai. At least 184 people, including nationals of countries ranging from the US and the UK to Israel and Singapore, perished in the ruthless terrorist carnage unleashed by the Lashkar-e-Tayyeba in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. There is no dearth of evidence about the involvement of the ISI in this carnage. This was not the first attack by the ISI on Mumbai. Dawood Ibrahim, the mastermind of the 1993 carnage, still lives comfortably in Karachi.
Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee agreed to resume the ‘composite dialogue process’ in January 2004 following an assurance from Gen Musharraf that territory under Pakistan’s control would not be used for terrorism against Bharat. Bharat and Pakistan announced the resumption of what was the ‘composite dialogue process’ in all but name on February 10 this year. Worse still, the Mumbai carnage was reduced to a virtual footnote — just another terrorist incident — in the announcement. India has received unprecedented international support to deal with the perpetrators of 26/11. The Israelis have filed a highly publicised law suit in a New York court against LeT chief Hafiz Mohammed Saeed and ISI boss Lt General Shuja Pasha for their role in the Mumbai attack. We have, however, shot ourselves in the foot, thanks to some divisive and irresponsible statements by certain politicians, voicing concern about ‘Hindu terrorism’ in India.
The damage caused by these irresponsible statements became evident when I recently met a group of distinguished Pakistanis who averred that India had no right to insist on action against the perpetrators of the 26/11 terrorist attack as it had taken no action against the ‘Hindu terrorists’ responsible for the deaths of Pakistani nationals in the Samjhauta Express bomb blasts. Pakistan’s official spokesman has accused India of lacking the resolve to act against ‘Hindu terrorists’. Pakistan has also launched a campaign claiming that the Indian Army is full of ‘Hindu terrorists’ like Lt Colonel Srikant Purohit, now under arrest for his alleged involvement in the Malegaon blasts. The issue of ‘Hindu terrorism’ was raised when Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao met her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir in Thimphu. Irresponsible statements have resulted in India paying a high price internationally.
India’s response to the Pakistani propaganda machinery has been weak and incoherent. Instead of asserting that terrorist acts, allegedly executed by Indians (from SIMI and Abhinav Bharat), were exclusively in their own country and cannot be equated with the 26/11 attack, which was carried out by Pakistanis crossing illegally into India, our Government has appeared defensive and confused in handling the issue. This, in turn, has led to India getting itself cornered and unable to maintain continuing pressure to force Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the 26/11 attack to book. India's astute Foreign Secretary, who has handled past negotiations with Pakistan with commendable skill, has urged people not to “lend any credence” to what Hafiz Mohamed Saeed says. But is it prudent to forget that after vowing to raise the “green flag of Islam” on the ramparts of the Red Fort, Hafiz Saeed masterminded terrorist strikes on the Red Fort in Delhi in January 2001 and on Mumbai in December 2008?
Having been put on the defensive on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, the Government of India has only further weakened our position by agreeing to what in effect is resumption of the ‘composite dialogue’ with Pakistan. The result of this is going to be that Pakistan will divert attention from terrorism it sponsors to its ‘grievances’ on issues like river waters, Siachen, Sir Creek and Jammu & Kashmir. While continuing engagement with a neighbour is imperative even in times of conflict as during Gen Musharraf’s Kargil misadventure, what we are now finding is that even the terms of the dialogue, which effectively sideline the salience of terrorism Islamabad sponsors, have been set by Pakistan.
Given the growing violence and religious extremism within Pakistan, it should be obvious that the weak civilian Government headed by President Asif Ali Zardari lacks the authority to take any bold measures on issues like terrorism, given the ‘India-centric’ obsession of its Army chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. It is, therefore, astonishing that our Government is prepared to resume dialogue with Pakistan on Siachen. Only a few years ago, the Prime Minister appeared agreeable to withdrawing forces from Siachen until he was forced to backtrack because of political and public opposition. Mr Singh’s readiness to consider troop withdrawal from Siachen was not only opposed by the Army but also reportedly by his colleagues in the Government and the Congress. Given Gen Kayani’s track record, it would be a perilous mistake to withdraw from Siachen in the belief that the Pakistani Army will keep its word and not move into areas vacated by us as it did earlier in Kargil. Our Army has made it clear that if the Pakistanis were to walk into vacated positions we now occupy in Siachen, we would not be able to retake those positions which we have held sacrificing the lives of scores of our officers and men. Do the sacrifices of our men in uniform count for nothing?
India has already lost its trump card in dealing with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism because of political leaders giving divisive, religious colours to terrorism and due to its diplomatic naiveté. Under the directions of Gen Kayani, the Pakistani Government has returned to sterile rhetoric about Jammu & Kashmir and disowned the framework for a solution devised earlier with Gen Musharraf which was based on territorial status quo. Does our Government seriously believe that talks between Foreign Secretaries will lead to Gen Kayani having a change of heart or restraining Gen Pasha from planning attacks on Indian Territory and on Indian interests in Afghanistan? Any pullout from Siachen has to be linked to a final settlement of the Kashmir issue and India should neither forget not forgive the perpetrators and masterminds of the 26/11 attack. (Daily Pioneer March 03, 2011)