1. FESTIVALS: Shivaji
Jayanti: Shivaji was born in the fort
of Shivneri on Phalgun Vadi Tritiya in Shaka Samvat 1551 corresponding to 19th
February 1630, which is celebrated as Shivjayanti in Maharshtar and all over
Bharat. . He was a great Hindu leader and as Swami Vivekananda described,
“Shivaji is one of the greatest national saviours who emancipated our society
and our Dharma when they were faced with the threat of total destruction. He
was a peerless hero, a pious and God fearing king and verily a manifestation of
all the virtues of a born leader of men described in our ancient scriptures.”
2.
Nation is in cusp of another generational change: PRANAB MUKHERJEE: Triggering a fresh debate in the context of the
brutal gangrape in Delhi and youth protests that followed, Rashtrapati Pranab
Mukherjee in his first address to the nation on the eve of the 64th Republic
Day on January 25 raised a question whether the country’s legislature reflects
emerging Bharat or does it need radical reforms. Asking whether corruption has
overtaken morality in life, he said elected representatives must win back
people’s confidence and the anxiety and the restlessness of the youth has to be
channelised towards change with speed, dignity and order.
Mr. Mukherjee emphasised on
the importance of Education calling it the ladder that can help those at the
bottom to rise to the pinnacles of professional and social status.
3. Perfect blend of might & cultural
diversity: Bharat’s rich cultural
heritage and military prowess were on display on January 26 when the national
Capital led the nation in celebrating the 64th Republic Day. Thousands braved
the morning winter chill to cheer the contingents of armed forces marching down
the majestic Rajpath from Raisina Hills to India Gate. Colourful tableaux from
different States added to the glamour and appeal of the occasion.
The highlight of the
90-minute long parade was the nuclear-capable 5,000 km Agni-V ballistic missile
developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, flight-tested
last year. A fly-past by the air force provided the grand finale. As the Sun
came out dispelling the slight haze that had enveloped the Capital in the
morning, visitors got a clear view of the stupendous fly-past.
The impressive march-past was
watched by Chief Guest Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and other
dignitaries.
4. SV150 CELEBRATION AT PALACE OF WESTMINSTER IN LONDON: Metropolitan Police Hindu Association (MPHA) and Hindu
Academy, Lords, M.P.s, Senior Police Officers and staff from Metropolitan
Police Service and prominent Hindu community/group representatives came together
on 24 January 2013 to celebrate Swami Vivekanand’s 150th Birth Anniversary in
the Jubilee Room and the International Parliamentary Union Room at the
Houses of Parliament.
Keith
Vaz formally welcomed all dignitaries and guests and read out a message from Ed
Milliband, leader of the Labour Party.
MPS
Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey stated that he had read about Swami
Vivekananda and was impressed that his messages continue to be valuable 150
years later. Jay Lakhani, Director of Hindu Academy and first Hindu tutor at
Eton College, the keynote speaker who has delivered classes in Hinduism for
thousands of youth nationally, spoke about touring universities nationally with
Swami Vivekananda presentations and found that the scientific basis of these
teachings struck a chord with the youth. Commander Neil Basu of the MPS delivered
Swamiji’s 1893 speech at Chicago
in a majestic manner.
This
celebration saw overwhelming enthusiasm with an entirely full Jubilee room,
many standing and many listening intently outside as there was little space
remaining in the room.
5.
Ban RSS, BJP if we are terrorists: Rajnath dares Shinde: In a scathing attack on Sushilkumar Shinde over his
"Hindu terror" remarks, BJP president Rajnath Singh has said the Home
Minister had hurt Bharat’s image by his comments and dared him to ban the RSS
and BJP and arrest all their leaders if there was any evidence against these
organisations.
Questioning the silence of
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi over the remarks,
the BJP chief made it clear that his party will continue its
"oust-Shinde" campaign even in the Budget Session of Parliament
expected to begin in the third week of next month.
6. 4.5 million take dip in Sangam on
Paush Purnima: Over 4.5 million people,
including one million Kalpwasis took a dip in the Sangam on the second ritual
bathing day Paush Purnima, January 28. The attraction for the bathing was the
first ‘snan’ (bathing) of one million Kalpwasis, who start their one-month-long
stay in the ‘magh’ month in the mela from today. Kalpwasis are said to be
staying around 1,000 bighas land and would be taking holy dip three times a
day.
They would also be sleeping
on bare ground and would take meals once a day. Majority of Kalpwasis had their
dip in the sangam in the early hours, who had come from different states like
Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi and
Punjab and had arrived on the banks of Ganga
for their month-long stay.
7. 4th National Conference of Sahakar Bharati: RSS Sarasanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat inaugurated
4th Annual National Conference of Sahakar Bharati in Bangalore, on January 18. More than 5000
delegates, including 800 Mahila delegates, from all over the country, from over
1000 co-operative institutions, attended the 2-day conference.
Shri Bhagwat said on the
occasion, “Co-operation is not something to be taught to a man. We will not be
able to work in Sahakar Bharati or for co-operative movement if we do not
understand the purpose of the movement. The word and concept ‘co-operation’
emerged in the West; our word is ‘Sahayog’ and ‘Sahakar’. Our work should be to
unite people. Everyone is a citizen of this nation. A Dalit, a Brahmin, and
everyone else belongs to this one nation. This should be our inspiration and
this should also drive the co-operative movement. Chief Minister of Karnataka
Jagadish Shettar said that Gandhiji gave lot of importance to the co-operative
movement. He said Sahakar Bharati is doing a great job to keep the movement
running successfully and we all need to support it.
8. 'Viveka Ratham’ takes Swami Vivekananda’s
message to villages: A mobile van
named ‘Viveka Ratham’ designed to stock, display and sell spiritual books and
magazines was flagged off by the Mayor of Chennai Corporation Saidai Duraiswamy
during the 150th year celebrations of Swami Vivekananda at SKMNS PMC
Vivekanananda Vidyalaya Junior College, Perambur. The van was the idea of Tamil Nationalist
weekly ‘Vijayabharatham’ to spread Swami Vivekananda’s message upto the door
steps of the remotest village in Tamilnadu.
The Mayor in his inaugural address appreciated the students who
remembered more than 20 quotable quotes of Swami Ji.
9. RSS follows Vivekananda’s Ideals: KC Kannan: RSS and its
affiliated organizations are working tirelessly to propagate the ideals of
Swami Vivekananada to make Bharat regain its historic glory of Vishwa Guru,
said KC Kannan, RSS Sah Sar Karyavah at
Itanagar recently. Addressing a huge gathering of Arunachal’s esteemed
intelligentsia at Hotel Tosum Conference Hall, Kannan said, spreading the human
philosophy of the great monk to embrace world without any distinction would be
the greatest tribute to him on his 150th birth anniversary.
Chief Engineer, Govt of
Arunachal Pradesh Anong Perme in his prsidential address said, the religious
conflicts would end in the society if the meaning of religion or dharma –
assimilation and not division – as defined by Swamiji is understood properly.
In his week-long visit to
Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Kannan addressed similar huge gatherings at Pasighat,
Aalo and Seppa also.
10.
RASHTRAPATIJI’s assurance TO RASHTRA Sevika Samiti: On
16th January 2013, a delegation of Rashtra Sevika Samiti led by Smt. Pramila Tai
Medhe- former Pramukh Sanchalika, Smt. Asha Sharma, joint secretary, and other office
bearers along with leader of opposition Smt. Sushma Swaraj met Rashtrapati
Pranab Mukharjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan. Smt. Pramila Tai Medhe shared her
experience of the safety of women being threatened due to interference by the influential
and mighty persons. Rashtrapati ji ensured that his office would see to it that
administration is allowed to work fearlessly. Rashatrapati ji also referred to
certain proposed amendments in Evidence Act so that the victim of sexual
assault is not re-victimised during cross examination. Rashatrapati ji
appreciated the recommendations suggested by Rashtra Sevika Samiti particularly
the idea of introducing moral education right at the primary level of
education.
11. bharat test-fires underwater missile: Bharat, on January 27, successfully test-fired the
underwater ballistic missile, K-15 (code-named B05), off the Visakhapatnam coast, marking an end to a
series of developmental trials. In its twelfth flight trial, the 10-metre tall
Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) lifted off from a pontoon, rose to
an altitude of 20 km and reached a distance of about 700 km as it splashed down
in the waters of the Bay of Bengal near the
pre-designated target point. According to scientific advisor to the Defence
Minister V.K. Saraswat, the missile was tested for its full range of 700 km and
the mission met all its objectives.
12. ANANTHAMURTHY AMONG MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL
PRIZE FINALISTS: U R Ananthamurthy is
among 10 writers shortlisted for this year's Man Booker International Prize. The
list of writers announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival on January 24,
among others includes Pakistani novelist Intizar Husain. The winner will be
announced in May. "Ananthamurthy is one of the most important
representatives of the 'Navya' or 'New Movement' in the literature of Kannada
language, which is spoken by over 50 million people in Bharat and abroad. “His
work is known for its humanity and its courage in questioning cultural
norms," said Turkish-American writer Elif Batuman, one of the five jury
members for the prize.
13. DAUGHTER OF AN
AUTO-RICKSHAW TOPS CA EXAM: Prema
Jayakuymar, 24, the daughter of an auto rikshaw driver in Mumbai, secured the
first rank in the examination conducted by the prestigious Institute of Chartered
Accountants of Bharat in November 2012. “It's my lifetime achievement. For me
the key to success is hardwork,” she said when asked about how she felt about
having topped the examination, one of the toughest in the country.
Slightly built and modest, Prema,
who earned Rs 6,000 a month during her articleship at Chartered Accountancy
firm Kishore Seth & Company, credited her father Jayakumar Perumal and
homemaker mother Lingammal for her success.
14. 3 scientists of DRDO earn padma awards: DRDO chief Vijay Kumar Saraswat, who is also the
scientific adviser to the defence minister, and the BrahMos CEO and A Sivathanu Pillai have both been awarded the
Padma Bhushan. DRDO chief controller R&D (missiles and strategic systems)
Avinash Chander, in turn, has been honoured with the Padma Shri. All the three
defence scientists have been engaged in the development of missile systems,
both strategic and tactical, for long years.
Saraswat has in particular
been closely associated with the development of the two-tier ballistic missile
defence system, which while it has been tested several times is still at least
two years away from operational deployment. Pillai has been the person behind
the joint development with Russia
of the 290-km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which is now operational
with the Navy and the Army. Chander, in turn, is the mission director for the
Agni series of ballistic missiles, which clocked a new benchmark in April last
year when the country's most ambitious missile the over 5,000-km range Agni-V
missile was tested for the first time.
15. man who saved Bengal: The Life
and Times of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Author: Tathagata Roy
Publisher: Prabhat, Rs 900
The book holistically
explores the life of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, says Saradindu Mukherji
Syama Prasad Mookerjee, one
of our last Mohicans, has not received much scholarly attention primarily due
to the stranglehold of the public sector ‘intellectuals’ committed to the
Nehruvian pan-Islamic, Leftist worldview. Tathagata Roy’s biography, with a
crisp introduction by LK Advani, is a
comprehensive account of this patriot, spotless in both private as well as
public life, and adds to the earlier works of Balraj Madhok and Dinesh Chandra
Singha (in Bengali).
When Mookerjee (1901-53) died
in mysterious circumstances in the jail of Sheikh Abdullah in Srinagar, the Mother of Pondicherry
reportedly said, “They have killed him.” The author writes on all these,
including Jawaharlal Nehru’s role. The letter Mookerjee’s traumatised mother,
Lady Jogmaya, wrote to the first Prime Minister is a must-read document to
assess the character of the ‘liberal’ Nehru!
An outstanding student, who
was called to the Bar (Loncoln’s Inn), and a lawyer in the Calcutta High Court,
Mookerjee was the Vice-Chancellor of the Calcutta University between 1934 and
1938, proving his mettle as an educationist of high order. His academic ties
with Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy and Rabindranath Tagore, and how he helped
Kazi Nazrul, are all there. When he invited Tagore to address the university
convocation in Bengali, it was approved by Governor John Anderson, but was
boycotted by Muslim students and Ministers who loathed their mother tongue as
the language of the kafirs; they even opposed the use of ‘Shri’ and the lotus
symbol on the university’s emblem for being idolatrous and anti-Muslim.
Entering active politics in
1939, Mookerjee became the president of the Hindu Mahasabha, and the Minister
for Finance in the Fazlul Haque Ministry (1941). He, however, resigned from the
ministry in 1942 in protest against the severe treatment meted out to those
arrested following the Quit India movement, and the criminal negligence of the
cyclone victims.
Mookerjee’s proximity to the
Hindu Mahasabha is best explained by the fact that the Congress in the 1940s
was repeatedly trying to engage in negotiations with Jinnah, despite being
rebuffed.
As the Minister for Industry
and Supply in Nehru’s Cabinet, he helped the process of industrialisation.
Indignant and hurt by the systematic genocide of Hindus, and then censuring
Nehru’s Pact with Liaqat Ali Khan for dealing a death blow to Hindus of East
Pakistan, he resigned from the Cabinet. Subsequently, he set up the Bharatiya
Jan Sangh and carried on his spirited campaign for the persecuted Hindus of
East Pakistan, and, of course, the complete integration of Jammu & Kashmir
with the rest of Bharat, and for this he had to pay the ultimate price.
Roy, an engineer-author and a
BJP politician, has a holistic approach, unlike most of the ‘trained’ historians
who obfuscate real. There are records concerning Mookerjee in the British
archives, and hopefully some scholar would make use of them soon. -- The
reviewer teaches history in the University of Delhi
16. CHINA HAS TO LEARN FROM BHARAT: DALAI
LAMA—“China can learn much from
Bharat,” exhorted Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on January 24 and
called for “genuine friendship” between the neighbours, while addressing a
jam-packed session on the opening day of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
“Bharat’s greatness lies in the idea of Ahimsa. This country is a living
example for the world to see how so many religions can exist together for
centuries,” he added.
Praising Indian democratic
ideals, the 77-year old spiritual leader said: “China is world’s most populous
country and Bharat is one of the world’s most populous democratic country. China could
learn much from Bharat,” he said while emphasising on the importance of
Sino-India relations.
17. VHP AND BAJRANG DAL ACTIVISTS DEMONSTRATED AT
JANTAR MANTAR on January 22 and burnt
the effigy of the union Home minister against his statement terming Hindu
Terror. A memorandum was also given to the president of Bharat to sack him for
violating his constitutional duties.
18.
‘First Job Atal Gave Me Was To Conduct N-Test’, Kalam: Delivering the 7th R N Kao Memorial
Lecture organized by the research and analysis wing of the Cabinet Secretariat
on 24th January, former President A P J Abdul Kamal said that then
PM PV Narasimha Rao had directed him to keep his team ready for nuclear test.
Noting that Rao’s act of
ensuring continuity of the nuclear programme “reveals the maturity and
professional excellence of a patriotic statesman who believed that the nation
is bigger than the political system”, Kalam revealed that the first task he was
assigned after Vajpayee started his second stint as PM in 1998 was to conduct
the nuclear tests ,carried out in May 1998. Placing the focus of his lecture on
cyber terrorism and counter measures, Kalam on 24th January
suggested an empowered coordinationg agency be set up to receive information
about all cyber attacks. Apart from calling for continuous upgrade of technical
capabilities by the intelligence agencies, the former President insisted that
hacking skills be imparted by scientists, computer software and hardware
experts, on the line of China
where virus writing is taught in its military schools. He also recommended
creation of an intelligence cadre, like the Indian Intelligence Service, by
recruiting specifically for intelligence agencies.
19. Now Ramayana in Polish language: Valmiki
Ramayana, the great Bharatiya epic, is now available in Polish language,
courtesy Janusz Krzyzowski, an Indologist in Poland who has translated the
monumental work. Though few episodes of Ramayana were translated into Polish in
1816, these were mere translation of western writers. In the 20th century, some
attempts were made to translate a few more chapters.
It seems Krzyzowski collected
the material from dozens of books and presented in a coherent manner so that a
reader could sustain his interest while going through different chapters.
"My main purpose was to
translate this epic into many chapters in a story format so that laymen and
particularly Polish children could enjoy the book as well as they should be
aware of the great Indian mythological tradition.
"Ramayana and
Mahabharata are two great epics which cannot (be) compared with other epics.
Even Greek epics come out as pale shadows when we see the canvas of the Bharatiya
epics. They are almost unique in the history of mankind," Krzyzowski told.
20. Ramayana in Arabic unveiled in Jaipur Lit
Fest: An Arabic version of the
Ramayana translated by noted Lebanese poet Wadi-al-Bustani was released at the
Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur on January 26. The book, titled Ramayana,
will promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of each other’s
spiritual heritage, Syed Shahid Mahdi, vice president of the Indian Council for
Cultural Relations (ICCR), said at its unveiling.
21. Cow power! Turning manure and food waste into
electricity in England: Waste from the cows and food products are used to
produce gas to power electric generators in a city in England, it has
been revealed. Every day in rural Penobscot
County, a large dairy
farm harnesses clean-burning gas from cow manure and food waste, and it
generates enough electricity to power 800 homes continuously. The process,
commonly known as cow power, has the potential to earn the facility $800,000 a
year. It also creates byproducts -- animal bedding and a less-odorous
fertilizer -- that save the farm about 100,000 dollars a year.
Cow power is more consistent
than solar and wind energy, and it eliminates greenhouses gases that otherwise
would enter the atmosphere. For the past 13 months, Exeter Agri-Energy has been
combining cow manure and industrial food waste at this location, the Morning
Sentinel reported. In its first year, the company generated 5,200
megawatt-hours for the grid, which earned the farm about 520,000 dollars from
Bangor Hydro Electric. Now that the kinks have been worked out, the facility is
on track to produce about 8,000 megawatt-hours a year. At 10 cents per kilowatt
hour, that's 800,000 dollars. The project was installed in four months
beginning in August 2011. It cost 5.5 million dollars and received 2.8 million
dollars in grants from Efficiency Maine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
the U.S. Treasury Department.
22.
SV 150 INAGURATION AT NAIROBI: ‘Swami Vvivekananda 150th Birth Anniversary Celebration
Committee (SV150 Committee)’ associated with Hindu Religious and Service Centre
(HRSC) launched the yearlong programs related to Swamiji’s 150th
birth anniversary on 12th January 2013 at 5pm at Oshwal centre, Nairobi with a
cultural program where every Indian community in Kenya participated with heart
& soul by performing cultural songs, traditional dances and drama amongst
others witnessed by more than 800 people. Dr. Sadanand Sapre – joint
coordinator HSS, Mr. K.S. Mathew, Head of Chancery as a representative of High Commissioner
of India to Kenya,
Swaran Verma, Chairman of Hindu Council of Kenya (HCK) and Chaganbhai, Chairman
of HRSC were the dignitaries present. Dr. Sapre said, “Vivekananda captured the
hearts of the people with his message of Vedanta and harmony of religions. Similar functions were organized across the
globe with UK
witnessing SV 150 inagurations at 8 places. Over 8000 participated at various
places in USA
in the inauguration programs of 150th anniversary celebrations
organized by HSSUSA.
23. Muslim literacy, income higher in Guj:
Governor: Gujarat Governor Kamla
Beniwal on January 23 heaped praise on the Narendra Modi Government in a speech
on the maiden session of the 13th Gujarat Legislative Assembly. She said that the
literacy rate of Muslims in Gujarat is 73.5
per cent against the national rate of 59.1 per cent and that the minority
community was better off financially than most of their brethren in other parts
of the country. The per capita income of Muslims in rural Gujarat
is Rs 668 while the national per capita of rural Muslims is Rs 553, she pointed
out. Similarly, the Governor informed, the national per capita income of
Muslims in urban area is Rs 804 while it is Rs 875 in Gujarat, dispelling the
belief that the community is oppressed and neglected in the BJP-ruled State.
24. 7th BHIDE
JI MEMORIAL LECTURE 2013 was organized by Vishwa Adhyayan Kendra Mumbai. Main speaker was vice
President of Vivekananda Kendra Kum Nevidita
Bhide. She said that “Wake up Bharat, enlighten the world” is not just a slogan
but the essence of Swami Vivekanand’s message. Chief Guest was Vice- Chancellor
of Mumbai University Dr. Rajan M. Welukar. People from all walks of life ranging from doctors, politicians, students,
service, business etc. attended the function.
25. Ex-Isro chief to join satellite hall of fame:
The Society of Satellite
Professionals International (SSPI) is inducting Prof U R Rao, former Isro
chairman and secretary, department of space, as a member of the prestigious
'Satellite Hall of Fame' in Washington
on March 19. Rao was chairman of ISRO between 1984 and 1994 and was responsible
for the establishment of satellite technology in Bharat since 1972. Since 1987,
the SSPI Hall of Fame has been recognizing the contribution of visionaries who
have transformed life on planet earth for the better through satellite
technology. As a member of the Hall of Fame, Rao joins over 40 illustrious
space scientists such as Sir Arthur C Clarke, Dr James Van Allen, Dr William
Pritchard, Dr Harold Rosen, Dr Fredric d'Allest, Dr Takayashi Yoshida, Dr Peter
Jackson and Dr Olof Lundbserg.
26. Kerala Grants Non-Residents Vote In Local
Body Polls: The Kerala government has
decided to allow the nearly two million Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) the right
to vote in the local body elections.
Minister in charge of the
Diaspora Mr. K.C. Joseph said the cabinet decided to enact a new provision in
the Kerala Panchayati Raj and Kerala Municipalities Act, which would enable the
diaspora to vote in local body elections.
27. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN:
Visitors: Shri
Rajanikant Mistry and Jayashriben Mistry – UK,
Rajesh Shukla, Jagdish Sehwani - USA
Pravaas: Shri Ravikumar sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag is on a tour to Singapore and Australia. Dr.Sadanand Sapre –
sahsamyojak returned from his tour to Mauritius,
South Africa and Kenya.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
His
pre-eminent characteristic was kingliness.He was a born king and nobody ever
came near him neither in India
or America
without paying homage to his majesty – Romain
Rolland on Swami Vivekananda
JAI SHREE RAM
True lies of Sushil Kumar Shinde
S Gurumurthy
“The RSS and the BJP were behind the Samjhauta
Express, Mecca Masjid and Malegaon
blasts,” declared Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on January 20, 2012,
adding that the training camps run by the RSS and BJP were promoting ‘Hindu
terrorism’. A day after Shinde’s declaration, Hafiz Saeed, leader of the LeT,
the Pakistan-based Islamist terrorist outfit, called for a ban on the RSS. So
Shinde is the witness for the LeT to accuse the RSS of terror. Now look at the
evidence, first the blast onboard the Samjhauta Express from Pakistan in
which 68 persons were killed.
LeT Culprit, say UN, US
“Qasmani Arif...chief
coordinator of the relations of the [LeT] with other organisations...has worked
with Lashkar-e-Tayyiba to facilitate terrorist attacks including...the bombing
of February 2007 in the Samjhauta Express in Panipat.” This is what resolution
[No 1267] of the Committee onSanctions of the United Nations Security Council
[UNSC] dated 29.6.2009 declares. Adding that Qasmani was funded by Dawood
Ibrahim and he did the fundraising for the LeT and the al-Qaida, the UNSC said,
“In exchange for their support, al-Qaida provided support staff for the
February 2007 bombing of the Samjhauta Express in Panipat.” This resolution is
available on the UN site. Two days later, on July 1, 2009, the United States
Treasury Department said in its press release: “Arif Qasmani has worked with
the LeT to facilitate terrorist attacks, including...Samjota Express bombing.” The
US
named four Pakistanis, including Arif Qasmani as terrorists, under Executive
Order No 13224. This press release is still on the US Treasury site. The United
Nations Security Council and the US Treasury Department thus named the LeT,
Qasmani and Dawood Ibrahim as accused in Samjhauta terror. This is just the
beginning of the torrent of evidence pointing to the LeT and Pakistan.
Pakistan Minister’s Confession
Six months after the UN and
US announced sanctions against the LeT and Qasmani, Pakistan Interior Minister
Rehman Mallik himself admitted that Pakistani terrorists were involved in the
Samjhauta blast, but with a rider that “some Pakistan-based Islamists had been
hired by Lt Col Purohit to carry out the Samjhauta Express attack.” [India Today
Online 24.1.2010]
Headley Involved in
Samjhauta -- US Probe
Not just the UN. Or the US
Treasury. Or just the admission of Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
Independent investigation in the US revealed more. Some 10 months
later, Sebastian Rotella, a US journalist, wrote in his investigative report
titled ‘U.S. agencies were forewarned about suspect in 2008 Mumbai bombings’,
that Faiza Outalha, the third wife of David Coleman Headley had confessed [in
2008, which was made public in 2010] that Headley was involved in the Samjhauta
blast. Rotella added that Faiza felt that “she had been innocently used” in the
Samjhauta terror. [The Washington
Post 5.11.2010] A while later, in a follow up investigation, Sebastian Rotella
disclosed in April 2008 that Faiza returned to the embassy in Islamabad with
the tip about the 2008 Mumbai blast when she again linked him to the Samjhauta blast.
Rotella commented that though
Bharat and the US blamed the
attack on Lashkar, the US
authorities had not implicated Headley in that still-unsolved attack,
however.[The Washington Post 14.11.2010] So, independent, neutral probe in the US also pointed to Pakistan and the LeT in Samjhauta
blast.
Narco Test Pointed to SIMI
Role
Even at the start of the
Samjhauta investigation in 2007, the evidence clearly pointed to the role of
the Students Islamic Movement of India [SIMI] and the LeT. India Today
[19.9.2008] in its report titled ‘Pak hand in Mumbai train blasts, Samjhauta
Express blasts, says Nagori’ gave meticulous account of the involvement of the
LeT and Pakistan
in the Samjhauta terror.
The report was based on narco
test testimonies of SIMI leaders. India Today said that the narcotic tests were
carried out on general secretary of SIMI, Safdar Nagori; his brother Kamruddin
Nagori and Amil Parvez in Bangalore in April 2007, three months after the
Samjhauta blast; the results of the narco test of the SIMI leaders were
available with the magazine; it revealed that SIMI activists had executed the Samjhauta
blast, with the help of the Pakistani nationals from across the border; while
Nagori was not directly involved, two members of SIMI, Ehtesham Siddiqui and
Nasir, were directly involved; SIMI members, including Nagori’s brother
Kamaruddin, were involved in the Samjhatua blast; for executing the Samjhauta
blast, the Pakistanis had purchased the suitcase cover from Kataria Market in
Indore and one of the members from SIMI had helped the Pakistanis to get the
suitcase cover stitched. Investigation had established that in the Samjhauta
blast, five bombs packed in suitcases and activated by timer switches were
used.
Conspiracy by Maharashtra Police?
Why were these clinching
pieces of evidence not pursued? How the blame shifted from the Islamists to the
Hindus? Some elements in the Maharashtra Police appear to have colluded in
linking the 2008 Malegaon
blast to the Samjhauta blast. When leads were thus pointing to Pakistan and
SIMI as partners in the Samjhauta blast in November 2008, as an anti-climax, the Maharashtra Anti-Terror
Squad [ATS] shockingly told the Special Court through the public prosecutor
that Col Purohit allegedly involved in the Malegaon blast in which RDX was
used, had supplied RDX for the Samjhauta blast though one ‘Bhagwan’. [The
Indian Express 15.11.2008] Within the next 48 hours, [17.11.2009] India Today
online refuted the ATS claim saying that Samjhauta investigators had told India
Today that a study of the blast by the National Security Guard(NSG) said that
no RDX, but Potassium Chlorate and Sulphur, had been used as explosives.
The magazine also recalled
that immediately after the blasts, then Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the
media that not RDX, but, a ‘new type of explosive’ had been used to bomb the
Samjhauta Express. On that very day [17.11.2009] the ATS counsel retracted the
statement he had made earlier involving Col Purohit in the Samjhauta blast.
[The Hindu dt19.11.2008]. But the damage was done in the 48 hours. Immediately,
Pakistan
said that it would raise the issue of Purohit’s involvement in Samjhauta at the
Secretary-level meeting on November 25, 2008. Finally on January 20, 2009, the
Maharashtra ATS officially denied that Col Purohit had supplied RDX for
Samjhauta. This was how the Samjhauta focus -- later the blame -- shifted from
the LeT and the SIMI to Purohit and via Purohit on to Saffron. The Maharashtra
ATS’ attempt to link Malegaon 2008 to Samjhauta, which shifted the focus away
from the LeT on to Purohit, needs to be probed particularly given Dawood
Ibrahim’s deep influence on Maharashtra Police.
If Shinde is telling the
truth, then the United Nations Security Council and the US Treasury Department
are fabricating charges against Qasmani, Dawood and the LeT; Faiza Outallah and
The Washington Post are telling lies to fix the LeT and Pakistan; the
SIMI officials’ narco evidence is fabricated; and Rehman Mallik’s confession
about Pakistani involvement is false. Can it be more ridiculous?
It is clearly the lies of
Shinde, the vote bank politician versus all neutral evidence. If this was how
the Samjhauta probe was perverted, in the Malegaon 2006 blast the Maharashtra ATS
has filed a chargesheet where the SIMI cadre had confessed to their role in the
blast. But the CBI is procuring confessions to exonerate them and implicate
others, Hindus in the case. So Malegaon 2006, is becoming a case of confession
vs confession!
In Malegaon 2008 blasts, Col
Purohit and his associates have been charged and the evidence submitted in the
Court shows that the accused in the Malegaon 2008 case were planning to assassinate
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar for taking money from the ISI!
[Outlook 19.7.2010] How could the RSS which is the target of the conspirator
itself be the conspirator? Does Shinde know what he is talking?
QED: Shinde now has a good
companion in his mission against the RSS in Hafeez Saeed, boss of the global
terror outfit LeT. Can a Home Minister tell more deadly lies against his own
country’s interests, all for just a few million votes?
S Gurumurthy is a
well-known commentator on political and economic issues. -- The New Indian Express, 24th January 2013.
