Chaitra Shukla 10, Vik.Samvat 2073. Yugabda 5118: April 16, 2016
1. festivals: Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej falls on the Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya (9th May this year) and is one of the four most auspicious days for Hindus. It is the birthday of Bhagwan Parasurama who is the sixth incarnation of Bhagwan Vishnu. On this day Veda Vyas and Sri Ganesha began to write Mahabharata. Jains celebrate this day to commemorate Tirthankara Rishabhadev's ending of yearlong fast by consuming sugarcane juice into his cupped hands.
The word "Akshaya" means the never diminishing in Sanskrit and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. It is believed that if you do charity on this day you will be blessed. The day is considered auspicious for starting new ventures. The legend is that any venture initiated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya continues to grow and bring prosperity. Hence, new ventures, like starting a business, construction, etc. is performed on Akshaya Tritiya. -goTop
2. NO QUESTION OF CHANGING FLAG AND ANTHEM - BHAIYAJI JOSHI: RSS Sar-karyavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi was recently misquoted by a section of media about his remarks on the National Flag. Speaking at a function in Mumbai, he did not say anything against the tricolour. "Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi was deliberating on the difference between rajya (state) and rashtra (nation). In 1947 the Constituent Assembly had adopted Tiranga as our State Flag and was subsequently retained as that of a Republic of India. It is mandatory that every citizen of Bharat should respect this symbol. The saffron flag has been revered by the people of Bharat since time immemorial as a symbol of our ancient culture. Similarly, while the Jana Gana Mana describes the idea of Rajya, Vande Mataram denotes our cultural identity and our devotion to it. All of us should equally respect and adore both the National Anthem and the National Song. Nowhere Bhaiyaji asked for any change in the National Flag or the Anthem," said RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr. Manmohan Vaidya in a statement. -goTop
3. HSS UK - KHEL PRATIYOGITA: On 20th March, 603 swayamsevaks assembled at Derby Soccerdome for the annual national sports competition organized by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK. The games played were Kho-kho, ring, kabaddi etc. 58 teams from 22 towns participated in 72 games. The armed services were the guest of honour. They were represented by Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Manish Tayal, Lieutenant Matt Paterson, AET Nigel Watkinson alongwith HSS sanghachalak Dhirajbhai Shah. On the same day, 252 sevikas from 23 shakhas also participated in 65 games. -goTop
4. MP TO BE FIRST STATE IN BHARAT TO HAVE A HAPPINESS MINISTRY: Following the example of Bhutan, which measures its prosperity by gauging the citizens' happiness quotient and not the GDP, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on 1st April a happiness ministry to measure the state's progress. "We will make a happiness ministry to track our growth," he said while addressing a state BJP convention.
Chouhan said,"The state will be made responsible for the happiness and tolerance of its citizens, and will rope in psychologists to counsel people on how to be always happy," He related happiness to developments in the country while showering praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. -goTop
5. HARYANA HEADS FOR HARMONY: Leading saints, social activists, film stars, sportspersons and intellectuals from across the country joined the Sadhbhavana Sammelan organised by Samarasata Manch in Rohtak to spread the message of unity and harmony that witnessed a heavy dent during the recent caste clashes in Haryana
Rohtak is the same city from where the riots in the name of reservation originated and also which witnessed the largest damage during the recent violent caste clashes carried out in the name of reservation between February 18 and 26. Everybody who saw those visuals felt deeply hurt. The unruly crowd set on fire property worth crores of rupees and the violence claimed lives of many innocent people. It was unexpected for many that over a lakh people from all communities joined the Sadhbhavana Sammelan organised in the same city on April 3. But it happened. People from 6,700 villages-from Chandigarh to Mewat, Karnal and Panipat to Mahendragarh and Rewari participated in the Sammelan organised by Haryana unit of Samarasata Manch. Everybody was hurt over the violence that tore the social fabric of the State. They pledged that no such incident will be allowed to reoccur in future. However, the media that flared up the violence and hatred out of proportion did not pay adequate attention to the initiative aimed at reconnecting the broken hearts.
The main force behind this initiative was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which under the banner of Samarasata Manch organised a meeting of various leaders of social organisations from February 27 to 28 and decided to visit every village of the State to restore peace. The entire campaign was designed under the guidance patron of the Samarasata Manch and Geeta Manishi and Mahamandaleshwar Swami Gyanananda Maharaj. "As part of the contact drive vehicle rallies and Rashtra Ekata Yajnas were conducted up to village level. Such events were conducted in more than 2,000 villages and urban localities till March 27. The decision to organise the Sadbhavana Sammelan on April 3 was taken at the meeting on February 28," says Shri Subhash Ahuja, convener of the Manch in Haryana. For smooth and effective conduct of the Sammelan, the Samarasata Manch constituted four teams comprising of senior saints and Khap leaders. These teams invited the leaders of religious and social organizations, sportspersons, film artists etc. Prominent among those who attended the Sammelan included Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, Jain Muni Tarun Sagar Maharaj, Junapeethadhishwar Swami Avadheshanand Giri, Acharya Lokesh Maharaj, Radha Swami Math chief Huzur Kanwar Saheb Maharaj, Sant Sakshi Gopal Maharaj, Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Dev Vrat, Didi Amrita, Sant Ramsingh, Dr Govardhan Das, Swami Param Chaitanya Maharaj, Sant Satpal Maharaj, etc. Among other big personalities were wrestlers Yogeshwar Datt and Sangram Singh, film actor Randeep Hooda, cricketer Chetan Sharma, singer Himani Kapoor, chess champion Anuradha Beniwal, Google boy Kautilya, etc.
Samarasata meal for all
The people coming to attend the Sammelan were provided with Samarasata meals when they entered Rohtak. The meals were collected from all localities of the city and also 86 surrounding villages. However people of many villagers complaint that why were they not told to provide the meals. Equally the people of Dahiya Khap came with a trolley full of bananas and distributed among the participants outside the Sammelan. Jio Geeta organisation provided 60,000 water pouches. Apart from it Jansewa Sansthan also ensured water to all.
The collective message that came out from the Sammelan was to think above caste differences. The speakers said the people of Haryana are always trusted over their purusharth and never adopted the path of violence for personal gains. They have excelled in every sector. Therefore, we should move forward with unity and harmony only.
Addressing the massive gathering Baba Ramdev said harmony of the State must not be disturbed at any cost. "Haryana is known for bravery and valour and not for any caste. Harmony is solution to no trouble. Therefore, we should move forward with our purusharth ..." he said.
Swami Gyanananda Maharaj said Khaps in Haryana have glorious history. They united and protected the society. Swami Avadheshanand Giri said the thinking that 'only I am right' leads to trouble. Instead of having ego we should think of contributing in nation building. Shri Tarun Sagar Maharaj said Sita of Ramayan and Gita of Mahabharat represent our culture and no step should be taken by anybody which divides the country. Arjun Award winner, wrestler Yogeshwar Datt said, "Our State received a bad name due to the misdeeds of some people. Vested interests caused huge damage. We should not allow such elements to damage the social fabric of the State." People from almost all districts of the State participated in the Sammelan. There were representative from all 36 communities. The solidarity and unity witnessed at the Sammelan showed as if there has never been any clash in the State. When there was onslaught on dharma and truth, Sri Krishna spread the message of Gita from this land. Now when there is attempt to disturb peace, the saints came forward donning the role of unifier through the Sadhbhavana Sammelan. The attempt has been appreciated by all. (Weekly Organiser, April 17, 2016) -goTop
6. MEERUT GIRL DEVIKA COMES UP WITH DECODING OF DEADLY ZIKA VIRUS: Devika Sirohi who was born and brought up in Meerut city, is a doctoral student at Purdue University in the US and the youngest member of the team in the USA which successfully decoded the Zika virus. Global health officials are racing to better understand the Zika virus behind a major outbreak that began in Brazil last year and has spread to many countries in the Americas.
Stating that it took four months to identify the structure of the virus, speaking to a leading daily, Sirohi said, "During the period of the research, we barely slept for two to three hours a day, but our hard work finally paid off. This discovery will help doctors and researchers to find a cure for the deadly disease that has been reported in 33 countries."
Devika completed her schooling from Dayawati Modi Academy, honours in biochemistry from Delhi University and MSc from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai. Her father SS Sirohi, a pathologist based in Delhi, said he was proud not just because his daughter was part of the project, but that Bharat was part of the breakthrough. -goTop
7. GURDWARA NEAR AIRPORT HELPED HUNDREDS AFTER BRUSSELS BLASTS: Volunteers of a gurdwara swung into action soon after two blasts spread death and panic at Brussels airport on March 22, providing food, clothes, medicines and hope to hundreds of stranded passengers, including many Bharatiyas in transit.
The Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib in Velvoorde, located less than 10 km from the airport, received calls from London and Bharat soon after news of the blasts spread, and promptly opened its doors and resources to help.
"We contacted local officials and offered to house passengers in the gurdwara and help in any way possible," Jasvir Singh, the gurdwara prabandhak, told.
"But the passengers were not allowed outside the airport. So we arranged food, clothes and medicines, particularly for children."
Baljit Singh, the gurdwara's granthi, said: "We were contacted through phone and social media. The 'sangat' responded promptly. Initially we were not allowed to meet the passengers, but there was pressure from the passengers too, who wanted to meet us."
Following the two blasts at the airport, nearly 250 passengers were stranded, most of them Bharatiyas who were in transit to destinations in the US and Canada or bound for Bharat.
The Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib, located in a quiet neighbourhood on Lange Molenstraat, is one of seven in Brussels. Established more than 20 years ago, it is the base for more than 150 families in Velvoorde and neighbouring areas. A gurdwara is also being established in Antwerp. -goTop
8. CHHATTISGARH: WHERE WOMEN "RUN" A DISTRICT: A district in Chhattisgarh has earned the distinction of being run by women officers, virtually. Mungeli district, carved out of central Chhattisgarh district of Bilaspur a couple of years ago, has got women officers as head of all administrative as well as law enforcing wings in the district in a recent reshuffle in the middle level bureaucracy in the state.
While Niharika Barik has been appointed divisional commissioner of the region, Kiran Kaushal has been posted as Mungeli district collector. Similarly, young IPS officer Nithu Kamal has been appointed as Mungeli district superintendent of police.
Even, a woman officer has been appointed as deputy director district panchayat and social welfare department. The post of chairperson of the local zilla panchayat has earlier gone to Krushna Baghel. The Mungeli municipal corporation is currently headed by Savitri Soni. Similarly, all the notified area councils in the district have been headed by elected women members. -goTop
9. US ARMY PERMITS SIKH OFFICER TO KEEP TURBAN: A Sikh US Army captain has been granted long-term permission to wear a beard, turban and uncut hair while in uniform, a decision supporters hailed as a landmark that could help other Sikhs to serve in the military.
Capt Simratpal Singh received the "religious accommodation" in a memorandum dated March 30. Advocates said Singh is the first active duty Sikh soldier to be permitted to begin wearing a turban, long hair and beard even though he had previously served without them.
The army granted Singh temporary permission to do so in December. In February, with the "temporary accommodation" set to expire, the army told him to report for days of gas mask and helmet testing. He sued, saying other soldiers - even those with beards - faced no such requirements, and the tests amounted to religious discrimination. A judge then ruled the army couldn't impose individualized testing on Singh and ordered the military to decide on his request by March 31. -goTop
10. TRIBAL VILLAGE IN MP BOASTS OF 70 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS: Tucked in the remote corner of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar, tribal-dominated Padiyaal village is popularly known as "adhikariyon ka gaon"- or village of administrators- where every child wants to become a civil servant, an engineer or a doctor.
Ninety-nine percent of the 5,000-strong population of the village are is Bhil tribes people and among them they have 70 administrative officers, including lower court judges, Indian Police Service officers, Indian Engineering Services officers, medical officers, prosecution officers, forest officer and doctors.
Bhils, an ethnic community, live in Dhar, Jhabua, and West Nimar districts of Madhya Pradesh and Dhulia and Jalgaon in Maharashtra.
"Some doctors from the village are studying abroad, making the Bhil tribes people proud, says," says Bhupendra Singh Alwa, a retired deputy conservator of forest and president of the village Samiti. Not only men, tribal women are also studying to become doctors, civil servants or an engineer and this is rare among tribes people of the region.
There are three women provincial civil service (PCS) officers from Padiyaal and others are doctors or medical officers, says Meena Alawa, a PCS officer posted in tribal welfare department in Khargone district. -goTop
11. SWAYAMSEVAKS RESCUE KOLKATA FLYOVER COLLAPSE VICTIMS: A part of under construction Vivekananda Road Flyover suddenly collapsed on March 31 injuring many and killing 27 people. Rescue operation began immediately to clear and remove the dead bodies buried under the debris. As the news spread, more than 200 RSS swayamsevaks immediately rushed to help the victims along with the NDRF team and defense personnel. The swayamsevaks also arranged blood for the victims and rescued and controlled the crowd. Police Commissioner who was present at the site appreciated the work done by the RSS workers and requested them to remain there. -goTop
12. PM MODI CONFERRED SAUDI ARABIA'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred Saudi Arabia's highest civilian honour, the King Abdulaziz Sash, on 3rd April on his visit to the Gulf kingdom. The honour is named after founder of the modern Saudi state, Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Among other notable recipients of this honour are US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. -goTop
13. ABHINAV SANDESH YATRA BEGINS IN TAMIL NADU: Abhinav Sandesh Yatra to commemorate the millennium year celebration of Acharya Abhinavagupta began in Tamil Nadu. Former Vice Chancellor of Anna University Shri A Kalanidhi, senior journalist Shri Maalan and organiser of the event Shri Ajay Bharati participated in the function. Kanchi Shankaracharya Shri Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal blessed the gathering. Describing the greatness of culture and spiritualism in Kashmir, the Shankaracharya stressed the need to revive the 'Sarada lipi' and 'Kashmiri' language. The Yatra which began in Chennai will culminate on June 7. The Yatra was organised in Kanchipuram on March 31.
Speaking at the function in Chennai Dr A Kalanidhi said the philosophical work of Abninavagupta is still relevant. -goTop
14. WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP A REALITY: NIRMALA SITHARAMAN: Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry (Independent Charge) Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman exhorted the women to utilize their entrepreneurial skills while addressing a gathering of women at 4th Annual Day celebration of Chetana Conscience of Women on April 3 at Delhi. She referred to many Start Ups by women in different fields like engineering, medicine, information technology, agriculture and urged the women to also master the other areas apart from professional ones like social sciences. She praised 'Chetana' for helping women become selfreliant.
President of Chetana, Advocate Jyotika Kalra spoke at the function besides other prominent dignitaries. -goTop
15. CHANDRAYAAN-II WILL BE INDIGENOUS: Opting to go solo in its ambitious Chandrayaan II project, Bharat has decided not to take Russia on board and keep the mission completely indigenous with "minor" help from the US.
ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar said Chandrayaan-II, having an indigenously built Lander and Rover, will be launched by December 2017 or first half of 2018. The spacecraft will also have instruments that will collect samples and send the data back to earth. -goTop
16. TOTAL AADHAAR ENROLLMENTS CROSS 100-CRORE MARK: Total Aadhaar enrolments have crossed the 100-crore mark noted Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, which will give a boost to various public welfare schemes and ensure that benefits are delivered directly to deserving masses.
This along with the recently notified Aadhaar Act will give a boost to the Government's initiative of bringing a systemic change in the way services, subsidies and benefits will be directly delivered to the deserving masses. Aadhaar coverage now is at 93 percent among people above the age of 18 (as per projected population figures of 2015). As on date, in thirteen states and union territories (UTs) Aadhaar saturation has crossed 90 percent, while in thirteen other statues and UTs it is between 75-90 percent. Aadhaar Payment Bridge (APB) has been developed which enables disbursal of benefits /other payments directly to the beneficiary through his Aadhaar number without requiring his bank details have shown considerable growth in the past two years. Today more than 23 crore people have linked their bank accounts to their Aadhaars on the Aadhaar Payment Bridge. Total number of transactions on the APB was logged at 94.71 crore worth Rs. 28,363 crore, a handsome rise compared to the data on May 31, 2014:7.13 crore APB transactions worth Rs. 4,474 crore. -goTop
17. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Anil Vartak, Vishwa Vibhag Delhi will tour New Zealand.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem. - Jiddu Krishnamurthy -goTop
JAI SHREE RAM
GANDHI OF GUADELOUPE HENRY SIDAMBARAM
Megha Sharma
Guadeloupe, a French colony, lies in the south of Caribbean islands and is a group of Islands. The cause of freedom accelerated in the beginning of 20 century. All the colonies understood the need of an identity for them. Where Mahatma Gandhi became the catalyst of a successful freedom struggle in India, the widespread migration caused a lot of chaos.
The migrations initially were to earn a livelihood, which was becoming difficult in their own land. The primary occupation of being a farmer had no hope for their future survival because of the recurring draughts and even some colonial impositions on the lands.
Thus, rather than owning a land they felt migration to be a better choice. However, the reality was too hard to gather. They not only had to undergo an identity-crisis, but they were asked not to even perform any religious or cultural activities of their land.
A similar story seems to inhabit this Island of Guadeloupe. A decline in the plantation productivity was seen after the abolition of slavery in 1848. Thus after 6 years, about 40,000 people were migrated to this land after a positive response of the work of Indian labours in the south-western Indian Ocean areas. A large number of these were from the South- Indian region and were bonded in a 5 year contract, after which either they could return to their origins or undertake another assignment.
The scenario was such that the first generation of these refugees saw themselves being devoid of any cultural background. One of these first generations is Henry Sidambaram. He was born in Capesterre-Belle-Eau of Guadeloupe and was denied the status of being the Mayor by his own party who considered his Indian origins to be a threat. It was an absurd thought for him as they were neither Indians nor did they receive any concrete French identity.
This made him later take an initiative to restore the long lost individuality. He wanted to demolish the refugees' being in a no man's land, devoid of a background, culture and selfhood. He triggered a lawsuit in this light to attain a French citizenship to all Indians there. He volunteered himself as a lawyer. A long battle of around 19 years (1904-1923) took him to victory. Later, in 1946 France
declared the Island as a part of it, though not a Schengen entity.
He is considered a pioneer in the socio-cultural history of Guadeloupian Indians. So much so that today he is considered equivalent to Gandhi for them. In 2013, his 150 anniversary was celebrated, commemorating his significant role in establishing this movement of acquiring a citizenship and was also rewared with the Félix Eboué Prize.
This is what his granddaughter said about his contribution:
"On the death anniversary of my grandfather, Henry SIDAMBAROM whom I knew well, (I remember like it was yesterday) that day a huge crowd had gathered in the Rue de la Liberte outside his house.His body was greeted by a eulogy delivered by Mr. Auguste SAINTE-LUCE deputy mayor of Capesterre Belle Eau.
Today I have an affectionate thought for my grandfather, and I am very touched by your loyalty to his memory .... The creation of the Committee Henry SIDAMBAROM whose brother is President JACQUES SIDAMBAROM helped perpetuate the memory of this great man. I hope that in the future, his ideas survive and continue on their way just as a grain thrown to the ground winds, seed, shoot, and generates harvests.
Thank you!
Camille SIDAMBAROM" (translated text)
Without him, Indians would have long forlorn in the alien cultural baggage given to them and of which they couldn't be a part. (http://www.newsgram.com/henry-sidambaram-gandhi-guadeloupe/) -goTop
WHAT WE IN BJP/RSS MEAN WHEN WE TALK OF NATIONALISM
Vinay Sahasrabuddhe
Culture is integral to the concept of the nation.
What we call public discourse in India, unfortunately, is largely dominated by banner headlines of newspapers. And tragically, newspaper headlines can be influenced to an extent. Earlier, news reportage used to be pure and unadulterated. But now, more often than not, it is served to the readers with some additives to make it spicier and more saleable in a competitive environment. In the process, the ability of newspapers and news channels to shape public discourse is getting weakened from within.
Add to this the politics of vocabulary. Mobs with saffron flags are "masses" to one newspaper while the same are "hordes" to another. This has not only vitiated the public discourse but, in the process, made it bereft of any element of public education through debates and dialogues.
But some 25 years before, when newspapers were known for conducting a real debate through their columns like Readers' Mail, I remember a war of arguments through letters to the editor in one of Mumbai's leading daily. Those were the days of the Ayodhya movement when the slogan "Garv se kaho, hum Hindu hai" had become very popular.
A typically progressive reader argued through his letter that the "Garv se" slogan was completely illogical. His argument was that there was hardly any logic in taking pride in a particular situation which in no way was of your own making.
One could have been born a Muslim, Jew, Parsi or Christian. It is the almighty who decided that you would take birth in a Hindu family and certainly not you. Why should one take pride in a situation which can't be credited to oneself?
Hence, the reader suggested, one should only say "Garv se kaho hum manav hai". Period.
Another reader, objected to the logic of the earlier reader and said that even to take pride in the fact that he/she had taken birth as a human being was equally fraught with an absolute lack of logic. What was so great about the fact that we were all humans as even that was not our own making, the reader averred.
It's the almighty who decided this. One could have taken birth in other species, and become, say a buffalo, bullock, hen, parrot or even cockroach or ant. "If we really have to take a pride, the slogan should merely be 'Garv se kaho, hum hai'!".
When a tradition continues for centuries, it outlives a particular way of worship.
Not convinced with the logic advanced by two previous letter writers, the third one argued that not to feel naturally proud of your present identity itself was unnatural and hence illogical too. "As human beings, we grow with the people around us, society as well as surroundings. All these factors, place, locality, people around and their culture, weave the ethos in which we spend our formative years.
All this, including our own first name and family name, gives us our identity. Beyond our livelihood needs there are other psychological needs as well and identity takes care of them. It is very natural and normal to feel proud about our identity as no one takes birth and grows in a vacuum."
This explains the fact that of late, social scientists have stopped considering identity as something primordial. It is not without reason, therefore, that the Melting Pot theory was replaced by the Salad Bowl theory a few decades back.
One can't deny that all individuals live under multiple identities at any given time and maturity hinges on how skillfully one manages these identities and more importantly, gradually learns to give more emphasis on larger identity without denying the primacy of the primary or smaller identity.
This identity helps one continuing with a situation where one feels insecure, threatened, lost, or defeated. Identity is a socio-psychological phenomenon. It is because of this symbolism that imagery, vocabulary and terminologies acquire importance. They connote something and when one is able to decode these, communication happens. Culture enables one to unravel this messaging. And this obviously has several ingredients: language, geography, monuments, persons, music, art, fashions et al.
When we in the BJP/RSS talk about cultural nationalism, we mean only this and nothing more. This should explain to the diehard secularists why even a person no less than the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did not see anything wrong to have iconographic pictures on the pages of the official copy of the Indian Constitution. Or, for that matter, similar paintings below the canopy of structures of government buildings as important as the South Block.
The Ashok Chakra on our national flag, Sanskrit verses used as a part of the logo of various government institutions, right from the Indian Navy to the LIC, lighting of traditional lamps or breaking coconut at government functions and so on have their origins in the Hindu culture. But when a tradition continues for centuries, it outlives a particular way of worship. It encompasses the entire society regardless of the deity one worships.
We believe that nations haven't just sprouted on the world map. States can be carved out, boundaries can be drawn and redrawn, but nations cannot be made out of the blue. Nations are not artificial but organic entities. They do not come into existence out of thin air or in a vacuum.
Culture, therefore, is integral to the concept of the nation. And when nations are given birth artificially, like Pakistan, they have to artificially create an ethos. In her Marathi book on the basis of her stay in Pakistan for a research assignment, political science teacher Dr Manisha Tikekar, has given several examples of how Pakistan had to struggle to find her roots.
She writes on how textbooks in Pakistan tell that India was carved out of an undivided Pakistan. Also, Pakistan has been struggling to put an effective ban on coaching of dances, especially those of Indian origin like Bharatanatyam or Kuchipudi.
Not just that, when the ban fails, authorities insist that references to Lord Krishna need to be replaced by a common name like "Makhanchor". When a nation is divided and artificial boundaries are drawn, this is what happens. This explains why cultural nationalism is more eternally relevant than material or geographical nationalism. (http://www.dailyo.in/politics/bjp-rss-nationalism-hindu-muslim-pakistan-ayodhya-jawaharlal-nehru-indian-constitution/story/1/9761.html) -goTop
Shri Vishwa Niketan
www.shrivishwaniketan.blogspot.in : vishwav@bol.net.in
