The farce of Indian Secularism!

To be in mainstream education is communal!!

Saturday, 07 November, 2009 , 03:20 PM 

In order to speed up the process of implementation of the proposal to establish the much delayed Central Board for Madarsa Education, the Union Human Resource (HRD) Minister, Kapil Sibal, had a detailed discussion with the Members of Parliament (MPs) onOctober 3, 2009 at New Delhi. Earlier his Ministry had already completed few rounds of talks with Muslim community leaders in various state headquarters on the subject. I understand that he met the MPs not only from the Muslim community but also MPs from those constituencies with significant Muslim population. The Central Madarsa Board proposal was mooted three years ago in 2006 and Kapil Sibal is trying to push through the proposal as fast as he can.
The HRD Ministry had called all 59 Muslim MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the meeting convened by Kapil Sibal on October 3, 2009. However, only 18 MPs turned up for the meeting. Prominent among them were Maulana Israrul Haque Qasmi - the only Congress MP from Bihar and BJP MP Shanawaz Husain.Of the 18 Muslim MPs who attended the meeting, some opposed the proposal and some supported it. No consensus could emerge at that meeting. Finally,HRD Minister Kapil Sibal asked the MPs present to come up with revised concrete proposals or suggest such changes as they consider necessary in the existing proposal formulated by the Government of India.

According to the Union HRD Ministry sources, aCentral Board for Madarsa Education would help to achieve and ensure minimum education standards in the teaching of non-religious subjects in these seminaries. The proposal has been strongly opposed by the Muslim community leadership amid fears that it could increase government interference in the functioning of Madarsas. However, official sources clarified that the affiliation of Madarsas to the proposed board will be voluntary.

There are more then 5,00,000 Madarsas in India. Creation of a Central Board for Madarsa Education is one of the ambitious proposals of the UPA government. However the Government has not able to bring about any unanimity or consensus among the Muslim community leaders and the Muslim Clerics over this proposal. Maulana Ghulam Mohd Vastanvi who heads a chain of Madarsas and colleges across the country has opposed this proposal: “The proposed Madarsa Board is not acceptable to us. It is better if the government constitutes a committee comprising of Madarsa heads and Ulema to look into the details of what actually it wants before enforcing any decision on us”.

At the same time, there are also other prominent members of the Muslim community who are backing the Central Government’s proposal for ‘Modernization of Madarsas’. Arshad Mukhtar, Secretary of Mohammadia Education Society that runs a chain of Madarsasacross India has said: “If the government would not interfere with the syllabus and academics of the Madarsas we don’t have any problem”. Mohammadia Education Society is in fact the one Muslim organization that took the earliest initiative as early as 1978 to include modern education along with the Islamic curriculum.

Three MPs - Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP from Hyderabad Asaddudin Owaisi, Trinamool’s MP Sultan Ahmad, who is also a minister in the UPA government and an independent MP Ahmad Sayeed Malihabadi expressed apprehension about the interference of government in the running of the Central Madarsa Board. A known Hindu baiter from Hyderabad, Asadduin Owaisi said: “The moment you say that in case of a dispute, the decision of the central government will be final, you give a feel that Madarsas have an element of grey. You are viewing us with suspicion. Why doesn’t the government regulate Sanskrit Vidyapeeths. The bill doesn’t have the preamble clarifying why such a board is required”.

The Government of India’s proposal for modernization of Madarsas clearly states that the focus is on the standardization of the non-theological aspects of Madarsa System of Education in a comprehensive, systematic and integrated manner. The main of the Government of India is to bring the Muslims of India into the mainstream of National Life. The aim is to promote Muslim education in general without in any manner affecting the theological content of Madarsa Education. Thus the fears of MPs like Asaddudin Owaisi are totally baseless and have to be dismissed as deliberate obstructionist tactics.

The proposed Central Madarsa Board Act goes further to empower the Board to‘emphasise the liberal, universalist and contextually pro-active genius of Islam’. Despite this clear statement, Shahabuddin MP has alleged that “It does not even clarify whether the general education in the Madarsas shall be compatible with basic Islamic doctrines.” This great MP has made a wrong statement to the effect that there are more number of Sanskrit Pathashalas in the country than the Muslim Madarsas. To the best of my knowledge there are more than 500,000 Madarsas in this truncated India which was partitioned on religious lines on August 15, 1947. To the best of my knowledge we don’t have more than 100,000 Sanskrit Pathashalas!!!

Sub-section 18(1)(w) of the same Act speaks of ‘programmes for the consolidation of the inclusive society marked by religious and cultural diversity through proper interfaith understanding’. Shahabuddin MP further alleges that “This is as political an objective as could be and can possibly clash with the basic tenets of Madarsa education”.

Finally, the same Act provides under sub-clause (ee) of the same sub-section for ‘adoption of a non-polemelical approach to other religions and non-sectarian institutions in a state of fidelity to the Islamic spiritual tradition’.

Seeing the attitude of the Muslim MPs and Muslim leaders, I cannot help seeing or feeling the deep chasm, or the sharp conflict between the Hindu ethos and Muslim zealotry in India. I fully endorse the balanced views of the great journalist, writer and former BJP MP Prafull Goradia: “This conflict must be resolved. Why are we anxious? For the simple reason that without resolution, India cannot acquire the spirit of collective honour. And without National Pride, the country cannot leap forward. Individual citizens may flourish or shine, as they do even now, whether at home or overseas. But the collective performance of the country disappoints.”

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)

http://www.newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33

Is Andhra Congress (more vigourously) back into caste fights or is it another Christian attack on Hindus?

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Forty-eight hours after Anusha, the B.Com third-year student of Villa Marie college jumped to death in the college premises, the Punjagutta police are yet to arrive at a conclusion on whether the other four students drove her to end her life or was there any other reason.

Meanwhile, an organisation, Dalit Sthree Sakthi (DSS) has alleged that Anusha was being harassed on caste basis, after her friends came to know that she was a Dalit.

Though the police had registered a case under Section 306 IPC (abetment to commit suicide), investigation so far has not led the sleuths anywhere.

“The victim’s parents have alleged that a few other students were responsible for her suicide. But we have to investigate the matter thoroughly and can come to a conclusion only then,’’ West zone DCP C Ravi Varma told Express.

The police are going through the mobile phone details of Anusha.

The parents of Anusha had alleged that Anusha took the extreme step unable to bear the humiliation by her friends.

Anusha leaped to death from the fourth floor of Villa Marie college campus at Somajiguda on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Dalit Sthree Sakthi (DSS) has formed a fact-finding committee to go into the details of the case. The team met her parents, relatives, friends and also the police officials as part of their probe.

Bringing in a new twist to the case, the DSS members said that Anusha was a relative of Congress MLA R Varaprasad Rao, a supporter of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. “Of late, his closeness to Jagan and the media attention he grabbed revealed that he is a Dalit. From then onwards, Anusha was being harassed on caste-basis,’’ DSS members alleged.

The committee has submitted a report to Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and Additional DGP (Law and Order) AK Khan and urged them to take measures to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Police+yet+to+arrive+at+any+conclusion&artid=gksw6OKmHww=&SectionID=xAV59odivTs=&MainSectionID=xAV59odivTs=&SEO=Dalit+Sthree+Sakthi&SectionName=BUzPVSKuYv7MFxnS0yZ7ng==

Down with the secular Swamijis – They are a self-serving blot

Are Hindu Swamijis afraid of Hinduism?

Friday, 06 November, 2009 , 03:12 PM

Two days ago I wrote in these columns as  to how the two Union Ministers P.Chidambaram and Sachin Pilot were eye-witnesses to a totally unconstitutional resolution against the sacred National Song of Vande Mataram passed at a general meeting of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind at Deoband in Uttar Pradesh.

Attack on Bhagavad Gita Sri Sri Ravishankar’s weak defence of Hinduism

Swami Ramdev at Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind at Deoband

It has been brought to my notice subsequently that at the same meeting, also sat along with them Swami Ramdev who also chose to remain silent about the resolution against the singing of Vande Mataram. Khudiram Bose, the great revolutionary youth of Bengal went to the gallows on 11 August 1908 with the song of Vande Mataram on his lips. Madan Lal Dingra who assassinated Sir Curzon Wyllie, Political Aide-de-Camp to the Secretary of State for India was hanged in London on 17 August, 1909. He also died with the song of Vande Mataram on his lips. The battle cry of freedom of great martyrs like Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekar Azad and hundreds of others who were hanged by the British Government was also the song of Vande Mataram. Nationalist Muslims of India should have no serious objection against this constitutionally approved National Song of Vande Mataram. The recent resolution of Muslim clerics at Deoband clearly shows that Sardar Vallabhai Patel (1876-1950) was absolutely right when he told Pundit Nehru in categorical terms in 1948: ‘A Nationalist Muslim is a misnomer. It is a contradiction in terms’.

I view the presence of Swami Ramdev as an act of religious surrender. He cannot hope to succeed with the Muslims in the cultural arena where even Mahatma Gandhi failed so disastrously and so magnificently.

It has also been brought to my notice that Baba Ramdev is not the only Hindu Swami engaged in the cultural task of cajoling the Muslims. Recently an English newspaper in Bombay organized An Inter-Religious Dialogue for Spiritual Enlightenment in which Sri Sri Ravishankar (Art of Living) and Dr Zakir Naik (Islamic Research Foundation) took part. In this very programme, an attempt was also made to downgrade the Gita during the interactive discourse on a mischievously chosen topic ‘Jihad in the Gita and the Quran’. The title of the debate implied that the doctrine of jihad has been preached both in the Gita and the Quran – something totally false and highly offensive to Hindu feelings and emotions—in short to the Hindu ethos in general. The participants in this lurid drama were Maulana Wahiduddin and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, while the well known columnist, Narayani Ganesh, acted as moderator and debated on the larger theme of ‘Concept of God in Hinduism and Islam’. It is a pity that Sri Sri Ravishankar could not see  through the clever game being played by the English newspaper to bring down the Bhagavad Gita to the level of Quran. Both Sri Sri Ravishankar and the moderator betrayed their ignorance of Islam when the Maulana took them for an easy ride by presenting a ‘humane’ and ‘compassionate’ view of Jihad.

In this context Shri Ram Ohri IPS (Retd) and Secretary General of Patriots’ Forum, New Delhi has rightly observed: ‘It is a tragedy that Sri Sri Ravishankar could not even rebut the inane profanity hidden in the theme. The Gita does not command Hindus to kill all non-Hindus, or for that matter, not even atheists. …The scriptural soul of Hinduism, the Gita, does not preach, nor even remotely mentions, anything comparable to the Islamic doctrine of jihad which is a permanent holy war against all non-Muslims, as ordained in Islamic scriptures’.

The importance of jihad— has been highlighted by M J Akbar, in his tome, ‘The Shade of Swords’, in which he has succinctly summed up that “jihad is the signature tune of Islamic history” He has drawn pointed attention to the saying by the Prophet himself that “Paradise comes under the shade of swords”. M J Akbar’s exposition of jihad is a clear rebuttal of the falsehood being preached by Maulana Wahiduddin and several others to hoodwink the gullible Hindus.

When I invited the attention of P Deivamuthu, the editor and publisher of HINDU VOICE in Mumbai to the recent Muslim resolution against Vande Mataram song at the general meeting of Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind at Deoband and the presence of Swami Ramdev there, he gave me even more shocking news. I understand from him that Swami Ramdev has written a book in Hindi called Jeevan Darshan. I am presenting below the cover page of this book:

After reading the above book Deivamuthu discovered to his dismay that Swami has made some wrong and false statements on page 77. Deivamuthu wrote a detailed letter to Swami Ramdev on 11 October. I am quoting some excerpts from this letter. Deivamuthu is a great intellectual warrior fighting for the cause of Hindutva through his bold and fearless monthly journal called “Hindu Voice’:

‘In page no. 77 of your book, you have mentioned about Dharm Granth, where you have also included Bible and Quran, which was unwarranted. I am enclosing a sheet containing a few verses from Bible and Quran. Please judge for yourself whether such verses qualify them to be called Dharm Granth. My simple question to you is: Have you read the Quran? If you have read the Quran, you would not have mentioned it as a Dharm Granth. If you have not read it, then you have no right to comment on something which you are not aware of.

‘But it pains all nationalists when Sadhus like you start giving good character certificate to such a ideology. Politicians are doing it for vote. Why should you do it, Swami Ji?

Magazines like Hindu Voice is doing its bit to expose these ideologies in a limited way. But your talking of the exact opposite (which is false), will make our efforts meaningless.”

P.DEIVAMUTHU, EDITOR, ‘HINDU VOICE’, MUMBAI

Surveying the record of Islam and Christianity in India, Deivamuthu has authored a brilliant monograph titled “180 Hard facts of Religious HIV”. By HIV he means Hatred, Intolerance and Violence. These facts cannot be ignored by the Swamijis of India.

I am not sure whether Swami Ramdev has sent any reply to Deivamuthu. In any case, Deivamuthu’s letter seems to have left Swami Ramdev quite untouched. Swami Ramdev has attended the meeting at Deoband on 3 November 2009. Like a typical Congress politician he tried to dispel patently anti-Hindu Muslim misconceptions about yoga when he said: ‘These yogas are like exercise to keep the body fit and do not violate any tenets of Islam since one is not required to recite any slokas’.

There are two major meanings for Yoga in Hindu spirituality. The first designates the specific darshana described by Patanjali, while the second has a broader sense, implying any effort undertaken in order to attain liberation, independently of its meaning. Therefore, any spiritual discipline aimed at liberating the self can be called Yoga. As a result, the term is used with various meanings, having more or less in common with the Yoga darshana of Patanjali.

Thus genuine practicing Hindus dedicated to yoga will never agree with the above temporizing  political yoga technique of Swami Ramdev. Let me conclude with a limerick on the fear stricken and nervous Swamijis of India

They live in perpetual fear
No doubt about doubt within
No doubt about doubt without
No doubt about fear and doubt within
No doubt about doubt and fear without
Yoga with Hindu religion within?
Yoga without Hindu religion?
About and about?
Around and around?
In never ending
Concentric circles
Of blowing empty and vacuous sound
What is all this claptrap about?

(The writer is a retired IAS officer)
e-mail the writer at
vsundaram@newstodaynet.com

http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33

How disgusting do you feel about the happenings in Karnataka?

Here are some samples of how some readers of Indian Express feel.

A bloody revolution to undo the failure to transfer lands and mines from traditional looters like Reddies and Gowdas, was due at the time of Independence in 1947. But this revolution did not happen. All bogus rascals began to put on Khadi dresses and joined the then khadi-prohibition oriented Congress. Their loot and robbery of the people and the nation’s wealth , as accomplices in the hands of the traditional overlords of lands and mines, has been going on all these SIX DECADES AND MORE. Since he majority (70 of 117 MLAs) have reportedly deserted Yeddy, a broad, service-oriented leader reared in the Vedic ethos as a RSS member, for long, it means, a majority of society itself is roten.Which power on earth can stem this rot? It is certain that the state has to go back to the days of Gowdas and Dharm Singhs. A DIVINE AVATAR ALONE CAN SAVE KARNATAKA AND INDIA.

By MMK Rao
11/6/2009 4:09:00 PM

The Reddy camp claims 70 MLAs’ support. this is not unbelievable. The Reddies are worth Rs.50,000 CRORE which is a rough under-estimate. This inconceivable large quantity of wealth has been made by them , you know how? BY ALL KNOWN AND UNKNOWN METHODS INVOLVING FRAUDS ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS, DRIVING AWAY OF POOR PEOPLE FROM THEIR SMALL PATCHES OF LANDS AND , FABRICATION OF DOCUMENTS FOR FAKE TITLES BENAMI, OWN, KITH AND KIN, ETC, AND GRABBING THE LANDS, INNUMERABLE FRAUDS IN REAL ESTATE AND MINING, EXTORTION USING HENCHMEN, and so on and so forth. The present disgruntlement of these fellows arose because of Chief Minister Yeddy’s refusal to ignore frauds made by the Reddiers in regard to road taxes for the enormous fleet of lorries and other vehicles owned by these guys. CONTD. B

By Krishna Sarma
11/6/2009 3:07:00 PM

Yeddy is an able administrator and should rule KN. Reddys are greedies.

By KN
11/6/2009 7:16:00 AM

The BJP clowns in Delhi should exercise power and bring in some discipline in the party. Otherwise, BJP will disintegrate into pieces. BJP leaders on one hand have to worship the RSS jokers who want propagate their idealism, on the other they have to deal with the thugs like the Reddys. I don’t know how long India maintain democracy with ever increasing Islamic Extremism and monumental institutionalized Corruption. I cannot imagine how people like Reddys entered into BJP and wield so much power. THE MEDIA FOLKS SHOULD WAKEUP, PROVIDE LEADERSHIP BY EXPOSING THESE MONEY GRABBERS.

By SAMBANDHAM
11/6/2009 2:07:00 AM

REDDYS AND NAIDUS ARE HARDCORE TELUGU SCOUNDRALS. THEY NOT ONLY LOOT THE ANDHRA PEOPLE BUT GRAB WEALTH ILLEGALLY WHEREVER THEY GO, LIKE IN TAMIL NADU AND KARNATAKA. YEDDY AND A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS WORKED VERY HARD FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN KARNATAKA TO BRING BJP TO POWER. ALSO, SINCE BECOMING CM, YEDDY IS WORKING VERY HARD TO DEVELOP THE STATE. WHAT DID REDDY BROTHERS DO FOR BJP. THEY GOT 2 BROETHERS AS MINISTERS IN THE CABINET AND MANY OF THEIR FRIENDS IN CABINET. THEY ARE NOT THERE TO SERVE KN PEOPLE. THEY ARE THERE TO GRAB STATE’S WEALTH FOR THEMSELVES AND INCREASE THEIR GOONDAISM AND BLACKMAIL POLITICAL LEADERS.

By RAMA MURTHY
11/6/2009 1:51:00 AM

The Reddy brothers are from ANDHRA, are connected to the CONGRESS (YSR and Jagan Reddy camp) are MARRIED TO GREED AND MONEY. The people of Karnataka should throw them and their mining rights out of this state. The progress seen on the roads of Bangalore and in Karnataka will take a giant backward leap if these MINING GOONS take over. YOU SHOULD PUBLISH A LIST OF THE REBEL MLA’s who are bring Karnataka to ruin so that if we go for re-elections, these scum do not get any votes.

By Kanak
11/5/2009 9:52:00 PM

The arrogant, indiciplined,money powered,group of reddy & co should quit the party for good and central high command should be stern to oust them as thir being in party is always detrimental & unsafe for BJP if it has to remain a deciplined & principled one. Such theats midway at a time when the CM & Govt should work for flood relief,& soccour to people are unpardonable and are to be sternly dealt with no matter.Such time servers & selfish dictators , purely by money power ( by ill gotten ) should not be allowed in a Govt or party. If it is inevitable party should go before people ( who have over whelmingly voted for BSY’S leader ship )as these activities are still green in people’s memory,& they will teach these traitors proper lesson. No Govt or party will be healthy with association of such people without concern either for people’s or for moral value or unity of party.

By Govindarao
11/5/2009 9:27:00 PM

As long as land and mining (and other national) resources are owned by a few individuals, democracy will remain a sham in this ciountry. Direct people’s action to teach these fellows that they are merely people’s trustees and not lords owning such resources is not ruled out, if the socalled people’s representatives do not betray the ideology and manifestoes which they presented before the public. A law to immediately send to jail any politician switching party is most urgently called for. Factional behaviour will need to be kept in check with hidden videos and surprise checks on dissident elements who must be sent to jail to suffer RI for life on being detected.

By Manohar K Reddy
11/5/2009 6:18:00 PM

There are not enough politicians anywhere in INDIA who have any commitment to running a clean government or who respect the trust people place in them when they elect them to power. In the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, votes are purchased openly, the CEC cannot do anything about it except expressing horror, and success of the bribing contestants is assured. An unscrupulous alliance of selfish parties keeps the government there “stable” without being brought down due to “dissidence” sinceevery MLA is assured a huge amassing illgotten properties and money without any fear of the law to check them. In this way, the whole country has been affected with an incurable cancer. Democracy will surely die paving the way for an alternative form of government, which is not of or by but FOR the people. We don’t know how it will look like. Maoism is spreading, and this shows democracy has had its day.

By Gopal Krishna
11/5/2009 6:05:00 PM

Even an impartial obsever of these peevish politics will not fail to see that if these Reddy brothers stab the BJP government in the back, another poll is imminent, and the BJP will tromp home back with a lot more strength, genuine strength. The electorate will defeat them as they defeated Kumaraswamy Gowda and his party. The people will want punishment to be meted out to such selfish antisocial elements who want to break the law they make when it comes to their self interests (refusal to pay road tax to pay for over 1 lakh lorries owned by the Reddies).

By Sivaraja
11/5/2009 5:50:00 PM

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Yeddyurappa,+Reddys+to+address+media+jointly&artid=AQm2|BTFpUg=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=&SEO=

Our Army Chief indicts Manmohan Govt.

India allowed perpetrators of terror attacks to escape: Army chief

Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, November 04, 2009

India had repeatedly allowed the perpetrators of terror attacks to get away, Indian Army chief Gen Deepak Kapoor said on Wednesday while stressing that the country could not “afford a repeat of 26/11″.

“The US has not allowed a second 9/11, Indonesia has not allowed a second Bali,” Kapoor said, adding that India had allowed those behind the “2001 Parliament attack, Delhi blasts and Mumbai terror attack” to get away.

“India cannot afford a repeat of 26/11,” the Army chief said while addressing a seminar on Network Centricity and National Security organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi.

He also underscored the significance of network centricity for better Intelligence gathering and sharing.

“There has to be speedy flow of Intelligence and updated data for speedy decision based on the geographical location and a swift action by nearest security agencies,” said Kapoor.

Endorsing his view, Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju said considering the “fragile internal security scenario”, there had to be new centres to facilitate rapid action across the country and better coordination among intelligence agencies and security forces.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/india/India-allowed-perpetrators-of-terror-attacks-to-escape-Kapoor/Article1-472728.aspx

Darul Uloom against Vande Mataram

By: V. Sundaram Wednesday, 04 November, 2009 , 02:26 PM Union Home Minister’s infatuation for the Muslims of India was clearly brought out when he visited the Jamlat Ulema-i:Hind at Deoband yesterday to participate in their 30th general session. His effete speech paying his  tribute to this Darul Uloom for having passed a cosmetic political fatwa against terror was marked by the usual pseudo-secular and known anti-Hindu claptrap. He deplored violence in the name of religion and made a fervent appeal that more voices be raised against terrorism and all forms of violence, mainly communal strife. He said the Babri Masjid demolition at Ayodhya in 1992 was a manifestation of religious fanaticism. Communalism negated pluralism and apposed political freedom to people. The irrefutable fact of multiple attacks on Hindu temples during the last 10 years (forget the fully documented Islamic record of large –scale destruction of innumerable temples in India since 712 AD till date!), resulting in sudden deaths and grievous injuries to thousands of Hindu devotees, seems to have been completely and deliberately glossed over by Chidambaram.   UNION HOME MINISTER CHIDAMBARAM AT DEOBAND What is even more shocking to note is that Jamlat Ulema-i:Hind at Deoband passed a patently illegal and unconstitutional resolution to this effect: “ We direct all the members of our community not to recite Vande Mataram. They should not participate in any prayer involving this anti-Islamic song”. This anti-national resolution was passed in the very presence of the Union Home Minister Chidambaram and Union Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot. As a former civil servant belonging to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), I am pained to see as to how the two Union Ministers can choose to remain silent when a patently anti national and unconstitutional resolution is passed in their very presence by the Jamlat Ulema-i:Hind at Deoband against our constitutionally approved National song of Vande Mataram. Are the members of the Darul Uloom at Deoband citizens of India or Pakistan? They may find it convenient to be ignorant of Law because of the Minority Rights guaranteed to them under the Indian Constitution. But these two Union Ministers, one of whom claims himself to be a legal luminary of immortal glory and fame, cannot politically and pseudo-secularly choose to remain in a state of ignorance about the following solid facts of modern history of post-independent India. Dr Rajendra Prasad, while presiding over the Constituent Assembly on 24 January, 1950, made the following statement which was also adopted as the basis for the final decision on the issue: ‘The composition consisting of words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations as the Government may authorise as occasion arises, and the song VANDE MATARAM, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honored equally with Jana Gana Mana and SHALL HAVE EQUAL STATUS WITH IT. (Applause) I hope this will satisfy members.’ (Constituent Assembly of India, Vol. XII, 24-1-1950) It will be clear from Dr Rajendra Prasad’s declaration in the Constituent Assembly cited above that that Vande Mataram is equal in status to our National Anthem of Jana Gana Mana.. When he made this declaration on 24 January, 1950, all the Muslim Members of the Constituent Assembly including Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also gave their full approval to the proposal. It is not now open to anyone in India to question the constitutional or the legal status of this great National Song of Bankim Chandra Chaterjee. If they are given that freedom or latitude, that means they are questioning the Constitution of India. The philosophy of the Congress Party on this sacred issue of singing of Vande Mataram, can be summed up in a laconic limerick: Vande Mataram is not mandatory Even Jana Gana Mana need not be involuntary Vande Mataram can be secularly mandatory Vande Mataram can be communally non-mandatory In our official Non-Government of zero performance Sacred things often become sacrilegious And sacrilegious things become sacred Things sublime will be viewed as subversive Things subversive will shine as jewels sublime Pray don’t dismiss us as dubiously dilatory By temperament and training, we are suavely soaked in sophistry We are not steeped in ‘communal’ stupidity Is it not almost a pity? Nobody understands our poor pseudo-secular ditty With such non-constitutional clarity And with known and authentic Anti-Hindu acerbity!! With total dedication to absolute communal minority!!! The problems we are facing from some of the leading anti-national Muslims today started with Gandhiji’s unconditional support for the Khilafat Movement in 1920-21. Achyuth Patwardhan, one of the Socialist stalwarts in the Congress, has given a remarkably candid and self critical analysis of the Congress Party vis-a-vis Khilafat: ‘It is, however, useful to recognise our share of this error of misdirection. To begin with, I am convinced that looking back upon the course of development of the freedom movement, THE ‘HIMALAYAN ERROR’ of Gandhiji’s leadership was the support he extended on behalf of the Congress and the Indian people to the Khilafat Movement at the end of the World War I. This has proved to be a disastrous error which has brought in its wake a series of harmful consequences. On merits, it was a thoroughly reactionary step. The Khilafat was totally unworthy of support of the Progressive Muslims. Kemel Pasha established this solid fact by abolition of the Khilafat. The abolition of the Khilafat was widely welcomed by enlightened Muslim opinion the world over and Kemel was an undoubted hero of all young Muslims straining against Imperialist domination. But apart from the fact that Khilafat was an unworthy reactionary cause, Mahatma Gandhi had to align himself with a sectarian revivalist Muslim Leadership of clerics and maulvis. He was thus unwittingly responsible for jettisoning sane, secular, modernist leadership among the Muslims of India and foisting upon the Indian Muslims a theocratic orthodoxy of the Maulvis. Maulana Mohammed Ali’s speeches read today appear strangely incoherent and out of tune with the spirit of secular political freedom. The Congress Movement which released the forces of religious liberalism and reform among the Hindus, and evoked a rational scientific outlook, placed the Muslims of India under the spell of orthodoxy and religious superstition by their support to the Khilafat leadership. Rationalist leaders like Jinnah were rebuffed by this attitude of Congress and Gandhi. This is the background of the psychological rift between Congress and the Muslim League’. A few months ago when French President Nicholas Sarkozy announced that burqas were not welcome in France, I had a feeling that it was just a small step in France’s battle with Islam. I understand France is going to adopt a series of measures to ‘reaffirm pride’ in the country and combat Islamic fundamentalism. They include everybody receiving lessons in the nation’s Christian history and children singing the national anthem. About 2 years ago, the former Australian Prime Minister  John Howard told the Muslims of Australia: ‘ If you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you….If you can’t agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that’s a better option.’ Unlike the Muslim Clerics of India, the ‘Radical’ Muslims have pledged their loyalty to Australia’. On the contrary, our Pan-Islamic clerics are pledging their disloyalty to the sacred National Song of Vande Mataram!! I hope that learned Muslim Clerics will not issue a fatwa against the Australian Muslims for their declared loyalty to their duly constituted government!!! (The writer is a retired IAS officer) e-mail the writer at vsundaram@newstodaynet.com http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33

The Fruit of Coalition politics with the DMK

A deadly dead-end!

By: T R Jawahar

Tuesday, 03 November, 2009 , 11:44 AM

In the last few days, Minister Raja has made a momentous comeback into limelight and therefore merits mention in these columns. And by some inscrutable association of thought, the Maoists too keep rising to the mind whenever the minister does. Now what earthy connection do the trigger-happy Maoists have with the tele minister? Nothing! And that’s precisely the point and problem!

But let’s rise a bit above Raja for he is no longer just an individual. This man has suddenly become a metaphor for ministerial malfeasance, a mega metaphor rather, valued at anywhere between Rs 60,000 to Rs 100,000 crores of public money. This mother of all scams at one stroke puts all other corrupt deals, jointly and severally, thus far, in the shade. And on the other end of the spectrum are the militant Maoists claiming to be fighting this very ‘entrenched’ establishment as represented by the corrupt ruling classes and their exploitation of the poor masses. At the risk of sounding sinisterly suggestive, does it not seem strange that the ‘moralistic’ Maoists have never had a tryst with such ministerial marauders and their minions yet?

We are now on dangerous terrain! But then, we all entertain dangerous thoughts, all of which do not become action, fortunately and unfortunately. The provocations of modern life are so dire to us, as individuals and as part of society. Even the primitive man had his primal fears and a resultant predatory instinct. But we are supposed to have evolved since and become ‘civilised’. We talk of such lofty things as rule of law, people’s will, freedom of expression and organised living as the touchstones of that ‘civilisation’. Modern instruments like Jurisprudence and Democracy are supposed to have insulated us from individual indignation and ire under the assurance that the higher power, State, in which they are vested instead, would take care. Indeed, the State is the modern God, protecting and preserving order. So, when such a State fails its dependent-subjects and worse, becomes itself their oppressor, will there not be righteous anger against those who personify it? And even more against those who perpetrate it personally?

Peaceful activism is the usual first response; but disillusionment sets in fast, thanks to public impotence and indifference. To such a disenchanted individual, the temptation to pick the gun and render vigilante justice to the most immediate and visible oppressor becomes pervasive. History is replete with groups that try to instituionalise this individual indignation, give it an ideological gloss and make it an organised mass movement. The Maoist label, having its roots in the Marxian stable, is one of the most popular brands in this anger-market. Classical Communist theory talks of the State ultimately ‘withering away’, after all inequalities have been levelled. By their book, that ‘red-letter day’, would be preceded by a revolution, often bloody. But even after many such revolutions and much blood, if egalitarian equality still eludes those societies, the fault clearly lies in both the mother ideology and the methods. The Marxist-Maoist ‘revolutionaries’ have only ended up converting vibrant righteous indignation aimed at deserving villains into raw anarchic violence against no one in particular.

And the contradictions have been stark too. Even in the Soviet Union, when the State actually withered away, it was not the culmination of the Communist ideolgy, but bad economics that made it happen. Or take China, the land of Mao that is also the current fatherland of the Maoists and the Marxists alike here. Chairman Mao, who is the posthumous mentor of all of these self-styled underground vigilante outfits, was in reality more of a ruler than a revolutionary. Much against the Communist moksha of withering away, the State under him was a nasty instrument of suppression. He purged his own comrades, pillaged the treasury, pulverised millions of his countrymen and put to nought all norms of governance. His personality took precedence over all professed principles. Indeed, Mao and his Leftism hardly had anything right in them. A movement born of his parentage is bound to be perverted. But even more incongruent are the targets chosen by the Maoists. These ‘Left-liberals’ who claim ‘public ownership’ as the cornerstone of their movement have no qualms in destroying public property; Their victims, running into several thousands, are rarely the classic exploiters like politicians or black-marketeers but predominantly, petty constables and poor civilians. Their ambit covers has fast Rajadhanis, not fradulent Rajas, wrought-iron bridges, not corrupt judges, the man on the street, not the street-smart babu or tout! We are not insinuating anything but only trying to highlight the Maoists’ skewed sense of justice!

There is a lesson here. The sum of all individual anger can hardly make for a mass movement, as mobilising minds is not a number game. Organised vigilantism simply does not work. The first few recruits may be highly motivated, but as the movement becomes an entity, it develops its own dynamics even as individual ire dissipates. The cadre swells not by the power of the idea, but by the accretion of lumpen, unemployable elements for whom Marx and Mao may well be distant uncles. In time, organisational challenges take precedence over goals, and as monetary interests rise, leaders get more paranoid and secretive. Comrades turn foes overnight as the fastest gun-puller becomes the undisputed despot. From Stalin to Mao to Castro to X, Y & Z, most dictators have had Marxism on their lips and revolvers at their hips. Having thus lost their script, violence for them becomes a way of life, a self-fulfilling orgasmic itch! In time, their guns are bound to backfire and the red corridor will get redder by their own blood too. But by their misplaced ‘priorities’ and misdirected violence, they would have also killed many legitimate causes that can actually do with some gunfire! For, even if I had a gun and a grouse, would I want to be dubbed a Maoist or join a band that knows not at who and why they are shooting? And that’s how the vile get their reprieve from retribution!

That really makes the world a safe place for the corrupt and the criminal. They are beyond the reach of law and the outlaw too. They dominate the ballot, can duck the bullet and easily dodge the adalat. The higher their position greater their impunity and immunity: None less than the CMs, PMs and super PMs of the land will rally around them to form a safety spectrum! So as Rajas go scot free with their bountiful booty, the prajas have  no where to go: At the local police station the greasy cop may make a grab for your pocket, and if your are a woman, even grab you. At court, the judge may grab your land, given recent trends. And your elected rep, having already grabbed your vote by paying pittance, is in the grip of his own deals. Maybe some divine intervention is in order, but wonder why the Almighty is not taking our call! He had better hurry because 3G auctions are due anytime!

e-mail the writer at
trjawahar@vsnl.net
(Courtesy: Talk Media)

http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=30

Sethu project: SC wants govt to declare stand

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Tuesday asked for the union government’s final stand on whether a shorter sea route around India’s southern tip could be built along an alternate alignment, sparing any damage to the mythological Rama Sethu. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice J.M. Panchal sought the union government’s stand on having alternate alignment for the Sethusamudram channel, while hearing a plea by former union minister Subramanian Swamy for scrapping the project.

“You have to say something (on the question of having an alternate alignment). You have to disclose your stand,” Justice Raveendran told Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal, as Swamy contended that the matter has been hanging fire since July last year.

As Rawal sought a rather long duration for the government to disclose its stand, the CJI remarked: “The matter is pending since long. It will not look nice (to give long adjournment).”

The bench sought the government’s stand within four weeks and adjourned the matter for next hearing Dec 11.

The apex court had on July 30, 2008 reserved its order on a bunch of lawsuits, questioning the government’s decision to implement the Sethusamudram project, involving building of shorter navigational sea route around India’s southern tip, cutting across Rama Sethu, damaging the mythological bridge and hurting the religious sentiments of millions of Hindus.

The bench had reserved its order after hearing various parties, including the union government, for over three months last year on the issue.

During the hearing, the court had asked the government if it was feasible to build the shorter navigational route around the country’s southern tip along an alternate alignment without damaging Rama Sethu.

On the court’s suggestion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had personally intervened in the matter and had appointed an expert panel to examine if the Sethusamudram channel could be build along a different alignment without damaging the mythological Rama Sethu.

But the expert committee is yet to give its report. The apex court has been awaiting the report before it takes a decision on the lawsuits against implementation of the project.

Rama Sethu is a mythological bridge that finds mention in the epic Ramayana.

http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=6187488&programId=1073754912&pageTypeId=1073754893&contentType=EDITORIAL

The Ancient Durga descends on the convert to stand up to an Islamic Terrorist

Brave Rukhsana becomes a star for killing LeT terrorist

2009-09-29 19:30:00

, Sep 29 (IANS) Her immensely brave act has turned young Rukhsana Kausar into a heroine and people now see her as a fighter against the ‘zulm’ or atrocities of militants. She had taken on a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who barged into her house late Sunday night, snatched an AK-47 from one intruder and shot him dead. Rukhsana is full of smiles at her house in Upper Kalsi in Shahdhara Sharief of Rajouri district, as she is besieged by television reporters asking her how she did it.   Posing with the AK-47 that she grabbed from the militants, she recounts for the umpteenth time how she shot dead LeT terrorist Abu Osama in her house up in the hills, while the locals cheer her.   The girl, in her late teens, fought militants and saved her family, especially her parents.   When the terrorists barged into her house late Sunday night, Rukhsana might have been provoked by the terror unleashed by the ultras on her parents – Noor Hussain and Rashida, and by a premonition that her own dignity was in danger. But what she did was an act of supreme bravery.   ‘One thing is for sure that the girl exhibited rare bravery, and she deserves all praise for it,’ Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, Shafkat Watali told IANS. ‘This is a clear manifestation that the people are willing to fight back militants. They are sick of the atrocities of militants.’   Rukhsana is aware that the new spotlight has come on her after she shot the militant with his own gun.   ‘I knew that they were up to something, and saw them trying to do something terribly wrong with my daddy,’ Rukhsana said, brimming with anger. ‘I snatched the gun by pulling his hair and then opened fire on him.’   This act of the girl is being termed as a fight against ‘zulm’ by the locals – who feel this would begin a new chapter in the anti-militancy feelings of the people.   ‘Now, we feel that militants are not invincible. They can be overpowered and killed,’ said Showkat Hussain, a villager who had come to see Rukhsana from Darhal, about 30 km from here.   The villagers, some of whom have dish antenna fixed on their houses, have seen Rukhsana on their TV sets. Many others came to see the new brave girl of the area.   ‘She is another Sher bibi,’ say people, referring to a legendary Gujjar woman who used to venture into the jungles in Banihal area, where lions used to roam many decades ago.   After Rukhsana shot dead one terrorist, the other ultras ran away, including one who was injured.   The family members handed over to the police two AK-47 rifles which they had snatched from the terrorists.   Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra has lauded the exemplary courage and bravery of the fearless young girl.   ‘The governor has asked for a formal report from the Director General of Police so that he can recommend the young girl for a gallantry award,’ an official release said.   ‘The governor also intends to invite this brave girl to the Raj Bhavan to honour her,’ the statement said.

Gujarat’s infrastructure compares with China: Parthasarthy

AHMEDABAD: Infrastructure-wise only Gujarat was comparable to China, said former diplomat G Parthasarthy while speaking on Challenges from China

and Pakistan’ at a lecture series organized by Gujarat Media Club at Ahmedabad Management Association on Saturday. “China respects strength and so we should not compromise the sovereignty issue by giving even an inch of our territory,” he said referring to the Arunachal Pradesh issue.

Blaming the Indo-Pak problem on Pakistan’s social structure, he said, “Kashmir issue should be resolved by sticking to our position of the Indian territorial land.” To a question, he said, “Pakistan is becoming increasingly ungovernable and its military was losing the respect it commanded.”

Citing recent developments, he said that after the 26/11 Mumbai mayhem, Chinese press had made statements saying the attacks were “symbols of failure of the Indian state”.

According to him, India had inadequate military strength as compared to China. “The principles of Panchsheel are no substitute to national strength and security,” he said.

Commenting on the economic stance the country had taken, he said, “We intended to have a mixed economic structure, but we have ended up as a mixed up economy.”

He said that China was a threat to India as far as the maritime boundary was concerned. According to him, China was trying to infiltrate into India through the Indian Ocean.

“China used Pakistan as proxy to tie-up with the sub-continent and provided designs for Pakistan’s nuclear weapons and allowed them to be tested on its land,” he said.

However, Parthasarthy said that while China did not wish a war-like situation because of its international prestige as far as the consumer market is concerned, India’s line of control was still not defined.

To a question on whether Osama Bin Laden was alive, he said, “he suffers from a renal failure, so how can he survive in the mountains”.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gujarats-infrastructure-compares-with-China-Parthasarthy/articleshow/5184714.cms