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#2143

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Sat Dec 12, 2009 10:37 am
Subject: Indians are ancestors of Japanese, Chinese

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Indians are ancestors of Japanese, Chinese

http://studyinindiainfo.com/2009/12/indians-are-ancestors-of-japanese.html

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#2142

From: Shantu Sharma <shantu_22003@...>
Date: Thu Dec 3, 2009 10:47 am
Subject: WTO Geneva Ministerial + Copenhagen Climate Conference

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NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture And Rural Development

------------------------------------

1. In the backdrop of Global Financial Crisis - Will Geneva, Copenhagen meets render trade and climate justice - Changing geo-politics may decide the course of events

2. Not much excepted from Copenhagen Climate Conference - India to stick to its negotiating position, give leadership to developing nations - India would resist attempts to bring in black carbon emission issue

3. Thirteenth Finance Commission to submit report on Dec 31, 2009 - India to move towards Green Budgeting soon, GDP to include environmental impact - Twelth Five-Year Plan to have provisions for environment protection
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In the backdrop of Global Financial Crisis

Will Geneva, Copenhagen meets render trade and climate justice

Changing geo-politics may decide the course of events

http://www.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=50

http://www.mynews.in/news_details.php?nid=31270

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/will-geneva-render-trade-and-climate-justice/547395/0

By: ASHOK B SHARMA on: Fri 27 of Nov, 2009 12:59 UTC

New Delhi, Nov 27: World is anxiously waiting for the outcome of two crucial events scheduled at the close of the year 2009. One such event is the three-day Seventh WTO Ministerial Meeting beginning in Geneva from November 30 and the other is the four-day UNFCCC’s 15th Conference of Parties (CoP-15) on climate change beginning from December 7 in Copenhagen.

The results of these two crucial events are likely to be on the expected lines. At this particular time of global financial crisis and accompanying recession the developed nations are unwilling to make any substantial commitments that would ensure free and fair practices in the multilateral trading system and give a level-playing field to the developing and least developed countries. The developed nations, with a view to save themselves from the impact of the global crisis, have become more protectionist in trade. The US Administration under President Obama has recently initiated several measures that directly and indirectly restrict free and fair trade. Apart from fostering protectionism in trade, the developed countries are aggressive for opening up of markets in developing countries.

Similarly is the case for cutting down greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels by the developed countries. Climate politics is taking a new turn. The developed countries are unwilling to reduce their energy consumption and effect a change in their life style as they believe that this existing order would help to keep their economies intact – no matter what happens to the rest of the world. A commitment for a drastic cut in their emission level can, however, save the warming world from a catastrophe!

The climate politics of the developed countries, particularly that of US is to focus more on carbon trading, trade in green goods and services and less on emission cuts. Though under ‘the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities’, the developing nations are not required to make commitments for emission cuts, the pressure is mounting on them to do so with a mechanism for global monitoring of compliances. Plot is being hatched to rope in developing countries by suggesting black carbon emission as one of the cause for global warming, while there is no conclusive scientific evidence for it. The recent UNFA report has shamelessly mentioned black carbon emission in developing countries as a cause for global warming. However. Some developing countries have, on their own, taken some initiatives to contain their GHG emission.

If the developed countries are interested in roping in developing nations in commitments for emission cuts, it would be better to suggest a global norm for per capita energy consumption and fix the emission cut on per capita basis. This judicious formula may not be agreeable by the developed nations as their per capita energy consumption and emission are much higher than in the developing world.

The developing countries have the right to the development process for lifting millions of people out of poverty. They are in search of appropriate technology transfer and adequate finance from the developed world so that they can carry on their development process as usual without much burdening the global atmosphere with GHG emissions. A trap is being carefully laid in Copenhagen to allure the developing countries with sops like technology and finance transfer and modifications in carbon trading mechanism so that the developed countries can bypass their commitments for effecting their emission cuts.

Technology transfer is likely to carry a tag of stringent intellectual property rights, the price of which the developing countries would have to pay. It would better in the interests of the world as a whole that intellectual property regime do not come in the way of green technology transfer and green goods and services become affordable. Or else the Copenhagen conference is likely to only boost the prospects of the developed world in trade of green goods and services.

The warming world now needs some soothing effect which can come primarily from the commitments from the developed countries to drastically cut their emission levels. If this does not happen then the Copenhagen conference would mean nothing in terms of climate justice. On the whole the developing countries would continue to suffer with increased climate extremities, droughts, floods, cyclones, storm surges, threat of submergence and other natural calamities.

The world leaders need to emphasis and render incentives for not only for preservation and conservation of natural forests but also for increasing the area under dense forests. It is a tragedy that climate sensitive sectors like forestry, mining and fishery are wrongfully placed under Non-Agriculture Market Access (NAMA) ie industrial goods in the WTO. This encourages more deforestation to meet the greed of timber trade and more depletion of natural mineral and marine resources. Forestry, mining and fishery need to placed under Agriculture negotiations in the WTO.

Negotiations in the Seventh WTO Ministerial in Geneva and the Copenhagen climate conference are closely inter-linked. It is not surprising that the trade in green goods and services may figure in the Geneva talks ahead of the Copenhagen meet.

In today’s unipolar world, the US holds the key to the success or failure of any international negotiations. Badly stung by the global financial crisis and in a frantic bid to save its ailing economy, it is in search of allies in the emerging economies. The US has, however found two such allies – India and China. The US President Obama has recently offered strategic bilateral partnerships with India and China – two emerging economies that have the capability to influence other developing countries.

Brazil, which is an emerging economy and aggressive in trade interests, may not be vocal in protecting the defensive interests of the farmers in developing world.

The US-India Joint Statement signed on November 24, 2009 has said : “Prime Minister Singh and President Obama recognised that the India-US relationship is important for managing the challenges the world will face in the 21st century.”

Recently, The Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Michael Rudd and the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh struck a Strategic Partnership for comprehensive cooperation in almost all sectors including defence. Australia has an ambition to emerge as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region and intends to sign free trade agreements (FTAs) with India, China, Japan and South Korea. Australia is aware that India is forging closer links with US and is leaving a larger footprint across the Indian Ocean. Rudd has described Asia-Pacific region where the big power relationships most closely intersect – the crucible where the relationships among the US, India, China, Japan and Russia are forged and the template for the emergence of US-China relationship and where the complementary and competitive interests of the major powers would need to be managed, harmonized and reconciled.

The advocates for trade and climate justice on behalf of the developing world should study the fine fabrics of the changing geo-politics and how the developed countries are ganging up and forging alliances with the emerging economies to save themselves from the adverse impact of the global financial crisis.

Majority of G-20 finance ministers are in favour of strengthening the sagging US dollar so that it continues to act as the global currency reserve. Less than three weeks after India stunned global markets with its decision to buy 200 tonne of gold from the IMF for $6.7 billion as a hedge against the weakening US dollar, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an interview to Newsweek of US said : “I have heard many times before. When I was in the US in the late 1960s there was Prof. Robert Triffin at Yale who wrote a famous book – Gold & the Dollar Crisis – saying the dollar’s role as a reserve currency has come to an end and the US must recognise this. That was said in 1968. Then of course came 1971 when the US went off the Gold Exchange Tender. But the US bounced back. I hope the same thing will happen once again.”

On the issue of negotiations for climate justice, the Indian Prime Minister in his recent address to the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, however, said : “The negotiations heading towards Copenhagen are proving more difficult than we have liked. There is disagreement among industrialised countries and between industrialised and developing countries.” In an interview to the US press he categorically said : “I know there are difficulties. But without the US giving a lead I do not see a deal at Copenhagen can become a reality.”

With a view to strengthen India-US Strategic Dialogue launched in July 20 2009, India and US signed MoUs? for cooperation on energy security, energy efficiency, clean energy and climate change, agricultural cooperation and food security, counter-terrorism. MoU on energy cooperation and the India-US civilian nuclear pact signed earlier would give access to American companies and India would gain in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows, but the quantum of benefits to the Indian power sector needs to be assessed in this context. The US-India Knowledge Initiative in Agriculture and the recently signed MoU on agriculture cooperation are likely to give greater control of US seed multinationals over Indian agriculture and pave the way for imposing genetically modified (GM) crops on Indian farmers. Bt brinjal developed by Monsanto’s Indian partner, Mahyco is on the verge of commercialisation and is being resisted by many farmers’ organisations and civil society groups.

The deals at Geneva and Copenhagen are likely to be on the expected lines. The negotiations at both these venues are likely to be largely influenced by the changing geo-politics with the developed countries in the lead and the supporting emerging economies in the backdrop of the global financial crisis. The advocates for trade and climate justice on behalf of the developing world should better lobby with the least developing countries (LDCs), small and vulnerable economies (SVEs), CARICOM, African Group, Cotton-4 and ACP countries so that real justice can be achieved. Many of these countries are already being allured by developed countries and emerging economies for bilateral trade and cooperation.#

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Not much excepted from Copenhagen Climate Conference

India to stick to its negotiating position, give leadership to developing nations

India would resist attempts to bring in black carbon emission issue

By: ASHOK B SHARMA on: Thu 19 of Nov, 2009 14:04 UTC

http://www.news.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=965

http://www.mynews.in/News/Not_much_expected_from_Copenhagen_climate_conference__India_N30544.html

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/dont-expect-much-from-copenhagen-meet/544231/0

New Delhi, Nov 19 : India has said that it does not expect that anything much could be achieved at the 10-day long crucial climate change negotiations scheduled in Copenhagen from December 7, 2009. But it has vowed to stick to its rigid negotiating position and continue to give leadership to the developing countries as negotiations are likely to continue beyond Copenhagen.

India would resist any attempt to bring the issue of black carbon emission in the climate talks.

“So far the debate is on for cutting down the emission limits of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Copenhagen meeting is for negotiations for cuts in GHG emission and not for black carbon emission. We would resist any move for bringing in black carbon emission for discussions. Scientific link between black carbon emission and global warming and melting of glaciers is still being studied,” said the Indian environment and forests minister, Jairam Ramesh, while releasing the UNFPA’s The State of World Population-2009 report in Delhi on Thursday.

This year’s report of the United Nations Population Fund – UNFPA – like the reports of other UN organization has focused extensively on climate change.

“There are other important human-induced influences on climate besides greenhouse gases. Evidence is mounting for significant consequences to climate variability from soot or black carbon, that originates from fires, coal plants, diesel engines and burning by households. Dark particles that remain suspended in the atmosphere absorb radiant energy and warm the air they occupy. Global emissions of black carbon are rising fast, and Chinese emissions may have doubled since 2000. The warming influence of black carbon could be three times greater than estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report, making it the second-most important climate agent after carbon dioxide,” the UNFPA report said.

When black carbon falls onto ice it darkens the surface, absorbing more of the sun’s energy which leads to local warming and melting. Soot may be a contributor to the disappearance of glaciers in some regions and could even explain the accelerated rates of melt in the Himalaya-Hindu? Kush, the report said

However on the perceived notion of the warming effect of black carbon, the UNFPA report said : “These findings remain controversial because black soot can cool as well as warm.”
The Indian environment minister clarified that India would not agree to any legally binding commitments that force the developing countries to cut their GHG emissions. “But we will act domestically on our own. India will stick to its negotiating position and provide leadership to the developing world. As per Bali Action Plan developed countries are legally bound to cut their emission levels, while the developing countries would adopt nationally appropriate mitigation actions,” he said

He however said that India was prepared to show flexibility and deviate from the mandated nationally appropriate mitigation actions to nationally accountable mitigation outlook. India has already adopted a National Action Plan on Climate Change. The 12th Five-Year? Plan of the Union Government would focus on combating climate change. By 2025, it planned to cut emissions from transport sector by 20% to 35%. Strategies are afoot for a mandatory fuel efficiency economy. Energy efficiency norms in industry would be adopted. Incentives would be given to steel producers for meeting energy efficiency norms.

Ramesh also suggested a clean power sector and more supply of energy needs from new and renewable sources by 2020. He said that Indian forest cover was at present responsible for 10% neutralization of carbon. He also suggested increasing the area under certified organic farming.

When asked to comment on Brazil’s commitment to reduce it emissions by 30% and Indonesia’s commitment to cut its emission level by 26%, the Indian environment minister said ;”these countries have done so to avoid deforestation. Brazil has asked for finance for cutting down its emission level.”

He said that India believed in setting performance targets on its own. He called for a water legislation and better pricing of water use.

On the issue of transfer of appropriate green technology, the Indian environment minister was of the view that intellectual property rights (IPR) regime may not be difficult issue to tackle as it was in the case of pharmaceuticals.

The UNFPA representative Nesim Tumkaya said that he was happy to note that there was no evidence of willful destruction of forest cover in India by deliberate forest fires as was the case in many other countries.
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Thirteenth Finance Commission to submit report on Dec 31, 2009

India to move towards Green Budgeting soon, GDP to include environmental impact

Twelth Five-Year Plan to have provisions for environment protection

http://www.news.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=993

http://www.mynews.in/news_details.php?nid=30632

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/13th-finance-commission-to-submit-report-soon/544243/0

By: ASHOK B SHARMA on: Fri 20 of Nov, 2009 13:46 UTC

New Delhi, Nov 20: The country’s Thirteenth Finance Commission which is scheduled to submit its report on federal transfer of resources to state governments on December 31, 2009 is likely to make special provision for green budgets for both the state and central governments.

“The 13th Finance Commission will be submitting its report to the President of India, Pratibha Devsingh Patil on December 31, 2009. It would have provisions for federal transfer of resources, including green budgeting as per its terms of reference,” said the Chairman, Vijay Kelkar on Friday at the release of Green India-2047, a report by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

TERI is headed by Dr Rajendra K Pachauri who is also the Cairman of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

In September, the Government had extended the term of the commission by three months up to January 2010. It was earlier required to submit its report by October 31, 2009.
India apart from launching of its National Action Plan on Climate Change is also integrating its climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in other avenues of action.
The Indian environment and forests minister, Jairam Ramesh said that the 12th Five-Year Plan scheduled to be submitted 2012 will have provision for environment protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

According to sources, bulk of the amount for green budgeting may come from disinvestments of government equities in public sector enterprises. The market value of both listed and unlisted public sector companies is estimated in the range of $ 300 billion to $ 400 billion. About 50% of the corpus can be diverted for green budgeting for public good. Green budgeting can be undertaken for improving mass rapid transport in metropolitian cities, preservation of lakes and forests, fuel and energy efficiency and other mitigation and adaptation measures

Ramesh said that in 2015 country’s GDP formula would be restructured to include the losses due to environment and ecological degradation and also the benefits due to environment conservation.

“Our laws for environment protection are of global standards, but its implementation is below the desired level. The environment governance in the country is largely due to judicial interventions. The executive has almost abdicated its responsibility,” he said.

The Bill for setting up of the National Green Tribunal was introduced in the Parliament in the last session and is likely to be passed in the ongoing winter session, he said and added that on November 26 the draft of the National Environment Protection Authority (which was earlier released for public debate) will be finalised.

Ramesh said that he did not agree to the proposal of privatizing the forest sector as suggested by TERI’s Green India-2047 report. He said that the private sector was more interested in monoculture and plantation crops. The country has 21% forest cover and 3% tree cover, thus making up a total of 24%. Among the forest cover, 2% are of high density area, 9% of medium density area, 10% are degraded forests and 40% are open degraded forests.

There was a need to increase the density of forest cover, he said and this could be done through local community participation and not through private sector. He said that India’s forest cover was responsible of neutralization of 10% carbon dioxide.
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#2141

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Fri Dec 11, 2009 8:17 am
Subject: 18 New Medical Colleges to come up in India

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18 New Medical Colleges to come up in India

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#2140

From: Shantu Sharma <shantu_22003@...>
Date: Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:03 am
Subject: New Geo-Politics:India-Australia+MIXED ECONOMY To Heal Global Crisis+SOUTH ASIA+India-Taiwan

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NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture And Rural Development

-------------------------------------

1. New geo-politics emerging in Asia-Pacific region - India Australia sign strategic partnership - FTA, defence, climate politics and comprehensive cooperation on the anvil

2. Remembering Pt Jawaharlal Nehru - Mixed economy and democratic socialism can solve global financial crisis - He showed firmness in liberating Goa from Portugal

3. India to play a proactive role in SAARC and SAFTA

4. Two-day meeting of the South Asian Cabinet Secretaries concludes - SAARC gradually transforming from a declaratory body to an implementation body -
Rural development and e-governance will be jointly addressed

5. Taiwan Textile Fair - Taiwan and India to sign ATA Carnet Agreement next year - Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty also on the anvil

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New geo-politics emerging in Asia-Pacific region

India Australia sign strategic partnership

FTA, defence, climate politics and comprehensive cooperation on the anvil

http://www.news.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=945

http://www.mynews.in/News/Change_in_geo-politics_likely_with_Australia-India_strategic_partnership__N30063.html

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/australia-seeks-indias-strategic-partnership/541427/0

By ASHOK B SHARMA

New Delhi, Nov 12: Australia has sought to emerge as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region with India’s help which may result in a change in the world’s geo-politics. The relations between the two countries have been upgraded to that of “Strategic Partnership” in the joint statement and joint declaration signed by the visiting Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Michael Rudd and the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi on Thursday.

Australia is also ambitious of striking a free trade agreement (FTA) with India on basis of a joint feasibility study to be released shortly and would purse similar FTAs with other major economies of the region including Japan, China and South Korea. Both the countries also agreed to cooperate in climate politics.

Rudd appreciated India’s role in G-20 finance ministers’ forum for bailing out the world economy. Addressing the Indian industry, he said that the US dollar should continue as a global reserve currency at least on a medium-term basis.

After signing of the pact with the US on civil nuclear cooperation, India is looking for supply of uranium from Australia. But Australia has a long-standing policy of not supplying uranium to countries that have not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NTP) which includes India.

However, Rudd is willing to make an exception. Addressing the annual Australia-India Roundtable co-hosted by Lowy Institute and Indian Council of World Affairs, Rudd said: “I appreciate that there is one aspect of the energy relationship which remains unresolved. Australia’s long-standing position on the export of uranium to countries that is not party to the NTP. This is not a policy directed at India. It applies globally and it has since 1978 under different Australian governments. We have not sought to isolate India on critical nuclear policy concerns. In fact the reverse is true. Australia was an active supporter in the Nuclear Supplier Group of lifting the nuclear moratorium against India following the US-India nuclear deal. This reflected Australia’s appreciation of India’s non-proliferation record. The (Australian) government understands that India looks to the day when its ambitious civil nuclear energy program can include Australian uranium.”

As an ardent student of Asian Studies, Rudd quoted profusely the first Prime Minister of India, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru about India’s role in Asia-Pacific region. He said that India was central to Asia-Pacific Community by 2020. Australia and India should be natural partners in the Asia-Pacific. “The challenge of the Asia-Pacific is to manage the inevitable stresses and strains of shifting economic and strategic contours,” he said and added that it was for this reason Australia strongly supports India’s participation in all key regional for a like East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and membership of APEC.

He described Asia-Pacific region where the big power relationships most closely intersect – the crucible where the relationships among the US, India, China, Japan and Russia are forged and the template for the emergence of US-China relationship and where the complementary and competitive interests of the major powers would need to be managed, harmonized and reconciled.

Describing Australia as “a middle power committed to the principles of creative middle-power diplomacy,” Rudd said that his country was spearheading efforts in the Pacific region to secure stability for small island states, including supporting the establishment of newly independent East Timor, stabilizing Solomon Islands and pressing for an early return to democracy in Fiji.

He said that Australia has the 13th largest military budget worldwide, the fifth largest in Asia. It is among the top 10 military contributors in Afghanistan and the largest non-NATO contributor. Australian forces are servicing 13 countries around the world and are now fundamentally enmeshed in Asia. Australian defence forces are intensifying cooperation with over 50 activities last year including joint exercises and in particular maritime exercises.

“Whether related to strategic change in East Asia; combating terrorism (including in Afghainstan); ensuring maritime security; acting on transnational crimes including people smuggling; or working together on new security challenges such as natural disasters and stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction – there is great scope for security cooperation between two countries to broaden further,” he said

India is forging closer links with the US and leaving a larger footprint across the Indian Ocean. The Indian Navy is the fifth largest in the world. Globally, India is increasingly engaging in and exerting influence through multilateral system – whether in the UN, G20, the East Asia Summit or beyond. By 2030, India is projected to overtake China as having the world’s largest population. Some forecast India will be the world’s largest economy by 2025.

On the economic front, India is now Australia’s fifth largest export market for goods and services and is rapidly moving to become the third largest export market. India is also the sixth largest market for Australia’s services such as information and communications technology, education, tourism, finance, mining, construction and software development. India is the fifth largest energy consumer and Australia intends to be a reliable, cost-competitive and long-term supplier of energy.

About 250,000 Indians live in Australia, 115,000 Indians visit Australia annually and 115,000 Indian students are studying in Australia.

Keeping in the view India’s potential, Rudd suggested a strategic partnership with India including economic, political, security and cultural spectrum. Australia and India launched a $ 100 million collaboration project on science and technology. Australia would help to revive the 13th century Buddhist learning centre – Nalanda University. India and Australia are working together under five Action Plans in the areas of mines, coal, new and renewable energy, petroleum and natural gas and power

In August, this year India’s Petronet LNG signed a US $ 20 billion deal with Exxon-Mobil for new Gorgon project in Western Australia. Tata Group of India has decided to partner with Australian companies in fields as diverse as coated steel production, long-haul logistics and retail electronics. Australia is looking for India’s help in Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute and the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate Change.

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Remembering Pt Jawaharlal Nehru

Mixed economy and democratic socialism can solve global financial crisis

He showed firmness in liberating Goa from Portugal

http://www.news.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=950

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/nehruvian-model-can-solve-financial-crisis/541436/0

http://www.zopag.com/news/nation-remembers-pt-nehru-and-his-nehruvian-model-of-mixed-economy/9826.html

http://www.mynews.in/News/Remembering_Nehru___Mixed_Economy_can_bailed_global_financial_crisis_N30131.html

By: ASHOK B SHARMA on: Sat 14 of Nov, 2009 10:59 UTC

New Delhi, Nov 14: Today the world leaders are desperate to bail out the economy from the current financial crisis by pumping in billions of dollars. They should know that the ailing system is surviving on an artificial support. The emergence of some green shoots is bringing sigh of relief to some who speculate a recovery in the ailing system. These hopeful persons should better know that a real recovery is nowhere in sight. Even some leading experts and institutions are not sure about the nature of recovery – whether it would be a V-turn, a U-turn, a L-turn or a Z-turn

As the world pays tribute to the former Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru on November 14 on occasion of his 120th birth anniversary, we are reminded of an alternative economic order which once existed in this country – the mixed economy of Nehruvian Model within the framework of democratic socialism.

As a builder of modern India, he championed the cause of mixed economy in which the government would manage strategic industries such as mining, electricity and also heavy industries, serving public interest and as a check to aggressive profit-making drive of private enterprises. As a man of vision he envisaged the role of cooperative movement free of political and bureaucratic influences. He believed that the problems of unemployment could be progressively resolved by the development of cottage and small industries.

The continuing spate of farmers’ suicides and apprehensions about food insecurity compels us to remember and act on the noble words of Pt Nehru – “everything else can wait, but not agriculture.” He pursued land redistribution and launched programmes to build irrigation canals, dams and spread the use of fertilizers to increase agricultural production.

He also pioneered a series of community development programs aimed at spreading diverse cottage industries and increasing efficiency into rural India. While encouraging the construction of large dams (which he called the 'new temples of India'), irrigation works and the generation of hydroelectricity, Nehru also launched India's programme to harness nuclear energy.

Today the evils of so-called liberalization of economy and globalization of trade has spread its tentacles far and wide across the country causing increased unemployment, job insecurity, rising prices, increasing poverty and hunger and acute distress to farmers. The corporate houses and multinationals, with the support of government policies, are on an aggressive profit-making drive, capturing almost all spheres of life that affect a common man from farm to fork. They are absolutely unmindful about the distress caused to the common man.

Pt Nehru as a person was more liberal than what the so-called liberalized economy can offer. His vision of global order was different. He co-founded the Non-Aligned? Movement keeping equidistant from two major power blocs – the US and the Soviet Union. It is a sad tragedy that the present leaders of the country are leaning heavily towards US and following the dictates of the World Bank and IMF.

He believed in democratic socialism with a thought for the poor. At the same time he was careful that real development of the country do not suffer. In fact in the initial phases major development programmes were initiated by Pt Nehru. His industrial policies, summarised in the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956, encouraged the growth of diverse manufacturing and heavy industries.

He set up many institutions of higher learning, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management. Pt Nehru also outlined a commitment in his five-year plans to guarantee free and compulsory primary education to all of India's children. He also launched initiatives such as the provision of free milk and meals to children in order to fight malnutrition. Adult education centres, vocational and technical schools were also organised for adults, especially in the rural areas.

Pt Nehru had the sprit of political accommodation. When the first elected government that assumed power in 1952 under his leadership, he invited Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee of Hindu Maha Sabha to join his Cabinet as the country’s first industry minister. On the diplomatic front, Pt Nehru failed in resolving the Kashmir issue. He also failed in his dealing with China who forcefully grabbed Tibet in 1950. But Pt Nehru should his firmness in liberating Goa from the Portugal in 1961 after years of failed negotiations.

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India to play a proactive role in SAARC and SAFTA

http://www.mynews.in/News/India_to_play_a_proactive_role_in_SAARC_and_SAFTA_N30379.html

By: ASHOK B SHARMA Posted On: 17-Nov-2009 08:36:40

New Delhi, Nov 17: Economic integration of all the eight South Asian countries posses a challenge to the political leaders of the region. Though South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was operationalised from July 2006 the intra regional trade increased at a snail space from 3.2% in 1980s to only 5.5% in 2008, which is far below when compared with 58% in NAFTA, 54% in European Union, 25% in ASEAN and 22% in COMESA.

Several bottlenecks like poor infrastructure and trade facilitation measures, inadequate connectivity, non-tariff barriers and lack of political will have come in the way of faster integration. SAFTA was launched under South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which is an eight-nation body consisting of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal , Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The Indian minister for external affairs, SM Krishna addressing a conclave jointly organised by the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Asian Development Bank and FICCI in Delhi on Tuesday said that the region has “become captive to the security situation. Issues such as cross-border terrorism and incidents of anti-India activities from terrorists of our neighbouring countries have impacted on the process of regional economic engagement, connectivity and people-to-people contacts.”

He, however, committed that India would fulfil its responsibilities in SAARC in an asymmetric and non-reciprocal manner for the benefit of the countries in the region. “The need of the hour for South Asia is to move beyond security issues that shackle it, into an era of mutual trust and mutually reinforcing growth and development. United, the South Asian countries can swim and smoothly tide over obstacles like global financial crisis,” he said.

Krishna disclosed that a draft Agreement for Trade in Sercives would be finalised for signature in the next SAARC Summit scheduled in Bhutan in 2010. Discussions are also ongoing in SAARC to strengthen financial integration with a view to move towards a regional Customs Union. The SAARC Food Bank is now operationalised with a total stock of 243,000 tonne contributed by all member states. The South Asian University is likely to set up on a 100 acre land in Delhi in July, 2010. Also the SAARC Textiles Museum would be set up in Delhi.

Krishna was, however, satisfied that SAARC “brand” was emerging as an indicator of progress, particularly through regional projects funded by SAARC Development Fund. He said that a SAARC Regional Task Force has recently finalised the Standards Operating Protocol on Trafficking of Women and Children. He said physical connectivity of the region would be strengthened based on the recommendations of the SAARC Transport Ministers Meeting which includesidentifying three road corridors from SAARC member states through Pakistan to Afghanistan via the Attari-Wagah border with India, early commencement of Colombo-Kochi sea link, running of a demonstration container train from Pakistan to Bangladesh through India and Nepal, early commencement of direct air linkage between Delhi and Male and constitution of an expert group to finalise Motor Vehicles and Railway Agreements.

As a mark of India’s commitment to regional integration, regional projects in telemedicine, tele-education, solar rural electrification, seed testing laboratories, rainwater harvesting projects have already been initiated. The SAARC Secretary General, Dr Sheel Kant Sharma said that SAFTA technically may not be a perfect agreement but it stands for commitment of our leaders to creation of an operational free trade area in South Asia. Regionalism in South Asia has developed as an addendum to a strongly entrenched and historical network of bilateral linkages. Bulk of trade in South Asia is accounted by volumes of trade between India-Bangladesh, India-Sri Lanka, Bangladesh-Pakistan, India-Nepal, India-Pakistan, India-Bhutan, Afghanistan-Pakistan and increasingly between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The trade between India and Sri Lanka increased after signing of an FTA. Sharma said that there was a large volume of informal trade in the region which reflects the potential for increasing formal trade under SAFTA. A study done by the ADB pegs the potential for trade under SAFTA at $ 85.1 billion. He said that the intra-SAARC trade suffered heavily from high costs – among highest in the world. This has encouraged informal trade in the region. With every 1% reduction in cost, the stimulus to official trade would be about 5%, he said

Sharma suggested pruning of Sensitive List for SAFTA trade, removal of non-tariff and para-tariff barriers, improved trade facilitation, development of adequate infrastructure, regional motor vehicles and railway agreements to facilitate trade. Creation of regional supply chains and fixing of export targets. He also suggested harmonisation of trade and investment policies in the region. “As part of political commitment to build connectivity, the countries of South Asia may offer, on reciprocal basis, transit facilities to third countries connecting each other, also establishing links with larger Asian neighbourhood, including West, Central and South-East Asia,” he said.

The President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tariq Sayeed alleged that the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme had not worked well. It is limited to 100 leading businessmen from each country with restriction on visit to three cities in India and Pakistan, while bilateral visa allows the holder to visit eight cities. Besides the port authorities are not familiar with the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. He suggested that the SAARC Visa Exemption stickers should be increased from 100 to 300 and issuance of 500 multiple Business Visa for 5-years .

Regarding investment, he said that no investment treaty exist between India and Pakistan. Pakistan as a gesture of goodwill has allowed investment from India on case-to-case basis. He suggested the need for an Investment Treaty for the region. Sayeed said that due to poor trade facilitation in the region World Bank has estimated that it took 34 days and eight documents for export and 42 days and 13 documents for imports, making South Asia the second least trade-friendly region in the world.

Apart from regional agreements on Motor Vehicles and Railways, construction of inter-city expressways and highways, connecting borders would be needed to flourish long distance trucking operations, he said and added that South Asian Regional Standards Organisation should speedly address the issues of standards, particularly sanitary and phytosanitary standards. The Managing Director General of Asian Development Bank, Rajat M Nag said that while the industrialized world has had to confront the worst recession in 70 years, the developing Asia, particularly countries with large domestic and consumer demand, were leading the world back to economic expansion.

Monetary and fiscal stimulus appeared to have worked and the region was showing a V-shaped recovery. “There are 18 concluded FTAs which aim to link the region’s economies together and with global markets. The enhanced SAFTA is now also more inclusive with provisions such as sequenced tariff liberalization, flexible rules of origin and greater technical assistance,” he said. He said that ADB that fostering regional integration in South Asia was one of the three strategic agenda of ADB under long-term strategic plan – Strategy 2020 – the others being inclusive growth and environmentally sustainable growth.

According to Nag ADB is focusing more on private sector and in the next decade ADB would boost its role as a catalyst for investment that the private sector might not otherwise be willing to make. It would invest in infrastructure and advise governments on the basics of a business-friendly environment, including reliable rules, regulations and policies that attract greater private sector enterprise. ADB’s tools include direct financing, credit enhancement, risk mitigation guarantees and new innovative financial instruments. It would increase its share of annual operations by a target of 50% by 2020. ADB would also share its experience in Mekong region, ASEAN and Central Asia.

-----------------------------------

Two-day meeting of the South Asian Cabinet Secretaries concludes

SAARC gradually transforming from a declaratory body to an implementation body

Rural development and e-governance will be jointly addressed

http://www.news.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=952

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/saarc-becoming-an-implementation-body/541483/

By: ASHOK B SHARMA on: Sun 15 of Nov, 2009 08:19 UTC

New Delhi, Nov 14: The South Asian nations have agreed to jointly address the development plans for the region. The body – South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is gradually transforming from a declaratory body to an implementation body

SAARC consists of eight member countries, namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The two day meeting of the SAARC Cabinet Secretaries concluded here today. It deliberated on issues of common concern such as administrative reforms, rural development, performance management and e-governance.

The meeting was attended by all the Cabinet Secretaries from the SAARC Member States. It was noted that SAARC is transforming from a declaratory body to implementation body and the need to strengthen administrative and delivery mechanism was emphasized. The Cabinet Secretaries deliberated upon areas where significant innovations have been tried in various Member States to benefit their citizens. Member States also discussed rural development programmes in their own countries and the impact made by them.

The challenges of performance management and evaluation were also discussed. Member States also deliberated on the use of e-governance for improving service delivery for its citizens and agreed that there is scope for collaboration in these areas.

The meeting agreed that Member States would share information on best practices in the field of administrative reforms by preparing a compendium and hosting the best practices on their official websites. ) Regional collaboration among the SAARC institutions and officials would be institutionalized by creating a network of institutions, reserving training slots in prestigious institutions and exchange of visits.

SAARC Member States in collaboration with the SAARC Secretariat would identify one or more regional projects in areas of rural development for implementation out of the funds available under the SAARC development fund.

Various institutions in SAARC member countries have developed rural development models. These models will be made available to the SAARC Secretariat, which will then put together an Index of Rural Development Models. Further exchange of information and knowledge on Rural Development Models will take place based on the felt needs of member countries.

SAARC Member States would collaborate in the area of performance management and evaluation by sharing expertise available and experience gained through the implementation of various models. In case of e-governance, it was decided that SAARC Member States would identify projects where e-governance could be used for improving public service delivery and share knowledge and expertise.

--------------------------------------------

Taiwan Textile Fair

Taiwan and India to sign ATA Carnet Agreement next year

Double Taxation Avoidance Treaty also on the anvil

http://www.news.anypursuit.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=956

http://www.mynews.in/News/Taiwan_and_India_to_sign_ATA_Carnet_Agreement.___N30287.html

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/taiwan-and-india-to-sign-ata-deal/542663/0

By: ASHOK B SHARMA on: Mon 16 of Nov, 2009 13:44 UTC

New Delhi, Nov 16: Taiwan and India will sign the ATA carnet agreement sometime in the first quarter of next year and the negotiations between the two countries are at an advanced stage.

This was disclosed by the representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India, Wenchyi Ong here on Monday, while briefing the mediapersons at the sidelines of the Taiwan Textile Fair organized by Taiwan Textile Federation with the support of Worldex India. The two-day fair put on display a host of textile items manufactured in Taiwan.

Ong said that the growing trade and economic relations with India and Taiwan necessitated conclusion of ATA carnet - a simplified arrangement for import and export of goods meant for exhibitions and fairs. Incidentally, Taiwan has sponsored 43 trade delegations to India and is intending to increase this number as also number of fairs to be held in India.

He said that Taiwan and India would conclude a double taxation avoidance treaty sometime next year and together with ATA carnet, which would provide a valuable instrument for promoting trade and investment between the two countries. He informed that presently, Taiwanese investment in India was only $ 1 billion as compared to $ 300 billion in China. “We are drawing up a roadmap for enhancing this investment in a variety of sectors like ICT, food processing and textiles. We have a considerable presence in ICT sector in India and our efforts are now focused on high-end textiles and food processing,” he said and added that Taiwan was capable of supplying both textiles and equipment.

Ong said that Taiwanese businessmen were interested in selling to Indian customers high-ended textiles - the brands exclusively produced by the Taiwanese companies. He said that Taiwanese textile companies were targeting at only five per cent of India’s over a billion population since the price tag was higher on account of the high technology (like nano technology) application involved in the production such as nylon chips. He clarified that Taiwan was more focused on mass production of textiles and is now focusing customized production. “ For massive sourcing of textile products, India can look upon China and Malaysia and for specialized and customized products Taiwan is the most lucrative market, he added.

He said that Taiwan was looking at India as a strong business ally and therefore relaxed the visa regulations. It has unilaterally announced that Indians with visas stamped on their passports from 10 countries including US, UK, Australia, and Shenigen countries can visit Taiwan without the visa. This new arrangement has come into effect only from March this year and is intended to increase the flow of trade and visitors from both the countries. He felt that there was a mismatch between issuance of visas from both the countries. Indian Embassy in Taiwan issues on an average 30,000 visas yearly, whereas Taiwan Embassy in Taiwan issues only 13,000 visas.

----------------------------------

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#2139

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:51 am
Subject: Kapil Sibal, Reservation and Politics

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Kapil Sibal proposes new University to provide reservation

http://studyinindiainfo.com/2009/11/kapil-sibal-proposes-new-varsity-to.html

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#2138

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:23 am
Subject: In Rome, Durga is not welcome

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In Rome, Durga is not welcome

Kanchan Gupta- ivarta

What does it mean to celebrate Durga Puja in Rome? It means to be humiliated, harassed and hounded by city officials who happen to be pious Christians. Alright, I could be utterly wrong in presuming they are pious since I have no independent confirmation of their piety or otherwise. But let’s get back to the question with which I began. Late Thursday night I was at the park near my house where the local Bengalis organise Durga Puja every year. It’s a raucous celebration of faith and culture. The food stalls are invariably hugely popular and there I was with my nine-year-old daughter, standing in a queue for kathi rolls. After what seemed like an interminable wait, it was our turn to be served.

Just then my BlackBerry beeped. Balancing the piping hot rolls, dripping oil, tomato ketchup, green chilli sauce and lemon juice, in one hand, I tried to read the e-mail on my handset.

No luck. I got shoved around, nearly dropped both rolls and my phone, and decided to let the e-mail wait. Later, away from the crowd, I checked the e-mail and it was a fascinating story.

Since the identity of the person who had sent the mail is not really relevant, let me reproduce the text: “The Municipal Police authorities of Rome have today withdrawn permission, granted three weeks ago, to celebrate Durga Puja in Rome. The cancellation came a few hours before the Ambassador of India was scheduled to inaugurate the Puja at 8 pm local time. No acceptable explanation has been given. This has caused the local Indian community the loss of thousands of Euros spent in preparatory arrangements. The same thing was done in the same manner in 2008 also. Please monitor developments.”

Now that’s awful, I told myself, here I am having kathi rolls and there they can’t even celebrate their own festival. On Friday, I called a friend in Rome who provided me with the latest details.

Our Ambassador, Mr Arif Shahid Khan, a feisty man who has in the past taken up the issue of Sikhs being forced to take off their turbans at Italian airports, campaigned throughout the day, calling up officials, including the Mayor of Rome, and contacting members of the ‘Friends of India’ group in the Italian Parliament, arguing with them why permission for the Puja should be restored. By evening, the authorities had reversed their order and permission was granted to celebrate Durga Puja, which will now begin on Saturday, Ashtami — a full 48 hours behind schedule. Provided, of course, there is no last minute cancellation, as it happened on Thursday. Mr Khan will inaugurate the Puja, an honour he richly deserves.

The story behind the cancellation needs to be told, if only to point out that Christian countries in the West, whose Governments so blithely criticise the ‘lack’ of ‘religious freedom’ in India, have no compunctions about trampling on Hindu sentiments at home.

After last year’s experience, when permission for celebrating Durga Puja in Rome was abruptly withdrawn by officials who cited specious reasons to justify their grossly unfair decision, the organisers, led by Mr Rajesh Sahani, a Sindhi from Kolkata who speaks flawless Bengali, took ample precautions this year. They were given permission to organise the Puja at Parko Centocelle, a public park on Via Cailina, Torpignattara. Three weeks ago, permission was granted for the Puja at the park and necessary formalities were completed.

Early this past week, the Puja organisers were told they could not use the park as a crime had been committed there and the location posed security-related problems. The organisers agreed to change the venue. Another park was selected, permission was given to celebrate Durga Puja there, and the preparations began all over again in right earnest. Then, like a bolt from the blue, at 4 pm on Thursday came the withdrawal of permission by the Municipal Police. The organisers were bluntly told to pack up and leave hours before Durga Puja was scheduled to begin with Akal Bodhon in the evening.

Why? No reason was proffered.

Some officials are believed to have told the organisers that the cancellation of permission at the eleventh hour, both last year and this year, was meant to be “retaliatory action against the persecution of Christians in India”.

It may be recalled that the President of Italy, Mr Giorgio Napoletano, has been vociferous in demanding that Europe should do more in support of Christians in India and to help them ‘affirm their right to religious freedom’.

The Government of Italy has in the past summoned the Ambassador of India to convey to him that it has “deep concern and sensitivity for the ongoing inter-religious violence... that has caused the death of many Christians.” The Pope has been no less harsh in denouncing India.

There could be another reason, apart from its “deep concern” about the welfare of Christians in India, for Italy’s callous disregard of the sentiments of Hindus in that country. Although the Italian Constitution guarantees religious freedom, under the Lateran Treaty with the Vatican, Italy recognises only the three religions of Semitic origin — Christianity, Judaism and Islam. All other religions are no more than paganism and are to be shamed and shunned.

The Vatican would not countenance any open breach of the Lateran Treaty; Italy would not want to be seen as recognising Hinduism.

“It’s only natural that Italy should have a surfeit of churches. But it’s the rejection of any other faith than Christianity, Judaism and Islam that explains why there are so many mosques but virtually no temples in Italy although this country has a large Hindu expatriate population,” my friend told me while regretting the attitude of the Government and the local authorities.

According to him, there are only three temples in whole Italy: One in a garage in Venice; another at Frescolo and the third at Reggio Emilia. These survive at the mercy of local zoning officials.

But for Mr Arif Shahid Khan’s pro-active involvement — most Ambassadors tend to stay aloof from community affairs — this year too there would have been no Durga Puja in Rome. Indians in Italy owe him a debt of gratitude. So do Bangladeshis who are equal participants in this annual celebration of dharma’s victory over adharma, of the triumph of good over evil.

Cultural and linguistic affinities unite Bengalis, irrespective of whether they are from the west or east of Padma, during this autumnal festival celebrated around the world.

Meanwhile, let’s not get carried away by the West’s bilious and bogus criticism of 'lack of' religious freedom in India and indulge in self-flagellation.

Let the West look at its own ugly, septic warts.

If Christians can celebrate Christmas in New Delhi, Hindus have the right to celebrate Durga Puja in Rome. This is non-negotiable.

You are invited to post your suggestions and ideas at:

http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-rome-durga-is-not-welcome.html#comments

http://myquestionanswer.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-is-toll-free-number.html

What is the Toll Free Number ?

Toll Free Numbers in India

Please find below the Toll Free Numbers of different organisations and companies in India. Toll Free Number is always helpful to customers as customers do not have to pay for the call charges. Often conversation with customer care executive takes more than 5-20 minutes depending upon customer's query. So a Toll Free Number essential for a company in order to provide better customer service with satisfaction.

Airlines
Indian Airlines -1800 180 1407
Jet Airways - 1800 22 5522
Spice Jet - 1800 180 3333
Air=2 0India -- 1800 22 7722
Kingfisher - 1800 180 0101

Banks
ABN AMRO - 1800 11 2224
Axis Bank Ltd. - 1860-425-8888
Canara Bank - 1800 44 6000
Citibank - 1800 44 2265
Corporation Bank -1800 443 555
Development Credit Bank - 1800 22 5769
HDFC Bank - 1800 227 227
ICICI Bank - 1800 333 499
ICICI Bank NRI -1800 22 4848
IDBI Bank - 1800 11 6999
Indian Bank - 1800 425 1400
ING Vysya - 1800 44 9900
Kotak Mahindra Bank - 1800 22 6022
Lord Krishna Bank -1800 11 2300
Punjab National Bank - 1800 122 222
State Bank of India - 1800 44 1955
Syndicate Bank -1800 44 6655

Automobiles
Mahindra Scorpio -1800 22 6006
Maruti - 1800 111 515
Tata Motors - 1800 22 5552
Windshield Experts - 1800 11 3636

Computers/IT
Adrenalin - 1800 444 445
AMD - 1800 425 6664
Apple Computers -1800 444 683
Canon - 1800 333 366
Cisco Systems -1800 221 777
Compaq - HP - 1800 444 999
Data One Broadband - 1800 424 1800
Dell - 1800 444 026
Epson - 1800 44 0011
eSys - 3970 0011
Genesis Tally Academy - 1800 444 888
HCL - 1800 180 8080
IBM - 1800 443 333
Lexmark - 1800 22 4477
Marshal's Point -1800 33 4488
Microsoft - 1800 111 100
Microsoft Virus Update - 1901 333 334
Seagate - 1800 180 1104
Symantec - 1800 44 5533
TVS Electronics -1800 444 566
WeP Peripherals -1800 44 6446
Wipro - 1800 333 312
Xerox - 1800 180 1225
Zenith - 1800 222 004

Indian Railway Enquiries
Indian RailwayGeneral Enquiry 131
Indian RailwayCentral Enquiry 131
Indian RailwayReservation 131
Indian RailwayRailway Reservation Enquiry 1345,1335,1330
Indian RailwayCentralised Railway Enquiry 1330/1/2/3/4/ 5/6/7/8/9

Couriers/Packers & Movers
ABT Courier - 1800 44 8585
AFL Wizz - 1800 22 9696
Agarwal Packers & Movers - 1800 11 4321
Associated Packers P Ltd - 1800 21 4560
DHL - 1800 111 345
FedEx - 1800 22 6161
Goel Packers & Movers - 1800 11 3456
UPS - 1800 22 7171

Home Appliances
Aiwa/Sony - 1800 11 1188
Anchor Switches -1800 22 7979
Blue Star - 1800 22 2200
Bose Audio - 1800 11 2673
Bru Coffee Vending Machines - 1800 44 7171
Daikin Air Conditioners - 1800 444 222
DishTV - 1800 12 3474
Faber Chimneys -1800 21 4595
Godrej - 1800 22 5511
Grundfos Pumps -1800 33 4555
LG - 1901 180 9999
Philips - 1800 22 4422
Samsung - 1800 113 444
Sanyo - 1800 11 0101
Voltas - 1800 33 4546
WorldSpace Satellite Radio -1800 44 5432

Investments/ Finance
CAMS - 1800 44 2267
Chola Mutual Fund- 1800 22 2300
Easy IPO's - 3030 5757
Fidelity Investments - 1800 180 8000
Franklin Templeton Fund - 1800 425 4255
J M Morgan Stanley - 1800 22 0004
Kotak Mutual Fund - 1800 222 626
LIC Housing Finance - 1800 44 0005
SBI Mutual Fund -1800 22 3040
Sharekhan - 1800 22 7500
Tata Mutual Fund -1800 22 0101

Travel
Club Mahindra Holidays - 1800 33 4539
Cox & Kings - 1800 22 1235
God TV Tours -1800 442 777
Kerala Tourism -1800 444 747
Kumarakom Lake Resort - 1800 44 5030
Raj Travels & Tours - 1800 22 9900
Sita Tours - 1800 111 911
SOTC Tours - 1800 22 3344

Healthcare
Best on Health -1800 11 8899
Dr Batras - 1800 11 6767
GlaxoSmithKline -1800 22 8797
Johnson & Johnson - 1800 22 8111
Kaya Skin Clinic -1800 22 5292
LifeCell - 1800 44 5323
Manmar Technologies - 1800 33 4420
Pfizer - 1800 442 442
Roche Accu-Chek -1800 11 45 46
Rudraksha - 1800 21 4708
Varilux Lenses -1800 44 8383
VLCC - 1800 33 1262

Insurance
AMP Sanmar - 1800 44 2200
Aviva - 1800 33 2244
Bajaj Allianz - 1800 22 5858
Chola MS General Insurance - 1800 44 5544
HDFC Standard Life - 1800 227 227
LIC - 1800 33 4433
Max New York Life - 1800 33 5577
Royal Sundaram -1800 33 8899
SBI Life Insurance -1800 22 9090

Hotel Reservations
GRT Grand - 1800 44 5500
InterContinental Hotels Group - 1800 111 000
Marriott - 1800 22 0044
Sarovar Park Plaza -1800 111 222
Taj Holidays - 1800 111 825

Teleshopping
Asian Sky Shop - 2 0-1800 22 1800
Jaipan Teleshoppe -1800 11 5225
Tele Brands - 1800 11 8000
VMI Teleshopping -1800 447 777
WWS Teleshopping - 1800 220 777

Others
Domino's Pizza -1800 111 123

Cell Phones
BenQ - 1800 22 08 08
Bird CellPhones - 1800 11 7700
Motorola MotoAssist - 1800 11 1211
Nokia - 3030 3838
Sony Ericsson - 3901 111

If any error please inform us.

http://myquestionanswer.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-is-toll-free-number.html

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#2134

From: Jagannath Chatterjee <jagchat01@...>
Date: Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:53 pm
Subject: Buddhist Teaching: Follow Compassion, Not Desire.

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Crazy With Desire

When you have a lot of dissatisfaction because you are obsessed with desire, you can drive yourself crazy. Your life becomes out of control, and you have no peace. Because of the dissatisfied mind of desire, you have great pain in your heart. Your life becomes crazy because you are possessed by strong desire. You become so much of a problem to yourself that you have no peace, day or night, even when you're sleeping. And you cause so many problems to others. You even drive other people crazy!

When you don't get what you desire, the thought then comes to commit suicide. When some obstacle prevents you from getting what you want, even if nobody wants to kill you, you kill yourself.

At that time, if you simply stop following desire and follow Dharma wisdom, right where you are, sitting on that same spot where you used to think you had mountains of problems, you immediately find satisfaction. It's as if there are two parties, and you have to take the side of one of them. Rather than taking the side of desire, take the side of Dharma wisdom, which opposes desire and brings satisfaction. As soon as you stop following desire and follow compassion and other positive attitudes, the mountains of problems that you believed you had simply don't exist.. Rather than thinking one way, you think another. Like using a radio or TV remote control, you turn your mind onto compassion or Dharma wisdom rather than onto desire.

Immediately there is no problem. The mountains of problems that were suffocating you before no longer exist. Before, because you couldn't find a way to fulfill your desire, you had so much pain in your heart that you wanted to commit suicide. The danger of that disappears. To stop following desire is the greatest protection. No matter how many weapons and bodyguards you have to protect you, they can actually endanger your life, depending on what you do with your mind. They are supposed to be there for your protection, but they can become a danger to you. Many times you see in the world that bodyguards kill the people they are hired to protect.

If you simply stop following desire, there is immediate satisfaction, immediate peace and happiness. The pain and tightness in your heart is released. You immediately feel great inner relief. But how do you stop following desire? By thinking of the infinite problems that come from desire.. You have to meditate on the problems that desire brings in this life, and in the lives after this. You meditate on what you know about these problems from the teachings you have received, studied, and meditated on.

One way to control desire is to think of its shortcomings. Desire makes life difficult and brings every failure to find temporary and ultimate happiness. You can think about this extensively, but the main point is to be aware that no matter how much you follow desire, it never brings satisfaction. It is impossible to get satisfaction by following desire. That is the nature of desire.

Lama Tsongkhapa, a great Tibetan lama who practiced the path and became enlightened, explained that people follow desire with the aim of getting satisfaction. Their aim is worthwhile, and they are right to wish to attain that aim, but their method for attaining it is wrong and results only in dissatisfaction. Following desire then brings many other problems. Like a train going to many different stations, the suffering goes on and on.

In other words, by following the dissatisfied mind of desire, we are constantly tortured. It doesn't allow us to have peace, relaxation, or even physical health. For example, AIDS, cancer, and many other diseases that have no cure come from not having controlled the mind, basically from not having controlled desire. The mind becomes very gross through following the dissatisfied mind of desire. Because the disturbing thoughts are very strong, many unrighteous actions are done. Because of that, AIDS and many other diseases are happening nowadays.

Analyses are done of diet and other factors, but if you analyze a person's attitudes and behavior, how they live their life, you can then find the reasons they have the disease. You will find similarities in their way of thinking and behaving; they are almost addicted to their unrighteous actions. It becomes clear that these are the real causes of disease.. The process of disease becomes clearer, rather than being limited to explanations about diet and other conditions of disease.

When a person is infected with HIV, for example, their mind is often in a state of strong sexual desire, then later they experience fever, weakness, and other symptoms. There is a relationship to the mental state and to the actions during that time.

During times of strong desire, you can meditate in the following way. Some people think that they might die this year or this month because they have cancer or some other life-threatening disease. Because the doctor has said that they won't live long, the person thinks, "I'm going to die soon." However, so many of the people who die each day don't know that they're going to die when they get up that morning. They don't know that they're going to die in a car accident, a plane crash, be stabbed by someone, or commit suicide. Even though they are going to die that day, when they get up in the morning, they have a conception of permanence, believing that they're going to live for many years.

So many people who die on this earth don't think of death until the condition of their death-the heart attack or earthquake-comes. Until that happens, the person doesn't think that they're going to die that day. They don't even think they are going to die that month or that year. Many people die suddenly, without warning, even though they believe they are going to live for many years.

After birth comes death. That's the evolution. But death can happen at any time-even today, even in this hour.

The person who is the object of your desire is also not a permanent phenomenon; they're impermanent, under the control of causes and conditions. This person also has to experience death, and they can die at any time, even today, even in this hour. Like a criminal in prison waiting to be executed, you shouldn't find any reason to cling to any object. Thinking of impermanence and death, that death can happen at any time, is one meditation you can do to control desire.

The conditions of death are not just one or two-they're infinite. Many times even the houses, food, medicine, and other things that are there for your protection become the conditions for your death. When you commit suicide, even your own body becomes the condition for your death. Even your own mind can endanger your life.

Life is like a candle flame in the wind. There are so many conditions for death. Besides the external conditions, there are internal ones. Instability of mind, with your mind under the control of desire, anger, and other harmful disturbing thoughts, affects your body, making the elements in your body-earth, water, fire, and air-unbalanced. An unbalanced mind makes the body unbalanced. The four elements can then also become conditions for death.. Even though we are constantly surrounded by conditions for death, somehow, by good luck, by good karma, our death hasn't happened so far.

This is a good meditation to calm the mind. When you think this way, desire disappears, like a cloud disappearing in the sky. When you think of impermanence and death, you don't find any reason to cling to anything, and desire disappears. There's quiet, calm, tranquility. When you are released from overwhelming desire, you feel immediate satisfaction. Because awareness of impermanence and death makes you stop following desire, satisfaction comes immediately.

If the object of your desire is someone's body, meditate on the nature of the body. Examine what is inside the body: the bones of the skeleton, the pieces of flesh tied with veins. Like using an x-ray machine, look through the outer covering of skin to what is inside the body.. Practice mindfulness of the nature of the body.

Think of all the dirty things that come out of the body: from the mouth, the nose, the ears, and other places. When food is on your plate, it is clean, but once it has gone inside your mouth and you have chewed it, it becomes dirty. What makes it dirty, so that you are unable to eat it when it comes out? The body. If the body were clean and pure, this wouldn't happen. With all its thirty-two impure substances,* the inside of the body is similar to a septic tank, and what fills up a septic tank comes from the body.

If the skin were separated from the body rather than stretched over it, you wouldn't find any reason to cling to human skin itself. Skin looks smooth from a distance, but when you examine it closely with a magnifying glass, it's full of bumps, like small hills. The way the skin appears to you is your own creation, your own projection. And although the body may smell of various flowers, sandalwood, or other perfumes, this is not the actual smell of the body.

Another point to consider is that with all these ways of talking and behaving, with all these external substances for color and scent, you hallucinate about the person you desire and that person hallucinates about you. Try not to be caught in one hallucinated view, but look at the person with a different view. Looking at each other in a different way also helps to control the dissatisfied mind of desire. In this way, you won't cause problems to other people. You won't harm the relationships of other people, and there will also be peace for you.

It is said in the teachings, "One who clings to a small pleasure cannot achieve the great pleasure." Clinging to a small pleasure becomes an obstacle to obtaining the great pleasure of ultimate happiness.

Why is it important to meditate? Because you then have personal experience of the peace gained through meditation. When you have some experience of tranquility of mind, you see how the mind that is obscured by desire is gross and uncontrolled. By comparison, that pleasure is gross. You then find the rapturous ecstasy derived from higher levels of meditation, such as calm abiding, great insight, and the meditations of even the form realm. Compared to the pleasure attained through meditation in the form realm, human physical pleasures, such as sexual pleasure, seem extremely gross and like suffering. You have no attraction to them at all. Such ordinary pleasures are nothing compared to the bliss that can be experienced through actualizing the tantric path. It is also helpful to think that clinging to these gross pleasures becomes an obstacle to achieving greater bliss, up to the peerless bliss of full enlightenment.

Note:

*For details of the thirty-two impure substances, see page 64 of The Four Foundations of Mindfulness by Venerable U Silananda. Edited by Ruth-Inge Heinze. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1990.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this teaching in Nice, France, 25 July 1990. Edited from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive by Ven. Ailsa Cameron.

“The world is moving ahead but our lives have become harder.”
- Nikheil, small farmer from Kohima, India.

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#2133

From: EagleSM23 <eaglesm23@...>
Date: Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:19 pm
Subject: Virgins and Grapes: NY Times

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/opinion/23kristof.html

Islam, Virgins and Grapes

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

April 22, 2009

In Afghanistan, 300 brave women marched to demand a measure of equal rights, defying a furious mob of about 1,000 people who spat, threw stones and called the women “whores.” The marchers asserted that a woman should not need her husband’s consent to go to school or work outside the home.

In Pakistan, the Taliban flogged a teenage girl in front of a crowd, as two men held her face down in the dirt. A video shows the girl, whose “crime” may have been to go out of her house alone, crying piteously that she will never break the rules again.

Muslim fundamentalists damage Islam far more than any number of Danish cartoonists ever could, for it’s inevitably the extremists who capture the world’s attention.

But there is the beginning of an intellectual reform movement in the Islamic world, and one window into this awakening was an international conference this week at the University of Notre Dame on the latest scholarship about the Koran.

“We’re experiencing right now in Koranic studies a rise of interest analogous to the rise of critical Bible studies in the 19th century,” said Gabriel Said Reynolds, a Notre Dame professor and organizer of the conference.

The Notre Dame conference probably could not have occurred in a Muslim country, for the rigorous application of historical analysis to the Koran is as controversial today in the Muslim world as its application to the Bible was in the 1800s.

For some literal-minded Christians, it was traumatic to discover that the ending of the Gospel of Mark, describing encounters with the resurrected Jesus, is stylistically different from the rest of Mark and is widely regarded by scholars as a later addition.

Likewise, Biblical scholars distressed the faithful by focusing on inconsistencies among the gospels.

The Gospel of Matthew says that Judas hanged himself, while Acts describes him falling down in a field and dying; the Gospel of John disagrees with other gospels about whether the crucifixion occurred on Passover or the day before. For those who considered every word of the Bible literally God’s word, this kind of scholarship felt sacrilegious.

Now those same discomfiting analytical tools are being applied to the Koran.

At Notre Dame, scholars analyzed ancient texts of the Koran that show signs of writing that was erased and rewritten. Other scholars challenged traditional interpretations of the Koran such as the notion that some other person (perhaps Judas or Peter) was transformed to look like Jesus and crucified in his place, while Jesus himself escaped to heaven.

One scholar at the Notre Dame conference, who uses the pseudonym Christoph Luxenberg for safety, has raised eyebrows and hackles by suggesting that the “houri” promised to martyrs when they reach Heaven doesn’t actually mean “virgin” after all. He argues that instead it means “grapes,” and since conceptions of paradise involved bounteous fruit, that might make sense.

But suicide bombers presumably would be in for a disappointment if they reached the pearly gates and were presented 72 grapes.

One of the scholars at the Notre Dame conference whom I particularly admire is Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, an Egyptian Muslim who argues eloquently that if the Koran is interpreted sensibly in context then it carries a strong message of social justice and women’s rights.

Dr. Abu Zayd’s own career underscores the challenges that scholars face in the Muslim world. When he declared that keeping slave girls and taxing non-Muslims were contrary to Islam, he infuriated conservative judges.

An Egyptian court declared that he couldn’t be a real Muslim and thus divorced him from his wife (who, as a Muslim woman, was not eligible to be married to a non-Muslim). The couple fled to Europe, and Dr. Abu Zayd is helping the LibForAll Foundation, which promotes moderate interpretations throughout the Islamic world.

“The Islamic reformation started as early as the 19th century,” notes Dr. Abu Zayd, and, of course, it has even earlier roots as well. One important school of Koranic scholarship, Mutazilism, held 1,000 years ago that the Koran need not be interpreted literally, and even today Iranian scholars are surprisingly open to critical scholarship and interpretations.

If the Islamic world is going to enjoy a revival, if fundamentalists are to be tamed, if women are to be employed more productively, then moderate interpretations of the Koran will have to gain ascendancy. There are signs of that, including a brand of “feminist Islam” that cites verses and traditions suggesting that the Prophet Muhammad favored women’s rights.

Professor Reynolds says that Muslim scholars have asked that conference papers be translated into Arabic so that they can get a broader hearing. If the great intellectual fires are reawakening within Islam, after centuries of torpor, then that will be the best weapon yet against extremism.

Making mockery of poll system

By Sant Kumar Sharma

By deciding to contest the Lok Sabha from the Srinagar constituency, former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, is making a mockery of the electoral system. This is his fourth election in as many months, beginning with the elections to the State Legislative Assembly in December 2008. In fact, he contested from two constituencies, Sonawar and Hazratbal, and emerged victorious in both.

Since a legislator can represent only one constituency, Farooq chose to give up the Sonawar seat but retained his membership of the legislature from Hazratbal. As a result Sonawar seat fell vacant and the Election Commission had to start making arrangements for a by-election in the constituency, within a month of holding the election.

Soon thereafter, Abdullah decided to enter the Rajya Sabha when the terms of all four sitting members from the State expired. Again, he was able to ensure a victory for himself with the help of the Congress. His victory here too again led to a situation where he had to either give up his seat in the Legislative Assembly or the Rajya Sabha. He chose to resign as MLA from Hazratbal and the seat fell vacant, forcing the Election Commission to hold a by-election in the constituency.

Farooq's action of jumping into the electoral fray from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency is pregnant with many possibilities. His victory will mean that this time around he would give up his membership from the House of Elders. In that case, he will necessitate a by-election to the Rajya Sabha seat from J&K. The other scenario could be that after winning the Lok Sabha seat, Farooq chooses to vacate it, preferring to remain a member of the Rajya Sabha. What then? Elections to the Srinagar seat will need to be held again!

All this brings us to the moot question: What does it amount to? Well, the holding of elections, particularly in a State like J&K, is a tedious, dangerous and costly affair. The Government spends crores of rupees in deploying security forces to ensure peace, through area domination, and heightened vigil. All candidates are provided adequate security, including vehicles, by the exchequer for the entire duration of the campaign and even for some time thereafter. It means a lot of money. Individuals contesting the polls simply don't have to foot this bill.

If now Abdullah wins the Lok Sabha seat and then vacates it, he will be clearly responsible for necessitating a subsequent by-election. Does he care? He will not have to bear any costs as these can be imposed on the nation. How does one then define Abdullah's repeated forays into electoral arena? Use, misuse or abuse of his position?

Farooq started his political career by virtue of being the son of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah. The lion of Kashmir had empowered the downtrodden peasantry of the State by introducing far-reaching agrarian reforms which cut into the roots of feudal, undemocratic and despotic practices then prevalent in the State. Are Farooq's repeated forays into the electoral arena (s) not reflective of being against everything his father stood for? Do they not show how little, if any, regard he has for the legislative bodies for which he has contested or is contesting?

Another former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, too has followed a somewhat similar trajectory. In 2008, he contested the Assembly elections from Bhaderwah constituency and won the seat with a handsome margin. Subsequently, he failed to become the Chief Minister as his party did not bag enough seats and decided to leave State politics and got elected to the Rajya Sabha from J&K. The senior Congress leader then chose to resign his Bhaderwah seat and necessitated a by-election.

The question to be considered is: Was late Indira Gandhi's action of appointing Mufti as the CLP leader a democratic step? Did it also not betray an anti-Jammu bias, wherein not a single MLA from there was considered worthy of heading the CLP in the State? But that is another story.

After becoming the Chief Minister of J&K in November 2005, Azad had asked his cousin, Mohammed Sharif Niaz, to vacate the Bhaderwah Assembly seat and that necessitated a by-election. Azad won and Niaz got elected to the Legislative Council. Niaz is now again in the fray as the Bhaderwah Assembly seat is again vacant and a by-election necessitated.

Both Abdullah and Azad are not only products of an electoral system but the respect they command in the public arena is because of it. Yet, the manner in which they treat the system appears to be nothing short of contempt and disdain.

A word about yet another former Chief Minister of the State, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, would be in order. In 1983, Mufti then in the Congress contested from south Kashmir but lost to the National Conference, which swept the valley under the leadership, the first, of Farooq Abdullah. However, as the Congress had won in over dozen constituencies of the Jammu region, the then Congress leader late Indira Gandhi decided to make Mufti the leader of the State Congress Legislature Party. But for doing so, Janak Raj Gupta, who had won from the R S Pura constituency, was made to vacate his seat and a by-election held. Mufti got elected and became the CLP leader, much to both the chagrin and anger of veteran Congress legislators from Jammu.

Of late, we are seeing campaigns both in the electronic and print media urging voters to cast their votes in large numbers. And, there is an ongoing public debate on need for more electoral reforms, particularly of having a provision to give voters a ``Right to Recall'' their representatives.

Importantly, perhaps it is time we also start talking about the number of elections a person can be allowed to contest in a specific period of time. One can easily understand the imperative of losing candidates entering the poll arena, again and again, hoping to win some day. But the action of senior politicians like Farooq and Azad brings us to the question of winning candidates looking for greener pastures.

Shouldn't they be asked to pay the costs of the by-election they necessitate by vacating their seats? The least we can do in a democracy is to debate the merits and demerits of such actions, both dispassionately and passionately. ---INFA

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#2129

From: EagleSM23 <eaglesm23@...>
Date: Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:14 pm
Subject: MEDIA COMMUNALISM : Hoot

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http://www.thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=3733&pg=1&mod=1&sectionId=1&valid=true

MEDIA COMMUNALISM : Hoot.org

S R RAMANUJAN

If the media really believed that Varun Gandhi’s speech would cause unrest among a section of the people, did the repeat telecasts of the speech make any sense? S R RAMANUJAN finds the media’s indignation hypocritical.

In one of his responses to media "interrogation", Jawaharlal Nehru's great grandson and a political debutant Varun Gandhi said that he was being targeted simply because he was a "Gandhi".

What he probably meant was that because he was an "estranged Gandhi", he was on the firing line of his rivals (no prizes for guessing who they are) and specially the English media. The speech that was attributed to him, doctored or otherwise, was certainly not in good taste.

His defence that the fact that his speech did not incite any single individual for nearly 15 days was by itself a pointer that there was no malice on his part, may not wash either.

However, the role of media is certainly open to question. While reporting that it was a "hate speech" "blatantly communal" etc, did the media behave responsibly by telecasting the tape umpteen times a day for the last few days?

If the media really believed that the speech was intended to or likely to cause unrest among a section of the people, do the repeat telecasts of the speech make any sense, or does it show the media as a responsible institution?

When the Election Commission sincerely believes that it was indeed a "hate speech" and might cause communal disturbances, it should have intervened and restrained the media from repeat telecast. They did their job by reporting the event with the CD supplied to all channels by a mysterious source.

Follow up stories need not always be with the same offensive CD. Finding an excuse to repeat the telecast of the CD only exposes the channels' real intentions. It also helps those who charge the mainline channels of being anti-majority.

Though conventional ethics demands that the source need not be disclosed, on instances like this, where the CD is not the result of the efforts put in by the reporting staff, revealing the source might help viewers make up their mind as to the intentions of those behind the CD that is dished out to them at least a dozen times a day, irrespective of the genuineness of the CD. Particularly so when Varun is harbouring a conspiracy theory. This is analogous to the tendency of both print and electronic media to decry obscenity while showing obscene pictures on the pretext of dealing with the subject, in the process titillating readers and viewers.

Varun Gandhi made certain observations relating to the context in which he made objectionable statements. He was citing atrocities, real or imaginary, committed on the majority community in the border constituency of Pilibhit.

Should not the media make its own independent investigation into the charges made by the fresher in politics rather than repeating the telecast of the same CD? Is the media afraid that it will not help its ultra secular image?

When National Conference leader Omar Abdullah made a speech during the Trust Vote in the Lok Sabha stating that he was proud to be a Muslim and an Indian, the fell all over his speech, declaring it the best speech in recent times in Parliament. He was equivocal on the Amarnath issue during the speech and his role during the Amarnath agitation is no secret to the citizens of this country. But the media did not think he was communal or practising divisive politics when he spoke for Muslims.

Take the case of the Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen (MIM). Everyone knows how rabidly communal the party is. The MIM was an ally of the UPA in the last elections. Now, the party wants to have the veto power in the appointment of Police Commissioners or Director General of Police in Andhra Pradesh.

MIM President Asaduddin Owaisi petitioned the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of AP against the inclusion of a particular officer in the panel for the top Police post stating that his "communal and high-handed" behaviour had alienated him from "the Muslims of Andhra Pradesh". So, the basic pre-condition for appointment to the top police post, it seems, is that he/she should enjoy the confidence of the minority community. If the majority community makes a similar demand, we know what the reaction of the media will be. The community or its leaders will attract instant criticism that they are divisive and communal. But the national media is silent over the MIM's demand.

Abdul Nassar Madhani's alleged terror links and the Kerala CPI-M's proximity to him is no news for the national media. Interestingly, while the chief minister betrays his helplessness on the issue stating that it takes time for him to get information from his intra-party rival and the state home minister, the latter feels there is no need for an enquiry into Madanis' terror links. The party wants Madani's PDP support to win elections. Never mind the fundamentalist nature of the PDP's policies and programmes. For the uninitiated, Madani was accused of master-minding the Coimbatore blast in the nineties to assassinate L K Advani who, however, had a narrow escape.

(Madani was acquitted of all charges in this case in 2007. Ed.)

The latest is Imran Kidwai's Chandigarh speech. Though he made the "hate speech" on March 15 closer to Delhi and not in far off Pilibhit, and the BJP petitioned the EC on March 19 with the CD which was circulated to the media by the party, the national media do not seem to have picked up the story. Imran Kidwai is a senior Congress leader and he said "I regret not being a mufti. Had I been one, I would have issued just one fatwa that going with the BJP amounts to committing kufr".

AICC in-charge for Punjab Moshina Kidwai and party candidate and Union Minister Pawan Bansal were reportedly present at the public meeting in which Imran is alleged to have made this statement. This seems to be a perfectly secular sermon for our media. Hence, the deafening silence?

In contrast, on the same day, Mallika Sarabhai's decision to take on Advani in Gandhinagar was a great developing story for most of the national channels. There was a "live" debate with her in at least two English channels. While the anchors conceded that there was "negligible" chance of her winning, and that her real intention may be to hog publicity, the debate, nevertheless, continued for quite some time. Of course, in all fairness to her, she maintained that her foray into electoral politics was not to score a point or two on secularism.

An interesting side-show to this secular-communal diatribe is the petition filed by the "Vaishnavites" of Andhra Pradesh before the CEO, Hyderabad, against the CPI-M state secretary B V Raghvulu who asked the state finance minister K Rosaiah to wear "namam" and roam the streets of Andhra Pradesh as a mendicant. Vaishnavites felt that their sentiments were hurt by Raghavulu's statement as he ridiculed their sacred "namam". For the uninitiated, what the Chief Election Commissioner Gopalaswamy wears on his forehead is "namam". Even this story had no takers in the national media.

The lesson, therefore, is that communalism, whether prefixed with the labels like "majority" or " minority", is not confined to men occupying political space in this country. The media is also not untainted by it.

Read related story: BIASED MEDIA @ http://indowave.tripod.com/AntiHinduMedia.html

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#2128

From: EagleSM23 <eaglesm23@...>
Date: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:29 am
Subject: Modi asks Sonia to be loyal to India

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http://ibnlive.in.com/news/modi-slams-sonia-asks-her-to-be-loyal-to-india/90182-37.html

Modi slams Sonia, asks her to be loyal to India

IANS - April 14, 2009

Ranchi: In an apparent reference to Congress president Sonia Gandhi's foreign roots, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked her, saying that she had eaten the "salt of the country" but was claiming that the country faced an "internal threat".

"Sonia Gandhi is in India for the last 30 years eating the salt of the country. And she is saying that the country faces threat from inside. Is she paying back to the country in this way?" Modi, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader asked while addressing a rally in Ranchi on Monday.

Modi also came down heavily on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"Manmohan Singh had said that he was most disturbed when the nuclear deal with US got stuck. Was Manmohan disturbed when terrorists attacked Mumbai? Manmohan is happy to play in the lap of United States," Modi said.

Modi also ridiculed the Central Government for expressing inability to provide security to the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 matches in the country.

"When the Central Government cannot ensure the security to 11 players and one stadium then how can it provide security to 100 crore people of the country?" he asked.

"I had offered to host IPL in Gujarat but the Central Government did not agree on it," he added.

Modi addressed six public rallies in Jharkhand in favour of party candidates.

RELATED STORIES:

She became loyal bit late: by Gurumurthy@ http://indiaview.wordpress.com/2007/06/14/she-became-loyal-to-india-a-trifle-late/

Sonia-LTTE link : by Gurumurthy @ http://indiaview.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/ltte-sonia-link/

Demo-narchy of India @ http://indiaview.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/de%e2%80%99mo-narchy-of-democratic-india/

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#2127

From: EagleSM23 <eaglesm23@...>
Date: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:15 am
Subject: The Deep Politics of Hollywood

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http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12465

The Deep Politics of Hollywood

Matthew Alford & Robbie Graham

Tom Cruise – “the world’s most powerful celebrity” according to Forbes Magazine – was unceremoniously sacked in 2006. His dismissal was particularly shocking for the fact that it was carried out not by his immediate employer, Paramount Studios, but rather by Paramount’s parent company, Viacom. Viacom’s notoriously irascible CEO Sumner Redstone – who owns a long list of media companies including CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, and VH1 – said that Cruise had committed “creative suicide” following a spate of manic public activity. It was a sacking worthy of an episode of The Apprentice.[i]

The Cruise case points to the overlooked notion that the internal mechanisms of Hollywood are not determined entirely by audience desires, as one might expect, nor are they geared to respond solely to the decisions of studio creatives, or even those of the studio heads themselves. In 2000, The Hollywood Reporter released a top 100 list of the most powerful figures in the industry over the past 70 years. Rupert Murdoch, chief of News Corporation, which owns Twentieth Century Fox, was the most powerful living figure. With the exception of director Steven Spielberg (no. 3), no artists appeared in the top 10.

Each of the dominant Hollywood studios (“the majors”) is now a subsidiary of a much larger corporation, and therefore is not so much a separate or independent business, but rather just one of a great many sources of revenue in its parent company’s wider financial empire. The majors and their parents are: Twentieth Century Fox (News Corp), Paramount Pictures (Viacom), Universal (General Electric/Vivendi), Disney (The Walt Disney Company), Columbia TriStar (Sony), and Warner Brothers (Time Warner). These parent companies are amongst the largest and most powerful in the world, typically run by lawyers and investment bankers.[ii] Their economic interests are also sometimes closely tied to politicised areas such as the armaments industry, and they are frequently inclined to cozy-up to the government of the day because it decides on financial regulation.

As Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Professor Ben Bagdikian puts it, whereas once the men and women who owned the media could fit in a “modest hotel ballroom,” the same owners (all male) could now fit into a “generous phone booth.” He could have added that, whilst a phone box may not exactly be the chosen venue for the likes of Rupert Murdoch and Sumner Redstone, these individuals do indeed meet at plush venues such as Idaho’s Sun Valley to identify and forge their collective interests.

Of course, the content of a studio’s films is not, as a rule, determined entirely by the political and economic interests of its parent company. Studio CEOs typically have considerable leeway to make the pictures they want to make without direct interference from their ultimate masters. At the very least, however, the content of Hollywood studios broadly reflects their wider corporate interests, and, at times, the parent companies behind the studios take a conscious and deliberate interest in certain movies. There is a battle between “top down” and “bottom up” forces, but mainstream media and academia have traditionally focused on the latter, rather than the former.

Consider last year’s blockbuster Australia, the epic from Baz Luhrmann. Two of the film’s most salient aspects were that, firstly, it glossed-over the history of Aboriginal people, and, secondly, it made Australia look like a fantastic place to go on holiday. This should come as no surprise – Twentieth Century Fox’s parent company (Rupert Murdoch's News Corp) – worked hand-in-hand with the Australian government throughout the film’s production for mutual interests. The government benefited from Luhrmann’s huge tourist campaign, which included not just the feature film itself but also a series of extravagant tie-in advertisements (all in apparent support of its ham-fisted Aborigine “reconciliation” programme). In turn, the government gave its favourite son tens of millions of dollars in tax rebates. The West Australian newspaper even alleged that Murdoch had his "journalistic foot soldiers" ensure that every aspect of his media empire awarded Australia glowing reviews, an assessment nicely illustrated by The Sun, which enjoyed the “rare piece of good old fashioned entertainment" so much that its reviewer was "tempted to nip down to the travel agent."

There are historical precedents for such interference. In 1969 Haskell Wexler –cinematographer on One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest – had considerable trouble releasing his classic Medium Cool, which riffed on the anti-war protests at the Democrat Convention the previous year. Wexler claims he has Freedom of Information documents revealing that on the eve of the film’s release, Chicago’s Mayor Richard J. Daley and high sources in the Democratic Party let it be known to Gulf and Western (then the parent company of Paramount) that if Medium Cool was released, certain tax benefits and other perks in Gulf and Western’s favor wouldn’t happen. “A stiff prick has no conscience,” Wexler told us angrily, referring to Hollywood’s business leaders, “and they have no conscience.”

Wexler explained how this corporate plot was enacted so as to minimize attention: “Paramount called me and said I needed releases from all the [protestors] in the park, which was impossible to provide. They said if people went to see that movie and left the theatre and did a violent act, then the offices of Paramount could be prosecuted.” Although Paramount was obliged to release the film they successfully pushed for an X rating, advertised it feebly, and forbade Wexler from taking it to film festivals. Hardly the way to make a profit on a movie, but certainly an effective way to protect the broader interests of the parent.

Then there’s the more famous case of Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), the Michael Moore blockbuster which the Walt Disney Company tried to scupper despite it “testing through the roof” with sample audiences. Disney’s subsidiary Miramax insisted that its parent had no right to block it from releasing the film since its budget was well below the level requiring Disney’s approval. Disney representatives retorted that they could veto any Miramax film if it appeared that its distribution would be counterproductive to their interests. Moore’s agent Ari Emanuel alleged that Disney’s boss Michael Eisner had told him he wanted to back out of the deal due to concerns about political fallout from conservative politicians, especially regarding tax breaks given to Disney properties in Florida like Walt Disney World (where the governor was the then US President’s brother, Jeb Bush). Disney also had ties to the Saudi Royal family, which was unfavourably represented in the film: a powerful member of the family, Al-Walid bin Talal, owns a major stake in Eurodisney and had been instrumental in bailing out the financially troubled amusement park. Disney denied any such high political ball game, explaining they were worried about being "dragged into a highly charged partisan political battle," which it said would alienate customers.

Disney has consistently spread pro-establishment messages in its films, particularly under subsidiary banners such as Hollywood Pictures and Touchstone Pictures (although Oliver Stone’s 1995 Nixon biopic is a notable exception). Several received generous assistance from the US government: the Pentagon-backed In the Army Now (1994), Crimson Tide (1995), and Armageddon (1998), as well as the CIA-vetted Bad Company (2002) and The Recruit (2003). In 2006, Disney released the TV movie The Path to 9/11, which was heavily skewed to exonerate the Bush administration and blame the Clinton administration for the terrorist attacks, provoking outraged letters of complaint from former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and former Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger.

The nature of Disney’s output makes sense when we consider the interests of the higher echelons of the corporation. Historically, Disney has had close ties with the US defense department, and Walt himself was a virulent anti-communist (though reports about him being a secret FBI informant or even a fascist are rather more speculative). In the 1950s, corporate and government sponsors helped Disney make films promoting President Eisenhower's “Atoms for Peace” policy as well as the infamous Duck and Cover documentary that suggested to schoolchildren that they could survive an atomic attack by hiding under their desks. Even now, a longtime Directors Board member of Disney is John E. Bryson who is also a director of The Boeing Company, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defence contractors. Boeing received $16.6bn in Pentagon contracts in the aftermath of the US invasion of Afghanistan[iii]. This would have been no small incentive for Disney to avoid commissioning films critical of Bush’s foreign policy, such as Fahrenheit 9/11.

It is hardly surprising that when Disney released Pearl Harbor (2001) – a simplistic mega-budget movie made with full cooperation from the Pentagon, and which celebrated the American nationalist resurgence following that “day of infamy”– it was widely received with cynicism. Yet, despite lamentable reviews, Disney unexpectedly decided in August 2001 to extend the film’s nationwide release window from the standard two-to-four months to a staggering seven months, meaning that this ‘summer’ blockbuster would now be screening until December. In addition, Disney expanded the number of theatres in which the film was showing, from 116 to 1,036. For the corporations due to profit from the aftermath of 9/11, Pearl Harbor provided grimly convenient mood music.

But whilst movies like Australia and Pearl Harbor receive preferential treatment, challenging and incendiary films are frequently cast into the cinematic memory hole. Oliver Stone’s Salvador (1986) was a graphic expose of the Salvadorian civil war; its narrative was broadly sympathetic towards the left wing peasant revolutionaries and explicitly critical of U.S. foreign policy, condemning the United States’ support of Salvador’s right wing military and infamous death squads. Stone’s film was turned down by every major Hollywood studio – with one describing it as a “hateful piece of work” – though it received excellent reviews from many critics. The film was eventually financed by British and Mexican investors and achieved limited distribution. More recently controversial documentaries such as Loose Change (2006/2007), which argued that 9/11 was an "inside job," and Zeitgeist (2007), which presents a frightening picture of global economics, have been viewed by millions through the Internet when corporate media wouldn't touch them.[iv]

Universal studios’ contemporary output has been less rigidly supportive of US power, as films like Children of Men (2006), Jarhead (2005), and The Good Shepherd (2006) indicate. Still, with movies like U-571 (2000) and Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), it makes sense that Universal’s parent company is General Electric, whose most lucrative interests relate to weapons manufacturing and producing crucial components for high-tech war planes, advanced surveillance technology, and essential hardware for the global oil and gas industries, notably in post Saddam Iraq. GE’s board of directors has strong ties to large liberal organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Whilst ‘liberal’ may sound like a positive term after the unpopularity of Bush’s brand of conservatism, liberal organizations are cemented firmly in the bedrock of US elites and have frequently been architects of American interventionist foreign policy, including against Vietnam. They are prepared to ally themselves with conservatives over certain issues, particularly national security, so it should come as no shock to find that GE was close to the Bush Administration through both its former and current CEOs. Jack Welch (CEO from 1981-2001) openly declares disdain for “protocol, diplomacy and regulators” and was even accused by California Congressman Henry Waxman of pressuring his NBC network to declare Bush the winner prematurely in the 2000 “stolen election” when he turned up unannounced in the newsroom during the poll count. Welch’s successor, the current GE CEO Jeff Immelt, is a neoconservative and was a generous financial contributor to the Bush re-election campaign.

Perhaps GE/Universal’s most eyebrow-raising release was United 93 (2006), billed as the “true account” of how heroic passengers on 9/11 “foiled the terrorist plot” by forcing the plane to crash prematurely in rural Pennsylvania. Although the film made a return on its relatively low investment, it was greeted with a good deal of public apathy and hostility prior to its nation-wide release. At the time, Bush’s official 9/11 story was being seriously interrogated by America’s independent news media: according to the results of a 2004 Zogby poll, half of New Yorkers believed “US leaders had foreknowledge of impending 9/11 attacks and ‘consciously failed’ to act,” and, just one month prior to the release of United 93, 83% of CNN viewers recorded their belief “that the US government covered up the real events of the 9/11 attacks.” With the official narrative under heavy fire, the Bush Administration welcomed the release of United 93 with open arms: the film was a faithful audio-visual translation of the 9/11 Commission Report, with “special thanks” to the Pentagon’s Hollywood liaison Phil Strub tucked away discreetly in the end credits. Soon after the film’s nationwide release date, in what might be interpreted as a cynical PR move and as gesture of official approval, President Bush sat down with some of the victims’ family members for a private screening at the White House. [v]

GE/Universal’s Munich (2005) – Steven Spielberg’s exploration of Israeli vengeance following the Palestinian terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics – raises similar suspicions. Although the Zionist Organisation of American called for a boycott of the film because they felt it equated Israel with terrorists, such a reading is less than convincing. Indeed, by the time Munich’s credits begin to roll its overriding messages have been stamped indelibly into the brain by the film’s Israeli Special Forces characters: “Every civilization finds it necessary to negotiate compromises with its own values,” “We kill for our future, we kill for peace,” and “Don't f*ck with the Jews.” Predictably, Israel is one of GE’s most loyal customers, buying Hellfire II laser missiles as well as propulsion systems for the F-16 Falcon fighter, the F-4 Phantom fighter, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, and the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. In Munich’s 167 minute running time the voice of the Palestinian cause is restricted to two and a half minutes of simplistic dialogue. Rather than being an “evenhanded cry for peace,” as the Los Angeles Times hailed it, General Electric’s Munich is more easily interpreted as a subtle corporate endorsement of the policies of a loyal customer.

On the most liberal end of the spectrum for movies in recent years has been Warner Bros. – JFK (1991), The Iron Giant (1999), South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999), Good Night and Good Luck (2005), V for Vendetta (2005), A Scanner Darkly (2006), Rendition (2007), and In the Valley of Elah (2007). It is indicative that following complaints about racial stereotyping in Warner Bros.’ Pentagon-sponsored action adventure, Executive Decision (1996), the studio took the unusual step of hiring the services of Jack Shaheen, an on-set adviser on racial politics, resulting in what was critically received as one of the best films of its genre in a generation, Three Kings (1999).[vi] It may be no coincidence that Warner Brothers’ parent company, Time Warner, is less intimately tied to the arms industry or the neoconservative clique.

But to have an idea of what happens to movies when you remove multinational interests from the industry, consider the independent distributor Lions Gate Films, which is still very much a part of the capitalist system (formed in Canada by an investment banker) but not beholden to a multibillion dollar parent corporation with multifarious interests. Although Lions Gate has generated a good deal of politically vague and blood ‘n’ guts products, it has also been behind some of the most daring and original popular political cinema of the past ten years, criticizing corporatism in American Psycho (2000), US foreign policy in Hotel Rwanda (2004), the arms trade in Lord of War (2005), the U.S. healthcare system in Michael Moore’s Sicko (2007), and the U.S. establishment in general in The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006).

It hardly needs re-stating that Hollywood is driven by the desire for dollars rather than artistic integrity. As such, cinema is open to product placement in a variety of forms, from toys, to cars, to cigarettes, and even state-of-the art weaponry (hence the “special thanks” to Boeing in the credits of Iron Man (2008)). Less obvious though – and less well investigated – is how the interests of the studios’ parent companies themselves impact on cinema – at both systemic and individual levels. We hope to see critical attention shifted onto the ultimate producers of these films to help explain their deradicalised content, and ultimately to assist audiences in making informed decisions about what they consume. As we peer up from our popcorn it is as well to remember that behind the magic of the movies are the wizards of corporate PR.

Matthew Alford is author of the forthcoming book “Projecting Power: American Foreign Policy and the Hollywood Propaganda System.” Robbie Graham is Associate Lecturer in Film at Stafford College.

Related story:

F. Gautier on Slumdog Millionaire @ http://honestreporting.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/religionmarxismslumdog/

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#2126

From: EagleSM23 <eaglesm23@...>
Date: Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:55 am
Subject: FREE SPEECH - by Geert Wilders

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http://www.islam-watch.org/Wilders/Free-Speech-Islam-in-Europe.htm

Free Speech vs. Islam in Europe

April 9, 2009

"Ladies and gentlemen.

It is really great to be here in California. It is very kind of you to give me the opportunity to escape from the wind, cold and rain in my own beautiful country, the Netherlands. I thank the David Horowitz Freedom Center for inviting me.

Ladies and gentlemen, free speech is no longer a given in Europe. What we once considered a natural element of our existence, our birth right, is now something we once again have to battle for. To exercise free speech has become a dangerous activity.

As you may know, I will be prosecuted in the Netherlands, because of my short documentary, Fitna, and my view concerning what some call ‘a religion of peace’. On top of that, also France and Jordan are considering to prosecute me for my view on Islam and the United Kingdom government did not allow me to enter their country. And the President of Indonesia declared that I will never be allowed to enter Indonesia as long as I live.

So a special thanks to the United States border police for letting me enter this country. It feels good to be allowed entering a country once in a while.

But ladies and gentlemen, before I talk about freedom of speech, I will say a few things about Islam and Sharia law first.

Allow me to give you a brief introduction to Islam, an Islam 101. The first thing everyone needs to know about Islam is the importance of the Koran. As you probably know the Koran calls for submission, hatred, violence, murder, terrorism and war.

The Koran calls upon Muslims to kill non-Muslims. The Koran describes Jews as monkeys and pigs. The biggest problem is that the Koran is to be considered as Allah’s personal word, with orders that need to be fulfilled regardless of place or time. That’s the reason why the Koran is not open to discussion or interpretation. It is valid for every Muslim and for all times. Therefore, there is no such thing as moderate Islam. Sure, there are a lot of moderate Muslims, but a moderate Islam does not exist.

As the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan once said: “There is no moderate Islam, Islam is Islam”. For once I have to agree with this Islamist Turkish Prime Minister.

And let it be clear to anyone: I have no problem with Muslims, my fight is not against any person or group of persons. However, I have enormous problems with the dangerous and violent Islamic ideology.

The second thing everyone needs to know about Islam is the importance of the prophet Muhammad. His behaviour is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Well, let me tell you the truth about this so-called prophet anyway. Muhammad was a warlord, a conqueror, a pedophile and a mass-murderer. Islamic tradition tells us how he married and consummated the young girl, Aisha, long before she was ten years of age and how he fought in battles, how he murdered his enemies, how he slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.

For millions of Muslims the Koran and the life of Muhammad are not ancient history but an inspiration. And if you criticize either the Koran or the Prophet or Islam as such, you better be prepared to face the consequences. You will receive death threats from all over the world and will be taken to court all over the world. Your national flag will be burned and your embassies might be set on fire, your country could face economical boycotts and the political leaders of your own home country will not support you but appease Muslims and Muslim governments, join them in their political correct outrage and label you as a radical or xenophobe. When criticism becomes unpleasant freedom of speech has to take another lane.

About Islam. Let no one fool you about Islam being just a religion. Sure, it has its God – Allah – a holy book - the Koran -, temples - mosques - and even a here-after. If you murder enough Jews you might even get 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology and a totalitarian ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every man and woman.

Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life and society and prohibits individual, political and religious rights and freedoms. Islam is not compatible with our Western civilization or democracy, nor will it ever be, because Islam doesn’t want to coexist, it wants to submit and set the entire agenda. Islam means submission from Muslims over non-Muslims - kafirs - like you and me, so there cannot be any mistake about its goal. Islam’s end goal, for all time, is to dominate, to dominate and once again dominate and establish a world ruled by Islam.

That, ladies and gentlemen, that is why Winston Churchill compared the Koran to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as the famous Italian writer Orianna Fallaci did and why the brave Californian psychiatrist dr. Wafa Sultan rightfully said about the clash between the West and Islam that it is a clash between civilization and backwardness, between the civilized and the primitive, between rationality and barbarity.

As you know, the current Islamization of Europe is not an invasion like those we have seen in the past. This time it is not a military invasion with swords, this time we have to deal with a stealth invasion. Nowadays, the armies are replaced by cultural relativism and mass-immigration. It is this dangerous cocktail that is the main cause of the Islamization and is responsible for the introduction of Sharia law in Europe.

As you know, Sharia is Islamic law, effective in barbaric countries such as Saudi-Arabia and Iran. Beheadings, hangings, chopping off hands and feet, stoning to death, lashings, it all happens because Sharia law prescribes it. Now, radical Muslims want to implement Sharia law into our Western societies. And they are very successful in doing so, helped by the Western cultural relativists – the ‘useful idiots’, as former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin described the unknowingly who helped his cause. In my favourite country Britain, Sharia courts are now officially part of the legal system.

Very few people over here are aware of that. They have been empowered to adjudicate on financial disputes, divorces and domestic violence. And there are much more examples of the rising of Sharia in Europe: Halal food is served in many schools and universities, more women every day are forces to wear the burqa or niqaab, Islamic banks are mushrooming and polygamy, female genital mutilation, honor killings and Muslim men who refuse to shake women hands are all part of 2009-Europe.

A few weeks ago a British Muslim leader told of his vision of Britain under Sharia law. According to the British Evening Standard Anjem Choudary wants a pure Islamic state with Sharia law in Britain, ‘the flag of Allah’ flying over Downing Street. Ladies and gentlemen, this would mean the end of our precious liberties even though with Gordon Brown in office one might not easily see the difference.

Sharia means the end of our hard won freedom, for Sharia law denies the equality of men and women and Muslims and non-Muslims, it does not allow Muslims to leave Islam, renegades, apostates must be killed according to Islam as you know. Sharia advocates slavery and does not recognize democracy. As a matter of fact sharia is exactly the opposite of democracy.

Unfortunately, among European Muslims the support for this creeping Sharia law is substantial. Last year the British Center for Social Cohesion released a survey held under British Muslim students. Some outcomes were horrifying: 32 percent said killing in the name of religion can be justified and 40 percent supported the introduction of Sharia law into British law.

But please be aware, also the USA is in the process of Islamization. There are numerous examples. For instance: Muslim cab drivers who refuse to transport passengers possessing alcohol or guide dogs. Muslim students demanding separate housing on campus, and separate hours for Muslim women in gyms and swimming pools. USA journalist who self-censor themselves afraid of being sewed and taken to court.

As I said, these Muslims are aided by present-day ‘useful idiots’. A classic example is the former Dutch Attorney General, Mr. Donner. After Dutch film maker and Islam criticaster Theo van Gogh was murdered by a Jihadist in the streets of Amsterdam, he was of the opinion that blasphemy should no longer be a dead letter, and a few years later he even said the Netherlands should introduce Sharia law if a two third majority would support it.

Fortunately some politicians are not giving in. Former Republican US Congressman Tom Tancredo is one of those heroes. Last year he introduced his counter-Sharia ‘Jihad Prevention Act’. This bill would bar the entry of people who advocate Sharia law. This is exactly what the West needs: Brave leaders who have the courage to do something against the growing Islamization.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have to stop the Islamization of the West. Because if we don’t, we will roll back centuries, it will mean the end of our civilization. If we don’t act now, we will betray our Western values, we will lose our culture, we will lose our democracy and we will lose the dearest of our many liberties: the right to speak our mind.

The biggest disease of Europe today is cultural relativism. The fault concept of political correct liberals that all cultures are equal. Well let me tell you: they are not. Our Western culture based on Christianity, Judaism and humanism is far better than the barbaric Islamic culture,

Let me also tell you that Israel is one of us. The jihad against Israel is a jihad against the entire West. Its not a territorial dispute and the Islamic jihad will not stop after territorial concessions. We all should support Israel, the only democracy in the entire Middle East.

Unfortunately, as I stated in the beginning of my short lecture, free speech already is no longer a given in Europe.

Last February, I tried to visit Britain, a fellow EU country. I was invited to give a speech in the House of Lords. However, upon arrival at Heathrow airport, I was refused entry into the UK, and sent back to the Netherlands. I would have liked to be able to remind the audience of a great man who once spoke in the British House of Commons. In 1982 President Ronald Reagan – former Governor of this great state, California – gave a speech that very few Europeans appreciated. Reagan called upon the West to reject communism and defend freedom. He introduced a new phrase: ‘evil empire’. Reagan’s speech stands out as a clarion call to preserve our liberties. I quote: “If history teaches anything, it teaches self-delusion in the face of unpleasant facts is folly”. What Reagan meant is that you cannot run away from history, you cannot escape the dangers of ideologies that are out to destroy you. Denial is not an option.

Just like the British ban, the decision of the Amsterdam Court of Appeals to prosecute me for Fitna and my views on Islam, is a major blow dealt to freedom of speech in Europe. They are full-fledged attacks on freedom of speech in order to appease Muslims. Both are major victories for Islam and for all who hate freedom of speech.

Whether or not I end up in jail is not the most important issue. I gave up my freedom more than 4 years ago. I am under full-time police protection ever since, because of death threats from Muslims and terrorist groups linked to Al Qaeda. In the last few years, I lived in different safe houses, army barracks and yes, even in prison cells in order to be safe. But it’s not about me, it is not about Geert Wilders. The real question is: Will free speech be put behind bars?

We have to defend freedom of speech. I propose the withdrawal of all hate speech legislation in Europe. I propose a European First Amendment. In Europe we should defend freedom of speech like you Americans do.

Recently I showed Fitna in the heart of your great democracy, in the US Senate at the invitation of Senator Kyle, while the European Parliament banned my film twice both in Strasbourg and Brussels. Europe should take America as a model. In Europe, freedom of speech should be extended, instead of restricted.

Besides a European First Amendment, I propose a boycott of the UN Human Rights Council. And not just because the worst violators of human rights are member of this council. Recently this terrifying Council—even Saudi-Arabia has a seat—adopted a resolution that attempts to kill free speech and the concept of human rights. The resolution on ‘Combating defamation of religions’ does not protect individuals, but shields Islam from criticism. It calls upon UN member states to provide legal protection against defamation of religions. Of course this resolution initiated by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) is about Islam. The true goal of this resolution is to silence people who criticize Islam. Let there be no mistake about it: The UN Human Rights Council is a threat to free speech in the Western world.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a few minutes to 12. In 2009-Europe, Islam is calling for our destruction and free speech is already on trial. If we go on like this, we are heading for the end of European civilization.

Fortunately, many people think like you and me about freedom and liberty. Millions know that liberty is the most precious of gifts. Freedom loving people have not yet forgotten to whom we owe our liberties. These were not offered to us on a silver platter, but were bitterly fought for. American soldiers fought, bled and died for the freedom of Europe. We owe something to these men and women. Their legacy cannot be squandered and given away. American soldiers did not die for an Islamized Europe. They died for a free Europe.

Ladies and gentlemen, if we want to defend our freedom, if we truly want to withstand the evil forces of Islam, if we want to survive, we need less cowards and more heroes. We need to prevail and therefore we have to elect new leaders, brave leaders. Leaders who will protect our values, our culture, leaders who will defend our freedom, leaders who will stop cultural relativism and mass immigration from Islamic countries, leaders who will defy Islam. Leaders who are fighters like Churchill, Thatcher or Reagan instead of appeasers like Chamberlain and Gordon Brown. We have too many Chamberlains and Browns in world politics today. To many politicians who are giving in and giving up and bargaining our freedom away for political or economical benefit.

But let me end with some good news. The good news is that normal people in Europe like in my own country The Netherlands are increasingly fed up with politicians ignoring our fight for freedom. A growing amount of people want to stop the Islamization of our societies. A growing amount of people want to fight for the freedom of speech and want to preserve our precious free societies, rule of law and democracy for our children and their children. The old political elite is losing support. New political parties who fight for freedom are gaining strength in many European countries. Like my own party - the Freedom Party - we started as a new party and took part in the national Dutch elections for the first time two and a half years ago. Then we became the fifth party in our ten party parliament with 9 seats out of the 150-seats our parliament has. But in the polls today we are the nr 1 party of the Netherlands with not 9 but 32 parliamentary seats. An enormous increase of support. Many politicians of the old ruling parties in my country almost get a nervous breakdown by the idea that I might be the next Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

There is panic indeed in and between the old ruling political parties who thought they would never be challenged. Who thought that they would always be in power.

Well let me tell you they should be in panic. Because it will only get worse for them. Because we will not stop anymore. Not today, not tomorrow, old times are gone. The public want new politics and new vision and what they will get.

And we will never stop fighting for freedom. As a matter of fact, the more they threaten us with death threats, fatwas or their legal jihad, the more determined we become to continue.

My message to those who oppose our fight for freedom is as follows:

We will never compromise on freedom.

We will never compromise on liberty.

We will never appease to Islam.

We will never give in, never give up, never submit to totalitarianism again.

Ladies and gentleman we should all make a difference.

Because every individual has a responsibility to make a difference when our freedom is at stake.

And we can make a difference, we have the privilege to live in a democracy, and we should never take that for granted. We are responsible to preserve our freedom and we have to take that responsibility at whatever price it may cost.

For losing our freedom in no alternative.

Freedom is the most precious gift we can and must give to generations to come.

Ladies and gentleman thank you so much for kind attention.

It was a privilege for me to speak to you.

Thank you so much."

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#2125

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:24 am
Subject: Unique Hindu Baccalaureate Service at Nevada University

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Unique Hindu Baccalaureate Service at Nevada University

By Subhamoy Das,

A unique one-of-a-kind Hindu Baccalaureate Service was held at University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) on April 11, 2009 where the graduating students touched the feet of a Swami or Hindu monk, to seek his blessings.

The Service at this top research university included a bhajan or Hindu devotional song "Radhe Radhe Govinda" by performer Jim Eaglesmith and the graduating students chanted after him. A tilak or religious mark was applied on students' foreheads and they sought blessings from the burning flame, which was passed around.

Swami Vedananda, a Hindu monk from California, in his keynote address, blessed the upcoming graduates with wisdom from Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita - all ancient Hindu scriptures. A unique "benediction through the medium of dance" by dancer Martina Young formed part of the Service. Special certificates were given to graduates on the occasion with the parting advice as - satyam vada (speak the truth), dharma chara (practice righteousness), matrudevo bhava (treat your mother with great respect), pitrudevo bhava (treat your father with great respect), etc.

Organized by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed and Indian Student Organization (ISO) at state-supported UNR established in 1864, it started and ended with 'Gayatri Mantra' - the most sacred verse from Rig-Veda, oldest scripture of the world composed around 1,500 BC recited by Rajan Zed. A traditional lamp was lighted before the statue of goddess Saraswati, patron of learning and the arts. Sweets in the form of 'laddoos', ceremonially prepared by a Hare Krishna devotee, were distributed as 'prasad' or blessed food to the participants

US Senate majority leader Harry Reid, in a letter to the Service organizers, recognized the hard work of organizers…for making this Hindu and interfaith blessing of the graduating class a reality.

The purpose of this Baccalaureate Service is to root the graduating class in divine spiritual and cultural tradition so that they have a spiritually meaningful life in addition to material success, Rajan Zed stresses. There is a renewed interest in Baccalaureate services, which originated at Oxford University in 1432 when each bachelor was required to deliver a sermon in Latin. Very popular event in various universities including Columbia, Dartmouth, Tufts, Indiana, etc., it usually included traditional Christian worship service but now many hold interfaith services.

Education in Hindu tradition has been deep rooted, Rajan Zed says and adds that there existed many important universities in ancient India, like Taxila, Nalanda, Sarnath, Amaravati, Banaras, Kanchi and Ujjain; great Indian universities also flourished in medieval period, like Odantapura (745 AD), Vikramasila (810 AD), Somapura (480 AD), Jagaddala (1090 AD).

For more information, write to Rajan Zed

Details here: http://hindufestivalsofindia.blogspot.com/

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#2124

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:45 pm
Subject: India needs a Prime Minister of merit — Sudhansu R Das

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— Sudhansu R Das
The waiting list of would be Prime Ministers is getting longer day by day. Too many Prime Minister aspirants may not allow the coming Lok Sabha to run smoothly as psephologists have already predicted a hung Parliament. The Left parties’ effort to make a Third Front shows signs of fissures before it is formed. The Front consisting of nine parties will fight election without a Prime Minister candidate. Fighting election without a Prime Minister candidate does not serve democracy as it shows lack of consensus candidate before getting power which will magnify after election. The sponsor of the Third Front – the Left has lost much of their conviction and credibility to fight Congress after comfortably staying with them for almost a full term. Now they said they have no problem in supporting Congress as Prakash Karat has already hinted. The main reason for their closeness with Congress is that the Left does not want to keep BJP out of power. It had wasted much of its energy in checkmating BJP and some times at the cost of its long standing principles and political direction.

The Left which is known for its U turns which it says political tact has made many of their leaders jobless in their home States. Mamta Banerjee’s outing with Congress in West Bengal will give a real tough time to the ruling CPM as Singur is still fresh in the memory. The third front has too many PM candidates. Mayawati, Jayalalitha, HD Deve Gouda, Ram Vilas Paswan and Chandrababu Naidu have already made their intention clear. Watching in the fence for a long time is another Prime Minister aspirant Sharad Pawar from Maharashtra. The Congress has already clarified that they have one Prime Minister’s post which is reserved for Dr Manmohan Singh. But Pawar nurtures his hope for Prime Ministership with Shiv Sena’s support for a Maharashtrian Prime Minister. This may trigger more demands in future for Assamese Prime Minister, Oriya Prime Minister, Sikkim Prime Minister, Keralite Prime Minister and Kashmiri one as those States never had a Prime Minister in the past. Mayawati wants that the nation should have a Dalit Prime Minister. It may trigger demand for a Kurmi Prime Minister, a tribal Prime Minister, a Yadav Prime Minister, a Pundit Prime Minister, a Prime Minister from Banjara community and a Prime Minister from artisan community. The idea to choose a Prime Minister from any particular minority community will ignite Prime Minister aspirants from other minority communities like Jains, Budhist, Parsi, Dera Sauda and Nepalese community etc.

This is most unfortunate that the Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world is projected on the basis of language and caste. When India is surrounded by turbulent nations and a vicious China whose military objective is clearly reflected in its border activity, this is a negative political development which will jeopardise the safety and security of the nation. A hung Parliament for a big democracy amid turbulent neighbours is an economic leakage only. With the kind of infrastructure and military establishment China has developed on the border it is bound to influence the political development in our neighbouring States to the disadvantage of our country. An emerging strong India is the need of the hour which can not happen if our political growth is stimulated by regional, caste and communal politics. India needs a Prime Minister who could be truly secular and above caste and language, who is strong enough to free the nations’ economic policies from the influence of global traders and ensure safety of the common man. The nation needs a Prime Minister cum mass leader whose appeal will echo in the farthest corner of the country.

Both the centrist parties BJP and Congress are convinced about their Prime Ministerial candidates. When Congress makes Jai Ho over Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister, the BJP projects LK Advani as the Prime Minister candidate. Both Advani and Manmohan Singh have clean image. Both suffer due to ill information campaigns by their political opponents. Dr Manmohan Singh is painted as a weak Prime Minister by the opposition which is not true. In coalition government a Prime Minister cannot act like President Reagan. Dr Manmohan Singh has put his experience and hard work to make India a trillion dollar economy, alleviating poverty and backwardness from the country. It is unfair to blame Dr Singh for India’s poverty. In case of LK Advani he was ruthlessly demonised by his opponents because he had participated in the Ramjanmabhoomi mass movement. Advani is undoubtedly the biggest crowd puller after Vajpayee as it was evident from the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. Had the Babri Musjid not demolished and a temple was built with the mutual understanding of the Hindu and the Muslim communities Advani would have been popular among both the communities. It was beyond the capacity of Advani to instill human virtues of Ram in millions of his followers. Both LK Advani and Dr Manmohan Singh are brilliant leaders whom age cannot wither. They could be fine combination in a single government. The coming Lok Sabha should have a truly Indian Prime Minister with merit. Look how Mahendra Singh Dhoni has converted a rag tag Indian cricket team in to the best team in the world. Dhoni knows who can deliver what and acts with pure common sense. The country has untapped potentials which can only be seen by a true leader. A gold smith can only recognise gold from other metals and makes value addition. Similarly a monkey will throw away precious gems from a necklace here and there as per his habit. It is high time for the Indian electorate to distinguish gold smith from the monkey. ASSAM TRIBUNE

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#2123

From: Jagannath Chatterjee <jagchat01@...>
Date: Thu Mar 12, 2009 4:34 am
Subject: Re: Autism: A Mother Speaks.

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Dear Friends,

I have committed a very stupid act. The mother I quoted in the mail that was sent under this heading has felt hurt that I have circulated her response to a mail in a group without taking her permission. I plead guilty and apologise not only to her and the group from where this post was taken from but to all members of all the groups the message was sent to. It pains me immensely that I hurt the feelings of a mother. I pray to God for forgiveness for this dastardly act of mine.

Jagannath.

Hippocrates once said “Give me a fever and I can cure the child”. By understanding that a simple fever is a symptom rather than a condition orillness in itself, you soon come to realise that it is an ally and notan enemy. Fevers are the first sign that your child’s immune symptom isfunctioning as it should. By increasing core body temperature, feversenable the immune system to swing into action, indicating the body’sdefences are fighting an infection and consequent temperaturefluctuations indicate how the body is coping. - Natural Parenting.

Connect with friends all over the world. Get Yahoo! India Messenger.

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#2122

From: EagleSM23 <eaglesm23@...>
Date: Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:13 pm
Subject: MUCK WE TEACH- http://indiaview.wordpress.com/

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http://indiaview.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/muck-we-teach-children/

A conspiracy to distort history and de-nationalise students

The Muck we teach our children

Himanshu Shekhar Jha

Weekly Organiser

According to NCERT historians the temples were destroyed not by Muslim rulers, but by the Hindu kings themselves when they waged war with one another. Can any historical account be more untrue and anti-national?

Education at the school stage in India today suffers from a number of ills which are difficult to detail within the compass of a few words. Each evil needs to be addressed separately and elaborately. One of such evil is the anti-Hindu, and therefore, the anti-national educational policy of the Government.

Though the word “National” has been used both in the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and in the National Policy on Education (1986), if anything makes its absence conspicuous in the various textbooks published by the NCERT, it is love for the motherland and pride in her glorious past.

That the NCERT text books are anti-national is abundantly clear from the introductory note for teachers given in the book of social science called Social and Political Life II prescribed for class VII. The aforesaid note says:

SPL (Social and Political Life) functions by the pedagogic principle that the children learn best through an experimental understanding of concepts. This poses a contradiction when the effort is to write a “National” textbook, because a national text can neither sufficiently represent all the various aspects of the various locals, nor fix the sociological background of the child for whom the book is intended.”

If by the word “Locals” used above is meant children belonging to the minority community, that cannot be the ground for framing an anti-national educational policy which admittedly the NCF 2005 and NPOE 1986 diligently seek to do. If India is a democratic republic as the preamble to the Constitution solemnly declares, the interests of the children belonging to the majority community cannot be justifiably jeopardised on any ground whatsoever.

The anti-national features of the NCERT textbooks particularly those related to history and social studies are too glaring to be overlooked. Take, for example, a textbook in history for class VII. This book begins with the photograph of a Muslim cartographer from Arab and ends with that of another Muslim holding a scroll in his hand. The photograph of the Arab cartographer is carried again in much larger form covering almost half of a page.

On the very next page appear pictures of Persian and Arabic handwritings and different varieties of their style called nastaliq and shikaste. While these photographs and pictures may have some significance for a book of cartography and art, they are not at all relevant for a book of history whether of India or any other country in the world. In any event, these totally irrelevant photographs and pictures are not going to give anyone knowledge about medieval India which the writer of a book of history is expected to impart.

The NCERT’s above textbooks of history abounds in the pictures of Muslim rulers such as Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Aurangzeb and others, but has no space to carry the portraits of Maharana Pratap, Chatrapati Shivaji and other illustrious historical personages of our sacred Motherland. What inspiration will our children, whether Hindus or Muslim, draw from the portrait of cruel Nadir Shah who had invaded our country, looted gold coins and jewels worth crores of rupees and perpetrated unspeakable atrocities on the people?

In the chapter on “The Mughal Empire” it has been written “Quite in contrast to their predecessors, the Mughals created an empire and accomplished what has hitherto seemed possible for only short periods of time. From the latter half of the sixteenth century they expanded their kingdom from Agra and Delhi until in the seventeenth century they controlled nearly all the subcontinent. They imposed structures of administration and ideas of governance that outlasted their rule leaving a political legacy that succeeding rulers of the subcontinent could not ignore.”

Does the aforementioned political legacy not include forcible conversion of millions of Hindus, destruction of their places of worship in large number and other abominable acts of cruelty and callousness? Does such political legacy deserve to be retained in future as the NCERT historians seems to suggest?

In the subsequent chapter while answering “Why were temples destroyed” an extremely vague and misleading statement has been given in the following words—“Because kings built temples to demonstrate their devotion to God and their power and wealth, it is not surprising that when they attacked one another’s kingdoms, they often targeted these buildings.”

Thus according to NCERT historians the temples were destroyed not by Muslim rulers, but by the Hindu kings themselves when they waged war with one another. Can any historical account be more untrue and anti-national?

The utter falsity of the above statement is evident from the illustration given in the text itself. The account of the Buddhist monk and chronicler Dhammakiti given in the textbook does not show that any Hindu temple had ever been destroyed by a Hindu king. It discloses that only valuables including the statue of Lord Buddha made entirely of gold and other golden images kept in various monasteries had been removed.
Even the subsequent citation related to Chola Kingdom does not lead to the inference that the temples were destroyed by the Hindu kings themselves.

The NCERT is not only all set to oppose nationalism as is evident from the introductory note to teachers already referred to in the foregoing paragraphs, but is also brazenly against patriotism. In the textbook Political Theory prescribed for class XI we come across an excerpt in which Rabindranath Tagore has wrongly and disparagingly spoken against patriotism. The poet might have his own reasons for expressing such views but the NCERT was not under any compulsion to include such anti-national views in a textbook which is prescribed for immature school going children who might certainly be misled by them.

In order to bring its anti-national and anti-patriotic educational policy in limelight the NCERT has super-scribed the caption Tagore’s critique of nationalism above the poet’s impugned quote which can be seen at page 108 of the book Political Theory for Class XI.

Tagore says, “Patriotism cannot be our final spiritual shelter; my refuge is humanity. I will not buy glass for the price of diamonds and I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity as long as I am live.”

Is there any hostility between patriotism and humanity? Should children at schools be taught not to be loyal to their Motherland by following the lofty ideals of patriotism? Should they not be told that true patriotism can never be opposed to humanity?

A man who cannot love and serve his own mother can never love and serve mankind. There is no conflict between patriotism and humanity and the question of the one triumphing over the other does not arise as the words “I will never allow patriotism to triumph over humanity” used by Tagore suggest. It is unethical to compare patriotism with ordinary glass and humanity with costly diamonds. Both are equally important.

In the textbook of history for class XII one of the most important and also most neglected subjects—national language has been discussed under the sub-heading “The Language of the Nation”.

Instead of teaching the students to have love and respect for Hindi which alone is fit to be the national language on India the NCERT had given the following excerpt in its book on Social Science from Gandhi's thought under the sub-heading “What should the qualities of a national language be?” which, inter alia, reads as follows:

“To confine oneself to Hindi or Urdu would be a crime against intelligence and patriotism.” (Harijan Sevak, October 12, 1947). How love for one’s own national language which is spoken by the majority of the people including both Hindus and Muslims, be a crime against patriotism?

There is no language in the world like Hindustani. How could a non-existent language become the national language of India?

There is no doubt that NCERT’s textbooks are creating misleading and anti-national feelings among students. A book of history particularly that which is taught in schools must embody moral lessons for the building of the character of students. This can not be done by the NCERT or any other institution run by the Government if its policy is anti-national.

Scope for negative voting exists, 1961 Conduct of Election Rules

VISIT: http://newsonnortheast.blogspot.com/2009/04/scope-for-negative-voting-exists-1961.html

Ajit Patowary
GUWAHATI, April 10 – Do the Indian voters have the right to reject all the candidates in an election with their negative votes?

Yes, there is a provision in the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules of the country facilitating negative votes by the voters. However, the provision of negative voting has not left the scope for the voters casting such votes to nullify the election of any candidate.

A section of the citizens has been trying to spread the idea. In their bid to generate popular awareness on the issue, a group has launched a website – http://www.49-O. INFO on December 4, 2008. Another group has also done some work on the issue and their website is http://49-O.org. The NDTV has also launched a debate on the issue (NDTV.com).

The provision of negative voting is incorporated in Section 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961(49-O. Elector deciding not to vote). It reads: If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark (http:// lawmin.nic.in>Legislative Department>Manual of Election Law Vol-II> The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961>Part –IV>Chapter-I).

But, since the ballot paper / Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) contains only the list of candidates, a voter cannot record his vote under Section 49-O directly. He must inform the presiding officer at the election booth of his intent. This violates the secrecy of the ballot. However, with paper ballot a different method was used to “waste” one’s vote, which is stamping on multiple candidates. In fact this was the standard method of giving null votes without violating secrecy before the advent of the EVM.

At present, in an election, a winner will be declared irrespective of the number of ‘non-votes’. However, a note of every ‘non-vote’ will be made with the Election Officer, and the total number of non-voters will, presumably, be available under the Right to Information Act, said those participating in the internet discussion.

The NDTV correspondent from New Delhi quoted the then Chief Election Commissioner of the country N Gopalaswamy on February 1 last as saying, “So far those who don’t want to vote go to the booth and sign a form and there is no secrecy of voting. If an additional button is provided secrecy will be maintained. That’ what we want.” According to the Commission, it is for the Centre to make amendments to the Representation of People’s Act for incorporating the provision, said the NDTV report adding, such a proposal was earlier made by the Commission in 2001..

There are arguments in favour of and against the concept of negative voting. It is argued by those against the concept that encouraging people not to state their preferred candidate goes against the spirit of democracy. For this reason, voting is compulsory by law in Australia. So far as the suggestion for annulment of elections due to excessive negative voting is concerned, these people argue that annulling an election would result in much waste of public funds spent to conduct polls.

Those advocating for negative voting cite the example of Russia, which allows voters to vote “against all” candidates. A petition by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties seeking such a provision is pending with the Supreme Court of India, they claim. ASSAM TRIBUNE

VISIT: http://newsonnortheast.blogspot.com/2009/04/scope-for-negative-voting-exists-1961.html

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#2117

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:43 am
Subject: Mr PM, Fight Directly

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Mr PM, Fight Directly

Lok Sabha Election 2009

THE SENTINEL EDITORIAL 28.03.09

http://newsonnortheast.blogspot.com/

Can he? Will he? These are questions that naturally arise when it comes to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s membership of the Rajya Sabha, not of the Lok Sabha, and his refusal — for reasons best known to the Congress — to fight directly and enter the House of the People. In other words, can Dr Singh fight a Lok Sabha election and win it too, from any constituency of his choice? Or will he? Let us also ask Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who is proud of having a man no less than the Prime Minister himself to represent the State in the Rajya Sabha, as to what stops him from requesting Dr Singh to contest from a constituency most secure for the party in the State, given that Dr Singh has been a Rajya Sabha member from Asom all these years and under the assumption that he might have served the State in a way far better than others in his capacity as the most powerful political executive of the country for the last five years. We would like to hear Mr Gogoi as to the constraints that the Prime Minister would face in Asom if he were to seek a direct mandate from the electorate. We would also like to hear the Congress enlighten us as to what really restrains the party from asking its prime ministerial candidate to reach out to the people directly, seek their votes and win the election by a handsome margin if he can. Or is it that the Congress is well aware of the inability of Dr Manmohan Singh to win a Lok Sabha election because he is not at all a mass leader and because the party cannot afford such huge embarrassment and humiliation if he is defeated in a direct election? We do not know, but it is the moral duty of the Congress — if of course it has a sense of political morality — to tell the people the reason why it wants such an easy Rajya Sabha life, without the sweat and toil that a Lok Sabha election entails, for its prime ministerial candidate.

This is not all. As BJP’s prime ministerial candidate LK Advani has challenged, Dr Manmohan Singh should also have the guts to face the BJP leader in a live TV debate and prove his and the Congress’ point right before the people of the country. We welcome Mr Advani’s proposal. If the BJP leader and its prime ministerial candidate has no hesitation to be part of such a debate, there is no reason why the Congress’ prime ministerial candidate should dither. In fact right when Mr Advani threw the challenge, the same day Dr Singh should have hit back saying he is not only prepared to face him and the BJP’s argument, but also confident of winning the debate. That was expected of the Prime Minister on Thursday when Mr Advani openly challenged him. In fact it is the incumbent leader who should have dared his opponent to defeat him in a live TV debate by raising questions on his incumbency and by arguing as to why he should not be given a second chance to rule the country. Perhaps the Prime Minister is well introduced to his weaknesses. But will his party admit? Or how about projecting its own president, the much-cherished Sonia Gandhi, as a master debater to confront Mr Advani? Let the Congress answer — for its own sake. THE SENTINEL

http://newsonnortheast.blogspot.com/

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#2116

From: Jagannath Chatterjee <jagchat01@...>
Date: Sun Mar 8, 2009 4:21 pm
Subject: British Medical Journal: Scientific evaluations compromised.

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Vaccine Studies: Under the Influence of Pharma
http://articles.mercola..com//sites/arti ... harma.aspx
By Barbara Loe Fisher

How Big Pharma Influences Medical Journals

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal reveals the
clout that Big Pharma has in the world of medicine journal publishing,
specifically the publishing of scientific articles about vaccines. In a
Cochrane Collaboration review and analysis of published influenza
vaccine studies found that influenza vaccine studies sponsored by
industry are treated more favorably by medical journals even when the
studies are of poor quality.

This analysis confirms that drug companies marketing vaccines have a
major influence on what gets published and is said about vaccines in
medical journals. It is no wonder that there are almost no studies
published in the medical literature that call into question vaccine
safety.

The preferential treatment of Pharma-funded studies also explains why
the risks of an inappropriately fast-tracked vaccine like Gardasil are
underplayed in the medical literature and why a physician like Andrew
Wakefield, M.D. who dared to publish a study in 1998 in a medical
journal (The Lancet) calling for more scientific investigation into the
possible link between MMR vaccine and regressive autism, has been
mercilessly persecuted for more than a decade, by both Pharma-funded
special interest groups, as well as public health officials maintaining
close relationships with vaccine manufacturers.

Study Finds No Correlation Between Quality of Study and Publication

This recent review identified and assessed 274 published studies on
influenza vaccines for their methodological quality and found no
relationship between study quality, publication in prestige journals or
their subsequent citation in other articles.

The researchers also found that most influenza vaccine studies are of
poor quality but those with conclusions favorable to influenza
vaccinations are of significantly lower methodological quality. The
single most important factor determining where the studies were
published or how much they were cited was sponsorship, with those
partially or wholly funded by the pharmaceutical industry having higher
visibility.

The authors commented: "The study shows that one of the levers for
accessing prestige journals is the financial size of your sponsor.
Pharma sponsors order many reprints of studies supporting their
products, often with in house translations into many languages. They
also purchase advertising space in the journal. Many publishers openly
advertise these services on their website. It is time journals made a
full disclosure of their sources of funding".

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#2115

From: Pradip Kumar Datta <pradip200@...>
Date: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:06 am
Subject: Why Celebrate Holi?

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Why Celebrate Holi?

From Gyan Rajhans, for About.com

Enjoy the Festival of Colors

Holi or 'Phagwah' is the most colourful festival celebrated by followers of the Vedic Religion. It is celebrated as harvest festival as well as welcome-festival for the spring season in India.

Why Celebrate Holi?
The festival of Holi can be regarded as a celebration of the Colors of Unity & Brotherhood - an opportunity to forget all differences and indulge in unadulterated fun. It has traditionally been celebrated in high spirit without any distinction of cast, creed, color, race, status or sex. It is one occasion when sprinkling colored powder ('gulal') or colored water on each other breaks all barriers of discrimination so that everyone looks the same and universal brotherhood is reaffirmed. This is one simple reason to participate in this colorful festival. Let's learn more about its history and significance......................
Details here: http://hindufestivalsofindia.blogspot.com/

Festival of Colours

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#2114

From: EagleSM23 <eaglesm23@...>
Date: Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:31 am
Subject: Conversion is Destruction of Culture

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Conversion in any form is Destruction of Culture

http://www.boloji.com/opinion/0007.htm

Ed Vishwanathan

Conversion in any form is the destruction of the culture of a community and a nation. Conversion of Hindus in India to Islam and Christianity is the cruel destruction of the culture of India.

Christianity and Islam are the two great religions of this world. True that every one should have the right to convince some one else about his beliefs and ideas. True that there is nothing wrong for a Moslem or a Christian to tell a poor Hindu all about his beliefs. We need free flow of thoughts during this age of confusion and conflicts. Unluckily, missionaries inject lies about Hinduism when they preach about their religion. They falsify the facts and figures documented in the world history. They prey upon the "poor and sick" of India.

What a paradox! One is not even allowed to carry a copy of the Holy Bible in Saudi Arabia; One is not allowed to convert a Jew into any other religion is Israel; One is not allowed to convert a Muslim to any other religion in Malaysia, Pakistan, Jordan and even Turkey; but in India, every one is allowed to convert any Hindu into any other religion forcefully or other wise.

Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first elected Prime Minister (1963-1964) and President (1964-1978) said: "When the missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the missionaries had the Bible. They taught us to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible." Hope and pray that this will not happen to India.

Most of the conversions in India are rice converts, people converting to other religions so that they can have free food. Hindus do not have the bank balance Moslems and Christians have. As such nobody is discussing every aspect of Hinduism in a market place. It is a shame that claims of Christians and Moslems, about the superiority of their religions, are going unchallenged through out the world.

I fully agree, like all other religions and cultures in the world, Hinduism has the good, the bad and the ugly aspects in it. Caste system is a disgrace and it is a curse on Hinduism. It only brought misery to India. I am sick of the humiliation lower castes subjected in India. I am for first complete eradication of caste system and then for stoppage of forcible conversion all over India.

At the same time, Please remember that Slavery was part and parcel of the Holy Bible. There are many verses in the 66 books of the Holy Bible supporting SLAVERY and that was the reasons why, good, loving, caring, Church going Christians kept African Americans as SLAVES for hundreds of years. Slavery was sanctioned by Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Biblical verses such as Genesis 9:25-27, Leviticus 25:46, Exodus 21:1-6; Deut. 15:17; Exodus 21:7-9; support slavery. Moses did not condemn slavery. Jesus did not condemn slavery. In fact Jesus did not even address the issue at all, even though slavery was widespread in Palestine during Jesus' time. Slavery is even mentioned in the New Testament of the Holy Bible..

During Civil War, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, said that " Slavery was established by decree of Almighty God...it is sanctioned in the Bible, in both Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation." George Washington, the father of our country, owned slaves. The great Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence owned many slaves. Patrick Henry, who said, "Give me liberty or give me death," was a slave owner. They owned slaves since they felt nothing wrong about it at all. I admire Christians and Christianity for eradicating slavery. Like Christians We should eradicate caste system, which is nothing but slavery..

If we study world history, we will see that the whole idea of conversion does not make any sense at all. History shows slow development in thinking process of men. Even though every religion claim that Almighty God wrote their scriptures, it was men who wrote all scriptures. Nobody has the monopoly on God or truth. Those things are universal.

First Man was a nomad and this nomad man settled on the banks of rivers of the world.

First thing man did after settling is agriculture. When man started cultivation, he had problems with nature.

So he worshiped all natural powers like Sun, Moon, rain, thunder, serpent etc as gods. Then finally man started worshiping one and only God instead of many. Hindus and Jews worshiped many gods.

When man settled on banks of rivers, for the proper functioning of society, he made many laws and regulations such as Manu Smriti in in Hinduism and Ten Commandments in Judaism.

So first man started cultures all over the world near river banks. Then out of these cultures came organized religions.

Hinduism and Judaism are two ancient cultures and all organized religions of the world today came from those two "mother cultures".

Islam, Christianity, Bahaism etc came from Judaism. Holy Koran mentions the name of Jesus Christ many times in its chapters.

Buddhism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and to some extent Jainism came from Hinduism.

Everything that is coming from the west has its roots in Judaism like the Ethics and morality segments of Islam & Christianity.

Similarly, everything you see in the East has its origins in Hinduism. Believe it or not, even the rituals in Christianity that people in the east follow has close resemblance with Hindu rituals.

Sixty six books of the Holy Bible deals with the trails & tribulations of the Jews. You will only read about Jews and their history in the Holy Bible.

Similarly, in the Hindu scriptures one is studying about the culture of India, the culture of the people who gave up their nomad life style and settled on the banks of the rivers such as Ganges, Brahmaputra, Godavari, Indus etc.

Sixty six books of the Holy Bible does not mention about the prosperous Indian Hindu civilization nor about the Chinese civilization, since Holy Bible was written by Jews about Jews and for Jews. Holy Bible does not even mention about the American Continent. World came to know about its existence only after Columbus stumbled upon it on his way to India.

According to the Holy Bible, Jews are the chosen people of God. Jesus Christ was a Jew. Jesus did not intend to break away from Judaism. He came to make Judaism better by eradicating the evil things that have crept into it.

Today, all organized religions are amalgamations of many civilizations. No culture or religion can boast its tenets or concepts are unique nor it alone has the monopoly on God and Truth.

My point is that all cultures in the world are the result of "slowly developed thought process in the man" and organized religions came from those cultures. Nobody has the answer even for a question like "whether there is a God or not or are we speculating?"

History is stained with the blood of millions of human beings who fought in the name of their personal God and religion. Let us not repeat history. Let us study from history and learn the fact that all religions are belief systems and not scientifically or historically documented facts.

Nobody has monopoly on God or truth. God and truth are universal. Nobody can describe what God is! As such We have to and we should respect each other’s beliefs, since nobody can prove or disapprove any one's belief.

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