|| Satyameva Jayate ||

Of Thiru Karunanidhi, Tilak and Secular Fundamentalism

….and a deja-vu moment.

Courtesy Sridhar, this news-item from earlier today: Karuna does it again, flays Hindus for sporting tilaks

Flaying the Hindu practice of smearing ash or saffron or sporting a ’tilak’ on the forehead for yet another time, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi questioned the need for ‘such things in a country which preached equality of all religions’. 

which reminded me of Don’t wear a “tilak” to work ! …

…and of Mark Tully’s memorable quote:

Secular fundamentalism is alive and kicking in India too. 

Next target, Sanskrit? 

P.S. I doubt that Thiru Karunanidhi needs any education in the significance of either a Tilak or a “Bindu/ Pottu” in Hinduism but I thought it would be nice to refresh my own memory.

A brief excerpt from Ten Questions about Hinduism on the “Bindu/ Pottu”:

Question Eight: Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

A: The dot worn on the forehead is a religious symbol. It represents divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu. For women, it is also a beauty mark.

Longer answer: The dot worn between the eyes or in the middle of the forehead is a sign that one is a Hindu. It is called the bindi in the Hindi language, bindu in Sanskrit and pottu in Tamil. In olden days, all Hindu men and women wore these marks, and they both also wore earrings. Today it is the women who are most faithful in wearing the bindi.

The dot has a mystical meaning. It represents the third eye of spiritual sight, which sees things the physical eyes cannot see. Hindus seek to awaken their inner sight through yoga. The forehead dot is a reminder to use and cultivate this spiritual vision to perceive and better understand life’s inner workings…to see things not just physically, but with the “mind’s eye” as well.

…In addition to the simple dot, there are many types of forehead marks, known as tilaka in Sanskrit. Each mark represents a particular sect or denomination of our vast religion. We have four major sects: Saivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Vaishnava Hindus, for example, wear a v-shaped tilaka made of white clay. Elaborate tilakas are worn by Hindus mainly at religious events, though many wear the simple bindi, indicating they are Hindu, even in the general public.

Related Posts:

“Who is this Ram?” - Will Thiru Karunanidhi look at this evidence? 

If you thought banning a “tilak” was funny, think again 

November 6th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | A Hindu Identity, Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Hindu Dharma, Hindu Social System, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality & Philosophy, Women in Hinduism & India | 7 comments

Of Students and Sadhvis…

…aka “The Great Joke that is Indian Media - Part VIII” or…one standard for Sadhvi Pragya and another for Mohammed Shakeel & Zia-ur-Rehman.

On Oct 23, NDTV reported that

The Maharashtra ATS “…claim that they have evidence that Hindu groups were involved in the blast” in Malegaon

Note that although there was only one (single) blast, the headline of the story says: “Police claim to crack Malegaon blasts case” (notice the plural?)

The NDTV report also mentioned that

Evidence of a Hindu group’s involvement was found while tracing the origins of a scooter found in Malegaon.

The Times of India later quoted Jt Commissioner of Police (ATS) saying that

There is no specific organisation to which the three belong…

The ToI report also mentioned:

The Joint Commissioner denied they had found any links between the trio and other right wing groups like Sanatan Sanstha in Maharashtra whose members were accused of carrying out blasts in Navi Mumbai and Thane earlier this year.

To my untrained mind (and speaking as a layman), it reads like Sadhvi Pragya has so far only been accused not convicted…

If you only rely on the English MSM (mainstream media) though, you may have missed that.  Also, I have not seen anyone rising to her defence yet…

Quite a contrast to the students of Jamia who are allegedly involved in the terrorist blasts (as in plural) in Delhi. In a statement issued Sept 22nd, their Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan said:

…the university feels morally bound to defend its students until proven guilty and we will use the legal apparatus for this purpose.

Very good.

Sadly Sadhvi Pragya does not belong to any university and appears to be short on any kind of support.

Also Mushirul Hasan almost got away with accusing the police of lying about the involvement of Jamia students in the Delhi attack:

On Saturday, I informed the minister for human resource development, the secretary and joint secretary of the MHRD and the chairman of the University Grants Commission that Jamia students had no connection with the unfortunate incident.” However, he simultaneously confirms that two of the students picked up by the police on Sunday are on the rolls of the university. [ link ]

…but I have not seen any one accusing the Maharashtra ATS of that (yet).

I would like to end with a quote by Prof Hasan:

“ (the students)…cannot be branded as terrorists until proven guilty — and if they are proven guilty by the court of law, not a tear will be shed by anyone.”

Amen.

P.S.Did anyone notice that the Sadhvi has been cleared of any involvement in the Modasa blast?

…Sabarkantha DSP KK Mysorewala also reached the city to question the Sadhvi in relation with Modasa blast. He gave her clean chit in the case.

“I interrogated the Sadhvi but didn’t find anything that could link her to Modasa blast,” he said.

Related Posts:

“The great joke that is Indian Media” series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7

Malegaon, SIMI, “rule in and rule out”… 

and finally, a thought-provoking piece by Sandhya Jain: Karachi, Kansas, Kurukshetra. 

November 2nd, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Hindu Dharma, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Indian Media, Politics and Governance in India, Terrorism in India | 16 comments

On Kandhamal, Conversions and Proselytization

Dear All, pl. continue the robust discussion on “Why are Christian Missionaries targeting India - III” below.

I have reproduced the last four comments for the sake of continuity. Please continue the discussion via comments to this post.

*** Comments from Why are Christian Missionaries targeting India - III ***

# ‘42,000 converted, only two followed law’

KANDHAMAL (Orissa): There has been a 66 percent growth in Christian population in Orissa’s Kandhamal region, which has seen attacks on Christians and churches. Of the 42,353 who adopted Christianity between 1991 and 2001, only two followed law to change religion.

According to data available with the district collectorate, the Christian population in Kandhamal was 117,950 in the 2001 census, up from 75,597 a decade earlier.

“The Christian growth rate in the district is 66 percent as against 18.6 percent for the overall population growth in the district,” District Collector Krishan Kumar told IANS.

Of the over 650,000 people in the troubled district, at least 53 percent are tribals, less than 20 percent Christians. Of the nearly 118,000 Christians, a majority has converted from Dalit families.

more here.
Comment by Bharat | October 27, 2008

# Crime Branch sleuths chasing Congress RS Member Radhakant Nayak
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
By Anurjay Dhal

Bhubaneswar: Congress Rajya Sabha member Radhakant Nayak is on run. If unconfirmed reports are to be believed, Nayak, alleged villain behind Swami Laxmananda Saraswati’s murder, is in trouble.

Crime Branch of Orissa Police looking into the brutal murder of noted Hindu saint has reportedly listed name of Nayak as an accused, who is very close to Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi for his Church back-ground and searching him in several areas for his role.

Sources pointed out that police might lay it hand either on Radhakant Nayak or his men. Nayak, a former bureaucrat, was considered the chief patron of Pana Christians and protector of the Church in the district.

However some adverse IB report against him came as a hurdle. In 2004 he was elected to Rajya Sabha on Congress ticket. Hindutava forces always suspected his hand behind the killing. Alleged involvement of Nayak would also help BJP to target Sonia Gandhi.

more here.
Comment by Bharat | October 28, 2008

# …On the other hand, Swami Vidyanand is white and Bhakti Swami Thirtha Krishnapad is an African American but are revered by all Hindus, regardless of race. There is no talk of white swami or African American swami.

My take: ISKCON have brown, white, black, etc Swamijis, and devotees from all color spectrums, race, nationality, languages. And they are nobodys concern, but the devotion and love to Krishna.
========

Christian church is obsessed with race
Published:Oct 26, 2008
The Times

It is a white supremacist mindset that claims “Pope Benedict XVI has created India’s first woman saint”.

Sister Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception is not “India’s first woman saint” but the first Christian, or more specifically Catholic, woman saint in India. India has many woman saints belonging to the homegrown faiths.

If race consciousness were not so pronounced in the Christian church, especially the Catholic church, she would have been a saint for the entire Catholic world.

After all, the media did not refer to Mohammed Siddique Khan, the mastermind of the London bombings of July 7 2005, as a British terrorist (although he was born in Britain) but as an Islamic terrorist.

Similarly, a Catholic saint, even if born in India, is a Catholic saint, not an Indian saint.

For instance, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, although he resided in the West for a great number of years, was always described in the media as an Indian Rishi, Yogi, spiritual master, etc.

On the other hand, Swami Vidyanand is white and Bhakti Swami Thirtha Krishnapad is an African American but are revered by all Hindus, regardless of race. There is no talk of white swami or African American swami.

Another noteworthy example of the Christian obsession with race was the picture of former Miss Deaf World, the lovely Candice Morgan, sporting a symbol of Hindu affirmation, the bindi, on her forehead. On April 15 2007, in an interview on the TV1 programme Spirit Sundae, Morgan stated that she was a Christian.

Many Indian Christians have taken to sporting such symbols of Hindu affirmation in the new South Africa in order to repackage their racism as culture, in order to segregate themselves from Christians of other races, especially black Christians.

Some Indian Christians no longer want to be buried in what used to be called “sanctified ground” but choose to enter the Christian heaven via the back door, the Clare Estate Hindu Crematorium, previously regarded as a “demonic” place! These are the clever ways of racism. — REALITY CHECK

http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/News/Article.aspx?id=870299

Comment by Bharat | October 28, 2008

# Hi to all

Check this website
Comment by Indian | October 28, 2008

Related Posts:

“Why have Missionaries chosen to attack India?” 

“Why are Christian Missions targetting India?” - II 

Why are Christian Missionaries targeting India - III 

October 28th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Conversions, Missionaries in India, Current Affairs, Debates & Discussions, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Miscellaneous | 13 comments

On “live-in” relationships, “Hindu culture” and Uniform Civil Code

Many of you must have, read about the controversial move by the Maharashtra state government to amend the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC) Sec. 125  with a view to legalising “live-in relationships”.  I spent a few hours today gathering links in favour of and against the debate.

The arguments that have been made “for” this move are:

It will protect the interests and rights of the so-called ‘mistress’ or ‘other woman’. We may not admit it but we all know that these women are the worst sufferers in the current system in spite of giving up years of their lives (and more) to one man without any legal protection at all (especially in cases of abuse or harrassment). The move would equate such women to legally married wives in matters of property, inheritance and maintenance

In the words of women’s activist Flavia Agnes:

“…Men, who until now used to deny such a relationship on grounds that the marriage was never conducted as per Hindu rites, shall now have no escape route…”  (and) this will protect the rights of such women who had limited protection under the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 [ link ]

As Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research in Delhi said:

You need a law that protects children and entitles these women to a share or property. It is a step forward in recognising the autonomous rights of women [ link ]

Keep Reading…

October 12th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Debates & Discussions, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Hindu Social System, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Politics and Governance in India, Women in Hinduism & India | 59 comments

“Three Hundred Ramayanas” & “The Jewel of Medina”

Last week, responding to a petition to ban a history textbook, the Supreme Court asked Delhi University’s expert panel to consider the views of petitioners before submitting a final report to the Vice-Chancellor. 

As some of you would know, the textbook - prescribed as part of the BA (Hons) second year syllabus at Delhi University - is said to include offensive references to Shri Hanuman and Sita Mataa such as “Lord Hanuman was a henchman of Lord Rama” and “the little monkey was a womaniser” etc…The book was the cause of a protest led by ABVP earlier this year during which Dr Jafri, the Head of History Deptt at DU was manhandled…

Curious to know more about the textbook, I spent some time researching on the internet this morning…Here is a link to Ramanujan’s essay that is included in the textbook…

After reading it, I felt that the ABVP over-reacted on this one… The “offensive” passages are not penned by Ramanujan but are part of folklore and stories around Ramayana in different cultures and regions. Furthermore, I found them more “entertaining” rather than “offensive”…As an example,

One day when Rama was sitting on his throne, his ring fell off. When it touched the earth, it made a hole in the ground and disappeared into it. It was gone. His trusty henchman, Hanuman, was at his feet. Rama said to Hanuman, “Look, my ring is lost. Find it for me.”

Note that the word “henchman” is not Ramanujan’s translation and possibly part of the original folk-story…What is the problem in that? In another version of Ramayana mentioned by Ramanujan, Sita is Ravana’s daughter…

I hope most of you would agree that there is space for divergent views in Hinduism…and a big attraction of this faith for me is that it allows - and respects - alternative interpretations, viewpoints and thoughts….Let us not dilute this core feature of Sanatan Dharma.

***

On Sunday in far-away London, the home of the publisher of a similarly controversial book (although this was not a textbook but a fictional novel) was fire-bombed, just “hours after police had warned the man that he could be a target for fanatics”.  The book, “The Jewel of Medina” is written by Sherry Jones and had already caused controversy in the US.  Martin Rynja (the publisher) had bought the UK publishing rights earlier this month.

From The Guardian:

The book was originally due to have been published in August by US giant Random House. But amid controversy the company halted publication, a move denounced by Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, as ‘censorship by fear’.

…One sex scene has been described as ’softcore pornography’ by an American academic, Denise Spellberg, an influential professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas. Spellberg made the comments after Random House sent her the book hoping for a favourable comment to publish on its jacket. Instead, in an email that was leaked to the US press, Spellberg described the novel as a ‘very ugly, stupid piece of work’.

‘I don’t have a problem with historical fiction,’ Spellberg wrote. ‘I do have a problem with the deliberate misinterpretation of history. You can’t play with a sacred history and turn it into softcore pornography.’

It appears Spellberg was instrumental in drawing attention to the book among segments of the Muslim community. In April, Shahed Amanullah, an editor of a popular Muslim website, claimed Spellberg had told him the book ‘made fun of Muslims and their history’.

The resulting furore prompted Random House to pull the book, a move that dismayed its author, who received a $100,000 advance…

My question to all of you is:

What do you make of Spellberg’s argument viz: “‘I don’t have a problem with historical fiction (but)…I do have a problem with the deliberate misinterpretation of history. You can’t play with a sacred history…”

• Is “Ramayana” part of our sacred history?
• Can the folk-variants of Ramayana be considered ”deliberate mis-interpretation” of history?

Anyways, I will be watching the reaction of Indian government to this book whenever (if) it is released in India.

Suggested Reading: Academic Terrorists  and The right to offend 

Related Posts:

Leave Ashis Nandy alone 

UPDATED: Is Taslima being treated differently from MF Husain?

Will Arundhati Roy pl. stand up for Francois Gautier? 

P.S. Curiously, it appears that DU had not taken permission from OUP before reproducing Ramanujan’s essay in their textbook.

October 1st, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Ancient Indian History, Current Affairs, Debates & Discussions, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Miscellaneous, Women in Hinduism & India | 12 comments

What about reforms in Hinduism?

In response to my previous post, a loyal reader emailed me and asked, what about reforms in Hinduism? or did I think that Hinduism was perfect and really did not need any changes?

That question prompted this post…Now, I have written on this subject before (pl. see list of related posts at the end) but I realised there was still some value in enumerating what is “wrong” with Hinduism and what needs to change for the better…

So here is my first cut (and I must say that this is an amateur’s attempt - I am by no means a scholar on Hindu-ism; more an interested observer…and of course a practising Hindu)… Please add your own thoughts and please do comment freely - especially those of you who have read far more widely than me - and are better versed in our philosophical/ religious texts.

How can we make Hindu-ism “better” or more in tune with our current lives? Here are some thoughts (in no particular order):

• Dowry: Publicly declare that Dowry is illegal and goes against the respect and honour accorded to a woman in Hinduism
• Untouchability/ caste-based discrimination: Unequivocally condemn anyone who indulges in this practice or condones such acts of others.
• Female foeticide: Anyone found guilty of female foeticide must be publicly named and shamed by the Acharya Sabha, the Shankaracharyas and community leaders…
• Temple entry: Seek free and unfettered entry to every temple (subject to regulations established by the trustees - such as no entry during the late hours) for every Hindu, regardless of caste, sex and birth, participation in every ritual/custom and access to every privilege which hitherto was limited only to certain classes (e.g. the “right” to become a priest or to conduct a “pooja”).
• Treatment of Widows: Unequivocally condemn the shameful treatment of widows in society - especially in Vrindavan and Mathura - and do something for the painful plight of child widows. For more, pl. read this post…There is some hope though.
• Cleanliness in Temples: I have written about this before: Why are our temples so dirty? 

Are these things enough? Almost certainly not…

So please add your own thoughts…Looking forward to everyone’s responses, comments and suggestions.

Related Posts:

Hinduism, Caste System and discrimination - Join the debate

Is this too much to�ask?

Utterly shameful and�inexcusable� 

Adjacent Posts: A Valentine’s Day “fatwa” and The last word on “Water”

September 9th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Debates & Discussions, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Hindu Social System, Sanatana Dharma, Women in Hinduism & India | 40 comments

Spot the H-word

Thanks to Sh Nachiketa Tiwari for spotting this and Sh Kak for emailing it to me.

Although this is a fairly long excerpt from an exchange of emails re. learning Sanskrit, pl. try and read in full. It shows how some western academics tarnish any attempt(s) at learning more about our ancient heritage (including language) with labels such as “fundamentalism” and of course, “Hindutva”.

I have taken out email addresses of  the respondents to protect privacy.

By the way, many of you would remember that learning Sanskrit is now considered to be a “communal” activity.

*** Excerpts from the email exchange ***

Keep Reading…

September 4th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Ancient Indian History, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, History, Identity, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality & Philosophy | 7 comments

Has Sh Nariman really read the Padma Purana?

…or has he relied on some half-baked research presented to him as a backgrounder?

I was alerted today to this excellent analysis of ”Rama Setu in Padma PurANa” by Sh Sarvesh Tiwari.  I sincerely hope that Sh Nariman reads this…although I am not very hopeful.

Regardless, the lie about BhagwAn Shri RAm “destroying” the Rama Setu needs to be nailed…(remember, a lie told often enough will become the truth etc…?)

But do you think any of the mainstream media (or the TV anchors) are going to take notice of this? I bet not.

*** Excerpts Begin (emphasis mine) ***

Representing the Union of India in the Supreme Court, Senior Attorney Fali Nariman was reported to have stated the following: “the Padma Purana states Lord Rama broke the bridge after rescuing Sita. And according to the Hindu faith, something that is broken cannot be worshipped” and “This is why nobody has till date declared it a monument.”
 
This statement prompted us to look into the original sources and examine the claim made by the Union of India.  The below note summarizes our findings.
 
1. padma purANa is one of the eighteen main purANas, a mahApurANa of vaiShNava category, and is listed as second in that list. It is also counted among the six of this list that are considered to be of predominantly sAttvika content (the other five being viShNu, nArada, bhAgavat, garuDa and vArAha). This purANa comprises of fifty-five-thousand shloka-s and is therefore one of the lengthiest.  There are four main recensions of this purANa available. The most commonly found is the northern one in devanAgarI, and is widely printed and circulated by several publishers like Geeta Press Gorakhpur etc. The other major recension is from the southern sources…Finally, another primary recension with quite a lot of differences and of fair antiquity is the eastern recension available in Bengali script…. 

…

6. The story of rAma finds an important coverage in the padma purANa, and occurs in two different books: the sR^iShTi-khaNDa as well as pAtAla-khaNDa. rAma-setu finds narration in both of these books as well. The story is generally the same as in vAlmIki’s rAmAyaNa but differs dramatically in the details. pAtAla khaNDa provides a very unique story about how the vAnara senA crossed the sea and reached the coast of laMkA. In some recensions of the sR^iShTi-khaNDa, rAma is described to be trifurcating the setu on request from vibhIShaNa. The text is generally the same in the referred recensions and editions, ignoring some scribal mistakes, and in one particular devanAgarI recension this mention is missing altogether.

…

8. Earlier in the sR^iShTi-khaNDa, is this another unique mention of rAma setu in the fortieth chapter known as vAmanapratiShThA (in some recension thirty-fifth chapter, and in some missing altogether). The background of the mention is that after winning the war at laMkA and fulfilling his objectives there, rAma is readying to return back to ayodhyA along with his entourage by using the puShpaka vimAna offered by vibhIShaNa. Before departing, rAma has entrusted the rAkShasa kingdom to vibhIShaNa …

In this context is the following dialog recorded between vibhIShaNa and rAma in the vAmanapratiShThA chaper of the sR^iShTi-khaNDa the first book of the padma-purANa:

{(130) Hearing this from rAghava, vibhIShaNa responded to him. ‘All that you have ordered shall be obediently executed, O rAghava. (131) (However,) O Lord, this sacred setu of yours could be used by all the people of the world to approach (into laMkA) and therefore should be obstructed. (132) What control do I have in this matter O deva, but this is a need of mine.’ Hearing these words uttered by the best rAkShasa, The Scion of Raghu (133) took in his hands the missile kArmukaM, and breached the setu in the middle at two places over a length of ten yojana, (134) therefore dividing it into three parts with a one-yojana gap on the either side. Then approaching the shore-forest, he worshipped mahAdeva the Lord of umA. (135) There he established The Three- Eyed mahAdeva by the name of rAmeshwara. rAma, the Great Prince then prohibited the God sAgara, (136) that the Southern Sea should neither thunder there, nor flow across. Issuing his prohibitions this way, rAma then sent off the God sAgara. From the sky then emitted the following AkAshavANI. (137) Spoke rudra: O rAghava, you have auspiciously established me here. O Brave One, so far as the worlds remain, so far as the earth is intact, (138- till then I shall reside myself at the Setu, O Scion of Raghu! Hearing these nectar-like words uttered by mahAdeva himself, rAghava the Hero then spoke in these intelligent and sweetest words. (rAma humbly salutes devadeva and sings a hymn in his praise which spans over shloka-s 139 to 147. shloka 148 is a comment by sage pulatsya in praise to this hymn. In shloka-s 149-151, rudra speaks again, praising the deeds of rAma.) (152) O raghunandana, to this place created by you whichever man comes and even (merely) glances at it in the sea, (153) (even if) he be an extreme sin-fallen, all their sins would get destroyed, O rAma. The wicked crimes as heinous as brAhmaNa-slaying etc., even these (154) would be released here by mere darshana, no doubt.}

9. In conclusion, we can only say that the statement made by the Attorney in the Hon’ble Supreme Court that according to padma purANa: a) rAma “destroyed” the setu; and b) setu can no more be an object of worship; – are both absolutely inaccurate if not downright false.   Very unambiguously, the referred recensions of the padma purANa state that rAma trifurcated the setu for the sake of protecting laMkA, and at the same time he and lord mahAdeva invested spiritual powers into setu as a place of worship forever. Till this word remains, and till the earth is intact – “yAvajjagadidaM, yAvaddharAsthitA” are this purANa-s own exact words.  As to “therefore, nobody has declared it a monument”, since the Attorney is referring to padma purANa, in which lord mahAdeva himself has declared it a unique sacred place of worship, releaser of the sin and crime, and abode of his own - this remains and would remain a sacred monument for Hindus; and Union of India can do little about it.

*** Excerpts End ***

Pl. do read the article in full with images of the scanned pages of the relevant text and complete references included.  My heartfelt thanks to Sh. Tiwari-ji for this painstaking and excellent analysis.

Related Posts:

“Who is this Ram?” - Will Thiru Karunanidhi look at this evidence? 

A Search for the Historical “Krishna”

The search for a historical “Rama”

Voices of caution on SethuSamudram 

Comrades-in-arms: UPA & Pakistani “militants” 

Find of the Day: “If only we had forgiven Iraq for 9/11“. Do read.

August 1st, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | A Hindu Identity, Ancient Indian History, Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Enviroment Related, Hindu Dharma, Indian Media, Miscellaneous, Politics and Governance in India, Politics of Minority Appeasement | 4 comments

This is funny…

Mufti Abdul Rehman Al Rehmani, head of Darul Ifta wa Al-Qazzath of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JD) Pakistan:

if…Indian Muslims…comply with Indian law, then the coming generations of Muslims in India will be involved in Hindu beliefs

Here is the story:

A few days ago, the mufti or head cleric of one of India�s biggest madrassas, the Darul Uloom Deoband (DUD), Mufti Habibur Rehman, said that Indian Muslims should take care when slaughtering the cow that is considered sacred by Hindus. He pointed out that the slaughter of the cow is prohibited under Indian law and thus it was not right to use its meat secretly.

In response, the head of Darul Ifta wa Al-Qazzath of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JD) Pakistan, Mufti Abdul Rehman Al Rehmani, said that the �fatwa� should be withdrawn immediately and justified. �The fatwa encourages Hindu beliefs,� Al Rehmani said while talking to Daily Times on Tuesday. His official stance was published on the JD website the same day.

Al Rehmani claims that Rehman�s �fatwa� is wrong because according to Islamic education the cow was a major cause of idolism and polytheism. �And if Mufti Habibur Rehman tells Indian Muslims to comply with Indian law, then the coming generations of Muslims in India will be involved in Hindu beliefs,� said the text. [ link ]

Related Posts:

�If Muslims revered cattle�� - excerpt�

Of �Sacred Bulls�, Divinity &�Development��

July 16th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Identity, Impact of Islam on India, Pakistan related | 4 comments

“Does Europe have a Civilising mission in India?” - excerpts

Some thought-provoking excerpts from: Does Europe have a Civilising mission in India?�by�Jakob De Roover*, published on 16 June 2008 - Issue : 786.

*** Excerpts Begin ***�

Recently, the European Parliament hosted a meeting on �caste discrimination in South Asia�. At the meeting, participants stated that �India is being ruled by castes not by laws� and that they demanded justice, because there �is one incredible India and one untouchable India.� The EU was urged to come out with a policy statement on the subject. One MEP, referring to the caste system, said that �this barbarism has to end.� This is not the first time. However, before the EU decides to publish policy statements on caste discrimination in India, we would do well to reflect on some simple facts.

First, the dominant conception of the caste system has emerged from the accounts by Christian missionaries, travelers and colonial administrators. Rather than being neutral, these accounts were shaped by a Christian framework. …Especially the Protestants rebuked the �evil priests� of Hinduism for imposing the laws of caste in the name of religion. They told the Indians that conversion to Protestantism was a conversion to equality. Thus, Indian souls were to be saved from damnation and caste discrimination.

Second, this Christian account of �the Hindu religion� and its �caste system� informed colonial policies in British India…

Building on the theological framework, scholars now wrote �scientific� treatises on Hindu superstition and caste discrimination.

The Christian mission found its secular counterpart in the idea of the civilising mission, which told the West that it had to rescue the natives from the clutches of superstition and caste.

Third, the colonial educational project had a deep impact on the Indian intelligentsia. Hindu reform and anti-caste movements came into being, which reproduced the Protestant accounts of Hinduism and caste as true descriptions of India.

…Political parties and caste associations were created to safeguard the interests of the �lower castes.� The elites of these groups united in associations and received financial and moral support from the missionaries and other progressive colonials.

Fourth, the �Dalit� movement of today is the product of these colonial movements. The notion of �Dalits� makes sense only within the colonial account of India, which had postulated the existence of one single group of �outcastes� or �untouchables� that was supposedly exploited by the upper castes. In reality, it concerns a variety of caste groups, with no criteria to unite them besides the claim that they are all �downtrodden.� Indeed, many of these groups are poor and discriminated against by other caste groups.

…In the name of the downtrodden, these elites establish NGOs and then travel from conference to conference and country to country in order to reveal the plight of the �Dalits� to eager western audiences and secure funding from donor agencies.

Fifth, when present-day Europeans rebuke Indian society for the �barbarism� of caste discrimination, they are reproducing the old stanzas of the civilising mission. Such a stance of superiority perhaps worked in the context of colonialism. But today, at a time when Indians buy some of the European industrial giants and Europe is in need of more collaboration with India, it is ill-advised to continue this type of civilisational propaganda.

In fact, such propaganda derives its plausibility from a series of assumptions that no one would be willing to defend explicitly. It attributes all socioeconomic wrongs of the Indian society to its structure and civilisation. The implication is that there is only one way to get rid of socio-economic wrongs here: one has to eradicate both the social structure and the Hindu civilisation. It is as though one would blame the racism, bingedrinking, pedophilia, poverty, homelessness and domestic violence in the contemporary West on its age-old civilisation.

The times have changed. As Europeans, we need to reflect on our deep-rooted sense of superiority and how this informs our moralising discourse on human rights in other parts of the world. To appreciate the impression we give to Indians with our statements on caste discrimination, just imagine a possible world in which the Indian government regularly castigates the US for its racism against African-Americans and the disproportionate death penalties, and the EU for the treatment of South Asians in England, Turks in Germany, women in Romania, the Basque movement in Spain, gypsies in Italy �

just imagine Indian members of parliament consistently blaming the very structure of western societies as the cause of all these wrongs. Europe needs to wake up fast. The time of colonialism is over. If we do not change our attitudes, the irritation towards the EU will grow in countries like India and China. So will the unwillingness to collaborate. In the fast-changing world of the early 21st Century, Europe cannot afford this.

*** End of Excerpts ***

Related Posts:

The British �Caste System� -�excerpts�

Hinduism, �Caste System� and discrimination - Join the�debate�

Caste, Varna and Jatis: The need for clarity in intellectual�debate�

* Jakob De Roover is a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Research Foundation (FWO) at the Research Centre Vergelijkende Cultuurwetenschap, Ghent University, Belgium.

June 26th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | British Rule in India, Conversions, Missionaries in India, Current Affairs, Debates & Discussions, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Hindu Dharma, Hindu Social System, Human Rights and Legal Issues | 2 comments

Call Centre Romeos and Hindu Fundamentalists

If you are wondering about the link between the two, it is AIDS !

Apparently, Call Centre “Romeos” are one of the leading reasons�for increasing AIDS in India.

And Hindu fundamentalists are indirectly helping this by opposing�circumcision…which supposedly helps fight AIDS.

Please read on*…

A new AIDS threat is rising in India’s numerous call centers, where young staff are increasingly having unprotected sex with multiple partners in affairs developed during night shifts, a top AIDS expert has warned. [ link ]

…”You will see call center Romeos are a major high risk for HIV,” Solomon said.

However the AIDS expert, Dr Solomon did not present any figures and there is no data on how many call center employees are actually�infected with HIV.

Dr Solomon then did a curious “detour” -�and blamed “Hindu activists”�for hampering India’s anti-AIDS fight. �She mentioned a�”recent government study to gauge the acceptance for circumcision…triggered a massive backlash by Hindu fundamentalists”

…and went on to say:

If you go out into the streets and say I will do this (circumcision) to reduce HIV, there will be a chaos…

Vaccines have failed. Microbicides have failed. This is one tool we have in hand but we can’t use it…

All this would have been fine except that Dr Solomon’s case rests on a�shaky foundation.

For one,�the effectivenss of male circumcision as an anti-AIDS measure is�still very controversial…

and although Dr Solomon boldly proclaims�”Vaccines have failed. Microbicides have failed”, her profile suggests that she herself has not given up on vaccines and microbicides…

Might it have something to do with her various roles and assignments, I wonder?

Dr. Solomon is a member of the advisory board of International AIDS Vaccine Initiative-India…a permanent member on the Microbicides Committee of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR)…

Dr. Solomon is the Indian Principal Investigator of several pioneering HIV research studies (including)…a Phase III study of 6% CS GEL, a candidate microbicide of CONRAD.�

:-|.

To top off (no pun intended), here is an�extract from�a study that questions�whether circumcision is an effective anti-AIDS measure:

From http://www.mgmbill.org/aids.htm:

The multi-country Mishra study concluded that circumcision may actually increase transmission of the AIDS virus,� however, which is what many earlier studies found. The Brewer Study published in March, 2007, also concluded that circumcision in Kenya, Lesotho, and Tanzania increases the transmission of AIDS.

The United States has one of the highest rates of male circumcision and also one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the developed world, suggesting that circumcision is not helping. Conversely, Finland and Japan have some of the lowest rates of circumcision and also some of the lowest rates of HIV/AIDS. In Australia, the AFAO has now concluded that male circumcision has no role in the Australian HIV epidemic.

As you can see, the jury is still out on circumcision and AIDS…In the meanwhile of course,�you have another stick to beat the Hindutva-wadis with!

Curiously no mention of the Vatican’s stance on condoms in the article:

The Catholic Church is telling people in countries stricken by Aids not to use condoms because they have tiny holes in them through which HIV can pass - potentially exposing thousands of people to risk.
The church is making the claims across four continents despite a widespread scientific consensus that condoms are impermeable to HIV.

…The WHO has condemned the Vatican’s views, saying: “These incorrect statements about condoms and HIV are dangerous when we are facing a global pandemic which has already killed more than 20 million people, and currently affects at least 42 million.”

or of how a traditional Islamic theological response may hinder control of AIDS

“Islam and Muslims exacerbate the spread of AIDS,” said Professor Amina Wadud of Virginia Commonwealth University, taking to task the behavior of Muslim men who misuse Islam.

“A traditional Islamic theological response can never cure AIDS.” She cited Muslim men who compelled sex upon their wives even though the men were HIV-positive as a result of extramarital affairs.

but�I forgot, the focus�is on Hindu fundamentalists!

.

Related Posts:

�HIV-positive patients *real* number may be 1/3rd of�estimate��

AIDS� first casualty in India:�Truth�

AIDS� first casualty in India: Part�2�

* P.S. Special�thanks to Sh Krishen Kak for alerting me to this and for his links on the efficacy - or not - of circumcision as a method of controlling AIDS�.

June 25th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Media Related | 3 comments

Some links for weekend reading - IV

On Bal Thackeray and his call for Hindu suicide squads/ Hindu terrorists: Nip it in the bud by Offstumped. A short excerpt:

Bal Thackeray�s remarks are reprehensible. There is no moral sanction for Terrorism by any tenet of Hindu Dharma. Those responsible for the Thane bomb blast must be brought to trial and any attempts by them to appropriate moral sanction under Hindu Dharma must be denounced unequivocally. There is no room or place for Terrorism by Hindus for Hindus with Hindu Dharma as moral cover.

Terrorism is Adharma let there be no ambiguity on this.

On Narendra Modi’s comment re. taxes and aid: Two curious legal cases by BarbarIndian. Excerpt:

The first involves the following statement by Narendra Modi:

“I want to tell the government in Delhi, lets sign a year-long pact, you don’t take any money from us and don�t give us any aid. And then we will show the Centre how we run the state. You all tell me, am I not right,” he was quoted as saying. [link]It is not known if these were the exact words uttered by Modi, but calling these statements seditious is quite ambitious. As a matter of fact, Congress bigwigs have not made any public statements, leaving the hatchet job to foot soldiers like Manish Tewari.

Given that the UPA top brass have basically maintained a wall of silence about the Gujjar and Gorkha issues, one can only imagine the seriousness of this regime about the nation’s security. Perhaps this is a moot point, since many of UPA’s partners are unabashedly seditious, especially the communist factions.

As a side point, Congress claims that the Government does not have “any system to determine how much a state government contributed in taxes to the Centre”. This is quite funny. Evidently the Government does not have any mechanism to determine which castes qualify for OBC privileges either. The Government does not even have a mechanism to determine how much of social spending actually go to intended recipients (15% if you believe the late Rajiv Gandhi, 5% if you believe Rahul).

The center-state resource allocation issue is nothing new. A plethora of studies have been done on this issue, as an example - here. The fact of the matter is, there is a well defined system that determines these issues. That system is called “electoral opportunism”.

I will try a summary of the study in a future post.

On Jihad Against Freedom of Speech at the United Nations�by Jeffrey Imm. Excerpt:

The United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has no problem with its members suggesting that the 9/11 attacks were an “inside job” perpetrated by the United States on itself. …

Denying the role of Jihadists in the 9/11 attacks is apparently perfectly acceptable freedom of speech for the UNHRC, but criticizing Sharia law is another story.

On June 16, 2008, UNHRC president Doru Romulus Costea announced that criticism of Sharia law will not be tolerated by the UNHRC, based on the complaints and pressure by Islamist delegates to the UNHRC. In effect, the Islamist nations represented at the UNHRC have effected a Jihad against freedom of speech at the United Nations when it comes to criticizing Sharia or Islamic supremacist (aka Islamist) theocratic ideologies that threaten the freedom and lives of innocents around the world.

On Pakistan Army fires strategic broadsides at United States and India�by Dr Subhash Kapila. Excerpt:

General Ashfaq Kiyani, Pak COAS has been quoted by the respected Pakistan journalist, Ahmed Rashid in a Los Angeles Times feature as follows:�

• General Kiyani has told US military and NATO officials that the Pakistan Army will not �retrain or re-equip� its troops to fight the counter-insurgency war on the Afghan frontier as demanded by the Americans.
• Pakistan will deploy the bulk of its troops on Pakistan�s borders with India and prepare for possible conflicts with traditional enemy India.

Related observations emanating in this report are as follows:�

• More than 80% of the $ 10 billion aid provided by USA to Pakistan was diverted to buy advanced major weapon systems for the Indian front.
• Pakistan Army after its peace deals with Taliban leaders has virtually withdrawn from the seven districts of FATA
• Posts vacated by Pakistan Army now stand occupied by Taliban cadres.
• The peace deal with the Taliban has only one proviso that they will not attack Pakistan Army troops.� There is no proviso that they will not attack US/NATO troops in Afghanistan and therefore the Taliban has now a free run against them.

Have a thoughtful weekend.

Related Posts:

Some good links for weekend�reading��

*Must Read* links for the�weekend

Recommended weekend�reading�

June 22nd, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Global Terrorism, Hindu Dharma, Human Rights and Legal Issues, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Economy, Jammu & Kashmir related, Pakistan related, Politics and Governance in India, Terrorism in India | one comment

The ridiculous extremes of pseudo-secularism

Fellow blogger Varnam recently wrote two�posts on how learning Sanskrit is now considered to be a “communal” activity and something that might put you at odds with the “secular” brigade.

In the first one, he pointed out:

Usually you see the word saffronization associated with the Hindutva folks, not Sanskritization…the revival (of this word)�is with mischievous intent. Now the name of a language has become a synonym for communal politics.

In fact this attempt to brand Sanskrit as a non-secular entity happened once before, believe it or not - by the Central Board of Secondary Education. It was an attempt to pull the rug off India’s cultural heritage and history by branding an entire language as not-secular.

…The Supreme Court in a landmark verdict rejected the accusation that teaching Sanskrit was against secularism.

…the Court wrote that Sanskrit was the language in which Indian minds expressed the noblest ideas. It was also the language in which our culture, which includes the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, the teachings of Sankaracharya to Vallabhacharya and classics of Kalidasa to Banabhatta were expressed. Without understanding Sanskrit, the Court wrote, you cannot understand Indian philosophy on which our culture is based.

In a follow-up, he wrote:

Don�t wear a �tilak� to work�!�

�Secular Fundamentalism��alive & kicking in�India�

Also read: �Pseudo-secularism� at its�best?�

June 17th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Ancient Indian History, Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Identity, Impact of Islam on India, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Indian Media, Media Related, Politics and Governance in India, Politics of Minority Appeasement, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality & Philosophy | 2 comments

“Who is this Ram?” - Will Thiru Karunanidhi look at this evidence?

I doubt if this piece will ever find its way to Hon. Thiru Karunanidhi but if it does, he will have good reasons to re-consider his earlier remarks�(emphasis mine)�

Who is this Ram?

From which engineering college he graduated? Is there any proof for this?

What follows is by far one of the best (and most extensive) piece of research I have yet come across on the historicity of Ramar Sethu and Lord Shri Rama.

It is a fairly long post (even though I have only taken�excerpts) - but please do read when you have the time.� The points made are compelling and have been put together cogently. Considered within the overall context, they�make a�strong case for the preservation of Ram-Setu or Sethubandha Rameshwaram (Thanks to Dr S Kalyanaraman-ji for alerting me to this; Pl note that there are several instances of the word “Aryan” in this essay - I would like readers’ views on this theory vis-a-vis AIT)

*** CAUTION: Long Post ***

Excerpts from�Ramsetu � myth or fact by Dr. Nishit Sawal, M.D. (Medicine), April 2008 (emphasis mine).� Dr. Sawal begins his essay with the following preface re. the historical basis of Ramayana:

“The recent Sethusamudram project controversy has again brought in limelight the Ramayana and the question of it being an historical fact or a plethora of myths and fables.

The UPA government filed an affidavit stating that �mythological texts such as the Ramayana cannot be said to be historical record to incontrovertibly prove the existence of characters or the occurrence of events depicted therein�. Since this affidavit has cast doubts about whether Lord Rama actually existed or was just a hero of various myths whose fame increased to such an degree with the passage of time so that he came to be worshipped as God by succeeding generations , let�s evaluate the evidence we have of existence of lord Rama.

The foremost question is whether Lord Rama actually ruled in India and if yes, at what period. This is not an easy task for around Lord Rama�s life has grown a tangle of pious legend , through which it is very difficult to penetrate to the flowers of historic truth.”

Dr Sawal then examines the lives of Lord Buddha and Lord Jesus Christ (and the evidence surrounding them) and states:

Keep Reading…

June 14th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Ancient Indian History, Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Ram Janambhoomi, Ayodhya, Saraswati-Sindhu Civilization | 7 comments

The British ‘Caste System’ - excerpts

Over the weekend, I came across this excellent�critique by Edward Hamala on the “caste system” in India and�how it is misrepresented in the West.� Excerpts below:

***

…The Indian �caste system� that has so outraged Mr. Roger Williams, makes me wonder if he is equally outraged by the British �caste system� that is even more prevalent, although it is well hidden and �invisible� in the British and some European societies, where the nobility still exist, than it is in India today, where all noble titles have been abolished.

I would like to ask Mr. Williams when objecting to birthrights why has he failed to raise the same objection to the British Nobility and the Landed Gentry�s birthright, inheriting their title, social status while they are also guaranteed perpetual political power by inheriting a peer-ship and a seat in the British House of Lords, the highest legislative body of the land?

…May I also remind you that the Indian Social Structure as it was depicted in the Vedas Millenniums ago, made it an edict to leave Tribals and Adivasis alone and not to impose Hindu religion, culture or values on them.

The word �caste� my friend is an English word! The Sanskrit word for �caste� is �Varna� and it means vocation or occupation and does not mean �caste� as it does in the English interpretation or translation of the term!

Likewise, �untouchable� meant not to go near them, don�t touch them, don�t intermarry with them and don�t corrupt their culture don�t try to conform them. Leave them alone!

The unfortunate thing was that Mahatma Gandhi was also British educated, trained as a lawyer and had little or no knowledge about the ancient Vedic philosophy, history or culture.

…

How many societies does Mr. Williams know, where a group of refugees arrived and sought refuge as the Jews did in Kerala, India in 70 AD and were given sanctuary and freedom to practice their religion. This community lived and prospered in India without anyone trying to convert them and many returned to their homeland when the State of Israel was created!

The same holds true for the Parsi refugees arriving from Persia when the forceful Muslim conversion was taking place there and they are still practicing their own ancient religion as Zoroastrians and no one tried to convert them.

Recently, a large number of Tibetians arrived in India along with the Dalai Lama and they were all received graciously and were given sanctuary.

…

So I think, Mr. Williams your indignation is somewhat ill placed and perhaps it would serve a better purpose if you dealt with more dire social issues that you may be more knowledgeable about, and better qualified to deal with.

*** End of Excerpts ***

Related Posts:

Hinduism, �Caste System� and discrimination - Join the�debate�

Is this too much to�ask?

Utterly shameful and�inexcusable�

Caste, Varna and Jatis: The need for clarity in intellectual�debate�

Read Edward Hamala’s�article in full here�(and the letter he refers to is probably this one).

As an aside: Someone mentioned to me yesterday�how Christianity (in spite of a 2000-year history)�still has to come to grips with ordaining women as priests…while some of Hinduism’s best knowns “gurus” have been�(are)�women…(to wit: Mata Anandamayi Devi, Mataji Nirmala Devi�and many many others).

Says something about the status of women in India and the question of discrimination etc, I think.

June 9th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Ancient Indian History, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Hindu Dharma, Hindu Social System, Women in Hinduism & India | 7 comments