In the second part of spotlight on Jammu & Kashmir, some figures and statistics that reveal just how dependent is the state on financial support from the Union and why it is high time we called for a stop on the financial profligacy in Kashmir…Read on (emphasis mine, throughout).
Start with this snippet from a recent report by Subodh Varma, “J&K’s dependency on Centre alarming“:
In 2009-10, J&K received Rs 13,252 crore as grants from the Centre, which constitutes nearly 60% of the state’s total expenditure. In fact, for the past …

This weekend, I will be focusing on Kashmir…To set the tone, here is a small selection of some great background articles on Kashmir…Pl do read through all of them. Some reiterate points made by other commentators; others raise fresh issues. All are thought-provoking.  Read on:
First, excerpts from A ‘moth-eaten’ India? by Chandan Mitra (Feb ‘10; emphasis added):
A small but influential section of public opinion in India has been pleading for “flexibility” in the Government’s approach to the Kashmir issue. Some important opinion makers have, in fact, gone on record to …

Dear All, it is my pleasure to publish this brilliant satire by Pankaj Saksena on William Dalrymple’s foray into international politics and foreign affairs (first published on his blog, “The Literary Falcon“). Read and share widely. ..
*** …and Dalrymple gives Kashmir to India! by Pankaj Saksena ***

It has been proved once again that violence is not the key to any solution. Guided by secular wisdom, peaceful negotiations will solve any problem.
In a brilliant intellectual coup, William Dalrymple, the brave defender of downtrodden Indian Muslims, the upholder …

Brief post ahead of the weekend…in which I discover a new meaning of the words “Shuddho” and “Aushuddho”. Extracted from Sh CJS Walia’s review of Arun Shourie’s “EMINENT HISTORIANS: Their Technology, Their Line, Their Fraud”
Several of Shourie’s chapters appeared first as columns. One of his readers sent him a copy of a circular sent by the West Bengal Government Secondary Board ordering revisions of Class IX History textbooks..
The accompanying pages contained two columns: Aushuddho (Errors) and Shuddho (Corrections).
Shourie provides numerous examples from these pages.
From Bharuter Itihash by Shobhankar Chattopadhyaya, published …

A few weeks ago, my attention was drawn to a discussion on Guardian UK’s website regarding  the new British Govt’s policy towards aid. I was prompted to join the debate due to a particular reference to the “Universities” established by the British in India – ahead of any other Asian country (pl see comments at the bottom of the page). While this was true from a narrow perspective of contemporary history, India – as we know – has had an ancient tradition of institutes and “Gurukuls” of higher learning. Below …

Dear All: It is my pleasure to publish this extract from an article by Anupam Sarwaikar on the Indus Water Treaty (the full article can be downloaded here). In this extract, Anupam specifically talks about the current controversy, Pakistan’s false propoganda on the issue and deliberate distortion of facts. Please read and share widely.
*** “Current Water Crisis in Pakistan and False Propaganda” by Anupam ***
Pakistan blames construction of Hydro electric dams on Indian side for the depletion of water levels in Indus and Chenab.  The actual reasons for the water …

…in which I get very annoyed by this cheap, sensationalist headline in The Telegraph (UK): White British actresses told to leave Bollywood*.

The report talks of a “hate campaign by one of India’s most feared political leaders” but almost forgets to mention that the actresses may not have valid work permits.
Curiously, there appears to be no way to leave a comment online on the report.
I have sent the following email to the Editor:
Dear Editor,
With reference to your recent story on “White British actresses told to leave Bollywood“, would you please print …

Is someone ghostwriting for Prof Chomsky or has the wise professor chosen to ignore facts?
Thanks to Amitabh (and Rachna) for alerting me to this statement from a recent article by Prof Chomsky. Writing in “War, Peace and Obama’s Nobel“, Prof Chomsky says (emphasis added):
Iran hasn’t invaded another country for hundreds of years—unlike the United States, Israel and India (which occupies Kashmir, brutally).
As Rachna mentioned in her email,”Someone well known is lying. He is Noam Chomsky and he has lied about India and the lie is huge”.
Nothing more needs to be …

Start this weekend with excerpts from Kashmir: Propagation of Islam and the Terror of the Sufis” by M A Khan (emphasis mine):
How did Islam come to Kashmir?
“It came through the peaceful missionary preaching of the Sufis,” comes the answer.
Sufis have been universally credited with the peaceful propagation of Islam around the world. An Islamic legend tells us that there was a king in Kashmir, at an unknown point in time, who had no religion. One day, he wished to adopt a religion. Both Muslims and Hindus came to convince him. …

Thanks to Sanjay for alerting me to this…
Pl. see below two versions of Google map of India: one as seen in India and the other as seen in China

Note in particular that Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin are both shown as “disputed” in the Indian version while the boundary is fully settled and neatly demarcated in the Chinese version.
Error, misunderstanding or double standards?

Related Post: Arunachal: Sleepwalking into a disaster

A few weeks ago, I came across Sanjeev Sabhlok’s article on how (and why) the ideas of liberty – so celebrated in the western world today – may actually have had their origins in India.
Sanjeev has lucidly argued for the case and there is really nothing much I can add – except to say that this aspect is certainly worthy of further research and will help us shape the pieces defining the extraordinary civilisation and culture that flourished milleniums ago in this ancient land.
Below, excerpts from Sanjeev’s article on …

Thanks to Dr Kalyananraman-ji for alerting me to this. In this  well-argued and researched essay titled, Colonial Constructs about Indian Languages, Shishir Thadani explains why there may be a lot more in common between “Indo-Aryan” and Dravidian” languages than what history texts tell us. Excerpts below:
*** Excerpts Begin ***
Most educated Indians know that most Indian languages are divided into two broad linguistic streams – i.e. the “Indo-European” and the “Dravidian”. Tied in with this linguistic classification is the theory that the North Indian languages came with “Aryan” settlers.
…To this …

This post is essentially a collection of excerpts from three recent articles/reports on the Saraswati-Sindhu civilisation beginning with a list of five questions that were asked of Prof. Michael Witzel.
Many of you must be aware of the recent controversy around Prof Michael Witzel’s visit to India. I received this email/ list of questions from a google group that I am subscribed to. It is worth reproducing in full (I have taken out email addresses to protect privacy). The questions explore the issue of scholarship with particular reference to Ancient Indian …

This post is really an extract from a discussion on one of the Yahoo! groups I subscribe to. The discussion was triggered by an email from Prof. Michael Witzel in which he wrote (amongst other things):
….I know that whatever I say will be distorted to no end by “argumentative Indians” (per Amartya Sen).
In response, Ashok-ji Chowgule wrote the following comment which I found worth sharing (emphasis mine).
If one were to read Prof Amartya Sen properly, he is actually saying that this concept of ‘argumentative’ is a positive one. Issues are …

My wife asked this question yesterday while we were discussing history.
I pondered for a moment but could not come up with a good answer. I also realised that I was not aware of the background to the naming of streets/roads in Lutyens Delhi.
I know at least one fellow blogger (perhaps two) who may have a view and/or some information on this.
In the meantime, I would be interested in your views and also if any of you has any additional information to share.
Based on my (limited) understanding of history, Aurangzeb …

Is a “Rising India” a greater threat to USA than Iran, North Korea and oh, Russia?
Watch this snippet of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas (courtesy Joshua Kucera)

Unbelievable…is all I can say.
Might it have something to do with the US-India war games of 2004? (also read Fred Kaplan’s explanation)
By the way, Senator Cornyn is no light-weight.
…(he) serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget Committees of the US Senate. He (also) serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s …

Some excerpts from Dr. Subramanian Swamy’s valedictory speech on January 11 at the International Conference on Indian History, Civilisation and Geopolitics 2009 (ICIH-2009) at New Delhi’s India International Centre, titled, “Defalsify India’s history as a first step in national renaissance“. It contains a very interesting account of how some critical dates  – based on which ancient Indian History has been re-constructed – may themselves be inaccurate and wrong. Read on.
*** Excerpts Begin ***
Introduction
…Hindustan represents the continuing history of culture of Hindus. One’s religion may change, but culture does not. Thus, …

Stumbled on this somewhat longer than usual blurb (below) about a new book by Shrikant G. Talageri that explores unresolved issues around Vedic chronology and the homeland of “Indo-Aryans”
Important Note: I have not yet read the book. This is not a sales pitch for Sh Talageri’s work but more a note to myself for my personal reference.
***

“The Rigveda and the Avesta: The Final Evidence“
The single most significant unresolved problem in the study of World History today is the problem of the geographical location of the Original Homeland of the Indo-European …

This is a placeholder post for various references and resources related to Saraswati-Sindhu Script.
Dr Kalyanaraman-ji’s work:
http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/mlecchitavikalpa
http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/indus-script
http://sites.google.com/site/kalyan97/a-new-decipherment-paradigm
http://sarasvati97.blogspot.com/
.
Varnam’s posts and research:
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/05/undeciphered-scripts/
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/04/indus-script-a-formal-language/
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/05/hostile-reactions/
http://varnam.org/blog/2009/05/indian-history-carnival-17/
.
Asko Parpola’s works:
http://www.helsinki.fi/~aparpola/
.
Please feel free to add any other links (to articles/documents) that you may be aware of – using the comments form below.
Thanks.
Related Post: Breaking the code: the Sarasvati-Sindhu Script
*** UPDATE ***
I am traveling until the 10th of July with very limited internet access. There will be some delay before I am able to respond to (and moderate) comments.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
***
Pl. note that if you …

Excerpts from an intensely thought-provoking essay written by Rajiv Malhotra more than 8 years ago but still fresh in its relevance to the present context.

*** Excerpts from “Language Hegemony and the Construction of Identity” ***

The Importance of Marketing:
For most industries, packaging and distribution are more critical than production, and those in control of distribution often end up controlling production as well….A dominant distributor eventually uses its power to also control development and production. This pattern has also been true of Indian ideas and heritage that went into Western civilization via …