|| Satyameva Jayate ||

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

The great joke that is Indian Media - Part VII

From Some Hard Questions (Hat Tip: Sh Kak), comes this extraordinary account of how even the basic facts about the Jamia Nagar operation are proving to be difficult to reconcile if one goes by the accounts in different newspapers…

On Friday last week, the Delhi Union of Journalists released a critique of media reporting of the Batla House Police Operation, from which these excerpts (pl. do read in full):

Extracts from the DUJ report

…We wish to underline that accuracy in reporting facts is the first responsibility of the media. Where facts are disputed, the discrepancies should be pointed out and the sources questioned. Presenting several versions of incidents and using multiple sources of information is an inalienable part of credible reporting.

We also emphasise that uncovering the truth may not always be the job of the media. The media is not equipped to investigate and uncover the truth in severely complicated cases like the incident being examined in the report.

But presenting different facets of events as they emerge is part of the professional responsibility of the media.

In this report we have analysed the reporting of the Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Indian Express (Delhi editions of September 20 and 21, 2008). Among the Hindi newspapers we have examined Dainik Jagaran, Amar Ujala, Dainik Hindustan, Jansatta, Punjab Kesari and Rashtriya Sahara; the Urdu newspaper we looked at is Rashtriya Sahara.

We wish to make it clear that we hold no brief for either the police or the suspects, two of whom have been killed and several rounded up. We are not passing a judgment on whether it was a planned encounter or a fake encounter or a police operation gone wrong. We do not know the truth. We are only examining the professional conduct of our co-professionals with a view to pointing out the casual manner in which serious issues have been handled right from the day of the serial bomb blasts in Delhi.

A research team of the DUJ decided to examine the way in which the print media reported the police operation on September 19, 2008, at L-18, Batla House, Jamia Nagar in Delhi in which two alleged terrorists and one inspector of the Special Cell of the Delhi Police were killed. We have attempted in this report to first state the facts as they were reported and then analyse the language employed and the views expressed while reporting and commenting on this highly sensitive and contentious incident.

Analysis of Newspaper Reports dated September 20, 2008

The facts first.

1. Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of the Special Cell of the Delhi Police killed.

2. Two young boys, Atif Amin and Mohammed Sajid, killed.

3. Mohammed Saif arrested.

The rest of the facts regarding the police operation at L-18, Batla House, Jamia Nagar, Delhi on Sept. 19, 2008 are uncertain. Although the incident took place in the capital of India and all the newspapers and TV channels used the same source, the Police, even the basic facts are not in place. Every daily newspaper and television channel seems to have its own set of ‘facts’ and often these contradict each other. Accuracy seems to have been sacrificed in the rush to be first with the news and provide the more sensational coverage. Let us examine how the incident was reported in the Delhi editions of the dailies.

The Time of the Shootout:

The Hindustan Times and Dainik Jagran have given the time as 11 a.m. The Indian Express, quoting a resident, says the first shot was fired around 9.45 a.m. The Times of India report does not mention any time. Mail Today says it began at 11a.m. The Hindi Hindustan report would have us believe that it all began at 10.30 a.m. Amar Ujala says firing began around 10.45 a.m. and lasted till 11 a.m.

The Duration of the Shootout:

The Hindustan Times says the shootout lasted 15 minutes whereas its Hindi publication, Dainik Hindustan, says it lasted 90 minutes. According to the TOI, the entire encounter took 25 minutes. Mail Today says the operation lasted 30 minutes. The Veer Arjun says the shootout lasted between 30 and 45 minutes. Rashtriya Sahara, Urdu, claims that the shooting lasted nearly two hours. Amar Ujala says the encounter lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes. Punjab Kesari claims that the encounter lasted one hour.

Keep Reading…

October 7th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Indian Media, Miscellaneous | 12 comments

The great joke that is Indian Media - Part VI

A leading cine-artiste makes the claim that being a Muslim, she has had difficulty finding a home in Mumbai.

A screen writer says that he too faced the same “problem”.  The reporter adds…

Top film stars, household names for you and me, as well as TV actors and models almost all have had it tough because of their religion.

…but fails to mention even one of these “household names”…apparently, ”none of them were willing to say it aloud” !!

And in all of this, she sees “a pattern of Muslim artistes simply not finding a place to stay in Mumbai.” (sic)

From what I remember of my English, a “pattern” needs to have regularly repeated occurences…I see none here…or has the meaning of “pattern” changed in the last two decades?

Oddly not one word about…”certain Parsi societies that do not allow non-Parsis” or “…societies (in Bandra) that do not allow non-Christians“…and of course no mention of most of us being unable to buy land in  Kashmir - or of Shabana and Javed’s flats in Juhu. [ link ]

Related Posts:

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

September 2nd, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Indian Media, Post Independence History | 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

The lies about Amarnath…

My�distrust of the Indian mainstream media deepens by the day.

Courtesy Dina Nath Mishra’s article,�”Amarnath land grant and the reality around it“, I learnt today how even “..in this age of widespread and fast communication”, it is possible to hide facts.

Fact #1:�The land was to be transferred NOT allocated

Fact #2: It was to be only for a period of two�months in a year when Amarnath pilgrims visited

Fact #3:�No permanent structure was to be constructed, for Article 370 forbids the same

And yet, we had the Hurriyat and assorted leaders crying hoarse over threat to demographics, ecological damage and danger to Kashmiriat…

And how has mainstream media reported these facts?

See this Rediff news-report in which�the words “allotment” and “transfer” have been used inter-changeably even though they have very different meanings and implications. And while the report clearly mentions “temporary structures” (which surely cannot be said to threaten any demographics), this important fact is soon forgotten (emphasis mine):

The forest land allotment controversy erupted soon after the state cabinet took a decision in May last to transfer 100 acres of land to SASB for raising temporary structures to facilitate the yatra.

HT refers to “land diversion”�in�this news-report…surely a very different thing from “land allocation”?

After NC patriarch Dr Farooq Abdullah demanded the government order sanctioning land diversion be revoked, PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayed has asked for a cancellation too.

So why is no one talking about these “facts”?�

Keep Reading…

July 7th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Ancient Indian History, Current Affairs, Indian Media, Jammu & Kashmir related, Politics and Governance in India, Post Independence History | 13 comments

Leave Ashis Nandy alone

I am no fan of Ashis Nandi and disagree strongly with many of his views but I just cannot accept the argument that his writings or thoughts should be banned/censored.

There are other (better) ways of dealing with his arguments and deconstructing them…

Calling for a ban on his writings or calls for his arrest puts us in the same league as fanatics calling for Taslima’s blood.

For those of you who missed it, here is the original article�- which started it all. Many of you will find the comments on this site interesting too.�

Some of you may have also read this statement signed by the big and the famous amongst our activists protesting against Ashis Nandy’s harassment…

Unfortunately the mask slips halfway through the press release:

“The harassment of well-known intellectuals and artists hides we fear, the daily intimidation being faced by members of minorities and especially the Muslims in Gujarat…”

No mention of Taslima, Kashmiri Pandits etc etc…

Having said all that, I am curious as to what Ashis thinks of his younger brother’s ideological leanings.

P.S. Personally, I did not find anything “objectionable” in the article…Some of the arguments were invalid, yes; It contained some sweeping generalisations, yes; It smelt of armchair analysis, yes…but objectionable content - I dont think so.

What do readers think?

Related Posts:

UPDATED: Is Taslima being treated differently from MF�Husain?�

Will Arundhati Roy pl. stand up for Francois Gautier?�

MF Husain, �Artistic Freedom� and a sense of d�j�vu���

My Personal View on MF Husain�s Paintings

July 2nd, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Elections Analysis, Hindu Dharma, Human Rights and Legal Issues, Indian Media, Media Related, Politics and Governance in India | 2 comments

Antony’s absence at Manekshaw’s funeral fits a pattern

Hon Sh Antony’s absence at Gen Manekshaw’s funeral (and the�subsequent face-saving gesture)�neither shocked nor suprised me…

In the�60 years of�its existence, India’s�defence personnel have never been celebrated or got the attention that they richly deserve…

Their’s is a forgotten story of harsh conditions and extreme risks…and few of us ever pause to think how much we owe to these brave men and women who often pay with their lives so that we may live….Our leaders and media have long ignored the armed forces…and Hon. Sh Antony’s absence at the funeral fitted that pattern…

First you had Major Manish Pitambare, then Captain Sunil Kumar Chaudhary, then�Colonel Vasant Venugopal.

As Ravi Jha wrote in the Khaleej Times (emphasis mine):

Perhaps, it was Sam Bahadur�s �misfortune� that he didn�t die in Delhi. Or else there would, probably, have been many from the corridors of power present to pay their last respects.

…It was amazing to see scores of ordinary men and women queuing up to pay their last respects to Sam Bahadur. It was equally amazing to see not a single VVIP present to lay a wreath on the grave of an upright man, who led the country’s defence forces to a spectacular victory in the war with Pakistan which culminated in the formation of Bangladesh.

There is a long list of those who could have made to Tamil Nadu, but didn�t. When the tocsin was sounded for ‘full military honours’ to Manekshaw and the guns fired in salute, it was a moment of both pride and shame.

Some who could have made the difference, but chose not to, were:

President Pratibha Patil: The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, with all the time in the world, was conspicuous by her absence.

VicePresident Hamid Ansari: The man who is busy mostly releasing books and writing reviews didn�t get time too.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: The man the nation is watching in this time of political turmoil.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi: The daughter-in-law of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, whom the field marshal had showed the �door� once, yet was made armed forces chief. She was perhaps busy shuffling the political cards in preparation for the general elections.

Leader of Opposition L K Advani: This prime minister-in-waiting and from a political party that often brags about civility, too, was busy doing his political manoeuvres.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and State Governor Surjit Singh Barnala: They were absent, despite knowing that Manekshaw had made their state a home for 35 years.

Minister of Defence A K Antony: His office says he didn�t get the time owing to prior political engagements.

The Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff: All three were absent.

…the Ministry of Defence was represented by Antony�s deputy Pallam Raju. The Navy and Air Force sent two-star general rank officers. That is it!

Sh V Sundaram wrote in his column�about the complete disregard with which we treat our fallen heroes (emphasis mine):

In these columns yesterday, I had presented the photographs of the Indian Soldiers who were decorated with the highest military honour of Victoria Cross for Supreme Valour in the war theatre in Italy from 1943-45 by the British government. These photographs appeared in January 1946 in a British Indian Government publication titled `The Tiger Triumphs, The Story of Three Great Indian Army Divisions in Italy’. Throughout British rule in India for nearly 200 years from 1757 to 1947, the British government at the highest level always recognized the importance of selfless, heroic and courageous soldiers.

This tradition was buried fathoms deep by the Congress government after Independence.

The British government took special care to bring out official publications recording the glorious deeds and sacrifices of the heroic men belonging to their Armed Forces from time to time.

It is a sad fact that government of India after Independence have never thought of commissioning the services of eminent historians to record the military history of India from 1947 till date.

Following Sh Sundaram’s article, I am taking the liberty of reproducing below�the full list of Param Vir Chakra awardees since independence. I have also found the Indian Army website that has the photographs of all the awardees from the army. I will be adding them on later today.

The Param Vir Chakra is India’s highest military decoration awarded for the highest degree of valour or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. It�is the second highest award of the government of India, after the Bharat Ratna.

The medal is a circular bronze disc …with the state emblem in the centre surrounded by four replicas of Indra’s Vajra. The medal was designed to symbolize Rishi Dadhichi, who had donated his thigh bones to the Gods for making Vajra, and contains an image of Shivaji’s sword Bhawani on the other side.�

Let us spend just a couple of minutes in our busy lives today remembering these brave souls.�

*** PARAM VIR CHAKRA - HALL OF FAME ***

1. IC�521, Major Somnath Sharma, 4 Kumaon, 03 November 1947, Kashmir (posthumous).
2. 27373, Naik Jadunath Singh, 4 Guards (former 1 Rajput), 06 February 1948, Kashmir (posthumous).
3. SS-14246, 2nd Lt. Rama Raghoba Rane, Corps of Engineers, 08 April 1948, Kashmir.
4. 2831592, Company Havildar Major Piru Singh, 6 Rajputana Rifles, 18 July 1948, Kashmir (posthumous).
5. IC-22356, Lance Naik Karam Singh, 1 Sikh, 13 October 1948, Kashmir.
6. IC-8497, Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria, 3/1 Gurkha Rifles, 05 December 1961, Congo (posthumous).
7. IC-7990, Major Dhan Singh Thapa, 1/8 Gurkha Rifles, 21 October 1962, Ladakh.
8. JC-4547, Subedar Joginder Singh, 1 Sikh, 23 October 1962, North-East Frontier Agency (posthumous).
9. Major Shaitan Singh, 13 Kumaon, 18 November 1962, Rezang La (posthumous).
10. 2639885, Company Havildar Major Abdul Hamid, 4 Grenadiers, 10 September 1965, Khem-Karan (posthumous).
11. IC-5565, Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, 17 Poona Horse, 16 September 1965, Pakistan (posthumous).
12. 4239746, Lance Naik Albert Ekka, 14 Guards, 04 December 1971, Gangasagar (posthumous).
13. 10877 (P), Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, No.18 Squadron, 14 December 1971, Kashmir (posthumous).
14. IC-25067, 2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal, 17 Poona Horse, 16 December 1971, Shakargarh, (posthumous).
15. IC-14608, Major Hoshiar Singh, 3 Grenadiers, 17 December 1971, Basantar River, Shakargarh.
16. Naik Subedar Bana Singh, 8 JAK LI, 26 June 1987, Siachen Glacier, Jammu & Kashmir.
17. Major Ramaswamy Parmeshwaran, 8 Mahar, 25 November 1987, Sri Lanka (posthumous).
18. IC-56959, Lieutenant (Acting Captain) Manoj Kumar Pandey, 1/11 Gorkha Rifles, 03 July 1999, Kargil (posthumous).
19. No.2690572, Grenadier Yogender Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers, 04 July 1999, Kargil.
20. IC-57556, Captain Vikram Batra, 13 JAK Rifles, 07 July 1999, Kargil (posthumous).
21. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles, 04 July 1999, Flat Area Top, Kargil.

List courtesy:� UPA’s death blow to the morale of Indian Military-IV by Shri V Sundaram

Related Posts:

Of Stars and Martyrs, Munnabhai vs. Manish�Pitambare�

Let�s salute a real �Hero�

Jai Hind.

June 30th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Indian Media, Politics and Governance in India | 10 comments

Of birth rates and Kerala Christians

Many of you must have read the recent news-reports on the Kerala Catholic Bishops� Council’s�recent call to Christians to have more children. It has also been pointed out in�various discussions on this subject that�Christians in Kerala have been at the forefront of family planning and have generally had fewer children than the rest.

However, a fact that has been conveniently ignored by most reports is that�not only is�”the Christian and Muslim population in the state (is)…well above the national average”, it is also growing faster than the Hindu population (emphasis mine):

T.R. Dilip, demographer and faculty member at the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram, says Christians in Kerala already have a higher average fertility rate that borders around two children, compared with 1.64 for Hindus. Muslims there have an average rate of 2.5%, he said, pointing to statistics from the National Family Health Survey. [ link ]

Another example of self-censorship by� the mainstream media?

You decide.

Related Posts:

The great joke that is Indian media - part 2 *must�read*�

The great joke that is Indian media series:�Part 1,�Part 2,�Part 3, Part 4�and Part 5.�

June 21st, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Indian Media, Muslim Population in India, Politics and Governance in India | 3 comments

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

A Deobandi in RSS: The story of Maulana Waseem-ur-Rehman

I don�t know how many of you came across this story of a graduate from Deoband making it through the UPSC Civil Services Examinations

The story is good and inspiring but the odd thing is the way in which it has been reported.� Note the differences (in blue) and enjoy (emphasis mine):

From: Madrasa student cracks civils�by Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: At a time when eyebrows are being raised about education standards in madrasas, a maulana from the Darul-Uloom-Deoband in Uttar Pradesh has passed the country’s most elite examination, the civil services exam, in his fourth attempt. For his interview, the maulana took training from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-run institute Samkalp at Paharganj in New Delhi.

Maulana Waseem-ur-Rehman, 31, is the first student from a madrasa to clear the civil services exams. Rehman comes from a poor family in Siddharth Nagar, Basti, UP. He stood 404th among 734 successful candidates. Rehman, who took history and Persian as optional subjects, wrote the exam in Urdu.

He told TOI that he worked for four years. “In three earlier attempts, I failed in the prelims. As this was my last chance, I worked harder,” he said.

Rehman completed five years of schooling in a madrasa, Ahyaul Uloom, before joining Darul-Uloom-Deoband. He did a threeyear course in Islamic studies, Hadith, the Quran and Shariat laws.

He did not know there was a syllabus for the civil service exam. “I had to collect books and notes from several places and would study at night and early morning as I had to attend MD classes during the day.”

(Responding to the question)�Was studying for the civil services exam difficult, since he came from a different academic background? (he said) “Yes, but madrasa education has given me the power to think and I have good knowledge of philosphy since it was explained properly in the madrasa,” he said.

About his experience at the RSS-run Samkalp, Rehman said, “I did not feel any bias. They are doing a good job,” he said.

So far, so good…Now read this report: Madrasa student cracks UPSC. It is almost identical except for the addition of this sentence to the third para above:

�In my three earlier attempts, I failed in the prelim exams. This time, it being my last chance, I worked harder and made it a point to pass the exams. By the grace of Allah I am among the successful candidates,�� he said.

Also interesting is this tidbit:

�Those on the interview panel for the exam asked Rehman to explain why the ratio of males to females is more equal for Muslims than for other communities. �I answered everything in the light of Islam and they were convinced by my replies,�� he added.

I would be very keen to hear what he said.

Talking about his experience at the RSSrun Samkalp, Rehman said, �It was a great time. They even informed me that I was selected for the coaching class and called me up regularly until I joined them. I did not feel any biased attitude over there. They are doing a good job,�� he said. Of 825 IAS aspirants trained by Samkalp, 295 have passed the exam this year.

Now for the twist:

From Not aware of IAS institute’s RSS connection - Deoband cleric�(from�IANS). Note the snide insinuations:

�”I was not aware that Sankalp, the coaching institute located in Jhandewalan (New Delhi), was run by the RSS,” Rehman, 31, told IANS. “I had only gone to them for the interview test coaching and they held four-five classes and a mock interview,” he said.

Sankalp is a coaching institute run by RSS for civil service aspirants. It has minimal charges and ropes in retired civil servants — preferably those close to the right wing Sangh parivar ideology. Claiming to be a highly professional institute, Sankalp boasts of a high success rate. It has several branches in Delhi and other cities.

Rehman had to start from scratch as nobody in his circle knew how to go about the preparations for the exams. “I collected the relevant books and took coaching from institutes other than Sankalp,” he said.

Congratulations Waseem-ur-Rehman and we hope your story inspires many others. Well done!

.

Related Posts:

The great joke that is Indian media - part 2 *must�read*�

The great joke that is Indian�media��

June 7th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Hindu Dharma, Indian Media | 3 comments

The missing “T-word”

Did anyone�notice the missing “T-word”?

From JK: Six militants killed; blast on Amarnath route�

…Six militants were killed across Kashmir in separate incidents on Monday.

From Four militants killed in J&K encounter:

…Four Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, including a self-styled district commander of the outfit, were killed in separate encounters with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla and Kupwara districts…

…sources said…the slain militants were believed to be Pakistan nationals.

From Army kills two militants in Jammu and Kashmir�

…Two militants were killed in a gun battle with soldiers in a village in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir early Monday, an official said.

A defence spokesperson here said…”While the soldiers were searching the village, the hiding militants opened fire at the troops. The soldiers returned fire and two militants were killed,“

I am shocked…I would dearly love to speak to this defence spokesperson and ask him/her�when do terrorists become militants? and vice-versa…? or is this term now banned in official circles and in official media?

Or maybe that word is exclusively reserved for the likes of Sh. Narendra Modi?

From Narendra Modi is ‘terrorist number one’: Bukhari

“Narendra Modi is the terrorist number one in the country. He is unleashing state-sponsored terrorism in Gujarat. In the name to curbing terrorism, innocent people are arrested and harassed,” Bukhari said at an international conference against terrorism organised by the Jama Masjid United Forum here today (1st June).

…He claimed people were resorting to terrorism to take revenge against forces which harass them.

“When a boy sees his family members being brutally killed and is not getting justice, what will he do. Will he not become violent,” he asked.

[ I think�about the thousands of refugees from Kashmir...and wonder if they did not have any "boys" within their families? ]

Actually there is an even better term that we can use…how about “some other forces” (this is to distinguish them from�”security forces”)

…Some other forces are also unleashing terror in the name of ‘Jehad’. They are killing innocent people in Jammu and Kashmir…(Imam Bukhari) said. [link]

Across the border in Pakistan though, they obviously have no such qualms…

From Pak leader links terror to madarsas�

…A politician whose party is a partner in Pakistan�s ruling coalition today surprised a conference on terrorism here by declaring that madarsas in his country were �breeding grounds� of terror.

Hasham Baber, additional secretary-general of the Awami National Party, said political sermons, not just lectures on Islam, were delivered in such institutions in the federally administered tribal areas, bordering Afghanistan.

�The breeding grounds should be removed because on Fridays, it isn�t Islam that is taught but political sermons. Both Afghanistan and India will benefit,� he told the conference organised by Jama Masjid United Forum.

Predictably,

Syed Ahmed Bukhari, made it clear that Baber had only expressed his �own views� about affairs in Pakistan.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi disagreed with Baber, saying madarsas in his state weren�t teaching terror.

Social activist Teesta Setalvad spoke of the threat from �Right-wing Hindu schools in tribal areas� …

Related Posts:

An eye-witness account of *militants* crossing into�J&K�and

BBC�s �Objectivity Checklist� Goes Right Through the�Window (Courtesy, Hawkeye)

Nice, politically correct reporting -�UPDATED�

.

�

June 3rd, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Media, LeT, SIMI etc., Pakistan related, Politics and Governance in India, Terrorism in India | 6 comments

North-East “burning”

*** CAUTION: LONG POST ***

This is an unusual blog-post. It is actually�a series of excerpts from�articles that speak for themselves.

Please read and share with everyone who is even a little bit concerned about India.

We cannot afford to remain mute spectators…

�

First, some excerpts from a richly referenced analysis, “The Shiliguri Corridor: Question Mark on Security” by Pinaki Bhattacharya:�

“A critical futuristic threat perception vis-�-vis India�s North Eastern region has long preoccupied many analysts and the Indian security establishment. The projected exercise would involve Pakistan launching an attack on Jammu and Kashmir. At the other end, China would engage India militarily in the latter�s Northeast with movement from Tibet, through Bhutan and via Alipurduar in the Jalpaiguri district and consequently cut-off what is referred to as the eastern chicken�s neck or the Shiliguri corridor. An Indian strategists� nightmare come true.

….In such a projected war scenario, while India battles Pakistan and China, behind the lines of the security forces guarding the narrow strip of land called the Shiliguri corridor, which at its narrowest is 20 kilometres long and just 20 kilometres wide in the general area south west of Shiliguri, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the Bodos, the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation and other subversives trained in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan raise attrition to a feverish pitch. China could, it is projected, choose to cut the chicken�s neck with irreversible consequences vis-�-vis India�s Northeast.

Keep Reading…

May 22nd, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Geo-Strategic Issues (incl. Nuclear, Oil, Energy), Human Rights and Legal Issues, Identity, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Media, LeT, SIMI etc., Muslim Population in India, Politics and Governance in India, Politics of Minority Appeasement, Post Independence History, Terrorism in India | 5 comments

Jihad in Jaipur - Update 1

Some fresh updates…

“…The blasts took place in Tripolia Bazar where a Hanuman temple drew a large number of devotees today…Manas Chowk, Badi Choupal, Choti Choupal and Johari Bazar. ” link

As many of you must have already realised, Tuesday is�a particularly�significant day for devotees of Lord Hanuman (and is generally considered auspicious�for a variety of reasons).�Another important fact: apparently there were 7 bomb blasts and 8 bombs were diffused…In terms of scale at least, 15 coordinated bombs is serious stuff.

The predictable appeal for calm:�I wonder if�the Honourable PM is going to loose any�sleep over this?

Latest Count 60 dead�and 150 injured.�� HuJI role suspected (more on this in an upcoming post):

“,,,sources said the tell-tale signs of the blasts indicate HuJI’s hand.

The blasts showed that HuJI, which is being mainly run from Bangladesh, has managed to establish cells in Rajasthan and that the outfit was responsible for previous major terror attacks including the New Year eve attack on CRPF camp in Rampur and serial blasts in three other places in Uttar Pradesh.

The last terror strike in Rajasthan occurred on October 11, 2007 when an explosion in the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer left two persons dead and 17 others injured.

HuJI outfit, suspected to be behind the blast at the sufi shrine, had used a mixture of Tri-Nitro Toluene (TNT) as the explosive material.

…The sources did not rule out the possibility that banned HuJI may have been supported by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) which has been attempting to target tourist destinations and places of economic interests.

A heart-rending first-hand account of how it feels from Shivani in Jaipur (courtesy Bharat-Rakshak):

“…I do not know what to say.� Yes, I am in Jaipur. Today, I actually went to these markets in the afternoon.

I ask members to forgive me, but I am being very honest when I say that all the blasts we have had in other cities have not affected me at all, and I realized this only today. …

Terrorism was something that happened to “other” people. Something very distant.

Now I am afraid to even step out of the house, or allow a family member to do likewise. Imagine going to some shop or mall and being blown apart. Or living handicapped for the rest of your life. Presently, the roads are deserted, sirens have only just stopped screaming, and people are retiring to their homes after talking with neigbours etc.

This changes everything. I do not particularly feel angry towards Indian Muslims, pakis, and their puppeteers in the west. They are doing something that is very natural, and very ‘rational’.

It is the unnaturally passive and thoroughly incompetent Indian approach that offends me the most. I feel strong outrage towards our dysfunctional system of governance…

…I have never felt more disillusioned with New Delhi, the politicians and babus, and the western controlled media. We have never had a revolution in India and it shows.

The entire system system of governance and its operators need to be eliminated and replaced by a new order if we are to make fundamental progress in how we survive and prosper as a nation.

I can’t go to sleep now, just found out someone lost relative. Sorry if anyone is offended, I have never felt the kind of emotion like today before. I am so utterly miserable and helpless…

and another first-hand account of how it feels, from amar_g�who lived through the Mumbai blasts:

“…been through the same thing myself a few years ago during the mumbai serial blasts..was attending classes for my 10th std and slowly news started to come in about blasts..my father was in the stock exchange building at that time..it was a horrible feeling till he called up and confirmed everything was ok..

i really do hope and pray the govt dose take some action and we indians do not get used to this “as just one of those things that keep happening” ..like people do in iraq..

…the religion of peace is trying to target our tourist destination..a soft target..scare foreigners away..besides jaipur has got one of the IPL teams..it can only generate more bad press for india as not being a safe destination…

Jai Hind, Jai Bharat. We shall overcome.

With deepest sympathies and�condolences for the families of the innocents…Their lives must not go in vain…

Long list of related tragedies:

Another day, another blast - �Kuch nayee baat batao�yaar��

Blasts? What Blasts?�Yeh to hota hi rahta�hai��

Anger, tears and�despair��

and Four Years, Two Attacks, One�Story�

May 14th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, Indian Media, Islam & Terrorism, LeT, SIMI etc., Pakistan related, Politics and Governance in India, Terrorism in India | 17 comments

An eye-witness account of *militants* crossing into J&K

Courtesy Radha Rajan�enjoy.

This afternoon one of the CNN-IBN news report is that over a 100 militants have �slipped/slinked/sneaked� into J&K . They may be heading towards Bandepura. I decided to take off to J&K pronto and do my CNN-IBN citizen journalist sleuthing.

***** Report BEGINS *****

Hi, i am now standing with Muhammad Maqbool Malik who first told CNN IBN about the infiltration. Let me pan my camera for the stunning visuals.

Malik saheb, can you please us what is this thing over which we are standing?

This is the watch tower of the J&K police to watch the infiltration taking place.

I see. when was this built?

Immediately after the Kargil war.

Let me pan my camera downwards. Malik saheb, this line that we see painted this bright and beautiful luminiscent pink, what is this?

Oh, that is the LoC. It is to help the militants know that when they step across the pink line, they have successfully infiltrated.

And this tower it is a remarkable piece of enginering, malik tells me. malik saheb can you tell us what is remarkable about this watch tower?

Yes, remember madam that at the time of the Kargil war, Bill clinton told Vajpayee our army can do anything to retreive our peaks without crossing the LoC. Well this tower has been built right on the LoC so that we detect infiltration the moment it is happening. The genius who built the tower built it faithful to Clinton�s diktat. If you spit from the tower, the spit falls into pakistan. ut the tower reains faithfully inside the LoC.

Remarkable. How did he manage that?

Well Madam after every foot of the tower was completed we would bring in a man on top and make him spit. This way we ensured till the end that the spit always fell on the other side of the LoC while at the same time we are as close as we can get to the LoC.

You are in J&K. What do you do once you sight infiltrators.

We inform CNN-IBN immediately even if it is the middle of the night.

But why dont you send them back, or arrest them or kill them immediately.

That is not our job madam,. that is the job of the Indian army. Our job is only to tell CNN-IBN about the infiltration. Now look to your right Madam, can you see there, beyond that tree, a long line standing on the Pakistani side of the LoC?

Yes, let me pan my camera again. parul, can you see the long line infiltratorswaiting to slip in? they are all having their cup of tea now. malik Saheb tells me that once they finish their cupps they will start to cross the pink line,

Madam, see they have begun and see how they are all walking ina single file and madam look, they are now breaking up into three.

Malik saheb why are they breaking up into three?

One line goes to Baramulla, another to Kupwara and the third to Hyderabad.

***** Report ENDS *****

P.S. By the way, has anyone noticed how terrorists are now called �militants�?

Related Posts:

The �truth� behind BBC�s��Objectivity��(or how one man�s militant is another�s terrorist etc)

The great joke that is Indian media - part�3�

The great joke that is Indian�media��(part 1)

April 19th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | Current Affairs, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Media, Jammu & Kashmir related, Media Related, Pakistan related, Terrorism in India | 5 comments

The great joke that is Indian media - Part V

This is�how an otherwise straightforward news-story gets distorted in reporting:

From rediff, “Do TV serials promote the Hindu way of life?“��

“…The Afghanistan government has banned Indian television serials because they feel it wrongly influences their culture and traditions.

In their words: ‘Indian serials are un-Islamic.’

Most Indian serials are about traditional North Indian families, and tend to celebrate Hindu festivals with more gusto than any other festival.

Do you think Indian telly soaps promote the Hindu way of life? Was the Afghan government right in banning them?”

As a commentator has noted on the rediff board, pl. note�how the last question was artificially framed.

Instead of a straight-forward “Is Afghanistan becoming�Taliban-ised (once again)” it somehow manages to put�the TV serials on the defensive!

Of course for most of us familiar with Indian TV serials, saying that they promote a “Hindu way of life” is at best, a stretch and�at worst,�a joke.

Related Posts: The great joke that is Indian media series:�Part 1,�Part 2,�Part 3�and Part 4.

April 10th, 2008 Posted by B Shantanu | A Hindu Identity, Distortions, Misrepresentation about Hinduism, Distortions, Misrepresentations about India, Hindu Dharma, Hindu Social System, India & Its Neighbours, Indian Culture, Arts and Music, Indian Media, Women in Hinduism & India | 5 comments