:The Kakatpur Mangala Temple is a temple in Kakatpur, Puri, Odisha.Dedicated to Goddess Mangala a manifestation of the Mother Goddess Durga, the Temple is located in the town of Kakatpur in the Puri District of Odisha. The temple is built in typical Kalinga style and is a major pilgrimage for devotees of Shakti cult. Pilgrims frequent the temple seeking boons from Maa Mangala.There is a bed made of solid stone on which it is said Maa Mangala rests after touring the entire universe everyday.As if to attest to this the bed looks worn out in just the same way it would if it were in use for centuries.
News review
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
top story
1) पाकिस्तान निवासी महमूदाबाद के नवाब की उत्तरप्रदेश में स्थित सम्पत्ति दिलवाने में प्रमुख वकील की भूमिका निभाने वाले सलमान खुर्शीद कानून मंत्री बन गये… (उत्तरप्रदेश में चुनाव हैं ना!!)
2) शिक्षा को लतियाने के उपक्रम में अकेले कपिल सिब्बल काफ़ी नहीं थे, इसलिए मुस्लिम लीग के जेहादी ई. अहमद को उनका राज्यमंत्री बनाया गया है, अब पुस्तकों में भारतीय संस्कृति और इतिहास को बिगाड़ने में सहूलियत होगी…
3) उधर केरल में सरकार बनते ही वित्तमंत्री मणि जॉर्ज ने बजट में अल्फ़ोंसा चर्च को 25 लाख रुपए का अनुदान दिया है… शायद अगले साल जामा मस्जिद को देंगे।
Monday, July 25, 2011
Work for the Safety and Prosperity for all beings in India
Work for the Safety and Prosperity for all beings in India
A call to youth by Pu.Sarsanghachalak Sri Mohan Bhagavat
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| Addressing Sri Mohan Bhagavat in a Seminar held in Hyderabad on 24th July 2011 |
A programme was organized at Satya Sai Nigamagamam, Hyderabad by Martyr’s Memorial Research Institute on the occasion of its Bi-decennial celebrations, which was founded in 1991 by Bhavrao Devras an eminent leader of national renaissance. Shri Mohanji Bhagawat took part in the programme as Chief guest and spoke on the topic “Bharat: Challenges before the youth”. He also inaugurated the release of Rigveda Samhita DVDs (Audio) designed, developed and produced by Shri Seva Bharathi Hyderabad. Prof.D.Manohar Rao chairman of MMRI welcomed the guests and the audience.
Shri Justice Parvatha Rao (Retd.) Sanghachalak (Dakshina Madya Kshetra), RSS calling the subject of today’s talk on challenges before the youth as an important and relevant one said that problems of youth are immense which are emanating both from outside and inside the society. The attacks on the society by extremists in the form of Marxists are one of such challenges, he said. Corruption of enormous magnitude involving lakhs of crores of rupees is another major challenge. Criminal neglect of administration and wastage of food grains purchased by F.C.I. are some other issues before us. Even Supreme Court’s order that proper go downs should be constructed for storage is still not implemented. It is strange that Prime Minister feels that there should be no interference by the judiciary. Our youth with extraordinary brilliance are encouraged abroad but not so in the native country with the result that we are deprived of such talented pool. There is so much poverty in the country. While youth in those days sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom, in the present times not many are joining the armed forces and the lure for quick money is driving them away from joining such jobs. Not many are joining the legal profession and so many vacancies are unfilled in the judiciary. We have to stop this trend by motivating the youth to take up such professions for the cause of the society and the nation. He called upon the youth to take forward their fight against terror.
Release of C.D.: Mohanji Bhagawat then released a C.D. consisting of Rigveda Samhita designed, developed and produced by Shri Veda Bharathi. Due to pioneering efforts for the last 20 years by Dr.Avadhanulu a nuclear scientist associated with Veda Bharathi it became a reality to see 64 chapters with 64 introductions recited in 11 different modes of Rig Veda digitized into one single C.D.
In his one-hour address, Shri Mohanji Bhagawat while appreciating the enthusiasm among the large number of youth present in the hall exhorted them to cultivate values like courage, conviction and hard work. He said that India’s future lay in the hands of the youth and they should work with vibrant thoughts and not with loudness. He said that youth is reflected more in the spirit of work and enthusiasm than in age. Even after 64 years of freedom, multiple challenges prevail which never existed in the recent history of India. But solutions are more important than challenges.
Mojanji Bhagawas while pointing out that problems are galore with China, observed that national borders were still porous and criticized Government of India for neglecting the border with China, in spite of knowing fully well their intentions. China is aware that India is emerging as a strong nation with a strong potential to grow as a knowledge-based society. Understanding our importance, China started laying roads, railway lines and airports not sparing even the remotest areas along the border. It is strange that the Government of India has not responded in a fitting manner, he noted.
Shri Bhagawat gave a call to the youth to be on guard against cultural invasion, which is emanating from foreign shores with a concerted move to divide its people and create a rift amongst various communities. Their cruel purpose is to stop India from emerging as a super power. We blindly follow the western customs like Father’s day and Mother’s day. But do we observe Respiration day? Do we need to remember our parents only on these days? India’s rich heritage gives ample opportunity to each one of us to remember and respect our mother and father everyday for the entire life.
Anybody going out from India whichever party they belong to should take a firm and identical stand on issues like Kashmir that it is an integral part of India and is non- negotiable. It is a strange situation to see army being not kept where it is required and kept where it is not required. The vote bank politics along with divide and rule policies being pursued by the Government are playing havoc with the harmony of the nation. The communal violence bill on which no debate has taken place so far is already kept in the Government website. The members whose credentials are doubtful are in the National Advisory Council to draft such bills as communal violence bill. He added that even the Supreme Court raised questions on the credentials of some members of NAC.
It is unfortunate that those required to show accountability in the administration are escaping from it and the loot by the miscreants continues. The economic scenario is brought to such a stage that 20 to 25% are becoming richer and 70 to 75% are becoming poorer with unchecked inflation reaching alarming proportions of 9.44%. Such policies are leading to jobless growth. There is a huge competition. Violence erupts due to such reckless economic policies. Progress and morality should go hand in hand. Blind imitation of western ideas is causing heavy damage to our social moral fabric. We should welcome good things suitable to us and discard those not healthy to us.
Where is moral education? While the number of schools and colleges is rising, the benefit is not reaching common people as can be witnessed through large dropouts in the schools. It is unfortunate that values are falling so low that life is understood to be only food, sleep and sex and nothing more. He called for educational training reforms with stress on self-respect quoting Dr.Abdul Kalam’s views.
Underlying the importance of unity amongst us, he mentioned that nobody is different from others throughout India with DNA being similar. The mind set should change from identifying only with a particular caste, religion, language and region. With so many differences prevailing, it helps only the enemy.
But there is no need to despair and he reminded of only challenges in front of us and we can move forward by overcoming the obstacles. Indians are most intelligent and are ahead in every international competition. He cited examples of well-educated youth doing social work inspiring others to emulate them. India is a treasure house of knowledge. Progress will be abundant with our enterprising nature, talent, skill and resilience. Even in most difficult times, we have not suffered shortages. We could not be shaken even in the worst economic crisis, which appeared worldwide. He exhorted the youth to emerge from crisis of identity, credibility and character. There is lack of awareness of our history and our real identity. Humanity should be guiding factor cutting across religious lines, he added. He called upon the youth to inculcate self-respect and self esteem in them.
The concept of “Vasudhaika kutumbam” is India’s legacy to rest of the world and hence we should have no enemies. But since the world is not free from wrong people we should protect and guard against misdeeds from them in a democratic way without violence. He gave a clarion call to the youth “Save yourself; correct yourself; Begin with yourself; Know yourself; Understand root of Bharat”. Entire Bharat is oneself. He asked them to keep in mind ‘Bharatiyata’ where good of others should be prime consideration. Without Bharat there is no world and for the sake of world’s survival India should raise. The youth should rise above selfishness by giving time to the society and the nation and make it strong. He asked them to stop wrong activities and make efforts for right action. The general trend of confining to indoors should stop and one should come out to serve for the country’s cause.
One should remember that there is no revolution and there is only evolution. He said that he would feel happy even if one amongst the audience goes out and works in the right direction with the aim of selfless service. He cited examples as to how Buddhist monks went over to China and successfully spread the message of our ancient Dharma. He regretted that efforts were not taken for the protection of Vedas. He reminded Swamy Vivekananda’s eloquent words exhorting the countrymen to set aside Devi and Devata Puja in order to concentrate on nation building. Shri Bhagawat concluded his talk by calling upon the youth to work for the safety and prosperity for all beings in India.
The meeting came to an end with a vote of thanks by Shri G.Yoganand Manjira group chairman.
Are they just ‘useful idiots’?
Are they just ‘useful idiots’?
S Gurumurthy
21 Jul 2011
See this list of seculars and liberals. Justice Rajinder Sachar, author of the famous Sachar Committee Report on the state of Indian Muslims; Dileep Padgaonkar, one of the three interlocutors on J&K appointed by the central government; Harish Khare, the media adviser to the prime minister; Rita Manchanda, the India/Pakistan Local Partner for Women Waging Peace; Ved Bhasin, editor, Kashmir Times; Harinder Baweja, editor (investigations), Headlines Today; Gautam Navlakha and Kamal Chenoy, human rights activists, and; Praful Bidwai, well-known columnist. This is the illustrative list of popular Indian liberals who exert powerful influence over the Indian discourse — be it on Kashmir or secularism or on corruption or communalism or on Narendra Modi or Sonia Gandhi.
But this is not the list of probables for the Padma awards. This is the list of those who have been the guests of Ghulam Nabi Fai, who was arrested three days back by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US for acting as the front man of Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The Washington Times (July 19, 2011) reported that Fai “was arrested Tuesday by FBI agents in a suspected influence-peddling scheme to funnel millions of dollars from the Pakistani government, including its military intelligence service, to US elected officials to help drive India out of the disputed Kashmir territory in South Asia”. Fai was arrested in US not for working to drive India out of Kashmir — as it is not an offence under the US law — but for the offence of funnelling ISI money to buy influence over US officials for Pakistan. Under the Indian law, the case against the Indian liberals in Fai’s list may well be one of sedition if they had known who Fai was, or if they had not, they could be well just his “useful idiots” as a former editor, R Jaganathan, wrote in his brilliant column in firstpost.com. But are they just useful idiots or more?
The 45-page affidavit by the FBI in the case has charged Fai with “conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign principal”. Media reports that the FBI swears in its affidavit that Fai, who floated the Kashmir American Council (KAC), was a front man for Pakistani interests in US in the garb of Kashmiri’s. The reports say that Fai “took dictation from his masters” in Pakistan. The media cites the FBI affidavit to say that Fai received at least $4 million — at some $500,000 to $700,000 every year — to manipulate the Kashmir debate in favour of Pakistan. And this is important. This is where the Indian liberals listed at the opening are party to advancing the designs of Fai. They had been attending the conclaves and meets organised by Fai, at the instance of ISI, to oust India from Kashmir.
The FBI seems to have worked meticulously to link Fai to his masters in Pakistan. It appears to have got the details of some 4,000 e-mail and telephone exchanges with his handlers in Pakistan. An accomplice of Fai seems to have confessed — as a confidential witness for FBI — that Fai was a henchman of ISI. According to the confidential witness, cited by the media, the ISI “created the KAC to propagandise on behalf of the government of Pakistan”. Fai could play this role unsuspectingly because he was originally from India, being born in Kashmir, with a master’s degree from Aligarh Muslim University. After becoming an ISI agent, according to reports, he began to do what Pakistan and ISI directed him to do, namely hold conferences and seminars funded by ISI for which he was sourcing the propaganda material of the ISI. According to the report, the confidential witness seems to have confessed that, “of the statements Fai makes, 80 per cent are provided by the ISI for Fai to repeat and disseminate verbatim. The other 20 per cent of the KAC’s messaging consists of Fai’s own ideas, which have been pre-approved by the ISI”. So Fai is a hundred per cent ISI mouthpiece.
Our liberals figuring in the list participated as important speakers from India in the conventions and seminars organised by Fai, now charged by FBI as an ISI agent. According to reports, Fai, assisted in his objectives by our liberals, was so effective in hurting India’s interests, that, to counter him, the Indian government specially had to appoint Wajahat Habibullah, a Kashmir cadre IAS officer who retired last year, as minister, community affairs, in its embassy in Washington. Imagine. On the one hand, the present media adviser to the prime minister and one of the three present interlocutors of the government on J&K had worked to hurt India’s interests in the way the ISI was conspiring to do, by participating in the seminars organised by Fai and funded by ISI to “drive out India from Kashmir”; and on the other, the government of India was forced to send out an IAS officer from Kashmir cadre to contain that damage. The result is that those who, through Fai, were part of the ISI design, are now part of the UPA government.
But could Fai with his mission to push Pakistan/ISI agenda “to drive India out of Kashmir” include in his efforts such important opinion-makers of India, unless he knew that their views would advance his master’s interests? Why would Fai not call an Arun Shourie? A Cho Ramaswamy? An M J Akbar? An Arnab Goswami? It is self-evident. Their views would stall, not support, the ISI. Undoubtedly, Fai knew that the views on J&K publicly held by our liberals in Fai’s guest list would further the cause of the separatists. Now, is it easy to dismiss that they were just “useful idiots”?
PS: Two of these liberals are still in high positions — one is an interlocutor on J&K appointed by the Centre and the other is the media adviser to the PM. Mr Prime Minister, this is evidence coming, not from our police, but from the FBI in the US, the country you love most! Are you listening?
पंथनिरपेक्ष ढांचे पर प्रहार
पंथनिरपेक्ष ढांचे पर प्रहार
सांप्रदायिक ¨हसा रोकने के लिए प्रस्तावित कानून को कई दृष्टिकोण से अनिष्टकारी मान रहे हैं ए. सूर्यप्रकाश
अल्पसंख्यक तुष्टीकरण के अपने एजेंडे पर प्रतिबद्ध संप्रग सरकार एक ऐसा कानून बनाने जा रही है जो सांप्रदायिक सौहार्द को नष्ट-भ्रष्ट कर सकता है, संविधान की संघीय विशेषताओं को कमजोर कर सकता है और केंद्र सरकार को राज्यों के शासन में दखल देने के नए बहाने उपलब्ध करा सकता है। प्रस्तावित विधेयक को सांप्रदायिक एवं लक्षित हिंसा रोकथाम बिल नाम दिया गया है और इसका जो उद्देश्य बताया जा रहा है वह सांप्रदायिक संघर्ष की घटनाओं पर अंकुश लगाना, लेकिन इसका निर्माण इस पूर्वाग्रह के साथ किया गया है कि सभी स्थितियों में धार्मिक बहुसंख्यक ही अल्पसंख्यक समुदाय पर जुल्म करता है। लिहाजा बहुसंख्यक समाज के सदस्य दोषी हैं और अल्पसंख्यक समुदाय के लोग पीडि़त। चूंकि यही धारणा इस कानून का आधार है इसलिए यह स्वाभाविक है कि प्रस्तावित कानून 35 राज्यों और केंद्र शासित क्षेत्रों में से 28 में बहुसंख्यक हिंदुओं को सांप्रदायिक हिंसा के लिए जिम्मेदार मानता है और मुस्लिम, ईसाई तथा अन्य धार्मिक अल्पसंख्यकों को पीडि़त के रूप में देखता है। इस कानून का मसौदा उस राष्ट्रीय सलाहकार परिषद ने तैयार किया है जो छद्म सेक्युलरिस्टों, हिंदू विरोधियों और नेहरू-गांधी परिवार के समर्थकों का एक समूह है और कांग्रेस प्रमुख सोनिया गांधी जिसकी अध्यक्ष हैं। इस परिषद को केंद्र की एक ऐसी सरकार से बराबर महत्व मिल रहा है, जिसका नेतृत्व पहली बार अल्पसंख्यक समाज के एक सदस्य द्वारा किया जा रहा है। इस प्रस्तावित कानून के प्रावधान ऐसे हैं कि यह सांप्रदायिक सौहार्द को प्रोत्साहन देना तो दूर रहा, हिंदुओं के बीच पंथनिरपेक्षता की प्रतिबद्धता को ही कमजोर कर सकता है। विधेयक के मसौदे के अनुसार यदि किसी समूह की सदस्यता के कारण जानबूझकर किसी व्यक्ति के खिलाफ ऐसा कृत्य किया जाए जो राष्ट्र के सेक्युलर ताने-बाने को नष्ट करने वाला हो..। सबसे बड़ी शरारत शब्द समूह की परिभाषा में की गई है। इसमें कहा गया है कि समूह का तात्पर्य भारत के किसी राज्य में धार्मिक अथवा भाषाई अल्पसंख्यक या अनुसूचित जाति अथवा जनजाति से है। इसका अर्थ है कि हिंदू, जो आज ज्यादातर राज्यों में बहुसंख्यक हैं, इस कानून के तहत समूह के दायरे में नहीं आएंगे। लिहाजा उन्हें इस कानून के तहत संरक्षण नहीं मिल सकेगा, भले ही वे मुस्लिम अथवा ईसाई सांप्रदायिकता, घृणा या हिंसा के शिकार हों। अनेक विश्लेषकों ने कहा भी है कि इसका अर्थ है कि यदि 2002 में यह कानून लागू होता तो जिन 59 हिंदुओं को गुजरात के गोधरा स्टेशन में साबरमती स्टेशन में जलाकर मार दिया गया उनकी हत्या के संदर्भ में एफआइआर दर्ज नहीं कराई जा सकती थी, क्योंकि इस कानून के तहत गुजरात में हिंदू बहुसंख्यक हैं, लेकिन मुस्लिम गोधरा बाद के दंगों के लिए इस कानून के प्रावधानों का इस्तेमाल कर सकते थे। इसका सीधा अर्थ है कि सांप्रदायिक हिंसा का शिकार होने वाले हिंदुओं को दोयम दर्जे के नागरिक के रूप में देखा जाएगा और यह काफी कुछ पाकिस्तान जैसे इस्लामिक राज्य में लागू हिंदू विरोधी कानूनों की तरह है। प्रस्तावित कानून के मसौदे के अनुसार एक पीडि़त की व्याख्या अल्पसंख्यक समुदाय के सदस्य के रूप में की गई है, जिसे सांप्रदायिक हिंसा की घटना में शारीरिक, मानसिक, मनोवैज्ञानिक और आर्थिक क्षति पहुंची हो या उसकी संपत्ति को नुकसान हुआ हो। इसके दायरे में उसके संबंधी, कानूनी अभिभावक और उत्तराधिकारी भी शामिल हैं। इस व्याख्या के आधार पर देश के किसी हिस्से में कोई मुस्लिम या ईसाई का यदि किसी सामान्य मुद्दे पर अपने हिंदू पड़ोसी से विवाद होगा तो वह इस कानून का इस्तेमाल कर अपने पड़ोसी पर यह आरोप लगा सकता है कि उसने उसे मनोवैज्ञानिक नुकसान पहुंचाया है। यदि वह किसी कारण ऐसा न करे तो उसके संबंधी ऐसा कर सकते हैं। इस पूरी कवायद का जो बुनियादी मकसद नजर आता है वह है हिंदुओं को निशाना बनाना। विधेयक कहता है कि इसे पूरे भारत में लागू किया जाएगा, लेकिन जब देश के एकमात्र मुस्लिम बहुल राज्य जम्मू-कश्मीर की बात आती है तो इसमें कहा गया है कि केंद्र सरकार जम्मू-कश्मीर राज्य की सहमति से इसे वहां लागू कर सकती है। यद्यपि इस विधेयक को इस तरह अंतिम रूप दिया गया है कि हिंदू समुदाय इसके विचित्र प्रावधानों की मार झेले, लेकिन मुस्लिम, ईसाई और सिखों को भी परेशानी झेलनी पड़ सकती है, क्योंकि बहुसंख्यक-अल्पसंख्यक के निर्धारण के लिए राज्य ही इकाई है। 2001 के जनगणना आंकड़ों के मुताबिक सिख पंजाब में 59.9 प्रतिशत हैं, जबकि हिंदुओं की आबादी 36.9 प्रतिशत है। यदि यह कानून लागू हो
जाता है तो बहुसंख्यक सिख समाज को हिंदुओं की शिकायत पर परेशानी का सामना करना पड़ सकता है। इसी तरह ईसाई तीन राज्यों-नागालैंड (90 प्रतिशत), मिजोरम (87 प्रतिशत) और मेघालय (70.30 प्रतिशत) में बहुसंख्यक हैं। यदि इन राज्यों में हिंदुओं ने इस कानून का मनमाना इस्तेमाल शुरू कर दिया तो ईसाई समाज को मुसीबतें उठानी पड़ सकती हैं। लिहाजा मुस्लिम, ईसाई और सिख समुदाय को कांग्रेस पार्टी के इस दावे पर कदापि भरोसा नहीं करना चाहिए कि यह विधेयक पंथनिरपेक्षता को मजबूत करेगा, क्योंकि यह विधेयक सांप्रदायिक हिंसा और घृणा के सभी दोषियों को बराबरी पर नहीं देखता। प्रत्येक राज्य में बहुसंख्यक और अल्पसंख्यक के निर्धारण में एक अन्य विसंगति भी है। मणिपुर में 46 प्रतिशत हिंदू हैं और अरुणाचल प्रदेश में 34.60 प्रतिशत। चूंकि इन राज्यों में किसी धार्मिक समूह के पास स्पष्ट बहुमत नहीं है लिहाजा किसे पीडि़त माना जाएगा और किसे दोषी? इसके अतिरिक्त यदि अनुसूचित जाति और जनजाति को हिंदू समुदाय से अलग कर दिया जाए तो इन राज्यों में हिंदू आबादी का प्रतिशत क्या होगा? केरल का मामला भी है, जहां 56.20 प्रतिशत हिंदू हैं। अगर इससे 22 प्रतिशत अनुसूचित जाति और जनजाति को अलग कर दिया जाए तो हिंदुओं का प्रतिशत क्या होगा? यह कहने में संकोच नहीं होना चाहिए कि जो कानून बनाया जा रहा है वह दरअसल सांप्रदायिक भी है और एक समुदाय यानी हिंदुओं को निशाना बनाने वाला भी। अगर इस विधेयक के सूत्रधार अपने मंसूबे में सफल रहे तो भारत की एकता और अखंडता खतरे में पड़ जाएगी। ऐसा विधेयक वह व्यक्ति नहीं बना सकता जो लोकतांत्रिक और पंथनिरपेक्ष भारत से प्यार करता है। हमें इसकी जांच करनी चाहिए कि विधेयक का मूल मसौदा कहां से आया है? (लेखक वरिष्ठ स्तंभकार हैं)
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