[Assam] The Foreigners Act, A National Legislation; given a separate clause for selective use is blatantly discriminatory and in this case violates the Human Rights of the peoples of Assam.
IMDT: SC notice to Centre, Assam http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1475416.cms NEW DELHI: The main poll plank in Assam — the Centre's notification nullifying the effect of quashing of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act — came under the scrutiny of Supreme Court on Monday. A Bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and P K Balasubramanyan issued notices to the Centre and the state government on two petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the February 20 notification, issued by the UPA government to assuage the apprehensions of the minority community. Moreover, the Bench issued notice to Attorney General Milon K Banerjee seeking his assistance in adjudication of the plea of petitioners — Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP leader from Assam Charan Chandra Deka — seeking stay on the operation of the notification on the ground that it was violative of the Constitution. SC will hear on April 10, the plea pertaining to stay. Acting on a petition filed by Sonowal, SC had on July 25, 2005, quashed the IMDT Act as 'unconstitutional' and directed that illegal Bangladeshi migrants be detected using the provisions of the Foreigners Act, putting the onus on the suspects to show that they are not illegal migrants. . However, the Central notification amended the Foreigners (Tribunal) Act and put the position back to the one prevailing under IMDT Act, which provided that the onus of proving a person is an illegal migrant was on the one who files the complaint. Appearing for Deka, senior advocate Ravi Shankar Prasad contended the motive behind the notification was to override the SC judgment quashing the IMDT Act and directing the authorities to take action under the Foreigners Act. While severely criticising the inaction of the Centre to stem the largescale illegal migration from Bangladesh sharing a porous border with North-Eastern states, the SC had stated that Assam faced a situation akin to that of external aggression needing urgent steps from the Centre ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Re: [Assam] The Foreigners Act, A National Legislation; given a separate clause for selective use is blatantly discriminatory and in this case violates the Human Rights of the peoples of Assam.
about tim.umeshBartta Bistar [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:IMDT: SC notice to Centre, Assamhttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1475416.cms NEW DELHI: The main poll plank in Assam the Centre's notification nullifying the effect of quashing of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act came under the scrutiny of Supreme Court on Monday. A Bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and P K Balasubramanyan issued notices to the Centre and the state government on two petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the February 20 notification, issued by the UPA government to assuage the apprehensions of the minority community. Moreover, the Bench issued notice to Attorney General Milon K Banerjee seeking his assistance in adjudication of the plea of petitioners Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP leader from Assam Charan Chandra Deka seeking stay on the operation of the notification on the ground that it was violative of the Constitution. SC will hear on April 10, the plea pertaining to stay. Acting on a petition filed by Sonowal, SC had on July 25, 2005, quashed the IMDT Act as 'unconstitutional' and directed that illegal Bangladeshi migrants be detected using the provisions of the Foreigners Act, putting the onus on the suspects to show that they are not illegal migrants. . However, the Central notification amended the Foreigners (Tribunal) Act and put the position back to the one prevailing under IMDT Act, which provided that the onus of proving a person is an illegal migrant was on the one who files the complaint. Appearing for Deka, senior advocate Ravi Shankar Prasad contended the motive behind the notification was to override the SC judgment quashing the IMDT Act and directing the authorities to take action under the Foreigners Act. While severely criticising the inaction of the Centre to stem the largescale illegal migration from Bangladesh sharing a porous border with North-Eastern states, the SC had stated that Assam faced a situation akin to that of external aggression needing urgent steps from the Centre ___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.orgUmesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005 Yahoo! Photos NEW, now offering a quality print service from just 8p a photo.___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
[Assam] Video: He looked like 'elephant man'
Title: EMAIL THIS Email Powered by * Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified. Modi becomes elephant in UK Click the following to access the sent link: Video: He looked like 'elephant man'* Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email information from any Web site. *This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser. http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url="" ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Re: [Assam] caste system
--- Rajib Das [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Some responses to the points you have made: 1. As per my readings, earlier it used to be called just Dharma (not Varnashrama Dharma) and Dharma became Sanatana Dharma later when other religions came about on Indian soil which are also essentially Dharmic in origin. I haven't really found a reference to the whole of Hinduism being represented as Varnashrama Dharma anywhere. dharma is a general term that roughly means duty (set of prescribed conduct leading to release from life-death). it does not signify any particular duty, so it does not signify any particular religion. it has been used by religions other than hinduism (eg buddhism). If it implied hinduism in particular, buddhism would not have used it. even if we ignored the other religions, dharma on its own does not specify the hindu religion. this is because there are 4 different sets of dharmas for the 4 different varnas. to specify the religion, you need to specify the system that binds these different dharmas together. which is varnashrama. sanatana means eternal. so you are right, it was another appelation used to emphasize the point that Hinduism had no beginning, unlike say Jainism and Buddhism. It was the original religion. 2. No doubt - Manusmriti is where the Varnas are codified into an unjust social order. But Manusmriti came much much later and was not a part of the original scriptures - those that ONLY some consider as infallible in Hinduism. Manusmriti can be thrown away very easily. And that is where my questions were regarding what exactly did you find in the original scriptures (the Rig Veda if you may) regarding a hereditary system of Varna. And how much does it impact the core essence of Hinduism. according to accepted dates, the manusrimiti is closer to the vedas in time than it is to the present. nevertheless, you will not find a pure original state between the vedic and the manu times. your originalist attempt will therefore give you only half a desired result and your choices will reflect your present needs, not original edicts from the past. i am actually not surprised that you want to just make the varna system non-hereditary, and not remove the varna system entirely. 3. The fight for Dalits and Tribals is one of the many elements of the interest in throwing Varna out. There are others such as OBCs, SCs and in certain regions even Brahmins that clamor for change. By itself it is a noble enough cause for which there would be transformation. In fact, the VHP's highly successful strategy in the tribal belt of Gujarat is about 2/3 things: Social Welfare, a non-Varna system and the restoration of the village deities. Is there anything wrong with the whole idea? this is primarily a political issue. a few decades ago, there were anti-dalit riots in gujarat which basically led to the KHAM electoral alliance and decades of congress rule. what the vhp was able to do was turn some in the KHAM against the others. the muslims had protected the dalits from the rioters then, but in the post-godhra riots, the dalits and the adivasis turned against the muslims. also, it turned the fortune of the bjp party, which was reeling after the cooperative bank scams. so are you asking whether the gujarat experiment, which climaxed with the post-godhra riots, is wrong? I am not convinced with what has been presented that the Varna system as defined in the original scriptures (and NOT Manusmriti) is the most defining aspect of Hinduism. I am not convinced also that if the Varna system is thrown out or modified it will result in contradictions in the essence of Hinduism coming to the fore. My questions really was about addressing this point - not about whether in my personal capacity I am a Hindu or not. its fine if you aren't convinced. whatever makes you happy :) xourov __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Re: [Assam] Of Temple Terror - Sentinel letter - ritual killings of animals
you reach new depths with every email of yours. i have never read anything more illogical and rubbish than that! Amlan Saha Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy / Harvard Law School 160 Packard Ave, Medford, MA 02155 Tel: +1 857 928 6824 Original Message From: umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Ram Sarangapani [EMAIL PROTECTED], ASSAMNET assam@assamnet.org Subject: Re:[Assam] Of Temple Terror - Sentinel letter - ritual killings of animals Date: Monday, April 03, 2006 8:20:07 PM Let me tell you about the grapewine about Muslims who are engaged in butchery business and eat meat in North India -- vis a vis vegetarian , non violent Hindus etc. It is believed by many that these Muslims are always ready to fight because of two things - or three . One is that they have a festival of Muharram -- where they inflict pain upon themselves - making themselves impervious to pain . Second, they eat meat and kill the animal slowly by bleeding it to death -- so are not afraid to see blood (whereas a Hindu would faint upon seeing blood spilt) . Third they are adept as using knives of various kinds (to butcher these animals - in their shops or during Bakr-Eid fest etc) and thus do not flinch while using it. In riots - they say that Hindus attack by setting things on fire - given their penchent to fireworks etc --during Diwali and burning of Holika on Holi etc and lamps for worship etc. On the other hand muslims attack with the sword. Noone has done a study about it - but just what I heard. Any info about other faiths and any coments? Umesh */Ram Sarangapani [EMAIL PROTECTED]/* wrote: The brutal animal sacrifices that are so shamelessly resorted to in the Kamakhya temple tarnishes the fair name of Hinduism. - Prakash Gogoi I agree. The sadder part is that such a practice is considered 'normal' in the 21st century Assam (and other parts of India). ** *Of Temple Terror* The recent controversies of varied hues at the Kamakhya Temple is a clear manifestation of the rot that has afflicted our religious institutions. Visitors to the holy shrine of Kamakhya seldom come back with happy memories. No visitor can claim to have escaped the tricks of the peddlers of faith — the pandas; sort of terror! Far from preaching religiosity, these pandas are a personification of greed and ugliness. Blinded by lust for money, they have utter disregard for decency and decorum. Fleecing money from unsuspecting visitors is topmost on their agenda, and they do not hesitate to do it by any or every means. Sadly, this is how it has been for decades, and this is how it will continue to be if the society remains silent. How long will the society remain silent? These pandas seem to have become a burden to the society. In the name of religion, they are blatantly patronizing all kinds of shady and nefarious activities. The brutal animal sacrifices that are so shamelessly resorted to in the Kamakhya temple tarnishes the fair name of Hinduism. By reducing the Goddess into a blood-thirsty deity, they have reduced Hinduism into a primitive faith not worth practising. The brutality of the animal sacrifice has no doubt killed the finer sensibilities of the ones who patronize it. Having stained their hands, they no longer remain human. The crucial question is: why is the society still silent? Is it because it is not that easy to fight this sort of a mafia? The economics of these sacrifices entails huge profits, which is shared by the members of the panda club. Their power is such that even the law-enforcing agencies prefer to remain silent, lest the 'religious' sensibilities should be offended. Are perverted religious sensibilities above morality? It does not need much common sense to understand why the BSF jawans reacted the way they did some time back. Why should they or anybody else put up with the heckling of these pandas who are no more religious entities? It is perfectly within the rights of any citizen to act in self-defence. Day in and day out, visitors to this holy shrine suffer at the hands of the ruthless pandas. Enough is enough. It is time the Kamakhya shrine was liberated from the clutches of these people. The administration of the temple ought to be given to a trust, much on lines of the Vaishnav Devi Temple Trust. Accountability and transparency ought to be the hallmark of the trust. People have the right to know what happens to their money and how well the holy shrine is kept. It is everybody's responsibility to restore the glory of Goddess Kamakhya. A place made infamous for the barbaric practice of animal sacrifices cannot be the abode of the ever-loving mother Goddess. No Goddess would ever thirst for the
Re: [Assam] Of Temple Terror - Pakistani-Hindu interview in DC's kinder-garten
Amlan-da,Just what I heard - not that I say it is true. As I said no study has been done about it.Also, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Don't give thathumbug that everything in every society is good and above board exept that when practiced in Hindu faith. The article below from AT raises the issue that animal sacrifice debases humans and stops them rising to higher feelings. The argument given by many I presented - is that those who practice animal killings are more sub human than others. So go ahead and say that from tomorrow onwards you are going to engage in butchery of animals - Kamakhya style --since it would have only spiritually uplifting non violent effect on you. Do you support Kamakhya animal sacrifice or oppose it -- then why don't you do the same to animal sacrifices of other faiths -aren't you a secularist? It is easy to preach from the ivory towers about what is right (or diplomatic) or are you ready to conduct a study on the effect of religious animal sacrifices on human psyche. As a student you need to be objective and believe in the freedom of _expression_ and use of logic.Quotes from the article below-disprove them if you can:"The brutal animal sacrifices that are so shamelessly resorted to in the Kamakhya temple tarnishes the fair name of Hinduism. By reducing the Goddess into a blood-thirsty deity, they have reduced Hinduism into a primitive faith not worth practising. The brutality of the animal sacrifice has no doubt killed the finer sensibilities of the ones who patronize it. Having stained their hands, they no longer remain human.""A place made infamous for the barbaric practice of animal sacrifices cannot be the abode of the ever-loving mother Goddess. No Goddess would ever thirst for the blood of her own creation. People who indulge in such killings have no respect for life and ought to be treated with contempt."Pak-Hindu InterviewFurther, today I had a chance to talk to a Pakistani Hindu woman now in Washington, DC with her family. She cleared many doubts but raised new ones. She works at the day-care center where I was subbing today - on other days I had been subbing becos she was ill.Initially I thought she was a muslim as her name was Westernised Spanish looking. Her repeated references to her family and her mentioning her children's names - made me realize that she might be a Hindu.I further asked her about the situation of Hindus in Pakistan - relating the case of my aunt who ran with her family from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971. I mentioned that my aunt's family members who chose to remain in Bangladesh (due to family property incl factories, cinema halls etc) dress like mulims when they come out of their houses incl the women.She said "ofcourse I too dressed in blanket while coming out of the house. If they see us wearing (she pointed to her forehead - about wearing the 'dot' or bindi ) they throw stones at us." Further, "not all muslims are bad many are good and help you but those on the street or those who go in the demonstrations are the ones who cause problems." (I then remembered Kashmir's rare images I saw on the Net incl a poster and a photo of 10,000 demonstrators who reportedly were crying that Hindus leave the Valley but leave your daughters behind --ofcourse the millions of Kashmiri Hindus are obliged -now refugeesinrest of India) I asked what is the situation in big cities - is this an issue only in rural or small town areas - I had assumed that such problems could only exist in such places.She said, " I am from Karachi!!" -- FYI Karachi is the former capital of Pakistan and its largest city perhaps - a sea port in Pakistani Gujarat.The I said that my aunt's relatives in Bangladesh are rumoured to have converted to Islam or are not allowed to have Hindu images in their homes. She said, " No -- we do have Hindu temples but when there is religious tensions they destroy our temples like 3-4 years ago the Hanuman temple was torn down and before that the Shiva temple."I said we never hear these news.She said, "they suppress these news."Also, she added "There is a rule that muslims can marry into Hindu families but Hindus cannot marry into Muslim families -unless they convert to Islam. " We were speaking in Hindi/Urdu so translation would be that Muslim youth can marry a Hindu girl and take her into his family but a Hindu household cannot take in a muslim bride.I asked whether it was the law.She said, "No but thats how it is."She added , "Here in Virginia also a muslim girl wanted to marry a Hindu boy and her parents did not like it. One day when they were away the girl asked the boy to meet her at her house. They killed him." My note: ofcourse it could be becos any boy turning up at a girl's house might raise the girl's family's temper.I then told her about the famously banned Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen who wrote about a Bangladeshi
[Assam] Harvard study: effect of violent , bloody videos on children
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press04032006.htmlThis is the first independent, quantitative study to characterize content in M-rated games related to violence, blood, sexual themes, substances, profanity, and gambling observed in game play. The study appears in the April 3 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Special Issue on the effects of media on children and adolescents published by the American Medical Association."Parents and physicians need to recognize that M-rated video games popular with children and adolescents contain a wide range of often unlabeled content, exposing young people to messages that may negatively influence their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors," said Thompson, Associate Professor of Risk Analysis and Decision Science at HSPH.Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005 To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
[Assam] Old News: Kamakhya Pandas save girl from human sacrifice
http://news.indiainfo.com/2003/06/14/14sacrifice.html-from wikipedia linkUmesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005 Yahoo! Cars NEW - sell your car and browse thousands of new and used cars online search now ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
[Assam] ET: India has enormous shortage of good doctors and ....
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1478094,curpg-1.cmsUmesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005 Yahoo! Messenger NEW - crystal clear PC to PC calling worldwide with voicemail ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
[Assam] NYTimes.com: Lowly Status of Women in a Land Struggling to Rise
Title: E-Mail This This page was sent to you by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message from sender: It seems bride burning is common to North India and Afghanistan - what about other places. Wife beating it seems is a global occupation, though. Umesh BOOKS | April 5, 2006 Books of The Times | 'Kabul in Winter': Lowly Status of Women in a Land Struggling to Rise By WILLIAM GRIMES Ann Joness book about Afghanistan is three things at once: a travel book, a work of impassioned reportage and a diatribe. 1. With Yoga, Comedy and Parties, Synagogues Entice Newcomers 2. Living on Impulse 3. A Depression Switch? 4. Chávez, Seeking Foreign Allies, Spends Billions 5. Going to: Buenos Aires Go to Complete List Advertisement Thank You For Smoking opens March 17thNick Naylor, chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, makes his living defending the rights of smokers and cigarette makers in today's neo-puritanical culture. Confronted by health zealots and an opportunistic senator, Nick goes on a PR offensive, spinning away the dangers of cigarettes.http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/thankyouforsmoking/teaser/ Do you love NY? Get the insiders guide to where to stay, what to do and where to eat. Go to www.nytimes.com/travel for your NYC Guide now. Click here. Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
[Assam] AT: ULFA Chief's mother votes in Assam's election
Paresh Baruas mother casts vote www.assamtribune.comJERAIGAON, April 3 Separatist outfit ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruas octogenarian mother Miliki Barua today exercised her franchise saying she had voted for peace in the State, reports PTI. Whichever party comes to power must work for peace in Asom... The new government must work for the greater interest of the State and there should not be incidents like in Kakopathar where innocent people were killed in police firing. There must be peace, she told newsmen after casting her vote. Barua, who was accompanied by her son Bikul, cast her vote at Chokolighoria polling station in Chabua town of Dibrugarh district. The ULFA leaders mother, however, declined to name the party or the candidate she and her family voted for. In a clear departure from earlier elections, the seperatist ultra outfit did not call for a poll boycott this time and appealed to people to vote for politicians who will ensure that problems of the state are resolved and the issue of the states sovereignty is ensured.Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005 Yahoo! Cars NEW - sell your car and browse thousands of new and used cars online search now ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
[Assam] Illegal Immigration - Mexican report - useful to Bangladesh
http://www.sre.gob.mx/eventos/fenomenoengl.htm(u can see it in English also - check link in the web page )I saw a full page advt in a Washington Post paper of March 20th ( i mistakenly took it from the trash can) about what Mexico is ready to do to solve illegal imigration problem in US. Perhaps Bangladesh can take some lessons from it and recognize that such a problem exists concerning its citizens jumping into India - for a start.UmeshUmesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005 To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Re: [Assam] Of Temple Terror - Pakistani-Hindu interview in DC's kinder-garten
I cannot but agree. However, the question remains .. How soft is strong enough to survive . This question was asked by me and fellow students to our professor of International education - who spoke solely of promoting equity and peace. He spoke of collaboration being better than competition - and said we should promote that in students. But how much of collaborative spirit is good -- can it lead to fizzling out of the compettive spirit - also called the 'killer instinct" --in business, academics etc.I do not know whether by killing animals -as sacrifice or otherwise can any way help develop competitive spirit -- but I certainly would agree with anyone that those who practice killings or violent activites are more prone to violence.UmeshRam Sarangapani [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Umesh,The letter in the AT points out to one of the darker sides of Hinduism. In this day and age it is shameful to keep these practices going, to say the least. To me it doesn't matter which religion or cult justifies animal sacrifices as some pathway to heaven - its just rank lousy and tells us how far the human race has yet to go. Your immediate comparisons to animal sacrifices in Islam or some other religion does NOT absolveHindus who do practice animal sacrifices to appease the Gods. There is simply no justification.That AT letter was meant to send a strong message to Hindus who continue with the practice and is probably telling them that there is more to Hinduism than that. Let us not forget that there is a softer side to Hinduism - its spritual and philosophical content. In order for one to get the best out of Hinduism, those are the traits to zero inon. --Ram da On 4/4/06, umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Amlan-da,Just what I heard - not that I say it is true. As I said no study has been done about it.Also, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Don't give thathumbug that everything in every society is good and above board exept that when practiced in Hindu faith. The article below from AT raises the issue that animal sacrifice debases humans and stops them rising to higher feelings. The argument given by many I presented - is that those who practice animal killings are more sub human than others. So go ahead and say that from tomorrow onwards you are going to engage in butchery of animals - Kamakhya style --since it would have only spiritually uplifting non violent effect on you. Do you support Kamakhya animal sacrifice or oppose it -- then why don't you do the same to animal sacrifices of other faiths -aren't you a secularist? It is easy to preach from the ivory towers about what is right (or diplomatic) or are you ready to conduct a study on the effect of religious animal sacrifices on human psyche. As a student you need to be objective and believe in the freedom of _expression_ and use of logic. Quotes from the article below-disprove them if you can:"The brutal animal sacrifices that are so shamelessly resorted to in the Kamakhya temple tarnishes the fair name of Hinduism. By reducing the Goddess into a blood-thirsty deity, they have reduced Hinduism into a primitive faith not worth practising. The brutality of the animal sacrifice has no doubt killed the finer sensibilities of the ones who patronize it. Having stained their hands, they no longer remain human.""A place made infamous for the barbaric practice of animal sacrifices cannot be the abode of the ever-loving mother Goddess. No Goddess would ever thirst for the blood of her own creation. People who indulge in such killings have no respect for life and ought to be treated with contempt."Pak-Hindu InterviewFurther, today I had a chance to talk to a Pakistani Hindu woman now in Washington, DC with her family. She cleared many doubts but raised new ones. She works at the day-care center where I was subbing today - on other days I had been subbing becos she was ill. Initially I thought she was a muslim as her name was Westernised Spanish looking. Her repeated references to her family and her mentioning her children's names - made me realize that she might be a Hindu.I further asked her about the situation of Hindus in Pakistan - relating the case of my aunt who ran with her family from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971. I mentioned that my aunt's family members who chose to remain in Bangladesh (due to family property incl factories, cinema halls etc) dress like mulims when they come out of their houses incl the women. She said "ofcourse I too dressed in blanket while coming out of the house. If they see us wearing (she pointed to her forehead - about wearing the 'dot' or bindi ) they throw stones at us." Further, "not all muslims are bad many are good and help you but those on the street or those who go in the demonstrations are the ones who cause problems." (I then remembered Kashmir's rare images I saw on the Net incl a poster and a photo of
Re: [Assam] Of Temple Terror - Pakistani-Hindu interview in DC's kinder-garten
Umesh, do not know whether by killing animals -as sacrifice or otherwise can any way help develop competitive spirit Really! You disappoint me Umesh. How is it that a bright young man like you has doubts here? Modern day competitive spirit is much more spohisticated than trying to hone it vicariouslyby sacrificing animals at the altar. --Ram da On 4/4/06, umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I cannot but agree. However, the question remains .. How soft is strong enough to survive . This question was asked by me and fellow students to our professor of International education - who spoke solely of promoting equity and peace. He spoke of collaboration being better than competition - and said we should promote that in students. But how much of collaborative spirit is good -- can it lead to fizzling out of the compettive spirit - also called the 'killer instinct --in business, academics etc. I do not know whether by killing animals -as sacrifice or otherwise can any way help develop competitive spirit -- but I certainly would agree with anyone that those who practice killings or violent activites are more prone to violence. Umesh Ram Sarangapani [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Umesh, The letter in the AT points out to one of the darker sides of Hinduism. In this day and age it is shameful to keep these practices going, to say the least. To me it doesn't matter which religion or cult justifies animal sacrifices as some pathway to heaven - its just rank lousy and tells us how far the human race has yet to go. Your immediate comparisons to animal sacrifices in Islam or some other religion does NOT absolveHindus who do practice animal sacrifices to appease the Gods. There is simply no justification. That AT letter was meant to send a strong message to Hindus who continue with the practice and is probably telling them that there is more to Hinduism than that. Let us not forget that there is a softer side to Hinduism - its spritual and philosophical content. In order for one to get the best out of Hinduism, those are the traits to zero inon. --Ram da On 4/4/06, umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Amlan-da, Just what I heard - not that I say it is true. As I said no study has been done about it.Also, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Don't give thathumbug that everything in every society is good and above board exept that when practiced in Hindu faith. The article below from AT raises the issue that animal sacrifice debases humans and stops them rising to higher feelings. The argument given by many I presented - is that those who practice animal killings are more sub human than others. So go ahead and say that from tomorrow onwards you are going to engage in butchery of animals - Kamakhya style --since it would have only spiritually uplifting non violent effect on you. Do you support Kamakhya animal sacrifice or oppose it -- then why don't you do the same to animal sacrifices of other faiths -aren't you a secularist? It is easy to preach from the ivory towers about what is right (or diplomatic) or are you ready to conduct a study on the effect of religious animal sacrifices on human psyche. As a student you need to be objective and believe in the freedom of _expression_ and use of logic. Quotes from the article below-disprove them if you can: The brutal animal sacrifices that are so shamelessly resorted to in the Kamakhya temple tarnishes the fair name of Hinduism. By reducing the Goddess into a blood-thirsty deity, they have reduced Hinduism into a primitive faith not worth practising. The brutality of the animal sacrifice has no doubt killed the finer sensibilities of the ones who patronize it. Having stained their hands, they no longer remain human. A place made infamous for the barbaric practice of animal sacrifices cannot be the abode of the ever-loving mother Goddess. No Goddess would ever thirst for the blood of her own creation. People who indulge in such killings have no respect for life and ought to be treated with contempt. Pak-Hindu Interview Further, today I had a chance to talk to a Pakistani Hindu woman now in Washington, DC with her family. She cleared many doubts but raised new ones. She works at the day-care center where I was subbing today - on other days I had been subbing becos she was ill. Initially I thought she was a muslim as her name was Westernised Spanish looking. Her repeated references to her family and her mentioning her children's names - made me realize that she might be a Hindu. I further asked her about the situation of Hindus in Pakistan - relating the case of my aunt who ran with her family from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971. I mentioned that my aunt's family members who chose to remain in Bangladesh (due to family property incl factories, cinema halls etc) dress like mulims when they come out of their houses incl the women. She said ofcourse I too dressed in blanket while coming out of the house. If they see
