[Assam] Religious conversions and religious freedom - AT Editorial
This is one of the best I have read on the subject. Kaushish has done a great job. --Ram Religious conversions and religious freedom— Poonam I KaushishIndia is caught up in a battle royale between the Gods. At one end, our political undatas are busy churning the reservation cauldron in their reckless pursuit of OBC nirvana. At the other, the holy fanatics are busy 'decoding' the blockbuster film Da Vinci Code. Amidst this clash of 'holier than thou' fervour has come a religious benedict from the Vatican. Which has exposed the 'unholy' testament of the sacred Holy See and its Pope and threatens to destroy the body politic of the nation with international overtones. Where even angels fear to tread! It all started with Pope Benedict XVI's provocative remarks out of the blue condemning India's attempts to "legislate clearly discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right to religious freedom and the disturbing signs of religious intolerance which have troubled some regions of the nation." Even as the country rubbed its eyes in disbelief, New Delhi appropriately summoned the Vatican's envoy and curtly ticked him off. Reiterating India's secular and democratic credentials, the Pointiff was told to lay off India's internal matter. The Pope's statement comes against the backdrop of Rajasthan becoming the sixth State to enact the anti-conversion law. Already, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Arunchal Pradesh, Chhattigarh, and Gujarat have laws that bar conversions but allow re-conversions to Hinduism. Jharkhand has declared its intention to enact a similar law. It is another matter that all these States are presently BJP-ruled. Remember, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa enacted the law under Congress rule. Is the Pontiff justified in stating that India is bereft of a religious conscience? That it lacks freedom of religion? Given the fact that xenophobic, racial, and religious killings are a part of the western world; that post World War II, peace was more a religious rather than a political issue. The answer is a resounding no. Since Independence, the Christian minority totalling about 2.34 per cent of the population has enjoyed perfect harmony with their Hindu brethren. Even as history has stood testimony to occasional Hindu-Muslim clashes there have been no Hindu-Christian quarrels.Nevertheless, how does one explain the rape of the nuns in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, the burning of chapels, howsoever kachche, in Dangs, Gujarat, and the murder of the Australian missionary Grahm Staines and his children in Manoharpur, Orissa? Dismiss it as religious xenophobia? An orchestrated political conspiracy? Or is it the outcome of a raging feud by the Sangh Parivar over re-conversions across the country. What is the truth? Clearly, 'religious conversion has become the most exploited and explosive social and political issue in India. The modus operandi is simple. Ignorant Dalits or tribals are lured to Christianity, with the promise that it would free them from caste bondage.' (It's another matter that it fails to deliver them from caste-oppression.) Add to this economic lollipops – jobs, schools, health facilities and social benefits – dignity, self-respect – one is face to face with instances of fraudulent conversion. Turn North, South, East or West, the story is the same. Religion is turning out to be a question of money, big money. Flush with funds from their headquarters in the United States, a number of church groups are allegedly converting hundreds of Hindus to Christianity in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka by giving them money and jobs. In Kashmir, Christian missionaries are accused of trying to convert earthquake-affected people under the garb of providing relief by way of monetary incentives, free gas cylinders, water bottles, audio cassettes and a copy of the New Testament in Urdu. In Arunachal Pradesh, which had banned religious conversions long back, about 50 per cent of the State's population is said to have been converted to Christianity by missionaries operating from neighbouring States Assam and Nagaland by deception and allurements. The tragedy of it all is Hindu, Muslim and, now Christian fundamentalism does not occur in a vacuum. It has a context. Of political and intellectual double-speak. Thus, pseudo-secularism has become a populist stock in trade. Wherein secularism has degenerated from its lofty ideal of equal respect for all religions to a cheap diabolical strategy for creating minority vote-banks – first the Muslim minority and now the Christian, the second largest community in India. The genesis of this religious vote-bank politics has been reflected at great length in the nearly forgotten but crucial report of high-level committee set-up in 1956, to primarily enquire into increasing conversions of tribals into Christianity. This five-member Committee, headed by M B Niyogi, dealt exhaustively with the psychosis of conversion, its political background and implications, and meaning of
[Assam] Selfishness vs Lokasangraha
Dear Rajib, Umesh and Bhuban, Thanks for your input about Charvaka. “Sanatana Path” (called "Hinduism" by many) being open-minded, Charvaka was not ignored.My this letter is not a reply of all the wonderful points that you have raised. I am still trying to studymore about Charvaka with my limited capacity. I invite everybody to join in this discussion because this may have an influential impact on the rise of "selfishness" in modern life. In Mahatma Gandhi’s country of “Tena tyaktena bhunjithah” “live with renunciation” (Isha Upanishad 1/1) why is greed reestablished today as the driving force in economy thatignores taking care of each other ? Lokasangraha of Bhagavadgita is to run the world selflessly by taking care of each other in the society with affection, compassion, love and truth, the daivi sampada that Shrikrishna enunciated in Bhagavadgita. This was accentuated by Jesus in 1 Corinthians 13, which was concluded with His famous saying : Now abideth Trust, Hope, Love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love. These principles sustain life. Does the principle of Charvaka, or the principle of modern selfishness promoters like Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), sustain life? Surprisingly, Sanatana Path does not indoctrinate. It tries to discuss the pros and cons of all the alternatives. Choice is open. The wrong path brings destruction. Rajen Barua made a very valid point “The truth is that the world is running on its own automatically eternally without any operator controlling it. It is running under theLaw of 'karmic cause and effect' …” If the planet earth with the entire humankind is turnedinto dust particles, the universe --- the“world” --- will still be “running on its own automatically eternally without any operator” so it maybe an intelligent choice to go for those principles that sustain life, without decorating “selfishness” with trappings such as “truthful, integrity, freedom” “work hard and enjoy the fruits of his labor..” Enjoy what? The everlasting enjoyment is renunciation. Work hard, but don’t let work bind the worker. Work hard, but work to take care of others, because such work does not bind the worker. Such work begins with taking care of the family, but once the children are on their own feet, work for the society the study of daivi sampada and asuri sampada in Bhagavadgita Chapter 16 will bevery pertinent at this point. I request the netters to bring up the 24 verses of the Chapter 16 into the discussion. With love to everybody, Himendra - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Assam@assamnet.org Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 3:23 AM Subject: Re: [Assam] Fw: Hindu-Christian Big-Bang Theory Ø Is it just live life with pleasure that is at the core of Charvaka philosophy? Or is there more to it - find balance of material and spiritual pursuits? Or be truthful, have integrity, freedom etc. are central to it? Thakur Saheb The following website discusses Carvaka in detail: http://www,answers.com/main/ntquey;jsessionid=4su10p2e975mg?method=4dsid=… As a High School student, I had Sanskrit as one of my subjects. We were lucky to have a very learned teacher, namely, the late Mr Phanibhushan Bhattacharyya, Vyakarantirtha. He wrote a number of books in Assamese and was known to have compiled a Sanskrit-Assamese dictionary . He died long ago and I do not know what happened to his dictionary. He used to quote from original Sanskrit sources profusely and frequently whenever there was a chance to do so. The ‘ghreetong pibet Charvaka’ was such a quote. As a school student what we were given to understand was that Carvaka was not meant to be taken seriously. It was then a matter of a little bit of humour for the religious scholars and the intelligentsia of the times; perhaps in the final analysis it is so now. Bhuban ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Re: [Assam] H-1B cap already reached !! --But.....still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060*******
We do too - Wish youall the best! From: "mc mahant" [EMAIL PROTECTED]To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]CC: assam@assamnet.orgSubject: Re: [Assam] H-1B cap already reached !! --But.still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060***Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2006 07:17:08 +0530 Hope everyone wishes me well. Everyone's moral support has always been important for me. As someone has said " For one who has nothing let there be Hope." I DO !! mm From:umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED]Reply-To:[EMAIL PROTECTED]To:assam@assamnet.orgSubject:Re: [Assam] H-1B cap already reached !! --But.still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060***Date:Sat, 3 Jun 2006 20:23:20 +0100 (BST) H-1B cap already reached for '07http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1611306.cms But only filled 5,800 out of 20,000 for those with US masters degrees.http://www.immigration.com/newsletter1/h1bcapreach06.pdf It means now the contractor and his immigration lawyer - has free time for people like me since he is free from other visa applicants. Maybe the immigration officials would be laess harried and in better mood to grant visas too (like my lawyer friend in New York -and a one time neighbor and school-calssmate from Jaipur and Delhi said --that don'y go for visa intervioew on Mondays and Fridays since US visa officers are likely to be in less benevelont mood in these days -beginning and end of the workweek)umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It seems I will get my work card soon (whcih expires June 30th, 2006) but it would still be suseful since I can use it to justify my current status while applying for an H-1B visa. I still have to discuss whqat job category and salary I would eb working on. I am also seriusly thinking of taking PRAXIS test for High school math - before applying - my current prep. for high school tutoring entrance tests is making me more and more confident. There is nothing like impending doom to get a person going and trying all stops to make things work. It is like being in Russia without knowing Russian or English. The work permit card will first go to Harvard Univ - to the Student Affairs office of Edu. School - which I had given to the USCIS last year - and then will come to me thru the Director of Internatioanl Affairs there. So, perhaps by end of another fortnight I should have applied for H-1B visa -fi all goes well (incl arraingement for visa fees of over $2,000). Hope everyone wishes me well. Everyone's moral support has always been important for me. As someone has said " For one who has nothing let there be Hope." Regards. Umesh USCIS-CSSO [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 22:45:13 -0400 (EDT)From: USCIS-CSSO [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Case Status Information for Receipt Number: EAC060*To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***The following is the latest information on your case statusReceipt Number: EAC060*Application Type: I765 , APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATIONCurrent Status: On May 31, 2006, the card order was completed and we mailed the applicant's new card directly to him or her. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this card, you may wish to verify or update your address. To update your address, please call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision or advice from USCIS within the projected processing time frame*, please contact the National Customer Service Center. National Customer Service Center (800) 375-5283.*The projected processing time frame can be found on the receipt notice that you received from the USCIS.*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.Sincerely,The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 207401-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 207401-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org ___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Re: [Assam] [POSSIBLE SPAM] Re: H-1B cap already reached !! --But.....still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060*******
Alpanaji,Thank you!Umesh"Alpana B. Sarangapani" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We do too - Wish youall the best! From: "mc mahant" [EMAIL PROTECTED]To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]CC: assam@assamnet.orgSubject: Re: [Assam] H-1B cap already reached !! --But.still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060***Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2006 07:17:08 +0530 Hope everyone wishes me well. Everyone's moral support has always been important for me. As someone has said " For one who has nothing let there be Hope."I DO !! mm From:umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED]Reply-To:[EMAIL PROTECTED]To:assam@assamnet.orgSubject:Re: [Assam] H-1B cap already reached !! --But.still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060***Date:Sat, 3 Jun 2006 20:23:20 +0100 (BST)H-1B cap already reached for '07http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1611306.cms But only filled 5,800 out of 20,000 for those with US masters degrees.http://www.immigration.com/newsletter1/h1bcapreach06.pdf It means now the contractor and his immigration lawyer - has free time for people like me since he is free from other visa applicants. Maybe the immigration officials would be laess harried and in better mood to grant visas too (like my lawyer friend in New York -and a one time neighbor and school-calssmate from Jaipur and Delhi said --that don'y go for visa intervioew on Mondays and Fridays since US visa officers are likely to be in less benevelont mood in these days -beginning and end of the workweek)umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It seems I will get my work card soon (whcih expires June 30th, 2006) but it would still be suseful since I can use it to justify my current status while applying for an H-1B visa. I still have to discuss whqat job category and salary I would eb working on. I am also seriusly thinking of taking PRAXIS test for High school math - before applying - my current prep. for high school tutoring entrance tests is making me more and more confident. There is nothing like impending doom to get a person going and trying all stops to make things work. It is like being in Russia without knowing Russian or English. The work permit card will first go to Harvard Univ - to the Student Affairs office of Edu. School - which I had given to the USCIS last year - and then will come to me thru the Director of Internatioanl Affairs there. So, perhaps by end of another fortnight I should have applied for H-1B visa -fi all goes well (incl arraingement for visa fees of over $2,000). Hope everyone wishes me well. Everyone's moral support has always been important for me. As someone has said " For one who has nothing let there be Hope." Regards. Umesh USCIS-CSSO [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 22:45:13 -0400 (EDT)From: USCIS-CSSO [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Case Status Information for Receipt Number: EAC060*To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***The following is the latest information on your case statusReceipt Number: EAC060*Application Type: I765 , APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATIONCurrent Status: On May 31, 2006, the card order was completed and we mailed the applicant's new card directly to him or her. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this card, you may wish to verify or update your address. To update your address, please call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision or advice from USCIS within the projected processing time frame*, please contact the National Customer Service Center. National Customer Service Center (800) 375-5283.*The projected processing time frame can be found on the receipt notice that you received from the USCIS.*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.Sincerely,The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)Umesh Sharma5121 Lack awanna STCollege Park, MD 207401-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 207401-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 20740 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education
Re: [Assam] For Mukul-da: H-1B cap already reached !! --But.....still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060*******
Mukul-da,Thank you for your support!Umeshmc mahant [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Hope everyone wishes me well. Everyone's moral support has always been important for me. As someone has said " For one who has nothing let there be Hope."I DO !! mm From:umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED]Reply-To:[EMAIL PROTECTED]To:assam@assamnet.orgSubject:Re: [Assam] H-1B cap already reached !! --But.still...: CaseStatus Information for Receipt Number: EAC060***Date:Sat, 3 Jun 2006 20:23:20 +0100 (BST)H-1B cap already reached for '07http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1611306.cms But only filled 5,800 out of 20,000 for those with US masters degrees.http://www.immigration.com/newsletter1/h1bcapreach06.pdf It means now the contractor and his immigration lawyer - has free time for people like me since he is free from other visa applicants. Maybe the immigration officials would be laess harried and in better mood to grant visas too (like my lawyer friend in New York -and a one time neighbor and school-calssmate from Jaipur and Delhi said --that don'y go for visa intervioew on Mondays and Fridays since US visa officers are likely to be in less benevelont mood in these days -beginning and end of the workweek)umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It seems I will get my work card soon (whcih expires June 30th, 2006) but it would still be suseful since I can use it to justify my current status while applying for an H-1B visa. I still have to discuss whqat job category and salary I would eb working on. I am also seriusly thinking of taking PRAXIS test for High school math - before applying - my current prep. for high school tutoring entrance tests is making me more and more confident. There is nothing like impending doom to get a person going and trying all stops to make things work. It is like being in Russia without knowing Russian or English. The work permit card will first go to Harvard Univ - to the Student Affairs office of Edu. School - which I had given to the USCIS last year - and then will come to me thru the Director of Internatioanl Affairs there. So, perhaps by end of another fortnight I should have applied for H-1B visa -fi all goes well (incl arraingement for visa fees of over $2,000). Hope everyone wishes me well. Everyone's moral support has always been important for me. As someone has said " For one who has nothing let there be Hope." Regards. Umesh USCIS-CSSO [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 22:45:13 -0400 (EDT)From: USCIS-CSSO [EMAIL PROTECTED]Subject: Case Status Information for Receipt Number: EAC060*To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]*** DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS E-MAIL ***The following is the latest information on your case statusReceipt Number: EAC060*Application Type: I765 , APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT AUTHORIZATIONCurrent Status: On May 31, 2006, the card order was completed and we mailed the applicant's new card directly to him or her. If 30 days have passed and you have not received this card, you may wish to verify or update your address. To update your address, please call the National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.If you have questions or concerns about your application or the case status results listed above, or if you have not received a decision or advice from USCIS within the projected processing time frame*, please contact the National Customer Service Center. National Customer Service Center (800) 375-5283.*The projected processing time frame can be found on the receipt notice that you received from the USCIS.*** Please do not respond to this e-mail message.Sincerely,The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 207401-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com Umesh Sharma5121 Lackawanna STCollege Park, MD 207401-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]Ed.M. - International Education PolicyHarvard Graduate School of Education,Harvard University,Class of 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org ___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 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org
[Assam] Fwd: [christiancouncil] Caste matters in the Indian Media
"Dr. Satinath Choudhary"@yahoo.com wrote: To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]From:"Dr. Satinath Choudhary"Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2006 17:53:22 +0530Subject: [christiancouncil] Caste matters in the Indian Mediahttp://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/06/03/stories/2006060301841000.htmCaste matters in the Indian mediaSiddharth VaradarajanIf television and newspaper coverage of the anti-reservation agitation was indulgent and one-sided, the lack of diversity in the newsroom is surely a major culprit.MY FIRST brush with caste prejudice in higher education came in 1999, when a group of Dalit students from the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) came to see me at my office in another English newspaper where I worked at the time as an editorial writer.The students were residents of the hostel and had silently borne the brunt of casteist abuse and discrimination for some time. Whether by happenstance or design, the Scheduled Caste students were confined to two floors and not assigned rooms elsewhere in the building. In the dining hall, they were forced by the forward caste majority to sit together at one end. If a Dalit student sat somewhere else, he would be abused. "Bloody shaddu," one of them was told when he sat amidst others by mistake, "you cannot eat with us."The Dalits put up with this harassment and humiliation because, as one of their parents told them, "you have to become a doctor at any cost." But the abuse eventually turned to violence and when one of the students was badly beaten and another had his room ransacked, they decided to go on a dharna. This is also when they ended up in my office.After hearing them out, I requested the head of the Metro section to send someone to UCMS to cover the story. I was promised a reporter would be sent soon. Several days went by but nothing appeared. It turned out no reporter was assigned. I tried again, this time going one notch higher in the editorial chain-of-command. Again there was no response. Eventually, I decided to do the story myself. I spent half-a-day at the college, interviewed the college authorities, the students on dharna as well as the general category students. One of them admitted reluctantly to using the slur `shaddu' for the Scheduled Caste students but only as a `pet name'.I filed the story but it did not appear the next day or the day after. Nobody ever said the story was not interesting or not up to scratch but for some reason space could never be found. The story finally appeared, in a cut and mutilated form, a full month after the Dalit students began their dharna. Needless to say, the travails of the Dalit students at UCMS were not considered newsworthy enough by other newspapers or by any of the news channels.I narrate this story because of how it contrasts with the extraordinary indulgence the national media showed the nearly month-long anti-reservation agitation of doctors and medical students at AIIMS and other colleges. Despite the 24x7 presence of TV cameras, the daily protests in favour of reservation by AIIMS doctors and staff under the banner of `Medicos Forum for Equal Opportunities' were virtually blacked out. One channel showed the counter-protest last Sunday only when a `citizen journalist' presented it with footage he had shot. Often, it was impossible to separate the breathless TV reporters from the anti-reservation doctors they were reporting about. The insensitive and casteist forms of protest some of them adopted -- the `symbolic' sweeping of streets, the shining of shoes, the singing of songs warning OBCs and others to `remember their place' (`apni aukat mein rahio') -- were put on air without comment by the channels. Nobody asked what kind of doctors these `meritorious' students were likely to become if they had such contempt towards more than half the population of India. And in a media discourse which routinely reports the protests of the underprivileged only as "traffic jams" and other disruptions to the "normal" life of the city, the suffering of poor patients as a result of the AIIMS strike figured largely as a footnote to the "heroic" struggle the medical students and junior doctors were waging.Amidst the hysteria induced by the media coverage, no one cared to point out how indulgent the AIIMS authorities themselves were being towards the anti-reservation strike. Earlier this year, when a section of doctors concerned about higher user fees being imposed on poor patients sought to protest, they were warned of dire consequences. Under the terms of a High Court order, no protest or demonstration is permitted within the AIIMS campus. Yet nobody demurred when the anti-reservation students occupied the lawns, put up shamianas and coolers and received the "solidarity" of traders, event managers, and IT employees (whose employers usually ban their own staff from ever striking work.)While there were honourable exceptions -- Outlook, The Hindu , and Frontline among them, as well as individual reporters in some newspapers and channels
Re: [Assam] Religious conversions and religious freedom - AT Editorial
Assamese writers are becoming better than those of national dailies!All points were good - but my focus - it stems from the tales I heard from my father about his stay in Nagaland in the mid 70s . He recalled that once a civilian Gorkha (Nepali Hindu) ran into their army camp -pleading to protect him. The locals (tribal Christians) were after him saying " Kill him, Kill him. He is a Hindu." There were no riots going on there . Such reports have come fro BBC about Tripura in recent years as well -as well as Nagalim for Christ report lst year by a US Daily. Thus, the fear that Hindus becoming minorities thru conversions leads to their persecution - Nazi style.*"Significantly, no less than Gandhi condemned mass conversions at a Unity Conference in Delhi in 1924. Later he said: "it is not unusual to find Christianity synonymous with denationalisation and Europeanisation." Further in 1933, he added: "I could understand the Muslim organisations doing this... but the Christian mission claims to be a purely spiritual effort. It hurts me to find the Christian bodies vying with the Muslims and the Sikhs in trying to add to the number of their fold. It seemed to be an ugly performance and a travesty of religion." The Lok Sabha too debated a Private Member's Bill, Backward Communities Religious Protection Bill, moved by Prakash Vir Shastri in March 1960. "UmeshRam Sarangapani [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:This is one of the best I have read on the subject. Kaushish has done a great job.--RamReligious conversions and religious freedom Poonam I KaushishIndia is caught up in a battle royale between the Gods. At one end, our political undatas are busy churning the reservation cauldron in their reckless pursuit of OBC nirvana. At the other, the holy fanatics are busy 'decoding' the blockbuster film Da Vinci Code. Amidst this clash of 'holier than thou' fervour has come a religious benedict from the Vatican. Which has exposed the 'unholy' testament of the sacred Holy See and its Pope and threatens to destroy the body politic of the nation with international overtones. Where even angels fear to tread! It all started with Pope Benedict XVI's provocative remarks out of the blue condemning India's attempts to "legislate clearly discriminatory restrictions on the fundamental right to religious freedom and the disturbing signs of religious intolerance which have troubled some regions of the nation." Even as the country rubbed its eyes in disbelief, New Delhi appropriately summoned the Vatican's envoy and curtly ticked him off. Reiterating India's secular and democratic credentials, the Pointiff was told to lay off India's internal matter. The Pope's statement comes against the backdrop of Rajasthan becoming the sixth State to enact the anti-conversion law. Already, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Arunchal Pradesh, Chhattigarh, and Gujarat have laws that bar conversions but allow re-conversions to Hinduism. Jharkhand has declared its intention to enact a similar law. It is another matter that all these States are presently BJP-ruled. Remember, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa enacted the law under Congress rule. Is the Pontiff justified in stating that India is bereft of a religious conscience? That it lacks freedom of religion? Given the fact that xenophobic, racial, and religious killings are a part of the western world; that post World War II, peace was more a religious rather than a political issue. The answer is a resounding no. Since Independence, the Christian minority totalling about 2.34 per cent of the population has enjoyed perfect harmony with their Hindu brethren. Even as history has stood testimony to occasional Hindu-Muslim clashes there have been no Hindu-Christian quarrels.Nevertheless, how does one explain the rape of the nuns in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, the burning of chapels, howsoever kachche, in Dangs, Gujarat, and the murder of the Australian missionary Grahm Staines and his children in Manoharpur, Orissa? Dismiss it as religious xenophobia? An orchestrated political conspiracy? Or is it the outcome of a raging feud by the Sangh Parivar over re-conversions across the country. What is the truth? Clearly, 'religious conversion has become the most exploited and explosive social and political issue in India. The modus operandi is simple. Ignorant Dalits or tribals are lured to Christianity, with the promise that it would free them from caste bondage.' (It's another matter that it fails to deliver them from caste-oppression.) Add to this economic lollipops jobs, schools, health facilities and social benefits dignity, self-respect one is face to face with instances of fraudulent conversion. Turn North, South, East or West, the story is the same. Religion is turning out to be a question of money, big money. Flush with funds from their headquarters in the United States, a number of church groups are allegedly converting hundreds of Hindus to Christianity in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh
Re: [Assam] MET: Da Vinchi Code film: Now Egypt, Jordan ---TN, Meghalaya and Andhra P also ban
http://www.metimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20060531-084207-3979rMaybe they too do not have to toe anybody's line either.Umeshmc mahant [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:then besides Punjab and Nagaland --it is Meghalaya , Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh who are the most fundamentalist states in India. They have banned a movie which even Indian govt allowed with approval of Catholic church. http://in.rediff.com/movies/2006/jun/02davinci.htm So be it. They do not have to toe anybody's line. Like BJP 's Pramod Mahajan's 3000 Crores ,like his Munna's experiments with Cocaine+Heroin+Champagne. Nor Narendra Modi's ghettoisation.mmFrom:umesh sharma [EMAIL PROTECTED]Reply-To:[EMAIL PROTECTED]To:assam@assamnet.orgSubject:[Assam] Rediff: Da Vinchi Code film: TN,Meghalaya and Andhra P also banDate:Sat, 3 Jun 2006 20:10:42 +0100 (BST)If banning films is a measure of fundamentalism --as New York Times recently mentioned about India banning Deepa Mehta's films http://assamnet.org/pipermail/assam_assamnet.org/2006-May/005966.html- then besides Punjab and Nagaland --it is Meghalaya , Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh who are the most fundamentalist states in India. They have banned a movie which even Indian govt allowed with approval of Catholic church. http://in.rediff.com/movies/2006/jun/02davinci.htm Any comments? Umesh PS: So Most Indian Fundamentalists are from Nagaland and Meghalaya in North East , TN and AP in SOuth India , Punjab in North and Goa in West India??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 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ___assam mailing listassam@assamnet.orghttp://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org ___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 2005weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
[Assam] NETV
Hi all, Many of you must have heard about the new private satellite channel called NETV. Now they have a news channel and an entertainment channel. The following links will show the channels live. The NETV News telecasts news in many languages including Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Nagamese, Manipuri etc... Link for NETV News: http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia-live/ibl/10932/450_ibl-bharati_060405.asx Link for NETV HiFi http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia-live/ibl/10935/256_ibl-dd1_060405.asx Link for the NETV Webpage: http://www.netvindia.com/index.html Priyankoo Dex mathoeta dharona,thikonar xexxari... The mostimportant thingin lifeis neverto forgetwho youare... http://plaza.ufl.edu/priyanku ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
Re: [Assam] NETV
Thank you Priyankoo for the link. I tried it just now - got some Bengali news from Dibrugarh ( I think). Is it normal for there to be some distortions (both audio and video)? Nevertheless this is really good. Will explore to see what else they have. --Ram da On 5 Jun 2006 04:24:41 -, priyankoo sarma [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi all,Many of you must have heard about the new private satellite channelcalled NETV. Now they have a news channel and an entertainmentchannel. The following links will show the channels live. The NETV News telecasts news in many languages including Assamese, Bengali,Bodo, Nagamese, Manipuri etc...Link for NETV News: http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia-live/ibl/10932/450_ibl-bharati_060405.asxLink for NETV HiFi http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia-live/ibl/10935/256_ibl-dd1_060405.asxLink for the NETV Webpage: http://www.netvindia.com/index.htmlPriyankoo Dex mathoeta dharona,thikonar xexxari... The mostimportant thingin lifeis neverto forgetwho youare... http://plaza.ufl.edu/priyanku ___ assam mailing listassam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org ___ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
