Time for Indians to Reflect

(CHAKRA) To The People of India,

Greetings,

I address you collectively as a nation, as nation builders, and as individuals capable of rationale and reasoning.

As human beings we are endowed with an enhanced intellectual faculty, which is really the only thing that confers us a distinct position in the animal kingdom. Genetically, we are 99% similar to chimps, but that 1% sets us apart. This difference manifests itself in a very special place- the human mind.

Our choices define us, and it is the mind where all choices are made. In the mind alone, transformations that shape the external world are first conceived before being put into action. Indeed, it is a powerful tool, but with great power comes great responsibility. Unfortunately, we have been shirking our responsibilities for a long time now.

Today, we live in an age of social crisis. The trouble isn’t lack of intelligence or some debility; rather it is the lack of knowledge, and the subsequent inaction on our part that follows. Without knowledge, we cannot make informed decisions- crucial decisions that shape our future, and that of our nation.

A region having seismic fault-lines is most prone to geological disturbances- more commonly known as earthquakes. India too is replete with its own fault-lines, but on the political, educational, cultural, social, economic and intellectual fronts. These fault lines disintegrate the country from within, making it susceptible to exploitation in one form or another. I cannot possibly address all of the issues here- that would require a voluminous tome, not an essay. I will however give a bird’s eye view of it, touching upon the general ideas, providing the impetus to do your own subsequent research where required.

Time and time again we hear about “India rising”; sweeping remarks about its financial success, or last year’s GDP growth, at par with- at times even overtaking- China. In short, we hear only about the things that make us feel good as a nation, seldom do you hear about what goes about behind the scenes; the foreign and domestic forces at hand in demolishing the national structure, one day at a time, one unit at a time. These keenly neglected newsreels are precisely what we will present here, but first a brief history lesson.

LOOKING BACK IN TIME:

The Hindu/Indian culture was the cradle of advanced civilization. Everything flourished in this ancient land- Philosophy, Mathematics, Science, Literature, Commerce, Arts, Yoga, Ayurveda, Architecture, Governance, Logic, Astrology, Astronomy, Medicine- you name it, we had it. We even came up with the same postulates of Pythagorus’ theorem before he did, presented in Vedic scriptures, detailing the size and shapes of yajna altars. Thus the cornerstone of every great thought found its epicenter in India.

Being a highly evolved and peace-loving culture, we knew the value of our values. We gave birth to some of the most profound luminaries that walked this earth:- Vyasa, Vashishta, Adi Shankaracharya, Mahavira, Buddha, Valmiki, to name a few, and an endless, unbroken lineage of enlightened Acharyas in this Guru-Shishya Parampara (student-teacher tradition). Then things went awry.

When the Islamic invaders attacked India, there was large scale cultural dishevelment. Wealth was plundered, women were defiled, ancient religions were displaced, and scores of temples were demolished. It would be fitting to term the Mughals- perhaps with the exception of Akbar- as less of rulers and more of barbarians. Long lapses of time make us routinely forget that first it was Babar, who destroyed the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, creating an long-standing legacy of temple destruction throughout erstwhile India, which ended only with the demise of the last Mughul ruler, the ruthless Aurangzeb. Thus India underwent a painful transformation from being the most prolific producers and inventors, to passive ones, because we had to direct our minds and resources toward resisting the onslaught.

The next blow came from the Europeans, when they landed ashore under the pretext of trade. We did not them for an extended stay-back to sample more of our curry dishes- they invaded us. Already weakened by the Mughuls, and thus falling technologically behind, we did not put up much of a challenge to the British, and were once again at the mercy of another foreign power.

It is a well recognized fact that India was the world’s economic superpower for the most part of recorded history. However, due to the Islamic and British invasions, contrasted by the Industrial revolution hitting Europe, India fell behind in the GDP race in the early 19th century, and we never again regained our lost position again

It is crucial to note that in spite of our numerous successes, Indians never set out to conquer other nations, we have always been self sustaining and self satisfied. Even with the outsiders who ruled us, we tried to form amicable relationships, allowing them to assimilate into our way of living, despite their best attempts to extricate us from our own. It is in our cultural DNA to always be accommodating, and therein lies the greatness of our Hindu/Indian culture.

The Hindu-Jewish Summit was held in New Delhi, in 2010. The Jewish Rabbis graciously admitted that the Hindus alone gave them shelter when they were chased into exile by everyone else. Whether it was being ousted from their homeland by the Muslims in Arabia, the anti-Semitist movements of the Christians, or facing the holocaust at the hands of the Nazi regime; Jews have faced a long history of persecution. It is in India where they found their long awaited peace.

The same applied for Parsis- the Zoroastrians now integrated in India. Like the Jews, they too were harassed away from their native Persia by the Arabic Muslims, and thus made their way into the Hindu/Indian culture upon their arrival at Gujarat, into which they were peacefully assimilated.

A NEED FOR INTEGRATION OF CULTURES:

Today, India is a potpourri of many world religions, but it is fast losing its culture due to many eroding factors which we will explore. As we made abundantly clear above, historically, it is the Hindu/Indigenous culture alone that has allowed for the peaceful integration of people in our nation. The cultures associated with the major western religions- with all due respect- do not allow for this plurality in India, as they wish for others to do and believe in the same things that they do.

A sparkling example of this is Dr.Zakir Naik. If you have seen him on television or ‘Youtube’, you would know exactly what I mean. For those who haven’t, he is Islam’s answer to Televangelists, performing his theatrical antics on stage believing that the public is comprised of incompetents. Unfortunately that is true, as most of his audience consist of yes-men. The same applies to Christian Missionaries in India, whose primary motive for the most part is to convert the nation to their faith. That will be further discussed as we proceed.

Pre-Independence, Hindus and Muslims co-existed side-by-side in relative peace, until the seeds of divisiveness had been planted into the Indian soil by the colonizers. Almost all Muslims living in India are converts, and culturally are still very much Indian, but today they are being led astray with the solid influence of figures living in the Arab world, and their dialectics are contrary; even antagonistic to the Indian culture. Over time, those figures are transforming the psyche of Indian Muslims to that of the Arabic world. This breaks the nation from within.

Similarly, the Christian Missionaries who “work” in India are trying to mould India from a very Western angle and that has been causing a lot of friction in rural villages, which is responsible for scores of families falling apart.

In India, family has been the most important social unit, and these domestically implanted “push factors” coupled with foreign influenced “pull factors” are causing massive damage to the social structure of India.

The Hindu religion on the other hand does not require its followers to convert anybody; it prescribes a way of living for the adherents alone, and for no one else. We neither wish to be converted nor are we looking to convert, which is what makes the associated Hindu/Indian culture the most pluralistic and accommodating of all.

As a Hindu, one has no personal restrictions against entering a Church or a Mosque, just as freely as he worships in his own temple, but today it is some fundamentalist sitting in the Middle-East, who determines what Indian Muslims should and should not do.

Let me be very clear here. Adopting a Hindu culture does not mean one needs to adopt the Hindu religion, one can practice their own faith, just as the Jews, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and the Vedic followers have merged seamlessly into a unified Hindu/Indian culture, and quite successfully too. This alone can save our country from internal fragmenting.

Our Ex- President Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam serves as a perfect example of this. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he has been one of the greatest modern contributors to our national structure, and in his capacity has done more for the nation than credited for. His interest at heart has always been India, and despite being born in a Muslim family, he has shown no hesitation in appreciating his Indian roots.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do, it only makes perfect sense that those living in India follow the same principle, without having to give up their religious beliefs and practices. Thus we see that adopting an indigenous culture alone can stop the country from the internal fragmentation envisioned by divisive forces.

In this kind of unity alone lies strength. No one loses their identity; they simply become part of a greater Indian story.

UNDERSTANDING PSEUDO-SECULARISM:

When an organization or entity, in their pretentious bid to be overly secular, behaves in a totally un-secular fashion, this behaviour is termed as ‘Pseudo-Secularism’. When such pseudo-secularism is put into practice, the ones who primarily suffer are the majority inhabitants of the country; in our case, Hindus.

A functioning democracy should reflect the interest of the people, providing equal rights to all and sundry.  As we will discover, the major institutions in our country such as the government, media and educational system are severely crippling the nation through their non-secular practices. Let’s take them on one by one.

PSEUDO-SECULARISM IN THE GOVERNMENT:

Sonia Gandhi, born in Italy, under the name Edvige Antonia Albina Maino, and the rest of the Congress Party have time and again proven that their governance is detrimental to the development of our nation.

It is entirely frightening that in a country of nearly 1.2 billion people, most are oblivious to the facts surrounding the people they elect to power.

Dr. Subramaniam Swamy has collected plenty of incriminating evidence against the Congress officials on many counts, yet the proceedings are moving at a snail’s pace. It would appear that some are in fervent hope of outliving the prosecutor. The media too has unnecessarily been giving him a hard time, despite his efforts to expose corrupt individuals in power. The supporting evidences for Dr. Swamy’s claims are up for display on his website. You may draw your own conclusions from the same.

I can understand that we didn’t really have that much of a choice thwarting the British; what’s done is done, but honestly, must we make the same mistake with the Italian born as well? We need to wean off this colonized mentality and learn to elect one of our own; someone who understands the nation better, someone who is interested in its well being, and someone who can effectively govern it.

Trivia: The family name, ‘Gandhi’, has merely been adopted to play to the sentiments of the masses; sadly it worked. The lesser said about Mrs. Gandhi’s not-so- illustrious child, Rahul Gandhi, the better. One may also want to do some inquiry into what his real name is, as the family has a long history of adopting names that resonate well with the public.

Dressed in white, smiling and waving at the camera does not qualify one to run a nation of 120 crore people, competence does. On all counts, the Gandhi scion is unfit to bear this impending responsibility. It would be a shame to see him as our next Prime Minister in the 2014 General Elections.

MINORITY APPEASEMENT:

Now, the Congress Government partakes in an activity called ‘Minority Appeasement’, which you may consider one of the package deals under the provisions of Pseudo-Secularism.

Here is how and why it works to their advantage, and this will directly tie in to the need for Hindus to be more organized socio-culturally and politically.

In the process of Minority Appeasement, the Government will be extra nice to the Muslim and Christian populace, but they will conveniently ignore other minorities such as Sikhs, Jews, Jains etc. The reason is very simple. Muslims and Christians in India are highly organized in their joint decision making strategies. There is a very high level of agreement amongst them; hence if you can win the confidence of a few, you win them all. That is why an overwhelming majority of Muslims and Christians will vote for Congress alone, which is the reason they are appeased in the first place.

In the case of Hindus, our votes are divided. We cannot reach consensus even over regional MLAs- let alone electing a National Government. This is the reason why the Government must stoop to the level of Minority Appeasement, because the minorities are highly homogenized in their collective decisions. They have no reason to be nice to Hindus; hence the Hindus lie at the suffering end. This absolute lack of socio-political unity among Hindus is the main cause for anti-Hindu parties running the country.

Even Church and Mosque funds are mainly handled by their respective autonomous religious institutions, but when it comes to Temple funds, for some reason the Government often wants to interfere and take control.

Year 2011 presented a shameful incident regarding the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. It is a matter of pride that the members of the Travancore Royal Family were the caretakers of an estimated US$26.76 billion; not having used it for themselves, and a matter of shame that the State Government wished to manage this fund.

For a very long time, Indian Muslims were being provided a Haj subsidy by the government to go to Mecca. In 2007 the government spent Rs. 47,454 per passenger. In December, 2011, Christians were accorded a subsidy to pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It was only after much struggle that the Tamil Nadu Government extended the same rights to Hindus to visit Mansarovar.

United we stand, divided we fall. As Hindus, our lack of consensus on issues is one of the primary reasons for our downfall as a nation.

I once read a joke on the internet: “The second stupidest thing America did was elect Bush as President, but the stupidest thing they did was elect him again.” I sincerely hope our nation does not make the same mistake with the present Government, because if it does, we cannot blame anyone but ourselves. As the saying goes, “fool me once; shame on you, fool me twice; shame on me”.

PSEUDO-SECULARISM IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM:

Educational centers are the most important places to begin shaping our understanding of the world. What we learn in school and college is often what we develop a life-long affinity for.

When you infect the educational system, you are infecting minds; not one, but many. It spreads like an epidemic. Horizontally; it grows by infecting the contemporary population, and vertically; through the generations of culturally deprived children.

It should not come across as much of a surprise, that a large portion of our school and college syllabus is patterned after Western thought, but before I get into that I’d like to point out a fundamental flaw in the modern Indian Education System.

In ancient times, there was equal emphasis on the sciences as well as cultural ethos. Sanskrit Literature abounds with rigorous treatises on logic which would make the Greek philosophers look juvenile in comparison. For sampling purposes, please study one of our Nyaya Shastras. On the other hand, our texts also painted a gentler, more picturesque view of life. The ancients understood the importance of striking this balance and with good reason too.

The brain is divided into hemispheres; the left and the right. The right side is concerned with aesthetics, languages, emotions, intuition, empathy, self image, inter-personal relationships, and a holistic appreciation of things. The left side deals with logic, analysis, objectivity, goals, and is detail oriented. Too much of right with very little left would leave behind a sentimental wreck; irrational and lacking objectivity. Too much of left with little right would give rise to an automaton; a flesh and blood robot with no sentiments or appreciation of the finer side of life. Neither one of these individuals is socially fit.

A well developed person is adequately developed in both hemispheres. He caters to both his emotional and analytical needs as and when required. Unfortunately, our educational system is primarily focused only on the left, turning children into mechanical zombies before every exam, giving no chance to develop their creative side. Parents and teachers need to address this problem. The formative years of children are their school going years, and will vastly determine their future personality.

As the decades pass, we are giving lesser importance to value education and appreciation of Indian culture. The Board of Education needs to recognize this problem, and focus on finding a way to incorporate cultural activities into their education.

Introducing Indian dance forms such as Bharat Natyam, Oddisi, Kuchchipudi, Kathak etc- depending on the State you hail from; Yoga, for a sound mind and body as part of Physical Education, and Carnatic and Hindustani Sangeet, are good steps to take.

These need to find their way into the lives of children. If you are a parent concerned about negative influences on your little ones, try enrolling them into these Indo-cultural activities and mark the difference for yourselves. Even if the schools do not offer them, find a nearby cultural center for Indian arts; every major city in India has at least a few.

Small efforts on your part will turn them into well rounded children, and that can only happen if they are familiar with their cultural ethos.

PRESERVATION OF SANSKRIT:

For several reasons, attempts to bury Sanskrit as a language have been made. One of the primary reasons being that the majority of Hindu literature and scriptures have been written in Sanskrit, so when the language dies, automatically there are fewer people taking interest in these ancient works, so the associated religion and culture start dying along with it, leaving plenty of room for those with ulterior motives to take advantage of this situation.

If there exists an option between Sanskrit and a foreign language offered in school, opt for Sanskrit. It is only the pseudo-secular mentality in our heads that we feel something “foreign” is better, or “cooler”- well it isn’t, nor is it going to impress anyone. It is simply an idea that has been fed to us for a very long time, which we have digested quite successfully.

The good news is that Sanskrit is not a dead language yet. The bad news is it will be if you allow it to happen. Please don’t. We should be just as proud of it as we are of English. It is an important part of your heritage, and its preservation lies in your hands.

MARXIST CURRICULUM:

Every country having a rich and varied heritage would be proud of it. It is disparaging that in spite of living in the land of the Ramayana and Mahabharata; two of the lengthiest and culturally meaningful historical epics, they do not find their way into the school curriculum despite having some very good English translations, yet we find mention of Shakespeare, Gilgamesh and Rumi. Furthermore, we learn tales from Aesop’s Fables, for “Value Education”, but not beautiful ones from the Puranas or Panchatantra.

To illustrate, there is a story in the Puranas, where Ganesha and his brother Karthikeya decide to have a race to see who can go around the world the quickest. Karthikeya sets off like a bolt of lightning, while Ganesha slowly encircles his parents- Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati- 3 times before Karthikeya returns. Ganesha states that his parents mean the world to him, and is declared the winner.

This is what India is about; there is so much to learn from these little stories. It is painfully evident that however good things are, Pseudo-Secularism will always undermine the greatness of our culture.

Dance and music in India have always been hinged on devotion to the Lord, one cannot separate the means from the end, yet we find just that happening. In Kalakshetra, a renowned fine arts school in India, most Ganesha images on which (as per tradition) pooja would be performed, were removed in an attempt to be a more secular.

It gets even worse at University level; pointedly in the case of Liberal Arts majors. Now their entire syllabus not only ignores Hindu Literature, but is often antagonistic to it. Once again, it is very becoming of them to read philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Marx, Descartes and other Westerners, but not any Indian school of philosophical thought such as Vedanta, Tarka, Nyaya, Sankhya, Vaisheshika and etc. If they do happen to read ancient Indian texts, many do so only with a critical eye, not with the reverence that they were intended for, and how can they, when their schools did not provide them any appreciation of these texts via culture based value education? So they end up writing acidic papers on the Hindu culture in the light of their warped understanding of contexts and perspectives.

In summary, you have little kids that have grown up, all ready to be sent off to college, still traditionally impoverished in their thought process. Then due to their inadequate supplementary education, they set themselves up for more more-of-the-same, and get sucked right into the game of rebelling against their own culture, scoring self goal after another. It is truly a no-win situation for them.

These sadly misplaced students find their way into popular media by becoming Journalists, News Reporters, Authors, Historians, Social workers or Western styled Lobbyists. Several of them take up teaching positions, and they teach their students the same things that they had been taught. Thus the vicious circle completes itself, with another generation getting ready for the same treatment. It should be noted that there are still a few exceptional people that I appreciate in each of these disciplines cited above, who do have their understanding in right place; however the general trend is still downhill.

PSEUDO-SECULARISM IN THE MEDIA:

As mentioned, some of the graduating batches of pseudo-secular individuals are likely to pick careers in media/broadcasting, and here is where they wreak wide-spread havoc.

Already steeped in Marxist thought, having only a perfunctory academic knowledge of Indian tradition, and completely removed from our cultural ethos, these media men and women think they understand what is good for India better than many Indians who have fortunately not undergone such a cultural alienation as them.

So far we uncovered the mechanism at work, but who is pushing the buttons? As a common civilian lacking access to inside information, I will refrain from making any statements I cannot fully substantiate, so as an exercise, I do encourage typing the phrase ‘Who Owns the Indian Media’, and performing an internet search on it, from which you can draw your own conclusions.

It isn’t surprising that the vocabulary of some media personalities is replete with mocking adjectives for Hindus taking up some prominent public position; be it a Swami or a Politician. In other words, it is okay if you are a devout Christian or a Muslim, and taking part in politics, but if you are a Hindu, you are automatically associated with one or more of the following terms: “God-men”, “saffron brigade”, “fundamentalist”, “Right-winged terrorist”, “communal’ and more.

There are deviants found everywhere, but for every scandal one can associate a Hindu figure with, ten or more scandals could be pointed out connected to the Church. Would the Indian Media dare extend the same disrespect to Christian Clerics or Muslim Imams, as they do towards Swamis? Not by a long shot.

Another favorite pass-time of the Media is R.S.S. (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) bashing. We have all heard it on television and read it in the papers; the media spends more time dogging after R.S.S. than it does chastising real terrorist organizations.

However not everyone is that biased, here is what a former SC Judge, K.T. Thomas, has to say:

“There is a smear campaign that RSS was responsible for Gandhi’s assassination just because the assassin was once an RSS worker,” he said, adding that the organisation had been “completely exonerated” by the court. “This smear campaign must end against RSS,” he said.

“I am a Christian. I was born as a Christian and practise that religion. I am a church-going Christian. But I have also learnt many things about RSS,” he said.

“During the Emergency, RSS was the only non-political organisation which fought against it, he said. “We owe very much to RSS for sacrificing many lives for regaining our fundamental rights,” said Thomas.

That should put the matter at rest. Plenty more could be said about the media, but this gives the general idea.

Read PART 2: Open Letter to India: A Call to Action

By Ram Vyas

Jawaharlal Nehru lighting a cigarette for the then British high commissioner's wife

“One must beware of ministers who can do nothing without money, and those who want to do everything with money. “ - Indira Gandhi

Disclaimer notice:

First and foremost, the author seeks your invaluable blessings. The views in this article are those of the author only. Any and all faults of understanding the topic at hand are the shortcomings of the author. A healthy debate is always encouraged and all criticism (both constructive and destructive) is welcomed. The author and the readers should never lose sight of the main goal: seeking TRUTH.

Introduction

As a follow up to one of my previous articles, Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill, 2011, I’ve decided to focus my grievances with the unscrupulous subversion of India’s population as perpetrated by the Nehru-Gandhi clan and its minions. I am quite upset by watching India celebrate the failures of the Nehru-Gandhi clan and its continued erosion of the country’s social, religious, political and economic fabric. You know, we usually hear people say things like: “you don’t give this woman or this man enough credit for all the good things he/she has done”. My task in this modest essay is to shed light on what we don’t hear people say enough: “you don’t give this woman or this man enough credit for all the bad things he/she has done”. So be forewarned, I’ll be quite negative in the following paragraphs. If you are a diehard fan of the Nehru-Gandhi family (the clan), then be prepared to get the wakeup call of your life. I will briefly highlight the failures of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and that imbecilic brat unofficially known as Rahul Gandhi. Following the failures of the Nehru-Gandhi clan will be a brief list of present day malaises of India which can be attributed to the clan. I shall conclude with a juxtaposition of Mahatma Gandhi’s insights with the failures to live by those insights by the Congress Party figures and their corporate allies as one final jolt of reality.

Chacha Nehru my foot! Chacha Blunder is more befitting

I get really upset with some arrogant and stubborn historians who attempt to shove the belief that there is no “if” clause in history down my throat. This, to me, is the highest form of subversion! All disciplines should be analysed and reassessed based on the tweaking (up or down) or insertion/omission of certain variables (characters/events – for historical studies) in a model which explains a certain phenomena or occurrence. With your kind permission (dear readers), I shall use the “if” clause to better explain my grievances with the Nehru-Gandhi clan. So let us begin with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (affectionately known as Chacha Nehru). My own take on the fellow is that he was a power hungry cry baby. Nehru exhibited questionable morality – as his affairs with Lady Mountbatten and others are well documented. He was more at ease with experimenting with unproven foreign policy alternatives such as the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which went on to weaken Sino-Indian, Indo-American, Indo-Pak relations while it strengthened Indo-Soviet relations.

And now, let us insert my ‘if’ clause and look at Nehru’s tenure as Prime Minister (PM) of India. If Nehru was not such a cry baby, then he would have conceded his defeat to Sardar Patel in the Congress leadership vote. If Sardar Patel was the PM of India, then we could bet with a high degree of confidence that the map of India would be quite different (I’m alluding to Kashmir and other territorial disputes). If Patel was PM, then India would not be governed by the idiotic and experimental foreign policy dictates of Nehru’s “Pancha Sheel – Five Pillars” framework within the Non-Aligned Movement. Nehru’s idiocy is perfectly exemplified by his turning down of the American offer of a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council in 1955. Instead, our beloved Chacha Nehru chose to be the ‘chamcha’ of our shrewd and realistic neighbours, the Chinese. Nehru vouched for China to have a permanent seat on the council. Nehru’s arrogance in avoiding border discussions and over-confidence in his experimental ‘chamchagiri’ caused India to pay a heavy price on the battlefield in 1962. Nehru never recovered from this blunder and neither did India’s foreign policy. In addition, we should not forget that Nehru (at the insistence of Lord Mountbatten) even put the offer of a plebiscite on the table at the UN in order to resolve the Kashmir dispute. This stupid move is still costing India a high price! Thank you, Chacha Nehru! Next, we analyse Nehru’s daughter.

“Garibi Hatao” – Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi

Indira Gandhi

Where to start with Indira Gandhi? We give lots of credit to Mrs Gandhi for having chopped Pakistan in two pieces. She gave the green light for “Smiling Buddha” to make India a nuclear state. And she brought over to India the Green Revolution (a new age of agricultural best practices and research) which was to alleviate India’s food shortages.  That is where the positive vibes end. Mrs Gandhi was elected as PM for three consecutive terms from 1966-1977 (the third of which was rendered invalid by the courts) and came back to power from 1980-1984 until her assassination by a bodyguard.

Indira Gandhi holds two distinctions: 1) She was the only Indian Prime Minister to have declared a state of emergency so that she could ‘rule by decree’ and 2) She was the only Indian Prime Minister to have been incarcerated after holding the office (Mrs Gandhi committed election fraud in 1971 during her ‘Garibi Hatao’ campaign and was found guilty in 1975). The only ‘Garibi’ that Mrs Gandhi was concerned with was her own. Mrs Gandhi’s ‘rule by decree’ during the state of emergency was simply for two reasons: 1) to eliminate dissidents, and 2) to maintain her stranglehold on the country.

Mrs Gandhi’s son, Sanjay, was instrumental in implementing draconian measures in order to eliminate Congress and anti-Indira dissidents as well as to ravage slum dwellers and poor people during the state of emergency. The infamous ‘family planning’ campaign spearheaded by Sanjay is still fresh in the minds of many Indians. Sanjay’s mass vasectomy campaigns were not conducted under proper sanitary conditions and one can only imagine the pain of infection and death that some of the lured patients felt.  Also, to win the blessings of the Gandhis, many public officers and doctors performed more-than-necessary amounts of vasectomies in order to meet the quota prescribed by Sanjay. Mrs Gandhi failed the Indian people by ruling like a tyrant. She took away the rights and freedoms of Indians while projecting a persona of “Mother” of the nation. For what did she do this? For power!

Indira Gandhi’s failures also hit the Punjab. She let Bhindranwale and his followers get to the point where they could assassinate anyone that they deemed heretics (Nirankaris etc.) as they pleased. At the same time, Bhindranwale’s friends received training from the ISI and they all jointly devised a plan to create Khalistan by taking over the Golden Temple. Indira Gandhi was left with no choice but to show Bhindranwale who was boss. Operation Bluestar and the subsequent actions of India’s supercop, KPS Gill, virtually eradicated the Khalistan movement from India. However, there were some very negative consequences. Sikhs were alienated and violated as their holiest shrine was ravaged. We also had the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. As well, I would like to share that this conflict also took the lives of over 329 passengers of Air India flight 182 in 1985. The passengers of that flight were brutally killed by a time bomb placed in the aircraft planted by Canada-based Khalistanis. 291 innocent Indo-Canadians lost their lives due to Indira Gandhi and the Khalistanis!

As a final criticism, many foreign policy experts suggest that Mrs Gandhi did not push hard enough on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to make the LoC a permanent border between India and Pakistan (with respect to Kashmir). But that is a dwarfed issue as her victory in carving Pakistan in to two pieces overshadowed this criticism.

Indira Gandhi’s legacy is nothing short of tyranny. However, her assassination gained her sympathy and it seems that many people have forgotten all of the bad that she had committed. We now move on to her elder son, Rajiv.

Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi

Rajiv Gandhi was a mixed bag. He came in to politics after the assassination of his mother. She had initially planned to push Sanjay (her younger son) in to the top seat of Prime Minister, but he died in an airplane accident. However, Sanjay did rule the country under his mother’s name. Oh, and what a horrific job he did. Rajiv Gandhi came in to politics by accident but left his mark on India’s history. He started off by promising to modernize India, to press for global nuclear disarmament, to decentralise power, to clean up the Holy Ganges and many other promises. However, he was only partially successful in keeping some of his promises. Rajiv Gandhi helped to pave the way for India’s modern economy and peace with China, but that is where the glory stops. He was voted out of office due to his role in the Bofors scandal.

Rajiv Gandhi’s glories of institutionalising peace with China and modernizing India’s economy were overshadowed by his failures. I’ll list some of TK Arun’s thoughts on Rajiv Gandhi’s failures verbatim:

• “The foremost failure is the contempt he showed for the Indian people….The strategy of serially appeasing first Muslim fundamentalists and then Hindu fundamentalists reflected cynical contempt for the people and their intelligence.”
• “A related failure was his tendency to see people as objects of development, rather than as its subjects, the driving force. This led Rajiv Gandhi to trust technology missions to deliver clearly defined development goals.”

Rajiv never got the opportunity to rectify his mistakes and was brutally assassinated by LTTE terrorists in a suicide bomb blast. Rajiv Gandhi had just started to show some political wisdom while in the opposition but never got the chance to prove himself. I suppose the torch needed to be passed on and his time on earth had come to an end.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi (real name - Antonia Edvige Albina Maino Gandhi)

Take a moment to bow your heads in reverence to Dr Subramanian Swamy. If it wasn’t for his swift actions, then Sonia Gandhi would be the Prime Minister of India (instead of Manmohan Singh). This one man has singlehandedly taken down political powerhouses. Many of the corruption scandals that we hear of and which were perpetrated by the Nehru-Gandhi clan were exposed and brought to the Supreme Court by Dr Swamy’s petitions. I don’t have anything positive to say for Sonia Gandhi and her silly son, Rahul. They both have slapped the small positive legacy of Rajiv Gandhi in the face with the record-breaking levels of corruption and sheer incompetence. Sonia doesn’t speak English or Hindi well. She can only do one thing well, and that is corruption. It must have been something she learned from the infamous Mafia of Italy, her motherland. Sonia is going to be brought to justice eventually. Her role in the numerous scams of the day is being exposed. Her son-in-law, Robert Vadra, became a billionaire out of thin air due to the connections that she had. That is just the tip of the iceberg.

One should understand very carefully that Sonia runs and operates India and her Congress party much the same way as a Grand Patriarch in a Mafia of Italy would do. Sonia is the Grand Matriarch of the Congress party and not a single decision is made without her stamp of approval and cut in the share of profits. Politicians and business people know damn well that they must pay respects and hefty tributes to the Grand Matriarch, Sonia in order to rape and pillage the country. I’ll share an example of how desperate some lowly politicians are to get in to Sonia’s inner circle. A few years back, Amar Singh and Mani Shankar Aiyar were attending a function in Delhi. Both gentlemen enjoyed their drinks but Aiyar had one too many. In a drunken stupor, he provoked Singh in to a mini-brawl. What was the reason? Aiyar was jealous that Singh and his leader (at the time) Mulayam Singh was gaining much clout with Sonia while Aiyar was struggling to get a berth in the Congress Working Committee. Enough about Sonia let us briefly discuss the brat, Rahul.

Sonia’s dear son Rahul does speak Hindi but he is a walking buffoon who has shown absolutely no political maturity. Rahul’s idea of being a man of the people is to roll up his sleeves and sit down at a villager’s home (near his constituency of Amethi) and eat puri-sabzi while NDTV and CNN-IBN report his every move as “Breaking News”. His staged humility is a sham!

Both Sonia and Rahul have dubious education records. However, Rahul takes the prize for the worst Gandhi as he is also an alleged rapist. If India elects Rahul Gandhi as its next PM, then nothing can save the country from pure and utter disaster. Also, what message will India be sending to the world if it elects an uneducated and alleged rapist to the posting of PM?

To sum up, the culture of failing the Indian people has been well preserved by Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul. One doesn’t even feel like wasting one’s time by discussing the endless list of failures that are attributed to these people. Let us now focus on the social, economic and political malaises that India suffers due to the aggregated efforts of the Nehru-Gandhi clan.

Thank you, Congress! You created the vote bank Beast!

Reservations

It is without doubt that reservation has helped the scheduled castes and tribes (SCST) ameliorate their social status – albeit at a snail’s pace. But there are some real positives that we should focus on: India has had an SCST President, Chief Justice, and female Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh (the most populous state). So to an extent, India’s affirmative action project has been working. However, the sticky point is where there are other groups which desire reservations including: Brahmins (the poor ones), poor Hindus of other castes, Muslims, and Christians. These groups have also had the desire to derive some utility from the reservation system so that they could also land public jobs and send their children to IIMs and IITs to be competitive in the Indian market. However, countless governments on both ends of the political spectrum have been able to accomplish nothing for these unfortunate groups. There has been campaign promise rhetoric here and there by tyrants like Mayawati, but that holds no value unless some changes are made.

What the Hajj?

‘The Law of Double Standards’ is my term for the Congress Party’s special treatment given to our fellow Indian sisters and brothers of the Islamic faith. By special treatment, I mean that our Muslim sisters and brothers have huge, government sponsored subsidies which support and encourage them to go on their Hajj pilgrimages (to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina). Conversely, there are no such luxuries for Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, and Hindus of India. India bends over backwards to protect only one group’s religious identity. I am sure that all jurists who are truly secular would not let any such luxury be enjoyed by any religious community. Also, these same jurists should also believe that there is no room for Sharia law in India’s legal system. All Indians should have to go through the same processes in order to file for divorce etc. I hold all political parties which have ever governed India responsible for this. It does not matter if we are talking of Congress or the BJP. The entire political spectrum is guilty of this double standard.

Biased Indian Media

Media Bias

If there is the Congress Party in the political realm, then its propaganda wing consists of most of the media outlets in the country. All leading news agencies are guilty of pro-Congress rhetoric. I will lash out on one specific individual who stands out the most. I must admit my endless disdain for the likes of Barkha Dutt and her Congress-biased colleagues in print and TV media. Barkha Dutt’s crocodile tears at the suffering of Hindu groups are not only wretched but quite comical. Ms Dutt will openly cry genuine tears of sorrow for the pain and suffering of our Muslim sisters and brothers in India and across India’s borders. Ms Dutt is also more pro-Kashmiri independence than the Hurriyat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Sajjad Lone, Sheikh+Farooq+Omar Abdullah, and Syed Geelani combined! If I was Ms. Dutt’s career advisor, then I’d advise her to join hands with fellow sell-out Arundhati Roy to completely liquidate India’s borders!

The Scams

I won’t even elaborate on the exact details of the following scams. The list is actually much larger, but please have a quick peek at the table to get an idea of some of the high profile scams perpetrated by the Nehru-Gandhi clan and its minions.

Disaster

India’s economy is growing at a fast rate and the demographics of the country are promising. However, corruption, lousy infrastructure, and poor governance are all great reasons for concern! Failure to plug these holes may pose the risk of devastating the country. You can thank the Nehru-Gandhi Clan + Congress for the majority of this mess. However, there is a way out.

A homeless young boy waves the Indian flag

Solutions

The first step to improving from the status quo is awareness. I’m not so sure if all Indians are aware of what is truly going on in the country. Media subversion (funded by Congress and its industrialist friends) has played a very negative role in misinforming the public. Alternative media must be further nurtured by the civil society to fight this subversion! It is fast, cheap, democratic, and self-policing. It will be the game changer!

Solutions to India’s problems will only be formulated and executed when the entire population of India knows about the current state of affairs and feels that enough is enough. A collective effort is needed to bring about positive and sustainable change in the Motherland. I would like to offer some food for thought and action:

Mahatma Gandhi gave his grandson, Arun Gandhi, a list of the Seven Blunders of the World that lead to violence. Arun Gandhi added his own idea to the list. Steven W. Gilbert has added four more blunders to the list which focus on teaching, learning, and technology. I’ve added some names beside each blunder (in the Indian context). You be the judge and decide whether my opinions carry any merit or not.

1. Wealth without work [Mahatma Gandhi]  –> Robert Vadra became a billionaire due to Sonia Gandhi’s connections (there are more cases but let us stick to one for now).
2. Pleasure without conscience [Mahatma Gandhi] –> Jawaharlal Nehru (womanizer), Rahul Gandhi (alleged rapist).
3. Knowledge without character [Mahatma Gandhi] –> Manmohan Singh (what use is your education when you have no spine to make decisions?).
4. Commerce without morality [Mahatma Gandhi] –> 2G and CWG Scandals (in recent times). Let us not forget Natwar Singh’s payoffs in the Iraq oil-for-food program!
5. Science without humanity [Mahatma Gandhi] –> Montek Singh Ahluwalia who is lobbying for Monsanto and European/American Pharmaceutical firms to destroy India’s food supply and affordable access to medication!
6. Worship without sacrifice [Mahatma Gandhi] –> All the vote bank seeking politicians who simply pay lip service to communities but are not true to their word.
7. Politics without principle [Mahatma Gandhi] –> P.Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Amar Singh, Salman Khurshid, Digvijay Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi (let’s stick to contemporary politicians only – or else the list will never end).
8. Rights without responsibilities [Arun Gandhi] –> The Apathetic voters who don’t stand up to corruption and tyranny but who complain that their lives are destroyed.
9. Technology without direction [Steven W. Gilbert] –> Nandan Nilekani’s UIDAI government venture has ballooned from Rs 3,023 crore to Rs 17,863 as Nilekani wants to increase his biometric capture mandate. Hmmm, this sounds like a typical consulting engagement which was agreed at one rate and then finalized at a rate which is grossly over budget. It builds dependence of the client on to the consultancy. Typical business model!
10. Connection without community [Steven W. Gilbert] –> Political or business leaders may have Social Media followers or may meet the common man or woman at a face-to-face public event, but that does not translate into true community building. Need I offer examples? I think not.
11. Teaching without joy [Steven W. Gilbert] –> Education is no longer a noble profession in India and elsewhere. It is simply a business! Not to discount the noble educators in the country.
12. Learning without hope [Steven W. Gilbert] –> All of those young students who are working so hard but feel that they have no future due to reservations, corruption, slow job creation, nepotism, and a lack of meritocracy in India!

 
With that, I sign off wishing you all peace, health, righteousness, self-awareness, and endless resolve to clean up the homeland and the world!

Your humble servant,

Abhaya Shanker Dube

Non-Muslim minorities are constantly terrorized in Pakistan

(CHAKRA) In the recent killings of four Hindu doctors of whom three were brothers, members of the Hindu community from the Citizens for Democracy (CFD), have condemned the act, classifying it as a serious hate crime.

According to the CFD, this crime is not an isolated case and is one more act of hatred towards Hindus in Sindh, along with a number of other consecutive crimes. The inevitable system, which has given birth to and honed such racist acts are to blame. It is the reason why institutionalized discrimination takes place in Pakistan to extreme levels where one’s life is put at risk. The risk of losing ones honour, property, and life have increased, making life unbearably insecure, according to a spokesperson for the CFD.

The CFD further stated that women have been primary victims to the faith-based crimes against Hindus in Sindh. Women have been abducted, raped, forced to convert and marry their abductors. They have given no choice but to obey their abductors as a result of threats given to kill their loved ones.

Overtime a type of ethnic cleansing is taking place and in the most direct way possible, yet a Hindu is not able to stand up for their rights in the country due to the institutionalized racism, discrimination and mistreatment of the minority population. More and more Hindus are emigrating out of the country, leaving their homes and belongings behind in the midst of escaping.

On Eid, in Shikarpur a cruel campaign commenced to force conversions and hatred against Hindus which led to the unfortunate event of four doctors being murdered. Shikarpur was once home to rich Hindu traders, and known for its havelis and artisans. However, overtime they have been gradually marginalized and since the partition, there remains only a 9% Hindu population in the whole country of Pakistan.

In the statement made by the CFD, they emphasized that many Muslims in Pakistan are driven by contempt for the Hindu religion and further encouraged by the legal system that supports their hatred. The legal system in Pakistan either creates their laws to go against the interests of minority Hindus or they turn the other cheek when it comes to aiding Hindus in need of service and security.

The four doctors, Naresh Kumar, Ajeet Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Satyapal were brutally gunned down one after the other in the name of tribal honour and religious prejudice, according to the CFD. They were brutally targeted not only because all four of them were from a minority community but because they were from a respected profession and were helping the poor Hindu community to stay healthy and get the health aid they needed.

The CFD demanded that the government take action against the culprits of such a heinous crime so that justice can be served although nothing can bring back the four honourable men.

Overall, they warned the global public of the culprits getting away with such a crime because of their ties with the ruling PPP party who would protect them. All they ask is that people become aware of the lack of justice served for the minorities in the country.

Many Pakistani Hindus are trying to leave the Islamic State of Pakistan out of fear

(CHAKRA) The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned the brutal attack on four Hindus earlier this week in a small town in Sindh province, Pakistan. The attack resulted in the deaths of three doctors: Drs. Ajit Kumar, Naresh Kumar, and Ashok Kumar, while a fourth, Dr. Satia Pal, received serious injuries and is currently in intensive care in a Karachi hospital. The incident has caused widespread fear and apprehension amongst Hindus in Sindh, who frequently complain of inadequate protection from the police.

Such violent attacks on the Hindu community are fairly common in Pakistan according to the Foundation, which publishes an annual human rights report that documents the plight of Hindu minorities worldwide.

“This horrific act is yet another example of the religious intolerance that pervades Pakistani society,” said Samir Kalra, Esq., HAF Director and Senior Fellow for Human Rights. “Hindus and other minorities are routinely subjected to violence and persecution, while the government and police sit idly by and do nothing.”

The victims were reportedly gunned down by members of the Muslim Bhayo community after an alleged dispute involving a Muslim “dancing girl.” Members of the Hindu community, however, maintain that they had been receiving threats for the past three months, since they stopped paying “protection money” to the Muslim Bhayos. Hindus and other non-Muslims are often forced to pay “protection money” to Muslim gangs in order to safeguard their community from violence.

Following funerals for the victims, Hindus throughout Sindh, including in the cities of Shikarpur, Larkana, Umarkot, Tharparkar, and Nawabshah, initiated an indefinite strike and closed their businesses to protest the murders and demand justice. Police authorities have reportedly made arrests in connection with the case, but it is unclear as to whether any of the arrested persons will be charged or prosecuted.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims,” said Arvind Chandrakantan, HAF Executive Council Member. “We urge the government to take all necessary steps to bring the perpetrators to justice and provide protection to the Hindu community.”

Hindu Tribute to Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

(CHAKRA) Steve Jobs, 56 and a Zen Buddhist, died on October 5th, 2011 once served as CEO of Pixar and Apple. In his popular Stanford University commencement address in 2005, Jobs said: “I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna (Hindu) temple. I loved it.” In the same speech, he talked about “karma”: “You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma…”

Many reports suggest that Jobs worked for the video game manufacturer Atari as a technician with the main purpose of raising enough money for about a year-long spiritual and dharmic retreat to India in the 1970s in search of enlightenment. The trip to India including visiting the Ashram of Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba. Steve Jobs came back to America with a shaved head and wearing traditional Indian robes. He regularly walked around his office/neighborhood barefoot which is very common in Buddhist and Hindu faiths.

Hinduism was a definite source of spirituality and inspiration for Steve Jobs as he  liked yoga and was also vegetarian, known for his strong love and compassion to all animals and was even known to explore Hinduism during his trip to India in 1970s.

Hinduism and Buddhism are Dharmic religions with many similarities and both originated in Ancient India.

Deserted Sikh Gurdawara in Abbottabad, Pakistan due to fear of attacks from Islamic extremist

Lahore, Pakistan (CHAKRA)— A prominent Sikh Businessman has been receiving threats from religious extremists who have been attacking his business multiple times in the eastern city of Lahore.

Sardar Bishon Singh claims to have been threatened a multitude of times ranging from threats of death and financial loss. He served as President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. The threats have been in regards to staying quiet over issues.

In addition to the threats, textiles worth up to Rs 7 million was looted from his shop in Azam Cloth Market. He was very upset at the loss but even more upset after hearing threats of death numerous times thereafter.

Singh moved to Lahore from the tribal areas of Pakistan in 1993 and since has been very vocal for Sikh rights and has spoken against the Pakistani government making unjust decisions against Sikhs. Singh has been selling imported textiles in the province of Lahore since he moved there.

When Singh went to open up his store and start his daily operations as every day, he entered his store to find that the building landlords had cut off his power and constructed another shop, blocking the way to his shop.

Singh decided to look into this matter and see if the building of such a shop blocking his was even legal. He found that there was no designated space for the new shop and approached the court where he obtained a stay order. After receiving a stay order, and presenting it to his shop building owners, they threw him out of the tower and closed his shop yelling racial slurs, he stated.

When he attempted to report a complaint with the local police, instead of looking into the issue at hand, they instead looked into whether Singh belonged in Pakistan or not. They simply decided to inquire on his residency in Pakistan because he was not Muslim, implying that Pakistan is only for Muslims.

He even tried to reach Malik Owais, the Superintendent of Police of Model Town, but Mr. Owais simply stated that he had no time entertain Sikhs and had to deal with more important issues.

Singh said the next step he took was he contacted Zahid Aslam Gondal, the Deputy Secretary for law and order in Punjab but said he was not treated well.

Singh is mortified by the number of steps he has had to take yet no action has been taken to consider his safety in the country. He is upset that even when living in one of the safest cities in Pakistan, he has no protection. If this is the way he has to live, he hopes to be allowed to migrate out of the country so that he does not have to feel trapped for years to come. He says he will continue to fight for what is right and belongs to him.

A typical Ganesh Idol installment during Ganesh Chaturthi

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh (CHAKRA) -  There were Hindu – Muslim riots on the issue of installation of Ganesh idol at Ujjain. Two persons were killed and many got injured during these riots. Curfew has been imposed in the jurisdiction of 9 police stations in the city.

The trouble began on Friday night in the Daulatgunj old town area of Ujjain after a Hindu shop-owner installed an idol of Ganesh at his store, which is adjacent to a mosque. Police said that some members of the Muslim community objected to it since the idol is un-Islamic and was near the Mosque where Muslims were praying. Although the idol was on the shopkeepers property, police urged the shopkeeper to shift the idol to another spot to calm the Muslim mob.

When discussions were going about place of installation, riots started. The Muslim group tried to move the idol and began to stone pelt Police and Hindus trying to install the Ganesh idol. Two persons have been killed and many injured during the riots.   The violent mob was caned and police opened tear gas shells to have control over them. The police, however, declared curfew when they failed to bring the situation under control. Additional police force has also been called from the neigbouring district to calm the Muslim extremist mob.

Anna Hazare - I support Anti-Corruption

Shimla, India – While acquiring a mass following to stand up against the Indian governments corruption, Anna Hazare has aided in boosting the sales of Swami Vivekananda’s books. The Hindu monk has preached and spread the message of Indian spirituality throughout the world but books are flying off shelves faster than ever after Anna has referred to the swami’s teachings as the core reason for all his inspiration.

Parul Sood, a management student at Himachal Pradesh University, said she purchased Vivekananda’s book, “Vivekananda: A Biography by Swami Nikhilananda,” to understand the ultimate motives of human life. Sood was inspired to purchase the book after seeing how much Anna changed after reading Vivekananda’s book. Sood is in awe of Anna’s transition from an ordinary soldier to a crusader against corruption. Sood is determined find out answers to what the aims of human beings are and that is partly why she bought the book.

At the age of 25, in 1963, Anna Hazare joined the army as a driver and his real name is Kisan Baburao Hazare. He experienced a life-changing experience in 1965 during the India-Pakistan war, when his vehicle came under heavy aerial fire, causing everyone in his vehicle to die except him. This experience left him with many questions about spirituality life and death whereon he considered suicide.

This consideration of suicide is what brought him to a slim book by Vivekananda in a New Delhi railway station. It is after reading this book that Anna learned that serving the poor is equivalent to serving God and he repeatedly credits the book for giving him this mindset and ultimate realization.

Ashok Kumar Kinger the owner of Asia Book Depot, one of the oldest bookstores in Anna’s town, said that he has never seen a book sell at such a fast pace. He said biographies of Swami Vivekananda have been in demand since the movement with Anna started. On average one to two Swami Vivekananda books were sold per month compared to 20 in a week after the movement. He has been ordering additional stock every month. Kinger said not only are the town people buying Vivekananda books but tourists are seeking his books in high numbers.

Steve Daves, an American tourist near the shop said he read many of Gandhi books in the past and they were eye openers and now he is searching for Vivekananda books but they are sold out everywhere. He hopes to find one in Delhi.

Majority of the buyers of Vivekananda books are University students, says Ramesh Thakur of the Thakur Book Store located near the campus of Himachal Pradesh University.

Many students are being motivated by Hazare and thus inspired to learn the teachings of Vivekananda to learn his influential messages of spiritual democracy, spiritual humanism, and world unity.

Pro Muslim Activists Attack Kashmir Police and Shops

By Jagmit Singh

After receiving letters that were being circulated throughout the Rawalpora village of Kupwara, Sikhs feel threatened and fear attacks from local Muslims in the area. The letters were demanding that Sikhs in the district the valley within five days or else their lives would be at risk.

The letters commenced circulation after a Sikh girl was recruited as a teacher under Rehbar-e-Taleem scheme in the village which had upset some people of the Muslim community leading to the tension in the surrounding area.

The majority community in the area was upset with the hiring of a Sikh girl even though she was hired with merit. After this incident, five letters were delivered to five Sikh homes asking the families to leave the valley within five days. Jagmohan Singh Raina, president of All Parties Sikh Coordination, said that the distribution of such letters caused unrest among the Sikh community since Jammu and Kashmir is a very sensitive state.

Spread out through eight districts of Kashmir valley, there are 80,000 Sikhs living in 121 villages. Traditionally Sikhs and Muslims have lived in harmony in the past in the Kashmir Valley aside from the massacre of 34 Sikhs in Chattisinghpora village of Anantnag district on March 20, 2000.

In the last few years though there have been many similar letters mailed anonymously to Sikh households, asking them to join pro-Islamic protests in the valley or leave Kashmir altogether.

Since the late 1980s, Kashmiri Pandits of the Hindu community were literally threatened to leave Kashmir and were targeted by mobs and physically assaulted. This public outrage against the Kashmiri Pandits resulted in a huge exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.The population of Kashmiri pandits which was 55% in 1941 reduced to 0.1% in 2001. Nearly 400,000 Hindu Kasmiri Pandits were hence rendered homeless.

Anna Hazare with Swami Ramdev at a Rally

By Sagarika Kapoor

Delhi, India (CHAKRA) – As the protests continue, the anti-Anna brigade and the staunch Congress Supporters are creating more and more rumours about the Janlokpal Bill and Anna Hazare. They usually repeat the same old arguments that Congress leaders put on the media. Following are the few criticisms and rumours that one may find from these few people :

1. It is Anna’s fight.

No. It is ‘Team Anna’ consisting of Kiran Bedi, Bhushans, Arwind Kejriwal, Sri Sri and many  more, supported by millions across the world.

2. Anna is inflexible

Its not about Anna. He pioneers the movement with his team and the issue is thoroughly discussed by the team and suggestions are made on social networking sites like Facebook. Moreover, there are pages and websites like India Against Corruption where people can bring in their suggestions too.

3. Civil society is adamant

The Civil society knows how the so called ‘democracy’ has been working for the past 60 years where kasab gets lavish food and Anna’s supporters don’t get even basic amenities like washrooms or food in Jail, where Congress took months to arrest corrupt leaders like Kalmadi and minutes to arrest freedom fighters like Anna and forget about anti-nationalists and separatists like Syed Shah who are still roaming free and giving anti-India speeches all the time.

If corruption is controlled, then the police would be able to do its duty properly and the government would be denied its corrupt vote bank policies which lead to a direct hike in terrorist activities. Many high level politicians, as exposed by media, have direct links with the terrorists and the underworld and hence no quick or concrete actions happens against the terrorists. Following are some of the features of JanLokpal Bill :

-        Power to probe into allegations of corruption by Members in Parliament like MPs taking bribe to vote.

-        Today, CBI comes directly under the Prime Minister. So, unlike Lokpal, CBI is not an independent organization in this scenario. Therefore with the Janlokpal it will have the authority to investigate allegations of corruption against the Prime Minister and the Anti Corruption Branch of CBI will be merged with Lokpal to give it more independence.

-        Lokpal will give permission to tap phones of people suspected to be involved in corruption

-        If Lokpal finds that business entities are involved in corruption, then Lokpal will have the right to ban such companies from taking part in future government contracts and to black list them

4. Anna is forcing the implementation of Janlokpal Bill by all means

No. Its the “introduction” of a strong lokpal bill like Janlokpal bill in Parliament from where the talks would be taken further. This is the key elements that critics of Team Anna and Janlokpal usually ignore in their criticism. The whole fight is for the introduction of a strong lokpal bill in Parliament and implemention of a strong lokpal bill for which Janlokpal Bill has been created as an example by the reputed people in India, because of which people are constantly exposing the difference between the government’s lokpal bill and the Janlokpal bill.

5. Anna is corrupt

Anna is 74 year old freedom fighter who had a bullet on his head, who is disconnected from his family for the past many years, who made his village self-sufficient, who lives without any major bank balance in a small room in a temple and today is fighting for the nation to get back those lakhs of crores looted by politicians in scams. What political motive can Anna have?

In a hypothetical case, even if Anna is corrupt,

a) then what about Kiran Bedi, Arwind Kejriwal, Bhushans, Justice Hegde, Award winners, IPS officers and millions who support team Anna?

b) Then, via the implementation of a strong Lokpal Bill like JanLokpal Bill, Anna too can be tried!

c) What about Rahul Gandhi, hailed by the same critics, who violated Section 144 of CrPC in Uttar Pradesh when he visited the villages of Bhatta-Parsaul earlier this year. The move was not just supported by the Congress but was positioned as the party lending its voice to the ‘aam aadmi’.

d) Going by the track record of Congress who tries to shut anyone who speak against it, he would have been jailed by now if he really was corrupt.

6. People are blindly following Anna

‘People’ include IITians, students from DU, educated middle class, employees, national award winners, IPS officers etc and millions across the world i.e globally and not just limited locally to India and hence the argument that “people are following it blindly”, becomes void!

Ironically, the people who criticize Anna are not able to hold the debate further and they themselves do not know the difference between Government’s lokpal bill and Janlokpal bill. They can be found plagiarizing secondary criticisms instead of reading themselves, the text of Janlokpal Bill, and expressing their own doubts. It is rather surprising that a 74 year old patriotic freedom fighter is fighting for the nation and people are busy analyzing his personal character unable to look at the bigger picture.

References :

Government Lokpal Bill, Jan Lokpal Bill and their differences : http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/downloads.html

http://www.hitxp.com/articles/politics/differences-comparison-anna-jan-lokpal-government-bill/

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/A-different-law-applies-to-Rahul-Gandhi/articleshow/9629637.cms