Panel ask cops to submit affidavit
BHUBANESWAR: (visakeo)-Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra Judicial Commission probing the Kandhamal riots on Friday asked three senior Orissa police officers to submit affidavits on the possible involvement of persons, institutions and groups in the killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati.
The one-man panel issued the direction to Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Southern range, R P Koche, Kandhamal SP Praveen Kumar and former SP of the district Nikhil Kanodia.
Though the three had earlier submitted affidavits, their contents were not in accordance with the terms of reference of the commission, Justice Mohapatra said as a three-day hearing began here.
While the commission was to ascertain the reasons behind the riots and possible involvement of any group, person or institution in the killing of Saraswati, the three IPS officers did not touch the subject, said V V Ramdas, the government advocate attached to the commission.
"The IPS officers have given information on the ethnic clash, not touching sensitive issues like communal violence and possible involvement of individuals, groups or institutions," he said.The three were given time to re-submit their affidavits, Ramdas said.
Friday, August 28, 2009
BJP MLA Manoj Pradhn acquitted
BJP MLA Manoj Pradhn acquitted
BHUBANESWAR:(visakeo)- In a significant development, BJP MLA Manoj Pradhan, booked under several charges for his alleged role in last year's communal violence in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, about 260 kilometers away from here, was on Friday acquitted in a case of arson by a local court.
Pradhan, MLA from G Udayagiri Assembly segment of this southern district, who is in jail facing about 14 criminal cases, was acquitted in one because of lack of proper evidence in an incident of arson at Pisamaha village under Raikia police station area.
A large number of houses at Pisamaha village were set ablaze on August 27, 2008 during the riots last year with a person named Gutia Digal lodging a complaint against Pradhan.
The additional sessions judge of Fast Track Court-1, said that evidence against Pradhan was not sufficient to substantiate the charge of house burning.
Pradhan was elected to the state Assembly as a BJP candidate from G Udaygiri segment while he was in jail. He was released for a month to take oath as MLA and attend the budget session. He returned to jail on July 31.
BHUBANESWAR:(visakeo)- In a significant development, BJP MLA Manoj Pradhan, booked under several charges for his alleged role in last year's communal violence in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, about 260 kilometers away from here, was on Friday acquitted in a case of arson by a local court.
Pradhan, MLA from G Udayagiri Assembly segment of this southern district, who is in jail facing about 14 criminal cases, was acquitted in one because of lack of proper evidence in an incident of arson at Pisamaha village under Raikia police station area.
A large number of houses at Pisamaha village were set ablaze on August 27, 2008 during the riots last year with a person named Gutia Digal lodging a complaint against Pradhan.
The additional sessions judge of Fast Track Court-1, said that evidence against Pradhan was not sufficient to substantiate the charge of house burning.
Pradhan was elected to the state Assembly as a BJP candidate from G Udaygiri segment while he was in jail. He was released for a month to take oath as MLA and attend the budget session. He returned to jail on July 31.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The ideology that the Bharatiya Janata Party [ Images ] represents and its pan Indian appeal makes it an important cog in our democracy, argues Tarun
The ideology that the Bharatiya Janata Party [ Images ] represents and its pan Indian appeal makes it an important cog in our democracy, argues Tarun Vijay
In a nation where most of the political parties are known by the names of their 'owners' turning the political process into a kind of family fiefdom, the existence of a party that still runs on democratic norms and represents a completely different ethos, must be valued as a need of the society. That is the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is useless to indulge in the contemporary dichotomies and scuffles that mar its current framework.
These are trivialities and have been a part of every political party, including the Jan Sangh that saw much bitter scenes involving top guns even when that was hardly as strong as its new avatar the BJP has become.
The basic question is -- do we have a future for a party that symbolises Hindu aspirations and civilisational rejuvenation through political instruments and acts as a part of a larger saffron brotherhood that has grown stronger by each year since its emergence in 1925?
Suppose if there was no Jan Sangh or the BJP there would have been no Kashmir [ Images ] movement, no demands to scrap two flags and two constitutional provisions for an Indian state and abolishing two Constitutional heads system for it. Who would have taken up the cause of an invincible Indian security and carried out the Pokaran II nuclear tests while preparing for Pokaran III?
The last millennium saw the foreign attacks on Bharat that is India and the target of these barbaric assaults were essentially the Hindu population and their temples. The truncated independence should have given them the highest freedom to flower and come to their own as a free and fearless nation would have honoured the great spirit of resistance that made Allama Iqbal write 'Kuch baat hai ki hasti mit-ti nahin hamaari (There is something extraordinary that we -- the civilisation -- survived centuries of assaults)'.
But after the massacres during Partition/independence in Calcutta, Noakhali, Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi, Hindus got the secular marginalisation and a State apparatus that looked down at anything representing their age old-bruised ethos. That is why to uphold the dignity of being a Hindu and ensure equal attitude of the State for every citizen without any discrimination on the basis of caste or religion, the Jan Sangh was founded in 1951. The principles were unity in diversity, one nation, one culture and one people and justice to all, appeasement of none.
At the first all India session of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, its founder president Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee had said, 'India has been for centuries past the homeland of diverse people pursuing different faiths and religions. The need to preserve and respect the personal laws of such people especially in matters of religion and fundamental social obligations is undoubted. In all matters concerning the rights and duties of citizenship as such, there must be complete equality for all. We must be able to carry all sections of the people with us by creating in their minds a healthy and progressive attitude of co-operation based on true equality of opportunity and mutual tolerance and understanding. Our party's door remains open to all who believe in our programme and ideology irrespective of considerations of caste and religion.'
'Our party,' he added, 'believes that the future progress of India must be based on a natural synthesis between its full economic advance and the development of mind and character of the people in accordance with the highest traditions of Indian culture and civilization. The political freedom that we have achieved will be meaningless without economic freedom. It is a tragedy that a vast country such as India, with its almost limitless resources and raw materials, should be steeped in poverty, disease, ignorance and degradation. Our party believes that without plunging the country into the vortex of violent chaos and conflict, it should be possible for us to readjust the conditions of our economic life so as to bring to an end a shameful era of exploitation and silent human suffering.'
Without mincing any words he declared, 'Our party though, ever prepared to extend its hand of equality to all citizens, does not feel ashamed to urge for the consolidation of Hindu society, nor does it suffer from an inferiority complex to acknowledge proudly that the great edifice of Indian culture and civilization, which had stood the test of thousands of years, has been built, most of all by the labour, sacrifice and wisdom of Hindu sages, savants and patriots throughout the chequered history of our motherland. We are not so mean as to forget that in this gigantic process our country came into contact and conflict with many foreign races and ideologies and our great ancestors had the courage to fashion and refashion the country's structure in accordance with new ideas and with the changed conditions of our society. If India's freedom is to be purposeful, a correct appreciation of the fundamental features of Indian culture -- the discovery of that unity in diversity, which is the keynote of her civilization -- is highly essential.'
These lengthy quotations are essential to understand the real purpose behind the BJP, which has accepted Dr Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya as its sources of inspiration showing the ideological path.
In pre-Partition days, the independence movement essentially drew from Hindu nationalist symbols and writings expressed through Mahatma Gandhi's [ Images ] Ram Rajya, Sri Aurobindo's Bhawani Bharati concept which saw India as Durga incarnate and declared Sanatan Dharma as the nationality of India, Vivekananda, Lokmanya Tilak, and Subhas Bose. They were all deeply Hindu spiritual personalities who espoused the cause of freedom, liberty, equality and democracy.
There was less ideological apartheid that we see today and newspapers like The Hindu and The Hindustan Times were not looked down just because they bore a word Hindu and parties like the Hindu Mahasabha, Ram Rajya Parishad etc were in the mainstream without experiencing any kind of 'ideological untouchability'.
It's only after Independence under the influence of Nehruvian left-to-centre policies that the assertive Hindus segment was sought to be humiliated and segregated.
In the contemporary political scene, the Congress, which once represented the federal liberal character of Hindu nationalist ideas advocating equality to all, has turned into a family oriented party where internal democratic process is completely subjugated to the wishes and whims of a supreme leader who also happens to be a family head. Except for the Communist parties and the BJP there is a hardly a party that is democratically run and controlled from the grassroot levels.
Hence, in spite of internal bickering and trivial issues cropping up, a party that was born post Independence representing a distinct ideology and programmes can only be a strengthening factor for democracy. Its amazing growth and power to rule the nation quite successfully have further added to its credibility. Those who oppose it must look at the fact sheet it has so far built -- giving India the best of the highways, an IT and technological revolution, best run states in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh [ Images ] and Chhattisgarh and above all a credible opposition that has a vast acceptability at an all India level, giving a pan India character to the polity.
The poet who wrote, 'Gagan mein laharta hai bhagwa hamara (The saffron flies high in the sky)' became the most admired prime minister, the first genuinely non-Congress one and his regime saw the best of relations with neighbours. Atal Bihari Vajpayee [ Images ] allowed Pokaran II, yet maintained better ties with the US, China and Pakistan without compromising on national interest.
This party has another distinct feature -- it can boast of a galaxy of national leaders who command a mass following unlike others who have none but their 'eternally elected' chiefs alone for the posters and platforms diminishing any second or third rank leadership.
And you don't have to belong to a family or a family's durbar to aspire for higher goals and posts in the party. Someone who was a village level worker and did his bit to gain acceptance could become party president and was never told, oh you don't have a particular last name hence can rise this far and no further.
Pardon me if in this context, to clarify a bit more, I recall a Q&A session I had in China where I was asked in a university by students – 'What's the use of your democracy if it can't deliver? See Bihar and Orissa and UP's rural areas and farmers suicides? We may not be having the democracy you like to ape from the West but our one party system is delivering fine.'
I was not surprised. The value of democracy can be understood only when you lose it after enjoying its fruits. I simply said, even with half filled stomachs and often self defeating noises, we prefer freedom more than a totalitarian regime guaranteeing prosperity to all.
Liberty can have no alternative. And that's exactly the most powerful factor that makes the BJP indefatigable and invincible. The party's inner core promises to rise like a Phoenix if the outer shell fails to translate the ideals it was born to achieve.
It may look a bit preposterous to say these high pedestal things when the party is making news not for some happy reasons. It is sad, but it will pass. The party is not built by those who were adherents of a family, but by those small yet strongly committed young hearts who built it on their shoulders because they shared a vision and a dream.
I have seen three generations working together, first for the Jan Sangh and then for its new avatar, the BJP. They never aspired to make it big in Delhi [ Images ] but from Silchar to Shimoga and Doda to Port Blair, they have been working. These workers are the strength of the party and not those who make big speeches and then wash dirty linen in the media. They must be powered and their moral needs to be boosted by a united commitment to principles leaders claim they accept.
Today these workers have emerged taller because they have lived the ideals espoused by Deen Dayal Upadhyaya who had merged his identity with the common cadre and lived by his principles through his own life's example. He gave the alternative ideology of integral humanism before the two alien ones namely capitalism and communism. That almost supplements and complements Gandhi's Hind Swarajya whose hundredth year is passing so unceremoniously in the raj of the 'Gandhis'.
It is this perfectly ideological rock of our civilisation represented by the BJP in politics that India needs fervently.
Tarun Vijay is Director, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation
In a nation where most of the political parties are known by the names of their 'owners' turning the political process into a kind of family fiefdom, the existence of a party that still runs on democratic norms and represents a completely different ethos, must be valued as a need of the society. That is the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is useless to indulge in the contemporary dichotomies and scuffles that mar its current framework.
These are trivialities and have been a part of every political party, including the Jan Sangh that saw much bitter scenes involving top guns even when that was hardly as strong as its new avatar the BJP has become.
The basic question is -- do we have a future for a party that symbolises Hindu aspirations and civilisational rejuvenation through political instruments and acts as a part of a larger saffron brotherhood that has grown stronger by each year since its emergence in 1925?
Suppose if there was no Jan Sangh or the BJP there would have been no Kashmir [ Images ] movement, no demands to scrap two flags and two constitutional provisions for an Indian state and abolishing two Constitutional heads system for it. Who would have taken up the cause of an invincible Indian security and carried out the Pokaran II nuclear tests while preparing for Pokaran III?
The last millennium saw the foreign attacks on Bharat that is India and the target of these barbaric assaults were essentially the Hindu population and their temples. The truncated independence should have given them the highest freedom to flower and come to their own as a free and fearless nation would have honoured the great spirit of resistance that made Allama Iqbal write 'Kuch baat hai ki hasti mit-ti nahin hamaari (There is something extraordinary that we -- the civilisation -- survived centuries of assaults)'.
But after the massacres during Partition/independence in Calcutta, Noakhali, Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi, Hindus got the secular marginalisation and a State apparatus that looked down at anything representing their age old-bruised ethos. That is why to uphold the dignity of being a Hindu and ensure equal attitude of the State for every citizen without any discrimination on the basis of caste or religion, the Jan Sangh was founded in 1951. The principles were unity in diversity, one nation, one culture and one people and justice to all, appeasement of none.
At the first all India session of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, its founder president Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee had said, 'India has been for centuries past the homeland of diverse people pursuing different faiths and religions. The need to preserve and respect the personal laws of such people especially in matters of religion and fundamental social obligations is undoubted. In all matters concerning the rights and duties of citizenship as such, there must be complete equality for all. We must be able to carry all sections of the people with us by creating in their minds a healthy and progressive attitude of co-operation based on true equality of opportunity and mutual tolerance and understanding. Our party's door remains open to all who believe in our programme and ideology irrespective of considerations of caste and religion.'
'Our party,' he added, 'believes that the future progress of India must be based on a natural synthesis between its full economic advance and the development of mind and character of the people in accordance with the highest traditions of Indian culture and civilization. The political freedom that we have achieved will be meaningless without economic freedom. It is a tragedy that a vast country such as India, with its almost limitless resources and raw materials, should be steeped in poverty, disease, ignorance and degradation. Our party believes that without plunging the country into the vortex of violent chaos and conflict, it should be possible for us to readjust the conditions of our economic life so as to bring to an end a shameful era of exploitation and silent human suffering.'
Without mincing any words he declared, 'Our party though, ever prepared to extend its hand of equality to all citizens, does not feel ashamed to urge for the consolidation of Hindu society, nor does it suffer from an inferiority complex to acknowledge proudly that the great edifice of Indian culture and civilization, which had stood the test of thousands of years, has been built, most of all by the labour, sacrifice and wisdom of Hindu sages, savants and patriots throughout the chequered history of our motherland. We are not so mean as to forget that in this gigantic process our country came into contact and conflict with many foreign races and ideologies and our great ancestors had the courage to fashion and refashion the country's structure in accordance with new ideas and with the changed conditions of our society. If India's freedom is to be purposeful, a correct appreciation of the fundamental features of Indian culture -- the discovery of that unity in diversity, which is the keynote of her civilization -- is highly essential.'
These lengthy quotations are essential to understand the real purpose behind the BJP, which has accepted Dr Mookerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya as its sources of inspiration showing the ideological path.
In pre-Partition days, the independence movement essentially drew from Hindu nationalist symbols and writings expressed through Mahatma Gandhi's [ Images ] Ram Rajya, Sri Aurobindo's Bhawani Bharati concept which saw India as Durga incarnate and declared Sanatan Dharma as the nationality of India, Vivekananda, Lokmanya Tilak, and Subhas Bose. They were all deeply Hindu spiritual personalities who espoused the cause of freedom, liberty, equality and democracy.
There was less ideological apartheid that we see today and newspapers like The Hindu and The Hindustan Times were not looked down just because they bore a word Hindu and parties like the Hindu Mahasabha, Ram Rajya Parishad etc were in the mainstream without experiencing any kind of 'ideological untouchability'.
It's only after Independence under the influence of Nehruvian left-to-centre policies that the assertive Hindus segment was sought to be humiliated and segregated.
In the contemporary political scene, the Congress, which once represented the federal liberal character of Hindu nationalist ideas advocating equality to all, has turned into a family oriented party where internal democratic process is completely subjugated to the wishes and whims of a supreme leader who also happens to be a family head. Except for the Communist parties and the BJP there is a hardly a party that is democratically run and controlled from the grassroot levels.
Hence, in spite of internal bickering and trivial issues cropping up, a party that was born post Independence representing a distinct ideology and programmes can only be a strengthening factor for democracy. Its amazing growth and power to rule the nation quite successfully have further added to its credibility. Those who oppose it must look at the fact sheet it has so far built -- giving India the best of the highways, an IT and technological revolution, best run states in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh [ Images ] and Chhattisgarh and above all a credible opposition that has a vast acceptability at an all India level, giving a pan India character to the polity.
The poet who wrote, 'Gagan mein laharta hai bhagwa hamara (The saffron flies high in the sky)' became the most admired prime minister, the first genuinely non-Congress one and his regime saw the best of relations with neighbours. Atal Bihari Vajpayee [ Images ] allowed Pokaran II, yet maintained better ties with the US, China and Pakistan without compromising on national interest.
This party has another distinct feature -- it can boast of a galaxy of national leaders who command a mass following unlike others who have none but their 'eternally elected' chiefs alone for the posters and platforms diminishing any second or third rank leadership.
And you don't have to belong to a family or a family's durbar to aspire for higher goals and posts in the party. Someone who was a village level worker and did his bit to gain acceptance could become party president and was never told, oh you don't have a particular last name hence can rise this far and no further.
Pardon me if in this context, to clarify a bit more, I recall a Q&A session I had in China where I was asked in a university by students – 'What's the use of your democracy if it can't deliver? See Bihar and Orissa and UP's rural areas and farmers suicides? We may not be having the democracy you like to ape from the West but our one party system is delivering fine.'
I was not surprised. The value of democracy can be understood only when you lose it after enjoying its fruits. I simply said, even with half filled stomachs and often self defeating noises, we prefer freedom more than a totalitarian regime guaranteeing prosperity to all.
Liberty can have no alternative. And that's exactly the most powerful factor that makes the BJP indefatigable and invincible. The party's inner core promises to rise like a Phoenix if the outer shell fails to translate the ideals it was born to achieve.
It may look a bit preposterous to say these high pedestal things when the party is making news not for some happy reasons. It is sad, but it will pass. The party is not built by those who were adherents of a family, but by those small yet strongly committed young hearts who built it on their shoulders because they shared a vision and a dream.
I have seen three generations working together, first for the Jan Sangh and then for its new avatar, the BJP. They never aspired to make it big in Delhi [ Images ] but from Silchar to Shimoga and Doda to Port Blair, they have been working. These workers are the strength of the party and not those who make big speeches and then wash dirty linen in the media. They must be powered and their moral needs to be boosted by a united commitment to principles leaders claim they accept.
Today these workers have emerged taller because they have lived the ideals espoused by Deen Dayal Upadhyaya who had merged his identity with the common cadre and lived by his principles through his own life's example. He gave the alternative ideology of integral humanism before the two alien ones namely capitalism and communism. That almost supplements and complements Gandhi's Hind Swarajya whose hundredth year is passing so unceremoniously in the raj of the 'Gandhis'.
It is this perfectly ideological rock of our civilisation represented by the BJP in politics that India needs fervently.
Tarun Vijay is Director, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation
Violations of human rights in Pakistan: 75% of cases remain unpunished
Violations of human rights in Pakistan: 75% of cases remain unpunished
by Fareed Khan
In three years 11 thousand complaints, of which 8 thousand are still pending. Provincial governments unable to prosecute the guilty. Record of violations in the province of Sindh, where out of 6 thousand cases only 783 have obtained justice. Pakistani Minister for Human Rights admits financial difficulties and lack of funds.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) - In the last three years there have been more than 11 thousand cases of human rights violations in Pakistan, 8 thousand of which are still pending and waiting for justice. These were the facts presented by Syed Mumtaz Alam Gilan - Minister for Human Rights – to the National Assembly, the Pakistani parliament, during a question and answer session.
The minister admitted the "disastrous" results of provincial governments in "bringing those guilty to justice” and responding to a question from a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) the major opposition party, he explained that “the situation appears worst in Sindh (province in south-east), where out of some 6 thousand cases of human rights violations, only 783 offenders were punished”.
In the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), where the army hand Taliban have been waging war against each other, out of 2 thousand violations only 730 cases have been resolved. Punjab recorded 2131 complaints, in which 814 led to the initiation of legal action. In Balochistan, finally, courts have resolved 305 cases compared with 823 complaints of human rights violations.
Gilani has stated that legal actions have been undertaken directly by the courts and not on the initiative of the Ministry, which has serious financial difficulties and depends on aid from national and international non-governmental organisations to survive. The Minister added that he has put forward a draft law to create a national commission on human rights. It has already received the go-ahead from the executive, and now awaits the verdict of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Rights, to become effective.
by Fareed Khan
In three years 11 thousand complaints, of which 8 thousand are still pending. Provincial governments unable to prosecute the guilty. Record of violations in the province of Sindh, where out of 6 thousand cases only 783 have obtained justice. Pakistani Minister for Human Rights admits financial difficulties and lack of funds.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) - In the last three years there have been more than 11 thousand cases of human rights violations in Pakistan, 8 thousand of which are still pending and waiting for justice. These were the facts presented by Syed Mumtaz Alam Gilan - Minister for Human Rights – to the National Assembly, the Pakistani parliament, during a question and answer session.
The minister admitted the "disastrous" results of provincial governments in "bringing those guilty to justice” and responding to a question from a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) the major opposition party, he explained that “the situation appears worst in Sindh (province in south-east), where out of some 6 thousand cases of human rights violations, only 783 offenders were punished”.
In the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), where the army hand Taliban have been waging war against each other, out of 2 thousand violations only 730 cases have been resolved. Punjab recorded 2131 complaints, in which 814 led to the initiation of legal action. In Balochistan, finally, courts have resolved 305 cases compared with 823 complaints of human rights violations.
Gilani has stated that legal actions have been undertaken directly by the courts and not on the initiative of the Ministry, which has serious financial difficulties and depends on aid from national and international non-governmental organisations to survive. The Minister added that he has put forward a draft law to create a national commission on human rights. It has already received the go-ahead from the executive, and now awaits the verdict of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Rights, to become effective.
The Bharatiya Janata Party [ Images ] needs to be admired for its consistency. Distaste for the written word and writers has been a constant part of i
The Bharatiya Janata Party [ Images ] needs to be admired for its consistency. Distaste for the written word and writers has been a constant part of its contemporary history and it has been consistent in its scorn for books. Their former mascot Jaswant Singh [ Images ], for long, could do no wrong and was fiercely defended even when he was caught on camera dozing in Parliament or indulging in feudal and obscurantist customs like offering opium in his cupped palm to his loyalists. But an infantile desire to play Herodotus has done him in.
Being delivered a reprimand for a book on 'history', like Mr Singh has been, cannot really surprise anyone, considering history has been the party's bete noire for a few decades now. Where the BJP (and all its hydra-headed offshoots) are concerned, history is the battlefield on which the agenda of 'cultural nationalism' is spread out and needs to be won. So there is only one way of dealing with history as far as they are concerned -- the way of casuistry and circumlocution.
Jaswant Singh, in his authorial adventure, violated this basic principle. Not that the book has any refinement. Or that Mr Singh is a Romila Thapar or a K N Paniker who have earlier raised the hackles of the parivaar's history department. Mr Singh's 'Jinnah' book is as tendentious as it gets, where the author chooses to fashionably argue that Mohamed Ali Jinnah might have been less culpable in the sub-continental partition than a Nehru or a Sardar Patel.
It is pretty touching to see one senior leader after the other in the BJP's senior echelons trooping, for the first time, into the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library to refresh their memory of the partition years and their assessment of the key players involved.
It is even more touching see their honest surprise at realising that, for decades, what they considered sacrosanct facts of history are, in fact, a maze of half-truths confected by a conscripted brigade in their rosters for whom history has been a tool of air-brushing the past in order to frame the present.
The ancient past has had its quota of shake-ups -- from the Indus Valley civilisation to the Harappan horse to the Aryan 'invasion'. Horns have been locked over how far to pull back the dateline of the origin of Indian history, with many Hindutva historians not being satisfied with even taking it as far back as the ice age.
Of course, one of the central pivots of the history debate has been the historicity of Sri Rama and the establishment of the veracity of the birth of Ram-Lalla in Ayodhya.
Playing with established tenets of history and the process of historicisation has been a favourite pastime within the BJP camp and they have launched concerted efforts to conflate history with mythology, even as they mythologise history.
The Mughal period, inevitably, has come for the greatest scrutiny and revision within the BJP camp. Demonising Babur, pooh-poohing Akbar and converting Aurangzeb into an abusive epithet have been the staple of much of the pop-history whipped up by the saffron press. Add a Tipu Sultan here and a Begada Badshah there and the Islamic 'invasion' of India is constructed in all its stereotype of gory plunder and irredeemable brutality which, then, becomes the base on which rabid Islamophobia can be sustained with all its political ballast.
The conspiratorial story of the Babri Masjid having been deliberately erected on the site of the 'actual' birth site of a 'mythological' figure has been responsible for the spread of much of the current communal poison, whose underlying, rather unsubtle theme is the need to wreak 'revenge' on the defilers.
While historical credibility has thus been severely mutilated by a cadre of academics from the Hindutva flank for whom history is subservient to its political master and an instrument for re-inventing a past that can be laid across the Procrustean bed of cynical expediency, the sudden flurry of scholarship around Partition that goes against the grain of the accepted wisdom of the Sangh Parivaar seems curious and a dust-storm raised to mask other, more serious concerns.
It is indeed curious that Vallabhbhai Patel too has suddenly transformed from 'Sardar' to 'gaddar' in the neo-history emanating from the BJP stock. If it is a 'self-critique' or a 'course correction', what is it leading to? Is it possible to read the softening political tendency towards Jinnah from self-proclaimed 'right wingers' as the preparation towards a new strategy of constituency building?
Of course, the presence of the likes of Narendra Modi [ Images ], who has been quick to take the opportunity to ban the book throughout Gujarat, militates against any such 'New Right' initiative. However, it is now unbearable to see editorial after editorial expressing grave disquiet over the state of affairs in the 'main Opposition Party' and how it augurs ill for our democracy. It is time they saw it as a continuing writer's block in the party.
Sadanand Menon
Being delivered a reprimand for a book on 'history', like Mr Singh has been, cannot really surprise anyone, considering history has been the party's bete noire for a few decades now. Where the BJP (and all its hydra-headed offshoots) are concerned, history is the battlefield on which the agenda of 'cultural nationalism' is spread out and needs to be won. So there is only one way of dealing with history as far as they are concerned -- the way of casuistry and circumlocution.
Jaswant Singh, in his authorial adventure, violated this basic principle. Not that the book has any refinement. Or that Mr Singh is a Romila Thapar or a K N Paniker who have earlier raised the hackles of the parivaar's history department. Mr Singh's 'Jinnah' book is as tendentious as it gets, where the author chooses to fashionably argue that Mohamed Ali Jinnah might have been less culpable in the sub-continental partition than a Nehru or a Sardar Patel.
It is pretty touching to see one senior leader after the other in the BJP's senior echelons trooping, for the first time, into the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library to refresh their memory of the partition years and their assessment of the key players involved.
It is even more touching see their honest surprise at realising that, for decades, what they considered sacrosanct facts of history are, in fact, a maze of half-truths confected by a conscripted brigade in their rosters for whom history has been a tool of air-brushing the past in order to frame the present.
The ancient past has had its quota of shake-ups -- from the Indus Valley civilisation to the Harappan horse to the Aryan 'invasion'. Horns have been locked over how far to pull back the dateline of the origin of Indian history, with many Hindutva historians not being satisfied with even taking it as far back as the ice age.
Of course, one of the central pivots of the history debate has been the historicity of Sri Rama and the establishment of the veracity of the birth of Ram-Lalla in Ayodhya.
Playing with established tenets of history and the process of historicisation has been a favourite pastime within the BJP camp and they have launched concerted efforts to conflate history with mythology, even as they mythologise history.
The Mughal period, inevitably, has come for the greatest scrutiny and revision within the BJP camp. Demonising Babur, pooh-poohing Akbar and converting Aurangzeb into an abusive epithet have been the staple of much of the pop-history whipped up by the saffron press. Add a Tipu Sultan here and a Begada Badshah there and the Islamic 'invasion' of India is constructed in all its stereotype of gory plunder and irredeemable brutality which, then, becomes the base on which rabid Islamophobia can be sustained with all its political ballast.
The conspiratorial story of the Babri Masjid having been deliberately erected on the site of the 'actual' birth site of a 'mythological' figure has been responsible for the spread of much of the current communal poison, whose underlying, rather unsubtle theme is the need to wreak 'revenge' on the defilers.
While historical credibility has thus been severely mutilated by a cadre of academics from the Hindutva flank for whom history is subservient to its political master and an instrument for re-inventing a past that can be laid across the Procrustean bed of cynical expediency, the sudden flurry of scholarship around Partition that goes against the grain of the accepted wisdom of the Sangh Parivaar seems curious and a dust-storm raised to mask other, more serious concerns.
It is indeed curious that Vallabhbhai Patel too has suddenly transformed from 'Sardar' to 'gaddar' in the neo-history emanating from the BJP stock. If it is a 'self-critique' or a 'course correction', what is it leading to? Is it possible to read the softening political tendency towards Jinnah from self-proclaimed 'right wingers' as the preparation towards a new strategy of constituency building?
Of course, the presence of the likes of Narendra Modi [ Images ], who has been quick to take the opportunity to ban the book throughout Gujarat, militates against any such 'New Right' initiative. However, it is now unbearable to see editorial after editorial expressing grave disquiet over the state of affairs in the 'main Opposition Party' and how it augurs ill for our democracy. It is time they saw it as a continuing writer's block in the party.
Sadanand Menon
The United States puts India on "Watch list": religious freedom at risk
The United States puts India on "Watch list": religious freedom at risk
by Nirmala Carvalho
The U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom denounces the inertia of the Government of India before the serious discrimination against religious minorities. Angry reaction in New Delhi: "Undue Interference". For the Indian Church it is a sign of the international community’s concern over the growth of religious intolerance in the country.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has placed India on the so-called Watch list, which includes countries in which religious and ethnic minorities suffer severe discrimination. The USCIRF are asking President Barak Obama put pressure on the government in New Delhi that "deserves" to be placed on the list for the "largely inadequate response" to fundamentalist violence against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 and Christians in Orissa in 2008 -- 2009.
India’s reaction has been one of anger at finding itself compared to countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Somalia and Cuba. Vishnu Prakash, spokesperson for the Indian Foreign Ministry, described the inclusion in the so-called Watch List "aberrant" and an "undue interference" in internal affairs of the country.
Fr. Babu Joseph, spokesman of the Indian Bishops' Conference (CBCI), explains to AsiaNews that the USCIRF decision "is a clear indication of the growing concern of the international community to the repeated failure of India to take decisive corrective measures to curb religious intolerance ".
Relations between India and the U.S. in matters of religious freedom have long been troubled. The Annual Report on Religious Freedom by USCIRF presented in Washington May 1st spoke of "positive signals" from India. In July, however, the Commission asked to visit Orissa to check the situation of Christian refugees in the area and their conditions after the Hindu pogrom of August 2008. The Indian authorities denied entry visas arousing controversy. Now the government in New Delhi finds itself included in the Watch list.Orissa: Hindu extremists burn three Christian homes in Kandhamal
by Nirmala Carvalho
The victims identified the ring leaders, but the police have advised them against naming him on the report. The attack took place on May 31st, the very day the armies sent to protect Christians in the area withdrew.
Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - Three Christian houses, were set on fire by Hindu extremists in Sirsapanga village of Kandhamal, (Orissa). The episode took place on May 31st in the evening, the very day the Central reserve police force (Crf), sent to the area to protect the Christians, began their phased withdrawal as mandated by the central government. The incident seems aimed at stopping from Christians returning to their villages.
The three houses belong to Manoj Pradhan, Lankeswar and Sunil Digal and lie only 3 km from the headquarters of the Crpf. Eyewitnesses report that the extremist group celebrated the police withdrawal by attacking the homes. Deployed for months across the region to halt assaults and another pogrom of the Christians, the New Delhi government decided to withdraw the Crpf. The Orissa governor, Naveen Patnaik, has however asked the Minister for Internal Affairs Chidambaram to leave the last 10 companies - circa 1000 men – at least for another three months.
The withdrawal coincides with the closure of the refugee camps and the Orissa governments appeal to the Christians to prepare for their return to their home villages. On June 5th the district administration in Kandhamal organised a peace meeting between the Christians in the camps and the communities of their local villages. Fr. Bijay Pradhan, parish priest in Raikia, sees in the burning of the three homes in Sirsapanga “an attempt to stop this”.
Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (Gcic), explains that “The Christians from Sirsapanga village have not returned to the village, they are still in the Refugee camps. The administration is keen that the people go back to the villages and be resettled, so occasionally, the Christians go to their homes and try to make some temporary repairs. This is being objected to by the dominant community, and the burning of the three Christians homes is an attempt to control our people”.
The situation is still unstable. The three owners of the burned houses in Sirsapanga have presented official reports to the police. According to Fr.Ajay Kumar Singh, Director of Jan Vikas, Social Action Initiative “the gang was led by Dilu Mohanty, who is mastermind behind attacks against Christians in Raikia and G.Udayagiri”. The victims identified him in First Information Report. “But the police – continues Fr. Singh – asked them to change tehir report ommitting the extremist agng leaders name”.
“Culprits [of the violence] continue to roam about freely, - concludes Fr. Pradhan - and some of them threaten our people that if they don’t withdraw their police reports against them, they will not be able to return to their villages”.
by Nirmala Carvalho
The U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom denounces the inertia of the Government of India before the serious discrimination against religious minorities. Angry reaction in New Delhi: "Undue Interference". For the Indian Church it is a sign of the international community’s concern over the growth of religious intolerance in the country.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has placed India on the so-called Watch list, which includes countries in which religious and ethnic minorities suffer severe discrimination. The USCIRF are asking President Barak Obama put pressure on the government in New Delhi that "deserves" to be placed on the list for the "largely inadequate response" to fundamentalist violence against Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 and Christians in Orissa in 2008 -- 2009.
India’s reaction has been one of anger at finding itself compared to countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Somalia and Cuba. Vishnu Prakash, spokesperson for the Indian Foreign Ministry, described the inclusion in the so-called Watch List "aberrant" and an "undue interference" in internal affairs of the country.
Fr. Babu Joseph, spokesman of the Indian Bishops' Conference (CBCI), explains to AsiaNews that the USCIRF decision "is a clear indication of the growing concern of the international community to the repeated failure of India to take decisive corrective measures to curb religious intolerance ".
Relations between India and the U.S. in matters of religious freedom have long been troubled. The Annual Report on Religious Freedom by USCIRF presented in Washington May 1st spoke of "positive signals" from India. In July, however, the Commission asked to visit Orissa to check the situation of Christian refugees in the area and their conditions after the Hindu pogrom of August 2008. The Indian authorities denied entry visas arousing controversy. Now the government in New Delhi finds itself included in the Watch list.Orissa: Hindu extremists burn three Christian homes in Kandhamal
by Nirmala Carvalho
The victims identified the ring leaders, but the police have advised them against naming him on the report. The attack took place on May 31st, the very day the armies sent to protect Christians in the area withdrew.
Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - Three Christian houses, were set on fire by Hindu extremists in Sirsapanga village of Kandhamal, (Orissa). The episode took place on May 31st in the evening, the very day the Central reserve police force (Crf), sent to the area to protect the Christians, began their phased withdrawal as mandated by the central government. The incident seems aimed at stopping from Christians returning to their villages.
The three houses belong to Manoj Pradhan, Lankeswar and Sunil Digal and lie only 3 km from the headquarters of the Crpf. Eyewitnesses report that the extremist group celebrated the police withdrawal by attacking the homes. Deployed for months across the region to halt assaults and another pogrom of the Christians, the New Delhi government decided to withdraw the Crpf. The Orissa governor, Naveen Patnaik, has however asked the Minister for Internal Affairs Chidambaram to leave the last 10 companies - circa 1000 men – at least for another three months.
The withdrawal coincides with the closure of the refugee camps and the Orissa governments appeal to the Christians to prepare for their return to their home villages. On June 5th the district administration in Kandhamal organised a peace meeting between the Christians in the camps and the communities of their local villages. Fr. Bijay Pradhan, parish priest in Raikia, sees in the burning of the three homes in Sirsapanga “an attempt to stop this”.
Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (Gcic), explains that “The Christians from Sirsapanga village have not returned to the village, they are still in the Refugee camps. The administration is keen that the people go back to the villages and be resettled, so occasionally, the Christians go to their homes and try to make some temporary repairs. This is being objected to by the dominant community, and the burning of the three Christians homes is an attempt to control our people”.
The situation is still unstable. The three owners of the burned houses in Sirsapanga have presented official reports to the police. According to Fr.Ajay Kumar Singh, Director of Jan Vikas, Social Action Initiative “the gang was led by Dilu Mohanty, who is mastermind behind attacks against Christians in Raikia and G.Udayagiri”. The victims identified him in First Information Report. “But the police – continues Fr. Singh – asked them to change tehir report ommitting the extremist agng leaders name”.
“Culprits [of the violence] continue to roam about freely, - concludes Fr. Pradhan - and some of them threaten our people that if they don’t withdraw their police reports against them, they will not be able to return to their villages”.
मुस्लिम नेताओं के इसी रवैए ने भारत की राजनीति को बारंबार बदनाम किया है। महात्मा गांधी ने मौलाना शौकत अली और मोहम्मद अली के `खिलाफत आंदोलन´ को समर्थन द
मुस्लिम नेताओं के इसी रवैए ने भारत की राजनीति को बारंबार बदनाम किया है।
महात्मा गांधी ने मौलाना शौकत अली और मोहम्मद अली के `खिलाफत आंदोलन´ को समर्थन देने के लिए कांग्रेस नेतृत्व की पूरी राष्ट्रवादी धारा से विरोध मोल ले लिया। जब महात्मा गांधी को अली बंधुओं के मदद की दरकार हुई तो अली बंधुओं ने बयान दिया कि `दुनिया का सबसे गया गुजरा मुसलमान भी हमारी नजरों में गांधी से बेहतर इंसान होगा।´ महात्मा गांधी ने कांग्रेस के मंचों पर मुस्लिम लीग के अधिवेशन कराए जाने की छूट दी। मुस्लिम नेताओं द्वारा उस समय बारंबार `वंदे मातरम´ के बेजा विरोध को बर्दाश्त किया। मुस्लिम लीग के जो नेता महात्मा गांधी से प्रश्रय प्रात कर बड़े हुए उन्हीं लोगों ने मौका आने पर कांग्रेस की नीतियों को `मुसलमान विरोधी´, `हिन्दूवादी´ तथा `हिन्दू प्रचारक´ कहने में देरी नहीं की। 20 मार्च 1938 को राजा सैयद मोहम्मद मेंहदी की अध्यक्षता में मुस्लिम लीग की एक नौ सदस्यों वाली कमेटी बनी थी जिसका नाम `पीरपुर कमेटी´ दिया गया था। इस `पीरपुर कमेटी´ में सात सदस्य किसी न किसी समय महात्मा गांधी के कृपापात्र थे। इस कमेटी ने मुस्लिम लीग के जिए अध्यक्ष मोहम्मद अली जिन्ना को अपनी रिपोर्ट सौंपी, उन जिन्ना को गोपाल कृष्ण गोखले, पं. मोतीलाल नेहरू और सरोजिनी नायडू जैसे लोग प्रखर राष्ट्रवादी और आत्मा से सेकुलर होने का प्रशस्तिपत्र दे चुके थे। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ ने 71 वर्ष पूर्व जिन बिन्दुओं पर मुसलमानों पर अत्याचार की बात उठाई थी, आज अगर कोई आजम खान समिति बनाई जाए तो वह भी इन्हीं बिन्दुओं को रेखांकित करेगी। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ ने मुस्लिम उत्पीड़न के जो बिन्दु रेखांकित किए थे उन्हें देखें- 1. कांग्रेस की सामान्य नीति, 2. वंदेमातरम, 3. तिरंगा झंडा, 4. स्थानीय निकायों में मुसलमानों की गैरमौजूदगी, 5. गौरक्षा, 6. सांप्रदायिक दंगे (कारण और बीज), 7. भाषा और संस्कृति। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ से जस्टिस सच्चर आयोग तक मुसलमानों की व्यथा वही पुरानी है। इस बीच मुसलमान पाकिस्तान और बांग्लादेश नामक दो राष्ट्र पा चुके हैं और तीसरे में भी उन्हें असंतोष है। बंगाल के मुख्यमंत्री फजलुल हक ने दिसंबर 1939 में मुस्लिमों की प्रताड़ना की दूसरी रिपोर्ट दी थी। इस रिपोर्ट के समापन में फजलुल हक ने लिखा- `कांग्रेसी शासन के अत्याचार में मुसलमान आतंक और कष्ट में जीने के लिए विवश हैं। कातिल को लटका देने से मकतूल को जिंदगी वापस नहीं मिल जाती।´
आज भी आप कश्मीर के मुख्यमंत्री उमर अब्दुल्ला या मुफ्ती मोहम्मद सईद से कोई भी रिपोर्ट मुस्लिम समस्या पर लिखाएं, आप उनकी भाषा फजलुल हक की भाषा से अलग नहीं पाएंगे। मुस्लिम नेताओं को हिन्दू नेता चाहे कितना प्रश्रय दें जिस दिन उनका कोई स्वार्थ टकराता है उनकी पहली बांग `सांप्रदायिकता´ की होती है। कल लालकृष्ण आडवाणी प्रधानमंत्री बनें और मुख्तार अब्बास नकवी या शाहनवाज हुसैन को कोई पद न दें, आप पाइएगा दोनों की भाषा अब्दुल रहमान अंतुले, आजम खान या मौलाना मदनी से कम कड़ी नहीं होगी। छह दशक पहले मुस्लिम राजनीति की इस प्रवृत्ति का स्वाद सरदार वल्लभ भाई पटेल को भी सहना पड़ा था। उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर हुए हैं जोश मलीहाबादी। उनके बारे में मुस्लिम विद्वान रफीक जकरिया ने जो लिखा है वह गिरगिट प्रवृत्ति की चीरफाड़ है- `सरदार पटेल के अधीन प्रकाशन विभाग था। सरदार पाकिस्तान की सर्वश्रेष्ठ उर्दू पत्रिका को टक्कर देने की क्षमतावाली एक उर्दू पत्रिका भारत सरकार द्वारा प्रकाशित कराना चाहते थे। सरदार पटेल के इसी विचार से जन्म हुआ था उर्दू मासिक `आजकल´ का, जिसने अपने पहले ही अंक से उर्दू पत्रकारिता में अपना अद्वितीय स्थान बना लिया। इसका श्रेय उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर जोश मलीहाबादी को दिया जाना चाहिए जिन्हें इस पत्रिका का प्रथम संपादक नियुक्त किया गया था। उनकी नियुक्ति के प्रस्ताव ने अधिकारियों के बीच काफी विवाद खड़ा कर दिया था। उनका नाम पटेल को यूपी की तत्कालीन राज्यपाल सरोजिनी नायडू ने सुझाया था। पटेल के निजी सचिव वी. शंकर भी उर्दू के ज्ञाता थे। उन्होंने जोश के नाम का अनुमोदन किया था। आरोप लगाया गया था कि राष्ट्रवादी चोगे में जोश वस्तुत: साम्यवादी हैं। हर कोई जानता था कि पटेल साम्यवादियों के विरोधी थे। जोश के खिलाफ यह शिकायत भी की गई कि उन्हें शराब का बहुत शौक है। दूसरी ओर थी जोश की राष्ट्रवादी पृष्ठभूमि, राष्ट्रीय विचारों से ओत-प्रोत उनकी कविताएं। उनकी रचनाओं में अंग्रेजों के खिलाफ विद्रोह की आग थी, इसीलिए उन्ेहं `विद्रोह का शायर´ कहा जाता था।
सरदार ने शंकर से जोश की कुछ रचनाएं सुनाने के लिए कहा और उन्हें सुनकर वे इतने प्रभावित हुए कि उसी वक्त जोश की नियुक्ति के आदेश दे दिए। विभाग के सचिव एन.सी. मेहता इस आदेश को महीनों तक दबाए रहे। एक दिन सरदार ने अचानक शंकर से पूछा कि जोश ने पत्रिका का काम शुरू कर दिया है अथवा नहीं? जांच करने पर पता चला कि मेहता ने आदेश ही नहीं जारी किए थे। पटेल गुस्से से लाल-पीले हो गए और उन्होंने मेहता को फटकारा। कोई अफसरशाह पटेल के आदेशों की अवहेलना नहीं कर सकता था। मेहता ने ऐसा किया और उन्हें इसका फल भुगतना पड़ा। जोश को नौकरी मिल गई और मेहता को हिमाचल प्रदेश भेज दिया गया। जोश आभार व्यक्त करने के लिए सरदार के पास गए तो उप प्रधानमंत्री ने उन्हें बताया कि उनकी राष्ट्रवादी भावनाओं के वे कितने प्रशंसक हैं। उन्होंने जोश को आश्वासन दिया कि सरकार उर्दू की हरसंभव सहायता करेगी। उन्होंने अपेक्षा व्यक्त की कि पत्रिका में स्वतंत्रता की नई लहर प्रतिबिंबित होनी चाहिए। पत्रिका की सामग्री सांप्रदायिक एकता को मजबूत करने वाली और हिंदी-उर्दू के संबंधों को दृढ़ बनाने वाली होनी चाहिए। उसका स्तर उच्च साहित्यिक होना चाहिए। जोश ने सफलतापूर्वक लगभग एक दशक तक `आजकल´ निकाला। उन्हें पारिश्रमिक भी अच्छा खासा मिला, वे स्थापित भी हुए और प्रसन्न भी। फिर अचानक अपने मित्रों और सहयोगियों को आश्चर्यचकित करते हुए पाकिस्तान चले गए। उनके एक प्रशंसक सिकंदर मिर्जा उन दिनों पाकिस्तान के मुख्य मार्शल लॉ प्रशासक थे। मिर्जा ने जोश को आर्थिक लाभ का लालच दिया। चांदी के चंद टुकड़ों के लिए बहुतों का प्यारा भारतीय मुसलमान अपना वतन छोड़ गया। जोश ने सांप्रदायिक सद्भाव को चोट पहुंचाई थी। मिर्जा के पतन के बाद पाकिस्तान में जोश को गद्दार कहकर सार्वजनिक रूप से दुत्कारा गया। कई बार उन्होंने भारत लौटने की कोशिश की।
जिन जोश को भारत सरकार ने `पदमभूषण´ से नवाजा था, जिन्होंने भारत के प्रधानमंत्री से दोस्ती का सम्मान पाया था, वे जोश एक सुबह `पाक धरती´ की ओर भाग गए। वहां उन्हें रिक्शा चलाने के लाइसेंस मिले, कुछ सिनेमाघरों में हिस्सेदारी मिली और शासकों के कशीदे काढ़ने के लिए मोटी रकम। जब शासक हटे तो जोश दुत्कारे गए। उन्हें अपनी भूल का एहसास हुआ और भारत लौटने की कोशिश शुरू की। तब स्वर्गीय मौलाना आजाद अड़ गए, वे एक ही शर्त पर जोश के भारत लौटने पर सहमत थे कि लौटने पर उसे जेल में रखा जाए।´ जोश की इस गद्दारी का उपयुZक्त वर्णन रफीक जकरिया ने किया है, सो उनकी बातों पर आजम खान को भी भरोसा करना चाहिए। जोश ने अपनी आत्मकथा `यादों की बारात´ में सरदार पटेल के बारे में लिखा है- `सरदार का चेहरा मुजरिमों जैसा था।´ सरदार के प्रति नमकहरामी करने वाले जोश पाकिस्तान में बहुत दयनीय स्थिति में जिए। अधिकांश समय वे नशे में धुत रहते थे और जब वे मरे तो पाकिस्तान ने न कोई सम्मान दिया, न प्रशस्ति पत्र। सरदार के साथ जो हरकत जोश ने की वही हरकत मुलायम के साथ दर्जनों मुस्लिम नेता कर चुके हैं। गांधी परिवार को भी मुस्लिम नेता सबक सिखाते रहे हैं। लालू भी बारंबार मुस्लिम नेताओं शहाबुद्दीन-तस्लीमुद्दीन से हैरान-परेशान रहते हैं। आजम खान भी उसी राह पर हैं। जब इन मुस्लिम नेताओं का स्वार्थ नहीं सधता तो इस्लाम खतरे में आ जाता है। हम मुसलमानों के विरोधी नहीं है। हमारा विरोध इस्लाम को खतरे में डालने वाले मुस्लिम नेताओं से है।
महात्मा गांधी ने मौलाना शौकत अली और मोहम्मद अली के `खिलाफत आंदोलन´ को समर्थन देने के लिए कांग्रेस नेतृत्व की पूरी राष्ट्रवादी धारा से विरोध मोल ले लिया। जब महात्मा गांधी को अली बंधुओं के मदद की दरकार हुई तो अली बंधुओं ने बयान दिया कि `दुनिया का सबसे गया गुजरा मुसलमान भी हमारी नजरों में गांधी से बेहतर इंसान होगा।´ महात्मा गांधी ने कांग्रेस के मंचों पर मुस्लिम लीग के अधिवेशन कराए जाने की छूट दी। मुस्लिम नेताओं द्वारा उस समय बारंबार `वंदे मातरम´ के बेजा विरोध को बर्दाश्त किया। मुस्लिम लीग के जो नेता महात्मा गांधी से प्रश्रय प्रात कर बड़े हुए उन्हीं लोगों ने मौका आने पर कांग्रेस की नीतियों को `मुसलमान विरोधी´, `हिन्दूवादी´ तथा `हिन्दू प्रचारक´ कहने में देरी नहीं की। 20 मार्च 1938 को राजा सैयद मोहम्मद मेंहदी की अध्यक्षता में मुस्लिम लीग की एक नौ सदस्यों वाली कमेटी बनी थी जिसका नाम `पीरपुर कमेटी´ दिया गया था। इस `पीरपुर कमेटी´ में सात सदस्य किसी न किसी समय महात्मा गांधी के कृपापात्र थे। इस कमेटी ने मुस्लिम लीग के जिए अध्यक्ष मोहम्मद अली जिन्ना को अपनी रिपोर्ट सौंपी, उन जिन्ना को गोपाल कृष्ण गोखले, पं. मोतीलाल नेहरू और सरोजिनी नायडू जैसे लोग प्रखर राष्ट्रवादी और आत्मा से सेकुलर होने का प्रशस्तिपत्र दे चुके थे। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ ने 71 वर्ष पूर्व जिन बिन्दुओं पर मुसलमानों पर अत्याचार की बात उठाई थी, आज अगर कोई आजम खान समिति बनाई जाए तो वह भी इन्हीं बिन्दुओं को रेखांकित करेगी। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ ने मुस्लिम उत्पीड़न के जो बिन्दु रेखांकित किए थे उन्हें देखें- 1. कांग्रेस की सामान्य नीति, 2. वंदेमातरम, 3. तिरंगा झंडा, 4. स्थानीय निकायों में मुसलमानों की गैरमौजूदगी, 5. गौरक्षा, 6. सांप्रदायिक दंगे (कारण और बीज), 7. भाषा और संस्कृति। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ से जस्टिस सच्चर आयोग तक मुसलमानों की व्यथा वही पुरानी है। इस बीच मुसलमान पाकिस्तान और बांग्लादेश नामक दो राष्ट्र पा चुके हैं और तीसरे में भी उन्हें असंतोष है। बंगाल के मुख्यमंत्री फजलुल हक ने दिसंबर 1939 में मुस्लिमों की प्रताड़ना की दूसरी रिपोर्ट दी थी। इस रिपोर्ट के समापन में फजलुल हक ने लिखा- `कांग्रेसी शासन के अत्याचार में मुसलमान आतंक और कष्ट में जीने के लिए विवश हैं। कातिल को लटका देने से मकतूल को जिंदगी वापस नहीं मिल जाती।´
आज भी आप कश्मीर के मुख्यमंत्री उमर अब्दुल्ला या मुफ्ती मोहम्मद सईद से कोई भी रिपोर्ट मुस्लिम समस्या पर लिखाएं, आप उनकी भाषा फजलुल हक की भाषा से अलग नहीं पाएंगे। मुस्लिम नेताओं को हिन्दू नेता चाहे कितना प्रश्रय दें जिस दिन उनका कोई स्वार्थ टकराता है उनकी पहली बांग `सांप्रदायिकता´ की होती है। कल लालकृष्ण आडवाणी प्रधानमंत्री बनें और मुख्तार अब्बास नकवी या शाहनवाज हुसैन को कोई पद न दें, आप पाइएगा दोनों की भाषा अब्दुल रहमान अंतुले, आजम खान या मौलाना मदनी से कम कड़ी नहीं होगी। छह दशक पहले मुस्लिम राजनीति की इस प्रवृत्ति का स्वाद सरदार वल्लभ भाई पटेल को भी सहना पड़ा था। उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर हुए हैं जोश मलीहाबादी। उनके बारे में मुस्लिम विद्वान रफीक जकरिया ने जो लिखा है वह गिरगिट प्रवृत्ति की चीरफाड़ है- `सरदार पटेल के अधीन प्रकाशन विभाग था। सरदार पाकिस्तान की सर्वश्रेष्ठ उर्दू पत्रिका को टक्कर देने की क्षमतावाली एक उर्दू पत्रिका भारत सरकार द्वारा प्रकाशित कराना चाहते थे। सरदार पटेल के इसी विचार से जन्म हुआ था उर्दू मासिक `आजकल´ का, जिसने अपने पहले ही अंक से उर्दू पत्रकारिता में अपना अद्वितीय स्थान बना लिया। इसका श्रेय उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर जोश मलीहाबादी को दिया जाना चाहिए जिन्हें इस पत्रिका का प्रथम संपादक नियुक्त किया गया था। उनकी नियुक्ति के प्रस्ताव ने अधिकारियों के बीच काफी विवाद खड़ा कर दिया था। उनका नाम पटेल को यूपी की तत्कालीन राज्यपाल सरोजिनी नायडू ने सुझाया था। पटेल के निजी सचिव वी. शंकर भी उर्दू के ज्ञाता थे। उन्होंने जोश के नाम का अनुमोदन किया था। आरोप लगाया गया था कि राष्ट्रवादी चोगे में जोश वस्तुत: साम्यवादी हैं। हर कोई जानता था कि पटेल साम्यवादियों के विरोधी थे। जोश के खिलाफ यह शिकायत भी की गई कि उन्हें शराब का बहुत शौक है। दूसरी ओर थी जोश की राष्ट्रवादी पृष्ठभूमि, राष्ट्रीय विचारों से ओत-प्रोत उनकी कविताएं। उनकी रचनाओं में अंग्रेजों के खिलाफ विद्रोह की आग थी, इसीलिए उन्ेहं `विद्रोह का शायर´ कहा जाता था।
सरदार ने शंकर से जोश की कुछ रचनाएं सुनाने के लिए कहा और उन्हें सुनकर वे इतने प्रभावित हुए कि उसी वक्त जोश की नियुक्ति के आदेश दे दिए। विभाग के सचिव एन.सी. मेहता इस आदेश को महीनों तक दबाए रहे। एक दिन सरदार ने अचानक शंकर से पूछा कि जोश ने पत्रिका का काम शुरू कर दिया है अथवा नहीं? जांच करने पर पता चला कि मेहता ने आदेश ही नहीं जारी किए थे। पटेल गुस्से से लाल-पीले हो गए और उन्होंने मेहता को फटकारा। कोई अफसरशाह पटेल के आदेशों की अवहेलना नहीं कर सकता था। मेहता ने ऐसा किया और उन्हें इसका फल भुगतना पड़ा। जोश को नौकरी मिल गई और मेहता को हिमाचल प्रदेश भेज दिया गया। जोश आभार व्यक्त करने के लिए सरदार के पास गए तो उप प्रधानमंत्री ने उन्हें बताया कि उनकी राष्ट्रवादी भावनाओं के वे कितने प्रशंसक हैं। उन्होंने जोश को आश्वासन दिया कि सरकार उर्दू की हरसंभव सहायता करेगी। उन्होंने अपेक्षा व्यक्त की कि पत्रिका में स्वतंत्रता की नई लहर प्रतिबिंबित होनी चाहिए। पत्रिका की सामग्री सांप्रदायिक एकता को मजबूत करने वाली और हिंदी-उर्दू के संबंधों को दृढ़ बनाने वाली होनी चाहिए। उसका स्तर उच्च साहित्यिक होना चाहिए। जोश ने सफलतापूर्वक लगभग एक दशक तक `आजकल´ निकाला। उन्हें पारिश्रमिक भी अच्छा खासा मिला, वे स्थापित भी हुए और प्रसन्न भी। फिर अचानक अपने मित्रों और सहयोगियों को आश्चर्यचकित करते हुए पाकिस्तान चले गए। उनके एक प्रशंसक सिकंदर मिर्जा उन दिनों पाकिस्तान के मुख्य मार्शल लॉ प्रशासक थे। मिर्जा ने जोश को आर्थिक लाभ का लालच दिया। चांदी के चंद टुकड़ों के लिए बहुतों का प्यारा भारतीय मुसलमान अपना वतन छोड़ गया। जोश ने सांप्रदायिक सद्भाव को चोट पहुंचाई थी। मिर्जा के पतन के बाद पाकिस्तान में जोश को गद्दार कहकर सार्वजनिक रूप से दुत्कारा गया। कई बार उन्होंने भारत लौटने की कोशिश की।
जिन जोश को भारत सरकार ने `पदमभूषण´ से नवाजा था, जिन्होंने भारत के प्रधानमंत्री से दोस्ती का सम्मान पाया था, वे जोश एक सुबह `पाक धरती´ की ओर भाग गए। वहां उन्हें रिक्शा चलाने के लाइसेंस मिले, कुछ सिनेमाघरों में हिस्सेदारी मिली और शासकों के कशीदे काढ़ने के लिए मोटी रकम। जब शासक हटे तो जोश दुत्कारे गए। उन्हें अपनी भूल का एहसास हुआ और भारत लौटने की कोशिश शुरू की। तब स्वर्गीय मौलाना आजाद अड़ गए, वे एक ही शर्त पर जोश के भारत लौटने पर सहमत थे कि लौटने पर उसे जेल में रखा जाए।´ जोश की इस गद्दारी का उपयुZक्त वर्णन रफीक जकरिया ने किया है, सो उनकी बातों पर आजम खान को भी भरोसा करना चाहिए। जोश ने अपनी आत्मकथा `यादों की बारात´ में सरदार पटेल के बारे में लिखा है- `सरदार का चेहरा मुजरिमों जैसा था।´ सरदार के प्रति नमकहरामी करने वाले जोश पाकिस्तान में बहुत दयनीय स्थिति में जिए। अधिकांश समय वे नशे में धुत रहते थे और जब वे मरे तो पाकिस्तान ने न कोई सम्मान दिया, न प्रशस्ति पत्र। सरदार के साथ जो हरकत जोश ने की वही हरकत मुलायम के साथ दर्जनों मुस्लिम नेता कर चुके हैं। गांधी परिवार को भी मुस्लिम नेता सबक सिखाते रहे हैं। लालू भी बारंबार मुस्लिम नेताओं शहाबुद्दीन-तस्लीमुद्दीन से हैरान-परेशान रहते हैं। आजम खान भी उसी राह पर हैं। जब इन मुस्लिम नेताओं का स्वार्थ नहीं सधता तो इस्लाम खतरे में आ जाता है। हम मुसलमानों के विरोधी नहीं है। हमारा विरोध इस्लाम को खतरे में डालने वाले मुस्लिम नेताओं से है।
Prince Dance Groups make Orissa proud
Prince Dance Groups make Orissa proud
By Golak Chandra Das
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): His opening remark was “I am grateful to Lord Krishna”. Krishna Mohan Reddy was expressing his gratefulness to the Great God- Lord Krishna.
After winning the first prize in “India’s Got Talent”, Krishna, the leader of the Prince Dance Group said he is indebted to my father and mother.
26-years old Krishna a devotee of Lord Krishna since his childhood, performed the “Vishnu” in the Grand Finale. Krishna revealed that long hours of practice and blessings of God has helped his group to win the jackpot.
Every day they were doing practice for more than 10 hours a day. Bollywood heartthrob Rani Mukherjee announced that the Prince Dance Group has got the highest number of votes and declared them as winner.
Colors, the private channel was organizing the IGT contest, in which 11 teams participated in the Grand Finale. Sekhar Kapoor, Kiron Kher and Sonali Bendre were seen appreciating the efforts of the Group in general and Krishna’s efforts in particular for their high standard of performance.
Krishna was handed over a cheque of Rs.50 lakh by Kiron Kher and key of Maruti Ritz by the officials.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated the Group for their grand success.
Earlier during the day Patnaik voted in favor of the Group by sending SMS to 56882 in favor of the Group.
For last one week, Chief Minister was mobilizing support for the Prince Group by asking everybody to send SMS-PD to 56882.
Satyabrat Sahu, RDC Southern Division was among the first few to congratulate the Group. Sahu was in the forefront to organize SMS sending operations in favor the Group.
Entire Orissa was agog about the Prince Group with many corporate sectors extended their support for the budding talent.
RSB Group of Industries announced cash prize of Rs.10 lakh before the final results were out. Dhamra Port and Gopalpur Port authorities mobilized SMS sending program.
Tata Steel and IFFCO-Tokio also organized SMS mobilization in a big way.
With winning the IGT contest, Prince Dance Group has created a history in the entertainment and cultural forum in the country, for which Orissa is proud of, said S K Behera, Director of RSB Group of Industries.
Their performance in Final Show was mindboggling and it was Lord Vishnu's Dasavatar, which left millions spellbound.
In the past Oriyas have been castigated for pulling down each other. One rarely own appreciation for success. The runaway enthusiasm for Prince Dance Group (PDG), which bagged the top award in India’s Got Talent (IGT) on 22 August, seems to indicate a transformation in Oriya psyche.
Now Krishna Mohan Reddy, Boss of PDG is the new Hero of Orissa and elaborate arrangements are in process to give the Group a Kings’ welcome.
After the PDG went to Grand finale, there was a state wide campaign for sending SMS in its favor.
Naveen Patnaik, shared the infectious enthusiasm by sending good wishes and SMS to the budding talent.
Chief Minister was seen restless for the Group and asked any body and every body to send SMS-PD to 56882.
Even at New Delhi he mobilized support for the PDG. Chief Minister’s drive resulted in mobilizing widest support in the state, which was never seen before, admitted an event manager of a multinational advertising company.
Oriyas sat glued to the television till past midnight on 22 August when Prince was declared the King.
Celebrations followed there after with crackers heralding the momentous event.
Reports of jubilation were pouring into media offices and television channel studios.
It was almost like New Year Celebrations all over the State.
Of late people of Orissa are showing greater support and solidarity for successful achievers. Successful achievers are being feted and felicitated much more than before.
There are adoration for Child Prodigy Budhia Singh, Padmini Rout, Sand Artist, Sudarshan Patnaik, Spin Wizard Pragyan Ojha, Everest Winner Kalpana Dash and the like.
Kalpana not only received wide support and adoration inside the State but she was honored in the recently held 40th convention of Orissa Society of Americas in US.
Corporate Houses are joining hands with State Government to recognize and reward talents in Orissa.
The new trend has helped young talents from Orissa achieve impressive performance in the country and abroad. Global exposure has brought in greater maturity and expanded the vision. It augurs well for the future, said a Professor of Psychology.
He is in Cloud Nine. With Naveen Patnaik as his biggest fan, the 26-year old dancer found him in dizzy heights. When you have fans in high places like the Chief Minister of the State, there is every reason why he should have his head in the clouds.
But he has his destiny in his own hands and his feet firmly on the ground. Meet T Krishna. All most all the national and local television channels were waiting for him at Naveen Niwas.
As he landed at Biju Patnaik airport returning from Mumbai, Krishna was given Hero’s welcome. Entire stretch was crowded and it was difficult for the city police to control traffic movement.
Chief Minister embraced him with affection and lauded him as the “Jadukar of Orissa”.
Since 15 August, the day Prince Dance Group entered to Grand Finale of the super contest of IGT, the Chief Minister has turned a great fan of Krishna.
Naveen him self received him and talked at length about the program and their plans.
“It was a God sent opportunity for people like me”, said Krishna. “We are aiming for World Stage”, said a beaming choreographer and dancer.
Now Naveen has planned in a big way to facilitate the entire group on 25 August, revealed Krishna. The team is reaching Berhampur to-night and they will have darshan at Maa Tara Tarini Pitha in the morning, said Krishna.
After that we will come to Bhubaneswar and entire team will receive blessings of the Chief Minister. Chief Minister is interested to present the Group to the top mandarins and distinguished audience, who has brought laurels for the state, said sources.
The State Government is also planning to start a Dance Akademy at Berhampur and 5 acres of land will be given to the Group, said an official. The Government is going over board to celebrate the success story, said he.
By Golak Chandra Das
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): His opening remark was “I am grateful to Lord Krishna”. Krishna Mohan Reddy was expressing his gratefulness to the Great God- Lord Krishna.
After winning the first prize in “India’s Got Talent”, Krishna, the leader of the Prince Dance Group said he is indebted to my father and mother.
26-years old Krishna a devotee of Lord Krishna since his childhood, performed the “Vishnu” in the Grand Finale. Krishna revealed that long hours of practice and blessings of God has helped his group to win the jackpot.
Every day they were doing practice for more than 10 hours a day. Bollywood heartthrob Rani Mukherjee announced that the Prince Dance Group has got the highest number of votes and declared them as winner.
Colors, the private channel was organizing the IGT contest, in which 11 teams participated in the Grand Finale. Sekhar Kapoor, Kiron Kher and Sonali Bendre were seen appreciating the efforts of the Group in general and Krishna’s efforts in particular for their high standard of performance.
Krishna was handed over a cheque of Rs.50 lakh by Kiron Kher and key of Maruti Ritz by the officials.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated the Group for their grand success.
Earlier during the day Patnaik voted in favor of the Group by sending SMS to 56882 in favor of the Group.
For last one week, Chief Minister was mobilizing support for the Prince Group by asking everybody to send SMS-PD to 56882.
Satyabrat Sahu, RDC Southern Division was among the first few to congratulate the Group. Sahu was in the forefront to organize SMS sending operations in favor the Group.
Entire Orissa was agog about the Prince Group with many corporate sectors extended their support for the budding talent.
RSB Group of Industries announced cash prize of Rs.10 lakh before the final results were out. Dhamra Port and Gopalpur Port authorities mobilized SMS sending program.
Tata Steel and IFFCO-Tokio also organized SMS mobilization in a big way.
With winning the IGT contest, Prince Dance Group has created a history in the entertainment and cultural forum in the country, for which Orissa is proud of, said S K Behera, Director of RSB Group of Industries.
Their performance in Final Show was mindboggling and it was Lord Vishnu's Dasavatar, which left millions spellbound.
In the past Oriyas have been castigated for pulling down each other. One rarely own appreciation for success. The runaway enthusiasm for Prince Dance Group (PDG), which bagged the top award in India’s Got Talent (IGT) on 22 August, seems to indicate a transformation in Oriya psyche.
Now Krishna Mohan Reddy, Boss of PDG is the new Hero of Orissa and elaborate arrangements are in process to give the Group a Kings’ welcome.
After the PDG went to Grand finale, there was a state wide campaign for sending SMS in its favor.
Naveen Patnaik, shared the infectious enthusiasm by sending good wishes and SMS to the budding talent.
Chief Minister was seen restless for the Group and asked any body and every body to send SMS-PD to 56882.
Even at New Delhi he mobilized support for the PDG. Chief Minister’s drive resulted in mobilizing widest support in the state, which was never seen before, admitted an event manager of a multinational advertising company.
Oriyas sat glued to the television till past midnight on 22 August when Prince was declared the King.
Celebrations followed there after with crackers heralding the momentous event.
Reports of jubilation were pouring into media offices and television channel studios.
It was almost like New Year Celebrations all over the State.
Of late people of Orissa are showing greater support and solidarity for successful achievers. Successful achievers are being feted and felicitated much more than before.
There are adoration for Child Prodigy Budhia Singh, Padmini Rout, Sand Artist, Sudarshan Patnaik, Spin Wizard Pragyan Ojha, Everest Winner Kalpana Dash and the like.
Kalpana not only received wide support and adoration inside the State but she was honored in the recently held 40th convention of Orissa Society of Americas in US.
Corporate Houses are joining hands with State Government to recognize and reward talents in Orissa.
The new trend has helped young talents from Orissa achieve impressive performance in the country and abroad. Global exposure has brought in greater maturity and expanded the vision. It augurs well for the future, said a Professor of Psychology.
He is in Cloud Nine. With Naveen Patnaik as his biggest fan, the 26-year old dancer found him in dizzy heights. When you have fans in high places like the Chief Minister of the State, there is every reason why he should have his head in the clouds.
But he has his destiny in his own hands and his feet firmly on the ground. Meet T Krishna. All most all the national and local television channels were waiting for him at Naveen Niwas.
As he landed at Biju Patnaik airport returning from Mumbai, Krishna was given Hero’s welcome. Entire stretch was crowded and it was difficult for the city police to control traffic movement.
Chief Minister embraced him with affection and lauded him as the “Jadukar of Orissa”.
Since 15 August, the day Prince Dance Group entered to Grand Finale of the super contest of IGT, the Chief Minister has turned a great fan of Krishna.
Naveen him self received him and talked at length about the program and their plans.
“It was a God sent opportunity for people like me”, said Krishna. “We are aiming for World Stage”, said a beaming choreographer and dancer.
Now Naveen has planned in a big way to facilitate the entire group on 25 August, revealed Krishna. The team is reaching Berhampur to-night and they will have darshan at Maa Tara Tarini Pitha in the morning, said Krishna.
After that we will come to Bhubaneswar and entire team will receive blessings of the Chief Minister. Chief Minister is interested to present the Group to the top mandarins and distinguished audience, who has brought laurels for the state, said sources.
The State Government is also planning to start a Dance Akademy at Berhampur and 5 acres of land will be given to the Group, said an official. The Government is going over board to celebrate the success story, said he.
Handle communal elements firmly: DGP Praharaj tells cops
Handle communal elements firmly: DGP Praharaj tells cops
BHUBANESWAR: Director General of Police (DGP) Manmohan Praharaj on August 19 exhorted the state police to be strict and unbiased in curbing communal riots. This warning came in view of last year's ethno-communal tension in Kandhamal district.
Speaking at a seminar on the role of police in promotion of communal harmony and national integration, organized by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), in association with the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy (BPSPA) here on Tuesday, he asked the officers to be tactful while handling sensitive situations like communal riots.
"It is the duty of the police to instil a sense of security and confidence among the people," he said. He cautioned the officers against possible "misuse" of communal riots by criminals and extremists. The alacrity and patience of the force are very important under such volatile conditions," he added.
Kandhamal SP Praveen Kumar pointed out that what had not been done since independence to improve the police infrastructure was done during the past one year in the district. The district, with an area of 7,500 sq km and 2,500 villages, has 17 police stations with 12 staff personnel working in each of them. The situation has improved a lot in the riot-torn district, as 500 special police officers and two new police stations have been set up, he said. "But there is still a crunch in resources. In fact, the problem has increased ever since the withdrawal of forces. Intelligence has to be strengthened," he added.
Kandhamal collector Krishan Kumar said multi-departmental and multi-structured administrative approach is required to maintain law and order at a time when communal violence strikes. "People in the area must be engaged in meaningful engagements. For that, the district administration has started a unique initiative for the purpose. We call it the Antaranga," he added.
Special administrator for Kandhamal district Madhusudan Padhi said, "The problem must be nipped in the bud. Unless the root cause of the tension is detected and removed, it may raise its ugly head once again."
NFCH secretary Lalit Kumar said, "The police come in direct contact with the people more often than most other government functionaries. Especially in places that are so volatile, their contact is even more frequent and close. In such a situation, interaction must come with vision, understanding, tact, compassion and empathy towards the people and their cause. This will not only raise the public esteem of the police, but also lead to a healthy police-public relationship. It will also secure the desired measures of public involvement and co-operation in promotion of communal harmony."
BHUBANESWAR: Director General of Police (DGP) Manmohan Praharaj on August 19 exhorted the state police to be strict and unbiased in curbing communal riots. This warning came in view of last year's ethno-communal tension in Kandhamal district.
Speaking at a seminar on the role of police in promotion of communal harmony and national integration, organized by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), in association with the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy (BPSPA) here on Tuesday, he asked the officers to be tactful while handling sensitive situations like communal riots.
"It is the duty of the police to instil a sense of security and confidence among the people," he said. He cautioned the officers against possible "misuse" of communal riots by criminals and extremists. The alacrity and patience of the force are very important under such volatile conditions," he added.
Kandhamal SP Praveen Kumar pointed out that what had not been done since independence to improve the police infrastructure was done during the past one year in the district. The district, with an area of 7,500 sq km and 2,500 villages, has 17 police stations with 12 staff personnel working in each of them. The situation has improved a lot in the riot-torn district, as 500 special police officers and two new police stations have been set up, he said. "But there is still a crunch in resources. In fact, the problem has increased ever since the withdrawal of forces. Intelligence has to be strengthened," he added.
Kandhamal collector Krishan Kumar said multi-departmental and multi-structured administrative approach is required to maintain law and order at a time when communal violence strikes. "People in the area must be engaged in meaningful engagements. For that, the district administration has started a unique initiative for the purpose. We call it the Antaranga," he added.
Special administrator for Kandhamal district Madhusudan Padhi said, "The problem must be nipped in the bud. Unless the root cause of the tension is detected and removed, it may raise its ugly head once again."
NFCH secretary Lalit Kumar said, "The police come in direct contact with the people more often than most other government functionaries. Especially in places that are so volatile, their contact is even more frequent and close. In such a situation, interaction must come with vision, understanding, tact, compassion and empathy towards the people and their cause. This will not only raise the public esteem of the police, but also lead to a healthy police-public relationship. It will also secure the desired measures of public involvement and co-operation in promotion of communal harmony."
Monday, August 24, 2009
J&K
पचपन वर्ष पहले १९५३ में दो अलग-अलग दुश्मन राज्यों की तरह जम्मू और कश्मीर आपस में भिड़ रहे थे. शेख मोहम्मद अब्दुल्ला की नीतियों के विरूद्ध जम्मू में प्रजा परिषद नाम के संगठन ने आंदोलन छेड़ रखा था. तब जम्मू का नारा था- एक विधान, एक प्रधान और एक निशान. कश्मीर में धारा 370 की आड़ में जो अपना संविधान बना था वह कई मायनों में भारतीय संविधान की पहुंच से बाहर था.
उसी आंदोलन के दौरान श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी बिना परमिट के जम्मू कश्मीर में दाखिल हुए थे. उन दिनों बिना अनुमति पत्र के कोई भी भारतीय कश्मीर में प्रवेश नहीं पा सकता था. डाक्टर मुखर्जी की रहस्यमय तरीके से जेल में मौत हो गयी. जम्मू और कश्मीर के बीच इतना तनाव पैदा हो गया था कि लोग एक दूसरे के इलाकों से भागने लगे थे. शेख अब्दुल्ला भारत विरोधी बयान दे रहे थे. और नेहरू के नेतृत्व में भारत बहुत कठिन परिस्थितियों में पड़ गयी थी. मजबूरी में नेहरू को अपने मित्र शेख अब्दुल्ला को बर्खास्त करके गिरफ्तार करना पड़ा. आज कोई आधी सदी बाद जम्मू-कश्मीर में एक बार फिर वही हालात दिखाई दे रहे हैं. अमरनाथ पर सरकार के फैसले के विरोध में प्रदर्शन इस कदर पूरे क्षेत्र में फैल गया है कि कोई संगठन या राजनीतिक दल इससे अछूता नहीं रह गया है.
हम वहीं कैसे खिसक आये जहां पिछली सदी के मध्य में हमने यात्रा प्रारंभ की थी? कश्मीर हमारी राजनीतिक व्यवस्था का ऐसा आईना है जिसमें हम अपने अतीत और वर्तमान को तो देख ही सकते हैं चाहें तो भविष्य की भी झलक मिल सकती है. पचपन साल पहले भी जवाहर लाल नेहरू ने इस उम्मीद में शेख अब्दुल्ला को कमान सौंपी थी कि कश्मीर में न केवल लोकतंत्र की बयार बहेगी बल्कि वह भारत संघ का अभिन्न अंग बन जाएगा. नेहरू विशेष सहायता न करते तो शेख अब्दुल्ला महाराजा के साथ समझौता करके उसी व्यवस्था में समा जाते. उन्होंने राजा हरि सिंह को आजादी मिलने से पहले ही चिट्ठी लिखी थी जिसमें आजादी की कस्में खायी थीं. नेहरू ने उन्हें कश्मीर का प्रधानमंत्री बनाया और उन्होंने प्रधानमंत्री बने रहने की ही ठान ली. जिस विलय पत्र पर उनके कहने पर राजा ने हस्ताक्षर किये थे वे उसकी अपनी ही व्याख्या करने लगे. उनकी व्याख्या मानी जाती तो कश्मीर ही क्या कोई भी भारतीय रियासत भारत से अलग जाने या स्वतंत्र रहने का दावा कर सकती थी.
महाराजा को निष्कासित कराके शेख ने कश्मीर को अलग देश के रूप में रखने का आग्रह किया. लेकिन इसके लिए तर्क और कानूनी अवसर भारत सरकार ने ही उपलब्ध करवाये. विलय की प्रार्थना स्वीकार करते हुए भारत सरकार की ओर से गवर्नर जनरल माउण्टबेटेन ने जो उत्तर दिया उसी में यह भी जोड़ा गया था कि जब कबायली आक्रमणकारी हट जाएंगे और राज्य में कानून व्यवस्था ठीक हो जाएगी तो कश्मीर के लोग स्वयं ही तय करेंगे कि उन्हें क्या करना चाहिए. यानी यह विलय अस्थायी ही था. यही तो पाकिस्तान शुरू से ही कह रहा है और अलगाववादी-आतंकवादी भी यही कह रहे हैं. जब शेख अब्दुल्ला यही कहने लगे तो दिल्ली के शासकों के ध्यान में आया कि उन्होंने कितनी बड़ी भूल कर दी है. शेख अब्दुल्ला को हटाकर अधकचरे फैसलों और यथास्थितिवाद का जो सिलसिला शुरू हुआ वह लगातार जटिल होता चला गया. जिस समय कश्मीर में धारा ३७० लागू करने की मांग हो रही थी उस समय तीन भारतीय नेताओं ने प्रधानमंत्री नेहरू को चेताया था कि यह व्यवस्था आगे चलकर भारी समस्या पैदा कर सकती है. ये तीन नेता थे राजेन्द्र प्रसाद, भीमराव अम्बेडकर और सरदार पटेल. अम्बेडकर ने संविधान का प्रारूप बनाया था, राजेन्द्र प्रसाद संविधान सभा के अध्यक्ष थे और सरदार पटेल भारत संघ की एकता के संयोजक थे. लेकिन नेहरू ने उन नेताओं को कहा कि यह धारा तो अस्थाई है और धीरे-धीरे समाप्त हो जाएगी. लेकिन शेख अब्दुल्ला ने ऐसी व्यवस्था कर दी ऐसा कभी हो ही नहीं सकता था. इस धारा को तभी हटाया जा सकता है जबकि कश्मीर विधानसभा इसे हटाने की सिफारिश करे.
आज हम पाकिस्तान को चाहे जितना दोष दें लेकिन कश्मीर में पाकिस्तान के दखल के लिए परिस्थितियां भी हमने ही पैदा की. पाकिस्तान ने कबायली गिरोहों की मदद से कश्मीर पर हमला किया. भारतीय सेना ने हमलावरों को खदेड़ना शुरू किया. सेना अभी कश्मीर की सीमाओं तक पहुंची ही नहीं थी कि सरकार ने युद्ध विराम कर दिया. भारतीय सेना बीच मैदान में ही अटक गयी. ऊपर पहाड़ियों पर पाकिस्तानी फौजें डटी हुई थीं. रेखा खिंच गयी. इस ओर भारतीय कश्मीर और उस ओर पाकिस्तानी कश्मीर. अब यह सोचना कि पाकिस्तान आजाद कश्मीर को तश्तरी में सजाकर भेंट कर देता, निपट बेवकूफी नहीं तो और क्या होगी? जो हालात बने उसमें दो बातें होनी थी. पाकिस्तान कोशिश करता रहता कि शेष कश्मीर भी उसे मिले और इसके लिए जो संभव तरीके हैं वह उनका इस्तेमाल करता रहे. संयुक्त राष्ट्र में जाकर हमने ही पाकिस्तान को यह मौका भी दे दिया कि वह कश्मीर का अंतरराष्ट्रीयकर कर सके. पता नहीं किस वकील ने भारत सरकार को सलाह दी थी कि वह एक कमजोर मामले को संयुक्त राष्ट्र में ले जाए. भारत सरकार पहले ही अपने पांव पर कुल्हाड़ी मार चुकी थी और शुरू में जनमत संग्रह को स्वीकार करके विलय को अधूरा या अस्थायी बना चुकी थी. इसलिए अमरीका के प्रभाव वाली विश्व संस्था कश्मीर मुद्दे पर भारत का साथ क्यों देती जब अमेरिका यह मान रहा था कि भारत भारत सोवियत संघ का पिछलग्गू है.
कश्मीर को पाने का दूसरा रास्ता जंग था. जंग तब लड़ी जाती है जब सारे रास्ते बंद हो जाते हैं. जंग का एक निश्चित लक्ष्य होता है जिसे पाने की पूरी कोशिश की जाती है लेकिन हमारे जंग लड़ने का तरीका भी निराला रहा है. हम जंग जीतकर वार्ता की मेज पर हारने के अभ्यस्त हो गये हैं. बांग्लादेश में हमने बड़ी अच्छी जंग लड़ी लेकिन शांति की कामना में वार्ता की मेज पर आ पहुंचे. हम भूल गये कि हमने जंग में किसी व्यक्ति नहीं बल्कि एक राष्ट्र को घायल किया है. इसी तरह जम्मू-कश्मीर में कुछ दर्रे हमारे हाथ लगे थे. इन दर्रों के कारण हमारी चौकियों को काफी हानि उठानी पड़ती थी. सेना चाहती थी उन्हें अपने पास ही रखा जाए. इसमें कुछ इलाके तो करगिल में ही थे. लेकिन हमारे नेताओं ने यह सोचते हुए वे दर्रे दे दिये कि थोड़ी सी भूमि के लिए माहौल क्यों बिगाड़ा जाए? इतना ही नहीं सियाचीन ग्लेशियर पर निशानदेही के वक्त भी सारी दूरदर्शिता ताक पर रखकर एक बिन्दु से आगे निशानदेही ही नहीं की गयी.
एक और नतीजा जो गलत कश्मीर नीति के कारण निकला ह वह है पूरे देश में आतंकवाद का विस्तार. पाकिस्तान जब जंग नहीं जीत पाया तो छद्म युद्ध ही उसके सामने एकमात्र रास्ता था. बार-बार यह कहानी दोहराने की जरूरत नहीं कि कब-कब हमने आतंकवादियों से समझौते किये हैं और कब-कब उनके सामने समर्पण किया है. घीरे-धीरे आतंकवाद एक ऐसा सिक्का बन गया जो जब जिसके हाथ लगा उसने उसे अपने हिसाब से भुनाया. संभवतः पाकिस्तान ने यह बहुत पहले ही भांप लिया था कि भारत जैसे देश से जंग जीतना भले ही असंभव हो लेकिन उसके अंदर सेँध लगाना आसान है. आईएसआई का गठन ही इस महत्वपूर्ण लक्ष्य के साथ हुआ था. आईएसआई आज दुनिया के सफल खुफिया तंत्र में गिना जाता है और भारत में आतंक फैलाने के अलग-अलग विभाग यहां काम करते हैं. पंजाब में आतंकवाद फैलाने में आईएसआई के हाथ के अब पक्के सबूत हैं. लेकिन दुर्भाग्य से हम इसे काउण्टर करने के कोई खास हथियार विकसित नहीं कर पाये. बांग्लादेश बनने में रॉ ने जो सफलता पायी थी वैसी सफलता फिर उसके हाथ नहीं लगी. जाहिर सी बात है भारतीय नौकरशाही खुफियातंत्र को पंगु करने में सफल रही. राजनीतिक इच्छाशक्ति और दूरदृष्टि के अभाव में कश्मीर रिस-रिस कर नासूर बन गया. ऐसे में क्या किसी एक व्यक्ति को दोष देना ठीक होगा या फिर यह हमारी राजव्यवस्था के खोट की निशानी है?
--
Sanjay Kumar Azad
cell-09939182611//0-9470131277
Tel& Fax-0651-2480712
VISHWA SAMBAD KENDRA
Sri Niketan ;Niwaranpur RANCHI-834 002
( JHARKHAND)
उसी आंदोलन के दौरान श्यामा प्रसाद मुखर्जी बिना परमिट के जम्मू कश्मीर में दाखिल हुए थे. उन दिनों बिना अनुमति पत्र के कोई भी भारतीय कश्मीर में प्रवेश नहीं पा सकता था. डाक्टर मुखर्जी की रहस्यमय तरीके से जेल में मौत हो गयी. जम्मू और कश्मीर के बीच इतना तनाव पैदा हो गया था कि लोग एक दूसरे के इलाकों से भागने लगे थे. शेख अब्दुल्ला भारत विरोधी बयान दे रहे थे. और नेहरू के नेतृत्व में भारत बहुत कठिन परिस्थितियों में पड़ गयी थी. मजबूरी में नेहरू को अपने मित्र शेख अब्दुल्ला को बर्खास्त करके गिरफ्तार करना पड़ा. आज कोई आधी सदी बाद जम्मू-कश्मीर में एक बार फिर वही हालात दिखाई दे रहे हैं. अमरनाथ पर सरकार के फैसले के विरोध में प्रदर्शन इस कदर पूरे क्षेत्र में फैल गया है कि कोई संगठन या राजनीतिक दल इससे अछूता नहीं रह गया है.
हम वहीं कैसे खिसक आये जहां पिछली सदी के मध्य में हमने यात्रा प्रारंभ की थी? कश्मीर हमारी राजनीतिक व्यवस्था का ऐसा आईना है जिसमें हम अपने अतीत और वर्तमान को तो देख ही सकते हैं चाहें तो भविष्य की भी झलक मिल सकती है. पचपन साल पहले भी जवाहर लाल नेहरू ने इस उम्मीद में शेख अब्दुल्ला को कमान सौंपी थी कि कश्मीर में न केवल लोकतंत्र की बयार बहेगी बल्कि वह भारत संघ का अभिन्न अंग बन जाएगा. नेहरू विशेष सहायता न करते तो शेख अब्दुल्ला महाराजा के साथ समझौता करके उसी व्यवस्था में समा जाते. उन्होंने राजा हरि सिंह को आजादी मिलने से पहले ही चिट्ठी लिखी थी जिसमें आजादी की कस्में खायी थीं. नेहरू ने उन्हें कश्मीर का प्रधानमंत्री बनाया और उन्होंने प्रधानमंत्री बने रहने की ही ठान ली. जिस विलय पत्र पर उनके कहने पर राजा ने हस्ताक्षर किये थे वे उसकी अपनी ही व्याख्या करने लगे. उनकी व्याख्या मानी जाती तो कश्मीर ही क्या कोई भी भारतीय रियासत भारत से अलग जाने या स्वतंत्र रहने का दावा कर सकती थी.
महाराजा को निष्कासित कराके शेख ने कश्मीर को अलग देश के रूप में रखने का आग्रह किया. लेकिन इसके लिए तर्क और कानूनी अवसर भारत सरकार ने ही उपलब्ध करवाये. विलय की प्रार्थना स्वीकार करते हुए भारत सरकार की ओर से गवर्नर जनरल माउण्टबेटेन ने जो उत्तर दिया उसी में यह भी जोड़ा गया था कि जब कबायली आक्रमणकारी हट जाएंगे और राज्य में कानून व्यवस्था ठीक हो जाएगी तो कश्मीर के लोग स्वयं ही तय करेंगे कि उन्हें क्या करना चाहिए. यानी यह विलय अस्थायी ही था. यही तो पाकिस्तान शुरू से ही कह रहा है और अलगाववादी-आतंकवादी भी यही कह रहे हैं. जब शेख अब्दुल्ला यही कहने लगे तो दिल्ली के शासकों के ध्यान में आया कि उन्होंने कितनी बड़ी भूल कर दी है. शेख अब्दुल्ला को हटाकर अधकचरे फैसलों और यथास्थितिवाद का जो सिलसिला शुरू हुआ वह लगातार जटिल होता चला गया. जिस समय कश्मीर में धारा ३७० लागू करने की मांग हो रही थी उस समय तीन भारतीय नेताओं ने प्रधानमंत्री नेहरू को चेताया था कि यह व्यवस्था आगे चलकर भारी समस्या पैदा कर सकती है. ये तीन नेता थे राजेन्द्र प्रसाद, भीमराव अम्बेडकर और सरदार पटेल. अम्बेडकर ने संविधान का प्रारूप बनाया था, राजेन्द्र प्रसाद संविधान सभा के अध्यक्ष थे और सरदार पटेल भारत संघ की एकता के संयोजक थे. लेकिन नेहरू ने उन नेताओं को कहा कि यह धारा तो अस्थाई है और धीरे-धीरे समाप्त हो जाएगी. लेकिन शेख अब्दुल्ला ने ऐसी व्यवस्था कर दी ऐसा कभी हो ही नहीं सकता था. इस धारा को तभी हटाया जा सकता है जबकि कश्मीर विधानसभा इसे हटाने की सिफारिश करे.
आज हम पाकिस्तान को चाहे जितना दोष दें लेकिन कश्मीर में पाकिस्तान के दखल के लिए परिस्थितियां भी हमने ही पैदा की. पाकिस्तान ने कबायली गिरोहों की मदद से कश्मीर पर हमला किया. भारतीय सेना ने हमलावरों को खदेड़ना शुरू किया. सेना अभी कश्मीर की सीमाओं तक पहुंची ही नहीं थी कि सरकार ने युद्ध विराम कर दिया. भारतीय सेना बीच मैदान में ही अटक गयी. ऊपर पहाड़ियों पर पाकिस्तानी फौजें डटी हुई थीं. रेखा खिंच गयी. इस ओर भारतीय कश्मीर और उस ओर पाकिस्तानी कश्मीर. अब यह सोचना कि पाकिस्तान आजाद कश्मीर को तश्तरी में सजाकर भेंट कर देता, निपट बेवकूफी नहीं तो और क्या होगी? जो हालात बने उसमें दो बातें होनी थी. पाकिस्तान कोशिश करता रहता कि शेष कश्मीर भी उसे मिले और इसके लिए जो संभव तरीके हैं वह उनका इस्तेमाल करता रहे. संयुक्त राष्ट्र में जाकर हमने ही पाकिस्तान को यह मौका भी दे दिया कि वह कश्मीर का अंतरराष्ट्रीयकर कर सके. पता नहीं किस वकील ने भारत सरकार को सलाह दी थी कि वह एक कमजोर मामले को संयुक्त राष्ट्र में ले जाए. भारत सरकार पहले ही अपने पांव पर कुल्हाड़ी मार चुकी थी और शुरू में जनमत संग्रह को स्वीकार करके विलय को अधूरा या अस्थायी बना चुकी थी. इसलिए अमरीका के प्रभाव वाली विश्व संस्था कश्मीर मुद्दे पर भारत का साथ क्यों देती जब अमेरिका यह मान रहा था कि भारत भारत सोवियत संघ का पिछलग्गू है.
कश्मीर को पाने का दूसरा रास्ता जंग था. जंग तब लड़ी जाती है जब सारे रास्ते बंद हो जाते हैं. जंग का एक निश्चित लक्ष्य होता है जिसे पाने की पूरी कोशिश की जाती है लेकिन हमारे जंग लड़ने का तरीका भी निराला रहा है. हम जंग जीतकर वार्ता की मेज पर हारने के अभ्यस्त हो गये हैं. बांग्लादेश में हमने बड़ी अच्छी जंग लड़ी लेकिन शांति की कामना में वार्ता की मेज पर आ पहुंचे. हम भूल गये कि हमने जंग में किसी व्यक्ति नहीं बल्कि एक राष्ट्र को घायल किया है. इसी तरह जम्मू-कश्मीर में कुछ दर्रे हमारे हाथ लगे थे. इन दर्रों के कारण हमारी चौकियों को काफी हानि उठानी पड़ती थी. सेना चाहती थी उन्हें अपने पास ही रखा जाए. इसमें कुछ इलाके तो करगिल में ही थे. लेकिन हमारे नेताओं ने यह सोचते हुए वे दर्रे दे दिये कि थोड़ी सी भूमि के लिए माहौल क्यों बिगाड़ा जाए? इतना ही नहीं सियाचीन ग्लेशियर पर निशानदेही के वक्त भी सारी दूरदर्शिता ताक पर रखकर एक बिन्दु से आगे निशानदेही ही नहीं की गयी.
एक और नतीजा जो गलत कश्मीर नीति के कारण निकला ह वह है पूरे देश में आतंकवाद का विस्तार. पाकिस्तान जब जंग नहीं जीत पाया तो छद्म युद्ध ही उसके सामने एकमात्र रास्ता था. बार-बार यह कहानी दोहराने की जरूरत नहीं कि कब-कब हमने आतंकवादियों से समझौते किये हैं और कब-कब उनके सामने समर्पण किया है. घीरे-धीरे आतंकवाद एक ऐसा सिक्का बन गया जो जब जिसके हाथ लगा उसने उसे अपने हिसाब से भुनाया. संभवतः पाकिस्तान ने यह बहुत पहले ही भांप लिया था कि भारत जैसे देश से जंग जीतना भले ही असंभव हो लेकिन उसके अंदर सेँध लगाना आसान है. आईएसआई का गठन ही इस महत्वपूर्ण लक्ष्य के साथ हुआ था. आईएसआई आज दुनिया के सफल खुफिया तंत्र में गिना जाता है और भारत में आतंक फैलाने के अलग-अलग विभाग यहां काम करते हैं. पंजाब में आतंकवाद फैलाने में आईएसआई के हाथ के अब पक्के सबूत हैं. लेकिन दुर्भाग्य से हम इसे काउण्टर करने के कोई खास हथियार विकसित नहीं कर पाये. बांग्लादेश बनने में रॉ ने जो सफलता पायी थी वैसी सफलता फिर उसके हाथ नहीं लगी. जाहिर सी बात है भारतीय नौकरशाही खुफियातंत्र को पंगु करने में सफल रही. राजनीतिक इच्छाशक्ति और दूरदृष्टि के अभाव में कश्मीर रिस-रिस कर नासूर बन गया. ऐसे में क्या किसी एक व्यक्ति को दोष देना ठीक होगा या फिर यह हमारी राजव्यवस्था के खोट की निशानी है?
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Sanjay Kumar Azad
cell-09939182611//0-9470131277
Tel& Fax-0651-2480712
VISHWA SAMBAD KENDRA
Sri Niketan ;Niwaranpur RANCHI-834 002
( JHARKHAND)
Church
चर्च सूत्रों की माने तो डा. मनमोहन सिंह के नेतृत्व वाली सरकार जल्द ही भारतीय चर्च नेताओं को खुशखबरी देने वाली है। सूत्रों के मुताबिक कानून व न्याय मंत्री वीरप्पा मोईली अनुसूचित जातियों संबधी सवैंधानिक आदेश 1950 को चुनौती देने वाला आदेश जारी करने की तैयारी कर रहे है।
इसी आदेश के अधार पर अनुसूचित जातियों से ईसाइयत में मंतातंरित हुए करोड़ों लोगों को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा नही मिल पाया। इस आदेश में केवल हिन्दू मूल के दलितों को ही यह दर्जा प्राप्त है। चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की श्रेणी में शामिल करवाने के लिए अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर भारतीय सरकार पर दबाव बनवाता रहा है विगत माह आंध्र प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री वाई.एस.राजशेखर रेड्डी ने दिल्ली स्थित कांग्रेस मुखायल्य में चर्च की इस मांग का समर्थन करते हुए सरकार से मांग की थी कि वह जल्द इस मामले में 1950 के सवैंधानिक आदेश में बदलाव करे। सूत्रों के मुताबिक संप्रग की सभापति श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी चर्च नेतृत्व की इस मांग पर पूरी तरह सहमत है।
जस्टिस रंगनाथ मिश्र की अध्यक्षता वाले राष्ट्रीय,भाषायी और अल्पसंख्यक आयोग ने अल्पसंख्यक समुदायों के लोगों को अनुसूचित जाति के दर्जे के दायरे में लाने का सुझाव दिया है। इस आयोग का गठन भारत सरकार ने उच्चतम न्यायालय के सुझाव पर किया था जो दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की सूचि में शामिल करने को लेकर एक जनहित याचिका की सुनवाई कर रहा था जिसे कुछ चर्च समर्थक लोगों एवं संगठनों द्वारा दायर किया गया है। चर्च नेतृत्व करोड़ो दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की सूचि में शामिल करवाने के लिए लम्बे समय से प्रयासरत है, उसका तर्क है कि धर्म बदल लेने से सामाजिक एवं आर्थिक स्थिति में कोई बदलाव नहीं आता इस कारण जिन हिन्दू दलितों ने ईसाई धर्म को अंगीकार किया है वे आज भी हिन्दू दलितों के समान ही अपना जीवन जी रहे है। अत: दलित ईसाइयों को भी अनुसूचित जाति की श्रेणी में शामिल कर लिया जाए। जस्टिस रंगनाथ मिश्र की अध्यक्षता वाले राष्ट्रीय,भाषायी और अल्पसंख्यक आयोग ने इसके पक्ष में सिफारिश करके चर्च नेतृत्व की मुराद पूरी कर दी थी।
आयोग की एक सदस्य आशा दास ने अपनी टिप्पणी में कहा है कि कोई संसद या न्यायालय धार्मिक प्रथाओं में बदलाव नहीं कर सकता यह बदलाव इन वर्गो को खुद अपने अंदर से करने होगें। आशा दास की यह टिप्पणी चर्च नेतृत्व के असली चेहरे को उजागर करती है, चर्च नेतृत्व ने वंचित वर्गो के बीच अपना अधार ही इस प्रलोभन के तहत बढ़ाया कि ईसाइयत के बीच जाति भेदभाव नहीं है और ईसाई धर्म के बीच दलितों से मत परिवर्तित करके ईसाइयत अपनाने वाले लोगों के साथ समानता का व्यवहार किया जाएगा। ईसाई समाज में समानता के इस स्थान की झूठी आशा में ही दलितों ने ईसाई धर्म अपनाया यदि आज भी वे दलित है तो सवाल यह उठता है कि अब उनका शोषण-उत्पीड़न कौन कर रहा है?
यह सच है कि जब वे हिन्दू समाज में थे, तो जाति प्रथा के शिकार थे लेकिन क्या ईश्वर के समक्ष की गई यह प्रतिज्ञा नही थी कि इन्हें (धर्मातंरित ईसाइयों को) बिना किसी भेदभाव के मसीही प्रेम का भागीदार बनाया जायेगा। संविधान निर्माताओं ने जब दलितों के लिए आरक्षण उपलब्ध करवाया तो हिन्दुओं, जो कि बहुसंख्यक थे, ने दलितों के आरक्षण को सिद्वांत रुप में स्वीकार किया। संविधान में समानता के अवसर को उन्होंने दलितों के पक्ष में कुर्बान कर दिया उसे बुरे व्यवहार और भेदभाव के मुआवजे के रुप में, जो उनके पूर्वजों ने दलितों से किया था। यहां यह कहना जरुरी है कि अमेरिका के गौरे ईसाइयों द्वारा काले ईसाइयों के प्रति इस प्रकार की उदारतापूर्ण नीति अपनाने से साफ इन्कार कर दिया था। ईसाई समाज में दलितों का होना और उनकी भरपाई की पूरी जिम्मेदारी चर्च नेतृत्व की है क्योंकि ईसाई समाज में सामाजिक भेदभाव उसी की देन है। दलित ईसाइयों के संगठन `पुअर क्रिश्चियन लिबरेशन मूवमेंट´ का मानना है कि यदि चर्च की पूरी शक्ति दलित ईसाइयों के पीछे लगा दी जाए तो उनके सामाजिक एवं आर्थिक जीवन में बड़ा परिवर्तन लाया जा सकता है। धर्म परिवर्तन के नाम पर विदेशों से भेजी जा रही आकूत धनराशि का सदउपयोग यदि उनके विकास पर खर्च किया जाए तो उनके जीवन में परिवर्तन लाया जा सकता है, किन्तु सत्य कुछ और ही है। चर्च केवल अपने अनुयायियों की संख्या बढ़ाने के उद्येश्य को ही सर्वोपरि रखता है। जस्टिस रंगनाथ मिश्र की अध्यक्षता वाले राष्ट्रीय,भाषायी और अल्पसंख्यक आयोग की सिफारशों को अगर सरकार मानकर `दलित ईसाइयों´ को अनुसूचित जाति की सूचि में शामिल कर भी लेती है तो उसका लाभ चर्च नेतृत्व को ही होगा। देश में पहले से जारी धर्मपरिवर्तन के कार्य में बहुत तेजी आएगी। अगर ऐसा हुआ तो देश में अनावश्यक तनाव भी बढ़ेगा। जैसाकि उड़ीसा के कंधमाल में पिछले वर्ष हुए दंगों की जांच करने वाले आयोग के अध्यक्ष जस्टिस एस.सी. मोहपात्रा ने अपनी अंतरिम रिपोर्ट में कहा है।
चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों के साथ दोहरा खेल खेलता रहा है एक तरफ वह हिन्दु दलितों को हिन्दु समाज में फैली कुरितियों, छुआछात, उत्पीड़न, भेदभाव आदि का भय एवं प्रलोभन दिखाकर अपने पाले में लाता रहा है दूसरी तरफ वह पुन: उन्हें हिन्दु दलितों की सूचि में शामिल करवाने के लिए हर हथकंडा अपना रहा है। इसका सबसे बड़ा कारण यह है कि जो करोड़ों दलित अपनी सरकारी सुविधाएं छोड़कर समानता की तलाश में चर्च के नेतृत्व के साथ खड़े हुए है, वह चर्च संस्थानों एवं चर्च के अन्य संसाधनों में अपनी हिस्सेदारी की भी मांग कर रहे है। क्योंकि चर्च नेतृत्व उनके साथ हर क्षेत्र भेदभाव कर रहा है। कई सरकारी समितिओं और आयोगों की रिपोर्ट में यह बात सामने आई है कि धर्मातंरित ईसाइयों की स्थिति हिन्दु दलितों से ज्यादा खराब है। समाज के अलावा चर्च संगठनों में भी वह छुआछात जैसी बुराई का शिकार है। उनकी मौजूदा स्थिति के लिए भारतीय चर्च नेतृत्व ही जिम्मेदार है। चर्च नेतृत्व ने उनके साथ विश्वासघात किया है, उनकी आस्था से बलात्कार किया है। `पुअर क्रिश्चियन लिबरेशन मूवमेंट´ ने वैटिकन एवं भारतीय चर्च नेतृत्व से दलित ईसाइयों को मुआवजा देने की मांग की है।
हजारों स्कूलों, कॉलजों एवं अन्य संस्थानों का संचालन करने, गरीबों के विकास के नाम पर विदेशों से हजारों करोड़ विदेशी अनुदान लेने वाले चर्च नेतृत्व के अनुयायी इतनी दयनीय स्थिति में क्यों है इसका जवाब चर्च नेतृत्व को देना होगा अपनी स्वार्थपूर्ण नीति एवं असफलताओं का ठीकरा वह दूसरों के सिर फोड़कर बड़ी बेशर्मी से वाद-विवाद कर रहा है। हालहि में भारत सरकार द्वारा जारी एक सर्वे रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक सबसे ज्यादा निराक्षरता, बेरोजगारी एवं गरीबी ईसाई समाज के अंदर है। चर्च नेतृत्व का योगदान शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में सबसे ज्यादा माना जाता है देश की 25 प्रतिशत शिक्षा ढांचे पर चर्च का कब्जा है इसके बावजूद शहरी क्षेत्रों में 15 प्रतिशत एवं ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में 40 प्रतिशत दलित ईसाई बच्चे अशिक्षित है, क्या चर्च की इस मामले में कोई जबावदेही नही बनतीर्षोर्षो इस स्थिति के लिए खुद चर्च नेतृत्व जिम्मेवार है। ईसाई संस्थानों में दलित ईसाइयों की भगीदारी कितनी है जहॉ वह चर्च के मामलों में स्वत्रत्रं निणर्य ले पाते है,शायद कुछ भी नही। कैथोलिक बिशप्स कांफ्रेस ऑफ इंडिया के 160 बिशपों में कितने दलित हैर्षोर्षो पन्द्रह हजार पादरियों में कितने दलित है,शायद एक हजार भी नहीं। कितने दलित पादरी एवं नन ईसाई संस्थानों के प्रमुख है र्षोर्षो इसका ब्यौरा चर्च नेतृत्व समाज के सामने रखे। दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा मिल जाने से ही उन्हें समानता नहीं मिल जाने वाली। अगर सरकार सचमुच दलित ईसाइयों का भला चाहती है तो वह चर्च संगठनों में पारर्शिता लाकर उसके ढांचे में दलित ईसाइयों को उनका वाजिब हक दिलाने की राह पकड़े।
चर्च नेता हर हाल में दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की सूची में ही शामिल क्यों करवाना चाहते है इसलिए कि उनके दिल में इन करोड़ों बेबस लोगों के लिए दया का सागर उमड़ आया है। नहीं! असली मकसद है आत्माओं की नई फसल उगाना। चर्च की धर्मातंरण गतिविधियों में सवैंधानिक आदेश 1950 एक बड़ी अड़चन है इसके चलते उसे दलितों में आदिवासी वर्ग की तरह की सफलता नही मिल पाई है। आज दुनिया भर के धर्मप्रचारकों की नजर भारत के 16 करोड़ हिन्दू दलितों पर है। यही कारण है कि एक दूसरे को फूटी आंख न देखने वाले चर्च के तमाम डिनोमिनेशन/ चर्च इस मांग पर एकमत है। भारत सरकार चर्च नेतृत्व के दबाव में एक ऐसा कानून लाने जा रही है जिस से तनाव ही बढ़ेगा।
चर्च नेतृत्व ने पवित्र जल छिड़क कर दलितों को धर्मातंरित किया और अब उन्हीं की जिम्मेदारी से पल्ला झाड़ कर उन्हें सरकार की दया पर हिन्दु दलितों की भाँति छोड़ देना चाहते है। चर्च नेतृत्व ने जाति प्रथा का कोढ़ ईसाई समुदाय पर हावी कर दिया और अब बड़ी बेशर्मी से उसे अपना रहे है। चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों के साथ राजनीति का घिनौना खेल खेल रहा है। क्योंकि वह जानते है कि बहुबल और वोट-बैंक प्रक्रिया द्वारा सामाजिक दुर्भाव पैदा कर सरकार से कुछ भी प्राप्त कर सकते है। इस लड़ाई में वह पैसा भी पानी की तरह बहा रहे है। चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों के साथ वैसा ही घिनौना खेल खेल रहा है जैसा फारिसियों ने लार्ड जीजस के समय खेला। मानव पुत्र इन पर चिल्ला रहा है- हे अंधे मार्गदर्शकों!
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Sanjay Kumar Azad
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VISHWA SAMBAD KENDRA
Sri Niketan ;Niwaranpur RANCHI-834 002
( JHARKHAND)
इसी आदेश के अधार पर अनुसूचित जातियों से ईसाइयत में मंतातंरित हुए करोड़ों लोगों को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा नही मिल पाया। इस आदेश में केवल हिन्दू मूल के दलितों को ही यह दर्जा प्राप्त है। चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की श्रेणी में शामिल करवाने के लिए अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर भारतीय सरकार पर दबाव बनवाता रहा है विगत माह आंध्र प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री वाई.एस.राजशेखर रेड्डी ने दिल्ली स्थित कांग्रेस मुखायल्य में चर्च की इस मांग का समर्थन करते हुए सरकार से मांग की थी कि वह जल्द इस मामले में 1950 के सवैंधानिक आदेश में बदलाव करे। सूत्रों के मुताबिक संप्रग की सभापति श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी चर्च नेतृत्व की इस मांग पर पूरी तरह सहमत है।
जस्टिस रंगनाथ मिश्र की अध्यक्षता वाले राष्ट्रीय,भाषायी और अल्पसंख्यक आयोग ने अल्पसंख्यक समुदायों के लोगों को अनुसूचित जाति के दर्जे के दायरे में लाने का सुझाव दिया है। इस आयोग का गठन भारत सरकार ने उच्चतम न्यायालय के सुझाव पर किया था जो दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की सूचि में शामिल करने को लेकर एक जनहित याचिका की सुनवाई कर रहा था जिसे कुछ चर्च समर्थक लोगों एवं संगठनों द्वारा दायर किया गया है। चर्च नेतृत्व करोड़ो दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की सूचि में शामिल करवाने के लिए लम्बे समय से प्रयासरत है, उसका तर्क है कि धर्म बदल लेने से सामाजिक एवं आर्थिक स्थिति में कोई बदलाव नहीं आता इस कारण जिन हिन्दू दलितों ने ईसाई धर्म को अंगीकार किया है वे आज भी हिन्दू दलितों के समान ही अपना जीवन जी रहे है। अत: दलित ईसाइयों को भी अनुसूचित जाति की श्रेणी में शामिल कर लिया जाए। जस्टिस रंगनाथ मिश्र की अध्यक्षता वाले राष्ट्रीय,भाषायी और अल्पसंख्यक आयोग ने इसके पक्ष में सिफारिश करके चर्च नेतृत्व की मुराद पूरी कर दी थी।
आयोग की एक सदस्य आशा दास ने अपनी टिप्पणी में कहा है कि कोई संसद या न्यायालय धार्मिक प्रथाओं में बदलाव नहीं कर सकता यह बदलाव इन वर्गो को खुद अपने अंदर से करने होगें। आशा दास की यह टिप्पणी चर्च नेतृत्व के असली चेहरे को उजागर करती है, चर्च नेतृत्व ने वंचित वर्गो के बीच अपना अधार ही इस प्रलोभन के तहत बढ़ाया कि ईसाइयत के बीच जाति भेदभाव नहीं है और ईसाई धर्म के बीच दलितों से मत परिवर्तित करके ईसाइयत अपनाने वाले लोगों के साथ समानता का व्यवहार किया जाएगा। ईसाई समाज में समानता के इस स्थान की झूठी आशा में ही दलितों ने ईसाई धर्म अपनाया यदि आज भी वे दलित है तो सवाल यह उठता है कि अब उनका शोषण-उत्पीड़न कौन कर रहा है?
यह सच है कि जब वे हिन्दू समाज में थे, तो जाति प्रथा के शिकार थे लेकिन क्या ईश्वर के समक्ष की गई यह प्रतिज्ञा नही थी कि इन्हें (धर्मातंरित ईसाइयों को) बिना किसी भेदभाव के मसीही प्रेम का भागीदार बनाया जायेगा। संविधान निर्माताओं ने जब दलितों के लिए आरक्षण उपलब्ध करवाया तो हिन्दुओं, जो कि बहुसंख्यक थे, ने दलितों के आरक्षण को सिद्वांत रुप में स्वीकार किया। संविधान में समानता के अवसर को उन्होंने दलितों के पक्ष में कुर्बान कर दिया उसे बुरे व्यवहार और भेदभाव के मुआवजे के रुप में, जो उनके पूर्वजों ने दलितों से किया था। यहां यह कहना जरुरी है कि अमेरिका के गौरे ईसाइयों द्वारा काले ईसाइयों के प्रति इस प्रकार की उदारतापूर्ण नीति अपनाने से साफ इन्कार कर दिया था। ईसाई समाज में दलितों का होना और उनकी भरपाई की पूरी जिम्मेदारी चर्च नेतृत्व की है क्योंकि ईसाई समाज में सामाजिक भेदभाव उसी की देन है। दलित ईसाइयों के संगठन `पुअर क्रिश्चियन लिबरेशन मूवमेंट´ का मानना है कि यदि चर्च की पूरी शक्ति दलित ईसाइयों के पीछे लगा दी जाए तो उनके सामाजिक एवं आर्थिक जीवन में बड़ा परिवर्तन लाया जा सकता है। धर्म परिवर्तन के नाम पर विदेशों से भेजी जा रही आकूत धनराशि का सदउपयोग यदि उनके विकास पर खर्च किया जाए तो उनके जीवन में परिवर्तन लाया जा सकता है, किन्तु सत्य कुछ और ही है। चर्च केवल अपने अनुयायियों की संख्या बढ़ाने के उद्येश्य को ही सर्वोपरि रखता है। जस्टिस रंगनाथ मिश्र की अध्यक्षता वाले राष्ट्रीय,भाषायी और अल्पसंख्यक आयोग की सिफारशों को अगर सरकार मानकर `दलित ईसाइयों´ को अनुसूचित जाति की सूचि में शामिल कर भी लेती है तो उसका लाभ चर्च नेतृत्व को ही होगा। देश में पहले से जारी धर्मपरिवर्तन के कार्य में बहुत तेजी आएगी। अगर ऐसा हुआ तो देश में अनावश्यक तनाव भी बढ़ेगा। जैसाकि उड़ीसा के कंधमाल में पिछले वर्ष हुए दंगों की जांच करने वाले आयोग के अध्यक्ष जस्टिस एस.सी. मोहपात्रा ने अपनी अंतरिम रिपोर्ट में कहा है।
चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों के साथ दोहरा खेल खेलता रहा है एक तरफ वह हिन्दु दलितों को हिन्दु समाज में फैली कुरितियों, छुआछात, उत्पीड़न, भेदभाव आदि का भय एवं प्रलोभन दिखाकर अपने पाले में लाता रहा है दूसरी तरफ वह पुन: उन्हें हिन्दु दलितों की सूचि में शामिल करवाने के लिए हर हथकंडा अपना रहा है। इसका सबसे बड़ा कारण यह है कि जो करोड़ों दलित अपनी सरकारी सुविधाएं छोड़कर समानता की तलाश में चर्च के नेतृत्व के साथ खड़े हुए है, वह चर्च संस्थानों एवं चर्च के अन्य संसाधनों में अपनी हिस्सेदारी की भी मांग कर रहे है। क्योंकि चर्च नेतृत्व उनके साथ हर क्षेत्र भेदभाव कर रहा है। कई सरकारी समितिओं और आयोगों की रिपोर्ट में यह बात सामने आई है कि धर्मातंरित ईसाइयों की स्थिति हिन्दु दलितों से ज्यादा खराब है। समाज के अलावा चर्च संगठनों में भी वह छुआछात जैसी बुराई का शिकार है। उनकी मौजूदा स्थिति के लिए भारतीय चर्च नेतृत्व ही जिम्मेदार है। चर्च नेतृत्व ने उनके साथ विश्वासघात किया है, उनकी आस्था से बलात्कार किया है। `पुअर क्रिश्चियन लिबरेशन मूवमेंट´ ने वैटिकन एवं भारतीय चर्च नेतृत्व से दलित ईसाइयों को मुआवजा देने की मांग की है।
हजारों स्कूलों, कॉलजों एवं अन्य संस्थानों का संचालन करने, गरीबों के विकास के नाम पर विदेशों से हजारों करोड़ विदेशी अनुदान लेने वाले चर्च नेतृत्व के अनुयायी इतनी दयनीय स्थिति में क्यों है इसका जवाब चर्च नेतृत्व को देना होगा अपनी स्वार्थपूर्ण नीति एवं असफलताओं का ठीकरा वह दूसरों के सिर फोड़कर बड़ी बेशर्मी से वाद-विवाद कर रहा है। हालहि में भारत सरकार द्वारा जारी एक सर्वे रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक सबसे ज्यादा निराक्षरता, बेरोजगारी एवं गरीबी ईसाई समाज के अंदर है। चर्च नेतृत्व का योगदान शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में सबसे ज्यादा माना जाता है देश की 25 प्रतिशत शिक्षा ढांचे पर चर्च का कब्जा है इसके बावजूद शहरी क्षेत्रों में 15 प्रतिशत एवं ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में 40 प्रतिशत दलित ईसाई बच्चे अशिक्षित है, क्या चर्च की इस मामले में कोई जबावदेही नही बनतीर्षोर्षो इस स्थिति के लिए खुद चर्च नेतृत्व जिम्मेवार है। ईसाई संस्थानों में दलित ईसाइयों की भगीदारी कितनी है जहॉ वह चर्च के मामलों में स्वत्रत्रं निणर्य ले पाते है,शायद कुछ भी नही। कैथोलिक बिशप्स कांफ्रेस ऑफ इंडिया के 160 बिशपों में कितने दलित हैर्षोर्षो पन्द्रह हजार पादरियों में कितने दलित है,शायद एक हजार भी नहीं। कितने दलित पादरी एवं नन ईसाई संस्थानों के प्रमुख है र्षोर्षो इसका ब्यौरा चर्च नेतृत्व समाज के सामने रखे। दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जाति का दर्जा मिल जाने से ही उन्हें समानता नहीं मिल जाने वाली। अगर सरकार सचमुच दलित ईसाइयों का भला चाहती है तो वह चर्च संगठनों में पारर्शिता लाकर उसके ढांचे में दलित ईसाइयों को उनका वाजिब हक दिलाने की राह पकड़े।
चर्च नेता हर हाल में दलित ईसाइयों को अनुसूचित जातियों की सूची में ही शामिल क्यों करवाना चाहते है इसलिए कि उनके दिल में इन करोड़ों बेबस लोगों के लिए दया का सागर उमड़ आया है। नहीं! असली मकसद है आत्माओं की नई फसल उगाना। चर्च की धर्मातंरण गतिविधियों में सवैंधानिक आदेश 1950 एक बड़ी अड़चन है इसके चलते उसे दलितों में आदिवासी वर्ग की तरह की सफलता नही मिल पाई है। आज दुनिया भर के धर्मप्रचारकों की नजर भारत के 16 करोड़ हिन्दू दलितों पर है। यही कारण है कि एक दूसरे को फूटी आंख न देखने वाले चर्च के तमाम डिनोमिनेशन/ चर्च इस मांग पर एकमत है। भारत सरकार चर्च नेतृत्व के दबाव में एक ऐसा कानून लाने जा रही है जिस से तनाव ही बढ़ेगा।
चर्च नेतृत्व ने पवित्र जल छिड़क कर दलितों को धर्मातंरित किया और अब उन्हीं की जिम्मेदारी से पल्ला झाड़ कर उन्हें सरकार की दया पर हिन्दु दलितों की भाँति छोड़ देना चाहते है। चर्च नेतृत्व ने जाति प्रथा का कोढ़ ईसाई समुदाय पर हावी कर दिया और अब बड़ी बेशर्मी से उसे अपना रहे है। चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों के साथ राजनीति का घिनौना खेल खेल रहा है। क्योंकि वह जानते है कि बहुबल और वोट-बैंक प्रक्रिया द्वारा सामाजिक दुर्भाव पैदा कर सरकार से कुछ भी प्राप्त कर सकते है। इस लड़ाई में वह पैसा भी पानी की तरह बहा रहे है। चर्च नेतृत्व दलित ईसाइयों के साथ वैसा ही घिनौना खेल खेल रहा है जैसा फारिसियों ने लार्ड जीजस के समय खेला। मानव पुत्र इन पर चिल्ला रहा है- हे अंधे मार्गदर्शकों!
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Sanjay Kumar Azad
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VISHWA SAMBAD KENDRA
Sri Niketan ;Niwaranpur RANCHI-834 002
( JHARKHAND)
ISlami
मुस्लिम नेताओं के इसी रवैए ने भारत की राजनीति को बारंबार बदनाम किया है। महात्मा गांधी ने मौलाना शौकत अली और मोहम्मद अली के `खिलाफत आंदोलन´ को समर्थन देने के लिए कांग्रेस नेतृत्व की पूरी राष्ट्रवादी धारा से विरोध मोल ले लिया। जब महात्मा गांधी को अली बंधुओं के मदद की दरकार हुई तो अली बंधुओं ने बयान दिया कि `दुनिया का सबसे गया गुजरा मुसलमान भी हमारी नजरों में गांधी से बेहतर इंसान होगा।´ महात्मा गांधी ने कांग्रेस के मंचों पर मुस्लिम लीग के अधिवेशन कराए जाने की छूट दी। मुस्लिम नेताओं द्वारा उस समय बारंबार `वंदे मातरम´ के बेजा विरोध को बर्दाश्त किया। मुस्लिम लीग के जो नेता महात्मा गांधी से प्रश्रय प्रात कर बड़े हुए उन्हीं लोगों ने मौका आने पर कांग्रेस की नीतियों को `मुसलमान विरोधी´, `हिन्दूवादी´ तथा `हिन्दू प्रचारक´ कहने में देरी नहीं की। 20 मार्च 1938 को राजा सैयद मोहम्मद मेंहदी की अध्यक्षता में मुस्लिम लीग की एक नौ सदस्यों वाली कमेटी बनी थी जिसका नाम `पीरपुर कमेटी´ दिया गया था। इस `पीरपुर कमेटी´ में सात सदस्य किसी न किसी समय महात्मा गांधी के कृपापात्र थे। इस कमेटी ने मुस्लिम लीग के जिए अध्यक्ष मोहम्मद अली जिन्ना को अपनी रिपोर्ट सौंपी, उन जिन्ना को गोपाल कृष्ण गोखले, पं. मोतीलाल नेहरू और सरोजिनी नायडू जैसे लोग प्रखर राष्ट्रवादी और आत्मा से सेकुलर होने का प्रशस्तिपत्र दे चुके थे। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ ने 71 वर्ष पूर्व जिन बिन्दुओं पर मुसलमानों पर अत्याचार की बात उठाई थी, आज अगर कोई आजम खान समिति बनाई जाए तो वह भी इन्हीं बिन्दुओं को रेखांकित करेगी। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ ने मुस्लिम उत्पीड़न के जो बिन्दु रेखांकित किए थे उन्हें देखें- 1. कांग्रेस की सामान्य नीति, 2. वंदेमातरम, 3. तिरंगा झंडा, 4. स्थानीय निकायों में मुसलमानों की गैरमौजूदगी, 5. गौरक्षा, 6. सांप्रदायिक दंगे (कारण और बीज), 7. भाषा और संस्कृति। `पीरपुर कमेटी´ से जस्टिस सच्चर आयोग तक मुसलमानों की व्यथा वही पुरानी है। इस बीच मुसलमान पाकिस्तान और बांग्लादेश नामक दो राष्ट्र पा चुके हैं और तीसरे में भी उन्हें असंतोष है। बंगाल के मुख्यमंत्री फजलुल हक ने दिसंबर 1939 में मुस्लिमों की प्रताड़ना की दूसरी रिपोर्ट दी थी। इस रिपोर्ट के समापन में फजलुल हक ने लिखा- `कांग्रेसी शासन के अत्याचार में मुसलमान आतंक और कष्ट में जीने के लिए विवश हैं। कातिल को लटका देने से मकतूल को जिंदगी वापस नहीं मिल जाती।´
आज भी आप कश्मीर के मुख्यमंत्री उमर अब्दुल्ला या मुफ्ती मोहम्मद सईद से कोई भी रिपोर्ट मुस्लिम समस्या पर लिखाएं, आप उनकी भाषा फजलुल हक की भाषा से अलग नहीं पाएंगे। मुस्लिम नेताओं को हिन्दू नेता चाहे कितना प्रश्रय दें जिस दिन उनका कोई स्वार्थ टकराता है उनकी पहली बांग `सांप्रदायिकता´ की होती है। कल लालकृष्ण आडवाणी प्रधानमंत्री बनें और मुख्तार अब्बास नकवी या शाहनवाज हुसैन को कोई पद न दें, आप पाइएगा दोनों की भाषा अब्दुल रहमान अंतुले, आजम खान या मौलाना मदनी से कम कड़ी नहीं होगी। छह दशक पहले मुस्लिम राजनीति की इस प्रवृत्ति का स्वाद सरदार वल्लभ भाई पटेल को भी सहना पड़ा था। उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर हुए हैं जोश मलीहाबादी। उनके बारे में मुस्लिम विद्वान रफीक जकरिया ने जो लिखा है वह गिरगिट प्रवृत्ति की चीरफाड़ है- `सरदार पटेल के अधीन प्रकाशन विभाग था। सरदार पाकिस्तान की सर्वश्रेष्ठ उर्दू पत्रिका को टक्कर देने की क्षमतावाली एक उर्दू पत्रिका भारत सरकार द्वारा प्रकाशित कराना चाहते थे। सरदार पटेल के इसी विचार से जन्म हुआ था उर्दू मासिक `आजकल´ का, जिसने अपने पहले ही अंक से उर्दू पत्रकारिता में अपना अद्वितीय स्थान बना लिया। इसका श्रेय उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर जोश मलीहाबादी को दिया जाना चाहिए जिन्हें इस पत्रिका का प्रथम संपादक नियुक्त किया गया था। उनकी नियुक्ति के प्रस्ताव ने अधिकारियों के बीच काफी विवाद खड़ा कर दिया था। उनका नाम पटेल को यूपी की तत्कालीन राज्यपाल सरोजिनी नायडू ने सुझाया था। पटेल के निजी सचिव वी. शंकर भी उर्दू के ज्ञाता थे। उन्होंने जोश के नाम का अनुमोदन किया था। आरोप लगाया गया था कि राष्ट्रवादी चोगे में जोश वस्तुत: साम्यवादी हैं। हर कोई जानता था कि पटेल साम्यवादियों के विरोधी थे। जोश के खिलाफ यह शिकायत भी की गई कि उन्हें शराब का बहुत शौक है। दूसरी ओर थी जोश की राष्ट्रवादी पृष्ठभूमि, राष्ट्रीय विचारों से ओत-प्रोत उनकी कविताएं। उनकी रचनाओं में अंग्रेजों के खिलाफ विद्रोह की आग थी, इसीलिए उन्ेहं `विद्रोह का शायर´ कहा जाता था।
सरदार ने शंकर से जोश की कुछ रचनाएं सुनाने के लिए कहा और उन्हें सुनकर वे इतने प्रभावित हुए कि उसी वक्त जोश की नियुक्ति के आदेश दे दिए। विभाग के सचिव एन.सी. मेहता इस आदेश को महीनों तक दबाए रहे। एक दिन सरदार ने अचानक शंकर से पूछा कि जोश ने पत्रिका का काम शुरू कर दिया है अथवा नहीं? जांच करने पर पता चला कि मेहता ने आदेश ही नहीं जारी किए थे। पटेल गुस्से से लाल-पीले हो गए और उन्होंने मेहता को फटकारा। कोई अफसरशाह पटेल के आदेशों की अवहेलना नहीं कर सकता था। मेहता ने ऐसा किया और उन्हें इसका फल भुगतना पड़ा। जोश को नौकरी मिल गई और मेहता को हिमाचल प्रदेश भेज दिया गया। जोश आभार व्यक्त करने के लिए सरदार के पास गए तो उप प्रधानमंत्री ने उन्हें बताया कि उनकी राष्ट्रवादी भावनाओं के वे कितने प्रशंसक हैं। उन्होंने जोश को आश्वासन दिया कि सरकार उर्दू की हरसंभव सहायता करेगी। उन्होंने अपेक्षा व्यक्त की कि पत्रिका में स्वतंत्रता की नई लहर प्रतिबिंबित होनी चाहिए। पत्रिका की सामग्री सांप्रदायिक एकता को मजबूत करने वाली और हिंदी-उर्दू के संबंधों को दृढ़ बनाने वाली होनी चाहिए। उसका स्तर उच्च साहित्यिक होना चाहिए। जोश ने सफलतापूर्वक लगभग एक दशक तक `आजकल´ निकाला। उन्हें पारिश्रमिक भी अच्छा खासा मिला, वे स्थापित भी हुए और प्रसन्न भी। फिर अचानक अपने मित्रों और सहयोगियों को आश्चर्यचकित करते हुए पाकिस्तान चले गए। उनके एक प्रशंसक सिकंदर मिर्जा उन दिनों पाकिस्तान के मुख्य मार्शल लॉ प्रशासक थे। मिर्जा ने जोश को आर्थिक लाभ का लालच दिया। चांदी के चंद टुकड़ों के लिए बहुतों का प्यारा भारतीय मुसलमान अपना वतन छोड़ गया। जोश ने सांप्रदायिक सद्भाव को चोट पहुंचाई थी। मिर्जा के पतन के बाद पाकिस्तान में जोश को गद्दार कहकर सार्वजनिक रूप से दुत्कारा गया। कई बार उन्होंने भारत लौटने की कोशिश की।
जिन जोश को भारत सरकार ने `पदमभूषण´ से नवाजा था, जिन्होंने भारत के प्रधानमंत्री से दोस्ती का सम्मान पाया था, वे जोश एक सुबह `पाक धरती´ की ओर भाग गए। वहां उन्हें रिक्शा चलाने के लाइसेंस मिले, कुछ सिनेमाघरों में हिस्सेदारी मिली और शासकों के कशीदे काढ़ने के लिए मोटी रकम। जब शासक हटे तो जोश दुत्कारे गए। उन्हें अपनी भूल का एहसास हुआ और भारत लौटने की कोशिश शुरू की। तब स्वर्गीय मौलाना आजाद अड़ गए, वे एक ही शर्त पर जोश के भारत लौटने पर सहमत थे कि लौटने पर उसे जेल में रखा जाए।´ जोश की इस गद्दारी का उपयुZक्त वर्णन रफीक जकरिया ने किया है, सो उनकी बातों पर आजम खान को भी भरोसा करना चाहिए। जोश ने अपनी आत्मकथा `यादों की बारात´ में सरदार पटेल के बारे में लिखा है- `सरदार का चेहरा मुजरिमों जैसा था।´ सरदार के प्रति नमकहरामी करने वाले जोश पाकिस्तान में बहुत दयनीय स्थिति में जिए। अधिकांश समय वे नशे में धुत रहते थे और जब वे मरे तो पाकिस्तान ने न कोई सम्मान दिया, न प्रशस्ति पत्र। सरदार के साथ जो हरकत जोश ने की वही हरकत मुलायम के साथ दर्जनों मुस्लिम नेता कर चुके हैं। गांधी परिवार को भी मुस्लिम नेता सबक सिखाते रहे हैं। लालू भी बारंबार मुस्लिम नेताओं शहाबुद्दीन-तस्लीमुद्दीन से हैरान-परेशान रहते हैं। आजम खान भी उसी राह पर हैं। जब इन मुस्लिम नेताओं का स्वार्थ नहीं सधता तो इस्लाम खतरे में आ जाता है। हम मुसलमानों के विरोधी नहीं है। हमारा विरोध इस्लाम को खतरे में डालने वाले मुस्लिम नेताओं से है।
--
Sanjay Kumar Azad
cell-09939182611//0-9470131277
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VISHWA SAMBAD KENDRA
Sri Niketan ;Niwaranpur RANCHI-834 002
( JHARKHAND)
आज भी आप कश्मीर के मुख्यमंत्री उमर अब्दुल्ला या मुफ्ती मोहम्मद सईद से कोई भी रिपोर्ट मुस्लिम समस्या पर लिखाएं, आप उनकी भाषा फजलुल हक की भाषा से अलग नहीं पाएंगे। मुस्लिम नेताओं को हिन्दू नेता चाहे कितना प्रश्रय दें जिस दिन उनका कोई स्वार्थ टकराता है उनकी पहली बांग `सांप्रदायिकता´ की होती है। कल लालकृष्ण आडवाणी प्रधानमंत्री बनें और मुख्तार अब्बास नकवी या शाहनवाज हुसैन को कोई पद न दें, आप पाइएगा दोनों की भाषा अब्दुल रहमान अंतुले, आजम खान या मौलाना मदनी से कम कड़ी नहीं होगी। छह दशक पहले मुस्लिम राजनीति की इस प्रवृत्ति का स्वाद सरदार वल्लभ भाई पटेल को भी सहना पड़ा था। उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर हुए हैं जोश मलीहाबादी। उनके बारे में मुस्लिम विद्वान रफीक जकरिया ने जो लिखा है वह गिरगिट प्रवृत्ति की चीरफाड़ है- `सरदार पटेल के अधीन प्रकाशन विभाग था। सरदार पाकिस्तान की सर्वश्रेष्ठ उर्दू पत्रिका को टक्कर देने की क्षमतावाली एक उर्दू पत्रिका भारत सरकार द्वारा प्रकाशित कराना चाहते थे। सरदार पटेल के इसी विचार से जन्म हुआ था उर्दू मासिक `आजकल´ का, जिसने अपने पहले ही अंक से उर्दू पत्रकारिता में अपना अद्वितीय स्थान बना लिया। इसका श्रेय उर्दू के प्रख्यात शायर जोश मलीहाबादी को दिया जाना चाहिए जिन्हें इस पत्रिका का प्रथम संपादक नियुक्त किया गया था। उनकी नियुक्ति के प्रस्ताव ने अधिकारियों के बीच काफी विवाद खड़ा कर दिया था। उनका नाम पटेल को यूपी की तत्कालीन राज्यपाल सरोजिनी नायडू ने सुझाया था। पटेल के निजी सचिव वी. शंकर भी उर्दू के ज्ञाता थे। उन्होंने जोश के नाम का अनुमोदन किया था। आरोप लगाया गया था कि राष्ट्रवादी चोगे में जोश वस्तुत: साम्यवादी हैं। हर कोई जानता था कि पटेल साम्यवादियों के विरोधी थे। जोश के खिलाफ यह शिकायत भी की गई कि उन्हें शराब का बहुत शौक है। दूसरी ओर थी जोश की राष्ट्रवादी पृष्ठभूमि, राष्ट्रीय विचारों से ओत-प्रोत उनकी कविताएं। उनकी रचनाओं में अंग्रेजों के खिलाफ विद्रोह की आग थी, इसीलिए उन्ेहं `विद्रोह का शायर´ कहा जाता था।
सरदार ने शंकर से जोश की कुछ रचनाएं सुनाने के लिए कहा और उन्हें सुनकर वे इतने प्रभावित हुए कि उसी वक्त जोश की नियुक्ति के आदेश दे दिए। विभाग के सचिव एन.सी. मेहता इस आदेश को महीनों तक दबाए रहे। एक दिन सरदार ने अचानक शंकर से पूछा कि जोश ने पत्रिका का काम शुरू कर दिया है अथवा नहीं? जांच करने पर पता चला कि मेहता ने आदेश ही नहीं जारी किए थे। पटेल गुस्से से लाल-पीले हो गए और उन्होंने मेहता को फटकारा। कोई अफसरशाह पटेल के आदेशों की अवहेलना नहीं कर सकता था। मेहता ने ऐसा किया और उन्हें इसका फल भुगतना पड़ा। जोश को नौकरी मिल गई और मेहता को हिमाचल प्रदेश भेज दिया गया। जोश आभार व्यक्त करने के लिए सरदार के पास गए तो उप प्रधानमंत्री ने उन्हें बताया कि उनकी राष्ट्रवादी भावनाओं के वे कितने प्रशंसक हैं। उन्होंने जोश को आश्वासन दिया कि सरकार उर्दू की हरसंभव सहायता करेगी। उन्होंने अपेक्षा व्यक्त की कि पत्रिका में स्वतंत्रता की नई लहर प्रतिबिंबित होनी चाहिए। पत्रिका की सामग्री सांप्रदायिक एकता को मजबूत करने वाली और हिंदी-उर्दू के संबंधों को दृढ़ बनाने वाली होनी चाहिए। उसका स्तर उच्च साहित्यिक होना चाहिए। जोश ने सफलतापूर्वक लगभग एक दशक तक `आजकल´ निकाला। उन्हें पारिश्रमिक भी अच्छा खासा मिला, वे स्थापित भी हुए और प्रसन्न भी। फिर अचानक अपने मित्रों और सहयोगियों को आश्चर्यचकित करते हुए पाकिस्तान चले गए। उनके एक प्रशंसक सिकंदर मिर्जा उन दिनों पाकिस्तान के मुख्य मार्शल लॉ प्रशासक थे। मिर्जा ने जोश को आर्थिक लाभ का लालच दिया। चांदी के चंद टुकड़ों के लिए बहुतों का प्यारा भारतीय मुसलमान अपना वतन छोड़ गया। जोश ने सांप्रदायिक सद्भाव को चोट पहुंचाई थी। मिर्जा के पतन के बाद पाकिस्तान में जोश को गद्दार कहकर सार्वजनिक रूप से दुत्कारा गया। कई बार उन्होंने भारत लौटने की कोशिश की।
जिन जोश को भारत सरकार ने `पदमभूषण´ से नवाजा था, जिन्होंने भारत के प्रधानमंत्री से दोस्ती का सम्मान पाया था, वे जोश एक सुबह `पाक धरती´ की ओर भाग गए। वहां उन्हें रिक्शा चलाने के लाइसेंस मिले, कुछ सिनेमाघरों में हिस्सेदारी मिली और शासकों के कशीदे काढ़ने के लिए मोटी रकम। जब शासक हटे तो जोश दुत्कारे गए। उन्हें अपनी भूल का एहसास हुआ और भारत लौटने की कोशिश शुरू की। तब स्वर्गीय मौलाना आजाद अड़ गए, वे एक ही शर्त पर जोश के भारत लौटने पर सहमत थे कि लौटने पर उसे जेल में रखा जाए।´ जोश की इस गद्दारी का उपयुZक्त वर्णन रफीक जकरिया ने किया है, सो उनकी बातों पर आजम खान को भी भरोसा करना चाहिए। जोश ने अपनी आत्मकथा `यादों की बारात´ में सरदार पटेल के बारे में लिखा है- `सरदार का चेहरा मुजरिमों जैसा था।´ सरदार के प्रति नमकहरामी करने वाले जोश पाकिस्तान में बहुत दयनीय स्थिति में जिए। अधिकांश समय वे नशे में धुत रहते थे और जब वे मरे तो पाकिस्तान ने न कोई सम्मान दिया, न प्रशस्ति पत्र। सरदार के साथ जो हरकत जोश ने की वही हरकत मुलायम के साथ दर्जनों मुस्लिम नेता कर चुके हैं। गांधी परिवार को भी मुस्लिम नेता सबक सिखाते रहे हैं। लालू भी बारंबार मुस्लिम नेताओं शहाबुद्दीन-तस्लीमुद्दीन से हैरान-परेशान रहते हैं। आजम खान भी उसी राह पर हैं। जब इन मुस्लिम नेताओं का स्वार्थ नहीं सधता तो इस्लाम खतरे में आ जाता है। हम मुसलमानों के विरोधी नहीं है। हमारा विरोध इस्लाम को खतरे में डालने वाले मुस्लिम नेताओं से है।
--
Sanjay Kumar Azad
cell-09939182611//0-9470131277
Tel& Fax-0651-2480712
VISHWA SAMBAD KENDRA
Sri Niketan ;Niwaranpur RANCHI-834 002
( JHARKHAND)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Kandhmal fallout: 1 officer sacked, more heads to roll
Kandhmal fallout: 1 officer sacked, more heads to roll
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): Orissa Government has on August 11 sacked an officer and identified about 100 others for allegedly joining services in state government, banks and PSUs by producing fake caste certificates, official sources said.
The issue of fake caste certificates, considered a major reason behind last year's communal violence in Kandhamal district, surfaced with the State Level Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) of the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development Department identifying over 100 such cases.
"Of the 183 allegations relating to misuse of caste certificates, 105 were found to be true," said a senior official at the Department.
The officer already sacked was identified as Browny Pradhan, welfare extension officer (WEO) working at Sorada in Ganjam district. He was expelled from government job under Clause 18 (II) of Orissa Civil Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1962.
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): Orissa Government has on August 11 sacked an officer and identified about 100 others for allegedly joining services in state government, banks and PSUs by producing fake caste certificates, official sources said.
The issue of fake caste certificates, considered a major reason behind last year's communal violence in Kandhamal district, surfaced with the State Level Scrutiny Committee (SLSC) of the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development Department identifying over 100 such cases.
"Of the 183 allegations relating to misuse of caste certificates, 105 were found to be true," said a senior official at the Department.
The officer already sacked was identified as Browny Pradhan, welfare extension officer (WEO) working at Sorada in Ganjam district. He was expelled from government job under Clause 18 (II) of Orissa Civil Service (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1962.
Church wants Lord’s Land!
Church wants Lord’s Land!
By signing a memorandum with Naveen Patnaik led BJD Government in Orissa through London based Steel maker, Anil Agarwal, the Churches of England however eyeing on lands of Lord Jagannath.The Lord’s land on Puri-Konark marine drive in eastern Indian State of Orissa, popularly known as Amrutamanohi in Hindu terminology, has been sold out to Church as it has a great stake in the controversial Vedanta Company.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who all through his career, studied at Church funded educational institutions, has signed a memorandum with Agarwal for setting up a World Class University.The Church, which has been creating all communal flare up in the State, however further succeeded as the Naveen Patnaik Government has already sold out at 6000 acres of land to the Company, which runs with massive support of Churches of England. The Church’s investment in Vedanta stock is relatively small, at £2.5 million.The Churches of England and local councils (like the Middlesbrough Borough Council have great stake in Vedanta Group. So they put pressure on Agarwal and finally captured the sacred land of Lord Jagannath. The Church of England’s total investment portfolio is in excess of £7 billion. Church investors use their influence as shareholders to improve their unholy nexus. These companies act in the interests of financial gain, rather than the interests of the communities where they operate. These corporations must be held accountable for their actions. They have a duty to conduct business in a socially responsible and ethical manner. They cannot be allowed to cut off the livelihood of local inhabitants, to commit terrible environmental and human rights violations, and to endanger the livelihood of future generations. But what Church and Vedanta doing with the massive support of Naveen Patnaik.
By signing a memorandum with Naveen Patnaik led BJD Government in Orissa through London based Steel maker, Anil Agarwal, the Churches of England however eyeing on lands of Lord Jagannath.The Lord’s land on Puri-Konark marine drive in eastern Indian State of Orissa, popularly known as Amrutamanohi in Hindu terminology, has been sold out to Church as it has a great stake in the controversial Vedanta Company.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who all through his career, studied at Church funded educational institutions, has signed a memorandum with Agarwal for setting up a World Class University.The Church, which has been creating all communal flare up in the State, however further succeeded as the Naveen Patnaik Government has already sold out at 6000 acres of land to the Company, which runs with massive support of Churches of England. The Church’s investment in Vedanta stock is relatively small, at £2.5 million.The Churches of England and local councils (like the Middlesbrough Borough Council have great stake in Vedanta Group. So they put pressure on Agarwal and finally captured the sacred land of Lord Jagannath. The Church of England’s total investment portfolio is in excess of £7 billion. Church investors use their influence as shareholders to improve their unholy nexus. These companies act in the interests of financial gain, rather than the interests of the communities where they operate. These corporations must be held accountable for their actions. They have a duty to conduct business in a socially responsible and ethical manner. They cannot be allowed to cut off the livelihood of local inhabitants, to commit terrible environmental and human rights violations, and to endanger the livelihood of future generations. But what Church and Vedanta doing with the massive support of Naveen Patnaik.
Swamiji death anniversary observed at Gobardhan Pitha
Swamiji death anniversary observed at Gobardhan Pitha
PURI (VISAKEO): Late Swami Laxmananda Saraswati was a true friend of illiterate poor tribals of the State. He relentlessly fought against conversion and cow slaughtering till his last breath.For fighting an Akanda Bharat, Swamiji became a victim of Church sponsored terror, speakers said while attending a Sradhanjali Sabha here at Gobardhan Pitha. Chairing the Sabha, Puri Seer Jagadguru Swami Nischalananda Saraswati said that if Swamiji’s dream fulfills, it would be better tribute for him. Aditya Bahini State chief Jitendra Mohapatra, spokesman Manoj Rath, VHP State general secretary Gouri Prasad Rath, RSS Pranta Pracharak Jagadish Khadanga and RSS State spokesman Rabi Narayan Panda were among those present.
PURI (VISAKEO): Late Swami Laxmananda Saraswati was a true friend of illiterate poor tribals of the State. He relentlessly fought against conversion and cow slaughtering till his last breath.For fighting an Akanda Bharat, Swamiji became a victim of Church sponsored terror, speakers said while attending a Sradhanjali Sabha here at Gobardhan Pitha. Chairing the Sabha, Puri Seer Jagadguru Swami Nischalananda Saraswati said that if Swamiji’s dream fulfills, it would be better tribute for him. Aditya Bahini State chief Jitendra Mohapatra, spokesman Manoj Rath, VHP State general secretary Gouri Prasad Rath, RSS Pranta Pracharak Jagadish Khadanga and RSS State spokesman Rabi Narayan Panda were among those present.
Bangladeshi infiltration continues to be unabated
Bangladeshi infiltration continues to be unabated
KENDRAPARA (VISAKEO): In what gives credence to recurring illegal immigration trends, the demographic profile in infiltration-hit villages of this coastal district has swelled to an alarming scale since the 2001 census operation. If the projections made by an official survey are any indication, the population in at least 97 seaside villages has gone up by over 20 percent since 2001 census figures. These villages, which have notoriety for unabated influx of both migrant Bengali-speaking people and Bangladeshis, are shortly going to be covered under National Multi-Purpose Identity (NMPI) cards. Coastal villages of Kendrapara district will be covered under a comprehensive survey coupled with issuance of multi-purpose identity cards to the settlers. The survey programme is getting underway as part of National Population Register (NPR) exercise to intensify vigil along coastal villagers in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai in November last year. The projected population growth in these 97 coastal villages is distinctively on a higher side and it is quite disproportionate to demographic growth in rest parts of this district, according to official sources. The break-up these villages marked by massive population rise is Rajnagar block (55), Mahakalpada (38), Patkura block (3) and Rajkakina block (1). The projected population figure, according to NPR findings, in these coastal villages stands at little over 1 lakh natives while the 2001 census points toward settlement of 81,511 residents in these seaside villages and hamlets. Of the projected population findings, as many as 39,681residents are from fishermen community, said official sources. It appears most likely that projected figure would be on the lower side and the actual population may go up further after the completion of NPR survey, said NPR enumerators. The latest NPR projections have amply laid bare the disturbing trend of unchecked influx of migrant settlers. Of the 97 villages marked down for issuance for coastal identity cards, the migrant Bengali-settlers were found outnumbering the local natives in majority of villages and hamlets. An interesting aspect of the projected demographic pattern is that there are a number of cent percent Bengali settlement villages in the NMPI-marked-down areas. The villages bearing the brunt of migrants' incursion are Vekta, Krushnapriyapur, Batighar, Raja Rajeswaripur, Badatotta-Chapalli, Barakolikhola, Suniti, Bhateni, Kantilo, Kandarapatia, Kharnasi, Kochila, Nipania, Petchella, Jamboo, Ramnagar, Suigola, Tantiapala, Tubi (Bada), Ahirajpur, Amarabati, Anantakeshari, Banipala, Birahanjapur, Debendranarayanpur,, Shailendranarayanpur, Talchua, Rangani, Pravati, Sundaripala, Tikayatnagar and scores of other hamlets. The seaside villages in this district are widely regarded as a major infiltration zone for Bangladeshi illegal immigrants. While officially 1677 Bangladeshis are firmly ensconced in these pockets, the infiltrators' number for all practical purpose is very much on the higher scale. In 2005 year, 1551 enumerated Bangladeshis had been served Quit India notice. But later allegedly under political compulsion, the move to deport the foreign nationals was put on hold.
KENDRAPARA (VISAKEO): In what gives credence to recurring illegal immigration trends, the demographic profile in infiltration-hit villages of this coastal district has swelled to an alarming scale since the 2001 census operation. If the projections made by an official survey are any indication, the population in at least 97 seaside villages has gone up by over 20 percent since 2001 census figures. These villages, which have notoriety for unabated influx of both migrant Bengali-speaking people and Bangladeshis, are shortly going to be covered under National Multi-Purpose Identity (NMPI) cards. Coastal villages of Kendrapara district will be covered under a comprehensive survey coupled with issuance of multi-purpose identity cards to the settlers. The survey programme is getting underway as part of National Population Register (NPR) exercise to intensify vigil along coastal villagers in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai in November last year. The projected population growth in these 97 coastal villages is distinctively on a higher side and it is quite disproportionate to demographic growth in rest parts of this district, according to official sources. The break-up these villages marked by massive population rise is Rajnagar block (55), Mahakalpada (38), Patkura block (3) and Rajkakina block (1). The projected population figure, according to NPR findings, in these coastal villages stands at little over 1 lakh natives while the 2001 census points toward settlement of 81,511 residents in these seaside villages and hamlets. Of the projected population findings, as many as 39,681residents are from fishermen community, said official sources. It appears most likely that projected figure would be on the lower side and the actual population may go up further after the completion of NPR survey, said NPR enumerators. The latest NPR projections have amply laid bare the disturbing trend of unchecked influx of migrant settlers. Of the 97 villages marked down for issuance for coastal identity cards, the migrant Bengali-settlers were found outnumbering the local natives in majority of villages and hamlets. An interesting aspect of the projected demographic pattern is that there are a number of cent percent Bengali settlement villages in the NMPI-marked-down areas. The villages bearing the brunt of migrants' incursion are Vekta, Krushnapriyapur, Batighar, Raja Rajeswaripur, Badatotta-Chapalli, Barakolikhola, Suniti, Bhateni, Kantilo, Kandarapatia, Kharnasi, Kochila, Nipania, Petchella, Jamboo, Ramnagar, Suigola, Tantiapala, Tubi (Bada), Ahirajpur, Amarabati, Anantakeshari, Banipala, Birahanjapur, Debendranarayanpur,, Shailendranarayanpur, Talchua, Rangani, Pravati, Sundaripala, Tikayatnagar and scores of other hamlets. The seaside villages in this district are widely regarded as a major infiltration zone for Bangladeshi illegal immigrants. While officially 1677 Bangladeshis are firmly ensconced in these pockets, the infiltrators' number for all practical purpose is very much on the higher scale. In 2005 year, 1551 enumerated Bangladeshis had been served Quit India notice. But later allegedly under political compulsion, the move to deport the foreign nationals was put on hold.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wages of a mis-defined state
Wages of a mis-defined state
Virendra Parekh
13 Aug 2009
Six decades after Independence and the creation of Pakistan, why does the communal problem remain wholly unresolved even in the truncated India? In fact, it has grown to unimaginable proportions if we take (as we should) the whole of undivided India into consideration. The answer lies essentially in a wrong idea of India that dominated the thinking of the leaders of the freedom struggle. It still dominates the self-perception of the Indian state and its ruling elite.
Two events, separated by about four decades, highlight the flawed character of the freedom struggle under Gandhi’s leadership. In 1905, when Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal, people erupted into a massive protest movement, forcing the British to annul the partition. In 1947, the whole country was partitioned and the same people guided by Congress accepted it as the best alternative in the given situation. A symbolic mirror image of the downfall was the replacement of Vande Mataram by Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem.
What had gone wrong? The descent from the fervent unadulterated nationalism of the Swadeshi Movement in the first decade of the twentieth century into the utter helplessness of the national leadership before British machinations and Muslim intransigence has been traced graphically by many chroniclers. Two nations: therefore, parity; therefore, veto; therefore, autonomy. Therefore, right to self-determination. Therefore, partition. It is one straight line.
The political failure was the consequence of an ideological one. The British presented India as a ‘composite country’ comprising a majority community and a minority community. Faced with a rising tide of national resurgence, the British imperialists started saying that while they ‘appreciated the legitimate aspirations’ of the ‘majority community’, they could not leave the ‘minority community’ at the ‘mercy’ of the former, that they could not leave the country till the ‘majority community’ had succeeded in ‘winning the trust’ of the ‘minority community.’
The leaders of the Indian National Congress could think only in terms of a parliamentary constitution patterned on the British model. They could, therefore, see no alternative to ‘winning the trust of the minority community’. They could not see that they were entering a blind alley from which there was no way out. The price of the trust, goodwill and cooperation of the minority community went on multiplying in direct proportion to the effort mounted to secure it. The more the Congress leaders bent, the more they were asked to bend.
It need not have been so. The Congress had declared itself a representative body of all groups, religious or otherwise, in the country. It could and should have, therefore, stood by its commitment to protect the interests and integrity of the nation as a whole, and never succumbed to the pressure tactics of any particular section.
In stark contrast with the pigmies that man our political parties currently, the Congress leadership in those days comprised sterling patriots of unimpeachable character and a long record of public service. But for all their qualities of head and heart, they could not rise above their training and education. They swallowed the definition of India as a conglomeration of communities and assumed with an inferiority complex that unless all communities came to its platform, it could not become a national organization. They became nervous at the prospect of being dubbed ‘communal’ if Hindus alone participated in its activities.
The same game continued to be played in the post-independence period under the garb of secularism. Before 1947, only that party, that programme, that leader was national which was approved by Muslims. After 1947, Muslim approval became a must for any party, programme or leader to be considered secular.
To return to the Congress leaders, they could not think of India as a great and ancient nation which had suffered a decline as a result of imperialist inroads, Islamic and British. They did not realize that to make India truly independent, they had to fight not only the British rule, also the residues of Islamic imperialism, masquerading as ‘minority leadership.’ To them, India was still a ‘nation in the making’.
After independence, an intellectually honest leadership would have candidly admitted failure of its policies and strategies against Jinnah’s intransigence and Muslim gangsterism (aided and abetted by the British) and accepted the reality that after the secession of the Muslim component, including army, police and bureaucracy, what remained was Hindu Rashtra. It would have fashioned a state whose orientation would have been more sympathetic to the aspirations of ordinary Hindus.
However, instead of accepting the failure of Gandhiji and his methods in dealing with Islamic separatism, the Indian state has continued to follow the same methods even in vivisected India.
The Indian Constitution, which grants special privileges to the minorities, mirrors this approach. Reason demands that if the minorities have some special rights as minorities, they should also have special duties and obligations as minorities, such as the duty of respecting the sentiments of the majority and living peacefully with it. Similarly, if the majority community has some special duties and responsibilities, it should also have special rights and privileges, such as the right to remain the majority and resist attempts at conversion, the right to be regarded as the national society, and the right to define the cultural ethos of the country.
However, in India, we have a situation wherein all the rights, privileges and prerogatives belong to the minorities and the Hindus are left holding the duties, responsibilities and obligations.
Congress under Nehru took over from where the British and Muslim League left. It continues to swear by the colonial definition of India as a vast conglomeration of disparate groups struggling to evolve some principle of unity, as a nation in the making.
The British had perfected the use of Muslims as a counterweight to indigenous nationalism. To every proposal from freedom fighters, the British counter was “what about Muslims? Will they accept it?’ Now, to every demand from Hindu society in the truncated India, the Congress counter is: what about minorities? Will they accept it?’
How history repeats itself! What Jinnah used to say about Congress in 1940s, the Congress today is saying about BJP: “It is a party of Hindu banias, Muslims can never expect justice from it, if it came to power, Muslim lives and property will not be safe and so on.” The fact that like Congress under Gandhi, the BJP too is not a Hindu party, and that both have only betrayed the Hindus is irrelevant.
Again, like the Congress leadership’s surrender to the Muslim League, this outcome was not inevitable. The partition had resolved the civilisational stalemate in favour of the Hindus in three-fourths of undivided India. Partition gave Hindus a state of their own. However, they could not convert it into a Hindu state. At the time of independence, the Hindus were too traumatized by Partition to realize that they had reached an important milestone in their long and chequered history, that after several centuries they had an opportunity to come into their own.
This enabled Nehru and others to convert India into a secular state. Hindus went along in the hope that secularism would deny legitimacy to Muslim and other separatisms, and allow them to deal with non-Hindus in a non-partisan manner.
Here again, they have been betrayed. Owing to several factors that need not detain us here, secularism has been converted (or perverted) into a powerful political concept to deny legitimacy to Hindu aspirations and provide a shield to every anti-Hindu ideology such as Islam, Christianity and Communism. Indeed, secularism has one meaning when applied to Hindus and quite another when applied to non-Hindus.
Hindus have to realize that their civilization is fighting a life-and-death battle with its back to the wall. In the words of Sita Ram Goel, Hindu society has been thrown on the defensive by blood-soaked bigotries, clay-footed creeds, and a mercenary modernist culture because Hindu society is suffering from self-forgetfulness.
As Girilal Jain perceptively observed, the dominant Hindu intelligentsia is the product of the Macaulay school of education. It has got alienated from its own roots. It has to an extent lost its sense of identity. It is anxious to join the Western world even if as a very junior partner. It thinks mainly in Western terms. Its conceptual equipment and intellectual baggage is wholly Western in its origin.
Hindus missed the bus in 1947 because they lacked an elite that would reassert the primacy of their civilization in India. They are still paying the price for not having one even today.
Virendra Parekh
13 Aug 2009
Six decades after Independence and the creation of Pakistan, why does the communal problem remain wholly unresolved even in the truncated India? In fact, it has grown to unimaginable proportions if we take (as we should) the whole of undivided India into consideration. The answer lies essentially in a wrong idea of India that dominated the thinking of the leaders of the freedom struggle. It still dominates the self-perception of the Indian state and its ruling elite.
Two events, separated by about four decades, highlight the flawed character of the freedom struggle under Gandhi’s leadership. In 1905, when Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal, people erupted into a massive protest movement, forcing the British to annul the partition. In 1947, the whole country was partitioned and the same people guided by Congress accepted it as the best alternative in the given situation. A symbolic mirror image of the downfall was the replacement of Vande Mataram by Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem.
What had gone wrong? The descent from the fervent unadulterated nationalism of the Swadeshi Movement in the first decade of the twentieth century into the utter helplessness of the national leadership before British machinations and Muslim intransigence has been traced graphically by many chroniclers. Two nations: therefore, parity; therefore, veto; therefore, autonomy. Therefore, right to self-determination. Therefore, partition. It is one straight line.
The political failure was the consequence of an ideological one. The British presented India as a ‘composite country’ comprising a majority community and a minority community. Faced with a rising tide of national resurgence, the British imperialists started saying that while they ‘appreciated the legitimate aspirations’ of the ‘majority community’, they could not leave the ‘minority community’ at the ‘mercy’ of the former, that they could not leave the country till the ‘majority community’ had succeeded in ‘winning the trust’ of the ‘minority community.’
The leaders of the Indian National Congress could think only in terms of a parliamentary constitution patterned on the British model. They could, therefore, see no alternative to ‘winning the trust of the minority community’. They could not see that they were entering a blind alley from which there was no way out. The price of the trust, goodwill and cooperation of the minority community went on multiplying in direct proportion to the effort mounted to secure it. The more the Congress leaders bent, the more they were asked to bend.
It need not have been so. The Congress had declared itself a representative body of all groups, religious or otherwise, in the country. It could and should have, therefore, stood by its commitment to protect the interests and integrity of the nation as a whole, and never succumbed to the pressure tactics of any particular section.
In stark contrast with the pigmies that man our political parties currently, the Congress leadership in those days comprised sterling patriots of unimpeachable character and a long record of public service. But for all their qualities of head and heart, they could not rise above their training and education. They swallowed the definition of India as a conglomeration of communities and assumed with an inferiority complex that unless all communities came to its platform, it could not become a national organization. They became nervous at the prospect of being dubbed ‘communal’ if Hindus alone participated in its activities.
The same game continued to be played in the post-independence period under the garb of secularism. Before 1947, only that party, that programme, that leader was national which was approved by Muslims. After 1947, Muslim approval became a must for any party, programme or leader to be considered secular.
To return to the Congress leaders, they could not think of India as a great and ancient nation which had suffered a decline as a result of imperialist inroads, Islamic and British. They did not realize that to make India truly independent, they had to fight not only the British rule, also the residues of Islamic imperialism, masquerading as ‘minority leadership.’ To them, India was still a ‘nation in the making’.
After independence, an intellectually honest leadership would have candidly admitted failure of its policies and strategies against Jinnah’s intransigence and Muslim gangsterism (aided and abetted by the British) and accepted the reality that after the secession of the Muslim component, including army, police and bureaucracy, what remained was Hindu Rashtra. It would have fashioned a state whose orientation would have been more sympathetic to the aspirations of ordinary Hindus.
However, instead of accepting the failure of Gandhiji and his methods in dealing with Islamic separatism, the Indian state has continued to follow the same methods even in vivisected India.
The Indian Constitution, which grants special privileges to the minorities, mirrors this approach. Reason demands that if the minorities have some special rights as minorities, they should also have special duties and obligations as minorities, such as the duty of respecting the sentiments of the majority and living peacefully with it. Similarly, if the majority community has some special duties and responsibilities, it should also have special rights and privileges, such as the right to remain the majority and resist attempts at conversion, the right to be regarded as the national society, and the right to define the cultural ethos of the country.
However, in India, we have a situation wherein all the rights, privileges and prerogatives belong to the minorities and the Hindus are left holding the duties, responsibilities and obligations.
Congress under Nehru took over from where the British and Muslim League left. It continues to swear by the colonial definition of India as a vast conglomeration of disparate groups struggling to evolve some principle of unity, as a nation in the making.
The British had perfected the use of Muslims as a counterweight to indigenous nationalism. To every proposal from freedom fighters, the British counter was “what about Muslims? Will they accept it?’ Now, to every demand from Hindu society in the truncated India, the Congress counter is: what about minorities? Will they accept it?’
How history repeats itself! What Jinnah used to say about Congress in 1940s, the Congress today is saying about BJP: “It is a party of Hindu banias, Muslims can never expect justice from it, if it came to power, Muslim lives and property will not be safe and so on.” The fact that like Congress under Gandhi, the BJP too is not a Hindu party, and that both have only betrayed the Hindus is irrelevant.
Again, like the Congress leadership’s surrender to the Muslim League, this outcome was not inevitable. The partition had resolved the civilisational stalemate in favour of the Hindus in three-fourths of undivided India. Partition gave Hindus a state of their own. However, they could not convert it into a Hindu state. At the time of independence, the Hindus were too traumatized by Partition to realize that they had reached an important milestone in their long and chequered history, that after several centuries they had an opportunity to come into their own.
This enabled Nehru and others to convert India into a secular state. Hindus went along in the hope that secularism would deny legitimacy to Muslim and other separatisms, and allow them to deal with non-Hindus in a non-partisan manner.
Here again, they have been betrayed. Owing to several factors that need not detain us here, secularism has been converted (or perverted) into a powerful political concept to deny legitimacy to Hindu aspirations and provide a shield to every anti-Hindu ideology such as Islam, Christianity and Communism. Indeed, secularism has one meaning when applied to Hindus and quite another when applied to non-Hindus.
Hindus have to realize that their civilization is fighting a life-and-death battle with its back to the wall. In the words of Sita Ram Goel, Hindu society has been thrown on the defensive by blood-soaked bigotries, clay-footed creeds, and a mercenary modernist culture because Hindu society is suffering from self-forgetfulness.
As Girilal Jain perceptively observed, the dominant Hindu intelligentsia is the product of the Macaulay school of education. It has got alienated from its own roots. It has to an extent lost its sense of identity. It is anxious to join the Western world even if as a very junior partner. It thinks mainly in Western terms. Its conceptual equipment and intellectual baggage is wholly Western in its origin.
Hindus missed the bus in 1947 because they lacked an elite that would reassert the primacy of their civilization in India. They are still paying the price for not having one even today.
Hindu philosophers unite warring politicians
Hindu philosophers unite warring politicians
Speaking at a function on Sunday (August 9) at Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa said the governments of both states should work together to ensure that crops do not perish for want of water be it in Karnataka or Tamilnadu. Speaking in the same vein, Tamilnadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi said that whoever works for the society is my friend. Whatever party we belong to, it is the feeling of being Indians that inspires us all to work together. The statue of Saint Thiruvalluvar, born in Tamilnadu 2000 years ago was unveiled on the occasion.
Tamilnadu responded to this gesture of Karnataka in a fitting manner. The Statue of the philosopher by name Sarvajana born in Karnataka two centuries ago was unveiled in Chennai on August 13, 2009 in the presence of these two Chief Ministers. It is noteworthy that both the States used to quarrel over sharing of the Cauvery River water for many decades. Such neighbours have come together possibly by the strength of Hindu philosophy lived by Sarvajana and Thiruvalluvar.
How Hindu life style saves life
After the dreaded Swine flu has claimed its first victim — a four-year-old boy in Chennai, Westernized socialites and party regulars in the city are being extra cautious. They follow the traditional Hindu life style of greeting each other by joining their hands together and say ‘Namaste’. Doctors have advised not to hand shakes as it is communicable to spread swine flu.
Alert Hindu parents bring a Christian school management to its knees.
A Christian School Management near Tiruvanamalai was forced to withdraw its announcement imposed on Hindu students. The announcement had said that those students who go on leave to participate in the Hindu festival of ‘Aadi Kritigai’ on August 14, will have to pay a fine of Rs.100/- Hindu parents were agitated and lodged complaints with the police. The police warned the Christian School management that it should not practice discrimination against Hindu students. The announcement was withdrawn. The Christian School management has the habit of preventing Hindu Children from displaying Kumkum on their forehead said an angry Hindu parent.
Vande Mataram.
Speaking at a function on Sunday (August 9) at Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa said the governments of both states should work together to ensure that crops do not perish for want of water be it in Karnataka or Tamilnadu. Speaking in the same vein, Tamilnadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi said that whoever works for the society is my friend. Whatever party we belong to, it is the feeling of being Indians that inspires us all to work together. The statue of Saint Thiruvalluvar, born in Tamilnadu 2000 years ago was unveiled on the occasion.
Tamilnadu responded to this gesture of Karnataka in a fitting manner. The Statue of the philosopher by name Sarvajana born in Karnataka two centuries ago was unveiled in Chennai on August 13, 2009 in the presence of these two Chief Ministers. It is noteworthy that both the States used to quarrel over sharing of the Cauvery River water for many decades. Such neighbours have come together possibly by the strength of Hindu philosophy lived by Sarvajana and Thiruvalluvar.
How Hindu life style saves life
After the dreaded Swine flu has claimed its first victim — a four-year-old boy in Chennai, Westernized socialites and party regulars in the city are being extra cautious. They follow the traditional Hindu life style of greeting each other by joining their hands together and say ‘Namaste’. Doctors have advised not to hand shakes as it is communicable to spread swine flu.
Alert Hindu parents bring a Christian school management to its knees.
A Christian School Management near Tiruvanamalai was forced to withdraw its announcement imposed on Hindu students. The announcement had said that those students who go on leave to participate in the Hindu festival of ‘Aadi Kritigai’ on August 14, will have to pay a fine of Rs.100/- Hindu parents were agitated and lodged complaints with the police. The police warned the Christian School management that it should not practice discrimination against Hindu students. The announcement was withdrawn. The Christian School management has the habit of preventing Hindu Children from displaying Kumkum on their forehead said an angry Hindu parent.
Vande Mataram.
विसकों बुलेटिन सेप्तेमेबेर-2009
1-VHP, SLSSS observes Sacrifice Day, remembers Swamiji
CHAKAPADA/JALESPATA/BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): The Viswa Hindu Parishad and SLSSS on August 13 observed the Sacrifice Day and remembered Swami Laxmananda Saraswati on his first death anniversary. The first death anniversary of the Hindu Seer passed off peacefully across Orissa including at Jalespata Ashram, where the religious leader was gun down and Chakapada in tribal dominated southern districts of Kandhamal, where he was cremated.
Swami Sachidananda Brahmachari presided over a function at Chakapada while Swami Sachidananada Saraswati, Swami Pranarupananda Saraswati, Swami Jeevan Chaitnya and Satyananda Maharaj were among those attended. A Kalas Yatra also held at Jalespata Ashram, where thousands paid tearful homage to the late Seer.
VHP, while alleging Church hand in the murder that shocked the entire nation on August 23, 2009 on Janmasthami Day, however held ‘silent protest’ at Raj Bhawan and came down heavily on the Orissa Government for its failure to nab the real killers and conspirators behind the murder case. Sangh workers held a demonstration here at Raj Bhawan and observed Sacrifice Day.
The VHP submitted a memorandum to Governor MC Bhandare seeking strong action against killers and conspirators. “The Naveen Patnaik Government for its vote bank politics, however shielding the culprits and blaming the innocent Hindu tribals for the communal flare up,” they said. The partial treatment of the elected Government to go out of the way to help people of a particular community, violets the basic principals of human rights, the VHP said in a memorandum.
Bajarang Dal national co-convener Subash Chouhan, State spokesman RN Panda, BJP MLA Pratap Sarangi, former MP Archana Nayak, Pramod Das of VHP were among those present. Later a delegation met Governor MC Bhandare and submitted a memorandum. Dr Raghunath Mohapatra, president SLSSS Dr Ratnakar Chaini, GS Ratha and Dr Nagen Kumar Debata were among those in the delegation.
2-State level students’ Convention held
BHUBANESWAR: Orissa unit of Itihash Sankalan Samiti on August 15 hosted a State level convention for College and University students and discussed on various national matters. RSS national executive member, Mr Indresh Kumar while attending the convention however alleged that the political functionaries and leaders are always loves to downplay the verdict of Judiciary. He added that , as a result of which, Pakistani based, terror elements, easily targeting Indians on their soil as the country did not have a stringent law to fight.
Citing from Afzal Guru to Kashab, Kumar demanded that each terror element, should treated as national enemy and given proper treatment for his crime on Indian soil. Around 600 students from across the State participated in the event. RSS Khetra Pracharak, Sunilpada Goswami also spoke on this occasion. Prof Prafulla Kumar Mohapatra of Utkal University’s Sanskrit Departmnet presided over the function while Suryakanta Sahoo coordinated.
3-Naveen must book under PINH Act of 1971
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): Why not a case registers against Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. As the President Medal is a national honour, the BJD chief should be booked under this act as he denied a medal to 1993 batch IPS officer Vinaytosh Mishra on Independence Day.
Mishra, an Orissa cadre IPS officer is presently working as DIG of Central Industrial Security Forces at Bokaro in Jharkhand was selected for President Award for his meritorious service.
As per the tradition in our Constitution, once the President selects a person to be awarded with the police medal, no Government can pick and chose and sit over the judgment of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, but Naveen overlooked all these traditional conventions of the largest democracy.
“The Chief Minister has to give the medal under constitutional obligations. By denying the medal to the IPS officer, who hails from Madhubani in Bihar, Naveen is sending the message that policemen can no longer fire at tribals even if they violate law and order. On the one hand he is asking that the police set-up be strengthened, and on the other, he is trying his best to undermine the police”, a senior IPS officer told this Correspondent.
Meanwhile, a senior State Congress leader and former Law Minister, Narasingh Mishra has petitioned Pratibha Patil seeking action against those, who denied a medal to the officer.
Only fault of the IPS officer was, 14 tribal were killed, when he served as Police chief of Jajpur district in 2006.By not awarding the police officer with the medal, the Chief Minister had insulted and humiliated the IPS officer and ignored the President's notification, the Congress man said.
The former Minister further said it was the State Government, which had recommended the name of the police officer after which his name was finally selected by the President.
The Congress man said, '' Once the government starts overriding the President, the federal structure will collapse and there will be no law in the country.
He appealed to the President to take appropriate action in this regard as not honouring a police officer with the President's police medal after being called for the same, amounted to humiliation in public and also gross violation of human rights besides besides disregarding her order.
However, anger is brewing within the police ranks in Orissa now over the way Mishra — who had even participated in a rehearsal for the investiture ceremony on August 14 — had been treated.
4-Orissa Church rejects US panel report
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): Catholic Churches in eastern Indian States of Orissa, on Friday wholeheartedly rejected a report of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom that placed India on the 'Watch List' for 2008 Kandhamal riot.
Reacting to the US panel report, Orissa Minority Forum chief Swarupananda Patra said that the civil society of the majority Hindus has been really amiable and supportive of the minority Christians in the State.
Though a few criminal elements created problems for the minority community during the riots, the secular fabric of the society was intact, the Church leader said.Earlier, the US panel placed India on watch list for the first time, specifically mentioning the attacks on Christians in Orissa in 2008 and the Gujarat riots of 2002.
The commission, while mentioning the two specific instances of serial violence against religious minorities, also cited the Indian Government’s inadequate efforts to protect their rights.
“It is extremely disappointing that India, which has a multitude of religious communities, has done so little to protect and bring justice to its religious minorities under siege,” said the annual report of the panel, a US government arm. Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Venezuela are the other countries on the list.
The Indian Government and the US panel had been on a collision course earlier this year when Delhi denied visas to a commission team that wanted to visit the country before finalising the report.
The Commission had earlier written to then President George W. Bush on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s 2008 US visit asking him to “raise pressing concerns about religious freedom in India”.
The report has asked the Obama government to urge India to take measures to promote communal harmony, protect religious minorities and prevent communal violence. India’s External Affairs Ministry has already rejected the panel report.
5- EVMs are not tamper- proof, explored software experts
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): Senior BJP leader LK Advani's contention that India should revert to the ballot paper because the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were not tamper-proof, have got more fuel after some software Experts have probed that the high profile EVMs could be tampered very easily on August 2. Two main opposition parties in Orissa including the Congress and BJP had alleged large scale tampering during the twin polls in State. Both the parties had alleged that ruling BJD had manipulated the whole electoral process in the State. NetIndia Chief Hari K Prasad has demonstrated here to the intelligentsia of the Orissa that the so called tamper proof EVM can be manipulated. NetIndia is an embeded technology based company to develop an almost similar EVM as used in elections recently. The demonstration session was hosted by Orissa Jana Sammilani with the support of Jana Chetana Vedika, an NGO active in Andhra Pradesh here.OJS headed by Rabi Das, a veteran journalist tried to bring home the point that EVM is not tamper proof. Political personalities, Bureaucrats, Judges and Media men were present to have a glimpse on how EVMs can be manipulated. Prasad demonstrated clearly how EVM are vulnerable and prone to manipulations.Sudhanshu Bhusan Mishra, former Chief Secretary graced the occasion. Chowdhury P K Mishra, former Judge of Orissa High Court was also among the dignitaries, who watched the proceedings. BJP’s Bijay Mohapatra, Sameer Dey, Jual Oram and Congress’s Alok Jena and others were also present. Reddy said that it is a move to create awareness among the people of the country about the vulnerability of the EVM.While Election Commission of India (ECI) is confident about the tamper proof EVM, the expert Prasad showed it that the machine can be jolly well manipulated. It may be noted here that the Orissa High Court in second week of July has admitted a petition related to EVM tampering and issued notices to respondents. A single judge bench of Justice Indrajit Mohanty admitted the petition filed by Alok Jena of Congress who fought from Bhubaneswar Central Assembly constituency and fixed for hearing after issuing notices to other ten candidates who contested from the segment in polls held in April this year. The Congress candidate had lost the elections by over 20,000 votes to BJD nominee Bijay Kumar Mohanty. Jena in his petition has alleged that there was tampering of EVMs both before and after the polling in his constituency comprising 162 booths. "Starting from commissioning of EVMs to dispersal to different booths and during the time of polling, the EVMs were improperly handled by the polling parties concerned," the petitioner claimed. Meanwhile, the OJS, in response to a hurried Press note released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) through the PIB (Press Information Bureau) website, has said in a release on August 10 that the ECI was promoting false information. Rabi Das of the OJS said, “We would like to bring forward the facts that our apprehensions mentioned before the Supreme Court about the ignorance of the ECI towards any concerns on the EVMs or the entire process involved in the elections using EVMs has come true. as said “We have put this in front of the Supreme Court that the ECI has not given proper response to any questions raised against EVMs and simply ruled out all vulnerabilities that exists. As directed by the apex court we again knocked the doors of the ECI and submitted all the documents related to the writ petition along with a covering letter of counsel. Sanjay Parikh on July 28,2009”.
In response to that ECI sent a reply to the OJS counsel asking us to demonstrate the tamperability in the EVMs strategically avoiding mentioning all other concerns raised by us in the Writ Petition. And they responded back on August 3, 2009 expressing their readiness anytime from August 7, 2009 onwards to their proposal and also emphasised to consider all other points raised in the writ petition not just limiting to mere demonstration. And again OJS sent a reminder on August 8, 2009 to inform them the date and time to present before the committee. Surprisingly, instead of calling them to present before the committee ECI released the Press note stating that they didn't turned up even after intimation from them which is completely false. This clearly shows the intentions of ECI not to listen to the genuine concerns on the vulnerabilities in the EVMs. The stand taken by the ECI not only violates the order of Supreme Court but also avoid questions which are extremely relevant and important for free and fair elections which can alone strengthen the democracy. OJS has requested the ECI to withdraw the Press release and to give a chance to hear them and incase this is not accepted by the ECI they have no other option but to knock the doors of the Supreme Court.
6-BJP sees danger to wildlife if Vedanta Varsity comes up
BHUBANESWAR/PURI (VISAKEO): The BJP has voiced concern about the fate of eco-fragile sensitive zone around Balukhand-Konark Sanctuary, located barely few metres from the proposed Vedanta University near Puri. The Party’s leader in State Assembly, KV Singh Deo on July 31 said “Boundary of the proposed varsity is touching the sanctuary.” Quoting a letter of principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden, Orissa to the principal secretary of forest and environment department, Singhdeo said that industries, processes and operations within eco-fragile and eco-sensitive zones around sanctuaries needed regulation. The Balukhand-Konark Sanctuary, notified in 1984, affords security and habitat protection to about 3,000 deer and antelopes including more than 100 black-bucks.
“Activities in the eco-fragile zones could disturb sensitive animals like deer and black-bucks”, Singhdeo claimed asking the state government to seek permission of the Union ministry of forest and environment before setting up varsity in close vicinity of the sanctuary. Stating that the sanctuary plays an important role in keeping agricultural productivity of the hinterland, the principal chief conservator of forest in his report to the state government said that a belt of one Km width around the sanctuary area should be protected. “A distance of 10 km upstream from the sanctuary boundary along the course of three rivers ~ Nuanai, Kushabhadra and Prachi ~ in Talabani area adjacent to the sanctuary boundary on western side is extremely important for Puri town”, the note said.
“These areas should be a part of the eco-sensitive zone of the sanctuary and should be preserved undisturbed,” the BJP leader said quoting the principal chief conservator of forest notes to the department secretary. The eco-sensitive zone on the seaward side of the sanctuary boundary should also extend up to 5 km into the sea from the high tide line, the report said. “Taking PCCF's observation into account, it will be a mistake to allow construction and other activities in the eco-fragile zone,” Singhdeo said. Though the proposed varsity area was not within 71.72 sq km of the sanctuary area, it fell under the eco-fragile zone, Mr Singhdeo claimed. The Wildlife Society of Orissa backed BJP's objection contending, “the sensitive antelope is categorised under schedule-i of the wildlife list”.
7-BJP files FIR against Vedanta advertisement
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): BJP leader from Puri, Uma Ballav Rath lodged a police complaint against NRI businessman Anil Agarwal alleging that he and others of Anil Agrawal Foundation had issued a public advertisement on 29 July on Vedanta University when no such varsity had been created. The capital police station "received" the complaint on July 31 but had not registered a case as yet. The UGC Act, 1956 stipulates that a university can be created only by promulgation of an Act of legislature and pursuant mandatory declarations, stated Rath. He maintained that there was no such Act on 29 July and hence release of public advertisements was wrong. Citing sections of the UGC Act, Rath said: "Whoever contravenes the provisions shall be punishable". Rath claimed that it makes out a cognisable offence. Police sources, however, confided that they would initially make a station diary entry and examine the entire matter thoroughly.
It may be noted here that the Vedanta University Bill, 2009, was passed in the state Assembly on July 31. Incidentally, Rath has been leading a movement against the proposed varsity at Puri since last two years.
8-Probe starts into Temple entry row
PURI (VISAKEO): State Police have started a probe into the Temple entry row, in which, a case was filed against Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Meanwhile, a case was made out against Shetty for apparently breaking the rules while shooting at Orissa's revered Sakhigopal temple in Puri district, the police said adding they were trying to find out if she had hurt religious sentiments. Shetty was accused of entering the Gopinath Deb temple of Sakhigopal near Puri Thursday with her shoes on. The temple authorities later filed a complaint with the Satyabadi police station against the actress. “The temple executive Sachidananda Das along with some staff members of the temple have filed a complaint against Shilpa Shetty. They have complained that the Bollywood actress has violated the shrine rules," said officer in-charge of Satyabadi police station Prasanna Kumar Biswal."I was present when the actress reached the spot as we had instructions to go there for her protection. The crew had already taken the permission of temple authorities to shoot there. Since the complaint has come we are looking into the matter. No serious case is made out against the actress as per IPC (Indian Penal code)," Biswal said. "We are trying to find out whether she has hurt the religious sentiments by entering the temple with shoes on,” he said.
9-‘Operation Saranda’ triggers panic among Rebels
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi and his Red Comrades in the outlawed CPI(Maoists) will have to re-set their stronghold from Saranda Jungles to some other places as the elite anti-insurgency security forces of Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal are gearing for a final offensive against the rebels from September. Though police sources declined to divulge the date of the ‘Operation Saranda’, sources said the offensive would commence sometime in the third week of September. Sources said the police top brass of the three States had been planning the operation since April-May this year. Saranda jungles, which shares borders of four highly leftwing insurgency hit States in eastern India, would be liberated from the hands of the guerrillas if security forces marches ahead.“See, we are preparing for a final war against the rebels in Saranda with the help of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The offensive will be a crucial one. It will either force rebels to surrender or wipe out them,” a top police official engaged in anti-Maoists operation said on August 10. The official further added that in earlier occasions, it was only Jharkhand police, that fought against the rebels in Saranda, now things have changes as three States joins hand to eliminate the outlawed elements. Police sources manning the Special Operation Group (SOG) Headquarters here however said the topography of Saranda is such that it helped rebels sneak into Sundergarh district of Orissa and Purulia district of Bengal whenever the Jharkhand police launch an anti-insurgency operation. “So, we have made efforts to completely check cross-border infiltration while entire stretch connecting Keonjhar to Sundargarh will be under scanner during ‘Operation Saranda,” police sources said. “We will choke all rebel corridors. It will be a no-exit situation. CRPF Jawans will help us in the operation,” he added. Since December 2001, Saranda, has been under the influence of Maoists. The route of flush-out is being marked,” said a police officer adding helicopters and commandos of the Indian Reserve Battalion would be pressed into service during the operation. “While the police of Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts, which hosts a part of Saranda forest, will participate directly in the operation, Purulia and West Midnapore police will help block Maoist escape routes,” sources added.
10-BJP demands CBI probe into mining scam
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): Orissa BJP president Suresh Pujari on August 8 demanded a CBI probe into the Rs 4,000 crore mining scam in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district. Addressing reporters, Pujari said the BJP members had raised the mining scam issue in the recent budget session of the Assembly and demanded a CBI probe into the multi-crore scam. The state government, he said, instead of accepting the demand of the BJP went ahead with a vigilance inquiry which, in its preliminary report submitted to the government, confirmed irregularities in the mining lease. Pujari said what the vigilance sleuths have unearthed in their investigation was only a tip of the iceberg adding that such a big scam, involving the officials and big politicians of the ruling party, would be exposed only by a fair investigation by the central investigative agency. The BJP president said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who always claimed to be clean and transparent, should not hesitate to order for a CBI probe as the vigilance inquiry by the state government would not be able to go deep into the multi-crore scam. Pujari said the BJP would hold a demonstration in Keonjhar on August 12 pressing for a CBI probe into the mining scam.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has submitted a memorandum to Union Minister of state for Coal Prakash Jaiswal during his visit to the Congress Bhawan here demanding a CBI probe into the mining scam.
13-Orissa DGP takes on politicos
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): By lambasting on political leaders, Orissa Police Chief Manmohan Praharaj on August 7 has given enough signals that the political leadership in the State should be blamed for the fading law and order. Even though, the Naveen Patnaik Government is contemplating to replace Praharaj from the post of DGP, he dared to confront with the political boss on matters of internal security and leftwing insurgency. DGP’s hard hitting statements were directed at some ruling party leaders, who want remote controls in their hands to rule the police headquarters in Cuttack. Praharaj, who is reportedly looking for Central berth, rightly exposed the truth while speaking at a seminar here. Praharaj said, "Ministers and other group leaders routinely violate rule of law here." Terrorists take advantage of the "weak law and order situation" in the country. Comparing the scenario with the US, he said, "While the FBI's data base is acceptable by the judiciary in the US, no such provision exists in India. No body trusts police investigation and therefore, strong judicial process is needed to defeat terrorists".The Police chief claimed that less number of human rights violation cases were reported against Orissa police.
14-Nepal Foreign Secretary assures Kasturi for Lord Jagannth
NEW DELHI( VISAKEO) : In a conference organized by the Delhi Study Group at the Constitution Hall on the Indo – Nepal relationship in second week of August wherein the Foreign Minister of Nepal Ms. Sujata Koirala attended as the chief guest along with other dignitaries and number of Ambassadors from different countries. Ms. Koirala in his presidential address, stressed upon strengthening Indo-Nepalese relationship further in the said conference.
Out of two questions raised and answered by the Foreign Secretary of Nepal in the conference; the Vice President of Delhi Oriya Lawyers Association Prasanta Varma raised the issue of Kasturi in the said conference, which is required in the rituals at the time of Rath Yatra at Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri every year. It was further stressed by Mr. Varma as to how the sentiments of millions of Indians are attached to the rituals of Rath Yatra in Puri.
While answering to the issue of Kasturi the Foreign Secretary in presence of the Foreign Minister of Nepal informed the members in the conference that the Foreign Secretary is well aware of the Kasturi issue of Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri; which is being dealt by the Consulate office of Nepal at Calcutta.
It was also informed by the Foreign Secretary that Nepal is also concerned about availing Kasturi to the Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri and they are also taking steps and hence forth at the time of Rath Yatra the problem of Kasturi would not be there for the Jagannath Temple at Puri. Besides the dignitaries the Delhi Oriya Lawyers Association Secretary Santosh K. Rout also attended the conference.
15-Rare stone idol of Lord Buddha unearthed
JAJPUR (VISAKEO): A rare stone image of Buddha was unearthed from the agricultural fields near Khaira village under Barachana block of Orissa's Jajpur district on August 10. Naba Kishor Baral, a small farmer of Khaira village, stumbled upon the three feet long Buddha image while he was cultivating his land.
After the discovery of the Buddha image, Baral had to stop the cultivation work as hundreds of curious villagers gathered to witness the Buddha image made of stone. The villagers have since installed the Buddha image in the middle of the village and started worshipping it.
The village is situated in close vicinity to the Govari river. Khaira village is also near the Kantikiarai where a rare and gigantic Buddhist monastery was unearthed about four years back.
The famous Buddhist sites Lalitagiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri are also situated in this area. “The unearthing of Buddha idol from Khaira village indicates that the village and its nearby areas are rich of Buddhist culture,” said N.C.Sahu, a Buddhist researcher of Jajpur.
“Neither the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) nor the State's Archeological Department have been paying attention about the small unknown Buddhist sites for which many Buddha images and other archeological findings are gathering dusts in many villages. In many cases the antique lifters are taking away the rare images,” alleged the villagers.
A priceless stone statue of meditating Buddha was stolen from the excavation site at the famous Buddhist monastery in Udayagiri, a couple of years ago. The three-foot high idol, along with many images was unearthed from Udayagiri by the ASI eight years back. But ASI officials had not shifted all the stone images and other objects from Udayagiri to any museum or safe places.
16-Khandagiri-Udayagiri (Travel and Toursim) ( With Pix)
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO) : Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are the caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India. The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in Hathigumpha inscription and face each other across the road.
They have a number of finely and ornately carved caves. It is believed that most of these caves were carved out huge residential blocks for the Jain monks, during the reign of King Kharavela. Udayagiri meaning Sunrise Hill, has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves.
The caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri, called lena or lena in the inscriptions, were dug out mostly during the reign of Kharavela for the above of Jaina ascetics. The most important of this group is Ranigumpha in Udayagiri which is a double storeyed monastery.
Unfortunately, a number of the Jaina caves on the Khandagiri side have encroachment problems, with local Brahmins turning them into Hindu shrines and covering up some of the Jaina iconography.
Just 7 kms west of Bhubaneswar are the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udaygiri, the next major Orissan historical monument after Ashoka's rock-cut edict.
The rocks of the Khandagiri and Udaygiri hills were carved and tunneled, to create this multi-storied ancient apartment residence for Jain monks. They were the work of the first known Orissan ruler, King Kharavela, and probably begun in the first century BC.
Kharavela was a king of the Mahameghavahana dynasty, who is known for expansion of the Kalinga empire and his installation of public improvements, such as canal systems. His queen was evidently quite a patron of the arts, and probably had much to do with the impressive sculptural decoration of the caves.
As you approach the site, Khandagiri, with its 15 caves will be on the left. Udaygiri will be on the right. The 18 caves of Udaygiri include the famous Hathi Gumpha ('Elephant Cave') with its famous inscription of Kharavela.
From the inscription, we learn much about Kharavela's military exploits, and also that his royal city had gate towers, bathing and drinking tanks, and was the scene of formally organized music and dance performances, as well as sporting and social events. The city, says the inscription, " was made to dance with joy". Kharavela was evidently a skilled musician, and it seems as if he created a remarkable center of the arts.
The famous Rani Gumpha ('Queen's Cave'), also on Udaygiri, has upper and lower stories, a spacious courtyard, and elaborate sculptural friezes. The carvings show popular legends, historical scenes, and religious functions, as well as many dancers. The style seems quite well-developed, and of a singular grace and liveliness.
The Ganesha Gumpha, which is reached by a walkway from the lower storey of the Rani Gumpha, is isolated, and perhaps for this reason, better preserved. Its two dwelling-spaces with verandah in front are reached by a short staircase from the courtyard.
All of the caves are small, and follow the natural configurations of the 'living rock'. The sculpture throughout exhibits a strong, lively folk element, which has been executed with a sure and confident hand. Already, the spaces are filled with animal, human, and divine personages and decorative details, showing at an early stage the love of the Orissan artist for richly elaborated scenes.
17-Rebels’ could selectively target RSS leaders
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): The outlawed CPI (Maoists) has drawn up a blue print to eliminate several RSS, VHP and Bajarang Dal leaders in Orissa and the leftwing wing guerrillas could selectively target these leaders.
The Central Intelligence agency has informed the Orissa Government regarding this even despite the first death anniversary of Hindu seer Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and Janmashtami passed off peacefully on August 13.
“We have specific inputs that there could be attacks on some leaders – a dozen-odd names are on the list of the Maoists,” an official said. The Hindu organisations observed the anniversary from August 11 to August 17.
“See, as per the missive of the Union Home Ministry, we have kept a close eye on the activities of the red rebels,” the top cop said.
The missive of MHA assumes greater significance with posters and leaflets being distributed in riot hit Kandhamal district, clearly indicating a secret deal between the Church and the outlawed elements to counter Hindu tribals and Sangh Pariwar leaders, those who are strongly opposing conversion.
The prevailing situation, circumstances and tactical movement of the Maoists along the border of Ganjam and Kandhamal district suggested calm before the storm like situation. Sources said more than 300 Red rebels have already been camping along the border areas of these adjoining districts and few of them have already entered the volatile Kandhamal district.
Meanwhile, posters of suspected Maoists were sighted at several places like Raikia, Sankarkhol, G Udayagiri and other areas of Kandhamal district on Janmasthami Day. These posters fumed against Hinduism and have asked people to embrace Christianity.
It appealed to people through these posters to observe Janmasthami as ‘Bijaya Divas’. The Maoists through their posters asked the people to shut down business establishments. But it had no impact. Significantly, the Maoists posters have mentioned Hindu dharma Heena Dharma, Christa Dharma Mahaapunya.
18-Future of mega projects hangs in balance
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): The massive victory of BJD of getting 103 seats in 147 Orissa House was supposed to spur frantic industrial activities in the State. The reality is just the reverse. Mega projects seem to be running into more and more problems. In all the major emerging industrial hubs public resistance is on rise.
Clashes between pro and anti industrial groups are becoming more frequent and violent.
On 12 August, violent clashes accompanied by bombs at Vedanta University Project at Puri were witnessed. Pro and anti POSCO clashes occur every now and then. Confrontations between anti and pro Vedanta gropus in Jharsuguda and Lanjigarh is now a common feature.
In Angul and Jharsuguda, the Bhusan Projects are drawn into greater controversies leading to uncertain future of the same. Stalemate continues in Kalinga Nagar with periodic confrontation between pro and anti TATA project. Many other mega projects also face uncertainty as most of them are drawn into greater controversies.
All the while the State Government seems to be in ‘No-Hurry’ to intervene affectively or conciliate between pro and anti groups. Left without any initiative from the Government side, mega projects with powerful local ruling party support are engineering clashes with anti-project groups, allege social activists.
Now society is divided with pro and anti groups, thanks to the callous attitude of the Government, alleged they. This is leading to continuous deterioration of law and order situation in the emerging industrial hubs. Prevailing vacuum is ready made for Maoists to step in. All the major industrial hubs are now turning fertile grounds for the Left Wing Extremists (LWE)s, say industry observers. And prevailing unsettled conditions have put the industrial projects at the mercy of some corrupt bureaucrats and police men.
Files are being kept for months in the tables and in many locations these errant mandarins extract heavy price even for routine clearance of files and protection of project activities, admit they. Thanks to the apathy of the state machinery popular ire and resentment against mega projects is increasing day in and day out.
While the mega project promoters look forward to the Government protection and fecilitation to proceed further, the State seems to have adopted “hands off do by yourself” policy. With apathy and inaction in full swing the much hyped Rs.6 lakh crore industrial investment program will turn into a pipe dream, allege the analysts.
CHAKAPADA/JALESPATA/BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): The Viswa Hindu Parishad and SLSSS on August 13 observed the Sacrifice Day and remembered Swami Laxmananda Saraswati on his first death anniversary. The first death anniversary of the Hindu Seer passed off peacefully across Orissa including at Jalespata Ashram, where the religious leader was gun down and Chakapada in tribal dominated southern districts of Kandhamal, where he was cremated.
Swami Sachidananda Brahmachari presided over a function at Chakapada while Swami Sachidananada Saraswati, Swami Pranarupananda Saraswati, Swami Jeevan Chaitnya and Satyananda Maharaj were among those attended. A Kalas Yatra also held at Jalespata Ashram, where thousands paid tearful homage to the late Seer.
VHP, while alleging Church hand in the murder that shocked the entire nation on August 23, 2009 on Janmasthami Day, however held ‘silent protest’ at Raj Bhawan and came down heavily on the Orissa Government for its failure to nab the real killers and conspirators behind the murder case. Sangh workers held a demonstration here at Raj Bhawan and observed Sacrifice Day.
The VHP submitted a memorandum to Governor MC Bhandare seeking strong action against killers and conspirators. “The Naveen Patnaik Government for its vote bank politics, however shielding the culprits and blaming the innocent Hindu tribals for the communal flare up,” they said. The partial treatment of the elected Government to go out of the way to help people of a particular community, violets the basic principals of human rights, the VHP said in a memorandum.
Bajarang Dal national co-convener Subash Chouhan, State spokesman RN Panda, BJP MLA Pratap Sarangi, former MP Archana Nayak, Pramod Das of VHP were among those present. Later a delegation met Governor MC Bhandare and submitted a memorandum. Dr Raghunath Mohapatra, president SLSSS Dr Ratnakar Chaini, GS Ratha and Dr Nagen Kumar Debata were among those in the delegation.
2-State level students’ Convention held
BHUBANESWAR: Orissa unit of Itihash Sankalan Samiti on August 15 hosted a State level convention for College and University students and discussed on various national matters. RSS national executive member, Mr Indresh Kumar while attending the convention however alleged that the political functionaries and leaders are always loves to downplay the verdict of Judiciary. He added that , as a result of which, Pakistani based, terror elements, easily targeting Indians on their soil as the country did not have a stringent law to fight.
Citing from Afzal Guru to Kashab, Kumar demanded that each terror element, should treated as national enemy and given proper treatment for his crime on Indian soil. Around 600 students from across the State participated in the event. RSS Khetra Pracharak, Sunilpada Goswami also spoke on this occasion. Prof Prafulla Kumar Mohapatra of Utkal University’s Sanskrit Departmnet presided over the function while Suryakanta Sahoo coordinated.
3-Naveen must book under PINH Act of 1971
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): Why not a case registers against Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. As the President Medal is a national honour, the BJD chief should be booked under this act as he denied a medal to 1993 batch IPS officer Vinaytosh Mishra on Independence Day.
Mishra, an Orissa cadre IPS officer is presently working as DIG of Central Industrial Security Forces at Bokaro in Jharkhand was selected for President Award for his meritorious service.
As per the tradition in our Constitution, once the President selects a person to be awarded with the police medal, no Government can pick and chose and sit over the judgment of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, but Naveen overlooked all these traditional conventions of the largest democracy.
“The Chief Minister has to give the medal under constitutional obligations. By denying the medal to the IPS officer, who hails from Madhubani in Bihar, Naveen is sending the message that policemen can no longer fire at tribals even if they violate law and order. On the one hand he is asking that the police set-up be strengthened, and on the other, he is trying his best to undermine the police”, a senior IPS officer told this Correspondent.
Meanwhile, a senior State Congress leader and former Law Minister, Narasingh Mishra has petitioned Pratibha Patil seeking action against those, who denied a medal to the officer.
Only fault of the IPS officer was, 14 tribal were killed, when he served as Police chief of Jajpur district in 2006.By not awarding the police officer with the medal, the Chief Minister had insulted and humiliated the IPS officer and ignored the President's notification, the Congress man said.
The former Minister further said it was the State Government, which had recommended the name of the police officer after which his name was finally selected by the President.
The Congress man said, '' Once the government starts overriding the President, the federal structure will collapse and there will be no law in the country.
He appealed to the President to take appropriate action in this regard as not honouring a police officer with the President's police medal after being called for the same, amounted to humiliation in public and also gross violation of human rights besides besides disregarding her order.
However, anger is brewing within the police ranks in Orissa now over the way Mishra — who had even participated in a rehearsal for the investiture ceremony on August 14 — had been treated.
4-Orissa Church rejects US panel report
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): Catholic Churches in eastern Indian States of Orissa, on Friday wholeheartedly rejected a report of United States Commission on International Religious Freedom that placed India on the 'Watch List' for 2008 Kandhamal riot.
Reacting to the US panel report, Orissa Minority Forum chief Swarupananda Patra said that the civil society of the majority Hindus has been really amiable and supportive of the minority Christians in the State.
Though a few criminal elements created problems for the minority community during the riots, the secular fabric of the society was intact, the Church leader said.Earlier, the US panel placed India on watch list for the first time, specifically mentioning the attacks on Christians in Orissa in 2008 and the Gujarat riots of 2002.
The commission, while mentioning the two specific instances of serial violence against religious minorities, also cited the Indian Government’s inadequate efforts to protect their rights.
“It is extremely disappointing that India, which has a multitude of religious communities, has done so little to protect and bring justice to its religious minorities under siege,” said the annual report of the panel, a US government arm. Afghanistan, Belarus, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Somalia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Venezuela are the other countries on the list.
The Indian Government and the US panel had been on a collision course earlier this year when Delhi denied visas to a commission team that wanted to visit the country before finalising the report.
The Commission had earlier written to then President George W. Bush on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s 2008 US visit asking him to “raise pressing concerns about religious freedom in India”.
The report has asked the Obama government to urge India to take measures to promote communal harmony, protect religious minorities and prevent communal violence. India’s External Affairs Ministry has already rejected the panel report.
5- EVMs are not tamper- proof, explored software experts
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): Senior BJP leader LK Advani's contention that India should revert to the ballot paper because the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were not tamper-proof, have got more fuel after some software Experts have probed that the high profile EVMs could be tampered very easily on August 2. Two main opposition parties in Orissa including the Congress and BJP had alleged large scale tampering during the twin polls in State. Both the parties had alleged that ruling BJD had manipulated the whole electoral process in the State. NetIndia Chief Hari K Prasad has demonstrated here to the intelligentsia of the Orissa that the so called tamper proof EVM can be manipulated. NetIndia is an embeded technology based company to develop an almost similar EVM as used in elections recently. The demonstration session was hosted by Orissa Jana Sammilani with the support of Jana Chetana Vedika, an NGO active in Andhra Pradesh here.OJS headed by Rabi Das, a veteran journalist tried to bring home the point that EVM is not tamper proof. Political personalities, Bureaucrats, Judges and Media men were present to have a glimpse on how EVMs can be manipulated. Prasad demonstrated clearly how EVM are vulnerable and prone to manipulations.Sudhanshu Bhusan Mishra, former Chief Secretary graced the occasion. Chowdhury P K Mishra, former Judge of Orissa High Court was also among the dignitaries, who watched the proceedings. BJP’s Bijay Mohapatra, Sameer Dey, Jual Oram and Congress’s Alok Jena and others were also present. Reddy said that it is a move to create awareness among the people of the country about the vulnerability of the EVM.While Election Commission of India (ECI) is confident about the tamper proof EVM, the expert Prasad showed it that the machine can be jolly well manipulated. It may be noted here that the Orissa High Court in second week of July has admitted a petition related to EVM tampering and issued notices to respondents. A single judge bench of Justice Indrajit Mohanty admitted the petition filed by Alok Jena of Congress who fought from Bhubaneswar Central Assembly constituency and fixed for hearing after issuing notices to other ten candidates who contested from the segment in polls held in April this year. The Congress candidate had lost the elections by over 20,000 votes to BJD nominee Bijay Kumar Mohanty. Jena in his petition has alleged that there was tampering of EVMs both before and after the polling in his constituency comprising 162 booths. "Starting from commissioning of EVMs to dispersal to different booths and during the time of polling, the EVMs were improperly handled by the polling parties concerned," the petitioner claimed. Meanwhile, the OJS, in response to a hurried Press note released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) through the PIB (Press Information Bureau) website, has said in a release on August 10 that the ECI was promoting false information. Rabi Das of the OJS said, “We would like to bring forward the facts that our apprehensions mentioned before the Supreme Court about the ignorance of the ECI towards any concerns on the EVMs or the entire process involved in the elections using EVMs has come true. as said “We have put this in front of the Supreme Court that the ECI has not given proper response to any questions raised against EVMs and simply ruled out all vulnerabilities that exists. As directed by the apex court we again knocked the doors of the ECI and submitted all the documents related to the writ petition along with a covering letter of counsel. Sanjay Parikh on July 28,2009”.
In response to that ECI sent a reply to the OJS counsel asking us to demonstrate the tamperability in the EVMs strategically avoiding mentioning all other concerns raised by us in the Writ Petition. And they responded back on August 3, 2009 expressing their readiness anytime from August 7, 2009 onwards to their proposal and also emphasised to consider all other points raised in the writ petition not just limiting to mere demonstration. And again OJS sent a reminder on August 8, 2009 to inform them the date and time to present before the committee. Surprisingly, instead of calling them to present before the committee ECI released the Press note stating that they didn't turned up even after intimation from them which is completely false. This clearly shows the intentions of ECI not to listen to the genuine concerns on the vulnerabilities in the EVMs. The stand taken by the ECI not only violates the order of Supreme Court but also avoid questions which are extremely relevant and important for free and fair elections which can alone strengthen the democracy. OJS has requested the ECI to withdraw the Press release and to give a chance to hear them and incase this is not accepted by the ECI they have no other option but to knock the doors of the Supreme Court.
6-BJP sees danger to wildlife if Vedanta Varsity comes up
BHUBANESWAR/PURI (VISAKEO): The BJP has voiced concern about the fate of eco-fragile sensitive zone around Balukhand-Konark Sanctuary, located barely few metres from the proposed Vedanta University near Puri. The Party’s leader in State Assembly, KV Singh Deo on July 31 said “Boundary of the proposed varsity is touching the sanctuary.” Quoting a letter of principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden, Orissa to the principal secretary of forest and environment department, Singhdeo said that industries, processes and operations within eco-fragile and eco-sensitive zones around sanctuaries needed regulation. The Balukhand-Konark Sanctuary, notified in 1984, affords security and habitat protection to about 3,000 deer and antelopes including more than 100 black-bucks.
“Activities in the eco-fragile zones could disturb sensitive animals like deer and black-bucks”, Singhdeo claimed asking the state government to seek permission of the Union ministry of forest and environment before setting up varsity in close vicinity of the sanctuary. Stating that the sanctuary plays an important role in keeping agricultural productivity of the hinterland, the principal chief conservator of forest in his report to the state government said that a belt of one Km width around the sanctuary area should be protected. “A distance of 10 km upstream from the sanctuary boundary along the course of three rivers ~ Nuanai, Kushabhadra and Prachi ~ in Talabani area adjacent to the sanctuary boundary on western side is extremely important for Puri town”, the note said.
“These areas should be a part of the eco-sensitive zone of the sanctuary and should be preserved undisturbed,” the BJP leader said quoting the principal chief conservator of forest notes to the department secretary. The eco-sensitive zone on the seaward side of the sanctuary boundary should also extend up to 5 km into the sea from the high tide line, the report said. “Taking PCCF's observation into account, it will be a mistake to allow construction and other activities in the eco-fragile zone,” Singhdeo said. Though the proposed varsity area was not within 71.72 sq km of the sanctuary area, it fell under the eco-fragile zone, Mr Singhdeo claimed. The Wildlife Society of Orissa backed BJP's objection contending, “the sensitive antelope is categorised under schedule-i of the wildlife list”.
7-BJP files FIR against Vedanta advertisement
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): BJP leader from Puri, Uma Ballav Rath lodged a police complaint against NRI businessman Anil Agarwal alleging that he and others of Anil Agrawal Foundation had issued a public advertisement on 29 July on Vedanta University when no such varsity had been created. The capital police station "received" the complaint on July 31 but had not registered a case as yet. The UGC Act, 1956 stipulates that a university can be created only by promulgation of an Act of legislature and pursuant mandatory declarations, stated Rath. He maintained that there was no such Act on 29 July and hence release of public advertisements was wrong. Citing sections of the UGC Act, Rath said: "Whoever contravenes the provisions shall be punishable". Rath claimed that it makes out a cognisable offence. Police sources, however, confided that they would initially make a station diary entry and examine the entire matter thoroughly.
It may be noted here that the Vedanta University Bill, 2009, was passed in the state Assembly on July 31. Incidentally, Rath has been leading a movement against the proposed varsity at Puri since last two years.
8-Probe starts into Temple entry row
PURI (VISAKEO): State Police have started a probe into the Temple entry row, in which, a case was filed against Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Meanwhile, a case was made out against Shetty for apparently breaking the rules while shooting at Orissa's revered Sakhigopal temple in Puri district, the police said adding they were trying to find out if she had hurt religious sentiments. Shetty was accused of entering the Gopinath Deb temple of Sakhigopal near Puri Thursday with her shoes on. The temple authorities later filed a complaint with the Satyabadi police station against the actress. “The temple executive Sachidananda Das along with some staff members of the temple have filed a complaint against Shilpa Shetty. They have complained that the Bollywood actress has violated the shrine rules," said officer in-charge of Satyabadi police station Prasanna Kumar Biswal."I was present when the actress reached the spot as we had instructions to go there for her protection. The crew had already taken the permission of temple authorities to shoot there. Since the complaint has come we are looking into the matter. No serious case is made out against the actress as per IPC (Indian Penal code)," Biswal said. "We are trying to find out whether she has hurt the religious sentiments by entering the temple with shoes on,” he said.
9-‘Operation Saranda’ triggers panic among Rebels
BHUBANESWAR( VISAKEO): Muppala Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi and his Red Comrades in the outlawed CPI(Maoists) will have to re-set their stronghold from Saranda Jungles to some other places as the elite anti-insurgency security forces of Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal are gearing for a final offensive against the rebels from September. Though police sources declined to divulge the date of the ‘Operation Saranda’, sources said the offensive would commence sometime in the third week of September. Sources said the police top brass of the three States had been planning the operation since April-May this year. Saranda jungles, which shares borders of four highly leftwing insurgency hit States in eastern India, would be liberated from the hands of the guerrillas if security forces marches ahead.“See, we are preparing for a final war against the rebels in Saranda with the help of Jharkhand and West Bengal. The offensive will be a crucial one. It will either force rebels to surrender or wipe out them,” a top police official engaged in anti-Maoists operation said on August 10. The official further added that in earlier occasions, it was only Jharkhand police, that fought against the rebels in Saranda, now things have changes as three States joins hand to eliminate the outlawed elements. Police sources manning the Special Operation Group (SOG) Headquarters here however said the topography of Saranda is such that it helped rebels sneak into Sundergarh district of Orissa and Purulia district of Bengal whenever the Jharkhand police launch an anti-insurgency operation. “So, we have made efforts to completely check cross-border infiltration while entire stretch connecting Keonjhar to Sundargarh will be under scanner during ‘Operation Saranda,” police sources said. “We will choke all rebel corridors. It will be a no-exit situation. CRPF Jawans will help us in the operation,” he added. Since December 2001, Saranda, has been under the influence of Maoists. The route of flush-out is being marked,” said a police officer adding helicopters and commandos of the Indian Reserve Battalion would be pressed into service during the operation. “While the police of Keonjhar and Sundergarh districts, which hosts a part of Saranda forest, will participate directly in the operation, Purulia and West Midnapore police will help block Maoist escape routes,” sources added.
10-BJP demands CBI probe into mining scam
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): Orissa BJP president Suresh Pujari on August 8 demanded a CBI probe into the Rs 4,000 crore mining scam in the mineral-rich Keonjhar district. Addressing reporters, Pujari said the BJP members had raised the mining scam issue in the recent budget session of the Assembly and demanded a CBI probe into the multi-crore scam. The state government, he said, instead of accepting the demand of the BJP went ahead with a vigilance inquiry which, in its preliminary report submitted to the government, confirmed irregularities in the mining lease. Pujari said what the vigilance sleuths have unearthed in their investigation was only a tip of the iceberg adding that such a big scam, involving the officials and big politicians of the ruling party, would be exposed only by a fair investigation by the central investigative agency. The BJP president said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who always claimed to be clean and transparent, should not hesitate to order for a CBI probe as the vigilance inquiry by the state government would not be able to go deep into the multi-crore scam. Pujari said the BJP would hold a demonstration in Keonjhar on August 12 pressing for a CBI probe into the mining scam.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress has submitted a memorandum to Union Minister of state for Coal Prakash Jaiswal during his visit to the Congress Bhawan here demanding a CBI probe into the mining scam.
13-Orissa DGP takes on politicos
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): By lambasting on political leaders, Orissa Police Chief Manmohan Praharaj on August 7 has given enough signals that the political leadership in the State should be blamed for the fading law and order. Even though, the Naveen Patnaik Government is contemplating to replace Praharaj from the post of DGP, he dared to confront with the political boss on matters of internal security and leftwing insurgency. DGP’s hard hitting statements were directed at some ruling party leaders, who want remote controls in their hands to rule the police headquarters in Cuttack. Praharaj, who is reportedly looking for Central berth, rightly exposed the truth while speaking at a seminar here. Praharaj said, "Ministers and other group leaders routinely violate rule of law here." Terrorists take advantage of the "weak law and order situation" in the country. Comparing the scenario with the US, he said, "While the FBI's data base is acceptable by the judiciary in the US, no such provision exists in India. No body trusts police investigation and therefore, strong judicial process is needed to defeat terrorists".The Police chief claimed that less number of human rights violation cases were reported against Orissa police.
14-Nepal Foreign Secretary assures Kasturi for Lord Jagannth
NEW DELHI( VISAKEO) : In a conference organized by the Delhi Study Group at the Constitution Hall on the Indo – Nepal relationship in second week of August wherein the Foreign Minister of Nepal Ms. Sujata Koirala attended as the chief guest along with other dignitaries and number of Ambassadors from different countries. Ms. Koirala in his presidential address, stressed upon strengthening Indo-Nepalese relationship further in the said conference.
Out of two questions raised and answered by the Foreign Secretary of Nepal in the conference; the Vice President of Delhi Oriya Lawyers Association Prasanta Varma raised the issue of Kasturi in the said conference, which is required in the rituals at the time of Rath Yatra at Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri every year. It was further stressed by Mr. Varma as to how the sentiments of millions of Indians are attached to the rituals of Rath Yatra in Puri.
While answering to the issue of Kasturi the Foreign Secretary in presence of the Foreign Minister of Nepal informed the members in the conference that the Foreign Secretary is well aware of the Kasturi issue of Lord Jagannath Temple, Puri; which is being dealt by the Consulate office of Nepal at Calcutta.
It was also informed by the Foreign Secretary that Nepal is also concerned about availing Kasturi to the Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri and they are also taking steps and hence forth at the time of Rath Yatra the problem of Kasturi would not be there for the Jagannath Temple at Puri. Besides the dignitaries the Delhi Oriya Lawyers Association Secretary Santosh K. Rout also attended the conference.
15-Rare stone idol of Lord Buddha unearthed
JAJPUR (VISAKEO): A rare stone image of Buddha was unearthed from the agricultural fields near Khaira village under Barachana block of Orissa's Jajpur district on August 10. Naba Kishor Baral, a small farmer of Khaira village, stumbled upon the three feet long Buddha image while he was cultivating his land.
After the discovery of the Buddha image, Baral had to stop the cultivation work as hundreds of curious villagers gathered to witness the Buddha image made of stone. The villagers have since installed the Buddha image in the middle of the village and started worshipping it.
The village is situated in close vicinity to the Govari river. Khaira village is also near the Kantikiarai where a rare and gigantic Buddhist monastery was unearthed about four years back.
The famous Buddhist sites Lalitagiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri are also situated in this area. “The unearthing of Buddha idol from Khaira village indicates that the village and its nearby areas are rich of Buddhist culture,” said N.C.Sahu, a Buddhist researcher of Jajpur.
“Neither the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) nor the State's Archeological Department have been paying attention about the small unknown Buddhist sites for which many Buddha images and other archeological findings are gathering dusts in many villages. In many cases the antique lifters are taking away the rare images,” alleged the villagers.
A priceless stone statue of meditating Buddha was stolen from the excavation site at the famous Buddhist monastery in Udayagiri, a couple of years ago. The three-foot high idol, along with many images was unearthed from Udayagiri by the ASI eight years back. But ASI officials had not shifted all the stone images and other objects from Udayagiri to any museum or safe places.
16-Khandagiri-Udayagiri (Travel and Toursim) ( With Pix)
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO) : Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are the caves of archaeological, historical and religious importance near the city of Bhubaneswar in Orissa, India. The caves are situated on two hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri, mentioned as Kumari Parvat in Hathigumpha inscription and face each other across the road.
They have a number of finely and ornately carved caves. It is believed that most of these caves were carved out huge residential blocks for the Jain monks, during the reign of King Kharavela. Udayagiri meaning Sunrise Hill, has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves.
The caves of Udayagiri and Khandagiri, called lena or lena in the inscriptions, were dug out mostly during the reign of Kharavela for the above of Jaina ascetics. The most important of this group is Ranigumpha in Udayagiri which is a double storeyed monastery.
Unfortunately, a number of the Jaina caves on the Khandagiri side have encroachment problems, with local Brahmins turning them into Hindu shrines and covering up some of the Jaina iconography.
Just 7 kms west of Bhubaneswar are the twin hills of Khandagiri and Udaygiri, the next major Orissan historical monument after Ashoka's rock-cut edict.
The rocks of the Khandagiri and Udaygiri hills were carved and tunneled, to create this multi-storied ancient apartment residence for Jain monks. They were the work of the first known Orissan ruler, King Kharavela, and probably begun in the first century BC.
Kharavela was a king of the Mahameghavahana dynasty, who is known for expansion of the Kalinga empire and his installation of public improvements, such as canal systems. His queen was evidently quite a patron of the arts, and probably had much to do with the impressive sculptural decoration of the caves.
As you approach the site, Khandagiri, with its 15 caves will be on the left. Udaygiri will be on the right. The 18 caves of Udaygiri include the famous Hathi Gumpha ('Elephant Cave') with its famous inscription of Kharavela.
From the inscription, we learn much about Kharavela's military exploits, and also that his royal city had gate towers, bathing and drinking tanks, and was the scene of formally organized music and dance performances, as well as sporting and social events. The city, says the inscription, " was made to dance with joy". Kharavela was evidently a skilled musician, and it seems as if he created a remarkable center of the arts.
The famous Rani Gumpha ('Queen's Cave'), also on Udaygiri, has upper and lower stories, a spacious courtyard, and elaborate sculptural friezes. The carvings show popular legends, historical scenes, and religious functions, as well as many dancers. The style seems quite well-developed, and of a singular grace and liveliness.
The Ganesha Gumpha, which is reached by a walkway from the lower storey of the Rani Gumpha, is isolated, and perhaps for this reason, better preserved. Its two dwelling-spaces with verandah in front are reached by a short staircase from the courtyard.
All of the caves are small, and follow the natural configurations of the 'living rock'. The sculpture throughout exhibits a strong, lively folk element, which has been executed with a sure and confident hand. Already, the spaces are filled with animal, human, and divine personages and decorative details, showing at an early stage the love of the Orissan artist for richly elaborated scenes.
17-Rebels’ could selectively target RSS leaders
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): The outlawed CPI (Maoists) has drawn up a blue print to eliminate several RSS, VHP and Bajarang Dal leaders in Orissa and the leftwing wing guerrillas could selectively target these leaders.
The Central Intelligence agency has informed the Orissa Government regarding this even despite the first death anniversary of Hindu seer Swami Laxmananda Saraswati and Janmashtami passed off peacefully on August 13.
“We have specific inputs that there could be attacks on some leaders – a dozen-odd names are on the list of the Maoists,” an official said. The Hindu organisations observed the anniversary from August 11 to August 17.
“See, as per the missive of the Union Home Ministry, we have kept a close eye on the activities of the red rebels,” the top cop said.
The missive of MHA assumes greater significance with posters and leaflets being distributed in riot hit Kandhamal district, clearly indicating a secret deal between the Church and the outlawed elements to counter Hindu tribals and Sangh Pariwar leaders, those who are strongly opposing conversion.
The prevailing situation, circumstances and tactical movement of the Maoists along the border of Ganjam and Kandhamal district suggested calm before the storm like situation. Sources said more than 300 Red rebels have already been camping along the border areas of these adjoining districts and few of them have already entered the volatile Kandhamal district.
Meanwhile, posters of suspected Maoists were sighted at several places like Raikia, Sankarkhol, G Udayagiri and other areas of Kandhamal district on Janmasthami Day. These posters fumed against Hinduism and have asked people to embrace Christianity.
It appealed to people through these posters to observe Janmasthami as ‘Bijaya Divas’. The Maoists through their posters asked the people to shut down business establishments. But it had no impact. Significantly, the Maoists posters have mentioned Hindu dharma Heena Dharma, Christa Dharma Mahaapunya.
18-Future of mega projects hangs in balance
BHUBANESWAR (VISAKEO): The massive victory of BJD of getting 103 seats in 147 Orissa House was supposed to spur frantic industrial activities in the State. The reality is just the reverse. Mega projects seem to be running into more and more problems. In all the major emerging industrial hubs public resistance is on rise.
Clashes between pro and anti industrial groups are becoming more frequent and violent.
On 12 August, violent clashes accompanied by bombs at Vedanta University Project at Puri were witnessed. Pro and anti POSCO clashes occur every now and then. Confrontations between anti and pro Vedanta gropus in Jharsuguda and Lanjigarh is now a common feature.
In Angul and Jharsuguda, the Bhusan Projects are drawn into greater controversies leading to uncertain future of the same. Stalemate continues in Kalinga Nagar with periodic confrontation between pro and anti TATA project. Many other mega projects also face uncertainty as most of them are drawn into greater controversies.
All the while the State Government seems to be in ‘No-Hurry’ to intervene affectively or conciliate between pro and anti groups. Left without any initiative from the Government side, mega projects with powerful local ruling party support are engineering clashes with anti-project groups, allege social activists.
Now society is divided with pro and anti groups, thanks to the callous attitude of the Government, alleged they. This is leading to continuous deterioration of law and order situation in the emerging industrial hubs. Prevailing vacuum is ready made for Maoists to step in. All the major industrial hubs are now turning fertile grounds for the Left Wing Extremists (LWE)s, say industry observers. And prevailing unsettled conditions have put the industrial projects at the mercy of some corrupt bureaucrats and police men.
Files are being kept for months in the tables and in many locations these errant mandarins extract heavy price even for routine clearance of files and protection of project activities, admit they. Thanks to the apathy of the state machinery popular ire and resentment against mega projects is increasing day in and day out.
While the mega project promoters look forward to the Government protection and fecilitation to proceed further, the State seems to have adopted “hands off do by yourself” policy. With apathy and inaction in full swing the much hyped Rs.6 lakh crore industrial investment program will turn into a pipe dream, allege the analysts.
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