Congress leader attends RSS Shakha Prog

January 22nd, 2013,

 

Bangalore: Noted Congress leader P Shivakumar attended RSS Shakha annual day celebrations at Bangalore. The programme was held at Hombegoudanagar near Wilson Garden, in which the loval shaksha of RSS by name Ambedkar Shakha celebrated its annual day (Varshikotsav) with a new guest.

Addressing the swaymsevaks Congress leader P Shivakumar said, “I will be an Swayamsevak hence forth,  I misunderstood RSS as communal. After attending this programme I realized the achievements, truth on RSS. We will cooperate with Sanghparivar”.

RSS Bangalore City secretary KS SHridhar speaks, Congress leader P Shivakumar seen

RSS Bangalore zone secretary KS Shridhar delivered lecture (Boudhik) on the occasion. RSS top fucntionaries V Nagaraj, Muttarumudi Guruprasad, Jyaram, V Manjunath and others participated. The programme was held on January 6th, 2013.

 http://samvada.org/2013/news-digest/rss-leader-attends-rss-shakha/

RSS functionary Ram Madhav condemns the statements of the Home Secretary on RSS

New Delhi January 22, 2013: RSS senior functionary Ram Madhav has condemned the statements of the Home Secretary on RSS.

“We condemn the Home Secretary Statement on RSS this evening  ”, said Ram Madhav.

“We take strong objection to the statement of Union Home Secretary. His haste in rushing to the defense of his political masters is inexplicable. The debate going on in the country was about a statement made in a Party conclave. Why should the Home Secretary respond to it?” questioned Ram Madhav.

Home Secretary was reported to have said: “We have names of at least 10 persons involved in Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and Dargah Sharif blasts who were associated with RSS.”

Ram Madhav, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sah Sampark Pramukh

‘RSS will deny Home Secretary’s statement and have several objections to it’ said Ram Madhav.

1. How can he declare that those, who are merely the ‘accused’ in these cases, can be conclusively said to be involved? In that case every accused, whether it was a Minister or a politician, be deemed as a culprit?  
2. He has deliberately hidden the fact that there were accusations, but the investigations are still inconclusive and the NIA, after 3 years, doesn’t seem to have any clue or evidence against the accused.  
3. He is also hiding the fact that there were many other ‘involved’ people who were arrested and charge sheeted in all these cases before some Hindu youths were implicated without any evidence. He is also hiding the fact that even the US and UN Security Council had held certain Pakistanis as the accused in Samjhauta blast.  
4. We strongly deny his statement that all those ‘involved’ in these blasts (according to him) were associated with the RSS. It is clearly defamatory.

“We make the counter accusation that the Home Secretary had crossed his brief and attempted to influence the investigation into these cases through this statement on a matter which is subjudice. We will call for a legal remedy to his defamatory and extra-legal statement.” Ram Madhav added.

“We also demand that the Home Secretary release the names of all those ‘involved’ in all the blasts in the country in the last several years. If he can do this in five cases why not in fifty?” questioned Ram Madhav

.http://samvada.org/2013/news/rss-functionary-ram-madhav-condemns-the-statements-of-the-home-secretary-on-rss/

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat inaugurates 4th National Conference of Sahakar Bharati in Bangalore

Bangalore January 18, 2013: RSS Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat inaugurated 4th National Conference of Sahakar Bharati in Bangalore, today evening.

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat delivering inaugural speech after inaugurating 4th National Conference of Sahakar Bharati in Bangalore.

The 2-day Annual National conference of Sahakar Bharati, one of India’s premier social organizations in cooperative sector, was inaugurated in Bangalore by Shri Mohan Ji Bhagwat, Sarasanghachalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Over 800 Mahila delegates are also attending the Conference. More than 1000 delegates from various Co-operatives of Karnataka are participating in the conference.

The main dais was named as “Laxmanrao Inamdar Vedika” after  Laxmanrao Inamdar who is the pioneer of the Sahakar Bharati movement. The theme of the conference was “Bina Sahakaar, Nahi Uddhar’ and ‘Co-operatives for National Renaissance’

Shri.Satish Marathe, President of Sahakar Bahrati spoke during the inaugural session. He said that this was the first National conference of Sahakar Bharati in Southern India. He opined that co-operatives should get operational freedom and level-playing field and they should work towards improving their economies. He said that they are also focusing on production on milk and reducing costs and make it affordable. He said affordable housing was the need of the hour. Housing sector financing is insufficient and ineffective. Financial inclusion not a reality yet for millions of Indians he said. He said that only 1700 urban banks are present, which is insufficient for our country. RBI has to alter its policy for creating new banks. He said we need to focus on depository insurance for Co-ops. Number of SHGs, joint-liability groups has to be increased in the country. He said, for financial inclusion of the populace, co-operative movement is the best. He stressed on the need for a center for co-operative research. He stated that everyone should oppose the Direct Tax Code (DTC) vehemently. Local skills and local economy will be obliterated if DTC comes into force he said.
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Launch of ‘Sahakara Belaku’, souvenir of Sahakar Bharati

A souvenir of Sahakar Bharati named “Sahakara Belaku” in English and Kannada was launched by all the dignitaries. A booklet Swami Vivekananda named “Sahkarita Yukt Swawlamban Ke Pranayta” was also launched on the occasion. Documentary CD and booklet on Karnataka Souhadhra co-operative federation, a unique organization in the country, was launched.

‘Swargiya Lakshmanrao Inamdar Sahkarita’ award conferred

The ‘Swargiya Lakshmanrao Inamdar Sahkarita’ award, a national co-operative award was conferred on Shri. Deepak Kumar Barthakur – founder of Samay urban co-operative bank in Assam. Swargiya Lakshmanrao Inamdar was from Maharashtra and a lawyer by profession. A Swayamsevak from childhood was the pioneer of the co-operative movement. He gave the vision of a value-based and a ethical co-operative movement in the country.

Shri. Deepak Kumar Barthakur, spoke on the occasion and mentioned the various achievements of the Samay co-operative bank. He said that the co-operative bank has 70 – 80 crore deposits and almost zero NPA’s.

Shri. Mohan Bhagwat Ji addressed more than 5000 delegates from all over the country, from over 1000 Co-operative institutions, during the inauguration.Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Jagadish Shettar also graced the occasion.Below is an extract of his speech.

‘Sahakar is Dharma’: Mohan Bhagwat

“I will keep forward those points that came to my mind after witnessing the activities here. We here are the karyakatras of Sahakar Bharati. We need to see what ‘Bharati’ is in this. Co-operative movements stated in the west by the likes of Robert Owen. But co-operation is not something to be taught to a man. 
Co-operation comes naturally to man. From the times of hunting together, to farming, man has co-operated with each other. Man is the strongest animal but also susceptible due to his selfishness. In the name of economy co-operation among humans falls apart. There is a certainkind of fear that keeps us co-operating with each other. It is the fear of the country falling apart if we do not co-operate with each other. People co-operate with others when in trouble. People also co-operate for selfish reasons so that their job is done. So what is the inspiration for SahakarBharati. In the Mahabaharata, every Pandavas and Draupadi too had selfish reasons in their life due to which they could not attain Swarg. Only Yudhistir was able to attain Swarg that too only after a scrutiny. Yudhistir attained Swarg only after he convinced that his life and work was for establishment of Dharma. There is no guarantee that there will be no troubles when we work in co-operative societies.

So we will not be able to work in Sahakar Bharati or for co-operative movement if we do not understand the purpose of the movement. We all need to think about it. Though co-operation is a word & concept that emerged in the west, our word is ‘Sahayog’ and ‘Sahakar’. Our understanding is that everyone who does good to all others will attain moksh and that is our Dharm and we should strive to make this a part of our life. This should inspire us to work for the welfare of all. After 1857 war, there was a debate on the contribution of the British. Everyone agreed that British brought many things into India. But Akbar Ilahabadi said that British brought postal system, railways, and industries but made Indians into workers who work for them for their entire life and finally take pension and retire. But our work should be for the establishment of Dharma as said in the Bhagavad Gita.

Our work should be to unite people and not to separate them. Everyone is a citizen of this nation. A Dalit, a Brahmin, and everyone else belong to this one nation. This should be our inspiration and this should also drive the co-operative movement. We work with sincerity and hard labor whether our work and name is commended or not. The ultimate aim of all our work is that we all attain the absolute freedom. It is only a human who can strive towards such kind of freedom. But this cannot be taken as a individuals freedom to do anything. It is the collective freedom that all humans have to achieve by being self-sufficient. This is possible only by co-operation. This is not an opportunistic alliance but a tool to achieve self-sufficiency and freedom for all. This is why we say ‘sanghachadvam, sanghvadadvam’, which conveys co-operation amongst all of us in this nation. Our work has to be with tan, mana and dhan.

There is a story of a man who gave the mantra of ‘moksh’ to the public, defying the order of his guru. But guru forgives him as he thought of sharing his knowledge for the welfare of all others and not just his. Similarly Swami Vivekananda took the teachings and knowledge of his guru to the world. It also needs to be kept in mind that our Bhakti, Shakti and Dhan too is directed for the right purposes, else it will not aid the society. The knowledge we have gained through the co-operative movement has to be utilized for the welfare of mankind itself. We should see that the last man in our society too is free and self-sufficient without being dependent on others. This is the aim of the co-operatives movement too. The society becomes stronger by this co-operative movement. Our Bharateeya society is one such unregistered co-operative movement that is based only on ethics. Deepak Barthakurji has shown that selfless co-operative movement can work in the most adverse of conditions. Just becoming an influential co-operative movement cannot be the aim of Sahakar Bharati but reaching out to each and every member of the society through personal contact should also be its aim.

The workers in the co-operatives should not have any personal ambitions other than working for the welfare of the society. Each co-operative should abide by law and also maintain blemish-less accounts. To make it a much stronger movement, each co-op should lead by example.Each worker of Sahakar Bharati has to vow that they will work towards involving each and every person on the society, even if the individuals work is recognized or not.

What I have spoken is from what I have witnessed from the work of the karyakartas of Sahakar Bharati. Please approve those words that you feel worthy and neglect those you find unworthy. But see to it that the selfless work of the co-operative movement continues unabated till the goal is reached.” said Bhagwat.

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat inaugurates 4th National Conference of Sahakar Bharati in Bangalore .

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat released Souvenir in 4th National Conference of Sahakar Bharati in Bangalore .

Shri.Ananth Kumar, MP spoke on the occasion and said that though the non-co-operation movement was started by MKG before independence, the Cong governments continued ‘non co-operation’ with the people after independence too. He said        PM claims to be an economist, the FM claims to be economist but the way they are trying to promote DTC, it looks like they are not economists. He said 30 lakh people of the country are dependent on 6 lakh co-operatives. But the govt. is bent upon including them in DTC and income tax ambit. Beyond this, they also want to bring in FDI in retail that will endanger the rural economies. He stated that we need to vow to protect this co-op movement and a ‘andolan’ has to start from this conference. He also cautioned that we should not politicize the co-operative movement but let it remain a nationalistic movement.

Shri. Jagadish Shettar, CM of Karnataka spoke on the occasion. He too said that Gandhi too gave lot of importance to the co-operative movement. He said Sahakar Bharati is doing a great job to keep the movement running successfully and we all need to support it. The Karnataka govt. has taken lot of measures to aid the farming community and milk co-operatives in the state. 36,000 co-operatives societies are operating in the state and 15 lakh people are employed by these co-ops. The state government has ear-marked Rs.3,600 crore and Rs.25,000 loan waiver was given to farmers due to drought condition in the state by the govt. ‘Yashashvi’ yojana has been instituted by the govt. to aid the workers of the co-op societies in insurance, health. He stated that the govt. has decided to institute a ‘revolving fund’ for the co-ops in the state.


Shri. Ramesh Vaidya, co-convener of the National conference committee gave the Vote of thanks.

Mohan ji Bhagwat presented Mananeeya Lakshman Rao Inamdar Award to Deepak Kumar Barthakur of Assam for his contributions in Cooperative Banking in Assam.

Local MP Ananth Kumar speaks

Sathish Marathe, National President of Sahakar Bharati delivering the inaugural address.

Nearly 5000 delegates participating in this 2 day conclave.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar speaks on the occasion

Report by Prashanth Vaidyaraj and Vineetha Menon for www.samvada.org

Understanding The Mindset Behind Separate Muslim Universities: writes Kiran KS

By Kiran Kumar S, Bangalore (Inputs from Prof Rakesh Sinha, New Delhi)

You might have heard about the ongoing debate as to whether a separate university, with 50% reservation for Muslims, be setup in Karnataka, in the name of Tipu Sultan. This is a part of a plan of the current UPA government, to setup five such universities in India, with the other four being in Bihar, Poschim Bongo, Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh. The focus in Karnataka is mostly about the name of Tipu. The proponents like Congress party’s minister Rahaman Khan and KPCC President Dr. Parameshwar, are painting Tipu Sultan as a great patriot and deserves a university in his name. The opponents like BJP’s G Madhusudhan and Kannada researcher Dr. Chidananda Murthy, are vehemently saying Tipu was anti-Kannada, anti-Hindu and must not have any university named after him.

But the real issue is more serious. It’s not just about pro or anti Tipu, but the mindset behind a separate university for Muslims. Most of the information in here is from Dr. Rakesh Sinha’s research. He is the Director of India Policy Foundation in Dilli and an expert in this field of Social Sciences. If there are factual corrections, please do let us know, so that we can discuss with Dr. Sinha soon.

1. Creates Pillars of Separatism:

Segregation of students based on religion is not going to help the national unity and the spirit of secularism. India has a very wide level of diversity and separating students in their formative years, based on separate religious university is going to hurt the nation in the long run. If Divya Shetty, Mark D’Souza, Shriram Bhat, Raju Valmiki, Manjunath Hiremath, Lakshmi Gowda, Baljeet Singh, Rashmi Poovaiah and Babu Naidu can all study in the same class, why not Fatima Shaikh or Syed Abdullah? The very idea of Tipu University in Karnataka, the very speeches we heard recently of Akbaruddin Owaisi in Andhra Pradesh, are effects of the “we are different” mentality being nurtured by systematic segregation. We need to overcome such “we are different” mindset.

2. Creates Wrong Icons:

If you recall the effect of Aligarh Muslim University from the late 19^th century and early 20^th century,  it created wrong icons. Most people praise Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as a great Muslim Reformer. But the reality was that via Aligarh Muslim University, he shaped the minds of generations of young Muslims into the Two Nation Theory. Dr. Rakesh Sinha strongly indicates that the actual Father of Pakistan was not Mohammed Ali Jinnah, but Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, with considerable help from William W Hunter of Hunter Commission. Unlike the real reformers of society like Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar who were instrumental in the widow remarriage reform in Hindu society, Syed Ahmed Khan did not bring any great social changes via laws into the Muslim community. In fact his ideology was responsible for the creation of Muslim League in 1906. Khilafat movement and heavy focus on Urdu (today, Pakistan’s national language) were all results of Aligarh Muslim University’s cadre. Syed Ahmed Khan was pro-British, against independent India, feudal and non-liberal. With a 21^st century separate Muslim university and committees like Sachar (equivalent of the Pirpur Committee before partition), the same process of setting wrong icons may get repeated. Have you ever asked why Abdul Kalam, Humayun Kabir, Arif Mohammed Khan and Darah Shikoh, with strong roots into Indian unity in diversity concept, are not the most celebrated icons of young Muslims today, but Shah Jehan, Syed Ahmed Khan, Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb are?

3. Gives More Importance to Religion:

If you have observed recently, the number of Muslims in UPSC success list is under 4%, in spite of being at least 3.5 times that in population percentage. The reasons are not just poverty or backwardness,as there are many other communities sharing poverty story. The real reason is that more Muslims send their kids to religious schools like Madrassas than UPSC competitive exam coaching classes. Separate schooling in such setups will not help a unified India’s agenda. India needs a collective spirit among youth, not separate education policies based on religion.

4. Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Others Won’t Attend Such University:

Dr. Chidananda Murthy made a great point here. If you have a university with 50% Muslim reservation, how many Hindu parents will actually send their children to study in such a place? Most likely over the years, the university will become an overwhelming Muslim majority university, more like a ghetto concept. With no interaction with other fellow Indians during important formative years, many youth may easily become pray to anti India and anti Hindu forces. There are examples from Aligarh already to review.

5. Is it Right Constitutionally?

Is paying using Tax payer’s money (of all religions, sects and languages) to promote a university mainly for Muslims, in the right spirit of India, per the constitution? Yes, there may be private participation, but we are talking of public money. People who study in such universities, may end up asking for separate electorate tomorrow on communal lines. Once you put the “you are separate, you deserve separate university” message in the mind, the youth may start asking for lot more entitlements on the same lines tomorrow. This is nothing but a clear case of religious appeasement which is against the spirit of Indian constitution, that declares, all Indians have equal stake in the country’s resources.

The concepts such of Ministry of Minority Affairs and the National Committee for Minorities are all results of appeasement. If one starts interpreting the constitution precisely, there may be challenges to such setup based purely on religion identity, in a secular nation.

6. Politics of Backwardness:

Where will this stop? If nearly 17.8 crore Muslims in India today need separate university because of grievances listed by its leaders, will similar universities pop up for much smaller groups like Agarwals, Brahmins, Jains, Valmikis, Bodos, Kurubas etc., if they also meet ‘backwardness’ criteria in economic and representation scale? Will India end  up setting up Universities based on all religious and caste lines, paying them with tax payers’ money? Are we heading towards nations within nation?

This kind of politics of backwardness is a result of force-fed victimization messages by the religious and appeasing political leaders. It will then strengthen more separate identity projects like separate banks, separate employment, separate laws, separate areas to live and so on.

7. The Very Concept of ‘Minority’ is Faulty:

Tajamul Hussain, a Barrister, a member of Constituent Assembly of India from Bihar, said in 1949: “The term minority is a British creation. When the British are gone and the term minority has to go with them. Please remove the term minority from your dictionary. There is no minority in India, we just have different modes of worship.”

Harendra Coomar Mookerjee, or HC Mukherjee, the Vice President of India’s Constituent Assembly and a practicing Christian, categorically questioned in 1949. “Do you want to create one nation and one people? If so, you can not recognize any minority or majority. India will again be partitioned if you create the minority concept”.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Iron Man of India, asked in the parliament in late 1940s when questioned about Muslim reservation: “Do you want to divide the nation once again? Those who want separate education and separate reservation, have a country already created for them”. This is coming from a man who fought vehemently to unite nearly 600 independent kingdoms into India as we know today.
The exact words can be looked upon from the archives, but the core messages are as mentioned above, per Dr. Rakesh Sinha’s extensive research.

And see where we have landed up in 21^st century, from great stalwarts of 20^th century. Sachar committee even tried to get religious composition of the most secular organization in India today, the Army! Glad that India has great Generals like JJ Singh, who angrily reacted in 2006 to even the Defense Minister, keeping the survey of religious composition out of armed forces.

8. Against Liberal Democratic Values:

Many of the champions of secularism hail the western model of liberal democracy, but indulge in exactly opposite in India. Do you know that Belgium, a celebrated liberal democracy of the west, banned Burqa in 2011, even though less than 100 women wore Burqa in the entire nation? The most interesting point here is that there were zero votes against it! Yes, we are talking of a liberal democracy here. France, another celebrated Liberal democracy, issued a ban on all face covering in 2011. This has put anyone seriously practicing the hijab or burqa, virtually under house arrest. Britain, the inspiring fountain of India’s constitution, judiciary and law enforcement, saw its PM David Cameroon stand up and say, ‘Multi Culturalism has failed”. This is a huge statement coming from the Prime Minister of a nation which inspired most of the liberal democratic values India follows today! United States does not allow polygamy to Muslim men, even though they say it is supported in their religious laws called Sharia. Still USA is a very liberal democracy for anyone studying political science in India.

So it is safe to say that none of the so-called liberal democracies support an idea like separate Muslim University or separate civil laws based on religion. Why does a progressive liberal democracy like India doing it? Even an Arab country like Tunisia, with 98% Muslims, has banned polygamy, and so has Turkey with 96% Muslims. But a democratic India with 86% non-Muslims, allows polygamy for Muslims. If you start looking into the policies of democracies across the world, there are so many things India allows which are against the liberal democratic values. Adding to that list is this dangerous idea of a separate Muslim university in Karnataka.

9. Mistaken Role of the Indian State:

Indian state, by its very nature of a secular, socialistic democracy, must encourage an all round development, and peaceful co-existence among all its residents. Constantly appeasing one section of the society in the form of religious pilgrimage subsidy, allowing to abstain from singing the national song, keeping them away from Sanskrit education, the root of Indic civilization, are all smaller examples of a bigger problem. Recently we are seeing many state governments giving monetary benefit to religious teachers, giving scholarship exclusively for girls of one community and so on. The governments of India must support unified and equal benefit approach to all its citizen, and not indulge in vote-bank divisionary politics.

10. Against the Indian Ethos of Respect for All:

India stands on equality concept. India is made up of its people who believe that all religions, creed, caste, colour, language etc. are equal. If you push separate educational systems like Muslim University (or for that matter, any other religious university), you are shaking the very root of unity in diversity in India. You are essentially telling Muslim youth that you can not succeed in the general education system, so you need separate universities! You are directly or indirectly harming their self confidence,  rather than helping them.

So, all those pushing for a Tipu Sultan University in Karnataka, please introspect. Read more on what the great thinkers like Tajamul Hussain spoke at the Constituent Assembly while the constitution of India was being formed. Read more about the factors that created Pakistan, particularly where the two-nation-theory emerged and got nurtured. Learn about the role of Aligarh Muslim University’s role in many of these radical and separatist ideologies. Observe the diverse nature of Indian society and how common education is shaping them to gel together as one society. 

Then ask yourself – Do I still need a separate university for Muslims, which will most likely end up as a ghetto, radicalizing a whole generation of youth soon?

The choice is yours. But make an educated choice which will help the future of united and secular India.

 http://samvada.org/2013/news/understanding-the-mindset-behind-separate-muslim-universities-writes-kiran-ks/

ETHNIC CLEANSING OF KASHMIRI PANDITS: Article on Holocaust Day

ETHNIC CLEANSING OF KASHMIRI PANDITS

PUNISHING PERPETRATORS, NOT ABANDONMENT OF MINORITY HINDUS OF J&K WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM

 

Driving out the Hindus from the Kashmir Valley was a key component of Pakistani plan given in “Operation Topaz” and published in one of the issues of the India Defence Review in 1988. This plan was completely in tune with the objective of communal mobilization set in motion in Kashmir since 1931, which succeeded in capturing state apparatus in 1947. Indian policy makers knew it even before the onset of terrorist violence. But the situation was allowed to go out of control for petty political interests.

The mass extirpation of Kashmiri Hindus in 1989-90 is a tragic event of the history of post–independence India. Kashmiri Pandits had not experienced a cataclysm of this magnitude in the past. The tragedy is poignant because it happened in a secular and democratic India; Kashmiri Pundits became its victims because they identified themselves with the secular ethos and pluralistic character of the Indian state and complimented re-building and re-shaping of progressive and outward-looking Kashmir.

The exodus of minority Hindu community was not a chance happening. It was the result of a deep and calculated conspiracy initiated, sponsored, aided, abetted and mentored by the State of Pakistan in collaborations with some global players. This instrumented religious terrorism created a mass uprising in the length and breadth of Kashmir Valley.

A good chunk of population of Valley’s majority community collaborated with religious extremists-terrorists with obvious motive of disrupting peaceful coexistence Kashmir.  Expansion of extremists and religious fundamentalists resulted directly in squeezing the pluralist secular space. Minority Hindu community was progressively purged from the economic, political, social and lastly from the territorial life of Kashmir. This elimination process continues even after the displacement by a process that attempts to erase the imprints of their civilisational ethos from the geo-cultural history of the land.

The plan to eliminate Minority Hindus was executed more or less carefully. While almost full-dress rehearsal was conducted in 1986. After selective targeted killings in most sadistic manner, it was 19^th January 1990 that proved to be proverbial last nail in the coffin of secularism in Kashmir valley. It was the day when almost entire Muslim Population of Kashmir was on roads raising highly objectionable anti-Hindu slogans. Mosques through public address system were declaring a war against minorities. Pundits were asked to leave within 24 hours.

The situation was allowed to take such a serious turn and the government continued to handle situation ineffectively without realizing the damage it caused to the country, the miseries it bought to the people and the long term implication for the nation as a whole.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in a ruling on 11 June 1999 stated that “Against the stern definition of the Genocide Convention, the Commission is constrained to observe that while acts akin to genocide have occurred with respect to Kashmiri Pandits and that, indeed, in the minds and utterances of some of the militants a genocide-type design may exist, the crimes against the Kashmiri Pandits are near-Genocide and not Genocide.”

The NHRC has clearly noted down in its ruling that it was due to the stern definition of the Genocide Convention that the Commission is constrained to observe that acts akin to genocide have occurred with respect to Kashmiri Pandits.

The formal definition of the Genocide came in the 1948 Convention for the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It was declared to be a crime under international law–either in times of war or peace.  Decades after the legal definition was drafted; scholars remain unable to forge an agreement upon what genocide is and what it consists of.  “Ethnic cleansing” has also been used to describe a group of people of similar nationality, race, or religion who are experiencing any kind of action which they consider objectionable. Whatever way the debate settles, the fact remains that both “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing”–as words and concepts—means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

When we take into consideration what the Hindu Minority of Kashmir had to face; we realize that the community is facing total elimination. It satisfies definitions of both Genocide as well as the ethnic cleansing.
Hindus in the state were targeted selectively and brutally killed individually and also massacred collectively. After targeting prominent members of the State’s Hindu minority for assassination and intimidation in the first phase of jihadi violence, terrorists began executing large-scale killings, 13 Hindus were massacred at Sarthal in Doda.  16 Hindus were again executed in the Doda village of Barshalla. Similarly Sangrampora Killings, 22 March 1997, Udhampore Killings, June 1997, Wandhama Killings, January 1998 , Prankot Killings, April 1998, Chattisinghpora Killings, March 2000, Nadimarg Massacre, 24 March, 2003 took place at regular intervals.

From 1998, communal massacres gathered momentum and in scale. In 1998, 132 civilians died in six massacres conducted across the State and in adjoining Himachal Pradesh. In 2001, 108 people were killed in 11 major incidents, while 83 people were killed in five incidents in 2002. Most of these killings targeted desperately poor communities in the State’s more remote mountain regions.

In two hamlets in Budhal’s Rajouri area, while women in the village were ordered to prepare food for the terrorists, 11 Hindu men aged between 18 and 57 had their throats slit one by one.  Such brutally inhuman was the Method of killings that medieval barbarism will pale into insignificance.

Over Two decades have passed by since that day, and three hundred thousand “migrants”, ethnically cleansed from their millennia-old habitats in the Valley of Kashmir are still eking out a miserable existence in refugee camps and rented rooms in Jammu, Delhi and other cities.

Their properties have been encroached upon by individuals and also organized groups. Even the government has found the minority property to be soft target for acquisition. Under distress they have sold their left-behind properties at a throw away price because they need to make both ends meet. That is the story of a small religious minority made refugees in its own country— a secular democratic country of which Kashmir was “the symbol of secularism” in the eyes of Indian political stalwarts.

It is very essential for all those who take pride in secular democracy of India to come forward and raise their voice in support of the victims. It is equally important to book perpetrators for the crimes they have committed and bring them to justice. Abandoning the victimized community will only encourage the divisive force.

The return and rehabilitation of the community back in the place of its origin would mean a total reversal of this process. The essential components of any return policy will contain:

a)     A comprehensive analysis of the circumstances that led to the ethnic cleansing of the entire Kashmiri Pandit Religious Minority Community from the valley.
b)     Enforcement of the rule of law on the ground, measurable and verifiable that ensures effective working of all the institutions of the modern state without fear and favour.
c)      Affirmative action on the part of the state to encourage and ensure meaningful participation in every activity of the modern life.
d)     Constitution a Commission of Enquiry headed by a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court of India to probe circumstances and fix responsibility of ethnic cleansing of the entire Kashmiri Pandit Religious Minority Community from the valley in early 1990.
e)      Develop a twin city as a Satellite City of Srinagar for the entire community. The City should be self-sufficient in terms of overall infrastructure, economic avenues, adequate land, decent accommodation, educational institutions, medical care, recreation centers, commercial infrastructures etc. etc.
f)         Politically Empower the by community by affirmative action like adequate reservations both in the assembly, the Parliament and local bodies.
g)      Initiate necessary steps to grant minority status to the displaced KPs.
h)      Take urgent steps to protect and preserve the age-old heritage of the community handed down in the shape of temples, shrines, worshiping places and pilgrimage sites etc. The draft bill pending in the Legislative Assembly should be passed without any further delay.

 http://samvada.org/2013/articles/ethnic-cleansing-of-kashmiri-pandits-article-on-holocaust-day/

Kumbh Mela brings Economic Prosperity: Dr MKS

By Dr MK Shridharan, Bangalore



Kumbh Mela, the biggest congregation of the world, would generate heightened economic activity in multiple sectors leading to a huge income levels to government agencies and to individual traders. According to a paper published by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), tourism, hotel, transport, health and infrastructure sectors would receive additional boost during the Kumbh Mela event.  According to an estimate, the state government alone would generate Rs 12,000 crores of revenue because of the Kumbh Mela.  Although the Kumbh Mela is spiritual and religious in nature, associated economic activities would generate employment opportunities for over six lakh workers across many sectors including eco-tourism.

The ASSOCHAM, the apex trade association of India, has published its findings of a study assessing the impact of Kumbh Mela on various sectors in a paper titled ‘Maha Kumbh Mela 2013 – Possible Revenue Generation Resources for Uttar Pradesh’. The assessment has detailed the impact of the Mela on both organized and unorganized sectors.  The paper suggests that the overall business in the course of the two months of the Kumbh Mela could be worth between Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 crore. The study provides sector-wise break-up of revenue estimates and employment generation statistics.

The Maha Kumbh will begin on January 27 and conclude on February 25.  The piligrimage will attract a  large number of foreign tourists from as far apart as Australia, UK, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, New Zealand, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.  The hospitality industry in the region is targeting 100 per cent occupancy across the board in small, budget and luxury hotels during the Maha Kumbh.  Apart from UP, states like Rajasthan (Jaipur, Jabalpur, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota), Uttarkhand (Nainital, Mussoorie, Aulli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Ranikhet, Almora), Punjab (Amrtisar, Ludhiana) and Himachal Pradesh (Shimla, Kufri, Manali, Panchkula), will majorly benefit from the enhanced revenue generation with a large number of national and foreign tourists expected to explore other destinations.

Uttar Pradesh Tourism and the Railways are likely to share in a revenue bonanza of a whopping Rs 1,500 crore along with airports and private hospitals by offering attractive tours and medical tourism packages to the tourists and piligrims. The employment generation figures due to Kumbh are likely going to be as follow: Hotels 2.5 lakh jobs; Airlines and airports 1.5 lakh; Tour operators 45,000, Eco-tourism and medical tourism 50,000 and Skilled and unskilled workers for construction/ renovation 85,000. Add 55,000 new jobs in the unorganised sector comprising tour guides, taxi drivers, interpreters, volunteers, etc and the employment generation potential of the festival stands at a massive 6.35 lakh jobs.

The Maha-Kumbh, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage, is thus expected to generate direct and indirect business activities, the fruits of which would hopefully benefit the masses of Uttar Pradesh

 http://samvada.org/2013/news/kumbh-mela-brings-economic-prosperity-dr-mks/

Andhra: RSS Mega Camp Hindu Chaitanya Shibir begins

Vijayawada January 18, 2013: Hindu Chaitanya Shibir organized by RSS (Purva Andhra Pradesh) has been inaugurated by Ma. Sri Suresh Ji Joshi, Sarkaryavaha of RSS on 18^th Jan 2013.  Pujya Sri Paripoornananda Swami ji of Sripeetam, Kakinada addressed the swayamsevaks and blessed them. Pujya Swamiji emphasized that RSS is the heart of Hindu Society and every hindu should join the organisation  and inculcate social service and nationalism. Sri Sundaramurthy, Pranth Sanghchalak of Purva Andhra Pradesh and Sri Gokaraju Ganga Raju chairman of the reception committee are on the dais.

Hindu Chaitanya Shibir inaugurated at Andhra

Near about 18000 ganaveshadhari (in uniform) swayamsevaks from all the districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh attended the sibir. The concluding function of the sibir will be held on 20^th Jan 2013. Pujya Sarsanghachalak Ma. Mohan ji Bhagawat will address the gathering.

The sibir is being held on the spacious fields near Nagarjuna University of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.