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Member Letters - Guest - 03-24-2005 I am creating this thread to have a collection of letters that our members send out to various people. 1. Newspaper editors. 2. Legislators, Congresspeople, etc. 3. Other Important people and organisations. This will act as a repository or all such letters. Some of these letters will make it to IF front page - there is no set criteria yet but i guess it will evolve over time. Members are encouraged to write and keep a copy here. Periodically we will archive all such letters at our archive at http://indiaforumarchives.blogspot.com/. Thanks. Member Letters - Guest - 03-24-2005 Member SSridhar has written the letter below.. <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Defending Modi is indefensible I have sent the following response to him. Let me see if he replies: <!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Mr. Ahmed, Your Op-Ed in Daily Times of Pakistan dated today on the subject in question was disappointing to say the least to a person like me from across the border, who regularly reads your column. Before I go any further, let me say emphatically that neither do I belong to any political party nor do I condone the Gujarat riots of 2002. I have no doubt in my mind that the Muslims had suffered a lot in the Gujarat riots and I feel ashamed that such a thing happened. Yet, I take strong objection to your Op-Ed because what you have stated are morally and ethically wrong and is based on a series of conjectures and incorrect information. I seek your patience in reading this rather long mail. You state that the Gujarat CM is a "rabid communalist". Pray, on what basis did you make that statement ? Do I see pseudo-secualarism on display here from you ? To the best of my knowledge, he has never denigrated other religions nor did he incite the Hindus to "kill" any non-Hindu infidel. At worst, he could be "accused", if at all, of being unable to stop the communal orgy that engulfed his State after the gruesome killing of Kar Sevaks returning from a pilgrimage. But, the fury, the suddenness and spread of the violence were on such a scale that nobody else could have done anything else as well more effectively. We see so many violent sectarian clashes in Pakistan day in and day out and why does it not generate as much passion in you ? The only conclusion I can come to is that you probably feel that internecine war is of a much lesser evil than one involving the kaffir Hindus. My example of a "rabid communalist" will be a Qazi Hussein Ahmed of JI or a Fazlur Rehman of JUI or Maulana Masood Azhar of JeM, the late Mufti Shamzai of Binori, Fazlur Rehman Khalil of HuM, Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi of Sipah-e-Sahaba, or even Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul or Lt. Gen Javed Nasir who have openly called for Jihad-al-saif against India in general and Hindus in particular. I can assure you that none of the communal leaders in India, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Budhist or Sikh come anywhere near the above gentlemen, if one can call them so. It is strange and even shameful that you should quote such right-wing Pakistani bigots to indirectly accuse a secular, multi-ethnic, plural and democratic India in which a few shameful aberrations have indeed happened whether they be Gujarat riots or the Godhra carnage or the Bombay/Coimbatore serial blasts, anti-Sikh riots etc. If you have no compunction in citing them to "make India feel guilty" of being a "sham democracy where the minorities are under majoritarian tyranny", what else can one say ? While not condoning any of the later-day riots, I welcome you to go even before Independence to a united India and the terror let loose by your revered leaders like Jinnah or Suhrawardy under the garb of "Direct Action Day". Or, even the Butcher of Bengal Gen. AAK Niazi in 1971. You say next that "he has Muslim blood on his hands" but correctly state immediately thereafter that no court has found him guilty. As a human being, I am not going to distinguish between Hindu, Muslim, Ahmedi, Budhist and Christian bloods. But, what surprised me was the rather defensive and factually incorrect statement you make about the Godhra train carnage. Why should you be in an indecent hurry to say that the Hindu kar sevaks killed themselves in Godhra and shifted the blame on Muslims ? For starters, it was not the Supreme Court that said so. It was an enquiry commission set up by Laloo Prasad (despite the two other comprehensive Commissions already on the job), the new Railway Minister that gave an "interim" report just in time before the elections in Bihar. Without getting into the merits or otherwise of the report, the intentions are quite obvious. You have to realize that the NHRC, however much it could be respected, is no substitute for a constitutionally formed inquiry commission or the Courts. Ultimately, cases have to be proven in Courts of Law and punishment meted out by Judges, not by media or the NHRC. One should remember that Mr. Modi has been returned to power with two-thirds majority in an election conducted after the riots under a very strict Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Lyngdoh (who was a Christian just to set any speculation at rest) who used his unfettered powers to ensure that those officials tainted by the riots were not in influential positions at the time of voting. Your comparison with Hitler is totally incorrect. Hitler "subverted" democracy through the Beer Hall putsch and ran a reign of terror. That was clearly not the case in the Gujarat elections. In fact, the Election Commission went to extraordinary lengths to ensure a fair election. If NHRC of India is respected, so is the Indian Election Commission, its electoral process and democracy. Why should only the NHRC be conveniently praised and not the other ? So, what is the next step in the process of villification ? Paint the millions who voted Mr. Modi to power as criminals ? As for your inopportune reference to Mahatma Gandhi, I wish to recall that Gandhi called for disbanding the Congress after independence was won as he felt that the Congress had served its purpose and the continuation of the party would lead to power struggle. Your citing of Congress apologizing to the Sikhs is thoroughly misplaced. They did it a full twenty years after the event. Yet, the instigators of the anti-Sikh pogrom, HKL Bhagat, Maken and others went scot free and were even given tickets to stand for elections much after their involvement became public affair. So, why do you seek to take moral support from a non-existent source such as the Congress ? As for the Communists, can there be bigger murderers than them in the history of this world ? Josef Stalin is the worst dictator the world has seen, far worse than Hitler or Gengiz Khan or Aurangzeb put together perhaps. The support of the Communist parties in India for Naxal violence that kills everyday scores of civilians is too well known. However, the Congress and even the Communists who are more staunchly opposed to the BJP (the first aim of the Communists anywhere is to decimate the majority religion of the land in order for them to sow their brand of governance), are together in objecting to the US move because they see a greater strategic threat in the unabashed misuse of "religion" by the US. It has always been a Pakistani failing in that they only take "tactical" positions and fail to perceive the "strategic" implications. It is an open secret that the US employs such concepts as "human rights" and "religious freedom' to further its own hegemonic interests. Though I could glean from your columns that you have a more tolerant and secular outlook than an average Muslim, especially from Pakistan, it is inappropriate for anyone to derive satisfaction from Modi's situation. Though I would hate to say this so openly, yet the fact remains that Hinduism is far more tolerant and secular than Islam especially of the Salafist Sunni, Wahhabi, Deobandi and even the Berelvi varieties so widely practised in your country and most of the Middle East. The US Govt, which has suddenly donned the mantle of espousing religious freedom, has been cosying up to despots, dictators and mass murderers like the Shah of Iran, the absolutist Kings in the Middle East and a series of dictators in Pakistan, not to say anything of the murderers in Latin American countries. I recall Gen. Zia-ul-Haq led an armoured-brigade attack on unarmed, civilian Palestenians in a Jordan refugee camp killing hundreds of them in a few days. Not that any of these can be cited to "support" a similar re-enactment elsewhere, but, we have to have an overall sense of history before we jump to point fingers. The US itself has blood on its hand. The Vietnam war, especially the My Lai massacre, the massacre in the Korean war of unarmed civilians, its toleration of Israeli terrorism and even the overt and covert support for the Zionist state, its recent unwarranted attack on a secular Iraq leading to bloodbath, the arrogant and humiliating treatment of civilian (including woman) prisoners in Abu Gharib, the preparations for an impending attack on Iran etc. are there for everyone to see. So, the US is not exactly a paragon of virtue to be modelled after. That is what makes this unfortunate episode all the more tragic. It is clear in my mind at least that the US is using the Modi episode to retrieve some lost leverage among the Muslim ummah. They have decided to sacrifice Narendra Modi at the altar of expediency. I wish you would be as passionate in highlighting state-sponsored atrocities against "human beings", whether it is Muslims of Palestine/Kosovo or Hindus/Sikhs of Kashmir/Pakistan/Bangladesh or Shias/Ahmedis of Pakistan or Coptics of Egypt. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Guest - 03-24-2005 BTW the reason this thread is created in General Topics is so that we can collect all letters. You could write a letter to denounce Panikar giving a lecture to SRT on how to hold a bat .. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> Member Letters - Guest - 03-29-2005 More Promises for India Member Letters - Guest - 05-24-2005 presidentofindia@rb.nic.in Dear President, I am pained to write this. I find no option. Because I am hurt at the way the Mandirs are silently being stripped by christist Y Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy garu, CM of AP and no body seems to care. I request your immediate intervention and render justice to the Hindus and Hindu institutions. Namaste, S V Badri This was mailed to the following: 1. President of India â Shri A P J Abdul Kalam - presidentofindia@rb.nic.in 2. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh â Sri Y Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy- cmap@ap.gov.in, cmap@ap.nic.in, drysr@ap.gov.in 3. Endowment Minister of Andhra Pradesh- Sri M Satyanarayana- min_endo@ap.gov.in Read my special request to the Hindus and Hindu institutions/ organizations all over the world and shoot your protests to the above three gentlemen. Our institutions are seriously getting eroded. If you care to have your great-grand child see them remain as Hindu institutions, show your concern. NOW. BANKRUPT AP ENDOWMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE CHRISTIST CM- Y SAMUEL RAJASEKHARA REDDY Religious money Give me an honest answer. You visit Bhagawan Tirupati Venkateshwaraâs Mandir (Balaji Mandir) or any Mandir in Andhra Pradesh .You have the devotion to make a monetary offering into the Hundi. You feel it is your private equation with the Bhagawan. You fulfil your Prarthana as you make a humble drop into to the Hundi. Some of you have saved this money painfully over years and in several cases enduring pangs of hunger to make this offering. That is the extent of your devotion. Secular money Are you aware that till the last nano-second that the money or the offering was in your hands, it was âreligious moneyâ because your Bhakti veils your eyes as you think that this money that is offered will be sacredly used by the A P Government for Hindu religious purposes like maintainence of the Mandir, itsâ development and for propagation of Hindu religious causes, payment of salaries of Archakas or for the regular conduct of Pujas and rituals as per the Aagamas and Sastras. You assume this is what the AP Government is doing with your offering, because this is a Hindu Mandir and you are a devout Hindu offering the money out of total surrender to the Bhagawan. You are painfully ignorant what happens to this money once it gets into the Hundi. You just assume that it is being used for a Hindu cause. Perhaps you are one of those who just does not care because your job is done and it is up to the Mandirs to use it as they deemed fit. Yes Mandirs will use it as they deem fit if they are out of Government control. So if you think that your money is used only for Hindu purposes, banish the thought. Because, the moment the money slips into the Hundi, the Government âconvertsâ it into âsecular moneyâ. How can you explain why Mandir funds alone should be the target of the Government to draw as they please for other than Hindu religious purposes? Money down the drain Take for instance, the recent decision of the Government and the Government sponsored TTD Board to spend the Bhaktaâs âreligious moneyâ for âsecularâ purpose of constructing the underground drainage. Tell me if it is the duty of the Government to provide the drainage or the duty of the Mandir? So your money finds its way down the drain. Or its diversion to the Veterinary College development, not connected to the religious institution? Whose responsibility is this, the Governmentâs or the Mandirâs? Will Lallu give Railway lands for mandir constructions? The AP Government through the TUDA (Tirupati Urban Development Authority) demanded from the TTD a sum of Rs 6 crores towards property and other taxes so it could have the money required to construct a Idgah Maidan on the Railway lands abetting the Bhagawanâs lands. Obviously, because it is Idgah Maidan, secular Lallu did not object. And the secularists rushed to facilitate its completion. What if a Hindu wanted to construct a Mandir on the Railway lands? Will the same secularists come forward with such glee? Remember, Lallu ordered removal of Mandirs on Railway lands? Christist YSR unhappy with his Endowment Minister I am told that the money was stopped in the last minute after strong protests and the intervention of the Endowment Minister, M Satyanarayana, who as I understand, is fighting a losing battle against the christist YSR. Well placed sources indicate that this minister is likely to lose his berth unless he âconvertsâ himself from being a good Hindu to being a âadorable-secularistâ as the christist YSR wants him to be. Meaning, YSR does not want the Minister to raise objections to the usage of Mandir funds for Monotheistic religious purposes. Knowledgeable circles in AP confided with me that the christist YSR takes joy in making the officials of the Endowment Department to over-rule the Minister and to ridicule him at every opportunity. People who were present during the âUgadi Puraskaramsâ functions this year are witness to how the Endowment Minister was humiliated and made most uncomfortable by the christist YSR. In Bhadrachalam, where 12 acres of lands belonging to the Sri Rama Mandiram was given away to a christist organisation (apparently for the construction of a school there), who ended up constructing a church for converting the local tribals. The Minister was apparently unhappy with this and was denied the protocol honours during his recent visit for Sri Rama Navami celebrations. Money for Idgah maidan- Yes; Money for Mandir renovation - No YSR found Rs 6 crores for the construction of the Idgah Maidan in the Holy Town of Tirupati . But can find no money when 10,000 Mandirs languish for funds in the very backward areas of his State. He will not give them Mandirs. As a true christist he wants them to remain a fertile ground for the breed of new phoren evangelicals to arrive and harvest. Plant a church. Plant 50. Plant 100. Plant a 1000....... YSRâs folks in the Adventists will give them churches instead. Plant a church. Plant hundred. Plant a thousand. After all, did he not ask the Adventists to make a church on his farm land for the benefit of 300 converts? How can a Hindu trust this man who is more evangelical in his mission than the Pope Benedict XVII? And the worst, he does it masquerading as a Hindu. Many would not even know that he is a convert/born again christist. Render the ground fertile. So the phirangis come to harvest. With Mandirs and Mandir activity rendered systematically extinct in backward areas, it is no wonder that our Dalit and backward Hindu brethern find themself spiritually bankrupt. Because christists like YSR want them to be spiritually bankrupt so the missionaries can come and take over their souls with their brand of hatred of Hindu practices and Gods disguised as love and social service. YSR is silently making room for the imported evangilicals to usurp the dalits and the backwards so they can bear the cross for the rest of their lives. And he can bank on their votes at the call of a Samuel. Shame. Are Hindus incompetent to run their institutional affairs? The recent decision to facilitate christian infiltration into the TTD affairs through the Ugranam material deal with the firm owned by a Syiran Christian of Kerala and the tele-medical facility deal he inaugurated, between SVIMS (Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences) and the christist institutions like the Frontline / Madras Medical Mission combo of Dr Cherian should also make the secularits proud. Because for the likes of christist YSR, Mandirs are for mad people while the creative ones rush to the church. How can Hindus expect him to be sensitive to their issues? Tomorrow, he will have christian auditors, christian administrators or even christian parishioners doing Yesu Sahasranama to Bhagawan Venkateshwara. Who knows what my grand child has to witness in this sacred Mandir years from now? Mandir money for âsecular sexualâ use A P Government had recently decided to construct guest houses and rest rooms on various highways using the TTD money. Bhagawanâs money will be put to some âsecular sexual useâ to create rendezvous for the benefit of some unscrouplous ministers and bureaucrats to sleep with the concubines. Where is Hindu religious cause here? Why should one permit the TTD to become the Government appointed nodal agency to appease minorities or to undertake projects other than the Hindu Dharmic ones? Page 3 Chairman and the christist broker Both The flamboyant Page 3 personality and TTD Chairman, T Subbirami Reddy (Cong-I) and the christist YSR Government owe an explanation to the Bhaktas of Bhagawan Venkateshwara for betraying our trust. Join me in my prayers to the Kaliyuga Nayaka, Sri Venkateshwara (Bhagawan Balaji) to render the most severe punishment on each one of these starting from christist YSR down to the last peon who is involved in this systematic assault, rape, plunder and loot of His Mandir and its possessions. Lessons from christist YSR Government on How to ruin a prosperous Mandir: Let us now examine the orderly way the christist YSR government acts to make all our Hindu Mandirs go bankrupt. Before one starts reading this, it should be stored in our minds that the Government has taken over the Hindu Mandirs as a Trustee. It has no right of ownership. And you will come to the conclusion that this A P Government is worse than the Britishers when it comes to inflicting damage on our Hindu institutions and the Hindus as a whole. There are 370,000 acres of Mandir lands in AP. Of this, the Endowment Department does not even have records of lands to the extent of 100,000 acres. Does this surprise you? The Hindu Religious Endowment Department is infiltrated by christian administrators in the guise of Hindus. So we have a trustee who does not even have proper accounting system. What should you do to him? What would you do if your accountant failed you? Trash him? Throw him out? And what are we doing to these trustees who have betrayed our trust. A Ministry that does not have annual budgetary allocation You might be surprised to learn that the AP Hindu Religious Endowment Department is the only department in AP which does not get a single Rupee as the Annual Budgetary allocation from the A P Government. So this Deparment has no Governmental source of funding. Then how does this department manage to run its blasting path of systematic destruction of our Mandirs? How does it manage the vast empire of unwanted elements in the garb of employees? Simple. In addition to having all the Mandir resources at its control, It collects 15% of total revenues from Larger Mandirs like the Tirupati Mandir and 12% from smaller Mandirs. In addition, it collects 3% uniformly from all the Mandirs towards what it has called as âcommon-good-fundâ. Anything that starts with the word Common is just plain bullshit. You saw that in the Common Minimum Programme, too. Didnât you? Now, the Government, in addition to dipping its hands into the Hundi collections can just can dip into this common- good -fund also for any activity of its choice â depending on if the CM was a christist or a muslim or a commie or an athiest or just an anti-national bloke who wants to cremate Hindu institutions and scatter its ashes across the Vatican or the Mecca like the Ghazni did of the Dwarakaâs Murti of Bhagawan Krishna. Check the AP government Website and show me the Endowment Department there: It might surprise you that the Endownment Department is not featured in the Official website of the Government of AP while even the minority welfare has a link presented in the website. So our Trustee is very secretive. Wants to hide from the public glare. And least credible because he shuns the public domain. What is it afraid of? Known christists â unknown christists Take a look at the number of known christists who ruled the State since its formation: 1. Kasu Brahmhananda Reddy 2. N.Janardhana Reddy 3. Y Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy Add to these three christians, sympathisers of the variety of Chandra Babu Naidu, whose regime saw the State-sponsored and facilitated upshoot of the towering statues of Mother Teresa competing with Ambedkar in every nook and corner of AP. There are also strong rumours doing rounds that Chandra Babuâs wife, Bhuvaneshwari (daughter of the Late NTR) practices christianity secretly and is in touch with the seventh day adventist missionary. Readers should also know that it is believed in certain circles that Chandrababu Naidu has interests in an abattoir with Saudi links that slaughters countless cows for export of beef. If this is true I am not amazed why he was the first to take the flight to meet Vajpayee and âstronglyâ demand the dropping of the very idea of a Prevention of Cow slaughter Bill, when BJP was Hindu enough in its early days of governance. Sanction for the repairs â Hindus get into debt trap Days before Chandra babu Naidu of TDP lost his elections, he sanctioned Rs. 75 crores towards repairs and restoration of some Mandirs in AP. The Endowment Department had no funds. The Government undertook the work. And in many cases, the presiding deities were dragged out into the open under the pretext of renovation and left to fend for themselves, the vagaries of Nature. In some Mandirs local bhaktas formed groups to facilitate renovations. Such bills ran up to Rs 48 crores. And the Government made just a token re-imbursement, thus putiing various Hindu Bhaktas into a debt trap. The Government still owes this money. Now, where does it decide to look for the money? The Government has already started plundering the Tirupati Balajiâs wealth. Now, it wants to be seen as being fair to Him. It does not want people to perceive it as being selective in its destruction. So tells the world that Tirupati Balaji was not willing to give money for these projects so they have to scout for another Mandir, to satiate their rapacious appetite for systematic destruction of Hindu institutions. I would like to call this as: The Secular chain reaction to the deliberate distribution of destruction. Simhachalam Narasimha Swamy â A P Governmentâs new target of plunder: The Government has now set its eyes on Simhachalam. On Simhadri Narasimha Swami. And His thousands of acres of lands. These lands are in the Vizag district of Andhra Pradesh. About 1500 to 2000 acres of these lands are under illegal occupation. In most cases, it is simply not traceable as to who sold these lands and to whom, the registration has long since been done, with the connivance of various ministers and officials. Thousands of houses and bungalows have come up on these illegally occupied lands. The current occupants claim that they have been in the âenjoymentâ of these lands for the past 10 to 15 years and if the Government comes forward to âregularizeâ the land transaction and decide on the price, they are willing to pay. Now, even squatters make the rules. Can you give a honest figure, YSR? Will the Government dare reveal how many practitioners of other than Hindu faith who constitute these large number of illegal occupants? Or publish the number of churches / mosques that have come up on these Mandir lands? In 1842 , in the whole of Madras presidency, the number of churches were 847 and of Roman Catholic denomination. A current estimate says that there are a million churches in the same region. Where did this growth and the money for such a growth come from? In just 100 plus years. A new Committee is born in the barn. Some have seen stars and dollar signs A few years ago a committee was formed for the express purpose of âregularizingâ these illegal occupations of the lands belonging to Simhadri Narasimha Swami Mandir. The committee lied low, perhaps taking time to make its own deals by virtue of being given the oppurtunity to officially deal with the squatters. Now, the christist YSR Government has formed a new Committee comprising of a few MLAs and officials to look into this matter of âregularizingâ the land in favour of the illegal occupants. This committee is expected to submit its report shortly, highlighting its observations and recommendations. The price per Square Yard is under consideration. The lands where there are no constructions will be sold âas is where isâ. They expect a inflow of Rs. 125 crores. Of this, Rs. 48 crores will be disbursed towards works already committed and in progress. The rest will be used for the requirements and running of the A P Endowment Department. This is as far as the 2000 acres of the Simhadri Mandir lands, now concluded as in illegal occupation by squatters, of whichever faith and denomination they belong to. Government decides to sell Over 100,000 acres of Mandir lands in AP In addition to the lands belonging to the Mandir of Simhachalam Sri Narasimha Swamy, the Endowment Department has decided to sell 100,000 acres of lands belonging to various Mandirs in AP and which are either under dispute or have been illegally occupied by all and sundry. The Government has decided that a committee comprising of all the MLAs will be constituted for this purpose. This committee is enpowered to decide the price. There are 370,000 acres of Mandir lands under the control of the Endowment Department. Of this, the department has no records for Mandir lands to the extent of 100,000 acres. Of the rest of 270,000 acres, thousands of acres are under illegal occupation. Who gives this christist Government the right to sell the Mandir lands? Why should the Hindu Samaj remain indifferent and inactive to such naked aggression and rape of our revered institutions by a christist? The kings of yesteryears were the Trustees of our Mandirs in their time. They were only keen to add to the Mandir assets with each passing year. The current day kings, and the born-again christist kings like YSR, seem to deem it their duty to the church as they systematically strip us to the last fibre and parade us as pagans. Take a look hard look at few of these facts: 1. 10,000 Mandirs in AP alone are in the worst possible state. There is no money for lighting a single lamp each day. Nor is Nivedyam presented to the Presiding Deity each day. In many Mandirs there is no money to pay for the salaries of the staff and the Archakas. WILL THEY DO THIS TO THE CHURCH OWNED LANDS? 2. The church is the largest real-estate owner in the country, next only to the Government and no single Government dares to bring this under its control. Nor can it ever dream of using the church lands for social justice measures like giving it away to dalits or the naxals or to Hindu religion for constructing Mandirs or the much needed Hindu schools/ Patashalas, Informed sources say that the naxal distribution of Mandir lands in AP is happening with the very blessings of the christist YSR. After all when it comes to Hindus, the Government which is just a âtrusteeâ will suddenly assume âownershipâ of these lands while bartering it for vote-bank politics and for appeasement of minorities. 3. Let us assume that I form a Trust and do what the AP Government is doing today as a Trustee. I would be instantly prosecuted and hauled in for fraudulent activity, betrayal of trust and would be ordered to dismantle it, under the law of the land. It is evident that The A P Government seems to conclude that it is above the Trust laws. It can do what it pleases when it comes to destroying Hindu institutions. And the trust that the Hindu Bhaktas impose on it to take care of its Mandirs be damned. Can you expect YSR to be sympathetic to Hindu causes? How can you expect this christist YSR to be sympathetic to Hindu causes, its institutions and the sentiments of its Bhaktas? It is a shame that the TTD should allow him into the Hindu Mandir of Tirupati without asking him to sign the mandatory declaration of his allegiance to the Bhagawan. Worse still, he is allowed to come alone and not escorted by his wife as a Grihasta should do, when he visits the Mandir to give the Vastram to the Bhagawan during the Brahmhotsavam. I am told that she is a devout christian and does not want perhaps to put up an act like her husband, who is bound political and monetary compulsions to deceive poor Hindus. I may be wrong on this but I have not seen her with him during such visits to the Balaji Mandir. Hindus should understand that this AP Govenment is headed by a rabid christian who cohabits with the virulent adventists silently promoting baptisms by the thousands in his State. Sri Y Samuel Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: Office Address: Residence Address: 8-2-269/S/98, Sagar Society, Rd#2, BanjaraHills, Hyderabad Constituency Address: D.NO.8-186, RAJAREDDY STREET, PULIVENDLA TOWN, CUDDAPAH DISTRICT Office Phone: 040-23455698, 23455205, 23452933 Residence Phone: 040-23608010, 23546195, 23545504, 23379133, 23379449 (Cell): 9848933333 FAX: 040-23454828 EMail : cmap@ap.gov.in, cmap@ap.nic.in, drysr@ap.gov.in AND Sri M Satyanarayana Rao, Minister for Endowments, Government of Andhra Pradesh: Office Address: Block-J, Floor-8, Room-811, Secretariat, Hyderabad, AP. Residence Address: Building No.9, (MB), Kundanbagh, Hyderabad Constituency Address: H.NO.2-8-125, MUKURRAMPURA, KARIMNAGAR. Office Phone: 040-23457113, 23453425 Residence Phone: 040-23414614 (Cell): 9849029008, 9848782024 EMail : min_endo@ap.gov.in And mark a copy to me to either: Setlurbadri@yahoo.co.uk Or Svbadri@gmail.com Please circulate this to as many and urge them to respond to these two ignoble men so they get to know that Hindus are outraged with their betrayal of our trust as Trustees of our Mandir affairs. Namaste, S V Badri Member Letters - Guest - 06-24-2005 <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Subject: Response to 'S.F. professor fears Hindu retaliation' To: readerrep@sfchronicle.com, letters@sfchronicle.com CC: jsubbiondo@ciis.edu Dear Mr. Williams & Mr. Pocha, This is in regards to your blatantly biased propaganda titled 'S.F. professor fears Hindu retaliation'. I wonder if you gentlemen even did a basic internet search on the activities of this S.F. "professor" before becoming suckers? Are you aware of her record of hallucination over a good part of the last decade? A cursory search on her name would have shown, for instance, her claim that it was "anti-Muslim" to send money to support the families of New York firefighters killed in the 911 attack. I presume that your newspaper supports that logic, since you accept all her latest lies? If you checked further, you would have seen that she has been trying to incite hatred in Orissa and Gujarat for many years, with frequent visits. Did you Einsteins wonder who funds those, at over $1500 per trip for just airfare, and weeks of absence from her "amazing" teaching? You would have seen that people have calmly and point-by-point rebutted and blasted her lies about the people of Orissa and Gujarat. Despite being a self-proclaimed "professor", she has been completely unable to defend her rants when so rebutted. If you had done a simple "Google" search on "Angana CIIS" you would have seen the growing citizen complaints about the real nature of CIIS and the "scholars" it employs. The word "ethics" seems to be utterly absent from CIIS' curriculum, since none of its faculty or administrators appear to have a clue about it. Ms. Chatterji is better known on the internet as "Cheaterji". Clearly she is earning that, as shown by the ease with which her gang convinces the boobs who write articles accepting her lies. In the latest (non) incident, Ms. Chatterji retracted her intial complaint from police and has refused to file a FIR (First-Information-Report) which is a standard operating procedure. The two "retired high court judges" who were along with her, demurred likewise. Why - one would ask? Could it be that the honorable Judges could not corroborate Chatterji's statements on someone attempting to "RAPE" her? Per her own statement, her colleague Mr. Hans coolly walked out of the situation ("we later found out that he had driven home") when he found out exactly WHY the villagers were getting angry, rather than rescue this damsel who was supposed to be under distress. Did you ace journalists bother asking what she's doing raking up issues in a peaceful state like Orissa whose statics in hate or any crime race related crime is miniscule compared to any city in USA? Have you asked why she wasn't saving the world in her native (Communist-ruled) West Bengal, and about her Marxist "Naxalite" buddies' 60-year record of violence there? Are you aware that she has attempted to disturb peace and harmony in another state of India and when police intervened, her she got her husband (a US citizen) shooting off letters to the then US Ambassador to India? In yet another instance in Sept 02, her fellow colleagues and activists-for-hire were chased out by tribal villagers, when the villagers recognized a malicious attempt to foster communal hatred under the guise of pluralism. So this is by no means the first time Ms Chatterji has been chattering away lies to gain sympathy of naive and/or incompetent "journalists" who are too lazy, incompetent or too racist to check elementary facts. Did you check any other versions of WHY the villagers got mad when they were told of Cheaterji's past? Did you realize that she had gone around previously, pretending to be a "journalist", and now she claims to be a "professor"? (No institution, not even the CIIS dump, has ever promoted her to the rank of "professor", though that has not stopped her from claiming such a rank numerous times) Could you guys stretch your brains (despite the hangover from your obvious state of drunkenness when you wrote that article) and thin a bit? What would happen in most rural US communities, to con-artist aliens coming to a quiet neighborhood undermining the local government and it's authority and conducting "interviews" just to later lie and slander the local people? What is the origin, of the terms "Tarred and Feathered" and "Run Out on A Stick", have you wondered? And by the way, your vile attempt to pass off the talking memo points for Angana as "journalism" is a clear give away, with the statement often parroted by her - "deadly anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat that killed up to 2, 000 people in 2002" to keep the myth alive. If you had bothered to do a honest day's job and do a basic check, you'd have found that the number of people who died in the Gujarat is less than 800 and not 2000; figures have been published by the Govt. of India. But then, all of the above would have taken a few seconds of honest journalism. Why set a precedent you can't follow? Sincerely, -XXXXXXXXXXXXX <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Letter sent by IF member Member Letters - Guest - 06-25-2005 <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Mr. Pocha & Mr. Williams, Anthropology as a discipline itself is in crisis. Stephen Tyler, professor of anthropology at Rice University in Houston, opined that with the exception of economics, no field is now more "dishonest" in its pretensions to scientific truth and precision. Biased and uninformed journalists at the esteemed SF Chronicle have given further credence and basis to Dr. Tyler's opinion, as evident from the recent coverage [S.F. professor fears Hindu retaliation, June 23 2005, Page A10] of Anganga's recounting of tales in Orissa, India. Rape is a serious charge anywhere and especially in India, where even death penalty was considered as a punitive measure. Angana as a faculty member must be aware of reporting any slightest sexual threat to campus police and it is the cardinal rule of campus life. Wonder then why the activist professor should forget this so easily and conveniently. It is no wonder that, self-promoting Angana has not filed a complaint with the police, nay, she even exhorted them not to consider her outrageous charges as a complaint. It is saddening to see supposedly unbiased journalists falling hook, line and sinker to the cheap publicity gimmicks of such faculty and cash strapped schools such as CIIS. Sincerely hope that SF chronicle raises its journalistics standards and stick to ethics. Center for Intellect & Integrity free Studies and its cohorts can hold onto their opinions passionately, but as journalists it is your duty and responsibility to validate those before publishing them. Sincerely Dr. V. Vishnu <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Editor, Allegations of rape make screaming headlines and naturally deserve sympathetic coverage (S.F. professor fears Hindu retaliation, June 23 2005, Page A10). But one must also be very careful in pushing charges too tenaciously based only on one side of the story. According to other published reports concerning the San Francisco based Professor, the people of Orrisa contend no such threat ever took place. The aforementioned professor since the time of the incident has been propounding the case only thru media and Internet outlets and not through the police. Specially surprising is an impassioned letter written by the professor to the Superintendent of Police a day after the incident (June 15) followed by another letter (June 16) specifically urging the police not to treat the previous letter as a complaint! Indian police takes charges of rape very seriously. Indian lawmakers have recently debated awarding the death penalty to aggressors. In such circumstances, one fails to understand why the professor might not report to the law as indeed insist that her plea not be treated as a First Information Report. Your report is correct that the atmosphere in Orrisa has simmered into a âbattle for soulsâ. The state has in fact become a breeding ground for coercive conversions among indigent tribal population. However, it is incorrect to state that only the so-called Hindu fundamentalists wage the battle. Only a day prior to your report (June 22), the Orrisa High Court took a strong exception to reports of large-scale illegal conversions in the state. A bench of the court directed the government, the District Collectors and Police Superintendents to inquire into such actions and take strong action against perpetrators of such activities. You might be surprised it was people of 19 different villages â none associated with any Hindutva based party â that made the petition. Within the immigrant Indian community, the professor has been known to be a leftist pamphleteer with a penchant for cheap publicity. Without investing in due diligence, it is therefore sad that your paper has become an outlet for a vicious campaign. Sincerely, XXXXX <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Editor, This is in response to your article 'S.F. professor fears Hindu retaliation'. This article contains one-sided views, racial/ religious stereotypes and could best be summarized as propaganda hate speech. This article has taken 'Angana Chatterjis opinion and stated it as the gospel truth. Christianity and Islam have been religious options for the people for the last 1000 years. The people did not convert to these religions even under Islamic and Christian rule. This indicates that the so called "caste-oppression" in Hinduism is a gross exaggeration in it's implication that Hinduism is somehow more discriminatory than other Civilizations. Articles such this perpetuate stereotypes about all Hindus and leads to hate crimes against minorities. This is unbecoming a supposedly liberal minded newspaper. sincerely, <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Guest - 07-03-2005 utpeian's post in other thread: <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Editor: Is your news article ('We will rape you, then parade you naked', TOI June 30) a paid commercial for a virulently anti-India hatemonger? Your reporter has merely rehearsed Angana Chatterji's prepared statement. A little investigation or common sense would ask, (i) What kind of Kangaroo court was this so-called tribunal running? (ii) If there was a threat of rape then did Angana Chatterji report this to the police? The answer to the latter is available all over the Internet. A day after the alleged threat - Chatterji wrote impassioned letters to the media and sundry but mostly the media. One such letter was written to the Superintendent of Police of the district too. Then a day later Angana Chatterji wrote back to the SP telling him that her letter of the previous day should **not** be treated as an **FIR**! So much for legal recourse. What is sad - the press plays along with this malicious advertisement without investing in even a modicum of common sense. Muckrakers like Angana Chatterji want only publicity. Packaged in bluestockings and driven by megalomania, they are diabolical and come from the lowest of the lowest moral conscience of the society. For them, communal polarization is an indulgence that must be fed. Where there is none bugbears must be manufactured, rancor must be invented. Where else will the wine and cheese of these self-aggrandizing decadent low lives come from? Malevolence is a congenital disease of the mind for Jezebels like Angana Chatterji. A mirror image of what she contends to stand up against; Angana's revulsion, spite and malignity cannot come in just one lifetime. Feculent extraction masked in swanky Ritz - it is this facade that the press and people alike must strip naked. People of Orissa did just that. Sincerely XXXX<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Guest - 07-07-2005 By Reggie to Modi- <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->FWITW:July 5, 2005 Chief Minister's Office Block No 1, 5th Floor, New Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar 382 010 INDIA Tel: +91-79-23232611 to 18 (O) Fax:+91-79-23222101 SUB: Terrorism at Ram Mandir, Ayodhya Honorable Chief Minister Narendra Modi, I have just read an article from a newspaper in which VHP General Secretary Praveen Togadia has threatened â a week-long protest week featuring âbandh, dharna and ralliesâ¦â Sir, absolutely the WRONG way to go about expressing grief at the colossal tragedy which took place at Ram Janam Bhoomi! Please, please, do NOT do this. This is exactly what the Pakistanis, Chinese, Islamofascists , Indian secularists, and the Indian communists want. A complete sabotage of the Indian economy, a complete break-down of law and order, a complete opportunity for enemies of India to spread further carnage and bankrupt India! The hindus play right into the devilâs hand by observing dharnas and bandhs. Please prevail upon Mr. Togadia to STOP it dead on its tracks. Here is what I think YOU should take the lead in doing. By taking the lead, you can channel the strength of 800 million hindus worldwide into a very positive force - an effort which will win worldwide praise and respect. Like the âvelvetâ and the âtulipâ revolutions engineered by U.S. government agencies in Eastern Europe where ordinary people show up in city squares with banners, singing, dancing, and changing their governments by ORGANIZING and CHANNELLING their collective efforts. This is what, I think, you should do. Challenge all nationalistic Indians and Hindus to come out on Sunday, July 17th all across the country. They should do volunteer work (clean up Ayodhya and their own local communities), sing prayers, raise money for those who died and were injured, donate blood, and generally dedicate themselves to raising the awareness of solidarity amongst hindus all across India. A sort of Indian "velvet" revolution! Please organize this sort of thing, rather than the usual burning, harassing, and sabotaging India and its beautiful people! Hindus can pledge their support for the RJB and India â courageously, peacefully, diligently and with a steely courage and resolve that the world will look upon in wonder. Call it, for e.g. âBharat Parivartanâ day! Or similar positive theme! It would be a great if RSS can organize this - a truly patriotic, peaceful and courageous event in annals of modern India. All other BJP / VHP leaders are either too old or too aggressive. It will require the administrative skills of a person of your caliber to organize this event. If you can make this happen, YOU would have given a new, purposeful direction to all hindus and we will look upon you as the next Indian Prime Minister. Do it please! Sincerely, XXXXXXXXX<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Guest - 07-12-2005 Forwarded by a member <img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/indiaforum/rs3.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' /> Member Letters - Guest - 07-12-2005 Thanks for printing my letter. _anjali Member Letters - Guest - 09-26-2005 From Dr. Jain <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->To, President of India, Congress, TJD and Co. are promising 5% reservation in govt. jobs for muslims. This tantamount to bribing muslim voters and as such Election Commision must disqualify such parties from putting their candidates for Bilar elections. If EC fails to do so, it is putting its seal of approval on vote buying. It makes no difference is cash is given or job given . In fact cash is only one time payment while job is long terms monthly payments by state treasury. Hiodus are fragments under different casts and situation is no different that what existed in pre-muslim era which led to muslims invaders ruling Hindus and they may have continued to rule stupid Hindus but for the British taking over using one nawab against another. Hindus are contunuing to play stupid by having such reservations for muslims o catch their votes. Congress appeasement policy gave awaay part of India which became Pakistan. People have forgotten that Hindus weremassacred in Pakistan in l947 with their women and children raped even in front of loved ones to humiliate. Whol;e world, including worshiped Gandhi looked on allihilation of Hindus from Pakistan under very leadeership of Jinnah who did not stop those atrocities. Jinah and his men must have been prosecuted in World court just as Milowitch and Saddam are being prosecuted. But theywere stooges of controlling US/British sp they didnot get ecen a scrach. Hinduss will go on sleping and will one day wake up finding another Pakistan beieng carved out of existing India while muslims will continue to eenjoy Indian prosperity gettingf all the reservations. It served Hindus best when they goon electing these rascal secularists. Indian mews media also caters to muslims, hating Hindus. Zee TV is silent on abductions of Hindus going on inPakisstan, abductedfirls are forced to embrace Islam and then maried to one of theabductors. Ze TV can pagri uchalo of others but not what is going on in Pakistan on Hindus <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Mudy; Please put this onyour website and also someway contact those whocan take this matter to EC Member Letters - Guest - 11-17-2005 Letter sent by our member to Senator/Congressman <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->It was reported by Sunday Times that Pak army has been selling body parts of earth quake victims. It further reported that these terrorist groups are educating orphans of quake in those madarsas to turn them into terrorists. Thus these Pakistan army and terrorists have their hands on over hundred thousand children turning them to be terrorists. The money for quake relief coming from all over the world is being diverted to such trainings in disguise of madarsas. Even US Watch Dog chairman reports that donation money is going only to those Kashmiris in POK who have allegiance to Pakistan and not to those who oppose Pak occupation who are being mistreated by Pak army. If Pak army and terrorists baked by it are not timely checked world will see hundred thousand terrorists added. The only way these orphans can be prevented from becoming terrorists and relief money not funneled for training terrorists is for Civic organizations forcing Pakistan to permit relief efforts through civic groups and establish orphanages run by these groups. I hope actions are taken before it is too late because those future terrorists will spread worldwide. Dr. XXX .Jain<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Amber G. - 12-14-2005 This was an old letter to NY times, in response to an article on Diwali where the terrorsit attack was shamelessly described as : "region's dangerous divisions," <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->RE: âFestival of Lights, Parade of Sweetsâ By JULIA MOSKIN (11/02/05). Dear Editor: The authorâs parenthetic remark, quoted here, was insulting to all civilized people who live and die in a world plagued by terrorism. â(Crowds of Diwali shoppers were targets of terrorist bombs that killed about 60 people in New Delhi on Saturday, a reminder of the region's dangerous divisions, even at a time of religious unity in a sweet ritual.)â Categorizing a heinous, terrorist act as âa reminder of the region's dangerous divisionsâ Is offensive and ignores the fact that holiday shoppers in India are just like you and me. As we approach our traditional, American, holiday, shopping season, we should not trivialize terrorism perpetrated abroad as âa reminder of the region's dangerous divisionsâ, because those responsible for murdering these holiday shoppers are the same brand of hate-filled criminals that caused the horrible murders of 9/11/01.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Amber G. - 12-14-2005 I got a short acknoledgement (most likely machine generated <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> from SOS (And there was no change in the web page when I last checked) <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Honorable Secretary: In an item posted by the state department on its website:, describing recent terrorists act in Amman., a glaring omission was made. (Link: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display..../wf-latest.html  Quoted below) âThe three hotels that were targeted all bear American brand names and are frequented by westerners, but were locally owned. The last major terrorist attack was the July 7 bombings of the London transit system that killed 56 people, including four suicide bombers. (See related article.) (Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) Terrorists attacks on innocent civilians in India on October 29, 2005 (with death toll of more than 60) clearly constitute âa major terrorist attackâ . Why was this completely ignored.? As an American citizen of non-European heritage I wish to inform you that omissions such as the one mention above give credence to those who accuse us of viewing non-Western targets of terrorism with a different standard.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Guest - 01-25-2006 <!--QuoteBegin-rajesh_g+Jan 25 2006, 12:45 AM-->QUOTE(rajesh_g @ Jan 25 2006, 12:45 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I cannot begin to express my displeasure at the kind of attack made by Mr Baldauf against the American Hindu parents. The thrust of the article (starting with the title) has been to present the American Hindu parents as extremists and completely wedded to their Indian origins. Well Mr Baldauf, American Hindus are as American as anybody else and hence as deserving of their rights as anybody else. Mr Baldauf, American Hindus go to American schools and the school curriculums have been totally unfair to the American Hindu students, inspite of the California SBE promising that their curriculums will instill pride in students about their heritage. Am I to think that, according to Mr Baldauf, American Hindus are second class citizens ? ------------- Dear Editor, If indeed your publication intends to present a fair portrayal of the issue it would behove your publication to post links to a website which has been instrumental in expressing the other side of this debate. Below is the link to that website. http://tinyurl.com/9r2lw<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> [right][snapback]45560[/snapback][/right] <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Scott: In this message I have included a sampling of reactions from Yahoo readers where your story in CSM "India history spat hits US" was featured. These reactions appeared on Yahoo during the day time - most likely by people with access to a computer during working hours. In short, they all appear to be mostly educated Americans making these comments. It is sad, given the tone of your story you think ordinary parents - who want to protect their children from similar school bullies - are "Hindu nationalist revisionists", "(not)qualified to write textbooks", "pro-Hindu activists" and what not. Opposing them or those who have given rise to people who have made comments on the Yahoo website, according to you are "elite historians". Funny way of looking at people, Scott - maybe some day I'll understand how it is done. Well here you go, the reactions at Yahoo. Thank you for making our little children hide their face in shame. xxxxxxxxxxxxx --Fucking Indian monkeys --Hin dos and don'ts --cows and cali --history? they don't know their own.... --india a sh1t country --Aryans Did Exist --ARYANS = MASTER RACE --Teach Dotheads drink cow piss The above are a small sampling of subject headers of the reactions to the story. The actual messages actually make me puke. Yahoo comments are constantly in a state of flux, but at the time of writing, they were available at: url for postings on Yahoo <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->As a supporter of Christian Science Monitor (CSM) and having endorsed CSM petiton to secure the release of CSM journalist Ms. Jill Carroll, I am exteremely disappointed to note that CSM has taken the same bigoted racists position which we are all fighting against in case of Ms Carroll. The kind of bigoted-hate-filled vitriol against Hindus that this article has generated on Yahoo would have made certainly made the Nazi propaganda minister proud. Congratulations to Baldoaf and his racists friends at IER (Indo-European Racists), they've just alienated couple million hindus from CSM and given CA textbook issue just the shot in arm that it needed. Editors/Publishers at CSM just doesn't seem to get it, does it? Friends and family of Jill Carroll should question as to why CSM endorsing FOSA on it's website - a group with clear links to jihadis and the freedom loving people of United States, Iraq, Israel or India. Some articles on-line in regards to this issue which Mr. Baldoaf conveniently missed referencing. End Harvard Association of Hate Groups! http://www.petitiononline.com/stopIER/petition.html California Textbooks Controversy: Politicization of an Academic Issue by Hindu-Haters http://tinyurl.com/a44m3 Hindus fight discrimination in California textbooks â 1 http://tinyurl.com/aqybj Hindus fight discrimination in California textbooks - 2 http://tinyurl.com/9x9vz Hindus fight discrimination in California textbooks - 3 http://tinyurl.com/9xz7h Hindus fight discrimination in California textbooks - 4 (Is Hinduism monotheistic?) http://tinyurl.com/d474n Harvard professor launches anti-Hindu Crusade http://tinyurl.com/c3f4b It is Official Now - Romila Thapar Defends the Aryan Invasion Theory! http://tinyurl.com/d32gr Scholarship of Equine Posteriors â Har(vard)appa Style http://tinyurl.com/csky6 Harvard Don Denigrates Hindus (Daily Pioneer, India) http://tinyurl.com/baafl Whose religion is it anyway? http://tinyurl.com/coo52 Women in Hindu Dharma and Californaia State Grade VI textbooks http://tinyurl.com/7bef4 The Racism, Neo-Colonialism, and Pseudo-Intellectualism of Americaâs Hindu-Bashing Lobby http://www.hinduhumanrights.org/articles/racism.html 'I am not for rewriting Hinduism' - Hindu American Foundation counsel Suhag A Shukla http://tinyurl.com/8mxbq Thus spake Professor Michael Witzel: A Harvard University Case Study in Prejudice?(PDF) http://tinyurl.com/9uvgd Thus spake Professor Michael Witzel: A Harvard University Case Study in Prejudice? (MS Word) http://tinyurl.com/8v48g Indian identity in American Schools http://tinyurl.com/9q5ha Hindu View on California History Social Science Adoption http://tinyurl.com/9xlx5 Conspiracy against Hinduism! http://tinyurl.com/aznyf Educatorsâ Society for the Heritage of India http://tinyurl.com/d9vvf Textbooks And Hinduism -- Why Accuracy Matters http://tinyurl.com/8kvl3 <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - utepian - 02-03-2006 American association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers published the following in regard to California Textbooks. http://www.aacrao.org/transcript/index.cfm...ew&doc_id=3027# I sent them the following response: <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Ms Rodgers, I'd like to submit the following in response to Ms. Jessica Snyder's piece titled "Religion in History Books: Who should control the texts?" published in the transcripts section on 01/27/2006. 1. Hindu groups (two groups but mostly parents) have *not* swamped the California Board with revisions. Edits suggested by Hindus (153) is a quarter compared to Islamic groups (600 for grade VII), and a fifth compared to Jewish groups (700). Revisions of the others have been accepted without a murmur. 2. Status of women: In Ancient history, inferior status of women was not a sole preserve of Hinduism. Parents object to the discriminatory treatment of Hindus. If status of women is not discussed about Jewish & Christian faiths, why should it be discussed about Hinduism? 3. Untouchability: VI grade History textbooks in California end their narrative at 550-600 AD. Before this period, untouchability was a very marginal phenomenon. It is more appropriate to introduce this practice in High School textbooks that discuss later Indian history. Parents demanding changes are *not* objecting to its retention there (High School textbooks). 4. Concern of Scholars led by Prof Michael Witzel has little roots in concern for history. Their interjection itself is politically motivated. A position driving these "scholars" against Hindu parents and one Ms Snyder's report misses is the "Aryan Invasion Theory" (AIT). In this regard: (a) The Aryan Invasion/Migration is merely a theory, with no evidence to support it. Even Intelligent Design theories have more evidence than AIT or related Aryan theories. This theory assumes that different languages correlate to different races of people. While the membership of Indo-Aryan languages in the larger Indo-European family is undisputable, it is questionable if we can assert that Indo-Aryan people were a branch of Indo-European people. Language is just one indicator of ethnic identity. (b) History must take into account evidence from Hydronomy, archaeology, astronomy, metallurgy, genetics and other scientific methods. Scientific data forces us to reject the AIT - a fact attested to the board by a trained geneticist. © Scholars led by Prof. Witzel have spent decades retro-fitting data into these old paradigms and they cannot watch the entire work of their lives getting rejected. (d) Besides, the Aryan Invasion and Migration theory are rooted in racism, colonialism and other despicable ideologies and maintain links to these even today. These theories are highly political in nature, with little evidential basis. 5. Therefore both Science and Hindu parents reject the narration of history with reference to AIT- inviting the ire of "Scholars" led by Prof. Witzel as an upshot. 6. Dalit Freedom Network [DFN] is hardly an advocacy group of untouchables. It is hardly even Indian. On the contrary, it is an American evangelical Christian group. If you call their toll-free number 1-866-921-1333, a Caucasian American will answer the call from Colorado. Ask for their contact information in India, and she will direct you to the All India Christian Council [AICC]! Hope this throws in another perspective to readers. Sincerely, <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Guest - 02-03-2006 That's a keeper utepian <!--emo&:rocker--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rocker.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rocker.gif' /><!--endemo--> Member Letters - Guest - 06-06-2006 email to New Humanist editorial of 25 May 2006 <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Editor, New Humanist. webcontact@newhumanist.org.uk RPA One Gower Street London WC1E 6HD Dear editor, This is in reference to your editorial inventing a meaningless phrase: 'mildly erotic'. I did not realise that to be a new humanist, one has to grade eroticism. Has the new humanist seen the titles written in Hindi on many 'mildly erotic' so-called art pieces? Are you promoting some self-styled 'academics' who are concerned about 'authoritarianism' and claiming to be champions of 'freedom of _expression' ? If so, you should pause and introspect on Hindu traditions and history. Please read the book: Dhama, B.L, 1927, A Guide to Khajuraho, Bombay, Times of India Press, 66 pp. (Source: Digital Library of India, http://www.new.dli.ernet.in/ ) -- a book that was released to commemorate the visit of the then Viceroy of India to Khajuraho. Have the new humanists also seen the links at http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=240 on the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, with UNESCO declaring Khajuraho as a World Heritage Site? By focusing on a few sculptures on one of the temples in the Khajuraho city and calling them 'erotic', the 'academics' are indulging in denial of Hindu Human Rights. They also demonstrate their ignorance of Hindu traditions, history and are trying to impose present-day ideas of libertarianism (read: sick minds) into the past. After all, 'eroticism' is in the eye of the beholder. After all, understanding of the magnificence of a Hindu mandiram (temple) requires compassion, immersion, beyond 'academic' paper-pushing. To compare the pornography of MF Hussain with what are considered, 'sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art' is an insult to every Hindu. The pornography is intended only to insult Hindu faith. Would the 'academics' and 'new humanists' feel upset if I call them 'bigots'? Will the 'academics' commission MF Hussain to paint Aisha or Fatima using his 'erotic' styles, calling them mere beauty of nakedness? MFH is peddling his smut to provoke the Hindu and clearly test the limits of Hindu tolerance. It is disgusting that some self-styled 'academics' and the likes of 'Lord' Meghnad Desai, don't even try to understand why millions of Hindu the world over, feel insulted. One gets the impression that insulting the Hindu is being promoted as a multi-national enterprise. Hindu community should applaud the decision of the authorities to pull out the MFH Exhibition from Asia House Gallery. I earnestly implore the readers to listen to the reasoned 'Voice of the People petition' at http://www.hinduhumanrights.org/ Regards, <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> Member Letters - Guest - 07-10-2006 Dear Barkha, You are one of the journalists (including men and women) whom I used to admire. Yes, I used to. Not anymore. My opinion on you might not make any great difference to you but trust me there are lotâs of young girls like me who feel the same. You might not even know it for the kind of audience you get in your show is hypocrites and happily say yes to whatever you speak or opine. I know lots of such young women who feel the same like me. Be it the general elections, the Shankaracharya issue, gender based issues or even political issues, your opinions (including your channel) are always one-sided and clearly partial. Undoubtedly, your thinking has been influenced to an extent by your mother Prabha Dutt (no offence whatsoever), who I think was much better and clear thinking person. Ever wondered why your mother didnât agitate when she was denied a job in HT initially? Why didnât she retaliate when she was bluntly said that the company did not hire women reporters? Why did she retaliate after an American application was considered? It clearly implies that as a journalist she did respect HTâs hiring policy at that point in time but she thought of retaliating it when an American application was considered instead of herself who had taken in written that whenever HT introduced policy of hiring women reporters, she would be the first one to be hired. This is what I call drawing lines. Feminism doesnât mean that we have to agitate against everything thatâs not in our favor. There are certain things that are not in favor of male counterparts either. There is a distinction between following customs blindly and having faith in a particular tradition. The examples that Rahul took yesterday in your show- We the People about Sati and other social customs were man made and undoubtedly evils that women had to combat with in those times. How can you even compare social evils like these with age old traditions that people have been respecting and following? At least, have the decency and sense of fairness in inviting a balanced panel in your shows. On one hand, you invited people like Swami Agnivesh (or whatever his name is) who is a known Hinduism basher, hardcore feminists and Parvathi Khan who claims that she is a devotee of Lord Shiva but is ignorant about his family members and doesnât know the A B C of the traditions followed by Shabarimala and its devotees and calls Lord Ayyappa âthat personâ and on the other hand, you brought a 23 year old so called writer-philosopher Rahul all the way from Thiruvananthapuram to make him look like a national fool. Why didnât you have the heart to call someone of all those male bashing feminists and Hinduism basher Swami Agniveshâs caliber? You may not be knowing or have observed the traditions followed closely by the devotees of Shabarimala but I have. Iâm a girl and Iâve been watching the devotees of Lord Ayyappa since my childhood. These questions rose in my mind too but it didnât take time for me to understand that certain faiths and beliefs are much beyond gender issues. As a girl I respect the traditions that the devotees of celibate God Ayyappa follow. Iâve seen the same males respecting the âgodly boundariesâ that allow only women to practice 'vrath' for goddesses like Lakshmi and Durga. If you call the Shabarimala temple gender biased then all those temples that allow only women are also gender biased. Thanks to people like you, Hinduism doesnât need enemies from outside. You claimed that we (the gullible audience) wouldnât have retaliated had it been targeted against some other faith. Trust me, you wouldnât have been even spared. Donât even dare to attempt it. Enjoy the liberty that our religion gives! Iâm not writing this letter to make you realize or understand the difference between following something blindly and respecting traditions. Iâm sure an intelligent woman like you shouldnât take much time to understand the distinction. Itâs not the understanding capability but a clean and clear heart and conscience that you need to acknowledge that there are boundaries existing for each and every living creature on this earth whether you like it or not. Donât try to mix blind faith, social evils and unnecessary customs with faith in God and certain traditions followed to attain peace of mind. Thank you. |