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INDIA EMPOWERED TO ME IS
Open democracy and open economy
DR. MANMOHAN SINGH
Posted online: Monday, August 15, 2005 at 0235 hours IST
A nation is empowered by its people. A people are empowered by their capabilities. Peopleâs capabilities are created by investments in their education, well-being and skills and providing them with opportunities for gainful productive employment. People are also empowered by the freedom they enjoy. A free press is an important element of our empowerment.
In the world, in which we live today, no country can feel empowered unless all its citizens feel empowered. When a child, a woman, a person belonging to a weaker section or a minority community or group of any kind feels disempowered we all lose something in us.
The well-being of each of our citizens empowers everyone of us. We will empower our people by pursuing policies that will create employment opportunities and provide viable livelihood strategies. We will need to put in place effective arrangements for social insurance against old age and sickness, for the well-being and security of the aged and the disabled.
That well-being, defined in economic, social, cultural, and all the other terms that define our social existence, is best ensured in the framework of an open society and an open economy.
Open societies enable the full flowering of our individual personality. Open economies provide the space for the fruition of our creativity and enterprise. Open societies and open economies empower those who live and work in them. Being an open democratic society and an open economy empowers India. Provision of effective social safety nets for the weak and needy will ensure that all sections of our population will participate in processes of social and economic growth, making for a more inclusive society.
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When someone from the weaker section, minority community feels disempowered, we all lose something in us. An empowered India means an inclusive society
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Some people think nations are empowered merely by their military prowess. They pursue mindless militarisation. Some think nations are empowered by their command over resources. They pursue greedy aggrandizement. Neither military prowess nor economic resources can by themselves ever empower a nation for any length of time. A nation is truly empowered only by the brain power of its people.
The creation, the dissemination and the utilisation of knowledge is what really empowers both people and nations. India will be empowered when we can create a knowledge society and a knowledge economy within the framework of an open society and an open economy.
The battle against poverty, ignorance and disease is, above all, a fight for the empowerment of our people. The quest for a rapidly expanding economy, making full use of modern science and technology is integral part of the process of empowerment. The struggle to save our environment and protect all species empowers not just the present but all future generations. Ensuring ecological security empowers future generations of all species.
Such is the concept of empowerment embodied in the National Common Minimum Programme of our Government. The creation of an equitable and free society, that is prosperous and productive is our path to the empowerment of our people and, thereby, our nation.
08-15-2005, 08:06 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-15-2005, 08:09 AM by Bharatvarsh.)
RSS leader H V Seshadri is dead and this is what I found on him:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->When in the 1980s the historian Sita Ram Goel filled a weekly column in Organiser with mustering evidence for his position that fundamenÂtalist intolerance is the essence of Islam itself rather than a deviation, RSS General Secretary H.V. Seshadri intervened to have the column disconÂtinued and the editor, the arch-moderate K.R. Malkani, sacked.Â
http://www.bharatvani.org/books/bjp/section18.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If RSS has any seriousness about solving the Islamism problem then maybe they should start reading and circulating voi.org books instead of mindlessly supressing criticism against Islam. The following words by Elst sums up the situation today:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->It is hard to conceive of a situation where a society is vexed and tortured by a persistent enemy, then generates a millions-strong organization pledged to the defence of this society, and yet this organization, this boastful "vanguard", fails to produce even the most sketchy analysis of the motives and methods of this enemy. Only Hindus could fare this badly. Fifty years after the Partition, twenty-six years after the East Bengal genocide, there are still Hindus singing mendacious refrains like Ram Rahim Ek Hai and "equal truth of all religions", because their supposed leaders have never bothered to inform them. A large part of the reason is to be found in specific choices made by the Sangh leadership, most of all the choice to seek secular respectability by means of appeasement policies including flattery of Mohammed and Islam.
http://www.bharatvani.org/books/bjp/section18.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
'The Rising is unacceptable'
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->LONDON: Fifty-eight years after India won its Independence, Britain's leading lights have controversially challenged Bollywood's newest representation of "empire as wicked and that the Indians were all great freedom-fighters".
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic...201093.cms<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Lalu's brother-in-law acquitted in attempt to murder case
August 16, 2005 16:37 IST
A Delhi court on Tuesday acquitted Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Member of Parliament Sadhu Yadav in an attempt to murder case in which he and his supporters were accused of attacking some Jawaharlal Nehru University students outside the Bihar Bhavan in Delhi in 1997.
Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna acquitted Yadav, brother-in-law of Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, observing that there was no evidence against him.
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/16sadhu.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
08-17-2005, 01:37 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-17-2005, 01:37 AM by Bharatvarsh.)
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Staines murder  ara challenges conviction
August 16, 2005 17:13 IST
Dara Singh, who was sentenced to life for the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his 2 minor sons, on Tuesday challenged his conviction in the Supreme Court.
Dara, whose death penalty was commuted into life imprisonment by the Orissa high court, contended that his conviction was merely upheld on the basis of presumption of his presence at the site of the incident as the mob was shouting slogans in his name.
"The conviction of Dara is solely on the basis of mere presumption, which is contrary to the principles of criminal justice and devoid of law," the petition filed by his counsel Sibo Sankar Mishra said.
The high court on May 19 had set aside Rabindra Pal Singh alias Dara Singh's death sentence for the murder of Staines and his 2 minor sons, Philip (10) and Timothy (6). However, it had upheld life imprisonment to Dara for being part of an unlawful assembly that burnt them alive.
Along with Dara, another person Mahendra Hembram was convicted in the case. However, the high court had acquitted 11 others who were awarded life terms by the trial court in the case that had sparked worldwide outrage in 1999.
Holding that there was absolutely no evidence on record to show that it was due to the individual act of Dara Singh alone that the 3 persons or any of them had died, the high court had quashed the capital punishment to him.
http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/16dara.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ya world wide outrage if a White Christian dies but not even India wide outrage when heathen Hindus are killed everyday in the subcontinent.
Link
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Every six hours in India, a young married woman is burned alive, beaten to death or driven to commit suicide. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->According to a recent study, at least 45% of Indian women are slapped, kicked or beaten by their husbands, many of them on a continual basis. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->A recent survey by the International Institute for Population Studies showed 56% of Indian women believed wife beating to be justified in certain circumstances. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I see Congress and Commies are making further inroads into the whole "Women as a Vote Bank" thing.
I believe that the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation loves to encourage such "Womyn" to pull figures and 'facts' like the above from their behinds.
This is similar to Democratic Strategy in USA, where the "Women Vote" goes to Democrats. The last step would be to impose a 50-50 division of marital assets and then...Bye-Bye to the Great Indian Family.
Ofcourse, for Muslim Women, Sharia will continue to apply.
This bill is one step towards end of Hindu family. People who are abusing existing bill is higher than actual abuse. Tihar jail now have dedicated wings for mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
A very interesting development yesterday. SC issued a judgement overturning the judgement from Guj HC that allowed the slaughterhouses to operate freely during paryushan - a jaina festival. Guj has a big population of Jains and for years I have been hearing calls to close slaughterhouses during paryushan but it never worked.
But this year SC has given a favourable judgement and will result in all slaughterhouses who mainly slaughter cows to close shop during paryushan.
SC seems to be on a controversial judgement spree.
World-class administration needed in country, says Veerappa Moily
Nagesh Prabhu
`We have rules as old as 1921 that govern the civil service. Those rules are unsuitable to the modern ethos of development'
BANGALORE: The United Progressive Alliance Government has chosen the former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily to head the Second Administrative Reforms Commission in recognition of his administrative experience.
Mr. Moily, who is 65, has over 30 years of experience in public service, policy making, governance and politics. Though committees on public administration headed by A.D. Gorwala and Paul Appleby were set up in the 1950s, the first commission, headed by the late Morarji Desai, who later became the Prime Minister, was set up in 1966. It was later headed by Kengal Hanumanthaiya.
Mr. Moily told The Hindu in an interview that the country's administration must sport a modern look to face current and future global challenges. The following are excerpts from the interview.
Question: Which are the areas of administration the commission will go into?
Answer: The commission will suggest measures to achieve a proactive, responsive, accountable and efficient administration for the country at all levels. It will focus on subjects such as organisational structure of the Government of India, ethics in governance, refurbishing personnel administration, strengthening of financial management systems, steps to ensure effective administration at the State and district levels, panchayat raj institutions, social capital, trust and participative public service delivery, citizen-centric administration, promoting e-governance, issues of federal polity, crisis management and public order.
Q: The general complaint is that administration is inefficient and is not responsive to people's problems. How is efficiency to be brought in?
A: Well, the country requires a world-class administrative machinery to meet the challenges of global competition. It should have well-equipped, world-class administrators. It is not necessary that the Government should be in command in all spheres. In some areas there is no need for any regulation.
Q: Are you in favour of adoption of private sector management practices in public administration?
A: Our goal is to strengthen the framework of the fragile administrative machinery and make it efficient, economical, sensitive, clean and objective. We have a hi-tech private sector but low-tech administration. Why not incorporate hi-tech administrative practices of the private sector in public administration. We have rules as old as 1921 that govern the civil service. Those rules are unsuitable to the modern ethos of development. Again we have the Official Secrets Act adopted in 1923. Without any baggage of the past, we are going to study issues in depth. We should have a modern outlook and a fresh mind. The administration should fulfil the requirements of today and tomorrow.
Q: In what ways can the scourge of corruption be tackled?
A: First of all, interaction between the Government and the public should be minimised. We must put a system in place. Reforms should bring about better performance. Reforms should not be half-hearted, patchwork and ad hoc.
Q: The deputy commissioner or collector continues to be all-important in the district administration and IAS officers exercise more powers than IPS officers at all levels of administration. What is your view?
A: A vertical power structure is not good. It does not help in improving the administration. Performance should be the criterion for all, and not seniority. Performance can be gauged. It is not exactly how many years of service you put in. We will work out a definite and concrete format for measuring the performance of each civil servant. One cannot expect accountability by giving 10 per cent authority. All these are interlinked.
Q: What role do you envisage for e-governance?
A: Information technology should percolate into public administration and funds should not be a problem for adoption of IT tools. The delay in movement of files has no meaning. Investing in the social capital of the administration will generate revenue and plug loopholes. More investment in social capital means more benefits to the people.
Q: When will the commission submit its report?
A: We are holding the first meting of the commission on September 8 in New Delhi. A one-year term has given to the commission to prepare the report. The six-member commission will submit its report as early as possible.
Unfortunate
The criticism of Sania Mirza by some Muslim clerics for wearing short skirts on the tennis court is unfortunate. Sania is a professional tennis player. She wears a skirt because it helps her to move quickly. Far from being a corrupting influence on young women, she is a source of inspiration to millions of young girls who want to achieve something in life.
Irresponsible statements by mullahs will hurt Sania and could have an adverse impact on her game.
M. Nazeeruddin,
Kurnool, A.P.
* * *
Sania's dress does not worry me because I know it is not going to cause any harm to Islam. But I am terribly worried about the short-sightedness of our clerics who have become a real threat to Islam. I wonder why our enlightened and educated Muslims do not feel the need to rein in these self-styled intermediaries.
By issuing medieval fatwas every now and then, they are only causing damage to Islam's image. Islam is not their property, which can be used and misused according to their whims.
Shamsul Arifin,
New Delhi
* * *
Sania has made it to No. 34 in the WTA rankings with her sensational brand of tennis. She reflects the true spirit of the Indian youth of the day. The controversy over her attire is misplaced. Mullahs should leave sports alone.
A. Khaleel ,
Bangalore
* * *
The self-proclaimed guardians of Islam were missing when Sania played in India and was not famous. That they have suddenly woken up shows that they watch only international tennis, and that they are publicity hungry. Why do these clerics not voice their concern over atrocities on Muslim women instead?
Abdul Monim,
Mumbai
* * *
It is clear that the clerics understand neither religion nor sport. We know mixing religion with politics is bad. But now we have to start working to keep religion away from sports.
An outstanding sportsperson like Sania cannot be a corrupting influence on women.
T.S. Pattabhi Raman,
Coimbatore
* * *
Time and again, some sections forget that India is a secular country. We, the normal Indians, are more concerned with the success of our women athletes, be it Sania or Anju Bobby George, and not with the clothes they wear.
S. Srinivas,
Visakhapatnam, A.P.
* * *
A fatwa is only an opinion based on the Koran and the Shariat. There is a prescribed dress code for men and women in Islam. The ulema have only done their duty by pointing out what has been laid down in the religious texts. Whoever follows Islam is expected to abide by the rules even if they pose restrictions on his or her freedom.
It is for Sania to decide what she wants to do with the opinion expressed by the clerics.
Sayeed Ahmed,
Bangalore
* * *
As an educated Muslim teenager, I feel outraged at Sania's attire on the tennis court. If short skirts alone enhance the mobility of a player, I fail to understand how men play power tennis in their knee length shorts.
F. Khalidha,
Chennai
* * *
Even though Sania has done a world of good to Indian sport, her dress code is a matter of concern for the members of her community. The clerics cannot be blamed for criticising her. They are only doing their job by drawing her attention to rules laid down for women in Islam.
Agreed, she is an Indian first but that does not mean she is not a Muslim. She can wear T-shirts and trousers like male tennis players do.
Jaseem Ameer,
Thrissur, Kerala
You can rely on our HRD folks led by Arjun Singh to screw up IITs now:
New IIT admission rules proposed
Arjun Singh only objective is to prove himself biggest jerk on earth.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Prime Minister, New Delhi     manmohan@sansad.nic.in
President of India           presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
CM, Tamil Nadu,            cmcell@tn.gov.in
Hon'ble Jayalalithaa
Shri L.K . Advani, BJPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â advanilk@sansad.nic.in
BJP head office, New Delhi    bjpco@del3.vsnl.net.in
VHP, New Delhi             jaishriram@vsnl.in
Thanks
Krishan Bhatnagar
Hindu Jagran Forum (Maryland, USA)
September 14, 2005
============================================================
Open Letter to Hon'ble Selvi J. Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu
Subject:Â The Godless CPI demand for confiscating the Mutt Lands is anti- Hindu and anti-religious freedom ; To stop demolition of Hindu religious infrastructure urgent liberation of temples is needed.
Hon'ble Chief Minister Jayalalithaa,
The Godless CPI's demand for confiscating and distributing the Hindu Mutt endowment lands to the poor is outrageous, anti-Hindu, anti-secular and it deeply violates the religious sentiments of the majority Hindu community (attachment A). These lands donated by the devotees were historically meant for the purpose of use and sustenance of the religious places in perpetuity. The Govt. in its capacity as a "trustee" and not an "owner" has no power to alter that course. Doing so will be prejudicial to greatly sacred Hindu tradition and it will violate the "trusteeship covenant". That the irreligious CPI in a calculated strategy is focusing upon the temple lands in its national campaign shows its utter disregard towards the constitution, and the Hindus religious rights. The central purpose for unleashing this venomous strategy against the Hindus religious properties is to cultivate electoral dividends to be harvested during the forthcoming elections. On the broader side it once again opens up the question of illegal Govt. control of temples and Mutts in Tamil Nadu seriously violating the religious rights & sentiments of over 80% of the national population.
Madam Chief Minister, to extend Govt. jurisdiction exclusively upon Hindu places of worship and their estates while leaving similar entities of other religious formations outside the draconian control speaks volumes about the hypocrisy exercised by the administration. Isnât this exactly what the previous Christian and Muslim conquerors of India have tried for centuries? Furthermore, if distributing temple properties amongst the poor is a worthwhile and noble cause, by the same token Madam Chief Minister, how many church and mosque properties has your administration distributed amongst the poor? Or do they not subscribe to that philosophy and therefore, are out of bounds to such generosity?Â
It is a sad yet lawless story of unconstitutional usurpation of Hindu temples and their estates by the Govt. and becoming their self appointed trustee and then violating the trusteeship covenant by treating temples and estates thereof as discretionary leading to diversion of their resources for other than Hindu religious purposes. Since Hinduism, like other religions in India, is not a state controlled or managed religion therefore, it is far beyond its competence to divert temple revenues, change physical structures and/or sell/transfer their lands or estates for non- Hindu religious purposes.
By controlling Hindu temples and their estates the Govt. is depriving Hindus of their fundamental âReligious Rightsâ guaranteed under Articles 25 and 26 of the Indian Constitution. According to Article 25 of the Constitution, all persons are equally entitled to the right to profess, practice and propagate religion. While Article 26, provides that every religious denomination "shall have the right (a) to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes; (b) to manage its own affairs in matters of religion; © to own acquire movable and immovable property; and, (d) to administer such property in accordance with law".
The Indian Parliament through an Act in 1991 legislated that ââthe status of religious places, as on August 15, 1947 shall be retained". The faithful implementation of this law itself will require the authorities to revert the control of places of worship of Hindus to the community governance.
The term "secular" was incorporated in the Constitution of India by the 42nd Amendment in 1976. A secular Govt. cannot legitimately be involved in the operation and management of religious places since secularism firmly stands for the separation of state and religion. With unjustifiable exception of Hindu religious entities this principle is held high in TN. In the case of Hindus the state Govt. has chosen to act above and beyond the limitations imposed upon it by the national constitution.
Our contention encompasses the legal and philosophical commitment of the secular Indian State - that the management and administration of the religious institutions, their estates and places of worship, must reside in the hands of the representative bodies of the believers. That being the ground rule how would Sikhs (Golden temple), Muslims (Jamal Mashed, Aimer Sharif) or Christian churches in India react to Govt. control of their places of worship? Such an intrusion by the government authority in otherwise an autonomous domain has a potential of generating a chain of serious consequences including the charges against the state itself for being a major instrument of dismantling Hinduism
It is simply disgraceful that the Indian Govt. should subsidize the "Hajj" pilgrimage of the Muslims to the tune of Rs. 200 crores annually and make special reservations for them on the basis of their religion, but on the other hand the TN authorities crusade to systematically destroy the self- supporting foundations and structures of Hindu places of worship using unlawful state control as a tool. Democratic and secular governments do not penalize or patronize religions. Such extra legal actions constitute a reverse discrimination against the religion of Indiaâs majority community.
The abundance of available evidence reveals that at the behest of the people in power a deliberate policy of radically altering Indiaâs cultural complexion is at works. This policy aims at de-Hinduisation of India by undermining the Hindu faith and spirit while using Govt. control as a tool for recklessly demolishing the Hindu religious infrastructure. This is indeed an assault on the founding and functional pillars of the national majority's religious heritage.
The doctrine of nationalization and state control of the places of religious worship and their estates cuts at the very roots of the fundamental principles of secularism which unambiguously dictates the separation of state and religion. Transferring such jurisdiction to an autonomous Hindu community Board would be democratically valid, legally sound and the most appropriate instrument of correcting this highly unjust situation. Such transference would simultaneously provide guidance and community governance to shrines and temples which in turn would satisfy any presumed or real public concerns. This age old practice is followed by other religious communities and denying that liberty to Hindus discriminatively is fundamentally wrong and legally groundless.
May we suggest that the representatives of shrines, temples, Hindu community and religious leaders from Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, etc. be motivated to convene an assembly where they could be asked to take charge of clearly defining the new legal framework for the community governance of temples and other religious places in the state. Such a framework should be developed in accordance with the religious needs and the wishes of devotees, donors, Acharyas and the community, who have supported these institutions since ancient times.
This approach among other things could make the Board a completely autonomous and representative body thereby responsible for the entire administration including planning, executing, auditing, guiding, investigating and taking corrective steps on any allegations and or complaints as and when needed. To begin this process the Govt. must restore the community participation, a democratic process, in oversight and decision making process of the endowments department to stop desecration and demolition of the religious infrastructure, pending denationalization.
Hon'ble CM Jayalalithaa, may we suggest that you exercise your leadership and a) declare your administrationâs policy of leaving the community ownership of temples and their estates intact; b) pass an urgent legislation to denationalize temples in the state thereby paving the way for creating a Hindu Board for looking after all religious and related affairs on par with the Wakf Board. Let it be noted without a shadow of doubt that the restoration of religious rights of Hindus cannot be summarily dismissed.
Hon'ble Chief Minister, at the conclusion let us once again emphasize that the denial of freedom to the majority in managing its places of religious worship and continuing intrusion and imposition of governmental dictates in an otherwise autonomous domain, will justify the charge against the Tamil Nadu administration of being anti- Hindu and anti- secular. Such charges will include demolishing the Hindu religious infrastructure and undermining the majority community by altering its traditional cultural identity with a view to de- Hinduise India. Therefore, considering the serious consequences hidden behind the CPI demand please stand firm against the Godless CPI's illegal, autocratic, inhuman, anti Hindu and anti- religious demand for confiscating and distributing the temple/ Mutt lands , and take speedy measures to set the Hindu temples and related infrastructure free from Govt. shackles.
With best wishes, and hoping for a favorable and a prompt response.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jagan Kaul                    September 14, 2005 Â
Krishan Bhatnagar Â
Hindu Jagran Forum (Maryland, USA)
email: krishan.kb@verizon.net
==================================================
  Attachment A
<b>Mutt land in Left glare</b>
The Telegraph, August 22, 2005
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Chennai, Aug. 21: The CPM in Tamil Nadu wants excess land in the hands of various religious mutts to be transferred to landless farm labourers.
The Land Ceiling Act should be amended to enable transfer of some 20 lakh acres of surplus land, being held by big landlords, corporate houses and mutts, to the landless labour, CPM state secretary N. Varadarajan said after a meeting of the partyâs state executive.
Opposing the Jayalalithaa governmentâs move to lease out 50 lakh acres of wasteland to corporate houses as part of an initiative to develop it, Varadarajan said the land given to Dalits under British rule and subsequently encroached upon by upper castes should be handed back to the Dalits.
With the CPMâs central committee having identified land, food security and employment opportunities as the main themes for a nationwide campaign from mid-August to September-end, the land issue will be highlighted in Tamil Nadu.
The campaign will culminate in a picketing of state and central government offices on September 13, he said.
The Centre allocated Rs 60 crore this year for the food-for-work programme in four districts of Tamil Nadu, including the tsunami-hit Nagapattinam and Cuddalore district.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Son kills mom, blames Jesus </b>
Hyderabad, Sept. 15: A psychic murdered his 65-year-old mother and skinned her head at Maitrenagar in L B Nagar on Thursday. According to police, Premnath, 32, who is in police custody, strangled Ramulamma to death after a heated argument around 12.10 pm.<b> âI did not kill her, it was Jesus who skinned her for not accepting Christianity,â </b>Premnath is reported to have said later.
During the argument, Prem is said to have told his mother to get his sister Nirmala converted to Christianity and when she refused he murdered her, L. B. Nagar police said. âI heard Ramulamma scream but ignored it. Five minutes later when I heard a heavy thud, I peeped through the door that was half open,â K. Kishore Reddy, a bachelor who resides in an adjacent room, said. âI was frightened to see Prem sitting over his motherâs chest and pulling her skin by his hands that were stained with blood,â Kishore, who is the only eyewitness in the case, said. âI rushed to the police station and informed the inspector on duty,â Kishore added.
http://deccan.com/City/Citynews.asp#Son%20...0blames%20Jesus<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Minorities float party in Assam
Sushanta Talukdar
To contest next Assembly polls
GUWAHATI: Twenty organisations of religious and linguistic minorities in Assam on Monday formed a political party â the United Democratic Front.
Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal, president, Assam Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, was elected president.
The party was formed after the six-month deadline set by the All-Indian Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Asad Madani for the Tarun Gogoi Government to solve the long-pending grievances of the minorities expired on Monday.
Mr. Ajmal told presspersons that the party would contest in the next Assembly elections, due in May next year, and hoped to give a tough fight to the ruling Congress. The minorities played a decisive role in at least 40 of the 126 seats, he claimed.
A resolution for the formation of the party adopted at a meeting of the organisations said the successive Governments, including the present Congress regime, had failed to solve the problems of the religious and linguistic minorities. Mr. Ajmal said the Congress had always treated the minorities as a vote bank; it had honoured none of the poll promises even after four and half years.
Demands
On April 3, Mr. Madani warned that Muslims would pull down the Tarun Gogoi Government if the demands raised by the State unit of the Jamiat Ulema were not met within six months.
The demands included issue of citizenship cards and land patta (permanent settlement) for the Indian citizens living in the Char areas of Assam. He issued the warning in the presence of the Chief Minister at a rally organised by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind to press for its 18-point charter of demands.
http://www.achrweb.org/
Who are these people ? funding sources ?
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->150 killed in train accident in Andhra <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Lalu will announce some money to victims family and he will go back to bihar to rig election.
VHP reverts Christians to Hinduism<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->They included <b>31 men and 27 women belonging to 12 families</b>, Gadadhar Sahu, secretary of the VHP's dharma prasar wing said.
The men and women, all tribals, were provided with new clothes and lockets carrying images of different Hindu gods and goddesses on the occasion, he said.
,...............................
Asked as to whether the VHP had sought the permission of the district administration in this connection as required under the provisions of the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act (OFRA), he said as it was not reconversion, no permission was needed.
<b>Those who were brought back to the Hindu fold had embraced Christianity a few years ago, but they were following Hindu rituals for the last two years, he said</b>.
Senior police officers at Banai, a sub-divisional headquarter, confirmed that the programme had taken place but there was no law and order problem<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Red flags or Legit group(s)? <!--emo&:unsure:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='unsure.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Dear Colleagues:
We cordially invite you to participate in and contribute to the
deliberations <b>OneWorld South Asia </b>is undertaking in the World Summit on
the Information Society II, Tunisia. A detailed programme agenda is
available here
<http://www.dgroups.org/groups/oneworld/OneWorldSA/docs/owsa8nov.doc>
and appended below for your information.
Looking forward to meeting you in Tunis,
Yours sincerely
Atanu Garai
Knowledge for Development Programme
OneWorld South Asia
New Delhi.
 _____Â
OneWorld South Asia@WSIS 2005
OWSA & OKN Stalls 1312, BCO Souk 2201, Connect the World Launch Pad
Nov 14, 1700 - 1900 hrs, Room Beja
Media in the making of information society- where do we go from here?
In partnership with Panos London, this consultation, to be anchored by
Atanu Garai, fosters dialogue to increase media's stake in building an
inclusive information society.
Nov 15, 1500 - 1530 hrs, ITU Connect the World Launch Pad
Mission 2007: The Power of Partnerships In partnership with MSSRF, Microsoft and WSIS Grassroots Caucus, Dr. B.Shadrach starts the events to showcase one of the world's largest upscaling initiative - "Mission 2007 - Every Village a Knowledge
Centre" before the global community.
Nov 15, 1600-1730 hrs, Expo Room 9, GKP Pavilion
ICT4ALL - The South Asia Experience
Dr. B. Shadrach presents an overview of ICTs and their impact on
development efforts in India in this programme hosted by Young Asia
Television.
Nov 15, 1700 - 1900 hrs, Hammamet Room, Kram PalExpo
Round Table on Engaging <b>Grassroots Voices</b>
In partnership with WSIS Grassroots Caucus, OWSA highlights grassroots
perspectives in IS dialogue with presentations by Dhaksha Mehta,
Kasturi Arounassalame, Lata Gauri, Manjula Rawal, Rajendar Negi, Tara Karki,
four grassroots knowledge workers.
Nov 16, 1500 - 1600 hrs, BCO ICT4D Souk 2201, ICT4D Exhibition Centre
Roundtable consultation on Mainstreaming ICTs into MDGs
Manish Kumar and Anusha Lall host the consultation to steer discussions
around issues of mainstreaming ICTs in development.
November 16, 2005; 1600 - 1730 hrs; ITU Connect the World Launch Pad
Connecting the Unconnected by 2015
Dr. B. Shadrach joins world leaders in pledging for ITU's Connect the
Unconnected initiative along with the information society visionaries
to commit to the shared goal of expanding the benefits of ICTs for all.
Nov 17, 1000 -1130 hrs, Kairouan Room, Kram PalExpo
<b>Local content - an answer to global problems </b>
OWSA organises this panel discussion in partnership with GKP Clusters
for Local Content and <b>Poverty Reduction</b> to discuss challenges and
opportunities of local content production globally.
Nov 17, 1100 - 1300 hrs, BCO ICT4D Souk 2201, ICT4D Exhibition Centre
Launch of Ek Duniya Ek Awaaz (EDEA/ OneWorld OneVoice) radio programmes
Geeta Malhotra demonstrates EDEA radio programmes showing the global
community the power of radio as a <b>practical tool for connecting
communities and empowering people.
</b>
Nov 17, 1200 - 1245 hrs, GKP Pavilion
Presentations of Local Content initiatives across the world
Hosted by the Local Content Cluster of GKP, this event, to be steered
by Dr. B. Shadrach, forms a precursor to the forthcoming publication on
local content showcasing use of local content in <b>empowering grassroots
communities.</b>
Nov 17, 1400 - 1530 hrs, Room Kairouan
Back to basics: Are ICTs really useful in poverty reduction? Mission
2007 in India - An ambitious initiative to fight poverty
Dr. B. Shadrach and Geeta Malhotra speak on the utility of ICTs to
achieve <b>poverty reduction goals as being practised by the Mission 2007
initiative. </b>
Nov 17, 1500 - 1600 hrs, BCO ICT4D Souk 2201, ICT4D Exhibition Centre
Digital Opportunity Channel familiarisation
Manish Kumar and Anusha Lall (OWSA) host the familiarisation programme
to the new revamped DO Channel exploring the rich knowledge base on
mainstreaming ICTs.
Nov 18, 0900-1100 hrs, Sidi Bouzid, Kram PalExpo
Information Society and Sustainable development
Hosted by IISD, Canada, the event will launch the book <b>"A Developing
Connection" as the outcome of the eight-country research project</b>, with
presentation by Anusha Lall and Atanu Garai.
Nov 18, 1000-1100 hrs, Room Kairouan
GKP Panel on Multi-stakeholder Partnerships
Dr. B. Shadrach as a panelist provides a <b>South Asian perspective</b> to
this GKP hosted panel discussion to discuss about a practical action
framework on how to make partnerships in ICT4D happen.
Nov 18, 1000 - 1100 hrs, BCO ICT4D Souk 2201, ICT4D Exhibition Centre
Community engagement in infokiosks with live demo of open ENRICH
software Geeta Malhotra steers the discussion around the <b>issues of community
mobilisation, content, connectivity, capacity building, </b> and care and
management of infokiosk movement while giving a demonstration of the
Open ENRICH.
Nov 18, 1200 - 1330 hrs, Session B, Expo Room 8 in ICT 4 ALL Exhibition
Centre Strategies for Empowering Youth in the Information Society
Atanu Garai moderates a session in this workshop hosted by GKP Youth
Cluster to discuss about what works and what needs to be done in order
to further <b>empower youth</b> in the information society.
OWSA Delegation
Dr. B. Shadrach, Director
email: shaddy.shadrach@oneworld.net
Anusha Lall, Research Associate
email: anusha.lall@oneworld.net
Atanu Garai, Knowledge Coordinator - ICT
email: atanu.garai@oneworld.net
Geeta Malhotra, Programme Manager - Grassroots Communication
email: geeta.malhotra@oneworld.net
Mamata Pradhan, Programme and Partnership Coordinator
email: mamata.pradhan@oneworld.net
Manish Kumar, Manager - ICT Research
email: manish.kumar@oneworld.net
<b>Grassroots Caucus</b> Members
Dhaksha Mehta, Grassroots Knowledge Worker
Kasturi Arounassalame, Grassroots Knowledge Worker
Lata Gauri, Grassroots Knowledge Worker
Manjula Rawal, Grassroots Knowledge Worker
Rajendar Negi, Grassroots Knowledge Worker
Tara Karki, Grassroots Knowledge Worker
Contact for Grassroots Caucus: Atanu Garai (atanu.garai@oneworld.net)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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