X-posting from Mudy, since IMO it kind of goes with the Sarpa above:
http://www.dailypioneer.com/233487/Ram-b...idols.html
[quote name='Mudy' date='03 February 2010 - 11:29 PM' timestamp='1265219471' post='103882']
Ram bhakt Hanuman incarnate: Langoor hurt by tribals dies hugging idols
pioneer.com
Sutapa Mukkerjee | Moirapara
[color="#0000FF"]Tears rolled down the cheeks of the dying langoor as it dragged itself from one deity to the next, taking turns to hug each one of them. Its mates sat helpless atop trees and rooftops as they watched him die.
No one heard the animal pray, but its mates seemed to know that it sought justice ââ¬â for the rest of its clan, said a casual observer. The killings were on a rise and every other day an animal died.
And as the animal, all of five years of age, lay in front of the stone idols at a nondescript temple in Baskur Moirapura village, 30 kilometres from Kolkata, it drew people belonging to all age groups and communities who arrived in large numbers to witness its unusual behaviour. Dedicated to Mansa Devi, the Hindu snake goddess, the temple has idols of Sita and Rama on either side of the sanctum sanctorum.
[color="#800080"](Is Mansa Devi the same as Manasa Devi, the mother of Asteeka (sp?) who successfully pleaded with Janmejayan about the latter's yagnya?)[/color]
The langoor had been shot down with an arrow by a local tribal around 11 on Monday morning. Tribals, who thrive by hunting in the wild cover adjoining the village that is frequented by porcupines, fox, fishing cat, hare, squirrels and langoors, had injured two of the animals. One was lucky and escaped to an adjoining garden. The villagers fed it biscuits and bread. It was fine in an hour's time.
The other animal headed to the local temple. When it was spotted, the arrow was no longer on its body. No one knows who removed it, but the cut was deep and it was bleeding profusely.
Soon, locals crowded around, trying to help. "As I was on my way to work, I saw a troop of langoors walking near the temple. I heard one of them was dying and I rushed back," said Samit Das, a goldsmith.
Like Samit, most villagers here save the 30-odd tribals who practise hunting are animal-friendly. They claim they do not even hurt a snake unless it bites them. They claim that local wildlife has been hit by the tribals' presence. The villagers lament that the tribals for 30 years now have been killing any animal that comes their way for food.
"The animals flourished in large numbers here till the tribals reached and settled in our village. We often explain to them that it is unfair to kill the wild animals for food. At that juncture they seem to understand but soon they get back to their hunting," Das said.
Villagers recount how desperately they wanted to hold the injured animal and to feed it ââ¬Ëbut it refused all ministrations.ââ¬â¢ Eyewitnesses claim the bleeding animal hugged all three idols in the temple. As a local teacher commented, ââ¬ËWhy else did he have to die at the feet of Lord Ram?ââ¬â¢
Only one man from the crowd, Bharat Ghosh, managed to pour some water on the bleeding langoor. A day later the locals here believe that Bharat must have been the blessed one, 'why else would the Hanuman allow him to pour water on his head?'
For over three hours, people thronged the temple. Some even dipped their fingertips in the blood and anointed their foreheads with it.[/color] However, some say that the gathering was due to humanitarian reasons.
Akhtar Ali Khan, a trolley driver from the village, said, "How does religion come into play when a dying animal is breathing its last? Many from my community came here and prayed for the poor creature."
[color="#800080"](How does Khan reason "How does religion come into play?"
The dying langoor specifically "headed to the local [*Hindu*] temple", "dragged itself from one deity [*Hindu* God] to the next, taking turns to hug each one of them" and had "to die at the feet of Lord Ram". Could the matter *be* more obvious? Any talking monkey who did the same would correctly be identified as a Hindu. And the langoor - even though it can't speak - is very much a traditional Hindu, same as the homo sapiens sapiens type monkeys of the same designation. All of a sudden the islamic Khan can't recognise a - what do they call 'em - a "polytheistic idolator", an "infidel", a "kaffir", anymore? That's a first.
I mean, the inconvertible insubvertible little kapi hugged multiple Vigrahas of the Hindu Gods: evidence more damning than this would be hard to come by.)[/color]
As the news spread, senior panchayat member Provash Ghosh informed the Forest Department and it removed the animal. According to the villagers, the langoor struggled for life for around three hours before succumbing to its injuries.
The temple has now gained renown after being almost abandoned for the past one month since its owner passed away. A medical practitioner, Dr Ashok Pal, had built it about six decades ago. Initially, it was more of a family prayerhouse, it was later opened to locals. In mid-April (Baisakh) every year, a fair is organised here and on full moon days, devotees gather in the open courtyard for bhajans.
"Here in India," as Swami Vivekananda stated, "religion is the one and only occupation of life," and the spirit of Moirapara since Monday reflects the same[/quote]Oh well done, kapi. That's what I hope to do too - if I may be so lucky - when it's my turn to pop off: find a moorthy of my parents Sri Rama and Sita and hug it. And Manasa Devi Amman too.
This is now the next in a line of news articles in a *Hindu* newspaper of which I've noticed that it seems to feel the need to resort to lowercasing God(dess) or using "deity" instead - presumably to show impartiality - and which uses "idol(s)". But isn't the audience Dharmic? I doubt christoislamics would want to read the Dailypioneer. I am sure the Dharmic audience won't object when Gods is spelled with a capital 'G' - after all, they survive seeing the jeebusjehovallah "gawd" spelled titlecased all the time - and may also understand the use of "vigrahas" in place of terms with negative and negating connations such as "idol". (Hindu books written in English regularly use "vigrahas" and "moorthies" so it's not like the English reading Hindu will all of a sudden be faced with the unfamiliar: the application of commonly-known indigenous terms.)
The writer appears to have some sympathy for the topic they're covering, and their choice to cover the matter at all also implies the same. So why the self-denial? Hindu papers provide an opportunity for Hindu reporters to speak to Hindus in Hindu lingo, as opposed to continuing to superficially play the universal "secular" narrator. (In contrast: one never sees christian writers in christian papers describe the stories in the bible as myth, or lowercase their non-existent gawd.)
Moreover, why do Hindus need to bend over backwards - why apply christianised language - when it is not even required of them? And it's not like Indians' (including reporters') English is perfect and we have some reputation of strict adherence to the English language to uphold. Hindus' christian use of language isn't useful to anyone except to christianism which aims to instill such subconscious dhimmitude. The sooner the wannabe/angelsk-speaking classes of India transcend the dictates of christianism in such subtly-christianising matters, the better it will be for the Hindu audience as well: because language *does* have an effect.
The sole comment to the Pioneer article:
Hmmm. "Human-like" emotions. Nothing to beat an angelsk-speaking Hindu in speaking like a christianised Hindu: with the sympathy of a Hindu and the distance of a christian.
Is a monkey that's forced by circumstance to show in public that it feels keenly only to be acknowledged if these can be termed as human-like emotions? But since they're exhibited by a monkey, perhaps we must allow it to be natural to monkeys: "Monkey emotions". Chronologically too, monkeys came first. Therefore I suppose it's not unreasonable to argue that our oh-so-unique human emotions are merely overhyped monkey-like emotions.
Modern humans are so funny. "Look at me, look at me! I'm special." And then they express great wonderment (or is it masked jealousy) when they see that other animals are capable of similar things to whatever degree. Not so unique-'n-special after all. Bummer.
(With this last para I no longer mean Dr Vijaya; it's some human behaviour I've observed in general life.)
http://www.dailypioneer.com/233487/Ram-b...idols.html
[quote name='Mudy' date='03 February 2010 - 11:29 PM' timestamp='1265219471' post='103882']
Ram bhakt Hanuman incarnate: Langoor hurt by tribals dies hugging idols
pioneer.com
Sutapa Mukkerjee | Moirapara
[color="#0000FF"]Tears rolled down the cheeks of the dying langoor as it dragged itself from one deity to the next, taking turns to hug each one of them. Its mates sat helpless atop trees and rooftops as they watched him die.
No one heard the animal pray, but its mates seemed to know that it sought justice ââ¬â for the rest of its clan, said a casual observer. The killings were on a rise and every other day an animal died.
And as the animal, all of five years of age, lay in front of the stone idols at a nondescript temple in Baskur Moirapura village, 30 kilometres from Kolkata, it drew people belonging to all age groups and communities who arrived in large numbers to witness its unusual behaviour. Dedicated to Mansa Devi, the Hindu snake goddess, the temple has idols of Sita and Rama on either side of the sanctum sanctorum.
[color="#800080"](Is Mansa Devi the same as Manasa Devi, the mother of Asteeka (sp?) who successfully pleaded with Janmejayan about the latter's yagnya?)[/color]
The langoor had been shot down with an arrow by a local tribal around 11 on Monday morning. Tribals, who thrive by hunting in the wild cover adjoining the village that is frequented by porcupines, fox, fishing cat, hare, squirrels and langoors, had injured two of the animals. One was lucky and escaped to an adjoining garden. The villagers fed it biscuits and bread. It was fine in an hour's time.
The other animal headed to the local temple. When it was spotted, the arrow was no longer on its body. No one knows who removed it, but the cut was deep and it was bleeding profusely.
Soon, locals crowded around, trying to help. "As I was on my way to work, I saw a troop of langoors walking near the temple. I heard one of them was dying and I rushed back," said Samit Das, a goldsmith.
Like Samit, most villagers here save the 30-odd tribals who practise hunting are animal-friendly. They claim they do not even hurt a snake unless it bites them. They claim that local wildlife has been hit by the tribals' presence. The villagers lament that the tribals for 30 years now have been killing any animal that comes their way for food.
"The animals flourished in large numbers here till the tribals reached and settled in our village. We often explain to them that it is unfair to kill the wild animals for food. At that juncture they seem to understand but soon they get back to their hunting," Das said.
Villagers recount how desperately they wanted to hold the injured animal and to feed it ââ¬Ëbut it refused all ministrations.ââ¬â¢ Eyewitnesses claim the bleeding animal hugged all three idols in the temple. As a local teacher commented, ââ¬ËWhy else did he have to die at the feet of Lord Ram?ââ¬â¢
Only one man from the crowd, Bharat Ghosh, managed to pour some water on the bleeding langoor. A day later the locals here believe that Bharat must have been the blessed one, 'why else would the Hanuman allow him to pour water on his head?'
For over three hours, people thronged the temple. Some even dipped their fingertips in the blood and anointed their foreheads with it.[/color] However, some say that the gathering was due to humanitarian reasons.
Akhtar Ali Khan, a trolley driver from the village, said, "How does religion come into play when a dying animal is breathing its last? Many from my community came here and prayed for the poor creature."
[color="#800080"](How does Khan reason "How does religion come into play?"
The dying langoor specifically "headed to the local [*Hindu*] temple", "dragged itself from one deity [*Hindu* God] to the next, taking turns to hug each one of them" and had "to die at the feet of Lord Ram". Could the matter *be* more obvious? Any talking monkey who did the same would correctly be identified as a Hindu. And the langoor - even though it can't speak - is very much a traditional Hindu, same as the homo sapiens sapiens type monkeys of the same designation. All of a sudden the islamic Khan can't recognise a - what do they call 'em - a "polytheistic idolator", an "infidel", a "kaffir", anymore? That's a first.
I mean, the inconvertible insubvertible little kapi hugged multiple Vigrahas of the Hindu Gods: evidence more damning than this would be hard to come by.)[/color]
As the news spread, senior panchayat member Provash Ghosh informed the Forest Department and it removed the animal. According to the villagers, the langoor struggled for life for around three hours before succumbing to its injuries.
The temple has now gained renown after being almost abandoned for the past one month since its owner passed away. A medical practitioner, Dr Ashok Pal, had built it about six decades ago. Initially, it was more of a family prayerhouse, it was later opened to locals. In mid-April (Baisakh) every year, a fair is organised here and on full moon days, devotees gather in the open courtyard for bhajans.
"Here in India," as Swami Vivekananda stated, "religion is the one and only occupation of life," and the spirit of Moirapara since Monday reflects the same[/quote]Oh well done, kapi. That's what I hope to do too - if I may be so lucky - when it's my turn to pop off: find a moorthy of my parents Sri Rama and Sita and hug it. And Manasa Devi Amman too.
This is now the next in a line of news articles in a *Hindu* newspaper of which I've noticed that it seems to feel the need to resort to lowercasing God(dess) or using "deity" instead - presumably to show impartiality - and which uses "idol(s)". But isn't the audience Dharmic? I doubt christoislamics would want to read the Dailypioneer. I am sure the Dharmic audience won't object when Gods is spelled with a capital 'G' - after all, they survive seeing the jeebusjehovallah "gawd" spelled titlecased all the time - and may also understand the use of "vigrahas" in place of terms with negative and negating connations such as "idol". (Hindu books written in English regularly use "vigrahas" and "moorthies" so it's not like the English reading Hindu will all of a sudden be faced with the unfamiliar: the application of commonly-known indigenous terms.)
The writer appears to have some sympathy for the topic they're covering, and their choice to cover the matter at all also implies the same. So why the self-denial? Hindu papers provide an opportunity for Hindu reporters to speak to Hindus in Hindu lingo, as opposed to continuing to superficially play the universal "secular" narrator. (In contrast: one never sees christian writers in christian papers describe the stories in the bible as myth, or lowercase their non-existent gawd.)
Moreover, why do Hindus need to bend over backwards - why apply christianised language - when it is not even required of them? And it's not like Indians' (including reporters') English is perfect and we have some reputation of strict adherence to the English language to uphold. Hindus' christian use of language isn't useful to anyone except to christianism which aims to instill such subconscious dhimmitude. The sooner the wannabe/angelsk-speaking classes of India transcend the dictates of christianism in such subtly-christianising matters, the better it will be for the Hindu audience as well: because language *does* have an effect.
The sole comment to the Pioneer article:
Quote:What a moving story
By Dr. Vijaya Rajiva on 2/3/2010 5:19:38 PM
The writer is to be commended for writing about this sad story. Whatever one's religious beliefs, the langoor obviously had human like emotions. Our villagers showed human sympathy for the animal.
Hmmm. "Human-like" emotions. Nothing to beat an angelsk-speaking Hindu in speaking like a christianised Hindu: with the sympathy of a Hindu and the distance of a christian.
Is a monkey that's forced by circumstance to show in public that it feels keenly only to be acknowledged if these can be termed as human-like emotions? But since they're exhibited by a monkey, perhaps we must allow it to be natural to monkeys: "Monkey emotions". Chronologically too, monkeys came first. Therefore I suppose it's not unreasonable to argue that our oh-so-unique human emotions are merely overhyped monkey-like emotions.
Modern humans are so funny. "Look at me, look at me! I'm special." And then they express great wonderment (or is it masked jealousy) when they see that other animals are capable of similar things to whatever degree. Not so unique-'n-special after all. Bummer.
(With this last para I no longer mean Dr Vijaya; it's some human behaviour I've observed in general life.)