Sub-nationalism, Regionalism

[Bodhi]

<span style='color:red'>Is being Indian not enough?</span>
Tarun Vijay

I thought being an Indian is enough till I saw people being killed and ousted for not being Maharashtrian and contributing 'appropriately' for the cause of Maratha culture.

But how do I convert to their version of a good citizenship so that my existence in Mumbai and Nashik is not under threat?

First it's difficult to explain to which state I really belong. My father hailed from Punjab and my mother came from Rajasthan. They settled down in a city, which was, then under UP, but has now become the capital of a newly created hill state.

I was born and brought up there, so by birth I can be a UPwallah Bhaiya though now I shall be called a Garhwali. My brother married a UP girl; my sister was married in a Haryana village. One niece married a Tam-Bram -- I hope you understand Tamil Brahmin. The other married a Telugu boy and my nephew fell in love with a Bengali girl.

That's my family. I worked as a tribal activist in Maharashtra and Gujarat and learnt Marathi with my friends, all of whom were pucca Maharashtrians.

I loved Marathi food, read and spoke Marathi and being in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh almost all of us colleagues had a great reverence for Maharashtra. RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was a Maharashtrian. So was Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was a Maharashtrian and, of course, the great Shivaji, who elevated the sense of being an Indian like our other heroes such as Guru Govind Singh and Raja Raja Chola.

I never felt that being a Maratha was an overwhelming identity for a warrior like Shivaji till I saw a huge billboard of Shivaji's picture in Nagpur on the way to the airport.

It said -- salutations to the 'Great Kurmi Mahapurush of Maharashtra'. I saw it twice to ensure that the eulogy was written for the hero whom I thought was a great Indian icon. Yes, Shivaji was Kurmi and the Kurmi Mahasangh was celebrating their caste hero. I was perplexed, if Shivaji is a Kurmi hero, how could I feel proud of him because I am not a Kurmi?

In fact long back I had removed the caste tag from my name under the influence of some old pracharaks of the Sangh, who held an archaic belief that caste identities are of no significance in our society and we must assert our identity as Hindus only.

I think they were wrong because after having spent so many decades in Delhi I have found that caste is the only identity that matters in today's vibrant, dynamic and futuristic India.

I married a girl who hails from Garhwal, a Bisht, and it was certainly an inter-caste marriage with everyone's consent. Till then we had held the belief that being an Indian is enough, that caste and provincial marks belong to a bygone era. To be modern and forward looking means to show your acumen and win a place of honour through merit.

Enough?

Not exactly. You have to prove that you have done enough for upholding the cause of the state where you are trying your luck. Most states have this provision. The law of Bhumiputra -- or the son of the soil principle -- is applied everywhere. Beginning from Jammu and Kashmir, where no Indian can buy land or get admission in a professional college unless s/he has a state residentship certificate. Thanks to the constitutional provision of Article 370, J&K is bestowed another special privilege, a separate red flag with a plough. It is hoisted along side the national tricolour.

If any woman of the state marries an Indian who is not a citizen of J&K, she loses her state subject status and their children lose the right to admission in any state run/ aided college. It's a punishment for being an Indian rather than being just a Kashmiri.

Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee was a Bengali, he was also the youngest-ever vice-chancellor of Calcutta University. But he chose to agitate for removing the ominous provisions of two flags, two constitutions and two heads of state for Kashmir. He died mysteriously in Sheikh Abdullah's jail in Srinagar and not even a magisterial enquiry was conducted.

And with that ended the unification efforts.

If you try to enter a northeastern state like Nagaland or Arunachal Pradesh, you will be required to obtain an Inner line Permit, started by the British to strengthen the isolation of NEFA (North Eastern Frontier Agency) areas. We continue with that and one has to state before a prescribed authority for how many days one is visiting the state, the purpose, where will he stay. Then there has to be a guarantor who is required to sign that within the stipulated period the person applying for permission to enter the state will go back.

This much for the national integration through government routes. But nothing of this applies to Bangladeshi infiltrators or jihadis. They are welcomed and given ration cards and enlisted as Indian citizens. The last time when I was in Nagaland, the then home minister said the state had approximately 75,000 illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, who had entered the state without inner line permits obviously.

Being an infiltrator doesn't bother anyone, but North Indians in Mumbai, mostly Hindus, have to be targeted for vote bank politics.

In India, to be an Indian alone is a deficiency factor. You have to be a Jat, Gujjar, SC or ST or Yadav, or Muslim to live with political support and get state protection and aid.

The less your Indian-ness is pronounced, and more micro-identities are projected the chances to move forward and benefit brighten up.

So like the Haj subsidy, Andhra's Christian chief minister has announced subsidies for Christians going to Israel for pilgrimage. He hasn't uttered a word about Kailas Manasarovar pilgrims who go to Tibet for pilgrimage.

Definitely in politics a pan Indian outlook and belonging to a majority is a Ghate ka sauda -- a matter of loss.

Therefore, I find that to live a secured and politically correct life in India, it is better to have a provincial identity than just be an Indian.

Kindly get me a proselytiser who can certifiably convert me to be a Maratha or a Maharashtrian. At least I will belong to someone who would consider me his own. My broader Rashtra is lost in a shrunk Maharashtra.

Tarun Vijay is Editor, Panchjanya, the RSS weekly.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/feb/15guest.htm

[dhu]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Let me begin with the following.<b> During their colonization of India, the British created precisely the kind of territories that Van Den Berghe talks about: Cantonments. </b>Though ostensibly so, they were not just military stations of sorts, and that is why they have retained an alien ring in the indigenous culture to this day. In these cantonments, English was not just the lingua franca. Rather, the language or speech community defined the territory. Creation of these or similar territories is not the result of racism or of colonial superiority, but an understandable reflex when viewed from the perspective of Western history. These kinds of territories were not restricted to the cities alone; their creation continued right into the heartland of India.

Why do such areas, even today, retain their alien ring? The British have upped and left a long time ago, so what explains this perception? Here is one reason: within our intuitive world models, language does not play an essential role in constituting an ethnic group, much less that territorial and linguistic boundaries coincide. As a normal course of events, one learned, where necessary, to be equally profi-cient in one’s ‘mother tongue’ and in the lingua franca of the community where one lived.

Obviously, I am not making the absurd claim that every Indian is bi-lingual. But what I am claiming is that the relationship between a speech community and being an ethny did not, does not, hold in In-dia. Should this be the case, the alleged relationship between language and territory does not exist ei-ther.

Unfortunately for me though, I can give you no evidence in favour of my claims. All I can call upon are my personal experiences, and personal memories are of dubious value in the best of circum-stances. So, I will not even try to mention them. All I am left with, as a result, are some considera-tions which may, or may not, sow seeds of doubt. But, I shall try nevertheless.

Consider a second generation German in America who does not (almost as a rule) speak German anymore. This appears to support Van Den Berghe’s thesis: the German has become an ‘American’ or, at least, has ceased being a German. Consider a third generation Tamil living in the north who continues to speak Tamil at home. Does that mean that he continues to identify himself as a member of the Tamil ethny? Prima facie, one might be inclined to answer in the affirmative: why else, it might be asked, does he continue to speak Tamil at home and not, say, Punjabi? Notice though, that this question presupposes as true precisely what being contested: the relationship between ethnicity and language. Consider now an Urdu-speaking peasant, living next door to a Malayali-speaking peasant family in an area where the lingua franca is Kannada or Marathi. If we consider further that they have been there for generations, which is not infrequent in India, we shall have to ask ourselves what kind of an ethnic identity they have. Whatever your answer, which depends on your experiences of village India, it should draw your attention to the following puzzling element in the situation: individual families continue to speak their mother-tongues at home, even while living amidst communities where the lingua franca is different from their mother-tongues. This continues for generations on end. In this sense, what is a pretty normal thing in India is almost non-existent in Europe or America (ex-cept in a special form, more about which later). When an individual family migrates to another place where the lingua franca differs from the mother-tongue, within two generations none of the family members have a mother tongue different from the language of the community. Surely, this fact draws our attention to the nature of our cultural history as something which is in all likelihood different from that of the West with respect to language and ethnic identity? <b>Of course, the reorganization of states along linguistic lines in independent India has hopelessly confused issues forever. Our leaders accepted the conventional wisdom of the West, and instead of solving any problem with such a measure, they have merely bequeathed us with problems we could have done without. </b>Is it really so preposterous to suggest that Van Den Berghe’s thesis merely extends European history to other cul-tures as well? In any case, empirical enquiry is urgently required before this question can be answered.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<b>Will not allow Balkanisation of India, SC to Raj</b>

<b>"We can understand what is happening. We will not allow/permit Balkanisation of this country," </b>a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said.

Expressing displeasure over Thackeray's statements that allegedly resulted in violence and attacks against north Indians in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, the Bench said "it is a dangerous tendency."

<b>"This is one country and we will not accept son of soil theory,"</b> the bench, also comprising Justices R V Ravindran and Markandey Katju, observed.
....
<b>"It is not possible for this court to give a direction on law and order situation,"</b> the Bench said and also declined to accept the contention that a direction was required to the Election Commission to derecognise MNS as a political party in view of the statements of Thackeray.

<b>"You have to make a representation before the Election Commission for derecognising a political party. How can this court issue mandamus when you have not gone to the EC,"</b> the Bench said

[Guest]

Atleast RSS has the guts to be critical of an person who is wrong. The congress gov in the center and maharastra are afraid of even taking action against Raj and instead encouraged him to cut the votes of their rivals NCP and Shiv Sena by his non-sense speech.

<b>RSS chief K S Sudarsan criticises Raj Thackeray for his alleged comments against outsiders</b>
http://news.indiainfo.com/2008/02/25/08022...-sudarshan.html

February 25, 2008

Berhampur: RSS chief K S Sudarsan has come down heavily on Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray for his alleged comments against outsiders saying it was aimed at bagging votes.

Joining BJP stalwart L K Advani who had earlier lashed at Raj for his biased comments, Sudarshan said "the outcry by Raj is against the Constitution and tradition of the country".

Sudarsan, who was addressing a public meeting here yesterday, said the MNS chief was only interested in garnering votes.

"Raj's offensive against the north Indians in Maharashtra has threatened to destroy the fabric of brotherhood and amity," the RSS chief said.

[Guest]

Though I do not fully agree with the ways of Raj, I thought his posers to LK Advani was good. Raj is not doing something so out of way than what Modi or LK did. He his galvanizing people for a "cause". It might be a different matter if he really believes in the cause or he is just piggy-backing to gain political victory.

I think Raj does raise some interesting questions about local culture and its dilution from outsiders. When there is one outside immigrant nothing much happens to the locals, same when there are two, five, ten, hundreds of immigrants. But when there are thousands of immigrants then definitely there begins a tug of war, and the local culture has chances of dilution or evolution. For one person it is dilution, for the other it is evolution or a change.

India is not a homogeneous entity and intra-country immigration brings the cultural baggage and politicians, officials and people have to deal with it.

[Bodhi]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->so out of way than what Modi or LK did.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
like what?

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Feb 25 2008, 11:35 PM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Feb 25 2008, 11:35 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->so out of way than what Modi or LK did.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
like what?
[right][snapback]78998[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
As I said in the post, galvanizing people for their cause.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 22 Respected Sudheendra Kulkarniji,

I have read your open letter addressed to me in Loksatta. I am happy to read it. Leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar (not all north Indians, only those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) and all north Indian journalists have decided to label whatever I and my colleagues, my party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena do, as "goondagiri".

It is natural. They are furious because their inter-connected economic, cultural and political interests have been jeopardized. For the first time, their uncontrolled political and cultural dadagiri has been confronted!

With this backdrop, I was happy to read your letter because, for the first time, someone has shown a willingness to discuss and debate the issues raised by me. And it is not someone ordinary but one who has handled the country's politics and culture from the Prime Minister's Office.

Sudheendraji, you have made many points in your letter. I will start with the one on violence. But before that, I would like to inform readers that I have been in active politics for about 18-19 years. I hope you don't doubt my political knowledge and experience! But to state the fact, I and my party have not undertaken any illegal, unconstitutional agitation if you consider the backdrop of the political history of our country.

Forget the country, even in Maharashtra every political party has indulged in political violence and murder at some time or the other. The levels and layers may be different. Some parties have supported such incidents on moral grounds. Such allegations have been made against many people in the present cabinet. I have neither supported political violence nor have my workers killed their opponents.

I will give you just one example. Not even a single worker has offended –– physically or verbally ­–– any mediaperson, despite the fact that the entire media (especially Hindi and English media) was spewing venom of contempt for Maharashtrians, on me and my party.

I can give you many examples of the media being attacked by enraged workers of all four major political parties in Maharashtra in similar situations. Isn't our patience and conscience indicative of a principled stance?

I have already apologised for the death in Nashik during this agitation. But it should also be kept in mind that it was an accident, not a political murder!

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena does not believe in political murders!

Leaders involved in political murders across the country come to Maharashtra to teach me ahimsa and journalists follow them and address them as "sir" and brand me and my followers as goondas. This is such an irony. I am surprised that nobody is objecting to the dirty politics being played over the death of a person.

Now, the violence.

Isn't the outbreak of spontaneous outrage in a people's movement understood? Can anyone avoid the violence or damage to property even if it does not bring happiness? Wasn't Gandhiji forced to withdraw his agitation when a chowkie was burnt at Chauri Chaura?

Besides, even after all this, was the violence and damage to public property avoided in the 1942 agitation? When people become furious, their response is the same, whether it is the Congress or the African National Congress.

Sudheendraji, as you are a former communist, you must be aware of crores of deaths and political murders during communist movements the world over. People's movements are a repetition of history to some extent.

Besides, do political movements need to obey the law? Political history learnt by me tells me that breaking the law, getting arrested, braving lathis and getting jailed are symbols of a principled agitation.

In recent times, the rulers and opposition parties indulged in movements of political compromise, in which morchas are taken out, the share of benefits of the government and opposition parties are decided. Then the protesters and their companions go home and sleep peacefully! This is called todbazi (compromise). The word political movement is an equivalent word for breaking the law!

Tell me, Sudheendraji, was Bihari MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy not aware of Advaniji's Rath Yatra when he chose to criticise me on the grounds that my agitation was unconstitutional, destabilising for the nation, sectarian? How many people died then? How much was the violence?

But didn't Advani pursue his campaign to make his point? The Bihari babu in Rudy seems to have woken up. I don't remember Rudy mustering courage to register his protest during the Rath Yatra or with Narendrabhai Modiji when our Gujarati brethren were outraged after the Godhra incident.

It means that everyone wants MPs and MLAs from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to dance on the chest of Maharashtra. Because they know that Maharashtra's MPs and ministers in Delhi will not utter a word! The only thing remaining is Maharashtra government issuing an ordinance to compel every Maharastrian household to accommodate at least one bhaiyya from UP, Bihar and if not done, to brand such Maharashtrians as against the constitution!

Raj Thackeray and his party have become a hurdle in all this which is why they are ready to crush us. Sudheendraji, I have never opposed, do not oppose ordinary workers from U.P. and Bihari. Would I have spoken if chhatpooja was an ordinary religious pooja?

Gujaratis celebrate Garba in Maharashtra with a bang. We also enjoy it. Bengalis celebrate Navratri. We too participate in it. South Indians perform Ayyappa's rituals and Marathis pray there. But chhatpooja is not just a religious festival. At least it is not celebrated as one in Mumbai.

It is an akhada (wrestling ring) erected on Mumbai's chest by Bihari leaders to show their strength. There lies the root of our opposition. Sudheendraji, are you aware of any widespread chhatpooja being celebrated by Biharis living in Mauritius, Dubai or any country close to the sea?

How can you compare chhatpooja with Ganeshotsav? Ganesh is acknowledged nationally and internationally as Vighnaharta (the remover of obstacles). When Maharashtians living in other states celebrate Ganeshotsav, do they invite Pawarsaheb (Sharad Pawar), Munde (BJP leader Gopinath Munde), Balasaheb (Bal Thackeray), Vilasrao (Vilasrao Deshmukh) or Sushilkumar (Sushilkumar Shinde) to deliver fiery speeches?

Do Maharashtrians use Ganeshotsav to establish cultural and political supremacy in that state and make it a cultural vassal state? If any Maharashtrian is doing it, I object to that. But Maharashtrians never do it. Except people from U.P. and Bihar, migrants from other states do not indulge in such feudal activity.

States like Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana are also in the north. Maharashtra has no objection to them because migrants from these states behave responsibly. I agree with you that India is a country of bouquets with flowers of different states.

But if a flower of one colour is rubbed violently on the petal of another of a different colour, it will damage both. There will be no manomilan (amalgamation). Nobody should do it.

I and my party were not against the common man from U.P. and Bihar, but when this common man comes to Maharashtra to prove the dadagiri of leaders from U.P. and Bihar!

Well, what is the history of such leaders? We would have followed their model if they had made U.P. and Bihar progressive states and created paradise. But these leaders have exploited the poor man there and impoverished these states by bringing in a mafia culture. What are these leaders saying here? "Take action against Raj Thackeray because he is a goonda!"

Sudheendraji, how could you fall prey to the disinformation campaign of leaders and journalists from U.P. and Bihar?

I will give you just one example, after reading which you and the whole world will realise how these leaders and bhaiyya journalists indulge in false and poisonous propaganda.

You have said that I have blamed Amitabh Bachchan for singing the "Chhora Ganga Kinarewala" song from the film "Don". It is totally false.

Bhaiyya journalists from U.P. and Bihar, who address Amar Singh as "sir, sir" have spread this venomous story all over the country. Am I mad to blame Amitabh for singing this line in "Don"? If that were the case, I would have demanded his arrest for acting in "Don"!

If I had to indulge in something foolish, I would have stooped to Lalu Prasad Yadav's level. Do you know the truth, Sudheendraji? Amitabh Bachchan delivered a speech and I have the clipping. I can show it to you.

He said, "Mai Dilli raha, Calcutta raha, Mai Bambai (not Mumbai!) raha. Phir bhi meri pehchan, chhora Ganga kinarewala hi hai".

My only observation was that if such a great hero feels love for Uttar Pradesh despite what Mumbai gave him, then what is wrong if a small man like Raj Thackeray feels love for Maharashtra?

I have the clipping of my speech with me. Isn't this enough to prove that such venomous propaganda has misguided a media stalwart like you?

Which Maharashtrian does not love India?

This love is not limited to just bursting crackers after India wins a cricket match, but is as vast as the Sahyadri rushing to help the Himalayas whenever there is a shadow of foreign invasion. Have Maharastrians failed to think about the country?

In fact, Maharashtrians have always thought of the country first, before they think of their own region. My chest swells with pride whenever I say Jai Hind. But nobody should forget that my Maharashtra is a part of India. It has its own culture, its own identity.

Nobody should forget it.

A guest is welcomed if he adjusts himself to the host's house. But if he tries to change the host's house through dadagiri, we won't tolerate it. And no means no!

I am proud of my workers for their struggle! Please don't call it 'Rada' (hooliganism) by giving old and historic references. They hit the streets to protect their own language and culture. Police are visiting their houses again and again and beating them up like cattle to punish them for protecting their language and culture.

They are tolerating it quietly. For whom? For Maharashtra! For India! It is fashionable for intellectuals here to blame my party for the unsolved problem of Marathi identity. But am I or my party responsible for it?

And if it has not been solved, is it wrong to struggle for it? For several decades, the mind of Maharashtrians is struggling to solve the Belgaum border issue. There have been several struggles on several levels. But the problem is where it was. Now, are you going to suggest that Maharashtrians should keep quite by presuming that the problem has been solved?

Whether it is the question of Palestine or Tamils, European countries and dada countries like America and the U.N. have not been able to solve them for several decades. Have they given up their efforts to solve these problems? Or have they withdrawn by presuming that the problem does not exist?

And your last point, Sudheendraji. You have said that I was tempted to launch this agitation in order to get instant and wide publicity for my party. Some arrogant journalists and intellectuals have called it a political stunt.

Sudheendraji, frankly speaking, I am not interested in publicity, impact, political benefits and votes. Such success is easily got by political compromise. I don't speak to journalists for months together.

I organise meetings and study developmental issues. Journalists then ask 'has Raj Thackeray formed a political party or an NGO?' When I concentrate on organisational matters and ignore other immediate things, journalists ask 'is Raj Thackeray building a party or a house?' (which is my means of livelihood). Then, when I respond to my inner voice and hit the street, journalists say 'this is Raj Thackeray's stunt for publicity'.

Sudheendraji, I have learnt to digest all this. I only respond to my inner voice. You may call it anything.

Sudheendraji, I hope you are satisfied. I have selected Maharashtra as my area of work.

Some inherent deficiencies have to be removed to make Maharashtra magnificent and progressive. For constructing a new building, some soil has to be dug for laying the foundation.

From this very Maharashtra, a great man had challenged the Mughal empire with the help of 15-50 colleagues. (I don't intend to compare myself with Chhatrapati Shivraya, lest Maharashtra's intellectuals come down on me).

The grave of the powerful Mughal emperor -- Aurangzeb -- exists in Daulatabad in Maharashtra.

Riding on the storm created by his 15-50 companions, the great man laid the foundation of an empire. That was the Maratha empire.

I pray to Shivaji to lend me and my colleagues at the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena a fraction of himself. I am ending this informal letter with the hope that you will wish us well.

Jai Maharashtra

Raj Thackeray
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Source Link

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Every Indian has right to settle anywhere: SC</b>

Mar 14, 2008

In an apparent rebuff to Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on the issue of North Indians, the Supreme Court asserted that every Indian has the right to settle anywhere in the country.

<b>"India is not an association or confederation of states, it is a union of states and there is only one nationality that is Indian. Hence every Indian has right to go anywhere in India, to settle anywhere, and work and do business of his choice in any part of India peacefully," a Bench of Justices H K Sema and Markandey Katju remarked.</b>

The apex court deplored the growing tendency of some sections in indulging in violence on issues that they differed on.

"These days unfortunately some people seems to be perpetually on the fuse, and are willing to protest, often violently, about anything under the sun on the ground that a book or painting or film has hurt the sentiments of their community," Justice Katju, writing the judgement, observed.

The apex court said such tendency leading to Balkanisation of the country should be curbed with an iron hand.

"We are one nation and must respect each other and should have tolerance," the Bench said.

<b>Quoting Tamil poet Subramaniam Bharti, the apex court said, "this Bharat Mata has crores of faces! But her body is one. She speaks 18 languages! But her thought is one."</b>

The apex court made the stinging observations while upholding the Gujarat Government's decision to ban sale of meat for nine days during a Jain festival.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Then the SC should allow Indians from rest of india to settle in Kashmir.

[Guest]

<b>Without attracting media attention West Bengal has been purged of people from other states and is fast being converted into an bhadralok suitable only for the commie junk and illegal bangladeshi trash to live.</b>

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Fewer Malyalees, Tamils now in Kolkata</b>
Link
 
Amitava Das
Kolkata, Mar 26 (PTI) This is not the exodus Raj Thackeray's followers are aiming to achieve in Mumbai but a Kolkata historian says not only the Greeks, Armenians and Jews who built many architectural marvels in Kolkata have left the city, even Tamils and Malayalees and Oriyas are heading back to their home states.

"Greeks have totally disappeared from the city. Only 25 Jews now live here. The number of Armenians has dwindled to 600 only. Earlier, they lived in hundreds and thousands here," says P T Nair, also known as the "moving encyclopedia of Kolkata".

Their properties were sold out and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took over the places of worship.

"For example, the city's oldest standing church built in 1724 by Armenians is located on Brabourne Road which leads into the city from Howrah station," says Nair who has written 42 books on Kolkata.

A survey on dwindling communities in the city, shows the present state of these people coming from outside India during the British period.

Nair also called Kolkata's "barefoot historian" has written 42 books on various aspects of the city - social, religious, economical, political, sociological, city roads etc. Of his books, "History of Calcutta" is a masterpiece of research works on the city.

Greeks were the first to leave en masse. They were mostly concentrated around Greek Church in Kalighat. "After their flight from the city, ASI looks after the Greek Church and other properties of the community have been donated to the government, the chronicler of Kolkata," Nair told PTI.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bodhi]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->All Tamil movies will be taken off theatres across Karnataka from Wednesday to protest against the Hognekal issue. The members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, who met in Bengaluru on Tuesday, also decided that no Tamil channels will be aired anywhere in Karnataka from Wednesday onwards.

Members of the Vedike, led by their leader Narayana Gowda, said that there was a need to convey a strong message to Tamil Nadu, who have been adamant about going ahead with the Rs 1,330 crore drinking water scheme in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri near the Hognekal falls on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.

The Hognekal falls is fed by the Cauvery River and the sharing of water from this river is a subject matter of litigation. The contention advanced by Karnataka is that TN has no approval of the Union government to go ahead with the project and also an appeal against the verdict of the Cauvery River Waters' Tribunal is pending before the Supreme Court of India.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/apr/01cau2.htm
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Here they go again.

Now, this is the problem. Two "states" (purely administrative units) must be logically at conflict here. But at conflict is ethic set of tamil and kannada speaking people. Why? because tamil=TN and kannada=Karnataka.

[shamu]

We need to check who is behind this new Kaveri issue. There may be an attempt to influence or delay upcoming Karnataka election

[Bodhi]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>A river that unites</b>

In Rajasthan, the BJP had made a promise in the last assembly election campaign to bring Narmada to the water-starved desert districts of Barmer and Jalore. This pledge was redeemed on March 28, amidst much fanfare, religious ceremony, prayers and thousands of worshipful, moist eyes watching the whole episode in mirthful disbelief. The BJP has not made a song and dance about this hugely successful demonstration of its development model. But its progress, drinking water and irrigation facility extended to thousands of draught-prone villages of Gujarat has already rewritten the history there. And over 4.5 million people expected to benefit now, in Rajasthan, will repeat the same in the coming days.

The Narmada waters could have reached Rajasthan decades earlier if the Congress government there was willing to pay its share of funds for the project. It was left to Vasundhara Raje to accomplish this. The project would not have been completed even now but for the messianic zeal of the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who confronted and overcame all oppositions, from judiciary, Congress central leaders, Communists and the likes of Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan. The Narmada main canal is an engineering feat of sorts as it traverses through 612 concrete structures, including those built to negotiate rivers like the Mahi, Sabarmati, Rupen, Khari, Saraswati and Banas littering its path. Built at a cost of Rs. 4,800 crore, it has piled 2,038 lakh cubic metres of earthwork, 403 lakh sq m of concrete lining and 34 lakh cubic metres of concrete and has a carrying capacity of 20,621 cubic ft per second as it enters north Gujarat but tapers to 3,354 cubic ft per second when it touches the outer brim of Rajasthan.

Releasing the water at a grand function at Tharad, Banaskanda, <b>Modi said, “We are doing no favours to our neighbours, just repaying a centuries old debt of honour.”</b> This is the spirit of nationalism. Mineral and natural resources of states is the national wealth of India. It should not become issues of parochial chauvinism.

As we write this editorial the political leaders from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are camping in Delhi to apprise the Prime Minister of their version of the story on the ugly and acrimonious Kaveri water dispute. <b>Both the states are now under the UPA. The Prime Minister instead of asking the two sides to amicably settle the dispute, is reported to have told them that the decision on Hogenakkal project was taken during the NDA, as if it was a mistake.</b> Similar disputes are vitiating the relations between Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the Mullapariyar dam water for over a year now. The riparian states can learn some valuable lessons from the example set by leaders like Modi and Raje.

http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.p...&pid=232&page=4
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[Guest]

A good development.

<b>Maharashtra CM welcomes migrants in Mumbai</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Link

Apr 14, 2008
Mumbai

In the midst of the migrants' issue being raked up by certain political parties in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has said people from across the country are welcome to live in Mumbai but should not construct illegal encroachments which deprive citizens of public amenities. "We cannot stop migrants from coming to the state but anti-encroachment restrictions can be imposed upon them," he said.

Deshmukh also asked civic authorities to take strict measures against structures illegally constructed. "Migrants cannot misuse the city's infrastructure, which is meant for taxpayers because the city's infrastructure is heavily burdened," Deshmukh said.

The Chief Minister said the Maharashtra Government was trying to solve the problem of migration, and the subsequent congestion caused by it. The government's housing projects for low income group, which would provide houses on rent for the poor, may solve the problem of increasing slums in the metropolis, he said.

The CM was attending a function to lay the foundation stone for second phase of the BRIMSTOWAD project in suburban Chembur yesterday. The project will augment the city's 150-year-old drainage system and has been fully funded by the Centre under its JNNURM scheme.

"There will be no water logging in case of 50 mm rainfall. But we cannot predict much about an unprecedented rainfall like 900 mm (as witnessed in July 2005)," Deshmukh said.

Deshmukh said various projects being undertaken by the government like the Mumbai Urban Transport Project and Metro Rail Project would change the face of the city over the next three to four years.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Capt M Kumar]

http://www.twocircles.net/2008may17/27_&lt...l_services.html

[dhu]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Raj's DNA same as that of a UPite, claims Swamy</b>

MUMBAI: Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy on Sunday claimed the DNA structure of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who targeted North Indians, was the same as that of a person from Uttar Pradesh.

"My friend who visits the hair dressing saloon frequented by Thackeray brought me a sample of his hair which I sent to a laboratory in Hyderabad for testing and comparison with a person from Uttar Pradesh," Swamy claimed at the release of Pankaj Phadnis authored "the British Mutiny of 1857" here.

The former Union Minister said since the DNA test on Raj's hair sample matched with that of a UPite, should it be construed that Thackeray's ancestors came from Uttar Pradesh.

Swamy said Thackeray should clarify as to what constitutes "Marathi" for him.

"If it is about speaking the language, then all non-Maharashtrians living in Mumbai do it very well. Does he want to say that Marathi-speaking people are of a different race?" he said.

Swamy said people should understand that the DNA of all Indians is the same. "We may be of different colour, height because of the geographical reasons," he added.

Swamy also said that the history propagated by the British in India that the Indian society comprised Aryan and Dravidian cultures has no base.

Swamy accused Jawaharlal Nehru of imposing colonial mentality on Indians. "Nehru took over as the leader because of an accident of history and the sacrifice of Sardar Patel. India needs a holiday from the Nehrus," he said.

Asserting that India has a only "Hindu past", Swamy said India can be a strong "Hindustan" only when Muslims and historians proudly acknowledge that their ancestors were Hindus and they are as much part of the Indian civilization as Hindus.

BJP Vice-President Bal Apte said that "our history does not start and end with Gandhi, there were other stalwarts like Veer Savarkar, Subhash Chandra Bose," he said rejecting the composite culture to show Hindu, Muslim unity. "Culture is always one and not hybrid," he said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Harshvardan+Mar 26 2008, 05:23 PM-->QUOTE(Harshvardan @ Mar 26 2008, 05:23 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Without attracting media attention West Bengal has been purged of people from other states and is fast being converted into an bhadralok suitable only for the commie junk and illegal bangladeshi trash to live.</b>

<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Fewer Malyalees, Tamils now in Kolkata</b>
Link
 
Amitava Das
Kolkata, Mar 26 (PTI) This is not the exodus Raj Thackeray's followers are aiming to achieve in Mumbai but a Kolkata historian says not only the Greeks, Armenians and Jews who built many architectural marvels in Kolkata have left the city, even Tamils and Malayalees and Oriyas are heading back to their home states.

"Greeks have totally disappeared from the city. Only 25 Jews now live here. The number of Armenians has dwindled to 600 only. Earlier, they lived in hundreds and thousands here," says P T Nair, also known as the "moving encyclopedia of Kolkata".

Their properties were sold out and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took over the places of worship.

"For example, the city's oldest standing church built in 1724 by Armenians is located on Brabourne Road which leads into the city from Howrah station," says Nair who has written 42 books on Kolkata.

A survey on dwindling communities in the city, shows the present state of these people coming from outside India during the British period.

Nair also called Kolkata's "barefoot historian" has written 42 books on various aspects of the city - social, religious, economical, political, sociological, city roads etc. Of his books, "History of Calcutta" is a masterpiece of research works on the city.

Greeks were the first to leave en masse. They were mostly concentrated around Greek Church in Kalighat. "After their flight from the city, ASI looks after the Greek Church and other properties of the community have been donated to the government, the chronicler of Kolkata," Nair told PTI.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
[right][snapback]80043[/snapback][/right]
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Harsh, Bengal has not been purged. Because of commie economics it is no longer seen as a prime time emigration destination, that's all.
Even then you would be happy to note that only 37 per cent of the denizens of the Kolkata Municipal area speak bengali as their mother tongue. moreover, Tamilians continue to live in Howrah etc. Also the dominant business interest in Bengal is the Marwari community.
Bengal is probably the only state where Biharis are not constantly seen as a source of trouble . of course the typical sneering at the state of Bihar is there but there is no hostility as such. In any case Biharis assimilate very quickly into whichever milieu they migrate to, regardless of what Raj thackeray says.

The difference between eastern bihar and bengal is not that much anyway. Food is the same, marriage customs are similar, maithili is very close to bengali anyway. Ditto for people from Orissa.


On a different note, I have seen a tendency on internet forums to equate Bengal with the CPI(M) . this way of looking at things is incorrect .

[Bodhi]

<b>MNS revives anti-north Indian campaign, targets railway hopefuls</b>

Around 1,700 candidates from across the country were scheduled to report for the Railway Recruitment Board’s (RRB) Examination held in Mumbai on Sunday. But the candidates were callously ousted from the city by rioting Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists who once again went on an anti-north Indian rampage.

The examination was conducted at centres across the city for the posts of assistant station manager, goods guard and enquiry-cum-reservation clerk. Hundreds of hopeful candidates arrived in the city on Saturday, and were to spend the night at railway stations before appearing for the exam on Sunday morning.

Many like Harinarayan Chakkilal, however, could not attend the exam. Chakkilal, a 36-year-old geography graduate from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh who had been preparing for the exam for the past six months, broke his hand during Saturday’s riots.

Close to midnight on Saturday, a mob of 14-15 persons waving MNS flags, shouting anti-north Indian slogans, barged into the station premises and assaulted the candidates, demanding that they leave the state as soon as possible. Thakur Ram, 26, a candidate who had taken shelter at Kalyan GRP said, “All my luggage was stolen during the riots, including the money I had brought. Now I have borrowed money from police officers to go back home.” N D Randir, a constable with Government Railway Police who tried to intervene, was also attacked by the miscreants. In a similar instance, MNS activists barged into the Thane railway station premises and threatened north Indian applicants to leave as soon as possible. “They smashed a metal pipe on my leg and I was in no position to resist them.

They beat me up with kicks and punches till I fell unconscious,” recalled 35-year-old Ashok Paswan, an aspirant who suffered from a broken leg and was admitted to the Thane Civil Hospital. MNS volunteers also protested outside exam centres in Dombivli, Bhandup, Vikhroli, Bandra and Borivli. Fearing another attack, candidates chose to stay away from the exams.

All 21 centres for the RRB exams in Kalyan, Dombivli and Thane witnessed attendance below 30 per cent on Sunday. The worried candidates are now in fear of being attacked on the trains back home. “Please send us back safely. I vow that I will never come back again,” pleaded 21-year-old Chandradev Kumar. Nearly 35 MNS workers have been arrested. The Thane GRP has filed a case of rioting against four unknown MNS volunteers.

Officials speak:

Suneet Sharma, assistant divisional railway manager and in charge of the exams conducted on the Central Railway said, “We had exams at 82 centres on the CR, where 12,000 candidates were supposed to appear. There were protests outside 14 centres, but only at Nerul did the protesters manage to barge into the exam centre.”

A K Sharma, GRP commissioner said, “Violent incidences were reported at Kalyan and Thane. We have arrested three people and are looking for more.” On the Western Railway, there were violent incidences reported at Bhayandar, Bandra and Andheri; 16,000 candidates were supposed to report to more than 100 centres allotted there,” said a WR spokesperson.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.as...2232151c33b991c

उत्तर भारतीय परीक्षार्थियों पर टूटा कहर
Oct 19, 11:59 am

मुंबई [जासं]। उत्तर भारत से रेलवे की परीक्षा देने मुंबई आए परीक्षार्थियों पर रविवार को एक बार फिर महाराष्ट्र नवनिर्माण सेना [मनसे] एवं शिवसेना ने मिलकर हमला बोला। दर्जनों परीक्षार्थियों को लाठियों और लात-घूसों से चोट पहुंचाई गई। कई केंद्रों परपरीक्षा के पर्चे एवं कापियां फाड़ दी गई।

रेलवे भर्ती बोर्ड द्वारा रविवार को मुंबई में सहायक स्टेशन मास्टर, गार्ड, एवं क्लर्क पदों की भर्ती के लिए लिखित परीक्षा आयोजित की गई थी। ये परीक्षाएं मध्य रेलवे द्वारा मुंबई एवं निकटवर्ती ठाणे जिले के 82 परीक्षा केंद्रों पर आयोजित की गई थीं।

सुबह 10 बजे से शुरू होने वाली परीक्षाओं के लिए बड़ी संख्या में परीक्षार्थी एक दिन पहले ही आ गए थे। इनमें से ज्यादातर कल्याण, ठाणे एवं मुंबईके विभिन्न रेलवे स्टेशनों पर रुके हुए थे। कुछ ने अपने-अपने केंद्रों के बाहर ही रात गुजारी। इन परीक्षार्थियों पर सुबह ही मोटरसाइकिलों पर सवार मनसे एवं शिवसेना कार्यकर्ताओं ने हमला बोल दिया एवं लाठियों, पत्थरों और लात-घूसों से जमकर मारा।

परीक्षा शुरू होने के बाद भी हिंसा का ये दौर जारी रहा। परीक्षा केंद्रों में घुसकर उपद्रवियों ने पर्चे एवं कापियां तक फाड़ डालीं। हमेशा की भांति देर से जगी पुलिस ने खानापूरी के अंदाज में शिवसेना एवं मनसे के कुछ कार्यकर्ताओंको विभिन्न स्थानों से हिरासत में लिया।

नवंबर 2003 में भी रेलवे की परीक्षा देने मुंबई आए उत्तार प्रदेश एवं बिहार के परीक्षार्थियों को कल्याण रेलवे स्टेशन पर शिवसैनिकों ने जमकर पीटा था। उस समय राज ठाकरे शिवसेना में ही थे। तब माना गया था कि विरासत की लड़ाई में अपने चचेरे भाई उद्धव ठाकरे को पछाड़ने के लिए ही उन्होंने यह अतिवादी कदम उठाया था।

अब राज ठाकरे अपना अलग पार्टी बना चुके हैं और पिछली फरवरी से उत्तार भारतीय लोगों के खिलाफ हिंसक आंदोलन चला रहे हैं। मराठियों के बीच अपना जनाधार बचाने के लिए अब शिव सेना भी इस मुहिम में कूद गई है।

रेलवे के कहने पर राज्य सरकार ने 82 में 67 परीक्षा केंद्रों पर तो सुरक्षा के कड़े इंतजाम किए थे, लेकिन 15 को भगवान भरोसे छोड़ दिया। इन्हीं परीक्षा केंद्रों पर मनसे और शिवसेना कार्यकर्ताओं ने जम कर उत्पात किया।

पटना से मिली खबर के अनुसार बिहार के मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार ने उत्तार भारतीय खास कर बिहारी परीक्षार्थियों पर हमले की कटु निंदा की। कुमार ने इस मामले में महाराष्ट्र के मुख्यमंत्री विलासराव देशमुख को फोन कर इन परीक्षार्थियों को पर्याप्त सुरक्षा मुहैया कराने का आग्रह किया।

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/national/g..._1_4921784.html

[Shambhu]

Raj and his party is fast showing us all that it will only hurt hindutva; he has the guts to be a good leader, but his brains are in his @$$. I wish him and the MaNaSe a speedy decline and disappearance.

[Bodhi]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Patna, October 21: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday expressed grief and shock at the killing of a Bihari examinee, who died in the violence unleashed allegedly by MNS activists on North Indian candidates, and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh for his family.
Pavan, a resident of Bara Khurd in Noorsarai police station limits of Nalanda district, was brutally assaulted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists, leading to his death when he had gone to Mumbai to appear in a railway recruitment examination.

"I am deeply pained and shocked at the killing of Pavan. May God give his family the strength to bear the huge loss. May his soul rest in peace," Kumar, who also hails from Nalanda, said in a condolence message.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/MN...xgratia/376143/<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Pune, October 20: Shiv Sena on Monday claimed that their party activists beat up and drove away scores of candidates from northern region candidates who came for railway recruitment exams in Mumbai.
The party mouthpiece 'Saamana' said that Shiv Sainiks were monitoring the movements of those who arrived in the metropolis throughout the night and beat the candidates.

Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray was quoted as saying that the <b>Railway Board was not advertising jobs in local newspapers thus depriving Maharashtrians of an opportunity to apply for various posts.</b>

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/We...iv-Sena/375692/<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!!!> Ads in Rojgar Samachar / Employment News is not enough for him?

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Mumbai, October 21: A lower court in Mumbai has rejected the bail plea of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and remanded him to judicial custody till November 4.
Raj Thackeray was arrested in the wee hours of Tuesday morning for his alleged involvement in the attack on north Indian candidates appearing for a railway recruitment examination. He was produced in the Bandra court later in the afternoon.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/No...custody/376046/<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bodhi]

Font problem, can not copy-paste. Look at the audacity of the language in this editorial. Claiming with pride how "Shivsainiks" (my foot) took on the north indian candidates.

http://www.saamna.com/2008/Oct/20/Index.htm