I could not find a thread to discuss various news about the happenings and trends of Indian society, changes to social life style, socio-economic dynamism, movements of living standards and so on.
DURGAPUR: Ramu Goraiâs story is one you see only on the pages of a fairytale. Ramu, a vegetable vendor from Durgapur, had ranked 15,434 in West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) a few years back. His rank was not good enough to get him a seat in a government engineering college and he didnât have the money to get enrolled in a private college.
Then MLA Bhajan Chakraborty stepped in and helped him get admission to Bengal College and Engineering and Technology (BCET) in Durgapur. Today, Ramu is a qualified software professional and was hired by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) during campus placements on August 27.
Speaking to TOI, chairman of BCET S K Sharma said Ramu had made everyone in the institute proud and also inspired others like him. ââRamuâs sister had to quit school after Class VIII. He lived in a slum and got time to study only in the evening after helping his father. Now I am planning to waive the tuition fees for deserving students who face financial constraints,ââ he added.
It wasnât all that easy initially. Ramu, who had secured 75.75% in madhyamik and 71.6% in higher secondary, may not have been able to study further had it not been for Chakraborty, the MLA from Durgapur-II. Chakraborty took up his case, approached Sharma and requested him to allow Ramu to take admission in his college free of cost. Sharma not only admitted him to the electronics and telecommunications engineering department but also gave him study material for free. Durgapur-based Pragati Co-operative Labour Contract and Construction Society Limited provided Rs 1,000 as assistance to Ramu every month. Chakraborty had requested them for this help.
On hearing of Ramuâs success story, director of the state technical education department Sajal Dasgupta congratulated him for his success.
09-20-2006, 04:41 PM (This post was last modified: 09-20-2006, 04:45 PM by Bodhi.)
<span style='color:red'>Sarathbabu's journey from Chennai Slum to BITS, IIM and entrepreneurship</span>
<img src='http://im.rediff.com/money/2006/aug/31sarath.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
When 27-year old Sarathbabu graduated from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, he created quite a stir by refusing a job that offered him a huge salary. He preferred to start his own enterprise -- Foodking Catering Service -- in Ahmedabad.
He was inspired by his mother who once sold idlis on the pavements of Chennai, to educate him and his siblings. It was a dream come true, when Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy lit the traditional lamp and inaugurated Sarathbabu's enterprise.
Sarathbabu was in Chennai, his hometown, a few days ago, to explore the possibility of starting a Foodking unit in the city and also to distribute the Ullas Trust Scholarships instituted by the IT firm Polaris to 2,000 poor students in corporation schools.
This is his story, in his own words.
Childhood in a slum
I was born and brought up in a slum in Madipakkam in Chennai. I have two elder sisters and two younger brothers and my mother was the sole breadwinner of the family. It was really tough for her to bring up five kids on her meagre salary.
As she had studied till the tenth standard, she got a job under the mid-day meal scheme of the Tamil Nadu government in a school at a salary of Rs 30 a month. She made just one rupee a day for six people.
So, she sold idlis in the mornings. She would then work for the mid-day meal at the school during daytime. In the evenings, she taught at the adult education programme of the Indian government.
She, thus, did three different jobs to bring us up and educate us. Although she didn't say explicitly that we should study well, we knew she was struggling hard to send us to school. I was determined that her hard work should not go in vain.
I was a topper throughout my school days. In the mornings, we went out to sell idlis because people in slums did not come out of their homes to buy idlis. For kids living in a slum, idlis for breakfast is something very special.
My mother was not aware of institutions like the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, or the Indian Institutes of Technology. She only wanted to educate us so that we got a good job. I didn't know what I wanted to do at that time because in my friend-circle, nobody talked about higher education or preparing for the IIT-JEE.
When you constantly worry about the next square meal, you do not dream of becoming a doctor or an engineer. The only thing that was on my mind was to get a good job because my mother was struggling a lot.
I got very good marks in the 10th standard exam. It was the most critical moment of my life. Till the 10th, there was no special fee but for the 11th and the 12th, the fees were Rs 2,000-3,000.
I did book-binding work during the summer vacation and accumulated money for my school fees. When I got plenty of work, I employed 20 other children and all of us did the work together. That was my first real job as an entrepreneur. Once I saw the opportunity, I continued with the work.
Life at BITS, Pilani
A classmate of mine told me about BITS, Pilani. He was confident that I would get admission, as I was the topper. He also told me that on completion (of studies at Pilani), I will definitely get a job.
When I got the admission, I had mixed feelings. On one hand I was excited that for the first time I was going out of Chennai, but there was also a sense of uncertainty.
The fees alone were around Rs 28,000, and I had to get around Rs 42,000. It was huge, huge money for us. And there was no one to help us. Just my mother and sisters. One of my sisters -- they were all married by then -- pawned her jewellery and that's how I paid for the first semester.
My mother then found out about an Indian government scholarship scheme. She sent me the application forms, I applied for the scholarship, and I was successful. So, after the first semester, it was the scholarship that helped me through.
It also helped me to pay my debt (to the sister who had pawned her jewellery). I then borrowed money from my other sister and repaid her when the next scholarship came.
The scholarship, however, covered only the tuition fees. What about the hostel fees and food? Even small things like a washing soap or a toothbrush or a tube of toothpaste was a burden. So, I borrowed more at high rates of interest. The debt grew to a substantial amount by the time I reached the fourth year.
First year at BITS, Pilani
To put it mildly, I was absolutely shocked. Till then, I had moved only with students from poor families. At Pilani, all the students were from the upper class or upper middle class families. Their lifestyle was totally different from mine. The topics they discussed were alien to me. They would talk about the good times they had in school.
On the other hand, my school years were a big struggle. There was this communication problem also as I was not conversant in English then.
I just kept quiet and observed them. I concentrated only on my studies because back home so many people had sacrificed for me. And, it took a really long time -- till the end of the first year -- to make friends.
The second year
I became a little more confident and started opening up. I had worked really hard for the engineering exhibition during the first year. I did a lot of labour-intensive work like welding and cutting, though my subject was chemical engineering. My seniors appreciated me.
In my second year also, I worked really hard for the engineering exhibition. This time, my juniors appreciated me, and they became my close friends, so close that they would be at my beck and call.
In the third year, when there was an election for the post of the co-ordinator for the exhibition, my juniors wanted me to contest. Thanks to their efforts I was unanimously elected. That was my first experience of being in the limelight. It was also quite an experience to handle around 100 students.
Seeing my work, slowly my batch mates also came to the fold. All of them said I lead the team very well.
They also told me that I could be a good manager and asked me to do MBA. That was the first time I heard about something called MBA. I asked them about the best institution in India. They said, the Indian Institutes of Management. Then, I decided if I was going to study MBA, it should be at one of the IIMs, and nowhere else.
Inspiration to be an entrepreneur
It was while preparing for the Common Admission Test that I read in the papers that 30 per cent of India's population does not get two meals a day. I know how it feels to be hungry. What should be done to help them, I wondered.
I also read about Infosys and Narayana Murthy, Reliance and Ambani. Reliance employed 20,000-25,000 people at that time, and Infosys, around 15,000. When a single entrepreneur like Ambani employed 25,000 people, he was supporting the family, of four or five, of each employee. So he was taking care of 100,000 people indirectly. I felt I, too, should become an entrepreneur.
But, my mother was waiting for her engineer son to get a job, pay all the debts, build a pucca house and take care of her. And here I was dreaming about starting my own enterprise. I decided to go for a campus interview, and got a job with Polaris. I also sat for CAT but I failed to clear it in my first attempt.
I worked for 30 months at Polaris. By then, I could pay off all the debts but I hadn't built a proper house for my mother. But I decided to pursue my dream. When I took CAT for the third time, I cleared it and got calls from all the six IIMs. I got admission at IIM, Ahmedabad.
Life at IIM, Ahmedabad
My college helped me get a scholarship for the two years that I was at IIM. Unlike in BITS, I was more confident and life at IIM was fantastic. I took up a lot of responsibilities in the college. I was in the mess committee in the first year and in the second year; I was elected the mess secretary.
Becoming an entrepreneur
By the end of the second year, there were many lucrative job offers coming our way, but in my mind I was determined to start something on my own. But back home, I didn't have a house. It was a difficult decision to say 'no' to offers that gave you Rs 800,000 a year. But I was clear in my mind even while I knew the hard realities back home.
Yes, my mother had been an entrepreneur, and subconsciously, she must have inspired me. My inspirations were also (Dhirubhai) Ambani and Narayana Murthy. I knew I was not aiming at something unachievable. I got the courage from them to start my own enterprise.
Nobody at my institute discouraged me. In fact, at least 30-40 students at the IIM wanted to be entrepreneurs. And we used to discuss about ideas all the time. My last option was to take up a job.
Foodking Catering Services Pvt Ltd
My mother is my first inspiration to start a food business. Remember I started my life selling idlis in my slum. Then of course, my experience as the mess secretary at IIM-A was the second inspiration. I must have handled at least a thousand complaints and a thousand suggestions at that time. Every time I solved a problem, they thanked me.
I also felt there is a good opportunity in the food business. If you notice, a lot of people who work in the food business come from the weaker sections of the society.
My friends helped me with registering the company with a capital of Rs 100,000. Because of the IIM brand and also because of the media attention, I could take a loan from the bank without any problem.
I set up an office and employed three persons. The first order was from a software company in Ahmedabad. They wanted us to supply tea, coffee and snacks. We transported the items in an auto.
When I got the order from IIM, Ahmedabad, I took a loan of Rs 11 lakhs (Rs 1.1 million) and started a kitchen. So, my initial capital was Rs 11.75 lakhs (Rs 1.17 million).
Three months have passed, and now we have forty employees and four clients -- IIM Ahmedabad, Darpana Academy, Gujarat Energy Research Management Institute and System Plus.
In the first month of our operation, we earned around Rs 35,000. Now, the turnover is around Rs 250,000. The Chennai operations will start in another three months' time.
Ambition
<span style='color:blue'>I want to employ as many people as I can, and improve their quality of life. In the first year, I want to employ around 200-500 people. In the next five years, I hope to increase it by 15,000. I am sure it is possible.
I want to cover all the major cities in India, and later, I want to go around the world too. </span>
I have seen people from all walks of life -- from the slums to the elite in the country. That is why luxuries like a car or a bungalow do not matter to me. Even money doesn't matter to me. I feel bad if I have to have food in a five star hotel. I feel guilty.
Personally, I have no ambition but I want to give a house and a car to my mother.
Appreciation
I did not expect this kind of exposure by the media for my venture or appreciation from people like my director at the IIM or Narayana Murthy. I was just doing what I wanted to do. But the exposure really helped me get orders, finance, everything.
The best compliments I received were from Narayana Murthy and my director at IIM, Ahmedabad. When I told him (IIM-A director) about my decision to start a company, he hugged me and wished me luck. They have seen life, they have seen thousands and thousands of students and if they say it is a good decision, I am sure it is a good decision.
Reservation
Reservation should be a mix of all criteria. If you take a caste that comes under reservation, 80 per cent of the people will be poor and 20 per cent rich, the creamy layer. For the general category, it will be the other way around.
I feel equal weightage should be given for the economic background. A study has to be done on what is the purpose of reservation and what it has done to the needy. It should be more effective and efficient. In my case, I would not have demanded for reservation. I accepted it because the society felt I belonged to the deprived class and needed a helping hand.
Today, the opportunities are grabbed by a few. They should be ashamed of their ability if they avail reservation even after becoming an IAS officer or something like that. They are putting a burden on the society and denying a chance to the really needy.
I feel reservation is enough for one generation. For example, if the child's father is educated, he will be able to guide the child properly.
Take my case, I didn't have any system that would make me aware of the IITs and the IIMs. But I will be able to guide my children properly because I am well educated. I got the benefits of reservation but I will never avail of it for my children. I cannot even think of demanding reservation for the next generation.
<b>I read with deep interest the submission by vishwas from California in the USA. He advocates the revival of a strong Hindu resurgence movement and has in fact very rightly pointed out the reasons for the present state of affairs.
If we think of the above theory of need for segregation and isolation of our children from the influence of children from parents of other religions, will it not result in the same situation as has arisen by children getting educated in the Madrassa and some of them turning into terrorists. Will it not produce fundamentalists among the Hindus of the younger generation? In such a situation, will the India of today with its multi cultural and multi religious population remain intact as a nation? Will a narrow minded, fundamentalist Hindu India .Will Vishwajiâs next generation be able to have a honorable living in CA USA., once India get rid of its non Hindu citizens. Let us ponder over these important and fundamental questions first.</b>[COLOR=red]
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Will Vishwajiâs next generation be able to have a honorable living in CA USA., <b>once India get rid of its non Hindu citizens</b>. Let us ponder over these important and fundamental questions first<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
(emphasis mine)
Perhaps Ravish you'll point out as to where Vishwas has said that India has to "<i>get rid of its non Hindu citizens</i>"?
There is no room for such views on this forum.
Vishwas my experience points to the opposite, in general it is when Hindus live in minority they tend to be more religious and care more about their community, in India since it is about 78% Hindu they are very secure and many are Hindu only in name but the Hindus abroad, a lot more care about their religion and community because suddenly they realise that in everyday life they mostly mix with non Hindus and that there is a need to make greater efforts to preserve the faith, the solution is not to tie up Hindu kids with other Hindus, they should be self confident enough to mix with non Hindus and even then retain their religion, after all if Jews could keep their identity intact then why can't we?
Ravish can you point out where Vishwas said anything about getting rid of non Hindus from India?
In the last Para it is stated ' An adult may feel free to have friends among Muslims or Christians, but a watching child may get the idea that mixing with people belonging to other religions is just fine, and they are just like us. This tends to give the wrong sort of ideas to young children. So, limiting one's contact to members of one's own community, especially at home, is a good idea. Leave "inter-religious dialogue" to those who have the time, inclination and maturity to do a good job.'
Is it possible to have such a situation in present day India without making the country a pure Hindu Nations?
I having spent several decades of my adult life abroad do agree that a majority of us become more a Hindu abroad rather than in India. We try to ensure that our children while attending schools in foreign lands do learn about Indian Mythological stories. It is the same reason why today in USA you have prosperous Hindu temples coming up in ever increasing number. It is the same reason why present day Hindu religious gurus are more interested in flying visits to the EU and USA, as those are the places where devotees are ready with the money bag in hand to receive them , rather than in some small village in Uttar Anchal.
In conclusion, I would like to make it clear that the submissions made previously by me are not my views on religion or to what extent India should be Hindu . I put forward these questions for generating a healthy and objective debate on the subject, keeping in view the realities of present day Indian society.
My personal conviction is that I believe in one God. I am a Hindu but I equally respect all other religions and have prayed at the temple, church and have attended service in the Mosque also to the extent it was allowed by the Grand Imam. I am myself a beef eating individual and as such I do not qualify to be a true Hindu. I respect and honor the secular fabric of India with all its shortcomings. However, I have no ill feelings towards my devout and Orthodox Hindu friends.
09-25-2006, 08:37 PM (This post was last modified: 09-25-2006, 08:41 PM by Bodhi.)
<!--QuoteBegin-Ravish+Sep 25 2006, 10:50 AM-->QUOTE(Ravish @ Sep 25 2006, 10:50 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->I am a Hindu but I equally respect all other religions and have prayed at the temple, church and have attended service in the Mosque also to the extent it was allowed by the Grand Imam. I am myself a beef eating individual and as such I do not qualify to be a true Hindu.
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That is what happenes when one doesn't get a sound Hindu upbringing. One may pass as a Hindu in name, but not in values.
You say you respect all faiths. But you respect all faiths - except Hinduism, I would say, If you are a Hindu and a beef-eater.
Respecting other faiths is integral to basic Hindu thought. But not at the cost of compromising on core Hindu values!!! If that happens, then the all-faith respect is nothing more than simple corruption of faith.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Is it possible to have such a situation in present day India without making the country a pure Hindu Nations?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes it is possible if you go live in some remote Himachal village which only has Hindus, no need for ethnic cleansing, there are places in India where there are only Hindus.
Mani Shankar Iyer tried this with his <i>'I'm secular because I eat beef despite my brahmin background'</i>. IMHO, he's a buffoon because of his acts/deeds which is irrespective of the fact he was a cannibal or 100% Jain-onion-garlic free vegetarian. So let's not pre-judge someone by what they eat or not. Or who they marry or not. These are personal issue and let's respect that.
Hopefully we'll have a nation with more people who respect Indic ethos say like Abdul Kalam than say Arjun Singh.
I recommend postors to read what's been posted here than post what they <i>think</i> they are reading. Subtle difference on surface, but it's an important one.
<!--QuoteBegin-Bharatvarsh+Sep 25 2006, 06:11 PM-->QUOTE(Bharatvarsh @ Sep 25 2006, 06:11 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->the solution is not to tie up Hindu kids with other Hindus, they should be self confident enough to mix with non Hindus and even then retain their religion, after all if Jews could keep their identity intact then why can't we?
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Bharatvarsh,
Actually, <b>not all Jews</b> have been doing a good job keeping their identity in the US. Remember, there are at least 2 different types of Judaism practised in the US.
One is the orthodox/ultra-orthodox variety. These Jews do limit their interactions with the non-Jewish (actually non-orthodox Jewish) world. They run their own schools for the Orthodox, where their children are <b>immersed</b> in their religion, its history and its rituals. And, because they have drawn a sharp line between themselves and the "Other", their religion, Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is more likely to survive in the future. That <b>sharp line</b> will keep their religion alive and thriving. They also have the highest population growth in the US,along with the mennonites, in accordance with the dictates of their religion.
The rest of the Jews are basically reform Jews. This larger section of the community regularly loses large numbers of adherents to Christianity by marriage and subsequent conversion. Many of the other Jews are atheists, or even Jews only in name, basically "ethnic" Jews.
Here are some links about what is happening with the Jews: Will Your Grandchildren Be Jews?
Extract from the above link:
In summary, the most recent analyses of Jewish population indicate two distinct trends in American Jewry. During the period from 1945-2000 -- and particularly from 1960 to 2000 -- the Orthodox have steadily increased the duration and intensity of their children's education, their birth rate, and the percentage of those raised Orthodox and remaining Orthodox. At the same time, their intermarriage rate has been reduced (see above). Also, for the first time in American history, significant number of Jews who were not raised Orthodox are becoming so. During the same period (1960-2000), intermarriage among other denominations of Judaism has evidenced different trends. The level of education among Secular, Reform and Conservative Jews has (with a few notable exceptions), remained about the same; their birth rate has declined, and their rate of intermarriage has multiplied. <b>Once a Jew intermarries, he or she as an individual remains Jewish, of course, but the likelihood of that person having any Jewish descendants is close to nil.</b>
Jews and the Jewish birth-rate
Extract:
In the meantime, the outlook of the organized Jewish community has been characterized mostly by denial. <b>Faced with irrefutable evidence of demographic decline, communal leaders have worked to <i>âreframeâ </i>the discussion.</b> The reframing goes like this: the Jewish population should be seen not as hemorrhaging, but rather as evolving new forms of expression. Yes, todayâs Jews are choosing to behave differently from Jews in the past, but, if treated with dignity and respect, they will surely return to play a positive role within the community. Yes, Jews are intermarrying at high rates, but if intermarried couples are offered a more welcoming environment, they will participate gladly in Jewish activities and both they and their offspring will come to identify strongly with Jewish life. Yes, Jews are producing fewer children, but what counts is quality, not quantity. Yes, fewer Jews are affiliating with synagogues and other communal institutions, but eliminating exclusionary and inhospitable attitudes will cause the situation to reverse itself.
The challenge of demographic decline, then, is to be met by inclusiveness, pluralism, and a welcoming atmosphere. The worse the decline has grown, the more fervently has this mantra been invokedâand not just invoked, but acted upon.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Is it possible to have such a situation in present day India without making the country a pure Hindu Nations?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ravish,
The answer is Yes. India doesn't need to be a pure Hindu nation. A religious Hindu simply has to learn to separate his personal life from his work life. All I am asking is that Hindus don't invite Muslims and Christians to their homes, and not treat them as personal friends of the family. This is not too difficult.
What is the trade-off here? One may not be able to use a Muslim or Christian's connections to get a better job or a better salary. Is that so terrible? If we value Hinduism and care for our children's future in this world and the next, that is not a very big sacrifice.
About my living in CA, USA: My post concerns how a Hindu living in India should conduct himself. That is my focus, my obsession. Which is why I am leaving for india very soon. However, everything I say is applicable to the Hindu in the US, as well.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Will it not produce fundamentalists among the Hindus of the younger generation?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yes, some will heed the fundamentals of their religion more. I don't see why that is a problem, though. There are more fundamentalists, of all stripes, in the US than anywhere else. Last I heard, the US has been doing very well for itself.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In such a situation, will the India of today with its multi cultural and multi religious population remain intact as a nation?<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If you are talking about the current Indian nation-state with its constitution and its form of government, then let me ask you a question:
<b>what are you willing to sacrifice to keep the Indian nation-state intact? Are you willing to sacrifice your traditions? your religion, the Sanatana Dharma? your language, and oral traditions?</b> I think it depends on what you value most.
09-25-2006, 11:05 PM (This post was last modified: 09-25-2006, 11:06 PM by agnivayu.)
Excellent post vishwas.
If India becomes a Hindu country, then Hindus will return back. If things stay the same, then Hindu's need to spread themselves around the world too.
In other words it's either globalization or localized concentrations of people.
A Hindu will say that he goes to a Mosque and Church and respects all religions, How many times have you heard the opposite ?
In the last 10 years, Hindu guardians have been exposing Abrahamic fascism and fraud. They will talk and expect YOU to be secular and tolerant, but on the other side there is none of that.
The Pope himself said that he is against secularism in Europe and preaches to India to stay true to it's secular nature.
I have never seen a Muslim secular country, ALL of them have atleast some sharia law in their books.
What the hell kind of hypocrisy is that ?
I am supposed to watch the genocide of my own people.
In the final analysis after taking a realistic view most will agree that there has been and will be further erosion of Hindu values of life and thinking.There is no escape from it except that if the NRIs open some Hindu Pathsala in the United States and give a lead by sending their children to these schools.It will work as a le3ad for others in the country to take similar steps.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->In the final analysis after taking a realistic view most will agree that there has been and will be further erosion of Hindu values of life and thinking<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No, absolutely not. Things are changing which is causing pepto-bismol time to p-sec in media and Indian Government including babus. Good example, Ramdev is bringing change. People are accepting his teachings in daily life, are one of the signs that Hindu values are becoming stronger. I have seen sea change in last decade in North India. Yes, commie, Congress etc had tried to kill Hindu culture in the name of secularism by insulting Hindu beilefs and promoting others.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->That is what happenes when one doesn't get a sound Hindu upbringing. One may pass as a Hindu in name, but not in values.
You say you respect all faiths. But you respect all faiths - except Hinduism, I would say, If you are a Hindu and a beef-eater.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I remember my grandmother teaching and her views on "beef-eating". She told us, we don't eat our mother and Cow is our mother. Always respect your mother, those who have strong will never goes into temptation, that should be your Dharma. Always follow Dharma it will never fail you in life.
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Sep 26 2006, 12:31 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Sep 26 2006, 12:31 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->That is what happenes when one doesn't get a sound Hindu upbringing. One may pass as a Hindu in name, but not in values.
You say you respect all faiths. But you respect all faiths - except Hinduism, I would say, If you are a Hindu and a beef-eater.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I remember my grandmother teaching and her views on "beef-eating". She told us, we don't eat our mother and Cow is our mother. Always respect your mother, those who have strong will never goes into temptation, that should be your Dharma. Always follow Dharma it will never fail you in life.
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09-26-2006, 04:04 PM (This post was last modified: 09-26-2006, 07:50 PM by ravish.)
Mudiji, Along with the popularity of Shri Ram Dev, whose teachings are indeed beneficial, I can say from my personal experience, there has been an even more increase in popularity of the following in North India:-
1. The Culture of young and even middle age couples frequenting the ever increasing number of bars, both in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Sorry Rajasthan I have no personal knowledge.
2. Extensive use of jeans, trousers, pencil hill shoes etc by the ladies of all North Indian States.
3. Cyber dating by younger generation and even blind dating. (Unheard of a few years ago)
4. Live in relationship, particularly famous areas of North India are Gurgaon, Noida and certain parts of South Delhi plus Bangalore and Mumbai in South and West India.
5. Western dance by even the parents and elders of both sides during weddings. Ever increasing use of foreign liquor on such occasions.
I have cited only a few examples. The mushrooming of malls, night clubs, discos, message parlors and beauty parlors of various kinds, are they sign of Hindu revivalism, sir.
If you live in India I am sure you have notices the trends.
I will bet these things have been going on for thousands of years, probably just undercover and not as open as today. The question is are they converting to Christianity or Islam.
With a large percentage of India's population being young, they can be more easily rallied towards Nationalism.
<!--QuoteBegin-Ravish+Sep 26 2006, 04:04 PM-->QUOTE(Ravish @ Sep 26 2006, 04:04 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Mudiji, Along with the popularity of Shri Ram Dev, whose teachings are indeed beneficial, I can say from my personal experiance, there has been an even more increase in popuylarity of the following in North India:-
1. The Culture of young and even middle age couples frequenting the ever increasing number of bars , both in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Sorry Rajastan I have no personal knowledge.
2. Extensive use of jeans, trousers, pencil hill soes etc by the ladies of all North Indian States.
3. Cyber dating by younger generation and even blind dating.( Unheard of a few years ago)
4. Live in relationship , particularly famous areas of North India are Gurgaon, Noida and certain parts of South Delhi plus Bangalore and Mumbai in South and West India.
5. Western dance by even the parents and elders of both sides during weddings.Ever increasing use of foreign liquor on such occasions.
I have cited only a few examples. The mashrooming of malls, night clubs, discoes, message parlors and beauty parlors of various kinds, are they sign of Hindu revivalism,sir.
If you live in India I am sure you have notices the trends.
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Ravish, both things are on the rise - material liberalism you mentioned, as well as spirituality-oriented lifestyle. Reason for open materialism is partly the sudden "freedom" everyone seems to have realized, and the media which makes these things a hip thing to do.
But once again, these signs you mentioned, provide for all the more reason, why children must be carefully brought up in a spiritual-cultural-religious environment. This is why it is even more important to give them a sound foundation rooted in spirituality, strong concience and will power, so that they would not only be able to sustain their values, but propogate.
If everyone thought pessimistically like you are suggesting, then phenomenon like Shivaji would not have happened, neither Vivekanand, Gandhi or Guru Govind Singh. Why these have happened to protect Hindu culture, is because someone dared to give them an upbringing they got, despite all the odds of then soceity.
