Baptist Church Backs Terrorism in North-East India

There is clear evidence which confirms that some international Christian organizations are backing terrorism and separatist movements in India’s North-east. These church backed organizations are providing funds, arms and ammunitions with the aim of creating a separate Christian state.

Tripura

The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) was founded in December 1989. Since its inception the NLFT has been engaged in an armed struggle to carve out a separate Christian nation - Tripura. The backing of the Baptist church right from the beginning has enabled this organization to spread its base. Due to its terrorist activities, the organization was banned by the government in 1997 but it continued its operations from across the Bangladesh border.

The priests of the Baptist church supply arms and ammunitions to these terrorist rebels. Nagmanlal Halam, the secretary of the Noapara Baptist Church in Tripura was arrested by CRPF in April 2000 on charges of aiding insurgents and possessing a large quantity of explosives including 60 gelatin sticks, 5kg of potassium, 2kg of sulphur and other ingredients for making powerful bombs. Two junior members of the same church, who had been arrested earlier tipped the police off about the explosives which were meant for terrorist organizations like the NLFT. Mr. Halam confessed to buying and supplying explosives to the NLFT. Another church official, Jatna Koloi, who was also arrested, admitted that he received training in guerrilla warfare at an NLFT base.

It is now apparent that the pattern of forced conversions at gunpoint are irrefutably linked to the Baptist Church in Tripura. The NLFT is accused of forcing Tripura's indigenous tribes to become Christians and give up Hindu forms of worship in areas under their control. For decades Tripura's

indigenous tribal population has been dragged out of their homes and forced to convert to Christianity under threat of violence. Whenever any of the tribals organize Hindu festivals or rituals, the terrorist groups attack to desecrate and kill the participants. There have been incidents of issuing a ban on the Hindu festivals of Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. The NLFT manifesto says that they want to expand what they describe as the kingdom of God and Christ in Tripura. The hill tribe 'Jamatiya' worship their traditional god 'Gadiya', who is supposed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, in the month of March. The terrorists have issued an order that the 'Gadiya' be prayed on the Christmas day instead.

The Baptist Church in Tripura was set up by missionaries from New Zealand 60 years ago. It won only a few thousand converts until 1980 when a mass scale ethnic riot was engineered by the Church in which systematic ethnic cleansing of Hindu and Buddhist tribals was initiated. Thousands of women were raped and kidnapped and forced to convert to Christianity. The terrorists receive military aid from extremist Christian groups in Australia and New Zealand. They also have ongoing exchanges with Islamic terrorist and ISI who push in arms from the Bangladeshi border.

When the RSS and other Hindu organizations decided to help the Hindus under attack in Tripura by aiding them in reconversion, hundreds of the RSS volunteers were attacked, threatened and blackmailed. Several of them were murdered and a number of them were kidnapped and held hostage by the Christian terrorists. In August 2000, Swami Shantikali Maharaj, the famous Hindu sage known for his social services was killed by the terrorists. In December 2000, Lavkumar Jamatiya, the priest of the 'Jamatiya' tribe was killed, two Hindu temples and one Buddhist temple were destroyed and order was issued to end all non-Christian methods of praying. In the year 2001, there were 826 terrorist attacks in Tripura in which 405 persons were killed

and 481 cases of kidnapping by the rebels.

Nagaland

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), a separatist organization has two main factions. Both the factions are headed by Christians and get financial support from World Council of Churches, a missionary organisation. China provides arms and ammunitions to both the factions.

The NSCN has its offices in New York, Geneva and Hague which display boards with legend 'Peoples Republic of Nagaland'. It has twice raised its demand for an independent nation in the United Nations. The NSCN has its own government which collects money from the local people. One third of the salaries of the government servants is taken away as Nagaland Tax before disbursement. Most of the banks in Nagaland have closed down because of the huge sums extracted by this outfit. The letterheads and stamps of this unofficial government read 'Nagaland for Christ'.

There is evidence of NSCN having ties with the ISI. The NSCN general secretary in an interview with the English daily 'Hindu' accepted that they were trying to create pressure on the Indian army in the north-east so that there was less pressure from the army in Kashmir.

Meghalaya

The proselytizing activities of the Christian missionaries during the 150 years of patronage from the British rule have resulted in the conversion of two-thirds of the people of the state to Christianity. After independence in 1947, many of the locals started reverting to their original tribal religion and lifestyle. The natives of the Khasi hills started to once again get associated with their roots. They formed an organization called 'Sengkhasi'. Shri Rejoy Singh Khongsha, an important official of this organization, at first got threats and later was abducted by North-east Red Army, a separatist and terrorist outfit known to have direct links with the church. The church has been threatening the leaders of 'Sengkhasi' for their connection with the Hindu organisations.

The Church in the north-east is also known to be associated with smuggling across the borders and circulation of fake currency notes. In December 1998, Bedang Tamjen, a Jemi-Naga missionary was arrested for making fake currency notes.

The most shocking fact is that the Indian media has not even mentioned these facts in their coverage. Whereas even unconfirmed rumors about any attack on Christians are immediately touted as "an assault on minorities", not a word is spared to enlighten the Indian citizenry about the religious terrorism that is taking place in the north-east.

Source: http://indpride.com/churchbacksterrorism.html

Indpride.com

christian terrorist groups in INDIA

National Liberation Front of Tripura

The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) is a rebel group operating in Tripura, North-East India. The NLFT were declared a terrorist organization under the Indian Prevention of Terrorism Act in 2002. The NLFT manifesto says that they want to expand what they describe as the kingdom of God and Christ in Tripura.^[39] They are accused of forcing indigenous tribes to give up Hinduism and become Christian in areas under their control.^[39] In 2000 the Indian government of Tripura announced that it had hard evidence that the Baptist Church of Tripura was backing the NLFT.^[39] Nagmanlal Halam, secretary of the Noapara Baptist Church in Tripura, was arrested and found to be in possession of a large quantity of explosives.^[39] Halam confessed to buying and supplying explosives to the NLFT for the past two years.^[39] The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism classified the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) as one of the ten most active terrorist groups in the world in 2003.^[40] They wrote:^[40]

“

The NLFT, like the ATTF, focuses its activities in the Indian state of Tripura. However, the impetus driving the NLFT’s armed struggle is the creation of an independent state in Tripura that is governed by Christian principles. With many of the group’s members motivated by Christianity, the NLFT manifesto seeks to end "Indian colonialism" and "neo-imperialism." The organization, operating from Bangladesh, uses its numerous bases to execute subversive terrorist activities in India... Typical NLFT targets include Indian government employees and officials, as well as civilians. Members of the rival Communist Party of India and their family members are also victims of NLFT attacks. Bombings and kidnappings are the tactical measures used most often by the NFLT... the group ranks as one of the most active terrorist groups in terms of both incidents and fatalities... the organization reportedly receives financial assistance from Christian supporters in India, enabling the organization to implement its operations... The NLFT has managed to maintain contacts with various terrorist organizations, such as the National Liberation Front of Bodoland, an organization active in Assam; the Nagaland-based National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM); and the Manipur-based Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL). The NLFT has, likewise, cultivated transborder linkages in Myanmar and Bhutan, which are also rather accessible, and has formed strategic networks with intelligence organizations in Pakistan.

”

The stated goals of the NLFT include the overthrow imperialism, capitalism and neo-colonialism by way of armed struggle so they can form a distinct and independent Borok civilization in Twipra.^[41] They state that they have been completely marginalized by the immigration of nonnative peoples, been oppressed socio-politically, and economically exploited. They believe they are facing an identity crisis due to chauvinism and imperialism from what they call the so-called Aryan descendants of Hindustan(India).^[42][41]

[edit] Nagaland Rebels

The Nagaland Rebels is a coalition of rebel groups operating in Nagaland, North-East India. The largest of these is the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), which is fighting for the establishment of a "Nagaland for Christ".^[43][44] The NSCN-IM have carried out numerous acts of terrorism against the Indian Army, other ethnic groups, and opponents within their own ethnic group.^[43] The insurgency has been waged since the 1947 Indian declaration of independence, and has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.^[43]

Baruah writes that "Christianity is an essential part of Naga identity"; the NSCN-IM estimate that 95% of Nagas are Christian.^[45] According to Gordon Means "the religious issue cannot be overlooked... A great number of Nagas are Christians... the Naga Federal Government (NFG) could play upon the fear of many Nagas that within the Indian Union the religious freedom of a small Christian minority would be compromised. An independence movement that can cloak itself in the garb of both nationalism and religious righteousness has an initial advantage. And there can be no doubt that the rebel Nagas are a sincerely pious lot. By all accounts, hymn singing and prayers constitute an important part of their daily routine in their jungle hide-outs. The vice-president of the NFG, Mr. Mhiasiu, was a preacher before joining the underground. Serving as chaplains for the Home Guards are many Baptist ministers."^[46]

Pakistan's spies "support terrorism"

More evidence regarding what everyone is increasingly becoming familiar with: Pakistan's perfidious nature. Friend-and-Ally Update.

"Pakistan's spies 'support terrorism,'" by Tamim Hamid for Quqnoos, October 4:

A LEAKED report from Spain’s intelligence service has accused Pakistan’s spy agency, the ISI, of supporting terrorism.

Broadcast on Spanish radio, the report said the ISI provides terrorists in Pakistan with explosive material and hand picks governmental targets for the terrorists to eliminate.

The leaked report comes at a time when the government is trying to shake-up the leadership of the country's army and security services, replacing the head of the ISI in a bid to clean up its image.

How about to simply clean up its act?

Some experts are pessimistic about the changes, which they say will not impact on the wave of violence that has spread through Pakistan in recent weeks.

NATO, the US and Afghan officials accuse Pakistan of failing to clamp down on terrorists hiding in tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan, which has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks this year.

This week, the head of Afghanistan’s secret service, Amrullah Saleh, said Pakistan knew who masterminded the deadly attack on the Indian embassy in July and where he was currently hiding, but had failed to arrest him.

Are we now a nation of shameless people?

India is a meaningless mass of amorphous humanity:' Oswald Spangler, The Decline of the West

A few days ago when a group of 16 Pakistani journalists visited the Jammu camp of Kashmiri Pandit refugees from the valley, there were unruly scenes. Many victims of terrorist violence begged the Pakistani journalists to ask their country to stop the violence and help them return to their homes.

The reaction of the visiting Pakistani journalists is not known but it ought to make every single of the one billion plus Indians hang their heads in shame. Here is a peaceful community of over 300,000, that was driven out of their ancestral homes 14 years ago and have been living in pathetic conditions for all of those 14 years. What was the 'crime' of these people other than the fact that they practiced a religion different from the majority? Did they commit any atrocity against the majority?

True, Kashmiri Pandits are not the only such unfortunate people. Palestinians have been enduring this for the last 57 years! But there is a crucial difference, the plight of Palestinians is recognised by the entire world. India, as the self appointed 'mukhiya' [leader] of the Non Aligned countries, has been championing their cause. But 'we the people of a secular, democratic and socialist Republic of India' have resolutely and totally put them out of sight and out of mind.

The Kashmiri Pandit exodus took place in the early 1990s. Since then we have had six prime ministers -- from V P Singh to Manmohan Singh, and three different parties have ruled India, including the ostensibly 'Hindu Nationalist' Bharatiya Janata Party. Yet all of them have ignored the plight of the Pandits and did nothing to end their suffering.

Also Read: Francois Gautier: Who cares for the Pandits?

The ever so alert judiciary that intervenes in issues ranging from the use of CNG in Delhi, to pollution, to even the selection of hockey teams, does not look at the fate of 300,000 Indian citizens who have been denied their basic rights guaranteed under the Constitution. What stopped the Honourable Lordships from taking a suo moto cognisance of this injustice?

The sad plight of Pandits has also not touched the conscience of the ever so sensitive 'human rights' groups in India. The Teesta Setalvads and Javed Anands, the Medha Patkars or Arundhati Roys of this world have been deafeningly silent on this issue. There are no street plays, no documentaries or painting exhibitions on the sad state of these 300,000 Indians. The news media, both print and television, have shown no inclination to highlight their cause.

Also Read: Sharanarthi: The Forgotten Ones

The political parties, government machinery, judiciary, media and the NGOs, have all failed to fight for the cause of these hapless people. The people at large have been apathetic. In no elections was this ever made an issue by any party. The common refrain seems 'how does it bother me!.'

Indians as a people have a short historical memory. It is precisely this attitude that helped the British gobble up the whole country, one region at a time. Thus while Robert Clive was busy finishing off Siraj-ud-Daulah in Bengal, Shah Shuja in Awadh was least concerned, till the British did not turn against him. In 1799, the Marathas watched the British under Duke of Wellington decimate Tipu Sultan, knowing fully well that it would be their turn next. After 150 years of slavery, nothing seems to have changed in this land of Bharatvarsha.

As a former soldier I feel ashamed that with the world's third largest army, we are unable to ensure the safety and security of our own citizens.

Has India reached that advanced stage of decay that we are now a nation of shameless people?

19/01/90: When Kashmiri Pandits fled Islamic terror

Srinagar, January 4, 1990. Aftab, a local Urdu newspaper, publishes a press release issued by Hizb-ul Mujahideen, set up by the Jamaat-e-Islami in 1989 to wage jihad for Jammu and Kashmir's [Images] secession from India and accession to Pakistan, asking all Hindus to pack up and leave. Another local paper, Al Safa, repeats this expulsion order.

In the following days, there is near chaos in the Kashmir valley with Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah and his National Conference government abdicating all responsibilities of the State. Masked men run amok, waving Kalashnikovs, shooting to kill and shouting anti-India slogans.

Reports of killing of Hindus, invariably Kashmiri Pandits, begin to trickle in; there are explosions; inflammatory speeches are made from the pulpits of mosques, using public address systems meant for calling the faithful to prayers. A terrifying fear psychosis begins to take grip of Kashmiri Pandits.

Walls are plastered with posters and handbills, summarily ordering all Kashmiris to strictly follow the Islamic dress code, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks and imposing a ban on video parlours and cinemas. The masked men with Kalashnikovs force people to re-set their watches and clocks to Pakistan Standard Time.

Shops, business establishments and homes of Kashmiri Pandits, the original inhabitants of the Kashmir valley with a recorded cultural and civilisational history dating back 5,000 years, are marked out. Notices are pasted on doors of Pandit houses, peremptorily asking the occupants to leave Kashmir within 24 hours or face death and worse. Some are more lucid: "Be one with us, run, or die!"

* * *

Srinagar [Images], January 19, 1990. Jagmohan arrives to take charge as governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah, whose pathetic, whimpering, snivelling government has all but ceased to exist and has gone into hiding, resigns and goes into a sulk. Curfew is imposed as a first measure to restore some semblance of law and order. But it fails to have a deterrent effect.

Throughout the day, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front and Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists use public address systems at mosques to exhort people to defy curfew and take to the streets. Masked men, firing from their Kalashnikovs, march up and down, terrorising cowering Pandits who, by then, have locked themselves in their homes.

As evening falls, the exhortations become louder and shriller. Three taped slogans are repeatedly played the whole night from mosques: 'Kashmir mei agar rehna hai, Allah-O-Akbar kehna hai' (If you want to stay in Kashmir, you have to say Allah-O-Akbar); 'Yahan kya chalega, Nizam-e-Mustafa' (What do we want here? Rule of Shariah); 'Asi gachchi Pakistan, Batao roas te Batanev san' (We want Pakistan along with Hindu women but without their men).

In the preceding months, 300 Hindu men and women, nearly all of them Kashmiri Pandits, had been slaughtered ever since the brutal murder of Pandit Tika Lal Taploo, noted lawyer and BJP national executive member, by the JKLF in Srinagar on September 14, 1989. Soon after that, Justice N K Ganju of the Srinagar high court was shot dead. Pandit Sarwanand Premi, 80-year-old poet, and his son were kidnapped, tortured, their eyes gouged out, and hanged to death. A Kashmiri Pandit nurse working at the Soura Medical College Hospital in Srinagar was gang-raped and then beaten to death. Another woman was abducted, raped and sliced into bits and pieces at a sawmill.

In villages and towns across the Kashmir valley, terrorist hit lists have been floating about. All the names are of Kashmiri Pandits. With no government worth its name, the administration having collapsed and disappeared, the police nowhere to be seen, despondency sets in. As the night of January 19, 1990, wears itself out, despondency gives way to desperation.

And tens of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits across the valley take a painful decision: to flee their homeland to save their lives from rabid jihadis. Thus takes place a 20^th century Exodus.

* * *

Srinagar, January 19, 2005. There are no Kashmiri Pandits in Srinagar, or, for that matter, anywhere else in the Kashmir valley; they don't live here anymore. You can find them in squalid refugee camps in Jammu and Delhi. As many as 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits have fled their home and hearth and been reduced to living the lives of refugees in their own country.

Two-thirds of them are camping in Jammu. The rest are in Delhi and in other Indian cities. Many of them, once prosperous and proud of their rich heritage, now live in grovelling poverty, dependent on government dole and charity. In these 15 years, an entire generation of exiled Kashmiri Pandits has grown up, without seeing the land from where their parents fled to escape the brutalities of Islamic terrorism, a land they dare not return to, although that land still remains a part of their country.

A large number of them are suffering from a variety of stress and depression related diseases. A group of doctors who surveyed the mental and physical health of the Kashmiri Pandits living in refugee camps, found high incidence of 'economic distress, stress induced diabetes, partial lunacy, hypertension and mental retardation.' Statistics reflect high death rate and low birth rate among the Kashmiri Pandit refugees.

And thereby hangs a tragic tale that has been all but wiped out from public memory.

An entire people have been uprooted from the land of their ancestors and left to fend for themselves as a weak-kneed Indian state shamelessly panders to Islamic terrorists and separatists who claim they are the final arbiters of Jammu and Kashmir's destiny. A part of India's cultural heritage has been destroyed; a chapter of India's civilisational history has been erased.

Had this tragedy occurred elsewhere in Hindu majority India, and had the victims been Muslims, we would have described it as 'ethnic cleansing' and 'genocide.' We would have made films with horror-inducing titles. We would have filed cases in the Supreme Court of India. Our media would have marshalled remarkable rage in reporting the smallest detail.

But, this tragedy has occurred in Muslim majority Kashmir valley, and the victims are all Hindus, that too Pandits. What has been lost is part of India's Hindu culture, what has been erased is integral to India's Hindu civilisation.

Therefore, the government makes bold to record that the Kashmiri Pandits have "migrated on their own" and their 'displacement (is) self-imposed;' the National Human Rights Commission, after a perfunctory inquiry, refuses to concede that what has happened is 'genocide' or 'ethnic cleansing,' though facts add up to no less than that, never mind that 300,000 lives have been destroyed.

And, our jhola-wallah brigade of secular activists rudely turn up their noses to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits: Hindu sorrow, inflicted by Islamic terror, stinks.

Today, on January 19, the 15^th anniversary of the forced flight of Kashmiri Pandits, look back at India's wretched history of secular politics and consider the terrible price the nation has paid at the altar of appeasement because the Indian State has, and continues to, toe the line of least resistance.

Reflect. Resolve. React.

Islamic Terrorism and Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits

Genocide in Kashmir

• 600,000 Kashmiri Pandits, constituting 99% of the total population of Hindus living in Muslim majority area of the Kashmir Valley, were forcibly pushed out of the Valley by Muslim terrorists, trained in Pakistan, since the end of 1989. They have been forced to live the life of exiles in their own country, outside their homeland, by unleashing a systematic campaign of terror, murder, loot and arson.
• Genocide of Kashmiri Pandits has reached its climax with Muslim terrorism succeeding in 'CLEANSING' the valley of this ancient ethno-religious community.
• With the completion of 11th year of their forced exile, this peace loving, culturally rich community with a history of more than 5000 years, is fighting a grim battle to save itself from becoming extinct as a distinct race and culture.

Main Camp Sites in Jammu

• Muthi Camp, Jammu
• Transport Nagar, Jammu
• Purkhoo Camp, Jammu
• Stadium Camp, Jammu
• Jhiri Camp, Jammu
• Nagrota Camp, Jammu
• Mishriwala Camp, Jammu
• Battalbalian Camp, Udhampur

Main Camp Sites in Delhi

• Nandnagri
• Sultanpuri, Kailash Colony
• Maviya Nagar
• South Extension
• Palika Dham
• Lajpat Nagar
• Aliganj
• Bapu Dham
• Amar Colony
• Mangol Puri
• Patel Nagar
• Sultanpuri
• Moti Nagar
• Begampura

Kashmiri Pandits in Exile

Terrorist Violence against Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir - Role of Pakistan

• Terrorism in Kashmir is an ideological struggle with specified political commitments which are fundamentalist and communal in character.

• Terrorist violence is aimed at achieving the disengagement of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from India and its annexation to Pakistan. It is, the continuation of the Islamic fundamentalist struggle for the homeland of Pakistan which claims Jammu and Kashmir state on account of its Muslim majority character.

• The major dimension of the terrorist violence in Kashmir is the terrorists' commitment to the extermination and subjugation of the Hindus in the state because Hindus do not subscribe to the idea of separation from India, nor do they expect to be governed by the authority of the state which derives its sanction from the law and precedent of Islam. Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) have always been in the forefront of the struggle against secessionism, communalism and fundamentalism. Hence this peace loving minority with a modern outlook became the main victim of terrorist violence. The strategies involved in the terrorists' operation against the Hindus in Kashmir include:

  • The extermination of Hindus

  • Subjecting Hindus to brutal torture to instill fear among them in order to achieve their submission.

  • To engineer a forced mass exodus of Hindus from the land of their ancestors and birth by way of issuing threatening letters, kidnappings and torture deaths on non-compllance of the terrorists' dictates and ensure the destruction of the secular and pluralistic character of the socio-political fabric of the Kashmiri Society.

  • Attacks, molestations, kidnappings, gang rapes of the women folk of the Hindus in order to instil fear and humiliation in them.

  • Destruction and burning of the residential houses of the Hindus who leave their homes in look out for safety. Looting of their properties and appropriation of their business establishments to ensure that they do not return.

  • Attachment of their landed property.

  • Destruction of the social base of the Hindus by the desecration and destruction of their places of worship.

  • Appropriation of the property of the Hindu shrines and its attachment to Muslim religious endowments.

Fact sheet Of Atrocities On Kashmiri Pandits

Educational Institutions burnt, damaged forcefully occupied : 105

Religious & Cultural Institutions Destroyed/burnt, damaged : 103

Shops, Factories looted/burnt/occupied : 14,430

Agriculture dependent families deprived of their land and source of income : 20,000

Horticulture dependent families deprived of their resource : 12,500

Houses Burnt : more than 20,000

Houses looted : 95%

Torture killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley : more than 1,100

Religious Sadism At Its Peak

• Killing of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir by terrorists clearly depicts extreme sadism. All victims have been subjected to extreme torture and terror.

• Torture deaths have been brought about by such inhuman practices as:

  • Strangulation by using steel wires

  • Hanging

  • Impailing

  • Branding with hot irons

  • Burning alive

  • Lynching

  • Bleeding to death

  • Gouging out of vital organs

  • Dismemberment of Human bodies

  • Drowning alive.

• Terrorists have frequently indulged in barbaric acts like performing 'death dances' after killing their target.

• Many a time, dead bodies were not even allowed to be properly cremated.

Universal Apathy

Failure of Government of India:

• The Jammu and Kashmir Government and Government of India have failed squarely to protect the Kashmiri Pandits against Islamic terrorism.

• Jammu and Kashmir being the only Muslim majority state in whole of India, the protection of minorities and their living peacefully, in their homeland, is crucial for India to remain as a Secular Democratic State.

• Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) from Kashmir valley is the crucial failure of Indian state to uphold its commitments to people of India as enshrined in Indian constitution which provides right to live with dignity and honour to every citizen irrespective of caste, creed, religion or colour.

Failure of Human Rights Organisations:

• Leading International Human Rights Organisations like Amnesty International, Asia Watch and others have yet to take proper cognisance of the genocide perpetrated on Kashmiri Pandits.

• Their representatives have so far failed to visit the camps in Jammu, Delhi and other parts of India were thousands of families are puting up for the last five years.

• Gradual extinction of a civilised community with an ancient culture is yet to shake the conscience of the world.

After The Exodus

• More than 5000 persons have died in camps and elsewhere after their forced exodus from the valley. They died of sunstrokes (more than 1000) as most of them were used to cold climate of Kashmir and could not acclimitize to extremely hot temperatures in rest of India.

• Heart attacks and accidents which have been mainly attributed to extreme psychological trau ma and mental pressures by the doctors.

• Gastroentritis and typhoid epidemics, snake bites etc.

• The cohesiveness of the displaced families has broken as they were to undergo diaspora for finding livelihood in various parts of country.

• Cultural Dilution - The whole displaced community with a distinct culture is facing the threat of extinction after loosing its natural habitat.

Kashmiri Pandits

- Representatives of Glorious Heritage And Legacy of Kashmir

- Symbols of Brotherhood and Peace

• Kashmiri Pandits have always been devoted to spritual and academic pursuits.

• They have during their history of more than 5000 years nurtured values of peace, co-existence and tolerance.

• They are the original inhabitants of Kashmir.

• Kashmiri Pandits are progenitors of Kashmir Shaivism the philosophy of oneness of mankind.

• Hinyan and Sarvastivadin sects of Budhism found highest expression in Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits spread their message to China and Central Asia.

• Kashmiri Pandits have contributed immensely to the evolution of human thought by contributing to almost all fields of creative human endeavour like literature (mainly Sanskrit), language, science and philosophy from times immemorial.

• Since the advent of Islam in 14th century, Kashmiri Hindus have been subjected to extreme persecution. To escape religious fanaticism in the form of forced conversions to Islam they had either to embrace death or leave Kashmir more than once during the last six hundred years.

• Present exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is fourth mass exodus in the history of Kashmir since the advent of Islam in this part.

Kashmiri Pandit: A Rare Pocket Of Tolerance

• Inspite of repeated rejection of co-existence and pluralism by Muslim society for the last six hundred years, Kashmiri Pandit has not given up his faith in these values.

• He has not reciprocated fanaticism with fanaticism and violence with violence.

• In a world threatened with ethnic and religious strifes where various parties have invariably resorted to violence and force, to further their claims, Kashmiri Pandit isthe only example who has totally rejected the violence as a means to fulfill socio-political aspirations.

World therefore has a stake in protecting this culturally rich, educated and peace loving community, from becoming extinct, if it has to move towards a Modern World Order of Peace and Universal brotherhood.

Terrorist violence cannot be justified on the ground of its political and ideological motivations or value basis. Terrorist violence in the valley is not a Freedom Struggle at all. Cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir is a clear testimony of this fact. There is no freedom which impringes upon freedom. There can be no equality which leads to inequality.

Killings of Kashmiri Pandits

Mrs. Ganju - Banamohalla, Srinagar

Prem Nath Bhat - Anantnag

Sushil Kotru - Rainawari, Srinagar

Mrs. Roopawati - Pulwama

Case against US website for defaming Puri deity

e-shopping website used Lord Jagannath's image in the ads of undergarments

Bhubaneswar (Orissa): Strongly protesting the use of Hindu deity's image allegedly by an American website to market its products, the Orissa government on Monday said it would take up the matter with the US embassy.

"We will certainly protest this and also ask the Centre to initiate appropriate action in this matter," Orissa's Law Minister B B Harichandan said.

The minister's reaction came a day after a group in Puri filed an FIR against the e-shopping website, accusing it of hurting religious sentiments by using Lord Jagannath's image in the advertisement of undergarments.

The "mischief" played by the website had severely hurt the sentiments of Hindus. The state would like to ensure that strong actions were taken against those indulging in practices that amount to incitement of religious tension, he said.

Sources said the police had already registered a case against the website.

"We are now examining what best can be done to prevent such incidents," said Puri district Superintendent of Police, Asit Panigrahi.

The website has a range of apparel products using different images of Hindu gods like Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Laxmi, Hanuman.

"The website had also tried to insult India as a nation by displaying Indian National Flag, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and other respected persons in underwear," said Rathindra Mishra, an advocate in Puri.

Source: rediff.com

For Video (Click here)

Lady re-converted to Hindu Dharma, stops missionary work!

Pune: A converted Christian woman was taking two youths working on daily wages to a church. When the matter was learnt by few seekers of Sanatan Sanstha, they met the two youths and tried to create awareness in them;but the youths were under complete influence of Christianity.

A seeker came to know that one of the youth belonged to Lingayat community. He, therefore, explained to the youth that it was a practice followed in that community to have a Guru at young age. People come from outside countries to seek guidance from such Gurus. How could he then go to a church? Would his Guru like it? After hearing this, the youth accepted his mistake and asked that what should be his further course of action. The Sanatan seeker advised him to make circumambulations around Sanatan's Sree Ganesh idol and pray to Him. Accordingly, the youth went to Sanatan ashram and did so and did even 'aarati'. His 'bhava' was awakened and he realized the importance of our deities. Since then he started going to the ashram regularly for 'darshan' and did seva too.

Here, the converted Christian lady learnt that the youths had stopped going to the church. She got annoyed and started quarreling with the youths. She kept on harassing them for a few days. The wife of one of the youths met that lady and although she herself was not so educated, explained to that lady that how Hindus are misguided by Christians. She was talking to the lady for almost 3 hours. She was also carrying a copy of 'Sanatan Prabhat's weekly issue. Finally she showed her the picture published in the periodical under the heading 'True nature of Christians'. As soon as the woman took the copy of the issue in her hand, she started feeling better. As she saw the picture, she realized that she was also misguided and asked for advice from Sanatan seekers. She said that she used to go to church although there was opposition from her family members. She had started taking to church even people from her neighborhood. The missionary from the church was therefore, happy with her and she was to be given the post of a pastor.

Source: 'Daily Sanatan Prabhat'

Thane Riot: What lessons can Hindus learn?

The incidents of instigating riots by some or the other offending means during the holy festivals of Hindus are constantly taking place somewhere in the state for the last one year. The Muslims repeated the same at Thane during the previous day of Navaratra for a paltry reason. The Hindus were attacked in a big numbers by creating unnecessary communal tension. The result of the riot – the permanent scars on the minds of hindus, the demoralization of police and the large amount of physical and mental distress suffered by them, three deaths, fleeing of 39 hindu families,and the loss of lakhs of rupees involving the injured, houses, shops and vehicles.

Howevar the most important was the terror struck in the minds of helpless and unarmed Hindus by the Muslims! The same terror is lingering in the minds of Hindus for last thousand years and this terror itself is responsible for the destruction of their Hindutva and therefore themselves.Therefore O Hindus, withthis riot in the background it is essential to study and understand the incidents to contemplate upon the measures to be taken for our survival and to become active in that direction.

Photo of situation after riots

O Hindus, first prepare yourself mentally and psychologically while facing the riots!

Every Hindu should first realize the clear picture of the Hindu hating psychology of Muslims and their Jihadi attitude, the extreme selfishness of the politicians and their anti- Hindu stance, the helplessness of police and their demoralization by the politicians and unarmed and disjointed Hindus. Hindus have to seriously think that it is most essential according to the current dire time to face such riots by getting ready first at mental and psychological level.

The utter confusion faced by the police during the riot!

Amongst the various points perceived about the Rabodi riot those pertaining to the police are most serious.Even an ordinary man gives a reflex disgusting look when he is pushed by somebody unknowingly.Here we saw a shameful and disgusting incident from the point of view of any proud citizen of Bharat that the armed Muslims were attacking the police and the police were helplessly at the receiving end just because there were no orders from above to use the weapons. The politicians are demoralizing the police by getting them beaten at the hands of rioters with a soul aim of pleasing the Muslims.

Police officer injured during riots

The big criminals are killed by police in the encounters. They have been given the rights to do so. Therefore time has come for Hindus to know about those laws, powers and orders which make police impotent during such riots and launch protests accordingly.The Muslims are now after the blood of police. Such incidents are frequently getting repeated. Here the repetition of Bhivandi incident was narrowly averted. Are the stone-hearted politicians going to take the responsibility of such incident?

Sri Madhu Shinde, the assistant Inspector who got retired in the evening of the day of riot said, " We can control the riot within 15 minutes if we are give powers." If the administration gives suitable powers to the police not only control one riot but also it will increase the pressure on the Muslims all over and they will not commit excesses.

But the one sided love of politicians towards the Muslims is such that they simply prefer to watch death of Hindus , destruction of their households and devastation of their life than taking proper decision. If the politicians trying to please the minorities hastily took out orders to suspend a daring inspector like Sri Sahebrao Patil who entered the riot area without caring for his life and was later transferred. If such is the case then which police personel will bother to control the riots hereafter? That may be exactly the reason as to why police are unsuccessful either to control the riot or planning to prevent it.

The preparation of fanatic Muslims during the riot!

The second important point is that the Muslims always have a large stock of weapons such as acid bombs,petrol bombs,swords, sharpened stones. It is well known that these are brought in vehicles from the mosques and houses. These minority people have the inherent quality of unity and the stockpiling of weapons gives them strength to go berserk and which is responsible for riot. In a Dassara gathering Shivsenapramukh said, "push the military in the mosques!".

How come those rulers who do not have genuine inclination to finish off the terrorism can dare to take such a decision? It is quite clear that as long as their pockets are getting filled according to their wishes they can not come to a definite decision in favour of Hindu cause even if the riot situation becomes worse.Therefore there is no alternative for the Hindus but to show the power of their votes and this they will have to carry out wholly at definitive action level. It is duty of every Hindu citizen towards Nation and Righteousnes to take a firm decision of finishing the Hindu hating Congress and thus show empathy to the thousands of Hindus bearing the brunt of riots!

O Hindus, remember that the weak get defeated!

The terror reign of Muslims in Rabodi is in fact one year old. During the last year's Navaratra celebration 200 Muslims had come together but the time was probably not ripe. This time the Muslims were grumbling since two to three days.To move from below the saffron flag during the Ramadan was probably sinful for them. hThe police advised the Hindus to shift the arch backwards. There is a aphorism in Sanskrut that the weak are defeated by everybody. Hindus remain quiet however you squeeze them. Therefore all people including ruling politicians are testing their patience.There is thus dire necessity for Hindus to get awakened, united and increase their strength.

Caution! The camps of displaced Hindus are getting ready everywhere!

During Rabodi riot 39 families got displaced. Uptil now displacement was the word connected with Kashmir.Now Maharashtra is slowly getting transformed into Kashmir. Those displaced in during Dhule riots are about five thousand in number. The ruling politicians are responsible for this dire state of Hindus; but why should Hindus allow themselves to come to this state?Today some hindus are under distress while others are comfortable.But it is to be noted that if Hindus do not come together forgetting their position, party,sect etc then soon they will have to face the situation of staying in the camps of dieplaced hindus in a Muslim majority state And that will be the greatest dishonour in a hindu majority Bharat.

' We do not want such hypocritical politicians who visit for consoling after the rapes, murder and arson are over but such Hindu representatives who would be able to prevent such incidents and would come on the road for the defence of people in case they do take place!'

' When you get disturbing news related to Nation and Dharma, do not eat nice food that day, do not see entertaining programmes on the TV, pray for the riot affected Hindu brethren and send them help so that the family members will be aware of the seriousness of the situation.The seekers of Sanatan Sanstha and volunteers of Hindu Janjagrutu Samiti are doing the same!

This method of keeping the fire of outrage against Hindus burning in the Hindu minds is worth a million rather than a consoling visit by a hypocritical politician!

Courtesy: Daily Sanatan Prabhat

Goa Temple destruction : AGMSS calls for ‘Goa Bandh’ on 20th

The Akhil Goa Mandir Suraksha Samiti calls for 'Goa Bandh' on 20 October

Panaji (Goa): The Akhil Goa Mandir Suraksha Samiti (AGMSS) intends to undertake a statewide Dharmajagruti campaign w.e.f. October 15th in order to create mass awareness to curb the deplorable series of desecration of idols of Hindu Deities and Saints in the State. Likewise, a ‘Goa bandh’ is being called for on Monday, October 20th. This was told by AGMSS in a press conference held here in GUJ office.

In the recent past, 17 incidents of desecration of idols of Hindu Deities and Saints have occurred in Goa. The recent one being the desecration of the dome of a small temple of Sree Rakhandev Aajoba, a deity which is seat of faith of the residents of Cuncolim at large, on the day of Dussehra i.e., on 9th October. The most striking feature of these incidents is that the police have not succeeded in nabbing even a single culprit in all the above cases. Thus, the temples of Goa have become insecure. Home Minister Shri. Ravi Naik had stated in the Goa Assembly that idol desecration incidents are ordinary incidents. Panchayat Minister Shri. Babu Azgaonkar has made a ridiculous attempt to cover the failure of the police and the government in nabbing the culprits by saying that Hindu organisations are involved in such desecration incidents.

Temples are the seat of faith of idol-worshipping Hindus. In this regard, the agitation staged by the residents of Cuncolim stands as an ideal. The AGMSS has extended its total support to the same. Thus, the AGMSS intends to undertake activities such as making announcements over the loudspeaker at public places in all Talukas of the State, holding meetings in all villages, etc. from 15th October to 19th October. It has also called for a ‘Goa Bandh’ on the 20th October. The AGMSS appeals to all Hindus to fulfill their duty towards Dharma by participating in its above campaign. AGMSS Goa State Co-ordinators Shri. Vinayak Chari, Shri. Rajendra Velingkar and Shri. Jayesh Thali and Shri PRabhu of cuncolim were present art this press conference.

Orissa VHP leader's killing was pre-planned: police

Bhubaneshwar (Orissa): The murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati in Orissa, which sparked large-scale violence during which at least 36 Christians were killed and thousands of homes were burnt, was planned several months before, a police official said Friday.

Kandhamal district witnessed communal violence after Saraswati was killed Aug 23. Hindus in the region blamed Christians for the killing and went on a rampage against the community.

At least 36 people, mostly Christians, were killed and thousands of homes were burnt in the district during the violence. Over 20,000 people, mainly Christians, have taken shelter in relief camps after their houses were torched by rampaging Hindu mobs.

"While investigating the case, we are finding it to be one of the most complicated cases in the state," Arun Ray, inspector general of police, crime branch, told IANS by phone.

"The crime was planned much before. We have identified the perpetrators of the crime," he said. "We have arrested three people and are likely to arrest some more people in the near future."

Sabyasachi Panda, one of Orissa's most wanted Maoist leaders, earlier this week claimed responsibility for the killing.

Source: Hindustan Times

Historic Hindu temple burnt in Fiji

Fiji: A Hindu temple built in 1905 by Indian indenture labourers has burnt in what is alleged by some to be another act of sacrilege which is becoming common in the country.

The Kendrit Sanatan Dharm Shiv Mandhir at the premises of the Nadi Primary School in Narewa was set ablaze by some unknown people early yesterday morning.

The temple was one the oldest in the country and was a popular spot for many Hindu devotees from Fiji and abroad.

According to temple manager Prem Sharma at around 3am yesterday some people noticed smoke coming out of the temple and the National Fire Authority (NFA) Nadi was alerted.

Sharma said that by the time the firefighters arrived on the scene the corrugated iron, timber and concrete building was completely ablaze.

“All belongings inside the temple was completely burnt along with extensive damage done to the temple exterior,” he said. “We believe someone entered the temple with the intention of burning it as fire started from a wooden box inside the temple.”

“Also this is a sure case of sacrilege because the idol of Lord Shiva was damaged prior to the temple being set alight,” said Sharma. He added that those people who had committed the crime were “religious fanatics and have no love for other religions.”

Sharma has urged the authorities teach people to respect each other’s religions.

“It’s very sad that only the Hindu places of worship are being targeted while we hardly see any Indians showing any form of disrespect or damaging churches or other places of worship.

The Shree Sanatan Dharm Brahman Purohit Sabha of Fiji also strongly condemned the action. Sabha national secretary Umeshwar Ram Sharma said such acts were only carried out by “cowards”.

Sharma who used to perform the Holy Ramayan at the temple every Monday said they would work hard to rebuild it soon with the help of members of the temple and the community there.

Meanwhile, Deputy Divisional Crime Officer Western ASP Waisea Kadawa said yesterday that police were still investigating the case and no arrests were made.

Source: Fiji Daily Post

Christ and North-East India

by Francois Gautier

Jesus Christ was a great avatar of Love in the history of humanity and his message of compassion, charity, of caring for one and another, is even more relevant today, in this fast and merciless civilization of ours, than it was 20 centuries ago, when people were more simple and living closer to Nature. Indeed, there are Christians who today try quietly and unobtrusively to put into practice Christ’s precepts - and you can find missionaries in India, such as Father Ceyrac, a Jesuit, who has lived for more than 60 years in Chennai, tending to the poorest sections of this society, while respecting their culture (Father Ceyrac, who speaks fluently Tamil, often quotes from the Upanishads).

Unfortunately, there has crept in the purity of the early Christianity an exclusiveness, a feeling of sole propriety over the Copyright of God. This exclusiveness, this feeling amongst Christians, that "we are the only true religion, all other gods are false gods", has had the most catastrophic and bloody consequences: millions have been killed in the name of Christ, entire civilizations, such as the Atzecs and Incas, have been wiped-out, in order "to bring them the word of Jesus" and Christians have even savagely murdered each other, whether in France or England. One would hope that this intolerance, this fanatical and militant drive to convert, forcibly or otherwise, pagans to the "true" God has ceased in this new millennium of "enlightenment". Unfortunately it is not so. For nearly three centuries, India has been the target of a massive conversion drive. It is even more so today, as Christianity is dwindling in the West, there are less and less people going to Church and very few youth willing to become priests and nuns. The Church is thus looking for new converts in the Third World, particularly in India, where people have such an innate aspiration to spirituality. Indeed, the Pope has earmarked this new millennium as "the Evangelization of Asia". And it is in India’s North-East that this evangelization is meeting with the most success, because it is peopled with simple, poor and uneducated tribals, who make an easy target.

In Tripura, for instance, there were no Christians at independence, the maharaja of the state was a Hindu and there were innumerable temples all over the State. But from 1950, Christian missionaries (with Nehru’s blessings) went into the deep forests of Tripura and started converting the Kukis. Today, according to official figures, there are 120,000 Christians in Tripura, a 90% increase since 1991. The figures are even more striking in Arunachal Pradesh, where there were only 1710 Christians in 1961, but 115000 today, as well as 700 churches! What to say of Mizoram and Nagaland, where the entire local population is Christian! The amount of money being poured by Christians into the North-East is staggering: The Saint Paul’s school of Tripura, for instance, gets an 80 lakhs endowment per semester. Which Hindu school can match this? No country in the world would allow this. France, for instance, has a full-blown Minister who is in charge of hunting down "sects". And by sects, it is meant anything which does not belong to the great Christian family, particularly if it has Hindu "pagan" overtones!

Isn’t it also strange that many of the North-East separatist movements, such as the Mizo or the Bodos, are not only Christian dominated, but also sometimes function with the covert backing of the missionaries? The Don Bosco schools, for example, which are everywhere in the North-East, are known by the Tripura Intelligence Bureau to sometimes harbor extremists at night. But the Tripura Marxist Government chooses to close its eyes, because in India, Communists are often walking for their own selfish purpose - hand in hand with Christians. Does the common man in India know that the nexus between the separatists and the Church is so strong in Tripura and Assam that temples are being demolished, that people are scared to practise pujas, except in strongholds such as Agartala, that Hindu social workers do not dare go in the interior? On the other hand, every other day a new church springs-up in the North-East, every week a new Christian school is opened without facing the threat of any extremist attack. Is it the way of treating a country, which from early times gave hospitality to Christians, indeed, the first Christian community in the world, that of the Christian Syrians, was established in Kerala in the first century AD?

It’s not only that conversion is an unethical custom, but also that it threatens a whole way of life, erasing centuries of tradition, customs, wisdom, teaching people to despise their own religion and look westwards to a culture which is alien to them, with disastrous results. Look how the biggest drug problems in India are found in the North East, or how Third World countries which have been totally christianized have lost all moorings and bearing and are drifting away without nationalism and self-pride. It is time that Indians awoke to the threat of Christian conversions here. The argument (mostly put forward by "secular" thinkers) that Christians are only 3% in India and therefore cannot be a threat, is totally fallacious: the influence that Christians exercise in this country through their schools, hospitals and the enormous amount of money being poured in by western countries for the purpose of converting Hindus, is totally disproportionate.

The message of Christ is one of Love, of respecting other’s cultures and creed - not of utilizing devious and unethical means for converting people. It is false that Jesus is the only true God. The Divine has manifested Himself throughout the ages under different names and identities, whether it is Christ, Buddha, Krishna or Mohamed. Let this be the motto of the 21st century. Then only will true spirituality emerge, beyond all religions and intolerances.

Kandhamal students� body demands to stop conversion in the district

October 13, 2008
OdishaToday
Source Link

By Santanu Barad

Berhampur (Orissa) : The Kandhamal Chatra Sangharsa Samiti on Sunday demanded to stop religious conversion allegedly being done by various NGOs in the district.


Kandhamal students� body demands to stop conversion in the district
Office bearers of Kandhamal chatra sangharsa samiti adressing press conference in Berhampur on Sunday.
© Odisha Today

It has also demanded to withdraw the approval of those NGOs which are allegedly involved to bring back normalcy with the communal harmony in the violence-hit Kandhamal.

Addressing a press conference, convener of the student body Karamchand Pradhan, Jitendra Pradhan and Jaykrushna Pradhan have briefed the press on various issues and problems of the Kandhamal district in the wake of the recent violent situation following the killing of the Hindu seer.

The students have stated that Swami Laxmanananda had served in the Kandhamal district for nearly 45 years and had brought several changes, particularly in the field of education and in social change.

On the other hand, the missionaries were instigating the minority community people to convert the innocent tribal people and were torturing them they alleged.

They further alleged that these missionaries were taking away the lands of the tribal people and were building the churches in those occupied lands.

The minority community people were reaping all the benefits placing the forged tribal caste certificates and were depriving the original tribal people of their benefits in the district, they alleged.

The students� body further alleged that some NGOs including the World Vision and Janavikash were doing religious conversion in the name of social service and for which they receive crores of rupees from the foreign countries.

The police administration, instead of arresting the killers of Swamy, was torturing the innocent tribal people. They requested not to do politics in the name of religion and try to settle the dispute permanently.

They have also placed certain demands that include, to stop the police atrocity and stopping of registering false cases, to stop religious conversion and withdraw the approval from various NGOs involved in the conversion, immediate arrest of the people responsible for the killing of the Hindu seer, include the Kandhamal district in the K-B-K scheme, establish a big industry in the district and Govt. status for two colleges; Kalinga Mahavidyalaya (G. Udayagiri) and Adivasi Mahavidyalaya (Baliguda) in the district of Kandhamal

Pakistan is the most dangerous place: expert

Washington: Pakistan is alarmingly teetering towards becoming a failed state and is still the most dangerous place in the world, says an Indian-American expert in an article for the Washington Post.

According to Sumit Ganguly, Director of Research at the Center on American and Global Security at Indiana University and an Adjunct Fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy, Pakistan is in even scarier shape than most of the so-called experts are willing to admit.

He believes that this nuclear-armed state of 168 million is no stranger to political upheaval, and the crises that it is facing today such as the rash of suicide bombings, the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto last December, inflation as high as 25 percent and a resurgent Taliban movement, could spell further doom for it.

"The grim truth is that Pakistan is becoming something alarmingly close to a failed state. And that could have disastrous consequences for the United States, NATO and Afghanistan''s struggle to hold back its own Taliban insurgency," Ganguly warns in his article for the Washington Post.

He also does not hold out much hope for Pakistan under President Asif Ali Zardari or former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

"Simply put, Pakistan is facing an existential crisis -- on its streets and in its courts, barracks and parliament… I don''t see much chance of a happy turnaround," he says.

Having studied Pakistan for almost two decades, Ganguly says that the roots of Pakistan''s problems run deep, back to the failure of the state''s founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, to plant deep democratic roots and create a tradition of compromise.

He says that the military has dominated the nation ever since, with disastrous results.

He also claims that the ISI and Pakistan''s generals "have been playing a duplicitous game with the United States for nearly two decades."

"Pakistan''s tragedy is that, from the beginning, no government, civilian or military, has fixed the underlying fragility of the state''s basic institutions. Instead, democrats and dictators alike have subverted political parties, threatened journalists and cowed the civil service in their quest for short-term political gain and personal advantage," Ganguly feels.

So can Pakistan be reformed? Ganguly doubts it, and warns that the country could once again make a desultory return to military rule as its troubles mount.

"We need a stern, serious international effort -- led by the United States -- to put Pakistan back together again, reform its institutions and reorder its priorities. If not, we will face a terrifying prospect: Pakistan''s collapse (slow or otherwise) into a full-blown failed state, armed with nuclear weapons, riven by ethnic tensions, infused with resentment and zealotry, with roving bands of Taliban sympathizers and bin Ladenists in its midst," he concludes.

Source: ANI

Parents get lifer for killing girl who married a Hindu

The court, while sentencing them to life imprisonment, observed that it is not a "rarest of the rare case," since they cut her into 11 pieces only after strangling her with a towel

Mumbai: A court here today sentenced the parents of an 18-year-old Muslim girl to life imprisonment for murdering their daughter for falling in love with a Hindu and marrying him.

Additional sessions judge O S Jaiswal held Mohammad Munna Sardar Khan (38) and his wife Shenaz Khan (35) guilty of murdering their daughter Mehnaz on July 2, 2006 and cutting her body into 11 pieces and dumping them in a gunny bag.

The gruesome act was committed by the parents after Mehnaz married a Hindu.

The court, while sentencing them to life imprisonment, observed that it is not a "rarest of the rare case" since they cut her into 11 pieces only after strangling her with a towel.

The court considering the two accused's moral responsibility towards their five other children showed leniency and sentenced them to the minimum punishment of life.

Defence Advocate Wahab Khan argued before the court that "they committed the murder only to set an example for their two other daughters so that they also do not follow their sister."

On July 2, 2006 Khan and his wife learnt that Mehnaz had eloped with a Hindu Maharashtrian man named Vidyanand Jadhav to Panvel and had got married to him there.

The Khans went to Panvel and pleaded with Mehnaz to return home and assured her that once she comes home they would accept her marriage to Jadhav. However, after she returned home late in the evening, Khan strangled Mehnaz to death, while her mother sat on her to prevent her from escaping.

Khan then carried Mehnaz's body to their bathroom of their south Mumbai home and cut it into 11 pieces. "Khan also peeled off the victim's skin from the face and cut off her nose so that no one could identify the body," investigating officer Hinduram Patil said.

They then dumped the pieces into a gunny bag and threw it off the Byculla bridge. The body was recovered after a few days following residents' complaint of stench in the area.

Other than the substantial amount of material evidence gathered, the prosecution's case mainly lies on the crucial victim "last-seen-with" theory, which is vital in a criminal trial to connect the accused to the crime in the absence of an eyewitness.
source:
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1555596

WHY MOTHER TERESA SHOULD NOT BE A SAINT

By Christopher Hitchens

In the good old/bad old days, the procedure for making a former human being into a saint was well understood.

There had to be an interval of at least seven years after the death before beatification - the first stage in the process - could even be proposed. (This was to insure against any gusts of popular enthusiasm for a local figure who might later prove to be a phoney.)

There had to be proof of two miracles, attributable to the intercession of the deceased.

And there had to be a hearing, at which the advocatus Diaboli, or Devil's Advocate, would be appointed by the Church to make the strongest possible case against the nominee.

I am not a Roman Catholic and the saint-making procedures of the Vatican are really none of my business. But it strikes me as odd that none of the above rules have been followed in the case of the newly-beatified woman who called herself "Mother" Teresa of Calcutta.

She was first put forward for beatification only four years after her death. Only one miracle has been required of her, and duly found to have been performed.

And, instead of appointing a Devil's Advocate, the Vatican invited me to be a witness for the Evil One, and expected me to do the job pro bono.

Their reason for asking was that I made a documentary called Hell's Angel, and wrote a short book entitled The Missionary Position, in which I reviewed Mother Teresa's career as if she had been an ordinary person.

I discovered that she had taken money from rich dictators like the Duvalier gang in Haiti, had been a friend of poverty rather than a friend of the poor, had never given any account of the huge sums of money donated to her, had railed against birth-control in the most overpopulated city on the planet and had been the spokeswoman for the most extreme dogmas of religious fundamentalism.

Actually, it's boasting to say that I "discovered" any of this. It was all there in plain sight for anyone to notice. But in the age of celebrity, nobody had troubled to ask if such a global reputation was truly earned or was simply the result of brilliant public relations.

"Wait a minute," said a TV host in Washington a few nights ago, when I debated all this with Mr John Donahue of the Catholic Defence League. "She built hospitals." No, sir, you wait a minute.

Mother Teresa was given, to our certain knowledge, many tens of millions of pounds. But she never built any hospitals. She claimed to have built almost 150 convents, for nuns joining her own order, in several countries. Was this where ordinary donors thought their money was going?

Furthermore, she received some of this money from the Duvaliers, and from Mr Charles Keating of the notorious Lincoln Savings and Loan of California, and both these sources had acquired the money by - how shall I put it? - borrowing money from the poor and failing to give it back.

How could this possibly be true? Doesn't everyone know that she spent her time kissing the sores of lepers and healing the sick? Ah, but what everyone knows isn't always true. You were more likely to run into Mother Teresa being photographed with Nancy Reagan, or posing with Princess Diana, or in the first-class cabin of Air India (where she had a permanent reservation).

You could see her in Ireland, campaigning against a law which would permit civil divorce and remarriage (though she publicly defended Princess Diana's right to be divorced).

You could encounter her on the podium in Stockholm, accepting yet another huge cheque and telling the Nobel audience that the greatest threat to world peace was... abortion. (Since she added that contraception was morally as bad as abortion, she essentially held the view that condoms and coils were a deadly threat to world peace. The Church does not insist on that degree of fundamentalism.)

And when she got sick, she would check herself into the Mayo Clinic or some other temple of American medicine. As one who has visited her primitive "hospice" for the dying in Calcutta, I should call that a wise decision. Nobody would go there except to check out, in one way or another.

"Give a man a reputation as an early riser," said Mark Twain "and that man can sleep till noon." Give a woman a reputation for holiness and compassion and apparently nothing she does can cause her to lose it.

Of Albanian descent and a keen nationalist, she visited the country when it was still a brutal dictatorship and "the world's first atheist state" to pay tribute to its grim Stalinist leader.

She fawned upon her shrewd protector Indira Gandhi at a time when the Indian government was imposing forced sterilisations. Above all, she urged the poor to think of their sufferings as a gift from God.

And she opposed the only thing that has ever been known to cure poverty - the empowerment of women in poor countries by giving them some say in their own reproduction.

Now, so they tell us, a woman in Bengal has recovered from a tumour after praying to Mother Teresa. I have received information from both the family and the physicians that says it was good medical treatment that did the job. Who knows?

I must say that I don't believe in miracles but if they do exist there are deserving cases which don't, in spite of fervent prayers, ever benefit from them.

When Mr Donahue was asked if he believed the statutory second miracle would occur, he said that he thought it would. I said that I thought so, too.

But I have already seen a collective hallucination occur as regards Mother Teresa, though it was produced by the less supernatural methods of modern, uncritical mass media.

Christopher Hitchens is a columnist for Vanity Fair.

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