नरेंद्र दुबे रचनात्मक कार्यों के पितामह

रचनात्मक कार्यों के पितामह नरेंद्र दुबे का निधन

 इन्दौर 18 नवंबर। प्रख्यात सर्वोदय कार्यकर्ता श्री नरेंद्र दुबे का 80 वर्ष की आयु में निधन हो गया। वे कुछ दिनों से बीमार थे। श्री दुबे संत विनोबा के विचारों से प्रेरित थे। युवावस्था में उन्होंने खादी धारण करने का संकल्प लिया और उसे जीवनभर निभाया। उनकी दृष्टि सदैव गरीबों के उत्थान की ओर रही। उन्होंने भूदान आंदोलन, ग्रामदान आंदोलन और गोरक्षा सत्याग्रह तथा खादी आंदोलन में सक्रिय भाग लिया। वे खादी ग्रामोद्योग आयोग प्रमाण पत्र समिति के अध्यक्ष और खादी ग्रामोद्योग आयोग के सदस्य भी रहे। अंतिम संस्कार 19 नवंबर को प्रातः 11 बजे पंचकुइया मोक्षधाम पर किया जाएगा।

श्री नरेंद्र दुबे का जीवन कार्य

जीवन में उनके लिए कुछ भी पाना कठिन नहीं था। उनका परिवार इन्दौर के राजपरिवार से जुड़ा था। उनके काका सुरेंद्रनाथ दुबे मध्यभारत के विकास आयुक्त थे और चचेरे भाई शरदचंद्र्र दुबे भारत सरकार में रक्षा सचिव थे। लेकिन उन्होंने बाल्यकाल में ही तय कर लिया था कि सरकारी नौकरी में नहीं जाना और व्यापारी के यहां नौकरी नहीं करना। उनकी योग्यता और दक्षता को देखते हुए स्वयं प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी ने श्री वसंत साठे के माध्यम से उन्हें अखिल भारत खादी तथा ग्रामोद्योग आयोग का अध्यक्ष मनोनीत करने का निमंत्रण भेजा, परंतु संत विनोबा की सलाह को मानकर उन्होंने विनम्रतापूर्वक उस पद को अपनाने से इनकार कर दिया। दूसरी ओर संपूर्ण क्रांति के प्रणेता लोकनायक जयप्रकाष नारायण के विचारों से सार्वजनिक रूप से असहमति जताने वाले नरों में इंद्र श्री नरेंद्र दुबे का 18 नवंबर 2015 को 80 वर्ष की आयु में निधन हो गया।
त्यागी और तपस्वी सर्वोदय विचार के पथिक श्री नरेंद्र दुबे के मन पर महात्मा गांधी और  खादी की छाप बाल्यकाल में ही पड़ गयी थी जब वे अपनी मां गंगादेवी के साथ वर्धा स्थित सेवाग्राम आश्रम गए थे। काॅलेज में अध्ययन के दौरान उन्होंने प्रो.जमनालाल जैन और श्यामसुंदर झंवर को खादी पहने पाया तो श्री दुबे को भी खादी पहनने की प्रेरणा हुई। वे गांधी विचार के गहन अध्ययन में जुट गए। प्रो.अंबाराम मुनीम काॅलेज की नौकरी छोड़कर भूदान आंदोलन में चले गए। उनके साथ उन्होंने इन्दौर नगर में सम्पत्तिदान पदयात्रा प्रारंभ की। जब परिवार वालों को उनके अध्ययन की चिंता सताने लगी, तब उन्हें एम.काॅम. करने के लिए ग्वालियर भेज दिया गया। लेकिन श्री दुबे कहां मानने वाले थे। उनके सार्वजनिक जीवन को वहां और विस्तार मिला और उन्होंने काॅलेज में काॅमनवील पार्टी बनायी और वे काॅलेज की संसद में प्रधानमंत्री बने। अब परिवार वालों ने उन्हें वापस इन्दौर बुला लिया। श्री दुबे अन्य साथियों के समान कस्तूरबाग्राम में रहकर सेवा कार्य और अध्ययन करने लगे। अच्छे अंकों से एम.काॅम. की परीक्षा उत्तीर्ण करने के बाद भी उन्होंने सेवा का मार्ग ही चुना। लेकिन सर्वोदय अर्थव्यवस्था के अध्ययन के लिए उन्होंने स्वयं को शोधाथर््ीा के रूप में पंजीकृत कराया और ट्र्स्टीषिप विषय चुना। अध्ययन पूरा किया लेकिन पीएचडी की उपाधि के लिए उसे जमा नहीं कराया। बाद में उसकी पुस्तक प्रकाषित हुई, जिसकी भूमिका सुप्रसिद्ध अर्थषास्त्री श्रीमन्नारायण ने लिखी। कस्तूरबाग्राम में रहकर उन्होंने कस्तूरबा दर्षन त्रैमासिक पत्रिका का संपादन किया। विनोबाजी के इन्दौर आगमन पर उन्होंने अपनी पत्नी के साथ मिलकर नगर में सर्वोदय पात्र अभियान चलाया। इसके बाद दुबे जी ग्रामसेवा करने इन्दौर के निकट स्थित ग्राम माचला चले गए। वहां चलने वाले विद्यालय के वे प्राचार्य मनोनीत हुए। जब विनोबा जी ने ग्रामदान तूफान शुरू किया, तब वे माचला की सेवा से मुक्त होकर ग्रामदान आंदोलन मेें जुट गए। उनकी कुषल संगठन योग्यता से प्रभावित होकर उन्हें मध्यप्रदेष सर्वोदय मंडल का मंत्री बनाया गया।
खादी ग्रामोद्योग आयोग की पहल पर मध्यप्रदेष खादी संस्था संघ की स्थापना की गई। खादी कार्य को नयी दिषा देने के लिए श्री दुबे जी को इसका अध्यक्ष बनाया गया। उन्होंने बीस वर्ष तक निरंतर संस्था संघ की सेवा की और प्रदेष के खादी कार्य को आगे बढ़ाया। केंद्रीय गांधी स्मारक निधि दिल्ली ने श्री दुबे जी को मध्यप्रदेष गांधी स्मारक निधि का मंत्री मनोनीत किया। सांप्रदायिक दंगों के शमन के लिए कस्तूरबा शांति सेना विद्यालय बनाया गया। इसने इन्दौर में अषांति की रोकथाम में खूब काम किया। फलस्वरूप इसे दिल्ली का स्वामी प्रणवानंद शांति पुरस्कार दिया गया।
श्री नरेंद्र भाई की संगठन कुषलता से प्रभावित होकर श्री जयप्रकाष नारायण ने उन्हें सर्व सेवा संघ में संयुक्त मंत्री पद पर मनोनीति किया। इस दौरान उनका विनोबा जी से निकट संपर्क आया और उनकी पहचान विनोबा जी के विचारो के प्रवक्ता के रूप में बनी। बिहार स्थित सहरसा में उन्होंने ग्रामदान पुष्टि का सघन कार्य किया। चम्बल के बागियों के समर्पण का संयोजन कार्य श्री दुबे जी ने ही किया।
जयप्रकाष नारायण के संघर्ष आंदोलन से श्री दुबे जी हमेषा असहमत रहे। उनका स्पष्ट मत है कि रचनात्मक कार्यकर्ताओं को राजनीति में नहीं जाना चाहिए। वे देष में आपातकाल जैसी परिस्थिति निर्मित करने के लिए जयप्रकाष नारायण को जिम्मेदार मानते हैं। मतभेदों को चलते श्री दुबे जी ने सर्व सेवा संघ से त्यागपत्र दे दिया। इसके बाद उन्हें भूदान-रजत जयंत समिति का संयोजक बनाया गया। उनके आग्रह पर तत्कालीन राष्ट्र्पति श्री फखरुद्दीन अली अहमद ने बंगलोर में पदयात्रा कर अभियान का शुभारंभ किया। इस दौरान एक साल में 30 लाख एकड़ भूमि का वितरण हुआ।
जब प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी पवनार में विनोबाजी से मिलने गईं, तब उनका परिचय भी दिया गया। इंदिरा गांधी ने श्री दुबे जी को खादी ग्रामोद्योग आयोग के सदस्य के रूप में मनोनीत किया। जब खादी आयोग की सदस्यता से मुक्त हुए तब विनोबा जी के आदेष से उन्होंने पवनार गांव में वस्त्र-स्वावलंबन का कार्य हाथ में लिया। श्री नरेंद्र दुबे ने खादी को पहली बार आधुनिक तकनीक से जोड़ा और गोपुरी वर्धा में पूनी संयंत्र लगाया, जो आज भी काम कर रहा है। इसके बाद तो देष की अनेक संस्थाओं ने खादी में इस तकनीक को अपना लिया। इसके बाद वे खादी ग्रामोद्योग आयोग की प्रमाण पत्र समिति के अध्यक्ष नियुक्त हुए। इस बीच विनोबा जी ने मुम्बई के देवनार कतलखाने पर सत्याग्रह का आदेष दिया। इसके चलते श्री दुबे जी ने मर्यादा का ध्यान रखते हुए कोई भी सरकारी पद धारण नहीं किया। गोवंष केा वैज्ञानिक आधार प्रदान करने के लिए गोविज्ञान भारती की स्थापना की और गोविभा मासिक पत्रिका निकालना प्रारंभ किया। यह आज भी प्रकाषित हो रही है। सेवा कार्यो के दौरान उन्हें इंग्लैंड जाने का मौका मिला, जहां उन्होंने गांधी-विनोबा विचारों का प्रचार किया। विनोबा जी द्वारा स्थापित खादी मिषन के वे सह-संयोजक रहे।
डाॅ.पुष्पेंद्र दुबे
फोन: 9754220781

CRY-CRY MY BELOVED COUNTRY MOTHER INDIA

Also read http://swarajyamag.com/politics/the-rise-of-fascism-from-indias-tv-studios/
by Tufail Ahmad Director, South Asia Studies Project at the Middle East Media Research Institute, Washington DC.

recd from devasamaroo@hotmail.com

CRY-CRY MY BELOVED COUNTRY MOTHER INDIA
- Dr. Mrs. Hilda Raja hilda raja pachake@yahoo.com

I an in a reminiscent mood I think of the sad plight of my beloved country.-my motherland. This reminiscence takes me to the reasons that make me sad. There is a narration in the Bible which says that a father had two sons. The younger one demanded his share and left the father’s house. He squandered and wasted and was forced to live in pigs styles and eat the food of the pigs. He was remorseful and thought of his father and the rich life and the abundance of food. He then regretted and decided to go back to his father’s house. His father who was every day looking out for his son who had left him was filled with joy when his son returned. The son fell at his feet and begged pardon. The father embraced him and called the older son and ordered him to slaughter the fattest hog and prepare a feast. The older son was flabbergasted. This son who took his inheritance and wasted everything- you want to welcome him and feast his return he queried. The father told him, ‘Son you were always with me. But this son I lost but has come back. He is remorseful of what he did’. It is but in the fitness of things that we celebrate the return of this lost son. This does not quite reveal the Partition of my country. But it does have significance because the two sons are one and lived peacefully with their father. India’s partition is entirely the opposite. Here it is the demand to have the cake and eat it too. The Muslims who are in India and who stayed back want more than the share of the Hindu brethren. In fact they refuse to accept  this country as a Hindu Rastra while welcoming the Muslims to live in India the Hindus cannot and will not allow their rights to be trampled.

I was wondering if this would in any way be an analogy for the partition of my beloved country. In a way yes, and in many ways no.  The Muslim leaders convinced the Indian leaders like Gandhi and Nehru that the Muslims will not be able to integrate with the Hindus hence they demanded  a separate country to live according to their religion. It was then that they were given a part of the country. It is then legally and politically compulsory that all Muslims should take their inheritance share and leave Hindustan. But it is in this aspect that Gandhi and Nehru failed the Indian people and betrayed this country’s interest. They generously allowed the Muslims who wanted to stay back to remain in India. In the case of the prodigal son which I narrated above, he returned with remorse. But here the Muslims wanted the cake and eat it too. And those who stayed back now make it evident that the Hindus cannot live according to their beliefs and finds it hurtful. Even that can be taken in our stride but they fail to respect the beliefs and the ethos of this country. Nobody forced them to stay back-nobody asked them to accept the rites and rituals of the Hindus. But on no basis can they have any objection if these are public manifestations and/ or private way of life. It is the duty of the Muslims  not only to  accept to these but to show sensitivity to the religious sentiments and expressions of the Hindus.. They surely have no right to object .But on the other hand they find it irksome and disturbing if the Hindus make public their way of life. One would think that the Muslims would respect the Hindus and their beliefs. Would not in any way find it hurtful because in this Hindu rastra it is their right of the Hindus to uphold their culture and their beliefs.This may be in the forms of worship or any other aspect .Can the Hindus or the Christians go to any one of the Islamic country and fulfill their religious duties-worship and uphold the demands of their religions? Then why are the Muslims so intolerant to the Hindus and hurt their religious sentiments? I have in mind the cow .It is sacred to the Hindus. Hence the ban on slaughtering the cow.If one needs to stay in this Hindu rastra then one has to peacefully co-exist respect the and not hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Take for example depicting Allah. Will the Muslims allow it or tolerate it? Depiction of Allah even in the best form is forbidden. The Hindus are called upon to respect this. But does it not follow that the Muslims should also extend the same to the Hindus? Can they demean and denigrate the Hindu gods and goddesses? It is civil and necessary to respect the sentiments and the feelings of other religions. Why does this not be followed by the Muslims in India? It is this that has many a time troubled and angered the Hindus. Who in their turn wanted to retaliate?

The Muslims are also called upon to respect the laws of the land-the Constitution of India and uphold it. They cannot be under the Sharia law for civil matters and adapt the Indian penal code for criminal offences. If a Hindu/Christian defies the Koranic law in any Islamic country the culprit is not judged according to the offender’s law but by the Koranic law.Hence an eye for an eye-beheading-lashing in public etc.But here in India the Muslims want their double law system.-they   refuse to come under one Uniform Civil code-to demand more than what is their due and worse to demand that they have more rights and the Hindus cannot assert their rights-built their Ram temple for example is a bit pushing the Hindus to a corner. May I then ask where must Ram temple be built?

Of course all the politicians of every hue will proclaim that all have same rights. This for the vote bank purpose .Towards this vote bank strategy the Hindus are reminded that this is a secular country. So what is the meaning of secular may I ask? If the different religious people cannot integrate-cannot accept the ethos of the Hindus? What is wrong if one calls this country a Hindu country? Do we not have ‘Christian’ countries Do we not have ‘Islamic’ countries-why only India must not call itself a Hindu country. Even the restriction of the rites and rituals of the Hindus are enforced. Take for example the Ganesh idol immersion- the routes must not be in the vicinity of any mosque. The temple lands come under the government supervision which has the Hindu religious Endowment Board. Then why not the Wafk Board lands and the church lands also come under government control? If one has to be fair then at least let the Hindu temple lands be governed by the Hindus. That is secularism. But to pamper only the Christians and the Muslims and allowing then to manage/mismanage their assets and lands does not indicate ‘secularism’. The same goes for the Minority Rights.If education institutions can be administered and managed by the Muslims and the Christians why not extend the same to the Hindus. Let them manage or mismanage-it is their business. Education is a powerful tool and today it is only a money making enterprise. Allowing the Christians and Muslims to mismanage with no control or supervision does not make this country secular. Either you treat all the same but to prove the secularism of this country does not call in for unequal rights and more rights to the minorities. Let every one be equal-that is a Fundamental right. Look at the effect of this Minority Rights. The Madrassas are government financed-why so? The Muslim children are groomed in ghettos and not allowed to learn and grow with others. No wonder the Muslim leaders plainly told Gandhi and Nehru that they cannot integrate with the Hindus. But why should the people’s tax money go towards this fundamentalism and this pampering at the cost of great risks to the nation? One can go on pointing out the discrimination and the mismanagement of the Minority Institutions-All with the tax money of the people. The salaries and pensions are paid by the government. The admission policy is their own.

 It is relevant in this context to note that Justice Sachar and other Muslim leaders pointed out to the Muslims’ backwardness-both economically and educationally. They seem to blame India and its leaders for it. This is far from truth. The Muslims want to live in ghettos. It must be also noted that Justice Sachar’s survey was not very scientific .If one goes to the by lanes and the shanties it will be only poverty that one will see. The same can be said of the other communities. But Sachar forgets that the Muslims in the Film world-the leather industry, in marketing etc have enormous wealth. They too have a Azim Premji and many like him. Did Justice Sachar reckon with this? If so then the spread of wealth will negate the poverty that the Muslims are in. You can find what you want in a survey .Have they not education institutions in which they can admit all their own irrespective of the marks. So why should they be illiterate and uneducated. Having got more than their share why now exhibit the poor condition-the unemployment, the poverty etc in which they are seeped. Is it not their own making? They beget large families. Recently an English paper gave the story of a couple having 16 children and still looking forward to beget more till they get a male! So what do they want from the rest of the people? Why do they want the Hindu majority’s tax money to go down the drain for Justice Sachar to lament how they are neglected?

 It has become the fashion of political leaders to state that we have more Muslims in India than in Pakistan.Is that a great achievement? But it is true. Where does the resource come from for all the subsidies? Why have they not accepted Family Planning? When I visited Mallapuram in Kerala as a Consultant I asked the women why they have not restricted the size of the families.Most of the men  were working in the Middle East and they have cash and jewels and land.Their priorities are different. Yet Mallapuram has been declared a Backward district-thus eligible for all the development programs. When I asked the women’s groups why they have not adopted the FP the reply I got was, ‘Our ‘Palli’ authorites will not allow it’. Then ask your mosque authorities to finance you I stated at a public meeting.This large family size has repercussions on development and is definitely not secular. Mercy to some will be injustice to all. Now the demand is for reservation for the Muslims.I would blame the political leaders. For the sake of the vote bank politics they mortgage the country and its development. All said and done the Muslims in India are better off in Human Resource Index than in Pakistan.Then why scream oneself hoarse that Muslims are neglected and even justify terrorism on poverty and unemployment? Does all the other communities youth who are unemployed become terrorists. I am actually fed up with the utterance that all Muslims are not terrorists. That is true, but all terrorists are Muslims. Exceptions do not make the rule. So the UPA government was all out to detect ‘Saffron’ terror. As though that will justify the horror of terrorism both from within and cross border. So by giving part of my motherland-by trying to share the inheritance what have we bargained for? Coming to Partition we have brought this terrorism by the creation of Pakistan. It is going to be a constant risk and worry for India. Look how that country shelters Dawood Ibrahim.Look at its constant violation of the LOC? Look at its perception of the Kashmir issue. See how Kashmir has been populated and by whom. Hence it is with a purpose they demand along with some other countries for a Referendum. Can any one political leader of any one party vouch that Pakistan will cease to be a threat to India….How will the Muslims here in India react to Pakistan and its aggressive violations? Why have the Muslims on many occasions raised the Pakistani flag? Will this be tolerated in any other country? What do you call such an act?

Upholding the truth and speaking out will amount today to ‘instigation’ and causing unrest. Is it not fair and just to demand Equal Rights-Is it not fair and just to demand that all communities be subject to the rules and regulations of the country. Why does religion come in the picture? Why this ‘Minority’ and why this differential treatment for minorities. Let all be citizens of this country and be treated so. Let the Minority Rights be deleted from the Constitution and let there be Equality as the supreme yardstick for all.

It is but reasonable to take extra care and concern and be sensitive to the economically backward-but not on religious basis and not on caste basis. After 67 years if we still hold on to Reservation then one must accept the simple truth that Reservation has not benefited the down trodden. Who uses the reservation? This is like free electricity for the farmers-Who benefits from this- those who have land.But not the rural laborers and the marginal farmers. This is one example to show how the government’s schemes are highjacked. Does it not mean that Lalu Prasad Yadav‘s children are eligible for reservation. Once P.Chidambaram did confess that he used the reservation quota….Similarly former President KR Narayanan’s daughter got her posting using the SC tag. How fair are these. I know a family in Chennai-with father and brothers all IAS and doctors-using the reservation quota for jobs and admissions. Should we not put a stop to this plunder of the exchequer?

Coming to secularism-The political leaders cannot and should not use this against the Hindus. Because secularism is the very intrinsic makeup of the Hindu dharma .Hence Sanatana Dharma-Vasudeva kudumbum etc.It is the secular inbuilt of Hinduism that allowed all religions to flourish in India.Hinduism welcomed all religions-Is it not a fact that world religions evolved, flourished and spread in India. If the Hindu religion had not secularism at its core then it could have easily vanquished the others.Did it ever resort to violence for conversion and then like Pope Francis now ask forgiveness and get applause! Whose ‘ parampara’ is conversion through violence –Were the Hindus not persecuted –butchered and converted. Were their temples not destroyed? It is easy to say that it is the past. What you reap what you sow. Yes, it is the past but the history of a country is linked to its past and along with the present moves to the future. It has an impact. Why now call for banning ghar wapsi? One has to go to Tamilnadu and witness the scale of conversions.

So let us stop blaming the Hindus-calling them the ‘fringe groups’ and making it look that they are intolerant and fundamentalists. Are the other religions not Fundamentalists? How long can the Hindus be subjected to this insult and abuse of their ethos and their culture and suppression. So it is not for the political class to preach down to the Hindus of secularism because the kind of secularism which is being upheld by the Netas are vote bank garnering strategy. In the name of secularism one cannot and should not deny Hindus their legitimate rights in this Hindu rastra.I wish some of the NGOs and Human Rights activists try their brand of secularism in any one of the Islamic countries. Nay even in other countries the world over. Here religion takes priority and Christians have their headquarters outside India-either in Germany,Rome and England. While Muslims have their own fatwas.What has religions to do with headquarters outside the country to appeal to the Indian voters for whom to vote and for whom not to…One must learn from China. The fact is that the children of the Book have divided loyalties-one to their religious headquarters and directions and the other here in India. This often clashes and the people (read minorities) are at a loss ….I am not saying this from hear say but was present in a church when the pulpit was used to direct the congregation whom to vote for…..Why has the Muslim religion to ensure fatwas .Is this secularism? What if all the temples regularly congregate and give such instructions .But the point is Hindu religion is not ordered and disciplined that way. Each one is free to make his/her choice. Now when pushed to a corner it also reacts then the hackles are raised and the saffron and fringe groups are blamed. Modi is asked to rein in them. What about reining in the Christian funded NGOs? It must be noted that every action has a reaction. How long can the Hindus be at the receiving end? Is it not time to assert their own rights in their own country? Can they do this in Islamic countries and no Human Rights groups-no world organizations take note of the human rights violation in these countries. Is there freedom of religion in any Islamic country? Why then this silence. Now look at the film writers, the Sahitya Akademic award winners-the scientists have joined them against the intolerance that is showing its head in India…Who is instigating them? Which political power and vested interest are behind all this? One has only to watch the English TV channels and then even if one’s IQ is low it will be easy to identify the bias and the jaundiced visions.It is clear that most of these channels are owned by church and foreign persons. It is time that the government steps in. China would not allow this. If the BJP government steps in then it will be said that the voice of the people are being throttled. But the people are being throttled by these channels. One has only to listen to Arnab Goswami and now Zakk Jacob is following his example.   Can we not detect the tone and tenor and the bias.If it is Bakhra Dutt it is so evident her bias and her carefully crafted queries. We can easily notice that the group she assembles as viewers is carefully selected and the answers are what the anchor wants to hear. This is brain washing. Should this not be stopped? So it is again shutting the voice of the people-freedom of expression at stake. It was fine when the Emergency was imposed. The party which imposed Emergency today pretends to be the great freedom of expression champion. What with the likes of Mani Shankar Iyer who went to the extent of saying that Modi will never win the elections-if he wants he can come and serve tea in the AICC. Such arrogance he has. And this is the man who cannot and will not win a single election.But must stay put in New Delhi for this he must speak of the Nehru-Gandhi Family . So these people cannot stomach the idea of Modi being at the helm of affairs and still worse cannot relish the fact that he is doing well. It is Nehru-Gandhi family alone which they think has the Divine Right to rule this country. That much for democracy, secularism and pluralism. Cry my Beloved Country

 Dr Mrs Hilda Raja, 

Godhra and after

The burning of a train in Godhra on 27 February 2002, at ------- AM (deep night)
It caused the deaths of 58 Hindu pilgrims karsevaks returning from Ayodhya.

Godhra town population comprises settled Sindhi Hindus who moved in from Pakistan & Ghanchi Muslims after partition (???). The relationship between Hindus and Muslims was apparently not that cordial right from the start, as Ghanchis were termed as very aggressive per some reading I did online.
Godhra town witnessed communal riots in 1947, 1952, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1983, 1989, 1990 and in 1992. 

Mohammad Hussain Kalota, acquitted for 'lack of evidence' was an independent President of Godhra corporation. Earlier he worked for Congress minority cell for six years. On May 10, 2001,Kalota had given an ad in a Gujarati paper  thanking Congress for getting him elected Kalota was a district convener of minority cell of Congress. Salim Sheikh (absconding) was the youth Congress VP and Haji Bilal (Convicted) was associated too. Kalota had links also with Tablighi Jamaat, which had former Pakistan president Rafiq Tarar as its member. This Tablighi founded Harkat, a Jammu & Kashmir terror org  which claimed responsibility via an email for Delhi blasts of 07-09-2011. Thus the main accused in the Godhra genocide, Mohammed Hussain Kalota, has been a "Congressman and a protege of a sitting Congress legislator"

Initial reports on February 27 presented the incident as a pre-planned Muslim mob attack on the Sabarmati Express train against "innocent" Hindu activists who had begun traveling from the city of Ayodhya. However, as the facts began to trickle out, a different picture has emerged.

 a group led by a few members of the Indian parliament who are trying to get the facts straight about the issue. It is headed by Dr. Amar Singh, a member of parliament from Samajwadi Party, who spoke with two of the Hindu victims of the train-burning incident in Godhra. They revealed that, "all along the journey these Ramsevaks (the Hindu militants) were behaving like Gundas (thugs). They wouldn't pay for what they had bought from the vendors. On stations they would chant anti-Muslim rhymes and slogans, insulting Muslim Holy places. There was teasing as well of both fellow passengers and women on the platforms." This fact-finding delegation, comprised of Rajbabbar (M.P. Samajwadi), Shabana Azmi (M.P.) and Aziz Burni (Editor of a leading Urdu news paper, Rashtriya Sahara), was one of the first groups to arrive in the strife-torn area. They visited the hospital and there they found these two victims (from a Hindu family) of the Godhra incident.

भारताची खरी ओळख काय -- या पुस्तकातील काही पाने

सलील गेवाली यांच्या पुस्तकासाठी प्रस्तावना

सलील गेवाली यांच्या पुस्तकासाठी प्रस्तावना
राष्ट्रचेतना

कोटि कोटि वर्षोंपूर्व कभी इस ब्रह्माण्डमें पृथ्वी नामक एक नया ग्रह बनता है और सूर्यमालिकामें अपनी
कालक्रमणा करने लगता है। इसके लाखों वर्षोंपश्चात् किसी समय यहाँ जीवसृष्टि का उदय होता है । उस
अपरिमित जीवसृष्टिका एक जीव है मानव । अन्य सजीवोंमें प्रकट होनेवाले उसी चैतन्यकी धरोहर लिये, लेकिन
वैचारिक क्षमतामें शायद उन सबसे कई युग, कई योजन आगे। यही मानव विचार करता है और पूछता है --
क्या यह चैतन्य जीवसृष्टिके साथ अवतरित हुआ या कि वह ब्रह्माण्डमें पहलेसेही विचरण करता था ?

मानवकी विचार-क्षमतासे आरंभ होती है इस प्रकारके प्रश्नोंकी मालिका। पहला स्वाभाविक प्रश्न है कोsहम् --
मैं कौन हूँ और इसका अन्तिम सत्यात्मक उत्तर है सोsहम् -- मैं वही हूँ।

वही याने कौन ?और मैं कौन से आरंभकर मैं वही हूँ इस ज्ञान तक पहुँचनेकी कालगणना कितनी लम्बी है ?
उस ज्ञानतक पहुँचने के लिये कितनी अधिक वैचारिक प्रगल्भता चाहिये ? भारतीय दर्शन बताता है कि
मैं कौन से आरंभ होनेवाला यह प्रवास विचारोंसे प्रेरित तो है परन्तु इसकी समाप्ति विचारोंसे नही बल्कि
अनुभूतिसे होती है। भारतीय संस्कृति बताती है कि अनुभूति पानेे लिये गुरू ही आधार है -- प्रथम गुरु स्वयं श्री
शिव हैं। इसी लिये गुरुकी महिमा है -- गुरुर्साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ।।

यह अनुभूति जब एक व्यक्तिकी थाती बन जाती है तब क्या वह वैश्विक हो जाती है ? क्या वह सार्वजनिक साझा
की जा सकती है ? नही। हर मनुष्यको अपनी यात्रा स्वयं करनी है -- प्रश्नसे विचार तक और विचारसे अनुभूति तक -- लेकिन हाँ, एक गुरु जो अनुभूति तक पहुँच चुका है, वह साधकको राहकी कठिनाईय़ाँ और पडाव (विरामस्थल) बता सकता है, आरंभमें हाथ पकडकर थोडी दूर चला सकता है। और यदि गुरु समर्थ हो तो साधकको अनुभूति की कगार तक ले जा सकता है। लेकिन जो अन्तिम सत्य जानना है उसके लिये साधकको स्वयं ही पूरे प्रयास लगाकर वहाँ पहुँचना पडता है। वह चैतन्य जो सभी जीवोंमें विराजमान है, यह उस चैतन्य का गुण है कि साधकको अनुभूतितक प्रेरित करता रहे। लेकिन इस राह के पडाव भी लगभग अनन्त हैं। सामान्य जीव कुछ को पार कर ही लेता है। और उसी काल में वैचारिक प्रगल्भता बढती चलती है जो स्वाभाविक रूपसे आधिभौतिक उँचाइयाँ भी देती है जैसे संगीत, गणित, खगोल, निसर्ग, राज्यशास्त्र इत्यादि।

इस प्रकारका दर्शन भारतमें उदित हुआ। उसे पूर्णता आते आते भी सहस्त्रों वर्ष लग गये। उसके विषयमें भगवद्गीता का कथन -- स कालेनेsह महता योगो नष्टः परंतप -- क्या एक ही बार हुआ या कई कई बार हुआ ? जो भी हो, लेकिन वह दर्शन और जीवात्माके सोsहम् तक पहूँचनेके पडावोंका जो वर्णन अलग-अलग अनुभूति-सिद्ध पुरुषोंने किया है, वही पूरे भारतवर्षकी थाती है --वही हमारी संस्कृति है। पर इस बातको वही समझेंगे जो इसे गुनेंगे।

भारतीय संस्कृतिके इस प्रदीर्घ प्रवासमें वह टिकी रही। ज्ञान भले ही विलुप्त होता रहा हो, परन्तु संस्कृति बनी रही। लेकिन क्या आज यह विलुप्तिके कगारपर है ? यदि हाँ, तो कितना समय है अपने पास कि इसकी फिसलनको रोक सकें और इसे पुनः दृढमूल करें?

लेकिन उससे पहला प्रश्न यह आता है कि क्या संस्कृति आधुनिकताके विरुद्ध होती है ? क्या भारतीय संस्कृति आधुनिकता की विरोधी है ? वह आधुनिकता जिसकी चाहना हम सबको है। क्या भारतीय संस्कृतिके नष्ट होनेसे ही भारतके लिये आधुनिकता और विकासके द्वार खुलेंगे ?

(अपूर्ण)

Dharma and Secularism

Secularism Western, Dharma Indian solution: Rajiv Malhotra


By Ajeet Bharti

It is often believed that the idea of secularism is universal and so it should be applied. However, Rajiv Malhotra, noted Indologist and author of several books on the issues of Dharma, Indian history, culture, and languages, believes that the concept is a Western creation. Yesterday, he shared a video on his Facebook page, where he emphasised on the point that ‘secularism’ was a solution to the problems of West where religions like Christianity propagated the thought of ‘we are the only religion that is right, others are wrong’.

That meant there was no scope of a dialogue in a society that heavily relied on the directives of the Church, which guided police, society and even the reigning monarchs.

He said, “Secularism is a Western concept, to solve a western problem. The problem in Western religion was the ‘exclusivity claim’, which means ‘only I am right, others are wrong’, which is built into the Western religion.”

Stressing further on the power that religion and the Church enjoyed, he said that religion often interfered with science and persecuted people who fiddled away with its own thoughts. The Church didn’t allow even science to have its own independent inquiry.

The Indologist, when asked about whether it was unreasonable to define India as Hindu Rashtra in modern times, continued to elaborate on what Dharma meant and how it was different from European view of religion and the need of secularism as a solution.

“Secularism was to curtail the excessive ‘state authority’ and ‘state power’ that the Church had, not only over the people who dissented and belonged to some other religion, but also people who were scientists.”

However, he said, “In India, the Dharma never had a posture against scientific inquiry. The Raja (King) never had an authority to impose his dharma over others. Manu was very clear that Raja must practice his Dharma, and he must allow others to practice their Dharma. In fact, not only it’s theoretically the case, but (even) in practise like, when the early Syrian Christians came, the Raja even gave them land. When the Zoroastrians from Persia came to India, they were also given land to live and practice their religion.”

Adding to the concept of dharma and how it is pluralistic in nature, Malhotra talked about how Hinduism was not a religion as defined by the West, “Hinduism is not necessarily a religion in a Western sense, it got a lot of claims within it. There are people who believe in different philosophies… there are people who are atheists, which is also ok, you can be a nāstik (atheist).”

The Indologist further explained how concept of religion with regards to Hinduism and Dharma, was different from the Abrahamic religions. “There is a built-in ‘pluralism’ within the Dharma (which) has made it different than the built-in ‘exclusivity’ in the Abrahamic religions.”

“Now, if the Dharma has a built-in pluralism (Sāpeksha Dharma), which means inclusive of all the Dharma, Sufis can have their Dharma, Muslims can have their Dharma, as long as you also respect others to have their Dharma. We can have differences (but) with mutual respect,” he elaborated.

Saying that Dharma meant a flow of free thinking and not a limitation on the same, Rajiv Malhotra debunked the idea of secularism for India as he opined it was a solution for the Western problem where scientists were beheaded and dissidents were persecuted.

As he spoke on the topic, in reply to the question of secularism and Dharma, he remarked that Dharma “never said that if your scientific conclusion is different then you are disobedient and it’s blasphemy. We never had any blasphemy law kind of things. So, free thinking was always there.”

Later, adding on to why pluralism was best suited to us, he said, “Lot of Indians believe that secularism is a “gold standard’ because they have been brainwashed. They don’t even think what it is, where it came from, what does it do. They are just taught that way. They have learnt it from childhood and parroted it saying ‘ain’t we seculars’, this and that.”

Malhotra explained that secularism, as an idea, was needed because the Western society didn’t have a space for any other religion. They needed a concept where people tried to coexist and practice different faiths. They needed an idea where science and other religions could coexist and be tolerated. However, he said that in India there were no such issues as pluralism made sure we have mutual respect.

Answering to the second part of the question regarding India being a ‘Hindu Rashtra’, he said, “As far as would India be a Hindu society, I use the term Dharmic society. India is a Dharmic society and I do not use the word Hindu, because Dharma also includes Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs. It includes anyone who complies with the basic principles like mutual respect.”

“So, the people who themselves want to be called as Hindus are fine, or something else are also fine. But, if you use Dharma, then Yes, Indian civilization is a Dharmic Civilization. This is my position,” he asserted.

The author of ‘Breaking India’, ‘Indra’s Net’ and ‘Breaking Point’, was asked whether he meant that the alternative name to be asked for India should be a Dharmic Nation rather than Hindu Rashtra.

Rajiv replied in a candid way, “I think it would be very difficult for someone to reject Dharma, no matter who they are, because basic ethics, basic responsibilities, basic life-style of respecting yourself, your family, your community, animals, nature, society, the world, the environment are all part of Dharma. Dharma is not just religion between me and God, it is all encompassing human ethics and responsibility.”

Here is the link to the YouTube video from his speech in December 2014:

The Dharma-culture-economy -globally

From Srinivas Bharadwaj <srini.bharadwaj@gmail.com

 The various models of Dharmic Resistance over the centuries have included importantly 

Meijism. In the 19th Century, Japan, began a switch from a traditional Dharmic to an Industrial

post-agrarian society. Meijisim adopted several of the new technologies while also retaining its

older perspectives and built the first successful evolution of a Dharmic Industrial Society. China,

on the other hand evolved down a different road, having turned to Communism and taking with it,

several of the East Asian Societies.

   India was a late entrant to this party and its first turn was to take a quazi-socialist turn in the form of

a Gandhian Socialist model which was evolutionary rather than revolutionary in the transformation of

India. The bipolar nature of the world's economic models, namely Capitalism and Socialism, left military

and geo-political concerns foremost in the minds of planners. Hinduism itself was absorbed with 

some approval and even a little awe notably with the Beatles and Ravi Shankar fitting easily into the 

Western Cultural Ethos. Culture was seen as important only in its ability to combat communism. In this

respect, Islam was seen as a key counterpoint to Communism. And its resistance to transformation was not

seen as important. Expediency drove Western intentions to influence and transform foreign civilizations. 

Earlier the need to conquer and occupy had driven the need to convert the natives of places like 

South America, Southern America. 

 Post-Soviet Union, and the rise of China, a new set of concerns emerged. Europe began to diverge in

its perspectives, notably separating its economic and culture interests. However, one lesson learned in

the transformation of the Soviet Union was the "Billy Graham" and Pope John Paul II Crusades. It was felt that Christianity had a key role to play in the transformation into "our model". Multi-culturalism in the real sense

implied an acceptance of cultural values and the way forward for this process was also going to be Christian

Evangelism. 

The rise of the BJP lead to a key Western Concern with respect to India, namely that it was headed towards

fundamentalism. Once Modi came to power and it was understood that he would follow a proReform economic

agenda and have in place some progressive principles, it became clear that the battle in the West was going

to move towards a bifurcation of policy, namely encourage Buddhism but discourage Hinduism. The broad 

push in Europe has been towards a drop in interest in Christianity, despite a new Pope. The trend towards

Atheism in Britain is seen as having contagion effects. The recent Internatinoal Yoga Day effort was received

with some resistance in the West.

Protestant Evangelicals notably in the Southern Denominations have seen India as a key next step, notably 

as unfinished work. Yet, there is a need for both sides to build a key dialog that is more substantive. The 

problem is that there is not an organized set of leaders able to facilitate this. The problem is a lack of coordination in defining the key issues and the key players. Academia necessarily is used as a "guerrilla agency" like the CIA is in military intelligence. It does not toe the line of any traditional religious body. 

The religious bodies will talk. 

The ability to engage academia or more importantly, get academia to talk back to you is part of the problem.

Today, a few individual actors with a free license can operate boldly. The question is why this ability is not 

properly harnessed and applied appropriately from the other side, beyond a few players. The "Operatives" model, where a few aim to drive an opinion into the world that then sticks needs to be appropriately managed. 

Asking questions and defining a method of engagement and dialog needs to be initiated.

For instance, an open dialog with various Religious Studies departments in the Ivy schools against the back

drop of the Dharma Conference is called for. I feel that there should be an open invite to Select Professors

to freely come to the Conference and have an open dialog and discussion with an "Open House" is called for.

In the East coast, this should not be difficult to arrange.

COMMENT BY Come Carpentier comecarpentier@gmail.com

 Japan in the wake the Meiji revolution embarked on a course of military expansion and colonisation inspired by the western powers and that brought about its undoing as its refined Dharmic civilisation was engulfed in the savagery of modern techno-warfare and has now been diluted by sheer consumerism.

The dialogue with academics is needed but the problem is that university trained intellectuals are expected and even compelled to work under certain methodologies and theories which don't accept the Dharmic principles as anything more than a pre-industrial society's caste-based rules. They must be made to look outside the frameworks of deconstructionism, dialectical materialism and liberal empiricism and the insights of the physical and biological sciences such as quantic physics and organic chemistry can help to change the perspective. 

Western missionary movements of course are much harder to influence because they work on semi-militaristic lines and don't rely on reason or analysis but merely on the "commercial" need to conquer markets and win over bodies and minds.

By Vamadeva Shastri (Dr. David Frawley)

Western academia has had an almost uncritical control of Hindu studies, unlike that of any other religion. There are few practicing Hindus in academic positions in the West, and those that exist rarely challenge the dominant discourse openly in front of their peers. Indians seem to be encouraged if they are Marxists or Non-Hindus. This is very different than Christianity, Judaism and Islam that have many practicing members in the ranks of academic teachers in the West, who openly defend their faith.

Western academics can denigrate Hinduism in often unkind terms, yet feel that Hindus should not be allowed to criticize them in return, as if they should be immune from scrutiny by the Hindu community.

There is a new battle over Hindu studies and what Hinduism means in a global context, particularly since India now has what is regarded as a more pro-Hindu government. The popularity of Hindu based movements worldwide like the many different Yoga groups, Vedanta and Ayurveda are part of this issue. While Hinduism is being denigrated at an academic level as backward and superstitious, Hindu based ideas are at the forefront of much of the new spiritual, healing and ecological thought in the world.

Current views of Hinduism that predominate in academia follow colonial, missionary, Marxist and Freudian perspectives that have largely been discredited in other fields and which most Americans would not embrace. There are rarely any dharmic, yogic, Vedantic or Hindu perspectives taken up in so-called Hindu studies. Hindus today – like Blacks and the Native Americans up to recent times – find that academic views of their culture and history are controlled by outside groups with vested interests that seem biased against them.

The recent attack on Malhotra reflects long term academic distortions in the field of Hindu studies. As someone who has written in the Vedic and Hindu field for over thirty years, I have found such insensitive attitudes towards Hindu scholars common in certain circles, which generally write on Hinduism without respecting or deeply studying Hindu traditions.

While Americans today have learned to respect the Hindu-American community – which is one of the most affluent and educated minority groups in the country – they would be surprised to know that much of American academia, which is supposed to represent tolerance, still treats them in a demeaning manner. It is important that a Hindu point of view must be allowed, even if it may be critical of accepted academic ideas, which as these currently stand can hardly be called considerate of any Hindu point of view.