Wednesday, July 07, 2010

"Saare Jahaan se accha Hindusthaan hamaara" Musical fountain



Last bit of the "Saare Jahaan se accha Hindusthaan hamaara" Musical fountain at Vrindavan Gardens, Mysore (use headset if sound feeble)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Fwd: A list of communal riots in India, between 1953-1979

This is an old email, that I got fwdd again recently..I have not verified the claims, but won't be surprised either if it were true, going by the dar-al-harb logic ... and I am also testing for the first time, posting by email....
 
[ Subject: A list of communal riots in India, between 1953-1979
[ Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 16:30:58 -0500

This period was post partition, and before Ayodhya

Most riots are caused by illegal muslim cow slaughter or
muslims stoning hindu processions or muslims molesting
hindu girls

Muslims attacked hindu processionists, raped hindu girls,
attacked buddhists, xtians, newspapers and cops and
desecrated temples

Out of the 74 riots described below

Unknown = 14
Police initiated = 1
Hindu initiated = 4
Muslim initiated = 55

In other words, Muslims initiated 75% of all riots This
was in a period, where muslims were supposedly defanged
by the sikh-hindu reprisals in the punjab


POLITICS OF COMMUNALISM

By Ms Zenab Banu

Appendix IV, Page 175-193
Historical Survey of some major communal riots.

1. 1953 Viramgaom Holi festival
(muslims stabbed holi revellers)

2. 1953 Bhopal Stone throwing by some miscreants at a
procession taken by the Hindu Mahasabha
to protest against cow slaughter
(muslims stone hindu procession)

3. 1953 Gauhati Angry crowed tried to prevent a
Muslim family from sacrificing cow
(illegal muslim cow slaughter)

4. 1953 Ahmedabad, Nasik, Ganapati festival and Moharram
Poona, Sangli... coincide
1953 Ahmedabad ---do---
(muslims with Moharam swords attack hindu procession)

5. sept.1953 Poona Arson bid in Poona
(Unknown)

6. 1953 Sholapur Ganpati immersion day playing music
before a mosque.
(muslims attack hindu procession)

7. 1953 Jamnagar A boy stabbing a cow near a hotel
(illegal muslim cow slaughter)

8. 1954 Ghaziabad Slaughter of a stolen cow
(illegal muslim cow slaughter)

9. 1954 Aligarh Over the price of a melon between a
hawker and a customer
(unknown)

10. 1954 Nizamabad Some persons hoisted the Pakistani flag
on the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
(so even Gandhi's muslim appeasement did not help , muslim initiated)

11. 1954 Mathura Some persons broke the idol of Krishna
which was installed for worship in a
temple near Idghah mosque
(muslim desecrate hindu temple)

12. 1954 Gulbarga, Mannila, Pakistani flag was hoisted over a
Fatehpur. temple of Ganesh.
(muslim desecrate hindu temple)

13. 1956 Bhopal Holi festival - Muslims threw bones
in the Holi fire and an idol in a
temple was defiled
(muslim desecrate hindu temple)

14. 1956 Sholapur Rival claims to a shrine made by the
two communities.
(unknown)

15. 1956 Many parts of UP A publication of the Bhartiya Vidya
Bhavan alleging insulting reference
on prophet Mohammed.
(Muslim hyper sensitivity)

16. 1956 Jabalpur Forcibly closing down of shops in
protest against damage to an idol
of Ganapati
(muslim desecrate hindu temple)

17. 1956 Khamgaon Attack on a Ganapati procession
before a mosque by a crowd
(muslims attack hindu procession)

18. 1957 Hazaribagh A clash between students in
Moharram procession
(muslims with swords attack hindus)

19. 1958 Belgaun A procession of Hindus with music
before a mosque
(muslims attack hindu procession)

20. 1958 Dulhia Unauthorised cow slaughter
(illegal cow slaughter by muslims)

21. 1958 Yeola Muslims objecting a procession
of Ganpati Idol
(muslims attack hindu procession)

22. 1958 Bagalkot A procession of RSS was stoned near
Panka mosque
(muslims attack hindu procession)

23. 1959 Lucknow Sprinkling of clour on Muslim on
Holi festival by a Hindu
1959 Bhopal ----do----
(muslims attack holi revellers)

24. 1959 Sitamashi Spreading of a rumour that a cow
was slaughtered
(illegal cow slaughter by muslims)

25. 1960 Hubli Idol of Maruti disfigured by someone
(muslims desecrate hindu temple)

26. 1960 Firozabad Ramlila procession
1960 Saharanpur Ramlila procession
(muslims attack hindu procession)

27. 1961 Jabalpur, Sangore Effort to molest a Hindu girl
Narsinghpur, Damoh
(muslims rape hindu girl)

28. 1961 Many cities in UP Aligarh University hostel boy when
misbehaved with hostel girl
(muslims rape hindu girl)

29. 1961 Palanpur Discovery of animal bones in the palace
of worship
(muslims desecrate hindu temple)

30. 1961 Bhopal Meeting of Jana Sangh Dist. Committee
(unknown)

31. 1961 Vidisha, Bhopal Hindu procession being disturbed by Muslims
(muslims attack hindu procession)

32. 1962 Sikundra Slaughter of a cow
(illegal cow slaughter by muslims)

33. 1962 Malda in WB A week's agitation against the publication
of a picture of Mohammed
(hypersensitivity of muslims)

34. 1962 Agra A quarrel between two persons belonging to
opposite communities
(unknown)

35. 1962 Mandsaur A dispute over a business transaction
(unknown)

36. 1962 Bareilly Throwing of stones on a procession of
Hindus passing through Muslim residential area
(muslims attack hindu procession)

37. 1962 Ratanagiri Ganpati procession attacked by Muslims
(muslims attack hindu procession)

38. 1963 Junagarh Criminal assault by two Muslim youths on
a Hindu girl
(muslims rape hindu girl)

39. 1963 Islampur Muslim participants of Moharram procession
attacked by the police with lathi
(Police ??)

40. 1963 Akola Ganpati idol was attacked by stones
(muslims attack hindu procession)

41. 1963 Nadia, Calcutta Hair of Mohammed from Hazratbal mosque
were stolen
1963 Srinagar ---do---
(muslim hyper sensitivity)

42. 1964 Bihar, Orissa Train carrying refugees of East Pakistan
(hindu reprisals)

43. 1965 Udaipur Scuffle between the two neighbors of
opposite community
1966 Udaipur Scuffle between the two wrestlers of
two communities
(unknown)

44. 1967 Ranchi Brick batting on the Urdu agitators'
procession
(hindus)

45. 1967 Srinagar Religious conversion and marriage of a
girl of the Pandi community to a
Muslim youth
(muslims abduct hindu girl)

46. 1968 Meerut A conference organised by the Jamaat-e-
Islami in a college and a procession
crossed by Jan Sangh
(unknown)

47. 1968 Karimganj Scuffle between two boys of opposite
community on a cow of a Muslim
(Illegal cow slaughter)

48. 1968 Vizhinjam Clash between Muslims and Christians
when Muslims embarked on aggressive
violent acts against catholics
(Muslims attack catholics)

49. 1968 Allahabad Holy reveller threw water color on a
Muslim who pulled out a pistol
(muslims attack holi reveller)

50. 1968 Auditanda Ramnavmi procession
(muslims attack hindu procession)

51. 1968 Manglore Muslims had assaulted a Hindu fisherman
(muslims)

52. 1968 Aurangabad A Muslim backery servant's attack on a
cow with a knife
(Illegal cow slaughter)

53. 1968 Nagpur Scuffle between a Muslim barber and a
Neo Buddha
(muslims)

54. 1968 Parbhani A Hindu college student stabbed by one
Muslim Rikshaw puller
(muslims)

55. 1968 Mabajogi Scuffle among students
(unknown)

56. 1968 Pupri Durga procession passed through a Muslim
inhabited area
1968 Gumdum A Hindu procession
1968 Cuttack Music in front of mosque
(muslims attack hindu procession)

57. 1968 Veeranal News of a death of a Muslim in his house
(muslims)

58. 1969 Kendrapa Music near a mosque
(muslims attack hindu procession)

59. 1969 Calcutta Muslim demonstration before the office
of the 'Statesman'
(muslim hypersensitivity)

60. 1969 Anjar A clash between two persons of opposite
community
(unknown)

61. 1969 Hubli Muslims objected to throwing of colored
water on them on Holi
(muslims attack holi revellers)

62. 1969 Mau in UP Beating of a Hindu boy by Muslim boys
(muslims)

63. 1969 Anjar An armed mob of Muslims attacked Hindus
(muslims)

64. 1969 Gujarat Mutual suspician and animosity between
two communities
(unknown)

65. 1969 Ahmedabad Atack on Jaganath tmple by Muslims
1969 Other cities in Guj. Repurcussions of above
(muslims)

66. 1970 Chaibasa Ram Navmi procession
(muslims attack hindu procession)

67. 1970 Bhiwandi and other Beginning with a quarrel between two
parts of Maharashtra persons of opposite communities
(unknown)

68. 1972 Tonk Bakri Id
1972 Banaras Bakri Id
(illegal muslim cow slaughter)

69. 1973 Delhi Two groups of miscreants clashed at Bara
Hindu Rao area
(unknown)

70. 1974 Jugeshwari Anti-Muslim feeling injected by Shiv Sena
workers in the minds of general people
(Shiv Sena)

71. 1974 Delhi Quarreling of two persons belonging to
two opposite communities.
(unknown)

72. 1975 Jogeshwari Militant action of Shiv Sena volunteers
(Shiv Sena)

73. 1977 Chittorgarh Id Festival
(illegal muslim cow slaughter)

74. 1977 Banaras Durga procession
(muslims attack hindu procession)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

5 yrs

May 18, this blog completed 5 yrs..

This is the 225th post

and the visitor counter has just gone past 20,000

--------
Considering that there were 200 posts in the first 3 years, ( http://drisyadrisya.blogspot.com/2008/05/3-years-200-posts.html ) last two years have seen only a post-a-month average

Well, no promises ahead :-) let time tell whats in store going fwd

Thanks to all readers

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Saturday, March 20, 2010

the dream Sanskrit movie

It has been a thought - a dream - for a while ... when will we have a commercial Sanskrit movie with 'mainstream' artists ? and here I am, starting to collect possible artists - feel free to add more in the comments...

1) Thalaivar Rajanikanth - http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/feb/07sree.htm

He said, 'Malayalam is quite similar to Sanskrit, and I therefore understood all the dialogues very well.'

2) Asin - http://www.simplymalayalees.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=442

She is a native speaker of Malayalam, and claims to speak Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Sanskrit, English and French.

3) And now Mohanlal - http://malayalam.galatta.com/entertainment/malayalam/livewire/id/Revitalise_Sanskrit_Mohanlal_36630.html

In his speech after accepting the honorary doctorate degree from Governor R.S. Gavai at the special convocation of the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kochi on Tuesday, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal said that Sanskrit should be revitalised as it represents the culture of the country. Sanskrit was lying somewhere in the layers of mankind and should be revived for the overall welfare of the country, he said


Pointing out that he had not learnt Sanskrit, Mohanlal said that he feels it a great loss while trying to understand the language through his research and acting

How about we arrange to teach you Sanskrit ? :)

Saturday, March 13, 2010

PC issues another 'final warning'

The following 2 links r items from March 2010

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/india-warns-pakistan-of-decisive-response-330

dire warning from India that another cross-border attack on its soil would invite a swift and decisive response from New Delhi.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/87913/World/Swift+response+if+26/11+repeated:+Chidambaram.html

In a categorical warning to Islamabad, New Delhi has said India would "respond swiftly and decisively" if there is another attack emanating from Pakistan.

-----------
That shud make us proud, and hopeful . But wait a minute - what about this Nov 2009 speech -

http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/chidambarams_final_warning_to_pak_stop_sending_terrorists.php

In a very strongly worded speech, Home Minister P Chidambaram has issued what he called a final warning to Pakistan.

http://www.in.com/news/current-affairs/chidambarams-final-warning-to-pak-11460573-0f05149557c546b9baef7e8c180d6ee37cfac7c0-hp.html

Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday night warned Pakistan against meddling with India and said any more attack from the country will be retaliated “very strongly”

Pune attack happened, and we all saw what did (not) happen

-------------------
So what PC meant must be that next time there is an attack, he will be much more swift in issuing the next final warning !

Sunday, March 07, 2010

mao-chao-s

I'm not exactly sure where the (unexpected) communication gap was between the three Ms - the Maoists , the 'Magsasite' and the Media

* Pillai says Maoists planning to overthrow Indian govt by 2050 and has its own army

* Maoists name Suzanne Arundhati Roy as one of the possible mediators

* As a 'faithful' mediator, Roy already started her work by contradicting and challenging Pillai

* And then comes the Maoist statement confirming their plans

links
1) http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/kishenji-names-possible-mediators-for-talks-with-government-17312.php

It was a virtual face-off between the Home Secretary and writer-activist Arundhati Roy who challenged Pillai's statement that Maoists are virtually building an army to overthrow the state of India

2) http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/newswatch/1124-maoists-to-overthrow-indian-state-much-before-2050-says-kishenji.html

"We will overthrow the Indian government much before 2050" Kishenji told PTI. "We have own army, which is capable of overthrowing the Indian government much before 2050", he claimed.

-----------
PS: I am reminded of a Romila Thapar statement which sounded something like - "Even if you show me memoirs of Babar saying that for the sake of islam I destroyed Ram temple, we historians don't accept that, we have our own methodology for 'arriving at' history"

Friday, February 12, 2010

Fools and Bigger Fools

Hoping to get some "entertainment" from the idiot box on a Friday evening, I was channel browsing , and CNN-IBN and the other English news channels did not disappoint. The "lead story" on CNN - IBN was how Mumbaikars stood up to Shiv Sena threat and how "most multiplexes" in Mumbai ran a "full house" of "My Name is Khan"

I have in some of my previous posts written about Shiv Sena ( Refer the first half of the title for this post), but today the more entertaining ones were the sir and ma'm of the show.. I mean the hosts of India @ 9 or whatever..

After the clippings of the "packed houses" ( means may be 20-30 people in front of a theatre ) and interviews with some can't-figure-out-if-its-a-he-or-she folks saying "we won't let ourselves to be bullied" , there was finally the interview with the ShivSena spokesperson, and here is how it went more or less ( SS for Shivsena fella, CNNS for the CNN Sir and CNNM for the ma'm, and my comments are in brackets)

------------------

CNNS: So SS, tell honestly, do you accept defeat

SS: (After some philosophical discourse on how media is supposed to be the fourth pillar -or did he mean fifth column - of the society got into some statistics) - There are 263 theatres in Maharahstra and only 13 (or was it 30?) screened MNIK . In Mumbai only 4 theatres screened it . How do you still say that it was screened in "most theatres" ?

CNNM : (looking at what is perhaps a paper - or was she checking her face in the mirror once more - on the table) But we have here reports that the movie was running to packed houses
( ma'm you did not reply to SS' question or statistics...)

SS: Where are you getting statistics that even the few theaters than ran were packed ? I have seen clippings showing many empty seats

CNNS : Are you saying that nobody in Mumbai has seen the film in Mumbai today ? ( lol, even an LKG kid would understand the difference between what SS said and what you attribute to him)

----------------------

What I thought would be a cornering of the SS guy, in just a couple of minutes turned to be a comedy show by the anchors ! I continued my browsing and somewhere I found the other "major news" for the day (I think it was CNN-IBN again). That of how Pramod Muthalik (lets call him PM) got a "taste of his own medicine" when he got his face blackened by "Youth Congress activists" .

Yet again, PM belongs to the first half of the title, but today I am more exited about the second halfers . So how come, when Youth Congress retorts to violence , even if its against another violence, it becomes "getting back", but if only it were a "right-wing" reaction to say a Christian aggression, or an Islamic invasion it becomes "two wrongs don't make a right" . How come when a disputed so-called mosque is pulled down, it becomes "two wrongs don't make a right"? Why don''t the same media call it "Islam getting a taste of its own medicine" ? ( In fact 1 in a ten-thousand part may be) . When Muthalik is attacked "he deserves it" , may be he does, so then what about when CNN-IBN office itself is attacked ?

Going back to Mumbai, some news anchor was seen asking "Who gives Shiv Sena the right to decide what Mumbaikars should do?" . Mam, who give "English News Channels" the right to decide who is communal and who is not, to label some one a criminal even before a court sentences him guilty, to distort facts as it likes and then to remain silent without even an apology when proved wrong ? Who gives you the right to keep bombarding us with distortions and biased reports ?

Though done without a choice, the 2 rupee per month ( well 100 rupee for some 50 channels) that I am paying is really worth it when it comes to " Comedy News Network - India Based N..... " any suggestions for the last N ?

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Six reasons to ponder at Sixty




Somewhere I chanced upon an article "Why India is better than Pakistan in its 60 years after Independence"... There may be again some comparisons between the two as India recently went through "60 years of Indian constitution" - i.e of 60 years of being a federal democratic republic, but there is a fundamental issue here because in the Islamic "republic" of Pakistan , things shaped out quite different -- The first Constitution of Pakistan was adopted in 1956, but was suspended in 1958 by General Ayub Khan. The Constitution of 1973 — suspended in 1977, by Zia-ul-Haq, but re-instated in 1985 — ......

I am not going to spend my time comparing India with that joke (or rather headache) called Pakistan, may be a slightly more interesting one (to compare) would be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_(1789-1849) ...

So now, something got me thinking - What has kept India together (with issues of course, but not fatal ones despite its billion plus population and despite foolish Governmental decisions from Nehru to Manmohan ) and yet liberal at the same time.. And here are my six reasons ( Its perhaps a combination of some or all of these...a combo or AND, OR ,...)

1) The 6000 year foundation ... : The 6000 of course is not an exact number, may be close, but I wanted it to rhyme too :) - I leave it to the archeologists ( interesting sidenote- http://www.dailypioneer.com/228303/Saraswati-flows-on-in-ASI-records.html ) ... and yes, there were wars within, but think about it, even wars were with rules.. no fighting at night, the charioteer should not kill the cavalry, no hitting "below the knees".. Those who flouted it in Mahabharata had to deal with the wheel of Karma ...

2) Hinduism . : The fact that the majority religion was a very tolerant and liberal one... well sometimes I felt that it was too tolerant of other religions and somewhat harsh on itself (thats perhaps a big topic for later).

Delivered on a Jan 16 th , its worth to quote a full paragraph from

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_3/Lectures_from_Colombo_to_Almora/First_Public_Lecture_in_the_East_(Colombo)


So much I have seen, and so far those of you who are students of the history of races are already aware of this fact. The debt which the world owes to our Motherland is immense. Taking country with country, there is not one race on this earth to which the world owes so much as to the patient Hindu, the mild Hindu. "The mild Hindu" sometimes is used as an expression of reproach; but if ever a reproach concealed a wonderful truth, it is in the term, "the mild Hindu", who has always been the blessed child of God. Civilisations have arisen in other parts of the world. In ancient times and in modern times, great ideas have emanated from strong and great races. In ancient and in modern times, wonderful ideas have been carried forward from one race to another. In ancient and in modern times, seeds of great truth and power have been cast abroad by the advancing tides of national life; but mark you, my friends, it has been always with the blast of war trumpets and with the march of embattled cohorts. Each idea had to be soaked in a deluge of blood. Each idea had to wade through the blood of millions of our fellow-beings. Each word of power had to be followed by the groans of millions, by the wails of orphans, by the tears of widows. This, in the main, other nations have taught; but India has for thousands of years peacefully existed. Here activity prevailed when even Greece did not exist, when Rome was not thought of, when the very fathers of the modern Europeans lived in the forests and painted themselves blue. Even earlier, when history has no record, and tradition dares not peer into the gloom of that intense past, even from then until now, ideas after ideas have marched out from her, but every word has been spoken with a blessing behind it and peace before it. We, of all nations of the world, have never been a conquering race, and that blessing is on our head, and therefore we live.

I wonder if I really need to continue, for the main reason(s) I guess is aleady clear in that paragraph, but stil for the sake of the rhyming six, here are the other 4

3) Diversity: I think its in the very blood of Indians to accept diveristy... be it languages , or philosophies or even.. political parties

4) Evolution rather than revolution : Do we have the equivalent of a French or a Russian or an American "revolution"... Nope and I think its again due to the fact that we as a Nation are more comfortable with evolution ... and hey, we have rebirths, so whats the hurry !

5) Family Values : With the foundation strong at home, I guess its easier to extend it to the society and the Nation... in fact even to "vasudhaiva kuTumbakam" or "yatra viswam bhavatyekaneedam", if only others too agreed

6) External factors: Though not fully desirable, a Pakistan, China and Bangladesh around us, and war-torn Sri Lanka near us, and attempts to thrust some aggressive ideologies on us, may have to some degree strengthened our bond

! vandE maataram !

Photo from the web - http://rlv.zcache.com/bharat_mata_bharat_mata_tshirt-p235109234917626630qixv_400.jpg

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

catching up

It has been an inactive 100 days or so on the blog - and oh well, perhaps a much less active year that passed by... Here I am, trying to "regroup" myself , gain back some of the lost momentum.. Looks like these days one has to view life from an "escalator perspective" rather than a "staircase perspective" - they keep going whether you plan to climb or not

Wink of a year and tweets have become much more popular, and I quite missed the tide... , trying to catch up now - http://twitter.com/drisyadrisya . In fact I wanted to do a blogpost during Sankranti ... kind of to tell myself that its a transition to a bit more active blogging (among reviving some other activities too) - but that was not to be.. and here I am on the "Republic" day going "re-public" again ... Having faced the starting trouble, the easiest way out has been to reformat the look :) .. but I promise myself , that substance will follow !