Veer Savarkar and the two-nation theory-Shreerang Godbole-26 February 2011

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Veer Savarkar and the two-nation theory

Shreerang Godbole

26 February 2011

[Today is the Atma Samarpan Divas of Veer Savarkar - editor]

Congress leader Digvijay Singh recently stated (26 Jan) that Savarkar had the original idea of the two-nation theory which was later adopted by Jinnah. This is not the first (and one may safely assume not the last) time that Veer Savarkar has been blamed for putting forth the two-nation theory. Notwithstanding Digvijay Singh's political compulsions in spreading this piece of disinformation, a factual rebuttal is in order. 

The entire case of the Savarkar-baiters rests on a solitary sentence culled out from his nearly 6000-page literature. Fortunately, Savarkar has himself answered the charge that he had put forth the two-nation theory. The sentence in question can be found in Savarkar's Presidential address to the 19^th session of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha at Karnavati (Ahmedabad) in 1937. Savarkar stated, "India cannot be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main; the Hindus and the Moslems, in India."

If critics read the entire speech (http://www.savarkar.org/content/pdfs/en/hindu-rashtra-darshan-en-v002.pdf), it shall be evident to them that Savarkar had not advocated the two-nation theory. Savarkar was one of the few Hindu leaders who made a deep study of Islam from its scriptures. He had read a translation of the Quran even while he was a student in England. In the Andamans, Savarkar had read the Quran first in its English and subsequently Bengali and Marathi translations. Responding to the opinion of his Muslim friends that the real beauty of the Quran lies in its original, Savarkar asked them to read each page from the original and then had them translate it for his benefit into Hindi. As Savarkar describes, he heard them recite the Quran with great concentration and after keeping his mind clean and pure as a devout Muslim. In later life, Savarkar read several books written by Western authorities on the Quran. His deep study of Islam is evident from his numerous articles such as those on Kemal Pasha, Khilafat movement and various Islamic sects. Savarkar had learnt to read and write Urdu. Thus, Savarkar's views on Islam and Muslims are not those of an ignorant bigot. 

The context

Savarkar's Presidential address is not a run-of-the-mill political speech. After dwelling on the definition and significance of the word 'Hindu', the status of Hindus as a nation unto themselves, the mission of the Hindu Mahasabha, unified Indian State and the cooperation of the minorities, Savarkar turned his attention to the attitude of the Muslims. He stated. "As it is, there are two antagonistic nations living side by side in India, several infantile politicians commit the serious mistake in supposing that India is already welded into a harmonious nation, or that it could be welded thus for the mere wish to do so. Our well-meaning but unthinking friends take their dreams for realities… The solid fact is that the so-called communal questions are but a legacy handed down to us by centuries of a cultural, religious and national antagonism between the Hindus and the Moslems. When time is ripe you can solve them but you cannot suppress them by merely refusing recognition of them." 

It is in that context that he made that statement. The Islam-scholar, historian and hard-headed realist in Savarkar was simply stating a bland fact and not endorsing it. This is further confirmed two sentences later when he referred to the options before Hindus under the circumstances. He stated, "…to form an Indian State in which none is allowed any special weightage of representation and none is paid an extra price to buy his loyalty to the State. Mercenaries are paid and bought off, not sons of the Motherland to fight in her defence. The Hindus as a nation are willing to discharge their duty to a common Indian State on an equal footing." It is noteworthy that the President of the Hindu Mahasabha was not seeking any rights for the Hindus that he was not willing to grant to the Muslims! Throughout his life, Savarkar advocated equal rights for all citizens in a unified Indian State. 

Savarkar's defence

Misunderstanding was created after Savarkar made the above utterances. Hence, Savarkar clarified his statement to journalists on 15 August 1943 in the office of the Marathi weekly Aadesh in Nagpur. He also clarified his position in an interview given in Mumbai on 23 August 1943, and published in Aadesh on 28 August 1943 [English translation below]:

"I had clarified this (my statement that there are two nations in Hindusthan) in my Nagpur interview. But instead of reporting this, journalists simply reported that I accept the two-nation theory. This has resulted in the whole misunderstanding. I am surprised that a storm has been raised now on this issue. Because I have always been referring to the two-nation theory right from my Ahmedabad speech. It is a historic truth that the Mussulmans are a nation.. I had clarified the historical and racial background of this theory in Nagpur. Islam is a theocratic nation based on the Koran right from its inception. This nation never had geographical boundaries. Wherever the Mussulmans went, they went as a nation. They also came to Hindusthan as a nation.. Wherever they go, Mussulmans shall either remain foreigners or rulers. As per the Koran, those who are not Mussulmans are kafirs, enemies of Islam. Even today, after praying in the mosque, Mussulmans ask for atonement for committing the sin of living in a kafir-ruled state. As per the principle of Mussulmans, the earth is divided into two nations: Dar-ul Islam (land of Islam) and Dar-ul Harb where Islam does not rule (enemy land). As per their religious command, their campaign on Hindusthan was as a separate nation. They conquered the Hindu Nation as a enemy nation, not as One Nation. The Hindu Nation arose again and having defeated the Mussulmans at various places, saved the whole of Hindusthan to establish Hindu Padpadshahi also as a separate Hindu Nation opposed to the Muslim nations. This history certainly cannot be denied. In the recent past, the educated class among the Hindus mostly through the vehicle of the Congress tried its utmost to champion territorial nationalism by saying that at least in Hindusthan, Hindus and Mussulmans are one nation because they reside in one country. Though the effort was well-intentioned, the Mussulmans never gave up their principle of theocratic or scriptural nationalism and the feeling of being a nation separate from the Hindu Nation. And they never shrank from stating this right. Seizing the right opportunity and taking advantage of the Congress policy of surrender, the Muslim League once again emphatically put forth that same old theory of the Mussulman nation being a separate nation. If one turns a blind eye to this reality, the Hindu Nation is bound to be divided. So we do not care if you consider yourself to be a separate nation. The effort towards Hindu consolidation is to emphatically state that the Hindu Nation is a self-evident and unified Nation. The Mahasabha came forward as a separate and mighty national organization of the Hindu Nation. Hindu Nationalism gave a cutting edge to the effort of consolidation.

People still do not understand the important thing that stating the fact of Mussulman and Hindu nations being present in Hindusthan is not to accept the Pakistani adamancy of carving a country of the Mussalmans. If I call someone a grihasta (householder), it does not make him a resident of my griha (house). Whether the Mussulmans consider themselves a separate nation or not, at least as far as Hindusthan is concerned, they are a minority compared to Hindus. Like the English, they have come here as foreigners and if they want to stay in Hindusthan, they should do so only as a minority community. An independent, unified, indivisible and single State should be established in Hindusthan. Hindusthan is the Fatherland and the Holyland of Hindus and even today they are an overwhelming majority in this their country. Hence, even if there are in this country, by force or tyranny, the English, Portuguese, French or those invaders such as the Americans or Japanese who call themselves a nation., Hindusthan should be considered politically a nation of the Hindus as per the principle of peoples' power. If they want, minorities may stay here merely as minority communities. This is the objective; this is the oath of Hindu consolidation. This objective should be achieved through consensus if possible. Else, by strength and should opportunity arise, by force, this or the next generation of Hindus shall achieve this objective. While two or two hundred nations that consider themselves separate from the Hindus have presently entered Hindusthan by force and are demanding Partition of Hindusthan, it is not by a woolly-headed and cowardly denial of this fact but rather by understanding, facing and changing it shall an independent, undivided and indivisible Hindu nation alone shall without doubt, remain in Hindusthan. But as in our history when the Hindu Nation successfully rallied under the Hindu Flag, the Hindus should come forward and rise unitedly." 

Savarkar was then asked that if Hindus and Mussulmans are two nations, how will they form a single nation?  He answered, "We should not confuse between Nation and State. Even if the State goes, the Nation remains. When the Mussulmans were ruling over us, the government (State) was theirs. But the existence of the Hindus was most certainly intact. Even so, there is no problem in a common State of Hindus and Mussulmans. In the past, we had nations (rashtra) such as Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Devrashtra (near Berar). Where are these nations? They mingled with each other. The Shakas and Huns came to Hindusthan as nations. But what is the evidence of their existence today? We digested them. So if the Mussulmans want, they could amicably stay with Hindus as a minority community. In the past, nations such as Prussia, Bavaria etc. existed in Germany. But today, they have all together formed the German nation. By law, no one in Germany may call himself Prussian or Bavarian but German only.

"Regarding the Mussulmans in Hindusthan, it may be said that you (Hindus) are trying to rope them with you but do the Mussulmans so desire? In the end, desire is the most influential and important factor for a nation. If they consider themselves separate, what is achieved merely by saying that you consider them your own? And hence, we need not worry whether they come with us or not. And there is no reason why we should sacrifice Hindu interests and plead with them to perforce say that they are not a separate nation. Hindus are a nation unto themselves. Considering this, the Hindus should continue the freedom struggle by consolidating themselves irrespective of whether the Mussulmans come with them or not. If they so desire, they may stay here, else they shall go where it pleases them."

Savarkar's consistent view on this subject was best summarized by him in his Presidential address in Nagpur in 1938. He said, "It is absurd to call us (Hindus) a community in India.  The Germans are the Nation in Germany and the Jews a Community. The Turks are a Nation in Turkey and the Arab or the Armenian minority a Community. Even so the Hindus are a Nation in India - in Hindusthan and the Moslem minority a Community."

It is undeniable that Muslims consider themselves as a nation or Ummah. It was not Savarkar's invention nor did he ever endorse this Islamic concept. It is noteworthy that the Afro-American religious movement started by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in Detroit, Michigan, in 1930 was named 'Nation of Islam'. 

Jinnah's inspiration

To say that Jinnah adopted Savarkar's idea is arrant nonsense! Can Digvijay Singh or his ilk quote a single sentence from Jinnah's speeches or writings where he has named Savarkar as his source of inspiration? In a letter to newly elected Congress President Badruddin Tyabji (1888), Sir Syed Ahmed wrote, "Is it supposed that that the different castes and creeds living in India belong to one nation, or can become nation, and that their aims and aspirations be one and same? I think it is quite impossible." The answer given by Tayyabji, the former President of Digvijay Singh's Grand Old Party is even more revealing. Tayyabji writes, "Now I am not aware of anyone regarding the whole of India as one Nation and if you read my Inaugural address, you will find it distinctly stated that there are numerous communities or nations in India…" (Source Material for a History of the Freedom Movement in India, Vol.2, pp 70-73).  

The idea of an independent, sovereign Islamic State carved out of India was first publicly stated by Sir Muhammad Iqbal in his Presidential address to the Muslim league in 1930.  Iqbal said, "I would like to see the Punjab, the North West Frontier Province, Sind and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single State. Self-Government within the British Empire or without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim State appears to be to me the final of the Muslims at least of the North-Western India." Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto accurately observed that "the starting point of Pakistan goes back a thousand years to when Muhammad-bin-Qasim set foot on the soil of Sind and introduced Islam in the sub-continent".

It is a travesty that Congressmen who accepted the Islamic demand of a separate State on the basis of religion and Leftists who fervently believe India to be a hotchpotch of multiple nationalities, should hurl the charge of advocacy of the two-nation theory on Savarkar, a lifelong champion of a unified India.

 (The writer is a Pune-based specialist in diabetes and hormone disorders. He has authored books on Islam, contemporary Buddhist-Muslim relations, and played a major role in developing http://www.savarkar.org/)

--
With kind Regards,
Jagdish

Maa narmada kumbh's Gallery

 

You are invited to view maa narmada kumbh's photo gallery. View maa narmada kumbh's Gallery

FW: {satyapravah} Hindutva: The Primacy of Culture -Sandhya Jain-15 February 2011

 

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Hindutva: The Primacy of Culture

Sandhya Jain

15 February 2011

 

Great Britain, mother of Western colonialism whose footprints still deface the world, admits it cannot cope with citizen-adherents of a sister faith unless they accept the primacy of her Anglican Christian culture, while practicing their religion in private. In other words, national identity will be determined by the 'core values' and political concepts of western liberal democracy as upheld by the Anglican majority; lateral entrants from the Islamic world will not be allowed to challenge or disturb this system.

 

The British Prime Minister's confession that multiculturalism has 'failed' (The Telegraph, 5 Feb 2011) vindicates the Hindu concept of Hindutva, which asserts that India's natal, primordial and still living civilization must determine her national character. India has long suffered at the hands of Islamic and British-Christian invaders, and continues to be stifled by an elite comprised of soulless atheist-Marxists, hostile minorities, and fellow travellers, all of whom advance the power of the two millenarian trans-national faiths.

 

Today Britain, which welcomed Diaspora groups for use against ex-colonies, and hosted virulent Islamic doctrines in UK mosques for export elsewhere, finds the kitchen too hot. Western nations like Germany, The Netherlands, France, are also feeling uneasy with their Muslim populations.

 

Much of the West's economic and political domination in the era between and after the two World Wars derives from occupation of the land and resources of almost the entire Muslim world (read oil/gas). To facilitate this loot, an interesting trick was to covertly encourage radical clerics to oppose west-propped dictators who, in turn, would rely even more on the West to suppress their domestic enemies. The partition of India was wrought by offering its humiliated Muslim elites a 'soft' target – Hindu non-monotheists, but Pakistan could never become a viable nation and is even today dependent on US doles. Indeed, nowhere in the last two centuries has resurgent Islam won territory or political autonomy for Islam. The Shia Revolution in Iran, which deposed a hated American stooge, is probably the sole Islamic victory against the west; everywhere else it has been dismember-and-rule (or corner-neutralize), East Timor and Sudan being the most recent examples.

 

Despite political successes in containing Islam, Western nations have become nervous over rising Muslim populations and their failure or refusal to accept western values. Multi-culturalism was an attempt to cope by living in mental and cultural ghettos within a western polity. It failed because Muslims used their citizenship rights to try to alter the socio-cultural and political landscape; neither the established Church nor polity could accept this. This reinforced the mutual suspicions of Islam and Christianity, and has tacitly triggered the quest for totalitarian control by one or the other.

 

India's sanatana dharma is a religion and living civilization, inspired by the ideal of universal welfare of all beings, human and non-human. Dharma is not fixed in time or space, and eternally renews itself in response to the Age; it is always contemporary… Dharma respects all faiths, for it is not given to any human agency to arbitrate a final truth for mankind. Hindus believe the Vedas are the 'revealed' truth 'heard' by the Vedic rishis (Sruti). Yet that is no reason to impose them on the world by human regents. Hence, despite the belief in One Supreme Being (Parabrahma), non-monotheism is the hallmark of all Indic traditions. Our polity and innate secularism flow from this understanding; Aristotle noted centuries ago that Hindus were the only people to have successfully made dharma the basis of their public life.

 

This generous tradition made India the perfect refuge for all – the Parsi community fleeing persecution in Persia; the Dalai Lama and his followers; the now controversial Karmapa; the Bahai community... Christians and Muslims established beachheads here centuries ago; Jews believe they came after the destruction of the Second Temple of Solomon in AD 70. Our political culture is equally accommodative - the first cabinet of independent India included Maulana Azad and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

 

Mother India regards her minorities as strands in a multi-strand civilization, who interact with each other at will. Traditionally, they automatically positioned themselves around the core culture based on her ancient and native traditions. They were not accorded inferior status, but they did not determine the nation's identity and ethos.

 

Post-independence India, however, has been forced to cope with trans-national Islam and Christianity, funded and mentored by foreign regimes and agencies to promote conversions and non-assimilation with Hindu culture, and demand political and economic sops to maintain a deliberately separate identity. The Christian community especially rages against all attempts to protect native culture and faith, particularly among vulnerable tribes, as an assault on freedom of religion. Despite explicit judgments of the Supreme Court, it repeats the canard that freedom of religion means freedom to convert others to Christianity!

 

A recent instance of Christian bigotry is the furore against the annual Maa Narmada Samajik Kumbh (Feb 10-12, Mandla district, MP), on grounds that it will bring converts back to Hindu dharma. Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur approached the high court, while Father Anand Muttungal asked Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan for security. Hindu sadhus serving tribals in remote areas are gunned down with sophisticated weapons, but merit no state protection; what a farce.

 

Now the West is cracking under the strain of living with Muslims who reject its values and force deferment of its cultural-civilizational framework. Mr David Cameron has honed in on the two issues that have long plagued Indian society and polity, viz., common citizenship based on a uniform civil code (now a concern of the Indian Supreme Court), and curtailment of the awesome powers of religious leaders.

 

Reflecting intelligence concerns about terrorists attacks on British soil (London never cared about attacks outside), Mr Cameron says the State will henceforth actively confront those who hold extremist views, and refuge engagement with and public funds to groups that fail to promote British values. Rejecting the idea that different communities may live according to their own values and traditions, he said immigrants will have to integrate, speak English, and all schools teach a common culture and curriculum.

 

Mr Cameron would realize that the pigeons raised in India have come to roost in Britain. He should move to end his country's funding of the Human Rights and Conversion industries, or watch them make Britain the next target of their rage.

 

The author is Editor. www.vijayvaani.com

 

Life of Ishwar kaka

 

_____________________________________________

The life and death of Ishwar Patel

Posted by Nipun Mehta on Jan 27, 2011

When Ishwar Patel, a long-time inspiration of our service family, passed away on Dec 26, 2010, Guri and I sat for meditation.  Right after, I told Guri, "I think I should head to India."  Getting online to get my tickets, I received an unexpected email from a friend who tagged me with a round-trip ticket.  The timing was so uncanny, that I accepted it and soon left for India.

Ishwar-kaka is the father of my dear friend, Jayesh Patel.  He started volunteering with Gandhi's Sewadal at the age of 12.   When he encountered a painful experience around the taboos of scavengers who gathered human waste, Ishwar-kaka consciously dedicated his life to the work of sanitation and raising consciousness around related issues of "untouchability".  He was 16 years old.  To this day, more than 2.6 billion people in the world don't have toilets; the Ganges river has 1.1 million liters of raw sewage dumped into it every minute.  And that number would've been a whole lot higher if it weren't for a lifetime of Ishwar-kaka's service.  He built more than 200,000 toilets through 'Safai Vidyalaya' at the Gandhi Ashram and helped launch 118 organizations that would elevate the work of sanitation around the country.  

 

Being scientifically oriented, Ishwar-kaka surveyed habits of rural Indians and subsequently created unique toilet designs that served their needs.  For instance, he noticed that village women didn't use four-walled toilets because they could no longer walk together to the farms and have private, women-only community time; so he introduced small windows across the toilets and an "oatlo" (a community space) outside the toilets.  In the front yard of his office headquarters, he put up a "Toilet Park" that showcased many of these designs.  "People have rose gardens, but we have a toilet garden," he would proudly announce to his many visitors.  Commercial entrepreneurs made millions from his designs, but he refused to patent it because he always wanted it accessible for India's poorest.  From the Padma Shri to Mahatma Gandhi Award, Ishwar-kaka has received practically every major award in India.  After his passing, TV stations replayed many of his old interviews; I caught one statement that summed up his philosophy: "To build toilets is easy, but to shift people's mind and hearts is the real work.  Software is more important than hardware."

Well over ten thousand people attended Ishwar-kaka's funeral at the Gandhi Ashram.  Government officials had to shut down the street to manage the flow of traffic.  As everyone silently stood in line to pay the final respects, the magic of Ishwar-kaka was evident -- the richest men in the country stood next to human-waste scavengers next to powerful politicians next to reknowned Gandhians next to vegetable sellers next to his next-door neighbors next to kids who had merely read about him.  For a vast cross section of society, Ishwar Patel was a hero.

Also to be found in the funeral procession -- the *entire*  hospital staff, with whom Ishwar-kaka spent his final 12 days.  Although they encounter patient deaths everyday, something about this man propelled them to pay their respects.

When Ishwar-kaka was submitted to the hospital, on the morning of Dec 14th, doctors knew it was the beginning of the end.  His body had four kinds of stage-4 cancer.  He couldn't lie down at all.  "Imagine climbing up a steep mountain, and being out of breath.  That was his state 24-hours-a-day for the last 12 days," the doctor said.  And yet, no negativity.  At all.  Instead he was smiling, cracking jokes, and meeting hundreds of people who streamed through his room for one final interaction.  Instead of losing his clarity, he became more and more lucid towards the end.  When people asked him for his blessings, he frequently said a sentence or two that went straight to the heart of their spiritual journey.  Outside his hospital room, as many as twenty people would hold vigil throughout the nights.  Well wishers would come in and repeatedly do acts of kindness.  One person gave out flowers to every patient in the hospital.  Another swept the floors as a tribute.  A group of youngsters, painted the walls and decorated the terrace as a thank-you to the hospital.  Some sang songs.  One person gave away 1500 apples, because Ishwar-kaka loved apples.  "Create heaven wherever you are," Ishwar-kaka said once.  And that was exactly what was happening.

At one point, the 12 punctures on his body weren't responding well to external fluids, so the doctor had to cut a slit through his neck.  When asked for anesthesia, he simply said, "Oh, there's no need.  Go right ahead."  A rather surprised doctor did as instructed and noticed that Ishwarkaka didn't even blink an eye as he performed his operation.  After repeated encounters of utter detachment from the body, one of his caretakers asked Ishwar-kaka: "Your body is in shambles. Don't you feel any pain?"  He promptly responded: "In a young coconut, its shell and its inner substance are intertwined and can't be separated.  In a ripe coconut, they can be easily separated.  So I'm like a ripe coconut.  My mind is separate from the body."

Wise men say that you die the way you have lived.  Like a true Gandhian, Ishwar-kaka lived his whole life in service to others, and not in service to his senses.  As a result, when it was time to depart from his senses, he had no fear.  In fact, when Jayesh-bhai (his son) asked him, "Dad, are you afraid of death?", he said: "Not at all.  If it has to come tomorrow, let it come today."  He also didn't have much concern of his own legacy.  When Jayesh-bhai reflected on his concern that he may not be able to match his father's spirit of service or the carry on the organization in the same way, Ishwar-kaka was similarly free: "Don't worry about what others say. Always do what your inner voice tells you to, even if it upends an entire tradition. You have to bloom wherever you are planted.  Keep serving through small acts of love."

Ishwar-kaka carried himself with such boundless freedom precisely because his life was one giant practice in small-acts-of-love.  On Dec 13th, at his living memorial, Anar-ben (his daughter-in-law) moved everyone to tears with her first-hand stories.  In the early days of her marriage, Anar-ben recalled a time when she was doing the chores of her house despite having fever.  While she was sweeping that day, she turned around at one point to see Ishwar-kaka silently mopping the floor behind her.  Not only was it drastically counter-culture for a father-in-law to mop the floor in those days, but it was an act of subtle sensitivity.  No words were exchanged, but Anar-ben silently wept that day many decades ago -- and on Dec 13th when she retold the story.

That's the kind of life Ishwar-kaka lived.  Silent, effortless service.  "If an act leaves residue, it is not an act of service," he told one of his hospital guests.

As a profoundly filial son, Jayesh-bhai spent practically all of the last three months in unconditional service to his Dad.  He recalled: "Papa always thoughts of others first, his whole life.  It was no surprise that he passed away after the kids celebrated Christmas with him on 25th.  And he passed away on a Sunday, to make it most convenient for everyone to handle the final rites.  Many of us sensed that he endured the last several days of extreme physical pain, just so everyone felt satisfied and full.  His favorite phrase was "subbhecchha", meaning best-wishes.  He would smilingly yell that phrase everytime he walked into the house.  Constantly, he was giving his best wishes to everyone."

In early morning hours of Dec 26th, Ishwar-kaka's body gave in. All the machines in the hospital room showed a flat line.  Immediately, Jayesh-bhai summoned close family members and friends.  Perhaps about 20 folks were in the hospital room.  Jayeshbhai painfully closed his father's eyes.  Among those in the room, was Vasuda-kaki, the wife of Ishwar-kaka.  Perhaps irrationaly, Vasuda-kaki speaks to her husband: "For the last 52 years, every time we have parted ways, we have said Jai-Jalaram (an ode to the divine).  Please open your eyes to say Jai-Jalaram."  His body had practically no strength, doctors had declared him dead, his eyes were closed.  Yet, almost miraculously, Ishwar-kaka opened his eyes.  He smiled.  With deep compassion in his eyes, he looked at everyone.  Then he looked at his wife, one final time, and uttered,  "Jai-Jala" as he spoke his last words.

With the same gentle ease that he served, a 77 year old left his body on Dec 26th at 8:10AM.

Traditionally, the eldest son offers the cremation ashes to a holy river.  "He is everyone's Dad," Sanjay-bhai (his eldest son) declared.  Hence, in an absolutely unprecedented move of decentralization, a bus-load of 70 people carried his final rites to the Narmada river.  Ishwar-kaka would sometimes say, "You clean the outside world as a way to clean your mind."  In place of rituals, all seventy of us took our brooms to clean up the filthy river banks.

As our minds purified, our hearts swelled in gratitude for having known a noble person like Ishwar Patel.

FW: {satyapravah} ndian Dalits find no refuge from caste in Christianity

 

Indian Dalits find no refuge from caste in Christianity

URL for complete News.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11229170

Dear Friends

Hindu faith is always blamed for the caste system / tradition. But if you study world wide every faith has some or other types of divisions in their faith / traditions. There are several sects in Christianity who do not go to each other's Churches for prayers. They do not see eye to eye but there is no Media and Researcher's to bring these facts in to "OPEN". It is easy for Christians and Islamists to blame Hindu faith for Caste System. 

Several Saints and Sages have opposed the birth based caste system from before the Christian and Islam era started. One such Example to quote here is "ARYA CHANAKYA" ( VISHNU GUPTA) IN 326 BC. He chose a Shepherd's (Dhangar) boy who had qualities  and virtues of King and made him the king of Bharat. Christianity and Islam was not  in existence at that time. Later Adi Shankaracharya in 8th Century also denounced the birth based labelling of one's profession (Caste). 13th Century Dnyaneshwar was out cast by the so called intellects of the time but accepted his preachings later. In the recent past Sant Tukaram, Sant Namdev,  Sant Janabai, Sant Chokhoba, Sant Rohidas Sant Kabir and many more were revered by every one despite their so called birth based caste. Veer Savarkar's contribution can not be underestimated in removing the untouchability. 

The problem is one can preach and teach but one can not make create Intellectuals. In my Pre University Class there were 110 students only two could get admission to Profession Studies. The Professors and Lecturers teaching the students were the same, why not all 110 get admission to Professional studies?   One needs to introspect about the abilities of an individual. But it should not be forced on the birth based criteria. This is the message Hindu scriptures have given since the origins of human race.

Dr. Ambekar.

Fwd: FW: Muslims supporting RSS

 

Sangh Parivar tries to build bridges with Muslims

Manjari Mishra, TNN, Feb 9, 2011, 12.43am IST

LUCKNOW: Mohammad Wahid Chisti did something few would dare. Part of a team of 15 `saffron maulanas', Chisti trudged the labyrinthian gullies of Machchali Mohal, Model Town and Baeesi Masjid -- all predominantly Muslim pockets in the city -- to introduce them to Sangh philosophy on Tuesday afternoon. 

The short high-pitched sales talk ended in waving of a slim booklet cataloguing the virtues of RSS. Each of its 24 pages marked the parivar's angst at the `saffron terror canards' and misinformation campaign about Ramjanmabhoomi movement. "Please go through it," Chisti would plead "and let me know whether or not you agree with the sentiments." Incidentally, Chisti was roughed by Imam of Jama Masjid Maulana Abdul Bukhari when he suggested handing over "the RJB complex to the erstwhile king of Ayodhya" at a press conference in Lucknow some time back. 

The surprise visit, a part of the RSS's ongoing Grih Sampark Abhiyan (home-to-home interaction campaign) led to varied reaction among the audience. Some like Mohammad Alam simply gaped at the gang in bewilderment. Meeraj Hussain gritted his teeth trying to control his outburst; Parveeen Abidi looked openly skeptical unlike her young neighbour Arshad Hussain, a student of Shia PG college, who declared that a friendly dialogue was welcome for whatever it was worth. 

In any case, Alam grudgingly conceded, "it was the first time in the past 60 years that the lanes of Machchali Mohal had seen a khaki nickerwalla from close quarters, even though the nicker and Faiz cap don't go together". 

Leading the team along with Mohammad Afzal, national convener of Muslim Rashtriya Manch Vibhag Pracharak, Lucknow, Dr Umesh Kumar also offered a cautious line now and then. "Most of the Muslim brothers are finding this an extremely stimulating experience," he declared. Donning his trademark copious khaki shorts, Kumar resolutely ignored the sniggers barbs or vibes that came his way. 

It is the first time so they are a little wary, he patiently explained, even as Mohammad Arif a particularly cantankerous subject loudly chose to question the credentials of Chisti and Co, or his neighbour used choicest expletives for one of the troupe members severely demanding the man be "handed over to the police for promoting rabid anti-minority sentiments for the rest of the 364 days". 

An unfazed Kumar determinately continued about the "stupendous success" of his mission instead. "Over the past two days, we have already distributed 26,000 copies of the booklets," he claimed. Most of the recipients, he said, willingly paid Rs 5 as the contribution money. Even a Muslim pocket like this has earned us Rs 150, so one can imagine the response, he gushed. 

A rather strongly worded document, the booklet contains some interesting observations. Rahul Gandhi is particularly targeted for his statement quoted by Wikileaks. "One feels like laughing when Rahul Gandhi weighs Sangh and SIMI in the same balance...leave aside Sangh the boy would not know the history of Congress or his own ancestors". Digvijay Singh is described as a" textbook case to prove how low can a politician fall to further his narrow interests."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/7456159.cms?prtpage=1

Aatmmanthan kare desh ka musalman

 

 

 

 

 

फिरोज बख्त अहमद का मुसलमानों को संबोधित करते हुए लेख है |दैनिक भास्कर मैं छपा है |

 

Swami Brahmananda- 'Spiritual son' of Sri Ramakrishna

 

Swami Brahmananda- 'spiritual son' of Sri Ramakrishna Swami Brahmananda, the 'Spiritual Son' of Sri Ramakrishna was the first President of the Ramakrishna Order. Known as Rakhal Chandra Ghosh in his premonastic days. During his High School days at Calcutta he came into contact with Narendranath (Swami Vivekananda) which developed into an intimate life long friendship and, under his influence, joined the Brahmo Samaj. Even from his childhood days he was given to devotional moods bordering on mysticism.He was one of the six disciples of Sri Ramakrishna whom the Master regarded as ishvarakotis. His father got him married at an early age to ward off the religious pursuits from his mind and fix him up in the world. Strange to say, this very tie of marriage brought him to Sri Ramakrishna who at once recognized in him his 'Spiritual Son' as per the vision vouchsafed to him by the Divine Mother. Thus started a course of spiritual intimacy and intensive training under the loving care of the Guru, which resulted in several exalted mystic moods and spiritual experiences. After the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna, Rakhal, along with Narendra and other brother-disciples, embraced monastic life under the name "Swami Brahmananda". He was a wandering monk for some time. Swami Vivekananda made over the responsibility of running the organization, to him remembering that Sri Ramakrishna had once remarked that Rakhal had the capacity to rule a kingdom.Thus when Ramakrishna Mission was formed, he was the first president.He spent most of his time at Puri and Bhubaneswar. He set up a math at Puri. During his tenure as the Head, he also guided many earnest spiritual seekers by taking them under his protection, thus fulfilling Swami Vivekananda's prophetic remark that Swami Brahmananda was veritably a spiritual dynamo. Question: Maharaj, I am practicing Japam and meditation, but I have not yet acquired any taste for these. Somehow or other I am struggling on. What must I do? Swami Brahmananda: Is it possible to have that taste in the beginning? No. Struggle hard to attain it. Concentrate all your energies on its achievement,and never for a moment pay heed to other matters. Apply yourself whole-heartedly to it and to it alone. Onward, onward! Never be satisfied with your present state of mind. Try to create within yourself a burning dissatisfaction. Say to yourself What progress am I making? Not a bit. Sri Ramakrishna used to say to the Divine Mother "Mother, another day is gone and I have not seen Thee!" Swami Brahmananda temple built on the spot where his body was cremated