Sunil Prabhu - NDTV
Thursday, February 28, 2008 (New Delhi)
The Centre has decided to throw its weight behind the controversial Sethusamudram project. The government will now ask the Supreme Court to lift its stay on the controversial project to dredge a shipping channel between India and Sri Lanka and dismiss petitions challenging the project. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) met for the second time this week to arrive at a consensus on a 90-page draft affidavit stating its position on the project. The Centre will submit the affidavit in court on Friday. The petitions had opposed the project saying it will damage the Ram Sethu, a cluster of sand formations that many Hindus believe was the bridge built by Lord RamThe Centre's last affidavit had landed it in trouble as it questioned the existence of Ram. But under pressure from its southern allies, the centre has decided to tell the court that it wants the project to continue on its original route. The CCPA seems to have taken everyone's point of view in the UPA coalition and managed to harmonise them. There have been differences between Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni and Shipping Minister DMK's T R Baalu over the affidavit. The culture minister has written a two-page note raising certain objections, and wanted these incorporated in the draft affidavit.
Like the ASI not having taken a definitive view on whether the Ram Setu can be declared a site of national importance without undertaking a survey, the ASI has not yet conducted any study
These objections have been incorporated in the draft affidavit and the government has sought a vacation of the stay and wants the PILs to be dismissed. The project was approved by the government in May 2005. However, soon after its approval, the project had run into trouble, and dredging work had to be suspended.

Hindus believe Rama built a bridge to Lanka, which came to be called Rama Sethu. Even those who assert that no such bridge was built cannot deny that a reef formation is identified as the site of the legendary bridge. This reef formation may even have been a part or foundation of the bridge. By this very virtue, does not the reef formation become as sacred as the bridge itself? Though the legendary river Saraswati is no more, has its sanctity become any less in the Hindu culture? While the river Saraswati vanished due to natural phenomena, the Ram Sethu is still extant in the form of the reefs. Should we, Hindus of this generation, stand aside and see the reef destroyed through the actions of anti-Hindu forces?

MNS asks Sonia to send back 25 lakh Biharis to Bihar

Zee News:
Mumbai, Feb 23: Raj Thackeray-led MNS has asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to send back 25 lakh Biharis in the city to their home state. The MNS was reacting to the behaviour of Bihar MLAs who created unruly scenes during Bihar Governor RS Gavai's address to the state assembly on Friday wherein some of them reportedly raised slogans saying "Gavai go back to Maharashtra". "This is not just an insult of the Governor but insult to crores of Dalits. To prevent further insult of Dalit leader like Gavai, Sonia Gandhi should call him back to Maharashtra. But while doing so she should also see to it that 25 lakh Biharis from Mumbai are sent back to Bihar," MNS general secretary Shishir Shinde said in a statement. He said "Congress and Lalu Prasad should first teach lessons of good behaviour to Bihar MLAs before giving advises to the people of Maharashtra". MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Friday took a dig at the Bihar MLAs who created ruckus in the assembly and said, "this was the reason (unruly behaviour) why he was opposed to outsiders in Maharashtra. "Why did I have to launch an agitation to protect the culture of Maharashtra? The answer to this question lies in the manner in which the MLAs of Bihar behaved in front of the the Bihar Governor, who is a Maharashtrian," he said. Bureau Report

Raj Thackeray is becoming idiotic. The Bihari MLAs were only reacting to Raj Thackeray’s goondaism in Mumbai. And if he feels the Bihari MLAs have insulted the dalits in asking the Maharashtrian Governor to leave, why does he not at least ask the Bihari dalits to remain in Mumbai? Raj Thackeray in not even a genuine politician. He is only a spoilt brat of the Thackeray family and what he needs is a good spanking. The Supreme Court has given him one. Now the Election Commission must derecognize his party.

West Bengal rocked by outsider vs local debate

CNN-IBN
Published by IBN Live Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 11:47, Updated at Sat, Feb 23, 2008 in Nation section

Kolkata: The outsider versus local debate seems to be raging across more states than just Maharashtra. The Rajasthan government has hit back at the controversial comments made by a West Bengal Minister against the Marwari Community.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje says West Bengal Land Reforms Minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah's comments on the Marwari community are unfortunate. At a function on Wednesday, Mollah had said Marwaris are bribing their way to success in business in West Bengal and ruining the state.
The ruling Left Front promptly distanced itself from the minister's anti-Marwari outburst.
However, the community is up in arms. They burned an effigy of the minister at MG Road in Kolkata on Friday.
Mollah, however, apologised for making alleged derogatory remarks against the Marwari community after his party intervened.
"If anyone was hurt by my inadvertent remarks I regret it," Rezzak Mollah said on Friday.
Earlier in the day, the CPI-M had distanced itself from the controversial remarks made by Mollah made at a meeting of left-backed organisations to observe International Language
Day.
"The party does not subscribe to the reported remarks of Mollah about the Marwari community. The party does not have enmity with any community or language. If any community is hurt by such remarks we are sorry," Biman Bose, State Secretary, CPI-M, said in a statement issued in Kolkata on Friday.
The remarks had drawn protests from the All India Marwari Federation, which had demanded an apology from the minister.
(With inputs from PTI)


The West Bengal Minister who is against the Marwaris should be more concerned about Bangaladeshi infiltrators. But he is unlikely to be, considering that Bangaladeshi infiltrators are his co-religionists.

Indian Army chief backs his Pakistani counterpart

Published in IBN Live on Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 11:12, Updated at Sat, Feb 23, 2008 in Nation section

New Delhi: Indian Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor has said that with the elections over in Pakistan, India's security establishment hopes that it will lead to an improvement in the security situation vis-a-vis Pakistan.
"With the elections having now taken place, I think, the security situation as far as Pakistan is concerned - if it gets stabilised - should improve. When the things were turbulent, we were a little worried that some of the extremists may want to infiltrate and we were very vigilant on the borders. But now that the elections have taken place, and hopefully in next few days they would have a government being formed, we would be able to talk to a democratically elected government to resolve some of our outstanding differences with them," General Kapoor said.
General Kapoor also said that it was reassuring to have a professional soldier as the head of the Pakistan Army.
"I think General Ashfaq Kayani is a professional soldier, and he has gone through the mill - so to say, and come up as a capable officer. I think he would be able to handle the Pakistan Army professionally," the General said in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN's Karan Thapar.
Karan Thapar: So in a sense he is a reassuring presence at the top of the Pakistani Army?
General Deepak Kapoor: Some of the measures that he has taken - I think it is reassuring to have a person who is a professional soldier as the head of the army.

Certifying Pakistani Army Chief as a professional solider isn't saying much. Would not Mushraff too have been certified as such? How did he turn out?

We will not allow balkanisation of India: SC

New Delhi, Feb 22: Responding to a petition on the trouble in Maharashtra as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) stepped up its attack against north Indians, the Supreme Court Friday said it would not allow the balkanisation of India. A bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan made the observation while hearing a petition moved by an advocate seeking direction to the Maharashtra and the central governments to stop the sectarian movement against north Indians spearheaded by MNS and its chief Raj Thackeray, nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. Bureau Report - Zee News
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We are all sons and daughters of the soil - the soil of Mother India.

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Did God create life?

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Sena chief lashes out at Raj’s antics

Zeenews Bureau Mumbai, Feb 15:

Continuing his verbal spat with Raj Thackeray`s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) over its anti-immigrants’ campaign, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Friday blamed the latter for “dirty politics” for cheaper publicity. In an editorial published today in Sena mouthpiece Saamana, senior Thackeray blamed his nephew and MNS chief for indulging in caste-based politics, inciting violence, and distorting the secular fabric of the society. Shiv Sena supremo expressed his strong displeasure for Raj Thackeray`s violent campaign against North Indian migrants followed by law and order problems across the state recently and asked MNS to work in the larger interest of all those living in Maharashtra. In an apparent reference to MNS, Bala Saheb urged all political parties to put the country`s interests first and abide by the ‘Rashtra dharma’ (national ethos). The Sena supremo even raised questions over the tragic death of Ambadas - a Maharastrian - during the recent violence in Nashik, while maintaining that the Samajwadi Party was equally responsible for recent disturbances witnessed in the state. Earlier, in a veiled attack on Raj, who left the Sena in 2005, he said, "When Shivaji Maharaj unfurled the saffron flag in Maharashtra, those who stabbed him in the back were his blood relations, his own Marathas." "When we proclaim the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj, it is not only to announce caste inheritance," the 82-year-old Sena patriarch noted. For the last 40 years, the Shiv Sena has imbibed Hindutva, he said, adding, "Now, the Hindu religion is facing invasion after invasion. At this time, reply will have to be given to this Islamic aggression through Hindutva." Meanwhile, MNS chief Raj Thackeray has reportedly apologised for the recent attack on the commercial complexes owned by the north Indians, damages done to public property and loss of lives during violence in Nashik, Sholapur, Aurangabad and other areas.

When Mandal politics threatened to divide Hindus, the Mandir agitation rescued Hindu unity. This time too, when Raj Thackeray's parochial politics threatens peace in Maharashtra, the force of Hindutva should be unleashed to strengthen peace in Maharashtra and elsewhere. Otherwise anti-national forces would exploit the situation.

Book on Rani Laxmibai banned in UP

Anant Zanane
Friday, February 15, 2008 (Jhansi)
The Uttar Pradesh government has banned the sale and distribution of a book, which allegedly depicts legendary freedom fighter Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi in a ''bad light''.The book titled Rani, authored by Jaishree Misra, allegedly contains highly objectionable material relating to her personal life.''Their meeting became daily in those days. At dawn, sometimes in the dusty evening hours, they rode out to meet in the forest.'' These lines from the book on Rani Laxmi Bai about her relationship with a British officer, has sparked a political controversy.''The writer has not only insulted the people of Bundelkhand but the entire nation by writing this. She was a brave freedom fighter. We raised this issue in the assembly and the government has assured us that they will ban the circulation and sale of this book in the entire state. We have also requested the state government to write to the Centre seeking a ban on the circulation and sale of this book,'' said Pramod Tiwari, Leader, UPCC.The book, Rani, by UK-based author Jaishree Misra is a fictionalised biography of the warrior queen from Bundelkhand. Historians in the state are quick to call this a marketing gimmick.''Most writers use these methods to enhance sales of their books. Good that the government did ban the book,'' said Hargobind Kushwaha, Historian, Jhansi.The author is sorry to hear about the row.Rani is a work of historical fiction. The author's note at the start of the book is specifically intended to address this question, clearly setting out what has and has not been directly sourced from history.''This is a myth. The British have been writing like this and it's not the first time this has happened. Earlier too she has been portrayed as a notorious lady,'' said Mahendra Kumar Verma, Historian.But she has hurt sentiments, even if she set out to explore the human heart behind the steely facade of Rani Laxmi Bai. For many in Uttar Pradesh, the queen is nothing less than a goddess.

The categories "fictionalised biography" or "historical fiction" contain contradictory terms. A biography ought to be factual and fiction cannot claim to be fact. Similarly, only facts ought to be categorized as history. Fiction mixed with history is neither here nor there. However, since these genres have been in vogue for a long time in the world of literature the question of 'banning' these genres would not make much headway. The authors of such genres ought to be marked as “notorious” and the matter ended there, the choice being with readers whether to patronize “notorious” authors. Banning of literary works would not make available such works to readers for making informed choice about “notorious” and honourable authors.

Sabarimala: Kerala govt moots women pilgrimage season

Zeenews Bureau New Delhi, Feb 07:

The heated debate concerning entry of women aged between 10 to 50 years in the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala in Kerala refuses to wither away. Kerala government in a fresh affidavit submitted to the SC on Thursday made it clear that it was keen to give equal status to women in the matter and that it favours their entry into the temple. Significantly Kerala`s LDF government has mooted a separate pilgrimage season for women at Sabarimala Ayyappa temple to end the controversy. In its affidavit filed in the apex court in response to a case seeking a direction to lift the traditional ban on women in the age group of 10 to 50 at the temple, the government has also suggested that the court could form a scholars` panel to study the proposal. The affidavit said the government was of the view that there should not be any "gender discrimination".

If the Government is mooting a separate season for women's pilgrimage to Sabarimala, it might as well consider the consecration of another Ayyappa Temple at a new spot not falling within the precincts of the present Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala for women's pilgrimage. It is noteworthy that there are many Ayyappa temples in Kerala where women are admitted at all times, Cherpalcherry Ayyappa Temple being an example.