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Islamic terrorism enters Sri Lanka:
After firmly establishing itself in several ASEAN countries (The source of jihadi terrorism & money power, Organiser, 18-7-2004), Islamic terrorism is spreading its tentacles into our neighbouring Sri Lanka. Muslim Defence Group, apparently formed against LTTE, which has turned against Muslims and killed many since 1990, has within it an ?Osama sub-group?. This has opened a centre at Kinnya in Trincomalee, north of Batticaloa, with the help of a rich Muslim trader. Elsewhere there are small jihadi groups collecting money and weapons and are understood to be receiving training outside the island. They all have the potential to turn into a firm Muslim terrorist outfit in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan authorities?civil and military?and foreign diplomats have found links between jihadi groups and Pakistan and Bangladesh and are assessing their potential before taking a firm action. Muslims in the east of Sri Lanka, though speak Tamil, do not count themselves as Tamils from India and claim a separate entity, which helps them spread anti-India feelings among the minority. India should take a serious note of the situation before Sri Lanka becomes a full-fledged terrorist base threatening our nation'ssecurity.
?Surya Narain Saxena, Delhi
Shocking statement:
I was truly shocked to read that a senior minister, T.R. Balu, said that he was ashamed of being born a Hindu (Where is the Prime Minister? Organiser, 1-8-2004). I fail to understand as to why this man is not hauled before the court for insulting 85 per cent of the population. Isn'this comment unethical and undemocratic? Bharat is a free country and he is free to practise whatever religion he wants to follow, but he has no right to insult the people who have put him into power.
?Raj Rajani
Wanted good governance:
With the recent change of government at the Centre, the people were expecting better governance. But what they have got so far are the ministers charge-sheeted in serious criminal cases, unconstitutional sacking of governors, divisive and dangerous communal agenda in the form of reservation for Muslims on religious ground in Andhra Pradesh, an inflationary and anti-people Union Budget, etc. (UPA turns hope into despair and UPA minorityism gone berserk, Organiser, 25-7-2004). Since actions speak louder than the words, the people expect from the Congress-led UPA government to give them people-friendly good governance instead of mere words and platitudes.
?J.G. Arora
Step in wrong direction:
In Union Budget 2004, the raising of limits on FDI in the insurance, telecom and civil aviation sectors will have serious adverse consequences (UPA turns hope into despair, Organiser, 25-7-2004). This Congress-led minority government can'tsurvive without the life support of the Left. Do the Left parties have a hidden agenda of selling India to the US and European nations instead of Communist countries? It is apparent that Left parties, especially the Marxists, have been taken into confidence in this adventurism. Many may not know how the insurance companies operate in the US and European nations. One has to live in those countries instead of just studying to understand how they operate. Many insurance companies filed for bankruptcies when they had to pay large sums, leaving the insurers high and dry.
?K.V. Kamath, Karkala (Karnataka)
Counter Leftists? agenda:
Why not we think in terms of developing Organiser into a daily with a few editions to boot? It is not a pipe dream, if we have the will. We really lack our own media. Leftists have their own TV channels and press media. They have conquered the literary bodies, infiltrated into scientific agencies and monopolised arts and allied activities. We have not utilised our opportunity to expand our presence as the Leftists have done. They exploit all opportunities and mobilise resources. You can make Organiser more vibrant and topical, to begin with.
? S.P. Nayar, Calicut
Study Hindutva:
Reference to book review by Vaidehi Nathan, A study of the thought of Hindutva (Organiser, 25-7-2004); I can only say from what I know of its origin that Hinduism or Hindutva is based on spiritual, moral and human values to benefit the humankind and that it has only one face of humanism. And for this Hindus or the Brahmins of any Hindu temple never preach to call the non-Hindus kafirs or ?devils? as being practised by fundamentalist Muslims or Christians. There is nothing anti-Islam or anti-Christianity in Hindutva or Hinduism because Hindutva or a true Hindu follows the concept of ?One in all, all in one?.
?Subodh Chandra Dutta, Kolkata
Expose anti-national elements:
It was most encouraging and elevating to go through the news-item about Muslim protests against glorifying terrorists (Stop glorifying terrorists for appeasing Muslims, Organiser, 1-8-2004). Communal-minded so-called secularists and Muslim fanatics, who take advantage by creating the ?Hindu-Muslim divide?, must be condemned very effectively and forcefully from all fronts. It is strange that such news-items do not get importance by our ?secularist? Press and our self-seeking secular leaders.
?Shalil Ghosh, Mumbai
A devastating step:
This refers to the article Reservation mania in private sector by Dr L.S. Madhava Rao (Organiser, 18-7-2004). To say the least, reservation in private sector is a disastrous move. It is strange that while we sing paeans of liberalisation and globalisation of Indian economy, we tend to destroy even the private sector. The tragedy is that our leaders have no vision for the country and believe only in populism so that they could continue to enjoy power and pelf.
?Dr Vidya Sagar, Delhi
Discriminatory and biased:
If we analyse the past, the history of reservation is the brainchild of education system introduced by the British government. To examine the applications filed by the minority sector for fee concession, the then British government had appointed the Hunter Commission in 1882. Ours is the largest democratic country governed by the written Constitution. Article 15 clearly prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion etc. While so, the action of the Andhra Pradesh government by providing reservation to Muslims (UPA minorityism gone berserk, Organiser, 25-7-2004) is discriminatory to the citizens of other religions. Article 14 prohibits the State from denying to any person equality before law etc. Our Supreme Court clearly held in re State of Sikkim vs. Surendra Prasad Sharma {JT (1994)3 Sc 372) that Article 15(1) and Article 16(2) protect the citizen against discrimination.
?P. Ravindranath, Ongole (AP)
Why importance to English?:
I am glad to see that Organiser has opened a forum for discussion on English. I read different views of writers on English. It will not be wrong to say that there is an all-round feeling that without English we cannot survive. There is an anxiety among parents to start teaching English, when their children are still buds. Therefore, spoken English is the symbol of social status, and that is why people are running after the English-medium schools only.
?Hari Singh Mehtani, New Delhi
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Thanks for publishing my article in Organiser (1.8.2004). I read with interest various articles before it. I would like to answer one common point. Some friends have pointed out that many rich nations of the world do not have English medium and that most of the poor nations of the world have English medium. The latter is claimed to be due to lack of pride in their own culture. Yes, the basic fact is correct. But the ground reality is that it is the English-speaking world that has provided employment and business opportunities in far greater proportion than the non-English world both outside and inside India.
?B.V. RAO, Bangalore
India'sglorious past:
Recently I bought a book entitled, The wonder that was India, written by A.L. Basham, (Agenda, Organiser, August 8, 2004) Professor of Asian Civilisation at the Australian National University, Canberra. I was particularly fascinated to read these lines about India and Hindu religion?The glory of ancient India (this is the title of a chapter). This is a rare tribute by a Westerner to the ancient Indian and Hindu civilisation. Otherwise the Western scholars have always misinterpreted Indian history for their colonial ends. Wherever the Western imperialists went they invented the theory that the local people in the occupied country also came from outside in that country. The aim of the imperialist historians was to undermine the religion, culture and civilisation of India for the imperial ends. From this point of view, the book of Prof Basham is really great and we should appreciate it.
?Amar Jit Singh Goraya, Australia
Devil quoting the scripture:
This refers to the news that three Indians, as a part of a group of six peoples, working for a Kuwait-based company, have been taken hostage in Iraq. The kidnappers have warned India that unless India ?ceases to kill Islamic leaders?, the hostages would be beheaded. In their view, all the jihadi terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India are for the glory of Islam. Of course, this is what every jihadi organisation has been asserting. Every terrorist says that what he is doing, including decapitation, mutilation and beheading of the captives, is only part of the jihad against infidels.
?T. Mani Chowdary, Secunderabad
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In videotape, showing a gunman pointing a rifle at the head of an Indian hostage, the terrorist group accused the Indian government of losing its ?credibility? and ?deviating from (Mahatma) Gandhi'spath of peace?. This is a living example of devil quoting the scripture.
?C. Nagpal, Bangalore
What is jihad?:
Recently some Muslim political organisations in a seminar concluded: ?Jihad is a pious, pure and holy duty of all Muslims and has nothing to do with any sort of terror act.? Undoubtedly jihad is a pious act, if it is confined to individual spirituality and self-control of Muslims, but in relation to non-Muslims, any act including war and violence cannot be justified to convert the non-Muslims to Islam or to change a non-Islamic state into an Islamic state. In the context of jihad, Islamic scholars say: ?The Arabic words Jihad-i-Kabir imply three meanings: i) to exert one? utmost for the cause of Islam; ii) to dedicate all one'sresources to this cause and; iii) to fight against the enemies of Islam on all possible fronts with all one'sresources in order to raise high the ?Word of Allah?. This will include jihad with one'stongue, pen, wealth, life and every other available weapon.? (The Meaning of the Quran by S. Abul a ?La Maududi, Vol. VIII, p. 98).
?K.V. Paliwal, New Delhi
Thinking in blinkers:
Javed Akhtar, a celebrated lyricist and academic, recently appeared in a face-to-face dialogue with S. Chaturvedi on a private television channel. He was emphasising that not even one per cent of Indian Muslims are terrorists and persons like Shahabuddin, unlike Praveen Togadia, do not advocate violence. I don'tthink even one per cent of the one per cent of our Muslim brethren are terrorists, but it does not require percentage for anti-national activities. Shahabuddin advocated the boycotting of Republic Day celebrations, objected to singing of Vande Mataram and named his magazine Muslim India. Shri Akhtar said that a few Muslims are indulged in terrorist activities in Kashmir, but he did not mention the slaughter at Chittisinghpura, terrorist attacks on Parliament, Raghunath Mandir, Amarnath yatris, Akhshardham, etc. He did mention of Gujarat riots only.
?B.K. Chaudhary, UK
A grave concern:
It is a regrettable matter that the successive Central governments turned a deaf ear to the most essential concern: ?Population explosion?. The present UPA government has promised to achieve unprecedented success. Will the UPA government really take stringent steps to earn plaudit? It needs political will. But the public awareness is also of vital significance. So the need of the hour is that awareness should be created among the public so as to check this menace.
?Nishikanta Khuntia, Orissa
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