He Orissa government has decided not to recommend the distorted textbooks of NCERT in its academic courses. This decision of the state government has been aired by Shri Sameer Dey, the state'sHigher Education Minister. While talking to this correspondent, Shri Samer Day said: ?NCERT has tampered with the facts in its textbooks. It has misinterpreted different topics relating to our national struggle. Our national heroes and freedom fighters have been depicted as terrorists in these textbooks. Hence Orissa cannot follow and recommend these faulty books in it'sacademic courses. Other parts excluding the alleged portations may be considered.?
Condemning this move of the NCERT, Shri Day said: ?In the name of so-called public awareness , the NCERT attempts to include the Godhra issue and the Ramjanmabhoomi issue in the syllabus. But since the real facts are not included, it will only mislead the students. Similarly, the great sons of the country like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bhagat Singh are titled as terrorists. It is a great shame for us. We cannot prescribe such immoral and anti-national textbooks for our children. It will make them anti-social and demoralise their sentiments.?
?Elveera? becomes ?Avantika?, serves as devdasi to Lord Jagannath
Irrespective of caste, religion and creed, Lord Jagannath is the god of the whole universe. He is the embodiment of equality, having historical links with almost all faiths of the world. A Christian lady of Uzbekistan has again made clear the universal eternality and acceptability of Jagannath cult and Hinduism as she became a devdasi (Servant of Lord).
It was the day of Devasnana Purnima or the great bath ceremony of Lord Jagannath this year. In front of the lion'sgate of the temple, a unique cultural programme was organised. Thousands of people were present. In the meantime, a White lady attired in the traditional dress of Orissa stepped on the stage and started dancing on the tune of the famous holy hymn Geet Govind, composed by the divine poet Jaydev. The audience became speechless watching with wide eyes her Odisi dance and hearing pure Sanskrit hymns emanating as drops of nectar from her mouth.
She is Gorge Elveera from Russia, now turned a complete devoted Odiya Hindu and took up a name?Avantika Devdasi. She has taken a vow not to marry in her life. An inhabitant of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, she joined ISKCON movement five years ago. During that time, she learnt a lot about Hinduism, Lord Krishna and, Jagannath. More she learnt, more her divine thirst grew for divine seeking. She wandered here and there to quench it. But failed everywhere. Ultimately her restless mind and soul made her way to Puri, Orissa.
?I visited a number of missions and churches everyday, but I felt that there still remained something that they failed to convince me. I got inspiration from ISKCON and came here.
Hindu village forsakes Christian name, 148 return home
PEOPLE are the best Judges and Public opinion Supersedes over all the rules. It can bring a sea change in the society . History is the best example. Similar incident occurred here, in which a name of a village has been changed and renamed according to Hindu faith, due to mass upsurge among the local Hindus.
In the tribal-dominated Nawrangpur district there is a village?Sri Krishna Guda. The village is 22 km far from Nawrangpur township. During British Raj, most of the villagers were converted into Christianity. After that, due to non-presence of Hindus in the village, it was named as ?Christian Guda?, by the pastors. Since then, it had been recognised as a revenue village in the said name. Despite different welfare programmes of the government, the villagers were rotting in poverty. Taking this advantage, the Christian missionaries set their ugly fort of conversion there. The missionaries launched conversion spree by alluring the people. And all the villagers, except a few were converted, says the locals.
But in the course of time, few Hindu families were tortured and the previously converted families were left abandoned by the pastors. They all realised their mistake and decided to come back to Hinduism and for this cause, 33 families appealed to Vishwa Hindu Parishad. A big function was recently arranged by VHP in which 148 people of Nandahandi block returned to their original dharma. More than 1,000 people participated in this suddhi yajna and the name of the village was also changed as per rituals.
Puri Shankaracharya condemns opposition to Vande Mataram
Puri Shankaracharya of Gobardhan Peeth has condemned the objection by Muslim imam to the singing of Vande Mataram, in a press meet at his Ashram in Puri. He said: ?It is unfortunate that Vande Mataram is being pictured as anti-Muslim and again it is being coloured in communal ink.
Those Muslims who are opposing the singing of Vande Mataram are the ?black spots? on our nationalisim and they have no right to stay in the territory of Bharat. There are lakhs of such Muslims, who are being forced to suppress their desire to sing Vande Mataram. They are being forced to do so by their religious leaders. I want to warn Shri Arjun Singh that he should refrain from the evil idea to widen the gap between Hindus and Muslims by declaring the singing of Vande Mataram as optional.
