Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sounding like a Sadist............
Suneeta Williams is in India. Media has been chasing her right before her arrival on Ahmedabad airport. We saw the footage of jostling still and video photographers to take a glimpse of Suneeta. It has been publicised all around that a great charismatic personality is coming and we all should be up in arms to welcome her. This is not the first time we have witnessed such kind of euphoria when some highly acclaimed PIO reaches India. Suneeta Williams is the latest in the list that already includes Amartya Sen, V S Naipaul, LN Mittal etc. The underlying whispers behind such euphoria is,” Oh! What a great personality is this. So highly placed, so rich, so famous, Green Card holder, so successful. But still he or she is obliging a poor, corrupt and underdeveloped nation like us. Oh, how generous is he (she), that he (she) still recognises his (her) ties with us.” This is in fact an extension of the British period servile mentality, which we are still struggling to get rid of. I, very easily, remember Mr. Naipaul showing his scorn about his links with this country, when he was here to participate in the Pravasi Bhartiya summit. His proud attitude was all visible everywhere, like he was obliging this country by coming here. Steel king LN Mittal had once corrected a journalist who asked him a question identifying him as an Indian. He told the journalist that he was a British and no more an Indian. But we never get tired showing our proud about Mittal or Naipaul being and Indian. Consider a fact. Somebody studies Maths, some history, some business administration and Suneeta Williams studied astronomy. Some become engineer, some doctor, some mathematician, some historian, some CEOs and Suneeta Williams became an astronomer. And everyone tries to excel in their respective profession. Some of them get success. Suneeta Williams was one of them. So, I completely fail to understand what great thing has she done. Well, if she wants to visit her ancestral home, why should she be a national event? And now our intellectual Prime Minister has also invited her to meet him. But I don’t think anyone in this country expects him to do something revolutionary. So he must float in the current. Yesterday (21st Sep.) NDTV was running a questionnaire. Who among Narendra Modi and Suneeta Williams is the pride of Gujarat? Anyone can understand the hereditary leftist xenophobia of NDTV for Narendra Modi. One might debate if Modi is a boon or bane for Gujarat, but how can Suneeta be a subject of proud for Gujarat. It is like bestowing Nelsan Mandela with Bharat Ratna. And our government and bureaucracy has already done this also, so I can understand the mental bankruptcy of NDTV for asking this question. Rabindra Nath Tagore, Rakesh Sharma or C V Raman are our national prides. Similarly Naipauls, Mittals and Suneetas might be a great talent like Shakespeare, Neil Armstrong, Mark Faber. But they can’t be our national pride. And as far as the question of other media groups are concerned, the only thing I can say is to turn against tide is not ordinary. And unfortunately, we don’t have any extra ordinary voice in our system.
Osama Can’t be Our Ideal
The secular and communist intellectuals have always been feeling great bliss in terming arising Hindu pro activism as Talibanisation of Hinduism. But I never got perturbed only for the reason that I know they are traditional Hindu bashers and abusing Hindu nationalism is their lifeline. But today when I read about a ‘saffron clad saint’ and former M.P Dr. Ramvilas Das Vedanti, giving Hindu fatva that one who takes the head of Tamilnadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to him, he would be rewarded with equal weight of gold, I got perturbed. This is really unfortunate that a supposedly awaken Hindu is seeking his idealism from the darkness of fanatic Islamic traditions. I condemn it. Worshippers of Ram and Krishna, followers of Vivekanand and Kshatrapati Shivaji are following the shadows of mean personalities like Haji Yaqoob and Osama bin Laden. I very much agree that what Mr. Karunanidhi opined (than Ram is as big a lie as Himalaya) was higly inflammable. Not because I weigh my integrity in the light of Karunanidhi’s statements, but because being an executive and constitutional head of a State, he has no right to make public comments that hurts the sentiments of crores of his countrymen. But the aftermath reaction has been equally condemnable. Two persons were burnt alive in Bangalore. Karunanidhi’s daughter’s house was attacked in reaction to her father’s statement. This is really frustrating for a Hindu like me. Saying ‘like me’, I just want to take into account all those Hindus who want the Hindu nationalist ethos to be intact forever. This ethos lay in the great submissive and versatile character of Hindu culture. Hindu faith is embodied in depth of his soul. A Muslim has to defend the immortality of Quran and Mohammed Saheb. Because if any one of them is shaken, the whole religion would lose its ground. Similarly a Christian has to defend the immortality of Jesus and Bible. But a Hindu has no fear for his faith. Take Ram from him. Take Krishna, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Hanumaan, Ganesh, Guru Nanak, Guru Govind Singh, Buddha, Mahavir and all other 36 crores deities away from him. Take Ramayan, Mahabharat, Geeta, Bhagvad all away from him. But you can’t take his soul away from him. And as long as he believes in the immortality of his soul, as long as he hears the sound of ‘so..ham’ in his breathe, he is a Hindu. Thousands of such Karunanidhis came and passed away. Who remembers any of them? Ram incarnated some 17.5 lakh years ago and still rules the hearts of crores of humans. How could you forgot that atheists like Charvak are also given the status of ‘Rishi’ in Hindu culture. If Karunidhi is an atheist, still he is a Hindu. We don’t consider anyone Kafir, do we? Even the demons in Hindu mythologyies are explained as some deity, who came on the earth to compensate for some of his sins. So, beware of these kind of fatvas. Hindu society will never accept such mindless following of Islamic tactics.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sethusamudram Project: Another Name of Disaster (Part- II)
(In the first part we saw how flawed are the claimed benefits from Sethusamudram project. Now, we would examine the other effects of the project on our ecological as well as energy security.)
Disastrous for Ecology:
1. Due to the peaceful oceanic conditions of the Palk Straight, this area has provided numerous species a perfect flourishing flora and fauna. As according to Areeba Hamid, oceans campaigner of Greenpeace- India, Gulf of Mannar is home to 3,600 Schedule-I species. Schedule-I is a government document, which enlists the animals facing the danger of extinction (like tiger and black chinkara). The canal would prove to be a under water graveyard for most of these species once the suction pumps start scratching silt of about 48 million cubic meters.
2. National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), a 34- member advisory group of Sri Lankan professionals has put forward a report on the possible consequences of this project. According to this report, the Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) would increase the water flow from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, disturbing the inland water balance as well as the eco-systems in the Gulf. The group further says that sedimentation and silting possibilities, underwater ocean currents and increased turbidity have never been studied by NEERI. Moreover, NEERI never studied the possibility of a tsunami through the canal water flow.
Now let’s talk about what does NEERI stand for and what has been its role in the whole project. NEERI is the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur. NEERI has given its approval to SSCP on environmental grounds and the approval report is the only document SCL, the nodal agency entrusted with the work to complete the SSCP, has in its kitty to make a moral ground for the project. The approval report was based on raw data provided by S. Kathiroli, director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (Niot). As it turns out, Kathiroli was also on the board of the Dredging Corp. of India (DCI) when he was director of Niot. After the project was approved, DCI got the contract for dredging the channel for the Rs2,600 crore project. In nutshell, Kathiroli was director of 2 units at the same time. One unit cleared a project and the other benefited from the clearance. Very interesting. But the drama doesn’t end here. According to Sudharshan Rodriguez, a Chennai based conservation analyst, the EIA report furnished by NEERI, has used secondary data (provided by Kathiroli) going back to 1976. And how genuine was the report based on such data? Here is an example, Kathiroli's report said there was no rock on the Ram Sethu and earlier this year, a dredger DCI Aquarius hit a rock bed and broke its spud.
Tsunami Theory
There has been much talk about what would have been the Tsunami’s impact on southern Kerala without Ram Sethu. "This physical bridge saved thousands of lives in 2004," says R. Gopalakrishnan, former GSI director. Geologists say there are active volcanoes and moving tectonic plates in the region. Mint (12-09-07)
Ecologists claim the bridge checks the rough seas of the Bay of Bengal to create a haven for marine life. Mariners argue the channel is a disaster management nightmare. If a ship runs aground, there is no system to extricate it and clear the channel. Mint (12-09-07)
The former chairman of International Tsunami Society and advisor of Indian Government on Tsunami, Tad Satyam Murty wrote that if another tsunami strikes, this channel would cause devastation on the Kerala coast: "In the 2004 tsunami, no significant amount of tsunami energy travelled to Kerala through the waters between India and Sri Lanka. The water had to take a wide turn around Sri Lanka. In this process, the water missed southern Kerala. However, if the Sethu Canal is widened and deepened, this will provide an alternative route for the Indonesian tsunamis to funnel energy into the channel. My recommendation was clear: the threat is real, realign the channel." But SCL didn’t find it necessary to incorporate his views while preparing for the project. Mint claims that N.K. Raghupathy, the former chairman of SCL who was asked to go on leave in July and was transferred from his post last week, says he had "taken Murty to lunch to hear out his concerns". The same event got confirmed in an interview of Tad Murty published on rediff dot com on 22nd June 2007.
Now, telling the reason why Mr. Tad Murthy’s opinion could not be sought over, the SCL’s official site says it could not get his e-mail address and hence could not enter into a dialogue with him on his expert opinion. Is not it ridiculous in this information era? I, myself, just put ‘Tad Satyam Murty’ in google search and got his complete address with his phone number and telefax number which is as follows: Dr Tad S. Murty. Adjunct Professor. University of Ottawa. 18 Upwood Street. OTTAWA, ON K1V 3Y6. Canada. Telephone: +1-613 739 5445. Telefax: +1-613 562 5173.
Destructive for Energy Security: Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) estimates that about 30 % of world’s thorium deposits, or about 225000 tons of thorium, are found on the beaches of Kerala. This will support about 387 years of electricity generation at 2030 capacity levels (estimated). India has been vigorously pursuing the technology to make electricity, using thorium. Hundreds of crores has been spent on the development of the fast breeder Thorium based nuclear reactors and now scientists claim the success is just a couple of years away. Mind you, this is the technology and this is the thorium reserve over which, a large section of scientists think that 123 agreement is not as vital as is publicised.
Now a large chunk of this thorium would be washed away if Ram Sethu is blasted. And almost all of it would be lost if another tsunami strikes the region.
Another big worry is about the millions of tonnes of sand that would be scratched out from the sea bed. Experts say SSCP lacks knowledge of the characteristics for about 60% of the soil and does not know where about 90% of the dredged soil will be placed. Two dredging ships have broken down so far underscoring the issue of the lack of knowledge of soil characteristics. So where will this millions of tonnes of thorium contaminated sand be dumped? We don’t know, and we assume even the government doesn’t know. But doesn’t it sound very much unlikely. So has some place already been finalised covertly to deposit this thorium? And just think, who would cheer the most if India loses all its thorium. After all, this is one of the properties over which we may dream of challenging the superpowers of the world.
Disastrous for Ecology:
1. Due to the peaceful oceanic conditions of the Palk Straight, this area has provided numerous species a perfect flourishing flora and fauna. As according to Areeba Hamid, oceans campaigner of Greenpeace- India, Gulf of Mannar is home to 3,600 Schedule-I species. Schedule-I is a government document, which enlists the animals facing the danger of extinction (like tiger and black chinkara). The canal would prove to be a under water graveyard for most of these species once the suction pumps start scratching silt of about 48 million cubic meters.
2. National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), a 34- member advisory group of Sri Lankan professionals has put forward a report on the possible consequences of this project. According to this report, the Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) would increase the water flow from the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar, disturbing the inland water balance as well as the eco-systems in the Gulf. The group further says that sedimentation and silting possibilities, underwater ocean currents and increased turbidity have never been studied by NEERI. Moreover, NEERI never studied the possibility of a tsunami through the canal water flow.
Now let’s talk about what does NEERI stand for and what has been its role in the whole project. NEERI is the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur. NEERI has given its approval to SSCP on environmental grounds and the approval report is the only document SCL, the nodal agency entrusted with the work to complete the SSCP, has in its kitty to make a moral ground for the project. The approval report was based on raw data provided by S. Kathiroli, director of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (Niot). As it turns out, Kathiroli was also on the board of the Dredging Corp. of India (DCI) when he was director of Niot. After the project was approved, DCI got the contract for dredging the channel for the Rs2,600 crore project. In nutshell, Kathiroli was director of 2 units at the same time. One unit cleared a project and the other benefited from the clearance. Very interesting. But the drama doesn’t end here. According to Sudharshan Rodriguez, a Chennai based conservation analyst, the EIA report furnished by NEERI, has used secondary data (provided by Kathiroli) going back to 1976. And how genuine was the report based on such data? Here is an example, Kathiroli's report said there was no rock on the Ram Sethu and earlier this year, a dredger DCI Aquarius hit a rock bed and broke its spud.
Tsunami Theory
There has been much talk about what would have been the Tsunami’s impact on southern Kerala without Ram Sethu. "This physical bridge saved thousands of lives in 2004," says R. Gopalakrishnan, former GSI director. Geologists say there are active volcanoes and moving tectonic plates in the region. Mint (12-09-07)
Ecologists claim the bridge checks the rough seas of the Bay of Bengal to create a haven for marine life. Mariners argue the channel is a disaster management nightmare. If a ship runs aground, there is no system to extricate it and clear the channel. Mint (12-09-07)
The former chairman of International Tsunami Society and advisor of Indian Government on Tsunami, Tad Satyam Murty wrote that if another tsunami strikes, this channel would cause devastation on the Kerala coast: "In the 2004 tsunami, no significant amount of tsunami energy travelled to Kerala through the waters between India and Sri Lanka. The water had to take a wide turn around Sri Lanka. In this process, the water missed southern Kerala. However, if the Sethu Canal is widened and deepened, this will provide an alternative route for the Indonesian tsunamis to funnel energy into the channel. My recommendation was clear: the threat is real, realign the channel." But SCL didn’t find it necessary to incorporate his views while preparing for the project. Mint claims that N.K. Raghupathy, the former chairman of SCL who was asked to go on leave in July and was transferred from his post last week, says he had "taken Murty to lunch to hear out his concerns". The same event got confirmed in an interview of Tad Murty published on rediff dot com on 22nd June 2007.
Now, telling the reason why Mr. Tad Murthy’s opinion could not be sought over, the SCL’s official site says it could not get his e-mail address and hence could not enter into a dialogue with him on his expert opinion. Is not it ridiculous in this information era? I, myself, just put ‘Tad Satyam Murty’ in google search and got his complete address with his phone number and telefax number which is as follows: Dr Tad S. Murty. Adjunct Professor. University of Ottawa. 18 Upwood Street. OTTAWA, ON K1V 3Y6. Canada. Telephone: +1-613 739 5445. Telefax: +1-613 562 5173.
Destructive for Energy Security: Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) estimates that about 30 % of world’s thorium deposits, or about 225000 tons of thorium, are found on the beaches of Kerala. This will support about 387 years of electricity generation at 2030 capacity levels (estimated). India has been vigorously pursuing the technology to make electricity, using thorium. Hundreds of crores has been spent on the development of the fast breeder Thorium based nuclear reactors and now scientists claim the success is just a couple of years away. Mind you, this is the technology and this is the thorium reserve over which, a large section of scientists think that 123 agreement is not as vital as is publicised.
Now a large chunk of this thorium would be washed away if Ram Sethu is blasted. And almost all of it would be lost if another tsunami strikes the region.
Another big worry is about the millions of tonnes of sand that would be scratched out from the sea bed. Experts say SSCP lacks knowledge of the characteristics for about 60% of the soil and does not know where about 90% of the dredged soil will be placed. Two dredging ships have broken down so far underscoring the issue of the lack of knowledge of soil characteristics. So where will this millions of tonnes of thorium contaminated sand be dumped? We don’t know, and we assume even the government doesn’t know. But doesn’t it sound very much unlikely. So has some place already been finalised covertly to deposit this thorium? And just think, who would cheer the most if India loses all its thorium. After all, this is one of the properties over which we may dream of challenging the superpowers of the world.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Sethusamudram Project: Another Name of Disaster (Part- I)
Introduction
The shipping ministry intends to remove silt of about 48 million cubic meters in the Palk Straight at a cost of Rs 2,427 Crore and create a channel 167 km long to make the sea in this region navigable.
Claimed Benefits
It has been claimed that this will shorten the distance between the east and west coasts by about 780 km for the ships and subsequently would result in saving 30 hours of time for ships travelling from east to west or vice versa. As according to a benign estimate this will save fuel worth $5 Mn/yr. Some amount of Forex saving is also envisaged but there is no concrete data about it.
Another claim about the benefits of this project, popularly known as Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) is that it will decrease our dependency on Sri Lanka as far as the maritime security of the region is concerned. It is said that as our Navy would be able to navigate from Palk Straight / Bay of Mannar, it would increase the efficiency of our naval forces.
Beneficial for None
Trade Angle: Let’s talk about the first benefit first. After the completion of the project International and domestic ships would navigate through the Bay of Mannar. Agreed. But what kind of ships they would be. Ships of not more than 30,000 tonnage. Let me explain it. The SSCP proposes a canal in Palk Straight of 12 m depth. Since this channel is just 12m deep, and you have to leave at least 2m space between the bottom of the ship and the seabed, only ships that sink 10m below the water can use it. Which means, the maximum weight these ships can carry is 30,000 tonnes. Brian Alexander, an agent for foreign cargo ships, who has worked at various ports across the country for the past 25 years says,"Now, I don't know of any foreign ship that tiny. Even coal ships that come from Indonesia and Africa weigh at least 45,000 tonnes. In international shipping, the bigger the ship, the lower the freight. So you see, there is no incentive for small-sized cargo ships. I don't think I know of any one who would even consider using that channel."
Now, let’s talk about the domestic shipping companies. It seems unlikely that Indian shippers will benefit either, says Anjani Sinha of the Multi Commodities Exchange, because negligible domestic trade is carried out on ships from coast to coast. "The whole thing is a waste of money, I think," says Arun Sharma, president of the Kolkata-based India Steamship Co and member of the Indian National Shipowners Association. "Firstly, little domestic trade happens on the sea. Second, I don't have ships that small. Third, even if I did, I would not use the channel. It is a security risk." And what is this security risk. The ships using this route would go within a 15-mile distance from Sri Lanka’s Jaffna Coast, which has been the stronghold of LTTE. As of now the government has issued a warning to all ships to steer at least 50 nautical miles clear of Sri Lanka's Jaffna coast.
So, virtually there is no one who is going to use this channel. But the SCL website says about 3,500 ships are expected to use this channel in the first year. Will they be the ships of multi national fishing companies, who are supposed to be the only beneficiary of this project. Can we get the answer here for over enthusiasm of some ever thirsty Indian politicians doing everything to get this project through.
(all quotes from Mint 13-09-07)
Saving Angle:
The claim- if a ship travels through the canal, it would save 30 hours and $50 lakh/ annum on fuel.
Fact- But as we have already discussed that the clearance between the bottom of a ship and the sea surface would be only 2 m, the ships must stop their propellers before it enters the canal. Here comes the role of a tugboat. Claim of saving 30 hours would have been true had the ships traveled at their natural speed. But getting the tugboat aboard the ship and again getting it detached would kill at least 3-4 hours. So the experts say it would be more than satisfactory if the ship really saves a couple of hours after getting tugged by a turtle speed tugboat.
And as per the estimates mentioned on SSCP web-site of K.S.Ramakrishnan, retired deputy chairman, Madras Port Trust, these tugboats will cost an estimated additional $40 M/yr. So, only Mr. T R Balu and his intelligent team can tell us which company would bear a burden of Rs 8 in order to save Re 1.
Security Angle:
The claim– This project would strengthen our naval security.
Fact- US has never recognised the Palk Straight maritime zone as Indian and Sri Lankan territory. So you may boast in national pride why should we look for US recognition. Because my friend, US naval ships have visited this area in 1993, 1994, 1999 and 2000 in support of its claim that it is a international maritime zone. And we (our navy) only saw them coming and going. In April 2007, the U.S.Navy issued a statement underscoring the importance to them of their presence in the Palk Straight/Gulf fo Mannar area.
So, no one should have a doubt in his or her mind what would happen if naval ships would be able to navigate in the Palk Straight area. Panama and Suez canals have been declared as international maritime zone and PIL from Dr. S.Kalyanaraman against the project expresses concern for Palk Straight to be like Panama and Suez. Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer has earmarked this proposed canal as a new danger with the American presence in the Sethusamudram.
(We saw the truth behind the so-called benefits of Sethusamudram Project। Now we would discuss the disaster this project will cause for the ecology and energy security of the country in part II of this story.)
The shipping ministry intends to remove silt of about 48 million cubic meters in the Palk Straight at a cost of Rs 2,427 Crore and create a channel 167 km long to make the sea in this region navigable.
Claimed Benefits
It has been claimed that this will shorten the distance between the east and west coasts by about 780 km for the ships and subsequently would result in saving 30 hours of time for ships travelling from east to west or vice versa. As according to a benign estimate this will save fuel worth $5 Mn/yr. Some amount of Forex saving is also envisaged but there is no concrete data about it.
Another claim about the benefits of this project, popularly known as Sethusamudram Canal Project (SSCP) is that it will decrease our dependency on Sri Lanka as far as the maritime security of the region is concerned. It is said that as our Navy would be able to navigate from Palk Straight / Bay of Mannar, it would increase the efficiency of our naval forces.
Beneficial for None
Trade Angle: Let’s talk about the first benefit first. After the completion of the project International and domestic ships would navigate through the Bay of Mannar. Agreed. But what kind of ships they would be. Ships of not more than 30,000 tonnage. Let me explain it. The SSCP proposes a canal in Palk Straight of 12 m depth. Since this channel is just 12m deep, and you have to leave at least 2m space between the bottom of the ship and the seabed, only ships that sink 10m below the water can use it. Which means, the maximum weight these ships can carry is 30,000 tonnes. Brian Alexander, an agent for foreign cargo ships, who has worked at various ports across the country for the past 25 years says,"Now, I don't know of any foreign ship that tiny. Even coal ships that come from Indonesia and Africa weigh at least 45,000 tonnes. In international shipping, the bigger the ship, the lower the freight. So you see, there is no incentive for small-sized cargo ships. I don't think I know of any one who would even consider using that channel."
Now, let’s talk about the domestic shipping companies. It seems unlikely that Indian shippers will benefit either, says Anjani Sinha of the Multi Commodities Exchange, because negligible domestic trade is carried out on ships from coast to coast. "The whole thing is a waste of money, I think," says Arun Sharma, president of the Kolkata-based India Steamship Co and member of the Indian National Shipowners Association. "Firstly, little domestic trade happens on the sea. Second, I don't have ships that small. Third, even if I did, I would not use the channel. It is a security risk." And what is this security risk. The ships using this route would go within a 15-mile distance from Sri Lanka’s Jaffna Coast, which has been the stronghold of LTTE. As of now the government has issued a warning to all ships to steer at least 50 nautical miles clear of Sri Lanka's Jaffna coast.
So, virtually there is no one who is going to use this channel. But the SCL website says about 3,500 ships are expected to use this channel in the first year. Will they be the ships of multi national fishing companies, who are supposed to be the only beneficiary of this project. Can we get the answer here for over enthusiasm of some ever thirsty Indian politicians doing everything to get this project through.
(all quotes from Mint 13-09-07)
Saving Angle:
The claim- if a ship travels through the canal, it would save 30 hours and $50 lakh/ annum on fuel.
Fact- But as we have already discussed that the clearance between the bottom of a ship and the sea surface would be only 2 m, the ships must stop their propellers before it enters the canal. Here comes the role of a tugboat. Claim of saving 30 hours would have been true had the ships traveled at their natural speed. But getting the tugboat aboard the ship and again getting it detached would kill at least 3-4 hours. So the experts say it would be more than satisfactory if the ship really saves a couple of hours after getting tugged by a turtle speed tugboat.
And as per the estimates mentioned on SSCP web-site of K.S.Ramakrishnan, retired deputy chairman, Madras Port Trust, these tugboats will cost an estimated additional $40 M/yr. So, only Mr. T R Balu and his intelligent team can tell us which company would bear a burden of Rs 8 in order to save Re 1.
Security Angle:
The claim– This project would strengthen our naval security.
Fact- US has never recognised the Palk Straight maritime zone as Indian and Sri Lankan territory. So you may boast in national pride why should we look for US recognition. Because my friend, US naval ships have visited this area in 1993, 1994, 1999 and 2000 in support of its claim that it is a international maritime zone. And we (our navy) only saw them coming and going. In April 2007, the U.S.Navy issued a statement underscoring the importance to them of their presence in the Palk Straight/Gulf fo Mannar area.
So, no one should have a doubt in his or her mind what would happen if naval ships would be able to navigate in the Palk Straight area. Panama and Suez canals have been declared as international maritime zone and PIL from Dr. S.Kalyanaraman against the project expresses concern for Palk Straight to be like Panama and Suez. Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer has earmarked this proposed canal as a new danger with the American presence in the Sethusamudram.
(We saw the truth behind the so-called benefits of Sethusamudram Project। Now we would discuss the disaster this project will cause for the ecology and energy security of the country in part II of this story.)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Shame…Shame…
It is a real shame for this whole country. No one in the government is afraid of the faith and integrity of 80 crore of Hindus. But yes, these eunuchs are afraid of an Italian Christian lady. What kind of elephantine and inimical creatures are governing us? Should not we ashamed of? How does it make difference if the Left backed UPA government now decides to delete the line challenging the existence of Ram after their Dharm Mata frowned on there stupid poll plank? The law minister says Ram is the center of faith of crores of Hindus. Was he sleeping when a handful of mindless secularists and communists were aborting there dirty biased minds on the paper. It is really amazing to ascertain to what extent a so-called political leader may bow to his soul. To what extent can they go in defiance to Hindu faith? Can anyone imagine any of the government agencies making such an observation about Islamic or Christian faith?
Communists say there is no historical evidence of Ram. In fact, they are very much right. Ram must be out of the reach of their mind because this is the species, which love to see each and every thing on account books. This is the species, which don’t even understand the concept of nationality. So why the A B Vardhans, Sitaram Yechuris and Jyoti Basus of this country try to justify even the most venomous Chinese statement challenging the unity and integrity of this nation (Chinese statement questioning the succession of Arunach Pradesh into India). Who can make these stupid understand that the modern history writing began only two centuries back. And the so-called great communist historians are nothing but the students of what British historians cooked for them. And now let us talk about the NASA’s observation that the Ramsetu is not a man made architecture. So what is the breaking news in it. If Ram had the power to build a bridge on the sea using stones, how can one expect it to be like a man made bridge. And those of our respected ministers, historians and journalists who don’t know the word like faith, they should again go to their mother and ask for a DNA test so as to make themselves sure if they have their real father’s name with them.
Communists say there is no historical evidence of Ram. In fact, they are very much right. Ram must be out of the reach of their mind because this is the species, which love to see each and every thing on account books. This is the species, which don’t even understand the concept of nationality. So why the A B Vardhans, Sitaram Yechuris and Jyoti Basus of this country try to justify even the most venomous Chinese statement challenging the unity and integrity of this nation (Chinese statement questioning the succession of Arunach Pradesh into India). Who can make these stupid understand that the modern history writing began only two centuries back. And the so-called great communist historians are nothing but the students of what British historians cooked for them. And now let us talk about the NASA’s observation that the Ramsetu is not a man made architecture. So what is the breaking news in it. If Ram had the power to build a bridge on the sea using stones, how can one expect it to be like a man made bridge. And those of our respected ministers, historians and journalists who don’t know the word like faith, they should again go to their mother and ask for a DNA test so as to make themselves sure if they have their real father’s name with them.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
US college to start Hinduism classes
A prominent college in Nevada is all set to offer classes on Hinduism from next year with an increasing number of Indian Americans showing a growing interest in the ancient religion.
Rajan Zed, director of public affairs of a Hindu temple of northern Nevada and a Hindu priest, will teach students of Truckee Meadows Community College about different aspects of Hinduism.
The college also plans to offer classes on the Bhagavad Gita, one of the holiest Hindu scriptures, 'The Life, Experiments and Philosophy of Gandhi' and 'History and philosophy of Yoga', according to a press statement.
Hinduism is considered to be one of the oldest religions in the world. It is the third largest religion, with approximately one billion followers.
In an interesting trend, more and more Indian American parents are sending their children to summer camps and weekend schools to learn about ancient Indian religious traditions.
In California alone, over 10,000 children attend some sort of Hindu or Indian instructions on the weekend, especially during summers. Americans too are showing keen interest in Hindu spirituality and yoga.
There are around 1.5 million Hindus in the US and 800 Hindu religious centres, mainly concentrated in California, New York, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey.
A few months back, Zed had opened the US Senate and the California state senate's sessions with the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, a Hindu religious hymn.
Rajan Zed, director of public affairs of a Hindu temple of northern Nevada and a Hindu priest, will teach students of Truckee Meadows Community College about different aspects of Hinduism.
The college also plans to offer classes on the Bhagavad Gita, one of the holiest Hindu scriptures, 'The Life, Experiments and Philosophy of Gandhi' and 'History and philosophy of Yoga', according to a press statement.
Hinduism is considered to be one of the oldest religions in the world. It is the third largest religion, with approximately one billion followers.
In an interesting trend, more and more Indian American parents are sending their children to summer camps and weekend schools to learn about ancient Indian religious traditions.
In California alone, over 10,000 children attend some sort of Hindu or Indian instructions on the weekend, especially during summers. Americans too are showing keen interest in Hindu spirituality and yoga.
There are around 1.5 million Hindus in the US and 800 Hindu religious centres, mainly concentrated in California, New York, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey.
A few months back, Zed had opened the US Senate and the California state senate's sessions with the chanting of the Gayatri Mantra, a Hindu religious hymn.
Hindu prayer to open US Senate
History will be created when a Hindu prayer will be recited at the opening of the US Senate in Washington DC on July 12.
Rajan Zed, a Hindu chaplain, said that he had been officially asked to say the prayer. He said he believes this may be the first time any Hindu prayer is delivered in the Senate since its formation in 1789.
Zed is likely to choose the prayer from the Rig Veda, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. He said he plans to start and end the prayer with 'Om', the mystical Hindu syllable. The full text of the prayer will be included in the Congressional Record.
There are an estimated two million Indian Americans in the US. Followers of Hindu groups like ISKCON may add up to another one million.
"July 12 will be an illustrious day for all Americans and a memorable day for Indian Americans when prayers from ancient Hindu scriptures will be read in the great hall of democracy," Zed said.
Usually, the Senate chaplain delivers the opening prayer but sometimes guest chaplains are invited from all over the country to read the prayer.
Rajan Zed, a Hindu chaplain, said that he had been officially asked to say the prayer. He said he believes this may be the first time any Hindu prayer is delivered in the Senate since its formation in 1789.
Zed is likely to choose the prayer from the Rig Veda, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. He said he plans to start and end the prayer with 'Om', the mystical Hindu syllable. The full text of the prayer will be included in the Congressional Record.
There are an estimated two million Indian Americans in the US. Followers of Hindu groups like ISKCON may add up to another one million.
"July 12 will be an illustrious day for all Americans and a memorable day for Indian Americans when prayers from ancient Hindu scriptures will be read in the great hall of democracy," Zed said.
Usually, the Senate chaplain delivers the opening prayer but sometimes guest chaplains are invited from all over the country to read the prayer.
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