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SDM report confirms poisoning, Tharoor may be questioned -- Shalini Narayan

January 21, 2014, 9:13 pm
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SDM report confirms poisoning, Tharoor may be questioned

Written by Shalini Narayan | New Delhi | January 22, 2014 08:58SUMMARY
Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor, 52, was found dead in Room 345 of the Leela Palace hotel on Friday evening. (Express Archive)Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor, 52, was found dead in Room 345 of the Leela Palace hotel on Friday evening. (Express Archive)
Summons were likely to be issued to the rest of Sunanda’s family as well.

Police are likely to question union minister Shashi Tharoor in connection with the death of his wife Sunanda. The subdivisional magistrate on Tuesday directed the police to investigate the case after the autopsy report indicated the cause of death to be “poisoning”.
Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor, 52, was found dead in Room 345 of the Leela Palace hotel on Friday evening. This was two days after Sunanda alleged that her husband was having an affair with a Pakistani journalist.
The Indian Express had reported the key finding in the autopsy report on Tuesday.
SDM Vasant Vihar Alok Sharma handed over the inquiry report to the SHO Sarojini Nagar after meeting with the officer for an hour at his office in Kapashera. The inquiry, carried out by the magistrate under provisions of section 176 CrPc, has not revealed evidence of cruelty, torture or dowry harassment, sources said.
According to these sources, Sharma has said in the report that no member of the family has expressed suspicion of foul play in the death. The magistrate questioned 11 people, including the minister, Sunanda’s brothers Rajesh and Ashish Pushkar, her son Shiv Menon, her personal assistant R K Sharma, consultant Shiv Kumar, attendants Narayan and Bajrangi, two doctors who were the first to attend to her, and journalist Nalini Singh, with whom she spoke the night before.
Nalini Singh, sources said, had given a verbal statement to the SDM on Sunday, followed by a typed, two-page statement the day after.
Narayan, Sunanda’s attendant of four years, told the SDM that the Tharoors quarelled often, and had had an argument early on January 17, the day of her death. Narayan has told the magistrate that he gave Sunanda a foot massage at 6.30 am before leaving.
Narayan was replaced by Bajrangi, who was also the couple’s personal driver. He was on duty until 4 pm, when Narayan returned. Narayan then tried waking Sunanda twice along with R K Sharma, at 4.30 pm and 5.30 pm. After failing to get a response, he called Tharoor at 7.30 pm, who reached the hotel and opened the door with his key.
Sunanda was found inside. Rigor mortis had set in, suggesting she had been dead for at least four hours.
On Monday, hospital authorities said the autopsy had revealed the cause of death to be “poisoning”. Sources in the hospital said the upper part of her body bore at least a dozen marks of injury. Traces of the anti-anxiety drug Alprazolam were found in the body, but there were “no findings suggestive of drug overdose”.
Sources said the police would now investigate whether the death was suicide or homicide, and issue summons to Tharoor and the rest of Sunanda’s family including her father and brothers, whose statements would be recorded afresh. The SDM has not seen CCTV footage from the hotel, but the police were checking it to corroborate the statements of the eleven people questioned so far.
Sources said what caused the “poisoning” would be ascertained only after the viscera report is obtained from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, where samples have been sent for examination.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/sdm-report-confirms-poisoning-tharoor-may-be-questioned/
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Prosecutor's Crusade Against Indian Diplomat Is About His Moral Fanaticism -- Shikha Dalmia

January 21, 2014, 10:23 pm
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Prosecutor's Crusade Against Indian Diplomat Is About His Moral Fanaticism

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There are no saints in the saga of Devyani Khobragade, the Indian diplomat who was forced last week to leave America (and her American husband and kids) to escape a humiliating trial for allegedly underpaying her housekeeper, who is also an Indian.
But if there is a sinner here, it is not the diplomat or the housekeeper. It is the U.S. Prosecutor for Manhattan, Preet Bharara, an Obama appointee, whose crusade will hurt those in whose name he launched it: foreign domestic help.
It’s an understatement to say that the episode has soured relations between the two countries, who were just burying the hatchet after decades of Cold War animosity. Indians, whose national pride is disturbingly tied to how their government officials are treated abroad, took to the streets as news spread that Khobragade was arrested when dropping off her daughters to school, strip searched and held in a cell with “common” criminals in violation of her diplomatic immunity.
The Indian government, too, went into full retaliation mode, condemning America for its “despicable” and “barbaric” behavior; removing security barricades outside the American embassy; stripping consulate officers of their immunity; and — in a hilarious fit of peevishness — slapping duties on the wine and cheese imports of American diplomats (try staying sober for a few days, Yankees, and may be you’ll start thinking straight!).
But Bharara, himself born in India, was unbowed. “One wonders,” he asked, “why there is so much outrage about the alleged treatment of the Indian national accused of perpetrating these acts, but precious little outrage about the alleged treatment of the Indian victim?”
It’s a good question. But the answer is not that the deeply class-conscious Indian society that reflexively treats the rich and powerful as more equal than the poor and powerless. That insinuation is true but irrelevant. It is that Indians see Bharara’s pompous insistence on enforcing a preposterous rule of law without regard to the human context as moral fanaticism.
And they are right.
The charge against Khobragade, ironically a women’s rights advocate herself, is that in the visa application for Sangeeta Richards, the housekeeper, she promised to pay $4,500 per month, as per New York’s “prevailing wage” requirement. However, she wrote a separate contract, in which she offered Richards only $600 a month — and room and board.
Human rights groups insist that this is “wage theft.” If so, half of India would want its wages stolen.
Under one-third of the country’s 1.3 billion people subsist on $1 a day. Average per capita annual income is about$3,600, half of what Richards was being paid. Median salaries of software engineers and family physicians are at par with hers.
The kicker is that the U.S. consulate in India pays many of its Indian employees half of Richards’ wages.
If Khobragade had actually given Richards the full legal amount, she would have handed over most of her paycheck. It is an open secret in New York that foreign diplomats, who get a special dispensation under U.S. immigration law to bring over domestic help, rarely pay full legal wages.
One could argue that if Khobragade couldn’t afford to pay Richards what the law demanded, she should have done without her. Fair enough. But would Richards — or the 600 million Indians who would gladly swap places with her — have been better off under that scenario? Far from it.
Had Richards remained in India, she’d have made a third of what she was being paid here. Her living conditions would have been far worse. And she would be consigned to a culture where the standards for the treatment of domestic help are much lower.
Given his India connection, Bharara couldn’t possibly be unaware of this. So why exactly did he do it? The speculation in India is that this was a naked attempt to manipulate American sensibilities to impress his progressive base and advance his political career.
That’s not a bad guess. If Bharara were genuinely motivated by the plight of housekeepers, there are better ways to help. He could lobby to scrap the requirement in America’s immigration law that suspends their visas if they change employers, trapping them in genuinely abusive situations.
He could petition to loosen the visa barriers against foreign domestic workers so that they could shop around for employers — a far better way of raising wages and improving working conditions. He could also campaign against prevailing wage laws that price these workers out of the marketplace, severely limiting their options.
But that would mean taking on protectionists on the right and left who don’t want competition by foreign workers. It’s far easier to collect trophy scalps of prominent people for minor infractions.
P.S. This column, originally published in the Washington Examiner, is dedicated to beloved Kailash, a New Delhi cook-cum-caterer par excellence, who has been pleading with me to bring him to America for the last 20 years.
http://reason.com/archives/2014/01/21/new-york-prosecutors-crusade-again-india
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History of Ancient India (Special price offer upto Jan. 30, 2014 for first 5 of 11 volumes)

January 22, 2014, 12:14 am
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Embedded document provides the details of the VIF History Volumes.

Prof. Dilip K Chakrabarti and Prof. Makkhan Lal who have edited these 11-volume series have rendered great service to the cause of promoting a true understanding of contributions made by Indian civilization. The work is a worthy complement to and brings uptodate, Prof. Mazumdar's work from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Congrats to VIF too for sponsoring and promoting the initiative.

The volumes should adorn libraries in every school, every institution of learning, the world over and should enthuse lovers of history.

Every student, researcher of civilization studies should possess and cherish these volumes and contribute further to advancement of knowledge -- the governing force of human quest everywhere.

Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
January 22, 2014
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Remembering Sonia's $12b gift to Europe noted by MD Nalapat. No end in sight to poverty situation of India. So much for Sonia dynasty flourishes.

January 22, 2014, 2:11 am
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Sonia’s $12b gift to Europe..!!!

M D Nalapat
Friday, June 22, 2012

Blood is thicker than water, so it is not surprising that Sonia Gandhi’s heart is firmly anchored in Europe, the continent of her birth. Almost every month, there are house guests from Europe in 10 Janpath, the stately mansion that has been set aside by successive governments in India to provide the widow of former Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi a home. Now that Sonia’s two children are well into adulthood, the Manmohan Singh government has allocated two other bungalows for them, for daughter Priyanka and son Rahul to use as and when they deem it necessary.

Whenever the Congress Party has been in power, it has shown its gratitude to the Nehru family in myriad ways. This columnist recently left Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi and while in Mumbai, crossed the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link into the city, returning from Mumbai to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. Although the media in India has been prompt in looking askance at the many statues of Dalit icon Kanshi Ram and his protege Mayawati that have been erected in Uttar Pradesh while Mayawati was the state’s Chief Minister, thus far they do not appear to have noticed the many tens of
thousands of statues of Motilal Nehru, his son Jawaharlal, grand-daughter Indira and great-grandson Rajiv that adorn multiple locations in the country now once again under the control of the Nehru family.

However, relatives from the Kashmiri Brahmin side of the family (ie the actual Nehrus) seldom get invited to 10 Janpath, and hardly ever enjoy the exalted status of house guests. That privilege is almost exclusively reserved for relatives from Europe, especially Italy, the country of Sonia’s birth. Almost every month, either she or her
children go to Europe, to luxuriate in the simple comforts of home after having escaped the stifling luxuries that their VVIP status automatically gives them in India, such as huge mansions, state-provided staff, convoys of automobiles, chartered flights and so
much else that a grateful nation bestows on the mother, son and daughter who collectively constitute the Congress High Command.

Naturally, the language used while talking to each other is Italian, and naturally, while travelling in the Mother Continent of Europe, the family sheds the unfamiliar dress that is the uniform of politicians in India to slip into European garb, or very often American, such as denims and sports shirts. A respectful media, both national and international, do not even attempt to intrude into such private space. 

Sonia is lucky,in that the tribal instincts of reporters from the “civilised world” ensure that they almost always give her and her immediate family favourable treatment, while blacking out entirely the extended family, and its economic and commercial parameters. In India of course, the Income-tax department, the Enforcement Directorate, the
Intelligence Bureau and the Central Bureau of Investigation collectively ensure that their beloved Madam is not disturbed by negative reporting. Of what use is state power, unless it can be deployed in this quiet way, in order to protect the family that has given its name to almost every major government scheme in India?

This columnist is still, at the time of writing, a UNESCO Peace Chair. However, his views on the way in which certain countries in Europe have been seeking to return to the 19th century have apparently been noted in Paris, so it is very likely that this appellation may not be available for much longer. As with the broader UN bureaucracy, UNESCO too is heavily influenced by West Europe and its allies across the Atlantic Ocean, who regard as anti-democratic any opinion that does not fully conform to their own. However, despite the obvious risks of such a course, it would be impossible for the conscience of this
columnist to permit the expression of views in the diluted form that would ensure an absence of hostility within influential quarters in the civilised world. If this means that the UNESCO Peace Chair tag be removed from his name, so be it Since their assumption of office in 2004,there has been a systematic effort by the Sonia-led ruling coalition to
ensure that policies get followed which severely degrade the ability of India to compete against European commercial entities in the global market. Interest rates have been raised to levels that can only be described as criminal, having gone well beyond the level of
classification as insane.

The latest gift to Europe is a cash transfer of $10 billion, evidently on top of the $2 billion already committed to the International Monetary Fund. That the euro is in a terminal state is obvious. There is no way that Italy and even France can escape monetary and economic
disaster,it is just a matter of time. As for Greece and Spain, they are in a terminal state. Rather than throw money away by giving funds to an IMF controlled by Christine Lagarde for the sole purpose of getting the rest of the world to hand over their surpluses to the
profligate in Europe, it would have been better to invest in gold or in assets, including assets abroad. Instead, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who knows the mind of his political boss well and has therefore been able to continue in office without interruption, has handed over a further $10 billion to the IMF. This at a time when the fiscal deficit of his recklessly extravagant government is reaching crisis levels. The Indian economy cannot afford to gift - for that is what any loan to certain European countries is - even $10 million. The economy is just two to three years away from bankruptcy. The decision of the Sonia-led ruling coalition to throw taxpayer money away is in line with other
policies that favour Europe at the expense of India.

Of course, for the same reason why the media in India is quiet, so are the so-called “Opposition” parties, none of whom have protested with any vigour at this destructive decision. According to senior officials within the government,the $12 billion handed over to certain European states via the IMF will soon be joined by a further tranche of $10
billiion, discussions for which are going on. If it were not that the human consequences of such decisions on hundreds of millions of semi-starved people are so tragic, it could be termed the Theatre of the Absurd. A country with 300 million at starvation level throwing
away huge dollops of cash at countries where the population enjoys an infinitely better life. Those that have will get mire, while those that are poor will find themselves even more worse off. This seems to be the logic of present-day geopolitics.

—The writer is Vice-Chair, Manipal Advanced Research Group, UNESCO Peace Chair & Professor of Geopolitics, Manipal University, Haryana State, India.

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=161294
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Sar pe topi lal. India's topi moment. Cheating moment.

January 22, 2014, 2:37 am
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In tamil there is an idiom: kulla podu lit. 'to cap someone' meaning: to cheat.
So, Delhiites who have elected AAP have cheated themselves by electing SoniaG chamchas. 
The topi is on them. It is India's topi moment.
Kalyan
From Lal Batti culture to AAP Batti culture (via )

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Police to investigate death of Tharoor's wife -- Alistair Scrutton, Reuters

January 22, 2014, 2:44 am
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In India, a high society tragedy amid decline of elite

Photo
2:35pm IST January 22, 2014
By Alistair Scrutton
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - When Shashi Tharoor's wife was found dead in a swanky Delhi hotel last week after their marital strife had been splashed on Twitter, the colourful career of a jet-setting minister looked in doubt and another symbol of India's elite lost its sheen.
A magistrate who conducted an inquest has ordered police to investigate the death of Tharoor's wife, Sunanda Pushkar. She died on Friday just days after she accessed his Twitter account to accuse him of adultery with a Pakistani journalist and getting into a public spat with the woman.
An autopsy has found that Pushkar likely died of an overdose of anti-depressant drugs.
Tharoor, who was once a candidate for U.N. secretary general, has asked authorities to speedily conclude investigations, saying he was "horrified" by media speculation about him and his wife.
The widely published photographs of a distraught Tharoor after his wife's funeral are in stark contrast to years of media coverage of the well-dressed, former high-flying diplomat who has been courted from India's cocktail party circuit to U.S. television chat shows.
A prolific author and one of India's first major tweeting politicians, the U.S.-educated lawmaker and the beautiful Kashmiri who became his third wife were regulars in the social pages. But Tharoor has also been immersed in a corruption scandal and Twitter controversies have dogged him for years.
Media accounts of Pushkar's last days, spiced by the involvement of a journalist from the country's old foe, Pakistan, have gripped the country over the past week.
The tale of one of the wealthiest figures in government has coincided with the growing prominence of politicians who have emphasised their less-privileged roots.
Anti-corruption leader Arvind Kejriwal, a former tax civil servant who leads the Common Man's Party and eschews VIP privileges like official cars, and Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, touting himself as the son of a tea stall owner, are now dominating as a general election approaches.
"This is the era of the rise of the common man, the tea seller," said Sagarika Ghose, deputy editor of CNN-IBN and a leading political commentator. "There is a sense that Tharoor is not what India is about these days.
"There is a feeling that the elites are getting their comeuppance, that their time has gone."
SERIES OF SCANDALS
The drama around Tharoor comes after a series of scandals that have dented the idea of a rising, confident India.
The image of an economic juggernaut was undermined last year when growth fell to its lowest in a decade.
Politicians have been dogged by allegations of corruption on a spectacular scale, and a grisly gang rape in Delhi at the end of 2012 that sparked huge protests has marred the "Incredible India" slogan meant to draw tourists from around the globe.
Even a former Supreme Court judge has been probed over alleged sexual harassment and one of India's most powerful journalists was arrested last month in another sexual assault case.
Tharoor may survive politically. He has received backing from the leader of the ruling Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, and sympathy from many politicians. One TV channel called him the "Comeback Kid" for his ability to bounce back from reverses.
"There's a tendency to caricature Tharoor. He's glamorous, in gossip columns, a fashion statement," said Ghose. "But he is also a very intelligent man and talented politician."
Tharoor left India as a student and, after nearly three decades at the United Nations, he returned to join local politics when he lost to Ban Ki-moon in the race for Secretary-General in 2006.
He made his mark quickly, becoming one of the first Indian politicians to harness social media. His Twitter handle shows more than 2 million followers.
"He became a symbolic person for a more modern India," said Bhaskara Rao, a well-known commentator on social and political issues and head of a New Delhi-based think tank.
Tharoor has had his share of problems. As junior foreign minister, his political career almost ended after he tweeted that he would fly "cattle class" in solidarity with "holy cows" - sparking a storm of criticism from the country's Hindu majority, for whom the cow is sacred.
Tharoor was also reprimanded by his foreign minister that same year for criticising the tightening of tourist visa requirements.
In 2010, Tharoor resigned over allegations concerning a $333 million cricket league franchise bid when it was revealed - again on Twitter - that the winning consortium allotted stakes worth about $15 million for free to Pushkar, his then-girlfriend.
Tharoor returned to the council of ministers two years later and is now the minister for human resource development.
"He has a charming personality and is an astute commentator," said Rao. "But the hype also has its pitfalls. And that is rather symbolic of the emergence of India."
(Additonal reporting by Jose Devasia in Trivandrum; Editing by John Chalmers and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/22/india-shashi-tharoor-sunanda-puskar-idINDEEA0L06Y20140122
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vēḍa mukhyamantri Kejriwal -- Shinde says it all and owns up the possible sources of a prosperous madcap

January 22, 2014, 6:04 am
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By using the transliteration 'veda' in some reports like the following, some important points of inference are missed out. The correct transliteration of the adjective used by Shinde is: vēḍa (vEDa). 

It is a very expressive statement in Marathi, with many associations to expose deviant behaviour.

Now read on...


Sushilkumar Shinde calls Kejriwal a 'mad chief minister'

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times  New Delhi, January 22, 2014

Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Wednesday called Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal a ‘mad chief minister’, saying he had to cancel the leave of several policemen because of Kejriwal, TV channels reported.
Speaking at an event in Maharshtra, the home minister said, "When I was in Kherwadi (as a policeman), my leave was cancelled right after my wedding because there were riots. Now because of a 'veda mukhyamantri' (Marathi for 'mad chief minister') on dharna, I had to cancel the leaves of policemen".
Shinde’s statement is the latest in slanging match between Kejriwal and Shinde.
While announcing his stir earlier on Monday, Kejriwal had said, “Some say I am an anarchist, that I am spreading anarchy. I am willing to agree to that. So, I want to spread that anarchy to the home minister’s office. I have come to spread anarchy in the police commissioner's house too.”
The Delhi CM failed to secure his main demand during his protest that the city's police force be put under his government's control. Shinde ruled out transferring control of Delhi Police to the state government. “It is the national capital. That isn’t possible.”
Kejriwal also blamed Shinde for causing inconvenience to the people of Delhi. "Shinde has closed the metro stations. I had told Metro officials to run trains. They said they cannot do it as the Delhi Police have closed them." http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/home-minister-shinde-calls-delhi-cm-kejriwal-a-mad-chief-minister/article1-1175585.aspx


Shinde used the phrase vēḍa mukhyamantri, referring to Arvind Kejriwal. vēḍa is a Marathi word derived from Sanskrit विड viḍa. Here is what the word means in Marathi. The news reports are correct. a simple translation will be 'madcap, crackbrained, crazy' or to use the Americanese 'nutcase'. But there is a method in this madness of AK acting under instructions from Yogendra Yadav, the naxal.

The fine nuances of semantics of the expressive word may be seen from a Marathi phrase: वेडें भाग्य [ vēḍē mbhāgya ] n (Mad luck; Fortune turned crazy.) A term for the opulence or prosperity of a man utterly lacking learning or wisdom or desert. 

This means AK is acting under instructions beyond Yogendra Yadav, from the power centres of SoniaG UPA.

Here are the cognate glosses from a very reliable Marathi lexicon:

वेड [ vēḍa ] n (विड S To rage, chafe, fume.) Madness. 2 Foolishness or folly : also a foolish act. 3 fig. A violent and unreasonable passion or desire after. वेड काढणें To bring on madness. 2 To take the conceit (wild haughtiness) out of. वेड घेऊन पेड- गांवास जाणें To feign madness or idiocy in order to accomplish some crafty purpose. वेड पिकणें, वेडाचा पाऊस पडणें Phrases expressive of wild excesses, riotous and extravagant proceedings, any general tumultuousness or uproar. वेड भरणें in. con. To get mad. वेड भरणें or भरविणें To drive one mad or furious; to vex to madness. वेड लावणेंTo bring madness upon. Ex. वेड लावलें भ्रताराला ॥ नाहीं राहिला लौकिक ॥. वेडीचें सोंग घेणें To feign madness. Used esp. of a debtor feigning insolvency, of a man of service or work feigning incompetency &c.
वेडगळ [ vēḍagaḷa ] a वेडका a sometimes वेडगेला a (वेडा) Crazy, cracked, fatuous, madish.
वेडगळणें [ vēḍagaḷaṇēṃ ] v i (वेडगळ) To revel recklessly and wildly; to run riot. 2 unc To become mad or crazy.
वेडझंवा [ vēḍajhaṃvā ] a (A formation filthy in its origin but now so established as to have nearly lost its filthy implication. It is used by the mostdecent speakers. ) Crazy or cracked; silly or foolish; inexpert or unskilled; awkward, clumsy, uncouth, queer, fantastic, odd &c. 2 Bewildered, confounded, struck aghast or agape.
वेडण [ vēḍaṇa ] n R (वेढणें) A clumsy and coarsely wrought ring (of gold or silver); worn on the fingers or toes.
वेडथर [ vēḍathara ] a (वेडा & थर) Crazy, cracked, daft, halfwitted.
वेडदुल्ली [ vēḍadullī ] or -धुल्ली a A formation from वेडा in the sense of वेडझंवा q. v. but designed to be rather cleaner, and fitter for a delicate mouth.
वेडपा [ vēḍapā ] a (वेडा) Crazy, cracked, eccentric, half mad.
वेडवणें [ vēḍavaṇēṃ ] v i (वेडा) To become mad or foolish.
वेडविणें [ vēḍaviṇēṃ ] v c (वेडा) To madden or irritate (by mocking and teasing).
वेडसर [ vēḍasara ] a (वेडा) That is somewhat affected in the understanding; crackbrained, crazy, silly, madish.
वेडा [ vēḍā ] a (वेड) Mad. 2 Doltish, foolish, idiotlike. 3 Wild, frantic, incoherent--speech, acts. 4 with g. of o. Enamoured of, transported with, madafter.
वेडा ऊस [ vēḍā ūsa ] m Wild or degenerate sugarcane. Used medicinally.
वेडा खुळा [ vēḍā khuḷā ] a वेडा पिसा a (वेडा, खुळा, पिसा The three words of the same general signification.) Mad, fatuous, frantic, furious, outrageous, extravagant.
वेडा धोतरा [ vēḍā dhōtarā ] a (वेडा & धोतरा) Mad or idiotic; crazy or silly.
वेडा पीर [ vēḍā pīra ] m (वेडा & P A Muhammadan saint.) A term for a wild, extravagant, rowdy, reckless fellow; a madcap, dreadnought, roisterer, rantipole.
वेडा बागडा [ vēḍā bāgaḍā ] a (वेडा here used enhancingly, बागडा from बागणें To warp.) Curved and crooked; bent, bowed, or warped variously. 2 It occurs sometimes in the figurative senses of वेडा वांकडा.
वेडा मधुरा [ vēḍā madhurā ] m Fever of a putrid type with coma. See मधुरा.
वेडावणें [ vēḍāvaṇēṃ ] n also वेडावणीं n pl Mocking and mimicking; making mouths at &c. in order to irritate. v दाखव, दाव. वेडावणें [ vēḍāvaṇēṃ ] v i (वेडा) To become mad or silly.
वेडा वांकडा [ vēḍā vāṅkaḍā ] a (वेडा & वांकडा, or from वांकडा by redup.) Curved and crooked; bent or warped in numerous directions and degrees. 2 fig. Perverse, untoward, wayward, capricious--a person: also random, rambling, incoherent, void of rhyme or reason--speech, actions.
वेडाविणें [ vēḍāviṇēṃ ] v c (वेडा) To madden or irritate by mocking and teasing. 2 To make mad generally.
वेडा विद्रा [ vēḍā vidrā ] a वेडा विपारा a Mad and ugly; ill-tempered and ill-formed; wild-looking, crazy, and frightful generally.
वेडाळणें [ vēḍāḷaṇēṃ ] v i (वेडा) To turn mad or foolish.
वेडाळा or ळ्या [ vēḍāḷā or ḷyā ] a P (वेडा) Mad, crazy, distraught.

वेडें भाग्य [ vēḍē mbhāgya ] n (Mad luck; Fortune turned crazy.) A term for the opulence or prosperity of a man utterly lacking learning or wisdom or desert.
वेडे वेडे चार [ vēḍē vēḍē cāra ] m pl (वेडा by redup. & आचार) Wild pranks and freaks; rash, harebrained, flighty doings.
वेडें ज्ञान [ vēḍē ñjñāna ] n (Mad understanding.) Fatuity or folly.
वेड्यांचा बाजार [ vēḍyāñcā bājāra ] m A multitude of wild and disorderly people, a bear-garden. v भर.

Shinde has said it all using the adjective vēḍa. He has actually owned up the possible sources for AK's prosperity in madness. AK is supported by SoniaG UPA.

Kalyanaraman


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Anarchist Arvind Kejriwal's constitution of no authority other than his own dictatorial authority! - V. Sundaram IAS

January 22, 2014, 7:06 am
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After sitting on Dharna near Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi for two days, Arvind Kejriwal and his unruly Mob called off the Dharna. First, Arvind Kejriwal said that the Dharna would not be called off till the two Station House Police Officers were suspended. Then in a total climb down, he called off the Dharna when the Leutinant Governor of Delhi agreed to direct the two Police Officers in question to proceed on leave. Arvind Kejriwal has hailed his total defeat as a Total Victory for the People of Delhi! He is a Liar. He is a Hypocrite. He has only played with the Emotions and Sentiments, Passions and Feelings of the Innocent and Unorganized Ignorant Masses in the Union Territory of New Delhi! Of course, he has caused tremendous inconvenience and hardship to the common people in Delhi who could not reach their places of work or go back home after their day’s work on account of the conditions of Tremendous Dislocation and Anarchy created by Arvind Kejriwal’s Mindless and Illegal Agitation. Fortunately or unfortunately, for the helpless people in Delhi who elected him as their Leader, Arvind Kejriwal  has declared: “I AM AN ANARCHIST.”

Arvind Kejriwal’s Anarchy is merely an illusion of his Notion of Chaotic Liberty which means Nothing but Riotous Licence. By going to the streets of New Delhi within a few weeks of his assumption of charge as the Elected Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal has left no Enlightened Citizen in any doubt that he is an UNABASHED ANARCHIST.

If I can paraphrase this Declaration, all that he wants to tell us is this:”The special trait making me an anarch is that I live in a world which I ‘ultimately’ do not take seriously. This increases my freedom to serve as an Irresponsible and Lawless So called Peoples’ Volunteer at least for the moment”.

Mikhail Bakunin (1814 – 1876) declared:  ”Do you want to make it impossible for anyone to oppress his fellow-man? Then make sure that no one shall possess power.”Mikhail Bakunin did not seek power for himself. He did not cheat his people. He was sentenced to death several times. Mikhail Bakunin believed in the Dictatorship Of the People, By the People,  For the People. Arvind Kejriwal stands for the Principle that No one other than himself shall possess Power in the State. But he does not mind giving this Power on a Long Term Lease to Firangi Memsahib Sonia Gandhi. The whole of India and more particularly the CIA of America know that Arvind Kejriwal is only a handle of Firangi Memsahib Sonia Gandhi. That is why the Congress Party has given outside support to him in forming a Minority Government in Delhi. The Foundations for this durable Political Relationship  were laid during Arvind Kejriwal’s days in the Indian Revenue Service. Every officer in the Indian Revenue Service is known for his Absolute Integrity! Every Member of this Glorious Service is an Incarnation of either Jesus Christ or Gauthama Buddha or Mahaveera or Mohammad the Prophet or Adi Shankara! The rest of it can easily be UNDERSTOOD by any perceptive observer without my making any overt attempt to UNDERLINE IT.

Arvind Kejriwal’s Political Mission of Irretrievable and Absolute Anarchy can be summed up as follows: “If I cannot dance to my own Tune of the TOTAL DESTRUCTION and DESSIMATION of the Indian State, THEN IT IS NOT AAP REVOLUTION – AT ANY RATE NOT MY REVOLUTION AT ALL”

Arvind Kejriwal is a Multiple-Tongued Anarchist who chooses the Path of Lawless Anarchy regardless of consequences to the People of India or the Indian State and by doing so, he would like the duly Elected Government o f India to accept the total responsibility for his REVOLUTIONARY CHOICE. In short, his Motto is : “I can do Nothing Wrong and the Government of India can do Nothing Right.”

Let me now give an example of Conversation between an Enlightened and Law Abiding Citizen and Lawless Arvind Kejriwal.

ATMA RAM:"I'M SURE WE CAN ALL PULL TOGETHER, SIR."

ARVIND KEJRIWAL: "OH AAM AADHMI! I DO HOPE NOT! PULLING TOGETHER IS THE AIM OF DESPOTISM AND TYRANNY. I WOULD LIKE FREE MEN TO PULL IN ALL DIRECTIONS ON THE STREETS OF NEW DELHI PREFERABLY NEAR THE UNPARLIAMENTARY HOUSE.  ALTHOUGH I AM AN ANARCH, I AM NOT ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN. QUITE THE OPPOSITE: I NEED AUTHORITY, ALTHOUGH I DO NOT BELIEVE IN IT. MY CRITICAL FACULTIES ARE SHARPENED BY THE ABSENCE OF THE CREDIBILITY THAT I ASK FOR. ANARCHY IS LIKE CUSTARD COOKING OVER A FLAME; IT HAS TO BE CONSTANTLY STIRRED OR IT STICKS AND GETS HEAVY, LIKE GOVERNMENT.”

POST SCRIPT:

I THOUGHT THAT THE FOLLOWING QUOTATIONS MAY BE QUITE RELEVANT TO THE LAWLESS REVOLUTIONARY AAM AADHMI CAUSE OF ARVIND KEJRIWAL.

“Anarchists are mouthpieces of a declining stratum of society; when they work themselves into a state of righteous indignation demanding 'rights', 'justice', 'equal rights', they are just acting under the pressure of their own lack of culture, which has no way of grasping why they really suffer, or what they lack in life.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

It is cold anarchy to say that all men are to meddle in all men's
marriages. It is cold anarchy to say that any doctor may seize and
segregate anyone he likes. But it is not anarchy to say that a few
great hygienists might enclose or limit the life of all citizens,
as nurses do with a family of children. It is not anarchy, it is
tyranny; but tyranny is a workable thing.”
― G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

His soul swayed in a vertigo of moral indecision. He had only to snap the thread of a rash vow made to a villainous society, and all his life could be as open and sunny as the square beneath him. He had, on the other other hand, only to keep his antiquated honour, and be delivered inch by inch into the power of this great enemy of mankind, whose very intellect was a torture-chamber. Whenever he looked down into the square he saw the comfortable policeman, a pillar of common sense and common order. Whenever he looked back at the breakfast-table he saw the President still quietly studying him with big, unbearable eyes.”
― G.K. Chesterton, The Man Who Was Thursday


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Search

Hindus in West Bengal live this way - Tapan Ghosh

January 22, 2014, 10:21 am
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HINDUS IN WEST BENGAL LIVE THIS WAY
By Tapan Ghosh
42 photos

Yesterday on 21 Jan. 2014
HS team visited riot hit Biki Hakola village under Panchla PS in Howrah dist. after 7 days of attack from Nabi Divas procession. Our purpose was to distribute some relief materials to the victims. But what our team saw was appalling. We are posting the pics which our team has taken after 7 days of destruction on 14 Jan. Perhaps people outside Bengal will think it difficult to believe that Hindus in West Bengal live this way.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=583431148418009&set=a.583431095084681.1073741849.100002533881766&type=1&theater
Some photos:


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Countering fraudulent history of Indian mythology and vedic traditions. Call for papers WAVES 2014...

January 22, 2014, 5:55 pm
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I think the following announcement provides an opportunity to scholars to counter the frauds perpetrated in the name of a fictitious category called 'myth':

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION
World Association for Vedic Studies (WAVES)
(A Multidisciplinary Academic Society - Tax Exempt in the US) 
Eleventh International Conference on  “Vedic Living in a Modern World”July 31-Aug 3, 2014

In Collaboration with Maharishi University of Managament, Fairfield, Iowa at Maharishi University of Managament, Fairfield, Iowa
Web site: www.wavesinternational.net

About the Conference
The Conference aims at bringing together individuals and organizations having academic interest in diverse areas of Indic / Vedic Studies. This includes independent scholars, academics, writers, journalists, media persons, artists and others interested in Indic / Vedic Studies. 
World Association for Vedic Studies, known by its acronym ‘WAVES’ is a multidisciplinary academic society that welcomes persons engaged or interested in studying any field of Vedic / Indic studies. The word ‘Vedic’ is used in a wide sense to include not only the Vedas but also the past, present and future of traditions and societies based on Vedas.
Previous conferences include the following: “Int’l Conference on Revisiting Indus - Saraswati Civilization & Ancient India”, Atlanta (GA), October 4-6, 1996, “International Conference on New Perspectives on Vedic & Ancient Indian Civilization”, Los Angeles (CA), August 7-9, 1998, “International Conference on Contemporary Views on Indian Civilization”, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, (NJ), July 28-30, 2000, “India’s Contributions and Influences in the World”, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth (MA) July 12-14, 2002. “India’s Intellectual Traditions In Contemporary Global Context”, July 9– 11, 2004, University of MD, Washington, DC area. “Vedic Ideas for Global Harmony and Peace in the Modern Context”, July 8-10, 2006, University of Houston, Houston, Texas. “Vedic heritage for Global Welfare of Next Generation”, June 27-29, 2008, Orlando, FL, “Vedic Knowledge for Civilizational Harmony”, August 4-7, 2010, Trinidad, West Indies, “Varna Jati and Kula – A conference on India’s caste system”, July 29-31, Piscataway, NJ, “Vedic Cultures –Epic and Pauranic Phase”, Dartmouth (MA), July 13-15, 2012.

These conferences included participants from Australia, Austria, Bali (Indonesia), Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Caribbean, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Netherlands, Surinam, UK, and USA, USSR, etc. 

WAVES conferences in the past eighteen years have always been a meeting point of leading scholars, researchers and research / teaching institutions, dedicatedly deliberating on Vedic studies. 
WAVES 2014 is scheduled for three days. The deliberations in the conference will cover a wide array invited lectures and paper presentation sessions around the various themes.
Poster sessions, special sessions focused on Vedic sciences and research, youth committee presentations, Hindu temples presentations, Non-roman script Digital technologies for web representation and online education of Vedic studies, Audio-visual exhibits, Practical Vedic religious performances and learning workshop, exhibits and book-shops are other interesting parts of the conference. 
Suggested topics can cover a wide area including: Insider / Outsider perspectives on Vedic culture, Origin of Vedic knowledge, Changing paradigms on Vedic knowledge, etc.

SUBMISSION OF PAPERS
Papers on any aspect of Indian studies may be sent for presentation. Papers will include topics on Archaeology & Anthropology; History & Social Sciences; Language, Literature & Linguistics; Science & Technology; Vedas; Upanishads; Smirities; Puranas; Epics – Ramayana & Mahabharat, Gita; Contemporary Works and Issues; Dharma – Shastras, Ethics & Rituals; Agriculture, Plant Science & Ecology; Inter-Religious Dialogue; Health, Yoga & Martial arts; Business, Economics & Administration, etc. The proceedings will be published before the conference. Therefore, you are requested to send an electronic copy of your completed paper by the due date or earlier. The presentations are required to be in Power Point format. Direct reading of papers is strongly discouraged.
Please send the abstract (about 200 words) of your paper to be presented to the organizing committee at waves.conference@gmail.com or to the address given below on or before the deadline. If you have any questions, you may contact any member of the Organizing committee near your area. You are requested to contact them through e-mail. 
Deadlines 
For receiving abstracts: March 1, 2014;
(Acceptance will be notified through e-mail by April 15, 2014)
For full length papers: May 30, 2014
Main Features
1. Keynote Addresses 2. Paper Reading Sessions
3. Invited talks 4. Panel Discussions
5. Public Lectures 6. Cultural Programs
7. Academic symposia on several aspects of Indian Studies 8. Parallel Youth programs 
9. Poster Presentations 10. Community workshops
Patrons
MUM 
Infinity Foundation, Princeton, NJ
Local Organizing Committee 
Candace Badgett, Fairfield Iowa
David Scharf , MUM.
Conference Organizing Committee
General Chairman, to be announced
Dhirendra Shah, siaram@aol..com
Sashi Kejriwal, sashi@kejriwal.net
Aditi Banerjee, banerjeea@gmail.com
Ravi Joshi, ravi@medhajournal.com

Conference Program Committee
Dr. T. S. Rukmani, Concordia University
Dr. Shashi Tiwari, University Of Delhi, shashit_98@yahoo.com
Dr. Girish Nath Jha, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Dr. R. Puligandla, University of Toledo
Dr. Madan Goel, University of Western Florida

Background
In Hindu tradition, I do not know any category called 'myth' in any narrative account. The closest synonym of 'myth' in Indian sprachbund is pravādḥa meaning 'litiguous language'; cognate: प्रवाद [pravāda] m Popular talk, rumor (Marathi). Myth seems to be a fraudulent invented category by academics of dubious distinction.
These rascal myth-makers are indulging in pravādḥa for ulterior motive of filling their academic time and their academic desire for 'publication' and 'self-glorification' and certainly not intended to advance knowledge through workshops of the Kozhikode type. I would like to know from the participants of the Kozhikode workshop, what they learnt from the 80-odd academics.
I think there should be a law to regulate the litiguous behavior of such academics trying to debunk hindu vedic traditions and heritage. Let us look at the glosses related to the subject of narratives:
पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times"
Itihāsa, "historical event"; from iti + ha + āsa, lit. "so indeed it was"
itihAsa purANAbhyA.n vedaM samupabR^i.nhayet (MBh.)
Eighteen types of lores or narratives are noted: अष्टादशन् विद्या the eighteen kinds of learning or lores; अङ्गानिवेदाश्चत्वारोमीमांसान्यायविस्तरः।धर्मशास्त्रंपुराणंचविद्याह्येताश्चतुर्दश॥आयुर्वेदोधनुर्वेदोगान्धर्वश्चेतितेत्रयः।अर्थशास्त्रंचतुर्थंतुविद्याह्यष्टादशैवतु॥
37 purāṇa were recited pariplava nights As'vamedha the participants were listening to old legend, a distinguished from itivṛtta (history), ākhyāyika (fables), udārahaṇam (illustrative stories), dharmaśāstram  (precepts of dharma) and arthaśāstram (political science). These were sources of knowledge.
Writers on Rhetoric usually divide prose com- position into कथा and आख्यायिका and make a distinction between them. Thus they regard Bāṇa's हर्षचरित as an आख्यायिका and कादंबरी as a कथा; according to Daṇḍin, however, (Kāv.1.28) there is no distinction between the two; तत्कथाख्यायिकेत्येकाजातिःसंज्ञाद्वयाङ्किता (Apte. lexicon)
उदाहारः 1 An example or illustration.-2 The beginning of a speech.

The guy is into debunking Veda using Vedic Workshops and comparative mythology as vehicles.
I don't know if anyone heard Witzel's lecture on Vedic and Asian mythology on 10 Jan. 2014 in Kozhikode. http://ivw2014.org/images/IVW-Program-Format.pdf One can guess that this follows his recommended 'strategies'.

Take his paper as listed here :- http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/How-to-Enter.pdf Strategies In Translating A Bråhmana Text are outlined. I don't know if he has deployed these strategies in the 5 mandalas translation of Rigveda into German (which have appeared as of Jan. 2014) together with other co-author academics.

If there are any refutations of such motivated misrepresentations of Vedic traditions, they are welcome to present their views in the forthcoming WAVES 2014 (announced).
S. Kalyanaraman
January 23, 2014


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KM Munshi: Forgotten visionary of India’s cultural renaissance -- Nachiketas

January 22, 2014, 6:28 pm
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KM Munshi: Forgotten visionary of India’s cultural renaissance
by Nachiketason 23 Jan 2014




The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan celebrated its Platinum Jubilee Year in 2013, which was also the 125th birth anniversary of its founder KM Munshi. Given the magnitude of resources available to the Bhavan, it was disappointing to see that the twin celebrations turned out to be a low key affair, not befitting the stature of this cultural institution and its visionary founder. While some centres unveiled statues of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, others organized music festivals. Even symbolically speaking, one wonders why the Bhavan did not think it fit to install a statue of Munshiji himself to commemorate his 125th birth anniversary at suitable locations and keep his name and message alive.

It appears as though the Bhavan’s leadership has been infected with the policy paralysis of the current government! One has to only visit any of the centres of the Bhavan in India to see how the great legacy of KM Munshi is gathering dust in the portals of his own institution. A recent visit to the Bhavan’s bookstall in one of the centres in south India revealed that most of the original works of KM Munshi are either ‘out of stock’ or even worse ‘out of print.’ None of the seminal works that defined Munshi’s literary legacy – The Ruin that Britain Wrought, Jai Somnath, Akhand Hindustan – are accessible to the common man today. This writer had to make do with photocopies of old moth-eaten copies from a public library.

The manager of the bookstall said the reason for the non-availability of Munshi ji’s books is that they are not in popular demand and hence their publication has been stopped! So a stalwart intellectual like Munshi is being subjected to the agni pariksha of popularity by the very institution he founded to propagate the core values of Indian Culture.

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has 122 centres in India and 7 abroad. The Bhavan’s schools in India have an approximate strength of more than three lakh students. Are the staff members and students of the Bhavan’s institutions familiar with Munshi’s vision and his plan of action to revitalize Indian Culture? Does the Bhavan prescribe Munshi’s books as recommended reading for its students and teaching staff?

Over the last several years, regular visitors to the Bhavan have found that most of the students and staff have never had an opportunity to read the life and works of Munshi. Worse, the top echelons of the Bhavan’s management are infested with the secular elite who shy away from acknowledging Munshi’s unwavering commitment to the Sanatana Dharma.

Recently, Jinnah apologist AG Noorani called KM Munshi an ‘RSS mole in the Congress party’ who was appointed by Sardar Patel as the Agent General to Hyderabad to resolve the Nizam’s refusal to accede to India. The Bhavan’s stoic silence to this abusive and derogatory reference to their founder is sad, but perhaps understandable in the stifling anti-Hindu ethos of our times. A nationalist Government at the Centre would have forced an apology from AG Noorani or initiate legal proceedings against him for such offensive allegations.

KM Munshi was one of the few leaders of modern India who understood and cherished India’s civilisational ethos, unlike the brown sahibs who often felt ashamed of own cultural roots and sought to imitate the colonial masters. In his formative years, Munshi was a student of nationalist icon Sri Aurobindo, whom the British considered as the most dangerous man in India. No wonder Munshi was profoundly transformed and influenced by Sri Aurobindo’s nationalism, patriotism and his vision for India’s cultural renaissance.

During the partition era, he took a bold and uncompromising stand against the divisive politics of Jinnah and the Muslim League. His work Akhand Hindustan, was the passionate outpouring of his deep anguish at seeing his motherland being cut into pieces by greedy politicians whom he called as the ‘Disruptionists’: “The creed of disruption has thriven on appeasement so far, and unless Indians put their foot down, the country will be cleft into bits before they know what is being done.” (p.9)

“Friendliness comes by mutual forbearance and mutual respect. It is not born out of a wedlock of bluff and appeasement. When those standing for the unity of India win the respect of the disruptionists by their fearless advocacy of Akhand Hindustan, friendliness and mutual understanding will follow, as day follows night.” (p.14)

One cannot but feel the power of his prophetic words and the uncanny resemblance they continue to have to the situation in India today which is dominated by the politics of appeasement of minority vote banks.

“Akhand Hindustan is a living reality, which no man in his senses dare trifle with. There cannot be any parley on the question of the integrity of India. There can be no compromise on the basis of its disruption. No coercion, no calamity, no slavery, however oppressive will make us agree to such vivisection. From Amarnath to Rameswar, from Dwarka to Kalighat, the land is one and indivisible. It is sanctified by the sacrifice of Indians of thirty centuries. It is the shrine at which our gods have worshipped. It is the hope of India’s sons; it will remain such till the end of time. Its inviolability is the first article of their faith here, their salvation hereafter. Whoever seeks to part what has thus been joined, will have to walk over the dead bodies of millions of Indians. And even then, India will remain one and indivisible.”

What a tragedy for India that in spite of the presence of towering leaders like Munshi, the spineless proponents of India’s partition were allowed to have their say.

Munshi’s role in the successful integration of Hyderabad State and the renovation of the Somnath Temple are unforgettable contributions which make every Indian indebted to him.

Munshi established the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan as an instrument through which Indian Culture could be reinterpreted and revitalized to suit the needs of the modern times. It is high time that the Bhavan stops shying away from Munshi’s legacy.

As KM Munshi’s 43rd death anniversary approaches on 8 February 2014, one hopes the Bhavan will shake off its stupor and renew its commitment and responsibility to preserve his works for posterity. The entire collection of works of KM Munshi should be available to the public without delay. If the Bhavan cannot do this, let it renounce the copyright on Munshi’s works and allow other patriotic institutions to take up this noble cause.

http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=3084
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Egmore to Colombo Boat Mail. Colombo-Delhi high-speed train will herald Indian Ocean Community.

January 22, 2014, 8:27 pm
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Kumar Chellappan had a report on January 1, 2014 citing Sreedharan's suggestion for a high-speed passenger train between Kochi and Delhi in less than 15 hours.http://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/govt-on-wrong-high-speed-track-metro-man.html 


It should be possible to reintroduce a high-speed train service from Colombo to Delhi in less than 15 hours. Willa SoniaG UPA announce such a path-breaking initiative and scrap the Sethuchannel which would have destroyed Ramasetu?


Such a transport network will be part of the Trans-Asian Railway and Trans-Asian Highway Networks of the Indian Ocean Community (IOC) heralding the IOC in the comity of nations, as a tribute to Sri Rama who build the Ramasetu, a landmark which should promote the formation of IOC of 59 nations along the Hindumahasagar, Indian Ocean Rim, opening up unprecedented development opportunities for nearly 2 billion people and even provide an impetus to the European Community and other nations on the globe to get out of the recurring financial crises. IOC will also enable India to regain her share of the world GDP which was over 25% at the turn of the millennium of Common Era, 0 CE.


Kalyanaraman

When you could buy a rail ticket FROM EGMORE TO COLOMBO...


Historic Boat Mail Connecting Chennai And Ceylon Would Have Turned 100 Next Month


V Ayyappan | TNN 


    Till the mid-1980s, travellers used to buy tickets to Colombo at Egmore railway station. They boarded the Boat Mail to Rameswaram from where they hopped onto ships to reach Sri Lanka. The train no longer chugs across the channel, but if it did, it would have turned 100 next month. 

    Travel was effortless till 1964, when the train went to a pier in Dhanushkodi where passengers stepped off to board boats that ferried them across Palk Strait to a pier at Talaimannar. From there, they boarded a train to Colombo. This service was discontinued after the Dhanushkodi pier was destroyed in a cyclone in 1964, and the once bustling trans-shipment point is now a ghost town. 

    In 1950, the train took 19 hours to reach Dhanushkodi and the steamers three-and-ahalf hours to reach Talaimannar, according to Indian Railway Fans Club. “The ticket was from Egmore to Colombo Fort. Those with first class tickets travelled on the upper deck; second class passengers were on lower decks,” said Brian R, who was a regular on the train. 

    Six years after Egmore railway station was built, South Indian Railway Company launched its Indo-Ceylon connection in February 1914. Three steamers — Curzon, Elgin and Hardinge, named after three viceroys — took passengers 22 miles across the sea to Ceylon. 

    The building of the line involved much to-and-fro between colonial governments. The February 1914 issue of the Railway Gazette says: “Both in India and Ceylon, there has been some years of agitation for these two islands (Rameswaram and Mannar) to be joined to the nearest mainland.” 

    It came into being after Sir Henry Kimber of South Indian Railway presented a demand to Lord Morley, India’s secretary of state. Ceylon built a railway line from Madavach to Talaimannar, while India extended the Madurai-Mandapam line with a bridge across Pamban pass to Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi. Officials wanted a ferry to carry the train from Rameswaram to Mannar. This was dropped because the Palk Strait is shallow, said an official. 

    “In the ’80s, people brought Japanese watches from Colombo and took lungis from Chennai. The ferry was discontinued after LTTE gained power,” said retired rail official C Sivaraj. 

CHUGGING ACROSS 

1876 | India-Ceylon connection via Adam’s Bridge mooted 1894 | Ceylon government prepares estimate for 22-mile bridge across the sea at a cost of Rs 259lakh 1895 | Indian government brings down estimate to Rs 249lakh 1899 |Survey for railway line from Madurai to Rameswaram; idea to have a harbour at Kundagai Point for India-Ceylon traffic mooted 1906 | Neville Priestley, MD, South Indian Railway, revives building floating bridge across Adam’s bridge 1908 |Madras governor Arthur Lawley, Ceylon governor Henry McCullum meet at Dhanushkodi, plan to build viaduct across Palk Strait with rolling lift bridge over Pamban pass and run steamers between Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar; proposal to carry train on ferry mooted but dropped 1911 | Work begins on viaduct 1913 |Viaduct completed in June; Scherzer rolling lift bridge built between July and Dec; piers at Dhanushkodi finished 1914 | Railway line till Dhanushkodi pier and steamers inaugurated by Madras governor Lord Pentland

SHIPSHAPE: The steamers ‘Elgin’ (left) and ‘Hardinge’ at the southern pier in Dhanushkodi in 1914


FIRST TRIP: Governor of Madras Lord Pentland and others arrive at Rameswaram

ON THE TRACKS: The entourage walking from Rameswaram to Scherzer bridge
MEETING POINT: Dry dock at Mandapam in 1914 where Indo-Ceylon Express, later known as Boat Mail, met the steamer
IN DEEP WATER: The last train to Dhanushkodi stranded in the flood caused by the 1964 cyclone

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2014/01/23&PageLabel=4&EntityId=Pc00414&ViewMode=HTML
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Indra jāla. Yatra viśvam bhavaty eka nīḍam, where the whole world is a net.

January 23, 2014, 6:16 am
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Indra jāla. Yatra viśvam bhavaty eka nīḍam, where the whole world is a net.

Background notes on an ancient metaphor

See: Indra's net (Wikipedia)

"Imagine a multidimensional spider's web in the early morning covered with dew drops. And every dew drop contains the reflection of all the other dew drops. And, in each reflected dew drop, the reflections of all the other dew drops in that reflection. And so ad infinitum. That is the Buddhist conception of the universe in an image."– Alan Watts Podcast – Following the Middle Way alanwattspodcast.com (Podcast, 2008). Cited in wikipedia.

जाल jāla a net (for catching birds , fish &c ) AV. viii , x; a net, snare Yajn. iii, 119 MBh.iii , 25 R. Bhartr. Thus, Indra jāla means ‘Indra’s net’.

Yatra visvam bhavaty eka nīḍam (where the whole world is a net). This was the phrase chosen by Rabindra Nath Tagore as the motto for Visvabharati which he founded. 

Many people refer to this phrase as from an ancient Sanskrit verse. I have no other information on the source.

नीड nīḍa is a Vedic word, interpreted as a bird's nest RV.

No doubt, bird’s nest as a shelter and a net as an interwoven weft and woof provide very powerful metaphors to convey unifying ideas and to explain phenomena.

The Net of Indra
Posted by: Wei YuApril 4, 2009

The Net of Indra is a metaphor from Mahayana Buddhism that demonstrates the principles of Interdependent Origination

Here are a few articles explaining what this is about:

GRAPHIC GAIL ATKINS

The metaphor of Indra's Jeweled Net is attributed to an ancient Buddhist named Tu-Shun (557-640 B.C.E.) who asks us to envision a vast net that: 

at each juncture there lies a jewel;
each jewel reflects all the other jewels in this cosmic matrix.
Every jewel represents an individual life form, atom, cell or unit of consciousness.

Each jewel, in turn, is intrinsically and intimately connected to all the others;
thus, a change in one gem is reflected in all the others.

This last aspect of the jeweled net is explored in a question/answer dialog of teacher and student in the Avatamsaka Sutra. In answer to the question: "how can all these jewels be considered one jewel?" it is replied: "If you don't believe that one jewel...is all the jewels...just put a dot on the jewel [in question]. When one jewel is dotted, there are dots on all the jewels...Since there are dots on all the jewels...We know that all the jewels are one jewel"

The moral of Indra's net is that the compassionate and the constructive interventions a person makes or does can produce a ripple effect of beneficial action that will reverberate throughout the universe or until it plays out. By the same token you cannot damage one strand of the web without damaging the others or setting off a cascade effect of destruction. 

A good explanation of the Hindu/Buddhist myth of Indra's net can be found in The Tao of Physics, by Fritjof Capra: "...particles are dynamically composed of one another in a self-consistent way, and in that sense can be said to 'contain' one another. In Mahayana Buddhism, a very similar notion is applied to the whole universe. This cosmic network of interpenetrating things is illustrated in the Avatamsaka Sutra by the metaphor of Indra's net, a vast network of precious gems hanging over the palace of the god Indra." In the words of Sir Charles Eliot: 

"In the Heaven of Indra, there is said to be a network of pearls, so arranged that if you look at one you see all the others reflected in it. In the same way each object in the world is not merely itself but involves every other object and in fact IS everything else. In every particle of dust, there are present Buddhas without number."

The similarity of this image to the Hadron Bootstrap is indeed striking. The metaphor of Indra's net may justly be called the first bootstrap model, created by the Eastern sages some 2,500 years before the beginning of particle physics. 

Compare the first picture with:

Computer model of early universe. Gravity arranges matter in thin filaments.
image
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...One of the images used to illustrate the nature of reality as understood in Mahayana is The Jewel Net of Indra. According to this image, all reality is to be understood on analogy with Indra's Net. This net consists entirely of jewels. Each jewel reflects all of the other jewels, and the existence of each jewel is wholly dependent on its reflection in all of the other jewels. As such, all parts of reality are interdependent with each other, but even the most basic parts of existence have no independent existence themselves. As such, to the degree that reality takes form and appears to us, it is because the whole arises in an interdependent matrix of parts to whole and of subject to object. But in the end, there is nothing (literally no-thing) there to grasp....

Source: Sunyata ('Emptiness')

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http://www.heartspace.org/misc/IndraNet.html

 
The Indra's Net: What Is It?

Far away in the heavenly abode of the great god indra, there is a wonderful net which has been hung by some cunning artificer in such a manner that it stretches out indefinitely in all directions. In accordance with the extravagant tastes of deities, the artificer has hung a single glittering jewel at the net's every node, and since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. There hang the jewels, glittering like stars of the first magnitude, a wonderful sight to behold. If we now arbitrarily select one of these jewels for inspection and look closely at it, we will discover that in its polished surface there are reflected all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number. Not only that, but each of the jewels reflected in this one jewel is also reflecting all the other jewels, so that the process of reflection is infinite
The Avatamsaka Sutra

francis h. Cook: hua-yen buddhism : the jewel net of indra 1977

When I was trying to come to a decision regarding the look and feel of my new web site, I wanted to employ a background image that had universal import and could point the way to an adequate description of the nature or reality. A tall order, if not impossible, but the choice was clear: Indra's Net. 
There are several aspects of Indra's Net, as described in the above quote, that signify it as a crystal clear allegory of reality: 

1. The Holographic Nature of the Universe 
Long before the existence of the hologram, the jeweled net is an excellent description of the special characteristic of holograms: that every point of the hologram contains information regarding all other points. This reflective nature of the jewels is an obvious reference to this. 

This kind of analogy has been suggested by science as a theory for an essential characteristic of the cosmos, as well as as the functioning of the human brain, as beautifully described in The Holograpic Universe by Michael Talbot. 

2. The Interconnectedness of All Thingss 
When any jewel in the net is touched, all other jewels in the node are affected. This speaks to the hidden interconnectedness and interdependency of everything and everyone in the universe, and has an indirect reference to the concept of "Dependent Origination" in Buddhism. Additionally, Indra's Net is a definitive ancient correlate of Bell's Theorum, or the theory of non-local causes. 

3. Lack of a substantive self 
Each node, representing an individual, simply reflects the qualities of all other nodes, inferring the notion of 'not-self' or a lack of a solid and real inherent self, as seen in the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism and Buddhism in general. 

4. Non-locality 
Indra's Net shoots holes in the assumption or imputation of a solid and fixed universe 'out there'. The capacity of one jewel to reflect the light of another jewel from the other edge of infinity is something that is difficult for the linear mind, rational mind to comprehend. The fact that all nodes are simply reflections indicates that there is no particular single source point from where it all arises. 

5. Innate Wisdom 
The ability to reflect the entirety of all light in the universe attests to the inherent transcendant wisdom that is at the core of all nodes, representing all sentient beings, and to the inherent Buddha Nature. 

6. Illusion or Maya 
The fact that all nodes are simply a reflection of all others implies the illusory nature of all appearances. Appearances are thus not reality but a reflection of reality. 

7. Universal Creativity 
A familiar concept in various high dharmas is one of an impersonal creative intelligence that springs forth into reality through the instruments of all living beings. 

8. The Mirror-like Nature of Mind 
The capacity to reflect all things attests to the mind being a mirror of reality, not its basis. This is a common thesis among various schools and religions. 
And Indra's Net has been used as a defining metaphor for the Internet. One major web hosting site is www.indra.com. 

The following are some quotes and interesting web sites regarding Indra's Net: 

Indra's Net is a core metaphor of HuaYen. 

Stephen Mitchell, in his book The Enlightened Mind, wrote: 

"The Net of Indra is a profound and subtle metaphor for the structure of reality. Imagine a vast net; at each crossing point there is a jewel; each jewel is perfectly clear and reflects all the other jewels in the net, the way two mirrors placed opposite each other will reflect an image ad infinitum. The jewel in this metaphor stands for an individual being, or an individual consciousness, or a cell or an atom. Every jewel is intimately connected with all other jewels in the universe, and a change in one jewel means a change, however slight, in every other jewel." 

(It's also interesting to note that contemporary physicists are in general agreement that this ancient metaphor is indeed a good description for the universe.) 

As one of the West's preeminent philosophers defined human interaction:
The [people] are the primary units of the actual community, and the community is composed of the units. But each unit has in its nature a reference to every other member of the community, so that each other member of the community, so that each unit is a microcosm representing in itself the entire all-inclusive universe.

--Lecture: Body and Spirit, 1926, Alfred North Whitehead 


URL #1: A great graphic of Indra's Net
URL #2: Indra's Net and The Glass Bead Game
URL #3: The Glass Bead Game
URL #4: Another interesting graphic
URL #5: An artist's conception...
URL #6: Indra's Net and Holography
URL #7: Philosopher David Loy's Explanation of Indra's Net and Mahayana Buddhism
URL #8: Buddhist Thangka similar to Indra's Net  

http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.in/2009/04/net-of-indra.html

“Throughout the universe there’s a network of wires stretching to infinity. The horizontal wires are placed in space; the vertical in time. Everywhere where these wires cross each other, there’s an individual. And every individual is a crystal bead. The big light of an Absolute Being enlightens and penetrates each crystal bead. And every crystal bead reflects not only the light of all other crystals in the network, but also every other reflection, from all corners of the Cosmos.” The Rigveda – Indra’s Net
indraFar, far away, in the abode of the great god Indra, king of heaven, hangs a wondrous vast net, much like a spider’s web in intricacy and loveliness. It stretches out indefinitely in all directions. At each node, or crossing point, of the net hangs a single glittering jewel. Since the net itself is infinite in dimension, the jewels are infinite in number. The sparkling jewels hang there, suspended in and supported by the net, glittering like stars, dazzling to behold.
Close your eyes, now, and imagine what this magnificent jeweled net looks like, spread across the vast expanse of space. Now, keep your eyes closed and move in close to one jewel in the net. Look closely, and you will see that the polished surface of the gem reflects all the other jewels in the net, infinite in number, just as two mirrors placed opposite each other reflect an image ad infinitum. Each jewel reflected in this gem you are gazing into also reflects all the other jewels, so that the process of reflection is itself infinite.
Now open your eyes, and know that you are a sparkling jewel in Indra’s Net, as is every person around you. Every jewel is connected with all the other jewels in the net; every person is intimately connected with all the other persons in the universe. Each has an independent place within the net and we all reflect and influence each other. A change in one jewel—or person—produces a change, however slight, in every other. Realize, too, that the infinite reflections speak to the illusory nature of appearances. Appearances are not, in fact, reality, but only a reflection; the true nature of a thing is not to be captured in its appearance. However powerful that appearance might be, it is yet only a reflection of what is real.
In addition, whatever you do to one jewel affects the entire net, as well as yourself. You cannot damage one strand of a spider web without injuring the entire web, and you cannot damage one strand of the web that is the universe without injuring all others in it, whether that injury is known or unknown to them. This can work for good or ill because, of course, just as destructive acts affect the entire net, so do loving, constructive, compassionate acts affect the entire net. A single helpful act—even a simple act of kindness—will send positive ripples across the infinite net, touching every jewel, every person in existence.
Conclusion
Hindu MysticThe ancient Hindu mystics said everything in the universe was inextricably interconnected, and they used Indra’s net to illustrate the concept. “If the net is multi-dimensional, the points where the strings of the net connect would be like intersecting points from which one could access the whole net. One tug pulls the whole net, one tug connects you to the whole net. Basically, that is how synchronicity works,” writes Shawn Randall, Synchronicity in Your Life.
The Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu religious poem, recognizes the synchronous nature of creation and an underlying cosmic unity. The Hindu term, Brahman, refers to the fundamental connection of all things in the universe. The appearance of this universal oneness in the soul is called Atman.
Some may call it ‘luck’ or ‘coincidence,’ but synchronicity is neither of these things. Synchronistic events are distinguished by a spiritual clarity, in which youknow that you are the ultimate Creator of everything that occurs in your life. In the Hindu tradition, synchronicity can be conceptualized with the aid of the beautiful metaphor of Indra’s Net.  In this metaphor, strands of a cosmic, inter-dimensional web connect everyone and everything in all of existence, and where the strands come together, there are countless, stunningly beautiful crystalline beads or water droplets.
Every single one of these beads or droplets reflects the entirety of the web as a whole—they carry within them the reflection of All That Is, you see. When one is clear, clear about who I Am in the deepest of spiritual senses, then like a glowing bead in Indra’s net, those reflections of All That Is shine out and through. The points of connection find their place, and everything syncs up. You become in tune with the universe, and this is synchronicity. Yes, in a sense you are creating it, but in a greater sense you are merely allowing it to take place, for it is the natural course of thing.
In quantum physics, this hidden reality, this universal consciousness, is known as the non-local mind. Quoting Deepak Chopra on the non-local mind from The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: “Operating outside the boundaries of normal space and time, it is the great organizing and unifying force in the universe, infinite in scope and duration. By its nature, nonlocal mind connects all things because it is all things. It requires no attention, no energy, no approval; it is whole unto itself, and therefore attracts love and acceptance.”
Various sources
http://www.hinduhumanrights.info/lord-indras-jeweled-net-of-synchronicity/
See: Vedic conception of Indra's net http://wiki.my-big-toe.com/index.php/The_Vedic_Conception_of_Indras_Net

S. Kalyanaraman
January 23, 2014
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Give a Sevak 60 months: Shri Narendra Modi at Vijay Shankhnad rally in Gorakhpur

January 23, 2014, 6:46 am
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Narendra Modi asks India for 60 months, promises transformation

Sandhya Jain23 Jan 2014

Escalating his nationwide drive to drum up support ahead of the 2014 general election, Narendra Modi exhorted the youth to dare to dream (sapne dekhne chahiyein) and promised that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would work to fulfill their aspirations. Addressing a mammoth Vijay Shankhnad Rally at Gorakhpur on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Thursday afternoon, the BJP’s Prime Ministerial contender said India is a rich nation and its people should be rich; hence the forthcoming Parliamentary election would be a “fight against poverty”.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, he recalled, asked the youth to give him their blood in return for the promise of freedom, but he was seeking a 60-month mandate to give them peace and prosperity “main aapko sukh chain doonga”. Lambasting the Congress for remembering the poor only at election time, Narendra Modi challenged the party to explain why poverty was galloping in the nation despite all the talk of eradication. The Congress, he concluded, wants to keep the poor mired in poverty in order to enhance its electoral prospects and will never empower them to rise out of the doldrums. This mindset hates the poor who are kept as votebanks; the nation should no longer tolerate this insult to the poor.
This can be discerned in their (Congress) dislike of a chai-wala, a son of a poor mother who walks with his head high, he said. Explaining that he was not taking up cudgels against the Congress because of any personal grievance, “It is not a question of a chai-wala.” But he was opposing the mindset and politics that made fun of the poor, he pointed out that one leader of the party said one could get a good meal in Rs 12, and another then said, “No. Rs 5.” Is this possible, he asked and the gathering responded with a thundering no.
Poverty is something that such persons cannot understand. The cold, the heat, sickness, all hit the poor the hardest, but New Delhi and Lucknow are not willing to fight the demon of poverty. Uttar Pradesh, he bemoaned, is the land of the Ganga and Yamuna, and yet with all its natural resources, it remains mired in backwardness and despair. The youth leave their homes and hearth, friends and parents, and go and struggle for a livelihood outside the State. Youth from almost every village in eastern Uttar Pradesh have come to Gujarat to work, he said.
Ten years of sustained effort is all that it will take to transform Uttar Pradesh, the Gujarat Chief Minister said. Mocking the ruling family in the State, he said, “Wherever I go, the father and son follow me.” (watch my movements). As the crowd cheered, he mimicked the SP leaders’ debunking his (Modi’s) ability to transform UP into Gujarat, “Netaji (an euphemism for Mulayam Singh), making UP into Gujarat means 24 hours electricity for 365 days of the year, in every village and street. You don’t have the capacity to do this. It takes a chhappan inch (56-inch) chest to do so.” This akhara-style rebuke at the manliness of the Samajwadi Party president, a former wrestler, was aimed at the recent extravagant Saifai Mahotsav where SP leaders enjoyed themselves while the State reeled in myriad problems and people suffered in the bitter cold of Muzaffarnagar relief camps.
Continuing his challenge, Narendra Modi said that to become like Gujarat means 10 years of non-stop 10 per cent growth, without faltering at 3-4 per cent as Uttar Pradesh is doing under the present dispensation. If the Samajwadi Party could take Uttar Pradesh to the same heights of peace, prosperity and communal harmony as Gujarat, the Gujaratis would flock to Uttar Pradesh for employment, he promised. The Samajwadi Party, he emphasised, had got a handsome mandate from the people but was not able to deliver on employment, the security of women, and ruined the State with its petty politics. Humne UP ko abaad karne ki shapath li hai, he asserted, adding that UP has the capacity to wipe out the poverty of the nation single-handed and give employment to all youth in the country. But the condition was that it elected leaders committed to development (vikas).
Why, he mused, are sugarcane farmer helpless in UP? He challenged the SP leaders to go to Gujarat and see the link between sugarcane farmers and sugar mills. The farmers, he pointed out, are paid on time and the mills send sugar to the markets on time. But a State that cannot even conduct school and college examinations on time, and causes students to waste a whole year because of late results, can hardly be expected to run factories on time. It can only waste human resources.
BJP Senior leaders addresses Vijay Sankalp Rally at Gorakhpur
Why, he exhorted, does a State with ample water resources and cattle and fodder, import milk from outside? Why can’t there be an Amul type of dairy here? A White Revolution can provide employment to all the youth and end the problems in the village; only the people must dare to dream… The lack of political will was crippling the farm sector, and even as farmers queued up to buy fertiliser and resorted to the black market, fertiliser factories like the one in Gorakhpur remained locked up. The future of village youth, he suggested, could be made secure by strengthening traditional farming while devoting equal energy to cattle and milk production, and growing trees to augment farm incomes and end the costly import of timber. A family that plants just five trees on the birth of each daughter could meet the cost of their weddings without going to the moneylender, he said.
India, the Gujarat strongman said, wants to compete with the world and not continue to wallow in the present morass. It needs the politics of growth and development and good governance, and a respite from the politics of vote-banks. It needs to end the reign of rulers and bring in persons who serve. Urging eastern UP to give the BJP all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in its kitty, Narendra Modi said the winds of change were already blowing hard and the BJP had scored a massive mandate in four out of five-State elections recently. Even more impressive was the mandate the party received from the poor and marginalised communities that Congress has regarded as its committed vote-banks and has treated with contempt — these have now turned to the BJP for respect.
BJP president Rajnath Singh lambasted the SP for its two year reign that had vitiated the atmosphere with its communal and vote-bank agenda where even poverty alleviation is planned on communal lines. He blasted the UPA for mooting a communal violence legislation that would hold the majority community responsible for every communal incident in the country, and said BJP would never allow such a Bill to become law. Condemning Sonia Gandhi’s attack on the BJP and Manmohan Singh’s tirade against Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh countered that the country had witnessed the worst communal riots under Congress’s watch. In contrast, States ruled by the BJP were generally peaceful, and the highest-earning minorities were in Gujarat.
Gorakhsha Peeth chief and local MP, Yogi Adityanath blasted the authorities for putting hurdles in the way of Narendra Modi’s rally on the pretext of security. The Seema Suraksha Bal, he said, welcomed jihadis from Nepal and escorted them to Jammu & Kashmir (under Omar Abdullah’s dubious rehabilitation policy which was never extended to Kashmiri Pandits) but opposed the BJP rally on grounds of security. It was the large-hearted people of 12 Scheduled Caste villages, who were totally neglected by the BSP and the SP, who made the rally possible, he said, and urged the BJP to pay special attention to the region when it came to power, particularly its crippling medical problems like Japanese encephalitis and other diseases.
http://www.niticentral.com/2014/01/23/narendra-modi-asks-india-for-60-months-promises-transformation-182629.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO5yTF_j04c
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Sunanda Pushkar’s death case transferred to Crime Branch. Tharoor should quit his office.

January 23, 2014, 7:11 am
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Sunanda Pushkar’s death case transferred to Crime Branch

Press Trust of India | New Delhi | January 23, 2014 05:41

SUMMARY

The sources had said autopsy report also mentions a 'deep teeth bite' on the edge of the left palm apart from mentioning over a dozen injury marks.
52-year-old Sunanda was found dead in a 5-star hotel in South Delhi on Friday night. (PTI)52-year-old Sunanda was found dead in a 5-star hotel in South Delhi on Friday night. (PTI)
The probe into the mysterious death of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor, on Thursday was transfered to the elite Crime Branch of Delhi Police, a week after she was found dead in a luxury hotel.
Sources said the high-profile case has been handed over to Crime Branch considering “various aspects” involving it.
On Tuesday, a sub-divisional magistrate, who probed Sunanda’s death, had directed the police to investigate murder or suicide angles in the case after the autopsy report mentioned “poisoning” as the reason for her demise.
52-year-old Sunanda was found dead in a 5-star hotel in South Delhi on Friday night, a day after her twitter spat with Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar over an alleged affair with Tharoor. In a report to the police, SDM, who has recorded the statements of Sunanda’s brother, son, Tharoor and his staff, said that no family member suspected any foul play in the death.
The sources had said autopsy report also mentions a “deep teeth bite” on the edge of the left palm apart from mentioning over a dozen injury marks. They had said autopsy report has found mix of two drugs – Alprazolam and Excedrin in Sunanda’s body. Excedrin is a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine.
The SDM, in his report, had said Sunanda could have died in “just three ways, homicidal, suicidal and accidental” and police should investigate further to ascertain the reason of her death. The SDM said under section 176 of CrPC his job was to determine cause of the death which has been established as poisoning. Any death within seven years of marriage is legally required to be investigated by the sub-divisional magistrate.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/sunanda-pushkars-death-case-transferred-to-crime-branch/
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How not to translate Vedic texts. Let us be wary of academic mistranslations.

January 23, 2014, 4:58 pm
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How not to translate Vedic texts. Let us be wary of academic mistranslations.

Expanding the study of meanings (semantics), some tend to camouflage translations as a ‘cover’ for study of a civilization (kulturwissenschaft) based on texts. 

This strategy results in taking the meanings of words or metaphors out of context and attribute ‘mythical’ overtones in ancient texts. 

An honest scholar should just concede as Veda itself has done in a number of occasions: ‘I do not know’.

To gain adhikāra in studying a Vedic text, the scholar should first imbibe, adhyayana, the cultural traditions and treat the text as sacred.

There is no secrecy involved in the texts. If secrecy was the intent, the traditional transmittal of texts would not have been preserved with such intensity for thousands of years. Why not accept the possibility that the expressions were intended to transmit ‘insights’ as they occurred among the savants whose life mission itself was a journey into the cosmic wonder?

Some academics seem to translate itihāsa as myths. This is simply a motivated approach, motivated by the strategy to debunk tradition. There is no evidence in any ancient text to assume such a meaning for the genre of knowledge called itihāsa. I leave it to experts in historiography to evaluate the sources of history presented, if at all, in ancient Vedic texts. Deliberations engaged in prose texts are memory markers and aids to placing the performance of a sacred process in context. Many such discussions are evaluations of nuances in the the processes of performance of Yajña, as tradition enjoins. Repetitions in texts are perhaps mnemonic aids which reinforce the precise meanings intended for the use of specific words deployed to delineate the processes.

Chandogya Upanishad for example cites:

Eṣa somo rājā, tad devānām annam tam devā bhakṣyanti.

There is no need for a philologist to wax eloquent on the semantics of each word in this line. Clearly, the kavi is using a mix of metaphors referring to soma as king, as food and for divinities.

Who are the divinities? This core semantics itself has been a subject of deliberated right from the days of Yāska. Even Pāṇini does not dare to enter into the semantics of chandas and restricts himself to delineating the language features of derivative Sanskrit.

In my view, it will be an act of academic irresponsibility to bypass the traditional pundits and ignore the explanations offered by them.

Mysore palace has brought out a 36 volume excursus on the Rigveda. The text is in Kannada. For sincere scholars, who are interested in devoting themselves to the study of Vedic traditions and heritage, it will be apposite to start with these 36 volumes.

One should study these deliberations with care and try to understand the processes which were intended to sustain the sanctity of the Yajña. The gurukulas have to provide such educational opportunities for serious students, śiṣṭā.

The Vedic universe has many pillars:Ṛtam (cosmic order), Satyam(existential truth), Yajña(sacrifice), Dharma (social practice), Brahman (the sacred word, mantra). Firs step, pause and evaluate if the English pronunciation we have made of these pillars is correct. Many exegeses may be needed to expound on the true import of each of these pillars of Vedic knowledge, not excluding some exercises related to Indrajāla or viśvanīḍa.

We do not even know what Yajña signifies. Let us announce humility as we enter the domain of studying Vedic traditions and heritage.

PS: This note has been provoked by the strategies revealed by an academic at http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/How-to-Enter.pdf

S. Kalyanaraman
January 24, 2014


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Destruction of DMK ongoing...Hopefully, India should be rid of false Dravidian spell in Tamil Nadu

January 24, 2014, 1:10 am
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திராவிட மாயை பாரத நாட்டிலிருந்து விலகட்டும்.


கல்யாணராமன் 

s. kalyana - chennai,இந்தியா
24-ஜன-201415:04:21 IST Report Abuse
s. kalyanaதிராவிட மாயை பாரத நாட்டிலிருந்து விலகட்டும் கல்யாணராமன்

திமுகவில் இருந்து மு.க.அழகிரி நீக்கம்: கருணாநிதியை காலை சந்தித்துச் சென்ற சிறிது நேரத்தில் அதிர்ச்சி அறிவிப்பு! By Sriram Senkottai, சென்னை

First Published : 24 January 2014 12:53 PM IST
திமுக தென்மண்டல அமைப்புச் செயலராக இருந்தவரும், மத்திய அமைச்சராக இருந்தவருமான மு.க.அழகிரி, திமுகவில் இருந்து தாற்காலிகமாக நீக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார். திமுகவில் அவர் வகித்து வந்த அனைத்துப் பொறுப்புகளில் இருந்தும் அவர் நீக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக கட்சியின் பொதுச் செயலர் அன்பழகன் இன்று வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கையில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
இது குறித்து திமுக சார்பில் வெளியிடப்பட்ட ஒழுங்கு நடவடிக்கை அறிவிப்பு:
கட்சிக்குள் ஏற்படும் அபிப்பிராய பேதங்கள், கோபதாபங்கள் இவைகளைப் பற்றி முறையிட, கட்சிக்குள்ளேயே முறையாகத் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட அமைப்புகள் தலைமைக் கழகத்தில் இருக்கின்ற நிலையில்; தங்கள் எண்ணங்களை வெளியிடவும், கட்சியின் கட்டுப்பாட்டைக் குலைக்காமல் காப்பாற்றவும், பிரச்சினைகளுக்கு தீர்வு காணவும் முறைப்படியுள்ள கழக அமைப்புகளைக் கலந்து பேசாமலும், அந்த அமைப்புகளை மதிக்காமலும், வேண்டுமென்றே திட்டமிட்டு, கழக அணியோடு கூட்டணி சேர நினைக்கின்ற கட்சிகளின் தலைமையைப் பற்றி அவதூறு கூறி கூட்டணி ஏற்படுவதைக் குலைக்க முயற்சித்தும் - திராவிட இயக்கம் தொடக்க முதல் இதுவரையில் விரும்பாததும், வெறுத்து ஒதுக்குவதுமான சாதிச் சச்சரவுகள்; இயக்கத்திற்குள் ஏற்பட்டிருப்பது போன்ற ஒரு பொய்த் தோற்றத்தை உருவாக்கி; தங்கள் ஆத்திரத்தைத் தீர்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டுமென்றே திட்டமிட்டு ஒரு சிலர் குறிப்பாக மதுரை மாவட்டத்தில் தி.மு. கழகத் தோழர்கள் சிலர் மீது பி.சி.ஆர் எனும் வன்கொடுமைத் தடுப்புச் சட்டத்தைத் தவறாகப் பயன்படுத்தி, நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க, துணை போகிற துரோகச் செயலில் ஈடுபட்ட சிலர் மீதெல்லாம் ஒழுங்கு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது.
இவ்வாறு துரோகச் செயலில் ஈடுபட்டவர்கள் மீது எடுக்கப்பட்ட ஒழுங்கு நடவடிக்கையை கடுமையாக விமர்சித்தும், முறையற்ற விவாதங்களில் நேரிடையாகவே ஈடுபட்டும், கழகச் செயல் வீரர்களை தொடர்ந்து பணியாற்ற வேண்டாமென்று கூறியும், குழப்பம் விளைவிக்க முயன்ற தென் மண்டலக் கழக அமைப்புச் செயலாளர் மு.க. அழகிரி இனியும் தொடர்ந்து கழகத்தில் நீடிப்பது முறையல்ல என்ற காரணத்தாலும் - அது கழகத்தின் கட்டுப்பாட்டை மேலும் குலைத்து விடும் என்பதாலும் - அவர், தி.மு. கழக உறுப்பினர் பொறுப்பு உட்பட கழகத்தின் அனைத்துப் பொறுப்புக்களிலிருந்தும் தற்காலிகமாக நீக்கி வைக்கப்படுகிறார். கழகத்தின் நன்மைக்காக தெரிவித்துள்ள முடிவான இந்தக் கருத்தினை, கழக உடன்பிறப்புகள் அனைவரும் ஏற்று, ஒற்றுமை யோடும், கட்டுப்பாட்டோடும் கழகம் நடப்பதற்கு உடன்பிறப்புகள் அனைவரும் துணை நிற்க வேண்டுமென்று கேட்டுக் கொள்ளப்படுகிறார்கள். - என்று அன்பழகன் விடுத்துள்ள அறிவிப்பில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
இருப்பினும் இந்த அறிவிப்பின் பின்னணியில் சில தகவல்கள் கட்சி மட்டத்தில் உலா வருகின்றன.
ஒரே நேரத்தில் இரண்டு வேலைகளைப் பார்க்கலாம், ஆனால், ஒரே நேரத்தில் இரண்டு எஜமானர்களிடம் வேலை பார்க்க முடியாது - என்று மதுரை மாநகரில் போஸ்டர்கள் ஒட்டப்பட்டிருந்தன. மேலும், ஜன.30ல் பிறந்த நாள் காணும் தென்னகத்து எஜமானே என்று அழகிரியை முன்னிறுத்தி மதுரையில் போஸ்டர்கள் ஒட்டப்பட்டிருந்தன.
ஏற்கெனவே, மதுரை நகரில் போஸ்டர்கள் யுத்தம் பிரபபலம்தான். குறிப்பாக திமுக தரப்பில் ஒட்டப்படும் போஸ்டர்கள் பொதுமக்களின் கவனத்தை ஈர்க்கும் விதத்தில் அமைந்திருக்கும். இந்நிலையில், மு.க.ஸ்டாலினுக்கு எதிராக மதுரையில் போஸ்டர் ஒட்டிய அழகிரி ஆதரவாளர்களான முன்னாள் துணை மேயர் மன்னன், கவுன்சிலர் முபாரக் உள்பட 5 பேரை திமுகவில் இருந்து இடைநீக்கம் செய்தது திமுக தலைமை. இருப்பினும், அதையும் கண்டுகொள்ளாமல், அடுத்து ஒரு போஸ்டர் யுத்தத்தை அழகிரி ஆதரவாளர்கள் துவக்கியுள்ளனர். போஸ்டர் விவகாரம் சூடுபிடிக்கத் துவங்கிய நிலையில், இன்று காலை மு.க.அழகிரி, திமுக தலைவர் கருணாநிதியைச் சந்தித்துப் பேசினார்.
கடந்த 3 நாட்களுக்கு முன்னர் மலேசியா, சிங்கப்பூர், தாய்லாந்து ஆகிய நாடுகளுக்கு சென்று, இன்று அதிகாலை 2 மணிக்கு மு.க.அழகிரி சென்னை திரும்பினார். பின்னர் இன்று காலை 7 மணி அளவில் சென்னை கோபாலபுரம் இல்லத்துக்குச் சென்று தி.மு.க. தலைவர் கருணாநிதியை சந்தித்துப் பேசினார். இருவரும் சுமார் 45 நிமிடங்கள் பேசிக் கொண்டிருந்தனர். அதன் பின்னர் தயாளு அம்மாளையும் மு.க.அழகிரி சந்தித்துப் பேசினார். 8 மணி அளவில் கோபாலபுரம் இல்லத்தில் இருந்து அழகிரி புறப்பட்டுச் சென்றார்.
இந்தச் சந்திப்பு குறித்து திமுக வட்டாரம் கூறுகையில், வெளிநாட்டுக்குச் சென்று வந்தது குறித்து கருணாநிதியிடம் மு.க. அழகிரி விவரித்ததாகக் கூறப்பட்டது. இருப்பினும், தனது ஆதரவாளர்கள் கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டது குறித்து அவர் கருணாநிதியிடம் கேள்வி எழுப்பியிருக்கலாம் என்றும், அவர்களை மீண்டும் கட்சியில் இடம்பெறச் செய்ய முயற்சி மேற்கொண்டிருக்கிறார் என்றும் கூறப்பட்டது. இருப்பினும், நேற்றும் மதுரை புறநகர் மாவட்டத்தில் ஏற்பட்ட பிரச்சினையில் மாவட்ட துணைச் செயலாளர் உள்பட 5 பேர் கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டிருந்தனர் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது. இன்று காலை அழகிரி - கருணாநிதி சந்திப்பு நிகழ்ந்த நிலையில், மதுரையில் கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்ட அழகிரி ஆதரவாளர்கள் கட்சியில் மீண்டும் சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளப்பட வாய்ப்பு இருக்கிறது என்று இன்று காலை வரை கட்சித் தொண்டர்களிடம் எதிர்பார்ப்பு நிலவியது. ஆனால், திடீரென மு.க.அழகிரியே கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டது தொண்டர்களிடையே அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.
ஏற்கெனவே தேமுதிகவுடன் கூட்டணி கனிந்து வராத சோகத்தில் கருணாநிதி ஒவ்வொரு அறிவிப்பாக வெளியிட்டு கடின முயற்சிகளைச் செய்து வரும் நேரத்தில், அண்மையில் அழகிரி ஒரு தனியார் தொலைக்காட்சிக்கு அளித்த பேட்டியில், தேமுதிகவுடன் திமுக கூட்டு வைத்தால் கட்சி உருப்படாது என்று போட்டுடைத்தார். இது கட்சியில் பெரும் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தியிருந்தது. இதை அடுத்து, கருணாநிதியைச் சந்தித்து விளக்கம் அளிக்க அழகிரி முயன்றதாகவும், கருணாநிதி மறுத்ததாகவும்  முதலில் கூறப்பட்டது. இருப்பினும், பின்னர் அவர் கோபாலபுரம் இல்லத்தில் கருணாநிதியைச் சந்தித்து விளக்கம் அளித்துள்ளார். இதன் பின்னர் சில நாட்களாக அடங்கிப் போயிருந்த விரிசல் விவகாரம், மீண்டும் மதுரை மாநகரில் ஒட்டப்பட்ட போஸ்டர்களால் கட்சிக்குள் விஸ்வரூபம் எடுத்துள்ளது.
நாடாளுமன்றத் தேர்தல் வரவுள்ள நிலையில், தேர்தலுக்கான ஆயத்தப் பணிகளைத் தொடங்குவதற்கு, கட்சியில் காணப்படும் உட்கட்சிப் பூசலும் விரிசலும் தடையாக இருக்கக் கூடும் என்று கட்சி மட்டத்தில் எழுந்த கருத்துகள், அழகிரி நீக்கம் போன்ற முடிவு எடுக்கக் காரணமாக இருக்கலாம் என்று கூறப்படுகிறது. மேலும், இன்று காலை நிகழ்ந்த சந்திப்பின் போது கூட, கருணாநிதி இத்தகைய கடின முடிவு குறித்து அழகிரியிடம் விளக்கி, சமாதானப் படுத்தியிருக்கக் கூடுமென்றும் பரவலாக கருத்துகள் எழுந்திருக்கின்றன.
இரு தினங்களுக்கு முன்னர், தேமுதிகவுடன் கூட்டணி அமைப்பதற்காக, நாடாளுமன்ற மாநிலங்களவைத் தேர்தலில் திமுக சார்பில் போட்டியிட அறிவிக்கப்பட்ட திருச்சி சிவாவை திரும்பப் பெற்றுக் கொண்டு, அந்த இடத்தை தேமுதிகவுக்கு விட்டுத்தருவது குறித்து பரிசீலிப்போம் என்று அறிவித்தார் கருணாநிதி. மதுரையில் யார் பெரியவர் என்ற போட்டியில் இருக்கும் விஜயகாந்த் - அழகிரி போட்டியை முடிவுக்குக் கொண்டு வந்து, விஜயகாந்த்தை திமுக கூட்டணி பக்கம் இழுப்பதற்கு இப்போது தனது மகன் அழகிரியைப் பலிகடாவாக்கியிருக்கிறார் கருணாநிதி என்றும் அரசியல் வட்டாரங்களில் பேசப்படுகிறது. ஏற்கெனவே ஒரு முறை கட்சியை விட்டு அழகிரியை நீக்கி ஒரு நாடகத்தை அரங்கேற்றிய திமுக தலைமைக்கு, இப்போது மீண்டும் ஒரு முறை அழகிரி வெளியேற்ற நாடகம், தேமுதிகவை தன் பக்கம் இழுக்கும் கணக்குக்கு ஒருவேளை உதவக்கூடும்! கருணாநிதி போடும் கணக்குக்கு விஜயகாந்தின் பதில் நடவடிக்கை எப்படி அமையும் என்பதைப் பொறுத்தே அழகிரி வெளியேற்ற நாடகம் வெற்றியா தோல்வியா என்பது தெரியவரும்!
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கட்சியின் கட்டுப்பாட்டை மீறினார் ; தி.மு.க.,வில் இருந்து அழகிரி நீக்கம்பதிவு செய்த நாள்
ஜன 24,2014 12:40சென்னை: கட்சி தலைமையுடன் பல்வேறு கருத்து வேறுபாடுகளுடன் இருந்து வந்த கருணாநிதியின் மகனும், தென்மண்டல செயலருமான மு.க., அழகிரி இன்று கட்சியில் இருந்து அனைத்து பொறுப்புகளில் இருந்தும் தற்காலிகமாக நீக்கப்படுவதாக கட்சியின் பொதுசெயலர் அன்பழகன் இன்று வெளியிட்டுள்ள செய்திக்குறிப்பில் கூறியுள்ளார்.
கட்சிக்கட்டுப்பாட்டை மீறியதால் தலைமைக்கழகம் இந்த ஒழுங்கு நடவடிக்கை எடுத்துள்ளதாகவும், கட்சியின் நன்மைக்காக எடுக்கப்பட்ட இந்த முடிவுக்கு அனைவரும் ஒற்றுமையுடன் , ஏற்று ஒத்துழைப்பு வழங்க வேண்டும் என்றும் அன்பழகன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். 

முன்னாள் மத்திய அமைச்சர் அழகிரி சமீபத்தில் கட்சியின் தே.மு.தி.க.,வுடனான கூட்டணி தொடர்பாக கட்சியின் தலைமைக்கு வேறுபட்ட கருத்தை வெளியிட்டார். இது கட்சி தலைவர் கருணாநிதிக்கு கடும் கோபத்தை ஏற்படுத்தியது. குறிப்பாக அழகிரி ஆதரவாளர்கள் பொதுக்குழு கூடுவதாக ஒட்டிய ஒரு போஸ்டர் கடும் எரிச்சலை ஏற்படுத்தியது. இதனையடுத்து கடந்த சில நாட்களுக்கு முன்னர் அழகிரி ஆதரவாளர்கள் மன்னன், முபாரக், உள்ளிட்டவர்கள் கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டனர். மதுரை மாநகர் மாவட்ட தி.மு.க.,வும் கூண்டோடு கலைக்கப்பட்டது.

இந்நிலையில் அழகிரி கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார். இது குறித்து அன்பழகன் வெளியிட்டுள்ள செய்திக்குறிப்பில் கூறியிருப்பதாவது:


'துரோகச்செயல்களில் ஈடுபட்டார் '-: கூட்டணி குறித்து அபிப்ராய பேதங்கள் மற்றும் எண்ணங்களை, தங்களின் கருத்துக்களை முறையிட கட்சிக்குள் பல்வேறு அமைப்புகள் இருந்தபோதும், இந்த அமைப்புகள் மதிக்காமலும், சிலர் தேவையற்ற விவாதமுறையற்ற விவாதங்களில், ஈடுபட்டு வந்தனர். மதுரையில் தி.மு.க., தோழர்கள் சிலர் மீது சாதி பிரிவினையின் கீழ் வழக்கு போட தூண்டி வந்தனர். இது போன்ற துரோகச்செயல்களில் ஈடுபட்டு வந்தது, இது கட்சிக்கு தவறான தோற்றத்தை தருவது போல் இருந்து வந்தது. சிலருடன் தொடர்பு கொண்டு கட்சி பணியாற்ற வேண்டாம் என்றும் முறையிட்டு கட்சிக்குள் குழப்பம் ஏற்படுத்தும் அழகிரி கட்சியில் நீடிப்பது முறையல்ல என்பதால் கட்சியின் கட்டுப்பாட்டை குலைத்து விடும். என்ற எண்ணத்தில் அவர் கட்சியில் இருந்து உறுப்பினர் உள்ளிட்ட அனைத்து பொறுப்புகளில் இருந்தும் நீக்கப்படுகிறார். கட்சியின் இந்த நடவடிக்கைக்கு அனைவரும் ஒற்றுமையுடன் முழு ஒத்துழைப்பு வழங்க வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது. 

இது குறித்து நிருபர்களிடம் பேசிய அன்பழகன், கட்சிகட்டுப்பாட்டை மீறியதால் இதனை காப்பாற்ற தலைமை கழகத்தின் எண்ணமாக இந்த நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது என்று தெரிவித்தார். 

அழகிரி நீக்கப்படுவது 2 வது முறை : மதுரையில் தனது ஆதரவாளர்கள் கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்ட பின்னர் அழகிரி கருணாநிதி இல்லத்திற்கு 2 முறை சென்று வந்தார். ஆனால் இந்த சந்திப்பின்போது என்ன பேசப்பட்டது என்பது குறித்த தகவல் வெளியே வராமலேயே இருந்து வந்தது. 

அழகிரி கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்படுவது என்பது இது 2 வது முறையாகும்.

பிறந்தநாள் விழா நடக்குமா ? வரும் 30ம் தேதி அழகிரி பிறந்த நாள் மதுரையில் கோலாகலமாக கொண்டாட முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டிருந்த நேரத்தில் கட்சியில் இருந்து அவர் நீக்கப்பட்டிருப்பது அழகிரி ஆதரவாளர்கள் மத்தியில் பெரும் கவலையை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

அமைதி காத்திட அழகிரி வேண்டுகோள் ; கட்சியின் நடவடிக்கை குறித்து மதுரை தி.மு.க., தொண்டர்களுக்கு அமைதி காத்திடுங்கள் என அழகிரி வேண்டுகோள் விடுத்துள்ளார். தி.மு.க,வில் இருந்து அழகிரி நீக்கப்பட்டதும், அவரது மதுரை ஆதரவாளர்கள் பலரும் அழகிரியை தொடர்பு கொண்டனர். அப்போது அவர் தொண்டர்களிடம், அனைவரும் அமைதியாக இருங்கள் என்று மட்டுமே சொன்னாராம். தேர்தல் வருவதை கருதி அழகிரியும், ஸ்டாலினும் ஒருங்கிணைந்து செயல்பட கட்சி தலைமை நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என்று தாங்கள் விரும்புவதாக தொண்டர்கள் இன்று நிருபர்களிடம் கூறினர். 

நிருபர்களிடம் கருத்து சொல்ல அழகிரி மறுப்பு; அழகிரி கட்சியில் இருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டது குறித்து அவரது கருத்தை அறிய அழகிரி மற்றும் அவரது நெருங்கிய வட்டாரங்களை பத்திரிகை நிருபர்கள் போனில் தொடர்பு கொண்டனர். ஆனால் மறு தரப்பில் போனை அட்டன்ட் செய்யாமல் தவிர்த்து விட்டார்.

http://www.dinamalar.com/news_detail.asp?id=902560
Published: January 24, 2014 13:32 IST | Updated: January 24, 2014 14:05 IST

DMK suspends Alagiri

Special correspondent
M. K. Alagiri
The HinduM. K. Alagiri

The party also stripped Alagiri, South Zone secretary, of all party posts for violating party discipline.

Former Union Minister and the DMK's South Zone secretary M.K. Alagiri has been suspended from the party and has been relieved of his posts for violating party discipline.
"His continuation is inappropriate as it will further disrupt the party discipline," a statement from DMK general secretary K. Anbazhagan said on Friday.
Mr Anbazhagan called upon the partymen to remain united and support the decision as it was taken for welfare of the party organisation. The announcement came after Mr Alagiri called on his father and party president M. Karunanidhi and entered into an argument with him.
Mr Anbazhagan said Mr Alagiri had strongly criticised the action taken against those who had betrayed the interests of the party and indulged in unnecessary arguments.
"Mr Alagiri had also asked party cadres to keep away from organisational works and caused enormous trouble," Mr Anbazhagan added.
According to Mr Anbazhagan though there were properly elected bodies within the DMK to air grievances and resolve disputes, some partymen in Madurai had indulged in mudslinging against the leadership of a party -- DMDK leader Vijayakant -- that was interested in joining the DMK alliance.
The party took action against these partymen as they had sought to create an impression that the DMK was riddled with casteism and supporting the attempt to invoke Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against their own partymen to give vent to their ire.
"They were suspended from the party and Mr Alagiri strongly criticised this action and indulged in unnecessary arguments," Mr Anbazhagan said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/dmk-suspends-alagiri/article5613717.ece

Karunanidhi cracks whip, suspends son Alagiri from all DMK posts

Express News Service | New Delhi | January 24, 2014 01:01
Earlier, incensed by wall posters,the DMK leadership had dissolved the Madurai urban district unit that swore allegiance to Alagiri.Two years ago, the DMDK had considered joining an alliance with the DMK but was put off by similar remarks by Alagiri. (PTI)Two years ago, the DMDK had considered joining an alliance with the DMK but was put off by similar remarks by Alagiri. (PTI)

DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Friday suspended son MK Alagiri from all party posts after the Madurai MP had opposed the party’s alliance with Vijaykant-led DMDK.

In a TV interview, Alagiri – a former Union minister- had said he did not consider Vijayakanth a politician and questioned the rationale behind forging an alliance with his party. This came at a time when the party, guided by his rival younger brother, M K Stalin, has been aggressively pursuing an alliance with the DMDK.

Two years ago, the DMDK had considered joining an alliance with the DMK but was put off by similar remarks by Alagiri. On Sunday, the day Alagiri’s latest interview was telecast, Vijayakanth recalled this while addressing his party’s general council, ostensibly as a message to the DMK high command.

Earlier, incensed by wall posters that rekindled the factional fire within,the DMK leadership had dissolved the Madurai urban district unit that swore allegiance to Alagiri

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/karunanidhi-cracks-whip-suspends-son-alagiri-from-all-dmk-posts/
Chennai, January 24, 2014
First Published: 12:53 IST(24/1/2014)
Last Updated: 13:00 IST(24/1/2014) Print

DMK suspends party chief Karunanidhi’s son Alagiri

Former Union minister MK Alagiri has been suspended from the DMK, the Tamil Nadu party headed by his father M Karunanidhi. Alagiri, 62, is the DMK chief's older son and has been involved in a prolonged tussle with his brother MK Stalin for control of the party. The tussle had intensified after the party chief had suspended five workers of the Madurai unit for putting up posters supporting Alagiri. But Alagiri had dissociated himself from the incident.
Five days before their suspension, the Madurai unit of the DMK was disbanded, again bringing into focus the Stalin-Alagiri succession row.
Alagiri had told Puthiya Thalaimurai, a Tamil news channel that except his father he would not accept anyone as the DMK chief. He had also said that a lot of decisions were taken by the DMK top brass without his congnisance.
Karunanidhi had then issued a statement warning anyone who acts against the party's discipline will be thrown out of the party.
Read: Alagiri: poster miscreants not his supporters
Alagiri’s supporters had been suspended in line with that warning. Karunanidhi had also issued a veiled warning to Alagiri and said that anyone flouting party discipline faces expulsion from primary membership.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dmk-suspends-party-chief-karunanidhi-s-son-alagiri-for-creating-confusion/article1-1176223.aspx
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BJP set to win 188 seats: Survey -- Reuters. Time to wind up SoniaG Congi -- fulfilling Mahatma Gandhi's wish.

January 24, 2014, 2:19 am
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BJP to be biggest party in 2014 election - opinion polls

BY SHYAMANTHA ASOKAN
NEW DELHI Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:06pm IST
Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, prime ministerial candidate for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Gujarat's chief minister, speaks during their national council meeting at Ramlila ground in New Delhi January 19, 2014. REUTERS-Adnan Abidi
1 OF 3. Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, prime ministerial candidate for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Gujarat's chief minister, speaks during their national council meeting at Ramlila ground in New Delhi January 19, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/ADNAN ABIDI

The President's Body Guards (PBG), mounted on their horses, take part in the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day parade in New Delhi January 23, 2014. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Republic Day rehearsals

(Reuters) - The opposition Hindu nationalist party of prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi is on course to emerge the biggest in general elections due by May, two opinion polls showed on Thursday.
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to win 188 seats in the 543-seat parliament, over twice the predicted tally of the Congress of outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, according to a poll on Thursday by pollsters CVoter and the India Today media group.
Given India's diverse and fragmented electorate, neither the BJP nor any other party is expected to win the 272 seats needed for an outright majority. The biggest party will seek to form a coalition with regional parties.
The Congress, which has yet to name its prime ministerial candidate, faces an uphill struggle this year due to public anger over a string of corruption scandals and economic growth hitting a decade-low.
Another poll forecast that the BJP would win the lion's share of the vote in many of the big states that typically decide the fate of the elections.
The party is forecast to win 41-49 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state and home to 200 million people, according to a survey by pollsters CSDS and the CNN-IBN news channel, the results of which were released in stages this week.
It is also predicted to emerge as the largest group in Bihar, with 16-24 of the state's 40 seats, and to win well over half of the 48 seats in Maharashtra along with its long-term ally, the Shiv Sena. Maharashtra is home to India's financial capital Mumbai.
Modi, who has presided over rapid economic growth during more than 12 years as the chief minister of Gujarat, has been wooing voters by pointing to his track record as a leader who cuts red tape and attracts investment.
"People have already decided the outcome of the election. Congress-free India will be a reality," Modi said at a packed rally in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, where his podium was decorated with floral garlands.
GANDHI
Congress has decided not to name its prime ministerial candidate until after the elections even though many party workers had wanted Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that leads the party, to take on the role.
"Three to four months back, people were saying this would be a presidential-style race between Modi and Rahul Gandhi," said CSDS director Sanjay Kumar. "Now things have changed, now it's not a presidential race - it is a referendum on Modi."
CVoter surveyed almost 21,800 respondents across 28 states, with a three per cent margin of error at the national level. The CSDS poll surveyed just under 18,600 voters in 18 states, with a margin of error that varies from state to state. It will issue a national projection on Friday.
One factor that could upset these forecasts is the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a new anti-graft group that claimed a surprise victory in local elections in Delhi last month and has since decided to take part in the national polls.
The CVoter survey forecast that the new party would win 10 seats in the national polls.
"I think they will have an impact in northern India and the cities, but it's too early to say to what extent," said Neerja Chowdhury, a political analyst and a former political editor of the Indian Express newspaper.
While Modi has a strong showing in the polls, he could struggle to find coalition allies as his image remains tarnished by communal riots in Gujarat 12 years ago, in which more than 1,000 people were killed, most of them Muslims.
Modi has denied that he failed to stop the violence and a Supreme Court inquiry found no evidence to prosecute him.
"If the BJP crosses the magic number of 182, Modi should be able to do it," said Chowdhury, referring to the 182 seats that the BJP won when it last formed a coalition government in 1999.
India's diverse political landscape makes election results notoriously hard to forecast, particularly in terms of how many seats a party might win, versus the more straightforward calculation of a party's share of the overall vote.

(Additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel and Malini Menon in NEW DELHI)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/01/23/election2014-bjp-congress-modi-aap-idINDEEA0M0EN20140123

NDA may win over 200 seats as Modi's popularity soars further: India Today Mood of the Nation opinion poll

INDIA TODAY ONLINE  | New Delhi, January 23, 2014 | 18:55
Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi
Despite an apparent wave of Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) till recently, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would have won 200-odd seats if the general elections were held in January 2014, the findings of the latest India Today Group's Mood of the Nation opinion poll suggest.

The opinion poll gives the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) only around 100 seats, down by over 150 seats in the current Lok Sabha. It also underlines the significance of a possible Third Front in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election as the non-UPA, non-NDA parties and Independents are expected to win 220-odd seats. Also read: Telangana jolts Congress, loses ground in South | Modi wave grips Bihar, Trinamool sweeps Bengal | Modi wave gets NDA 85 per cent seats in West India | Modi-led NDA all set to topple UPA: India Today poll 

The NDA thus crosses the 200-mark for the first time since 2010. Both, the NDA and the likely Third Front, gains substantially in numbers and vote share.

The opinion poll suggests that the NDA's vote share of 34 per cent will be significantly more than the UPA's 23. However, the others will have the maximum vote share of 43 per cent.


Under the leadership of Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks all set to become the single largest party as it is also likely to emerge the biggest gainer in the Lok Sabha polls. Its 2009 tally of 116 is expected to rise to 188 in 2014, an increase of more than 60 per cent.

Congress, under the leadership of its vice-president Rahul Gandhi, might win just 91 seats, as compared to its current tally of 206, a drop of about 55 per cent.
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi


The Congress ploy of propping AAP to counter Modi at the national level seems to have a limited impact, as Kejriwal's gains are restricted to areas around Delhi and a few metro cities only.


Modi consolidates his position
Modi, who emerged as the strongest leader within his party after the BJP's hat-trick in Gujarat in December 2012, cemented his position further through strong campaigning across the country. As the party's lead campaigner in the recently held assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi he consolidated his position further.

In the latest India Today Mood of the Nation opinion poll, as many as 47 per cent people voted him as the best prime ministerial candidate against his previous best of 42 per cent polled in August 2013. The Gandhi scion was way behind Modi with just 15 per cent votes, followed by Kejriwal with 9 per cent votes and 6 per cent votes each to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.


During these five months Modi was also able to improve his image from being a communal leader to being pro-development. To a question "what does Modi represent", the option "communalism" saw a drop of 11 per cent from 18 per cent in August 2013, while "economic development" increased by 6 per cent to 30 per cent.

The number of people thinking Modi should apologise for the 2002 Gujarat riots also fell drastically during this period to 39 per cent from the previous figure of 51 per cent.


Modi as a role model
The Gujarat chief minister emerged as a role model for the highest 17 per cent respondents, a gain of as much percentage as nobody earlier saw him as one among the overall personalities of India.

Modi was followed by Kejriwal with 14 per cent votes, up from 2 per cent. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan too saw a big jump in his popularity as 10 per cent people saw him as a role model, up from the previous 1 per cent, followed by legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar's 9 per cent against 2 per cent in the earlier opinion poll.

Veteran anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare's position as a role model remained unchanged with 7 per cent votes.


http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nda-may-win-over-200-seats-as-modis-popularity-soars-further-india-today-mood-of-the-nation-opinion-poll/1/339374.html
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When will Arvind Kejriwal name Sonia Gandhi instead of Sheila Dixit as a supreme embodiment of Himalayan corruption? -- V Sundaram IAS

January 24, 2014, 7:34 am
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When will Arvind Kejriwal name Sonia Gandhi instead of Sheila Dixit as a supreme embodiment of Himalayan corruption?
V Sundaram IAS

2014 January 24

It has been widely reported that Arvind Kejriwal belonged to the Indian Revenue Service. I’ve never read about any Landmark Notice issued by him to any Income Tax Evading Powerful Politician or Corporate Tycoon during his days in Indian Revenue Service! I’ve heard him speak hundreds of times on the imperative National Need for the immediate passing of Lokpal Bill. Recently, after winning the Elections, Arvind Kejriwal brashly declared : “Let not the Congressmen be under any delusion that I would ever spare corrupt Smt. Sheila Dixit or Congress Ministers just because they have extended their outside support to me for forming an AAP Minority Government in Delhi”.
I have never heard Arvind Kejriwal raising his voice against the Gargantuan Fraud and Corruption of the Firangi Memsahib Sonia Gandhi hailed as Mahatma Gandhi for her Noble and Heroic Act of Supreme Self-Sacrifice in voluntarily giving up the High Office of the Prime Minister of India after sweeping the Lok Sabha Polls in May 2004! As an International Specialist on Corruption in India in General and Congress / BJP Politicians in particular, Arvind Kejriwal cannot take cover under the Aam Aadhmi Umbrella of either Simplistic Innocence or Credulous Ignorance of the Multitude in defending his Sphinx-Like Silence on the CORRUPTION of Sonia Gandhi and her Family.

Sonia Gandhi is Sonia Gandhi. She can never be hailed as Mahatma Gandhi. With Reasoning Rhyme and Rhythmic Reason, I cannot help recalling in this context, the Lightning Words of John Taylor (1753-1824),  American Politician, Senator and Philosopher :”I think it good plain English, without Fraud, To call a Spade a Spade, a Bawd a Bawd”. I was wondering in what sense John Taylor used the word ‘Fraud’in this Quotation? Perhaps he meant that ‘Fraud’  included that pretense of Knowledge when Knowledge there was none!

In his so called Shadow Boxing Crusade against Congress Corruption, Arvind Kejriwal has trained himself more than others, not only to SEE but also to clearly NOTICE Clearly what he has Dimly SEEN. That is why he has not only ‘Seen’ but also ‘Noticed’ the Corruption of Smt. Sheila Dixit. Even assuming for a Moment that Smt. Sheila Dixit has not been free from CORRUPTION during her fairly Distinguished tenure as the Honourable Chief Minister of Delhi, for 15 years, yet no one can dispute the fact  that Sonia Gandhis PARAMOUNTCY  and SUPREME SOVERIGNITY remains till date UNQUESTIONED, UNEQUALLED and UNSURPASSED. Yet with his Eagle-Like Swoop of Cosmic Vision, Arvind Kejriwal has Conveniently and Voluntarily (and of course, Deliberately!) failed to See and Notice the GIGANTIC CORRUPTION of Sonia Gandhi!

In order to assist the Great, Grand and Grandiloquent Arvind Kejriwal in his Torturous Mission of Identifying and Fixing, apart from Seeing and Noticing, the Corruption of Sonia Gandhi, I would like to invite his Kind Attention to the following Letter sent by Dr. Subramanian Swamy, formerly President of the Janata Party and now a very Senior Member of the Bharatiya Janata Party to Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India on 15th April 2011 :

Dr Subramanian Swamy’s Letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh seeking “Sanction to Prosecute Ms Sonia Gandhi”

15, April 2011
Dr.Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister as Sanctioning Authority
u/s 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988) [PCA]
South Block, New Delhi.
Re: Sanction to prosecute Ms.Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson (in Cabinet Rank), NAC, under Prevention of Corruption Act (1988).
Dear Sir:
1. Ms.Sonia Gandhi MP, wife of the deceased Rajiv Gandhi, was first appointed as Chairperson National Advisory Council [NAC] in May 2004. She resigned in 2006 but was re-appointed by an Order of the Cabinet Secretariat dated March 29, 2010, read with Order dated October 8, 2010 [Annexure 1].
2. As per Order of May 31, 2004 [Annexure 2] the Prime Minister’s Office will provide Central Government funds to meet the expenditure of the NAC, and service the NAC for its secretarial needs. Hence she is a public servant as defined in Section 2 ( c ) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (1988).
3. You, in your capacity as deemed appointing authority are therefore the Designated Authority under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for granting Sanction to prosecute the said Ms. Sonia Gandhi. As you know, there are no laches or statute of limitations for prosecuting offences of corruption.
4. Your Sanction is required by me for prosecuting Ms. Sonia Gandhi on a private complaint proposed to be filed by me in the criminal court under Prevention of Corruption Act (1988), based on the materials available to me (and enclosed with this letter/application) with reference to two issues:
FIRST ISSUE:
5. Ms.Sonia Gandhi holds office which enables her to give direction to Government departments and Ministries and also call for confidential reports from CBI, and according to the then Union Law Minister, she can even call for files [Annexure 3]. She has been as Chairperson of NAC giving directions to several ministries and departments.
6. It is charged that she obtained for, and colluded with family friend, Mr. Ottavio Quattrocchi—an Interpol Red-Corner Noticee & a proclaimed offender under Indian criminal law, to obtain for him the pecuniary advantage from defreezing of his CBI-frozen account, thus committing offence u/s 13 (1)(d) of the PCA, and also conspired with Quattrocchi to enable him to escape prosecution in Bofors Gun Purchase scam.
7. Bofors scam that occurred in 1986 represents corruption in very high places and the key figure in the scam is Mr. Ottavio Quattrocchi, the Italian family friend and fixer. The then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was manipulated by Ms.SoniaGandhi, his Italian born wife, to abet the crime in Bofors gun purchase committed by Quattrocchi against the nation.
8. Ms.Sonia Gandhi stationed Mr.Walter Vinci, her brother-in-law, in Sweden to influence her husband and then Prime Minister, when on a visit to Sweden to finalize the Bofors Deal. Also present in the same hotel was the Italian fixer, small arms supplier, and Snam Progetti agent, Mr. Ottavio Quattrocchi, [who was hailed as the catalyst in the deal by the CBI in their Letters Rogatory documents], and who had in return for a hefty commission prevailed on the Prime Minister to sign the deal before March 31, 1986.
9. Thereafter when the arm of the law began reaching near him, he escaped from India in 1993, then from Malaysia in 2002 via a rigged court judgment obtained by collusion with as yet unnamed parties and from Argentina— by the CBI fudging the records – all achieved under the influence exerted by Ms. Sonia Gandhi under three different and consenting Prime Ministers.
10. This is further confirmed in the interview conducted by Ranjit Bhushan of Outlook magazine [Annexure 4 ] in 1998 with Mr.Sten Lindstorm, the Chief of the Investigation Division of Swedish National Bureau of Investigation and Special Prosecutor of the Swedish Government into the Bofors payoffs. The Swedish National Audit Bureau which he assisted concluded after an independent probe that bribes had indeed been paid in the Bofors deal.
11. Lindstorm states in the interview, which has not been contradicted by anyone including Ms. Sonia Gandhi, that: “The Bofors Papers all point to the [Sonia] Gandhifamily” and further that Ms.Sonia Gandhi should “explain how Quattrocchi-owned companies got such fat sums as payoffs from the Bofors deal.”
12. This report is corroborated by another interview given by Lindstorm to Chitra Subramanian [Indian Express, March 22, 1998] wherein he stated; “All information we had at that time pointed to the Gandhi link—Sonia Gandhi should place her cards on the table. The bribes have been traced to her friend and this is not something out of the blue. This is no coincidence.”
13. Headlines Today is in possession of the written statement of then Intelligence Bureau officer Naresh Chandra Gosain made before CBI Inspector Ghanshyam Rai on March 29 1997. Between 1984 and 1987, Gosain was posted in the Special Protection Group[SPG] of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was part of the escort team. Between 1987 and 1989, Gosain served as the Personal Security Officer or the PSO ofSonia Gandhi.
14. During the tenure of Prime Minister Deve Gowda in 1997, Gosain deposed before the CBI. This deposition has so far never been made public. Headlines Today dug out this deposition, in which Gosain talks at length about the close family ties between the Gandhis and the Quattrocchis.
15. In his testimony Gosain says, “Mr.Ottavio Quattrocchi and his wife Ms Maria Quattrocchi were very close to Mr Rajiv Gandhi and Mrs Sonia Gandhi. When Shri RajivGandhi became Prime Minister, Mr. Quattrocchi and his family members used to visit PM house and the family members of Shri Rajiv Gandhi also used to visit the house of Mr.Quattrocchi.”
16. He adds: “In the initial period of Prime Ministership of Shri Rajiv Gandhi, the children of Shri Rajiv Gandhi used to stay at Mr.Quattrocchi’s house during the foreign visits/domestic visits of the Prime Minister. We used to perform our shift duties at the residence of Mr.Quattrocchi on such occasions. Sometimes, Mrs Sonia Gandhi has also stayed in the house of Mr.Quattrocchi and at that time we used to perform our duties there.”
Gosain goes on to add that Mr.Quattrocchi and his wife Maria enjoyed free access to the Prime Minister’s house. “At No. 5 & 7 Race Course Road, private cars were not allowed to enter inside the bungalow. Only the ferry cars of SPG, after severe security checks, used to carry such visitors from reception to porch and back. Mr. Quattrocchi and Mrs Maria Quattrocchi were very close to Shri Rajiv Gandhi’s family and they got free access to the PM’s House.”
He further added: “All visitors to No 5 & 7 Race Course Road were issued passes at the reception near the alighting point. Every time, a card was kept ready for Mr. Quattrocchi and his family members as and when they visited the PM’s house. Everybody in SPG posted at PM house knew Mr Quattrocchi and his family members. Hence, there was no question of identifying them.”
17. Ottavio Quattrocchi’s proximity to the Gandhis is well known. What is also known is this proximity continued even after Quattrocchi began to be linked to the Bofors scandal.What documents show is that despite the cloud of suspicion surrounding Quattrocchi’s involvment in the Bofors paybacks, he continued to have unfettered access to 10 Janpath, the residence officially assigned to Ms.Sonia Gandhi, which in itself makes her a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
18. It is important to recollect that by January 25, 1990, a team of CBI officials was already in Switzerland with a list of suspected recipients of the Bofors payback. According to a Frontline magazine story of the time, Ottavio Quattrocchi was the first name on that list. Between 1988 and 1990, the media too carried many stories about the involvement of Quattrocchi as a middleman in the Bofors deal.
19. It is clear from records that Mr.Quattrocchi was the direct beneficiary of bribe payments in the Bofors scam. It is now confirmed by the ITAT Report of the Hon’ble Tolani & Sharma Bench [Annexure 5 ].
The testimony of Mr. Sasi Dharan is crucial in further unravelling the proximity of Quattrocchi to Ms. Sonia Gandhi.. Sasi Dharan worked as a driver in Snam Progetti. Snam Progetti was an Italian public sector giant that was represented in India by Ottavio Quattrocchi. Sasi was Quattrocchi’s personal driver. He drove Mercedes No.DIA 6253. In his testimony before the CBI, Sasi details the frequent meetings between the Gandhis with the Quattrocchis.
20. In his testimony Sasi says: “Shri Quattrocchi and Mrs Maria Quattrocchi were very close to Shri Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and his family. I do not know what type of relation they had but Quattrocchi and his wife Maria used to frequently visit the house of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I knew it since 1985 when I joined service. At that time they used to visit the house of Rajiv Gandhi twice or thrice in a day. Whenever SoniaGandhi’s mother or father visited India, I used to drive them to the house of Quattrocchi. They used to remain there for the whole day and Mrs Maria Quattrocchi would take them for shopping. They used to come to India four or five times in the year.”
21. What is clinching is the car log maintained by driver Sasi Dharan. In this log, Sasi details the exact dates when Ottavio Quattrocchi came to meet Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi at 5 and 7 Race Course Road or 10 Janpath. These logs are for the period 1989 to 1993. In this log book, Sasi Dharan has mentioned 41 occasions when Quattrocchi came to meet the Gandhis.
22. It is important to note that the meetings between Ottavio Quattrochi and Sonia Gandhicontinued even after the death of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 even as Ms.Sonia Gandhiremained as a public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
23. According to Sasi Dharan, Quattrocchi came to 10 Janpath 21 times after May 1991. Considering the long financial dealings of Mr.Quattrocchi since 1976 with LTTE (the assassins of Rajiv Gandhi), this fact is a subject of a future application for sanction as well.
24. Sasi concludes by saying: “Shri Quattrocchi left India on the night of July 29, 1993 and on this day also I had driven him to the airport. At that time he did not have any luggage except one briefcase and he told me he was going for an urgent meeting. Usually, whenever Mr. Quattrocchi wanted the car, he would tell me in advance, but the day he left, he did not tell me (in advance)”. Obviously he had notice of his impending arrest by CBI in advance.
25. As a consequence of the misuse of her office and position, Ms. Sonia Gandhihelped Ottavio Quattrocchi not only escape from the country, and in 2005 even to withdraw $ 29 million from his de-frozen accounts and thus let off scot free.
26. Hence, it is prima facie obvious that Ms.Sonia Gandhi had misused her office [ she was Life President in the Government funded Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Trust(IGNCA Trust) during 1991-2002] and thus a public servant with considerable influence in government to enable Mr. Quattrocchi to escape from India in 1993 and later in 2005 to benefit Mr.Quattrocchi to illegally gain monetarily at the expense of the Consolidated Fund of India, by defreezing his London accounts.
SECOND ISSUE:
27. This complaint against Sonia Gandhi also includes the corrupt monies held under her control in the tax haven of Switzerland as a legatee of the corrupt money which was banked in the name of her late husband or deposited by her of funds obtained from the erstwhile KGB, the Soviet Union’s Intelligence Agency, or by sale of illegally exported antiques in the country. I retain the right to submit details of other illegal accounts in other havens such as Macao at a later stage in another application to you or before the court.
28. It is well-reported that Sonia Gandhi is the beneficiary of Rajiv Gandhi’s estate which includes the corrupt monies continued even now to be held in a tax havens. Why this money is held abroad (even if held as a trust to benefit family members) instead of its being held in India within the Indian financial system to benefit the nation is a question which Ms.Sonia Gandhi must answer.
29. Violations of FEMA have occurred as also under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. In case any transaction on this account which is not reported in the Income Tax Returns, and FCRA is also a violation. There may also be an issue of obtaining RBI prior permission for holding such large sums abroad if it is claimed to be a legitimate account.
30. It is clear that this wealth was not reported in Election Affidavits of SoniaGandhi & Rahul Gandhi as a beneficiary of the monies so held [Annexure 6]. The total wealth of both Gandhis, as per their election returns, is just Rs 363 lakh, Sonia owns no car. ”
31. When Schweizer Illustrierte a prestigious German language Swiss magazine alleged that Rajiv Gandhi held an illegal account in Swiss banks of about US $ 2 billion, neither she nor her son, protested, or sued the magazine, then or later [Annexure 7].
32. When major papers, The Hindu and The Times of India included, had carried in the year 1992 the official confirmation of KGB payments to the Rajiv Gandhi family, adding that the Russian government owned the payments in the disclosures, neither of the two Gandhis challenged or sued them [Annexure 8].
33. Nor did they sue Dr. Yevgenia Albats, a member of the official Commission on KGB Operations set up by President Yeltsin, when she wrote about KGB payments to RajivGandhi and family in her book: The State within State [Annexure 9]
34. More than $ 2 billion in 1991 was being held by Ms. Sonia Gandhi as a legatee, or otherwise obtained by receiving stolen movable and immovable properties, monies and securities, kept illegally in tax haven banks of Switzerland and elsewhere, and which is disproportionate to her known sources of income. She thus has also committed offence u/s 13(1)(e) of PCA. It also attracts the IPC Sections for receiving stolen property.
35. The recent deposition of Hasan Ali, alleged to have siphoned money of the nation to Switzerland secret accounts admits to his close association not only with her but with Mr.Ahmed Patel MP and political adviser to Ms.Sonia Gandhi[Annexure 10 ].
36. Ms. Sonia Gandhi is also obviously culpable under Indian criminal law such as FCRA for the pay offs in the Iraqi Oil-for-Food scam of 2002. The United Nations had set up an independent inquiry committee under Dr. F. Volcker which found that the “Congress Party” headed by Ms. Sonia Gandhi as a beneficiary of a free oil quota from the now deposed and deceased dictator Saddam Hussein, which the beneficiary sold at market price through Marc Rich, the notorious swindler who had been convicted by a US Court for 350 years and several million dollars as fine. He was pardoned by US President Clinton in 2000 on Israeli Prime Minister’s intervention. He lives in Switzerland.
37. No one in Congress Party but Ms. Sonia Gandhi as party President could have been this beneficiary. The other beneficiary listed in Volcker’s Report was by name: Natwar Singh, who got much less [Annexure 11].
38. I reserve the right to further petition you to enlarge the scope of this sanction at a future date to include other violations and offences committed by Ms.SoniaGandhi under Prevention of Corruption Act (1988), for which I will file with you a separate application if necessary..
39. But, in this application alone there is substantive prima facie evidence for an appropriate court to take cognizance of the offence committed by Ms.Sonia Gandhiunder the Prevention of Corruption Act, and thus I seek your sanction to initiate the criminal law to prosecute her under the Act
40. Ms. Sonia Gandhi is habitually committing acts of corruption since 1972. On November 19, 1974, I brought it to the attention of the Rajya Sabha that Ms. SoniaGandhi, then an Italian citizen had functioned as a benami insurance agent of public sector insurance companies, and giving her address as 1, Safdarjung Road, New Delhi which was then the official residence of the Prime Minister of India. She thus committed an offence under FERA. The then Prime Minister Mrs.Indira Gandhisubsequently informed the Rajya Sabha that following my disclosure, Ms. SoniaGandhi had resigned from this agency earning commissions.
41. Between January 25, 1973 and January 21, 1975 she held a post of Managing Director of Maruti Technical Services on a salary despite it being an offence under FERA. But then she had become Managing Director of Maruti Heavy Vehicles Pvt Ltd with an even bigger remuneration. For neither post she had the necessary qualifications having never passed even High School.The Justice A.C. Gupta Commission appointed in 1977 by the Janata Party Government found her guilty of multiple offences under FERA and IPC.
42. In 1980 and January 1983 Ms. Sonia Gandhi then still an Italian citizen enrolled herself as a voter in the New Delhi constituency despite having been struck off the list in 1982 upon the ERO receiving a complaint from a citizen. She thus committed an offence under Section 31 of the Representation of the People’s Act read with Form 4 of the Registration of Electors Rules(1960).
43. Ms.Sonia Gandhi’s Indian citizenship acquired in record speed in April 1983 is vitiated by her incomplete answers to mandatory questions in the citizenship forms. She did not submit documents from the Italian government of relinquishing her Italian citizenship required for Indian citizenship, stating in the Form that it was ‘not applicable” [Annexure 12]. Italian Embassy in New Delhi simply affirmed what she told them and hence that cannot be taken as a valid document of relinquishment for the purposes of citizenship. She also retrieved her Italian passport in 1992 after citizenship laws in Italy were amended which under Section 10 of the Citizenship Act (1955) means cancellation of her Indian citizenship.
44. All these facts stated above were put together and published in USA in a full page advertisement in the New York Times in 2008 by NRIs N. Kataria and others.The Congress Party unit in USA thereafter engaged the most expensive law firm and filed a $200 million defamation suit. However Ms.Sonia Gandhi refused to appear in the witness box and be cross examination. Therefore, Justice Emily Goodman of the New York State Supreme Court dismissed the suit since defamation suits in law have to be filed by the person claiming to be defamed, and therefore cannot be assigned to others [Annexure 13]. Ms. Sonia Gandhi had a case to rebut these facts, then why she failed to turn up in court?
(DR. SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY)

Benitto Mussolini (1883-1945), the accursed Dictator of Italy (who teamed up with Nazi Dictator Hitler during the II World War). On June 4, 1944, Rome was liberated by Allied forces, who marched on to take control of Italy. Mussolini and his Mistress, Claretta Petacci, attempted to escape to Switzerland, but were captured by the Italian Underground on April 27, 1945. They were executed the following day, on April 28, 1945, in Mezzegra (near Dongo), Italy, and their bodies were hung on display in a Milan Plaza. The Italian masses greeted Mussolini's death without regret. Mussolini had promised his people Roman Glory, but his megalomania had overcome his common sense, bringing them only War and Misery. Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) used to refer to the Menacing, Mendacious and Menovelent Tyranny and Fraud of Benitto Mussolini.  Mussolini said:“Socialism is a Fraud, a Comedy, a Phantom, a Blackmail”.

FIRANGI MEMSAHIB’S STYLE OF POLITICS IS A FRAUD, A COMEDY, A PHANTOM AND A  BLACKMAIL. THE SLAVISH, SERVILE AND STUPID CONGRESS MEN HAVE ACCEPTED THIS POSITION AS GIVEN AND KNOWN, TO BE ENDURED FOREVER.
CONCLUSION:

There are Four Things that deserve NO Mercy. I mean the Hypocrisy, Fraud, Tyranny and CORRUPTION of SONIA GANDHI. I appeal to Arvind Kejriwal to send a letter to Dr. Manmohan Singh seeking the immediate Prosecution of Sonia Gandhi along the same lines indicated by Dr. Subramanian Swamy in his Letter dated 15th April 2011 addressed to Dr. Manmohan Singh.
POST SCRIPT:

“WITH A GENTLEMAN I AM ALWAYS A GENTLEMAN AND A HALF, AND WITH A FRAUD I TRY TO BE A FRAUD AND A HALF” -  OTTO VON BISMARCK (1815-1898)



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Araṭṭa as Meluhha speech area -- re-visiting Baudhāyana śrautasūtra evidence

January 24, 2014, 8:44 am
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Witzel’s mistranslation or over-interpretation of Baudhāyana śrautasūtra

In a remarkable monograph, Vishal Agarwal, concludes that there is no Vedic evidence for an Aryan immigration into India. I will cite excerpts from this work of Vishal Agarwal. 

I will not digress on the arguments advanced to refute an Aryan Invasion Theory which was noted by an eminent linguist MB Emeneau as 'the linguistic doctrine' establishing the incursion of Indo-European in India. I will restrict the scope of this monograph to identifying and locating Aratta in Meluhha, in the context of my thesis on Meluhha -- a visible language.

In 1989, Witzel commented [Witzel, Michael. ‘Tracing the Vedic Dialects’. In Dialectes dans les literatures indo-aryennes; Publications de l’Institute de Civilization Indienne, Serie in-8, Fascicule 55, ed. by C. Caillat, Diffusion de Boccard: Paris (1989)]: 

“In the case of ancient N. India, we do not know anything about the immigration of various tribes and clans, except for a few elusive remarks in the RV (= Rigveda), SB (= Shatapatha Brahmana) or BSS ( = Baudhāyana śrautasūtra). This text retains at 18.44 :397.9 sqq. the most pregnant memory, perhaps, of an immigration of the Indo-Aryans into Northern India and of their split into two groups: pran Ayuh pravavraja. Tasyaite Kuru-Pancalah Kasi-Videha ity. Etad Ayavam pravrajam. Pratyan amavasus. Tasyaite 
Gandharvarayas Parsavo ‘ratta ity. Etad Amavasavam. “Ayu went eastwards. His (people) are the Kuru-Pancala and the Kasi Videha. This is the Ayava migration. (His other people) stayed at home in the West. His people are the Gandhari, Parsu and Aratta. This is the Amavasava (group)...the text makes a differentiation between the peoples of the Panjab and the territories West of it on one hand, and the “properly Vedic” tribes of Madhyadesa and the adjacent country East of it.”  

Koenraad Elst took issue with the translation made by Witzel, of the Baudhāyana śrautasūtra passage (pages 164-165 of K. Elst, 1999. Update the Aryan Invasion Debate. Aditya Prakashan: New Delhi):


Amavasu is the subject of the second statement, but Witzel spirits the subject away, leaving the statement subject-less, and turns it into a verb, "amâ vasu", "stayed at home". In fact, the meaning of the sentence is really quite straightforward, and doesn't require supposing a lot of unexpressed subjects: "Ayu went east, his is the Yamuna-Ganga region", while Amavasu is the subject of the second statement, but Witzel spirits the subject away, leaving the statement subject-less, and turns it into a verb, "amâ vasu", "stayed at home". In fact, the meaning of the sentence is really quite straightforward, and doesn't require supposing a lot of unexpressed subjects: "Ayu went east, his is the Yamuna-Ganga region", while "Amavasu went west, his is Afghanistan, Parshu and West Panjab". Though the then location of "Parshu" (Persia?) is hard to decide, it is definitely a western country, along with the two others named, western from the viewpoint of a people settled near the Saraswati river in what is now Haryana. Far from attesting an eastward movement into India, this text actually speaks of a westward movement towards Central Asia, coupled with a symmetrical eastward movement from India's demographic centre around the Saraswati basin towards the Ganga basin...“The fact that a world-class specialist has to content himself with a late text like the BSS, and that he has to twist its meaning this much in order to get an invasionist story out of it, suggests that harvesting invasionist information in the oldest literature is very difficult indeed. Witzel claims (op.cit., p.320) that: "Taking a look at the data relating to the immigration of Indo-Aryans into South Asia, one is struck by a number of vague reminiscences of foreign localities and tribes in the Rgveda, in spite [of] repeated assertions to the contrary in the secondary literature." But after this promising start, he fails to quote even a single one of those "vague reminiscences".” 

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman, referred the matter to Dr. George Cardona- an international authority in Sanskrit grammar, and author of numerous definitive publications on Panini’s grammar.Cardona clearly rejected Witzel’s translation, and upheld the objections of Elst on the basis of rules of Sanskrit grammar. He stated (Message no. 3 (dated April 11, 2000) in the public archives of the Sarasvati Discussion list. The website of the discussion list was http://sarasvati.listbot.com/ . The list is now defunct and messages are no longer available. In the original message, the word aayu was spelt incorrectly advertently as ‘saayu’. This error was pointed out by Dr. Cardona himself, and has therefore been incorporated in the citation in the present article.):

"The passage (from Baudha_yana S'rautasu_tra), part of a version of the Puruuravas and Urva'sii legend concerns two children that Urva'sii bore and which were to attain their full life span, in contrast with the previous ones she had put away. On p. 397, line 8, the text says: saayu.m caamaavasu.m ca janayaa.m cakaara 'she bore Saayu and Amaavasu.' Clearly, the following text concerns these two sons, and not one of them along with some vague people. Grammatical points also speak against Witzel's interpretation.First, if 
amaavasus is taken as amaa 'at home' followed by a form of vas, this causes problems: the imperfect third plural of vas (present vasati vasata.h vasanti etc.) would be avasan; the third plural aorist would be avaatsu.h. I have not had the chance to check Witzel's article again directly, so I cannot say what he says about a purported verb form (a)vasu.h. It is possible, however, that Elst has misunderstood Witzel and that the latter did not mean vasu as a verb form per se. Instead, he may have taken amaa-vasu.h as the nominative singular of a compound amaavasu -meaning literally 'stay-at-home', with -vas-u- being a derivative in -u- from -vas. In this case, there is still what Elst points out: an abrupt elliptic syntax that is a mismatch with the earlier mention of Amaavasu along with Aayu. Further, tasya can only be genitive singular and, in accordance with usual Vedic (and later) syntax, should have as antecedent the closest earlier nominal: if we take the text as referring to Amaavasu, all is in order: tasya (sc. Amaavaso.h). Finally, the taddhitaanta derivates aayava and aamaavasava then are correctly parallels to the terms aayu and amaavasu. In sum, everything fits grammatically and thematically if we straightforwardly view the text as concerning the wanderings of two sons of Urva'sii and the people associated with them. There is certainly no good way of having this refer to a people that remained in the west." 

The noted archaeologist B. B. Lal (Lal, B. B. 1998. India 1947-1997, New Light on the Indus Civilization. Aryan Books International: New Delhi)  has also stated out that Witzel’s translation is untenable and is a willful distortion of Vedic texts to prove the non-proven Aryan migration theory (AMT). Lal’s criticism is along the same lines as that of Elst. 

Willem Caland’s Dutch translation: It is he who first published the Baudhāyana śrautasūtra from manuscripts.(In three volumes, from 1903-13, by Bibliotheca Indica (Calcutta). In an obscure study15 of the Urvashi legend in Dutch, he focuses on the version found in Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.44-45 and translates the relevant sentences of text as (Caland, Willem. 1903. “Eene Nieuwe Versie van de Urvasi-Mythe”. In Album-Kern, Opstellen Geschreven Ter Eere van Dr. H. Kern. E. J. Brill: Leiden, pp. 57-60).
“Naar het Oosten ging Ayus; van hem komen de Kuru's, Pancala's, Kasi's en Videha's. Dit zijn de volken, die ten gevolge van het voortgaan van Ayus ontstonden. Naar het Westen ging Amavasu; van hem komen de Gandhari's. de Sparsu's en de Aratta. Dit zijn de volken, die ten gevolge van Amavasu's voortgaan ontstonden.” 
Translated into English (by Koenraad Elst.), this reads – 
“To the East went Ayus; from him descend the Kurus, Pancalas, Kasis and Videhas. These are the peoples which originated as a consequence of Ayus's going forth. To the West went Amavasu; from him descend the Gandharis, the Sparsus and the Arattas. These are the peoples which originated as a consequence of Amavasu's going forth.” 
The text, as reconstituted by Caland (and also accepted by Kashikar – see below) reads ‘Sparsus’, which apparently stands for the peoples who are known as ‘Parshus’ elsewhere in the Vedic literature, and are often identified as the ancestors of Persians (or even of Pashtuns). Clearly, Caland interpreted the passage to mean that from a central region, the Arattas, Gandharis and Parsus migrated west, while the Kasi-Videhas and Kuru-Pancalas migrated east. Combined with the testimony of the Satapatha Brahmana (see below), the implication of this version in the Baudhāyana śrautasūtra, narrated in the context of the Agnyadheya rite is that that the two outward migrations took place from the central region watered by the Sarasvati. (Kashikar, Chintamani Ganesh. 2003. Baudhāyana śrautasūtra (Ed., with an English translation). 3 vols. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass/IGNCA).

In volume III of his translation, on p. 1235, Kashikar translates the relevant sentences of the text as follows- 
“Ayu moved towards the east. Kuru-Pancala and Kasi-Videha were his regions. This is the realm of Ayu. Amavasu proceeded towards the west. The Gandharis, Sparsus and Arattas were his regions. This is the realm of Amavasu.” 

This is again a straightforward translation of the passage in accordance with the rules of Sanskrit grammar.
Toshifumi Goto’s German Translation: 

In his recent study [Tushifumi Goto. ‘Pururavas und Urvasi” aus dem neuntdecktem Vadhula-Anvakhyana (Ed. Y. Ikari)’. pp. 79-110 in Tichy, Eva and Hintze, Almut (eds.). Anusantatyai; J. H. Roll: Germany (2000)] of the parallel passages dealing with the Agnyadheya rite, Goto translates the Sutra passage in the following words (p. 101 sqq.) – 
“"Nach Osten wanderte Ayu [von dort] fort. Ihm gehdie genannt werden: "kurus und pancalas, kazis und videhas."{87} Sie sind die von Ayu stammende Fortfuehrung. {88} Nach Westen gewandt [wanderte] amavasu [fort]. Ihm gehoeren diese: "gandharis, parzus, {88} arattas". Sie sind die von amAvasu stammende [Fortfuehrung]. {90} {87}iti kann hier kaum die die Aufzaehlung abschliessende Partikel (Faelle bei OERTEL Synt. of cases, 1926, 11) sein. In den beiden Komposita koennte der Type ajava'h' [die Gattung von] Ziegen und Schafen' vorliegen: pluralisches Dvandva fuer die Klassifikation, vgl. GOTO Compositiones Indigermanicae, Gs. Schindler (1999) 134 n. 26. {88} Gemeint ist hier wohl die Erbschaft seiner Kolonisation ("Fortwanderung"); mit 
bekannter Attraktion des Subj.-Pronomens in Genus und Numerus an das Pr 
{89} Mit WITZEL, Fs. Eggermont (1987) 202 n. 99, Persica 9 (1980) 120 n.126 als gandharayas parsavo statt -ya sparsavo aufgefasst, wofuer dann allerdings im rezenten BaudhSrSu die Schreibung gandharayah parsavo zu erwarten wals -SP- ausgesprochen wurde (wie z.B. in der MS, vgl. AiG I 342) und noch kein H (fÔr das erste s) eingefuehrt wurde. -yaspa- entging einer  (interpretatorischen) {90} Dahinter steckt wohl die Vorstellung von Ayu' als normales Adjektiv 'lebendig, beweglich' und entsprechend, wie KRICK 214 interpretiert, von amavasu-: "nach Westen [zog] A. (bzw.: er blieb im Westen in der Heimat, wie sein Name 'einer, der Gueter daheim hat' sagt.".” 
Loosely translated23 into English, this reads – 
“From there, Ayu wandered Eastwards. To him belong (the groups called) ‘Kurus and Panchalas, Kashis and Videhas’ (note 87). They are the branches/leading away (note 88) originating from Ayu. From there, Amavasu turned westwards (wandered forth). To him belong (the groups called) ‘Gandharis, Parsus (note 89) Arattas’. They are the branches/leading away originating from Amavasu. (note 90).” {90}: It appears that the notion of ‘Ayu’ as an normal adjectival sense ‘living’, ‘agile’ underlies this name. Correspondingly, Krick 214 interprets Amavasu as – “Westwards [travelled] A. (or: he stayed back in the west in his home, because his name says –‘one who has his goods at home’)”. 

A very strong piece of evidence for deciding the correct translation of Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.44 is the passage that occurs right after it, i.e., Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.45...From this text, it is clear that Urvasi, Pururava and their two sons were present in Kurukshetra in their very lifetimes. There is no evidence that they traveled all the way from Afghanistan to Haryana (where Kurukshetra is located), nor is there any evidence that she took her sons from Kurukshetra to Afghanistan after disposing off the pitcher. The passage rather only to indicate that the family lived in the vicinity of Kurukshetra region. Therefore, the possibility that Amavasu, one of the two sons of Pururava and Urvasi lived in Afghanistan from where Ayu, the other son, migrated to India is totally negated by this passage. Rather, BSS 18.45 would imply that the descendants of Amavasu, i.e., Arattas, Parsus and Gandharis migrated westwards from the Kurushetra region. (It may be pointed out that in Taittiriya Aranyaka 5.1.1, the Kurukshetra region is said to be bounded by Turghna (=Srughna or the modern village of Sugh in the Sirhind district of Punjab) in the north, by Khandava in the south (corresponding roughly to Delhi and Mewat regions), Maru (= desert, noting that the Thar has advanced eastward into Haryana only in recent centuries) in the west, and ‘Parin’ (?) in the east. This roughly corresponds to the modern state of Haryana in India)...

According to Witzel, Hertha Krick and Asko Parpola, BSS 18.44 designates the 
homeland of Gandharis, Parsus and Arattas as ‘here’ (‘ama’ in ‘amavasu’). Prima facie, this suggestion is illogical, because the territory inhabited by these three groups of people is a vast swathe of land comprising a major portion of modern-day NWFP/Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan, and much of Afghanistan. To denote such a vast territory by ‘here’, while contrasting it with supposed migrations of Kurus and other Indian peoples from ‘here’ to ‘there’ (= northern India) is somewhat of a stretch. Baudhāyana (or whoever wrote BSS 18.44) was definitely a resident of northern India, and for him,  Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan would be ‘there’, and not ‘here’ or ‘home’...

The Location of ‘Aratta’ of Baudhāyana  Kalpasūtra: 

In an online paper, Witzel tries to minimize the important he placed earlier on BSS 18.44 as the only important direct evidence for an Indo-Aryan immigration. He also argues (Michael Witzel. 2001. ‘Autochthonous Aryans? The Evidence from Old Indian and Iranian Texts.” In Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies, vol. 7, issue 3. See footnote 45 on page 16 at online paper available at http://users.primushost.com/~india/ejvs/ejvs0703/ejvs0703article.pdf)

“…However, the passage plays, in the usual Brahmana style, with these names and their Nirukta-like interpretations and etymologies. They are based (apart from Ayu: ayus ‘full life span’), on the names of the two sons of Pururavas, Amavasi: ama vas ‘to dwell at home’, as opposed to Ayu: ay/i ‘to go’, contrasting the ‘stay home’ peoples in the west (Amavasyavah: Gandhara, Parsu, Aratta) with those (Ayavah: Kuru-Pancala, Kasi-Videha) who went/ went forth (ay/i + pra vraj) eastwards, as the text clearly says. A note of caution may be added: The missing verb in the collocation pratyan Amavasus allows, of course, suppletion of pravavraja. If one follows that line of argument, one group (the Ayavah) ‘went east’, the other one (the Amavasyavah) ‘went west’, both from an unknown central area, to the west of the Kuru lands. The Kuruksetra area is excluded as the Kurus went eastwards (i.e., toward it!), apparent from somewhere in the Punjab, (e.g., from the Parusni, the place of the Ten Kings’ Battle, RV 7.10)…..The passage in question is just one point in the whole scheme of immigration and acculturation… The Gandhari clearly are located in E. Afghanistan/N. Palistan, the Parsu in Afghanistan and the Aratta seem to represent the Arachosians (cf. Witzel 1980); note the Mesopot. Aratta, the land of Lapis Lazuli (cf. Possehl 1996b, Steinkeller 1998).”
We may easily dismiss Witzel’s attempt to impose his Nirukta like etymologies in this Sūtra passage for the simple reasons that they are opposed to the rules of Sanskrit grammar (as elaborated by George Cardona cited by me above), and because the parallel passages from Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.55,  Śathapathabrāhmaṇa XI.1.5 and Vādhula Anvakhyāna 1.1.1-2 clearly pre-suppose the Kuruksetra region as the scene of action involving Pururava and Uruvasi. Witzel refers to his publication ‘Witzel (1980)’ as proof that Arattas were ‘Arachosians’ (= residents of Helmand valley in S W Afghanistan), but when that publication was checked (See footnote 3 in Witzel, Michael. 1980, ‘Early Eastern Iran and the Atharvaveda’, in Persica, vol. IX, pp. 86-128.), it was found to place the Arattas in the Badakhshan area in extreme N E Afghanistan! 

...Witzel’s interpretations are valid only if Aratta can be removed from W. Panjab (which is where the entire length and breadth of Indian literature places it) and transplanted in Arachosia (S W Afghanistan), as Witzel has done above, without any proof ( A Czech scholar Václav Blažek relies on the mistranslation of the passage in Witzel [Witzel, Michael. ‘Rgvedic History: Poets, Chieftains and Politics’. in The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia ed. by Erdosy, George Walter de Gruyter, Berlin: 1995: 320-321] to reinforce his conclusion that the Arattas were localized in the Helmand basin. See Blažek, Václav. 2002. ‘Elamo-Arica’. In The Journal of Indo-European Studies, Vol. XXX, Nos. 3-4 (Fall/Winter 2002): pp. 215-242 (see page 216). Interestingly, in the ‘Acknowledgements’ section on page 235 of the paper, the Blažek says – “I wish to thank Michael Witzel for providing an opportunity to present the first version of this paper at the conference held at the Department of Indic Languages at Harvard University in May 2002….”). This alone would leave W. Punjab as a ‘central area’ from which some people move east and some move west. However, we may reject this possibility because as a natural corollary, it would imply that W Punjab itself did not receive any progeny of Pururavas and Uruvasi, even though regions to the east and west of it did so. 

Secondly, and more important, the other occurrences of the word ‘Aratta’ in the Vedic texts indicate that these people were residents of W. Punjab (north of Multan, just as in the historical period) and not of Helmand valley as proposed by Witzel and others. (The word ‘Aratta’ is conspicuous by its absence in Vedic literature proper, i.e., in the Samhitas, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and in the older Upanishads. The oldest text where it occurs for the first time is Baudhāyana śrautasūtra. In all later Sanskritic literature, the word denotes western and central Punjab. ‘Aratta’ is also mentioned as a source of Lapis Lazuli in a Mesopotamian text. Since this mineral was obtained from extreme northern regions of Afghanistan, as well as from regions just north of Quetta, some scholars have often assumed that it denoted the Helmand valley. See for instance – Hansman, J. F. 1978. ‘The Question of Aratta’. In The Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 331-336 However, even if this identification in Mesopotanian texts is correct, we need not assume that the Aratta in Baudhāyana Kalpasūtra also meant the same region because the Mespotamian text and this Kalpasūtra are separated from each other by great distance and time. In my opinion, it is more appropriate to interpret this Kalpasūtra using data from successor Hindu traditions, rather than data from distant Mesopotamian traditions! ) The Baudhāyana śrautasūtra is a not stand-alone text of its particular Sakha of Krshna Yajurveda. It is in fact a (major) part of a larger text – the Baudhāyana Kalpasūtra. The various parts of the Kalpasūtra are the śrautasūtra, the Hautrasūtra, Grhyasūtra, Sulbasūtra and the Dharmasūtra. Hindu tradition attributes all the portions of the Sutra to the same person, viz. Muni Baudhāyana. To modern scholarship however, the Kalpasūtra appears to be a stratified text. (A major portion of the Kalpasūtra is attributed to Baudhāyana himself, the Dvaidhasūtra is said to be an addition by his direct disciples (or near immediate disciples), portions of Grhyasutra are attributed to him with the Grhyaparisesha being a late addition. The Dharmasūtra  is considered a very late addition. Patrick Olivelle [2000. Dharmasūtras, annotated text and translation. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p. 10] assigns a date of 150 B.C.E. to Baudhāyana dharmasūtra, a date which is ridiculously recent in my opinion.) It is not relevant here to discuss the merits of these various views related to the authorship of Baudhāyana  Kalpasūtra here. Even if the entire Kalpasūtra is not from the same author, the later parts nevertheless reflect the understanding of the older tradition by the later-day Baudhayaniyas. 

Even if we assume that ‘Brahmana-like’ portion BSS 18.44 is an older part of the text, it is worthwhile investigating what the words Aratta, Parshu and Gandhara mean in other portions of the Kalpasūtra text. Parsu does not appear to occur elsewhere in Baudhāyana Kalpasūtra. Aratta and Gandhara however are found mentioned in BSS 18.13 and in Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra (= BDS). 
Let us consider BDS (I have used the edition by Umesh Chandra Pandey. 1971. Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra (with Govindswami’s commentary, and a gloss by Chinnaswami Shastri). Chaukhamba Sanskrit Series: Varanasi) First Sūtra 1.1.2.10 defines Aryavarta as the land west of Kalakavana (roughly modern Allahabad), east of ‘adarsana’ (the spot where Sarasvati disappears in the desert), south of Himalayas and north of the Vindhyas. An alternate definition of Aryavarta in sūtra 1.1.2.11 restricts Aryavarta to the Ganga-Yamuna doab. The text then enumerates the following peoples who are of ‘mixed’ origins, and therefore whose traditions are not worthy of emulation by the residents of Aryavarta – 
“Avanti (-Ujjain), Anga (= area around modern Bhagalpur in Bihar), Magadha, Surashtra (= modern Kathiawar), Upavrta, Sindhu (= modern Sindh), Sauvira (= modern Bahawalpur, and Pakistani Panjab south of Multan) are (i.e., the residents of these regions are) of mixed origin.”  Baudhāyana  Dharmasūtra   1.1.2.14 “Aratta, Karaskara (=Narmada valley?), Pundra (=northern Bengal), Sauvira, Vanga (= southern Bengal), Kalinga – whosoever visits these areas should perform Punastoma or Sarvaprshthi sacrifices as an expiation.” Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra 1.1.12.15 
Clearly, all these regions lie outside the Aryavarta where Vedic orthopraxy prevailed. What needs to be noted here is that all these ‘impure’ regions lie on the periphery of Aryavarta. Distant regions such as Gedrosia, Arachosia (Helmand valley), Kashmir, Kabul Valley etc., are so far that they are not even mentioned. Again, Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.13 also mentions that whosoever visits Sauvira, Aratta, Kalinga, Karaskara and Gandhara, should perform ritual expiations. 
In both these cases from the Baudhāyana Kalpasūtra, the word ‘Aratta’ denotes a region or peoples who live on the periphery of Aryavarta, or close to Aryavarta but outside it. Witzel’s interpretation (Witzel 1995: 320-321) of Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.44 however requires Arattas to 
be in the Helmand valley in Arachosia (south-west Afghanistan), from where they then migrated into South Asia. Much of ancient Sanskrit and Vedic literature considers the people and region of central and western Punjab as impure and outsiders. But equating Aratta with Arachosia would mean that there is no region or people corresponding to central and western Punjab that is considered polluting in the Baudhāyana Kalpasūtra. 


Conclusion: Rather than insisting on seeing evidence for ‘movement’ or ‘migration’ in the word ‘Ayu’, and correspondingly ‘remaining in their home’ in the word Amavasu, it is perhaps less tortuous to interpret this passage figuratively in a different manner that is more consistent with the Indian tradition. Indian tradition holds that the Kuru-Panchalas, and later Kashi-Videhas followed Vedic orthoproxy (i.e., they performed fire sacrifices to the Devas) and therefore were 'alive', whereas the progeny of Amavasu did not sacrifice to the Devas and hoarded their wealth in their homes.
Whatever be the interpretation, there is no convincing way to uphold Witzel’s mistranslation or over-interpretation of Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.44. One must be extremely wary of using at least the Vedic versions of this legend to construct real history of human migrations, otherwise we would have to deduce an emigration from India in the direction of Central Asia. There is absolutely no need to read modern and colonial Aryan invasion and migration theories into ancient ritual texts. 
Therefore, we may conclude there still exists no Vedic evidence for an Aryan immigration into India. 

Araṭṭa: locus and identification

The detailed background provided in the previous paragraphs, on the importance of the Baudhāyana śrautasūtra text is central to the identification of Aratta (transliterated more precisely as Araṭṭa.

Let me summarise the key evidences provided in the ancient text of Baudhāyana śrautasūtra:

The text makes a differentiation between the peoples of the Panjab and the territories West of it on one hand, and the “properly Vedic” tribes of Madhyadesa and the adjacent country East of it.

Moving to the east are Kuru, Panala, Kasi and Videha, together called the Ayava group.

Moving to the west are Gandhari, Parsu and Araṭṭa people together called the Amavasa group. The region occupied by the goup is a vast swathe of land comprising a major portion of modern-day W. Punjab, North-west Frontier Province/Baluchistan provinces and much of Afghanistan. Araṭṭa were residents of W. Punjab (north of Multan). Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.33 and Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra refer to Araṭṭa and Gandhara. 

Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra 1.1.2.14 clubs together many regions with people of 'mixed origins' such as: "Avanti (Ujjain), Anga (region around modern Bhagalpur, Bihar), Magadha, Surashtra (modern Kathiawar), Upavrta, Sindhu (modern Sindh), Sauvira (modern Bahawalpur and Pakistani Punjab south of Multan). Extending the regions with people of 'mixed origins',  the list extends in Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra 1.1.2.15 to: Araṭṭa, Karaskara (Narmada valley), Pundra (northern Bengal), Sauvira, Vanga (southern Bengal), Kalinga (Orissa)" -- visit to which regions, requires performance of punastoma or sarvaprshthi as expiation. 

All these regions listed in the two lists of Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra 1.1.2.14 and 1.1.2.15 , as 'mixed persons' and including Aratta (which may be a region around Santal Paraganas, Bastar and eastern Uttar Pradesh) can be explained as Meluhha (mleccha) area, since Meluhha (mleccha) are characterised by their use of apa-śabdas while performing yajña-s.

I entirely agree with Vishal Agarwal's explanation which notes that these as 'impure' regions lie on the periphery of Aryavarta (Ganga-Yamuna doab) where Vedic orthopraxy prevailed". If one (from Aryavarta, governed by the sacred Vedic tradition) visits these 'impure' regions detailed prescribed procedures require (punastoma or sarvaprshthi) yajña-s to be performed as expiation. I submit that these regions are the Meluhha (mleccha) speech areas. The prescribed expiation procedures are also outlined in Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.31 which lists 'impure regions' as: Sauvira, Araṭṭa, Kalinga, Karaskara and Gandhara. Visiting these 'impure regions' required performance of prescribed expiation procedured.

Thus, it is clear that in --Baudhāyana śrautasūtra 18.13 and Baudhāyana Dharmasūtra 1.1.12.15, both constituent parts of Baudhāyana Kalpasūtra -- Aratta is identified as a region on the periphery of Aryavarta (Ganga-Yamuna doab) but close to it. Such a region was peopled by Meluhha (mleccha) speakers who can be distinguished from Arya vācas, speech of residents of Aryavarta. With such a distinction, it is possible to postulate Meluhha (mleccha) as proto-Indo-Aryan or precursor versions of Prākṛts or deśi. Such Mleccha vācas of 'impure regions' detailed in both the texts identified the Meluhha region  and Meluhha artisans/traders had their sea-faring merchandise and donkey caravans along the Tin road of the bronze age extending from Meluhha into the Fertile Crescent. See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/01/proto-indian-meluhha-precursor-of.html Proto-Indian Meluhha, a precursor of Prākṛts and deśya


Reference to acquisition of lapis lazuli in a Mesopotamian text has to be explained. Lapis lazuli was obtained from northern regions of Afghanistan and also from regions just north of Quetta. While the regions might have lapis lazuli mines, the stones might have been routed through Araṭṭa (Meluhha speakers and Meluhha merchants), the same way as tin and tin-bronzes were routed along the tin road which extended from Meluhha across the Persian Gulf into Sumer/Elam/Mesopotamia.


The role of Mleccha speakers during the bronze age in an extended contact area is elaborated in the following monographs:

See: Notes on spread of lost-wax casting from Meluhha and tin trade from Meluhha 


http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/01/meluhha-hieroglyphs-1-dhokra-lost-wax.html
Meluhha hieroglyphs: 1. Dhokra kamar lost-wax metal caster; 2. Dance-step of Mohenjo-daro metal cast

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/01/meluhha-and-tracking-tin-road-after-all.html
Meluhha and tracking the Tin Road. After all, what is a Bronze Age without bronze?

The identification of Araṭṭa as a region outside of Aryavarta, but within the framework of Indus-Sarasvati Civilization core region of a sacred Vedic Sarasvati river basin, is consistent with the archaeological sites associated with the bronze age extending from Sohri-Sokhta to Rakhigarhi, from Shahdad to Dholavira, Lothal and Daimabad with most of about 2000 (or 80% of 2600) archaeological sites of the civilization located on the Sarasvati River Basin. The civilization sustained the bronze age initiatives in trade with the use of Meluhha hieroglyphs to communicate catalogs of metalware and stoneware.

Just as Paul Thieme and Satyaswarup Misra had  traced proto-Indo-aryan words through Mesopotamia-Anatolia-Mitanni using Mitanni treaties, Koenraad Elst presents the following possibilities in the context of the ongoing search for urheimat of IE speakers: 

"Their (Mitanni treaties) language was mature Indo-Aryan, not proto-Indo-Iranian.  Satya Swarup Misra argues that the Mitannic languages already showed early Middle-Indo-Aryan traits, e.g. the assimilation of dissimilar plosives (sapta > satta), and the break-up of consonant clusters by interpolation of vowels (anaptyxis, Indra > Indara). This would imply that Middle-Indo-Aryan had developed a full millennium earlier than hitherto assumed, which in turn has implications for the chronology of the extant literature written in Middle-Indo-Aryan. In the centuries before the Mitanni texts, there was a Kassite dynasty in Mesopotamia, from the 18th to the 16th century BC.  Linguistically assimilated, they preserved some purely Vedic names: Shuriash, Maruttash, Inda-Bugash, i.e. Surya, Marut, Indra-Bhaga (Bhaga meaning effectively 'god', cfr. Bhag-wAn, Slavic Bog). The Kassite and Mitanni peoples were definitely considered as foreign invaders.  They are latecomers in the history of the IE dispersal, appearing at a time when, leaving India out of the argument, at least the area from Iran to France was already IE.  They have little bearing on the Urheimat question, but they have all the more relevance for mapping the history of the Indo-Iranian group. Probably the Kassite and Mitannic tribes were part of the same migration, with the latter settling in a peripheral area and thereby retaining their identity a few centuries longer than the Kassites in the metropolitan area of Babylon.  According to Babylonian sources, the Kassites came from the swampy area in what is now southern Iraq: unlike the Iranians, who migrated from India through Afghanistan, the Kassites must have come by sea from Sindh to southern Mesopotamia.  While the Iranians migrated slowly, taking generations to take control gradually of the fertile areas to the south of the Aral Lake and of the Caspian Sea, the Kassites seem to have been a warrior group moving directly from India to Mesopotamia to carry out a planned invasion which immediately gave them control of the delta area, a bridgehead for further conquests of the Babylonian heartland.  They were a conquering aristocracy, and having to marry native women, they lost their language within a few generations, just like the Vikings after their conquest of Normandy. If the earlier Kassite and the later Mitanni people were indeed part of the same migration, their sudden appearance falls neatly into place if we connect them with the migration wave caused by the dessiccation of the Saraswati area in ca. 2000 BCE. Indian-Mesopotamian connections relevant to the Urheimat question have to be sought in a much earlier period.  Whether the country Araṭṭa of the Sumerian sources is really to be identified with a part of the Harappan area, is uncertain; the Sumerian legend Enmerkar and the Lord of Araṭṭa (late 3rd millennium BCE) mentions that Araṭṭa was the source of silver, gold and lapis lazuli, in exchange for grain which was transported not by ship but over land by donkeys; this would rather point to the mining centres in mountainous Afghanistan, arguably Harappan colonies but not the Harappan area itself.  However, if this Araṭṭa is the same as the Indian Araṭṭa (in West Panjab) after all, it has far-reaching implications.  Araṭṭa is Prakrit for A-rASTra, 'without kingdom'.  The point here is not its meaning, but its almost Middle-Indo-Aryan shape.  Like sapta becoming satta in the Mitannic text, it suggest that this stage of Indo-Aryan is much older than hitherto assumed, viz. earlier than 2000 BCE."

This brilliant linguistic analysis points to the word Araṭṭa itself as a Proto-Indo-Aryan gloss with the semantics 'without kingdom' treating the word as a Mleccha (Meluhha) or Proto-Prākṛt tadbhava from a-rāṣṭra (Arya vācas or Sanskrit of the Aryavarta, Ganga-Yamuna doab).

Since there are significant indicators in the Baudhāyana kalpasūtra texts pointing to the locus of Araṭṭa in West Punjab, the implications detailed by Koenraad Elst deserve to be taken note of and the identification of Araṭṭa in the extended region attempted by scholars like DT Potts and Steinkeller may have to be re-visited.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/07/location-of-marhashi-and-cheetah-from.html In this note, I have argued that Marhashi and Meluhha are the same. 

Potts and Steinkeller argue that Araṭṭa was Marhashi.


Attached two pdf documents.

Potts also discusses: J. F. Hansman, 1978 The Question of Araṭṭa, JNES 37, 331-336 (who locates Aratta at Shahr-i-Sokhta).

In my view, the evaluation of JF Hansman is close to the mark of identifying Araṭṭa as a region close to Shahr-i-Sokhta consistent with his earlier article in Iran 10 (1972): 118, n.97. Shahr-i-Sokhta is loated near the western border of Afghanistan.  In his 1978 paper, Hansman refers to Majidzadeh suggesting the possibility of locating Araṭṭa in Kerman province, a district which ies to the west of Iranian Sistan. Majidzadeh locates Araṭṭa between the present city of Kerman and the town of Shahdad. Elsewhere, the Shahdad standard has been explained as a set of Meluhha hieroglyphs. It is possible that Meluhha speakers were settled in Shahdad.

In the light of the textual evidence from ancient Indian texts discussed in this monograph, the suggestions and critical comments made by JF Hansman have to be taken into account. He suggests that a system of direct trade existed between Araṭṭa and the Sumerian states of southern Mesopotamia. It is certainly not far-fetched to postulate donkey caravans moving from Meluhha into these Sumerian states. If Araṭṭa was in W. Punjab as the Indian texts seem to indicate, the trade from Araṭṭa could have been part of the trade with Meluhha using sea-faring means and using caravans on the Tin Road as mentioned in cuneiform texts. 

There are lots of arguments about Araṭṭa . See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AAratta One comment says (2011) about a hypothesis of Afghanistan as Araṭṭa : "it has been universally agreed in recent years that the most famous Old World lapis lazuli mines, those on the upper reaches of the Kokcha river, a tributary of the Oxus (Amu Darya), in the Badakhshan district of Modern Afghanistan, described by Marco Polo (Yule 1929; i. 157), were the primary source for the ancient Near East and Egypt. Evidence for exploitation of these mines in the third millenium BC has been strengthened by the discovery of raw lapis lazuli and evidence of bead manufacture of Shortughai on the river Oxus (Francfort and Pottier 1978; Francfort 1987) in a settlement where the material culture is described as largely 'Harappan'".

I find it amazing that these views of Elst are NOT taken into account by scholars who discuss the location and identification of Aratta. The Wikpedia polemics (URL given above) make a mention of this inexplicable approach in the search for truth.

As the conclusive identification of Araṭṭa can await further detail re-evaluations of many conjectures made, I submit that the Indian texts referred to in this note should also be taken into account within the context of use of Meluhha hieroglyphs on many metalware and stoneware trade transactions and I posit the hypothesis that Araṭṭa referred to a region in the present-day Western Punjab where Meluhha speakers were artisans/traders working in stoneware and metalware, with particular reference to tin trade along Tin Road and spread of lost-wax casting technologies exemplified by the Dancing Girl statue of Mohenjo-daro which finds an echo on a potsherd from Bhirrana on the banks of River Sarasvati. As the secular desiccation of River Sarasvati progressed with recurrent tectonic events resulting in river migrations depriving Sarasvati River from glacial sources, there could have been movements of Meluhha speaker artisans, say, from Dholavira to Bhirrana and eastwards upto Rakhigarhi.

A simple conclusion is that Araṭṭa was in Indus-Sarasvati civilization area referred to in the overall context of cuneiform text references as Meluhha and that Araṭṭa artisans/traders were Meluhha (mleccha) speakers.

Embedded are the following for ready reference:


  • Vishal Agarwal's Vedic evidence for Aryan Migration Theories
  • DT Pott's Exit Aratta
  • Piotr Steinkeller's New light on Marhashi
  • JF Hansman' Question of Araṭṭa

http://www.scribd.com/doc/201939783/Vedic-Evidence-for-Aryan-Migration-Theory







http://www.scribd.com/doc/156893174/Exit-Aratta-Potts-2004




http://www.scribd.com/doc/201949132/NEW-LIGHT-ON-MARHA%C5%A0I-AND-ITS-CONTACTS-WITH-MAKKAN-AND-BABYLONIA

The Question of Aratta Author(s): J. F. HansmanSource: Journal of Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Oct., 1978), pp. 331-336

http://www.scribd.com/doc/201953533/Question-of-Aratta

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