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CIA’s Trojan Horse enters the Heart of India -- Shelley Kasli

November 20, 2015, 9:53 pm
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CIA’s Trojan Horse enters the Heart of India

The CIA uses philanthropic foundations as the most effective conduit to channel large sums of money to Agency projects without alerting the recipients to their source. From the early 1950s to the present the CIA’s intrusion into the foundation field was and is huge. A U.S. Congressional investigation in 1976 revealed that nearly 50% of the 700 grants in the field of international activities by the principal foundations were funded by the CIA. The CIA considers foundations such as Ford“The best and most plausible kind of funding cover”. The collaboration of respectable and prestigious foundations, according to one former CIA operative, allowed the Agency to fund “a seemingly limitless range of covertaction programs affecting youth groups, labor unions, universities, publishing houses and other privateinstitutions”. The latter included “human rights” groups beginning in the 1950s to the present. One of the most important “private foundations” collaborating with the CIA over a significant span of time in major projects in the cultural Cold War is the Ford Foundation.

CIA & The Ford Foundation

By the late 1950s the Ford Foundation possessed over $3 billion in assets. The leaders of the Foundation were in total agreement with Washington’s post-WWII projection of world power. A noted scholar of the period writes:
“At times it seemed as if the Ford Foundation was simply an extension of government in the area of  international cultural propaganda. The foundation had a record of close involvement in covert actions inEurope, working closely with Marshall Plan and CIA officials on specific projects”. This is graphicallyillustrated by the naming of Richard Bissell as President of the Foundation in 1952. In his two years inoffice Bissell met often with the head of the CIA, Allen Dulles, and other CIA officials in a “mutual search” for new ideas. In 1954 Bissell left Ford to become a special assistant to Allen Dulles in January 1954. Under Bissell, the Ford Foundation (FF) was the “vanguard of Cold War thinking”.
One of the FF first Cold War projects was the establishment of a publishing house, Inter-cultural Publications, and the publication of a magazine Perspectives in Europe in four languages. The FF purpose according to Bissell was not “so much to defeat the leftist intellectuals in dialectical combat (sic) as to lure them away from their positions”. The board of directors of the publishing house was completely dominated by cultural Cold Warriors. Given the strong leftist culture in Europe in the post-war period, Perspectives failed to attract readers and went bankrupt.
Another journal Der Monat funded by the Confidential Fund of the U.S. military and run by Melvin Lasky was taken over by the FF, to provide it with the appearance of independence.
In 1954 the new president of the FF was John McCloy. He epitomized imperial power. Prior to becoming president of the FF he had been Assistant Secretary of War, president of the World Bank, High Commissioner of occupied Germany, chairman of Rockefeller’s Chase Manhattan Bank, Wall Street attorney for the big seven oil companies and director of numerous corporations. As High Commissioner in Germany, McCloy had provided cover for scores of CIA agents.
Than CIA’s head Allen Dulles’ best bud, John McCloy,is shown here with David Rockefeller and Chase Manhattan executives after he successfully merged the Warburg’s Manhattan bank with Rockefeller’s Chase bank. A top Rockefeller leutenant, McCloy acted for decades on the family’s behalf as an adviser to presidents and dictators. He even shared a box with Hitler and Goering at the 1936 Olympics.
McCloy integrated the FF with CIA operations. He created an administrative unit within the FF specifically to deal with the CIA. McCloy headed a three person consultation committee with the CIA to facilitate the use of the FF for a cover and conduit of funds. With these structural linkages the FF was one of those organizations the CIA was able to mobilize for political warfare against the anti-imperialist and pro-communist left.
Official photo of Warren Commissioners that covered-up JFK Assassination. Allen Dulles(than head of the CIA) is seen second from left. To his right is John J. McCloy, lawyer and troubleshooter for both the Warburg and Rockefeller family. McCloy was appointed as a member of the Warren Commission, purely for the purposes of disguising Rockefeller’s crime.
Numerous CIA “fronts” received major FF grants. Numerous supposedly “independent” CIA sponsored cultural organizations, human rights groups, artists and intellectuals received CIA/FF grants. One of the biggest donations of the FF was to the CIA organized Congress for Cultural Freedom which received $7 million by the early 1960s. Numerous CIA operatives secured employment in the FF and continued close collaboration with the Agency.
From its very origins there was a close structural relation and interchange of personnel at the highest levels between the CIA and the FF. This structural tie was based on the common imperial interests which they shared. The result of their collaboration was the proliferation of a number of journals and access to the mass media which pro-U.S. intellectuals used to launch vituperative polemics against Marxists and other anti-imperialists. The FF funding of these anti-Marxists organizations and intellectuals provided a legal cover for their claims of being “independent” of government funding (CIA).
One prominent journalist, Andrew Kopkind, wrote of a deep sense of moral disillusionment with the private foundation-funded CIA cultural fronts. Kopkind wrote
“The distance between the rhetoric of the open society and the reality of control was greater than  anyone thought. Everyone who went abroad for an American organization was, in one way or another, awitness to the theory that the world was torn between communism and democracy and anything in betweenwas treason. The illusion of dissent was maintained: the CIA supported socialist cold warriors, fascist cold warriors, black and white cold warriors. The catholicity and flexibility of the CIA operations were major advantages. But it was a sham pluralism and it was utterly corrupting”.
When a U.S. journalist Dwight Macdonald who was an editor of Encounter (a FF-CIA funded influential cultural journal) sent an article critical of U.S. culture and politics it was rejected by the editors, working closely with the CIA. In the field of painting and theater the CIA worked with the FF to promote abstract expressionism against any artistic expression with a social content, providing funds and contacts for highly publicized exhibits in Europe and favorable reviews by “sponsored” journalists. The interlocking directorate between the CIA, the Ford Foundation and the New York Museum of Modern Art lead to a lavish promotion of “individualistic” art remote from the people — and a vicious attack on European painters, writers and playwrights writing from a critical realist perspective. “Abstract Expressionism” whatever its artist’s intention became a weapon in the Cold War.
The Ford Foundation’s history of collaboration and interlock with the CIA in pursuit of U.S. world hegemony is now a well-documented fact. The remaining issue is whether that relationship continues into the new Millenium after the exposures of the 1960s? The FF made some superficial changes. They are more flexible in providing small grants to human rights groups and academic researchers who occasionally dissent from U.S. policy. They are not as likely to recruit CIA operatives to head the organization.
More significantly they are likely to collaborate more openly with the U.S. government in its cultural and educational projects, particularly with the Agency of International Development.
The FF has in some ways refined their style of collaboration with Washington’s attempt to produce worldcultural domination, but retained the substance of that policy. For example the FF is very selective in the funding of educational institutions. Like the IMF, the FF imposes conditions such as the  “professionalization” of academic personnel and “raising standards.” In effect this translates into the promotion of social scientific work based on the assumptions, values and orientations of the U.S. empire; to have professionals de-linked from the class struggle and connected with pro-imperial U.S. academics and foundation functionaries supporting the neo-liberal model.
As in the 1950s and 60s the Ford Foundation today has developed a sophisticated strategy of funding human rights groups (HRGs) that appeal to Washington to change its policy while denouncing U.S. adversaries their “systematic” violations. The FF supports HRGs which equate massive state terror by the U.S. with individual excesses of anti-imperialist adversaries. The FF finances HRGs which do not participate in anti-globalization and anti-neoliberal mass actions and which defend the Ford Foundation as a legitimate and generous “non-governmental organization”.
In the current period of a major U.S. military-political offensive, Washington has posed the issue as “terrorism or democracy,” just as during the Cold War it posed the question as “Communism or Democracy.”  In both instances the Empire recruited and funded “front organizations, intellectuals and journalists to attack its anti-imperialist adversaries and neutralize its democratic critics. The Ford Foundation is well situated to replay its role as collaborator to cover for the New Cultural Cold War.

CIA’s Trojan Horse reaches India

India had been sucked into the spiral of this Cultural Cold War since a long time. However with the US economy already bust and the EU falling like dominos; it is again the East where the West would anchor  it’s sinking ship of so called Exceptionalism that fuels the Western Civilization. The game on the  Indian side is very well crafted and carried out through CIA’s Trojan Horse which has entered into the  heart of Indian Politics – Delhi.
A new political party pledging to sweep corruption from the Indian capital made surprising gains in state elections, grabbing a huge share of votes from the incumbent Congress party and leaving Delhi with no clear leader on Monday — and no party willing to form a coalition.
The fledgling Aam Aadmi Party, or Common Man’s Party, seized 28 of Delhi’s 70 assembly seats just nine months after its formation. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party took first place with 31, while Congress was left with a meagre eight, a stunning decline from its previous 43.
All three ruled out entering into a governing alliance, leaving the capital in a leadership lurch and raising the possibility of new elections.
CIA LAYS THE “FOUNDATION” OF INDIAN POLICYMAKING
The Ford Foundation, which completes six decades in India next year, provides a continuing flow of grants to institutions, think-tanks, civil society, and even farmer groups, to carry out research and advocacy work. The sums are not inconsequential—about $15 million (about Rs 70 crore) a year. And the recipients—320 grants, over the past four years—are the who’s who of civil society and advocacy groups in India.
Its representative, Steven Solnick, said the Foundation’s last installment to Kabir (an NGO run by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia) was in 2010. “Our first grant to the NGO was of $1,72,000 in 2005 ; the second was in 2008 of $1,97,000,” he told Business Standard.
Kabir, run by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, key figures in AAP(Aam Aadmi Party), has received $400,000 from the Ford Foundation in the last three years.
Link for $197,000 – now removed by Ford. Refer screenshot of the same below.
In reply to an RTI query that questioned the funding and expenditure of Kabir, the organisation has disclosed that they have received funds from the Ford Foundation (Rs 86,61,742), PRIA (Rs 2,37,035), Manjunath Shanmugam Trust (Rs 3,70,000), Dutch Embassy (Rs 19,61,968), Association for India’s Development (Rs 15,00,000), India’s friends Association (Rs 7,86,500), United Nationals Development Programme (Rs12,52,742) while Rs 11,35,857 were collected from individual donations between 2007 to 2010.
Interestingly, a major part of the funding to an organisation that is prominent in the “War against corruption” has come from abroad and mainly from the United States. Apart from the UNDP, Ford Foundation and the India Friends Association are US-based organisations, while PRIA and Association for India’s Development are headquartered in Asia.
The foundation, on its part, makes no bones about its neo-liberal agenda, broadly pro-market, seeking accountability in governance, and promoting marginalised groups. It funds a small number of institutions, but chooses effectively. At a post-budget meeting two years back, it was noted that all the think-tanks represented (NCAER, NIPFP, ICRIER and the Centre for Policy Research) on the dais received grants from the foundation. Academicians and scholars from these think-tanks are regularly consulted by the government on various policy issues.
On whether the views of these intellectuals actually get reflected in subsequent policies, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia declines to comment. “I don’t really have a view on it,” he says. He does, however, concede that India’s association with the foundation “is something that has been on for a long time”.
Moreover, two of core members  are also Magsaysay award winners which are endowed by the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller.
As far as the Magsaysay Award winners are concerned, this award is an American award for Asians established and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation ostensibly in memory of Ramon Magsaysay, the former President of Philippines.
According to well-placed sources in  the U. S.  Intelligence community opposed to the State Department’s policy toward the Philippines, $30 million in covert funds was supplied to the Philippine opposition to  help finance  its presidential campaign.  This  $30 million was  laundered through Hong Kong,  where the money was converted into  the Philippine peso at the black market rate of 20 pesos to the dollar.
Philippine  sources reported that  the money  had, been  in part funneled  into the CIA-controlled citizens elec­tion watch group,  called Namfrel ,  the National Movement for a Free Election, which was originally created  in  1953 in order  to  bring Ramon Magsaysay into power.  Namfrel  was central  in the State Department’s policy of intervening  into the Philippines election.
In 1957, the Rockefeller Foundation established the Ramon Magsaysay Prize for community leaders in Asia. It was named after Ramon Magsaysay, president of the Philippines, a crucial ally in the US campaign against Communism in Southeast Asia. In 2000, the Ford Foundation established the Ramon Magsaysay Emergent Leadership Award. The Magsaysay Award is considered a prestigious award among artists, activists and community workers in India. M.S. Subbulakshmi and Satyajit Ray won it, so did Jayaprakash Narayan and journalists, P. Sainath. In general, it has become a gentle arbiter of what kind of activism is “acceptable” and what is not. In reality the award is the living memory of the dictatorial president of Philippines known for the murder of thousands of communist guerrillas during the Huk Rebellion under US-planned anti-communist counter-insurgency operations. It explains the silence of the anti-corruption group against corporations and the private sector.
For more details read : CIA manipulation of 1953 elections
This perfectly fits in with a recent shift in the US policy of association with India, which is now focusing on building state-to-state partnerships by “engaging Indian state and local leaders” throughout the country on “topics of mutual interest”. Civil society groups and think-tanks are expected to play an important role in this. As Prof Anil Gupta of IIM-Ahmedabad observes, “Their influence is far beyond what is recognized, and not always benign.”
Should NGOs receiving grants from international agencies like the Ford Foundation and others be barred from participating in the shaping of public policy?
And are these civil society groups working as stooges of the West to execute an “American agenda” ?
These are the question the Aam Aadmi has to answer.
Not the copyrighted ones; but the real Aam Aadmi.
Update : Just last night CIA’s Urban Guerrilla Unit demolished Lenin’s statue in Kiev, Ukraine same as they did with Saddam’s as part of a psychological warfare protesting against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych staunch stand against EU and East European countries and refusal to sign the free-trade agreement that would devastate his nation’s remaining industry already devastated by IMF.
References :
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The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters
CIA manipulation of 1953 elections
Warren Commission
Allen Dulles
John J. McCloy
Flowing The Way Of Their Money
Claims that Hazare’s movement is US-funded baseless: Arvind
‘We’re No Policy Advisors’
Kejriwal Admits, His NGO Took Money From Ford Foundation 2 Years Back
It’s Official – US-Based Ford Foundation Funding Anna’s Movement
Aditya Shetty · 
Dombivli, India
SUch articles seems to be part of 500 crore image development of a certain party, INdia is in a anarchist condition where VIPs are ruling us, If this finishes and corruption reduces then notrojan horse can stop us. This bullshit cannot stop the vast educated population of india. The congress has been swindling out huge amount of money in defence deals, Even after 66 years and 1000s of engg colleges our govt depends upon europe for ammo, and we talk about ILLUSIONARY TROJAN HORSE (ITS always been here)
Like · Reply · Feb 26, 2014 12:29pm
Manish Singh · 
Mumbai, India
यूक्रेन, सीरिया और अन्य देश जहाँ आज कल जन क्रांति देखने को मिल रही है -- सभी जगहों पर वहां की तानाशाही या फिर अभिशप्त सरकारें इन जन क्रांतियों को अमेरिका की CIA और पश्चिमी देशों की गोपनीय साज़िश ही बता रहे हैं | भारत में भी हालत अब इसी दिशा में बढ़ रहे हैं | अभी कुछ महीनों पहले तक जहाँ भारत -अमरीका दोस्ती की कसमे खायी जा रही थीं, जैसे ही भारतीय प्रजातंत्र की असली पोलें खुलना शुरू हुयी हैं की कैसा यहाँ का तंत्र एक आभासीय , भ्रमकारी , प्रजातंत्र व्यवस्था बना हुआ राजनेताओं की सत्ता कायम किये हुए है ,, भारत-अमेरीका सम्बन्ध धक्का खाने लगे हैं | अब मैत्री सम्बन्ध और व्यापारिक सम्बन्ध को अलग-अलग रखा जा रहा है जैसे की मानो हम बिना मैत्री के ही लोगों से व्यापार कर सकते हैं | सामने से दुश्मन और सुमड़ी में व्यापारी दोस्त |
Like · Reply · 1 · Feb 25, 2014 8:43pm
Surya Kant Kumar Kariyappa · 
Tezpur Law College
If its true, then why not FIR registered against these people, because they are trying to destabilise India, which is punishable with death penalty as per Indian Penal Code....... or just it is an unsubstantiated allegation to malign the image of AAP, which is ostensibly revolutionising our political and democratic set up...... great fun of being in the democratic society like India, where for winning election all sorts of ploy is plotted...... and in defence of non-performance while in government, all sorts of excuses are made such as from...... Monsoon to International Market.... Coalition to opposition...... etc...etc....
Like · Reply · Feb 25, 2014 8:14pm
Raishad Khan
AAP didn't recieve any funds, nowhere it is said like that..
Like · Reply · Feb 25, 2014 7:38pm
दीपेश देशमुख · 
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal
rajiv malhotra authour of breaking India confirm the same...even kejriwal also accepted once
Like · Reply · Feb 27, 2014 5:11pm
Sonal Patel · 
Analytical Chemist at Alpha Analytical
AAP IS ARAB SPRING TO DESTROY INDIA BY ELITE OF WEST(ROTHSCHILD,FORD FOUNDATION, ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION ETC.
Like · Reply · 2 · Jan 7, 2014 11:46pmEdited
Akhil V Akv · 
Civil Engineer at Engineering Projects (India) Limited (A Govt. of India Enterprises)
god knows whether sonia gandhi is a cia agent coming from italy
Like · Reply · Jan 7, 2014 6:28pm
Real Supreme God In All Holy Books
Awake people around you from today and share this on your social networks.
Like · Reply · Dec 28, 2013 11:59pm
Ram Ohri ·
Beware of AAP ! CIA is trying to reduce India to the status of a Banana republic.
Like · Reply · 6 · Dec 18, 2013 11:11am
Ram Ohri ·
AAP is CIA's Trojan Horse smuggled to capture India.
Like · Reply · 2 · Dec 18, 2013 11:09am
Krishna Dev Singh
I am thinking this article is congress or bjp funded
Like · Reply · 8 · Dec 16, 2013 4:02pm
Sonal Patel · 
Analytical Chemist at Alpha Analytical
you need more proof here's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAdu0N1-tvU...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkNRtrdJLQ4
watch end of the road on netflix
watch infowar.com alexjohn channel on youtube
you find your answer
Like · Reply · 3 · Jan 7, 2014 11:43pm
दीपेश देशमुख · 
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal
why dont u read book breaking india where most of the ngo is exposed .this book is bestseller and its only book in the world which have 100 pages of references to clear ur doubt
Like · Reply · 1 · Feb 27, 2014 5:05pm
Manan TRivedi · 
Port Porbandar, Gujarat, India
its very clear that its American agenda to make puppet government in India.
Like · Reply · Dec 16, 2013 3:57pm
Ravindra Nath Kaul
Talk of Jaichands you get them dime a dozen in India. . Either these groups, doing the bidding of there masters, are real fools (unlikely) or completely sold out anti-National low life.
Like · Reply · 2 · Dec 16, 2013 7:49am
Karigar Medha · 
Co-founder at Medhajournal.com
Lots of interesting details, extremely relevant now that the AAP is right inside the 'heart' of Indian politics. On notable point about this article, is that it seems written with a presumption that the Leftists are somehow the 'good guys' ... no real evidence of that in case of India, and plenty of negative evidence in the rest od the world.

India needs it own views on domestic & fireign policy, not western imports, whether they be 'left' or 'right'...
Like · Reply · Dec 16, 2013 2:16am
  1. S.K
    Hi
    Excelllent article and an eye opener. But some errors and typos have crept in. Please correct them so as to to enhance the professionalism and credibility of the article.
    S.K
  4. DIRGHA RAJ PRASAI
    Thanks! This is very good analysis against the imperialistic design of CIA in India to end the identities of India.
    A scholar Babu Suseelan writes- ‘Now British Christinas are behind Kejariwal for destroying India, Modi and BJP. They have made an unholy alliance against Hindus and making destructive sabotage against Modi and BJP. Our enemies (Isl ma and Christianity) have one goal , destruction of Hindu religion and our culture and country. India is under siege. KASHMIR IS GONE. NAGALAND AND MISSO RAM IS GONE.(North East) kERALA HINDUS ARE GOING TO BE MINORITY WITHIN five years. Kerala, the land of Sanakaracharya is administered by Muslims and Christians. Who is supporting, financing, managing and deploying our Maoist aggressors, violent Tamil Tigers, and deadly Jihadi terrorists? If Hindus REFUSE TO SUPPORT Modi
    AND His team and clearly UNDERSTAND THE TRICKS OF OUR ENEMIES AND
    BETRAYERS, AND SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS IN WIPING OUT HINDU SELL OUT CROWDS AND Hindu BETRAYERS NOW, THESE ENEMY AGENTS WILL DESTROY INDIA, please stand behind Modi and save our religion and the world.’
    So, the Indian nationalist people must be active to chase away these evil elements.
    Please search Google> Who Should be Indian PM? by Dirgha Raj Prasai> and read all about India’s situation.
    Thank you
    Dirgha Raj Prasai
    Kathmandu
    • TEJPAL
      Dirgha Rajji, the entire problem lies in the concept of proselytisation after te rise of Abrahamic religions. They are both fighting their wars in entire Middle East where the Islam is fighting to exert their supremacy that is being challenged by their cousin. Unfortunately this fight isn’t going to stop until one reign or destroy the other. They don’t have any inclusive concepts unlike Hinduism, which has been preaching “Vasudew Kutumbakam”. But they are not interested in learning from it but “convert” it into “them”. Lack of understanding made worst by blind sense of hegemony and religious ego, pride, hubris, etc. Unless this evil of proselytisation is declared as inhuman, this unrest and chaotic situation will not seize.
  5. DR. R. L. BANERJEE
    Kaatju was at least once correct in his life, when he said that Indian voters are 90% idiots. Those Indians who still licks the boots of the Anglo-American imperialists, oblivious of the anti-Hindu and anti-India policies of this duo, are more than simple idiots, they are devils.
  6. RUDRA
    When i was kid, i always wondered how film heroes made money for their living ( within the film, i didn’t knew film was not real life) as they were shown dancing/fighting but never working on a factory floor. Now i know how they make money, all these so called administrative sympathisers/ social workers are on CIA’s payroll.
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A recap: NDTV money laundering charges -- Pranati Mehra & Paranjoy Guha Thakurta (2014)

November 21, 2015, 12:19 am
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 2 hours agoGurgaon, Haryana

NDTV gets notice for alleged violation of forex rules:Read abt allegations/counter claims in

NDTV -- Sham transactions or legit deals?

BY PRANATI MEHRA, PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA| IN MEDIA BUSINESS | 21/02/2014

How much merit is there in allegations of financial misdemeanour, money laundering and tax evasion against NDTV?
PRANATI MEHRA and PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA investigate in a 3 part series.
This story is a slew of claims and counter-claims, with allegations of financial misdemeanour, money laundering and tax evasion flying thick and fast. The dramatis personae includes two political heavyweights one of whom is a cabinet minister, one of the country’s best know TV personalities who is owner of a media company, a controversial income tax official with an arrest warrant against him and two of his female colleagues accusing him of slander. 
Behind the allegations levelled last December by Ram Jethmalani against finance minister P Chidambaram, and NDTV, is an account of what is a major tax dispute involving a media organisation.  And since a reasoned order of a tax panel (Dispute Resolution Panel) was passed on December 31, 2013, The Hoot decided to examine the whole story. Many of those contacted by us spoke only on condition of anonymity.  
To begin with, here's a short list of the dramatis personae.  
* Ram Jethmalani, 90-year-old former Union Law Minister and member of the Rajya Sabha belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party. (Though his relations with his party have been strained of late). 
 * Palaniappan Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister, who is also a lawyer and a member of parliament.
 * Prannoy Roy, one of the best-known faces on Indian television and co-founder of the New Delhi Television (NDTV) group of companies which is currently going through a phase of financial stress. He is perceived by some as leaning towards the Congress though he would have us believe he is not politically partisan. An important shareholder in the group's flagship is a company promoted by Abhey Kumar Oswal whose daughter is married to industrialist and Congress MP Naveen Jindal.  
*Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, an officer of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), currently Commissioner of Income Tax in the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Ministry of Finance. He has accused Roy's company of not just evading taxes but also aiding the Finance Minister and his son in laundering money.  A warrant of arrest has been issued against him for contempt of court in a case filed by two of his female colleagues from the IRS, Sumana Sen and Ashima Neb.  
*Swaminathan Gurumurthy, Chennai-based chartered accountant, journalist and leading light of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the BJP, who has actively been pursuing the allegations against NDTV with Roy, and to whose questions Roy had replied.  
*Madhu Kishwar, founder of the Manushi organisation which espouses feminist causes,  and whose website was one of the first  to air the allegations against NDTV, a supporter of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and someone against whom NDTV has served a notice of  libel.  
Other players in the story include Prayaag Akbar, son of journalist  M.J. Akbar. A publication with which Akbar is associated has been sued by NDTV for defamation.
Srivastava’s allegations
IRS officer Srivastava filed an application in the special CBI court  of  Judge O P Saini in November 2011 listing out a series of allegations against NDTV, Chidambaram and two of his colleagues (Sen and Neb). Judge Saini who is hearing the cases relating to the 2G (second-generation) telecommunications spectrum scam, threw out his application  on the ground that he had not been able to furnish evidence linking the Finance Minister with the funds allegedly laundered by NDTV.    
The two women IRS officers, Sen and Neb, then moved the Delhi High Court alleging that Srivastava had continued to use intemperate and defamatory language against them despite several restraining orders by courts. They moved the court to issue orders against him for contempt of court. A single judge bench held Srivastava guilty of civil contempt and ordered his imprisonment for 15 days and imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000 on him. A division bench of the court subsequently confirmed this order and a warrant of arrest was issued against Srivastava.  
Documents relating to these allegations, including Srivastava's November 2011 application, had been circulated among journalists but the story was largely ignored until a sensational letter written by Jethmalani to Chidambaram became available on various websites.  
In a letter dated December 6, 2013, Jethmalani claimed that Chidambaram and his son were beneficiaries of a large sum of money laundered by companies associated with the NDTV group located outside India. The monies  had allegedly been given to father and son in 2007 in the form of bribes by telecommunications companies whose activities are being probed in the 2G spectrum scam.    
On 19 December, Chidambaram replied to Jethmalani describing his allegations as "outrageous" and said he had forwarded his letter with annexures that had been attached to the Finance Secretary-cum-Revenue Secretary Sumit Bose (the senior most officer in the Ministry of Finance) to inquire into the veracity or otherwise of the allegations.  
Sources in the office of the Finance Secretary told one of us that investigations are being conducted but nothing has been found so far to substantiate the allegations of money laundering against the Finance Minister made by Srivastava and repeated by Jethmalani and Gurumurthy. (Gurumurthy has, of course, doubted if Bose can conduct investigations in an impartial manner since he is, after all, Chidambaram's subordinate in the Ministry of Finance.)  
Investments under scrutiny
According to Jethmalani's letter, a mysterious group of investors allegedly gave NDTV 300 million UK pounds (the currency is given as USD elsewhere) in 2006 which was paid into the group's London-based subsidiary company, NDTV Network, Plc (NNPlc). These allegations were being investigated by Srivastava (who was then an Additional Commissioner of Income Tax in its inspection wing). Crucial pages in the files that he had prepared are said to be missing, and Jethmalani says these related to Chidambaram’s role in the money laundering conspiracy. Srivastava thereafter investigated the accounts of NDTV’s group companies and claimed that he had found another allegedly fraudulent transaction. The day after a notice was issued to NDTV in this regard, Srivastava was suspended.  
Subsequently, his letter says, it was claimed that the NDTV group shut down its London subsidiary although it had provided a return of 52,000 per cent on investments that had been made in 2011. The source of funds used to liquidate the company was allegedly not explained by NDTV. 
NDTV’s transactions of the last few years have been examined  in a report of the Income Tax Department's Dispute Resolution Panel (DRP). Sources in Finance Secretary Bose's office said the proceedings of the DRP, which are quasi-judicial in nature, will follow their course. 
The allegations against NDTV are complex in nature. In an order dated December 31, 2013, the DRP(comprising three officers of the rank of Commissioner, Income Tax) said that NDTV Ltd had entered into a "sham transaction" with Universal Studios BV, Netherlands. Universal Studios BV is a subsidiary of NBC (National Broadcasting Company) Universal Inc., USA and is part of the GE (General Electric) Corp group. 
 What are these transactions?
  • Universal Studios BV bought stake in NDTV’s subsidiary NDTV Networks International Holdings (NNIH), Netherlands for  $ 150 mln (or Rs 642 cr) in 2008-2009. By the same transaction, Universal Studios indirectly  acquired 26 per cent stake in  NDTV Networks Plc, (NNPlc) the London subsidiary.
  • The stake was bought back by NDTV Networks BV, Netherlands for Rs 58 cr in the next financial year.
  • This is what the DRP calls  a sham transaction.
  • The second transaction is : NDTV Networks PLc raised $ 100 mln in the UK by way of step up coupons (bonds) in 2007. The original investors were eight entities, some of them in the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands.
  • These bonds were devalued in 2009 when they were redeemed  for a total of $72.5 mln.
  • The third transaction is an unsecured loan of Rs 365.25 cr rasied by NDTV through NNPlc and NDTV Networks BV.  While the DRP has added Rs 254.75 cr out of this amount to NDTV’s income since it seems "not genuine" it has left out Rs 110.50 cr since it relates to the 2007 step up coupons (specifically the currency fluctuation) while the DRP is examining  only the assessment year 2009-10 or financial year 2008-09.
  • When NDTV says that in the NBCU transaction, of the $ 150 mln, $ 50 mln were to be used by its downstream subsidiaries, it probably refers to this loan of Rs 254.75 cr, which the DRP has taken as a separate transaction.   
The Income Tax Department's DRP ordered the assessing officer for NDTV Ltd to accordingly make an assessment. The DRP’s orders are binding on the assessing officer and can only be challenged at the level of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT).  
Highly-placed sources in NDTV stated that the two investments in the group can be explained in very clear and simple terms. "First, a leading US TV network, NBC (a subsidiary of GE) invested $150 million, primarily in NDTV's new entertainment channel 'Imagine'. The channel did not do well and NBC liquidated its holding for $25 million." (The DRP however cites a much  lower figure in crores.) 
They added that all the transactions were publicly reported by GE to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the financial regulatory authority in the United States, and by NDTV to the Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).  
As far as the second deal is concerned, NDTV sources said that Jeffries, a leading US investment banker, took the lead in arranging a loan (through the issuance of a kind of financial debt instrument or bond called 'step up coupons') of $100 million to NDTV. The global markets crashed a year later and the bond holders needed liquidity and negotiated to redeem the loan for $72.5 million. The sources said these transactions too "were globally audited and meticulously reported in full in NDTV's annual reports".
The Income Tax Department however has alleged that the details of the NBC Universal transaction were never mentioned by NDTV in its balance sheet for the year 2008-09 nor revealed to the department’s investigation wing when it asked for it in 2010. It further claimed that details of the transaction were not disclosed to the department's assessing officer in February 2013.  
The assessing officer wrote: "This subscription of shares of the assessee’s (NDTV Ltd) group company (NDTV Network International Holdings BV), having a face value of Rs. 40-50 per share (equivalent to one $ in INR) by NBCU (NBC Universal) @ Rs.7,015.05 per share and its subsequent sale back to the assessee’s other group company @ Rs.634.17 per share, is therefore a sham transaction and it is a fit case which requires the lifting of the corporate veil."  
It was further alleged that the share price was arrived at not by any valuation either by the seller or buyer and that no confirmation from NBCU about the transaction was filed.  
NDTV’s explanation for the huge difference in share prices at the time of sale and repurchase was a mutual future projection (by the seller and buyer) of the success of NDTV’s ventures. These projected events did not eventually materialise. The company said they had sold a "dream" to Universal Studios and the dream later turned sour. Hence, the low price at which NDTV Networks BV, Netherlands could buy back its stake.  
NDTV said the investor was part of the globally renowned GE Corporation and was involved in many such ventures succeeding or failing in a particular year. Hence, the particular transaction relating to NDTV need not be viewed with suspicion. The deal was a subscription to pick up a fresh stake, it was pointed out.  
Besides, NDTV said it had made a disclosure of the transaction in its "notes to accounts" in the company's audited accounts for the financial year 2008-09 and also disclosed the buyback of 26 per cent stake in NDTV Network Plc in its audited accounts for 2009-10. Thus, the company argued, there was neither concealment of the transaction nor any attempt to do so.  
Soon after the transaction between companies in the GE and NDTV groups took place, the international financial markets collapsed. The funds obtained had been used mainly for the entertainment channel, NDTV Imagine. When that failed, NBCU wanted to exit and, in fact, did so 18 months after coming in, according to NDTV’s explanation.  
The DRP also pointed to the subsidiaries NDTV floated abroad, and observed that “some of the subsidiary companies are incorporated and liquidated by the promoters at frequent intervals.” Why did the group chose to float as many as 21 subsidiaries and associate companies abroad, some of them in tax havens?  
NDTV sources claimed that this was on account of "tax efficiency". They said: "Of the 21 subsidiaries of NDTV listed in NDTV's annual report for 2009-2010, ten were in India and eleven were overseas (four in the Netherlands, four in Mauritius and one each in the UK, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates). Of the eleven associate companies mentioned in the report, eight were in India and three in Mauritius." 
The structure was set up following advice from Pricewaterhouse Coopers and international legal firms keeping in mind that NBCU wanted to be a part of NDTV 's entertainment business through its Dutch subsidiary, they added. 
Many international financial transactions and deals are routed and structured through tax havens to avoid payment of taxes.  So in the eyes of the tax department these deals toowereprobably no exception.  
The Income Tax Department's DRP, however, sought to place all the evidence against NDTV in the context of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which aims at preventing double non-taxation in international transactions.
"Two conglomerates are involved in this transaction--- (one) NDTV Ltd and its subsidiaries and the second is (the) GE group of companies. As is well known, NDTV has its operation mainly in India and its proposed venture(s) of NDTV Labs etc were also located in India. It is not possible to fathom out the intention or rationale to float the companies in the Netherlands to indulge in such complex and layered transactions. This is the precise kind of holding structures which are the subject matter of (the) BEPS project," the DRP stated.
When the DRP asked the company to furnish the information before December 2013, NDTV did provide details about eight corporate entities, most of them registered in Cayman Islands, describing them as 'initial investors' in the step-up bonds issued.
It also gave a copy of a loan agreement between NBCU, NDTV Ltd, NDTV Plc, and NDTV Networks BV.(This transaction is discussed a little later).
NDTV sources claimed that of the eight bond-holders, two were registered in the UK, and one each in the US and Switzerland. The bonds were subscribed by well known international financial companies such as Credit Suisse, Liberty Harbour (part of Goldman Sachs), Lehman Brothers and other "reputed" names. They added that all documents pertaining to their identity and credit-worthiness were filed with the tax department and confirmed by Jefferies (the placement agent) and the Bank of New York (the trustee).  
On the issue of another loan of Rs 365.25 cr raised by NDTV through NNPlc and NDTV Networks BV, the DRP observed that a claim of Rs.110.5 crore relates to a different year of assessment and was, therefore, being left out. However, the DRP said the panel was not convinced about the "genuineness" of the balance amount  of Rs.254.75 crore and chose to add it to NDTV’s taxable income.  
Thus, the total additions to NDTV’s income for the assessment year 2009-10 would be close to Rs.900 crore, and the tax payable on this would be around Rs 300 cr if one assumes that the company has to pay corporation tax at the rate of, say, 33  per cent. Penalties and interest may be added.  
During our conversation with representatives of the top management of NDTV, they repeatedly asserted that all transactions that had been entered into were above board and had been disclosed to the tax authorities.
They said that the negotiations with representatives of NBC Universal and the GE Corporation (for the investment of $150 million) had gone on for six months. "Jeff Zukker, who was then head of the NBC group (and who now heads CNN International), personally participated in the discussions," the sources added. 
On the issue of step-up coupons through which NDTV Networks Plc raised $100 million in 2007, the sources emphasised that the money was paid back in 2009 though not in full, since market conditions had deteriorated drastically in the wake of the worldwide recession. While $70 million was paid back in principal amount, an additional $2.4 million was paid by way of interest. NDTV sources said the discounted value of the bonds was paid after considerable negotiations in a deal handled by UBS, New York. 
The sources in NDTV said the group had raised loans from the overseas branches of two nationalised Indian banks, namely, Bank of Baroda and Bank of India, to pay back the investors in the step-up coupons that had been issued. They again argued that these transactions were above board.  
The deals were structured by lawyers engaged by GE Corp of the US (of which NBC Universal is a subsidiary) and professional accountants from KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, the NDTV sources added.
The sources added that in the case of the NBC deal, the share subscription agreement said that up to $ 50 million (of the total of $150 million) could be used by "downstream" companies of the NDTV group. "The Indian tax authorities have unfortunately taken this $50 million to be a separate transaction and wrongly alleged that NDTV did not pay tax on this amount," the sources in NDTV argued, adding that this "amounts to double taxation".  
The step-up coupons worth $100 million issued in 2007 seem to have generated a lot of controversy and this is because some of the addresses of the subscribers to the issue are those of attorneys in tax havens like British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. Among the investors is also Lehman Brothers (International) Europe, located at 25 Bank Street, London,Liberty Habour (a Goldman Sachs Fund) based out of New York and Credit Suisse, London.
Srivastava rejects NDTV explanation 
Srivastava’s counsel, S. K. Gupta rejected NDTV’s explanation given to us on the repayment to bond investors to the tune of $72.4 million. He claimed in a written communication that NDTV had not explained why investors would forego $27.6 million and why the investors did not invoke the guarantees given to them by NDTV Ltd. He also asked how the loans from Bank of India and Bank of Baroda were repaid.
NDTV sources told us that under the bond agreement, there was an undertaking to provide a guarantee at the appropriate time, which would be limited to 40 per cent of the value of the original bonds or $40 million. Therefore, the bond-holders were better off settling for the $72.4 million in 2009. In any case a guarantee was not provided, they said, adding that the "loans taken from Indian Banks to buy out the bonds, were repaid through the proceeds of the sale of NDTV Imagine to Turner Asia Pacific Ventures, a Time Warner company".   
On whether these transactions are reflected in the balance sheets of NDTV and its subsidiaries, Srivastava claims they are not, while NDTV sources contend that the relevant documents have been given to tax officers in India, including documents relating to the tax deducted at source (TDS) return of NDTV Networks Plc.
The sources in NDTV said that much would depend on what is contained in the fresh order of the income tax authorities issued to the company based on the December 31, 2013 findings of the DRP. The company would thereafter decide whether or not it should appeal before the appellate body, ITAT.  
NDTV sources said the fundamental flaw in the argument put forth by IRS officer S. K. Srivastava and others is that there is a presumption of guilt based on the following "universal truth", namely, "that NBCU used a tax friendly country, the Netherlands, and some of the bond holders are registered in  tax havens  and therefore were dealing in 'hot money' and that all this 'hot money' has round-tripped from India.'
The sources said that "the NBCU deal was done in the jurisdiction of  Netherlands because it was tax efficient for both parties". They added: "Companies and individuals do try and do transactions that are both legal and tax efficient. There is nothing wrong with that. Almost every corporate in India that has had overseas investment has followed similar tax efficient methods." 
Related links:
Part II: NDTV -- The mystery Rs 1 crore holiday
http://www.thehoot.org/media-watch/media-business/ndtv-sham-transactions-or-legit-deals-7318

The mystery Rs 1 crore holiday

BY PRANATI MEHRA, PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA| IN MEDIA BUSINESS | 22/02/2014

NDTV Tax storyâ€"- Part II. Was there a case of conflict of interest in Sumana Sen handling the tax assessments of NDTV?
PRANATI MEHRA and PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA investigate
A serious allegation levelled by Indian Revenue Service officer S.K. Srivastava against the management of New Delhi Television Limited is that the company bribed an Income Tax officer, Sumana Sen, to allegedly influence the Income Tax Department’s assessment of NDTV’s income. Sen’s husband, Abhisar Sharma was employed with NDTV as a senior journalist.  
Was there a case of conflict of interest in Sen handling the  tax assessments of NDTV? Were Sharma and Sen "bribed" in the form of trips to Europe for which NDTV allegedly shelled out a handsome sum of Rs. one crore? Both these allegations are denied by sources in NDTV and a source close to Sen.  
It has been alleged that Sen favoured NDTV by signing an order as assistant commissioner of income tax, Circle 13 (1) in February 2005 after which NDTV got a refund of Rs.1.47 crore. At that time, her husband Sharma was employed with NDTV. Srivastava has alleged that Sen had "stolen public money" by passing an "illegal" assessment under section 143(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act since NDTV's return had been picked up earlier for scrutiny assessment in December 2004.  No summary assessment can be done during the pendency of a scrutiny assessment, Srivastava's lawyer S.K. Gupta claimed in a written communication to us.  
Highly-placed sources in NDTV pointed out: "Issuing a refund under section 143 (1) when a notice under section 143 (2) is pending was perfectly legal as per circulars issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes and this can be easily verified from the Income Tax Department."  
In her affidavit in court, Sen has claimed that immediately after she joined Circle 13(1) as assistant commissioner, she orally informed her superiors in the Income Tax Department that her husband was an employee at NDTV. Thereafter, an order was passed by the commissioner of income tax that NDTV’s assessment would be done by the additional commissioner and not her.
When contacted, Sumana Sen told us that being a government servant, she could not talk to the media under her service rules. A source close to her said the order she had signed was an intimation under section 143 (1) which was a routine communication and that NDTV’s assessment was done not by her but by her superior officer, an additional commissioner.  
"She could not legally have held back the refund because the department would have had to pay interest to the assessee," the source said, adding that the intimation under section 143(1) was statutory and there was no discretion in the hands of the officer and since the refund was in excess of Rs. one crore, it had to be approved by the additional commissioner.  
NDTV sources said that subsequently, the order passed under section 143(3) in 2006 for the same assessment year by another officer virtually accepted the returned income (loss) of NDTV. "The refund was payable anyway," they said.
On her going on a trip to Europe with her husband in 2005, Sen told the Delhi High Court it was a yearly vacation which was part of the salary package given to her husband Abhisar Sharma (as well as other employees of NDTV).
This is what the company stated in a letter to Sen’s assessing officer: "We would like to submit that the company has not provided annual vacation abroad to any of its employees. Travel abroad was an entitlement which was given to Abhisar Sharma and other employees for official purposes.. … Abhisar Sharma was working with the company (as)... special correspondent/anchor and in the news media industry the special  correspondents have to travel extensively. (The) amount of the expenditure which can be incurred on any entitled official trip is mentioned in the employment contract letter."
Sources in NDTV said there were rules regarding government servants availing of a 'companion scheme' which allow spouses to travel free in India and abroad when the government servant goes on official work. NDTV’s scheme was not very different for its senior employees who travelled overseas on official work. "If the Indian government can allow such a facility to its employees, what is wrong in NDTV doing something similar?" they asked. 
We, the writers of this article, remain confused. Sen tells the Delhi High Court she went on vacation. NDTV tells Sen’s income tax assessing officer that her costs  covered by her husband’s entitlement during an official trip.  The company told us it was a companion scheme, similar to a government scheme, that she availed of. Was it work for him and vacation for her? Or was it vacation for both after his work was over? 
Abhisar Sharma quit NDTV in 2007 and has since moved on to other media organizations, including those that run the Aaj Tak and ABP News television channels. The source close to Sen pointed out that she and her husband had been abroad not only in 2005 but in the previous year as well. 
A source in NDTV said that Sharma had received approximately Rs. 71,000 plus $1,000 to spend on his family's foreign trip in 2005 as part of his salary package. This person then sarcastically remarked: "If we assume that during the four years he was employed with us, a total amount of roughly Rs 1.6 crore was spent on him by way of salaries, perquisites, employee stock options and a car, then we must be very stupid bribe givers to have spend such a lot of money for an income tax refund of Rs 1.47 crore which was legitimately due to us."  
NDTV sources and the source close to Sen claim that she was the receiving end of S.K. Srivastava’s allegations because she was in the vigilance wing of the Income Tax Department which was examining allegations against Srivastava. NDTV sources further claim that a charge-sheet had been issued to Srivastava.  
However, his lawyer Gupta refutes this claim and said the charge-sheet was issued against his client in 2006 only after he raised his voice in the department about NDTV being allegedly favoured. Besides, this charge-sheet relates to allegations of maligning his colleagues and using intemperate language against them, Gupta added, saying: "My client was victimized by a group of IRS officers in collusion with NDTV so that my client would not report theft..."  
NDTV sources allege that Srivastava is not telling the truth. "If funds were raised by NDTV in May 2007 (through the issuance of step-up coupons or bonds) and in May 2008 (from NBCU), how could Srivastava have raised the matter in 2006?" they ask. However, Srivastava had started an inspection of NDTV as early as November 2005. The controversial refund of Rs 1.47 cr was also of March 2005. 
Advocate Gupta said Srivastava was sought to be certified as "mentally disturbed" in a report prepared by VIMHANS (Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health. Neuro and Allied Sciences), New Delhi, but the report was hurriedly withdrawn when the Medical Council of India decided to conduct an inquiry. Srivastava  then voluntarily got himself examined at several other hospitals, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which certified he was normal, though under stress. How the VIMHANS report was prepared remains a bit of a mystery. 
 As already mentioned, two of Srivastava's junior colleagues in the Indian Revenue Service, Sumana Sen and Ashima Neb, had moved court alleging that Srivastava had used intemperate and defamatory language against them. On January 4, 2013, Justice Rajiv Shakhder of the Delhi High Court held Srivastava guilty of civil contempt and ordered his imprisonment for 15 days and imposed a fine of Rs. 2,000 on him. Srivastava appealed against this order.  
Thereafter, Sen and Neb moved the division bench of the same court complaining that Srivastava was continuing to use defamatory and scurrilous language against them. On January 10, 2014, the bench comprising Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Vibhu Bakhru upheld the judgment of the single judge. The court's registry thereafter issued a warrant of arrest against Srivastava.   

One of the writers of this article met the Station House Officer of the Tilak Marg police station Rajesh Mishra, who confirmed that the Delhi High Court registry had indeed issued a warrant of arrest against Income Tax Commissioner S.K. Srivastava. He, however, declined to specify the date on which he received the arrest warrant and why it has not been executed till date. 
The larger story of NDTV’s business transactions and the tax department’s scrutiny of it,  is tinged by the mutual  animosities these tax department officials had against each other, and the actions they took as a result.   
Related links:

http://www.thehoot.org/media-watch/media-business/the-mystery-rs-1-crore-holiday-7321

NDTV--Targeted by the BJP?

BY PRANATI MEHRA, PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA| IN SPECIAL REPORTS | 22/02/2014

NDTV Tax Story - Part III. Within this media house they believe that there is a BJP link connecting the politicians and journalists who target them.
PRANATI MEHRA and PARANJOY GUHA THAKURTA report
Given the allegations of financial misdemeanour against New Delhi Television Limited, the question arises as to whether the media group is being persecuted. Highly-placed sources in NDTV certainly believe they are, that too by individuals close to the Sangh Parivar.  
On April 8, 2013, during the "Think India Dialogue" organized by the Network18 group -- headed by Raghav Behl and financially supported by Mukesh Ambani's group and which is NDTV's rival -- Gujarat Chief Minister and the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi made a few sarcastic comments about the Planning Commission's financial support to tiger conservation projects, alluding to NDTV. This is a verbatim account of what Modi said during his public conversation with Behl:  
"Planning Commission mein charcha hui, …Tiger ke liye 200 crore rupaiye diye, bharat sarkar ne diye.  Shayad woh NDTV usise chalta hai. Mujhe pata nahin..." (There was a discussion in the Planning Commission on tiger conservation. The government has allotted Rs 200 crore for this. I don't know if NDTV also runs on this money.)
Modi  then went on to wonder if the Planning Commission thought tigers were secular and lions (which Gujarat has in sizeable numbers) were communal, to general mirth among those assembled in the audience. Sources in NDTV told us that its 'Save the Tiger' campaign was sponsored entirely by private companies and no money was received from any government agency.  
Now comes the December 2013 letter from BJP MP Ram Jethmalani to Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, accusing him of having stalled the investigation into the alleged case of money laundering by NDTV. The contents of this letter and its annexures were carried almost in full by the website of Manushi, a trust run by Madhu Kishwar who is a supporter of Modi.  
Kishwar and Manushi have been served a legal notice by the law firm, Luthra and Luthra, NDTV’s lawyers, asking her to remove the article from her website. Kishwar has not done so and has replied to the legal notice on her trust’s website by saying Manushi will not be silenced by a politically patronized media organisation like NDTV.  
Following Kishwar, journalist Virendra Kapoor too aired the allegations against NDTV in the Afternoon Despatch and Courier. Kishwar and Kapoor are perceived as being less than critical towards the BJP.
Interestingly, while Jethmalani seems to have not followed up his letter to Chidambaram, the person who is the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh's man for all financial matters, Chennai-based journalist and accountant Swaminathan Gurumurthy and NDTV's Prannoy Roy have exchanged e-mail messages on the allegations raised by IRS officer S.K. Srivastava.
Gurumurthy rejected NDTV’s explanations by questioning the authenticity of the documents provided (ostensibly on the ground that some of the documents were not attested by Indian envoys stationed abroad) and that other documents were generated in 2012 and 2013 when the investments were made in 2007 and 2008.  
Sources in NDTV told us that they were under no obligation to provided Gurumurthy "authenticated" documents in the way he wanted and reiterated their view that the allegations levelled against the group are without basis and that all its financial transactions are genuine and above board.  
The entire affair now seems to be acquiring farcical dimensions. When we asked former Union Law Minister Ram Jethmalani how he intended to take his allegations forward since his letter to Chidambaram had been widely publicized, he said Roy and his colleague had met him and given him a bunch of papers that apparently indicated that there were no suspect transactions. He said he had not yet been able to read the papers given to him by NDTV's representatives.  
Jethmalani said that his son (Mahesh Jethmalani) had told him that Gurumurthy was very upset with him because he had met Roy and his colleagues. We asked him what he would do if he was convinced that the allegations against Chidambaram and NDTV were without basis, he said he would not hesitate in tendering a public apology to all concerned.  
One of the first publications that levelled allegations of financial impropriety against NDTV was the Sunday Guardian, a publication which was earlier owned by a company controlled by its managing director and the weekly's editor M.J. Akbar,  and Ram Jethmalani.  
In December 2010, the publication came out with a story co-authored by Akbar's son Prayaag Akbar titled: "NDTV-ICICI Bank loan chicanery saved Roys". The story alleged, among other things, that NDTV obtained a loan of Rs 375 crore from ICICI Bank in October 2008 by pledging over 47 lakh shares of  NDTV held by RRPR Holdings, an associate company, at a rate of Rs 439 per share when, in fact, the shares were worth Rs 99 each.  
Although the story did not quote anybody from ICICI Bank, it raised questions as to how this transaction had gone through. This particular article was not carried in the facsimile edition of the Sunday Guardian published out of London. It was subsequently removed from the  website of the publication after NDTV moved the Delhi High Court on December 2011 claiming that Sunday Guardian had sought to defame the company and its promoters, including Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, and obtained an order of restraint from the court against the continued dissemination of the allegations against NDTV.  
However, before this court order was obtained, a copy of this story had been sent to the chairman of Parliament’s Standing Committtee  on Finance, headed by BJP MP and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha. The committee then sent a notice to the income tax department to look into the case which thereafter decided to investigate the finances of companies in the NDTV group.  
Incidentally, Narendra Modi was an important guest at the wedding reception of Prayaag Akbar.  
Besides the Sunday Guardian, Moneylife, a magazine and website run by journalist Sucheta Dalal,  has taken a critical look at NDTV, pointing to the Congress  connection of one of its investors. In August 2011, in an article titled "Glamour Stocks turn Ugly", Moneylife wrote:  
"Look at the shareholder returns of some of these glamour stocks over the past five years. NDTV got listed in 2004 and is trading below its listed price after seven years. It has given a negative return of 19% compounded in the past five years….(but) every few months the financially beleaguered NDTV manages to get 'strategic' investors with deep pockets and top-flight private equity investors  to step in and pick up big chunks of the equity at fancy valuations…..The latest was DE Shaw which provided an exit to Goldman Sachs in 2011 by acquiring a 14.2% stake. After this, NDTV acquired a significant investor—Abhey Oswal, who owns nearly 15% of its equity but seems to have no presence on NDTV’s board of directors. Mr Oswal happens to be the father-in-law of Naveen Jindal, an industrialist and Congress Member of Parliament."  
In June 2013, Moneylife reported allegations levelled by Sanjay Dutt, who was once an adviser to NDTV and who now runs Quantum Securities Pvt Ltd, questioning the same transactions that the Sunday Guardian  had  written about in December 2010   
Indian Revenue Service officer S.K. Srivastava, who was the first to level allegations against the Finance Minister and NDTV's promoters and against whom an arrest warrant has been issued, has claimed that after he began investigating the media group's financial transactions, he found that the group had been involved in questionable deals for over a decade.  
This is an uncorrected verbatim excerpt from the annexure to the letter sent by Jethmalani to Chidambaram: "..Srivastava then studied the history of NDTV's birth and evolution, how it was languishing for want of funds till 2004 and how huge funds rushed in thereafter. NDTV started off as a programmer of Doordarshan both on outright payment basis and revenue sharing basis. It manipulated to get high yield for paid programme and low yield for shared programme, which led to investigation against NDTV by the CBI in 1999 and that led to a case registered against Shri Prannoy and NDTV under the Prevention of Corruption of Act for Rs 4 crores fraud on the DD. This caused loss of government patronage for NDTV during 1999-2004. By 2004, the NDTV had virtually become broke, with lenders recalling loans. But as soon as government changed and you became Finance Minister, the fortunes of NDTV underwent a dramatic change."  
Following the presentation of a report on this subject by Parliament's Public Accounts  Committee (PAC) headed by BJP MP Murli Manohar Joshi, in January 1998, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed at the New Delhi office of the Central  Bureau of Investigation against Rathikant Basu, former Director General of Doordarshan, Prannoy Roy, the then managing director of New Delhi Television Limited, the company NDTV Limited itself, besides five other officials who were holding senior positions in Doordarshan at that time, Ashok H. Mansukhani, Harish Awasthi, Shiv Sharma, Shashi Kant Kapoor and S. Krishnan.  
The FIR alleged that these people had entered into a criminal conspiracy to cheat the exchequer invoking various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption  Act and the Indian Penal Code. 
On July 3, 2013,  the CBI special court accepted the closure report filed by the premier investigating agency. A reading of the order of Special Judge L. K. Garg may make some of the people familiar with the episode smile with amusement. That is because even as the order painstakingly recounts all the incidents of how Doordarshan paid NDTV for its commissioned or sponsored news programmes, or often did not, it could not find a single instance of criminality.  
In fact, Doordarshan's functioning at that time appears rather arbitrary, although its then Director General Rathikant Basu introduced new initiatives that sought to make Doordarshan a "dynamic" organisation. Even if one argues that the CBI did half-hearted job of investigating the allegations of corruption against those named in the FIR, the judge has remarked that a more objective comparison of payments made to different producers by Doordarshan during that period would have helped the court arrive at a conclusive finding.  
In other words, the judge came round to the view that even if the functioning of the country's public broadcaster was no different from a village marketplace, a criminal case had not been proved by the CBI.  
What were the allegations? The officials of DD, including Basu, allegedly connived with Prannoy Roy and NDTV to favour NDTV  resulting in a financial loss to Doordarshan. One such instance related to the programme "The World This Week" (TWTW) which ran first as a commissioned programme for which NDTV was being paid Rs two lakh per episode.  
In February 1009, TWTW was converted into a sponsored programme for which the producer had to pay Doordarshan a telecast fee. Commissioned programmes, on the other hand, were funded by the public broadcaster.  
The CBI's FIR alleged that in April 1990, Doordarshan officials decided to place TWTW  in the 'A special' category with a view to confer a favour on NDTV. "The telecast fee of 'A' category was Rs 80,000 and for 'A special' category it was Rs 1,70,000. The free  commercial time (FCT) in 'A' category was 120 seconds whereas  in 'A special category' it was  90 seconds," the FIR states.  
This decision allegedly benefitted NDTV to the tune of Rs 3.30 lakh per episode while Doordarshan had to bear a loss of Rs. 3.53 crore. The FIR claimed that the loss to Doordarshan may have been as high as Rs. 5 crore. The CBI's FIR added that the report of Parliament's PAC on the issue of lower categorisation was also "verified", the CBI's FIR added.  
The July 3, 2013, order of the judge of the CBI special court held that the "desire" of Doordarshan "to earn more revenue resulting from popularity (of the programme) is understandable. It could have done so only by re-categorising  the programme because it is only then it could charge more for the spot ads...' The judge concluded that "there may have been a deviation from guidelines, but they were in favour of DD and not against it."  
On the overall working of Doordarshan, Special Judge Garg stated that Doordarshan should have first decided what programmes it wanted, instead of having producers coming to it and the broadcaster thereafter taking decisions on these proposals. He said: "It would have made a great deal of sense if during the investigation there had been material collected to show if in the case of other private producers  the guidelines were being followed…and if they were breached only to favour NDTV…."  
These and many other observations in the judge's order indicate that the CBI could not convince him that the investigating agency had been able to find evidence that indicated criminality.  
The order of the Special Judge came fifteen years after the FIR had been filed by the CBI.  
Sources in NDTV who spoke to us on condition of anonymity say that more than a decade after the PAC report was tabled in Parliament and the FIR was lodged by the CBI against the promoters of the group, their position has been vindicated. They feel the CBI's investigations against NDTV was motivated.  
There is an interesting sidelight to this case. A person who describes himself as a Right to Information (RTI) activist, Kashmir Singh, has been seeking answers to various questions relating to this case. A source close to Singh told us that he intends challenging the order of the CBI court in a higher court of law. He claimed the CBI had not thoroughly investigated the allegations against NDTV and the former officials of Doordarshan (at least one of whom is no longer alive). The source added that Basu should have been questioned about the work he did after he left government service.  
When contacted, the former DG of Doordarshan Rathikant Basu told one of the writers of this article that he had joined Star TV after he left Doordarshan. He pointed out: "In fact, Star TV commissioned NDTV to give it news programmes."  
Basu then asked: "So where is the quid pro quo that is being suggested?"  
Has this chapter finally closed? Time alone will provide an answer. Meanwhile, the top management of NDTV awaits the order of the assessing officer of the Income Tax Department on its accounts for 2008-09 and 2009-10 based on the December 31, 2013 findings of the department's Dispute Resolution Panel and will thereafter decide whether or not it should appeal before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal. 
Concluded
Related links:

http://www.thehoot.org/research/special-reports/ndtv-targeted-by-the-bjp-7393
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How Sanskrit Led To The Creation Of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table -- Subhash Kak

November 21, 2015, 2:21 am
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Subhash Kak
                                                                                  
Subhash Kak is Regents professor of electrical and computer engineering at Oklahoma State University and a vedic scholar. 21 Nov, 2015
How Sanskrit Led To The Creation Of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table
mendeleevHow the two-dimensional structure of Sanskrit could have led to the creation of the periodic table.

It is an amusing fact that the original names used by Mendeleev for gallium and germanium are eka-aluminum andeka-silicon, where the eka, Sanskrit for one, has the sense ofbeyond. The prediction for the existence of these elements was made by Mendeleev in a paper in 1869, and it was the identification of these elements in 1875 and 1886 that made him famous, and led to the general acceptance of the periodic table. In all, Mendeleev gave Sanskrit names to eight elements in his periodic table. Here we speak of how the two-dimensional structure of Sanskrit led him to his momentous discovery.

Mendeleev was born at Tobolsk, Siberia, and educated in St. Petersburg. He was appointed to a professorship in St. Petersburg 1863 and in 1866 he succeeded to the Chair of Chemistry in the University. He is best known for his work on the periodic table, which was soon recognized since he predicted the existence and properties of new elements and indicated that some accepted atomic weights of the then known elements were in error. His periodic table formulated in 1869 remains one of the major conceptual advancements in the history of science.
Mendeleev arranged in the table the 63 known elements based on atomic weight, which he published in his article “On the Relationship of the Properties of the Elements to their Atomic Weights”. He left space for new elements, and predicted three yet-to-be-discovered elements including eka-silicon and eka-boron.
The earlier attempts at classification had considered some two-dimensional schemes, but they remained arbitrary in their conception. Mendeleev’s main contribution was his insistence that the two-dimensional should be systematic and comprehensive. In this he appears to have been inspired by the systematic arrangement of Sanskrit sounds in the standard akṣara-mālā, which he indirectly acknowledges in his naming scheme.
scheme
Julius Lothar Meyer (1830–1895) published his classic paper of 1870 that also presented the periodicity of atomic volume plotted against atomic weight. Meyer and Mendeleev carried on a long drawn-out dispute over priority. But it was Mendeleev’s predictions of yet-unknown elements that secured his fame. The most famous of these predictions was for eka-silicon (germanium) for which not only did he postulate its existence, but also its properties in its chloride and oxide combinations.

The Sanskrit Tradition and Mendeleev’s Discovery

Note that the Sanskrit alphabet is represented traditionally in a two-dimensional arrangement based on how the sounds are produced. See below
letters
The first group of sixteen is that of the vowels, which are simple vowels or diphthongs. The remaining letters are consonants which are divided into five classes: those pronounced from the throat are gutturals; those from the palate are palatals; those pronounced from the roof of the mouth are cerebrals; those pronounced from the teeth aredentals; those pronounced from the lips are labials. Each of these classes contains seven consonants: five mutes, one semi-vowel, and one sibilant.
Pānini, the author of a famed grammar of Sanskrit who lived in the fifth century BC, in his Śiva Sūtras (also called Māheśvara Sūtras) came up with another classification in 14 categories based on phonological properties of sounds. See below:

According to Professor Paul Kiparsky of Stanford University, Mendeleev was a friend and colleague of the Sanskritist Böhtlingk, who was preparing the second edition of his book on Panini at about this time, and Mendeleev wished to honor Pānini with his nomenclature. Noting that there are striking similarities between the Periodic Table and the introductory Śiva Sūtras in Panini’s grammar, Kiparsky says:
[T]he analogies between the two systems are striking. Just as Panini found that the phonological patterning of sounds in the language is a function of their articulatory properties, so Mendeleev found that the chemical properties of elements are a function of their atomic weights.
Like Panini, Mendeleev arrived at his discovery through a search for the “grammar” of the elements (using what he called the principle of isomorphism, and looking for general formulas to generate the possible chemical compounds).   
Just as Panini arranged the sounds in order of increasing phonetic complexity (e.g. with the simple stops k,p… preceding the other stops, and representing all of them in expressions like kU, pU) so Mendeleev arranged the elements in order of increasing atomic weights, and called the first row (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon etc.) “typical (or representative) elements”.
Just as Panini broke the phonetic parallelism of sounds when the simplicity of the system required it, e.g. putting the velar to the right of the labial in the nasal row, so Mendeleev gave priority to isomorphism over atomic weights when they conflicted, e.g. putting beryllium in the magnesium family because it patterns with it even though by atomic weight it seemed to belong with nitrogen and phosphorus. In both cases, the periodicities they discovered would later be explained by a theory of the internal structure of the elements.
Kiparsky has examined the question of the optimality of the Śiva Sutras elsewhere. He suggests that this optimality might have provided him with the confidence in a similarly optimal two-dimensional table of elements. My own view is that it is unlikely that Panini’s Śiva Sutras influenced him, because there is no evidence that he knew Sanskrit well enough to appreciate the subtle points related to the organization of the Śiva Sutras.
It is more plausible that he noted the comprehensiveness of the two-dimensional arrangement of the Sanskrit alphabet (varṇamālā) which is apparent to even the beginning student of the language. The tabular form of the Sanskrit letters is due to the two parameters (point of articulation and aspiration) at the basis of the sounds, and Mendeleev must have recognized that ratios/valency and atomic weight likewise defined a two-dimensional basis for the elements.
Convinced that the analogy was fundamental, Mendeleev theorized that the gaps that lay in his table must correspond to undiscovered elements. For his predicted eight elements, he used the prefixes of eka, dvi, and tri (Sanskrit one, two, three) in their naming.
It should be recognized that some of the most brilliant European minds studied Sanskrit in the nineteenth century, and philology and natural science papers were published in the same proceedings of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, as at other academies. The two-dimensional regular representation of Sanskrit sounds must have been well-known to Mendeleev.
Mendeleev, by using Sanskrit names, was tipping his hat to the Sanskrit grammarians of yore, who had created astonishingly sophisticated theories of language based on their discovery of the two-dimensional patterns in basic sounds. The connections between computer science and Sanskrit grammatical conception have been investigated by several scholars. But the connection between these grammatical ideas and modern theories of matter is a most fascinating chapter of history of science that has remained forgotten for over a hundred and thirty years.
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Indus Script hieroglyphs pōtṟ पोतृ,'purifier', ekamukha Sivalinga associated with muhã 'metal out of smelter'

November 21, 2015, 4:58 am
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Mirror: http://tinyurl.com/ppoqyso

Indus Script hieroglyphs evidenced by priest statue of Mohenjo-daro with trefoil hieroglyphs and by many Sivalinga found in Harappa archeological site, are read rebus as  pōtṟ पोतृ,'purifier', and ekamukha Skambha (Sivalinga, as fiery pillar of light) associated with muhã 'metal out of smelting furnace'. The process of purification which results in metal out of the smelter is associated with: *skabha ʻ post, peg ʼ. [√skambh] Kal. Kho. iskow ʻ peg ʼ BelvalkarVol 86 with (?). SKAMBH ʻmake firmʼ (CDIAL 13638). A kabha, 'peg' together with hieroglyphs of aquatic bird adorn the cire perdue crown found in Nahal Mishmar. See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/nihal-mishmar-hieroglyphs-on-crowns.html kole.l 'smithy' rebus: kole.l 'temple'; dula 'pair' rebus: dul 'cast metal'; karandava [ kârandava ] m. kind of duck. कारण्ड a sort of duck R. vii , 31 , 21 கரண்டம் karaṇṭam, n. Rebus: karaḍā ‘hard alloy’; skabha'peg' rebus: skambh 'make firm'.


Pa. makuṭa -- m. ʻ crest ʼ; Pk. maüḍa -- , maüla -- m.n. ʻ diadem; ʼH. mauṛ, mauṛā m., maulī, maulṛī f. ʻ crown ʼ; OG. maüḍa m. ʻ crown ʼ(CDIAL 10144) Ta. mukaṭu top, highest part, ridge of a roof, hump of a camel, platform; mōṭu height, hill, eminence, top of a house, etc.;mucci crown of the head, tuft of hair on the head, crest. Ma. mukaṭu the head-end of a cloth; mukaḷ top, summit, ridge, roof. Ko.moyḷ ridge of roof. To. muxuḷ id.
 Ka. mogaḍu, mogaḷu, magil id. Tu. mugili turret, top as of a temple; mōḍu hill. Te. mogaḍuridge of roof; mōḍu raised or high ground; (Inscr.) mōru peak. Go. (W. Ph.) mukur comb of cock (Voc. 2864). / Cf. Skt.mukuṭa-, mauli- crest, diadem; BHS, Pali makuṭa- id.; Pkt. maüla- id.; Turner, CDIAL, no. 10144.(DEDR 4888) Rebus: muhã 'quantity of metal produced out of smelter' (Santali)

The Nahal Mishmar sceptre or crown is thus a rebus rendering in Indus Script cipher documenting the metalwork processes resulting in the products evidenced by the cire perdue metal hoard.
Image result for nahal mishmarImage result for nahal mishmar
Image result for nahal mishmarImage result for nahal mishmarImage result for nahal mishmar
The association of Sivalinga with 'purifiction' of धातु  dhātu to produce metals is vividly evidenced by the inscription which accompanies the Candi-Sukuh, 6 feet tall Sivalinga. The key expression used in the inscription is: gangga sudhi 'purification by ganga'. The gloss 'gangga' is a rebus rendering of kanga'brazier' (Kashmiri) and sudhi semantics signify 'knowledge, purity'. Thus, gangga sudhi means 'purification (using) brazier'.

The process of smelting is a process of purifying elements to create metal, metal alloys, castings, implements, weapons in kole.l 'smithy' which is also kole.l'temple' (Kota). This process of purification of mere earth and stone (dhātu, 'elements') and creating metal gets amplified in the iconic form of Siva as the Cosmic Dancer, Nataraja dancing cosmic dissolution and creation of all phenomena.

12520 śuddhá ʻ clean, bright, white ʼ RV., ʻ pure, true ʼ Mn. [Anal. replacement of *śūḍha -- 1. -- √śudh]Pa. suddha -- ʻ pure, clean, simple ʼ, °aka -- n. ʻ a minor offence ʼ; NiDoc. śudha ʻ cleared off (of debts ʼ); Pk. suddha -- ʻ bright, clear, pure, unmixed ʼ; Sh. (Lor.) šut ʻ luck ʼ; K. họ̆du ʻ plain, dry ʼ; S. sūdho ʻ honest ʼ (← H. or G.?); L.awāṇ. suddhuṇ ʻ to be clear ʼ (or < śúndhati); P. suddhā ʻ simple, true ʼ; Ku. sudo ʻ plain, artless, soft, without bone (of meat) ʼ; N. sudho ʻ honest, simple ʼ; A. xudha ʻ pure, unmixed ʼ, xudā ʻ simple ʼ; B. sudhu ʻ simply ʼ; Or. sudhāibā ʻ to cleanse, ʼ; OAw. sūdha ʻ straightforward ʼ; H. sudh, sūdhā ʻ clean, pure, true ʼ, sudhnā ʻ to clean ʼ; Marw. sūdho ʻ pure, bright, cheerful ʼ; OG. sūdha,° dhaü ʻ clean, pure ʼ, G. sūdhũ ʻ simple, true ʼ; M. sudhā, sudā ʻ right, proper, pure, simple ʼ; Si. sudu, hudu ʻ clean, holy, white ʼ; Md. hudu ʻ white ʼ.*śuddhakāra -- , *śuddhācāra -- .Addenda: śuddhá -- : B. śudhā ʻ to clear (debt) ʼ, sudhā, sudhana ʻ to ask ʼ < ʻ to find out ʼ12523 śúddhi f. ʻ cleansing, purity ʼ TBr., ʻ verification, truth ʼ Yājñ., ʻ certainty ʼ Mn., ʻ information, news ʼ Vet. [√śudh]Pa. Pk. suddhi -- f. ʻ purification, genuineness ʼ (Pk. also ʻ information, news ʼ); Wg. šüdī ʻ information, informed, aware ʼ; Woṭ.šid, šit ʻ information ʼ in šit kar -- ʻ to ask ʼ Buddruss Woṭ 126; Tor. šit ʻ aware ʼ NTS xvii 298 (AO viii 309 wrongly emends to *šiṭh); S. sudhi f. ʻ knowledge ʼ; L. (Ju.) sudh f. ʻ information, news ʼ; P. suddh f. ʻ purity, accuracy, straightness ʼ; WPah. (Joshi)śudhī f. ʻ purity, cleanliness ʼ; Ku. sudh, sud ʻ intellect, consciousness, memory, care, caution ʼ, gng. śudi ʻ appeasement ʼ; N.sudhi, 
suddhi ʻ care, caution ʼ; A. xudhi ʻ act of becoming ceremonially pure ʼ; B. sudh, °dhi ʻ knowledge ʼ; OAw. sudhi ʻ recollection ʼ; H. sudh, °dhī f. ʻ knowledge, consciousness, memory, care ʼ; G. sūdh f. ʻ sense ʼ; M. sudhī f. ʻ good understanding ʼ; Ko. suddi ʻ news ʼ; Si. sidu ʻpurityʼ. 12527 śúdhyati 
(sudhyatē ṢaḍvBr.) ʻ is purified ʼ VS., °ti, °tē ʻ becomes clear (of doubts) ʼ R. [√śudh]Pa. sujjhati ʻ becomes clear ʼ, sujjhana -- n., Pk. sujjhaï, sujjhaṇayā -- f.; Tor. čuǰ -- ʻ to learn ʼ (< *šuǰ -- ?); S. sujhaṇu ʻ to seem ʼ (sujhando m. ʻ light ʼ < śudhyant -- ); L. sujhaṇ ʻ to be seen, to seem ʼ, awāṇ. sujhuṇ ʻ to be thought of ʼ; P. sujjhṇā ʻ to be seen, be understood ʼ, ludh. sujjhanā ʻ to occur to the mind ʼ; WPah.bhal. śuj̈j̈hṇū ʻ (of the sky) to clear ʼ, (Joshi) śujhṇu ʻ to see, witness ʼ; Ku. sūjhṇo, sujṇo ʻ to be auspicious, be cleared of doubt, suit, fit, agree, think, remember ʼ; N. sujhnu ʻ to occur to the mind ʼ; A. xuziba ʻ to agree with one's constitution, repay a debt ʼ; B. sujhā ʻ to understand ʼ; Or. sujhibā ʻ to clear (a debt), repay, retaliate ʼ; Mth. sūjhab ʻ to see ʼ; OAw. sūjhaï ʻ appears, occurs to ʼ, lakh. sūjhab ʻ to be visible ʼ; H. sūjhnā ʻ to be perceptible, seem, occur to ʼ; OG. sūjhaï ʻ is clear, is enlightened ʼ, G. sujhvũ, sujvũ ʻ to be purified, appear, seem, see, understand ʼ; <-> caus. Pk. sujjhāvaï; L. sujhāvaṇ ʻ to explain ʼ, P. sujhāuṇā; Ku. sujhoṇo, sujoṇo ʻ to find out, foresee, provide for ʼ; A. xuzāiba ʻ to cause to be repaid ʼ, Or. sujhāibā; H. sujhānā ʻ to explain ʼ. -- Ext. -- ḍ -- : G. sujhāṛvũ ʻ to teach, point out ʼ; -- K. śọ̆zarun ʻto clean, purifyʼ(CDIAL)

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/11/ornamental-endless-knot-svastika-other.html   Ornamental 'endless knot', svastika & other hieroglyphs on Indus Script corpora, on āyāgapaṭṭa अयागपट्ट signify dhmātṛ, dhamaga smelters of ores

It was noted in this monograph that 

1) the dotted-circle and trefoil hieroglyphs on the uttariyam (shawl) of the statue of the priest signified respectively, single strand of rope and three strands of rope; and

2) the priest was पोतृ,'purifier'. He was priest of dhā̆vaḍ'iron-smelters' (root: dhāu 'ore') with Indus script hieroglyphs signifies पोतृ,'purifier' of dhātu, dhāū, dhāv 'red stone minerals';धातु  dhātu 'layer , stratum''constituent part, ingredient' (esp. [ and in RV. only] ifc. , where often = " fold " e.g. त्रि-ध्/आतु , threefold &c ; cf. त्रिविष्टि- , सप्त- , सु-) RV. TS. S3Br. &c 

Rebus 1: element , primitive matter (= महा-भूत L. ) MBh. Hariv. &c (usually reckoned as 5 , viz. ख or आकाश ,अनिल , तेजस् , जल, भू ; to which is added ब्रह्म Ya1jn5. iii , 145 ; or विज्ञान Buddh.); primary element of the earth i.e. metal , mineral , are (esp. a mineral of a red colour) Mn. MBh. &c 
element of words i.e. grammatical or verbal root or stem Nir. Pra1t. MBh. &c 
(with the southern Buddhists धातु means either the 6 elements [see above] Dharmas. xxv ; or the 18 elementary spheres [धातु-लोक] ib. lviii ; or the ashes of the body , relics L. [cf. -गर्भ]). 

Orthographically, the single strand and three strands are signified as follows:
The fillet worn on the forehead and on the right-shoulder signifies one strand; while the trefoil on the shawl signifies three strands. A hieroglyph for two strands is also signified.
 Single strand (one dotted-circle)

Two strands (pair of dotted-circles)

Three strands (three dotted-circles as a trefoil)

These orthographic variants provide semantic elucidations for a single: dhātu, dhāū, dhāv'red stone mineral' or two minerals: dul PLUS dhātu, dhāū, dhāv 'cast minerals' or tri- dhātu,      -dhāū, -dhāv 'three minerals' to create metal alloys'. The artisans producing alloys are dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻa caste of iron -- smeltersʼ, dhāvḍī ʻcomposed of or relating to ironʼ)(CDIAL 6773).. 


dām 'rope, string' rebus: dhāu 'ore'  rebus: मेढा [mēḍhā] A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl (Marathi). Rebus: meḍ 'iron, copper' (Munda. Slavic) mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Munda).

Semantics of single strand of rope and three strands of rope are: 1. Sindhi dhāī f. ʻ wisp of fibres added from time to time to a rope that is being twisted ʼ, Lahnda dhāī˜ id.; 2. tridhāˊtu -- ʻ threefold ʼ (RigVeda). 

mũh 'a face' in Indus Script Cipher signifies mũh, muhã 'ingot' or muhã 'quantity of metal produced at one time in a native smelting furnace.' See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/10/indus-script-corpora-face-hieroglyph-is.html

An aniconic Sivalinga ligatured with a 'face' is thus a signifier associating Sivalinga with the smelting process in a smelter which results in an ingot or mmuhã 'quantity of metal produced at one time in a native smelting furnace.' 

This Indus Script evidence is the explanation for ekamukha linga and linga with multiple faces which are orthographic variants of the singe-strand, double-strand, three strands denoted on the priest statue of Mohenjodaro respectively as dotted circle, pair of dotted circles and three dotted circles joined together as a trefoil. Evidences for such sivalingas abound in Bharat that is India and many parts of South Asia. Bharat is a name of the nation mentioned by Rishi Visvamitra in Rigveda (RV 3.53.12) referring to Bharatam Janam, an expression derived from the gloss: bharata 'factitious alloy of copper, pewter and tin'. Thus, Bharatam Janam means 'metalcaster folk'. The association of these folk as worshippers of Siva in aniconic form of linga for millennia and a worship which continues even today is standing testimony to the Indus Script Cipher which documents smelting processes with one ore, two metallic ores, three metallic ores and processes of metal casting.

It is significant that the trefoil hieroglyph is also signified on the base which held a sivalinga.
Tre-foil inlay decorated base (for linga icon?); smoothed, polished pedestal of dark red stone; National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi; After Mackay 1938: I, 411; II, pl. 107:35; Parpola, 1994, p. 218.

Two decorated bases and a lingam, Mohenjodaro.


Lingam, grey sandstone in situ, Harappa, Trench Ai, Mound F, Pl. X (c) (After Vats). "In an earthenware jar, No. 12414, recovered from Mound F, Trench IV, Square I... in this jar, six lingams were found along with some tiny pieces of shell, a unicorn seal, an oblong grey sandstone block with polished surface, five stone pestles, a stone palette, and a block of chalcedony..." (Vats, MS, 1940, Excavations at Harappa, Vol. II, Calcutta, p. 370) "In the adjoining Trench Ai, 5 ft. 6 in. below the surface, was found a stone lingam [Since then I have found two stone lingams of a larger size from Trenches III and IV in this mound. Both of them are smoothed all over]. It measures 11 in. high and 7 3/8 in. diameter at the base and is rough all over.’ (Vol. I, pp. 51-52)." Shiva Lingas at Harappa, dating more than 5,000 years old. Worship of Sivalingam has continued for millennia, uninterrupted. See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/04/sivalinga-in-dholavira-depicted-as.htmlSee: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/10/skambha-sukta-in-atharva-veda-and.html

5000-year old Shiva Linga found in Vatican
Archaeological attestation of association of Sivalinga with smelting processes ceomes from sculptural friezes of Bhuteswar.

Relief with Ekamukha linga. Mathura. 1st cent. CE (Fig. 6.2). This is the most emphatic representation of linga as a pillar of fire. The pillar is embedded within a brick-kiln with an angular roof and is ligatured to a tree. Hieroglyph: kuTi 'tree' rebus: kuThi 'smelter'. In this composition, the artists is depicting the smelter used for smelting to create mũh 'face' (Hindi) rebus: mũhe 'ingot' (Santali) of mēḍha 'stake' rebus: meḍ 'iron, metal' (Ho. Munda). मेड (p. 662) [ mēḍa ] f (Usually मेढ q. v.) मेडका m A stake, esp. as bifurcated. मेढ (p. 662) [ mēḍha ] f A forked stake. Used as a post. Hence a short post generally whether forked or not. मेढा (p. 665) [ mēḍhā ] m A stake, esp. as forked. 2 A dense arrangement of stakes, a palisade, a paling. मेढी (p. 665) [ mēḍhī ] f (Dim. of मेढ) A small bifurcated stake: also a small stake, with or without furcation, used as a post to support a cross piece. मेढ्या (p. 665) [ mēḍhyā ] a (मेढ Stake or post.) A term for a person considered as the pillar, prop, or support (of a household, army, or other body), the staff or stay. मेढेजोशी (p. 665) [ mēḍhējōśī ] m A stake-जोशी; a जोशी who keeps account of the तिथि &c., by driving stakes into the ground: also a class, or an individual of it, of fortune-tellers, diviners, presagers, seasonannouncers, almanack-makers &c. They are Shúdras and followers of the मेढेमत q. v. 2 Jocosely. The hereditary or settled (quasi fixed as a stake) जोशी of a village.मेंधला (p. 665) [ mēndhalā ] m In architecture. A common term for the two upper arms of a double चौकठ (door-frame) connecting the two. Called also मेंढरी & घोडा. It answers to छिली the name of the two lower arms or connections. (Marathi)

मेंढा [ mēṇḍhā ] A crook or curved end rebus: meḍ 'iron, metal' (Ho. Munda) 

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/02/a-critique-of-general-theory-of-images.html for the sculpture of three stakes on Sit Shamshi bronze.
Worship of linga by Gandharva, Shunga period (ca. 2nd cent. BCE), ACCN 3625, Mathura Museum. Worship signified by dwarfs, Gaṇa (hence Gaṇeśa = Gaṇa + īśa).

Image result for shiva linga vats bharatkalyan97Architectural fragment with relief showing winged dwarfs (or gaNa) worshipping with flower garlands, Siva Linga. Bhuteshwar, ca. 2nd cent BCE. Lingam is on a platform with wall under a pipal tree encircled by railing. (Srivastava,  AK, 1999, Catalogue of Saiva sculptures in Government Museum, Mathura: 47, GMM 52.3625) The tree is a phonetic determinant of the smelter indicated by the railing around the linga: kuṭa, °ṭi -- , °ṭha -- 3, °ṭhi -- m. ʻ tree ʼ  Rebus: kuṭhi 'smelter'. kuṭa, °ṭi -- , °ṭha -- 3, °ṭhi -- m. ʻ tree ʼ lex., °ṭaka -- m. ʻ a kind of tree ʼ Kauś.Pk. kuḍa -- m. ʻ tree ʼ; Paš. lauṛ. kuṛāˊ ʻ tree ʼ, dar. kaṛék ʻ tree, oak ʼ ~ Par. kōṛ ʻ stick ʼ IIFL iii 3, 98. (CDIAL 3228). 
In Atharva Veda stambha is a celestial scaffold, supporting the cosmos and material creation.
See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2014/12/skambha-sukta-atharva-veda-x-7-pair-of.html Full text of Atharva Veda ( X - 7,8) --- Stambha Suktam with translation (with variant pronunciation as skambha). See Annex A List of occurrences of gloss in Atharva Veda. See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/05/smithy-is-temple-of-bronze-age-stambha_14.html In this text, linga is elaborated as a fiery pillar of light.

Atharva Veda (X.8.2) declares that Heaven and Earth stand fast being pillared apart by the pillar. Like the pillar, twilight of the dawn and dusk split apart the originally fused Heaven and Earth.
Light of dawn ‘divorces the coterminous regions – Sky and Earth – and makes manifest the several worlds. (RV VII.80; cf. VI.32.2, SBr. IV 6.7.9).
‘Sun is spac, for it is only when it rises that the world is seen’ (Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana I.25.1-2). When the sun sets, space returns into the void (JUB III.1.1-2).
Indra supports heavn and earth by ‘opening the shadows with the dawn and the sun’. (RV I.62.5). He ‘extends heaven by the sun; and the sun is the prp whereby he struts it.’ (RV X.111.5).
‘He who knows the Brahman in man knows the Supreme Being and he who knows the Supreme Brahman knows the Stambha’. (AV X. 7.17).
Linga-Purana (I.17.5-52; 19.8 ff.) provides a narrative. Siva appeared before Brahma and Vishnu as a fiery linga with thousands of flames. As a Goose, Brahma attempted to fly to the apex of the column; Vishnu as a Boar plunged through the earth to find the foot of the blazing column. Even after a thousand years, they couldn’t reach the destination, bow in homage to the Pillar of the Universe as the Paramaatman.

He is the ‘Pillar supporting the kindreds, that is, gods and men’. (RV I.59.1-2). He is the standard (ketu) of the yajna (equivalent of the dawn), the standard which supports heaven in the East at daybreak. (RV I.113.19; III.8.8).

Cylindrical clay steles of 10 to 15 cms height occur in ancient fire-altars (See report by BB Lal on Kalibangan excavations).
A number of polished stone pillars were found in Dholavira. (See April 2015 published Dholavira excavation report: http://asi.nic.in/pdf_data/dholavira_excavation_report_new.pdf

I suggest that the sivalingas are hieroglyphs signifying pillars of light: tã̄bṛā, tambira (Prakritam) Rebus: tamba, 'copper' (Meluhha. Indian sprachbund)
See: three stumps on Sit Shamshi bronze. [kūpa -- 2, stambha -- ] G. kuvātham m. ʻ mast of a ship ʼ.(CDIAL 3403)  *ṭhōmba -- . 1. G. ṭhobrũ ʻ ugly, clumsy ʼ.2. M. ṭhõb m. ʻ bare trunk, boor, childless man ʼ, thõbā m. ʻ boor, short stout stick ʼ (LM 340 < stambha -- ).(CDIAL 5514) Rebus: tamba, 'copper' (Meluhha. Indian sprachbund) Numeral three: kolmo 'three' Rebus: kolami 'smithy, forge'.
The entire message of Sit Shamshi is bronze is worship of the sun. The message signifies copper metalwork. It is significant that one of the meanings to the Meluhha gloss sūrya is: copper: சூரியன் cūriyaṉ , n. < sūrya. Mountain containing copper; செம்புமலை. (W.)
arte de la mesopotamia
Sit-Shamshi (Musée du Louvre, París). Tabla de bronce que parece resumir sabiamente el ritual del antiguo Elam. Los zigurats recuerdan el arte mesopotámico, el bosque sagrado alude a la devoción semita por el árbol verde, la tinaja trae a la mente el “mar de bronce”. Los dos hombres en cuclillas hacen su ablución para celebrar la salida del Sol. Una inscripción, que lleva el nombre del rey Silhak-in-Shushinak, permite fijar su datación en el siglo XII a.C.
"The texts mention the "temples of the grove," cave sanctuaries where ceremonies related to the daily renewal of nature were accompanied by deposition of offerings, sacrifice and libations. The Sit Shamshi is perhaps a representation. It is also possible that this object is a commemoration of the funeral ceremonies after the disappearance of the sovereign. Indeed, this model was found near a cave, and bears an inscription in Elamite where Shilhak-Inshushinak remember his loyalty to the lord of Susa, Inshushinak. The text gives the name of the monument, the Sit Shamshi, Sunrise, which refers to the time of day during which the ceremony takes place." Source: http://www.3dsrc.com/antiquiteslouvre/index.php?rub=img&img=236&cat=10
Kalibangan fire-altars. In one pit, a cylindrical clay stele was found. Could such steles located in many ancient archaeological sites, denote skambha of Atharvaveda? Such stele were 30-40 cms. in height and 10-15 cms. in diameter, and formed the centrepoint of the hearths (Lal, BB 1984, Some reflections on the structural remains at Kalibangan in inIndus civilization: New perspectives, AH Dani ed.: 57).

Dholavira Excavation Report (April 2015) provides details of the finds of six polished stone pillars with two illustrations and a write-up:

Fig. 8.303. Freestanding columns in situ

Fig. 8.304. Freestanding columns in situ

"8.9.2.2 Free standing columns. At least six examples of freestanding columns were discovered from the excavations. Three freestanding columns are tall and slender pillars with circular cross-section and with a top resembling a phallus or they are phallic in nature. That is why most of them were found in an intentionally damaged and smashed condition. The phallus is depicted realistically with even the drawing of foreskin shown clearly. Two of these freestanding columns are found near eastern end of high street of Castle. These columns measure nearly 1.5m in height and are found at the strategic location of entering into the high street from the east gate of Castle. These two columns are placed in such a manner at the beginning of high street that they divide the street into three equal parts. The other freestanding columns of the same variety and typology, numbering four were found in a completely smashed and broken condition. Two of such columns were found in a secondary condition, fitted as a masonry of Tank A while the other one was found in a masonry in a later period structure near the western fortification of Castle. Two more examles, completely smashed and destroyed ones were also found, one near the western end of Ceremonial Ground and the second near the north gate of Castle. The destruction and desecration of these columns can be equated with that of the damage caused to the stone statue, which clearly indicates a change in ideology and traditions, customs after the Harappan phase."(pp. 589-591)  http://asi.nic.in/pdf_data/dholavira_excavation_report_new.pdf


A pair of Skambha in Dholavira close to kole.l'smithy, temple' ( (8-shaped stone structure): Ko. kole·l smithy, temple in Kota village. To. kwala·l Kota smithy.(DEDR 2133).



skambhá 13639 skambhá1 m. ʻ prop, pillar ʼ RV. 2. ʻ *pit ʼ (semant. cf. kūˊpa -- 1). [√skambh]1. Pa. khambha -- m. ʻ prop ʼ; Pk. khaṁbha -- m. ʻ post, pillar ʼ; Pr. iškyöp, üšköb ʻ bridge ʼ NTS xv 251; L. (Ju.) khabbā m., mult. khambbā m. ʻ stake forming fulcrum for oar ʼ; P. khambh, khambhā, khammhā m. ʻ wooden prop, post ʼ; WPah.bhal. kham m. ʻ a part of the yoke of a plough ʼ, (Joshi)khāmbā m. ʻ beam, pier ʼ; Ku. khāmo ʻ a support ʼ, gng. khām ʻ pillar (of wood or bricks) ʼ; N. khã̄bo ʻ pillar, post ʼ, B. khām, khāmbā; Or. khamba ʻ post, stake ʼ; Bi. khāmā ʻ post of brick -- crushing machine ʼ, khāmhī ʻ support of betel -- cage roof ʼ, khamhiyā ʻ wooden pillar supporting roof ʼ; Mth. khāmh,khāmhī ʻ pillar, post ʼ, khamhā ʻ rudder -- post ʼ; Bhoj. khambhā ʻ pillar ʼ, khambhiyā ʻ prop ʼ; OAw. khāṁbhe m. pl. ʻ pillars ʼ, lakh. khambhā; H. khāmm. ʻ post, pillar, mast ʼ, khambh f. ʻ pillar, pole ʼ; G. khām m. ʻ pillar ʼ, khã̄bhi, °bi f. ʻ post ʼ, M. khã̄b m., Ko. khāmbho, °bo, Si. kap (< *kab); -- Xgambhīra -- , sthāṇú -- , sthūˊṇā -- qq.v.2. K. khambürü f. ʻ hollow left in a heap of grain when some is removed ʼ; Or. khamā ʻ long pit, hole in the earth ʼ, khamiā ʻ small hole ʼ; Marw. khã̄baṛoʻ hole ʼ; G. khã̄bhũ n. ʻ pit for sweepings and manure ʼ. Garh. khambu ʻ pillar ʼ. skámbhana 13644 skámbhana n. ʻ prop, pillar ʼ RV., skambhanīˊ -- f. VS. [√skambh]M. khã̄bṇī f. ʻ small post ʼ; -- G. khāmṇiyũ n. ʻ one of the ropes with which bucket is let down a well ʼ (i.e. from the post?); -- Or. khamaṇa ʻ pit, hole, waterchannel, lowland at foot of mountain ʼ; G. khāmṇũ n. ʻ small depression to stand round -- bottomed vessel in, basin at root of a tree for water ʼ: semant. cf. kūˊpa -- 1 and skambhá --

He is the ‘Pillar supporting the kindreds, that is, gods and men’. (RV I.59.1-2). He is the standard (ketu) of the yajna (equivalent of the dawn), the standard which supports heaven in the East at daybreak. (RV I.113.19; III.8.8).
The same spectra of meanings abound in Bauddham, as a symbolic continuum. So it is, the Buddha is a fiery pillar, comprising adorants at the feet marked with the Wheel of Dharma and the apex marked by a S’rivatsa (pair of fishes tied together by a thread, read as hieroglyph composition: ayira (metath. ariya) dhama, mandating norms of social, interpersonal conduct). Just as Agni awakens at dawn, the Buddha is the awakened.
Railing crossbar with monks worshiping a fiery pillar, a symbol of the Buddha, , Great Stupa of AmaravatiWorshippers of a fiery pillar, Amaravati stupa.
Naga worshippers of fiery pillar, Amaravati stupa. 


The concentric circles of timber posts found in Tarim Basin may also compare

with concentric circles of stones found in Ukherda and Dholavira.
Skambha sukta (AV X.7) links Skambha (Sivalinga) with Rudras:
22)Who out of many, tell me, is that Skambha In whom Ādityas dwell, in whom Rudras and Vasus are contained, In whom the future and the past and all the worlds are firmly set…http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/09/cipher-of-indus-script-corpora-explains.html?view=classic
Rigveda Sukta 7.46: Translation: Note. The reference to blazing weapon is consistent with Atharvaveda Skambha Sukta venerating Rudra as a blazing pillar of light, pillar of fire. 

7.046.01 Offer these praises to the divine Rudra, armed with the strong bow and fast-flying arrows, the bestower of food, the invincible, the conqueror, the creator, the wielder of sharp weapons; may he hear our (praises). 
7.046.02 He is known by his rule over those of terrestrial birth, by his sovereignty over those of celestial (origin); protecting our progeny, Rudra, propitiating you (by praise), come to our dwellings, and be to them a guardian against disease. 
7.046.03 May your blazing (weapon), which, discharged from heaven, traverses the earth, avoid us; thine, appeaser of the wind, are a thousand medicaments; inflict not evil upon our sons and grandsons. 
7.046.04 Harm us not, Rudra; abandon us not; let us not fall under the bondage of you when displeased; make us partakers of the life-promotion sacrifice; and do you, (gods), ever cherish us with blessings.

इमारुद्रायस्थिरधन्वनेगिरःक्षिप्रेषवेदेवायस्वधात्ने 
अषाळ्हायसहमानायवेधसेतिग्मायुधायभरताश्रुणोतुनः| 
सहि क्षयेण क्षम्यस्यजन्मनःसाम्राज्येनदिव्यस्यचेतति 
अवन्नअवन्तॆर्उपनोदुरश्चरानमीवोरुद्रजासुनोभव|
यातेदिद्युद् अवसृष्टादिवस्परिक्ष्मयाचरतिपरिसावृणुनः 
सहस्रंतेस्वपिवातभेषजामानसतोकेषुतनयेषुरीरिषः| (RV 7.46)

Listen to the chantings of prayers in Rudra Sukta from Rigveda including this RV 7.46; thanks to Akshay Anchan who has rendered the texts together with the chantings in the Vedic tradition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0miE2j-X0Gw (14:26) 
Rudra sukta from rigveda recitation by vedic pundits with text in devanagari
Rigveda Mandala First 1-043-01 to 1-043-09 and 1-114-01 to 1-114-11
Rigveda Mandala Second 2-033-01 to 2-033-15
Rigveda Mandala Six 6-074-01 to 6-074-04
Rigveda Mandala Seven 7-046-01 to 7-046-04
Rigveda Mandala Eight 8-063-12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRK9wLLBzOY 
Shiva Tandava Stotram (शिवताण्डवस्तोत्रम्) is a 'stotra' (hymn) that describes Shiva's power and beauty. It was sung by the demon king Ravana, a great devotee of Lord Shiva.

LYRICS (Sanskrit):

जटाटवीगलज्जलप्रवाहपावितस्थले
गलेऽवलम्ब्यलम्बितां भुजङ्गतुङ्गमालिकाम्॥
डमड्डमड्डमड्डमन्निनादवड्डमर्वयं चकार चण्डताण्डवं तनोतु नः शिवः शिवम् ॥१॥

जटाकटाहसम्भ्रमभ्रमन्निलिम्पनिर्झरी विलोलवीचिवल्लरीविराजमानमूर्द्धनि ॥
धगद्धगद्धगज्ज्वलल्ललाटपट्टपावके किशोरचन्द्रशेखरे रतिः प्रतिक्षणं मम॥२॥

धराधरेन्द्रनन्दिनीविलासबन्धुबन्धुर- स्फुरद्दिगन्तसन्ततिप्रमोदमानमानसे॥
कृपाकटाक्षधोरणीनिरुद्धदुर्धरापदि क्वचिद्दिगम्बरे मनोविनोदमेतु वस्तुनि॥३॥

See more videos linked at: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/02/rudram-voices-from-past-rigveda-rudra.html
See: 
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/09/potr-purifier-mohenjo-daro-priest.html

S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
November 21, 2015




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Brussels terror threat: City raises alert to highest level after warning of 'serious and immediate threat'

November 21, 2015, 6:13 am
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Brussels terror threat: City raises alert to highest level after warning of 'serious and immediate threat'

Armed police and soldiers have been deployed in the Belgian capital and residents have been advised to avoid public transport routes


Brussels raised its terrorism alert to the highest level, indicating a &#039;serious and immediate threat&#039;
Brussels raised its terrorism alert to the highest level, indicating a 'serious and immediate threat' Getty
Brussels has raised its terrorism alert to its highest level, suspending its underground and deploying armed security forces to patrol the city.
The government's crisis centre raised the alert to 'Level Four', indicating a "serious and immediate threat", amid a reports that police had found a cache of weapons and ammunition during a raid on an apartment in Molenbeek, the poor suburb of Brussels that was home to the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks that killed 130 people.

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The Belgian Federal Prosecutor's office later confirmed the discovery in the home of one of three people arrested in Belgium in connection with the Paris attacks. 
In a written statement the office said no explosives or suicide bomb belt had been found in the search. The Belgian paper Dernière Heure reported that chemicals had also been found in a raid in Molenbeek, but this was not confirmed by the prosecutor.
Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel said the terror alert had been raised "based on quite precise information about the risk of an attack like the one that happened in Paris".
He told a news conference on Saturday morning that it was feared "several individuals with arms and explosives could launch an attack ... perhaps even in several places".
"We urge the public not to give in to panic, to stay calm. We have taken the measures that are necessary," he said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/paris-attacks-brussels-raises-terrorism-alert-to-highest-level-warning-of-serious-and-immediate-a6743076.html

| Saturday , November 21 , 2015 |

Belgium on high alert, metro shut down

Brussels, Nov. 21 (Reuters): Belgium raised the alert status for its capital Brussels to the highest level on Saturday, shutting the metro and warning the public to avoid crowds because of a “serious and imminent” threat of an attack.
A week after the Paris attacks carried out by Islamic State militants, of whom one suspect from Brussels is at large and said by authorities to be highly dangerous, the city was placed on the top level “four” in the government's threat scale after a meeting of top ministers, police and security services.
”The advice for the population is to avoid places where a lot of people come together like shopping centres, concerts, events or public transport stations wherever possible,” a spokesman for the government's crisis centre said.
He declined to say what specifically prompted the new alert.
A statement on the centre's website said it had recommended closing the underground rail network until Sunday and the municipal transport authority tweeted that stations on the four main metro lines were closed “by order of the police”.
The crisis centre website said it was calling on local authorities to cancel large events, urge people to avoid crowds, postpone soccer matches, close the Brussels metro for the weekend and stepping up the military and police presence.
Suspected militant Salah Abdeslam, 26, returned home to Brussels from Paris after the attacks, when his elder brother Brahim blew himself up at a cafe.
The alert level for the whole country was raised following the Paris attacks to level three out of four, implying a ”possible or probable” threat. Previously, only certain sites, such as the US embassy, were at level three.
Belgium, and its capital in particular, have been at the centre of investigations into the Paris attacks - which included suicide bombers targeting a France-Germany soccer match - after the links to Brussels emerged. Three people detained in Brussels are facing terrorism charges. | Saturday , November 21 , 2015 |

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151121/jsp/frontpage/story_54332.jsp#.VlB7BlgrJpk

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“I am happy he (Rahul) called me a chamcha as in Congress, chamcha is a very high post,” -- Subramanian Swamy. NaMo, restitute kaalaadhan.

November 21, 2015, 6:36 am
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Onus on Rahul to prove he is innocent: Subramanian Swamy

By: PTI | Mumbai | Published:November 21, 2015 6:59 pm
Rahul gandhi, Subramanian Swamy, Swamy Rahul Gandhi, Rahul gandhi british citizenFile: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy addresses a news conference in Ahmedabad on Thursday. (Source: PTI)BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of evading questions on the issue allegedly involving him in the incorporation of a company in Britain in 2003. “I have obtained documents which show that Rahul Gandhi had claimed himself to be a British national before the company law authorities there for setting up a company,” Swamy told reporters here.“Rahul Gandhi has confessed that he is a British citizen. The onus to prove he is innocent is on Rahul Gandhi,” he said in reply to a query. “How can one believe that for five years Rahul continued making a typing mistake,” Swamy said on Congress party’s stand that the mention of being a British national in the documents may have been a typing error. Rahul has rejected the allegations against him and has dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an inquiry against him and jail him if he is proved guilty. He accused Modi of using his ‘chamchas’ (cronies) to throw mud at him like the RSS and BJP did against his parents and grandmother Indira Gandhi.“I have also been labelled as a ‘chamcha’,” the BJP leader said. “I am happy he (Rahul) called me a chamcha as in Congress, chamcha is a very high post,” Swamy said. I feel that being called a chamcha is a great compliment, he added.http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/onus-on-rahul-to-prove-he-is-innocent-subramanian-swamy/
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Islamization of Europe, is the US next? -- Geet Wilders

November 21, 2015, 6:47 am
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In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: “Who lost Europe ?”
( https://mail.google.com/mail/?tab=wm#inbox/1511eca41c217862?projector=1)
1-28-2010

Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands , at the Four Seasons, New York , introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem .

Geert Wilders is the Chairman of the Party for Freedom of the Netherlands, who has caused an uproar over his outspoken concern over the growth of Islamic influence in Europe. Following the massacre at Fort Hood, an 86-page Pentagon report never mentioned the killer Major Nidal Hasan by name, or even discusses his well-documented commitment to radical Islamic action. In new hearings, many House lawmakers expressed fury at the military’s political-correctness to protect the concerns of those that would destroy this country -- and President Barack Hussein who would treat the nation’s worst enemies as American citizens. Perhaps there are some important lessons for Americans from a speech Wilders recently made in New York:


Dear friends,
I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.

First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe . Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem ..
The Europe you know is changing.

You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.

All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe . These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe , street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.

There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe . With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.

Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam , Marseille and Malmo in Sweden . In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.

 In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims.

 Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear 'whore, whore'. Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.

In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin . The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.

In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels , because he was drinking during the Ramadan.

Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya , Israel . I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.

A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe . San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.

Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France . One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have Muslim official state holidays.

The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey .

Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.

Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.

The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.

Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.

Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel . First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.

This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines , Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan , Lebanon , and Aceh in Indonesia . Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.

The war against Israel is not a war against Israel . It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel , Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.

 Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel , they can get everything. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands , 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome , Athens and Jerusalem .Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe , American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe 's children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.

We have to take the necessary action now to stop this Islamic stupidity from destroying the free world that we know.
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Please take the time to read and understand what is written here, Please send it to every free person that you know, it is so very important.

Comments (8)

Vicky Naira
Said this on 6-1-2010 at 08:09 am
I agree. The world is in danger. We need people like Geertz Wilder. Islamization is a fact, and must be resisted.
Reply to this Comment
manzoor alam
Said this on 6-15-2010 at 01:10 am
I fully agree with Mr Geert Wilders assesments. It is so true. I have been born and raised in a muslim country. Islam is not a religion. It is idiology and a dangerous one. They want to dominate the World and In my opinion soon it be a clash of civilizations. Like oil cannot be mixed with water, it alwasys stay on top, so are the muslim. they wait for the time. In my opinion policy makers of the west never thought about that or they never tried to read the islamic history. Majority of muslim is end of consitutions, free speech, womens rights and start of distatorships as it is in all muslim countries. You cannot name any muslim country where is true domocracy.It is time to wake up Europe and America from long slumber.
Reply to this Comment
Jimmy
Said this on 3-18-2011 at 02:21 pm
and what do you suggest?....... war? the soloution in my opinion is making a dialogue with them
Reply to this Comment
DC
Said this on 6-10-2011 at 07:00 pm
in reply to #3
What Koolaid have you been drinking? You must have shared the cup with Obama and his minions. Dialogue, have you ever tried talking to these people? They hate the Jews and they hate America.
Reply to this Comment
Frankie
Said this on 1-31-2012 at 11:21 am
Super jzazed about getting that know-how.
Reply to this Comment
Nayeli
Said this on 8-6-2012 at 09:25 pm
I have visited this weitbse for the first time. You will notice that the publisher has used a grey background for a black print. There is a strain on the eyes to read as the background and the print almost seem to merge. I have been unable to read the matter. And there are probably many who might just leave the weitbse and not bother to comment. Please look into this and do the needful. JazakAllah Khair.VA:F [1.9.7_1111]please wait...VA:F [1.9.7_1111](from 0 votes)
Reply to this Comment
Anurag
Said this on 10-19-2012 at 08:57 pm
Calling the Qur'an amazing is not sohmteing done only by Muslims, who have an appreciation for the book and who are pleased with it; it has been labeled amazing by non-Muslims as well. In fact, even people who hate Islam very much have still called it amazing
Reply to this Comment
Stacy
Said this on 10-13-2013 at 04:58 am
When someone writes an piece of writing he/she maintains the idea of a user in his/her brain that how 
a user can understand it. Thus that's why this paragraph is outstdanding.
Thanks!
http://www.continentaldivide.us/articles/articles/geert-wilders-on-the-islamization-of-europe-is-the-us-next.html
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Congress 'anti-national', party should be 'derecognised' -- Sukhbir Badal

November 21, 2015, 7:20 am
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Congress ‘anti-national’, party should be ‘derecognised’ for encouraging secessionists: Sukhbir Badal


Badal alleged that under Rahul Gandhi's leadership Congress was trying to create the same environment in Punjab that it suffered during the years of militancy.

sukhbir badal, badal, congress badal, sukhbir badal congress, punjab news, congress badal news, india news, punjab congress
By: PTI | New Delhi | Updated: November 21, 2015 5:05 pm
Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal addressing a press conference. (Source: Twitter/ANI)
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday accused Congress of fomenting trouble in Punjab by encouraging secessionist forces.
Addressing a press conference, Badal alleged that Congress leaders shared stage with radical and separatist elements at a recent gathering in Amritsar, where demand for Khalistan was raked up.
Badal, who is the chief of Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), also met President Pranab Mukherjee and demanded that action should be taken against Congress and the party should be “derecognised”.
He alleged that under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership Congress was trying to create the same environment in Punjab that it suffered during the years of militancy.
He said that his government had also written to the Home Ministry regarding the developments in the state.
The role of Congress, he claimed, “had been exposed” as its leaders had attended the gathering in Amritsar on November 10 where “the major demand was for a separate state of Khalistan”.
“Congress is showing its true colours as a true anti-national party in Punjab. Groups which were demanding Khalistan held a rally in Amritsar, Congress leaders shared stage with them,” said Sukhbir Badal.
Referring to the ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ or Sikh religious congregation, he said they appointed the convict in Beant Singh assassination case as ‘jathedar’ or chief priest.
He alleged that videos on social media show Congress leaders directing separatists about what to say and that they have provided other support for the gathering.
Badal also claimed that one of the Congress leaders present Ramanjit Singh Sikki is known to be close to former CM and Congress leader Amarinder Singh. He said Congress leader Inderjit Singh Zira was also present.
“The Congress is trying to distance itself from the congregation. If they were not part of it, why have they taken no action against Congress leaders who were on stage and provided support,” Badal asked.
Rahul Gandhi, he further alleged, went to Punjab and encouraged radical elements at a time when Pakistan’s ISI is already on the lookout to foment trouble in the state and demanded action against the Congress.
The President, Badal told reporters, had assured him that the matter will be looked into.
At the press conference, Badal was asked that law and order is a state subject, so why a press conference in Delhi was needed.
He replied that the state government had acted and more arrests are on the way but added that there was a need to tell the nation about the “role Congress is playing”.
He was also asked about the demand of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal about release of certain Sikh extremists from jail.
The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister replied that they had sought release of only those people who have served the sentences awarded to them as per law.
(With ANI inputs)
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/congress-anti-national-party-should-be-derecognised-for-encouraging-secessionists-sukhbir-badal/
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Bamboo mamata regime and Dorbhihkaranam of Dhiren Let, MLA of Birbhum. A Superbrain yogic exercise. Trinamool should perform the yoga everyday.

November 21, 2015, 4:01 pm
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தோப்பிக்கரணம் tōppi-k-karaṇam, n. < U. tōbākaraṇa. Punishment requiring a person to take hold of his ears with his hands and sit and stand alternately; காதுகளைக் கை களால் மாறிப்பிடித்துக்கொண்டு உட்கார்ந்து எழுந்து நிற்கச் செய்யும் தண்டனைவகை. (Tamil.Urdu)

The Urdu morpheme tōbā is traceable to  ṭobā 'diving' action. In Indian tradition, dorbhihkaraṇa is explained by the exercise imposed on Dhiren Let, CPM MLA of Birbhum. This is also a form of offering prayers to Ganesa, seeking pardon for any adharmic actions and vowing to protect dharma.

Watch out if this yoga exercise has been patented as Superbrain yoga. Trinamool volunteers may be in violation of the patent while adhering to the age-old Hindu tradition

कर्णे करं धा in Samskritam means 'to place the hand on the ear'. The yoga exercise is relatable to the Samskritam word dorAndolan, 'swing of the fore-arm'.

दोर्--ान्दोलन b [p= 499,1] n. swinging the arm Prab. ii , 34 (v.l. दोला*न्द्°). See: दोस् [p= 498,3] n. (m. only R. vi , 1 , 3 ; nom. acc. sg. द्/ओस् S3Br. ; du. दोषी Kaus3. ; दोर्भ्याम् n. MBh. Ka1v. ; pl. °भिस् Ma1lav. ; दोह्षु BhP. ) the fore-arm , the arm &c = दोषन् (q.v.) the part of an are defining its sine Su1ryas.

See the benefits to the brain of Thoppukkaranam as a form of yoga at  http://www.myogacenter.com/2012/12/thoppu-karanam-or-super-brain-yoga.html


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmpZdO8Mt7I&list=PLMjZ_ccFGx5eQ1ngTjx4UVT8wCboVBDMD Йога, развивающая супермозг [ Superbrain Yoga ]




*ṭubb ʻ sink, dive ʼ. [Cf. *ḍubb -- ]S. ṭuḇaṇu ʻ to sink, dive ʼ; L. ṭubbaṇ, (Ju.) ṭuḇḇaṇ ʻ to dive, clean out a well ʼ; P. ṭubbṇā ʻ to dive ʼ; -- S. ṭuḇī f. ʻ a dive ʼ, L. ṭubbī f.; P. ṭubbī f. ʻ diving, sinking a well ʼ; Or. ṭuba ʻ small pools full of water ʼ, ṭubā ʻ diving ʼ; -- S. ṭoḇo m. ʻ diver ʼ; L. ṭobā m. ʻ diver, well -- cleaner, diving bird ʼ; P. ṭobī f. ʻ diving ʼ, ṭobhā m. ʻ diver ʼ.*ṭumba -- ʻ hill ʼ see *tappa -- 3.Addenda: *ṭubb -- : S.kcch. ṭubbī f. ʻ a dive ʼ.(CDIAL 5469)

| Sunday , November 22 , 2015 |

At least 10 times they made me hold my ears and squat while barking out an oath

- A 70-year-old former MLA recounts
Snehamoy Chakraborty

An amateur cellphone video, provided to The Telegraph by a local Trinamul leader, shows Dhiren Let, a 70-year-old former CPM legislator, holding his ears, shivering in humiliation and later breaking down in Birbhum’s Mayureshwar on Saturday. Footage image taken by Ramprasad Baidya
Suspected Trinamul activists on Saturday allegedly beat up former CPM legislator Dhiren Let, 70, tried to strip him in public and repeatedly forced him to hold his ears and squat during a Left Front protest march in Birbhum's Mayureshwar.
The latest in a series of attacks on Left rallies against Trinamul "atrocities" left nine others, including local MLA Ashok Ray and ex-MP Ramchandra Dom, injured and came a day after leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra was assaulted in West Midnapore. Trinamul has denied involvement.
The following is an account in the words of Let,a four-time MLA, who spoke from a Suri hospitalwith gashes in the head, a tear in his left ear anda bruised torso:
I joined active politics in 1962 and have been a CPM member since 1968. I have seen a lot but nothing can match today's experience.
I was pleading - not for my life but for my dignity - as the attackers wanted to take off my clothes in what would have been a very public humiliation.
I had to hold my ears and squat in public, and promise to dissociate myself from the CPM. I did it to spare myself further indignity.
Nothing can be more humiliating than a (former) four-time MLA being stripped in his (erstwhile) constituency in public. I feared that could happen and pleaded with them. In the process, tears rolled down my cheeks.
We were 250-odd and had begun our march from Gargaria in Mayureshwar (about 190km from Calcutta) at 10am and reached the village of Satpalsa half an hour later.
Around 10.35, while passing through Satpalsa's marketplace, the rally was attacked from behind by 50-odd people who carried rods and sticks. We identified some of them as Trinamul activists. Eight to 10 cops had been deployed for our rally but they disappeared.
Most of us started running but I came back when I saw from a distance that my colleagues Ray (the MLA), Dom (a party central committee member and former Bolpur MP), Arup Bag and Faridar Rahman (local politicians) were being mercilessly thrashed. That's when some among the attackers got hold of me.
There were 15, or perhaps a few more. I knew many of them by face as active Trinamul workers.
While some of them started beating me, others - and this was unforgivable - tried to strip me. They kept saying "we'll finish you here today", and (among themselves) "bring out the bombs and wipe them out".
They were hurling expletives. Some of them reeked of alcohol. Most were young enough to be my son or grandson. It was all happening in front of hundreds of local people in and around the marketplace. Not one protested.
At one point, with my bloodstained clothes half torn, I stood up and tried to scamper away, limping in excruciating pain. But they caught me. That's when that video was taken.
At least 10 times they made me hold my ears and squat while barking out an oath for me to repeat - an oath to detach myself from the party.
It was extremely insulting. But I was by then determined to live to fight another day. So I went through the motions and they let me off.
About 50 metres away, I found an acquaintance on a motorcycle. He offered to help. I climbed onto the pillion with another injured comrade. We were dropped off a few kilometres away, outside the Gopinathpur High School, where one of my sons-in-law teaches. He brought us to the Suri district hospital (about 30km from the attack site).
Trinamul response: "All lies; every day there's some new drama," Birbhum Trinamul chief Anubrata Mondal said.
"Nobody from Trinamul did anything. There's no Opposition here," Mondal said. "We'd love to face some challenge from the CPM. They should take our protection when they organise these things."
At a news conference this afternoon, Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee slammed the Left and its programme of marches without directly answering questions on his party's involvement in the attacks.
Left Front chairman Biman Bose said: "Medieval savagery, that's what this is. Mamata Banerjee speaks against intolerance but she is the epitome of intolerance."
CPM state secretariat member Rabin Deb said the Left was facing attacks in places where it was regrouping.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151122/jsp/frontpage/story_54438.jsp#.VlD0VlgrJpk
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RahulG's typing mistake continuously for 5 years. Come clean, Rahul. Ball in Rahul's court says Subramanian Swamy

November 21, 2015, 4:14 pm
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Ball in Rahul’s court, Subramanian Swamy says

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Sat, 21/11/2015 - 20:17--Edited By Subhajit Sankar...
Ball in Rahul’s court, Subramanian Swamy says
Live India
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of avoiding questions on the issue allegedly involving him in the incorporation of a company in Britain in 2003.
 
"I have obtained documents which show that Rahul Gandhi had claimed himself to be a British national before the company law authorities there for setting up a company," Swamy told reporters in Mumbai.
 
"Rahul Gandhi has confessed that he is a British citizen. The onus to prove he is innocent is on Rahul Gandhi," he said in reply to a query.
 
"How can one believe that for five years Rahul continued making a typing mistake," Swamy said on Congress party's stand that the mention of being a British national in the documents may have been a typing error.
 
Rahul has rejected accusations against him and has dared Prime Minister Modi to order a probe  against him and jail him if he is proved guilty.
 
 He accused Modi of using his "chamchas" (cronies) to throw mud at him like the RSS and BJP did against his parents and grandmother Indira Gandhi.
http://liveindia.in/ball-rahul%E2%80%99s-court-subramanian-swamy-says
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Indus Script hieroglyphs are a cultural continuum of Bharatam Janam, 'metalcaster folk' during historical periods

November 21, 2015, 5:39 pm
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Mirror: http://tinyurl.com/ptdm83l

An evidence was presented on the Indus Script hieroglyphs of dotted circle and trefoil signifying the pōtṟ पोतृ,'purifier', ekamukha Sivalinga associated with muhã 'metal out of smelter'. See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/11/indus-script-hieroglyphs-potr-purifier.html

This mongraph presents evidence of the kanga 'brazier' as an evidence for the Indian civiization continuum which is traceable to Bharatam Janam, 'metalcaster folk' of the days of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization.

The cultural continuum of pōtṟ पोतृ as a priest of Vedic tradition is evidenced in the veneration of ancestors: போத்தி pōtti 'grandfather, Malabar priest'.  In ancient times of Sarasvati-Sindhu civilization, he was priest of dhā̆vaḍ 'iron-smelters' (root: dhāu 'ore') with Indus script hieroglyphs signifiesपोतृ,'purifier' of dhātu, dhāū, dhāv 'red stone minerals'. This is evidenced by the Indus Script hieroglyphs signified on the limestone statue.


போற்றன் pōṟṟaṉ, n. prob. id. Grandfather; பாட்டன். (நாமதீப. 189.) போத்தி pōtti, n. < போற்றி. 1. Grandfather; பாட்டன். Tinn. 2. Brahman temple- priest in Malabar; மலையாளத்திலுள்ள கோயிலருச் சகன்.போற்றி pōṟṟi, < id. n. 1. Praise, applause, commendation; புகழ்மொழி. (W.) 2.Brahman temple-priest of Malabar; கோயிற் பூசைசெய்யும் மலையாளநாட்டுப் பிராமணன். (W.) 3. See போத்தி, 1.--int. Exclamation of praise; துதிச்சொல்வகை. பொய்தீர் காட்சிப் புரையோய் போற்றி (சிலப். 13, 92).போற்றுநர் pōṟṟunar, n. < போற்று-. 1. Relatives, kinsmen; சுற்றத்தார். போற்றா ருயிரினும் போற்றுந ருயிரினும் (பரிபா. 4, 52). 2. Those who understand; நன்குணர்வார். வேற்றுமை யின்றது போற்றுநர்ப் பெறினே (பரிபா. 4, 55).போற்று¹-தல் pōṟṟu-
, 5 v. tr. 1. To praise, applaud; துதித்தல். (பிங்.) போற்று மடி யாருண்ணின்று நகுவேன் (திருவாச. 5, 60). 2. To worship; வணங்குதல். (பிங்.) 3. To protect, cherish, keep with great care; பாதுகாத் தல். போற்றி னரியவை போற்றல் (குறள், 693). 

An example is provided by  āyāgapaṭṭa अयागपट्ट signifying dhmātṛ, dhamaga smelters of ores.

See the hieroglyph of a fishtail PLUS two molluscs tied together with a dhAman 'rope' which signifies dhamaga 'blacksmith'. The word is also related to the gloss dhamma 'dharma' propounded by Jaina Tirthankara who is adored, venerated on the āyāgapaṭṭa.

āyāgapaṭṭa, Mathura.

This is not an isolated, anecdotal evidence. The cultural continuum is also seen in the continued use of Indus Script hieroglyphs during the historical periods on punch-marked coins.

Indus Script hieroglyphs on Kuninda coin: svastika, tree, mountain-range, portable furnace, markhor, woman, flowing water

Tri-ratna symbol on top of a stupa, Kuninda coin, 2nd c. BCE
Meluhha rebus readings:

sattva 'svastika glyhph' Rebus: jasta 'zinc'
kuṭi ‘tree’ Rebus: kuṭhi ‘smelter’; kuṭhāru 'tree' Rebus: kuṭhāru 'armourer'
G. sãghāṛɔ m. ʻlathe’ 'portable furnaceRebus:  संघाट joinery; M. sãgaḍ ‘double-canoe’ Rebus: sangataras ‘stone-cutter, mason’

Dm. mraṅ m. ‘markhor’ Wkh. merg f. ‘ibex’ (CDIAL 9885) Tor. miṇḍ ‘ram’, miṇḍā́l ‘markhor’ (CDIAL 10310) Rebus: meḍ (Ho.); mẽṛhet ‘iron’ (Munda.Ho.)
kola 'woman' Rebus: kol 'working in iron'; kolhe 'smelter'
kāṇḍa 'water' Rebus: kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ Thus, cast bronze metalware.


Hieroglyphs: mountain-range, leaflesss tree:  ḍã̄g mountain-ridge (H.)(CDIAL 5476). Rebus: dhangar ‘blacksmith’ (Maithili) ढांक [ ḍhāṅka ] n ढांकळ f C An old and decaying tree: also the stump or naked stalks and stem remaining (of a little plant).(Marathi) WPah.kṭg. ḍāṅg f. (obl. -- a) ʻ stick ʼ, ḍaṅgṛɔ m. ʻ stalk (of a plant) ʼ Rebus: ḍhangar  blacksmith’ kolom ‘three’ Rebus: kolami ‘smithy, forge’ Vikalpa: khōṇḍa A tree of which the head and branches are broken off, a stock or stump: also the lower portion of the trunk—that below the branches. (Marathi) Rebus 1: kõdā 'to turn in a lathe' (Bengali) Rebus 2: koḍ 'workshop' (Gujarati)

āyāgapaṭṭa, Kankali Tila.Tablet of Homage carved with a Svastika, Mathura, from the JainaKankali Tila at Mathura. About 1st century A.D. now preserved in Lucknow Museum.

One hieroglyph is seen on Kuninda coin and also on Jaina āyāgapaṭṭa of Kankali Tila. The hieroglyph is:

kanga'brazier' on Kuninda coin.

  Two views: 1.As on the sculptural frieze. 2. Inverted. kanga'brazier' on  Jaina āyāgapaṭṭa of Kankali Tila.

This hieroglyph is a variant of the kanga 'brazier' shown as a hieroglyph-component of the hieroglyph-multiplex seen as 'standard device' combined lathe PLUS portable furnace or brazier: 

sangada 'lathe', 'portable furnace' G. sãghāṛɔ m. ʻlathe’ ; sã̄gāḍā m. ʻ frame of a building ʼ, °ḍī f. ʻ lathe ʼ(CDIAL 12859) Rebus 1: sangara 'proclamation' Rebus 2:sangataras. संगतराश lit. ‘to collect stones, stone-cutter, mason.’ संगतराश संज्ञा पुं० [फ़ा०] पत्थर काटने या गढ़नेवाला मजदूर । पत्थरकट । २. एक औजार जो पत्थर काटने के काम में आता है । (Dasa, Syamasundara. Hindi sabdasagara. Navina samskarana. 2nd ed. Kasi : Nagari Pracarini Sabha, 1965-1975.) पत्थर या लकडी पर नकाशी करनेवाला, संगतराश, ‘mason’.

Khandagiri caves are also adorned with brazier, śrivatsa, svastika hieroglyphs: (Note: śrivatsa hieroglyph-multiplex may be a variant of the  deciphered in: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/11/ornamental-endless-knot-svastika-other.html

Hieroglyphs: dām 'garland, rope': Rebus 1: dhamma 'dharma' (Pali); Rebus 2: dhamaga'blacksmith'; dhmātṛ 'smelter'
Hieroglyphs: hangi 'mollusc' + dām 'rope, garland' dã̄u m. ʻtyingʼ; puci 'tail' Rebus: puja 'worship'

Rebus: ariya sanghika dhamma puja 'veneration of arya sangha dharma'.

Khandagiri caves (2nd cent. BCE) Cave 3 (Jaina Ananta gumpha). Fire-altar?, śrivatsa, svastika (hieroglyphs) (King Kharavela, a Jaina who ruled Kalinga has an inscription dated 161 BCE) contemporaneous with Bharhut and Sanchi and early Bodhgaya.

The three hieroglyph-multiplexes on the Khandagiri cave frieze thus relate to: kanga 'brazier'; ariya sanghika dhamma puja and satthiya 'zinc, spharelite' rebus synonym: satya 'truth'. All three hieroglyph-multiplexes are from the repertoire of smelter-blacksmith or Bharatam Janam, 'metalcaster folk'.

Variants of this hieroglyph-multiplex are seen on Indus Script corpora:
Image result for sangada meluhha'Standard device in the round seen juxataposed to the hieroglyph on tablets.  

Proclamation of procession tablets of Mohenjo-daro

A procession of iron, metalcasting workers is shown on the Mohenjo-daro tablets.
Hieroglyph:er-aka 'upraised hand' (Tamil) erhali to hold out the hand;(Kui) erke, erkelů rising (Tulu)(DEDR 905) Rebus: eṟaka, eraka any metal infusion (Kannada); moltencast, cast (as metal) (Tulu)(DEDR 86) ; molten state, fusion. Image result for standard device indus scriptm0490At m0490Bt Tablet showing Meluhha combined standard of four standards carried in a procession, comparable to Tablet m0491. 
m0491 This is a report on the transition from lapidary to bronze-age metalware in ancient Near East. 

eraka 'nave of wheel' Rebus: moltencast copper
dhatu 'scarf' Rebus: mineral ore dhāū, dhāv m.f. ʻa partic. soft red stoneʼ (Marathi)  (whence dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻa caste of iron -- smeltersʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ)
kōnda 'young bull' Rebus: turner
sãgaḍ 'lathe' Rebus: sangara proclamation
kanga 'portable brazier' Rebus: fireplace, furnace

The procession seen on m0491 tablet is emphatic evidence linking the brazier hieroglyph with the dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻa caste of iron -- smeltersʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ).

The Jaina āyāgapaṭṭa of Kankali Tila and the Kundida coin thus show the hieroglyph kang 'brazier' to denote the profession of the donors among Bharatam Janam, 'metalcaster folk' who work with the metalwork instrument to create hard alloys and crucible steel. 

This is veneration of the tools-of-trade while proclaiming their profession of the worshippers who offer the homage tablet, āyāgapaṭṭa.


S. Kalyanaraman
Sarasvati Research Center
November 22, 2015


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Paris and the fall of Rome -- Niall Ferguson. A scintillating warning, unsurpassed brilliant narrative from a historian. Congrats, Prof. Niall Ferguson, I hope the politicos heed your historic warning.

November 21, 2015, 8:09 pm
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India too was victim of similar barbarian invaders, like that of  advanced civilization of Rome suffered from. The fact that Indian civilization survived and that of Rome collapsed should not be a matter of comfort   leading  to 'complacency' as the Naill Ferguson, historian, author of following article said with regards to Roman civilization. 

Europe too subscribes to monotheism , which has similar history of persecution like the other monotheistic faith now attacking it. Ramaswarup  calls this theology as 'monolatry', worhip of one god, only their's is true , others are false which  hints at polytheism-true gods vs false gods of unbelievers. Where as  seemingly polytheistic but in essence upholding E Pluribus unum- out of many one, the all pervading infinite being manifest in different forms, the Hinduism shines with spiritual oneness which is an existing truth-Satyam of Veda . Theology and philosophy subscribed to by a society, a nation  are very important. Because they determine collective behaviour of the people.  

India faced  clash  with monotheists and paid a heavy price. Now what is left or preserved no doubt very significant, should not be allowed to fall again to same forces that wiped out Hinduism in areas they grabbed. 

It is because of majority of India being Hindu, hence the world view and philosophies of India are different from monolatry ,  leading to harmony rather than to violent suppression of other faiths,  Jews , Zorastrians in the remote past and Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhists in recent past sought shelter in Hindu majority India, rather than go to Islamic Pakistan.  

Here is what Swami Vivekananda said ;

  • I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."[Source]
Such benevolent universal , catholic Hinduism need not only to be preserved but also should expand.Again our Swami Vivekananda said expansion if life, contraction is death. Hinduism has been shrinking for more than a millennium. This process should be halted. Expansion also should take place. 

There is great deal of disillusionment among those who left succumbing to force or fraud. Yet still they do not have freedom to return .  This is due to lack of 'level playing field'. All sorts of spurious outrage at 'Ghar Wapsi' got vehemently expressed while conversions away from Hinduism were condoned, nay encouraged even. 

Regardless the nascent movement of 'Ghar wapsi' ( returning home) should continue for the sake of bright future for India and for people of India . As to the loud mouthed objectors against this process, they should realize what is good for gander is good for goose also. If conversions to Islam and Christianity are Kosher or halal (acceptable), for converts  to return home also should be equally acceptable . India is land of religious freedom. As such Hindus also have some rights and privileges.

 Home coming is not a new phenomenon in history of India. In fact shaped history positively. Last great Hindu  Kingdom  that wrote a golden chapter in history of India , existed just 600 years back in Vijayanagar. It was established by Harihara and Bukka Rayas. They were once converted to Islam by Allauddin Khilji . When Allauddin Khilji was defeated and taken prisoner by Kumbha Rana (predecessor of Rana Pratap) at battle of Sangli, Swami Vidyaranya of Sringeri peeth, brought them back to Hinduism and on the banks of Tungabadra river they laid foundation to Vijayanangar. Will Durant tells us in his story of civilization some of the discoveries in medical science and other fields scholars of Vijayanagar contributed as well as its opulence .

 A  Vijayanagar relic


It may be noted , in spite of self assumed and secular attributed virtues none of the invaders brought any thing of value to India. Instead for all sorts of freebooters India became a chosen destination for enormous indeed were riches of India. Robert Clive expressed surprise at his modesty, because even after looting to his heart content , he still could not carry all the loot, hence had to leave much behind.

The people and culture ,the ingredients required  that produced prosperity and opulence are still there. India's civilization though wounded , is still there and making good progress with Hindu nationalists at the helm. So both renaissance and bright future are eminently possible and could  be realized. Not only people of India but also other nations both east and west their leaders  have realized the importance of ascendancy of India and have said so in many ways. 
 
Indian civilization differs from European . Europe knew about elimination. India's forte is in assimilation as well as unity in diversity, a principle no where else is better practiced than in Hindu India.  For  building a better future not only for India but for the sake of world civilization hence Hindu values, world view, outlook should become wide spread which in turn will lead to harmony, prosperity and all round happiness.
Shreyo bhuyat Sakals Jananam.

Best wishes,
                                                                                            G V Chelvapilla
"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history." 
Aldous Huxley
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Paris and the fall of Rome


Niall Ferguson


16 November 2015

I am not going to repeat what you have already read or heard. 

I am not going to say that what happened in Parison Friday night was unprecedented horror, for it was not. 

I am not going to say that the world stands with France, for it is a hollow phrase. 

Nor am I going to applaud President Hollande’s pledge of “pitiless” vengeance, for I do not believe it. 

I am, instead, going to tell you that this is exactly how civilizations fall. 

Here is how Edward Gibbon described the Goths’ sack of Rome in August 410 AD:

“In the hour of savage license, when every passion was inflamed, and every restraint was removed . . . a cruel slaughter was made of the Romans; and . . . the streets of the city were filled with dead bodies . . . Whenever the Barbarians were provoked by opposition, they extended the promiscuous massacre to the feeble, the innocent, and the helpless . . .”

Now, does that not describe the scenes we witnessed in Paris on Friday night?

True, Gibbon’s “History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’’ represented Rome’s demise as a slow burn over a millennium. 

But a new generation of historians, such as Bryan Ward-Perkins and Peter Heather, has raised the possibility that the process of Roman decline was in fact sudden — and bloody —rather than smooth: a “violent seizure . . . by barbarian invaders” that destroyed a complex civilization within the span of a single generation.

Uncannily similar processes are destroying the European Union today, though few of us want to recognize them for what they are.

Let us be clear about what is happening.

Like the Roman Empire in the early fifth century, Europe has allowed its defenses to crumble. 

As its wealth has grown, so its military prowess has shrunk, along with its self-belief. 

It has grown decadent in its shopping malls and sports stadiums. At the same time, it has opened its gates to outsiders who have coveted its wealth without renouncing their ancestral faith. 

The distant shock to this weakened edifice has been the Syrian civil war, though it has been a catalyst as much as a direct cause for the great Völkerwanderung of 2015. 

As before, they have come from all over the imperial periphery — from North Africa, from the Levant, from South Asia — but this time they have come in their millions. 

To be sure, most have come hoping only for a better life. 

Things in their own countries have become just good enough economically for them to afford to leave and just bad enough politically for them to risk leaving. 

But they cannot stream northward and westward without some of that political malaise coming along with them. 

As Gibbon saw, convinced monotheists pose a grave threat to a secular empire.

It is conventional to say that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in Europe are not violent, and that is doubtless true. 

But it is also true that the majority of Muslims in Europe hold views that are not easily reconciled with the principles of our modern liberal democracies, including those novel notions we have about equality between the sexes and tolerance not merely of religious diversity but of nearly all sexual proclivities. 

And it is thus remarkably easy for a violent minority to acquire their weapons and prepare their assaults on civilization within these avowedly peace-loving communities.

I do not know enough about the fifth century to be able to quote Romans who described each new act of barbarism as unprecedented, even when it had happened multiple times before; or who issued pious calls for solidarity after the fall of Rome, even when standing together in fact meant falling together; or who issued empty threats of pitiless revenge, even when all they intended to do was to strike a melodramatic pose.

I do know that 21st-century Europe has only itself to blame for the mess it is now in. 

For surely nowhere in the world has devoted more resources to the study of history than modern Europe. 

When I went up to Oxford more than 30 years ago, it was taken for granted that in the first term of my first year I would study Gibbon. 

It did no good. 

We learned nothing that mattered. 

Indeed, we learned a lot of nonsense to the effect that nationalism was a bad thing, nation-states worse, and empires the worst things of all.

“Romans before the fall,” wrote Ward-Perkins in his “Fall of Rome,” “were as certain as we are today that their world would continue for ever substantially unchanged. They were wrong. We would be wise not to repeat their complacency.” 

Poor, poor Paris. 

Killed by complacency.


Niall Ferguson is professor of history at Harvard University, a senior fellow of the Hoover Institution and author of “Kissinger, 1923-1968: The Idealist.’’

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Give passport info to panel: Subramanian Swamy to Rahul Gandhi. NaMo, restitute kaalaadhan.

November 21, 2015, 8:34 pm
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbxD-NOHl7A&feature=youtu.be&a

Dr Swamy's Press Conference in Mumbai 21 Nov'15 #RaGaSaga (41:34)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dDTJfNIBl4

Subramanian Swamy press meet about Rahul Gandhi's British nationality




 November 22, 2015

Give passport info to panel: Subramanian Swamy to Rahul Gandhi

MUMBAI: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy here on Saturday demanded that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi submit his passport and all other relevant documents to the ethics committee of Parliament.


Swamy accused Gandhi of being involved in the incorporation of a company in Britain in 2003 for which he had submitted documents proving his British nationality. He also alleged that the Congress leader had “used the address of Ramola Bachchan, Amitabh’s sister-in-law, in UK”.
READ ALSO: Swamy writes to LS Speaker on Rahul’s ‘British citizenship’
“I have obtained documents which show that Rahul Gandhi had claimed to be a British national before the company law authorities there for setting up a company,” Swamy told reporters here. “Rahul has confessed that he is a British citizen. The onus to prove he is innocent is on him.”
“How one can believe that for five years Rahul continued making a typing mistake?” Swamy asked, reacting to the Congress party’s stand that the mention of being a British national in the documents may have been a typing error.
Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.
http://pressindianews.com/give-passport-info-to-panel-subramanian-swamy-to-rahul-gandhi/
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The origins of graphic communication -- Victor Mair

November 21, 2015, 8:50 pm
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Fascinating report, Victor Mair. My work on Indus Script decipherment indicates the firm basis for visual hieroglyphs for spoken forms of words of Prakritam related to metalwork. Thus the entire corpora of about 7000 inscriptions turns out to be a proclamation, a metlwork catalogue.

S. Kalyanaraman


Geometric Signs from Genevieve Von Petzinger

Saturday, August 2, 2014 9:35

Genevieve Von Petzinger has been doing some very exciting work which goes a long way toward confirming my own suspicions derived from independant study (The equivalent material has been lying around my library in unpublished manuscript form for the last 20 years or so). Basically, her thesis is that all rock art worldwide contains certain  regularly recurring symbols which are probable forerunners to later written records, and that they seem to have come Out of Africa along with the last great migration at the beginning of the Cro-Magnon period in Europe.
My additional comments include: The same symbols are also found in Australia and the Americas, from the oldest rock art and carried forward from that point.
Source: http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com/2014/08/geometric-signs-from-genevieve-von.htmlThe origins of graphic communication

November 21, 2015 @ 12:04 pm · Filed by  under Writing systems
In a 12:05 TED talk filmed in August, 2015, cave art researcher Genevieve von Petzinger asks:
Von Petzinger, a paleoanthropologist associated with the University of Victoria (British Columbia), is concerned primarily with symbols in Ice Age European cave art dating to the Upper Paleolithic (40,000-10,000 BP), but she also has her eye on possible predecessors in Africa and parallels across Asia all the way to Indonesia.
Von Petzinger posits three main types of communication — spoken, gestural, and graphic — and, of these, she focuses on the last.
She does not claim that the relatively small group of signs that she has discovered constitute writing, in the sense of being able to record language, but she does hold that the signs convey information and that they may provide the foundation for the subsequent development of writing.
I have been following von Petzinger's work for about five years and am quite impressed with what she has achieved, both because it is based on extensive archival research and exacting fieldwork recorded in large visual and textual data bases and because she is judicious in making careful hypotheses without overstating the case.  I am also pleased that she situates her own work in a more than century old tradition of earlier investigations by the likes of Alexander Marshack and André Leroi-Gourhan.
For a thorough introduction to von Petzinger's work, see "Geometric Signs – A New Understanding" here and here.
We can also look forward to her book on the subject, The First Signs:  My Quest to Unlock the Mysteries of the World’s Oldest Symbols, due out from Simon and Schuster in May, 2016
I have long been interested in the size of alphabets versus syllabaries and other types of writing systems.  Alphabets range between about 15 and 50 symbols, while syllabaries range from around 50 to over 1,000 symbols, and logographic / morphosyllabic writing systems such as Chinese can soar to staggering numbers in the tens of thousands of discrete symbols.  I have been planning to write a post on "Lexical limits" that will touch on this issue from another angle.  For the time being, I am intrigued by the fact that von Petzinger's list of basic, recurring symbols in terms of its size is at about the middle of the range for an alphabet.  Of course, I am by no means saying that von Petzinger's list constitutes an alphabet, but I find it fascinating that, in terms of cognitive load, it is comparable to an alphabet.
[h.t. John Rohsenow; thanks to Heather Pringle]

2 Comments »

  1. Tim Finin said,

    November 21, 2015 @ 5:57 pm
    Paleolithic emojis?

  2. Ken Miner said,

    November 21, 2015 @ 8:07 pm
    Many thanks for posting about this. I've wondered for many years why some of the earliest human inscriptions are abstract symbols rather than pictures, since it seemed reasonable to me that abstraction and stylization ought to come after concrete representations. Like Von Petzinger I was surprised that no work had been done on this. The book will be out next year, apparently. I'm preordering it at once.

http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=22395#comment-1505146
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ISI links bring ISIS threat to Indi -- Madhav Nalapat

November 21, 2015, 11:29 pm
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ISI links bring ISIS threat to India

By MADHAV NALAPAT | NEW DELHI | 22 November, 2015 

Radicalisation of the middle rungs of the Pak agency has created a situation in which ‘linkages have been formed with units of Daesh operating within Europe’.
Counter-terrorism specialists based in West Asia and North Africa claim that units of the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS), also called Daesh, are in “regular contact” with mid-level elements within the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Rawalpindi GHQ, who are unhappy with what they regard as their leadership’s “policy of acquiescence” to US demands. Such a radicalisation of the middle rungs of the ISI has created a situation in which “linkages have been formed with units of Daesh operating within Europe”. In particular, the latter have been given training in communications security and safety by their ISI sympathisers, who “spend weekends and holidays teaching (ISIS elements) the essentials of communications safety”. The ISI officers, aware of the close cooperation between their organisation and the US intelligence complex (specifically the Defense Intelligence Agency and Centcom) “have been careful to avoid getting directly involved in any communication or operation of Daesh cells in Europe”, confining their assistance to training within safe locations in communications, in the identification of safe houses and routes, and to sharing of intelligence on local security agencies. These ultra-Wahhabised ISI officers have been careful “not to meet with any Daesh cell in the US”. However, those in Europe who have been given the benefit of training by what analysts describe as “out of control” officers of the Pakistan armed forces, are, of course, “free to impart such knowledge to cells based in the US”, whose members come to Europe on reconnaissance and training visits.
Experts familiar with ground realities warn that western counter-terrorism agencies, habituated to the formal linkages common in that part of the globe, are “still clueless” about exactly who is or is not a member of Daesh or part of an organisation within that terror constellation. Since early 2014, Daesh, through its sympathisers within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has set up several intermediary organisations, several of whom are off any terror radar, who in their turn have spawned affiliates functioning in plain sight of the authorities. They have become expert in the smooth morphing of supporters from “extremists” to “radicals” to “moderates”, looking for assistance from the US, France and the GCC. In particular, these experts warn that “several field operatives of the secret services of Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been heavily influenced” by the ultra-Wahhabi ideology of Daesh, and have begun recruiting individuals who are secretly affiliated to the constellation of terror groups reporting to the Raqqa HQ. Of course, since the Russian bombing of this town, “most of the leadership elements of ISIS (Daesh) spend several hours each night moving from location to location in two or more groups” to avoid detection by hostile agencies.
The sources talked to say that since August, western agencies have, in effect, “ceased to rely on the security systems of Turkey and the GCC countries and instead rely entirely on their own networks for information” on Daesh. This switch was made “after several false leads were given to them during 2013 and 2014 by regional security agencies” whose cadres have fallen prey to ultra-Wahhabi ideology after 2011, when the smooth takeover of power in Libya by jihadist elements gave rise to a belief among vulnerable (to Daesh indoctrination) sections of the population that this extremist ideology was the wave of the future within the Arab world. However, as yet, “few western agencies are examining the informal links that have developed since 2013 between ISIS and security agencies of countries where ultra-Wahhabism has gained significant traction”, including (in their recital) Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. According to a senior policymaker with two decades of experience as a field operative, ISIS (Daesh) recruits have mastered explosives, communications and logistics “not by being trained by Al Qaeda operatives in the desert, but by training under those within infected security systems who have received training for years by the very countries which are being targeted” (by the terror constellation). Some of those given such training leave the operations modules and remain in safe areas to train more volunteers in such essential skills. According to a source, “mid-level elements in the ISI, who are outside the 24/7 control of top officers, have since end-2014 become an important means of developing attack and survival skills in the growing band of ISIS recruits”.
A former official warned that India was “very much within the target list of ISIS because of the informal and clandestine connections between that terror constellation and ultra-Wahhabist mid-level officers in the ISI”, who are eager to ensure a major strike in India “so as to do further damage to the social and economic fabric of the country”. His former colleagues (who are still in service) said that “it may become necessary for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take personal charge of the defences against ISIS”, including by having the security services and the military “work out swift responses to a possible mass terror attack” by ISIS, rather than “tread the path of previous governments by being slow off the mark, so that the impulse to retaliate gets diminished and ultimately, only symbolic steps (such as Operation Parakram) get taken, as during the A.B. Vajpayee period or follow the Manmohan Singh pattern of foregoing retaliation completely, substituting action with words and diplomatic gestures”. They pointed out that the most important reason why the US was not being subjected to mass terror attacks, unlike Europe “was not because of the so-called influence of the American Way of Life” on putative jihadis, but “fear within terror networks of a repeat of the post-9/11 wholly disproportionate retaliation” for any such strike. Although his critics say that he has been weak on terror, the record will show that President Barack Obama has been as harsh on terror networks as his predecessor George W. Bush, and has thereby succeeded in keeping the US safe thus far during his years in office.
A senior official claimed that “an arms dealer based in London and another who is Mumbai-based have sabotaged efforts at India signing CISMOA, LSA and BECA with the US”, for fear that such a move would “open the gates for the US to become bigger weapon system sellers to India than all the other present suppliers combined”. A junior associate of the officer said that the two arms dealers had “huge influence over four top names” in the UPA and that “even within the NDA, they have decisive influence over two very influential individuals, who have been close to them since 1998-99 and who still meet them frequently in Delhi, Dubai, Singapore and London”. According to them, signing these agreements would “open the door” for Indian retaliation against ISIS in West Asia, should that constellation launch an attack in India because of the instigation of ISI elements.
However, there exists a substantial group of policymakers within North and South Blocks “who are wary of the transformational effect on India-US military ties should CISMOA, LSA and BECA get signed and who prevailed on (former Defence Minister) A.K. Antony to constantly put off a decision on the same”, a situation that does not appear to have changed much since the NDA took office. However, a senior officer pointed out that “Prime Minister Modi does not allow any influence to come between him and national interest”, and hence is optimistic that the PM himself will soon get into “decision mode on what retaliatory action needs to get taken in the case of an ISIS attack on an Indian city”, and what needs to be done in advance to ensure that such a response serves to inflict unbearable pain on the terror network. It needs to be repeated that the closer military to military cooperation between the US and India after the three India-US “foundation agreements” mentioned here are signed, would be a nightmare to General Raheel Sharif.
These sources say that they are “concerned at the underestimation by security agencies of the threat posed by ISIS (Daesh)”, as in their view, the number of ISIS sympathisers is “in the thousands and not the hundreds” in cities across India. However, according to them, “just like the juvenile home authorities, who believe that a dose of de-radicalisation therapy can cure the psychotic impulses of the killer of ‘India’s Daughter’ (and who will be a free man next month), the (security) agencies believe that doses of such psychological counselling will remove the poison from the minds of those believing in ISIS ideology and methods”. A mid-level official pointed out that “terrorists are experts in camouflage”, and therefore releasing known sympathisers of ISIS back into the general population is a mistake, “as such persons could be the nucleus for future modules”. They laugh at suggestions that local police units would keep an eye on such elements after release, pointing out that “there are too many in the lower levels of that service who are amenable to financial or other pressures” that would get them to look the other way. A former official pointed out that “the psychological remedies and mind cures for terrorists that are being recommended to our agencies by their western counterparts have by now proved ineffective in France, Germany and Belgium and have not even been tried in the US”.
These sources warn that the “danger signs of the success of ISI efforts at softening national resilience have multiplied”. They point to the 12,000 strong Kashmiri crowd assembled on 28 October in Budgam to publicly mourn Abu Qasim, an LeT terrorist from Bahawalpur in Pakistan, and say that “this is the first time in more than a decade that pro-Pakistan elements have come out in such force”. Another worrying development for these sources has been the election on 10 November of the killer of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh as Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the highest religious body of the Sikh community, and an inflammatory address by two Jathedars during Diwali, a never before event in the sometimes tortured history of the Punjab. They claim that since 2011, several individuals from the US, Canada and the UK, known to have funded the Khalistan movement during the 1980s, have visited Punjab repeatedly and made contact with elements believed to be vulnerable to their propaganda, and that “several such individuals are regular visitors to VVIP homes during their mischief-making trips” to the border state. They are also concerned about reports that the NSCN(K) is regrouping within Myanmar for fresh strikes, while “the Maoists have been quiet for a long time” and that “such a pause is usually the prelude to a major strike”. They also expressed concern over efforts at creating a distance between communities in India, with a mid-level official pointing out that “in parts, the Hindu-Muslim discourse has become as toxic as was the case in the early part of the 1930s”, when M.A. Jinnah was engaged in building up the Muslim League as a counter to the Congress party. Certainly the lunacy of some ultra-Hindu activists has not helped in stopping such a slippage in relations between two communities whose co-existence is core to the security of India. However, they are optimistic that in Prime Minister Modi, the country has a leader with the will to act against terrorists, rather than just posture or talk the way his predecessors have done, and are hopeful that the PM himself will lead efforts at ensuring that ISIS gets a fitting and debilitating response in their very lair, in case the terror constellation fulfills the wish of elements in the ISI and launches a mass terror attack on India. 
They say that the “bad example” of token or absent retaliation set by Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh have “emboldened terror elements throughout the globe”, and it is vital that the next time around, India under Narendra Modi retaliate “in a crushing manner” against the terror groups seeking to weaken the country, including “taking the fight to the territorial heart of the enemy”.
http://www.sundayguardianlive.com/news/1955-isi-links-bring-isis-threat-india
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MUDRA is NO solution to mothers' preference for holding gold as jewellery. Let MUDRA prove itself and lend 5% of Uninc. borrowings by 2018.

November 22, 2015, 12:14 am
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See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/11/mudr-implementation-must-if-govt.html Prof. Vaidyanathan argues that implementation of MUDRA will help make such schemes successful in mopping up gold with the public.


While MUDRA may help somewhat, I doubt if the Government should interfere with public preference for holding gold. 


My suggestion will be to leave the gold with the mothers with whom it is safe. It is  a foolhardy, amateurish attempt to fool around with Gold Bond schemes.


The primary factor is that Govt. bureaucracies and their surrogates like Banks (even MUDRA agencies) are suspect and are NOT trusted.


How much gold is really held with kabuliwala (aka NBFC, Non-banking Financial Companies) lenders as mortage for the loans given? How much of it is really in circulation by redemption of the mortaged gold and re-mortgage? I doubt if it is more than a miniscule percentage of the total gold held as jewellery and kept in safe custody of mothers.


I think the whole gold bonds scheme should be ABANDONED. One solution to the BOP problem is NOT to take gold into reckoning for computing the reserves held with RBI.


Leave the gold holdings where they are, where they are safe. Govts. have no business to mess around with mothers' preferences.


Sure, activate MUDRA. If in the next 5 years the MUDRA initiative results in moving India Uninc. away from the clutches of NBFCs and kabuliwallas, to the extent of 5% of the total borrowings by Uninc. one can declare MUDRA a success.


Let Finance Ministry get serious and start activating MUDRA to really achieve a target of 5% of the borrowing needs of India Uninc. in the next 3 years.


Kalyanaraman


At paltry Rs 150 crore, gold bonds scheme fails to glitter

PTI | Nov 22, 2015, 12.48PM IST
gold-bonds
MUMBAI: The government's much-touted sovereign gold bond scheme has failed to cut much ice with the public, if the final amount of about Rs 150 crore is any indication, say bankers, who also blamed the high issue price as the biggest dampener.

Public sector bankers whom PTI spoke to also attributed the many market holidays and affinity of the public towards physical gold for the subdued demand for ambitious sovereign gold bond scheme, which was the maiden offering by the government so far.

Although, the Reserve Bank has not formally disclosed the overall funds collected under the scheme, bankers pegged it at around Rs 150 crore. 

"The primary reason for this lower-than-expected collection is the higher issue price. The RBI had set it at Rs 2,684 a gram, whereas the market price was lower. Why should somebody buy at higher price," said a senior banker from a state-run bank.

He said his bank was targeting around Rs 50 crore from the scheme but could only collect one-tenth of it.

Market expert also vouched this, saying 4-5 per cent premium on the market price is not acceptable to a buyer, therefore the dismal demand.

"In our country, people like to worship physical gold on Dhanteras, which is an auspicious day to buy the precious metal. We cannot resist ourselves from buying gold," said another public sector bank official.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on November 5, had launched three ambitious schemes to reduce the physical demand for gold and fish out 20,000 tonnes of the precious metal worth USD 800 billion lying idle with households.

Modi launched the maiden sovereign gold bond, gold monetisation and the Indian gold coin scheme with much fanfare.

The first tranche of sovereign gold bond scheme was open for subscription from November 5-20.

"The collection under the scheme would have been better had the government started the scheme earlier. There were a few holidays during the subscription period which has impacted the response," said a senior official of a state-run bank.

However, some bank officials described the response as "reasonable", considering this was the first time the government launched such a product. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/At-paltry-Rs-150-crore-gold-bonds-scheme-fails-to-glitter/pmarticleshow/49879545.cms?prtpage=1
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ISIS Women and Enforcers in Syria Recount Collaboration, Anguish and Escape -- Azadeh Moaveni, NYT

November 22, 2015, 12:41 am
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MIDDLE EAST | STATE OF TERROR

By AZADEH MOAVENI

SOUTHERN TURKEY — Dua had only been working for two months with the Khansaa Brigade, the all-female morality police of the Islamic State, when her friends were brought to the station to be whipped.

The police had hauled in two women she had known since childhood, a mother and her teenage daughter, both distraught. Their abayas, flowing black robes, had been deemed too form-fitting.
When the mother saw Dua, she rushed over and begged her to intercede. The room felt stuffy as Dua weighed what to do.
“Their abayas really were very tight. I told her it was their own fault; they had come out wearing the wrong thing,” she said. “They were unhappy with that.”
Dua sat back down and watched as the other officers took the women into a back room to be whipped. When they removed their face-concealing niqabs, her friends were also found to be wearing makeup. It was 20 lashes for the abaya offense, five for the makeup, and another five for not being meek enough when detained.


Their cries began ringing out, and Dua stared hard at the ceiling, a lump building in her throat.

THE WOMEN WHO LEFT ISIS

  • The three Syrian women interviewed for this article, all former members of the Islamic State morality police who escaped to Turkey this year, met with a reporter in a southern Turkish city for hours of interviews, together and separately, over the course of two multiday visits.
  • The names Aws, Dua and Asma are pseudonyms used for their protection, but they fully identified themselves and their family connections.
  • Their accounts of working for the Islamic State, of their lives and of events in Raqqa, Syria, in recent years were consistent with one another and with interviews and accounts of other former and current residents of Raqqa.
  • The women also shared cellphone images of locations in Raqqa, and of their lives there, that were independently confirmed.

In the short time since she had joined the Khansaa Brigade in her hometown, Raqqa, in northern Syria, the morality force had grown more harsh. Mandatory abayas and niqabs were still new for many women in the weeks after the jihadists of the Islamic State had purged the city of competing militants and taken over. At first, the brigade was told to give the community a chance to adapt, and clothing offenses brought small fines.
After too many young women became repeat offenders, however, paying the fines without changing their behavior, the soft approach was out. Now it was whipping — and now it was her friends being punished.
The mother and daughter came to Dua’s parents’ house afterward, furious with her and venting their anger at the Islamic State.
“They said they hated it and wished it had never come to Raqqa,” Dua said. She pleaded with them, explaining that as a young and new member of the Khansaa Brigade, there was nothing she could have done.
But a lifelong friendship, with shared holiday gatherings and birthday parties, was suddenly broken. “After that day, they hated me, too,” she said. “They never came to our house again.”
Dua’s second cousin Aws also worked for the brigade. Not long after Dua’s friends were whipped, Aws saw fighters brutally lashing a man in Muhammad Square. The man, about 70, frail and with white hair, had been heard cursing God. As a crowd gathered, the fighters dragged him into the public square and whipped him after he fell to his knees.
“He cried the whole time,” Aws said. “It was lucky for him that he had cursed Allah, because Allah shows mercy. If he’d cursed the Prophet, they would have killed him.”
Today, Aws, 25, and Dua, 20, are living in a small city in southern Turkey after fleeing Raqqa and its jihadist rulers. They met up here with Asma, 22, another defector from the Khansaa Brigade, and found shelter in the city’s large community of Syrian refugees.
Raqqa is widely known now as the capital of the Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate and as the focus of heavy airstrikes by a growing number of countries seeking revenge for the group’s recent terrorist attacks. But the city in which the three women came to adulthood used to be quite different. Identified here by nicknames, the women spoke for many hours over the course of two visits this fall, recalling their experiences under Islamic State rule and how the jihadists had utterly changed life in Raqqa.
All three described themselves as fairly typical young women of Raqqa. Aws was more into Hollywood, Dua into Bollywood. Aws’s family was middle-class, and she studied English literature at a branch of Euphrates University, a three-hour bus ride away in Hasaka. She devoured novels: some by Agatha Christie, and especially Dan Brown books. “Digital Fortress” is her favorite.
Dua’s father is a farmer, and money was tighter. But her social life was closely intertwined with Aws’s, and the cousins loved their charming city. There were long walks to Qalat Jabr, the 11th-century fort on Lake Assad; coffee at Al Rasheed Park; and Raqqa Bridge, where you could see the city lights at night. In the gardens and amusement park in the town center, there was ice cream and communal shisha pipes to gather around.
“In the summer, everyone went out at night and stayed out late, because it was so hot during the day,” Dua said.
The women keep pictures of their old lives in Raqqa on their cellphones, scenes from parties and countryside outings. Aws’s gallery includes days on the lakeshore, her friends in bathing suits, dancing in the water.




INTERACTIVE MAP

Inside Raqqa, the Capital of ISIS

A bustling city has been transformed under the group’s brutal rule.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/world/middleeast/isis-wives-and-enforcers-in-syria-recount-collaboration-anguish-and-escape.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=0
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70b. pound moneylaundering. Did Sharad Pawar write to UK Companies House about the false impersonation? -- Perfomance Guru

November 22, 2015, 1:08 am
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#ShaPaSaga: A few more questions for Sharad Pawar about a British Company

By  -
 
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Labour Party in a mess in UK with Jeremy Corbyn's incapacity to read the public mood

November 22, 2015, 2:45 am
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Jeremy Corbyn under mounting pressure as Unison leader urges Labour to 'get its act together'

Dave Prentis's blunt words come as poll reveals six out of 10 voters believe Mr Corbyn would not keep them safe
Labour MPs are said to be thinking of unseating Mr Corbyn after just 10 weeks as leader Corbis
Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership has been plunged deeper into crisis after a key union leader broke ranks to criticise him. Unison general secretary Dave Prentis, who backed Mr Corbyn for the leadership, said it could not “get any worse” for the party and warned it was time it “got its act together” before it lost any chance of returning to power in 2020.
His blunt words came as a damaging poll revealed six out of 10 voters now believe Mr Corbyn would not keep them safe. A poll for The Independent on Sunday shows Mr Corbyn’s support plummeted in the wake of his response to last week’s Paris terror attacks.
Overall, voters are now more than twice as likely to say they are unfavourable towards Mr Corbyn, after an 8 per cent increase since September in people who see him negatively.
READ MORE

Labour MPs criticise Corbyn's stance on military action in Syria

It follows Mr Corbyn’s decision to criticise publicly David Cameron’s order for security services to “shoot to kill” armed terrorists attacking civilians in the UK.
Mr Prentis, the first union leader to attack the Labour leader openly, said the party under Mr Corbyn did not appear to understand people’s concerns – including “their need to feel safe and secure”. “Divisive rows over Trident or shoot to kill are distractions no one needs,” he said.
“It’s got to stop. If it doesn’t, Labour stands little chance of winning back the millions who deserted the party in May.”
Mr Prentis, who represents more than 1.3 million workers, said the Labour leader needed to turn things around quickly.
“The Spending Review is just three days away. Millions of working families anxiously await the Chancellor’s plans,” he said. 
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Corbyn on Syria
“They’re scared about what he has in store for the tax credits they rely upon, and nervous about deep spending cuts to essential local services and the policing of their communities. Standing up for these families and arguing against Government austerity is what the Labour Party should have been doing this week. But instead, we’ve seen yet more, very public, incredibly damaging squabbling. 
“Every time you think that things can’t get any worse, they do. It’s high time Labour got its act together. The party needs to start working together, against the Government, not each other.”
Mr Prentis said people were worried about having enough money to feed their children but Labour MPs were more concerned with “knocking seven bells out of one another”.
Every time you think that things can’t get any worse, they do. It’s high time Labour got its act together
Dave Prentis
He said: “To many voters, Labour no longer seems to understand the issues that matter to ordinary people. Their money worries, their need to feel safe and secure. So Labour must stop with the verbal fisticuffs, and get back to showing ordinary people that the party is on their side.”
According to today’s ComRes poll, members of the public are now twice as likely to say they trust Mr Cameron to keep them and their family safe as Mr Corbyn – with 39 per cent backing the PM compared with 17 per cent for the Labour leader. Three in five people canvassed – 58 per cent – say they don’t trust Mr Corbyn to keep them safe. 
Earlier last week, the former Labour frontbencher Chuka Umunna said this perception was a “disqualification from office”.
But Mr Corbyn has demanded more loyalty from Labour MPs and insisted he had a mandate from party members.
14-dave-prentis-rex.jpg
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis backed Jermemy Corbyn for the leadership (Rex)
“Of course the new politics is also about open and respectful debate,” he said. “But I have also been elected to lead, to express the aspirations and concerns of millions of people – hundreds of thousands of whom gave me my mandate. We owe it to them to unite and conduct our debates in a comradely and constructive way.”
Mr Corbyn will be able to point to today’s poll findings as further proof he has the support of Labour members – if not the wider general public. While four in 10 voters say Labour MPs should mount a coup to remove him as leader, most Labour voters – 56 per cent – disagree that he should be toppled.

READ MORE

Mr Corbyn now faces a defining week amid warnings he could be challenged within six months if he does not turn things around. 
Tomorrow he will respond to the Government’s Defence and Security Review, delivered by the Prime Minister, before facing MPs at a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party the same evening.
At the meeting, its understood Mr Corbyn will be challenged to publish an official review of why Labour lost the last election, amid concerns that he is sitting on the review because he does not like its findings. Twenty‑four hours later, he will face his first possible rebellion as leader, after ordering Labour MPs to abstain on a vote against Trident – despite it being official party policy to renew Britain’s nuclear deterrent. 
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The poll for The Independent on Sunday
On Wednesday, George Osborne will deliver his long-awaited Autumn Statement. Mr Corbyn will then face another serious test of his leadership when the PM publishes his “war plan” for joining air strikes on Isis in Syria, amid growing public support for action. 
Mr Corbyn is under pressure to give MPs a “free vote” on air strikes – allowing them to back air strikes without rebelling against the leadership. He also appears to be at odds with the public on a series of crucial security questions.
Two-thirds of the public say that killing British citizens in Syria is justified if the security services say they have joined IS – with 65 per cent agreeing and only 15 per cent disagreeing.
Seven out of 10 of those polled also agree that the public should have to accept infringements of privacy on the internet for the sake of fighting terrorism – with only 17 per cent disagreeing.
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