Hindus should learn from Bahai faith - how to spread faith the peaceful way -
even while agreeing that all faiths are eqaul.
Umesh
Hindu Press International <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Hindu Press
International <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 18:22:14 -1000
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: HPI, January 3, 2008
Hindu Press International January 3, 2008 January 3, 2008
Hindus and Christians Clash in India
Facts on the Recent Religious Clashes
Ayyappa Temple Opens for Makara Vilakku Festival
1. Hindus and Christians Clash in India www.time.com
NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 27. 2007: The violence that has wracked India's
eastern state of Orissa over the past few days seems, at first glance, to be
purely religious. On Christmas Eve and Christmas day, Hindu nationalists in the
Kandhamal area attacked churches and convents and set fire to houses belonging
to Christians, killing one person and injuring at least two dozen more. Since
then, more than forty Christian houses have been set ablaze despite curfews and
increased police patrols. Local Hindus say the violence began after Christians
attacked a Hindu leader. Christians say the attacks -- the latest in several
bouts of religious violence that have plagued the state over the past few years
were sparked by church plans for a performance to celebrate Christmas.
India's nationalist Hindu groups and political parties allege that Christian
groups are forcing Hindus to convert against their will, in an effort to change
the nature of India.
As with most communal violence in India, this latest explosion of hatred is the
result not only of religious differences but of a tangled intersection of
political power, communal prejudice and the injustices of Hinduism's archaic
caste system.
---------------------------------
2. Facts on the Recent Religious Clashes [EMAIL PROTECTED]
ORISSA, INDIA, January 3, 2008 (HPI note: This is another account of the
latest events in Orissa, received at the HPI offices. We have been unable to
verify its source and it is reproduced here as received.) Reports of communal
violence involving the converted Christians led by the Missionaries on one hand
and the Tribals on the other, in Kandhamal District of Orissa by the media
since 25th December 2007 are vastly distorted and motivated which in public
interest need be clarified much before the national image is tarnished before
the general public and the international community. The whole series of
incidents started from unprovoked and preplanned attack on Vedanta Keshari
Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati who was visiting his disciples in Darsingbadi
village in Kandhmal District on 24 th December. Swamiji, 82 years old has been
working relentlessly in the District since 1967 to protect the local population
where more than 75% are below the poverty line and ar e not
literate. He has opened schools and hostels, hospitals and temples to protect
mainly the tribals and the down-trodden from the clutches of Missionaries who
are operating with massive fund from foreign countries and pumped into NGOs in
disguised operations to convert the local tribals into Christianity. Chief of
such NGOs is one "WORLD VISION" patronized by one Mr. Radhakanta Nayak, a local
of Darsingbadi village from "Pana" community but later got converted to
Christianity. He happens to be an employee of the State Government promoted to
the IAS and retired, and now a Member in the Rajya Sabha. His henchmen were the
assailants who attacked Swamiji on 24 th December.
Meanwhile, the Kui tribals among the Kandhs in the District were agitating on
the conspiracy by Mr. Nayak who is engineering for getting a Presidential
notification under the provisions of the Constitution, to get his "Pana"
community, who are scheduled castes relisted as scheduled tribe along wi th
the Kui on the ground that the former also speak the Kui dialect. Various
reservation facilities to which scheduled tribes are entitled are not available
to persons converted to Christianity. On hearing the assault news on Swamiji,
the already agitated Kui community reacted and protested through out the
district against the "Pana" community converted to Christianity. Interestingly,
the Maoist (Naxalites) activists in the district are also mostly from among the
recent converts to Christianity. Among 47 Maoists arrested in connection with
recent burning of villages inhabited by Hindus ( Brahmanigaon, Jhinjiriguda,
Katingia, and Godapur) as a counter to attacks by tribals on the
Churches, 20 guns have been recovered by the security forces from them. It is
evident that the Maoists and the Church are hands in glove with each other to
spread fratricidal killings and clashes among the tribals which is evident also
from incidents in Karbi-Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts in Asaam.
Conversions of poor tribal villagers are being conducted on gun point and by
spreading terrorism.
While in active government service Mr. Radhakanta Nayak IAS (Retd.) and Mr.
John Nayak IPS (Retd.) both converted Christians were instruments of the Church
to proselytize the poor and illiterate "Pana" and tribal communities in
Kandhamal district of Orissa. Under guise of NGOs thousands of dollars are
pumped into the country for conversion of tribals in Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh,
Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and the North-East. Taking advantage of
the poverty and lack of education, thousands have been converted who are also
being trained for separatist movements like NSCN in Nagaland and Maoist
insurgency in the aforesaid states. This trend is more pronounced since 1970
which is evident from the census reports till 2001. In Kandhamal District alone
the Christian population has increased from 6% in 1970 to 27% in 2001, despite
an Act enacted by Orissa Legislature in 1967 to prevent conversion by
allurement, coercion, bribery and cheating. Swamiji has been fighting a
lone battle by making the tribal district his home for last 40 years, who has
been targeted by the Church to finish him. Earlier to the recent attack, there
were two other lethal attacks on Swamiji in 1971 and 1995. Since then the
government has provided armed protection to Swamiji. Inspite of that, he was
attacked by armed assailants on 24 December 2007 in which he and his driver and
armed security personnel were seriously injured and hospitalized in Cuttack
Medical College Hospital. Hence, the recent clashes manifest the various
ramifications of the socio-economic, political and cultural tribal issues and
the deep-rooted conspiracy by the Church to destabilize our society and our
economy. Let the Nation awake and protect our tribal brethren and the national
media stop distorting the facts.
Ashok Sahu, IPS (Retd.), Former Inspector General of Police.
---------------------------------
3. Ayyappa Temple Opens for Makara Vilakku Festival www.hinduonnet.com
SABARIMALA, INDIA, December 31, 2007: The Lord Ayyappa temple was opened for
the Makaravilakku festival on Sunday evening, marking the second phase of the
two-month-long pilgrimage season to the hill shrine. Makara Jyothi, the most
auspicious occasion of the festival when pilgrims sight a divine light at
Ponnambalamedu, the distant hills opposite the temple, falls on January 14.
Devaswom Minister G. Sudhakaran held a review meeting with concerned officials
at Pampa to evaluate the facilities being extended to Ayyappa devotees with
tens of millions of them expected to throng the temple in the coming 15 days
and create an action plan.
---------------------------------
NOTICE: Some source URLs cited in HPI articles are only valid on the date
the article was issued. Most are invalid a week to a few months later. When a
URL fails to work, go to the top level of the source's website and search for
the article.
Daily Inspiration
No fruit is too heavy for the tender vine. Similarly, a mother will always find
some means to support her child. Tamil Proverb
Opportunities and Submissions Send leads on Hindu events, movers,
leaders and activities in your area to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
---------------------------------
Individuals and organizations are invited to submit Hindu-related news and
announcements for distribution by HPI.
News is our major thrust--the more current and global, the better. When
sending news to HPI, please provide the source and text of the original item,
either by e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or by fax to 808-822-4351. News should
clearly relate to the Hindu religion.
For announcements, please prepare a short summary of the subject and provide
a URL to a web page with details. For example, "Swamiji will be visiting San
Francisco November 14-19 and Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 21-23, 2006. For
further information visit www.swamiswami.org. Alternatively, one could provide
an e-mail address. Acceptable subjects for announcements include significant
world tours of religious leaders, major events of organizations, major cultural
exhibitions and outstanding artistic performances.
---------------------------------
Contact
Archives
HPI on the web
Reuse and Copyright Information
Support HPI Financially
Subscribe | Unsubscribe | List Master
Umesh Sharma
Washington D.C.
1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )
http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/
http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
---------------------------------
Support the World Aids Awareness campaign this month with Yahoo! for Good
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
