goanet-digest Friday, April 12 2002 Volume 01 : Number 3817
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In this issue:
[Goanet] NEWS: BJP turns media-shy at key conclave
Re: [Goanet] Siddhis, Sudras & Slavery!
[Goanet] India''s PM and his entourage at Goa''s Taj Hermitage
[Goanet] NEWS: America's Catholic church in crisis as some priests prey
Re: [Goanet] Asian Philosophy Conference, April 27, Saturday
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Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 19:20:24 +0530
From: Frederick Noronha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] NEWS: BJP turns media-shy at key conclave
BJP turns media-shy at key conclave
By Deepshikha Ghosh, Indo-Asian News Service
Panaji (Goa), Apr 12 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began a crucial three-day introspective here
Friday with hordes of media persons unhappy at not having open access to the
leaders.
Policemen and BJP volunteers formed a virtually impenetrable barrier between
BJP leaders and swarms of media teams at the Marriott hotel, overlooking the
sea, that is the venue for the meeting of the BJP's national executive.
Unlike earlier conclaves where leaders freely mixed with journalists, the
party this time seems to have decided to hold its deliberations behind
closed doors and keep the prying media at arm's length.
Such are the curbs placed on the media that a reporter of a television
channel was stopped from interviewing former Uttar Pradesh chief minister
Rajnath Singh.
A predictable scuffle broke out between BJP workers and other reporters
restricted to the hotel lobby, as top BJP leaders looked on from its
spacious terrace that provides a picturesque view of the beaches around.
None of the journalists' coaxing, shouting or reasoning worked as policemen
and the BJP volunteers firmly asked reporters to clear out.
Party leaders passing by refused to be drawn into the tussle, saying the
decision to keep the media at a distance had been taken at "higher levels".
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Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 21:06:12 -0000
From: "santoshhelekar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [Goanet] Siddhis, Sudras & Slavery!
Sunila wrote:
>
>The caste system started as a flexible professional recognition
>system. Four main professions namely kshatriya (kings), vani
>(merchants), brahmin (scholars), shudras(other services) were
>recognised. It was flexible and a person could
>change his/her profession without a problem.
>
I don't know to what extent the above historical justification has any
kind of objective validity, considering the current desire for
revisionist thinking among Vedic scholars. But there is now strong
objective evidence for the idea that the discrimination between the
higher and lower castes might have been motivated by racism.
Furthermore, this evidence completely rules out the above contention
that "a person could change his/her profession (caste) without a
problem".
I am referring here to a genetic study conducted recently by
scientists at the University of Utah on several Indian population
groups belonging to different castes. I believe a news report on this
study was circulated on this or some other Goan mailing list.
This study found that the members of the higher castes (Brahmins,
Kshatriyas and Vaishyas) are genetically similar to white Eastern
Europeans, and substantially different from the members of the lower
castes (various Shudra subcastes). The Shudras and tribals have
significant genetic similarities with Africans and Asians. The case
appears to be pretty strong that the caste system was the earliest
form of skin color-based racist apartheid system, as Jose Colaco
proposes in his article on Colaco.Net.
Cheers,
Santosh
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Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 02:57:45 +0500 (IST)
From: goa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] India''s PM and his entourage at Goa''s Taj Hermitage
Goa BJP hopes to draw mileage from conclave
DH News Service/ PANAJI, Apr 11
The Bharatiya Janata Party�s three-day national executive committee meeting will get
underway here tomorrow, with the party chief Jana Krishnamurthy presiding over an
office bearers� meet in the morning to draw up a schedule.
The five-star Goa Marriott Resort on the banks of the River Mandovi which will be the
venue of the meet, was today getting a complete security runover. The 165-room hotel
which is to accommodate a number of 173 delegates will be totally cordoned off
tomorrow, officials said.
The BJP conclave also comes at a crucial time for Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar,
who unexpectedly dissolved the state assembly half-way through its term. Mr Parrikar
and Governor Mohammed Fazal have been challenged in the courts for their actions by
five petitions moved by the Congress and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).
The Goa chief minister is keen to use Prime Minister A B Vajpayee�s charisma to
counter growing public disenchantment with the BJP, in the aftermath of the communal
flare-up in Gujarat. BJP leaders here have become increasingly uneasy about their poll
prospects, in the face of the party�s declining image. Goa�s Catholic and Muslims make
for 35 per cent of the state�s electorate.
Mr Parrikar who was instrumental in changing the venue of the national executive meet
from Pune to Goa, plans to now make the most of the prime minister�s presence. Mr
Vajpayee is to unveil an Ambedkar statue in the capital, and will also distribute
certificates to beneficiaries of welfare schemes Mr Parrikar has launched with an eye
on the election.
But it is the public meeting the prime minister is to address tomorrow evening after
he arrives by a special air force plane, that BJP politicians propose to exploit to
the maximum. Over 800 buses have been readied to transport people from the interiors
to ensure a huge turnout. Many expect Mr Vajpayee will denounce the communal violence
in Gujarat in no uncertain terms, with a view to the party�s electoral prospects here.
The BJP meet will also help a number of hotels here tide over the unprecedented slump
of the past months. Apart from the Goa Marriott, where 75 rooms and all conference
facilities have been reserved by the party, the Cidade de Goa will house some of the
25 Union ministers and others, while the Nova Goa in the heart of Panjim is to serve
as the media centre and accommodate journalists. Union Minister L K Advani has decided
to stay at the Raj Bhavan, BJP leaders said.
Mr Vajpayee�s advisers have this time selected the upmarket Taj Hermitage for him and
his entourage. Located at Fort Aguada, Sinquerim, which is part of the famous
Calangute beach stretch, the Hermitage has played host to a number of world leaders
including Indira Gandhi and Margaret Thatcher, who stayed there during the
Commonwealth summit held here in 1983.
- - Forwarded by www.goa-world.net
- -------------------------------------------------
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Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 18:55:20 +0530
From: Frederick Noronha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] NEWS: America's Catholic church in crisis as some priests prey
America's Catholic church in crisis as some priests prey
by Mayank Chhaya, Indo-Asian News Service
San Francisco, Apr 12 (IANS) At a confessional a Catholic priest is kneeling
and telling a Father, "Forgive me Father, I want to fondle little boys."
"Whew... I thought you were going to say you wanted to ordain women," comes
the reply from the other side.
Although this devastating exchange takes place in a newspaper cartoon by
Mike Peters Dayton Daily News, it accurately sums up the crisis of faith
currently bedevilling the Catholic church of America.
The country's 60 million Catholics are running for cover out of sheer
embarrassment at the rash of complaints of rampant child abuse and
paedophilia across churches in America.
While the crisis' epicentre is in Boston, a strongly Catholic city on
America's east coast, its shockwaves are felt over 3,000 miles (4,800 km)
away on the west coast. A latest survey found that 77 percent of people
responding to a nationwide poll say Catholic bishops who didn't report
allegations of sex abuse by priests should resign.
Among American Catholics, 70 percent agreed that such bishops should resign,
as opposed to 19 percent who said they should not.
"American Catholics have lost a little faith in their parish priests and a
lot of faith in their bishops because of the flare-up of sex abuse charges
involving priests," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac
University Polling Institute that conducted the survey.
The rash of paedophile scandals came to light in January when the Boston
Globe newspaper reported that Rev. John J. Geoghan was facing allegations of
sexual abuse.
The paper said while church officials in Boston knew of his problems, he was
shuttled from parish to parish rather than being dismissed. In this context
the virtual silence of Boston Archbishop Bernard F. Law came in for severe
censure.
Since the clamour for his resignation has grown nationwide even as Cardinal
Law himself has steadfastly refused to resign saying "when the family is in
crisis you do not walk away."
Geoghan has been accused of molesting some 130 children, mostly schoolboys,
over the past 30 years. The Boston archdiocese has so far identified some 80
priests accused of sexual abuse over the last 40 years.
Even as the Geoghan issue is burning bright, another has followed right
behind. That also involves Cardinal Law. In 1990 the Boston Archbishop
attested to the "good character" of a priest named Paul R. Shanley seeking a
transfer.
The good character certificate by Cardinal Law flew in the face of what his
predecessor had said about Shanley. He was described by the previous
cardinal as a "sick person." He too was facing several charges of sexual
abuse.
The two cases appear to have opened the floodgates of similar complaints
nationwide. Survivors of Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), a
voluntary group whose agenda is so clearly spelt out in its name, has been
flooded with phone calls and e-mails from people complaining of abuse by
priests.
The San Francisco chapter of SNAP has received several complaints from
Fremont and Los Altos towns near the city. Complaints have also been
received in Los Angeles and many other cities in the country.
Notwithstanding the allegations of a cover-up, the question of Cardinal Law
resigning is not as easy as popularly believed. Being a member of the
Catholic Church he needs the permission of the Pope to quit.
While the archbishop has so far held his ground, even the Pope has not
expressed himself strongly enough. Bill O'Reilly, who hosts the number one
news show on cable television called "The O'Reilly Factor," has repeatedly
demanded Cardinal Law's head and severely criticised the Pope for failing to
step in to resolve the crisis.
- --Indo-Asian News Service
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Date: Fri, 12 Apr 2002 22:26:05 EDT
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Goanet] Asian Philosophy Conference, April 27, Saturday
In a message dated 04/12/2002 12:40:07 PM EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< You are invited to the Asian Philosophy Conference in 2 weeks. It is a
very cursory overview of
the topics, but should be enjoyable.
I look forward to seeing anyone who can make it. >>
This is typical of the warped minds that conduct such conferences.
Why on earth should I care to go a place which is blind to Christianity?
NO CHARGE -- HELL NO :(
Pat de Sousa
Maryland, USA
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End of goanet-digest V1 #3817
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