The Silent and Telling Emergency in India
Special ContributionBy S. P. Udayakumar
June 26, 2012
Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
Today is the 37the anniversary of the infamous emergency that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed on the people of India. While some people were quite happy that the bureaucrats came to offices on time, shopkeepers kept price lists outside their shops, trains were punctual and so forth, many people were worried and concerned about the curtailment of our freedoms and entitlements. As a 15-year-old boy, I was worried about my father’s safety (as he was active in the DMK party), the complete absence of freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and most importantly, freedom from fear. People were afraid to speak their minds out, the newspapers were full of blank spaces because of censorship, and the society was enveloped by a thin layer of fear and suspicion. That was not the India I had grown up to love and cherish. Never did I imagine even in my wildest nightmares that I would find myself in a similar but silent emergency after some 37 years of liberty and freedom.
Today is the 100th day of my and Pushparayan’s self-exile here at Idinthakarai. On March 18, 2012 at 4:45 PM the Personal Assistant (General) of the Tirunelveli Collector called me and asked me and Fr. F. Jayakumar, the Parish Priest of Idinthakarai, to go and meet the Collector in his office the next morning at 10 am. The Collector, Dr. R. Selvaraj, himself called me later that night and the next day morning asking us to go and meet him. A warning bell rang in my mind and I told my friends that we were all going to be arrested. My intuition proved to be right; some 200 of our friends from Koodankulam, Koottapuli, Chettikulam and Erode were arrested. Rayan and I and 13 others embarked on an indefinite hunger strike demanding our friends’ immediate and unconditional release.
The Superintendent of Police, Mr. Vijayendra Bidari, called me on my mobile on March 19th evening and asked me to surrender. With him still on the phone, I asked the thousands of people who had gathered there for their permission to surrender and they all shouted down the idea. I asked the SP to send enough vehicles and two officers with the arrest warrants so that we all would get arrested en masse. He did not like that idea and hung up by saying, “This is the last time I speak to you.” We used to speak to each other quite often as I got his oral permission for all our rallies, campaigns and public meetings.
Ever since March 18th, Rayan and I never left this small coastal village (except two short visits to the nearby Kuthenkuzhi village by sea). Thousands of people including women and children from all the neighboring villages were keeping a constant round-the-clock vigil to protect us from police action. The Tamil Nadu government imposed 144 prohibitory orders in our area and blocked our access to food, water, electricity and other essentials such as baby food, vegetables and fruits. Young mothers were forced to feed their babies sugar water; pregnant women could not go to hospital; and men could not leave or enter the village. We were surrounded by a massive deployment of police personnel from all over Tamil Nadu and paramilitary forces. We rightly called the situation another ‘Mullivaikal.’ Indeed, it was!
Pushparayan, Jesuraj and I are not afraid of police arrest or incarceration; we just do not want the struggle to be folded up by the Tamil Nadu police, the Government of India and its intelligence agencies. This is the reason why we have decided not to venture out of Idinthakarai. This self-exile has not been easy or smooth-going. But the singular achievement of our self-exile is keeping the struggle alive and active with several hunger strikes, public meetings, campaigns, planning meetings and other assorted activities.
So far, more than 300 false cases have been filed against us, the leaders of the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE), and the struggling people of southern Tamil Nadu. Up until December 31, 2011 some 170 FIRs were filed against us. A friend tabulated these cases and had this to say: “Just between September and December 2011, …109 FIRs (First Investigation Report) have been filed against 55,795 people and an undisclosed number of "others." At least 21 sections of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) have been used, include Section 121 (Waging War against the Government of India) against 3600 people, and Section 124A (Sedition) against 3200 people. The Koodankulam police station has the dubious distinction, perhaps, of being the station where the largest number of "sedition" and "waging war" cases have been filed in the shortest time in the history of colonial and independent India.”
More than 300 cases including ‘sedition’ and ‘waging war against the State’ charges and life in self exile in a remote coastal village without any mobility, family, access to health care, and other essentials of life make me remember the ‘Emergency’ and MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) days. Yes, there is a silent emergency prevailing in India today. The State that accuses us of waging war against it is indeed waging a war against its own people. Also we have to ask what is seditious today in India. The Manmohan Singh government has scores of ministers who are accused of serious corruption and fraudulence charges but it is the common people like us who struggle for the safety and betterment of our people stand accused of sedition.
The Manmohan Singh government, the most controversial government independent India has ever had, has tried all kinds of dirty tricks to put down our struggle and the movement. They have been accusing us of receiving foreign money, acting at the behest of foreign powers, conspiring with the Catholic Church, conniving with opposition parties and so on. They have damaged my school, destroyed the poor little children’s library books, vandalized the children’s water taps, intimidated the family members, and indulged in all kinds of inhuman, devious and criminal behavior. The Indian government and the Department of Atomic Energy have refused to give any information to the public and are speaking half-truths, non-truths and complete nonsense just to mislead the country and enhance their own self interests.
Having exhausted all options to end opposition to the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, the Government of India now plans to take a peek into all our minds and remove any fears with the help of psychiatrists from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore. The government is getting sicker and sillier. Besides the prevailing ‘silent emergency,’ there is also a telling emergency in the country, viz. we are stuck with a government that works for foreign governments, foreign corporations, foreign interests, and cannot for a second accept the simple fact that ‘Ordinary Indians’ can think through policy issues, take a stand on them, and stand up for their rights. We have got an emergency situation indeed.
S. P. Udayakumar is the Coordinator of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) and the opinions expressed here are his own.
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Gujarat: Myth and reality
Special ContributionBy Bhalchandra Mungekar
Jun 12, 2012
Gujarat Solar Park in India
A war of words has erupted between the chief ministers of Bihar and Gujarat. Bihar's chief minister Nitish Kumar has slammed Narendra Modi for taking potshots at the state's slow socio-economic growth. The altercation began with Modi saying that caste politics has ruined states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Hitting back, Nitish has said that Modi should look at the conditions in his own state before criticising others.For the last several years, Modi has been successful in projecting his "vibrant Gujarat" as a role model of economic growth and himself as ''Vikas Purush".
Though one must give due credit to Modi for his effective skills in making projections, one must also critically analyse this "growth story of Gujarat" based on facts and figures. Regretfully, as one examines the facts since Modi came to power in Gujarat in 2001, the story appears to be hollow and, at times, contrary to what is being projected.First, about the rate of economic growth.
During 1995-2000 and 2001-10, Gujarat increased its annual rate of growth from 8.01% to 8.68%. But so is the case with other major states such as Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. In fact, Gujarat was ranked second after Rajasthan (8.34%) in the first period and third after Uttarakhand (11.81%) and Haryana (8.95%) in the second period. What is remarkable, Bihar and Orissa, the two most backward and poverty-stricken states, have also shown growth pick up from 4.70% and 4.42% in the first period to 8.02% and 8.13% in the second period. Even smaller states like Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have registered growth of 11.01% and 8.96%, respectively.
During 2001-04, the rate of industrial growth for Gujarat was 3.95%, and during 2005-09, it was 12.65%. In isolation, this appears to be a phenomenal jump, but not so when compared to some other states. During these sub-periods, industrial growth for Orissa was 6.4% and 17.53%; for Chhattisgarh 8.10% and 13.3%; and for Uttarakhand 18.84% and 11.63%. Thus, the hitherto industrially backward states have far surpassed Gujarat.In FDI, too, Gujarat has not been a leading state. During 2006-10, Gujarat signed MoUs worth Rs 5.35 lakh crore with potential of 6.47 lakh jobs. But Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu with Rs 4.20 lakh crore and Rs 1.63 lakh crore worth MoUs, expect about 8.63 lakh and 13.09 lakh jobs.
To top it all, Chhattisgarh and Orissa have signed MoUs worth Rs 3.61 lakh crore and Rs 2.99 lakh crore more than Gujarat without much fanfare and Modi's much-hyped industrial summits.In the area of credit-deposit ratio, Gujarat is far behind other major states. In 2010, Gujarat's share in total deposits of the scheduled commercial banks was 4.70%, as against 5.42%, 6.20%, 6.34% and 26.60% for Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, respectively.
The share of Gujarat in total credit disbursed by these commercial banks was 4.22%; while the same for Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tami Nadu was 29.75%, 6.71% and 9.61% respectively.The amount of per capita deposit and per capita credit for Gujarat was Rs 37,174 and Rs 24,268; while for Tamil Nadu, it was Rs 42,580 and Rs 47,964; Karnataka Rs 49,598 and Rs 38,154; and Maharashtra Rs 1,10,183 and Rs 89,575.
Even Kerala did better than Gujarat with Rs 43,890 and Rs 27,912.In terms of per capita income (PCI), in 2011, Gujarat ranked sixth among major states with PCI of Rs 63,996, after Haryana (Rs 92,327), Maharashtra, (Rs 83,471), Punjab (Rs 67,473), Tamil Nadu (Rs 72,993) and Uttara-khand (Rs 68,292).What about inclusive growth in Gujarat? Though Gujarat, with 31.8% people below the poverty line did better than Maharashtra and Karnataka, it still lagged behind Kerala, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, where poverty levels were 19.7%, 20.9%, 22.9% and 24.1%, respectively.On three important social indicators, viz life expectancy at birth (LEB), mean years of schooling (MYS) and school life expectancy (SLE), Gujarat is far behind some other states.
In Gujarat, the LEB during 2002-06 was 64.1 years and it ranked ninth among major Indian states. In the areas of MYS and SLE, during 2004-05, it ranked seventh and ninth, respectively. Kerala ranked first in all three indicators. Even Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka performed much better than Gujarat.With respect to Human Deve-lopment Index (HDI), Gujarat's story is devastating. The HDI for Gujarat, in 2008, was 0.527 and it ranked 10 {+t} {+h} among major states.
Kerala stood first (HDI: 0.790), Himachal Pradesh scored 0.652, Punjab 0.605, Maharashtra 0.572 and Haryana 0.552. With respect to three HDI components - income, health and education - Gujarat does not present a shining story. In this respect, states like Kerala took the lead in every sector, while Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal did better than Gujarat.It is found that inequality with respect to income, education and health is higher in Gujarat than some of the major states. Shockingly, in terms of hunger - as revealed by the 'State Hunger Index 2008' - Gujarat ranked 13th among 17 big states and worse than Orissa.In Gujarat, the percentage of women suffering from anaemia has risen from 46.3% in 1999 to 55.5% in 2004, and amongst children from 74.5% to 80.1%.
The conditions of dalits and women have deteriorated during the last decade; while those of Muslims and tribals are still worse.Thus, Gujarat's growth story as claimed by Modi is more a myth than reality. But it is also imperative that other states in the country make concerted efforts to secure higher and also inclusive growth, rather than getting enamoured with the Gujarat growth story. Also, for the people of Gujarat, it's time for introspection and putting right efforts in the direction of making Gujarat a truly "vibrant" state.
(The writer is a member of the Rajya Sabha and former member, Planning Commission.)
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Can Sita be the Role Model for Contemporary Women?
Special ContributionBy Ram Puniyani
Jun 11, 2012
Rakhi Sawant acting as a Sita
Women’s struggle to break the shackles of patriarchy and come of their own is a part of democratization/secularization process of society. In India while this equality has been granted right with the implementation of Constitution in free India, the social realities are far from those of equality. With the rise of cultural, religious and social norms, which accompany politics in the name of religion, the matters are worse off as far as struggle for gender justice is concerned. While women’s movement has been asserting the longing for equality, this process has got several obstacles and these obstacles, when couched in the language of religion become much more difficult to overcome.
The observation of Bombay High Court (March 2012) that married women should be like Goddess Sita and should give up their all to accompany their husband like Sita did, is what is desirable. The learned judges were opining on a case of divorce in which woman is not willing to join her husband, who has got a job in Port Blair and she is living in Mumbai. The judge’s observation and taking a cue from the mythological figures itself has lot of problems. On the top of that the analogy of Sita may be most painful as far as women are concerned. Despite various versions of Lord Ram story prevailing around the most common and well known in this part of the country is the one of Valmiki. This Valmiki version has been made more popular byMahrshi Ramanand Sagar through his serial Ramayan. Here the character of Sita is most servile and subservient to the Lord. For example when Ram faces the dilemma of banishing her to forest on the alleged rumors of Sita’s chastity, Sita in Ramanand Sagar’s version herself prods her husband to send her to forest, quite a retrograde fall over the version of Valmiki himself.
As such in most versions of Lord Ram Story what is common is that Sita is an abandoned child found by Raja (King) Janak while doing the ritual and ploughed the field. She is married off to Ram, who is exiled by his father Dashrath to keep the promise to one of his queens, Kaikeyi. From here the misery of Sita starts. Ravan, who wants to take revenge of insult of his sisterSurpnakha at the hands of Ram- Laxman duo, abducts Sita and takes her to Lanka, where she is made to live in Ashok Vatika. Ravan, himself shows a desire for him but she refuses. Her rescue is also full of insult for her. Lord Ram tells her that he has rescued her to save his own honor! Sita is made to give ‘Trail by Fire’, agnipariksha to prove her chastity. She passes the test and is brought back to Ayodhya to be coroneted along with her husband.
The misery intensifies. There is a rumor questioning the chastity of the queen. The King, Lord Ram, is witness to the agniparikshka. At this point instead of protecting his wife, who is pregnant, he asks his loyal brother Laxman to dump her in a forest. Exiling a pregnant wife can not by any standard be part of the justice at any time in the history. Years later when Ram meets Sita by coincidence, Ram hesitates to take her back and at this point Sita commits suicide. Probably amongst all the mythological figures, Sita’s is the most tragic tale.
While all this is part of the popular folklore, how come the learned judges give the advice to any married woman to emulate Sita? No woman can have a life worse than this. The other point is in the present society trying to march towards democratic values; can we think of giving the examples from mythology to be emulated today? The period of society depicted in mythologies is the one which was having values of kingdoms. Kingdoms had the values of ‘birth based hierarchy’ of caste and gender. While the claims are that in ancient India, women had a glorious and respectable life, the truth comes out from the values given in the Manusmirti, a book where the women has the status totally subservient and secondary to man. It was precisely because of the caste and gender hierarchy of this ‘holy’ book, that Dr. Ambedkar burnt it.
With women’s movement coming up and gender subservience being questioned, surely our laws and courts have to be sensitive to the aspirations of women. The very concept of woman losing her basic identity after marriage has to be consigned to the dustbin of history. The adjustment between couples has be more innovative, few examples of which one sees in the contemporary times more so in western countries and in good measure around here as well. Here in India also there are couples who chart their own course for togetherness, without losing their basic identities and choices. We need to bring our thinking in tune with the times, the democratic set up, away from the birth based hierarchies towards the concept of equality. The intrusion of feudal and other primordial values has been wearing the garb of fundamentalism, in various religions. Christian Fundamentalism, Islamic Fundamentalism and Hindutva are examples where the subordination of women is legitimized in the language of religion.
In India with the rise of religion based politics with Ram Temple movement, there has also been a religio-cultural accompaniment in the form of Godmen, modern Gurus, who are talking of status quo of social relationships in a refined language. Manu Smriti’s values are being dished out in the clever disguise by the five star Gurus, with massive following. Many a television serials are also playing a very retrograde role as far as the norms of gender equality are concerned. The TV-Baba combination is very lethal for values desirable in a democratic set up, in a set up where we create social situations to dump patriarchal norms for good.
The analogy of Sita in particular is very painful but as such any analogy from mythological and periods of history before the democratic culture starts coming in has to be shunned. One hope courts and legal structures think of the fate of Sita before ordaining such a life for women in current times.
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A woman is raped every 90 minutes in Sri Lanka
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Jun 6, 2012
Socialist Women’s Union held a conference
Women and children are at the receiving end of serious crimes due to political interference and the failure of the police to carry out law and order in the country states Socialist Women’s Union (SWU) and pointed out that a woman is raped somewhere in Sri Lanka every 90 minutes.
SWU points out that this state is due to the introduction of the free economy to the country which destroyed human relationships and created a society that decides everything on money. This was stated by the National Organizer of the SWU Samanmalee Gunasinghe at a special media meeting held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta today (5th).
Speaking further Ms. Gunasinghe said, “The SWU holds the media meeting not just to speak about one or a few incidents. We would like to draw the attention of the society to the serious tragedies children and women are confronted with generally.
Police Judicial statistics show that 5 instances of raping of women take place in the country daily. However, the real number is thrice this which means 15 women are being raped daily. In other words a woman is raped in the country every 90 minutes. Statistics show this situation has escalated from 1990. There were 665 rape incidents reported in 1990, 542 in 1995, 1397 in 2007, 1592 in 2008, 1624 in 2009, 1854 in 2010, 1636 until 30th November, 2011. Also, 48% of the recorded crimes in 2011 were rapes of women. 89% of them were raping of girls under the age of 16. Also, 4000 of the 15,000 cases that are being heard in courts are regarding violence against children. It has also been revealed that 90% of the women are abused when using public transport.
As the Socialist Women’s Union we have a broad analysis regarding these crimes. Why do these crimes committed against women and children? According to newspaper reports more than 20 such incidents occur daily. It is evident that the main cause of this situation is the result of open economic policy that created a society that craves for money and tries to earn it by hook or by crook. During the first days open economy was introduced children too were sold to foreigners. Also, children were used as sex slaves to earn money. Murdering of children and women too has gone up. We have reached such a stage that economic factors have taken precedent over human relationships.
The SWU requests all women not to wait till any crime or violence is committed against them or others around them but to rally to defeat this state. All women’s organizations as well as women individually should rise against this state. They should struggle for the right to live without abuse and harm. The SWU is prepared to give leadership to all just struggles of women. We invite all to rally with us to build a protective society for all.
Members of the Executive Committee of the SWU Chandramali Perera and Sriya Ganegalle, Member of the SWU Samudra Warnakulasuriya too were present.
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INTERNATIONAL CHINESE PIRATES OPERATING FROM MAINLAND CHINA
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
May 30, 2012
Chinese pirates
“Alibaba.com and 4 million thieves!”
The website looks authentic; the princesses write and speak very good English. I wonder if they are the former hookers worked the streets of the free world. All sound and appear like a regular business operation. Products are displayed on internet and unsuspecting buyers fall prey to these international pirates operating out of mainland china. The shipping companies are Chinese operated, but you will never know from the way they operate. I think Mr.Frank Shao is a former pimp.
They ask for 25-30% upfront payment and the rest on Copy of bill of lading. So when the goods are suppose to be on ship in the sea you receive a copy of the bill of lading, you pay the balance and goods are delivered. The goods are invariably industrial waste!
I am a victim of two times Chinese piracy!. Looks like I will never learn. I wrote to the Chinese Ambassador, he never even bothered to acknowledge my complain! Some one said he or she is part of Alibaba and 4 million thieves. You know the website Alibaba.com. The name should have warned and reminded about the movie Alibaba and 40 thieves. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=52703
To the amazement of my Chinese supplier, we got them this time, we talked them till the shipment reaches destination port. Now we have a stand off, open the container before we pay you. The Chinese supplier is not allowing us to open it. You know what is inside. Either it is full of Chinese shit or China princesses to do prostitution in North America .
I have determined change the Maritime Shipping Law, Let see how far I go. By the way how comes only Chinese hookers are allowed to operate freely standing on the street side waving at the passers-by?
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South Korea, Nanotechnology and Educating Globally Aware Citizens
By Layne HartsellSenior Editor
May 18, 2012
South Korea have developed a tiny, crab-like robot powered by energy from the heart
Over the past decade, nanotechnology has grown in the public eye and has inspired many dreams of a better future with what seems today like fantasy or science fiction. Nano robots inside the body acting like red blood cells, which would allow us to run a kilometer on one breath; or scuba dive without the scuba. Neural implants for better memory. Reverse engineered photosynthesis, which would give massive amounts of energy with only water and oxygen as waste materials. Indeed, nanotechnology has caught the imagination of many average folks, but also the top scientists, poets, philosophers and policy makers. With nanoscience the possibilities seem endless, or at least our dreams tell us so. South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, with wireless internet of which some others only dream. Here, nanotechnology has taken hold with funding and imagination.
Nanoscience is the science of the very, very small. The US National Nanotechnology Initiative says that the new science is to understand and to control matter at the nanoscale, which are dimensions of 1 to 100 nanometers. At this level, unique material phenomena enable novel applications. Nanoscience is considered multidisciplinary because it ‘encompasses nanoscale science, engineering, and technology. Nanotechnology involves imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale…So how small is "nano"? A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick.’ Quite small. One hundred thousand nanometers stacked on top of each other would be equal to the thickness of an A4 sheet of paper. What cells represented to van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723), nanotechnology represents to us. Leeuwenhoek modified the first microscope and developed what we know today as microbiology. Interestingly, he was from Delft, Netherlands, which is the center of the philosophy of technology today. Although, nowadays, the machines scientists use to ‘see’ the very, very small are high tech and far more powerful than his simple microscope – somewhere around 1 million times more powerful.
The word nano has made its way into mainstream society in product advertising, making it a new buzz word, similar to what quantum was a decade ago. On the market, nano creams are popular in making the skin white, because of embedded titanium dioxide particles in the cream. In South Korea, the products are extremely popular. The cream is long lasting because the nano size of the particles allows them to move into the area around the skin cells and stay there for a time. Therefore, the skin remarkably ‘becomes’ white. However, much of the hype is simply faddish gratification, which can be somewhat risky.
It is true that there are great possibilities, though nanoscience is only in its infancy. In other words, currently in nanoscience, and for any new science, there is the rigorous or basic level testing, which must occur first. In this stage, scientists look for physical constants from which they can build their knowledge on how to manipulate atoms or matter. Expensive machines are needed to maintain high heat, gas pressure, electromagnetic energy and other variations on processes specific to an experiment. Also, in the beginning stages, scientists, economists, philosophers and policy makers debate the potential risks and benefits of the new technologies and how funding will be spent. This process called the precautionary principle should follow the entire research process through all levels of development up until the time of moving products into the public sphere. It is quite a long process. Australian philosopher of technology and Editor-in-Chief for the journal Nanoethics says that the precautionary principle is very necessary for any foreseeable powerful technology, which could pose existential risks.
Therefore, it is important for the general public to have some basic understanding of how science works before following along with the crowd to buy the newest nano product, most of which have not been rigorously tested, or more importantly, acting in a democratic citizenry.
In an autumn of 2010 visit to the Korea Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), my wife and I had the chance to talk with some of the Korean scientists there about the issue of cosmetics and nanoparticles. Unanimously, they were ultra conservative about the products, so much so, that they recommended not using the items.
This information might be cause for alarm for many; however, much of the public is not literate in science, which leads to irrational consuming amongst other behaviors. In many of the various educations systems of the world, there tends to be a high focus on memorization and brow beating, sometimes literally, of children over mostly unnecessary information. There is less, if any, focus on thinking skills, applied ethics, media analysis and scientific literacy. These last four, however, are the ground from which to pursue a career in most fields and to participate as an adult in society and as a rational consumer in the market. Take for example, rather than teaching children how to enjoy learning through interesting scientific projects, today they are drilled with exercises when they are quite young like memorizing the periodic table, a practice which is guaranteed not only to decrease interest in science, but to stunt thinking ability. I am borrowing ideas on education from Bruce Albert, a biochemist and Editor-In-Chief of the journal Science. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) which publishes the journal Science is the world’s most respected scientific academy, and for good reason, as they have been committed to trying to see the world as clearly as possible and to reproduce this knowledge in society, to create a better world. Regular teachers, many of them, see the negative effects of the education system on a daily basis.
Will students be prepared to move into a world of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary convergence science when they have been impoverished early on? ‘Creativity and openness’ are absolutely necessary, to quote Dr. Albert. Philosopher of science, Joachim Schummer writes that there is no [disciplinary] knowledge without a social context of transmission and education, and a social body that thereby reproduces itself. What that social context will be is a matter of choice. And, time is getting short on how education progresses for the next generation, members of which are going to become citizens in a society of large-scale acceleration of technology. Their preparation is a moral imperative for those of us today.
Fortunately, there are plenty of outlets for information and learning via the Internet, various public educational and continuing education projects, and others, for example, community café groups. The only drawback is in how to understand the information on the Internet, where there is too much information, and the information is conflicting in some cases. A good illustration of this point, though outside of nanoscience, is related to the climate crisis. In a 2004 Science article, Naomi Oreskes, a science historian, argued strongly against climate change deniers and skeptics. Ninety-eight percent of all climate scientists accept that anthropogenic climate effects are what the science overwhelmingly points to. This is what is called epistemic justification. In other words, human activity is causing the climate crisis. A few years ago, a major newspaper ran an article comparing the findings of the climate scientists’ to what meteorologists where saying on the evening news, drawing no distinction between world-class scientists and trained actors and actresses with little scientific competency. Thus, there is reason for consternation in the public, with who and what they see as reputable media.
The globally aware citizen needs a way to understand how to frame information and then how to engage his or her values with the information, from various perspectives. This part is a skill that must be trained like someone who enjoys athletics, and it is part of the individual responsibility of citizenship. Even memorizing a tremendous amount of information will not allow one to attain a PhD in science. The individual has to begin to develop a way to coordinate their understanding around information and to take in new information into their coordinating ability – kind of like drawing a triangle around information and then understanding the middle. Finally, there must be a way to let go of erroneous information which is either no longer useful or which was false. The task is not easy, however, these skills, I believe will have to grow in the future in order for societies to meet the exponential growth in technology, which is already underway, and to meet the major challenges of today – geopolitical economic stability, nuclear disarmament and climate change.
For the acceleration of technology and the challenges humanity is faced with today, a good metaphor would be like going from riding a horse one day, say in the late 1800s, to flying on the Airbus A380 a years days later. The entire world of transportation would have changed ‘overnight.’ The same is true of the potentials for nanotechnology, but not just for transportation; nanotechnology will likely change nearly every aspect of our lives from energy systems to medicine to materials and even to how long we live.
I have a 1,000 Won bet with my friend, Dr. Choi, who is a molecular biologist at Sungkyunkwan University. Our bet is, on average, humans will live to be 100 years old by 2020 due to developments in better lifestyles aided by nanobiology. He says it’s not possible because technology is in a plateau; whereas I say, possible, because technology is in an exponential acceleration! Whomever wins the friendly bet, we can see that society is going to be greatly affected, and it is important for a kind of universalized globally aware citizen to develop in societies around the planet who can act responsibly with information and technology, act politically on where funding goes and for what, and finally, to make sure that a better society is created with sustainable energy, better healthcare with access for all, and to create a general overall sense of well-being from the right application of technology and through what global justice philosopher Thomas Pogge calls a ‘basic life support package.’
Layne Hartsell teaches at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea and lectures at Mahidol University, Thailand. His research is in the philosophy of technology related to nanotechnology applications for undeveloped countries. He is also a coordinator for Seoul Global Study Group, Cafe Global Chat
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Politics through Food Habits
Special ContributionBy Ram Puniyani
May 14, 2012
Spicy Beef Biryani
In the middle of April 2012 Osmania University (OU) witnessed an unusual violence on the issue of eating beef. A section of dalit students’ were demanding that University Hostels should have beef on the menu. They also organized a beef festival in which a large number of students ate beef biryani. The festivity was not to last long as the ABVP, the student wing of RSS, created rampage, a student was knifed, a bus was torched and ruckus was created in the university. The Vice Chancellor of OU knelt to the aggressive cow protectors and said that beef will not be introduced in the menu.
Just a month ago the in the Kurmaguda area of Hyderabad a group of youth associated with Hindu communal group were arrested for throwing beef inside a Hanuman temple, who later spread the word that Muslims have defiled our temple and turned their guns against the hapless minority, torched few buses. A little while ago the ruling BJP government in Madhya Pradesh had introduced a bill prohibiting the consumption of beef in the state. Other BJP ruled states in one form or the other are introducing legislations, which prohibit the slaughter of cow.
The place where Muslims were butchered mercilessly under the Chief mastership of Modi the ‘care of cow’ has gone one step up and state has opened centers for cataract and dental surgery of the Mother Cow. The goal of the Hindu state of Gujarat under Modi is to open more such centers so that Mother cow does not have to travel more than three kilometers for accessing these services, this while innumerable victims of Gujarat carnage, are yet to recover from the trauma of the carnage, aided by the apathy of state.
So far most of these legislations and the accompanying propaganda have been directed primarily against Muslim minority, which is demonized as the butchers and eaters of ‘our holy cow’. The OU episode shows the other side of the agenda of cow politics. While there had been cases of murders of dalits on the pretext of skinning a dead cow (Jhajjar, Haryana) and VHP defending the act saying that cow is too holy to spare the dalits. Still primarily it is the Muslim community which has been the target of propaganda emanating from RSS- Combine stable.
With dalits, the other target of RSS combine, the issue is not just of identity. It is related to the livelihood and food habits of dalits-Adivasis. The cow as a symbol of RSS combine has been in the fore since the rise of communal politics during the British rule. As such the cow has been in the forefront of communal battles of upper castes in India earlier also. The Brahmanical reaction to rise of Buddhism was countered by putting forward the symbol of cow. Some Dalit scholars hold that cow was cleverly chosen and one of the reasons cow stole a march over the equally useful buffalo was its color. It is not a coincidence that the dark skinned people have faced the wrath of the elite in one form or the other.
The scholars of Vedic India Prof D.N.Jha, Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane and champion of social justice Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, all have pointed out that cow was verily eaten during Vedic period. With the rise of agricultural society, and need for preserving cattle wealth; the religions-ideologies promoting non-violence in the form of Jainism and Buddhism came up and campaigned against senseless sacrifice of cow in Vedic yagnas (sacrificial ritual).
The current communal politics has twin agenda. At surface it wants to subjugate the minorities and is using the emotive issues to create a mass hysteria against minorities. Lord Ram and Cow are the major tools of communal political mobilization. While the supporters of RSS combine generously donate for the welfare of cow, it is the dalits who practically take care of the grazing and other needs of Holy mother. Last some time a pressure is being built up culturally and politically that beef eating communities give up this integral part of their habit.
The food patterns are changing under intense propaganda still as of now the consumption of beef in India is higher than that of mutton and chicken put together. Its export is also a major business. The RSS combine on one side aims to subjugate the Minorities and on the other wants to maintain the status quo of social relationship of caste and gender. These are subtle and overt maneuvers implemented through political and cultural conduits. Attitude of communal politics to dalits has been a complex one. The anti dalit violence of 1980 against reservation, the anti OBC violence of 1986 against promotion of OBCs in jobs, and its strengthening of Kamandal politics (Rath Yatra and the Babri demolition) in response to Mandal were a part of this.
At another level the strategy is to co-opt dalits into Hindutva fold. From middle of decades of 1980s RSS has activated Samajik Samrasta Manch (Social Harmony Forum) which has been mobilizing dalits around that. The Gurus like Sri Sri Ravishanker have been saying that there should be harmony between upper and lower caste, while he keeps quiet about the prevalent social injustice in various forms. The aim of the communal politics is to maintain the status quo of caste and gender.
Through Samajik Samrasta Manch the message of undermining caste atrocities and social injustice is actively propagated. Supplementing this is the cultural assertion and imposition of elite norms on the whole society. Food habits are a part of culture and for large sections of dalits and Adiviasis beef had been an integral part of their food. Incidentally there is a vigorous campaign to promote vegetarianism and denigrate non vegetarian food practices.
While the large section of dalits is struggling for social and economic justice, a section of dalits is undergoing the process of sanskritization as well. It is in this light that the symbols of dalit assertion in the matters of food habits and cultural expressions are being attacked openly. The compromised state apparatus is not able to stand up to this onslaught of communal politics to preserve the social and democratic rights of dalits and other marginalized sections of society, be it the matters of their physical security, questions of equity and food habits. It is a blatant attempt to manipulate culture, to impose elite norms, through influencing the food habits, which are so much cultural in their nature.
It seems Mother Cow may be the major emotive weapon to be used for the politics deriving its legitimacy from Hindu religions’ identity. Interestingly it reveals the twin goals of this politics. At surface it is to reduce the minorities to a status of second class citizen and at deeper level to subjugate dalits at social, political and cultural level.
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Srilanka
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO NEUTRALIZE THE MAHAVAMSA INDUCED FANATICISM AMONG SINGHALESE MASSES
Special ContributionBy Massey Subra
May 4, 2012
Sinhalese monks leading protest against Muslim
"The funny part of man is he succumbs to fanaticism over famine, he is willing to die when he is hungry" Subramaniam Masilamany
The only way religious fanaticism can be reduced is by strong economic development. Poverty and famine are the avenues through which fanaticism lives on. That is why America at tremendous cost has invested in the Middle East, China and India. Imagine if China and India were to go Islam!
Sri Lanka is caught in the fanatical hurricane and the eye of the hurricane are the AXIS OF EVIL, these are the Mahavamsa-Mahasangha and Mahanayakes. We call it the AXIS IF EVIL in Sri Lanka. How do we remove the spell that is surrounding the Singhalese masses? Through massive economic development.We have to separate the people from the trouble makers, those are the fanatic elements among the Buddhist clergy and criminals among the politicians.
From day number one since independence it the fanatics monks that caused trouble in Sri Lanka. Soma Rama Thero, a monk shot and killed the then prime minister Bandaranayke. The whole political spectrum is dotted with the influence of the Mahasangha. Mahinda Rajapaksa and his gang are the hired criminals with impeccable criminal record for three generations
This effect of fanaticism cannot be removed with sanctions but can definitely with economic development. Therefore we Tamil must invest in Sri Lanka to raise the economic standard of the masses from one of subsistence (Sub-existence) to one of super existence.
The funny part of man is he succumbs to fanaticism over famine, he is willing to die when he is hungry.
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Book Review: Protecting Plurality
Special ContributionBy Ram Puniyani
Apr. 25, 2012
(Book under Review: Teen Sau Ramayan (Hindi) by A.K.Ramanujan: Translation by Dhaval Jaiswal, Vani Prakahan, Delhi 2012, Pages 80, Rs 125)
How does one react to the omission of a learned essay from the Curriculum and its publication by the publisher feeling intimidated by the protests of intolerant-fundamentalist elements? Here is one small answer. Put it on the web site, translate it in to other languages and quench the curiosity of concerned readers. In case of celebrated essay ‘Three Hundred Ramayans’, this is what has been attempted. While some put it on web, translating it into Hindi has been done by Jaiswal and its publication by Vani Prakashan. Both deserve appreciation in the light of the fact that when Oxford University Press(OUP) decided to pull off this essay, from future publications, the bringing this out in Hindi is a laudable attempt.
This essay was part of the syllabus of graduate course of History Department of Delhi University. In 2008, the RSS affiliates, Shiksha Bachao Andolan (Movement to Save Education) and the student wing of RSS created ruckus against this essay by saying that it hurts Hindu sentiments. The matter went to high Court, which ruled that since the issue relates to Academia, Delhi University (DU) should take the final call. DU formed a four member team, which opined that the essay is an exemplary piece of scholarship worth being read by students. However one of the team members added a rider, asking students and teachers can handle its depth of this essay. DU decided to withdraw it from the curriculum and OUP decided to stop publishing it.
Dhaval Jaiswal has done a remarkable job in translating it. The quality of translation is very high and simple enough. It is well edited and introduced by Apoorvanand, who places the book in the proper perspective and gives instances of some lovely mythological traditions. This book, Tin Sau Ramayan, is by Ramanujan, a scholar-translator of exceptional caliber, who has pieced together the concept behind the prevalence of many Ram stories. Even before the noted Valmiki Ramayan, there was a prevalence of many versions of Jataka Ramayans. One such version of Jataka Ramayan had come under attack earlier also when in one of the panels of exhibition by SAHMAT, it showed Ram and Sita to be siblings. The diverse versions of Ramayan are also well revealed by one version of Ramayan itself where at one point in one of the Ramayan tales, Sita tells Ram, that she will also come with him to the forest. When Ram opposes this she goes on to say that in most of the Ramayan tales Sita has accompanied Ram, so why are you denying my coming with you to forest!
The essay of Ramanujan begins with a beautiful narration about different reincarnations of Ram, with each reincarnation Ram drops a ring, which falls in to the Pata lok (below the Earth) . All these rings are indistinguishable from each other. The way of looking at Ram differs from each other as per the time and the values of narrator. The birth of Sita, the death of Sita has so many gripping interpretations and Ramanujan brings it out in a masterly fashion. Similarly there are subtle nuances in the story of Ahalya, who is turned in to a black stone due to the curse of Gautam Rishi.
The local pattern also gets reflected in the particular tellings of the Ram story. In Kamban Ramayan, Ram is a Tamil hero. His turning Ahalya into a human-form from the stone symbolizes the freedom from the suffering of this world. Kamban’s narration formed the base of Thai version where the names of different characters are not in Sanskrit but in Tamil. Thai version, Ramkirti and Ramakiyen, is another major presentation. This telling of Ram story has a deep impact on Thai society. Here Ram is regarded as the reincarnation of Shiva and not Vishnu. Their Buddha Viharas are painted with events from the Lords life on their walls. Hanuman is very popular there. Unlike the celibate person of Valmiki version here Hanuman is shown to be fond of the company of women and does not mind peeping in to the bedrooms of others. Jain version shows Ravan in a very positive light of being a great scholar, and follower of Jain Munis (Sages). In this version of Ram Story, even Ram is a great follower of Jain values and in this reincarnation of his life he does not kill anybody. Ravan is killed, in this telling, by Laxman, who has to go to hell for this.
After going through the essay, this Hindi translation, one can become clear as to why the RSS affiliates do not want this masterpiece to be continued in the curricula. RSS politics presents the past in a monolithic way so as to promote the particular type of caste and gender relations. These various telling of Ram, presented from the folklore, translations and other impeccable sources point out a rich diversity of the narrations, narrations as diverse as the society itself. The Ramanujan essay shows a fluidity of the social norms and values which did exist in the society and this is something with the fundamentalist ideologies cannot digest. At another level whole of communal politics in India has been built around the claim that Lord Ram was born precisely at the spot where Babri Masjid stood. With such diverse narratives, how can such claim that the ‘Lord was born at a particular place only’ of communalists hold water?
In tune with the wont of fundamentalists, such works promoting a genuine respect for popular versions and traditions is not acceptable. They want to selectively cull out the version suitable for their present politics and impose those constructed Histories on the present scene. This is where Ramanujan essay is a big obstacle to the communal politics. The publishers and translator deserve all the praise for the bold venture to disseminate the true knowledge and diversity to the readers of Hindi. The bibliography at the end tells us the rich scholarship on the subject in English does exist, Hindi world does need an exposure to that and a book summarizing in Hindi, the important arguments of the main references at the end can be the best tribute to the genius of Ramanujan.
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No Crime and Punishment Issues in Secular Politics
Special ContributionBy Ram Puniyani
Apr. 19, 2012
The state of crime and punishment is very paradoxical in current times. The guilty of communal violence generally get away without any punishment, while the innocents are being punished in acts of terror, just if they happen to belong to a particular religion. In current scenario, the current policing and social system seems to operate on the assumption that Muslims are terrorists. Both communal violence and war against terror have demonized and targeted them in particular. While the society at large has come to believe in various myths about minorities; the large section of police force has acted in the most prejudicial and biased manner on the issues related to violence in the name of religion and in case of terrorist violence.
There have been innumerable cases of young Muslim youth being picked up in the aftermath of terror attacks, incarcerated in the jails and then let off as the legal protective mechanisms, though painfully slow, catch up to intervene and release some of these terror accused. While every such case of young man is a heart rending tale, while every such case of police action ruins the family and career of the accused, the one related to Mohammad Aamir Khan aged 32 today (March 2012) probably ranks amongst the most horrendous ones’. The other interesting aspect of this young man trying to restart his life all over again is that he is full of appreciation of the positive aspects of the system and acknowledges the good aspects of the system, which released him from dark dungeons after 14 long and tortuous years. The same system mercifully kept him connected to the outside world with the interlude in solitary confinement notwithstanding.
Aamir, a 10th standard student, aged 18 was abducted by the Delhi police and charged of being the master-mind of the acts of terror and other related crimes. The methods employed by the police need not be recounted as while the talk of police reforms etc. is on ‘on the paper’, the brutality of the many men in khakhi continues unabated. They also keep innovating newer and newer forms of torture. The illegal act of taking signatures on blank paper seems to be routine with the ‘guardians of law’. Those supposed to be protecting our law must be probably the biggest violators of law in the power dens where they are rarely answerable and generally get away with the most serious cruelties committed in the confines of their fiefdom, the police stations and jails. Aamir underwent all this. He tried to continue his study while in jail, through IGNOU center. But that was not to last long as one police officer in his zeal of punishing the lad belonging to the ‘wrong’ religion put him in solitary confinement and cut off his education which he was seriously pursuing. With 14 long years in the jail, how he maintained his sanity to look forward to the study of journalism or law must be amongst some of the mysteries which our society provides in abandon.
Coming back to Aamir, while in the prison he lost his father and his mother suffered paralytic stroke. His family property had to be sold to off to fight the infinite cases put against him by the police. The ‘leaders of the community’ did not have time to take up his case, and the label of ‘terrorist’ and that too, a Pakistani one warded off many other friends and relatives to come and help.
Today out from the jail, with two cases still hanging on his head, he is working with an NGO to make a living, taking care of his mother’s expensive treatment and tying to look forward to a life where he can become a professional of some sort. Who is responsible for the wreckage of the lives of Aamir and likes of him? While one can see the role of our biased police system, which regards that Muslim are criminals and terrorists in the main, one can also see the role of the prevalence of biases and misconceptions about the community, floating all around, duly promoted and deepened by the communal forces, our educational books and the slant of media reporting. Now what is the responsibility of community and state in rehabilitating these young boys? In Mecca Majid blast the accused after being arrested were let off and given the compensation of 3 lakhs each, Interestingly when they were arrested there were banner headlines of Muslims being arrested for the blast but when they came clean of it small hidden news is all that items welcomed them.
The situation during last couple of years seems to be slightly better, especially after Hemant Karkare’s path breaking investigation in Malegaon blast and Rajasthan ATS taking the issue forward and the whole saffron gang of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Dayanand Pandey, Swami Aseemanand and company coming under the scanner. Interestingly once this gang has been apprehended the acts of terror have also come down substantially; the right inference needs to be drawn here. It seems the major flaw of these investigations has been the prejudiced mind of the investigating authorities. While a proper rehabilitation and suitable compensation to these youth is imperative there is a dying need for police reforms and their torture techniques need to be questioned. The rights of the inmates, the rights of accused need to be honored. Police authorities are reckless when it comes to Muslim youth, and those officers violating the basic norms generally get away without any punishment. The Khaki seems to be giving them too much unrestrained power to wreck the lives of innocent youth. Is it not time that the case of Aamir and his likes acts a sort of mirror to our Policing system? It calls for an urgent need for putting the issues related to communal harmony, the falsity of prevalent myths on priority basis. Hope such introspection is on amongst those vested with lot of powers.
It is rare that an 18year old, after being tortured for 14 years for belonging to a particular religion, will come out with such positive sentiments, the system also needs to introspect in the context of this young man, help him out in Toto and ensure that such acts of brutality are not repeated by the system and by men in khaki in particular.
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CHINA PRINCESSES AND CHINESE PIRATES
Special ContributionBy Massey Subra
Apr. 17, 2012
Chinese postitutes caught by police
How is it possible for Chinese prostitutes to operate freely in big cities under the disguise of Massage Parlour and Adult Entertainment workers? Who brings them under this category to North America end up being Prostitutes?
How is it possible for Chinese companies to operate as bona fide exporters and scam the unsuspecting importers? I was a personal victim of organised import export scam operating out of mainland China . The Chinese government is indifferent to our complain.
Here is my story, our Corporation made three separate import deals with three separate Chinese companies with addresses in mainland China . The companies demanded at least 30 of the money up front. We agreed and the rest of the money when the goods are on ship or by Letter of Credit. Every thing sound unsuspecting. After all we do business in America , Europe and Japan . We never had any problem with any of these great countries. We sent money up front, they delivered the goods. We export products, we send invoice, the money comes to our bank account automatically.
But why is it not the case with China ? Two companies have not even sent the goods, the third companies send the goods but that was all “Industrial waste”. We are in Chemical business, so they sent their chemical waste. What a smart way to do business. Got paid for disposing their waste to an unsuspecting overseas client. At least that is what they thought!
Click ob the video below and see for yourself what we have. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM_IkQvCOo0&list=UUPzNTc3aHSBO6eT_pqnGeeA&index=1&feature=plcp
I am a Tamil, we are world-class people. So we went into high gear. We are suing the shipping company which is a Chinese company, with offices and bank account in Canada , for delivering Industrial waste. How did we get them? I will tell you folks something that you all should remember. Take it from me. No contract is fool proof, at some stage we have to TRUST some or some process. Our Trust level was 110%
On putting all the documents under microscope we found that the seal number placed on the container and the seal number of the container delivered are not the same. Bingo, either the Chinese shipping company or the Chinese Insurance company is on the hook for our money. The best part is we have to dispose the waste according to Canadian laws, and the cost will be ten times the money they scammed from us. We will lump up every cost and get it from the bank account of the Chinese company in Canada . The case will be heard in Toronto , where the crime occurred and we got their bank account numbers. Let’s see who wins. Chinese or Tamils.
We approached the Chinese Ambassador in Ottawa to help us resolve the issue, he has not responded to our email.
The moral of the Story is never trust Chinese, if you want to make business deal go there yourself, buy the goods, check one by one, get your own container, put the goods in, seal with your own seal, get the shipping company to put their own seal and wait till the cargo is on ship, then leave, come back and receive the goods your self. Check to make sure the rivets and welds on the container were not tampered.
And my balance sheet looks like this. Loss $50,000, Profit gained un-valuable knowledge, and when I share that knowledge with rest of the world the profit is infinite and indefinite. How do you account for such a deed?
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SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS OR IMPOSSIBILITY OF DOING WRONG
Special ContributionBy Massey Subra
Apr. 13, 2012
Adolf Eichmann
‘Those who govern do not value self righteousness; they value the impossibility of doing wrong’
“When we win we celebrate and lay claim but when we lose we defy and blame the west” Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“The felon is on the run, but we must pursue like Adolf Eichmann; we must prevail, above all Justice must prevail” I respect his audacity but despise his stupidity. Subramaniam Masilamany
LLRC commission was appointed by Mahinda Rajapaksa to inquire and investigate the whole aspect of Sri Lankan struggle and that of the war. The United Nation Human Rights council has passed a resolution asking Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of its own LLRC. UNHRC does not have to pass a resolution to ask Sri Lanka to implement the recommendation of the LLRC. It was a commission by the Government of Sri Lanka. Now they say they cannot implement the recommendation. Doesn’t it look very silly to rescind the recommendation of the very commission appointed by the Government? They are not worried about the impossibility of doing wrong; they are worried about their self righteousness.
Who is Mahinda Rajapaksa? A thug from Medmulana a small village in Hambantota , Sri Lanka . What does he look like? How did he get into power? It is through pure intimidation, extortions, violence and murders. The problem he faces is that he cannot get out of power; if he does then he will be hanged. There are too many murders too many times for too many years. There is only and only one solution, he must remain in power or some one in his family must stay in power. He is doomed if he gives up power.
Not only he, his brother Gothabaya Nandesa Rajapaksa and whole bunch of others will go to gallows too. So there is only one solution, stay in power till death unto he departs. I wonder if he is in the right frame of mind or some form of disease is catching up to him.
He says no one can tell us what to do, but then why are you trying to justify if what you have done is morally right. Russia and China are American proxies, they knew you were going to lose, why would they lead you on to the chopping block of the Abattoir?
There is little story that I have to tell. A man of backward origin moved to America . He was arrested for snatching a hand bag from an elderly lady. The judge asked why you stole the bag from the lady. He said your honour, back from where I came I have seen an animal snatching the food from another animal. What is wrong with that? That is what he saw, that is what thinks is right.
Here is another man called Mahinda Rajapaksa hails form the Yala jungles in Sri Lanka , tell the world the same thing. But of course he is not admitting that he killed several thousand people.
In his primitive self righteous way he is right. Or is he trying to tell the world that these did not happen and that it is impossible for him to do wrong.
He has not compared his behaviour with rest of the world, where most of the time most of the people are doing the right things. Instead of comparing his action with what the others have done right he is not going make his actions right. Two wrongs do not make one right.
We have got him quarantined and contained, now we must keep up the pressure till he is brought before the International Tribunal for war crimes. If he wins he will prove that universal laws are wrong.
His current project is to harness the support of the African and South American nations to support him. We will make sure they get the facts right and straight. I respect him for his audacity but I despise his stupidity. He is on a mission to fool the world. Let see how far he gets.
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PATH WAY TO PROSPERITY
Special ContributionBy Subramaniam Masilamany
Apr. 10, 2012
The Tasmanian Devil
“When the creator has installed a cornucopia in our minds to create abundance why would we go plundering and misappropriating in several ways, why would humans live like animals, worst of all why do we kill”
I want to show others how to be a dynamo, how to be great people, instead of wasting and spending our lives on unwanted clumsy way to material wealth. We must invest our time on creating a better world. People think money is the hardest thing to acquire, they are wrong that is the easiest thing, all we have to do is to work. As the religions say if you got work you are blessed.
I was born in a family where money was never a problem. I mean we had just enough to live. We did not have mansions, fancy cars, servants etc you know what I mean. But people come to borrow money from me in small amounts.
But over the years I focussed on prosperity consciousness and try to find out how wealth is formed. I do not know if I found or not, I can make money and lots of them. Then what is that money for. There is no point giving it away, but I invest, I invest in people development.
Send me a mediocre man and I will turn him into a Tasmanian devil of wealth creation. Some times I will walk into a small business and I can read the fear on the face of the man sitting there hoping for money to come in. I would rather go out and clean or sweep the place or yard and someone will walk in and throw money at you.
The universe is all knowing and is an equitable judge. It is the supreme master of all, if you have not discovered, then you will struggle. So what is the path way to prosperity - work, there are no short cuts. Take it from me.
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SRI LANKA- UP AGAINST BASIC HUMAN DESIRE, A DESIRE TO BE FREE AND BE WITH PEACE
Special ContributionBy Massey Subra
Apr. 4, 2012
A collection of boots with Srilanka's troop
“Sri Lanka needs a surgical operation to remove the seminal source of racism and fanaticism that pervades and define their national character” Subramaniam Masilamany
The vote in Geneva is not if Sri Lanka is culpable but is she culpable, I do not see what the issue with it is. This is a defining moment for the people of Sri Lanka for they cannot continue like this and they need some about turn drastic changes.
What Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka needs is size 15 nine inch steel toed boot. The Singhalese in Sri Lanka seem to be having some serious psychological problems; to them it looks like total insecurity. Some one has to take over this nation and introduce modern social covenants to bring them up to speed with rest of the world. Sri Lanka cannot be allowed to degrade and descent down to the bottom of the society and become a cancer.
This guy Mahinda Rajapaksa is a poison that has become the eye of the hurricane of immorality and knavery. He for some strange reasons think that he can fool the world, why should not he think that way, when Russia and China two of the oldest civilisation think with him.
Listen Russia and China , this guy is a criminal, a serial killer, a thug, wife killer, widow maker, a gangster. He is also a psycho with severe mental derangement and suffers from schizophrenia. What help he could be for the world other than we can teach our children about cruelty. Sri Lanka needs a surgical operation to remove the seminal source of racism and fanaticism that pervades and define their national character.
Remember as a murderer his mind works on overdrive and he has become smart in the art of survival. No amount of education or experience can outwit him for a murderer the mind is acute, perspicuous, alert and acute. Since the age of 25 he has been a criminal under the protection of his father who was a politician. He got away with too many murders.
The situation at the UNHRC in Geneva is not one between US and Sri Lanka, but between morality and immorality. Whoever wins will set the pace for rest of the world for rest of the century.
I am Subramaniam Masilamany, A genocide survivor
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Is Mahinda Rajapaksa a Stupid or a Statesman? He has tied Sri Lanka into a Gordian knot
Special ContributionBy Massey Subra
Apr. 1, 2012
Hillary Clinton(R)
Mahinda Rajapaksa is a mentally disturbed belligerent child; he lives and thrives on violence and revenge. He is hurting inside him and he thinks he has been dealt a wrong and short hand. And the whole nation Sri Lanka has been made to think that way. He has tied himself and Sri Lanka into a Gordian knot. Who will be the Alexander the Great?
US states department summoned Foreign Minister Great Liar Peiris to meet with Hillary Clinton on the 18th May 2011 .
How the stuntman Mindless Maharajah Mahinda Rajapaksa handed over the administration of Sri Lanka to USA . Mahinda Aiya we all know what a smart crook and criminal are you, but Pentagon is den of experts. We live here we know what pentagon is, in the brain centre of the world. Since 1970s the American knew how your nation was leaning towards China . China is all about business.
LTTE also would not tow line with USA . It was a cake walk for USA . Prabaharan did not have people of calibre in his port folio, to think deeply, politically, geographically, and sociologically. I met few of them during the last 25 years. I supported LTTE but never believed in their capability. I told my friends in 1995, yes 1995. LTTE is over. 15 year later they have gone.
Mahinda Rajapaksa is next to go, he has to, for he does not fit the American Chimera. If China can be American Chimera, Russia can be American Chimera and India can be American Chimera, why not a tiny speck called Sri Lanka ? We in America are Surgeons; we do surgery on nations to make them robust and responsive. Some respond, some do not and cannot be, and then we destroy them, what good is a defective nation? Sri Lanka has to make a choice. It is an evolutionary process. The survival of the fittest! It is a natural phenomenon. May be a politically unpalatable and unacceptable suggestion.
To choose an African American as the President, Americans are no stupid, they know who is capable, that is all it matters. Not to boast about Tamils, we are being nurtured by Americans for they know we got something. To put the runner-up Hilary Clinton as the Secretary of the State is no accident. You see what I mean. If a Tamil is introduced as the President of Sri Lanka will be no accident either. Sri Lanka has to be salvaged from feudalism! If it cannot be done democratically then surgically. Russia and China are American proxies that is how they are being portrayed and played. Portrayed as enemies and played as friends. How can China exist without American markets? How can Russia exist without European markets? These are huge blocks. Who is Sri Lanka in this panorama? Singhalese people in Sri Lanka have to think smartly. Mahinda Rajapaksa is a blockhead! Al Capone, Gambino family, John Gotti, you know what I mean. When some quipped that they could not get Fidel Castro, they said we got the cage. That is we got Cuba ! Castro along with 10 million Cubans. Cuba suffered for the last 50 years.
I hope I have given enough clues to Dayan Jayatilake, Great Lair Peiris, Prasad Kariyawsam and also Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family. By the way Mahinda Aiya why do you keep your stolen Sri Lankan wealth in western banks?
Something for Sri Lankans to think about, deliberate, ponder and wonder how Charles Darwin is still alive. An isolated island of genetic material polluted by sailors and soldiers. That is how I see Sri Lanka . How else can one explain their erratic behaviour?
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