Rishikesh

Hindustani music maestro Gangubai Hangal is dead. There was only one Gangubai. No one can take her place. This is what I can manage to say today.

Social Media in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo .

Twitter in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo .

Missing Bachelor parties? Those by -two coffees and endless discussions on unimaginable topics? Read this newsletter for all such crazy stuff. Available in downloadable PDF format, this makes good reading. http://adur.org/category/times-of-bachelors/

Is this good news? Impressed by the moderately high percentage of voter turnout in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to agree that voting should be made compulsory. “The percentage of votings over the years have gone high and in some states like Kerala, there have been 86 per cent of voting,” the Bench comprising CJI K G Balakrishnan and Justice P Sathasivam observed. “The literacy rate is going up and people are conscious of their rights,” it observed, ruling out the suggestions that water and electricity supply be snapped to compel voters to exercise their right. “Can a voter be compelled physically to go to polling booths?” the Bench sought to know from counsel Prasanna Kutty appearing for petitioner Dr Atul Sarode from Maharashtra.

A sign in China Courtesy www.engrish.com

This is a publicity poster of the movie `Watchmen'. The character admitting that she goes out at 3 am to do stupid things, is Silk Spectre-2, a Superhero who saves the world from evil. Is that a comment on the growing girl power in this country and the so called vigilante groups trying to stop them in the name of culture? Think.

Follow the Kama Sutra or Die! Angalore (with an M or a B): Activists of a self –styled pro-Hindu vigilante group called the Jai Hanuman Sena barged into an apartment complex here late on Saturday night and beat up young men and women who were trying to produce babies, but ``not in the manner and style prescribed by Hindu scriptures’’. At least three men and four women were injured and were admitted to a nearby hospital. The activists said most of the men and women were not following the Kama Sutra(``Principles of Endearment''), the sacred Hindu book that teaches people how to ensure a lineage of pure Hindus. The book has been an all- time global best seller and is considered a work of pure and unpolluted sentiment. This is because it was written by a Karma Yogi (``a guy who had no time for marriage’’). What was outrageous, one attacker told TV cameras waiting outside, that most young men and women were unaware that such a text existed. ``Why should they follow the West in every...

The reasons I uploaded the Bhajan in the last post: The poem is by Meera Bai, a Hindu Queen The singer is Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, a Muslim   It is about Lord Krishna who was born to a Hindu OBC family. He is worshipped by Hindus, some of whom happen to be those who consider themselves the upper castes. Who said the world is not multi-coloured? The song was made popular as some Hindi film writer got inspired by its first line. An Indian actor known for his height also contributed to its popularity.  The beauty of the original poem was thus lost.  

ಬುಧವಾರ, 4 ಫೆಬ್ರವರಿ 2009 (10:59 IST) ಡಾ. ಎಲ್. ಬಸವರಾಜು -ನಮ್ಮ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಕೆಲವು ಭಾಗಗಳೂ ಅಶೋಕನ ಆಳ್ವಿಕೆಗೆ ಒಳಪಟ್ಟಿತ್ತೆಂಬುದನ್ನು- ರಾಯಚೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಮಸ್ಕಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕೊಪ್ಪಳದಲ್ಲಿ, ಚಿತ್ರದುರ್ಗ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಗಿರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ, ಸಿದ್ಧಾಪುರದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತು ಜಟ್ಟಿಂಗ ರಾಮೇಶ್ವರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿರುವ ಅವನ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮೀಲಿಪಿಯ ಪ್ರಾಕೃತ ಭಾಷೆಯ ಶಾಸನಗಳು ದೃಢಪಡಿಸುತ್ತಿವೆ. ಮತ್ತು ಆ ಶಾಸನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವತಃ ಅಶೋಕನೇ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವಂತೆ - ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಶ್ರಮವಹಿಸಿ ಅವನು ತನ್ನನ್ನು ತಾನೇ ಧರ್ಮಸುಧಾರಣೆಯ ಕೆಲಸದಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರಿಂದ - ಜಂಬೂ ದ್ವೀಪದ ಯಾವ ಜನ ಬೌದ್ಧಧರ್ಮದೊಡನೆ ಬೆರೆಯಲಾಗಿರಲಿಲ್ಲವೋ ಅವರೆಲ್ಲಾ ಬೆರೆಯಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಯಿತೆಂದೂ - ಈ ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಸತ್ಫಲಗಳನ್ನು ಕೇವಲ ಉತ್ತಮ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವವರೇ ಅಲ್ಲ ಕೆಳಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವವರೂ ಪಡೆಯುವಂತಾ ಯಿತೆಂದೂ ಆಶಾದಾಯಕವಾಗಿ ಆ ಅಶೋಕನು ಆಡಿರುವ ಆ ಮಾತಿನಲ್ಲಿ- ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಅಸಂಖ್ಯಾತ ದಲಿತ ವರ್ಗದ ಜನರೂ ಬೌದ್ಧರಾಗಿದ್ದರೆಂಬುದನ್ನು ಸೂಚಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ದಲಿತರಿಗೆ ಈ ಬೌದ್ಧ ಧರ್ಮವಾದರೂ ಮಾನ್ಯತೆಯನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಅವರ ಆತ್ಮವಿಶ್ವಾಸವನ್ನೂ ಆತ್ಮಗೌರವವನ್ನೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಲು ನೆರವಾಯಿತಲ್ಲಾ ಎನ್ನುವಂತಾದರೂ ಅದು ವೈದಿಕರಿಗೆ ಕಿರಿಕಿರಿಯನ್ನೇ ಉಂಟುಮಾಡಿದಂತಾಗಬಹುದು. ಅಶೋಕನು ತನ್ನ ಹಲವು ಶಾಸನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತನ್ನನ್ನು "ದೇವಾನಾಂ ಪ್ರಿಯ" ಎಂದು ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡಿರುವುದನ್ನು ಆ ವೈದಿ...

A media group owner has said something interesting. ``All Muslims are not terrorists. But all terrorists are Muslims. I don’t see why we should be afraid of accepting such facts’’. The high profile entrepreneur and journalist made the statement at a music performance in Hubli. What is even more interesting is that there were some Muslims among the guests and performers!  I thought I would add here, some facts that such people may not be afraid to accept.  Intelligence agencies of India , USA , UK , and other countries have identified nearly 125 global terror outfits. Half of these have Christian cadres. The motto of some such organizations is to convert the world into ``The Promised Land’’. A third of these have Muslim cadres. Some say they are fighting a Holy War. Some media organizations call them Islamic terror outfits. At least 10 % of those listed are fighting for rights of tribes. There are at least 10 agencies on the list t...

Bangalore: India’s IT city may take pride in its image of India’s futuristic city. But its hinterlands seem to rest in the stone ages. In villages less than 100 km from Bangalore, widows are bought and sold. The practice is still common among the pig -rearing Kunchalu Koracha or Handi Koracha community. The centuries old `Ruka’ practice persists among the community that dwells in taluks on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border. Women thus sold, are used as bonded labourers to rear pigs or make brooms. They are also made to run errands, wash dishes or clothes or take up baby -sitting. What is interesting is that similar rules do not apply to men who are widowed. The custom is treated as sacred and few victims protest. What is Ruka? It is a practice opposed to dowry. During marriage, a bunch of coins tied in a piece of cloth is given to the bride to keep for life. This is treated as a solemn promise from her that she would serve her husband and in -laws for life. This provides her parents ...

Pavagad (Tumkur district): This is the story of a woman with courage who took on the establishment and fought for self -respect. Nagamma, a woman from the Handi Koracha community, was born in Pavagada in Tumkur district. At the age of 14, she was married to Narayanappa from Ananthpur in Andhra Pradesh. They had four children. One day, he died of a mysterious stomach -ache. As her parents –in- law were not willing to take care of her, the widow thought she will come back to her parents in Pavagada. However, she came to know a few weeks later that her parents -in -law had sold her to Maddaleti, a rich pig -rearer. He had paid Rs 32,000 to buy Nagamma. When Maddaleti came to take her away, she protested. She was the first person in the community to protest against the evil custom. Sogadu Venkatesh, a social worker from the Urikala Koracha community brought this to the notice of leaders during an election rally in 2004. Former minister B T Lalitha Naik who was addressing the rally, condemn...

My friends keep asking me from where we get our contacts. People in the profession do need to keep talking to those who take decisions and every reporter needs a ready -reckoner list of phone numbers and other details. Earlier, it was pretty difficult. Now, however, it is far more easier. Governance is far more transparent. For example, all details of bureaucrats are on the Net. All, except their confidential records. Details like how they entered the IAS and where they were posted. Their e-mail, phone numbers and other contact details are available to the public. The sites from where you get such information are http://dpar.kar.nic.in/civillist-ias.htm (for state officers), http://persmin.nic.in(IAS ), and http://persmin.nic.in/(IPS ). We are evolving. But we need to do that faster.