Intolerance, Hindu Chuvanism and all that Bullshit: Intellectuals and Congress are the Orchestra

The other day I met a starving person. He looked a man who had some education, perhaps  circumstances had made him reach the nadir of life. He was reading an old dilapidated news paper. I was intrigued and asked him a a question

" What are you reading"’ I asked him.

He  was surprised. as  no one had ever asked him such a question.  He took a moment to reply and then said " I am reading some big people who claim to be intellectuals are  are very angry with the government. You must be knowing that, Sir.’

"Yes.’"I admitted.

"Sir, I have read that they are saying that the government is very intolerant, that this country is no longer safe. Some of them are even saying that they would not like to live in this country. Is it really so bad? I do not find anything unusual. I’m a poor man. I find every day the same, except when I get two meals. Normally, I go to bed which is footpath without eating full meal in the night but I cannot think of going out of this country. How can I go anywhere? I have no money. These people must have tons of  money to go to a foreign country and settle there."

This man stumped me. I knew he was referring to Amir Khan that Muslim star, adulated by the Hindu masses who now was voicing his ire at intolerance and threatening to quit India.

The man continued" I am worried sir, these people have tons of money and yet mouth such cliches. Why are they not worried about people like me?’

I sat down beside the man and pulled out a sandwich and said" will you share with me?". He smiled and took the sandwich and continued

"Sir, even the Political leaders! All of them say they are worried about people like me. But they have done nothing.. I have heard that Indira Gandhi had once said that her enemies wanted to remove her because she wanted to remove poverty. Nothing happened.

Sir, I come from a state where a poor man, not as poor as me, became Chief Minister after promising that he would remove poverty. All that he could achieve was to remove the poverty of his family. Today, all the children are very rich and move in big cars without doing any work. I had some hope from the communists but when I saw a photograph of some communist leaders, as well dressed as you, discussing some big issues, not poverty, in an air conditioned room and drinking mineral water, I knew that they were not different from others. What do you say?"

What could I say? With some difficulty I murmured: ‘Yes, I agree with you. Our political leaders could not do much. They may have their own limitations.’

‘Sir, what about the intellectuals who are going about returning awards, but not the monetary compensation that comes with it"

"I don’t think so. There are intellectuals. They are worried about bigger things." I replied

He looked at me. ‘Sir, will these intellectuals ever get angry that crores of people are starving in this country? Will they ever suggest how starving people like me can get two square meals/ Will they ever get angry that the government does not act on their suggestions to provide two square meals a day to the starving people like me?’

‘I was shaken and left without eating my sandwich. I ask

Will any intellectual answer his questions? Questions of starving people of India? There are more than 190 million of them. Will intellectuals return awards for THEM

Hark back to killing of Punjab Governor: Intolerance in Pakistan

Killing in the Name of the Prophet

The Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was shot dead outside a cafe, a few daysback,to be precise on 5 January 2011 in Islambad by his own bodyguard.The sad part of this eposode was that the killer was a member of the elite Police detachment sent to guard the Governor.This makes sad reading as Taseer probably signed his own death warrant by opposing the capital punishmentawarded to a Christian lady for alleged blasphemy.He also was a strong protogonist of amending the present Blasphemy law in Pakistan.

Recently, I met a Muslim friend of mine and asked him whether there was any justification in the murder of Salman Taseer. He made a revealing comment and stated that capital punishment for blasphemy was un-islamic, as its is neither sanctioned by the the Quran or any other reigious law of Islam. The Quranic verse dealing with Blasphemy is worth quoting.It says 'do not revile those they invoke instead of God,lest they,in their hostility,revile God out of ignorance.Thus to every people we have caused their actions to seem fair.To their Lord they shall return, and he will declare to them all that they have done'

The above verse is self explanatory and nowhere has the Quran justified killing or murdering people for their beliefs. 

Despite this Pakistan practices very stringent Blasphemy laws. These laws were given an impetus by General Zia-ul Haq , when he was in power.Known as the' Mullah General', he was a man devoid of pity and compassion, as is evidenced by his authorizing the judicial hanging of ZA Bhutto, his former boss and Premier of Pakistan.

The blasphemy law as it exists in Pakistan is heavily weighted against the minorities like the Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. Statistics show that in a country with 97% Muslim population, nearly 60% of the people charged under this law( blasphemy) are the minorities.

Salman Taseer was one man who stood against the Blasphemy laws and he was silenced. Its a sad tale as the main stream religious parties condoned this murder and the Imam of the Shahi Mosque, Lahore refused to head the funeral prayers. Here is a man of God , doing something unheard off. Thus Pakistan is in the throes of a voilent struggle.The minorities are not safe as the gun and the mullah have runamok. But there is a silver liniing to the cloud as a large numberof people turned up for the funeral.It is this silent majority that must face the hardliners who wish their views to prevail with the gun.
Have things changed in 2015? Certainly not.

Muslim Terror Groups are the Fifth Column: California Killings

California Killings:USA faces local Islamic Militancy

The recent killing by radicalised Muslims in California shows that danger of Islamic terror is very real in USA.

Call of Wahabbi Islam Groups to Kill

Many people have been writing and commenting that all Americans must never discriminate  against Muslims. They also write and opine that Muslim refugees must be welcomed in USA. Thankfully such people are in an minority and I have estimated from my visits to America are a microscopic  minority. They are not more than 2%. No wonder that 26 Governors have refused to admit Muslim refugees.

The killings in California should act as a eye opener. 14 innocent people have been shot dead and now authorities have confirmed that both the shooters were Muslim. They have also confirmed that both the suspects were also radicalised. In other words they were swayed by Islamic rhetoric.

Names are not important, but the deed is. Now we have learnt that the man was of Pakistan origin and his lady companion or wife had spent time in Saudi Arabia. The Muslim connection is loud and clear. A raid of their apartment has revealed a veritable arsenal of weapons and shows that perhaps this couple wanted to kill hundreds more. This is a chilling thought.

Close on the heels of the Paris carnage, this attack brings out the role of fifth columns, who attack a state from inside. All these attacks were by Muslim migrants who had entered these nations to settle down. But a short time later these Muslims were raised to believe that Islam is best served by killing as many non Muslims as possible.

I have stressed the danger of Muslim as a group. I also agree that all Muslims are not swayed by terror thoughts. But the so called peaceful majority has woefully failed to rein in this volatile and dangerous minority. So what is to be done? I am inclined to agree with Donald Trump that some racial profiling must be done.

The Islamic world is unable to cope with outfits that espouse a Islamic Caliphate. Now the latest document published by the Islamic State talks of targeting India along with the west. A real fight is on our hands. It may be the last fight  between good and evil and one can't forecast the winner.

Ghosts, Demons and the Supernatural * 68

Aug 25th, 2010

Ghosts and Demons are accepted by all religions. But in addition there is tangible evidence that such entities do exist.

On this topicThere is an interesting tale to relate. My father who was a student of Government College, Hoshiarpur  decided to go home to his village about 15 miles away during the week end. As it was getting late , he missed the last bus to his village  and hence decided to walk down to his house along with a friend of his.

The  Supernatural Incident

The duo started walking to the village. It was a dark night and a cold icy wind blew as it was November and winter was setting in. Mid way to the village there is a small rivulet , which has water only during the rains. It appears as the two men approached the rivulet they heard the hooves of a horse on the dry earth. They looked back and saw nothing. This was repeated thrice and each time the horse appeared to move closer to the duo.But they could see nothing.

They were a little scared at this event and decided not to look back when they waded into the rivulet to cross . They also started reciting the Japji Saheb-the holy prayer of Guru Nanak. When they were mid way in the water, it seemed to them that the horse was coming at a furious pace and moved into the rivulet and fell into the water with a splash.They did not look back but continued praying till they reached their village.

Ghosts and Spirits

This incident looks unbelievable but people who were part of this incident swear that it is true. All religions agree that there is a dark world that includes the undead. The existence of ghosts, demons, and angels is an age old question. Many people are skeptic but many are believers. 

But generally a ghost is a spirit that is on earth and unable to gain entry into the spirit world. This could be for a variety of reasons like some unfinished work or having committed some abhorrent crime like child rape and murder the spirit  is denied entry into the after life. Thus he moves in this earth till he can atone for his sins. Such spirits can also cause harm and are manifested in a number of ways like eerie goings on in an empty house. Doors being slammed, windows breaking, bricks falling all cannot be explained by scientific logic. I for one do believe in ghosts. Now coming to Demons.These are closely linked with angels. They complement each other. Angels are good, demons are bad. Angels work for God, demons work for the devil.

All religions accept angels and demons as they are supposed to balance each other. The church also accepts demons and exorcism of evil spirits is part of Christian philosophy. The field is vast and it will be some time when  science will unravel this last mystery of the world. Belief in such supernatural events and powers for centuries icertainly has some basis  and deserves respect

Punjabi Chess and Patiala Pegs* 73

Punjabi Chess with Scotch and Rare Scotch

Chess is a popular game of skill and intellect. In Punjab the Punjabi's have modified the game to incorporate their love for good whiskey and rum.

Modifying Chess

Punjabi Chess

Playing Chess is popular all over the world. Its an ancient game and mention of this game is found in the Mahabharta , which was written in about 5000BC. The Greeks also played chess and by all accounts it was a popular game. 

The game has not changed much over the last 7000 years, except for the addition of some rules and regulations. The game for long was the preserve of Royalty and the elite, but now its played by all and sundry.

The game is played on a chess board and consists of total of 32 pieces known as soldiers and knights. It also has a king and queen and the game involves making a plan to checkmate the king. Anyone who checkmatesthe king, is the winner.

I have been playing chess for ages. Earlier I used to play as a child with my maternal grandfather. The game has however been given a welcome twist by the Punjabi's. They are robust people with a penchant for thegood life including good whiskey. The chess board has been transformed by some robust and energetic people from Punjab with various shades of Scotch whiskey replacing the traditional players on a chess board

Playing Chess the Punjabi way

Punjabi chess

On my visit to my village in Punjab near Hoshiarpur, I often play this "Whiskey Chess" as it is popularly called. The players on the chess board are replaced by delicate glasses containing Scotch whiskey. the pawns or soldiers are replaced by glasses containing ordinary scotch like 100 Pipers, Vat 69, Old Smuggler or similar brands.

The warriors like Knights and Horse and Castle are represented by glasses containing good whiskey like Johnny Walker Black label, Chivas Regal etc. The king and queen have glasses filled with a peg of rarescotch like Royal Salute.

The game is played the normal way with the exception that when any player wins an opponent he get the chance to gulp the scotch peg. The winner who checkmates the king is awarded with the rare scotch. Its a wonderful game and not for anyone with a weak disposition. I will say its a real macho game and the host will also keep supplied with endless quantity of Chicken and meat kebabs.

Its great fun and one must play it to relish the flavor of " Punjabi Chess". I for one love it and whenever I go to my village in the Punjab at Hoshiarpur I make it a point to play Punjabi Chess with my friends. I don't think even Omar Khayyam can better THIS !

Review of a 1963 Film on Gandhi " Nine Hours to Rama"

Gandhi was an icon, but many did not agree with his policy of appeasement and he was shot dead on 1948 bya man called Nathuram GodsePath 

Path Breaking Film

Scene from film

One of my friends gave me a nice old film about the assassination of the Indian Leader Mahatma Gandhi. He was assassinated on 30 January 1948 by a Hindu fanatic named Nathuram Godse. The film is based on a book by Stanley Wolpert and depicts a fictional account of the previous 9 hours in the life of Nathuram Godse, before he shot Gandhi. It is a 1963 film and was then banned by the Indian government. The film brings out the hatred of Godse for Muslims and his varied sex life with two women, one married and the other a prostitute. Horst Buchholz plays the role of Nathuram Godse and Gandhi is played by Indian star and writer JS Cashyap. The film depicts the how Godse planned the assassination of Gandhi.

The Film

Cashyap as Gandhi

The film was released 1963 and Nehru who saw it banned the movie. It was never shown in India though it won critical acclaim abroad. The film was sympathetic to Godse and that was something not liked by Nehru. Perhaps in case the film had been released in the 21st century it would have had a safe passage to the cinema halls in India.
Times have changed and many people in India consider Godse a hero. In fact he was a Hindu Maha Sabha member and at one time was a Gandhi follower. But he got disillusioned with Gandhi and his brand of politics that centered on a policy of appeasement of the Muslims. The fact is despite all that Gandhi tried, he was never accepted by Muslims as their leader.

Godse and Gandhi

book cover

Gandhi probably had it coming with over 2 million Hindus killed and hundreds of Hindu women raped and forcibly married into harems, the cups were full and in the surcharged atmosphere of 1947-48, this act of Godse was in a way a logical step. I am no supporter of Godse, but the fact is he articulated the feelings of millions of Hindus and Sikhs. I agree the Sikhs also retaliated against the Muslims , but it was a reflex action and came only after the butchery had been started by the Muslims on the call for “direct action” by Jinnah.
The film is a faithful depiction of that period and Horst Buchloz has done a very good role as portrayer of Godse. I wonder if the modern youngster’s know or heard about Horst Buchloz? Many questions have now risen about Gandhi, which were camouflaged by Nehru and the Congress party. In addition many people in India want to honor Godse with statues and remembering his birthday and day he was hanged to death in 1948.

Last word

film poster

The film is worth an look and one can down load it from the net or get a copy from the video library. In my view it is a timeless film and such films will always interest people who are India lovers as well as want to know the truth.

Islamic terror in Nigeria * 78

Nigeria is a country in West Africa. It has two distinct parts; the north dominates by Muslims and the south which is predominantly Christian. But it is not a peaceful divide as a raging Islamic insurrection is consuming the country. One of the prominent Islamic terror groups is Boko Haram. As per latest reports this group is now allied with ISI and draws its inspiration from this terror group.

This group is carrying out terrorist activities against Christians and the Nigerian government seems powerless to stop it. One of their acts that happened a few months is kidnapping over 300 school girls. The government is in the dark as to the whereabouts of the girls who seem to have been swallowed in the bush. Reports indicate that the girls were either married by force to Boko haram fighters or sold into the flesh trade. The government is powerless to stop these terror groups who are heavily armed. I understand a lot of weapons from Libya after the fall of Gaddafi have filtered down to this group. Another sin of the USA in removing Gaddafi.

International concern is now manifest and French and US personnel are trying to locate the girls. This is however the tip of the problem as the main agenda is to control these Islamic terror groups. The only way it can be done is by an international effort to wipe out Boko Haram. Unfortunately the group enjoys wide Muslim support and that is the bane of the problem. This is the crust of the problem, the support of a majority of Muslims all over the world for such terror groups. Many Muslims have a fallacious belief that what these Muslim terrorists are doing is a “good thing”. In fact the majority of the Muslim community has not come out against these terror groups. One wonders why?

Looking all over the world there is familiar scenario of a Muslim terror group operating and meting out punishments like  mass beheadings, which are punishments from a bygone age. Yet they indulge in such activities. I am afraid some strong action is required and so far it is only Russia that has attacked the den of all these groups the ISI headquarters in Syria.  In the meantime I wonder what Nigeria can do ?