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Wednesday, January 06, 2016

OMG! MOMENT RETURNS TO INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS - `Lord Shiva, a great environment guru'
Mihika Basu TWEETS @mihikabMIRROR MIHIKA BASU


This is the gist of a paper that will be presented today. Last year, authorities had promised not to allow throwback to Hindu mythological claptrap in future
At a time when world leaders are furiously pushing for the use of science and technology to counter climate change, a cer tain section of academicians are looking towards Indian mythology to spread the message of sustainability.“Lord Shiva as a great environmentalist in the world,“ is the title of a paper that will be presented at the 103rd Indian Science Congress at the University of Mysore on Wednesday. According to the two-page abstract of the paper, accessed by Mirror, followers of Hinduism understood the importance of a clean environment well in advance.
The paper is part of a symposium on air quality in major cities in terms of organic and inorganic pollutants.
The claims by the writer, Akhilesh K Pandey, chairman of MP Private University Regulatory Commission, Bhopal, may not go down well with modern scientists, who base their works on evidence and facts.
Pandey's paper draws inspiration from the rudraksha necklace on Lord Shiva. “The word rudra means strict or uncompromising and aksha means eye. It illustrates the fact that Shiva is firm about his cosmic laws. Thus we can say that ancient Indians were very much aware about ecology and sustainability. Therefore, the objective of the article is to create awareness about the conservation of environment without causing harm to others,“ it says. From river Ganga to tiger skin, the paper tries to explain more about the God.
Last year, a paper presented at the Congress held in Mumbai sparked outrage among the scientific community after it claimed the science of flying a plane had been recorded by Maharishi Bharadwaj, long before Wright brothers. Facing criticism, the authorities had promised not to allow such papers.
A MEATY REMEDY TO MALNOURISHMENT
Experts at the 103rd Indian Science Congress have said that there is no denying the fact that non-vegetarian food does ensure significantly better nutritional intake than that of a vegetarian.
They said meat and fish consumption could be the answer to dealing with 194.6 million people in India who are undernourished ­ with 51 per cent of women in the age-group of 15-55 being anaemic and 44 per cent of children underweight as per a 2015 report from Food & Agricultural Organisation.
National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) director Dr AK Srivastava and NDRI senior scientist (animal reproduction) A Kumaresan said in a session on `Innovation in livestock sector for food, health and livelihood security in India' that animal foods are an important source of high-quality protein, minerals, vitamins and micronutrients.
“The importance of dietary animal protein can be well recognised because it contains essential amino acids, which are deficient in cereals,“ said Srivastava. NIRAD MUDUR
CAN CONCH BLOW AWAY AILMENTS?
Shankh or conch has a “special relevance for every Hindu and the blowing of shankh is the best way to prevent several ailments“, stated a paper that was presented at a symposium under the section Anthropological and Behavioural Sciences at the 103rd Indian Science Congress on Tuesday.
However, presentation of such papers is contrary to claims by Indian Science Congress authorities, who had last year said that only pure and evidencebased science would be discussed in the future. According to the paper, written by Rajeev Sharma, an IAS officer, blowing of shankh is the best preventive measure for psycho-somatic disorders as it accounts for both “physical and mental aspects of a performer“.
Sharma told Mirror that he had been practising this for nearly two-and-a-half years, and after he recommended conch therapy to nearly 40 people, they recovered from ailments like thyroid and cervical spondylitis, among others.He insisted that it was science.

Source: Mumbai Mirror, 6-01-2016
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Taking a Back Seat
SADHU VISHWAMURTIDAS


Some people are compulsive exhibitionists. You can find them almost anywhere. They would do anything to get noticed. At a wedding, they want to be the bride. At a funeral, the corpse. Julius Caesar, who was an incorrigible egotist, was kidnapped when he was a child. He was held for a ransom of 11,000 gold pieces. Horrified, he exhorted his captors to raise the ransom amount to 250,000 gold pieces so as to preserve his prestige. There are very few people who don't like being the centre of attraction.They are the true giants of humanity , the others are insignificant.The boxer Muhammad Ali once reportedly refused to wear his seat-belt on a plane.“Superman doesn't need a belt,“ he insisted. Tying his belt for him, the stewardess replied, “Superman doesn't need a plane either.“ The truly great are those who know their weaknesses and aren't afraid to admit them. They accept their limitations and blend in with the crowd because they know that when it comes to the basics, everyone's the same.
Whether rich or poor, we all have the same emotions deep within us ­ to protect the family , educate children, provide for healthcare, to be free to walk the streets in safety , to have time for oneself, to contribute to the good of the world and to leave one's mark, however small, on history . And the last is something all human beings do, for better or for worse. Even an ant does not go through this world without affecting its outcome in some way .
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It's What Happens To You That Makes You Real
Marguerite Theophil


From an old children's book by Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit, we learn wonderful lessons about maturing, about being okay as you are, about the importance of being acknowledged and loved, and yet, how the rewards of all this cannot come without its costs.The Velveteen Rabbit is a “really splendid, fat and bunchy rabbit“ with a brown and white coat, real thread whiskers, and ears lined with pink satin ­ a gift in a Christmas stocking for a little boy . “For at least two hours,“ the boy loved him, yet later in the day , in the excitement of unwrapping many other new presents, Rabbit was set aside. He then lived neglected in the toy cupboard.Being made of simple velveteen, some of the more flashy and expensive toys, specially the mechanical ones, ignored him or made fun of him.
Re-reading the book so many years later, I am taken more with the wisdom of the old Skin Horse, a toy so old and worn out that, “His brown coat was bald in patches, and most of the hairs in his long tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces.“
There is a beautiful conversation between Velveteen Rabbit and Skin Horse filled with wisdom about “becoming Real“. A sad and puzzled Rabbit asks Horse about what this Real is; if it means having things that whirr, buzz and move or having a stick-out handle.
Skin Horse explains that Real isn't about how you are made, but is something that happens to you: “When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.“
This is when Rabbit asks an important question: “Does it hurt?“ Skin Horse, always truthful, replies: “Sometimes,“ but explains that when one is Real one doesn't always mind some hurt.
“Does it happen all at once?“ Rabbit wants to know, “or bit by bit?“ Not all at once, the Skin Horse declares, “You become. It takes a long time.“ And then he wisely points out that this is why it rarely happens to those toys ­ or people ­ “who break easily , or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.“ By the time you are Real, he cautions Rabbit, it's likely most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop and you get loose in the joints and very shabby . But these things don't matter at all because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.
Rabbit longs to become Real, and yet wishes he could become Real without these uncomfort able things happening to him. Just like all of us! Without truly understanding and practising the lessons of self-acceptance, of loving and being loved, hand ling hurts and disappointments, of building resilience, accepting and the ups and downs of a naturally lived life, we are like the ones Horse says don't grow Real ­ those who break easily , or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.
Poet-philosopher David Whyte reminds us, maturity , rather than a static arrived platform, where life is viewed from a calm, untouched oasis of wisdom, is a “living elemental frontier“ demanding the ability , despite our grief and losses, to courageously inhabit what has already happened, what is happening now and how this is all first imagined and then lived into a waiting future.
We grow, and grow real, through our own efforts and understanding over time, through the recognition, love and support of others, and mostly , through our willingness to be open and vulnerable.
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Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Mainstream Weekly

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What is the difference between Sunnis and Shias

audi Arabia’s execution of Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr could escalate tensions in the Muslim world even further. Here is a primer on the basic differences between Sunni and Shia Islam.
What caused the split?
A schism emerged after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632. He died without appointing a successor to lead the Muslim community, and disputes arose over who should shepherd the new and rapidly growing faith.
Some believed that a new leader should be chosen by consensus; others thought that only the prophet’s descendants should become caliph. The title passed to a trusted aide, Abu Bakr, though some thought it should have gone to Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law. Ali eventually did become caliph after Abu Bakr’s two successors were assassinated.
After Ali also was assassinated, with a poison-laced sword at the mosque in Kufa, in what is now Iraq, his sons Hasan and then Hussein claimed the title. But Hussein and many of his relatives were massacred in Karbala, Iraq, in 680.
His martyrdom became a central tenet to those who believed that Ali should have succeeded the Prophet. (It is mourned every year during the month of Muharram). The followers became known as Shias, a contraction of the phrase Shiat Ali, or followers of Ali. The Sunnis, however, regard the first three caliphs before Ali as rightly guided and themselves as the true adherents to the Sunnah, or the Prophet’s tradition. Sunni rulers embarked on sweeping conquests that extended the caliphate into North Africa and Europe. The last caliphate ended with the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War-I.
How do their beliefs differ?
The Sunni and Shia sects encompass a wide spectrum of doctrine, opinion and schools of thought. The branches are in agreement on many aspects of Islam, but there are considerable disagreements within each. Both branches include worshippers who run the gamut from secular to fundamentalist.
Shias consider Ali and the leaders who came after him as Imams. Most believe in a line of 12 Imams, the last of whom, a boy, is believed to have vanished in the ninth century in Iraq after his father was murdered. Shias known as Twelvers anticipate his return as the Mahdi, or Messiah.
Sunnis emphasise God’s power in the material world, sometimes including the public and political realm, while Shias value martyrdom and sacrifice.
Which sect is larger, and where is each concentrated?
More than 85 per cent of the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims are Sunni. They live across the Arab world, as well as in countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia. Iran, Iraq and Bahrain are largely Shia. The Saudi royal family, which practices an austere and conservative strand of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, controls Islam’s holiest shrines, Mecca and Medina. Karbala, Kufa and Najaf in Iraq are revered shrines for the Shias. — New York Times News Service
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Non-alignment to multi-alignment

India’s foreign policy has finally rid itself of Cold War trappings in favour of a wider engagement with world powers. But one Cold War-era reality remains: when it comes to Pakistan, one couldn’t be careful enough.

December has been a significant month for India and Indian diplomacy. This was not limited merely to defence acquisitions, but also included new initiatives on the foreign policy front.
If anything remained of the concept of non-alignment, India’s outreach to both Cold War antagonists, in December, appeared to signal its final demise. Non-alignment served India well during the difficult years from the mid to the late 20th century, but had apparently outlived its utility. The time had possibly come to sound its requiem, and India did just that in December.
M. K. Narayanan
Several reasons can be adduced for India’s shift from non-alignment to multi-alignment. Undeniably, policies adopted by India since the beginning of this century had helped generate a climate of trust across the spectrum of warring nations and long-time antagonists. A spirit of accommodation and constructive solutions to major regional and international challenges had also made India more acceptable to most nations. The India-U.S. Civil Nuclear Agreement in the first decade of this century was in this respect truly the “game changer”. India came to be seen as a positive, stabilising influence as far as the global and the regional environment was concerned. Non-alignment clearly had no place in this milieu.
Deepening India-U.S. ties

It was, hence, not difficult for Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, within the course of a few hours of discussion with his counterpart during his visit to the United States in December, to enhance the quality of their defence dialogue and strengthen the defence engagement between the two countries. Outcomes from this visit of the Defence Minister are certain to further enlarge the scope of the already booming defence relationship. Among the more significant takeaways are: the progress made regarding the joint working groups on both aircraft carrier technology and jet engine technology; the approvals given for additional numbers of Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft, and M777 ultra-light howitzers; the progress achieved regarding long-deferred “foundational agreements” such as CISMOA (Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement) and the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA), and a further strengthening of the partnership on “high technology” under the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
Reaffirming ties with Russia and Japan

During this same month of December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took off for Russia to reaffirm the strong links that exist between the two nations. Statements made on the occasion reveal the determination on both sides to reinforce the strategic ties that date back to the Cold War years. Few, however, expected that the visit would also result in Russia regaining its position as India’s principal defence supplier.
The list of agreements drawn up in Moscow covers nuclear, space, energy and defence. Russia has committed [earlier] to building additional nuclear reactors at Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu) and in Andhra Pradesh. In terms of conventional energy, India has secured a bouquet of deals, including a 10 per cent stake in Russian oil company Rosneft, and commitments regarding a possible stake in another field in East Siberia. In the area of defence manufacturing, both sides have pulled out all the stops. Agreement was reached with regard to co-production of Kamov-226T utility helicopters (the bulk of which would be built in India), and the possibility of securing 48 MI-17 V5 medium-lift helicopters, S-400 Triumf/Triumph missile systems and stealth frigates.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India, also during the same month, meantime, proved to be more than a strategic interlude, with defence, foreign policy, and economic aspects all receiving attention. Japan’s willingness to cooperate on peaceful nuclear energy will have the same kind of positive impact as that which followed the iconic India-U.S. civil nuclear agreement of 2008. Japan’s willingness to acknowledge India as a reliable and trustworthy nuclear power (despite not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is again certain to have a positive impact on nuclear establishments across the world.
Japan’s willingness to share defence equipment and technology, facilitate the exchange of classified military information, and arrive at an understanding of emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific — implicit in the India-Japan Agreement with regard to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea — has opened a new chapter in relations. This was further buttressed by the provision of financial and technical aid for a high-speed rail link between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, in addition to overseas developmental assistance for various projects across India. Mr. Abe’s affirmation, that no other bilateral relationship in the world has the kind of potential which ties relations between India and Japan, was clearly no hyperbole.
The Pakistan puzzle

On the return trip from Russia, Prime Minister Modi paid a visit to Afghanistan where he inaugurated the new Afghan Parliament building (built with Indian aid). Making a stirring speech on the occasion, he complimented Afghanistan’s determination to stand up to terror from across the border, and criticised attempts made to unsettle Afghanistan through the use of terror tactics. En route to Delhi from Kabul, the Prime Minister made an “impromptu” stopover in Lahore to wish Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday. This evoked euphoric headlines in the Indian media. Not everyone, however, saw this as heralding a new chapter in India-Pakistan relations, with long-time Pakistan watchers well aware that the “path to Pakistan’s perfidy” is usually paved with good intentions on India’s part.
The real motive underlying the Prime Minister’s visit to Pakistan remains unclear. Mr. Modi is well aware that Pakistan has given no indication whatsoever of having “changed its spots”. Only a few hours prior to the Lahore visit, he had implicitly warned Afghanistan of the threat posed by Pakistan. Less than a fortnight ago while addressing the Combined Commanders’ Conference on board INS Vikramaditya, the Prime Minister had struck a sombre note, warning that “we see terrorism and ceasefire violations; reckless nuclear build-up and threats; border transgressions; and continuing military modernisation” in our neighbourhood. All this leaves little room for anyone to think that the Prime Minister nurtures any illusion of a change of heart on Pakistan’s part. It would, hence, be unrealistic to think that he was hoping to remove the obstacles that stood in the way of a reconciliation between the two countries with this grand gesture. Mr. Modi is also well aware that there can be no substitute for hard negotiations, or the need for a great deal of effort, to narrow the gap between the two countries.
The real danger is that it could lull the nation into a false sense of complacency and security on account of the circumstances surrounding this sudden move. Any mistaken step as far as Pakistan is concerned needs to be avoided. Pakistan is presently going through a very “promising” phase in its turbulent history, and is being wooed by both China and the U.S. It does not, however, show any signs that it has reduced its animosity towards India.
The potential benefits from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor are expected to substantially improve Pakistan’s economic fortunes. The U.S., in the meantime, appears to have reversed some of the policies it had adopted after 2013, and is demonstrating a higher degree of sensitivity to Pakistan’s concerns. It is at present actively courting Pakistan in view of its strategic location vis-à-vis Afghanistan and Central Asia. The sale of additional F-16 fighter aircraft, and continuation of the Coalition Support Fund beyond 2016 reflect this. Reported U.S. support to facilitating projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, U.S. support for a sustained dialogue between India and Pakistan “to resolve all outstanding territorial and other disputes, including Kashmir”, and a reference to “working together to address mutual concerns of India and Pakistan regarding terrorism” in the joint statement issued following the visit of Mr. Sharif to Washington in October, well reflect some current realities. This cannot be viewed as mere straws in the wind.
It would thus be premature to offer congratulations on an end-year “breakthrough” in India-Pakistan relations. Instead, there is need for greater vigil and more careful thought on what needs to be done so as to prevent a Kargil-type situation, exploiting the current euphoria, from taking place.
(M.K. Narayanan is former National Security Adviser and former Governor of West Bengal.)
Source: The Hindu, 5 -01-2016
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All About Truth
J KRISHNAMURTI


What is truth? Is there such a thing at all? I know what is reality , the complexity of reality in which I have to act -not just talk about it. I have to live there, rationally , sanely , wholly, with order and so on. All that has nothing to do, or may have to do, with truth. So, I have to find out. To find out, there must be no projection of thought. So, thought realises its limitation. When the mind realises the limitation, narrowness, finiteness of thought, then only it can ask the question: what is truth?
Philosophy means love of truth, not love of thought. So there is no authority -Plato, Socrates, Buddha, but Christianity has not gone into that very deeply . They have played with words and symbols, made a parody of suffering and all the rest of it. So, the mind rejects all that, because that is all in the field of reality .Then, what is truth? Has it any relationship with reality?
That is: how can truth be used in the field of reality? Our mind says: what is the good of something if I can't use it?
Our minds are trained to be utilitarian, to be...to work in the field, in market places. If truth cannot have any value in the field of reality , it is not truth. If truth can't help me, what's the good of truth?
So, I must understand clearly that suffering, pleasure, fear and all that is in the world of reality as thought -my suffering, my fears, everything there. Therefore, truth has no relationship to reality .
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