Followers

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Valuable Lessons From The Honeybee
Farida Khanam


Once we come to terms with the notion that our thinking and actions may be marred by negativity , we should not allow this problem to go unresolved. Let's look at an example from the animal kingdom, that of the honeybee. Consider how it extracts nectar from flowers and how it wings its way, without once stopping, to a multitude of gardens, and then unerringly lands on the flower of its choice.Of course, there are always thorns in plenty in the path of the honeybee. But adroitly steering clear of them, the honeybee gently alights on the flower ­ its pre-determined destination. We have to reflect on how it finds its way to the flower, how it poises itself above it and how assiduously and devotedly it extracts the nectar! Also worthy of reflection is how, having completed its task, the honeybee does not waste a single moment. Flying straight back to the beehive, it deposits its share of honey. To be able do this, the honeybee has to be totally focussed on its task. It is only fitting that we should learn a lesson from the honeybee in being diligent and persevering and never swerve from the pursuit of our goals. The Creator has sent us to Earth, not without purpose, but to strive towards the perfection of our spiritual personality .Moreover, we must remain fully aware of how the Creator expects us to exhibit an extraordinary spirit in extracting spiritual nourishment from both good and bad experiences.We must never lose sight of the fact that, whatever our mission, we must stay fully focussed. Our path, of course, is strewn with distractions and it is all too natural that we should be tempted at times to pay undue attention to them. But the Creator uses these distractions to test us on our ability to remain patient, to be compassionate, and to give up being vengeful. In eschewing vengeance, we beat back negativity , we steer clear of unsavoury incidents, and, rising above petty vendetta, we are able to forgive others their follies. In so doing we enhance our own spiritual personality , and ensure that we get closer to Paradise.
Negative experiences are a challenge to test us on our reactions in extraordinary , provocative situations because the purpose of the test cannot be served in normal situations.What we are being tested on is how patient, forbearing, compassionate we are.
Faith in the Almighty at every step, shrugging off falsehoods, remaining firm in carrying out our civic and religious responsibilities, and the exercise of restraint in the face of provocation are all virtues that show that we have been continually receiving spiritual sustenance.
This spiritual goal of Islam of attaining a state of peace has been expressed in the Quran in these words: `A soul at peace' (89:27). According to the Quran this is the ultimate stage in a person's spiritual development. When he reaches this stage, he qualifies to be ushered into Paradise, the perfect and eternal world of the Hereafter. The Quran addresses such souls in these words: `O serene soul! Return to your Lord, joyful, and pleasing in His sight. Join My servants and enter My paradise' (89:27-30).
(The author is professor, Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia and Chairperson, CPS International.)
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Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Anger and Compassion
KAMAL JAIN


Why is there so much anger, rage, violence in our lives today? All religions advise us to overcome anger and learn to forgive. Anger breeds hatred, fanning the flames of revenge.We are unable to forgive because we hold on to resentment.We first need some time and space to let go either to forgive or be forgiven. The moment we are prepared and able to forgive, we feel liberated from the experience of bitterness. Forgiveness marks our freedom from all the negativity we have been nurturing as a result of our unforgiving heart.
Why should we forgive? Nobody is ever truly bad. No situation is ever without a brighter side. There is always a flip side.By forgiving, we are creating a whole new experience. We can finally move on. It enables us to heal. Forgiving the person does not excuse the act; it just brings about peace and understanding. A more helpful question would be how we can better understand to put the situation in proper perspective. The emotional foundation of compassion is needed to erect the temple of forgiveness. Compassion can bring about a paradigm shift in transforming anger into forgiveness.
Mindfulness is another quality that enables us to be watchful of our thoughts, feelings and activities for greater understanding. Compassion does not stop us from holding the person accountable. It simply means we understand the root of the problem instead of looking only at surface behaviour.This way , we find productive and long-term solutions that leads us to blissfulness.
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Visva Bharati varsity launches PG diploma course in yoga studies


The Visva Bharati University in West Bengal is launching a post graduate diploma course in yoga studies in the current academic session as part of its new Yoga Education Centre, eastern India’s first at the varsity level, an official said on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development had recently announced that six central universities will have full-fledged yoga departments from academic session 2016-17.
“Initially we are launching a PG Diploma course in the present session beginning July-August. The MHRD has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for infrastructure and Rs 5 crore for bringing in and training faculty. As the curriculum and infrastructure develop, we will start BSc, MSc and certificate courses,” Sabujkoli Sen, Director of Studies, Educational Innovations and Rural Reconstruction, at the varsity, said.
Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Uttarakhand, Central University of Kerala, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Amarkantak (Madhya Pradesh), Manipur University in Imphal and Central University of Rajasthan in Ajmer are the other five varsities that will introduce yoga studies.
Source: Hindustan Times, 22-06-2016
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Refugees in their own land: UN report glosses over India’s internally displaced

If there is one photograph of the Syrian refugee crisis that will haunt the world for the years to come, it must be that of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, whose body was washed up on a beach in Turkey in September. The young boy, found lying face-down on a beach near Turkish resort of Bodrum, was one of at least 12 Syrians who drowned attempting to reach Greece from their war-torn country. The latest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report — Global Trends, Forced Displacement in 2015 — is not only an eye-opener on the scale of the crisis but also a reminder how little governments of the world have done to tackle the problem, which was in the making for quite some time.

According to the report, forced displacement increased in 2015, with record-high numbers. By the end of 2015, 65.3 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, generalised violence, or human rights violations. This is 5.8 million more than the previous year (59.5 million). On average, 24 people worldwide were displaced from their homes every minute during 2015 — some 34,000 people per day. This, the report added, compares to 30 per minute in 2014 and six per minute in 2005. Interestingly, developing regions hosted 86% of the world’s refugees. At 13.9 million people, this was the highest figure in more than two decades. The Least Developed Countries provided asylum to 4.2 million refugees, or about 26% of the global total.
While the report is timely and useful to understand the challenge governments have at hand in tackling the crisis, it surprisingly glosses over the crisis of internally displaced people in India. Take, for example, civil strife-induced internal displacement in Chhattisgarh and in other insurgency-hit areas of India such as the North-East or Kashmir. While there is no official figure, civil society organisations in 2013 put the number of displaced people above 3 lakh. This is just one kind of displacement; environmental problems, caste issues and communal riots have also been pushing people out of their homes in large numbers. By overlooking this huge number, the UNHCR has glossed over a refugee crisis that is in no way less critical than what is happening in other parts of the world.

Source: Hindustan Times, 22-06-2016

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Maharashtra first state to award Jews ‘minority’ status

One of India’s smallest religious communities, the Jews, has now got an official identity in Maharashtra. Ending their decades old struggle, the Jews were finally conferred with the ‘minority’ status by the state cabinet on Tuesday.
Maharashtra is the first state to categorise Jews as a minority group. Of the estimated 5,000 Jews in India, around 4,300 live in the state, concentrated largely in Mumbai, Thane and Raigad district.
The government’s move means the community is now eligible for state schemes for religious minority groups, including scholarships for students and grants to educational institutes run by community members, among others.
However, more than the government schemes, the community is excited about other factors. Documents registering births, deaths and marriages of Jews did not carry their religion, instead categorising them as ‘others’, which will now change.
“Even the census didn’t count us as ‘Jews’, as a result of which, there are no official figures for our community. Our internal estimates show we are only 5,000 members, which makes us a miniscule, microscopic minority,” said Ezra Moses, the secretary of the Indian Jewish Federation.
The other benefit, Moses said, will be the community will get full subsidy from the government to visit Jerusalem, the Israeli capital, for pilgrimages.
With their major demand accepted, the community hopes the government will pay heed to another request they had made. “The holiest day for the community, Yom Kippur, is generally when our kids have examinations. Families can’t celebrate this day because of that. With this official tag for us, I hope the government considers making the day an optional holiday,” he said.
Another community member, David Talegaonkar, who is on the trust which runs one of the three community-run educational institutes, the Sir Elly Kardoorie High School, welcomed the decision. “We receive a lot of applications from Jewish students who don’t have the means to support their education. This tag means they can have access to government scholarships.”
The Maharashtra government had, in 2006, recognised six minority groups – Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains.
Source: Hindustan Times, 22-06-2016
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JNU library named after Ambedkar
New Delhi:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Jawaharlal Nehru University's executive council has approved the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's demand to rename its central library as BR Ambedkar Library on Tuesday .The ABVP , in April, also demanded that Dr Ambedkar's statue be installed there.JNU's library committee approved the proposal, which was then placed before the executive council on Tuesday .
“The proposal to rename the central library as BR Ambedkar Library was approved unanimously ,“ said a council member.
The ABVP earlier wrote to President Pranab Mukherjee and HRD ministry demanding the renaming of the library after Dr Ambedkar, the convention centre after Dr Kalam and stadium ground after Birsa Munda.
Saurabh Sharma, joint secretary of JNUSU and ABVP member said, “The council not only accepted our demand for naming of the central library in the name of Dr Ambedkar but a statue will also be set up there. However we will continue our struggle to name the stadium ground after Birsa Munda and the convention centre in memory of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.“

Source: Times of India, 22-06-2016
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Monday, June 20, 2016

Economic and Political Weekly: Table of Contents


Vol. 51, Issue No. 25, 18 Jun, 2016

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