Mahatma Gandhi was not only a hero, but a committed Hindu and complex human who blundered, sorrowed, and even fell in love, says his grandson and biographer.

Rajmohan Gandhi, author of Gandhi: The Man, His People and The Empire, will talk in Ottawa today on Gandhi and the Hindu Tradition.

"Current Hindu extremism is a grave reality," Mr. Gandhi said in an interview yesterday. "These attacks on nuns and priests, it's most disturbing."

Mr. Gandhi teaches at the University of Illinois, specializing in Southeast East Asia and Middle Eastern studies. He believes comfortable elites incite the lowest in Indian society, the Dalits or untouchables, and the tribal groups.

"They have succeeded in deflecting the anger against high castes, and redirected it to Muslims and Christians. They are told that they will be in the lead defending Hindu society. The elevated position being offered, it feels empowering. Meanwhile, the forces behind the riots and violence stay safe in their homes.

They themselves will not be caught by the arms of the law."

Although the professor will lecture on Hinduism, the 73-year-old descendent of the Mahatma knows people really want to hear about his grandfather.

"Every person who meets me wants me to relate personal memories. On the other hand, most people have warm feelings about Gandhi and that translates into a cordial feeling towards me.

A brother of mine he used to say if we did something good or even courageous, everyone said, 'so what, you're a Gandhi,' but if you did something bad, it was, 'how dare you!'''

The professor has spent many years researching his grandfather's life.

"He was a slave to his conscience ... as a result I think he made a remarkable new version of Hinduism. To many Hindus, their religion is just a matter of following certain rules but Gandhi brought the ethical to the foreground.

He liberated Hinduism from mere ritual."

Still, he was not always as kind to his family as he was to the rest of the world. To his great sorrow, he was estranged from his eldest son after refusing to pay for higher education. He criticized another son who tried to help this estranged brother, dismissing him as "weak."

Despite his well-known celibacy, when he was about 45 he developed a romantic passion for an accomplished but married woman who was also active with social issues. Various family members intervened and the affair of the heart came to an end.

Mr. Gandhi speaks at 2 p.m. today at the Museum of Civilization 100 Laurier St., in Gatineau. Admission is free.

Reference

"Un error no se convierte en verdad por el hecho de que todo el mundo crea en él" - Mahatma Gandhi.

Ayer aproveché para ver una película que llevaba un tiempo olvidada en el ostracismo pero que tenía bastantes ganas de ver: Gandhi.

Como no puede ser de otra forma, la película narra la vida de Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, aunque creo que es mucho más conocido como Mahatma Gandhi (en sánscrito y hindi, la palabra majātmā significa ‘gran alma’, siendo majā: ‘grande’ y ātmā: ‘alma’).

La película es del año 1982 (como Naranjito y como yo) y aviso a navegantes dura unas 3 horas (para vuestra planificación).

Desde luego si por Oscars se midiera la calidad de una película los datos son aplastantes: 8 Oscar: película, director, actor (Ben Kingsley), guión original, montaje, fotografía, vestuario, dirección artística con 11 nominaciones: maquillaje, banda sonora y sonido / Drama además de las anteriores. Eso si, creo que mantengo lo esencial, como Mahatma :)

Mi humilde opinión es que se trata de un peliculón pero no de una obra maestra. Demasiado extensa, lenta en algunos momentos, pocos. Aun así muy recomendable.

Es realmente interesante el ver la evolución de su etapa como abogado en Sudáfrica y cómo va cambiando a lo largo del tiempo. Si me pongo a mirarme a mi mismo, en mayor o menor medida me voy dando cuenta de lo diferente que soy respecto a hace unos cuantos años.

En cualquier caso la fe de esta persona debió ser sin duda inquebrantable a tenor de sus acciones: huelgas de hambre, recorridos en contra de impuestos con miles de personas siguiéndole, encarcelamientos, ...

Os aconsejo también especialmente la película para reflexionar sobre la fuerza de voluntad de cada uno y lo que es capaz de conseguir.

Textportrait von Mahatma Gandhi 2008.

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer, TEXTPORTRAIT.

Mahatma Gandhi

On the eve of my departure from South Africa, I should like to leave a brief message in writing;

There has been no limit to the love I have received from the Indians in this country. I am sure those Who have given such Jove will always prosper. I hear it said that our community is ungrateful. My heart tells me that this is said in ignorance and impatience. Were the Indian people really so, I would have felt no pride in being called a son of India, nor could I recite with utter sincerity the sublime poem, India, a refuge of all those that suffer.

Though I have had more than human love from Indians, I also know that there are some of them who believe themselves, and are taken by others, to be my enemies. For me, however, they are no enemies. Those who speak ill of us sometimes prove to be our true friends. I do not consider at the moment whether this is so in my case or not. I only want to show that I am not free from responsibility for their speaking ill of me. If I had perfect love for them, they would never have bitter things to say against me. Such love, however, is hardly possible for 'men. Whilst I lack it, I shall bear their hostility; I shall not regard them as my enemies.

There are easy and effective measures which will enable Indians to live in peace in this country. An religious antagonism, as that one is a Hindu or a Muslim, a Christian or a Parsi, should be forgotten. Let there be no provincial distinctions such as Bengalis, Madrasis, Gujaratis, Punjabis, etc. All ideas of high and low which divide men into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras should be abandoned. Indians are all subject to the same laws; if so, how can we fight them disunited?

We needs must observe truth. I know it is futile to expect, in this land, that everyone will be perfectly truthful; it should; however, be possible for us to adhere to truth, by and large. Otherwise, Indians cannot live on here as Indians, or human beings.

Whenever there are hardships, they will have to be fought courageously. Should Indians refuse to fight them, blinded by self-interest or because of weakness, they will assuredly be overwhelmed by disaster.

If the leaders are selfish, greedy, lazy, given to lying and Iicentious, the common people will make no progress. And so, should the latter remain backward, the responsibility will be that of the leaders and theirs, too, will be the guilt.

Indians from Bombay are often rude to those hailing from Calcutta and Madras and indifferent to their feelings. The term colcha has still not gone out of use in our language. Such ways are fraught with danger and, if not abandoned, will assuredly bring the community to grief. The people from Bombay know very well that their compatriots from Calcutta and Madras are far more numerous than they. Even from the point of view of self-interest, therefore, it is necessary that we show them due regard.

Even good Indians show contempt for Colonial born Indians. I have believed and still believe that they are wrong in doing so. Colonial-born Indians do have some defects; but, then, who has not? They have also many fine qualities. It is worth noting that, if the satyagraha campaign has been a glorious performance, it Was because of the sacrifices of Indians born in this country. Large numbers of such Indians, and many women too, have gone to jail. To help forward any Colonial-born Indians. either educated or uneducated, will be an act of piety on the part of the community meriting. a reward, and I am sure it will be duly rewarded, for such has been my experience.

We are very' dirty and some of us behave so abjectly, because of greed, that the whites feel disgusted, as they well might. If the leaders exert themselves, they can end all the filthiness that we notice around us. That there should be too many people sleeping in small rooms, that these should hold stores of foodgrains, fruit, etc., and never be washed, that lavatories should be kept unclean, that bedsteads should never . be aired in the sun, that the. windows should never be opened, that the place should never be dusted, that sleeping, cooking, bathing, relaxing, should all be done in one and the same room-this is pathetic indeed. This way we turn ourselves into denizens of hell in this very world. This state of affairs must change.

Gold-smuggling by members of the community is on the increase. Some Indians want to get rich quick. They will 'get into trouble and disgrace the name of the community as a whole. I wish they would rein themselves in.

As some Tamils and Calcuttamen have become slaves to the wicked habit of drink, so have some Gujaratis too. The Indian who weans them from this will be a man of noble soul indeed. Indian businessmen can exercise a good
influence, if they mean to, over these helpless brethren whose state is so pitiable.

As I understand it, the Settlement which has taken place is a charter of our freedom. We could not have accepted less than what it gives. More it is not possible to secure at present. It is my emphatic advice, therefore, that every effort should be made to preserve what has been obtained, and to resist the Government if it seeks to take away anything from it. If it places upon the terms of the Settlement a construction different from ours, or mine, or if a court does so and the Government then refuses to make any modifications, there will be cause for friction and the Government will again invite the charge of breach of promise.

The, main difficulty for the present will be regarding the Dealers' Licenses Act. Even in this matter, however, redress will be easier wherever things are under the jurisdiction of the Union Government. Where, on the other hand, licenses are granted by the municipalities, things will be very difficult. The remedy for this is to put up a fight whenever licenses are taken, away, apply to courts and petition the Government," hold meetings and pass resolutions. If, at the end of all this, there should be no redress, there will be nothing for it but to resort to satyagraha. This is easy to offer in the matter of licenses. If only the hawkers show courage, the struggle' for licences could be won. It is possible that traders will have to suffer for some time. I hope they will not fail to do their duty at the critical moment. We must demand complete freedom to trade, and ought to get it. Everything depends on the traders.

The Gold Law in the Transvaal is a very oppressive measure. The settlement secures to all the right to carryon business wherever they are doing so at present. People can shift their business from one place to another in the same town, but they cannot go over to another town. So much can be taken as included in the clause on "existing rights". If the Government permits less than this, that will be a breach of the terms of the Settlement. To secure more than. this, independent efforts will be necessary, and I don't think these can be made at present. Great care will have to be exercised ;to see that they do not keep us in the dark and pass complicated Jaws on these and related subjects. In regard to the Gold Law, it should be easy to offer satyagraha against it, if it is administered with excessive severity.

As' regards the Transvaal Law of 1885, I don't see any possibility of our being able to touch it at present.

On the issue of marriages, it is not possible to secure anything more for the present. To waste efforts on that will interfere with other important tasks. There is no other better law elsewhere than the one which has been enacted.

We need not fight for votes or for freedom of entry for fresh. immigrants from India. I think we shall have to rest content at present with the removal of the taint of racial discrimination from the law.

However, if the Indian community is strong and itself enterprising, if it maintains unity, truthfulness and courage, the following expectations may be realized in 15 years:

I. Complete freedom of trade.

2. Full rights of ownership of land in all Provinces and

3. Freedom of movement from one Province to another.

In order to bring all this about, it will be necessary to have the Licensing Acts, the Gold Laws, the Township Act, Law 3 of 1885 and the Immigration Act amended. for which purpose public opinion will have to be cultivated among the whites of South Africa. This is not difficult to do.

The community need not be anxious on account of the indentured labourers. There is nothing in the new law which can be interpreted to mean that the Government may send them away.

I appeal to all Indians to help Mr. Polak and seek his help. No one is as well informed about our question as he. He has regard for the community, is honest, has ability and is full of enthusiasm. It is my earnest request to Indians in all Provinces that they utilize Me. Polak's services and follow his advice. Others will not be able to draft petitions as well as he can. He will not accept money for any public work, which means that he will remain in South Africa. only if he can pay his way by his professional work; otherwise, he will leave for England. I know that he still does not earn enough to meet his need and, therefore, I earnestly appeal to the Transvaal Indians to entrust their legal affairs to Mr. Polak.

Indian Opinion is run only for the service of the community. So is Phoenix. Those who have settled there have not done so with the intention of making money. They draw only as much as they need for a simple and plain life. It will be so much of a loss to the community if it does not utilize the services of those who are working in this spirit. Mr. Omar Hajee Jhaveri and Parsee Rustomjee are now the owners of the Phoenix lands and its managing trustees in South Africa. The community can get all information about Phoenix through them or even directly. I request every Indian to understand the objects of Phoenix. I cannot help saying that it is a great field for anyone aspiring to serve India. This, some may indeed feel, is rather improper of me to say in view of my close association with Phoenix; it is, however, my sincere belief.

Though I am leaving for the motherland, I am not likely to forget South Africa. I should like friends - who may have occasion to go to India to come and see me there. I do intend, of course, to work in India in regard to the disabilities here. And I shall be able to work better if the people in South Africa ask for my service. I think the expenses to be incurred in' India on this work by. way of stationery, postage, printing, etc., should be met from here. The money I have been given I propose to use only for this purpose.

Above all, I wish to say that it is up to the community to win its freedom and that its ultimate weapon, an irresistible one, is satyagraha.

If I have harmed any Indian, knowingly or unknowingly, if I have been the cause of pain to anyone, I crave God's forgiveness and theirs.

I am, of course, a satyagrahi and I hope always t remain one, but in December last I fell more under the spell of indenture. Since the term girmitio ("indentured labourer") is already in use about me in Gujarati.

NEW DELHI, October 3 (Compass Direct News) – At least two more Christians were killed today in Orissa state’s Kandhamal district after Hindu extremists this week set fire to nearly 400 homes there and in Boudh district. A third man succumbed to axe injuries on Wednesday (Oct. 1).

Weeks after Hindu extremist violence erupted against Christians, this morning tribal peoples in Sindhipankha village killed Dushashan Majhi, a local influential Christian, first shooting him and them cutting him to pieces. Local Christian leaders reported that Majhi was a government servant working in the treasury.

The mob then turned on Sanyasi Majhi, also said to be Christian, who was with Dushashan Majhi. There were unconfirmed reports that a third victim was killed along with the other two.

A local Christian who wished to remain unnamed told Compass that after killing the two men, the assailants massacred cattle belonging to village Christians and burned Christian-owned houses. Sindhipankha is about seven kilometers (four miles) from Tumudiband.

Local news reporter Lalit Jena told Compass from Kandhamal that the attacks – which have continued unabated since Hindu extremists blamed Christians for the death of Hindu leader Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 23 even though Maoist militants admitted murdering him – involve women first ransacking the Christian homes.

“The modus operandi of the tribal mob is such that women go first and attack the Christian houses,” he said. “They ransack and rob the household’s gold and other jewelry, TVs and all that is precious. The men then follow and burn the houses. Lately it has been reported that now they are fighting among themselves for the booty.”

Jena added that tribal peoples who lived in poverty before the violence now have obtained many heads of cattle, including goats and cows, within a short span, as well as household goods.

“They may have no electricity in their villages, but one can see lots of television sets, nearly all of it looted from the Christians,” he said.

Axe Murder

On Wednesday (Oct. 1), Lalji Nayak, believed to be about 80 years old, died from axe wounds after a Hindu extremist mob attacked his village of Hrudangia the previous day. Nayak and 14 others were wounded, with Nayak struck between his neck and chest.

While three of the wounded received first-aid at a health center in Kandhamal, eight others, including Nayak and his wife Mandaki, were admitted to MKCG Medical College in Berhampur. At press time Nayak’s widow, who received an axe blow just below the ear, remained in the medical center with a serious head injury.

Local Christians in Berhampur wanted to give Lalji Nayak a Christian burial, but police did not allow it. Utkal Christian Council members B.D. Das and J.R. Patro expressed strong objections to the police action.

Nayak’s brother, Junas Nayak, was taken to Cuttack Medical College for gunshot wounds. He remained in critical condition at press time with multiple gunshot wounds, and according to Jena has a total of 13 bullets in him.

“Seven are on his left thigh, and six in his right hand, but the doctors have so far done nothing to remove them from his body, even though he has been admitted in the hospital since September 30,” Jena told Compass. “We are concerned that he may develop septic [shock or infection] because of the delay.”

In the attacks, an 8-year-old boy miraculously survived after being hit by an axe in the middle of his skull.

Two pregnant Christian women, Archana and Geeta Sahu, this week were brought from Kandhamal to Berhampur hospital, where they gave birth and were said to be out of danger.

Houses Burned

Nearly 400 houses were burned or destroyed in Orissa state’s Boudh and Kandhamal districts this week.

On Wednesday (Oct. 1), mobs set fire to dozens of houses in the Raikia area of the Kandhamal district. Yesterday the violence crossed over to neighboring Boudh district as about 100 houses were torched by mobs in at least nine villages. Worst affected was the village of Kantamal.

The burning of houses continued this morning, with more than 400 houses reported to have been either burnt or destroyed in Boudh and Kandhamal districts.

Police have reportedly arrested five people so far in connection with the burning of the houses in Boudh district.

Additional District Magistrate Mihir Chandra Mallik told reporters, that unidentified people set fire to over a hundred houses of Dalit Hindus in at least nine villages in Boudh district.

“We have set up a relief camp at Kantamal town to provide food and shelter to the people who have lost their homes,” he added.

The administration said that the motive for burning these houses was ethnic, as Kandh tribal peoples attacked Dalit Pana homes.

Area church leaders confirmed this, but one said on condition of anonymity, “First they were targeting Christian Panas only, but now even Hindu Panas are not being spared. All Hindus who have not joined the mobs in attacking Christians are also being treated in the same way as Christians.”

Both Dalit Pana houses as well as homes belonging to the Christian Pana community have been targeted in Boudh district, he said.

In Barakhama village near Kandhamal, Christians may move to the safer Daringbadi. A local pastor told Compass that Barakhama was also targeted last December, when around 400 homes belonging to Christians were burned and demolished.

“The same continues now,” he said on condition of anonymity. “The Christians love their homes, but it is just not safe to live here anymore, for the government has failed to protect us. The Christians in Barakhama have almost decided to move collectively to Daringbadi, which is at least a bit safer.”

It is estimated that around 500 Christian families will leave the village.

Nun Raped

Police have finally confirmed the rape of a nun in Kandhamal two days after the death of Hindu leader Saraswati.

A mob of around 40 men attacked the nun at K. Nuagaon village, where she and a priest, Father Thomas Chellantharayil, had taken shelter after their center was attacked. The mob allegedly dragged her and the priest to a deserted office of a Non-Governmental Organization, where she was stripped and raped. The priest was reportedly doused with gas and beaten as he tried to stop the attack on her.

Police have arrested four suspects in the rape. Juria Pradhan, 52, his 22-year-old son Kartik Pradhan, Biren Sahu, 35, and 26-year-old Tapas Patnaik were arrested in connection with the assault and rape of the 29-year-old Catholic nun on Aug. 25.

The inspector-in-charge of Baliguda police station has since been suspended in connection with the incident. The Orissa government has also ordered a probe, 39 days after the initial complaint.

District Superintendent of Police S. Praveen Kumar this week told reporters that a medical examination report confirmed that the nun was raped.

The Hindustan Times reported today that although the report was filed weeks ago, police obtained the medical examination report only two days ago following media reports and the efforts of Sister Nirmala, Superior-General of the Missionaries of Charity, who wrote to the state seeking justice.

“A police official said they were busy in maintaining law and order and could not find time to look into the case,” the national daily reported.

Attempts at Law and Order

Since Wednesday (Oct. 1), 46 people have been arrested on charges of rioting in Kandhamal district. A police official said that they had arrested more than 300 people in the past month.

Christian leaders attributed the sudden arrest of 46 people in the last two days to new state Director General of Police (DGP) Manmohan Praharaj, who took over from Gopal Chandra Nanda, who retired on Tuesday (Sept. 30).

Hindu extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad International President Ashok Singhal did not take kindly to the latest arrests.

“The new DGP is indiscriminately arresting leaders of Hindu organizations that are not related to any case,” he told reporters this week.

Nearly 53 companies of paramilitary forces have been appointed in Kandhamal district, and curfew was still imposed. The central government sent 1,000 paramilitary personnel in the form of 10 Central Reserve Police Force companies on Wednesday (Oct. 1) to Kandhamal district. Local sources said 10 more companies were expected by Sunday (Oct. 5).

The central government has come down heavily on the Orissa state government. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil wrote a strongly worded letter to Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday (Oct. 3) asking him to take effective measures and provide security for the Christian community in the state.

“Merely continuing to ask for additional forces after every few days cannot be the solution,” Patil wrote. “The state government has to implement overall strategy for creating an environment of security.”

The letter came hours after the Union Cabinet expressed grave concern over the situation in the state, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh directing Patil to present a report on the situation at the next cabinet meeting.

Peace Rally in New Delhi

In New Delhi, nearly 15,000 Christians joined in a peace march in solidarity with the victims of the Orissa and Karnataka violence yesterday.

The peace march was the culmination of the week-long sit-in organized by the Christians of Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region) beginning Sept. 26 to protest atrocities on Christians in Orissa and Karnataka. The peace march took place on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation.

Many national leaders, including central ministers Lalu Prasad Yadav and Oscar Fernandes, addressed the gathering at the Dharna (sit-in). Yadav, the union minister for Indian Railways, promised to personally meet with the prime minister and urgently discuss the matter. He said that he would “take up the anti-Christian violence in Parliament and debate the hatred of Hindutva [Hindu nationalist] forces.”

Hindu leaders such as Swami Agnivesh addressed the peace march at Rajghat (Gandhi’s final resting place), saying that the “very killers of Mahatma Gandhi, are the same killers of Christians in Orissa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country . . . The Hindutva fascists do not represent the peace-loving Hindu societies, rather they are damaging the Sanatam Dharma [eternal law] of Hinduism,” he said.

Report from Compass Direct News

India in a major effort to curb tobacco use that authorities say kills an estimated 900,000 people in the country every year.

Senior officials in scores of establishments said they were all set to implement the tough rules in Hotels, restaurants, airports, railway stations, offices, shops and factories from October 2nd, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and whose breach can lead to more fines.

Police and food and drug authorities will levy fines whenever there is a violation. Besides on their respective premises, government officers, inspectors of central excise, sales tax, transport and health departments, principals of schools can fine violators.

This rule has expanded the definition of public places from government buildings to include all office buildings, hospitals, schools, colleges, railway stations, airports, bus stands, hotels and restaurants. If caught, smokers will have to cough up Rs.200 and owners of the premises are equally liable.

Pegue um raio de sol
e faça-o voar lá onde reina a noite...

Pegue uma lágrima
e ponha no rosto de quem jamais chorou...

Pegue a coragem
e ponha-a no ânimo de quem não sabe lutar...

Descubra a vida
e narre-a a quem não sabe entendê-la...

Pegue a esperança
e viva na sua luz...

Pegue a bondade
e doe-a a quem não sabe doar...

Descubra o amor
e faça-o conhecer o mundo...

Short Biography:

Full Name: Smriti Zubin Irani

Birth Name: Smriti Malhotra

Spouse Name: Zubin Irani

Date of Birth : 23 March 1977

Place of Birth: Delhi, India

Height: 5' 6''

Personal Life:

Smriti Irani's Father was a owner of a courier business and her mother is from Bengal. Smriti married to her childhood friend Zubin Irani. She has two children Zohr Irani and Zoish Irani and has a step daughter Shainelle Irani (daughter Zubin Irani's earliar marriage).

Career:

Her earlier days in career were not easy at all. She moved to Mumbai at the age of 18. And at the age of 21 she participated in Miss India contest that too without informing her family. She reached the finals of the Miss India. She worked at McDonalds as a server. For a breakthrough she repeatedly visited various TV production companies and agencies. Finally her hard work paid off she got a chance of doing a commercial for Whisper. That Ad brought a change in her career and later she hosted a TV show called 'Filmy Batein'.

Her TV serials include the most popular (and the most lengthier) 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' on Star Plus, 'Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan' on Star Plus, Virrudh on Sony TV and 'Teen Bahuraniyaan' on Zee TV.

Later Smriti Irani also stepped into production with her own entertainment company called Ugraya Entertainment. Her first production was Virrudh and was not a mega hit. In fact she was not able to achieve any big success in production area!

Political Career (if we can call it):

Smriti also contested Loksabha election from Delhi's Chandni Chowk constituency. She contested on BJP's ticket. Though she lost very badly to Kapil Sibal (Congress) it made news and talk of the town!

Some Latest Update:

Smriti Irani is in the process of making a tele-series on Mahatma Gandhi. She is planning to shoot her show at all the places where Gandhiji visited! Who will play the role is still not decided, so lets wait and watch.

Akangsha Rawat joins Smriti Irani's Waaris on Zee TV. Akangsha Rawat's last serial was Solah Singarr.

Smriti Irani's Photos:

Click here for related stories

………well, not actually Jawaharlal Nehru himself, but hundreds if not thousands of photographs taken of him by long-forgotten Associated Press (AP) photographer, Kulwant Roy – one of the first of a distinguished line of Indian writer-photographers working for the foreign and domestic media.

There are well over 7,000 – maybe even 10,000 – images in the collection. A tiny sample of 85 are now on show in Delhi, till October 21, at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts – History in the Making – the Visual Archives of Kulwant Roy.

The collection highlights India’s nationalist history with its meetings and marches. There are marvellous pictures of Mr Nehru, many with Mahatma Gandhi and others including Lord Mountbatten and Edwina, his wife and Mr Nehru’s close friend.

Born in  Ludhiana in 1914, Mr Roy started work as a photographer in Lahore in the 1930s. He joined the Royal Indian Air Force near Quetta in 1941 and took aerial pictures from the cockpits of aircraft planes. But, says an introduction to the exhibition, Mr Roy “found it difficult to tolerate the discriminatory policies of his British superiors and had to leave the air force after being court martialled”. 

Just before partition he set up Associated Press Photos in old Delhi - and some of what followed is now on view.

In 1958 he left India for three years travelling abroad taking pictures with him to sell with his stories. In 1963 Roy put all his prints and negatives together in boxes and mailed them to his address in Delhi. When he returned, none of them had arrived and he never found them. Now they have been recovered and are on view here. He died in 1984.

It is worth a visit if you are in Delhi.  Later the organisers, the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, will take the exhibition elsewhere, maybe London and Mumbai. Harper Collins India will be publishing a book of the works in August next year. 

[caption id="attachment_660" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="In Simla for the 1946 independence conference - Abdul Ghafar Khan, Nehru, and Sardar Patel (in the rickshaw)"][/caption]

When I was sixteen years old, we lived in South Africa about eighteen miles outside the city. One Saturday my father had to go to town to attend a conference and he didn’t feel like driving so he asked me if I would drive him into town and bring him back in the evening. My parents also gave me many small chores to do in town, like getting the car serviced and the oil changed.

When I left my father at the conference venue, he said, "At five o’clock in the evening, come here and pick me up, and we’ll go home together.”

I said, “Fine.” I rushed off, did all my chores as quickly as possible, left the car in the garage—and went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a double feature that I didn’t realize the passage of time. The movie ended at 5:30, and I came out and ran to the garage and rushed to where Dad was waiting for me. It was almost six o’clock when I reached there and he was wondering what had happened to me. The first question he asked me was, “Why are you late?”

Instead of telling him the truth, I lied to him, and I said, “The car wasn’t ready; I had to wait for the car,” not realizing that he had already called the garage.

When he caught me in the lie, he said, ‘There’s something wrong in the way I brought you up that didn’t give you the confidence to tell me the truth, that made you feel you had to lie to me. I’ve got to find out where I went wrong with you, and to do that I’m going to walk home.” There was absolutely nothing I could do to make him change his mind—and I couldn’t leave him and go away. For five and a half hours I crawled along in the car behind Father, watching him go through all this pain and agony for a stupid lie. I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again.

It’s almost fifty years since the event, and every time I think about it I still get goose bumps. That is the power of nonviolent action. It’s a lasting thing. It’s a change we bring through love, not fear. Anything that is brought by fear doesn’t last. But anything that is done by love lasts forever.

Assalamualaikum... Happy Hari Raya, and don't forget to ‘puasa enam' for muslims...hehe

Emm,, suddenly I remember something..

Time just closure to PRK, it's around the Conner, actually.  So, I thought I have to speak about marketing. Such a good day, and season; to talk about that. In fact, it's not about exam..Well..

According to Mahatma Gandhi, the seven things that will destroy us are wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, and politics without principle.

So, why marketing?

You know what? The best part about marketing is we can do anything. Yes, anything. In this situation, when campus election meets the curiosity of student, with the blanks of mind about that particular ‘things'; we have to do something.

Now, the question answered. Market it up!...; it make us 'likeable', says A. Kadir Jasin.

Political marketing

Referred to the last principle of Gandhi, what I can say is just playing the politics ethically. Even though man actually by nature ethical. That was the Polanyi's assumption.

Emm..

"Think Better"

"Sekadar Berkongsi"

You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight. (Jim Rohn)

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly. (Henri Bergson)

Never underestimate the power of other people's love and prayer. When you put someone else at the center of your frame, the entire world changes for you. (Tony Snow)

Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. (William James)

Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can't imagine. (Kathleen Norris)

Our only security is our ability to change. (John Lilly)

Every human has four endowments - self-awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change. (Stephen Covey)

If you take a single step toward positive change, that divine energy will take a hundred steps toward you. New worlds and unbelievable possibilities will open up for you. The synchronicities that will begin appearing in your life will become a source of delight and amazement. (Joan Borysenko)

There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change. (Euripides)

All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. (Wayne Dyer)

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. (Mahatma Gandhi)

I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it. (Maya Angelou)

There is nothing permanent except change. (Heraclitus)

A great attitude does much more than turn on the light in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before we changed. (Earl Nightingale)

Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right. (Jane Goodall)

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly. (Henri Bergson)

I have accepted fear as part of life -specifically the fear of change. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says turn back. (Erica Jong)

Win as if you were used to it, lose as if you enjoyed it for a change. (Erick Golnik)

Do not become the candle that gives light to others but itself remains in darkness. Do not follow the desires of your lower self. Should the Lord wish, He himself will pick you out and prompt you to be a source of guidance. He Himself shall endow you with the inner strength to endure the changes of fortune and will instill within you infinite wisdom. (Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani)

Ketika itu, di sebuah bangunan rahasia di Kota Tulkarim, Tepi Barat. Syifa berdiri di pojok sebuah ruangan yang tidak terjangkau cahaya matahari. Seorang pemuda dari Brigade Al-Aqsha, sayap militer kelompok Fatah, memeriksa bom yang melingkari tubuhnya untuk memastikan semuanya dapat berfungsi.

“Yang harus Anda lakukan menekan tombolnya,” kata sang pemuda. Itu adalah persiapan terakhir sebelum Syifa menyampaikan pesan terakhir bagi putri tunggalnya dan orang tuanya tentang aksi bom bunuh diri yang bakal ia laksanakan. Pesan itu direkam dengan kamera video.

Perempuan 24 tahun yang bekerja sebagai juru rias ini ditugaskan meledakkan diri di sebuah supermarket di Nataniyah, sekitar enam kilometer dari Ibu Kota Tel Aviv, Israel. Ia sangat yakin tindakannya itu dibenarkan oleh ajaran Islam untuk membalas kekejaman mesin perang Israel. “Itu saat yang paling sulit dan brutal dalam hidup saya,” ujar Syifa.

Sejak pecah intifadah kedua pada September 2000, terjadi 120 kali aksi bom bunuh diri yang dilakukan warga Palestina. Pelaku meyakini mereka mati syahid. Para ulama berbeda pendapat, ada yang menghalalkan dan mengharamkan.

Bom bunuh diri halal lantaran tidak berimbangnya kekuatan antara rakyat Palestina dengan penjajah Israel. Seperti kata pendiri Hamas, Syekh Ahmad Yassin: “Jika kami sudah memiliki pesawat tempur dan rudal baru kami mengubah cara pertahanan diri yang diakui.”

Yang mengharamkan beralasan pelaku membunuh diri sendiri dulu untuk membunuh musuh mereka. Syekh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Bin Baz menegaskan bom bunuh diri tidak benar dengan landasan Al-Quran surat An-Nisa ayat 29: “Dan janganlah kalian membunuh diri kalian.”

Nabi Muhammad pun bersabda: “Siapa membunuh dirinya dengan sesuatu maka ia akan diazab dengan itu di hari kiamat.” Ibnu Taimiyah pun berpendapat haram terhadap bom bunuh diri dan sang pelaku bakal kekal di neraka jahanam.

Tidak mengherankan jika Syifa berambisi membalas dendam. Ia telah menjadi korban penjajahan Israel. Dua sepupunya berumur 14 dan 17 tahun tewas oleh serdadu Israel saat berunjuk rasa. Adiknya, Mahmud 16 tahun, dihukum 18 tahun penjara karena ketahuan merencanakan serangan bunuh diri.

Ia sangat marah dengan operasi militer Israel yang telah membunuh, menyiksa, dan mengusir warga Palestina dari rumah-rumah mereka. “Saya bukan orang yang haus darah, saya bahkan tidak tega membunuh ayam. Tapi rakyat Palestina dan saya amat marah,” katanya dengan geram.

Tentu saja ia tidak mudah melaksanakan bom bunuh diri itu. Ia harus mampu meyakinkan putrinya agar merelakan kepergiannya. “Saya katakan, saya melakukan ini untuk dia dan anak-anak Palestina,” katanya.

Namun gadis enam tahun itu tidak dapat menerima alasan ibunya. Ia terus menangis meminta ibunya membatalkan rencana itu. “Jangan lakukan ini, tetaplah bersama saya. Tidak ada yang merawat saya jika ummi meninggal,” ujarnya.

Rupanya Allah berencana lain. Syifa gagal melaksanakan niatnya. Tentara Israel keburu menangkap dia lewat serangan fajar ke rumahnya pada April 2002. Ia yakin dijebak oleh seorang pejabat Palestina yang menjadi informan bagi negara Zionis itu. Sepekan kemudian, giliran calon syuhada yang akan beraksi bersama dia ditembak mati dan tiga lainnya ditahan.

Ia divonis enam tahun dan mendekam di Penjara Hadarim, Nataniyah. Selama itu pula, ia hanya tiga kali berjumpa putrinya. Di sana pula, pemimpin intifadah Marwan Barghuti menjalani hukuman 255 tahun sejak 2002.

Selain perlakuan sipir yang kasar, kondisi sel isolasi yang ia huni juga sangat buruk. “Ada kecoa dan serangga lain,” katanya. Ia bahkan harus mogok makan untuk mendapatkan kondisi yang lebih baik.

Penjara telah mengubah Syifa dari pemuja kekerasan pecinta damai. Selepas dari Hadarim, ia bergabung dengan Combatants for Peace, organisasi non-pemerintah yang mengupayakan perdamaian antara Israel dan Palestina. Berdiri secara rahasia pada 2005 dan setahun kemudian diumumkan ke masyarakat. Kini anggotanya lebih dari 150 orang dari kedua bangsa.

Meski begitu, ia masih ragu apakah perjuangan anti-kekerasan seperti yang dilakukan Mahatma Gandhi dari India itu bisa berhasil mewujudkan negara Palestina merdeka. “Israel selalu menggunakan kekerasan dan tidak berubah. Tapi saya sadar sekarang hanya Tuhan yang berhak mencabut nyawa manusia,” ujarnya.

Yang pasti, Syifa tetap bisa berjuang di jalan Allah dengan membesarkan putrinya dan berkampanye damai. Sang janda yang sekarang berusia 30 tahun ini pun kembali menjadi peñata rias sambil menyelesaikan SMA-nya. Ia juga mulai belajar bahasa Inggris serta Ibrani.

Impact News/Faisal Assegaf

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Mahatma Gandhi--------

On the 139th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi (no relative) lends a hand to promote the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme at Pinjra village in Rajasthan on Thursday.

But the devi is in the details. The girl in front carries an overflowing bandli of stones on her head; a chore she undertakes several times a day, every day; Mr G shoulders a little mud in a plastic basin. The girl walks bare foot on hard earth; Mr G prince wears sneakers (not Lotto). The girl, barely in her twenties, is already bent double, Mr G is ramrod straight. Etcetera.

All the wailing about the current breed of politicians boils down to this: The real Mr G was willing to get his hands dirty to be the change he wanted to see. He didn't walk the first few yards towards Dandi and then ask his followers to take the march to its logical end. The pretenders announce "pack up" once the pop of the flashbulbs has died down.

Photograph: courtesy Press Trust of India via The Hindu

Dhirendra Patel on Gandhi Jayanati that is October 2, 2008.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6557614824118480813&hl=en]

Children dressed as Mahatma Gandhi pose on the eve of his 139th birth anniversary, in the northern Indian city of Lucknow October 1, 2008. [REUTERS/Pawan Kumar]

Being a huge animal lover, I have a special place in my heart for this sanctuary. Each month, I donate some money to the ranch. It's not much but at least it's the least I can do for them. I would love to do some volunteer works for them but I live too far away. I plan on visiting the ranch sometime next year when they are open for visitors. I might volunteer for a week there. It has been my dream to come visit the ranch someday.

I encourage you to visit their website to learn more about the sanctuary and also about disabled animals. Steve writes beautiful blog where he tells stories about the animals at the ranch. I read his blog everyday.

Here are the websites. Please visit and support the Rolling Dog Ranch Sanctuary!!

http://rollingdogranch.org/index.html

http://blog.rollingdogranch.org/

Lastly, I would like to close my entry tonight with a beautiful quote from Mahatma Gandhi:

An eye for eye and a tooth for tooth leaves everyone eyeless and toothless -- said Buddha. Indeed violence breeds more violence and Gandhi practiced non-violent approach. 

It is a paradox that Bapu, the apostle of peace, had to fall to the bullet of an assasin.  It is all the more unfortunate that some sections of today's generation do not see merit in Bapu's approach for today's world. 

In this light, it is significant that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) unanimously adopted a resolution to declare Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, October 2, as the International Day of Non-Violence.  This indeed is a small token of recognition for Mahatma Gandhiji’s adoption of the satyagraha (non-violent non-cooperation) as a mode of protest.

Again it is a paradox that the man who symbolized non-violence in 20th century was never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  It is an often recurring and heart-burning topic for many people.  Reports show that Gandhi was nominated in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and, finally, a few days before he was murdered in January 1948.  It is also reported that the omission has been publicly regretted by later members of the Committee awarding the Peace Prize. When the Dalai Lama was awarded the Peace Prize in 1989, the chairman of the committee said that this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi".  A small redemption there. 

But then, considering the names of certain persons who were awarded this Nobel Peace Prize, it is good Gandhi is not given this prize and bracketed with those so called "peace" winners.  Gandhi, if one understands him, is above any of these prizes.  For more opinions, details and clarity on the topic of why Gandhi was not awarded Nobel Peace prize look at the following web links:

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/gandhi/index.html

http://www.mkgandhi.org/nobel/nobelpeaceprize.htm

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Gandhi/GandhiNobel.html

http://semanticoverload.blogspot.com/2005/10/mk-gandhi-nobel-peace-prize-and-little.html

Nuclear deals
Communal riots
Political impotency
Corrupt veins
False promises
Notwithstanding.

Gandhi must stay

Heal hearts
Lead minds
Treat with love
Listen in patience
Nurture lives
Singlehandedly.

Gandhi must think

Powerful slogans
Empowering thoughts
New order
Fresh ideology
Bold endeavours
Forever.

Gandhi must preach

No borders
Interfaith unity
End to poverty
Self reliance
Inner strength
Unanimously.

Gandhi must cry

Unwilling friends
Failed experiments
Loss of humanity
Selfish dreams
Brittle hopes
Persisting.

Gandhi must die

Nation’s birth
Freedom on rise
Joy of creation
Public service
Golden era
Unveiling.

Much as I or for that matter any civilized, educated individual would hate to admit it, there is an intrinsic joy associated with our trysts with the Railway clan. And yes, then there is the obvious delight of having saved a couple of hundred bucks. So it chanced that on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, as a mark of respect for everything our beloved Bapu stood for, especially his outright and blatant defiance against the autocratic rule of the Queen, I decided to conduct a similar but discreet Non-cooperation movement against the totalitarianism of the railway body by hopping on a ticket. Only this time, my friend Somu decides to join me and why do I get a seemingly uncanny gut feeling that I am on the verge of starting a revolution against the Empire. Ticket-less traveling is the call of the era and if indeed you desire to acquaint yourself with the subtle nuances of this innovative method of silent protest-again on the lines of the extolled principles of Ahimsa, you know whom to call!

So, my friend and I are standing clueless at the station, facing the ever daunting task of escaping the groping eyes of the ruthless TTC. Or were they really groping? Was it my faulty conscience playing tricks on my observance. Heartening, indeed it was to learn that we had several of our non-revolting friends along with us on this journey and even though they didn't quite agree with us and our principles, they gratefully thought twice before being the cause of heralding our woes. And yes, thankfully they offered us a small portion of their seats to grace our backs-that seat which someday would become the legal right of every citizen rather than being a mute by-stander merely spectating the influx of illegitimate wealth into the coffers of the evil Empire. As expected, in a mere span of fifteen minutes the TTCs were up and about their notoriety, harassing innocent passengers. We however soon learned that we weren't the only ones in this dare-devil enterprise. There were many who shared my feelings of a need to transgress the lines of the Empire, only unfortunately we came to only know of those who were unsuccessful in their attempts. And the manner in which my brethren were brutalized by the ravenous TTCs made my bones tingle and my blood boil. I wish I could boldly protest but then I had the Rules of the Silent Protest to adhere to.

So, my friend and I could often be seen by-passing the Agents of evil and may I enlighten my dear readers that such actions, as of ours require tremendous courage and even more, a confident smile on the face of a despotism of such monumental nature. We hid in the toilets, the two of us, together leaving the commoners gaping, deliberating on the prospects. We pretended to be S-5 passengers when we were in S-1, S-1 passengers when we were in S-5. We struck up conversations with strangers, passengers who already had their tickets checked by the Agents. We pretended to be babus, teenage babus at that with our serene composure and ostentatious demeanor, too elegant to be amongst the ticket-less mob. And yet we were. We indeed were...

And so it passed that Fate successfully managed to see us off. We were at the Bhubaneswar station, fits of rapture overpowering us at the mere thought of our delectable exploits. More than anything, it was the feeling of saving the Empire the services of our wallets which was the reason of our ecstasies. Free pilgrimage to the Land of the Temples. And then it came. The bolt from the blue...

My friend who was supposed to stay at another friend's place got a call from his pal conveying that unfortunate guest influx at his house meant he could not accommodate him. My dad called me up at the most opportune time telling me that my family was out of town for the night. I might like to convey to my readers that along with ticket-less traveling, surprising my parents with a sudden “Hey dad, Hey mom” also delights me.

I lie on the hotel bed the next morning, as I write this after having exhausted the same couple of hundred bucks over lodging facilities that we had each flicked from the Empire. And I am left to ponder at the sheer irony of life, its beautiful twists and turns and then again Karma...