The Sword and the Ocean (program on BBC World Service)

[Guest guest]

If you don't have a shortwave radio, many NPR or

college stations air BBC World Service programs.

Check your local NPR station for broadcast times and

program schedule.

 

Keval

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 

THE SWORD AND THE OCEAN: The new face of Hinduism 3 x

25 | from Jan. 5th

 

Two years ago, religious riots in Gujarat, one of

India's wealthiest states, led to almost 2,000 deaths,

the majority of them Muslim, and seared deeply into

the hopes that sectarian violence of this kind had

been consigned to history.

 

Nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims returning from the northern

Indian temple town of Ayodhya died after a train was

set alight by unidentified men. Most accounts at the

time said it was the work of Muslim fanatics, but

precisely what happened remains a mystery.

 

In retaliation, Hindus ran riot for three days

attacking Muslims at random. At least 1,000 people

were killed, though a number of human rights

organisations have put the figure at double this.

Muslim businesses and homes were razed and tens of

thousands of people were left homeless. It has been

widely alleged that the revenge attacks were

orchestrated by Hindu extremists, with claims that

some of those engaged in the killings had lists of

Muslim properties to target.

 

Who were the zealots who rampaged through Muslim

neighbourhoods killing hundreds of innocent people?

What is the relationship between the India's ruling

BJP government and Hindu nationalist groups? And

how much of the support for such groups comes from the

Hindu émigré communities across the world?

 

To answer these questions Mike Wooldridge talks to

Hindu militants throughout India and follows the

'money trail' to discover how cash from the global

Indian diaspora supports extremist Hindu groups in the

subcontinent. The series also looks at the whole

future direction of Hinduism. Militant Hindus have

called on their co-religionists to take

up the sword and 'cleanse' India of what they see as

foreign and polluting elements - like Islam and

Christianity. Yet historically, many Hindus have also

seen their religion as the ocean into which all

other faiths flow. And many of its great teachers have

promoted peace and tolerance. So why is it now

producing zealots who seem ever more determined to

radicalise their religion - and India itself? And

which form of Hinduism will prevail in the long term?

 

The Sword And The Ocean will be exploring the legacy

of the Gujarat riots as India enters an general

election year.

 

THE SWORD AND THE OCEAN (Documentary 1)

Australia and NZ | Sun 2106, Mon 0306 rpt 0706, 1606,

Sat 0406; East Asia | Mon 0206 rpt 0706, 1306, 1906,

Sun 1506; South Asia | Sun 2206, Mon 0506 rpt 0906,

1406 Fri 2306, Sun 0606; East and South Africa |

Mon 0706 rpt 1406, Tue 0006, Sun 1906, 2306; West

Africa | Mon 0906 rpt 1406, Tue 0006, Sun 2206; Middle

East | Mon 0006 rpt 0806, 1306, 1706, Tue 0106, Sat

2006, Sun 1306, Mon 0006; Europe | Mon 0006 rpt 0906,

1306, 1906, Tue 0106, Sun 2206; Americas | Mon 0006

rpt 1406, 2006, Tue 0106, 0606, Mon 0006

 

[times are GMT. subtract 5 hours for Eastern time, 8

hours for Pacific]

 

You can hear the programmes live online (at European

schedule times) and most are also available on demand

for seven days after their first broadcast, via the

Radio Player link on BBC World Service home page

http://www.bbcworldservice.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

--- Mike Brooker <patria1818 wrote:

> If you don't have a shortwave radio, many NPR or

> college stations air BBC World Service programs.

> Check your local NPR station for broadcast times and

> program schedule.

>

> Keval

>

> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

>

> THE SWORD AND THE OCEAN: The new face of Hinduism 3

> x

> 25 | from Jan. 5th

>

> Two years ago, religious riots in Gujarat, one of

> India's wealthiest states, led to almost 2,000

> deaths,

> the majority of them Muslim, and seared deeply into

> the hopes that sectarian violence of this kind had

> been consigned to history.

>

 

 

> Nearly 60 Hindu pilgrims returning from the northern

> Indian temple town of Ayodhya died after a train was

> set alight by unidentified men. Most accounts at the

> time said it was the work of Muslim fanatics, but

> precisely what happened remains a mystery.

 

What happened reamins a mystery??????? Perhaps this is

the joke of the decade. The people responsible for

death of 60 Hindu pilgirms where full blooded MUSLIMS.

Infact they are caught and languishing in Indian

prisons. To this day, you come across news in Indian

Media where culprits of Godhra crime are caught on

regular basis and all of them unmistakabley muslims

iwth their white skull caps and 10 inch beards.

>

> In retaliation, Hindus ran riot for three days

> attacking Muslims at random. At least 1,000 people

> were killed, though a number of human rights

> organisations have put the figure at double this.

> Muslim businesses and homes were razed and tens of

> thousands of people were left homeless. It has been

> widely alleged that the revenge attacks were

> orchestrated by Hindu extremists, with claims that

> some of those engaged in the killings had lists of

> Muslim properties to target.

 

According to "India Today" 12 Million people

participated in the Gujrat roits in 2002, This

included even women and pregnant ladies. It is regular

public who participated in roits, there is nothing

like Hindu Militants or Hindu Extremists.

>

> Who were the zealots who rampaged through Muslim

> neighbourhoods killing hundreds of innocent people?

> What is the relationship between the India's ruling

> BJP government and Hindu nationalist groups? And

> how much of the support for such groups comes from

> the

> Hindu émigré communities across the world?

 

BJP was born more as reaction to Congress whic is pro-

Muslim and Pro-Christian. Hindus wanted their voice to

be heard , hence BJP came into existence. RSS was

founded in 1925 by Hegdewar, Later was infulenced by

Swami Vivekanada and Swami Dayanada. RSS is a

voluntary organisation and BJP is desecendent of RSS.

>

> To answer these questions Mike Wooldridge talks to

> Hindu militants throughout India and follows the

> 'money trail' to discover how cash from the global

> Indian diaspora supports extremist Hindu groups in

> the

> subcontinent.

 

I am quiet disturbed by the term "Hindu Militants",

Unlike Jihadis, these people don't carry AK-47'S( For

Jihadis a Kalashnikov is literally an extension of

body), niether they embrace suicide bombing nor

fanatsize about 72 virgin, beuatiful women (hourie) in

"Jannat" aka in Heaven.

 

> The series also looks at the whole

> future direction of Hinduism.

 

Now we have a self styled intellectual Westerner

documenting about Hindusim's future. I request him to

stay in United states and flip through television

channels during Sunday, where every other channel as

Christian Fundamentalist donned in a Designer Suit

preaching medival values. Some of the views by

Christian Fundamentalists in United States can put a

rabid Islamic nation like Pakistan to shame. For

Instance, abortion is illegal even in situation like

rape/incest or Theory of Evalution is banned in

certain Southern States because it goes against the

preaching of Bible. If Mike Wooldridge still dwells

in the era of "White Men's burden", where it is duty

of a White Christian(who are born pure with full

Viveka) to save a Savages like Hindus( 'Devil

worshippers' according to Southern Baptists, the

largest protest congregation to which Bill Clinton and

Al gore belong)from impending Hell, then I am sorry

for him. Hindusim as with stood Max Mullers, Wendy

Donigers and it will with stand Mike Wooldridge too.

By the way Wendy Doniger beats every other Westener in

demonising Hinduism, according to her

 

"The Bhagavad Gita is not as nice a book as some

Americans think…Throughout the Mahabharata ... Krishna

goads human beings into all sorts of murderous and

self-destructive behaviors such as war.... The Gita is

a dishonest book …”

-- Wendy Doniger, Professor of History of Religions,

University of Chicago.

Quoted in Philadelphia Inquirer, 19 November, 2000.

> Militant Hindus have

> called on their co-religionists to take

> up the sword and 'cleanse' India of what they see as

> foreign and polluting elements - like Islam and

> Christianity. Yet historically, many Hindus have

> also

> seen their religion as the ocean into which all

> other faiths flow. And many of its great teachers

> have

> promoted peace and tolerance. So why is it now

> producing zealots who seem ever more determined to

> radicalise their religion - and India itself? And

> which form of Hinduism will prevail in the long

> term?

This is far from truth. BJP government was responsible

for a Muslim, Abdul Kalam as India's President, A

Christian Geogrge Fernandis as Defence Minister. These

are few people come to my mind.

>

> The Sword And The Ocean will be exploring the legacy

> of the Gujarat riots as India enters an general

> election year.

Recent online poll on the occasion of 79th birthday of

Vajpayee (prime minister of India), asked who was the

best prime minister of India till date, Vajpayee got

84% of the votes. With 7.1 % economic growth rate

second only to China(9%), India is emerging country in

the world. The Forex reserve for India in 1991 was

less than $ 5 billion dollars, in 2003 it was $100

billion. All these happened under BJP, so called Neo

Fascit Party. In comming genreral elections BJP should

win elections "Hands Down".

All the talk of Hindu Millitants, comparing RSS to SS

of Nazi Germnay, BJP to Nazism is done by Indian

Marxist media. When this reaches outside world, it is

magnified thousand fold, since these half truths are

what western media is craving for, they simply relish

this news by adding their own seasoning.

As there is so much hue and cry made for muslims in

Gujrat nothing is said or done regarding plight of

300,000 kashmiri Pundits who where forced to evacuate

form their home land and settle as refugees in thier

own country.

By the way as I am typing here, I am checking latest

"India Today" edition( akin to TIME magzine in United

States) It has Vajpayee on the cover as Indian person

of the year 2003.

Namah Shivaya

Avinash

>

> THE SWORD AND THE OCEAN (Documentary 1)

> Australia and NZ | Sun 2106, Mon 0306 rpt 0706,

> 1606,

> Sat 0406; East Asia | Mon 0206 rpt 0706, 1306, 1906,

> Sun 1506; South Asia | Sun 2206, Mon 0506 rpt 0906,

> 1406 Fri 2306, Sun 0606; East and South Africa |

> Mon 0706 rpt 1406, Tue 0006, Sun 1906, 2306; West

> Africa | Mon 0906 rpt 1406, Tue 0006, Sun 2206;

> Middle

> East | Mon 0006 rpt 0806, 1306, 1706, Tue 0106, Sat

> 2006, Sun 1306, Mon 0006; Europe | Mon 0006 rpt

> 0906,

> 1306, 1906, Tue 0106, Sun 2206; Americas | Mon 0006

> rpt 1406, 2006, Tue 0106, 0606, Mon 0006

>

> [times are GMT. subtract 5 hours for Eastern time,

> 8

> hours for Pacific]

>

> You can hear the programmes live online (at European

> schedule times) and most are also available on

> demand

> for seven days after their first broadcast, via the

> Radio Player link on BBC World Service home page

> http://www.bbcworldservice.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Protect your identity with Mail AddressGuard

> http://antispam./whatsnewfree

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[Guest guest]

--- avinash ramidi's comments snipped--

 

I hope you at least listened to the program. It's a

three-part series, though so far only part 1 has been

broadcast.

 

Did you know that Amma cancelled part of her 2002

North Indian tour because of the Gujarat riots? Not

only Ahmedabad and Baroda in Gujarat.. IIRC, New Delhi

and Calcutta were canceled as well.

 

If you don't like Mike Woolrdige's presentation,

indeed if you think he's full of s***, you should

e-mail the BBC World Service. There is an e-mail form

at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/docu1.shtml

 

Yours will not be the only e-mail. No doubt this

program will generate a lot of controversy and heated

comments from Indians and NRI's/Indian immigrants.

 

BTW, a Muslim fanatic didn't shoot Gandhi. It was a

staunch Hindu, Nathuram Godse, who is still revered as

a hero and martyr by certain RSS and "Hinduism right

or wrong" types. Gandhi died forgiving his assassin,

but they hung him anyway.

 

 

Keval

 

 

 

Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes

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[Guest guest]

>

> Did you know that Amma cancelled part of her 2002

> North Indian tour because of the Gujarat riots? Not

> only Ahmedabad and Baroda in Gujarat.. IIRC, New

> Delhi

> and Calcutta were canceled as well.

>

Yes, but all this proves is that there was a lot

of unrest. A tour insider said to me that even

though Amma loves Moslem and Hindu the same, it

would have been highly inflammatory for several

buses full of "seeming Hindus" to have traveled

through those riot areas at that time. Besides

my friend on the "luxury" bus was getting tired

of all the togetherness, and was ready to go

home to the ashram:).

 

Still laughing,

Jyotsna

>

>

>

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> Sweepstakes

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>

 

 

 

 

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