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‘Will continue to oppose land bill’: Sonia leads opposition’s protest march

Leaders and MPs of opposition political parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, marched from Parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest against the controversial land acquisition bill.

06:55 PM

Arun Jaitley slams the opposition parties for their protest march

06:51 PM

If Congress has serious objection, the ordinance gives discretion to state govts to continue under the old law

Arun Jaitley

06:49 PM

Sonia Gandhi speaks during the protest march

06:48 PM

Sharad Yadav comments on the land bill

06:46 PM

We have come together to oppose the Modi govt's amendment: Sonia Gandhi

06:42 PM

Arun Jaitley comments on the opposition parties' protest march

06:40 PM

It is a continuation of Congress's politics of obstructionism: Arun Jaitley (ANI photo)

06:37 PM

D Raja of the CPI(M) comments on the land bill

06:33 PM

We have come to meet the President to request him to intervene and protect the interest of our farmers, Sonia Gandhi says (ANI photo)

06:32 PM

People have come here united, will take this fight to every farmer in every corner of India. Modi govt has 31% of popular vote, all of us represent 69% of people. We were divided, but we're now together.

Sharad Yadav

06:26 PM

This bill is anti-farmer, anti-nation: Jyotiraditya Scindia

06:25 PM

We have asked the President to intervene and ask the Modi govt not to go ahead with land bill in Rajya Sabha.

Sonia Gandhi

06:24 PM

Opposition leaders' delegation outside Rashtrapati Bhavan. (ANI photo)

06:23 PM

13 political parties have collected today to protest the Land Bill amendment. We have got together to meet President to present a memorandum to him.

Sonia Gandhi at Rashtrapathi Bhavan

06:21 PM

26 MPs allowed to meet President Pranab Mukherjee

06:12 PM

Opposition parties' protest march from Parliament to President's House against land ordinance

06:11 PM

Farmers consent and social impact clauses are the most important for us.

Deependra Singh Hooda

06:11 PM

Clauses which we (Congress) have inserted for the farmers' benefit have been trashed.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

06:10 PM

Land bill: People opposing are in majority, says Kanimozhi

06:05 PM

Ordinance should be taken back: Ambika Soni

06:02 PM

Senior leaders at the protest march. (ANI photo)

06:02 PM

We are united on this. It is an anti-farmer bill. People opposing the bill are a majority.

Kanimozhi, DMK

06:01 PM

All parties are together today, this is a historic march, hope Modi govt is watching this march: Derek O'Brien, TMC. (ANI photo)

05:59 PM

13 parties join protest march against land bill

05:53 PM

Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh also joins opposition's protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:51 PM

We're reflecting what the farmers feel: Renuka Chowdhury

05:49 PM

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury protesting against the land bill. (ANI photo)

05:47 PM

Ghulam Nabi Azad raising slogans during the march. (ANI photo)

05:46 PM

It's one thing to win landslide elections and another to run a Government.

Renuka Chowdhury

05:46 PM

"What a procession to R Bhavan ...something to tell the grandchildren about. Decades from now."

Derek O'Brien

05:44 PM

Opposition parties begin protest march against land bill

05:43 PM

Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Yadav at the protest march. (ANI photo)

05:40 PM

Congress president Sonia Gandhi takes part in opposition parties' protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:39 PM

65% of our population is farmers, this bill is anti-farmer. The voice of this democracy cannot be throttled, we want the govt to know this.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

05:38 PM

What we're doing is only a reflection of what the farmers feel about the ordinance to land bill.

Renuka Chowdhury

05:33 PM

Protest march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:32 PM

Opposition parties begin their Land Bill March from Parliament to President's House to protest the government's land bill .It's approximately a 2.2 km walk from the Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

05:30 PM

Will not allow the Land Bill to be passed. A committee needs to be formed to look into the matter.

Kamal Nath,Congress

05:27 PM

Opposition parties' protest march against Land Bill

05:24 PM

Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party is not taking part in the march by Opposition parties against NDA government's contentious Land Acquisition Bill. (ANI photo)

05:20 PM

Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha, the opposition leaders slammed the government for blocking the protest march. (ANI photo)

05:17 PM

Opposition parties converge at Gandhi Statue in Parliament premises to commence protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

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All you need to know about Solar Impulse 2

1.

What is Solar Impulse 2?

The first attempt to fly a plane round the world using only solar power. It's not a non-stop flight, the plane stops in different countries.

2.

How big and how heavy is Solar Impulse?

The aircraft is as wide as an Airbus A380. It weighs as light as a family car at 2,300kg.

3.

How fast can it steer?

It ranges between 50-160kmph, faster during days and slower at night to prevent batteries from draining quickly.

4.

How high can it fly?

Solar Impulse 2 flies at 27,800 feet during the day, 5,000 feet at night.

5.

How long is one pilot in the air?

Maximum time one pilot will spend in air at a stretch is five days. This is how long the plane will take to cross the Atlantic.

6.

How were pilots trained?

Both pilots went through intensive training, including in yoga and self-hypnosis.

7.

Who flies the plane?

Pilots — Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg — both Swiss, take turns. One pilot flies one leg, the other meets the flight at the next stop and takes over controls.

8.

How do the pilots live in the cockpit, go to the toilet?

They eat, sleep, drink and even go to the toilet in the cramped cockpit. Short naps are possible in reclining pilot's chair. A flap in the seat opens, making the chair double as a toilet seat.

9.

Can the pilots sleep?

Only short naps when the plane is stable. Goggles with flashing lights help pilots wake up when sleep time is over. In emergencies, seat starts vibrating.

10.

Is the cabin heated?

The cabin isn't pressurized. Outside temperatures can reach -40°C, however, the insulated cabin can retain some warmth.

11.

Can the aircraft fly on autopilot?

It has an electronic co-pilot, which can help the aircraft hold course, but this isn't anything like an autopilot modern jets are equipped with. It can be used in short spells when a pilot is resting.

12.

Where's the mission control?

The mission control is located in Monaco where weathermen, air traffic controllers and engineers are stationed. 65 ground staff travel with the pilots.

13.

How long will the journey take?

Roughly five months. It will fly over 3 continents and 2 oceans, Total distance to be covered: 35,000km. Flight across Atlantic will be difficult, and the conditions will have to be absolutely right

14.

What happens if something goes wrong while crossing the ocean?

The pilot would bail out and use ocean survival gear to stay alive until rescue arrives.

15.

How many solar cells power the craft?

More than 17,000 built into wings that at 236ft are longer than on a Boeing 747 and approaching those of a Airbus A380.

16.

What is the plane made of?

It is made of lightweight carbon fibre.

17.

Can it fly in day and night?

It can stay aloft several days and nights. The propellerdriven craft has four 17.5-hp motors with rechargeable lithium batteries.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

IAS officer DK Ravi's death: 5 unanswered questions

The death of 35-year-old IAS officer DK Ravi, who was found hanging in his residence on March 16, has triggered several questions regarding the motive. It has also caused widespread public outrage over the way the case has been handled with politicians floating personal angle to the suicide theory. As the probe falters, protests mount and politics comes into play, TOI looks at the theories, counter theories and unanswered questions surrounding the death.

1.

Why was suicide theory floated before probe?

Controversy was stirred on day one when city police commissioner MN Reddi claimed it was prima facie suicide within hours of the incident being reported and a day before the postmortem was conducted.

The postmortem findings the next day revealed Ravi died of suffocation, which may have been caused either by strangling or hanging, punching holes in the suicide theory.

2.

Was there a death note?

No suicide note was found and officer had behaved normally with family and colleagues that morning.

Later there were revelations that a note did exist and that it is in police custody.

3.

Why are other angles being ignored?

Ravi, who is regarded as an honest officer, had run-ins with land and sand mafia in Kolar and with tax-evading builders in Bengaluru.

So far these angles have not been investigated, with selective leaks and ruling party politicians insinuating only at personal reasons behind 'suicide'.

4.

Why was CID officer removed and then reinstated?

A day after the death, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah defended CID's credentials to probe the matter and said the CBI is no paragon of excellence.

But hours after ordering a CID probe, the government moved out a reputed officer Pronab Mohanty from the agency. The very next day, he was reinstated after pressure from the public and media.

5.

Why is probe floundering?

Five days since Ravi's death, police sources say CCTV images at his residence and his mobile calls are yet to be analyzed, visceral samples and body fluids are yet to reach the forensic lab, while selective leaks are seen to hamper the probe.

Even as the government reiterated that it will not hand over the probe to CBI, the move appears likely on Monday with the CM set to announce it on the floor of the House.

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08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Will continue to oppose land bill’: Sonia leads opposition’s protest march

Leaders and MPs of opposition political parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, marched from Parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest against the controversial land acquisition bill.

06:55 PM

Arun Jaitley slams the opposition parties for their protest march

06:51 PM

If Congress has serious objection, the ordinance gives discretion to state govts to continue under the old law

Arun Jaitley

06:49 PM

Sonia Gandhi speaks during the protest march

06:48 PM

Sharad Yadav comments on the land bill

06:46 PM

We have come together to oppose the Modi govt's amendment: Sonia Gandhi

06:42 PM

Arun Jaitley comments on the opposition parties' protest march

06:40 PM

It is a continuation of Congress's politics of obstructionism: Arun Jaitley (ANI photo)

06:37 PM

D Raja of the CPI(M) comments on the land bill

06:33 PM

We have come to meet the President to request him to intervene and protect the interest of our farmers, Sonia Gandhi says (ANI photo)

06:32 PM

People have come here united, will take this fight to every farmer in every corner of India. Modi govt has 31% of popular vote, all of us represent 69% of people. We were divided, but we're now together.

Sharad Yadav

06:26 PM

This bill is anti-farmer, anti-nation: Jyotiraditya Scindia

06:25 PM

We have asked the President to intervene and ask the Modi govt not to go ahead with land bill in Rajya Sabha.

Sonia Gandhi

06:24 PM

Opposition leaders' delegation outside Rashtrapati Bhavan. (ANI photo)

06:23 PM

13 political parties have collected today to protest the Land Bill amendment. We have got together to meet President to present a memorandum to him.

Sonia Gandhi at Rashtrapathi Bhavan

06:21 PM

26 MPs allowed to meet President Pranab Mukherjee

06:12 PM

Opposition parties' protest march from Parliament to President's House against land ordinance

06:11 PM

Farmers consent and social impact clauses are the most important for us.

Deependra Singh Hooda

06:11 PM

Clauses which we (Congress) have inserted for the farmers' benefit have been trashed.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

06:10 PM

Land bill: People opposing are in majority, says Kanimozhi

06:05 PM

Ordinance should be taken back: Ambika Soni

06:02 PM

Senior leaders at the protest march. (ANI photo)

06:02 PM

We are united on this. It is an anti-farmer bill. People opposing the bill are a majority.

Kanimozhi, DMK

06:01 PM

All parties are together today, this is a historic march, hope Modi govt is watching this march: Derek O'Brien, TMC. (ANI photo)

05:59 PM

13 parties join protest march against land bill

05:53 PM

Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh also joins opposition's protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:51 PM

We're reflecting what the farmers feel: Renuka Chowdhury

05:49 PM

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury protesting against the land bill. (ANI photo)

05:47 PM

Ghulam Nabi Azad raising slogans during the march. (ANI photo)

05:46 PM

It's one thing to win landslide elections and another to run a Government.

Renuka Chowdhury

05:46 PM

"What a procession to R Bhavan ...something to tell the grandchildren about. Decades from now."

Derek O'Brien

05:44 PM

Opposition parties begin protest march against land bill

05:43 PM

Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Yadav at the protest march. (ANI photo)

05:40 PM

Congress president Sonia Gandhi takes part in opposition parties' protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:39 PM

65% of our population is farmers, this bill is anti-farmer. The voice of this democracy cannot be throttled, we want the govt to know this.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

05:38 PM

What we're doing is only a reflection of what the farmers feel about the ordinance to land bill.

Renuka Chowdhury

05:33 PM

Protest march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:32 PM

Opposition parties begin their Land Bill March from Parliament to President's House to protest the government's land bill .It's approximately a 2.2 km walk from the Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

05:30 PM

Will not allow the Land Bill to be passed. A committee needs to be formed to look into the matter.

Kamal Nath,Congress

05:27 PM

Opposition parties' protest march against Land Bill

05:24 PM

Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party is not taking part in the march by Opposition parties against NDA government's contentious Land Acquisition Bill. (ANI photo)

05:20 PM

Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha, the opposition leaders slammed the government for blocking the protest march. (ANI photo)

05:17 PM

Opposition parties converge at Gandhi Statue in Parliament premises to commence protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

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Delhi Police chief briefs govt on Rahul 'snooping' issue

12:32 PM

"Don't invent issue just because you are short on issues," Arun Jaitley tells Congress in Lok Sabha

12:30 PM

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's profile has been updated four times in 1998, 2004, 2009 and 2012

12:28 PM

There was a game plan in this. This shows which direction our nation is being taken in by BJP

Kamal Nath, Congress leader

12:23 PM

Profiling of 526 VVIPs till now including present and former PMs have been done till now, Venkaiah Naidu informs

12:18 PM

Govt already has all the information about Rahul Gandhi through SPG. Then what is the need of such pro forma?

Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader

12:12 PM

Congress raises 'snooping' issue in Lok Sabha

11:57 AM

Watch: Jaitley intervenes in 'Rahul' snooping debate, rebuts charge

11:53 AM

A former PM (Rajiv Gandhi) was identified by his shoes after his assassination. Therefore inquiry in pro forma on shoe size. Each information is relevant

Arun Jaitley

11:50 AM

Watch: Congress raises Rahul 'snooping' matter in Rajya Sabha

11:44 AM

Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha

Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha over 'snooping' issue

11:37 AM

This practice started during Congress govt in 1997, Arun Jaitley informs RS

11:36 AM

Govt lists out names of VIPs profiled by police

11:35 AM

Govt defends security profiling of leaders

Arun Jaitley says security profiling is a routine exercise and several leaders have been subjected to this exercise in the past.

11:34 AM

Delhi police special branch conducts activity of profiling of all VIPs & public figures, it has nothing to do with snooping

Arun Jaitley

11:30 AM

Snooping is keeping a watch on someone silently, visiting someone's office and asking staff to fill out pro forma is not snooping

Arun Jaitley

11:28 AM

Watch: PM Modi, Sonia Gandhi filled Rahul-type forms

11:27 AM

Govt slams opposition

Opposition is making mountain of what is not even a molehill, Arun Jaitley says

11:26 AM

Arun Jaitley responds to opposition attack

Gossip should not be treated as facts and raised in Parliament, Arun Jaitley says

11:25 AM

SP leader Naresh Agrawal alleges that govt is tapping phones of important people

11:25 AM

Watch: Venkaiah Naidu dismisses 'snooping' allegation

11:23 AM

What are they (Congress) talking about? They were snooping on me, Advani ji, Amit Shah ji and Narendra Modi ji

Venkaiah Naidu

11:21 AM

Political freedom is diminishing in the country

Ghulam Nabi Azad.

11:19 AM

They (govt) are trying to save their skin

Madhusudan Mistry, Congress leader

11:17 AM

Congress demands statement from home minister

Congress wants home minister to make a statement in Rajya Sabha over the alleged snooping of political leaders

11:16 AM

The way inquiry was conducted in absence of Rahul Gandhi creates doubt, says BSP leader Mayawati

11:13 AM

Rahul 'snooping' issue in Parliament

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad raises Rahul 'snooping' issue in Rajya Sabha

11:13 AM

Security officials conduct such routine inquiries to ensure security of public figures

Mayawati, BSP leader

11:10 AM

I've been under Z-plus security for 19 years, no such routine security check was conducted on me

Ghulam Nabi Azad

11:04 AM

Minister of state for home Rijiju likely to make statement in Parliament.

11:04 AM

Delhi Police chief briefs Kiren Rijiju

Delhi Police chief BS Bassi briefs MoS home Kiren Rijiju. Rijiju likely to make statement in Parliament.

11:03 AM

Government is in no way involved in this, Venkaiah Naidu says

10:45 AM

Intent was wrong in the first place. Are we running a colonial govt that we need to profile political leaders?

Cong leader Manish Tewari

10:44 AM

Opposition gives notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss 'snooping' row

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Blog: Why India hated Suzette Jordan

Harish Iyer

I got to know about Suzette Jordan just like the rest of the world — as the woman who dared to take her name. She gave millions of rape survivors an identity by refusing to get her name changed, voice altered or face silhouetted in a feisty interview after the Nirbhaya rape.

A couple of years later, i met her at the Think Conference, on a panel on rape. She was brave but had her fears too. Stage fright was one of them. I comforted her with the most insensitive words that only a fellow rape survivor could empathise with. I told her "Tu bhi rape victim, main bhi rape victim, audience mein bhi rape victims hai". She looked at me, half shocked, half at ease and after a second broke into a fit of laughter.

Pain is a great binder. She and i narrated the pain of our lives and spiked it with ruthless humour. The joke was on our offenders and those who humiliated us, not on us. We often laughed till we cried. Rape is of a time, but society rapes survivors for a lifetime. It would be a blatant lie to say that the attitudes of people around Suzette didn't affect her. She had people ostracising her to an extent that she had to change residence. She had people stalking her in the dead of night and she had fears of being killed.

Whenever she was low, she used to tell me, i think i will die early. I just don't know if i will be shot or stabbed to death. I would break her mood by talking gibberish to her — "You just need to get laid, you have no sex in your life so you are thinking so much" — and she would burst out into laughter.

But the laughter was shortlived. She would be humiliated again and again. In one of her final hearings in court, she said, the defence lawyer held the panty she wore when she was raped with a stick and asked her to confirm if she was wearing that panty. The usually calm Suzette broke down and pleaded to the lady judge to intervene, but her pleas fell on deaf ears in the stifled closet of patriarchy. This incident upset her the most.

On 15 September 2014, Suzette filed a complaint against a restaurant to which she was denied entry. The reason — she was a rape victim. Occasions change, settings change, the attitude towards rape survivors persists. She battled it with compassion, and never shied from drinking, dancing, dating or even going to slut walks. She challenged every stereotype you had about rape survivors, she challenged every stereotype you had about women. She challenged every stereotype you had about single mothers.

Deep within, she made Indian society uncomfortable with her exuberance and unabashed attitude. We Indians love putting rape survivors in a spot of how rape survivors stereotypically ought to behave. She defied that. She made many uncomfortable. India hates Suzette Jordan.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

All you need to know about Solar Impulse 2

1.

What is Solar Impulse 2?

The first attempt to fly a plane round the world using only solar power. It's not a non-stop flight, the plane stops in different countries.

2.

How big and how heavy is Solar Impulse?

The aircraft is as wide as an Airbus A380. It weighs as light as a family car at 2,300kg.

3.

How fast can it steer?

It ranges between 50-160kmph, faster during days and slower at night to prevent batteries from draining quickly.

4.

How high can it fly?

Solar Impulse 2 flies at 27,800 feet during the day, 5,000 feet at night.

5.

How long is one pilot in the air?

Maximum time one pilot will spend in air at a stretch is five days. This is how long the plane will take to cross the Atlantic.

6.

How were pilots trained?

Both pilots went through intensive training, including in yoga and self-hypnosis.

7.

Who flies the plane?

Pilots — Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg — both Swiss, take turns. One pilot flies one leg, the other meets the flight at the next stop and takes over controls.

8.

How do the pilots live in the cockpit, go to the toilet?

They eat, sleep, drink and even go to the toilet in the cramped cockpit. Short naps are possible in reclining pilot's chair. A flap in the seat opens, making the chair double as a toilet seat.

9.

Can the pilots sleep?

Only short naps when the plane is stable. Goggles with flashing lights help pilots wake up when sleep time is over. In emergencies, seat starts vibrating.

10.

Is the cabin heated?

The cabin isn't pressurized. Outside temperatures can reach -40°C, however, the insulated cabin can retain some warmth.

11.

Can the aircraft fly on autopilot?

It has an electronic co-pilot, which can help the aircraft hold course, but this isn't anything like an autopilot modern jets are equipped with. It can be used in short spells when a pilot is resting.

12.

Where's the mission control?

The mission control is located in Monaco where weathermen, air traffic controllers and engineers are stationed. 65 ground staff travel with the pilots.

13.

How long will the journey take?

Roughly five months. It will fly over 3 continents and 2 oceans, Total distance to be covered: 35,000km. Flight across Atlantic will be difficult, and the conditions will have to be absolutely right

14.

What happens if something goes wrong while crossing the ocean?

The pilot would bail out and use ocean survival gear to stay alive until rescue arrives.

15.

How many solar cells power the craft?

More than 17,000 built into wings that at 236ft are longer than on a Boeing 747 and approaching those of a Airbus A380.

16.

What is the plane made of?

It is made of lightweight carbon fibre.

17.

Can it fly in day and night?

It can stay aloft several days and nights. The propellerdriven craft has four 17.5-hp motors with rechargeable lithium batteries.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

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Diversity in DNA of Hinduism: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Why should the Bhagwad Gita or any other sacred book get designated as national scripture? Why does one have to learn Sanskrit? With self-proclaimed Hindu nationalists assuming the right to decide who is a Hindu, the question arises: what does it really mean to be Hindu? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder, Art of Living Foundation, tells Narayani Ganesh that any political party that seeks to represent the Hindu way needs to celebrate its diversity rather than limit it.

Why do we need to establish a certain Hindu identity?

Hinduism should be seen as a transcultural way of life. If you tie it up with a certain culture, its scope becomes very limited. This is what happened to Judaism and to some extent, to Islam. Christianity, on the other hand, has seeped into every culture — you may wear a skirt and be Christian, or wear a sari and blouse and still be Christian. Similarly you may wear a suit and tie and still be Hindu. Your dress does not matter, unlike what was promoted by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness that brought in cultural Hinduism. They insisted that people wear the dhoti-kurta and sport a shaven head with a tuft, even in cold places. They took the Bengali culture with Hinduism — there is nothing wrong with that, but it limits the purview of that philosophy. The uniqueness of Hinduism is that it transcends the cultural and generational time barrier. Fashion is a time-bound thing but if you attach religion to fashion, then there is a problem. In Chanakya's time, the tuft (at the back of the head) was the fashion, and a particular way of wearing a dhoti was the fashion. But sporting a tuft or shaving your head does not make you a Hindu.

The way one chooses to dress or eat is all part of culture, and culture is dynamic. If we embroil Hinduism in all of this — clothing, food, language and so on — we are not doing justice to its universality, to the vastness that Hinduism stands for. If we limit its scope, then its universal nature of thought gets lost.

What does vedanta say about Hindu identity?

Even among south Indian states, the culture is so different. And the culture of a Tamil, Bengali and Punjabi Hindu are also so very dif ferent. The same Krishna Yajurveda mantra is chanted differently in Kerala, in Andhra Pradesh, in Tamil Nadu and so on. So Hinduism is full of diversity and no one can make it into a uniform something. For instance, in Karnataka, the Hindu bride wears white and the widow or a sanyasi wears red whereas in TN, the Hindu bride wears red and widows wear white! It's totally the opposite, just across the border!

Wearing this colour or that, sporting a tuft or earrings is not part of religion. That is fashion. What do the Vedas say? "Krinvanto Vishwam Aryam" (Let us make this world a noble place to live in, let us give highest knowledge to the whole world). The upanishads say, "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the whole world is one family).

So you are saying there is no uniformity in Hinduism?

It is impossible to bring uniformity in Hinduism. The shakhas and branches are all different.

Can there be one single sacred book of the Hindus?

In Hinduism, there is no one central book, and no one specific culture. Therefore, those who are trying to bring unification are doing injustice to the very structure of Hinduism. Celebrating diversity is in the very DNA of Hinduism; that is the reason why it is most needed today in the whole world. The world is diverse — but all conflicts are about trying to make the world monolithic. Celebration of diversity is the only way to counter extremism.

What should a party that calls itself a Hindu political party be doing?

It has to honour diversity; it is the only way because otherwise, we will be narrowing the scope and reach of Hinduism. Celebrate diversity, and don't try to limit the universality of being Hindu.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delhi Police chief briefs govt on Rahul 'snooping' issue

12:32 PM

"Don't invent issue just because you are short on issues," Arun Jaitley tells Congress in Lok Sabha

12:30 PM

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's profile has been updated four times in 1998, 2004, 2009 and 2012

12:28 PM

There was a game plan in this. This shows which direction our nation is being taken in by BJP

Kamal Nath, Congress leader

12:23 PM

Profiling of 526 VVIPs till now including present and former PMs have been done till now, Venkaiah Naidu informs

12:18 PM

Govt already has all the information about Rahul Gandhi through SPG. Then what is the need of such pro forma?

Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress leader

12:12 PM

Congress raises 'snooping' issue in Lok Sabha

11:57 AM

Watch: Jaitley intervenes in 'Rahul' snooping debate, rebuts charge

11:53 AM

A former PM (Rajiv Gandhi) was identified by his shoes after his assassination. Therefore inquiry in pro forma on shoe size. Each information is relevant

Arun Jaitley

11:50 AM

Watch: Congress raises Rahul 'snooping' matter in Rajya Sabha

11:44 AM

Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha

Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha over 'snooping' issue

11:37 AM

This practice started during Congress govt in 1997, Arun Jaitley informs RS

11:36 AM

Govt lists out names of VIPs profiled by police

11:35 AM

Govt defends security profiling of leaders

Arun Jaitley says security profiling is a routine exercise and several leaders have been subjected to this exercise in the past.

11:34 AM

Delhi police special branch conducts activity of profiling of all VIPs & public figures, it has nothing to do with snooping

Arun Jaitley

11:30 AM

Snooping is keeping a watch on someone silently, visiting someone's office and asking staff to fill out pro forma is not snooping

Arun Jaitley

11:28 AM

Watch: PM Modi, Sonia Gandhi filled Rahul-type forms

11:27 AM

Govt slams opposition

Opposition is making mountain of what is not even a molehill, Arun Jaitley says

11:26 AM

Arun Jaitley responds to opposition attack

Gossip should not be treated as facts and raised in Parliament, Arun Jaitley says

11:25 AM

SP leader Naresh Agrawal alleges that govt is tapping phones of important people

11:25 AM

Watch: Venkaiah Naidu dismisses 'snooping' allegation

11:23 AM

What are they (Congress) talking about? They were snooping on me, Advani ji, Amit Shah ji and Narendra Modi ji

Venkaiah Naidu

11:21 AM

Political freedom is diminishing in the country

Ghulam Nabi Azad.

11:19 AM

They (govt) are trying to save their skin

Madhusudan Mistry, Congress leader

11:17 AM

Congress demands statement from home minister

Congress wants home minister to make a statement in Rajya Sabha over the alleged snooping of political leaders

11:16 AM

The way inquiry was conducted in absence of Rahul Gandhi creates doubt, says BSP leader Mayawati

11:13 AM

Rahul 'snooping' issue in Parliament

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad raises Rahul 'snooping' issue in Rajya Sabha

11:13 AM

Security officials conduct such routine inquiries to ensure security of public figures

Mayawati, BSP leader

11:10 AM

I've been under Z-plus security for 19 years, no such routine security check was conducted on me

Ghulam Nabi Azad

11:04 AM

Minister of state for home Rijiju likely to make statement in Parliament.

11:04 AM

Delhi Police chief briefs Kiren Rijiju

Delhi Police chief BS Bassi briefs MoS home Kiren Rijiju. Rijiju likely to make statement in Parliament.

11:03 AM

Government is in no way involved in this, Venkaiah Naidu says

10:45 AM

Intent was wrong in the first place. Are we running a colonial govt that we need to profile political leaders?

Cong leader Manish Tewari

10:44 AM

Opposition gives notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss 'snooping' row

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08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Blog: Why India hated Suzette Jordan

Harish Iyer

I got to know about Suzette Jordan just like the rest of the world — as the woman who dared to take her name. She gave millions of rape survivors an identity by refusing to get her name changed, voice altered or face silhouetted in a feisty interview after the Nirbhaya rape.

A couple of years later, i met her at the Think Conference, on a panel on rape. She was brave but had her fears too. Stage fright was one of them. I comforted her with the most insensitive words that only a fellow rape survivor could empathise with. I told her "Tu bhi rape victim, main bhi rape victim, audience mein bhi rape victims hai". She looked at me, half shocked, half at ease and after a second broke into a fit of laughter.

Pain is a great binder. She and i narrated the pain of our lives and spiked it with ruthless humour. The joke was on our offenders and those who humiliated us, not on us. We often laughed till we cried. Rape is of a time, but society rapes survivors for a lifetime. It would be a blatant lie to say that the attitudes of people around Suzette didn't affect her. She had people ostracising her to an extent that she had to change residence. She had people stalking her in the dead of night and she had fears of being killed.

Whenever she was low, she used to tell me, i think i will die early. I just don't know if i will be shot or stabbed to death. I would break her mood by talking gibberish to her — "You just need to get laid, you have no sex in your life so you are thinking so much" — and she would burst out into laughter.

But the laughter was shortlived. She would be humiliated again and again. In one of her final hearings in court, she said, the defence lawyer held the panty she wore when she was raped with a stick and asked her to confirm if she was wearing that panty. The usually calm Suzette broke down and pleaded to the lady judge to intervene, but her pleas fell on deaf ears in the stifled closet of patriarchy. This incident upset her the most.

On 15 September 2014, Suzette filed a complaint against a restaurant to which she was denied entry. The reason — she was a rape victim. Occasions change, settings change, the attitude towards rape survivors persists. She battled it with compassion, and never shied from drinking, dancing, dating or even going to slut walks. She challenged every stereotype you had about rape survivors, she challenged every stereotype you had about women. She challenged every stereotype you had about single mothers.

Deep within, she made Indian society uncomfortable with her exuberance and unabashed attitude. We Indians love putting rape survivors in a spot of how rape survivors stereotypically ought to behave. She defied that. She made many uncomfortable. India hates Suzette Jordan.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Will continue to oppose land bill’: Sonia leads opposition’s protest march

Leaders and MPs of opposition political parties, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, marched from Parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest against the controversial land acquisition bill.

06:55 PM

Arun Jaitley slams the opposition parties for their protest march

06:51 PM

If Congress has serious objection, the ordinance gives discretion to state govts to continue under the old law

Arun Jaitley

06:49 PM

Sonia Gandhi speaks during the protest march

06:48 PM

Sharad Yadav comments on the land bill

06:46 PM

We have come together to oppose the Modi govt's amendment: Sonia Gandhi

06:42 PM

Arun Jaitley comments on the opposition parties' protest march

06:40 PM

It is a continuation of Congress's politics of obstructionism: Arun Jaitley (ANI photo)

06:37 PM

D Raja of the CPI(M) comments on the land bill

06:33 PM

We have come to meet the President to request him to intervene and protect the interest of our farmers, Sonia Gandhi says (ANI photo)

06:32 PM

People have come here united, will take this fight to every farmer in every corner of India. Modi govt has 31% of popular vote, all of us represent 69% of people. We were divided, but we're now together.

Sharad Yadav

06:26 PM

This bill is anti-farmer, anti-nation: Jyotiraditya Scindia

06:25 PM

We have asked the President to intervene and ask the Modi govt not to go ahead with land bill in Rajya Sabha.

Sonia Gandhi

06:24 PM

Opposition leaders' delegation outside Rashtrapati Bhavan. (ANI photo)

06:23 PM

13 political parties have collected today to protest the Land Bill amendment. We have got together to meet President to present a memorandum to him.

Sonia Gandhi at Rashtrapathi Bhavan

06:21 PM

26 MPs allowed to meet President Pranab Mukherjee

06:12 PM

Opposition parties' protest march from Parliament to President's House against land ordinance

06:11 PM

Farmers consent and social impact clauses are the most important for us.

Deependra Singh Hooda

06:11 PM

Clauses which we (Congress) have inserted for the farmers' benefit have been trashed.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

06:10 PM

Land bill: People opposing are in majority, says Kanimozhi

06:05 PM

Ordinance should be taken back: Ambika Soni

06:02 PM

Senior leaders at the protest march. (ANI photo)

06:02 PM

We are united on this. It is an anti-farmer bill. People opposing the bill are a majority.

Kanimozhi, DMK

06:01 PM

All parties are together today, this is a historic march, hope Modi govt is watching this march: Derek O'Brien, TMC. (ANI photo)

05:59 PM

13 parties join protest march against land bill

05:53 PM

Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh also joins opposition's protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:51 PM

We're reflecting what the farmers feel: Renuka Chowdhury

05:49 PM

Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury protesting against the land bill. (ANI photo)

05:47 PM

Ghulam Nabi Azad raising slogans during the march. (ANI photo)

05:46 PM

It's one thing to win landslide elections and another to run a Government.

Renuka Chowdhury

05:46 PM

"What a procession to R Bhavan ...something to tell the grandchildren about. Decades from now."

Derek O'Brien

05:44 PM

Opposition parties begin protest march against land bill

05:43 PM

Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Yadav at the protest march. (ANI photo)

05:40 PM

Congress president Sonia Gandhi takes part in opposition parties' protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:39 PM

65% of our population is farmers, this bill is anti-farmer. The voice of this democracy cannot be throttled, we want the govt to know this.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

05:38 PM

What we're doing is only a reflection of what the farmers feel about the ordinance to land bill.

Renuka Chowdhury

05:33 PM

Protest march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

05:32 PM

Opposition parties begin their Land Bill March from Parliament to President's House to protest the government's land bill .It's approximately a 2.2 km walk from the Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan.

05:30 PM

Will not allow the Land Bill to be passed. A committee needs to be formed to look into the matter.

Kamal Nath,Congress

05:27 PM

Opposition parties' protest march against Land Bill

05:24 PM

Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party is not taking part in the march by Opposition parties against NDA government's contentious Land Acquisition Bill. (ANI photo)

05:20 PM

Raising the issue in Rajya Sabha, the opposition leaders slammed the government for blocking the protest march. (ANI photo)

05:17 PM

Opposition parties converge at Gandhi Statue in Parliament premises to commence protest march against land ordinance. (ANI photo)

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08.20 | 0 komentar | Read More