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"The shadow war between Israel and Iran broke into the open this week, when Israel struck an Iranian Embassy compound in Syria and killed seven Iranian commanders, renewing fears of a broader conflict." - NYT
With Israel-Iran, we are again making the same mistake we made with Israel-Palestine. We start our sentences with 'Iran attacked and Israel retaliating' when it was and is the other way around. Israel is the aggressor in both cases.
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TIL the first Indians came to subcontinent some 65,000 years ago.
In 1982, a partially complete cranium dated to around 250,000 years ago was recovered from Hathnora in Madhya Pradesh's Narmada valley. This belonged to archaic human - people who were here before our ancestors arrived here. They have all gone extinct - our ancestors wiped them clean - so says DNA/genome evidence.
📖: Early Indians by Tony Joseph
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It was Rajiv Gandhi who enacted anti-defection law to put an end to large-scale defections, it was he who was responsible for mushrooming of public call office boothes (PCOs) everywhere including the villages thereby connecting cities to far flung hintelands. It was Rajiv Gandhi who set up MTNL, he who computerised railway reservations, and also lowered voting age from 21 to 18. Rajiv initiated devolution of democracy by giving greater autonomy to the panchayati raj system and to local governments. And one-third reservations for women in local governments.
All these in five years of his Prime Ministership before his assassination. We are habituated to forget the good and adjust with the muck repeating the lie that all leaders are bad, no one does any good, so let's befriend the devil!
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Rana Bahadur Shah, the King of Nepal, lived in exile in Varanasi from 1800 to 1804 under the moniker "Swami Nirgunanda."
He planned to create a duplicate of Pashupatinath Temple in Varanasi during his exile. Original being in Nepal. During his exile and stay in Varanasi, work on the temple began. Shah returned to Nepal during the building. Sher Bahadur Shah, Rana Bahadur Shah's stepbrother, stabbed him to death on April 25, 1806. The project was finished 20 years after the deadline by his son Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah Deva. In the year 1843, Kashi Naresh transferred the land to Rana Bahadur Shah. The Nepal government owns the temple, the surrounding territory, Lalita Ghat, and a Dharamshala. The mandir took three decades to build and is built of terracotta, stone, and wood. The wood is termite-resistant. It was built in the Nepali style and is flanked by tamarind and peepal trees. The temple is built in the style of a pagoda and is mostly made of wood. It has sculptures that are identical to those seen in the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, earning it the nickname "Mini Khajuraho." You can guess why.
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Marathas Did Not Care About Hindus, Mughals Did Not Care About Muslims - History Is More Nuanced Than These Stupid Binaries
It took the British around 100 years to fully conquer India. And by India, I mean British India consisting of Myanmar, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and present-day India. And in this, they were helped and aided by all sorts of Indian kingdoms and people. Rajputs and Marathas were major forces that helped the British conquer the most difficult of kingdoms. For instance, Tipu Sultan who…
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#Aurangzeb#Bengal#BJP#Blogging#Hinduism#India#Islam#Maharashtra#Marathas#Mughals#Narendra Modi#Politics#Religion#Tipu Sultan
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FARMERS marching to Delhi are asking for implementation of Swaminathan commission report.
Back in 2010 BJP was demanding exactly this from UPA govt. Modi recently awarded Swaminathan with country's highest civilian award - Bharat Ratna. Also praised Mr Swaminathan. Which means what? Unless Modi isn't an abnormal human being, to me, it means Modi and BJP are in favor of Swaminathan's recommendations. Why else would they award him Bharat Ratna otherwise... Right?
Just imagine if Modi was into press conferences - someone would ask him exactly this - imagine his response. Someone could also ask him why he is digging good roads and making them unusable? Are farmers enemies? Terrorists? This is same Mr Modi that invited/allowed Pakistan's ISI to visit Pathankot. What is he saying? Farmers are worse enemies than ISI? How do you think Modi will respond to such a question?
On other side, in 2010 Congress was against Swaminathan's recommendations on MSP. They have now announced they're in favor and will implement if they come to power. Rahul Gandhi attends regular press conferences. Someone will definitely ask him this. But people change their positions from bad to good, narrow to open, all the time. I don't see any surprise there. I don't see any interesting dichotomy unlike in Modi's position wherein on one hand he's praising Swaminathan and on other refuses to act on Swaminathan's recommendations. Plus treats FARMERS with such disdain.
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Since liberal is used as a abusive word by those who support the administration today - I thought I would remind you about the doctrine of classical liberal - it is strongly opposed to all but the most minimal forms of state intervention in personal or social life.
Also, freedom and democracy are not absolutes but relative concepts. They constantly aspire to broaden current definition. They are not formulaic as in there's no set-in-stone paradise democracy moves towards. Selling point of democracy is its dialogue and deliberation which aims to produce best laws and policies so as to affect and allevate lives of maximum possible citizens. i.e., Progress in democracy is slow, sometimes terribly slow, but it takes forward, when it is working, everyone together. It aims to leave behind no one.
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Those who support Uniform Civil Code Bill, can someone help me with what's law or procedure to seek or secure divorce in Hindu religion?
Thanks to media and current govt's relentless focus and attack on Muslims, we know there are clear laid out terms and procedures for divorce in Islam. In fact, in Islam women seeking divorce do not even require husband's permission to annul a marriage. Plus there's provision about what she'll get etc etc. I'm not going into what happens in real practical terms but just what's prescribed in books.
Someone please help.
Rest, my current opinions are for diverse laws since India is made of diverse people. And slowly one law at a time move towards more progressive laws; towards laws that expand all our freedoms, provide citizens with more powers against state, towards equal and fare share in inheritance, so on and so forth.
If there are things another country does better then let's follow that country in that aspect. For example, our neighbor Pakistan has criminalised marital rape. But we in India refuse to even classify it as rape. So when we are saying "uniform", from where have we picked these "uniform" laws? For instance, Goa has, by far that I've read, best and most progressive inheritance law. If India tomorrow brings "uniform" law, would it be better than what we have in Goa? If not, should Goa regress for "uniformity" sake or can Goa keep its more modern law? And if it keeps, how can you call your law as "uniform"?
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Here’s How To Maximize The Benefits Of Ayodhya Ram Temple Akshata
Or How Hindusim Came Into Being; Brief History Of Hindu Religion For Zoomers-n-Boomers Who Refuse To Pick Books
Ayodhya Temple As Of Today. Courtesy: Newslaundry.com
I was just on a call with my distant neighbour who after the regular round of questions asked me if I had received the Ram-Mandir-Rice (akshata). For those who haven’t and don’t know about what’s going on, people associated with…
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On Mahua Moitra
It appears like Palestine, no one is bothering to mention about the past, which has everything to do with what's happening with her. Parliament was in session recently where a report was tabled on her and then with voice vote she was expelled from parliament. Unlike what is generally thought of as principle of natural justice where the alleged has right to explain or defend themselves, Mahua Moitra was not allowed to speak. Maybe it has something to do with her being female. Females have never had any rights over themselves in past. They were properties owned by men to be used at and for their disposal. How else do you explain a woman alleged of so many things not being given a chance to explain herself?
Let's assume Mahua is one such criminal whose crime is so grave that giving her space to talk would be criminal itself. Then ask yourself - what is her crime? Sharing username/password of a portal that allows MPs to file questions. During this very session other MP pointed out how many MPs don't file their question themselves. Their PAs do. Or someone else they've appointed. Will all of them be expelled? You see? She was singled out. But why? And by whom?
By BJP MP Nishikant Dubey who Mahua Moitra had exposed to be possessing fake degrees. Not just exposed but exposed with proofs. When she did, he called her prostitute among other things. It is on his allegations which many have poked holes in, she has been expelled.
News channels are going on and on about how Mahua was expelled and how it was right thing to do. But not once have they played her previous speeches or the questions she had asked in parliament - very things she is supposed to have asked because she was paid to ask them. And that is where lies the truth of this fiasco. She is removed from parliament because she was going after big daddy of RSS frontman Modi. Mr Adani. Big zaddy of Modi. Media knows too well who should not be mentioned, against whom questions should not be asked.
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I see you.
Not once have you called for ceasefire. Not once have you asked Israel to stop bombing Palestinians. Not once.
But over and over again I see you defending through one means or other the constant bombing and murders being committed by Israel. Hamas was hiding under that school, under that university, under that hospital - that UN staff murdered was Hamas undercover agent, that journalist killed was Hamas recruit etc etc. None of these allegations have stuck and yet you don't stop. You move on to next attack suggesting last was a mistake but this fresh attack was on point. Israel releases a video which you share. Israel is caught orchestrating these videos and their handles delete these videos. But you continue. You don't clarify. You do not apologise.
You call Hamas as a terror organization. I would like to know what is this definition of terrorism you follow. Does that also make Israel as a terror state? Or does your definition not call one terrorist when it uses sophisticated weapons, more tanks, more rockets. Hamas didn't bomb hospital. Israel did. Hamas didn't kill infants. Israel did. Hamas didn't bomb universities. Israel did. And yet you refer to one as terrorist and other as benign?
Bodies and bodies of children. Average age of Palestinian murdered now is five year old. Some 15000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attack now. And these are their govt figures.
This is what you're defending. This is what you're saying okay to and supporting and asking for more.
I fail to understand anyone who's not asking for ceasefire. These deaths of men, women, babies, newborns, of doctors, of every possible living creature are on you. If gods do exist in skies, I pray, I pray with all my heart and soul that the ghosts may come down and haunt you for life.
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Not to be born is, beyond all estimation, best; but when a man has seen the light of day, this is next best by far, that with utmost speed he should go back from where he came.
- Sophocles, Greek Tragedian from 406 BC
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Lucknow is a odd place. Go to its restaurants. Big and small. And you'll see a portrait of a king showing off his one nipple. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah - last Nawab of Awadh. I was pleasantly surprised to find his portrait in a Awadhi restaurant in Bangalore recently (Rumi in Indiranagar, there's another on Church Street too - I can't remember it's name). Nawab enjoyed huge support among his subjects. Large emotional appeal that extends even today. Unable to properly understand the popular support Wajid Ali Shah enjoyed, the EIC decided to annex the kingdom in February 1856 under the pretext of maladministration [the British version of events; in reality, the Nawab had tried to reform his administration but was hamstrung by the British; he also wrote a fairly detailed book on administration which they ignored]. This acted as a spark for the 1857 mutiny in Lucknow. People rose in rebellion after their nawab was humiliated.
But Nawab was stripped off his kingdom and taken to Lucknow. In Calcutta, Wajid Ali Shah refused to acknowledge that his reduced circumstances required a change in his behaviour. His spending was not his only pretension to royalty. He carried on with his ‘court’, paying salaries to thousands of people.
He allowed a rich cultural life to flourish around him. He built architecture around him. Oh, the popular Calcutta biryani with aaloo is his gift to the city and world. If for some reason you don't like Calcutta Biryani and frown at aaloo, I'm very sad to tell you, you've not yet tasted the proper Calcutta biryani. A good one would stay with you for long time. Unlike other biryanis, Calcutta biryani like simple foods, strikes and comforts your soul. It's an experience in itself.
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"Theocratic societies governed by priestly castes are usually static and monopolise thought. They insist on orthodox explanations and actively discourage independent and unconventional ideas. Today's beliefs must always be like yesterday's."
"It is naive to worship the gods because they all behave irrationally and immorally"
"If horses had hands and could draw, they would draw pictures of gods like horses."
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TIL Bŗihaspathi, Brahmaņaspathi and Brahma were the three major gods of Rig-Veda and not Trimurti of Shiva-Vishnu-Brahma who we consider today as major deities. Later were minor gods in Vedas who were elevated when Puranas were written. They were given more powers, virtues and functions in respective Puranas.
Why might this be? While I don't have the answer, here's something to speculate.
Vedas, considered oldest Hindu texts were written by people who traveled to India from European (central Asian) regions. Were there people in India already?
Yes. Harappan civilization had long ended. Indus Valley Civilization started declining with arrival of Vedic migrants. Here's something more interesting.
Shiva as he is seen today was already present in Harappan civilization. Yes, Shiva was here (with people) long before Vedic people arrived here. So it is highly likely (in fact many historians have already said this) that Shiva and so many other gods (almost all that we worship today) were assimilated into new religion by migrants who arrived here. Coopted. Stories (Puranas) were written in this process. They probably tried to convert natives into their vedic religion. It didn't work. And so they went many steps ahead and instead started calling gods of natives as theirs own. And to support this claim they also wrote stories. A job well done.
Lemme enunciate this further with a recent instance. Last year or a year before that, during Covid, at our annual function of a local deity "Naag Brahmo" who is most times just a god worshipped in form of peepal tree or even a mango and when given form is shown as multi-headed-serpent (sometimes 3, other times 5, 7 too). For some reason someone decided up call people from ISKCON to conduct a bhajan. They arrived. They saw our god who at this place was a five-headed-serpent and slyly told us how this was no ordinary serpent but serpent of lord Vishnu. For the record, we don't consider our god a simple serpent, at times we talk of him with abundant power to move natural elements. But anyways, you get what was happening here.
Why do they do it? My theory is, caste system exists in their world and anyone outside of it is a threat or one less human not under their control. Whatever the reason, fact is, the ancient form of Hindu religion was a religion of migrants and not of natives. While today all of us have traces of Harappa DNA (recent books have abundantly cleared this), ideology is still alien. There's absolutely no reason to be touchy about the religion of migrants. And also tell Mr Amit Shah and company when he calls fellow Indians migrants from here and there. His ancestors, if he thinks he comes from Vedic ancestry, were migrants too.
Finally, just remember how none of the Vedic gods are worshipped by masses today. Gods we pray to were created using Puranas as vessels of their stories. If you think about it then, the only thing that is still practised from Vedic age is caste. So whenever you say your religion is old, sanatan, whenever you try to assert oldest, this is the bit that is oldest and still practised. We all abandoned our old gods but stuck to caste system nonetheless. Caste in that manner was more important to us than even our gods.
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