SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, March 9, 2004: J.S. Rajput, director of India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training, published the following article in the Hindustan Times. The essay, reproduced here in full, is titled “Freedom for History” and is his defense of the various changes in India’s history school textbooks being made by the council: The inventors of the controversy…
SourceCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, March 7, 2004: In life, Pandurang Shastri Athavale, the spiritual leader of 30 million people, visited the Chicago area nearly every year since 1979. In death, he returned one last time Saturday, and more than 5,000 of his followers went to the Rosemont Theater to view his cremated ashes. Athavale passed away last October at the age of…
SourceNAIROBI, KENYA, March 8, 2004: The catwalk fashions of Paris and Milan came to a women’s prison in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Monday, where the inmates celebrated International Women’s Day by turning on the style. Prisoners dressed in traditional and contemporary outfits sashayed across a courtyard at Langata Women’s Prison as rock music played in the background and scores…
SourceLONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, March 6, 2004: Official figures released today show that men are the hidden victims of forced marriages. A special unit set up by the British Foreign Office has helped over 600 British citizens to escape forced marriage overseas, mostly in Pakistan, but also in India, Bangladesh and even in Hong Kong, the US, China and different parts…
SourceLAHORE, PAKISTAN, March 7, 2004: Hindus across Pakistan celebrated Holi festival on Saturday. According to a report in the Daily Times, they offered special prayers for the prosperity of Pakistan and minority communities living there. The report said that in Lahore the festival was celebrated at Karishna Mandir on Ravi Road where several prominent political and social personalities were present…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, March 8, 2004: Tourists to India and other tropical countries could enjoy their holidays there more now without the fear of being afflicted by “Delhi Belly,” the bug that causes diarrhoea. According to statistics available, British travellers are the worst affected because most of them do not wash their hands. Now, even these tourists would get protection. Scientists…
SourceBHOPAL, INDIA, February 23, 2004: The Holy Cities of Amarkantak, Maheshwar, and Omkareshwar will be receiving a good dose of State Assistance under the direction of the Minister for Urban Administration and Development, Shri Babulal Gaur, in collaboration with the Minister for Religious Trusts and Endowment, Shri Gopal Bhargava. At a high level meeting chaired by Shri Gaur the article…
SourceJOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, March 2004: South African Indians are taking a renewed interest in Holi celebrations after the tradition had almost died out in recent years. Many Gujarati Hindu organizations held small Holi festivals across the country, with the largest get-together at the residence of the Indian consul-general in Johannesburg where more than 200 guests turned the sprawling garden of…
SourceNEW DELHI, INDIA, March 8, 2004: Communal clashes and accidents marred Holi celebrations across the country, leaving nearly 10 persons dead and at least 210 injured. Curfew was imposed in Darvha town of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district as members of two communities pelted stones at each other after some people accidentally splashed color on a mosque. Sixteen people were wounded in…
SourceSELANGOR, MALAYSIA, March 9, 2004: The Selangor government has allocated US$82,000 in grants to 35 Hindu temples in the state, Tamil Nesan reported state executive councillor Datuk S. Sivalingam as saying. He said temple committees which had applied for the grants would receive them through their state assemblymen. Sivalingam said following a request to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Khir…