SourcePONDICHERRY, INDIA, April 17, 2003: A. Anbalagan of the AIADMK party called upon the government to keep watch on the many conversions apparently taking place in his constituency of Uppalam. He said women were being prevented from wearing tilaks (pottus), mangala sutras (wedding talis) and flowers in their hair. Participating in the debate on social welfare and industries in the…
SourceHOUSTON, U.S.A., April 17, 2003: A new chapter in television programming has unfolded here with the inclusion of Hindu religious leaders. Televised roundtable discussions, debates, and other problem-solving forums where issues of local and national interests are discussed have traditionally been held with only Christian and Jewish religious leaders. However, because of 9/11, Islamic leaders have since been included in…
SourceCHANDIGARH, INDIA, April 14, 2003: On the occasion of the 112 birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, around 150 Dalits converted to Buddhism in what they termed a mass protest against the rising violence and atrocities against their community in Haryana. A Buddhist monk gave diksha to over 150 people in the presence of the All India Confederation of SC…
SourceKOLKATA, INDIA, April 14, 2003: A few states are resisting efforts made by HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi to implement reforms in the field of education. Using “value education” as a starting point, he initiated what he hopes will stimulate a campaign to encourage the Marxist government of West Bengal to accept the new NCERT curriculum, a Hindu-friendly revision of…
SourceMALAYSIA, April 18, 2003: If any readers know of free online translation services for English to Hindi, similar to what is available for German, French, etc., kindly contact Jhoree S. at “source” above.
SourceMUMBAI, INDIA, April 13, 2003: Militantly vegetarian housing societies are turning away non-vegetarians by the dozens, all over the city. The hardest hit are the traditionally meat-eating Maharashtrans. Some are offering to pay extra to set off their culinary disadvantage, but no luck. Other societies are even asking buyers to submit notarized statements declaring their veggie inclinations. Where commercial space…
The Times of ZambiaZAMBIA, AFRICA, April 10, 2003: First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa of Zambia has called for more cultural exchange programs between Zambia and India, saying this will strengthen ties between the two countries. Mrs. Mwanawasa’s remarks were made when she officiated at a cultural night of a visiting Indian dance troupe at Lusaka’s Hindu Hall on Tuesday. She said…
The Times of ZambiaZAMBIA, AFRICA, April 15, 2003: The Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI) has received another boost of 50 tons of relief food for distribution to hunger-stricken Chibombo district. Presenting the donation, Hindu Association of Zambia president Ashok Oza said the donation was the second consignment. The first batch of 50 tons was received in January and was distributed…
SourceAHMEDABAD, INDIA, April 18, 2003: The Rt. Rev. Vinodkumar Malaviya, a Protestant bishop in western India, is accustomed to providing food, cattle fodder, clothes and medical care to anyone in need. But the new Gujarat law establishes prison sentences of up to four years, along with fines, for converting someone by force, fraud or allurement. Christians say it also sets…
SourceUNITED STATES, April 19, 2003: The Mahabharata, Vol. 1, has been proofread and is currently undergoing post-processing before being released by the Gutenberg Project, which is posting public domain manuscripts on the web with public help in the form of proofreading. The Complete Valmiki Ramayana is currently being post-processed. Early releases of these maybe found at http://www.sacred-texts.com. The two books…