U.K. Raises Marriage Age to Curb Forced Marriages

Hindustan TimesLONDON, UK, May 14, 2003: The British government has raised the age at which a spouse can be brought to Britain in an attempt to combat forced marriages, mostly taking place in Pakistani and Bangladesh Muslim communities. The Home Secretary, introduced the measure on April 1 without making an announcement. The government has been concerned over the rising number…

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Californian’s Realtors Opt For Diversity Training

SourceSAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, May 18, 2003: Manoj Mathai’s hunt for his first house could be a lesson to Silicon Valley real estate professionals. A home must have certain qualities to make the native of India happy. The front door must face east because good fortune comes from a rising sun. “In the back of our minds, we Indians are looking…

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Britain May Ban Muslim And Jewish Animal Slaughter Methods

SourceLONDON, U.K., May 17, 2003: The British Government appears ready to ban the slaughter of animals without stunning them. This would affect the supply of halal meat (animals that are slaughtered according to the Islamic sharia law.) For the last few years, authorities have gone out of their way to accommodate the request by the Muslim community to provide only…

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India’s Women Begin Wearing Pants to Work

SourceNEW DELHI, May 18, 2003: India’s working women are all set for an outfit conversion. Though the salwar kameez remains their most-preferred work wear, a strong urge for a shift to Western attire has placed them on the brink of change, according to the responses of 891 participants. Most respondents said they would put on Western wear for the office,…

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Arrests Follow South Indian Village Killings

SourceCALICUT, INDIA, May 4, 2003: More than 60 people are under arrest in a south Indian fishing village, after nine fishermen were killed and more than 20 people injured. The victims who died in the attack in the state of Kerala, were all Hindus. Marad had been tense since January last year, when five people, including four Muslims, died in…

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Ride the Tirukkural Express

The HinduCHENNAI, INDIA, October 19, 2002: There is a train called the Tirukkural Express with weekly routes between Hazarat Nizamuddin to Kanyakumari and back. The Tirukkural is a 2,200-year-old South Indian Dravidian classic on ethical living. Its 1,330 verses were written by a Tamil weaver sage name Tiruvalluvar. Tiru means “holy” or “sacred,” and kural describes a brief verse or…

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Sindhu Darshan Photo Exhibition In New Delhi

HPINEW DELHI, INDIA, May 20 ,2003: The Sindhu Darshan Photo Exhibition was inaugurated by Shri Jagmohan, Minister of Tourism and Culture, on May 18, 2003, at the Tea Lounge of New Delhi’s Ashok Hotel. The exhibition will remained open for the public until May 19. Speaking to the journalists on this occasion Sri Jagmohan said the exhibition is connected to…

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Washington State Hosts Tyagaraja Music Festival

Associated PressRICHLAND, WASHINGTON, U.S.A., May 5, 2003: Members of the India Association of the Tri-Cities took part in the 16th annual Tyagaraja Music Festival at Timbers Apartments in Richland, Washington. About a dozen musicians sat on the floor in the clubhouse singing and playing the music of the great composer, Tyagaraja Shishyaparmpara, more commonly known as Saint Tyagaraja. “There is…

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Chicago Suburb Home to New Swaminarayan Temple

SourceCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, May 17, 2003: Another Hindu temple of grandiose proportions is being built in the U.S. just outside Chicago in Bartlett. Supported by the Swaminarayan Sect (BSS) of the Gujarat community, US$30 million will be spent to erect the temple of Italian marble and Turkish limestone. Spreading over 100,000 square feet, the complex will be built in traditional Indian…

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Violence Intended to Stop Dalits Worshipping at Temples

SourceKOLHAPUR, INDIA, May 14, 2003: A Dalit (“untouchable”) movement to allow entry into temples in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra has taken a bloody turn with the upper castes resorting to violence against it. Earlier, upper caste community members had tried ostracizing and threatening Dalit Mahasangh, the group spearheading the movement. The Mahasangh is active in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur…

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