GO TO SOURCE LONDON, ENGLAND, February 24, 2003: London’s Vedanta Center is heavily involved in providing input for a series of television shows and public talks around London. A series of four TV programs with ITV have already been recorded and edited and are ready to be aired later this year. Future programs under discussion are a series on science…
GO TO SOURCE UNITED STATES, February 5, 2003: In a recent article on Sulekha, Sankrant Sanu examined Microsoft Encarta’s treatment of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. He concluded that Encarta’s portrayal of Hinduism was biased and negative in comparison to the more evenhanded and sophisticated treatments granted Islam and Christianity. Sanu’s article prompted a closer at a world religions textbook, Mary…
GO TO SOURCE CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., February 25, 2003: Letters of support are needed for a vegetarian school lunch bill recently introduced in California. Assemblyman Joe Nation of Marin County, California, has introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 16 calling for schools to offer a daily plant-based vegetarian option on the daily lunch menu. If you represent a recognized institution, religious community, or…
GO TO SOURCE SUVA, FIJI, February 24, 2003: The e-mail contact for Mr. N. K. Naidu in Fiji was incorrect in HPI’s recent summary regarding the Sangam Convention in Fiji. For correct e-mail see “source” above.
GO TO SOURCE BETHESDA, U.S.A., February 22, 2003: The Executive and Religious Committees of the Murugan Temple here are seeking input for rewriting their employment agreement for priests. Their goal is to have a contract that is positive for their priests, fairly ensuring their rights and responsibilities and protection for the temple. If any temple committees have contracts they are…
GO TO SOURCE CHANDIGARH, INDIA, February 15, 2003: Men working for the Haryana government might soon be required to give a written declaration following their marriage stating they have not taken a dowry. In an attempt to stop this practice, Haryana is planning to appoint a chief dowry prohibition officer whose job will be to collect these declarations and lists…
GO TO SOURCE CHENNAI, INDIA, February 16, 2003: A glut of unsold inexpensive handloom saris designed for the poor have become an overnight favorite of college students in Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was faced with the task of selling 4.5 million saris after the “Free Sari – Dhoti” distribution plan was scrapped. Following this, the handloom businesses were plunged…
GO TO SOURCE TIRUPATI, INDIA, February 17, 2003: Forest Department officials have been asked to take up a comprehensive study on conservation of medicinal plants in South India and document the endangered plants before initiating steps to conserve them. At the inaugural session on “Policy consultation on threatened medicinal plants of Eastern and Western ghats, trading and promoting their cultivation”…
GO TO SOURCE AHMEDABAD, INDIA, February 16, 2003: An unruly crowd estimated at 1,500 people stormed the famous Swaminarayan temple on Sunday, damaging furniture and burning posters following a dispute over who will head the trust which runs the shrine. This resulted in an indefinite curfew. District superintendent of police (Kheda) Manoj Agrawal said that the mob in Vadtal village…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, February 19, 2003: Brushing aside opposition criticism of its program to distribute tridents as a “misinterpretation,” the VHP on Wednesday vowed to go ahead with it, describing it as part of religious practice. After distribution of the tridents at Jaipur on Tuesday and Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, the Sangh Parivar plans to…