Shankaracharya of Puri in Gujarat

GO TO SOURCE VASAN, GUJARAT, August 4, 2002: The Puri Shankarachrya will be staying in this village for the next two months to promote the feeling of brotherhood among people of Gujarat. The Shankaracharya’s stay at Vasania Mahdev temple in Vasan village, about 12 kilometres from Gandhinagar, acquires significance as it is the native village of state Congress chief Shankarsinh…

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Fiji Minister Criticises Country’s Indians

GO TO SOURCE SUVA, FIJI, August 3, 2002: A Fiji cabinet minister who likened ethnic Indians to “weeds taking up space” this week came under fierce attack from politicians, Fiji’s ethnic Indian community and women’s groups. Minister for Women Asenaca Caucau made the remark in Parliament and Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase’s silence over the issue has not helped his government’s…

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Fiji Military Recruits Indian Officers For First Time

GO TO SOURCE AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, March 6, 2002: Ethnic Indians have been admitted to the officer ranks of Fiji’s battered military force, 60 years after their grandfathers raised a controversy for not signing up to fight the Japanese during World War II. “It’s been my childhood ambition to become a soldier and to serve the nation,” Shalesh Kumar, 20,…

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White House Defends Bush’s Omission of Hinduism

GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON, D.C., July 31, 2002: White House press secretary Ari Fleischer had a tough time explaining why President George W. Bush failed to mention Hinduism among the religions practiced in the US, even as he asserted that in line with the country’s pluralistic traditions, the President had equal regard for people from all faiths. Bush had reportedly…

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Police Battle Black Magic in Andhra Pradesh

GO TO SOURCE HYDERABAD, INDIA June 24, 2002: Several cases of people being killed on suspicion of practicing sorcery in Andhra Pradesh have spurred the police to launch a campaign to combat age-old superstitions. The latest victim was stoned to death by four people as they suspected he had put a curse on a member of their family. In another…

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Eat Less, Live Longer

GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON, D.C., August 3, 2002: For the first time, US researchers have found evidence suggesting people may live longer by eating fewer calories each day, a dietary restriction that already has shown in experiments to extend the lives of laboratory animals by up to 40 per cent. Even if the evidence proves to be correct, it’s unknown…

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Immigration Naturalization Service Admits Backlog of Documents

A HREF=”http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-INS-Backlog.html”GO TO SOURCE/A/P P WASHINGTON, D.C., August 2, 2002: More than two million documents filed by foreigners, from change of address forms to requests for benefits, have been piling up for years and only now are being reviewed by the government, senior U.S. officials said Friday. Immigration experts and civil rights groups said the situation is embarrassing to the…

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Caste Discrimination Lives On

GO TO SOURCE CHENNAI, INDIA, July 28, 2002: Despite police action against the practice of untouchability in tea shops of rural Tamil Nadu, several shopkeepers, under pressure from caste Hindus, continue with the discriminatory “two-tumbler” system. Tea shops in several villages serve hot beverages in “two tumblers”–cheap glass ones for the Dalits and shiny stainless steel containers for the caste…

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World Hindu Conference Set For Trinidad October 25, 2002

GO TO SOURCE TRINIDAD, July 31, 2002: A conference on Hinduism in Trinidad, West Indies, will be held on October 25 to 27, 2002. The conference forms part of the observance of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha. The conference will be hosted jointly by the Sanatan Dhama Maha Sabha Inc, (SDMS) of Trinidad and Tobago…

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Science and Meditation Conference

GO TO SOURCE DEHRADUN, INDIA, August 3, 2002: Swami Veda Bharati will conduct an International Conference On Science And Meditation at his Ashram and Medical College, Rishikesh – Dehradun, November 10 to 12, 2002. For more information, contact “source” above.

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