GO TO SOURCE DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, April 16, 2001: Striving to fulfill his religious duty with meditation and prayer, a wealthy South African Indian gentleman has chosen to build a temple on his property exclusively for family use. The plans for the structure were approved by the municipality and construction was well on its way. Fearing that the temple would…
GO TO SOURCE CHENNAI, INDIA, April 17, 2001: Till such a peaceful settlement is arrived at and the Island Tamils are able to return to Sri Lanka, the BJP will continue to urge the Union Government to intervene in the Sri Lankan issue for a solution that is acceptable to all Sri Lankan Tamils and will ensure peace in the…
GO TO SOURCE April 15, 2001: Time magazine ran an extensive story on the “Science of Yoga.” High profile celebrities such as Christy Turlington, Madonna, Julia Roberts, Michelle Pfeiffer and Sting are among the most persuasive advocates of the current wave of yoga practiced in the US. According to the article, yoga has evolved in American consciousness in several stages:…
GO TO SOURCE UNITED KINGDOM, April 13, 2001: Influencing the United Kingdom with their presence, the East Indian community has culturally infiltrated into many corners of British society. Last year saw the staging of the Mahabharata in British Theatre and this year Indhu Rubasingham’s production of the Ramayana is playing at the National Olivier Theatre. This mixed review, titled “Farcical…
Source: The Hindustan Times GANDHI NAGAR, INDIA, April 19, 2001: In a debatable decision, Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has banned for a year serving of non-vegetarian food in the government premises like circuit houses and rest houses. The controversial decision is actually of no consequence as the circuit houses in Gujarat in any case do not cook any nonvegetarian stuff…
GO TO SOURCE THALWIL, SWITZERLAND, April 16, 2001: The whole world is debating English. From India to Mauritius to Europe, the steady growth of English is a concern for those advocating preserving local languages. But here in multi-lingual Switzerland, English is just part of the daily routine for schoolchildren. Most parents are delighted, believing that it is something that is…
Source: Daya Press Release HOUSTON, TEXAS, April 17, 2001: DAYA, INC., an organization serving South Asian families in crisis, is screening an award winning documentary, “The Children We Sacrifice,” at the Rice Media Center, Rice University, on April 28, 2001. Shot in India, Sri Lanka, Canada and the U.S., the 61-minute video looks at the cultural and social resistance to…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 17, 2001: The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies and Manushi, a women’s activist magazine, will hold a series of discussions on the theme of “Laws, Liberty and Livelihood Towards a Bottom up Agenda of Economic Reforms” at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Conference Hall, starting 27th and 28th…
GO TO SOURCE LUCKNOW, INDIA, April 17, 2001: Amid Vedic chants and sprinkling of holy Ganges water, Father Anthony Fernandes was reconverted to Hinduism after twelve years as a priest with the Catholic church in Gujarat and given the name Shankar Dev. The ceremony was carried out by Hindu Sanskar Kendra at the Radhakrishna temple in Varanasi. Eleven Vedic scholars…
GO TO SOURCE GANGTOK, SIKKIM, April 16, 2001: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s international general secretary, Pravin Togadia, claimed that about 33,000 people had been converted to Christianity in Sikkim in the last 25 years. “Sikkim had only a few Christians 25 years ago, but now their number has crossed 33,000. The churches are targeting Hindus and Buddhists for conversion,” Togadia…