# 1. #From dubious funding, to delinquent organisers to Islamist nomenclature, the Shaheen-Bagh reeked of a Pakistani experiment aimed at showcasing the supremacist attitude of Islamists. // ##"ISIS Khorasan, an offshoot of the ISIS claimed that the attack on Sikh temple in Kabul was carried out by Abu Khalild al-Hindi. Khaama Press, an online news service in Afghanistan, quoted The Amaq News Agency, affiliated with the terror group, and reported that the ISIS released the photo of the suicide bomber who stormed the Sikh temple in Kabul city on Wednesday. At least 27 worshippers were killed in the deadly attack." // ### 3. #Notwithstanding the trading of charges between US and China, the fact remains that viruses, bacteria of fungi can be genetically engineered and multiplied in labs to be used as weapons of bioterrorism. //
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The Shaheen-Bagh dharna is finally over after keeping the nation on tenterhooks for over three months. The sit in was neither withdrawn by the organizers nor pushed out by the government. It was only the scare created by the Chinese virus Covid-19 which should take the credit for this ending. Without going into which side won in this game and which one lost, one thing which has emerged as a pleasant fact is that Indian democracy has enough space for democratic protests irrespective of whether it is for right or wrong reasons. And also that the government too has enough stock of patience if it decides to bank upon it.
Interestingly no leader or organization is there on the scene to claim the credit for such a unique and long drawn sit in which attracted national and international headlines. Nor there is anyone to announce the future course of this movement.
The roads which remained blocked and thus played havoc with daily life of over two million commuters, school children and emergency patients in the area are open once again. But so are many questions which still remain open and, if not answered and attended to in time, have the potential of pushing the nation into a far more serious chaos, may be a civil war. An unexplained quiet on the Shaheen Bagh front indicates that the demonstrators may return with better planning, better logistics, better support system and a much higher fanatic determination whenever the Corona scare goes.
When Shaheen-Bagh dharna started, it was seen by many as a new political phenomenon. A large number of non Muslim supporters also thronged the shamiyanas. While many of them were groups and individuals who are always over enthused to join any anti-Modi, anti-BJP event, there was a substantial number of honest supporters of secularism and democracy in whose perception the CAA was something which deserved to be opposed. For them ordinary Muslim house wives, holding their little children and opposing CAA was a perfect cause that genuinely deserved their support. Interestingly, this support continued until the day the tukde-tukde gang took over the stage and made a call for breaking away North-Eastern India by an 'Islamic' action at the Chicken-Neck corridor in West Bengal. No wonder a large group of non-Muslim supported pulled back and the Shaheen-Bagh dharna was turned into a Muslim protest.
But despite this setback there is no shortage of political analysts and self serving social scientists who want the world to believe that this dharna was a unique upsurge of ordinary Muslim house wives and little kids to fight against Modi government's 'communal' Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). They are gaga about the illiterate Muslim women for staying put for over three months without any outside support and despite chilling winter. Some of these experts have even tried to eulogize and paint it as a non violent movement bigger than Mahatma Gandhi's Namak-Satyagrah or Non Cooperation Movement.
1. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS :
Unfortunately none of these self styled analysts and admirers have answers to some very basic questions like what was the source of finance for sustaining such a 24x7 dharna which ran simultaneously at over a dozen places across India for three months? Who were the individuals and organizations which coordinated such a mammoth exercise with clock precision that involved arranging proper shamianas, warm beds, tea and food for the participants and their supporters and an efficient media campaign? What was the purpose behind placing ordinary house wives and little kids on the front of a movement on a subject like CAA which neither affected them or their families in any conceivable manner nor did they have necessary intellectual background or education to understand or deliberate on the intricacies of the subject?
It also needs to be explained that why on one hand the national tricolour was used liberally at the demonstration site to attract TV and other media cameras but the same platform was used to host and cheer Islamist leaders like Sharjil Imam to call upon the Indian Muslims to occupy the 'Chicken Neck' corridor in West Begal in order to dismember India.
It is interesting to note that elaborate arrangements were made to look after the demonstrators and supporters at the dharna site which included shamiyanas, a stage, beds, tea and biryani for the demonstrators and anyone who asked for it. On the last day when the tents and other paraphernalia which was removed from the site included a huge fiber glass replica of India gate and brand new wooden beds of identical shape and size indicating that they were made to order from a single fund and must have cost a fortune that none of the poor house wives could have afforded. In order to show that the entire show was a spontaneous act of public enthusiasm and support, a Sardarji was presented to the media who claimed to have sold his house to feed biryani to the demonstrators.
The Shaheen-Bagh experiment to undermine the Indian state and constitution had all the features of a foreign funded drama to destabilize the country.
2. TERROR FUNDING ? :
Interestingly, the Enforcement Directorate(ED) and security agencies tumbled upon some bank accounts related to some Shaheen Bagh activists, which had received about Rs 160 crore from some unidentified or fictitious resources. According to details coming out in public domain most of this money was quickly siphoned to some accounts many of which belonged to organisations registered at some local addresses in the Shaheen Bagh colony.
The ED and police identified this money as 'terror funds' and associated it with Popular Front of India (PFI). Two top leaders of PFI Parvez Ahmed and Mohammed Illiyas were arrested for receiving these funds and funding the Shaheen Bagh protests in Delhi and several other places across India. But it is no less interesting that until the last day of the Dharna no organization or individual leaders came out to claim the ownership of the event or the demonstrations. May be because all efforts of people involved were throughout focused on presenting the entire Shaheen Bagh movement as a spontaneous and voluntary reaction of ordinary Muslims, especially house wives against the CAA.
3. ACTIVISM OR FANATICISM ? :
Participation of ordinary Muslim house wives along with their children in the age group 1-10 years too was unfathomable for those who are familiar with political and feminist activism in Delhi and across India. People were shocked to hear the news of a four month old baby dying of cold and fever on 6th February at the protest venue where her 24 year old mother Nazia has been sitting non-stop on dharna along with her two other children aged one year and five years. She was quoted as saying that in the name of Islam she would continue her protest despite the death of her baby.
4. THE REAL MEANING OF 'SHAHEEN' :
This fanatic commitment of Nazia will force anyone to go to the roots of Shaheen Bagh movement. This movement has its roots in 'Shaheen Force', which was established exclusively aiming at Muslim women of India in 2008 following the arrest of Safdar Nagaori and Kamruddin, two terrorist leaders of banned Islamic students' organization 'SIMI'. The first action of the 'Shaheen-Force' was witnessed in April same year in Hyderabad when about 40 Muslim women along with their little kids attacked Sahibabd police station of Hyderabad where another leader of SIMI Mohtasim Billa was arrested. Although the woman manhandled many police officials and smashed furniture and other things at the police station, some human rights groups and women rights organizations supported their act and condemned police for the retaliatory action. Nagauri is on record admitting in a newspaper interview that he and his organization openly eulogized Osama Bin Laden and that they got support from some Pakistani leaders, especially from Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the Chief of Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami.
5. AL-QAEDA LINK ? :
Another source of inspiration for Indian Shaheen-Force is Pakistan based 'Al Qaeda Saheen Women Force' (AQSWF) which was established in 2015 and is headed by the wife of Al-Jawahiry, head of Al-Qaeda. She is focused at sensitizing Muslim women in the Indian sub continent and mobilizing them for Jihad. In one of her web based motivational lectures to young Muslim women she has been quoted as saying, "I advise you to raise your children in the cult of Jihad and martyrdom and to instill in them the love for religion and death. Each woman will raise her child to be a new Saladin by telling him that it is you who will restore the grandeur of Islamic nation....." According to security agencies SIMI and Shaheen-Force have organized many camps in India and trained about 400 Muslim women for Jihadist activities.
6. INDOCTRINATION OF CHILDREN :
This militant indoctrination of Indian Muslim women through Shaheen-Force explains why Indian Muslim women like Nazia felt committed to keeping their children with them in the Shaheen-Bagh demonstrations. And that also gives answer to the riddle why many little children, as young as five years, at the Shaheen Bagh dharna gave inflammatory bytes like "I will kill Modi and Shah" to the news TV channels as their mothers clapped in the background.
ALLMA IQBAL AND THE 'SHAHEEN'
This takes us to the concept of 'Shaheen' which was first launched by famous Urdu writer Mohammad Iqbal who was, at one stage, a prominent nationalist poet of Indian freedom struggle and author of legendary patriotic song "Saare Jahan Se Achchha Hindosan Hamara.....". But soon he became a major proponent of separate Pakistan. It was in those days when Iqbal, promoting the cause of dividing India to form an Islamic state of Pakistan, wrote his famous book 'Bal-e-Jibreel'. This book included a poem in which he presented the concept of 'SHAHEEN' which stands for falcon and is the metaphor of Islamic youth and power.
He interpreted the flight of a falcon in the sky as a metaphor for its meditation for self-discovery and 'Khudi' i.e. self-respect. Presenting the opponents of division of India as their enemy, Iqbal called upon the Muslim youths to act like Shaheen who dives with alacrity from the sky and swoops on its pray and kills it to eat it unlike a vulture who eats pray killed by others.
7. WHY 'SHAHEEN-BAGH' ? :
After Pakistan was created, he was addressed as Allama (wise man) Iqbal and was honoured as 'Mufakkir-e-Pakistan' meaning 'The Thinker of Pakistan'. This was an equivalent of Mahatma Gandhi being honoured as 'Rashtra Pita' viz. 'Father of Nation' in India. In early 1980s when some Muslims from neighbouring Barreily founded a colony in Jasola area of South Delhi, they wanted to name the colony as 'Allama Iqbal Nagar'. But seeing the local government's opposition to a Pakistani symbol they privately named it after Iqbal's creation 'Shaheen' as 'Shaheen Bagh'. However in the land records of Delhi this colony is referred to as 'Abufazal Part-2'.
Now that Shaheen Bagh dharna has been (temporarily ?) called off and roads are once again clear, it is for anyone to guess where and when the Shaheen movement of Indian Islamists is going to start again. The security agencies and law enforcement machinery will, surely, take the course they are assigned to take. But it is for the rightly thinking citizens of India, especially those who are genuinely and honestly committed to the cause of upholding principles of secularism and democracy to take a right stand whenever it happens.
(Author is a senior journalist and Chairman, Centre for Himalayan Asia Studies and Engagement - CHASE)
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The terror group also issued a brief statement claiming that the Sikh minority group was the target of the attack. This is not the first time the terror group is targeting the minority groups in Afghanistan.
In another suicide attack, claimed by ISIS Khorasan, killed at least 19 people including many members of the Sikh community in Jalalabad city of Nangarhar in mid-2018.
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OPINION : MUSLIMS OF BHARATHAM SHOULD REFORM THEMSELVES -
1. ISLAM IS MAN MADE, AND THE TEXT CONTENTS ARE AGAINST MANKIND, THIS FAVOURS MUSLIMS AND DISREGARD OTHER FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.
2. MUSLIMS IN BHARATHAM ARE BHARATIYA AND BHARATHAM COMES BEFORE ISLAM, THIS CALL MAKE MUSLIMS THINK TO ONENESS.
3. BUT IT IS BIG TASK TO THEM AS THEY STILL NOT MATURED ENOUGH TO APPROACH THINGS BROADMINDED WAY.
4. THE CHANGE SHOULD COME FROM INDIVIDUAL MINDS, SO SANATANA DHARMAM WILL HELP YOU IF YOU PROGRESS AS UNIVERSAL BEING.
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The present spread of novel Corona virus across the globe has infected thousands and sent many of them to death. The figures of dead and infected are on the rise every day. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed the disaster as pandemic. The virus has spread to about 196 countries and territories in six continents. The news of lockdown is coming from countries across the globe every day. The lockdown is causing huge loss to the world economy. The alarming situation calls for a hard thinking. Was the outbreak intentional or spontaneous?
In late December last year, the outbreak occurred in the Wuhan province in central China. This led to over thousands of people dying. The Chinese government has reported death figures of over 3,000 and has claimed to stop its spread after three months. In Italy the number of deaths is over 6,000. In Spain and Iran it is over 2,000. The US which is struggling to deal with about 46,168 cases of infection and about 611 dead has accused China of intentionally exporting “Chinese virus” to the world. China has tried to defend itself and has accused that US Army "brought the epidemic to Wuhan" and demanded "an explanation". Trading of charges may continue but of no avail until the fact comes to light.
The debate assumed momentum over the news of warning sounded by Chinese doctor Li Wenliang about the large scale outbreak. Dr Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, was threatened with arrest. The police, however, later revoked its admonishment and tendered a “solemn apology” to his family, according the reports of China News Service on March 17.
Also 38 years ago an American novelist Dean Koontz in the book “The Eye of Darkness” has mentioned Wuhan-400 virus as bio-weapon developed at RDNA labs outside the Wuhan city. It was the four-hundredth viable strain of man-made microorganism developed at the research centre. The virus cannot survive outside living human body for longer than a minute. In the corpse the virus perishes when the temperature falls below 86 degree Fahrenheit. A novel is, however, a fiction, but it looks prophetic in the current situation. Similarly, a 2011 movie depicts a pandemic that has similarities to recent events, according to several news reports.
Meanwhile, China has reported death of a person from Yunnan province by attack of Hanta virus while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus. Hanta virus is not a new one. It is from rodents and has mortality rate of 50 per cent.
An American layer, Larry Klayman and his advocacy group Freedom Watch and a Texas company Buzz Photos have filed a law suit in a US district court in Northern District in Texas against Chinese government, Chinese Army and Major General Chen Wei, Wuhan Institute of Virology and its director, Shi Zhergli claiming a damage of $20 trillion. The petitioners have accused China of aiding and abetting death, provision of material support to terrorists, conspiracy to cause injury and death of US citizens, negligence, wrongful death, and assault and battery. They also alleged that the virus was released by Wuhan Institute of Virology and was “designed” by China to kill mass population. They claimed China suppressed the fact and tried to silence the whistle blowers.
No medicine or vaccine has been developed so far for the cure of the infection caused by this novel virus. Even there is no perfect toolkit to detect the novel Corona virus otherwise termed as COVID-19. China has claimed that it has developed a suitable vaccine which is under clinical trials.
Whatever may be the trading of charges between US and China, the fact remains that viruses, bacteria of fungi can be genetically engineered and multiplied in labs to be used as weapons of bioterrorism. Genetic engineering makes them more virulent. Also poisonous chemicals and gases can be used in such dangerous warfare even there are several global treaties to prevent their misuse. History stands as a testimony to such misuses in the past.
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The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has categorized several bio- weapons rating then as per their potential threat. In Category A are Anthrax bacteria, Dengue, Ebola, small pox and Tularemia viruses. In Category B are Chikungunya, influenza and Zika viruses. Category C includes emerging pathogens and pathogens that are made more pathogenic by genetic engineering, including Hanta virus, Nipah virus, tick-borne encephalitis and haemorrhagic fever viruses, yellow fever virus and multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Some scientists say that most dangerous bio-weapon can be Marburg virus which can be easily isolated and be used in a biological warfare. Next is the Hanta virus from Bunyaviridae family of viruses which has mortality rate of 50 per cent. Anthrax disease causing bacteria, Bacillus anthracis, found naturally in the soil, causes serious infectious disease. Anthrax bacteria was used as a deadly bio-weapon in World War-I. The most deadly weapon is of course B-41 Hydrogen bomb.
Small pox virus was used as a biological weapon during the French and American Indian War (1754-67) by the commander of Fort Pitt. Soldiers distributed blankets that had been used by small pox patients with the intent of initiating outbreak among American Indians. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is caused by an animal virus and its outbreak among humans occurred in Guangdong province in China in 2002 and the virus is a potential bio-weapon.
Yersinia pestis, a causative agent for plague, can be used in an aerosol attack. The bacteria, Vibrio cholera has been investigated in past as a biological weapon. A few antibiotics are active against the bacteria Francisella tularensis
(that causes tularemia), but strains resistant to these antibiotics can be used as weapons of biological warfare.
Bird flu viruses, H5N1 and H7N9, transmitted from poultry to humans in the past . Though antiviral drugs like Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza) are cure for H5N1 strain, there is no vaccine to protect against H7N9 type of Bird (Avian) flu. The current strain of H1N1 originated in pigs and then transmitted to birds and humans. H1N1 also causes Swine flu.
Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, malaria, yellow fever are mosquito-borne diseases, transmitted by female mosquitoes of species Aedes aegypti and Ae, altopictus. Dengue is caused by DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4 viruses. Reston virus is known to cause Ebola disease Ebola spread is believed to involve direct contact with a infected wild animal or fruit bats, monkey species, chimpanzees, gorillas, baboons and duikers. Any eatables that are touched or partially eaten by these animals or birds should be avoided. Nipah virus is also transmitted through fruit bats which in turn infects pigs, dogs and horses. Escherichia coli, a bacteria caused by eating contaminated food can also be used as a weapon of bioterror.
There have been outbreaks of these virus and bacteria causing diseases in the past. The world, therefore, have stocks of these viruses, bacteria and fungi which can be genetically modified and multiplied in labs to be used as potential weapons of biowarfare.
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In the late 1970s, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi sent a young American to India to teach meditation to professionals. That journey not only transformed him but also made him an ardent lover of India. Steve Briggs, who now lives in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA, was that young man, who, using the opportunity, travelled all over India, visiting many holy places, temples, saints, shamans, politicians, pundits, swamis, astrologers, and even humble folks.
This pilgrimage resulted in the book, ‘India: Mirror of Truth–A Seven Year Pilgrimage’ that catches the soul of India. The well-written book narrates the author’s experiences and insights. After studying English Literature at the University of Arizona on an athletic scholarship, Steve received an MBA and Ph.D in Vedic Studies. Rather than looking at India through a Western glass, Steve meets India on its own terms.
#With an open heart and mind, he reaches beyond the chaos of sight, sound and smell to appreciate the hugely beneficent spirit embedded in every aspect of Indian life. Though he arrived in India as a teacher, he was more interested in being a student.
#He says there is probably no other country where God is so alive in everyday life.
#He understands the real truth lies within a person’s own heart and that India can provide the road map to reach this truth.
In an exclusive interview to Organiser representative Pradeep Krishnan, Steve Briggs speaks about his life, India, Gurus, etc.
Excerpts :
1. How did you get attracted towards India?
My high school English teacher assigned us Herman Hesse’s classic novel, Siddartha. The story of two childhood friends’ journey to self-discovery woke me up from my somewhat one-dimensional world of athletics. As I viewed the world through each of the main characters’ eyes, the concept of life being a spiritual journey began to take shape. It was a wonderful exercise in introspection because at different points in the story, I identified with each of the characters. The ferryman Vasudev’s contentment made a deep impression as did Siddhartha’s restlessness. It wasn’t long after reading Siddhartha that I got serious about meditation.
2. What was the turning point in your life?
I grew up in an athletic family. Our father was a state tennis champion and skilled golfer. My brother, sister, and I were nationally ranked tennis players. Not long after I read Siddhartha, I was competing in the US national championships when I had a peculiar experience. The match was extremely close. I was battling against a tough opponent when, for no apparent reason, my awareness shifted at a crucial juncture in the match. Everything slowed down. The tennis ball seemed unusually large and I knew where my opponent intended to hit the next shot. It was a bit surreal. Everything was happening in slow motion. I was playing well, but I didn’t seem to be involved in the match… more like I was a bystander observing what was happening on the court. My composure ultimately swung the match in my favour. It was especially satisfying because the win catapulted me into the top 10 nationally.
3. How did a Tennis professional become a Meditation expert?
After graduating from high school, I received a tennis scholarship to attend the University of Arizona. Arizona was one of the elite teams in America and the competition was pretty intense. In sports, the smallest margin can mean the difference between winning and losing, and so I looked into meditation with the hope of gaining an edge on the competition. After learning Transcendental Meditation (TM) as taught by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, I experienced a lot of benefits outside tennis. My grades improved, I felt more content and self-confident, plus I was playing some of the best tennis of my life. I felt inspired, and so I flew to Switzerland to attend a three-month meditation retreat where I spent many hours meditating each day. The whole experience transformed my understanding of life. I would go so far as to say that it changed the course of my life. I returned home qualified to teach others to meditate. Soon, our entire university tennis team was meditating. A year after returning from Switzerland, I helped teach TM to 25 Tennis players, including several former Wimbledon champions. During the ’70s, many of America’s top professional and Olympic athletes learned TM. As a result, athletic training underwent a radical change to a more consciousness-based approach.
4. Your encounters with Maharshi Mahesh Yogi?
I have many cherished memories of Maharishi, but one or two stand out in my mind. The first came in 1974. We were doing extended meditation at a retreat in a small ski village in the French Alps. It was evening and a full moon illumined the snow peaks outside. It was late by the time Maharishi initiated me into advanced practice and told me to meditate. His instruction had a miraculous impact on my meditation. From that day onward, whenever I meditated, my heart was filled with bliss.
You hold a Ph.D in Vedic Studies? How do you view the Vedas? Some say that the Vedas are mere superstitious prayers to Natural forces. Your remarks?
I studied the Upanishads for years. I also love the Ramayana. Ram and Sita were selfless, ego-free, ideal human beings. And, of course, Krishna’s dialogue with Arjuna is a classic treatise on transcending as well as a brilliant blueprint for problem-solving. It’s sad that people view epic figures like Ram and Krishna as mythological characters. However long ago, Krishna and Ram walked the earth just like you and I. But as much as the scriptures inspire me, rituals like homas and yagnas embody the essence of Vedic knowledge. My family has attended Rudra Abhishek for years and I listen to Sama Veda regularly. I find it revitalising. The Vedas are master keys that unlock our fullest potential. Properly understood, they can elevate us to supreme heights of spiritual attainment. Sadly, foreign scholars over the centuries have undermined Vedic wisdom to the point where many Hindus are uncertain what is real and what is superstition. Maharishi explained that the Vedas are blueprints for creating an ideal society. Maharishi described Sanskrit as the language of nature. Vedic Engineering is the process of generating sounds that produce life-supporting influences that spread throughout Creation the way a pebble tossed into a lake causes concentric circles to spread in all directions. That’s why the four Vedas are meant to be chanted rather than read or translated into other languages.
Describe your 7-year odyssey in India. Any memorable experiences with enlightened masters please share.
During my years in India, I enjoyed a double lifestyle. On one hand, I commuted to Delhi’s corporate offices to teach Transcendental Meditation at companies like Airtel, Citibank, Birla Group, and Modi Corp. On the other hand, I lived in an Ashram guesthouse outside Delhi and made frequent pilgrimages into the Himalayas and other holy places like Rameswaram, Tirupati, and Kanyakumari. I was fortunate to meet some exceptional souls on my journeys at holy sites as well as in the boardroom. Above Joshimath, I encountered a yogi who appeared ageless and seemed to know everything about me. He initiated me into a form of Kriya Yoga which has been a part of my spiritual practice for years. While visiting Kanyakumari I had the darshan of an avadhut (one established in non-dual awareness).
5. What were your experiences in Kumbh Mela? How do you view this world’s largest congregation of humanity?
For weeks I was excited about attending the Kumbh Mela, but I really had no idea what to expect. I planned to stay for a few days, but as circumstances unfolded, my colleagues and I spent several weeks at Prayag. We arrived on Makar Sankranti, the first auspicious bathing day of the 2001 Kumbh Mela. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims (mostly villagers) were walking to Sangam. The sun hadn’t yet come up, but the excitement in the air was like nothing I had ever experienced. We walked for several kilometres surrounded by thousands of villagers. Everyone was respectful and considerate. When it was our turn to take snanam, I didn’t even notice the frigid temperature of the water. I recall Sonia Gandhi taking snanam from a boat nearby. Somehow, my friends and I ended up on the front page of a local newspaper. Later that day, we were invited to be the guests of a former Maharaja’s family. Our hosts were absolute angels. They had a large home in the cantonment where we feasted together, played with the children, and shared stories. Before departing, we initiated our hosts into TM. It was a magical time. The memories will remain with me always. The collective sankalp of honouring the Divine set a peaceful and harmonious tone. I never saw a hint of discord during our stay. A lot of credit to the UP government and to the yatris who preserved the spirit of worship.
6. Tell us about your experiences with Gurus?
Maharishi taught me much of what I know about meditation and the spiritual path. I grew up in a close-knit, Christian family. Soon after I left home to attend university, I met Maharishi, who was like a wise grandfather. He helped me sort out important decisions and inspired lofty ideals for my life. I have so much respect and love for him. In 2008, I returned to Prayag to attend Maharishi’s memorial service. It was a heart-rending day for many. You must know Amma since you’re from Kerala. In 1996, the managing director of Hughes-Escort introduced me to Amma at her Delhi Ashram near the airport. Amma reminds me of Maharishi in many ways. She works tirelessly for others, oversees global programmes including universities, schools, and hospitals, and she cares deeply about the well-being of all creatures. Amma emphasises service to those in need while Maharishi emphasised meditation as a tool for creating world peace. Amma’s immense inner joy is felt by everyone. My family travels to see Amma whenever she comes to the US.
7. What are your views on Gurus?
Gurus are wonderful guides, but ultimately we need to rely on our own inner GPS. I realised that when Maharishi passed. Maharishi taught me to trust my GPS, and as a result, I feel confident navigating through life. The guru’s methods are not much different from how parents teach their children. Once children become adults, their values are established for life.
8. What is your concept of God?
God is at once personal and impersonal. I try to embrace both aspects of Divinity. One can enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus or Krishna or Buddha. There is nothing quite so elevating as devotion. One’s Ishta Deva provides a perfect expression to the eternally non-changing Absolute. The formless Absolute can’t be evolved because there is no difference between the point of no evolution and infinite evolution since the formless Absolute is utterly devoid of everything. On the other hand, one’s Ishta Deva can have relations with every aspect of itself. The avatars and great gurus have taken birth to provide an example and to teach humanity how to realise their Ishta Deva. So, wouldn’t it be ideal to explore the innermost heart of Ram or Devi? The purpose of a personal god is to give the formless Absolute a form that is perfect.
9. Tell us about the forthcoming book, Nirvana Chronicles?
The Tale of the Himalayan Yogis is the story of a young Rajput prince who eludes the Mogul emperor’s army and flees to the Himalaya where he meets his guru, an ageless yogi who shares the secrets of immortality with his chela. Prince Govinda spends his exile in spiritual training and adventures throughout Tibet, Nepal, and worlds beyond the physical. He comes into conflict with a Tantric sorcerer who serves a soul-consuming demoness. After his seven-year exile, the prince returns to Delhi to confront the tyrannical emperor in a daring effort to free his people.
10. According to a Time magazine cover story, ten million Americans now practise some form of meditation. Millions more have embarked on the search to self-discovery through religion and self-enquiry. How do you view this? Why this is happening?
After a Kumbhakarna-like (very long) slumber, humanity is waking up. Our collective awakening is a natural part of the cycle of time and the progression of our planet through the cosmos. Earth is moving into a region of space that is accelerating our spiritual awakening. Divine forces are helping to remove negativity from the planet. The worn-out values that have caused so much suffering over thousands of years are being replaced by higher values, holistic values that nurture our planet and its inhabitants. No matter how hard the old guard tries to maintain the status quo, be it through financial schemes or political intrigue, a new consciousness is emerging which will ultimately result in Heaven on Earth. There is no turning back.
11. How do you view Bharat, a unique country with divergent religions, castes, creeds, communities and lifestyles?
India is the Land of the Vedas. Bharat has always been the hope for the world. From the Himalayas in the north to Tirupati and Rameswaram in the south, the eternally reverberating Vedas spread a powerful influence in all directions. Some people ask how this can be true when India’s cities are among the most polluted and its villages among the poorest on earth. Poverty and illiteracy are undeniable realities on the subcontinent, but if we go back even a few hundred years we’ll find that Bharat was the most prosperous land on earth. Look what was found in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple chambers; Rs. 90,000 crore gold. And what about the priceless diamonds and gems that were removed from India’s temples and ended up in the collections of wealthy westerners or foreign museums. India has been pillaged time and again, but it has survived.
During my years in India, I enjoyed a double lifestyle. On one hand, I commuted to Delhi’s corporate offices to teach Transcendental Meditation, On the other hand, I lived in an Ashram guesthouse outside Delhi and made frequent pilgrimages into the Himalayas and other holy places
Pulitzer prize-winning historian, Will Durant, wrote that the Moguls carried out the greatest genocide in recorded history. Despite the atrocities, India has endured and is beginning to thrive again. It’s been a long road back, but Indians understand perseverance. They’re resilient people with the richest heritage and deepest roots of any culture. When Maharishi sent me to India, he said, “make a beautiful rainbow between America and India”. That instruction continues to motivate me. When I asked Maharishi why he was sending Westerners to teach meditation to Indians, he said, “because Indians enjoy having their song sung by someone else.”
12. Could you please elaborate on your encounters with Himalayan Yogis?
I’ve talked some about Maharishi and Amma, but I haven’t mentioned a Himalayan yogi named, Keshava, who I wrote about in India: Mirror of Truth. Keshava taught me how to approach God in a very personal way by teaching me an age-old Vedic technique that unites the devotee with their Ishta Deva. I’m greatly indebted to Keshava for all that he’s shared with me and my family. I think about Keshava every day and hope to meet him again one day.
13. Why spirituality is important in today’s world? How can the modern man benefit from spirituality?
Environmental scientists say the world has reached a tipping point in terms of global warming and irreversible trauma to our ecosystems. Humanity is being held accountable for its collective behaviour, its violations against natural law. Our debts have come due. We, humans, are responsible for damaging the planet and harming millions of life forms that call earth home. If we remove the humans, planet earth would quickly return to the paradise it once was. That said, I believe what lies ahead will result in a collective consciousness based on love and mutual support for one another, including how we care for Mother Earth. Technology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, mobile phones and laptops have made life more efficient. On the other hand, our fossil fuel-based economies are compromising our rivers and streams, our air and land. Our air, water, and earth are on the verge of being unable to support life. Our collective spiritual awakening is coming none too soon, especially in the west where people have material wealth but often lack inner contentment. Many struggles to get along with those they love most.
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OPINION :
1. SANATANA DHARMAM BASED ON SELF DISCIPLINE, BALANCED DISCRIMINATING MINDS ORIENTED, ALL INCLUSIVE, AND NOT AGGRESSIVE, IS A CALM SILENCE ORIENTED, SELF REALISATION IS THE PATH OF MOKSHAM, ...
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Simple measures like keeping distance from others can help us to fight #COVID19.
#IndianArmy fraternity follows the norms of #SocialDistancing in the housing colonies .
Together we will fight #COVID19
#SOCIAL DISTANCING BEAT #COVID19. , BEST DISCIPLINE, BEST CARE ( WHICH WE LACK ), NOW LEARN AND MAKE HABIT SOCIAL DISTANCING.
JAI HIND
JAI BHARAHAM
VANDHE MATHARAM
BHARAT MATHA KI JAI.
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# OPINION : 28/03/2020 : 2109.
# 1. Shaheen Bagh and its roots in idea of Pakistan and ideology of Al-Qaeda : 27-Mar-2020 : - Vijay Kranti : Organiser : Media Report.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#From dubious funding, to delinquent organisers to Islamist nomenclature, the Shaheen-Bagh reeked of a Pakistani experiment aimed at showcasing the supremacist attitude of Islamists.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Shaheen-Bagh dharna is finally over after keeping the nation on tenterhooks for over three months. The sit in was neither withdrawn by the organizers nor pushed out by the government. It was only the scare created by the Chinese virus Covid-19 which should take the credit for this ending. Without going into which side won in this game and which one lost, one thing which has emerged as a pleasant fact is that Indian democracy has enough space for democratic protests irrespective of whether it is for right or wrong reasons. And also that the government too has enough stock of patience if it decides to bank upon it.
Interestingly no leader or organization is there on the scene to claim the credit for such a unique and long drawn sit in which attracted national and international headlines. Nor there is anyone to announce the future course of this movement.
The roads which remained blocked and thus played havoc with daily life of over two million commuters, school children and emergency patients in the area are open once again. But so are many questions which still remain open and, if not answered and attended to in time, have the potential of pushing the nation into a far more serious chaos, may be a civil war. An unexplained quiet on the Shaheen Bagh front indicates that the demonstrators may return with better planning, better logistics, better support system and a much higher fanatic determination whenever the Corona scare goes.
When Shaheen-Bagh dharna started, it was seen by many as a new political phenomenon. A large number of non Muslim supporters also thronged the shamiyanas. While many of them were groups and individuals who are always over enthused to join any anti-Modi, anti-BJP event, there was a substantial number of honest supporters of secularism and democracy in whose perception the CAA was something which deserved to be opposed. For them ordinary Muslim house wives, holding their little children and opposing CAA was a perfect cause that genuinely deserved their support. Interestingly, this support continued until the day the tukde-tukde gang took over the stage and made a call for breaking away North-Eastern India by an 'Islamic' action at the Chicken-Neck corridor in West Bengal. No wonder a large group of non-Muslim supported pulled back and the Shaheen-Bagh dharna was turned into a Muslim protest.
But despite this setback there is no shortage of political analysts and self serving social scientists who want the world to believe that this dharna was a unique upsurge of ordinary Muslim house wives and little kids to fight against Modi government's 'communal' Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). They are gaga about the illiterate Muslim women for staying put for over three months without any outside support and despite chilling winter. Some of these experts have even tried to eulogize and paint it as a non violent movement bigger than Mahatma Gandhi's Namak-Satyagrah or Non Cooperation Movement.
1. UNANSWERED QUESTIONS :
Unfortunately none of these self styled analysts and admirers have answers to some very basic questions like what was the source of finance for sustaining such a 24x7 dharna which ran simultaneously at over a dozen places across India for three months? Who were the individuals and organizations which coordinated such a mammoth exercise with clock precision that involved arranging proper shamianas, warm beds, tea and food for the participants and their supporters and an efficient media campaign? What was the purpose behind placing ordinary house wives and little kids on the front of a movement on a subject like CAA which neither affected them or their families in any conceivable manner nor did they have necessary intellectual background or education to understand or deliberate on the intricacies of the subject?
It also needs to be explained that why on one hand the national tricolour was used liberally at the demonstration site to attract TV and other media cameras but the same platform was used to host and cheer Islamist leaders like Sharjil Imam to call upon the Indian Muslims to occupy the 'Chicken Neck' corridor in West Begal in order to dismember India.
It is interesting to note that elaborate arrangements were made to look after the demonstrators and supporters at the dharna site which included shamiyanas, a stage, beds, tea and biryani for the demonstrators and anyone who asked for it. On the last day when the tents and other paraphernalia which was removed from the site included a huge fiber glass replica of India gate and brand new wooden beds of identical shape and size indicating that they were made to order from a single fund and must have cost a fortune that none of the poor house wives could have afforded. In order to show that the entire show was a spontaneous act of public enthusiasm and support, a Sardarji was presented to the media who claimed to have sold his house to feed biryani to the demonstrators.
The Shaheen-Bagh experiment to undermine the Indian state and constitution had all the features of a foreign funded drama to destabilize the country.
2. TERROR FUNDING ? :
Interestingly, the Enforcement Directorate(ED) and security agencies tumbled upon some bank accounts related to some Shaheen Bagh activists, which had received about Rs 160 crore from some unidentified or fictitious resources. According to details coming out in public domain most of this money was quickly siphoned to some accounts many of which belonged to organisations registered at some local addresses in the Shaheen Bagh colony.
The ED and police identified this money as 'terror funds' and associated it with Popular Front of India (PFI). Two top leaders of PFI Parvez Ahmed and Mohammed Illiyas were arrested for receiving these funds and funding the Shaheen Bagh protests in Delhi and several other places across India. But it is no less interesting that until the last day of the Dharna no organization or individual leaders came out to claim the ownership of the event or the demonstrations. May be because all efforts of people involved were throughout focused on presenting the entire Shaheen Bagh movement as a spontaneous and voluntary reaction of ordinary Muslims, especially house wives against the CAA.
3. ACTIVISM OR FANATICISM ? :
Participation of ordinary Muslim house wives along with their children in the age group 1-10 years too was unfathomable for those who are familiar with political and feminist activism in Delhi and across India. People were shocked to hear the news of a four month old baby dying of cold and fever on 6th February at the protest venue where her 24 year old mother Nazia has been sitting non-stop on dharna along with her two other children aged one year and five years. She was quoted as saying that in the name of Islam she would continue her protest despite the death of her baby.
4. THE REAL MEANING OF 'SHAHEEN' :
This fanatic commitment of Nazia will force anyone to go to the roots of Shaheen Bagh movement. This movement has its roots in 'Shaheen Force', which was established exclusively aiming at Muslim women of India in 2008 following the arrest of Safdar Nagaori and Kamruddin, two terrorist leaders of banned Islamic students' organization 'SIMI'. The first action of the 'Shaheen-Force' was witnessed in April same year in Hyderabad when about 40 Muslim women along with their little kids attacked Sahibabd police station of Hyderabad where another leader of SIMI Mohtasim Billa was arrested. Although the woman manhandled many police officials and smashed furniture and other things at the police station, some human rights groups and women rights organizations supported their act and condemned police for the retaliatory action. Nagauri is on record admitting in a newspaper interview that he and his organization openly eulogized Osama Bin Laden and that they got support from some Pakistani leaders, especially from Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the Chief of Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami.
5. AL-QAEDA LINK ? :
Another source of inspiration for Indian Shaheen-Force is Pakistan based 'Al Qaeda Saheen Women Force' (AQSWF) which was established in 2015 and is headed by the wife of Al-Jawahiry, head of Al-Qaeda. She is focused at sensitizing Muslim women in the Indian sub continent and mobilizing them for Jihad. In one of her web based motivational lectures to young Muslim women she has been quoted as saying, "I advise you to raise your children in the cult of Jihad and martyrdom and to instill in them the love for religion and death. Each woman will raise her child to be a new Saladin by telling him that it is you who will restore the grandeur of Islamic nation....." According to security agencies SIMI and Shaheen-Force have organized many camps in India and trained about 400 Muslim women for Jihadist activities.
6. INDOCTRINATION OF CHILDREN :
This militant indoctrination of Indian Muslim women through Shaheen-Force explains why Indian Muslim women like Nazia felt committed to keeping their children with them in the Shaheen-Bagh demonstrations. And that also gives answer to the riddle why many little children, as young as five years, at the Shaheen Bagh dharna gave inflammatory bytes like "I will kill Modi and Shah" to the news TV channels as their mothers clapped in the background.
ALLMA IQBAL AND THE 'SHAHEEN'
This takes us to the concept of 'Shaheen' which was first launched by famous Urdu writer Mohammad Iqbal who was, at one stage, a prominent nationalist poet of Indian freedom struggle and author of legendary patriotic song "Saare Jahan Se Achchha Hindosan Hamara.....". But soon he became a major proponent of separate Pakistan. It was in those days when Iqbal, promoting the cause of dividing India to form an Islamic state of Pakistan, wrote his famous book 'Bal-e-Jibreel'. This book included a poem in which he presented the concept of 'SHAHEEN' which stands for falcon and is the metaphor of Islamic youth and power.
He interpreted the flight of a falcon in the sky as a metaphor for its meditation for self-discovery and 'Khudi' i.e. self-respect. Presenting the opponents of division of India as their enemy, Iqbal called upon the Muslim youths to act like Shaheen who dives with alacrity from the sky and swoops on its pray and kills it to eat it unlike a vulture who eats pray killed by others.
7. WHY 'SHAHEEN-BAGH' ? :
After Pakistan was created, he was addressed as Allama (wise man) Iqbal and was honoured as 'Mufakkir-e-Pakistan' meaning 'The Thinker of Pakistan'. This was an equivalent of Mahatma Gandhi being honoured as 'Rashtra Pita' viz. 'Father of Nation' in India. In early 1980s when some Muslims from neighbouring Barreily founded a colony in Jasola area of South Delhi, they wanted to name the colony as 'Allama Iqbal Nagar'. But seeing the local government's opposition to a Pakistani symbol they privately named it after Iqbal's creation 'Shaheen' as 'Shaheen Bagh'. However in the land records of Delhi this colony is referred to as 'Abufazal Part-2'.
Now that Shaheen Bagh dharna has been (temporarily ?) called off and roads are once again clear, it is for anyone to guess where and when the Shaheen movement of Indian Islamists is going to start again. The security agencies and law enforcement machinery will, surely, take the course they are assigned to take. But it is for the rightly thinking citizens of India, especially those who are genuinely and honestly committed to the cause of upholding principles of secularism and democracy to take a right stand whenever it happens.
(Author is a senior journalist and Chairman, Centre for Himalayan Asia Studies and Engagement - CHASE)
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## 2. Exclusive News : ISIS terrorist from Kerala carried out the attack on Gurudwara in Kabul: ISIS Khorasan claims the attack was carried out by Abu Khalild al-Hindi aka Abdul Khayoom : 27/03/2020. Organiser : Media Report.
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##"ISIS Khorasan, an offshoot of the ISIS claimed that the attack on Sikh tepmle in Kabul was carried out by Abu Khalild al-Hindi. Khaama Press, an online news service in Afghanistan, quoted The Amaq News Agency, affiliated with the terror group, and reported that the ISIS released the photo of the suicide bomber who stormed the Sikh temple in Kabul city on Wednesday. At least 27 worshippers were killed in the deadly attack."
Abu Khalild al-Hindi aka Abdul Khayoom is suspected to be the same person who was accused in the Valapattanam ISIS Case, Kerala. He hails from Kasargod district of Kerala. In 2017, the NIA had registered a case against five people, including Abu Khalid, from Valapattanam in Kannur district for their alleged IS links. According to the NIA, Abu Khalild was believed to be in Syria.The terror group also issued a brief statement claiming that the Sikh minority group was the target of the attack. This is not the first time the terror group is targeting the minority groups in Afghanistan.
In another suicide attack, claimed by ISIS Khorasan, killed at least 19 people including many members of the Sikh community in Jalalabad city of Nangarhar in mid-2018.
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OPINION : MUSLIMS OF BHARATHAM SHOULD REFORM THEMSELVES -
1. ISLAM IS MAN MADE, AND THE TEXT CONTENTS ARE AGAINST MANKIND, THIS FAVOURS MUSLIMS AND DISREGARD OTHER FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS.
2. MUSLIMS IN BHARATHAM ARE BHARATIYA AND BHARATHAM COMES BEFORE ISLAM, THIS CALL MAKE MUSLIMS THINK TO ONENESS.
3. BUT IT IS BIG TASK TO THEM AS THEY STILL NOT MATURED ENOUGH TO APPROACH THINGS BROADMINDED WAY.
4. THE CHANGE SHOULD COME FROM INDIVIDUAL MINDS, SO SANATANA DHARMAM WILL HELP YOU IF YOU PROGRESS AS UNIVERSAL BEING.
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### 3. Is China's lethal experiment forcing the world towards a bio-warfare? : 27/03/2020 : - Ashok B Sharma : Organiser : Media Report.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#Notwithstanding the trading of charges between US and China, the fact remains that viruses, bacteria of fungi can be genetically engineered and multiplied in labs to be used as weapons of bioterrorism.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The present spread of novel Corona virus across the globe has infected thousands and sent many of them to death. The figures of dead and infected are on the rise every day. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed the disaster as pandemic. The virus has spread to about 196 countries and territories in six continents. The news of lockdown is coming from countries across the globe every day. The lockdown is causing huge loss to the world economy. The alarming situation calls for a hard thinking. Was the outbreak intentional or spontaneous?
In late December last year, the outbreak occurred in the Wuhan province in central China. This led to over thousands of people dying. The Chinese government has reported death figures of over 3,000 and has claimed to stop its spread after three months. In Italy the number of deaths is over 6,000. In Spain and Iran it is over 2,000. The US which is struggling to deal with about 46,168 cases of infection and about 611 dead has accused China of intentionally exporting “Chinese virus” to the world. China has tried to defend itself and has accused that US Army "brought the epidemic to Wuhan" and demanded "an explanation". Trading of charges may continue but of no avail until the fact comes to light.
The debate assumed momentum over the news of warning sounded by Chinese doctor Li Wenliang about the large scale outbreak. Dr Li Wenliang, who died on February 7, was threatened with arrest. The police, however, later revoked its admonishment and tendered a “solemn apology” to his family, according the reports of China News Service on March 17.
Also 38 years ago an American novelist Dean Koontz in the book “The Eye of Darkness” has mentioned Wuhan-400 virus as bio-weapon developed at RDNA labs outside the Wuhan city. It was the four-hundredth viable strain of man-made microorganism developed at the research centre. The virus cannot survive outside living human body for longer than a minute. In the corpse the virus perishes when the temperature falls below 86 degree Fahrenheit. A novel is, however, a fiction, but it looks prophetic in the current situation. Similarly, a 2011 movie depicts a pandemic that has similarities to recent events, according to several news reports.
Meanwhile, China has reported death of a person from Yunnan province by attack of Hanta virus while on his way back to Shandong Province for work on a chartered bus. Hanta virus is not a new one. It is from rodents and has mortality rate of 50 per cent.
An American layer, Larry Klayman and his advocacy group Freedom Watch and a Texas company Buzz Photos have filed a law suit in a US district court in Northern District in Texas against Chinese government, Chinese Army and Major General Chen Wei, Wuhan Institute of Virology and its director, Shi Zhergli claiming a damage of $20 trillion. The petitioners have accused China of aiding and abetting death, provision of material support to terrorists, conspiracy to cause injury and death of US citizens, negligence, wrongful death, and assault and battery. They also alleged that the virus was released by Wuhan Institute of Virology and was “designed” by China to kill mass population. They claimed China suppressed the fact and tried to silence the whistle blowers.
No medicine or vaccine has been developed so far for the cure of the infection caused by this novel virus. Even there is no perfect toolkit to detect the novel Corona virus otherwise termed as COVID-19. China has claimed that it has developed a suitable vaccine which is under clinical trials.
Whatever may be the trading of charges between US and China, the fact remains that viruses, bacteria of fungi can be genetically engineered and multiplied in labs to be used as weapons of bioterrorism. Genetic engineering makes them more virulent. Also poisonous chemicals and gases can be used in such dangerous warfare even there are several global treaties to prevent their misuse. History stands as a testimony to such misuses in the past.
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#It is now alleged that new straing of Corona virus was released by Wuhan Institute of Virology and was “designed” by China to kill mass populations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has categorized several bio- weapons rating then as per their potential threat. In Category A are Anthrax bacteria, Dengue, Ebola, small pox and Tularemia viruses. In Category B are Chikungunya, influenza and Zika viruses. Category C includes emerging pathogens and pathogens that are made more pathogenic by genetic engineering, including Hanta virus, Nipah virus, tick-borne encephalitis and haemorrhagic fever viruses, yellow fever virus and multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Some scientists say that most dangerous bio-weapon can be Marburg virus which can be easily isolated and be used in a biological warfare. Next is the Hanta virus from Bunyaviridae family of viruses which has mortality rate of 50 per cent. Anthrax disease causing bacteria, Bacillus anthracis, found naturally in the soil, causes serious infectious disease. Anthrax bacteria was used as a deadly bio-weapon in World War-I. The most deadly weapon is of course B-41 Hydrogen bomb.
Small pox virus was used as a biological weapon during the French and American Indian War (1754-67) by the commander of Fort Pitt. Soldiers distributed blankets that had been used by small pox patients with the intent of initiating outbreak among American Indians. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is caused by an animal virus and its outbreak among humans occurred in Guangdong province in China in 2002 and the virus is a potential bio-weapon.
Yersinia pestis, a causative agent for plague, can be used in an aerosol attack. The bacteria, Vibrio cholera has been investigated in past as a biological weapon. A few antibiotics are active against the bacteria Francisella tularensis
(that causes tularemia), but strains resistant to these antibiotics can be used as weapons of biological warfare.
Bird flu viruses, H5N1 and H7N9, transmitted from poultry to humans in the past . Though antiviral drugs like Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza) are cure for H5N1 strain, there is no vaccine to protect against H7N9 type of Bird (Avian) flu. The current strain of H1N1 originated in pigs and then transmitted to birds and humans. H1N1 also causes Swine flu.
Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, malaria, yellow fever are mosquito-borne diseases, transmitted by female mosquitoes of species Aedes aegypti and Ae, altopictus. Dengue is caused by DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4 viruses. Reston virus is known to cause Ebola disease Ebola spread is believed to involve direct contact with a infected wild animal or fruit bats, monkey species, chimpanzees, gorillas, baboons and duikers. Any eatables that are touched or partially eaten by these animals or birds should be avoided. Nipah virus is also transmitted through fruit bats which in turn infects pigs, dogs and horses. Escherichia coli, a bacteria caused by eating contaminated food can also be used as a weapon of bioterror.
There have been outbreaks of these virus and bacteria causing diseases in the past. The world, therefore, have stocks of these viruses, bacteria and fungi which can be genetically modified and multiplied in labs to be used as potential weapons of biowarfare.
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#UNSC won’t discuss Covid-19; China blocks it with help from Russia, South Africa
CHINA ALWAYS A NUISANCE TO OTHER NATIONS, ARROGANT SELFISH CHEATING PERSONALITY.
#### NOTE : 4. Foreign scholars over the centuries have undermined Vedic wisdom to the point where many Hindus are uncertain what is real and what is superstition: Steve Briggs : 15-Feb-2020 : Organiser :
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In the late 1970s, Maharshi Mahesh Yogi sent a young American to India to teach meditation to professionals. That journey not only transformed him but also made him an ardent lover of India. Steve Briggs, who now lives in Fairfield, Connecticut, USA, was that young man, who, using the opportunity, travelled all over India, visiting many holy places, temples, saints, shamans, politicians, pundits, swamis, astrologers, and even humble folks.
This pilgrimage resulted in the book, ‘India: Mirror of Truth–A Seven Year Pilgrimage’ that catches the soul of India. The well-written book narrates the author’s experiences and insights. After studying English Literature at the University of Arizona on an athletic scholarship, Steve received an MBA and Ph.D in Vedic Studies. Rather than looking at India through a Western glass, Steve meets India on its own terms.
#With an open heart and mind, he reaches beyond the chaos of sight, sound and smell to appreciate the hugely beneficent spirit embedded in every aspect of Indian life. Though he arrived in India as a teacher, he was more interested in being a student.
#He says there is probably no other country where God is so alive in everyday life.
#He understands the real truth lies within a person’s own heart and that India can provide the road map to reach this truth.
In an exclusive interview to Organiser representative Pradeep Krishnan, Steve Briggs speaks about his life, India, Gurus, etc.
Excerpts :
1. How did you get attracted towards India?
My high school English teacher assigned us Herman Hesse’s classic novel, Siddartha. The story of two childhood friends’ journey to self-discovery woke me up from my somewhat one-dimensional world of athletics. As I viewed the world through each of the main characters’ eyes, the concept of life being a spiritual journey began to take shape. It was a wonderful exercise in introspection because at different points in the story, I identified with each of the characters. The ferryman Vasudev’s contentment made a deep impression as did Siddhartha’s restlessness. It wasn’t long after reading Siddhartha that I got serious about meditation.
2. What was the turning point in your life?
I grew up in an athletic family. Our father was a state tennis champion and skilled golfer. My brother, sister, and I were nationally ranked tennis players. Not long after I read Siddhartha, I was competing in the US national championships when I had a peculiar experience. The match was extremely close. I was battling against a tough opponent when, for no apparent reason, my awareness shifted at a crucial juncture in the match. Everything slowed down. The tennis ball seemed unusually large and I knew where my opponent intended to hit the next shot. It was a bit surreal. Everything was happening in slow motion. I was playing well, but I didn’t seem to be involved in the match… more like I was a bystander observing what was happening on the court. My composure ultimately swung the match in my favour. It was especially satisfying because the win catapulted me into the top 10 nationally.
3. How did a Tennis professional become a Meditation expert?
After graduating from high school, I received a tennis scholarship to attend the University of Arizona. Arizona was one of the elite teams in America and the competition was pretty intense. In sports, the smallest margin can mean the difference between winning and losing, and so I looked into meditation with the hope of gaining an edge on the competition. After learning Transcendental Meditation (TM) as taught by Maharshi Mahesh Yogi, I experienced a lot of benefits outside tennis. My grades improved, I felt more content and self-confident, plus I was playing some of the best tennis of my life. I felt inspired, and so I flew to Switzerland to attend a three-month meditation retreat where I spent many hours meditating each day. The whole experience transformed my understanding of life. I would go so far as to say that it changed the course of my life. I returned home qualified to teach others to meditate. Soon, our entire university tennis team was meditating. A year after returning from Switzerland, I helped teach TM to 25 Tennis players, including several former Wimbledon champions. During the ’70s, many of America’s top professional and Olympic athletes learned TM. As a result, athletic training underwent a radical change to a more consciousness-based approach.
4. Your encounters with Maharshi Mahesh Yogi?
I have many cherished memories of Maharishi, but one or two stand out in my mind. The first came in 1974. We were doing extended meditation at a retreat in a small ski village in the French Alps. It was evening and a full moon illumined the snow peaks outside. It was late by the time Maharishi initiated me into advanced practice and told me to meditate. His instruction had a miraculous impact on my meditation. From that day onward, whenever I meditated, my heart was filled with bliss.
You hold a Ph.D in Vedic Studies? How do you view the Vedas? Some say that the Vedas are mere superstitious prayers to Natural forces. Your remarks?
I studied the Upanishads for years. I also love the Ramayana. Ram and Sita were selfless, ego-free, ideal human beings. And, of course, Krishna’s dialogue with Arjuna is a classic treatise on transcending as well as a brilliant blueprint for problem-solving. It’s sad that people view epic figures like Ram and Krishna as mythological characters. However long ago, Krishna and Ram walked the earth just like you and I. But as much as the scriptures inspire me, rituals like homas and yagnas embody the essence of Vedic knowledge. My family has attended Rudra Abhishek for years and I listen to Sama Veda regularly. I find it revitalising. The Vedas are master keys that unlock our fullest potential. Properly understood, they can elevate us to supreme heights of spiritual attainment. Sadly, foreign scholars over the centuries have undermined Vedic wisdom to the point where many Hindus are uncertain what is real and what is superstition. Maharishi explained that the Vedas are blueprints for creating an ideal society. Maharishi described Sanskrit as the language of nature. Vedic Engineering is the process of generating sounds that produce life-supporting influences that spread throughout Creation the way a pebble tossed into a lake causes concentric circles to spread in all directions. That’s why the four Vedas are meant to be chanted rather than read or translated into other languages.
Describe your 7-year odyssey in India. Any memorable experiences with enlightened masters please share.
During my years in India, I enjoyed a double lifestyle. On one hand, I commuted to Delhi’s corporate offices to teach Transcendental Meditation at companies like Airtel, Citibank, Birla Group, and Modi Corp. On the other hand, I lived in an Ashram guesthouse outside Delhi and made frequent pilgrimages into the Himalayas and other holy places like Rameswaram, Tirupati, and Kanyakumari. I was fortunate to meet some exceptional souls on my journeys at holy sites as well as in the boardroom. Above Joshimath, I encountered a yogi who appeared ageless and seemed to know everything about me. He initiated me into a form of Kriya Yoga which has been a part of my spiritual practice for years. While visiting Kanyakumari I had the darshan of an avadhut (one established in non-dual awareness).
5. What were your experiences in Kumbh Mela? How do you view this world’s largest congregation of humanity?
For weeks I was excited about attending the Kumbh Mela, but I really had no idea what to expect. I planned to stay for a few days, but as circumstances unfolded, my colleagues and I spent several weeks at Prayag. We arrived on Makar Sankranti, the first auspicious bathing day of the 2001 Kumbh Mela. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims (mostly villagers) were walking to Sangam. The sun hadn’t yet come up, but the excitement in the air was like nothing I had ever experienced. We walked for several kilometres surrounded by thousands of villagers. Everyone was respectful and considerate. When it was our turn to take snanam, I didn’t even notice the frigid temperature of the water. I recall Sonia Gandhi taking snanam from a boat nearby. Somehow, my friends and I ended up on the front page of a local newspaper. Later that day, we were invited to be the guests of a former Maharaja’s family. Our hosts were absolute angels. They had a large home in the cantonment where we feasted together, played with the children, and shared stories. Before departing, we initiated our hosts into TM. It was a magical time. The memories will remain with me always. The collective sankalp of honouring the Divine set a peaceful and harmonious tone. I never saw a hint of discord during our stay. A lot of credit to the UP government and to the yatris who preserved the spirit of worship.
6. Tell us about your experiences with Gurus?
Maharishi taught me much of what I know about meditation and the spiritual path. I grew up in a close-knit, Christian family. Soon after I left home to attend university, I met Maharishi, who was like a wise grandfather. He helped me sort out important decisions and inspired lofty ideals for my life. I have so much respect and love for him. In 2008, I returned to Prayag to attend Maharishi’s memorial service. It was a heart-rending day for many. You must know Amma since you’re from Kerala. In 1996, the managing director of Hughes-Escort introduced me to Amma at her Delhi Ashram near the airport. Amma reminds me of Maharishi in many ways. She works tirelessly for others, oversees global programmes including universities, schools, and hospitals, and she cares deeply about the well-being of all creatures. Amma emphasises service to those in need while Maharishi emphasised meditation as a tool for creating world peace. Amma’s immense inner joy is felt by everyone. My family travels to see Amma whenever she comes to the US.
7. What are your views on Gurus?
Gurus are wonderful guides, but ultimately we need to rely on our own inner GPS. I realised that when Maharishi passed. Maharishi taught me to trust my GPS, and as a result, I feel confident navigating through life. The guru’s methods are not much different from how parents teach their children. Once children become adults, their values are established for life.
8. What is your concept of God?
God is at once personal and impersonal. I try to embrace both aspects of Divinity. One can enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus or Krishna or Buddha. There is nothing quite so elevating as devotion. One’s Ishta Deva provides a perfect expression to the eternally non-changing Absolute. The formless Absolute can’t be evolved because there is no difference between the point of no evolution and infinite evolution since the formless Absolute is utterly devoid of everything. On the other hand, one’s Ishta Deva can have relations with every aspect of itself. The avatars and great gurus have taken birth to provide an example and to teach humanity how to realise their Ishta Deva. So, wouldn’t it be ideal to explore the innermost heart of Ram or Devi? The purpose of a personal god is to give the formless Absolute a form that is perfect.
9. Tell us about the forthcoming book, Nirvana Chronicles?
The Tale of the Himalayan Yogis is the story of a young Rajput prince who eludes the Mogul emperor’s army and flees to the Himalaya where he meets his guru, an ageless yogi who shares the secrets of immortality with his chela. Prince Govinda spends his exile in spiritual training and adventures throughout Tibet, Nepal, and worlds beyond the physical. He comes into conflict with a Tantric sorcerer who serves a soul-consuming demoness. After his seven-year exile, the prince returns to Delhi to confront the tyrannical emperor in a daring effort to free his people.
10. According to a Time magazine cover story, ten million Americans now practise some form of meditation. Millions more have embarked on the search to self-discovery through religion and self-enquiry. How do you view this? Why this is happening?
After a Kumbhakarna-like (very long) slumber, humanity is waking up. Our collective awakening is a natural part of the cycle of time and the progression of our planet through the cosmos. Earth is moving into a region of space that is accelerating our spiritual awakening. Divine forces are helping to remove negativity from the planet. The worn-out values that have caused so much suffering over thousands of years are being replaced by higher values, holistic values that nurture our planet and its inhabitants. No matter how hard the old guard tries to maintain the status quo, be it through financial schemes or political intrigue, a new consciousness is emerging which will ultimately result in Heaven on Earth. There is no turning back.
11. How do you view Bharat, a unique country with divergent religions, castes, creeds, communities and lifestyles?
India is the Land of the Vedas. Bharat has always been the hope for the world. From the Himalayas in the north to Tirupati and Rameswaram in the south, the eternally reverberating Vedas spread a powerful influence in all directions. Some people ask how this can be true when India’s cities are among the most polluted and its villages among the poorest on earth. Poverty and illiteracy are undeniable realities on the subcontinent, but if we go back even a few hundred years we’ll find that Bharat was the most prosperous land on earth. Look what was found in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple chambers; Rs. 90,000 crore gold. And what about the priceless diamonds and gems that were removed from India’s temples and ended up in the collections of wealthy westerners or foreign museums. India has been pillaged time and again, but it has survived.
During my years in India, I enjoyed a double lifestyle. On one hand, I commuted to Delhi’s corporate offices to teach Transcendental Meditation, On the other hand, I lived in an Ashram guesthouse outside Delhi and made frequent pilgrimages into the Himalayas and other holy places
Pulitzer prize-winning historian, Will Durant, wrote that the Moguls carried out the greatest genocide in recorded history. Despite the atrocities, India has endured and is beginning to thrive again. It’s been a long road back, but Indians understand perseverance. They’re resilient people with the richest heritage and deepest roots of any culture. When Maharishi sent me to India, he said, “make a beautiful rainbow between America and India”. That instruction continues to motivate me. When I asked Maharishi why he was sending Westerners to teach meditation to Indians, he said, “because Indians enjoy having their song sung by someone else.”
12. Could you please elaborate on your encounters with Himalayan Yogis?
I’ve talked some about Maharishi and Amma, but I haven’t mentioned a Himalayan yogi named, Keshava, who I wrote about in India: Mirror of Truth. Keshava taught me how to approach God in a very personal way by teaching me an age-old Vedic technique that unites the devotee with their Ishta Deva. I’m greatly indebted to Keshava for all that he’s shared with me and my family. I think about Keshava every day and hope to meet him again one day.
13. Why spirituality is important in today’s world? How can the modern man benefit from spirituality?
Environmental scientists say the world has reached a tipping point in terms of global warming and irreversible trauma to our ecosystems. Humanity is being held accountable for its collective behaviour, its violations against natural law. Our debts have come due. We, humans, are responsible for damaging the planet and harming millions of life forms that call earth home. If we remove the humans, planet earth would quickly return to the paradise it once was. That said, I believe what lies ahead will result in a collective consciousness based on love and mutual support for one another, including how we care for Mother Earth. Technology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, mobile phones and laptops have made life more efficient. On the other hand, our fossil fuel-based economies are compromising our rivers and streams, our air and land. Our air, water, and earth are on the verge of being unable to support life. Our collective spiritual awakening is coming none too soon, especially in the west where people have material wealth but often lack inner contentment. Many struggles to get along with those they love most.
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OPINION :
1. SANATANA DHARMAM BASED ON SELF DISCIPLINE, BALANCED DISCRIMINATING MINDS ORIENTED, ALL INCLUSIVE, AND NOT AGGRESSIVE, IS A CALM SILENCE ORIENTED, SELF REALISATION IS THE PATH OF MOKSHAM, ...
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Simple measures like keeping distance from others can help us to fight #COVID19.
#IndianArmy fraternity follows the norms of #SocialDistancing in the housing colonies .
Together we will fight #COVID19
JAI HIND
JAI BHARAHAM
VANDHE MATHARAM
BHARAT MATHA KI JAI.
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