Yes Virginia There is a Hindu Santa Claus
Sid Harth
Hindu Santa
New Delhi, Dec. 31: Fresh from its campaign against Christians, the
Sangh Parivar has a new Clause: Hindu Santas who appear in the friendly
red suit and white beard and begin chanting Vande Mataram.To test its
efficacy, the RSS has chosen Gujarat where it runs the only BJP
government in the country.
The State sits on a volcano of conversions and re-conversions with the
issue alive in the Dangs, other parts of south Gujarat and
Ahmedabad.State Home Minister Haren Pandya admitted attempts at
conversion and reconversion are continuing and the government is
planning a legislation on the issue.It was in this backdrop that the
Hindu Santa surfaced at Ahmedabad’s CG Road market on Christmas. The
market’s hub, near the Municipal Market, saw a Santa Claus appearing
and starting to dance at 7 pm.
As soon as he was surrounded by people, he began singing Hum bacche
Hindustan ke hain.After this, he shouted Vande Mataram thrice and
vanished. Onlookers were puzzled and began rationalising the incident.
Santa Claus is usually known for his gruff appearance and friendly air.
He loves children and has plenty of gifts. But this Santa was different.
He was “preaching patriotism” felt some people while others shrugged it
off saying it was one of those things.Apparently, swamis backed by the
Sangh Parivar are attempting to reconvert people who changed religion
in the last 50 years in the Dangs. “These swamis are a regular feature
in the Dangs,’’ said an official..
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/010101/dtlnat24.asp
Don't touch disputed shrines: Atal
PTI
(New Delhi, January 1)
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has declared that the law will take
its course should any organisation attempt to disturb the status quo in
the Ayodhya dispute, maintaining that the wrongs of a medieval past
cannot be righted by a similar wrong in modern times.
"The status quo at Kashi, Mathura and other disputed places of worship
must remain undisturbed. Far from indicating the Hindu society
weakness, this will show the strength of our national ethos of
tolerance and religious harmony," he said in an article "my musings
from Kumarakom-I" written during his week-long holiday in Kerala's
famous backwaters near Kottayam.
Vajpayee said the demolition of the structure in Ayodhya in 1992 was a
flagrant violation of the law and totally at variance with the Hindu
ethos. "The wrongs of a medieval past cannot be righted by a similar
wrong in modern times."
Referring to the controversy over his recent remarks on the Temple
issue, he said his statement that the movement for construction of Ram
Temple at Ayodhya was an expression of the national sentiment has been
misrepresented in many ways.
"What is overlooked is the past tense that I had consciously used in my
statement. In my reply to the debate in the Rajya Sabha, I had clearly
stated that although the movement for the construction of a Ram Temple
at Ayodhya was an expression of our national sentiment, this sentiment
became narrow, and its inclusive character became restrictive, because
of the unfortunate demolition of the disputed mosque structure on
December 6, 1992," he said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/010101/dtLNAT56.asp
Akal Takht warns RSS to stop anti-Sikh propoganda
UNI
(Amritsar, January 1)
ON THE eve of the Guru Purab of the tenth Guru Gobind Singh, the
founder of the Khalsa Panth, the Akal Takht on Monday warned the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to halt their anti-Sikh propoganda.
In a hard hitting statement issued, the jathedar, Giani Joginder Singh
Vedanti warned that the RSS should not put the patience of the Sikhs to
any further tests.
He also cautioned the RSS and all its allied organisations, including
the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, not to distort facts about Sikh religion and
history as this would create tensions and disturb the communal harmony.
"It has been observed that for quite sometime, certain miscreants are
trying to disturb the peace in Punjab by distorting facts about Sikh
gurus and Sikhism, "the statement said. "The Sikh youth are being
instigated by this anti-Sikh propoganda and this could prove harmful,"
the statement added.
The statement sought to clarify that as per the Sikh traditions,
the 'Parkash' of Guru Granth Sahib would only be in a gurdwara and not
in a mandir. "The Sikhs do not believe in idol worship," the statement
further pointed out.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/010101/dtLNAT14.asp
Malkani’s views are his own: Govt, BJP
HTC
(New Delhi, December 31)
IN A prompt move, the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday averted a
major diplomatic disaster by distancing from BJP leader K R Malkani's
remarks on Nepal.
In an interview to india-today.com, Malkani had said that Pandit Nehru
should have accepted that country's (Nepal's) accession to India "when
it was offered to us by King Tribhuvan" in the mid-'50s. The senior BJP
leader's remarks couldn't have been more ill-timed.
He chose to make the observations when New Delhi and Kathmandu were in
the middle of clearing the mess caused by street violence in Nepal over
filmstar Hrithik Roshan's alleged remarks.
Flooded by queries from various quarters in New Delhi and Kathmandu on
the reported interview, the MEA launched a quick damage-control
exercise. In a rare weekend briefing, its spokesman R S. Jassal
clarified that the BJP leader's remarks did not reflect the
Government's views.
Taking note of the uneasy phase in India's relations with Nepal, he
cautioned that nothing should be done to create unnecessary doubts.
Almost in tandem, BJP chief Bangaru Laxman also come out with a strong
repudiation of Malkani's comments.
He reaffirmed his party's commitment to Nepal's "sovereignty and
cultural identity" while asserting that the "unfortunate" remarks did
not reflect the BJP's views in any manner.
"The people of India and Nepal should remain vigilant and ensure that
nothing is allowed to come in the way of the close and cordial
relations between our two countries," he said.
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/