A House for the Religion of Man.

A House for the Religion of Man.

The controversy about the Islamic Community Center two blocks away from the World Trade Center (India Abroad, Aug 20) reminds one the famous comment made by the English author, Jonathan Swift, "We have enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another" and Mahatma Gandhi's observation, "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." W.B.Yeats also wrote in a similar vein when he said: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."

The Ground Zero is a sacred place where thousands were killed for no fault of theirs and by people blinded by their mistaken view of religions .It would be appropriate if people of all religions come together and build a House for the Religion of Man. This could be the meeting ground for all faiths of the world – Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jain, Shinto, Tao and many other faiths. There is more common among us as human beings than the differences. The Religion of Man should explore the commonalities if the human race has to be saved from total annihilation.

The concept of the Religion of Man was first mooted by the Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in his Hibbert Lectures in Oxford in 1930. His prayer in Gitanjali highlights the need for freedom of thought, knowledge and truth :

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

Where the words come out from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action;

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

The only change one cane make is to add, "let our world awake" in place of "let my country awake."

A monument which brings together people of all countries, religions and faiths would be a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives.

( A letter to India Abroad on the controversy about a Muslim community center near the World Trade Center in New York which was destroyed on 9/11.)

http://www.indiaabroad-digital.com/indiaabroad/20100820?sub_id=z1RM6Qp6YN3y#pg10

Aug.17,2010.

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Needed : Volunteers for Karmayog magazine.

Press in India today has become completely commercial, and recently we have heard about the 'paid-news' as well. Most of our press is full of entertainment rather than information. Views are mixed with news forgetting that news is sacred but views are free. Newspapers are full of sensational news and television is full of what is called ' breaking news'. Hard news and analysis are few and far between. In this situation, a newspaper highlighting India's problems - there are so many of them - and suggesting possible solutions is most welcome.

Swaraj ( Independence) should have been followed by Suraj (Good Governance).This has not happened because we do not have a proper laws for the accountability of our rulers and the bureaucracy. The Commonwealth Games is the latest example.

I recently came across a newsletter of a member of the US House of Representatives wherein he writes, " Dear Friends, From listening to people on the street, at town meetings, places of business and elsewhere, constituents are very concerned about our nation's public debt, continued government borrowing against their children's future and the growing intrusion of the federal government into every aspect of their lives.." The newsletter gives a brief account of the problems of the country and  his views on them. He invites people to be in touch with him, and he adds, " Let me hear from you.Please consider my website... your tool to help me better serve you."

I am wondering whether Karmayog can request our elected representatives to have constant contact and interaction with their voters through their website and e-mail.

I will be happy to contribute my mite to your endeavour to promote good governance.

   ( The above response was for the following invitation by Karmayog for its new magazine.)

     Needed: Volunteers for Karmayog Magazine

Posted by: "info@karmayog.org" info@karmayog.org

Fri Aug 13, 2010 3:03 am (PDT)

Karmayog is thinking of publishing a monthly magazine, that will be available in print as well as online.

The objective of such a magazine is to empower individual citizens to take action and make a difference. Articles and themes covered in the magazine will enable engagement and suggest steps forward.

We would like to invite persons who can volunteer the following:

- writers who will write regular columns for the magazine (either on issues of your choice or on topics that we suggest)
- designers who can help us with layout and design of the magazine

If you would like to be part of the Karmayog magazine (in the above ways, or in any other way that you like), please send us an email at info@karmayog.org

Aug 16,2010.

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More democracy is the solution to Kashmir.

More democracy is the solution to Kashmir.

 

One has to appreciate the clarity of thought and expression of Dr.Anil Athale in his piece on Kashmir ( India Abroad, Aug.13). Kashmir is an artificial entity brought together by the Maharaja. There is very little common between the Muslims of the Valley and the Hindus of Jammu as well as the Buddhists of Ladakh. Even among the Muslims in the Valley there are 20 percent Shias and then there are supporters of the Congress and the National Conference who are not in agreement with the fundamentalists. It was reported some time ago that only 2 percent preferred to be with Pakistan. Can the will of the majority be denied by the stone-pelting urchins, the separatists and the terrorists armed, financed and supported by Pakistan? India has to act decisively without causing collateral damage. All democratic states who believe in the rule of law must support India in this effort including USA.

 

Jammu and Kashmir joined Indian Union legally as provided for by the Indian Independence Act, and morally, as the merger was supported by all the political parties at the time of the merger – National Conference of Kashmir, Praja Parishad of Jammu and the Ladakh Buddhists Party..  

 

Dr.Athale's idea to engage non-politicized religious leaders and bring to the attention of the people the political and economic situation in Pakistan and the so-called Azad Kashmir is a good one. Pakistan is no friend of Kashmir at all. It has given a part of Azad Kashmir to China and another part has been merged with itself.     

 

Dr.Athale has rightly pointed out the need for decentralization of power to the local level.  Jammu and Ladakh divisions should be given autonomy to invite investments from other parts of India which can create jobs and wealth. It is logical to divide the state of Jammu and Kashmir into three parts – Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh, and make them Union Territories for economic and political progress.           

 

( The above letter was sent to India Abroad in response to the article in http://www.indiaabroad-digital.com/indiaabroad/20100813/?pg=22&pm=1&u1=friend#pg22)

August 15,2010.

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Who is responsible for Muslim backwardness in India ?

Who is responsible for Muslim backwardness in India?

 

When I read the interview of Syed Shahabuddin (Indian Abroad, Aug.6), I got the impression that the central and state governments are solely responsible for the backwardness of Muslims in India. However, the fact is, almost 300 million people, including Hindus and Muslims, are poor or below the poverty line (earn about a $ or 1.25$ a day) and illiteracy is also widespread. This is due to the wrong policies of these governments in the last 63 years since Independence in India – not spending enough money on primary, secondary and vocational education. It is nothing to do with Muslims as such but much to do with poor governance.  It was the Congress which was in power during most of these years.

 

He himself says that in the West Bengal, where Communists are in power, the representation of Muslims is less than 2 percent with a Muslim population of 27 percent. The Sachar Committee Report has mentioned that the Muslims are better off, both educationally and in income, in Gujarat, where the BJP is in power for the 10/15 years.

 

In a paper written on the subject, Muslim Deprivation: Some thoughts in the context of the Sachar Committee Report, Yoginder Sikand, ( a sympathetic commentator on the Muslim issues ) of the Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, mentions that most of the Muslim NGOs are engaged in religious education and 80 percent of zakat goes to madrasas quoting the eminent social scientist Imtiaz Ahmad. More Masjids are built than the number of schools by Indian Muslims. The other minorities such as Christians, Parsee, Sikhs or Jains build schools and colleges to empower their brethren. Self-help has a major role to play in empowering people to get jobs in the government service and in the private sector. Muslims too have the power to empower their community.

 

Muslims, like all Indians, should ask for good governance and the right policies, and with that progress would be automatic to all – all boats can rise. There is mis-governance everywhere in India. Just now there is a scam in Commonwealth Games. Corruption is rampant. Good governance (without corruption) and the rule of law would be good for all Indians, including Muslims. Injustice could be easily eliminated in recruitment or in case of riots.

 

He talks of 'share' and 'give us our due'. He also talks about 'the middle class is basically communal' and ' our real fear is the Bharatiya Janata Party'. He does not talk about how he is going to empower Muslims and India. There is no indication of change in the perception in Syed Shahabuddin's interview. This is sad.

( A letter sent to India Abroad on the interview with Syed Shahbuddin in India Abroad,dt.Aug.6,2010.)

August 8,2010.

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