1ST OCTOBER : INTERNATIONAL SENIOR CITIZEN DAY !
"It is not the years in your life,but the life in your years that counts" [Adlai Stevenson].
The mystery about old age persists with different hypothesis-when does one become old,why and how ?At the same time it is inexplicable as well strange that Indian 'gods' like Rama and Krishna always remain young.
Interestingly enough,in India,where parents are supposed to be worshiped like 'gods',the'gods' are ever young,active,prankish,fond of music,dances,drinks and love making. After all having a monopoly of Amrit,they enjoy the privilege of being immortal .In fact ,even when they assume mortal frame and descend on the earth as 'avatars',they retain their power to keep old age at bay. Who indeed,ever thinks of Rama and krishna as old men?For reasons unknown ,only the Brahma,supposed creator is projected as an ancient being.In the collective consciousness of India, Vishnu supposed  preserver and Mahesh, supposed destroyer are ever young.
On the other hand,Rishi's always had long shaggy beards- the symbol of their 'stigmatic status' as mortals until they would undergo unending penance to attain parity with the 'gods'. Of course,these were myths and in this part of world,there is sanctimonious sanctity for myths,are to be believed in implicitly and not to be questioned or scrutinized on the basis of logic or reason or dissected analytically.The problem in India is that Hindu thinkers rarely went beyond primordial myths to brood over the phenomenon of old age and how one may overcome or transcend its problems.

LIONISING PATEL THROUGH SELECTIVE AMNESIA AND CYNICAL MANIPULATION !

Modi has announced that he is building in Gujarat a statue of Vallabbhai Patel,which would be the tallest in the world and twice the height of Statue of liberty.

Sardar Patel,if he is at all watching these developments,must be both a deeply anguished  and a very angry man.Angry because of his clever appropriation by those whom he steadfastly opposed. Anguished,because the vision of India being offered by his new devotees is so different to the one for which he dedicated his entire life.

WHY ?

*Modi,has never denied that he is still dedicated pracharak of RSS and deeply influenced by the philosophy of Rashtriya Swyam Sangh.Modi has reportedly written a book,praising Golwalkar,longest  serving Sarsanchalak of the RSS [1940-73].It will be pertinent  to ask Modi :-

1.Does he agree  with Golwalkar's explicitly stated views that India is an exclusively Hindu nation,with no place for people of other faiths,not even the rights of a citizen ?

2.Does he support Golwalkar's praise of Nazi Germany,for having manifested a nation's highest pride in exterminating the Jews ?

3.Does he believe ,like Golwalkar,that the Manusmriti,that consigns Shudras to perpetual  service of Brahmnas and advocates servitude of women,is the only valid law for India ?

*Patel was India's Home minister when,on February 2,1948,the Government banned the RSS,in pursuance of its -"determination to root out the forces of hate and violence that are at work in our country and imperil the freedom of the nation and darken her fair name".

*In a September 11,1948 letter to Guru Golwalkar,the then RSS sarsanchalak,the Sardar was forthright in his denunciation  of RSS leaders :-"all their speeches were full of communal poison. It was not necessary to spread poison in order to enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection.As a final result of the poison,the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhi ji."

*Significantly the Sardar was never in doubt about the role of the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha in the murder of the Mahatma. In a letter dated February 27,1948 to Nehru,he states this clearly :-"it was a fanatical wing of the Hindu Mahasabha directly under Sarvarkar that hatched the conspiracy and saw it through...of course,his assassination was welcomed by those of the RSS and Hindu Mhasabha who were strongly opposed to his way of thinking and to his policy ". 

*He reiterates this position in another letter [July 18,1948] to Shyama Prasad Mookerjee :-"as regards the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha...our reports do confirm that as a result of these two bodies ,particularly the former, an atmosphere was created in the country in which such a ghastly tragedy became possible."

*Incidentally ,although Nathuram Godse denied any direct link with the RSS at the time of his trial,many years later,in an interview to Frontline magazine in January 1994,his brother Gopal,was quite candid about the truth :-"all the brothers were in the RSS,Nathuram,Dattatreya, myself and Govind.You can say we grew up in the RSS rather than in our home.It was like a family to us. Nathuram had become a baudhik karyavah [intellectual worker] in the RSS."

*Sardar Patel was a staunch follower of Gandhi ji and his inclusive vision.His emphatic opposition to the RSS,the institution which mentored Modi and shaped his world view,is documented fact.What is then Modi trying to convey by co-opting Patel and building the world's tallest statue as tribute to him?

Why this political hypocrisy and dichotomy ?

The Quran Says that People of Other Religions
are to be Violently Punished in This World

Allah himself fights against the unbelievers (9:30), so why should Muslims not fight in his cause rather than in the cause of evil (4:76)?  About 19% of the Quran is devoted to the violent conquest and subjugation of non-Muslims:

Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of Allah and your enemies and others besides, whom ye may not know (8:60)

Strive hard (Jihad) against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell,- an evil refuge indeed.  (66:9, See also 9:73)

Muslims are to expect a reward in this life as well as the next (4:134), so it makes sense that unbelievers should be punished in this life as well:

…He whom Allah sendeth astray, for him there is no guide. For them is a penalty in the life of this world, but harder, truly, is the penalty of the Hereafter… (13:33-34)

There are at least two places in the Quran where the violent death of non-Muslims is referred to as Allah's reward for unbelief (2:191, 9:26), as in "such is the reward for unbelievers."  Verse 3:56,  bluntly states that "those who reject faith" will be "punished with terrible agony in this world" (a vow that Muhammad and his companions personally took it upon themselves to fulfill).

The Quran tells Muslims that Allah uses them to violently punish others:

Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace... (9:14)

In the end, All beings on heaven and earth will be forced to bow down to Allah, either willingly or by force:

And unto Allah falleth prostrate whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly (13:15)

Muslims are told that Allah "loves those who fight in his way" to make Islam "victorious over all other religions, even though the disbelievers resist" (61:4-11). Those who do resist Islam will be humiliated:

Those who resist Allah and His Messenger will be among those most humiliated.(58:20 - The context for this verse is the eviction of the Jewish tribes of Medina and the confiscation of their wealth, land, and children by Muhammad).

Non-Muslims are to be fought until religion is only for Allah:

And fight them until there is no more ftna (unbelief, worshipping others beside Allah), and religion is all for Allah… (8:39 – Some translate the word "fitna" as “persecution”, but in this context it means resistance to Islam – defined in the prior verse as an unwillingness to believe (see verse 38).  This passage was “revealed” following a battle that Muhammad deliberately provoked.  Verse 2:193 essentially says the same thing and was also “revealed” at a time when the Muslims were notunder physical attack).

Those with "diseased hearts" - which include Christians and Jews according to 5:52 - are to be"seized wherever found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter" (33:60-62) along with "hypocrites" (Muslims who are judged not to be true believers by their associations with unbelievers or their unwillingness to engage in Jihad).

Non-Muslims are to be encroached on, pressured and punished by the Muslims:

See they not that We gradually reduce the land (in their control) from its outlying borders? (13:41 - See also 21:44)
We shall punish them gradually from directions they perceive not. (68:44)
And He made you heirs to their land and their dwellings and their property, and (to) a land which you have not yet trodden, and Allah has power over all things. (33:27, See also Bukhari 53:392)

Allah will grant Muslims authority and power over all other people:

Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion... (24:55)

(Muhammad's companions continued to self-fulfill this prophecy with an aggressive and senseless military expansion that left a trail of bodies from Spain to India).

Allah provides instructions to Muslims for dealing with unbelievers who are unwilling to accept Islamic rule:

Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): "I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them." This because they contended against Allah and His Messenger: If any contend against Allah and His Messenger, Allah is strict in punishment. (8:12-13)

Defeating non-Muslims should be easy for true believers because they are superior in intelligence and understanding:

O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there be of you twenty steadfast they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a hundred (steadfast) they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are a folk without intelligence (8:65)

Other verses of violence may be found here.

Remember that the Quran says that not all men are equal according to Islam.  This even applies to Muslims with regard to their aggressiveness toward unbelievers.  Those who kill or are killed on behalf of Islam are more pleasing to Allah:

Not equal are those of the believers who sit at home... and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allah with their wealth and lives" (4:95)

The Quran Says that Other Religions are Cursed by Allah

Buddhists in Thailand, Jews in Israel, Christians in Indonesia, Hindus in India...  Why is Islam at war with every major world religion, when none of these religions are at war with each other?  Part of the reason is that the Quran is specific about the inferiority of other faiths (see 48:28) and the hatred that Allah harbors for their people.

Although it is common for Muslims to become upset about anyone “insulting” their religion, here is what the Quran says about Jews and Christians:

The Jews call Ezra a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth! (9:30) (See also Bukhari 8:427), one of the last things Muhammad ever said on his deathbed was "May Allah curse the Jews and Christians.”)

The Quran specifically addresses Christians, Jews, Polytheists (Hindus) and atheists:

Christians are disbelievers (98:5-6) and blasphemers (5:17, 5:73) who have invented a lie about Allah (10:68-69) by ascribing partners to Allah (ie. the Trinity).  Inventing a lie about Allah is the worst of sins (7:37, 29:68) and for this reason Christians are condemned to Hell (10:70).  Although one (early Medinan) verse seems to say that righteous Christians will go to heaven, this is abrogated by later verses that make it very clear that Christians must cease being Christian (ie. reject the Trinity) or suffer eternal torment for their beliefs (5:72-73).

Jews are also cursed by Allah (5:13), in one of his final pronouncements.  The Quran goes on to assure Muslims that Jews are wicked (4:160-162) – so wicked, in fact, that they have somehow managed to do the impossible (18:27) and alter the word of Allah (2:75).  Jews are “fond of lies”and “devour the forbidden” (5:42).

The Quran assures believers that Jews and Christians have “diseased hearts” (5:52).  Allah even takes credit for the enmity between them (5:14).  Only Jews and Christians who submit to Islamic subjugation and pay the Jizya are protected in this world (9:29 & Ibn Ishaq 956).

Hindus are polytheists.  Although Muhammad didn’t know any Hindus (and neither did Allah, apparently) the Quran still manages to lay the groundwork for the 1000 year ethnic cleansing campaign against the Hindu people that is estimated to have taken tens of millions of innocent lives.  In Islam, polytheists are worse than all other religion.  Those who join idols (14:30) or false gods (11:14) to Allah also invent a lie about Him (29:17) and will burn in Hell.  Even believing in other divine entities along with Allah is an unforgivable crime (4:48, 40:12).

Atheists believe in no god, which is even worse than believing in the wrong one (Muhammad and his successors had atheists put to death - Bukhari 84:57).  Merely questioning the existence of Allah is a testament to one’s impiety (25:21), even as Muslim narcissim is encouraged in the Quran.  Muhammad always answered probing questions merely by telling the inquiring party that they would go to Hell if they didn’t believe in him (36:49-64).  The Quran discourages Muslims from intellectual inquiry (5:101-102).

Any Muslim who gives up his religion is a “perverted transgressor” (3:82).  Perverted as well is anyone who denies Allah (40:63) or does not believe Muhammad (2:99).  Freedom of conscience does not exist in Islam.  Muhammad clearly prescribed the death penalty for apostates (Bukhari52:260).

While contemporary Muslim apologists often speak of “dialogue” (meaning a unilateral arrangement in which they tell you about Islam while you listen) the Quran speaks of Jihad instead:

Listen not to the unbelievers, but strive (Jihad) against them with the utmost strenuousness. (25:52)

What would be the point in hearing anything a non-Muslim has to say... or even talking with them for that matter?  Allah has already sealed their hearts and condemned them to Hell:

As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not. Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom (2:6)

For those wondering why Allah would even make infidels if their ultimate destination is Hell, Muhammad said that the purpose of some (Jews and Christians, at least) was to take the place of Muslims, so that they would not suffer there (Sahih Muslim 6666).

The Quran Says that Non-Muslims are
Destined for Eternal Torture in Hell

Although nowhere does the Quran say that Allah loves those who don’t believe Muhammad, there are over 400 verses that describe the torment that he has prepared for people of other religions (or no religion):

And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers (3:85)

The relative worth of non-Muslims is that they are but fuel for the fire of Hell:

(As for) those who disbelieve, surely neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them in the least against Allah, and these it is who are the fuel of the fire (3:10Shakir: "firewood of hell")

As they are fueling the fire, unbelievers will be tormented by Allah’s angels on his command:

“O ye who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire whereof the fuel is men and stones, over which are set angels strong, severe, who resist not Allah in that which He commandeth them, but do that which they are commanded.” (66:6)

It doesn’t matter how many good deeds an unbeliever does, because they count for nothing with Allah:

The parable of those who reject their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously on a tempestuous day: No power have they over aught that they have earned (14:18)

Shall we tell you of those who lose most in respect of their deeds?  Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?  They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.  That is their reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest. (18:103-106)

Muhammad told his people that anyone who rejects his claim to be a prophet will go to Hell:

Surely those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and (those who) desire to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers and say: ‘We believe in some and disbelieve in others’, and desire to take a course between (this and) that. These it is that are truly unbelievers, and We have prepared for the unbelievers a disgraceful chastisement. And those who believe in Allah and His messengers and do not make a distinction between any of them-- Allah will grant them their rewards(4:150-152)

In Christianity, punishment in the hereafter is directly tied to sin and ‘wickedness.’  There is relatively little said about Hell, but the emphasis is on personal suffering for selfish or cruel deeds.  In Islam, Hell is a punishment for merely not believing Muhammad’s personal claims about himself.  In contrast to the Bible, every 12^th verse of the Quran speaks of Hell and vividly describes Allah’s wrath on unbelievers:

But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads, Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted; And for them are hooked rods of iron Whenever, in their anguish, they would go forth from thence they are driven back therein and (it is said unto them): Taste the doom of burning. (22:19-22)

No one could torture a person in this way without hating them intensely.  Neither can Allah’s intense loathing for unbelievers help but affect the Muslim attitude toward those outside the faith. 

The personal superiority of Muslims is confirmed by the contrasting picture painted in so many places in the Quran in which they are rewarded with the greatest of earthly comforts in heaven, while the unbelievers concurrently suffer horrible torment (see Sura 56 for just one example).

The Quran Dehumanizes Non-Muslims
and Says that They are Vile Animals

The Ayatollah Khomeini, who dedicated his entire life to studying Islam, said that non-Muslims  rank somewhere between "feces" and the "sweat of a camel that has consumed impure food."  Small wonder.  The Quran dehumanizes non-Muslims, describing them as “animals” and beasts:

Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein (for aye). They are the worst of creatures. (98:6)

Surely the vilest of animals in Allah's sight are those who disbelieve, then they would not believe. (8:55)

Verse 7:176 compares unbelievers to "panting dogs" with regard to their idiocy and worthlessness.  Verse 7:179 says they are like "cattle" only worse.

Verse 5:60 even says that Allah transformed Jews of the past into apes and pigs.  This is echoed by verses 7:166 and 2:65. 

A hadith (Bukhari 54:524) says that Muhammad believed rats to be "mutated Jews" (also confirmed by Sahih Muslim 7135 and 7136).

Verses 46:29-35 even say that unbelieving men are worse than the demons who believe in Muhammad. 

According to Islamic law, non-Muslims may be owned as property by Muslims, but - in keeping with Islam's supremacist message - a fellow Muslim should never be (unless they convert to Islam after enslavement).  Even Christians and Jews are not considered fully human in that the penalty for killing one of them is limited to one-third of the compensation due for unintentionally killing a Muslim.

ON THE EVE OF  "PITR SHRADH PAKHSH ";COMMENCING WITH EFFECT FROM 19TH SEPTEMBER 2013 !
To the Brahmans as well as Hindu's having profound faith in Shradh ritual,the rhythmical and 'melodious' chanting s of Shradh mantras  that day during the 'offerings' of oblations in the sacrificial fire,have a special religious appeal,notwithstanding the fact that they and officiating priest [except in rare cases] are equally ignorant of their meanings and implications.The ignorant and credulous householder often believes that the verses he repeats after the priest convey very pious wishes and sentiments.In this background ,it is a great disappointment to know that the six principal mantra's contained in the mantra path,prescribed for recitation on that occasion by sages like Apastambha,Bodhyana,Hiranyakesin and others give expression to ideas and sentiments which no decent person can approve in the present times. In any view,they are most repugnant and inappropriate to the time and occasion.
So for as formalism and mechanical ritualism is concerned,there is probably none in this wide world to beat gullible followers and believers.On such occasion,most followers go through the motions of a religious ceremony ,spread over hours either at 'sacred' places like Hardiwar or at home,without having the ghost of an idea of what is being done. Supposedly revered Brahman ask believer to dip a finger in the water and he most obediently does so,He has to wait till he directs him where to place the drop so collected on the finger-usually on donated articles or on his forehead. At the same time,it is beyond any logic or comprehension that why alone ancestors of Hindu's are in dire need of prescribed articles in supposed other world,during 'pitra pakhsha [fortnight] and that too exclusive courtesy of Brahmans .

Technological Onslaught
The information age is not free from its
perils. This may sound like an
oxymoron. But there is a growing body
of evidence that clearly raise serious
concerns of increasing influence of
technology in our daily lives. We are
constantly bombarded by an enormous
amount of information flowing from the
Internet, television and other forms of
mass media. Our brains are not tuned to
process a message – dense and often
conflicting stream of information.
Whatever we see, read or hear could be
skewed in one way or another.
Sometimes it is hard to discern relevant
from frivolous, good from bad and
desirable from deceitful. For lack of better skills, we fail to make an independent and critical
evaluation of what we see, what we read and what we hear. The problem worsens when the
information is deliberately distorted to mislead the recipient in some predetermined way. The
dividing line between useful and useless, genuine and fraudulent, just and wrongful, factual and
fictitious, true and false, thus becomes blurred. This is where someone else can take control over our
critical faculties. The lack of critical and independent thinking, for example, makes people extremely
vulnerable. It compels them to seek guidance and personal cure from sources that are hardly benign
and authentic.
At another level, irrational faith can become a breeding ground for collective indoctrination, forcing
absolute compliance to supremacist authority of one kind or another. Uncritical acceptance of claims
results in convoluted thinking and wrong reasoning. Despotic leaders, popular cult figures, religious
heads and soothsayers, for example, often take advantage of basic human psychology and the veil of
ignorance. They appeal to people's deepest fears and irrational hopes before taking control of their
lives.
In recent years, the celebration of religious festivals, superstitions and rituals have become regular
practices in many research and educational institutes in India. The case of the Indian Space and
Research Organization (ISRO) is particularly appalling. The achievements of India's space
programme are commendable, but when it comes to the responsibility of developing scientific
outlook and rational thinking to fight the social ills, the organization perhaps did not quite live up to
the desired standard. Instead of spearheading a campaign (by virtue of its privileged position and
wider resources) to eradicate superstitions and illiteracy, ISRO officials often hit the headlines for
wrong reasons

ELECTRONIC  MEDIA AND SUPERSTITIONS !

The increasing number of 24x7 TV channels are willing to cater to any thing that will amuse people to death. The lucrative entertainment industry thrives on sensational soaps,family dramas, teleshopping, paid news,advertisement, dooms day theories, reality shows,fear mongering,superstitious themes,faith preaching ,

 dedicated timing for slots for highly profitable astrology,  on spot instant counseling  for Vastu shastra,

 feng-shui,  and yoga experts. In particular, the live telecast of religious festivals (e.g. Kumbha 

Mela, Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri etc), and big sporting events has been shown to boost the TRPs. 

Serious issues, no doubt, fail to touch the conscience of the nation. Otherwise, a country that is 

constantly struggling to meet its fuel and energy demand would not have chosen to disgrace itself by 

burning a whopping 2-lakhs liter of petrol to host a rather infamous Formula-1 racing event (Indian 

Express, October 24, 2011). The dazzling show was endorsed by most famous sports personalities, 

business tycoons and cinema stars. Our national media, especially the English TV channels, who 

otherwise never shy away from pontificating to bureaucrats and politicians, colluded in this show-biz 

propaganda in an almost hysterical manner. Most 'prime time shows' were virtually transformed to 

high-pitch 'sale time shows' with a singular agenda to impress upon viewers that pride, prestige and 

prosperity of India was solely hinging on this one mega event!

There are many other examples how technology is used to (mis)educate and enslave people. These 

techno-hyper challenges pose a greater threat to the advancement of scientific temper and critical 

thinking among people. Someone seriously engaged in spreading science education, rational inquiry 

and developing scientific temper should also be prepared to deal with such pressing issues. We 

cannot stop propaganda, but we can certainly take some discrete steps to stay immune to it. The goal 

is not to spot other people’s weakness and follies and laugh at it. The efforts should be directed, as 

Baruch Spinoza has famously said, " ... not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but 

to understand them." First thing we can do is to learn how to identify various forms and means of 

propaganda and understand how human thinking can go wrong.

[Myth,superstitions and propaganda in scientific age ]. 

MYTHS AND SUPERSTITIONS IN 21ST CENTURY !
From prehistoric times, humans have evolved as pattern seeking and storytelling species. While the
capacity to find patterns and infer meanings had obvious advantages for survival, the brain is not always
successful in distinguishing meaningful and meaningless patterns. In fact, "pattern finding" and "order
seeking" mechanisms form the basis for nearly all existing myths, superstitions, cultural taboos and ritual
practices all over the world. The same mechanism also makes us extremely vulnerable to all kinds of
deceptions and manipulative techniques that impair our critical faculties. We may imagine things that
don’t exist, make false judgments, accept uncritical claims, misinterpret facts and arrive at conclusions
that are completely at odds with reality. The scientific age is riddled with intriguing contradictions and
man-made follies. The technology-driven consumer culture and entertainment industry has fueled the
growth of primitive superstitions, myths and new age beliefs. The need to promote a rational discussion
on science, technology and equitable social development has never been so pressing. The first thing to
guard against such trends is to be aware of the subtle persuasive techniques, marketing strategies and
advertisement gimmicks that make us increasingly helpless consumers in the scientific age. Conveying
the excitement of science and scientific discovery is no doubt an essential part of science education and
public outreach activities. But equally important is to learn to draw the distinction between
unsubstantiated claims and factual findings based on sound reasoning and evidence. Discerning magical
thinking and vague ideas from the realm of possibilities that lie within limits of physical laws is therefore
important to inculcate scientific temper.

"Religion is not only good for business,it is the best business of all;start up costs are low,there are never any problems with supply or inventory and one receives tangible goods for intangible one."[Lise McKeen].
NO BUSINESS LIKE GOD BUSINESS :INDIAN GOD MEN FIND SPIRITUALITY TO BE PROFITABLE [DNA] !
BREATHE EASY :-
The success story of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living (AOL), headquartered in Bangalore, is no less fascinating. The organisation’s crowning glory is its international appeal. Founded in 1981 by the soft-spoken guru, AOL has become an educational and humanitarian movement across 150 countries claiming to have touched 370 million lives, with its stress management and other spiritual initiatives.

Like all good things in life, the healing and rejuvenation process comes for a price. A three-day course in Sudarshan Kriya, its most popular programme, in the ashram costs more than Rs 3,000 for an individual, with accommodation and food.

Other AOL programmes, which include Youth Empowerment & Skills (YES) workshop — a life-skills programme for those aged between 18 and 30 — the Sahaj Samadhi Meditation, described as a natural, effortless system of meditation; and the Sri Sri Yoga courses designed by the spiritual leader himself to nurture the body, mind and spirit, too command a range of fees between Rs 3,000 and Rs 6,000.

One has to admire the efficient business model of the AOL. When a person is interested in joining a course or a programme, the AOL website guides him/her to a name and a number of a teacher who would be conducting the programme. If you are interested, you click on ‘interested’ and the website then asks you for your personal details (name, phone number, email ID).

Within minutes a person calls you with all the information you need. The payment is made on the spot via cheque or cash, or online if the programme is at the ashram. The money collected by the teachers goes to the ashram funds, which is sent in by the teachers who are basically volunteers working part-time.

Thousands of people daily take the courses.

There are other spiritual gurus not so famous as the ones above.

The chances are that most of them are waiting for the right moment. The moment when fame acquires critical mass and translates into money. Inside every successful godman lurks a suited CEO with a power point presentation at hand.

RASHTRIYA SWYAM SEVAK SANGH'S BLUE PRINT FOR HINDU RASHTRA !
Since finally BJP has itself rediscovered and reactivated as Bhartiya Jansangh in practice and perception [though with different nomenclature] and accordingly Modi's coronation has been orchestrated with clear cut agenda and design,it will be most pertinent to present here inspirational and ideological blue print of 'Hindutav' oriented Hindu rashtra.
The RSS vision of a Hindu rashtra was articulated in a chilling treatise by its Sarsanghchalak or supreme leader Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar titled "We or Our Nationhood Defined" written in 1938, first published in 1939 and later in 1947 after independence. There he states in unambiguous terms
"...The conclusion is unquestionably forced upon us that... in Hindusthan exists and must needs exist the ancient Hindu nation and nought else but the Hindu Nation. All those not belonging to the national i.e. Hindu Race, Religion, Culture and Language naturally fall out of the pale of real `National' life."
"We repeat; in Hindusthan, the land of the Hindus, lives and should live the Hindu Nation - satisfying all the five essential requirements of the scientific nation concept of the modern world. Consequently only those movements are truly `National' as aim at re-building, re-vitalizing and emancipating from its present stupor, the Hindu Nation. Those only are nationalist patriots, who, with the aspiration to glorify the Hindu race and nation next to their heart, are prompted into activity and strive to achieve that goal. All others are either traitors and enemies to the National cause, or, to take a charitable view, idiots" (page 43 & 44). And then continues "...we must bear in mind that so far as `nation' is concerned, all those, who fall outside the five-fold limits of that idea, can have no place in the national life, unless they abandon their differences, adopt the religion, culture and language of the nation and completely merge themselves in the National Race. So long, however, as they maintain their racial, religious and cultural differences, they cannot but be only foreigners" (page 45).
And further: "There are only two courses open to the foreign elements, either to merge themselves in the national race and adopt its culture, or to live at its mercy so long as the national race may allow them to do so and to quit the country at the sweet will of the national race. ..... From this standpoint, sanctioned by the experience of shrewd old nations, the foreign races in Hindusthan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but those of the glorification of the Hindu race and culture, i.e., of the Hindu nation and must lose their separate existence to merge in the Hindu race, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu Nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment - not even citizen's rights. There is at least should be, no other course for them to adopt. We are an old nation; let us deal, as old nations ought to and do deal, with the foreign races, who have chosen to live in our country" (Golwalkar, 1939, pp 47-48).
Notwithstanding all the subterfuge that the leaders of the Saffron Brigade indulge in today to state that this book had been subsequently withdrawn there is no official testimony to it. In fact in a sympathetic account of the RSS, (JA. Curran Militant Hinduism in Indian Politics -- a study of the RSS) states "The genuine ideology of the Sangh is based upon principles formulated by its founder Dr. Hegdewar. These principles have been consolidated and amplified by the present leader in a small book called "We Or Our Nationhood Defined" written in 1938. `We' can be described as the RSS `bible'. It is the basic primer in the indoctrination of Sangh volunteers." (This was written in 1979)
Golwalkar's abiding influence has been in providing the saffron brigade with an ideological formation not merely in terms of ideas and principles but also in terms of establishing an organisational structure to achieve the aim of a Hindu Rashtra.
How this agenda is different than 'Islamic agenda' of Jehadee's ,who too preach intolerance,hatred,prejudice and discrimination against non believers [infidels],on identical terms ?

MYTHOLOGICAL FANTASY :HOW GANESHA GOT HIS ELEPHANT HEAD ?
According to a Puranic tale, once Parvati was alone in the houseand wanted to take bath. So taking the dirt from her body she created a boy and ordered him. "To keep a watch at the door, and don't allow anybody to enter the palace without my permission. Thus instructing the boy. Mother Parvati went in to take her bath. Meanwhile Lord Shiva too arrived at the scene. He saw a boy sitting at the doorway, but ignoring him he proceded to enter the palace. At that the boy stood up and stopped Lord Shiva and Said, "My mother has instructed me not to allow anybody to enter the palace without her permission. Hence, I will not let you enter the palace. First tell me who are you? Instead of answering, Lor Shiva asked, who are you? Who is your Mother? As no one was eager to answer first so the dispute grew to the point of a fierce battle. Ultimately cutting the head of the boy, Lord Shiva entered the palace. Seeing Him, Parvati asked surprisingly! "How did you enter? Has nobody stopped you?" At that Lord Shiva asked, "Who was that boy? I have cut his head.

Hearing this, mother Parvati began to cry and said, "He was my own son. Now you give him a new lease of life" Lord Shiva then ordered his Ganas to go out and bring the head of any creature they saw first. It was an elephant that the Ganas found first. So they cut its head and brought it to Lord Shiva. Putting the elephant head at the boy's torso, Lord Shiva infused a new lease of life in him. Thus, Ganesha got the head of an elephant and came to be known as Gajanana Ganesha one with an elephant head.
Extraordinary "surgical excellence" unmatched even today !

THIS IS HOW DEVOTEES ARE BRAINWASHED INTO FANDOM;
SIX POINT PROGRAMME FOE ESTABLISHING RELIGIOUS CULTS !
1. Keep the person unaware of what is going on and how she or he is being changed a step at a time. Potential new members are led, step by step, through a behavioral-change program without being aware of the final agenda or full content of the group. The goal may be to make them deployable agents for the leadership, to get them to buy more courses, or get them to make a deeper commitment, depending on the leader's aim and desires.

2. Control the person's social and/or physical environment; especially control the person's time. Through various methods, newer members are kept busy and led to think about the group and its content during as much of their waking time as possible.

3. Systematically create a sense of powerlessness in the person. This is accomplished by getting members away from the normal social support group for a period of time and into an environment where the majority of people are already group members. The members serve as models of the attitudes and behaviors of the group and speak an in-group language.

4. Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments and experiences in such a way as to inhibit behavior that reflects the person's former social identity. Manipulation of experiences can be accomplished through various methods of trance induction, including leaders using such techniques as paced speaking patterns, guided imagery, chanting, long prayer sessions or lectures, and lengthy meditation sessions.

5. Manipulate a system of rewards, punishments, and experiences in order to promote learning the group's ideology or belief system and group-approved behaviors. Good behavior, demonstrating an understanding and acceptance of the group's beliefs, and compliance are rewarded while questioning, expressing doubts or criticizing are met with disapproval, redress and possible rejection. If one expresses a question, he or she is made to feel that there is something inherently wrong with them to be questioning.

6. Put forth a closed system of logic and an authoritarian structure that permits no feedback and refuses to be modified except by leadership approval or executive order. The group has a top-down, pyramid structure. The leaders must have verbal ways of never losing.
[Source :-Margaret T.Singer's six conditions for thought reform].

9/11

The September 11 attacks resulted in 2,996 immediate deaths: 2,977 victims and the 19 hijackers. A total of 372 foreign nationals, (excluding the 19 perpetrators) perished in the attacks, representing just over 12% of the total. The immediate deaths include 246 victims on the four planes (from which there were no survivors), 2,606 in New York City in the World Trade Center and on the ground, and 125 at the Pentagon. About 292 people were killed at street level by burning debris and falling bodies of those who had jumped or fallen from the World Trade Center's windows. All the deaths in the attacks were civilians except for 55 military personnel killed at the Pentagon while some immediate victims were not added to the list until years later.
More than 90 countries lost citizens in the attacks on the World Trade Center. The other countries with the highest losses are the United Kingdom (including the British overseas territory of Bermuda) with 67, the Dominican Republic with 47, and India with 41.
In 2007, the New York City medical examiner's office began to add people to the official death toll who died of illnesses caused by exposure to dust from the site. The first such victim was a woman who had died in February 2002 from a lung condition. In 2009, a man who died in 2008 was added, and in 2011 a man who died in 2010.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_September_11_attacks

MYTHS AND SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT GANESH CHUTARTHI !
Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the popular festivals of Hindus, celebrated across India. It marks the birthday of Lord Ganesh, son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It starts with Lord Ganesha idols being installed in the house and ends with the immersion of the worshipped idols, in the sea, river or lake. Just like other Indian festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi also has certain myths and beliefs associated to it. Lets us know more about them.

Myths

Do Not Look At The Moon On The Night Of The Ganesh Chaturthi
There is a myth which says that anyone who looks at the moon on the night of Ganesh Chaturthi will be falsely accused of something. If a person happens to see the moon unintentionally, listening to or reciting the story of the syamantaka jewel (found in the Puranas) can help ward off trouble. If the incident is intentional, then the person will have to face the consequences. The basis of this myth is in a very popular legend related to Lord Ganesha, who is known to be very fond of sweet, especially laddoos.

Lord Ganesha, on one of His birthdays, was going around house to house, accepting the offerings of sweets. He ate a good number of the sweets and set out at night, on his mouse. Suddenly, the mouse stumbled, as it saw a snake and became frightened. The result was that Ganeshji fell down. His stomach burst open and all the sweets came out. However, Ganeshji stuffed them back into his stomach and caught hold of the snake and tied it around his belly.

The moon saw Lord Ganesha doing all this and started laughing his heart out. This behavior of the moon annoyed the Lord immensely. So, he pulled out one of his tusks and hurled it against the moon. At the same time, Ganeshji cursed the moon that no one would look at it, on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. If anyone does, he will surely earn a bad name. Since then, people refrain from looking at the moon, on the night of the festival.

Beliefs

Ganeshji Removes Obstacles And Brings Prosperity
Lord Ganesha is the favorite God of the masses. In India, a new venture is never started without worshipping the Lord. Ganeshji is worshipped first on all auspicious occasions, whether it is a marriage or a religious function. Ganeshji is the foremost god of the Hindu Pantheon. Any new project or venture that a Hindu family undertakes has to start with His name. In fact, most of the housewives utter His name before even starting a small chore, as He is believed to be the remover of all sankat (obstacles).

Lord Ganesha is believed to fulfill the wishes and dreams of all those who pray to him sincerely. He has long been associated with commerce and merchants pay homage to him every day. If an Indian business or bank fails, all the images of Ganeshji in the offices will be turned upside down, signifying bad luck. In households, it's common for small offerings of money, flowers and food to be placed before the image of Ganeshji. These tokens please him and He brings more prosperity, wealth and peace to the family.
This is what gullible and credulous follow and believe !

Sushant Taing

7 hours ago

On this Teacher's Day (here in India), instead of former President & educationist Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (in whose memory this days is celebrated here), I would like to dedicate this day and all future 5th Septembers to 10 veterans for whom I have the utmost respect, 10 veterans from whom I & many others have learnt immensely, 10 veterans who have taught us better (& more interestingly) than most of our teachers in school & college, 10 veterans who have enriched lives of many of us with their sublime insights on a wide range of topics, 10 veterans whose profound knowledge, humility and iconoclastic views inspire & motivate many of us.

Here's wishing a very Happy Teacher's day (in no order of preference) to -

Debashish da, Iqbal uncle, Hari da, Jalal da, Manu Singla sir, Uttam sir, Amit sir,Hirday Patwari ji, Narendra Nayak sir & Raj Sudan sir. 

It has been not just a pleasure, but a privilege to be friends with all of you. I highly value all your words of wisdom and cherish every single interaction (be it intellectual or inter-personal) I've had with each one of you. I wish a long and healthy life to all of you so that you continue to illuminate the world and continue to teach me & many other admirers of yours for years to come. 

And if I ever accomplish something marginally noteworthy in my life, apart from my parents, I'll dedicate that achievement to all of you.

1Like ·  · Share

• B L Yadav, Sage Bright, Mujtaba Lokhandwala and 16 others like this.
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  Debashish Skeptic I must say Sushant, that you fully deserve those sweet words of praise. You are one among the few people of your generation I have seen so far, so enlightened and so sharp (not to mention your power of language). At your age, I was nowhere near your abilities – I must admit.
  [More about it on the 18th  ]

  about an hour ago · Like · 1
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  Sushant Taing Dada, eloquence/erudition of course enhance our personalities, but IMO, the most likeable traits in people are curiosity, introspection, scientific temper, logical & analytical abilities, forthrightness, empathy & lack of vanity & complacency. And on all those points, you & everyone else that I tagged here, scores much much higher than me & everyone else (celebrity & non-celebrity) that I know.

  about an hour ago · Like
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  Sushant Taing And to add - Mild -tempered. 

  about an hour ago · Like · 2
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  Uttam Jogdand Sushant, I dont know how to react/respond on your giving me a place of honour in your life. I am a student of rationalism who turned to this line after reading 'Begone Godmen' of Dr Abraham Kovoor. I found an excellent rationalist on FB in Mr Hirday Patwari (who is also listed by you among your 10 teachers. I will also give him same place in my life). Then I found a young rationaist in you. I love and enjoy whatever you write because you write in excellent english and every argument made by you is rational and logical. Hence, as Hirday ji is my source of learning, I consider you also as my source of learning, though you are younger by age. I always see future of rationalism in you. And I am stunned to see my name in your list of 10. Sushant, you have not only honoured us but you have shown to world how modest/humanist the rationalists are. My best wishes to you. In case you happen to visit area around Kalyan, Maharashtra, my door is alwyas open for you and in case I visit your area, I will be glad to see you! Do your best to spread the rational thought, we are always with you!

  41 minutes ago via mobile · Like · 1
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  Hirday Patwari My gratitude and sincere thanks to both Sushant Taing and Uttam Jogdand for their kind and inspiring words,though i am not sure about myself being some sort of teacher.It will be pertinent to quote here Earnest Hemingway-" “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” 
  ― Ernest Hemingway, The Wild Years