Sarahadh ko Pranam

November 2012

The land of hills, Mizoram shares two international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Do not ask for a sight seeing spot in Mizoram because anywhere you stand, you get to enjoy dense green hills and a chill breeze. A liquor banned state with close to 11 lakhs population and 91% literacy, Mizoram is one of the seven sister states of India. 

We, a group of eight visited five villages across India – Bangladesh borders at South west of Mizoram; with about 50 houses/huts in each village and a BSF post. Three trains, cars and a boat is what you need to take to reach this village. You do not have a reservation or you have a reservation of the berth or you do not have a ticket at all – do not worry, just get into the train and travel for 3000 kms is my take away from this journey.. Long tunnels, beautiful sunsets, green fields and many rivers is what you get to enjoy, that only your heart can capture and say 'Bharath Mata ki Jai'

A continuous 5 days of strenuous journey from Bangalore to reach Tablabag and this is what a common man can afford. Even if you are blessed with too much of money, you cannot avoid a 12 hours of minimum journey on road just to cover 276 kms, the last lap from the nearest airport.

The beauty of Sangh is better understood by non swayamsevaks I should say. We had few non-sangh or rather 'new to sangh' people in our group. They were surprised and very happy to see people waiting for us at different stations, welcoming us with food, ensuring our safety and thanking us for being there. These swayamsevaks who had traveled a certain distance to stations at odd hours to welcome us touched the hearts of these new comers to sangh family. We take our fellow Swayamsevaks for granted I guess or we are very used to such humbleness and never appreciate any effort and love :)

Mizo tribes are a dominant group at Mizoram. The five villages we visited at the borders are Chakmas, a minority tribe of Mizoram who are mostly Buddhists and a few recently converted Christians. The statistics above is self explanatory to you all about the efforts of Christian missionaries.. One highlight of the trip is 'We were approached by a Baptist Church group at midnight 1 while we were travelling on state highway.' You definitely know the result of asking a Swayamsevak to get converted and the same thing happened here :) . It was then, our sumo driver Mohamad Azar revealed to us about the 1 lakh offer his friend got to follow Jesus at the capital of Mizoram, Aizawl.

We got an appointment with the director of NIT, Silchur in Assam. His words were are not very encouraging because the word development comes along with threats in NE. His efforts to get good schools and IT skill centers ended with threatening calls from Indian Mujhahideen. He was shocked to hear that we travelled by Road from Guwahti to Silchur. Keep in mind, Bangalore roads are heaven after travelling in NE roads.

'Samparka' never ends be it Bangalore or Mizoram :). We visited few schools, many houses in the villages to understand their living which is the same as any remote village in Karnataka. But being in borders, seeing jawans and rifles is a common sight to them. We feel 'Fencing' is a solution to the infiltration problem; Later I realised that it is not an ideal solution.. Why? there are many reasons:

1. Rusted fence will definitely fall down the years. They are not maintained.

2. We have 2 jawans for every kilometer. Is it possible to keep a vigil 24/7? There are no technologies to alert us when somebody cuts the fence.

3. Our villages does not have electricity all the time. Hence the same with Fence. Do not expect any shock treatments when you touch it.

4. How do you feel if there is a fencing between Jayanagar and Basavanagudi when you have your office on the other side, when you have your relatives on the other side? Same is the feeling of the Chakma tribes. They have there lands on the other side of border and crops is their primary occupation. They have their fellow chamkas on the other side and those people realised very late after partition that they were in a separate country called Bangladesh.

Vande Mataram, Bharath Mata ki Jai filled the skies on the banks of Karnaphuli river that separates India and Bangladesh. A Human Chain of 400 people including jawans, villagers and our team was a sight never to be missed in life. A 100% contrast item was a 2 year child and 85 year old ajji participating in the chain.

We could ourself see that getting into India is not at a big deal at all at these places. Who ever gets in can also easily get any thing - be it narcotic drugs or fake currencies. Is our Army not competent to handle such infiltration and smuggling? BSF answers NO. Their hands are tied up, with no powers to attack any suspicious activities. It is clearly lack of political will is what I could understand. Also it is political pressure to allow illegal immigrants and as a result you can meet people with voter ID of both India and neighboring country.

My few other observations:

It is women who works both at field and house. Male spends most of his day with cards. Even in the market at Aizawl, I could see only women in shops and hotels. At the beginning, I made a point that liquor is banned in Mizoram which only implies that you need to pay a lot more money to get smuggled alcohol. A good thing that I noticed is there are public toilets everywhere and they are clean too.

The nearest market for these villagers is 2 hours Bangladesh way and 4 hours in India. A nearest equipped hospital is 6 hours inside India. Where should they go?

It is more than 15 days since returning from my 15 days travel to North Eastern states of India. I might have missed few points and will try and add them as soon as I recall.  

Ekta Yatra 2011, Part 1

I recapitulate the splendid reminiscences of my visit to Jammu and Kashmir in August this year. The experience was exhilarating and memorable. The scenic beauty in the entire valley is awe-inspiring. We covered Ladakh, Kargil, Dras, Srinagar, Katra, Jammu.

Delhi

 
We started on July 20, 2011 from Hyderabad to the capital. A warm welcome by Brij Mohan Sethi ji awaited us at Delhi. He is a karyakartha of VHP & Sewa International. We were treated with a delicious dinner that night. Our breakfast for the next morning was also packed and given to us by the hospitable family. We were fourteen. Notwithstanding the large number, we were treated with such care and affection that it speaks volumes of the magnanimity of the big-hearted family. They even took the pains to drop us to the air port the next day. We remember with gratitude the generosity.

Ladakh

 

Bounded by two of the largest mountain ranges in the world, the Great Himalaya and the Karakoram, Ladakh is a picturesque Indus valley remarkable for its serene mountain beauty. The word ‘Ladakh’ means ‘a land of high passes’. Tibetan culture pervades the mountain valley. Leh covers more than half of J & K in area. Standing at 3000 meters, it is the highest plateau in Kashmir. The great Indus River flows through Ladakh before reaching Pakistan.

Leh experienced one of the worst cloud bursts on August 2010 leaving devastating impact on the inhabitants. Witnesses to the catastrophe say the roads were inundated with four feet water. There were loss of life and vehicles. Sewa Bharathi was the first organization to swing in to action and initiate relief actions; there was a baitak going on in the affected place on the same day. Ladakh Phanday Tsogspa, a project of Sewa Bharathi in Ladakh region is very popular among the locals for its efforts in flood relief operations. The rehabilitation work is still going on with the support of many organizations including the Indian Army.  

 

We were fortunate enough to meet the man behind this herculean task, Dr Anil ji, the Zilla Pracharak. A very busy man like any other pracharak, Dr. Anil ji, apprised us of the work done by Sangh for the tribal and in the region. Our pracharaks are operating at great natural odds: high altitudes, cold temperatures, tough and highly challenging situations.

 

 

There is a museum of the Indian army in Ladakh, that houses captured weapons of enemies, stories of our brave jawans and facts & strategies of wars. I would like to make a special mention of operation Meghdoot . Operation Meghdoot was the name given to the attack launched by the Indian Army to capture the Saichen Glacier in the disputed Kashmir region; Launched on 13 April 1984, this military operation was singular for it was the first assault launched in the world's highest battlefield. Imagine the extreme climatic conditions under which the operation was launched: Altitude of 20,000 ft, temperature hovering at -60 degrees and wind blowing at 300 kmh. The military action eventually resulted in Indian troops managing to gain control of the entire Siachen Glacier. Even today, the occupation of those locations is referred to as Operation Meghdoot. Up to 10 Infantry Battalions are deployed over-see the glacier. The disturbing fact is that 95% of causalities occur purely on account of the vagaries of the weather and not because of a fight with the enemy. The Indian Government spends over 3000 crores every day to sustain the military operations. All because of hostile neighbors that we have! This is the price we have paid for the partition.

  

 

On our way to Pangom lake, popularly known as 3 idiots lake (last scene of 3 idiots was shot here) we had to pass Changla Top at 17590 ft. Few of our volunteers fell sick, may be due to the great altitude or low oxygen level or severe cold. It was Indian Army that served these affected tourists at the mountain peak. We were served hot cups of tea; we were given medical aid and oxygen masks. We were also advised to shift from the place as early as possible. Remember, these jawans stay at those horrid weather conditions to protect us and serve us. Let us be proud of them and pay homage to the yeoman service that they render to the country.

This is a succinct account of the first lap of our pravaas to hill state. It was a splendid experience that gave us first hand insight in to the lives, hardships and challenges of our jawans, Sangh Karyakartas and Pracharaks in the most trying terrains of the country. 

thoSE LinEs

The country, whose young men are imbued with the glory of the past, the pain of the present and dreams of the future, always moves on the path of progress.
-- Rishi Arvind

I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief.
-- Lord Macaulay, 1835

ConcerneD about EducatioN - ConcerneD about CountrY

Lord Macaulay’s, while delivering his speech in British Parliament on February 2, 1835, said:

“I have travelled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief.


“Such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage, and, therefore, I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native self-culture and they will become what we want them, a truly dominated nation”.

Unfortunately Macaulay has been prophetic and proved right, going by the form and content of the present education system as well as the methodology adopted to impart teaching in the country. Instead of reforming the education system with a view to create men of good character an integrity on the basis of moral values of our nation, independent India decided to ape the West that has led to the creation of Zombies.


No body knows about

1. Satyendranath Bose( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boson) who found Bosons,
2. Kanada who first propounded that the atom was an indestrutible particle of matter, and theorised that Gravity was responsible for the falling of objects on the Earth in 600 BC itself.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanada )
..
...
While chatting; PaLLavi, a very good friend said -
"its sad though...
i hv no idea why we dont publicise such gr8 Indian men.
even a 1st std student will know einstein... but bose?????
all will wonder who is it... "
.
..
...
What Sri Gurumurthy says about The Indian education system.
His speech at IIT Madras

The Indian education system: A Legacy of Macaulay.
This Macaulayian system of education is a poison injected into our system. At least Ihad the opportunity of schooling in Tamil and hence could withstand the corruption that this English education brings with it. This corruption begins the moment the child steps out of the house. He is told to converse in English at home. This did not happen even in pre-Independence India, even when Macaulay wrote that notorious note sitting in Ooty. How many of you know Macaulay's formulation? Just those two or threesentences at least which form the crux - "We require an education system in India which will produce a class of interpreters, who will be Indian in colour and Englishmen intaste, opinions and morals."This is the education system, which we have been continuing with, which was earlier conceived to produce clerks for the British Empire. If you have to differ from an English educated person you have to differ only through the English language. If you have to abuse somebody, even that has to be done in English! If you abuse the Anglicised Indian, he will not find fault with the blame but with the grammar in yourlanguage! This is the extent to which a foreign language has possessed us. But, we mustmaster English, that is needed, but why do we have to become slaves of the English language? We must use that language as a tool, but why do we consider it as a status symbol? This is the influence of Macaulay. If you want to understand the Macaulay/Marxist mix in India, you have to go a littleback to see how Marxism grew out of the Christian civilisation. I recommend that youread the Nov 27, 1999 edition of the Newsweek, which describes how the Christian ideaof the end of time called the "apocalypse", influenced the entire history, art, music,prognosis, sociology, economics, and the entire attitude of the Christian civilisationtowards the non-Christian civilisations. A Christian scholar who describes how Communism grew out of Christianity haswritten it. In 1624, Anna Baptists, a group of Christians who believed in the basic tenetsof Christianity seized power in a particular place, banned private property and use ofany book other than the Bible. When Marxism came up later through the exposition ofDas Capital, the Marxists began expounding their doctrine as an extension ofChristianity.The thesis, antithesis and synthesis of making Christianity acceptable to the age ofenlightenment was the Hegelian way demanded rationalisation of Christianity in thedays of the Protestant movement. Hegel began with a disagreement, then startedinteracting with Christianity and ultimately ended up accepting Christianity.You can see the same phenomenon with Marxist postulates- "capitalism is my enemy,we have to deal with capitalism" and finally "we have to find a synthesis withcapitalism".

Why You Should Become A Vegetarian

"Because one species is more clever than another, does it give it the right to imprison or torture the less clever species? Does one exceptionally clever individual have a right to exploit the less clever individuals of his own species? To say that he does is to say with the Fascists that the strong have a right to abuse and exploit the weak - might is right, and the strong and ruthless shall inherit the earth."

REASONS WHY ONE SHOULD BECOME A VEGETARIAN
The Environment
1. Conservation of Fossil fuel.
2. Water Conservation.
3. Efficient use of grains.
4. Soil conservation.
5. Saving our forests.
6. AstheticsPersonal

Health
1. High fat plus cholesterol.
2. "Carb" deficient. Meat is deficient in carbohydrates,
3. Vitamin deficient.
4. Agricultural Chemicals.
5. Exposure to livestock drugs.
6. Pathogenic Microorganisms.
7. Worms and other Parasites.
8. Organoleptic Indications of Pathenogens.
9. Heart Disease. 10. Cancer prevention.
11. Disease Inducing.
12. Osteoporosis
13.. Kidney Stones and Gallstones
14. Diabetes
15. Multiple Sclerosis
16. Arthritis
17. Gum disease
18. Acne. Aggravated by animal products putrefy the colon.
19. Fiber deficient. 20. Body wastes.
21. Excess protein.
22. Longevity. To increase ones risk of getting degenerative disease

Personal Finances
1. Health care costs.
2. Food costs.
3. Love of animals.

Ethics
1. Stance against Factory Farming..
2. Respect for Sentient Life.
3. "Economic Vote".
4. Small sacrifice The sacrifice I make is nothing compared to the animals, it's life.
5. Natural diet.
6. Reciprocity.
7. I believe in nonviolence.
8. Clear conscience.