Secularism to the core....

An email chain that I have received has the following contents.. May be this is what India as a country should adapt if we continue to suffer from terrorism...

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***INDIA should pay serious attention to this Australian policy and amendits own soft approach to hooliganism in the name of religion. *

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid tohead off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister JohnHoward, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face acrackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as h eir apparent to Howard,hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which hasSharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on national television.

"I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governingpeople in Australia: one the Australian law and another the Islamic law,that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independentcourts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity togo to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a betteroption", Costello said.

Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the othercountry. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically peoplewho don't want to be Australians, and who don't want ! to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques Quote: "IMMIGRANTS,NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge inpatriotism by the majority of Australians." "However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politicallyc orrect' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand."

"This idea ofAustralia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. As Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.""This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials andvictories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom"

"We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese,Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of oursociety, Learn the language!""Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right; wing,political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christianprinciples, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture."

"We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us." "If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like " A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet.

We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others." This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining,whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, orOur Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.""If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted."

How I wish we as a nation have this kind of spinal chord!

One Snap & One caption...

The politician - larger than life figure, happy & smiling in a digital banner (no reality around).

In front of him - the living conditions of the general public. (The garbage containers)

Watch out the crows (kaakaa koottam) - they feed on the general public and sit around near to politician.

Any other interesting thoughts?

(Nothing offensive to the person in the picture. Just a general Post :-) )

Secularism & Jihad...

For once the Catholic Church pronounced the truth?

There can be no two versions about the agenda of anyone who swearing in as the head of Catholic Church and the king of Vatican – to spread Catholic Christianity. And during the current pope’s predecessor’s time the head of church became more vocal and nonchalant in spreading this message across. With Sonia at the helm of India, they even had the guts to say that their job is conversion and they would do the same. None of the Indian media had the nerves to talk against this as immediately their brand would become a ‘branded non-secular’. After all, the print and video media are not here to ‘serve’ the nation but to do business.

Pope Benedict XVI delivered a couple of messages this week.

Message 1: He said “the violence embodied in the Muslim idea of Jihad, is contrary to reason and God’s plan. And violent conversion to Islam was contrary to reason and thus contrary to God’s nature” – these could not be words of nonchalance – these are carefully treaded, delivered with utmost great assertiveness and affirmation.

Message 2: The Pope also asserted “secularization of society has impeded the West from a full understanding of reality. Secularism has made it difficult for the West to communicate with cultures for whom faith is fundamental, thus making it incompatible with faith. The world’s profoundly religious cultures see this exclusion from the divine, from the universality of reason as an attack on their most profound convictions”

Message 1 spreads the message loud and clear – Jihad and conversion to Islam is against God’s nature. If that is so, what do we call the statement of the church previously delivered that “Conversion to Christianity is their duty and they swear by it”.

Message 2 clarifies that Pope sees secularism as risk and danger to the faith – Since he represents Christianity, we can understand that secularism of the West is a risk to Christianity and he opposes that! What is the message conveyed here.

Not so long ago, he advised Indian Government to reject the anti-conversion laws as against the secular constitution of India. So he recommended on secularism in India but opposes at West! Why? Simple reason is that “Where there are Christians as majority, secularism becomes contrary to God’s nature! Where Christians are minority he advocates secularism and it becomes God’s command”.

Where are our politicians who claim to be world’s fountain head of secularism? Why are they not releasing any press statements? Where is our media that brings in limelight things that are against the Hindu majority of our nation? Where is Sonia – the modern mother of Indian Secularism? Why is there a silence around?

The answer is ‘Minority Votes’.

But as my take, by delivering the first message, for once the Catholic Church has pronounced the Truth!

Jai Hind!

Towards "Beggars Own Country"?

The new TN government has finished its 100 days at the helm and claims that it has fulfilled almost all the promises made in their election manifesto! They also promise that the rest would be fulfilled soon enough. They claim that they are providing the best regime – ‘nallaatchi’! And as a resident of Chennai, the only visible change I have felt is that across all the roads, across all the parts of Chennai, there are big digital banners with Stalin and MK laughing at the public!

Now I would highlight one of the stories from the Mahabharata.

After the great war of Kurukshetra, Yudhishtra (Dharma putra) started ruling the kingdom. He set very high standards from the governance perspective. There was no theft, agriculture and arts flourished, and everyone in his kingdom lived safely and happily. Seeing all these slowly self-pride and ego settled in Dharmaputra’s mind. He started thinking great about himself – there is noone who could match his caliber of charity, his willingness to give etc. Lord Krishna was silently watching all these and decided that Dharma’ needed a lesson or two to be taught.

He invited Dharmaputra to visit the underworld (Paathaala loga) ruled by emperor ‘Maha Bali’. MahaBali arranged for a ceremonious welcome to Lord Krishna and Dharmaputra. People of the country chanted the great deeds of the Lord and Dharma through their way to the emperor’s palace! Dharma’s self ego and pride was kindled even more – that the power of his valor and generosity has spread to even the underworld!

As they settled in after all the ceremonies, Krishna told Maha Bali. “Bali – do you know that Dharmaputra is known for his charity and generosity. Infact he defines the whole meaning of words like Dhana & Dharma. And in his kingdom everyday he provides free food for more than 10,000 poor people and he takes care of their needs for free!. Have you seen anybody else in this world who could provide such a wonderful regime to his citizens?”

MahaBali started laughing! He said “Krishna. How could you say that a ruler who has kept more than 10,000 of his citizens at a beggar’s status for so long is providing the best regime in the world? In my kingdom even if you promise to give a village as Dhakshina, no body would wait for you to provide food for them. They know how to earn their food and they live their lives according to Dharma. A government which has kept its citizens as beggars and lazy by providing free food and other needs, is only doomed to die soon. There is no prosperity in Dharmaputra’s kingdom Krishna! I pity its citizens!”

Hearing this, Dharmaputra’s self-pride and ego got eradicated completely. He started providing the right regime after this and understood the fact that the thought of ‘HIMSELF’ would only lead himself and his citizens to death.

How relevant is this story for today’s scenario in TamilNadu. I request you to read THIS post of mine. The government is driving towards making TamilNadu as ‘Beggars Own Country’. It stops people who live below poverty line from any progressive thinking. All these free stuff make them lazy and bored. An idle mind would only think of the evil. This is not good for the nation. Like people who lived in Dharmaputra's palace with free food and other stuff, the people of Tamilnadu are also living in an imaginary 'Happy' mood. Nobody cares for the future of this nation. There was one Lord Krishna during the time of MahaBharatha to educate Dharmaputra. But who is there to educate our politicians today?

Once upon a time our mother land used to be 'God's Own Country'. Now slowly we are becoming 'Beggars Own Country'...

A trip to home - Final

Current day of view of the 'once beautiful' river 'Sitraaru'. In the back drop of the coconut groove, paddy fields and then the western ghats!

The visitors having a field and stomach full day...





The rich green vegetation. The courtallam falls at a distant backdrop...
The Rajagopuram from another angle. The 'Seevalaperi' tank is to the brink after many years. But one cannot dream of venturing into this because of obvious reasons - Not all the homes at my town has a toilet!



This is what 'tourism' has done to the serenity of my home town. Plastics, plastics everywhere blocks all the water ways, kills the vegetation. On the way to Five Falls at the Boat house...