[mukto-mona] ‘Middle-East Union possible’ - Susan Nathan

Susan Nathan speaks at Calicut town hall today evening. Kindly read the report and attachment With Regards Abi   P Please consider the environment before printing this email. --- On Wed, 1/28/09, Shafeeq Patharammal <shafeeq68@hotmail.com> wrote: From: Shafeeq Patharammal <shafeeq68@hotmail.com> Subject: Susan Nathan To: Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 10:06 PM http://www.hindu.com/2009/01/29/stories/2009012955020300.htm  Kerala - Kozhikode     'Middle-East Union possible' Staff Reporter Susan Nathan KOZHIKODE: A Middle-East Union (on the lines of the European Union), comprising Israel and the Arab nations, will be a possibility in the long run, Israeli writer Susan Nathan has said. She was speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday. Ms. Nathan, who is the only Jew living among 25,000 Muslims in Tamra, a town in Northern Israel run by Islamic politicians, said it was possible for Jews and Arabs to mingle as one citizens in a country. "Jewish society is very closed and rigid. Jews do not listen to the problems of Muslims. It is the Jews who need to be educated," she said. Ms. Nathan who migrated to Israel nearly 10 years ago from Britain was a firm Zionist but later decided to live among Arab Muslims who, she said, were oppressed by the Jews. To a query, she said that there was corruption on the Palestinian side too. "Also, there are divided into Fatah and Hamas," she said. She said the problem lay with the Israeli government. It was the government that kept the people in ignorance. One could still find Jewish people on the streets of Israel whose forefathers mingled with the Arabs. Arabic was the language then, she said. Ms. Nathan, author of the 'The Other Side of Israel,' said she believed the Palestinian issue would be solved but was not sure when. She said Israeli governments always had quick-fix solutions that aimed for peace in the coming month, rather than long-term solutions. She said the support from the Jewish community for her efforts was mixed. "There are some remarkable people in Israel. But their voices are not heard because of the fundamentalism that prevails. They see our efforts of bettering the country of Israel as being disloyal to the country," Ms. Nathan said. Calling herself an 'India freak,' she said she was fascinated by the country. In her childhood when she was locked up in a room by her father as a punishment, she would browse through photographs of India in the 'National Geographic' magazines. She would run her fingers through the images of people classified as 'untouchables' in India. "It is from this I knew about human beings and how they are all equal," she said. Israel, she said, could learn about integrated living from India. Racism was alive and kicking in Israel. Jews were not one single entity as many thought. They were divided into French Jews, Indian Jews, Arabic Jews and Ethiopian Jews and lived separately, she said. Ms. Nathan will give a talk at the Town Hall here on Thursday.     Also read this   http://www.twocircles.net/2009jan16/other_books_celebrate_5th_anniversary.html

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[ALOCHONA] Govt plans to send 40 lakh people on job abroad, says minister

Govt plans to send 40 lakh people on job abroad, says minister
Partha Pratim Bhattacharjee

The government is planning to send some 40 lakh skilled or unskilled people abroad for work during its tenure as part of the Awami League’s election pledges for poverty alleviation by 2021.
   The minister for expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, in an interview with New Age also said more than 60 lakh Bangladeshis were working overseas, and the government was planning to send 40 lakh more people abroad by 2013 when the tenure of the Awami League-led alliance government would end. The government has assumed office on January 6.
   He also said the government was trying to explore new overseas manpower market.
   About 49 per cent of the workers going abroad on jobs are less skilled, Mosharraf, also an Awami League leader, said. The ministry has plans to arrange proper training to develop skilled manpower for overseas market.
   ‘We have a skills development centre. We also have a catering training centre in Sylhet,’ he said, adding the government has plans to set up a training centre for nurses.
   The minister said they were planning to privatise the manpower export sector to bring about more efficiency. ‘All manpower export initiatives will be handled by the private sector. The government will only monitor the process,’ said Mosharraf, who was the first chief engineer of the Rural Workers’ Programme in Bangladesh.
   He said they would keep an eye on the activities of the private sector centres so that the people could not be deprived or exploited.
   As for exploitation of migrant workers by manpower agents, the Awami League’s advisory council member said both the sides, willing to go
   overseas and the manpower agents, were responsible for this and the government would monitor the whole process to avoid such incidents.
   The minister said aspirant migrants were paying the agencies higher than the fixed rate and he gave an assurance of trying his best to reduce the cost of going overseas. ‘Rules and regulations will, if required, be changed to cut on the cost of sending manpower abroad,’ said Mosharraf, also brother-in-law of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina.
   He said he recommended migrant workers to form a welfare association in the countries of their residence in keeping with the rules and regulations of the host country to ensure the welfare of migrant workers.
   ‘It will then be possible for the ministry to keep in touch with them and inquire into their activities and condition,’ said Mosharraf, who was a visiting professor of BUET and worked as the chief technical consultant of the International Labour Organisation in Sierra Leone and Uganda.
   ‘When our workers are linked with incidents abroad we will be able to investigate the incidents and take action against them through the welfare association so that the image of the country could not be tarnished,’ the minister said.
   As for allegation against his family of being related to war crimes during the war of independence in 1971, Mosharraf, who has received the prestigious SEIPUP National Award in 1999 for his contribution to social work, brushed aside the allegation, saying some vested interests were out to mislead the people to tarnish the image of the government.
   ‘My father had never been involved in war crimes. He rather saved the lives of many the Pakistani forces,’ said the minister, who was elected the lawmaker for Faridpur 3 constituency in the December 29 national polls, defeating the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojahid and the rebel BNP leader and former minister Kamal Ibne Yusuf, both of whom were ministers during the BNP-led alliance government.

 

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[ALOCHONA] UPAZILA POLLS IRREGULARITIES EC stops sifting thru complaints

UPAZILA POLLS IRREGULARITIES
EC stops sifting thru complaints
New Age 29/1/09 Staff Correspondent

The Election Commission on Wednesday abruptly stopped looking into the complaints regarding irregularities, stuffing of ballot boxes, capturing of polling centres, tempering with the results and intimidation in the January 22 upazila elections.
   ‘We will look into no more complaints. From now on they [the people who want to lodge complaints regarding upazilas polls] need to go to the election tribunal,’ election commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told reporters in his office on Wednesday.
   The commission stopped reviewing the allegations a day after it had suspended the results of seven upazilas although it had found proof of irregularities, stuffing of ballot boxes, capturing of polling centres and intimidation in at least 41 upazilas, according to sources.
   Asked whether elections to any more upazila parishads or any more results of the elections may be suspended as the commission secretariat continues to receive complaints from defeated candidates, Sohul replied in the negative.
   The commissioner said official results of the polls, except for 13 upazilas, where results and elections were suspended or postponed, will be published through gazette notifications in two to three days.
   ‘Within 30 days after publication of gazette notifications of results, aggrieved candidates could go to the election tribunal set up in each of the districts,’ Sohul said.
   Complaints of ballot box stuffing, capturing of polling centres and intimidation in the upazila elections have started pouring in at the EC secretariat from January 25. About 180 complaints have so far been lodged by candidates demanding re-elections to a number of polling centres or to all the centres in some cases till Wednesday.
   The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Wednesday submitted complaints against election results of eights upazilas and demanded re-elections there. The BNP’s office secretary Rizvi Ahmed submitted complaints along with documents and photographs of fraud in the polls.
   The upazilas are Morrelganj in Bagerhat, Birganj in Dinajpur, Comilla sadar, Bauphal in Patuakhali, Jamalpur sadar, Madaripur sadar, Sarishabari in Jamalpur and Fatikchari in Chittagong.
   The commission initially decided to look into the complaints and take action against the people responsible. According to its decision, all the three commissioners examined some complaints in three consecutive days till Monday and found massive irregularities, including stuffing of ballot boxes, capturing of polling centres, intimidation, tempering with the result sheets in at least 41 upazilas.
   The commission on Monday in principle decided to cancel the results of 20 upazilas and some centres in other upazilas, the sources in the commission secretariat said.
   But the commission suspended the results of seven upazilas — Banchharampur in Brahmanbaria, Araihazar in Narayanganj, Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar, Kaliganj in Gazipur, Mehendiganj in Barisal, Muradnagar in Comilla, and Raipura in Narsingdi — where Awami League-backed candidates were unofficially declared chairmen-elect.
   Asked whether the commission has suspended the results of only seven upazilas against massive irregularities in a large number of polling stations in a number of upazilas only to make people believe it has taken action, Sohul said, ‘It is irrelevant. Once the elections are over, complaints, if any, could be lodged with election tribunals.’
   Asked about the nature of the complaints, Abdul Baten, conducting officer of the upazila polls, told New Age most complaints were lodged against local lawmakers for influencing the administration and capturing polling booths. A case was lodged against Abdur Rahman Bodi, lawmaker for the Cox’s Bazar 4 constituency, of the ruling Awami League on charges of assaulting polling officials at Teknaf on the polling day.

 

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[ALOCHONA] Cancel the UpaZilla Election Results NOW

Dear Alcohok Shamim

 

I am one who supported the CTG. I believe in the minus two theory.

One day Hasina and Khaleda will not be around – you will then find greater democracy within the parties.

 

I believe that it is far too early to condemn this government a mere month into its tenure – whatever the deliberate or unavoidable missteps.

You are right. If we consider context then we should not expect AL to get everything right from day one.

 

Urging caution, patience and restraint in judging AL too soon does not mean I have changed tune (you did not say so - I am just making the point my friend).

If the country comes first then there is little to be gained in wishing this government to fail or rushing to condemn. The cost is too high.

 

Mithu’s style may grate but it is only a style. See beyond this and your own good arguments will automatically be more efficient.

 

Actually, criminality has been easily proven in 7 upazillas but is suspected in more.

Not to mention that some get away with criminality without even suspicion.

 

You know our organizational culture is quite morally corrupt. It is so easy to say a leader is corrupt but it is his personal business.

“Organisationally” the same leader is very good! Hai reh Bengali!

 

Similarly, I don’t think it is good enough to say that there will always be tampering and criminality.

There may well be but we have yet to see the real proof that either party is doing what is needed to prevent such deeds.

 

If we are not really trying to fix a problem then we should not really be saying that the problem is unavoidable.

Governments are elected to solve problems.

 

As we drive ourselves insane with sentimentality with songs of three million dead –

there is no room to tolerate or explain our dirtiest of political traditions.

 

You may hammer the Election Commission. I join you.

But your demands of AL are not good enough. For it is not just about whether AL interferes with the EC.

 

It’s about what AL is doing to transform the culture of the party and those who act in its name.

It’s no good saying the parties were not directly involved in the upazilla election. It is proxy politics and you know it.

 

The nation is watching how AL tackles criminals who say they act in the name of the party.

A lot depends on this. Does it not? How many AL men were condemned by AL during its last period of government?

 

Don’t misunderstand me. This government can be successful but it must be careful. I pray for it.

For our country’s future is now within its grasp.

 

But please don’t think that patience and acceptance are the same thing.

Manush onek shocheton hoyeche.. People are now more aware.. AL and BNP cannot happily claim credit for this..

 

 

Best wishes

     

Ezajur Rahman

Kuwait

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RE:Cancel the UpaZilla Election Results NOW

 

Mr. M. M. Chowdhury (Mithu), you always wants government to dictate everything, which is absolutely against the norms of democracy. During two years of caretaker government, we have seen your hyperactivities in the net. Your all-out unethical support for caretaker government¢s every action including the ones most controversial is known to almost everyone in these forum. Netters also witnessed your 360-degree turn around when you found caretaker governments days are numbered.  At one point, your restless mind even tried to exploit expatriates in the name of giving them parliamentary election nomination from different political party. Your undue activities was unmerited and nosy with political and election procedure. Unfortunately, use of Change Bangladesh banner was used to change your own fortune. Your support for caretaker government went so far that you supported military backed government to try expatriate dissidents. You came up with the list of names of expatriates whom you called traitors and called for punishments.   Anyway, let me get back to the point of upozilla election instead of making opinion on sleepwalkers who walks but not toward a definite direction.      Election Commission is a constitutional body, which should and is free from government¢s dictation. Constitutional body of election commission can take measure on all aspect related to election and they have taken so. Awami League or no other political party participated in upozilla election directly. In almost all upozilla there was more then one candidate from members of any given political party therefore no political party had any control over people who contested.   Awami League¢s stand is comprehensible; election commission is the supreme authority, let them do their business without any governmental meddling in favor or against their investigation. Awami League high command already asked election commission to take stern action against anyone including ministers and MP if they found to be guilty of meddling with election.   It is the independent constitutional election Commissions responsibility to conduct the election in a free and fair manner not the government. To meet the election commissions request government deployed hundreds of thousands of security personal from Army, Navy, BDR, Police, Ansar and other agencies under complete command of Election Commission. If they have failed to execute their responsibility fearlessly and fairly then the blame chiefly goes to election commission not the government.   Election Commission constituted a judicial body to investigate suspended elections in seven upozilla out of four hundred eighty one to find discrepancy. Commission found credible proof of irregularity in seven-upozilla constituency out of four hundred and eighty one and took measure against it by withholding or canceling election result for those upozilla.   Now seven out of four hundred and eighty, which is somewhere 1 plus percent. Proportionately it is very nominal and insignificant though unwanted. Expectation could be that there will be no hindrance, no disagreement, no violence, no manipulation or interference by any quarter but that is not the reality. Reality of political environment in not only in Bangladesh but also in our subcontinent is there will be some violence, manipulation, vote tempering and influence, it is unfortunate but the reality.   If Bangladesh or any other country in the world could execute an election with 100% success and no error then the country will see honey and milk steaming in their rivers instead of water. Measuring the success is based on proportionate success not on absolute achievement.   To election commission I will say, liberty is not what you see but what you believe and carry out. Liberty has no significance to people with no spinal column. Liberty finds no implication from a week mind, which blames others but fears to take blame from his own fallout.   To the government, my demand will be stay out of decision making process of election commission and let them work independently. Let the judicial body come out with their investigation without any interference. Sincerely Shamim Chowdhury Maryland, USA --- On Wed, 1/28/09, Shamim Chowdhury <veirsmill@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Shamim Chowdhury <veirsmill@yahoo.com> Subject: Fwd: Cancel the UpaZilla Election Results NOW To: veirsmill@yahoo.com Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 1:22 AM --- In khabor@yahoogroups.com, "M. M. Chowdhury \(Mithu\)" <cgmpservices@...> wrote: I like to reiterate that if AL wants to regain its trust among general people,  they need to ask EC to cancel all Upazilla election results at the disputed areas.  More than 50%election results should be canceled based on the reports from the ground.   I like to remind that total setup by AL in Upazilla election in Munshigonj areas won't be acceptable.  AL thought that this is the only Goldmine left for them since Padma Bridge will be built and will able to maximize their corrupt money with this election setup in that areas.  Since I am from that area and I can speak more with facts and ground reports.   This is the high time for AL to be credible for the next 5 years.  They should cancel all Upazilla election results from these areas as soon as possible.  You were so greedy that  one case you dished your own 25 yrs AL honest veterans leader and failed him with vote rigging and set-up since he won't allow any corruption in that areas for Padma Bridge.   Before your mask gets out to the public, it's your own benefit to make it honest and make it better and make it right NOW.   I will keep pressuring you to cancel these disputed results until you fix it yourself.  If you do not do, your credibility will be worst soon.  I will work to save poor people wealth and their future in that areas.   Regards, M. M. Chowdhury (Mithu)     ------------------------------------------------------------------------\ -------------------------------------------- The Election Commission (EC) today suspended the polls results of seven upazilas in line with the allegations of massive irregularities during the polling.   The upazilas are Banchharampur in Brahmanbaria, Araihazar in Narayanganj, Teknaf in Cox's Bazaar, Kaliganj in Gazipur, Mehendiganj in Barisal, Muradnagar in Comilla and Raipura in Narsingdi, Election Commissioner M Sakhawat Hussein said.   The election commissioner said a judicial inquiry committee will be formed to investigate the allegations and a final decision will be taken after the committee files its report. On a query he said, "Legal steps will be taken against the lawmakers accused of exerting political influence in the January 22 upazila elections ."   On the election day, the EC called off elections to Brahmanbaria Sadar, Ramganj in Laxmipur, Barura in Comilla and Belkuchi in Sirajganj while polling of Dighinala (Khagrachari) and Ukhia (Cox's Bazaar) had been put off before the voting day. The commissioner said the judicial inquiry committee will also investigate the irregularities in the upazilas where elections were postponed.   Re-election in these six upazilas would be held sometime soon, Sakhawat added. --- End forwarded message ---

 

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[mukto-mona] Re: Warning on Possible Huge corruption on Padma Bridge in Bangladesh

This person by the name M.M. Chowdhury is at it again. Mukto-mona
forum is not a place where one should fret and fuss based on
political leanings. The Padma Bridge is just a talk now. Nothing
more, nothing less. However, Mithu Mia (MMC) is upset because
Khaleda's two sons won't be able to milk any thing out of this future
project. When those 2 boys were collecting their "dues" from
business people and multi-national companies, MM Chowdhury was
looking the other way. It is good to be vigilant but this show of
super patriotism when AL is calling the shots is somewhat uncalled
for.

I am sure that there would be several watchdog groups in Bangladesh
who would monitor the activities of the Hasina Administration and the
ruling party's MPs up-close. The news reporters are honest in
Bangladesh and they are expected to report if any malfeasance happens
going forward.

Mr. MM Chowdhury should stop his propaganda to vilify AL and Hasina
Administration. This is what I call - poisoning of the well. Stop
doing this sort of activities. If he has solid evidence for
wrongdoings of the political machine, then let the news media in
Bangladesh know about it by all means. But stop spreading rumor.

MM Chowdhury's partisan activities in the past resulted in many posts
in Mukto-mona forum, which were very critical of his "patriotic"
activities. Buyer Beware!

--- In mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, "M. M. Chowdhury wrote:
>
> Dear All,
>  
> It is sad to let you know that all the changes we have talked about
Bangladesh might be going into drain soon.  I am convinced with few
internal messages that came to me with current UPZilla Election in
Bangladesh.  My home town is where Padma Bridge will be built and my
internal message came with facts that AL Govt from top AL leadership
picked up a New UPZilla Chairman with influence and vote rigging and
working out a plan who will get what on Padma Bridge projects.  This
is a $1.2 Billion project in Bangladesh.  We need to make sure no
more Mr. 2% are created under AL Administration.
>  
> I also heard an uneducated millionaireir man came from Washington,
DC who spent more than three (3) crore BD Take to secure his Chairman
position with the help of an AL MP and upper AL leadership.  They
have this plan for the last 2 years where to put whom so huge money
can be secured from this projects.  Even in one case AL dished their
25 years old honest AL leader in that Village during the nomination
process to put an uneducated businessman from Washington, DC to
maximum their corruption money from the Padma Bridge project.
>  
> I like to point out this kind of activities are unacceptable and
people should be aware of it.  So next Govt in 2013 can bring this
culprits to justice for their corruption.  Only way these culprits
will be changed when General people work a Watchdog.
>  
> God bless Bangladesh and save her 160 Million general people from
these culprits.
>  
> Regards,
> M. M. Chowdhury (Mithu)
>

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[mukto-mona] Mugabe's plans

 
Robert Mugabe was once the darling of Beijing.
 
Please read an interesting news about his filial greed.
 
SR
 

Mugabe Finds a Home in Asia Written by Our Correspondent   29 Jan 09 (http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1691&Itemid=367)

A detested African satrap and his family take refuge in the east

 

Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong are becoming homes from home for Robert Mugabe and his family. In Hong Kong the government is ignoring its own laws to accommodate the despised African dictator.

While Zimbabweans, once citizens of one of Africa's most prosperous, food exporting countries, suffer food shortages, cholera epidemics and the world's highest inflation (approx 5,000 percent) the country's first family has been splashing out on shopping and banking trips to Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Attention to their travels was occasioned by an assault on a Hong Kong resident press photographer working for the London Sunday Times by Grace Mugabe and a bodyguard in Hong Kong. The photographer was taking pictures of her shopping near the Shangri-la (Kowloon) hotel where she was staying. This led to the news that the Mugabes' daughter Bona, 20, had been studying at HK University since last September under an assumed name.

Asia Sentinel has now learned that this was a modest visit compared with one last year by Mr and Mrs Mugabe and a huge retinue which occupied two floors of the same Shangri-la Hotel. The hotel bill, running to tens of thousands of US dollars, was paid in cash by a flunky. Under Hong Kong law, such large cash transactions are supposed to be reported to the police and investigated under anti-money-laundering money rules.

But either the hotel, controlled by the Kuok Group, failed to notify the authorities, or the government decided to ignore the question of why Mugabe and his family and retinue of bodyguards paid cash. (The reason may well be that no international bank would accept the credit cards of persons banned from entering the US and other major jurisdictions).

According to reports on Zimbabawe news sites, on this latest occasion US$92,000 in cash was drawn from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, the broken country's central bank, prior to this trip, for spending on hotels and Grace's favorite activity – shopping. Grace, who is 40 years younger than her 84-year old husband, has on previous occasions attracted attention for her extravagant spending in luxury shops.

Prior to Hong Kong, she had been in Malaysia and Singapore with her husband. They are very welcome in Malaysia where her husband was lionized by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. However, to protect Malaysia's own reputation and avoid local controversy, the visit was kept low key. As for Singapore, according to Zimbabwean media reports, this is the favored location for Zimbabwean ministers and military chiefs to park their ill-gotten wealth.

In Hong Kong the government and the University of Hong Kong say there is no reason why Bona should not study there. Many sympathize. The sins of the parents should not be visited on their children. However, Australia last year expelled the student offspring of some of Mugabe's ministers and Britain has been contemplating the same – which is probably why Bona left her studies in the UK to come to Hong Kong and the protection of China, a good friend of Mugabe's. The fact that she was allowed to enroll under an assumed name in itself is quite extraordinary and suggests some high level, un-transparent dealings.

However deserving Bona may be of an education, the fact is that her father's policies have ruined Zimbabwe's educational system and forced the few students who can afford it to go abroad. In Bona's case the cost to the nation is not just her board and tuition, plus any gifts that might have been made to help her anonymous entry, but the cost of providing for her mother's demands while Bona is in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is still investigating the assault on the photographer but charges seem unlikely now that the culprits are out of town and Mrs Mugabe anyway would claim diplomatic immunity. Mugabe's political thuggery in Zimbabawe is well enough known. His own reputation in that respect was confirmed by footage of assault by a bodyguard on a journalist who was trying to interview him in Cairo last year.

But thugs and corrupt politicians remain welcome in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore so long as they bring enough money to be spent or laundered.

 

---

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[mukto-mona] Re: Our past ceremonial presidents and hope for the next

I truly appreciate the write-up; I enjoyed every bit of this in-depth enlightening article. Seemingly, there are legitimate fears among many of seeing a partisan president especially after having awful experience with Prof. Iajuddin's presidency. With all due respect, I like to give my two cents in this regard.

 

Unofficial confirmation of veteran politician Mr. Zillur Rahman as the next president is almost official. In my examination, this will be beneficial for the democratic process in Bangladesh.

 

Mr. Zillur Rahman a highly experienced person who struggled for our countries democratic process throughout his life. He not only showed tremendous courage facing extremely difficult political atmosphere in recent days but his feisty involvement with language movement, struggle against autocratic Ayub regime, his effective leadership during our liberation war, his stand against killers of Bangabandhu and our national leaders displays not just his courage but his ethical sense of identifying right from wrong. Even when he faced with the most tragic event of his life, loosing his dearest wife Ivey Rahman, he remained tranquil but convinced that sacrifice of life will not go into vain. He made the tragedy into force and worked tirelessly and fearlessly to carryout movement against all sorts of terrorism, anarchism and anti democratic rise.

 

I do not find any reason for not appreciating his candidacy other then his age and health condition. His long political attachment is not a barrier but supportive in a time when democracy is in peril, his courageous guardianship will help to build strong alliance among political entities.

 

We have seen how the supreme judges who took oath to safeguard the constitution queued to be nominated by military dictators after disposing constitution. Seeing the repeated history of marching of shameless judges, we did not discard them then why we will out rightly reject an honest political icon like Zillur Rahman?

 

I find Mr. Zillur Rahman as a highly respectable, extremely courageous, honest, sincere and a great political icon of our time and defiantly he will bring back the lost prestige of this constitutional position.

 

Sincerely

Shamim Chowdhury

Maryland, USA

--- In mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, "Anwarul Kabir" wrote:
>
> Dear Moderator,
> It would be highly appreciated if you could publish the attached article in your esteemed website.
>
>
> http://mukto-mona.com/wordpress/?p=77
>
>  
> With kind regards,
>  
> Yours truly,
>  
> M. A. KABIR
> Assistant Professor
> Department of Computer Science
> AIUB
> Bangladesh
>
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[mukto-mona] Re: Why I Am Not a Hindu by Ramendra Nath [Republished]

--- In mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com, "Avijit Roy" wrote:
>
>
> WRT: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/23560
>
> Nowadays I try to avoid responding to such useless thread on
> religion, however, Mr Ashok Kumawat's very superficial response to
> the scholarly write-up of Mr. Narandra Nath compelled me to write
> something on this issue. Here is my point by point rebuttal.
>
> [Ashok]
>
> The fundamental and serious mistake done by the writer of this
> article is Understanding of scriptures in Illogical way.
>
> [Response] Amusingly, I found quite opposite. I found plain honesty
> and accuracy in Ramendra Nath's arguments while he targeted not
> just Hindu fundamentalism vaguely, but questions boldly against the
> oppressive verses of the dogma (Hinduism) itself. No doubt his
write-
> up is the honest, rational and analytical criticism of Hinduism and
> its tenets. We can cite numerous incidents from the past like widow
> burning, cast problem, discrimination towards women in traditional
> hindu law or even very recent example of Babri Masjid demolition
> along with Gujarat riot that should serve as the eye-opener for
exposing
> the real face of Vedic fanaticism time to time. Like many of the
> islamists, the apologists of Hinduism also dishonestly put a blame-
> game on `Hindu fundamentalists' like Advani, Bajpeyee, or RSS by
> insisting that the those radical extremism had nothing to do with
> real Hinduism - "Hinduism is tolerant" they always
> claimed, "Hinduism is all-encompassing, etc." [ see ... Islamists
> also claim in the similar tone that Bin Laden, Al-Quaeda or Jamat
> has nothing to do with their real "peaceful Islam"]. How hollow
these
> claims while an honest scrutiny of hateful Hindu scriptures (Vedas,
> Manushanghita etc.) or Islamic scriptures (Quran and Hadith etc)
> with a rational mind exposes nakedly the real source of
> fundamentalism to all. How can one be silent and blame solely the
> fundamentalists while "holy scripture" itself suggests that Shudras
> are not entitled to philosophical knowledge or Shudras as well as
> women of dwija varnas are denied the right to study Vedas?
> Ramadranath has done a splendid job in scrutinizing the hateful
> dogma and pointing his finger, no doubt!
>
> [Ashok]
>
> Take one example- He defines the Varna-Vyavastha as Birth-Based.
But
> that si totally against what said in Scriptures. The Varna-
Vyavastha
> was TOTALLY based on Virtue and qualities (Gun-Karma-Swabhav).
>
> [Response]
>
> Really? Then please clarify why the hell "all-encompassing" Hindu
> God had to create Brahmins from mouth, Kshatriyas from hands,
> Vaishyas from thighs and Shudras from feet respectively? Why not
> creating Shudras from mouth and Bhrahmins from feet instead? Please
> note that apart than Manushanghita, the first reference to varna
> (class based on birth or caste) is to be found in the Purusha-Sukta
> of the Rig Veda too, and it was solely birth-based. Manusmriti
> states quite clearly that having originated from the mouth of
> Brahma, being elder and being the repository of the Vedas; Brahmins
> are the masters of the entire universe [MS I: 93,]. Please do not
> misinterpret the plain facts.
>
> Again, If it is not birth-based, then, take this example - In
> Ramayana, Ram kills Shambuka, a Shudra simply because he was
> performing ascetic exercises which he was not supposed to do as he
> was a Shudra by birth. How funny! Where is your gun, karma, quality?
>
> In Mahabharata, Dronacharya refuses to teach archery to Eklavya,
> because he was not a Kshatriya by birth. What a noble deed!
>
> Quite expectedly you ignored these facts.
>
> [Ashok]
>
> I am giving here direct Proof and evidence to prove my statements
> above- According to- MANU 2: 28 "A man does not become a Braahman
> because his body was the product of the reproductive .... these
> things go make a Braahman" MANU 2: 28.
>
> One can see how the Varna-Vyvastha was based on (on birth or
> Qualities/Karma. And also he sanctions all four VARNAs to read
VEDas
> and other scriptures equally.
>
> [response] Again apologetic interpretation. The verse you quoted is
> nothing but a lesson - "how to be a good brahmin" [and nothing
> else], however, despite your hard effort, you could not deny the
> facts - as per scripture, a Sudra has no right even to listen to
the
> Veda. Recitation of or listening to this sacred book is exclusively
> a privilege of the Aryan Hindus, you know this right? You also
know
> that a Brahman should never be the guru of a Sudra. A Sudra is
> debarred from marrying a woman of the higher castes. These are all
> explicitly stated in those "holy scriptures". Any one who is
> concerned knows that Dalits (Untouchables), even today are the most
> pitiable victims of hindu society. According to Manu
> Smriti, 'Outcasted persons have no share in inheritance.' The
> orthodox Brahmans still believe, if the shadow of a Dalit falls on
> them, they are polluted and will have to purify them by sprinkling
> over themse1ves water from the holy river, the Ganges. These are
> just plain facts, don't just try to ignore bluntly.
>
> [Ashoke]
>
> The Four Varnas were totally Rational- to denote one's DUTY of life
> as per qualities.
>
> [response] In this "kali Jug" even the most irrational people are
> allowed to use the prestigious word "rational" to defend their
> blind faith, eh?
>
> [Ashoke]
>
> Dear members, Even in practical life this is totally logical- If
> some person is more Qualified in trade/merchantship, let him
> call 'Vaishya' and let him him do that work as one of prime duty.
>
> [Response] Hmm... I found the answer from Ramanda's original write-
> up. Take the example of Gandhi himself. He was a "bania" by caste.
> Yet, in spite of some serious aberrations such as supporting varna-
> vyavastha based on birth and linking politics with religion, he
> performed fairly well in the role of a national leader. It would
> have been a great loss for the nation if he literally followed your
> advise - "let him call 'Vaishya' and let him him do that work as
one
> of prime duty.". If Gandhi followed your advise, he would have been
> confined to running a grocery shop.
----------------------------------------

Dear Intelligent friends,

This man Ramendranath twists facts. For example :

1)
Bhishma gave the assignment to Dronacharya to teach the Kaurava and
the Pandava princes. Drona taught these princes and his son
Ashwatthama and did not teach any other kshatriya student.Now
Ramendranath tells the lie that Drona refused to accept Ekalavya as
the latter was not Kshatriya. Ask him to give the reference to the
verse in the Mahabharata, where did Vedavyasa say that he refused
Ekalavya as the latter was not a Kshatriya.

Ekalavya then learned on his own but claimed that he was Drna's
student. A preposterous lie and he deserved punishment for that. If
someone reads a book by Harvard professor can that person claim that
he is Harvard-educated? Drona was kind that he asked for one thumb
from a savyasachi (ambidexterous. person. Even after Drona's
punishment he was not incapacitated as he was ambidexterous and he
died fighting in a war subsequently.

2)
Ramendranath does not know that Satyakama, a son of a fallen woman,
was also taught the Vedas. He talks about Sambooka. As per the laws
prevailing in Lord Rama's time one has to study the Vedangas such as
Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (etymology) and Chanda (meter)etc.
before studying the Shruti so that one understands the true meaning
of the hymns properly and also not to corrupt the hymns, which were
transmitted only through hearing. Shrutis were only orally
transmitted. Sambooka was warned not to practice chanting the Vedic
verses as he was not initiated into these. But he did not listen and
Lord Rama, as the keeper of the law of the land, had no option but to
kill him and set aprecedednt that nobody will dare to flout the
prevailing laws. This man Ramendranath has no regard for the law of
the land and has no knowledge of the events. Just to gain publicity
he writes nonsense and thinks that the intelligent indians will
listen to him.

3)
Ramendranath is so ignorant that he does not know that Manu Smriti
was for the Satya yuga. For the subsequent yugas there are different
Smritis but he does not know that and fooloishly goes on criticising
the manu smriti, which was relevant for a short period of the
Satyayuga more than ten thousand years ago.

4) As regards the Varna-vyavastha he takes objection to the statement
that the Brahmins came from the mouth and shudra came from the feet
etc. These are analogies to explain that the Brahmin are the teachers
(uses mouth to speak to the students), the Kshatriyas are the rulers
through the strength of their arms holds weapons etc. in hand), the
Vaishyas have to look after providing food and clothes etc and the
Shudras are to do the legwork. This is an eternal classification and
is everywhere even today though these may be called differently.
Ramendranath does not have the receptive capacity to understand this
simile. May be it is his anti-Hindu design and he hopes that the
other people will not discover his ignorance.

One can go on and on exposing the ignorance of Ramendranath. He
claims and that he was born Hindu and now he is not Hindu. In fact he
is anti-Hindu as he must have got converted to another religion but
he does not admit that. A Hindu need not bother at losing him as he
does not deserve to be a Hindu but a Hindu should should see that he
(Ramendranath) cannot continue his false anti-Hindu propaganda.

S.K.Bhattacharjya

------------------------------------

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