This girl represents the 250 million Dalits (doll-leets) , formerly called Untouchable, who have been told by the upper castes of India that they are less than human. If even a Dalit’s shadow falls on an upper caste person, that person is polluted according to caste rules. A Dalit is not considered part of human society, but instead is considered something less than human. The Dalits generally perform the most menial and degrading jobs. Caste rules hold that Dalits pollute higher caste people with their presence. If higher caste Hindus touch an untouchable or even come within a Dalit’s shadow, they must undergo rigorous series of cleansing rituals. Approximately 250 million Indians (a full 25% of the population), are Dalit. In a country where everybody is supposed to have equal rights and opportunities, one out of four people is condemned to be untouchable.
Persecution In India: 2007 Is The Most Violent Year For Indian Christians
Thus far in modern India, 2007 was the most violent year for Indian Christians. With more than 800 attacks around Christmas time 2007 in Orissa state, the number of attacks on Christians last year crossed 1,000 reported cases for the first time since India's independence in 1947. Persecution against Christians isn't stopping in India's Orissa State. Over 90 churches and Christian institutions have been burned and vandalized, over 700 Christian homes destroyed, and the number of pastors and Christians killed is yet to be known. The situation is bad in some areas. Just days ago, four pastors in the state of Orissa were burned alive. And about 200 Christians leaders are now in the forests hiding, fearful for their lives. Please pray for India.
Continuing Orissa Riots: First Report By A Fact-Finding Team
Views & opinions are those of the author alone - not be linked in any way with any of the organisations, universities or companies with which the author is, or has been, associated. On Biotech, Business, Culture, Economics, Ecology, Environment, Ethics, Finance, Futuristic, Global, India, International, Jesus the Lord, Leadership, Money, Multinational, Organisations, Philosophy, Politics, Robotics, Social justice, Spirituality, Sustainability, Technology, Transnational, Trends, U.K., Values. . . NON GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON THE VIOLENCE IN THE KANDHAMALA DISTRICT PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE FACT FINDING TEAMLED BY DR JOHN DAYAL WHICH VISITED THE KANDHAMALA DISTRICT, ORISSA ON 29TH DECEMBER - 3RD…
There’s More To Indian Cinema Than What Meets The Eye
Lakshmi and Me.Films are not just about ’song-and-dance’ routine. There’s more to Indian cinema than what meets the eye. Take, Lakshmi and me - a documentary film about a domestic helper. The film follows the life of 20 year old Lakshmi - her routine, her family, her life, her romance etc. The film essays the relationship between Nishtha Jain (a Mumbai based documentary filmmaker and her domestic helper). I can’t wait to watch this movie. Meanwhile, I gathered some info about the film. Synopsis ( Excerpts from lakshmiandme.com) Nishtha begins making a film with Lakshmi…As the filmmaker is drawn deeper…
God's Favour Is Really On Me.
I wanted to write about this for a long time but struggled coz i was worried whether ppl would think that i am boastful but anyways i just want to honour and glorify Him. As many of u would know by now that i am leaving SPH and joining SP as a lecturer from 1st march 2008. I remember my second interview which i attended for the job is a teaching session. I had to teach for 20 minutes and at the end the board members would asses me.. On that very day i entered i saw like 20 ppl…
Continuing Orissa Riots: First Report By A Fact-Finding Team
Views & opinions are those of the author alone - not be linked in any way with any of the organisations, universities or companies with which the author is, or has been, associated. On Biotech, Business, Culture, Economics, Ecology, Environment, Ethics, Finance, Futuristic, Global, India, International, Jesus the Lord, Leadership, Money, Multinational, Organisations, Philosophy, Politics, Robotics, Social justice, Spirituality, Sustainability, Technology, Transnational, Trends, U.K., Values. . . NON GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON THE VIOLENCE IN THE KANDHAMALA DISTRICT PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE FACT FINDING TEAMLED BY DR JOHN DAYAL WHICH VISITED THE KANDHAMALA DISTRICT, ORISSA ON29TH DECEMBER - 3RD JANUARY…
Ne’er Ask For More
O the wonder of knowing a Savior so sweetlyO the joy of serving this God who loves me soO the grace of living this life for my JesusIt speaks and whispers to me o’er and o’er Everyday…but a blessing from aboveThe words said…emotions felt…hands heldAll is wrought in the care and love of my JesusAs I live to glorify this matchless God Through darkness and distressThrough anxiety and doubtThrough troubled waters and violent stormsI’ve lost myself…o’er and o’erYet you find me stillYet you wash me cleanYet you pour out grace and love and peaceI can ne’er ask for more Ashish…
Outsourcing Pregnancy – American Women Looking For Indian Wombs
The latest trend in outsourcing, not call center, software development or research; not computer industry or animation or engineering. But it is pregnancy! Increasingly childless American women are looking to Indian woman for their wombs. Of course, at a price. A win-win for all they say, American woman get a baby without hassles of pregnancy and at a fraction of cost. Womb donors makes more than what they would have made in their entire adult life, all within 10 months. Read the story in New York Times, MSNBC, and Marie Claire. This is also prevalent in UK - Daily Mail. Also…
Life To Be Given Away . . .
I can't keep still knowing that there are many people in the world who are suffering and desperately need help and knowledge of God. I feel an urge to step out and serve the needs of people and the community. I am not satisfied living in my own little comfortable bubble. I need to live for Christ by loving and accepting all people regardless of background, socioeconomic status and appearance. Religiosity builds walls and differences. However, the true love of Christ builds and unites. Indu Shanmugam
Keep U R Oath Even When It Hurts
Psalm 15 A psalm of David. 1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blamelessand who does what is righteous,who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue,who does his neighbor no wrongand casts no slur on his fellowman, 4 who despises a vile manbut honors those who fear the LORD,who keeps his oatheven when it hurts, 5 who lends his money without usuryand does not accept a bribe against the innocent.He who does these thingswill never be shaken. Its sad to see…
Teen Binge Drinking
Teen binge drinking is nothing new. But a recent report from BBC made it clear of the long term impact of teen drinking habits. The study reported that teen drinkers are more likely to turn alcoholic, use drugs and have criminal conviction by the time they turn 30. Didn’t we all know that intuitively! Now research have proven what we all have always known. They are 60% more likely to be alcoholic, twice as likely for conviction, 40% more likely to use illegal drugs, 40% more likely to suffer mental health problems and 60% more likely to be homeless. They…
Ships, Wells And A Poem
1. We were at my cousin's house today and the adults were having this conversation about the past and people who've died and what not. And I heard about individuals I guess you could say my forefathers (sounds weird to say that), who came to America back in the 60's on ships. That's right! Ships!! I was so amazed--I've only read about that in books or heard about the immigrants from Europe who landed on ships and missionaries who traveled to places on ships and all of that and somehow it never occurred to me that Malayalees and South Asians…
Calaspia International Story Competition: Conspiracy Of Calaspia By The Guptara Twins
Anyone aged 26 or less on 15 January 2008 can enter the competition by writing a story of up to 1,000 words based on the characters of the best-selling fantasy novel, Conspiracy of Calaspia, by the Guptara twins. The Guptara twins are 18, were born to an Indian father and English mother, and live in Switzerland. They completed the first draft of their highly-acclaimed novel when they were only eleven. Several complete re-writes later, Conspiracy of Calaspia is a 600 page blockbuster. Jyoti, the younger twin, became probably the world's youngest full-time writer at the age of 15, shortly after becoming the youngest-ever writer to be published by The Wall Street Journal. Suresh, the elder twin, has just finished (summer 2007) the British School-Leaving Exams ("A" Levels) and is spending a year as a full-time writer too, before he decides about his future. Their fantasy novel, Conspiracy of Calaspia, rose to number 2 on the Indian best seller list, second only to Kiran Desai's Man Booker Prize Winning Novel, The Inheritance of Loss.
Jesus Is The Answer To Your Every Need!
I had contracted a disease, which the doctors couldn’t explain. After two years of unsuccessful treatment, I decided I had had enough and asked the Lord to heal me, and I decided to trust Him only. And true to his word my Lord kept His word and healed me totally. Then a few months later I developed boils, which would ooze with blood and puss. I once again placed my trust on the Lord and asked Him to heal me. And miraculously the Lord healed me completely. Only the scars remain . . . I am a living example of the power and faithfulness of God. It’s no fairy tale, it’s real life, it’s not hearsay. I am a first person witness to this miracle.
Professor Prabhu Guptara – A Portrait
The Guptara family starts with Professor Murli Manohar Guptara (died 1957), who changed his name to "Guptara", from "Gupt" or "Aggarwal" (the two usual surnames for our previous family, though these names have various spellings nowadays in English, since English is a non-phonetic language). He did this because he did not believe in caste (Gupt and Aggarwal are both caste-names). "Guptara" is a name with a meaning, from the original "Gupt" which, literally, means "hidden" and "Tara" which literally means "star". Thus, "hidden star". Professor M.M. Guptara was in reality a hidden star. As for the rest of us, history has yet to make a judgment . . . and while reading about Professor Prabhu Guptara, check out his beautiful poems!
Live Life . . . .
This was a speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD. "I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't Ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only…
Goa – A Land Of Coconuts In Which It Is Difficult To Find Coconut Water!
Goa - a land of coconuts in which it is difficult to find coconut water! One of the puzzles of India is why we have such difficulty in providing basic things even for tourists - which presumably would be at high profit, if one did supply them. Try and get coconut water or indeed simple fruit at almost any restaurant in Goa and you'll see what I mean. You'll find plenty of beer, wine, whisky - as well as coca-cola and other varieties of coloured water. And if you are vegetarian, Goa is a tough place in which to survive.....…
Real And Virtual Relationships
Google has entered into the online dating/relationships biz. http://www.google.com/romance/ According to the Google Romance homepage, finding a soulmate is a search problem! They make everything a search problem and their algorithms offer the perfect solutions for all those problems. Sadly what they do not get is this -"how many profile you search through and how quickly" matters very little in finding soulmates. A larger pool to fish from and how quickly you can hook a fish is a very poor indicator for building strong relationships. Finding the right person is much bigger problem than writing a perfect search algorithm. Heart issues…
DR. PAUL DHINAKARAN'S LIFE STORY
DR. PAUL DHINAKARAN'S LIFE STORY By Dr. Paul Dhinakaran My mother quite often used to tell me that I was born as a consolation to my parents at a time when they were in deep sorrow having lost two children due to premature birth, and another one born as a still-born child during the early years of their married life. So my parents had dedicated me to the Lord even in my childhood. Since then, His merciful hands enslaved me. When I was six years old, the Lord spoke to me through prophecy, "My son Paul! Have you seen a…
Tamil Christian Media Network
Tamil Christian Media Network (TC Media) was started in May 2003 by Sanjeevan Chandrabose . The Mission of the Tamil Christian Media Network is to reach the Tamil Community with the Good News of Jesus Christ using the Internet in highly creative and imaginative ways. Streaming the MediaTamil Christian Media Network has grown from providing only "Audio Songs" to providing multiple services such as WebTV & Web Radio Streaming and Audio/Video - Production. Web TVIn February 2005 Tamil Christian Media Network introduced the first Tamil Christian WebTVto the Tamil Christian Community, by providing live satellite feed of Holy God TV for free…