Violence and Losses Punjab witnessed the return of violence in the third week on May when thousands of people took to streets in protest of the killing of a sect head. Government property of crores of rupees was damages by the protesting mobs. Some trains and Punjab Roadways busses were burnt by the protestors. According to an estimate Punjab and central government have incurred losses of more than 7000 of crores. At some places situation turned out to be worst when protestors became violent and fought pitched battles not only with the police and paramilitary personals but also targeted civilians and shopkeepers. Protestors were seen forcing the shopkeepers to support the shut down. More than two people died and many got injured during the three day long violence. Government had called military and had ordered curfew in some parts of the state. After the relentless work situation came under control but the fire has not yet been put to an end. People are still protesting against the killing of the Dera head though protests are being carried out peacefully. Incident Dera Sachkhand Ballan’s sect head Sant Niranjan Das and second-in-command Sant Ramanand were on their annual visit to a Sikh Temple in Vienna (Austria). They were preaching their disciples at the Gurdwara when a group of six armed men entered the place and opened the fire. Two of them were armed with pistols while the remaining were carrying knives and sharp edged weapons. With it the place tuned out into battle field. Both the preachers got injured in the attack. Almost 30 persons got injured during the violence. It included the attackers also. On Monday morning Sant Ramanand succumbed to his injuries. The news of the incident had already reached Punjab. The news of the death of Sant Ramanand spread like the fire of jungle and it took the violent turn. All the attackers are believed to be the ethnic Sikhs. It must be learnt that most of the followers of the Dera are from the poor and downtrodden sections of the Punjabi society. Most of them belong to the lower castes and are agricultural laborers. Discrimination After independence the divide between the lower caste Sikhs and the Landlord Sikhs has widened. And with it tensions have also increased between both of these sections of the society. Religion and caste based politics has added more fuel to [...]
Archive for May 28th, 2009
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Ravinder Nath Tagore
May 28th, 2009 
Aman Early Life Writer of National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana, Ravinder Nath Tagore was born toSmt Shardha Devi in Jorasakomansan, Kolkata(West Bengal) on May 7, 1861. His father’s name was Shri Davinder Nath Tagore. His parents were the staunch followers of Brahmo Samaj. He was called Rabi in his childhood. He took admission in Oriental Seminar for his primary education and passed all the classes in first division. In 1868 he took admission in Bengal Academy but could not concentrate on his studies. Then he went to England with his brother Satinder Nath Tagore and took admission in the public school Brighton in 1878. But he returned to India without completing his studies. In 1883 he was married to Mrinalini Devi. Tagore’s early life and some of his unimportant failures are the indication of his restlessness and a quest for truth. He traveled almost all over India and many western countries. He had started writing in his early age. He had composed his first poem when he was only eight years old. Except it he had written some dramas and short stories also which became very popular in his homeland. During his Europe journey he had met many writers and poets. Works Tagore chose his mother tongue Bengali to compose and write. He also composed and wrote Novels, dramas, stories and essays. His important works are Geetanjali, Gora(novel) and a drama named ‘Dakghar’. Except literature he was also interested in nature, music and painting. He was one of the biggest admirers of ‘nature’. His paintings have a unique place in the world of painting. He composed music also which is known as ‘Ravinder Sangeet’. He won the Nobel Prize for his world famous work Geetanjali in 1913. And with it he became the first Asian to won the Nobel Prize in any of the field. Indian National Anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ has been taken from his composition Geetanjali. He also wrote for the children. ‘Kabuliwala’ is his world famous writing on which a film has also been made. British Crown crowned him with Knighthood for his literary works. But he had renounced this as a mark of protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. It must be learnt that a British military officer had ordered his soldiers to open fire on innocent and unarmed Indian people who were protesting peacefully against the colonial rule of England. Freedom [...]
FAST, FURIOUS, ENTERTAINING: T20World Cup
May 28th, 2009 Aman This is what one of the leading newspapers in India called this game of T20 after the first world cup played in 2007. In the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 world cup, the final was the most interesting game between India and Pakistan where game was decided only in the last over when only 5 more runs were remaining and Pakistan lost the game. In fact those who had seen the tournament still feel that the game between the two countries played a few days earlier in Durban was the most exciting one when both the teams reached a “tie” in the prescribed overs and decision was made through a “ bowl Out”. It was the first ever bowl out in the history of cricket. Now that was according to the spirit of T20: fast and furious, as it is there in the game of hockey or football. Looking at the statistics we find that the final of the T20 world cup created history in terms of TV viewership when the TV ratings reached a record of 15.2. Such a peak is never seen in the history of Indian Television. It was brought to the television by ESPN STAR sports, the sports channel and the ICC’s broadcast partner. It provided an innovative coverage when it showed the game of cricket through different angels. Suspended cable cameras were used and new features like hum centric player profiles, measuring of the longest six during the tournament, the graphics showing live field trackings and the corridors of uncertainty to find the wide ball clarity and many other features were added to make the game more interesting and watchable. The first editon of the T20 world cup was played in South Africa. In the cities like Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, the stadiums were jampacked since the game was of shorter duration and the tickets were as cheap as of Rs 20. A successful marketing campaing was run though innovative television commercials that was primarily to target the audience from South Africa. There were DJ booths at every venue which were accompanied by a PA announcer; dancers were there on the podiums around the boundary line to keep the spectators and players motivated. There was a character created by South Africa Cricket called Dr. Beat who interacted with the spectators. Lot of other arrangements were there like distributing hard hats, a free [...]
SOCIAL LIFE OF ARYANS
May 28th, 2009 Aman The Aryans were a people of the sky and the open spaces. They lived in the villages and heir domestic life was very healthy and cheerful the main characteristics of their social life were simplicity, purity and chastity. The family was the pivot of the Indo-Aryan society. The members of a family lived in the same house. The head of the house was called Grahapat. Families were patriarchal i.e., parentage was traced through the father instead of mother. The father was the head of the family and exercised control over it. There are references where father punished his sons for wrong deeds. However, the relations between the members of the family were generally cordial. The ordinary people were content with one wife but the members of the Royal families could have more than one wife. The members of a family shared a common life and the entire property belongs to the family as a whole. Women, though politically not so important as now, were highly respected. Among the composers of the Vedas, names of some ladies are also mentioned, most important being those of Ghosa and Sikata Nivavara. All the religious ceremonies were performed by husband and wife together. Every mother was more or less of a goddess to the children. She was the sole mistress in the household matters. The conception of wifehood was very ideal. Chastity on the part of both the sexes was highly prized. The wife was to love, obey and adore her husband. The husband lover her no less. Marriage was a sacred ceremony. Woman had a freedom in the choice of her partner, which is proved by the practice of Swayamvara. Swayam means self and Vara means match. The women, gentle in nature, and graceful in form, select from among many her own loved one as her husband as mentioned in Rig Veda. Polygamy was rare and Polyandry was against the nature of the Aryan women. Widow marriage was not prohibited. In a hymn of Rig Veda, the widow is exhorted to remarry. Child marriage was unknown. Thus the standard of female morality was very high and women enjoyed an honorable position in the society. The Aryan lived a very simple life. Their food consisted mainly of parched grain, cakes, curd and various vegetables and fruits. Flesh of rams, goats and even horses was offered as sacrifices and eaten, but only on festive [...]
