The Banality Of Religion: The Trends in Hindutva Actions
It seems that recently the Hindu extremist fringe is desperately trying to stay in the news: the controversy over the reconversion,the statements made by Niranjan Jyoti,the allegations of love-jihad by saffron organizations, and now the latest example being the demand of a ban on the film PK. These have all created quite a …
The Ram Masjid Center for Religious Harmony
THE TIMES OF UTOPIA THE RAM MASJID CENTER: A TRIUMPH FOR WORLD PEACE By Rita Shikhar. DECEMBER 06, 2015. Ayodhya, India. A true leader, it is said, leads his people to where they should be and not necessarily where they want to be. This day, the 6th of December 2015, …
Sant Rampal’s Arrest and The Police’s Difficult Job
Owing to the recent clashes in Hisar, Sant Rampal has become a well-known personality, but for the wrong reasons. What is the case? In 2006, Sant Rampal criticised ‘Satyarth Prakash’, a book written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati, founder of the Arya Samaj. This resulted in a conflict between the Arya …
Heaven on Hearth: Kashmir and Rest of India
Once out of school in India, it is strange how several beliefs are shattered as one grows up and knows more. For example, one learns that Jinnah’s 1946 Direct Action Day was a lot more brutal than what textbooks said, and that there was much more to the 1948 annexation …
Shiv Sena Offers Cash Reward for Families That Have More Than 10 Kids
Background Shiv Sena is India’s right wing Hinduvta organization that aims to increase the dominance of Hindus in India. They are known for causing communal problems with minority religions and de-secularizing India as much possible. The Uttar Pradesh branch of the organization (the political party of which is currently in power with the …
Indians Think the Greatest Danger is Religious and Ethnic Hatred
According to a recent study published by the Pew Research Center, Indians think that Religious and Ethnic Hatred poses the greatest threat to the world. This is no surprise coming from a country known to have its own set of religious and ethnic problems. The next highest were Inequality and Nuclear …
Let's Celebrate Diwali Without Hurting the Environment
Introduction Recently, Delhi based Director & Cinematographer Gurmeet Sapal and Sehaj Singh followed the recent trend of picture captions to create a “Green Diwali” campaign. Some of the submissions were great advice for celebrating the holiday without hurting the environment, and one common suggestion was to avoid using crackers to celebrate …
Hate Crime and Hindu-Muslim Riots Over Facebook Post in Pune
Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh, a muslim man who lived in Pune, was allegedly beaten by Hindu Rashtra Sena (Hindu National Army) followers with iron rods and hockey sticks. They identified him as Muslim based on his beard and a skull cap. He ended up passing away while in medical care. Shaikh was an …
Gujarat Riots Remembered as Modi Steps In
On May 26th, India’s new prime minister was officially sworn in. Mr. Narendra Modi won this year’s elections with an overwhelming majority of the votes. There are high hopes for the new leader, but there is a fair amount of doubt within the masses. Religious minorities, especially Muslims, are skeptical …
Court to Decide if Guru Dead or Meditating
A wealthy religious leader, Shri Ashutosh Maharaj, who resides in the Punjab city of Jalandhar, will be pronounced dead or alive by the Punjab High Court. Doctors had already declared him dead from a heart attack in January. His wife and son agree, and are trying to get possession of his …
