September 23, 2010

Thought provoking-SOCHNE WALI BAAT...

This is a crazy world!
Interesting article written by an Indian Economist


Japanese save a lot. They do not spend much. Also, Japan exports far more than it imports. Has an annual trade surplus of over 100 billions. Yet Japanese economy is considered weak, even collapsing.
Americans spend, save little. Also US imports more than it exports. Has an annual trade deficit of over $400 billion. Yet, the American economy is considered strong and trusted to get stronger.

But where from do Americans get money to spend? They borrow from Japan , China and even India .
Virtually others save for the US to spend. Global savings are mostly invested in US, in dollars.
India itself keeps its foreign currency assets of over $50 billions in US securities. China has sunk over $160 billion in US securities. Japan 's stakes in US securities is in trillions.
Result:
The US has taken over $5 trillion from the world. So, as the world saves for the US - Its The Americans who spend freely. Today, to keep the US consumption going, that is for the US economy to work, other countries have to remit $180 billion every quarter, which is $2 billion a day, to the US !

A Chinese economist asked a neat question. Who has invested more, US in China , or China in US? The US has invested in China less than half of what China has invested in US.
The same is the case with India . We have invested in US over $50 billion. But the US has invested less than $20 billion in India.
Why the world is after US?
The secret lies in the American spending, that they hardly save. In fact they use their credit cards to spend their future income. That the US spends is what makes it attractive to export to the US . So US imports
more than what it exports year after year.

The result:

The world is dependent on US consumption for its growth. By its deepening culture of consumption, the US has habituated the world to feed on US consumption. But as the US needs money to finance its consumption, the world provides the money.

It's like a shopkeeper providing the money to a customer so that the customer keeps buying from the shop. If the customer will not buy, the shop won't have business, unless the shopkeeper funds him. The US is
like the lucky customer. And the world is like the helpless shopkeeper financier.

Who is America 's biggest shopkeeper financier? Japan of course. Yet it's Japan which is regarded as weak. Modern economists complain that Japanese do not spend, so they do not grow. To force the Japanese to
spend, the Japanese government exerted itself, reduced the savings rates, even charged the savers. Even then the Japanese did not spend (habits don't change, even with taxes, do they?). Their traditional postal savings alone is over $1.2 trillions, about three times the Indian GDP. Thus, savings, far from being the
strength of Japan , has become its pain.

Hence, what is the lesson?

That is, a nation cannot grow unless the people spend, not save. Not just spend, but borrow and spend.

Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati, the famous Indian-born economist in the US , told  Manmohan Singh that Indians wastefully save. Ask them to spend, on imported cars and, seriously, even on cosmetics! This will put India on a growth curve. This is one of the reason for MNC's coming down to India , seeing the consumer spending.

'Saving is sin, and spending is virtue.'   :-)  :-) :-) :-):-) :-):-) :-)



But before you follow this Neo Economics, get some fools to save so that you can borrow from them and spend !!!

September 17, 2010

The Real Islam vs Hinduism: As understood by a moderate Hindu -Manoj Padhi

आज मैंने MANOJ PADHI का Article The Real ISAL vs Hinduism पढ़ा. मुझे यह article पसंद आया तो सोचा क्यूँ न अपने BLOG मैं Share करूँ .इस Article का आनंद लीजिये.
The Central belief:

There is only one God, Allah, and that the Prophet Muhammad was his final messenger.
The word Islam comes from aslama (to submit), and the one who submits--a Muslim--is a believer who achieves peace, or salaam. God, the creator, is invisible and omnipresent; to represent God in any form is a sin.

Prophet Muhammad:
The Prophet Muhammad was born in A.D. 570 and became a merchant in the Arabian town of Mecca. At the age of forty, he began to receive a series of revelations from God transmitted through the angel Gabriel. His monotheistic message, which disdained the idolatry that was popularly practiced at the Kaaba (now in the Great Mosque and venerated as a shrine of Muslim pilgrimage) in Mecca at that time, was ridiculed by the town's leaders. Muhammad and his followers were forced to emigrate in 622 to the nearby town of Yathrib, later known as Medina or "the city." This move, the hijra, marks the beginning of the Islamic era. In the ten years before his death in 632, the Prophet continued preaching and receiving revelations, ultimately consolidating both the temporal and the spiritual leadership of Arabia.
The Quran:
The Quran, the holy scripture of Islam, plays an important role in Muslim social organization and values. The Quran, which literally means "reciting," is recognized by believers as truly the word of God, and as such it is eternal, absolute, and irrevocable. The fact that Muhammad was the last of the prophets and that no further additions to "the word" are allowed is significant; it closes the door to new revelations.
The Five Pillars of Islam:
The five pillars of Islam consist of certain beliefs and acts to which a Muslim must adhere to affirm membership in the community.
Shahada (testimony), the affirmation of the faith, which succinctly states the central belief of Islam: "There is no god but God (Allah), and Muhammad is his Prophet." To become a Muslim, one needs only to recite this statement.

Salat, the obligation for a Muslim to pray at five set times during the day. Muslims value prayers recited communally, especially the midday prayers on Friday, the Muslim sabbath. Mosques have emerged as important social and political centers as a by-product of this unifying value.

ज़कात:
 the obligation to provide alms for the poor and disadvantaged .

सवम:
 the obligation to fast from sunrise to sunset during the holy month of Ramadan, in commemoration of the beginning of the Prophet's revelations from Allah.

Hajj:
The final pillar is the expectation that every adult Muslim physically and financially able to do so perform the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in his or her lifetime. The pilgrimage occurs during the last month of the Muslim lunar calendar, just over a month after the end of Ramadan.

The Jihad:
The word Jihad is from the Arabic root word JHD which basically means striving or struggle.

In translation, [the] Qur'an says, "Those who believe, who strive in the cause of God with their wealth and their persons, are the ones who are successful." So, the winner is not the human being who overcomes the wrong temptations but the winner is God in this inner Jihad. If we do not submit to the will of God then we are submitting to the will of the devil and the winner is the hunter who overtakes our souls at that moment of wrongdoing.

Jihad, the "striving." : Jihad is often misunderstood in the West and India, where people think of it as a fanatical holy war.
The inner Jihad, which is the Jihad and the most important part of Jihad, I must say that there are two forces within us operating all the time in opposite directions. One is inviting us to do good and the other inviting us to do evil. These opposing forces are trying to take over our hearts and our minds which have control over our actions to go in their direction. The inner Jihad is overcoming the forces of evil by the forces of good and the triumph of one over the other.
An analogy of inner Jihad is in Hinduism ,are controlling the objects for gratification of the five senses – Kama (desires), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachments) and Ahamkara (ego). So Hindus are also Inner Jihadis.

Thus if there is a tyrant ruler who is oppressing people and one stands up to that tyrant and says a word of truth against his rule it is also one form of Jihad
Jihad is also called "the Holy War". In fact, the word holy war came from the crusade when this call was made to the crusaders by then the Pope Urbana to unite them to fight against "infidels" who were occupying the birth place of Jesus (peace be upon him). Yet, it is true that one form of Jihad, that is the external form, can be described as taking up arms in defense of Islam and Muslims when they are attacked by external forces. But, this form of Jihad can only be declared by a head of the Islamic state who is a practicing Muslim or a consensus of Islamic Ulema or Scholars when they agree on a clear-cut threat on Islam or on Muslims by external forces. If a call for Jihad is made by a non-practicing Muslim ruler then [the] Muslim masses are not to heed such call.

Tose who fight external Jihad are mujahidin. The Afghan rebels waging an insurrection against the Soviet-backed government in the 1980s deftly used this term to identify themselves and hence infused their struggle with a moral dimension.

Siha and Sunni

Sunni:The larger of the two major subdivisions of Islam, followed by a majority of Pakistanis.
About 97 percent of all Pakistanis are Muslims. Official documentation states that Sunni Muslims constitute 77 percent of the population and rest around 20% Sihas. Iraq Siha percentage is morethan Sunnis.
There are two major sects, the Sunnis and the Shia, in Islam. They are differentiated by Sunni acceptance of the temporal authority of the Rashudin Caliphate (Abu Bakr, Omar, Usman, and Ali) after the death of the Prophet and the Shia acceptance solely of Ali, the Prophet's cousin and husband of his daughter, Fatima, and his descendants.
Over time, the Sunni sect divided into four major schools of jurisprudence; of these, the Hanafi school is predominant in Pakistan.

The Shia sect split over the matter of succession, resulting in two major groups: the majority Twelve Imam Shia believe that there are twelve rightful imams, Ali and his eleven direct descendants. A second Shia group, the numerically smaller Ismaili community, known also as Seveners, follows a line of imams that originally challenged the Seventh Imam and supported a younger brother, Ismail. The Ismaili line of leaders has been continuous down to the present day. The current leader, Sadr ad Din Agha Khan, who is active in international humanitarian efforts, is a direct descendant of Ali.

Islam in India, the start of Hindu-Muslim Conflict and hatreds:
The initial entry of Islam into India came in the first century after the death of the Prophet Muhammad
The Umayyad caliph in Damascus sent an expedition to Balochistan and Sindh in 711 led by Muhammad bin Qasim (for whom Karachi's second port is named). The expedition went as far north as Multan but was not able to retain that region and was not successful in expanding Islamic rule to other parts of India. Coastal trade and the presence of a Muslim colony in Sindh, however, permitted significant cultural exchanges and the introduction into the subcontinent of saintly teachers. Muslim influence grew with conversions.

Almost three centuries later, the Turks and the Afghans spearheaded the Islamic conquest in India through the traditional invasion routes of the northwest. Mahmud of Ghazni (979-1030) led a series of raids against Rajput kingdoms and rich Hindu temples and established a base in Punjab for future incursions. Mahmud's tactics originated the legend of idol-smashing Muslims bent on plunder and forced conversions, a reputation that persists in India to the present day.

During the last quarter of the twelfth century, Muhammad of Ghor invaded the Indo-Gangetic Plain, conquering in succession Ghazni, Multan, Sindh, Lahore, and Delhi. His successors established the first dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mamluk Dynasty (mamluk means "slave") in 1211 (however, the Delhi Sultanate is traditionally held to have been founded in 1206). The territory under control of the Muslim rulers in Delhi expanded rapidly. By mid-century, Bengal and much of central India was under the Delhi Sultanate. Several Turko-Afghan dynasties ruled from Delhi: the Mamluk (1211-90), the Khalji (1290-1320), the Tughlaq (1320-1413), the Sayyid (1414-51), and the Lodhi (1451-1526). As Muslims extended their rule into southern India, only the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar remained immune, until it too fell in 1565. Although some kingdoms remained independent of Delhi in the Deccan and in Gujarat, Malwa (central India), and Bengal, almost all of the area in presentday Pakistan came under the rule of Delhi.
The sultans of Delhi enjoyed cordial, if superficial, relations with Muslim rulers in the Near East but owed them no allegiance. The sultans based their laws on the Quran and the sharia (Islamic law. Based on the Quran and the sunna (q.v.) with interpretations of Muslim jurisprudence) and permitted non-Muslim subjects to practice their religion only if they paid jizya (A tax imposed on non-Muslims in a Muslim state meant to compensate the state for the protection given to non-Muslims who are not permitted to serve in the military.) or head tax. The sultans ruled from urban centers--while military camps and trading posts provided the nuclei for towns that sprang up in the countryside. Perhaps the greatest contribution of the sultanate was its temporary success in insulating the subcontinent from the potential devastation of the Mongol invasion from Central Asia in the thirteenth century. The sultanate ushered in a period of Indian cultural renaissance resulting from the stimulation of Islam by Hinduism. The resulting "Indo-Muslim" fusion left lasting monuments in architecture, music, literature, and religion. The sultanate suffered from the sacking of Delhi in 1398 by Timur (Tamerlane) but revived briefly under the Lodhis before it was conquered by the Mughals.
Then Everyone knows from moderate Babar to fundamentalist Auranjeb.

What is the Hindu Religion?

"What is this religion which we call Sanatana, eternal? It is the Hindu religion only because the Hindu nation has kept it, because in this Peninsula it grew up in the seclusion of the sea and the Himalayas, because in this sacred and ancient land it was given as a charge to the Aryan race to preserve through the ages. But it is not circumscribed by the confines of a single country, it does not belong peculiarly and forever to a bounded part of the world. That which we call the Hindu religion is really the eternal Sanatana religion, because it is the universal religion, which embraces all others. If a religion is not universal, it cannot he eternal".

-SRI AUROBINDO

"HINDUISM is a relentless pursuit after truth and if today it has become moribund, inactive, irresponsible to growth it is because we are fatigued; and as soon as the fatigue is over, Hinduism will burst forth upon the World with a brilliance perhaps unknown before. Of course, therefore, Hinduism is the most tolerant of all religions. Its creed is all religions. Its creed is all embracing".
-MAHATMA GANDHI

Formation of RSS in September,1925

Founder Dr. Hedgewar founded Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which he, after years of deliberate and patient preparation, founded at Nagpur on 27th September, Vijayadashami Day of 1925.

Dr. Hedgewar said often, "Even if the British leave, unless the Hindus are organised as a powerful nation, where is the guarantee that we shall be able to protect our freedom?" His words have proved to be prophetic. Conjointly with Independence, parts of Punjab, Bengal, Sindh and the frontier-areas were sundered from Bharat; and, four and a half decades after the nation's attaining freedom, Kashmir remains a thorn in the flesh.

Formation of VHP, August, 1964.

Shri Shiv Shankar Apte invited prominent Hindu leaders, Dharmacharyas, thinkers for the first Convention at Bombay for founding the V.H.P. in August, 1964
Text of his letter:

It is proposed to call a convention of representatives of all sects, faiths and religions, which have arisen, in this land. All those whether born here in this country or abroad who regard Bharat as the fountain source of their faiths, religions, culture and philosophy and worship her as the Motherland and the Holyland, are intended to be invited to this Vishva Hindu Parishad. Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Vaishnavas, Veer Shaivas -Lingayats and all denominations falling under the generic term Hindus are being approached with a request to come together in this first convention of its type.

On account of historic reasons chiefly among them being the aggressions and the consequent enslavement for over a millennium, social thinkers and leaders of our nation did not get time and opportunity to come together and reconcile the disintegrating forces and tendencies with the lamentable results from which we are suffering today. But free and politically united as we are now, it should be our ambition to mitigate the differences, recognise the unity behind the diversities and bring in a harmonious understanding, national integration and an order in the life of the whole society in accordance with the genius and spirit of our ancient and noble heritage.

The urgency is great today because of the sorrowful conditions to which our nation, which claims a unique and universal philosophy of life, catholicity and tolerance taught by all our faiths and religions and the affluence of culture and civilisation, has fallen in spite of wishful endeavors on the political plane. The reasons are patent and plain and need no discussion. To usher a new order satisfying the demands and exigencies of the modern scientific age are without of course sacrificing our eternal spirit and soul, our popular leaders and wise thinkers must come together, deliberate upon the present conditions of our society and prescribe ways and means to achieve the objective. This used to happen in this our land since Vedic days. The need is greater to day to discover the common principles and practices of our maltipotal society and on their basis to reinforce the abiding unity.

Hindu peoples in Hindusthan and abroad need an awakening into their essential unity in Philosophy, Religion and Culture. Establishing a Central Organisation to maintain contacts, to supply the pure spirit of the Hindu way of life and make it possible for all from all countries to draw inspiration from the fountain source of their spiritual heritage is the standing need of our times. Building up of Hindu solidarity and encouraging the Hindus in other parts of the world to make their impression on the environments in which they live, and to enrich the culture of the countries of their adoption should be the object and function of this Convention and the Centre which is proposed to be evolved out of it.

The first meeting of the convenors will be held on August 29 and 30, 1964 in Bombay. The meeting will determine the name, aims and objects, the venue, time, programmes and functions etc. of the main convention as well as form the managing committee and elect its Chairman.

We solicit your approval of the idea and respectfully invite you to attend the first meeting and give your consent to join the panel of convenors.

The undersigned proposes to call on you personally and explain the idea in details. May I, therefore, hope to get an indication as to when and where I should call on you. A line in reply will greatly oblige.
SOURCE-http://hindtoday.com/Blogs/ViewBlogsV2.aspx?HTAdvtId=5&HTAdvtPlaceCode=WORLD
 

September 15, 2010

God never gives more pain than one can tolerate.’

True Story - Remember one rule ‘God never gives more pain than one can tolerate.’


It was 7:44 when I left my office building. My head was spinning and my legs were trembling - my dreams had shattered. Finally, my worst fear had come true. I was asked to put down my resignation. Recession had taken its toll on my company too. We were all hearing about possible retrenchment in the organization from the last 2 weeks. I received an E-mail today from my group head saying my services were no longer required. I was paid one month’s salary and asked to submit my resignation letter. I am a 28 years old, a newly married man with ongoing EMI's of Home loan and car loan. I am a construction professional and had been working with a giant real estate firm.

I started walking towards the bus station. “How in the world will I manage those life taking EMI's?” “My life is over” “How will I get a job in these times of recession?” “I hurried too much in purchasing my house and car” “How will I break this news to my newlywed wife?” I was talking to myself and walking towards the bus station. Loud horns, yelling from chai walas, shining adverts & hoardings - nothing in the world could draw my attention. Everything around me had changed ever since I received that e-mail. I can pay the EMI's and survive for the next 6-7 months with my savings if I live miserly. I will definitely find a job in the next 6 months. I tried to console myself. I felt good but it did not last very long and I again questioned myself - "What if I don’t get a job?” “How will Megha react when I tell her all this?”

My bus came and I quickly jumped into it and collapsed on the first seat I saw. The bus was pretty empty that day. A middle aged guy of around 40 came and sat next to me. I still don’t know why he chose to sit next to me when there were about 30 more empty seats in the bus. The man smiled at me but I was in no mood to smile at anyone. I turned my face and made it clear that I am upset and in no mood to talk. I noticed a bundle of 1000 Rs notes in his hands.

“The guy is a great actor. I never miss his movies.” The middle aged guy said, pointing towards a big Amitabh Bachhan cut out on the crossroads. “I just saw ‘paa’. “What a great movie. Have you seen it? You must see. Well, I am Arvind. And you?” I was really irritated by then but somehow controlled my temper and did not react at all. Apparently, he seemed to be in a jovial mood and was looking for someone to share his happiness. I was certainly not the right choice!

Where are you going Mr.?” Arvind asked me. He was not undeterred with my lame reactions and still wanted to chat with me. Finally, I lost my mind.

“Look Mister, I am in no mood to talk to you. I am not at all interested in you. I have lost my job today. I have a wife and burden of EMI's and I don’t have any idea how I will manage everything. I am in the most painful period of my life so please shut your mouth or go somewhere else. People like you never understand other people’s problems. Have you ever faced a scenario like me? Then I would surely see see this smile and joy on your face disappearing in an instant. Holding these 1000 Rs notes in your hand, do you think you are the king of this world? You rich people will never understand the problems of middle class people.” I shouted at Arvind. He was listening very carefully and still had that smile on his face. It angered me even more. I turned my back and closed my eyes.
“Everything will be fine” Arvind said and put his hand on my shoulder. Surprisingly I felt better.

“I am sorry for being rude but as you see I am in trouble and have difficult times ahead.” I regretted being so rude to Arvind. “No, it is completely all right. I understand. But you will definitely come out of it. Have faith, this difficult phase will soon pass. Does your wife earn?” Arvind started digging deeper.

“Yes, she is a school teacher but her salary is just 15,000. How would that help during these times of inflation?” Arvind laughed loudly. Though I was not too happy to hear him laugh at Megha’s salary, I had a moral duty to ask him about himself as he tolerated my nonsense. “Where are you going? To home from work, I guess.” “No, I am going to Motilal Hospital to visit my wife. She had developed a tumour in her chest but with God’s grace she is fine now. They will discharge her in a few weeks. “Oh Holy lord. That must be devastating for you.” I exclaimed.

“No, I am happy that she has survived this scare. I think God is too kind to me. My wife was diagnosed with tumour and I lost my job after 3 days. This way, I got a lot of time to look after my wife and my 11 year old daughter. My entire family lives in the village. They can’t be of any help. I was the only one to take care of my wife and daughter. I had to pay 1 Lac Rs in the hospital and I had no arrangements. But look at this money, God is kind to me. I suddenly met my old friend in the hospital and he offered to help. I have promised to return this money in a year. 1 year is a long time and I trust God. I know that some arrangements will be done by the time the day of repayment arrives. Hey, my stop has come. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.

Remember one rule ‘God never gives more pain than one can tolerate.’

And he disembarked from the bus. He taught me a lesson that would stay with me my entire life. Relieved and happy, I bought flowers for Megha on my way home and told her everything about my job loss. She supported me and we both promised each other that we will never lose our faith, we will never lose hope. We will always smile and trust God irrespective of the circumstances, like my friend Arvind.



P.S: H. P. Shah is a civil engineer and works for a real estate firm.

September 07, 2010

Snake and Ladder had its origin in India

The game had its origin in India and was called Moksha Patam or Parama Padam or Mokshapat. It was used to teach Hinduism and Hindu values to children. The British renamed it as Snakes and Ladders.

Now, when and who created this game? Most people believe it was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. There are certain references which take the game back to 2nd century BC.

The ladders represented virtues and snakes vices. In the original game square 12 was faith, 51 was Reliability, 57 was Generosity, 76 was Knowledge, and 78 was Asceticism. These were the squares were the ladder was found.







Square 41 was for Disobedience, 44 for Arrogance, 49 for Vulgarity, 52 for Theft, 58 for Lying, 62 for Drunkenness, 69 for Debt, 84 for Anger, 92 for Greed, 95 for Pride, 73 for Murder and 99 for Lust. These were the squares were the snake was found.
The Square 100 represented Nirvana or Moksha.





The British took the game to England in 1892 and named it Snakes and Ladders and changed it according to Victorian values.

September 03, 2010

Just see what British thought of India and how they managed to rule us.

Just read what INDIA was as per LORD MACAULAY on his statement on 2nd February 1835, in the last snap. That would really shock us. Old Photographs from Indian History. Please Read the last Article Carefully

See what the India was at 1835.......


The daughter of an Indian maharajah seated on a panther she shot, sometime during 1920s.

A British man gets a pedicure from an Indian servant.


The Grand Trunk Road , built by Sher Shah Suri, was the main trade route from Calcutta to Kabul .
A group of Dancing or notch girls began performing with their elaborate costumes and jewelry

A rare view of the President's palace and the Parliament building in New Delhi .

Women gather at a party in Mumbai ( Bombay ) in 1910.
A group from Vaishnava, a sect founded by a Hindu mystic. His followers are called Gosvami-maharajahs
An aerial view of Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi , built between 1650 and 1658.
The Imperial Airways 'Hanno' Hadley Page passenger airplane carries the England to India air mail, stopping in Sharjah to refuel.





LORD MACAULAY on his statement on 2nd February 1835, in the last snap.

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