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Thursday, November 08, 2007



   

Hinduism is one of the most ancient religions of the world and the only surviving ancient religion. Hinduism as we know it today was not a religion per se but a way of life. According to Swami Vivekananda, one of the great thinkers of modern age, centuries of invasion by monotheist religions made people who live in the land of the Sindhu (River Indus) Hindus and the British later started calling it Hinduism. 

The Hindus, i.e., the followers of Hinduism, account for over 80% of India's total population.  Hinduism teaches the existence of one Supreme Universal Spirit, but allows its adherents to worship the Almighty (Ishwar, Paramatma, or Parabrahma) in any form they like.  Thus the various Gods are all different manifestations of one God.

Hinduism also divided the population into Varna or classifications loosely translated as castes. Unlike the modern interpretation and means of classification, castes were based on the nature of individuals and not by birth. The four Varnas were Brahmana (or Brahmin who is teacher, priest, philosopher), Kshatriya (a King, warrior, administrator), Vaisya (trader, farmer, artisan), and Sudra (one who does not possess great qualities).<More>

 

 

A 2-year-old girl born with four arms and four legs is recovering after the complex operation for the removal of the extra limbs. (Doctors Monitor India Girl Born With Excess Limbs After Oper , Singapore Times, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

After a 27-hour surgery, two-year-old Lakshmi Tatma, the “eight-limbed” girl from Bihar, was finally separated from her parasitic twin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. (Lakshmi Stable After Marathon Surgery, Hindu, Afshan Yasmeen, Nov 08, 2007)

Human beings alone among the countless living beings are capable of attaining liberation from transmigration. (Aim Of Human Life , Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

Half a century ago D. D. Kosambi — whose birth centenary merits celebration at the national level — characterised the great uprising as ‘feudal’ and yet the final verdict on its significance was positive and it was perceived as a glorious struggle. (1857: What Does It Mean To Us?, Hindu, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Nov 08, 2007)

This ancient landmark of south Travancore now lies in ruins (Royal Remnant, Hindu, SOMA BASU, Nov 08, 2007)

In modern times, a society's progress is measured by its achievements in the fields of intellect and technology. (Islam Can't Be Anachronism, Pioneer, A N Sudarsan Rao , Nov 08, 2007)

Manmohan Singh's decision to make a public spectacle of the problems of running a coalition Government betrays his frustration. It brings him not sympathy but contempt, even from his well-wishers (Pm In High Dudgeon, Pioneer, Ajoy Bose, Nov 08, 2007)

Separation surgery on a two-year-old Indian girl who was born with four arms and four legs has been successful, doctors say. (Girl Separation Surgery A Success , British Broadcasting Corporation, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

The entire issue of Organiser this week is devoted to different aspects of the Ram Sethu controversy. M.D. Nalapat recalls Ram Rajya: “In the Knowledge Era, it is not geographical space that counts any more, but Thought Space. (Ram Rajya, Indian Express, VARGHESE K. GEORGE, Nov 08, 2007)

Indian surgeons said on Wednesday they had successfully removed the extra limbs from a two-year-old girl born with four arms and four legs, in a gruelling operation that lasted more than a day. (Indian Girl’S Extra Limbs Removed , Dawn, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

The Tehelka sting operation underscores the urgency of simultaneously pursuing the prosecution of the culprits and fighting Hindutva politically in a spirited way. (Unfinished Agenda, Frontline, Praful Bidwai, Nov 08, 2007)

Women in India being treated for infertility with Letrozole could be running the risk of damaging themselves and their babies. Authorisation to market the drug was issued to Sun Pharmaceuticals by the regulatory authority on April 10. (Infertility Drug Cleared Without Proper Tests, Hindu, Sarah Hiddleston, Nov 07, 2007)

Democracy without the liberty to choose the form of participation in public affairs - even if it be a bandh, hartal, dharmaghat or strike by the people - is meaningless. (Not What People Want, Times of India, SHIKHA MUKERJEE, Nov 07, 2007)

Pervez Musharraf's decision to impose Emergency in Pakistan looks like his last desperate effort to restore a semblance of order in a nuclear-armed, jihad-supporting nation propped up by an imagined identity and foreign aid (General's Last Gambit, Pioneer, Wilson John, Nov 07, 2007)

India on Tuesday said the unprecedented rise in international oil prices posed a danger of economic dislocation to developing countries and could have a cascading effect on both oil producing and consuming nations. (India For Ties With Energy-Rich African Nations, Hindu, Sujay Mehdudia, Nov 07, 2007)

Media organisations in Manipur face frequent interference from insurgent groups but they do not compromise on ethics. (Press Under Pressure, Frontline, Iboyaima Laithangbam, Nov 07, 2007)

The Tehelka sting on Gujarat 2002 is a credible effort. Yet it is difficult not to question its timing and the exploitative manner of its presentation. (The Sting In Its Social And Ethical Context, Hindu, VIDYA SUBRAHMANIAM, Nov 07, 2007)

Britain’s human rights groups have demanded investigation into allegations of “war crimes” against the rebel LTTE leader, “Col.” Karuna Amman, who was arrested here last week for allegedly travelling on a false passport. (Karuna’S Trial For “War Crimes” Urged, Hindu, Hasan Suroor, Nov 07, 2007)

Tamil Nadu enacts a law granting separate reservation for Muslims and Christians in the Backward Classes quota. (Reservation For Minorities, Frontline, S. Viswanathan, Nov 07, 2007)

AFTER a trial that lasted more than five years, the Coimbatore serial bomb blasts case came to an end in late October with the sentencing of the key accused by the Special Court (bomb blasts case). (Life Term For S.A. Basha, Frontline, T.S. Subramanian, Nov 07, 2007)

 

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