25 Beautifully Illustrated Thought-Provoking Questions

A question that makes you think is worth asking…

At the cusp of a new day, week, month, or year, most of us take a little time to reflect on our lives by looking back over the past and ahead into the future.  We ponder the successes, failures and standout events that are slowly scripting our life’s story.  This process of self reflection helps us maintain a conscious awareness of where we’ve been and where we intend to go.  It is pertinent to the organization and preservation of our dreams, goals and desires.

If you would like to maximize the benefits of self reflection, our new sister site,Thought Questions, is for you.  A new illustrated thought question is posted daily.  We recommend that you read and reread these questions regularly when you have some quiet time to think.  After all, reflection is the key to progression.

Remember, these questions have no right or wrong answers.  Because asking the right questions is the answer.

Here’s a sample of 25 recent thought questions posted on the site:

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Conjoined twins share single heart

Birth defects like the Mermaid syndrome, a deformity where the legs are fused together, Craniopagus, a phenomenon where twins are joined at the head, and Dicephalic parapagus, a condition of having two heads, occur rarely but prove challenging to the medical world. Recently in Brazil, a baby was born with two heads; Jesus and Emanuel are in stable condition, but doctors are hesitant to perform surgery is such delicate conditions. More images on these rare congenital disorders.
A two-headed born baby is pictured in Anajas, northern Brazil December 21, 2011. Doctors in Brazil said on Wednesday said they are unsure whether they can operate on a baby born with two heads, although the newborn boy is in stable condition. The "twins", named Jesus and Emanuel, have two brains, two backbones and a single heart. 
The abandoned baby boy with the rare "mermaid syndrome", a defect in which the legs are born fused together, at the Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital in Changsha, central China's Hunan province 16 November 2006. Sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome", is a rare congenital defect occurring in one out of every 70,000 births, and the condition is almost always fatal within days of delivery due to serious defects in vital organs.
Maria de Guadalupe Angolo and Maria de Jesus Angolo, a two-headed infant is attended to by a nurse at the Hospital Infantil August 2, 1996, in Mexico City. She was born July 26, 1996, in Tijuna Mexico. The newborn is in critical but stable condition, and has only one thorax, a single heart, intestines and a single set of legs and arms. Doctors have said separation surgery is out of the question. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana).
Housewife Radha Gupta holds her one month-old Siamese twins, Radha, left, and Krishna, in her in-laws' house on the outskirts of Bombay Monday Feb. 8, 1999. The parents, family elders and neighbors claim that the two-headed baby is a re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu, a Hindu mythological god, while medical doctors say that the survival and normal life of the child depends on a correction operation wherein one of the heads will be removed.
Undated handout photo released Sunday Sept.18, 2011 by British charity Facing the World of conjoined twins Rital and Ritag Gaboura (left to right not given) before they were successfully separated at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Facing the World says Rital and Ritag Gaboura were born in Sudan with the tops of their heads stuck together. Twins born joined at the head _ known as craniopagus twins _ occur in about one in 2.5

RSS' Magic - Kashmiri Muslims call for revoking article 370, taking back PoK and CAK

For over eight decades, RSS has been working for empowering India with a nationalist agenda despite all the calumny against it. A fresh example of the same has appeared with reference to Kashmir. Some would know that Indresh Kumar, a senior RSS functionary, who’s been with the RSS since 1959, had founded Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an organisation of nationalist Muslims with a motive to bring Muslims in national mainstream. Indresh Kumar, who graduated with highest honours from Punjab Engineering College in Mechanical Engineering, didn’t take up a job to serve the nation. MRM has been the result of his tireless efforts and commitment towards the nation. However, his efforts and accomplishments were never reported by the mainstream media. If at all they were reported, that was in a demeaning manner. MRM had in the past collected the signatures of a million muslims to oppose cow-slaughter. But terrified of the growing influence of an RSS functionary among Muslims, Congress led government tried to frame him in the Mecca Mosque blast case and used the CBI for the same. This all notwithstanding, MRM’s activities went on and on, and now, the results are showing bright and beautiful. 

“Scrap Article 370, ensure employment to Kashmiri youths, retrieve areas forcefully occupied by Pakistan and China in Kashmir”. These are not the demands voiced by Hindu organizations or it's leaders. These demands were raised publically and in unison by the Muslims of India on Sunday, December 18, 2011 at Jantar-Mantar in New Delhi.The occasion was culmination of “Hum Hindustani-Kashmir Hindustan Ka”, a unique campaign launched some three months ago by Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an organization of nationalist Muslims of India. During the three-month campaign the MRM activists conducted prayers in mosques, convened seminars and meetings all over the country. The campaign concluded at New Delhi on December 18 in which nearly 10,000 Muslims drawn from 23 states and 175 districts of India participated braving the chilling cold and dense fog to raise these demands.

Initiating the discussion Mohd Farooq from Srinagar categorically stated that the Article 370 was the main problem of Jammu and Kashmir. This article should be removed. Even the common people were in favor of its removal, he stated. He also blamed Sheikh Abdulla and Pt. Nehru for the problems of Kashmir. Mushtaq Ahmed Pir from Baramulla expressed that politics would not solve the problems of the people of Kashmir neither the problems would be redressed by raising the tricolor in Lal Chowk. A different approach needed to resolve and redress the issues blocking progress of the state.

Bashir Ahmed, who started his speech with ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ stated demanded voting right for the refugees residing in Kashmir for the past six decades. Engineer Gulam Ali, who came from Bakkarwal community, blamed Sheikh Abdullah and Pt. Nehru for the present state of affairs in J & K. He said that the political leaders conspired against the Muslims of Jammu and heaped injustices against them.Demanding scrapping of Article 370, he added that this article helped only a handful of political leaders in the state. It has not done any good to the common masses, he added. Gulam Ali also demanded action on two resolutions adopted by the Parliament with regard to taking back the Indian territories forcefully occupied by Pakistan and China.

Halima, a sister from Kashmir called for steps to improve the economic condition of the common people in the state. Nazir Mir, who lost three of his brothers in terrorist violence said that political parties had been playing with the sentiments of the people. Denouncing the demand for ‘azadi’ Mir asked“who want ‘azadi’ when we are already ‘azad’? He said that we were associated with the Muslim Rashtriya Manch and would remain so.

Mufti maulana Abdus Saami voiced similar sentiments regarding Article 370. He said that this constitutional provision was solely responsible the problems of the state. Stalwarts like Maulana Hasrat Mohani, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai had opposed the inclusion of Article 370. But Pt Nehru insisted on its inclusion and in the following years political parties were using this provision for playing their political game. He praised the MRM for raising the issues related to border security for the first time. He assured that the Muslims in India would associated with the MRM and work under the guidance from Sri Indresh Kumar.

President of Jamat-e-Hind said that this program was organized to insure progress of the nation. The situation in our border regions was serious even after sixty years of independence. The MRM was the first Muslim organization to raise the issue of border security. Abbas Ali Bohra from Bangalore said that Muslims in south India were in solidarity with the nationalist Muslims of J & K. He urged the Muslims to unite under the banner of the MRM and give a befitting reply to those anti-national forces active in the Kashmir Valley.

Dr Salim Raj, Chairman of Haj Commmittee, Chhattisgarh said that Muslims were always patriotic in nature. He blamed the Congress for defaming the Muslims. Tanveer Ahmed, President of BJP Minority Morcha reminded the people the history of Kashmir problem. He said that the accession of Kashmir with India was ‘full and final’ when the Maharaja Hari Singh signed the “Instrument of Accession” on 26th October 1947. The problem of Kashmir was created by Pt Nehru when he declared one-sided ceasefire and took the issue to the UN. Quoting Rafi Ahmed Kidwai he said that Pt Nehru and his Congress were responsible for distorting the culture of Kashmir. He demanded implementation on Parliament resolutions.

Imran Ismail, Corporator from New Delhi It was Indresh Kumar, who stepped forward for helping the widows of Kashmir on whose appeal he took 724 sewing machines to Kashmir. Similarly during the earth quake, again it was Indresh Kumar who took initiative to organize help to Kashmiri victims. Not a single Muslims leader came forward to help the Muslims in Kashmir, Ismail said raising questions over attempts to bracket Indresh Kumar in terrorist activities. He blamed the political leaders for misleading Muslims regarding RSS and Hindu organizations and its leaders like Indresh Kumar. These parties and leaders have created an atmosphere of doubt about the Muslims also, he said and added that this needed to be removed once again.

Dr J K Jain of BJP said that the demand for autonomy for Kashmir was based on wrong premises. The Congress and other parties were trying to divide the society by spreading falsehood and misbelieve against each other.

Indresh Kumar, Patron of the Manch, who could not make it to the program as his train was running behind the schedule, addressed the gathering on mobile phone. He blamed the government for playing dangerous game by blaming innocent Muslims and patriotic Hindus by falsely implicating them in terrorist activities in the country. Indresh Kumar said the anti-India elements and political parties were trying to mislead people in Kashmir. He also demanded scrapping of Article 370 which drove a wedge between people of the same land. This Article spread hatred and divided people. The MRM would carry forward this view to generate national and patriotic fervor in the country. Referring to the presence of large number of Muslims from various parts of the country Indresh Kumar expressed confidence that this movement would usher in a new era of brotherhood, peace, love and mutual understanding among the people of this country.

On one hand we have so called secular political parties who’re all hell bent on abusing the Muslims like a vote bank and woo them by offering reservation. They’ve already divided the Hindus in the name of caste. On the other, we have RSS and its sister organisations which are working to eradicate caste-system from India and also integrate Muslims into mainstream nationalism.Those who are familiar with RSS volunteers or are associated with the activities undertaken by RSS’ sister organisations, have utmost respect for RSS. Millions of families are there whose kids have got education in schools run by RSS. It is for the media to show the truth, but when Media is itself marred with darkness (recall, Neera Radia tapes), then the lack of a nationalist media haunts the people. The people who want to break the nation, for their vote bank politics, or the so called intellectuals and mainstream media people have created a thick air of calumny against RSS obstructing the view of the common people, who’re not in direct or indirect contact with RSS’ and its sister organisations’ activities. They need to look beyond this evil design

Don't send Pak Hindus back until we decide - Delhi High Court tells UPA government

Delhi High Court has taken a strong position on the plight of Pakistani Hindus who have fled Pakistan due to oppression and persecution at the hand of Islamists. Congress-led UPA government had told them that they cannot stay here and would have to go back to Pakistan when their visa expires. These 151 Hindus were requesting Citizenship or at least refugee-status.Hindu Mahasabha had come to their help and had filed a PIL in Delhi High Court in this regard seeking political asylum for them. The petition stated that the validity of the visas had expired and the 151 Pakistan nationals face threat of deportation. Professor Bheem Singh, Baldev Singh Baleria and Gaurav Bansal appeared for the Hindu Mahasabha while Additional Solicitor General Amarjeet Singh Chandok appeared for the Government.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notices to the external affairs ministry and the home ministry and sought their responses by 29 Feb, 2012 to the question why they should not be given asylum. This is significant because the presence of Crores of Bangladeshi intruders has been ignored due to vote bank politics, and these 151 Hindus were denied asylum by government. A plea has also been made to the prime minister and the National Human Rights Commission that the lives of the Pakistani Hindus would be in danger if they are sent back. 

The leaders of Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha Dr. Santosh Rai, Baba Pt. Nand Kishor Mishra, Swami Keshava Nand Saraswati, Delhi State President Colonel D K Kapoor, Chaudhary Naahar Singh, Lovy Bhardwaj, Chaudhary Angrez Singh, Jangbahadur Kshatriya, Veer Ramnath Loothara, Arun Kumar Gehlot, Chadrabhaan Agrawal, Chaudhary Ramsharan Singh, Shailendra Pratap Gehlaut, expressed happiness and thanked Dr. Rakesh Ranjan for this decision of Delhi High court.

Bhagavad Gita Controversy: Russia Feels Sad, Yadav feels bad unfortunately UPA Govt is still Mad

In the wake of an uproar over a move to ban Bhagavad Gita in Tomsk city of Siberia, Russia on Monday expressed sadness over the development, saying it is "inadmissible" that a holy scripture is taken to court. Describing Bhagwat Gita as extremist, a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has demanded ban due to conflict of interests between the Russian followers of Lord Krishna and the local authorities in the Siberian region of Tomsk.

Even after Russia cleared its stand and expressed on Bhagvad Gita,  Congress led UPA Government seemed to be unconcerned and clueless on this issue of Bhagvad Gita controversy and fumbled to response the sudden attacking gesture of the Yadavs in the House. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan singh was in Russia recently but has not spared a single word on the continuous appeals from Hindus in Russia.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has tried to cover up and has assured that that government had taken note of the development and External affairs minister S M Krishna will make a statement in the House on Tuesday.

The Bhagvad Gita controversy has once again unveiled the anti-Hindu and anti-indian mindset  of the UPA government and its leader Sonia Gandhi, especially when it is the 'Christian Orthodox Church' which is behind the demand for the ban.

Taking a serious note of the issue and concerning religious rights of the Hindus in Russia, Russian Ambassador in India Alexander M Kadakin, has expressed grief on the issue of claiming a world guiding spiritual text as ' Extremist'. He said that it is strange that such events are unfolding in the beautiful University City in Siberia, as Tomsk which is famous for its secularism and religious tolerance. He commented that it is categorically inadmissible when any holy scripture is taken to the courts. For all believers these texts are sacred," the Ambassador said. "It is not normal either when religious books are sent for examination to ignorant people. Their academic scrutiny should be done at scientists' fora, congresses, seminars, etc but not in courts," he said.

"Russia, as it is known to anyone, is a secular and democratic country where all religions enjoy equal respect. Even more applicable it is to the holy scriptures of various faiths - whether it is the Bible, the Holy Quran, Torah, Avesta and, of course, Bhagavad Gita - the great source of wisdom for the people of India and the world," the Ambassador said. 

A Russian court on Monday suspended its verdict till December 28 on the demand for banning Bhagavad Gita, which a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has described as 'extremist'.

The case took an interesting turn when, following last-minute plea by Hindus in Russia, represented by their advocate Mikhail Fralov, the Siberian court has told the Russian human rights panel on Monday to come with its deposition before the verdict, scheduled December 28.

Fralov pleaded with the court to hear the Russian Human Rights Committee for its views on Bhagavad Gita and on the religious minorities' rights, before pronouncing its verdict, he said.

Following the plea, the last of legal options that the Hindus had, the court agreed to hear out the human rights panel, according to Sadhu Priya Das, a Moscow-based Hindu and a devotee of a 40-year old Krishna temple in the Russian capital.

The case, which has been going on since June, seeks a ban on a Russian translation of the "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" written by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon).

It also wants the Hindu religious text banned in Russia, declared it as literature spreading "social discord” and its distribution rendered illegal in Russia.

Indians in Moscow, numbering about 15,000, and followers of the Iskcon religious movement in Russia have appealed to the Indian government to intervene diplomatically to resolve the issue.

Advocate Fralov said the defence sought the deposition of the human rights panel in the case because they wanted to use all the legal options to defend the Gita.

"One of the last few options was to get the Human Rights Committee involved in the case, so that the rights of minorities get highlighted before the court," Fralov said.

He also said Hindus and Krishna devotees in Russia had much earlier represented to the human rights panel asking it to give its views before the court, which it agreed to. The committee, later, also wrote to the Tomsk court that it would like to present its views on the case, which the court accepted.

India has strongly taken up the demand for banning Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, which a group linked to the Christian Orthodox Church has described as 'extremist', with the Russian authorities, Indian Ambassador to Russia Ajay Malhotra said.

"The matter has been taken up by the Indian Embassy in Moscow with the Russian Government at senior official level, seeking its favourable and positive intervention in the matter," Ambassador Malhotra said, as the court in Tomsk postponed its ruling on the petition banning Bhagwad Gita as 'extremist' and allegedly 'sowing' social-discord in Russia.

Malhotra personally and his mission have publicly expressed their support to the local chapter of International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

The final hearing in the Tomsk District Court is scheduled for December 28, as the Court agreed to seek the opinion of the Russian Ombudsman on Human Rights in Tomsk Region and of Indologists from Moscow and St Petersburg (all of whom favour dismissal of the case).

Meanwhile, the move triggered strong protests by Members of Parliament earlier in day. They wanted the Indian Government to take up the matter strongly with Russia. Lok Sabha was disrupted in spurts over a move by a Siberian court in Russia banning the Bhagwad Gita with Yadav chieftains demanded that India should take up the matter with Mocow. With the government yielding to vociferous protests, RJD chief Lalu Prasad signed off the pro-Gita campaign with cheers of Jai Sri Krishna. Besides Lalu, Mulayam Singh and Sharad Yadav joined the protests and pressed for intervention by the government. BJP also joined in the protest after BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab raised the issue in Zero Hour on Monday.

FACT INDIA invites you to the inauguration of the first phase of the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Celebrities who accepted Hinduism, Believes Hinduism is a way of life

The List of Celebrities who accepted Hinduism (They did not convert just accepted this HINDU way of LIFE !) We never asked them, it is the influence of this SANATAN DHARM that made them realize they should now accept what is the true philosophy of a great and good Life ! 

Hinduism is a unique faith! The most obvious misconception about Hinduism is that we tend to see it as just another religion. To be precise, Hinduism is a way of life, a dharma. Dharma does not mean religion. It is the law that governs all action. Thus, contrary to popular perception, Hinduism is not just a religion in the tradition sense of the term. Out of this misinterpretation, has come most of the misconceptions about Hinduism.

From Christianity 

# Chantal Boulanger - French anthropologist who wrote widely on Tamil culture

# Russell Brand - British actor and comedian.

# Claudia Ciesla - German model, actress, and singer embraced Hinduism and believes in Karma.

# Job Charnock - British trade agent who has been controversially described as the founder of Calcutta

# Ilan Chester - Venezuelan singer, keyboardist, arranger and composer

# Alice Coltrane (raised Baptist but became a follower of Satya Sai Baba) – American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer

# Michael Cremo - American creationist, author, and editor

# Bhagavan Das (born Kermit Michael Riggs) – Western Yogi and former born again Christian

# Roy Eugene Davis - American Kriya Yoga teacher

# Krishna Dharma - British author and convert to Gaudiya Vaishnavism under ISKCON

# David Frawley - author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda

# Elizabeth Gilbert - author of Eat Pray Love

# George Harrison - popular English musician, best known as a member of The Beatles who died chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in the company of monks fromISKCON.He is also known for donating Bhaktivedanta Manor, a Hindu temple to the Hare Krishna community in Britain.

# Ilaiyaraaja - Tamil music director.

# Christopher Isherwood - Anglo-American novelist

# Jomol - Malayali actress

# Swami Kriyananda (born J. Donald Walters) – direct disciple of the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda

# Timothy Leary - Harvard professor and American writer and psychologist

# Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami - one of the eleven senior Americans selected to become an initiating guru in ISKCON.

# Savitri Devi Mukherji (born Maximiani Portas) - French woman who became enamoured with Hinduism and Nazism, trying to synthesise Hinduism with Nazi philosophy and racial ideology

# Sister Nivedita (born Margaret Elizabeth Noble) – Anglo-Irish social worker, author, and teacher

# Leelawathy Ramanathan - Australia-born Hindu writer and activist. Converted upon marrying Ponnambalam Ramanathan

# John Levy - British philosopher who translated books on Advaita Vedanta

# Joseph Ritson - English antiquarian and traveller

# Julia Roberts - American Actress.

# Han Snel - Dutch painter of Bali

# Satyananda Stokes - Famous English farmer in Himachal Pradesh

# Bhakti Tirtha Swami (born John E. Favors) – American Hindu leader and disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

# Romapada Swami - Preacher of ISKCON.

# Kenneth R. Valpey - Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologian who studied at Oxford University, St. Cross College

# Richard L. Thompson - American mathematician, academic, creationist, and author 

# Shaunaka Rishi Das (born Timothy Kiernan) – Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies

Islam

# Bukka I - King of Vijayanagara empire who converted to Islam, then reconverted. The early life of Bukka as well as his brother Hakka (also known as Harihara I) are relatively unknown and most accounts of their early life are based on theories.

# Nargis - noted Bollywood actress, politician, and social worker. Mother of actor Sanjay Dutt she converted to Hinduism and took the name of Nirmala Dutt on her marriage to actor Sunil Dutt

# Annapurna Devi (born Roshanara Khan) - surbahar (bass sitar) player and music teacher in the North Indian classical tradition. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.

# Harilal Mohandas Gandhi - son of Mahatma Gandhi. Upon converting to Islam he adopted the name Abdullah Gandhi, but later again reverted back to Hinduism.

# Asha Gawli - (born Ayesha) Wife of Arun Gawli, notorious gangster turned politician from Mumbai, India. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.

# Harihara I - King of Vijayanagara Empire who converted to Islam, then reconverted

# Aashish Khan (born Ustad Aashish Khan Debsharma) – Indian musician

# Hassan Palakkode - Malayali writer on Islam

# Netaji Palkar - Maratha noble and commander-in-chief of the army of Shivaji, 19 June 1676.

# Sarmad - 17th century mystical poet and sufi saint, arrived from Persia to India, beheaded for assumed heresy by the Mughal emperor, Aurungzebe. Sarmad renounced Judaism, briefly converting to Islam and then Hinduism. He later denounced all religions and rejected belief in god.

# Anwar Shaikh - British author.

# Ifa Sudewi - Chief judge for the 2002 Bali bombing trials

# Khushboo Sundar - Tamil movie actress. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.

# Haridas Thakura - Prominent Vaishnavite saint, instrumental in the early appearance and spread of Hare Krishna movement.

# Zubeida - Hindi film actress, on whose life story the film Zubeidaa was based. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage.

# Nalini Patel (born Nayyara Mirza) – Miss India finalist of 1967, was the first Muslim to participate in the pageant. She converted to Hinduism after marriage. She is settled in the USA.

# Sonam (born Bakhtawar Murad) – Wife of Bollywood director Rajiv Rai. She converted to Hinduism upon marriage. She is the niece of character actor Raza Murad and granddaughter of veteran character actor Murad. She is the cousin of actress Sanober Kabir.[citation needed]

From Judaism

# Krishna Das (born Jeffrey Kagel) – singer who performs Indian chants called kirtans[citation needed]

# Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert) - syncretist, and follower of the Hindu deity Hanuman. Professor of psychology at Harvard University

# Hridayananda Goswami (born Howard J. Resnick) – American spiritual leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

# Tamal Krishna Goswami (born Thomas G. Herzig) – governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness[citation needed]

# Radhanath_Swami (born Richard Slavin) – is a Gaudiya Vaishnava guru and a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), author of The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami[citation needed]

From other Dharmic religions ...

Buddhism

# Mihirakula - Huna ruler.

# Rajasinghe I - Sri Lankan king who conquered Kandy

# Rishabhadatta - Satrap viceroy

# Rudradaman I - Satrap ruler and conqueror of the Satavahanas

# Vasudeva I - Kushan king and numismatist

Jainism

# Mahendravarman I - Pallava King and patron of the arts.

# Vishnuvardhana - King of Hoysala empire and prominent temple-builder

# Tirunavukkarasar - Saivite saint and one of the most prominent of the sixty-three Nayanars

Special thanks to Pallav Chaki ... 

This list may not be final; list can be updated as per information ....

Be a part of progress, Modi tells critics

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the critics of the State to stop their vilification campaign and become partners in the progress of the State, and in turn of the country, instead of trying to block the developmental activities.

Speaking after hoisting the national tricolour at Nadiad, the birth place of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to celebrate the 65th Independence Day, Mr. Modi, without naming the Congress leaders, said the six crore people of Gujarat would not tolerate any attempt to defame the State and advised them not to side with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre which was leaving no stone unturned to come in the way of Gujarat's progress.

Mr. Modi enumerated the developmental measures being taken in the State, and announced that the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda next year would be celebrated as the “year of the youth power” during which about 25 lakh youths in the State would be provided with training in various professional skills while about 60,000 youths would be employed in the government jobs.

Mr. Modi claimed that Gujarat was the only State which maintained balance between industrial and agricultural growth.

He said that while the growth rate in the agricultural sector in the country had come to a dead stop, for which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too had expressed concern, Gujarat maintained a healthy growth rate of 10 per cent in the last decade in the agricultural sector.

He said it was a known fact that industrial growth tend to stop the agricultural growth, but his government did not allow it to happen in Gujarat. He said even as industries grew in the State, the hard-working farmers in the State succeeded in bringing additional 8,00,000 hectares of land under cultivation in the last decade.

For the women, he said, the government intended to create more income opportunities under its “Mission Mangalam” which already was providing an additional income of over Rs. 1,000 through some two lakh “Sakhi Mandalis” formed by rural women.

Strongly criticizing those who were opposing industrialization in the State, Mr. Modi said that even in the creation of job opportunities through industrial development, the State was far ahead of all other States in the country.

According to him, Gujarat alone had a share of 59 per cent of the entire job opportunities created in the country while all other States together had the share of the remaining 41 per cent.

Omar quits 17-yr marriage, denies remarriage rumours

Reacting to the news of him being ready to remarry after calling off his 17-odd-year marriage to Payal Nath, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said such stories were completely false.

“Have seen with dismay and anguish the growing tide of speculation in the media about my private life and the status of my marriage. While it’s true my wife and i have separated, speculation about the motives and my future actions are unfounded, untrue,” Omar tweeted.

“Stories abt my remarriage are completely false, concocted. It’s a pity, while repeating these lies, no effort was made to ask me the truth.” he tweeted.

“I appeal to the media to please allow me and my family privacy. Am sure you will appreciate that i have not let this affect my work,” he tweeted adding that a “separate statement will be released shortly.”

Earlier in the day, The Times of India reported that Omar and Payal are parting “on mutual consent”.

The reason, according to the The Sunday Guardian, is a “TV anchor from the state, who the 41-year-old CM wants to marry. The anchor is a divorcee and has been in two live-in relationships since her divorce.”

The paper further reported that Abdullah senior is not too happy with the news as Omar’s new-found love is not Muslim. He’d rather want his son marry a Kashmiri Muslim, in particular, the sister-in-law of Kashmir Home Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani. Omar is ready to remarry, but not his father’s choice.

The Times of India quotes a source:

“Omar definitely knows her well — the name that’s floating online as the one he’s looking to marry — but I don’t think the part about her being responsible for the break-up, or of Omar looking to marry her, is correct. On the other hand, in J&K, talk of a marriage between a girl from the Wani family and Omar has been there for a while.”

Omar married Payal, the daughter of retired Major General Ram Nath in 1994. Ever since Omar assumed office of chief minister, Payal had been living with their sons at Akbar Road Delhi, an address Omar has avoided on his visits to the Capital recently.

Kakori Train Robbery December 19, 1927 : the Story of Real Freedom Fighters

On August 9, 1925 when the No.8 Down Train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was approaching Kakori , some one pulled the chain and the train stopped abruptly. Ashfaqulla got off the second class compartment with his friends Sachindra Bakshi and Rajendra Lahiri. 

He had done the first part of his duty in the Kakori plot that day.

The guard got down to find out in which compartment the chain had been pulled and why. Two revolutionaries fell on him and made him lie down on his face. Two others pushed the driver from the engine to the ground and stood guard over him. One revolutionary stood at each end of the train and both fired shots with their pistols. In the meantime they shouted, "Travellers, do not be afraid. We are revolutionaries fighting for freedom. Your lives, money and honour are safe. But take care not to peep out of the train".

Four young men entered the guard’s van. They managed to push the box to the ground. It had a strong lock. There was an opening on the top; through this opening they could drop moneybags into it. But nothing could be taken out of it.The revolutionaries started dealing blows with hammers to break it open. Ashfaq was the strongest of the group and ran towards the box. He dealt blows after blows on the opening of the box to widen it. 

Suddenly they heard the sound of a train coming from Lucknow. Ramaprasad was frightened for a moment. He trembled at the thought of the moving train colliding with the train they had stopped. 

All eyes were on Ramaprasad. He ordered, "Stop firing. Turn down the pistols. Do not strike the box. Ashfaq, wait a little". The few minutes were like an age. The fast moving train passed by on the other track. The slit in the box was widened and the moneybags were taken out. During this time all passengers remained quiet including the British officers thinking that a big gang of dacoits had attacked the train.

The safe lay open. They were busy taking out the moneybags bundling them in rugs. Some of them walked towards Lucknow with the bundles on their head. Just ten young men had done this difficult job because of their courage, discipline and patience, leadership and, above all, love for the country. They had written a memorable chapter in the history of India’s fight for freedom. These revolutionaries were Ramaprasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Sachindra Bakshi, Chandra Sekhar Azad, Keshab Chakravarty, Banwari Lal, Mukundi Lal, Manmath Nath Gupta and Ashfaqulla Khan.

A month passed after the Kakori dacoity, and yet no one was arrested. But the Government had spread a big net.

On the morning of September 26, 1925 Ramaprasad was arrested. Before the police could arrest Ashfaq, he had escaped from his home and hid in a sugarcane field half a mile from his home. The police grew tired of searching for Ashfaq. All except Ashfaq had been taken into custody. He managed to reach Kashi after a difficult journey and met a few friends in the Benares University. They advised him to live quietly at least for some time. With the help of these friends he went to Bihar. He got a job as a clerk in an engineering firm at Daltonganj in Palamau district. He worked in the firm for about ten months. This long and forced rest became tiresome for him. So he went to Delhi to find out how he could go abroad and began making preparations. He met a Pathan friend from Shahjahanpur. They had been classmates at school. He was happy to meet Ashfaq after a long time. He took Ashfaq to his room and ordered a nice meal for him. They went on talking about old times till 11 o’ clock at night. Then Ashfaq went back to his room.

The next morning Ashfaq was sound asleep. Suddenly there was a loud knock. Ashfaq was still sleepy-eyed as he opened the door. And at once he fell into the hands of the police. Friendship, duty and even the feeling of belonging to the same place – none of these could check the Pathan’s greed for money. The Pathan had fed him, talked to him in a very friendly way and then had handed Ashfaq to the police.

The police wanted to use Ashfaq to suit their plans; they tried very hard to do so. An army officer, Tasadruk Khan, was in the police department and had rendered useful service to the British as their agent in Arabia during the First World War. He met Ashfaq in prison and tried to make him agree to give evidence against his former friends. But Ashfaq did not like his advice. The police charge -sheeted him in the court. By this time the Kakori case had progressed much; the case against Ashfaq was combined with it. A committee had been formed to defend the accused in the main case. Motilal Nehru was the chairman. There were eminent men like Jawaharlal, Sriprakasha, Acharya Narendra Dev, Govind Ballabh Pant and Chandra Bhanu Gupta on the committee.

Life in prison had made Ashfaq very pious. He said his prayers regularly and during Ramzan fasted very strictly. The main case and the complementary case relating to the Kakori train robbery came to an end. The Court of Justice under the British rule gave its judgement. Ramaprasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh were to be put to death; the others were given life sentences.

The whole country protested against the death sentences. Members of the Central Legislature petitioned the Viceroy to reduce their death sentences into life sentences. Appeals were sent to the Privy council, the highest court in those days. But British imperialism was thirsting for the blood of the Indian revolutionaries.

The four revolutionaries sentenced to death died with a smile on their lips and a prayer that they be born again in India so that they could fight again for the country’s freedom. And so they became martyrs.

Ashfaq and Ramaprasad were poets just as they were revolutionaries. Ashfaq had composed poems mostly in Urdu and a few in Hindi. His pen names were Varasi and Hazarat. Ashfaqulla was an ideal revolutionary. His devotion to the cause he admired made him the foremost among those who gave their lives to win freedom for the country. Love for the motherland, clear thinking, courage, firmness and loyalty were embodied in Ashfaq to the hilt. He deserves to be remembered and cherished by all Indians for his noble qualities.

Source : liveindia.com/freedomfighters/kakori

How much money did YSR leave? CBI is busy counting

The 75-room mansion of Former Andhra CM YSR's son, Jagan Reddy is baffling the CBI. CBI officials could not complete the valuation of the bunglaw despite spending a full day with the expert valuers from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. It might take another day to complete the valuation.
Jagan's assets are under probe as per Andhra High Court's order, as there were allegations that Jagan amassed huge wealth when YSR was the CM, through SEZ allotments and irrigation projects. As per the pitition, the wealth is around 43000 Crore.

CBI is also recording the statements of the bankers dealing Jagan's acccounts and his companies. Income Tax officials from Bangalore have also filed an application in the CBI court seeking the information gathered on the assets. They're also probing Jagan's assets based in Karnataka. The court will hear the petition on Monday, October 24.