PM Modi's yoga offensive gets Muslims stressed

Participants perform a ''Surya Namaskar'' (sun salutation) during an early morning yoga session ahead of World Yoga Day, in New Delhi, India, June 13, 2015.

NEW DELHI | BY RUPAM JAIN NAIR AND ANDREW MACASKILL-Tue Jun 16, 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to seize on yoga as India's signature cultural export have his Hindu nationalist allies swelling with pride, but are leaving minority religious groups feeling marginalized.

An enthusiastic practitioner of the regimen himself, Modi set up a new ministry for yoga last year. He also persuaded the United Nations to declare June 21 International Day of Yoga - the first of which will be celebrated in New Delhi on Sunday with a mega yoga event, with schools encouraged to take part.

"After the number zero this is India's biggest contribution to society," said Anil Ganeriwala, a joint secretary in the ministry. "It is a symbol of our cultural richness."

The ministry says yoga is "widely considered as an 'immortal cultural outcome' of the Indus Saraswati valley civilizations," which date back to 2,700 B.C.

 

Hindu nationalist groups, including Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have said they want to resurrect India's past glory, a concept based on a mix of history and Hindu myth.

"Yoga is part of ancient India's cultural heritage," said Manmohan Vaidya, an RSS spokesman. "By celebrating yoga on a mass scale we are validating our glorious past."

The glory days, however, precede Islam and Christianity, and the yoga push comes at a time of heightened fears among religious minorities that the BJP and its right-wing allies are trying to change India from a secular nation to a Hindu country.

Members of India's minority groups say the move to promote yoga is a ploy to whip up Hindu pride and marginalize the country's 175 million Muslims. India's main opposition Congress party has also attacked the yoga event as a political gimmick.

"It is a campaign to enforce Hindu rituals on all non-Hindus," said Abdul Rahim Qureshi, the assistant general secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

OMITTING ‘OM’

Every morning when at his official bungalow, Modi sits cross-legged on a cotton mat for yoga and meditation. He spends 20 minutes in a room overlooking manicured lawns and palm trees.

"For several years it has been his way to streamline his thoughts ahead of a gruelling schedule," an aide said. 

Some proponents of yoga argue that it is an exercise regimen that transcends religion, and so Muslims are wrong to oppose the government for encouraging it.

Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu priest who is now a prominent BJP legislator, said last week minority groups that oppose yoga should either leave the country or drown themselves in the sea.

The RSS last year passed a resolution calling for yoga to be made compulsory in schools and universities.

Rafiq Ali, an administrator at the Fatehpuri Muslim senior secondary school in Delhi, said the school recently introduced yoga in its curriculum and at least 350 Muslim students take lessons every week.

"We teach yoga but have excluded the prayers and Hindu chants," Ali said, referring to "Om", a Hindu chant evoked during yoga.

"Why end the event with a Hindu prayer?" Ali said. "The government can end it with the national anthem if they believe yoga belongs to India."

(Editing by Alex Richardson)

Modi’s Yoga Movement Can Be Game Changer

Mr. Modi’s yoga movement must be seen as one of his positive initiatives along with several other steps such as clean India campaign, make in India campaign etc. and all these campaigns are oriented towards improving the all round personality of the country men and has to essentially viewed as a welfare measure.

by N.S.Venkataraman

( June 15, 2015, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Pledged critics of Mr. Narendra Modi in India and abroad have attributed motives to Mr. Narendra Modi for his initiative in spreading yoga culture in India. The critics have said variety of things including that Mr. Modi is imposing Hindu religious practices on others and therefore, yoga movement is anti secular.There have also been criticisms that Mr. Modi frequently anno unces his whimsical ideas and make tall claims about the benefits of his ideas with the view to promoting his personality . There have been a few more similar uncharitable observations.

India has to develop in multiple directions to occupy it’s rightful place in the global arena. While industrial growth and economic development are vital factors that should improve, it is also necessary that the battle for the future in India has to be fought in the minds and hearts of the citizens. Further, physical health factors of the citizens are also important elements of growth.

Several developed countries which have thought in the past that economic and industrial growth are the be all and end all of developments are now having a relook at such approach and are veering to the view that holistic development of man is necessary , without excessively focussing only on material affluence. This is the reason that in the developed western countries ,atleast some people are looking at the developing countries like India to get inputs about the ancient philosophies and practices of these regions, where there have been greater stress on man and his mind as against material welfare.

In India today, there have been considerable deterioration in value systems in life amongst people in general. Corruption has become the order of the day and character building has been receiving less importance even in the educational institutions. These are serious issues facing the country that have to be tackled in an imaginative way appropriate to the present Indian conditions and in tune with the traditional practices in the country. This is what Mr. Modi is attempting to achieve by spreading yoga movement in a big way amongst all sections of the country men, particularly amongst children.

It is well known that the mental health and physical health conditions are often inter related and are also said to be inter dependent to some extent. The practitioners of yoga repeatedly stress the fact that yoga can develop all round personality in individuals to some extent by enabling focus of the mind and the body together on a cause.

The advantages and merits of practicing yoga are now recognised in several countries and United Nations also has accorded it’s approval. Several medical practitioners and researchers advise people to practice yoga to maintain good and robust health. Regular practice of yoga can certainly bring an element of discipline amongst individuals and when children are encouraged to perform yoga at the formative age group , it will have a positive influence on their life style as they grow up.

Certainly, yoga movement can positively influence the life style of Indians and atleast in some cases, it can promote discipline and value system. While yoga may not be a wholesome solution for the variety of issues faced in India with regard to the life style of individuals , certainly, it can have a positive impact to some extent. Obviously, this is what Mr. Modi is striving to achieve.

Mr. Modi’s yoga movement must be seen as one of his positive initiatives along with several other steps such as clean India campaign, make in India campaign etc. and all these campaigns are oriented towards improving the all round personality of the country men and has to essentially viewed as a welfare measure.

Mr. Modi’s yoga movement has the potential to emerge as game changer in India

Criticisms against Mr. Modi’s launching of yoga movement is unwarranted, motivated and counter productive.

Thousands flee Indonesia’s Mount Sinabung volcano (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

In this photo taken with slow shutter speed, hot lava flows from the crater of Mount Sinabung as seen from Tiga Serangkai, North Sumatra, Indonesia, early Monday. Pic: AP.

By Asian Correspondent Staff Jun 16, 2015
Authorities in western Indonesia have evacuated more villagers living near the Mount Sinabung volcano.

The restive mountain, which has been rumbling for weeks, has been alarming officials in recent days after it unleashed more plumes of smoke and ash into the air.

Government volcanologist Gede Suantika says at least 28 hot ash avalanches occurred at Mount Sinabung on Monday and that there are indications the crater’s lava dome continues to grow in size.

Villagers carry their belongings as they are evacuated from their homes on the slope of Mount Sinabung in Kuta Tengah, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Monday. Pic: AP.

Subur Tambun, head of the local disaster mitigation agency, said hundreds of residents were being evacuated Monday from three villages. More than 1,000 people are thought to have left the area Monday, bringing the total number of evacuees to more than 3,000.

Subur said 99 families were moved from a village on Saturday when the mountain unleashed a new powerful burst, sending hot ash as far as 3 kilometers (2 miles) down its southeastern slopes.

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#Sinabung by Theger Bre Meliala June 13 - 17:05 pm Hot cloud of Glowing magma poured [2] @infobencana @chematierra

11:09 AM - 15 Jun 2015

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15 Juni -Setelah bbrp desa dievakuasi, ds Perbaji mnjdi yg terdekat dg #Sinabung saat ini [foto:DediVG] @infobencana

11:22 AM - 15 Jun 2015

 Authorities have been closely monitoring 2,460-meter-high (8,070-foot) Mount Sinabung on Sumatra island since June 2, when its threat status was raised to the highest alert level.

Sinabung has been erupting sporadically since 2010, before which it was dormant for centuries.

The videos below show some of the activity on the volcano this month:

What Spending Too Much Time Sitting On The 

Computer Is Doing To Your Health

Spirit Science and Metaphysics

By Steven Bancarz| According to research published in 2014, 87% of Americans use the internet.  We all know what it is like to spend long hours at a computer, either for leisure or work purposes.  In fact, some of you may spend 7 to 8 hours a day sitting at down a computer each day, in which case this is some extremely important information for you.

Regardless of the reasons you spend at the computer, it’s important to realize that.  Millions visit the hospital each year experiencing symptoms of lower back pain, but very few realize that this is connected to the pressure being put on our lower back from sitting all day at the computer.

When you sit in a chair for extended periods of time, you are not only effecting your back.  You effect your posture, your blood flow, your muscles, your nerves, your eyes, and your brain.  As we will see, it’s one of the biggest health crises our modern world faces, and hardly anybody is talking about it.

As harmless as it may seem, spending too much time at the computer may just be one of the leading causes of health problems today.  Sitting is the new smoking. Literally.  It’s just as addicting, and in some cases, it may be just as harmful to your health long-term.

Negative effects sitting has on our health

Researchers at the Journal of Physical Activity and Health found that the odds of disability were 1.52 times greater for every one hour increase in sedentary time, independent of time spent in moderate-vigorous activity.  In other words, spending time on the computer sitting down increases your chance of physical disability, regardless of how much you balance it out with physical activity.

A paper published this year in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that prolonged sedentary behaviour was associated with a 15 to 20 per cent higher risk of death from any cause; a 15 to 20 per cent higher risk of heart disease, death from heart disease, cancer, death from cancer; and as much as a 90 per cent increased risk of developing diabetes.  In particular, researchers found that sitting long hours a day is linked to a much higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

In fact, an analysis that pooled data from 41 international studies, Toronto researchers found the amount of time a person sits during the day is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and death, regardless of regular exercise.

Other effects sitting has on your health

Here is a list of other adverse effects sitting can have on the health of your organs, muscles, tensions, and nervous system:

1. Tight hips
2. Mushy abdominal muscles
3. Brain fog
4. Neck strain
5. Shoulder and back pain
6. Inflexible spine
7. Vertebral disk damage
8. Strained neck
9. Poor circulation in legs
10. Obesity from lack of movement

Here is a helpful infographic to help put a picture to these negative health effects:

Breaking cultural habits

It’s a habit to get home and sit in front of a screen.  But it’s also a habit to experience preventable health issues in our culture.  Some people don’t have a choice but to work a 9-5 job where they sit at a computer all day.  I once did this as well.  With the amount of hours the average American spends sitting at work each day, finding balance in the workplace is essential to prevent a health crisis down the line.

Many people think that “relaxing” means turning on the television or hopping on their laptop.  The brain is still in a state where it is procession information, synthesizing data, and taking in new stimuli.  This actually uses up more of your mental energy and fills your mind with programming from propaganda and advertising.

Its a habit of our society to equate time in front of a screen with relaxation.  It’s a habit to feel mentally fatigued.  It’s a habit to be addicted to stimulus.  What would people thousands of years ago say about our lifestyle? What about Tibetan monks, yogis, and spiritual teachers?  Our lifestyle is clearly failing us. It’s just a matter of breaking the habit.

Holistic health

Eat well. Sleep well. Play often. Exercise. Give yourself some time away from inner and outer chaos.  Spend time in nature. Go on adventures.  Relax. Release. Turn off the television, stop spending so much time on the computer, and read instead.  Drink herbal teas.  Stretch. Meditate. Drink more water.  Love yourself enough to know that your minds addiction to stimulus is not worth shortening your lifespan for.

Deep down, we all know how to take care of ourselves.  It’s just a matter of getting back to basics and looking at all of the moving parts that are involved in overall wellness.

About the author: My name is Steven Bancarz, and I am the creator of ‘Spirit Science and Metaphysics’.  Thank you for reading this article! If you are interested in staying connected, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter HERE.

Coconut saplings for war widows – an innovative project worth emulating

by MCM Iqbal 

- on 06/15/2015 

Since the end of the war the Government and other organisations  within and outside Sri Lanka  have being helping the victims of the war in the North and the East  to enable them to resume their normal lives.  Among the organisations that helped  were  many  charitable institutions of  the Tamils in the  diaspora.  Their  affinity   towards  the members of their own community prompted  them instinctively to help the victims  who had survived the vagaries of the war.  These charitable organisations and some of the philanthropists in the diaspora  have disbursed  large amounts of monies  during the past six years providing various kinds of assistance for the rehabilitation of the victims and to reconstruct some of the damages caused  by  the war to the infrastructure.

Coconut Saplings for War Widows – an Innovative Project Worth Emulating by Thavam Ratna

Sinhala occupation of pastureland causes existential threat to Batticaloa Tamil farmers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 June 2015, 23:19 GMT]
316 Tamil farmers belonging to two administrative divisions in Batticaloa district own around 85,000 cattle. The cattle-herders from this region have been officially demarcated 45,000 acres of lands in Maathava'nai, Periya-maathava'ani and Mayilaththa-madu. More than 5,000 Tamils are dependent on the cattle industry in the region. They supply 15,000 litres of milk to three collecting centres run by Milko and Nestlé in Kiraan and Chengkaladi. The Sinhala colonisers have seized 12,000 acres (one fourth) of the allocated pastureland. Operatives belonging to SL Wildlife Conservation Department and the occupying Sinhala soldiers have been chasing the Tamil cattle herders away as the intruding Sinhala farmers engage in Chena-cultivation. The Tamil farmers demand a permanent solution before the Sinhala intruders are set to commence Chena cultivation for next season in August 2015. 



The Tamil farmers, trying to recover from the loss of their cattle during the final phase of the war in the East, are now forced to struggle to defend not only their livelihood, but also one of their key industries in the district, says Sivagnanam Krishnapillai, a Tamil farmer from Chiththaa'ndi who has been taking his cattle to Mayilaththa-madu for several years. 

“Knowing that there is nobody to defend our rights, the Sinhala settlers, with the backing of military are chasing us out. They seize the cattle, demand ransom for releasing them when we go searching for them. They have killed 232 cows in recent times,” he told TamilNet in a video interview. 

The pasturelands were earlier under the civil administration of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sinhalicisation of the area had been successfully contained for decades. 

The cattle farmers were given access to approximately 45,000 acres of grazing lands as officially declared by the Sri Lankan Government in a gazette notification several years ago. 

The practice has also been confirmed by the Divisional Secretariats at Chengkaladi and Kiraan. 

During the last phase of the war in Batticaloa in 2007-2008, the people from this area were totally uprooted. At that time, the occupying SL military had slaughtered a large number of their cows. The Sinhala military had also sold a lot of these cows to Muslim traders from other parts of the island. 

There were around 225,000 cattle registered in the entire district before the final phase of the war in 2007. After the war, the number was reduced to 175,000. 

The large pasturelands situated northwest of Batticaloa city, is viewed as a single block of lands (Ka'ndam) by the cattle herders. 

Another cattle farmer, Arulanantham Subramaniyam, who was arrested and harassed by the SL Wildlife Conservation Department operatives and the SL Justice system in 2014 explained how the Sinhala intruders demand ransom and how the SL military commanders deal with the problem. 

The government officials, especially the Divisional Secretariat officials, have failed to stop the occupation of the pasturelands, they accused. 

The SL government officials, who should be giving free medical services to the cattle that become affected by illness, have been demanding money to even come and inspect their cattle, they add. 

The Tamil politicians, who visit Tamil voters during the times of election, also promise that they would look after their problems. But, they have also failed to deliver anything from the new regime in Colombo, the Tamil farmers accused. 

Kurunathan Kathirgamathamby, the former Land Commissioner of the Eastern Province, who gave an in-depth interview to TamilNet in May 2015, also confirmed the extent of the problem faced by the Tamil farmers. 

The Sinhala settlers have seized more than 12,000 acres of the lands in Maathava’nai and Periya-maathava’nai area alone, according to Mr Kurunathan.

Zeid wants credible mechanisms in place before September session

June 15, 2015

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) will remain very engaged in discussions with the Sri Lankan authorities on the need for transparent and inclusive processes to develop credible mechanisms for accountability and reconciliation, ahead of the report to the September session, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

The observation was made at the opening remarks of the 29th Human Rights Council Session which began in this morning (15) at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
   

“The new Government in Sri Lanka has passed a constitutional amendment which, if implemented appropriately, brings renewed hope for democracy and the rule of law.  I encourage the Government to consult broadly with all political parties, civil society, and above all victims and their families, to ensure full national support and ownership of these processes,” he added.

Hrc29 0pening Statement Final Final 15 June by Thavam Ratna

Double Vote Element Would Strengthen President’s Vision On Electoral Reform: Assembly Of Minor Parties

June 15, 2015

Assembly of minor parties (AMP) which met yesterday resolved to push for double vote system and claimed that it would strengthen the mandate received by president Maithripala Sirisena at the January 8th elections. Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan dismissed the school of thought that minority parties are sabotaging the 20A as absurd and misleading. He said they are for the electoral reform and extend fullest support to president Maithripala Sirisena’s reform concept that seeks MPs for every polling division and abolishes preferential vote.

Mano Ganesan

Issuing a statement today the TPA said;”We demand to qualify above concept with the proposal to grant double votes to every voter. The double vote will enable the voters to use one vote to elect his or her candidate of choice in the polling division and use the other vote to select his or her party of choice. The vote to candidate will immediately be calculated to choose the MP of the polling division while the vote to party will be calculated to nationally. The voters are at peace selecting the right and capable person of their choice at their electorate while expressing their loyalty to their party through the party vote. This is an exercise of adding more meaning to the electoral process. Besides, the double vote element added to president Sirisena’s electoral reform package will ensure the existence of the minor parties. The minor parties are very necessary elements in a functioning democracy like Sri Lanka.

“As the double vote is value addition to electoral reforms proposed by the president, we demand the inclusion of this element in already proposed 20A. We have decided to refrain from supporting the 20A in the current format that is minus double vote element.Read More

Can music lead to social harmony in Sri Lanka?

After a long civil war, a children's orchestra aims to bridge gaps between Sinhalese and Tamil ethnic groups.

Ethnic Sinhalese and Tamil children are bridging post-war divisions through music [Dinouk Colombage/Al Jazeera]

Dinouk Colombage-14 Jun 2015

Mulliativu, Sri Lanka - Although Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war ended in 2009, an entire generation remains scarred by the conflict.

Many children grew up knowing nothing but the trauma of war, which pitted the majority Sinhalese against the minority Tamil ethnic group.

In 2012, as the country was struggling with reconciliation, a privately funded group called the Music Project was launched. It aims to bring together children of different ethnicities through the formation of a youth orchestra.

Shalini Wickramasuriya is the driving force behind the project. Her inspiration for the venture, she explained, emerged from a similar project in Venezuela.

As the conflict was fought on ethnic lines, the idea that children from different races could come together to form an orchestra shows the country has a promising future. Shalini Wickramasuriya, Music Project

"In Venezuela, many children come from broken homes. Their childhood is disrupted by the violence that surrounds them. Music is a great healer, and it has done great things for children over there. I hope to emulate that over here with these children who have been exposed to the war," she said.

The children chosen for the programme come from northern Sri Lanka, where much of the fighting took place, and they are selected from both Sinhala and Tamil areas.

Many of those who were chosen for the inaugural group in 2012 were directly affected by the war.

"Some of these children have lost parents to the war," said Wickramasuriya.

"As the conflict was fought on ethnic lines, the idea that children from different races could come together to form an orchestra shows the country has a promising future."

Music for friendship

Since 2012, the number of children in the programme has swelled. Today, nearly 500 children between the ages of 11-16 take part.

Because of difficult travel logistics, children are given music lessons at their schools through an after-school programme organised by the trainers of the Music Project. Twice a year, the kids and their parents come together for a one-week camp where they perform a concert.

The project has seen children from different ethnic backgrounds form strong friendships.

On the final day of the camp, the children spent their lunch break playing with one another, showing no signs of division along ethnic lines. In this part of Sri Lanka, students learn both the Tamil and Sinhalese languages in school, so they are able to easily communicate with one another.

At one point, Kavin, a 12-year-old Sinhalese boy, grabbed his friends - one of whom is a Tamil - and said that he wanted a picture taken of them.

Kavin and his friends [Dinouk Colombage/Al Jazeera]

"We are going to start a band together, but only after we play cricket for Sri Lanka," he promised.

The boy explained that he started playing the flute when he was nine years old.

"I never played an instrument before. I only wanted to play cricket. Since coming here, I can play cricket all day with my friends and also practise for our band."

Kavin responded in a confused manner when asked whether he enjoys playing in a band made up of Sinhalese and Tamil children.

"I like playing in this band because I like my music," he said. "A lot of the others who play here are my friends, so I enjoy that also."

Healing wounds

In addition to the children's friendships, Wickramasuriya said some of their parents are also becoming close.

"These parents have spent their lives associating [with people] from similar racial backgrounds. After 30 years of war, it is heartening to see friendships sprout up between the Sinhalese and Tamil parents."

N Balakrishnan, the mother of a Tamil girl, said the programme has helped her to move on from the war.

The Music Project has also allowed parents from the two sides of the conflict a safe space to socialise [Dinouk Colombage/Al Jazeera]

"For almost 20 years we had very little contact with the Sinhalese. We only knew them as soldiers. Even when I was a child I had little contact with them. Thankfully, my daughter does not have that same issue," Balakrishnan said.

She said her daughter is close friends with a Sinhalese girl who also plays the flute.

"They write letters to each other and are almost inseparable during the programme," said Balakrishnan.

The music the children play is mainly classical Western music, and most of the trainers are specialised in the field. In the future, Wickramasuriya said she hopes to also have the children play traditional Sinhala and Tamil music.

"For this programme to be a real success, we must expose the children to the different cultures that inhabit the country," said Wickramasuriya. 

Now in its fourth year, the programme will soon attempt to hold concerts around the country, said Wickramasuriya.

"The musical talent that is being uncovered by this programme is astounding. The children deserve the opportunity to show off their talent to the country," Wickramasuriya said.

"To see Sinhala and Tamil children combine to form an orchestra will send a signal to the country that genuine reconciliation is a possibility."

Source: Al Jazeera