October 2019 Festivals of the World

WISH YOU THE VERY BEST ON THESE CELEBRATIONS http://centerforpluralism.com/festivals/

10/01/19 – Rosh Hashanah ends (Jewish)
10/02/19 – Jashan of Mehregan (Zoroastrian)
10/02/19 – Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday
10/07/19 – Navaratri Ends (Hindu)
10/08/19 – Dussehra (Hindu)
10/09/19 – Yom Kippur (Jewish)

10/14/19 – Indigenous People’s day /Columbus Day
10/17/19 – Karwa Chauth (Hindu)
10/20/19 – Birth of Guru Granth (Sikh)
10/20/19 – Birth of Bahaullah (Bahai)
10/26/19 – Jashan of Abangenan (Zoroastrian)
10/27/19 – Diwali

We hope the major festivals of all religions and general holidays are included here, if we miss it, please let us know.

Mike Ghouse
SpeakerMikeGhouse@gmail.com

Narendra Modi’s speech and political pluralism

https://countercurrents.org/2019/05/narendra-modis-speech-and-political-pluralism

Whenever I can, I listen to the speeches of political leaders and I have done the same with a few speeches of Prime Minister Modi. The following video is about 70 minutes long. The speech was made around May 24, 2019.

Prime Minister Modi is unquestionably one of the greatest orators of this decade. I watched his full speech to the NDA – that is the National Democratic Alliance made up of BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) and regional parties.

He rightfully acknowledged the contributions of Dr. Ambedkar who gave the constitution and acknowledged the sacrifices of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Then he added Veer Savarkar as a contributor to the spirit of independence and that is to please the base, as Veer Savarkar is one of the guys who sowed the seeds of discord and promoted ill-will towards fellow Indians. If someone hates a fellow Indian because he is a Muslim or a Christian, it was because of wrongful propaganda of Veer Savarkar, Golwalker and a handful of others. I wish they had believed in freedom and respect for the otherness of the other. We cannot blame them for what they did, but at least we should not repeat their mistakes.

PM Modi talked about Sab ka saath, sab ka Vikas, a great slogan, and added sab ka Vishwa’s – that is the trust. Together with all, prosperity for all and confidence of everyone. He missed the opportunity to achieve that, or he may not have meant it. He has to clarify that.

PM Modi, could have laid out a plan in a few words how to achieve everyone’s trust, urging his base to give up on lynching, harassing and making the life difficult for ‘minorities’ and have a national day where all Indians come together and celebrate unity. Take a pledge that each one of us will contribute towards building goodwill among fellow Indians and not ill-will.

Overall the speech was good but severely deficient, as it was not the speech to Indians, but a speech to his base. He delivered them the red meat.

He urged the audience to speak up when they see something wrong, and my first response was Mr. Prime Minister, let that begin with you, you take the lead and speak up when there is a rape, when someone is lynched, harassed or beaten up in daylight. Don’t wait for three days to stop the damage. Much of the crimes would go away if you speak up instantly. What holds you from speaking? He has to earn the trust of all to bring sustainable prosperity to all.

Do you agree, the most patriotic person is the one who keeps the government on their toes and prevent them from making mistakes? You do your share, and I will do mine because I care about every Indian, and my work would bring Indians together and not pit one against the other.

The Prime Minister can start with one simple step – open the speech with Namaste, Jai Bhim, Salaam, Satsri Akal, Jai Jinendra, Buddha Namo, AlahAbho and Shalom. That is how you start to sab ka saath, the saath of 1.25 billion Indians in one single sweep.

Related: Why Integrated societies are good for America (India).
http://centerforpluralism.com/why-integrated-societies-are-good-for-america/

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is about Muslim earning their respectable space in the society. The book is available at Amazon, Xlibris, Google, Barnes and Noble, and Kindle. Mike’s mission is to open people’s hearts, minds, and souls towards each other. He believes that the ultimate purpose of humans is to live freely and be comfortable with their culture, race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, and individuality. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, a newsmaker and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him in three formats at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/

India's Constitution

The short-sightedness of Modi Government will ruin India. If they turn India into a Hindu Taliban state, the world will have more problems again as we had in Afghanistan.  No Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh or other will have peace of mind; fear mongering will reach its zenith that will lead to investors pulling out of India, which will collapse the economy in a domino effect. In trying to hurt, harass, lynch Muslims, Dalits, and Christians, the BJP will hurt every Hindu.  His friends will take the money and go elsewhere, to hell with the average Indian. I hope people wake up now than later.

The good news is, it will not happen, the 2019 elections will bring strong opposition and the BJP and the others will fight like cats and dogs and the public will be spared from their rotten bills they are planning to introduce.

Here is Shashi Tharoor. 

Another one on what and who is a Hindu?

https://www.facebook.com/sarah.nathan.5/videos/10156378129909084/?t=7

Voters Now Know Modi-Shah

Thanks to Harbans Mukhia and the Wire for presenting one of the most hopeful articles based on reality. 

In the closed-door meetings, Modi and Shah 'may' have laughed their guts out,  " Dekho hum ne en Hinduoon ko kaisay chootiya banaya, Daliton, easaw-iyoon aur Musalmanon ko kaise dara ke rakha hai? Salon ko ladao, aur apna ullu theek karo." Look, how we made assesses out of Hindus and frightened the crap out of Dalits, Christians, and Muslims. Let's make fools out of them and get us what we want.

George Bush had famously said, you can fool someone, once or twice but not all the times. Indians have finally risen, they will not be fooled in 2019 so that these two bigots can have a laugh at them.

"The BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh combine had worked out an invincible formula: wild promises in the name of Vikas (development) at the macro level; and keeping alive innumerable micro-level communal fires on the ground."

I hope the majority of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and others carry ready to film mobile phones and instantly report to the news agencies, not Modi news, but Indian news agencies who are not sold outs.  I urge the media to open up their resources to showcase what people see on the ground.

If BJP wants to win, let them win fair and square and not by intimidating or communalizing. Let the Election Commission put a stop to this nonsense. 

Get your camera ready, show to the world, we the people, care about genuine Vikas, that is food on the table, education, housing and jobs.... not a temple, gurdwara, mosque or a church, that won't give us a better life.  Let every Indian has an opportunity to achieve his or her dream without hindrance. 

Mike Ghouse is committed to cohesive societies, where no human has to live in apprehension or fear of the other.

# # # 

Voters Now Know Modi-Shah Aren't the Masters of Statecraft They Claimed to Be

Courtesy: The Wire

For the nth time, both the ruling party and the opposition are being reminded that Indian voters are not to be taken for granted.

A striking change in the country’s political discourse seems to have been evolving over the past few weeks; now, with the by-election results out, it is writ large on the wall for everyone to see. The change is from “Can the opposition parties survive the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah onslaught in 2019?” to “Can the Bharatiya Janata Party survive the challenge to it from a single or united opposition platform?” In some ways, this is a great compliment to the vibrancy of Indian democracy, which has forever let it out not to take the Indian voter for granted. The message is there once again, for the nth time, for both the BJP and the opposition.

The BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh combine had worked out an invincible formula: wild promises in the name of vikas (development) at the macro level; and keeping alive innumerable micro-level communal fires on the ground. The formula was seen to be working for about three of the four years of the Modi-Shah regime, reinforcing the duo’s self-belief in the mastery of statecraft. Their lampooning of the past 70 years, “Kuchh nahin hua (Nothing has happened)”, was meant to impress on everyone this new departure in statecraft. A new era had dawned for Indian politics, which was unlike any other since independence.

The ‘vikas’ jumla 

The flaws in this strategy are now coming home to roost. Wild promises always boomerang on the promise maker. All the absurd assurances handed out in strident voice accompanying second-rate theatrics by Modi during the election campaign in 2013-14 are now being played out on social media in video clips to the BJP leaders as reminders; the joke is now on them. What if these get played on impromptu screens by opposition parties in their election campaigns for 2019? No repetition of their words by their opponents has the same impact as the audio-visual original clip has. Shah has also greatly aided the opposition by announcing that the promise of Rs 15 lakhs to every Indian citizen’s account was a jumla; consequently, ‘jumla baaz sarkar‘ has become the sticker on every new promise that Modi is throwing at the crowd. The second sticker is on incessant lying: jhuth ki sarkar.

The formula had a modicum of chance of working had Modi been able to fulfil any of even his not-so-wild promises – price control, help to farmers, some visible growth in jobs, controlling corruption, widening the circle and quality of education and health – most of which are within the realm of the possible, at least in part. But his performance on all of these scores is pitiful. Comparisons with the much-reviled UPA regime are now surfacing – to the detriment of Modi.

Divide and rule

It is understandable that Modi-Shah should avoid reference to vikas since last year, especially after the disastrous demonetisation. In the recent elections around the country, they have fallen back exclusively on the second string of their new statecraft: divide and rule. The dividend it paid them in Uttar Pradesh was overwhelming. It also follows, then, that the dividend that is now being withdrawn is also most dramatic in the recent UP by-polls, though this is largely true elsewhere as well. The message embedded in BJP’s defeats in the Hindutva heartland like Gorakhpur and Kairana (and not to forget Phulpur) could not have been delivered more vociferously.

The opposition parties have also taken care on two counts: the realisation that electoral arithmetic is dead set against any single party including the BJP (remember 31% vote share in 2014) and therefore combining votes is the only open option; and to focus their campaign not on the agenda set by the BJP but on the everyday problems of the people, especially farmers and the youth. In other words, the agenda should be set not by the leaders but by the people. And in the end, people’s problems consist of earning their livelihood and moving on with their lives; looking into their neighbours’ kitchens does not fill their bellies.

Like this, the agenda the BJP-RSS had set is being set aside. Life is resurfacing to assert its supremacy over divisive strategies. Interestingly, massive help from the electronic and print media, the mainstay of the new statecraft, so decisive in 2014, too has fallen prey to the inevitable rule of diminishing returns. It is fair to say that the media too has had some honourable exceptions. Once again, life asserting itself over fakery.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, BSP’s Mayawati, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, and others attend Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy’s swearing in. Credit: PTI/Shailendra Bhojak

Modi-Shah will now hold forth on how opportunistic and unprincipled the opposition is in seeking to form a joint front against the BJP and seeking to make the forthcoming battle entirely presidential with the powerful TINA slogan. That is, if in desperation it does not launch massive communal conflagration à la 2002 or pick a tiff with Pakistan to drown out all other agenda. While several leaders like Mayawati have been warning people on these counts for over a year now, it is interesting how the same fears were expressed by the most ordinary villagers of Kairana, to at least NDTV reporters on camera after the poll results on May 31.

However loudly the BJP debaters on TV channels might shout, the elections in India have mostly been non-presidential. That is, people go to the polling booth to elect an MP and not the prime minister. It took the presidential format once when Indira Gandhi swamped the opposition in 1971 and again when Modi did it in 2014. No other election was won in the name of one supreme leader. After that presidential form of election, Gandhi had to bite the dust in 1977; let us see what happens in 2019. But the TINA factor has never worked twice. Besides, 2004 is an outstanding example of TINA’s grossest failure.

After a very successful term, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had a media-hyped India Shining record, with a young and dynamic Pramod Mahajan organising an army of even younger computer wizards at his beck and call, with the caste, religious and economic break up of every single constituency available in the BJP election war room, with a ‘world statesman’ Vajpayee, assisted by ‘lauh purush’ Advani, visible on every TV screen day in and day out, with the opposition in a shambles, with Sonia Gandhi’s candidature compromised by her foreign origin because of which many stalwart Congressmen had parted company, India still did not vote for a prime minister but for MPs from whom to choose the prime minister. And one who emerged prime minister, Manmohan Singh, was the least like a “president”. He ruled for ten long years.

Therefore, much as the BJP will try to pitch its campaign on the TINA factor in the absence of any other, it would be a fraught campaign.

The second, communal option is becoming less and less dividend-paying, and this has been established several times over in the last four years. First Delhi and then Bihar were the early warning signs. Recent election results from across the country have reinforced those signs.

Of course, hearing BJP leaders condemning opposition alliances as unprincipled and opportunistic would be great fun. Some amusement is welcome in these times of great tension.

Harbans Mukhia was a teacher of history at JNU.

Modi will Sink India if he does no reign in on the rapists

“Whenever adharma takes over a nation, it needs a Krishna to restore faith and trust in the society, and that Krishna is the collective consciousness of Indians resting in women, businessmen, and young men.  They have to take their nation back from irresponsible chaotic governance and restore the good old days of the past where people were not afraid of each other and lived their lives instead of battling their lives.”

The brutal rape of an 8-year old and the 4 –year-old is beyond anyone’s understanding. It was a brutal rape and murder. I hope as a nation we condemn what is bad and encourage what is good regardless of the politics or religion of the individual.

This tragedy has united most of the Indians except a few party members of Mr. Modi and Mr. Yogi who are defending the rapists. What is disgusting is even women members of the party like Kirron Kher are discounting it by saying that the rape culture is not new in India.  With friends like her, BJP does not need enemies.

My first response was apprehension.  How difficult must it have been for the child to endure the last few minutes of her life? Several images of 8-year-olds ran through my mind and could not help feel the anguish and anger.  How must mothers and fathers feel if their daughter is out on her way to school?

My second response was, punish the criminals swiftly and restore the trust in society.

I hoped the Prime Minister, and each Chief Minister with the State Police commissioners will jointly announce zero tolerance and severe punishment to criminals who hurt innocent people. If they don’t, we the people need to harass them to do it. At last, we the people have a right to decide whom we appoint to govern us, and how they are accountable to us.

A Bill must be introduced in the Parliament that would require “married men and women” to run the public office, preference must be given to those candidates who have daughters. It is not to discriminate against single people but to ensure the men and women who are responsible for public safety have the heart to empathize with the pain of mothers.

I urge Modi and Yogi to get married, and I am sure they are potent enough for God to bless them with a daughter each to understand at least the anguish of fathers, if not mothers. Sloganeering is good, but their actions determine if they are shooting their mouth off, or if they respect every man and woman of India.

I would appeal to the moderate members of the BJP to take bold steps and correct the mistakes and restore justice and the rule of law in India.

Ms. Prathiba Prahlad from New Delhi was one of the first few individuals in the nation to express her outrage well, and it reflects the sentiments of most mothers of India. Prathiba is a Dancer, Scholar, Culture Specialist, Festival Director at DIAF, Padma & Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee.

“I’m sick in the pit of my stomach & in deep, deep anguish! Just imagine what horrendous pain, fright & brutality little baby Asifa would have gone through! I’m ashamed of our politicians, I’m ashamed of our society, I’m ashamed of myself & my helplessness! I wish I didn’t live to see this day! India – hang your head in shame … so many of our children, adolescents & youngsters are brutalized every other day! And we call our land a holy land??? A holy land filled with ugly, twisted, violent, brutal, heartless, soulless psychos who commit beastly crimes in the name of religion, caste, honour or just because they view the innocent & the vulnerable an easy prey ??? This land can never be holy unless justice is done to these innocents – unless laws are amended, justice is fast-tracked & the guilty are castrated, tortured & publicly killed … they don’t deserve a trial for god’s sake – even at the risk of being termed undemocratic!”

Whenever adharma takes over a nation, it needs a Krishna to restore faith and trust in the society, and that Krishna is the collective consciousness of Indians resting in women, businessmen, and young men.  They have to take their nation back from irresponsible chaotic governance and restore the good old days of the past where people were not afraid of each other and lived their lives instead of battling their lives. We did not have the lynchings, harassments, and murdering of people who differed with us. We did not regulate what one should eat, and that freedom had offered relative peace.

Why should a mother support BJP?  What security she has for her daughter if these men don’t feel the pain of the mothers? Women tourists are scared to go to Modi’s India and Yogi’s Taj Mahal for fear of being raped. Is this the India we want?

Ban those lawyers from practicing the law for defending the rapists, and ban the politicians from holding public office if they support and abet rapists.

I am not sure if Modi has the guts to do it, but I urge him to take action before people completely write him off.

I urge Hindus and Muslims to feel the pain together and never let the divisive men pit Hindus against Muslims or vice versa.  Let them be the losers and not the general public.

What we need is sane voices – and not a Hindu Muslim conflict which the politicians would love it, but you and I will lose it.   In the last two months, we had two fathers; a Hindu and a Muslim; two great heroic fathers in India. Each one of them lost their sons to hate by Muslim and Hindus each, but the patriotic fathers urged the politicians keep calm and not allow them to pit one group of Indians against the other.  It must have been painful for them not to seek revenge.  I hope Mr. Modi honors them as heroes of India. More at http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-way-out-of-hell-forgive-them-for-they.html

Warning to Indians

Let this be a warning to Indian businessmen, Indian women, and all the young people who are enjoying a good life at this time. All of this will come to an end if Law and Order are not restored.

Modi and Yogi have nothing to lose, but ordinary people do, it is their livelihood.  Much of our prosperity hinges on foreign direct investments, export of software and contracting work and tourism including medical tourism.

If the investors continue to see the chaos, rape, communal strife, lynching, harassment, and restrictions on what one eats and who he or she marries, they will pull out of India. Who wants to invest in a place where their investment is not secure?   Would you invest in Burma, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Ethiopia and even Pakistan?

(The author is the president of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.)

What would a Hindu justice mean for the Supreme Court?

This is my fourth posting about Justice Srinivasan since April 2013,  he makes India proud. Srinivasan will make a great justice and we need to call our Republican Senators to confirm him, please start making the calls tomorrow.   That will place two Indians in the highest position in federal government, the other is Dr. Vivek Murthy, the Surgeon General. 

A lot is being discussed about the religious baggage of people from different faiths, and generally it is true. Since he was raised here in the United States, he is more than likely to be free from prejudices, unless his parents have made attempts to bias him against people of other faiths, races and nationalities,  which a lot of Indian parents do, and their kids reject it when they grow up, ask the new adults!

Srinivasan is a model Indian, that we should celebrate, and hope, he will be a role model for the future generation of Indians. 

All religions are beautiful; it’s a few who tarnish the image of the faith. If we want to consciously nurture our kids to hold the highest offices, we have to stop poisoning them, and of course they have a choice to come out of it.  We do have a few prominent members of our community in the U.S., who have written biased pieces against Muslims as they were trained by RSS or went to their training camps. Poor guys are helpless with such poisoning. Some of these guys should never hold a public office, until they have genuinely repented, and have come out of it. 

The Washington post has reported no baggage towards gays and lesbian community; they have not studied the Supreme Court rulings in India. Here is an article I wrote in December 2013, that continues to be one of the most read piece at op-ed news. http://www.opednews.com/articles/Same-Sex-marriage-criminal-by-Mike-Ghouse-Court-Challenge_Decision-making_GLBT_GLBT-131227-613.html

If you want your boy or girl to aspire to be the president of the United States, raise him or her to be a prejudice free individual. It's like grades it will earn them a hassle free ascendance to the highest office. I am grateful for my parents, I have passed on their teachings to my kids - both my children have visited Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and other places of worship growing up, and they have no prejudice towards anyone, I am in peace.  If they chose to run for public office, they will have no stains on them.

I am working on starting an internship program here in Washington DC to free our kids from any kind of prejudice and prepare them to embrace every bit of America without any prejudice. 

Mike Ghouse
http://MikeGhouseforIndia.Blogspot.com 

# # # 

What would a Hindu justice mean for the Supreme Court?

Courtesy: Washington Post
By Julie Zauzmer March 10  

Sri Srinivasan is pictured in this undated file photo. (Courtesy of the Department of Justice)

President Obama has narrowed his list of potential Supreme Court nominees to about six names, our colleagues on The Post politics staff report.

One jurist in the running, whose name has been floated for the Supreme Court starting almost immediately after Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, would make history: Sri Srinivasan would be the first Hindu justice ever to serve on the Supreme Court.

On a judicial body whose members’ faiths have often been discussed by observers trying to understand their rulings, Srinivasan would bring a different experience.

He was sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu holy book, when he started his current job on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. “Hindus Laud Judge Srinivasan for Taking Oath on Gita,” the Hindu American Foundation’s news release read at the time.

[A 2013 profile was already speculating about Srinivasan as a future Supreme Court prospect]

In what way would a hypothetical Justice Srinivasan bring Hindu tradition to bear when making decisions about religiously charged issues like abortion and gay rights? What do Hindus believe about contraception or the death penalty?

Srinivasan did not respond to a request for comment about his own religious beliefs, and his prior judicial record gives few clues.

Hinduism, the faith of less than 1 percent of the American public, includes many gods and a belief in reincarnation. While it is distinctly different from the Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths of prior Supreme Court justices, several religious leaders and academic experts say that the religion might be well-suited to the high court — because it is a highly pluralistic faith, with no dogmatic guidelines that every Hindu community agrees on.

“There is no such thing as a Hindu belief about, say, abortion or stem cell research right now which would influence any particular case. Any Hindu who occupies a judicial position will interpret the law as it is, rather than through his or her religious viewpoint,” said Vasudha Narayanan, an expert on Hinduism in America who teaches at the University of Florida. “There is no Hindu baggage, as such, at all.”

[India’s debate: Can Hinduism and homosexuality coexist?]

Yes, Hindu holy texts offer judgments about topics like homosexual relationships and capital punishment.

But there is no central figure, like the Catholic pope, who offers interpretation of those texts for all Hindus. And across the vast spectrum of sects among the world’s 1 billion Hindus, even the texts themselves vary.

“There isn’t a Hindu Bible. There are multiple texts, depending on the tradition,” said Shana Sippy, a Carleton College instructor who wrote her dissertation on Hindus outside of India. “There isn’t one text. There isn’t one book that every single Hindu goes to. There isn’t one story that every single Hindu knows.”

In a Pew poll, only 12 percent of American Hindus said that their scriptures should be taken literally, and 60 percent said scripture is not the word of God.

“It’s hard to generalize about Hindus, because Hindus are as diverse or perhaps more diverse in their religious and political views than any other tradition that I’m aware of,” said Raymond Williams, a religion professor at Wabash College.

That’s not to say that the religion’s 2,000-year-old texts don’t address modern-day issues. But for every scholar that says Hinduism condemns abortion or homosexuality, there are gurus who find the opposite in a different verse. “You can find almost anything in the wide variety of Hindu text,” Williams said.

Christian judges in America — including Scalia, whose son praised the justice in his eulogy for bringing his deep Catholic faith to bear on his decisions — have frequently discussed their beliefs.

[A moving homily for Justice Scalia by his son, Rev. Paul Scalia]

Narayanan said that in India — where about 80 percent of the population is Hindu, and where a relative of hers served as a Supreme Court justice — Hindu precepts come up more rarely in debates about secular law.

“It’s very different from, say, appointing someone from one of the more Christian backgrounds, perhaps, in which people may have – may have – specific viewpoints,” Narayanan said.

Hindus in America — 91 percent of whom are Asian, mostly of Indian descent, and 87 percent of whom are immigrants, according to a 2014 Pew research study — do have distinct political beliefs. They tend to be wealthier and more highly educated than most religious groups, and more than 60 percent lean Democrat while just 13 percent lean Republican. In the same poll, significant majorities said they favored gay marriage and legal abortion.

[From Piyush to Bobby Jindal: First Indian governor converted from Hinduism to Catholicism]

Vikkan Chopra, the president of the Hindu Temple of Metropolitan Washington, said that most members of his community in the D.C. area embrace Hindu holidays, food and other customs, but rarely see their faith as linked to their politics.

“Yes, they are Hindus. They do maintain those cultures with their family, their Hindu friends. Otherwise, they’re so Americanized,” Chopra said.

As for Srinivasan — it’s impossible to say where he falls. And that might be just what Obama is looking for. With Republicans in the Senate vowing not to approve anybody, Obama’s strategy seems to be to pick a nominee with a moderate, unobjectionable record, whom the White House can pressure Republicans to say yes to.

Srinivasan, like most of the others on the shortlist, has not staked out any positions on the hot-button issues the Supreme Court is likely to take up.

When he was confirmed to the D.C. Circuit, he told the Senate Judiciary Committee, “I do not have an overarching, grand, unified judicial philosophy that I would bring with me to the bench if I were lucky enough to be confirmed.” He said he had written only two published pieces in the past 20 years.

The Senate approved Srinivasan’s appointment to the prominent D.C. appeals court in 2013 by a vote of 97 to 0, so senators may be hard-pressed to say why they would vote against him this time around.

[Everything you need to know about appointing a Supreme Court justice]

Srinivasan, who was born in India and immigrated to Kansas with his family as a child, would be not only the first Hindu but also the first Asian American on the court.

“We’re all so excited about that possibility,” Narayanan said. “That kind of recognition kind of paints the Hindu Indian American into the fabric of the United States. It’s really a whole different level of having arrived in the States.”

Sippy compared a potential nomination for Srinivasan to the appointments of Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice, in 1916 and of Thurgood Marshall, the first black justice, in 1967.

She envisioned the pride the Indian community in the United States might share if Srinivasan is nominated. “If he becomes a Supreme Court justice, there will be Indian American cultural celebrations where kids will dress up as him, just as they do as Indira Gandhi and famous scientists. He will become among those figures who are held up as what it means to be an immigrant.”

And while his religion might not influence his jurisprudence, she said, his judicial role would inspire fellow practitioners of his religion.

“You can be American — a sense of seeing yourself in a position of power and prestige and respectability,” she said. “To think about that is profound.”

Want more stories about faith? Follow Acts of Faith on Twitter or sign up for our newsletter.

Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Why isn’t that stirring up more interest among Jews?

Georgetown students invite Planned Parenthood head to campus; cardinal objects

Professor who left Wheaton after saying Muslims share ‘same God’ finds new job at U-Va.

Julie Zauzmer is a local news reporter.

Modi's dream can come true, if he is is serious about a legacy in the likes of Nehru.

Modi can resurrect his dream, if he is serious.
A serious interview about the Intolerance in India

When I wrote, “Modi on track to cripple India,” as expected, a flood of emails roared in my inbox.  Most of them sounded like tantrum throwing toddlers, meaning, they did not even read what I wrote, but were eager to bark at me aimlessly, because someone else did it.  That is how the people on the right are made; facts don’t matter to them.

It is easy to ridicule them, but it is not our purpose. They are a part of every group and society with no exceptions, but they are my friends and neighbors and I respectfully deal with them on this particular issue. I believe, we should keep an open door to those who can be redeemed. God calls on us in Bhagvad Gita, Quran, Bible, Torah, Kalpa Sutra, Granth Sahib and other holy books to forgive and we have to make it easy for them to step out of their dug in position. 

I have nothing but love for my fellow beings, and want to nurture the ones who are lost.   I am blessed with a solid record of dealing with diverse people in different forums comprising people from many faiths, traditions, ethnicities and nationalities.  At least on my part, I don’t have enemies, my heart has no ill-will. 

There was a time on Hannity show, when I had received over 3000 emails within an hour after his show. Thanks to the experience of moderating forums, radio talk shows and live discussions that has allowed me to make an effort to reason with people, and most of them respond to reason and rationality.

My challenge to you (not the moderates, but the right leaning Hindus, Muslims, Christians and others) is to read before you comment, and whatever you comment on, please quote the words and reference and don’t pull things out of thin air.

Modi has a dream to go down in the history as India's prime Minister who changed India for better, it is a good dream to have, but he is on a self-destruct mode, and letting his party men destroy it for him. He can resurrect it, if he can reign in on his party men.  They have a right to free speech, as long as they are not a part of his government hell bent on destroying the social fabric of India.    

Sonali, a Social Scientist from India has asked twelve pointed sensible interview questions and I have answered them to the best of my ability.   

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Dear Sonali,

Thanks for sending me these twelve questions; the more we can discuss and articulate an issue, the more sustainable solutions we can produce. 

 I am pleased to respond to your questions in the same sequence.

Sonali: As a concerned citizen, I am quite confused as to which quarter the intolerance is coming from. 

Mike: The source of intolerance is directly coming from the excited uncontrollable members of BJP.  Politically I am an Independent; however I have supported Modi from his election to a few months into his job. I understood, he was telling us what he believed; to build a cohesive India. Apparently that was not his intention, many of us wanted to give him the rope, including Modi worshippers like Tavleen Singh and Madhu Kishwar, but unfortunately he lives in a bubble believing that every thing is hunky dory. 

Now, a trend is evolving, more and more Indians don’t see the Modi's actions correspond with his rhetoric. His silence is leading us onto a disastrous path, and one by one, everyone who cares about the well being of India will start criticizing him for his silence, I am making the same call.  It’s him, he can change it.

Yogi Adityanath in his inflammatory speech calls on his party members to rape dead Muslim women – and it happened last week.  There is so much hatred coming out of BJP members, and Modi is silent, and that is not good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0vAzA1c8sM  Some where down in the article, I have clearly spelled out, what Indians want.

Sonali - 1. Why has there not been such protests in earlier regimes (or against other state governments) where riots/discrimination against Dalits have occurred?

Mike – Before Modi, Indians  reluctantly trusted the government to stop the mayhem or at least say something about it. The Modi Government did not say a word this time;  Aklhaq was lynched and murdered by the mob, the PM did not say a word;  Kalburgi was murdered for his stance on religion, the PM did not say a word; a dead woman was raped, the PM did not say a word,  and yet he has the time to spew subtle venom against Muslims in Bihar election campaign…that is underneath the office of the Prime Minister.  Indians can put up with injustice and hypocrisy for a limited time.  That’s what triggered this whole thing.

If  people did not react before, I hope you are not suggesting them to continue to remain silent.  This is precisely what happens in domestic violence cases, they ask the women to put up with it, and bear the violence against her and get doused in kerosene and burn alive.  This mindset has to change, we cannot blame the victims, we have hold the perpetrators and or their accessories responsible for causing the protests.

Sonali - 2. This cry of intolerance seems to me at odds with the number of protests against the govt and Modi in particular, including this mail of yours. If we were truly an intolerant people, and the govt was equally intolerant, wouldn't we see the kind of situation that we saw during the emergency? Wouldn't there be far more violence than there is now?

Mike - Precisely, Indira had tightened the noose around every one’s neck during emergency, despite that Goenka and several heroes protested and went to Jail. Please read the two paragraphs about it in my essay.  Now, people don’t want that to happen and are speaking up before Modi’s men tighten the noose around us. (if one is communal,  he/she will interpret the word “us” to mean the writers religion, where as if he or she is pluralistic /secular,  he will correctly understand to mean, “all of us  Indians” ) – The essay is at:  http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/11/modi-on-track-to-cripple-india.html

Sonali - 3. If prosperity is the key to success for all, why are some of the intelligentsia and academics working against this, by hindering a govt that seems to be doing something?

Mike – People want prosperity, not rhetoric. Mr. Modi promised to build toilets and not temples – meaning jobs first then religion, also meaning getting your shit together before talking.  Do you know the divisive things he is saying in Bihar – and his eerie silence on bad things happening in India?  There is a saying, evil in the world continues because good men will do nothing about it, now the good men and women have woken up and speaking against the divisive talk.  It is the academics and intelligentsia that woke up first, and all others are seeing it through now.    Thanks to them for making an effort to save India.

Sonali - 4. In my view, the apparent chaos seems to have increased after their protests, rather than before. And the protests have increased because of the intolerance of the peoples mandate.

Mike – Absolutely not – these protests have been gradually increasing in their intensity.  First a few academics returned their awards, and then more joined them. When Modi continue to keep his silence, historians and film wallah’s joined… even then Modi did not speak, thenthe business icons like Narayan Murthy and RBI chief spoke…. And if he remains silent, the whole country will stand up.  Doesn’t Modi have any common sense to speak out and allay the fears of intolerance by checking on it? Why blame the victims? Blame the man who is doing nothing.

You’ll appreciate them all later, when we have our freedoms restored – freedom to eat, drink, speak, hear, see, wear and believe whatever we want without hurting others physically. In essence Mind your own faith.

Sonali - 5. If the intelligentsia and academics are better equipped to tackle the centuries old problem of caste / religion / gender discrimination, why aren't they addressing the problem with the general janta, who are the key players in perpetuating the discrimination? Why aren't they holding apolitical meetings with the janta, instead of presenting papers in seminars? As academics we know that the reach of seminar presentations are restricted to the attending members and to the proceedings of the conference if they are published. The next use of these are when another scholar sits to write his/her paper. At best, these help to increase the length of one's CV. 

Mike – Let me ask you this,  why aren’t you doing it?  Don’t  you want India to focus on prosperity and get out of the intolerance? Aren’ t you an Indian? Don’t you have the responsibility? Why do you always want others to do it for you? What have you done to speak up against intolerance? Yes, the Janta will stand up.

Sonali - 6. Doesn't social change come from within the citizen himself?

Mike – Indeed, these protests are the fodder to wake people up and bring that change in two forms- Get Modi to speak up and reign in on the radicals that are hell bent on tearing mother India apart,  and 2^nd, if he does not fix it, protest enough for him to step down.

Sonali - 7. Why do we highlight those stray voices that talk utter nonsense, instead of highlighting those sensible voices?

Mike – In a democracy, all voices must be heard, we cannot suppress any voice. However, speeches that call on raping dead women must be stopped, if you think it is the Hindu thing to do, most Hindus would disagree with you.  Yogi can say, I am a loose cannon and I am saying this, but he cannot give the impression that Hinduism teaches him that.

Adiyanath is not a stray animal, he is a popular MP of BJP, and if he wants to remain a party member, the party should have the rules of conduct. Google him out.  BJP is allowing it, as it suits their divisive agenda.  Modi and Amit Shah ought to be ashamed of what they have said in Bihar. If you don’t know about it, please check the papers, watch NDTV and hear them yourselves… etc. You need to be an informed Indian.

Sonali - 8. Why isn't there focus on the development issues? -- A focus on this might lead to a better atmosphere and hope in this country.

Mike – Good question, once again the PM has allowed diversion instead of development.  If he remains focused on development and not communalizing India, India will go forward.

8. Here is a link to a TedTalk by Setven Pinker, a leading cognitive scientist, that is well worth watch https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_on_the_myth_of_violence?language=en . His book The Better Angels of Our Nature  is worth a read http://www.amazon.com/The-Better-Angels-Our-Nature/dp/1491518243. In his view "today we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species’ existence." 

http://www.slate.com/articles/Arts/books/2011/10/steven_pinker_s_the_better_angels_of_our_nature_why_should_you_b.html; https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/16029496-the-better-angels-of-our-nature-why-violence-has-declined

As academics and "intellectuals" we need to view the present situation in its entirety, rather than take, what appears to be, a calculated action in dealing with the present situation. 

Mike – it is not calculated action, it is a deliberate response to these ugly incidents;

·         Are you telling me that threat to behead Siddaramiah should be ignored?

·         Are you telling me raping a dead woman should be ignored?

·         Are you telling me burning Dalits is should be ignored?

·         Are you telling me lynching a guy in Dadri should be ignored?

·         Are you telling me hacking Kulbargi should be ignored?

·         Are you telling me messing with the face of Kulkarni should be ignored?

Sonali - 9. Social cohesion, gender justice, gender equality are all a matter of change in society, and change, as we know, is a generational process. If we look within our own families, we will see this change across generations.

Mike – Indeed the change is generational, and will take two or three to generations.  Protests are to stop the badness taking root in our society,  that is being enflamed by BJP.

Sonali - 10. In my view, the present approach of dealing with dissent is non-productive to the goals of a prospering India that benefits all. In my simple view, if I have money to invest and start an industry, I will think twice in the present scenario. And if I have to wait for the next govt, hoping it will another party, and waiting to see if it works well, I will lose at least 7-8 years to decide whether the atmosphere is good enough. In the process a decade will be lost. Translate my imagined plight  to the real investors from the world over. We stand to lose with the continued non-productive protests.

Mike – Yes, Modi’s silence is to be blamed – the entire nation including his ardent supporters likes Tavleen Singh and Madhu Kishwar are saying this. The entire world is asking Modi to speak up. He is not a goonga or behra, he can speak up. 

What conclusions will you draw, when the man gives communal color in his bhashans in Bihar, and remains silent on the critical issues?  Have you ever thought of asking the abuser in a domestic violence rather than condemning the victims? 

Sonali - 12. Let's assume the present central govt falls due to the pressure from the intellectuals and the true nationalists, what option do we have to take on the reins of this great nation and lead it on the path to prosperity for all? The answer to this question should help us decide whether we should be supportive of the present govt until the next general election or continue with this present approach. I would greatly appreciate an answer to this question as it will help me deal with my confusion over the present scenario.

Mike -  Most Indians want just one thing; Modi to speak up. No one wants chaos, sadly Congress party is not ready for a situation like this and we do not have an alternate party to run the government, BJP can run it, but run effectively and stop dividing the nation.

If the Grand alliance can stick together and come up with a plan, it would always be good – it will caution the  BJP members to get their act together,  if not there is someone else ready to contest early elections.

MY CHALLENGE

If there are any intellectuals representing BJP,  I ask them to quote me where have I said anything negative about Hindus and Hinduism,  on the other hand, I have stood up for the rights of all humanity including Hinduism.  Stick to the theme and not jump around and tell me what happened during the times of Alexander or Babar, deal with the current situation like an honest problem solver, if not I understand the paucity of intellectuals representing the party.  Here is the link and there is a lot more to be added to this since it was written. http://standingupforothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/standing-with-hindus.html


WHAT DO WE WANT?

Mr. Modi to speak up! That is it.  

He can address the nation this way; “I am the Prime Minister of all Indians. I will get blamed for the bad things that happen in India, and I am not going to put up with that.  From this moment, everyone who messes with their fellow Indians will be punished severely, and if they have staged acts like the one in Dadri, everyone involved will be punished severely.  This is my last warning and action will follow.” 

“Furthermore, I declare that no one will compel or tell other Indians what to read, write, eat, drink, wear or believe.”

This is all we want. 

Arise! Awake! and stop not till the goal is reached.
Swami Vivekananda must have meant this for Indians in 2015.

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a community consultant, social scientist, thinker, writer and a speaker on Pluralism, Interfaith, Islam, politics, human rights, foreign policy and building cohesive societies. Mike offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. More about him in 63 links at www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at TheGhousediary.com 

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