Save Bharat -2 | Patriotic Indians should not allow intolerance to take root.

A series of essays will be written about restoring Dharma in our motherland India, intolerance towards different opinions is growing and needs to be checked to save democracy and our individual and collective rights. Since 1999, I have posted about 1600 pieces at my blog http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com 

The article, “A Muslim Lady Shows Mirror to All Intolerant Rants (Link appended below)” is a beautiful expression of the Doctor lady's personal experience.  I welcome pieces that share both sides of the issue of seeding intolerance in India. We owe it to the next generation to leave behind a nation where we set the example of learning to respect the otherness of others and accept the God given uniqueness of each one of the 1.25 Billion of us. 

My personal experience is similar – I have never felt any different than other Indians, nor felt any abnormal discrimination against me, I was one of all and will always remain so. However, the evil of discrimination exists; shame on us if we don't speak up. We simply cannot deny that, and we have to tell the truth.  

A few among us are mistaken – India is not an intolerant country, her people reflect her values.  A handful of Indians are intolerant and those attitudes have been let loose since Modi came into power, it may be merely a coincidence but there is a strong correlation.  

Those who care about India, have the patriotic duty to point out such intolerance's, hoping to wake every one up and restore dharma.  Don’t you want India to remain an exemplary nation in the world?  Do you appreciate men and women with blinders who would rather not see the problems?

What Amir Khan, Girish Karnad, Sanjiv Bhatt, Teesta Setalvad, Arundhati Roy and a host of other Patriotic Indians have said was the right thing, to express their concerns about the trends in intolerance; they care about India and want the best for India and not let her go down the spiral of intolerance. If it were not for them and others like them, we will see dictatorships emerging in India and swallowing every one's freedom. 

Look at how much we laugh at nations like Saudi Arabia, that is not our model to emulate,  we don’t need to be like them, they are not a government of the people for the people, but we are.  Even here in the US,  intolerance is taking root, but will go away after the primaries and certainly after the elections.  As Americans we have not elected extremists in the last thirty years, Trump, Carson and Cruz are the bubbles that will burst one of these days or will lose to Clinton or Sanders. I will continue to speak out against men and women who will stain the name of my motherland and my homeland.   

I was in Dallas for Thanksgiving. The minute I landed, Fox News called in to respond to Pastor Jeffress’ ugly comments, in those few minutes; I have condemned the Pastor’s bigotry against Muslims, Hindus and others equally. Mind you, I have not condemned the Pastor, I have followed one of the greatest teachings of the world - condemn the sin and not the sinner, for the sinner is redeemable. One of the Muslim guys asked me, why didn’t I just focus on defending Islam? My response was,  we are all in this together, if you allow or justify bias towards Blacks for instance, you are actually allowing bias towards your own self in the long haul.

I told him, my religion teaches me to be just towards every human being, and the Prophet had said clearly, if you are unjust towards any one, I will stand up against you in their defense.  I hope all of us will stand up for each other for creating a better society for all. He agreed and his next task to become a good human being is to defend Hinduism, if someone comments negatively. I have another Muslim who is defending Judaism as a repentance for his bias against Jews.

Good societies are formed when good people stand up for everyone.  If you are a Hindu, would you defend a Muslim, Christian, Sikh or the other who to whom injustice has been done?  As a Jain, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh and a Buddhist have you ever defended the innocent other? If you have, please share and keep it up, it is good for the soul. Prejudice, ill-will, bias and hatred harms you more than it harms the other.

We have to encourage inclusiveness and discourage divisiveness. Ultimately, we are responsible for creating a cohesive world, for us and our next generation.  We cannot run from the responsibility because others don’t do it.  

Here are two videos in that reference:

Pastor Jeffress attacks all religions (video included): http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2015/11/dallas-pastor-robert-jeffress.html

Speaking at the Rally on the steps of Lincoln Memorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I-cjFMth-E

A Muslim Lady Shows Mirror to All Intolerance Rants https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/DallasIndians/conversations/messages/7846

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

Moody’s to Modi: Save India from becoming Langda India

If Prime Minister Modi does not speak up on the issue and stop the extremists of his party members to run over him, he will make India, a Langda India. That is a limping India.

A solid India stands on two firm legs; 1) Prosperity and 2) Social Cohesion.

Prosperity is creating jobs, raising income levels, pulling the ones in ditches onto a level playing field to build a larger Middle class and create an expanded consumer base, whose consumption will create jobs and the economy will multiply and the standards of living will go up. The more people do well, the better the nation does.  Modi is talking big about it and we can give him two years to produce results.

Social Cohesion on the other hand is like human body cohesion - heart, brain, kidneys, liver, vision, nose, tongue, touch, hearing, and the flow of blood, breathing and all parts of the body need to function cohesively to be normal. One failure can cause the whole thing to fail or make the body ineffective. If you think the discharge part of the body is less important, wait till it stops, it will cause the whole or part of the body to malfunction.  Like wise, all people have to function well, and it is in the interest of the body that it makes up the deficiencies, so we as humans, as Indians have to meet those deficiencies in fellow Indians.

Those of you who are blinded by the love for Mr. Modi, I appeal to you to look for greater love for the nation. Modis will come and go, but the Nation will continue. I am challenging your patriotism, none of us want India to go down, so let our loyalty be to India and not Modi, until he proves that he can keep these two functions in shape, I will hold my praise for him, will you?

I don't want my India to be a Langda India, neither do you? If we all wake up and criticize Mr. Modi, guess what will happen? He will be compelled to do the right thing. Don't you want that? 
Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. Swami Vivekananda must have meant this for us in 2015 and 2016.

 

Mike Ghouse 
http://MikeGhouseforIndia.Blogspot.com 

# # #
Moody’s to Modi: Keep BJP members in check or risk losing credibility
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/moodys-to-modi-keep-bjp-members-in-check-or-risk-losing-credibility/article7823019.ece?homepage=true#comments

Reuters

Moody’s Analytics said in a report that the Narendra Modi government has not helped itself in recent times with controversial comments from various BJP members. File photo

Moody’s Analytics, the economic research and analysis division of Moody’s Corporation, is the first major global institution to comment on the recent political controversies in India.

Referring to the “ethnic tensions” in the wake of controversies over beef and other issues, Moody’s on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must keep the BJP members in check or risk “losing domestic and global credibility”.

Stating that the BJP does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha to pass crucial reforms and the Opposition was being “obstructionist”, Moody’s Analytics said in a report that the government has also not helped itself in recent times with controversial comments from various BJP members.

“While Modi has largely distanced himself from the nationalist jibes, the belligerent provocation of various Indian minorities has raised ethnic tensions.

“Along with a possible increase in violence, the government will face stiffer opposition in the upper house as debate turns away from economic policy.

“Modi must keep his members in check or risk losing domestic and global credibility,” the report said.

The comments from Moody’s Analytics, the economic research and analysis division of Moody’s Corporation, are the first by any major global institution over the recent political controversies in India.

Moody’s Analytics, however, said “its commentary is independent and does not reflect the opinions of Moody’s Investors Service, the credit ratings agency which is also a subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation”.

The report titled “India Outlook: Searching for Potential” further said that the ongoing Assembly elections in Bihar could “prove pivotal to Modi’s leadership”.

“The BJP is not the incumbent (in Bihar), so a win here would help secure an upper house majority... Overall, it is unclear whether India can deliver the promised reforms and hit its growth potential. Undoubtedly, numerous political outcomes will dictate the extent of success,” it added.

Moody’s projected India’s GDP growth for September quarter at 7.3 per cent, while for the full fiscal it would be 7.6 per cent.

It, however, cautioned that Indian equities have also suffered from a loss in domestic sentiments and the failure to deliver on key reforms has faded the optimism.

Save India from becoming an ISIS Nation

If Hindu Radicals have their way, no one will be a Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Jew, Buddhist or the other - they want to convert 100% of Indians to be Hindus. They'll adopt coercion and all other methods to achieve their goals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a record of not saying anything to his radical men and let them do the intended damage, and then he will speak. I was his supporter and I am not sure about his integrity any more, he is letting his own dream wrecked by his men, was that the intention?

His Promoters like Ashutosh Varshney, Madhu Kishwar are walking away and I am with them. 

All the major stories are in this link http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2015/01/ghar-wapasi-articles-radical-hindus.html and more links are on the right panel at www.MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com 

Mike Ghouse
Picture courtesy - Dainik Bhaskar