Indian Heritage by Mike Ghouse India Speaker

We are proud of our heritage - a multi-faith, multi-cultural, multi-regional and multi-linguistic society, where we have come to accept and respect every which way people have lived their lives. For over 5000 years, India has been a beacon of pluralism - it has embraced Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha’i and Zoroastrianism to include in the array of the indigenous religions; Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

India led the way to the freedom movement, since 1947 every country has been liberated from colonialism. Indian democracy is a shining example to the world, where the people have peacefully transferred the powers. Indians are inherently secular and economically capitalistic. They believe in "live-and-let-live" life style, which is the essence of capitalism.

Through the years we have expressed the highest degree of maturity on handling extreme situations; the more divergent opinions we hear, the larger our heart grows, the bigger our embrace would be and we can cushion more differences. Let’s continue to honor the concept that there is always another side to the story, as finding the truth is our own responsibility.

I am proud of my heritage and am proud to be an Indian-American. Please join me in the discovery of India on a daily basis, as time permits and share the wealth of knowledge you have on this forum.

Mike Ghouse
Speaker on India
http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Muslim Speaker Mike Ghouse

NURTURING PLURALISTIC VALUES EMBEDDED IN ISLAM 

A Muslim Speaker, thinker, organizer and an activist committed to building cohesive societies with a belief that what is good for Muslims has got to be good for the world and vice versa to sustain peace, harmony and prosperity.

To be a Muslim is to be a peace maker, one who constantly seeks to mitigate conflicts and nurtures goodwill for peaceful co-existence of humanity. God wants us to live in peace and harmony with his creation; Life and Matter. Over 1000 articles have been published on a range of topics in Islam and Pluralism. Insha Allah, a book outlining the Muslim vision is on the horizon.

In defense of Islam, pursuing a civil dialogue

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20100919-In-defense-of-Islam-pursuing-9397.ece  
Over and over you hear it said: If Muslims oppose terrorism, why don't they stand up and say it?

 

If that has been you, Mike Ghouse ought to be your hero.

It is hard to imagine that anyone has worked harder than the Carrollton resident to demonstrate the peaceful and moderate side of Islam.

And that effort includes personally visiting Dallas' First Baptist Church last Sunday just to put a friendly face on the "evil, evil religion" that the Rev. Robert Jeffress denounced a few weeks before.

"It was wonderful," Ghouse said of the visit. "We were so warmly received."
He hopes a quick chat with Jeffress will be the start of deeper discussion about Islam and the importance of respect between religions.

"I want to have a dialogue with him, not to say he is wrong but to share another point of view," Ghouse said.

The 57-year-old Muslim was born in India and has lived in the United States for 30 years. He owns a small property management firm. But most of his day is devoted to building bridges between people of different faiths.

"It is my passion," he said in his distinctive raspy voice.

He has been a guest a dozen times on Sean Hannity's TV and radio talk shows. "I don't like the way Sean cuts me off, but I have to honor him for giving the American public a semblance of another point of view."

Ghouse said he can understand fear and criticism of Islam because he went through a time of similar feelings. As a teen, he was troubled by passages of the Quran. He called himself an atheist for a while.

But he said deeper study led him to realize the Quran had been purposely mistranslated down through history.

In the Middle Ages, European leaders commissioned a hostile Quran translation to foster warfare against Muslim invaders.

Later, Muslim leaders produced another translation to inflame Muslims against Christians and Jews.

"It was all for politics," he said.
Ghouse said he hopes to present Jeffress with a modern, faithful translation and challenge him to find evil verses.

"If he can, I will convert. I will join his church," Ghouse said. "If he can't, I will call on him to retract his statements and become a peacemaker."

Ghouse acknowledges that deep problems persist within Islam. "Three steps forward, two steps back," he said with a sigh.

And he agrees that mainstream Muslims have not done enough to counter violent images of their faith.

"That is very true," he said. "But part of it is that many Muslims have given up hope that we will ever be heard."

He said repeated denunciations of terrorism seem to fall on deaf ears.

And some efforts have backfired - like the proposed Islamic information center in New York. He said it should be hailed for furthering the moderate Muslim cause.
Instead, it has deepened hostility toward Muslims.

I have been astounded by the amount of anti-Islam propaganda that circulates via e-mail. Tons of it has come my way in the last few weeks.

One theme is that people like Mike Ghouse can't be trusted, that Islam encourages deception.

But Ghouse says actions speak louder than words. And he points to elections in Muslim nations.

More than half of Muslims live in countries with some degree of democracy. And time and time again, Islamist parties are overwhelmingly rejected in favor of secular, mainstream parties.

"The religious parties don't get more than 3 percent of the vote," Ghouse said.
Polls show deep mistrust of Muslims. "But the most important question in those surveys is: 'Do you know anything about Islam?' " Ghouse said. "Most people say no."
What keeps him going is faith in Americans, he said.

"The majority of Americans, if they know the truth, they will change their minds."
 

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, writer, thinker, futurist and an activist of Pluralism, Islam, India and Civil Societies passionately offering pluralistic solutions on issues of the day.

He is a commentator at Fox News on the Hannity show, nationally syndicated Radio shows along with Dallas TV, Print and Radio networks and occasional interviews on NPR.  He has spoken at international forums including the Parliament of Worlds Religions in Melbourne, Middle East Peace initiative in Jerusalem, International Leadership conference in Hawaii, Washington and elsewhere.

Concerned by the divisiveness, he saw the need to bring Americans together and founded America Together Foundation committed to building a cohesive America, indeed it is in response to ACT America which is bent on pitching one American against the other.  We will be holding series of educational programs, conferences and workshops to address the issues that divide us such as Civil Right, GLBT, Quraan, Abortion, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, Racial Profiling and Stereotyping.

The Annual Unity Day USA is in its 7^th year now, it is a purposeful event to bring Americans together, on this Unity Day, we the people of the United States of America of every faith, race, ethnicity, culture and background will gather to express our commitment to co-existence, unity, prosperity and wellbeing of our nation.  

Thanksgiving Celebration is in its 15^th year showcasing cultural diversity.

The 5^th Annual Reflections on Holocaust and Genocides is to learn and to acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things we have inflicted upon each other and commit to avert such tragedies.  Through this event non-Jewish people have consciously learned about Holocaust for the first time, it was also for the first time that people of 14 faiths came together to join in to commemorate the Holocaust that commemorated within the Jewish Community for years. They are not alone anymore in their anguish, we are all in it together with them, and it is a Muslim initiative to effect a positive change.

The programs, seminars and workshops conducted by the Foundation for Pluralism have become a part of the America Together Foundation. While the Foundation for Pluralism continues championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other, the commitment to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress continues.

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Fuller Profile is at:  http://www.mikeghouse.net/MuslimSpeaker.MikeGhouse.asp   

Mike is working on two books scheduled to be released this year; The American Muslim Agenda and My Journey to Pluralism.

Mike has written over 1000 Articles on Pluralism, Islam, India, Peace & Justice and civil societies published in a wide spectrum of Newspapers and Magazines around the world.

Locally, he is a panelist at Dallas Morning News's and writes weekly on a range of issues facing the nation. Washington Post, Huffington Post and other news papers and sites regularly publish his work.  

Mike is available to speak on Pluralism, Islam, Civil Societies, and Peace & Justice at your place of worship, school, work place, seminars, workshops or conferences. His work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.MikeGhouse.net/

Model of Democracy, the Indian Idol

Democracy means different things to different people. I will present a few different aspects of democracy in the coming weeks as the events unfold in the Arab World.

Democracy is about choices and the freedom to choose what one eats, wears, believes and seeks in the pursuit of happiness without being harassed or humiliated.  It is the unhindered choice available to every citizen equally.

The Asia Bibi incident in Pakistan took me right into my own childhood where the Dalits were treated inhumanly even in the cosmopolitan Bangalore in the early sixties, it must have been humiliating to them the way Brahmins washed the public tap after the Dalits collected the water, I had never liked those attitudes when I was in the line I felt their anguish.  But that was in America too where the African Americans could not drink from the same fountain. 

Thank God, my Dad broke all the traditions and had the Dalits sit in our house and drink the tea with us in the same cups we used; I clearly remember Mara, Naga, Muniyamma, Venkat and others.  My Dad was harassed by a few for giving space to “them” and I am sure many of you had similar parents.

India has come a long way, just as America has.  Out of nowhere the picture of 2007 Indian Idol popped on my facebook screen. There it was a non-mainstream Indian making to the top. This was unimaginable fifty years ago.

It is this model of democracy I want to rave about and thank the Bollywood industry for it, they set the trends of inclusivism, pluralism and secularism in India, just at the Hollywood does. It has broken the class, caste and religious barriers – and offers equal opportunity to all.  Problems are not gone completely, but the progress is significant.

In the two seasons of Indian Idol I have watched, I have witnessed with delight the “slum dogs” moving up, the women folks, the illiterate with no exposure to music and the well trained ones; they were all on the level playing field.  I have admired the comments made by hosts particularly Anu Malik, Javed Akhtar and Sonu Nigam.  No one had an upper hand; it is what they can strive for to be the best and they came from every segment of the Indian society. 

I would suggest similar programs to pop in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and else where, where they can shape the future leaders of their nations by offering opportunities to every one and let every one learn to compete in serving their nations.

We all have the responsibility to share and explore avenues in shaping the future of each nation and the family of nations. We are all in this together and I salute the Indian Idol for shaping the future of India. It gives hopes to every citizen and that is one beautiful aspect of democracy.

Mike Ghouse is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day – www.MikeGhouse.ne

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Indian Idol 2007

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3828885197123734159

Asia Bibi Petition

http://www.petitiononline.com/Asiabibi/petition.html

Who wants to be the President of Pakistan

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/01/who-wants-to-be-president-of-pakistan.html

Republic day greetings

Greetings

Namaste, Salaam, Satsri Akaal, Jain Jinendra, Allaabho, Shalom, Buddha Nama, Hamzor Hama Ashobed and peace to you. India represents most of the religions of the world. My message to my fellow Indians is to open their hearts and minds towards the other, there is joy in acting and believeing we are all one family; vasudaiva kutumbukum.   You are welcome to wirte your responses at the end of this link. http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2011/01/republic-day-greetings.html

 

HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY

Mike Ghouse | Jan 26, 2011

It is the 61st Anniversary of adopting the constitution of the Republic of India. It is one of the best constitutions around the World. We are not perfect, but we do have the makings and are proud and humble about it.

President Obama made me proud of my new home, America. It is this inclusivity that we were all dreaming about and he expressed it for us.

I am drawing inspiration from our form of Government, and God willing, I will write a paper on the Pluralistic Democracy of India, a model to emulate in the 21st Century and beyond infinity. It would be my tribute to my mother land- Maa Tujhe Salaam!

We are proud of our heritage - a multi-faith, multi-cultural, multi-regional and multi-linguistic society, where we have come to accept and respect every which way people have lived their lives. For over 5000 years, India has been a beacon of pluralism - it has embraced Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Baha’i and Zoroastrianism to include in the array of the indigenous religions; Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

India paved the way to the freedom movement, since 1947 every country has been liberated from colonialism. Indian democracy is a shining example to the world, where the people have peacefully transferred the powers. Indians are pluralistically secular and economically capitalistic. They believe in "live-and-let-live" life style, which is the essence of capitalism.

Through the years we have expressed the highest degree of maturity on handling extreme situations; the more divergent opinions we hear, the larger our heart grows, the bigger our embrace would be and we can cushion more differences. Let’s continue to honor the concept that there is always another side to the story, as finding the truth is our own responsibility.

I am proud of my heritage and am proud to be an Indian-American. Please join me in the discovery of India on a daily basis, as time permits and share the wealth of knowledge you have on this forum.

You will really enjoy this rendering of our national anthem... so powerful and so patriotic... it is gripping, I keep listening time and again for the soothing effect it has on me.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh26zOjIh9I&feature=related

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http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7399792002477900458#docid=-312522912290143791

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20 + patriotic songs, if you have the YouTube account, click and leave it, it runs in the back ground. My computer is one since morning… and will play these song.. right now I am listening the part…” yahan apna paraya koi nahin, hai sob pay maa udhaar tera”.

http://tinyurl.com/IndianPatrioticSongsbyMike

Congratulations to the India Association of North Texas for putting out the best Republic Day program in the United States, Called India Nite. www.IANT.org

Happy Republic Day, I am blessed to have been born on that day as well. I thank my mom and Dad for choosing this day for me. It was also the day Prophet Muhammad was born (never verfied it though) and also the day my dad was elected to become the Mayor of Yelahanka - It was January 26, 1953.

Happy Republic Day, I am blessed to have been born on that day as well.

Jai Hind

Mike Ghouse for India

http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/

Ayodhya on 18th Anniversary and democracy

The Babri Masjid controversy has been around since Mid Nineteenth century and after disputes, the right wing political parties demolished the 15th Centutry structure in Ayodhya on December 6th, 1992.

We need to research if this divisive issue was a ploy by the then British Government to keep the Indians divided so they can keep control of the colony.  Now that we are free, we  need to work on finding solutions and not pass the buck to next generation.   
In a Radio talk show in August of 2003, I shared two particular incidences where the Viceroy of India writes to the King of England in 1854 that the Muslims and Hindus have gotten back together and have built the Ram Chabootra (stone bench) symbolizing their unity, if they work together the end of British Empire will come to an end. The Sepoy revolt in 1857 proved another difficulty for the Empire when the Hindus and Muslims demonstrated unity once again despite the attempts to divide them.     

They hit us again in 1871 with the first census of India with the evil intent of showing to Hindus and Muslims about their demographics and frightening each of the other.

Who is wronger, the British for their divisive policies, or the Indians for buying into their ideas of division?

I am happy that finally Indians are waking up to divisive policies, the Indian public rejected the divisiveness of the right wing political parties in the last elections and told them that don’t use religion to your advantage, provide jobs, education, potable water and Sanitation. I hope they continue to do so.

The Allahabad court verdict was received calmly without violence by the right wingers on both sides of the issue. On the 18^th Anniversary of the demolition of the 15th Century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya,  today, relative peaceful protest took place, demonstrating once again the maturity of the Indians in absorbing democracy in their veins.

Jai Hind

Mike

 Mike Ghouse runs the Foundation for Pluralism championing the idea of co-existence through respecting and accepting the otherness of other and has dedicated to nurturing the pluralistic ideals embedded in Islam through the World Muslim Congress. He is a regular commentator on the TV, Radio and Print media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. He is a speaker, thinker, writer and a peace activist. Mike's work is reflected at three websites & twenty two Blogs listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

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Peaceful protests mark Babri anniversary

HYDERABAD: Protesting against the Allahabad High Court's recent judgment on Babri Masjid, the Old City and other Muslim-majority areas remained completely shut on Monday that marked the 18th anniversary of the demolition of the mosque. Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in many areas and most of the residents decided to stay indoors. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Peaceful-protests-mark-Babri-anniversary/articleshow/7056092.cms

# # #Dec 6 passes peacefully in Ayodhya

Police arrested 20 followers of the Hindu Mahasabha on Monday when they were proceeding towards the Ram Janambhoomi site to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. This apart, the day passed peacefully in Ayodhya. However, there was apprehension that there could be

trouble because this anniversary was the first after the September 30 Allahabad High Court verdict, trifurcating the plot where the mosque stood.  http://www.hindustantimes.com/Dec-6-passes-peacefully-in-Ayodhya/Article1-635164.aspx

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Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Babri Masjid

ALLAHABAD: The name Babri Masjid in itself is wrong in the backdrop of the fact that historical records mention that neither he nor his son Humayun ever visited Ayodhya. This is because emperor Akbar's courtier Abul Fazal Faizi after visiting Ayodhya mentioned the presence of a temple and never spoke about the presence of a mosque also, said Shankaracharya of Badrikashram, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati while speaking to newspersons here on Saturday.  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Swami-Swaroopanand-Saraswati-on-Babri-Masjid/articleshow/7044742.cms


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Read more: Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati on Babri Masjid - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Swami-Swaroopanand-Saraswati-on-Babri-Masjid/articleshow/7044742.cms#ixzz17N5eogg2

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Ayodhya verdict: ‘destructive’ of constitutional values

New Delhi: Eminent scholar of History Prof. K.M. Shrimali termed the Babri Masjid verdict as “destructive” of constitutional values as it vindicated and legalized the destruction of Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

“The mosque was destroyed on December 6, 1992, the spirit of law was demolished on September 30, 2010,” Prof. Shrimali said.

He was speaking at a seminar held on “Save the Constitution: Role of Civil Society”, organized by the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) on Saturday, 4 December. http://twocircles.net/2010dec07/ayodhya_verdict_%E2%80%98destructive%E2%80%99_constitutional_values.html

Digvijay’s latest: Advani helped RSS infiltrate government, media

Accusing the RSS of frequently launching “media propaganda”, Singh said recent reports of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi being on terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayyeba’s hitlist — attributed to Wikileaks revelations — “need to be verified if this is indeed true”.  “RSS has people everywhere. Advani had even planted RSS men in the media when he was information and broadcasting minister,” Singh said

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Digvijay-s-latest-Advani-helped-RSS-infiltrate-government-media/H1-Article1-635231.aspx

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Babri anniversary: over 80 activists arrested

More than 80 Hindu Munnani workers were arrested in Chennai when they attempted to hold a demonstration in Chennai without permission, police said. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/babri-anniversary-over-80-activists-arrested/136628-3.html?from=tn

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Dallas Conference on building an inclusive America

 

No American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to understand the issues and find ways to remove such fears in an open forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America. 
When: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 5, 2010
Where: Unity Church,

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX

. 75230

PRESS RELEASE | INVITATION

Contact: MikeGhouse@aol.com

You are invited, details below

No American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to remove such myths in an open forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America. 
Since our independence in 1776, we have been tested time and again by various political, economic and religious forces to divide us, however, at the end we have come out strong as one nation. The Civil War, the Great Depression, the World War, Pearl Harbor, Women’s rights, Abortion, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Budget Deficits, Unemployment, 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan War have all been difficult, but we will make it through and sanity will prevail.

The controversy over the Muslim Community Center in New York has unraveled the difficulties Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Wicca and others have endured.

We have come a long way to embrace and accept the otherness of other. However, this year has given rise to yet another temptation; to blame Islam, calling it an evil, evil religion and calling its prophet a false prophet. No American has to live in fear of the other, nor live in anxieties or discomfort.

Religion has been “abused” and “misused” to someone’s advantage, as Americans, are we going to let that happen? No, we can pull ourselves together and not fall for the temptations to divide ourselves.

If we make an effort, goodness will come to our rescue.   Mike Ghouse adds, “As members of diverse family of faiths, we seek to demystify the myths, malice and falsification of our respective faiths. It is time for all of us to gather and understand the Qur’aan, the holy book of Muslims, which has been the subject of attack by a few among us. Indeed, a conference is a positive response to negative sermons delivered from a few pulpits of America this year.”

The Conference puts the Quraan in the hands of panelists made up of Pastors, Rabbis, Pundits, Shamans, Clergy, lay persons, elected officers and the public. The uniqueness of the event is highlighted by facing the “terrifying passages” of Quraan.  For the first time in history, the actual verses  from Quraan will be read directly and explained by panelists made up of Pastors, Rabbis, Pundits, Shamans, Clergy, lay persons and elected officials who have a deep interest in bringing Americans together on common grounds.  The Muslim scholars either affirm their reading or share the additional information right from the very Quraan for further understanding.

It is time now to replace the ill-will with goodwill; no American has to live in anxieties, discomfort or fear of the other. The purpose of this conference is to remove such myths in an open forum in the public and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America. 

When: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 5, 2010
Where: Unity Church,

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX

. 75230

Event: Qur’aan Conference in Dallas
Purpose: To demystify the myths about Quraan and Islam
Website: http://www.quraanconference.com/
Inquiries: quraanconference@gmail.com
RSVP: Confirmattendance@gmail.com
Call: Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916

THE EVENT IS FREE

Thank you.
Mike Ghouse for
A COHESIVE AMERICA,
AMERICANS TOGETHERhttp://www.quraanconference.com/ 

Documentary – listed at www.QuraanConference.com

INDIAN PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

http://mikeghouseforindia.blogspot.com/2010/11/indian-pledge-of-allegiance.html

INDIAN PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

 With the belief that every Indian wants justice to every human being;  rich or poor, connected or not, and demands fair treatment of every one of the 1.1 Billion Indians, we must come to grips with the social and community life to create an exemplary India, that will become a model nation in the world.

We have to give room to the extremists in every section of our communities be it Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Muslim, Sikh,  Zoroastrian or other, hoping they would recognize the God given space to each one of us and eventually see the benefits of co-existence.

I propose that the parliament of India introduce a bill for every political, cultural and religious organization in India to register with the Home Ministry, state their purpose, list their assets for public scrutiny, list the membership roster to be updated annually. Include a modified version of the 7 items into Indian Penal Code, and make it in to the law to punish the violators of the law.

Patriotism should be defined in terms of what you do to uplift the hopes of people, in terms of education to all, jobs to as many as we can in each successive year, home for every human,  and a better life style to every Indian.

Every public office holder from the Peon to the President of India, and every one in between must take this pledge and live by it. Violation should disqualify him or her from holding the public office. Let it be monitored publicly.

1. I pledge allegiance to India, the nation that stands for liberty and justice for all.

2. I pledge that I honor and treat every Indian with "full" dignity.

3. I pledge that all individuals would be treated on par.

4. I pledge that I will treat all religions with equal respect, equal access and equal treatment.

5. I pledge that I will oppose any act that treats any Indian less than myself.

6. I Pledge that I will work for a India, where every individual can live with security and aspire for prosperity.

7. I pledge that I will protect, preserve and value every inch of India and every human soul in India

This would be the first step towards ensuring a Just, peaceful and prosperous India, that can sustain its progress and peace.

Jai Hind


Mike M Ghouse
SPEAKER | THINKER | WRITER
http://www.mikeghouse.net/ http://www.mikeghouseforindia.net/
2665 Villa Creek Dr, Suite 206,
Dallas, TX 75234