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Thursday,
March 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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POTO: handle with care Bt cotton is here Now a jolt from nature! |
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Restoring democracy in Pakistan
An enviable political negotiator
Eat curry leaves for disease-free life
Mental stress, heart trouble a fatal combination
Sufi Islam: the harbinger of peace
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POTO: handle with care THE passage of the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO) Bill on Tuesday at the joint session of Parliament—third in India's parliamentary history — was a foregone conclusion. What is noteworthy is that the margin of victory was more than the numerical strength of the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Even the AIADMK, the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are believed to have supported the Bill, though they are not part of the ruling establishment. What was, however, disquieting was the acrimonious nature of the debate and highly politicised angularities. In the editorial “Politics of POTO” ( March 23), we supported the Bill on the basis of an honest assessment of the ground realities in the country. The problem of terrorism is very much there and it, therefore, must not be seen through preconceived ideas and concepts. It requires a unified response. But the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP), the CPM and a few other small parties have taken the position more on certain apprehensions than on points of substance. To simply dub the Bill “as a draconian and black law” does not stand the test of logic. We are, of course, totally opposed to the use of POTO on political and communal grounds. True, legal enactment is not always an exciting proposition. Sometimes it becomes necessary to meet new challenges. As NCP leader P. A. Sangma put it: “No purpose will be served if India could not enact a tough law to fight terrorism after having gone around the world, complaining that it had been the victim of terrorism for so many years.” Indeed, the country has paid a very heavy price for cross-border terrorism. This is not a joking matter. A real threat exists to the country's security and integrity. In any case, as many as 22 states are ruled by the parties other than the BJP. This in itself gives the opposition parties a degree of flexibility and manoeuvrability on the use of POTO provisions. We do not expect the political parties to think and act on partisan lines. They have to rise above petty considerations and constantly keep the nation's interests in view. For, irresponsible shortcuts serve neither the cause of freedom nor bring any relief to the disadvantaged sections of society. Viewed in this light, it must be said that the phraseology used by Congress President Sonia Gandhi during the debate was unfortunate. It was unfair on her part to have mounted a personal attack on the Prime Minister. Perhaps, Mrs Sonia Gandhi is learning her parliamentary lessons the wrong way. Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee has reasons to feel hurt. It must be said that his oratory was at its best at the joint session. Having said this, we expect the authorities at the Centre and in the states to exercise the maximum restraint while invoking POTO provisions. There must be fairplay and transparency in every step taken under this law. We must be wide awake. The onus is on the Centre and the state governments. They have to show a degree of maturity and ensure that the new law is used against criminals and mischief-makers and not for “fixing” those considered politically inconvenient. This is a crucial moment. The defence of democracy and the democratic spirit is the supreme task before the nation vis-a-vis terrorist acts. We need to think and analyse the problem rationally and sift the right from the wrong and the brutal from the humane, in the hope that this will lead to a synthesis in our collective existence. |
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Bt cotton is here FOR the first time, the government has allowed commercial cultivation of a genetically modified crop on Indian soil. The momentous decision was announced on Tuesday by an inter-ministerial group of experts officially called the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee operating under the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The decision was unanimous without any dissenting note. That should pacify those harbouring doubts about the merits of growing Bt cotton. The immediate beneficiary will be the US multinational, Monsanto, whose joint venture with the Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company called Monsanto Mayhco Biotech will market the three Bt cotton varieties— Mech 12, Mech 162 and Mech 184 — cleared for cultivation. A decision on the fourth variety, Mech 915, was deferred as the two government bodies — the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Department of Biotechnology — which had supervised the field trials could not complete their evaluation report. That shows they were under some pressure to make an early announcement to clear confusion regarding the use of genetically engineered seeds. Sections of farmers, mostly affluent and influential, had been pressing for an early release of Bt cotton, which is already grown in many countries like the USA, China and Argentina. Among the recent converts to the pro-Bt cotton lobby is the Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh. Bt cotton has been cleared for cultivation after six years of trials, debates and controversies. Last year a section of the Gujarat farmers had grown a genetically engineered cotton crop the seed of which was illegally supplied by another company. By the time the government discovered it, the produce had already been harvested and sold in the market. Groups of environmentalists had been opposing the use of GM (genetically modified) seed, concerned perhaps by the havoc played by the congress grass already. Why did farmers favour GM seed? Chiefly because the crop is said to be resistant to American bollworm, the deadly pest that has been ruining the domestic cotton crop year after year, particularly in the northern states. Besides, the GM cotton crop gives a higher yield, requires few pesticides and matures earlier than the local varieties. Farmers using Bt cotton seed will have to plant a minimum of five rows along the periphery of their field or 20 per cent of the total area using non-Bt-cotton seed. Such requirements will be hard to follow and monitoring will be difficult, if not impossible. There is the likelihood of ordinary cotton seed being sold as Bt cotton, which is quite expensive. One has to be on guard on handling new technologies and production practices, specially those imported from the developed world. |
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Now a jolt from nature! MISFORTUNES always come in pairs. Nowhere is this adage truer than in Afghanistan. As if the American bombing was not devastating enough it has now been rocked by a severe earthquake which has left nearly 2,000 dead and many more grievously injured. The entire mud-and-brick town of Nahrin in Baghlan province, about 175 km from Kabul, has been flattened. To compound the crisis, aftershocks are continuing, hampering rescue work. As it is, the province is located in a remote corner of the rugged Hindukush mountains. The inaccessibility has increased following extensive damage to the roads leading to it. Worse, the roads into the area have been heavily mined during years of conflict between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban. This is the second time in a month that the area has been thus rocked. Tens of thousands of desperate people have fled their homes in panic and have settled in deserts and hills in the open air without food, shelter or water. The interim government of Afghanistan has been candid enough to admit that it is beyond its meagre capacity to deal with the tragedy. Inherent in that anguished admission is an appeal to the international community to come to the rescue of the people whose back has been already broken by the long drought and fighting. The International Security Assistance Force already stationed there can play a major role in this effort. More than anybody else, it is the USA which should take up the responsibility. It has the means as well as the men that can make a difference between life and death for the thousands of suffering people. Not only a large number of American fighter planes but also numerous transport aircraft are still there in the region. The planes which were spewing death from the air not too long ago can very well turn into flying angels of mercy. That will be an ideal way to win over the hearts of the estranged people. Even when bombing raids were being conducted, the USA dropped food packets. Now is the time to launch a genuine humanitarian mission. There is need to look at the problem from a long-term perspective also. Ironically, earthquakes do the maximum damage in the poorest countries because they do not have the technology to minimise the losses. For instance, even in clearly identified high seismic activity zones like Afghanistan and Turkey, houses are made of traditional materials which are just not able to withstand even moderate earthquakes. The result is that most casualties occur when inhabitants are crushed under falling buildings. These countries cannot afford to have high-tech gadgets which are used as routine in rich countries like the USA and Japan making buildings quake-resistant. But a concerted effort has to be made to introduce cheap housing technologies which can help save precious lives. Natural calamities like earthquakes are an emergency against which the entire human race has to rise as one. |
Restoring democracy in Pakistan IN an interview given to the BBC on August 2, 2000, General Pervez Musharraf proclaimed: “I am not here to perpetuate myself and prolong my stay here.” This was no different from what the late General Zia-ul-Haq had proclaimed when he staged a coup to topple the democratically elected government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1977. General Zia had then claimed that he really did not want to stay on in power and that he would restore democracy in 90 days. General Zia was still the Army Chief (COAS) and President of Pakistan when he was killed over 11 years later in 1988, in a mysterious air crash. General Musharraf has moved in a manner not very different from General Zia. While General Zia hanged Bhutto, General Musharraf was persuaded by Saudi Arabia to exile Mr Nawaz Sharif. Both General Zia and General Musharraf ousted constitutionally elected Presidents and installed themselves as Head of State. Both sought and obtained western, particularly American, support for their claims to legitimacy. I was in Karachi in 1984 when General Zia held a “referendum”, asking people if they wanted an “Islamic system” in the country, adding that he would treat a “yes” answer as a popular mandate for a further five-year term as President of Pakistan. Driving through Karachi on the day of the referendum, I could not help noting the lack of public enthusiasm and the thin crowds in polling booths throughout the city. The same phenomenon was witnessed throughout the country. Yet General Zia and his cohorts claimed that there was a turnout of 63 per cent in his “referendum”, with 90 per cent people endorsing his policies! The Americans turned a blind eye to all this. This was not surprising. In discussions that he held with Secretary of State Alexander Haig in 1981, General Zia’s immensely capable Chief of Staff, General K.M. Arif, had made it clear to the Reagan Administration that Pakistan would support their jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan on two conditions. The first was that the USA should not raise any queries on Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Secondly, there should be no pressure or calls for democratisation. The Reagan Administration readily agreed. General Musharraf held a crucial meeting with his Corps Commanders a few days ago, where the decision was taken that like General Zia he would take recourse to a “referendum” to legitimise a five-year term for him as President. The irrelevance of General Musharraf’s cabinet in key decision- making was demonstrated, as it was only later that the good General “informally” informed them of his plans. Even before he informed his Cabinet, General Musharraf started a process of consultations with political leaders, whom he knew are so incapable of winning a free election that they would readily endorse his plans. These included a faction of the Muslim League made up of people like Mr Gohar Ayub Khan, Mr Ijaz-ul-Haq and Syeda Abida Hussain. He also “consulted” the redoubtable Imran Khan, maverick Barelvi leader Maulana Tahirul Qadri and former President Farookh Leghari — all of whom head inconsequential political outfits. The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and major political parties like Ms Benazir Bhutto’s PPP, Mr Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League and Mr Wali Khan’s ANP rejected General Musharraf’s proposal. Major right wing political parties, eminent jurists like former Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and the Lahore Bar Association termed General Musharraf’s proposed action as unconstitutional. Despite the widespread reservations about his proposed “referendum”, General Musharraf sees this route as the sole way to get a measure of political legitimacy for his continuance in office. The people of Pakistan will doubtless be asked queries like whether they want to see the present government’s actions against terrorism and sectarian violence to continue and whether they want the process of economic reforms carried forward. An affirmative vote would be treated as an endorsement for General Musharraf to continue in office for another five years. But this alone would not suffice for him. He will seek to “balance” the powers of the President and Prime Minister, acquiring the right to dismiss the Prime Minister and dissolve the legislature, whenever these institutions challenge him. He also intends to constitute a military-dominated national security council that will have a say on all issues of national importance. The Prime Minister and Parliament will not have the power to steer an independent course. More importantly, General Musharraf realises that political power in Pakistan grows out of the barrel of the gun. General Ayub was overthrown when he handed over the post of Army Chief to the supposedly loyal Yahya Khan. General Musharraf, like General Zia, would do his best to continue as Army Chief even after his proposed “referendum”. The USA has thus far been guarded in its reaction to General Musharraf’s attempts to set up a military-dominated “guided democracy” in his country. But the Americans are learning that unless they keep a constant watch on the General’s actions, they are going to fail in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. It is now obvious that Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar and members of both Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are seeking refuge in Pakistan. After having allowed over 4000 Taliban and Al-Qaeda supporters to be airlifted from Kunduz by the Pakistan Air Force, the Bush Administration has learnt from its military failures in the Tora Bora caves and in the Shah Kot mountains that the terrorists it is looking for have safe havens in General Musharraf’s Pakistan. The Daniel Pearl murder has exposed the ISI’s continuing links with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. It is in these circumstances that the commander of the United States Forces in Afghanistan, Maj-Gen Franklin Hagenback, disclosed on March 20 that the USA was seeking the approval of the Pakistan Government for American forces in Afghanistan to cross the border into Pakistan in “hot pursuit” of Taliban and Al-Qaeda terrorists. US CENTCOM commander General Tommy Franks had discussed this proposal with General Musharraf. General Musharraf realises that the Americans need him and that he can use his support for them to obtain international political legitimacy. He will, therefore, implicitly link his support for the Americans on such issues as the Daniel Pearl murder and the proposal for “hot pursuit”, to American endorsement of his proposals to continue in power. One should not be surprised when the Americans agree to play ball with him. But it is embarrassing for the Bush Administration, that had vowed to get Osama “dead or alive,” to explain why with all its high-tech gadgetry and weapons, it has not yet been able to locate the six feet five inches tall Osama, who is not an easy person to hide! Osama and his supporters obviously have patrons in influential places within Pakistan!! No amount of American finger-pointing at alleged Iranian support for Al-Qaeda can divert attention from this hard fact. Given the dynamics of politics in Pakistan, it would be wise for New Delhi to steer clear of any involvement in the developments in our neighbourhood. The ruling elite in Pakistan will change course only when it learns that the price to be paid for a policy of compulsive hostility towards India and attempts to “bleed” India is too high. The Kargil Committee has reported that a former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan (not yours truly!) had described General Musharraf when he was appointed Army Chief in 1998 (well before the Kargil conflict) as “an ambitious and scheming individual” and “a hardliner on India, whose elevation to the post of COAS will not bode well for Indo-Pak relations.” Will General Musharraf bear out this description and remain the person who claimed to M.J. Akbar in April, 2001, that the “Kargil conflict was started by India,” adding that those who crossed the LoC were “freedom fighters” and that Pakistan Army elements “never participated”? One certainly hopes that he is a changed and chastened man. But, in the meantime, it would be only prudent to keep one’s powder dry. The writer is India’s former High Commissioner to Pakistan. |
An enviable political negotiator Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet, who has been accorded the responsibility of the CPM General Secretary for the fourth consecutive term, is perhaps the only politician in India described variously from time to time for his roles, controversial and otherwise. Former Union Home Minister Buta Singh called him the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics while a commentator dubbed him as a "power vaccum cleaner". Most observers of the Indian political scene, however, see in Mr Surjeet a kingmaker or a great manipulator. But the veteran communist leader prefers to be known as a peacemaker. His justification may be that when leaders of different political parties come together to capture power and yet they quarrel among themselves over the leadership issue, Mr Surjeet is the person who succeeds in bringing about a truce. He demonstrated this capacity when the United Front government was formed in June, 1996, with the installation of Mr Deve Gowda as Prime Minister. In any case, he is a great negotiator. He has an admirable capacity to listen to others' viewpoint without abandoning his own line of thinking. This is so because he greatly values opposing arguments which help him formulate his own. Associated with the left movement since 1933, Mr Surjit learnt his initial lessons in politics in his parental house in Rupowal village in Jalandhar district. Since his father was a freedom fighter, Congress, Akali and other nationalist politicians were regular visitors to the village. Young Surjeet would closely watch them discuss their programmes and policies, and this enabled him to understand the finer points of the art of negotiation. He jumped into the national politics at a young age and came into the limelight as a Congress leader in Punjab. At one time he was close to Nehru. This happened when Acharya J. B. Kripalani in 1936 expressed his opposition to the hoisting of red flags at Congress meetings. Nehru, being a socialist to the core, encouraged Mr Surjeet to do what he was doing in support of his ideological convictions. Ultimately, Kripalani had to relent. Later, however, the Congress developed great dislike for hardcore leftists or, perhaps, it was the other way round. Mr Surjeet was one of those who planted the political sapling called the Communist Party of India after deserting the Congress. Within a few years it grew into a respectable ideological force. But when he noticed that some of his comrades were busy distorting the ideology for which he had sacrificed so much, he parted company with them too to found the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The uncompromising nationalist in him believed that India's left movement had to chart its own course in accordance with the peculiar conditions in this country, without caring for the wishes of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of China. There are no indications of his views having got diluted in the aftermath of all that has happened in the world so far as the communist movement is concerned. This has earned Mr Surjeet and his party considerable respect from all sections of society. That the party does not have noticeable presence anywhere except in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura is a different matter. Waiting in the wings J. Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK is doing everything it can to regain entry into the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. Notwithstanding the antics of the past of virtually bringing down the Vajpayee government, this time it has been overzealous in making all the right noises in extending unequivocal support to the Vajpayee government. A case in point was the joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday when the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Bill was adopted by a wide margin of 129 votes. AIADMK Parliamentary Party leader P H Pandian, who is a senior advocate, always smartly turned out in a suit, made no bones about underlining the imperative need for a measure like the Prevention of Terrorism Bill to deal with the extraordinary situation of unabating cross-border terrorism. To ram home the point that the AIADMK is waiting anxiously to be part of the NDA, he said forcefully that his party "supports POTO in toto." The AIADMK’s arch rival, the DMK, preferred to maintain a low-key approach, realising that it cannot co-exist with the AIADMK. The DMK believes it is only a matter of time before it will be compelled to bid adieu to the 24-party
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Eat curry leaves for disease-free life INDIAN cuisine is incomplete without the flavours of curry leaves or “currypatta’’, but not many people know of its curative properties. Curry leaves are used in the treatment of over one-and-a-half dozen maladies and eating 300-odd curry leaves every day leads to a disease-free life, according to a Naturopath Dr Raj Merchant, who treats his patients with the unique Leaf Therapy. While, curry leaves, botanically referred to as “Murraya Koenigi,’’ help ease constipation, asthama, diabetes, digestive disorders, obesity, blood pressure, premature greying and falling of hair, leaves of other plants such as Kokum, Tulsi, Garlic and Green turmeric, also have immense medicinal properties, Dr Merchant told UNI here in Mumbai. “Touch these leaves and feel the life in them. If we give them life, they will give life back to us,’’ Dr Merchant said and elaborated on uses of other leaves of plants such as Kala Dathura which cures stomach disorders, “Akhalkaro’’ leaves that act as tongue and throat cleansers and “Patthartod’’ leaves that cure kidney stones. A naturopath from the Indian college of Naturopathy, Nasik, the 60-year-old Dr Merchant, was motivated to take up this avocation after witnessing his grandparents getting cured of diabetes through leaf therapy. He believes that since nature creates diseases it also provides the remedies. He says that if according to Ayurveda, medicinal herbs can have a positive effect on the elements of the human body, then green leaves can prove to be magically effective. He firmly believes that Leaf therapy is purer and more effective than Ayurvedic treatment. UNI Protecting youth from smut on Net
Software products that claim to stop personal computers from accessing pornographic sites on the World Wide Web are doomed to fail, a computer language expert testified in a case challenging a US federal effort to protect youngsters from Internet smut. At the trial, which looks at how far the U.S. government can go to prevent children from exposure to pornography on library computers, Stanford University linguist Geoffrey Nunberg on Wednesday testified that the crude mathematical methods used to operate filtering software are simply no match for the subtleties of human judgement. Filtering software products endorsed by congressional leaders as a viable safeguard for children may, for example, block Web sites that contain the word, vibrator, but not the word, vibrators.
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Mental stress, heart trouble a fatal combination MENTAL stress not only causes heart problems but also results in a three-fold increase in the risk of death if one is already suffering from heart condition, reports HealthScout. A study, published in the latest issue of Circulation shows that psychological stress can inhibit the flow of blood to the heart, a condition called ischemia, and increase the risk of death for those with coronary artery disease. The lead author of the study, Dr David S Sheps of University of Florida, said: “Patients who had ischemia in response to mental stress had a three-fold increase in the risk of death compared to people without mental stress”. The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that links mental stress with creating or exacerbating heart problems. However, Rozanski stated, it is important to keep in mind that the average person is not at a risk of having a heart attack upon hearing bad news. The study involved an analysis of 196 patients (170 men and 26 women), all of whom had either experienced a heart attack or had a more than 50 per cent narrowing of at least one major coronary artery. They also had exercise-induced ischemia. Each participant was given an exercise stress test followed by a psychological stress test, in which they were asked to play a role in a scenario where a close relative was being mistreated. The University of Florida researchers used an imaging test called radionuclide angiography to see how the heart was working after the mental stress test. Dye was injected into the bloodstream to highlight red blood cells. The scientists then looked at computer-generated pictures to see how the heart was performing. The researchers were particularly interested in any “wall motion” abnormalities or changes in the heart’s ability to pump blood. Twenty per cent of the patients showed evidence of the abnormalities. Follow-ups done after about four years showed that 17 patients had died. Forty per cent of these patients had exhibited wall motion abnormalities during their earlier stress test. From the findings, the researchers calculated that patients with wall motion abnormalities had about a three times higher death rate than those who did not. Adding a word of caution on the study’s applications, Rozanski said there is an important distinction to be made between acute stress and chronic stress. Normal individuals may be at higher risk for cardiovascular events if they are exposed to certain forms of chronic stress, such as depression, but not if they are exposed to a one or two-time stressor. Individuals with cardiovascular conditions may be at higher risk from both types of stress.
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Sufi Islam: the harbinger of peace THE very fundamental doctrine of Sufi Islam is what is called sulh-I-kul i.e. peace with all. Maulana Rum, the great sufi saint of 13th century whose Masnavi is considered as the Qur’an in Persian language says in one of its couplets that you have come to effect union (bara-e-wasl amdi) and not for separating nay bara-e fasl amdi). Thus wasl (union) is the basic motive of the sufi poetry. Another great sufi saint Muhiyuddin Ibn-e-Arabi propounded the famous doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (Unity of Being) which is revolutionary in many respects. The most important aspect of this doctrine is that real Being is One i.e. God and we all are His manifestation. This implies that all human beings, whatever religion they follow, are creation of God and hence must be respected. This doctrine demolishes all walls of separation and communal hatred. Sufi Islam is love-oriented while theological Islam is law (shari’ah-oriented and this makes all the difference). The theologians find it difficult to reconcile with those who deviate from the Shari’ah law whereas sufi Islam, being love-oriented, is not stickler for shari’ah and lays emphasis on love, love of God and love of humanity. No wonder then that Muhiyuddin Ibn Arabi said that my heart is centre of love and it is a mosque, a temple, a church and synagogue. In India all major sufis belong to the Chishti school of tasawwuf (sufism) which followed Muhiyuddin Ibn Arabi’s doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (unity of being) according to which belief and unbelief make no difference to God. Another distinction between sufis and theologians has been that while sufis believed in adopting local culture and local customs and traditions, the theologians always put emphasis on ‘pure Islam’ and fought against assimilation with local culture. Baba Farid, a great sufi of 11th century Punjab, chose Punjabi for his poetry though he was a great scholar of Persian and Arabic. He is, in fact, considered the founding father of Punjabi poetry. Guru Nanak has included 112 verses of Baba Farid in his Adi Granth Sahib. The Sikhs have great respect for Baba Farid. Baba Farid is one of the senior most sufi saints of Chishti school. Nizamuddin Awliyah, one of his disciples buried in Delhi was another great sufi saint of this liberal school. There is a famous story about him that he saw some Hindu women bathing in the river Jamuna and worshipping sun. He then addressed his celebrated disciple Khusraw and said these women are also worshipping God in their own way and he recited the verse from the Qur’an, “And every one has a direction to which he turns (himself), so vie with one another in good works”. (2:148) Thus the real message of the Qur’an is “to vie with one another in good deeds” and not to fight about the rituals. It is this message which is emphasised by the sufi saints and it is for this reason that lakhs of people irrespective of their religion pay their respects at the sufi shrines. Hamiduddin Nagori, the famous disciple of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, turned vegetarian in respect of people around him and also always kept a cow with him and cultivated land like a Hindu peasant. He very strictly adhered to his vegetarianism. Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is the most popular sufi saint in India. Millions visit his shrine every year — Hindus, Muslims, Parsis and Chistians. He also adopted cultural norms of the people around him. The langar (kitchen) in Khwaja’s shrine always cook vegetarian food so that all can eat irrespective of their religion or caste. These sufi saints always kept their distance from the powers that be. It is said that Nizamuddin Awliya who saw period of more than five sultans refused to attend the court of any. When Jalaluddin Khalji wanted to visit his hospice without informing him, his disciple Khusraw informed him and when the Sultan came to his hospice, Nizamuddin left his place from another door so that he does not have to meet the Sultan. Iqbal, the noted Urdu poet calls this shan-i-darweshi i.e. the state of indifference of these sufis to power wielders. These sufis met people of all religion with equal respect and never harboured any grudge against them nor showed any favour or disfavour to them on the basis of their caste or creed. This was one reason why people of lower castes who found no dignity in the society around them flocked around these sufi saints and found not only respect as human beings but also great solace for their troubled inner self. The Sufi saints faithfully followed the Qur’anic verse which says, “Those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and desire to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers and say: we believe in some and disbelieve in others; and desire to take a course in between — these are truly unbelievers”. (4:150-51) The Sufi saints made no distinction between one prophet of Allah and other prophets and believed that Allah had sent His prophets to India also. The sufis were truly harbingers of peace and harmony. |
When we deeply probe into the source from which this ‘I’, ‘I’ originates, our mind will merge there. That is Tapas. When we utter a mantra, if we carefully watch wherefrom the sound of the mantra emerges, there our mind will merge. That is Tapas. — Kavyakantha Vasishtha Ganapati. Vide Tattva
*** In the regeneration and divinisation of man, the first step is to eliminate the beastly nature. There is one religion — the religion of love, of peace. There is one message, the message of Ahimsa. Ahimsa is a supreme duty of man. Never think of injuring anyone. One self dwells in all. All are manifestations of the One God. By injuring another you but injure yourself. It is easy to develop the intellect, but it is difficult to develop the heart. The practice of Ahimsa develops the heart in a wonderful manner. No self realisation is possible without Ahimsa. There is a hidden power in Ahimsa which protects the practitioners. The invisible hand of God gives protection. There is no fear. What can pistols and swords do? — From Bliss Divine,
*** What a man hates to receive on the right, let him not bestow on the left; what he hates to receive on the left, let him not bestow on the right; this is what is called the Principle, with which, as with a measuring square, to regulate one's conduct. — Confucius,
*** God hates violence. — Euripides, Helen |
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