 |
Thursday,
January 3, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
Terrorist challenge to HP Unfair to J&K masses Argentina’s serious crisis |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Osama and Taliban leadership
Change of guard in Air Force and Navy
Options before India after Dec 13
Tiruvalluvar on being wise
1966, Literature: AGNON and SACHS
GM fish to radiate colours in polluted water
|
Terrorist challenge to HP Terrorists have already targeted Parliament and the Red Fort. They have issued a warning that Madhya Pradesh and Bihar are next on their hit list. In such uncertain times no state can hope to remain incident-free, least of all Himachal Pradesh, which shares a long border with Jammu and Kashmir. Its relative calm was shattered on Tuesday when militants gunned down two jawans and critically wounded four others at an army firing range near Damtal (Nurpur). This is not the first incident of its kind. In 1998, militants had killed as many as 40 persons in two different incidents in Chamba. But it is the first time that the desperadoes have struck in Kangra, that too against army personnel. The shocking incident raises painful questions about the preparedness of the state to take on terrorists. Himachal Pradesh has been a peace-loving state and its police too has a laidback style. That has to change drastically lest its easy pace should be shattered through even more daring attacks. The task is formidable. Himachal Pradesh has a long border with Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, it is a hilly area where keeping vigil is extremely difficult, particularly during the winter months. The state police and its intelligence outfit will have to gear up in a big way to frustrate the evil designs of the enemy. Even if no violence takes place, that does not mean that the terrorist menace has vanished. There is every possibility that following pressure mounted by the Army on terrorists in Kashmir, they might use Himachal Pradesh as a safe haven. Various civilians have already reported sighting suspicious people in the hills and forests adjoining the Jammu and Kashmir border. An alert was sounded in this regard in mid-December, but there have been no arrests. Senior police officials claim that security has been tightened, but that does not appear to have had much impact on the ground. In a drive against the terrorists, it is necessary to strengthen the intelligence network and enlist the support of the local people. The police has been found wanting in these areas. It is true that it is not feasible to post cops everywhere, but senior police officers would be helping their own ranks if they taught them how to gain the confidence of the public. This can be done only through a sensible and sensitive approach. Unfortunately, the experience so far has been that whenever lower-ranking officials reach the site of the crime for investigation, they behave in such a high-handed manner that they end up alienating the masses. Even where it is known that some people have provided assistance to terrorists, it must be realised that they might have done so only out of fear. As such, introduction of better weaponry and more forces should be coupled with a reorientation of the security personnel. |
|
Unfair to J&K masses A self-confident nation like India should never show signs of losing the sense of proportion even in the face of the most challenging crisis as it is confronted with today. One is afraid this impression cannot be gathered from the
decision to discontinue the telecommunication facilities to the common Indians living in the troubled valley. Reports have it that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has withdrawn its ISD (international subscriber dialling) and STD (subscriber trunk dialling) services available through the PCOs (public call offices) spread throughout the length and breadth of the border state. The harsh measure is aimed at crippling the communication links between terrorists and their masterminds operating from across the border. The intentions of the decision-makers sitting in their cosy chairs in Delhi are pious but lack the realisation of the problems of the common people. Why should the poor suffer for no fault of theirs? This is not to plead the case for restoring the ISD facility through the PCOs which might be helping subversives more than the ordinary Kashmiris. But definitely there is a case for reviewing the BSNL directive with regard to STD. It is well known that terrorist violence for over a decade has robbed the valley of whatever job opportunities were there. Even otherwise, the extremely cold weather during the winter months makes it practically impossible for people to earn their livelihood there. Forced by the circumstances, both old and new, they move to the plains in large numbers to keep their and their families' body and soul together. The technological advancement in telecommunications has proved a boon for these disadvantaged Indians. Though remaining separated from their family during winter, they remain in touch with one another. The cost of this facility had come down further with the availability of the Internet facility, but the Kashmiris in the rural areas cannot think of making use of it. Most of them cannot have even a telephone connection. The emergence of the PCOs has been serving their need, and there is no reason why they should be deprived of their only credible link with their near and dear ones. The Postal Department cannot provide a substitute for the telecommunication facilities. Of course, terrorists have to be immobilised by launching a multipronged attack on their networks. But they should also not be allowed to exploit the sentiments of the poor. Imagine the reaction among the common Kashmiris. BSNL allows people in the rest of the country to communicate among themselves at cheaper rates (effective from January 14) even during peak hours, but deprives those in the terrorism-hit valley of the same advantage when they deserve it more than anybody else. The BSNL move is unwise and may contribute to the alienation in the strategically significant border state. The fight against terrorism can be carried on by better house-keeping, which involves making the country's intelligence gathering system foolproof. But nothing should be done to hurt the interests of the marginalised people except when there is an emergency. |
|
Argentina’s serious crisis Argentina, Latin America’s third biggest economy, is sinking. It is rocked by a deep political crisis, an irretrievable economic situation and a chaotic social order. On Tuesday it got its fifth President in 12 days amidst total confusion and bickering within the ruling Peronist party, blocking a consensus on a solution and widening faction fight. Mr Eduardo Duhalde became Head of Government on Tuesday to fill the vacuum caused by rapid-fire resignation of his short-lived predecessors. All of them quit either because they were not confident of solving the crisis or because the ruling party was too sharply divided in supporting radical measures. This is a political problem but it stems from a serious financial crisis. The country has a public debt of $ 155 billion and fully $ 132 billion to foreign creditors. It got itself into serious difficulty about a decade ago when in a gesture of bravado it linked its currency peso to the dollar on equal terms. It meant a peso was valued at a dollar. It brought in an immediate dividend as peso stabilised in the currency market and inflation plummeted from 5000 per cent to a single digit. But it carried a big risk. The dollar was and is an international currency and the peso was puny and is so. The marriage of the two, to quote a Panchatantra tale, was like the friendship between a rat and a frog and when the latter jumps into the water. There were not many acceptable answers to these complex matters. The former Economic Minister tried a quick-fix method by freezing withdrawal from banks to $ 1000 a month and seeking an IMF loan of $ 1.6 billion to tide over the immediate crisis. The first move angered pensioners and housewives and thousands of people poured into the streets to express their feelings. It reached such a pitch that the government has to allow a further withdrawal of $ 500 to celebrate the New Year festivities but this hardly mollified the suffering citizens. Many industries have closed down and with foreign investors threatening to pull out, there is great unrest among the working class, the backbone of the ruling Peronist party. By the latest count as high as 20 per cent of Argentinians are jobless and also restless. All this makes for a full-blown political crisis, flowing from an economic crisis leading to a first-rate social crisis. This country is used to this kind of a situation and the hope is that it will show its maturity once again. |
Osama and Taliban leadership Speaking in Washington on December 28, United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made a very interesting and significant revelation. While explaining the reasons for the Pentagon’s concerns over escalating Indo-Pakistan tensions, Mr Rumsfeld stated: “We have thousands of Americans, military as well as civilians, in Pakistan and clearly the bases where many of the military are located would require different force protection arrangements. So, this is something we are keeping our eye on very carefully and we have made our interest in this subject known to both India and Pakistan.” Till this revelation, everyone had blissfully presumed that while there was a small American logistical and military presence in Pakistan, the vast majority of US forces were deployed in neighbouring Afghanistan. Why then this deployment of what is obviously thousands of American military and CIA personnel in Pakistan? The answer obviously lies in the serious apprehensions that the Pentagon and the CIA have about continuing assistance being provided from Pakistani soil to both the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. That General Musharraf was not prepared to entirely forsake the Taliban was evident from his advocacy of a major political role in Afghanistan for some so-called “moderate Taliban”. While this line of thinking impressed the ever-obliging Colin Powell, there were few takers for this in either the Northern Alliance, or in the countries that had suffered from terrorism emerging from the ISI-Taliban nexus. Similarly, the Musharraf argument that the Northern Alliance should not be permitted to move into Kabul received a sympathetic hearing and support from the distinguished American Secretary of State, who strangely was even impressed by General Musharraf’s pleadings that his sole reason for staying in power was to improve the economic lot of his poor and impoverished countrymen! At the same time, anti-US demonstrations were engineered in Pakistan to persuade the Americans not to injure “Muslim sentiments” and to halt their bombing in Afghanistan during the month of Ramzan. The entire aim of all this was to ensure that the operations against the Taliban got stalled, giving Pakistan enough time and room to manoeuvre. All these developments did, however, seriously hinder and delay the Pentagon’s plans for attaining quick and effective results in their military operations. An embarrassed White House overruled Mr Powell, the bombing was intensified along with the coordination with the Northern Alliance. The Alliance quickly walked into Kabul. After lying to the world about the links that his army establishment had with the Taliban, General Musharraf was confronted with a rather difficult and embarrassing situation when the Taliban retreated from Mazar-e-Sharif accompanied by hundreds of Pakistani military advisers. This group comprising serving and retired officers and men from the Pakistan army had been fighting for years alongside the Taliban. Thereafter, when the American bombing of Taliban positions in Kunduz started in real earnest General Musharraf was left with no option but to plead with the Americans to organise nightly pauses in their relentless bombing, so that the Pakistan Air Force could evacuate his beleaguered men, including reportedly two Brigadiers. It should be obvious that agreeing to this request would not have pleased the Pentagon or the CIA. Their aim was to annihilate those who fought and grill those who surrendered. But the Bush Administration caved in to the Musharraf request primarily because they felt that the killing or surrender of a large number of officers and men of the Pakistan army would embarrass and weaken General Musharraf, whom they prefer to the likes of General Aziz Khan. This is, however, a decision that the Bush Administration is going to live to regret. When he announced the purpose of his war against terrorism President Bush proclaimed that his objective was to get Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda hoodlums “dead or alive”. He later made it clear that this objective was intended to include Mullah Omar and the Taliban leadership as well. This has not happened. What has transpired instead is that Osama and virtually the entire Al-Qaeda leadership, including Osama’s heir apparent Ayman al-Zawahiri, have mysteriously disappeared from their caves in Tora Bora, despite relentless American bombing and ground assaults by members of their “Eastern Alliance”. Since they have not developed wings and flown into the heavens, they are quite obviously enjoying the hospitality of the tribals of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province. There are now a number of reports including assessments of the Northern Alliance leadership, that the Al-Qaeda leadership and hundreds of their fighters have left the caves of Tora Bora and crossed the White Mountains into the Tirah Valley of FATA. The Taliban leadership has similarly entered Pakistan both into FATA and through the border crossing at Chaman in Baluchistan. The Taliban outfit has now assumed the name of Khudamul Furqan, while their allies in Masood Azhar’s Jaish-e-Mohammad have renamed themselves as Al-Furqan. In these circumstances it is evident that the Taliban leadership, the Al-Qaeda, the Jaish, members of the Pakistan military and the ISI who had joined hands and attempted to spread jihad worldwide from Afghanistan have now regrouped in Pakistan. America’s war against terrorism is now entering a new phase, with the Bush Administration’s proclamation of capturing terrorists “dead or alive” nowhere near having been achieved. It is worth noticing here that shortly after the hijacking drama of IC-814 to Kandahar ended on December 31, 1999, there were credible reports indicating that the Pakistan government had moved the hijackers to FATA. They were then in a position to claim that the hijackers were not in any place over which Pakistan had jurisdiction. Exactly the same ploy is now being used to claim that as the writ of the Pakistan government does not run in FATA, they are not in a position to apprehend either Osama bin Laden, or his supporters, or even the members of the Taliban leadership. It is not surprising that the Americans are now finding it necessary to station thousands of military and CIA personnel in Pakistan to locate all those whom President Bush had wanted “dead or alive”. Any conflict with India during which the Indian Navy would obviously blockade Karachi and the Indian Air Force attack Pakistan air bases would seriously undermine these American efforts. Hence the almost daily phone calls from senior Bush Administration officials to their counterparts in India and President Musharraf in Islamabad. The post-December 13 tensions with Pakistan have to be viewed in the light of these developments. General Musharraf’s apologists in Washington and in the so-called liberal “intellectuals” in India tend to gloss over how he has spared no effort to see that those who have colluded with the ISI in Afghanistan are protected. It should be evident from these developments that General Musharraf responds to the concerns of others only when he is compelled to do so. The measures he has taken so far against both Lashkar and Jaish activists are little more than cosmetic. He will use every trick in the book to buy time and keep his jihadis protected. Old habits die hard. The Pak military establishment would be loath to give up its assets who are useful to “bleed” India. Musharraf has claimed that his recent actions against his favorite jihadis were undertaken not to appease India or the USA, but to fulfil Pakistan’s commitments under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373. The time has perhaps come for India to insist that the international community led by the USA should now declare that Pakistan is not in compliance with the provisions of Security Council Resolution 1373. The Security Council should be persuaded to demand that Pakistan must ban, disarm and freeze the funds of all jihadi outfits operating to hit their targets in J&K and elsewhere in India. Pakistan should also extradite all those wanted for trial in India for terrorist offences. Only then should India indicate that it is prepared to relent on the diplomatic, economic and military pressure that it has commenced mounting on Pakistan. |
Change of guard in Air Force and Navy The New Year saw the change of guard in the two wings of India’s defence services — the Air Force and the Navy. Air Chief Marshal S.Krishnaswamy and Admiral Madhvendra Singh took charge from their distinguished predecessors — Air Chief Marshal A.Y.Tipnis and Admiral Sushil Kumar — at a crucial juncture in the nation’s history. There is tension on the Indo-Pak border and the two Chiefs’ experience and acumen will be put to test in the coming days. Significantly, all the three Service Chiefs — the two new chiefs and the present Army Chief General Sundarrajan Padmanabhan — have a special working relationship. Only three years ago, the triumverate enjoyed the distinction of having commanded the southern and western fronts together. Air Chief Marshal Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy has an impeccable career to his
credit. He has held as many as three air commands — western, south-western and central — which is said to be a unique achievement. In addition, he has also held several important staff appointments. It is said that he knows the ins and outs of the Air Force, respects the Army and understands the Navy — the three qualities required for any Service Chief. Moreover, Krishnswamy is known to have excellent rapport with the commanders, especially while carrying out joint exercises with the Navy. Since his childhood
days, Air Chief Marshal Krishnaswamy had a passion for flying. And after becoming a pilot, such was his passion that he never took leave, lest he would lose flying time for the period of absence. According to a report, he has put in over 4,200 hours, apparently flying almost every aircraft in the IAF inventory since 1960. A graduate in Mathematics from Chennai’s Presidency College, he was an NCC cadet and won laurels in the NCC camps for best performance. Interestingly, Air Chief Marshal Krishnaswamy, a Tamil Brahmin, has Punjabi connection. His wife, Harveen, is a Jat Sikh from Chandigarh. They have been together for the past 34 years. Admiral Madhvendra Singh, who took over as the 19th Chief of Naval Staff, was born in a military family. His father, the late Major General K.Bhagwati Singh, was the first cadet to pass out of the Indian Military Academy. Not surprisingly, Madhvendra was keen on joining the Navy from an early age. As many as 20 cousins and uncles in his family — from army generals to navy cadets — served in the armed forces. So, he was optimistic of carving out a career in the Navy. Admiral Madhvendra Singh is among the fortunate few to have done a specialised gunnery course at London’s Royal Military College of Science as also at the Naval War College, New Port, USA. He is known to have been a strict disciplinarian all through his 40-year-long career. A no-nonsense man, he is not known to have committed any impropriety in his career. Nor does he tolerate any wrongdoing by anyone in the service. At the same time, to break the serious monotony in the profession, he also participates in sports now and then. An interesting aspect of Admiral Madhvendra Singh’s personality is his attempt to recognise the dignity of labour. He doesn’t believe in any hierarchy or superior-subordinate relationship. This is said to be the hallmark of his career. He often picks up the telephone to talk to the junior most officer or employee to help hasten any particular action. Another unique feature is that he rarely takes rest. Despite his busy schedule, he tries to find time for spastic children. His wife, Kaumadi Kumari, teaches at schools run by the Spastic Society of India. Terrorism casts its
shadow on SAARC The 11th SAARC ( South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit opening in Kathmandu on January 4 is significant for more than one reason. One, it will witness the presence of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf after the recent escalation of tension on the borders with military deployment by the two neighbouring nuclear states. Two, the summit will discuss the issue of terrorism after India pushed its case in the backdrop of the December 13 attack on Parliament. Before finalising the draft declaration, New Delhi had pleaded before the Standing Committee of SAARC Foreign Secretaries that the present Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, adopted at the 1987 SAARC summit in Kathmandu, had become outdated and needed modifications. Three, the host country, Nepal, itself has been a victim of terrorism by Maoist rebels. Though Maoist terrorists strike mostly outside the capital, the insurgency-rocked kingdom is not taking any chances and has handed over the job of providing security to the visiting Asian leaders to the army. A retreat for the participating dignitaries has been planned at the picturesque hill resort of Nagarkot on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Helicopters will be deployed to accompany the motorcades from the hotel where the leaders will stay to the venue covering a distance of 4 km. Although there are proposals regarding cooperation in agriculture, environment, science and technology, human rights and social development also on the SAARC agenda, it is the border tension between India and Pakistan which is expected to dominate the summit. Both countries are under pressure from the USA, Britain and the UN to use the opportunity to talk peace. The 10th summit in Colombo of the SAARC countries — India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives — had
focused on a free trade agreement for the region, and adopted a social charter on poverty alleviation, population control, human resources development and women’s empowerment. This time terrorism has cast its ugly shadow on development issues. |
|
|
Options before India after Dec 13 What September 11 was to the USA, December 13 was for India. At least in terms of the symbolic value of the attack. Now it remains to be seen whether the Indian response to December 13 matches the American response to September 11. After the December 13 terrorist attack on Parliament House, India came under pressure to take effective and prompt steps to close down Pakistan’s terrorism-exporting factories or risk being dubbed a soft state. The Vajpayee government had no choice but to not only perform but also be seen to be a performer. The government had two options to silence the guns of Pakistan’s proxy
warmachine: to achieve its objectives through a diplomatic offensive or through military means. For the last 18 days, the Indian government has been observing utmost restraint and using the diplomatic option. There has been a spurt in diplomatic activity involving India after December 13. World powers monitored the situation in the Indian subcontinent closely fearing the worst — an unprecedented military conflict involving two nuclear powers. But observing restraint and exercising the diplomatic option does not mean that the military option has been given a go-by. The government is making military preparations simultaneously. The current strategy of the Vajpayee government can be summed up in one sentence: keep the Indian warmachine well-oiled and fully prepared and use the military option only after the diplomatic alternative is completely exhausted. As part of this strategy, Defence Minister George Fernandes has been touring the border areas of Siachen, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Cabinet Committee on Security has had eight meetings since December 13. All the three Strike Corps of the Indian Army have been moved out from their peacetime locations of Ambala, Mathura and Bhopal and deployed on international borders, with special emphasis on Rajasthan and Gujarat sectors. Troops located in the southern states are being shifted to northern and western India to beef up existing levels of deployment. This became necessary as Pakistan has deployed both of its Strike Corps, numbering about 1.25 lakh troops, on borders with India. The Pakistani military build-up, which started from December 14 itself, is in addition to those troops which had been despatched to India’s western borders for exercises in October. These troops were to be moved back to their peacetime locations in the first week of December but were never recalled. It is against this backdrop that India had to take recourse to its own military build-up and simultaneously ensure that in case the enemy surprises us with a first strike our response should be prompt and befitting. History tells us that Pakistan has always fired the first salvo in the three Indo-Pak wars so far. The government obviously would be aware of the fact that military strikes on terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir would be merely cosmetic because most of these camps are nothing more than firing ranges. Islamabad is feeling the heat of the international pressure and is getting caught in its own trap. Otherwise, how could the Pakistan government put terrorists like Hafiz Mohammad Sayeed and Maulana Masood Azhar in jail. Not too long ago they were called “freedom fighters” by the Musharraf regime. But these arrests are only cosmetic as far as India is concerned because these terrorists have been arrested in connection with crimes committed by them locally. India obviously would not be satisfied till these terrorists are handed over to India. |
||||
Tiruvalluvar on being wise Everyone agrees with the Biblical saying that ‘The wise shall inherit the earth’. (Proverbs 3: 35). But few know how to be wise. In his immortal classic Tirukkural, written in the first century B.C., Tiruvalluvar spells out the parameters of wisdom and attributes of the wise. We are living in an era of information explosion. Print and electronic media, the Internet etc are bringing to the doorsteps of millions a vast array of information. The capacity to sift these and discern the useful from the not so useful and make purposeful use of the information to achieve the goals and objectives is wisdom. The purpose of knowledge is self-realisation. Knowledge should not be used for destructive and unproductive purposes. It is to be used for understanding the ultimate truth. Unfortunately, those who possess considerable knowledge use the same to subdue and intimidate others. One Seer bemoans this fact in his Prayer to the Lord: ‘Oh Lord, Why have You endowed me with so much knowledge, which I use to frighten people. When a man well versed in Sanskrit comes to me for a debate, I use Pali and vice versa. People have started running away from me and I am severely alone. I was happy when I did not possess so much of knowledge. Please make me humane again. ‘It is said, ‘Knowledge is proud that he knows so much, Wisdom is humble that he knows no more’. Wisdom is the quintessence of knowledge and can be acquired, by listening to
Wisemen; analysing and subjecting what has been perceived through the five senses to the triple tests of rationality, utility and practicality and through self-experience and self-realisation. Tiruvalluvar says ‘Wisdom is the ultimate and impregnable defence for protection against self-destruction and it is also the fortress of inner strength against the assault of the vices. He goes on to enumerate the attributes of a wiseman: * The Wise have the power to concentrate on the truth and the good without allowing the mind to be distracted by petty things; * The Wise have the capacity to accept the truth and wisdom from whichever quarter it comes; * The Wise have the power to express complicated ideas in simple terms. They have also the capacity to pick up subtle points from the speech of any one; * The Wise love the entire humanity without the distinction of caste, creed or religion; * The Wise have the capacity to foresee future developments through logic and are able to withstand adverse circumstances; and * The Wise have the capacity to enjoy every living moment without caring for worldly comforts. These ideas are also reflected in the works of all the seers of all religions from all regions of the world. None of these are difficult to comprehend and follow. Adi Sankara advised Wisemen to keep the company of those who are good and virtuous. Here is a test to select good company. ‘He who knows and knows he knows, he is a Wiseman, seek him. He who knows not and knows he knows not, he is a child, teach him. He who knows and knows not that he knows, he is asleep, wake him. He who knows not and knows not that he knows not, he is a fool, shun him.’ Let us strive to become Wise. |
|
GM fish to radiate colours in polluted water They were once good for little more than being served in batter with chips. But now fish may have a new role - that of eco-warrior. Scientists are creating technology that will enable fish to change colour in polluted water, providing an early warning system for environmentalists. Researchers at Singapore’s National University are intent on producing genetically modified zebra fish. Some test fish have been genetically manipulated by the laboratory so that they can radiate a green or red fluorescent colour. The scientists put genes from another species into the fish, and then located the chemical indicators, called gene promoters, that cause the new colour genes to become active within the fish. They found that gene promoters are activated by high levels of oestrogen and stress caused by chemicals in a polluted environment. The scientists hope to create a breed of fish that can change to a specific colour depending on the type of pollutant it is exposed to. `The biomonitoring fish give us a way to monitor aquatic environments and water quality,’ said Zhiyuan Gong, associate professor in the department of biological sciences at National University. The fish will also be cheap to produce and biodegradable, he added, making them perfect `pollutant indicators’. They are also working on developing a fish that will change colour depending on water temperature. But GM campaigners slammed the new technology.
The Observer Watch out, the euro can make you sick It has been accused of crushing national identity, pushing up prices and being the best friend of fraudsters and drug barons. But now the euro — Europe’s new single currency — faces its toughest criticism: it can make you ill. After years of anticipation, the coins and notes will be launched in 12 countries on Tuesday. But millions of people who eagerly grab their new coins could see their hands turn into a scaly, diseased mass after minutes. The British Journal of Dermatology warns the coins could cause eczma among 45 million people. Austrian doctors have branded them a ‘very dirty currency’. City traders have called the euro, which has fallen sharply in value, a ‘toilet currency’ because it has gone down the pan. Bank tellers and shop assistants have been advised to wear gloves for work, or to get a new job. The Ű1and Ű2 coins contain high levels of nickel. European bureaucrats agreed to include the metal despite warnings that allergy to nickel affects up to one in seven people, particularly women. Medical researchers have conducted tests showing the coins can make far more people sick than currencies they replace.
The Observer |
|||||
Let the motion of the brain become harmonious. Harmonious motion is the music of the spheres. All the spheres of the universe are breathing in that harmonious motion. Acquire this harmonious motion. be in tune with harmony, in tune with the music of the sphere — then you become inwardly beautiful.... What is it that dampens your spirits and your cheerfulness? It is what is called Spiritual Opacity. You have to make yourselves transparent, you have to give up the opacity in you, it darkens you. What is this opacity? it is this little ego, this proprietary self which says, "This is mine, that belongs to me etc." This opacity must be given up, and while breathing in the open air feel that you are in unison with the whole world. You become transparent and everything will come to you. — Swami Ramatirtha, In Woods of God Realisation, Vol. IV *** The ideal of life is to remain united with the True Lord but there is wall of falsehood (maya) in between. This curtain gets removed by following the Lord's will, abiding by His verdict, taking his ordains with pleasure and accepting them in toto. Once this curtain is removed we shall find the same spirit of God functioning everywhere leaving no distinction between man and man and the Lord and mankind. — Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Japji Sahib), page 1 *** Saints have developed love for the Lord who is beyond birth and death. He pervades all beings... The True Lord perceives all actions and listens to all we talk about. He is omnipresent. Nanak! The Lord pardons us always and sustains us even thought the ungrateful do not recognise Him... — Sri Guru Granth Sahib *** If you are a woman, think of God as your lover. If you are a man, think of God as your beloved. — Osho, I say Unto You. Vol. II |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
