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Open Forum
Jammu & Kashmir Poll:BALLOT SCORES OVER BULLETS, by Sant Kumar Sharma, 19 December 2008 |
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Open Forum
New Delhi, 19 December 2008
Jammu & Kashmir Poll
BALLOT SCORES OVER BULLETS
By Sant Kumar Sharma
In Jammu and Kashmir elections the spotlight for
once is not on wanton violence, but on the high polling percentage. This can
only be a welcome change, however short-lived it may prove, on a later
date. In fact, the focus is far more on
the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack and the gun-carriers in the State
seem to be biding their time, deciding to lie low for now and not invite a
harsh response from the government.
On Wednesday last, in the sixth and
penultimate round of polling in the troubled State, 16 constituencies recorded
a voter turnout of almost 66 per cent . More significantly, polling remained
peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in these
constituencies spread over five districts. These included Kishtwar, Ramban and
Doda in the Jammu
region. Newly-created district of Kulgam and Anantnag in the Kashmir
valley also saw voters turn out in large numbers to exercise their franchise.
During the 2002 Assembly elections
as also the 1996 elections, it was almost routine to hear of candidates being
killed, mostly independents or even some owing allegiance to mainstream
parties. In addition, security forces personnel too were targeted in large
numbers by the militants. This time around, the elections have remained, by and
large, peaceful, till date with the militants appearing to be on the back foot.
Importantly, the voters have clearly defied the separatists’ diktat to boycott
the polls.
Remember, these elections are being
held in the aftermath of the Amarnath land row, with the Jammu
region and the Kashmir region sharply divided
on the issue. Analysts had compared the rallies during the height of the land
row in Kashmir to the initial days of uprising in Kashmir
in the 90s. They had also expressed fears that holding of elections at such a time
would in all probability lead to very low voter participation.
These fears have been belied. The electorate
has defied predictions and the separatists’ threats. They came out to vote
despite the severe cold, with snowfall and rain sweeping these constituencies a
couple of days earlier. This phase decides the fate of two chief ministers,
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad..
It is more or less apparent that the
State is going to witness one of the highest polling percentages ever-recorded
during these Assembly elections. The last round of polling remains, December
24, during which 21 Assembly constituencies spread over districts of Jammu,
Srinagar and Samba will go to vote. The
way in which the election campaigning has been going on in the Jammu and
newly-created Samba district, it appears that the polling in these areas will
be high, unlike in the past when the voters of these mostly urban areas have
showed scant regard to their vote.
Of course, there is still a question
mark on the polling percentage in Srinagar district, a stronghold of separatist
and secessionist leaders of various hues. In 2002, this district had recorded
the lowest polling percentage and several Assembly segments had witnessed less
than 10 per cent votes cast. The overall percentage of voting recorded in
Srinagar was 11.17 per cent. Even this was made up because of the comparatively
better percentage of voting recorded in Ganderbal (35.20 per cent) and Kangan
(52.02 per cent) segments. This time around, Ganderbal and Kangan have been
carved out into a separate district of Ganderbal.
The other eight constituencies of
Srinagar district had recorded less than 10 per cent voting, with Amirakadal
constituency witnessing only 3.06 voting. Of the 74,442 voters who were
eligible to cast their vote in Amirakadal, only 2,280 had exercised their
franchise. Congress candidate Mohammed Shafi Bhat had won by polling only 1,163
votes!
The distinction of winning an Assembly
election with the smallest number of votes in 2002 had gone to independent
candidate Raman Mattoo, who polled only 587 votes in Habbakadal segment. Likewise, Batmaloo had recorded four per cent
voting, Khanyar only 4.21 per cent, Idgah only 4.74 per cent, Zadibal only 4.78
per cent, Hazratbal only 7.11 per cent and Sonawar also narrowly missed the
double digit mark as it saw a polling percentage of only 9.96.
But this time around National
Conference patron Farooq Abdullah’s presence in the field is likely to boost up
the polling percentage in Hazratbal and Sonawar constituencies. Besides,
absence of violence in the first six phases is also likely to encourage voters
to come out in good numbers during the last phase. The south Kashmir district
of Anantnag has been the home turf of the Muftis. In fact, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) had won most of its seats in 2002 Assembly elections from
south Kashmir only.
Noorabad constituency in Kulgam
district recorded a turnout of over 72 per cent, unprecedented when we compare
it to the past three elections held in 2002, 1996 and 1987. Mufti’s trusted
aide and senior PDP leader Abdul Aziz Zargar is contesting from this
constituency and hoping to make it two in a row. He trounced the NC candidate Sakina
Ittoo, who along with his supporters alleged that the PDP leader had used its alleged
contacts with militants to browbeat them during canvassing.
Interestingly, Zargar’s name was
linked to the Akshardham temple attack in Gujarat but nothing concrete had come
out of these allegations and insinuations. At one time, it was said that some
of the militants who had participated in this attack were known to Zargar.
Kulgam constituency, from where
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami has been
elected twice in succession recorded a high of 60 per cent voting. Homeshalibug
recorded 49%, Devsar 58%, Anantnag 37%, Dooru 69%, Kokernag 57%, Shangus 67%,
Bijebehera 57% and Pahalgam recorded 56%.
In three districts lying to south of
mighty Pir Panjal Mountains, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban also, the polling
percentage was very high. Kishtwar Assembly constituency recorded a whopping 75%
turnout, remote Inderwal 72%, Doda 70%, Bhaderwah 65%, Ramban 64% and Banihal 63%.
In comparison, the final poll percentage in the 2002 poll were far less in
these 16 Assembly constituencies: Noorabad 23.41%, Kulgam 24.40%, Homeshalibug
22.93%, Devsar 35.56%, Anantnag 7.16%, Dooru 40.48%, Kokernag 15.27%, Shangus
25.40%, Bijbehara 16.67%, Pahalgam 33.02%, Kishtwar 54.82%, Inderwal 56.61%¸
Doda 55.54%, Bhadarwah 54.25%, Ramban 57.71% and Banihal Assembly constituency
40.55% voter turnout.
For Noorabad, the polling percentage
has shown more than a three-fold increase between 2002 and this time--from
23.41% to over 72%. For Anantnag constituency, the voter participation has risen
more than five-fold, from a dismal 7.16% to 37.03%.
With Pakistan facing unprecedented international pressure, the
militants’ guns eerily silent and an unprecedented voter participation in Jammu &
Kashmir, will the situation veer around to better days in the State? Only time will
tell. ---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
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Nuclear Deal & Aftermath:TAKE ISSUE TO PEOPLE THIS POLL, by Dr MM Kapur,30 December 2008 |
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Events
& Issues
New Delhi, 30 December 2008
Nuclear Deal & Aftermath
TAKE ISSUE TO PEOPLE THIS POLL
By Dr MM Kapur
The recent Assembly elections have clearly shown that issues
such as the Indo-US nuclear deal and internal security, which have hogged
headlines for months were not poll issues for the aam aadmi. These were seen more as national issues which should be
addressed in the forthcoming General elections, slated for April/May.
What is of particular interest is whether and how our political
parties would take the nuclear pact to the people, since it is already a done
deal. The Parties must remember that the value of the deal for the aam aadmi continues to be elusive like
the bird in the bush and remains of doubtful value in the short and medium
term. It is our hope that some benefit
may trickle down to the aam aadmi in
the long term.
The reason for the desperate hurry to sign the agreement has
little to do with the immediate needs of the aam aadmi and lies elsewhere with business and political needs at
home and in the US.
To be able to asses the precise need
for the deal we have to examine our nuclear energy generation programme
progress so far. India
has its nuclear power plants in operation, run by the Nuclear Power Corporation
of India (NPCI). The power generated today is 4120 mw. The Corporation plans to
install six more plants to generate additional 3160 mw and by 2020 take it up
to 20,000 mw. The Planning Commission has said that at best the deal will raise
our nuclear power generation from 3% to 7%, which does not sound like a break
through.
The Uranium used in the plants is from Indian uranium
reserves which are assessed at between 80,000-1,12,000 metric tonnes. We have
utilised 478 metric tonnes per year in our power plants and our nuclear arsenal
requires an additional 32 metric tonnes. If we were to quadruple our energy
output we would use up 2,000 metric tonnes per year. At this rate, uranium
reserves would meet our power generation needs for the next 40-50 years.
Our nuclear research in fast breeder reactor (FBR) using
thorium reserves would multiply nuclear fuel potential manifold. All these
needs would be met by the use of our own internal reserves, and the pool of our
own trained manpower. There would, thus, be no need of submitting to
inspections, test moratoriums, and annual certifications by other nations or
the looming threat of recall of nuclear material.
The deal is indeed a great triumph for the US business community, which stands to gain
entry to $100bn power generation industry in India. There are, however, obstacles
to the US vendors’ entry to the Indian power generation market. The US firms
would like a cap on third party risk cover in case of accidents, acts of
terror, saboteurs etc.
These are real and live dangers known to all of us, who are well-versed
with media reports. India has so far not signed the Convention of Supplementary
Compensation. This is a global fund for victims of nuclear disasters The Government
of India’s action in these areas is bound to be watched closely. A major high
point of this deal has been the NSG waiver. We need to exploit it for and advanced power plant
design and building contracts with France and the UK.
The pace of our progress should be guided by our
installation of enhanced security apparatus to protect these high-value assets
and the aam aadmi. If our borders are
secured against illegal immigration, and the influx of men and material
tightened we could reach zero tolerance of terrorist acts. However, this goal
has eluded successive Governments in the 60 years of our Independence. The will
and the resolve seem to be missing. If our leaders could attain this goal, this
would be the best investment towards our regional, global power status and
erase the soft State image.
In the long run, internal security would attract further
investments and ensure progress. This systemic change would make symmetric cooperation
with the US possible and meaningful within our lifetime.
It would be prudent for us not to import nuclear plants from
the US under the deal till the position is clear and the ambiguities removed
probably by the new administrations installed in both countries. In the meantime,
it must be made clear that our strategic goals will be on their planned course
and related to our national security requirements.
The cooperation with the US must provide access to computer
simulation as a path to testing. This may take care of our needs towards
maintaining a credible deterrence for a few years.
In case there is no clarity in our agreements with NSG and
the US, as a sovereign country we should proceed with our available nuclear energy
plans using indigenous nuclear energy fuel and inspections by the IAEC. And to meet
our emerging energy requirements we must make full use of alternate renewable and
non-renewable environmentally acceptable energy sources side by side with an indigenous
nuclear programme.
There can be no economic, regional or global super power
status without first installing a robust and alert internal security system.
There is need for a broad consensus to be built around our national identity
and national goals. These values and identities emerge from ongoing dialogue
and debate between the Government of the day, political parties and the aam aadmi.
Regrettably, this approach was not adopted before the pursuit
of the nuclear deal was embarked upon. It was hyped as a one Party miracle
without taking the polity and the people into confidence. This resulted in a
lack of resonance and widely prevalent suspicion in the minds of the political
parties and cross sections of the people.
The statements in Parliament, the debate and the manner of
obtaining votes have not reassured the aam
aadmi. One earnestly hopes that the coming elections will provide space for
taking this issue to the people. Such a debate will empower the newly-elected
members to examine the deal and improve it to render the aam aadmi as a beneficiary.
Clearly, the deal impacts India’s sovereignty, military
links, foreign policy and economy. The future
role of the country post the nuclear deal will depend upon an in-depth review
and redefining of its contents to include balance and parity in obligation for
the signing parties. --INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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Global Economic Crisis:INDIAN PHARMA industry LETHARGIC, by Radhakrishna Rao,26 December 2008 |
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Events & Issues
New Delhi, 26 December 2008
Global Economic
Crisis
INDIAN PHARMA industry LETHARGIC
By Radhakrishna Rao
Not long back, the buoyant and fast growing Indian pharmaceutical
industry had raised hopes of turning the country into a veritable “pharma power
house” of the world in the not too distant future. Spurred on by a steady
growth in the export of drugs, formulations, vaccines and outsourcing of
various services, the pharma sector was justifiably optimistic of making it to
the world’s top ten by value in the near future. However, the global economic
slow down coupled with a credit crunch prevailing in the Indian market has
conspired to slow down the industry’s prospects.
Accordingly, a spokesman of the Indian pharma industry
admits that “a perceptible slow down in industrial production and economic
growth have been a major causative factor for a decline in our growth
projection.” A forecast by Pharmexcil, a Government of India agency that
monitors the export volume of drugs and pharmaceutical products reveals that
exports are likely to drop by 5 per cent during the current financial year i.e.
these will touch Rs 361-billion as against the original projection of Rs 382-billion.
Incidentally, pharma exports account for 6 per cent of the
total export from India.
However, appreciation of the US green buck against the Rupee has not in any way
gone to benefit the Indian pharma exporters. “The depreciation gains are being
offset as imports have become more expensive now. India
imports its raw materials for manufacturing drugs and pharma products from China and other
countries. But the Rupee depreciation has disabled us” reveals an industry
spokesman.
The US,
which happens to be the world’s largest market for generic drugs accounts for
half of India’s
total pharma and drugs export. However, the ongoing slow down in the American
economy has resulted in a decline in the sale of pharma products and this could
in turn exert a negative impact on the volume of pharma products exported to the
US.
“With the new Obama
Government, we expect sales to drop further. This means that the bottom line of
the Indian companies, which export to the US, will be affected. We expect our
global exports to grow by 14-15 per cent during 2008 in comparison to 20 per
cent last year” observes the head of Pharma Exports Council of India. However, there is a silver lining for the
pharma industry: in recent years, European countries have emerged as a
lucrative alternative market for Indian pharma products and services.
The ongoing global economic melt down has also adversely
affected the expansion plans of the pharma sector. For instance, Reliance
Pharmaceuticals is mulling a scale down of its planned products portfolio from an
initial 75 products to just 25. Earlier, the company had drawn an ambitious and
comprehensive plan for an impressive foray into the regulated US and European markets
with its high value generics. This apart, industry sources are also worried
about a possible decline in “outsourcing”, considered a growth area of the
Indian pharma industry, in this recent financial
crisis.
In the meantime, the Indian pharma companies are hopeful of
making good the projected loss on the export front through increased sales in
the domestic market. The rural hinterland is tipped to be the growth area for
their products. Fortunately, all said and done, the Indian drugs and
pharmaceutical sector looks at the current slow down as a temporary phase and
is quite optimistic of surging ahead with renewed vigour once the crisis blows
over.
This can be said, following a major triumph for the
industry, wherein Hyderabad-based Dr.Reddy’s Laboratory has announced that
Betapharma AG, its wholly-owned subsidiary has been offered eight drug
contracts in different regions of Germany. Says its spokesman: “for
the eight products offered, we expect a significant increase in volume though at
relatively lesser margins”.
Indeed, the global excellence achieved by the Indian pharma
industry, including cases such as Dr Reddy’s and Ranbaxy, and the strides made
by the research organizations and biotech outfits in developing novel drugs and
enzymes are slowly turning India into a major hub for clinical trials of drugs
and vaccines developed by the Western pharma giants.
Thus amidst all this, clinical research is one of the most promising
growth areas for the Indian pharma sector. As a fallout of a steady increase in
outsourcing by western pharma and drug firms, the number of Indian outfits in
the area of clinical research has crossed to 100 from less that 10 a few years ago.
Not surprisingly then, keen on getting a slice of the highly lucrative clinical research
outsourcing market, many pharma and biotech companies in India are busy setting
their house in order and preparing themselves for being world-class clinical
research units.
In fact, by all counts there is a growing realization that
India would need to strengthen its infrastructure for trial sites and enhance
its quality level of clinical trails through ramping up of the operations with
a particular focus on training and evaluation of test procedures. As pointed
out by Dr.Ramananda Nadig, President, Clinical Research Education and
Management Academy (CREMA) “India’s clinical trial industry will require at
least 20,000 investigators and over 30,000 managers by 2010”
A fact-filled status report brought out by global consulting
firm McKinsey reveals that India has the potential to become the third largest market
for pharma products and services in terms of incremental growth, after the US
and China. By 2015, this market is expected to assume a size of US$20-billion.
Moreover, with a rapid and sustained expansion of health
care services, the demand for new and innovative pharma products and novel therapies
is expected to go up by substantial extent. As things stand now, Indian pharma
industry is poised to move up the value chain by making transition from reverse
engineering to discovery and development of new molecules. India has also
emerged as a preferred global supplier of high quality drugs and intermediaries
at an affordable price.
In the ultimate analysis, there is no denying the fact that the
Indian drugs and pharmaceutical sector has made rapid forays into the global
arena, across varying business segments and has clearly shown its ability to
play a leadership role in each of these, notwithstanding the global economic
crisis. –INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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Return of Avian Flu:PREVENTION NOT CURE IS REMEDY, by Radhakrishna Rao, 31 December 2008 |
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People & Their
Problems
New
Delhi, 31 December 2008
Return of Avian Flu
PREVENTION NOT CURE IS REMEDY
By Radhakrishna Rao
The dreaded avian flu has resurfaced
with a vengeance, posing a serious threat to the flourishing poultry industry
in Assam and parts of
adjoining West Bengal. It was in November 2007
that the prevalence of this much-feared viral disease affecting domestic
poultry was first detected in the outskirts of Guwahati. From there, the
disease sneaked into parts of West Bengal, throwing
the over Rs.40, 000-crore poultry sector of the State into turmoil.
It led to some panic selling among
poultry farmers and traders started taking advantage of the situation by
forcing them to sell broilers at un-remunerative prices. In fact, the waves of
fear caused by the spread of disease in Assam
and West Bengal have led to poultry prices dropping
by around 25% across the country. In addition, there is a fear that the spread
of the disease could also affect the export prospects of the poultry industry.
Not surprisingly many countries have
put India
under their “watch list” insofar as buying poultry products are concerned.
However, the biggest relief is that so far no country has officially banned
import of our poultry products. Significantly, the country’s export of poultry
products has increased from Rs.2870-million during 2004-05 to Rs.3500-million
during 2007-08. The major chunk of the revenue for Indian poultry products was from
West Asian countries, Japan
and Germany.
With an annual poultry production of two-million tonnes India is ranked
fifth among the largest poultry producing countries.
More than half a million birds,
including chicken and ducks have already been culled in over seven locations of
Assam
and the local administration has already paid a compensation of Rs.1.45-crore
to the poultry farmers. Meanwhile, in a related development about 60 chicks
seized from the Railway Police in Orissa, while being transported from West
Bengal were culled in Rourkela. This was the
second such culling incident in Orissa after a thousand-odd birds, transported
into the State in a passenger bus were culled near Balasore.
Unfortunately, the bad news of the
avian flu resurfacing in Assam
came in less than three weeks after India was considered free from this
disease, which has the potential to spread to humans. Though still not a global
pandemic, avian flu is known to have killed around 300 people since 2003. Experts
specializing in poultry diseases have pointed out that the H5NI virus, which is
responsible for the avian flu and kills poultry animals also manages to
exchange genetic material between species of specific viruses.
As a matter of fact, the severity of
the disease affecting humans is determined by the state of the immune system. However,
there is no effective cure to treat the disease, the symptoms of which include,
fever, cough, sore throat, muscle pain,
conjunctivitis and in some cases breathing complications and pneumonia.
Oseltamivir, commercially marketed under the brand name Tamiflu helps in
inhibiting the spread of virus, but the World Health Organisation is uncertain about
the drug’s effectiveness.
According to a study by the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) the H5 NI bird flu virus “has not only become
more contagious to humans but has managed to persist in parts of Asia, Africa
and probably even Europe,” and warns that it has the potential to trigger a
human influenza pandemic.
The People for Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA) is of the opinion that the unhygienic conditions in the poultry
farms of Assam was most likely the cause
for the out break of avian flu. Apparently it had warned the Assam Government in
June 2008 about the disease surfacing again but regrettably it wasn’t taken seriously.
The H5NI virus thus affected 120 villages spread across the seven districts of
the State. Like the popular adage, of bolting the stable after the horses have
left, the Assam Government decided to set up an expert committee to hopefully prevent
a similar outbreak of the disease in future. On another front, its Forest
Department has decided to monitor the migratory birds visiting the State during
this winter.
Recall, that the WHO had termed the
outbreak of bird flu in West Bengal in January 2007 as the worst-ever case reported
in India. Over four million birds had then been culled. The reason given was
that the viral strain causing the avian flu spreads with stunning rapidity, and
the best preventive measure was to immediately cull the domesticated birds on a
largescale. It goes without saying that medical researchers are now concerned
that the H5NI virus could acquire genetic strength” to facilitate its spread
from humans to humans in the long run.
A disquieting feature of bird flu is
that there is no fool-proof protection against it through vaccination. This is
so because no one is certain as to what shape the virus would assume after
mutation period. “Viral disease such as avian influenza does not recognize
boundaries. The development of an indigenous vaccine, however, could go a long
way towards tackling its threat effectively” according to the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research.
Apparently, it has been seen that
H5NI virus flourishes and causes fatalities in areas where humans are in close
touch with domesticated birds, such as chickens and fowls. At the same time,
the FAO is of the firm opinion that properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe
to consume. However, as a precautionary measure, partially cooked poultry and
raw eggs need to be avoided. This is so because eggs can carry H5NI virus both
on the outside and the inside.
”People need to be informed about
the importance of basic hygiene, notably washing hands after touching poultry
and disinfecting boots or shores before
entering or leaving a poultry farm” is FAO advice. Even then, oweverk, How there remains the concern that mass
culling of birds could put people at risk of acquiring the virus. And, as only
a small percentage of the population is aware of the dangers of bird flu, it is
time we educate the public and launch an intensified awareness campaign about
the do’s and don’ts. Why wait for another episode? ---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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The Divine Religion:SWAMI DAYANAND, ARYA SAMAJ & VEDAS, by Dr. Prashanta Kumar Sahoo,28 Nov 08 |
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PEOPLE AND THEIR
PROBLEMS
New Delhi, 28 November 2008
The Divine Religion
SWAMI DAYANAND,
ARYA SAMAJ & VEDAS
By Dr. Prashanta Kumar
Sahoo
A small boy of 14, Mulshankar was asked by his father, Amba
Shankar to keep night vigil on Sivaratri. The heart of this little boy was
filled with eagerness to see god
Siva in a bodily form. He remained awake
all through the night. But to his utter astonishment a rat climbed up the idol
and ate away the offerings.
This trifling incident had a very strong influence on
Mulshankar’s life. It became a turning
point. He became skeptical of idol
worship. He was very thoughtful and
religious by nature. But he could not
satisfy his spiritual thirst with the prevailing religious practices. So he left his home in search of the real
Siva and the real religion.
He wandered among the sadhus
in different parts of India. But he could not find any formula or way to
realize God. Everywhere he saw
hypocrisy, not true religion. He was
deeply disappointed. At last he met
Swami Virajanand who was an ocean
of Sanskrit learning.
Mulshankar became his disciple. Swami Virajanand filled his heart with vast
Vedic knowledge.
The skepticism was gone and Mulshankar developed a staunch
faith in the Vedas and God. Swami
Virajanand convinced his disciple satisfactorily that idolatry was not allowed
in the Vedas and the real Vedic religion was quite different from and much
purer and sublimer than what had passed
for orthodox Hinduism down the ages through the corrupting influence of time.
After the completion of his Vedic studies Mulashankar became
Swami Dayanand and set out to resurrect the divine Vedic religion and preach it
to the mankind. His anti-idolatry preaching evoked unprecedented opposition
from orthodox Hindus. Once even his life was in danger in Varanasi.
But his incessant preaching
all over India
had its effect at last; people began to be convinced that Swami Dayanand’s
interpretation of the Vedas and the Vedic religion was correct and that idoltry
was not permissible in the ancient
religion based on the Vedas, the Arya Dharma.
Swami Dayanand founded the Arya Samaj on April 7, 1875 in Bombay. “Arya Samaj” is a Sanskrit compounded of two
words ‘Arya’ and ‘Samaj’. ‘Arya’ means a righteous man, high-souled, a man possessed of
noble qualities. ‘Samaj’ means a society
or organization. Thus, ‘Arya Samaj’ means a society of persons who mean to be
good and to make others good. Swami Dayanand laid down the following ten
principles of the Arya Samaj:
1) Of all true knowledge and whatever is known from
knowledge, the primary cause is God; 2) God is an embodiment of truth;
intelligence and bliss; and without
form, all-powerful, just, kind, unborn, infinite, unchangeable, beginningless, incomparable, support of all, lord of all, all-pervading,
omniscient, undeteriorable, immortal, fearless,
eternal, holy and Creator of the Universe.
He alone is worthy of worship; 3) the Vedas are the books of all true
knowledge. It is the paramount duty of
all Aryas to read them, to teach them, to hear them and to preach them; 4) we
should be ever ready to accept truth and renounce untruth; 5) everything should
be done according to Dharma, that is, after considering what is truth and what
is untruth;
6) the chief object of the Arya Samaj is to do good to the
world, that is, to make physical, spiritual and social improvement; 7) we
should treat all with love and justice according to their deserts (what they
deserve); 8) we should dispel ignorance and diffuse knowledge; 9) nobody should
remain contended with his personal progress;
one should count the progress of all
as his own and; 10) everyone should consider himself as bound in obeying social
and all benefiting rules, but everyone is free in matters pertaining to
individual well-being.
The four Vedas – the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Samaveda and the
Atharva Veda are the basis of the Arya Samaj and Vedic religion. The Arya Samaj
believes that the Vedas are not only the oldest religious books available, but
the oldest, older than humanity and revelationary in character. They were originally revealed by God to the
four rishis Agni, Vayu, Aditya and
Angiras in the beginning of the world and from them they have come down to us
through a chain of innumerable rishis.
The Vedas are an independent authority on points of religion
which derive sanction directly from God. But other scriptures are believable
only so far as they are in consonance with the Vedas.
The following sacred books are accepted by the Arya Samaj as
authoritative: the Brahmana; Aitareya Brahmana;
Satapatha Brahmana; Katha Aitareya, Taittiriya, Prasna, Mundaka, Mandukya
Chhandogya, Brihadaranyaka, and Svetasvatra, and six Angas: Siksa or orthography, Kalpa
or rituals, Vyakarna or grammar, Nirukta or word-study, Chhanda or metres and Jyotis or astronomy. Also accepted by
the Arya Samaj are the six Upangas:
the Nyaya or rhetoric of Gotama, the Sankhya of Kapila, the Vaisesika
or Kanada, the Yoga of Patanjali,
the Purva Mimansa of Jaimini and Uttar Mimansa or Vedanta of Vyasa; Manusmriti or
code of Manu; Griha Sutras or codes
of ceremonials like Paraskara, Gobhil,
Asvalayana and Apastamba; and
last of all Swami Dayanand’s commentaries on the Vedas and other books
including the Satyarthaprakasa.
The Arya Samaj does not accept the authority of the eighteen
Puranas and the Upa-Puranas where the spirit is anti-Vedic. For the Arya Samaj, God is one and the
plurality of governor of the Universe is an absurdity. God also does not
incarnate as coming into flesh implies weakness.
Arya Samaj looks upon God as the great controller of laws which govern the
Universe.
The Arya Samaj branches have been established in a large
number of countries all over the world since 1875. They have been engaged in preaching the
divine Vedic religion to human beings in different parts of the world. Thus,
Swami Dayanand’s effort to resurrect the ancient and pure Vedic religion for
the benefit of mankind has been bearing fruit.---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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