Hindu Press International

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7480217.stm

KASHMIR, INDIA, June 29, 2008: The government of Indian-administered Kashmir has said it will revoke its decision to transfer land to a body that manages an important Hindu shrine. News that the Amarnath Shrine Board was to get the forest land sparked days of protests by the area’s Muslim majority.

Three people were killed and hundreds injured, including police officers. The protests were the among the biggest in the disputed Himalayan region for years, and widened to focus on pro-independence demands.

The state government now says it will provide all the necessary facilities for pilgrims who want to visit the shrine. The government had said the land was needed for the construction of pre-fabricated huts and toilets for the pilgrims.

Separatist groups said the transfer of land was part of a “conspiracy to settle non-local Hindus in the valley with a view to reducing the Muslims to a minority”. The unrest has brought back memories of widespread protests that swept the region after a separatist insurgency began in 1989.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/25/stories/2008062554190500.htm

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA, INDIA, June 25, 2008: A group of sannyasins met the Governor of Kerala, urging him to direct the government to take action against the attack on ashrams in different parts of the State. Young militants, reportedly from communist groups, have violently assaulted several religious institutions.

Swami Gangesananda (Vidyadhiraja Ashram, Panmana, Kollam), Swami Bodhi Theertha (Sivagiri Madhom), Swami Brahmapadananda Saraswati (Sree Ramadasa Ashram, Chengottukonam), Garudadwajananda (Theerthapada Ashram, Vazhoor) and Swami Abhayananda Theerthapadar (Kodakarachira, Kottayam) submitted a memorandum to the Governor. They believe the latest local political speeches are adding to the unrest.

Ashrams and their heads have been under intense criticism by the ministers of the Kerala government itself.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/opinion/27aamodt.html?em&ex=1214798400&en=55e3196d3a7018e0&ei=5087%0A

NEW YORK, USA, June 27, 2008: False beliefs are everywhere. Eighteen percent of Americans think the Sun revolves around the earth, one poll has found. The effort to correct misbeliefs may be more difficult than it seems, thanks to the quirky way in which our brains store memories — and mislead us along the way.

In one study, a group of Stanford students was exposed repeatedly to an unsubstantiated claim that Coca-Cola is an effective paint thinner. Students who read the statement repeatedly were nearly one-third more likely to attribute it to a credible source.

The secret to use your brain well, it seems, is open-mindedness. We tend to remember news that accords with our worldview, and discount statements that contradict it. In the same study, when subjects were asked to imagine their reaction if evidence pointed to the opposite conclusion, they were later more open-minded to information that contradicted their beliefs. Apparently, it pays for consumers of controversial news to take a moment and consider that the opposite interpretation may be true.

www.HAFsite.org

MILPITAS, CA, USA, Jun 29, 2008: The e-mail of the Hindu American Foundation seent out in yesterday’s HPI was incorrect. For those interested in its “Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2007″ forum, please e-mail Samir Kalra at samir@hafsite.org

http://www.hinduismtoday.com/hpi/2008/6/29.shtml

Only when man realizes the Self does he attain his full maturity and find completeness.
   Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001)