11.18.08
Posted in Inter Religous Harmony Council, NEWS FROM INDIA at 9:59 am by YUDHISTRA
Swami Dayananda Saraswati organised the first Hindu-Jewish meet in February 2007 at
New Delhi. Facilitated by “The World Council of Religious Leaders” (http://www.wcorl.org),
this was a great event as both the Hindu and Jewish traditions, which do not have
aggressive programs of conversion, and advocated a way of life to accomplish the view.
• This Hindu-Jewish dialogue was aimed at highlighting common cultural features and
common philosophies behind the two religions while gladly accepting the differences. A
joint declaration was issued acknowledging the shared values of two traditions and for
deepening the bilateral relationship predicated on the recognition of One Supreme
Being.
• A second summit was held at Jerusalem, February 17-20, 2008. The Government of
Israel supported the meet and the entire Rabbinate and Jewish scholars participated in
the dialogue. The Hindu delegation consisted of members of the Hindu Dharma Acharya
Sabha, including representatives of Shankaracharyas. This second meet was as
extraordinary as the first one in that it emphasized and illustrated the importance of
honest dialogue between any two religious traditions to resolve seemingly irresolvable
differences. The Jerusalem meet concluded with a landmark declaration that Hindus
worship “One Supreme Being” and are not really idolatrous. The implications of this are
profound in content and far-reaching in effect.
• Judaism was born of the complete repudiation of idol worship and rabbinic literature
abounds with denunciation of idolatry. Due to an incomplete understanding, Hinduism
has been perceived by the Jewish traditions as idolatrous and promoting many gods.
For centuries, both the Hindus and Jewish people have experienced at the hands of
aggressive religions extremely violent consequences of wrong perceptions. The Historic
declaration made at the Jerusalem meet sets to rest the wrong notion that Hinduism is
idolatrous. The declaration reads: “It is recognized that One Supreme Being in its
formless and manifest aspects has been worshipped by Hindus over millennia. The
Hindus relate to only the One Supreme Being when he/she prays to a particular
manifestation. This does not mean that Hindus worship ‘idols’. They worship devataas
who are manifestation of the One Supreme Being”. The Chief Rabbi announced that it
was a matter of relief to know that their hitherto held perception was wrong. (On this
declaration one can read Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s article published by the media).
This declaration is indeed a hallmark declaration showing way for meaningful dialogue
between leaders of different religious traditions and to help remove wrong perceptions
arising from lack of understanding and / or misunderstanding.
• The 3rd Hindu-Jewish meeting will be held in 2009 in the US.
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11.06.08
Posted in Inter Religous Harmony Council, NEWS FROM INDIA at 10:48 am by YUDHISTRA
Udupi, DHNS:
http://www.deccanhe rald.com/ Content/Nov32008 /state2008110298 502.asp
Pejawar mutt seer Vishweshateertha Swamiji has stated that the Mutt is ready to give mantra deeksha to the Dalits provided they are ready to accept certain conditions.
He said in a release that the Pejawar Mutt has never neglected the Dalits and is still ready to admit them into the folds of ‘savarniyas’ of Hinduism. But they need to follow certain rules like Basavanna imposed on those who accepted ‘linga deeksha’, he added.
Many Dalits are being converted into Buddhism, despite Buddhism being a part of Hinduism. It is improper to convert Dalits into Buddhism for the sole reason that it discourages caste system, he stated.
“It is better if the Dalits join Arya Samaj, propagated by Dayananda Saraswathi, than convert to Buddhism, the tenets of which are questionable,” the seer suggested.
Dalits will not benefit much by joining Buddhism. Even after conversion, they have to live in Dalit colonies and their status may not change. Instead they become minorities. They can join the revolutionary Arya Samaj that challenged caste system being a part of Hinduism, he advised.
If any injustice is practiced against Dalits in villages or temples such cases should be reported to the Pejawar Mutt. The Mutt or its representative will visit the place and arbitrate, he assured adding that he would personally join their movement if it becomes inevitable. The seer will be present at Poornaprajna Vidyapeetha on Kathriguppe Main road in Bangalore at 6 pm on November 3. Anybody can meet him personally and discuss the issue, he stated.
J Venkatasubramanian
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10.17.08
Posted in Inter Religous Harmony Council, NEWS FROM INDIA at 9:37 am by YUDHISTRA
In almost all countries in the world, a certain segment -ethnic, religious linguistic or ideological would be in the majority and some others would be in a minority. That is inevitable. A multi-cultural national like the United States has its majority and minorities as well, but one seldom talks about them. The biggest minority would be the Blacks, but whoever would think of providing reservation for them in the Senate or Congress or in government service?
Indeed in older textbooks on political science there would hardly be any reference to majoritarianism and minoritarianism. These are recently-coined words. But India is different. Here we constantly talk of minorities as if they are a plague and we even have a Minority Commission! It is a carry over from British colonialism. Nobody in India talked of a majority or a minority in the days of Tipu Sultan or during hayed of Mogul rule. Hindus were even then in a majority but they were often treated as if they were non-existent. Hindus were made aware of their majority status during the time of the British, as were Muslims of their minority place in society.
That may have been a display – and a distorted one at that – of British sense of Justice, but the consequences were severe, resulting, for one thing, in partition of the country. Reference has been made to this in Muzaffer Hussain’s well-argued book Insight into Minoritism, which goes into the subject in different contexts and in some detail. Minorities have been dealt with very poorly in Pakistan and Bangladesh, India’s immediate neighbours. Hussain draws pointed attention to that.
Says Hussain: “There is a sizeable population of Hindus in the Gulf countries but those countries are not ready to give any facility to them in the name of minority or Human Rights. The Hindus are not allowed there to cremate their kith and kin as per their belief. They can’t construct places for worship nor can they celebrate their festivals at public places. During the Ramzan, non-Muslims can’t eat anything at daytime in public places. The Muslims expect to get everything as minorities in the countries of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians but in Islamic countries the minorities don’t have such privilege..”
We have to blame history for that. In India, minorities like Jews, Parsis and Christians have full freedom. No Christian missionary dare try in an Islamic country, but in India every citizen, especially if he is a tribal or one from the lower caste, is fair game to Christian missionaries. In India propagation of religion is not a crime. The freedom given is often interpreted to mean that one can resort to conversion, which is frequently resorted to in tribal areas. It started under the British when missionaries flooded the northeast and converted large number of tribals to Christianity. Unconsciously this has caused problems for free India.
Hussain damns minoritism as a “menace” which it has indeed become. Hussain maintains that Christians and Muslims in India can’t be dubbed as minorities because they are very much Indian. As he puts it: When all are born and brought up in the Indian context, the question of ‘alien’ and ‘indigenous’ people don’t arise”. Hussain’s argument is that all over the world, a minority status is granted only to those classes, which have migrated from abroad. So he says: “Hence it is not proper to designate Muslims and Christians (of India) as aliens since they, too are very much Indian”.
All are one in this country where there is one citizenship for all and everyone is a part of this nation. The word ‘minority’ Hussain asserts, weakens the unity of the country and draws a dividing line between individuals”. How right he is. Hussain is critical of Muslims in India who, he says, haven’t accepted democracy. Inevitably the Islamic world has been gripped by fanaticism and narrow thinking. The point indeed was well made by Justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari in his preface. Writes Mr Dharmadhikari: “India as a nation has suffered continuous tussles between the religious and orthodox religious fanaticism even after the creation of Pakistan. How many Muslim mohallas or Madarassas hoist the national flag and sing the national anthem collectively on the occasion of Independence Day!”
How many indeed. The former Justice adds: “To accept special rights for any community along with the provisions of equal human rights are mutually contradictory principles. This creates a controversy and the majority class begins to feel unprotected and adopts a defensive mechanism”. Hussain in his treatise goes into this subject in a special and separate chapter entitled “How to tackle minoritism”, He notes that there are three distinct approaches in handling minoritism”. In the Arab world minorities like Christians and Hindus have no political or religious rights. The second category belongs to western countries where religion is recognized but the country comes first. Religion has no role in framing laws and rule. National interest alone is taken into account. In the US, 18 per cent of the people are blacks but they are not given any minority status. Britain and France solved the problem by enforcing a uniform civil code. What should India do in the circumstances?
Hussain has his answer ready. He says: A uniform civil code is the only answer.” He points out that the Fundamental Rights as enumerated in the Constitution ensure religious freedom for all. As Hussain sees it, minorities will continue to exist in one from or another anywhere in the world. That is only but natural. The term ‘Minority’ Hussain concedes, is not in itself bad, but problems arise when it is used by vested interests, As he sees it, minoritism is a ‘deception’ practiced on human civilization of which one should be aware of. And majority communalism is a myth.
In a democracy, Hussain insists, it is essential to respect the opinion of the majority in day-today life. There haven’t been many treatises on this subject and Muzaffer Hussain’s attempt, almost the first of its kind, is highly praiseworthy. He has no hesitation in asking inconvenient questions. For example he asks: “How can Muslims who form between 15 to 20 per cent of India’s population consider themselves a minority?” Not many have dared to raise this question. Hussain has. All praise to him. This is a book that our policy-makers and politicians would do well to read. It may not necessarily have all the right answers, but it certainly raises all the right questions. And isn’t that what a good study should be all about?
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10.13.08
Posted in Inter Religous Harmony Council, NEWS FROM INDIA at 10:25 am by YUDHISTRA
Hyderabad: A mass rally will be taken out by all churches and other organisations in Hyderabad on 19 October 2008 to express their solidarity with the victims of communal violence and also to condemn the attacks on Christians in many States such as Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The rally will start at 3 pm from Sundarayya Park (Baghlingampally) to Indira Park, culminating in a public meeting.
In Orissa alone, 14 districts have been affected, 330 villages affected and 57 people killed. Other casualties include: 10 Priests/Pastors/Nuns injured; over people 53,000 affected; over 40,000 people hiding in the forests; over 15,000 people in refugee camps; 149 churches attacked; 11 schools and colleges attacked; and over 4640 houses burnt/destroyed.
The organisers’ demands include: a. To legislate a Central Act of “Prevention of Atrocities on Minorities” on the same lines as “Prevention of Atrocities on SC ST Act” with the similar stringent provisions and another to prevent religious and communal riots in the country; b. To immediately sanction an ex-gratia of at least Rs 10 lakh to each of the killed and Rs 2 – 5 lakh to the injured and disabled as per the gravity; c. To immediately sanction funds to rebuild the damaged churches, schools and orphanages and the houses of the victims; d. To ban forthwith the terro rist communal groups; e. To immediately arrest and prosecute through Special Courts, the culprits responsible for the present atrocities on Christians in various States; f. A 24-Hour toll free helpline to the Minorities to call the Police and other Authorities; g. To institute a high level judicial Commissions to inquire into the violence on Christians in Orissa, Karnataka and other States to bring the culprits to book; and h. To rectify GOs 746 and 747 that are being misused for attacking pastors.
COURTSEY: ALL INDIA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL
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10.10.08
Posted in Inter Religous Harmony Council, NEWS FROM INDIA at 12:05 pm by YUDHISTRA
THE LAND OF KASHMIR:
Nilamata Purana: Ka means “water” and Shimir means “to desiccate”. Hence, Kashmir stands for “a land desiccated from water”.
The Nilamata Purana gives the name Kashmira to the Valley considering it to be an embodiment of Uma.
In the Rajatarangini, a history of Kashmir written by Kalhana in the 12th century, it is stated that the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake. This was drained by the great rishi or sage, Kashyapa, by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula). When Kashmir had been drained, Kashyapa asked Brahmans to settle there.
The name of Kashyapa is by history and tradition connected with the draining of the lake, and the chief town or collection of dwellings in the valley was called Kashyapa-pura.
FACT SHEET : AMARNATH
The biggest lie being circulated – Amarnath was discovered by Malik’s – The Muslim Shepherd Family.
The shrine is cover 5,000 years old and forms an important part of ancient Hindu mythology
The reference to Amarnath can be seen in the Nilamata Purana (v.1324).
The pilgrimage to the holy cave has been described with full topographical details in the Bhringish Samhita and the Amarnatha Mahatmya, both ancient texts said to have been composed even earlier.
References to Amarnath, known have also been made in historical chronicles like the Rajatarangini.
Several Western travellers’ accounts also leave no doubt about the fact that the holy cave has been known to people for centuries.
“The lake of dazzling whiteness [resembling] a sea of milk (Sheshnag), which he created [for himself as residence] on a far off mountain, is to the present day seen by the people on the pilgrimage to Amareshwara.”(Rajatarangini, Book I v. 267.Translation: M. A. Stein).
Rajatarangini (Book II v. 138): Kalhana says that King Samdhimat Aryaraja (34 BCE-17CE) used to spend “the most delightful Kashmir summer” in worshiping a linga formed of snow “in the regions above the forests”.
Chronicle of Kashmir, a sequel to Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, Jonaraja relates that that Sultan Zainu’l-abidin (1420-1470) paid a visit to the sacred tirtha of Amarnath while constructing a canal on the left bank of the river Lidder (vv.1232-1234).
The great Sikh Guru Arjan Dev granted land in Amritsar for the ceremonial departure of Chari, the holy mace of Lord Shiva which marks the beginning of the Yatra to the Holy Cave
THE LAND IN QUESTION:
The shrine and the yatra is maintained and organized by Shri Amarnath Shrine Board
Shrine Board was constituted by an Act of the State Legislature in 2000
On board request , the J&K Government transferred nearly 40 hectares of forest land in Baltal area to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board on lease for Rs. 23.1 million (Rs.2.3 crore)
The transfer was approved by the government of Jammu & Kashmir and signed by the cabinet
The land was required to create temporary structure to provide facilities to the pilgrims
The structures were to be in place only for two months every year
The area is prone to rain, snow, landslide and extreme bad weather
There was no ecological damage or tree cutting planned
Kashmiri Muslims especially the separatist elements launched a protest against the land transfer
Security forces were attacked and National Flag was burnt
Pakistani Flag was hoisted at Lal Chowk
The entire valley shouted “Hindustan Hai-Hai”, “We want Freedom”, “We will share land with Hindus over our dead bodies” and “Pakistan Zindabad”
As usual the Congress government succumbed to the separatist
The order which was passed by the assembly was revoked by a minority government. (The order was revoked after PDP withdrew support)
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10.02.08
Posted in Cultural Council, Inter Religous Harmony Council, Media Council, THE SANGAM FOUNDATION at 10:31 am by YUDHISTRA
Two action plans for Gandhi’s birth anniversay:
http://dharma1.blogspot.com/2008/10/disband-congress-said-gandhi-act-on.html
1. Disband Congress, said Gandhi. Act on the guidance.
By S. Kalyanaraman 2 October 2008 http://www.sookta-sumana.com/disbandcongre.htm
2. Gandhi’s Hinduism was a religion of humanity
By Jagmohan (Deccan Chronicle, 2 Oct. 2008)
On Gandhi’s birthday, instead of going round the Mahatma’s Samadhi and attending prayer meetings ritualistically, the ruling elite will do well to think how a strong and healthy India could be built on its spiritual traditions and how Hinduism, as viewed by Gandhiji, could be used to refertilise and revitalise that tradition. Dr S. Radhakrishnan, in connection with his study of religion, posed three questions to Mahatma Gandhi: “What is your religion? How are you led to it? What is its bearing on social life?”
Gandhi replied the first question thus: “My religion is Hinduism which, for me, is the religion of humanity and includes the best of all religions known to me.” In response to the second question, Gandhi said: “I take it that the present tense in this question has been purposely used, instead of the past. I am led to my religion through truth and non-violence. I often describe my religion as religion of truth. Of late, instead of saying ‘God is Truth’, I have been saying ‘Truth is God’. We are all sparks of Truth. The sum total of these sparks is indescrible, as yet unknown Truth, which is God. I am daily led nearer to it by constant prayer.”
To the third question, Gandhi replied: “The bearing of this religion on social life is, or has to be, seen in one’s daily social contact. To be true to such religion, one has to lose oneself in continuous and continuing service of all in life. Realisation of Truth is impossible without a complete merging of oneself in and identification with this limitless ocean of life. Hence, for me, there is no escape from social service; there is no happiness on earth beyond or apart from it. In this scheme, there is nothing low, nothing high. For all is one, though we seem to be many.”
Gandhi elaborated: “The deeper I study Hinduism, the stronger becomes the belief in me that Hinduism is as broad as the universe. Something within me tells me that, for all the deep veneration I show to several religions, I am all the more a Hindu, nonetheless for it.”
On the Mahatma’s birthday, it seems necessary to bring home these fundamentals, particularly to those who go on condemning Hinduism without even studying it and also to those members of the ruling elite whose attachment to fake and fraudulent “gods” have made the country a den of corruption, callousness, confusion and criminality.
Gandhi’s elucidation makes it clear that true Hinduism is nothing but spiritual secularism. To relegate such a religion and to follow a shallow and superficial secularism is one of the worst sins that the false prophets of contemporary India are committing. They call Gandhi the Father of the Nation. And yet in practice they do everything to negate all his beliefs.
Throughout human history, religion has remained a potent force, despite all the pounding it has received from thinkers like Marx who called it “opiate of the masses” and Freud who termed it as “a collective neurosis of the masses”. It may be relevant to recall a talk between Cardinal Gonsalvic and Napoleon. The Cardinal was pleading the case for the Catholic Church. Napoleon got annoyed on some point and shouted at the Cardinal: “Your Eminence, are you not aware that I have the power to destroy the Catholic Church?” The Cardinal smiled and replied: “Your Majesty, we, the Catholic clergy, for the last 1,800 years, have done our level best to destroy the Catholic Church. We did not succeed. You will not succeed either.” This conversation brings out in a telling manner the staying power of religion, notwithstanding its internal and external destroyers.
While religion has its influence in every country, it is more so in India. Swami Vivekananda, with his characteristic clarity and insight, has observed: “Each nation, like each individual, has one theme in its life, which is its centre, the principal note around which every other note comes to form the harmony. If any one attempts to throw off this central note, that is, its national vitality, the direction which has become its own through the transmission of centuries, that nation dies. In India, religious life forms the centre, the key-note of the whole music of national life. Take away religion from India; nothing would be left.”
Power, in present day India, has become an end in itself. Justice is being buried deeper and deeper. Means, howsoever unscrupulous, are resorted to and then rationalised. Corruption in public life has attained alarming proportions. Most of our institutions have lost their underlying motivation of service and become effete and venal.
Why has this happened? Why have our State and society become soulless entities? Why have criminals enlarged their hold on politics? And why have power and pelf become everything, and justice and truth nothing?
The answer to these questions is that the ethical foundation of Hinduism, as seen by Gandhi, which could provide “an awakened conscience” to an individual and make him an honest, just and compassionate component of society, has been destroyed partly by the stink and slush of our past degeneration and partly by the type of spurious secularism which has been exploited in post-Independence India.
Hinduism, as made clear by Gandhi, sees all human beings as “sparks of truth/divinity”. As such, it neither goes against any other religion, nor is it incompatible with the constitutional goals of equality, fraternity, liberty and justice. If the same divinity constitutes the core of all individuals, they cannot but be equal. Further, divinity in one person cannot in any way be unjust to the same divinity in another person. As Gita puts it: “Seeing the same God equally present in everything, one does not injure the self by self; and goes to the highest goal”.
In Hinduism, Gandhi saw a unique quality: “In it there is room for the worship of all the prophets of the world. It is not a missionary religion in the ordinary sense of the word”. Gandhi underlined: “God is not encased in a safe to be approached only through a little hole in it, but He is open to be approached through billions of openings by those who are humble and pure of heart”.
Jagmohan is a former governor of J&K and a former Union ministe
http://deccan.com/Columnists/Columnists. asp?#Gandhi’s Hinduism was a religion of humanity
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Posted in Cultural Council, Inter Religous Harmony Council, THE SANGAM FOUNDATION at 5:45 am by YUDHISTRA
THE GUJARATI ASSOCIATION IN VIA LIBERTA’ 33- 20019 SETTIMO MILANESE, MILAN – ITALY IS ORGANISING THE NAVRATI FUNTION FROM 30/09/2008 till 10/10/2008 EVERY DAY FROM 20:00 hrs to 01:00 Hrs.
YOU ALL ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS FUNCTION.
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Posted in Cultural Council, Inter Religous Harmony Council, THE SANGAM FOUNDATION at 5:21 am by YUDHISTRA
Dear friends,
From Milan we are planning to visit the Durga Puja festival held in
Brescia by the Hindus of Bangladesh. We are trying to arrange a bus
of capacity 50 to go all together so we do not have the headache of
arranging the transport and searching the place.
This year the government did not give a hall for religious purposes,
so the celebrations are being held in the home of one of the persons.
So, basically we will be seeing the deity and then have time to move
around in the area.
The dates are :
———————————–
Monday 6 October – Shoptomi
Tuesday 7 October – Oshtomi
Wednesday 8 October – Nobomi
Thursday 9 October – Doshomi
———————————–
Exact date to be decided based on response.
The bus total cost would be in the range of € 450 (IVA inclusive)
so the per head cost would be divided by the number of adults
travelling.
Timings :
Leave milan from a specific place at 6:15 PM
Reach Brescia place of puja at around 7:45 PM
Leave Brescia at around 10:00 PM
Reach Milan by 11:30 PM
Should be a great opportunity to travel together in the Indian festive spirit.
Those who wish to participate, please let me know :
1. How many adults
2. Which date (any date from the 6th to the 9th oct could be preferred or
if any date is okay)
Please send me reponses by wednesday 1st October so we can go ahead with
the booking.
Namaste
Ashanka
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09.30.08
Posted in Inter Religous Harmony Council, NEWS FROM INDIA, THE SANGAM FOUNDATION at 9:31 am by YUDHISTRA
In the western state of Jharkhand, Hindu villagers attacked Christians of a Believers’ Church and pressured them to “reconvert” to Hinduism in Talatad village (under Patratu police station) in Hazaribagh district on Sunday (Sept. 14), reported the Christian Legal Association.
Pastor Cyril Tamgariaand 18 others were worshiping in the house of Badhi Oraon when Hindu extremists surrounded the house. They beat them, took them forcibly to a temple in a nearby jungle and asked them to “return” to their oldf aith. Local Christians reported the incident to police, however, and officers freed the Christians.
(Source: “Violence Spreads to Five More States in India”, CompassDirect, Sept 16, 2008)
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Posted in Inter Religous Harmony Council, NEWS FROM INDIA, THE SANGAM FOUNDATION at 9:28 am by YUDHISTRA
In the wake of the recent persecution wave that broke out all across Orissa the fires of communal hatred now seems to be spreading in Chhattisgarh as well.
On 5th September 2008, Durg District of Chhattisgarh State witnessed a heinous and cowardly assault on four nuns belonging to Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa order). The nuns were travelling with the two accomplices’ from Raipur to Indore along with few infants when around 6 pm the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) and Bajrang Dal extremists boarded the train and amidst slogan shouting dragged them out and started assaulting them. Thrashing them and physically assaulting them they dragged them to the nearby police station.
As the news spread a group of local pastors immediately approached Mohan Nagar Thana where the Nuns were taken to, and protested the incident demanding to register FIR against the VHP and Bajrang Dal ruffains, but the police favoring the culprits refused to do so.
The pastors then approached Mr. Prem Prakash Pandey the Speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly and registered their protest. But the BJP leader, turning the blind eye to the incident instead misbehaved with the pastors.
Till the reporting of this incident no FIR has been launched. It is reported that the Nuns have sustained severe injuries and were taken to Raipur after the medical checkup.
The names of four Nuns are Sister Vinaisa(58), Sister Mamta(65), Sister Leena(63) and Sister Kripa(27) all belonging to the Missionaries of Charity.
The local newspapers are also favoring with the BJP ruled authority and giving the headlines in such a way which demeans the work that Christian missionaries are doing. A local daily, Haribhoomi, carried out this incident as “Manas Taskari ka Bhandaphor”( Human Trafficking exposed) accusing the four nuns of trafficking the infants without any evidence whatsoever.
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