[GHHF] Sri Kurmanadha Temple – High Court issued Stay Order forbidding Forest Department from removing the TORTOISES; age-old custom is preserved

[GHHF] Sri Kurmanadha Temple – High Court issued Stay Order forbidding Forest Department from removing the TORTOISES; age-old custom is preserved

~ A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril ~Winston Churchill

Infinite patience, infinite purity, and infinite perseverance are the secret of success in a good cause. Swami Vivekananda

Hindu culture and traditions have a long history spanning over a period of thousands and thousands of years and, developed over several eras. They remain indispensable to the lives of Hindus and Hindu Temples today as sources of religious practices, spiritual inspiration, cultural expression, and social bonding. They bind all Hindus together irrespective of the regional and ethnic diversity.

Hindu Temples have been built over so many centuries. All the Temples have their unique history as to how they were built, who built them, what kind of architectures were selected, how they selected the presiding deity, what kind of customs they have developed over the years to run the Temples, and what kind of festivals are performed. As a result, Temples often greatly vary in their appearance, rituals, traditions, festivals and customs from region to region. Temples in southern states, eastern states, northern states and Western India have their distinctive characteristics. These temples are very different from one state to the other. Diversity and imagination are the hallmark of Hindu mind.

Many temples are built near the rivers, on mountaintops, and in the caves because of the belief mentioned in the Puranas that “the gods always play where groves are near rivers, mountains, and springs.” These temples are considered punykshetras – sacred places.

Hindus worship manifestations of gods and goddesses with each one being associated with an attribute. Too numerous deities to mention, the Hindus worship them all with great faith, veneration and zeal. Hence, with so many gods and goddesses, the number of temples too is high with different temples being dedicated to different deities.

There are a large number of temples in India that are unique, distinctive and one of a kind. For example, the Balaji temple situated in Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh, Ayyappa Temple in Kerala, Viswanath Temple in Kashi, Jagannath Temple in Orissa, Vaishnadevi Temple in Kashmir, Ranganatha Temple and Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu, Siddhi Vinayaka Temple in Maharashta and many more. They are one of a kind. Their histories, stories, architectures, traditions and deities are different. Devotees throng to these ancient historical Temples with great zeal and enthusiasm.

Hindus have special affinity, association and deep relationship with the animal world, the rivers, the trees, the mountains and the panchabhutas.  They are all considered sacred in Hindu Religion. Among animals, the cow, the cat, elephants, parrots, bull, peacock, the squirrel, the monkey, tortoise, the brahmani-kite, etc., are considered sacred; and from among the vegetable kingdom, the asvatha tree (Ficus religiosa), the coconut tree, and the bael tree, the tulasi plant (Ocymum sanctum), are considered holy and hence should not be destroyed. A pious Hindu would rather let an asvatha tree continue to grow on the wall of his house or in a crack of the rampart round the well in his garden than to destroy it. He would not dare to cut down the coconut trees to clear the place for the purpose of house building.

Sri Kurmanadha Temple where Tortoise is the Presiding Deity

Sri Kurmanatha Temple is one of a kind.  Kurma means Tortoise. Lord Vishnu has taken the avatara of Tortoise in order to bestow immortality to the Devatas who lost their powers due to a curse. According to one of the legends, in ancient days, a couple belonging to Bhillu clan were living in the region that is now called as Srikurmam. Once, the Bhillu lady completed her work in the field and was returning home. She felt thirsty and drank water in a nearby Pushkarini and also had a dip that infused great energy and instilled more devotion in her. Knowing this, her husband too took a dip in the Pushkarini. While he was emerging from the pond, Sri Kurmanadha appeared before him as a vigraha with Shanka and Chakra. The Lord told Bhillu to install him and worship with devotion. He informed the same to the then ruler of the region and had the temple built for Sri Kurmanadha some time in 11^th century. The Bhillu then renounced worldly pleasures and because deeply devoted to the Lord, begging for final emancipation. The Lord ordained him to go to Sadangamuni Ashram that was on the west side of the temple and lead a useful life for a while to get Moksha. But the Bhillu was reluctant to go away from the vision of the Lord. Sri Kurmanadha believed to have turned His face from the East to West hoping that the Bhillu would go to the Ashram which was on the West side of the temple.

Sri Kurmanadha temple has two dhwajastambas. One is in the East and another in is the West. The Eastern dhwajasthambham is said to be the original one and the West one is believed to have been built by Sri Ramanujacharya since the Lord turned His face to the West.

            Below is provided the extensive information on Sri Kurmanatha Temple.

Why did Lord Vishnu take Kurma Avatara 

In Satya Yuga as the legend goes, the sage Durvasa was walking with a flower garland and found Lord Indra riding his elephant called Airavata. Durvasa gave the garland to Indra who gave it to his elephant, which in turn threw the garland on the ground and trampled on it.  Durvasa felt insulted, lost his temper and cursed Indra by saying “the wealth has entered your head. Let goddess Lakshmi forsakes you.”  Indra lost his kingdom and eventually all the devatas lost their power and immortality. Asuras became very powerful, occupied Indra loka and chased away all the Gods.  Sage Brihaspati advised Gods that they need to drink Amrita to regain their immortality and their kingdom.

The Devatas approached Lord Vishnu for help. Vishnu then asked them to churn the ocean of milk after adding medicines into the ocean. Both Devatas and Asuras participated in the churning hoping to get immortality by drinking Amrita. Mt Mandara was used as the churning stick. Using serpent Vasuki as a rope, both Devatas and Asuras started churning the ocean. But as churning was proceeding the mountain was sinking and then Lord Vishnu took the form of the tortoise (KURMA) and kept the mountain afloat. As soon as the bowl of amrita, the nectar of immortality, was out, the asuras grabbed it. Then Lord Vishnu took the form of an Apsara, a beautiful maiden, and seduced the asuras into letting her distribute the nectar. As soon as the devatas were served the Amrita, the maiden disappeared without distributing to the Asuras thus making them totally weak.

Expected removal of Tortoise was stopped; High Court gave stay Order

            Sri Kamal Kumar Swami called (Global Hindu Heritage Foundation) on February 22 and informed that a problem was brewing at Sri Kurmanadha Temple regarding the removal of star tortoises. He mentioned that the Forest Department was planning to remove all the tortoises that are gathered at the Temple complex. It is amazing to know that the tortoise instead of staying in the nearby forest, they come to Sri Kurmanatha Temple as if the Temple is their abode. It has been going on for centuries. There must be some divine reason as to what they gather at this Temple. How many Temples either in India or other countries, you will witness such a situation? Why no other Temple will experience this kind of situation even many Temples are located in the forests and on the banks of rivers? There must be a divine reason.  We can only surmise that these tortoises probably have the sixth sense to recognize that this Temple was dedicated to them only. This is the age-old tradition; we must follow, preserve and continue for generations to come to harbor the tortoises. The tortoises wanted to be part of the Temple and stay near the Temple. In fact that the Temple has a budget of Rupees 30,000 to take care of them by providing water and food to them. An agency by the name Green Mercy has complained to the Temple authorities about the ill treatment of these tortoise by saying that they are not properly fed and not allocated proper place for them to stay. Failing to get proper attention from the Temple authorities to address the issue, Green Mercy informed the Forest Department.

            According to Wildlife Protection Act that no body can keep the forest animals or creatures that live in the forest without proper permission from the Central government. Knowing this Act, many Temples have sought permission to keep elephants in their Temple premises for ceremonial purposes. Sri Kurmanatha Temple never obtained the permission to keep the tortoise in the Temple complex. Consequently, if complained, the Forest Department can collect the tortoise and leave them in the forests hoping that they are safe in that habitat.

            By doing so, the age-old custom of devotees having darshan of living tortoise will be discontinued forever. Many devotees will be denied the opportunity to feed them also. The villagers were very upset knowing that these tortoises may be removed from the Temple premises. They felt that some bad might happen to them if the removal takes place. They approached Sanyasi Appa Rao, State Secretary of HDPS and Sri Kamal Kumar Swami, President of HDPS, who along with a number of concerned villagers filed a case in the High Court to prevent the removal.

            Based on the information provided by Sri Sanyasi Appa Rao and Sri Kamal Kumar Swami, we contacted the following officers who have made the difference in highlighting the concerns of the villagers as well as preserving the traditions of the Temple.

            1) Lalitha Kumari, Village Sarpanchi

            2) K V. Ramana Murthy, Green Mercy

            3) Muthyla Rao, Assistant Commissioner, Endowment Department

            4) Prasad Batnaik, EO of Sri Kurmanatha Temple

            5) N. Srikath, Collector of the District

            6) Hitesh Malhotra, Forest Department

            7) K V Ramanacharya, Principle Secretary, Government of AP.

            All these officers we talked to were very much concerned about the possible implications of the removal of tortoise both spiritually and practically as well as the safety of the tortoises. There are also other departments we contacted with no success. Many of them we contacted are not in a position to reverse the decision of the Forest Department.

            Finally, we called Sri K V Ramanacharya, Principle Secretary and informed about importance of long established tradition of preserving the tortoise. His grasp was quick and response was crisp. His said that he would take care of the matter immediately. We were not sure what he meant by that response. To purse the matter, we called the Assistant commissioner of Endowment within ten minutes.  By then, K V Ramanacharya already called and asked the Assistant Commissioner and Executive Officer to send a report about the situation and take necessary steps to protect the tortoise and preserve the tradition of providing shelter to the tortoise. We are grateful for the prompt and sincere efforts of K V Ramanacharya.

High Court issued Stay Order

            Sanyasi Apparao, State Secretary of Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samithi, who lives within few miles from Sri Kurmanadha Temple, has done a yeoman service in bringing the issue to the villagers who have taken lot of interest in preserving the tradition of providing shelter to the tortoises. Villagers’ unity on this issue is remarkable and deserves applaud. Apparao met with many local officers and obtained adequate information to file a case at High Court in Hyderabad, AP. With the assistance of T. Tejeswara Rao, the advocate, Kamala Kumar Swami filed the petition to the HC on February 22, 2011. The HC issued stay order the next day. A copy of the Stay Order is attached for your information. 

Donations

We need your assistance to continue our mission of preserving our heritage and abolishing Endowment Act and free Temples from the government control. If we have to make an impact on our movement to bring changes to preserve our culture, we need you financial support. Your generous donations to continue our efforts to free Hindu Temples from government control, awaken the Hindus about the plight of Hindu Temples and the impending danger of illegal conversion techniques are essential. We are requesting all the individuals and organizations to support financially to continue our movement to free Hindu Temples from the government control and stop these conversions.

Please DONATE. Your donations are appreciated to continue the work.

 NOTE: GHHF is exempt from federal income tax under section 501 ( c ) 3 of the Internal Revenue code.  

                    Our tax ID # 41-2258630

                   Please send your tax-deductible donations to:

                          Global Hindu Heritage Foundation,

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               You can go to savetemples.org and pay by PAYPAL

 For more information                      

           

             Please visit our website: http://savetemples.org

Global Hindu Heritage Foundation

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APPENDIX

Sri Kurmanadha Temple, Sri Kurmam, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, India

http://www.astrologyforu.com/temples/sri-kurmanadha-temple.htm

Lord Mahavishnu manifested Himself in different incarnations right from he creatures to that of divine human forms to protect dharma, righteous people and to punish the wicked. Kurmavatara manifestation is in the form of a tortoise is the second incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu to immortalize the deva. Sri Kurmanadha temple is situated at Srikurmam is a unique temple to the Northeast of Andhra Pradesh. This temple is called as Srikurmam, as the Lord Vishnu appears as Kurma, the one and only temple in the world. Srikurmam is one of the ancient and famous temples in Andhra Pradesh that is situated at a distance of 15 kilometers from Srikakulam. According to historical evidence, Kurmanadha temple was built by Anantha Varma Chodaganga Raju of the Ganga dynasty. Ayankqa Bheema, Toorpu Calukyas, Velanati, Velama dynasty rulers and Gajapatis further developed and offer lands and wealth.

During Kritha yuga, devas and auras churned the Ksheera Sagara for nectar using serpent Vasuki as thread and Mandaraparvatha as churning stick. The churning stick of Mandara Parvata slipped and submerged. Devas and auras tried but failed to put it in its right place for smooth churning. Mahavishnu to fulfill the desire of Deva appeared as Kurma and lifted the churning stick of Mandara Parvata on His back and enabled them to Churn Ksheera Sagara and nectar. There are some different stories from the epics and Sthalapurana that depict how Mahavishnu manifested Himself as Kurmanadha at Srikakulam.

According to available legend that delineates the reason for the name of the place as Srikurmam. In ancient days, a couple of Bhillu clan were living in the region that is now called as Srikurmam. Once, the Bhillu lady completed her work in the field and was returning home. She felt thirsty and drank water in a nearby Pushkarini and also had a dip that instilled great energy and devotion in her. Knowing this, her husband too took a dip in the Pushkarini. While he was emerging from the pond, Srikurmanadha appeared before him as an idol with Shanka and Chakra. The Lord told Bhillu to install him and worship with devotion. He informed the same to the then ruler of the region and had the temple built for Srikurmanadha. The Bhillu then renounced worldly pleasures and because deeply devoted to the Lord, begging for final emancipation. The Lord ordained him to go to Sadangamuni Ashram that was on the west side of the temple and lead a useful life for a while to get Moksha. But the Bhillu was reluctant to go away from the vision of the Lord. Srikurmanadha grew kind and turned His face from the East to West as the Bhillu would go to the Ashram which was on the West side of the temple.

Srikurmanadha temple has two flag masts. One in the East and another in the West. The Eastern one is said to be the original and the West one is believed to be raised by Sri Ramanujacharya after the Lord turned His face to the West. Srikurmam is the only temple in the world where the Lord appears in the avatar of 'Kurma'. Devotees have to pass through Mukhamantap to enter the sanctum sanctorum. All can get clear and satisfactory darshan of Srikurmanadha who installed on a raised platform to the South of sanctum sanatorium. Within the temple complex, devotees ca have darshan of Kalabhairava, Sri Venugopalaswamy, Sri Bhagavaddramanujulu, Sri Vyasa Maharshi, Mahalakshmi and Durgadevi. There is a Pushkarini at a distance, infront of the Kurmanadha temple. It is said that Lord Mahavishnu Himself dug the pool with his Sudarshan Chakra. A bath in the Pushkarini will remove all sins and destroy diseases especially arthritis, rheumatism and body pains. Pitru Karmas are also performed here. The departeed souls take rest in peace in this Kshetra.

Kurmanadha Swamy temple at Srikakulam is splendid and rich with art and architecture. There are 210 pillars in the temple. Every pillar in the temple has its individual identity. The main temple tower is called Padmavimana . The region consisting of the temple area is called Swethachelam. Dolosaava will be observed with traditional pomp and gaiety in the bright half of Trayodasi in the Lunar month of Phalguna on the day of Uttaraphalguni star. Special festivals will be observed in the month of Vaisakha masam on the eve of Sri Kurma Jayanti. Daily worship and archana are performed in the temple.

[GHHF] Dr Subramanian Swamy - a supreme soul striving to shatter Sonia sleaze

[GHHF] Dr Subramanian Swamy - a supreme soul striving to shatter Sonia sleaze

Don't look back—forward, infinite energy, infinite enthusiasm, infinite daring, and infinite patience—then alone can great deeds be accomplished. Swami Vivekananda

"Be not Afraid of anything. You will do Marvelous work. it is Fearlessness that brings Heaven even in a moment." — Swami Vivekananda

Dr. Subramanian Swamy showed extraordinary courage over the years fighting for the welfare of all the children of Bharath Mata challenging the political cronyism, demanding the justice from the corrupt government though the courts, fighting the anti-Hindu political establishment, exposing the vicious intent of secular government, spearheading to expose numerous scams and crusading to bring all the criminals to the justice and salvaging Rama Sethu from the hands of politicians who are determined to destroy any thing that is Hindu.

Now Dr. Swamy has taken up the task of cleaning the political system that is rotten to the core. 2G scam is bigger than any body can image in terms of money involved and the number of people benefitted. It is not easy to challenge the establishment especially Gandhi dynasty that is entrenched in India for the last 64 years. No body could dare challenge the dynasty. Even an emergency was declared to trample the voices of freedom from the people. The Gandhi dynasty had created a intimidating environment, even Supreme Court decreed in favor of Emergency trampling the rights of the people. Arresting the Hindu activists and leaders on false charges and keeping them for years in prisons is happening in India with little recourse. The present government even questioned the existence of Lord Rama to pacify the Pope in Vatican. A foreign lady with no credentials, falsified documents, contempt for Hindu genius, hatred toward Hindu religion, stealth plans to convert the nation into a Christian country, determined to trample the Hindu institutions, and intention to taint the glory of the Vedic heritage is RULING the country, LOOTING the country, RAIDING the treasury, BUYING the political cronies and PROTECTING the criminals.

Dr. Swamy has courage and guts to face the monster – the corruption – that has spread it’s wings over Bharat. The monster has already poisoned the veins of many people in India. Before this poison spreads to the rest of the people, it time to have a head on collision with this monster. All the children of Bharath should wake up, join the movement against corruption, and save Bharath from the corrupt politicians, and root out the secular constitution.

Courage is usually identifies with battlefield. In battlefield, you know the enemy, you studied the enemy, you spied on the enemy, you calculated their strength, you know their arsenal, and you deploy your army depending on the enemy’s strength and logistics. You know how to defend and plan accordingly. But the present enemy – the government – is unlike any other enemy. We cannot fathom this enemy’s strategy, it’s arsenal, it’s weapons, it’s strength and it’s army.

Dr. Subramanian Swamy has been working to find the enemies of Bharath who are stabbing and suffocating the Bharath Mata, who are stashing away untold amounts of money in Swiss and other banks, and who are using the black money to silence the opposition. Dr. Swamy feels the agony, the anguish and the misery of Bharat. He is more determined than ever that he wants to root out the corruption, to expose the nexus of Sonia Gandhi, Man Mohan Sing, Pranab Mukherjee, A. Raja, Karunanidhi, Ratan Tata, Radia, and many more.

It is not easy to uncover the corruption and expose the enemies. Dr. Swamy has demonstrated over and over his brilliant mind in tackling the most difficult cases. His legal expertise, his knowledge about the constitution, his grasp of the departmental rules and regulations, his skill in diving deep into the case and his cleverness in identifying the nexus of people. These are some of the rare qualities that would see the sunset of Sonia sleaze.

Sonia Gandhi and Man Mohan Singh are the enemies of Bharath Mata who are determined to sell, steal, stash, and stock pile the nations wealth. They never revealed the facts, allowed the corruption to spread like a virus unknown before to detect, greased the palms of political leaders to remain with their party, bought the politicians to change the parties, wooed the business people to this ghost house of corruption, relentlessly pursued to silence the opposition. The time has come for all the children of Bharat whether they live in India or abroad to join the movement to eradicate corruption, expose all the corrupt politicians and business, demand legal action to the end, charge them to be the traitors of Bharat, and publish all the stashed money and black money.

Let all the children of Bharath who want to bring back the glory of Bharat Mata, restore the grandeur of Sanatana Dharma, reestablish to ethical compass that was the basis of our ancient civilization, and bring back the pride and dignity of Bharath, should support the legal efforts of Dr. Swamy. It is his time. It is his time to succeed. It is his time to prevail. It is time for his legal brilliance to triumph. WE shall not fail. We shall not flag. He is not afraid to take up the cause and challenge the mighty government even at the expense of his life.

Please read of the legal battles he is fighting. Every body should support his efforts to unravel the mystery of the magnitude of corruption.

Jai Hind
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation
Steering Committee
610-918-7111
__________________________________________________________________________
Feb 12, 2011
For a new and clean India: ‘I will implead Sonia Gandhi in the 2G case' -- Dr. Subramanian Swamy

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A Sonia Reader
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Janata Party president Dr Subramanian

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"Just wait and see. Halfway through 2-G spectrum case I will bring in Sonia Gandhi into it. Nothing is going to go wrong in this case. This case is going to make a modern, new and clean India," claims Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy, one of the petitioners in the 2G spectrum scam, which is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation under the Supreme Court's supervision. As the Supreme Court's pressure on the CBI mounts, Dr Swamy feels the thrill of success. After former telecom minister A Raja's arrest, Swamy is now targeting Raja's mentor and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Karunanidhi. Swamy claimed to rediff.com that Karunanidhi is a worried man now. Swami and now even the CBI's case is that Raja favoured Swan Telecom to get the 2-G spectrum at a low price. Businessman Shahid Balwa, who was arrested on Wednesday, was a promoter of Swan. Etisalat Dynamix Balwa, which purchased shares of Swan, is also the front company of Balwa. He also launched another company which reportedly gave a loan to a television company ran by Karunanidhi's family. This nexus and sequence of money passing hands is being established by the CBI
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Sat, Feb 12, 2011 at 6:46 AM
subject For a new and clean India: ‘I will implead Sonia Gandhi in the 2G case' -- Dr. Subramanian Swamy

singhasan khaali karo ke janataa aati hai

‘I will implead Sonia Gandhi in the 2G case'
http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-subramanian-swamy-speaks/20110211.htm

"Just wait and see. Halfway through 2-G spectrum case I will bring in Sonia Gandhi into it. Nothing is going to go wrong in this case. This case is going to make a modern, new and clean India," claims Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy, one of the petitioners in the 2G spectrum scam, which is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation under the Supreme Court's supervision.

As the Supreme Court's pressure on the CBI mounts, Dr Swamy feels the thrill of success.

After former telecom minister A Raja's arrest, Swamy is now targeting Raja's mentor and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Karunanidhi.

Swamy claimed to rediff.com that Karunanidhi is a worried man now.

Swami and now even the CBI's case is that Raja favoured Swan Telecom to get the 2-G spectrum at a low price. Businessman Shahid Balwa, who was arrested on Wednesday, was a promoter of Swan. Etisalat Dynamix Balwa, which purchased shares of Swan, is also the front company of Balwa. He also launched another company which reportedly gave a loan to a television company ran by Karunanidhi's family. This nexus and sequence of money passing hands is being established by the CBI

'I will ensure that Raja goes to jail for 21 years'

The sceptic may find this complex transaction difficult to prove but Swamy is oozing with confidence. He says, "I will not leave the case half-way. I will ensure that Raja goes to jail for 21 years."

He alleges that Raja gave that licence to Swan Telecom and as a result of this the Karunanidhi family firm got a loan.

Swamy's main contention is that Raja changed 'the cut off date' in the process of allotting spectrum and helped Anil Ambani's Reliance which had a 9.97 percent stake in Swan and the Tata group, which eventually sold shares to Docomo and made profits.

Swan has now been renamed as Etisalat DB and Unitech, which also got cheap spectrum, sold it to Telinor, which now operates in India under the name Uninor.

Once Swamy got the above facts and related papers he took up the case.

In November, 2008, Dr Swamy wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and followed it up with four more letters seeking sanction to prosecute Raja.

When the prime minister didn't take any decision, Swamy went to Supreme Court and the rest is history. Even advocate Prashant Bhushan filed another petition to create a monitoring mechanism to supervise CBI's investigation of the 2G case.

Swamy is out on a mission to hit the UPA government

Swami's worry is that Swan's shares have been sold to people with connections to Pakistan and Chinese investors, raising security concerns.

Swamy has strong reservations about Balwa and his connections in Mumbai but he says, "I may disagree with Ratan Tata's judgment but I don't doubt his patriotism."

Swamy is an odd one out on a mission to hit the UPA government. The maverick's scheming activism is creating headlines these days. His motives are always difficult to grasp because he acts with vengeance against his political opponents.

But there is no one like Dr Swami in Luyten's Delhi.

He first shot to fame during and after the Emergency in 1975 when he became one of the founder members of the Janata Party under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan. He heads the almost-defunct party even now.

He has 12 years of experience teaching economics at Harvard University in the US. Even experts stop and take notice when he writes on the economy of China. He is familiar with Mandarin. He has studied the Gita and many other Hindu granthas and has written many books including Hindus Under Siege. He has been always supporter of the market economy and since last few years has been a supporter of Hindutva

'You won't see me at a cocktail party or a new year bash'

He abhors today's politicians and is a rare political animal who is not afraid of the media. His political adversaries have every reason to be afraid of him.

When he fell-out with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, she ordered his arrest in Chennai. But Swamy boarded a flight and once inside argued that aircraft comes under the central government's domain.

His greatest strength is his grasp of the law and its bold interpretations.

A very few in New Delhi can match his tenacity in taking on his enemies in a court of law. He is a rare public figure taking on Sonia Gandhi relentlessly. He is not a regular politician with a retinue of chamchas around him round the clock.

He is a one-man party but he reads signals from the grassroots well and knows what pinches the common man.

He says, "The problem with these ancient politicians is that they think they are big if they go around with a big crowd, so 200 people should follow them all the time. I don't believe that. I am in the 21st century and my large network is on the internet/phone."

"There is no part in India where I can't pick up the phone and ask what's going on in your town. You won't see me at a cocktail party or a new year bash."

His drive to carry on his mission has helped him

Swamy is 72 but looks much younger and has been very bullish on India and its future. He says he left a job at Harvard to become part of the 'India story'.

He believes a glorious future lies ahead for India. He lives in a comfortable house in New Delhi's Nizamuddin Colony. Roxna, his soft-spoken lawyer wife, is his strength and carries his briefs to various courts. She works hard maintaining papers of cases Swamy wants to fight. She diligently files petition after petition.

With a 40-year career behind him, Swamy knows what he is doing and talking. His talking, in fact, distinguishes him from other politicians. He is never restrained in expressing his views. Since he speaks only in extreme terms it affects his credibility in the long run but he will bombard you with the very same extreme arguments if you try to tell him so.

He never tampers ideas before he speaks and he is just not afraid of his enemies or their might. His drive to carry on his mission has helped him.

He can't be ignored because if you look closely he does not actually lose many legal battles. From the Islamic bank case to one concerning gold-plating of the Tirupati temple to the issue of Ram Sethu his activism brings the results he strives for.

'You journalists are ignorant'

There are scores of such issues where Dr Swamy has been ahead of all in raising it and taking it to its logical conclusion.

Dr Swamy, in fact, is a complex politician carrying too many secrets in his long, chequered career. Once he was close to government in Libya and Iraq, at another time he was influential enough to get one-on-one meet with Premier Deng Xiopang in Beijing and even got Chinese government to open up Mansarovar for Hindu pilgrims.

In 40 years he has been twice minister at the Centre and five times he has been elected to Parliament.

Since the last ten years his target is Sonia Gandhi against whom he has filed a case of smuggling of Indian antiques. He also took up the issue of his foreign origin and the issue of a foreign-born person's eligibility to become prime minister.

Swamy has umpteen times made allegations that Sonia's real name is Antonia and her family background is not what she claims to be. He has spoken so many things against her but he has never been challenged.

His favourite line is: "You journalists are ignorant."

'Only crazy people bring change'

He tells us, "There is no defamation law for a public person. I have won all the cases filed against me. Most people in political life are ignorant they don't know anything they just sit in drawing rooms and make guesses they go to cocktail parties and gossip when Jayalalitha filed hundreds of defamation cases against me, I came to the Supreme Court and read the law. The United States Supreme Court in 1964 has given a judgment that if a person in public life decides to sue for defamation then the onus is on him to prove that the charges levelled are false. Normally, if you are not in public life the defamer has to prove that charges are true. Here the burden is reversed. Recently, Karunanidhi issued me a notice I tore it up his notice in public before the cameras and threw it in dustbin."

He adds, "The law protects me. This is in the public domain out of ignorance people keep giving opinions and discourage you. I speak bluntly. I get irritated to see people's ignorance. I don't speak diplomatically."

When asked, "Do you know people sometime say you are crazy?' Dr Swamy says, 'That's a fact! Only crazy people bring change. I don't want among the sane who are stooges of people in authority today. If that is sanity, I don't want that kind of sanity."

When rediff.com asked him, "Was there any pressure on you to not move forward in the 2G spectrum case?" Swamy's reply was astounding.

He wants to protect the PM but wants to see Sonia implicated

"See, there is a general impression amongst all crooks that if you offer Swamy money, he will take the money and still continue, so no use giving him money!"

Then, giving a playful look, he says, "Since, I am Brahmin getting dakshina is my birthright. If anyone gives me money I will take it. But I will not do their work. I do exactly what I think is right. I play a role of an ancient Brahmin. Today Brahmins are connected to birth. It's nonsense. It has nothing to do with birth. You have to have vidya (knowledge) and you have to have courage. You should not have any personal wealth. I don't have any personal wealth."

He adds, "Ask Roxna. She is constantly complaining that I don't care for money.

She being a good Parsi keeps account of every penny spent. Anyway, I will not take any money for consideration. That's why in these 40 years nobody has charged me with anything."

Swamy's political operations and legal activism is too intertwined making it complex and cunning.

In the 2G spectrum case he wants to protect Prime Minister Singh but wants to see Sonia Gandhi implicated. He speaks ill of the Bhartiya Janata Party and its leaders but he enjoys backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

'I am playing for removal of UPA'

When asked about his feelings for Dr Singh, he gave a political answer.

"I have said clearly that Manmohan Singh is like Bhishmacharya who watched Draupadi being disrobed. That was unforgivable. This man is also without a spine. But I will not do anything or remove him because a vacancy created will not be filled by the people of India but by Sonia Gandhi."

In 2004, Swamy went to court and even to then President A P J Abdul Kalam to prevent Sonia Gandhi from becoming prime minister.

He is of the view that, "She herself can't become prime minister because of legal bar but she will make her son or someone else who will be worse than Dr Singh."

He says, "I am playing for removal of UPA and in the process Dr Singh will also be removed but I won't be party to anything under which only Dr Singh gets removed."

When asked why he has a soft corner for Dr Singh, he says, "He is a man of integrity. He has personal integrity. He is not the man fit for this job. He has no political backing so he is totally dependent on Sonia Gandhi. You can't have throne of India occupied by a boneless wonder. No matter how good you are its not enough. You must be a person who is able to take risks and make decisions. A man should not look over someone's shoulder. From day one we know he is not an independent person. His background is bureaucratic. It's not political. I know him for so many years. In the present UPA system, I know of no gutsy, no decent or no political person who can be prime minister. They have to be a rubber stamp of Sonia Gandhi."

'You can't ask Sonia any question on Raja because she would never give that interview'

When asked what nailed Raja, Dr Swami says, "That press conference of January 10, 2008 when Raja allotted spectrum on first come, first serve basis. That was his unbecoming. If he had done it with little bit finesse he would have got away with it. It was so crude. He gave one hour for the companies to get demand drafts for Rs 1,650 crore. He gave advance information to those whom he wanted to give spectrum. So those people came with pre-dated cheques. I had a press release of that press conference. Some officers gave it to me."

Swamy claims that his case saw legal success because the Supreme Court could not ignore two things.

"One, why the prime minister did not reply my letter. And, two, he could not say yes or no about my plea to charge Raja for corruption. Obviously, he could not say yes so he kept quiet because he can't even say no."

While ending the interview, he said, "Raja was assured by the Congress and the DMK that he will be protected. Their alliance won't break because both are partners in crime. But Raja was let down by Karunanidhi and Sonia Gandhi because Dr Singh showed individuality in arresting Raja."

Then, giving a mischievous look, he said, "You can't ask Sonia Gandhi any question on Raja because she would never give that interview."

=======
Swamy targets Sonia, Pranab but spares PM

TNN, Feb 13, 2011, 04.05am IST
NEW DELHI: Subramanian Swamy, who is petitioner in the spectrum scam case, has attacked finance minister Pranab Mukherjee for his alleged role in the scandal, while virtually giving a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Swamy based his attack on Mukherjee on Attorney General G E Vahanvati's strong rebuttal on Friday of the spectrum case petitioner's charge that he helped former telecom minister A Raja defy law ministry's opinion that the department of telecom should discuss the issue of spectrum pricing in a Group of Ministers.

The allegation against Vahanvati was based on a claim made by Raja in 2007 that he was advised by the Attorney General that there was no need to discuss it in the GoM.

Swamy said, "Since Mr Mukherjee has been an informal financial adviser to Ms Sonia Gandhi for decades, Mr Raja obviously felt confident to inform Dr Manmohan Singh that since Mr Mukherjee had given him "sanction' to go ahead, he does not have to listen to the Prime Minister of India.'
Swamy's reprieve for the PM is par for the pattern in his intervention in the case. The former minister, widely seen as a maverick, has trained his guns on Congress — Sonia Gandhi in particular — and DMK, but has spared the PM.

Read more: Swamy targets Sonia, Pranab but spares PM - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Swamy-targets-Sonia-Pranab-but-spares-PM/articleshow/7485353.cms#ixzz1Dq4RKNvb

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Swamy’s poser to Pranab on 2G scam

http://expressbuzz.com/nation/swamy’s-poser-to-pranab-on-2g-scam/247616.html
First Published : 13 Feb 2011 02:59:58 AM IST
Last Updated : 13 Feb 2011 09:29:38 AM IST

CHENNAI: Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Saturday demanded the Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to make his stand clear on two issues.

Firstly, as to why in December, 2007, Mukherjee, as the then Minister of External Affairs, had guided former telecom minister A Raja to disregard the advice of the Law Minister to convene a meeting of a Group of Ministers to discuss the appropriate pricing and ‘first come first served’ policy in Spectrum allocation.

Secondly, why was Raja advised by the Finance Minister to disregard the suggestion of the Prime Minister for auctioning 2G spectrum.

He based his demand on Attorney General Vahanvati’s remark that not only he, but Pranab Mukherjee had also advised Raja not to act according to the mandatory Transaction of Business Rules framed under the Constitution that guide decision making.

He wanted Mukherjee to make a public disclosure of the circumstances that necessitated him to advise Raja.

[GHHF] Three NGOs submit detailed report on the plastic Waste to TTD; EO to take immediate action; Hindu veneration to Panchabhutas.

[GHHF] Three NGOs submit detailed report on the plastic Waste to TTD; EO to take immediate action; Hindu veneration to Panchabhutas.

“Verily, the whole world is the body of God.”  Vishnu Purana 1.12.38

Earth, in which lie the sea, the river, and other waters,
in which food and cornfields have come to be,
in which live all that breathes and that moves,
may she confer on us the finest of her yield....

Set me, O Earth, amidst what is thy center and thy navel,
and vitalizing forces that emanate from thy body.
Purify us from all sides. Earth is my Mother; her son am I;
and Heaven my Father: may he fill us with plenty....
Atharva Veda 12.1

            Sri Kamal Kumar Swami of Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samithi, Sri D. R Narendra of TTD Parirakshana Samithi, and Narra Munichandra and A. Subramnayam of Praja Front toured, studied and inspected the practice of plastics disposal on the Seven Hills of Tirumala, where the most sacred Lord Venkateshwara Temple is located. Following their inspection, realizing the damage the disposal of plastics is causing to the seven hills, earth, water, air, trees, health of the devotees and ecological imbalance, they submitted a ten-page report with all the details of their investigation to the Executive Officer of TTD along with a number of recommendations.

            As a way of background we want to inform that about 4 years ago TTD has given a contract to Mohindra and Mohindra Company to dispose of all the plastics either by recycling certain types of plastics or dispose of all non-recyclable plastics in a manner that would not affect the ecology of Seven Hills. Also the company agreed to process the biodegradable items so that the manure can be used as fertilizers. According to the three NGOs mentioned above, the company employed hundreds of people to collect all the water bottled, plastic bags and other items going around the hills. According to the contract no payment will be made to the Company. The company did it as voluntary service to the Temple. The Company used to take all the plastics from all the hills and take them out without leaving any wastage on the hills. In fact they used incur loss in this operation.

            After Sri Adikesavulu Naidu was appointed as Chairman of Trust Board of TTD, he cancelled the contract with Mohindra and Mohindra Company and gave it to one of his benefactor by the name Kiran Royal.  Instead of employing people to collect all the plastics, Kiran Royal is using the TTD employees to collect the plastics making TTD to incur several lakhs of rupees every month.  He also stopped collecting biodegradable items leaving them on the hills as an eyesore for the pilgrims. Further, instead of taking plastic wastage away from the hills and dispose them properly, he was piling up all the wastage on the hills. These NGO leaders also noticed the employees of TTD burning the plastic wastage on the hills causing thick smoke covering the hills area.  They also felt the pungent smell of the burning of these plastics. During rainy season, the residues of the burned plastic waste are going to spread around and down the hills affecting the trees, plants, rivers and the water causing untold damage to the ecological serenity of the hills.

            On February 4, 2011 the three NGOs submitted a detailed report to EO of TTD who was very sympathetic to their study and their recommendations to alleviate the disposal problem. He agreed with their assessment and promised to look into a permanent solution to the issue. Since the submission of the report, EO inspected the disposal practices to take proper action.

            Below you will see the article published in the Hindu on February 8, 2011

Why should we care about it? What our Vedas say about the Ecology

            All our scriptures such as Vedas, Upanishad, Puranas, and Itihasas including Bhagavad Gita emphasized the importance and significance of the ecological balance among the Maha Panchabhutas – the earth, the air, the fire, the water and the sky.  In fact the whole universe is made up of these five elements. It means that every living and nonliving creature is made up of these elements.  Upanishadic statement embodies this belief: sarvam khalvidam Brahmasi – Every thing in Brahman.

            Hindus believe that there is divinity in every aspect of the universe. Nature itself is divine. All the components of the Nature are the manifestations of the Divine. One cannot separate one from the other. They are the two aspects of the Supreme.  Hindus perceive divinity in the human being, animals, trees, rocks, mountains, water, snake, dust particle and every thing that is seen and unseen. Many Hindu temples have manifestations of the Divine in the form of Human forms, animal forms, both animal and human forms combined as well as formless.

 The Earth

            Atharva Veda says that “The Earth is mother, the Heavens are father.” For Hindus Earth is sacred and call her Bhumata, Bhudevi  - Goddess Mother. Hindus revere the Earth for her tolerance, forbearance, patience and serenity. The Vedic Hymn to the Earth, the Prithvi Sukta in Atharva Veda, is undeniably the most all-compassing holistic hymn ever written about the interdependence of the panchabhutas.  The Vedic seer solemnly talked about the continuing, steady and balanced filial allegiance of humankind to Mother Earth: 'Mata Bhumih Putroham Prithivyah: Earth is my mother, I am her son.' Mother Earth is respected, revered and celebrated for all her storehouse of natural resources and particularly for her gifts of herbs and vegetation.  

            A provocative, enduring and everlasting hymn known Prithvi Sukti describing the Goddess Earth was found in Atharva Veda with 63 verses.  She is described as Vasudha for possessing wealth, Hiranyavaksha for having gold bosom, Jagato Niveshini for being the abode of the whole universe, Visvambara being representative of the universe and others. She is described as providing food and prosperity; sustaining the animal world; proving space for lakes, rivers and oceans; and supporting the herbs, trees, and mountains.  She is described as holding Agni, as geothermal field as well as geomagnetic field.  One should refrain from any and all efforts to damage its natural environment and deplete the natural resources to bring the untold calamity to the cosmos.

The Water

            In all the scripture Water is given a special place because it is believed to have spiritually cleansing powers. Water is considered the first element of Panchabhutas.  Rig Veda says that “in the beginning, all was water, and there was darkness which engulfed it.” (Book X, Hymn 129, verse3). In fact Atharva Veda (XIX; hymn 2:1-2) gives very significant place to water:

            “May the waters from the snowy mountains bring health and peace to all people. May the spring waters bring calm to you. May the swift current be pleasing to you; and may the rains be a source of tranquility to all. May the waters of oasis in desert be sweet to you; and so be the waters of ponds and lakes. May the waters from the wells dug by humans be good to them, and may the healing powers of water be available to all beings.”

All Hindus, especially rivers, consider water sacred and there are seven sacred rivers, namely the Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu and Kaveri.  In fact the river Ganges is personified as a goddess, while Saraswati River has been referred to as goddess in Vedas. Although Hinduism encompasses so many different beliefs among those that most Hindus do share is the importance of striving to attain purity and avoiding pollution. This relates to both physical cleanliness and spiritual well being.

            The nature of water described is described in Rig-Veda as follows:

‘The waters which are from heaven
and which flow after being dug,
and even those that spring by themselves,
the bright pure waters which lead to the sea,
may those divine waters protect me here’.

            Rig Veda also described different forms of water; rain water, natural spring, wells and canals, lakes and rivers. It is considered the source of healthy living and source of joy. Without water life cannot be sustained in human beings, animals, vegetation, insects, worms, and birds. Water is considered sacred and nectar. Water should remain pure and unpolluted if we have to get the benefit of medicinal, spiritual and cleansing value. The Padma Purana condemns the pollution of water by saying “the person who pollutes water ponds, wells or lakes goes to hell.”

            Almost all the holy places are located on the banks of rivers, coasts, seashores and mountains. For Hindus, morning cleansing with water is a basic obligation. Water is used for all our worship services in the Temple including abhishekam. Water charged with chanting of Mantras is distributed as Teertha. Traditionally tarpana is offered back into the river reciting mantras. Every temple has a pond near it and devotees are supposed to take a bath or wash feet before entering the temple.

What Should TTD do to bring harmony among Panchabhutas?

            Improper disposal of plastic waste is going to affect the natural resources on the seven hills, natural habitat, ravines and lakes, trees, herbal plants and animals.  If the burning of the plastic waste is not discontinued, pollution of the hills will imbalance the panchabhutas thus creating health hazards to the pilgrims and damaging the serenity and sacredness of the Abode of Lord Venkateshwara. Ecological calamity will ensue if the nature is exploited and misused. For the sake of future generations and to maintain the ecological balance, TTD should take immediate steps to stop the dumping ad burning of plastic waste. There is a great danger that future generations will not know the natural habitat of animals; they may not know the forests and the animals, which we of this generation know to be in danger of extinction.

            TTD should also take up a challenge to educate all Hindus about the need, importance and significance of the balancing the ecology. TTD should have world-class auditorium where people can learn about the history of the Temples, significance of the Temples and the need to preserve ecological balance to live a peaceful life.  Centuries of total neglect in the transmission of knowledge about the significance of panchabhutas, lack of knowledge about the inter-relationship among them, paucity of appreciation for maintaining harmony among them, and the absence of governmental willingness to preserve the nature that supports the cosmos, are the main reasons for lack appreciation among the present day Hindus.  Ecological principles and sacredness of Nature should be instilled among Hindus and others from the childhood at homes, schools, civic centers, Temples, religious organizations and NGOs. Once we protect the Nature, the Nature will protect the humanity. All of us have the responsibility of preserving the bounties of Earth, which harbor the plants, trees herbs, minerals, lakes, oceans, mountains, humans, and animals. They have coexisted for centuries.

Conduct Yagnas and Homas

            TTD being the symbol of sacredness and spirituality, upholder of Dharmic way of life, preserver of Hindu customs and traditions, supporter of Hindu culture and arts, instiller of spirituality among Hindus, and propagator of Hindu faith across the globe should strive to establish harmony among all panchabhutas.

            Need to devise a plan to conduct Maha Yagnas across the country to balance the panchabhutas, purify the atmosphere, clean the water, preserve the vegetation, and create positive vibrations among people.

            Also Homas should be conducted at all TTD Kalyana Mandapams across India on a regular basis to purify the universe and sow the seeds of peace and joy.           

Conclusion  

Let us conclude with the following Shanti Mantra

We invoke and imbibe Aum, the primordial sound of
cosmic Harmony and pray for:
Peace and Harmony in Heaven;
Peace and Harmony in the Sky and on the Earth;
Peace and Harmony in the Waters;
Peace and Harmony in the Herbs, the Vegetation and the Forests;
Peace and Harmony among the
Peoples and the Rulers of the World;
Peace and Harmony in Spiritual Quest and Realization;
Peace and Harmony for one and all;
Peace and Harmony Everywhere and in Every Thing;
Peace, True and Real Peace,
Let that Peace repose in my inner space,
Peace of Peace, Everlasting Peace,
We pray for Peace.

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TTD urged to take steps to recycle plastic waste

Special Correspondent

Concern over piling up of waste around Gogarbham reservoir, Jabali Theertham and other areas on Tirumala hills

http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/08/stories/2011020853450600.htm

Devasthanam urged to install incinerators to dispose of plastic

NGOs submit report to TTD Executive Officer for action

---

TIRUPATI: Three spiritual Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) have expressed their concern over the piling up of huge quantities of non-biodegradable grade plastic wastes around the Gogarbham reservoir, Jabali Theertham and other areas on the Tirumala hills. The NGOs urged I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, Executive Officer of the TTD, to revive waste management and recycling operations in the area, which were either completely stopped or were going on at a tardy pace reportedly due to some procedural wrangling.

Founder-president of Hindu Devalayala Parirakshana Samiti Sri Kamalakumar Swamiji, Chittoor district head of the Tirumala-Tirupati Parirakshana Samiti D.R. Narendra and Praja Font founders -- Narra Munichandra and A. Subramanyam -- after a recent visit to the area to evaluate the problem submitted a detailed report to the EO highlighting the problem, the reasons and also the corrective measures that required to be taken.

Unscientific

In their report the leaders said during their visit to the spots they noticed that barring the plastic items which were commercially recyclable, all other items were crudely burnt or left half-burnt sending up thick columns of smoke with pungent stench and buried under waste soil dumped from nearby places. They said what was going on was a crude and unscientific waste management process against the established environment protection norms. They suggested that the TTD install incinerators of the required capacity following the prescribed norms to scientifically dispose of the plastic and such other urban waste.

Health hazard

They NGO leaders said the acute pollution in and around the Gogarbham dam, one of the main sources of drinking water supply to Tirumala, would besides posing a serious health hazard to the locals and visiting pilgrims could also possibly pollute the water in the Mallemadugu reservoir also, located down the hill beyond Tirupati, as the polluted water eventually cascaded down the hill into it -- its destination.

They said the EO besides agreeing with the gravity of the problem had also promised to sort it out on a permanent footing within a month or two.

Below is the news item written in Telugu newspaper “Vartha”

TTD News 6-2-11.pdf 464K   View   Download