GO TO SOURCE WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25, 2002: Playing right now at the Library of Congress, the National Geographic Society and American University, in the city of Washington, D.C., are 35 films directed by India’s Satyajit Ray. Acclaimed as one of the 20th century’s greatest directors, Ray was given a honorary Oscar for his work in the field before he…
GO TO SOURCE SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, March 24, 2002: Sixty San Francisco classroom teachers make yoga an integral part of physical education as well as regular classes. At seven public schools here — with more on the way — the “yoga break” has taken its place beside typical school rituals. Yoga Journal, a Berkeley-based bimonthly, calls it “Om Schooling.” Besieged…
GO TO SOURCE HYDERABAD, INDIA, March 26, 2002: “Buddha, Jesus, Christ and Marx are the ideal persons for our society,” stated Kancha Illaiah. He teaches politics at the Government Women’s College, Koti, Hyderabad, is active in the Dalit-Bahujan [Scheduled and Backward Caste] movement and wrote a book, “Why I Am Not A Hindu.” His remarks at a convention on Dalit…
Source: Religion News Service HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, March 20, 2002: Siddheshvari Devi Ji could use “On the Road Again” as her theme song. Devi Ji, better known as Didi Ji, is one of the few female Hindu swamis in North America and she’s almost always on the road. She carries all of her worldly possessions in a suitcase as she travels,…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 25, 2002: Groups of cotton farmers from four states have threatened to disobey the government ban on the use of genetically modified BT Cotton seed, unless a final decision on commercialization of the gene-vitalized seed is arrived at soon. The announcement comes less than 24 hours before a crucial meeting of the Genetic…
GO TO SOURCE GAYA, INDIA, March 25, 2002: About 200 Buddhist monks, led by Bhadant Surai Sasai, on Saturday encircled the Mahabodhi Temple and sat on an indefinite dharna, or protest, demanding the transfer of the temple management to an all-Buddhist committee and effective ban on the entry of people with shoes on in the temple. The Mahabodhi Temple is…
GO TO SOURCE CHENNAI, INDIA, March 24, 2002: The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha, launched the “Anna Dhan” program in 63 temples across the state today. Under this program, voluntary contributions will be used to feed the poor. She inaugurated the program this afternoon by serving food to 200 people at the Kapaleeshwarar temple. A hundi, offering box, is…
GO TO SOURCE AHMEDABAD,INDIA, March 17, 2002: After meeting with Justice Mohammad Shamim on a recent visit to the state of Gujarat, the National Commission for Minorities was given assurance that the state government will rebuild mosques and dargahs (Sufi shrines). With over 69 damaged sites listed by the Gujarat Chand committee, the project could be a major one. A…
GO TO SOURCE SUVA, FIJI, March 22, 2002: Fiji’s High Court has banned corporal punishment, saying it’s a breach of their constitution. In a landmark ruling, judge Jayant Prekash said the provisions of corporal punishment in the criminal procedure code and in the Ministry of Education guidelines contravene the constitution. The ruling follows a submission from the Human Rights Commission…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, March 21, 2002: Researchers at the premier mental health institution, The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-sciences (NIMHANS) in Bangalore, say that yogic breathing exercises, such as Sudarshan Kriya, has been found to achieve results as good as the best drugs in treating depression patients and alcoholics. Presenting the results at a recently…