Source: Hinduism Today Press Release KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, February 10, 2001: On receiving complaints from the public and religious organizations regarding the wrong practice of “agni hotra,” the Malaysia Hindu Sangam wrote to the Sankaracharya of Kanchi Peetham in Tamil Nadu, South India for advice. His Holiness, Sri Jayendra Saraswati, replied, “Agni hotra should not be done by everybody. There…
Source: Hindustan Times New Delhi, February 2, 2001: Though it has been two months since corporal punishment was banned by the Delhi Court, some teachers and parents still hold to the adage, “spare the rod and spoil the child.” According to a study by psychiatrists Dr. Samir Parikh and Geeta Kapoor, 80 percent of the 1,000 public school students surveyed…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, Feb. 6, 2001: A comprehensive legislation by the Union Cabinet today decided to curb smoking in public places. It would also seek to ban sale of tobacco products to minors under the age of 18 and to ban sponsorship of sports and cultural events by tobacco-product companies. The Union Minister and Cabinet spokesperson, Mr.…
Source: Press Trust of India INDRAPRASTH, INDIA, February 6, 2001: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a US$32 million to enable 72,000 Indian Muslim pilgrims to undertake the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca this year. Pilgrims are expected to pay for $260 out of the total air fare of $717. They can depart from Delhi Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi, Bangalore, Hyderabad…
GO TO SOURCE NEW DELHI, INDIA, Feb 4, 2001: Their deeds affected the lives of millions throughout the world. They belonged to different streams of life with one thing in common: True greatness. The Times of India Online’s Indians of the Century poll was the most comprehensive to be undertaken in this country with 881,772 votes naming Mahatma Gandhi, Dhirubhai…
GO TO SOURCE MADURAI, INDIA, January 16, 2001: Dalit (untouchable) residents in a village in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu plan to convert to Islam, blaming it on social stigma and the state government’s failure to meet their economic demands. “All Dalits in the village intend converting to Islam,” said the local panchayat (village governing body) president, Murthy. “The upper…
GO TO SOURCE GEORGETOWN, MALAYSIA, January 23, 2001: “We don’t want an angry confrontation with the Malays because we know that racial harmony is the key to our country’s peace and success,” so expounds Khoo Huck Cheong, a Chinese tourist guide. Until recently Malaysia’s Chinese minority population of 6.6 million have been content to cultivate their culture and live peacefully…
GO TO SOURCE NEW YORK, NEW YORK, January 13, 2001: International peace leader Sri Chinmoy presented the prestigious U Thant Peace Award to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in recognition of his lifetime service to Mother India recently, according to a New India-Times report. The award is named after for late Secretary General of the United Nations and has been…
GO TO SOURCE GUJARAT, INDIA, Feb 5, 2001 – The Saraswati river, the missing third link in Allahabad’s Sangam is making an appearance in quake-injured Gujarat. Scientists say shifting of tectonic plates in the Allah Bund fault area has led to a geographical osmosis in the Rann of Kutch area, pushing the Saraswati over-ground in spurts. Hundreds of villages in…
GO TO SOURCE AHMEDABAD, INDIA, February 4, 2001: Over 12,000 people attended the mass wedding of 51 couples even though the aftermath of the earthquake is visible throughout Ahmedabad. In honor of the recent tragedy claiming so many lives, the brides of the occasion chose not to wear any gold jewelry.