1783- Put the glass down

1782- Saif Ali Khan: Intermarriage is not jihad, it is India

I am the son of a sportsman, I grew up in England, Bhopal, Pataudi, Delhi and Mumbai, and I am more Indian than any Hindu or Muslim I know because I am both. I wrote this piece not to comment on the masses or the problems of communalism in India and its villages, but because this is an issue that concerns my friends and their families.

It wasn’t peacefully accepted by anyone, initially, when my parents wanted to marry. The royals had their issues; the Brahmins theirs. And, of course, extremists on both religious sides issued death threats. But the marriage still happened — the fact that my grandmother also had to fight to marry the not-as-wealthy and therefore not-so-suitable nawab of Pataudi might have helped things along. We grew up on real-life romantic stories about our elders marrying for love and not worrying too much about tradition. And we were brought up to believe that god is one, with many names.

When Kareena and I married, there were similar death threats, with people on the Net saying ridiculous things about “love jihad”. We follow whatever religion or spiritual practice we believe in. We talk about them and respect each other’s views. I hope our children will do the same.

I have prayed in church and attended mass with Kareena, while she has bowed her head at dargahs and prayed in mosques. When we purified our new home, we had a havan and a Quran reading and a priest sprinkling holy water — no chances taken!

What is religion? What is faith? Does a perfect definition exist? I don’t know. But I know doubt. I’m intrigued by the politics of doubt. Doubt gives us faith. Doubt keeps us questioning what keeps us alive. If we become sure of something, then there is a danger of becoming fanatical.

Religion needs to be separated from a lot of things. Our religions are based on fear. The Old Testament spoke of a Promised Land for a people, but there were people already living there. The problem is still burning today. There have been too many atrocities committed in the name of god.

I know good people are scared of marrying their daughters to Muslims. They fear conversion, quick divorces, multiple marriages — basically, it suits the boys a bit more than the girls. All this is undoubtedly outdated. A lot of Islam needs to modernise and renew itself in order to be relevant. We also need a loud moderate voice to separate the good from the evil. Islam today is more unpopular than it has ever been. This is a great shame to me, as I have always thought of Islam as the moon, the desert, calligraphy and flying carpets, the thousand and one nights. I have always thought about it as a religion of peace and submission. As I grew older, I saw religion twisted and used so badly by men that I distanced myself from all man-made religion. I choose to be as spiritual as I can be.

Anyway, I digress. The good news is that no one needs to convert from their religion to get married. The Special Marriage Act, when applicable, is the paramount law of the land. If you marry under this, it is upheld over any religious law. It is truly secular.

The fabric of India is woven from many threads — English, Muslim, Hindu and many others. A major concern in today’s India is that we keep deleting our past. To say Muslims don’t have a role in India is denying their importance and contribution. It is like saying women don’t have a part to play in India. Why do we need to deny Islam? It’s what we are. We come with our mix. To deny this is to cheat us of our inheritance. I don’t know what “love jihad” is. It is a complication created in India. I know intermarriages because I am a child of one and my children are born out of it. Intermarriage is not jihad. Intermarriage is India. India is a mix. Ambedkar said the only way to annihilate caste is intermarriage. It is only through intermarriage that the real Indians of tomorrow can be truly equipped to take our nation forward with the right perspective. I am the product of such a mixed marriage and my life has been full of Eid and Holi and Diwali. We were taught to do adaab and namaste with equal reverence.

It is sad that too much importance is given to religion, and not enough to humanity and love. My children were born Muslim but they live like Hindus (with a pooja ghar at home), and if they wanted to be Buddhist, they would have my blessing. That’s how we were brought up.

We are a blend, this great country of ours. It is our differences that make us who we are. We need to get beyond mere tolerance. We need to accept and respect and love each other.

We are most certainly not a secular country. The intention was to become one and our Constitution has provided every framework to make that possible. But, more than six decades on, we have still not separated religion from the law. To make matters worse, different laws apply to different people, making it impossible for us to think as one. There are different laws for Hindus and different laws for Muslims. This is bound to create trouble.

I think we should have one law for all Indians, a uniform civil code, and we should all think of ourselves as one nation. All our religions must come later and be by the way. Teach our children about god and his thousand names, but first we must teach them respect and love of their fellow man. That is more important.

I stopped believing in the Tooth Fairy first, then Santa Claus, and finally, I really don’t know what I feel about a personal god. But I believe in love and in trying to be good and helping the world. I don’t always succeed and then I feel bad. My conscience is my god, I think, and it tells me that that one tree in Pataudi near which my father is buried is closer to god than any temple, church or mosque.

Saif Ali Khan is an actor and producer

 

I am the son of a sportsman, I grew up in England, Bhopal, Pataudi, Delhi and Mumbai, and I am more Indian than any Hindu or Muslim I know because I am both. I wrote this piece not to comment on the masses or the problems of communalism in India and its villages, but because this is an issue that concerns my friends and their families.
It wasn’t peacefully accepted by anyone, initially, when my parents wanted to marry. The royals had their issues; the Brahmins theirs. And, of course, extremists on both religious sides issued death threats. But the marriage still happened — the fact that my grandmother also had to fight to marry the not-as-wealthy and therefore not-so-suitable nawab of Pataudi might have helped things along. We grew up on real-life romantic stories about our elders marrying for love and not worrying too much about tradition. And we were brought up to believe that god is one, with many names.
Source: C Y Sasikumar When Kareena and I married, there were similar death threats, with people on the Net saying ridiculous things about “love jihad”. We follow whatever religion or spiritual practice we believe in. We talk about them and respect each other’s views. I hope our children will do the same.
I have prayed in church and attended mass with Kareena, while she has bowed her head at dargahs and prayed in mosques. When we purified our new home, we had a havan and a Quran reading and a priest sprinkling holy water — no chances taken!
What is religion? What is faith? Does a perfect definition exist? I don’t know. But I know doubt. I’m intrigued by the politics of doubt. Doubt gives us faith. Doubt keeps us questioning what keeps us alive. If we become sure of something, then there is a danger of becoming fanatical.
Religion needs to be separated from a lot of things. Our religions are based on fear. The Old Testament spoke of a Promised Land for a people, but there were people already living there. The problem is still burning today. There have been too many atrocities committed in the name of god.
I know good people are scared of marrying their daughters to Muslims. They fear conversion, quick divorces, multiple marriages — basically, it suits the boys a bit more than the girls. All this is undoubtedly outdated. A lot of Islam needs to modernise and renew itself in order to be relevant. We also need a loud moderate voice to
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/intermarriage-is-not-jihad-it-is-india/#sthash.KgqND9ZL.dpuf

I am the son of a sportsman, I grew up in England, Bhopal, Pataudi, Delhi and Mumbai, and I am more Indian than any Hindu or Muslim I know because I am both. I wrote this piece not to comment on the masses or the problems of communalism in India and its villages, but because this is an issue that concerns my friends and their families.
It wasn’t peacefully accepted by anyone, initially, when my parents wanted to marry. The royals had their issues; the Brahmins theirs. And, of course, extremists on both religious sides issued death threats. But the marriage still happened — the fact that my grandmother also had to fight to marry the not-as-wealthy and therefore not-so-suitable nawab of Pataudi might have helped things along. We grew up on real-life romantic stories about our elders marrying for love and not worrying too much about tradition. And we were brought up to believe that god is one, with many names.
Source: C Y Sasikumar When Kareena and I married, there were similar death threats, with people on the Net saying ridiculous things about “love jihad”. We follow whatever religion or spiritual practice we believe in. We talk about them and respect each other’s views. I hope our children will do the same.
I have prayed in church and attended mass with Kareena, while she has bowed her head at dargahs and prayed in mosques. When we purified our new home, we had a havan and a Quran reading and a priest sprinkling holy water — no chances taken!
What is religion? What is faith? Does a perfect definition exist? I don’t know. But I know doubt. I’m intrigued by the politics of doubt. Doubt gives us faith. Doubt keeps us questioning what keeps us alive. If we become sure of something, then there is a danger of becoming fanatical.
Religion needs to be separated from a lot of things. Our religions are based on fear. The Old Testament spoke of a Promised Land for a people, but there were people already living there. The problem is still burning today. There have been too many atrocities committed in the name of god.
I know good people are scared of marrying their daughters to Muslims. They fear conversion, quick divorces, multiple marriages — basically, it suits the boys a bit more than the girls. All this is undoubtedly outdated. A lot of Islam needs to modernise and renew itself in order to be relevant. We also need a loud moderate voice to
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/intermarriage-is-not-jihad-it-is-india/#sthash.KgqND9ZL.dpuf

I am the son of a sportsman, I grew up in England, Bhopal, Pataudi, Delhi and Mumbai, and I am more Indian than any Hindu or Muslim I know because I am both. I wrote this piece not to comment on the masses or the problems of communalism in India and its villages, but because this is an issue that concerns my friends and their families.
It wasn’t peacefully accepted by anyone, initially, when my parents wanted to marry. The royals had their issues; the Brahmins theirs. And, of course, extremists on both religious sides issued death threats. But the marriage still happened — the fact that my grandmother also had to fight to marry the not-as-wealthy and therefore not-so-suitable nawab of Pataudi might have helped things along. We grew up on real-life romantic stories about our elders marrying for love and not worrying too much about tradition. And we were brought up to believe that god is one, with many names.
Source: C Y Sasikumar When Kareena and I married, there were similar death threats, with people on the Net saying ridiculous things about “love jihad”. We follow whatever religion or spiritual practice we believe in. We talk about them and respect each other’s views. I hope our children will do the same.
I have prayed in church and attended mass with Kareena, while she has bowed her head at dargahs and prayed in mosques. When we purified our new home, we had a havan and a Quran reading and a priest sprinkling holy water — no chances taken!
What is religion? What is faith? Does a perfect definition exist? I don’t know. But I know doubt. I’m intrigued by the politics of doubt. Doubt gives us faith. Doubt keeps us questioning what keeps us alive. If we become sure of something, then there is a danger of becoming fanatical.
Religion needs to be separated from a lot of things. Our religions are based on fear. The Old Testament spoke of a Promised Land for a people, but there were people already living there. The problem is still burning today. There have been too many atrocities committed in the name of god.
I know good people are scared of marrying their daughters to Muslims. They fear conversion, quick divorces, multiple marriages — basically, it suits the boys a bit more than the girls. All this is undoubtedly outdated. A lot of Islam needs to modernise and renew itself in order to be relevant. We also need a loud moderate voice to
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/intermarriage-is-not-jihad-it-is-india/#sthash.KgqND9ZL.dpuf

1781- Kareena Kapoor, Love Jihad

Kareena Kapoor's morphed picture is used as a warning against 'Love Jihad' by VHP.
(Written by Sonal Gera , Edited by Sarika Sharma | New Delhi | Posted: January 8, 2015 )

The cover photo of the latest issue of Himalaya Dhwani, a magazine brought out by the women’s wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad called Durga Vahini, has gone viral for it features the morphed face of actress Kareena Kapoor Khan half covered with a ‘burqa’. A strap underneath reads, ‘dharmantaran se rashtraantaran’ meaning ‘conversion of nationality through religious conversion’.
Durga Vahini has apparently launched a campaign to convert Hindu women who married Muslim men, claiming the ghar wapsi campaign must address ‘love jihad’.
According to a report published in the Hindustan Times, Rajini Thukral, the coordinator of the magazine, has reportedly said, “She (Kareena) is a celebrity. The youth try to emulate celebrities. They think if she can do so, why not us?”
Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan tied the knot in 2012 after five years of courtship

(COMMENT:  Kareena, Karisma & Babita Kapoor Have Faith In Jesus :
The news may be a surprise for the most Indians that one of the parents of Bolywood Actress Kareena Kapoor’s mother Babita, former actress and estranged wife of actor Randhir Kapoor, was Christian. Kareena, elder sister and actress Karisma, and Babita are regulars at Bandra’s Mount Mary Church, a kilometre from their home. The 300-year-old Catholic church built by the Portuguese is the oldest church in Mumbai.
Therefore no Hindu is being converted in case of Kareena, The VHP doesn't have a case at all!)

1780-

"God sleeps in the rock,
dreams in the plant,
stirs in the animal,
and awakens in mankind."
(Sufi teaching)
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"Great men are they who see that the spiritual is stronger than any material force."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

1779- 12th January- National Youth Day/Swamy Vivekananda Jayanti

1778- నిజమైన లేక అసలైన ప్రేమ!

1777- Why did Swami Vivekananda die young at 39?

Post by Nirakar Ch.

1776- Who is God?

Post by Benjamin Nallabelli.

1775- Don't mock religions, religious symbols and institutions! Terrorism in the name of Islam to be contrasted with reiteration that Islam is a religion of peace! (The Hindu, 12th, Jan,2015)

 

1774- Protector! An Excellent message ....

A bus, full of passengers, was traveling while suddenly the weather changed and there was a huge downpour and lightening all around.
They could see that the lightening would appear to come towards the bus and then go elsewhere.
After 2 or 3 horrible instances of being saved from lightening, the driver stopped the bus about fifty feet away from a tree and said -
"We have somebody in the bus whose death is a certainty today.Because of that person everybody else will also get killed today.
Now listen carefully what I am saying ...
I want each person to come out of bus one by one and touch the tree trunk and come back.Whom so ever death is certain will get caught up by the lightening and will die & everybody else will be saved".
They had to force the 1st person to go and touch the tree and come back.He reluctantly got down from the bus and went and touched the tree.
His heart leaped with joy when nothing happened and he was still alive.
This continued for rest of the passengers who were all relieved when they touched the tree and nothing happened.
When the last passenger's turn came, everybody looked at him with accusing eyes.
That passenger was very afraid and reluctant since he was the only one forced him to get down and go and touch the tree. With a 100% fear of death in mind, the last passenger walked to the tree and touched it.
There was a huge sound of thunder and the lightening came down and hit the bus - yes the lightening hit the bus, and killed each and every passenger inside the bus.
It was because of the presence of this last passenger that,earlier,the entire bus was safe and the lightening could not strike the bus.
LIFE LEARNING from this...
At times, we try to take credit for our present achievements, but this could also be because of a person right next to us.
Look around you - Probably someone is there around you, in the form of Your Parents, Your Spouse, Your Children, Your Siblings, Your friends, etc, who are saving you from harm!
Think About it......
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1773- Ten life lessons by Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary (12 January)-Indianexpress

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1772- "carpe diem" ( "enjoy the day")

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"enjoy the day" or "pluck the day [as it is ripe]"—i.e., to enjoy the moment. In western education the tag is now often rendered as "take advantage of the opportunities arising in the day."

1771- Refresh and reinvent yourself

1770- Management lessons from Gabbar Singh ...

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Gabbar was a management guru as is reflected in some of the timeless management lessons he delivered thru the movie Sholay

1. "Jo darr gaya samjho mar gaya ..."
Courage and enterprise are important factors for laying the successful foundation of a growth oriented business.
2. "Kitne admi the ..."
Its important to know the competition and its size ..he understood that even a small team can make a difference.
3. "Arey o sambha kitna inam rakhe hai sarkar hum par ..."
promoting one's own brand very important and to Be reiterated always.
4. "6 goli aur aadmi 3 ..."
Create an illusion where his people had a chance of survival ..he kills them in the next scene ...
moral - perform or perish.
5. "Le ab goli kha ..."
Sometimes in the interest of the organisation u have to take hard decisions .... So sometimes have to 'fire' some employees.
6. "Jab tak tere pair chalenge uski saans chalegi .."
.classic carrot and stick approach .
..tere pair ruke toh yeh bandook chalegi !!
7 . "Yeh ramgadh waale apni beti ko kaun chaki ka aata khilate hai re .."
market research is important to understand value propositions !!

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1769- The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'
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It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived in the hospital to have stitches removed from his thumb.
He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.
I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examination, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'
He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'SHE DOESN'T KNOW ME, BUT I STILL KNOW WHO SHE IS.'
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'
True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.
'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.'
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