At least 192 people have been killed in clashes between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, even as the country's Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan ordered country's military to step up efforts to put an end to the communal violence in the north of the country.
The Hindu American Foundation, still cannot contain its elation over President Barack Obama's inclusion of Hindus in his inaugural address--a first by a US president.
United States President Barack Obama drew appreciation and expression of gratitude from a Hindu group for his inaugural speech where he mentioned Hindus along with Christians, Jews and Muslims who form part of what he called a great nation. "His words provide us with hope that the Hindu American voice will not only be heard but valued," Hindu American Foundation's Director of Development Sheetal Shah said.
Mamata said the saffron party could not build even a small Ram temple in the last five years.
That report called the government's plans for the BBC confusing and misguided, the daily said.
'It is not the duty of government to protect minority religions or promote it.'
The fashion designer had joined the BJP on September 14 along with 250 young professionals from various fields.
A Sikh rights group has filed a lawsuit asking a federal court in New York to designate Bharatiya Janata Party's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a "foreign terrorist organisation".
The Tamil Nadu chief minister may have opened a Pandora's Box on the religion front with the appointment of qualified non-Brahmin temple priests, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
A United States court in New York has set a pre-trial hearing in April in the lawsuit filed by a Sikh rights group asking that Indian right wing organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh be designated as a "foreign terrorist organisation" for alleged violent acts against religious minorities in India.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was 'misguiding' people in the name of religious conversions and challenged the saffron party to 'try and convert' him.
For most affluent families in Kerala, marriage is reduced to an occasion to flaunt their wealth. Now, the Women's Commission in the state wants marriage expenses to be capped at Rs 6 lakh.
'In its history, the RSS has never seen success as it is seeing now. And it wants to extend their base.'
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Chief M Karunanidhi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rein in Hindutva outfits who are making a "mockery of communal harmony" and joined other parties in voicing apprehension that observing Good Governance Day on December 25 could hamper Christmas festivities.
The report however noted that the migration of super rich from China and India is not a "concern".
More than 750 constituencies spread across four states and one union territory will go to the polls on Tuesday
'In Yogi's Raj, Hindu festivals are State festivals.' 'He celebrates them, so does his police force, as he boasted in the assembly on Tuesday.' 'Eid, Christmas -- these can be observed, but expect nothing from the State to facilitate these celebrations,' says Jyoti Punwani.
This time round, even 'petrol coupons' were reportedly distributed for those attending campaign rallies, especially those addressed by top leaders, cutting across party lines. If this owed to the rising cost of petrol and diesel -- which is a poll issue this time -- there were the customary coupons for 'quarter' (liquor bottle size) and non-vegetarian biryani. Some media reports claimed that some of these 'crowds' attended more than one political rally on the same day in the last week, and at times for rival political parties in adjoining constituencies or districts, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
It is time the current leaders who swear by 'cultural nationalism', that is religion neutral, assert that Bharatiyata is at the core of our nationalism and India was never a 'Hindu Rashtra', argues Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Amidst a row over eating beef, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said no restrictions can be put on food habits in a secular country like India but the sentiments of the majority should be respected in Hindu-majority as well as Christian and Muslim-majority states.
Mourners in large numbers on Saturday paid their last respects to Jnanpith award winner and Kannada literary giant U R Ananthamurthy who was cremated with full state honours in Bangalore.
The funding comes after a 2016 report found an increase in violent incidents by cow vigilantes mostly against Muslims in India and authorities often 'failed' to prosecute them.
'It gives the impression that he either cannot or does not wish to control the fringe elements.' the NYT said.
The Pew Research Centre study also said that the number of babies born to Muslim women is expected to overtake those born to Christians world-wide within two decades, making Islam the world's largest religion by 2075.
Almost a century before the current Sabarimala movement -- to facililate the entry of women between the ages of 10 and 50 into the Kerala shrine -- there was the Vaikom temple movement, to throw open temples in Kerala to all castes, a movement led by among others a man whose 71st death anniversary we mark today. A fascinating excerpt from Rajmohan Gandhi's new book, Modern South India: A History From The 17th Century To Our Times.
'They thought he can separate the Muslim votes and win, but the Kerala mind is completely different.' 'It is a secular mind because Hindus, Christians and Muslims live together.' 'We don't like somebody coming from outside, contesting in our state, winning and going and avoiding us.'
'It would be interesting to see how Yogi Adityanath is received in Tamil Nadu, where he is due to end his Ram Rajya Rath Yatra in Rameswaram on March 23.'
'The return of India to its own civilisational values can never endanger freedoms as pluralism is the bedrock of our culture,' assert Lieutenant General Ashok Joshi (retd) and Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
It has been rated second after Cambodia's Angkor Wat.
Taking note of a Hindu outfit's assertion that a large number of people will be converted on December 25, district authorities on Friday issued a warning to those trying to disturb communal amity while asking citizens not to get provoked.
The New York-based Sikhs For Justice has sought a court order directing US Secretary of State John Kerry to designate the RSS a 'Foreign Terrorist Organisation,' which Preet Bharara says the US government intends to move to dismiss.
'The problem of a Hindu rashtra is that it has no text which can be adapted to the modern world.' 'The most prominent element of the Hindu way of organising society and the State is through caste.' 'This is not acceptable to most Hindus.' 'Because a Hindu rashtra also erodes the power and the rights of the majority of Hindus, we can be assured that this is not something that the BJP, or any other force can do,' argues Aakar Patel.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday launched a frontal attack on Bharatiya Janata Party's PM candidate Narendra Modi saying the country will be "ruined" due to spike in communal riots if he is voted to power.
'Wayanad has become famous because of Rahul Gandhi.'
'The objective is not to make India into a one religion place, but to ensure that there is harmonious and peaceful co-existence of all faiths with each of them having their cultural personality.'
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