MEDIA
FREE ONLINE TRAINING ON PRECEPTS AND TRADE-28
Mishra bats for CM’s memorials, points fingers at Teen Murti
Express News Service Posted: Jul 01, 2009 at 0153 hrs
Lucknow Reacting to the comments made by Congress over the use of
government money for the construction of memorials of Aboriginal Inhabitants of Jambudvipa, that is, the Great Prabuddha Bharath (SC/STs) leaders by the BSP, party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said the
comments showed the “anti-SC/ST and castiest mindset” of the Congress.
Earlier, the Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram had described the
installation of the CM Maya’s statues as ‘shameful”.
According to a release issued by the party on Tuesday, Mishra asked
the Congress to declare a list of memorials, museum, parks and
samadhis constructed for the members of Nehru-Gandhi across the
country.
He also asked the Congress to reveal the expenditure undertaken on the
development of these memorials.
He said the Congress government has reserved 6000 acres of Rajghat for
Nehru-Gandhi family and Teen Murti Bhawan worth Rs 5000 crore for
Jawaharlal Nehru. “Is the country an estate of only the Nehru-Gandhi
family?” Mishra asked.
If earlier governments led by the Congress had developed memorials for
great leaders of SC/STs and OBCs, BSP would not have taken the
‘responsibility’ of their construction now.
The release added that the money spent on memorials of great leaders
was nominal against the amount spent for the development and welfare
of poor, farmers and other sections of society.
 Namo |
I am a living goddess, says Mayawati
Mayawati blames BJP, Congress Atiq Khan LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Tuesday blamed the Referring to the mosque as a “disputed structure,” she said at a Ms. Mayawati accused the Congress government in 1992 of ignoring the 1 Jul 2009, 1930 hrs IST, PTI LUCKNOW: Unfazed by the outcry over the alleged misuse of funds for “To create awareness among the people across the country regarding The chief minister said that to popularise these places, the state “It has been decided that later on, income generated from the sale of This comes in the backdrop of the Allahabad High Court asking the The Supreme Court has already sought an explanation from the UP Rubbishing the opposition’s claim of misuse of public money, Mayawati Shiv Sena miffed at sea link naming Siddhesh Inamdar Mumbai: Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday Mayawati strikes back In a bid to consolidate her SC/ST vote bank, Uttar Pradesh Chief Accusing the Congress of keeping SC/ST leaders away from their Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday asked “The report should be made public as it would be in the interest of transparency,” Mayawati told reporters here. She said those indicted by the probe panel should be punished severely. “Now, the entire country will watch the action the central Justice (retd) M.S. Liberhan Tuesday presented to Prime Minister The commission was mandated to investigate the Dec 6, 1992, “The commission should not have taken such a long time in its The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo said her party “hopes that the |
|||||
|
A BUDDHIST APPROACH TO HAPPINESS THROUGH
RENUNCIATION 1
What
the world thinks makes the human mind happy and what the Dhamma
thinks makes the mind happy are at odds with each other. The world (society)
thinks that material accumulation, working and being busy leads to happiness of
mind whereas the Dhamma
defines the letting go and renunciation of material things and giving priority
to rest, meditation and Dhamma
practice as the true path to happiness. Only the latter is correct and it is
because many do not realize this that they struggle and suffer through all their
lives never really finding the true happiness that they seek, even till the
moment of death. This how what the world believes truly brings happiness is at
odds with and is at the opposite end of the spectrum to what the Dhamma believes truly brings
happiness.2
It is important to firstly understand what
truly gives happiness and do more of that while understanding what does not and
to do less of that. Money cannot and does not give one happiness. The idea of
the world that more money will give more happiness is a wrong idea. A certain
amount of money is required to pay bills, buy necessities such clothes, food,
transport, a house, etc and for emergencies. But after there is enough money for
those things, accumulation of extra wealth does not give rise to extra happiness
as it is wrongly believed in the world.
This
belief exists because money allows for the accumulation and consumption of
desirable material assets such as boats, sports cars, travel, large mansions,
expensive clothing, shoes and accessories, access to various entertainments,
etc. But what one will find is that all these things are empty and will not give
rise to any lasting happiness. After one struggles, works hard and has collected
enough money to purchase a material possession and then acquires it, one will
find that one gets sick of that material thing before too long. Then one will
have to struggle, strive and work hard again collecting enough money to get the
next best model of that possession thinking that is what will really give
happiness. Most humans of all nations, races and religions will go through this
cycle of searching for material happiness, struggling and collecting money,
acquiring the material possession, getting sick of it because it is empty and
then searching again for the next best material possession thinking that this will give happiness all their lives
till death (and also into the next life and so on and on in samsara), never finding true happiness. So it
becomes clear that the concept of collecting more giving rise to more happiness
is just a dangerous illusion that will only give rise to suffering and strife,
but to not really to any lasting happiness.
Many
have forgotten how to listen to the mind and understand what it really wants in
relation to happiness, so incorrectly think that an endless pursuit of material
accumulation and pleasing of the six
senses
(eye, ear, nose, tongue, body and mind) with various sense pleasures along with
fame, recognition, wealth, status, etc will lead the mind to happiness. This is
not the case at all. For a lay person a certain amount of accumulation is
necessary to lead a comfortable life, but any more accumulation beyond this
would be in vain and will not lead to any
more happiness. The Dhamma
teaches that what really makes the mind happy is not accumulation, but rather
letting go and renunciation (nekkhamma),
the exact opposite of what the world blindly believes brings happiness. Of the
two opposing paths, the worldly path of accumulation and the Dhamma path of renunciation, the latter is the
one that truly gives rise to lasting happiness within the mind.
It may not be possible for a lay person to
give up everything all at once. So what they can do is to find a balance between
accumulation and renunciation. One should not get fooled by the illusion that
more material possessions will lead to more happiness, to the point that one
gets a large mortgages and other such large debts that require an excessive
amount of working to pay off. One should live within one’s financial means and
adopt a simple material life, acquiring material possessions in moderation. What
this means is buying a house that one can afford, is within one’s means and can
be easily paid off. The same applies to other material possessions such as cars,
clothing, food, etc. There is also no lasting happiness to be gained from these
or the constant enjoyment related to parties, trips, always meeting friends and
relatives, etc. These are empty things (no lasting happiness) and should be done
in moderation without excess. If one leads such a simple life, then one will
find that one will not have to work as much and will have more free time to rest
and actually enjoy life. More importantly one will gain the time to do what
really makes the mind happy; renunciation, rest and
meditation.
What
renunciation means for a lay person is that for at least one day in a week3
(preferably more) they renounce all their duties and commitments and spend that
whole day practicing the Dhamma.
What this equates to is going to the local temple if possible and if not at home
or at another location, taking higher precepts such as eight or ten precepts
and them spending the whole day practicing and studying the Dhamma.
Do not take the higher precepts
and then waste the day talking with others. Let the whole day be a day of
complete verbal silence (unless one absolutely needs to speak, but not
otherwise) and physical seclusion from others and even one’s loved ones. It is
much better to understand the ‘inner Dhamma’
of the mind and body through constant mindfulness and meditation (e.g. through
anapanasati
- awareness of breath) than the ‘outer Dhamma’ contained in the books/discourses;
4 so give preference to the former where possible. Dong this one will
realize that renunciation and not accumulation is the true path to happiness.
Then one will start giving more importance and preference to renunciation over
accumulation and become much happier as a result.
May
you realize the true path to happiness and gain the lasting happiness of
Nibbana in this very
life!
WHY YOU ARE SO
TIRED
Do you know why you get so
tired?
It’s because you work too
hard,
you are too
active,
it’s as simple as
that.
Give enough rest to your mind and
body,
don’t work too
hard,
or try to
work,
when you are already
tired.
But if you have to
work,
take it easy,
don’t push yourself too
hard,
give the mind and body enough
rest,
or you’ll find you
become,
very miserable
indeed!
City could be divided thus if there are no changes
Bangalore: The following are the list of the wards of the BBMP according to the draft delimitation:
Yelahanka (Ward No. 1),
Puttenahalli (2),
Attur (3),
(4),
Jakkur (5),
Dasarahalli (6),
Amruthalli (7),
Kodigehalli (8),
GKVK (9),
Dodda Bommasandra(10),
Kuvempunagar (11),
Shettihalli (12),
Kalyannagar (13),
Bagalakunte(14),
T. Dasarahalli (15),
Jalahalli (16),
J.P.Park (17),
RMV II Stage, (18),
Sanjayanagar (19),
Ganganagar (20),
Hebbal (21),
Kanakanagar (22),
Nagavara (23),
HBR Layout (24),
Horamavu (25),
Kalkere (26),
Banaswadi (27),
Ramaswamy Palya (28),
Venkateshpura (30),
Kadugondanahalli (31),
Kaval Byrasandra (32),
Manorayanapalya (33),
Gangenahalli (34),
Aramane Nagara (35),
Mathikere (36),
Yeshvanthpur (37),
HMT (38),
Nagasandra (39),
Dodda Bidarakallu (40),
Goraguntepalya (42),
Nandini Layout (43),
Marappana Palya (44),
Subedarpalya (45),
Jayachamarajendra Nagara (46),
D.J. Halli (47),
Muneshwaranagara (48),
Lingarajapura (49),
Benniganahalli (50),
Vijnanapura (51),
Krishnarajapura (52),
Basavanapura (53),
Aiyyappa Nagar (54),
Devasandra (55),
A. Narayanapura (56),
C.V. Raman Nagar (57),
New Thippasandra (58),
Maruthisevanagar (59),
Sagaayapuram (60),
Ramaswamypalya (62),
Jayamahal (63),
Rajmahal Guttahalli (64),
Malleswaram (65),
Subramanya- nagara (66),
Nagapura (67),
Mahalakshmipuram (68),
Laggere (69),
Hegganahalli (71),
Herohalli (72),
Kottegepalya (73),
Shakthi Ganapathi Nagar, (74),
Shankar Math (75),
Gayathri Nagar (76),
Pulakeshinagar (78),
Sarvajnanagar (79),
Hoyasala Nagar (80),
Mahadevapura (81),
Garudacharpalya (82),
Kadugodi (83),
Hagadur (84),
Kundalahalli (85),
Marathahalli (86),
Jeevan Bheemanagar (88),
Jogupalya (89),
Ulsoor (90),
Bharathi Nagar (91),
Shivajinagar (92),
Vasanthnagar (93),
Gandhinagar (94),
Subashnagar (95),
Okalipuram (96),
Dayananada Nagar (97),
Prakashnagar (98),
Rajajinagar (99),
Basaveshwarnagar (100),
Kamashipalya (101),
Vrushabha- vathinagar (102)
Pattegarpalya (103),
Govindarajanagar (104),
Agrahara Dasarahalli (105),
(106),
Shivanagara (107),
Sri Ramamandira (108),
Chikpet (109),
Sampangiram Nagar (110),
Shantala Nagara (111),
Domlur (112),
Murugeshpalya (113),
Agaram (114),
Vannarpet (115),
Neelasandra (116),
Sudhamanagar (118),
Kalasipalya (119),
Cottonpet (120),
Binnypet (121),
Kempapura Agrahara (122),
Vijayanagara (123),
Hosahalli (124),
Marenahalli (125),
GKW Layout (126),
Moodala Palya (127),
Chandra Layout (128),
Ullalu (130),
Nayandahalli (131),
Attiguppe (132),
Hampinagar (133),
Bapujinagar (134),
Padarayanapura (135),
Jagajeevanram Nagar (136),
Rayapuram (137),
Cheluvadipalya (138),
K.R. Market (139),
Chamarajpet (140),
Azad Nagar (141),
Kempe Gowda Nagar (142),
V.V. Puram (143),
Siddapura (144),
Hombe Gowda Nagar (145),
Lakkasandra (146),
Adugodi (147), Ejipura (148),
Varthur (149),
Belandur (150),
Koramangala (151),
Sudguntepalya (152),
Jayanagar (153),
Basavanagudi (154),
Gavipuram (155),
(156),
(157),
Deepanjalinagar (158),
Kengeri (159),
Rajarajeshwarainagar (160),
Hosakerehalli (161),
Girinagar (162),
Kathriguppe (163),
Ashoknagar (164),
Ganesh Mandir (165),
Karisandra (166),
Yediyur (167),
Pattabhiramnagar (168),
Byrasandra (169),
Jayanagar 9th Block, (170),
Gurappanapalya (171),
Madivala (172),
Jakkasandra (173),
HSR Layout (174),
Bommanahalli (175),
BTM Layout (176),
J.P. Nagar (177),
Sarakki (178),
Jayanagar 5th Block (179),
Banashankari (180),
K.S. Layout (181),
Padmanabhanagar (182),
Chikkalsandra (183),
Uttarahalli (184),
Yelachenahalli (185),
Jaraganahali (186),
Puttenahalli (187),
Bilekhalli (188),
Hongasandra (189),
Bandepalya (190),
Singasandra (191),
Begur (192),
Arakere (193),
Gottigere (194),
Kothanur (195),
Anjanapura (196),
Vasanthapura (197),
Hemmigepura (198).
Norms bent to favour some MLAs in delimiting wards?
Krishnaprasad
| The carving out of wards in the BBMP has not been consistent with guidelines on population density |
Bangalore: Extraneous considerations favouring influential
legislators in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party may have been a key
factor in deciding the number of wards in each Assembly segment in the
city, if the talk among common people, officials and Opposition
politicians is anything to go by. The guidelines on which the ward
delimitations were based were apparently flexed in a questionable
manner giving rise to these speculations.
The methodology used to redraw and increase the number of wards
appeared in the public realm after the details of the delimitation of
198 wards were uploaded for public scrutiny on the website www.bbmpwards.org
On comparison of ward details, it is clear there are a higher number
of wards in some “select” Assembly constituencies having lower
population while constituencies with a higher population have fewer
wards.
The reason for suspicion: the creation of more wards in smaller
constituencies with lower population may have been intended to allow
higher number of “ardent followers” of influential leaders of the
ruling BJP to contest elections to the BBMP.
The Government guideline states: “A ward has to be carved out for an
average population of 30,000 (plus or minus 20 per cent) in the core
area as per 2001 Census.” The localities that were under erstwhile
Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) limits are described as the core area
and those added newly to the city are classified as periphery areas
where the population needs to be at least 20,000 per ward as per the
guideline. This implies there should be more wards in constituencies
with a higher population.
Inconsistent figures
But this has not happened. For example, as many as nine wards have
been carved out of Govindarajnagar constituency, which has a total
population of 2.22 lakh as per the 2001 Census, whereas Rajajinagar
constituency with a population of over 2.25 lakh has got only seven
wards. V. Somanna, who represented Govindarajnagar constituency from
the Congress earlier, recently became Minister for Housing and Muzarai
in the Yeddyurappa Government after he quit the Congress and joined the
BJP.
Also, Basavanagudi constituency (represented by BJP’s first time MLA
Ravi Subramanya) has got only six wards even though its population is
only 10,000 less than that of Govindarajanagar. Pulakeshinagar
constituency (represented by B. Prasanna Kumar of the Congress), with
2.21 lakh population has only seven wards.
Hebbal constituency (represented by senior BJP leader and Minister
for Excise, Information and Technology Katta Subramanya Naidu) with a
population of 2.16 lakh has got eight wards, while neighbouring
Malleswaram constituency (represented by BJP’s first time MLA Ashwath
Narayan) has got only seven wards despite having a population of about
2.40 lakh. Sarvagnagar constituency (represented by Congress’s K.J.
George) has got only eight wards even though its population is at least
2.66 lakh.
As many as eight wards have been carved out in Padmanabhanagar
constituency (represented by Transport Minister R. Ashok) having a
total population of 2.28 lakh while only seven wards have been formed
in Chickpet constituency (represented by BJP’s D. Hemachandra Sagar)
having a higher population of 2.42 lakh.
However, sources said the proviso in the guideline allowing for
“plus or minus 20 per cent of the average 30,000 population” to form
each ward has helped in changing the number of wards in the various
constituencies depending on the influence and desire of each ruling
legislator.
Meanwhile, several individuals and political parties, including the
Congress, have submitted their objections to the “indiscriminate”
delimitation to the Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore Urban District.
Chitra V. Ramani
Former Mayors say delimitation exercise has been a wasteful one
‘Draft notification on delimitation is in violation of the guidelines’
Bangalore: Opinion on the delimitation of wards under the Bruhat
Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is not all positive, especially
among former mayors. They allege that the delimitation exercise has
been a wasteful one, as it has not been done scientifically.
J. Huchchappa, former Mayor, denounced the whole exercise as
gerrymandering by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Government. “It has
been done very unscientifically. The BJP’s political motive of wresting
power, instead winning by fair methods, is evident. The Opposition
party strongholds in the city have been divided in such a way that they
cannot win.” He alleged that the delimitation process was an eyewash
and the Government had taken it up to postpone elections to the BBMP.
“There are several discrepancies. For instance, Assembly constituencies
with population less than the prescribed upper limit have been divided
into more wards, while those with higher population have been divided
into fewer wards. The boundaries of the wards have not been defined
properly,” he said.
The BBMP’s earlier ward strength of 147 was ideal, maintained M.
Ramachandrappa, another former Mayor. “The political motive behind this
entire process is clear. The elections to the civic authority could
have been held immediately had it not been for delimitation, which was
taken up to split the vote share. When other cities, that are as big as
Bangalore and have more-or-less the same population strength, have
around 150 wards, why did the State Government feel the need to go in
for delimitation?” he asked.
P.R. Ramesh, another former Mayor, alleged that the BJP-led State
Government had taken up the delimitation exercise after studying the
booth-wise results of the recently held Lok Sabha elections. He alleged
that the draft notification on delimitation of the wards was in
violation of the guidelines.
Krishnaprasad
There will be
30 p.c. increase
in polling booths
Change of polling booth may create confusion
Bangalore: The process of delimitation of wards will affect the
existing voters’ list as localities, which are at present included
under a particular polling booth, are being bifurcated into two
different wards.
This means the State Election Commission (SEC) and Election
Commission of India (ECI) will have to identity and create more polling
stations in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) area before
holding elections to the civic body.
Bifurcation or division of polling booths are necessary mainly in localities which will fall in the boundary of two wards.
Such a situation largely occurs in the newly added areas to the BBMP as the distance between localities are more in these areas.
According to officials, there will be a 30 per cent increase in
polling booths in Bangalore as a result of bifurcation of areas falling
under a particular polling booth. The voters’ lists in about 400 to 500
polling booths are set to get affected in this process.
Even though the creation of more polling booths may reduce number of
voters in certain polling booths in a given area, change of polling
booth is likely to create confusion among the voters. It may be
recalled that confusion prevailed in State Assembly elections last year
when constituencies were redrawn despite no changes in polling booths.
Bangalore Urban district Deputy Commissioner G.N. Nayak says that
there is no alternative but to split the existing polling booths as the
delimitation of wards is being done based on population blocks of the
2001 Census.
Mr. Nayak said new polling booths could be located nearer to the
voters’ place of residence. The Election Commissions will decide on
identification and establishment of new polling booths.