Latest news with #Upanishad
The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Amit Shah isn't retiring any sooner but he can't have RSS pick Nadda's successor
So, why was he sharing his retirement plan with women farmers in Ahmedabad? If you hear his entire speech, he is looking to be in power for another decade, at least. He told them that the Ministry of Cooperation was putting in place the infrastructure that would ensure, in '8 to 10 years,' that the wheat grown through natural farming would be exported and the profit would come into their bank accounts directly. Shah is not known to share personal things in public, except on rare occasions—like when he posted his picture playing chess with his granddaughters. During an interaction a few years ago, I asked him what kind of music he liked. I was told by someone who knew him well that he liked music. ' Aap jaan kar kya karoge (why should you know it)?' Shah dismissed the question. He was the Bharatiya Janata Party president then. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's retirement plan evoked much curiosity last week. Addressing women farmers in Ahmedabad, he had said, 'I have decided that whenever I retire, I will spend the rest of my life for Veda, Upanishad and natural farming….' There seemed to be nothing irregular about what he said. The only thing you could deduce from his Ahmedabad speech is that he doesn't intend to be a 'politician-till-I-live', like many in his party want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be. Amit Shah has a retirement plan— a 75-year age ceiling or something else. That was the only plausible takeaway from his Ahmedabad speech. It is still resonating in political circles. They are wondering why the second most powerful man in India is thinking and talking about a retirement plan at all. That, too, publicly. Of all the people, Amit Shah knows better how every word he says will be interpreted in a million ways. Three years ago, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had lamented the '100 per cent sattakaran (power-centric)' of politics and said, 'I think a lot about when I should quit politics. There are more things worth doing in life than politics.' He was 65 then. Many people sat up to take note of what Gadkari said. He was virtually a loner in the party and the government. Anybody considered close to him paid a price. A joint secretary posted in Gadkari's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways– along with his wife from the Indian Police Service—was repatriated to their home cadre overnight for his perceived closeness to the minister. Nitin Gadkari, therefore, had reasons to be philosophical. Amit Shah is not known to be philosophical—not in public, at least. I am no James Joyce. The stream of consciousness is not my thing. Only Shah would know why he chose to talk about his retirement plan. If it has raised so much curiosity in the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), there is a reason for it— its timing. Was there a subtle message to the RSS? Sangh intervention It comes amid a stalemate over the choice of the next BJP president, ostensibly because of lack of consensus between Modi-Shah and the RSS. JP Nadda, whose extended term as the president ended in June last year, was always a rubber stamp. Shah was the de facto president and micromanaged the party. The RSS wouldn't have a Nadda-like president again who thinks that the BJP is now 'capable' enough to run its own affairs—meaning that the Sangh should mind its own business. Neither Modi nor Shah chose to rebut Nadda, prompting the RSS to pull back in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, which resulted in the BJP's tally coming down to 240 from 303. The Sangh has rallied behind its repentant ideological protégé in Assembly elections since then, but it has learned its lessons. The RSS wants the next BJP president to be someone who has absolute clarity about loyalty. But Shah, too, must have his loyalist as Nadda's successor. He has to maintain absolute control over the party. Also read: India needs a full-time Home Minister. No more puppet BJP president, please A lot at stake ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta reminded in his National Interest column on Saturday how then RSS chief KS Sudarshan had publicly asked Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, the two faces of the BJP then, to make way for younger leaders in 2005. Sudarshan didn't live to see that happen. All he succeeded in was to trigger a debate in the party, which culminated in the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi pushing Advani out of the ring eight years later, in 2013. Think of the current scenario. There is no ambiguity about what RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat meant by his retirement-at-75 message. Unlike Vajpayee, though, Modi is in power, albeit with a diminishing aura. A BJP president of the RSS' choice would weaken Amit Shah's hold over the party, which he can't afford. In a video interview, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, a Shah loyalist, sought to set the record straight about the people 'liking' Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath so much (as Modi's successor). To start with, Yogi is a CM today, and there is no vacancy in Delhi—not for 20-25 years, said the MP from Jharkhand. Besides, the people voted in 2017 (UP assembly election) for Modi, not Yogi, and 'they still vote for Modi' (not Yogi). Dubey went on to explain that when it comes to people liking Yogi, they like Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, too. 'And you can't even imagine' how much people like Amit Shah, who abrogated Article 370 and ended naxalism. 'Whatever the BJP is today, the credit for it goes to the then president (Shah),' said Dubey. He was only voicing the sentiments of Shah's acolytes in the BJP. What Dubey was suggesting, though not in as many words, was that if and when the PM's post is vacant, Amit Shah is the natural choice to fill it. For that to happen, Shah has to have a firm grip over the BJP— CMs, legislators, party office-bearers, and leaders. The Minister for Cooperation has the most at stake in who becomes Nadda's successor as the BJP president. And no, Shah has no plan to go for natural farming any time soon. DK Singh is Political Editor at ThePrint. He tweets @dksingh73. Views are personal. (Edited by Ratan Priya)
India Today
22-05-2025
- General
- India Today
Explore astrology as a timeless science of self-discovery rooted in Vedic heritage
Astrology is far more than a tool for future predictions, it is a timeless science of self-discovery and conscious living. Rooted in India's ancient Vedic heritage, astrology deciphers the celestial code that shapes our emotions, destiny, and decisions. According to Pt. Umesh Chandra Pant, a celebrated Vedic astrologer with over three decades of experience, astrology offers a unique bridge between the cosmic order and human experience. As explained in our veda:advertisement"Yath ikh mayr ngn ma ayo yathTadvad ved ga str jyoti a mukham ucyate Just as the crest is to the peacock and the gem to the serpent, so is astrology to the Vedas, foremost and More Than Just PredictionsAstrology is one of the six Vedangas-essential tools for understanding the Vedas. It helps align human actions with cosmic rhythms. As per the Upanishad:Yad deve u karma i pravartate tad sarva sukha bhavat i"When actions are aligned with divine forces, life becomes harmonious. Astrology offers a sacred lens through which one may understand their nature, challenges, and higher Chart: The Cosmic BlueprintThe Janam Kundli reflects one's karmic makeup and destiny. The planetary placements at birth reveal hidden patterns of emotional, material, and spiritual tendencies. As noted in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra:advertisementJanma-k le grah sarve yat sthit tanu-de ikTe sarve janma-phalad sarva-v tti-prak akThe planetary positions at the time of birth reflect every aspect of a person's nature, fate, and life Matters: Dashas and TransitsKaal (time) is the force behind the unfolding of karma. Astrology tracks this through dashas and planetary transits (gochar), revealing when blessings or challenges may arise. From the Purana:Yath k la tath karma phala bhavati dehin mAs time changes, so does the result of one's karma. Through the Dasha system and transit tracking, astrology helps one act at the right Through Remedies and RitualsAstrology doesn't merely describe fate, it also prescribes spiritually empowered remedies to align with positive cosmic forces. As described in Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra:Grah m nti-k ry rtha japa-d na-tapa-kriyChanting, charity, and austerities are prescribed for pacifying planetary afflictions. These include mantra chanting, wearing specific gemstones, fasting, donations, and pujas tailored to one's for Personal and Spiritual GrowthAstrology ultimately leads one toward self-realization and liberation (moksha). It helps understand the soul's karmic debt and the purpose of its journey. According to the classic text Saravali:Jyoti a stram etat tu mok a-sdhana-hetukamAstrology is a sacred science that facilitates liberation. Through inner awareness, guided timing, and karmic insight, one is empowered to live a conscious, balanced, and dharmic Watch
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
A WW-II air raid shelter in Hyderabad that is now a library
It is a library with a difference. A large cool airy room for students and children preparing for competitive exams to sit down and read through the day. The difference lies beneath it in the bunker which is the genesis of Bharat Gunavardhak Sanstha library in Shalibanda. 'It was built as an air raid shelter before the outbreak of hostilities during the Second World War. After the war, my father Rai Mahbub Narayan went around asking his friends who were leaving for Pakistant to leave the books with him. Every Hyderabadi had at that time had a library. Within no time, my father collected 50,000 books,' informs Oudesh Rani Bawa who grew up in Gowliguda area near Shahalibanda. This collection of books led to the creation of a group of people who pooled their ideas and resources. 'The library was named Bharat Gunavardhak Sanstha by polyglot scholar Gunde Rao Harkare. Mr. Harkare retired as a session judge of Wanaparthy and donated a copy of Sirr-e-Akbar, that is a translation of Upanishad from Sanskrit to Persian. As it was a priceless manuscript it was sent to Khuda Baksh Oriental Library in Patna,' informs Ms. Oudesh. Engineer Malliah executed the project which was a two-storey structure on top of the bunker without taking any remuneration on a 471 square yard plot taken on a 100 year lease. It had two rooms for scholars, one room for a watchman, a stock room and a reading room. Now, the air raid bunker has been turned into a storage room for chairs and tables. 'We don't have the stuff to run a separate newspaper section. The sanctioned staff strength is 14 but we have only two staffers,' informed an official of the library. The dusty room with rows of chairs remains locked up. But it is a better fate than most other air raid shelters in Hyderabad that were built around that time. 'The air raid shelter in the Bella Vista (Administrative Staff College of India) is still intact, as is the one in the premises of College of Community Science where it is camouflaged by a lone palm tree,' informs Anuradha Reddy of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. In 1941, while the war in Europe was raging, there was a threat perception about India's eastern coast. This led to the Nizam's Public Works Department stepping in and building Air Raid Protection Shelters for the nobility. Five of them were built — one at the King Kothi Palace, another at Bella Vista, another one Hill Fort Palace, the residence of Nawab Basalat Jah Bahadur and one more at the security chamber at King Kothi Palace for Nizam Osman Ali Khan. While the Bella Vista air raid shelter has survived, the fate of others is not known. Other noblemen also built air raid shelters for their own safety, including Salar Jung III. 'It was there till early 60s and was to the right side of the entrance to the palace complex,' informs Ms. Oudesh. Nothing remains of it. One more air-raid bunker was built by Nasir Nawaz Jung of the Vicar-ul-Umra family on top of the Jubilee Hills property. 'It is still there and is a shelter for roosting bats. We don't try to enter that area,' says Raunaq Yar Jung, a descendant of Nasir Jung.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Time of India
Former superintendent at Mundra port gets 5 years in jail in DA case
Ahmedabad: A special CBI court here on Monday sentenced a former superintendent at the development commissioner's office in Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) in Mundra, Kutch, to five years in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 80 lakh on him after it was proved that he amassed wealth illegally. According to case details, the former officer, Pankaj Raval, and his wife, Kiran Raval, were charged with having disproportionate assets (DA) worth Rs 45 lakh compared to their known sources of income in 2015. This was for a period of six years (2009-2015). The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe found that the couple purchased a large amount of jewellery and accumulated other assets during the check period of 2009-2015. The assets acquired were pegged at 153% more than the legitimate income source. The CBI filed a chargesheet against Raval and his wife, who passed away during the pendency of the trial, and therefore her name was removed from the proceedings, the CBI said in a statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 4BHK+Family Lounge+Utility room at 4.49Cr (All Incl)* ATS Triumph, Gurgaon Book Now Undo The CBI examined 35 witnesses and relied on 101 documents in support of the charges against Raval. After the trial, the special judge at the city sessions court, D G Rana, offered a word of advice when he quoted from the Upanishad, "Ishavasyam Edam Sarvam Yatkinch Jagtyam Jagat Ten Tyakten Bhunjeetha Ma Grudhah Kashyashvid Dhanam" (All this here is permeated by Brahman, i.e., The Supreme Soul, Whatever there is in this world. Enjoy things by renunciation. Do not covet wealth as it belongs to no one.) The court order stated, "Justice demands punishments that express public abhorrence of the crime, demonstrating society's strong disapproval for such public servants who amass wealth by illegal means abusing power or position." The court further said, "Considering the gravity of the offence, this court is mindful of the fact that the accused was engaged in official work as an appraiser at the development commissioner's office, APSEZ Mundra. His job profile is such that even minor deviations may result in a huge loss to the govt exchequer."
