Marxist-nationalist JVP calls for boycott of Indian goods and Look who is their friends in India

The Marxist-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has threatened to call for a boycott of goods from India. They allege that India is interfering" in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka

If the JVP does call for a boycott of Indian goods, and enforces it, the loss to India will be tremendous. India exports goods worth $1.8 billion to Sri Lanka every year. The island is India's largest trading partner in the South Asian region. India is the fourth largest foreign investor in Sri Lanka, having pumped in $500 million. India had also given Sri Lanka credit to the tune of $281 million in the past four years.

No call by the JVP can be taken lightly in the current political context, because it has 38 members in the Sri Lankan Parliament and the Rajapaksa government is dependent on the JVP MPs for its survival.

It would be worth remembering that twenty years ago, in 1987-88, the JVP had tried to enforce a boycott of Indian goods in protest against the India-Sri Lanka Accord and the 13th amendment.

Now lets take a look at JVP's friends in India. Well no surprises there. Its the usual culprits CPM and CPI.

CPM has been inviting JVP for their party congress for last three decades. However, this year they didnot invite them due to their alliance with DMK in Tamilnadu. The JVP, which stands for a “unitary Sri Lanka”, wants the Tigers wiped out, whether through military combat or ideological means.  While, CPM has identified Tamil Nadu as one of the “priority” states where it can improve its base, and is keen to avoid alienating the large sections of Tamils sympathetic to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The CPI, however, has invited the Sri Lankan party to its party congress, to be held in Hyderabad from March 23 to 27. JVP parliamentarians Bimal Ratnayake and Ramalingam Chandrasekhar are expected at the conference.

Technorati Tags: Communists,CPM,JVP,Srilanka

Et Tu BBC?

BBC is known for its objective reporting but I guess they threw all the cautions to wind while reporting on Sister Alphonsa’s sainthood.

Frances Kennedy of BBC News  reports from Rome. 

I am not sure why but she starts her report  with a factually incorrect claim. she reports

She(Sister Alphonsa’s ) had burnt and disfigured herself to avoid a marriage, having chosen to dedicate her life to Christ.

While on the same issue, Indian Express Reports

Alphonsa had become a nun in 1928, five years after she fell into a smouldering bonfire and badly burnt her feet, which reportedly tortured her all her remaining life.

Then she goes on to report that

The news that a date had been set for Sister Alphonsa's canonisation was greeted with joy by her order - the Congregation of Poor Clares of the Third Order of St Francis, also known as Clarists. The order is known for working with poor, indigenous people of all classes and religions

I am not sure about other Keralites but this Dumbhead is hearing about this order for firth time in his life. Also, I think Ms. Frances Kennedy who is from New Zealand is unaware that unlike in United states, Australia or in New Zealand, India donot have "Non indigenous" People. All Indians are Indigenous irrespective of caste creed and colour!

Then I am not sure why she dragged the conversion issue in to this report on Sister Alphonsa’s sainthood. She endedup sounding more like a spokesperson of Evangelical Church than  Journalist from a reputed Broadcasting company.

She also reports that 

Marco Tosatti, Vatican correspondent for Italian daily La Stampa, said the canonisation would be offer support to Christians in India "who are often subject of persecution and violence by some Hindu groups, for political motives".

This is outrageous! Are they saying that one of the objective of canonisation is to offer support to Christians in India against alleged persecution?

If you are outraged make a complain to BBC from here

BBC Report

Technorati Tags: BBC,Sister Alphonsa,canonise

Indian Muslims in Malaysia want to be called Malays

A section of the ethnic Indian Muslim community living in Malaysia want to be known as Malays rather than Indians and have petitioned the government to streamline the laws accordingly.

Members of the Malaysian Indian Muslim Youth Movement (Gepima) want to be known as Malays and not Indians since the the country's constitution states that an Indian is a Malay "if he professes the Muslim religion, habitually speaks Malay and conforms to Malay custom".

"I am a second generation Malaysian and I can safely say that from wedding rituals to the food we eat and the language we speak, we conform to Malay customs all the way," said Gepima president Mohamed Kader Ali.

Syed Osman Mohamed, Ali's 24-year-old son, said

we feel uncomfortable to be known as Indians, because people automatically think we are Hindus when we are actually Muslim.

Source

Technorati Tags: India,Malaysia,Muslims

 

NDF Freedom Parade 2007,Malappuram,Vadakara,Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram

Technorati Tags: NDF