3. Fresh Water Honored in Trinidad and Tobago

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Hindu Press International <hpi.list wrote:Today's Stories:

1. Hindus to Meet With Education Minister Over South African Language

Curriculum

2. Malaysia Hindus Cautioned to Beware of "Quacks"

3. Fresh Water Honored in Trinidad and Tobago

4. Goddess Saraswati Awaits Jaffna Library Opening

5. Naidu Government Told "Hands-Off Tirupati Fund"

 

1. Hindus to Meet With Education Minister Over South African Language

Curriculum

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2003/06/29/news/durban/ndbn02.asp

 

SOUTH AFRICA, June 29, 2003: The South African Hindu Maha Sabha has

formed a committee to meet with Education Minister Kader Asmal to

discuss the decision to remove Indian languages from the school

curriculum. Last week religious and cultural leaders voiced opposition

to Asmal's decision to remove Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telegu and Urdu

from the syllabus for pupils in Grade 10 to 12 from 2006. The decision

to remove 12 of the 18 foreign languages at present being taught in

South African schools is part of Asmal's overhaul of the further

Education and Training curriculum. "The issue is not about whether or

not a language will be 'culled' but about the ability of the government

to fund all foreign languages," Asmal said. "The constitution requires

that we promote and ensure respect for languages that are commonly used

by communities in our country. However, this goal is dependent on the

availability of funds." He said the department had found that many

foreign languages had very low enrollment rates in Grade 10 to 12.

According to the department's figures for the senior certificate

examination in 2002, there were 13 candidates for Hindi while Arabic,

one of the languages that will be kept, showed an enrollment figure of

661.

 

2. Malaysia Hindus Cautioned to Beware of "Quacks"

http://202.186.86.35/news/story.asp?file=/2003/6/30/nation/

lnsangam&newspage=Search

 

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA, July 1, 2003: Malaysia Hindu Sangam president

Datuk A. Vaithilingam called on Hindus not to fall prey to so-called

foreign teachers, fake astrologers and quack doctors. "These people

come here and set up an office to earn quick money. They urge people to

pay hundreds of ringgit just for the so-called blessings," he said

during the association's 26th annual general meeting. "Certainly, no

teacher can achieve a wondrous result in such a short time. Great sages

and rishis of Hinduism gave us the different yogas not for profit but

to help devotees in their regular daily life," Vaithilingam said.

 

3. Fresh Water Honored in Trinidad and Tobago

http://www.guardian.co.tt/ravi-ji.html

 

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, June 5, 2003: As planet Earth faces a reduced supply

of fresh water, ceremonies such as Ganga Dhaaraa, which took place on

June 15, take on added significance. Representatives from various

faiths including American Indian, Christian, Islam and Hindu joined

together to honor the coming of Ganga to Earth and the necessity of

fresh water on Earth. The event coincided very closely with World

Environment Day and supported the UN's environmental theme of fresh

water. Religion and science joined together to present seminars with

speakers from both communities. Hindus, as well as American Indian

traditions, have a rich heritage centered around the importance of

fresh water.

 

4. Goddess Saraswati Awaits Jaffna Library Opening

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/03june28/inter.htm#2

 

JAFFNA, SRI LANKA, June 27, 2003: Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of

learning is standing guard, a retired school principal is all fired up,

the computers are in place and war-weary Jaffna is ready for the

reopening of its famous library, more than two decades after it was set

it ablaze in 1981. The library, a center of learning and culture, is

hugely symbolic for the country's minority Tamil community. The fire

destroyed nearly 100,000 Tamil-language books, including rare palm leaf

writings. Locals hope its reopening will help heal some of the torment

from a civil war that has killed 64,000 people and displaced more than

one million. They also hope it will bolster a peace process backed by a

16-month-old ceasefire between Tamil rebels and the Government.

 

5. Naidu Government Told "Hands-Off Tirupati Fund"

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/printedition/290603/detNAT05.shtml

 

HYDERABAD, INDIA, June 28, 2003: When the cash-strapped Chandrababu

Naidu government tried to dip into the funds of the Tirupati-Tirumala

Devasthanam (TTD), India's richest shrine with an annual income of over

US$108,126,000, they found resistance from temple authorities,

employees, religious leaders and political parties. Naidu had recently

directed the temple to contribute $16,261,000 to build an

infrastructure for the Godavari puskaram -- a mini Kumbha Mela --

beginning next month, as well as an additional $1,084,000 for the

golden jubilee festivities of the Venkateswara University. The

government met with such opposition they were forced to downsize the

request to less than one-half the original amount or face the threat of

public agitation if they persisted with their request for funding. The

much-respected Tridandi Sriman Narayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeer Swamy has

criticized the move as an "unhealthy practice" and said, "The

government should explore alternative sources."

 

 

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