Bhagwad Gita faces ban in Russia-ToI-18.12.11

Moscow: Bhagwad Gita, the Hindu scripture cited the world over as a philosophy of life and living, faces the prospect of a ban across Russia, with a Siberian court set to rule on Monday on whether it qualifies as ‘extremist’ literature. The case, which has been going on in a court in Tomsk city since 
June, seeks ban on a Russian translation of “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” written by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon). The prosecution also wants the Hindu religious text banned across Russia.
    The scripture — narrated as advice from Lord Krishna to Arjun on the battlefield of Mahabharata — discusses the ethics of war among several other issues. 
    The issue has sparked outrage among the Indian community settled in Moscow, numbering about 15,000, and followers of Iskcon, who have appealed to the Indian government to intervene diplomatically to resolve the issue in favour of the scripture. “We want all efforts from the Indian governmentto protectthe religious rights of Hindus in Russia,” Sadhu Priya Das of Iskcon and a devotee of a 40-year-old Krishna temple in central Moscow, said. 
    The court, which took up the case filed by thestate prosecutors,hadon October 25 referred the book to the Tomsk State University for “expert” examination. Hindu groups, however, say the university does nothaveIndologistswhostudy thehistory and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, among its faculty. 
    The Hindus pleaded with the court that the case was inspired by religious bias and intolerance from a “majority religious group in Russia”, and have sought thattheir rightsto practicetheir religious beliefs be upheld. 
    BesidestheGita,the prosecutor has also sought to ban the preachings of Prabhupada and Iskcon’s religious beliefs, claiming these were “extremist” in nature and preached “hatred” of other religious beliefs. Iskcon followers in Russia havewritten tothe prime minister’soffice in New Delhi, calling for immediate intervention, lest the religious freedom of Hindus living here be compromised.

Cabinet clears Food Security Bill-To Be Tabled In Parliament This Week

After a prod by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, the Cabinet on Sunday cleared the National Food Security Bill at a specially-convened meeting to table it in Parliament this week. 
    The bill, meant to provide subsidized foodgrains to people, brought 
to the Cabinet by food and public distribution minister K V Thomas, was approved without a hitch in a meeting that lasted under an hour. 
    The bill, which the UPA will table in Parliament in the hope of gaining some political dividend in the crucial UP elections, seeks to cover 75% of the rural population and 50% of urban population in the country. Initial estimates suggest that the food subsidy bill could be upwards of Rs 1 lakh crore. 
    A minimum of 46% of the rural population and 28% urban population will get 7 kg of foodgrains per month per person. Rice would be provided at Rs 3 a kg, wheat at Rs 2 and coarse grains at Rs 1 a kg. The rest of the targeted population would get 3 kg of grains per person per month at half the minimum support price offered to farmers by government during procurement. SOME HOPE FOR INDIA’S HUNGRY 
For Priority Group (below poverty line) | 7kg grain per month per person. Rice at 3/kg, wheat at 2/kg and coarse grain at 1/kg 
For General Group | 3 kg/person per month at half of minimum support price given to farmers 
Beneficiaries Under Priority Group 
| Minimum 46% of rural population and 28% of urban population. 
Meals For Vulnerable Communities | Mid-day meal scheme and ICDS brought under bill 
Total Fiscal Bill | 1.1 lakh crore roughly (including states’ share) Grains Needed | 61 million tonnes 
Urgency | Talking point for Congress in UP elections. Delay now would have pushed it back by 6 months 
Roll-out | By 2013, in time to reap political dividend in 2014 Parliamentary elections 
Logistical Challenge | Increasing state procurement of grains and reducing pilferage in distribution 
Political Challenge | To gain mileage in several states where governments already provide wider coverage of PDS New social schemes within food Bill 
    Existing nutrition andselect social security schemes would also be brought under the legislation asentitlements. 
    After thelastCabinet meeting on Tuesday deferred the decision on the food security bill, the Congress leadership and managers had gone into overdrive to ensure that it got the nod in time for it to be tabled in the current Parliamentary session. Thomas, too, had coordinatedwithseveralCabinet colleagues through the week to address their reservations backed with data and analysis on the fiscal, foodgrains and storage requirements. After having ensured clearance for a bill seen as the Congress president’s pet project and a key element in the party’sstrategyfor 2014 general elections, Thomas said: “With this we fulfill our commitment to the people of India first made in the Congress manifestoin 2009.” 
    Thomas met PM Manmohan Singh on Sunday just ahead of the Cabinet meeting andexplainedin detail proposals as well as responses that hadbeen elicitedfrom various state governments. The inclusion of existing socialsecurity and nutrition schemes under the bill was also discussed with the PM with the cabinet secretary and V Narayanasamy, minister of state in the PMO.