Vishwa Vibhag News

1. FESTIVALS: The message of Raksha Bandhan is a unique one and can reach out to the people across the globe being a cultural one. Some of the HSS shakhas are reaching out to people from different faiths and traditions for tying the 'thread of brotherhood' � the Raksha. There are some experiments all over that need our attention. In Mumbai, a special program called "Universal Brotherhood Day" is being organized annually. Invitees include Diplomats from various foreign Consulates in Mumbai, foreign students studying in the city, foreign nationals working in Mumbai, and some selected Industrialists and Businessmen.

Among Hindus, Swayamsevaks take this opportunity to reach out to the un-reached people, especially the underdeveloped sections of the society in Bharat, trying to instill confidence among them and impress them that they are as much part of the Hindu society and that the Hindus society cares for them. This year the Raksha Bandhan or the Shravan Pornima would be celebrated on 28 th August.

2. AMARNATH ON DESPITE MELTING SHIVA LINGA: While Shivalingam melts, faith doesn't- In an apparent attempt to avoid a controversy over man-made lingam that had created a storm across the country last year, authorities said on 1 July that the ice Shivalingam at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath melted completely due to rise in temperature.

"The Shivalingam has completely melted. It was too warm in the shrine vicinity,'' said Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) CEO Arun Kumar. He, however, said premature melting due to rise in temperatures was unusual.

After achieving a height of 12 feet in early June, the lingam had shrunk to eight feet a week ago. "The Shivalingam was 12 feet in height and thin when the governor visited the cave on June 9. When I visited on June 25, it had been reduced to eight feet. But on 1 July it was completely melted,'' Kumar said. Global warming is one of the major factors for early melting of the lingam, he added.

Meanwhile the board, which had postponed the Amarnath pilgrimage scheduled to begin on Saturday because of bad weather along the route to the holy cave, declared it open on 1 July. J&K governor S K Sinha, who is also ex-officio chairman of the board, visited the cave in the morning. The board said though steps were taken to preserve the ice lingam, its hands were tied because of a Jammu and Kashmir High Court order restraining it from doing anything that constituted tampering of the lingam.

Temple authorities, however, said the disappearance of the lingam would not dampen the spirit of the pilgrims. Thousands of devotees traversed the rugged terrain from Baltal and Chandanwari to reach the temple on Sunday. Hundreds more stood in the queue early morning adjacent to the sanctum sanctorum to join the governor in the 'pratham pooja', board spokesman Madan Mantoo said. Every year, millions of pilgrims trek a treacherous mountain track to the Amarnath shrine, located 12,700 feet above sea level.

3. CHRISTIANS IN NORTH EAST MAY LOSE MINORITY STATUS: The very concept of minority status may soon change diametrically with the proposed 103rd amendment to the Constitution making minorities like Christians lose their exclusive status in states of Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland where they are numerically in majority.

Interestingly, Hindus in these states would be treated as minority and enjoy the status, the proposed amendment that is bound to create a storm said. The amendment approved in the Union Cabinet recently is likely to be brought in the coming monsoon session of the Parliament next month, as per the report of the National Commission for Minority Education.

The 103rd Constitutional Amendment seeks to have state-wise minority status rather than national status, as is the norm now. Minorities in states will be decided through a presidential notification in consultation with the state government.

Incidentally, the National Commission for Minority Education says the amendment will make Christian students from Meghalaya , Mizoram, Nagaland ineligible for admission in Christian colleges like St Stephens, as they will not have domicile minority status.

Likewise, Sikhs from Punjab and Muslims from J&K will not have minority status. Christian-run institutions in Kerala and other states may also lose their minority tag. Commission Chairperson, MMA Siddique has written to HRD Minister Arjun Singh and Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay saying the constitutional amendment that the Cabinet approved in May first week is against the spirit of Article 30 of the Constitution. Articles 25 to 30 guarantee protection of religious, cultural and educational rights to both majority and minority communities.

Meanwhile, the All India Catholic Union, the All India Christian Council and the United Christian Action have reacted strongly to the decision of the Center and decided to go ahead with a national consultation on the issue in collaboration with major organizations of other religious minorities.