Tuesday 16 August 2011

Swami Vivekananda.


In 1897, Swami Vivekananda arrived in America as an anonymous and penniless sannyasin (wandering monk). He had travelled to America as a representative of Hinduism and the ancient Indian tradition of Vedanta. Yet Vivekananda was not bound by any formal ties of religion; to the World Parliament of Religions he offered a message of a shared spirituality and the harmony of world religions. This universal message and his dynamic spiritual personality won the hearts and minds of many seekers; and his vision is still treasured today.


“I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true."
- Swami Vivekananda 11th September, 1898, World Parliament of Religions

Early Life of Vivekananda

Vivekananda was born to an orthodox Hindu family in Bengal 1863. From an early age, he displayed signs of great compassion and also the qualities of a natural leader. Vivekananda had a sharp intellect and devoured literature from both East and West this included Western philosophy and the great English poets. Vivekananda particularly liked the rational reasoning of the West and was easily dismayed by many of the religious superstitions and the cultural decline that Indian society found itself in. From this background Vivekananda was drawn to join the Brahmo Samaj. The Brahmo Samaj was a modern Hindu movement who sought to revitalise Indian life and spirituality through a rationalistic approach and abandonment of image worship.
However the rationality of the Brahmo Samaj could not satisfy the latent spiritual hunger of Vivekananda. From an early age he began to have spiritual experiences and at the age of 18 felt an overwhelming desire to “See God”. With a directness that was typical of Vivekananda he asked those around whether they had seen God. All affirmed in the negative. This included the great Devendranath Tagore (father of Rabindranath Tagore) However Devendranath told Vivekananda that he saw in him the eyes of a Yogi and surely he would realise God in this lifetime. Although none could satisfy his question, he came to hear of the name Ramakrishna Paramhansa who was reputed to be a great spiritual personality and had realised God.

Ramakrishna - Vivekananda

In many ways Ramakrishna was different to Vivekananda. Ramakrishna was an illiterate and simple villager who had taken a post at a local Kali temple. However his simple exterior hid a personality of extraordinary spirituality. For many years Ramakrishna had pursued the most intense spiritual practices burning with a longing for realisation of his beloved Mother Kali. But after attaining realisation, Ramakrishna not only practised Hindu rituals, but also pursued the spiritual paths of all the main religions. Sri Ramakrishna came to the conclusion that all religions lead to the same goal of union with the infinite. It was thus fitting that his closest disciple, Vivekananda would later eloquently spread this message, - the harmony of world religions. As Sri Aurobindo would later say:
" the Master (Sri Ramakrishna) marked out Vivekananda as the heroic soul destined to take the world between his two hands and change it."
Ramakrishna instantly recognised the spiritual potential of Vivekananda and lavished attention on Vivekananda, who at first did not always understand this. In the beginning the reasoning mind of Vivekananda was sceptical of this God intoxicated Saint, and Vivekananda would frequently question and debate his teachings. However, the spiritual magnetism of Sri Ramakrishna soon melted Vivekananda’s heart and he began to experience the real spirituality that Ramakrishna exuded. Thus Vivekananda's mental opposition faded away to be replaced by an intense surrender to the Divine Mother and a burning longing for realisation.
For a short but intense period of about 5 years, Vivekananda learnt directly from his Master Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna was able to awaken the dormant spiritual consciousness in his beloved disciple and Vivekananda soon began to experience profound states of consciousness and Samadhi. Yet, after experiencing the bliss of samadhi, Vivekananda asked his Master for the boon to continually experience the ecstasy of Nirvana. However, his Guru, replied: “I thought you had been born for something greater, my boy!
After the passing of Ramakrishna, the other disciples looked to Vivekananda for leadership and he helped form the first monastic order of Ramakrishna. Under his constant guidance he urged his fellow brother disciples to renounce the world and seek communion with God.
However for Vivekananda, personal liberation was not enough. His heart ached for the downtrodden masses of India who suffered poverty and many hardships. Vivekananda felt that the highest ideal was to serve God through serving humanity. Thus Vivekananda would later add social work as an important element of the Ramakrishna order.
"Do you think these sannyasi children of Sri Ramakrishna are born to simply to sit under trees lighting dhuni-fires? Whenever any of them will take up some work, people will be astonished to see their energy. Learn from them how to work. "
- Swami Vivekananda
Thus after spending a few years in meditation Vivekananda began travelling throughout India, visiting many of the holy sites. After travelling through India and coming into contact with many influential figures, it was suggested that Vivekananda would make an ideal candidate to represent Hinduism at the World Parliament of Religions which was shortly to be held in Chicago, USA. Before leaving Vivekananda went to receive the blessings of Sarada Devi, the wife of Sri Ramakrishna. After receiving her encouragement and blessings he made the momentous journey to America dressed in his ochre robe and maintaining the vows of a Sanyasin.
Vivekananda – World Parliament of Religions. 

At the opening ceremony Vivekananda was one of the last speakers to speak. The previous speakers had talked about the merits of their own religion but Vivekananda appealed to the whole audience with his vision of oneness and equality before God.
His opening words began with:
Brother and Sisters of America.” … Spontaneously the audience rose to its feet to applaud, appreciating the visionary sentiments Vivekananda offered. He continued. "It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us...."
Swami Vivekananda was chosen to represent Hinduism. However Swami Vivekananda did not try in any way to prove the superiority of his religion. Instead Vivekananda spoke with great sincerity about the harmony of world religions and the common spirituality of humanity. It was this universal message of oneness which captivated the audience.
“As different streams, having their sources in different places, all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”
Vivekananda proved to be an eloquent exponent of Vedanta and the ideals of all religions. In addition people felt in this handsome and striking Monk a calm detachment, a luminous personality and radiant spirituality. Unexpectedly Vivekananda proved to be the star of the World Parliament of Religions
The New York Herald said of Vivekananda.
“He is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation.”
The Boston Evening Post said.
“If he (Vivekananda) merely crosses the platform he is applauded; and this marked approval of thousands he accepts in a childlike spirit of gratification without a trace of conceit…”
Throughout the conference Vivekananda was undoubtedly the star, the organisers would save Vivekananda to the end to make sure the audience would stay to listen.
The conference propelled Vivekananda into the public eye and for many months he travelled across America giving talks on the ancient tradition of Vedanta and his hope of fusing the spirituality of the East with the materialism of the West.
In America Vivekananda also began training some close students so they could propagate the teachings of Vedanta. He was able to start small centres in both the US and Great Britain. Vivekananda admitted he entered Britain with deep misgivings since his heart rebelled at the effects of the British Empire on his beloved Motherland. However he was delighted to find some individuals who were sincerely attracted to the teachings of Vedanta. One notable example was Miss Margaret Noble (later named Nivedita), originally from Ireland, Nivedita was to became a devoted disciple who would dedicate her life to the Indian people)
After several years in the West, Vivekananda returned to India where he was met with a rapturous reception. In particular, his brother monks who were full of pride with Vivekananda who had returned with glowing praise. Despite falling health Vivekananda threw himself into a whirlpool of activity reorganising the monasteries and exhorting his fellow Indians to return to the truth of the Vedantic principles. But also Vivekananda sought to imbibe in the Indian consciousness a renewed dynamism to improve their material life. As Vivekananda often said, it was no use teaching religion to those with empty stomachs. Swami Vivekanada had a great love for India.
"I loved my motherland dearly before I went to America and England. After my return, every particle of dust of this land seems sacred to me" 
As well as teaching the benefits of selfless service and encouraging greater dynamism, he also never lost sight of the ultimate goal in life, which was to become one with God.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and everything shall be added unto you." This is the one great duty, this is renunciation. Live for an ideal, and leave no place in the mind for anything else. Let us put forth all our energies to acquire that which never fails--our spiritual perfection. "
- Swami Vivekananda
Vivekananda passed away at the young age of 39 but he achieved a remarkable amount in this short time on earth. He combined the ancient spiritual traditions of India with the dynamism of the West. Many Indian politicians would later offer their gratitude to the impact and ideals of Vivekananda. To many Vivekananda is regarded as the patron saint of modern India.
- Jawaharlal Nehru wrote:
"His whole life and teaching inspired my generation."
- Mahatma Gandhi on Vivekananda:
"after having gone through [his works], the love that I had for my country became a thousandfold."
Sri Chinmoy, on Vivekananda:
"The disciple of Sri Ramakrishna was a live spring of spiritual force. No hyperbole, he was the Recoverer and Vivifier of the submerged soul of India. It was with his Master’s immortal teachings that he vitalised the sinews of India and illumined her darkened soul. "
Place where Swami Vivekananda was cremated at Belur Math.

Our Loving Mother.


MOTHER TERESA

Mother Teresa was one of the great servants of humanity. She was born on August 26, 1910 and died on September 5, 1997. She was an Albanian Catholic nun who came to India and founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. Later on Mother Teresa attained Indian citizenship. Her selfless work among the poverty-stricken people of Kolkata (Calcutta) is an inspiration for people all over the world and she was honored with Nobel Prize for her work.

Mother Teresa's original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was born on August 27, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. Her father was a successful merchant and she was youngest of the three siblings. At the age of 12, she decided that she wanted to be a missionary and spread the love of Christ. At the age of 18 she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. 

After a few months of training at the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dublin Mother Teresa came to India. On May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948, Mother Teresa taught geography and catechism at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta. However, the prevailing poverty in Calcutta had a deep impact on Mother Teresa's mind and in 1948, she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta.

After a short course with the Medical Mission Sisters in Patna, she returned to Calcutta and found temporary lodging with the Little Sisters of the Poor. She started an open-air school for homeless children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and she received financial support from church organizations and the municipal authorities. On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Vatican to start her own order. Vatican originally labeled the order as the Diocesan Congregation of the Calcutta Diocese, and it later came to known as the "Missionaries of Charity". The primary task of the Missionaries of Charity was to take care of those persons who nobody was prepared to look after.

The Missionaries of Charity, which began as a small Order with 12 members in Calcutta, today has more than 4,000 nuns running orphanages, AIDS hospices, charity centres worldwide, and caring for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor and homeless and victims of floods, epidemics and famine in Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, Poland, and Australia. In 1965, by granting a Decree of Praise, Pope Paul VI granted Mother Teresa permission to expand her order to other countries. The order's first house outside India was in Venezuela. Presently, the "Missionaries of Charity" has presence in more than 100 countries.

Mother Teresa's work has been recognised and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions. These include the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize (1971), Nehru Prize for Promotion of International Peace & Understanding (1972), Balzan Prize (1978), Nobel Peace Prize (1979) and Bharat Ratna (1980).

On March 13, 1997, Mother Teresa stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity and died on September 5, 1997, just 9 days after her 87th birthday. Following Mother Teresa's death, the Holy See began the process of beatification, the second step towards possible canonization, or sainthood. This process requires the documentation of a miracle performed from the intercession of Mother Teresa. In 2002, the Vatican recognized as a miracle the healing of a tumor in the abdomen of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, following the application of a locket containing Teresa's picture. Monica Besra said that a beam of light emanated from the picture, curing the cancerous tumor. Mother Teresa was formally beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 2003 with the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. A second miracle is required for her to proceed to canonization.

Indian Budget 2011-12 (Railway & Union)


Budget 2011-2012 (Railway & Union)

Highlights of the Railway Budget for 2011-12 presented in the Lok Sabha on Friday by railway minister Mamata Banerjee:

* No increase in fares.
* Earnings for 2010-11 set to exceed Rs.1 lakh crore.
* Working expenditure during 2011-12 estimated at Rs.87,000 crore.
* Outlay of Rs.57,630 crore for 2011-12, the highest investment in one year.
* Rs.10,000 crore to be raised through railway bonds.
* Budget combines strong economic focus with inclusion.
* Will develop business-oriented policies to aid industry.
* Happy to announce 85 PPP proposals received; set up single-window system to take these forward.
* Decided to set-up rail-based industries.
* Passing through a difficult phase; 97 percent increase in expenditure in 2010-11 due to implementation of Sixth Pay Commission report.
* Loss of Rs.3,500 crore in 2010-11.
* Ten-year backlog of 1.75 lakh jobs being addressed; 16,000 ex-servicemen to be given jobs in railways.
* Safety first priority; accident rate has come down.
* Anti-collision device, successful in North West Frontier Railway, to be extended to three more zonal railways.
* Railways always been a soft target but law and order a state subject. If railways are blocked in one region, this has a snowballing effect in other parts of the country.
* Will add 180 km of rail lines in 2011-12.
* All-India security helpline set up.
* New Durantos to be run on Allahabad-Mumbai, Pune-Ahmedabad, Sealdah-Puri, Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam, Madurai-Chennai routes, among others.
* Rail linkage to Gujarat from Delhi-Mumbai freight corridor.
* Integrated suburban network to be set up in Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad and other cities; suburban system of Hyderabad to be strengthened.
* Mumbai suburban system's EMU coaches to be increased from nine to 12.
* Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojna to be launched.
* Industrial park to be set up in Nandigram, West Bengal.
* Railways to set up factory in Jammu and Kashmir.
* To set up Metro coach factory at Singur, West Bengal.
* First coach from Rae Bareli factory to roll out in next three months.
* Work on wagon factory in Orissa to begin after land is acquired.
* Manipur capital Imphal to be soon connected to railway network.
* Centre for excellence in software to be set up at Darjeeling.
* Fund to be created for socially desirable projects.
* Central Organistaion for Project Implemtaiton created; will create accountability for non-performance.
* Work started on two dedicated freight corridors.
* Work on upgrading 442 stations to be completed by March 31.
* Decision to start pilot projects to give shelter to homeless people living along the tracks in Mumbai.
* Multi-purpose smart card to be introduced for all-India travel.
* Airport-like trolleys to be provided at more stations.
* Railways to set up a sports cadre.
* Upgraded class of air conditioned travel to be introduced shortly.
* To adopt modern technology through centres of academic excellence.
* Train to run to Bangladesh to showcase Indian culture.
* Age for senior citizen's concession reduced to 58 from 60.
* Concession for physically handicapped and gallantry award winners for travel in Rajdhani and Shatabdi expresses.
* 50 percent concession for media persons with families to be increased from once to twice a year.


Following are the highlights of the Union budget: 

TAXES

* Standard rate of excise duty held at 10 percent; no change in CENVAT rates.
* Personal income tax exemption limit raised to Rs 1,80,000 from Rs 1,60,000 for individual tax payers.
*For senior citizens, the qualifying age reduced to 60 years and exemption limit raised to Rs 2.50 lakh. 
*Citizens over 80 years to have exemption limit of Rs 5 lakh. 
* To reduce surcharge on domestic companies to 5 percent from 7.5 percent. 
* A new revised income tax return form 'Sugam' to be introduced for small tax papers. 
* To raise minimum alternate tax to 18.5 percent from 18 percent. 
* Direct tax proposals to cause 115 billion rupees in revenue loss.
* Service tax rate kept at 10 percent.
* Customs and excise proposals to result in net revenue gain of 73 billion rupees. 
* Iron ore export duty raised to 20 percent.
*Nominal one per cent central excise duty on 130 items entering the tax net. Basic food and fuel and precious stones, gold and silver jewellery will be exempted. 
*Peak rate of customs duty maintained at 10 per cent in view of the global economic situation. 
*Basic customs duty on agricultural machinery reduced to 4.5 per cent from 5 per cent. 
*Service tax widened to cover hotel accommodation above Rs 1,000 per day, A/C restaurants serving liquor, some category of hospitals, diagnostic tests. 
*Service tax on air travel increased by Rs 50 for domestic travel and Rs 250 for international travel in economy class. On higher classes, it will be ten per cent flat. 
* Electronic filing of TDS returns at source stabilised; simplified forms to be introduced for small taxpayers. 
* Works of art exempt from customs when imported for exhibition in state-run institutions; this now extended to private institutions. 

SUBSIDIES 

* Subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 1.44 trillion rupees.
* Food subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 605.7 billion rupees. 
* Revised food subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 606 billion rupees. 
* Fertiliser subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 500 billion rupees. 
* Revised fertiliser subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 550 billion rupees. 
* Petroleum subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 236.4 billion rupees.
* Revised petroleum subsidy bill in 2010-11 at 384 billion rupees. 
* State-run oil retailers to be provided with 200 billion rupee cash subsidy in 2011-12.

FISCAL DEFICIT  

* Fiscal deficit seen at 5.1 percent of GDP in 2010-11.
* Fiscal deficit seen at 4.6 percent of GDP in 2011-12. 
* Fiscal deficit seen at 3.5 percent of GDP in 2013-14. 

SPENDING 

* Total expenditure in 2011-12 seen at 12.58 trillion rupees. 
* Plan expenditure seen at 4.41 trillion rupees in 2011-12, up 18.3 percent.

REVENUE 

* Gross tax receipts seen at 9.32 trillion rupees in 2011-12.
* Non-tax revenue seen at 1.25 trillion rupees in 2011-12.
* Corporate tax receipts seen at 3.6 trillion rupees in 2011-12. 
* Tax-to-GDP ratio seen at 10.4 percent in 2011-12; seen at 10.8 percent in 2012-13.
* Customs revenue seen at 1.52 trillion rupees in 2011-12.
* Factory gate duties seen at 1.64 trillion rupees in 2011-12. 
*Service tax receipts seen at 820 billion rupees in 2011-12.
* Revenue gain from indirect tax proposals seen at 113 billion rupees in 2011-12.
* Service tax proposals to result in net revenue gain of 40 billion rupees in 2011-12. 

GROWTH, INFLATION EXPECTATIONS  

* Economy expected to grow at 9 percent in 2012, (plus or minus 0.25 percent).
* Inflation seen lower in the financial year 2011-12.

DISINVESTMENT 

* Disinvestment in 2011-12 seen at 400 billion rupees. 
* Government committed to retaining 51 percent stake in public sector enterprises. 

BORROWING 

* Net market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 3.43 trillion rupees, down from 3.45 trillion rupees in 2010-11. 
* Gross market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 4.17 trillion rupees. 
* Revised gross market borrowing for 2010-11 at 4.47 trillion rupees. 

POLICY REFORMS 

* To create infrastructure debt funds. 
* FDI policy being liberalised. 
* To boost infrastructure development with tax-free bonds of 300 billion rupees. 
* Food security bill to be introduced this year. 
* To permit SEBI registered mutual funds to access subscriptions from foreign investments. 
* Raised foreign institutional investor limit in 5-year corporate bonds for investment in infrastructure by $20 billion. 
* Setting up independent debt management office; Public debt bill to be introduced in parliament soon. 
* Bills on insurance, pension funds, banking to be introduced. 
*Constitution Amendment Bill for introduction of GST regime in this session. 
*New Companies Bill to be introduced in current session. 

SECTOR SPENDING 

* To allocate more than 1.64 trillion rupees to defence sector in 2011-12. 
* Corpus of rural infrastructure development fund raised to 180 billion rupees in 2011-12. 
* To provide 201.5 billion rupees capital infusion in state-run banks in 2011-12. 
* To allocate 520.5 billion rupees for the education sector. Rs.21,000 crore for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. 
* To raise health sector allocation to 267.6 billion rupees. 
* Rs.500 crore more for national skill development fund. 
* Rs.54 crore each for AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) centres at Murshidabad and Mallapuram. 
* Rs.58,000 crore for Bharat Nirman; increase of Rs.10,000 crore. 
* Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme wage rates linked to consumer price index; will rise from existing Rs.100 per day. 
* Increased outlay on social sector schemes.
* Infrastructure critical for development; 23 percent higher allocation in 2011-12. 


AGRICULTURE  

* Removal of supply bottlenecks in the food sector will be in focus in 2011-12. 
* Agriculture growth key to development: Green Revolution waiting to happen in eastern region. 
* To raise target of credit flow to agriculture sector to 4.75 trillion rupees. 
* Gives 3 percent interest subsidy to farmers in 2011-12. 
* Cold storage chains to be given infrastructure status. 
* Capitalisation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of 30 billion rupees in a phased manner. 
* To provide 3 billion rupees for 60,000 hectares under palm oil plantation. 
* Actively considering new fertiliser policy for urea. 
* Food storage capacity to be augmented - 15 more mega food parks to be set up in 2011-12; of 30 sanctioned in previous fiscal, 15 set up. 
* Comprehensive policy on further developing PPP (public-private-partnership) model. 
* Farmers need access to affordable credit. 
* Moving to improve nutritional security. 
* Necessary to accelerate production of fodder. 

ON THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY 

* "Fiscal consolidation has been impressive. This year has also seen significant progress in those critical institutional reforms that will pave the way for double digit growth in the near future." 
* "At times the biggest reforms are not the ones that make headlines, but the ones concerned with details of governance which affect the everyday life of aam aadmi (common man). In preparing this year's budget, I have been deeply conscious of this fact." 
* Food inflation remains a concern. 
* Current account deficit situation poses some concern.
* Must ensure that private investment is sustained. 
* "The economy has shown remarkable resilience." 
* Setting tone for newer, vibrant economy. 
* Economy back to pre-crisis trajectory. 
* Development needs to be more inclusive. 

ON GOVERNANCE 

* "Certain events in the past few months may have created an impression of drift in governance and a gap in public accountability ... such an impression is misplaced." 
* Corruption is a problem, must fight it collectively.

MORE 

*Govt to move towards direct transfer of cash subsidy for kerosene, LPG and fertilisers. 
*Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission, to be headed by former Supreme Court judge B Srikrishna, to complete its work in 24 months; to overhaul financial regulations. 
* Five-fold strategy against black money; 13 new double taxation avoidance agreements; foreign tax division of CTBT strengthened; strength of Enforcement Directorate increased three-fold. 
* Bill to be introduced to review Indian Stamp Act. 
* New coins carrying new rupee symbol to be issued. 
* Anganwadi workers salary raised from Rs.1,500 to Rs.3,000. 
* Mortgage risk guarantee fund to be created for economically weaker sections. 
* Housing loan limit for priority sector lending raised to Rs.25 lakh.




 

The Battle of Biderra.


The Battle of Chinsurah/Biderra.

The Battle of Chinsurah which was also known as the Battle of Biderra took place near Chinsurah, West Bengal, India on 25 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War between British troops mainly of the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company which had been invited by the Nawab of Bengal Mir Jafar to help him eject the British and establish themselves as the leading commercial company in Bengal. Despite Britain and the Dutch Republic not formally being at war the Dutch advanced up the Hooghly River and were met at Chinsurah, just outside Calcutta, by a mixed force of British and mercenaries. The British under Colonel Francis Forde defeated the Dutch, forcing them to withdraw. The ships used by the Dutch to deliver the troops were engaged and defeated in a separate naval battle on 24 November.
British forces captured and destructed the French outpost at Chandernagore (West Bengal, India) in 1757. Mir Jafar, who became the Nawab of Bengal after the death of Siraj-Ud-Daula, opened secret negotiations with representatives of the Dutch East India Company to bring troops into Dutch holdings in the area with the goal of using them against the British. Britain and the Dutch Republic were at peace, although tensions were high due to the Seven Years' War, and British East India Company’s administrator Robert Clive was preoccupied with fighting the French. The Dutch directors of the outpost at Chinsurah, not far from Chandernagore, seeing an opportunity to expand their influence, agreed to send additional troops to Chinsurah. A fleet of seven ships, containing 1500 European and Malay troops, was sent from Batavia and arrived at the mouth of the Hooghly River in October 1759, while the Nawab was meeting with Clive in Calcutta. The Nawab had been forced to ask the British for assistance against threats on his northern border in the interim, and told Clive that he would return to Hooghly, summon the Dutch directors and demand the departure of their ships. After meeting with the Dutch, he informed Clive that he had granted the Dutch some privileges, and that they would leave as soon as circumstances permitted. This news, combined with reports that the Dutch were recruiting in and around Chinsurah, led Clive to treat the situation as a real military threat.
Of four ships he had available, Clive sent one out in an attempt to request assistance from Admiral Cornish, who was patrolling the coast. This ship was captured by the Dutch when they seized several smaller British vessels on the Hooghly River. He called out the militia and put out calls for volunteers, increased the fortifications on the river batteries, and sent Colonel Francis Forde with five hundred men toward Chandernagore with an eye toward capturing the Dutch outpost at Barnagore and intercepting the Dutch should they try to take Chandernagore. The Dutch landed their troops on the northern shore of the Hooghly on November 21, just beyond the range of the English river batteries, and marched for Chinsurah. The three remaining British ships had followed the Dutch ships up the river at some distance. When the Dutch had finished landing the troops, they began moving down the river. Commodore Charles Wilson, commanding the British flotilla, showed intentions to pass the Dutch on November 23, who threatened to fire on them if they did. The next day, after the rejection of an ultimatum from Clive demanding restitution for the earlier Dutch seizures, the two fleets engaged. In a two-hour battle, the Duke of Dorset forced the Dutch flagship Vlissingen to strike her colours, while the Hardwicke and the Calcutta chased off two ships and grounded a third before the remaining ships also struck their colours. The two fleeing ships were eventually captured by other British ships arriving at the mouth of the river. On the night of 23 November, Forde and his men encamped near Chandernagore, having successfully taken control of Barnagore. The Dutch, hoping to trap Forde between the arriving troops and the Chinsurah Garrison, sent the latter out to camp in the ruins of Chandernagore that night. The following morning the two forces engaged, and Forde's men routed the Dutch, forcing them back to Chinsurah and capturing their field artillery. There he was joined by additional troops sent from Calcutta, raising the size of his force to about 1200. The Nawab also sent 100 cavalry to the British camp, ostensibly to assist the British; these were likely placed to observe the battle and side with the victors. With reports from prisoners that the Dutch reinforcements would be arriving the next day, Forde rushed a message to Clive in Calcutta requesting advice, as attacking the Dutch force could be viewed as an act of war. Clive responded by writing on the back of Forde's message, "Dear Forde—Fight them immediately", and sending it back. Forde chose as his location the plain of Biderra, between Chinsurah and Chandernagore. His troops occupied the village of Biderra on the right and a mango grove to the left, and the center was secured by a wide ditch. At about 10 on the morning of 25 November, the Dutch force arrived. As soon as they came within range, Forde ordered fire from his field artillery. The Dutch continued to advance in spite of the British fire until they reached the ditch, something they had not apparently been aware of. When the front of the Dutch lines stopped, the rear continued to press forward, throwing the Dutch forces into confusion. As their position was then within range of British musket fire, they suffered significant casualties before managing to turn around. At this point Forde sent out his cavalry, inviting the nawab's men to join the charge. However, the Nawab's men held back, and did not join the British until the second charge, when it seemed clear they would be victorious.
The British victory was so complete that, of the Dutch troops sent, only sixteen Europeans successfully reached Chinsurah.
In the wake of their victory, the British overthrew Mir Jafar and replaced him with his son-in-law Mir Kasim Ali Khan. Along with the Battle of Plassey, it helped establish British supremacy in Bengal. Dutch neutrality was not affected by the battle, and they remained one of the few European states not involved in the war.

The doctrine of Lapse by Lord Dalhousie.


The Doctrine of Lapse.
The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy purportedly devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor General for the British in India between 1848 and 1856. According to the Doctrine, any princely state or territory under the direct influence (paramountcy) of the British East India Company (the then dominant imperial power in the subcontinent), as a vassal state under the British Subsidiary System, would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either "manifestly incompetent or died without a direct heir". The latter supplanted the long-established right of an Indian sovereign without an heir to choose a successor. In addition, the British decided whether potential rulers were competent enough. The doctrine and its application were widely regarded by Indians as illegitimate. At the time of its adoption, the Company had absolute, imperial administrative jurisdiction over many regions spread over the subcontinent.
The company took over the princely states of Satakra (1848), Jaipur andSambalpur (1849), Nagpur and Jhansi (1854) and Awadh (Oudh) (1856) using this Doctrine. The Company added about four million pounds sterling to its annual revenue by use of this doctrine.
The British took over Awadh in 1856 with the reason that the ruler was not ruling properly. This led to a revolution. With the increasing power of the East India Company, discontent simmered amongst many sections of Indian society and the largely indigenous armed forces; these rallied behind the deposed dynasties during the Indian rebellion of 1857 also known as the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 . Following the rebellion, in 1858, the new British Viceroy of India, whose rule replaced that of the British East India Company, renounced the doctrine.
The princely state of Kittur was taken over by the East India Company in 1824 by imposing a 'Doctrine Of Lapse'. So it is debatable whether it was actually devised by Lord Dalhousie in 1848, though he arguably did make it official by putting it to paper-and-ink.

Battle Of Wandiwash.


BATTLE OF WANDIWASH

In the history of India Jan 22, 1760, is a remarkable date when “The Battle of Wandiwash” took place. It was a confrontation between the French, under Thomas Arthur Comte De Lally and the British, under Sir Eyre Coote. During the tenure of Seven years’ war (1756-1763) it was the decisive battle in Anglo French struggle in Southern India. Lally ordered to withdraw Admiral d’Ache’s fleet thereby cutting the line of sea support and hampering lack of funds and dissensions among his troops. He tried to recover the Fort Of Vandavasi (Wandiwash is the anglicised pronunciation of Vandavasi.) near the then Pondicherry (now is puducherry, in India) where he was being attacked by Sir Eyre Coote with about 1700 British troops against 2000 french soilders. The battle involved the capture of Chetpattu (Chenglapattu, India), Tirunomalai (Thiruvannaamalai, India), Tindivanam, Perumukkal. Marquis De Bussy Castelneau who was Lally’s best General was captured and ultimately French surrendered on Jan 16, 1761. Latter Lally was imprisioned and was sent for trial in Paris (France), where he was executed for alleged treason.
This was the third Carnatic war fought between The English and The French. At that time British had placed a strong foot in Bengal and Hyderabad and was financially much more strong than the French owing to the collection of huge amount of revenue.

Sir Eyre Coote (British General) – He was born in 1726, Kilmallock, Limerick, Ireland and was died in April 28, 1783 at Madras (now Chennai, India). He was one of the effective British soilder who served as a Commander of East India Company in Bengal and as Commander in chief in India.

Thomas Arthur Comte De Lally (French General) – He was born in Jan 13, 1702, and died in May 09, 1766 at Paris, France. He served in the Irish Brigade of French army under Maurice. In 1758 he was sent to India and was defeated by Sir Eyre Coote in the battle of Wandiwash.
 Vandavasi Fort


Non-Aligned Movement.


NON ALIGNED MOVEMENT
Six years after African and Asian nations condemned colonial and neo-colonial practices at the Bandung Conference, their coalition was formalized in September 1961 at the first Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit held at Belgrade. The twenty-five countries present agreed to not enter into strategic alliances with either the United States or the Soviet Union.
Embracing Indian Prime Minister Nehru's vision for non-alignment, countries in attendance vowed to respect territorial boundaries and to not interfere with, or adopt aggressive postures towards, one another. Leaders such as Yugoslavia's Tito, Indonesia's Sukarno, Ghana's Nkrumah, and Egypt's Nasser believed that the cooperative strategy would give new countries a more powerful voice in global affairs to overcome their economic weaknesses. Although the NAM doubled in size during the 1960s, this voice was muted somewhat as many members accepted financial aid from the superpowers. Nonetheless, the NAM demonstrated its unity through supporting national liberation movements in Africa and seeking a restructuring of the world economy. Its efforts also focused on enabling members to pursue more autonomous paths to interacting with the global economy. At their 1973 Summit meeting in Algiers, the NAM brought its development concerns into a single package of prescriptions for a New International Economic Order (NIEO) and mandated the Group of 77 (G-77) now which has been increased to 131 countries (Current Founding Members :- Afghanistan,  Algeria (1981-1982, 2009), Argentina, Benin, Bolivia (1990), Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia (1992), Congo, Costa Rica (1996), Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt (1972-1973, 1984-1985), El Salvador, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana (1991), Guatemala (1987), Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India (1970-1971, 1979-1980), Indonesia (1998), Iran (2001), Iraq, Jamaica (1977-1978, 2005), Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar (1975-1976), Malaysia (1989), Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (2003), Myanmar , Nepal , Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria (2000), Pakistan (1976-1977,1992-2009), Panama, Paraguay, Peru (1971-1972), Philippines (1995), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan (2009), Syrian, Tanzania (1997), Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia (1977-1978, 1988), Uganda, Uruguay, Venezuela (1980-1981, 2002), Viet Nam, Yemen. Other Current Members:-Angola, Antigua and Barbuda (2008), Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh(1982-1983), Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Cape Verde, China, Comoros, CĂ´ted'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea (1999), Eritrea, Fiji, Gambia, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mozambique, , Namibia, North Korea, Oman, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Qatar (2004), Saint, Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa (2004), Suriname, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.) to follow through with this initiative at the UN General Assembly.
The NAM has remained a uniquely unstructured international organization. It has not adopted a formal constitution and has no permanent secretariat. Decisions are made by consensus at Summit Conferences of Heads of State and Government that occur every three years. Hosts chair the NAM between Summits, coordinating members through day-to-day activities at the United Nations in New York and at Ministerial Conferences.
Many commentators assert that the NAM lost its reason with the end of the Cold War, though it has continued to propound South-South cooperation to advance economic development. South African President Thabo Mbeki, for one, has argued that the NAM remains a relevant forum for the development of common policy positions on poverty eradication, terrorism, and the restructuring of political, economic, and military power. As Cuba takes over the Chair in 2006 it confronts the reality that NAM members represent more than half the world's population, but continue to account for only a small percentage of global economic output.

On the map, founding and currently participating members (as of 2008) are shown in dark green, while founding members that have since left the organization are shown in light green. Currently participating members that joined after the foundation of the Group are shown in medium green.


Presiding countries of the G-77 since 1970. Colors show the number of times a country has held the position. Yellow = once; orange = twice; red = thrice. Countries in grey have yet to hold the position.



   G24 Member nations.       G24 Observer nations.