text:
Who killed Swami Lakshmanananda Maoists OR Christian missionaries
Maoists deny role in VHP leader's murder
'Some wayward cadre lured by some committed the crime'
Copy of the letter sent to VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders
Maoists also deny role in the murder of VHP activists at Jalaspata
BERHAMPUR:
The letter claimed that some wayward cadre of the Maoist outfit were lured by nefarious elements to commit the crime. Meanwhile naxal sympathizers of Orissa have also claimed that Maoists had no hand in the murder of the VHP activists at Jalaspata in Kandhamal district.
A copy of the letter was sent to the State joint secretary of the VHP and the State joint coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, Ramakant Rath. The letter was claimed to be written by the Kotgarh unit of the CPI-Maoist party.
Christian groups didn't kill VHP leader: Sources
Source: NDTV
Friday, August 29, 2008, (Bhubaneswar)
Government sources tell NDTV that their assessment is that Christian groups did not kill VHP leader Swami Lakshmanand Saraswati.
In an Orissa daily, Maoist leader Azad has claimed responsibility for killing of the VHP leader.
As Kandamal continues to simmer with sporadic incidents of violence, 20 companies of CRPF have already reached the area.
Categories : communal violence, kandhamal, maoists, odissa, Orissa, Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, VHP
Who killed Swami Lakshmanananda?
source: Rediff.com
Not the Maoists, everyone except some senior state government authorities maintain.
Even the top brass of the state police say it is improbable that Maoists were responsible for the murder of the Swami and four others at his remote ashram in Orissa's Kandhamal district on Saturday night. A senior state police officer said the modus operandi of the murders do not provide substantial evidence that the Maoists may be involved.
Here are the facts of the murder after preliminary investigations:
On Saturday, the ashram was celebrating Janmashtami, when around dinner time, a group of 30-40 armed assailants surrounded the place.
Eyewitnesses said about four of the assailants carried AK-47s and many others had country made revolvers.
Two of the four home guards stationed for security had gone to eat and only two of them were guarding the premises.
The assailants tied down the two guards, and gagged them.
They then sought out the Swamiji within the premises and opened fire on him.
The recovered bullets show they were from an AK-47, the police said.
The assailants then warned the guards not to raise an alarm and fled the scene.
Within minutes of the reaching the crime scene, the district authorities made a statement saying it was suspected Maoists who killed the Swami.
"Isn't it far fetched? District authorities blaming a particular outfit within minutes of arriving at a crime scene?" asked Ashok Sahu, a retired IPS officer, who specialises in left wing extremism.
There are two reasons given as to why the state could have taken the Maoist line. The first is obvious, observers say.
"In December 2007, the area witnesses some of the bloodiest violence Orissa has even seen after the Swami was attacked by Christians. The state might have wanted to avert a repeat of the communal clashes and therefore could have pinned the blame on the Maoists," one of them said.
Sahu said there could be more to the government's action than this.
"Elections are coming in a matter of months. The state has failed miserably in tackling the Maoist insurgency. A government that has been terrorised by the Maoists may in turn be trying to terrorise the people in the name of the Maoists" he said.
Why are so many people ready to debunk the government's Maoist attack theory so readily? The main reason is modus operandi of the execution.
"The central committee authorises the killings and the outfit issues statements owning up to the murders they commit. So many days after the murder, there has been no statement from the Maoists," a senior police officer said.
Sahu points out the following: "The five attackers who the locals caught and handed over to the police are not Maoists. They are from the region.
"Moreover, I see no reason why the Maoists will spare the policemen on duty. They would have killed them. Then, there are the leaflets that were thrown around the ashram in a very amateurish way. The Maoists are very organised. If somebody is carrying an AK-47 he must be at least a commander. And if there are four commanders to marshal the mob, there wouldn't have been indiscriminate firing like what we saw. And last but not the least, I have never heard or seen Maoists wear masks and hoods.
"They see themselves as revolutionaries. They never care about whether they are seen or not. In fact, I would say, they would very much want to be seen," Sahu said.
Then, the most important question? Did the Swami's activities in the jungle in any way make him an enemy of the Maoists? "Chances are very less. He was working for the welfare of the tribal people and against forced conversions in the region. There is nothing that suggests the Maoists would see him as a class enemy," a senior officer said.
A local outfit, the Hindu Jagran Manch said the Swami had mentioned to an office bearer that some Maoists had joined him in a program he had organsied for the tribal people. "One day last year, I was talking to the Swami on phone, and that time there was a lot of concern about his security. So, he said, don't you people worry. The Maoists are not a threat to me. In fact some of them are here with me," said Lakshmikanth Das, an officer bearer of the HJM.
But do these factors clearly rule out the role of the Maoists? It is tricky, say many experts who have been following left wing extremism. "The best way this could be phrased is: 'We do not rule out the involvement of the Maoists'." Sahu said.
There are many reasons why the experts are undecided. "After the December 2007 clashes, even the Hindu outfits agreed that the Maoists are working in tandem with militant Christian outfits,"
Sahu agreed: "A lot of Maoists were converts to Christianity and were involved in the December violence. But this attack does not look like their work," Sahu said.
The Maoists have long claimed that most of Orissa falls under the 'liberated zone'. Kandhamal district with its desnse forest cover is a haven for them. In fact, the police had claimed that the recent attack on a police party in Nayagarh, where the Maoists dealt a spectacular blow to the Orissa police, was planned and coordinated from Kandhamal.
If not the Maoists, who could have killed the Swami? The needle of suspicion swings towards the militant Christian outfits. "Let's face it, said Sahu, "even in times when the Maoist-militant Christian nexus was a possibility, there were numerous attacks and attempts on the Swami's life."
"There is a high possibility that this is the handiwork of militant Christian outfits. How they got such sophisticated weapons is something for the government to figure out," said Sahu.
"The government's responsibility to bring those responsible to book increases when you take into account the fact that the Swami received an anonymous threat only a week before he was killed. The local SP did not even register a case after the Swami lodged a formal complaint. They have to answer a lot of questions or this issue will snowball into a bigger issue than the December violence," Das concluded.
The onus now rests on the government, which has been boxed in from almost all sides.
It has been shown up with regards to tackling Maoists, with consecutive attacks. It's inadequacy in putting a lid on communal tension in Kandhamal have been exposed by the on-going violence in the district. And with elections looming, how it tackles the current crisis will go a long way in deciding its political future.
Categories : AK 47, Christians, extremism, HJM, kandhamal, left wing seperatism, maoists, odissa, Orissa, Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, Terrorism
Interview: Navin Patnaik, (From TEHELKA)
From: Tehelka
'The Naxalites will die a painful death'
Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik tells BIBHUTI PATI that a police boat was sunk by Naxal rebels only by accident
Photo: Shailendra Pandey
You have often said the state government was fully geared to handle the Naxal menace?
This is nothing but terrorism. The attack was brutal. In the name of helping the poor, the Naxalites are murdering innocents in manner that is nothing but barbaric.
But if Greyhound soldiers cannot handle the Naxal firepower, do you think the state's police force stands a chance?
It was an accident. Terrorist activities can take place anywhere in the country. That does not mean the state's police force is not competent. We have launched a modernisation programme for the police. I recently had a discussion with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil on this very issue.
Many are saying the Naxalites are now better trained and have better weapons?
No, I do not think so. I have told you it's terrorism and incidents like these can happen anywhere in the country.
Which are the troubled zones in Orissa where the Naxalites have a distinct upper hand?
The undivided Koraput district is a major trouble zone. The Naxals have recently spread their wings to western Orissa because people living there are poor, illiterate and innocent. We are making efforts to reach out to the poor. I would say the situation is now gradually changing in our favour. In some places, the Maoists are losing their turf. But if you are seeking a big change overnight, that will not happen. The Naxalites have no specific operation zone and keep shifting from place to place.
With the Salva Judum coming under fire, is this counterviolence the only way to solve the crisis?
Who told you that the Salva Judum is not working? But I must say I don't believe in counter-violence. But if they take law and order in their hands, then they will have to face the music. I cannot let my men die like this.
The rebels have been fighting for more than three decades in several Indian states, demanding land and jobs. Is it not an issue the state governments need to understand?
They have chosen a very wrong path. I do not think violence will solve any problem. Who told you that they are working for agriculture labourers and the poor? In our state, there are several examples of how the Maoists have brutally killed many poor people and farmers. Is brutality the only way to fight for a good cause and help the poor? The state governments, which are often attacked by the media, have programmes for the poor. What package are the Naxalites offering to the landless? We are gaining in many places. Have you noticed how we have got many top Maoists leaders, including women, to surrender and work for governmental programmes?
Over the past few years, about 2,000 people — including policemen, militants and civilians — have been killed.
In the last couple of years, the state police has had a number of successful operations where we have busted Naxalite hideouts and confiscated arms. We have destroyed hundreds of Maoists camps and arrested some of their top leaders. No one writes a line about it. I am confident that once modernisation seeps in poverty-stricken areas, the Maoists and their great theories of helping the poor will die a painful death.
From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 5, Issue 27, Dated July 12, 2008
Also See links
'I LEFT THE NAXALS, JOINED SALVA JUDUM'
Tags: maoists, NAVEEN PATNAIK, naxalism, Orissa, poverty, salwa judum
Categories : left wing seperatism, maoists, navin patnaik, Naxalites, Orissa, violence
Leftist-Islamist alliance in South Asia
Amitabh Tripathi
Victory of Maoists in Nepal has two reactions in India. One which portray this victory as an opportunity for Indian government to pursue Nexalites in India to join mainstream and follow the path of their Nepali counterpart.
According to second reaction victory of Maoists in Nepal is going to deteriorate the security interests of Indian and Indian government should work hard to crush Maoist insurgency in Nepal as well preventing Maoists to make king of Nepal irrelevant in political context.
The most dangerous sign which people in Indian media have shown is that they are pleading for Maoists and it has some serious implications as well reasons. Indian media in general and print in particular has dominance of people who are indoctrinated with Leftist ideology and most of them were activists of Left in their college period. They belong to that period when Marxism was fashion for intellectuals and college campuses were full of these people. In India since 1989 social and political change took place. After Economic reform was initiated and some drastic changes came in existence at economic level it has some impact on society as well. In the mean time surgence of Hindu forces was witnessed and leftist ideology sidelined.
After demolition of Babri structure in Ayodhya in 1992 leftists collaborated with several anti Hindu forces in the name of secularism and in this composition they don't have more say but were surviving in any way.
After 2000 situation has changed to some extent and social division of have's and have's not has come in debate again and it has given a chance to leftist to curse American policies as well some agencies as responsible for all this. In Indian context this development is very important because social disparity has created a vacuum in society and provided an opportunity for any organization to woo have-not's to their side and Naxalites in India exploited this situation in very shrewd manner. They are active in remote part of India which is very poor, illiterate and geographically scattered and made of hills and forests. Because of its geographical conditions these areas are very much terrorism prone.
Two years back I journeyed one of Naxal effected area named Chhatisgarh and met with some Naxalites. They have clear edge on security forces because of geographical structure but most important thing is that Naxalites working on parallel political and social system. They have their own school in which they not only teach children of tribal but also give financial assistance to their parents. I have a chance to visit their schools also they have their text books and these text books teach that Hindus in India are in alliance with imperialistic America and we have to fight both communal and imperialistic forces because both are two faces of same coin. They talk about a new world order where there will be no disparity and there is equality. They also publish a magazine called Mukti Maarg [way of salvation]. In this magazine they have mobilized those writers and acamecians who have left inclination. Islamists also talk of new world order based on Qur'an and shriyat and both ideologies support repression and violence to achieve their goal.
This theme has also been adopted by Islamists in India against Hindu forces as well as America. This is a common point where Islamists and leftists in India come close to each other. After victory of Maoists in Nepal left academia and establishment in Indian see a chance of resurgence of communism in global perspective and this is the reason why they are pursuing Indian people and government to hail the victory of Maoists and take it as a golden opportunity to take Naxalites back in mainstream.
I want to draw your attention on one more important point about which nobody has discussed but it has serious implications on both India and America. In India leftists have very limited electoral appeal and they are confined to only three states West Bengal, Keral and Tripura and in other states their presence is negligible. In new scenario they are thinking about their resurgence with help of Naxalites. Naxalites have big presence in more than 100 districts of India with states, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal, TamilNadu, Jharkhnd, Chhatisgarh, Andhra Pradesh. In these states they have more influence in some pockets. When two years back I visited Chhatisgarh and met with some Naxalites and their sympathizers I was told to have a close look on the developments of Nepal and told me about their plan that when they would be able to brought down system of Nepal and construct it with their plan they will sharpen their movement in India. These sympathizers of Naxalites are almost activists of Communists parties in India and with support of Naxalites and intimidation these sympathizers have a plan to broaden the electoral power of Communists in India.
As earlier I said growth of Naxalites in India have some effect on America also. After 911 we have witnessed several left ideologues overtly supporting Islamists but in India new nexus is building and leftists and Islamists have common enemy in India in the name of Hindu and America. If this nexus will get strength in India and south Asia finally it would damage America and West as well.
Four years back In India there were several people in Media with liberal-left inclination who were saying that Al Qaeda has launched a war against America and India has not to worry because Osama Bin Laden has said nothing against India. It was mischievous misrepresentation of facts. These are the people who want to see the victory of communist ideology at any cost and even they don't hesitate to make an alliance with Islamists for this cause. Victory of Maoists in Nepal has emboldened leftists in India and they are dreaming of the resurgence of communism.
To counter this growing trend we have to take some initiatives. A parallel nationalist socialist movement should be promoted in India to fill the vacuum of dissatisfied people which ultimately culminates in strong anti imperialistic movement. Once nationalist socialist movement will take place Naxalites have no chance to woo dissatisfied people to their side. This is also true with Chinese hegemony in Asia. Coalition government in India of Congress and Left have some common agenda and congress is eyeing for next 10 years to stay in power. President of Congress Party Mrs Sonia Gandhi grooming her son Rahul Gandhi to hold the post of premiership for next 10 years. To make this happen Congress has to rely heavily on Left parties and this is why congress has adopted the policy of submission to leftists and Islamist. In this situation Indian government in near future is going to embolden the Islamist and leftist forces.
Taking into account the global scenario Indian and American interest has become very much common at least at strategic level. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and China could come close with a block in near future and it would have security implications for India. Nexus of Red green alliance as Dr Richard Benkin has predicted could become reality in South Asia. To prevent this India and America should come together and America should consider Hindu nationalists as their ally.
Categories : al qaeda, america, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Chhatisgarh, Hindus, islamists, Jharkhnd, leftists, maoists, mukti marg, naxal, nepal, Orissa, TamilNadu, Uttar pradesh, west bengal
A new breed of missionary: Christian Science Monitor
from the April 01, 2005 edition
See The original Piece at CSM
TRADITIONAL WAY: Students pray at the Catholic Mission School in Jhabua, India. Established churches like this one often focus their efforts on schools and hospitals.
SCOTT BALDAUF
A drive for conversions, not development, is stirring violent animosity in India.
By Scott Baldauf | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
JHABUA, INDIA – Biju Verghese believes the end of the world is coming. This faith makes his work urgent: Convert as many Indians to Christianity as possible. Or, as he puts it, "reach the unreached at any cost."
Mr. Verghese is a new breed of missionary, tied not to the mainline Protestant or Catholic churches that came with European colonizers but to expansionist evangelical movements in the US, Britain, and Australia. These newer Christians are now the most active here, swiftly winning over Indians like Verghese who in turn devote themselves to expanding the church's reach, village by village.
Aside from an attraction to the Christian message, some converts welcome the chance to free themselves from a low-caste status within Hinduism. Some may adopt Christianity by simply adding it to their existing beliefs. To others, conversions are a positive statement that you can choose your religious identity rather than have it fixed at birth.
But the success of recent Christian missionaries and their methods of quick conversions have brought tensions with other religions, including some Christians who fear that certain evangelicals are contributing to a volatile – and at times violent – religious atmosphere. The new missionaries put an emphasis on speed, compelled sometimes by church quotas and a belief in the approach of the world's end.
"Aggressive and unprincipled missionary work that exploits the distress and ignorance of marginalized groups … can constitute a catalyst to localized violence, particularly when they are brought into confrontation with other" creeds, says Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute of Conflict Management in New Delhi.
Nationwide, India has a growing reputation for intolerance toward its religious minorities. The US Committee on International Religious Freedom listed India with 10 other nations of "particular concern" – a legacy of the months-long riots in Gujarat state, when nearly 1,000 Muslims were murdered by their Hindu neighbors.
Colonial legacy
Religions on the Indian subcontinent have jostled with each other for millenniums. Invaders spread Hinduism and Islam through conquest, followed by British Christians who hoped to create "brown Englishmen." The Christian zeal for conversions ebbed in India after a nearly successful Indian rebellion in 1857 and a theological trend toward good works, such as improving education and healthcare.
Some evangelical Christian groups in India are continuing in that tradition. The Evangelical Hospital Association, for instance, has taken over the management of many of the hospitals of Northern India that were built by mainstream Christian churches during the British colonial period. Graham Staines, an evangelical missionary, was famous for his work with lepers in the state of Orissa, before he was murdered in 1999 by Hindu mobs. His wife, Gladys Staines, this week accepted India's highest award for public service, for continuing this work.
Yet many of today's missionaries are returning to practices of proselytizing that were long ago abandoned by the mainline missionaries because they were seen as offensive.
"The church [during British rule] sought actively to communicate the values of the Renaissance with its Christian message," says Mr. Sahni. "And while conversion was a significant fact of the British period, the schools and other institutions set up by the missionaries were not primarily driven by the objective of conversion."
In recent years, however, conversion activity has grown more intense, driven by the evangelical Christians funded from abroad, and Hindu nationalists. Both are targeting the same groups: impoverished Dalits, formerly known as "untouchables," and adivasis, or tribal citizens, who have long practiced a religion predating Hinduism.
Nationwide, adivasis number nearly 67 million, or 8 percent of the nation's population. But here in the district of Jhabua, they are more than 80 percent of the population. Adivasis are also among India's poorest citizens, earning perhaps $4 per capita per month.
Amid Jhabua's rolling hills and low huts of mud stand Christian churches built 100 years ago.
But the conversion work that some call "aggressive" takes place outside the traditional places of worship. Evangelical and Pentacostal missionaries go village to village, holding prayer meetings in homes or preaching outdoors to all the villagers together.
Speaking in tongues, miracles
These events often mix emotional messages of personal salvation, speaking in tongues, shaking in trances, and miraculous healings. Some people come for the spectacle; others take advantage of free food. After these performances, whole families, neighborhoods, and even villages are sometimes converted. The missionary leaders move on to the next village, leaving behind money – but sometimes little other support – for new church constructions and pastor salaries .
Verghese is pastor of the Beersheba Church of God in Jhabua. He shows a recent video CD, produced by Indian Evangelical Team (IET) leader P.G. Varghis, which makes it clear that conversion, not development, is the priority.
For Verghese and others who believe the Apocalypse could come at any moment, there is little time to carry out the kind of slow, development-oriented missionary work that mainstream churches focus on.
In the video, Mr. Varghis proudly mentions that the IET's 1,775 missionaries "planted" 2,000 churches in India in just five years, and planned to reach a goal of 7,777 churches by the year 2010.
In recent years, North India has been a key region of focus by informal networks of Christian evangelical groups in the West, with some churches drawing up quotas for new churches built, gospel literature handed out, and new missionaries trained.
"Christians are being killed," Varghis admitted in the video, "But we are dedicated to build North India for Christ."
A call for dollars
The video, which is narrated in English and is apparently aimed at a Western audience, makes an emotional appeal for funds, noting that it costs $3,000 to $6,000 to build a church, a cost that is far beyond the means of the mainly tribal population that IET hopes to convert.
The differing approaches also came to light during recent tsunami relief efforts. A host of small Christian groups headed to India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to distribute humanitarian aid along with Christian literature. Many faith-based aid groups, from the International Committee of the Red Cross to the American Jewish Foundation, avoid handing out such religious materials because of the potential to offend those who are of different faiths.
After the tsunami, the US National Council of Churches issued a statement warning against the practice by "New Missionaries" of mixing evangelism and aid. "Often lacking sophistication about the lure of gifts and money, and wanting to be generous with their resources, they easily fall prey to the charge of using unethical means to evangelize. This creates a backlash," the February statement read.
"You get this guy out of Texas who has no idea of the local culture, he is out to win souls, and he comes with a lot of money," says Bob Alter, former Presbyterian pastor born and raised in the Indian mountain town of Mussoorie, and former superintendent of a missionary institution, the Woodstock School.
The problem with these newer churches, Mr. Alter says, is the tone of their message. "You have Baptists using the Diwali festival [the Hindu festival of lights], but they come to 'spread the light to those in darkness.' That is mighty offensive stuff, when you're out to tear down another religion."
Anti-Christian violence in India, while rare, can be brutal. Mr. Staines was burned alive with his two young sons, when a mob, led by Hindu activist Dara Singh, set fire to his car in January 1999. Later that year, Hindu activists attacked and raped Roman Catholic nuns in several states, including Orissa, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh.
Christian missionaries in Gujarat have also faced numerous attacks, in a state where the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has taken the ethos of Hindutva (or Hinduness) to extremes. The US State Dept recently denied a visa to the chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, to visit the US.
RELIGIOUS CROSSROADS: Hindu, Muslim, and Christian symbols are shown on this mural in Madras, India. The religiously diverse nation is 82 percent Hindu, 12 percent Muslim, and 2 percent Christian.
PATRICK BROWN/TCS/ZUMA PRESS
Discomfort among other Christians
In this charged atmosphere, mainstream Christian churches have grown increasingly uncomfortable with the tactics used by their more assertive brethren.
"Even the older Protestant churches are unhappy with the evangelicals," says Bishop Chacko, head of the Roman Catholic diocese in Meghnagar in Jhabua district. "It is said that they are irresponsible. Consequences don't matter to them. They put the fire and then they leave it to burn."
In Jhabua, distrust of the Christian community led some Hindus to falsely assume Christian foul play in the murder of a 10-year-old Hindu girl named Sujata.
Her body was found Jan. 11, 2004, in the basement bathroom of the Roman Catholic Church's Mission School in Jhabua, where nearly 2,500 students – most of them Hindus – attend. It was immediately apparent that the girl had been raped.
Police suspicion quickly turned toward the Catholic priests themselves, and several priests were held in police custody for 46 hours without being charged and without food or water, although no charges were ever placed.
Hindu activists mobilized
Two days later, after news of the murder began to circulate in local papers, Hindu activists began a campaign of agitation. One Hindu sadhu, or ascetic monk, planted himself in front of the church gates in protest. Thousands of Hindus joined him, some coming from neighboring towns and from as far away as Gujarat state.
Ram Shankar Chanchal Trivedi, a local schoolteacher and member of a Hindu nationalist organization called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National Volunteer Corps), says the brutality of the murder, and the appearance of Christian culpability, got local Hindus upset.
"She was a little girl who was brutally murdered, and people became emotional and aggressive; they couldn't tolerate it," says Mr. Trivedi sitting on a bed in simple middle-class home. He sighs. "People used to live happily here, but since the political leaders started taking advantage of the murder, it became a political issue."
Now that police have arrested a young drifter – a Hindu from Indore – who admitted to killing Sujata, Trivedi says that the Jhabua riots are a closed matter. But the tensions between the Hindu and Christian communities remain.
The biggest problem, he says, is the new wave of Christian conversions, which offends many Hindus.
" Adivasis are Hindus," Trivedi says, using the Hindi word for tribal. "Tribal people are illiterate, they don't know about religion. So Hindu people object because they are bothering tribal people who can't defend themselves. The tribals can be tempted by money, they should not be exploited."
He pauses. "It will become dangerous if conversion activity continues. It can be a big issue unless other churches don't make it clear to these people that conversion must stop."
For the Rev. Mahipul Bhuriya, a parish priest and a member of a major local tribe, the Bhils, there is danger from both the Hindu right and from the Christian evangelicals.
"I have been drawing a line between good churches that serve and bad churches that are only interested in conversion," says Father Bhuriya. "I tell people, 'I belong to a church that does not breed hatred,' and my Hindu friends are beginning to understand."
In his small Jhabua apartment, Verghese says that violence will not deter him from doing what he sees as God's work.
He adds that RSS activists burned 25 houses in the town of Ali Rajpur in retaliation for the murder of Sujata, and 14 members of his church have been jailed, blamed for the shooting death of an RSS activist.
Far from being terrorized, Verghese says his followers have been strengthened by the riots.
"There is some fear, yes, but the believers have more fear of the Word of God," he says, bouncing his 4-year-old daughter Praisey on his knee.
"There are some people who know very well that the moment Christian missionaries leave, their social development will stop. All the best schools, the best hospitals, are run by missionaries," he says, referring to schools like the Catholic Mission School, built by older, mainstream churches.
"But there are also people who know very well that when the adivasis are better educated and have better lives, they cannot be exploited anymore," Verghese says. "And that is the main reason for the violence against Christians."
Hindu nationalist outreach
Many Christians agree that the Hindu reaction against Christian missionaries is more deeply rooted in economics than in religion.
Historically, higher-caste Hindus treated tribesmen as inferior, and reinforced this in their economic relations. Most tribal people were unable to own their own land, so they farmed land owned by Hindus. As illiterate sharecroppers, tribesmen were kept subservient. As worshipers of ancestors and animals, tribal people were seen as backward.
But in recent years, the RSS and other Hindu nationalist groups have begun to reach out to adivasis, partly to prevent their conversion to other faiths, and partly to expand their political bases.
Now, RSS activists distribute Hindu idols in tribal villages and teach adivasis how to worship during Hindu festivals such as Ganpati, the festival of Ganesh. Similarly, the RSS's political ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party, has begun heavy recruitment of adivasis, an effort seen as crucial in winning state elections in Madhya Pradesh in December 2003.
Heavyweight political players like Narendra Modi of neighboring Gujarat state campaigned in Jhabua district, promising that a state BJP government would use Gujarat as a "Hindutva model" for its rule in Madhya Pradesh. BJP supporters say that he was referring to Modi's strong economic record.
Critics saw something darker, the use of Hindu mobs to attack religious minorities, as occurred in the Gujarat riots of 2002.
Ajai Sahni says there is no short-term solution to the problem, as long as religious identity is a major tool for mobilizing Indian voters at election time, and as long as every major party uses religious fears and prejudices to organize their support.
"One measure that is needed, however, is a very harsh law to punish those who engage in communal violence," says Mr. Sahni. "Such a law has long been overdue in India."
COMMUNAL STRAIN: The Rev. Mahipal Bhuriya stands in front of a church that was stoned by Hindus after church members were falsely blamed for a murder.
Categories : Christian Science Monitor, CPIM muslims, CSM, evangelism, Gujarat, Hinduism, Indian Evangelical Team, Jhabua, Orissa


text:
Blurring the Edges of Games and Movies
With Hideo Kojima's baffling new Death Stranding now making waves, the gaming world again braces itself for a conversation on the state of gaming storytelling. Is there any sort of definite line that can be drawn between too much and too little story? When does a game fail to become a game, and what does the growing emphasis some studios have on stories mean for gaming as a whole?
Nothing in a Vacuum
The drift of other disciplines and interests into gaming is hardly a new phenomenon, rather it marks a natural development of any form of entertainment.
Sports, for example, have long extended far beyond its roots and into the world of gaming and gambling. Today, websites like ComeOn Sportsbook effectively fuse both of these old and new arms. By offering the likes of sports and eSports betting, these services build on our fascination with the original games. Together with another level of engagement, these greater combinations can make the end product more than the sum of its parts.
This potential acts as a fundamental cornerstone of what makes movies and games such a great fit. A movie alone can draw you in, but with gaming we do get to play a part in a world. A game without a story can be fun all the same, but it can fail to help us form a deep bond with a world. Only together can these two elements create an experience that exceeds the base potential of either.
Rolling the Dice
Having the potential and reaching the potential are, of course, very different things. While movies are now a well-established medium, video games are still in their relative infancy. This infancy, combined with the ever-evolving hardware which continues to move the boundaries of what is possible, means that it's difficult for gaming to find the right balance.
In other words, the potential for storytelling and gameplay in video games changes so often and so rapidly, that it has been difficult to yet establish a basis.
The original Metal Gear Solid, launched in September of 1998, was once credited as being as much movie as a game. Its focus on dynamic cutscenes, high-quality voice acting, and an engaging story made it a step above almost all of the contemporary competition.
"wallpaper_metal_gear_solid_2_04_1600.jpg" (CC BY 2.0) by shanewarne_60000
Over time, the influence of Metal Gear Solid and other story-heavy games would only grow. When Metal Gear Solid 4 came around, the reliance on cutscenes had grown so heavily that many believed the game suffered for it. One scene, in particular, ran for 27 minutes straight, and even the most diehard fans found this could be difficult to stomach.
Pushing this envelope further are games which the internet has termed 'walking simulators' such as Gone Home. As much akin to visual novels or short stories than traditional video games, these suffer similar complaints from those after more action-centric experiences.
Room Enough
Whatever your opinion on the increasing emphasis that major titles have had on story elements, we can at least be content that traditional gamers aren't left behind.
Smaller developers in the indie and crowdfunding spheres have been making great strides on this front. Games like Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Ion Fury have shown that, even on a smaller budget, newer games can attain the level of classic quality and action seen in the days of old.
That said, there can be no denying the blurring of the edges of movies and games has caused a few to flounder. Let's just hope the future is more God of War than Metroid: Other M.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
How well used new e-scooters in Nottingham really are
More than 90,000 miles were covered
Jake Brigstock
91,475 miles were covered by e-scooters in Nottingham in January 2022 (Image: Joseph Raynor / Nottingham Post)
Around 2,100 e-scooter journeys were made in Nottingham every day in January, which is treble the amount in the same month compared to a year ago.
Stats from Superpedestrian, the company which runs the Wind e-scooters, show that, in January 2021, 720 journeys were made, compared to 2,100 last month.
Before Christmas, the old yellow model operating in Nottingham was replaced with the "industry-leading" LINK e-scooter from Superpedestrian.
The new vehicles feature a range of major changes in a bid to boost safety for users and general public.
The company says tens of thousands of short car trips have been avoided last month alone.
91,475 miles were covered in Nottingham in January 2022, which is more than 11 trips around the circumference of the Earth.
Jean Andrews, policy director (UKI) at Superpedestrian, said: "The Nottingham shared e-scooter programme is the most popular service in the UK.
"The fact that usage is increasing clearly shows early high levels of use weren't due to novelty factor.
"We're proud that our new vehicle is supporting even more people in Nottingham in their daily lives."
New technology is being introduced in Nottingham in a world-first to automatically slow down or stop dangerous riding, such as if it is being ridden on a pavement or recklessly.
It works using precise location data so it can react in real time.
While the scheme is in Nottingham, it does not cost Nottingham City Council or taxpayers any money.
Haya Verwoord Douidri, vice president of global market expansion, policy and strategy at Superpedestrian, said: "Our own customer survey data shows that our riders use our shared services to directly replace car journeys on 30 percent of all trips.
"This means that, in January alone, our shared e-scooter avoided more than 27,500 miles of short car journeys in Nottingham, bringing benefits in improved air quality and reduced congestion to all residents."
The e-scooters were introduced as a trial in October 2020 and this was originally due to last for a year, but the trial was extended to November 2022.
There are hopes that e-scooters could eventually serve all of Nottinghamshire.
Superpedestrian is hosting free-to-attend safety drop-in sessions at Sneinton Market on Thursday (February 17).
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The M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick Lady Danger is now available in Singapore. The cheapest M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick Lady Danger price in Singapore is from Shopee. You can also choose between different M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick Lady Danger variants with Diva starting from S$ 22.80 and Russian Red at S$ 30.50. M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick Lady Danger price details are updated April 2019.


Professional Pensions has launched its inaugural Rising Star Awards to celebrate the emerging talent in pensions - recognising and identifying the sector's future leaders as well as shining the spotlight on the organisations and individuals that are helping develop and foster new talent in the industry.
Do you work with someone who is a rising star within pensions? Or perhaps there is someone in your midst who has been a role model or mentor to those who are beginning their career working in the pensions sector.
If so, we are ready to celebrate their achievements at the inaugural Professional Pensions Rising Star Awards.
The Professional Pensions Rising Star Awards are not about young versus old; they are simply about celebrating and recognising the achievements of those at the beginning of their career in the sector - shining a spotlight on their success and championing the organisations that do the most to develop young talent in the pensions industry.


text:
package com.amazonaws.services.lambda.model.transform;

import static com.amazonaws.util.StringUtils.UTF8;
import static com.amazonaws.util.StringUtils.COMMA_SEPARATOR;
import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
import java.io.StringWriter;
import java.io.Writer;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.regex.Pattern;

import com.amazonaws.AmazonClientException;
import com.amazonaws.Request;
import com.amazonaws.DefaultRequest;
import com.amazonaws.http.HttpMethodName;
import com.amazonaws.services.lambda.model.*;
import com.amazonaws.transform.Marshaller;
import com.amazonaws.util.BinaryUtils;
import com.amazonaws.util.StringUtils;
import com.amazonaws.util.StringInputStream;
import com.amazonaws.util.json.*;

/**
 * List Versions By Function Request Marshaller
 */
public class ListVersionsByFunctionRequestMarshaller implements Marshaller<Request<ListVersionsByFunctionRequest>, ListVersionsByFunctionRequest> {

    private static final String RESOURCE_PATH_TEMPLATE;
    private static final Map<String, String> STATIC_QUERY_PARAMS;
    private static final Map<String, String> DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS;
    static {
        String path = "/2015-03-31/functions/{FunctionName}/versions?Marker={Marker}&MaxItems={MaxItems}";
        Map<String, String> staticMap = new HashMap<String, String>();
        Map<String, String> dynamicMap = new HashMap<String, String>();

        int index = path.indexOf("?");
        if (index != -1) {
            String queryString = path.substring(index + 1);
            path = path.substring(0, index);

            for (String s : queryString.split("[;&]")) {
                index = s.indexOf("=");
                if (index != -1) {
                    String name = s.substring(0, index);
                    String value = s.substring(index + 1);

                    if (value.startsWith("{") && value.endsWith("}")) {
                        dynamicMap.put(value.substring(1, value.length() - 1), name);
                    } else {
                        staticMap.put(name, value);
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        RESOURCE_PATH_TEMPLATE = path;
        STATIC_QUERY_PARAMS = Collections.unmodifiableMap(staticMap);
        DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS = Collections.unmodifiableMap(dynamicMap);
    }

    public Request<ListVersionsByFunctionRequest> marshall(ListVersionsByFunctionRequest listVersionsByFunctionRequest) {
        if (listVersionsByFunctionRequest == null) {
            throw new AmazonClientException("Invalid argument passed to marshall(...)");
        }

        Request<ListVersionsByFunctionRequest> request = new DefaultRequest<ListVersionsByFunctionRequest>(listVersionsByFunctionRequest, "AWSLambda");
        String target = "AWSLambda.ListVersionsByFunction";
        request.addHeader("X-Amz-Target", target);

        request.setHttpMethod(HttpMethodName.GET);
        String uriResourcePath = RESOURCE_PATH_TEMPLATE;

        if (DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS.containsKey("FunctionName")) {
            String name = DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS.get("FunctionName");

            String value = (listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getFunctionName() == null) ? null : StringUtils.fromString(listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getFunctionName());

            if (!(value == null || value.isEmpty())) {
                request.addParameter(name, value);
            }

        } else {
            uriResourcePath = uriResourcePath.replace("{FunctionName}", (listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getFunctionName() == null) ? "" : StringUtils.fromString(listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getFunctionName()));
        }
        if (DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS.containsKey("Marker")) {
            String name = DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS.get("Marker");

            String value = (listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMarker() == null) ? null : StringUtils.fromString(listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMarker());

            if (!(value == null || value.isEmpty())) {
                request.addParameter(name, value);
            }

        } else {
            uriResourcePath = uriResourcePath.replace("{Marker}", (listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMarker() == null) ? "" : StringUtils.fromString(listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMarker()));
        }
        if (DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS.containsKey("MaxItems")) {
            String name = DYNAMIC_QUERY_PARAMS.get("MaxItems");

            String value = (listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMaxItems() == null) ? null : StringUtils.fromInteger(listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMaxItems());

            if (!(value == null || value.isEmpty())) {
                request.addParameter(name, value);
            }

        } else {
            uriResourcePath = uriResourcePath.replace("{MaxItems}", (listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMaxItems() == null) ? "" : StringUtils.fromInteger(listVersionsByFunctionRequest.getMaxItems()));
        }

        request.setResourcePath(uriResourcePath.replaceAll("//", "/"));

        for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : STATIC_QUERY_PARAMS.entrySet()) {
            request.addParameter(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
        }

        request.setContent(new ByteArrayInputStream(new byte[0]));
        if (!request.getHeaders().containsKey("Content-Type")) {
            request.addHeader("Content-Type", "application/x-amz-json-1.1");
        }

        return request;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Eric Pickles: My general election review is a blueprint for a stronger party
By Sir Eric Pickles
Follow @EricPickles
The 33 Conservative MPs who rebelled over the Genocide Amendment
Stuart Coster: Is Lib Dem election campaigning "essential activity"? A "reasonable excuse" for someone to leave home?
Rt Hon Sir Eric Pickles is a former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
This morning, I will be presenting my review of the general election to the National Conservative Convention in Manchester. Party members will the first to hear and read my presentation of the conclusions.
At the 2017 general election, we increased our vote share by 5.5 per cent. But we lost our majority, and lost 13 seats, net (gaining 20, losing 33). I have been a member of the Conservative & Unionist Party for a few months shy of fifty years. I was a Member of Parliament for twenty five years. Eighteen of those were in the bleak years of opposition. I worked hard to get a Conservative majority government elected; so, at this election, I felt very keenly the loss of our seats and majority, along with many of the colleagues I worked alongside. That has not blinded me into the delusion that one thing caused our setback, however. Many of the problems we encountered have been present at previous general elections, to some degree or other. I hope that this report is a frank and unblinking look at our Party, which will set a series of reforms in motion.
When the Prime Minister and the Party Chairman asked me to carry out this review, I wanted our Party to come out of the process stronger and more adept at campaigning, ready to take on our opponents and win. The recommendations speak for themselves, without spin. My report covers the following areas:
Ensuring common ownership and full consultation on the manifesto,
Re-establishing a Conservative youth organisation and better engagement with young people,
Tackling the growing problem of intimidation and harassment,
Ensuring CCHQ is prepared for elections, in partnership with local associations,
Improving the processes for the selection and support of candidates,
Widening our support amongst those of Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds,
Improving training and investing in people,
Raising our game on social media and digital engagement,
Enhancing our local briefings material and campaign literature on offer,
Investing in better and more effective data, targeting, and research,
Mobilising our activist base and upscaling our presence on the ground,
Using incumbency to campaign more effectively.
There is one thought that threads though all of the 126 recommendations: canvassing, targeting, and campaigning is not just about getting our Conservative message across. Of equal importance is listening to the electorate and the people of our great island nation. The strength of our Party over the years is that it has always spoken for our people.
In the coming months, we shall be judged on our leadership on Brexit, the economy, our place in a turbulent world, and the many difficult social issues facing us. To do that, we need to be present in the country as a whole, and for our country to be unambiguously certain that we are listening to it, and acting decisively on its behalf.
I would like to thank the 6,000+ party members who responded to the online survey, the 400+ members who attended meetings across the country, the 169 volunteers, staff, and candidates interviewed by the review team, and the 500+ MPs, candidates, councillors, and activists who provided detailed suggestions and feedback. I would particularly like to thank, for their assistance, my top chums: Graham Brady, Mick Davis, Nus Ghani, Patrick McLoughlin, and Rob Semple.
At this election, we faced a united and coordinated left that supported Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party. We ourselves now need to encourage and cooperate with people and organisations on the centre right who share our beliefs in freedom, responsible markets, enterprise, social justice, and the rule of law. The battle for ideas that moved through our country when I joined the Conservative Party five decades ago were decisively won; but now, the benefits are taken for granted.
In my Whitehall office as a Minister, over my left shoulder, facing visitors, was a photograph of Che Guevara. It was there to remind me that, without constant vigilance, the cigar-chomping Commies will take over once again. Last week's Labour Party Conference should remind all of us that such vigilance is needed more than ever.
At Conference this week, Conservatives will be showing how we are getting on with the job of government, and setting out the road to a better future for our country. Our task is to show that Conservative values offer our country the best chance for prosperity, social justice, and security. The Party — our partnership of elected representatives, volunteers, and professionals — itself needs to reform and look to the future to support that mission. I hope this is a blueprint for Conservatives to win decisively at the next election and save our country from the real and credible threat of a Corbyn-led Marxist regime.
You can download and read the full review here conservatives.com/gereview.
2017 General Election Brexit Campaigning CCHQ Che Guevara Conservative Party Conservative Party Conference ethnic minorities Graham Brady MP Jeremy Corbyn MP Labour Labour Party conference Nusrat Ghani MP Party Chairman Patrick McLoughlin MP Prime Minister Rob Semple Sir Eric Pickles Sir Mick Davis
16 comments for: Eric Pickles: My general election review is a blueprint for a stronger party


Discussion in 'Internet Tools' started by syndicate, Dec 13, 2016.
http proxy header requests and respons, to use with SSH or VPN on Windows OS.
Access blocked websites behind firewall and many other functions.
Make sure TAP Adapter is installed on your computer.
Make sure badvpn-udpgw is installed on your SSH server to use / Enable UDP.
Do not use custom DNS on your Dial-Up Profile.
SSH IP Server must be a numeric (not a sub/domain).
We suggest to Untick "Use Default Gateway" on your Dial-Up profile and do Route (Del & Add).
Shell2TAP mode probably only working if your USB modem connected in RAS mode (not NDIS).
Auto Reconnect SSH will triggered only if your USB Modem state is Online / Connected.
Use CTRL+SHIFT+A to perform Area Screenshot. Or CTRL+SHIFT+S to take Screenshot the entire Screen.
Right click on Config Editor or Respons Replacer (Replace All) area to show pop-up menu.
The [split] syntax limitation usage is 8 times.
View changelog page for more information.
Config from older version will not loaded on this version.
Added : Auto Replace Respons.
Added : Export SSH Account on Export Config wizard.
Fix config Encryption methode issues, config from older version will not loaded on this version.
Fix TAP Re-routing on Auto Reconnect USB Modem (Shell2TAP mode).
Fix IP Hunter hunting methode.
Final version of major version.
The [split] syntax now can be used up to 8 times.
Added Auto Reco (Automatic reconnect modem) on Dialer tab.
Added Auto Route (Automatic route addition to specified IP) on Dialer tab.
Fix hotkey assign notification, showed up when saving default configuration.
Respons Replacer now can be edited while Inject is running.
Fix Strings Replacer, still enabled even "Replace Strings" is untick (on v0.0.0.1).
Fix Route addition method to work even USB modem is connected in NDIS mode.
TAP Adapter routing method changed (Shell2TAP mode).
Added English prompt & notification translation.
Added Log checkbox on Replacer tab.
Dialer + Dial-Up Creator + IP Hunter + Route.


text:
Deviat is een gemeente in het Franse departement Charente (regio Nouvelle-Aquitaine) en telt 158 inwoners (1999). De plaats maakt deel uit van het arrondissement Angoulême.

Geografie
De oppervlakte van Deviat bedraagt 8,2 km², de bevolkingsdichtheid is 19,3 inwoners per km².

Demografie
Onderstaande figuur toont het verloop van het inwonertal (bron: INSEE-tellingen).

Externe links

Gemeente in Charente

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home > other > The Absurdity of the first season
The Absurdity of the first season
Voltaire said a famous quote, Friendship is a combination of the soul. This combination can be separated, which is two sensitive and integrity between tacit contract.It is the key to solve all the problems to understand the existence of The Absurdity of the first season.This seems to answer my doubts.
Bernard Shaw Inadvertently said such a sentence, The so-called patriotic heart, refers to you as the country's people, for this country, it should be more profound than all other countries.For me, The Absurdity of the first season is not only a major event, but also may change my life.With these words, we have to examine this issue more carefully!
Sue Home Linsky said that inadvertently, There is no man in the world is not. The problem is that educators should discover each student's endowment, interests, hobbies and expertise, and provide sufficient conditions for their performance and development.From what has been discussed above, we may safely draw the conclusion that advantages of The Absurdity of the first season far outweigh its disadvantages and it will still play essential roles in modern society.This sentence brings us to a new dimension to think about this problem.
Mattin Luther King said a famous quote, We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.With these problems, let's take a look at The Absurdity of the first season.This inspired me how to develop next.
Maugham said a famous quote, The two lovers always love one another, and another is allowed to accept each other's love. This is a painful truth that most of us are to obey. But occasionally there are two love and love each other, but also the situation of being passionately in love.A large number of people tend to live under the illusion that for The Absurdity of the first season. Obviously,they seem to fail to take into account the basic fact that for The Absurdity of the first season.I hope everybody can also understand this sentence well.
Sue Home Linsky said a famous quote, There is no man in the world is not. The problem is that educators should discover each student's endowment, interests, hobbies and expertise, and provide sufficient conditions for their performance and development.However, even so, the emergence of The Absurdity of the first season still represents a certain significance.This makes us think deeply.
Zhang Jie once said a famous say, Don't imagine that every word you say is true, but it is true that every word you say is true.However, even so, the emergence of The Absurdity of the first season still represents a certain significance.This makes us think deeply.
Balzac said that inadvertently, There is no such thing as a great talent without great will - power.Now, it is very important to solve the problem of The Absurdity of the first season. So,Although this sentence is very short, it makes me think about it.
J. Burroughs once said a famous say, A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.For me, The Absurdity of the first season is not only a major event, but also may change my life.This inspired me how to develop next.
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text:
Justia US Law US Regulations International Trade Commission 2012 December 19
International Trade Commission December 19, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
Certain Electronic Devices Having a Retractable USB Connector; Termination of an Investigation
Agency: International Trade Commission, Agencies and Commissions
Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review the presiding administrative law judge's (``ALJ'') initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 36) terminating the investigation as to the last remaining respondent, and thereby terminating the investigation.
Certain Food Containers, Cups, Plates, Cutlery, and Related Items and Packaging Thereof; Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial Determination Granting a Joint Motion To Terminate the Investigation as to Respondents on the Basis of a Settlement Agreement; Termination of Investigation
Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review the presiding administrative law judge's (``ALJ'') initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 11) granting a joint motion to terminate the above-captioned investigation as to Respondents Trans World International (New York), Inc., Green Wave International, Inc., and John Calarese & Co. (collectively, the ``Green Wave Respondents'') on the basis of a settlement agreement.
Certain Video Analytics Software, Systems, Components Thereof, and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial Determination Granting Joint Motion for Termination of the Investigation Based on a License Agreement; Termination of Investigation
Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 39) of the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') terminating the investigation based on a license agreement.
Certain Light-Emitting Diodes and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial Determination Granting a Joint Motion To Terminate the Investigation; Termination of Investigation
Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an ID (Order No. 30) of the administrative law judge (``ALJ'') granting a joint motion to terminate the investigation. The investigation is hereby terminated.
Certain Light-Emitting Diodes and Products Containing Same; Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial Determination Terminating the Investigation as to All Remaining Respondents; Termination of the Investigation
Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has determined not to review an initial determination (``ID'') (Order No. 39) of the presiding administrative law judge (``ALJ'') terminating the above-captioned investigation as to all remaining respondents based on a settlement agreement. The remaining respondents included the following: LG Electronics, Inc. and LG Innotek Co., Ltd., both of Seoul, South Korea; LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; and LG Innotek U.S.A., Inc. of San Diego, California (collectively, ``LG'').


>> 10.  (1)  The cell ID at the start of the communication.
telephony of some kind, ie calls.
be retained are different, and do not include location data.
telephony - telephony means sound, and the telephone system.
would not include location data.
> types of communication, it is not collected or available for them?
what data may be retained), and probably under some other laws too.
Ah, possibly, though "mobile telephony" may just about include texts.
cell service provider when this is done using a mobile device.
I wouldn't risk much on that.
An "internet telephony" service provider should of course record call data.
But then, VoIP need not go through such a provider ..


text:
GROW Process
Andy Maciejewski
Partner + Meat Connoisseur
231.727.9778 x:102andy@revel.in
Andy is one of the founding partners at Revel, Operations Integrator and COO. He is in charge of implementing change to drive organizational growth, as well as overseeing day-to-day operations. Andy's greatest satisfaction comes from helping others develop to reach their full potential.
With a background in communication and video production, Andy knows how to tell a good story. His storytelling capability translates well to the marketing and communication needs our customers have today. It also goes over pretty well at office parties (most of the time).
Andy's a true entrepreneur and loves to continue his education through his interactions with executives in the various industries we serve. He's especially interested in economic development and organizational leadership.
He has been featured in the Muskegon Chronicle's Future 15, received a Telly award, was named one of Grand Rapids Business Journal's 40 Under Forty, and was even chosen as Time Magazine's 2006 Person of the Year – Google it.
Andy lives in Downtown Muskegon with his wife and son, and when he's not at the office, he can be found serving on a board or volunteering at various events. He believes it is important to give back to a community that has given so much to support Revel over the years. And as a bit of a foodie, he also strongly believes that only mustard belongs on hot dogs and bacon makes everything better.
Beth Houghton
Pete Lounsbury
Rob Rop
Tracey Piasecki
Jonathan Stepanski
Are you looking to grow your business? We can help.
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351 W Western Ave, Suite 200
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The abandoned Krachstroom or The High Voltage Room is set in the heart of a run down industrial area of a Belgian city. I guess as the heavy industry declined so did the need for the localised power and the site was no longer needed. It is quite clear this has been abandoned for quite some time now.
Sitting right next to a substation with five or six large noisy transformers this room buzzes at quite some volume.
Even though this old abandoned power station is stripped there is something about it I really like and I was determined to get inside.
Access here is not easy at all if you look at the third image you can see down to what seems like the basement, well this is actually the ground floor and the only access is through the windows in the turbine hall. Looking at the scattered breeze blocks outside. I suggested to make some stairs. A bit of a hunt around we found a table add the breeze blocks to this and you still can't reach the windows. You can just reach some exposed rebar though and this helps you get up enough to finally reach the window.
Was it worth the effort? Yes it was and it was a fine end to my first day in Belgium of 2015.


text:
VERMONT FAMILY LAW
Do You Really Need a Lawyer?
FLAT FEES
The Child Support Guideline
Paying Child Support
Temporary Child Support
The Office of Child Support
Alimony (Spousal Maintenance)
The 10 Steps to Getting a Divorce
PREPARE FOR COURT
How to File for Divorce Without Kids
How to File for Divorce With Kids
ALIMONY CALCULATOR
ABOUT CHRIS LARSON
Tristan Christopher Larson, Esq.
I am a lawyer in Rutland, Vermont and a partner at Larson & Gallivan Law, PLC. I represent people in family court matters around the state, but primarily in Rutland, Windsor, Addison and Bennington counties.
I grew up on a dairy farm in Rutland County and much of my family still lives here. Before forming the law firm Larson & Gallivan, I was a partner in a medium-sized law firm for Vermont located in Rutland. Prior to that I worked as a clerk in the state court system for two years, getting to know the judges and lawyers in Rutland County. As a firm, and as individuals, we value loyalty, trust and flexibility in ourselves and with each other. These are the qualities that we offer clients as well.
I graduated with honors from Harvard Law School in 2003. For a while after law school, I worked at a Boston law firm with 200 lawyers. My office was on the 37th floor and I could see ships sailing into the harbor far below. My clients were mostly giant real estate development and construction companies, government entities and the like. It sounds exciting, but the work was often very tedious. Endless numbers of contracts needed to be written and rewritten; liability studies needed to be done and sub-agreements with engineers needed to be edited. Boxes, rooms and sometimes whole warehouses of documents needed to be reviewed. Thousands of gas station leases needed to be cross-referenced with the laws of fifty states. I was bored.
So I came home to Rutland because I love Vermont and its people.
I am dedicated to helping clients navigate the complex legal system. I am here to listen to and understand your individual situation, answer your questions, and keep communication open and honest.
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Iranian state television says a "terrorist attack" has killed at least three people and wounded several others in the southeastern port city of Chabahar.
At least three people were killed in a bomb attack in southeastern Iran on Thursday, state TV reported, adding that many others were injured.
"This morning a bomb inside a car exploded near a police station in Chabahar and four people were injured," the official said.
"It was a suicide bomb attack," Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.


text:
Europe Sun & Beach
Incoming 12.09.2016
Moscow celebrates the 869-th birthday with a thousand events.
"On September 10 and 11 will be held more than one thousand of celebrations in Moscow to mark the 869-th birthday of the city. About 10 million people are expected to participate in festivities", - "Interfax" was reported in the Department of Culture of the Russian capital. On Saturday and Sunday the events will take place on 212 citywide places, including 22 parks, 50 central playgrounds and also more than 50 district and 70 regional sites. The programme includes more than 300 concerts and music festivals, more than 100 master classes, over 200 free of charge excursions. The sports program is planned as well. In addition on September 10 and 11 - 88 museums and exhibition halls in the capital will work chargeless. Among them are the Moscow Museum gallery, the State Museum of "GULAG" history, the Exhibition Hall "Manege", museum of panorama "Battle of Borodino", Santa Claus Moscow estate, Fashion Museum, Darwin Museum and others. Saturday's programme will finish at 22:00 by festive fireworks in all the city districts.
Yury Mishchenko, graduated from Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages, has more than 15 years experience in tourism and travel. Working both in tour operator company as destination manager, and in travel agency as sales manager, he is focused on analysis of Russian tour operators' daily routine. Recently, Yury works in Baginet Marketing and Sales Agency.
Total number of arrivals of foreigners to Russia decreased…
Russia resumes visa-free entry for some foreigners
Zero foreign tourists arrived in Russia in the second quarter…
Russia to open external borders
Turkish ambassador: visa regime restrains the growth of…
A simplified entry regime in the Russian Federation from…
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text:
Police end protest at German coal plant site, activists plan repeat
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Police broke up a protest by about 100 environmental activists on Sunday at the site of the yet-to-be commissioned Datteln 4 coal-fired power plant in western Germany, but the protesters said they planned further demonstrations.
The Ende Gelaende movement behind the protest against carbon emissions from coal burning said its members had occupied the site for nine hours, blocking conveyor belts that will carry coal to the plant's boilers, before police cleared the site.
The group said its protests would continue, however. In a statement, it likened them to the occupation of utility RWE's Hambach forest lignite mining and burning site last year, which led to a mining stoppage and made the facility a symbol of anti-coal protest.
"We celebrate today's demonstration as a big success. And this was just the beginning. We will fight against Datteln 4 as we did against Hambach forest," said Daniel Hofinger, a spokesman for the group.
Protesters wore orange overalls and face masks and held up banners saying "Exit Coal Now" and "Your 20-Year Profits instead of Our Future".
Datteln 4, a modern hard coal plant that has cost operator utility Uniper 1.5 billion euros, was exempted from a national plan to exit from coal power by 2038 that was approved by Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet last month.
Uniper argued successfully that it would make more sense to shut additional old coal capacity with high CO2 emissions to clear the way for its state-of-the art Datteln facility to operate into the 2030s, even if that would be well below a usual 40-year life span.
Environmentalists have criticised the compromise, saying the government lacked ambition and allowed coal operators to get off lightly.
Reporting by Vera Eckert and Christian Kraemer; Editing by Frances Kerry and Helen Popper


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Q: Why does Spray error "could not find implicit value for parameter marshaller"? I use a spray-json for convert some case class into json, but i have  a troubles with convert List to json:
case class Foo(id: Int)

object FooJsonSupport extends DefaultJsonProtocol with SprayJsonSupport {
  implicit val fooFormats = jsonFormat1(Foo)
}

//and i have a list with Foo:
val list = List(Foo(1), Foo(2), Foo(3))

// and i want to return json response

post {
  respondWithMediaType(`application/json`) {
    complete(list)
  }
}

After I run the sample, I get the error:

could not find implicit value for parameter marshaller: spray.httpx.marshalling.ToResponseMarshaller[scala.collection.immutable.List[Post]]

How to fix it?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


To play or download - Click the 'Separate lives in the same world' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'The foolishness of the Gospel' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'Hallelujah for the cross' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'Ephesians 4:17-32' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'How to grow the church' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'Luke 14:25-33' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'The greatest mystery now revealed' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'The Gospel made visible' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'Amazing Grace' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.
To play or download - Click the 'The Hetty Green Syndrome' link below. Click on 'Read More' to see or make a comment.


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text:
Q: Set a different language for ASP.NET MVC errors I have an ASP.NET MVC application configured for Portuguese, on Visual Studio 2015. While debugging this application, I've set <customErrors mode="Off" />, but all errors are shown in Portuguese, and I want to see them in English.
I tried to set this in Web.config:
<globalization uiCulture="en-US" culture="en-US" enableClientBasedCulture="true" />

In Global.asax I tried:
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("en-US");
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("en-US");

and
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;
Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;

I also uninstalled the Nuget package Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc.pt-br, no success.
This question is similar, but I need a solution that doesn't involve changing the machine's configuration or installed components, as that's not allowed in my workplace.
How can I make all error messages show in a specific language (in this case, English)?

A: Today when I tried this again, to my surprise the messages were in English (almost, see below). I tried to reproduce the error I had yesterday, but I couldn't.
Perhaps it is just a matter of restarting (VS or the PC). I also kept working on the project at night on a different PC, but not on anything related with this issue, so I can't say it made a difference. All I have set up in Web.config is:
<globalization uiCulture="en-US" culture="en-US" enableClientBasedCulture="true" />

But still not everything was in English. While trying to reproduce the error, I forced a library load error, I used a DLL that requires Ninject to be installed. The error message was (emphasis mine on the translated part):

Server Error in '/' Application.
  Could not load file or assembly 'Ninject, Version=3.2.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c7192dc5380945e7' or one of its dependencies. O sistema não pode encontrar o arquivo especificado.
Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information about the error and where it originated in the code.

That part was supposed to be: The system cannot find the file specified.
In that case, I don't think there is much that can be done programmatically only.

A: Uninstall the .net framework in the portugese version and reinstall the english version, that should do the trick.


Surrounded by boykins and family; everything is good. I'm even not thinking about work.
Tax deal pushed through. DADT repealed. 9/11 benefits passed. At this rate, I expect an minimum wage increase, refunding of NASA, and perhaps a triumph for Obama down Pennsylvania Avenue.
There's always a price. This might be the last time this White House gets what it wants. The Dream Act didn't get through, and neither party has a clue about how to deal with unemployment or the deficit, not to mention the debt; there is still no inspiring and easy-to-understand plan to restructure the American economy, either from government or the public sector. I'd take either.
I found this short essay of mine, written a year or two ago, while rummaging through some old files. I'd forgotten about it entirely. I may have abandoned it because it was getting too close to Kant 's categorical imperative. I don't have time to revise it properly, but it's sat in the proverbial trunk long enough.
One of the most important questions that every human being must address in his or her lifetime is the question of morality. In other words, how do we know what is good and what is bad?
There are many positions on morality, of course, held by various religions, cultures, families, and individuals all over the world, but which one is the most advisable? And should we even try to pick, granting the assumption that some positions are better than others – or that any given one is better than most – but instead create our own? There are several common ways of resolving the question of morality, and I'd like to discuss these before arguing for an alternative that I believe is the most attractive.
The first method of resolving the question of morality is a popular one: subscription to a religion with a fixed moral code. The question of morality is resolved with an appeal to a higher power or powers that professes absolute moral standards and condemns, or forgives, those who disobey. Even a religion that professes a more "gray" moral code is functionally the same in terms of responsibility; either way, reliance on religion for moral authority shifts the onus for decision-making to a deity/deities or scripture instead of the individual or even a community. Adherence, of course, to this divine code may be spotty, but it at least serves as a guide for all but the worst hypocrites.
A second method of resolution is a stance of moral relativism. Relativism, simply put, holds that all meaning, including morality, is relative, man-made, and governed chiefly by context, culture, and language. The extreme case of cannibalism is a good illustration. In some places cannibalism is morally acceptable, and in others, it is not; regardless, according to relativism, no locale or group can claim ultimate moral authority over the action. There is no absolute "good" or "bad," only individuals and communities that agree on what is acceptable, and may very well clash if groups with different positions come into extended contact. It is not just man that is the measure of all things, as Gorgias put it, but acculturated humans in combination and dialogue with other acculturated humans that are the measure of all things. I should note that moral relativism should never be confused with nihilism, which discards morality entirely; relativism recognizes that the meaning agreed upon by communities, in particular, has value and authority within that community.
A third method of resolving the question of morality is the nihilism that I just mentioned, which takes relativism further, and too far for most. The nihilist throws out all moral standards, recognizing the authority of none, and claims that anything is allowable in a world where meaning is cheap. It is the individual, therefore, that enforces their morality onto the world. It is important to note that this may result in a philosophy of total unashamed selfishness, or a pattern of behavior undistinguishable from a saint's. It is the refuge of both the insane and the fiercely independent.
A fourth method of resolution I will call, for the lack of a better term, physiological empiricism. It is similar to moral relativism, but its beliefs are grounded less in an understanding of the complicated and messy role of language and more in empirical observation. The physiological empiricist holds that morality is not quite entirely relative because it does have a traceable wellspring – the human body. Human morality, therefore, is an evolutionary byproduct of sentient beings that have two sexes, two arms, two legs, the limited perception offered by five senses, an omnivore's diet, and a cognitively advanced brain and accompanying nervous system. In other words, evolution, a process following logically from the known processes of physics and chemistry, and game theory to explain how genes best each other in the reproductive cycle, produced the notion of morality. This position can be further extended by noting that religion and culture, as well as the other possible solutions to morality, are human inventions designed to allay nettlesome complications arising from the evolution of the body, including the very notion of morality itself.
There are serious problems with all four of these solutions.
For the first solution, that of religion, the sheer number of different religions, sects, and cults on this planet makes a choice among them a game of Russian roulette with a revolver that may or may not have a bullet in any chamber. You may be lucky enough to have been born in the "correct" religion, or not; in any case there is no way of determining validity besides faith. Untold numbers of people have no problem with this, but I do.
The second solution, moral relativism, has an uncanny ability to describe human interaction. On the other hand, it lacks the moral core that many people crave and runs into a significant problem when communities with different standards interact; it provides no method of resolution beyond, perhaps, a system of civic rhetoric (which I'll get to later). It can also inconsistent with itself, by declaring an universal rule that there aren't any universal rules.
Likewise, the third solution, nihilism, is hardly a balm for a feeling of spiritual emptiness, and the nihilist has no need of internal or external community resolution; it is generally not a philosophy for people who wish to live with and respect others.
The fourth solution, that of the physiological empiricist, too, can offer little solace or practical day-to-day resolution of conflict to the moral questioner, as it posits human beings are little more than fantastically complex machines evolved to promote the distribution and replication of genes. The situation it posits may be quite accurate, but it almost useless for resolving the question of morality.
Thus the question remains for the philosophically inclined. We are torn between a strong desire for certain, or at least reasonably certain, moral knowledge that can guide our actions and the actions of communities, and a recognition that the world is filled with innumerable moral claims that conflict, whether or not those claims are declared by deities or formed by humans through consensus. No obvious solution exists beyond a crude balancing of the urge for the divine and our flawed observations of the world.
Most people are not ethical philosophers, and yet most people, I would suggest, come to similar compromises, allowing as much faith-based spirituality or hard-nosed secularism into their lives as they can deal with at any given moment. Few of us have the luxury of being morally consistent in a world that constantly presents moral dilemmas that both challenge black-white morality as well as the gray alternatives. Ethics are expensive.
However, I would argue that the agnostic individual occupies a unique position in regards to the question of morality. Agnostics are skeptics, waiting for more information, and in that sense they are empirical and open-minded, natural candidates for the fourth solution of physiological empiricism. But at the same time, a consistent agnostic does not dismiss the possibility of some form of religion being an appropriate path.
Agnostics are not atheists, who by definition must hold onto a relatively firm position on a deity or deities; the agnostic reserves judgment and thus floats, unattached, between many viewpoints. This reservation of judgment comes from an interesting notion of responsibility to truths that may or may not exist, but at the very least are currently inaccessible. This agnostic conception of responsibility to the truth, I suggest, offers a possible fifth option for resolution of the question of morality.
The stereotypical center of Western morality is some form of the Golden or Platinum Rule, stated one way in Matthew 7:12: "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." The ethic of reciprocity or fair play contained in this statement can be taken to be of divine origin, but it can also be construed in a relativistic or even physiological sense also; it is a rule derived from human behavior and the demands of living in communities filled with humans who are predisposed to react violently when their self-interests are not taken into account by others. It can also, however, be interpreted in terms of responsibility, in that those agreeing to the rule agree to take on a certain responsibility for their behavior, as well as for the welfare of others.
This maxim falls apart, of course, in many specific cases, as it has no notion of truth or how to manage what Greek stasis theory calls krinomenon, the point of judgment; the details of judicial enforcement of the rule in other words, are left to the reader. But the maxim becomes significantly stronger when its conception of responsibility is stressed. Each individual acceding to the rule has not only a right to be treated like all others given similar circumstances, but a responsibility as an agent to personally practice a policy of equal treatment. All actions in the Golden Rule's bare-bones moral system are owned by their agent; there is no collective responsibility. Its moral system fails or succeeds based solely on individual moral decisions. In that sense, it is directly analogous to the success or failure of individual organisms in evolution; successful moral systems participate in an arena filled with many other reproductive strategies, and are replicated, marginalized, or rendered extinct through their direct contests with alternative strategies.
The Golden Rule might then seem to be a good choice for a moral core. The problem, however, is that it does not directly address altruism, another notion of responsibility that many are fiercely unwilling to abandon. There is no role in the rule for altruistic actions, only a careful measurement of the predicted response to the agent's actions. Everyone must be treated fairly, but only according to a social cost. There is no moral charge to care for the poor, the sick, or the hungry; there is no responsibility not to kill if the agent is willing to be killed in turn (the Golden Rule technically allows wars without cause belli and even suicide bombing as long as the agent doesn't mind reciprocation, which they hardly could in the case of suicide). In practice, then, as the agent is allowed to construct a moral system that pleases his or her standards and then willy-nilly inflict it on others, the Golden Rule (if isolated) can be attacked on grounds that it is fascist – or even nihilist.
How then, can the strengths of Golden Rule be combined with altruism in other to cover this loophole? I would suggest agnosticism is a pretty good answer. Agnosticism has a unique role of responsibility to the question of the existence/non-existence of God in that all options must be considered and all the evidence must be weighed before anything is resolved. However, agnostics must be moral agents in the world despite their doubts; pragmatic day-to-day decisions must still be made. These decisions, however, are made on the same moral basis of responsibility to the truth as the question of God's existence, only quicker, through the means of a civic rhetoric that allows probabilistic decisions about questions that cannot be resolved unequivocally.
And thus, I would argue, agnosticism merges with altruism; the agnostic quest to find evidence for the existence/non-existence of God is best promoted through the successful spread of knowledge and ideas, which can only happen in a peaceful, productive society. In other words, agnosticism injects a peaceful morality into the Golden Rule through the concept of responsibility to the larger community. Indeed, there is no point to withholding judgment and operating on probability if there is no environment in which to further seek the truth. Therefore, the agnostic has a charge to create, maintain, and defend communities in which knowledge and ideas are celebrated and discussed. The disadvantaged, which under the more primitive and fascist Golden Rule could be disregarded, cannot be ignored; any and all of them may be part of the grand puzzle of existence, and the agnostic must, if he or she is to be logically consistent, acknowledge their potential to contribute to humanity and treat them accordingly.
Of course, this solution does not address the need for a divine presence, and a reasonable counterargument could be made that most religious people inject plenty of altruism into the Golden Rule all the time. What's so different about agnostics? The difference is that in the place of a god or gods, agnosticism promotes a concern for the community and humanity as a whole. The agnostic fears not a supernatural power, nor the community itself, but a personal dereliction of his or her responsibilities to the community and the quest to answer the existence/non-existence of God. The purpose of the agnostic's life, therefore, is adherence to the responsibilities of moral agency that he or she practices as a member of a community, in the sense that increasing knowledge and ideas are promoted by supporting the efforts of all the members of the community. Currently, I think this is the best way to promote a resolution of moral questions, if not the existence or non-existence of God. Your mileage may vary.
Well, if anything, we've discovered what scares otherwise unaccountable corporations – any hint that they might not be blindly patriotic sends them scurrying under legal cover. "U.S. officials welcomed the move," indeed. Such cover is on paper completely unnecessary, of course, as the NYT and other press outlets have been publishing the cables – the genie is out of the bottle – and no threat from the executive branch will shut them down short of a platoon of tanks; these withdrawals of service are gestures of scraping goodwill. There is the issue of redacting sensitive information, but as the Times has noted, they control that decision, not the White House. Watergate wasn't that long ago.
This incident continues to reveal that the U.S. has never really resolved the issue of freedom of speech and the press vs. national security concerns. Part of this is how international diplomacy continues to be a shell game; the other part is the fear still resonating from 9/11.