Friday, December 26, 2014

Hinduism Should Go Global Like Bollywood

Symbol of Hinduism, white and golden version.
Symbol of Hinduism, white and golden version. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Higher detail image of Swami_Vivekana...
English: Higher detail image of Swami_Vivekananda.jpg Swami Vivekananda, September, 1893, Chicaco, signed (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
English: Amitabh Bachchan photographed by Stud...
English: Amitabh Bachchan photographed by Studio Harcourt Paris Français : Amitabh Bachchan photographié par Studio Harcourt Paris Harcourt Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Bollywood rules on all continents. Hinduism is restricted to South Asia. That needs to change.

The ghar wapasi campaign is offensive and a human rights violation. Yeah, if there are Muslims and Christians in India who would like to convert to Hinduism out of free will, why not? It is their right. But to conduct campaigns to try to get them is offensive.

Diversity is India's number one strength. If ever India is to surpass America it will be because India has figured out a way to celebrate diversity better than America, that free speech is more celebrated in India than in America. So the RSS folks are trying to take India in the wrong direction. Cease and desist. Ye superpower banne ka koi tarika hai kya?

The RSS should instead create a global wing and send workers/swayamsevaks to all continents. Amitabh jahan jahan pahunche hain us sabhi jagah jao. Ye to nahin ki unke pas aadmiyon ki koi kami hai. Subah subah dher dand baithki karte hain. To what end? Kuchh to kaam karo, matribhoomi ka naam raushan karo. Africa jao, Amrika jao, Europe ko jao, Australia jao, Rous, China, Japan jao, dharm prachar karo. 

जरुरत है कि एक casteless Hinduism का निर्माण किया जाए। हिन्दु धर्म १०,००० साल पुराना है। लेकिन caste system सिर्फ १,००० साल पुराना है। ये caste system हिन्दु धर्मको प्रगतिके पथ पे चल्ने से रोक रही है। सौ दो सौ नए last names का निर्माण किया जाए। कुछ कवि लोगों को इकठ्ठा किजिए और कहिए बच्चन जैसे सौ दो सौ last names का निर्माण करें।

नहीं तो दुनिया भर के लोगों को क्या कहिएगा? मायावती के तरह दलित बन्ने को बोलिएगा? कि मोदी के तरह तेली बन्ने को बोलिएगा? कि गान्धी के तरह बनिया बन जाने को बोलिएगा? कि नेहरू के तरह पण्डित बन जाने को बोलिएगा? अगर वो पण्डित बनते भी हैं तो अभी जो पहले से पण्डित हैं वो उनको स्वीकार करेंगे क्या? बड़ी विकराल समस्या है। दुनिया में तरह तरह के लोग हैं ---- काले, पीले, गोरे। वैसे पंडितो को देख के भारतके पंडित चहक जाएंगे।

लेकिन बच्चन के तरह casteless होने को सब राजी हो जाएंगे। एक अमिताभ ही बच्चन क्यों रहेंगे? भले ही उस last name को उनके बापने निर्माण किया हो, लेकिन वो last name उनकी बपौती तो नहीं न है। हरिवंश राय एक पब्लिक फिगर थे, सारे भारत वर्षके धरोहर थे।

मैं तो RSS वालों को यही कहुँगा कि दुनिया के कोने कोने में जाइए और १०-२० करोड़ बच्चन पैदा किजिए। भारतमें तो हिंदुवो की कोइ कमी थोड़े है? १०० करोड़ से ज्यादा हैं और बहुत पैदा भी करते रहते हैं। कमी है तो अफ्रिका, अमरीका, युरोप, चीन, जापान, ऑस्ट्रेलिया में।

मिशन पर जाइए और जोड़ तोड़के साथ हिन्दु धर्मका प्रचार प्रसार किजिए। इच्छुक लोगोंको कन्वर्ट किजिए।

आजके दुनियामें सुपरपावर गोला बारूद से नहीं बना जाता है। सबसे उपर है economics जिसको मोदी development बोलते हैं। मोदीको काम करने दिजिए, डेवलपमेंट के एजेंडा को derail मत किजिए, अगर भारतको ग्लोबल सुपरपावर बनते देखना चाहते हैं तो। ये सॉफ्ट पावर का जमाना है। अणु बम बन जाने के बाद लडाइ तो होती नहीं है। लेकिन बॉलीवुड और हिन्दु धर्म को विश्वके कोने कोने में ले जाएँ। भारतको ग्लोबल सुपरपावर बनाना है तो।

लव जिहाद और घर वापसी वाला ढकोसला आप लोगों को शोभा नहीं देती। जाइए दुनिया घुमिए।

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Ghar Wapasi Nahin, Full Blown Conversion

Symbol of Hinduism, white and golden version.
Symbol of Hinduism, white and golden version. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Hindu fanatics in India who are disturbing Modi's development focus by the whole ghar wapasi thing --- they should muster their strengths and do the real thing. They should organize global campaigns, go to all continents, create a major online presence, and go everywhere on the planet to teach people who are eager and willing to learn more about Hinduism and possibly convert and become Hindu. The RSS should create a missionary wing, and do this. Go outside India, go outside South Asia.

Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, like free speech. Stop second guessing Hindus who converted to other religions. Try converting people from other religions into Hinduism. I feel like there are not enough Hindus on the planet. And it is a great religion. Spread the word out.

I have a question. What caste will you place those new converts into? Or will you create a new casteless kind of Hinduism? It is about time.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Immigration: Exploring Non Legal Options

Official photographic portrait of US President...
Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
To: Congressman Crowley
From: Paramendra Bhagat (Elmhurst, Queens 11373-2713)
Date: December 22, 2014
Subject: My Ongoing For Six Years Open Immigration Case (Alien 095 156 466)

Hello Congressman. I live in your district. My name is Paramendra Bhagat. I came to America for college in 1996 and have not left the country since. I married my college girlfriend (she proposed), officially the smartest student at my school, the number one liberal arts college in the South, Berea College. I got a green card from that. My marriage ended a few years later.

I was the only Nepali among 300,000 Nepalis across America to have worked full time for Nepal’s democracy movement in the 2005-06 period. (http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com) I also got myself elected student body president at Berea within six months of landing as an international student, first time in college history a freshman had done that. In 2007 I also became the first full time volunteer in New York City to presidential candidate Barack Obama. (http://democracyforum.blogspot.com) I personally know people like Congressman Hakeem Jeffries from before he went to Albany.

While working days, nights and weekends for the democracy movement in Nepal, the deadline for my green card renewal came and went, and I did not even notice. I was so into my work.

I have had an open immigration case since 2008. I have showed up in court every few months, as asked. That has gone on for six years now. I like to joke my trial has now lasted longer than Nelson Mandela’s! My Harvard Law School graduate lawyer Rudrakumaran Visuvanathan has represented me. Nepal is still going through its political transition, and it would be a major safety issue for me to show up there right now. But I have not been able to convince the court, I guess. And I am getting hints I am about to lose my case.

You would do me the favor of a lifetime if you could please intervene and help me out. It is my knowledge that Senators and Congressmen can legitimately intervene in cases like mine and make things happen. If it is within your powers, please help me back renew my green card that I had. If you could do that, enough time has passed that I would be in a position to apply for my citizenship by now. And if I could get there, I could vote for the first time. I would sure vote for you! And much more.

Like I said, you would be doing the favor of a lifetime to me. I am an early stage tech entrepreneur. My team is working on an Augmented Reality Mobile Game that we think is a billion dollar idea. (http://technbiz.blogspot.com) We are building a super social network. My goal is to use and build, build and use digital tools so as to do all I can do to help cure global poverty.

With much hope.
Paramendra Bhagat.

Mehbooba Mufti

A Muslim woman as Chief Minister of the state of Kashmir ---- this is what I love about democracy. It throws up pleasant surprises like this. Before today I had never heard of her. I think this is amazing. I think other parties should throw outside support to her and let her do her thing. She is the people's choice.

Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh fare worse than Muslims in India ---- but that is no excuse for the fact that there is not equality for the Muslims in India. Equality is the goal and it has be achieved. That is the only way India can play a central role in the so-called War On Terror. India has to show Muslims can be equal, vibrant members of a dizzyingly diverse democracy. India has to show the way. The only way the War On Terror can conclude is by a total spread of democracy across the Muslim world. America is not in a position to have that central impact. It is too far away. It does not have enough Muslims.



It will take time to form government in J&K: PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti
Mehbooba Mufti: The woman poised for power in Kashmir

"Who is that loner?"
"First time we are seeing him."


Thursday, December 18, 2014

Barack Obama (Big Picture Guy) And Cuba

Official photographic portrait of US President...
Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Barack Obama did not need to do this. No one would have noticed he did not do this. Although this should have been done 25 years ago. But he is doing it, because he gets the big picture. Like he got the big picture on health care. 50 years of presidents trying, and this guy goes ahead and makes the move. Cuba is like that. Half a century of American presidents not getting it right. And Barack Obama goes ahead and makes the move.

I think it is about his being black. Unless you are exceptionally good, a black guy does not end up in the White House. And so Barack Obama being amazingly good is everything about his being a black dude.

Monday, December 15, 2014

One More Immigration Court Date

Official photographic portrait of US President...
Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: (Wikipedia)
(statement for court date on December 19)

In case you have not noticed, my trial now has lasted longer than Nelson Mandela's! I am amused. In the first few years I felt frustrated. How long can you feel that way? Now I feel amused.

There are things I know and things I don't know. And I am fairly humble about things I don't know. Honest to God, I don't understand your legal process. I don't have the slightest clue how this works. It is not about logic, and it is not about justice. It is strange, it is bizarre, it is weird.

It is not logical because when I first appeared in front of you people from Nepal were being granted political asylum in the thousands per year, maybe even tens of thousands, and that rate is still intact. So it is not possible this judicial process is not aware of the ground situation in Nepal. And I was the only among the 300,000 plus Nepalis in America to have worked full time for the democracy movement in the 2005-06 period. And I again did full time work for the Madhesi Movement a year later, and my comrades from the democracy movement from Nepal to NYC now had become bitter opponents. On top of all that, I became Barack Obama's first full time volunteer in NYC for which I paid the price I paid: the worst experience of my life. In this city. In this oldest of democracies. But I have no major begrudges. I am of Bihari origin. Democracy gets really rough and tumble in Bihar.

Logic would say that when you put all this together my case was a no brainer. But it has been anything but. It has been a major headache. I have missed wave after wave in the tech startup world, thanks to you. Your process has many of the worst aspects of a Third World bureaucracy. Reminds me of the Nepal I left: you would have to wait in line for years to get a landline. And to think it is lack of immigration that Japan and Europe are in the sorry shape they are in.

Half a decade later I am being made to realize this process has been trying to figure out if I am a good guy or a bad guy. This blows my mind. I am a gift to this country. I am a really, really good guy.

You mention Texas and 2002. Those brain dead cops, when I first talked about them in this court it was not a hot political issue in this country. How times have changed! They started firing after they saw my face. The truck was safely parked on the shoulder of a side road by someone about to call it a night. About a dozen brain dead cops emptied their guns into my truck. The closest bullets hit maybe five feet from my body. I was not scared in real time, because I am like, who is thumping so hard on my trailer! I am scared now! Your process is not about justice, because those brain dead dozen are the clear bad guys. Why is there even a debate! From where does the confusion come?

Talking about 18 wheelers --- just one minor observation --- I have seen more of America than anyone who ever ran for President Of The United States. That is just a fact.

There are things that I know, and there are things that I don't know. Let me tell you what I know. I beat Bill Clinton before Barack Obama beat Hillary Clinton. John Kerry is the only presidential candidate in history not to have received a bounce from his convention. I did what I did, and then Bill Clinton did what he did. But he should not feel bad, because he did achieve his goal. He meant to clear the 2008 deck for Hillary, and he was able to do that.

In case anyone might think it was a fluke, I did a repeat performance a few years into this judicial process. I walked all over Williamsburg for a few hours taking pictures left and right, up and down. And, lo and behold, I was being followed around like crazy. I noted a special police van, fully peopled. A cop with a sniff dog had the dog sniff me. I said hello to the dog. As I walked down a street, as I neared a corner, I gave a fast right jerk to my head and spotted a cop quickly pull away, only moments before having had the gun at the ready. And I remember thinking, am I having a Jason Bourne moment here?

Look, I don't do physical. Free hand exercise is as far as it goes for me. What I do is political. But sometimes the conceptual gets so intense, you kind of spill a little into the physical realm. I am someone who is never going to run for public office. I don't have a country. It is not Nepal, it is not India, it is not America. At least I feel I am on the right planet, thank God. I would like to do all I can possibly do to help cure poverty, that is all. And I have determined digital tools are my best bet. They suit my style, and they are amazingly effective tools. I am going to use and build, build and use even more powerful tools. And to that end the rest of my life will be dedicated. That is the reason I need to be a successful tech entrepreneur.

But out of respect for this court, I have done what I have been asked to do. On Monday, December 15, I got legal insurance through Legal Shield (www.legalshield.com). But then I proceeded to do all the work myself.

I called a bunch of numbers in Texas. And I was able to locate someone who said she will fax Rudra the traffic ticket from May 27, 2002 to his fax number (212) 290-2303. I believe that is what you wanted.

I called the Gray County District Attorney, 205 North Russell Street, Pampa, TX 79065, Phone:(806) 669-8003 who led me to the Pampa TX DA's Office at 806 669 8015 who led me back to the Gray County number who then led me to one of the three judges' office, Judge Curfman's at 806 669 8015 who gave me the numbers for the other two judges Martinez (806 669 8032) and Carpenter (806 779 2721). I was told it was probably Judge Carpenter who received my 60 dollar payment since he deals with the Interstate 40 part. And that was correct information. Someone at Judge Carpenter's office was able to pull up information related to the number you gave me (TX 06911603). The wonderful lady at the other end of the phone said she will fax that document to Rudra at his fax number that I gave her.

I explained to them that the immigration court wants an attorney representing me to contact the DA's Office in Pampa Texas to get some kind of a form for a May 27, 2002 incident involving the 18 wheeler I was driving. The words on the ticket were "failure to control speed." The speed limit was 70 miles per hour. My truck was programmed to not go faster than 68 mph. So I could not have been speeding. How often does this country give speeding tickets to a standing truck! But since I was not native to TX I thought it best to just pay the 60 bucks and be done with it, probably an unwise decision.

Now if we can please proceed to let me get going with my tech entrepreneurship, I would be most grateful. I want to do good. I have always wanted to do good, political demonizations here and there aside.