India Is A Secular Country

India Is A Secular Country I think one of our contradictions and limitations of our democracy was conferral of group rights. Through this provision every religion most importantly Christianity and Muslims can have their own set of religious rights including having their own personal law and all the religious institutions are free to propaganda their own religion and raise money without taxes. Since 1947,Various religions,castes and tribes have been accommodated in our country through group rights, liberal constitutionalism and layered federalism.(Bajpai,2003) I think adopting group rights in our constitution it led to a form of liberalism discourse where as there is a conflict between state sovereignty and Individual rights. In India the concept of religion is deeply rooted, from time to time the ruling classes and the forces which want to control the society has always used religion to mobilise people for electoral votes. In the post-1947 period, all the political parties in order create their exclusive vote banks, they resort to linguistic, regional, religious identities which leads to polarisation among the masses. For eg: targeting Muslim vote banks, congress always appeased the fundamentalists of the community and agreed to all their religious demands while ignoring the basic issues of Muslims which would enable their political participation and economic and cultural development. The political parties to divert the attention of people from miserable ground realities will come up with deceptive slogans and issues. Exploiting the media they will create religious and communal differences among the common masses for their political interests. The decade of 1980s was a decade which saw secular-nationalis t discourse. Its the time when the Indian Identity got fragmented into various smaller sectional identities. To put it in Foucauldian terms Insurrection of littleselves . He notes that this modern form of power is characterized by an immensely flexible braiding of coercion and consent (Nigam,2000).In 80s, BJP, a Hindu nationalist, right wing party dubbed the Congresss secularism as Pseudo-secularism. The secular theory was condemned in the context that it did not respect the wishes and interests of Hindu majority; They felt Hindus were the ones most affected by it. They claimed it pampered the minority, especially Muslims and lower caste. By not respecting Hindu values, it snubs the Indian idea of secularism which calls for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾equal respect for all religions (sarva dharma-sambhav). According to BJP, true secularism, can only be achieved through true equality, which must start from the premise that Hindus constitute the majority population (Hansen 1996). The real pursuit of the discourse of Hindu Nationalism is to achieve equality through difference. The rise of religious identities in India is questioning the fundamental values of democracy. Though Hindu nationalism was steadily growing in 1980s it got radicalized in 1990s. The actors behind this radicalization were assertiveness of lower caste, underperforming political- administrative system (license Raj), increased insecurity because of Globalisation and feeling of dislocation of nation and national identity. The fervour of Hindu nationalism was at its peak at this time and struck chord with Hindu middle classes. Thus Nation-state became a vehicle to disseminate hindutva Ideology. This dogmatism resulted in the demolition of babri masjid. In this discourse to Hindu Nationalism, Muslims were demonized as operational others as they are constraining India to achieve modernity because their cultural obsoleteness and population overgrowth. Also they are considered to be the reason for the dislocation of the nation in the past and the contemporary times. They according to Hindu nationalism, also block the full realization of democracy due to their block voting and stunt the full development of a tolerant secularism due to their intransigence and intolerance (Hansen 1996). Thus the varied notions of authenticity, sovereignty and superiority among these religious groups especially Hindus and Muslims and discourse of rights and equality among these social groups lead to Hindu Nationalism. Hindu Nationalist discourse sought to portray the muslims as inherently doctrine, undemocratic, anti-modern and patriarchal. Hindutva forces like RSS,BJP used a religious language to create a political discourse. To acquire power Hindtuva forces came up with a political ideology to influence the voters and mobilise them on religious grounds by making them increasingly religious consciousness. Hindutvas manifested Hinduism was more hegemonic, chauvinistic and political in character. Hindutva politics used selective religious symbolism that forms a to promote a particular version of Hinduism that fitted the RSSs larger vision of the nation-state by wiping those ideologically inconvenient components of Hinduism. The whole Hindu nationalist movement promoted a view that religion no longer needs to be hidden from the public space, under the garb of secularism. Hindutva forces adapted an aggressive and chauvinistic form of Hinduism. For eg: They brought out the whole concept of Bharartha Matha who is pictured as one form of Hindu kali. During processions they calls for Hindu unity are common and one frequently heard chant is This country is a Hindu country! Its the Hindu peoples own country! Most prevalent of all is Om Kali! Jai Kali! Bharatmata ki jai! In other words, while proclaiming victory in Hindi to Mother India unambiguously understood as Bharat, Hindu India it is supremely violent Kali who is invoked and praised. RSSs activists say Kalis name inspires courage in them, but almost all slogans are plainly intended, too, to be aggressively Hindu and they are understood as such by Muslims and Christians, who hear them most vigorously, yelled out when a procession passes a mosque or church.  [1]   The thematic Hindu nationalism sought the support of religious institutions, orders and festivals in this regard. Among the various festivals, Hindutva has systematically targeted few religious festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi for political purposes. Through indoctrination of colourful, seductive processions the Hindutva forces on a daily basis succeeds in Hinduisation of the public spheres. Lot of Hindu festivals are no more a symbol of religious and cultural traditions but are symbols of communalism. In the name of nationalist ideology, Hindutva forces manifest Hinduism through various institutions in an attempt to make the public internalise Hinduvta ideas which indirectly influences the masses in everyday life. Thus these political elites artificially constructed this whole atmosphere of Hindu-Muslim antagonism through indoctrination and enfranchisement of manifested religious ideas and portrayed muslims as enemies. This resulted in systematic excorcision of muslims.Thus this resurgence of religious identities is not a problem of democracy or secularism its a problem of political vested interests executed through our democratic institutions. Muslims in India are increasingly facing socially exclusion. Muslims are looked at with suspicion and contempt. Its a very disturbing trend to see reports like Muslims are not able to find homes  [2]  and the highest number of untrailed cases are from muslim community  [3]  . How can we be a good democracy if Minorities of our country doesnt feel at peace? A liberal secular democracy shouldnot tolerate matters of faith triumphing over ourconstitution. Religion should not interfere in state affairs. Understanding tolerance as secularism is wrong.as citizens regardless of which community we belong to we must not tolerate certain things.

Learning Styles

The process of educating one's self can be a difficult process. That is if you don't understand your habits and the way you learn and absorb information. Luckily in these times educators are becoming more understanding to their students learning habits and are able to adapt to a students learning styles to better educate them. Some may not know in what category of learning style that they are, there are online surveys one can take to find out there learning style strengths.I myself have Just aken a survey and my results are as follows; Visual: 7 Aural: 9 Read/Write: 4 Kinesthetic: 9. Pretty much what this means is that I am good at listening and hands on learner. The survey also provided learning strategies to better help me. I scored strong on the Aural side (Auditory) strategies that were recommended are, Step 1: INTAKE: attend class discussions and tutorials, discuss topics with others and your teachers, explain new ideas to other people, use a tape recorder, pretty much any metho d that is easier for you to â€Å"intake† the information.Step 2: â€Å"SWOT† which means study without tears, convert your notes into a smaller package, as an Aural learner it would be key study with another aural learner like yourself, also have your partner listen to your understanding of the material discussed, and reading your summarized notes aloud to yourself is also key. Step 3: Output, which is how you will use this information on your tests, assignments and examinations. Imagine talking with the examiner or speaking the answers aloud and writing them down, listen to your voice nd write it down, spending your time in a quiet place is also helpful in recalling the information.I also scored strong on the kinesthetic part of the survey, which is someone who needs to experience something to learn from it, or you need to be able to relate to it, something real, or an easy way to remember it is a hands on person. Studying for every learning style uses the same three step process I discussed in paragraph Learning Styles Executive Summary Learning also known as studying usually occurs when some one can demonstrate that he/she knows something that they don’t know before and/or when they can do something they couldn't do before (skills).  Learning is set of skills, and like all other skills one can improve and develop them over time. Therefore it is important spending some time reflecting  on how to learn best, so that once learning can be more efficient and effective. Honey & Mumford's (1986) designed a Learning Style Questionnaire, which has four styles and these styles are Theorist, Activist, Reflector and Pragmatist.  One of the four learning styles described by Honey & Mumford (1986) is what we shall consider in this paper. Reflectors Reflectors like to stand back to ponder experiences and observe them from many different perspectives. They collect data, both first hand and from others, and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to any conclusion. The thorough collection and analysis of data about experiences and events is what counts so they tend to postpone reaching definitive conclusions for as long as possible. Their philosophy is to be cautious. They are thoughtful people who like to consider all possible angles and implications before making a move. They prefer to take a back seat in meetings and discussions. They enjoy observing other people in action. They listen to others and get the drift of the discussion before making their own points. They tend to adopt a low profile and have a slightly distant, tolerant, unruffled air about them. When they act it is part of a wide picture which includes the past as well as the present and others' observations as well as their own. Conclusion Honey and Mumford (1992) define a reflector as one who likes to stand back and ponder experiences from many different angles. They collect data and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to any conclusion. They tend to be cautious and thoughtful and usually listen to discussions and get the gist of the arguments before making their own points. Once you have identified that the reflector learning style is the one that most closely suit you. You can improve your learning skills following the Honey and Mumford strategies stated in this paper References 1. De Bono, E. (1967) The Use of Lateral Thinking, Penguin Books Ltd, Harmondsworth. 2.   Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1986) The Manual of Learning Styles Peter Honey, Maidenhead, UK. 3.   Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1992) The Manual of Learning Styles, Peter Honey, Maidenhead, UK. Learning Styles The process of educating one's self can be a difficult process. That is if you don't understand your habits and the way you learn and absorb information. Luckily in these times educators are becoming more understanding to their students learning habits and are able to adapt to a students learning styles to better educate them. Some may not know in what category of learning style that they are, there are online surveys one can take to find out there learning style strengths.I myself have Just aken a survey and my results are as follows; Visual: 7 Aural: 9 Read/Write: 4 Kinesthetic: 9. Pretty much what this means is that I am good at listening and hands on learner. The survey also provided learning strategies to better help me. I scored strong on the Aural side (Auditory) strategies that were recommended are, Step 1: INTAKE: attend class discussions and tutorials, discuss topics with others and your teachers, explain new ideas to other people, use a tape recorder, pretty much any metho d that is easier for you to â€Å"intake† the information.Step 2: â€Å"SWOT† which means study without tears, convert your notes into a smaller package, as an Aural learner it would be key study with another aural learner like yourself, also have your partner listen to your understanding of the material discussed, and reading your summarized notes aloud to yourself is also key. Step 3: Output, which is how you will use this information on your tests, assignments and examinations. Imagine talking with the examiner or speaking the answers aloud and writing them down, listen to your voice nd write it down, spending your time in a quiet place is also helpful in recalling the information.I also scored strong on the kinesthetic part of the survey, which is someone who needs to experience something to learn from it, or you need to be able to relate to it, something real, or an easy way to remember it is a hands on person. Studying for every learning style uses the same three step process I discussed in paragraph

Graduation Speech College Graduate Essay - 2111 Words

Libbi Rettew Vynalek, Virginia Tech, realized she had a lot to learn about money. â€Å"I was the girl who never paid her dues on time every September and had pennies in my checking account,† says Libbi, 29. â€Å"I was living paycheck to paycheck and having my credit card declined at the store.† After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2011, Libbi was petrified of her student loan debt even though, at $10,000, it was less than average for graduates. â€Å"Coming out of college, it seemed like a lot of money and I just avoided it. Debt collectors were calling all the time,† she says. Although, â€Å"They all were so nice.† Every college graduate faces a learning curve when it comes to starting his or her financial life. Most make a few mistakes, but all of them have an opportunity to build a strong financial footing that can last a lifetime. In the last decade, however, recent grads have faced a stiffer challenge than those of the past. 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New York Metropolitan Area Facts

The New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area is the new official federal government name and definition for the greater New York City metropolitan area. It huge and encompasses thirty counties in the greater New York City region consists of the following Metropolitan and Micropolitan areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metropolitan Statistical AreaKingston, NY Metropolitan Statistical AreaNew Haven-Milford, CT Metropolitan Statistical AreaNew York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical AreaPoughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical AreaTorrington, CT Micropolitan Statistical AreaTrenton-Ewing, NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area New York City Region Descriptions Below, you will find descriptions of each of the seven above areas and how they are defined. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Fairfield County (including the principal cities of Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury, and Stratford) The Kingston, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Ulster County. The New Haven-Milford, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of New Haven County. The New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of the principal cities of New York, NY; Newark, NJ; Edison, NJ; White Plains, NY; Union, NJ; and Wayne, NJ. Officially, the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area is subdivided into the: Edison, NJ Metropolitan Division (Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Ocean County, and Somerset County)Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division (Nassau County and Suffolk County)Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division (Essex County, NJ; Hunterdon County, NJ; Morris County, NJ; Sussex County, NJ; Union County, NJ; and Pike County, PA)New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division (Bergen County, NJ; Hudson County, NJ; Passaic County, NJ; Bronx County, NY; Kings County, NY; New York County, NY; Putnam County, NY; Queens County, NY; Richmond County, NY; Rockland County, NY; and Westchester County, NY) The Torrington, CT Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Litchfield County. The Trenton-Ewing, NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Mercer County.