कई सवाल छोड़ गया 35वां कोलकता पुस्तक मेला

26 जनवरी से 6 फरवरी तक चलने वाला 35वें कोलकता पुस्तक मेले में माओवादियों के खिलाफ सैन्य आपरेशन बंद करने की मांग, विनायक सेन की रिहाई  व चेरुकुरी राजकुमार उर्फ आजाद की फर्जी तरीके से हुई मुठभेड़ की गूंज से लेकर गणशक्ति के स्टाल के समक्ष विक्षोभ प्रदर्शन, मानवाधिकार कार्यकर्ताओं व बुद्धिजीवियों की रैली, पुलिस के साथ तीखी तकरार और करीब 20 लोगों के खिलाफ दायर एफआईआर जैसी घटनाएं सुर्खियां रहीं।

इन घटनाओं के साथ छह फरवरी को संपन्न हुआ 35वां पुस्तक मेला कई सवाल भी छोड़ गया। मेले में माओवादियों के राजनीतिक दर्शन को सही साबित करने वाली लघु पत्रिका व पुस्तकें भी खूब बिकीं। प्रसारित किये गये एक बुकलेट में तो यहां तक लिखा था कि ‘कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी आफ इंडिया’ पश्चिम बंगाल में अन्य राज्यों की तरह प्रतिबंधित नहीं है, और यहां विचार रखने की पूरी आजादी है। चिकित्सक विनायक सेन और मुठभेड़ में मारे गए माओवादी नेता आजाद से संबंधित साहित्य के कई लघु पत्रिकाओं स्टॉल पर उपलब्ध रहे और खरीदार भी संख्या में कम नहीं थी। पुस्तक मेले में लाइफ टर्म ऑफ डा विनायक सेन, आजाद एंड हिज राइटिंग के लिये खरीदार तलाशे जाते रहे। मेले में माकपा के गणशक्ति के समक्ष विरोध प्रदर्शन भी चौंकाने वाला था। लेखक अरंदम सेन की पुस्तिका माओइज्म, स्टेट एंड इंडियन कम्युनिस्ट मूवमेंट की भी बुद्धिजीवियों में चर्चा रही। मेले में ही आपरेशन ग्रीन हंट के खिलाफ नारा भी बुलंद हुआ। हालांकि मेले में माओवाद के प्रति नरम रुख रखने वाले बुद्धिजीवियों के कार्य-कलाप पर पुलिस की नज़र थी लेकिन विनायक और आजाद की असलियत को आम आदमी से बताने का मौका कुछ लघु पत्रिका स्टाल नहीं छोड़ रहे थे। मेले की आयोजक संस्था पब्लिशर्स एंड बुक सेलर्स गिल्ड के सचिव त्रिदिव चट्टोगाध्याय ने कहा कि पुस्तक मेले का कुछ लोगों द्वारा राजनीतिक कारणों से प्रयोग किया गया जो अनुचित था।

Third World War to begin during Winter Games in 2014

On March 24, well-known Russian astrologists, shamans and parapsychologists gathered to discuss forecasts for near and distant future.

"The phenomenon that they call the world financial crisis, and which, as they believe, is now ending, was not the financial crisis per se. It was just an omen of the imminent crisis. The real financial crisis is going to take place in the future," astrologist Aleksei Kolov said in the beginning of the meeting.

The most impressive astrological forecast was made by Pavel Globa: "Many attack me now claiming that I was promising Russia a quiet year. What kind of quiet year is it if earthquakes rattle Japan. But Japan is not Russia. There will be wars in the world this year, but everything will be fine in our country, except for the summer. The summer is going to be tough: there will be three eclipses in a row in June-July. This year, there will be six eclipses in total. We had such a catastrophic year as this one 20 years ago, when the Soviet Union collapsed," the astrologist said.

Eclipses will cause a lot of trouble this year, Globa warned. By the moment of the latest one, which is going to take place on December 10, armed conflicts will occur on the Balkans. Terrorists will plant a bomb at the Nobel Prize award ceremony.

According to Globa, this year can be compared to 1939 - the year preceding WWII, from the point of view of astrological data.

The participants of the meeting also unveiled the date for the beginning of Third World War. The new war is said to begin in March of 2014, during the Olympic Games in Sochi. It is also possible that the war may start five days after the Games end. Globa did not say in which country exactly the war would begin. He only said that the African revolutions would slowly be moving towards Russia. Massive protests will eventually spark in Central Asia, the astrologist said. According to Globa, such events are happening because of the Black Moon. NATO attacked Libya the day when the Black Moon allied itself with the sun. When the Black Moon allied itself with Uranus, the Japanese earthquake occurred.

In the nearest future, one shall expect revolutions in Syria and Yemen. The Yemeni leader will be toppled only in three years, though. Algeria will be the luckiest country among them all: the riots there will not last long.

"I studied the horoscopes of the leaders of all countries of the region. The Algerian president is the only leader who has no charisma at all. By the way, his birthday is the same day with Gorbachev - March 2nd, 1931. He will leave peacefully. They'll even give him a yacht and a villa. There will be no revolution in Algeria. As for Gaddafi's fate, the problem is that no one knows his birth date - it's either 1937 or 1940 or 1942. If he was born on June 7 indeed, he will die on his birthday - there is an eclipse just near that date. But I don't believe that he is a Gemini. He acts like an Aquarius. Newspapers have recently written that he is a son of a French pilot, they even published a photo of the pilot. I saw the photo - they both look the same indeed," Pavel Globa said.

Parapsychologist Larisa Vais did not predict anything positive either.

"It's going to be a long spring, the summer will be hot, six-fingered children and beasts will be born. I saw it inside of me," she said.

The parapsychologists also saw (inside of her as well, apparently) that the "supreme commander-in-chief" is already looking for his successor. The successor's name will start with a letter 'K'. Larisa Vais said that such visions had never tricked her before. Back in 1996, Larisa saw a Ukrainian woman with a braid. The parapsychologist even mentioned that in one of her interviews to a well-known Russian journalist during those years.

Now Larisa Vais can see a woman as well. This woman, Vais said, would be ruling Russia from behind the back of her husband, the president.

Speaking about global problems, Larisa Vais said that Japan would suffer from other mammoth earthquakes. "A lot of people will die on the planet this year," she said.
Andrei Dondukov, a shaman from Tuva Republic, said that the year 2009 marked the beginning of the era of Yamaraj, the god of death. "Everyone will be held accountable for all they did. Death will be especially close on November 5," shaman said.

Dondukov confirmed Vais's predictions. According to him, men lost their true power a long time ago. "We are living in the era of pseudo-patriarchate. This era will soon end and matriarchate will return," he said.

Russia will survive this change of trend easily. Dmitry Medvedev will remain the nation's ruler. Medvedev is the man, whom Russian Buddhists recognized as the incarnation of female deity - White Tara.

When asked about Putin's role, Dondukov said that Putin is a fighter.

"Putin is a military man, and Medvedev does yoga. There are two types of men in general. One of them is the horizontal type - this is where military men refer to. There's also the vertical type of men - they aim for spiritual growth. Medvedev is a true czar, the Lord's Anointed. Putin is just a duke," shaman Dondukov said.

Asia arms itself to the teeth

India became the world's largest importer of arms during 2006-2010, a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said. The share of India's world arms shipments made up nine percent. China's share was evaluated at six percent. The list of other active arms importers includes South Korea (6%) and Pakistan (5%). The largest exporters of arms in the world are the USA, Russia and Germany.

According to SIPRI experts, Russia remains the primary supplier of arms and military hardware to India. Russia's share in arms transfers to India during the recent five years was evaluated at 82 percent.

Th situation is said to change in the future. India does not purchase ready-made products only - the country is interested in acquiring defense technologies and launching its own production of arms. India is following China's example at this point. China already promotes itself as a large member on the arms market to make a competition to its former primary supplier - Russia.

A year ago, SIPRI named China as the world's largest importer of arms during 2005-2009. It was particularly said that China had bought nine percent of world arms. There are serious doubts about China's ability to independently design and develop state-of-the-art arms. However, it goes without saying that it is much cheaper and easier to reproduce relatively simple types of arms.

China presumably exports its arms to Pakistan. Egypt is the second largest importer of Chinese arms. The products of the Chinese defense industry become more and more popular in poor African countries and in Latin America.

The numbers of Beijing's defense spending are unknown. International experts believe that one should multiply the official Beijing data by two, at least.

If India's defense budget for the upcoming financial year is evaluated at $36 billion, then China officially intends to spend $91.5 billion. Experts say, though, that China will spend twice as much to maintain the 2.5-million-strong army, the Times of India reports.

According to SIPRI's report, the geography of arms shipments in the world has not changed much during the recent ten years. Asia and Oceania were the basic regions for arms shipments from 2006 to 2010 - 43 percent of all imports of arms. Europe comes next with 21 percent of shipments, the Middle East follows with 17 percent, America with 12 percent and Africa closes the list with seven percent.

The list of world's largest arms suppliers remains stable too. The USA tops the list with 30 percent of the global export of defense products.

The USA shipped 44% of its arms to Asia, 28% - to the Middle East and 19% - to Europe.

Germany is the world's third largest arms exporter (11 percent of world sales); France comes next with seven percent. The fourth place is taken by Britain - 4 percent.
The volume of world arms transfers has increased by 24 percent in comparison with the period from 2001 to 2005. Russia was the leader on the actual volume of exports during 2000-2004. However, the situation changed during 2005-2008. The share of the Russian Federation on the world market of arms reached the highest point in 2003 (33%), but then dropped to 23% as of 2005-2009.

weapon of mass deception

The media's plan to encourage foreign intervention in Libya: journalist Eleazar Diaz Rangel said that these agencies rely on their "credibility" (ed. lack of it) to deform the truth about Libya.

Venezuelan journalist and director of the national daily Ultimas Noticias, Eleazar Diaz Rangel, and Argentina's Carlos Aznares, university professor, reported on Tuesday that the international media maintained a strategy to "convince the world that it is convenient for foreign intervention in Libya."

Both agreed that international media expected action on Libya despite the dire consequences this could bring to civilians in the Arab country. In an exclusive interview with Telesur, Diaz Rangel said in the first instance, about revolts generated in Libya since the 17th of February, "there is much misinformation and distortion of news."

In this regard, he said that "all news agencies, particularly the largest, have an information policy that is in harmony with the interests of the countries concerned."

"The Associated Press (AP) coincides in its information policy with political and economic interests of the United States and this is repeated with Reuters in England, Agence France-Presse (AFP) in France, Spain and in general all agencies of western media," said the Venezuelan journalist.

He said that they have "attempted to create a world public opinion that favors military intervention in Libya by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or the United States with other countries" ..

He also argued that the information has been disclosed for the purpose of "creating those conditions and moods in the population to justify military invasion."

The opinion coincided with that of Aznar, who also in an interview with Telesur said that there exists distortion of information usually given on specific topics that seeks to exaggerate the drama in Libya to boost foreign interference.

As an example, he pointed to the case of February 23rd, when the "major agencies" reported that a group of Libyan army soldiers were shot by their own colleagues. Later it was found that the murderers had been rebellious anti-government terrorists opposing Libyan leader Muammar Al Gaddafi.

Similarly, when the conflict began in mid-February, they began to spread the story that there was bombings against the people in the country's capital, Tripoli, when in fact there was never documentation of any kind. It never happened.

Given these facts, the two media specialists indicated that the most viable thing a spectator can do is to "try to be objective" and "see both sides of the situation," reiterating that there are protests both for and against Gaddafi.

The crisis in Libya, characterised by terrorist attacks and armed insurrection, is developing in this country since the 17th of February. Opponents call for resignation of Gaddafi, while massive forces defend the government of the Libyan leader.

Along with continuing efforts for a peaceful solution to the internal conflict, there are also international organizations continuing to provide the environment for foreign military intervention.

One is the European Union (EU) that sent a mission to the city of Benghazi and also recognized and publicly supported the aggressive stance of the rebels.

On Thursday, the United States suspended diplomatic relations with Libya and the U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said her country expected the authorization of the international community to consolidate any military action.

And last Thursday, NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the organization is "united and ready to act against Libya" and announced the deployment of more ships to the Mediterranean with a view to monitoring the arms embargo adopted by United Nations.

Contrary to these actions, last week the African Union (AU) reiterated their rejection of the possibility of foreign intervention. With this action, the bloc joined with others such as the Bolivarian Alternative of the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), which has called for a peaceful and democratic solution without interference from foreign arms and military bodies.

The Devolving Universe

The natural tendency of matter and of all energy is toward greater disorder -- not toward greater order or complexity as evolution would teach. The only way this tendency can be overcome is if there is a directing code and mechanism.

For example, when a seed develops into a tree it does so only because there is a pre-existing energy converting mechanism and code (genetic program) in the seed to direct the growth and development of the seed into a tree. The question for atheists is how any biological order developed in the first place when there was no directing code and mechanism in nature.

It's been shown that a few amino acids have been produced spontaneously, but there is already a natural tendency for molecules to form into amino acids if given the right conditions. There is, however, no natural tendency for amino acids to come together into a sequence to form proteins. They have to be directed to do so by the genetic code in the cells of our bodies.

Even the simplest cell is made up of millions of protein molecules. An average protein molecule may comprise of several hundred sequentially arranged amino acids. Many are comprised of thousands of sequential units. If the amino acids are not in the precise sequence the protein molecules won't function.

The great British scientist Sir Frederick Hoyle has said that the mathematical probability of the sequence of molecules in the simplest cell occurring by chance is 10 to the 40,000th power or roughly equivalent to a tornado going through a junk yard and assembling a 747 Jumbo Jet. It is not rational to put faith in such odds for the origin of life.

What about natural selection? Natural selection is a passive process in nature making sure that only the fit survive. Natural selection doesn't produce anything. It can only "select" from what is produced. Natural selection is not an energy converting and directing mechanism, and natural selection only operates once there is life and reproduction and not before, so natural selection could not have been involved in life's origins.

Creationists argue that there are genetic boundaries to biological variation and change in nature and there is no evidence that random genetic mutations caused by random environmental forces such as radiation can overcome those boundaries. Radiation simply is not an energy-converting and directing mechanism in nature!

The genes exist in all species for micro-evolution (variation within biological kinds) but not for macro-evolution (variation across biological kinds) as Darwin proposed, and there is no scientific evidence that random genetic mutations caused by unthinking environmental forces such as radiation can or will produce entirely new genes for entirely new traits. Mutations only produce more variations of already existing genes. For example, mutations in the gene(s) for human hair may change the gene(s) so that another type of human hair develops, but it'll still be human hair!

Because mutations are accidents in the genetic code they're almost always harmful. Most biological variations are from new combinations of already existing genes and not mutations.

Another problem for Darwin's macro-evolutionary theory is the issue of survival of the fittest. How can a partially evolved species be fit for survival? A partially evolved trait or organ that is not complete and fully functioning will be a liability to a species, not a survival asset. How could species have even survived if their vital organs were still evolving? Survival of the fittest is actually the best argument against Darwin's own theory!

The genetic and biological similarities between species are more logically explained because of a common Designer who designed similar functions for similar purposes rather than common ancestry from random mutations.

What about "Junk" DNA? The latest science shows that "Junk DNA" isn't junk after all! It's we who were ignorant of how useful these segments of DNA really are. Recent scientific research published in scientific journals such as Nature has revealed that the "non-coding" segments of DNA are useful, even essential, in regulating gene expression and intracellular activities.

Although energy cannot be created from nothing or destroyed into nothing by any natural process, the energy in the universe is becoming increasingly more useless. This process is called entropy which is the opposite of evolution. The universe is devolving not evolving!

To develop and maintain order requires useful energy but once all the useful energy in the universe becomes useless then the universe will end in total chaos. This proves the universe could not be eternal or otherwise it would have reached this point long ago. Unlike the Creator (God), the universe requires a beginning because the universe, by its very nature, does not possess the ability to have sustained itself from all eternity. The universe ultimately requires a cause which truly is eternal by its very nature.

The law of entropy teaches that the net direction of the universe is always downward towards greater disorder and chaos -- not towards greater order and complexity. Entropy, or energy decay, occurs in both open and closed systems. We discovered entropy here on earth which is an open system in relation to the Sun.

Isn't the law of entropy merely an expression of probability? Yes, but the robability is so high and certain that the odds of just one calorie of energy spontaneously defying the law of entropy would be trillions times trillions to one, and the universe is made up of far more than just one calorie of energy!

Mathematicians say that any event with odds of 10 to the 50th power is impossible. The odds of just a single average protein molecule coming into existence by chance is 10 to the 65th power. The simplest cell is composed of many millions of protein molecules.

And what about the stars? Gravity may explain how the order found in the precise courses of trillions of stars is maintained, but gravity cannot explain the origin of that order!

Just because something exists in nature doesn't mean it was invented by nature. If all the chemicals that make-up an earthworm were scattered and left to themselves, "Mother Nature" would have no ability to re-organize them into a worm again. It requires an already existing worm to bring about another worm.

All of this simply supports the belief that an intelligent power outside of nature and the universe must have been responsible for the origin of the universe and its initial order.

The disorder in the universe is because of chance but the high degree of order can only be explained rationally due to a supreme mind and intelligence (yes, God).

Because science can explain how an airplane works doesn't mean there was no designer behind the airplane. Because science can explain how the universe works doesn't mean there's no Designer behind universe.

Science can't prove we're here by chance or design, but science does support an intelligent cause for the universe's origin.

Advocates of Intelligent Design in the United States are not demanding that Darwinism no longer be taught in our public schools but simply are requesting that Intelligent Design theory and its scientific merits also be taught, especially since tax payers on both sides pay the bill for public education.

So far the U.S. courts have not rejected the teaching of Intelligent Design because of scientific reasons but because they have ruled such teaching violates separation of church and state. However, there is no real violation of separation of church and state because no one is being forced to believe in God or a particular religion, creed, or denomination.

भुवनेश्वर और हिन्दी का साहित्यिक मुहल्ला

भुवनेश्वर नाम के लेखक के साथ क्या किया जाए, यह हिन्दी साहित्य तय नहीं कर पाया है। इसलिए उसने उन्हें भुला दिया है। भुनेश्वर बोहेमियन थे। यह बात उनके प्रतिकूल गई। निराला में भी यह तत्व दिखाई देता है, पर इसे उनकी अन्य महानताओं के साथ जोड़ कर देखा जाता है। भुवनेश्वर के साथ एक और समस्या थी। वे बेहद कटु आदमी और उतने ही कटु लेखक थे। शायद ऑस्कर वाइल्ड उनके आदर्श थे। वाइल्ड दुनिया से ऊबे हुए, एक तरह के निराशावादी थे। पर उन्हें हंसना-हंसाना खूब आता था। इसने उनके लिए संजीवनी का काम किया। इसी के बल पर उन्हें उस समय के संभ्रांत परिवारों की गप्प-गोष्ठियों में आमंत्रित किया जाता था।

भुवनेश्वर एक लेखक...

भुवनेश्वर ने अपने घमंड में गरीबी का रास्ता अपनाया। वे अपने समय के अधिकतर लेखकों से घृणा करते थे। पंत और निराला उनकी निगाह में नाचीज थे। भुवनेश्वर की गलती यह थी कि उन्होंने अपने मन की यह बात लिख कर भी कह दी। उनकी साहित्यिक ‘औकात’ को देखते हुए उनकी बात पर विचार तक करना जरूरी नहीं समझा गया। हो सकता है, वह स्नॉब भी रहे हों, जैसा कि उस समय के एक-दो साहित्यिकों ने आरोप भी लगया है। यह तो पता नहीं भुवनेश्वर किस जाति के थे। शायद वे किसी सम्मानित और संगठित जाति के नहीं थे। इसलिए हिंदी साहित्य के वातावरण में उनके लिए जगह निश्चित थी- उपेक्षा और अवहेलना के स्तूपों से भरी हुई वह जगह, जहां दृढ़ मनोबल न हो, तो आदमी अपने आप आत्म-घृणा और आत्म-दया से नहीं तो आत्म-हीनता से घिर जाता है। भुवनेश्वर की जिंदगी और उनकी लेखकी, दोनों की मौत तिल-तिल कर हुई।

इस सबके बावजूद भुवनेश्वर में कुछ ऐसा लेखकीय तत्व था, जिसकी उपेक्षा नहीं की जा सकती। वह भले ही महान लेखक न रहे हों, पर हिंदी में अपने ढंग के अकेले लेखक थे। भुवनेश्वर ने ज्यादा नहीं लिखा- अपनी जिंदगी और उस समय के साहित्य ने इसकी मोहलत ही कहां दी, पर इतना कम भी नहीं लिखा कि उन्हें लेखक मानने में संकोच हो। अगर चंद्रधर शार्मा गुलेरी अपनी एक कहानी के बल पर, हालांकि लिखी उन्होंने कई थी, कालजीवी हो सकते है, तो भुवनेश्वर के पास भी ‘भेड़िये’ नाम की एक ऐसी कहानी थी जो उससे उन्नीस नहीं है।

कोई भी सूझ-बूझ वाला आदमी यही कहेगा कि ‘भेड़िये’ को पाठ्य पुस्तकों में जरूर स्थान मिलना चाहिए था। अगर ‘उसने कहा था’ कक्षा दस या बारह तक के छात्रों के लिए उपयुक्त है, तो ‘भेड़िये’ को अंडरग्रंजुएट पाठ्यक्रमों में स्थान मिलना चाहिए। इस कहानी में जीवन मे जघन्यतम यथार्थ को बहुत ही सशक्त ढंग से चित्रित किया गया है और मनुष्यता का एक टिमटिमाता हुआ दीया भी है, जो अंततः इस दुष्ट यथार्थ पर भारी पड़ता है। विद्यार्थियों को यह जानने का पूरा हक है कि जिजीविषा कितनी कमीनी चीज हो सकती है और यह भी कि ऐसा होते हुए भी आदमीयत बची हुई है- शायद अंत तक बची रहेगी।

भुवनेश्वर मानते थे कि यह जिंदगी जीने लायक नहीं है या कम से कम यह कि जो जिंदगी हम जी रहे हैं, वह जीने लायक नहीं है। जब पश्चिम के विचारक यह कहते हैं, तो हम संजीदा हो जाते हैं और इस मान्यता के दार्शनिक पहलुओं पर विचार करने लगते हैं। लेकिन जब भुवनेश्वर ने यह बात एक लेखक के तौर पर कही, तो उसे सुनने तक से इन्कार कर दिया गया- ऐसा बेदर्द है हिन्दी का साहित्य मोहल्ला। लंबा होने के बावजूद भुवनेश्वर की अनादृत कहानी ‘सूर्यपूजा’ का यह अंश उद्धृत करने के सर्वथा योग्य है- यह तो नरक है, डॉक्टर , नरक! यह मुर्दों की बस्ती है। यह भरा-पूरा शहर मुर्दों की बस्ती है...