We are now two weeks away from the onset of monsoon, and one more participant has entered the monsoon prediction game. This time it is a Think-Tank called Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulation, based in Bangalore.
“Indian think-tank sees 15% monsoon deficit”:http://www.rediff.com/money/2003/may/14monsoon.htm
bq. “Basically, there is a 15 per cent deficit for the whole country for the entire year,” Prashant Goswami, scientist at the Bangalore institute, told Reuters. The Centre uses sophisticated software to predict rainfall based on an analysis of patterns of past data.
This is a deadly combination: ‘think tank’ and ‘sophisticated software’. Like any other model, this one too could not predict last years drought. But no other model predicted it as well.
So at this point in time here are the main contestants with their predictions:
* Indian Met Dept: “96%”:https://varnam.org/archives/000072.html
* International Research Institute: “normal”:https://varnam.org/archives/000093.html
* CMMC: 85%
But then the Indian Met Dept. in a bold move made an announcement on when the monsoon will hit India. This time it will be “June 1”:http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=21370. This works out fine for everyone, since June 1st is the day the schools re-open after summer holidays.
This blog will be reporting from Kerala on June 1st on this prediction (unless the Communists there, upset at the thought that rains are hitting India before China, decide to destory all communication facilities)
PS: Why are think-tanks called so ? Do they think in a tank ?

Here are the results of the elections held in a state ruled by the Communist Party of India.
“Bengal panchayat poll violence takes 14 lives”:http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=23728
bq. West Bengal today put Bihar to shame in the three-tier panchayat election which left at least 14 dead and 36 injured, as per official figures. Police had to fire 27 rounds to quell violent mobs from both the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Front and Opposition in more than three districts. Unofficial circles put the death toll at 19.
Even women were not spared. Two women voters were gunned down by Communist Party of India(Marxist) group members. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee claimed that the elections were by and “large peaceful”:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030512/main1.htm.
This is the definition of peace according to the Communists of India.

“McCarthyism’s Indian rebirth”:http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/may/13praful.htm
bq. So vicious and depraved is this campaign that the Library of Congress is unlikely to reverse Prof Thapar’s appointment. But other US institutions and universities might want to play safe and avoid appointing Indian scholars of Left-wing or anti-communal persuasion.
Wouldn’t that be something. So Mr. Bidwai equates Left-Wing == ant-communal. Let’s see for a moment what that means in the state of West Bengal where some Left-Wingers are conducting elections.
Continue reading “More Praful Bidwai Jokes” →

While the IMD has predicted “a below normal monsoon this year”:https://varnam.org/archives/000072.html, the IRI is predicting that the monsoon will arrive on time and bring good rains. IRI is the US-based International Research Institute for Climate Prediction
“Now, some good news on monsoon”:http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=23818
bq. In its sumBook Review: Pakistanreport, the IRI notes with satisfaction that the El Nino of 2002-03 ??has now nearly dissipated to neutral conditions??. That?s very good news for India because El Nino years have a 60 per cent chance of of average rains being below normal and 55 per cent chance of the driest season.
It seems El Nino is out and La Nina is in. No one tells me anything these days. And here is some accusing IMD of “gratuitously staying prisoner to the exigencies of vote bank politics”. Note that the IMD is just the Meteorology Dept.
“Prospects For South-West Monsoon 2003”:http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=33995
bq. However, by not making public the details of its own forecasting exercises, the IMD is gratuitously staying prisoner to the exigencies of vote bank politics. The only way to establish its professionalism is to make public the product of its exertions without an eye to the comfort or discomfort of politicians. Else, it fails to serve the public interest.
This blog will keep track of who won the prediction contest. The IMD or the IRI.

There are many people who believe that it was due to Buddhism that Vegetarianism was introduced into Hinduism. Again let me quote some paragraphs from the book I am reading now “Gem in the Lotus”  by Abraham Eraly.

Buddhist monks were not vegetarians, but they were forbidden to eat the meat of an animal specifically slaughtered to feed them, for that would indirectly make them the killers of the animal. Said Buddha: “Let no one, O monks, knowingly eat the meat[of an animal killed for that purpose…] I prescribe, O monks, that flesh (or fish) is pure to you in three cases: if you do not see, if you have not heard, if you do not suspect[that it has been caught or killed specially to prepare food for you].”

That was from the chapter titled “Gem in the Lotus”, which is what Eraly calls Buddha. He continues to mention that Buddha himself was a non-vegetarian. On his way to Kushinara, Buddha was resting at a place called Pava and one of his devotees, a metalsmith of the name Cunda invited Buddha for a meal.

There sitting the Exalted One called to Cunda and said: “Cunda, as to that fat hog’s flesh which you have prepared, serve me with it, but serve the brethren with whatsoever food both soft and hard, you have prepared”
Buddha, it seems had a weakness for pork—his favourite food, says Milinda-panha, was “tender boar’s flesh, and rice porridge boiled in milk”

But after eating this food prepared by Cunda, Buddha fell seriously ill, and with great difficulty he reached Kushinara and left his body.

In Kerala, last week, a group of Hindu fishermen “were attacked by an armed”:http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/may/09rajeev.htm Muslim mob and 9 people were murdered. The Government has taken over the local mosque after a large amount of arms were discovered there. When the police went to enter the mosque, “they were stopped”:http://www.keralanext.com/news/index.asp?id=10356 by the Muslim League leaders.
Continue reading “Hindus Murdered in India” →

There is “lot of discussion”:http://www.ashoo.org/blog/archives/cat_india.html#000109 going onin the Indian Blogosphere about the decision of the central govt. to ban cow slaughter. The book I am reading now “Gem in the Lotus”:http://penguinbooksindia.com/Books/aspBookDetail.asp?ID=2951 by Abraham Eraly has the following passage about beef eating during the Vedic times.
Continue reading “Holy Cow!” →