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Footsoldiers in Search of an Icon
"The epitaph for the RSS volunteer will be that he was born, he joined the RSS and died without accomplishing anything."-V. D. Savarkar
(D.V.Kelkar, "The R.S.S." Economic Weekly ( 4 Feb 1950: 132) Page 36, The Brotherhood in Saffron,The RSS and The Hindu Revivalism, Andersen and Damle,Vistaar, 1986, Delhi)
Veer Savarkar was a Veer Purush who was not scared of death. He was a Shastra Upasak and Shaasrta Upasak: Shri Narendra Modi
May 29, 2013 Author: admin (http://www.narendramodi.in/)
Celebrations at the central hall of Parliament are a marker of the political ambience in the country.
The change of guard at the centre was very much visible at the place recently where the entire top brass of BJP including PM Narendra Modi were present to celebrate the birth anniversary of Savarkar. Modi described Savarkar as a prolific writer, poet and social reformer. "Tributes to Veer Savarkar on his birth anniversary. We remember and salute his tireless efforts towards the regeneration of our motherland."
People would recall that normally it used to be a low-key event. Last year, the celebrations were further muted. Only few prominent leaders of the BJP were present there. The ascendance of BJP led government had clearly made the difference.
A trip down memory lane would tell us that even for the Sangh Parivar and its affiliated organisations this has not been the case always. The iconisation of Savarkar in the Parivar is not very old. Late nineties when Shiv Sena-BJP ran a coalition government in Maharashtra they did not even think of putting his portrait in the state the assembly. For them this discovery of Savarkar happened during the BJP led NDA regime at the centre (1998-2004).
Perhaps neither Modi nor any of his cabinet colleagues, most of whom started their social political life in the RSS or Rashtra Sevika Samity ( which is meant for women of the Hindutva brigade), would like to remember today that they are singing paens to the man who when alive had castigated the Hedgewars-Gurujis' – founders and pioneers of RSS – and their Swaymsevaks umpteen times ( Sample the quote above) and the Hedgewars'-Golwalkars' had also returned the compliment in the same vein.
Even a cursory glance at the trajectory of Hindu Mahasabha under the leadership of Savarkar or the way in which RSS unfolded itself during those days makes it quite clear that the differences in priorities between the two organisations was already visible from the day Savarkar was elected president of the Hindu Mahasabha after his release from jail ( 1937).In a sympathetic study of RSS "The Brotherhood in Saffron,The RSS and The Hindu Revivalism," the authors Andersen and Damle clearly explain (Page 40, Vistaar, 1986, Delhi) that in fact Savarkar's emphasis was on turning Mahasabha into a political party in opposition to the Congress when Hedgewars' had already decided to insulate RSS from any active politics and concentrate on 'cultural work'. Hedgewar and later Golwalkar also neither wanted to be associated with a formation whose confrontational activities would place the RSS in direct opposition to the Congress. According to him there were apprehensions regarding each other's role in the Hindu Unification Movement. The souring of relations between the two organisations is visible in a angry letter issued by Savarkar's office in 1940 advising that
"..When there is such a serious conflict at a particular locality between any of the branches of the Sangh RSS and the Hindu Sabhaites that actual preaching is carried out against the Hindu Mahasabha …, then the Hindu Sabhaites should better leave the Sangh …and start their own Hindu Sabha volunteer corps.( Letter from V.D.Savarkar to S.L.Mishra, 3 March 1943, Savarkar files, Bombay) "
Definitely the fact that this 'Veer Patriot' ( to quote title of a write-up which appeared in 'Panchajanya' sometime back discussing Savarkar) died a lonely man abhorred especially by the thriving 'Parivar' then, which made special efforts to maintain distance from him in those days, did not bother these 'legatees' then. It did not pertrub their conscience a bit that it took more than thirty four long years after his death that they ultimately decided to claim their lineage from this pioneer of the Hindutva project.
Just to recapitulate, a decade back, when the Vajpayi led NDA was ousted out and UPA I led by Congress, had assumed reins of power a controversy had erupted about removal of Savarkar's plaque from Port Blair's cellular jail where Savarkar was jailed, Vikram Savarkar, Savarkar's own nephew in an interview to a national daily exposed BJP's lack of interest in him and castigated them for their sudden love for him. (Savarkar nephew hits out at BJP, August 30, 2004, Indian Express)
It may be noted that he had accused the senior leaders of the BJP for 'keeping mum despite noticing the removal of his uncle's quotations from Port Blair's Cellular Jail'. According to him Ram Kapse, the then incumbent Lt. governor of Andaman and Nicobar and former M.P Ram Naik ( both BJP workers) "..did not utter a word when the plaque was removed." The report further says that ,' ..he is not surprised at BJP's lack of interest in Savarkar. "We know very well that the BJP and RSS did not appreciate his (Savarkar's) philosophy."..' ..The report further says that ' (Vikram- author) Savarkar insists BJP's sudden love for the legend is an eyewash.' "It is an effort to woo voters for the Assembly elections in Maharashtra."
"Many people worked with the inspiration to free the country by throwing the British out.After formal departure of the British this inspiration slackened.In fact there was no need to have this much inspiration.We should remember that in our pledge we have talked of the freedom of the country through defending religion and culture. There is no mention of departure of the British in that". – M.S. Golwalkar alias Golwalkar Guruji ( Sri Guruji Samgra Darshan,Volume IV, p.2 )
" In 1942 also there was a strong sentiment in the hearts of many. At that time too the routine work of Sangh continued. Sangh decided not to do anything directly". – M.S. Golwalkar alias Golwalkar Guruji ( Sri Guruji Samgra Darshan, p.41)
Ofcourse even a layperson can understand that this 'discovery of Savarkar' which happened in late 90s or or the first decade of the 21 st century and the memory recall experienced by the R/SS brigade vis-a-vis Savarkar did not have spiritual but purely temporal considerations. As an aside it need be mentioned here that Savarkar's portrait was unveiled in the Parliament in the year 2003 – exactly five years after they BJP came to power at the centre.It is clear that apart from the immediate task on hand this complete claim over Savarkar' serves a larger purpose for them and it relates to their utter compromising role during the anti-colonial struggle.
Everybody knows that the RSS came into being in the mid twenties when the anticolonial struggle was surging ahead but preferred to keep itself aloof from this upsurge and concentrate on its supposedly 'cultural work'. Not even once during this twentyplus year journey till we reached independence did it give any call specifically opposing the Britishers, rather it penalised those activists who wanted to participate in the people's movement for freedom. Even its founder Mr Hedgewar went to jail only once after the founding of RSS and that also under the Congress banner. It has been well documented how sheepish their behaviour was during those days when even the secret reports of the Britishers did not write anything averse about them. The Britishers even 'appreciated' their immediate compliance when they were ordered to stop military type training in the late 30s. Not content with their opposition / non participation in the independence movement they even made special efforts to break the broad anti imperialist unity of the Indian people by dividing them on communal lines.
Anybody can vouch that this 'controversial past' of theirs cannot be erased from public memory. The 'iconisation' and the 'glorification' of Savarkar thus serves a dual purpose.The projection of Savarkar as a great freedom fighter and claiming lineage from him whitewashes the 'Parivar's' silence during those stormy days then and Savarkar's later transformation from a nationalist into a Hindutva Supremacist serves them equally well.
It is also evident that there are many aspects of Savarkar's life which they find rather discomfirting.In fact, it would not be incorrect to state that they find themselves in catch 22 situation while defending him e.g. The controversy surrounding the clemency petitions sent by Savarkar to the Britishers for his release while he was in the Andamans still simmers. While his detractors have been able to show his clearcut surrender before the Britishers by presenting documentary proofs which includes Savarkar's own petitions his die hard supporters have rather adopted a more 'flexible' strategy to buttress their case. Initially they challenged the vearcity of his clemency petitions themselves but when that could not be sustained they have portrayed the whole exercise as a tactical move on his part to get out of jails so that he could join the struggle outside. In fact this whole exercise to discover 'tactics' behind Savarkar's petitions for clemency are a great insult to the memory of those known and unknown revolutionaries who braved heavy odds to persist in their struggle many of which embraced death rather than seek amnesty.
Definitely there are many loopholes in this defence. One is surprised to find that a leader of his stature whose heroic deeds in the prime of his youth for the cause of freedom struggle had electrified the nation had started sending letters of apology and demanding amnesty immediately after being sent to Andamans as part of his punishment for life imprisonment. He even disregarded the fact that an All India Defence Committee had already come up for his release and the Congress Party then had urgently taken up his case before the British regime.But as the book 'Penal Settlement in Andamans' by Mr R.C. Mazumdar ( Gazettees Unit, Department of Culture, Ministry of Education and Social Welfare, Govt of India, 1975, P.221) vividly demonstrates he was really so demoralised with the tough conditions existing there that he promised to serve the government in any capacity in exchange of his release.
Sample this concluding part of a mercy petition which Savarkar personally presented to Sir Reginald Craddock, Home Member of the Government of India when he came to visit Cellular Jail in 1913 (November 14, 1913). The mercy petition concluded with the following words :
I am ready to serve the Government in any capacity they like, for as my conversion is conscientous so I hope my future conduct would be. The Mighty alone can afford to be merciful and therefore where else can the prodigal son return but to the parental doors of the Government.
(R.C. Mazumdar, op cit. Page 213)
The assasination of one of the noblest sons of the Indian people namely Mahatma Gandhi and the role played by Savarkar in it has also been a major controversy revolving about it. Despite enough evidence to show that he had a hand in the conspiracy to kill the Mahatma, his supporters have glossed over all the facts on mere technical grounds.
Kapur commission also examined Savarkar's role in the assassination. As things had unfolded in the trial court of Atma Charan, Godse had claimed full responsibility for planning and carrying out the attack, in absence of an independent corroboration of the prosecution witness. Here Badge's testimony was not accepted as it lacked lacked independent corroboration. This was later corroborated by the testimony of two of Savarkar's close aides – Appa Ramachandra Kasar, his bodyguard, and Gajanan Vishnu Damle, his secretary, who had not testified in the original trial but later testified before the Justice Kapur commission set up in 1965. Kasar told the Kapur Commission that they visited him on or about January 23 or 24, which was when they returned from Delhi after the bomb incident. Damle deposed that Godse and Apte saw Savarkar in the middle of January and sat with him (Savarkar) in his garden.
Justice Kapur concluded: "All these facts taken together were destructive of any theory other than the conspiracy to murder by Savarkar and his group.".
A few other crucial aspects of his personality which could help us in reaching a balanced conclusion have either not been considered or have been dropped as irrelevant for the debate. It is time one revisits some of these aspects and also take a fresh look at his Weltanschauung (world view) through which many of the tragic as well as bloody events in the history of Independent India can be foretold.
In fact the myth makers engaged in building a 'halo' around Savarkar about his 'bravery' do not want to uncover that he preceded Jinnah in propounding the 'two nation theory'.If Jinnah is portrayed as a 'villain' in the popular imagery supposedly for demanding partition how it is proper to wrap Savarkar in the garb of hero if he was the one who forcefully laid down the principle much before him. The presidential address delivered by him in Ahmedabad at the 19 th session of the Hindu Mahasabha in 1937 not only explained his understanding of Hindutva but also declared that India comprises of two nations. According to him
there are two antagonistic nations living side by side in India, several infantile politicians commit the serious mistake in supposing that India is already welded into a harmonious nation, or that it could be welded thus for the mere wish to do so.These our wellmeaning but unthinking friends take their dreams for realities.That is why they are impatient of communal tangles and attribute them to communal organizations. But the solid fact is that the so-called communal questions are but a legacy handed down to us by centuries of cultural, religious and national antagonism between the Hindus and Moslems … India can not be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogeneous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main : the Hindus and the Moslems, in India.
( V.D.Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar Wangmaya Hindu Rasthra Darshan ( Collected works of V.D.Savarkar) Vol VI, Maharashtra Prantik Hindusabha, Poona, 1963, p 296
It is now history how in 1942 when the Britishers were engaged in the World War II and the Congress's call for 'Quit India' reverbated throughout India, thousands of people engaged in government jobs including police and military left their jobs to protest continuation of British regime. It is worth noting that while the RSS preferred to keep itself aloof from the 'Quit India Movement' and concentrate on its divisive agenda when the broad masses of the Indian people were figthing the Britishers the pioneer theoretician of the project of HinduRashtra went one step further. At that time 'Veer' Savarkar preferred to tour India asking Hindu youth to join the military with a call 'Militarise the Hindus, Hinduise the nation' . While on one hand Subhash Chandra Bose was engaged in building Indian National Army to fight the Britishers and on the other hand this 'Veer of a different kind' was unashamedly strenghtening British efforts to suppress the rising tide of people's movement. It is interesting that the myth makers of Hindu Rashtra never forget to talk about Subhash Bose's alleged meeting with Savarkar before he proceeded for Germany communicating a sense that Bose's effort had Savarkar's blessing. But they never try to wriggle themselves out of this contradiction that while Savarkar 'blessed' the formation of Indian National Army, he himself was helping the Britishers to find recruits for their army. The rationale provided to justify Savarkar's help in this war effort is convoluted.
It was during the same period that when anti imperialist forces led by Congress and other radical sections of society were waging a 'Do or Die' struggle against the Britishers, Hindu Mahasabha under Savarkar's leadership was running coalition governments in Sind and Bengal sharing power with Muslim league. And while at the level of rhetoric Savarkar had unleashed an attack against the composite, inclusive nationalism of such forces and had no qualms in categorising them for their 'appeasement of Muslims', at the practical level he was busy unashamedly defending this power sharing
in practical politics also the Mahasabha knows that we must advance through reasonable compromises.Witness the fact that only recently in Sind, the Sind Hindu Sabha on invitation had taken the responsibility of joining hands with the League itself in running coalition government.The case of Bengal is well known. Wild Leaguers whom even the Congress with all its submissiveness could not placate grew quite reasonably compromising and socialble as soon as they came in contact with the Hindu Mahasabha and the Coalition government , under the premiership of Mr Fazlul Haq and the able lead of our esteemed Mahasabha leader Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerji, functioned successfully for a year or so to the benefit of both the communities.
( V.D.Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar Wangmaya Hindu Rasthra Darshan ( Collected works of V.D.Savarkar) Vol VI, Maharashtra Prantik Hindusabha, Poona, 1963, p 479-480
Is it not surprising that despite many such acts which by any stretch of imagination could be called 'patriotic' Savarkar is still being portrayed as a 'patriot' by the Hindutva Brigade. One fails to understand what was 'patriotic' about this when the Indian masses were shedding their blood at the hands of the Britishers this 'Veer' was engaged in not only providing legitimacy to their regime but was also engaged in winning over a section of Hindu masses to join the British forces.
Ofcourse the 'Veerhood' of this Patriot of a different kind did not end here. Neither could he hide his glee over the 'banning of Congress' and 'its removal from political field.' He did not mind hurriedly applauding Aiyar, the Dewan of Travancore, when he had exhibited the audacity of declaring the state independent. Qutoed in Frontline, A.G.Noorani, (in his review of two biographies of C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar in -) says that:
Sir C.P.Ramaswamy Aiyar, the Dewan of Travancore, had declared the state independent of India! The perfidy did not stop there. He gallantly and speedily appointed an ambassador from Travancore to Jinnah's Pakistan, thus affirming once more his credentials as an inveterate enemy of India free and whole.And, for this treason, who lustily applauded Aiyar in all of India? Who else but "Veer" Savarkar?
Savarkar should have been tried for treason. They let him go in those days of national euphoria. It only whetted his passion for more treason and grosser crime, culminating in Gandhi's assassination.
The epic of bravery of this 'Veer of a Different Kind' would remain incomplete if one does not take into account the way he propagated politics of revenge in general and even went to the extent of propagating rape as a political weapon to further the cause of Hindu Rashtra. The way Savarkar justifies violence against innocents, the way he castigates the greatest Maratha king Shivaji for his chivalry towards women is reprehensible.
Dhanjay Keer in his biography of Savarkar narrates an incident of Savarkar's childhood when as a 12 year old child he had gone to stone a local mosque. Savarkar's own description of the incident is noteworthy
" We vandalised the mosque to our heart's content and raised the flag of our bravery on it. We followed the war strategy of Shivaji completely and ran away from the site after accomplishing our task."
As expected when the Muslim boys in the village reacted to this incident, Savarkar and his buddies from the village did not hesitate to retaliate violently with knives, pins etc. Savarkar cannot hide his glee over the victory of their side in this 'religious war'.
In fact Savarkar's valorisation of violence against English women and children is also problematic.Mr Jyotirmaya Sharma in one of his articles 'Invented Enemy : Savarkar's Politics of Revenge' published in Times of India also gives an example about the way Savarkar narrates the event of 1857 in Kanpur. Discussing the 1857 siege of Kanpur Savarkar tells the reader in an unemotional comment the way
'butchers were called by the Begum Saheb of Bibigarh, the chief officer of Bibigarh when the prison guards refused to massacre the English.'
According to Savarkar,
' ..As soon as they entered with their swords and knives, they butchered 150 women and children. While going in, the buthchers walked on the ground and while coming out they had to journey through blood.'
Ofcourse Savarkar's 'magnum opus' Bhartiya Itihasatil Saha Soneri Paane ('Six Golden Epochs in Indian History)' can be considered to be a representative of his new weltanshauung where he carefully departs from his earlier nationalist philosophy and focusses his attention on the project of Hindu Rashtra. Ajit Karnik in his comment 'Savarkar's Hindutva' (Economic and Political Weekly, April 12,2003) tells us how Savarkar condemns Marathas for not taking revenge on Muslims. According to him,
"…On pages 390-391 of the above-mentioned book, Savarkar takes to task the Marathas for not taking revenge on Muslims in response to the atrocities committed around the year 1757 by Abdalli. Savarkar would have liked the Marathas to not just take revenge, but to annihilate Muslim religion (Mussalmani Dharma) and exterminate the Muslim people and make India "Muslim-free". He reports with great approval how Spain, Portugal, Greece and Bulgaria had done a similar thing in the past and ensured the safety of Christianity. Presumably, Savarkar would have liked India to be rid of Muslims to make the country safe for Hindutva. Clearly, the India he wanted to create had no place for Muslims: the country had to be cleansed of Islam and the followers of Islam."
It is worth noting that in this much discussed book Savarkar propounds the thesis of the 'collective guilt of Muslims.' He lays down the thesis that Muslims need to be punished not only what they themselves have done but what their coreligionists had done. In a way he presents himself as the father of the language of Pratishodh, Pratikaar, all synonyms for revenge, retribution and retaliation and a pioneer thinker who inspired a wide spectrum of individuals and organisations ranging from the Sangh Parivar, Shiv Sena and Hindu Mahasabha to the Hedgewars, Golwalkars to the Thakres, Togadias.
Karnik further adds :
Further (page 392), Savarkar is unrelenting in his criticism of the Marathas for failing to exact revenge, not only on Abdalli and his forces for their atrocities on Hindus, but on those ordinary Muslims who continued to live in Mathura, Gokul, etc. According to Savarkar, the Maratha army should have killed ordinary Muslims (i e, not soldiers), destroyed their mosques and raped Muslim women. The revenge was to be taken, not on the perpetrators of the earlier atrocities, but on those who had nothing to do with the earlier episodes, on those who were ordinary residents of these places and whose only crime was that they shared their religion with the perpetrators of the earlier atrocities.
The act of ethnic cleansing has come in lot of criticism in the civilized world of late. The way ultranationalists of Serbia engaged in such campaign in Bosnia has not only been well documented but for such acts against humanity its 'architect' Slobodan Milosevic faced trial before the world court. The events in Gujarat when the Hindutva fascists enacted one of the worst genocides of the minorities have also received lot of condemnation and even the Supreme Court of the country has categorically stated that it was 'terrorism' which was spearheaded by 'Modern Day Neroes'.
While Savarkar was long dead when these events occured but it is not difficult to surmise how he would have reacted to such incidents if one compares his approach towards similar incidents in the past.One knows that the advent of Pushyamitra Shung in the early part of the first millenium had lead to ethnic cleansing of Buddhists on a mass scale.It is the same period when Brahminical revival took place and Manusmriti was codified. In his book Savarkar had no qualms in justifying the large scale massacre of Buddhists by Pushyamitra Shung (Veer Savarkar Prakashan, Kurla, Mumbai,1997, 9th edition, Chapter 2, P 51-74).
But one of the most reprehensible but also the least known part of Savarkar's life is the way he criticised Shivaji for his chivalry towards the daughter in law of Nawab of Kalyan who was captured and brought before him by his army. He calls this act perverted virtue. ( Bhartiya Itihasatil Saha Soneri Paane, Chapter 4 and 5, P. 147-74). The legend goes that when one of his enthusiastic assistants presented before him the daughter in law of Nawab expecting to get some special favour, Shivaji not only reprimanded him for such act but also punished him and sent back the women to her place with full honour. But Savarkar condemns this act by Shivaji and says that he was wrong as this cultured and human treatment could not evoke in those fanatics the same feelings about Hindu women. It may be shocking to note that thus Savarkar gives a theoretical justification for the innumerable rapes of the 'other' women by the terrorists of the Hindutva brigade ranging from Bhagalpur to Gujarat. In fact like Shivaji, Chimaji Appa another Maratha warrior had also dealt with a similar situation in a similar manner to the wife of the Portugese governor of Bassein. Savarkar is quite unambiguous when he discussed the import of these chivalrous acts and not only condemns Chimaji Appa as well as Shivaji. He sees a problem with the fact that why people in general have been favourably inclined towards these noble acts. According to him :
Even now we proudly refer to the noble acts of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chimaji Appa, when they honourably sent back the daughter in law of the Muslim governor of Kalyan and the wife of the Portugese governor of Bassein respectively. But is it not strange that when they did so, neither Shivaji nor Chimaji Appa should ever remember the atrocities and the rapes and the molestation perpetrated by Mahmud of Gazni, Muhammad Ghori, Alla-uddin Khilji and others on thousands of Hindu ladies and girls like the princess of Dahir, Kamaladevi, the wife of Karnaraj or Karnawati and her extremely beautiful daughter, Devaladevi…
But because of the then prevalent perverted religious ideas about chivalry to women, which ultimately proved highly detrimental to the Hindu community, neither Shivaji Maharaj nor Chimaji Appa could do such wrongs to the Muslim women.
( Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History, P. 461, Delhi, Rajdhani Granthagar, 1971.)
Ofcourse Savarkar does not stop in the medieval period. For him all these incidents have a contemporary import which needs to be properly looked into. And while discussing the Indo-Pak conflict Savarkar remarks :
He said that Pakistan's inhuman and barbarous acts such as kidnapping and raping Indian women would not be stopped unless Pakistan was given tit for tat. Two years earlier Savarkar had expressed his opinion that the liberal policy adopted by Shivaji in case of Muslim women was wrong as this cultured and human treatment could not evoke in those fanatics the same feelings about Hindu women. They should have been given tit for tat, he observed frankly, so that they might have realised that the horrors of these brutalities.
( Dhanjay Keer, Veer Savarkar, Bombay, Popular Prakashan, 1966, p. 539)
As already stated the search of the footsoldiers of the Hindutva brigade is finally over with the 'discovery' of Savarkar. Definitely they can have the liberty of having an icon who after playing a heroic role in his youth metamorphosed himself into a fanatic who preferred to become a theoretician and practitioner of hate. But they have no right to impose such an icon on the Indian people as a freedom fighter par excellence. It is pure insult to the memories of the martyrs of India's freedom struggle.
The cohorts of the Hindutva Brigade can derive solace from the fact that this 'Veer' systematically turned virtue itself into perversion a la Shivaji and Chimaji Appa but for all those persons who are committed to gender sensitivity and gender equality it signifies sheer exhortation to rape and nothing else.
Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet members have every right to iconise or glorify whom they consider their own, especially within the confines of the 'Shakha' (basic unit of RSS), but as leaders of a country of more than 1.2 billion people who have taken oath to abide by the constitution, they cannot wish away the fact that their every idea and action – in the public domain – would be put to scrutiny.
And they will have to explain to the people why they consider a man who sent mercy petitions to the Britishers, a man who according to Justic Kapoor commission was part of the 'conspiracy to assasinate the Mahatma' , a man who opposed preparation of a new constitution then at the time of independence under the stewardship of Dr Ambedkar and instead proposed 'Manusmriti' as newly independent India's constitution , a man who justified sexual violence against innocents to teach them a lesson, as their Hero, as their icon.
The sixty plus year old experiment in democracy which is being practised here – with all its limitations – has unleashed the last wo/man's capacity to question, debate and argue and seek answers. It does not fear history rather draws strength from it. And it can no more be silenced.
KS permalinkMay 29, 2014 4:44 PM
Under the wrap of scholarly article this is a piece of yellow journalism. Wrong conclusion drawn with biased analysis of facts under the pretext of doing a "biased" analysis…in fact analysing a historical fact of 16th or 19th century with 21st century values and sensibilities is laughable and condemnable at best!! ..if gender equality is so much of issue of 19th century freedom fighters then from Mahatma Gandhi to Lokmanya Tilak ; everyone will be under criticism .. Sawarkar was certainly not the "greatest" of freedom fighters India has produced ; just like BhagatSingh never was our "greatest" son of soil. In fact views of BhagatSingh can be equated to maoist/terrorists if seen in current context but still he is acceptable as a hero to liberals n radicals alike (same can be said about Bose) ; ; not all Congress leaders were saint and not all congress opponents were devils …a honest look at congress in pre-independance era will reveal its obsession about power and not freedom(not true for Gandhi but for other leaders) ….; lets look at Sawarkar with an open mind; he may not be a hero for all but certainly he was and is an icon . His work and writing has a lot about social reform , caste annihilation , anti -supersitions and modernism of religion (and this is real reason why RSS didnt like him earlier because he opposed caste system and demanded modernism of Hindu religion devoid of rituals ) …in such a long so called " balanced " article ; not even once it speaks of his contribution to social reform , inspirations to millions by his poetry (Vajpayee n Advani both said they were inspired by his poetry) . No doubt he was Hindu nationalist or Hindu fanatic whichever way you out it but if this country can allow singing of Iqbals songs when he was a muslim fanatic and inspiration for Pak (and even is today) why not open mind to other side"? Liberals need to know that this kind of one sided propaganda has actually gone against them and paradoxically had strengthened Modi……
Srinath permalinkMay 29, 2014 6:53 PM
An amazing piece
If ever one is to wonder why the BJP and its parent organization is full of contradictions today, it can be traced back to their intellectual fathers who were themselves men of contradictions.
Ajit Joshi permalinkMay 30, 2014 5:02 AM
Savarkar was a self declared atheist, he created the word Hindutva as opposed to Hindu Religion. He was earliest person to declare idea of freedom from Britishers before Tilak and official view of congress. He and his elder brother were send to Andaman for 50 years Kalapani not for picnic or because they revolted against the British. In Saha soneri pane, he is merely saying that Shivaji was good to ladies of Islamic rulers when they were not exactly protecting women here. He accepted two nation theory where he thought like Turkey Greece, Turkey Armenia there may be large scale transfer of people on religious lines and I never got sense that he wanted to have holocaust in India. Anyway what happened in 1947 is well documented, so if security would have been provided to people at large, instead of jumping to the throne of India, and creating war like situation could have been avoided by congress. Baba rao Savarkar was practically friends with founders of RSS, but Dr Hegdewar and later Golwarkar have had problems with some of Savarkar's views on cows, (Savarkar would never call it Gomata and used to call it a useful animal etc), Hindutva of both entities was separate RSS looking at cultural aspect, and Savarkar wanting the nationalist version. Current attraction to Savarkar in parivar mainly comes out of bizarre hatred of people like the author who have tried to remove his name from celluar jail, tried to call him castist when he fought to eradicate caste, someone calling him he went to Europe on picnic, never completed education, etc etc. The rise and rise of Modi happened in my humble opinion due to the reaction of right wing to his demonisation by few people repeatedly calling him killer etc. Same is happening with Savarkar. The way the writer here has attacked Savarkar giving references of his books will make few youngsters read them and get converted to his philosophy. By attacking a freedom fighter on his birth anniversary, the writer will only get Savarkar supporters angry and frustrated. By not writing negative coinciding on his birth anniversary will help the cause better.
Omkar permalinkMay 30, 2014 7:11 AM
Amazing article !!
Unfortunately pseudo patriots of RSS do not know this history.
May 30, 2014 4:09 PM
A very well researched article. I must congratulate the author. However, if one were to critically evaluate any other leader of Indian Freedom Struggle or a leader from any genre/ generation (including Mahatma Gandhi) one will always find the dark side of the person. The fact of the matter is that Veer Savarkar even in today's text books (most drafted by Congress governments) is decorated as a valiant freedom fighter and this is the fact that most young Indians read and grow up with. India will always be a country where there will be many views of history; its heroes and anti-heroes will change as the governments change. Rajiv Gandhi will always be hailed by Congress governments as an hero and by non-Congress governments as anti-hero. Same applies to Modi. This an inalienable truth and will always remain one. History is what one makes of it.
ahanasmi permalinkJune 1, 2014 3:30 AM
It is interesting that the article claims that Savarkar insisted on "Manusmriti" being India's constitution rather than the secular one drafted by the Committee chaired by Ambedkar.
For straight from Ambedkar's pen we have the following contradictory assessment of Savarkar's views (Quoted from Ambedkar's writings here, and also found on the Wikipedia article on Savarkar, emphasis mine)
Mr. Savarkar adopts neither of these two ways. He does not propose to suppress the Muslim nation. On the contrary he is nursing and feeding it by allowing it to retain its religion, language and culture, elements which go to sustain the soul of a nation. At the same time he does not consent to divide the country so as to allow the two nations to become separate, autonomous states, each sovereign in its own territory. He wants the Hindus and the Muslims to live as two separate nations in one country, each maintaining its own religion, language and culture.
Ambedkar disagrees with Savarkar's views not because they are anti-minority, but because as Ambedkar puts it (again emphasis mine),
….his scheme is really creating a most dangerous situation for the safety and security of India. History records two ways as being open to a major nation to deal with a minor nation when they are citizens of the same country and are subject to the same constitution. One way is to destroy the nationality of the minor nation and to assimilate and absorb it into the major nation, so as to make one nation out of two. This is done by denying to the minor nation any right to language, religion or culture and by seeking to enforce upon it the language, religion and culture of the major nation. The other way is to divide the country and to allow the minor nation a separate, autonomous and sovereign existence, independent of the major nation. Both these ways were tried in Austria and Turkey, the second after the failure of the first. Mr. Savarkar adopts neither of these two ways. He does not propose to suppress the Muslim nation.
Given Savarkar's insistence on ensuring that minorities get all rights to preserve their culture, and the approval of his ideas by a figure no less than Ambedkar, it is hard to believe the writer's unreferenced claim that Savarkar was in favor of making Manu Smriti the constitution of India.
ahanasmi permalinkJune 1, 2014 3:42 AM
And we have, straight from the Horses's mouth (Savarkar's comments quoted by Ambedkar in the article I linked in my last comment, emphasis mine)
When once the Hindu Maha Sabha not only accepts but maintains the principles of "one man one vote" and the public services to go by merit alone added to the fundamental rights and obligations to be shared by all citizens alike irrespective of any distinction of Race or Religion. . . .any further mention of minority rights is on the principle not only unnecessary but self-contradictory. Because it again introduces a consciousness of majority and minority on Communal basis. But as practical politics requires it and as the Hindu Sanghatanists want to relieve our non-Hindu countrymen of even a ghost of suspicion, we are prepared to emphasise that the legitimate rights of minorities with regard to their Religion, Culture, and Language will be expressly guaranteed: on one condition only that the equal rights of the majority also must not in any case be encroached upon or abrogated. Every minority may have separate schools to train up their children in their own tongue, their own religious or cultural institutions and can receive Government help also for these,—but always in proportion to the taxes they pay into the common exchequer. The same principle must of course hold good in case of the majority too.
These do not look like the ravings of a man who , Subhash Gatade claims, was "a man who opposed preparation of a new constitution then at the time of independence under the stewardship of Dr Ambedkar and instead proposed 'Manusmriti' as newly independent India's constitution". In fact what he says matches almost word for word (except for the taxes part) with the current provisions in our constitution.
Abhishek permalinkJune 30, 2014 5:11 PM
Here is a question. How did Savarkar manage to reach Andaman Cellular Jail in the first place?
Surely he had managed to scare the British Crown in a way Nehru never could. The British never sent Nehru to Andaman. Instead they showered him with affection, honors and promised him the post of Prime Minister and offered to support his children for the post. The British even kept this promise by helping Indira Gandhi in 1984! Such was the love of the British for Nehru!
And you ask who the surrendering coward was…
February 12, 2015 7:47 PM
While discussing the subject of Savarkar, one always find the Savarkar lovers short on homework, arguing from their heart rather than use rational faculties. The results is often tragic- one of your writers ends up calling one of the finest poets the world has seen- Dr Iqbal- a rabid communalist, whereas the fact is that he was a moderating force everywhere. How much beauty people have missed in the process- just see what Dr Iqbal wrote on Lord Rama:
Labreiz Hai Sharaabe haqeeqat se Jaame hind.
Sab falsafi Hain Khitai Maghrib ke Raame Hind .
Hai Raam Ke wajood Pe Hindostaan ko Naaz,
Ahle Nazar Samjhatein hain Unko Imaame Hind.
Rama being called their Imam by Dr Iqbal!
If you feel Dr Iqbal was wrong in prescribing a separate Pakistan, remember that the idea was mooted by none other than Savarkar.
I have studied Savarkar quite exhaustively. I would say this to his supporters and detractors both: Savarkar was also the master of the written word. But there is no point in blaming him for believing things like "Muslim ladies should be raped by Hindu soldiers" or worse things that hurt humanity…Savarkar is simply like water: whatever colour you put in him, he becomes- the communalism he preached is the reflection of our own tendencies- the ideology is in us!
But I am pleased to report that he cannot do much harm to our secular fabric: I have checked with scores of slum dwellers recently in Mumbai: 0% know about Savarkar, and 100% know about Dr Ambedkar!


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Seale Tornado - Russell County
April 10, 2009
A National Weather Service Damage Assessment Team has surveyed the storm damage in Russell County. It has been determined the damage was the result of a tornado. The tornado has been rated an EF-1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Damage estimates were consistent with winds between 95 & 105 mph.
An EF-1 tornado briefly touched down near Seale. The tornado produced damage near the intersection of Ridge Road and Rutledge Road. This location is approximately 4 miles east northeast of Seale. One mobile home was destroyed and one woman occupant of the mobile home was injured. Several trees were also blown down along the short path. The tornado damage path was one half of a mile long and was 100 yards wide at its widest point.
Building Damage
Roof Damage
Home Destroyed

subset: commoncrawl


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Early stage funding provides backing to companies in management team building, pre- and post-revenue, and initial operational phases. Investors typically partner with businesses with emerging ideas and high growth potential. Early stage private equity is considered to be a riskier type of financing in that the business, product, or service is still young in the market. It does, however, deliver a high return to investors once the business becomes successful.
According to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, the amount of investments in early stage companies has steadily increased over the years, totaling 35% or more of venture capital funding in the United States. Early stage venture capital firms can have diverse fund sizes ranging from as little as $10 million to billions of dollars depending on their pool of investors. Typically, they invest from $10,000 to $2 million or more in individual companies. Early stage investors usually prefer to back companies that are offering innovation, disruptive solutions, or value creation for its customers in a specific market or industry.
Get venture funding through FindVenture.com by submitting your business plan.
BlueRun Ventures specializes in early stage investments and currently has $1 billion in capital in management. Since its formation 10 years ago, it has invested in technology-based businesses across the world including PayPal and Pogo.com. It normally capitalizes on prospects in the Internet, media, mobile, enterprise software, semiconductor, and components areas.
EDF Ventures backs early stage healthcare and IT companies, and has funded over 50 companies since its start in Ann Arbor, Michigan. EDF prefers companies entering new or under-penetrated markets and represents a true presence within the many Great Lakes venture capital firms.
ARCH Venture Partners currently has seven funds totaling $1.5 billion and supports companies within life sciences, IT, and physical sciences through seed and early stage funding. The firm originated in the midwest region, but has expanded to provide backing to companies on a nationwide basis with offices in Illinois, Texas, Washington, and California.
Bay Partners is a California venture capital firm aiding early stage and growing businesses in the IT and healthcare sectors. It currently has $1 billion in capital under management and has aided more than 300 start up ventures since 1976. It has backed businesses, such as Like.com and Jambool, which have been acquired by Google.
Matrix Partners invests in start ups across diverse industries, providing early/late stage and follow-on funding ranging from $2 million to $10 million. With $1 billion in total capital, the company finances entrepreneurs in the United States, India, and China. Over the past 30 years, it has backed companies such as Apple Computer, SanDisk, and TheLadders.com.
Asset Management Company was created in 1965 in California as a Palo Alto venture capital firm focusing on information sciences, life sciences, and health sciences technology businesses. It has since then aided more than 250 start ups through diverse stages of company development from early stage through growth equity. Asset Management Company typically enters businesses during the early or seed stage rounds, investing anywhere from $500,000 to $2 million.
Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm with presence in the United States, China, Israel, and India. It backs companies in the seed, early, and growth stages with investments ranging from $100,000 to $100 million. Sequoia Capital is considered one of the top Menlo Park, CA venture capital firms offering west coast funding, partnering with entrepreneurs in the financial services, healthcare, Internet, mobile, and technology sectors. It has backed large players such PayPal, LinkedIn, Google, Yahoo!, and Cisco, and YouTube since its launch in 1972.
New Enterprise Associates is a multi-stage venture capital firm supporting companies in diverse phases from seed stage to growth equity, and has funded more than 650 organizations worldwide. The company has more than $11 billion in invested capital with companies in the IT, healthcare, and energy technology industries with an open portfolio of 265+ growing businesses.
Foundation Capital was formed in 2005 as a subsidiary of the New Jersey Health Foundation to back seed stage companies within the healthcare and life sciences area focused on proprietary and emerging products and technologies.


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Second Century Ventures Builds Real Estate Strategy Brick By Brick
The real estate industry is going through a period of transformation, with new technologies challenging the established order – witness companies like Trulia, Zillow and Redfin that are making it easier for people to search for and analyze properties and even list and sell their homes online.
Evangelists for the new wave of real estate-related start-ups talk confidently of a new era in which services traditionally offered by real estate professionals will be de-emphasized in favor of a more do-it-yourself model.
So a venture capitalist working for the real estate industry probably is shaking in his boots, right? Not so, says Steve Griffiths, senior associate for Second Century Ventures, an off-shoot of the non-profit National Association of Realtors, which founded the VC firm two years ago to take charge of its investing in technology start-ups.
Second Century, which is investing out of a $20 million fund provided by the NAR, considers "all kinds of opportunities," says Griffiths. Deal flow is "robust," he says, and he's looking at software companies, Web companies, different tools and services for real estate, and companies that serve several industries – as long as real estate is included.
Griffiths joined Second Century in June 2009, after he earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. Although he'd helped venture capital and private equity firms do due diligence on companies and advised entrepreneurs on mergers, acquisitions and fund-raising, Second Century has given him his first chance to be an investor. He aims to make one to three investments next year.
So far, Second Century has made two investments – ePropertyData LLC, which creates an online network for brokers, appraisers, developers and other industry members to share transaction history and other data on local real estate; and DocuSign Inc., a software platform for electronic signatures.
Second Century did sit out DocuSign's latest funding – a $27 million Series C round raised this month that was oversubscribed – although NAR still has a representative on DocuSign's board.
The C round was structured to ensure greater participation by another current investor, Salesforce.com Inc. "Salesforce is the tightest partnership we have," said DocuSign Chief Executive Steve King. "They were already a small investor, and it made sense since we were raising more to make sure we could accommodate them."
Griffiths declined to comment on the DocuSign funding, except to say that the company fits what Second Century is looking for – a technology business with strong growth prospects in several areas that provides real value for the real estate industry.
"If you think about the realtor and the time and effort and money they spend managing contracts, at two bucks a pop, it makes sense to do the process electronically," he says. "It's quick, it saves time and money and it's green."
Green is another area where he's looking for investments, Griffiths says, because green is important to NAR. The organization has a Green Resource Council, a green designation so that realtors can get trained to seek out green properties in their areas, and several other green initiatives.
Second Century works so closely with NAR on its investment strategy that Griffiths is the only firm member with no NAR ties. Constance Freedman, vice president for investments at NAR, is the firm's managing director; Bob Goldberg, NAR's senior vice president for marketing, is a principal; and Dale Stinton, NAR's chief executive, is Second Century's president.
But NAR does give Second Century some flexibility, Griffiths said – more than many LPs give their venture firms.
Second Century has no strict guidelines on when they have to exit a company or on the life of its fund. The firm will lead investments, act as a minority investor or co-invest, and it may or may not take a board seat, although it will find board members who are "heavy hitters" in real estate. And although its sweet spot is companies generating $2 million to $30 million in revenue, it will consider younger companies too.
For a non-profit trade association to create a for-profit VC is rare, Griffiths says, and "a forward-looking step."


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Share Photo
People chant pro-Arab Summit slogans during a demonstration in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, March 27, 2012. The summit has received a cool welcome from many Iraqis who say they expect to gain little from it. About 150 demonstrators rallied in the Sunni-dominated city of Fallujah calling on the League to stop the bloodshed in neighboring Syria and Iraq's government to give more jobs to Sunnis. (AP Photo)


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Violent films, mass shootings, 'SNL' and 'Silent Night'
Part of the debate over mass shootings and America's gun culture involves popular culture. Do violent films, TV shows and video games share the blame?
Certainly the proliferation of guns and mental health issues are front and center when tragedies like the one in Newtown, Conn., or earlier this year in Brookfield or Oak Creek, occur. »Read Full Blog Post
'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini reading Maurice Sendak's 'In the Night Kitchen'
Here's a look at 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini in a distinctly different role: reading Maurice Sendak's story 'In the Night Kitchen':
Gandolfini died of a heart attack while on vacation in Italy Wednesday. He was 51. »Read Full Blog Post
The Story of TRUE Skool: A Short Film
Words can't express how much working at the youth organization TRUE Skool has meant to me and many others in and around the Milwaukee area. Because of this, when people ask me why I chosen to become the music director there, my answer of "because it's dope", admittedly isn't very descriptive. »Read Full Blog Post
Crisp Pizza Bar on Brady closed; Jack's American Pub to open
Crisp Pizza Bar, 1323 E. Brady St., closed Tuesday, and a new bar called Jack's American Pub will open in its place.
Scott Schaefer, owner of Milwaukee Brat House on Old World 3rd St. and an owner of Three Lions in Shorewood, confirmed that the sale of Crisp was finalized Tuesday and that a new bar will open. »Read Full Blog Post(4)
Full map of Wisconsin pick-your-own berry farms
Wisconsin's lingering cold front may have delayed strawberry ripening, but local orchards are still preparing for a bountiful pick-your-own berry season. Whether its blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or pea pods, you can find a number of pick-your-own places with our complete location map.
Farmers advise that you call them before planning a trip to their orchard to confirm hours of operation and to prepare for any weather advisories. All phone and hotline numbers are provided in map details. »Read Full Article
How well do you know the Summerfest headliners?
ANSWERS: 1. Pitbull; 2. Florida Georgia Line; 3. John Mayer; 4. Eagles; 5. Boyz II Men; 6. Rush; 7. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; 8. Jason Aldean; 9. fun.; 10. Luke Bryan »Read Full Article
Milwaukeeans Chill on the Hill with social media
Bluegrass music filled Humboldt Park last night in Bay View's latest Chill on the Hill concert.
But photos, videos and tweets filled the social media sphere as musicgoers shared their experiences. Read our social media story of last night's Chill on the Hill, which featured Pay the Devil / The Best Westerns. »Read Full Article
Garlic Fest to sprout on Sunday in Walker's Point
Food, drinks, games, music, artists and other vendors will be on hand for Garlic Fest on Sunday in Walker's Point.
It takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside Braise restaurant, at 1101 S. 2nd St. »Read Full Blog Post
On Tap Today: Jewel, Jesus, bikes and disclaimers
She grew up yodeling and performing cafes before being discovered. And then there was the time she was Karen, the frozen food princess singing Karaoke. Tonight, she's Jewel and she's performing at the Potawatomi Casino-Northern Lights Theatre.
If you're in the mood for a bike ride with your musical adventure this evening, consider the cycling-centric theme for the Sounds of Summer Concert Series. Or how about this, a little Jesus coupled with culinary medicine, a first we are told. »Read Full Blog Post


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Source: LG
quote: I shouldn't have to cup the back of it with my hand to hear the speaker.
quote: iPhoneys
quote: Then why are the Bezels so big? You can get a bigger screen with a very similar size phone.
quote: Then why does all of its competitors have better tech, more features, and lower prices?
quote: But, its actually rated lower than its competitors in all of the latest customer sat scores.
quote: Um... It's just better" How?
quote: No, actually - worldwide it still leads all the competition, meaning that your exact question and argument could be accurately directed at yourself. What you're probably doing is taking a single country in isolation to make an invalid point. And even in the US which I assume you are referring to - both sets of customers rated their phones very high.
quote: To take a page out of your book of context, the US is where the bulk of Apples sales are and where Apples sales are comparable to the Android competition. Worldwide Apple is week.


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LONDON — "Green consumerism" will be a huge driver of innovation and change in the food retailing sector, according to Lucy Neville-Rolfe, executive director, Tesco, who predicts shoppers will increasingly look to supermarkets to help them live a more environmentally sustainable life. Speaking at the IGD Global Retailing conference here this month, Neville-Rolfe suggested the move toward green living could be the "biggest consumer trend of them all," and she said Tesco wants to be a leader ...
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Field Reports
Keep Dallas Wired: The Dallas Opera Plugs Into Death and the Powers
While his background is as academically rigorous as it could possibly be, Tod Machover's compositional work, as well as his instrument and software design, leans in a direction that can certainly be described as approachable to a broad audience. This was on display in the recent production of his Pulitzer-nominated opera Death and the Powers by The Dallas Opera.
New England's Prospect: Boston Symphony Chamber Players Celebrate 50 Years
Very Modern Love Songs: Your Weird, Steamy Playlist for V-Day
Aperio: Indie-A-Go-Go
Aperio curates concerts that one night might feature contemporary chamber music from the U.S. (like the one I attended last weekend) and focus on the music of Nicaragua the next. The change in focus from one region to the next over the course of a season helps Aperio track and understand trends on this side of the pond as distinct from concert series that include European repertoire.
A Master Communicator: Remembering H. Owen Reed (1910-2014)
I believe Dr. Reed was capable of holding at least a 15-minute conversation with just about any English-speaking person, regardless of that individual's background, education, occupation, etc., at the end of which the other person quite likely would be thinking: "What a nice guy he is!" But I also learned from him that there are times and contexts when it's appropriate to discuss almost any topic, and other times and contexts when it is completely inappropriate to discuss almost anything.
New England's Prospect: Three World Premieres in Wildly Disparate Styles
Boston Modern Orchestra Project never seems to run out of juice. It fills a need. It mounts concerts that manage to be both one-stop shopping for the merely curious and essential for professionals. The "modern" in the name has always been as much stylistic as calendrical, but its concert at Jordan Hall on January 17 was aggressively new: three world premieres in wildly disparate styles.
New England's Prospect: Fellow Travelers
"Come, then, into the music room," she said, and I followed her into an apartment finished, without hangings, in wood, with a floor of polished wood. I was prepared for new devices in musical instruments, but I saw nothing in the room which by any stretch of imagination could be conceived as such. It was […]
Three Words for 2014: Chicago Musicians Reflect and Aspire in the New Year
New England's Prospect: May All Your Christmases Be Weird
Thank baby Jesus for Weirdo Records. And not just for the Monday concert series (called, unsentimentally, "The Series on Mondays"), although the December 16 installment was the occasion for this particular redemption. An unusually paltry three-person audience—Sawyer, Michael Rosenstein (another Boston-area modular synth guru), and an interloper, me—was transformed by the tight quarters into something respectable; the music made its own multitude.


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Dave Grusin
« Back
Dave Grusin has worked in the music profession since 1959, variously as an arranger, pianist, composer and record producer. Born in Littleton, Colorado and educated at the University of Colorado, he holds honorary doctoral degrees from CU and from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has written over forty film scores and received seven Academy Award nominations, including an Oscar in 1988 for the musical score of The Milagro Beanfield Wars. From 1976 to 1995, he was in partnership with Larry Rosen as joint owner of GRP records. His life as a recording artist and producer has resulted in ten Grammy awards, (with a current nomination for Two Worlds, a classical recording with guitarist Lee Ritenour, featuring performances by Renee Fleming and Gil Shaham, among others . Stay tuned!) In addition to his professional life, Grusin is co-founder (with Rosen) of the National Foundation for Jazz Education (NFJE), a philanthropic group dedicated to helping young jazz musicians. He also serves on the board of American Rivers, a national river environmental organization, and sits on the College of Music advisory board at CU. When all those fires have been put out, he gets to raise Red Angus cattle on his ranch in Montana, taking frequent fly-fishing breaks.


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SIKESTON - Evelyn Palmer, 91, a longtime resident and businesswoman of Sikeston, died on Nov. 28, 2006 at Miner Nursing Center in Miner.
She was born on Oct. 4, 1915, near Kewanee, to the late Henry Stanley and Marie Beck Hastings. She and her husband owned and operated Palmer's TV and Radio in Sikeston. She was a lifelong member of First Assembly of God Church in Sikeston and is remembered by many for her years of work in the church nursery and the Women's Mission.
On Dec. 5, 1933, she married Eugene "Dub" Palmer, who preceded her in death on April 4, 1985.
Also preceding her in death were one son, Kenneth Palmer; two daughters, Barbara Palmer and Sharan Kay Reedy; two brothers, Henry Hastings and Clyde Hastings; two sisters, Bonnie Hastings and Betty Lustig; and one granddaughter, Kimberly Cubine.
She is survived by: one son and daughter-in-law, David and Jo Ann Palmer of Lexington, Ky.; one sister, Jeanette Scobey of St. Louis; and four grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at the First Assembly of God Church. The Rev. Jim Calvin, associate pastor, will officiate.
Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Paid obituary


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Is This Blog "Social Media"?
Author: Steve Nelson | Category: DIGITAL EXPERIENCE, …and EVERYTHING | Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Facebook, networks, social media
Mitch Wagner asks on the Facebook social media platform, "Is blogging a form of social media?" and (skipping over the "a form of" part of his question) my answer was mostly no. Not that blogging isn't social, but with all different kinds of media, I think you need to qualify your terms. It was an interesting […]
08 Jul 2014


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Putnam resident Victor Lippiello signed up for the U.S. Army in April 1941, thinking he'd serve a year and be discharged. Instead, he spent more than four years manning artillery in New London and parachuting into the Pacific Theater during World War II.
In the service: Putnam resident Victor Lippiello signed up for the U.S. Army in April 1941, thinking he'd serve a year and be discharged. Instead, he spent more than four years manning artillery in New London and parachuting into the Pacific Theater during World War II. Lippiello said after a few months protecting the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, he signed up with a paratrooper unit. "It was an extra $50 a month," he said. As part of the 11th Airborne Division, Lippiello's unit in 1944 conducted two airborne raids into the Philippine province of Leyte, where the soldiers patrolled and cleared jungle areas. A few months later, he parachuted into Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, where troops worked to break Japanese resistance while advancing to Manila. In all, Lippiello made 24 jumps before being discharged in December 1946 as a corporal.
After the service: After leaving the army, Lippiello worked briefly at the Uncas Printing and Finishing Company in Mechanicsville and at the Risom Manufacturing plant in North Grosvernordale. He then signed on with the state Department of Motor Vehicles, overseeing maintenance at the Putnam branch for more than 13 years. He married his wife, Josephine Barrile, in 1947. The couple was married for 53 years. He has one daughter, one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter. In honor of his service, Lippiello will serve as parade marshal for the Putnam Memorial Day event on Monday. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Grove Street. A memorial program will begin at Rotary Park following the parade.
Quotable: "I remember going on patrol in Leyte with five other guys. One of my boys stopped and said 'Psst, stop.' He smelled food, the smell of which came from a building. Four of the guys flanked it and me and the cook went forward. We opened fire and destroyed it, enemy and all. I enjoyed my service and am very proud of it. I learned quite a bit and met a lot of good people from all across the country. I don't think people appreciate Memorial Day as much anymore. It's important to recognize those that went into the service, especially as many of them didn't make it back home. It'd be nice to hear people say they're worth more than just a thank-you."
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Location, ST | website.com


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Version: 4.0.1 || Release Date: 2010-12-30 || License: Commercial with demo ($29.95)
Developer: Freshcrop LLC. |
App Owner: newspics
MediaRECOVER is a complete digital image and file recovery utility. The program recovers your lost files including photos, music, video, PDF's, Office Files, tax spreadsheets, etc. from hard drives and removable media used in digital cameras, PDA's and other storage devices.
Digital image recovery for all camera manufacturers: Canon, Nikon, Kodak, Fuji, HP, Olympus, Sony, Samsung, Casio, GE, Konica Minolta, and more! Includes support for over 200 high-end digital camera RAW formats.
Required OS: not specified
Tags: file , recovery , media , image , photo , rescue


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La Jolla Elementary Brownies pitch in on cleanup day
La Jolla Elementary School's Brownie Troop 3095 joined the Town Council's Nell Carpenter Beautification Committee recently in one of the regular Saturday cleanups. The girls and five of the mothers worked west on Girard Avenue from their school all the way to Torrey Pines Road and then back again.
Chairperson Esther Viti, who organizes the cleanups each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, gave the girls a short lesson and then turned them loose. She sang their praises for helping out and encourages others to join the effort. Sign in at the table on Girard Avenue near Wall Street. Supplies, gloves and refreshments are provided.


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No, it's not a joke, not an illusion…Serpent Scale #4 is finally here! The Lion In Fimbulwinter – Sweden After the Serpentfall gives you a thorough briefing on the that country after the day the shook the world.
When the Midgard Serpent fell to the Americans' nuclear fire in July 1945, Denmark and Norway sheltered Sweden from the worst of it: Sweden's survivors could shelter in their damaged buildings from the torrential rain that became torrential hail and snow. A near-civil war in the wake of Serpentfall forced the Crown Prince to flee, and a fragile coalition government holds a tenuous grasp on the reins of power. The Serpent's body lies humped and cloudy on the western horizon. The Americans have pulled back to the Rockies; the center of the British Empire removed to Australia. The Royal Navy can keep station in the North Sea, but the Red Army commands all of Europe east of the Serpent Curtain. Soviet agents and skulk and plot in Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö…and there are far fouler things lurking in the dark winter night.
The country its people call Mother Svea stands alone.
Inside this 10-page PDF you'll find:
- The history of Sweden in the wake of Jörmungandr's demise, from the death of a king to the rise of Communist influence!
- Details on the society and government of Sweden, and the conspirators, both foreign and domestic, planning its downfall!
- Information on the fortress island of Heligoland, refuge of Crown Prince Gustav Adolph!
- Statistics for trolls & trollwives, vile and twisted servants of the jötunn!
- Scenario Sparks, adventure seeds for your adventures in post-Serpentfall Sweden!
Both the Fate Core and Savage Worlds version of are available in the AOP webstore, or from our friends over at Drivethrurpg.com!
In case you missed it…
Are you familiar with our One Sheets series for The Day After Ragnarok? Well, we've been gradually converting the series to cover Fate Core in addition to the Savage Worlds system. So far Hollerin' Pines, Wheels Up Landing, Any Port in a Storm, and Raise A Glass are available for both systems. And all future One Sheets will be available for both systems! Check them out in the AOP webstore!


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Mima T. Veon, 87, of Parkersburg, W.Va., passed away Feb. 9, 2013, at Genesis Healthcare of Gihon Road.
She was born April 25, 1925, in Elizabeth, W.Va., a daughter of the late Harley Neal and Opal Gay Connolley Veon.
Mima is survived by her brothers, Junior, Dale and Francis "Wayne" Veon; and her sisters, Emma Edwards, Lottie McFee, Anna Marshall, Wanda Reynolds, Hilda Bailey and Yvonne "Bonnie" Buckley.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Raymond, John, William "Bill" and infant brother, Harley Howard Veon; and her sisters, Dolly, Betty and Frieda Veon.
Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at Lambert-Tatman Funeral Home, 3005 Grand Central Ave., Vienna, W.Va., with Pastor Don Yeager officiating. Interment will follow services at Guthrie Cemetery, Munday Road, Wirt County, W.Va. The family will receive friends from 4-8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Please visit www.lamberttatman.com to share online condolences with the family.


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JAN 16, 2014 - TechRadar
A Must Read - Share
IntroductionWhen it comes to professional laptops, HP isn't playing games. The company isn't interested in fancy features or alternative designs—its simply out to make a product that delivers. Inside and out, that philosophy is clear in the HP ZBook 14, which the vendor claims is "the world's first workstation ultrabook."Weighing just 3.57 pounds and measuring 0.83 inches thin, the ZBook 14 is quite the mobile machine. The notebook was a breeze to carry around in my shoulder bag for the past week or so, and wasn't a pain to pull out either. The fact that HP ensured that its
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On Amazon EC2 you can run many of the proven IBM platform technologies with which you're already familiar, including IBM DB2, IBM Domino, IBM Informix, IBM Web Content Manager, IBM WebSphere Application Server, IBM WebSphere sMash, IBM WebSphere Portal Server, and InfoSphere DataStage/QualityStage with its corresponding Windows client. You may be eligible to bring many of your own IBM software and licenses (BYOSL) to run on Amazon EC2© see below for more information.
If you have acquired software entitlements under IBM's International Passport Advantage or Passport Advantage Express Agreements (collectively PA or PA Program), you may have the ability to run IBM software programs on Amazon EC2 and you will simply pay the normal Amazon EC2 hourly prices for On-Demand or Reserved Instances. You can get started via the following steps:
- Visit IBM's Licensing for Amazon Cloud to determine eligibility requirements for how your existing PA licenses may apply to the various EC2 instance types.
- Install the desired IBM software with the appropriate number of licenses on your Amazon EC2 instance.
- Run and manage your instance like any other Amazon EC2 instance.
If you are interested in purchasing a new IBM license, please visit the IBM Software Online Catalog.
If you are interested in running IBM on AWS please Contact Us
* IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation
* Novell is a registered trademark and SUSE is a trademark of Novell, Inc.


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Eosinophil researchers are handicapped by the relative rarity of eosinophils. We have developed a method for generating eosinophils from unselected bone marrow in large numbers and high purity. This protocol has facilitated eosinophil research worldwide. To generate bone marrow eosinophils (bmEos), bone marrow cells are collected from the femur and the tibia, the red blood cells removed, and the remaining cells put into culture with two cytokines that support the maintenance and proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells. After four days, the cells are cultured in interleukin-5, a cytokine known to support the differentiation of eosinophils. By day 12, the cultures approach 100 percent purity. Phenotypically, these cells look like eosinophils and produce typical eosinophil transcripts, express typical surface markers, release typical cytokines, and exhibit chemotaxis toward eotaxin. We have shown that this method works well in several strains of mice.
The Inflammation Immunobiology Section is interested in the role that eosinophils play in mediating host defense against viral pathogens. We have used bmEos to demonstrate that eosinophils are a target of pneumonia virus of mice (PVM). Infection with PVM stimulated the release of proinflammatory cytokines in response to the replication of the virus, and MyD88, an adaptor protein for toll-like receptors, mediated this effect.
In collaboration with other eosinophil researchers, we have examined the response of bmEos to platelet activating factor (PAF), a known secretagogue for human eosinophils. PAF stimulated the release of the granule protein eosinophil peroxidase from mouse bmEos. Unexpectedly, PAF-stimulated degranulation was independent of the known PAF receptor, suggesting the existence of a second PAF receptor.
We have used bmEos in vivo to answer questions relating to eosinophil migration toward eotaxin in models of eosinophil-deficient mice as well as in wild-type mice. We have also generated a flow-based method that will allow us to identify resting and activated eosinophils in mouse tissues.
Dr. Dyer received her Ph.D. from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Prior to joining the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases in 2003 as a staff scientist, Dr. Dyer held a similar position in the Laboratory of Host Defenses at the National Institutes of Health.
Percopo CM, Dyer KD, Ochkur SI, Luo JL, Fischer ER, Lee JJ, Lee NA, Domachowske JB, Rosenberg HF. Activated mouse eosinophils protect against lethal respiratory virus infection. Blood. 2014 Jan 30;123(5):743-52.
Dyer KD, Garcia-Crespo KE, Percopo CM, Sturm EM, Rosenberg HF. Protocols for identifying, enumerating, and assessing mouse eosinophils. Methods Mol Biol. 2013;1032:59-77.
Sturm EM, Dyer KD, Percopo CM, Heinemann A, Rosenberg HF. Chemotaxis of bone marrow derived eosinophils in vivo: A novel method to explore receptor-dependent trafficking in the mouse. Eur J Immunol. 2013 Aug;43(8):2217-28.
Rosenberg HF, Dyer KD, Foster PS. Eosinophils: changing perspectives in health and disease. Nat Rev Immunol. 2013 Jan;13(1):9-22.
Dyer KD, Garcia-Crespo KE, Glineur S, Domachowske JB, Rosenberg HF. The pneumonia virus of mice (PVM) model of acute respiratory infection. Viruses. 2012 Dec;4(12):3494-510.
Dyer KD, Garcia-Crespo KE, Killoran KE, Rosenberg HF. Antigen profiles for the quantitative assessment of eosinophils in mouse tissues by flow cytometry. J Immunol Methods. 2011 Jun 30;369(1-2):91-7.
Visit PubMed for a complete publication listing.
Last Updated May 27, 2014


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Interacting selectively and non-covalently with one or more specific sites on an ion channel, a protein complex that spans a membrane and forms a water-filled channel across the phospholipid bilayer allowing selective ion transport down its electrochemical gradient.
Modulates the activity of a potassium channel.
Interacting selectively and non-covalently with any protein or protein complex (a complex of two or more proteins that may include other nonprotein molecules).
Functions to provide a physical support for the assembly of a multiprotein complex.
Interacting selectively and non-covalently with one or both of the regulatory subunits of protein kinase A.
Interacting selectively and non-covalently with one or more specific sites on a receptor molecule, a macromolecule that undergoes combination with a hormone, neurotransmitter, drug or intracellular messenger to initiate a change in cell function.
Any process that results in a change in state or activity of a cell (in terms of movement, secretion, enzyme production, gene expression, etc.) as a result of a cAMP (cyclic AMP, adenosine 3',5'-cyclophosphate) stimulus.
The process in which tubulin alpha-beta heterodimers begin aggregation to form an oligomeric tubulin structure (a microtubule seed). Microtubule nucleation is the initiating step in the formation of a microtubule in the absence of any existing microtubules ('de novo' microtubule formation).
Any process that activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of the phosphorylation of peptidyl-serine.
Any process that activates or increases the frequency, rate or extent of potassium ion transmembrane transporter activity.
A cardiac conduction process that modulates the frequency or rate of heart contraction.
Any process that modulates the establishment or extent of a membrane potential in the polarizing direction towards the resting potential, usually from positive to negative.
Any process that modulates the establishment or extent of a membrane potential in the polarizing direction towards the resting potential in a ventricular cardiomyocyte.
The process whose specific outcome is the progression of a Sertoli cell over time, from its formation to the mature structure. Cell development does not include the steps involved in committing a cell to a Sertoli cell fate.
The cellular process in which a signal is conveyed to trigger a change in the activity or state of a cell. Signal transduction begins with reception of a signal (e.g. a ligand binding to a receptor or receptor activation by a stimulus such as light), or for signal transduction in the absence of ligand, signal-withdrawal or the activity of a constitutively active receptor. Signal transduction ends with regulation of a downstream cellular process, e.g. regulation of transcription or regulation of a metabolic process. Signal transduction covers signaling from receptors located on the surface of the cell and signaling via molecules located within the cell. For signaling between cells, signal transduction is restricted to events at and within the receiving cell.
The process of formation of spermatozoa, including spermatocytogenesis and spermiogenesis.
The directed movement of substances (such as macromolecules, small molecules, ions) into, out of or within a cell, or between cells, or within a multicellular organism by means of some agent such as a transporter or pore.


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Photos: 11 community stories you should care about (Oct. 25)
Photo: DANIEL HOUSTON/neighborsgo staff
Sonya Paul steps out onto the porch of her mobile home to keep an eye on her daughter, Niki, and their three dogs. "It's more quiet than apartment living," Paul said. Incorporated in 1990 to legalize and tax alcohol sales within its boundaries, Mobile City now consists of a trailer park, a taqueria and a Sigel's Beverages store off Interstate 30, outside the eastern boundary of Rockwall.
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High Tide: From Latvia's Improvements to Questions for Sarkozy
A roundup of corruption-related news from Dow Jones and other sources. You can also receive a weekly newsletter version of Corruption Currents here.
Oil company Abbott Group agreed to pay 5.6 million pounds to the U.K. Civil Recovery Unit after admitting it benefited from making corrupt payments. (BBC)
A culture of bribery is spreading across Chinese schools. (NY Times)
Despite all the noise around anti-corruption enforcement, companies are still apparently asleep at the wheel. (CFO)
Taiwan's president vowed an unrelenting fight against corruption in the wake of a bribery scandal involving a former cabinet official. (CNA)
The FCPA Blog posts a China corruption blotter and reports on an assistant attorney general at the SEC suing the agency and his boss. Howard Sklar reveals what he would do if he had $100 to spend on due diligence, and reflects on recent remarks from the Justice Department. The FCPAProfessor has some leftovers.
A Q/A about the FCPA with a Baker & McKenzie partner in Russia is here. (Voice of Russia)
A client alert from law firm Allens dicusses how the FCPA affects Australian businesses.
Money Laundering:
Latvia has improved its anti-money laundering laws, according to a new report by a European Union watchdog. More here. (Bloomberg, Human Rights Europe)
Carson Yeung, who controls the English soccer club Birmingham City, lost his bid to delay a money laundering trial in Hong Kong. (South China Morning Post)
Mexico rejected a U.S. congressional report that said Hezbollah has links to drug cartels. (inSight Crime)
Nigeria expects to exit a non-compliance blacklist by 2013. A look at the trajectory of corruption in the country is here. (The Nation Nigeria, Nigerian Tribune)
A Nigerian business leader faces up to five years in prison if convicted on money laundering charges. A former state governor in Nigeria had his money-laundering trial postponed. More here. (Vanguard, Osun Defender, This Day)
The government in Goa, India is starting to crack down on money laundering in casinos. (Times of India)
A friend of the Tblisi, Georgia mayor who owns a construction firm was detained and accused of money laundering. His lawyer said he denies the charges, calling them absurd. (Democracy & Freedom Watch)
A money laundering convict was jailed for refusing to pay back his ill-gotten gains. (Epiworth Bells)
Guernsey is preparing to revise its anti-money laundering framework. (news release)
China cut its Iranian oil imports by a fifth and is well-positioned for the U.S. to renew an exemption for Beijing on sanctions. Meanwhile, South Korea resumed importing oil from Iran. (Wall Street Journal, Reuters)
Hong Kong deflagged five Iranian ships and 14 others are expected to follow after China's classification society quit Iran amid sanctions by the U.S. and EU. (Reuters)
World powers want to resume nuclear talks with Iran. Western diplomats said Iran is bringing dirt to a nuclear facility United Nations inspectors want to look at. (Reuters, Reuters)
Iran's supreme leader, who halted a parliamentary inquiry into economic mismanagement by the president, only temporarily stopped criticism. (Al Monitor)
General Anti-Corruption:
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was questioned over claims his 2007 election was financed by the country's richest woman, though he mostly emerged unscathed. More here and here. (BBC, The Hindu, AP, CNN)
An all-party coalition against corruption in the U.K. wrote an open letter to the prime minister seeking an anti-corruption champion.
Why don't women report corruption? And where do we stand on transparency in international development? (Transparency International, Transparency International)
A documentary on Ukraine after it emerged from the Orange Revolution, which ended a corrupt pro-Russian regime, is here. (Al Jazeera)


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Created in this Craftsy class
With nothing fancier than a pastry bag and a set of piping tips, you can achieve elegant details, accented with cake jewelry.
Other projects made as part of this class:
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
|Here are some details about my project:
|Cake Decorating
|Royal Icing
Share a little about the materials, processes and techniques used to create this cake: Suggested materials for the Monogram cake in Modern Piping. Thanks Joshua!!!!
What are you most proud of? I'm most proud of getting over myself and trying it. Can't wait to keep practicing.
This is very very nice, simple yet beautiful.
Very nice, great job!!!
love it very pretty!!