Monday, December 14, 2009

Kalinga (India)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalinga_%28India%29

Kalinga (Oriya: କଳିଂଗ) was an early kingdom in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Odissa / Utkal, as well as some northern areas of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh[1]. It was a rich and fertile land that extended from the river Damodar / Ganga to Godavari and from Bay of Bengal to Amarkantak range in the West.[2] This region was scene of the bloody Kalinga War fought by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka the Great of Magadha circa 265 BCE.[3]

Kharavela was the warrior king of Kalinga[4] . He was responsible for the propagation of Jainism in East India but his importance is neglected in many accounts of Indian History. According to the Hathigumpha inscription near Bhubaneswar, Orissa, he attacked Rajagriha in Magadha, thus inducing the Indo-Greek king Demetrius to retreat to Mathura[5].

The Kharavelan Jain kingdom had a formidable maritime empire with trading routes linking it to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Bali, Sumatra and Java. Colonists from Kalinga settled in Sri Lanka, Burma, and the Maldive and Indonesian archipelagos. Even today Indians are referred to as Keling[6]in Malaysia because of this.

Kalinga is mentioned in the Adiparva, Bhismaparva, Sabhaparva, Banaprava of Mahabharata so also is the conquest of Karna. Kalinga King Srutayu stated to have fought the Mahabharat war for the Kauravas. Kalinga is also mentioned as Calingae in Megasthenes' book on India - Indica & Megasthenes states that Magadha & Kalinga were Jain Dominant Kingdoms:

"The Prinas and the Cainas (a tributary of the Ganges) are both navigable rivers. The tribes which dwell by the Ganges are the Calingae, nearest the sea, and higher up the Mandei, also the Malli, among whom is Mount Mallus, the boundary of all that region being the Ganges." (Megasthenes fragm. XX.B. in Pliny. Hist. Nat. V1. 21.9-22. 1.[7])
"The royal city of the Calingae is called Parthalis. Over their king 60,000 foot-soldiers, 1,000 horsemen, 700 elephants keep watch and ward in "procinct of war." (Megasthenes fragm. LVI. in Plin. Hist. Nat. VI. 21. 8-23. 11.[7])

The Kalinga script (ref), derived from Brahmi, was used for writing. Among the offshoots, Kalinga script had the maximum resemblance with the parent script, Brāhmī and later modified to Oriya script in the beginning of the second millennium. This makes the Oriya Script as the most distinctive and least distorted script among the Indic scripts. [1]

  1. ^ An Advanced History of India. By R.C. Majumdar, H.C. Raychaudhuri, and Kaukinkar Datta. 1946. London: Macmillan
  2. ^ An Advanced History of India. By R.C. Majumdar, H.C. Raychaudhuri, and Kaukinkar Datta. 1946. London: Macmillan
  3. ^ Asoka and the Decline of the Mauryas, 1961 (revision 1998); Oxford University Press
  4. ^ Agrawal, Sadananda (2000): Śrī Khāravela, Sri Digambar Jain Samaj, Cuttack, Orissa
  5. ^ Shashi Kant (2000): The Hathigumpha Inscription of Kharavela and the Bhabru Edict of Ashoka, D K Printworld Pvt. Ltd.
  6. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keling
  7. ^ a b Megasthenes Indica

'Keling' - they helped make this country great - Malaysiakini

By Lt Col (Rtd) Mohd Idris Hassan,

I refer to the Malaysiakini report Of noisy Indians and 'keling' blood: Utusan strikes again.

The attacking of fellow Malaysians by the mainstream media Utusan Malaysia because of their race is unwarranted and most uncalled for. I remember in the late forties when I was a little boy living in my hometown of Raub, Pahang.

I used to pass road gangs of Tamil labourers toiling in the midday's scorching sun from dawn till dusk. Armed with only picks and shovels, they would be hacking at solid rocks to carve out roads along the mountain side.

They had no proper attire, just a withered white towel tied in turban form on their heads. They would wrap rags around their spindly legs to prevent the hot molten tar from scalding them as they went about their chores.

Yet they had time to smile and wave at passing cars. They used to be referred to as 'coolies' and their slave-like living quarters as coolie lines. My late father used to tell us that most of the roads in Malaya at the turn of the century were built solely by Indian labour.

They toiled in the malaria-infested rubber estates, living with their families in filthy inhuman conditions. The white 'tuan' treated them like slaves and allowed them to indulge in drinking toddy to forget their woes .

Yet again it was the same coolies called 'toties' who serviced our bucket system latrines until the early sixties as there were no takers for this job from the other races. I have seen for myself these 'toties' cleaning the rubber tubs at a stream not far from my house with their bare hands.

In short, when there was any dirty, menial job to be done, it was this Tamil coolie, then often called by the derogatory term 'keling', that did it for us.

Now times have changed and their offsprings have made much progress in all fields and want to take their rightful place in our society .Let's not pour scorn on them and laugh away their pride.

As a soldier I know that many of my Indian/Tamil friends who fought and died for this country . They all are a part of those who stood by us during the good and bad times, they have helped make this country great.

A country which rightfully belongs to all Malaysians.

HINDRAF anti ISA march & arrest of HRP Information Chief S.JAYATHAS

Today 13th December 2009 is the 2nd year black anniversary of the detention of four Hindraf lawyers on 13/12/2007 under the draconian ISA.

About 50 Hindraf and HRP supporters gathered at the front of the HRP office at Jalan Abdullah, Bangsar and carrying an anti ISA banner walked peacefully to the nearby Nageswary Amman Hindu Temple with cries of “Hindraf Valga”, “Makkal Sakthi Valga”, “Manitha Urimai Valga” and “Mansuhkan ISA” exercising Article 10 of the Federal Constitution (Right to assemble peacefully).

Since 10.00 am there was heavy police presence in the vicinity of the HRP office.

As the peaceful assemblers were walking one Superintendant Azri stopped and tried to snatch the banner which was pulled back.

He then told us that this was an unlawful procession and the 50 or so crowd walked in groups of three.

After prayers and outside the temple and on the way back to the HRP office, S.Jayathas who was wearing an anti ISA badge was singled out and arrested on the orders of Superintendent Azri. When P. Uthayakumar asked the Supt for the grounds of the arrest as is required to be given under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution, the Supt merely said “siasatan awal”. When P.Uthayakumar suggested that the Supt did not know the law he put up a front of being unperturbed. S.Jayathas was handcuffed from behind which is usually done for hardcore criminals.

S.Jayathas an end renal failure kidney patient last underwent his kidney dialysis on Friday morning (11/12/2009). We now fear for his health as he needs urgent dialysis attention as he told us this morning that he had breathing difficulties.

This once again shows UMNOs’ high handedness and exercising of power with impunity.

P.Uthayakumar

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Hindraf Anti ISA march photos: S.JAYATHAS arrested. 50 in procession.

Hindraf Anti ISA march photos: S. Jayathas arrested. 50 in procession.

P. Uthayakumar

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HRP’S S.Jayathas arrested 13/12/2009 @ 2.45 pm

HRP’S BREAKING NEWS: HRP’S S.Jayathas arrested on ISA black second year anniversary 13/12/2009 at 2.45pm when walking with a group of 50 HRP and Hindraf supporters from the Headquarters of HRP at Jalan Abdullah to the nearby Nagaswari Amman Hindu Temple 5 minutes away.

P. Uthayakumar

Secretary General

03-22825622/012-6362287

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Jayathas arrested…. for wearing anti-ISA badge?!

by Nathaniel Tan

Haiyo. Small thing like this still want to arrest.

A short prayer ceremony to mark the Internal Security Act (ISA) detention of five Hindraf leaders two years ago was marred by the arrest of one of the movement’s key leaders S Jayathas.

His alleged crime – wearing an anti-ISA button badge.

Shortly after leaving a Hindu temple in Bangsar Utama where the prayers were held, a uniformed police officer grabbed Jayathas and said the arrest was because the latter had sported the button badge.

The police had been a little quiet since the days of the wanton Perak vigil arrests, but it seems they are back to their old nonsense now.

Thankfully, Jayathas has been released, but seriously – what on earth was all the fuss about? One little badge threatening national security?

And fifty cops needed for this whole operation? A dozen in riot gear?

Need we any clearer indicators that our police are hopelessly mismanaged? Out hunting badges when they could be stopping crime?

Sigh.