DESI is an active student group formed to study, discuss and contribute towards various facets of India, like culture, society, development, security and portrayals of India in the west. DESI attempts to serve as a forum to encourage developmental efforts, promote exchange of information and social entertainment.

Press Release of Panel Discussion titled

Terrorism in Kashmir: The Threat of Expanding Global Jihad in South Asia

Om Desmukh

Washington DC was host to a panel discussion focusing on the effects of terrorism in Kashmir and the threat of expanding Global Jihad on the population of the Indian subcontinent with specific focus of Kashmir. The event was hosted at University of Maryland, College Park on April 10, 2005. The discussion, attended by over 125 people and watched online by more than 60 others included experts from CNN, Indian embassy and several think tanks in Washington DC as well as community members from India and Pakistan.More

 

Cash Transaction Tax

Water, petrol of the 21st century

Subhash Kak

Although it is not a hot political issue in India yet, water security has major implications for economic growth and public health. Together with transportation and electricity, it constitutes one of the three weakest components of Indian infrastructure. With increasing industrialisation and the cities becoming larger, water shortages in India -- as in the rest of the world -- will worsen.

Water consumption is rising much faster than the rate of population growth. This is expected to accelerate as people switch to Western-style lifestyles and diets -- one kilogram of meat needs more than five times as much of water as a kilo of cereals.

Water pollution is increasing and the amount of useable water is declining. Groundwater levels are also dropping rapidly. More than a million people in India die from waterborne diseases each year.

A third of the world's population lives in countries with serious water scarcity. In another 20 years, two-third of the world's population would be in this situation. Water may be the petroleum of the 21st century. Some have suggested that wars will be fought over it. More

Ramayana Tales told differently

Nidhi Chaturvedi

The most popular epic Ramayana has been retold in various countries adopting the local flavour.

Dussehra and Diwali, the two greatest Hindu festivals revolve around the epic Ramayana and are all about Rama, Sita and Ravana.

The Ramayana has remained the perennial source of inspiration down the centuries not only in India but in the whole of South Asia. Valmiki's Ramayana is the oldest work of the legend.

The different regional versions of the Ramayana like Kambar's Ramayana in Tamil, Krittivasa's Ramayana in Bengali, Tulsidasa's Ramacharitamanasa in Awadhi, Eluttaccan's Adyatma Ramayana in Malayalam etc, are not mere translations. Instead, they also incorporate the local cultures and legends into the adaptions.

The Tibetan story says that Sita was Dasagriva s daughter (ie Ravana) and was abandoned on the advice of astrologers. She was brought up by the cultivators. Vishnu incarnated as Rama to kill Ravana. And as the plan, Rama abdicated his throne and went to the forest to allow Lakshmana to assume kingship. More