but with bush as pres now...we kinda do

Indian democracy long-standing but flawed: US

 

Press Trust of India

 

Washington, February 26: The US has said that the democracy in India is long-standing but flawed with allegations of corruption influencing court decisions, violence in some elections and restrictions on religious and academic freedom.

 

The US state department, in its annual report released on Wednesday, said tension between Hindus on the one hand and Muslims and Christians on the other remained a challenge to India's secular formation.

 

The leading party in the government coalition, the report noted, is the BJP, a Hindu nationalist political party with links to Hindu extremist groups that were implicated in violent acts against Christians and Muslims.

 

However, it added, the BJP is an independent political party and the degree of RSS influence over its policy-making was not clear.

 

Among India's shortcomings, the report listed violence in some of the elections; allegations that corruption influenced court decisions; police atrocities; atrocities by both government forces and militants, including foreign militants, in Kashmir and elsewhere and restrictions on religious and academic freedom.

 

In 71 closely typed pages, the report alleged that it was reported that members of the BJP, the RSS and other affiliated organisations "harassed and at times threatened the use of violence against Christians and Muslims."

 

"The BJP and RSS officially expressed respect and tolerance for other religions. However, the RSS in particular opposes conversions from Hinduism and believes that all citizens should adhere to Hindu cultural values. The BJP officially agrees that the caste system should be eliminated, but many of its members are ambivalent about this," the report said.

 

"Tension between Muslims and Hindus, and between Hindus and Christians," the report said, "continued to pose a challenge to the secular foundation of the state."

 

It said Hindus had also been victims of violence and referred to the bomb attacks in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai last August in which 44 people were killed.

 

 

 

 

hah! this coming from a Christian fundamentalist-influenced republican government!

 

perhaps India should come out with a report on how the U.S. democracy, though long-standing, is flawed, and is in ever-present danger to turning into a christian fundamentalist theocracy! :rolleyes:

punks, if you follow demographic changes, you would know to be prepared for ever-increasing diversity among Americans :) America will be where India is now, in terms of diversity, in a few more decades. Then we shall see how American democracy works :/ :stunned:

Bush is only a temporary president...at most 4 more years. constitution is a living document. he can't be allowed to tweak it in such ways.

well..okay i take back saying that our costitution is based on religion and i know that the majority of our gov is neutral as far as religion goes but that does not mean that right now the gov is being influeced by our openly christian pres

punks, Bush is the one who started the Faith-based Initiative, where he doles out tax-payer money to Christian organizations for services that are normally conducted by secular NGOs.

 

that's just one example of how Bush is bringing his personal beliefs to government.

 

another is this State department annual report, an example of which is reproduced above. These annual state dept. reports didn't talk about 'christian persecution' or any such things until Bush came to power. It's alienating American allies because frankly, this is considered external interference in a country's internal matter. No wonder India didn't send any troops to Iraq this time around.

he has set up an office of 'religious feedom' or some such title that tracks persecution of christians in other countries, but that doesn't say a word about persecution of followers of other religions, or of persecution commited by christians against others.

 

he only says he's a 'uniter, not a divider', where as almost all his actions divide people. it is unfortunate that he got to be president though gore won the popular vote. :/

i don't see how his beliefs are hurting anyone...and i think that India had other reasons other than his belief system getting tied into the govmnt

his beliefs are hurting those who don't want to be forced to attend a church before they can get help from a faith-based organization--which gets funded from tax-payer money.

 

it is almost forced proselytization, and unless it doesn't concern you, you would be blind to it, or in fact even encourage it.

 

the foreign policy...the less the said, the better....it's in tatters :stunned: i can't see how, for example, bush can be chummy with the pakistani military dictator while scold india about its democracy! :rolleyes:

he does not do that....

i've not read substantial pieces on this yet, partly perhaps, 'cuz the program is quite new.

but i have seen it on tv...on "NOW with Bill Moyers" on PBS, and it wasn't nice. :dozey:

oh...

i hate bush!!

i hate his little friend J.M. Aznar! go out!! :angry:

they are so pathetic! :lol:

fine then!

Jose Maria Aznar!

 

i never saw a guy having 'Maria' as middle name before! :lol:

yes u have jk..

I don't like Bush, he still thinks that he can do everything what he wants... :(

it's not that...he does what is right...

I'm dumbfounded by such blind faith...an idol worship, of Bush by so many Americans. :stunned: :confused:

i don't idolize him by any means...i do admit that he hasn't made right choices at times but overall i think he has done more good....

he has ruined the environment, his energy policies are kept in secret and aren't right, he started a war for wrong reasons, he has yet to bring bin Laden to justice, he has burned a big hole in the Treasury when in fact he had inherited a budget surplus, his education policy is ruinous and even republican governors are fighting against it, he has presided over unbridled media concentration under few hands, and the list goes on...

 

he has only served his personal and party interests, not the nation's interest, i'd say.

War for wrong reasons...do u even know why he started it???

 

Here's what u say: Because he wanted to steal their oil..

 

and i say: no, because Saddam is a psycho maniac who had concetration camps and tortured people if they weren't for him....who hid his weapons and labs...that were by the way found

 

then you say: oh but so many people were killed and he is just a big bully...a war monger if i dare say

 

the i say: what would happen if we hadn't gone to war...then we would have a big problem on our hands...one that might even result in wwIII

 

then you say: he had no right and blah blah blah

Nikki, I respect all your views, but I have to ask this: In what was, if any, do your views differ from Bush's? From the Republican platform?

i don't know....um.....

:lol: