Chennai , August 6,2021: Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments PK Sekar Babu launched the Tamil Archanai scheme at Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, Chennai on Thursday.
While talking to the media, Sekar Babu said that the scheme was launched on the advice of Chief Minister MK Stalin and will initially be launched in 47 major temples across the state.
The minister also added that the present system of chanting archanai mantras in Sanskrit would not be disturbed.
“The present system of chanting archanai mantras in Sanskrit will not be disturbed in any manner. Only a few selected priests will chant these mantras in Tamil based on wishes of the devotee,” said Sekar Babu.
New Delhi, Jan 20,2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, on his birth anniversary.
In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said, “I bow to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji on the pious occasion of his Parkash Purab. His was a life devoted to creating a just and inclusive society. He was unwavering when it came to upholding his principles. We also recall his courage and sacrifices.
The Guru Sahibs have a special Kripa on me that the 350th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji took place during the tenure of our Government. I recall the grand celebrations in Patna, where I also had the opportunity to go and pay my respects.”
Washington [US], December 8 ,2020: The United States on Monday designated Pakistan and China in its list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) for engaging in or tolerating “systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom”.
Both Pakistan and China are among the 10 countries highlighted by the US State Department as CPCs for their failure to stem the persecution and discrimination of faith groups.
In an official statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan have been designated as CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.
The Secretary of State further informed that countries – Comoros, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia have been placed on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom”.
“The United States will continue to work tirelessly to end religiously motivated abuses and persecution around the world, and to help ensure that each person, everywhere, at all times, has the right to live according to the dictates of conscience,” Pompeo said.
Additionally, al-Shabaab, al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban have been designated as “Entities of Particular Concern” under the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, Pompeo said.
He further said that Sudan and Uzbekistan have been removed from the Special Watch List based on “significant, concrete progress” undertaken by their governments the past year.
Washington, Nov 18,2020: China has no theological basis to pick the next Dalai Lama, according to a top US diplomat, asserting that the Tibetan Buddhists have successfully picked their spiritual leader for hundreds of years.
I travelled to Dharamshala, India to speak to the Tibetan community that were assembled there in exile and to tell them that the US is opposed to China picking the next Dalai Lama, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel D Brownback told reporters on Tuesday during a conference call, recalling his visit to India in October.
They have no right to do that. They have no theological basis to do that. The Tibetan Buddhists have successfully picked their leader for hundreds of years, if not longer, and they have the right to do that now, he said in response to a question.
Brownback said the US supports that religious communities have the right to pick their own leadership.
That certainly includes the next Dalai Lama. So we’ve pushed back against that. We’re going to continue to push back against that. We think that’s completely wrong of the Chinese Communist Party to assert that they have that right, he said.
The 14th Dalai Lama, now 85, has been living in India ever since he fled Tibet in 1959 following a Chinese crackdown on an uprising by the local population. The Tibetan government-in-exile operates from Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. Over 1,60,000 Tibetans live in India.
Brownback accused China of one of the worst religious persecution situations in the world today, if not the worst.
It will not help them in their fight on terrorism, he said, adding, that the Chinese are trying to sell it to the world that this is an effort to prevent terrorism, but they’re going to create more terrorists.
The answer to terrorism isn’t locking up everybody. The answer to terrorism is religious freedom, allowing people to freely practice their faith, and they won’t fight you as much. If the Chinese weren’t at war with faith, they would have a more open society, but they’d also have a more satisfied citizenry that seeks to practice their faith and be left alone and left in peace, he said.
He called on China to stop their war on faith, which will not be successful anyway, but against the Uyghurs, against the Tibetan Buddhists, against the Christian house church, against the Catholic Church, against Falun Gong.