The Gettysburg address

On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumner commented on what is now considered the most famous speech by President Abraham Lincoln. In his eulogy on the slain president, he called it a "monumental act." He said Lincoln was mistaken that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here." Rather, the Bostonian remarked, "The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech."


the speech goes like this....


Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

D DAY

"There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of others much is expected. This generation has a rendezvous with destiny."

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

June 6 dawns,and D-DAY once more returns to Normandy.The tide is low and the sand hard underfoot.There right next to the omaha and utah beaches of France, that had once been crisscrossed with trenches and mud,are intermingled regiments of bones resting filfully in shallow graves beneath the soil.

And there in a whisper just beneath the wind that howled across the terrain....one hears voices...the puzzled voices of boys.....boys no older than 16...those who had a bright life ahead ,ones who had wishes to be fulfilled,who probably wanted to be someone totally different.There were ones who had never known the insides of a woman,who never had children,who had never grown old...SEVEN MILLION voices asking in unision the unanswered question,that was an answer in itself...WHY??

The Battle of Normandy began commencing the Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II.The Normandy invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord, still remains the largest seaborne invasion in History.....
It involved 1,56000 troops crossing the english channel from United Kingdom to Normandy beach in occupied France. The Allied forces which saw combat on June 6 and faced the horrors of Hitler's Atlantic Wall included Canada, parts of free France, United Kindom and the United States Of America. Most of the above countries also provided air and naval support, as did the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The Normandy invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings, massive air attacks, naval bombardments, an early morning amphibious landing and during the evening the remaining elements of the parachute divisions landed.

THE ATLANTIC WALL:
Standing in the way of the Allies was the English Channel, a crossing which had eluded the Spanish Armada and Napoleon Bonaparte's Navy. Compounding the invasion efforts was the extensive Atlantic Wall, ordered by Hitler in his Directive 51. Believing that any forthcoming landings would be timed for high tide (this caused the landings to be timed for low tide), Rommel had the entire wall fortified with tank top turrets and extensive barbed wire, and laid a million mines to deter landing craft.How ever the fortifications allowed the Germans to literally mow down the troops coming out of the amphibious landing crafts. There are german soldiers who claim to have shot down thousands.

D-Day, had thrilled much of the world-those whose military forces precipitated the battle, as well as those who waited in bondage for their freedom. A psychological stroke of great impact, the invasion fulfilled an Allied promise to return to the Continent and to liberate the people occupied and oppressed by the Third Reich. It challenged the German political domination over much of Europe and signified the probable final act of the war.

Sarfaroshi ki tamanna by Ram Prasad Bismil

सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ुए कातिल में है

करता नहीं क्यूँ दूसरा कुछ बातचीत,
देखता हूँ मैं जिसे वो चुप तेरी महफ़िल में है
ए शहीद-ए-मुल्क-ओ-मिल्लत मैं तेरे ऊपर निसार,
अब तेरी हिम्मत का चरचा गैर की महफ़िल में है
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है

वक्त आने दे बता देंगे तुझे ए आसमान,
हम अभी से क्या बतायें क्या हमारे दिल में है
खैंच कर लायी है सब को कत्ल होने की उम्मीद,
आशिकों का आज जमघट कूच-ए-कातिल में है
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है

है लिये हथियार दुशमन ताक में बैठा उधर,
और हम तैय्यार हैं सीना लिये अपना इधर.
खून से खेलेंगे होली गर वतन मुश्किल में है,
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है

हाथ जिन में हो जुनून कटते नही तलवार से,
सर जो उठ जाते हैं वो झुकते नहीं ललकार से.
और भड़केगा जो शोला-सा हमारे दिल में है,
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है

हम तो घर से निकले ही थे बाँधकर सर पे कफ़न,
जान हथेली पर लिये लो बढ चले हैं ये कदम.
जिन्दगी तो अपनी मेहमान मौत की महफ़िल में है,
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है

यूँ खड़ा मौकतल में कातिल कह रहा है बार-बार,
क्या तमन्ना-ए-शहादत भी किसि के दिल में है.
दिल में तूफ़ानों कि टोली और नसों में इन्कलाब,
होश दुश्मन के उड़ा देंगे हमें रोको ना आज.
दूर रह पाये जो हमसे दम कहाँ मंज़िल में है,

वो जिस्म भी क्या जिस्म है जिसमें ना हो खून-ए-जुनून
तूफ़ानों से क्या लड़े जो कश्ती-ए-साहिल में है,
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ुए कातिल में है

Advancing towards Stone Age

The notion that the world around us is continuously evolving is understood by one n all , yet we rarely grasp its full implications. We do not ordinarily think...for example... that malaria or even common cold virus to be evolving as it spreads year after year and that finally we’ll stumble across a virus thats incurable by our antibiotics. Nor do we think of evolution in plants and animals as occurring in a matter of days or weeks....though it does. And we do not ordinarily imagine the green world around us as a scene of constant, sophisticated chemical warfare, with plants producing pesticides in response to attack, and insects developing resistance. But I guess that happens too.
If we were to grasp the true nature of nature—if we could understand the real meaning of evolution—then we would envision a world in which every living plant, insect, and animal species is changing at every instant, in response to every other living plant, insect, and animal. Whole populations of organisms are rising and falling, shifting and changing. This restless and perpetual change,as unavoidable and unstoppable as the waves and tides, presents a world in which all human actions necessarily have uncertain effects. The total system we call the biosphere is so complicated that we cannot know in advance the consequences of anything that we do. That is why even our most enlightened past efforts have had undesirable outcomes....either because we did not understand enough, or because the
ever changing world responded to our actions in unexpected ways.
Unfortunately, our species has demonstrated a striking lack of caution in the past. n it is hard to imagine that we will behave any differently in the future. We think we know what we are doing. But isn’t it exactly what we thought in the past. We never seem to admit that we have been wrong in the past, and so might be wrong in the future. Instead ,each generation writes off earlier errors as the result of bad thinking by less able minds—and then confidently embarks on fresh errors of its own.

“They didn’t understand what they were doing”

I m afraid that will be on the tombstone of human race...
I hope not...

ASOKA

More than 2000 years ago a great Indian emperor shocked by the pain and suffering caused by war, changed his conception of law and government and emerged as the only ruler in the history of mankind to have realised the carnage and slaughter that is caused due to conquest by war and the contentment caused by conquest of morality or “dhrama vijaya” and to have strictly followed its path during one’s rule.

Asoka was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya , the founder of the Mauryan dynasty. The foundation of the dynasty coincides with the death of Alexander the great in 323 BC has often suggested that probably there was some sort of a war between Chandragupta and Alexander’s general Selucas Nikater .Then again not much of Chandragupta’s reign has survived and all there is are in the writings from accounts of Megasthanes, the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan court. Asoka, however, left himself a record which he hoped would endure forever. They are merely records of moral law and not monuments to commemorate his conquests. He uses them to enforce laws, to find expression for his views , as guidelines for his future generations a lot like the modern day internet. Today probably the best and most detailed source to know about asoka are these edicts and hence our discussion centres around them. They tell us a tale of how a young tyrant prince, guilty of unspeakable atrocities became one of the greatest emperors of united India, of how he ceased to be known as Asoka “the wicked” and was called "Devanampiya piyadasi"( devanampriya-priyadarshi)or "the beloved of the Gods and the one who seeks the god of all"

These inscriptions are in Prakrit, the commonly spoken language and not in Sanskrit, the literary language.
The simple style and the crude language strongly suggests that these inscriptions are actual the words of the emperor. In a sense, from the edicts the character of the man emerges clearly and sharply, wisdom combined with practical shrewdness, tolerance unique in his time and rare in one holding such power combined with the desire to improve the ethical outlook of the common man to turn away and for setting up a sense of kinship among all.

INTERNATIONAL LINKS:
[Kalinga Rock edict XIII]
“I consider dharmavijaya the most important conquest. I have achieved the same repeatedly both here and among the people living beyond our borders. Even in the far lands of Yona ( modern Greece) where the king antiyoka rules [Antichos II] and in the dominion of the four kings named Turamaya, Antikini,Maka and Alikasudara, and to the south among the Cholas and Pandyas in the southern tip of the Indian peninula everywhere heed the instructions of dharma.”

The above passage is of extreme importance not only for the dating of events but also to judge the extent of communications of those times. It has been found that all the above mentioned kings were indeed belonged to the same period in different parts of the world.
The real names of the five kings mentioned above are.
Antiyoka [ Antichos II Theos of Syria (261-246 BC)]
Turamaya [Ptolemy II Philadelphos of Egypt (285 to 247 BC)]
Antikini [Antigonos Gonatas of Macedonia 278 to 239 BC]
Maka [Magas of Cyrene 300 to 258 BC]
Alikasudara[ Alexander of Epirus 272-258 BC]

Its really remarkable to note that the words used in the passages below are the actual words spoken by the emperor.
Here's another one.
ASOKA'S PROGRAMS & ADMINISTRATIONS:
[ROCK EDICT VI]
King Priyadarshi says,
In the past, state business was not transacted or reports made at all hours or the day. I have therefore made arrangements that officials may have access to me and may report on the affairs of my people at all times and in all places- when i am eating, when i am in the harem or my inner appartments, when i am attending to the cattle,when i am walking or engaged in religeous exercises. I now attend to the affairs of the people at all place. And when a donation or a proclamation that i have ordered verbally, or an urgent matter which I have delegated to my high officials, causes a debate or dispute in the council, this must be reported to me immediately, at all hours and in all places. These are my orders.
I consider the promotion of the people's welfare my highest duty and its exercise is grounded in work and constant application. No task is more important to me than promoting the well being of the people."

MEDICAL AID AND WELFARE
[ROCK EDICT II]
Everywhere in the dominions of king priyadarsi, as well as in the border territories of the Cholas, the pandyas, the satiyaputra and the keralaputra provisions have been made for two kinds od medical treatment, treatment for men and for animals.
Medicinal herbs, suitable for men and animals, have been imported and planted wherever they were not previously available.Also there, where roots and fruits were lacking, they have been imported and planted.
[ROCK EDICT VII]
I have ordered banyan trees to be planted along the roads to give shade to men and animals. I have ordered mango groves to be planted. Wells to be dug every half kos and rest houses to be built. I have ordered several watering stations built for the convenience for men and animals.

TOLERANCE:
[KALINGA EDICT II]
Unconquered people along the borders of my dominions may wonder what my disposition is towards them. My only wish with respect to them is that they should not fear me, but trust me; that they should expect only happiness from me, not misery;that they should understand further that I will forgive them for offences which can be forgiven.
[ROCK EDICT XII]
King Priyadarshi honours men of all faiths ,members of religeous orders, with gifts or marks of high esteem. One must always guard one's speech to avoid extolling one's own faith and disparaging the faith of others improperly.The faith of others all deserve to be honoured for one reason or another. By honouring them, one exalts one's own faith and at the same time performs a service tothe faith of others.

As the Legend goes....( Conversion of Asoka )

Legend has it that there was another factor that led Ashoka to Buddhism. A Mauryan princess who had been married to one of Ashoka's brothers (who Ashoka executed) fled her palace with a maid, fearing for her unborn child. After much travel, the pregnant princess collapsed under a tree in the forest, and the maid ran to a nearby ashram to fetch a priest or physician to help. Meanwhile, under the tree, the princess gave birth to a son. The young prince was brought up by the Brahmins of the ashram and educated by them. Later, when he was around thirteen years old, he caught the eye of Ashoka, who was surprised to see such a young boy dressed as a sage. When the boy calmly revealed who he was, it seemed that Ashoka was moved by guilt and compassion, and moved the boy and his mother into the palace.

Meanwhile Maharani Devi, who was a Buddhist, had brought up her children in that faith, and apparently left Ashoka after she saw the horrors of Kalinga. Ashoka was grieved by this, and was counselled by his nephew (who had been raised in the ashram and was more priest than prince) to embrace his dharma and draw away from war. Prince Mahindra and Princess Sanghamitra, the children of Maharani Devi, abhorred violence and bloodshed, but knew that as royals war would be a part of their lives. They therefore asked Ashoka for permission to join the Buddhist Sangha, which Ashoka reluctantly granted. The two siblings established Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

From that point Ashoka, who had been described as "the cruel Ashoka" (Chandashoka), started to be described as "the pious Ashoka" (Dharmashoka). He propagated the Vibhajjavada school of Buddhism and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250 BC. Emperor Ashoka undoubtedly has to be credited with the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy.