Posted by Prabal Goel 

In my last review I commented on the current tendency of Indian films to always borrow ideas from elsewhere. Well here we are again with Omkara, Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello.

In Bhardwaj’s adaptation, Othello the Moor is Omi Shukla, lead henchman to a politician Bhaisaab. The embittered and scheming Iago takes the shape of Langda Tyagi. Fair, gentle Desdemona shows up as Dolly. And the unfortunate Cassio appears as Kesu Firangi. The backdrop of Omkara is the rough Indian countryside of Uttar Pradesh, a region where politics and crime are virtually synonymous.

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Whether you are one of those who have never heard of Shivaji (most people) or someone who knows all about Shivaji and his contribution to Hinduism and Hindu history, you will love this book. Written in the 1930s by an English author in Colonial India in the midst of the Indian freedom movement, this book recounts what many regard as an earlier freedom movement of the Hindus against another imperialism. Although ‘The Grand Rebel’ was written for an English audience, every Hindu should read it.

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“India has produced more saints per capita than any other culture in history, but why aren’t there any Indian women saints?”

‘Daughters of the Goddess’ begins with the author recounting this question, which she posed to a Pandit in India many years ago.

The Pandit was surprised. “There are thousands of lady saints in India. You think because there are no books about them, they do not exist.” This conversation seemed to have spurred Linda Johnsen into action, and serves as a backdrop to this fascinating and highly readable book.

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Hindu Aid, a British charity, has won a government grant from the Department for International Development (DFID) to spread awareness of poverty among people in Asia and Africa.

The charity was awarded £137,532 to work with the Hindu community in temples, schools and businesses and at Hindu festivals. They will attempt to educate about challenges to reduce poverty in the developing world, placing particular emphasis on how our actions as consumers can play a part.

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Chhattisgarh recently became the latest Indian state to pass a law controlling religious conversions. Several other Indian states have enacted similar laws in the recent past, banning religious conversions by ‘force or fraud’, and requiring individuals who change their religion to inform local authorities beforehand.

Speaking in support of the law, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam, said religious conversions in poor and tribal areas often took place by fraudulent means, and hence such a law is required.

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British Hindus have expressed concerns over proposals for racial profiling of South Asians by UK police and security services. Ramesh Kallidai, Secretary General of the Hindu Forum said that it is diabolical that British Hindus and Sikhs be subject to racial profiling by UK police and security services just because 23 alleged terrorists, mostly Pakistani Muslims, have been arrested in the alleged conspiracy to detonate liquid bombs on trans-Atlantic airliners flying from Heathrow.

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A month or so from now, many Hindu’s around the country will be embarking on a new stage of their life - university. And chances are that they will look to join their respective university’s Hindu society, or at the least show a passing interest. For many students, the Hindu society will provide them with one of their best uni experiences. However others feel let down by what they see.

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‘Lady in the Water’ is the latest film from the most successful Hindu in Hollywood, M. Night Shyamalan. Having produced classics like Signs and Sixth Sense, hopes were high for another high calibre cinema experience.

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Posted by Adam Harash

I would like to learn the views of Hindus with regard to the current Israeli military action in Lebanon, as well as the media coverage of the conflict.

Eagerly awaiting you replies,

Adam Harash