Insightful newsletter of Drishtikone: Issue #209

“Non est ad astra mollis e terris via" - "There is no easy way from the earth to the stars” ― Seneca

Liberation is the greatest aspiration of all beings. Done with the shackles of monarchy and the church, the West looked at this conundrum in an ideological way. A competitive ideology counter to what shut human enterprise and reason.

Western Liberalism was therefore a reaction to an unseen and vengeful god and despotic kings who usurped the power of the former to establish their own realm. It was an ideology nonetheless.

The Eastern spiritual traditions powered by Dharmic ways looked at the endeavor of liberation in a completely different way. Everything was a shackle. Social, physical, mental, psychological entanglements. If freedom had to be aspired for, then nothing less than liberation at the existential level was to be aspired for.

When Liberalism is an ideology, it is the most brutal shackle. There is no liberty in being shackled every moment to an edict pronounced by someone several centuries ago. Whether the well-meaning though contextually arbitrary commandments come from Moses, Descartes or Marx - you are enslaved to another’s prejudices and biases.

Existential liberation happens in every moment. Every moment is a test and an opportunity to break free from all past and its influences. Ours. Our forefathers. Commandment-spewing megalomaniacs. Everyone.

The ideological cannot live their own ideals. Those who repeat ad-nauseum “Thou shalt not kill” have wiped out entire native populations of at least three continents in the name of their god. Life doesn’t happen in commandments. It happens in every moment.

That is the essence of real liberalism.

Yesterday we had discussed how Swedish authorities had declared the death of Sajid Hussain as a “non-crime.” A man hounded in his own home because of his reporting, went thousands of miles away to another country with a god-forsaken language and weather that he could not understand to do what? Commit suicide?!

The Swedish prosecution authority has closed a preliminary murder investigation opened when the body of a missing Pakistani journalist was found in Uppsala in April, saying they no longer suspect a crime has taken place. (Source)

Now, the Canadian authorities have done an encore.

Non-criminal death? How did the Canadian police come to that conclusion within a matter of a day even when the circumstantial evidence strongly points to the contrary? And non-suspicious circumstances? Is the Canadian police brain-dead?

Let’s just state the obvious - either the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is so full of Sherlock Holmes on steroids that they can come up with the verdict on a non-ordinary death within 24 hours or they have been bought and compromised.

The circumstances, as suspicious as they are, tell us which of these options is the correct one!

Chris Alexander, the former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration in Canada has put it correctly.

Let us get the details of Karima’s case along with her speeches which expressed her fears in this video.

First, the fact that she went missing in Toronto for two days, not some remote area of Nunavut that no one could find her.

A police force so incompetent that could not locate a prominent activist, living as a refugee with death threats coming in, for two days while she was missing suddenly - grew enough of alacrity in their ranks that they could pronounce that their incompetence notwithstanding, her disappearance for two days followed by brutal death was non-suspicious? Really?!

The reason for this silence may be in the article by Francesca Marino in The Quint.

Especially, it seems, since the Chinese secret services are behind the Pakistani State killers, who regularly interrogate those that the ISI picks up and occupy, militarily and commercially, Balochistan under the guise of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor . The CPEC further deprived the Baloch of rights and livelihoods. (Source)

Elimination of Balochis - especially the activist types is not the fetish of just Pakistan. But also of China. Because China has made deep investments in Balochistan where the Gwadar port is. Gwadar is an important piece for China strategically.

Gwadar, gateway to the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), was until recently a cluster of small, little-known fishing villages on the Makran coast of Pakistan. Gwadar is only 107 miles (172 km) from Chabahar across the border with Iran and, now, both ports are being developed into maritime hubs by China and India, respectively, triggering what is being called the New Great Game in South Asia. The CPEC is projected to link Kashgar in Xinjiang with Gwadar on the Makran coast of Balochistan, the largest province of Pakistan.

Here is the strange part. Pakistan was ruling over the Balochistan area, where, as in other areas within Pakistan, the government allowed China to build a road project for the latter’s benefit. But the project left Pakistan in $10 billion of debt to China and a free reign over the main Pakistan port (Gwadar) to China.

It is this area and group of people that are suddenly being found dead around the world and despite the obviously suspicious circumstances, the supposedly best law enforcement and investigation authorities in the West are coming up with certificates - “No crime committed.”

We had asked a question earlier about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and wondering if it was bought? The answer lies in Francesca’s article again.

But Western governments are silent. They are silent because Islamabad is implementing another of Beijing’s privileged strategies: ‘shopping’, at high prices, of MEPs, local politicians, journalists and members of even prestigious think-tanks. (Source)

Yes, they are.

Just as Francesca says, Pakistan is conducting proliferation and infiltration in different countries using different means to buy politicians, journalists, and opinion-makers.

Czech Republic's national intelligence agency, Security Information Service (BIS) in its annual report has highlighted increased proliferation concerns from Pakistan, a worry pointed out by a German government report earlier this year. (Source)

And, the Pakistani establishment has infiltrated the American think-tanks as well. (Source)

(Source)

Any wonder how all this strange contract killing goes around the world with crazy law enforcement reactions and no one even points things out?

An Aid front of a terror group offering facilities for mobs acting as farmers

Khalsa Aid, a shady Khalistan-supporting organization, which is backing the so-called farmers’ protests near Delhi has now opened a mall.

Farmers at Tikri border will no longer have to jostle in a crowd in search of relief material provided by voluntary organisations as Khalsa Aid on Wednesday set up a 'Kisan Mall' at the border to provide farmers items of daily use for free. The mall is providing blankets, toothbrushes, toothpaste, thermals, sweaters, jackets, vests, blankets, oil, Vaseline, socks, washing soap, bathing soap, shampoo, comb, muffler, Odomos, dry milk, sanitary pads and shoes. Heating pads, towels, ’Loai’, slippers, garbage bag, knee caps, tarpaulin, nail cutter, ENO and washing brushes are also available at the mall. (Source)

They had earlier opened a “foot massage” center at the Singhu border. (Source)

As per the National Intelligence Agency in India, Khalsa Aid is a front for Babbar Khalsa, an organization that planned and executed the Air India plane (AI-182) bombing bound for Canada in 1985, where 329 people were killed.

“On the allegation that Punjab based BKI operatives are receiving money from UK based BKI operatives (viz. Balbir Singh Bains, Joga Singh) and its front organizations, including but not limited to, Sikh Organisation for Prisoner Welfare (SoPW), Akhand Kirtanee Jattha (AKJ) and Khalsa Aid, to commit terrorist acts in India, with the active support of Pakistan based BKI leaders (Wadhwa Singh, Jagtar Singh Tara). Further, Intelligence suggested that the money is being distributed to sleeper cells, jailed terrorists and the families of the terrorists in Punjab (Source)

This is the NIA circular.

Even though Khalsa Aid keeps talking about “Humanitarian effort in Syria”, it is interesting that its founder Ravi Inder Singh himself admitted that his organization has never been to Syria!

ਸਮਾਜ ਸੇਵਾ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਜਾਣੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਸੰਸਥਾ ‘ਖਾਲਸਾ ਏਡ ਇੰਟਰਨੈਸ਼ਨਲ’ ਨੇ ਮੰਨਿਆ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਕਦੇ ਸੀਰੀਆ ਨਹੀਂ ਗਏ। ਜਦੋਂਕਿ ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਸੰਸਥਾ ਦੇ ਮੁਖੀ ਰਵੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਆਏ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਜਿਥੇ ਕੋਈ ਨਹੀਂ ਬਹੁੜਦਾ, ਉਥੇ ‘ਖਾਲਸਾ ਏਡ’ ਸੀਰੀਆ ਵਰਗੇ ਖ਼ਤਰਨਾਕ ਦੇਸ਼ ’ਚ ਪੁੱਜ ਕੇ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਆਖਿਆ ਸੀ ਕਿ ਸੀਰੀਆ ਨਾਲੋਂ ਪੰਜਾਬ ’ਚ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਨੀ ਔਖੀ ਹੈ। (Khalsa Aid International, an organization known for social service, admitted that he had never been to Syria. Earlier, Ravi Singh, the head of the organization, had said that where no one cares, Khalsa Aid serves a dangerous country like Syria. He had said that it was more difficult to serve Punjab than Syria.) (Source)

Similarly, its dealings in Australia are also murky at best!

The Khalsa Aid International is a non-accredited organisation in Australia and it does not appear in the list of registered organisations in the country. As per the Australian rules, fundraising for a non-accredited organization within its territory is a legal offence. But over the years, Khalsa Aid had raised millions of dollars from Australian cities, including Sydney. Following this revelation, two prominent Gurudwaras in Sydney decided to stop funding the contentious organisation and started helping the poor directly. (Source)

As Sonam Mahajan puts it correctly, Khalsa Aid is to Babbar Khalsa what Jamaat-ud-Dawa is to Lashkar-e-Taiba. It is just a front.

It is this terror sympathizing group that is creating a carnival of freebies for Punjab people to park themselves on Delhi borders and mess up the lives of Delhi-ites in the name of farmer protests!

Global bonanza from US Congress and a joke on Americans

The 5593-page spending bill for USD 2.3 trillion that the Congress voted this week offered a paltry $600 in direct payments to most Americans. But it gives a bonanza to all kinds of countries. And, as is their wont, the Democrats are back in the skirt of Pakistan. They are offering $25 million to Pakistan for “democracy programs” and “gender programs”! A country, whose deep state goes around killing activists who called for, er.. democracy!

Here is the list of free money available to all kinds of crazy countries. (Source)

$169,739,000 to Vietnam, including $19 million to remediate dioxins (page 1476).
Unspecified funds to “continue support for not-for-profit institutions of higher education in Kabul, Afghanistan that are accessible to both women and men in a coeducational environment” (page 1477).
$198,323,000 to Bangladesh, including $23.5 million to support Burmese refugees and $23.3 million for “democracy programs” (page 1485).
$130,265,000 to Nepal for “development and democracy programs” (page 1485).
Pakistan: $15 million for “democracy programs” and $10 million for “gender programs” (page 1486).
Sri Lanka: Up to $15 million “for the refurbishing of a high endurance cutter,” which is a type of patrol boat (page 1489).
$505,925,000 to Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama to “address key factors that contribute to the migration of unaccompanied, undocumented minors to the United States” (pages 1490-1491).
$461,375,000 to Colombia for programs related to counternarcotics and human rights (pages 1494-1496).
$74.8 million to the “Caribbean Basin Security Initiative” (page 1498).
$33 million “for democracy programs for Venezuela” (page 1498).
Unspecified amount to Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Curacao, and Trinidad and Tobago “for assistance for communities in countries supporting or otherwise impacted by refugees from Venezuela” (page 1499).
$132,025,000 “for assistance for Georgia” (page 1499).
$453 million “for assistance for Ukraine” (page 1500)

After Congress passed the spending bill, US President Donald Trump has threatened to not sign this “COVID bill.” Also, he has pushed them to increase the relief to $2000 per person and $4000 per couple from just $600 while throwing all these doles to delinquent countries out. Am not sure if his $2000 per person is possible in the current economic reality, although it is desirable and the right thing to do, but surely there is very little justification for giving millions to Pakistan’s genocidal army for democracy programs!

market corner - 10 quick bytes

India's natural gas consumption rises 2% in November from a year earlier - more
Gold remains a preferred portfolio asset in 2021. Gold, which is priced in dollars, would be a big beneficiary if a crisis of confidence plagues the world’s reserve currency - more
Private sector coal-based power generators may see an equity infusion to the tune of Rs 40,000 crore, driven by the government’s initiatives and state-run Coal India’s decision to extend the tenure of credit available to them, Crisil rating agency has said in a report - more
Glance raises $145 million from Google and Mithril Capital. Glance delivers AI-driven personalized content in varied languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, on the lock screen of Android smartphones - more
Social commerce in India could touch $7bn (around Rs 51,703 cr) in GMV by 2025 as the number of online shoppers - especially from tier II cities and beyond - continues to rise, a report by RedSeer Consulting said - more
Cairn Energy wins $1.2 billion from India in tax arbitration case - more
Wipro seals a $700-million IT deal with Metro AG. It is for the formation of a joint transformation office and innovation council that will guide the businesses through the transformation and ensure collaborative innovation throughout the partnership - more
RBI cautions against unauthorized digital lending platforms, mobile apps. They charge excessive rates of interest and additional hidden charges, adopt unacceptable and high-handed recovery methods, and misuse agreements to access data on mobile phones of borrowers - more
Honda halts car production at Greater Noida plant, discontinues Civic, CR-V models to cut costs, conserve cash and consolidate production at one facility amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic - more
PM to launch SEHAT, health insurance scheme for Jammu-Kashmir on Dec 26. SEHAT scheme stands for Social, Endeavour for Health and Telemedicine, a health insurance scheme for the Union Territory. The department termed it a "historical moment" for the erstwhile state. - more

nota bene

India rejects the Chinese deal in Ladakh: India will not accept the proposal of Chinese military commanders to turn the eight mountainous spurs jutting out of the Sirijap range into a no-troop area, people familiar with the matter said. Chinese commanders are understood to have proposed that Indian and Chinese troops move back to either side of the eight spurs that overlook the north bank of Pangong lake - named Finger 1 to 8 - and convert the area in between to a no-activity buffer zone, or a no-man’s land. (Source)

Tent Homeless clusters: To deal with an exploding homeless population and encourage social distancing during the pandemic, Marcipoa County officials turned this pair of asphalt-topped parking lots into the area’s newest homeless shelter. The county has more than 7,500 people on the streets and nearly 5,000 dead from COVID-19. High real estate prices, lost jobs and businesses have meant that more people have gone homeless in the US. There is, however, no provisions for the homeless in America. (Source)

Mount Everest shrinks: Sometimes Mount Everest seems like the second-tallest, according to a story reported in the American Geophysical Union's news blog Eos. That's because the mountain's air pressure fluctuates significantly throughout the year, a recent study found, causing the summit's "perceived elevation" to occasionally dip below that of its less-lofty rival, K2 — the second-tallest mountain in the world. (Source)

Zero Emission Cell for Airbus: Airbus has revealed a radical design for detachable hydrogen fuel cell wing pods that could propel aircraft on long-range flights with zero emissions. It would attach to the underside of airplane wings. It is expected to revolutionize air travel and usher in a new era of zero-emission flights. (Source)

How Totapuri handled Ramakrishna and his Mother Kali

For the most exacting, the spiritual path is not about living in a half-sleep and having entertainment. But about experiencing and living in alignment with the underlying consciousness that pervades the existence.

That takes a certain commitment and intensity. Many a great beings can get lost on the way. Ramakrishna Paramhans, one of the most amazing beings in recent centuries was in that state. Until an amazing Yogi happened to come across him. When Ramakrishna was just not budging from the blissful existence that his devotion brought, the Yogi - Totapuri - had to do something unconventional. Cut his forehead with a glass and take him to the final stage of “knowing”. This is a very fascinating story.

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