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India, being a secular country, does not recognize any
religion as State religion. The Constitution allows for freedom of faith, worship, and religion. Among the major religions in India, Hinduism is the largest, followed by
Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Judaism.
Hinduism is among the most ancient religions of the world. The Hindus, i.e., the followers of Hinduism, account for over 80% of India's total population.
The Muslims, as the followers of Islam are known, form the second largest religious community in India accounting for over 11 percent of her total population.
Christians comprise about 2.5% of India's population. They are largely concentrated in Goa, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, the last three States accounting for over 60 percent of the total Christian population in the country.
The Sikhs are a sturdy martial race known for their valor and broadmindedness. They constitute a little less than 2% of India's population. Though Buddhism originated in India, the followers of this religion, viz, Buddhists form less than three quarters of one percent of India's population. Maharashtra has 85% of Buddhists living in India.
The Jains form about half a percent of India's population and are largely spread in the States of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. They believe that Mahavira was the last of the Tirthankaras who was preceded by 23 such other perfect souls.
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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto threatened today to lead a mass protest heading to the capital unless President Pervez Musharraf quits as army chief, holds elections and restores the constitution.
(Benazir Ultimatum To Pervez, Telegraph, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
Although Bollywood is much maligned for churning out mindless blockbusters, at times, it also obliquely depicts the ground realities. (Nation In Distress , Telegraph, Abhijit Bhattacharyya , Nov 08, 2007)
Former Prime Minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto today warned General Musharraf that she would launch a "long march" from Lahore to Islamabad next week if he failed to rescind the emergency, restore the Constitution and announced election schedule (Benazir Plans ‘Long March’, Tribune, Afzal Khan, Nov 08, 2007)
Bhutto, who flew into the capital from the southern city of Karachi on Tuesday to consult other opposition leaders on steps to oppose the emergency, said a public meeting scheduled for November 9 in the nearby garrison city of. . . (Take To The Streets, Bhutto Tells Pak , Deccan Herald, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
The last, wan defence but one is that Pakistan is too vast for any minority to rule effectively (Proud But A Failing State , Deccan Herald, Peter Preston, Nov 08, 2007)
Nandigram is still burning but a consensus is eluding not only the Left Front but also the CPM on how to bring peace back.
(Bullets In Turf War, Potshots In Party, Telegraph, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
The decision whether to send central forces to Nandigram rests with the Prime Minister’s Office.
(Force File With Pmo, Telegraph, BHAVNA VIJ-AURORA, Nov 08, 2007)
Islamic militants have seized more than two-thirds of a key tourist valley in northwest Pakistan, despite a state of emergency imposed to tackle extremism, the police and residents said today. (Militants Seize Over Two-Thirds Of Swat Valley , Tribune, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
The people of Bengal did not need the state’s home secretary to tell them that Nandigram had turned into a “war zone”. That the rule of law has ceased to exist in the area is public knowledge. (End Violence, Telegraph, Editorial, The Telegraph, Nov 08, 2007)
On Wednesday, Police recovered two idols of Lord Buddha, worth about Rs one crore in the international market, and arrested four persons in this connection.
(Buddha Idols Worth 1 Crore Found In Allahabad , Singapore Times, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
A 2-year-old girl born with four arms and four legs is recovering after the complex operation for the removal of the extra limbs.
(Doctors Monitor India Girl Born With Excess Limbs After Oper , Singapore Times, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
After a 27-hour surgery, two-year-old Lakshmi Tatma, the “eight-limbed” girl from Bihar, was finally separated from her parasitic twin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
(Lakshmi Stable After Marathon Surgery, Hindu, Afshan Yasmeen, Nov 08, 2007)
Human beings alone among the countless living beings are capable of attaining liberation from transmigration. (Aim Of Human Life , Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
It may be that India remains the only stable democracy in this part of the world, but we are obliged to remember that our democratic habits and manners are under daily assault from different sources. (A Few Simple Lessons From Pakistan Statecraft, Hindu, Harish Khare , Nov 08, 2007)
Half a century ago D. D. Kosambi — whose birth centenary merits celebration at the national level — characterised the great uprising as ‘feudal’ and yet the final verdict on its significance was positive and it was perceived as a glorious struggle. (1857: What Does It Mean To Us?, Hindu, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Nov 08, 2007)
This ancient landmark of south Travancore now lies in ruins (Royal Remnant, Hindu, SOMA BASU, Nov 08, 2007)
Basu favours postponement of fresh deployment; ready for talks with Mamata (Left Front Discusses Crpf Deployment, Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)
Landmine blasts point to Maoists, says CPI(M) (Nandigram: Sporadic Violence Continues, Hindu, Marcus Dam, Nov 08, 2007)
From India's point of view, what can be the worst case scenario in Pakistan? It is the replacement of President Pervez Musharraf by a coalition of the Jamaat-e-Islami (Jamaat) and its allies, the Taliban-Al Qaeda combine and the fundamentalist . . . (Draft A Plan Of Action, Pioneer, Hiranmay Karlekar, Nov 08, 2007)
In modern times, a society's progress is measured by its achievements in the fields of intellect and technology. (Islam Can't Be Anachronism, Pioneer, A N Sudarsan Rao , Nov 08, 2007)
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