US Conspiracy to Destablize Pakistan? Forgot to correct nkg on Kerala - Kerala was never ruled but fully occupied for 1000 continuous years by Islamic rules. Cochin being a way stop for spices from Moluccas, Zamorin found it useful to make money ~ 15% tax on spices from Moluccas eventually which went to Gulf, further enroute to EU. Arab horses were a frequent form of payment and the Chera rules made a fast buck of flicking cash off neighbourhood Pallavas, Cholas selling the arab horses. (This is based on inscriptions as well- please head to Jewtown , Cochin and so some travel - could do the body and mind good)

US Conspiracy to Destablize Pakistan? Forgot to correct nkg on Kerala - Kerala was never ruled but fully occupied for 1000 continuous years by Islamic rules. Cochin being a way stop for spices from Moluccas, Zamorin found it useful to make money ~ 15% tax on spices from Moluccas eventually which went to Gulf, further enroute to EU. Arab horses were a frequent form of payment and the Chera rules made a fast buck of flicking cash off neighbourhood Pallavas, Cholas selling the arab horses. (This is based on inscriptions as well- please head to Jewtown , Cochin and so some travel - could do the body and mind good)

US Conspiracy to Destablize Pakistan? Discussions such as the one by nkg # 543 are quite useless because they ignore a fundamental fact that History has to be viewed from a lens of multiple influences and epochs. If you just take Literature , for example, Vedic ages produced outstanding litertaure followed by outstanding poetry by early Sultanate (influenced by local colour). Birth of regional languages was in 11-13th centuries and until then, the mergeing of languages, Farisee, local Sanskrit (spoken now only by the creamy top layer of Brahmins) and the language of the masses - Prakrit, Pali, Magadhi....All of the languages produced outstanding poetry, supported by Lodhis and certainly later by Mughals - Akbar, and how cna you forget the last Mughal? Libraries at Damashk, Cairo, Tunis, Elazek, East Kurish regions....speak of an abiding love for written word by followers of Islam.

Ultimately, love for the Word is an universal one and denying it or having it ascribed to one caste/reloigion/country is incorrect.

Psychology of Men\'s Honour and Women\'s Sexuality I am quite amazed and amused that so many people including esteemed psuchiatrists (presumably) seem to hold The Rule Book on what the relationship between an INDIVIDUAL woman and an INDIVIDUAL man should be, could be, must be! All relationships are fraught with joys, sometimes incredible pain, initimacy and tenderness. All of this is in the private realm and each relationship is unique, a product of the buffettings of the history of the individuals and their shared dreams for life. The decisions are theirs alone and there is no such thing as "divorce is bad" or "pre marital sex is wrong". Sex is nothing but an eloquent, accessible language to express that most fleeting and magnificient of human emotions, love and who are we to questions it expression or lack of it? In absence of sex, love exists and is expressed in just as myriad , if not as dramatic a manner.Ultimately, it is the quotidian aspects of life and living that threatens to kill or rejuvenates a relationship between man and woman. Tried agreeing who would do the dishes and see love disappear instantly?! See? I told you :-))

Widows of Banares I read this poem on a hot noon day in a typical Corporate matchbox here in Bombay - this was not the time and place to shed that tear.
Simply, I was moved by Nambiar`s poem. Touching. Beautiful. Incredibly sad.