WLC RECORD ADMISSIONS IN INDIA

WLC college India records the highest admissions in their campuses in the academic year 2008. As per the records, 11 admisions were occured in all India 24 campuses of WLCI. In 2007 the 4-admissions make the wave across the coutry. All the employees were paid 30% bonus.

SEX IN DEPTH - In Pakistan, a dark trade comes to light

Prostitution in the Islamic nation of Pakistan, once relegated to dark alleys and small red-light districts, is now seeping into many neighborhoods of country's urban centers. Reports indicate that since the period of civilian rule ended in 1977, times have changed and now the sex industry is bustling.

Early military governments and religious groups sought to reform areas like the famous "Taxali Gate" district of Lahore by displacing prostitutes and their families in an effort to "reinvent" the neighborhood.

While displacing the prostitutes might have temporarily made the once small red-light district a better neighborhood for a time, it did little to stop the now dispersed prostitutes from plying their trade. Reforming a neighborhood, instead of offering education and alternative opportunities, appears to be at the core of early failures to curb the nascent sex industry. This mistake would become a prophetic error as now the tendrils of the sex trade have become omnipresent in cities like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore, not to mention towns, villages and rural outposts.

An aid worker for an Islamabad-based non-governmental organization (NGO) recently related a story: quickly after his arrival in the capital, he realized the house next to his own was a Chinese brothel. The Chinese ability to "franchise" the commercial sex industry by providing down-trodden Chinese women throughout Asia, North America and Europe would be admirable in a business sense if it were not for the atrocities - human trafficking, sexual slavery and exploitation - which cloud its practice.

Chinese bordellos, often operating as "massage parlors" or beauty salons, are across Pakistan, even spread even to war-torn and restive locations such as the Afghan capital Kabul. Chinese in the sex industry have developed a cunning ability to recognize areas where the demand for sex far outstrips the supply.

The NGO worker said that after months of living adjacent to the brothel things were shaken up - literally. One evening a drunk Pakistani drove his car into the brothel. Later the driver told authorities the ramming was a protest by a devout Muslim against the debauchery of the house and its inhabitants. The NGO worker, however, had seen the same car parked peacefully outside the house the night before.

The local sex industry comprised of Pakistani prostitutes has also grown in recent years. One can easily find videos on YouTube that show unabashed red-light areas of Lahore. The videos display house after house with colorfully lit entranceways always with a mamasan and at least one Pakistani woman in traditional dress. The women are available for in-house services for as little as 400 rupees (US$6) to take-away prices ranging 1,000 to 2,000 rupees. These districts are mostly for locals, but foreigners can indulge at higher prices.

Foreigners in Pakistan have no trouble finding companionship and may receive rates similar to locals in downtrodden districts. More upscale areas like Lahore's Heera Mundi or "Diamond Market", cater to well-heeled locals and foreigners. At these places prettier, younger girls push their services for 5,000 to 10,000 rupees for an all-night visit, and the most exceptional can command 20,000 to 40,000 rupees for just short time.

Rumors abound online that female TV stars and actresses can be hired for sex. "You can get film stars for 50,000 to 100,000 rupees but you need good contacts for that," one blogger wrote after a trip to Lahore.

"The Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi sex scenes are totally changing and it's easier and easier to get a girl for [sex]," another blogger wrote. "Most of the hotels provide you the girls upon request." Bloggers also reported that it is easy to find girls prowling the streets after 6 pm, and foreigners can find young women hanging out near Western franchises like McDonald's and KFC. Such women, the bloggers claim, can lead the customer to a nearby short-time accommodation.

Short-time hotels offering hourly rates can be found all over major cities, underscoring the profits being reaped by the sex industry.

Pakistan can also accommodate the gay community with prostitution. Unfortunately, this has also given rise to child prostitution.

A Pakistani blogger wrote, "We [ethnic] Pathans are very fond of boys. [In Pakistan] the wives are only [had sex with] once or twice a year. There are lot of gay brothels in Peshawar - the famous among them is at Ramdas Bazaar. [One can] go to any Afghan restaurant and find young waiters selling sex."

As in many societies, access to technology, the Internet and mobile phones has only facilitated the sex trade in Pakistan. "Matchmaking" websites serve the male clientele, while providing marketing for prostitutes.

The root causes of prostitution in Pakistan are poverty and a dearth of opportunities. Widows find themselves on the streets with mouths to feed, and for many prostitution offers a quick fix. A local Pakistani prostitute can earn 2,000 to 3,000 rupees per day compared to the average monthly income of 2,500 rupees.

Forced prostitution is not rare. Women in hard times are often exploited and pushed into prostitution. Sandra (not her real name), said that after the death of her father she was left alone; friends and relatives deserted her after the grieving period. As a middle-class, educated woman she was surprised to find herself forced into prostitution from her office job.

"My boss initially spoiled me at first," she told Khaleej Times. "[But] now I am in [the sex industry]." Sandra first thought her boss was being gracious, but quickly learned he was grooming her for sex for his own pleasure, and then acting as her pimp.

Many of Pakistan's contemporary sexual mores may have evolved from traditional practices. For example, the polygamy permitted in Muslim society stemmed from the need for larger family units, the better to support familial ties and tend for widows. Until such ancient customs are updated, women such as Sandra will continue to be bought and sold.

It's time for Pakistan to admit that prostitution is doing a roaring trade within its borders, and will continue to prosper until it is addressed in a modern manner. Let us hope that the people and government of this proud Muslim country will stop pretending the problem simply isn't there.

WLC STOPS ALL PAYMENTS!

WLC College India has stopped all payments to its clients, students, faculties and employees from March 2008 onwards. The further communication in this regard will be displayed on this blog soon.

TAWHEED: Oneness of God

The very basis of the religion Islam is the faith & belief in Only One God – Allah.

It is the belief in One Almighty who is the Creator & God of Adam, Abraham, Budha, Moses, Jesus and Mohammad. (May peace be upon them). The Creator & God of all other Prophets & Saints, of every Man , of every Woman & Child.

This one God is the only Creator & King of the Universe, the Heavens, the Galaxies, Milky Way, Solar systems, all other planets & this humble Earth. The Creator of the Sun, Moon, Stars & the skies.

Allah is the only Creator of all creatures big & small. The microscopic organisms, the fish & all sea creatures, the insects, the birds & the beasts.

The Creator of Mountains, Forests, Trees, Bushes, Plants, Flowers or a mere seed.The Creator of the Oceans, Seas, Rivers & Lakes.

The Creator of Gold , Diamonds, Rubies, Pearl, Coal or a mere stone. He is the Creator of Minerals, Chemicals, Oil , Gases, Water & Springs. The Creator of Matter & Anti-matter & all things known & unknown !

It is this God - Allah that is the Greatest & Supreme that everyone of us must believe in, put our trust in, worship & ask for the fulfillment of all our needs & wishes, for every problem or anxiety big or small. It is He who has the power & resources to do Everything.

“ Nay, Allah is your Patron, Lord, Helper, Protector and He is the Best of Helpers “

Reference : The Holy Quran, Chapter: Al-Imran, Verse : 150

Allah is the Finest & the most Genius, He first created a Man – Adam from clay & then put a minute fraction of His own Spirit in Adam and brought him to life as a human being. We all know Adam is the first Man on Earth and rightly so, we don’t call him “the Son of God” considering he had no father or mother.

Then Allah,the Almighty created Eve . The miracle of the birth of Eve was such that she sprouted from the rib of Adam as a complete human being. We know Eve as the first Woman on Earth but we do not associate her as either the daughter of God nor the daughter of Adam considering she was also born through a miracle & had no biological father & mother.

The Magnificent & all powerful Allah can make such amazing things happen that we mere mortals with our mere intellect cannot even imagine.

“ The Originator of the Heavens and the Earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it : “BE” ! and it becomes. “

Reference : The Holy Quran, Chapter: Al-Baqarah, Verse : 117

For example how God blessed Prophet Abraham & his wife with a son called Isaac in very old age , the same as God blessed Zechariah a son John in old age.

Another example of God’s miracles is how he provided clouds in the skies as shades & heavenly food - “Mannah” for Prophet Moses & his people for 40 years!

The Almighty also provided heavenly food & fruits to Mary. She was the most noble & pious woman of her time who was visited upon by Angels bringing food & God’s messages to her. One of the Glad tidings to her was the promise of a Noble son who will be assigned to convey God’s message to mankind. Thus like the miracle of life as of Adam & Eve, another miracle of life came to be in the form of Jesus Christ who though was born from a mother’s womb but had no father.

“ Oh Mary ! Verily, God has chosen you, purified you from polytheism and disbelief and chosen you above the women of the mankind and the genie and gives you glad tidings of a son, held in honor in this world and in the hereafter and he will be one of the righteous “

Reference: The holy Quran, chapter: Al-imran, Verses: 42 – 46

As God is all powerful & all capable , creating such miracles in the form of human life was not a big task for Him considering how the Almighty was able to create this whole Universe as we know it & all its creatures in just six days! Therefore the importance of worshipping the One True God is the most logical & rightful thing.

“ Surely your lord is Allah who created the Heavens and the Earth in six days and then rose over the throne disposing the affairs of all things. No intercessor can plead with Him except after HIS permission. That is Allah , your Lord, so worship Him alone. “

Reference: The holy Quran, chapter: 10 (prophet) Jonah, Verse: 3

We know that any kingdom, country, organization or a company can only function peacefully & systematically with just one King, Head of State, CEO or Leader. With multiple leaders disharmony, jealousy, competition & breakdown of system occurs, as we say “too many cooks spoil the broth”!

Similarly if there were to be more than one god, we would definitely have witnessed disruption in the normal system & functionality of the Universe.

The Sun God might refuse to rise in the morning or the God of the Planets might reverse its rhythm on a whim & start rotating in the opposite direction, the God of creatures might refuse to produce & give birth to earthly species or all the different kinds of Gods could become at odds with each other & have a war amongst themselves to show each ones own power & might & so in between the battle of the Gods’ we humble earthly beings would have been crushed & perished !

It is just not logical to perceive that there exists different Gods for different things.

The Holy Quran says there exists only One God , the Almighty & the King of all Kings, under him there are groups & groups of Angles carrying out each & every command of God. Angles main purpose is to serve God, their Master.

Therefore it is imperative that we humans must worship & give credit to this One true God only. This is His right on us and those who keep the faith & belief in the one Supreme God and obey His teachings then they shall indeed be worthy of heavenly rewards & an audience with Him in life hereafter. How blessed & great that moment would be when we mere humans would be able to see the King of the Universe !

“ Allah has promised those who believe in the oneness of Allah and do deeds of righteousness that for them there is forgiveness and a great reward i-e., Paradise. “

Reference: The holy Quran, chapter: 5 Al-Maaidah, Verse: 9

LAA-ILLAHA ILLALLAH

MOHAMMAD-UR-RASOOL ALLAH

There is NO God except Allah

And Mohammad is His messenger

(may peace & blessings be upon him)

This is the Ultimate Truth !

May the Almighty help each & everyone of us recognize & believe in the One God only who neither has any son nor any daughter, who neither tires nor sleeps. He has been here since ever & will remain forever. We are one of his creations & all the Prophets are superior human beings they are God’s friends & messengers only !

Women at the temple door

This year, Preeti Agarwal, a 30-year-old housewife, broke tradition during February rituals to worship the birth of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge.

For the first time, she invited a female priest to her home to conduct the puja, or ceremony, to mark the auspicious day when children learn to read and write their first letters or words. Families dress in yellow - symbolizing spring and the blossoming of mustard flowers - and gather to pray for the blessing of knowledge in an elaborate ceremony set against a background of chants and drumbeats.

In the past, Agarwal has followed customary practice and invited a male priest - known as a pandit - to observe the tradition.

"Most of the time, a pandit would be so busy that he would just chant the mantras and finish his job and leave," says Agarwal. "He wouldn't explain the meaning of the mantras or the meaning behind the rituals. This is not the case with women priests. I first saw a woman conducting religious rituals at a friend's place and was impressed. I decided that the next time there was a puja at my place, I will invite a woman priest only."

This year, the puja was different, she says. Her seven-year-old daughter asked lots of questions and Sunita Joshi, the female priest who conducted it, answered them all patiently.

Agarwal lives in Pune, a university city in the western, progressive part of India some 190 kilometers south of Mumbai where women are joining the priesthood even as they are barred from entering temples in other parts of the country. Pune led the first efforts in India to draw girls into school and educate them, and was also one of the first cities to allow widows to remarry, a concept that was once largely absent in traditional Hindu culture.

Although a few women have trained as pandits in the southern city of Hyderabad, Pune is on the vanguard. While Hinduism does not technically bar women from becoming priests, it is not accepted as standard practice in most of India. Even in Pune the idea is novel, and people have taken time to accept it. Women who have taken up the work have faced strong resistance from male pandits.

Formal training in women's school
Pune's revolution to allow women into the priesthood began in the early 1980s, when Shankarrao Thatte - owner of a premier marriage hall in the city, the Udyan Karyalaya - launched the Shankar Seva Samiti, a school to train female priests.

The casual - and often hurried - approach of the male priests toward the rituals and ceremonies prompted Thatte to start four-month training courses for women. Today, Pune has two schools for female priests, Thatte's Shankar Seva Samiti and Jnana Prabodhini.

Vishwanath Gurjar, who heads the priesthood division of Jnana Prabodhini, says that women have an equal right to moksha, the Hindu concept of the liberation of the soul from the continual cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. According to him, there is nothing in the scriptures to suggest that women are not equal to men.

Several years ago, according to news reports, an important priest, Shankarcharya of Puri, denounced the induction of women into priesthood. He felt that the Vedas were a male domain and should remain so. However, Shankarcharya's disapproval has made no dent on the enthusiasm of the women priests.

"Nowhere is it written that women cannot recite the Vedas. In fact, there were female scholars like Ghosha, Lopamudra, Romasha and Indrani in the Vedic period and women philosophers like Sulabha, Maitreyi and Gargi in the Upanishadic period," 52-year-old Vasanti Khadilkar was quoted as saying at the time.

According to Khadilkar, there is a verse from the Bhihadaranyakopanishad which translates as "a well-to-do man always thinks that his daughter should be a scholar".

Headmaster Gurjar agrees: "It is only the mindset of people that stops them from accepting women in certain roles." His school in Pune started out with three-month courses for female priests and has since expanded to eight months. So far, 12 classes of 30 to 35 students each have completed the course.

Personal interests, professional gains
Interest in the scriptures and rituals of worship are generally the inspiration for women to study the priesthood, says Gurjar. Some do it for their personal education, others out of interest in the profession. Pandits earn a fee for each ritual they perform, ranging between US$1.25 and $3, but customers also tip them a little extra if they are happy with the rites.

Sandhya Kulkarni, a scholar and purohit - another word for pandit - started practicing professionally some 10 years ago. She has completed a doctorate in Sanskrit, the classical language in which the most important Hindu scriptures are written.

"Initially I decided to study scriptures because I was very interested in the Sanskrit language," she says. "Later I developed a genuine interest in the priesthood and decided to take it up as a profession. Apart from that I also felt that I should not blindly follow the rituals but should know the reasoning behind them."

Hinduism is the world's oldest major religion and contains a vast body of scriptures, which contemplate mythology, philosophy and theology and expound on the practice of religious living. The important scriptures include the four Vedas, as well as the Manusmriti, Ramayana, Bhagvad Gita and Mahabharta. Primary tenets include moksha and karma, the belief that actions have subsequent reactions. The divine takes many forms and rituals are often observed at home on a daily basis.

Women have made headway in routine religious rituals like marriage; the thread ceremony, a rite of passage for boys; or the house-warming ceremony. But rituals and ceremonies related to death still continue to be observed only by male pandits. Kulkarni is one of the few female priests who has conducted death rites, partly because women are by tradition not allowed to enter the cremation ground and cremation itself is done by the male members of the family.

Shortage of men for festivals
Initially, women were invited to conduct rituals only when male pandits were unavailable during the hectic festival season, from the end of August to November. Many times female priests found the appointment canceled because an elderly member of the family objected to them.

"There is a marked difference in the attitude of the people in the last three to four years," says Kulkarni. "There is an increased acceptance of women priests in the city now. In many instances, they are preferred over male priests. Women do it with a sense of mission and that is the main difference. People appreciate that we explain the meaning of chants and mantras."

Their acceptance as pandits has been eased by a recognition that the priesthood did not come to them by inheritance, but rather as a result of genuine interest and hard work to prove their worthiness. When men inherit the job they do not necessarily receive an education or training, and there is a general disaffection with male pandits among some Indians who believe they take the work for granted.

Female priests do face some cultural barriers. For instance, a menstruating woman is considered impure and is traditionally not allowed to enter a temple or to take part in rituals. The female pandits keep that in mind and don't conduct any rituals during those days.

Madhuri Karavade has been a purohit for the last seven years.

"My in-laws are very traditional and I didn't know much about the rituals so I decided to come here to study," Karavade says. "I liked it so much that I took it up professionally."

She says her most satisfying moment came when she was able to conduct the upnayan rite, which initiates a young boy into Hinduism. Her ceremony included both boys and girls.

It's a woman 's world

They say it is better to dump than to be dumped. And the women of the glam world are following this to the T. The media is full of it. And, we don't mean just the gossip columns. There is author Salman Rushdie talking about his literary block after the breakup with Padma Lakshmi. We have Yuvraj's mother lampooning Deepika Padukone for dumping the cricketer. The nation mourned in support of Shahid Kapoor, after Kareena chose Saif's racy charisma over his chocolate boy charm. Then there's Amisha Patel, who has moved on to her next; after reportedly throwing a birthday party to cheer up her ex, Vikram Bhatt. And, the question on everybody's lips is: Will Katrina marry Salman? Not the other way around!

Things seem to be changing while we weren't looking... women are calling the shots in their relationships. Well, we still need men, they titter, but not before adding, "But other things are important too, you know".

This is their time, whether it's Riya Sen partying with her golf buddies and Rushdie or Bipasha Basu getting up and close to a good-looking footballer. They're partying, dating and marrying or choosing not to marry the men they fall in and out of love with. A suitable boy is no longer more important than a suitable life.

Says VJ Sophie, "Women no longer rely on men the way they used to." Raima Sen, who laughed off the gossip columnists after being spotted accompanying Yuvraj Singh at a party, says, " I can't stop going out or being friends with someone because I would be written about. As for dating, it has to allow space for my career and other goals. If that's not happening, I would end the relationship."

In the "good old days", the cases of women taking the final call on a relationship were few and far between. An Aishwarya Rai who weighed her options first with Salman Khan and later with Vivek Oberoi before settling for Abhishek Bachchan was rare. A lone Tina Munim comes to mind, who exited from a deadend relationship with Rajesh Khanna to become Mrs Anil Ambani. Otherwise, there are numerous cases of women as victims — Meena Kumari, Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman to name a few.

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, whose Jab We Met couple Shahid and Kareena split after the film was released, is happy seeing women on top. "It's heartening to see that women are realising their worth and there's no moral pressure to continue in a relationship because it's considered virtuous. A woman today is multifaceted; her identity is no longer linked to the man she's with."

Says film historian Amrit Gangar, "It's part of a social cycle, which moves from the feudal to the traditional and then the modern. Earlier, we had heroines and vamps onscreen, till the distinctions were blurred. Many male roles in society have also been taken over by women who, I believe, are more articulate. Today, it's common to see couples like Ajay Devgan and Kajol who seem to share an equal partnership. A lot of factors come together in the social, cultural and mainly economic spheres, including globalisation."

It's also the money talking. Actress and anchor Pooja Bedi, who walked out of her marriage with two kids, says her biggest fear at the time was not whether she would find another man, but economic stability. "After a certain point, a man is no longer top priority," she says.

The writing on the wall's clear. As Raima says, "Men and women have always been dumping each other but in the last couple of years, it's the women who seem to be doing it much more."

A Delhi singleton sums it up well, "You don't really need a man unless he can keep you in style, call four times a day and think you're beautiful and slim." She adds, "I live on my own and have a huge big teddy bear for company and he's perfect: No crying for food and attention and his fur doesn't even need brushing! Why would you want someone in your life with his own set of insecurities and problems and who shaves his hair all over your sink?" Girls are very wary now.

And, honestly, look at Sushmita Sen, who seems to have it all... a daughter, financial stability and a pick of the best men... does she really need a man full-time?

So, men, don't be surprised if your woman dumps you in favour of a salsa class!

SOUL CURRY: Foraging a free meal

My morning walk often takes me to the by-lanes of Kidwai Nagar, a small colony in Delhi. On the left of one of the lanes, are heaps of rotten vegetables, fruits and plastic packets tossed aside by street vendors.

It is still quite dark at 5 in the morning. Two girls dressed in school uniforms are picking up vegetables from the road. They walk along the same path unaware that I am listening intently to their conversation.

"I wish someone would leave one fresh tomato,” says the younger one. "Be thankful, you have a rotten one, imagine the subzi without one," replies the sister. After searching around the rotten piles for a few more minutes, the younger girl says, "But mother gets fresh tomato for brother's subzi , why does she make separate food for us? Why do we have to come every morning and find the vegetables for the food we have to eat?"

The elder one answers, "It is the way of life. We are the unwanted. We are born to work and suffer and eat only what we are given. We cannot ask for food or answers."

"But yesterday in class we learnt that the government is doing a lot for the girl child. It even said that free meals will be given to us in school. What is the meaning of freedom?” younger one asks.

"Freedom means we are free. However, we have to live in prisons set by the society," the elder one explains. "That is why mother sends us every morning to find our food. Be thankful, she cooks something. What free meals are you talking about? Do you know that the teachers pack the rice into their bags to take it home? Wow, I found a whole packet of green peas. We will have a good meal today!"

The two girls run away to their little juggi . Next morning I walk up to them. "Here is a bag of tomatoes. Have a good meal for a few days," I say.

Haunted by fear, the elder one hastily gives it back and says: "We will be thrashed by our father. We are used to scavenging."

I walk away deeply saddened. I can do nothing but watch — knowing that I belong to the community of teachers. Care for the girl child! Is it possible?