Traditionally, for Hindus it was the gotra (not surname) that was the principal identifier. We are not fully informed on Maharashtrian practices but here is an interesting factoid: If the surname has a -kar suffix, the prefix usually suggests the ancestral village or locality of origin.

Thus for example, Revan-kar – a title from the Daivajna family with common ancestry in Goa (hence termed Gomantak, the ancient name of Goa). The ancestral village for Revankars is Rivona (probably a Portugese adaptation). Other Gomantak Daivajna titles include Karekar (from Karai), Pednekar (Pedne), Haldonkar (Haldona)….

Looking elsewhere, we find Aurangabadkar (Aurangabad in Western Maharashtra, the capital city of Aurangzeb, then Mughal vice-roy of Deccan, in 1653) and Amalnerkar (Amalner, 200 km due north of Nashik, in the north-west corner of Maharashtra where Azim Premji of Wipro spent his childhood, his dad was the proprietor of a local dalda factory). We are a fan of the astro-physicist Jayant Vishnu Narlikar and when we looked, sure enough, there is a village named Narli in Sangli district in south-western Maharashtra.

The family name of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is Sakpal (father: Ramji Maloji Sakpal) but the family took the surname
of Ambawadekar, after the village Ambawade (Ratnagiri district, south Maharashtra). In a brief autobiographical account, Baba-saheb tells us how a school
teacher (a Brahmin, who shared food with him) got the name to be shortened to
Ambedkar. Incidentally, there are allegations (see link below) that Ambedkar’s followers helped erase the contributions of his wife in his life (Savita Mai, a Brahmin), we wonder why?
……..

…..
Finally, we have Dr Narendra Achyut Dabholkar, who died for the cause of rationality one year ago in Pune (1 November 1945 – 20 August 2013). The Dabholkar title is from the Chitpavan family with common ancestry in the Konkan (hence termed Konkan-astha). Dabhol is a sea-side village on the Konkan sea-coast, 250 km south of Mumbai, near Chiplun, Maharashtra.
……..
We are not that familiar with Narendra as a first-name (Nara- man + Indra- king of Gods, thus a king amongst men), however the ones we know of are all formidable people (coincidence?). Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi is the current Prime Minister from Gujarat, while Narendra Nath Dutta was the pre-sanyasin name of Swami Vivekananda – the Bengali monk who established the monastic order named Ramakrishna Mission.

When it came to naming his son, Dabholkar made a curious (but meaningful) choice. Hamid Dabholkar is named after Hamid Umar Dalwai who was born in a Marathi-speaking Muslim family and whose ancestral village is Mirjoli, also near Chiplun (and not far from Dabhol). Dalwai was an early follower of the socialist mass-leader (Lok Nayak) Jai Prakash (JP) Narayan and then went on to establish himself as a renowned social reformer focused (primarily) on the advancement of Muslim women. 
…………….

[ref. Wiki] Dalwai joined the Indian Socialist Party of Jai Prakash Narayan
in his early adulthood, but left it to devote himself to social reforms
in the Muslim community, especially regarding women’s rights. 

Despite
living in a period when most people were staunchly religious and
orthodox, Hamid Dalwai was one among the few religiously secular people.
He strove towards a uniform civil code rather than religion specific
laws.


…
To create a platform for his views and work, he established the Muslim Satya-Shodhak Mandal
(Muslim Truth Seeking Society) in Pune on 22 March 1970. Through the
medium of this Society, Hamid worked towards reforming bad practices in
the Muslim community especially towards women. He helped many Muslim
women who were victimized to get justice. 

He campaigned for encouraging
Muslims in acquiring education in the State language rather than Urdu,
their mother tongue. He also tried to make adoption an acceptable
practice in the Indian Muslim community.


….
He also established the Muslim Secular Society. He organised many
public meetings, gatherings, conventions and conferences to campaign for
better social practices. He was also a great Marathi litterateur. He
wrote Indhan (Fuel) – a novel, Laat (Wave) – a collection of short
stories and Muslim Politics in Secular India.
He used the medium of his writing for social reform.
……………

………

Link (1): dabholkar-dissent-and-democracy

Link (2): dr-ambedkar-and-brahmins
……

regards

Take one instructive example. EMS Namboodiripad is an all-time great amongst Indian politicians. But even as a man of the left he was not averse to playing communal games. It was in 1969 – only two decades removed from Partition I – that EMS promised and delivered a “muslim district” in Kerala by merging together the Muslim majority areas of Thrissur, Palakkad and Kozhikkode districts. This was done at the behest of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in return for short-term political support for the CPM led Left Front (IUML has long back ditched the CPM and is now partnered with the Congress).

Now the IUML is demanding for a separate Muslim state by bifurcating Kerala and capturing some land from Tamil Nadu (good luck with that). So…the next logical step will be a Muslim country…right? Not to worry, people already refer to Malappuram as mini Pakistan.
………….
Recently Malappuram district secretary of Muslim Youth League demanded
the division of Kerala. He demanded a new state named Malabar with
Kozhikode as the capital city. It is reported that they want a new state
including “7 districts, right from Thrissur, along with the inclusion
of Mahi and the Nilagiri district of Tamil Nadu.”. The justification for
the demand is that “it will be the sole solution” that will “help in
the progress of the region.” 
……….

All this political skullduggery has predictably led to a backlash and “hindu” organizations have now joined forces- for example, the
Nairs (NSS) and the Ezhavas (SNDP) who were once separated by bitter
caste barriers. Once the Left collapses, the BJP will be ready to take over (just like how it is happening in Bengal).

No good comes out of creating divisions within people (usually done for winning political power). Neighbors should not have to meet purity tests. And when one identity (religious) becomes too strong, then people will suffer, minorities for sure, but even people from the dominant faith.  

The stowaways who were just now rescued from a “metal coffin” in England have been identified as Afghan Sikhs. Sikhs
and Hindus have been living in Afghanistan for centuries. With the rise
of the Taliban (again), these communities face the choice of conversion or death. If and when the Taliban comes back to power (again), only muslims will be left to face the beatings, hand choppings and be-headings, while muslim women will disappear into home-prisons.
………………

………..
International manhunt continues for
traffickers who crammed 35 immigrants into container bound for Port of Tilbury. Disturbing footage showed migrants crawling
helplessly on the floor, while harrowing screams echo around docks. Altogether, 13
children, including a baby, and adults up to the age of 72 – including man in
his 40s who died – were among group.  Essex Police have confirmed all of
those inside the unit were Sikhs from Afghanistan – two remain in hospital
today
….

Finally, a comment on the latest abduction case (again). Tamil Nadu was spared the terrible Hindu-Muslim riots that shook North India during partition. As a Tamilian from the Christian faith, Friar Alexis Prem Kumar may not comprehend why a Pashtun from the Muslim faith would have cause to dislike him, even to hate him. But we still have to wonder if he and his family were willfully unaware of current events or relying on divine grace. If so it was an act of foolishness that may cost his life.

We also understand that religious folks have a strong sense of service. But any service (especially in foreign lands) must be coupled to a proper risk-benefit analysis. It is madness for a Catholic to be deployed in Afghanistan where apostasy-conversion-blasphemy carries the most severe of penalties. Jesuit Refugee Service, the employer of Prem Kumar, must answer why it was necessary to put this man’s life in danger. 

Ultimately in the grand scheme of things it probably does not matter if a single Sikh, Hindu, or Christian is unable to survive in Afghanistan. The Hindu-Sindhis, to take one example, have made a new home for themselves over a matter of a two generations. But those minds trapped in metal coffins- they are worrisome indeed. 

It will take some extra-ordinary event to bring peace to the Middle East and North Africa. We do not see any prospect of such an event in our lifetime at least. So many millions condemned to perpetual strife, cleansing and genocide, this is certainly not the will of God for sure (if she exists). But it is also a cautionary tale for India and Indians. Let us all learn and live, let us all live and learn.
………..
 Family
members of abducted Jesuit priest from Sivaganga Fr Alexis Prem Kumar
who met Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on
Thursday evening said that they were assured that the Centre was keen on
rescuing him soon and it was taking all efforts to bring him back.

It has been nearly two months since his abduction but there was little
information about his whereabouts. “We don’t know where he is being kept
or what efforts were being taken by Afghanistan authorities to rescue
him. But the only factor that keeps our hopes high is the assurance from
the Indian embassy officials that he is safe,” said a family member.

……

Link (1): Illegal-immigrants-in-Tilbury-shipping-container-were-Sikhs-from-Afghanistan

Link (2): Government-taking-all-efforts-to-bring-back-priest

…….

regards

…
He is the Guru-ji, who single-handedly created the world-wide Yoga brand (though some naughty people attribute the popularity to Christy Turlington). We are not passionate about Yoga, however it is impolite to say so in academic, left-liberal circles- both in the USA and in India.

We do believe that Yoga provides health benefits…but only for the true believers. Of course, the good thing about Yoga is that believers come in all shapes, sizes and ages. We have been amazed to see seventy year olds doing asanas with ease, the ones we had to work hard over in our teens. Today, Yoga is a multi billion dollar enterprise and Indians are not doing too poorly as new-age entrepreneurs (example: Baba Ramdev). Soft power and all that.
……

…
All in all, BKS was an inspiration to countless folks, a good man who said “Physical health is not a commodity to be bargained for….Nor
can it be swallowed in the form of drugs and pills – it has to be
earned through sweat. It is something that we must build up.” Right on, dear sir, and may you enjoy your brief moments of peace up in the stars before you recycle back to this nasty old earth.
……………
BKS Iyengar, the Indian yoga guru credited with helping to fuel a global explosion in the popularity of the ancient spiritual practice, has died aged 95. Iyengar
started his yoga school in 1973 in the western city of Pune, developing
a unique form of the practice that he said anyone could follow.
…….
He
trained hundreds of teachers to disseminate his approach, which uses
props such as belts and ropes to help novice practitioners achieve the
poses. He wrote many books on yoga, which has been practised in
Asia for more than 2,000 years, and has in recent decades become hugely
popular around the world.

His insistence on perfecting the poses – or asanas – won him a huge following, among them celebrity fans ranging from the cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to the writer Aldous Huxley.

It
was an encounter with the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, who came across
Iyengar during a trip to Mumbai in the 1950s, that prompted him to take
his practice global. “Perhaps no one has done more than Mr Iyengar to bring yoga to the west,” said the New York Times in a 2002 profile of the guru.

“Long
before Christy Turlington was gracing magazine covers, decades before
power yoga was a multimillion-dollar business, Mr Iyengar was teaching
Americans, among others, the virtues of asanas and breath control.” US
model Turlington graced the front cover of Time magazine in a
cross-legged pose for a 2001 report on the explosion in yoga’s
popularity.

Critics say the global expansion of yoga into western
gyms and fitness centres has taken the practice too far from its
spiritual origins. But Iyengar said it was unfair to blame yogis.
“It all depends on what state of mind the practitioner is in when he is
doing yoga,” he said last year in an interview with Indian newspaper
Mint. “For the aberration, don’t blame yoga or the whole community of yogis.”

His website carried a picture of Iyengar’s smiling face beside a
message that read: “I always tell people, ‘Live happily and die
majestically.’ 14 Dec 1918 – 20 Aug 2014.”

Despite suffering a heart attack at 80, he had continued to practise yoga into his 90s.
He
suffered from ill health as a child but found that he could improve his
strength by practising yoga, which he took up as a teenager.

When
he was 18, his guru sent him to teach in Pune because he spoke some
English. There, he developed his own form of yoga, eventually opening
his own institute.

There are now over 100 Iyengar yoga institutes around the world.

Iyengar is survived by a son and a daughter. He will be cremated on Wednesday afternoon.

…….

Link: www.theguardian.com/bks-iyengar-guru-global-yoga-dies

…..

regards

… 
Sunil Dutta, a Professor of Homeland Security at Colorado Tech
University, has been an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department
for 17 years. The views presented here are his own and do not represent
the LAPD.

Education

• M.A. Homeland Security, Naval Postgraduate School, United States Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Monterey, CA, (2012)
  




• 
  Ph.D. Plant Biology, University of California, Davis (1995)




• M.S. Plant Physiology, University of Florida, Gainesville (1989)




• B.S. Botany, Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India (1986)
  

Background 

…..Dr.
Sunil Dutta is a full time law enforcement professional working in Los
Angeles.  He has been with the LAPD for sixteen years.  His assignments
have included Watch Commander, Internal Affairs Investigator, patrol officer,
and Collision Investigator…..Prior
to joining the LAPD, Dutta was a scientist with a specialization in
biochemistry (host-pathogen interactions, plant hormones, carbohydrate
metabolism, and regulation of dormancy).  He is an amateur musician….

To
be honest, once we recovered from the shock (that was an Indian speaking??), we
were ready to admit that Dr Dutta has penned an impressive op-ed. Based
on his bio, we guess that he hails from a Punjabi or Haryanvi background. He is
the “first” Indian-American law and order conservative that we
have ever heard from (or heard about). Also he is quite a sharp-spoken biologist (we
know a few of them).

As for the rest, yes…excellent advice…for (black, brown) young males in the USA. When we first learned to drive it was drummed into our rebellious heads (incidentally, by a black tutor) that in case the police ordered you to pull over, you must come to a stop….slow and easy (with hazard lights ON), keep your windows lowered, and your hands visibly placed on the wheel at all times. 
……….
If they ask you to step out, immediately comply, while keeping the hands held high. Under no circumstance, do you keep the hands in your pockets. Do not make any sudden movement. Never crack jokes, be courteous, always address the “racist pig” as “Officer.”  

The response to our indignant whys was an angry whisper: Brother….do you want to die?

No Officer Dutta, we do not want to die. And we respect you for doing a tough job. And yes – as you have admirably pointed out – if the police can afford military grade weapons they can stretch the budget to include a video camera. The absence of video is baffling, but then if you think twice….it all makes sense.
………..

A teenager is fatally shot by a police officer; the police are
accused of being bloodthirsty, trigger-happy murderers; riots erupt.
This, we are led to believe, is the way of things in America.…..It is also a terrible calumny; cops are not
murderers. 
……
No officer goes out in the field wishing to shoot anyone,
armed or unarmed. And while they’re unlikely to defend it quite as
loudly during a time of national angst like this one, people who work in
law enforcement know they are legally vested with the authority to
detain suspects — an authority that must sometimes be enforced.
Regardless of what happened with Mike Brown, in the overwhelming
majority of cases it is not the cops, but the people they stop, who can
prevent detentions from turning into tragedies.

….
Working the
street, I can’t even count how many times I withstood curses, screaming
tantrums, aggressive and menacing encroachments on my safety zone, and
outright challenges to my authority. In the vast majority of such
encounters, I was able to peacefully resolve the situation without using
force. Cops deploy their training and their intuition creatively, and I
wielded every trick in my arsenal, including verbal judo, humor,
warnings and ostentatious displays of the lethal (and nonlethal)
hardware resting in my duty belt. 

One time, for instance, my partner and
I faced a belligerent man who had doused his car with gallons of gas
and was about to create a firebomb at a busy mall filled with holiday
shoppers. The potential for serious harm to the bystanders would have
justified deadly force. Instead, I distracted him with a hook about his
family and loved ones, and he disengaged without hurting anyone. Every
day cops show similar restraint and resolve incidents that could easily
end up in serious injuries or worse.

…..
Sometimes, though, no amount
of persuasion or warnings work on a belligerent person; that’s when
cops have to use force, and the results can be tragic. We are still
learning what transpired between Officer Darren Wilson and Brown, but in
most cases it’s less ambiguous — and officers are rarely at fault. When
they use force, they are defending their, or the public’s, safety.

…..
Even
though it might sound harsh and impolitic, here is the bottom line: if
you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper-sprayed, struck with a baton
or thrown to the ground, just do what I tell you. Don’t argue with me,
don’t call me names, don’t tell me that I can’t stop you, don’t say I’m a
racist pig, don’t threaten that you’ll sue me and take away my badge.
Don’t scream at me that you pay my salary, and don’t even think of aggressively walking towards me. Most field stops are complete in minutes. How difficult is it to cooperate for that long?

I know it is scary for people to be stopped by cops. I also
understand the anger and frustration if people believe they have been
stopped unjustly or without a reason. I am aware that corrupt and bully
cops exist. 

When it comes to police misconduct, I side with the ACLU:
Having worked as an internal affairs investigator, I know that some
officers engage in unprofessional and arrogant behavior; sometimes they
behave like criminals themselves. I also believe every cop should use a
body camera to record interactions with the community at all times. 

Every police car should have a video recorder. (This will prevent a
situation like Mike Brown’s shooting, about which conflicting and
self-serving statements allow people to believe what they want.) And you
don’t have to submit to an illegal stop or search. You can refuse
consent to search your car or home if there’s no warrant (though a
pat-down is still allowed if there is cause for suspicion). Always ask
the officer whether you are under detention or are free to leave. Unless
the officer has a legal basis to stop and search you, he or she must
let you go. Finally, cops are legally prohibited from using excessive
force: The moment a suspect submits and stops resisting, the officers
must cease use of force.

…
But
if you believe (or know) that the cop stopping you is violating your
rights or is acting like a bully, I guarantee that the situation will
not become easier if you show your anger and resentment. Worse,
initiating a physical confrontation is a sure recipe for getting hurt.
Police are legally permitted to use deadly force when they assess a
serious threat to their or someone else’s life. 

Save your anger for
later, and channel it appropriately. Do what the officer tells you to
and it will end safely for both of you. We have a justice system in
which you are presumed innocent; if a cop can do his or her job
unmolested, that system can run its course. Later, you can ask for a
supervisor, lodge a complaint or contact civil rights organizations if
you believe your rights were violated. Feel free to sue the police! Just
don’t challenge a cop during a stop.

….’
An average person cannot
comprehend the risks and has no true understanding of a cop’s job.
Hollywood and television stereotypes of the police are cartoons in which
fearless super cops single-handedly defeat dozens of thugs, shooting
guns out of their hands. Real life is different. An average cop is
always concerned with his or her safety and tries to control every
encounter. That is how we are trained. 

While most citizens are courteous
and law abiding, the subset of people we generally interact with
everyday are not the genteel types. You don’t know what is in my mind
when I stop you. Did I just get a radio call of a shooting moments ago?
Am I looking for a murderer or an armed fugitive? For you, this might be
a “simple” traffic stop, for me each traffic stop is a potentially
dangerous encounter. Show some empathy for an officer’s safety concerns.
Don’t make our job more difficult than it already is.

….
Community
members deserve courtesy, respect and professionalism from their
officers. Every person stopped by a cop should feel safe instead of
feeling that their wellbeing is in jeopardy. Shouldn’t the community
members extend the same courtesy to their officers and project that the
officer’s safety is not threatened by their actions?
……..

Link: im-a-cop-if-you-dont-want-to-get-hurt-dont-challenge-me

…..

regards