Amrita Party - Mother's love in the 49th Congress

[Blogger's note - in the weeks to come, this site will present brief profiles of the parties that hold seats in the 48th Congress and are campaigning for the 49th Congress. These party profiles will replace the individual parties' pages on soon-to-be-defunct Geocities.]

The Amrita Party of Patria was established in August 2001 as the offering of Patria's devotees of Her Holiness, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known as "Amma", "Ammachi" or simply Mother to millions of devotees worldwide who revere her as a divine being, guru, and spiritual mother.

Ammachi herself even holds a seat in Congress -- though she has never held public office in her native India -- representing "God's own Country" in Patria, the Precinct of Arboria.

The original intent of the Amrita Party was not to draw Hindu nationalist votes away from the Spiritual Regeneration Movement (SRM) and New Age votes away from the Chakra party but to complement those parties in order to form an unbreakable spiritual bulwark against the secular right wing, the Rationalists and the National Union. Following the 2002 elections in which the Amrita Party and SRM won 83 and 30 seats respectively in the 47th Congress, the two parties united under the banner of SRM-Amrita (SRM-A) and were formally merged as the Amrita Party of Patria for the 2006 election campaign. The Amrita Party currently holds 88 seats in the 48th Congress, and has been able to push through legislation by forming an uneasy coalition with the Chakra Party, as well as the Greens, Lilith Party and other so-called "progressive" parties.

Among the highlights of the Amrita Party's achievements since 2002:

• Inclusion of Ammachi's teachings and bhajans (devotional songs) in the curriculum of Patria's gurukulam schools.
• Opening of a Patrienish branch of the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) hospital.
• Establishment of a campus of the Amrita University in Patria.
• Establishment of a permanent Ammachi ashram in Patria, in Karunanagar, Caesarea, easily accessible via the Caesarea Coast Line of the Castoropolis and Caesarea Railways (CCR).
  
• Addition of Amrita Television to all basic cable TV services in Patria.

DISCLAIMER: The Amrita Party of Patria exists only in the unrecognized country ("micronation") known as the Inner Realm of Patria (Antarbhumi Ramrajya) and has no connection whatsoever with the MA Center, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Amma Foundation of Canada, or any actual Amma-related organization in any recognized country of the world.

October 26, 2009 - Geocities dies!

Yahoo is killing off Geocities, effective October 26, 2009. That's actually a bit of a stay of execution, since it was believed Geocities would get the axe sometime during the summer, perhaps by the end of this month.

In the meantime, Patria's web pages are still available, though of course will not be updated further. They can also be viewed on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.

Where Patria will go web-wise will be decided early in the Fourth Session, when the 48th Congress re-convenes in September. Don't bet the farm on seeing Patria's old pages hosted on pop-up filled spyware-spawning Angelfire or Tripod, assuming those Clinton-era free hosting services are going to be around for much longer after the demise of Geocities.

Congress gotta say goodbye for the summer...

The Third Session, 48th Congress (3·XLVIII 2008-09) adjourned for the northern hemisphere summer recess today. No, the members of Congress will not send you all their love every day in a letter sealed with a kiss. But they closed out the session with the traditional annual message to Congress - as close as it gets in Patria to a State of the Union speech - containing the strongest calls for protectionism, buy-Patrienish and spend-yourself-out-of-recession ever heard since the start of the GED (global economic downturn).

XLVIII Con. Pat.

Annual Message to Congress (at close of Third Session)

June 26, 2009

Om Amriteswaryai Namah. Jai Karunamayi. Om Sri Maha-Rajñyai Namaha. Salutations to Devi who is the Empress of the Universe. With the Divine Mother’s blessings, the 48th Congressus Patriaë has reached the three-quarter point in its term of office.

As this session is about to adjourn, let us pause for a moment to note the passing yesterday of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, two icons of 40th, 41st and 42nd Congress pop culture.

Although it is traditional to deliver an annual message at the closing of each session of Congress, this message will not enumerate the highlights of the Third Session from the election of Barack Obama to the rise of Twitter as the next big thing. Rather, this message will focus on the one single over-riding all-consuming issue that this Congress, indeed the legislatures of the entire democratic world, was faced with since last September: the imploding, crashing economy and the legacy of shuttered factories, out-of-business retail stores, millions of lost jobs, devastated retirement savings, foreclosed homes, bankrupt businesses, and all the other untold pain and suffering brought on by the current recession, indeed the darkest economic times since the 1930s.

Although it may pale in comparison to Barack Obama’s trillion-dollar stimulus package passed by the US Congress, this session has nonetheless enacted a stimulus package designed to breathe life into this shuddering corpse of an economy.

Much like the WPA projects three-quarters of a century ago that left America with a legacy of Art Deco public buildings, Patria’s stimulus package includes almost half a trillion rupees earmarked for infrastructure initiatives. Although infrastructure projects have been criticized as being outdated FDR-era make-work schemes that do not create many long-term permanent jobs once the bridges are built, the roads are repaved and the high-speed railway track is laid, desperate times call for “give a man a fish and feed him for a day” employment initiatives that in the short run will pay the bills and give people fish as well as put other foods on the table for a day or for as many days as needed until the economy improves.

In this session we have offered Patrienish Motor Works loans and bailout funds amounting to almost 3 billion rupees. What GM, Ford and Chrysler are to America, PMW is to Patria. For almost a century, your neighbors have helped build cars and trucks right here in Patria. Our proud auto-making legacy must not go the way of GM – headed toward bankruptcy court – or Chrysler – bought out by Fiat, which, as we all know stands for “Fix It Again, Tony”. Patria’s automotive industry must not be allowed to fail. But the ultimate survival of PMW is up to you. If you are still working and not in danger of losing your job, you must seriously consider purchasing a new domestic car or truck and thereby doing your part to bail out a vital cog in Patria’s economy and helping bring an end to the Great Recession.

We pledge that the stimulus package and the other measures taken in 2008-09 will not have been in vain.

In the face of this brutal recession, this much we pledge – and more.

With security and prosperity only distant memories or faint hopes, this much we pledge – and more.

More, because we must pledge to take back Patria’s economy in the face of a continued GED (global economic downturn) that could be with us well into the next Congress and the next decade. For those who are fortunate enough to still have jobs and some savings, notwithstanding the very real fear of being laid off in the near future and the years of hard-earned RSP or 401(k) savings wiped out almost overnight, you owe it to your country and to the world’s economy to spend, spend, and spend some more, preferably at local family-owned retailers and on made-in-Patria goods and services. We may not be able to spend ourselves out of the recession. But if consumers do not spend, the recession will not end soon and will only continue to worsen. Therefore, you – the 92 or 93 percent who are gainfully employed – are urged to stimulate the economy by going out this weekend and purchasing a new car, an iPhone, a plasma TV, a laptop computer, a new washer and dryer, or any other big-ticket item. If you can afford it, consider making a down payment on a new house or condo. Just as growing a victory garden and saving ration coupons were your patriotic duties to help defeat the true Axis of evil some 65 years ago, today you must consider consumer spending to be your patriotic duty to help defeat the downturn.

In the remaining year of this administration, and as we elect a new Congress on April 17, 2010, we must pledge our best efforts to reduce our dependence on foreign imports and place Patria as far as possible on the road to complete domestic production of all consumer goods and manufactured products. Had there not been globalization and free trade, the damage caused by the toxic assets of a few US banks and the epidemic of subprime mortgages would have ended at the Rio Grande, the 49th parallel and the Peace Bridge. Had there not been globalization and free trade, the United States would not have dragged the rest of the world down with its failing economy, unsustainable military-industrial complex, overabundance of greed-mongers, and unscrupulous bankers pandering to low-income earners who had no business buying homes. Had there not been globalization and free trade, high-quality manufactured goods could still be produced in first-world democracies by workers paid first-world wages. Had there not been globalization and free trade, the suits in the boardrooms of America would not put the financial gain of their shareholders ahead of the welfare of their own fellow citizens. Had there not been globalization and free trade, well-paying unionized jobs with dental plans, company pensions and other benefits would not be exported to Mexico and Red China and replaced by minimum-wage dead-end jobs offering no benefits. Therefore, a mighty fortress of protectionism must be built, with ramparts of tariffs and a moat of swadeshi self-sufficiency in the Gandhian tradition. In the face of the global financial crisis, this Congress must be called to act in the Fourth Session in order to stimulate the economy, take back the lost jobs, and protect Patria’s job-creating industries by ending outsourcing, offshoring, globalization and free trade. From lowly pencils and paper clips to high-tech computers and electronic gadgetry, let us replace “made in China” with a vast new range of “made in Patria” goods and services. IMPORT NOTHING and SAY NO TO MADE IN CHINA should become the battle cries of all the parties who will contest the seats in the 49th Congress and the legislative assemblies of the 13 Precincts.

Let us close this session with this simple prayer: lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. May all beings in the world be happy!

Pení potentíx ín mirím investíx Constituxioníx Patriaë, ímí diclarí Tertilí Sexión 48-íe Congressus Patriaë imán fermití, et ímí appelí; íllí Congressus primadíním 21-lí septimbríe 2009 híc reconvæt, períful inceptán Quätrílí Sexión 48-íe Congressus Patriaë.

Under the power vested in me by the Constitution of Patria, I declare closed the Third Session of the 48th Congress, and call this Congress to re-assemble here on Monday, the 21st of September 2009, to open the Fourth Session of the 48th Congress.

[The House adjourned at 7:25 PM]


So let us make a pledge to meet in Spetember, and seal it with a kiss...ERRRRR!!!!...with a hug from Amrita Party House Leader Ammachi (the Honorable Member from the Precinct of Arboria)...or with the Speaker of the House's gavel hitting the dais, signaling the end to another session of the Congress of Patria.

As Congress adjourns, here come the protectionists!

As the Third Session of the 48th Congress moves toward adjournment for the [northern hemisphere] summer on or about June 26, the Amrita Party, Chakra Party, and National Union agree on one thing: buy-Patrienish protectionism as a simplistic knee-jerk reaction to the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) or GED (Global Economic Downturn), aka the current recession.

Bring the jobs home. Stop offshoring. Buy the products your neighbors help to build. Say no to made-in-China. It's easy. It's convenient. It gets trotted out every time the economy goes south.

The free-trade and globalism-bashing is going to get nasty! For the Hindu parties it's going to be wrapped up in Gandhian swadeshi rhetoric, while the NU will try to put a law-and-order spin on buy-Patrienish.

Diplomatic doings

As one of the oldest micronations (established in 1818), the Inner Realm of Patria seeks friendly relations with all micronations, whether absolute monarchies, liberal democracies, or even socialist states. Although the Ministry of External Affairs of Patria has negotiated and ratified formal treaties of diplomatic relations with a few micronations, such as the Holy Empire of Réunion, most of Patria's diplomatic contacts are established on an informal or de facto basis, requiring only a simple majority vote in Congress. Earlier this week, Patria has extended this de facto recognition to a newly established micronation, the People's Democratic Republic of Duiarmia.

Patria is a member of the League of Secessionist States (LOSS), [note that this website has not been updated since 2004, but the organization is still active] an inter-micronational organization that is intended to act as a "United Nations of the micro-world". Patria accords automatic de facto recognition to all LOSS member states.

Although Canada's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has never recognized Patria's independence, Patria has had a special relationship with Canada since 1867 and maintains an honorary Canadian consulate in Toronto. The Consular offices are located in a quiet neighborhood in mid-town Toronto, near the intersection of Christie and Dupont Streets.

Hot-button issues in Patria

The following are a some of the hot-button issues in Patria as the election campaign begins:

• The Great Recession. Like virtually every country in the world, since the summer of 2008 Patria has been hit hard by arguably the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The Amrita Party's failure to deal with the imploding economy and millions of lost jobs was responsible in large measure for the re-establishment of the SRM.
• The trillion-rupee bailout of Patria's auto industry. Should Patrienish Motor Works go the way of GM or Chrysler?
• A rising tide of buy-Patrienish protectionism. The legacy of lost jobs, outsourcing and offshoring are reason enough for the continuing fight against free trade and globalism.
  
• The pure teachings of Hinduism vs. a more broad-based New Age spirituality (i.e. the Path of Transcendence, favoured by the Amrita and the SRM, vs. the Chakra Party's Path of Transformation).
• The revival of the old Patrienish language, particularly a version of "classic" Patrienish, containing many Sanskrit loan-words, rather than a more colloquial version of Patrienish that leans more toward Latin or Romance-based derivations, as well as English borrowings.
• The proliferation of the black market to elude the official exchange rate of 37.5 Patrienish Rupees to one U.S. dollar.
• Government funding to support Hatha Yoga as the national sport versus the popularity of baseball and hockey as spectator/pop culture sports.
• The trend toward low-scoring, boring, clutch & grab, neutral-zone trap play in the Patrienish Hockey League, which has yet to adopt some of the NHL's measures such as shoot-outs to decide tied games.
• Return to "back to basics" education: adoption of the "gurukulam" curriculum in elementary schools, including compulsory instruction in yoga, Sanskrit language, Vedanta philosophy, meditation, etc., and requiring all school cafeterias to serve vegetarian lunches.
• The continued popularity of the rightist, macho National Union. National Unionists are debating whether to move closer to U.S. Republicans although Rush Limbaugh would likely scoff at the NU's made-in-Patria brand of populist conservatism combined with "manly values".
  
• "Law and Order" issues, particularly incarceration in boot camps for teenage punks, revival of corporal punishment in schools, and the Federal District of Castoropolis' adoption of the Giuliani-era New York City method of crime deterrence: get tough on jaywalkers, graffiti artists, etc. in the hope of deterring serial rapists, axe-murderers, etc. The broken-window theory of crime fighting has been propounded by the National Union-dominated government of the Federal District for well over a decade with no appreciable reduction in either violent crimes or petty scofflaws.
  
• The need for a year-round session of the Congressus Patriaë, rather than the traditional September-to-June annual session with a 2½-month recess during the northern hemisphere summer. This is very unlikely to happen.
  

Congratulations to the Arboria Beavers - 2008-09 Kamala Cup champions!

The Arboria Beavers won Patria's equivalent of the Stanley Cup by defeating the defending Kamala Cup champion Caesarea Violets in a thrilling series that went the full seven games. The Castoropolis Centurions continue their claim of being the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Patrienish Hockey League, having missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive seasion!

But the election is 11 months away!

Yes, April 17, 2010 is a long way off. If this were a U.S. election cycle, we would still be a couple weeks away from the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire primary.

Patria's many parties have yet to roll out their election campaign platforms and slogans. But you can be sure that the Great Recession will be front and center as a hot button issue, as will a deadly swine flu pandemic or fear-mongering of one. And even now, there is plenty of guessing as to how the Amrita party will fare against a revived SRM. Will the "no gurus, just right" Chakra Party again play the "transformation not transcendence" card? Will the "top dog for real men" National Union trot out the same old law-and-order promises to get out the testosterone vote? (jail for jaywalking? corporal punishment for kids? dress codes and curfews for teenagers? public executions? NU's been there, done that!). Will the Green Party be exposed as a bunch of economic conservatives disguised as Birkenstock-wearing bike-riding tree-hugging liberals? Is there still any room at the table for "progressive" or leftist parties such as the Social Democrats? Will the Jungle Party fans of the Jim Rome show continue to have a take and not suck in the new Congress? Will the nutbar one-issue fringe parties pick up more than their usual handful of seats in the new Congress and how many new fringe parties will throw their hats into the ring for 2010?

Stay tuned. Campaign 2010 will unfold in the months to come. We can promise that it won't last as long as a U.S. presidential election marathon. But the campaign will really get started next fall, shortly after the Fourth Session of the 48th Congress convenes.

In the meantime, here is some basic background information about the Inner Realm of Patria.

Common Name: Patria

Three-Letter Identification (for ISO-9336m): PAT

Official Name, English: Inner Realm of Patria

Official Name, local: Antarbhumi Ramrajya (Sanskrit); Antíraterraí Patria (Patrienish)

Suggested Names in other languages: le Royaume intérieur de la Patrie (French), das Innenreich Patria (German)

Etymology: [origin of the name] Patria is Latin for fatherland or native land. In Sanskrit, Ramrajya means literally the kingdom of Lord Rama.

Capital: Castoropolis (Sanskrit: Kashipura)

Nationality: Patrienish, Patrien

Official Languages: English, Sanskrit, Patrienish

National Holidays: Flag Day - Jan. 25; Independence/Inauguration Day - June 30; Dharma Day - July 17. Diwali, Shiva Ratri and other Hindu holidays are observed according to the Hindu lunar calendar (the Gregorian calendar date will vary from year to year).

Official Calendar Adopted: Gregorian, Hindu.

Concise History: The Republic of Castoria seceded from an un-named country or attained independence from an un-named colonial power on June 30, 1818. Castoria evolved into Patria and the name "Castoria" fell out of use by the late 70's. Patria remained a liberal, secular republic until 1989-90, when the "Dharmic Revolution" inculcated eastern spirituality, yoga and Hinduism, and transformed Patria into a de facto Hindu theocracy although the constitution guarantees complete religious freedom and the rights of non-Hindus.

Flag: A simple tricolor. See previous post

National anthem: "Rock of Ages" ("Ma'oz Tsur")

Motto: "AQUILA CUM COLUMBA VOLAT" (The eagle flies with the dove)

Population: As a "virtual nation" existing only on paper or online, the population is imagined to be approximately that of Canada (i.e. about 30 million), regardless of the actual number of real-life people who are currently actively involved in Patria.

Immigration Average: N/A, although as in Canada, US, UK and Australia, immigration is a hot-button issue in Patria.

Emigration Average: N/A

Ethnic Composition: Racial or ethnic statistics not kept. Patria welcomes multicultural diversity and promotes the Hindu teaching of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (The whole world is one family).

Religions and Cults: Hinduism (de facto state religion), Tibetan Buddhism and Eastern-based New Age spirituality. Predominantly Western converts/apostates from Judaism or Christianity.

Sports: ice hockey, football (soccer), and baseball are played professionally, many other sports played at amateur or recreational level. Hatha Yoga is officially recognized as Patria's national sport.

Main Sport Associations: Patrienish Hockey League ; All-Patria Football Federation; two baseball leagues, the Castorian League and Lazurian League, whose pennant winners meet in the Patria Series.

Main Cultural Organizations: The Ramrajya Hindu Parishad (Patrienish Hindu Council) serves as the umbrella organization for many Hindu cultural and religious organizations.

Main Newspapers: The Akashic Record, Novítæ Dínaë, and Ramrajya Dharmika Patrika are the leading newspapers in English, Patrienish and Sanskrit respectively.

Main Universities/Colleges: University of Castoropolis, Hindu University of Patria, Patrienish National Institute of Technology, National Military College of Patria.

Illiterates: very close to zero.

Unemployed: statistics not kept, but likely to have increased significantly since the beginning of the Great Recession in latter half of 2008.

Court System: Supreme Court, District or Precinct Courts in each precinct
Judges: Supreme Court consists of nine Justices, selected and ratified by Congress. Judges of Precinct or District Courts chosen by the legislative assemblies of each precinct.

Obligatory Military Service: NO
Death Penalty: NO
Freedom of speech: YES
Homosexual Rights: YES
Abortion Prohibition: NO
Drugs Prohibition: NO - Patria recognizes that the US-style "War on Drugs" has been a failure, just as the "War on Booze" (aka Prohibition) was a failure in the 1920s. Drug abuse is a social problem, not a criminal justice issue and is treated as such in Patria.
Taxations: YES
Direct Elections: YES

ECONOMICS
Economic System: Partially socialist, i.e. some government intervention, and state ownership of key industries and services.

Currency: Patrienish Rupee (RsPat.)

Subdivision of Currency: 100 pæsæ

Currency Value in US$: 37.5 Rupees to one U.S. dollar; 1 RsPat. = US$0.0266 (official exchange rate, though better rates are available on the black market)

Measurement System: Metric

Banks: Reserve Bank of Patria. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal and other major Canadian banks have branch offices in Patria.

Major Corporations: State-owned: Ramrajyavani (national radio and TV network), PatriAir (national airline), Rælvíæ Patriaë (Patrienish Railways).
Private: PetroPatria (petroleum), Patrienish Motor Works (auto maker)

GEOGRAPHY
Area: N/A, but is at least as large as a typical midwestern U.S. state

Location: N/A, though several locations have been suggested over the years: Central Asia, an island in the Indian Ocean south of Madagascar, and even Madagascar itself.

Canon Country: N/A, but has a special relationship with Canada.

Continent: N/A

Limits: N/A

Administrative Division: Thirteen Precincts, and the Federal District of Castoropolis (FDC). The 13 Precincts and their postal abbreviations are: Aeolia (AE), Ambrosia (AM), Antioch (AN), Arboria (AR), Canardière (CN), Cæsarea (CE), Centralia (CT), Fredonia (FR), Haldimania (HL), Lazuria (LZ), Mauretania (MT), Nova Columbia (NC), Pottsylvania (PT)

Major Cities: Castoropolis, FDC; Port Madhu, LZ; Kayavarohan, NC; Kedarnath, AM; Mahakala, CT. In addition, there are many cities in CE that are part of the greater Castoropolis urban sprawl.

Main Ports: Port Madhu, Castoropolis (inland port)

Main Airports: John Franklin Marshall International Airport, Castoropolis (international airport code: CPP)

Climate: Average winter temperature 4ºC, average summer temperature 23ºC.

Relief: ranges from below sea level to mountainous.

Vegetation: Mixed coniferous/deciduous forest, grassland, prairies.

Major Rivers: Naya Ganga (New Ganges), Jamuna, Saraswati

Local Time in comparison to GMT: N/A but for practical purposes GMT-5 (GMT-4 in summer) i.e. Eastern Standard Time

DEFENSE
Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force

Commanders: Drawn from the Kshatriya (warrior) Hindu caste. Lord Krishna serves as the ceremonial Commander-in-Chief of Patria's armed forces.

Intelligence Office: Patrienish Intelligence and Security Service (PISS). The acronym says it all about the respect accorded to the FBI, CIA and spy agencies in general :)

POLITICS
Political Regime: Parliamentary Monarchy with some elements of a Hindu theocracy.

Legislature: The Congressus Patriaë consists of two houses, the General Congress (Samanya Sabha) and the House of Deputies (Pratinidhi Sabha). The General Congress consists of 333 members elected by proportional representation to a four-year term. The Pratinidhi Sabha, although nominally the upper chamber of Congress, has limited powers to review or veto legislation. It consists of 57 members appointed by the legislatures of the 13 Precincts and the Federal District of Castoropolis to serve an indefinite term.

Head of State: Saraswati Devi, Goddess of language, music and learning is the Queen, presiding deity of Patria, and the ceremonial Head of State of Patria. By proclamation of a Special Session of the 44th Congressus Patriaë, July 17, 1992. Her representative avatar (bodily incarnation) in Patria is Karunamayi Devi, who presides over Congress in a mostly ceremonial role as Speaker of the House.

Head of Government: Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (a.k.a. "Ammachi" or "the Hugging Saint"), de facto Head of Government as House leader of the Amrita Party, representing the Precinct of Arboria. Born Sept. 27, 1953. Inaugurated June 30, 2006 for 4-year term ending June 30, 2010.
Chosen by: Elections/Party appointment

Current Constitution Since: 1818. Last amended in May 1998.