The Untruth of an Indian Majority

EVERY person in the world is a minority.

Of one!

So your point is.....

To come up with an article.

And little else!

Re: # 1

Mr Kumar,

What`s YOUR point?

mera joota hai japaani
meri patloon inglistaani
sar pay laal topi toorki
phir be dil hai....Pakistani.

:-)

#2 Rakesh

Dear Rakesh, my point is that any large population will have finer differences. There is nothing in your article which can not be adapted for and applied to any large country, even USA and China, it definitely applies to all the countries of the Muslim world.

It is because of resons like these that the subcontinent is so fractious and has forever been. You are simply restating the obvious. We of the subcontinent are the same people - united in our diversity. Therefore, any attempt to divide the populations along religion, region, language, and culture will fail - as we saw so well when an artificial construct like Pakistan was carved out by dishonest crowds for their own selfish and political ends! It was sheer stupidity or evil, take your pick!

Your inability to bring out that stark truth either reflects a high degree of naivete or sheer dishonesty.


#3 Tahmed

Tauheed sahib, I came up with the following alternative lines for your kind consideration.

``Mera jhola khalee-stanee
Kha-oon joota khakistani
Sir pe laat maare Bush-shee
Cha-hoon ghaas sabj-istanee...``

The author make several very valid points about India being a diverse country, that is the source of strength of India. Under one flag all faiths should equal rights and they are unconditional equal citizens.

Religious fascism advocated by ANY religious group is bad for India. People should focus on economic development instead of digging old dirt.

Having said that ......

IRONICALLY ATTITUDES SUCH AS THOSE OF THIS AUTHOR ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BIRTH AND SUSTENANCE OF HINDU FUNDAMENTALISM.
For the likes of the author, the following goes for secularism:
1)One group can divide the country and declare Hindus as 2nd class citizens in their country

2)Still they retain the right to illegally immigrate, and plant bombs in temples, and shoot professors in Bangalore.

3)Hindus should not have any grievances, should not have any pride in their collective identity( in fact no such identity exists as the author vigorously pints out)

the list is very very long.......

If you look at the autor`s HOGWASH, he picks up and discusses only the Hindu Chauvinism, and not the chauvinism practiced by other religious groups.

Regards,

Re: # 4

``Therefore, any attempt to divide the populations along religion, region, language, and culture will fail - as we saw so well when an artificial construct like Pakistan was carved out by dishonest crowds for their own selfish and political ends! It was sheer stupidity or evil, take your pick!``

Mr Kumar,

Your animosity toward Partition and Pakistan is at once, both apalling and narrow-minded. Who says Pakistan is a failure? They have their own struggles and problems, as we do ours. Just because they aren`t as economically mighty as us... that doesn`t mean they can be termed failures by any measure. Dishonest crowds? Selfish ends? Who are you kidding?

Furthermore, I don`t think the ``finer differences`` I`ve discussed can be applied within the US or China, as you say. There`s a reason it resonates louder in India.. we`re the most diverse country on Earth. Besides, it isn`t much of a problem in most other countries anyway, is it now? It`s just a particularly Indian, and South Asian affliction.

Re: # 6
>>>>>Your animosity toward Partition and Pakistan is at once, both apalling and narrow-minded.<<<<<


and the author finds the animosity of Pakistanis (east and west) towards Hindus and India not-so-apalling and broad minded. In fact very refreshing.

Re: # 5

``For the likes of the author, the following goes for secularism:
1)One group can divide the country and declare Hindus as 2nd class citizens in their country``

Their country? Whose country?

Hah! From that statement, it`s glaringly obvious who`s a fundamentalist..

Sir, the reason I have highlighted the scourge of Hindu fundamentalism in India is because it is the only one that truly threatens to engulf the country legally through taking control of the government and politics of the country - and perhaps more importantly, through taking over the minds of those susceptible to its advances.

While you do not hesitate to claim that ``Religious fascism advocated by ANY religious group is bad for India`` your idea of secularism shows that you are basically condoning Hindu fundamentalism..

#6 Rakesh

[They have their own struggles and problems, as we do ours.]

I agree. I would even venture to suggest that some of their problems are larger than India`s.

Some of those even may not be solvable - in the current configuration of Pakistan - as a geographical entity!

I LOVE Pakistani people! Such tremendous odds - yet they persist!

My heart goes out to them.

Life is not easy!

Re: # 7

No.. it`s disgusting! Absolutely rotten!

I think both India and Pakistan are guilty of brainwashing people to hate the ``enemy`` But I don`t expect educated people like Mr Kumar to make such irresponsible statements.

Rakesh,

Too bad that you blindly fall for this `Psuedo-Secular` propoganda.

Just because Hindus are divided on various other dimensions does not mean that they should not and cannot have a higher order religion based identity.

For all it`s various different sects/languages, Hindus have some commonalities in their beliefs. One can go deep into it, but let`s keep the theoritical discussion aside.

Your article argues against a political Hindutva movement. I disagree. You only need to look at the systematic discrimination of Hindus in the last 50 years to understand why we need and why we have a political expression of Hinduism.

Apart from that, we face a two-front battle against two very powerful enemies (the hard battle with Islam and the softer battle with Christianity). The need for unification of Hindus, esp. on political dimension is much greater now than in the past.

More later,
Thanks,
Avkrishna

PS: You did select a very nerdy subject for your career ;-)

Re: # 9

Mr Kumar,

I`m pleasantly surprised to read this from you. I agree with you too. I`ve mingled among Pakistanis all my life... and they`re a great bunch!

I think both Indians and Pakistanis living in their respective countries have been fed so much propaganda and have such strong pre-conceived notions about each other. I think, the solution is that they have to see more of each other... more mingling of the masses.. that`ll get them to realise the truth about each other..

``......there are around forty-odd others that are native tongues to at least a million folks each. And, by the way, these are all completely different languages. If we were to talk in terms of dialects, the tally would be put around 22,000! ......``

Have you noticed that , if Six Indians gather in a party at home all of them talk at the same time without regards to each other and without waiting .

Re: # 8
>>>>From that statement, it`s glaringly obvious who`s a fundamentalist..<<<<

LOL. very funny.

I am no fundamentalist, i am opposed to citizens of my beloved country fighting amongs themselves based on religion, caste,language, etc. I am opposed to people belonging to one religion going around and killing innocent people belonging to another religion. I am opposed to some saying India belongs only to Hindus and others we are only tolerating. I am opposed to Wahabi Hinduism of beating people buying Valentine cards.

Your hypocrisy/HOGWASH lies in your looking at the social political origins of Hindu fundamentalism as an isolated phenomenon, and your accusations being limited to Hindus.

If some body Togadia type is ``engulfing`` something somewhere. Let me know, I will condemn that.

Take care. If you really care about India, be neutral. As I said attitudes such yours fetch more vote for BJP

Regards,

Re: # 8
>>>>From that statement, it`s glaringly obvious who`s a fundamentalist..<<<<

LOL. very funny.

I am no fundamentalist, i am opposed to citizens of my beloved country fighting amongs themselves based on religion, caste,language, etc. I am opposed to people belonging to one religion going around and killing innocent people belonging to another religion. I am opposed to some saying India belongs only to Hindus and others we are only tolerating. I am opposed to Wahabi Hinduism of beating people buying Valentine cards.

Your hypocrisy/HOGWASH lies in your looking at the social political origins of Hindu fundamentalism as an isolated phenomenon, and your accusations being limited to Hindus.

If some body Togadia type is ``engulfing`` something somewhere. Let me know, I will condemn that.

Take care. If you really care about India, be neutral. As I said attitudes such yours fetch more vote for BJP

Regards,

``......there are around forty-odd others that are native tongues to at least a million folks each. And, by the way, these are all completely different languages. If we were to talk in terms of dialects, the tally would be put around 22,000! ......``

Have you noticed that , if Six Indians gather in a party at home all of them talk at the same time without regards to each other and without waiting .