Borders are Made of These

Dear Samina (#97):

I am glad that you among the few have seen the article in the right perspective. The problem with the “collective soul” is that its spirit is wilting. I do not like posting excerpts from my own earlier pieces, but that would answer your question about my views on cross-cultural alliances…and I said this four years after the Bombay riots.

(From rediff, June 16,1997: Farzana Versey; AntiView)

“The best thing after patriotism is secularism. Of course, one can conveniently, like the good English bishop, say, ``God said love your neighbour; he did not say love Marks and Spencer.``

Roughly translated into our context, it could mean we may tolerate the bloke next door for his saffron or green colour, but we do not have to suffer the whole damned community. The problem is we think we are being grand. Secularism, in our contemporary context, is not a virtue. It is a Necessity. It should be propagated in the same way as family planning, self-reliance, ecology, health care and adult education, instead of a morally right position.

Those who marry across religions must be given similar privileges as those reserved for the scheduled castes and tribes. Their offspring should be provided state backup, whether in education, health or taxation. In fact, the state must encourage private elite institutions where these children can be educated without being tainted by our national obsession with party vengeance.

For secularism to be a success, it must work on the principle of reward rather than punishment. Very often, in the course of trying to sweep away the dust, we tuck it under the carpet whereas a positive wind of change can gently blow it away. To antagonize any community cannot be the motive of secularism. As has already been understood, religion circumscribes various other realities and, in the process, subsumes them. As one commentator pointed out, we mistakenly equate freedom of religion with freedom from religion. In the current situation, this is not universally accepted. Even an open Hindutva

supporter permitted himself some magnanimity when he stated elsewhere, ``The Muslim belief in the finality of God`s revelation in the Koran and in Mohammed`s prophecy is at odds with the spirit of Indian civilisation. But Indian civilisation is large enough to accommodate it.``

Which is where the issue of small fundamentalist organizations and secularism arises. We have to see this in the context of minority power. Were a black person to marry a white person in a predominantly white community, the white person would get all the applause as well as have to bear the brunt of the backlash. Evolution itself depends largely on the

numbers game. While the majority can contain others, (and must, for magnanimity is possible only when you have the largesse) the minority has problems containing itself.

For example, the Islamic Sevak Sangh had to pluck its members from the madrasas (religious schools) and unemployment rolls in Kerala. And its founder has stated, on record, that the Muslim League had done nothing for the Muslim community. But the RSS has always had considerable support from the BJP and VHP. In this combine, it could, at least until recently, be respected by a large section of the middle-class intelligentsia.

But religion per se cannot give anyone an identity in the fluctuating late 20th century society. It can only provide the much-dreaded moral fibre and a mistakenly-interpreted formula for living. Besides, it does colour our interpretation of the world.”

rsridhar (#53):

Thanks for your detailed response. To the question about a stage-managed attack, I wish to point out that a Pakistani diplomat was arrested in Kathmandu, while visiting for the SAARC summit, trying to deal in foreign currencies illegally. Interestingly, those currencies were dollars and Indian rupees. Please tell me: is the Pak government so foolish as to spoil their reputation at this stage? Would ANY diplomat do something as silly as that? If all this is indeed true, then we ought to not even think of war – we are already victorious!

[India is at war with Pak because of ideological differences. India is a secular, democratic country while Pakistan is an Islamic theocracy.]

So, why are we not at war with other countries we have ideological differences with? You know that Kashmir is the only real issue, which is why I have said time and again, neither country is interested in a serious solution because the very reason for animosity and the accruing benefits (election issue, misplaced nationalism, kickbacks from arms deals) will fizzle out.

When I made the comment: ``Whatever happened to the good old days when poor innocents were shot down in the crossfire?``….it was meant to be rhetorical. Of course, innocents get killed and always will be, but now they are not the only targets, which is why terrorism has begun to be noticed with greater fear. I am afraid I do not agree with you that the terrorists are getting bolder or more desperate (anyone who is willing to die for a cause will do so irrespective of whether he has to blow up a government building or a bazaar); it is only now that the governments are sitting up because THEY are the new targets.

[Farzana, YOu have to come out of this minority complex and view yourself as an Indian.]

Now you are making me very angry. I am an Indian. You have spent a few words criticizing various aspects of Indian political parties…would you say you therefore do not view yourself as an Indian? More than cynicism, there is utter helplessness on my part. As I have written in another post, the minority complex is something that one is thrust with. Please let me know when you are visiting my country next.

Regards,

Farzana

urstruly,

aisae nahin boltae merae bhai...while i enjoy immensely your dheet posts, your disrespect to gods and whole races of people based on religion is not right. no two ways about it- its not right. if little baby girls are being killed in india, then its a bad thing. not something to be happy about. do you know that theres this cradle of some sort outside every edhi home where girl parents dont want are often left late at night and early in the mornings? i saw one just today and thought of you instantly...our own giribaan is pretty filthy my friend...let the hindus and indians be..their progress or regress has nothing to do with us on a personal level..you are only giving away all your naikees to them by insulting their beliefs..and sikhs are some of the funniest people ever..ever had their aloo ka achaar? u will die of pleasure

Farzana:

whassup. Great article. I am in Delhi now, and internet access is pathetic. I hate getting online. Besides, the stupid power keeps going out. Anyways, I`ll write when I get back. I forgot to take your phone number before I left, and my 36 hours in Mumbai passed between bouts of alcoholic haze, and bargaining with touts. Finally, came on August Kranti. Very interesting experience so far. Now, in a couple of daysI am going to Amritsar. Any Lahoris wanna come and wave at Attari??? BTW, I went to Athena, 500 rupees for ONE red bull Vodka!!! What a RIPOFF!!!

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Farzana:

``Not really. It is somewhat like saying I like men, but I believe in monogamy :)``

...lol, well if you put it THAT way....;)

Urstruly #123

I have no love lost for shiv sainiks but the day I have to expect ``justice and equality`` from a jihadi like you I will rather jump in the well and never come out. Like Harpreet said shuk the fut up.

#158

role --+ roll

tounge --+ tongue

definate --+ definite

bustard --+ ??

so on & so forth

Urstruly #123
``but you have to meet a Sikh personally to see the word ``compromise` written all over their forehead. That happens when the will of the weak is broken successfully and he compromises with the cage. ``

Actually, its working the opposite way. The rest of us Indians are all learning from Sikhs how to show a little more grit.

narain,

[...Both of our nations have some legitimate historical claims on Kashmir...]

what is pakistan`s legal claim over kashmir?

Dear rage (ref: #141),

I must confess that I have not posed the same question to any other poster on chowk, and therefore I must be a bustard (thanks tahmad! :)) To redeem myself, let me put down my own beliefs, which I think if we all agreed to, we would be able to have much more saner discussions. So here are the 7 maxims:

1. Pakistan is a great and proud nation, and fully deserves to be treated as such. Similarly India is a great and proud nation and should also be treated as such.

2. Neither of our nations is perfect, and legitimate criticism, even if mal-intentioned, should be given due consideration, and not rejected out of hand solely on the basis of who is making it.

3. Both of our nations have some legitimate historical claims on Kashmir. But history cannot be changed or amended, and therefore cannot provide the basis of our conflict resolution. The correct guiding principle should be to choose that which best guarantees our collective future.

4. Both India and Pakistan have had their axes to grind in Kashmir, and have contributed to making the problem much more bloody than it should have been. The blame for all the bloodshed therefore falls on both India and Pakistan, as also to some extent, on the Kashmiris themselves.

5. Kashmir is a political problem, and therefore the solution must also be political. However negotiations are impossible until the violence stops. Stopping the violence, however, is only a necessary and not a sufficient condition for a solution.

6. Any solution to Kashmnir must take into account that both India and Pakistan are siamese twins, inextricably (often inexplicably!) linked together, and that Kashmir is our conjoining organ. Any solution therefore which is zero sum, (ie, which benefits one at the cost of the other) would prove to be deterimental for both in the long run.

7. The time to act is now! Not only to prevent more blood from spilling, but also to prevent the situation from becoming chronic like it has in the middle-east.

Regards,

narain

Re: Dost-Mittar

``...Ajmal Khan Road was also the place where I first heard a handome young man giving hypnotising speeches against corruption and misrule. His name? Atal Behari Bajpayee...``

Dost-Mittarji:

Since I also grew up in the same area, I am intimately familiar with all the place names that you mentioned. I also remember Vajpayee giving a speech to the Ajmal Khan Road Traders Association after the Emergency in `77, and a speech he gave with the late JP Narayan just before Indira`s massive defeat. I still remember Vajpayee`s spell-binding oratory, and the complete lack of security around him. Now, one couldn`t get to within a few hundred yards of him.

#152 tahmed

Man you`re on a role with your limericks!

BTW, bustards used to be hunted as late as the late eighties by arabs who`d pay a lot of money to go on organized hunting parties. We were selling out other inhabitants of our lands for petrodollars. Such is the inhumanity of man!

Goldsteen #144 ``Spend four hours a day for one month - it will make you a counterterrorism expert filled with hatred towards Mu---ms``

In your case, you brought your hatred with you to chowk. Born, no doubt, out of self-loathing: I cant imagine a man with such deep hatreds being at peace with himself. As for being a ``counterterrorism expert``, to be an expert in anything one must have a brain. So far you have not displayed any signs of any brain activity (other than the reptilian section of the brain).

Rage #141 You call a chowk poster a ``Bustard``, which is a bird that is well described in the following poem:

``The Bustard is an exquisite fowl

With minimal reason to growl

It escapes what would be

Illegitimacy

By the grace of a fortunate vowel. ``

Furthermore, you will be even more endRaged to learn that preservation of the Bustard represents an area of cooperation between sane Indians and sane Pakistanis (rules out some people on chowk, sorry), as follows:

`` CONSERVATIONISTS SEEK PAK HELP TO SAVE HAUBARA BUSTARD - Kounteya Sinha in the ASIAN AGE (16 July 2001)

In view of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf`s visit, Indian`s eminent wildlife conservationists and wild water rafters have urged the Pakistan high commission to allow joint programmes of Indian and Pakistani experts, firstly to save the Haubara Bustard from extinction and secondly to allow rafting expeditions on river Indus from Khalsi to Gilgit in Tibet, which is the world`s most ferocious rapid, inside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Noted conservationist and secretary general of the Tourism and Wildlife Society of India Harsh Vardhan and one of India`s finest white water rafters Col. N. Kumar have now decided to create awareness among people for these two causes. Mr. Vardhan on Sunday said India and Pakistan should make joint efforts to save the Haubara Bustard from extinction.``India and Pakistan share a habitat which has the potential to sustain birds in large numbers but there has been a severe decline in their population due to indiscriminate hunting,`` Mr. Vardhan said.Mr Vardhan said late Pakistani President Zia-ul Haq had assured a delegation of conservationists including Indians in 1983 in Islamabad that steps would be taken to save the bird.``

Maybe if Yahuda Goldsteen stopped posing as a Jew and admitted that he is an Indian... it would make things better for everyone.

But the character of the Indian people is sadly very monolithic in this respect.