The Dilip D'Souza Chat
Dilip D'Souza at his eloquent best, on the Rediff Independence Day Chat.
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:34 IST)
Hello all, I'm here now, looking forward to talking.
Aparna Tara (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:28 IST)
Dilip apart from the e-mailed responses to your columns, what is the content of other responses that you receive? I believe you even contribute to newspapers? Has the govt ever responded?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:36 IST)
Aparna: Yes, I do contribute to other newspapers here in Bombay. I don't know about the responses, frankly, there's something seductive about the instant responses Rediff allows. The Government? Nothing significant yet, but who knows?
Prasanna (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:30 IST)
Do you consider the police encounters in Mumbai a gross violation of the human rights??
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:37 IST)
Prasanna: Well, I believe a lot of those encounters are really fakes. I mean, who are these people being killed. We have only the cops's word for it that they are gangsters. (Or Gopinath Munde's, same difference). So in the sense that I think a lot of people are being killed who should not be, I think there is a violation of human rights.
Aparna Tara (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:25 IST)
Is Dilip logged. I liked his column on Rediff regarding Sanjay Ghosh and the 50 years of Independence.
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:38 IST)
Aparna: thanks also for your comment about the Sanjoy Ghose column. I've been very upset about Sanjoy's death. It's such a pity to lose a committed, energetic and vital life like that.
Prasanna (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:35 IST)
Aren't human rights a handy tool in the hands of various terrorist outfits while they themselves care shit for the human rights of their victims??
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:42 IST)
Prasanna: No need to shout, I can read you quite well; anyway, I think human rights are for everyone. We can't lose sight of that even if terrorist outfits don't respect human rights. The State has a certain responsibility towards the law.
Parag Mehta (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:36 IST)
Hi Dilip! What you think of India's 50 years of independent?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:43 IST)
Parag Mehta: What do I think of 50 years? Somewhat blase, I'll admit. Somewhat cheered too, by some signs of Independence spirit there have been in Bombay. Optimistic in the sense that in some ways, there's no other way but up.
Exindian (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:37 IST)
Dilip i read your column in redif bout 50 yrs and ... so do you strongly believe there no future for indian politians?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:44 IST)
Exindian: I find it hard to locate an Indian politician of any stature today. The few who have some character are systematically sidelined. Too bad.
A S Rama (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:45 IST)
I believe you have worked in the US. I always used to think that people who went abroad became more open minded, more liberaal. Instaed, I find people on the net more closeminded, more partisan, more secrtarian. Do you have any reasons?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:48 IST)
AS Rama: I don't know what to make of looking into the future. It's not easy to do that today without cynicism and pessimism. But there are reasons for optimism, some of which I tried to touch on in my last Rediff column.
Srikant Bellare (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:38 IST)
Hullo, Dilip. I am a big fan of your work. But tell me why do you corrode the content with your anti-Hindutvaism?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:48 IST)
Srikant Bellare: I'll tell you this: I'm positively anti-the stuff that's sold to us as Hindutva today. As far as I can tell, it has nothing to do with either Hindutva, or with Hinduism, and everything to do with simply lusting for power. Nothing wrong with lusting for power, all politicians must do that, but why dress it in this cloak of Hindutva and Hinduism?
nehru (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:46 IST)
Is there really no other way but up. We never know how deep the pit is. Every generation thinks theirs is the lowest. How do we stop the free fall?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:52 IST)
nehru: I'll have to talk to you at closer quarters sometime. Every generation does indeed think theirs is the lowest ever, and perhaps ours isn't as low as some others have been. Still, there must be a place somewhere up from here, perhaps we have to aspire for that? And when shall we get together at closer quarters?
Prasanna (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:43 IST)
Recently, in an interview to Samna, the Shiv Sena chief has openly come out in support of police encounters in Mumbai. Do you justify such sensationalism???
Dilip D'souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:53 IST)
Prasanna: I find it hard to swallow anything at all the Shiv Sena chief says. I find it hard to believe people look up to and believe what he says.
A S Rama (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:53 IST)
That's telling. I enjoy your columns. It makes a refreshing contrast to the harsh Hindutva peddled by the likes of your bete noire Varsha Bhosle. I was grieved to read about Mr Ghose. He must have been 38. But people like you and him are few and far between. Most people in your age group want to pursue material success, at any cost. How do you account for the death of idealism?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:56 IST)
A S Rama: re: people living abroad being more liberal, etc as they should be, but actually not being so (if you get my drift): Shashi Tharoor did a wonderful article about how the open hand of immigrants turns into a closed fist of violence (something like that, I suspect Tharoor put it more eloquently than I've managed). I'll send you a copy if you email Rediff an address. It should answer some of your questions.
Aparna Tara (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:51 IST)
Dilip, where do you think this country has faltered most critically after Independence?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:58 IST)
Aparna Tara: Where we have faltered most critically? If I had to pick one thing, I would choose education, especially primary education, especially education of women. Our failure to address these has had an enormous impact on an endless series of other problems. Who are the good politicians who have been sidelined: V P Singh, A B Vajpayee (in the sense that his party has taken him into a realm I don't think he particularly wanted to go), Rajmohan Gandhi. Some others like Mrinal Gore, Madhu Dandavate.
Simon Jacob (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:49 IST)
Hi, Dilip, I live far away from India. Please tell me is there any reason why someone like me should foresake one's career and prospects abroad and return home? I have not come back in 7 years. Have things changed?
LionelR (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:50 IST)
Hi Dilip & Many 'Happy' Returns of this great Day.I just saw U lamenting the fact that we do not have even 1 decent politician to lead us today.What's the answer then? Are we supposed to just sit back and lament or can we do something about this.?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:0 IST)
Simon Jacob: Come back and find out! That's the best answer I can offer you, and I'm not being facetious. Lionel: We can indeed do something: get into politicking ourselves. The middle class in India owes some answers to the country for removing itself so completely from politics.
Prasanna (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:58 IST)
What about Sanjay Ghose Mr. D'souza?Can't protagonists of human rights like you do something for poor people like Mr Ghosh? Aren't the ULFA terrorists guilty of the same crime?And if the same terrorists are killed by the law enforcing agencies people like you climb on the top of mountains and yell about human rights violations????Sorry to shout again,but please pay your kind attention.
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:3 IST)
Prasanna: Please read my latest column about Sanjoy. ULFA has completely lost any legitimacy it might have had, and deservedly so, for this stupid and brutal murder. They deserve no sympathy from anyone.
Srikant Bellare (Fri Aug 15 1997 9:58 IST)
No, but when you refuse to acknowledge the work done by organisations like the RSS in calamity-hit areas, that bias, in my humble opinion, devalues the worth of your columns.
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:5 IST)
Srikant Bellare: Indeed the RSS does some remarkable work, and not just during calamities. I have problems with some of their other activities. Don't you?
LionelR (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:2 IST)
Dilip: If U ask me the Middle Class in India will opt for a dictatorship for a 10 year period and try it out.I am sure it will work.
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:8 IST)
Lionel: Dictatorship? And what makes you think you will be able to get rid of it in 10 years?
panacea (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:1 IST)
Dilip what do you think - will our poor city will end up in the trash-dump with the antics of the orange brigade?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:8 IST)
panacea: (nice name, by the way): in a lot of ways, our poor city is already in the trash dump! Not a whole lot of difference if the trash is coloured orange.
sandy (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:6 IST)
may be one ides to improve the systems in INDIA is to give whole india on lease to some country like USA. Although it might not seem patriotic but then see HongKong right now...
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:10 IST)
Sandy: maybe we should give India on lease to Hong Kong?
jagu (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:7 IST)
I have asked this question in another chat but did not rx an answer. I would like your opinion about this. Why is that Muslims in India do not consider themselves to be Indian. For egs, when there is an Indo - Pak cricket match, they support Pakistan. Or worse still, when there is an Indo - Eng cricket match, they support Eng. Dont you think that other Indians like the Hindus will get frustrated by this attitude and may turn reactionary and join the RSS/BJP??
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:13 IST)
Jagu: here's your response. You are simply repeating a tired old accusation that does not deserve a response, that's why you got none. Precisely how many Muslims in India have cheered for Pakistan after matches that you can say all of them do it? In any case, what makes this a test of patriotism in the first place? Here's a thought that I hope you can comprehend: I would support McEnroe if he was playing Leander Paes in a match here in Bombay: McEnroe's sheer artistry would make me do that. If that makes me any less Indian, then well, I suppose I'm less Indian than you are.
harshavardhan reddy (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:6 IST)
dilipji, you know that mr joginder singh is transferred to other dept while he was dealing with the fodder scam case? do you think that it is done delibrately ?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:18 IST)
Harshvardhan: I don't know what to make of Joginder Singh's transfer. For one thing, I don't think he was really pursuing any of the CBI cases with any vigour to begin with. For another, he got transferred. There's certainly some deliberate intent in this, I don't think any of these things happens simply by chance, but what the significance is, I don't know. And whether it means the cases will either be further slowed down or speeded up, I don't know either.
prasan (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:8 IST)
Mr.pritish nandy told me today that the quality of contemporary indian politicians is far better than of 20 or 30 years back?Do U agree with him, i gave him only one example, a history sheeter like taslumuddin
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:22 IST)
prasan: Well, 20 years back, we had Raj Narain, Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, Jagjivan Ram, L K Advani... today we have Bal Thackeray, Mulayam, Chandra Shekhar, L K Advani... take your pick. I'm not venturing to choose, thank you very much!
LionelR (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:14 IST)
Dilip-10 or 50,India needs a change from these 540 odd clowns that rule us.Democracy has been mis-used by us and our leaders and we do not deserve it."DEMOCRACY DOES NOT MEAN INDISCIPLINE OR CORRUPTION".I am not advocating military rule,but leadership like LKY of Singapore,Mahatir of Malaysia etc.DEMOCRACY WITH A DHANDA IS THE ANSWER.
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:22 IST)
LionelR: Democracy with either a danda or a dhanda is no democracy.
baba (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:21 IST)
Lionel is absolutely right. Democracy does not mean indiscipline or corruption. Just the other day I had to make an urgent call to India from USA. The message was urgent. The operator did not transfer the call and only said "Abhi na hum khana kha rahe hai". If discipline and fear of law is not instilled in the public we will always, always,always, always dream. like Rajiv Gandhi said - Hame Dekhna hai (the poor guy never did)
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:26 IST)
baba: nice talk about discipline and fear of the law... but ok, let's see. What does that mean in real life? Are you, personally, disciplined and afraid of the law? Do you jump queues for buses? Do you automatically offer Rs 50 to the cop who catches you when you jump a red light? Discipline and fear of the law is not for some amorphous "them", it's for us, for you, for me. Because we're all breaking the law, we all have no respect for it.
ven (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:23 IST)
Dilip: i read your columns as well those of Sai Suresh, Varsha etc in order to get different points of view. I find it very hypocritical that parties like the Congress, UF, Samajwadi, BSP etc call themselves as secular. I think they are very communal and casteist. It is unfortunate that the media also contributes to this myth of secularism by referring to the BJP as communal and referring to the others as secular. It is the duty of the press to call a spade a spade.It is the congress that codified religion, caste and language differences in order to generate vote banks and other parties have followed suit. On a different note: I think that it is about time that constitutional amendment is enacted so that a retirement age is fixed for politicians also. God! how can people like Kesri truly understand the needs of the young?
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:29 IST)
ven: It matters little what the parties call themselves. Those parties think there is a value to calling themselves secular today, so they use it. If tomorrow "communal" becomes a label to be prized, they'll call themselves communal. What matters is what you think, how you perceive them. If secularism is important to you, you must decide which party offers it or practices it. Then there's no hypocrisy. My opinion: none of these parties, the BJP leading the bunch, have any idea what secularism means.
gaps (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:26 IST)
Hi Dilip: Do you think things will come to a head where there will a some kind of a rebellion against this corruption mess>
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:32 IST)
Gaps: I don't know what's going to happen on the streets, really! I keep thinking sometime there'll be a revolution, it will sweep us all away and we'll deserve it too.
Dilip D`souza (Fri Aug 15 1997 10:33 IST)
OK, guys, I'm being "slowly eased out of here". Besides, it's late for me and I have to get some sleep to prepare for another 50 years. I'll hang around for a couple of minutes longer, but otherwise thanks, I enjoyed it and I hope all of you did.
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