'Varsha, how much it irritates you that a
Catholic, foreign-born, liberal woman can
thrash the Sangh Parivar!'
How Readers reacted to Varsha Bhosle's recent columns
Date sent: Sat, 05 Dec 1998 13:29:23 -0500
From: Santosh Shankar <santosh@erols.com>
Subject: Soniamev Jayate
Dear Varsha,
Commendations on an excellent article. From one in America who reads what thou hast writ in the hope of savouring mordant wit, unabashed asperity, and calling-a-spade-a-spadeness, being as America is a barren wasteland of euphemism and colourless jargon. Bravo, rave on, continue to dip your pen in your unmistakably personal ink. I continue to fiddle as home burns.
Santosh
Date sent: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 03:09:36 PST
From: "varghese koshy" <v_koshy@hotmail.com>
Subject: Varsha Bhosle's column
This is the first time I am reading Varsha Bhosle. It's terrible. Hot, steaming crap. Perhaps she believes she is being funny. Perhaps she believes she is very wise. There is nothing wrong with believing one is a Socrates, but one must keep such secrets to oneself.
Varghese Koshy
Madras
Date sent: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 22:44:52 -0800
From: ilanand <ilanand@mci2000.com>
Subject: Varsha on Sonia
I must say that Varsha has a spectacular way of writing the bare truth. Bravo. Keep it up. We are
proud of you.
Date sent: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 00:11:27 -0800 (PST)
From: An Observer <peace1040@yahoo.com>
Subject: Soniamev Jayate
Let's contrast this column with Pritish Nandy's Lessons for a
Loser:
The contrast between these two articles on the BJP's rout in the recent election is striking. While Nandy's article has substance, Bhosle continues with another offering of an essentially content-free column.
Nandy points out the many limitations of the BJP in governance. The party is clueless about making economic and foreign policy work. The problems of "One: People. Two: Performance.
Three: Its personality as it has evolved since it came to power" are
explained and followed with constructive suggestions. While Nandy is
no fan of the Congress, his column does not degenerate into a
pointless diatribe against Sonia Gandhi.
Bhosle's is a column where the writer goes through the exercise of conjuring up a scenario where this hypocritical woman of Italian origin is India's PM, with advisers who
are all minorities, and the place is teeming with foreign crooks. She quotes the authoritative Ahluwalia in support of whatever the purpose
of this column is.
What's the final product of this exercise? A column that is lacking in substance and that never rises above name-calling. Eg, "the Shroud", "the khadi-ed", "the other stool-pigeon, the
dhoti-ed Mullah", "the Great Maratha Milquetoast". Such vituperation
needs little creativity. Just summon up enough hatred and
think of all those that "raise one's bile". The words will then just
spew out, and if they came from a more creative mind they can be even
more vicious.
This is the second column of Varsha Bhosle that I read,
and I wonder which of the two is more shallow.
A Malik
USA
Date sent: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 21:06:11 +0000
From: Yasir Abdul Quadir <yaquadir@nmrc.ucc.ie>
Subject: Varsha's column
For all what you have said, the fact is not to be hidden that the Congress won with a great majority and pride. Forget about the election, I wonder what
will be your reaction to recent the atrocities against Christians and the
storm against Fire by the real Hindus (VHP and Shiv Sena).
Date sent: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 01:29:54 PST
From: "Michael Correa" <michael_correa@hotmail.com>
Subject: Varsha's latest cacophony
Oh, revenge is indeed soooo sweet!!!
It's heartening to see that the majority of people in states such as Delhi,
Rajasthan and MP rejected the hate-filled, minority bashing, religious zealotry that the Bharatiya Janata Party stands for.
Poor Vasha darling... what a pathetic article (not surprising though, considering who wrote it). I expected something better. Other than
name-calling and being absolutely ignorant of facts, is that all
you could come up with?
Finally, I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me knowing how much
it irritates you that a Catholic, foreign-born, liberal woman can thrash
the Sangh Parivar the way she did last week!
Viva Goa!
Jai Hind!
Michael Correa
Chicago
Date sent: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 18:03:03 +0530
From: Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited <natco@hd1.vsnl.net.in>
Subject: Varsha Bhosle's article
This is a very carefully-penned column and should make every Indian think about what s/he is being told to do. It is sad but true that our exposure to Indian history begins and ends with Nehruvianism. On one front we talk of India being
open-minded, but our politicians and media make a furore when somebody tries to voice his/her opinion or tries to examine the rationale behind things we have been taught to do without blinking our eyes.
It is time we learn India's history from an Indian viewpoint. Here I do not refer to a Hindu viewpoint. All figures of history are to be given their due. I sincerely hope that the politicians, press and populace of the nation give up this partisan attitude to the part of India which is Hindu. A democracy is supposed to be a place where the majority is right, but in India the minority seems to be right even when it seems wrong form a neutral viewpoint. I do not ask for bias against the minority, but that the majority too be treated equally.
I believe the root cause lies in vote politics with the majority vote being divided -- this just goes to show the kind of politicians the nation is run by. Surprisingly the media too seems to be playing second fiddle. For instance, new articles on violence in Kashmir read "Seven members of one community were gunned down". I wonder what this nation will come to.
A Sridhar
Date sent: Thu, 26 Nov 1998 09:53:30 -0800
From: Kris Chandrasekar <krischan@pacbell.net>
Subject: Present Imperfect
I agree with the gist of the article. Those who cloak themselves in the "secularist" garb seem to be most responsible for the divisiveness. I, however, disagree with your take on the Clinton scandal in the US.
The population is not backing Clinton just because the economy is doing well, although that certainly helps. It has more to do with the Republicans who are trying to make this out to be an impeachable offence. What next? The gas chamber for traffic violations? Starr's own agenda don't help either. If you noticed,
he wasn't all that forthright when he appeared before the judiciary committee. There was a great deal of bobbing and weaving in his responses.
Bottom line: He was hired to investigate Whitewater. Where
are the goods on that? Despicable as
Billy's womanising may be, it ain't Starr's business.
Kris Chandrasekar
Date sent: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 17:35:43 -0600
From: "Mansoor Dawood" <mansoor@HiWAAY.net>
Subject: Soniamev Jayate
Even though we Indians are one of the most intelligent people on the face of this earth, we still cannot keep up with developed countries. Ever wonder why? It's this kind of thinking and writing that holds us back.
Varsha, having a talent to write please put it to the use of educating people on how to improve our nation's wealth, image, and so on, rather than spread hatred!!
Mansoor
Date sent: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 14:16:16 -0800
From: Aravind Kalivaradhan <aravindk@microsoft.com>
Subject: Varsha Bhosle's Soniamev Jayate
One can be totally brutal in any assessment or criticism of someone, but such open sarcasm betrays a certain cheapness. In a column laced with grandiose and bombastic no-nothings she makes a vain attempt to look angry at her pet infatuation, the Sangh Parivar. The madam goes on to "extol" the stupidity of the Indian electorate. Quite frankly, I could not but help feel a great sense of pride and euphoria at
the way the masses booted out people of her ilk.
Not so long ago, the BJP flaunted the support it commanded amongst Indians abroad. A pity the crush went from ardent endorsement to outright revulsion in six months flat. And, yup, Varsha, you do have to tremble about "next
week's hate-mail from the educated abroad". Keep writing Varsha, one day you might inspire me into politics.
Aravind Kalivaradhan
Redmond
Date sent: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 14:11:18 -0500
From: Presley Antony <presley_antony@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Varsha Bhosle
I don't understand how Rediff is continuing to allow people like Varsha
to write. I don't think even the hardcore saffronites would have such fanatic views as Varsha. How can she devote an article just to criticise one person?
Presley
Date sent: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 14:07:54 +1300
From: Kishore Malani <malaniabkv@xtra.co.nz>
Subject: VARSHA BHOSLE
Good work. Keep it up. At last you have a journalist who can talk straight.
You should see Indian Muslims in a foreign country, how they get close to Pakistanis and maintain distance with Indians (Hindus). Indian Muslims even refuse to attend Indian Independence Day and enthusiastically paticipate in Pakistani Independence Day
celebrations. It is also ironic that the Muslims who migrated from India during Partition are rather more forthcoming in establishing contact with Indians. Perhaps Indian Muslims can learn from the experiences of their brethren who deserted their homeland. Vande Mataram.
K Malani
Auckland
Date sent: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 12:03:57 -0600
From: VADIRAJ <VADIRAJ@prodigy.net>
Subject: The Shroud
It seems really strange to me that Soniaji is being lauded for leading the Congress to victory at the hustings. I feel the voting pattern was simply 'anti-BJP', which does not make it 'pro-Congress' or 'pro-Sonia'. The fact that the Congress has to bank on
the so-called charisma of a political novice like Sonia, exposes the decadence and bankruptcy of the party.
Suma Rao
Date sent: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 09:51:44 +0530
From: PIYUSHBANSAL <PIYUSHBANSAL@inf.com>
Subject: Pulp friction: Varsha Bhosle
The article is a balanced one which one rarely sees nowadays. The objective, unbiased viewpoint expressed in the article is worth reading.
One really fails to understand what is wrong in rewriting
history (as the media has portrayed it to be). If somebody
presents our past to us through a coloured glass why should
we blame the person who removes the glass? And why is everything associated with the RSS taboo?
We Indians claim unity in diversity. We are more than willing to imbibe foreign traditions, religions, cultures and what-not, BUT feel ashamed to even listen to our people. We loathe
the very organisation that has roots within our society and
think ourselves to be great when we say 'Hate the crime not the
criminal'. Just being associated with any organisation is no
disqualification. So why question the credentials of the experts
on the Lekhak Mandal on this issue?
Similarly the drama created by the education ministers on the issue of Saraswati Vandana! It was comic! I never knew that the RSS had the exclusive rights for Saraswati Vandana and every instance of Saraswati Vandana meant that the RSS (or its proxies) have organised the show. It's appalling to see the short-sightedness of the so-called non-communal ministers who are to be blamed for the deteriorating communal harmony in
the nation.
Once again, kudos to Varsha Bhosle.
Piyush Bansal
Date sent: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 03:33:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Suresh Venkat <suresh@Robotics.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Pulp Friction
Varsha Bhosle suggests that the national anthem was written
to praise King George V. As evidence she quotes some national newspapers. As per her suggestion, I
actually looked up a couple of translations of the anthem, and nowhere
could I find anything that leads to this conclusion, unless one already
of course had decided on this interpretation.
It's of course easy for her to claim this: the poem refers to a "dispenser
of India's destiny" -- surely the more natural interpretation is to assume
that Tagore was talking about God? If we do assume her interpretation of
the figure in the poem as King George V, the anthem takes on a ridiculously servile tone, one which I would not expect from a person who renounced his knighthood to protest the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre.
Date sent: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 02:31:20 EST
From: ASaraff@aol.com
Subject: Varsha's article
Varsha does indeed bring up some interesting viewpoints (of course, the
"interesting" part is very very subjective) viz, altering of texts and
singing of "Hindu" songs. I see no reason why anybody wants to oppose any move
of changing our outdated history texts which is heavily Western-oriented. Why
would people from India study about the, say, Roman empires? When we have
Chandraguptas and Ashokas?
It's no denying that India's past has been the "Hindu" past. Hindus have been here in this land long before the Muslims. And studying our past implies studying the "Hindu" religion. So be it.
If this trend of bias against our, what I can proudly say as, Hindu past continues, I would be not be surprised to see our children and grandchildren
more aware of the Roman history (more "secular" than saying
Christian history) than our very own (becomes more ironical since we
have a big Italian leader!!).
TGI Hindu
Date sent: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 18:33:41 PST
From: "Patriotic Indian" <true_indian_76@hotmail.com>
Subject: Varsha's Pulp Fiction
It appears that Varsha has to criticise the BJP at least once in her columns for her excellent pieces to be published. The lurking worm of Marxism among the editorial staff may be the reason. I have written many times on the same matter of why we must Indianise history, but it has never seen the light of the day.
The reason why we must compulsorily Indianise education are:
1.We (Hindus not Marxists) never ever said the earth was flat like in the West. The son of god could have at least told his followers it was a folly. Nor did he say the earth went round the sun. Why? To us it was
always bhu-gola and the universe
brahmanda.
2. We knew of the equinoxes/the declension of the earth's axis from times immemorial (25,700 years). Our astrology is proof enough, the West calculated the declension only this century.
3. It is only a question of time that truth will come tumbling out, when the "Dead Sea Scrolls" are published in spite of the active suppression by the Church for over 90 years. When mass desertions take place from
the flock after the true "revelations", these plans will come out. We don't need to wait till then. We should set the ball rolling.
4.Everyone agrees that Vedic mathematics is the best way to teach Maths
and that Sanskrit is the best suited language for computers, definitely
not Latin or Arabic.
5.World history should be rewritten afresh by Indians (Leftists and Marxists are really Chinese with Indian skins -- fifth columnists in their
language).
Mexico has a festival during Dussera and it is called Ramasita.
Excavations there have revealed a lot of Ganesha images. And the Incas were Sun worshippers. "Ina" in Sanskrit meaning Sun.
The natives of Australia even today perform the Siva dance with the third eye painted on their foreheads (Figs 128 and 129, Page 621 of The
Native Tribes of Central America by Spencer and Gillen, Macmillan Press
1899).
Count Louis Hamilton ("Cheiro" as popularly known) has written about how the Church actively suppressed palmistry and astrology because it was jealous of its Hindu origin at a time when the power of the Church was beginning to
be felt outside the domain of religion, and how the Church was intolerant
to knowledge that did not proceed from its teachings. Palmists and
astrologers were branded pagans, heathens, sorcerers, witches etc and
were impaled. Hopefully this will end with Carl Sagan's death.
And all this historical evidence has been destroyed systematically by
the Church and they want to do it in India, so the truth can be suppressed at the source.
We should Indianise education and those who don't want it can go to
London or Beijing. We should have Sanskrit and as the Parmacharya wisely said -- by saying Sanskrit is a dead language one is admitting that it is the soul of all languages, because when someone dies s/he leaves
the body (which rots) while the soul is imperishable.
Murli Manohar Joshiji we are with you. Please use the same tactics and strategy of the Church to spread Hinduism.
Krishnan
Varsha Bhosle
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