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July 15, 1998

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How Readers responded to Amberish K Diwanji's latest column

Date sent: Sat, 04 Jul 1998 00:21:17 +0530
From: Shaham Azeem Khan <shaham@lw1.vsnl.net.in>
Subject: A K Diwanji

I am pleasantly surprised that someone had the guts to write the truth. Like Mr Diwanji says, if the nation continues to bow to these juvenile swadeshi kids, the more mature and real problems facing the country will only grow. Let them play karsevak-karsevak while we, the people of India, look ahead into the future. My congratulations to Mr Diwanji.

Shaham

Date sent: Sat, 4 Jul 1998 09:37:17 -0500
From: "Hem Ramachandran" <hemachandran@email.msn.com>
Subject: Amberish's column

Thank you for this article. Amberish seems to be very balanced, unemotional and rational about the current situation. I really welcome such articles which gives a mature outlook on the situation. Thank you, Amberish!

Waiting for more of your writings,

Hem Ramachandran

Date sent: Sat, 04 Jul 1998 11:44:14 -0400
From: mehul <mkansara@bellatlantic.net>
Subject: Column by Amberish K Diwanji

Mr Diwanji couldn't be more to the point. Are the powers that be in New Delhi listening? If so please for once do the the right thing for MOTHER INDIA.

Date sent: Sat, 4 Jul 1998 23:58:33 +0530
From: "Delta Scientific Bombay" <deltascf@bom3.vsnl.net.in>
Subject: Amberish Diwanji's article

A good piece. But I must say I am in complete disagreement with it.

Amberish is right in that money does matter. As a matter of fact that is all that matters in global politics. This is the very reason that the West will play India and China against each other. We therefore only need to worry about our self interest.

Omaramar

Date sent: Sun, 05 Jul 1998 14:00:05 PDT
From: "Ravi Mathi" <mathra@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Unbearable Unimportance of Being India

Amberish should stop using totally irrelevant titles or keep the focus of his articles on what the title suggests. I find the title of this article offensive. When I read it, I found it one sided and had nothing to do with the title. A different title would have been appropriate. It makes you wonder what's happened to the objective analysis by this columnist of some (I'm assuming) standing.

But then I'm not forced to read his articles and I will not, whatever the title is -- next time, I will be sure that it is a pathetic sly to get you to read him. How did he end up on Rediff?

Ravi M

Date sent: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 14:21:56 -0500
From: Nagaraja Rao <raoxx009@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
Subject: The Unbearable Unimportance of Being India

Great column. My thoughts exactly. Progress will come only when India has a strong, united, and committed government. The electorate is too fragmented for this to be achieved. Looks like we're going to be in for a lot of trouble before things get better.

Date sent: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 09:48:54 -0500
From: <vishnu@sun170e09.engr.siu.edu>
Subject: Amberish K Diwanji on the Unbearable Unimportance of being India

Hey what's all this? We know that we could have done better to tackle the economic sanctions but I think it is very pathetic that a learned person should even question the necessity of being prepared.

By the way, drop that defeatist Indian mentality. Let's just say that we needed to do some tests before we were forced out by the hegemonistic idiots. And, yes, let us all agree that we need to work on our own economic situation.

One more thing: Shut up about that temple, OK ? It's not that all the mosques were destroyed, just one of 'em and the people concerned will forget it if you people who believe to be wise keep your mouths shut.

Date sent: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 12:26:10 -0400
From: Pawan Kumar <pkumar@snet.net>
Subject: The Unbearable Unimportance of Being India

Mr Diwanji,

The only reason you are able to publish these columns and commentaries is because you are in India where the HINDU MAJORITY appreciates democratic values and free exchange of ideas. Try doing this in CHINA or PAKISTAN or, for that matter, in most of the other countries in this world.

I'm presently living in the US but have lived the majority of my life in INDIA. Here in the US I have to constantly respect and accept the viewpoint if the White Christian majority (even though at lot of the time it is extremely repressive). So get over your whining, India is democratic and majority HINDU. You can have your opinion but the will of the majority has to be accepted and respected (isn't that the democratic ideology?). Ideally, we would hope for such a society to have enough social consciousness to prevent itself from turning into NAZI GERMANY, which India has been successful in because of its tolerant traditions.

To respond to your opinions about faster globalisation, I have only one example: "THE TIGER ECONOMIES OF ASIA". What happened in South-East Asia and Brazil will happen to China and will happen to India if we mould our economic policies which see the US as the MESSIAH. Your slave mentality is preventing you from forming an identity without the validation from an external, Western master. If you want co-operation then first learn the meaning of the word, sweating like a worker-bee for the pleasure of the queen-bee doesn't constitute co-operation. True economic co-operation is what US has with JAPAN and EUROPE. We obviously can't get there overnight without expanding globalisation efforts; but do you think that any of the battered and bruised "TIGER ECONOMIES" ever will?

The point is not to let external forces dictate what we want or who we are. But then these are my ideas and you don't necessarily have to agree with them or endorse them.

Date sent: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 19:08:36 -0500
From: Mohan Marette <mohanmarette@earthlink.net>
Subject: The Unbearable Unimportance of Being India

Ain't that the truth! Allow me to elaborate why I think India is uniquely unimportant in the larger scheme of world affairs besides your well thought-out arguments.

1. India's share of world trade is less than 1% .
2. India is not a 'great' military power contrary to what 'we' believe.
3. 50% or so Indians are illiterate.
4. At least 20% of the population lives below the poverty line.
5. India is pathetically lacking in infrastructure.
6. India is not business friendly and is terribly inefficient.
7. India is one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
8. Indian politicians and bureaucrats have no 'vision' and have proven themselves to be extremely inept, arrogant and corrupt thus far.
9. Indian 'officials' think having 20% of the world's population in India is a qualification and thus deserve 'respect' and 'want their place in the world'.
10. Indians and 'officials' in particular try to deflect 'real issues' facing the nation with the 'glorious' past bit, conveniently forgetting that India is a poor Third World country at the moment and even accept 'aid' without reservation from small countries like Sweden.

11. We Indians have no humility and never admit when we are wrong and never ask for help when we don't know the answer but instead try to fake it.

12. We Indians almost always talk big but have nothing to show for it.

13. In India one needs to have 'connections' or 'pay' the officials to get things done otherwise one can forget getting anything done.

14. It seems the major issue facing the nation in India is 'temples' and 'mosques' and not educating the people, not developing the country, not providing basic services to people, not improving the infrastructure, not punishing the crooked politicians or bureaucrats or anything remotely important to the country. On top of that they think they can do everything swadeshi though they couldn't do much in the last 50 years!

And lastly we Indians are all legends in our own mind, too bad nobody is buying it!

Sorry guys I just had to say it 'cos I am pissed as hell.

All the best,

Mohan Marette/USA

Amberish K Diwanji

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