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October 12, 1998

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How Readers reacted to Varsha Bhosle's recent columns

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 15:21:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: Atul Nagras <atul.nag@lynx.dac.neu.edu>
Subject: Srikrishna report's anti-Hindu bias

It is a great pleasure and relief to see Varsha Bhosle back on Rediff to give a befitting reply to the anti-Hindu and anti-India propaganda by the Marxist/missionary duo D'Souza and Darryl D'Monte. Varsha Bhosle is like a cool breeze amidst the secularist stench on Rediff. Welcome back!

Date sent: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 07:45:52 +0300
From: AFHK <AFHK@domain.com>
Subject: Leftists or treacherous anti nationals

Varsha, welcome back! It is great to see you alive and kicking. The secular goons and the Leftist lobby had a field day in your absence. The main problem with the Leftists is that in body they are in India but their heart and mind and soul (if any) are sold to alien garbage thoughts. What people do not know is that in the name of this gutter philosophy, they have massacred millions of (150 million and odd at the latest count) people all over the world. As some one rightly said, these Leftists opened the umbrellas when it rained in Moscow. These people are the worst anti-nationals. I am glad someone is writing fearlessly. Good work.

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 16:21:47
From: Zaigham Kazmi <zkazmi@motion-systems.com>
Subject: Postmortem

Ms Varsha Bhosle,

As always, a long article full of Muslim bashing and no sense or logic.

You started with saying that somebody should prove or disprove the Srikrishna report and then set out to disprove it. But anyone who has read other articles on the Srikrishna report and knows more than your filtered account will understand that you failed miserably. Your whole argument is based on the fact that Srikrishna only blames Hindus when the riot was actually started by Muslims. You tried to prove it by not mentioning the fact that Shiv Sainiks were ordered to kill Muslims.

As far as the starting of the riots is concerned, despite all your efforts, you fail to show that a single Muslim leader or Muslim organisation ordered the killings of Hindus. That's what Justice Srikrishna meant when he blamed Hindus. He mentioned explicitly that there were riotings and killings by Muslims. But organised rioting and killings were only the handiwork of the Shiv Sena -- not the BMC or any other Muslim organisation. I guess this simple reasoning cannot get to your brain as it is full of hatred and nothing else.

Coming to the sections that you pointed to prove that Justice Srikrishna is stupid:

* Chap II, para 1.5: "Considering it from all aspects, the Commission is not inclined to give serious credence to the theory that disproportionately large number of Muslim deaths in December 1992 was necessarily indicative of an attempt on the part of the police to target and liquidate Muslims because of bias."

* Chap II, para 1.6 (yes, the very NEXT one): " The Commission is of the view that there is evidence of police bias against Muslims... That there was a general bias against Muslims in the minds of the average policemen which was evident in the way they dealt with the Muslims is accepted by the officer of the rank of Additional Commissioner V N Deshmukh..."

Madam, read carefully. The first para does not absolve the police, it only disagree that the police deliberately tried to target and liquidate Muslims. The words "serious credence.." and "necessarily indicative..." are significant there. The second para accepts that there is general bias in the mind of the average policemen, which is different from what the first para disagrees with. If it still does not make sense to you, consider this: The police did not go house to house killing Muslims (First para). If they saw a Muslim victim they did not treat him well or when they met a Muslim somewhere they treated him with bias (second para). I wonder if I should sell the Srikrishna report to the raddiwala or should collect funds for you to get some education. Only by touching the tip of the iceberg, you have proved your (limited) qualifications quite well.

As the old saying goes: a fool exposes him/herself only when s/he opens his/her mouth.

I am usually appalled at what you say about Muslims. But today I am more appalled that a person of your status, who cannot even understand what Srikrishna is saying, dare to comment on his report. Next you will be telling us how stupid Radhakrishna, Bhabha and Bose were!

Zaigham A Kazmi

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 10:45:26 -0700
From: Pradeep Hosabettu <phosabet@qualcomm.com>
Subject: Postmortem

The article exposes the disease that is inflicting Indian public life and governance. It is not a coincidence that all commissions/reports/committees display a total lack of competence and conviction. Since the law of the land is rarely (if ever) enforced in such situations without sneaky special-interest considerations, I don't see how this will change.

Pradeep
San Diego

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 17:55:06 EDT
From: Jethro1234@aol.com
Subject: Hey Varsha!!

Welcome!!!!!! That's the article!! Dilip D'souza needed this! That guy just talks nonsense!

Jai Hind! Jai Hindu! Jai Hindi! Jai Hindustan!!

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 12:40:31 -0500
From: Krishnan Prasanna <KrishnanPrasanna@JDCorp.deere.com>
Subject: Postmortem

Welcome back, Varsha. We have been missing your articles for some time. Your Post-mortem was insightful. I was getting quite sick of reading D'Souza's articles. It was about time somebody countered that guy. Keep writing.

Prasanna Krishnan

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 10:36:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Srivatsa S." <s_srivatsa@rocketmail.com>
Subject: Varsha ....good to know that U R still there!!!

Hello Varsha,

For a minute I thought u have dissolved into nothingness. I have been reading lots of reports about the Commission by Dilip D'Souza and since there was no article opposing it, I thought (like many others) that what he said was true... Even Pritish Nandy did not write any article about this report. We in other countries depend on the Net for correct investigative journalism... So do not wait for too loong. Justice delayed could be of no use. But this time I can say: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Cheers,

S Srivatsa

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 13:57:03 -0400
From: Ajay Ghatge <ajay@smst290.att.com>
Subject: Varsha on Srikrishna report

Right on spot!

Ajay

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 13:34:07 -0500
From: raghu <rkondam@siue.edu>
Subject: Postmortem

After long time, I have a feeling there is a journalist who is not afraid to air her opinion. Thanks for the article

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 13:42:18 -0500
From: Murthy <sanctionsmyfoot@hotmail.com>
Subject: Postmortem

Varsha,

We were getting sick of reading this pinko/pseudo secularist Dilip D'Souza's ravings and rantings on the Srikrishna Commission. Thank you for taking up the baton. We had almost given up! I wonder if it is possible for Rediff to publish the entire report, like they did Dalvi's play on Nathuram Godse. I would like to see the response from our beacon of secularism, Dilip D'Souza. Earlier, I did pose a question to Rediffon this topic of "sensational journalism": Where reporting of Hindus getting killed was considered "provocative" and not that of any other community. Wonder why Rediff doesn't have the will to publish it?

Srinivas Murthy

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 14:17:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rajeev Muralidharan <rajeevm@rocketmail.com>
Subject: On Postmortem

This piece of article is just SHEER NONSENSE. It does nothing but divide two communities further apart. Write about how people can live together irrespective of race, colour, creed or religion. It's easier than writing about my God being better than yours.

You write as if all India's problems are caused by Muslims, and that without them it will be paradise on earth. Yes, the Muslims might be wrong by being fanatic about their religion. But being a Hindu, one should never stoop that low. Hinduism will suffer if we were ever to do so and so will so many of the secular-minded Indians, irrespective of their religious affiliations. It would be the pits if India became the Hindu version of Afghanistan or Iran... The pen is mightier than the sword, but only when it is not used in place of a sword!!! Hope you will show some maturity in journalism rather than churn out hate on the Net.

Rajeev Muralidharan

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 15:27:59 -0700
From: "Purvesh T. Khona" <purvesh@digital-x.com>
Subject: POSTMORTEM

Editor, Varsha, and all readers,

Post-mortem is the kind of the report that people require. This article clearly indicates the fallacies in our judiciary-appointed commissions. I am sure most of us have had not had the opportunity to read the Srikrishna report. But based on what Varsha quotes from the same, the picture is clear. The gist of the report is good enough to bring before us the political motives of the parties such as the Congress and the Communists in whose rule the Commision was appointed and encouraged.

Another thing: Pseudo-secular journalists like Dilip D'Souza. I have been following the articles by most of the reporters of Rediff. Initially I used to think Dilip was an intelligent person. But of late, I have build up the opinion that he is nothing but another pseudo-secular reporter. He shows the signs of a wimp and anti-patriotic. It's reporters like Dilip that makes us wonder about the authenticity of reports like that of the Srikrishna Commission.

Regarding police atrocities. Where was the police atrocity during the riots? During that time I was in South Bombay. To my dismay, police officers were attacked with petrol bombs by Muslims. Tell me why they shouldn't have retaliated? If they had not, then it would have showed that they were weak and hence the rioters -- in this case Muslims of South Bombay -- would have been encouraged to take more drastic steps.

I am not saying that all Muslims are bad or all Hindus are saints. I am sure that Varsha also doesn't mean to say that.

Purvesh

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 20:36:37 -0700
From: "Lebon Mathew" <lebonm@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Varsha Bhosle

Varsha Bhosle's articles are spiteful, painfully one-sided and, of course, distorted facts. Her only aim is to get some attention. But she is gaining notoriety.

When the Bombay riots happened, I was there in Bombay. As an unbiased person not belonging to any of these religions, I think it's my duty to put the facts before the readers.

The riots was the brainchild of Bal Thackeray. He and his Shiv Sena had no hold in Maharashtra's villages during that period. His only hold was on college and school drop-outs and under-educated and illiterate Hindu youths in Bombay. Thackeray injected Nazi-like Maratha sentiments in them and his big brother, the BJP, broadened it to Hindu sentiments. Inspired Shiv Sainiks went on to destroy the Babri Masjid. To fish in this muddy waters, the underworld in Bombay (under the ISI-controlled Dawood) killed a few innocent Hindus to turn away the attention of the police from them so that they can easily prosper in their business. Thackeray also did his fishing by infusing religious sentiments. The Srikrishna Commission pointed this out. The Commission is pointing Its fingers towards Thackeray for this.

Varsha Bhosle's aim is to appease Thackeray and get a Rajya Sabha ticket. Nothing else.

Lebon Mathew

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 23:18:32 -0500
From: Sunita & Prashant Mavinkurve <prashant-home@bigfoot.com>
Subject: Postmortem

Dear Rediffians,

The Srikrishna report is highly illogical and tailored to be anti-Hindu. So what's new? This kind of minority appeasement has been going on for ages. These are the very things that fuel Hindu awakening.

I feel the BJP is the most secular party. Look at these facts:

Alliance with the AKALI-DAL [A SIKH party].

Alliance with the National Conference's Farooq Abdullah [A MUSLIM]. Well! This must be really hard to digest for the pseudo-secularists.

Prashant

Date sent: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 14:29:34 -0400
From: "Suresh Chandra" <schandra@CallSciences.COM>
Subject: Keep 'em coming...

Varshaji,

This is why we need you. To say the truth, as it is, with no agenda of YOUR own. Not so much for your support to 'Hindutva', but for you to tear the masks of people like Dilip D'Souza, people with their own little hidden agendas, twisting and turning facts into lies and lies into facts. And that's why you have to write, write forever, write only what you feel is right, and write to defend India.

Suresh

Varsha Bhosle

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