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E-mail from readers the world over
Date sent: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 09:53:31 EST
I believe the views of the author are absolutely right. Gandhiji should have been awarded the Peace prize a long time ago. I believe, though, that Gandhiji was and is beyond awards and an award given so late is an insult to one of the world's greatest leaders. Nothing that the Peace prize committee does can honour Gandhiji enough. Are we not doing the same in India by awarding Padma Shris, Padma Bhushans and so on to people more politically connected than otherwise? Does one really care nowadays to see who gets these awards? I think not. So why point out others' shortcomings? Only those who understand Gandhiji's greatness value him as a great human being. And to think most Indians, yours truly included, needed a film made by a foreigner to tell us about him! Now his name is bandied about only as a vote puller and that might go down in history as his final epithet. Shame on us!
Shekhar Kakade
Date sent: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 12:21:59 +0530
In a country like India where millions starve, live in unhygienic surroundings and are deprived of the proper medical care, it is sad that Rs 110 million is spared for a monument. This is a country where people fight about things like the Ram Janambhoomi. How does it matter to an individual if Ram is born at a particular place or 100 yards away from that place? It is a good idea to invest this much money in a structure of deep social interest like a hospital. But isn't it a better idea to build a hospital of larger capacity within the same sanctioned amount by cutting down the expenditure on adorning it?
Monika Kapoor
Date sent: Fri, 06 Feb 1998 22:52:23 -0600
I did a search "Urdu learn residential" and your site came up first. Your article on Andhra officials wanting Urdu spoken was interesting -- however I am requesting assistance to locate a residential language course in India where I can learn Urdu -- a crash programme, since I do not have a lot of vacation time from my job here in America. I have basic knowledge of Urdu but I want to be more fluent and comprehend Urdu conversations. I am less interested in reading and writing Urdu.
Karen Bashir
Date sent: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 04:14:12 EST
Concerning your article about female priests in Kerala: Well, why the hell not? It's about time... women have not always been second class citizens, but they sure as hell have been second class for way too long. I mean, it's about time Hindus start actualising the tolerance and flexibility which people like Gandhi sought to promote, even if it might anger a pundit. Sometimes pundits need to to be pulled off their transcendental high horses and made to realise that the world moves on despite their religious rhetoric. As far as Kodungalur goes, I've been to the main temple of Kodungalur several times in my life, and will visit it each time I go back to Kerala to visit my family. The major temple of the town is dedicated to Bagavathi, a goddess, and she a very important (if not THE most important) deity in the town. Hindus, like many people in many other cultures, have to get over their backward attitudes towards women... I mean, if we worship goddesses as pivotal and significant cosmic entities, it makes sense to have the same respect for women not just with regard to preternatural principles but also as our fellow human beings, something many Hindus seem to have a hard time doing anyway. And what about menstrual taboos? Is it that hard to get over them? I remember when my parents had a puja performed in our house to honour Shakthi. My sister was a bit flustered since she was having her period, and when she confided this to one of our guests, this same guest immediately informed the priest who was to perform the puja. He, in turn, refused to commence with the ceremony until my sister had left the room. Now, I'm all for cultural relativism and respecting other's beliefs, but the paradox of worshipping a goddess (let alone adoring her Yoni as a central focus for reverence) and being afraid of female biology was just too off kilter for me understand. I mean here we were, praising the "Mother" of all creatures in the form of her sanctified generative organ and the priest was afraid of the "impurity" which he read into a very natural female situation. So I am glad to hear about women as priests in Kerala, and I think the change is good and long overdue. But that's just my opinion.
Date: Thursday, February 12, 1998 10:04 PM
We fully endorse and support Kuldip Nayar and the others who called for the formation of a Committee for the Defence of Secularism. It is true that "India is secular because the overwhelming majority of Indian people are secular in their outlook and have faith in the secular order." Why are the majority of Indian people secular? It is because the majority of Indian people are still Hindus. Had it been not so, Pakistan and Bangladesh which were part of India till 1947 and share their culture and long history with India would have been secular too. There is no doubt that India will remain secular only as long as the majority of Indians are Hindus and believe in the Hindu ethos. It is also true that, since independence, forces have been at work to undermine and destroy the ethos and culture that have maintained the secular character of India. These forces have brought India to a stage where everything is decided on the basis of "religion, caste, language, province, or party label". The collective need of the country no longer matters. These exclusivist, fundamentalist and separatist policies which will take India back to medieval times are hard at work to destroy the very fabric -- the very soul of India -- that has made secularism in India a reality. The secular order faces the most serious threat to its survival since independence. So vote for candidates who will preserve the "secular character" of India and promote the national ethos and culture that have maintained India as a secular state. India can ill afford to go into the 21st century following the same policies of exclusivity, fundamentalism, separatism, appeasement and discrimination that have dominated the Indian scene during the past century. Today, India needs change more than ever before. A change not for another partition based on religious creed -- but a change for strengthening the Indian ethos that will protect and promote secularism with equal rights for all; a change where the country is placed before one's religion, caste, region and language. Long live Indian ethos and Indian secularism.
Vinod Kumar and Rajiv Varma
Date sent: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 01:08:47 EST
Excellent piece. N Ram is frank and forthright as is his wont. He was the backbone of the Bofors expose. If he is a bit too harsh on the Congress's legacy, it is justifiable, since, in many ways its ethos was geared to the strong centrism ushered in by its leadership. Where the Congress failed was to generate a healthy democratic tradition within the party. Likely rivals had to play second fiddle or were ejected. Consequently, it has been badly emasculated and can only derive steam from the Sonia factor. BJP's gross Hindu chauvinism will only eat into our secular framework. But I think they do have a strong case for a Uniform Civil Code. Isn't that a hallmark of secularism too?
<rafi.madar@helsinki.fi$#62
Date sent: Tue, 03 Mar 1998 12:38:11 -0500
Dynamite George is still Dynamite George!
Date: Sat, 16 May 1998 12:10:18 +0530
The photographs were simply great. Keep up the good work! I am a resident of Thane(W) and was a regular visitor to Matunga when I was in Bombay.
Shiva
Date: Sun, 10 May 1998 11:24:50 -0700
Excellent report, nicely articulated. I liked the facts sheet too, it gave one an idea of how to get there. Thanks for publishing such an interesting article.
Murthy
Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 09:38:27 -0400
I have seen the change of guard in Buckingham Palace in London, but this one was a surprise. I didn't know we still follow the British tradition. Thanks for a very colourful and beautiful presentation. Murali
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