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March 18, 1998
SPECIALS
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How readers reacted to Dilip D'Souza's recent columns
Date sent: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 09:18:53 -0800 Gold medal to Dilip. Very well done, I enjoyed it and thought who is lined up (in India) to make that opportunity happen. Robert Hanrahan National Education Sales Manager Symantec Corporation Internet Tools Business Group
Date sent: Thu, 26 Mar 1998 10:23:16 -0600 You rightly concluded in your article, "I Don't Mean Sexually Transmitted Disease" that the man who dreamed up the idea of STD booths deserves a gold medal, but failed to mention his name. He is none other than "Sam Pitroda." It was his brain child that brought in a sea change in the lives of the villagers of rural India. The most important aspect of STD booths which people tend to ignore is that they are powered by the rugged and efficient RAX switches which were designed and developed by C-DOT (Center for Development of Telematics). The Indian elite has consistently ignored Sam Pitroda. We should all be proud of him. I strongly urge Rediff to publish an article on this telecom legend as it could be a source of inspiration to the budding Indian IT community.
Date sent: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 16:58:18 -0800 I fully agree with Dilip D'Souza! In fact just yesterday, I discovered a service through the HomeIndia web site that provides this feature for NRIs who want to communicate with India. They do not yet do this within India -- and they probably can't given the volume of business that they could get, but I did suggest to them that they should allow reverse traffic -- that is people in India being able to communicate with their friends and family living outside India. The way it would work would be similar to what Dilip has suggested. For example -- my parents, who have temporarily moved to Mahad, district Raigadh in Maharashtra, could mail a typewritten letter to HomeIndia's nearest office. There the letter is scanned, converted to text and then sent to me over e-mail. Dilip has suggested a better way, by which my parents could go to an STD/ ISD/ PCO booth in Mahad itself and let them handle it from there. Let us hope the revolution happens sooner than later!
Date sent: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 16:11:34 -0800 Of course, this is a pretty good concept. In theory it is very viable. In practical terms, I doubt the delivery and pick-up mechanism. The kind of booth and e-mail discussed here doesn't have any privacy. Instead, I would think of Internet booths in another way. Having a computer and some kind of e-mail which would tell the recipient about the arrival of the e-mial arrival. Then that particular recipient can walk up to the Internet booth log on to his server, like Hotmail, and check their mail with complete privacy. This kinda system needs a different protocol of informing the booth master about the recipient's address, booth master or the man with the bicycle has to inform the recipient about the arrival of e-mail and then the recipient could personally check the message. This way the privacy can be maintained, if that is a primary concern. Saravana
Date sent: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 10:09:52 -0600 I fully agree with you regarding the the unsung "Yellow revolution" of India. For one who stayed away from his parents for six years, it is easily the best thing that ever happened to me. Apart from this, as you pointed out it has generated employment to a lot of people. In fact, it has helped many physically challenged people stand on their own legs, have a life of their own. Shown them what they can do for the society. Also, since a personal telephone is still a premium, it has helped almost an infinite number of people to contact others as their need arises. You've correctly pointed out that it is a new cultural icon. Vadiraj
Date sent: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 16:54:50 -0500 It is a rather neat idea. Has the government thought of giving serious coverage to it? But a couple of huge problems. Most Indian people can speak, but half of them can't read and write. The e-mail would be rather ineffective there. Saurabh
Date sent: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 09:23:00 +0530 I agree with the observations of Mr D'Souza. We feel grateful to the person who initiated the idea of having STD booths crisscrossing the countryside. It is indeed a great application of technology which benefited millions of people. M K Saxena
Date sent: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 11:29:21 EST I can tell you what next year's Holi will be like: more vandalism and harassment, of women as well as men. Sad as it is, during Holi these days, the sensible stay home. Satadru Sen
Date sent: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 18:32:56 +0800 We should raise our voices against all this goondaism. These people are simply goondas and they should be stopped. Children should be informed and made aware about the dangers of such unknowing acts by parents, schools and media. The law should be vigilant enough. Anurag Computer Science Department, HKUST, HK
Date sent: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 13:51:44 -0500 The best solution to this problem would be to impose a curfew on Holi, thus being the only way to prevent violence in the country of non-violence. A more practical solution would be to make preventive arrests and ensure that the Mike Tysons and Evander 'Holi'fields of our nation stay wholly indoors on Holi. Incidentally, the (Christian) author's 'holier than thou' attitude can be forgiven as he is only working towards a peaceful way of ushering in spring. Suresh Mahalingam Framingham, USA
Date sent: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 07:45:21 -0800 Holi has degenerated many decades ago, it is only now that people who have other things to do are noticing that they are a target of ridicule. Holi celebration is fun and a time to remember the bountiful of spring, now it has sprung into a act of throwing 'Nirodh' balloons at people who are not a part of the celebration. A bunch of sick people who cannot find the guts to speak to a woman throw dirt on other people, mostly women. Just as a pickpocketer in Mumbai gets street justice the women should raise hell and get some of these men into trouble. In the US, you can buy some fireworks but you always have to go to the parks to light your firecrackers, such a law should be enforced in India so that innocent people do not get hurt.
Date sent: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 18:36:33 EST Your article on Holi, Diwali and related "perversions" was good from the literary point of view, but of no practical value. It does not show the real reasons for hooliganism during these festivals. Do you think all these things happen because of Holi, Diwali and the like?? In my view, behind all this are basic problems like poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and lack of will by the administration. But, what is the solution?? It would be better if all you columnists sit together and find some solution for this and other problems that you keep publishing.
Date sent: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 11:22:39 -0700 Thank you for your enlightening article. Unfortunately it is happening all over the planet. For some reason we put up with bullies and strive a 'live and let live' attitude to people who justify poor behaviour in the name of religion or many other things. At some point we who work to treat all man/womankind as bothers and sisters in spirit, no matter what the religion, colour, or sex must speak forth and start demanding that the bullies get their act together. It is not always easy. It takes work to be courteous. We must do it. Thank you for sharing this, it makes me angry, and yet I see that it is a worldwide ailment that we as citizens of the world have to address. Keep up the good work. Dara
Date sent: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 12:40:50 -0500 Why waste space on someone trying to defend him self through a column on Holi vandalism? Let D'Souza separate the two issues he is dealing with, and write in an objective manner like professional journalists of calibre do. Dharamraj Amin Chantilly, VA
Date sent: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 17:01:35 -0500 I was really impressed by this article. For years I have thought these two festivals as a mere nuisance and a public hazard, but failed to convince anyone, educated and otherwise. Despite having laws that make playing Holi with strangers illegal there is no curb on these incidents which by no means are rare. Besides, I am a Hindu, to put off excuses of anti-religious vehemence. Our country has a glorious culture which unfortunately has only been symbolised and never understood in depth. Our festivals are more of opportunities to vent our day-to-day frustrations than to understand the principle behind these festivals. Unfortunately (and more shamefully) I have to accept that we as a country never learn from our mistakes, and it takes us gross hurt before we realise any implications. Though our culture teaches us compassion and respect, we have never understood the meaning. We tend to even derive pleasure from someone else's pain/plight and we never respect anyone's privacy/freedom etc. Hopefully articles like these might open some eyes every few years, till we one day we realise our stupidity. Nandu |
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