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E-mail from readers the world over
Date sent: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 16:00:03 -0800 Irrespective of the content of this article, the language and style of this article is too unprofessional to be published in any magazine or medium that aspires to make quality journalism. If this forum, however, enjoys raking up wasteful emotions and controversies to stay important and popular, the author has definitely accomplished it. What a title and what a language! It is not uncommon for complainers, letter-writers and most commonly Internet discussion forum participants to engage in witless emotional crossfires. But I don't expect the same of a professional columnist. I hope that in future, she will treat the readers with better respect and consequently deliver her arguments in a better 'tempered' tone. Hari Krishna Tadepalli
Date sent: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 12:28:31 -0800 This column is terrific. Well-written by Varsha Bhosle. Attempts to give an overall perspective to J&K issue historically. Metta Nagamohan
Date sent: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 17:23:15 -0600 There is a saying, 'Kutte ki puch ko jamin me dalo hazar saal tedi ki tedi hi rehti hai' (Even If dog's tail is buried in land for 1,000 years it still stays up turned). It is foolish to write such columns and answer such provocations -- intended for a volatile response. This a propaganda technique -- the only problem is that those who start false and repeat false propaganda actually start believing the propaganda. Someone said in the first half of this century that if there were few more cups of grain so many wars could have been avoided. I would add if there would have been no propaganda machinery so many lives would have been saved. By the way, do not repeat Nehru's mistakes again.
Date sent: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 01:44:42 +1300 Good Varsha! Kashmir belongs to India. End of story. Shrikant
Date sent: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 13:09:33 -0800 It was very childish to go about using this newspaper as a forum for personal attacks. Reduces my regard (for the writings on Rediff) tremendously. Hemant Bhargava Monterey, CA
Date sent: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 09:36:50 -0800 Hats off to Ms Varsha Bhosle for the incisive, and scathing rejoinder. Ms Bhosle's article has dealt with the subject in an analytical and a neutral manner, unlike some of the self-professed 'secularists' whose sole purpose is to belittle any sentiment even remotely nationalistic, leave alone pro-Hindu. I have been closely following the articles written about J&K, and it has become fashionable to be sympathetic with the terrorists out there, thereby articulating their convoluted and fundamentalistic philosophy to the world which would only give them the support and attention they crave for. Very rarely does one come across a column like Ms Bhosle's who isn't afraid to place the facts in their right historical perspective. Keep up the good work Ms Bhosle. Dinakar
Date sent: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 16:22:10 -0500 Just a quick note to say that Varsha Bhosle's column is really awesome. She's a refreshing change from many of the other columnists -- read one and you've read them all. I also think she happens to be less afraid than most to get down to what things are really about. India has a horrible case of PC-culture (some issues must be pussy-footed around and others must be ritually discussed to the point of untruth). The more it is broken, the better. I look forward to reading more stuff from her. Also, I really like your travel section a lot -- good balance of details and narration and limits on that dreamy-eyed ooh-aahing that passes for travel-information in most Indian papers. You're probably one of the best Indian sites on the web. Vishal
Date sent: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 10:16:44 -0500 The language used by the writer in the piece does articulate a lot of passion; but it is repulsive enough to make an unconverted layman like me recoil from any debate or discussion. It would help if the language was more conciliatory and less rhetorical. Bhupinder Singh
Date sent: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 10:51:35 -0500 The article just sounded like BJP propaganda. I wonder why you provide space to authors who have little to offer other than a lot of invective directed at someone who holds a viewpoint other than theirs. Raj
Date sent: Tue, 09 Dec 1997 20:58:51 +0900 Ms Varsha Bhosle deserves full kudos for putting up one of the most brilliant articles I have read in recent times. Her dealing of the topic is detailed and to the point. I would request you to forward this mail to her. It has PUNCH! Amit Chatterjee
Date sent: Mon, 08 Dec 1997 17:12:01 -0800 Long ago when I had the luxury to spend hours gazing at the net -- I came to detest one Mr Oberoi. Today, when I got the chance to see the net (it is much easier today then what it was some time back), I read Ms Bhosle's rebuttal of some article by Mr Oberoi. I must congratulate her on her choice of words, construction of arguments and most of all saying what is the patent truth. Three cheers for her work and no offence taken for branding all the NRIs as a homogenous class. Ashutosh
Date sent: Fri, 5 Dec 1997 14:19:23 EST Talk about spewing venom! Ms Bhosle's column is in very poor taste indeed; somebody should tell her to keep it less personal, or at least to maintain a certain decorum. And the reference to Mahmood of Ghazni is pure nonsense. What Indian actually stays awake obsessing about old Mahmood, especially in the context of Kashmir? Is Pakistan the new Ghaznavi kingdom, ready to swoop down through Srinagar on Somnath -- or, for that matter, on Bombay? (Oops, I suppose I should have said "Mumbai.") The only people who have these "Mahmood nightmares" are the Hindutva gang, to which Ms Bhosle evidently belongs. Satadru Sen Seattle, WA
Date sent: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 12:51:34 -0600 I am very very happily surprised that there are people who know what's going on in today's India, and are very actively involved in educating the "poor" NRI public, that not all they see and hear in places like Usenets is the "Truth." I have been to a couple of them occasionally and there is always more than one Mr Oberoi hanging around in there. To my surprise people believe and follow such people in this age of information. And you are 10,000% right about the Nehru "dynasty" and what it did to our India. I am also surprised to see how Indian politicians are trying to get Sonia to run the show!! Can't we find one Indian out of 900 million that we have to look at an Italian for political rescue? Almost everyday in my life I wish I were in India but I am not ashamed to admit that I am not strong enough to just do it. May be there will be a day when I will have the necessary strength and return to Mother India. Purujit
Date sent: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 02:55:14 -0500 I have a question for Varsha Bhosle regarding the following paragraph from the article: 'Have you wondered why most educated Indians consider Kashmir to be a grave national issue? ... It's because Kashmir is the gateway to India; it is through here that Mohammed Ghazni invaded India 17 times. ...' I can't help thinking about the latest invaders of India -- the British -- in this context. The British did not enter through Kashmir. Isn't it possible that Kashmir's strategic importance has diminished since Ghazni's time? Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Kashmir isn't as important as it was during Ghazni's time. Mihir
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 21:37:23 -0500 Thank you Varsha for reminding us about the background on the Kashmir situation. Most people would refer to this as the Kashmir problem. I won't, because in my mind Kashmir became a problem only because it was allowed to become one by politicians. Most created problems can be undone if we have a will. I suggested this earlier -- repopulate the state with ex-army people, allow people from other states to move in. There will be some hue and cry but that will subside. Look what happened when the Indian Army moved into what was East Pakistan.The US and its allies screamed alright but they got hoarse and decided to talk no more. Every nation has to protect its interests irrespective what others think and say. It is the right of all Indians to protect India's borders and prevent the disintegration of the country. And since Kashmir is a part of India, Kashmir must remain with India. Thank god that we have a few columnists like Varsha to point out this. Ven Hari
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 21:59:10 -0500 The article was quite straightforward. I hope we Indians learn not to go by the charisma of our leaders. We've got to accept the historical blunders made by our so-called great leader. Raja Sekhar Bachu Ithaca, NY
Date sent: Fri, 05 Dec 1997 00:24:11 -0800 Ms Bhosle seems really riled by whatever Rohan Oberoi wrote. Her usual cool humour is conspicuously missing. In any case, a name and a perception need correction. The fearsome Ghazni was not a "Mohammed" but a "Mahmud." More properly, Yamin al-Daula Abu`l-Qasim Mahmud ibn Sebüktigin, King of Ghazna. The equally fearsome "Mohammed" was Muhammad of Ghur, or Mu'izz-ud-Din Muhammad ibn Sam, who violently overthrew Mahmud's Ghaznavi dynasty, and whose general, Qutb-ud-Din Aybak, established the Slave Dynasty in Delhi. More important, I don't believe that Kashmir has ever been used as an invasion route to India. Beyond Kashmir lies the Karakoram massif, more or less impenetrable to any Central Asian army. The British used to worry about the Czar's cossacks pouring down. The route into India has always lain through Afghanistan, into Peshawar, and then to Delhi. The local geography dictates this: the major passes through the Hindu Kush lead to the vicinity of Peshawar, and if one then avoids the arid regions of Sindh. Kashmir's true significance probably lies in the two-nation theory. Both India and Pakistan use Kashmir to deny each other a certain degree of legitimacy, in the Subcontinent, and in the World. I doubt that this will change anytime soon. Samir K Dutt
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 19:33:20 -0800 Excellent article describing in details how Kashmir has been Constitutionally isolated from the rest of the India. On the other hand, though Azad Kashmir government may be the puppet of Pakistan, Kashmiris in Azad Kashmir are no better than Mohajirs in Karachi. If they try a separatist movement, their fate will be no different than those of East Pakistan under General Tikka Khan and General Nasiruddin Babar. Prakash
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 17:47:39 -0600 What can I say -- Way to go. Ram
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 19:05:35 -0600 Thank you for "beginning at the beginning", and to whatever made you do so. I learnt a lot about Kashmir from your spirited response to what must've been very offensive stuff. J B Day Houston
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 23:08:01 +0000 A good piece indeed. Kudos to Varsha Bhosle. Sandeep Neema Nashville, TN
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 13:05:50 -0800 I thoroughly enjoyed the column. Ms Bhosle's to-the-point language is once again refreshing. I thank for keeping we-NRIs-well informed. Don't put all NRIs in a one camp.
Date sent: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 14:20:41 -0700 Kudos to Varsha Bhosle on writing a balanced article. This will probably slow down the hate-mongers that infest the Internet. Abhay Natu
Date sent: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 20:29:31 EST Subhan Allah!! Splendid !!! Varsha's reply is too good and very hard on people like Oberoi. Varsha has done very good reading and study. While Arun Shourie pours in a lot of facts from various sources and makes his writings impossible to retort, Varsha writes to the point, but very hard. We love both the writings. Please continue and may god bless you.
Date sent: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 19:39:21 -0500 (EST) The title suggests how ballastic the article is. But you too ain't much different from the people you accuse. I feel one doesn't need to sensationalise to criticise someone. BTW, you seem to be taking this pro-Hindu stand. What the heck is this Hindu? And then to talk about Shourie and Gurumurthy. Well, they are no less opportunist than any one else. Aren't they the folks (the latter for sure) making noises about Reliance and then Enron, and finally sold the nation (of course, through the front end in the name of politicians)? However, I must agree they are excellent writers, good enough to sell anything as souvenir (which they do). I would say this after having read quite a few of their works and sitting through sessions of their talks. Venkatesh Pittsburgh, PA
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 19:14:17 PST I think it was a superb to-the-point article. She showed the true angle of the Kashmir issue and what it means to Hindus. Keep up the good work.
Date sent: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 14:01:15 -0500 (EST) Next time I'm in the old country, dinner's on me? One bone of contention however... not all NRIs believe the natives need to be taught how to live. Most of us tolerate these ABCDs and sell outs only to serve them up to you for the slaughter. Just for curiosity sake, could you send a copy of MrOberoi's mail to me so that I can put it on my mailing list along with your response? I never used to read the columns in Rediff but following your link, I came to the commentary page with a lot more of your articles. I am headed there right now!
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 13:49:02 -0600 You have got one damn good columnist. My kudos to her and wish she was in the South Block. Compliments on the article "Three men and a bastard brat."
Date sent: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 13:27:51 -0500 It is both pleasant and reassuring to see views such as yours being finally given such prominence. There has been an alarming lack of self-respect in a lot of contemporary Indian journalism for quite a while now, and it is about time that was changed! Views such as yours are going to attract a lot of attention, and it is unfortunate if much of that is currently, at best, lukewarm. As an NRI in Canada, and a rightfully proud Indian of Maharashtrian descent, let me assure you that the work you are doing is important, in that it is finally playing a role in making the silent majority wake up and take notice. It is critically important that people like you stay focused, and not get distracted by mindless criticism. Many of your most vocal critics are the product of a decades-long political culture which has raised generations that are willing to tolerate anything, and stand for nothing! To effect a turn around, nothing short of a cultural re-engineering will do. These generations have much to learn, and even more to unlearn. But when we finally do it, and reap the rewards, the agony of recent history will fade into a minor blip in our 5,000 years of history. In all this, to succeed, believers like us must trust each other, co-operate, and stay focused. I enjoy reading your column. Keep up the good work! Atul Varde Saskatoon, Canada
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 13:14:36 -0500 Great article Varsha. Keep them coming.
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 11:34:14 -0600 I would like to congratulate Varsha for such an excellent article. Great going, Varsha. Arvind Agarwal
Date sent: Thu, 04 Dec 1997 13:45:35 This is most disturbing. There is a reason that people like me stopped having anything to do with the usenet (news groups), and began to flock to sites like Rediff. Varsha Bhosle has gone a long way towards making me regret placing a bookmark on www.rediff.com. Reading Varsha over the past several months, I have found her articles to be vitriolic (often), inaccurate (sometimes vide the first name she gives Ghazni in this particular article), humorous (sometimes) and insightful (rarely but it does happen). Notwithstanding what one may think about her politics or her writing abilities, I have to object to her reducing this site to a flame war ground. As she puts it "This is a different league." What will it take to keep it so? Ashim Banerjee
Date sent: Sat, 6 Dec 1997 23:53:02 EST I am proud of Varshaji's aggressive approach. Very well done. Not that every comment about her articles has to be repudiated, but the two she has mentioned made me angry too when I read them. Gaurang G Vaishnav Florida, USA
Date sent: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 14:06:03 +0900 Well, this was right on the mark. It has been widely appreciated overseas as well. Sunil
Date sent: Sun, 07 Dec 1997 12:14:01 -0500 I discovered your column only recently. Let me tell you what a delight it is to find someone other than Arun Shourie, Sitaram Goel, Harsh Narayan who fights so well with the mighty pen. Your column is so refreshing, with such a critical analysis that is spot on most of the time. As for people like Rohan Oberoi, the less said the better. Sometimes Indians who have settled abroad think their opinion is somehow more exalted than that of the natives, and that gives them the right to pontificate whenever they like. Please keep up the good work. We need people like you. My only desire is to tell the truth regarding our ignoble past and be proud to be a Hindu. You are doing so most admirably. Pradeep Bansal NY
Date sent: Sun, 7 Dec 1997 13:49:19 -0500 Great! What I would like to add here is that she did not mention that some countries still try to put Indians to shame by treating India and Kashmir as separate states. Displaying the Indian map without including Kashmir is an example. In fact a year ago I had to write a nasty letter to the CNN web site telling them to correct their map of India. (I told them that since they operate in India, it would be in their business interest not to inflict such insults). It worked. They removed the map. Gadrey
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