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August 20, 1998
ELECTIONS '98
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How Readers responded to Dilip D'Souza's recent columns
Date sent: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 09:18:20 -0500 I am really sad to read such a grim story about Indian officials lynching poor families in time of their tragic loss. I have been living in the USA for the last 24 years. Yes, there is corruption here too. There were times when I felt discriminated, there were days when I felt that I should be back home and live on whatever I can earn. But for one reason or other I stayed here. I still miss my motherland and I am not saying India is a bad place to live, but when you hear stories like these, I cry and think: how can an Indian do something like that? I have lots of Indian, Pakistani and American friends here, but still get on to the Rediff chat room and try to talk with people from India. The Internet, and especially Rediff, has connected me back to India. I can learn all I want to through that. I became an American citizen only four years ago. I am proud to be an American now. People all over the world say the USA is a big monster who does not care about others, but at least everyone who lives here knows that what they get here no one has and everyone wants. There are bad things here. But for the common man he gets his basic needs and his dignity and his freedom just like any billionaire. My heartfelt sympathy for those suffering families. I wish the day will come when we can really remove corruption and teach those hyenas some lessons in human compassion. Please keep up the great work you are doing through these articles. Thanks.
Yogesh Patel
Date sent: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 00:20:09 +0800 There are some anti-nationals in this country who see everything in the political light. They can justify by their writings that Mulayam Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Vajpayee and Advani are traitors. Hats off to you Mr D'Souza. India needs a new generation of Jaichands and Mir Jaffars. After all, we have to invite the East India Company to rescue our economy and to secure our borders from our friendly neighbours. A traitor, Devendra Singh
Date sent: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 15:55:31 -0700 Dilip, Your thoughts about a person called "Mahbub-Ul-Haq" are quite acceptable to me. Except, the last lines... Atul
Date sent: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 17:46:00 -0400 I really think that Rediff should get a better writer/ contributor than Dilip. This guy doesn't write anything except pieces expressing his hatred towards the BJP. I think we have enough of pseudo intellectuals who feel that finding fault with anything and everything in Indian society is their birthright. Right from insurance companies to cops and bureaucrats, he feels all are corrupt. All the negative connotations are solely Indian traits according to him. He is wrong to the core, these are human traits and not patented by India. And right from the first word to the last, it is just malice and pure bias. Mr Dilip, what's the gist of all this? Yogesh
Date sent: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 21:35:47 +0000 Thank you, Dilip for your continued voice of sanity amidst the dangerous path of this nuclear crime committed against the South Asian poor. As a Pakistani-American I can easily say that India started it, but the problem is a collective one now. Dr Mahbub-ul-Haq was a giant amongst pygmies, and for the information of some Indians, not even a distant relative of the dictator Zia. BOTH Indians and Pakistanis owe him a great deal since he was for the upliftment of the poor in both countries, in all South Asia and the world. Poverty, like a cancer, does not stop at borders. The kind that exists in South Asia is especially worrisome and needs REAL attempts at finding a cure. Nuclear weapons are just destructive toys for the selfish ruling elite of India and Pakistan to play with. They are like holding a grand party where only sweets are served but all the invited poor are diabetic. Where is their insulin? The ruling elite of South Asia are addicted to the heroin of egomania. They are not geared to solving real problems like Kashmir, but want to keep the status quo instead of moving on. The nuclear bombs are their latest fix. "The very prejudice, may I submit, that led to the worst desecration yet of Haq's hopes: the nuclear explosions last May." Well said, once again. Dr Haq was indeed a person that Pakistan especially could not afford to lose. We shall miss him and his work. I wonder how many more people in India feel like you, or are we going to be reading about this from Varsha soon? In closing, I recently had a chance of talking to one of your non-proliferation experts in the United States and a sudden idea came up. India and Pakistan have developed the technology to manufacture nuclear weapons, but where is the technology to construct a working public restroom?
Ras Siddiqui
Date sent: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 17:11:26 -0400 Dilip, Your concern and affection for Haq may be based on true logic and concern for the common man. I, however, do not agree fully with you. I do not think that carrying out the nuclear blasts and poverty and illiteracy are related much. If it was, then extend it further and say, don't spend a rupee on defence. Put it all into schools, into the so-called development. The policy of our politicians today is not what Haq said: "Human development and poverty reduction must be moved to the top of the agenda for political and economic policy making." Rather it is: "Relatives and friends development and wealth accumulation has been moved to the top of the agenda for political and economic policy making." Of the one rupee in development budget, 50 paise goes into the hands of interested parties, 25 paise into cost overruns and maybe, I mean maybe, 25 paise into actual developmental work. Someday, I hope, there will be a revolution, when we will drive all these corrupt politicians away with a whip or a gun. Maybe then development will make some headway. We are now in such a state that we accept corruption as part of our life. Have seen it from birth -- from bribing the doctor for a cabin in the government hospital to the end -- getting the company truck to take the body to the cremation ground. Not easy, Dilip. Tapas
Date sent: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 14:46:05 -0400 Surprisingly, Dilip's columns are attracting lesser criticism than two months ago. That was when many Indians were blindly rejoicing in our country's status as a nuclear "power". A country where poverty and corruption are to be experienced every day. The Indian government was successful in their misguided attempts to secure a vote bank. Hopefully we will come to our senses very soon. Dilip has done a commendable job in highlighting the plight of the Pardhis, Srinivas, etc. Some of the readers think it is Dilip's job to help improve India...I think he's doing a great job by publishing these unfortunate incidents. Pessimists say that "we know all this is happening" but no one can do anything to help. So why blame Dilip? He's doing his job as an excellent journalist/writer. Thanks for these articles. Mathew
Date sent: Sun, 09 Aug 1998 14:18:28 -0400 I have a suggestion for you -- why don't you became India's prime minister and do something about your grievances? It seems you are either trying to gain popularity by writing such articles or trying to improve your writing skills. I have been in the US for the last 10 years and am used to the myopia and insularity that the Western media have against India. But, it really hurts when people like you do nothing except to criticise the system. India has more danger from people like you, Jayalalitha, Subramanian Swamy, Jyoti Basu, Sonia Gandhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav than from China or Pakistan. Give the BJP a fair chance and see the Difference. Over 300 years of abuse and neglect cannot be solved overnight. Keep your pen for some time and visit Pakistan or any other country of your choice where you feel comfortable.
Date sent: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 20:58:11 -0700 (PDT) I am asked why I am anti-BJP/Sena. The real question is: why aren't you? Actually, the Taliban and the BJP are of the same type. They think what they are doing is right even though they are not. A few tough measures like whipping can correct the BJP cadre. The Shiv Sena is like tbe Nazis. Hatred is their agenda. If you think Muslims are their targets, you are sadly mistaken. They started as anti-South Indian. Overnight, they switched to anti-Muslim! If tomorrow, Anti-Christian will arouse passions, they will easily target Christians. I am sorry to say that all religions are fraud. They have only suppressed the scientific temper. Religion developed as a way to exploit the insecurity of the human mind. I don't see why I should respect any religion. The reason we are backward is lack of scientific temper. This is what Swami Vivekananda wrote in a letter to his friends on July 10, 1893 when he was abroad. "Come see these people and then go and hide your faces in shame... Sitting down these hundreds of years with an ever-increasing load of crystallised superstition on your head... Come out of your narrow holes and have a look abroad. See how nations are on the march!" He wrote that in 1893! In 1998, it still holds true. Arvind
Date sent: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 16:14:27 -0700 Dilip, Your columns are always of the sissy type and, as usual, they are very illogically supported. While I am in no way a supporter of the Bombay riots or Bombay policies, you should realise these are emotional reactions to the bomb explosion carried out by misguided Muslims. Your columns give the impression that the riots had everything to do with the Hindus and nothing to do with the Muslims and they were unneccesarily victimised. The columns also give an impression that you are the only peace-loving DOVE around. What the heck! I would never listen to a weak-kneed person like you! Nikhil
Date sent: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 19:36:33 +0530 For one who has not read the report, Sri D'souza still says a lot about it. It appears all one has to do is to keep one's eyes and ears open and know the art of writing -- and we don't need any inquiry commissions.
Date sent: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 11:51:24 -0400 Dilip ole pal, The reason I am not anti-BJP is because I am very anti-Congress, having watched those octogenarians drive the country into the ground before bequeathing power to an Italian.
Arvind Rajkumar
Date sent: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 13:37:32 -0500 Dilip, Please spare us all. Read the report before you start commenting on it. Uh!! I was about to write a long mail to counter your point, but heck, you're not worth it.
Date sent: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 07:25:48 -0700 It is August 15th in the USA and it also happens to be Lord Krishna's birthday. Lord Krishna wanted Arjuna to fight and do his duty and not be swayed by the outcome of his duty. Justice Srikrishna must be in the Hot Seat while he has done a difficult job well. Nowhere do I see him to be anti-Hindu as the Shiv Sena is telling us. It is time to hang the guiltly. Muslims have given us language, art, food, music and many things, some bad elements do not represent the whole group. Our Hindus who have nothing much to do in Bombay depend on the leadership of the SS to show how "Macho" the SS is! |
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