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August 25, 1998
ELECTIONS '98
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How Readers reacted to Dilip D'Souza's recent columns
Date sent: Mon, 17 Aug 1998 15:21:08 +0900 This article really reflects the sorry state of affairs in our country. I hope the Srikrishna Commission's report would be accepted and the guilty -- in this case, Bal Thackeray and his goondas -- will be punished without delay. It is very clear that the government had no intention of accepting the report; after all they were the ones who closed down the inquiry earlier. Expecting them to accept a report -- they already knew what would be there in it -- is foolish on our part. I hope soon all the people responsible, including the "nice" policemen, politicians, would be given exemplary punishment. I feel the Centre should dismiss the Maharashtra government because it is the party that is indicted and hence has no right whatsoever to command office even for a day. There should be a provision to stop governments from accusing commissions of enquiry of bias -- especially after the probe is complete -- because only judges with a decent reputation are appointed to head such commissions. There should be a law making it mandatory for the government to accept any report by a commission of enquiry and also to deny the government to cast aspersions on the character of the judges heading such commissions. UDAY
Date sent: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 13:17:57 PDT Most of his writing shows hatred against the BJP and any group that supports or speaks for Hindu and Hinduism. Do not you think it is better to write how to make the things better instead of saying everything is wrong? Your comment on the Srikrishna report indicates that everything wrong was done by the Hindus. I want to bring to your attention one thing: Have you ever notice why the riots take place or starts from places which are Muslim-dominated. Aligarh, Meerut, Chandini Chowk and Sadar Bazar in Delhi, Hyderabad etc? I suggest you write on the following topics : Who is supporting terrorism in Kashmir? Why Christian missionaries are converting Hindus? Why Sonia Gandhi supports these Christian missionaries? She asked to extend their visas. Be constructive. To criticise is easy. To suggest remedies isn't. Keep your hand on your heart and ask what you have contributed to your country. I will say the answer is: "CRITICISM". I love my country most. I love my India.
Date sent: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 21:08:00 PDT For sometime now, I have been finding it more and more difficult to explain to myself why I should feel "proud" of being an Indian. "Sara Jahan se Accha Hindustan Hamara" sounds more and more of a lament... a cry of sorrow addressed to destroyed dreams, of late. There was a time when I could not stand it if any boy in the school assembly stood at anything but attention while the national anthem was being played/sung ... now when I think of that, I more often than not blush with embaressment. Still, in 1997, I had some feeling left in me for India, and so I made my plan to be present there on August 15, 1997 for the 50th Independence Day celebrations. And at 12 o'clock that night, I did go to the state secretariat to witness the hoisting of a massive national flag. But this was not my school, and I was not its leader... I could only watch with sadness as "young patriots" with saffron bands on their foreheads, filled the street, dancing, and laughing, most of them high on booze ... yes they were shouting slogans too, and I present a few of them here; they went: "Awaaz do hum ek hain," "Ek do Angreez ko phek do," "Ek Do Pakistan ko phek do," and finally "Hindoon ka Hindu desh." I could stand it no longer, and started to leave, when some of the patriots saw me, and recognised I was a Muslim...and then, they started pulling at my clothes, and my scooter, and shouting into my face, asking me to join in their sloganeering...what would I shout? " Hindustaan hinduon ka hai, kisi ke baap ka nahin "? (Incidentally, that was what one of my childhood friends had said to me, when he joined college and the RSS). I had decided then that I would rather get beaten up than shout with them, when someone came with a flag, and pushed the patriots away to make way for me to "escape". After I got home, I went to sleep, thinking of the US, and wondering if I would come to India if I am alive on 15 August, 2047. Yes, and now the Srikrishna Commission, and the BJP/SS reaction to it... the only reason that still makes me want to eventually go back to India is that I don't want to be a rat in my own eyes: a rat that "abandons a sinking ship". However, now I feel a lot less bound to my "motherland", or to its "constitution" or to its "law and order"... or to the majority of its populace.
Date sent: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 07:53:45 -0700 Well, Dilip, when we have a government not of the people but of parties, this kind of shunning ones responsibilities is expected. The Sikhs suffered under Rajiv Gandhi and the Muslims and Hindus are suffering under the Shiv Sena. India will never see an Abraham Lincoln or a George Washington. We are just too plain crooked and Hinduism offers that life by preaching "Jo Huwa Aache ke leyea Huwa." Some other aspects is that God will punish the evil, every dog has its day. Unfortunately some dogs get it every day. The Shiv Sena started as an anti-South Indian party and has grown to be anti-Muslim, anti-Bengali and anti-law and order party. All this takes place because we have a weak judiciary and the police are full with political appointments. Nobody wants to do the right thing for the country, only the right thing for themselves. There is a constant shortage of drinking water because only corruption flows in India, everything else is stagnated. WHY WASTE SO MUCH MONEY ON INQUIRY IF IT IS ONLY GOING TO GATHER DUST. HOW WILL A MUSLIM IN INDIA EVER TRUST OUR SECULARISM?
Date sent: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 08:56:49 +0530 You people never talk about the actions of minorities. What is happening in Kashmir? Do you have a voice against that? No. Because the riots are conducted by Muslims. If Hindus do the same thing, then it is a shame. But if Muslims does it, it is ok. I defend whatever Thackeray did. We agree that Thackeray provoked Hindus, who provoked Muslims. Read Urdu newspapers & go to masjids. You are a spineless person, Mr D'Souza. If you at least once raise your voice against Muslims, I will take my words back. But I am damn sure you wouldn't have the guts. Raghu
Date sent: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 01:48:05 -0700 (PDT) I think the Srikrishna report should be distributed amongst the people of India. Let them be the judge for a change. Enough of dictatorship behind the facade of democracy. It is time for a change. How can the accused be passing dictates on a crime that they have committed? Let's have something done about this.
Date sent: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 11:17:53 -0700 (PDT) Kudos Dilip. I have always read yours and Rajeev's articles. In my opinion, both of you are gifted with excellent writing skills. You put across your thoughts and views very clearly. Even though I might not agree with your views 100%, your essays are highly impressive and more importantly, give us different insights to various issues. I sincerely wish you will keep up the good work. Your Sena article is bound to create a nasty backlash (hope you have taken adequate precaution for your personal safety). I bet all kinds of slander are going to be hurled on you, especially considering your non-Hindu name. Please try not to get affected by those and continue to report the way you have been: honest, sincere, and unbiased. Invariably, you voice the feelings and thoughts of many of us in most of your articles. Don't allow that voice to be shut down. Rajan
Date sent: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 10:27:16 -0400 I think Justice Srikrishna is a real fair, principled and brave person. He must be commended for his work. I also thank and commend Dilip D'Souza for his bold, brave and clear presentation of his views. It is a great article and I whole-heartedly agree to his stand. Good work, Dilip! Keep it up. Kiran M Dasgupta
Date sent: Sat, 08 Aug 1998 03:41:58 -0700 An excellent article. Many thanks to Dilip D'Souza. Keep up the good work. Jaswinder
Date sent: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 21:53:17 -0700 This report by Mr D'Souza is a piece of trash like the report itself. The author's anti-BJP bias is clear from this article as he is trying to implicate the BJP-Sena combine even without knowing the details of the report. For you kind information Mr D'Souza, do you know how this report tries to justify the killings that Muslims started? It says that as a natural reaction to the demolition of the Babri structure, Muslims started rioting and killing Hindus. Now, by no stretch of imagination one can justify the rioting by Muslims on this ground, if one were to qualify as a sane human. Further, if Mr Thackarey says that if you are a true nationalist, then you will have to say "Vande Matram." Now what is wrong in that? Where is the communalism? I am sure Mr D'Souza does not even know why exactly Muslims are allergic to "Vande Matram." I think Mr D'Souza has to go a long way before he can understand the difference between nationalism and fanaticism. I will advise him to get hold of the novel Anand Math and read it. It will tell you where exactly this song originated. Then only he will know why Muslims abhor Vande Matram. If saying Vande Mataram is communalism then I am afraid we have to coin a new definition for nationalism. Moreover, even the Supreme Court also has never called Vande Mataram as communal. In the past also the Supreme Court has examined Thackarey's speeches and I can't remember even a single instance where Supreme Court rules his speeches objectionable. Why has this report safely ignored what was being written in Urdu newspapers? Everybody knows Pakistan's ISI and Dawood Ibrahim were the major forces behind those riots. I wonder whether Mr D'Souza also calls the retaliatory firing being done by Indian soldiers in Kashmir border as communal . So, dear Rediff, I would advise you not to publish such malicious articles written by amateurs. Kansal
Date sent: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 10:30:41 -0700 (PDT) Nobody else could put it in a better way. It's absolutely true the people of Bombay and Maharashtra as a whole NEED to do away with this fanatic and hypocrite state government. Now is the chance to raise our voice against the vile Sena/BJP alliance which is terrorising the whole state in the name of Hindu religion. What gives the government the right to reject anything that they don't like even if it is for the benefit of the people? "Commissions come and go" or if they come and they don't suit you, you simply reject them! The Srikrishna report is termed as biased and "anti-Hindu". Anything that is anti-Sena does not become anti-Hindu. When will we have a government that is actually civil and not communal, a government that does not base its foundations on religion, a government that treats the people of India as Indians and not Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh?
Date sent: Mon, 10 Aug 1998 15:20:15 EDT Mr Dilip D'Souza as usual looks at the issue from only one point. If one wears a rose-tinted glass, everything will appear rosy. He has not even read what Manohar Joshi said while rejecting the report: 1.How about the anti-Hindu inflammatory writings engaged by the Muslim clergy? Why focus on only the Sena's writings? 2.Why did the inquiry discuss so little on the bomb blasts? Can you really deny that there was no link between the two? Instead of looking at one incident (1992 riots), it is more useful to look at the whole issue. That is, "Why is communalism prevalent in India? How can it be reduced?" One reason could be that the Congress in the 50s and 60s was wooing the minorities too much. So the Hindus felt threatened. If the other parties continue to do that (like Yadav is championing for women's reservation for Muslims etc.) the BJP will continue to get more support from the Hindus. These are the issues we must look at rather than keep saying: The BJP/Sena is bad! We have to go back and see the cause rather than try to complain about the effect: "the popularity of the BJP" Karthik Obla |
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