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How Readers reacted to Saisuresh Sivaswamy's recent columns

Date sent: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 16:48:40 -0500
From: "T.R.N. Rao" <trn@cacs.usl.edu>
Subject: Saisuresh supports Rastriya LOOT Tantrik Morcha

Saisuresh Sivaswamy, the eminent Associate Editor of Rediff, is strongly in favour of Laloo Yadav's fight against the BJP's undemocratic act of invoking Article 356. We hope the respected editor joins Laloo's Rashtriya LOOT tantrik Morcha and makes Bihar a more perfect 'black hole' on earth.

T R Rao
Lafayette, LA

Date sent: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 18:19:40 -0400
From: Mukund Kute <mkute@ford.com>
Subject: Sai's wishful thinking!!

Poor Sai has been waiting for the day the BJP-led government falls! But to his dismay, Jayalalitha did not dare. Now he is wishing that the Congress dares to pull down the government. I can understand his frustration as the Vajpayee government is now fully in saddle.

It is ridiculous to compare Sundar Singh Bhandari with the infamous Romesh Bhandari. The RJD government is knee-deep in corruption, extortion and crimes of all sorts. How can Sai defend the record negative growth of Bihar under RJD Rule, which is a direct result of the failing law & order situation in that state?

Date sent: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:55:08 -0700
From: Sameer Kuppahalli <skuppaha@sedona.ch.intel.com>
Subject: Bihar boomerang by Saisuresh

You have written: "Bihar it appears to be, that will succeed in showing up the Vajpayee government for what it is, despite all high-falutin' talk of upholding the ideals of public life. And considering that Article 356 had been the Bharatiya Janata Party's bugbear -- I mean, how can it so easily forget how it was misused at the hands of the Romesh Bhandari-Mulayam Singh Yadav combine? Its turnaround in favour of wielding the axe over a government that has just won the confidence vote in the assembly is puzzling, to resort to understatement."

I really do not know why intellectuals like you resort to uneven comparison. Let me point it out to you, in case you have forgotten: The UP government was dismissed by the UF government, "because there was violence in the assembly, there is a breakdown of law and order in the state". This assumption did not go well with the President. He did not agree with the fact that the BJP government was responsible for what happened in the assembly. It was the work of art of the likes of Mulayam/Mayawati and their cronies. The President was not convinced that there was indeed a breakdown of law and order in the state.

Now let's see what is happening in Biihar. Things are diametrically opposite here. Though there may not have been any violence inside the state assembly, there is an administrative and financial crisis all over the state. Even Opposition leaders concede that. Businessmen are in constant fear of being kidnapped and rape cases are as common as day-light robberies. That is the report that the governor and the home-ministry have sent to the President. That, sir, is a valid basis for invoking Article 356.

You always seem to be hung up on the idea that the BJP govt will do everything wrong and your favourite Opposition (mis) leaders are always right. Sir, please give some credit to Vajpayee and Advani for being learned and educated politicians. They are not " angootha chaps" like the Laloos and Rabaris and Sonias (I mean politically) of the world.

If you visit Bihar, you will certainly realise that it is a fit case for invoking Article 356. The home ministry has done the necessary homework there, and please don't scream "partisan" if the President indeed imposes President's rule.

Sameer Kuppahalli

Date sent: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 09:43:08 +0530
From: Mridula Bose Sahay <sahaym@mail.dnb.co.in>
Subject: Very well written

A well-written column. It is true that the Indian media does not talk about the 'sexual dalliances' of politicians. I suppose this is basically because there are other more unsavoury details to talk about -- like criminality and corruption. And sex for Indians in any case is an open and shut case!

Mridula Bose

Date sent: Fri, 26 Jun 1998 19:20:49 -0700
From: Kritika Bansal <pbansal@ibm.net>
Subject: Husain and the myth of Hindu tolerance

Well said, Saisuresh. Thanks to people like you India has had the history it has, always letting hordes of drooling barbarians invade our soil.

Anything an "artist" does is not art. I have no problems with Husain or anyone painting nudes, but the moment he labelled the painting Saraswati or Sita, he crossed a line that most of us (normal folk) consider clear departure from art. It is not a question of Hindu or Muslim sensibilities.

Sadly, you missed the point completely. As far as the goondas of the Bajrang Dal are concerned, if the law is impotent and always biased towards the minority (why, pray, ban The Satanic Verses, and not the nude Saraswati?), someone has to address the grievances of the majority. Maybe that is the only way some people will learn.

Maybe Husain should have migrated to a neighbouring country. Frankly, I am ashamed that an Indian could produce material so offensive to 83 per cent of the population. And finally, yes, Hindus are tolerant, more so than any other religion. Maybe you should ask the Parsees, the Jews and all the other minorities whose numbers have grown in Hindu India, in stark contrast to the situation in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy