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January 7, 1999
SPECIALS
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Varsha Bhosle
'Hinduism is generally disrespected in Indian movies'
How Readers reacted to Varsha Bhosle's recent columns
Date sent: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:20:03 PST
I propose a new movie to be produced by Mahesh Bhatt, scripted by Javed Akhtar in which Dilip Kumar acts as Adam, Shabana Azmi is Eve, her own son is Cain. The movie should examine the "beautiful" relations of Cain and Eve. I am sure Shabana will perform her very best to show how sublime her kind of art is. One of the Congressmen can don the side role with the name Lot. Some 'Red' Indian can portray the role of Noah, who destroys everyone with water (a slight deviation is what makes it an art story). The end of the movie should show the Highest Citizen of Pakistan, Dilip Kumar as Adam, benignly smiling from the clouds on his degenerate children. Any takers for this movie? In advance we can promise Shabana the Best Actress award. Krishnan
Date sent: Fri, 01 Jan 1999 13:31:59 +0530
While many may argue on the nature of this debate, it is an indisputable fact that Hinduism is generally disrespected in Indian movies. Shabana Azmi, as everyone knows, is a fanatical Muslim. She cannot defend her donning this role in the movie under the name of a revered Hindu goddess. Why don't she change the name to Mary and release the movie again? It is a fact non-Hindus deliberately trivialise. Why are all semi-nude dances done only in the temples and not in mosques? Though our sculptures are erotic they are never vulgar like the minds of Shabana's colleagues. I would love to see Shabana assume a Mosie holy name in her next movie scripted by Javed and glorifying prostitution. Shabana and Dilip Kumar can then prove their secular credentials. Ranjit
Date sent: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 22:23:00 +0530
As usual, you distort facts. The Moor's Last Sigh is available, but only after the freedom of expression was molested by your hero Thackeray. Arvind
Date sent: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 00:15:10 EST
It is waste of time and energy to answer motivated mail. It is a deliberate act of distraction when you are duped into answering them. Any fact-finder can understand the vote bank politics which harmed minorities equally as most of the people. Clearly, it was the policy of the people who were not quite representing the interests of any people. But it is necessary that these facts are brought to light so that objective and fair-minded people would know the reality. However, Hindu principles and Hindu strength of compassion and fairness should not be sacrificed. Instead, with patience and articulation, they should be presented for the education of simple-minded people. In this regard, the failure on the Gujarat government's part in tackling forced conversation by violence and intimidation is an unacceptable mistake. The more effective way would be the exposure of such activities of forced or bribed conversation. Another thing the VHP or Bajrang Dal can do is provide the same service, amenities and prosperity to its people like the Westerners. Rasik Sanghvi PS: Varsha, you should respond to the bouquets you receive from your readers also sometime!
Date sent: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 13:03:24 PST
Varsha's articles are at times too harsh on community/ies she does not like. But the fact is that she does not hide behind words, and obfuscation is not her style. After a long time we have a journalist willing to call a spade a spade. It's easy to hide behind the secularism concept and hurl abuses at Hindus and make quick money, forgetting all the time that by hurling abuses at Hindus and India one is abusing own parents! If you denounce religious practice, at least be impartial and subject Islamic practice to the same scrutiny. On what secular principle is polygamy based? Man is worth twice a woman! And women are intellectually inferior to men! Should this concept be accepted in the name of secularism or booted out in the name of rationalisation? Sati and untouchability were as backward concepts of Hinduism as these concepts are of Islam. If we are willing to say Hinduism is regressive because of these concepts, then we should be brave enough/man enough to say the same about Islam too. The problem always has been, who will bell the cat. At last we have Varsha willing to stick her neck out. When you condemn the protests againstFire, be brave enough to say so about the Kashmir and terrorist problems created by Muslims. If you want Husain to paint Saraswati in nude, at the least give those who perished in the Coimbatore blasts (of course, engineered by Muslims sympathetic to the RSS!) a chance to live again. I wonder what will be the response of our elite Muslims.
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:52:34 -0800
Her articles are becoming less and less interesting. This piece was absolute crap. Despite portraying Mani Shanker's nemesis, her writing style, of late, imitates him. It's just typical, I guess. New restaurants begin with impeccable quality but degradation begins slowly. Same with movie directors such as Mani Ratnam. Varsha has to refine herself and tone down the rhetoric. Ramsundar Lakshminarayanan
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 16:57:12 -0800
Namaste, Someone should tell Ms Varsha that the word 'Jap' is derogatory. Anand
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 17:09:41 -0600
This person is pathetic. Her arguments are illogical and her ideas inconsistent. Without consistency and logic, one can only conclude that hers is the journalism of convenience, not conviction. Plus, her laughable attempts at satire and commentary on international politics reduce her credibility even further. She does not understand what she writes about. Why do you carry her articles -- for the same reason Jerry Springer has a show?
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 23:38:16 EST
When I read her column it gave me hope that there still are some sane and proud Hindu Indian journalists left in the country. Otherwise, every Indian paper you read, all you find are columns/articles after articles/columns that only the Congress under the Italian lady can save this country and that everything non-Hindu in India has to be preserved no matter what the cost to India and Hindus. But on second thoughts, I think the people of India deserve what is coming to them since they never learn from history; they would rather be kicked by strangers than their own people. After all, they have made people like Laloos/Mulayams their leaders, haven't they? People of India, wake up before it is too late!
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 12:29:32 -0500
A fitting finale to a year of crap from the lady! Sanjay R Rao
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 09:23:33 -0800
Okay, I hear 70% of those who read Rediff are based in North America. We have had enough of Bill/Monica/Linda and Starr. Spare us Varsha, your vitriol and stick to what you do best. Anything beyond Bharat's borders is not your cup of chai. Who on earth does not know about Bill's Iraq policy? It is not any different from Bush's? Why repeat the obvious? But I agree with you about Sanghvi's column. Is he going to join the Congress? Venkat Puntambekar
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 22:13:22 +0530
This is sarcasm at its best by Varsha. My congratulations to her for writing such a challenging and witty article. Sankar-Rao Mopidevi
Date sent: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 16:38:24 EST
"I always read what readers have said about every article that is published on Rediff. Just looking at the name of the sender, I can predict (and it's almost 100% correct) what their response is gonna be. Like if the sender is named Varghese etc, he/she will enthusiastically support articles from D'Souza etc and oppose articles from Varsha" With perspicacious readers like these, it is easy enough to see how you are the only columnist with a fan following. While minority-bashing (in print) is your favourite sport, I wonder if you spared a thought for all the actual minority-bashing which is going on back home this season. Why such silly neologisms? Vijaysree Iyer
Date sent: Sat, 26 Dec 1998 07:29:43 -0800 (PST)
Dear Ms Bhosle, I think we should take Murli Manohar Johsi's words seriously and do something about this dangerous trend of going FORWARD. For a start, let us smash our television sets. Then we can replace all forms of transport by bullock carts. Finally let us ban music and the Hindu mullahs can take over! No, you don't need to smash your computer. It is an Indian concept. The Internet was in the Vedas! Arvind
Date sent: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 11:37:53 -0700 (PDT)
Here goes Varsha once again. Typical bitching, tons of negativity, and above all beholding the (false) truth. I thought the long-overdue vacation would have set her (cranial) hemispheres right. Unfortunately, it has not worked. By the way, how come, despite her West hatred, she preferred to vacation in the US and Europe? Varsha's journalistic talents are quite lopsided as evident from her subject choices. India is plagued by the right and left winged ideologies. Both have their faults. Glorifying either is essentially wrong. A better approach is to identify causes that lead to such polarisation, prevent its misuse, and separate state from religion. For long, we have allowed the Mulayam Singhs, Thackerays, Laloos, Advanis and Swarajs to exploit our religious sentiments. We are cowered and have no guts to speak against atrocities (such as the nuns raped in MP, minor raped in Bihar, illegal constructions in Bombay) all blessed by those in power. Instead, we start classifying them as right vs left, minority vs majority, poor/rich, privileged vs underprivileged etc. Even the (handcuffed) Centre cannot prevent the disharmony, corruption, and injustice in Bihar, MP, UP, and Maharashtra. They seem to work hand-in-glove -- so who is the loser, the common people, who incidentally voted these goons into power, to do? Varsha, the problem is not isolated as you describe. Those living in glass houses should not hurl stones at others. To a certain extent, its roots lie in Hinduism and its exploitation resulting in a rigid caste system. This continues to be a major issue, and add to it a tinge of religion, the whole thing gets complicated. So then, what is the solution? Here they are:
1. Ban journalists (like Varsha) from indulging in sensitive topics.
Date sent: Mon, 05 Oct 1998 13:03:32 -0700
I appreciated the issues and facts brought up by Varsha, but I would prefer her to tone her language down because, reasonable as it might be, it gives the pseudo-secularists a reason to focus on the passion of the language rather than the issue at hand.
Amit
Date sent: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 05:18:10 -0500
I wonder at this woman, Ms Bhosle. When what India needs is some practical compassion from those who have in themselves the energy and sensibility to unite people, the way this woman writes mystifies me. Out of curiosity, I'd love to hear from someone at Rediff who knows her: Is she a joy to talk to and work with? Or is she someone who gives a queasy feeling in the gut, whose venom you can sense on the tip of her tongue? Really, I don't know much about her, so I am wondering if she earned her place as a political commentator through having something useful and constructive to say, or through the type of self-righteous provocation in her latest column. Does she act the way she writes?
Vikram Chiruvolu
Date sent: Fri, 3 Apr 1998 13:35:43
I always admire Varsha's bold articles -- at least there is someone stand up to these hypocrite newspapers and Nandys of the world. Please keep up the good work and never be shy of taking these pseudos on. Cheers!!!
Date sent: Fri, 03 Apr 1998 12:15:41 -0500
Hey Varsha! Have you read Arun Shourie's book, Religious Controversies in India (I may be misquoting the title)? It is an amazing piece of writing. I agree that the communists are by far the most barbaric zealots, and perhaps we should consider banning the CPI on the basis of the party being anti-national. Even Hitler didn't manage to wreak as much havoc as did Stalin and Mao, and Pol Pot (on a smaller scale). And when the people whose holy books preach violence develop leftist sympathies, we may as well be heading towards the atmosphere in the days of Chenghiz Khan or Temur Lane. Keep up the tirades! Ruchira
Date sent: Fri, 03 Apr 1998 10:31:08 -0500
Ever since the BJP's star started to rise, Varsha Bhosle's comments have been getting trenchant and downright sick. I can't believe you'd allow her to say: "The martyrdom of Babri... oh well, it's just a pile of rubble now. And in its place stands a makeshift temple, the Hindu holy grounds of which were martyred to an alien religion by a foreign tyrant. A Muslim oppressor. Excuse me for being unable to stifle my smirk." And then some more: "When Muslims refuse to heed reasonable requests, every now and then, some of us put them in their minor place." These are exactly the kind of sentiments we can do without. I see no point in Bhosle's exulting in the destruction of a centuries-old mosque. Do we have to go back and revisit every aspect of our thousands of years of history and "correct" or reconstruct each one of them? Do we have to expend our energies in undoing our past instead of focusing on the future? Since when did your Web site become a mouth piece for the "hindu-fundies"? If she can happily denounce Mid-Day as a 'mosie'-owned paper, edited by a 'mosie' are you happy to have your site labelled a 'hindu-fundie' site or 'saffron-site'? I was happy to see your site focus on the aspirations and hopes of people on the 50th anniversary of Independence, but by Bhosle's columns you seem to be reeling backwards forever. Seems to me as if your site is somehow indebted to Bhosle or her cause and can't shake her off or even do a simple job of editing her columns. |
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