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E-mail from readers the world over
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1993 08:36:51 -0400 Excellent scenic descriptions. True to life narratives and so heart warming. Brought home to me very fond memories of my dear native country. Maureen Toronto
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 14:50:54 -0500 I enjoyed reading the railway journey. Please continue this feature. My children learned a lot about the Indian railway system too. Kudos to Ganesh Nadar. Melchizedek Ponniah, PhD
Date sent: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 13:51:00 -0500 Its amazing to know that in a *secular*(sic) country like India such meets are allowed to take place. Where have all the secularists gone? Is it okay to hold an all Hindu-nation religious conference and criticising some other country/religion? Unfortunately our government and its sick secularists are busy protecting their interests and have no time/nerves to expels such people holding Islamic conference. Secularists don't even know that "anti-Islamic" forces also include Hindus and thus such conferences are a danger to the very existence of our country. Anyway we never learn lessons from history, and even after centuries of oppression, we still have these mentally retarded secularists in our nation. Ajay
Date sent: Tue, 07 Oct 1997 04:04:13 -0700 In your article you have mentioned that an employee in the secretariat died because of stress (caused due to working with computers!) You have not provided adequate details and the reasons for his death. This kind of nonsense should not be published and given a thought for consideration. At a time when the world is actively marching ahead with the information technology, the government servants in India are using lame excuses 'how not to work.' I wholly applaud the CM's efforts and initiatives to bring some development into our economically backward state. Venkat
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 1997 11:17:56 -0800 Excellent article. He is very right in being optimistic. Subhash Babu
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 1997 12:02:09 -0500 (EST) Your site is a great source of well laid information. It is a very good and appealing site. Keep it up.
Date sent: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 19:28:01 -0500 Sentimentality alone does not make the case for indigenous languages. The author has overplayed the importance of literature among the masses in general. Once it ceases to be part of school curriculum, how many people whether they be from English medium schools or not, actually read O' Henry, Tagore, Wordsworth or Bharati. Literary pursuits were always the prerogative of the elite and will remain so. Just like classical music or art cinema. They will stay alive if they find patrons especially from amongst the upper classes, or they will die. Quite possible they will be relegated to folklore/theatre/drama. What's wrong with that? So let's forget about images seen in ones mind's eye and literary consciousness, and talk about real issues. Segregation in our country has been fueled by our lingual diversity. We need one working language for the entire country, and it isn't going to be Hindi! The best thing about being a British colony was that they spoke English. We have a head start on a language which is now clearly becoming the international language of choice. Europeans (if not European governments) realise this too. Efforts by their governments to artificially prop up their own languages, politically motivated and sentimental, will only stall the inevitable. Quebec is being stupid by adhering steadfastly to French. Vested interests of politicians. Exactly the opposite of what Ashwin Mahesh claims. Regional politicians in India will keep rousing public sentiments regarding local culture, religion and language. The fact of the matter is that we need to become much more industrialised and technologically advanced that what we are, and like it or not the language of science and technology is English. Why does a farmer need to know English? There may have been no reason until now. But the age of information and easy access to it has dawned and the signs on the highway are all in English. No reason why there should not be nationally broadcast agriculture programmes or weather reports in English. Finally, what better example could I offer than the US Americans having long forgotten their European (and increasingly Asian) heritages and languages? I fail to see how that has proven detrimental to them in the least. This homogeneity is its strength. So what if my grandparents know Marathi better than I do? We have to stop living in the past. Ranjit Gadgil
Date sent: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 18:52:51 PST I really enjoy your columns, news items, and the mail on Arena. It helps me deal with the everyday tensions at work. I especially loved today's (November 6) update. First there was the Varsha Bhosle "jokes" column, and then this news item about the murderers and dacoits in the BJP ministry in UP. The two together made such great reading. By the way, many of you might not see the relevance, but I am reminded of a joke when I read these letters...unfortunately it has to be heard in chaste Hyderabadi to provide the guffaws, so I don't expect anyone to laugh. It goes like this: 'There is this rat who has a grudge with an elephant. He goes to his friends, and declares "I have to settle scores...come what may". They make a plot, and according to plan, the next day, all of them climb a tree right by the path the elephants take to the river. As the elephants approaches, the "hero" rat starts shivering. When the "villain" elephant is right under him, he loses his grip, and falls on the villain's neck...and holding on to it, starts shaking with fright...the other rats on the branch meanwhile goad him on "Maardaaalll!!!katardaallll!!chodnanaiiii!!!"!!! Don't see the relevance? Well I told you so! It will be great if you could carry some more articles on the UPGG (UP goon gang). If you could have an interview with one or two of them, it will be the icing on the cake!! But please ensure the safety of the interviewer. Syed
Date sent: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 15:10:54 -0400 (EDT) I have never been a fan of modern liberalism that Mr Mahesh stood for in his articles. I guess he was just another Left wing conservative who has lately realised that the Left is not right, at least monetarily. But Mr Mahesh's soft but indirect attack on Hindu society at large is in direct contrast to the contempt Leftist fellow traveller Dilip D'Souza takes in his writing. Looks like Rediff columnists have a habit of making opinions without doing their homework. Earlier it was Amberish Diwanji who wrote a rebuttal to Arun Shourie without even reading the book. And now here comes another article from Ashwin who seem totally ignorant of the Christian missionary role in the Indian subcontinent. If he had done his homework Mr Ashwin would understand Mr Kanchan Gupta's perspective: "When all are baptised I order all temples of their false gods destroyed and idols broken to pieces. I can give you no idea of the joy I feel seeing this done -- " Saint Francis Xavier (1506 -1552) In 1567 the captain of the Rachol Fort in South Goa bragged to his king and the church back home, "For nights and nights went on the demolishing of the 280 Hindu temples. Not one remained in the happy lands of our division." Saint Xavier further went on establishing orphanages where children of priests of these temples who were murdered, were given "shelter." The relatives and grandparents were refused custody of the child or the property for they were now "sheltered by the Christian church" to be saved from eternal damnation. The harrowing tales of persecution in the name of the ever merciful Christ can make even a professional secularist liberals stomach churn. Mr Priolkar's The Goan Inquisition has documented the Hindu suffering committed by the compassionate Christian church. Arun Shourie's book, Missionaries In India is an eyeopener for someone who has not been so blinded and alienated as this new elite group of Indians we call Secularists and Leftists. It clearly documents that the church might have changed tactic from the cruel days of Saint Xavier, but has not changed its agenda and ultimate goal. In an internal document that the Catholic church sent to all its diocese, it says and I quote "the famine in India offers great opportunities for the church to offer services which then would enable the church to bring in its fold more converts." Mother Teresa's orphanages have the same "goodness" to it as those started by Saint Xavier. Both were backed financially by a religious institution with the specific goal of converting the Hindus to Christianity. Saint Xavier used orphanages and brute Portuguese military might to achieve his goals. Teresa used the orphanages and a mighty propaganda machinery and Western Christian money to achieve the same goals. She is no mother who condemns a Hindu child to eternal hell and suffering. Mother Teresa was inspired by "Go into the world and preach the gospel to all the creatures. He who believes and is baptised will be saved, and he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16, 15-16)." And by the way Mr Mahesh the State did not do the Hindus any favour by televising the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. It is Rama's country and not any meherbani from the mental slaves of Marx, Jesus or Mohammed. Kanchan Gupta has been too kind to a proselytiser like Teresa and should have the courage to call a spade a spade. Atul
Date sent: Sat, 25 Oct 1997 00:08:28 -0700 I have always been fascinated by your columns. Keep up the good work.
Date sent: Fri, 03 Oct 1997 19:07:59 +1200 Mediocre.
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 14:43:44 -0800 Print it, put it up in Parliament and give a copy to each of the state legislative assemblies to do the same.
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 12:17:42 -0800 While it may be news coming from a man of his calibre, what Lord Desai is talking about itself is nothing new -- we've known it all along, haven't we? We all seem to know the maladies of the system and, unfortunately, we don't see any doctor(s) with a scalpel and commitment to save India. Vasanth Rakasi
Date: Sat, 18 Oct 1997 17:41:33 -0400 The author has covered all the main features of Aurangabad well. However, all the information provided is fairly typical and there are no particular insights offered by the author. For example, he goes on to say that Aurangabad is well connected to Bombay and Pune, but he could have said that the rail connection with Pune is not a practical option. He could have told us more about the kinds of foods that Aurangabad can offer etc. Prasanna
Date sent: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 14:38:51 -0800 Congratulations again!! Your mind is sharp, in focus and on the right path. Keep up the good work! Now, how can we best put such excellent ideas and suggestions into practice! Need to get small powwow sessions, with limited objectives to get the idea growing? Mahesh Pondicherry
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 1997 08:51:49 -0800 An excellent web site. Could you give us some more pictures of Kashmir? Nina
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 21:49:21 -0500 (EST) That is very very true indeed. Think of the IITs and IIMs and numerous RECs. The backbone of India's survival is this solid educational background despite being short on cash. As for the American system, well here they have money and still this country has an upcoming generation of school drop outs!!! The only thing which is worst now is population. We have too many mouths to feed. Sandeep
Date sent: Sun, 16 Nov 97 13:19:27 -0800 My sincere views on the reports are that the samples of DNA taken cannot be done officially with the court's permission. If the court approves of the decision, then it should be influential in determining the father of the child. Moreover, if the girl herself is not willing to marry the accused, then it solves no purpose. It should be done in the interest of the community and of the girl. My view is that the girl should not engage sexually with the person unless he marries her, irrespective of the community the accused belongs. I will be very happy if the women's liberation front brings a court order to officially examine DNA samples of the accused.
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