|
|
|
|
|
| HOME | NEWS | DEAR REDIFF | |||
|
ASSEMBLY POLL '98
|
|
|
'A religion does not commit dastardly acts. Few individuals commit crimes.'
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 18:32:18 -0500 12 of the culprits involved in the nuns rape in Madhya Pradesh were Christians themselves. It is indeed shameful to see scribes blaming the BJP for everything happening in Congress controlled states and also Congress supported secular states. I really don't understand why the Anjana Mishra rape case is being ignored by the secular press and don't you see a pattern emerging here??
* Coimbatore blast before the election -- RSS was defamed by Sitaram Kesri.
Frankly speaking, since the day BJP came to power, the English media is not giving a fair coverage for events. It is indeed shameful that these people and the Western press have so much voice for a single crime, that they want to blow it up and internationalise the issue to destabilise the central government -- while both the Indian and Western press want to ignore the happenings in Kashmir, and the Ranbir Sena massacre in Bihar.
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 15:59:33 +0000 Thanks Ms Daniel for castigating all the Hindus by the actions of a few criminal ones! It's always a pleasure to blanket all Hindus by the same accusation. I mean, surely, Sanjay Bhatia in California is a copy of the terrorist that some of the Shiv Sena or Bajrang Dal criminals are. Excellent rationale! Thank you! SB
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 11:04:04 -0500 Don't you feel ashamed using this sentence:- A Tamil-speaking, rasam-eating Madrasi who loves his kadu manga pickle and cannot pronounce the letter 'h'. Wasn't this out of context ? If you can hurt people by writing such stuff, then God help. Raghu
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 08:46:49 -0800 This article appears to be highly emotional and one sided. Why does everyone want Vajpayee to resign? I request this columnist to read TVR's article. Has she looked through her emotive glasses to see what has brought Hinduism to the brink of militancy? Does she always want Hindus to be tolerant, soft and thus invite their own peril? Why doesn't she talk about the plight of Hindus in other countries, leave alone our own? A good Hindu, by her definition, is one who accepts all kinds of atrocities on his/her own religion, faith and identity, and, still chants the shanti mantra, and prays for the aggressors' well being? Come on, we have seen too much of this sermonising on being a good Hindu from all and sundry! It is time people from other religions start questioning themselves as to what is going wrong instead of blaming the BJP for everything. A change in government may only aggravate the problem unless they mind their own business! Let Christians stop converting, let Muslims say from their heart that they truly belong here. Then one will see whether they will still be treated the way they are being now! By the way, can someone educate me on the definition of "majority" and "minority"? Whether we speak globally here or locally? Are Hindus not a "minority" globally speaking, swamped by preying Islamic and Christian countries on all sides?
Vadiraj M R,
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 10:41:04 -0600 Vaihayasi's personal feelings are understandable given the recent events of violence against the minority community in India. I don't quarrel with her characterisation of Hinduism as being, hitherto, a more decent religion, in fact, being a Hindu myself, I would like to believe that to be the case. However, our history of hundreds of years, which is so poorly recorded on our own acts of violence against others, still, shows enough to convince us all, that we are no more civilised and smarter then others are. Rath Yatras and Bal Thackerays of the land are certainly objectionable, but so are/were the fanatic Muslim League and other such extremist organisations. However, Vaihayasi gets it all wrong in her analysis when she goes on to demand a resignation from Atal Bihari Vajpayee just because some Dara Sigh has committed a heinous crime! Certainly there are those in the Congress party, in the parties of Laloo Prasad and Mulayam Singh, who would like Vajpayee to go away in the blink of an eye, so would, I am sure, even some of the media organisations who have formed strong opinions in favour of the Nehru dynasty. I am no fan of the BJP, nor would I ever imagine supporting a killer, but don't pass on irresponsible judgements in a frenzy when the consequence is as great as change of the central government which affects everyone in the nation, and you don't have any better alternative around.
Umesh Tiwari
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 12:12:19 -0500 This article by Vaihayasi Pande Daniel is too emotional but less practical. I think she neither has given good reasoning nor knowledge of the happenings in India. She would be better writing travel articles and staying away from serious matters. Whatever has happened is really unfortunate. But nobody is representing the incident in an unbiased manner. Specially I would blame the media including you, Rediff for politicising the issue. Nothing has been proved and you people start blaming a specific party. I totally condemn the attack on the Christians. But what's disgusting is the total ignorance of the media towards the other incidents which are more horrible that than this one. Why don't you print the agony of Kashmiri Pandits or victims of the Bihar incident? Are not they human beings? Or can be ignored as they are Hindus. This is a shameful act by a free media.
Totally disgusted,
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 11:11:14 -0600 I was moved when I read your article. You have brought out a very sensitive issue of bringing up a child with a dual identity. It's a sensitive and delicate task and I wish you all luck in that endeavour. As for paranoia about a sense of security in India, I think they are grossly unfounded for the following reasons
-- How many times have you been questioned/discriminated/insulted for
your dual identity?
I would like to know how many such incidents have occurred with you. You talk of a scourge of hunting down and killing. Don't you think you have grossly exaggerated the whole dimensions of the issue? You talk of a scourge -- I would like to know -- how many deaths have occurred to describe this scourge? Exactly how many deaths? How widespread is this scourge -- ie, given the density of population in this country, do you have any idea what proportion of killings have to occur to call anything a scourge? Your paranoia is as unfounded as of those who claim there is a demographic shift on account of missionary activities. By basing your fears purely on media reports and political statements you are playing into the hands of those who want to exploit the issue of "Minority Insecurity" for political ends. You say: "How will I explain to my daughter that Hinduism is a tolerant, nonviolent religion with any conviction? " Madam, a religion derives its nature from its philosophy, from its ethos which runs over the centuries, not out of few political fulminations of a motley group of individuals with a history of just 40 years. That is the strength of the religion and its basic philosophy. If what you fear were to be true, how come a majority of Hindus go about their life everyday peacefully without even as much as interfering into the affairs of the churches or mosques across the street. If what you say is true, we should be having complete anarchy across the length and breadth of the country. It is, I should say because of the "peace loving nature" and "tolerance" that India is what it is and is not a Theocratic Pakistan. "I am ashamed to be a Hindu today. Other religions sometimes committed these dastardly deeds. Not Hinduism. Hindus are gentle, I believed. Were gentle." I think you are grossly wrong. Your feeling of shame is completely unjustified. A religion does not commit dastardly acts. Few individuals commit crimes a religion does not. Look back at history and tell me if Hinduism has preached hatred and violence against everybody else. If that was the case then the Jews, the Parsis, the Syrian Catholics would never have come to the shores of India seeking asylum and would not have flourished here without fear for centuries. Madam, please erase that sense of shame and instill in your child these examples, and don't let her upbringing be distracted by incidents like this. It pains me to know that you feel ashamed this way just because of petty 'media hype' and 'politicising.' You write: "And then the Bajrang Dals, Hindu Parishads, Bhajapas and Nazi Senas came into being. Came into being to spoil, forever, the name of Hinduism. I almost feel that perhaps they are CIA or Mossad sponsored. A wonderful master game plan to irreparably damage the Hindu faith." That is a very childish remark and doesn't befit someone your age and intellect, I find it very silly to even comment on what you have written. I wish you see through the hype and politics and base your opinion on sheer facts, and instill the right sense of confidence and pride in your child. PS: To the editors of Rediff -- the level of debate on these articles has of late bordered the childish to moronic. Please raise the bar on what people write. Shashi Shekhar Vempati
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 09:14:54 PST If you feel ashamed to be a Hindu, then don't be one and get out of India. Arjyo Sarkar
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 09:54:54 -0800 (PST) The author makes some valid points about the rise of Hindu extremism in the country. Hinduism has always been a very tolerant religion and the spurt in violence does make normal people cringe. But to blame all this on the BJP government is childish. The differences between Hindus and other minorities have always existed. Hindu-Muslim clashes are very well known, and there was always simmering discontent about the practice of conversions by the Christians. But this has boiled over during the BJP regime. There could be two factors to it. One, the extremist organisations like VHP and Bajrang Dal, have become emboldened by having the BJP at the Centre. -- Others (Congress, ISI etc) are taking advantage of the BJP at the Centre and fomenting trouble. Due to the extremist nature of the the VHP and BD, they are the first suspects. But one cannot rule out the others. The others have all the more to gain by creating trouble in the country. Instead of protesting the violence in a more cautious manner, the Christian organisations have displayed a more belligerent attitude, which in no way is going to help them. Also, the document from the church which talks about conquering new areas for conversions, the report about the Vatican targeting India as a potential source for adding more to their numbers, is in no way going to get them off the hook either. -- Hindus have always followed the teachings of their religion, and that's the reason there are so many religions coexisting in the country. But to ask them not to protest when others are taking advantage of their apparent docility is not correct. -- But the method adopted by them to protest is definitely not right. Killing innocent people or burning of churches will take us nowhere. Find out about the root cause for conversions, the method used to induce people to convert, and the reason a person decides to convert, and see if one can change that. One of the prime reasons have been poverty, and atrocities against low castes and the tribals. No upper caste or well to do Hindu can be forced, or would feel the necessity to convert (unless they really want to, which they are welcome). So I would ask the author, instead of simply indulging in BJP bashing, see if you can contribute for the betterment of the Indian society. Otherwise, you always have the option of leaving the country and face racism somewhere else. Shekar
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 10:02:49 PST With all respect to Vaihayasi Daniel, I strongly disagree with her view that there is a reason to be ashamed of being a Hindu. A person with a Christian name attached to it, has no right to denigrate Hinduism. I would ask Mrs Daniel why she does not feel ashamed to be a Madhya Pradeshi (as she proudly asserts her roots to MP), when the nuns were raped in Madhya Pradesh, but rather feels ashamed of being a Hindu. I also would ask Mrs Daniel why she does not feel ashamed as somebody who is married to a Tamilian, when the shankaracharya was humiliated openly by Chief Minister Karunanidhi while inaugurating a railway station, recently? It is rather amusing to find her shame in Hinduism. Hinduism as she said has been the most tolerant religion. But at the same time Hindus were the only ones in world history to fight against invaders, aggressors for 1,000 years. No other race or religion had to fight for survival for more than 1,000 years in the world, and could still survive. So Hinduism has a dual face. On one side they are peace loving and open to other cultures, but at the same time, they have stood by Dharma to protect the religion, when it is in trouble. What we are seeing in India of late is nothing but one of those periods, when Hinduism tries to energise followers, so as to make them aware of the aggression. With Missionary groups like AD2000 (www.ad2000.org), India Mission Association, Native India Ministries around, Mrs Daniel should rather feel ashamed to be associated with Christianity. These groups are a disgrace to Christianity as they are breaching the trust of Hindu society. When the Government of India allowed these groups to function in India for the good of humankind, they were doing large scale conversion, misguiding the unemployed, feeding religious intolerance. If you have any doubts, go to their web pages and see their clandestine activities in India. So Mrs Daniel, may I ask to stop denigrating Hinduism and start looking at Hinduism as a most tolerant and at the same time the longest surviving religion in World History.
Ram Malladi
Date: 29 Jan 99 21:14:09 +0300 I am against violence of any kind to justify a cause, but I am sure Rediff can do away with such melodramatic and nonsensical articles. I mean this woman should also explain to her daughter in detail about the illegitimate conversion practices and the absolute trash the Church publishes about the Hindu religion. I am sure after hearing the other side of the story, she may still realise that Hinduism is still the most tolerant of all religions and save her the pain of going abroad. Nikhil
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 13:27:00 -0500 This is more personal than a general article. Why be ashamed of being Hindu? There is political turmoil in every part of every country in the world, but if something happens in India, particularly with Hindus, the whole world makes an issue out of that. If someone attacked some Catholic in some part of India (though I feel sorry about the incident, certainly a bad one), there is no harm to Hindu philosophy or any great damage to all Hindus... Could dear Vaihayasi Pande Daniel explain the great massacre that took place two days after the Orissa incident in Indonesia where 44 Catholics were killed? I don't say it takes place everywhere so it should in India too. No way. But the whole problem is it's such half minded and confused Hindus who don't understand their own religion first nor the other one, and comment from a single point of view. There is certainly mass conversion taking place. Catholicism is sweet poison and those converted have stronger feelings than the original ones. This is just my observation. Anyway, everyone has the freedom of expression. So Mrs Vaihayasi Pande Daniel, don't worry about what your daughter will think and don't feel ashamed of being Hindu. There are always some fanatics in each part of society and they do what they want to do. Never blame any religion because all are same in that way. Malpractices take place everywhere. I know there are fights between two different churches and their followers as well. But while projecting outside to the world they say "Catholicism is love." Enough of hypocrisy. Feel proud to be a human being and try to do good whenever possible, don't feel ashamed of any religion.
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 10:26:43 -0800 I am really ashamed to know that you being a Hindu are giving an opinion on things you don't understand. I am not offering you my opinion, I am merely asking you to think on the broader terms as to the responsibilities of individuals. There is a time for everything. And one good man will have dirt all over him, while the scoundrels will be walking clean. One man taking care of a huge nation -- will you hold him responsible for the burning of the missionary and his kids, who do you think is responsible for murdering 21 people in Bihar, and what about so many more in Kashmir. If all good men just go, who will be there to take care of that big piece of earth people like us call homeland? If there were any policy mistakes that resulted in the killing I would say yes, go away. You barely give anyone chance to prove their innocence. Fear for the day when the innocents get punished was what the wise old men said. It is a Hindu custom to hold one innocent until proven otherwise. Then why do you proclaim him guilty before hearing his side of the story? Your article just says one thing: "If you have a loud voice, then even a lie become truth." Back to some thinking before you pen something please, learn to be responsible. PLEASE!!! For the sake of humanity. Ashvin
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 12:28:26 -0600 Everything you mentioned is 200 per cent right. I never deny all this. But to bring to your kind attention, is it a grave error to protect one's own identity? Indonesia was once a pure Hindu nation, after 1,000 years, now has Islam, as their adopted religion. I am not supporting killings or militancy. But, if you are being wiped off, then is self defence a grave mistake? Srinivas
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 11:26:47 -0800 "Why I am ashamed of being Hindu" -- That was a sad piece of writing. Evidently a writer with a complex, unsolved identity problem that display volcanic eruptions throughout the thinnest parts of the Hindu mantle. The intemperate analogy -- of all things -- Auschwitz! We live in a complex geopolitical world, in transition. The confrontation between Islam and Christianity, with Hinduism caught in between. The enormous budgets the rich and powerful denominations in the US are allocating for God's work in India. The deliberations of strategy, tactic and quotas. George Fernandes did not mention the source of his information on the "forces" that are attempting to remove the first "non-conformist" government in New Delhi, but from the vantage point of Tucson, Arizona, he may not be emitting hot air. Evidently, with her mosaic genetic and cultural background, the Travel Editor's inner core must have thicker outer segments of the Hindu mantle (together with the weaker ones), bur whether they will help her only time will tell.
Dr Alap R Subramanian
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 12:46:19 -0600 It seems the writer VP Daniel is confused. If she is ashamed of being a Hindu, then, let me just say that I also am ashamed that she is a Hindu. Hindus who marry outside Hindudom for personal reasons must not assume that other Hindus are obliged to endure their misplaced idiocy. Why does Daniel want Vajpayee to resign when he has nothing to do with any of these crimes? Hindus need not do any favour to people like her. Pradip Parekh
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 14:54:55 -0500 Please read Surendra Jain's column and ask yourself why Christian missionaries have all their 'conversion' activities in India, and not in any Muslim country. Aren't there any downtrodden, poor and sick people in those countries to help? As to the claim that these missionaries are not engaged in conversions by fraud, force, inducement or allurement, I quote from an internal communique 'The Asia Letter' of the Methodist church. "Bishop Eric Mitchel stated that in his district last year more than 10,000 converts were made in a large mass conversion services. He cautioned, however, this was not for public information since the Government of India would immediately send officials to check on such proceedings." What the Bajrang Dal or any other Hindu organisation is doing is simply exposing these clandestine activities of Christian missionaries in the guise of 'service' to the public and Government of India. As for the rapes of nuns and the killing of the Australian missionary Stains, there is no proof that the Bajrang Dal was involved as explained by Jain. So hold your horses and put the blame where it belongs.
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 15:27:03 -0500 Mrs Daniel should have been apolitical. How come her mother got converted? Can she give me/us a reason? She can't. Why? It's her mother's decision to convert. The prime minister and home minister won't be consulted by thugs. Any murder is condemnable including Mr Stains. Lunatics do exists every where and they have no religion. Just condemn them and not show your political views. You can demand justice and this is not the way. She can do better by reading other articles on Rediff. Subbarao Kari
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 16:00:17 -0500 Vaihayasi Pande Daniel's anguish is understandable; her reasons for being ashamed of being a Hindu are not. She is erroneously directing her anger at the religion rather than the section of Hindus who committed the deplorable crimes. Is her husband or mother ashamed of Christianity because of the innumerable crimes committed in the last two millennium by its followers? Her implication that Hinduism is no longer a good philosophy of life as a result of the Rath Yatra or Bajrang Dal defies logic. It is understandable that she is worried for her minority child or white mother, but she didn't have to insult Hindus by ridiculing the religion. Maybe she could make an effort to learn more about the religion before revealing ignorance in noticeable detail. I hope, for her benefit, that she can write good travel diaries.
Date: Fri, 29 Jan 1999 13:50:40 PST We are not ashamed. After staying for so many years abroad, it is not possible for you to know the true scene in India. You must not have gone to an office with co-workers of other religion. It is after all our years of tolerance that we find Muslims and Christians have a substantial increase in population. Basically Hindus should speak highly about their religion, they should not shy away when there is something bad said about Hinduism. Enough is enough, the whole of East India consists of Christians today. All missionaries initially come into India to help the poor and later convert them to Christians. You may argue that it is his/her right to convert to another religion, conversion done by helping the poor and needy is not tolerable and legal. I still maintain there should not be any violence against the missionaries, what has happened to Stains is really bad and we all as Indians should stop it, but only when conversions stop. Else we as true Hindus should fight for the rights of Hindus in their only Motherland. Any Christian in India may have converted a year ago or 50 years ago. Still at some point of time his father or grandfather had converted from Hinduism to Christianity. So any Christian is basically a person who has or his forefathers have betrayed the Hindu religion. So there is no point in arguing why there is so much of violence against Christianity? Time will decide the fate of India. Until then A B Vajpayee is the PM and we will support him. Anand
|
||
|
HOME |
NEWS |
BUSINESS |
SPORTS |
MOVIES |
CHAT |
INFOTECH |
TRAVEL
SHOPPING HOME | BOOK SHOP | MUSIC SHOP | HOTEL RESERVATIONS PERSONAL HOMEPAGES | FREE EMAIL | FEEDBACK |
||