Fw: [Reader-list] The Vedavatis of this world

[Vivek Narayanan]

Hi Tapas and all,

As a practising pseudo-secularist myself, I of course align with your 
and others' reasoned positions politically, and have been quite 
disturbed by some of the rhetoric that has recently made its presence 
felt on the list.

*However*, I do think we should really refrain here from discussing any 
person on the list or her/his personal details, especially if they are 
not already public figures.   It happens a lot on the Hindutva lists, 
where individuals of a certain political leaning are blacklisted and 
discussed in a very personal and invasive way.  I don't think we should 
stoop that low, and eventually it's likely to backfire.

Googling is inevitable; but it does raise the spectre of surveillance 
and violations of privacy.  To discuss an individual in this way on-- 
don't forget-- a listserve with over 1100 subscribers worldwide is, I 
think, hurtful.  I certainly wouldn't want my identity being probed in 
public like that.

And what, after all, happened to sophisticated discussion and analysis?  
Humour and irony are always welcome; but with a little sensitivity, please.

My ten paise,
Vivek

Tapas Ray wrote:

> With apologies to Ms Vedavati, I am forwarding a message I have 
> received from her offlist. This is because there is nothing personal 
> in the message, and it pertains to the discussion going on onlist.
>
> I have a couple of points to make for Ms Vedavati's kind 
> consideration. It seems she has not noticed that a discussion actually 
> has been going on. ("Argument" is the word she likes.) I don't know if 
> she has been too wrapped up in her own rhetoric to listen.
>
> Second, her name, address ... "identity" is the word that escapes her 
> ... is very much the business of those who are "arguing" here. We are 
> not ghosts, but real human beings talking about real human situations.
>
> Tapas Ray
> (In the flesh for the present, but would love to be a ghost some day.)
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vedavati Jogi" <vrjogi at hotmail.com>
> To: <t.ray at vsnl.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 2:26 PM
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Vedavatis of this world
>
>
>> if you can't argue with me on 'socalled secularism practised in india 
>> by people like you' no problem. but stop this stupidity, my name, 
>> address etc.is  none of your business...
>>
>>> From: t.ray at vsnl.com
>>> To: reader-list at sarai.net
>>> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Vedavatis of this world
>>> Date: Tue, 09 Aug 2005 13:39:08 +0500
>>>
>>> > For those who think VJogi maybe a prankster, the following info maybe
>>> useful:
>>> >
>>> > A person named Vedavati Ravindra Jogi produced a film <snip>
>>>
>>> Yes, a Google search for "Vedavati" turns up information on an 
>>> amateur film-maker of that name, living in Pune and in an apartment 
>>> building with a tell-tale name. However, the search turns up more 
>>> material, which some may find interesting - about a mythical 
>>> character (apologies to those who object to "mythical") called 
>>> Vedavati - it seems she and not Sita was the one who had been 
>>> abducted by Ravana. (To think that I didn't know this!) So, it seems 
>>> the war was a mistake after all. For other ignorant people like me, 
>>> here's the link -
>>>
>>> http://www.urday.com/vk.htm
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Try the new MSN Desktop Search Toolbar. 
>> http://server1.msn.co.in/sp05/msntoolbar/index.asp Just answer 3 
>> simple questions.
>>
>>
>
>
> _________________________________________
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> Critiques & Collaborations
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