[Reader-list] Guests in Vedavati's house

[S Fatima]

Dear Vedavati
I don't want to offend you, but your analogy sounds
too childish to be taken seriously (although I don't
mean to demean children by saying that!). The complex
history of south Asia cannot be trivialized like that.
Even if we could use this analogy, then, I think our
house has been so huge and so resourceful that it
didn't mind having a few guests from outside taking
refuge in it. And they didn't come as guests - they
came to do trade and business, just as your (and my)
brethren and sistren go to America to becomes NRIs.
Now, once these "outsiders" decided to call it their
home, they are no longer outsiders (whether they are
born here or came from outside). As a matter of fact,
how can even you prove that you are an "insider". Just
because you are a Hindu? 

Having said that, now let's talk about the guests
taking over the house and asking the owners to leave.
Yes, if they do so, it is wrong. (But remember, no one
can claim to be the "original" resident of this house
- its been too damn long to argue on that). So, you
have no authority to ask Shuddha or me to leave the
country if we do not subscribe to the hollow words
called Patriotism and Nationalism.

I am not commenting on any specific case (such Sanjay
Kak's film, which I haven't seen). But in general, I
believe that the exodus of the pundits from Kashmir is
a sorry affair, and if one has to find a long-term
solution to the Kashmir problem, it must involve the
re-location of Kashmiri pundits safely in their
original homes. But at the same time, the brutality
suffered by the innocent Kashmiri Muslims at the hands
of Indian forces cannot be wished away. And if Kak's
film (or anyone else) does take sides, then it is
bound to lead to this kind of situation. Let us stop
taking sides and come to the middle ground if need to
resolve any of our conficts.

S.Fatima


--- Vedavati Jogi <vrjogi at hotmail.com> wrote:

> I will try to answer this question, 
>  
> Imagine a situation, 10 people, say your friends or
> distant relatives come to your house & start staying
> with you, they expect you to accomodate them
> permanently, they expect you to do everything for
> them, they try to do away with your wife's/mother's
> authority & establish their supremacy in the
> kitchen. 
> And ultimately they ask you to leave your house &
> take refuge elsewhere.......... Can you afford to be
> liberal in this case? Will you not try to protect
> the rights of your wife/mother?
> Be honest & give me the reply!
>  
> These guests are outsiders and you will definitely
> try to throw them out. In a way you are showing
> narrowmindedness but you can't do without that.
> Because that is not in your family's interest.
>   
> Same thing is applicable to your nation. 
> 'Nationalism means doing everything which is in the
> interest of your country' (e.g killing terrorists in
> Kashmir or flushing out Bangladeshi Muslims from
> Bengal or Assam.)
>  
> Still if you say that 'you are neither a nationalist
> nor a patriot' then I am sorry to say so, but you
> have no right to stay in my country! 
>  
> Vedavati
>  



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