[Reader-list] INDIA: Others Among Us

[Naeem Mohaiemen]

I had just finished editing a friend's proposed abstract for a
conference in Kolkata. Her research looks at the locality of Rajarhat,
a formerly fishing/agriculture, now a fast growing IT Hub/new city.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajarhat

The fundamental tension is new IT Park, attracting NRIs and Techno
professionals, displacing the old working class inhabitants. Etc etc
old story. At one point in the abstract, she highlights this tension
by talking about Muslim tenants being refused apartments in this new
city. The juxtaposition of course was with the old inhabitants, many
of whom were Muslim, but I actually thought it didn't quite work
because the displaced population was about 45%-55% Muslim-Hindu. I
suggested to her that looking at what happens to upper class
Muslims/NRIs/IT Professionals if they seek an apartment, etc may yield
examples counter to her hypothesis (since I have a theory that in
certain situations economic class trumps race or religion).

Having just finished reading/editing that abstract, I found it
interesting to stumble on "the line" in the article that seemed to
counter, at least in one locality, my hypothesis.

As for your use of "As an Indian", interesting exercise in othering to
silence/exclude...

On Sun, Oct 5, 2008 at 7:47 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Naeem, it is interesting that what you could find quotable in the article to
> serve as an introduction to your posting was the line:
> """""" even "famous Muslims" find it difficult to find a house.""""""""
>
> Tells me how your mind works and with what intent you posted this.



> As an Indian what I registered as noteworthy were the words: