[Reader-list] Is the singular Rhetoric of Terror flawed?

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Taha
 
Dont you think it is rather sly to not answer the question asked and instead pose a question in response. That too with a devious expanding of the purview from "Flood Deaths" that you started off referring to, on to 'famines and hunger death' which completely changes the terms of reference?
 
You wondered why the Media does not call the 'Flood Deaths' as "Terror". 
 
If the "Flood Deaths" are a consequence of "Terror" then it is you who needs to specify who the "Terrorist" is who is responsible for these 3,500 "Flood Deaths" that you referred to.
 
Humouring you in your calling the "Flood Deaths" as "Terror" I put the responsibility of those deaths on "NATURE / GOD the Terrorist".
 
If you do not agree and place the responsibilty for "Flood Deaths" elsewhere, then it is you who must evidence your claim giving details for each one of the "Flood Death" instances that total up to 3,500. You will need to prove that the INTENTION was to 'terrorise'
 
It is you who seems to be trivialising and taking the emphasis away from the meaning of "Terror".
 
Not only India, but most of the globe is struggling under the ravages of "Terror"; "Terrorism"; "Terrorists". The extrapolation of 'certain meanings' that these words 'encapsulate'  and 'imposition' is being done by you with your ridiculous categorising of "Flood Deaths" as "Terror".
 
If you were to say that there are certain actions and policies that are corrupt, unethical and  driven by greed and profiteering with little or no regard for what human suffering they might cause I would have no argument with that. I would have no argument with categorising such actions and policies as ones the CONSEQUENCES of which can be "TERRIFYING". 
 
 
Different from this is an act of "Terror" where the basis for the act and the desired result  is to  'terrify'. The very INTENTION is to terrify, to start with. The sole INTENTION is to terrify.
 
 
Kshmendra
 
 
 
 

--- On Sat, 1/10/09, Taha Mehmood <2tahamehmood at googlemail.com> wrote:

From: Taha Mehmood <2tahamehmood at googlemail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Is the singular Rhetoric of Terror flawed?
To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
Cc: "reader-list at sarai.net" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 4:10 PM


Dear Kshmendra,

Thank you for your comment. 

Could you please elucidate on the following, for I am not clear on some issues?

1. Do you really think that in India all floods and famines and hunger death are nature or god made?

If you think so, then could you please provide the necessary evidence for this assertion. 

2. Could you kindly explain as what is exactly wrong in emphasizing towards a particular word? I believe that terror as a word is important and this word Sir! encapsulates certain meanings, I feel quite confused when these meanings are extrapolated and imposed when certain events happen and not when similar events happen. 

Warm regards 

Taha 


On Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 10:26 AM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:






Dear Taha
 
Who would be the "Terrorist"? NATURE / GOD THE TERRORIST?
 
Dont you think that your philosophy of your semantics in this case is going out on a limb? Going to 'Hysterialand'.
 
Kshmendra

--- On Sat, 1/10/09, Taha Mehmood <2tahamehmood at googlemail.com> wrote:

From: Taha Mehmood <2tahamehmood at googlemail.com>
Subject: [Reader-list] Is the singular Rhetoric of Terror flawed?
To: "reader-list at sarai.net" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 10:55 AM

Dear all,

I wonder why does the Indian media houses shy away from calling un
natural deaths of three thousand and five hundred Indians as 'TERROR'
too which is over five times as more as Palestinians butchered by
Israelis and over FIFTEEN times more than who were murdered in Bombay
recently.

Regards

Taha

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nearly-3-500-lives-lost-in-floods-in-2008-report/403253/


Nearly 3,500 lives lost in floods in 2008: Report

Agencies Posted: Dec 26, 2008 at 1645 hrs IST

New Delhi: Nearly 3,500 people have lost their lives in the country
this year due to floods which also damaged over 35.18 lakh hectares of
cultivable land have also been damaged due to floods in 21 states this
year.ver 35.18 lakh hectares of cultivable land have also been damaged
due to floods in 21 states this year.

ver 35.18 lakh hectares of cultivable land have also been damaged due
to floods in 21 states this year.
Related Stories:
New Delhi: Nearly 3,500 people have lost their lives in the country
this year due to floods which also damaged over 20 lakh houses and led
to the deaths of 45,000 cattle.

The state which saw highest number of deaths due to floods in 2008 was
Uttar Pradesh with 1,210 losing their lives. Bihar was second with 524
deaths, followed by West Bengal with 288, a Home Ministry report said.

Over 35.18 lakh hectares of cultivable land have also been damaged due
to floods in 21 states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

The states which were not affected due to floods this year are Jammu
and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

"In floods in various parts of the country, a total of 3402 people
were killed. 43,383 cattle were lost and 20,52, 763 houses were
damaged," a Home Ministry official said.

In terms of cultivable land affected due to floods, Tamil Nadu topped
the list with 5.97 lakh hectare being affected due to floods this
year.

It was followed by Uttar Pradesh with 4.98 lakh hectares and Orissa
with 4.45 lakh hectares.
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