[Reader-list] Remembering Debates on this List

[Shuddhabrata Sengupta]

Dear Rakesh,
Very well said.
regards

Shuddha

On 31-Jul-09, at 6:01 PM, Rakesh Iyer wrote:

> Dear all
>
> I thought a lot that such followers of Hindutva nationalism would  
> realize their folly and instead contribute to discussing about a  
> better world. Even if they were simply nationalists but would have  
> thought from the people's point of view (even if only Indian  
> people), it would have been very helpful to discuss many issues and  
> really get to understand more. But now this forum seems to be only  
> for people to go about discussing religions.
>
> I read a primer on ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) put  
> up on the Right To Food Campaign Site. (www.righttofoodindia.org)  
> It stated that 'The Hindu', one of the better newspapers of this  
> country, had been publishing more articles on the nuclear deal,  
> defence issues, terrorism and higher education than on ICDS.  
> Infact, there were more articles published on primary education  
> rather than ICDS. And strangely, the ICDS which is a campaign for  
> children under six, states that if children aren't properly looked  
> at till that age, then any kind of education or treatment will not  
> be able to compensate for this lack of care and the children would  
> be mentally and physically retarded.
>
> How many of us know that about 50% of the children under six in  
> this country are malnourished? How many know that 1/3rd of the  
> children in this country under six are under-weight? How many know  
> that micro-nutrients which are very essential for the growth of  
> children in this nation, are not being given to them in sufficient  
> manner? And how many know that the nutrient value in the crops of  
> this country has been decreasing in the past decade, and so to get  
> the same amount of nutrition, the amount of food to be consumed  
> would have to be increased? (The last question is something even  
> the Right to Food activists should know, considering that they are  
> fighting for food and nutrition for everyone.)
>
> Instead, we all have time for Hindu-Muslim debates. Even the Sarai  
> Reader issue discusses about fear as a topic (for which essays are  
> invited), in which one of the sections is about fear of riots. What  
> about fear of hunger? Isn't that an important issue? (I am not an  
> accomplished writer to discuss about fear in the way it was  
> mentioned in the link, but certainly would be great if someone can  
> write about the fear of hunger.)
>
> If we really feel Muslim and Hindu religions can't co-exist in this  
> nation, either all Hindus and Muslims should take swords and finish  
> each other till followers of only one religion exist, or  
> alternatively bring about another partition of this country (in a  
> peaceful manner) so that this time people of both religions can  
> live separately but somewhat peacefully. (Though how much peace  
> that would bring is itself a doubt). Or may be both India and  
> Pakistan should sign a pact to drop nuclear bombs on themselves and  
> give the rest of the world some peace and calm, and a few important  
> lessons to learn as well.
>
> But it would only show how fickle and irresponsible we are to our  
> brethren who are economically destitute, politically powerless, and  
> socially subjugated. And it shows what we are: totally despicable  
> criminals of the worst kind, if we still forget them and keep on  
> chanting Hindu-Muslim, Ram-Allah, and fights of such kind.
>
> Regards
>
> Rakesh

Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net