[Reader-list] Hindu article

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear all

After reading all this, I am reminded of what I read once in 'Mother'
(a novel by Maxim Gorky, one of the famous writers of the erstwhile
Soviet Union during the pre and post Russian revolution periods).
Gorky was a socialist, but didn't like communism, simply because
Communism didn't believe in God, and Gorky had said in this novel,
through one of his characters:

'Reason alone can't win human beings. Faith is too strong a thing to
be overcome by reason.'

The character had said this in the context of belief in God and the
Church, which the Communists in Russia were trying to overthrow for
its proximity to the 'oppressive' rulers.

In our case, I see that the BJP has understood this fundamental point
from the leftists (or socialists) and applied it successfully (at
least upto a certain extent) through Hindutva. And this continues with
Modi. Howsoever much proofs come out to point out that his
administration is doing wrong things, some people on this forum (and a
substantial number in Gujarat, if not all or the majority of people
there) have so much faith in him that they refuse to see reason.

My only answer to this would be what Tagore said:

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow
 domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the
 dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought
	and action--
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Can at least now please, these people see reason?

Regards

Rakesh

On 6/7/09, Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Rajen ji (and all)
>
> I really sympathize with you and the rest of the brigade which is now
> doing what Modi is best at: using propaganda and portraying yourselves
> as victims. You very well know that it is very difficult to get a
> proper proof of how Modi is the best, and so you do what Modi does.
> You say that since everybody has a right to freedom of speech, people
> are maligning Modi (or Sonia or Manmohan) and hence trying to prove
> that you yourself are victims of that.
>
> Please, I would kindly request you to stop this way of thinking. Even
> you Bipin ji, I would request you to at least now see that efforts of
> Modi are only going to help the rich and the powerful, while the poor
> and the downtrodden, which includes the tribals as well, will further
> sink into the bottom. And moreover, the environmental concerns are
> going for a toss as far as the state of Gujarat is concerned, forget
> anything else.
>
> What I also request here, on this forum, is to have a debate on
> development itself, as to what it means for different people here.
> Many people keep talking that Modi is great on the developmental
> front. I wish to know what that development means, because as I see
> it, from my point of view, Modi's right-wing policies (which
> ironically also include letting the environment go for a toss), are
> going to lead to huge problems. Since some people prefer to call this
> 'development', it would be very kind of all you people (Rajen ji,
> Bipin ji, others too who despise seculars) to at least state what
> development is in your own words.
>
> It can really benefit us all, I believe.
>
> Regards
>
> Rakesh
>