[Reader-list] Osip Mandelstam and Varun Gandhi: a clear contrast

[Pawan Durani]

Sir,

If I am not wrong what Varun allegedly said was that he would cut those
hands which trouble hindus.

As a leader of a party which everyone considers to be a right wing hindu
party , I see nothing wrong in what he has said. He is after all delivering
to his constituency .

And his message was to those who would trouble hindus ......so why trouble
hindus at all... ?

Regards

Pawan

On Wed, Mar 18, 2009 at 1:40 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> Dear Inder
>
> I am looking for the text of the complete speech made by Varun. Do you have
> any access to that?
>
> I have read snippets in the Press and heard beeped out sound bites on TV
> but that does not give me an idea of what exactly he said and in what
> context.
>
> Hope you can oblige.
>
> If Varun was stoking communal passions then not allowing him to contest the
> elections would be only a minor rap on his wrists. If guilty, he should
> suffer much much heavier penalties.
>
> Kshmendra
>
> --- On Tue, 3/17/09, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Osip Mandelstam and Varun Gandhi: a clear
> contrast
> To: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Tuesday, March 17, 2009, 11:11 PM
>
> Varun Gandhi, the grand son of Indira Gandhi,  is a BJP canditate for
> coming Lok Sabha ( parliamentary elections ), who was recorded on
> camera while giving lecture to people in Philbit, UP ( north India ).
> Both police and Election commission have issued notice to Mr. Varun
> Gandhi for his inflammatory communal speech, with the intention to
> gain votes for his party. Sad, if he is allowed to contest elections
> after this incident.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 10:57 PM, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > The name ‘The Pale of Settlement’ in Russia was given to a region in
> > which Jews were allowed, and beyond which Jewish settlement was
> > generally prohibited. Osip Mandelstam was born to such a Jewish family
> > in 1891, But this is why he got himself killed in 1938:
> >
> > Stalin Epigram
> > We live, but we do not feel the land beneath us,
> > Ten steps away and our words cannot be heard,
> > And when there are just enough people for half a dialogue,
> > Then they remember the Kremlin Highlander.
> > His fat fingers are slimy like slugs,
> > And his words are absolute, like grocers' weights.
> > His cockroach whiskers are laughing,
> > And his boot tops shine.
> > And around him the rabble of narrow-necked chiefs –
> > He plays with the services of half-men.
> > Who warble, or miaow, or moan.
> > He alone pushes and prods.
> > Decree after decree he hammers them out like horseshoes,
> > In the groin, in the forehead, in the brows, or in the eye.
> > When he has an execution it's a special treat,
> > And the Ossetian chest swells.
> >
> > Amazing, in his poem ‘ Black Sun’ which he wrote about Palestine
> > issue, I see his poems on  all the subject. Even in Translation his
> > words dance.
> >
> > Mandelstam's own prophecy was fulfilled: "Only in Russia is
> poetry
> > respected – it gets people killed. Is there anywhere else where poetry
> > is so common a motive for murder?"
> > Here, I remember, Abdul Sattar Ranjoor, the poet/activist in Kashmir
> > who was killed by extreme Right wing forces in 1990. Hazrat Sarmad,
> > the great poet saint too was killed by King Aurangzeb for similar
> > political reasons. Right now, 90 year old MF Husain, is facing death
> > threats from same Right winged politics. There is a strange history
> > behind great poets, particularly those who spoke against the
> > establishment.  The moment you defy the order, the powerful, the
> > ruler, the convention, the superstition, you give birth n enemy,
> > irrational but strangely potent. Meera was poisoned for defying the
> > Royal order and for her expression of Poet’s choice. Lal Ded too was
> > thrown out by her Orthodox-Brahmin in-laws for her poetic utterances
> > and wisdom of being. There must be no. of cases when wise  and
> > sensible people had to face the wrath of rulers.
> > Strange, that we had to listen to Varun Gandhi, whom I remember,
> > published his first book of poems few years ago. I guess, after
> > demolition of Babri Mosque, former PM Mr. Vajpayee jee too published
> > his book of poems. Some Artists added brush strokes to his verses and
> > exhibited at Lalit Kala Academy, even.
> > Strange that, this brand of poets dont write about their truer
> > intentions directly, as we see in how poets who get themselves killed
> > or exiled. So we have ambitious poets who can provoke people to kill
> > each other, and in turn get rewarded even.  Strange, we have musicians
> > and poets, these days, who are delighted to get rewarded by the same
> > state who sings songs for their erstwhile politicians as and when
> > election times are nearing. These days, on National TV, we often hear
> > Jai Ho, how Nehru ji brought industrial revolution, Jai Ho, how Indira
> > Ji brought Green Revolution, Jia ho, How Rajiv Ji brought IT
> > revolution, Jia Ho, So vote for Congress, and if you don’t like this
> > party, then vote Varun Gandhi, their own cousin, on the other side of
> > the fence.
> >
> > With love and regards
> > Inder salim
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > http://indersalim.livejournal.com
>
>
>
> --
>
> http://indersalim.livejournal.com
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