[Reader-list] Hindu families in Pakistan feel scared, India grants Visa

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear all

It seems sad that from once a time, when I was not a member, (and used to
read articles on civil rights, poverty and others), today, we keep on
discussing about Kashmir, Pakistan, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Kashmiri
Pandits, Kashmiri Muslims (traitors or sufferers), bla bla bla....

I don't mean that the question of identity is not important. Nor does it
mean that such issues of migration are not important. But there are other
issues as well, can't we discuss them in detail as well.

The SC's and Muslims of India face a calamity today in terms of their
economic and social conditions. While the SC's are discriminated against in
various parts of the country, the Muslims are discriminated against in
cities, in the name of religion. Can't we talk about this, and how this
affects them in varying degrees economically and socially? And if identity
is so important (it is, but that much important as the articles put up in
Sarai, I don't feel), then how come we don't talk about SC's ST's and
Muslims from economic and social angle point of view?

The ST's of India are even in a worse position compared to the SC's and
ST's. After all, they are stripped bare of their livelihoods, and have to
migrate as well, to places which their ancestors would never have gone to
even once in their lives. They forget their own culture and places, like the
Hindus and Muslims during partition. Aren't they to be talked about??

Or is it that as most of us are not SC's/ST's/Muslims (of poor economic
background), we can forget them?

Isn't poverty our single biggest enemy, not these identity based people?
Then how come identity is a major concern with us? Probably a result of all
of us being well fed and coming from well off families, has meant identity
is a major concern for us rather than poverty.

What about the issue of civil rights? When terrorists attack us, ultimately
the issue degenerates into one of whether we can trust Indian Muslims or
not, whether we can trust Pakistan or not? Brilliant. If we can't trust a
neighbor, how come we have been so foolish as to be living with that same
neighbor, be it internal and external, peacefully, for the last 60 years?
And why don't we remember what Gandhi and Jesus said, 'An eye for an eye and
a tooth for a tooth will lead us to path of destruction'.?

Instead we keep on asking about tough laws on terror, tough laws on any
situation, forgetting that they affect civil rights, and reduce the
incentive to work hard as well. Why not open up and liberalize our
democracy? Where are the talks about that?

Why don't we try to understand the problems from the base, and then think of
possible solutions to close them up, not only for this
Kashmir-Pakistan-India-Afghanistan axis, but also for the other larger
gambit of issues which are there to be discussed?

Regards

Rakesh