[Reader-list] The Epitaph of a Mind: Vir Sanghvi

[Vedavati Jogi]

we should not burn 100 muslims in india
but
1) we should not let muslims burn hindus in india either 
examples- kashmir and godhra and many more.
 
2) we should not hesitate to stand by our hindu brothers in pakistan and bangladesh. because they don't have any secular -human rights brigade in these countries.
 
'eye for eye will make the whole world blind' -mahatma had said.
but if we don't defend ourselves there are chances, this  enemy will make us totally blind.  
rather we have already experienced it in 1947 unfortunately we have not learnt any lesson from the history.
 
vedavati
 
 
 
--- On Thu, 26/3/09, Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The Epitaph of a Mind: Vir Sanghvi
To: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com
Cc: "Vedavati Jogi" <vedavati_jogi at yahoo.com>, "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Thursday, 26 March, 2009, 8:17 PM


Dear all

First of all I am very happy that such an article has been put up. Having been a consistent reader of Vir Sanghvi's column in Hindustan Times over the past few years, I must say that he has stopped any kind of researching, which I consider an essential part in journalism. I believe that if research into one area has stopped, then it should be started into some other area. After reading Sanghvi's articles, I realize he goes on speaking about the same things in a merry-go-round.

As far as Sanghvi's article goes, I agree with the above mentioned points that it is quite far from reality. Considering that about 35% of the Muslim population in the nation (based on Census and obtained from Sachar Committee's report), lives in cities, and most of this population lives in ghettoes (old city areas generally), and is poor, one would have to see the way the state has abandoned itself from its responsibilites in these areas. Looking at my own city Bhopal, I can say that not only has the administrative work shifted to new city buildings for many purposes, what's more, the old city suffers many problems related to water, sewage and other kinds handled generally by the municipal corporation, on a daily basis, much more than what the new city (read Hindu-dominated areas), face. 

The economic situation of Muslims is already very poor, and most Muslim ghettoes in India also don't have proper education facilities (or even private based schools),  to educate their children. Hence, they have to send their children to madrassas. And then, our Vedavati jee and their folk go hammer and tongs at these madrassas for giving 'terrorist education' to them, when in the first place they should talk about the lack of education facilities given to them. 

In India, we keep on asking for one ban after the other. When 'Water' was supposed to be made in Varanasi by Deepa Mehta, the RSS goons stopped it and created violence. When the 'revenge' had to be taken for Gujarat, the very same organizations indulged in mass-rapes of women, something unheard of even in pre-1992 Gujarat riots by and large. Infact, even districts unaffected in any riot since independence witnessed massive violence. And then our great Modi has the courage to say this: 'Not more than 100 died in the violence, and that too due to police firing'. Later on, he said there was no violence at all. 

If there was no violence, how come there was the need for police firing??

Hence Sanghvi was definitely wrong in that article. 

Inspite of this, I can say that India is on a slightly better footing while treating its minorities in practice, for at least they are considered as equal with the majority community (read Hindus), and even cases in post-Godhra can be re-investigated again and again, while whether I can say the same for Pakistan or not, is something I am not sure of. While constitutionally Pakistan is an Islamic republic, we are a 'secular, socialist, democratic republic', and through constant practice of democracy, can at least get our voice heard. (Muslims did in the election mandate of 2004, critically in UP and Bihar). 

The second part is with respect to this harsh truth. 

I don't feel comparisons are the way to find out whether we are doing the right thing or not. And if any comparison is to be made, let us do an intra-country comparison to find out whether we have done enough for our minorities, for our scheduled caste brothers, for the scheduled tribes, for the women, for the children, for the unemployed, and for the poor, and if yes, upto what extent did they benefit from this, across states, across districts, and across villages in a district too. 

Instead, we have set Pakistan as a benchmark in many cases. Do we too wish to become a Hindu Pakistan? Is that what we want? Let me ask Vedavati jee here and others as well. If in Bangladesh tomorrow 100 Hindus are burnt, should we respond by burning 100 Muslims here? Tell me this. I think these questions are imperative, and in times of elections, should be asked by the media to the BJP leaders. 

I think as a state, we should set up benchmarks based on principle of reason and justice. And that's where we should move towards, rather than surpassing China in terms of power, or becoming a Hindu version of Pakistan, and portraying our 'mardangi' by nuking them or by killing our Muslims. I don't think any Gujarati Hindu who went about raping women post-Godhra ever became a 'mard' by doing so in the name of Lord Ram or revenge, for very souls of those died in Godhra and Lord Ram himself, must be ashamed of what happened in their name. 

But I think this question should be solved for once and for all as well here. 

How many people (Indian non-Muslims) don't trust Indian Muslims? And why? 

This is the question we need to ask. We have avoided this for long, and have been giving explanations like 'our culture is composite', 'we are all human beings', 'we are all the same' and all this. The fact is that Modi and his folk won't listen to all this, so now we need to question them instead of answering them. Let these folk also do some answering to their part, because our reasons would never satisfy them unless they are forced to think rationally too. 

The other thing I feel, is that these rational discourses may still not be useful. We have been discussing about how our culture is composite, and this and that? May be what is needed now is conversation and communication between people. 

Hence, we need to get a public common education system being the same for all, which should be mandatory and compulsory for all. No discrimination must be allowed here. Moreover, colleges should not be based anymore on minority or majority basis, and instead reservations must be provided (the guidelines of which can be discussed certainly). Moreover, we also need to have public forums where such issues can be discussed. And certainly, leaders like Modi and Advani must be questioned on the issues of mistrust they have with Muslims of India, to expose them and their party (or set of parties), on the fallacies on which they live. 

Regards

Rakesh



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