[Reader-list] The Islamic Flag of Indian Muslims

[yasir ~يا سر]

the question has been put in a funny way. but one can't also move away from
the reality of it. the question of whether the chiapas did a better media
job is probably also the wrong question., or whether they should change
their identity - whoever they are - is also probably  not right. Even for
the sympathetic question, the reality is harsh.


On Tue, May 5, 2009 at 10:09 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta <shuddha at sarai.net>wrote:

> Dear All, Dear Jeebesh
>
> I have found this discussion on the shape of flags, affiliations and
> ideological commitments, fascinating. I have the same interest in
> flags that the writer Vladimir Nabakov had in butterflies. i think
> they are even more beautiful when they are lifeless.
>
> Until not so long ago, the erstwhile Kingdom of Nepal was the only
> 'Hindu' state in the world. And yet, I have no recollection of
> 'Hindutva' enthusiasts in India being accused of being stooges of the
> usually inebriated Nepali monarchy. I find this somewhat odd, and
> incongruous.
>
> But,  now that I come to think of it, the Nepali flag consists of two
> near isoceles triangles. And the 'bhagwa dhvaj', or saffron flag, so
> beloved of the bearers of the Hindutva ideal in India is usually also
> flown as a single saffron isoceles triangle. Since such a great deal
> is being made on this list about the correspondences between shapes
> and colours, I thought I might add my own two bits on the surprising
> similarity of the 'isoceles' triangle shape, as seen compared between
> the Royal Nepali flag and the Hindutva flag.
>
> Now, though I am fascinated by flags, unfortunately, patrtiotism (or
> the emotions that most flags conjure) is beyond my modest
> intellectual reach. But I am sure that there are people on this list
> who are, proud patriots, and who wear their Indian nationalism
> (secular or otherwise) prominently on their sleeve.
>
> And, since flags, their shape, size, colour, geometry etc. matter a
> great deal to patriots (they do not, to me, sneaky low-down anarchist
> that I am, but I have heard that patriots are prepared to die for
> these precious fragments of textile) then, to those that they do
> matter, perhaps there would be no doubt (as borne out by the form of
> flags) the Hindutva Held Constituency of this list could be best
> described as the covert flag bearers of the (hopefully) erstwhile
> Royalist Nepali agenda in Indian politics.
>
> I say this only because it makes as much sense to say this as it does
> to read deep meanings into the flags sometime flown in some Muslim
> neighbourhoods in different parts of India. No more, no less.
>
> On a different note altogether, It is my fervent hope that the
> Hindutva Held constituency in India will follow the example set by
> its mentors, the Royal House of Nepal, and take the honourable path
> of auto-destruction, aided, like the late His Highness the Prince
> Dipendra, by means of intoxication and a choice selection of
> automatic weapons.
>
> I wait for that day, eagerly, so that the safforn flag of Hindutva,
> lifeless and beautiful in death, would join my 'butterflag'
> collection of extinct standards.
>
> best
>
> Shuddha
>
>
>
>
> On 05-May-09, at 9:59 PM, Jeebesh wrote:
>
> > dear All,
> >
> > I do not understand how constantly the list members keep attacking the
> > same entity called muslims and indian muslims. Well all attackers call
> > themselves hindus. The viscousness of the attacks baffles me. If they
> > had power and weapons they can do serious damage.
> >
> > On the other hand, i have not seen any person with so called "muslim
> > name" attack a Hindu or Hinduism, on this list.  So why does so called
> > Hindus keep attacking muslims in this list. What kind of blood lust is
> > this?
> >
> > Now days Hinduism is a fairly celebrated religion and thousands of
> > publications and places of worship is a sure sign of that. Yet a weird
> > sense of injured self seem to have justified all kind of rabble
> > rousing.
> >
> > Being cautious of authoritarian organization is one thing, but to keep
> > on attacking a group of people is appalling.
> >
> > warmly
> > jeebesh
> >
> >
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> Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> The Sarai Programme at CSDS
> Raqs Media Collective
> shuddha at sarai.net
> www.sarai.net
> www.raqsmediacollective.net
>
>
> _________________________________________
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> Critiques & Collaborations
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