[Reader-list] APJ letter

[bipin]

Dear Rakesh and all,

What a foolish argument that Dr. Kalam was chosen by BJP, so he is closely related to BJP's view. Anyway your many arguments are remain irrelevant, that's what I experienced earlier, so nothing new about it. Thanks for agreeing some of the points of Dr. Kalam at least.

My dear friend, when security threat is there in India in the form of terrorism, nationalism is the only way to counter it and each and every citizen (Includes all the minority/majority involved in anti-Indian activities) must feel for proud to be Indian.

When you don't support nationalism, than you must be supporting religionism or casteism and dividing the country as you prefer in case of J&K.

I appreciate that atleast you agreed on the development plank, which I always insisting for and the voter awareness to elect on this plank is necessary. However, this awareness is increasing slowly and steadily is really a positive sign and in the near future regional parties has minimum role unless they think real development rather than region or caste.

Superpower has very broad meaning. What you are giving US example and in keeping in mind is financial super power. Dr. Kalam had not used word super-power or even development in his speech. Please read it carefully. Dr. Kalam told that we are not at all behind by any countries with mentioning few examples. He mainly highlighted the negative reporting by media. He gave just example of Israel media's positive reporting. So, don't mis-understood that he is agreeing all the policies of Israel.

He gave different example of different countries that when you feel proud for that countries cleanliness, ethics, morality, obey the rules and code of conduct in the respected countries, but you forget the same to obey in India. If you obey all these honestly, you will be counted as developed country the super-power also.

You are giving example of injustice to Palestinians by Israeli (of course this is altogether different issue that who suffered with injustice), but swiftly forgetting imposed terrorism by Pakistan-Taliban and giving injustice to India.

What an idea, its state responsibility to help their people by way of providing employment, food, house, health etc, but you have to create employment by way of industrialization, technological development, R&D development and above all infrastructural development. If you make all the above development in a proper way automatically up-lift the poorest of the poor man. Without all this, if you expect state to help the people is foolish thinking and you make people lazy and lethargic. Even you don't have sufficient resources for fulfillment. Again I am telling that govt. job is to provide proper infrastructure and each and every citizen must perform their work/duty honestly for their own development.

No body says that everyone has to do for India, but oneself does honestly for themselves is sufficient. Charity begins from home.

thanks
Bipin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rakesh Iyer" <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com>
To: "bipin" <aliens at dataone.in>
Cc: "sarai-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>; "c-positive group" <noreply at googlegroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 10:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] APJ letter


> Dear Bipin (and all)
> 
> I agree and yet also not agree with what Mr. Kalam has said in the
> above speech. Let me elaborate on what I agree and on what I don't
> agree.
> 
> Kalam jee was chosen the president by the BJP, and ironically also has
> views which are also very closely related to the BJP's views on how
> the people of India should be: hardcore nationalists. I can understand
> that in today's times, nation-states are a reality (or state-nation in
> case of India if I may say so), which can not be washed away. However,
> this does not mean that we should go around being nationalists.
> Nationalism is not going to solve the problems of our people (by this
> I mean the people of our nation/state here).
> 
> I agree with Kalam jee when he says that Indians tend to crib about
> things rather than doing something about it. And that is one of the
> reasons I personally believe that the present elections, the idea of
> exhorting middle classes to just go out and vote is of no use,
> particularly since voting in itself is no end. It is just one of the
> means to achieve the end, which is development. And all these
> campaigns don't focus on educating our citizens to actually make the
> politicians more accountable, the system more accountable, the
> bureaucrats and the judiciary more accountable.
> 
> Hence, even if the voting is 100%, it's useless.
> 
> He is also right, that let us start doing things rather than
> chitchatting among ourselves. Equally the view that people should
> first set themselves as example before exhorting others is equally
> true.
> 
> However, unlike him, I don't wish to do this to make India a strong
> nation or a superpower. Far from it. I want to do this because it
> would ultimatley help the people of India. We have all seen what a
> superpower is, in the form of America. We have seen how since 2000 to
> 2008, it has misused whatever the power it had, right from the
> response to 11th September 2001, to Bush's farewell being celebrated
> as it led to the rise of Obama. We have equally seen the tragedies of
> a scale unseen in earlier conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. And now,
> the Af-Pak region is more unsafe than it was in 2001 (Don't forget the
> fact that the real reason it is unsafe is because of the Taliban,
> another US-ISI creation).
> 
> And I don't think we are going to be anyhow different from them. The
> best example is our cricket board, the richest cricket boards out of
> all in the world (i.e. the nations in which cricket is played). I
> still remember how during 2008, we had the 'Monkey' controversy, where
> it was alleged that Harbhajan Singh, one of our cricket players, had
> called Andrew Symonds, an Australian player 'monkey'. The ironic part
> is that from what transpired out, it was stated that actually
> Harbhajan had said 'maa ki' (which means he was abusing Symonds'
> mother) rather than 'monkey' (him for his looks or may be one can say
> race).
> 
> And then, to add to our cricket team's dismay, we had three wrong
> decisions taken against us. But how did we respond?
> 
> We had Sharad Pawar, a mainstream politician heading the BCCI then (he
> still heads now). Under him, the BCCI stated that we will come back
> off the tour if the decision is not taken to our satisfaction. Nobody
> has ever blackmailed the ICC for this. What's more, we asked the
> umpires to be changed. Never before in a test match series has this
> ever happened. But we all managed this, because we had money. And
> what's more, the people around me were saying that we are a cricketing
> superpower, we are the richest board in the world, we can and should
> do as we please.
> 
> If this is what we will do as a cricketing superpower, God knows what
> we can do as a political superpower like say America. Therefore, I am
> genuinely not interested in seeing India as a superpower which
> dictates to other nations, loses their trust and friendship, and makes
> the lives of people across the world that much more difficult.
> 
> Secondly, since Kalam jee is talking about a developed nation, I think
> he should equally define development. The reason is that different
> people have different conceptions of development. And all these have
> to be taken into consideration before we come to certain conclusions.
> For me, the development we wish to carry about, with SEZ's and opening
> up of the economy without looking at its' impact on the rural India
> and helping the poor and the downtrodden, is of no use and we should
> stop it, and change or modify it so that all are benefited. It is
> tough, but certainly it would be better.
> 
> On a positive note, I agree with his point that we have to look at
> positivity as well. But that does not mean one neglects issues of
> injustice, including that injustice being meted out to Palestinians by
> the Israeli attacks. Positivity is not there because our system is
> really in a mess and we are not doing a thing about it. I remember
> Shahrukh Khan from Swades who says ' agar hum sab kehte rahe ki yeh
> desh barbaad ho jayega, to ek din yeh desh wakai mein barbaad ho
> jayega. aur is ke zimmedar mai hoonga, aap honge, aap sab, hum sab.'
> 
> And finally, it is not necessary for every citizen to think what
> he/she has done for India. In Ashoka and Akbar's rule, there was no
> India, and yet they helped the people. So, it's the state's
> responsibility to help its people, for after all it is formed with
> their support. Regarding their duties, it's to monitor whether the
> state is giving adequate help or not, ensure adequate help is given at
> all times, and to modify and change the way that help is required if
> needed.
> 
> So therefore, no need for people to think what they have done for
> India compulsorily, although if someone thinks about it (like Shahrukh
> in Swades), I am happy. (Not that I am sad if someone doesn't, at
> least he discharges his duty (or even she), that is fine).
> 
> Regards
> 
> Rakesh