[Reader-list] No Burqa, No teaching in West bengal

[TaraPrakash]

Ignore my previous mail Rakesh. I found the mail. I would like to differ 
with you on one account. The term is not "misusing", it should be "using." 
Anyone using a religious text or any other text for that matter, to control 
another human being's life should not be allowed to enter a place like 
university. Not sure if their place is behind the bars, but I agree that 
those who curb other people's freedom, have not right to remain free.


As I found the missing mail, I also found the mail of a scoundrel, that I 
missed earlier. Well, I am borrowing the term "scoundrel" from Samuel 
Johnson who said "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." The 
scoundrel wanted me to make India a great country in my response to my mail 
about bank accounts. Well, I am not a scoundrel to be bound by such 
shackles. Why not make Pakistan also great? Every country has a right to 
become great as long as they don't define greatness in heinous way.
Tagore's dream for India, mind without fear, is broken by the nightmare 
situation that we are in right now. When the government on the other side of 
the border of Shonar Bangla has brought fanatics under control somewhat, the 
"secular" set up on the Indian side is letting them flourish. A "minority 
community" that does not justice to the "minority" within, has no legitimate 
right to ask for justice from "majority community." We must recognize and 
expose the double standards.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rakesh Iyer" <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com>
To: "Pawan Durani" <pawan.durani at gmail.com>
Cc: "reader-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 5:05 AM
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] No Burqa, No teaching in West bengal


> This is dubious. The university should be stripped of its legitimacy if 
> they
> continue with this dubious aspect. Nobody anywhere in India should have 
> the
> right to determine this dress code for teachers. If teachers feel any 
> dress
> code should be maintained, it should be out of their own individual
> convictions and shouldn't be enforced by them on others.
>
> As for the Left front, it should be congratulated for spectacularly
> promoting fundamentalism and conservatism among the Muslim community to 
> seek
> votes. While the BJP and the RSS indulge in feeding off the fear of the
> Muslims to seek votes (through demonizing Muslims), the Congress and the
> other 'secular' parties just feed off this fear of Muslims and let them
> remain in bad economic conditions in perpetuity to get their votes.
>
> Left is the third factor which people don't talk about. I as a Hindu don't
> have to refer to the Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana or other religious texts 
> to
> prove that women deserve equal rights as men or that untouchability is 
> wrong
> or that women should also have the right to ask for divorce like men
> equally. I just have to refer to the Constitution. But a Muslim has to 
> prove
> this using the Koran. And some fools are making the wrong use of it. 
> Anybody
> misusing religious texts for such purposes should be put behind bars and
> they should get life term straightaway.
>
> And the disaster is for our people, including the Muslims.
>
> Rakesh
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