[Reader-list] discomfort

Thu Nov 4 18:39:02 IST 2010

Thank you Francesca for speaking on this, others !

while speech may be good or bad, there is something to be said for good
manners, without being old fashioned - the essence of recreating, whispering
the common space where ideas get peeled repealed remixed, responsed,
rehashed, restated, whether there is noise in the background or not, its a
constant activity for us here and everywhere else. in everywhere else is the
rest of the world and in here next door, joined at birth, with our ears
glued to the wall, is india. this is a unique pore-in-the-wall and i will
stay here, as it is no Other - this is home too, with all the guts, grime
and bad behaviour.

i hope people realize what effect being a nuisance has, and oncce in a while
we need to be quite blunt.

best

On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 4:08 AM, Ana Valdés <agora158 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thank you dear Shudda for your kind letter! I agree with you and others
> about the need to widen the reach of this list, I feel than many topics you
> discuss about India today are the same topics we discussed when I was young
> in South America in the 70:s.
> Freedom of expression is not only a right but it's also a responsability
> and
> I think we should be careful and remember the words of the German priest
> Martin Niemöller.
> He wrote:
> "When they come for the communists I didn't react
> I was not a communist
> When they took the tradeunionsleaders I didn't react
> I was not a tradeunionist
> They come for the catholics I didn't react
> I was not a catholic
> When they come for me
> it was nobody who could speak for me"-
>
> (I quote Niemöller from memory now, I think the poem was much more detailed
> :(
>
> I am not for or against what Arundathi Roy say, I don't have any knowledge
> in the matter. But I defend her right to express her opinions without
> attracting a ,mob who vandalize her house.
>
>
> Best
> Ana
> On Wed, Nov 3, 2010 at 6:53 PM, francesca recchia <kiccovich at yahoo.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Dear Shudda and all
> >
> > Thank you very much for your messages. I very much appreciated that
> voices
> > who
> > are generally quieter felt the need to reply - there is a diversity in
> the
> > list
> > that is worth ackonwledging and giving value to.
> >
> > The question of freedom of expression is an interesting one. It is a
> > subject
> > very dear to me - last May I tried to organise a public debate on this
> > subject
> > in Iraqi Kurdistan and was denied the autorisation.
> > Still I feel the need of questioning what freedom of speech actually
> means.
> > And
> > what is the role of individual responsability in excercising such
> freedom.
> > I am
> > not talking about self-censorship, but rather about respect and "good
> > manners"
> > (however old fashion this might sound).
> >
> > Thanks
> > Francesca
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  francesca recchia
> > kiccovich at yahoo.com
> > it +39 338 166 3648
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: "shuddha at sarai.net" <shuddha at sarai.net>
> > To: sarai <reader-list at sarai.net>; francesca recchia <
> kiccovich at yahoo.com>
> > Sent: Wed, 3 November, 2010 17:04:16
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] discomfort
> >
> > Dear Francesca,
> >
> > Thank you very much for your message. I feel equally disheartened on
> seeing
> > this list being abused to call for bans, denunciations and character
> > assasination of all kinds, particularly by a motivated minority of people
> > on
> > this list whose 'nationalism' permits them to cross the lines of decency
> on
> > more than one occasion.
> >
> > I believe that this list is a space for the freedom of speech,
> > unfortunately,
> > this means that we have to live with this kind of abuse. While I
> completely
> > disagree with the kind of speech that some people practice obsessively on
> > this
> > list, I believe that it is their right to do what they wish with their
> > speech
> > acts.The only antidote to it is for everyone else, like you, like me,
> like
> > all
> > those committed to an open space to post, with care and with passion, and
> > about
> > a diversity of issues, to not let any one issue, any one tenor, dominate
> > the
> > tone and character of the list.
> >
> > My appeal to you would be to you, and to all the silent readers of the
> > list, to
> > reclaim the list, to make it their own, to discuss all the diverse and
> > strange
> > and rich experiences that are a part of our daily lives and thoughts may
> > find a
> > reflection in this sapce,  so that the efforts of an aggressive minority
> to
> > monopolize the space of discussion is not able to succeed.
> >
> > If we believe in freedom of speech, then we have to enrich this space, to
> > demonstrate that freedom of speech is not ONLY the freedom to hate and
> > spread
> > poison.
> >
> > I look forward to reading what you, and what everyone thinks and feels,
> >
> > best,
> >
> > Shuddha
> >
> > On Wed, 3 Nov 2010 00:58:14 -0700 (PDT) francesca recchia <
> > kiccovich at yahoo.com>
> > wrote
> >
> > > Dear all
> > >
> > >
> > > I am writing this message as in the past days it often happen to me to
> > > discuss
> > > about the list with different people from different contexts in
> different
> > > places.
> > >
> > > I feel that the potentials of exchange and interactions that the list
> > offers
> > > are
> > > immense - an incredible spring of food for thoughts that unfortunately
> > often
> > > gets lost in personal attacks, petty accusations, aggressive tones and
> > > dismissive attitude.
> > > I understand that some political matters are close to people's heart,
> but
> > > this
> > > does not justify the lowering of the tone of the intellectual exchange.
> > >
> > > I have often thought of unsubscribing, but the knowledge that every
> once
> > in a
> > >
> > > while there is the chance of positive engagement  prevented me from
> doing
> > so.
> > >
> > > My posts have often gone unanswered - i reckon they are not very
> > interesting
> > > to
> > > the other members - i wonder whether this will get any response. :)
> > >
> > > Warmly
> > > francesca
> > > francesca recchia
> > > kiccovich at yahoo.com
> > > it +39 338 166 3648
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________
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> > Critiques & Collaborations
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>
>
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