The Soft Option

MaheshG (#553):

I am surprised that you have chosen to take my reply (537) in such a cavalier fashion. When I say I am not answerable, I am called arrogant. Tell me, why should I painstakingly respond to something when it is not going to be taken in the right spirit? I am afraid your post, besides being rather insulting to me, reveals the scourge I have been talking about all along…

1. The assumption that ghettoes harbour ISI agents (please go and check the goons of a political party in Bombay worming their way into slum colonies).

2. The assertion that the Muslim community has not tried to integrate as a whole into the mainstream. Please define “integrate into the mainstream”.

3. If a few Indian Muslims have made it big in India it is not because the community is not being discriminated against, and you want to know about the ‘community as a whole’, don’t you?

4. It is the job of majority communities anywhere, in any area of life, to make the minorities feel welcome. As for 50-50 responsibility, how many Muslims are given an opportunity of meeting, forget halfway, even a quarter of the way?

5. To quote the example of Pakistan and Bangladesh, countries that have been amputated from India, makes no sense, because the reason for their creation and their purpose was and has been different. They did not go around tom-tomming that they were Socialist Republics and Secular Democracies. YOU look into the ills of our society too instead of just asking me to.

6. I have never blamed the British, so why are you telling me not to.

7. I appreciate your regret over the Babri Masjid demolition and the fact that you accept your community’s mistake…how on earth was it the mistake of the Muslims, on whose behalf you want me to express remorse?

I really don’t think many of you want to meet me even midway and have formed very strong opinions. I can do nothing about it. If at all you wish to know more about how I feel, you could check my reply to macgupta at my other Board (#355).

Farzana



macgupta (#555):

Thank you for responding to the queries I raised about the new situation in Kashmir. It was less cryptic than your post responding to me elsewhere! (Gosh, and I thought you were trying to find a solution with me…I am such a fool…). Anyhow, I agree with the points you have brought up, except that I think that this extension by a month and so on isn’t quite fair, and does not seem like a sound way to run a large chunk of the country.

BTW, you would expect me to make the right noises about what happened at the Red Fort with the Lashkar men entering and killing people, right? Well, I feel extremely sorry for the innocent guards who lost their lives and I am worried about the security of my country. But I do not expect the militants to take charge of it. So, why were the guards unarmed? Why is the GOI sleeping? Do we want to become ‘shahids’ in the eyes of the world, and say, look, we have said ceasefire and this is what these terrorist are doing? What??

Farzana



Prem (#556):

Well, that was really nice of you…yes, one does waste a lot of energy and I accept that I am a creature of my emotions and the words resulting from them tend to ride roughshod over the ‘calmer’ aspects of one’s opinions. I may not be proud of this as well, but since I write, and the only way I can be honest is by not holding back, I am not going to turn my back on it only to sound politically-correct. I hope you understand. One does endeavour for a better way of looking at things, of course.

Thank you for your good wishes for the season. I hope you have a great year ahead too. And as I do believe in Santa Claus, may we all get the gift of more awareness, acceptance and the ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Farzana



Reply #558 & 554:

I feel sorry for those who have such closed minds that they not only cannot share good wishes, but resent even others doing so. I feel sorry that there is much more prejudice in them than there was in my article. I feel sorry that those who do not understand me feel compelled to expend so much effort trying to analyse me.

But, then, through history people haven’t spared Prophets, so who am I? A “widely read and respected author”? I have begun to believe it only now! Thank you, for without you, and a few like you, telling me so everyday, I would have been happy enough being just a writer who spoke her mind with her heart.

I do not have to simmer with other people’s discontent, so my best wishes to you for the season and for a very simple reason – I do believe that each one of us deserves the best, and you do as well.

Farzana

vega # 560

Guilty as charged sir.

I think I should lay off poetry for a while- it aint my cup of tea.

Re: krashid

``If you come to my house and say this to me, I will kick the ass out of you to claim my house as yours.``

Your grandfathers have come to our house 2 times since Pakistan`s stillborn birth and have gotten the ``GU`` kicked out of their shalwars each time. And once, in 1971, we came to your house circumsized half of it away. Pakistan split in half. Bangladesh gone forever.

Mahesh Ji#

Kashmir belongs to Kashmiris.

Indian forces are occupying it.

Just this act makes you oppressor.

If you come to my house and say this to me, I will kick the ass out of you to claim my house as yours.

Go back.

700,000 thousands armed personnel for a nation of 6 million and still the ``GU`` of Indian forces is out everyday.

I cannot do anything in your country. Your are enough for your country.

With a friend like you who needs an enemy was written somewhere in Dehli.

Re: Prem

You wrote to Farzana:

``...and a great holiday season to you.``

Please respect her Muslimness and be specific and say ``happy Eid holidays to you``...she does not believe in kafir holidays like Christmas...and now through your negligence you have once again demonstrated the insensitivity Indians display toward Muslimas like her.

Farzana Versey #546

Now you are giving the credit to the militants for the ceasefire. Tell me who do you think is the bigger villian here. The Indian govt. or the militants. How long do you think the militants could have ignored the ceasefire? After all, their support base is in Pakistan and Pakistan is being squeezed hard by IMF and the west.

Dear Farzana,

Thanks for a thoughtful response. I do apologize for the harsh tone of some of my earlier statements. The tragedy is that people like us--who ought to be most likely to agree with each (one) (an)other--often end up losing sleep and wasting energy on issues on which we may not really be that far apart. As Gore (the bore) noted recently there is more that unites us than that which divides us. However, when we become merely creature of our emotions we forget our agreements, get focussed on our differences, and take up positions that in our calmer moments we would rather not. It happens with unfortunate frequency, at least with me...and I am not proud of it at all. Hopefully, we will all do better as we mature individually and our nation matures collectively.

Best wishes, and a great holiday season to you.

Farzana Versey, #546 :

As you must be aware, your old stomping ground, rediff.com has featured many interviews with various Hurriyat and other leaders. If you read them, it seems that they think any peace process is going to take at least two-three years.

1. An additional month is exactly that. One more month, with hopefully reduced gunfire and bomb blasts and shelling across the LoC. One additional month will have meaning if it leads to one more additional month, then one more and so on.

2. The different extremist factions will have to exercise their intelligence and lead the people where the people want to be lead.

3. Who should decide -- I think peace should hold for a while, and GOI and Kashmiris should start talking. More parties can be involved later.

4. There is no grand action that can resolve everything. Yes, the fate of states is determined one step at a time. I think you would agree that neither GOI nor Kashmiris would want a solution that leads to Talibanization of Kashmir. Well, no such thing can be arranged in one fell swoop.

-Arun Gupta

Is it just me or do others too have difficulty understanding Farzana`s prose? There is something awkward about her diction. Her sentences (often never-ending) sometimes flow into an abyss of confusion for me.

Maybe the problem is mine. Perhaps because I am not a ``widely read and respected author,`` my English skills are inferior. Is that the case hamidm? If it is, do let me know. I will try to improve.

Farzana msg #537

Are you talking about Varsha Bhosle. Oh, I have sent her mails myself. I don`t like the stands she takes on behalf of Hindus.

It is very easy to find fault with others, you know. It is very important for people to realize their mistakes as well.

I get the feeling that you think it is majority community`s job to make the minority communities welcome. I say the responsibility is 50-50. You find fault with the govt for raiding ghettos but, you don`t ask the people in the ghettos about harboring ISI agents. Has the muslim community as a whole ever tried to integrate itself into mainstream India? We have seen individual muslims making it big in India. How could that happen if the Hindu community as a whole was discriminating against muslims.

Have you ever asked why in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh the Hindu population has dwindled to nothing whereas the muslims population has thrived in India. Mind you, I am not saying things are hunky dory in India. But, it doesn`t serve the purpose to go on blaming others for your ills all the time. Seems to me from the examples of Pakistan and Bangladesh the muslim community would rather not have anything to do with the Hindus.

Would it serve to blame the british for all the ills India has eventhough they have looted us, maimed us and left us at the depths of poverty. There is a time to recognize the ills of one`s own society.

Now if you ask me if what happened with Babri Masjid was correct. I say NO. It shouldn`t have happened and I regret it. I accept my community`s mistakes, would you of yours?

Have you given a thought to how alike you and Varsha Bhosle are?

Harpreet #544

Few things to note.

American economy is taking downturn, particularly NASDAQ, that has implications for whole world including India.

India`s (or for that matter any country`s) strength lies within and not out side.

The strength of India lies in education and infrastructure building and India is reaping fruit of both. The ground work was laid over many decades.

The current frenzy or rat race is probably a temporary phenomenon. But it is leading to fracturing of India in many fronts.

Some rich states and other poor states have seeds of discord.

Fracturing along communal line is increasing with time. (India has a large minority and therefore it matters).

Until and unless some form of socialist policies or affirmative action like things are not adopted, majority of Indian population will continue to suffer.

Matter with Pakistan is different.

Since there is a small communal minority, it is not a big issue.

The issue in Pakistan since its inception is usurpation of state apparatus by ruling elite and struggle of people against it. You can well imagine the plight of majority and lavish life of small minority and direction of our struggle. Much different than yours.

On religious matter, state and religion cannot be seperated strictly. For example even in India (and also Pakistan) Muslim Family Law is seperate for Muslims.

In the matter of opportunities, and rights I don`t think that Islamic fundamentalist have faintest idea about religion. They are fighting a middle and lower middle class fight to restrict the pie to their own group and exclude rest in the name of religion. For example Taleban are fighting Ahmed Shah Masood (Both are Muslims) and pakistan is supporting Taleban and Iran is supporting Ahmed Shah Masood.

Our strength lies in ourselves.

Education and economic opportunities.

You must have seen the recent election in America and concession speech by Gore.

What they practice in our countries meaning fragmenting the nations, do the opposite in their own country.

India has to first take care of its own backyard, before it can play a positive role in the whole region. But unfortunately India is the biggest hindrance in its own prosperity as well as neighbouring regions. The West is more than prepared to give India a leading role to counter China. If India loses this opportunity, it will be very much against the majority of Indian population.

God is not Muslim. So by implication, Hindus or Sikhs or Christians or Muslims are human first and then belong to some other community.

I think lecture is already long enough.

“It seems to me that education has a two-fold function to perform in the life of man and in society: the one is utility and the other is culture. Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.
Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one`s self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half-truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. “

THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
By Martin L. King Jr
1948, Morehouse College

tahmad#321

The feeling is mutual Mr. tahmad. The detailed answer to your blah blah woof woof is at Shandana`s board. Here I will say only one thing:

SHARAM TUM KO MAGAR AATI NAHIN.

I also wanted to say someting about ``Ghayrat`` but it seems like it is a novel idea to you. I would rather talk to a Martian about it than you.

URSTRULY #547 You write ``VICTORY OR SHAHADAT.``

I assume you do not plan to be among those who will actually doing the Shahadat. That honor will be reserved for people from poor families, women and children.

You are no different from the regimental mullah in my Uncle`s regiment when the 1965 war took place: For months he was similarly preaching ``Victory or Shahadat``. When the orders came for the regiment to move to the front, he was close to tears about his sick wife and small children and why he should not be sent to the front.

People like you make me sick.

Farzana # 545:

Hyderabad. Nizam Educational Trust. Do some research about their grants.

MOVING BACK THE TROOPS

Dear Pakistani Friends,

Please do not be beguiled by this Indian crap of ``good gesture`` and ``moving back the troops``. Both Indian and Pakistani Armies move back during this time of the year from some posts at a certain height. It happens every year. It is because of the freezing conditions and snow in this weather which reduces the mobility down to zero. It is a common practice that both armies have been doing for years.

Jihad in Kashmir is going on as usual and it will continue regradless of the weather-``Mujahid ka dil garam hay eemaN ki harart say.``

JIHAD E KASHMIR ZINDABAD

VICTORY OR SHAHADAT.