An Iranian Exile in Sambhalpur

Dear Bucaphelus: (but don’t take that adjective literally)

DM-jee is one of the more sober individuals on this site, for whom I happen to have immense respect (although, I am fairly new here (and also, as I said earlier elsewhere, why anyone would cool their heels in frigid Canada is beyond me, but that is not what we are discussing here)). Hence, my earlier advice to him to go cold turkey on “VHP-type” individuals (perhaps including yourself- the “Bucaphelus”) who, as most of the world knows, are incapable of being weaned off anything, so strongly are you intoxicated with your own poisonous rhetoric! The difference is that he has not given up hopes even for individuals like you. Although some of the following fine arguments may be incapable of penetrating through to you, let me try anyway. This is how I understand it:

1) he is well aware of every little point you may have in your quiver.
2) he has experienced the trials and traumas of partition first hand, unlike most of your kind.
3) he holds no grudges and still sees hope for reconciliation.
4) he even holds the hope that people like you can be reasoned with. For that alone, he should be awarded some kind of medal!

Sincerely,
BeeJay

#16 dost-mittar:

``I do want to wean these undecided people away from the hindutva brigade and I wont be able to do so if I lose my credibility with them.``

1. if you think you can achieve any grand strategic objective by writing stuff on chowk, you are not very bright.
2. besides, you are dumb enough to declare the objective openly.

you sure are an arty-farty e-lite intellectual.

BeeJay:

``DM jee, I think your real identity is one of the worst kept secrets of this site, because even a newbie like me can figure it out!``

My nick is not an attempt to hide my identity. Some of the chowkies are my personal friends.

#16, Dost-Mittar to Rahul_Capri

I can not resist interjecting myself into this discussion between these two old Chowk chums.

[I thought that both of us have been at chowk long enough for you to know my opinion on that issue.]
What is going on here? Next thing we know, you guys will be communicating telepathically!

[These people are not ignoramuses, they do know what is happening both in and outside India.]
Based on many, many years of first-hand observation, I could have sworn otherwise!

[I do want to wean these undecided people…]
My recommendation is to go cold turkey!

Side comment: DM jee, you need to be very careful in how you formulate your discussions with Rahul. He has figured out the ultimate weapon (the Brahm-astra) which he can utilize to win any argument. You see, he can always throw Chhayawaad (some shadowy stuff) at you, leaving the bravest of individuals groping for words, while simultaneously making them land on their tushes.

Side-side comment: DM jee, I think your real identity is one of the worst kept secrets of this site, because even a newbie like me can figure it out!

Sincerely,
BeeJay.

rahul-capri:

``Secondly, even if he was writing about secularism in India or the treatment of minorities in India, what perspective is to be gained if he tallks about how minorites are treated in Islamic countries?``

I agree with you that for India and Indians, the benchmark is not an islamic society. And there is no question of justifying what happens in India based on what happens in another country; for that matter, there is no justification for what is done to one community in India based on what is done by the members of that community in another place. I thought that both of us have been at chowk long enough for you to know my opinion on that issue.

However, when writing a piece like Harish has written, one needs to keep in mind who the target audience is? If the target audience is like-minded people, I have no problem with this approach, but then one is simply preaching to the converted. But if the target audience is the english-speaking people who are not firmly in one camp or the other, then I do have some problem. These people are not ignoramuses, they do know what is happening both in and outside India. If one is perceived to be not balanced in one`s reporting, he or she would be considered unfair and therefore lose credibility in their eyes. The moment one loses one`s credibility, one loses one`s power to influence. I do want to wean these undecided people away from the hindutva brigade and I wont be able to do so if I lose my credibility with them.

Hard-hitting ending. Kept on reminding me of the movie Mr. and Mrs. Iyer with that lingering sense of spookiness.

Ref dost-mittar #8

[...this is the difference between your and my kind of writing. While I would have been equally and perhaps even more severe in my criticism of the hindutva hoodlums, I would have also highlighted the plight of the non-muslim in an islamic state to provide a balanced perspective.]

Wow! How wonderfully equal-handed!

Instead of that, how about highlighting the fact that a Muslim minority in a non-Islamic state dared to attack the followers of the majority religion? And asking what would drive them to do it?

That WOULDN`T be secular now, would it?

[In the first three days after Godhra, 400 Muslims were butchered, 179 of them in Ahmedabad alone. The ratio of Muslim versus Hindu deaths in police firing was a numbing 6:1, 42 Muslims and seven Hindus. And this was what had already happened by the time we left Vapi.]

Yo Harish, why only talk about the first three days AFTER Godhra? Why not Godhra itself? There the score was 62 Hindus to 0 Muslims. If the ratio of 6:1 is numbing, how would you describe the ratio of 62:0?

Are you Shia by any chance? You know, those guys are known for beating themselves bloody with chains and knives on Moharram. You seem to be revelling in self-bloodletting just like those guys.

dost-mittar #8
I would have also highlighted the plight of the non-muslim in an islamic state to provide a balanced perspective
First of all the power of Harish`s pieces lie in the fact that he is talking about people ; and thats why he has come across as so objective.He was not looking for any story about secularism; but he did not keep away from it, if it came across from the people he met. Secondly, even if he was writing about secularism in India or the treatment of minorities in India, what perspective is to be gained if he tallks about how minorites are treated in Islamic countries?This kind of perspective that cuts across time and space always obfuscates the subject being discussed.

#3,

So you read about Orissa and Gujarat and generalized to whole of India. I hope that made you happy.

Anything to propagate any notion of minority mistreatment in India.

Harish,

I came to chowk through a poem of yours and pieces like this make me linger on!
Thank you!

harish,

i`ve read through this once, but wanting to read through it again before i give a response that makes sense. but since it`s early morning and i`m still reeling from the fact that i got a perfect score on my farsi written exam, i`d be interested in hearing what an iranian sounds like when they speak hindi. my best friend who is iranian laughs at me sometimes when i speak farsi as if i was speaking urdu/hindi/punjabi. :)

more later. . hopefully. this has been a wonderful read.
--ana

Thanks for the information HN.

BTW this is the difference between your and my kind of writing. While I would have been equally and perhaps even more severe in my criticism of the hindutva hoodlums, I would have also highlighted the plight of the non-muslim in an islamic state to provide a balanced perspective.

Whether the Indian society is divided on communal lines or not , is debatable , and varies from case to case , region to region , person to person....but certainly not for a Paki to judge. Most countries are divided in one way or another. Even US is divided along the lines of race/religion/ethnicity. Every society is polarised one way or another. That cannot be avoided. But what is important is to ensure that there is no discrimination by the state or by law on basis of religion , race or ethnicity.

But is must be said that the root of all communal polarisation is Islam. In any secular country , as soon as muslims cross a certain threshold of population , they create problems. This is visible in Europe in countries like Holland , France and UK . In US , we all know what the Americans think of em` rag heads.

t,

Regarding tokens...as Veeresh would say...our tokens are better than your tokens! Thanks for liking the writing.

BeeJay,

Hey...such blasphemous thought will never cross my mind...though Rohan would easily think of it...were you to be mean! Thanks for staying with the journey.

HP,

Orissa is quite a scary place with regard to the VHP. What gives impetus to such work in this state is that being a predominantly tribal state, there is a fertile ground for resentment to be fanned. The missionaries are pretty active among the tribals. So what happens is any joker with a Hindu name can tap into the VHP gravy train, and mobilise what they call a significant lot to seek political prominence. First through noteireity, and then, perhaps through political legitimisation through elections. Of course, the success rate is abysmall small for that route, but like in everything in India, job applicants are galore!


patwari,

Yeah, looks like this is going to be a book alright. It already is. Though publication is another matter! Thanks for the kind words.

dost,

Taraz`s father was some high official in the energy ministry in Iran. It seems after the revolution, the new regime asked him to convert to Islam if he wanted to stay in the job. He refused, lost the job, but also refused to leave the country. But his children were sent away to India early on, to study. And they were encouraged NOT to return, and make a life away from Iran. This is what I remember. Sima`s case towas something similar. It boiled down to them being unable to rise in society in Iran, without yielding to the pressure to convert.

HN

Harish:
Nice to see you return seamlessly to the theme. I would have liked to read a bit more about Taraz`s reasons for leaving Iran and then choosing India.
Keep going!