Filtered Posts

Moving to an Alien Land I think the reason desis emigrate is either economic or personal.Economic reason is easy to explain.The personal is more complicated ranging from social to sexual.The poor desi bourgeoise.They have to study so hard to be able to apply for higher education or get a job overseas so that they can fu*k around with whomever they want , taking bank loans or mortgaging their ma`s jewels in the process.While they can ``get` everything they ``want`` right in their own backyards.C`est la vie!

Bharati Mukherjee : The American Dreamer Is the article about Mukherjee`s writing or the social/psychological factors that led to her writing the way she did/does?.For example..``````.While images of suburban women driving around in a gas-suzzling SUVs, spending their day at the shopping malls would be considered decadent in the minimalist white fiction from a South Asian perspective these are the images of independent, liberated woman who has the freedom to go out and roam around’, she explains`````` is quite incorrect in my opinion.I have seen women in urban India driving Toyota Qualis , Mahindra Scorpio and TATA Safari SUV`s among other desi gas guzzling SUV`s to suburban shopping malls, lighting up a Marlboro(this is a rare but happens!!) while herding their little monsters in the direction of the shops.Quelle difference??.Mukherjee,Rushdie and similar are all dinosaurs, dead if not a dying breed indeed.

Point of View, 1971 Through Now One of my neighbors, an elderly pak gentleman of the old school is presently in thehospital.He immediately took me to be punjabi, `cause of my `fair` skin, i assume when we bumped into each other near the elevator, soon after i moved in and started talking to me in punjabi.That was ten years ago.The last time i invited him over was to watch ``Murder``.Shocked he was by the kissing scene between Sherawat and Hashmi.A week later i found a note at my door informing me he was going to the hospital.He has no children and his wife passed on a while ago.I`m the only other desi in my building!!.In NewYork city, that too!!!.Cutting to the chase.....the man`s kidneys collapsed, he`s still in the hospital undergoing dialysis.He asks me to call his sister in Karachi.I call.Before i can give his niece the whole story, his sister gets on the phone and rants and raves about how she needs money to marry her daughter and that she was expecting the damn thing.NOT a word about her brother`s condition till she had vented about the MONEY.I repeated this to her brother.The B word was barely audible as he was weak from dialysis.I don`t blame the woman.She has her own ax to grind too.And she is no different from any of the women from my country.

AND, that`s my point.On this site , the folks from Pakistan would like to pretend that they`re oh so liberal and understanding, that islam is a religion so universal and accepting of all, that Pakistan is a liberal paradise developed intellectually and industrially and that all kinds of peoples live in a wonderful state of romp and circumstance in this utopian nation called pakistan.Unlike indians or from the indian diaspora.That`s where the problem begins, on this site, atleast.Even those indians who come on board wanting to interact with more paks than they already know end up hating them!!.It takes two hands to clap.

Bharati Mukherjee : The American Dreamer Interesting observations by all and they do have some validity.I must say, though, that i do have some insight into the minds of this genre of desis as my own ma is , i guess, one of ``them``.I grew up in the midst of the literary, the affected and the wacko of the university crowd.Thankfully my dad was real.Every time we were dragged to see a play, he would escape during the intermission to the local watering hole and my mom would join after the play was over.The early immigrants from the subcontinent were from the educated, the well heeled and the elite.They were as racist, classist , exclusive and narrow minded as the people they accuse.I guess they were shocked to be at the receiving end of the treatment they usually mete out back home.The hordes of snaggle toothed desi immigrants and the invasion of academia by the dreaded desi bourgeoise they despised has changed all that.Now they have become rare, as their own offspring, often than not, have joined the ranks of the bourgeoise or become anti-establishment and dropped out of things.And, believe you me, this literary, head in the sky crowd doth love money and the good life.

The Tsunami Disaster If there is a ``God`` then the being must be feminine and is a B*TCH.Only a beeaatch will be so cruel, petty and vindictive and inflict havoc on its` own creation.

Point of View, 1971 Through Now To the Pak-Muslim Rat in interact #283....

Chowk is a platform to publish, discuss and debate writings on a variety of issues that are important to the people of India, Pakistan, and other South Asian countries. It is a place to:
express and exchange ideas
discover eclectic thoughts
get useful information
meet new people
engage in social change
enjoy and educate yourself

Chowk is committed to promote the right to express. It nurtures ideas and voices that are original, investigative, and independent of doctrine and dogma. Chowk does not propose, favor or defend any ideology. Readers and writers arrive at their views through debate in an open and free environment.

Chowk does not claim to solve the political or social problems of Pakistan and/or India. Rather, it provides a platform for dialogue, introspection, and familiarity amongst the people to break taboos and facilitate a climate for lasting peace and understanding.

Chowk is a not-for-profit publication, managed by a self-directed staff of editors, associates, and correspondents. All of Chowk content is contributed by its members. In essence Chowk is an ecosystem of hyper-writing, an emergent form of journalism. At Chowk, writers and readers interact to give birth to new ideas, sometimes diminishing and other times enhancing the original message.


......................Take the word ``India`` out of the above, and i , for one wouldn`t bother to enter.If not, just put up and shut up.

What Does It Mean to be a Muslim in a Secular Country? The answer to the title of this blase` collection of words is:

1. To have a chip on one`s shoulder.
2. To be marginalized and not integrated into host society.
2. To have problems of sexuality and sexual identity.
4. To become hateful and narrow minded.
5. To resent customs and traditions of native society.
6. To use violence as a release for pent up energy accumulated as a result of the above.
7. To become a total misfit ,marginalized and rejected by all.

What a waste!!

Let the People Meet #50 by amit on January 12, 2005 2:01pm PT
Re:nikki7777#46

.......What you say is absolutely right paysan.BUT, reality in our part of the world is tres` different, isn`t it.When i was last visiting the Punjab, a crusty son of the soil told me with much feeling, ``Here (in Punjab)the motto is, Brother, Brother ,F**k each other``!!!.I think the same is true all over the sub-continent.In fact , my native land is scarier than the Punjab, if you ask me!!.Ever been to the annual bull fights near Madurai.These make the Spanish bull fights look like a ballet version of men in tights.Blood and gore everywhere, in Tamilnadu , during the bull fights.Well. the point is our people can never live together in harmony.Never happened, never will.Good intentions apart.Practically speaking.....NOT A CHANCE.That`s why they cleverly devised the separation in 1947.Now one must question the intention of those who were excluded , wanting to get together again.Simple.CBM`s indeed!!!.

Let the People Meet Let the people meet.The indians can drive through in a fleet of TATA Indicas.The pak`s ???......oh, they don`t manufacture any cars ,do they??.Well,they can find snaggle toothed truck drivers who drive 1945 `Bedfords` aplenty.....

http://www.wheels24.co.za/Wheels24/NewModels/0,7427,1369-1374_1631896,00.html

........

Bharati Mukherjee : The American Dreamer This `Bharati` woman is so typical of the early immigrant.....Elitist, `white` loving and anglo.So desperate for attention from someone white.Also, feeling SO superior to their fellow indians `cause they lived(at that time), in America and for the `lucky` few, marrying white.I know `cause i grew up around that generation.I always wanted to throw up after every encounter with them.I really had no choice as i was wee and helpless and had to accompany my parents to social gatherings.After a lifetime with the same, i was so glad when i was all grown up and could travel and mingle with real desis and others.Even a snaggle toothed ,drunk sardarji truck driver was welcome company to these phonies(especially the literary ones) , that i grew up with.I had sweet revenge watching this crowd react with aghast at the hordes of snaggle tooth sardarjis overrunning newyork and the dreaded bourgeoise invading the corporate spaces and university positions , these elites thought were their exclusive domain.

Myths about the Golden Age of Islam YAWN...............FART.................BURP................YAWN, again........BLOODY BORE ,EH WHAT???......I SAY GET A LIFE, EH WHAT???..........

The Tsunami Disaster Apparently, animals in my native state have more sense than the people.Alas.And, that includes parasite NGO guys like the author who make a livelihood , feeding off the base instincts and irresponsible behaviour of the `poor`.This article is proof of that.........

In death zone, basic instincts worked


Nagapattinam sanctuary: Of 2,200 animals, only 1 died


JANYALA SREENIVAS/INDIAN EXPRESS


Posted online: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 at 0128 hours IST



POINT CALIMERE, JANUARY 11: What was once the stuff of legend has been comprehensively demonstrated on the ground in this wildlife sanctuary. Cold statistics and matching eyewitness accounts tell the rest of the story.

K R Ramachandran, forest officer of the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary at Kodaikarai, some 65 km from Nagapattinam, says that 8 to 10 minutes before the waves crashed into the sanctuary, all the guards standing in observation towers saw the same spectacle: Virtually every animal, including droves of black bucks, spotted deer, wild boar and jackals, dashed towards higher grounds and stood there—like students at a school assembly.



‘‘Our staff made a physical inspection and found only one wild boar dead. Probably it was sick and could not make it,’’ said Ramachandran.

‘‘There are 2,200 animals of various species at the sanctuary and all of them are safe.’’

Among the animals that sensed the danger and fled were 1,800 black bucks, 250 spotted deer, 40 feral horses, and a number of wild boars and jackals which inhabit the 321 sq km sanctuary.

‘‘Even the guard at the lighthouse nearby saw the animals suddenly run inside the sanctuary,’’ said Ramachandran. ‘‘Our birds—flamingoes and migratory ducks—also flew away before the waters came. They returned an hour later and started feeding as if nothing happened.’’

The lowlands have been totally ravaged by the sea water forcing the forest department to close down the sanctuary. Forest officials said rainwater harvesting systems, fresh water ponds and water holes have been inundated by sea water, rendering them useless.

‘‘The sanctuary is closed for public. The receding water has deposited a lot of mud which has not yet dried and it is almost impossible to enter the sanctuary. Only guards take rounds to make sure the animals are safe,’’ said Jaganathan, a forest guard.

Ramachandran added that the biggest threat was faced by black bucks which stay close to the sea. Although the other animals were deeper inside, even they made a dash to higher grounds.

They are still staying away from the sea and fortunately for them, the small water holes inside the sanctuary have not been touched by sea water.

The sanctuary is famous for its 40 wild horses. Although the waters have receded, they are still seen grazing on elevated grounds and hillocks.

Let the People Meet After reading this column, i am convinced that either all indians of pak-punjabi origin will have to be weeded out by other indians and repatriated back to the land of their origin or present day India will be broken up into three areas,namely.....north/north central, south and east, forming new nations with new names and charters.This is anyways, the ultimate aim of the pak establishment/people.To break up India.And who best to help them , other than the people of pak-punjab who were given asylum in India in 1947, by appealing to their sentiments.And, who will gloat?.The pak`s of course.After all they still think of themselves as the rulers of north India and of all north indian hindus as their serfs/slaves.They want to ``dictate`` the direction of hindi movies even before they`ve been officially released in pakland, as per a film guy there by the name of Hasan Zaidi, just to give an example.Forewarned is forearmed.I don`t blame the pak`s or belittle them for trying to break India up.Survival of the fittest.The world is a jungle.

Point of View, 1971 Through Now #242 by kaurasach on January 11, 2005 12:39pm PT
((Bhindranwale??......Zia-ul-Huq??....Musharaaf??))


...........Yeah.Quite the romantic he was.Kept callin` me `soni kudi` ,especially after a few gulps of local hooch was imbibed.The man was young, yet he had a few teeth missing.Scary place is the Punjab, it truly is.There`s one way you can stop fantasizing about the truck driver and myself.Rent some porn and wank off till the hair flies outta yer nostrils.

The Tsunami Disaster 75 by M.B.Z.Isphahani on January 11, 2005 12:39pm PT


..................Yeah.I believe you.Keep on sniffing, dude.Life`s a whiff.

Point of View, 1971 Through Now 233 by kaurasach on January 11, 2005 9:54am PT
I am going to agree with Nikki in 178 and 184.....only to a point.....I`ve thought about this too.


............I am indeed touched. As for...``To their credit, they have produced distinguished leaders in almost every field......??????.Who???........Bhindranwale??......Zia-ul-Huq??....Musharaaf??

---

Birds of a feather.....I can`t think of anyone else.