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E-mail from readers the world over
Date sent: Sun, 21 Dec 1997 08:34:34 -0500 The single most important development for your country in my opinion is the development of communications. If you are to subsidise anything, it should be this. It has been proven in various studies that the ability to communicate has a dramatic effect on prosperity. If, for example, a local craftsman has an article for sale only in his village, his market is limited. But perhaps if he was able to contact other villages, his market may expand. If he can find new markets, he will find a way to get his products there. This activity -- if magnified across an entire village -- raises the level of commerce significantly. This in turn requires changes to the infrastructure to support the new commerce. And so it goes. This is what happened in my country 100 years ago. The proliferation of phones coupled with the advent of the automobile propelled my country into prosperity. Now the tools of communications are available to your country in far cheaper ways than they were for my country. You will not need monopolies to provide these services. If you permit competition, the price will drop every year and will become widely available over the next 10 years. All your government need do is let it happen.
Date sent: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 15:17:55 +0530 I was a VSO Canada volunteer last year at Mohuda, Orissa. I took the photo of Subhashi, the lady who died.... thank you for publishing Dr Ramani's stories....
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 10:08:39 -0500 Mr Bill Aitken has slyly denigrated Hinduism while writing about his peregrinations in the land that preserved it from despoilers. He talks of "meek Sita yielding to male chauvinists" while forgetting that the epics have a Draupadi too, who would be appeased only with the blood of Dushasana. Kannagi was as devoted to her husband Kovalan, as Sita was to Rama, waiting faithfully for him, while he had a whale of a time with the dancer Madhavi. The point is that these women, though helpless, could summon tremendous spiritual reserves in the face of adversity. And, did not Sita refuse Hanuman's offer of escaping from Lanka seated on his back, preferring instead that Rama claimed her after a kshatriya war? Did she not question the justice of the agni-pariksha (trial by fire), giving Rama a piece of her mind? It was in sheer disappointment and disgust at Rama's lack of trust, not meek obedience, that she entered the fire. Are these the characteristics of a meek, submissive woman or one with unbounded courage and self-esteem? Before making flippant remarks about other peoples's revered epics, he should at least get his facts right. He says that the temples he visited are architecturally beautiful but lacking "spiritual fireworks." What does he expect, flying chariots a la Ezekiel? But wait a moment. What spirituality underlies the "Portuguese-inspired shrine of Velankanni" and "Nagore, the seat of Muslim mysticism" has not been examined. The Virgin of Velankanni must surely be very "meek and yielding to male chauvinists," not speaking one word against the discriminatory doctrine of Original Sin. She was with child by the Holy Ghost who, to the best of my knowledge, never formally courted and espoused Her. If this is not submissiveness, then nothing is. At such places, his "objective " ruminations are at an end. Maybe he does not analyse their purported spirituality because he follows the religion of the aforestated Portuguese and is simply too cautious to write about the religion of the faithful of Nagore. And, any opportunity to denigrate the habitually tolerant pagan is more than welcome. Tut, tut, too much of revealed doctrine is deleterious to the psyche.
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 1997 11:05 AM I think Kumar Sanu cannot win the Filmfare award this year, but might do so next year because he has the real romantic and rich voice which makes lyrics meaningful. The Indian film industry was re-established after Kishore > Kumar's death by the debut of five persons. One, Aamir Khan. Two, Salman Khan. Three, Nadeem-Sharavan. Four, Kumar Sanu. Five, Alka Yagnik. Unfortunately, the times changed for Kumar Sanu in his personal life and for his career. Anuradha Paudwal, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Lata gave him a hard time. However, he is still the best playback singer. Whenever people turn to melody, Kumar Sanu will be on the top again.
Date: Friday, December 12, 1997 1:55 AM Kumar Sanu is an egoist. And Udit is a better singer.
Date: Friday, December 26, 1997 12:43 AM
Please never never call Karisma number 1. She's absolutely disgusting and I have not met an Indian soul who does not think so. With the likes of Kajol and Manisha, Karisma is nowhere in the picture. All that she does is gyrate disgracefully. I think it is a disgrace to compare that female with Madhuri. By all standards, Madhuri is the most beautiful Indian actress to grace the screen since Madhubala. An ardent Hindi movie fan Date: Wednesday, December 24, 1997 5:34 AM You guys are a REAL PIECE OF ART.........God alone knows where you get your facts from as, first of all, MADHURI was never going to be in Rajshri's next BECAUSE they were not willing to pay her price. This has been a well known fact for some time. SO, the news you give claiming Karisma replacing Madhuri is a fragment of your imagination. Suresh
Date sent: Thu, 25 Dec 1997 00:28:51 EST Regarding this report I would like stress one point to the author of this article -- IIayaraja is not only the doyen of South India but to the whole of India. It is interesting to note that many of his songs are being copied in various languages INCLUDING Hindi. Arulraj R
Date: Friday, December 12, 1997 1:31 PM >>Many are hoping it will help black and white Americans come to terms with a shameful past that is often ignored, but refuses to go away. Dear Vaishali Honavar: It is a shame that Ms Honavar did not take the opportunity to remind Indian readers of Rediff of their own shameful past. Such slavery, although obvious in America, was inherent in Indian society for a long time. It was called Fifth Class wasn't it? And many were without rights. The sensationalist viewpoint can often cover an iniquity of one's own errors. Such a film, Amistad, is good cultural self-criticism and as such we appreciate the American viewpoint, that a nation is able at least to continue to rectify itself continuously. When you say America with respect to slavery and bigotry you should remember that it was the southern part that did so, and that a war was fought over slavery called the Civil War. In short I wish that the Indian media were more cogent, more social critical themselves. For example, Bollywood, instead of producing silly aerobics/sing-along combination romances, could produce enlightened self-criticism in its films. A Canadian in Toronto
Date: Friday, December 12, 1997 11:11 AM I am sick and tired of the media, always mixing up fact and fiction, and dishing it out to the public as "history" and putting a spin on the historical facts as it suits them. And what is even more sickening is the attitude of the third/fourth world countries (almost all of those non-white -- the Have-nots) of attacking industrialised/developed countries (almost all of them white -- the Haves) on some real or imagined moral grounds. But let me get some facts straight about slavery: First, none of the three great monotheistic religions (Judaism,Christianity, Islam) ban slavery. Slavery is not proscribed by these religions as is homosexuality, adultery, fornication, usury,etc. Second, the black slaves (there was white slavery too, but the media does not want us to know) who were bought/brought by white Christians with the the aid of Jewish ship owners were already slaves in their land of Africa to the black slave owners. These black masters, some of them tribal chiefs, sold other less fortunate blacks to the white Christian and Jewish businessmen at a premium. It is the eternal law of nature that the strong prey on the weak and to this I may add that the Smart prey on the Dumb as it is in The New World Order today. Slavery was as "normal" a practice back then as is the display of homosexual behaviour today in America's city of San Francisco to give an example! To blame the practice of slavery on the ancestors of white Americans as something bad is not only stupid and unfair, but also dangerous! All the nations/races practised slavery -- Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Orientals, Africans, Asians, at one time or the other. The Hindus (Brahmins) practise it to this day by subjugating the dark aborigines of India as untouchables! Hardly a week ago, 60 men, women, and children were massacred in cold blood by high caste Hindus's henchmen in the state of Bihar. At least the slaves were fed and looked after by their masters unlike the untouchables of Bihar.
Date sent: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 14:12:12 -0800 The feature on Manpreet Brar was excellent.
Date sent: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 21:11:13 -0500 I loved Arundhati Roy's novel; it is wonderfully written. I enjoyed your stories on her and was impressed how thoughtful and balanced they are. Rao Aluri
Date sent: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 20:14:36 -0800 Fascinating reading. Thanks for carrying it on Rediff. The articles left me wishing that diplomats on both sides were on the same wavelength as Mr Natwar Singh and Zia.
Date sent: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 14:58:24 -0800 No one can doubt that Zia was the master of the game. He was such a great player that people in Pakistan still wonder what game he was actually playing? His PR skills were incredible, but in intellect he remained dwarfed by the much more worldly Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who had the misfortune of trusting this famous graduate of St Stephen's in Delhi. From the point of view of this writer Pakistan would have been much better off had this individual (Zia) opted to stay in India. The forces he has released in Pakistani Society (The heroin and the Kalashnikov culture) are tearing that society apart. Let us hope that for all of South Asia's sake, these forces can be controlled. To conclude, let us reflect on the old saying that a pygmy sitting on the back of an elephant can claim to shake a bridge. So what was Zia without the US elephant? And who was playing what game? Ras Siddiqui
Date sent: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 11:08:55 -0800 I wish Indians were aware of all this years ago. Indians would be proud to read a book such as this which describes the intimates lives of our politicians and history. I thank Mr Satish Gujral to bring out this fine piece of work. Venkat Research Scientist
Date sent: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 11:59:11 -0600 Good style! Ketan Desai
Date sent: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 08:12:18 -0800 The government stripped the Nawab of his title and made it symbolic, now we should also strip him of his gun. Sharmila should also be chastised in the media for her inactions in stopping the wanton killing of migratory birds. The government staff that derelicted their duty towards the birds should be given a jail term and fired from their jobs.
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