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E-mail from readers the world over
Date sent: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 09:18:09 -0600 While many of us appreciate your prompt news coverage, the soap opera- like language mixed with reporting news is a little hard to swallow. I am referring to the news column of the above subject matter where the author has run amok with hyperbole, metaphors and superlatives. Please...that's not necessary. Do stick with news reporting, else you will lose credibility. Nitin Tarte
Date sent: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 10:24:58 -0500 Dear Kanchan Gupta, It is saddening to read your article on the Bihar massacre. Unfortunately, metropolitan India does not realise the plight of the real (rural) India. I hope the time comes when every Indian understands the reality in India. Balan
Date sent: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 22:41:10 -0800 (PST) Hi, my name is Jatinder Singh. I am a regular reader of Rediff. I would specially like to extend my thanks to Kanchan Gupta for doing a fabulous job on the Laxmanpur massacre article. While reading this article one cannot help but wonder at the writing ability of Kanchan. The writer did a wonderful job. It seems Kanchan writes from the heart. The writer feels the sorrow in the hearts of the people and lays it out there in the form of words. For a busy guy like me, I rather read a meaningful and heart wrenching article like that than waste my time sifting through some dry articles on some other Internet sites. Thumbs up to Kanchan for his special report. Keep up the good work.
Date sent: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 03:10:39 -0600 The situation is disgraceful and the stench is rising all the way up to God in Heaven, regardless of your name for him or your view of paradise. The Spotlight, a conservative newspaper in Washington, DC, stated recently that a secret paper included in other UN papers stated that approximately a quarter or a third of mankind must be killed to meet the aims of the UN by 2000. (My rewording as I don't have the article at hand.) And, this is happenings all over the world not just in India. Society is coming to pieces everywhere, including the US, and seems to be encouraged, rather than discouraged, by the governments of the world!
Date sent: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 21:13:04 -0600 I hope there was a book like Mother written by Maxim Gorky which had resulted in a revolution in Russia way, way back. There has to be someone who could do the same for Shihan Hussaini as I am all with him. I also appreciate his courage in marrying a Hindu in spite of stiff resistance from his community. I wish both of them a very very happy married life. I would want this news to be spread around the country before the election, and let all citizens know that we are one and its only that the BJP that can give us an opportunity to be together and would not seclude us with religion. The only person who could take care of this country is none other than our ex-prime minister Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Everybody has been given sufficient chances and there should be no coalition government. Paritosh Chakrborty New Jersey
Date sent: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 19:33:34 -0800 An excellent article, connecting all dimensions: Time, regions, economy. I have some comments below. I want you guys to give a serious thought to it and may be publish it. We are hearing a lot of talk among the Indian community in United States about how alternative forms of government in India which could bring in stability, and put an end to the drama played when the 524 jokers gather in Delhi. Speakers and writers are thinking in the lines of a Presidential form of government there. But when I look at the articles in the Indian press (on the Web), I do not see any thought being given to such an idea. I wonder how and why people are keeping quiet and not doing anything to put an end to this drama. Have the people given up hope? Are the people so much resigned that they can take any nonsense from these jokers? When is this drama going to end? Are we looking at the problems with the right perspective? We have learnt in history that infighting has been the cause of our vulnerability to external aggression umpteen number of times. But we fail to connect our history with the present. Why does not the Press start writing about alternate forms of government and instill these ideas in people? The Press has a lot more influence these days over the people, than earlier. The Press will be doing a lot of service to the country if they can make the people realise that a bunch of politicians have been/are/will be taking the people for a ride and it is time people rise before it is too late. We need to see more proactive articles than the coverage of fallouts in poll alliances and irresponsible statements by politicians. Do they really deserve that much attention? What is the need of the moment? May be it is time the media thought about the difference they can make in the future of the country. Naren Bhat
Date sent: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 00:08:07 +0800 The Jain report only implicates the DMK and not the whole race. To say that the Hindu culture is largely attributed to Tamils is preposterous. Remember Sankara never considered himself as a 'Southerner.' His achievement speaks for itself. South India is only a geographical entity. Remember Mandela and De Klerk are both South Africans. Please confine the Dravidian nest to the Tamils.
Date sent: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 09:59:24 -0800 The article on ISRO is great. I felt if there is something we can do to improve the capabilities of ISRO and make it more successful.
Date sent: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 07:37:54 +0800 This is a good sign in general. However, the thorn is Jaya's corrupt past rule! How the BJP handles the court verdicts, which anyhow seems to ensure a place for Jaya behind bars is to be seen. Any alliance that can stop the corrupt-inept-disastrous DMK rule is perfectly acceptable for TN and more so for India. Economic corruption can always be set right. But the DMK's moral, ethical and national sovereignty corruption cannot be set right at all. The DMK should be thrown out. Any alliance for that objective is good for all of us. Bharath Mata ki Jai! S Anand Singapore
Date sent: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 00:58:41 EST This alliance is just opportunistic. Jayalalitha knows because of this alliance in this election she is not going to gain any seats, except she feels if the BJP forms the government it could save her from the corruption charges against her. But time will tell that she can't escape.
Date sent: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 08:54:48 +0100 What's happening to the BJP? Has it gone out of its mind? It's making the same mistake as the Congress did last time by walking hand in hand with the most corrupt government (AIADMK) the country has ever seen after Independence. The BJP unfortunately is stooping down to the lowest level (which is of the Congress) and they are going to lose whatever little supporters they have down south. I hope even now good sense prevails among the central leadership and that they withdraw from any such alliance with the AIADMK. Yaji
Date sent: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 10:34:53 PST Every single person has reservation for his own caste as the main issue for elections. How can they issue moral manifesto when they themselves are no better than their political counterparts? Don't they understand that by giving reservation to one particular caste, it will only increase communal tension? This is just another ploy to force whatever government comes to power to give reservation to dalit Christians. I wonder if there is a section of brahmins called dalit brahmins. Vincent Thomas
Date sent: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 10:16:40 -0800 The suggestions proposed seem reasonable and we should propose Gandhi's name for the Nobel peace prize. If there is a way a common man like me can contribute to this cause please let me know. Dr Nalini M Guda, MD.
Date sent: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 05:45:02 -0000 Excellent reading. Well done..
Date sent: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 02:30:04 -0500 I would like to take this opportunity and make some comments about the interview with K Mohandas. In the interview Mr Mohandas revealed many interesting facts about the Indian government's involvement in training and arming the Tamil militants. Mr Mohandas also expressed his opinion about M G Ramachandran's and other political parties' attitude toward Tamil militants. He particularly, said that "Prabhakaran is more terrorist than patriot." Having worked as a director general of police, during M G Ramachandran's period, Mohandas unquestionably knows many facts about the Tamil militants and India's hand on them. But when he said that "Prabhakaran is more terrorist than patriot," I couldn't stand without expressing my opinion about what he said of V Prabhakaran. Mohandas said, "These people thought like Indian politicians, Prabhakaran also could be lured by the offer of a chief ministership!" V Prabhakaran, of course, didn't accept the offer of chief ministership. This act alone shows that V Prabhakaran is more patriotic than those Indian politicians. Prabhakaran didn't accept the chief ministership because he believed that accepting a chief ministership won't solve the Tamils problem. Mohandas, also, said "I did not resign because I was told I would lose some money if I resigned then." This act of Mohandas shows that he lost his self-respect, if he had any, for "some money." But, on the other hand, we see V Prabhakaran rejecting chief ministership for his people. So imagine an Indian DGP's patriotism and a so-called terrorist's patriotism. It is said, "In matters of style swim with the current; in matters of principle stand like a rock." In the Indian subcontinent, Prabhakaran is the only one who stands like a rock when it comes to principles. Others, in the Indian subcontinent, fall for any thing. Prabhakaran not only admired Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose, but also inherited their discipline and patriotism. All the Indian leaders do lip service to the people about their founding fathers, but only Prabhakaran lives according to their principles. To make India better, India has to follow the path of their founding fathers. Prabhakaran follows that path that is why he did not compromise his patriotism with chief ministership. Sadly, those who claimed to be Indians don't understand about patriotism. For example, Rediff would have nailed Mohandas in its interview if the interviewer had understood about patriotism. Parasutharan P University of Toronto
Date sent: Fri, 26 Dec 1997 19:50:55 -0800 It would be totally unfortunate if the speculation that Sonia has some kind of secret deal going with the BJP, and that she is engineering Congress defections to the BJP in order to keep the BJP from harassing her vis-a-vis Bofors, were to be true. Having found the truth, it is another matter if she is forgiven. The Indian tax payers interests in the face of the unconscionable corruption and immorality pervading New Delhi demand that nothing, and nobody, is held above law. Let us get the truth out. Pradip Parekh
Date sent: Mon, 24 Nov 1997 21:19:37 PST Your page attracts me everyday. Everything is very exciting, especially the Hindi movies section. Earlier this week, I read an article put up by Mr Amberish K Diwanji. I'm sure many of you must have read it. It was titled "Don't throw English out of India". I respect his ideas but I have to say that he went too far in saying things against Hindi as a language and as I read on, I found his article very immature. I will try my level best to explain myself. I am sure many of you will agree. Should Hindi BE or NOT be the national language of India? It is already but should it replace English? This question comes up in the mind of every India every now and then. The reason why I think Hindi should replace English is simple. English is not our language. When Mr Diwanji talked about this subject, he mentioned that the reason why South Indians opposed English so badly was because they feared their languages would be thrown aside. I think in every state, the language of the state should be the prime language and Hindi should be taught side by side. For example, in Karnataka (the state Diwanji talked about), Kannada should be taught alongside Hindi in schools. Diwanji talked about how language caused disputes in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In reply, I would like to remind him that in both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, there existed only two languages. Pakistan had Punjabi and Bengali and Sri Lanka had Sinhala and Tamil. In each case opposition was bound to come from the other side because there are two languages. Even in Canada, the French- speaking population demands autonomy because they come in direct competition with the English-speaking Canadians. But, what do you do when there aren't two but 18 official languages like in India? In such a democratic country, doesn't it make sense to adopt that language as the national language which is spoken most widely and the individual languages be the first language of their respective territories? Yes, it does. But unfortunately Diwanji doesn't see things that way. It is a pity and ironic that in spite of having 18 official languages, the national language of the largest democracy, India, is English, a language used by their oppressors and a language imposed on them. Diwanji even went as far as criticising the Hindi belt of India as being poor, overpopulated, pathetic and a curse to India not because of corrupt politicians or lack of attention by politicians, but because of Hindi being more widely spoken. At this point, I would like to remind Diwanji that states like Bihar has the most mineral and oil resources of not just India but all of Asia. Only if politicians cared, it could be the most developed state because of its underground wealth. Diwanji also mentioned about North Indian Muslims opposing Hindi. In reply to that I would like to bring attention the Urdu news broadcast that was started in Hubli, Karnataka and was shattered by the BJP. In response, the BJP won its first seats in the south Indian state of Karnataka. This clearly shows that even Karnataka were against Urdu, not just North Indians. I would love to hear Mr Diwanji's comments on that. Urdu is the language of Pakistan. India is not Muslim. We have given away a huge chunk of land for the Islamic religion. There is no need to teach their language in our country now. Any true Indian would feel this way. I was shocked to read the Diwanji wrote that South Indians see Hindi speakers as their conquerors. How can one see Hindi as their conqueror and not English? English ruled over us. How much more pain and evidence do we need to see English as a language of imperialists? It is sad that Diwanji thinks poverty in Bihar is due to the fact that there are no English medium schools in Patna, and not due to the fact that the government there has done absolutely nothing for the people of Bihar. The people don't even know that their state is richest in all mineral resources, and if Bihar was an independent country with no corruption, it would have been as rich as some countries in the Gulf. Diwanji clears states in his poll that a majority of Indians can understand Hindi and a much less number even understand English, yet he says, English should stay and Hindi influence should be stopped. Regional television shows are a mix of regional languages and English, NOT Hindi. Something for people like Diwanji to be proud of? It's astonishing, that although Diwanji showed in his survey that 71% Indians understand Hindi and only 31% understand English, he says GET RID OF HINDI and LOVE ENGLISH. Clearly, only North Indians do now compromise of that 71%? I would like to say there is no need to pass a Hindi exam if you are in Tamil Nadu. You need to pass Tamil only or Telugu if your in Andhra, but keep Hindi because it's Indian, most widely spoken and for the sake of conversation. It's not very hard especially if 71% can understand it. What do you say? And as far as minority languages in every state is concerned, I come from Bihar. I speak Bhojpuri in my house and I have no objection to Hindi. Similarly, the Urdu-speaking people of Hyderabad should speak and learn Telugu if a language has to be imposed. Diwanji asks us to accept the minority religions like Islam if we want to be a true Indian as India goes in the next century but keep English. Will that make us more Indian? It is a pity and extremely sad that people like Diwanji would love to speak English nationally, the language of the people who killed India fifty years ago, rather than the language of our own India. India will never attain complete freedom unless and until English is thrown away. Priyank Tewari
Date: Friday, January 02, 1998 1:53 AM It's heartening to know that Karisma considers Madhuri great. That's the only redeeming feature. I entirely disagree with the notion that's she has drawn a lot of flak because of her gyrations. That was just the starting point. The reason why she is not liked by many is: 1. She's got a great complexion but she is definitely not beautiful. 2. She can't act. Yes some movies have been hits but excuse me, how many Hindi movies have been successful because of the actresses? She's had a lucky streak and acted in some decent movies (which is at a dearth right now). I suggest you take a poll on how many people really like her. You might be surprised at the number of people who don't want to see movies because of her. Believe me, this is not just a personal opinion.
Date: Saturday, January 03, 1998 10:05 AM There appears to be no good biographies of Indian actors/singers etc. Anything one reads is sanctified and the person made to appear holier than thou. The Arts & Entertainment (A&E) channel here in the US runs biographies of all kinds of people including some mythological figures that are extremely interesting. The material is original, narrated very well, with re-enactment of key moments in the person's life. I would love to read about say Mohammad Rafi -- where he was born, how he learned to sing so well, how he died and so on. I believe that others would also find this kind of material very interesting. Yes, your memories column seems to be similar but not quite as detailed. Pradeep Bansal Old Westbury, NY
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