|
|
|
|
|
| HOME | NEWS | DEAR REDIFF | |||
|
COMMENTARY
|
|
|
E-mail from readers the world over
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 1998 14:06:38 +0530 I am in perfect agreement with the thoughts expressed by Tendulkar in this article. It is true that we are taught to hate the Muslims from our childhood. This is true even in case of our 'Father of the Nation'...Gandhiji. A false image of Bapu was created before my eyes in my childhood. It was conveyed in direct or indirect manner that Bapu was responsible for Partition and the violence that followed it. I see the cause of it in the kind of society we live. We are too frightened to trust anybody who we consider as an 'outsider'. We take so many things for granted. We believe that Muslims are always trying to make this country Islamic. That becomes the very threat for our existence. Hindus and Muslims consider each other as 'mutually exclusive' communities. Now in the age in which we live, the world is shrinking at the exponential rate. It is time now to break the junk old paradigms that were developed in our minds knowingly or unknowingly. We are there to share all the beauties and glories of life with everyone. Religion is meant for the union of the people. Why to use it as a weapon that separates human beings? Mandar
Date sent: Thu, 25 Dec 1997 17:02:07 -0800 While one appreciates the fact that Vijay Tendulkar is the greatest living Indian playwright, one feels that this article is based more on the author's experience with his personal Muslim friends, and emotionally charged, rather than the problem with the entire picture. A lot of us have Muslim friends and we have absolutely no qualms in nurturing such friendships. But the bare facts are there for everyone to see. While the Indian population has grown three fold since Independence, the Muslim population has grown five to six times. I have not met a single poor Muslim who has less than two wives and less than eight to ten children in a family. Only the affluent and educated tend to have a smaller family. I have in fact counted more than eighteen siblings under a single roof. And these kids are left in the streets the whole day, and they spend their time either stealing from the neighbourhood or get into fights and quarrels on the streets. The children are unkempt. While you can attribute this, with your secular dark glasses to poverty, I see a plot here. At any cost these people want to outnumber the Hindus and they are willing to do it even if they let their own kids go hungry or get into criminal activities. Muslim kids never come to the same school as the mainstream and tend to isolate themselves, at least in their formative years in Madarsas. This is the root cause of the whole problem. At this stage, neither does the Hindu kids get to have any Muslim friends to interact and mingle with, nor do the Muslim kids get to know that the kafirs are actually a friendly lot, if well nurtured. I can make this statement with confidence, based on my personal experience. Despite the fact that my school was in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood, there were absolutely no Muslim students in my class until high school and college, when they have no other alternative, unless they prefer to drop out. Aurangzeb was a tyrant, and there is no use pretending else wise. One cannot reverse history and glorify Aurangzeb and try to vilify Shivaji. That makes a mockery of history. It is of course hard to teach history to children and ask them to be objective analysts of Indian history, without getting involved or making judgements at the same time. I can quote any number of Muslim friends that I might have had since my college days and swear to the fact that they can actually make good human beings and friends, but there is no denying the basic facts that most of the current day problems, be it Madurai, Coimbatore, Assam or Jammu and Kashmir, Islam is the main problem to contend with. Pseudo secular preachings will not help, nor will these pseudo secular politicians who have been widening the chasm between the two communities. And all the holier than thou playwrights and so-called intellectuals can make a living writing junk articles which will help no one. Srinivas Murthy
Date sent: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 05:35:10 -0500 What does Vijay Tendulkar want to say? He wants to blame everyone -- society, the parents, the history book and everything else -- for trying to create prejudice. What does he offer as a solution? Nothing. Gadrey
Date sent: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 05:35:10 -0500 Simply brilliant. Only someone of Vijay Tendulkar's maturity could pinpoint the way most of us feel about the Muslims. Frankly, I have always considered myself a secular Hindu. Since childhood, I have been influenced by movies, amongst other things, about Hindu-Muslim friendship (one amongst them being V Shantaram's Padosi/Shejaari) and always felt that I would always set an example of being secular. Well as it happens to so many of us 'secular' Hindus, this feeling has always been in the head and never really been put to test. I was never in Bombay when the riots took place and for that matter when the blasts took place. I always was a spectator far far away, so it was safe to rationalise and pass judgement. I do wonder what would have happened if I were called to prove my so-called feelings of camaraderie towards Muslims. I remember I had just one Muslim class mate, Itehad Sheikh, and yes he was a clean Muslim, in fact more cleaner than all of us, since his parents were doctors and very well off ! He was great fun and just being friends with him sort of made me feel right, that I was doing my bit for the country! Later when my profession took me to Pakistan, not once but thrice, I always went with an open mind, trying to be an ambassador of goodness, and warmth. Amazingly I was treated really well, notwithstanding the fact that the Pakistan secret police did shadow me in Peshawar as though I were some Bond film hero. To the everlasting credit of my Pakistani collegues at the ANZ Bank, I was completely supported at all times. Again alas, I do not know what I would have done if such a thing were to happen to them in India. Would I have given them the moral support then, or would I have been a coward and shrugged and hidden behind the fact that such things happen! But Vijay Tendulkar's article opened my eyes today to the fact that no matter how much I kid myself, I am not secular. Because I may have cried hoarse when the Babri Masjid came down, but only amongst friends and not one of them were Muslims. I did not do much to help the victims of the riots of Bombay either or for that matter riots anywhere else. Yes, we are the same people, is there any doubt about it? But in a country where we still try to combat casteism, this is far beyond our understanding! Oh well I hope someday I will make good what I always dreamt of being, the really secular Indian! Thank you Vijay saaheb, you have opened my eyes! Raghu Kulkarni Minneapolis
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 22:03:38 -0800 Vijay Tendulkar wrote: "A Muslim meant someone with a beard. The word also conjured up an unclean appearance, uncouth behaviour, lack of education and culture. A Muslim was someone you stayed away from. Contact with them in any form was supposed to be dangerous. I still remember a common expression very frequently heard in casual conversations among white-collared adults: "Manoos Ahes Ka Musalman?" (Are you a human being or a Muslim ?)" Thank you for your honesty Vijay Tendulkar. Such ideas unfortunately also exist on the other side of this divide. In this writing is proof that to blame Jinnah for the creation of Pakistan is nonsensical. The birth of Pakistan lies embedded in the psyche that was so well presented in this article. To me as a Pakistani-American, the questioning of Pakistan's birth is a fruitless exercise. The answer to that lay with Nehru and not Jinnah. But the current challenge before us is not our past. As South Asians we have much in common and be proud of. But unless this psyche of yours can be controlled along with the hawks from across the border, the future does not look bright. But be honest like this article. Don't try and hide Kashmir behind "secularism." Face it, and let the Kashmiris go. It is time to correct Nehru's "other mistake." Ras Siddiqui
Date sent: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 12:43:33 +0900 While Vijay Tendulkar may be the greatest playwright in India today, these comments in his article are showing an uncalled for distortion of the facts about how Hindus view the Muslims. It may be that he had grown up in such circumstances, but, NONE of the present generation have any such "misgivings" about Muslims. In schools, we were taught about Akbar the Great, Maulana Azad and the likes. We even read that Aurangzeb -- though was a cruel king -- still was such a disciplined man that he earned his living by making copies of Koran and never used public money So, it is incorrect to put out the feeling that Hindus generally think about Muslims -- "unclean appearance, uncouth behaviour, lack of education and culture." Blatantly incorrect. Articles by such intelligent people (that too on such sensitive topics) can unnecessarily cause a misunderstanding about "India" abroad, where people are not aware of the Indian culture and its unity-in-diversity. It is necessary to state in such articles (by the publisher) that these ideas may be irrelevant today -- as indeed they are. It is a disgrace to the Indian thinking and attitude, in general. We, in the 21st century still like to see how and what we thought about Muslims some 70 years back -- instead of looking at how we would like to be in the 21st century. It is sad to note that only the Indians take pride in writing such junk and irrelevant articles (and are not even cautious about the relevance). We live in the past, waste the present and lose sight of the future. For a change, can't you ask someone to write about the future -- how we would like to be more like one country, one people? It is a serious waste of all kinds of resources of the country to produce such articles causing a warp of the public mind (which in India is very fragile). It is time for us to stand up and instill the feeling in the people that we are ONE. I hope to see such articles on Rediff in the future. Uday
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 16:31:30 -0800 Most Indians have grown up in the same environment as he has. Muslims have a problem of bad reputation, not only in India but also in Eastern Europe or just about wherever Arabs invaded and failed to destroy the culture of the people. That explains ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 19:12:39 -0500 I started reading your article with enthusiasm and high anticipation of reading the thoughts of the so-called leading playwright of India. By the time, I reached the end of the article, I found myself battling with troubled thoughts -- can a person who has witnessed the likes of multi-raced freedom fighters, and lived to see the multifaceted contributions of a variety of races to the Indian soil, give such a one-sided picture of such a sensitive issue? I would like to bring to your notice details that you seem to have overlooked (Perhaps, you concentrated too much on what your attitude was, rather than stressing what the truth is.) Living in a multi-caste society, each one of us would have unique experiences with our neighbours. If we were to generalise all our experiences, we would not only be committing a blunder, but also add to the prejudices already rampant by the negative impact of many a biased individuals. If I were to use your terms of referring to people by caste, I'll have to pen my thoughts in this caste-ridden way. "My native state is Tamil Nadu -- where the Dravida organisations established their roots by instigating Brahmin antagonism. Did you hear "Are you a human being or a Muslim?" Well I have heard, "If you see a Brahmin and a snake, kill the Brahmin first and then the snake next. (Supposedly, Brahmins are considered more poisonous than the deadliest Cobras)." If I were irrational and if I choose to be moulded by what I hear, I would now be a person with anti-Brahmin venom in my blood. And what's more, I'll have the convenience of blaming my environment for the kind of person I am. After living 69 years in a multi-race country, how can you continue to cite only the prejudiced childhood influences? If you can remember a Shivaji play where the Mughal characters were portrayed as drunkards, lechers and big-mouthed cowards, don't you remember any of the charismatic plays of patriots like "Tipu Sultan," or the contributions of "Akbar The Great" who laid the foundations of a Din-I-Ilahi in a caste-ridden society, or do you have any recollection of "Maulana Abul Kalam Azad" or have you not witnessed any of the architectural wonders and monuments of the Mughal dynasty? Dear Mr Tendulkar, I sure agree with you that environment and upbringing does play a role in shaping one's attitude. But somewhere down the line, one has to think for oneself. One can choose to continue to be dominated by childhood influences or take the rational path of cultivating one's psyche by the reality as perceived by one's own eyes and heart. If you choose to attribute your attitude towards Muslims to your early experiences, refrain from sowing the seeds of prejudices by stating and restating only the baneful experiences of your past. How about some positive recollections like: "The Red Fort where we celebrate our Independence, Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort which gives millions a feasting sight. The Shalimar gardens and many-a-Mughal marks in Kashmir....? " Maybe I'm asking too much in expecting a playwright to be a social reformer. But am I not justified in expecting a fellow Indian to keep in mind that India is a land of diverse races? Biased statements, especially the ones highlighted by the media, will provoke many a hearts! My best wishes for a new year free of bias.
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 17:11:52 -0500 This article gives the impression that all Hindus are brought up with the idea that all Muslims are bad. My own experience is not similar to that of the author. I had my early education in Kerala in the state of Cochin. My class and school mates came from different backgrounds -- Hindus, Muslims, Christians. I cannot ever recall ever branding any Muslim as being bad. We were kids and that was that. It is true though that Brahmins tended to be more close to other Brahmins etc, but this was more because the people of different castes, religions etc lived in different parts of the town. When I moved to Madras, again I did not see any discrimination of the kind described by the author. Of course we were aware of caste and religious differences but no body had any bad feelings about Muslims. I think that South India was spared from these types of differences. However, I see now that thanks to our politicians, there is a definite chasm that is dividing not only Hindus and Muslims, but even Hindus on the basis of caste. I for one, however, believe that all Indians are equal and that being so, there should be a common law for all citizens and also that every Indian has a right to own property and live in any part of India. Of course this is one of the main articles of faith of the BJP. I agree with the BJP, but I cannot and will not support any idea that says that Hindus are the only true Indians. Religion has no part in deciding who is an Indian and who is not. V Hari
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 17:07:28 -0500 Thanks for writing such a brilliant and courageous column. I'm a very devout Christian, however, I also grew up with the bias against Muslims indoctrinated by society. We need more people like Mr Tendulkar who would stand up and make a difference by changing attitudes and battling prejudices.
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 13:43:11 -0800 Have to undo the damage. The article truly depicts the psyche of the majority of Hindus. But in a typical cosmopolitan middle class neighbourhood, Muslims and Hindus exist side by side, and generally are good friends. In essence, they are Indians and humans. This can be taken as a foundation to foster better relations between the two communities. The people should be encouraged to think and act rationally, to question their conscience and to take responsibility for their actions. Not encourage actions based on emotions fueled by politics and politicians. After all, majority of the middle class are well educated, have good moral values, are well read, are well aware of the news and think logically and rationally. In this Information Age, I don't think it is difficult to educate the masses about living in harmony. Let the people know that there are more important things in life than the religions. People should realise that religion is not be used as weapon. In India, the major issues and problems that we have now are to be SOLVED step by step, problem by problem. But do not divert the attention or escape from these pressing issues by fostering this meaningless quarrel between these two respectable communities. I do think we can collectively achieve our goals of living in harmony and not to forget comfortably, if we have the will and the mind set to do it. Radha
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 16:33:25 -0500 I am really delighted to read your article and appreciate your courage in telling the truth. May God bless you. Farooq Syed
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 12:56:41 -0700 Am I the only one who feels this article is incomplete?
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 12:54:02 -0800 It appears that Vijay Tendulkar wants to say that whatever was taught in Bal Bharati's history books in our childhood was fake history, and the pictures painted of Muslims are also wrong. I do not think so. It may be the case in Tendulkar's childhood but during the 1970s, we had Bal Bharati's books edited and approved by the education board which directly or indirectly was under the government of Maharashtra's control. Everybody knows that the Congress, the so-called secular party, was in power for the last 25 or 30 years in Maharashtra. When we grew up, what ever lectures we listened from historians like Setu Madhavrao Pagadi, Babasaheb Thakkar, Babasaheb Purandare and others did not contradict the history we learnt in school. We saw our temples, caves broken When visiting temples, Ajanta and Ellora, we saw broken idols, distruction and by all means we know Hindus did not destroy them. I spent my childhood in Gawalipura and many Muslim areas in towns (not in a city like Mumbai) The living habits, behaviour of Muslims was in stark contrast with the otherwise modest middle class areas of the city. Probably, our communists and progressive want to rewrite our history to suit their goals.
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 22:20:40 -0800 I think you should have made clear that Communalism Combat, the source of the Vijay Tendulkar article, has a Communist sponsorship. VT concludes his article by saying, "Our attitudes have a lot to do with what we internalise in our early formative years." Wrong! I learned history in my formative years using text books approved by the GoI's education ministry. Pradip Parekh
Date sent: Wed, 24 Dec 1997 09:46:09 -0600 Excellent article! I hope you publish more articles like this to clear up the misconceptions between the two societies. Maybe all politicians must read this article. I strongly believe that the anti-Hindu or anti-Muslim passions aroused in the country is purely for political leverage. Rediff is one of my favourite web sites. Keep coming up with articles like this that covers all sides of the spectrum. Rafeek Mohammed Kottai
Date sent: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 12:21:32 -0500 To take Vijay Tendulkar's views seriously is laughable.
|
||
| HOME |
NEWS |
BUSINESS |
CRICKET |
MOVIES |
CHAT
INFOTECH | TRAVEL | LIFE/STYLE | FREEDOM | FEEDBACK |
||