---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Vijay
Dr.Prannoy Roy
NDTV
Dear Dr. Roy,
Re: the two programs on NDTV, 'Being Muslim in India' (March 3,2010)
and 'Gujarat riots come back to haunt Modi' (March 14, 2010).
I started to watch NDTV more than a year ago, around the time
of the Mumbai terrorist attack of 26/11. I am writing from Canada.
The programs have been good, with some intelligent and competent
anchors, and I want to comment on two of the recent ones,
mentioned above.
I found 'Being Muslim in India' both topical and relevant. Shah Rukh
Khan was present, looking quite chastened and sober, after his faux
pas (Pakistan is a great neighbour !). Ofcourse, he is an actor and it
is hard to say what he was really thinking. It was Talleyrand, I believe,
who said that God gave a diplomat a tongue so that he could hide his
thoughts.
Most likely true of actors also. Neverthless, I shall give him the benefit
of the doubt. The most moving statement came from Mr.Padamsi (not
quite sure who he is). He recalled what he had said after the
assassination of Indira Gandhi and the killing of the Sikhs that followed.
He had said this publicly, so he tells us: I may be a Hindu or a Muslim
or a Sikh or any other, but I am an Indian. Because, if I am not an
Indian, then who am I ?
This brings one to the question of Muslim identity in Hindu India.
Mr.Padamsi's statement is an emotional one born out of several ties,
family, friendship, neighbourhood, the feeling of living in one country
of which he is a citizen, with all democratic rights and then some
(Muslims are allowed to practise sharia law in civil matters).
Religion wise, the monotheistic faiths have not been unwelcome to a
pluralist tolerant Hinduism ( some would argue too tolerant!).
But does the Muslim in India have an Historical consciousness ? Political
scientist Jyotirmaya Sharma is reported as saying that secularism
does not provide an emotional dimension (by a columnist in Outlookindia).
He is right. Secular values of social justice, respect for law etc. are
Dharmic values, moral ones, universal ones. They are not emotion based.
Professor Sharma if he was seriously reflecting on the Indian polity,
should have added that secularism by itself does not provide an Historical imagination.
Hindu India goes back several millenia before either Islam or Christianity.
And, except for the Jews and Zoroastrians, most Muslims and Christians
in India are converts from Hinduism. Therefore, they may not find it
difficult to associate with India's Hindu past.
In any case, the historical imagination can be exercised intelligently.
Can they exercise it, will they exercise it, is a question that Muslims
only can answer. Individual Muslims, no doubt, can do it, have done
it, but the community as a whole might integrate better into society
if they undertook that task.
The second program on Modi was a disaster. It began quite well, and
the Congress MP's son who was present said something important.
It is time for Muslims to put the Gujarat riot behind and move on.
But then, with the debate becoming frenetic encouraged by liberal
supporters, he too became infected by the general atmosphere which
can be summed up as a witch hunt. I think it was Swapan Das Gupta
who said correctly( at the Times Now debate) that there have been
many accusations against Narendra Modibut, but no charges, the latter
being court based. None of this was debated.
Instead, there were blanket generalisations and grandstanding.
One gentleman erroneously argued that Brand Modi had tainted
Brand India internationally. On the contrary, the western world,
recognises that Modi's good governance had actually contributed
to the development of Gujarat. No one takes seriously the accusation
that he was somehow involved in the killing of Muslims in Gujarat,
post Godhra.
Then, there was a sociologist, who seemed to be quoting out of a
textbook ! And he looked quite pleased with himself.
What was particularly sad was that Mr.Jaffri's son and all the panelists
except Dr.Chandan Mitra, editor of The Pioneer, did not once mention
the tragedy of Godhra which precipitated the massacre of the Muslims
as a revenge killing by the Hindus.
59 innocent Hindu pilgrims returning, as they usually do from pilgrimage,
were roasted to death in a train compartment, in which they were
sealed by the criminals who undertook this horrific act. The majority
who were burnt alive were women and children. There was not a word
of commiseration at this debate. If there is to be an apology, it should
be a two way street.
In my opinion, the Muslim community should not only move forward,
but they should seriously consider dropping Teesta Setalwad as their
spokesperson. Since last year when the Special Investigative Team(SIT)
charged her with tutoring witnesses and engaging in exaggerations
she has not been much in the public eye, at least not on NDTV.
Now, she has remerged and her style has not changed at all. As a woman,
she makes me cringe. She shouts her opponents down and unfortunately,
her voice is shrill and hard on the listener's ear !
She does not have anything substantive to say either. And she seems to
be changing her goal posts as she goes along.
Above all, she will not let the Muslim community heal and move forward,
because she would then have lost her cause and the publicity it brings
her. In my opinion, she has done more to damage communal relations,
than help the two communities. Her argument that justice must be done,
to help the victims, is beginning to sound hollow. The impression I got
from that debate was that justice was not the goal, getting rid of
Modi was. Hence, this was a political agenda.
Lastly, I would like to see NDTV do a program on the Kashmir Hindus who
were driven out of their homeland ( 375,000 of them).Many who were killed,
were done to death with beheadings,sawing of bodies, gouging of eyes etc.
NDTV may have done a program prior to my watching since November, 2008.
If not, I would very much appreciate NDTV doing one.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Vijaya
(Canada)
__________________________________________________________________
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From: Vijay
Dr.Prannoy Roy
NDTV
Dear Dr. Roy,
Re: the two programs on NDTV, 'Being Muslim in India' (March 3,2010)
and 'Gujarat riots come back to haunt Modi' (March 14, 2010).
I started to watch NDTV more than a year ago, around the time
of the Mumbai terrorist attack of 26/11. I am writing from Canada.
The programs have been good, with some intelligent and competent
anchors, and I want to comment on two of the recent ones,
mentioned above.
I found 'Being Muslim in India' both topical and relevant. Shah Rukh
Khan was present, looking quite chastened and sober, after his faux
pas (Pakistan is a great neighbour !). Ofcourse, he is an actor and it
is hard to say what he was really thinking. It was Talleyrand, I believe,
who said that God gave a diplomat a tongue so that he could hide his
thoughts.
Most likely true of actors also. Neverthless, I shall give him the benefit
of the doubt. The most moving statement came from Mr.Padamsi (not
quite sure who he is). He recalled what he had said after the
assassination of Indira Gandhi and the killing of the Sikhs that followed.
He had said this publicly, so he tells us: I may be a Hindu or a Muslim
or a Sikh or any other, but I am an Indian. Because, if I am not an
Indian, then who am I ?
This brings one to the question of Muslim identity in Hindu India.
Mr.Padamsi's statement is an emotional one born out of several ties,
family, friendship, neighbourhood, the feeling of living in one country
of which he is a citizen, with all democratic rights and then some
(Muslims are allowed to practise sharia law in civil matters).
Religion wise, the monotheistic faiths have not been unwelcome to a
pluralist tolerant Hinduism ( some would argue too tolerant!).
But does the Muslim in India have an Historical consciousness ? Political
scientist Jyotirmaya Sharma is reported as saying that secularism
does not provide an emotional dimension (by a columnist in Outlookindia).
He is right. Secular values of social justice, respect for law etc. are
Dharmic values, moral ones, universal ones. They are not emotion based.
Professor Sharma if he was seriously reflecting on the Indian polity,
should have added that secularism by itself does not provide an Historical imagination.
Hindu India goes back several millenia before either Islam or Christianity.
And, except for the Jews and Zoroastrians, most Muslims and Christians
in India are converts from Hinduism. Therefore, they may not find it
difficult to associate with India's Hindu past.
In any case, the historical imagination can be exercised intelligently.
Can they exercise it, will they exercise it, is a question that Muslims
only can answer. Individual Muslims, no doubt, can do it, have done
it, but the community as a whole might integrate better into society
if they undertook that task.
The second program on Modi was a disaster. It began quite well, and
the Congress MP's son who was present said something important.
It is time for Muslims to put the Gujarat riot behind and move on.
But then, with the debate becoming frenetic encouraged by liberal
supporters, he too became infected by the general atmosphere which
can be summed up as a witch hunt. I think it was Swapan Das Gupta
who said correctly( at the Times Now debate) that there have been
many accusations against Narendra Modibut, but no charges, the latter
being court based. None of this was debated.
Instead, there were blanket generalisations and grandstanding.
One gentleman erroneously argued that Brand Modi had tainted
Brand India internationally. On the contrary, the western world,
recognises that Modi's good governance had actually contributed
to the development of Gujarat. No one takes seriously the accusation
that he was somehow involved in the killing of Muslims in Gujarat,
post Godhra.
Then, there was a sociologist, who seemed to be quoting out of a
textbook ! And he looked quite pleased with himself.
What was particularly sad was that Mr.Jaffri's son and all the panelists
except Dr.Chandan Mitra, editor of The Pioneer, did not once mention
the tragedy of Godhra which precipitated the massacre of the Muslims
as a revenge killing by the Hindus.
59 innocent Hindu pilgrims returning, as they usually do from pilgrimage,
were roasted to death in a train compartment, in which they were
sealed by the criminals who undertook this horrific act. The majority
who were burnt alive were women and children. There was not a word
of commiseration at this debate. If there is to be an apology, it should
be a two way street.
In my opinion, the Muslim community should not only move forward,
but they should seriously consider dropping Teesta Setalwad as their
spokesperson. Since last year when the Special Investigative Team(SIT)
charged her with tutoring witnesses and engaging in exaggerations
she has not been much in the public eye, at least not on NDTV.
Now, she has remerged and her style has not changed at all. As a woman,
she makes me cringe. She shouts her opponents down and unfortunately,
her voice is shrill and hard on the listener's ear !
She does not have anything substantive to say either. And she seems to
be changing her goal posts as she goes along.
Above all, she will not let the Muslim community heal and move forward,
because she would then have lost her cause and the publicity it brings
her. In my opinion, she has done more to damage communal relations,
than help the two communities. Her argument that justice must be done,
to help the victims, is beginning to sound hollow. The impression I got
from that debate was that justice was not the goal, getting rid of
Modi was. Hence, this was a political agenda.
Lastly, I would like to see NDTV do a program on the Kashmir Hindus who
were driven out of their homeland ( 375,000 of them).Many who were killed,
were done to death with beheadings,sawing of bodies, gouging of eyes etc.
NDTV may have done a program prior to my watching since November, 2008.
If not, I would very much appreciate NDTV doing one.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Vijaya
(Canada)
__________________________________________________________________
Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr!
http://www.flickr.com/gift/
5 comments:
Just read in reader's comments in Hindustan Times' article by vir sanghvi: Administration in Barely has disallowed holding fares on Navratri Festival. How sickening. These cowards would not have the courage to do the same for eid or mohorram.
Is Prannoy Roy a Christian?
i believe he is. just like pritish and ashis nandy.
Dr. Vijaya has raised some serious and cogent questions to James P. Roy. These questions also bring focus on NDTV in the interest of objective reporting on issues pertaining to airing program on the displacement and massacre of non-Muslim Kashmiris and other points raised by Dr. Vijaya.
I also wish to make one point: till some politicians called for a Muslim Homeland for the minority people in "Hindu India", India was NEVER Hindu or Muslim. We were Indians. Can't we be Indians again? The onus is more on all communities, especially 'minority' community and who should spontaneously take initiative at integration in their own hands and not depend on self serving "champions" such as Teesta Javed Setalvad and other divisive forces.
Capt. Narendra hasn't read Indian history much it seems.
A long time before the demand for a separate homeland came the Muslims had already classified the Hindus as kaffirs and saw themselves as belonging to the ummah.
The Hindus for their part before they were brainwashed into this false history of some mythical secular nation saw themselves as a Hindu nation.
Capt. Narendra may read the kavita of Kaviraj Bhushan Shivaji's court poet about the characteristics of various nations he had met including the British, French, Romans, Arabs, Iranians, Ethiopians and the HINDUS. He says whereas the Romans were known for their power and glory it is by valor and manlyness that the Hindus distinguish themselves (paraphrasing). It just shows that the Hindus already saw themselves as a nation over 300 years ago.
He may also want to read Govind Rao Kale's letter to Nana Fadnavis written in 1793 CE, a small portion of it I am quoting here:
<<>>
Clearly Kale didn't see bhAratam as some sort of joint account belonging to Christians, Muslims and Hindus. No he rightly pointed out that this has been the territory of the Hindus from time immemorial.
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