Despite the fact that the last remnants of my family (on both sides) emigrated from India twenty years ago, the happenings in Ahmedabad, Gujarat are always of concern to me. All of my relatives (on both sides) have returned to purchase homes in Ahmedabad. It is part of an economic boom over there from what I understand. In Ahmedabad, my family will spend a significant amount of their retirement years. I will also probably make several trips there. The Christian Science Monitor featured an article on Friday that caused me worry:
… religious segregation is expanding not only to places of worship, but also neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. At the entrance of some villages, gaily painted message boards have sprung up since the riots that read: “Welcome to this Hindu village in the Hindu nation of Gujarat.”
Expressing concern over this increasing polarization, a recent report by a high level committee from the Indian Prime Minister’s office, to be tabled in the Indian Parliament in October, states that Gujarat still hasn’t recuperated from the riots in which over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed. The committee noted that several Gujarati cities and towns are sharply divided into Hindu and Muslim ghettoes. Muslims, a minority in the state, face social and economic boycott from society at large. The committee also observed that dropout rates of Muslim girls have risen. And there’s a dismal representation of Muslims in public-sector jobs.
“There’s a state of fear and insecurity among Muslims,” says a member of the committee. “The state government has done little to end the state of alienation…” [Link]
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p>I think that it is naturally important to look at the source of any claims pertaining to ethnic relations in Gujarat. In the paragraph above a study was conducted at the behest of the Prime Minister. In this excerpt below you will note that the examination was done by one of India’s mainstream newspapers:
The Indian Express, a national daily, reported last month that Muslims are being sidelined from the Indian government’s ambitious antipoverty project that promises the country’s rural poor 100 days of employment every year.
“Where the communal divide was hardened, where violence led to murder and widespread arson … Muslims are nowhere on the employment rolls,” the newspaper reported after touring six districts within Gujarat where the scheme is being implemented. Not just are there information blackouts, even those Muslims who enquire about jobs are turned away, the report said.
In response, Bharat Barot, Gujarat’s minister of state for rural development, said that in villages “the majority community called the shots.” The state was probing whether the alienation of Muslims was deliberate, and, if so, “it’ll be fixed immediately…” [Link]
Many people that visit and comment on our site know that looking at economic data can sometimes cut through any potential bias. A BJP member of Gujarat’s government pointed out the following:
Chandrakant Pandya, a member of the ruling political party in Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), calls the committee’s report a vicious attempt to defame Gujarat. “We’re for the development of all Gujaratis – and Gujaratis includes Hindus and Muslims,” he says.
Mr. Pandya points out that according to a 2005 report by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, a think tank led by BJP rival Sonia Gandhi, Gujarat emerged as the number one state in India in the economic freedom of its people. It also topped the nation in terms of development, administration, and curbing corruption.
“Such rapid industrialization and economic development wouldn’t take place if such prejudices existed,” says Pandya. [Link]
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p>I wish he had not added in that last line. Such a sentiment leaves one open to ignoring reality. According to the article, some accuse the report that Pandya points to as unrealistic because it uses pre-2002 data.
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p>The last time I was in Gujarat was 1999. The ghettoes that the CSM article points to were well established then, and so I find the title of the CSM article a bit strange. It implies that ethnic ghettos in Gujarat are something new. A Hindu driver that my father had employed would take great pains to drive clear of said ghettos. The one time we insisted upon entering one he was visibly nervous the whole time.
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p>The article ends on a positive note:
Rahil Subedar runs a computer class for poor slum dwellers in a ramshackle apartment on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Besides imparting knowledge about computers, local Hindu and Muslim kids are made to intersperse and participate in plays and cultural programs.
“When you participate in cultural programs together, you forget what religion your colleagues belong to,” he says. “Integration will heal wounds…” [Link]
I read the thread and debated leaving a long-winded post expressing my outrage that anyone would step to “Our” Dad with anything but respect and kindness.
But my respect for Yo Dad reminds me that he doesn’t need my help; he’s a man of intelligence, compassion and joy. And I pity the fool who dares show him anything less than he gives to the world.
Anna: What is your problem? Why are you calling Raj’s comments uncalled for and obnoxious? Just because he is having an argument with “abhi’s dad”? So are we all supposed to be “nice” to all sm bloggers relatives…….I thought we are supposed to post our genuine comments here ! And what Raj was posting is “the” voice of majority of India. So wake up and hear that!
YODAD:
The muslims would have more than wel-comed Abhi.
I think you have lived in america for too long!!! If you were so confident of your above statement….why did’nt you try it out?
Well, it’s mostly a figure of speech. And you have to remember that certain communities have been in business for centuries upon centuries. Kids inhale it with their mother’s milk and right on through. But I’ve noticed that people in the U.S. are too uncomfortable to even acknowledge that culture could be a factor in success/failure. To me it seems obvious just based on my observation of Indian society. I’m really curious to learn if 4th generation Indian Americans will be disproportionately good in spelling bees and math etc. or will this “cultural” trait completely dissolve after a couple of generations of being American.
There is often an element of truth to sterotypes and to me this happens to be a matter of great interest. I think a refusal to acknowledge group traits can be equally unjust.
Anamika:
The fact is, no one person can claim to be the ‘voice’ of India, especially when India includes the second-third largest muslim population in the world. It may be a prevelant thought among those Hindus that see muslims as a part of India’s problem, but your/raj’s viewpoint does not take into consideration of other’s viewpoint. Selling it as a consensus of India shows that you don’t even see muslims as Indians.
Sorry to say, and I’ve argued this with many other Gujus and my own relatives, that there are far more complex issues at play and too many variables to categorize all muslims as a certain type. There are vocal minorities that hold extremeist views who via strong psychological operations have the ability to get the response (such as yours and Raj’s) to further their own cause by isolating moderate muslims and forcing them to make a choice by playing to their insecurities.
How does it feel to be a victim of the Jihadist psycological operations? YOU are playing right into THEIR hands when solipsistic arguments such as yours are evoked from their propoganda.
Law and order, the fundamentals of a civil society, need to be applied to all. Taking action into one’s hands because of an outrageous incidient by ignoring civil code is unruly and eventually far more harmful to the structure (note, not only Hindu, but Indian) of society. Anna, me, or whoever, WILL condemn your thoughts and visions. Regardless of religion (Hindu, Muslim, Christian), the human rationalizations are exaclty the same as jihadis.
hincalif,
that’s a nice post.. if it stays around for a while..
55
Just because YOU say most Indian believe that does not make it true. Do you have any support for your assertions?
Wow. I guess that works sort of like locker room jokes about homophobia. What a thrill for you to be part of THAT crowd!
Raj wrote
if your concern is for muslims in the slums, what can I say ? …. They are not our people
And Hindutvadi in California wrote — well, I don’t know, because it was deleted.
I think SM does no-one a service when non-abusive Muslim-hating comments are deleted. Modi was re-elected. The Pakistan ya Kabristan viewpoint obviously has Hindu support. A head-in-the-sand attitude is partly what led to the Gujurati BBQ. Leave the civil pro-hate comments up and let them be rebutted.
The Pakistan ya Kabristan viewpoint obviously has Hindu support
That’s a typo — should be some support. Abhi and his dad show the other side.
They weren’t deleted because of their content but because of the poster. That poster has abused our boards way too many times and was therefore banned (and his opinions with him).
I was probably banned because I insisted on my comments regarding South Asian vs Indian stance in this blog and probably comenting on SAJA leanings. If the administrator can let me know the exact abuse I had committed, I can rebut it. Hell I was given no warning.
I just came here this time, because of a cross link for another post.
Clueless commenters, right now.
Beyond his unbelievable arrogance and his deluded words, yes, that was definitely part of the reason. It should be beyond obvious on a BROWN blog that respect for our parents/elders is a value that the rest of us share, especially when it comes to someone as universally adored as Yo Dad. This has nothing to do with the fact that he gave us Abhi; if he were any random Uncle I would castigate no differently. It’s a shame you don’t agree; I only hope you are kinder to people (elder or otherwise) in public than you are when cravenly posting to blog threads.
No, most obtuse one: I am saying try and be nice to everyone.
Feel free as long as they don’t SUCK/violate CLEARLY-STATED policies.
I sincerely doubt that he is the voice of anyone or thing but himself, a truth which may be applied to ALL of us. I’m awake AND I’m listening; the same cannot be said of you.
Yo Dad and abhi, I think it was a good idea not to let abhi stay in naroda patia. When I was in my second year of college, there was a minor riot confined to a small area. I was unfortunately at my friends place and their entire family was suddenly terribly nervous since they were sure sooner or later there would be a group of people outside demaning to hand me over to them. And this was way before the 2002 riots and it was a minor one too. So I think when you say that muslims would have welcomed that, you were totally wrong. They would not welcome him because they would fear that in case some riot flared up, they would not be able to protect him. And it is their own protection too, trying to hide a hindu during riots makes you a target. I was that hindu at my friends place that evening so I know.
BTW the person who said the Gujarat was not in news for such things until the 1990s they too are wrong. Ahmedabad has one of the longest history of communal riots in india. No, I do not mean an emperor killing people in name of religion. Actual communal riots similar to one after godhra incident. In fact, one of the most infamous riot was in 1969 when 560 people died. In fact even in that case the government machinery did not exactly do their job. Sorry for the history lesson, but sometimes we might have to go look at the history if we want to understand why. May be the same history will provide answers too. Also, the modi goverments encouragment worked because the local newspapers abetted it. And we all know what happens when the media and government connive to influence people. We have good examples in US in not so recent past. And not too long ago we all know how in delhi hundereds of sikhs were killed and our so beloved ex-president had this to say “jab koi bada ped girta hai, to dharti hilti hai” may be not the exact same words but pretty close.
Another point for Raj (post #21): Gujarat is NOT the richest state, with the best standard of living, least poverty, etc. That would be Punjab.
Much before you all ganged up and started beating up on the very uncouth Raj;
It should be beyond obvious on a BROWN blog that respect for our parents/elders is a value that the rest of us share
Shame on you for being so disrespectful, especially to someone like Yo Dad.
chappal at the ready
he actually said this ( which you all very characteristically ignored ): Yo Dad’….you sound like an elder person. I apologise if I was rude to you
Did you pause to ponder that Raj might be the ony human on this planet not privy to the universal adorability of Yo Dad’? That he might not have had the good fortune of meeting him in person? As gentelmanly and well meaning as Yo Dad comes across to me , I don’t think age or gender should spare one from sparring on a blog. Next time you might scold me for not going soft on the weakest link on this blog just because she is a woman.
Maybe you all should dissect Raj’s comment and try to appreciate his anger. You are after all quite adept at tracing the root cause of aberrant human behavior: Last year, severe riots and disturbances in the squalid working-class suburbs of Paris and other cities reminded France and the world that the daily lives of people of color in France are fraught with obstacles and discrimination; not that the complacent political class and intellectual elite seem much interested in doing anything about it
Let me offer a hint :
Heard about the Bombay bomb blasts? Almost a thousand years of such on and off terror directed invariably at members of one community from members of a particular community. Incidents of real Hindu and Jewish terrorism can in contrast be counted on one’s fingers and are almost always a reaction than an initiation.
We consummately agree. However, age should spare one from the sputtering ire of trolls. There is a difference between immature provocation and “sparring”, which is healthy, respectful and not unpleasant.
To quote American Pie, “Say my NAME, bitch”. The fact that you didn’t means your handle (“pussy in the well”) was apposite. Too bad you felt the need to go there, because buried in your tirade were a few almost-good points.
With regards to Raj’s apology which you cite so gleefully, as if you deserve a cookie or something, he negated any worth in those words with the shittiness which followed. Re-read. That’s a non-apology if ever there were one.
Finally, consider the fact that Raj has left controversial and troll-worthy comments on other threads, too. We weren’t “ganging up” on him because we’re having a bad day. We were stepping in because this is OUR party, in OUR house and if someone threatens or berates our cherished guests, we would be terrible hosts if we didn’t intervene.
Dude, it wan’t only about insulting Yo Dad. His comments were across the board ignorant and his offline email to me proved that he was completely without class (and made his exile all the more satisfying). If people are angry they should deal with their anger in their own home and not spew ignorant garbage on our website.
And what in the HELL does this have to do with my post, pussy?
And what in the HELL does this have to do with my post?
Indeed, the Jingoism thread is here.
A slight whiff of excessive political correctness in the treatment of Raj. It would actually have been more helpful if he were to explain to us about the reasons for his viewpoint.
Another factual error is the claim that Ahmedabad has had little communal violence before 2002. This is hilarious nonsense. There were massive riots in the 60s and it is my belief that tension between various religous factions goes back several 100 years. The ancient hindu temple of Somnath is, of course, located in Gujarat. Let us all tell the truth about the past while trying to construct an equitable and decent present.
Where did you see this claim? After a long day my eyes are hurting so maybe you could point it out to me. Thanks.
Al Beruni, Raj said this:
“Unless you have say $5-10 million to spare, you are of no use to anybody here. “
Why ask for further explanations from someone who talks like that? It seems like that kind of attitude speaks for itself.
Indeed, why continue talking at all to someone like that?
Ofcourse. When we moved to Vadodara Gujarat in 1987 (I was in second yr of high scool) we would routinely get a school day of due to “riots in the city”. This was very new to me and somewhat amazing as we had moved from Gandhinagar, Gujarat which is a kind of an oasis of a town where there is no such activity (until Akshardham terrorist action).
So Gujudude, You do agree that majority people subscribe to that view, right??
I wonder how come there were no muslim family in the housing society that we lived and my parents continue to live. Infact all the housing society in the area doesnt have any muslim families. This was in 1987 Something to think about.
Its easy to be “progressive” sitting in the comfort of west with so many options in life and safety-net and secure life. Which a person in India, the target of most terrorist attacks in the world, cant imagine.
OOps. We move to Vadodara in 1986 not 1987.
Also please dont regard my comment as anti-muslim or anti-Gujarati. All I am saying is that because of somewhat of wishful thinking we shouldnt ignore the realities on the ground.
I wonder how come there were no muslim family in the housing society that we lived and my parents continue to live. Infact all the housing society in the area doesnt have any muslim families. This was in 1987 Something to think about.
Yes, and No. I do not know about Gujarat. But in a place like Delhi or Roorkee, for middle class and upper middle class neighborhoods they are mixed and dictacted by wealth and influence (as in Amreeka).
Sure, there is a lot of ghettoization in North India (Delhi, UP, and UA). I am not going to deny the deep distrust between two community either in India. I agree housing communities self select themselves, that happens.
Last month, I was in India. One of my first cousin’s stepson (or son through adaption) who is from Delhi but studies in Mumbai has a real pretty Muslim girlfriend. We chatted about it: their openness, etc. To maintain my confidence he bestowed to me, I will not post any of our discussion.
I just wanted added to Yo Dad’s bhai-bhai meme, sometimes it is more than that.
Also, remember, right now around 5 players in Indian cricket team that are Muslims from rather middle-class background (I mean not Nawab of Patuadis or lone players in past). Now, our North American readers will ask what does this mean: It means what it meant when African American players started playing in major leagues (rather segregated leagues) and the effect it had on American psyche.
I guess no matter where you live, there are 2 kinds of people: those who have exclusionary motivation and seek to stir up shit and exert that they are better than others, and those with inclusionary motivation who try to see the commonality between all people.
which would you like to be today?
Not really. There were others in my family backing me up, too 🙂 Plus, after a few rants they’d see my points and relent. People say different things in a group and as individuals. I’ve seen this phenomenon with muslims as well as hindus (something from my experience, may not be universal or whatever). Lots of huff and bravado in front of your ‘community’, but most just slink back and sheepishly admit politicians do a lot to poke and prod the public, and most folks just want to get on with their lives. The firecracker stuff after Pakistani victories was always a bit annoying, but if every muslim was celebrating that, it would be as loud as diwali 🙂 A muslim friend of mine was a India cricket fanatic. So were most in his family etc. More often than not, it was stupid kids firing those crackers off just to piss people off and get attention.
There is an underlying level of insecurity that exists and people stay in their lanes. However, those that venture out and actually rationalize to attack another are NOT “all muslims”, and implicitly many Gujus or Indians understand this when asked. How the Indian Government has handled this has a lot to do with these insecurities. Not apprehending those who committed the crimes quickly, the justice system dragging its feet, not going after the leaders/mobsters and bringing them to the forefront, etc. When the public servants make a mockery of the civil system, other more unsavory elements of society will move in and take the lead, even if most don’t really believe in their cause.
I also agree with what you say is easy to do in front of a computer and yap. But I’ve lived through curfew’s in Vadodara, too. I was in Hyderabad when Advani came with his Rath Yatra and there was a curfew. We were nervous getting to the securndrabad train station, however the folks around us (muslims included) were as nervous. No one wanted violence. Folks just crossed their fingers hoping the douchebags that go around raging wouldn’t show up, or the police (double cross your fingers) would actually do something about if they did show up. Nothing happened. We ate biryani from some nice muslim dude selling it, and took the train back home.
Indians are the targets of the most terrorist incidents in the world. But those also include, correct me if I’m wrong, leftist attacks, seperatist attacks in the eastern states, and inter-caste attacks. Islamist/jihadist/Hindutva types are all different sides of the same coin to me furthering their own communal propoganda, piggybacking on every minor/major incident throwing flames on the fire.
If evidence was needed of the fascist ‘progressive’ fascism of the fascists of PseudoSecular Mutiny this thread provides it all.
The gang rape and lynch mob of hero of the Assertive Gujarati Hindu Nation Raj was gangraped by anti national traitors without democracy or freedom of speech.
I am so angry, I am going to lie down and fantasise about rubbing oil into the naked thighs of our leader who has saved Gujarat, Shri Modi Sahib – he makes me go weak at the knees, he is so wondeful, everyone is frightened of him and we are so strong now and powerful and Modi squeezes our balls so they grow at 12-13% a year so you can shove our saffron balls in your mouth and slurp them. Or maybe you are too busy making friends with muslims and other animals. Why don’t you just engage in bestiality? You may as well. And one day the messiah Shri Modi he shall send a thunderbolt to destroy you stinky muslim loving traitors to hell.
And we are the best in business too.
Hail Mogambo!
Modi squeezes our balls so they grow at 12-13% a year so you can shove our saffron balls in your mouth and slurp them. Or maybe you are too busy making friends with muslims and other animals. Why don’t you just engage in bestiality? You may as well. And one day the messiah Shri Modi he shall send a thunderbolt to destroy you stinky muslim loving traitors to hell.
Yuck. This is not even funny. What a disgusting moron.
Risible Invisible,
If you have all but one one joke, you need to cross the line to make it funny. I agree, now he is just plain crude.
SpoorLam was funny the first couple of times and should have quit a long time back.
Well, that is a proven fact that group affects thinking of individual. This is a great 20/20 program where George Steph. showed an experiment, that showed the effect of group thinking. It studied three groups, one with most left leaning, one group with right leaning and one group with equal no. of left and right leaning folks. Results were interesting. Its here. Its was on 20/20 titled Divided Media, Devided country
Blaming everything on politicians just sounds so convinient and easy that I tend to doubt it, as it gives the people a complete pass.
No. Its preety much all Islamic extremist attacks. India is #1 in this. Vinod did a post on that here. India is #1 terrorist target in the world. Its just that the pervasive poverty and lack of options make people numb to this kind of stuff.
Can you imagine what would happen if there was – a terrorist attack in the US in a mall during Christmas shopping time, In a church full of worshippers and in New York subways … All within the span of 8 months. ….. Can you imagine what would happen to all the brown people living in the US then????
Something to think about.
I think Spoorlam is pure genius. His hilarity knows no bounds!
SpoorLam —
Thanks for the link to Shri Modi Sahib’s home page — but you forgot to mention how intellectual and scholarly he is. Your devotion appears to be slipping.
People wouldn’t be able to handle it. I’m sure hate crimes etc. would spike, but then again, I also have a certain level of confidence in civic society here.
But, in a way, your argument somewhat supports that people ARE more tolerant in India. What I’ve been saying all along. Everyone doesn’t feel hindutva (Else BJP would have had more staying power). Despite popular sterotypes and what not, life seems to move on. Maybe its because life isn’t valued as much or people are desensitized to such activities.
In any case, if the above scenario was to happen, there would have been GRAND failures of intelligence/law enforcement on every level, again. Additionally, I think it also has to do with the frequency of attacks India sustatins. Isn’t 9-11 the largest terrorist mass murder on record (i don’t know, but it sure seems like it). The backlash wasn’t as dramatic as initially feared with all brown folks rounded up into camps and whatnot.
I think smaller, yet more frequent attacks have more propoganda value (they all do) for terrorists in trying to skew public opinion rather than more dramatic, yet ones that occur over a longer timeframe. Many attacks have been avoided.
I have hope in this system and fellow Americans. Good God, if there is one place it has to be here.
Hail
MogamboSpoorLam!Are you a muslim?
Abrahamic?
Commie pinko gay?
All of the above?
Why are you frightened of Gujarat’s virility?
Answer me!
Don’t persecute me or I will be angry. I have not been so angry since my niece in Virginia married a negro. She is dead to us now, but no matter, I always thought there was something wrong with her since caught her reading a subversive Jhumpa Lahiri book (she is married to a Latino Abrahamic did you know?)
But I found a website with pictures of Indian missiles . Ever since my wife starting having an affair with the Punjabi gynaecologist from Oakland, it gives me some comfort. That, and the thought of the confident Hindu Nation asserting itself and renewing itself with confidence, and Shri Modi Sahib rescuing us from evil people like Yo Dad and ‘progressives’ who engage in bestiality and friendship with Bangladeshis, I feel powerful now.
Hail Mogambo!
I would never dispute that. But I think we shouldnt call forgetting this type of violence “tolerence”. I think its more of fatalism, than anything else. Poor people believe more in fate and are willing to “accept” whatever shit they get. IMO as the middle class becomes richer their ‘fatalism’ will reduce.
I’m sorry I didn’t do this earlier, but I’d like to express my admiration for Yo Dad’s comments in #29. It was inspiring and incredibly refreshing to read those words. Thank you.
Taking SpoorLam rants a little more seriously than perhas he deserves :-), people might find the Sudhir Kakar’s THE COLOURS OF VIOLENCE: Cultural Identities, Religion and Conflict of interest. Here was a quote I found quite helpful:
Al beruni, Your quote isn’t at all helpful. It is merely propoganda. “Look at how the Muslims talk and then look at how the Hindus talk,” is all you are saying and your quote is just one random example.
If you meant this simply to illustrate that Spoor Lam’s commenent are rooted in reality then I apologize.
We are being a bit cautious right now.
SM Intern,
are you going to ban “Al beruni” too??.. He/She was just reproducing the speeches of the so called Hindu/Muslim rightwingers..
This atittude of “Bash away the Hindu extremist .. but dont say a word about Muslim extremists” is insulting to the vast majority of the normal and regular muslims. It essentially says that its Ok or expected for muslims to be extremists, but Hindus need to have “higher” standard and not be extremists. So its an insult to the majority of muslims.
Having said that, its just my opinion. Doesnt mean a damn thing. In a week everyone will forget everything about this terrorist attack and even if they remember they will remember how “reselient” Mumbaikars” are. The reality is that they dont have option other than be “reselient”. People need food to survive daily life too.
Adding to my earlier post I don’t understand your censor policies.. You are entitled to propagate your own opinions.. Ofcourse this is your blog.. And this is what I see in the mainstream media in India. But I don’t know if that policy helps..
What I see happening is that people with such views are pushed out as “Hindutva fanatics”/”fascists” etc.. etc.. and there was no space given to those folks.. Is it helpful?? or is it like the “back draft” situation referred above.. I seriously don’t know..
Shri RC and Shri Poontang Selvan
The hypocrisy and PERSECUTION will never stop!
Indeed Shri Poontang your analogy is perfect.
The backdraft is brewing in the bowel of the Hindu Nation and it shall soon combust and blow out of our anus with devastating consequences for all our oppressors and persecuters – a gigantic fart of devastating effects against our oppressors who shall be destroyed by the backdraft of our saffron farts which have been held in for too long in order to be polite and ‘civilized’.
We need to relax our sphincters and prove that we have been oppressed and let rip to demonstrate this combustion is not to be squeezed inside too much longer. It cannot go on. This backdraft will explode and humidify the hypocrisy of the hypocrite ‘progressive’ fascists.
No more excuses or placing a cork in our asshole.
We need to let them smell our backdraft.
Nuking Mecca will be small fry when we flatten the sullas with our gas.
And only one group of people will be to blame.
PseudoSecular Mutiny and their leftist cabal allies, in particular Yo Dad, and Wendy Doniger.
Hail Mogambo!
SM Intern
Whoa, wait a minute here ! One of the biggest issues here is that of language and idioms that are being used by various “extreme voices”. This is the focus of Sudhir Kakar’s work. We DO need to engage with this and each of us come to understand our and other communities obsessions and fragilities. Every indian community is rooted in a certain narrative or world-view based on history and tradition. It may not be legitimate but it is “real” and out there.
Out of such an understanding might come techniques for reassuring communities that their fears are no longer valid or relevant. That knee-jerk reaction based on 1100AD or 1700AD is not helpful but only leads to a cycle of retaliation. Without it, this discussion will be pushed “underground”, so much more vulnerable to manipulation and misunderstanding.
Ponniyin Selvan, Point out to me any comments on our boards by Muslim extremists please. There are none. That is because we ban extremists on both sides.
Very helpful. You may not appreciate it but we get emails of support for our policies all the time.
RC, there will ALWAYS be Hindu extremists just as there will always be Muslim extremists. This website however will do its best to prevent either types from soiling discussion here. The internet is a democracy. There are plenty of places for anyone to go vent if they feel like. I hear that Sulekha is a good place for that stuff.
RC (#90):
Uhh, are you talking about on SM? Muslim extremists? Where? If there were any Muslim extremist comments on SM, I imagine they’d get taken down too. Have there been? Ever?
This fucking moron SpoorLam is again making a direct personal derogatory remark at me.
He implied that I am somehow saying something against Yo Dad. Which cant be further from the truth.
This is my last comment against SpoorLam. You can enjoy his/her “funny” (fart jokes and several crude references to anus and balls) remarks.
I agree that Spoorlam comments at this time are extremely distasteful (not to mention crude and totally not funny). The policy here does seem one-sided. To the extent that there are more hindus on this blog, a one-sided policy may be somewhat justified to keep a balance. But the limits seem to have been crossed at this time and admin’s not kidding anyone by pretending it’s all for some higher purpose. This is a plain and simple hate fest.
Ponniyin,
Do you want to get banned?