There is nothing wrong at all. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but it is better, in my view, if one is open and forthright about it. Himenda is clearly seeing things through his Hindutwa-colored eyes, but I don't see any problems if one doesn't deny it.
Jugal --- umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > thats an interesting set of arguments. Whats wrong > with being a Hindu or Muslim or Christain or Jewish > or Sikh "sentimentalist" - though this the first > time I have heard this phrase. Does it mean that > anyone who loves the main tenets of his faith (or is > "sentimental" about it) is bad. > > It would mean those who dislike such > "sentimentalists" (if I got the meaning of the > phrase right) are athiests and maybe communists. > > Umesh > > Himendra-da wrote: > > "At this point, I must be allowed to clarify that > I am NOT a > Hindu-sentimentalist (as accused by Jugal Kalita) > and/or I am NOT connected > to Hindutwa people (as accused by Chandan Mahanta.) > In fact, I have been > attacked by the Hindutwa group because I am working > to stop dowry & > bride-burning which they want to hide. Talking about > sentimentalism, in the > dowry & bride-burning conferences, we invite > delegates from Bangladesh and > Pakistan and discuss how the lives of Muslim brides > can be saved. Human > beings are the same everywhere, we can give them > love without any > segregation." > > > > > Himendra Thakur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Saurav, > > > > I never mentioned that the attack in Saraighat was > made by Muslims. Please > check it out carefully. Please also find out why you > missed this very vital > point. > > > > I was very definite to point out that the attack was > made by Invaders . the > same invaders who attacked India in 1193 (& again in > 1526.) These were > Islamic invaders from outside India. Nothing is > "muddled up" in this > statement. > > > > After the 1193 attack, the invaders, having the > advantage of excellent > cavalry equipped with Arab horses, spread over the > Indo-Gangetic plains at a > very high speed. Defeating all local rulers, they > arrived in Bihar by 1200 > AD (about 1400 miles in 7 years, @ 200 miles per > year) and, after beheading > the Buddhist scholars, they burnt down Nalanda > University. They proceeded > further to the East. They occupied Bengal in 1205. > They were stopped in > Assam. These are historical records. > > > > Under the early Islamic rule, a new custom, called > Jawhar-Vrata, got started > in the Indo-Gangetic plains: groups of Hindu women > would jump into a bonfire > to evade molestation. The historical record of > Jawhar Vrata ( not present in > pre-Islamic India) proves the degree of atrocity by > the Islamic invaders. > > > > What I wrote above are historical facts. I am now > going make an assumption > that, under the early Islamic rule in Indo-Gangetic > plains, if a Hindu > family had five brothers, two would convert to Islam > to protect the > remaining three. That was how the Indian Muslims > started. They protected the > Hindus on one hand, and cooled down the ruthlessness > of the Invaders on the > other hand. > > > > The above assumption is based on the fact that, > unlike Persia, land of > Zoroastrian population, which became completely > Islamized, Hindus survived > in India, thanks to their Muslim brothers. Another > historical fact is that, > in the later years, the Invaders softened to a great > extent. > > > > However, the Hindus could survive under Islamic Rule > only by playing a > double standard: one opinion inside the house, and a > very different opinion > outside. Another survival skill was the capacity to > change the meaning of a > spoken word: if a Hindu said something against the > Sultan and was challenged > by a Sultan's katwal, the Hindu must be able to > change the meaning of what > he said, just to save his neck. Running for several > centuries, these habits > have become second-nature of the people of the > Indo-Gangetic plains, which > can be observed even today. Hindus were definitely > living a life of > second-class citizen under Islamic rule. No wonder > such a situation gave > rise to quislings and petains and pierre lavals who > prospered by exploiting > their fellow countrymen. > > > > At one point in your rebuttal, you've accused me > with a phrase "you probably > consider > "natives" .. I never used the word "natives" in my > article, I don't know > where you found that word, and what is the basis of > your assumption. > > > > You have also used terms like you seem to suggest . > I never "seem to > suggest" anything in my article. I make clear > statements. > > > > Your observation that > > one of the descendents of the "alien" aurangzeb > wrote in rangoon pinning for > his country: > > hai kitana badanasiib zafar dafn ke liye > do gaz zamiin bhii na milii kU-e-yaar me.n > > > > was totally nullified by another great admirer of > Aurangzeb, Mahammad Ali > Jinnah, who partitioned India over the dead-body of > one million innocent > victims to create Pakistan, on the ground that Islam > was not compatible with > the rest of India. I have great respect for Islam > and Quran, but Mahammad > Ali Jinnah took it away to Pakistan. > > > > I insist that Islam and Muslim are not synonymous. > The spellings are > different, the meanings are different. Islam is a > faith, a Muslim is a human > being. It is my strong conviction that, in India, > Muslims and Hindus are > brothers, lost in the hurricane of history. When the > hurricane will be over, > the two brothers will shake off their differences > and unite. > > > > At this point, I must be allowed to clarify that I > am NOT a > Hindu-sentimentalist (as accused by Jugal Kalita) > and/or I am NOT connected > to Hindutwa people (as accused by Chandan Mahanta.) > In fact, I have been > attacked by the Hindutwa group because I am working > to stop dowry & > bride-burning which they want to hide. Talking about > sentimentalism, in the > dowry & bride-burning conferences, we invite > delegates from Bangladesh and > Pakistan and discuss how the lives of Muslim brides > can be saved. Human > beings are the same everywhere, we can give them > love without any > segregation. > > > > My great anxiety is the danger that Assamese people > are facing due to the > huge number of Bangladeshi infiltrators. The anxiety > is based on > geopolitical forces. My great fear is that the > landmass of Assam will become > like Kashmir or Chittagong Hill District. My great > fear is that Assamese > people will become like Kashmiri refugees now living > in the streets of Delhi > or Lucknow, or Chakma refugees who are being driven > out from place to place. > > > > The problem can be stopped by stopping infiltration > and by promoting > birth-control measures . but that poses as a big > fight due to political > interests. > > > > To fight this battle, I was urging my countrymen to > draw strength from > Saraighat and build a memorial to Atan Buragohain > which will inspire people. > That was the main purpose of the article that you > are criticizing. It is > very sad that you did not even mention about the > ATAN BURAGOHAIN SAKO : A > Bridge Across Three Centuries. > > > > With love to everybody, > > Himendra > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "SP" > To: ; > Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 9:24 PM > Subject: atan burhagohain xako > > > > dear himendra-da, > > > > i read with interest your article on atan > burhagohain sako. > > though it is well written, and quite illuminating > in parts, > > i think you have muddled up some general issues. > > > > for example, you seem to suggest that the attack > by the > > mughals was an attack from someone alien to india > because > > they were muslims, and that the participation of > ram singh > > in saraighat was an abberation, promptly corrected > by ram > > singh's mother. i find this view amusing because a > clean > > hindu-muslim dichotomy of medieval india is not > possible. > > > > the commander of the mughal forces in saraighat, > ram singh, was > > the son of mirza raja jai singh, who defeated > shivaji after > > the maratha tiger had badly mauled shaistha khan. > the cunning > > jai singh, a hindu, succeeded in running shivaji > down and > > presenting him at aurangzeb's court. though > shivaji is the symbol > > of hinduism to many, yet he employed muslim troops > in his army. > > > > soon after the death of the illustrious jai singh > his son > > ram singh was made the king and his first > assignment was assam. > > like you, i too would be interested in reading the > letter he > > received from his mother, to find out how the > widow of a valorous > > rajput counselled her son on his first but failing > campaign. > > > > i will forego some of the heroic acts by muslims > (eg bagh hazarika) > > at saraighat for lachit borphukan, because they > are well known. > > about a decade earlier, mir jhumla's chroniclers > damned the > > muslims settled in assam because they were "more > assamese than > > muslims". in medieval india, just as we find > hindus fighting > > against hindus for their muslim masters, we find > muslims > > fighting against muslims for their hindu masters > too, as in > > the case of shivaji. > > > > anyway, ram singh went back to being a noble in > aurangzeb's court. > > when aurangzeb's son muhammed akbar rebelled > against his father > > and tried to form an alliance with the rajputs and > the marathas, > > ram singh was one of the many hindu kings who went > in pursuit. > > akbar failed in getting help from those who you > probably consider > > "natives" and finally left for persia where he > died. one of the > > descendents of the "alien" aurangzeb wrote in > rangoon pinning for > > his country: > > > > hai kitana badanasiib zafar dafn ke liye > > do gaz zamiin bhii na milii kU-e-yaar me.n > > > > medieval india was neither hindu nor muslim. it > was a composite > > entity, culturally and politically. there were > tensions between the > > hindus and muslims, undoubtedly. as there were > tensions between > > different castes and other socials formations. > > > > if you are looking for either ideological or > religious purity > > in history, you will be disappointed. the assamese > did not have to > > fear the second attack of ram singh and thank his > mother for taking > > him away. lachit's own brother and successor, > laluk sola borphukan, > > gifted away a hard earned guwahati to the mughals > within a few years > > of saraighat, during the time of aurangzeb itself, > and left for > > gargaon to try and become a king himself. > > > > lest we forget, the only lesson history teaches us > consistently > > is irony. > > > > -- > > saurav > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > Umesh Sharma > 5121 Lackawanna ST > College Park, MD 20740 > > 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] > > Ed.M. - International Education Policy > Harvard Graduate School of Education, > Harvard University, > Class of 2005 > > --------------------------------- > How much free photo storage do you get? 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