Ram: It still amounts to nothing. Different people attacking/criticizing the MESSENGER , without specifically addressing the issues she raises.
If Bhagawati can or the others can address the issues she raises, and rebuts her analyses or criticisma, that would mean something. Otherwise it is nothing more than heart-burn. That simple. c-da ---- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > C'da, >WHAT exactly did you find here that has any substance? Does the blogger rebut >or debunk anything AR speaks about? The blogger is but one example. But lets get some other views here: Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia (a portion from the interview with Shekar Gupta, Indian Express): *What about the other two, Arundhati Roy and Chomsky?* I think Arundhati Roy is just... *You wouldn't like your book to be reviewed by one of them.* I would love to see what they have to say. But Chomsky is the only serious person there because Chomsky is the world's greatest linguist. He is a man who is known for his intelligence and ability and invariably you get arguments you can put your teeth into. Most of the time I do disagree but he's really an intellectual. Arundhati Roy is unfortunately...unfortunate because she's our compatriot and she's written one very fine novel as you know...but her conclusions are far more obvious than her arguments and that makes it impossible to function. You don't know where to begin or where to end. Stiglitz is really more worried about the IMF's policies which are not of great relevance to us. Here is another from the Telegraph http://www.telegraphindia.com/1030507/asp/frontpage/story_1945565.asp (building their home in protected forest land ) That she is definitely Anti-American can be vouched by people like Stanley Kurtz ( House Subcommittee on Select Education for Hearings on International Education and Questions of Bias June 19, 2003) from the Hoover Institute: (bold mine) The authors assigned in that workshop included *Arundhati Roy*, Robert Fisk, and Tariq Ali, all known as bitter critics of American foreign policy. More than that, Said and these other authors have been widely cited for purveying a viewpoint that betrays an extreme animus to the United States itself. *The Columbia Journalism Review cited Arundhati Roy, for example, as a prime example of an "anti-American" writer*. Liberal author Ian Buruma, writing in The New Republic, published a review of Roy's work entitled, "The Anti-American." (Roy's title-essay from the book reviewed by Buruma was assigned in the U. C. Santa Barbara course.) *Even leftist author Tod Gitlin, in the left-leaning magazine, Mother Jones, called Arundhati Roy "anti-American."* ** Basically, C'da, we all know she is an accomplished author, and an intellectual. This is hardly a question of heart burns and dirty laundry - here you see, Indians, the West, intellectuals, left wing authors, and others soundly dismissing her as yet another kook. Unfortunately, C'da - all the glitters is not gold (at least in AR's case) :) Incidently, AR was born in Assam (in oppulence). He father was in some Chaa-bagan. No harm here - but just to put things in perspective :) --Ram On 3/27/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ram: > > WHAT exactly did you find here that has any substance? Does the blogger > rebut or debunk anything AR speaks about? > > All it proves is that what AR exposes gives him heart-burn. > > Why should anyone get heart-burn over truths that we all know about? > > For ONLY one reason: They would rather not see their nationali dirty > laundry aired. More so when it is shown to those whose approval they so > seek-- namely the West's. > > Thus, their bitter denouncements of AR's purported western outlooks. > > Why is her 'western' outlook so repulsive? > > Because those with 'Indian' outlook s would not notice the conditions she > exposes. For them it is par for the course. Isn't that the reason? > > If you asked me, it only underscores what AR points out. > > c-da > > > > > > > > > > ---- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > For some cynical views on AR see link > http://cynical-nerd.nationalinterest.in/?p=48 > > And this portion also from the same blog. > > "Arundhati Roy is intellectually dishonest. She received the Booker prize > from Britain a few years back. That provided her with the international > platform to spout her "radical left-wing" views. She addresses sleek > conferences in Europe, North America, Australia and South Africa. She > resides in plush hotels while traveling across continents to participate > in > various conferences sponsored by western NGO largess. > > She highlights the social contradictions in the Indian polity in > international fora. This, by itself, is not wrong except for the fact that > it is a selective critique of post-independence India. Born into an elite > family, she can afford the luxury of criticizing India in overseas > seminars > while doing little by way of actual work in addressing the root causes of > Indian poverty. Her's is the easy way out - to write on simple issues, to > polemicize and offer no constructive penetrative critique that entails > implementable solutions. > > I would add that the Marxism is a cover in her instance unlike the > Naxalites. Arundhati is deeply western in everything she does and > believes. > There is nothing wrong in that once again except for the fact that her > Marxist facade is a lie. Her lifestyle and inordinate need to consort with > the west proves it. She is a western NGO-financed limousine leftist, not a > true hands-on social activist like Swami Agnivesh - also from the left. > > This is intellectual sophistry at its worst. She becomes irrelevant when > you > freeze her from access to international colloquia and the radical circuit > in > the west. > > > > On 3/27/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > Come on Rajib, at least give it an attempt at a rebuttal; if you see > > something that is untrue, incorrect interpretation, subversive motives > or > > otherwise untenable; would you? > > > > Dismissing her as 'out of her mind' might give you a feeling of > > superiority - a typical response of those who cannot articulate a > thought, > > but persuades no one. You oght not to join that crowd :-). It merely > > reaffirms the bitter truths of Indian misgovernment and its > intelligentsia's > > irrelevance. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---- Rajib Das <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > As usual the woman is out of her mind! She rails for > > > railing's sake! > > > > > > In one single interview, she cannot keep her > > > ideological position constant. Unless being anti > > > something (in her case, her perception of India) can > > > be called an ideology. > > > > > > I hear she is getting out of political writing / > > > speaking and into doing another book. Good for her - > > > Great for us! > > > > > > And how dare she not mention the glorious struggles in > > > Assam - after mentioning the Maoists, Kashmir - even > > > Nagaland! > > > > > > > > > --- Chandan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > ZNet| On India’s Growing Violence: ‘It’s > > > Outright War and Both Sides are Choosing Their > > > Weapons’ A { > > text-decoration: none; > > > font-weight: bold; color: 003399; } A:hover { > > > color: 0000FF; text-decoration: underline } > > > > > Sender's Comments: Read it. Will do you > > > good. > > > cm > > > > > The article below is from ZNet. > > > It was sent by a third party, whose address is > > > indicated in the FROM: line of this email. You have > > > not been placed on any list. > > > ZNet | A Community of People Committed to Social > > > Change > > > > > > On India’s Growing Violence: ‘It’s > > Outright > > > War and Both Sides are Choosing Their Weapons’ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Louvre Abu Dhabi > > > > > > > > > > > > Arab Peace Initiative > > > > > > > > > > > Bolivia's Morales > > > > > > > > > > > > Road Map Overtaken > > > > > > > > > > > Peace, Democracy, > > > Iraq? > > > > > > > > Most Recent > > > From Arundhati Roy > > > > > > > > Breaking > > > the News > > > > > 'And His Life Should Become Extinct' > > > > > > India and the U.S. > > > > > A Fury Building Up Across > > > India > > > > > Bush in India: Just Not Welcome > > > > > > > > > > > by > > > Arundhati Roy and Shoma Chaudhury > > > Tehelka > > > March 26, 2007 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The following is an interview with Arundhati Roy, > > > conducted by Shoma Chaudhury of Tehelka. > > > > > > There is an atmosphere of growing violence across the > > > country. How do you read the signs? In what context > > > should it be read? > > > > > > You don’t have to be a genius to read the signs. We > > > have a growing middle class, reared on a diet of > > > radical consumerism and aggressive greed. Unlike > > > industrializing Western countries, which had colonies > > > from which to plunder resources and generate slave > > > labor to feed this process, we have to colonize > > > ourselves, our own nether parts. We’ve begun to eat > > > our own limbs. The greed that is being generated (and > > > marketed as a value interchangeable with nationalism) > > > can only be sated by grabbing land, water and > > > resources from the vulnerable. What we’re witnessing > > > is the most successful secessionist struggle ever > > > waged in independent India â€" the secession of the > > > middle and upper classes from the rest of the country. > > > It’s a vertical secession, not a lateral one. > > > They’re fighting for the right to merge with the > > > world’s elite somewhere up there in the > > > stratosphere. They’ve managed to commandeer the > > > resources, the coal, the minerals, the bauxite, the > > > water and electricity. Now they want the land to make > > > more cars, more bombs, more mines â€" supertoys for > > > the new supercitizens of the new superpower. So it’s > > > outright war, and people on both sides are choosing > > > their weapons. The government and the corporations > > > reach for structural adjustment, the World Bank, the > > > ADB, FDI, friendly court orders, friendly policy > > > makers, help from the ‘friendly’ corporate media > > > and a police force that will ram all this down > > > people’s throats. Those who want to resist this > > > process have, until now, reached for dharnas, hunger > > > strikes, satyagraha, the courts and what they thought > > > was friendly media. But now more and more are reaching > > > for guns. Will the violence grow? If the ‘growth > > > rate’ and the Sensex are going to be the only > > > barometers the government uses to measure progress and > > > the well-being of people, then of course it will. How > > > do I read the signs? It isn’t hard to read > > > sky-writing. What it says up there, in big letters, is > > > this: the shit has hit the fan, folks. > > > > > > You once remarked that though you may not resort to > > > violence yourself, you think it has become immoral to > > > condemn it, given the circumstances in the country. > > > Can you elaborate on this view? > > > > > > I’d be a liability as a guerrilla! I doubt I used > > > the word ‘immoral’ â€" morality is an elusive > > > business, as changeable as the weather. What I feel is > > > this: non-violent movements have knocked at the door > > > of every democratic institution in this country for > > > decades, and have been spurned and humiliated. Look at > > > the Bhopal gas victims, the Narmada Bachao Andolan. > > > The nba had a lot going for it â€" high-profile > > > leadership, media coverage, more resources than any > > > other mass movement. What went wrong? People are bound > > > to want to rethink strategy. When Sonia Gandhi begins > > > to promote satyagraha at the World Economic Forum in > > > Davos, it’s time for us to sit up and think. For > > > example, is mass civil disobedience possible within > > > the structure of a democratic nation state? Is it > > > possible in the age of disinformation and > > > corporate-controlled mass media? Are hunger strikes > > > umbilically linked to celebrity politics? Would > > > anybody care if the people of Nangla Machhi or Bhatti > > > mines went on a hunger strike? Irom Sharmila has been > > > on a hunger strike for six years. That should be a > > > lesson to many of us. I’ve always felt that it’s > > > ironic that hunger strikes are used as a political > > > weapon in a land where most people go hungry anyway. > > > We are in a different time and place now. Up against a > > > different, more complex adversary. We’ve entered the > > > era of NGOs â€" or should I say the era of paltu shers > > > â€" in which mass action can be a treacherous > > > business. We have demonstrations which are funded, we > > > have sponsored dharnas and social forums which make > > > militant postures but never follow up on what they > > > preach. We have all kinds of ‘virtual’ resistance. > > > Meetings against SEZs sponsored by the biggest > > > promoters of SEZs. Awards and grants for environmental > > > activism and community action given by corporations > > > responsible for devastating whole ecosystems. Vedanta, > > > a company mining bauxite in the forests of Orissa, > > > wants to start a university. The Tatas have two > > > charitable trusts that directly and indirectly fund > > > activists and mass movements across the country. Could > > > that be why Singur has drawn so much less flak than > > > Nandigram? Of course the Tatas and Birlas funded > > > Gandhi too â€" maybe he was our first NGO. But now we > > > have NGOs who make a lot of noise, write a lot of > > > reports, but whom the sarkar is more than comfortable > > > with. How do we make sense of all this? The place is > > > crawling with professional diffusers of real political > > > action. ‘Virtual’ resistance has become something > > > of a liability. > > > > > > There was a time when mass movements looked to the > > > courts for justice. The courts have rained down a > > > series of judgments that are so unjust, so insulting > > > to the poor in the language they use, they take your > > > breath away. A recent Supreme Court judgment, allowing > > > the Vasant Kunj Mall to resume construction though it > > > didn’t have the requisite clearances, said in so > > > many words that the questions of corporations > > > indulging in malpractice does not arise! In the ERA of > > > corporate globalization, corporate land-grab, in the > > > ERA of Enron and Monsanto, Halliburton and Bechtel, > > > that’s a loaded thing to say. It exposes the > > > ideological heart of the most powerful institution in > > > this country. The judiciary, along with the corporate > > > press, is now seen as the lynchpin of the neo-liberal > > > project. > > > > > > In a climate like this, when people feel that they are > > > being worn down, exhausted by these interminable > > > ‘democratic’ processes, only to be eventually > > > humiliated, what are they supposed to do? Of course it > > > isn’t as though the only options are binary â€" > > > violence versus non-violence. There are political > > > parties that believe in armed struggle but only as one > > > part of their overall political strategy. Political > > > workers in these struggles have been dealt with > > > brutally, killed, beaten, imprisoned under false > > > charges. People are fully aware that to take to arms > > > is to call down upon yourself the myriad forms of the > > > violence of the Indian State. The minute armed > > > struggle becomes a strategy, your whole world shrinks > > > and the colors fade to black and white. But when > > > people decide to take that step because every other > > > option has ended in despair, should we condemn them? > > > Does anyone believe that if the people of Nandigram > > > had held a dharna and sung songs, the West Bengal > > > government would have backed down? We are living in > > > times when to be ineffective is to support the status > > > quo (which no doubt suits some of us). And being > > > effective comes at a terrible price. I find it hard to > > > condemn people who are prepared to pay that price. > > > > > > You have been traveling a lot on the ground â€" can > > > you give us a sense of the trouble spots you have been > > > to? Can you outline a few of the combat lines in these > > > places? > > > > > > Huge question â€" what can I say? The military > > > occupation of Kashmir, neo-fascism in Gujarat, civil > > > war in Chhattisgarh, MNCs raping Orissa, the > > > submergence of hundreds of villages in the Narmada > > > Valley, people living on the edge of absolute > > > starvation, the devastation of forest land, the Bhopal > > > victims living to see the West Bengal government > > > re-wooing Union Carbide â€" now calling itself Dow > > > Chemicals â€" in Nandigram. I haven’t been recently > > > to Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, but we know > > > about the almost hundred thousand farmers who have > > > killed themselves. We know about the fake encounters > > > and the terrible repression in Andhra Pradesh. Each of > > > these places has its own particular history, economy, > > > ecology. None is amenable to easy analysis. And yet > > > there is connecting tissue, there are huge > > > international cultural and economic pressures being > > > brought to bear on them. How can I not mention the > > > Hindutva project, spreading its poison > > > sub-cutaneously, waiting to erupt once again? I’d > > > say the biggest indictment of all is that we are still > > > a country, a culture, a society which continues to > > > nurture and practice the notion of untouchability. > > > While our economists number-crunch and boast about the > > > growth rate, a million people â€" human scavengers â€" > > > earn their living carrying several kilos of other > > > people’s shit on their heads every day. And if they > > > didn’t carry shit on their heads they would starve > > > to death. Some fucking superpower this. > > > > > > How does one view the recent State and police violence > > > in Bengal? > > > > > > No different from police and State violence anywhere > > > else â€" including the issue of hypocrisy and > > > doublespeak so perfected by all political parties > > > including the mainstream Left. Are Communist bullets > > > different from capitalist ones? Odd things are > > > happening. It snowed in Saudi Arabia. Owls are out in > > > broad daylight. The Chinese government tabled a bill > > > sanctioning the right to private property. I don’t > > > know if all of this has to do with climate change. The > > > Chinese Communists are turning out to be the biggest > > > capitalists of the 21st century. Why should we expect > > > our own parliamentary Left to be any different? > > > Nandigram and Singur are clear signals. It makes you > > > wonder â€" is the last stop of every revolution > > > advanced capitalism? Think about it â€" the French > > > Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Chinese > > > Revolution, the Vietnam War, the anti-apartheid > > > struggle, the supposedly Gandhian freedom struggle in > > > India… what’s the last station they all pull in > > > at? Is this the end of imagination? > > > > > > The Maoist attack in Bijapur â€" the death of 55 > > > policemen. Are the rebels only the flip side of the > > > State? > > > > > > How can the rebels be the flip side of the State? > > > Would anybody say that those who fought against > > > apartheid â€" however brutal their methods â€" were > > > the flip side of the State? What about those who > > > fought the French in Algeria? Or those who fought the > > > Nazis? Or those who fought colonial regimes? Or those > > > who are fighting the US occupation of Iraq? Are they > > > the flip side of the State? This facile new > > > report-driven ‘human rights’ discourse, this > > > meaningless condemnation game that we are all forced > > > to play, makes politicians of us all and leaches the > > > real politics out of everything. However pristine we > > > would like to be, however hard we polish our halos, > > > the tragedy is that we have run out of pristine > > > choices. There is a civil war in Chhattisgarh > > > sponsored, created by the Chhattisgarh government, > > > which is publicly pursing the Bush doctrine: if > > > you’re not with us, you are with the terrorists. The > > > lynchpin of this war, apart from the formal security > > > forces, is the Salva Judum â€" a government-backed > > > militia of ordinary people forced to take up arms, > > > forced to become SPOs (special police officers). The > > > Indian State has tried this in Kashmir, in Manipur, in > > > Nagaland. Tens of thousands have been killed, hundreds > > > of thousands tortured, thousands have disappeared. Any > > > banana republic would be proud of this record. Now the > > > government wants to import these failed strategies > > > into the heartland. Thousands of adivasis have been > > > forcibly moved off their mineral-rich lands into > > > police camps. Hundreds of villages have been forcibly > > > evacuated. Those lands, rich in iron-ore, are being > > > eyed by corporations like the Tatas and Essar. Mous > > > have been signed, but no one knows what they say. Land > > > acquisition has begun. This kind of thing happened in > > > countries like Colombia â€" one of the most devastated > > > countries in the world. While everybody’s eyes are > > > fixed on the spiraling violence between > > > government-backed militias and guerrilla squads, > > > multinational corporations quietly make off with the > > > mineral wealth. That’s the little piece of theater > > > being scripted for us in Chhattisgarh. > > > > > > Of course it’s horrible that 55 policemen were > > > killed. But they’re as much the victims of > > > government policy as anybody else. For the government > > > and the corporations they’re just cannon fodder â€" > > > there’s plenty more where they came from. Crocodile > > > tears will be shed, prim TV anchors will hector us for > > > a while and then more supplies of fodder will be > > > arranged. For the Maoist guerrillas, the police and > > > SPOs they killed were the armed personnel of the > > > Indian State, the main, hands-on perpetrators of > > > repression, torture, custodial killings, false > > > encounters. They’re not innocent civilians â€" if > > > such a thing exists â€" by any stretch of imagination. > > > > > > > > > I have no doubt that the Maoists can be agents of > > > terror and coercion too. I have no doubt they have > > > committed unspeakable atrocities. I have no doubt they > > > cannot lay claim to undisputed support from local > > > people â€" but who can? Still, no guerrilla army can > > > survive without local support. That’s a logistical > > > impossibility. And the support for Maoists is growing, > > > not diminishing. That says something. People have no > > > choice but to align themselves on the side of whoever > > > they think is less worse. > > > > > > But to equate a resistance movement fighting against > > > enormous injustice with the government which enforces > > > that injustice is absurd. The government has slammed > > > the door in the face of every attempt at non-violent > > > resistance. When people take to arms, there is going > > > to be all kinds of violence â€" revolutionary, lumpen > > > and outright criminal. The government is responsible > > > for the monstrous situations it creates. > > > > > > ‘Naxals’, ‘Maoists’, ‘outsiders’: these > > > are terms being very loosely used these days. > > > > > > ‘Outsiders’ is a generic accusation used in the > > > early stages of repression by governments who have > > > begun to believe their own publicity and can’t > > > imagine that their own people have risen up against > > > them. That’s the stage the CPM is at now in Bengal, > > > though some would say repression in Bengal is not new, > > > it has only moved into higher gear. In any case, > > > what’s an outsider? Who decides the borders? Are > > > they village boundaries? Tehsil? Block? District? > > > State? Is narrow regional and ethnic politics the new > > > Communist mantra? About Naxals and Maoists â€" well… > > > India is about to become a police state in which > > > everybody who disagrees with what’s going on risks > > > being called a terrorist. Islamic terrorists have to > > > be Islamic â€" so that’s not good enough to cover > > > most of us. They need a bigger catchment area. So > > > leaving the definition loose, undefined, is effective > > > strategy, because the time is not far off when we’ll > > > all be called Maoists or Naxalites, terrorists or > > > terrorist sympathizers, and shut down by people who > > > don’t really know or care who Maoists or Naxalites > > > are. In villages, of course, that has begun â€" > > > thousands of people are being held in jails across the > > > country, loosely charged with being terrorists trying > > > to overthrow the state. Who are the real Naxalites and > > > Maoists? I’m not an authority on the subject, but > > > here’s a very rudimentary potted history. > > > > > > The Communist Party of India, the CPI, was formed in > > > 1925. The CPI (M), or what we now call the CPM â€" the > > > Communist Party Marxist â€" split from the CPI in 1964 > > > and formed a separate party. Both, of course, were > > > parliamentary political parties. In 1967, the CPM, > > > along with a splinter group of the Congress, came to > > > power in West Bengal. At the time there was massive > > > unrest among the peasantry starving in the > > > countryside. Local CPM leaders â€" Kanu Sanyal and > > > Charu Mazumdar â€" led a peasant uprising in the > > > district of Naxalbari which is where the term > > > Naxalites comes from. In 1969, the government fell and > > > the Congress came back to power under Siddhartha > > > Shankar Ray. The Naxalite uprising was mercilessly > > > crushed â€" Mahasweta Devi has written powerfully > > > about this time. In 1969, the CPI (ML) â€" Marxist > > > Leninist â€" split from the CPM. A few years later, > > > around 1971, the CPI (ML) devolved into several > > > parties: the CPM-ML (Liberation), largely centered in > > > Bihar; the CPM-ML (New Democracy), functioning for the > > > most part out of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar; the CPM-ML > > > (Class Struggle) mainly in Bengal. These parties have > > > been generically baptised ‘Naxalites’. They see > > > themselves as Marxist Leninist, not strictly speaking > > > Maoist. They believe in elections, mass action and â€" > > > when absolutely pushed to the wall or attacked â€" > > > armed struggle. The MCC â€" the Maoist Communist > > > Centre, at the time mostly operating in Bihar â€" was > > > formed in 1968. The PW, People’s War, operational > > > for the most part in Andhra Pradesh, was formed in > > > 1980. Recently, in 2004, the MCC and the pw merged to > > > form the CPI (Maoist) They believe in outright armed > > > struggle and the overthrowing of the State. They > > > don’t participate in elections. This is the party > > > that is fighting the guerrilla war in Bihar, Andhra > > > Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. > > > > > > The Indian State and media largely view the Maoists as > > > an “internal security†threat. Is this the way to > > > look at them? > > > > > > I’m sure the Maoists would be flattered to be viewed > > > in this way. > > > > > > The Maoists want to bring down the State. Given the > > > autocratic ideology they take their inspiration from, > > > what alternative would they set up? Wouldn’t their > > > regime be an exploitative, autocratic, violent one as > > > well? Isn’t their action already exploitative of > > > ordinary people? Do they really have the support of > > > ordinary people? > > > > > > I think it’s important for us to acknowledge that > > > both Mao and Stalin are dubious heroes with murderous > > > pasts. Tens of millions of people were killed under > > > their regimes. Apart from what happened in China and > > > the Soviet Union, Pol Pot, with the support of the > > > Chinese Communist Party (while the West looked > > > discreetly away), wiped out two million people in > > > Cambodia and brought millions of people to the brink > > > of extinction from disease and starvation. Can we > > > pretend that China’s cultural revolution didn’t > > > happen? Or that millions of people in the Soviet Union > > > and Eastern Europe were not victims of labor camps, > > > torture chambers, the network of spies and informers, > > > the secret police. The history of these regimes is > > > just as dark as the history of Western imperialism, > > > except for the fact that they had a shorter life-span. > > > We cannot condemn the occupation of Iraq, Palestine > > > and Kashmir while we remain silent about Tibet and > > > Chechnya. I would imagine that for the Maoists, the > > > Naxalites, as well as the mainstream Left, being > > > honest about the past is important to strengthen > > > people’s faith in the future. One hopes the past > > > will not be repeated, but denying that it ever > > > happened doesn’t help inspire confidence… > > > Nevertheless, the Maoists in Nepal have waged a brave > > > and successful struggle against the monarchy. Right > > > now, in India, the Maoists and the various > > > Marxist-Leninist groups are leading the fight against > > > immense injustice here. They are fighting not just the > > > State, but feudal landlords and their armed militias. > > > They are the only people who are making a dent. And I > > > admire that. It may well be that when they come to > > > power, they will, as you say, be brutal, unjust and > > > autocratic, or even worse than the present government. > > > Maybe, but I’m not prepared to assume that in > > > advance. If they are, we’ll have to fight them too. > > > And most likely someone like myself will be the first > > > person they’ll string up from the nearest tree â€" > > > but right now, it is important to acknowledge that > > > they are bearing the brunt of being at the forefront > > > of resistance. Many of us are in a position where we > > > are beginning to align ourselves on the side of those > > > who we know have no place for us in their religious or > > > ideological imagination. It’s true that everybody > > > changes radically when they come to power â€" look at > > > Mandela’s ANC. Corrupt, capitalist, bowing to the > > > IMF driving the poor out of their homes â€" honoring > > > Suharto, the killer of hundreds of thousands of > > > Indonesian Communists, with South Africa’s highest > > > civilian award. Who would have thought it could > > > happen? But does this mean South Africans should have > > > backed away from the struggle against apartheid? Or > > > that they should regret it now? Does it mean Algeria > > > should have remained a French colony, that Kashmiris, > > > Iraqis and Palestinians should accept military > > > occupation? That people whose dignity is being > > > assaulted should give up the fight because they > > > can’t find saints to lead them into battle? > > > > > > Is there a communication breakdown in our society? > > > > > > Yes. > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > assam mailing list > > > > assam@assamnet.org > > > > > > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > > > Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate > > > in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. > > > http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545367 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > assam mailing list > > assam@assamnet.org > > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
