C'da
*** Perhaps that is not a credo of the fair and balanced crowd , but >if we
go cry over all the wrongs of the world, what are the chances >anyone will be listening? I have not seen any of the fair and the >balanced crowd shedding tears over Darfur or East Timor or >Kashmir or Kakopothar .
Fair enough. Emotional distances do matter. >*** I don't know that anyone is prohibited from doing so. *But there >IS a difference between the immensely powerful army of the worlds >largest 'democracy' , armed with AFSPA, terrorizing defenseless* >villagers and meting out summary justice at will and a rag-tag band >of insurgents fighting a for freedom from that power. Of course, there is. A powerful army "terrorizing' poor villagers. Yes, that does happen sometimes, and when it does, it should be condemned. But maybe someone will also advise the ulfa cadres not to take refuge among the innocent. Everyone knows its a common ploy - bomb or maim some innocent people, the go and run and hide among innocent villagers. And when the all powerful big, bad army comes, just yell blue murder. But, then should you or other ULFA supporters think they should condemn ULFA bombing in Guwahati (on a daily basis now from Fancy Bazar to Athgaon) and innocent people have been killed. These people killed or mained DID NOT belong to the dreaded army - they were just regular everyday people, breadearners and shoppers. They are not that " immensely powerful army"
But NOT all such victims' miseries are equal.
You must be correct. In Guwahati, within the very heart of Assam, ulfa can come in on a daily basis, kill innocent Assamese - but their miseries are not in any way equal to the ulfa who willingly take up arms to "protect them". If ulfa is "protecting" them, why are they also killing them? Oh! its a tangled web...
I asked GoI supporters, a number of times WHY Assam should remain a subservient colony to be exploited by Indian interests, or WHY it is good
for India ?>to hold on to Assam or for that matter Kashmir? Perhaps, you may have missed it. Most people do not consider your theory that Assam is a subservient colony of India. They think Assam is a part of India, and have as many rights and privileges as any other state within the Union. What is MEANT by "good for India to hold one Assam" ? It doesn't really mean anything. Is this some kind of reverse psychology. You put up an assumption or two, and then ask others to prove the reverse. It strikes of pure sophistry. The Indian Union is made of up diverse states and cultures. There is no "good" or "bad" state to hold on to or reject. Is that the way you envision the new country? No country is made up that way and nor should they. Let us take your example a little further. Let us assume Assam is an independent country. Now, prove to us why this new country should say hold on to say Silchar or Kokrajhar or Dhemaji or Borpeta? Prove to us why any of these will be GOOD for Assam? Go ahead, C'da, give it a try. There are many other areas that come to mind. --Ram On 5/23/07, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
At 11:19 AM -0600 5/22/07, Ram Sarangapani wrote: In this age of pre-emptive this and pre-emptive that, this quote by C'da is precious. >*** I do have sympathy for ALL victims of discrimination. But NOT all such victims' miseries are equal. >Therefore I CHOOSE who to raise my voice for or against, since I cannot be a defender of ALL victims >that need help. While, it is true, that we can and often do try and defend victims that need help and whose interests often mesh with our own, there are some situations where in some of the posts we are egged on to support a victim here and a victim there. *** Perhaps that is not a credo of the fair and balanced crowd , but if we go cry over all the wrongs of the world, what are the chances anyone will be listening? I have not seen any of the fair and the balanced crowd shedding tears over Darfur or East Timor or Kashmir or Kakopothar . >Some good examples we recently came across: >Netters were exhorted (forget the petition part ) to lend support to the ULFA wives in search of their >husbands. *** In a forum whose entire being is to foster discussions about Assam, one might think it is an issue worth bringing up. Of course we know how the fair and the balanced would respond. But that is no reason NOT to. Because there are those who DO care. > Essentially "taking sides". Is taking sides all that bad? *** Is it? >The other question that percolates to the mind is whatever happened to 'fairplay' ? *** Judged 'fair' according to who? >Whether some attrocity is perpetrated on ULFA cadres or the army or police or the general public, >shouldn't there rise above all the din, a sense of fairplay? *** I don't know that anyone is prohibited from doing so. But there IS a difference between the immensely powerful army of the worlds largest 'democracy' , armed with AFSPA, terrorizing defenseless villagers and meting out summary justice at will and a rag-tag band of insurgents fighting a for freedom from that power. So ALL violence are NOT EQUAL. >Should we bother about such clutters, and just take sides based on our socio-political beliefs? Would >that suffice? *** Isn't that what we see here in assamnet? Have we ever seen any different? And WHY should *I* abandon MY own sense of what is right in Assam's conflicts. Or for that matter Ram? We should try to explain, WHY our individual views are the right ones. That educates the uninformed and the fence-sitters. But again, declaring GoI will never accept this or that, or wishing ULFA away by calling it names doers not do that. The able amongst us ought to try and rise above that. I asked GoI supporters, a number of times WHY Assam should remain a subservient colony to be exploited by Indian interests, or WHY it is good for India to hold on to Assam or for that matter Kashmir? I don't recall any explanation that camer from the GoI supporters here. Was it hard ? I know it is a lot easier to say GoI won't accepot this or that. But what about those supporters' PERSONAL views? What do THEY recommend? On my part, when asked by Sandip, I did not beat around the bush and gave my answer. Some good examples we recently came across: Netters were exhorted (forget the petition part ) to lend support to the ULFA wives in search of their husbands. Or enquired why the Indian army was given a pass (for its attrocities) while the ulfa was condemned roundly. Why netters were not upset over the Bhutan raid on Ulfa? Or some states like Assam called to question for its performance, while others were let off. There were also examples of other netters doing the same things (but opposite) - Why ulfa supporters were not condemning frequent ulfa bombings? Asked why the killings of the Dhemaji children were Not condemned by all? Condemn the ulfa, but not the army or the GOI in cherry-picked situations. Essentially "taking sides". Is taking sides all that bad? Now, a statement like C'da's above comes in really handy in tight situations. All one has to do is say - well I understand, etc etc, but I have already lent support this or that cause - can't support/defend all the people all the time. The other question that percolates to the mind is whatever happened to 'fairplay' ? Whether some attrocity is perpetrated on ULFA cadres or the army or police or the general public, shouldn't there rise above all the din, a sense of fairplay? Should we bother about such clutters, and just take sides based on our socio-political beliefs? Would that suffice? Lastly, I just want to clear this up. I took C'da's quote ONLY as an example and 'test case'. I have on occassion taken these same 'pre-emptive' avenues (even though, I haven't articulated as such). Other netters have too. :) Just meandering thoughts! --Ram
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