Terrific Ram.
At 11:53 AM -0500 7/15/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > Not sure if this made it to Assamnet before. Anyway forwarding here. >___________________ > >Dear Ms. Shukla, > >I was agast to read your article "Murder most foul" in the Deccan Chronicle >(July 15, 2008). Yes, I was agast as to how the poor JNU's campus dog was >bludgeoned to death, but I was more agast of your rather poor knowledge of, >and condescension toward the North Eastern states of India. > >It maybe that you perhaps first need an object lesson in geography, possibly >history of India (you know - get to know your country), and not in the >least, a good lesson in humility. > >First of all, you ought to know that the North Eastern States comprises of >many other states. In Assam, a North-Eastern State, for example, there are >many vegitarians, as well as non-vegitarians, and the population is mostly >Hindu. Manipur, another North-Eastern state, too is mostly Hindu. Dogs >certainly are not on the menu. > >It is unfortunate, that you could not bring yourself to appreciate the >beauty of the landscape of Nagaland. You probably did not find it in your >heart to appreciate and study the culture, the language and customs of the >good people of Nagaland. If I could suggest, you might want to try and read >the volumes of good literature written by the British (many of the >army) on the North-Eastern states during the Raj. > >You make some sweeping statements regarding the whole of the North East, >when you declare, > >"Apparently North-Eastern students at JNU regularly lynch and barbecue >dogs." > >Really! Have you ever met or heard of any Assamese or Manipuri who eats >dogs? I know, you may think 'they all look alike' and hence your >condescension and then clubbing of all the 'natives' together. The fact, >however, is the people in the North-Eastern states are as varied and >different as other parts of the country, and so are their food habits. They >come in different hues. >That is what makes India unique, as the country comprises of all hues, >shapes, forms, colors, religions, vegitarians, and non-vegitarians. > >And when you write > "After combing the area, my husband visited the Gaon Burha (village >Pradhan) of the closest Naga settlement and spelt out all sorts of dire >consequences if the dog did not return. Twenty minutes later, Bindu was >safely home." > >Wow! isn't that something? Your husband showed them, didn't he? Your army >husband brought down the full weight and force of the whole Indian army on >the Gaon Burha and threatened the poor guy with "dire consequences". >One wonders, with all this condescension raining down on the poor chap, what >those threats might have been? >Beat up the natives? Burn down their silly hutments? Kill, rape and plunder >their sordid villages? What? > >Ms. Shukla, what you and your husband may not know is that the Indian Army >is NOT yours or your husband's personal army. The Army has a role, and >hopefully that role does NOT consist of rescuing irish setters of some army >officer. Your very tone suggests of condescension and of 'dealing with the >natives'. At the very least you might want to get off that high horse and >descend the mighty steps of Indraprastha. > > Just like many people, we too love our pets and would prefer that animals >not be ill-treated. Your concern for the pet dogs of JNU is admirable. >Every time we visit India, we often see animals either uncared for, or being >ill-treated. All sorts of animals from domestic cows, and horses to mongrels >are let loose and are not cared for. > >Therefore when you write about Nagas (and all of the North-East) eating >dogs, one tends to think about all those other animals being eaten by >non-vegitarians? How do you think vegitarians feel about the slaughtering of >these animals and how they are slaughtered? How do you explain that away to >hard-core vegitarians in India? How do you feel about the slaughter of >goats and buffaloes in the name of animal sacrifice in many Kali and Durga >Temples across India? Where really are your sensitivities? Do you protest as >vehemently and with such venom? > >I would like you and your kind readers to also note this. The past so many >years, there has been a tendency, specially in Delhi, to view young women >from the North East as "easy". There have been a number of cases of rape and >molestation of these women, and if I am not mistaken even at JNU. These >cases were not so much because the victims were women, but more so because >they belonged to the North-Eastern States. > >In fact, after one of these cases, a high-ranking police official in Delhi >was quoted saying something like, "These North-Eastern girls should dress >properly - then these things would not happen". This is the same reason why >women from the West are periodically molested and raped in Delhi and other >places - they are though of as being "easy" and dressing provocativingly. > >Then there are pre-conceived notions held by sections of people in Delhi and >other places that the North-Eastern states are "foreign" and their people >from China or some other place - obviously because how some of them look. > >Add articles like yours to such pre-concieved notions and then imagine what >the people of the North-East are likely to feel. And then good people in the >rest of the country keep wondering why on earth do the people of the >North-East feel alienated from the rest of country? > >Perhaps you and others would be kind enough to educate this section uncouth >and uneducated Delhites and other places that the people of the >North-Eastern states are also Indians. That some look different and are as >different as people from Kerela and UP, and that their customs and languages >are different as others, and lastly they are as much (or as >less)sophisticated and educated as people in the rest of India. > >Lastly, regarding the punishment you recommend for Mr. Yoronso. First off, >what are the laws regarding animal cruelty in India? Is it a crime to eat >dogs? Is the law strictly applied? How is the slaughtering of a goat (by >slitting its throat, half-way) any different? Have you goaded others to >prosecute all such butchers in India? > >And then, what has Mr. Yoronso's Phd to do with this case? Why would you >take away his Phd? Does the crime, if any, fit the punishment you recommend? > >Bottom line, Ms. Shukla, your article hurts a lot of people, and you don't >do the country any favors. But, I have a lot of confidence in the Deccan >Chronicle's readership. They will, I am sure, give your article the >attention it deserves and understand the gist of my protest here. > >I sincerely hope the Deccan Chronicle will publish this strong objection. > >Sincerely & with best wishes, > >Ram Sarangapani >Texas, USA >_______________________________________________ >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
