If Indian military promotes secularism in its miltary business, it is good. It is a smart move.
However India's military institutions do not reflect the reality of Indian society, where 'seculraism' ( even in public life) is not merely derided, but even its intellectuals attack it. Highly lauded newspaper columns/editorials, such as D.N. Bezbaruah's of just the other day, which lamented that majority rule -- what 'democracy' is apprently all about -- in Indian democracy is routinely flouted by the minority. How? Because the majority is Hindu, while the minority being the 13% or so Muslims, plus the assorted other religious faiths. So such a devoted fan of democracy as DNB, is obviously not only cluless about the importance of secularism in public life, but is actually demanding, indirectly, that the majority religious sentiments rule in Indian democracy. And I noticed how our own distinguished NRA fans of DNB lauded the article as one of the best ever, albeit perhaps over other issues. But the confusion over the concept of democracy is glaring. With such devout fans of democracy, who needs advocatres of theocracy in India ? That is why I take a very dim view of those who are content with pointing out the missteps of individuals or motives of groups in societies like the USA who are attempting to destroy the concept of secularism in public life as being the same as in Indian democracy. More so, because these are the same voices who are merely attempting to rationalize their own distorted view of democracy as right of majority religious dominancein their public life, which is nothing less than an advocacy for a theocratic state. > > From: umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2005/05/16 Mon AM 09:15:00 EDT > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [email protected] > Subject: Re: Re: [Assam] C-da pl. comment--NYTimes.com: Separation of Church andAir Force > > C-da, > > Perhaps you are right. I do believe that this world is not a perfect heaven. Exceptions of all kinds are always there. > > I do not know much about USA to comment whether this incident was an exception, but I can see a "trend" (a term I frequently use nowadays in my regression analysis papers for forecasting the future) that US is increasinlgy becoming like evangelical Iran or maybe a possible throwback to Nazi Germany -where the military was the first to be communalized. > > I cannot imagine an Indian military General taking steps to remove material on "other faiths" --the way General Baldwin did in the video on Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism. > > Perhaps you haven't had the opportunity to go inside an Indian military cantonment, but if u got there you would see that each faith has its own place of worship there. Even in Himalayas, where there is shortage of space - the various faiths -share the same room - each in one corner --and the single chaplain has a single universal prayer for all soldiers. > > If you saw some Indian war movies - like the recent one on "Kargil -lest we forget" - the recent Himalyan war in 1999 with Pak supported terrorists - perhaps it would help. > > India does have its problems -- but they are more becos of imperfect system -where things go awry sometimes on the fringes (as in Gujarat, Kashmir or Delhi or Nellie) ---but NOT so radicaly in elite Military Academies. > > Umesh > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hi Umesh: > > For the simple reason that it is an example of an exception. It is not the rule. > Furthermore many thoughtful voices, such as in the NYT is already doing a > fine job of pointing it out and registering outrage. > > On the other hand your response is not because you believe secularism in > public life in a diverse society as in India is essential, but merely to > point out > that breaches of secularism happens in places like the USA too, as if that is a > good reason why the phoniness of fealty to secularism in Indian public life > should either be overlooked, if not approved of. > > Am I mistaken here Umesh ? > > c-da > > > > > > > From: umesh sharma > > Date: 2005/05/16 Mon AM 12:17:14 EDT > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: Re: [Assam] C-da pl. comment--NYTimes.com: Separation of > Church and > > Air Force > > > > C-da, > > > > I am curious that you never comment on such issues in US, though you are > very active in discussions on secularism. Would you like to comment on this > one please- I have never seen anything like this -officially- perahps only in > Islamic nations this kind of thing is possible. > > > > Or maybe, media of other nations is not so active in reporting such things > -such as Hindu temples built illegaly centrally located , inside court houses > (at Jaipur) and CM's secretariat (again Jaipur) or in railway stations etc > -but > even there noone forces people to practice faith. > > > > Umesh > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > footer {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:10px; color: > #000000;}td.footer {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:10px; > color:#000000;}a.footer {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: > 10px; color:#000066;}bgc1 {background-color:#F5F4F4;}td.bgc1 > {background-color:#F5F4F4;}bgc2 {background-color:#F8F8F8;}td.bgc2 > {background-color:#F8F8F8;}bodycopy {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans- serif; > font-size:12px;}td.bodycopy {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font- size: > 12px;}a.bodycopy {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12px; > color:#000066;}small {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: > 11px;}td.small {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;}a.small > {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:11px; color: > #000066;}advertisement {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 9px; > color:#999999;}td.advertisement {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font- > size:9px; color:#999999;}a.advertiseme! > > nt > > {font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:9px; color: > #000066;}contextadbg {border-top:1px solid #BFBFBF; border-bottom:1px > solid #BFBFBF; margin-bottom:3px;}contextadheader {font-family: > arial,helvetica,sans-serif; color: #98BC61; font-size: 11px;font-weight: > bold}contextaddisclaimer {font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; color: > #999999; font-size: 10px;padding-bottom:8px;}contextadtext {font- family: > arial,helvetica,sans-serif; color: #000000; font-size: 11px; padding-top: 8px; > padding-bottom:8px;padding-left:11px;padding-right:11px;margin- bottom: > 3px}contextAdMiscText {font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; color: > #000000; font-size: 11px; padding-left:11px;padding-right:11px;} This > page was sent to you by: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Is it back to the Crusades? The movie seemed much more balanced. > > > > OPINION | May 14, 2005 > > Editorial: Separation of Church and Air Force > > > > It is time for the higher chain of command to deproselytize the Air Force > Academy. > > > > > > 1. Guest Columnist: Start a War, No Money Down! > > 2. College Libraries Set Aside Books in a Digital Age > > 3. Rebuffing Bush, 132 Mayors Embrace Kyoto Rules > > 4. Editorial: Separation of Church and Air Force > > 5. Op-Ed Columnist: Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio? > > > > � Go to Complete List > > > > Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy > _______________________________________________ > > Assam mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam > > > > Mailing list FAQ: > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html > > To unsubscribe or change options: > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/options/assam > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Yahoo! 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