I guess most people understands freedoms and ideas are relative. Those that don't are the ones willing to maim and kill if people don't accept their point of view. Like not going to Independence day celebrations.
Thinking people make their choices, hold it up to reason and then change some when those choices turn against reason. Going by the logic presented on this post, when Osama Bin Laden and his cohorts blow up civilians and buildings, it is a fight for freedom. So is it when Daniel Pearl's head is cut off. And children in Beslan are held in a siege and then killed ruthlessly. Heck, even Hitler's mass murder of Jews was about creating a better Germany. But then we have to make our choices. Most thinking people would, in my opinion, make the choice AGAINST the idea of killing children just because they chose to celebrate Independence day. Even when, some who, like me, have not made a sacrifice of their life but are content posting opinions here opine that he is going to give credence to those giving their lives. The choice is between me or him, not me or ULFA or for that matter me or the Indian Army. The choice, in this case, is clear. --- Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >ULFA may not agree with their views, you or > others may not agree with > >those views, but the fact that ULFA uses bombs and > guns to control > >public opinion is utterly shameless. > > > > *** I cannot refute your argument Ram. It > demonstrates your own > development as a highly evolved human being who > holds freedom and > independence -- albeit under the Indian banner-- in > high esteem, and > thus looks down upon such violent behavior as armed > struggle with > guns and bombs, willingly accepting death and > maiming or imprisoned > indefinitely; by those who seek to achieve their own > freedoms, under > a different banner. > > > But I am not sure that sense of 'shame' is an > absolute value. From > all I have seen all my life, even right this moment > as an American, > where I came seeking the kind of freedoms I have > found; it is a > RELATIVE one, under the best of circumstances. > > > On a different plane, but no less relevant, is the > Indian > intelligentsia's sense of shame in their own > affairs, as demonstrated > the corruption of the nation, something, even > characters like KPS > Gill waxes eloquent about on the pages of Outlook > India.com, is > nothing to write home about, to put it mildly. And > that is merely in > one facet of public life. > > > In that I tend to give more credence to those who > put their lives > where their mouths are. And knowing your integrity, > I like to believe > you too would, if not today, some-day :-). > > c-da > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 8:45 AM -0500 8/16/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: > >C'da, > > > >It is totally fine for ULFA or anyone else to have > a different view of > >democracy, independence or whether or not to > celebrate I-Day. > > > >What is galling is the threat the ULFA imposes on a > people, who at > >least in their minds think they are free and DO > want to celebrate > >I-Day. > > > >ULFA may not agree with their views, you or others > may not agree with > >those views, but the fact that ULFA uses bombs and > guns to control > >public opinion is utterly shameless. > > > >And the ULFA that supposedly yearns for freedom is > the very same one > >that wants to scuttle it for Assamese people who > don't agree with its > >views. Who are they kidding? > > > >--Ram > > > > > > > >On 8/15/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >> Good to hear from you after a very long time > Namita. > >> > >> > >> But I think you are looking at the issue thru a > rather constricted aperture. > >> There is a whole lot more to it. Some of it you > can see at: > >> http://www.dainikagradoot.com/mainnews1.htm > >> > >> > >> and also for >Democracy perhaps, but freedom > waits. > >> at: > >> > >>http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20050822&fname=JJohn+Pilger&sid=1&pn=3 > >> > >> > >> You do not need ULFA to reject the festivities > of Independence day. That is > >> the sad reality. Independence? From Whom? From > What? > >> > >> > >> c-da > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> At 9:02 PM -0400 8/15/05, Namita Das wrote: > >> Feel terrible how the people of Assam are > deprived of celebrating their own > >> I-day by a terrible group. > >> > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ram > Sarangapani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> To: "Assam" <assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu> > >> Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 5:13 PM > >> Subject: [Assam] I - Day, AT editorial > >> Some of the sentiments a number of us have been > expressing. > >> > >> ______________________________ > >> I -Day violence > >> Calls by the insurgent outfits to boycott the > Independence Day and > >> Republic Day has become the order of the day and > this year is no > >> exception as four militant outfits of the north > eastern region > >> including the United Liberation Front of Asom > (ULFA) have given a call > >> to boycott the Independence Day celebrations. > The ULFA, in an apparent > >> move to deter the people of Assam from > celebrating the day, even went > >> to the extent of claiming that it would attack > the venues of the > >> Independence Day celebrations. But on the > positive side, the number of > >> militant outfits giving calls for Independence > Day celebrations is > >> coming down with every passing year with more > and more militant > >> outfits coming forward for talks with the > Government of India for > > > political solution of their problems and the > possibility of the ULFA > >> being totally isolated in the days to come > cannot be ruled out. Major > >> militant outfits of the North East region > including both the factions > >> of the NSCN have been holding talks with the > Government of India, > >> while, the ULFA lost another of its partner- > National Democratic Front > >> of Boroland (NDFB) as the Bodo outfit has also > signed a cease-fire > >> pact with the Government of India, which > prevented the outfit from > >> giving any call to boycott the Independence Day > celebrations. > >> > >> The threat by the ULFA to attack the venues of > the Independence Day > >> celebrations also exposed the fact that the > frustration level of the > >> outfit is growing with every passing year. The > ULFA can give boycott > >> calls, but the people of Assam have the right to > decide whether to > >> attend the celebrations or not and no one has > the right to use force > >> to compel anyone from attending any function. > The gruesome killing of > >> 13 women and children in Dhemaji during the > Independence === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Assam mailing list Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu 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
