Hello Moderator (I am begining to wonder if there is one!) I too am voicing my frustration with this listserve, which I had subscribed to thinking it would keep me updated on issues/developments related to Jharkhand. But the kind of email exchanges that have been taking place in this forum is absolutely deplorable. Such bigoted jingoistic emails are most disturbing. As soon as I see emails from some people (whom I do not know personally, but have been reading their emails) in this forum, I hit the delete button, since from their earlier emails I can guess what the tone and content of their emails would be.
Therefore, if there is a moderator for this forum, kindly step in and play your role. Or else kindly unsubscribe me from this forum. Thank you. Madhumita Dutta, Chennai. PS: And to paint people like David Pugh with the same brush as pedophiles of Goa is stretching it too far. And people who are doing so are so consumed with hatered that they have lost their sense of reasoning. ----- Original Message ----- From: Dr. Dhuni Soren To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 8:12 PM Subject: [ =>> Jharkhand <<= ] Re: Detention of David Pugh: Hats off to Odisha Police. Hello Kundan, I fully agree with your understanding of the situation in this forum. I have tried on many occasions to point this out but no one seems to care and I simply ignore some of these mails by seeing the names of the senders. But its about time that some moderation of materials put across the forum is done for the sake of the forum which is otherwise doing very well. Dhuni -- In [email protected], "Kundan Kumar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > It has become impossible to discuss anything substantive on this forum > without being dragged into angry discussion on evangelism and xenophobia by > a select group of rightwing hatemongers, who twist each and every issue and > event discussed to their own agenda of anti-christianity. If there was a > sustantive and useful debate on issue of religion, conversion etc. it may > still be useful- but what we have is a spewing of uninformed opinions, often > filled with hate and venom. In name of objectivity and freedom of speech, > the moderators seem to allow this to go on unchecked. > > Such listserves should act as deliberative forums, democratic in form and > intent. If some basic rules of civil interaction is not followed, > substantive discussions will be pushed out by aggression. That is the reason > that we have a speaker in the Parliament, to act as a moderator and to > ensure that discussions take place in a proper environment. But this forum > is so dominated by issues of hate, exlusion and xenophobia that one wonders > if it serves its purposes. Can one maintain balance between rational thought > and irrationality? - because that is what we are doing by providing space to > people who seem to be bent on playing a sensational form of identity and > religious politics using this platform. > > Of course tourist visas are used for nefarious purposes - who doesn't know > this fact. But insinuating that David Pugh, who used Tourist visas to visit > places where people are being killed in the name of development, is > equivalent to "pedophiles" and "spy" and rapists is simply horrendous and > shows a distorted moral compass.The gentleman in question kills so many > birds with one stone- he smears Pugh and at the same time the "evangelists" > by comparing them to worst criminal scum as well as international spies > coming to India. There is no discussions of the purposes of these seperate > people - this is exactly like saying that all muslims are terrorists because > Osama Bin laden is a terrorist and a muslim. > > I will request the moderators to comment on the point raised by me as above- > and let me point out that it one sees the volume and quality of mails on > this listserve, it appears to be a "religious discussion group" for any > casual observer. > > Regards > > Kundan > > > > > > > On 8/15/08, S kumar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > 1*. Many tourists from US and EU coming to India on a tourist visa, > > misuse their presence for nefarious activities and stay for months together > > beyond permitted period.* > > > > *2. The Govt. in its tourism promotion mindset does not take action > > against them and at best deport them when caught of the wrong doings.* > > > > *3. See the cases of Western paedophiles caught in Goa with drugs, but as > > usual our judiciary releases them on the excuse of "insufficient evidence". > > * > > > > *4.Several intelligence operatives too come on tourist visa-s and travel > > to sensitive locations. The exchange programmes too are not free of such > > undesirable "guests"* > > > > *5. A fifth group is the Eavangelists from U.S. coming on tour. Such an > > evangelist was detained in Trivandrum with his host Benson, and both of them > > were main criminals in holding a woman for months and raping her. She > > was kept under locked doors and taken to different places in Kerala. ons > > were arrested.* > > > > 4. > > > > --- On *Thu, 8/14/08, deba nayak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>* wrote: > > > > > > From: deba nayak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Re: [ =>> Jharkhand <<= ] Detention of David Pugh: Hats off to > > Odisha Police. > > To: [email protected] > > Cc: [email protected] > > Date: Thursday, August 14, 2008, 10:48 PM > > > > > > > > > > Jharkhand Forum | Jharkhand Blog | Jharkhand Video | Jharkhand Network<http://www.jharkhand.org.in/> > > <http://egroups.com/list/Jharkhand> > > * * > > > > > > Orissa Police did the prefect and right job of arresting David suspecting > > security violation. Any foreign national can be arrested in US provided > > he/she is a suspect of national security or suspected to be involved in any > > kind of suspicious activities. Hats off to Odisha Police. -------- ---- > > --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ------ --- > > --------- --------- --------- ----- David Pugh, a school teacher, > > initially posed himself as a reporter when asked about his profession in the > > US, police said, adding there was no point in misleading them. --- --------- > > --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----- The > > US national, who has been detained near Kalinga Nagar on suspicion of being > > an anti-government activist, said he was studying problems of people in > > industrial areas. David Pugh, who came to India on a tourist visa in July, > > was detained by Orissa police near the steel hub of Kalinga Nagar along with > > a woman Maoist cadre on Tuesday night. Pugh, who left here for Delhi this > > morning, told interrogators that he was not interested in sight seeing but > > was studying problems of people in industrial areas. Police said Pugh > > visited Singur, Navi Mumbai, Paradip before entering the Kalinga Nagar. Suspecting > > his intentions, the state police have urged the Ministry of External Affairs > > to cancel Pugh's visa and ensure that the San Francisco native never comes > > to India again, Jajpur district Superintendent of Police D S Kuttey said. Pugh, > > however, argued that he had not made any mistake by visiting the industrial > > areas of the country. But, police said, had Pugh been interested in study > > and research, he would have secured a student visa instead of a tourist visa > > before visiting India. "He first went to Navi Mumbai and then Singur > > before coming to Orissa.... His intention was not exactly that of a > > tourist," Kuttey said. Pratima Das, the woman Maoist accompanying him, was > > later arrested. Pugh claimed he was not aware that she was a hardcore Maoist > > cadre, he had attended a peoples' tribunal here on August 10 before going to > > Posco area in Paradip and Kalinga Nagar, the sources said. They also > > suspected him to be a member of International Communist Movement (ICM) which > > has roots in most parts of the world. "We doubt his intention of coming to > > the country," Director General of Police (DGP) Gopal Chandra Nanda said > > adding he was therefore detained for questioning. Pugh, however, was > > allowed to leave the state after his antecedents were verified by the > > police. > > > > > > *Pravin Patel <tribalwelfare@ gmail.com>* wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Jharkhand Forum | Jharkhand Blog | Jharkhand Video | Jharkhand Network<http://www.jharkhand.org.in/> > > <http://egroups.com/list/Jharkhand> > > * * > > > > > > Dear all > > > > The news of arrest of David Pugh and persons accompanying him as Maoists > > by the Orissa Police from the Jagatsinghpur area is strongly deplored by me > > and other activists. > > > > Mr. David Pugh is a teacher and is keen to know the status of tribals who > > are displaced for industrial ventures. I have organised a meeting of David > > Pugh at Raigarh where few social activists were also invited. The meeting > > lasted for the whole day. No where during the meeting or at any point of > > discussion, there was any thing that we can club with or associate with > > Maoist. He is a simple man. He had program to go to Ranchi but due to > > extreme rush in the train to Rourkela, he had to cancel the program and stay > > at night at Raigarh. He had plans to visit Jharkhand and then to Orissa to > > meet the people at Kalinga Nagar, Posco victims, and also at Surya Sponge > > iron under Barchana P.S. where police fired live bullets on agitating > > tribals. > > > > I strongly deplore the act of Orissa police and urge our members to stand > > with Mr. David Pugh. > > > > with best wishes > > > > Pravin Patel. > > > > *Fire on the Mountain Blog:* > > > > I just received word that an old friend and fine activist, Bay Area teacher > > Dave Pugh, has been detained by the Indian police while investigating > > struggles of Indian peasants and tribal people in Orissa who are protesting > > displacement resulting from rapacious mining and industrial development. His > > guide and translator were also detained. > > > > We don't do this much at *FotM*, but I urgently request that folks *read > > the press release after the fold*, which has information on how to contact > > the Indian government to demand the release of the trio. There is an*Orissa government email address, and fax and phone numbers for Orissa and > > for the central government*. Please help let these these officials know > > that Dave's friends and the broader progressive community in the US are > > watching. > > > > Also, when you do take action, please let us know so we can track and > > coordinate the protest and let folks in India who are defending those > > detained know what's up here. Also please cc any email protests or > > announcements to GN Saibaba, who is working actively on their defense. His > > email is janadolan(at) gmail(dot) com. > > > > > > *UPDATE*: Some of the phone and fax numbers in the original press release > > did not work. We have retained those we believe are correct. Keep an eye on > > this space for further updates. > > > > *THE PRESS RELEASE > > > > * > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > * * <http://www.jharkhand.org.in/network> > > <http://egroups.com/list/Jharkhand> > > ** > > > > > > > > >
