Dr Santosh Helekar continues his efforts to divert attention from the death threats which the Sanathan Saunstha and the Hindu Janajagriti Samiti have issued against the Parkinson's disease afflicted 79 year old artist, scholar and philosopher, by making a big issue about the email that is reproduced below.
For Santosh Helelar it is more important to focus on the hurt that a certain Sami Furtado has caused to his fragile ego, than to do anything to defend an aged scholar, philosopher, and artist like Dr. Jose Pereira. Once more Santosh, I congratulate you on the felicity of your rhetorical skills. ................................................................................................. Dr Santosh Helekar wrote to goanet: Re: Jose Pereira at XCHR: A Recounting of Events I would request Sam Furtado to retract the statements he has made against me below. I have never made the assertion that he has falsely quoted as my own. My position on Dr. Jose Pereira's paintings is exactly what it has been all along with other artistic and academic freedom issues such as those related to Hussain, Dan Brown and Da Vinci code movie, Salman Rushdie and Subodh Kerkar. I am unconditionally in favor of artistic and academic freedom, and am opposed to anybody who uses violence and intimidation to stifle it. Groups such as Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, inappropriately named Catholic Secular Forum, Islamic Defense Council, etc stand for everything that I am against. But I have no problem as long as they express their protests in a peaceful manner, as the lady in the video was doing.Cheers,Santosh--- On Mon, 8/2/10, Sam Furtado < sfrainbow51 at gmail.com > wrote:> > The Biggest misnomer of the day about the Goans is by Dr. > Santosh Helekar's, email, which relates to the brewed > contraversy on Dr. > Jose Pereira's Paintings', and which I > quote below: > > Quote: > > "The > biggest danger to communal peace in Goa is this breed > of dregs, not the > Sanatan Saunstha. ?You can take this > to the bank". > > Unquote: > > It is people like Dr. Santosh Helekar who are communal > > > biased and cannot mesticate the facts of life or reality. > > Every person in his own right have freedom of > expression; Be it in > > writing, painting or voicing, > irrespective of the nature of the subject. > > Everthing likes > in the Eyes of the Beholder. So what despicability or > > > deplorability or disgraceful is there in Dr. Jose's > Paintings? I think he > > needs to visit a Shrink. > > To sum up in short it is people like Dr. Santosh Helekar, > who are > > communal frenzy and these are the people need to be > watched closely or > > else they will be detrimental to the > society and the peace loving Goans. > > Sam -- Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal, Moira, Bardez, Goa, India E pinto...@gmail.com or ypinto...@yahoo.co.in P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350 * * * In every way, the Goans of Bombay were part of the great melee that was this metropolis, distinct perhaps in the way communities often are, holding on to their own traditions but merging slowly nonetheless and forming the thin thread of nationhood that would eventually become India. -- Selma Carvalho, in *Into the Goan Diaspora Wilderness*. Available at Broadways Book Centre, Panjim [Ph +91-9822488564] Price (in Goa only) Rs 295. http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ * * *