At 1:03 PM -0500 9/12/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: >C'da, > >My humble views: > >I think it speaks volumes of Indian democracy, where >differences/insults to religious sentiments are taken to court to be >settled there, as opposed to a fawa being declared on the poet.
**** You are right Ram. Can't take it away from where the compliments are due. All I could add however is that it is time to raise the benchmark a tad bit from the level of the Fatwa declarers. Low expectations is the singular enemy of achievements, of the ability to rise to a higher level. > >As far as Hindu Gods being mythical, I think you missed the point >completely. It is NOT a matter whether others believe in YOUR Gods, >and what they think. Its a question of faith and sentiments. In that >sense, Gangopadhyay did not do any justice to his fellow, God-fearing >Bengalis. **** God-fearing Ram? Where did you get the idea? God-fearing people have MORAL compunctions. If all the millions of Hindus had such a fear India won't be where it is. Would they be? > >As far as Gods (and demons) are concerned, I can come up enough >arguments that all the Gods were either 'human' just like you and me, >or they were mythical **** No you can't Ram. Because the Gods were created by Man, in its own image. Not the other way round. But that is the beside the point. I mentioned that to define the distinctions between real people and the gods, imaginary or even real. > >From a philosophical view point, it probably makes more sense for >humans to pray to the mythical than to pray to another human. **** You know me Ram:: Philosophy I stay the heck away from. Gives me headaches. But I am a practical man. In that I would rather pray to, grovel at and bargain with a real human to get what I wish to. Do you think that is why I am the loser I must be :-)? > >C'da, even your fierce opposition to RL is based more on sentiments >(for the good of Assam) than on pure logic and reasoning. :) **** Since you say so, it must be an inalienable truth :-). But it just might have helped to back your contention up with some explanation, wouldn't it? I mean how my 'sentimental' beliefs are wrong and are without basis? Surely I explained my positions a zillion times. But I am yet to hear a 'scientific' rebuttal from the ranks of the RIL believers, backed up with their legendary powers of pure, unadulterated logic and reasoning.. And that includes Kalam Saheb, not to mention you :-). > >And, I agree with you, SENTIMENTS do carry a lot of value, with or >without logic. **** But I don't agree with you Ram. I do not plead my point on the basis of sentiments. I rely only on ordinary and rational thinking and verifiable truths. You must have dreamt up my partiality to sentimental values. c-da > >Gangopadhyay has his rights of expression intact and so does the >policeman who filed the lawsuit. > >> While you are at it, what do you also think of them grievously >>HURT Mahapuruxia >> feelings produced by the treading of sacred grounds by a goru-kohwa >> "goria"(:-)--no disrespect meant here to my Muslim friends from this >> 'goru-khowa goxain') of a Muslim Congress Minister who entered a >> Barpeta Namghar recently? > >There was a huge outcry when the Last temptations of Christ was >filmed, and then again during when the other film Mel Gibson's >Christ's last days (forget the name now) was released. Of course >there was no fatwa like the Satanic Verses. > >I think outcries are OK, as long as there are no fatwas or violence. > >As far as Hindu Gods being mythical, I think you missed the point >completely. It is NOT a matter whether others believe in YOUR Gods, >and what they think. Its a question of faith and sentiments. In that >sense, Gangopadhyay did not do any justice to his fellow, God-fearing >Bengalis. > >As far as Gods (and demons) are concerned, I can come up enough >arguments that all the Gods were either 'human' just like you and me, >or they were mythical. > > >From a philosophical view point, it probably makes more sense for >humans to pray to the mythical than to pray to another human. > >C'da, even your fierce opposition to RL is based more on sentiments >(for the good of Assam) than on pure logic and reasoning. :) > >And, I agree with you, SENTIMENTS do carry a lot of value, with or >without logic. > > > >On 9/12/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> What do you think Ram? >> >> And what do you think about the VHP cutting -up/ smearing/burning MF >> Hussain paintings in a museum with images of Hindu goddesses? >> >> While you are at it, what do you also think of them grievously >>HURT Mahapuruxia >> feelings produced by the treading of sacred grounds by a goru-kohwa >> "goria"(:-)--no disrespect meant here to my Muslim friends from this >> 'goru-khowa goxain') of a Muslim Congress Minister who entered a >> Barpeta Namghar recently? If I remember correctly, there was a huge >> outcry of the faithful ( heh-heh!--Xonkordeu Goxain must have taken >> turn or two in his heavenly abode on this) for an apology. But I >> tell you, these bidness-challenged Kharkhowas are an useless lot . >> They have no clue. I would have settled for nothing less than a huge >> monetary settlement. >> >> c-da :-). >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> At 9:53 AM -0500 9/12/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote: >> >This case brings us back into the question of freedom of expression. >> >Has the poet >> >(Sunil Gangopadhyay), overused his liberties? >> > >> >It will be interesting to hear what netters have to say regarding this >> >case, and in the the larger context if India's democracy is headed in >> >the right direction? >> > >> >__________________________________________________________________ >> >Trial of poet for 'defiling idol' >> >By Subir Bhaumik >> >BBC News, Calcutta >> > >> >An Indian court has ordered a leading Bengali poet to stand trial on >> >charges of defiling a Hindu goddess. >> >The court in India's West Bengal state was ruling on a lawsuit filed >> >against Sunil Gangopadhyay by an ex-policeman. >> > >> >In an article in Bengal's biggest newspaper this year, Mr Gangopadhyay >> >was quoted as saying he was "sexually aroused" by an idol of >> >Saraswati. >> > >> >Retired policeman Bhibhuti Bhusan Nandy filed a lawsuit saying the >> >comments had hurt his religious sentiments. >> > >> >Additional chief judicial magistrate in Calcutta's Alipore court, >> >Manjit Singh, ordered Mr Gangopadhyay to appear in court on 3 >> >December. >> > >> >The court also ordered legal proceedings against three others - Aveek >> >Kumar Sarkar, editor of the Anandabazar Patrika newspaper, its >> >publisher Bijit Kumar Basu, and chief executive Subir Mitra. >> > >> >'Zealots' >> > >> >Mr Gangopadhyay, 71, was quoted in Anandabazar as saying he had kissed >> >an idol of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, to satisfy his >> >desire. >> > >> > >> >Mr Nandy, who has retired as the chief of the paramilitary >> >Indo-Tibetan Border Police, filed a formal complaint with the police >> >against the author. >> > >> >"I am delighted the court has started appropriate legal proceedings," >> >Mr Nandy said. >> > >> >Mr Gangopadhyay told the BBC on Monday that he was not taking the case >> >seriously. >> > >> >"Some religious zealots are playing this up - mine was a light-hearted >> >remark on Goddess Saraswati. Her idol did not evoke devotion in me >> >when I was young. I found her very attractive and that is what I >> >said," said Mr Gangopadhyay. >> > >> >"In Bengal, Hindus are known to crack jokes at the expense of their >> >gods and goddesses and that's what I did," he said. >> > >> >"I have done no wrong but the zealots are trying to attack me because >> >I am so critical of them. I am not afraid of them - as a writer I have >> >the freedom to say such things and I and my publisher will fight it >> >out in court." >> > >> >Controversy Mr Gangopadhyay is West Bengal's best known living poet >> >and novelist with more than 250 books to his name. >> > >> >But he is no stranger to controversy. >> > >> >Two years ago, there were protests outside a newspaper office in >> >Calcutta after he wrote about the sex life of Indian spiritual leader, > > >Ramakrishna Paramhansa. >> > >> >He also described Kali, the Hindu goddess of power, as a "tribal >> >whore", triggering protests by Santhal tribes people and Hindus. >> > >> >Last year, the Bangladesh government banned an issue of an Indian >> >magazine which carried a story by Mr Gangopadhyay in which he wrote >> >about the sex life of the Prophet Mohammad. >> > >> >_______________________________________________ >> >assam mailing list >> >[email protected] >> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org >> _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
