That was a vulnerable moment which Mr. Gangopadhyay was badly caught off-gaurd. He may have some dark secrets but he shouldn't pretend to be Mahatma Gandhi.
When a gentleman , a popular cult figure (I would rather say that, viewing his zeal for exploring sex lives of great people) he maybe, is too fond of success and publicity he goes for all sort of wierd views. It is the publicity he is getting out of that which worries me. He might have said about the goddess is public and if he has done that he has done something which he shouldn't have done. He can very well keep his passions within himself and learn to respect the feelings of his fellowmen.
A legal proceeding may denounce him and give him a financial jolt, but the bigger punishment for him should be from the public through the very media he used to gain publicity.
Prasenjit
On 9/13/05, Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
C'da,
> 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.
I am all for that. But India is unique. Being a country of multitudes
of religions, castes, sects, I would think its great that the country
has generally maintained a peaceful coexistence among the religions.
Yes, there there are problems where sections of the Parsis, the Gujus,
Muslims, the Hindus, the vegitarians all want live in their own
enclaves.
(but they do so in th US, in England too).
> **** God-fearing Ram? Where did you get the idea? God-fearing people
> have MORAL compunctions.
Again C'da, I think you are off the mark. God-fearing has really
nothing to do with the upkeep of morals. White Christians in Gandhi's
South Africa supported apartheid, God-fearing Hindus and Muslims kill
each other with impunity, and God-fearing whites all over the world
have yet to achieve a moral equivalence of treating all colors as
equal.
God-fearing could well mean that they fear their God, darn the morals.
> **** No you can't Ram. Because the Gods were created by Man, in its
> own image. Not the other way round.
That is exactly why, as an argument, one could say, Gods would have to
be either imaginary or human.
> 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.
C'da, praying to a 'real human' has its problems. You know, there that
question of 'accountability' :):)
> Do you think that is why I am the loser I must be :-)?
Actually, that may be reason, why you are a winner :):)
> I mean how my 'sentimental' beliefs are wrong and are without basis? Surely I >explained my positions a zillion times
Of course, you have. But you have always done so with a lot of passion
and sentiments(and thats not bad at all). All I am saying is that your
posts on the subject revealed more passion (sentiments) than logic. I
am sure your logic/scientific explanations were sound too :)
On 9/12/05, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 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
> >>
>
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--
Prasenjit Chetia
Atlanta, GA
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