Title: Fwd: Re: situation unclear
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Date: Sun, 1 Jan 2006 09:39:55 -0600
To: "office" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Chan Mahanta
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: situation unclear
Cc: "S.G. VOMBATKERE" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
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Hi Mr. P,
Thanks for the response.
>the suggestion that "Assam
nationalism" is not same as "Indian
nationalism".
*** Your question demonstrates very
clearly that I need argue the matter no farther, and rest my case. You
are either completely uninformed of the realities or are programmed to
ignore them in their entirety. Neither bodes well.
>(but they may not take it up, as they
are busy discussing water management,
>a subject not quite in their
domain)
*** Do I get the idea that they better
stay out of water management--an issue reserved for the experts like
yourselves?
I might have supported you on that, if
you experts had a credible track record to show for. I would submit
ultimately it is EVERYBODY's business. Even the non-experts' whose
lives will be impacted for ages to come. The experts are there to show
and persuade the non-experts, with scientific/technical
analyses, backed up by credible data and hopefully a trustworthy and
able track-record , with personal and institutional accountability --
that what they propose is indeed good, desirable, that the pros
outweigh the cons. That their judgements and abilities could be
trusted and depended upon.
Oh, I know it is much easier to think
they are the designated messiahs if not act like they own the place
and what they spout must be equivalent to Gods' own words. I adore the
times when my clients treat me like that - trust my words completely,
ask me no hard questions and do as I bid. Not frequently enough though
you know? Another one of life's many disappointments.
I wished I had weapons like you all wield
-- the ability tell the people, your clients off; that the
supporting data is none of their business, or are matters of 'national
security' for the use only of the guardians of the 'national
interests', or for the 'experts' only.
>They suffer with rest of us the
consequences of what they advocate.
*** And thus are more legitimate
than say myself--passing judgements from afar, sitting comfortably in
my well heated office, sending out e-mail messages via uninterrupted
high-speed internet connection, something you so astutely point out. I
know, I know Mr. P, that I am not messing with someone who just fell
off the turnip cart! Give me a little credit, will you?
>When opposition to hydro-electric
projects increases the hours of
>daily power cuts, they too
suffer.
*** The fallacy in your argument, Mr. P,
resides in implying here that the only solution for alleviating the
symptoms you describe are mega-dams for hydro-power generation in
fragile environments -- and ignoring entirely the fact that there are
other consequences to them than getting more power and living happily
thereafter as a super-power with prosperity for all.
Half truths like this is what makes
people mistrust the assertions and question the judgements of
supporters and promoters of these undertakings Mr. P.
>But you position yourself cozily,
safe distance away from all the hardships;
in a society that is one of the largest consumers of energy and
natural
resources; and is largely responsible for the climate change. While
you want
us to put up with a stone-age lifestyle in the name of preserving
our
environment, YOUR President says Kyoto protocol is not commensurate
with
YOUR style of living, and therefore YOU
will not reduce your GHG emissions,
>and the rest of the world can go
to hell.
*** I have got to concede, -- you got me
here by my you-know-whats!
I plead guilty to all the charges
excepting perhaps the very last wish that you attribute to me and my
ilk. I might have 'fessed up to that too, but that is a tad bit too
hard to swallow you know? Perhaps you will show a little mercy and
give me a little reprieve here, and reduce it to a charge of
say--don't care about 'them rest of the world' ? That will make it a
little more palatable to plead guilty to. Deal?
So, Mr Mahanta, you have no moral right
to lecture to us. If you feel so
much for India, then get out of your "ivory tower", come
back to India, live
here, undergo the hardships with us, accept the responsibility for
the
consequences of your views, AND ONLY THEN, when you become a part of
us
(rather than US :-) , only then you will have the moral right to
intervene
>in how we manage our water or
environment or whatever.
*** But what do the above have to do with
the issues I point to, Mr. Pandit? Or General Vombatkare does? Or All
the others who do? Do they disappear or even get diluted because of
the sins of MY associations or my privileges or my antecedents ? Think
about that Mr.P.
That is a very lame argument made only by
clueless people, unbecoming of the standard bearers of the knowledge
brigades you represent.
Unfortunately Mr. P, or perhaps
fortunately, we live in a connected world today. Those nationalistic
ideals you so conveniently wave to stifle the voices of those who
question your assertions and judgements do not work any more like they
used to. Nationalism has its uses, but it is a many headed hydra, or a
cobra if you prefer -- you may charm one or more heads into
dancing to your tunes, but there are those others that might strike
the charmer. If I were you, I would be very wary of peddling snake oil
with this show in tow!
Best,
Chandan :-)
At 4:07 AM -0500 1/1/06, office wrote:
Dear Mr. Mahanta,
The new thing in your present mail is,
the suggestion that "Assam
nationalism" is not same as
"Indian nationalism".
This is not my domain. There are some in Vombatkere's list of
recipients
in whose domain this topic is, and you are welcome to discuss it with
them.
(but they may not take it up, as they are
busy discussing water management,
a subject not quite in their domain).
If those whose domain is sociology and politics make the mistake of
holding
forth on water management, that does not mean those whose domain is
water
management should make the reciprocal mistake of talking about
sociology and
politics.
But there is one thing that I have been wanting to point out to you
for a
long time.
Mr. Vombatkere himself, and most of the recipients in his list, are
resident
in India. They suffer with rest of us the
consequences of what they
advocate. When opposition to
hydro-electric projects increases the hours of
daily power cuts, they too suffer. If
opposition to storage projects causes
water shortage, they too suffer. When energy shortage bog down the
economy,
they too face the inflation. And so on. If rest of us have to spend
for
buying Invertors or Reverse Osmosis machines to manage the power cuts
or
water shortage, they also have to incur that expenditure, or
suffer.
Thus, however incorrect their ideas may be, they at least have the
moral
right to say what they say. Because they stay right here and face
the
consequences of their views.
But you position yourself cozily, safe
distance away from all the hardships;
in a society that is one of the largest consumers of energy and
natural
resources; and is largely responsible for the climate change. While
you want
us to put up with a stone-age lifestyle in the name of preserving
our
environment, YOUR President says Kyoto protocol is not commensurate
with
YOUR style of living, and therefore YOU will not reduce your GHG
emissions,
and the rest of the world can go to
hell.
So, Mr Mahanta, you have no moral right
to lecture to us. If you feel so
much for India, then get out of your "ivory tower", come
back to India, live
here, undergo the hardships with us,
accept the responsibility for the
consequences of your views, AND ONLY THEN, when you become a part of
us
(rather than US :-) , only then you will have the moral right to
intervene
in how we manage our water or environment
or whatever.
Wishing you a happy 2006,
Chetan Pandit
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