The following went out to Shukla, Deccan Chronicle etc. in a different mail.
cm Dear Ms. Shukla, Thanks much for the reply. >It is intellectually deceitful though woefully common to attempt to >defend a crime by deflecting attention >to other entirely unrelated >issues. *** It indeed could be. Except that in this instance, what I cited was not in an attempt to deflect attention away from your peeves but are entirely relevant issues. Allow me to explain. Would it be reasonable for me to surmise that the entire idea behind your piece in the Deccan Chronicle ( my apologies for calling it the Deccan Herald earlier) was: A: To seek JUSTICE for that dog, no ordinary mongrel, but JNU Campus born and raised and everybody's pet, the ripe old (8 years, 56 in human years) Kali, supposedly 'lynched and barbecued' by Mr. Oronso and his two other Naga accomplices ( I do pity their taste of meat), but denied by the establishment of JNU, ostensibly on grounds of political correctness ? B: To bring attention to the savagery of the 'Northeasterners' at JNU who routinely 'lynch and barbecue' its dogs, as they supposedly did to that poor old Kali's mother, Leela too ? It was all about justice; about civilized behavior; about kindness, at least to to dumb animals if not toward other humans; about crime and punishment; about social responsibilities. **** If it were so, how do YOU fare in your article on each count above Ms. Shukla? Have you taken a moment to ponder about that? Would you care to tell this 'Northeasterner' and others in assamnet and to all of us such savages in or from this mythical land you and other clueless Indians refer to as that 'Northeast' (--- Northeast of What)? My acerbic note was to point exactly that out to assamnetters and those other recipients of the note, including the Deccan Chronicle, whose editors too were as clueless as you were. From the responses I saw in assamnet, I can tell this savage lot do GET IT. But obviously you did not. I am not the least bit surprised however. Because I have been observing Indian intelligentsia's clue-less-ness about the democratic ethos. It is all too abundantly clear to Nagas, Assamese, Mizos, Meiteis, Khasis, Boros, Garos, Jayantias, Karbis, Misings, Adis, Monpas and dozens of other such indigenous peoples, who call this land you refer to as your 'Northeast' home and have cultures, religions, histories and aspirations just like yours; except that people such as yourself are not only not willing to respect them but are actively participating in denying them while fervently seeking it for the ostensibly 'barbecued' dogs Kali and Leela. You ma'am, only made that even more clear with your piece in the Deccan Chronicle. And you don't get it. That is the shame of it all. Sincerely yours, Chandan Mahanta St. Louis, USA PS: I will be very pleased to explain each point, if you REALLY don't get it. And I promise not to be sarcastic again. Just let me know. At 6:02 AM -0700 7/18/08, ambika shukla wrote: >It is intellectually deceitful though woefully common to attempt to >defend a crime by deflecting attention to other entirely unrelated >issues. > >The article was not about the army's role in Nagaland , though one >can engage on that issue separately, and perhaps even on the same >side. > >Yoronso did not just kill a dog -- though that is bad enough-- he >tortured an animal to death. Not only is what he did illegal , it is >also morally reprehensible. > >It cannot be defended as tradition or custom. He is as much a danger >to his own kind as he is to others. It is perverted minds with a >taste for cruelty that are a threat to society as a whole. This is >why Nagas and other North Eastern Indians must join with all Indians >in demanding punishment for one who brings shame not only to himself >but to his community , race and species. No human can and should >condone barbarity. > > > >--- On Wed, 7/16/08, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >From: Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: [Assam] Murder Most Foul >To: "A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the >world" <[email protected]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[email protected], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], >[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008, 8:41 AM > >Amazing tale! And even more amazing is the state >of Indian journalism and its 'democracy' . > >Allow me to introduce myself: I am an ethnic >Assamese , living in the USA and an observer of >Indian Institutions of democracy, its >'journalism' and the role of its intelligentsia ( >or more precisely its absence from) in shaping >them. > >The author opens up on Nagas with her military >husband's terrorizing a Naga village head-man, >that produced her missing Irish Setter in twenty >minutes! > >Where did this military man get the power to >terrorize the village? What was the cause? > >It was an Irish Setter, a pet dog, missing for >less than twenty minutes. Imagine that! Imagine >the state of due process, imagine the power of >the occupation forces, imagine accountability of >the military--the wife of a two bit two-bit >military officer can brag about it in the >national media, imagine the professionalism of >the Indian army that its apologists never fail >to wave at the world! > > >Now let us look at the professionalism of the >Deccan Herald, its journalistic ethics, its >editorial responsibility and its role as a >watchdog of democracy that chose to publish this >gem of an article: > > The writer not only publicly accuses this >man, the Naga PhD student , Yoronso, of a crime, > but also convicts him and then recommends >punishment. And the Deccan Herald goes > right along with this prosecutor, judge, >jury and executioner all neatly packed into one, >in > the perfect image of the Indian >military's half century old occupation and >terrorism in the > northeastern states and publishes it. Why >shouldn't it? The writer provided all the proof, > didn't she? > > Of course the writer had all the proof >she ever needed, right? Must have had a hidden > video camera in the room to record all >the gruesome details. Or could it have been > confessions of the accused extracted by >someone like her military husband ? They > sure know how to get those confessions. >Just ask the dead Ajit Mahanta of Kakopothar, > Assam who was taken by the army from his >wife and little baby, sodomized with bamboo > poles causing massive internal injuries >before beating him to death and then dumping the > body on the roadside, merely on >suspicion that he was an ULFA 'collaborator'. >Did Ajit > Mahanta get any justice? Of course, the >commanding general apologized. What more can > anyone ask? > > No wonder the Indian intelligentsia and >its renowned journals never found it necessary to > write expose's about such forgettable >events. But a dog at JNU--that is different. A >Naga > killed it! And you expect its >intelligentsia and its press to let it go with a >wink and a nod? > Not in desi-demokrasy! > >>Apparently North-Eastern students at JNU >>regularly lynch and barbecue dogs. Kali's >>mother, Leela, >was an earlier victim. > >The truth be told! These damn northeasterners! >Them slant eyed, dog-eating, independence seeking >sub-humans are a murderous lot! Rein them in, and >not a moment too soon! And who better to educate >the right-proper Indians about them than a >military wife once posted in Nagaland? Don't even >think of trying to muddy the picture by trying to >tell them that there is no such race of people >as northeasterners, or that there is political >or geographical entity as the Northeast. , that >it is a convenient >creation of Indian intellectual sloth and >colonial mind-set to avoid getting headaches of >the headless by learning what makes them the >savage lot it is! > >Disgustedly yours, > >Chandan Mahanta > > > > > > > > > >>Murder Most Foul >>article by Ambika Shukla >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> >>Murder Most Foul >>Pets >>One of the most anxious days of our army posting in Nagaland had nothing >>to do with the insurgency. It was the day, our Irish Setter, Bindu went >>missing. Given a free rein of the area, she would romp happily over hill >>and dales yet magically appear at one whistle or call. But one evening >>there was no familiar figure loping homeward in response to our frantic >>whistles and calls. After combing the area, my husband visited the Gaon >>Burha (village Pradhan) of the closest Naga settlement and spelt out all >>sorts of dire consequences if the dog did not return. Twenty minutes >>later, Bindu was safely home. >> >>An incident that occurred this week brings home the awful fate that Bindu >>so narrowly escaped. >> >>On the night of July 7, Yoronso, a 30-year-old Naga student at Delhi's >>prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) invited two pals over to his >>hostel room. Kali, a friendly eight-year-old campus dog (born and brought >>up there) happened to be sitting near the stairs. Using biscuits they >>lured her upstairs into Yoronso' s room (No 248 Kaveri Hostel) and bolted >>the door. Yoronso fed Kali some rice from the hostel mess and then tied up >>her mouth. >> >>The three then began to bludgeon the little creature with a cricket bat >>and curtain rods. After battering her for more than half-an-hour, Yoronso >>stuck a knife into the still conscious dog and began to cut her, even as >>she moaned and writhed in pain. Finally, they took a brick and smashed >>Kali's swollen, bleeding skull. The noise and blood seeping under the >door >>attracted attention and a crowd of students and the warden began to bang >>on the door, forcing it open. Yoronso and his accomplices were caught >>red-handed - literally. >> >>Everyone was nauseated to find the battered remains of Kali and the >>cruelty that had been inflicted on the dog. Some students immediately >>summoned the police. But the warden, anxious to avoid any controversy, >>immediately planned a cover up by removing the body and the murder >>weapons. Students were warned not to make any statement to the police or >>press. When the police arrived, they conducted a cursory check; but >>neither made any arrests nor recorded the prima facie evidence. In fact, >>they would have done nothing had not one of the students called up >>activist Maneka Gandhi who immediately intervened and lodged an FIR. >> >>On learning that Gandhi had been informed; the warden issued a letter to >>Yoronso asking him to vacate his hostel accommodation. Yoronso is due to >>submit his Ph.D on July 21 and was already in the process of vacating his >>room prior to this event, so the Warden's action is surely an eyewash. >>Here is what the institution should do to punish such a crime and its >>perpetrators; firstly, Yoronso should be expelled and blacklisted from the >>school. >> >>The University should also refuse to accept Yoronso's Ph.D thesis, which >>his guide should also refuse to sign. The varsity must also revoke his >>Bachelor and Master's Degrees, and co-operate with the police to >>chargesheet and arrest all the three men. >> >>Instead, let's look at how JNU, this haloed learning ground, is actually >>conducting itself in the issue. Yoronso has been coached by the University >>to say that he reacted in self-defence after the dog attacked him. This is >>clearly untrue for a lot of reasons. >> >>First, the students unanimously vouch for Kali's gentle, friendly nature. >>Second, you shoo away or escape from a ferocious dog, you certainly don't >>lock it inside with you. When this theory failed, Yoronso was provided a >>second story. >> >>Now Kali was supposed to have entered his room and eaten his food. Why >>would his food be lying on the floor, and again, why did he not chase the >>dog away rather than locking her inside? Apart from the shame of a top >>University colluding with criminals, even more shameful is that these >>so-called mastermind academics cannot even come up with a plausible > >cover-up! > > >>But that does not mean that Yoronso won't get away. In this cruel and >>crazy world, even such blatant barbarity might go unpunished if we all do >>not protest. This apparently is not the first instance of dogs being >>killed at JNU. Apparently North-Eastern students at JNU regularly lynch >>and barbecue dogs. Kali's mother, Leela, was an earlier victim. >> >>This won't stop unless we make it stop. I am listing below the numbers of >>the dean's and the warden and the email addresses of the JNU >>Faculty.Demand action against the tormentors of a helpless, harmless young >>life. This could have been my Bindu. >> >>If we don't act today, it could be yours tomorrow >> >>Prof. Yash Pal (Chancellor), >>Off: 0112610 2430, >>Residence: 01202512075 >>Soumen Chattopadhyay, Warden >>+91 9873439840 >>Email addresses: >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED], >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>Feedback is welcome at [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>*************************************************** >>http://www.deccan.com/Hyderabad%20chronicle/Hyderabad%20ChronicleDescription.asp#Murder%20most%20foul >> >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>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
