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Support growing the reading habit among Goa's next generation of achievers Bookworm Library and Magazine Bluebelle, Tamba Colony, St Inez, Goa Contacts: Tel: +91 9823222665 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Vidyadhar Gadgil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > That's not correct, Selma. It's only recently that > we have had a few > voices on this forum that have launched a veritable > onslaught, posting > extreme views very frequently. So it's a few people > making a lot of > noise ------------------------------- Dear Gadgil and Marshall, My own experiences echo your sentiments. Growing up and then working in the Middle East, religion never entered the equation. In my last posting I was privileged to work with a Muslim boss, two Hindu colleagues from Mumbai and two maka poas from Mumbai. Being married into Vasco, that Goan bastion of assimilation, my in-law family's closest friends are all Hindus. Now being based in the US with an Indian company, our entire circle of friends is diversely spread between Hindus and Christians. I'm also surprised as to why so much vitriol is brewed in India, a country where religious identities are fairly amorphous. Christians from the South, such as Chennai cannot be differentiated from their Hindu counterparts. Their names, attire, traditions, dietary habits and even language of worship has more in common with Hinduism than say Goan Catholism. Likewise, the Hindus of Rajasthan have absorbed Muslim customs and Urdu phrases in their language. They will happily eat mutton and join in Eid celebrations. I must say I am appalled by the sudden spate of posters on this forum, which deny this assimilation in India and seem be very aggrieved about a lot of imaginary issues. Thank you for reminding myself that they don't represent India, just their own agendas. selma ____________________________________________________________________________________ Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV. Watch previews, get listings, and more! http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/3658