Posted on behalf of Jason Fernandes ----------------
> Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 07:07:34 -0700 (PDT) > From: Bhandare <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Goanet] exhibition of hate -response to > santosh > Dear Santosh : > > Let me highlight a few parts of the article by Jason > with my comments below,to answer your first > question. > > he says " What is surprising is that this very > blatant > organizing of Hindus against Muslims (and by logical > conclusion against the Catholics in Goa) is that it > is > taking place in the premises of the Kala Academy. > Why > the premier cultural institution of a secular state > is > allowing violent activities on its premises is a > question that the authorities of the Kala Academy > must > immediately answer" > > -The logical conclusion that Jason draws above, is > entirely his own. He merely wants to scare his > christaon readers and earn some cheap talleo there. cheap talleo indeed...on the contrary, i think the point i was trying to make was proved by the rabid responses that the letters to the editor (displayed on the Hindu janajagruti site) evoked. They werent content with just bitching about Muslims, but they dragged the supposed crimes of christians in this hindu land. the Muslims were a problem in British-India, where they were the largest religious group (if one looks at people by religious groupings alone- religious identities do not necessarily suppose a common culture or agenda), in Goa, where the Muslim is not a problem, the threat to upper-caste Hindu nationalist interests were the Catholic elite, and this is what is attacked when the opportunity presents itself. The pity is that the inherent problem with Indian nationalism, is that it is upper-caste Hindu interest masquerading as national interest, but has worked over years to present the problem as a Muslim problem. The earlier we realise that the issue is not Muslims (or Hindus for that matter) but Indian(Hindu) nationalism, the quicker we will move toward resolving this issue. > The exhibition in itself is not a violent > activity.So > the question of kala Akademi answering any questions > in baseless. > ---------------------------------------------------- Honestly now, Bhandare hasnt been to the exhibit, I have, and it was more than an exhibition, there was screening of inflammatory videos and talk of violence and he still maintains that is was not a violent activity. Maybe if he actually had visited the exhibition he would be singing another story? > He further says" And yet in this environment, I was > strangely drawn toward pulling down the posters, > destroying the projector and disrupting the meeting > that was being conducted, knocking a few heads while > I > was at it. It was when placed in this environment > that > I finally realized what it must be like to be a > persecuted minority, and especially a Muslim in this > country." > > --The fact that he ,by his own admission,was drawn > to > disrupt a peaceful meeting and inflict violence on > the > innocent people is enough to give us a peep into the > immature mind of this "reporter".More insiduous is > the > reasoning that should muslims indulge in violence > aginst innocent hindus the blame lies on the > exhibition,because for 60 years the muslim has been > harassed. > > ---------------------------------------------------- I may have been drawn to, fact is that i did not, and chose a different way of representing my protest, which does not call for lopping off heads. Once more, Bhandare presumes that the meeting was peaceful, without visiting it. Further, violence need not necessarily be physical harm. It can be words and daily acts as well. In my mind, i am very clear that this exhibition is only the foundation for actually physical violence that would turn genocidal. Secondly, there is no suggestion that the Hindus in Kashmir are not innocent. Reference was rather to Muslims in 'mainland India" who have been hounded systematically since the early 1900's. the Hindus of Kashmir have indeed got a raw deal (and thats putting it mildly), but so have Muslims in teh valley, and I doubt we will get far by pointing fingers at religious communities. > he further says "Of course, once the Muslims have > been > hounded enough to retaliate" > > Clearly the implication in my opinion is that > Muslims > retaliate only when the inherently communal hindus > provoke them..hindutvawadis are inherently evil > bigots > while the muslims are the meek oppressed minority > who > is "forced" to retaliate..by burning train load of > women and children for instance or setting of serial > bomb blasts...Curiously this "opression leads to > retaliation" theory is not applicable to a dara > singh > ---------------------------------------------------- Bhandare makes a reference to the Godhra train fire incident and blames Muslims for it. And yet, despite this rumour that allowed for many more Muslims to be killed, it has still not yet been established who in fact set fire the train. And it appears that if the compartment was in fact locked from the inside, it is almost impossible to start a fire from the outside. So much for being unbiased no? Bomb blasts, true the perpetrators are of the Muslim faith, but why blame all Muslims for it? how logical is that? all Hindutvawadis inherently communal (and violent). YES! all Hindus inherently communal and violent? NO. Bhandare equates Hindu (and Hinduism) with Hindutva. Big mistake the former is a religion with regular folk in it (some peaceful, some violent), the latter is fascism, and you need to be fascist or with such tendencies to argue its logic as Bhandare eminently does. > > Francois gautier , a Frenchman is a journalist of > infinitely more calibre than Jason. Small correction here, Jason Keith Fernandes is NOT a journalist. He is an academic, which some would argue requires more responsible and deep understanding of issues and debate that mere journalism. If you think that Francois is a journalist of more calibre, then mubarak! I wouldnt even like to be in the same category as dear Francois. I have corresponded with Francois (and while i havent met him have intimate connections with his Indian family) and the man is unable to reconcile the logical inconsitencies of his arguments. Francois is an orientalist, who has bought hook, line and sinker the Orientalist and colonial arguments about India. In accepting these representations, we do more harm to India and Indians than good. But then these orientalist representations seem to come in very handy for some Indians. >True, he does have > a hindutva bias,but is that enough to trash his > pictures? The FACT exhibition was inaugurated on > Capitol Hill, in the US.Many distinguished senators > participated in it. Are they all RSS wallahs? A Hindutva bias is not enough to trash his pictures. It is the point of departure for a debate. and Yet this exhibition- as i never tire to mention- was more than just pictures...there were words -written and spoken- that seemed to presume that only Hindus would and should be concerned and all others are absolutely inimical to "hindu" interests. wot bunkum! About the distinguished US senators...they may be distinguished, but they are not all-knowing. They may be concerned, but their concern may be misdirected( and after a misdirected war in Iraq, need I continue?). Further, the US is invariably invoked to legitimise the most conservative tendencies. America is falsely represented as the bastion of liberalism, it is also a deeply conservative place, and we should be aware of this contradiction. > Once again I do not subscribe to all the views of > the > Hindu jagruti Samiti In fact I havent seen the > exhibition myself.. But I wholeheartedly defend > their > right to free speech .jason is a fascist himself if > he > wants to throw people out. The kala Akademi is as > much > the property of a Goan HJS member as it is of Jason > and others. I have responded to this point of my being fascist in my essay available at www.dervishnotes.blogspot.com But once again Bhandare baab, if only you had visited and then opted to defend them i would have had more respect. > Pravin and gadgil and others are most welcome to > protest.In fact when ram Puniyani, who in my opinion > has a divisive agenda of his own tours Goa,he also > should get the same freedom of expression and he > does. But this is interesting, what is his divisive agenda. Honestly inquiring since i dont know the man. > When his talk was stopped ,the archives will show > you, > I had voiced my opposition to it. And yet we cannot fetishize this right to freedom of speech as I have argued in my column. > I am for free speech, for every body. I do not think > Gadgil Sabnis or jason is qualified to decide what > is > hate speech and what is good for the rest of us. I dont think either of us decided for the rest of you. We decided for ourselves and we chose to speak about it in open and public fora. As did you, and you dont see us at your door with cudgel and koithi do you? :-) On the contrary, what you seem to be suggesting is that what does not gel with YOUR opinion should really not be aired on public fora. hmmm.... finally, a friend of mine responded to my essay on the exhibition and asked me if banning was really the option we should employ (good brahmin lad this!). And I agree with him, banning- this use of STate violence- is not the response. I have no idea what the response should be, since very clearly debate does not seem to work for these people and they have (as you my dear Bhandare so clearly indicate) have made up their minds already- judging an entire religious tradition on the acts of a few-. No, banning may not be the answer, but they do have a responsibility to answer as to why they are so clearly stirring up genocidal tendencies in Goa. warmly, and with sincerity. Jason <jason_keith_fernandes at yahoo.co.in> =============
