Apologies in advance for a long mail, but Dr. Virgnicar has raised some very vital issues, and I have tried my best to address them.
> From: anand virgincar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Goanet] MP and Panjim > You lived in UK during the " rivers of blood " days . I live here > in a different time when the bigger problem is appeasement > of the non-natives. Areas like Bradford have become no go areas > for white people.The economic cake is being divided into smaller > and smaller pieces. And the extreme right wing British National > Party is finding increasing takers. My cousin, who currently lives in the UK, had a somewhat different tale to recount. She was telling me that with the ugly mood created by the so-called "global war on terror", Asians in the UK find themselves targeted quite a lot. She told me she does not go out except in her car, for fear of racist harassment on the streets. But then, I realise different people have different experiences and it may be difficult to generalise. The BNP finding increasing takers I can well understand -- this is a well-established global trend at this point of time, with reactionary right-wing trends finding a receptive audience. It is no different right here in India and Goa, I assure you. > Parts of Goa are becoming no go areas for Goan Hindu's, Goan > Catholics and Goan Muslims.And the bite of the economic cake > coming home in each Goan household is shrinking . This is terrible. Which are these areas? I would like to go and investigate for myself. Of course, as I have been recently been informed yet again on this very forum, I am just another ghati bhailo, so doubtless my experience may be different, with people like me presumably getting easy entree to such areas. But I will certainly speak to some of my Goan Hindu, Catholic and Muslim friends to go to these areas and figure out what is going on and report on the matter. I do agree with you, if this is happening, it is terrible, and we must act to prevent it happening. Do let me know. > If you wish to make a real effort to combat communalism in Goa, > tackle this core problem. Like Rajan is trying to. > You are not going to do it by circulating fabricated documents > which highlight only the role of the BJP in the Sanvordem-Curchorem > riots ( while turning a Nelson's eye to the invasion of Goa by the > " madrassawallahs " , as JC calls them ) I look forward to the circulation of documents reliably documenting what you mention. We must look into such serious matters; they are a concern for all citizens. You have never specified what your objections to these so-called fabricated documents are. You dismiss some of the comments in these reports as being hearsay, though it is mentioned who was heard to say these things, and they stand by those remarks. I stated in response to yours and JC's comments that I have no problem with this report. I have also supplied additional information from the government's magisterial enquiry report. I will endeavour to put that whole report on-line, but it is a massive document, and it takes some time to digitise it (I have to do this in between earning a living, which is a duty none of us can shirk, unfortunately). Do let me know specifically what you object to, and I will try to engage with your concerns. Of course, before we get into this, I once again direct your attention to the Goanet archives and Goan newspaper archives, where all these matters were thrashed out in detail. This will save us all the trouble of covering the same old ground, on which the views of various people (including myself) are readily available. > Nor are you going to do so by getting the Puniyani's to vent > their anti-BJP vitriol at meetings where the audience does not include > a single Hindutva fanatic.I have heard him talk at Rajan Narayan's > 60th birthday celebration and had to go home to stand under > an ice cold shower to wash away the hatred against non-Hindu's > that I felt for the first time in my life ( after listening to a man > who was supposed to have been speaking on communal harmony ! ) I am glad you mention this. I am rather taken aback. I was in the audience at this lecture, and the audience appeared very appreciative. I spoke to a number of people -- Hindu, Catholic and Muslim -- afterwards and I did not get a single negative comment on the lecture. I am also surprised by your comment, because Dr. Ram Puniyani is a highly regarded public personality, and lectures extensively all over India. His column is syndicated in over a score of newspapers all over the country, in at least four languages. In Goa, the Goan Observer carries his weekly column, and Tarun Bharat and other Marathi newspapers also carry his articles from time to time. He was recently awarded the Indira Gandhi award for national integration, along with Prof. J.S. Bandukwalla. I mention this just to put in context my surprise at your reaction to his talk, as it would appear to be directly contrary to his track record. I would be very curious to know just what parts of his lecture excited this reaction in you. I understand, of course, that it is some time since his lecture, and it may be difficult to recall, but almost all his voluminous writings and lectures are readily available on the internet, and he did not say anything different on this occasion. You can use these to jog your memory and then mention specifically what you found objectionable, so that your concerns can be addressed. > I do not write this in a combative manner. Like you , I too believe > in extreme compassion for the less well off. I really appreciate this. I have done my best to respond in like vein. > All I wish to point out is that the vast majority of Manohar Parrikar > and BJP supporters are not fanatics. But I have already clearly stated in the past in response to a specific query from you that I agree with you entirely. Of course, most MP and BJP supporters are not fanatics, to imagine and allege such a thing would be foolish. > Nor are Goa BJP and Manohar > Parrikar. There undoubtedly are hardcore Hindutva elements within > the Goa BJP . At present , they are the minority and can be easily > marginalised. Unfortunately, history is witness that in the BJP the minority hardcore elements rule the roost. Even L.K. Advani, no dove himself, was brought to heel by the RSS when he actually dared to go against their line in an innocuous remark written in the visitors' book at Jinnah's mausoleum, quoting no less a personality than Sarojini Naidu. > All that the hearsay finding missions and the Puniyani's > are doing is helping the Hindutva hardcore to consolidate their base. Do elaborate on this matter. So Teesta Setalvad fighting to ensure justice for the victims of the Gujarat violence is helping to consolidate the Hindutva hardcore elements to consolidate their base? Justice Shrikrishna, by writing his report, did the same? Nandita Haksar and her team did the same with her report on Curchrem-Sanvordem communal violence? She also did the same with her "Who are the Guilty?" report which identified the perpetrators of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and is considered a landmark in human rights reporting? Nikhil Kumar Das, in-charge of the magisterial enquiry report into Sanvordem-Curchorem, did the same? If this is the case, then it is really alarming. Do clarify. > Or look at it another way , Mr Gadgil. Remember that all right wing > political movements are fuelled by dissatisfaction of their supporters > with the way the economic cake is being distributed. At present , > the Goan people are struggling to find affordable housing , reasonably > paid jobs...and in some cases their next meal . > Work to solve these problems ,as Rajan is doing, rather than engage > in MP and BJP bashing. Dr. Virgincar, you do not know what I am doing with respect to all these matters, nor do I know what you are doing. So let us not go there, otherwise we will only blunder around in our mutual ignorance. As to Rajan Parrikar (and I restrict myself only to what comes forth on this forum, beyond that I confess to knowing nothing whatsoever, so I will not comment), I concur heartily with you in supporting what he is doing w.r.t. the writ petition, and in creating awareness through his photographs documenting the destruction of Goa. As to what he does through his inflammatory talk against migrants and poor people and his repeated statements branding entire communities as 'savages' 'filthy', etc. and characterising the whole of India beyond Goa as a 'stinking toilet' -- let us agree to disagree and leave it at that. > If we can sort out Goa's economic problems, one of 2 things will > happen : > # If the fundamentals of MP's and Goa BJP's agenda are purely ( or > predominantly ) based on right wing Hindutva activity , they will > be finished in Goa. And you will be a happy man. And so will you, because I am sure an eminently reasonable person like you would not want to support such an agenda. > # On the other hand , if MP and Goa BJP focus on good administration > rather than the Hindutva business , they will not only survive , but > prosper. And I will be a happy man. And so will I, because my fears will have proved unfounded. :-) So let's agree on it, and raise a toast to the social and economic well-being of Goa, India and the rest of the world. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam! -- Kabira khada bazaar mein, maange sabki khair, Na kehu se dosti, na kehu se bair -- Kabir