Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:01:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Carvalho <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
Throughout history, people have sought out scapegoats by creating bogus
charges. In the 1920s, Germans were made to believe that the Jews were
shysters, loan-sharks bent on squeezing Germans dry through exorbitant interest
rates, that they had deprived Germans of job opportunities and taken over the
most lucrative businesses. When this bogey-man had been effectively created,
Hitler went about exterminating them.
>
Mario responds:
>
Selma,
>
PLEASE, even allowing for emotional hyperbole, mentioning Hitler in a
discussion on the mob violence in India is way over the top, with all due
respect.
>
There is no sign of anything going on in India to justify raising this overused
shibboleth, which is inappropriate in most cases where it is used more recently.
>
You can certainly make your case without mentioning Hitler.
>
Selma wrote:
>
Let us open our eyes and accept these charges for what they are, the skilful
creation of extremist groups who believe in a pure Hindu race.
>
Mario responds:
>
I have no problem with groups of Hindus exercising their freedoms to believe
whatever they want, just as I have no problem with Christians or Muslims
believing whatever they want.
>
However, if fanatical Christians are coercing impoverished Hindus to convert by
using financial or psychological blackmail, that would be wrong, even
un-Christian.
>
If the fanatical Hindus then forego the systems available in a democratic
country to redress their grievances, and resort to taking the law into their
own hands and perpetrate violence against Christians as a group, as we have
seen in Orissa and Karnataka recently, and saw in Gujarat against Muslims a few
years ago, that is anarchy.
>
I would recommend an idea we follow in the USA which says, "Your unlimited
individual rights end where they intersect with my skin and my property."
>
If every Indian kept this in mind, especially the official security forces who
are supposed to protect the citizens, mob violence in India would come to an
end. In short, believe what you want, say what you want, even do what you
want, as long as you don't touch another person or their property.
>
As it is, India is heading for anarchy, and the only bulwark against wholesale
anarchy as I keep reminding those Goanetters with a penchant for generalizing
about other religions, is the majority of Hindus who do not agree with either
Hindutva or mob violence against Christians. The violent fanatics are a few
thousand out of over 800 million Hindus.
>
If that changes India woud soon be as ethnically cleansed as Pakistan.
>
