Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:23:39 -0800 (PST) From: Nasci Caldeira <[email protected]> > > Sonal was indeed a member and part of VHPA and indirectly VHP. More > importantly, She herself has admitted it and therefore compelled > to 'renounce' just so that she might be allowed to keep her job. > Mario observes:
1. No one, including Sonal Shah, had denied that she did some fundraising for earthquake victims in Gujarat on behalf of the VHPA. 2. There is no evidence that she has supported any violence in India or anywhere else. Even the original Open Letter accused her not for supporting violence but for not renouncing the violence of some VHP members in a proper public forum. Even Samir has admitted (see below) that not all RSS members are "criminals" - I assume this also applies to VHP members. 3. Accusing Ms. Shah of supporting violence is like accusing a Catholic of supporting pedophilia because they continue to be members of the Catholic church or did not renounce the pedophile priests in a public forum where it could be picked up by Google. 3. Ms. Shah's job has never been in any jeopardy. There are other Obama team members like nominee for Attorney General, Eric Holder, and nominee for Commerce Secretary, Bill Richardson, with bigger clouds hanging over them. 4. Can you explain why all of you are so concerned about an American of Indian descent being hired as an economic advisor to the US President-elect, rather than the actual VHP and others who have been connected to human rights abuses in India? For example, why have Marshall, Samir and you ignored the call for Narendra Modi, who was actually cited by a Human Rights Commission for dereliction of duty in the Godhra riots, to become a national leader in India? Here was Marshall's ONE feeble contribution to Arundhati Roy's shameless attempt to portray Muslims in India as grossly disadvantaged and portray terrorists as victims by asking the rest of India to "look in the mirror": *Thank you Ruby for posting that very thought provoking article by Arundhati Roy. She has that unusual and uncanny ability to strike at the heart of the matter and put things in proper perspective. She also has the courage, guts and conviction to speak and write on matters which are not thought to be politically correct.* In the meantime NUMEROUS attempts by the three of you to slander Sonal Shah using only tangential and circumstantial evidence. Do you see any proportionality in the windmills that you three are tilting at? --- On Mon, 15/12/08, Samir Kelekar <[email protected]> wrote: > > Sandeep Heble says not all associted with RSS are criminals. I fully > agree. Some have a Hindutva ideology, but they might refrain from > violence. The point is Sonal needs to clarify on all this quite > elaborately, rather than running away saying that she is not involved in > Indian politics. That is a typical cop-out response. > Mario responds: The last time I checked, which was like five minutes ago, Sonal Shah was working on the Obama transition team and was not running away from anything. She has clarified her involvement in a way that most reasonable people can understand in the context of her being an American professional who grew up as an Indian American in a highly competitive professional environment. Why doesn't your "... not all associted (sic) with RSS are criminals. I fully agree. Some have a Hindutva ideology, but they might refrain from violence." apply to Ms. Shah, especially when there is no evidence that she even has a Hindutva ideology? Her only involvement with India as an American has been altruistic. Samir Kelekar wrote: Whatever Santosh might say, this Sonal Shah has been actively associated with organizations which have been communal and are involved in murders and killings. Incalculating (sic) pride in one's religion is one thing, and actively promoting hate of other religions is another thing. Mario responds: This is slander by association in its most insidious form. There is no evidence that Sonal Shah has been involved in anything but fundraising for earthquake victims in Gujarat. When I Googled "Sonal Shah promoting hate" the worst I came up with was an excerpt from the Hindustan Times: "The 40-year-old economist has been associated with the overseas activities of the Sangh Parivar. She was a national coordinator of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America campaign to raise funds for Gujarat earthquake victims in 2001." Samir Kelekar wrote: In fact in 2004, just two years after the Gujarat pogrom, she was awarded the "pride of Gujarat" award from the Modi govt. Mario responds: The the fundraising that Sonal Shah conducted for earthquake victims in Gujarat, her involvement in IndiCorp which promotes positive developmental programs for all of India, as well as her professional achievements in America would qualify her for such an award. In the meantime, Narendra Modi has been hailed by some in India as a veritable modern "God" right here on Goanet: http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-December/084695.html Did we see Samir or Marshall or Nasci take any issue with this? Of course not. They are too busy trying to dig up some dirt on Sonal Shah to oppose a call for Modi to assume a national leadership role. So far, they haven't found any. In the meantime Marshall and Nasci continue to be members of a church where dozens of pedophile priests abused hundreds of innocent victims. Did Marshall and Nasci denounce these priests in public? Are they guilty of supporting pedophilia by association? Of course not. They should apply the same standard to Sonal Shah.
