http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2008-December/085300.html
Excerpt: India's Muslim population has not benefited from the country's economic boom, lagging behind in almost all areas. These shortfalls also contribute to the Muslim community's perception of itself as the target of discrimination" Mario responded: Even more bunk. I don't know if there is any objective evidence for the sweeping statement that India's 138 million Muslims are poorer and less educated than the rest of India, Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:51:20 +0530 From: "Marshall Mendonza" <[email protected]> Response: Please refer below link to update your knowledge. http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/sachar/sachar.asp Mario observes: Marshall, The observations of Arundhati Roy, Ramachandra Guha and Michael Scheuer that seem to have thoroughly impressed you as they fit what seems to be your preconceived agenda, all tried to obfuscate and deflect attention from the fact that all the evidence so far shows that the attackers in Mumbai were all Pakistanis recruited and trained by the Lashkar-i-Taiba. The last time I checked this was a Pakistani organization whose primary objective is to wrest Indian-held Kashmir by force if necessary. While they certainly may have had help from a couple of local malcontents, India's Muslim community and leadership were as outraged as anyone else in India as their reactions have shown. So, how does the Mumbai attack suddenly become a rationale for addressing the plight of minorities in India, who were not complicit in the attack? The Mumbai attackers were also reported to be looking for Americans, Brits and Jews, which throws another wrench in the absurd insinuations by these columnists furthering their own agendas. The report you produced certainly shows Muslims lagging behind the rest of India. However, is this because they have shown less initiative to improve their condition or is it because the country has held them down by some institutional barriers that they were unable to overcome. If so, how is it that so many of the most successful Indians are also Muslims? If I may proffer a personal anecdote that shows what personal initiative can achieve, my late Mother had a domestic helper in Pune for several years who happened to be a Muslim. The woman's daughter took advantage of local Muslim community initiatives to finish high school and go to college, eventually getting a job at a call center. Unlike many of her call center colleagues, the young woman simultaneously went to college part-time and earned an MBA and now manages the call center and owns a car and an apartment, while her mother still chooses to work as a domestic worker. In one generation from low-income to solid middle-class using personal initiative without using a single government program. The link you produced also shows an incredible concern for minorities and an attempt by the Indian government to address the perceived and identified problems facing Muslims in India and to help those apparently unable to help themselves. This is hardly grounds for impoverished Muslims to become jihadis and to INDISCRIMINATELY attack and kill their innocent fellow citizens, including Muslims. Of course, notwithstanding the strenuous attempts by Arundhati, Ramachandra and Michael to muddy the waters and cast aspersions on India, Indian Muslims as a community had nothing to do with the Mumbai Massacre. Finally, the fact that there are 138 million Muslims in India when they have always had the choice of voting with their feet and migrating to the ethnically cleansed countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh, yet prefer to remain as a 14% minority in India speaks for itself, wouldn't you say? Mario previously wrote: Does anyone remember the 59 Hindus who were burned to death at Godhra station the Godhra incident was triggered by some Muslim radicals allegedly instigated by Pakistan's ISI who were actually burned 59 Hindus to death. Marshall responded: Refer Banerjee Commission report http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050118/main1.htm Mario responds: This is a credible report I was unaware of, and so I appreciate the information and thank you for posting it. Since the report came out years after the incident it certainly shows that local Hindu extremists took advantage of the initial confusion and rumors to attack innocent Muslims. In spite of not knowing this, as an opponent of individuals taking the law into their own hands and the only voice on Goanet for reason, logic and peace, I was the only one in this forum who opposed the call in another post for Narendra Modi to assume national leadership in India based on his new perception as an administrative genius. I still cannot believe that several agenda-driven Goanetters busily slandering Americans who had nothing to do with the riots in Gujarat did not find the time to oppose a real Hindu-extremist like Modi. My opposition to Modi was based on his failure to protect the Muslims citizens in Godhra, regardless of the provocation. How can he be an administrative genius and a total failure in his PRIMARY administrative responsibility to provide security for all his citizens. His supporters cannot have it both ways. If Modi were a good administrator he should have prevented the riots and investigated the train fire which would have found what the Bannerjee Commission did.
