Dear John, Damodar, Anil, Afthab, Anivar JP NPC, Satchi Mash etc Can we go beyond this expression of solidarity. This can happen to any of us, given our work. Its tremendous that people have expressed solidarity, but that is also reactionary. I have found this group useful in the limited time that I have spent here. Can we think programmatically beyond just expressing solidarity to Shahina and Rajeev. make sure that we or "others" are not hounded for our opinions, belief or faith, in perhaps, how John sees it as a celebratory exercise. Love
2008/10/4 John Samuel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Dear Shahina and Rajeev, > > With you, in solidarity , in these moments of trauma and pain. Our system > can be so insensitive and intruding. It is in such times,identity is forced > up on many of us - irrespective of one's own perspective, track record or > conviction. > > > > Love > > John > > On Sat, Oct 4, 2008 at 4:38 PM, anandi krishnan < > [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> >> Dear Shahina, >> >> share all your feelings. >> with lot of empathy, >> anandi. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> --- On Sat, 4/10/08, Chekkutty N.P <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> > From: Chekkutty N.P <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > Subject: FOURTH ESTATE CRITIQUE Re: SHIVER… DOWN THE SPINE >> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > Date: Saturday, 4 October, 2008, 12:08 PM >> > This is a traumatic experience, especially in a city like >> > Delhi where you >> > have very few friends. . >> > >> > Hope you will hold on, dear Shahina... >> > >> > NPC >> > >> > On Sat, Oct 4, 2008 at 11:59 AM, Jayaprakash ND >> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > >> > > Dear Shahina, >> > > >> > > Extremely sorry to hear about the trauma that you and >> > Rajeev had to >> > > undergo. I hope that the problem has been sorted out >> > and that you are not >> > > facing any more harassment. Please keep me informed >> > about the developments. >> > > >> > > With greetings to you and Rajeev, >> > > JP >> > > >> > > ================== >> > > >> > > 2008/10/4 ShahinaNafeesa <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> > > >> > >> Dear friends, >> > >> I know this is a belated post. Infact I was taking >> > time to shrugg off the >> > >> bewilderment,anguish and scare through which I had >> > been passing for the last >> > >> three weeks.The article I wrote in the hoot.org >> > (Bombs defused in >> > >> Newsrooms)caused me trouble and trouble only.I >> > hope some of you might have >> > >> been aware of that. >> > >> In the following article-SHIVER… DOWN THE SPINE- >> > I am trying to summarise >> > >> the whole episode. >> > >> Hindustan Thimes on today has carried a trimmed >> > version of this article >> > >> under the title 'Your Religion follows >> > You'. >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=058115bf-d511-4308-9738-fb8c6e88843c&&Headline=%e2%80%98Your+religion+follows+you%e2%80%99 >> > >> >> > >> Shahina >> > >> >> > >> *SHIVER… DOWN THE SPINE* >> > >> My tryst with the e-messengers of terror >> > >> >> > >> Shahina K K >> > >> >> > >> Since14th September 2008, writing has become a >> > laborious exercise for me. >> > >> It was all of a sudden that words turned heavy, >> > staring at my own >> > >> convictions, political thinking and journalistic >> > vigor. It was on a gloomy >> > >> Sunday (the day after the bloody Saturday on which >> > the life of twenty odd >> > >> people had been taken away by some body called >> > Indian Mujahideen)that things >> > >> turned upside down. It's difficult to describe >> > my terrible sense of shock >> > >> when it came to my notice that a part of the email >> > sent by perpetrators of >> > >> the Delhi blasts laying claim to the deadly bombs >> > on the day, had been >> > >> written by me! It was lifted verbatim from a piece >> > of mine (Bombs defused in >> > >> News rooms) which appeared in the media watch dog >> > portal, The Hoot. >> > >> Newspapers had given extensive quotes wondering at >> > the 'journalistic >> > >> character' and 'impeccable English' of >> > those who prepared the mail. Even >> > >> when everybody calls it plagiarism I was not >> > spared because my name carries >> > >> the identity of a community which is put in the >> > dock for all that happens >> > >> dreadfully around us. I wrote about what the media >> > does, how it deals with >> > >> the unending episodes of terror strikes >> > juxtaposing with the violence by >> > >> Hindu extremists and how flagrantly they fail in >> > the 'balancing' act! >> > >> >> > >> A published material is neither mine nor yours. >> > Plagiarism in cyber space >> > >> is not a rare phenomenon. There are limited >> > options to check it. I am not >> > >> very serious about plagiarism be cause I am >> > skeptical about how far we are >> > >> the masters of our own words. I personally believe >> > that what I wrote is not >> > >> only mine. It was reproduced by other websites and >> > several bloggers .It is >> > >> exciting to watch the cyber movement challenging >> > the dogmatization of >> > >> knowledge. I don't subscribe to the concept of >> > copyright too. But I never >> > >> thought of being caught up in a deep sense of >> > anguish, terror and shock by >> > >> some one else picking up my words for the >> > manifestation of a heinous crime. >> > >> It came to my notice that Sunday evening, while I >> > was perusing Times of >> > >> India looking for stories missed in the morning. >> > One story on the terror >> > >> e-mail had extensively quoted the lifted portion >> > from my article analyzing >> > >> how the extremist forces make a common cause with >> > other victims of 'Sangh >> > >> terror' -- Christians and Dalits. 'The >> > idea of a broad coalition of all >> > >> minorities and Dalits in a broad anti-Hindutva >> > coalition is not new, but its >> > >> use amid clear signs of unease within Muslims >> > about the radicalisation of >> > >> sections within it is immensely interesting." >> > says The Times of India. >> > >> >> > >> The Times' story prompted me to go online in >> > search of the full text of >> > >> the terror mail and shockingly I found more than a >> > paragraph of my article >> > >> had been copied and pasted. It's beyond words >> > how I survived those moments >> > >> of scare, insecurity and a deep sense of guilt. We >> > were all 'alone' at home, >> > >> in that entire residential area, nobody knows us. >> > We all are living in this >> > >> metro not knowing what kind of a life is there at >> > the next door. I was in a >> > >> state of numbness incapable of picking up the >> > phone and calling somebody. My >> > >> partner Rajeev did the same with a shivering >> > heart. Our friends initially >> > >> responded as if it is nothing but rather a minor >> > crime of plagiarism that we >> > >> need not worry about further. In fact as they >> > explained later, they had been >> > >> trying to shrug off the acerbic realization that >> > what we call terrorism is >> > >> some where very near our doorstep. >> > >> >> > >> However their arrival at my place was followed by >> > a call from Sevanti >> > >> Ninan, the columnist who edits The Hoot. Even >> > though it was not unexpected, >> > >> I had felt a tremor while being informed of the >> > enquiry by the Maharashtra >> > >> Anti Terror Squad about me. They contacted Sevanti >> > and she told me that it >> > >> was impossible to hold back whatever information >> > they wanted about me. I too >> > >> never wanted her to keep me in hiding. Why should >> > I be? The life I lived was >> > >> not a private affair at all. I had been constantly >> > there in the public space >> > >> with my stories, television appearances and >> > interventions in social >> > >> discourses. It was very much tangible when I was >> > in Kerala, but living in a >> > >> metro stricken with terror, it was altogether a >> > different ball game. Here >> > >> even my name matters. The heaviness of a Muslim >> > name could make life >> > >> miserable in Delhi. No matter whether you follow >> > religion, religion will >> > >> definitely follow you. >> > >> >> > >> After a night of tossing and turning, one of our >> > journalist friends took >> > >> it on himself to unfold the tangle in which I had >> > been caught up. Along with >> > >> him I contacted the Defence Minister, met the MoS >> > for External affairs and >> > >> Home affairs. They, except the MoS for Home >> > affairs, know me in person as I >> > >> had been active in Malayalam language journalism >> > for over a decade. They >> > >> might be well aware that religious extremism will >> > be the last thing I could >> > >> be booked on! Our attempt was not to avoid an >> > enquiry, but to ensure that I >> > >> would not be targeted because of my name. >> > >> >> > >> Even after a couple of weeks passed, I think I am >> > not out of woods. I >> > >> have been waiting for the boot steps at my door >> > any time. My friends say the >> > >> investigators might have been monitoring my cyber >> > activities and telephone >> > >> calls. It is hard to live knowing that you are >> > under surveillance. For the >> > >> last two weeks we had been in touch with several >> > of the authorities to >> > >> clarify my position on the whole episode. One of >> > the top officials we met >> > >> during the course of this, a gentleman who amazed >> > us with his extremely >> > >> polite manner, asked, So, you're a >> > Muslim?" I wanted to respond with a big >> > >> NO, and to shout from the roof top that I am >> > agnostic, kept away from the >> > >> clutches of religion even from my teens. But I >> > couldn't. I gave him no >> > >> answer. I was skeptical about the political >> > correctness of such an answer >> > >> through out my life. Am I doing wrong by turning >> > my back on the millions of >> > >> innocent people who follow religion, bearing the >> > brunt of what ever have >> > >> been done in the name of religion? My partner who >> > is, by birth a Hindu had >> > >> been cajoled to claim the same in front of that >> > officer, in order to prove >> > >> our secular credentials in a city where we are >> > nothing more than names. It >> > >> was for the first time, religion intruded into our >> > life together. We had not >> > >> hesitated even fraction of a second to leave the >> > column for religion blank >> > >> in the birth registration form when our son, Anpu, >> > was born. >> > >> >> > >> I was caught up again in another round of >> > bewilderment, shock and grief >> > >> next day when I went to meet Brinda Karat MP at >> > AKG Bhavan with one of our >> > >> journalist friends. While waiting in the >> > reception, a heartbreaking cry fell >> > >> upon my ears. Four or five women appeared at the >> > door shouting and crying >> > >> loudly. The whole scene rang no bell for me, but I >> > saw Brinda rushing out, >> > >> hugging those women and listening to them. >> > Somebody told me that they are >> > >> the remaining desperate souls from a family of >> > which 9 people had been >> > >> killed in the blast. Those women were lamenting >> > their plight in which they >> > >> had been forced to bribe even for a decent burial >> > for their beloved ones. I >> > >> was scared. I wish they would not see me! I was >> > again blanketed by a >> > >> terrible sense of distress. My vision was blurred >> > off in tears; I couldn't >> > >> speak a word, my voice strangled in my throat. In >> > such moments of emotional >> > >> turbulence the rationale of political thinking may >> > not help. >> > >> >> > >> Many of my friends who shared the sleepless nights >> > with me thought of >> > >> writing about the entire trauma of an identity and >> > its subjectivity, but >> > >> they were skeptical about the ramifications of >> > such an act in my life. One >> > >> of my friends sharing the deep anguish, posted in >> > his blog, a single liner- >> > >> Shiver, down the spine. No comments have been >> > posted yet, because the >> > >> readers of his blog are left with no other clue. >> > Now I think it is high time >> > >> to speak up. I don't want to grow a censor >> > within me. >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > > >> > > > >> > > >> > >> > >> >> Bring your gang together. Do your thing. Find your favourite Yahoo! >> group at http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/ >> >> >> -- Bobby Kunhu http://community.eldis.org/myshkin/Blog/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
