Hi,
Equating Saffron with Taliban is a political strategy of right wing Hindutva. It helps them to argue that India is a ‘peaceful’ (*santipurna*) state, *"Saffrons*" are ‘peace-loving’ (*santi*-*priya*) people and that the present run of violence are aberrations. I had raised this issue while responding to the discussion on Sreerama Sena's attack on pub-going girls in Mangalore. We need to engage with the violence of Taliban and Saffron differently and the trope of Taliban should not limit a more complex analysis to emerge. There are many other factors which made Afghan women more subject to violence than at any time before. Image of veiled women is enough for these people to show that Islam and its verities of forms are oppressive to women. They will never accommodate other "secular" reasons- militarization, social disintegration, intense poverty, drugs and endless war- to read violence against women in Afghanistan. Leaving all those factors aside will only help people like Ashik and Bobinson to formulate phrases such as "Saffron clad Talibans" and assume that violence in India is a foreign invention. Fathima Naeema On Sat, Feb 28, 2009 at 4:03 PM, ranju radha <[email protected]> wrote: > >>is it so difficult ? > > the construction of excellnce and merit comes from this universal claim to > knwledge. > these "meritorous" people have been asking this question "is it > difficult?" for long > it can be explicated as : > is it difficult to get killed/raped bz u hav shown the courage to live with > dignity? > is it diffucult to find another place to study bz u pollute > IITs/IIMS/AIIMS? > is it difficult ? etc. > > equating excellnce with brahminsm and its value system and extnding t to > the realm of modern education... how cleverly and easily... they have made > it and we r only left with the option to find out the meaning of words > eventually endorsing their claim on knowledge. it was not at all difficult > !! > > > > > > > On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 6:41 PM, bobinson <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> >> my point is look at the slokam as a a set of words talking about >> knowledge! And I found it very apt provided I am not provided with any proof >> to think that it was added there intentionally by the saffron gang to >> influence all areas of society as some claim their ultimate goal is. Thus, I >> don't see any problem in the usage of slokam there. >> >> >> >> 2009/2/27 Afthab Ellath <[email protected]> >> >>> Bobison, Frankly I don't know how to explain the exact point of this >>> thread... What you aim by saying as "saffron clad" is not the very subject >>> here, but the brahminical scriptures and/or their brahminical meaning... >>> >>> Regards >>> Afthab Ellath >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 4:39 PM, bobinson <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> I meant, if we look at something with a notion that everything is >>>> saffron clad we can see anything and everything that way. And since I was >>>> not looking or thinking that everything is saffron clad, I didn't see any >>>> harm in a slokam which talks about knowledge. >>>> >>>> >But I am really outraged by your "tom dick and harry" comment...You >>>> exactly know which tom dick and harry were reciting it... >>>> >>>> sorry about that. Let me rephrase as: >>>> >>>> I have heard that scriptures were not written initially and if that is >>>> true anyone can over hear while someone is studying / reciting the >>>> scriptures. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> 2009/2/27 Afthab Ellath <[email protected]> >>>> >>>>> Bobison, I cant understand what you are talking... please re-read what >>>>> ashiq asked and my reply... >>>>> >>>>> But I am really outraged by your "tom dick and harry" comment...You >>>>> exactly know which tom dick and harry were reciting it... >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Regards >>>>> Afthab Ellath >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 4:25 PM, bobinson <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> * >>>>>> Every text has an extra-textual context and no text has absolute >>>>>> meaning... Meaning and knowledge are historically and socially >>>>>> constructed...* >>>>>> >>>>>> exactly ! that is the point I looked it as a talking about knowledge >>>>>> only. it wasn't saffron clad at all. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> 2009/2/27 Afthab Ellath <[email protected]> >>>>>> >>>>>>> Aashiq, Every text has an extra-textual context and no text has >>>>>>> absolute meaning... Meaning and knowledge are historically and socially >>>>>>> constructed... >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Regards >>>>>>> Afthab Ellath >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Fri, Feb 27, 2009 at 3:58 PM, ashik salahudeen <[email protected] >>>>>>> > wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Hmm . I was referring to the meaning of the shloka only. If you look >>>>>>>> only at where it came from , then this *could* be interpreted as not >>>>>>>> belonging to everyone. To make my point clear, consider this : What >>>>>>>> if they >>>>>>>> (or anyone) were to use only the english paraphrasing so as to remove >>>>>>>> any >>>>>>>> evidence of where it came from ? Will it be different then ? *May >>>>>>>> He protect both of us. May He nourish both of us. May we both acquire >>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>> capacity >>>>>>>> (to study and understand the scriptures). May our study be >>>>>>>> brilliant. May we not argue >>>>>>>> with each other.* >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> > > > -- > " The so called caste-hindus are bitterly opposed to the depressed class > using a public tank not because they really believe that the water will be > thereby spoiled or will evaporate but because they are afraid of losing > their superiority of caste and of equality being established between the > former and the latter. We are resorting to this satyagraha not becasue we > believe that the water of this particular tank has any exceptional > qualities, but to establish our natural rights as citizens and human > beings." > > - Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Mahad Satyagraha Conference, December 25th , 1927 > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
