Re: [silk] Any Desmond Morris fans/critics here ?
On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 01:19:38PM +0530, Mayank Dhingra wrote: I am reading a book by Desmond Morris called The Human Zoo and am finding it pretty intriguing. The book talks about how our cities resemble a super crowded Human Zoo and A better metaphor would be a farm. We are livestock. Some of us caged in batteries, others free-range. But still, livestock. The stables and cages are pretty well hidden, so we imagine ourselves free. This is good for productivity. The other way to see it we're a superorganism, and total freedom is malignant growth. what does the status struggle and other aspects of a city life affect its inhabitants and a lot more. Was wondering if anyone here has read any of his works especially The Human Zoo and The Naked Ape and if yes how did they find it ?
Re: [silk] Any Desmond Morris fans/critics here ?
Mayank Dhingra wrote: I am reading a book by Desmond Morris called The Human Zoo and am finding it pretty intriguing. I read his books many years ago and I remember only a general impression. I quite enjoyed The Naked Ape (somewhat less The Human Zoo). I am *not* suggesting that Desmond Morris is superficial, but he hasn't the depth of a Konrad Lorenz - and of course there has been relevant progress in ethology, zoology and anthropology in later years. Desmond Morris isn't the greatest scientific authority on these subjects, but his books are pleasantly readable and interesting. (Probably the best narrative description of a human zoo I have ever read is Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.) Cheers Giancarlo
Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka
Here is my official email declaring this as what rot. Born and bought up here. Of course I'm biased, dammit. Next time anyone has problems with Bangalore traffic, I'm going to get them lined up outside the Lincoln tunnel going into NYC on Monday morning at 9am in the cash-only toll-lane. Or, closer home, driving from Bandra to Worli (before the sea-link) during rush-hour. Or, driving from Delhi to Gurgaon on the new elevated road The phrase Infrastructure problems was not coined just for Bangalore, and won't be disused post-Bangalore. --- Taken in a lighter vein, of course no-one expects accolades in a book titled 101 places not to visit. - Vinit -Original Message- Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 2:42 PM To: silklist@lists.hserus.net Subject: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka Found this on another mailing list, and I don't agreeentirely From one who grew up in Bangalore: Heaven knows that Bangalore has problems spilling out of its back pockets. But when the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) showcases a book titled '101 places not to visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Places-Not-Visit- Destinations/dp/1861058586' by *Adam Russ*, with Bangalore securing the pride of place in the India section, it's time to sit up and cry.
Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka
Must admit (as a business tourist and not a local), I wouldn't visit if there wasn't an interesting event happening. I don't care about the infrastructure issues (grew up in LA...and you forgot to mention gridlock in Beijing, Bangkok, the airport road into Hanoi...your city doesn't actually have the worst infrastructure I've ever seen, but...). Compared to visiting most Indian cities, Bangalore is like one big Indian-themed mall. Culturally, its akin to visiting Noida. As I say, I grew up in LA, and for the longest time I suffered when people knocked my city...the poor air quality for instance. My standard response was Hey, if you can't see the air you're breathing, how do you know it's even there?. The callowness of the inhabitants. Even people I grew up with thought I belonged in Berkeley ;-). So I understand your loyalty, Vinit...but have to break it to you that the article isn't so far off the mark as I see it. There are many people I love in Bangalore, but the place??...its a sadly sanitized and oddly westernized version of India. I routinely recommend that people give it a miss if they can possibly do so. Danese On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 9:16 AM, Vinit B vi...@bhansalimail.com wrote: Here is my official email declaring this as what rot. Born and bought up here. Of course I'm biased, dammit. Next time anyone has problems with Bangalore traffic, I'm going to get them lined up outside the Lincoln tunnel going into NYC on Monday morning at 9am in the cash-only toll-lane. Or, closer home, driving from Bandra to Worli (before the sea-link) during rush-hour. Or, driving from Delhi to Gurgaon on the new elevated road The phrase Infrastructure problems was not coined just for Bangalore, and won't be disused post-Bangalore. --- Taken in a lighter vein, of course no-one expects accolades in a book titled 101 places not to visit. - Vinit -Original Message- Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 2:42 PM To: silklist@lists.hserus.net Subject: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka Found this on another mailing list, and I don't agreeentirely From one who grew up in Bangalore: Heaven knows that Bangalore has problems spilling out of its back pockets. But when the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) showcases a book titled '101 places not to visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Places-Not-Visit- Destinations/dp/1861058586' by *Adam Russ*, with Bangalore securing the pride of place in the India section, it's time to sit up and cry.
Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka
And as someone who drives twice a day up and down the Delhi-Gurgaon elevated road with an average speed of at least 100kmph (with 130kmph at times) - I can safely tell u that the delhi-gur expressway can not be compared to bangalore's traffic at all. :) Next time anyone has problems with Bangalore traffic, I'm going to get them lined up outside the Lincoln tunnel going into NYC on Monday morning at 9am in the cash-only toll-lane. Or, closer home, driving from Bandra to Worli (before the sea-link) during rush-hour. Or, driving from Delhi to Gurgaon on the new elevated road
Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka
Danese, What you say about giving Bangalore the miss is well taken. For the longest time (even before the present mess), I've thought of Bangalore to just be a stop-over on the way to Mysore, Goa, Kerala or other more wonderful south Indian destinations. For the tourists. My problem is when people call Bangalore a bad place to live. At the end of the day, we still have climate on our side. And *that* cannot be manufactured or constructed elsewhere easily. (I know, using the awesome Bangalorean climate as an example is a cheap trick, but we gotta use what we have!) Though, I appreciate your comparing Bangalore to Noida. And not Gurgaon. Whew! ;) - Vinit -Original Message- From: silklist-bounces+vinit=bhansalimail@lists.hserus.net [mailto:silklist-bounces+vinit=bhansalimail@lists.hserus.net] On Behalf Of Danese Cooper Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 12:05 AM To: silklist@lists.hserus.net Subject: Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka Must admit (as a business tourist and not a local), I wouldn't visit if there wasn't an interesting event happening. I don't care about the infrastructure issues (grew up in LA...and you forgot to mention gridlock in Beijing, Bangkok, the airport road into Hanoi...your city doesn't actually have the worst infrastructure I've ever seen, but...). Compared to visiting most Indian cities, Bangalore is like one big Indian-themed mall. Culturally, its akin to visiting Noida. As I say, I grew up in LA, and for the longest time I suffered when people knocked my city...the poor air quality for instance. My standard response was Hey, if you can't see the air you're breathing, how do you know it's even there?. The callowness of the inhabitants. Even people I grew up with thought I belonged in Berkeley ;-). So I understand your loyalty, Vinit...but have to break it to you that the article isn't so far off the mark as I see it. There are many people I love in Bangalore, but the place??...its a sadly sanitized and oddly westernized version of India. I routinely recommend that people give it a miss if they can possibly do so. Danese On Tue, Dec 23, 2008 at 9:16 AM, Vinit B vi...@bhansalimail.com wrote: Here is my official email declaring this as what rot. Born and bought up here. Of course I'm biased, dammit. Next time anyone has problems with Bangalore traffic, I'm going to get them lined up outside the Lincoln tunnel going into NYC on Monday morning at 9am in the cash-only toll-lane. Or, closer home, driving from Bandra to Worli (before the sea-link) during rush-hour. Or, driving from Delhi to Gurgaon on the new elevated road The phrase Infrastructure problems was not coined just for Bangalore, and won't be disused post-Bangalore. --- Taken in a lighter vein, of course no-one expects accolades in a book titled 101 places not to visit. - Vinit -Original Message- Sent: Saturday, December 20, 2008 2:42 PM To: silklist@lists.hserus.net Subject: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka Found this on another mailing list, and I don't agreeentirely From one who grew up in Bangalore: Heaven knows that Bangalore has problems spilling out of its back pockets. But when the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) showcases a book titled '101 places not to visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/101-Places-Not-Visit- Destinations/dp/1861058586' by *Adam Russ*, with Bangalore securing the pride of place in the India section, it's time to sit up and cry.
Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka
Ouch. I must be remembering that week when it was inaugurated with the Rs. 11.1428571 (insert your favourite random whole number here) toll wherein they expected exact change and I was stuck for over 3 hours, on 3 separate days. My bad. See, just as how Gurgaon's miseries are forgotten in a few months, so will Bangalore's, in a few months or years! And it would be a better argument if you used the Delhi Metro as an example. I'm a fan. BTW. - Vinit -Original Message- From: silklist-bounces+vinit=bhansalimail@lists.hserus.net [mailto:silklist-bounces+vinit=bhansalimail@lists.hserus.net] On Behalf Of Priyanka Sachar Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 12:15 AM To: silklist@lists.hserus.net Subject: Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka And as someone who drives twice a day up and down the Delhi-Gurgaon elevated road with an average speed of at least 100kmph (with 130kmph at times) - I can safely tell u that the delhi-gur expressway can not be compared to bangalore's traffic at all. :) Next time anyone has problems with Bangalore traffic, I'm going to get them lined up outside the Lincoln tunnel going into NYC on Monday morning at 9am in the cash-only toll-lane. Or, closer home, driving from Bandra to Worli (before the sea-link) during rush-hour. Or, driving from Delhi to Gurgaon on the new elevated road
Re: [silk] BW: How Risky Is India?
Deepak Jois deepak.j...@gmail.com writes: On Mon, Dec 22, 2008 at 4:14 AM, Perry E. Metzger pe...@piermont.com wrote: No country ever becomes rich through foreign aid or military hardware. Countries become rich through improvements to trade, which in most countries these days requires substantial reduction in government interference in trade. Pakistan's economy will remain a basket case until it embraces deregulation and free trade. Both of these are unlikely events, but it doesn't make it less true that it is what is required. While what you say is valid as is, it is completely vacuous when it is taken in the context of whether India should maintain trade links with Pakistan, or whether it will solve the current problems of Pakistan. Free trade is not a panacea. I am aware of no panaceas. However, generally speaking, I can't think of a single scenario in which Pakistan becoming a failed state and an economic basket case is in India's best interest. Like it or not, geography chains India to Pakistan. It is better to be shackled to someone who is calm and well fed than to someone who is hungry and not entirely sane. Similarly, the more Pakistanis who are concerned about which television they will buy in the coming year, the fewer that will be paying attention to politics. The economic component of the problem is far less than you are imagining it to be. It doesn't really matter if the source of tension is economic or not. A good economy can improve a situation even if it is not the proximate cause of violence, just as a full belly and a good night's sleep make a person calmer in an auto accident even if the auto accident had nothing to do with whether they ate recently. There was an interesting study in the US many years ago that showed that racially motivated violence declined when economic prosperity hit and became worse in recessions. I don't think the underlying social mechanisms are so different in other countries. There are intertwined social, cultural and religious aspects to it which cannot be addressed by economic solutions alone. Probably not, but on the other hand, I cannot imagine that economic hardship makes Pakistan more stable. Again, I cannot imagine the scenario in which Pakistani disintegration does not cause India serious trouble. Lots of idle, angry and hopeless people provide a reservoir from which anti-social groups may draw support. I think that you are spectacularly uninformed of the geopolitical realities of the South Asian region. Doubtless. I'm spectacularly ignorant in general. That said, it is sometimes the case that an ignorant child can see that the emperor is naked when others fail to notice. You chose to dismiss Shiv's statement about how : India's success is Pakistan's failure. India has to fail for Pakistan to succeed. ; without grasping the fact that (AFAIK) this is not Shiv's personal viewpoint or something that he thinks *should* be the case. It is a mindset that permeates the psyche of the Pakistani establishment and has a big role to play in internal and external policymaking. The Indian response *must* take this into account. For the most part, the world's governments are ignorant and inefficient monsters that make a lot of noise, kill a lot of people, and otherwise accomplish very little indeed. I don't think the Pakistani government will have much say in the future of Pakistan (except perhaps to make it worse and kill a bunch of people), just as I don't think the government in the US or in India will have much say in the futures of those countries. The question is never what a ruling elite believe or what they propose to do. The question is always what will happen several levels down in society. The revolution in the Indian economy of late did not come from the directives of the Indian government -- at best it came from a lack of directives that would otherwise have caused harm. The revolution in the Chinese economy did not come from the action of the center, but rather from its inaction. Success or failure of the Pakistani society will not come from the directives of the Pakistani state, either. As Nitin Pai from The Acorn puts it [1] in referring to the Rediff article cited above: quote So while attempting to bring about a collapse of Pakistan is undesirable, many of Prof Vaidyanathan's prescriptions lend themselves for coercive diplomacy. They allow India to pursue a variety of punitive and coercive policies in a calibrated manner, without raising military tensions. For instance, it would be untenable for the international community to disagree that all economic aid to Pakistan must be made contingent on its government meeting concrete deliverables, like extraditing terrorists that live in the open in its territory. I think that, in general, no country should be giving Pakistan, or any other country, *any* economic aid. None, zero, zip. Whether they're doing what other countries want or not, they
Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka
Vinit B vi...@bhansalimail.com writes: Here is my official email declaring this as what rot. Born and bought up here. Of course I'm biased, dammit. Next time anyone has problems with Bangalore traffic, I'm going to get them lined up outside the Lincoln tunnel going into NYC on Monday morning at 9am in the cash-only toll-lane. Not that you meant to bring up New York specifically, but as I live here... Infrastructure in New York has been disintegrating for decades. Sadly, so long as central planning and subsidized services are the main mechanisms by which infrastructure will be managed, it will continue to get worse. For example, the city's subways were a wonderful innovation. They were built by private companies and made money. They were then driven into the ground when the government limited on the fares they could charge to below the cost of operation, following which they were bankrupted and subsequently taken over by the state. Were entrepreneurs free to address the city's traffic issues, doubtless numerous ways could be found to improve them, but that was taken off the table decades ago. Right now, because the subways lose money on every passenger, success makes them more and more economically unstable. Because the subways have attracted record ridership for several years, they're on the verge of financial collapse. Contrast this with what would happen if you had a store and had a record number of customers -- you would be thinking about ways to expand. Lest anyone think I believe there was a golden age in the past here, it corruption and government meddling has been at the heart of the management of New York City for around two hundred years. Unfortunately, there is no end in sight. The majority of the local population believe very firmly that capitalism is evil and private organizations must not be allowed to manage infrastructure. So long as that continues, politicians will have cover to continue mismanaging everything in sight. Perry
Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka
Perry, Bought up NYC (and Lincoln tunnel) specifically because I've spent multiple years in Newark, NJ. That's one way to be familiar with the crowd going *to* NYC during rush hour!! --- About the private companies ... India is currently in the midst of a PPV (Public-Private-Partnership) boom right now. Basically, many infrastructure projects are being taken up by private companies with Govt. backing (and guarantees, as far as toll collection, land acquisition, etc are concerned) Few examples: DND Toll Road in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad Airports, N.I.C.E. Ring road in Bangalore. They are doing well for now. But I can see how a few decades down the line, some lame-ass ministry decides that these should be handled by the Govt. and not by private companies. The bigger problem I see here is that slowly, private companies are going towards running defense contracts and not infrastructure projects. That's the real risk people should worry about. - Vinit -Original Message- From: silklist-bounces+vinit=bhansalimail@lists.hserus.net [mailto:silklist-bounces+vinit=bhansalimail@lists.hserus.net] On Behalf Of Perry E. Metzger Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 12:54 AM To: silklist@lists.hserus.net Subject: Re: [silk] who killed bangalore? from the churumuri blog on Karnataka Vinit B vi...@bhansalimail.com writes: Here is my official email declaring this as what rot. Born and bought up here. Of course I'm biased, dammit. Next time anyone has problems with Bangalore traffic, I'm going to get them lined up outside the Lincoln tunnel going into NYC on Monday morning at 9am in the cash-only toll-lane. Not that you meant to bring up New York specifically, but as I live here... Infrastructure in New York has been disintegrating for decades. Sadly, so long as central planning and subsidized services are the main mechanisms by which infrastructure will be managed, it will continue to get worse. For example, the city's subways were a wonderful innovation. They were built by private companies and made money. They were then driven into the ground when the government limited on the fares they could charge to below the cost of operation, following which they were bankrupted and subsequently taken over by the state. Were entrepreneurs free to address the city's traffic issues, doubtless numerous ways could be found to improve them, but that was taken off the table decades ago. Right now, because the subways lose money on every passenger, success makes them more and more economically unstable. Because the subways have attracted record ridership for several years, they're on the verge of financial collapse. Contrast this with what would happen if you had a store and had a record number of customers -- you would be thinking about ways to expand. Lest anyone think I believe there was a golden age in the past here, it corruption and government meddling has been at the heart of the management of New York City for around two hundred years. Unfortunately, there is no end in sight. The majority of the local population believe very firmly that capitalism is evil and private organizations must not be allowed to manage infrastructure. So long as that continues, politicians will have cover to continue mismanaging everything in sight. Perry
[silk] Naipaul's Pakistan connection
Stephen Uneven Cohen a South Asia expert actually wrote a fairly perceptive book on Pakistan in which he commented that the Pakistani army do not generally punish others among their own ranks with death. Even generals who lost half the country were merely honored and let off. But this appears to be changing - especially in the last 3-4 years. A number of attempts have been made to kill senior Pakistani army officers with the involvement of other army people in those plots. One recent spectacular assassination was the killing of Gen Alavi, who was V.S. Naipaul's brother in law - a man who named a couple of colleagues as cooperating with the Talibunnies in a letter he handed to a British journalist after he sent a copy to the Pakistan army chief Gen Kiyani, and shortly before he was bumped off. Here is a moving tribute to the man from his daughter Daughter’s Tribute to General Alavi Category Featured Articles | Posted on December 19, 2008 | The daughter of late SSG commando, Maj-Gen (retd) Amir Faisal Alavi, who is in the US, has sent a letter on her memories of her father. She writes: “I vaguely remember asking my dad when I was five, how old was your dad when he passed away, papa? I remember my dad’s surprised look and laughingly, he said, 61, why?, Ooo, I said, You have a long way to go. I was wrong, so wrong.You went much earlier, papa. “Born a British national in Kenya, Alavi came to study at Abbottabad Public School, but later his love and zeal for the military prompted him to renounce his British nationality. He wrote to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, asking him to grant him Pakistani nationality so he could join the Army and that is exactly what happened, he got his wish. “My earliest memories are of my dad splendid in his uniform, no nonsense formidable soldier attitude and at the same time he was an easygoing person, very humble, compassionate, but very fearless. He just loved flirting with danger, it was almost as if he thrived on it. He had this amazing energy around him that’s hard to describe, just the word military would bring a sudden change in his behaviour, it would be hard to control his enthusiasm, the energy radiating from him, he drained life source from it. “He had an amazing unending compassion for people and a heart so large I doubt it ever had walls. All you had to do was ask him and he would give it to you. He told me once, always look after the people below you because that is really what shows what kind of a person you are. He taught me not to judge people based on wealth, caste, their status, colour but judge them on their hearts. His magnanimity astounded me even at people who had hurt him badly. I never understood how he forgave people but he always said to me ‘Leave it to God’. “I still remember his enthusiasm while going on for a Wana operation and me as always complaining, ‘dad you are a general, honestly how many generals themselves go out in an operation?’ He said, ‘You fight from the top, the bottom will follow the top, and if I lead, my soldiers will follow.’ “I remember him putting a hand in his uniform and taking out a small medallion with Sura Yasin on it, saying what’s this?, while me and my sister continued to attach small medallions or Suras and prayers to his uniform. He would always say, ‘I am a soldier, I have no family. And that is what always scared me, my sister and mom to death.’ I remember whenever I was in distress or panic, he would gently admonish me, saying ‘Be brave, You are Faisal Alavi’s daughter, remember who you are,’ but I can be distressed now can’t I, papa, you are there no more, who do I turn to now? “I could write a whole book on my father but a part of me wants to keep those memories to myself because that’s all I have left of him. He is no more; all I have are his memories with me. “I think it was unfair of fate to give me so little time with you, papa. You were my best friend, my saviour, my superman more than you were my dad and now you left me alone. Every time, I pick up my cell, my fingers automatically dial your number only to realise there is no papa anymore at the other end. “I think the way you went away was cruel, and the people who did it were cowards but knowing you, I can say that is certainly the way you would have wanted to go. I know your only regret is you did not have a weapon to shoot one or two, but papa, if you had one, those cowards would never have come near you. “I don’t think I ever told you this dad, even though it’s a bit late now, I just want you to know how very proud I am to be your daughter, papa. I was truly blessed to have a great soldier like you as a dad. I won’t cry I promise, because I am your daughter but how can I not be sad knowing I won’t hear you, meet you or hug you ever again. I will really miss you, papa, I did not only lose my father, I lost my best friend, my saviour, my superman. “I promise you, papa I will fulfil every dream of
Re: [silk] Naipaul's Pakistan connection
Shiv, I think this particular incident deserves greater amplification. Alavi was cashiered and thrown out of the Army, and was stunned at the way it was done, after a travesty of a court-martial, rigged by the generals who were afraid of exposure at his hands. He then wrote the matter up into a note for the Army Chief. Days before his death, he showed the note to close friends, including the BBC journalist, who advised him not to send it, in fact, to destroy it immediately. His reply was that he had already sent it. BTW, you have reported this in reverse: the original was to the COAS, the copy to the BBC friend, not the other way around. From that day onwards, his death was certain and clear. The Pakistani media and bloggers have picked up the story, but generally seem to have no hope whatsoever that any notice will be taken of this 'execution'. Remind me about the tag about revolutions eating their own spawn. Looks like the Pakistani Army might be looking at a future diet of generals for some time to come, until the organisation is cleansed and only right-thinking elements are left. --- On Wed, 24/12/08, ss cybers...@gmail.com wrote: From: ss cybers...@gmail.com Subject: [silk] Naipaul's Pakistan connection To: silklist@lists.hserus.net Date: Wednesday, 24 December, 2008, 6:52 AM Stephen Uneven Cohen a South Asia expert actually wrote a fairly perceptive book on Pakistan in which he commented that the Pakistani army do not generally punish others among their own ranks with death. Even generals who lost half the country were merely honored and let off. But this appears to be changing - especially in the last 3-4 years. A number of attempts have been made to kill senior Pakistani army officers with the involvement of other army people in those plots. One recent spectacular assassination was the killing of Gen Alavi, who was V.S. Naipaul's brother in law - a man who named a couple of colleagues as cooperating with the Talibunnies in a letter he handed to a British journalist after he sent a copy to the Pakistan army chief Gen Kiyani, and shortly before he was bumped off. Here is a moving tribute to the man from his daughter Daughter’s Tribute to General Alavi Category Featured Articles | Posted on December 19, 2008 | The daughter of late SSG commando, Maj-Gen (retd) Amir Faisal Alavi, who is in the US, has sent a letter on her memories of her father. She writes: “I vaguely remember asking my dad when I was five, how old was your dad when he passed away, papa? I remember my dad’s surprised look and laughingly, he said, 61, why?, Ooo, I said, You have a long way to go. I was wrong, so wrong.You went much earlier, papa. “Born a British national in Kenya, Alavi came to study at Abbottabad Public School, but later his love and zeal for the military prompted him to renounce his British nationality. He wrote to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, asking him to grant him Pakistani nationality so he could join the Army and that is exactly what happened, he got his wish. “My earliest memories are of my dad splendid in his uniform, no nonsense formidable soldier attitude and at the same time he was an easygoing person, very humble, compassionate, but very fearless. He just loved flirting with danger, it was almost as if he thrived on it. He had this amazing energy around him that’s hard to describe, just the word military would bring a sudden change in his behaviour, it would be hard to control his enthusiasm, the energy radiating from him, he drained life source from it. “He had an amazing unending compassion for people and a heart so large I doubt it ever had walls. All you had to do was ask him and he would give it to you. He told me once, always look after the people below you because that is really what shows what kind of a person you are. He taught me not to judge people based on wealth, caste, their status, colour but judge them on their hearts. His magnanimity astounded me even at people who had hurt him badly. I never understood how he forgave people but he always said to me ‘Leave it to God’. “I still remember his enthusiasm while going on for a Wana operation and me as always complaining, ‘dad you are a general, honestly how many generals themselves go out in an operation?’ He said, ‘You fight from the top, the bottom will follow the top, and if I lead, my soldiers will follow.’ “I remember him putting a hand in his uniform and taking out a small medallion with Sura Yasin on it, saying what’s this?, while me and my sister continued to attach small medallions or Suras and prayers to his uniform. He would always say, ‘I am a soldier, I have no family. And that is what always scared me, my sister and mom to death.’ I remember whenever I was in distress or panic, he would gently admonish me, saying ‘Be brave, You are Faisal Alavi’s daughter, remember
Re: [silk] Naipaul's Pakistan connection
On Wednesday 24 Dec 2008 6:52:51 am ss wrote: Here is a moving tribute to the man from his daughter I have erred in not providing a url http://pkpolitics.com/2008/12/19/daughters-tribute-to-general-alavi/
Re: [silk] Naipaul's Pakistan connection
On Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 8:22 AM, ss cybers...@gmail.com wrote: On Wednesday 24 Dec 2008 6:52:51 am ss wrote: Here is a moving tribute to the man from his daughter I have erred in not providing a url http://pkpolitics.com/2008/12/19/daughters-tribute-to-general-alavi/ Never mind Shiv, I did read the article in its entirety anyway; it was truly moving. Bonobashi.. only right-thinking elements are left. And where would the right elements be left? In the centre? Cheers, Deepa.
Re: [silk] Naipaul's Pakistan connection
On Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 7:50 AM, Bonobashi bonoba...@yahoo.co.in wrote: Shiv, I think this particular incident deserves greater amplification. Alavi was cashiered and thrown out of the Army, and was stunned at the way it was done, after a travesty of a court-martial, rigged by the generals who were afraid of exposure at his hands. He then wrote the matter up into a note for the Army Chief. Days before his death, he showed the note to close friends, including the BBC journalist, who advised him not to send it, in fact, to destroy it immediately. His reply was that he had already sent it. BTW, you have reported this in reverse: the original was to the COAS, the copy to the BBC friend, not the other way around. Here's the letter: http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/letters.pdf -- Amit Varma http://www.indiauncut.com
