03-09-2006, 08:51 PM
Came via email - Must read
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Â Herr Witzel and co.,
My name is Radha Rajan, I am the Joint Secretary of an organization called 'Vigil' public opinion forum. It is Chennai-based and 23 years old. Pl see our website www.vigilonline.com . I recommend that you visit our 'Records' section and either read or listen to the text of the meetings that we have organized to inform and influence public opinion on important issues.
The website is not perfect, it is not even functional most times but it is an accurate expression of what I am and the larger group to which I and the organization belong.
I am a residing Indian Hindu, a Brahmin Hindu, a woman, and a swayamsevak, karyakarta in the RSS. I will skip the translation because you are all experts on all things India - including Samskrit and Hindu society.
Now that we have these pleasantries on board, let me get down to what I have to say.
Even before I could write to you, just getting to know of my intention to write to you, one of your friends called me Hindutva's new attacking dog. Let me start with that please.
I have been reading the verbiage on women's rights, and dignity on some discussion threads in the email groups forwarded to me by Dr.kalyanaraman and I have been following the discussions on the California Text Book issue. The striking feature of in these discussions, posts is the complete lack of dignity and poise in your language and tenor. When I say 'you' i mean you and your friends on this list whom i have given a collective identity.
Let me begin with Hindutva's new attacking dog. It is obvious you dont know anything about Hindutva, Hindu women or Dogs. But then you have never made any pretence at knowing anything. you just fling words and opinions around - rooted in ignorance, White arrogance, and just plain crude.
you have read my article in Organizer on why the RSS should have a foreign policy. The organizer version is a watered down version. for full effect pl read
http://www.vigilonline.com/news/plain_spea...lainSpeakId=100
You have said that the collection of articles in the Organizer spews hatred and is racist. I challenge you now to produce one sentence that spews hatred or is racist. Accusing Indians/Hindus of racism is akin to accusing women resisting male aggression of being sexist or nurturing gender bias. But then accuracy or truth is not your forte. Saying things like 'spewing hatred' and is racist is like 'saffronisation' of education withiout being able to tell us what is 'saffronisation' and what exactly are we supposed to have changed or included. You and your Indian friends like thapar and chatterji never have the courage to sit across the table and tell us to our faces what specifically, 'saffronisation', racism or spewing hatred is.
You hit and run, and talk or write to captive audiences.
I will take just one of your posts for being exemplary Witzel Farmer and Co. Did you know that heinous comes form 'hiina'. Well you know now and this dog has created this etymology.
You have made a rather silly remark about non-returning Indians. Have you returned to where you belong Sir? or your race? It is to legitimise White colonial depradations, inavasions and occupation that your forefathers first undetrook test-flying the AIT kite. And having got it air-borne you are unable to leyt go of the string or bring it down. So you equate the Brahmins to invaders/settlers/occupiers. Just one of the little lies that you and your own peddle about Hindus and Hindu religion and society. I will not even dignify your comment on Bharatanatyam and higher education with a response, will only recommend that you first inform yourself with some real reading and scholarship.
You have exhibited the grossest, crudest and most abhorrent form of ignorance when you speak derogatorily about Indian classical dance, about non-returning Indians, not investing in higher education about the same Vedic mantra being used to call your wife and your goat. But then I am not surprised at Harvard at all. you have illustrious predecessors in Cotton Mather and co - for intolerarnce bordering on violence and in Clooney for bigotry and dogma masquerading as inter-faith dialogue. So i am not surprised at you or Harvard. But I am surprised at the continuing legitimacy accorded to persons lke you t determine how Hindus will write history.
One of your own has remarked that he finds it odd that a man sitting in Chennai having something to say about the California Text Books. Surely, it can't t be odder than your own interference in it? Hindus sitting in Chennai have a stake in their history no matter where it is being written or abused but can the same be said of you even if you are sitting on the doorstep? It is an intrusion and interference in the internal affairs of Hindus no matter where you are located and what your profession is.
And your encouraging the so-called dalits to intervene. Let me present a few statistics to all of you which i hope the likes of Cedric Prakash, Angana Chatterji, akhila raman, Romia Thapar and John Dayal and co will forst respond. I want you to introspect on this too.
The dalits or 'harijans' as Gandhiji called them, constitute 15% of the total Indian population and 20% of the Hindu population. As per the 2001 census, there are 24.20 million Christians in India out of which the Christians of South India constitute 12.5 million, more than half the total Christian population of India, and those of the North-east, 5.4 million. The total population of Tamil Nadu Christians is 3.8 million, Karnataka, one million, Kerala, 6 million, Andhra Pradesh 1.2 million and Goa 0.4 million. Dalits constitute 65% of the total South Indian Christian population. Some Christian groups even claim that dalits constitute 70% of the Christians of Tamil Nadu. But the secular intellectuals of this country and the US State Department, who screech that religious freedom includes the right of Christian missionaries to convert Hindus, have not cared to answer the pertinent question, "what is the attitude of the Church and its Hierarchy to social empowerment of dalit Christians within the community given the high percentage of the dalits and tribals in the total Christian population and the power-sharing equation in the Christian hierarchy between the priests belonging to the upper castes and the dalits?"
As per the data currently availbale on the Catholic Bishops Conference of India website,
The CBCI has over 200 members-bishops from the Latin, Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara ecclesial traditions in the country among whom are 155 heads of the dioceses, of whom there are 3 cardinals, 29 Archbishops and 123 bishops. There are 2 co-adjutor bishops (one of whom is a co-adjutor Archbishop), 12 auxiliary bishops and 36 retired bishops.
A squeamish media and dishonest activists taking up the cause of dalits in Durban, in the US State Department and in the European Parliament have never summoned the courage to ask the Catholic Church to make public the number of dalit and tribal Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals in their fold. Except for Goa and Kerala, in the rest of India, dalits and tribals constitute the major percentage of Christians and yet the Christians who claim that the dalits are voluntarily converting to the Christian faith to end discrimination and to empower themselves, have not told us how many dalits and tribals have been elevated to the highest positions of Bishops, Vicars-general, priests, Directors, Professors in seminaries, and surgeons and Heads of Departments in their hospitals and medical colleges.  The Christian community has not told us if their premier educational institutions reserve 30% of their seats for dalit Christian students, if at least 30% reservation is maintained in the recruitment of dalit teachers and professors in St.Stephens, in New Delhi, in Loyola College in Chennai and in Christian Medical College, Vellore. What is the power-sharing equation of the positions held by upper-caste and dalit Christians in the schools, colleges and hospitals run by the Christian missionaries in this country? How many dalit or tribal Christians have risen to the highest positions in these Christian social, educational and religious organizations? Unasked and unanswered questions, these.
I have paced the normally accepted levels of affirmative action indian polity. It should rightly be 33% but ask yourselves why you and your friends have not addressed yourself to this question that in spite of the disproportionate control of institutions at your disposal, Christians have not exercised the will to empower the dalits already in their fold.
Do that first and then cast your eyes around for other objects of the Whirte man's burden.
And if you are tempted to produce this letter at the SBE meeting I am marking a copy to kalyanaramanji and to HAF just to make sure they get the idea that this has nothing to do with the California Text book issue but has everything to do with the opinions you ahve about Hindus generally and Hindu society and Hindu religion. And Oh yes, lest i forget, I am a politically conscious determined Hindutvavadi. Any self-respecting Hindu would be.
And please feel free to visit our website and read the 'Plainspeak' columns to know exactly what I think on issues. and I have never written before for the Organizer. I wrote the first time for the Republic Da speacial. Once again, you take liberies with truth and facts. But i am beginning to get the feeling that it is quite normal practice with you and yor friends.
Laslty, the parthian shot. I would love to locate myself in the US for this delightful discussion except that i take care of street dogs - homeless, abandoned, sick dogs and they ned me on a dality basis. Now you didnt know that did you? In my house 'dog' is an endearment.
with best regards, RRÂ <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Â Herr Witzel and co.,
My name is Radha Rajan, I am the Joint Secretary of an organization called 'Vigil' public opinion forum. It is Chennai-based and 23 years old. Pl see our website www.vigilonline.com . I recommend that you visit our 'Records' section and either read or listen to the text of the meetings that we have organized to inform and influence public opinion on important issues.
The website is not perfect, it is not even functional most times but it is an accurate expression of what I am and the larger group to which I and the organization belong.
I am a residing Indian Hindu, a Brahmin Hindu, a woman, and a swayamsevak, karyakarta in the RSS. I will skip the translation because you are all experts on all things India - including Samskrit and Hindu society.
Now that we have these pleasantries on board, let me get down to what I have to say.
Even before I could write to you, just getting to know of my intention to write to you, one of your friends called me Hindutva's new attacking dog. Let me start with that please.
I have been reading the verbiage on women's rights, and dignity on some discussion threads in the email groups forwarded to me by Dr.kalyanaraman and I have been following the discussions on the California Text Book issue. The striking feature of in these discussions, posts is the complete lack of dignity and poise in your language and tenor. When I say 'you' i mean you and your friends on this list whom i have given a collective identity.
Let me begin with Hindutva's new attacking dog. It is obvious you dont know anything about Hindutva, Hindu women or Dogs. But then you have never made any pretence at knowing anything. you just fling words and opinions around - rooted in ignorance, White arrogance, and just plain crude.
you have read my article in Organizer on why the RSS should have a foreign policy. The organizer version is a watered down version. for full effect pl read
http://www.vigilonline.com/news/plain_spea...lainSpeakId=100
You have said that the collection of articles in the Organizer spews hatred and is racist. I challenge you now to produce one sentence that spews hatred or is racist. Accusing Indians/Hindus of racism is akin to accusing women resisting male aggression of being sexist or nurturing gender bias. But then accuracy or truth is not your forte. Saying things like 'spewing hatred' and is racist is like 'saffronisation' of education withiout being able to tell us what is 'saffronisation' and what exactly are we supposed to have changed or included. You and your Indian friends like thapar and chatterji never have the courage to sit across the table and tell us to our faces what specifically, 'saffronisation', racism or spewing hatred is.
You hit and run, and talk or write to captive audiences.
I will take just one of your posts for being exemplary Witzel Farmer and Co. Did you know that heinous comes form 'hiina'. Well you know now and this dog has created this etymology.
You have made a rather silly remark about non-returning Indians. Have you returned to where you belong Sir? or your race? It is to legitimise White colonial depradations, inavasions and occupation that your forefathers first undetrook test-flying the AIT kite. And having got it air-borne you are unable to leyt go of the string or bring it down. So you equate the Brahmins to invaders/settlers/occupiers. Just one of the little lies that you and your own peddle about Hindus and Hindu religion and society. I will not even dignify your comment on Bharatanatyam and higher education with a response, will only recommend that you first inform yourself with some real reading and scholarship.
You have exhibited the grossest, crudest and most abhorrent form of ignorance when you speak derogatorily about Indian classical dance, about non-returning Indians, not investing in higher education about the same Vedic mantra being used to call your wife and your goat. But then I am not surprised at Harvard at all. you have illustrious predecessors in Cotton Mather and co - for intolerarnce bordering on violence and in Clooney for bigotry and dogma masquerading as inter-faith dialogue. So i am not surprised at you or Harvard. But I am surprised at the continuing legitimacy accorded to persons lke you t determine how Hindus will write history.
One of your own has remarked that he finds it odd that a man sitting in Chennai having something to say about the California Text Books. Surely, it can't t be odder than your own interference in it? Hindus sitting in Chennai have a stake in their history no matter where it is being written or abused but can the same be said of you even if you are sitting on the doorstep? It is an intrusion and interference in the internal affairs of Hindus no matter where you are located and what your profession is.
And your encouraging the so-called dalits to intervene. Let me present a few statistics to all of you which i hope the likes of Cedric Prakash, Angana Chatterji, akhila raman, Romia Thapar and John Dayal and co will forst respond. I want you to introspect on this too.
The dalits or 'harijans' as Gandhiji called them, constitute 15% of the total Indian population and 20% of the Hindu population. As per the 2001 census, there are 24.20 million Christians in India out of which the Christians of South India constitute 12.5 million, more than half the total Christian population of India, and those of the North-east, 5.4 million. The total population of Tamil Nadu Christians is 3.8 million, Karnataka, one million, Kerala, 6 million, Andhra Pradesh 1.2 million and Goa 0.4 million. Dalits constitute 65% of the total South Indian Christian population. Some Christian groups even claim that dalits constitute 70% of the Christians of Tamil Nadu. But the secular intellectuals of this country and the US State Department, who screech that religious freedom includes the right of Christian missionaries to convert Hindus, have not cared to answer the pertinent question, "what is the attitude of the Church and its Hierarchy to social empowerment of dalit Christians within the community given the high percentage of the dalits and tribals in the total Christian population and the power-sharing equation in the Christian hierarchy between the priests belonging to the upper castes and the dalits?"
As per the data currently availbale on the Catholic Bishops Conference of India website,
The CBCI has over 200 members-bishops from the Latin, Syro-Malabar and the Syro-Malankara ecclesial traditions in the country among whom are 155 heads of the dioceses, of whom there are 3 cardinals, 29 Archbishops and 123 bishops. There are 2 co-adjutor bishops (one of whom is a co-adjutor Archbishop), 12 auxiliary bishops and 36 retired bishops.
A squeamish media and dishonest activists taking up the cause of dalits in Durban, in the US State Department and in the European Parliament have never summoned the courage to ask the Catholic Church to make public the number of dalit and tribal Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals in their fold. Except for Goa and Kerala, in the rest of India, dalits and tribals constitute the major percentage of Christians and yet the Christians who claim that the dalits are voluntarily converting to the Christian faith to end discrimination and to empower themselves, have not told us how many dalits and tribals have been elevated to the highest positions of Bishops, Vicars-general, priests, Directors, Professors in seminaries, and surgeons and Heads of Departments in their hospitals and medical colleges.  The Christian community has not told us if their premier educational institutions reserve 30% of their seats for dalit Christian students, if at least 30% reservation is maintained in the recruitment of dalit teachers and professors in St.Stephens, in New Delhi, in Loyola College in Chennai and in Christian Medical College, Vellore. What is the power-sharing equation of the positions held by upper-caste and dalit Christians in the schools, colleges and hospitals run by the Christian missionaries in this country? How many dalit or tribal Christians have risen to the highest positions in these Christian social, educational and religious organizations? Unasked and unanswered questions, these.
I have paced the normally accepted levels of affirmative action indian polity. It should rightly be 33% but ask yourselves why you and your friends have not addressed yourself to this question that in spite of the disproportionate control of institutions at your disposal, Christians have not exercised the will to empower the dalits already in their fold.
Do that first and then cast your eyes around for other objects of the Whirte man's burden.
And if you are tempted to produce this letter at the SBE meeting I am marking a copy to kalyanaramanji and to HAF just to make sure they get the idea that this has nothing to do with the California Text book issue but has everything to do with the opinions you ahve about Hindus generally and Hindu society and Hindu religion. And Oh yes, lest i forget, I am a politically conscious determined Hindutvavadi. Any self-respecting Hindu would be.
And please feel free to visit our website and read the 'Plainspeak' columns to know exactly what I think on issues. and I have never written before for the Organizer. I wrote the first time for the Republic Da speacial. Once again, you take liberies with truth and facts. But i am beginning to get the feeling that it is quite normal practice with you and yor friends.
Laslty, the parthian shot. I would love to locate myself in the US for this delightful discussion except that i take care of street dogs - homeless, abandoned, sick dogs and they ned me on a dality basis. Now you didnt know that did you? In my house 'dog' is an endearment.
with best regards, RRÂ <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->