05-13-2005, 03:06 AM
Spin machine is on !! We are all brothers onlee. Angrez were also our brothers onlee. Why did everybody waste time fighting angrez for so long onlee. Founding fathers wanted democratically elected INDIAN leaders to be in PM position, but hey whats a small thing as INDIAN anyways - down with "rabid" deshbhaktas - long live gori sarkar !! Ok now I am sick .. <!--emo&<_<--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='dry.gif' /><!--endemo-->
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=46580
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Rule Sonia! Is India xenophobic?
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, May 12, 2005 at 0946 hours IST
Updated: Thursday, May 12, 2005 at 1555 hours IST
Sonia Gandhi New Delhi, May 12: In a huge blow to xenophobia the world over, recent years have seen emerge in the US, UK and Canada a rising galaxy of Indian stars on their political horizon - but India is cutting itself in two, riven over the emergence of one foreigner on the national political firmament - Sonia Gandhi.
In fact, so great was the divide in the country when the Congress party came to power (as part of UPA) that the prospect of Sonia donning the mantle of the Prime Minister of India threatened to unleash a virtual civil war in the country.
Although the fire was being fanned by the 2004 General Election losers Bharatiya Janata Party yet it was also true that both in urban and rural areas common citizens were up in arms over the return of a foreigner into power after the fall of the British Empire here in 1947.
The rift was enough to make Sonia renounce her chance at making history by appointing the ever-popular, though political pygmy, Dr Manmohan Singh as the premier. It took the wind out of the sails of the BJP and other parties. The issue died, or has it?
Elsewhere, the victory that threw up Tony Blair as the PM in Britain also churned up 6 Indian-origin triumphs - five from ruling Labour Party and one Conservative. Keith Vaz is a household name there, Bobby Jindal is on top of the world in US and in Canada are Members of Parliament Navdeep Singh Bains, Ruby Dhalla, Gurmant Singh Grewal, Nina Kaur Grewal and Gurbax Singh Malhi, and then there's the ever-popular Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh - all taking themselves and their communities into power. And, we haven't even mentioned Indians at the lower end of the political chain who are taking nascent steps to stardom.
While the rabid nationalists will say these politicos have been elected from areas heavily populated by immigrants, there is no denying the fact that they have managed to get onto the all-religions-and-nationalities bandwagon through hard work and dedication that they bring to their jobs.
Back at home, the fuel for this anti-foreigner bias in India stems from a mix of pride and prejudice. Pride in the fact that Indians value their freedom and would deem it uncomfortable to justify a foreigner at the helm of affairs; prejudice at the fact that India was divided on caste factors for centuries and there is a bias against anyone that is not deemed part of socio-cultural milieu.
This aspect acquires prominence due to the current divisions seen across India on terms of caste and community - Yadavs will vote for Mulayam, Dalits will vote for Mayawati, Mussalmans will vote for Mufti/Farooq, Pandits vill vote for Brahmin, Sikh will vote for a Sikh, etc. etc.
But what is more important is the fact that pogroms like the one seen post-Godhra in Gujarat, massacre of Sikhs post-Indira Gandhi assassination that reinforce the old tendencies for communities to stick together for safety's sake.
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir are all immersed in politics of the past and it is preventing the economic, political and social progress of the country to happen at a fast pace.
But, speaking for the future, in a more open and well-connected world, any country seeking to ride the train to success in every field of endeavour has to shed any xenophobic feelings and adopt the ones on the lines of Brotherhood of Man.
So, with most Indians unwilling to vote even for a man outside their caste, how can they bring themselves to accept someone who stems from outside the country?
While for India, the Sonia question has been evaded, yet looking at Indian polity the same query is going to be put to in, at the most, five years.
What if the majority again favours Congress?
What if Sonia accepts Prime Ministership of India, instead of demurring.
After all a bahu (the avatar that Sonia has adopted in India) may renounce her rights once, but the next time round she will insist on taking what is rightfully hers.
Will India be mature enough not to stand in the way? Will it be in India's interest to have a foreign premier?
After all, with millions of Indians making great progress in all fields across the globe from Australia, Malaysia, to the West Indies, the chances of their becoming Prime Ministers and Presidents are not bad. Also, already in Fiji there was an Indian-origin Prime Minister, while America is debating whether to pass a bill allowing foreign born nationals to become the President of the US of A.
Therefore, as far as progress and development for India are concerned let the Universal Rights of Man not be constrained by an Earth divided into a political map.
For India and its citizens any considerations, other than legal ones, fall to the wayside when we look at what an election signifies.
The founding fathers of our nation decided that any party that wins a general election is entitled to make one of its leaders the Prime Minister. So, if Sonia can be a citizen of India, become a Member of Parliament, and lead the biggest political party in the country, then Constitutionally speaking there should be no other bigger force to prevent her from making history â for the sake of the world.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=46580
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Rule Sonia! Is India xenophobic?
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, May 12, 2005 at 0946 hours IST
Updated: Thursday, May 12, 2005 at 1555 hours IST
Sonia Gandhi New Delhi, May 12: In a huge blow to xenophobia the world over, recent years have seen emerge in the US, UK and Canada a rising galaxy of Indian stars on their political horizon - but India is cutting itself in two, riven over the emergence of one foreigner on the national political firmament - Sonia Gandhi.
In fact, so great was the divide in the country when the Congress party came to power (as part of UPA) that the prospect of Sonia donning the mantle of the Prime Minister of India threatened to unleash a virtual civil war in the country.
Although the fire was being fanned by the 2004 General Election losers Bharatiya Janata Party yet it was also true that both in urban and rural areas common citizens were up in arms over the return of a foreigner into power after the fall of the British Empire here in 1947.
The rift was enough to make Sonia renounce her chance at making history by appointing the ever-popular, though political pygmy, Dr Manmohan Singh as the premier. It took the wind out of the sails of the BJP and other parties. The issue died, or has it?
Elsewhere, the victory that threw up Tony Blair as the PM in Britain also churned up 6 Indian-origin triumphs - five from ruling Labour Party and one Conservative. Keith Vaz is a household name there, Bobby Jindal is on top of the world in US and in Canada are Members of Parliament Navdeep Singh Bains, Ruby Dhalla, Gurmant Singh Grewal, Nina Kaur Grewal and Gurbax Singh Malhi, and then there's the ever-popular Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh - all taking themselves and their communities into power. And, we haven't even mentioned Indians at the lower end of the political chain who are taking nascent steps to stardom.
While the rabid nationalists will say these politicos have been elected from areas heavily populated by immigrants, there is no denying the fact that they have managed to get onto the all-religions-and-nationalities bandwagon through hard work and dedication that they bring to their jobs.
Back at home, the fuel for this anti-foreigner bias in India stems from a mix of pride and prejudice. Pride in the fact that Indians value their freedom and would deem it uncomfortable to justify a foreigner at the helm of affairs; prejudice at the fact that India was divided on caste factors for centuries and there is a bias against anyone that is not deemed part of socio-cultural milieu.
This aspect acquires prominence due to the current divisions seen across India on terms of caste and community - Yadavs will vote for Mulayam, Dalits will vote for Mayawati, Mussalmans will vote for Mufti/Farooq, Pandits vill vote for Brahmin, Sikh will vote for a Sikh, etc. etc.
But what is more important is the fact that pogroms like the one seen post-Godhra in Gujarat, massacre of Sikhs post-Indira Gandhi assassination that reinforce the old tendencies for communities to stick together for safety's sake.
Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir are all immersed in politics of the past and it is preventing the economic, political and social progress of the country to happen at a fast pace.
But, speaking for the future, in a more open and well-connected world, any country seeking to ride the train to success in every field of endeavour has to shed any xenophobic feelings and adopt the ones on the lines of Brotherhood of Man.
So, with most Indians unwilling to vote even for a man outside their caste, how can they bring themselves to accept someone who stems from outside the country?
While for India, the Sonia question has been evaded, yet looking at Indian polity the same query is going to be put to in, at the most, five years.
What if the majority again favours Congress?
What if Sonia accepts Prime Ministership of India, instead of demurring.
After all a bahu (the avatar that Sonia has adopted in India) may renounce her rights once, but the next time round she will insist on taking what is rightfully hers.
Will India be mature enough not to stand in the way? Will it be in India's interest to have a foreign premier?
After all, with millions of Indians making great progress in all fields across the globe from Australia, Malaysia, to the West Indies, the chances of their becoming Prime Ministers and Presidents are not bad. Also, already in Fiji there was an Indian-origin Prime Minister, while America is debating whether to pass a bill allowing foreign born nationals to become the President of the US of A.
Therefore, as far as progress and development for India are concerned let the Universal Rights of Man not be constrained by an Earth divided into a political map.
For India and its citizens any considerations, other than legal ones, fall to the wayside when we look at what an election signifies.
The founding fathers of our nation decided that any party that wins a general election is entitled to make one of its leaders the Prime Minister. So, if Sonia can be a citizen of India, become a Member of Parliament, and lead the biggest political party in the country, then Constitutionally speaking there should be no other bigger force to prevent her from making history â for the sake of the world.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->