Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 > Surprising!! - somebody to > advocate for India and Hinduism > > > > >Here is the story from Rediff.com - a letter from Gautier. > > > Francois Gautier > > > Dear Mr Greenway, > > > To equate Hindu extremism with Muslim fundamentalism, as you do in your > column published in the Opinion page of The Boston Globe on July 12, is > highly unfair. There is no such thing as 'Hindu nationalists,' or 'Hindu > fundamentalists,' since in the whole history of India, Hindus -- who let > me remind you are 850 million in India today and constitute the > overwhelming cultural and political majority of this country -- have not > only shown that they are extremely tolerant of others, but Hinduism is > probably the only religion in the world which never tried to convert > others, or conquer other countries to propagate their own religion. The > same is not true of Islam and Christianity. > > > Again, equating Pakistan with India is an old British colonial policy, > which helped them to divide and rule. By going to Islamabad, before > reaching Delhi, visiting American and European officials are demeaning > India. Would they dare first go to Taiwan, then travel to Beijing? The > Chinese government would never allow it! We are putting on the same > footing two nations which are entirely different: the first one, India, > whatever its shortcomings and I am aware there are many -- is a superpower > in the making, a vast country with a billion people and a democracy for > more than fifty years. The other, Pakistan, whatever its own merits -- and > it has many -- has little more than one tenth the population of India, is > nearly bankrupt and has been under military dictators for half of its > independence. > > > You speak of a Hindu genocide on the Muslims in Gujarat, but you forget to > mention that the rioting in Gujarat against Muslims was in reaction > against the murder of 58 innocent people, 30 of them being women and > children, who were burnt alive in a train by a Muslim mob, only because > they were Hindus. In fact, Hindus have been for centuries at the receiving > hand of Muslim extremism: some historians put at 25 millions the number of > Hindus killed during 10 centuries of bloody Muslim invasions in India, a > genocide probably unparalleled in world history. Today this persecution > goes on: there were 400,000 Hindus in 1947 in the valley of Kashmir and > barely a few hundred today. Thousands were killed in the late eighties by > Islamic fundamentalists, trained, armed and financed by Pakistan and the > rest fled the valley. Today Hindus have become refugees in their own > country, a first on this planet. > > > You also talk about the 'Hindu bomb.' But you should know that it is was > Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir's father, who in 1971, after Pakistan lost > the second war it initiated against India, realised that they could not > win a conventional war against the Indian giant. He thus decided that > Pakistan should have the nuclear bomb, which it did in the course of time, > with the active help of China and North Korea, a fact which has been well > documented by the CIA, but which is generally ignored by the American > public. India was thus forced to acquire nuclear weapons, with a certain > reluctance, as Indians have generally had a nonviolent bend of mind -- > some have even termed it cowardly -- inherited from Buddhism and Gandhian > philosophy. > > > Today, President Pervez Musharraf, whatever his obsession about Kashmir, > which is basically a revenge for the loss of Eastern Pakistan, now > Bangladesh, thanks to India's support, is an intelligent man: he knows > that if he does manage to drop one nuclear bomb on Delhi or Mumbai, there > will be no more Pakistan worth the name, as all major Pakistani cities > will be wiped off the face of the earth. Islam, which has made use of > violence a near religious practice, understands the language of violence: > see how it kept quiet when America showed its muscle after the September > 11 attack, or when the Allies invaded Iraq. Thus Musharraf is doing a > nuclear blackmail on the world, which is unfortunately working, as so many > nations have evacuated their nationals and so much pressure is brought > upon on India by the US and the EC to negotiate on Kashmir. > > > You must doubtlessly know that historically and geographically, Kashmir > has always been part of India and that the calling of a referendum there > would be a suicide for any Indian government, because the Muslim majority > of the valley would automatically vote for a union with Pakistan. That in > turn, would not only mean that Pakistan would have an immense strategic > advantage on India, because of overlooking the Indian plains, but also > that other Indian states, who are in a secessionist mood, might follow > suit. Bear in mind also, that Indians do not understand why the West is > giving lessons to India about Kashmir, when England battled thousands of > miles away from their home soil to keep the Falkland islands -- which > geographically belong more to the Argentineans than to the British - - or > as France uses its armed might to retain Corsica, an island which has > mixed French and Italian roots, or when your own country intervenes > militarily in parts of the globe where you feel your interests are > endangered! > > > Finally, you show a lot of sympathy for Pakistan, which I understand, as > the Pakistanis are very engaging and friendly people specially when you > meet them in the United States. Nevertheless, you must be aware that not > only has Pakistan sponsored bombings, murders and terror in India, but > that it has exported terrorism all over the world: in Bosnia, Chechnya and > even towards America, as the September 11 attacks have a Pakistan > connection. By making Pakistan its frontline state, America is trying to > fight terrorism with terrorism, which might not be such a good idea, given > the problems encountered by the US in Pakistan, as well as the blank that > American forces are drawing in Afghanistan. It is also a sign that India, > a democratic, pro-Western nation, would be a much better bet for the US in > its war on terrorism. Unfortunately, your article will certainly not help > US policymakers to see the light. > > > Yours sincerely, > > > François Gautier > > > The author, a French journalist based in New Delhi, is the South Asia > correspondent for Ouest-France, the largest circulation French daily (1 > million copies) and LCI, France's 24 hour television news channel. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 I wonder if this group is a forum to discuss all about it. One may be world class journalist, but must try to realise what meher baba said,"I AND YOU ARE NOT WE BUT ONE" spread the message of Unconditional Love, and leave other things for "born" politicians, gossipers,itellectuals.... they think that they run the world.I take present day journalism, as thought marketting spacialists. I pray for them and offer my love and regards...by the way, I am tempted to quote a few lines ( original in Hindi, traslated in english) of great Indian schooler Rahul Sankrityayan. He, in his book "Darshan Digdarshan" writes,"... no Hindu should be proud of not belonging to a religion which is very tolrent and has no bool shedding histrory.Widowes burnt out alive outnumber the total deaths in, either christian crusade or Islamic zehad" love Satish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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