resident non indians by rajeev srinivasan

[Guest guest]

http://www.rediff.com/news/2003/may/22rajeev.htmPatriot games and RNIsRajeev

SrinivasanMay 22, 2003I have observed for some time that there is a certain

class of people who might best be called 'Resident Non-Indians' or RNIs for

short, for they apparently reside in India, manage to look and act

astonishingly like real Indians, even hold Indian passports, but are decidedly

anti-Indian in mindset. I wrote an open letter to them years ago, but given

their hyper-activity recently I thought I might bestir myself once again. I

stress the difference between the RNI and the NRI: in fact, NRIs or

Non-Resident Indians are frequently targeted by RNIs, primarily because, with

the wisdom that distance brings, NRIs have seen through RNI propaganda. See my

column, 'Fear of NRIs.' Non-Resident Indians, being abroad, are also not

subjected to the daily brainwashing of the Indian public that RNIs specialize

in.When I think of these decidedly ornery RNIs, I am reminded of the proverbial

woodcutter from the Panchatantra who saws away at the very branch he sits on.

For reasons best known to themselves, RNIs attempt to destroy the very system

that sustains them. Theirs is a self-fulfilling prophesy: by acting as though

the Indian State were ipso facto barbaric, they will succeed in making it

barbaric. Despite all their loud accusations about the Indian State suppressing

dissent, I am yet to hear of any censor stopping any RNI from mouthing their

nonsense anywhere. But let them continue for a while like this, and there will

be those four AM knocks on their door that we all came to know and love during

the Emergency. RNIs use Orwellian terminology and nomenclature terrorism.

According to them, war is peace and terrorists are poor, oppressed,

misunderstood minorities. If RNIs call something "x," you can be sure that

thing is "not x." A most undemocratic East Germany called itself the German

Democratic Republic. A most totalitarian country calls itself the People's

Republic of China. Similarly, RNIs call themselves "secular progressives"

whereas they are neither secular nor progressive: a more truthful description

would be "regressive fundamentalists." There are many RNIs whose ethics, and

antics, are interesting: one "resigned" from Indian citizenship, but happily

travels on an Indian passport. Another has a visceral hatred for non-Marxists,

but is alarmed at the prospect that Indian Marxists may not get invitations to

come over to the US to preach hatred of everything America stands for. RNIs

also have started assuming the mantle of "patriots." In every possible way,

they demean and diminish India; and yet they claim to be patriots: clearly, the

last refuge of the scoundrel. They are indulging in Patriot Games, as in the Tom

Clancy movie. But wait, there may yet be truth to their claim: they are indeed

Chinese patriots, doing everything in their power to help Chinese interests.

They stand ready to welcome the Chinese, to garland them with marigolds, should

they invade. They must be practicing their speeches daily for the event.They are

ready to garland Pakistanis too: this is what Wagah candle-lighting and people

to people contact is all about. Unfortunately, Pakistanis seem to think "people

to people contact" means their people massacring our people. When Pakistani

terrorists are shot or captured, RNIs move heaven and earth to harass Indian

security forces.These RNIs are willing to sacrifice Indian security forces to

protect foreigners or traitors. Anywhere else, somebody who did this would be

disgraced, or summarily shot, depending on the tenderness of the authorities.

For example, someone in China supporting Uighur separatists; in the US

supporting the perpetrators of 9/11; in Indonesia supporting Aceh

secessionists. Only in India are such specimens considered 'thought leaders'.

Ah, the wonders of fifty years of Nehruvian Stalinist brainwashing! I have been

complaining about their kind of craven journalism for years: see my old column

www.rediff.com/news/1998/jul/23rajeev.htm>J'accuse... Talking of rotten

journalists, I was delighted to see the story of the New York Times' Jayson

Blair, who nonchalantly made up brilliant stuff for which he was considered a

rising star at the esteemed paper which allegedly prints 'all the news that is

fit to print.' And then some, Jayson Blair demonstrated. I was happy to see

this story for two reasons: I was getting tired of all the Laci Peterson

stories and Jessica Lynch puff-pieces, and it was good to see something meaty

for a change.Second, I have long felt that the NYTimes does not quite live up

to its lofty self-perception as an exemplar of journalistic excellence. In

fact, with their correspondents in India, for instance the inimitable Barbara

Crossette and the insufferable John Burns, the quality of their journalism has

been extremely poor. Much like Jayson Blair, these NYTimes reporters did not

quite do the research they need to do, but instead depended solely on RNIs at

JNU, and therefore specialized in painting an unfair and extremely one-sided,

negative picture of India.When there are real incidents of violence against

India or Indian culture or the Indian Diaspora, alleged RNI "patriots" are

thunderously silent. A case in point: the recent fuss over golfers Vijay Singh

and Annika Sorenstam. Singh, a Fijian of Indian origin, merely said that a

woman might find it difficult to play against men because she lacks upper-body

strength. Racists in the American media immediately launched an attack on

India, Hindus, Vijay Singh's ancestors, Indian culture, alleged misogynism

therein, bride-burning, and so forth; yet none of the RNIs or even the resident

American Comrades of Indian origin raised a peep. None of them came to the

defense of what they claim is their culture. I am not surprised: for, like the

snatched ones in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, they only appear to be Indian.

Yes, there are some Indian Comrades who live in America and abhor everything

America stands for. They remind me of an old IIT classmate of mine, son of a

Kerala Communist leader. He used to go on and on about how wonderful the Soviet

Union was and how terrible the US was; he generally got on everybody's nerves

because we really didn't care. But surprise, surprise, after graduation, he did

not go to Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow; he went to America, and stayed

on.At least this gentleman keeps quiet about his (one-time?) Marxist

sympathies. This is not the case with a number of Communist Indians, who are

quite high-profile in the US. Unfortunately for them, the times, they are

a-changing. The US Immigration and Nationalization Service wants them. Here is

an excerpt from some relevant information:The USA Patriot Act (November 2001)

included several post-September 11 revisions to the Immigration and Nationality

Act… Examples of aliens [also] ineligible for visas include those that fall

under Section 212(a)(3)©, regarding "Foreign Policy" which states that "any

alien whose entry or proposed activities in the United States the Secretary of

State has reasonable grounds to believe would have potentially serious adverse

foreign policy consequences for the United States is excludable."Additionally,

Section 212(a)(3)(D), regarding "Immigrant Membership in Totalitarian Party",

states that, "Any immigrant who is or has been a member of or affiliated with

the Communist or any other totalitarian party (or subdivision or affiliate

thereof), domestic or foreign, is inadmissible."In other words,

green-card-holding Communist Indians in the US are liable to lose their status

as immigrants. Indian-Americans have started reporting these people's

affiliations to Homeland Security; and it is only a matter of time before a

polite official may be knocking on their doors, giving them 48 hours to pack

their bags and be deported. In the US, a hard State, there are limits to

tolerance for sedition. I wonder if the deported Communists will go back to the

despised India, the "fascist communalist" State. No, they will go to the

Promised Land, China, where they will be welcomed with open arms and escorted

straight to a gulag. There are other RNIs who violate stringent laws, but

because of their connections, get away scot-free. One such had an inaccurate

map of India, awarding all of Jammu & Kashmir to Pakistan, on a web-site for

years. This is a major offense, a felony, in the Indian Penal Code: it is

non-bailable, and many lesser mortals have been jailed for it. But this

particular RNI was not arrested. Why? Must be because all people are equal, but

some people are more equal than others, as in Animal Farm.Other RNIs write

openly seditious propaganda, advocating that their friends and financiers

abroad should invade India and take it over. India's territorial integrity is

of no concern to these traitors. The very existence of India is not high on

their agendas, either: they firmly believe in Marx's ignorant comment that

Indian history is only a succession of invasions. So what's one more, they ask,

when they can tear themselves from preparing garlands for the Chinese.RNIs had a

field day regarding the Gujarat riots last year, shouting from the rooftops that

Hindus were engaged in a one-sided pogrom against Muslims. This blood-libel has

been used as a stick to beat India ever since, and will continue to be used for

the next century, I am sure, by RNIs and their friends at the NYTimes and CNN

and the Washington Post. Yet, the Justice Nanavati Commission officially

investigating it has just tabled its report. Here is a direct quote: "On the

evidence that we have recorded so far, it would not be fair to say that only

Muslims were targeted. Initially though Hindus may have been the perpetrators

of violence because they were angry, later members of both communities were

engaged in the violence."Isn't it a cognizable offense then, which the RNIs

need to be punished for collectively and individually, for creating an

atmosphere of great communal animosity? According to the Indian Penal Code,

this is a serious offense, and clearly this is what the RNIs did. Why aren't

they being held accountable for their purple prose and wild exaggerations?The

RNI also disregards two cardinal principles generally accepted around the world

regarding human rights:The rights of the terrorist and the renegade are not

greater than the rights of the average citizenThe rights of the citizen are

greater than the rights of the non-citizen.Therefore, I can understand that

some RNIs' hearts bleed when Pakistani terrorists are killed in India. But

their hearts do not bleed for the victims of Pakistani terrorists. Why, I

wonder, do they not worry about the human rights of the innocent pilgrims

massacred by Pakistani terrorists at the Akshardham temple in Gujarat? On the

Amarnath trek? In Godhra? Or Hindus massacred in Nadimarg? Or at Marad? One

possible answer: extreme ideological stasis. Another possible answer: thirty

silver coins, Judas-style.RNIs suffer from selective outrage and indignation.

They are the uber-dhimmis of India: for they are only worried about pain to

Muslims and Christians (whether said pain is real or manufactured). I never see

them worry about the human rights of Hindus; therefore, I conclude that,

according to them, Hindus are not human. The word 'bigotry' leaps to mind.There

is a little-known aspect of the Indian Constitution that was brought to my

attention by S Kalyanaraman. This is Article 51A, which lays out the

counterpoint of the Fundamental Rights, namely the Fundamental Responsibilities

of Indians. Here is the article in its entirety:Article 51A. Fundamental Duties

– It shall be the duty of every citizen of India –(a) to abide by the

Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the

National Anthem;(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our

national struggle for freedom;© to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity

and integrity of India;(d) to defend the country and render national service

when called upon to do so;(e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common

brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic

and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the

dignity of women;(f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite

culture;(g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests,

lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures;(h) to

develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;(i)

to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;(j) to strive towards

excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the

nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievementI would

like you, gentle reader, to consider how many of these your favorite RNIs

fulfill. And more to the point, how many do you fufill? I have certainly asked

myself that question.When we look only at rights, and not at duties, we end up

supporting many wrongs. This is precisely what the RNIs do. Irresponsibility

has a price, of course. And this price is paid not by well-connected RNIs, but

by the average, long-suffering, silent-majority Indian.PostscriptI have been

following with interest the new fora put up by Rediff for responses to my

column. In particular, I was reading through the responses to my column on the

massacre at Marad. It was just as I expected: some people with Muslim names

responded reasonably, showing that they too feel that the incidents at Marad

were deplorable. My experience with the Muslims of Kerala has been positive: I

have Muslim friends, and they are extremely decent people (although we

carefully skirt all talk about religion). There were a number of responses from

people with assumed names: and these were the most vicious. I jump to a

conclusion: these are stealth-Marxists, that is, Marxists with Hindu names. As

I have said repeatedly, they are the real danger to the country, as they are

far more fundamentalist about Muslim issues than Muslims themselves are: and

they indulge the most obscurantist Muslims.I would like to pose a challenge.

How many of these Marxists has donated any money to a Hindu temple? I am fully

entitled to ask this because a few months ago, I went to the Beemapalli mosque

in Trivandrum and donated some gold and a non-trivial amount of money. My

otherwise agnostic father has been giving money for years to the Chisti Dargah

in Ajmer. I bet not one of these Marxists can honestly claim that they have

been equally secular in regards to Hinduism. Hindus in Kerala generally have

been kind to religious minorities. The problem has been bad infighting between

the two major groups of Hindus, the low-sudra Ezhavas and the high-sudra Nairs.

Ezhavas allied themselves with Muslims, and Nairs with Christians. Both Muslims

and Christians flourished, and both Ezhavas and Nairs have suffered. Hindus in

Kerala probably deserve their eclipse for their foolishness.It is true that

there has been little communal violence in Kerala. In fact, I know Hindus with

names like Salim, Ayesha, Hashim; one of my cousins married a Muslim woman and

as far as I know neither of them has converted, and there was no major fuss

about it. But a few more Marad-type incidents, and all this harmony will go for

a toss. It is up to the moderate Muslims to ensure that their ranks are not

being infiltrated by ISI-inspired terrorists: for most recent violence in

Kerala has been Marxists killing Hindus, and Muslims have wisely kept out of

this mess. Incidentally, I must thank Varun Shekhar of Toronto, whom I have

never even corresponded with, for being very supportive on the online fora.

Varun, I appreciate your kindness. Also, I was entertained to see a comment

from a doctor who was amazed I knew a fair amount about infectious diseases.

Purely what an aware lay person should know from reading the general news.

Rajeev Srinivasan

Discover your Indian Roots at - http://www.esamskriti.com, 700 pictures, over

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Stop cribbing, ACTION is what the Indian scriptures talk aboutTake the battle

into the enemy camp, SET THE AGENDA, be proactiveIn an argument, no emotions,

be detached, get yr facts right, then attack with the precision of a missile