From: sundar@indigo1.hsis.uci.edu (M. Sundaramoorthy)
Subject: Re: It has been fun....
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Date: 16 Nov 92 19:17:28 GMT


S. Parthasarathy writes: 

>
>Naturally. Disgrace ? No it is prudence. Usually when I say I am a Tamil, I
>hear "Are you ones who has killed Rajiv Gandhi" or "are you the ones who is
>killing innocent people." tell me, why i should I choose to be associated with
>rajiv gandhis' and innocent peoples' deaths. I have no choice but to say I am
>from India and my mother tongue is tamil (that too only if i was asked
>specifically).  ? I have no problems with this arragement. I am proud to be an
>Indian who speaks Tamil rather than a Tamilian who hail from India.
>
>Parthasarathy
>ChemEngg

	When someone asks me the same question, I choose explain the background
	of the entire issue, rather than trying to shy away, posing a 
	'proud Indian' or 'Universal humanist'. While I don't defend
	the murder of Rajiv, whoever did it, I do utilise that opportunity
	to explain them his crimes as the head of the state of India and
	a notorious party, both at home and abroad and his least respect for 
	human lives. While I do regret that a human life is taken away 
	violently, I don't mourn too long for someone who was responsible for 
	the loss of many lives, be it is Indira, Rajiv, BJP/JD leaders, 
	DMK/AIADMK leaders or militant/terrorist leaders. I might support 
 	the causes some of them stand for, but I wouldn't mourn for too long 
	if they had been responsible for many deaths. We are taught to mourn
	for generations for the death of kings and queens, but forget the
	next moment when it comes a common man. 

	While we are more particular about punishing the killers of the
	kings and queens, we give a damn, when these kings and queens involve 
	in the deaths of ordinary human beings. They not only go unpunished,
	they still command great respect from us as leaders. 

	Nevertheless, we read and watch mythology, comics and  
	movies in which the evil is punished, no matter it is in the
	form of king or an ordinary man and appreciate and applaude them. 
	Of late we have lot movies coming up, in which criminal politicians 
	are killed in broad daylight, by the 'heros'/'heroines'. 
	Neither our censor board nor the people care to think, whether they
	would accept it in real life. 

	Having found out a way to vent our frustrations like this, we
	choose not to bother about the reality and these leaders go unchecked
	for their crimes. 
	
	I don't understand what makes one feel proud of being Indian first,
	and Tamil next or vice versa. We don't even have control over   
	the choice of our names, let alone on the native place, nationality,
	mother tongue etc. to feel proud of something.

	As someone pointed out (I think R. Balaji), if we have contirbuted 
	something positive to these we might feel proud. Taking pride in
	something we inherited when it looks good and shying away when
	it looks bad is sheer hypocrisy. What one needs is to be critical
	on individual issues rather than characterising entire society, race,
	country etc good or bad based on an isolated example. 

	
M.Sundaramoorthy
sundar@indigo1.hsis.uci.edu