From: gayathri@ec.ecn.purdue.edu (Gayathri Krishnamurthy)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Discrimination against Indians in the US-big deal!
Summary: Re: Discrimination against Indians in the US - big deal !
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:40:42 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <1992Aug13.183208.23454@cbnewsi.cb.att.com>, alok@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (alok.vijayvargia) writes:
> I might add that most Indians or south asians realize or at least talk about 
> the discrimination taking place in India/SA only after coming out of there 
> to the western countries especially. 
> 
> I did not see very many intellectuals speaking about discrimination
> in home countries when they were there.

You are wrong here. Those who have been discriminated in terms of 
education or employment due to reservations in India DO REALIZE it,
talk about it etc etc in India itself. Perhaps you haven't been to
India or haven't stayed there long enough to get a feel of what 
people think. But then all such talks, pleas etc fall on deaf ears
because these "forward communities" are in a minority there, the 
politicians from these communities don't care what happens to them
as they wouldn't want their "Champion of the backwards" image 
spoiled. DID YOU EVEN READ OR HEAR ABOUT the spate of self-immolations
and students' protests soon after the Mandal Commission recommendations
were going to be implemented ? I GUESS NOT - OR ELSE YOU WON'T BE 
MAKING SUCH STATEMENTS. The sad part of being a member of the
"forward" community is that nobody in power listens to you - and there is
NONE even among elected representatives from the community who
would speak for them, voice their grievances etc. If you had 
read about the Mandal stuff and its backlash - you would also
have read that NO SINGLE POLITICIAN came out in support of the students
- they were too scared of their votebanks. Some politicians
pay lip-service to the "economically backward" criterion - but 
don't do anything about it.  IMHO IF there was reservation it should 
be only based on economic criteria as backwardness and poverty
feed each other. Several of the current "backward" communities in
India are those of rich business class or landowner class - who have
vote-catching money- or muscle-power..

> 
> By virtue of living in a different cultural/social environment where they
> are racial/religious/cultural minority forces them to think about it,
> talk about it, post long articles on sci or elsewhere on these issues.
> A few of them go back to INdia/SA and actually work towards alleviating
> some of this discrimination within Indian/SA societies.
> 
I think Indians have enough intelligence to realize when they are
discriminated against - and even talk about it wherever there is
an audience :-). They need not be _forced to think_ about issues 
affecting them. I dare say several Indians on the net from India
would agree. Perhaps they don't have sci in India :-) - but 
they certainly needn't be _forced to think_ if they are being
discriminated against in India or not. THEY KNOW !! It's just that
they are sick of not being able to influence political decisions
about the discrimination.

> Alok
Gayathri.
--
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email address :- gayathri@ecn.purdue.edu
Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you !!