From: myadav@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Mahesh Yadav)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: ON THE OCCASION OF AUG,15 -- III
Date: 17 Aug 92 03:06:24 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.



	ON THE OCCASION OF AUG,15 (OUR COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENCE DAY) -- III
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		OUR COMPASSIONATE MOTHER LAND
		=============================

	Indains like Jews were never treated properly where ever they went. 
Gypsies, which according to some theory originated from India 600 years ago,
were massacred in  millions(?) during the word war in European nations. In 
Africa, indian minority have been specifically targeted.
In Fiji which has about 51%(?) people of indian origin and who controlled 
the economy and dominated the politics of that country, has been overpowered 
by a dictatorial regime and there too, indians are becoming the victims. 
Recently, Hindus and Sikhs who have been living in Kabul for many generations
are victimized by the moslem fundamentilists. It is really sad to know that
like Jews in each cases they were very peaceful people.They never fought 
against any group in an organised way. Yet, it is heartening to see that 
India have and will accept any of her lost children. 

	India showers sympathy not only to people of Indian origin, 
but to any people who comes to her. The prime example is the Jews and Parsis.

	I like to elaborate on that. Few years back, I was delighted to hear
from an American who was a Jew, that India and China are the only two countries
which did not procecute Jews. I knew him just as the neighbour, and could feel
thankfulness he expressed while telling me about it. It seemed like these good
deeds the countrymen did thousands years ago are like good karma in which I can
always take pride in. Discussing this to my friend, I made a casual remark 
that it is possible that some of the professors who are Jew could be a bit
kinder to us because of our good karma. As it turned out his girlfriend's 
professor is a Jew and treats her like daughter. She is currently in 
Stony Brook and it seems his professor does't mind if she uses his car!! Well,
could be he is a kind soul and may be little kinder because of our good karma!

	Parsis too, have done great deal of social services. If any one goes
to Bombay, one can come across many statues of philanthropists with their
characteristic cap. Tata, the biggest industrialist of india, would have
rather settled abroad if he had no concern about India. There is an 
interesting story about them which I like to share with you because many of you
may not be knowing it. In the recent visit to India, my sister told this story:

	It seems when the Parsis firtly came to India (specifically Gujrat). 
They came to the King to ask for the shelter in their kingdom. Due to 
the language barrier, they were not able to understand each other. So king 
ordered to get a bowl and fill it up with milk to the brim. By this gesture 
the king meant it cannot accomodate them, as there was no place. The parsis 
understood the gesture and responded by bringing sugar  and disolving in the 
milk without spilling. The guesture meant that they are ready to assimilate 
with the people and in that way it is possible to live there. The king was 
quite pleased and offered them a piece of land, albeit an unusable land. 
Through their hard work, they not only were able to convert the unusable
land to productive one, but true to their word, they assimilated by adopting 
gujrati language and their customs.


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