HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: krishna@seas.smu.edu (Sanjay Krishna)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: What do American students think of India/Indians ?
Date: 23 Nov 92 19:37:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: seas.1992Nov23.193719.15789
Organization: School of Engineering and Applied Science


These are the results of a survey I circulated in the class for which I am a
TA. The class consists of three sections of 15 students each. Most of the 
students were told that this was for the Inter-cultural Resource Centre and 
were asked to be sincere. ( Actually it was me that wanted to hear American
opinions from American minds and not through some one else's interpretation 
of their opinion).                                         

                   Survey about India/Indians 

 I   Do you perceive India as a        
   a) starving third world country dependent on foriegn aid. 
   b) third world country with a large agricultural and industrial base but
              over-burdened with a large population.  
   c) country of snake charmers, tigers, elephants, palaces and Maharajas.

 Results - a) 13  
           b) 24
           c) 7   

 II  Judging by the Indians/ Asian Indian American students that you have met, 
        would you consider them to be         
   a) nerds/geeks.
   b) regular, nice but boring.
   c) party people and fun loving. 

 Results - a) 25
           b) 17
           c) 2

 III   As an American who is not of Asian Indian descent, would you prefer that 
   a)  Asian Indian Americans retain their culture and identity.
   b)   Merge with the American mainstream.    

 Results - a) 10 
           b) 15
  Both - an overwhelming 33. 

 IV   Were you aware of the existence of an  Indian Student Association at SMU ? 
   a) Yes
   b)  No
 
 Results - a) 17
           b) 28

I was encouraged by the majority that had the correct view of India. However
the fact that nearly half of them have misconceptions makes me wonder if the
way we Indians/Indian Americans have gone about dissemenating information is 
correct or we need to change it. 

Question # 2 - Almost all the students that chose the option b) Nice, serious
but boring, scored out boring and wrote smart and intelligent. In effect, they
made up for the lapse I committed. The perception of nerd/geek is consistent
with the image they have of other Asian Americans. It was heartening however
that 5 of the students said they were just regular students and/or they hate
to generalize about any group of students. 

Question # 3 - Perhaps the most controversial. Many said there is no such thing
as " American mainstream". But they all agreed that greater interaction was 
essential among different race groups and a common platform be reached. 

Question # 4 - this has nothing to do with this newsgroup. But believe me 
SMU has an ISA that is most active and is the most visible, others ( except
for ABS ( Assoc of Black Students), CHAS ( Hispanic), Alpha Phi Alpha ( the 
African- American fraternity) ) would have done worse.  

Sanjay. 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: srinivas@vision.crd.ge.com (Chukka Srinivas)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Sitamarhi Riots: Yet Another Example of Muslim Intolerance
Date: 23 Nov 92 22:17:45 GMT
Organization: GE Corp. Research & Development, Schenectady, NY

In article <1992Nov23.140116.21220@ryn.mro4.dec.com> verma@pfeast.enet.dec.com (Virendra Verma) writes:
>
>In article <1992Nov21.175446@IASTATE.EDU>, jakhan@IASTATE.EDU (Javed Ahmed Khan) writes...
>> 
>> 
>>Hindus were involved in the 1984 Sikh killings in Delhi and in the riots
>>in Bhagalpur where over a 1000 muslims were butchered.
>> 
>
>	No. Congress Gundas (backers of Muslim leaders, self-proclaimed
>	secularists) were 100 % responsible for these riots.
>


>
>>Will it be correct for me to write a long article detailing how the murderers,
>>who were Hindus, exterminated a 1000+ men-women-children in Bhagalpur and then
>>title it:
>> 
>>"Bhagalpur Riots : Yet Another Example of Hindu Hatred" 
>
>	What non-sense you are talking about. Does 500 years atrocity by
>	Muslim traiters on Hindus not enough. Mr. Jadev, you are talking
>	out of guilt committed by your Islam traiters.
>
>-- Virendra


Mr. Virendra Varma, you are missing the point here.
If I understand him correctly, Javed is just trying to
point out the illogical, moronic and mischevious nature of the
title like

'Sitamarhi Riots: Yet Another Example of Muslim Intolerance' through

an example people like you can understand. That's all.

He is not disputing the fact that Congress is responsible for 1984 riots.
That's not the issue here.
He is saying that just because the murderers were Hindus does NOT
implicate all the Hindus.

Similarly, even if there is evidence to show that in
Sitamarhi Riots the murderer's religion was Islam, you
cannot conclude that it is 'Yet Another Example of Muslim
Intolerance'.
(Unless the so-called 'professional' journalist
who wrote this article is an idiot or he is deliberately
trying to promote his agenda of Muslim hatred).

So, the question of your illusionary '500 years of atrocity'
does not come into the picture. So sir, take a break from
your Hindu fanaticism. It helps everbody.

-srinivas.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: mr1@Ra.MsState.Edu (Muthukumarappan Ramurthy)
Subject: test
Organization: Mississippi State University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 18:43:15 GMT


 This is just a test so please ignore.
From: vivek@ecst.csuchico.edu (Vivek R. Prabhu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Are All Chinese Racist.
Date: 20 Nov 92 05:59:31 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu

Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american,soc.culture.bangladesh,soc.culture.india
n,soc.culture.pakistan,alt.discrimination
Subject: Re: What is real racism? Racism In San Francisco.
Summary: 
Expires: 
Followup-To: 
Distribution: 
Organization: California State University, Chico
Keywords: 

In article <1992Nov20.034550.5984@leland.Stanford.EDU> underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe) writes:

>Mr. George Wu (georgew@hspice.portal.com) posted a wordy treatise that
>focused on two claims:
>
>(1) A person cannot judge a culture unless she has met everyone who
>    claims to be a member of that culture.  Otherwise, she is racist.
>(2) Mr. Wu accuses me of criticizing Chinese-cu culture using evidence
>    that, in Mr. Wu's opinion, is poor, illogical, or plain stupid.
>    Therefore, in Mr. Wu's opinion, the only reason for my criticism
>    of Chinese culture is an underlying racist hatred of Chinese-ge people.
>
>(-ge = genetically speaking, -cu = culturally speaking)

Well nettors can draw their own conclusions from what has been happening 
here in San Francisco. The Indian Businesses had been trying to get some
city contracts under the Minority Business Support clause, and there's a
Chinese gentleman who is on the City Council and who's been consistently
preventing this from happening. Instead he's  been constantly furthering
the cause of the Chinese businessmen,  inspite of the fact that they are
no minority in actuality.

As for the thory about female infanticide,  it is something of a history
lesson that in China, female infanticide during the 17th century used to
take place.

Also there is quite a lot of evidence of the fact that, where there're a
lot of Chinese shops in any area, and Indians come into these shops they
are more ofthen than not given the cold shoulder.  However that does not
mean that all have to be branded as racist but they can be quite awfully
discriminatory.

Regards,
Vivek.
-- 
vivek@cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu (Vivek R. Prabhu),
Research Assistant, Systems Engineering Lab., Dept. Of Computer Science, 
School Of Engineering, Computer Science And Technology,
California State University, Chico, California.
From: selvakum@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca (C.R.Selvakumar - Electrical Engineering)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Ancient Indian History
Date: 20 Nov 92 16:17:52 GMT
Organization: University of Waterloo

In article <1992Nov19.151723.7946@cbnewsi.cb.att.com>, alok@cbnewsi.cb.att.com (alok.vijayvargia) writes:
> > -     The whole of India was and is overwhelmingly dravidian and NOT
> > -                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> > -     aryan ( = vedic-culture-people).
> > -
> > -     Regards,
> > -     Selva Selvakumar
> > -
> 
> Is that why the dravidians (tamilians) decided to form a separate group
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

      Please remember that NOT all dravidians speak Tamil. 
      SCT was formed to discuss Tamil and Tamil Culture which is
      a sub-set of dravidian langguage-and-culture. I think you
      have got confused because you equate dravidian with tamil.
      Most of the Biharis, Bengalis... are dravidianoids but NOT
      Tamils. Dravidianoids can be thought to be those who are
      not vedic-aryans in culture. Those who follow vedas today
      ( not all of them are 'aryan' though they might have adopted
        some aspects of original aryan ways) can be said to be partly
      aryanoids.

> and abandon soc.culture.indian ? If Indian culture was and is primarily 
> Dravidian then why did dravidians form a separate group ? If what Selva
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

     SCTamil serves not merely Indians but Singapurians, Sri Lankans,
     Malasians and others. Further one wants to discuss in Tamil
     most in the SCI land would not linke and hence is not advisable.

> claims is true, than tamilians should have felt right at home on SCI.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

      The Indian Tamilians are still contributing a large chunck of the
      postings in SCI which are of general interest to SCI. If one wants
      to discuss 'kanthar kali veNpaa" ( = a type of philosophical
      songs on Murugan) it is best done in a separate cultural group.
      Please remember that Tamil is a national language of other countries
      and the cultural contributions coming from these countries are
      very significant. The prime theme of SCTamil is Tamil language
      based and is thus international ( meaning involving a few more
      countries than India). 
      
> 
> Something fishy here ....
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

   There is nothing fishy it just your imagination. [ just curious,
   were you not the one that complained that SCT was created 
   by fradulant means ? If so you might still be carrying some mistrust
   about Tamilians and that might be the reason that it looks fishy ]
> 
> Alok


   regards
   Selva Selvakumar
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: arastogi@nyx.cs.du.edu (D Murari)
Subject: SAM PITRODA IS RIGHT !!!!!!!!!!
Keywords:  Aryan/Dravidian/Shaivism/Vaishnava etc.         
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 07:04:07 GMT

Hello netters,

Couple of months back, I had attended a conference in
Berkeley, California, where Mr. Sam Pitroda had delivered
a very sensible speech.
Several months have passed since then, but his words 
still echo deep in my heart.  
To begin with, he said that we indians are so proud 
of our heritage, that we are not prepared to face
any creative action. Ask any Indian about Rama,       
he will proudly tell about bow/arrow mythology.
But to ask us about a good quality of glue that
would stick the envelope properly (of course made 
in India), will make us numb and would let us switch    
the topic.          
The discussion that we were arya putras, or dravidians
etc., of course is a good topic, but my pea-brain    
sometimes wonder, so what?    
Whether making us feel Dravidians will solve the 
existing problems in India? I think no!
Or do aryans theory will solve the problem, again  
big no!  
Then why do we discuss these topics? Certainly
to keep ourselves in illusion- that strays     
us away from the current problems in India.
Recently, my friend had visited a world level  
software exhibition in Las Vegas.   
Our Indian representives had also come, but the perform-
ance had been very cold. As usual, foreigners
slipped the stall.     
Under these circumstances and with this cold 
performance, how could we expect that India 
be a exporter?   

I would suggest that let us switch the current
topics on S.C.I to improving infrastructure of
India, good or bad points in economy, industrial
developments,  etc.         

Again no personal feelings.    

All flames are welcome.        


Regards,

Anurag







--
A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
#include <std_disclaimers.h>
From: arastogi@enux(ha,va).eas.asu.edu
From: garyd@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Gary Deol)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: re:Khalistan
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 23:05:59 MST
Organization: Edmonton Remote Systems #2, Edmonton, AB, Canada

A reply to a message written by: gagrawal@cs.tamu.edu (Gopal Agrawal)
 
>A recent report in TOI gives a detailed account of Jindas exploits as 
>an opium trader in his college days, to petty thugery, womanizer, and 
>then several bank robberies and finally graduation to terrorism. The 
>militant group Babar Khalsa has disowned him for his un-sikh like 
>lifestyle. (Sukha however seemed to be motivated by revenge for 
operation 
>bluestar). People who try to make murda-jindas Jinda are not Sikh --
>-- but sick. 
 
 
  Ah, yet another Hindu who gets spoonfed from the Indian gov't's
propaganda machine, out of curiosity has any Hindu ever heard of a
term called psychological warfare?  What matters is the end result, 
like Sikhs before them they bravely put the noose on their owns heads 
and yelled out "Khalistan Zindabad" when it mattered!  Would you have 
that kind of bravery, nyah you seem like the kind that would piss in 
his pants at mention of the word `death'.  I figure if he had links 
with the Babar Khalsa his name would of been in the past (before as 
you say they disowned him) called Jinda Babbar (all Sikhs in the 
Babbar Khalsa use Babbar at the end of their names) but I don't 
remember any mention of him being called that.
 
  What i'm trying to say is, for instance look at Mahatma Gandhi, when 
history looks at him they think of him as a `A protestor who liberated
India peacefully' yet they fail to mention that he was a racist, 
perverted fool who routinly had sex with his female cousin, and 
masterbated!  I wouldn't doubt that this information `may have been' 
used by the British in their media to descredit him and put down 
Indians!

Gary Deol              garyd@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: prabhak@giga.cs.umn.edu (Satya Prabhakar)
Subject: Re: INDIAN CULTURE - subservient?
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 12:28:23 GMT

(u v babu srinivas) writes:
>
>ja> Besides religion should be personal (as Selvakumar puts it). I
>ja> do not deny the fact that religion can bring more happiness. A
>ja> religious person often does not think - and there is a lot of
>ja> truth in the statement 'Ignorance is Bliss'. 
>
>you are associating with word 'religious person' with someone
>who follows his/her 'sacred texts' blindly, someone who doesn't
>think, someone who does all kinds of rituals without even trying
>to understand the real symbolic meaning. and may be, a fanatic.
>
>I am not. I am talking about someone who knows the true sense
>of religion, as I have made it clear in the previous article.
>I meant to say that a person with a spiritual side would 
>definitely be more happy than a material person. and any one

If one were to judge the benefits of religion by its external
manifestations (since we cannot really estimate the bliss it
is bringing to individual beings), it has been the vilest and
most lethal pursuit of man. While it cannot be proved that
religion has brought order and spiritual discipline, it can
be conclusively shown that it has caused the deaths of millions and
and continues to cause immeasurable heartache and pain! (Ayodhya
dispute in India, Bosnian ethnic cleansing....)

Methinks most religious people are by experience conditioned
to be religious. If you believe religion is an intensely
private belief, how can you then explain millions and millions
of Hindus putting their faith in make-believe gods such as
Rama or Krishna? They are all conditioned to believe! I think
one would be wasting his or her time trying to convince others
religion is somehow a personal enlightenment, a la Buddha's.
It is not! It is a group psychosis. 

The biggest mistake religious people make is that they try
to rationalize and justify their belief. Religion does not
lend itself to scientific discourse. The sooner a person
realizes this the better off we will all be!

Satya Prabhakar 
 






>show me one person whose life is merely controlled by material 
>luxuries he strives to gain, and is happy.
>
From: gt8554a@prism.gatech.EDU (JANAKIRAMAN,SHANKER)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Land For Sale
Date: 20 Nov 92 16:25:58 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


		LAND FOR SALE 
		

In Bangalore. It is in a posh locality near the airport. Plots of 
different sizes are available starting from 4000 sq.ft. to 10000
sq ft. Payment can be made either in Rs. or Dollars.

The Land Developer is here in U.S. till Dec 1 and is going to visit 
Atlanta on 25th & 26th of Nov. Call 729-8109 if you want to meet him 
or want more information
-- 
JANAKIRAMAN,SHANKER
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp:	  ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt8554a
Internet: gt8554a@prism.gatech.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: rroy@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Raja R Roy)
Subject: Re: Sitamarhi Riots: Yet Another Example of Muslim Intolerance
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 21:14:23 GMT


In article <1992Nov23.140116.21220@ryn.mro4.dec.com> verma@pfeast.enet.dec.com 
(Virendra Verma) writes:
>
>In article <1992Nov21.175446@IASTATE.EDU>, jakhan@IASTATE.EDU (Javed Ahmed Kha
n) writes...
>> 
>> 
>>Hindus were involved in the 1984 Sikh killings in Delhi and in the riots
>>in Bhagalpur where over a 1000 muslims were butchered.
>> 
>
>    No. Congress Gundas (backers of Muslim leaders, self-proclaimed
>    secularists) were 100 % responsible for these riots.
>
>
>>Will it be correct for me to write a long article detailing how the murderers
,
>>who were Hindus, exterminated a 1000+ men-women-children in Bhagalpur and the
n
>>title it:
>> 
>>"Bhagalpur Riots : Yet Another Example of Hindu Hatred" 
>
>    What non-sense you are talking about. Does 500 years atrocity by
>    Muslim traiters on Hindus not enough. Mr. Jadev, you are talking
>    out of guilt committed by your Islam traiters.

       I don't think you are correct here. It is difficult to say who is
traiter or not. As far as Javed goes, I don't think he deserves what you
said above. In fact if all the muslims were as rational as Javed is, we 
would not have any communal trouble in India.

Raja
  
>-- Virendra
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: banerjee@spot.Colorado.EDU (akb)
Subject: Re: Info required on ARJUNA (MAHABHARTA)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 21:38:33 GMT

rkalia@cayley.uwaterloo.ca (Rajesh Kalia) writes:

>I like to get some information on ARJUNA from MAHABHARTA. Here are few questions

>Why he was beloved to every character?
>Why he was so close to LORD KRISHNA compared to other PANDAV brothers?

He liked to lay nude in the sun
he was always rolicking, frolicking fun
hence he was the favourite son

(Duryodhana and Co. might argue with that one though).
>Why he was Krishna's pet?

Pray permit them some privacy. It is worth pointing out that even as early
as 500 BC the Indian Armies appear to have been fairly liberal about this
sort of thing. Specially considering that it will take a Presidential
Decree from Mr. Clinton to institute similar reforma in the US armed 
forces in 1993.

>Why he was so much needed in the war against the Kauravas?

This I think can be safely attributed to his incredible skill as maker
of PIN CUSHIONS (Beds of arrows I guess is the preferred military term).
Legend has it that Bhishma refused to fight unless he was assured the
greatest PIN CUSHION of all time when (if) he fell. Hence the pressure
on Arjuna to be present at all times.

>Why he was an ideal student?

"BROWN NOSE" is the technical term, I think.

>Why he was a perfect warrior?

I had to think long and hard on this one. After much internal debate
I would have to point to his ability to shed tears at the drop of a
hat (esp. on the battlefield). Krishna (given their aforementioned
mutual fondness) felt obliged to provide all kinds of advice at these
junctures (usually resulting in bailing Arjuna out).

>Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance. 
> 
>Rajesh Kalia. 

All this is my interpretation offcourse and subject to debate :-)
It is also possible that I might be totally wrong. -:)

Shit happens..

Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.pakistan
From: txd6871@tesla.njit.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: TRAVEL BY THAI-QUEST??
Date: 19 Nov 92 20:33:23 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology

Hi Folks,

Does anybody have a recent experience by Thai as to the regulations,
procedures and arrangements at Bangkok. I have a flight from Newark
-LA-Bangkok-Cal. Also I am taking a AA flight from Newark to La, the
previous night reaching LA at 8:15pm  and my thai flight is next day
12:45pm. The reason for taking the previous night flight to LA is
basically because there is only a gap of 75 mins between AA's arrival and
Thai's departure from LA, if the flight is taken the next day. On talking
to AA and Thai, I found that none wants to take any responsibility, if
there is delay..

Is there any motel/hotel nearest to the airport, where I can spend the
night. I don't want to go far, since I'll have heavy luggages :-(.

Thanks

TD
Xref: sparky soc.culture.indian:37416 soc.culture.pakistan:16847 soc.culture.bangladesh:6047
From: RIPBC@CUNYVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: INDIAN CULTURE - subservient?
Date: 17 Nov 92 13:27:46 GMT
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

-From: J.Ainikkal@massey.ac.nz (J. Ainikkal)
-Subject: Re: INDIAN CULTURE - Subservient
-
-How did the British subjugate the masses for centuries? Were they
-truly 'benevolent' and 'equal' and 'just' rulers? - No.
-
-So why did the masses accept them? Only reason was/is the
-subservience promoted by our culture. Our cultural heritage of
-the past 1000 years stinks. Why are we so afraid to say it?
-Is it because many of us believe that all we have today to
-convince our AFFLUENT neighbours is our 'culture'? (The usual
-argument of how the U.S. does not have a 'culture').
-
-
   I think people do not necessarily deny that the culture of our last
1,000 years is inferior to our culture ih the previous 1,500 years.  Or
to the culture of the Indus Civilization which was advanced for its time.
However, our problem is, `what do we do NOW?'.  Do we blindly imitate
Western culture or do we look to our own past and try to develop a way
of dealing with our future which combines the best of our own past and
the best of what the West has to offer?  What does Pink Floyd say about this
problem?  Sorry to be facetious, but I am sure you understand the issue.

Rohit Parikh
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: csulaima@titan.ucc.umass.edu (CYNTHIA R SULAIMAN)
Subject: Devadasi
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 22:14:06 GMT

I am interested in obtaining information about devadasi
(traditions, who practises it, origin, process, etc.)

Please reply through e-mail

Thank you

Cynthia Sulaiman


Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian