From: ksrao@power.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.tamil,soc.culture.indian.telugu
Subject: Re: South Indian<>Dravidian
Date: 18 Nov 92 01:54:33 GMT
Article-I.D.: ns1.Bxw2Mx.G7y
Reply-To: ksrao@power.ee.ndsu.nodak.edu
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computing Network

In article <92322.150340EASWAR@PURCCVM.BITNET>, EASWAR@PURCCVM.BITNET writes:
>NOT ALL SOUTH INDIANS GO WITH DRAVIDIAN THEORY.
>
>Let me explain.
>
>When Selvakumar started this thread a few months back, I sent a personal
>mail to him requesting him not to continue. I told him that I thought
>any discussion on the net could only degenerate and that it would
>eventually hurt the sensibilities of a lot of people. We see the rot
>now. And it is time someone told him to stop.
>

       Whose sensibilities are hurt when Prof Selvakumar quotes from researches
that our 'preconceived' idea that Aryan speaking persons (note: not race)
civilized whole of India which was barbarian - the same way that 'tellavadu'
(white man) came and civilzed the heathens. I can give you references of a
number of books written by well respected Indians and published by Bharateeya
Vidya Bhavan which show the general premise of Prof. Selvakumar to be the right
one.

>Another , and actually more important reason is the 'STEREOTYPING' of an
>                       ---------------------
>average South Indian by the rest of India if this thread continues.
>

     You seem to be the person stereotyping - by equating Dravidians with South
Indians and Aryans with North Indians. In fact the whole of India is an
intermixture of all races - the persons who spoke Aryan languages and came to
India at a later time and the people who spoke Dravidian languages and came a
thousand or more years earlier. Aryan speaking people encountered Dravidians
and others in Gangetic plains, fought wars with them, intermarried and later
synthesized their cultures to evolve Hinduism. They (Aryans) gave up most of
their beliefs and embraced the philosophical outlook. Thus arose the Aranyakas
and Vedanta. To say that Dravidians were in South India and Aryans (as you seem
to symbolize Rama with) went south and destroyed or vanquished Dravidians (as
symbolized by Ravanaetc) is utter nonsense. Ramayana was a mixture of a number
of legends and the Aryan conquest of South India was not a part of it at all. I
will be posting an article later on the history of Ramayana (not the story of
Ramayana)

>I THINK DRAVIDIAN SUPPORTERS NEED A REALITY CHECK. It is time these
>people paused and took a stock of what they have achieved.
>
>
>CLAIM 1 : A majority of Non-Tamil south Indians do not believe in the
>Dravidian Stuff.
>
     I do not know what you mean by Dravidian stuff. 

>In my discussions with a lot of non-tamil southies, I found this to be
>true.
>
>A simple way to test this hypothesis is to conduct a poll on the nets
>and I challenge the Pro-Dravidians to do so. Until then, you ask the
>      ---------
>next South Indian (Non-Tamil) you meet and verify for yourself.
>
     I am a non-Tamil Southie and do read a lot about ancient Indian history.

>
>CLAIM 2 : WE RESPECT AND WORSHIP LORD RAM.
>
>This, I believe, is the acid test. An average South Indian does not
>denigrate Ram. He does not condone those who burn Lord Ram's effigy on
>Ramlila (in retaliation to burning of Ravan in the north).
>
    When did your article get out of hand? Did Prof Selvakumar ever burn Ram's
effigy or did he advocate doing so?  

>IN FACT, HE SHUDDERS AT THE BLASPHEMY. Being the tolerant soul he is, he
>ignores them.
>
>
>Claim 3 : Dravidianism can only lead to further divisions in an already
>fragmented society.
>
     What is 'Dravidianism'? Is that a new religion which oppses the 'true'
indianism?


        
K. Sankara Rao                          e-mail ksrao@power.eee.ndsu.nodak.edu

Department of Electrical Engineering
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND 58105  USA

Phone:  (701)237-7217  (o)
        (701)235-9912  (h)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.indian:37505 rec.travel:15664