From: vkodali@cs.utk.edu (VENKATA RAMANA KODALI)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Indian Muslims had it their way since the independence.
Date: 14 Dec 1992 17:36:34 GMT
Organization: University of Tennessee, Knoxville - CS Department
NNTP-Posting-Host: duncan.cs.utk.edu
Keywords: Garv se kaho ham hindu hai!

In article <1gb61hINNknt@agate.berkeley.edu> shankar@are.Berkeley.EDU (Shankar Subramanian) writes:
>In article <1gb3d9INN6pp@kumquat.cs.utk.edu> vkodali@cs.utk.edu (VENKATA RAMANA KODALI) writes:

>>Nice article. One of the few articles depicting the reality of the situation
>>in India. It is time to stop all the privileges enjoyed by the muslims
>>as a minority in India. 
>>
>
>This is truly bizarre: this notion of the privileged Muslim is common
>even among the educated in India.   This is something akin to the Nazis
>blaming the Jews for their `privileged' position.  The usual FASCIST
>line, pick a minority and blame it for all the things that have gone
>wrong in society.  And after getting rid of the Muslims, whose turn will
>it be next?  As the reaction to the Mandal report suggests, perhaps the
>Harijans.  Ethnic cleansing is the name of the game, if the Serbs can
>do it why not us?  After all they are Aryans too and don't we love dem
>Aryans?
>
>What are these so-called privileges?
>Shariat law?  Well, I agree that some aspects of Shariat law are retrograde
>and in fact many Islamic countries in the Middle East and elsewhere have
>done away with these provisions, for example, polygamy and quick divorce.
>The reason demands for these laws persists in India is that some backward
>elements among the Muslims use these to enforce their hegemony.  In any

I think the reason is that our politicians fear of losing Muslim votes, and
our politicians will do anything for votes. Remember how Rajiv Gandhi
coerced Chandra Sekhar's government into withdrawing permission to American
planes in Bombay during the Gulf war.

>case, there is nothing about these exceptions that can be classified as
>privileges.  Is it a privilege to be polygamous or to be able to divorce
>your wife merely by uttering talaq three times?  Is it a privilege that
>Muslims are not subject to the same civil code in personal matters?  Hindus
                                                                      ^^^^^^
>who believe these are privileges presumably desire that they too should
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>be permitted polygamy, instant divorce and not having to pay alimony to
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>one's ex-wife.  It's curious that it is mostly Hindu men who go on and on
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>about the privileges of the Muslims.  Clearly Hindu women don't think 
>polygamy is something to fight for!

Don't presume! Read my article carefully. I clearly stated that the 
privileges enjoyed by muslims as a minority should be stopped. Since you have
brought up the subject of different laws, it would suffice to say that, I
believe in an uniform code, and that polygamy, and non-payment of alimony
should be abolished.

Muslims have the right to establish new educational institutions with a quota
for Muslims. Getting admitted into an educational institution on the basis of
religion is a privilege. This is just another way of providing reserved 
seats. BTW, I don't support reservations either.`

>find that of late the Muslims have been the ones getting it in the neck
>at the hands of the largely Hindu armed forces and police.

Do you have any figures? I think most of riots in India are politically 
motivated. Lot of people are killed because of personal grudges, and
vendetta under the name of religious rioting. Hyderabad is a prime example.

If what you have mentioned is true, how come many Hindus were displaced from
Kashmir? How come so many temples were destroyed in Kashmir?

>   As for the usual nonsense about Indian Muslims being closet Pakistanis,
>you seem to forget about the enormous nationalist Muslim contingent which
>chose a secular India to a confessional Pakistan.  These people and their
>descendants are still with us and we do great disservice to them by
>calling their loyalty into question.  The common Muslim is by no means
>pro-Pakistan.  Think of Lance Naik Abdul Hamid (Paramvir Chakra, posthumous,
>1965) and others like him before blaming Muslims for what is happening in
>India.
>

There are nationalistic Muslims and anti-nationalistic Muslims. The question
is whether to extend privileges to Muslims because they are a minority.
Muslims in India enjoy the same status as anybody else unlike the Hindus in
Islamic countries. Muslims in these Islamic countries have no right to bicker
or complian about the situation in India.

The bottom line is, it is better to be a Muslim in India than a Hindu in any
of the Islamic countries.

>Shankar Subramanian

Venky
vkodali@cs.utk.edu

Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian