From: thssdxn@iitmax.iit.edu (Dibyendu Nandy)
Subject: Re: K H A L I S T A N
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 01:22:09 GMT

In article <1ek0bkINN1qg@phad.hsc.usc.edu> dhruba@phad.hsc.usc.edu (Dhruba J. Chatterjee) writes:
>In article <1992Nov20.153249.13026@topaz.ucq.edu.au> toora@topaz.ucq.edu.au writes:
>>We, the Sikh community living here really appreciate your views Gary.
>
>I dont think the sikh community back in Punjab, who are the right party to 
>actually make a decision about Khalistan, gives a damn to why some Australian
>citizens you have to appreciate the views of a fanatic Gary, god help the 
>country of which he is a citizen. 
>I really wish that this lively debate on Khalistan could have been contributed
>also by sikhs from Punjab, too bad, not most of them have any inter/ethernet 
>connection...
>
>
>DJ.

Perhaps some sikh students who are here, in the US or have usenet
access from else would like to contribute their thoughts on this issue.
Though I have noticed among my Sikh friends, that they tend to avoid the
issue. To most it is painful and regrettable and living here (in the US)
as Indian Sikh students, they would rather get along with other Indian
students (and they do) than argue needlessly about it, without
really contributing anything to help matters.

IMNSHO, it becomes more important to relate to Sikhs (and people of other
groups - whether reigious, social or political, who feel they have not
been fairly dealt with) at a personal level. Then it becomes a matter
of personal relationships between people, who can understand and sympathise
with opinions and beliefs of others without committing to them. Unfortunately
people like Gary D. seem not to have had any personal interaction with 
other people who have a different viewpoint on the whole issue. 

Understand, that I am not condoning what happened, I can't even claim to 
understand what happened and why. It is and will remain a shameful part 
of our history. And opinions will differ as to the causes and the resulting 
misunderstandings (OK, the violence, loss of life, anger, tears and pain).
However, posting inflamatory stuff on SCI is not going to help anybody.
On the contrary, it might fuel greater anger and misunderstanding, as seems to
be going on. It serves a purpose to discuss such painful issues,
provided it is done rationally, with the aim of dissipating the anger 
and pain to whatever extent possible. 

It is indeed hard to percieve why somebody should react in kind to 
Gary D.'s postings, specially when it is claimed that such posters 
have the best interests of "united" India in mind. Try and explain 
your points rationally, not with stuff like "... we'll do what we did 
to you in 84' ... " (the previous quotation is a memory dump :-), 
possibly inaccurate, I don't remember who made the statement 
and I don't care, but it is certainly inflammatory.) If the guy
doesn't listen, forget about it. There isn't much convincing one can 
do sitting on a terminal a few hundred (thousand !?) miles away. 

Well, enough preaching... felt something had to be said.. so I said it.
Followups, and flames will be read with interest but will not be responded
to. This is my last posting on the subject.

Regards,
Dibyendu Nandy
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