From: rajesh@Tandem.com (Rajesh Srivastava)
Subject: Re: Let's change SCI
Organization: Tandem Computers
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 18:51:22 GMT

In article <1992Dec29.195455.45958@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>, dchatterjee@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
|> In article <1992Dec30.000752.7695@tandem.com>, rajesh@Tandem.com (Rajesh Srivastava) writes:
|> > Hello,
|> > 
|> > Lately, SCI has become a battle ground for some of us. Also some people who have
|> > very little or nothing to do with the welfare of India / Indians have been 
|> > contributing and generating undesired flames. 
|> > 
|> > (Deleted..)
|> > -Rajesh
|> 
|>    You forgot two things:
|> 
|>   (1) Increasing the political importance and stability of India
|>  
|>   (2) Total control of complete Kashmir by GOI. 
|> 
|>   Am I offensive ?
|> 
|>     - deb chatterjee
|>     (a good samaritan)

If the above issues are important to readers then they are important to SCI.

My opinion is that we discuss a lot of things with people of no relevance to us.
A foul language and gross misrepresentation of facts are used because issues 
become emotionally motivated. My question is Is it worth discussing with people 
of no significance in relation to our problems?  Does it matter what they think 
about you and me?

People belonging to different nations have a different viewpoint about India 
based on what the local Govt. documents and media describe. It's well known that 
every Govt. and media distorts the facts in a manner in which the local population
likes to view for political gains. Confronting people of other nations leads 
nowhere because they speak what they have been led to know. 

For example: In Pakistan, the facts about Indian history and Hindu culture have 
been distorted and presented to the local population to please the sentiments of 
people. The reason is rivalry between the two countries. Every Pakistani political 
party in power cashes on this and utilizes this issue to divert attention of 
population. This provides them to remain in power for a longer duration in an 
unstable situation. This is true about politics in Indian sub-continent which 
is a highly unstable region. 

I have some very good friends from Pakistan ( now US citizens ) who praise India 
out of their hearts. They get very excited when mentioning about their short visits 
to India. They praise the Indian Technical ( especially Software ) capabilities 
and wish Pakistan also had it at the same level. One of them who visited India 
to my astonishment mentioned that People in India are very loving as compared to 
Pakistanis, this was his personal experience. He is from Karachi. 

There has been a very long discussion on this net about Sati. To my surprize that
people from Pakistan assume that it is practiced in every Indian town today. I do 
not blame them for their lack of knowledge. The fact is, it is illegal to practice 
sati in India. Followers of this practice are punishable by law. It was most 
prevelent in tribals of Rajasthan and some other states. The last sati case as I
remeber of was heard in 1976-77 or earlier. It was widely publisized and the 
responsible people were taken into custody. I do acknowledge the fact that there 
may be some unreported cases in remotest part of the country - but are these worth, 
trying to defame every Indian. 

-Rajesh