HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ravic@austin.ibm.com
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Caste - anachronistic and fatuous classification
Date: 17 Nov 92 21:13:18 GMT
Organization: IBM Austin
Originator: ravic@venture.austin.ibm.com


          Caste titles were meant to reflect your profession, nothing
     more or nothing less. Few centuries back, when this nomenclature
     was coined, it was possible to reflect most of the practised
      professions by that nomenclature(Shudra,Brahmin,Vaisya,Kshatriya).
     It is fatuous to use this anachronistic classification to
      reflect all current professions. Most of us on SCI net belong
      to ENGINEER caste. Most of the people who work in defense or
      other national security organizations may be classified as
      Kshatriyas. The idea of inheriting a profession classification
      was ok few centuries back, when most people from a family
      remained in the same profession.

           Unfortunately, most, so called educated, indians
     still use the outdated classification and accept/tolerate
     others who do the same. Some are even willing to kill to
     hang on to it. Sad state of affairs...., something to
     think about.

-- 
     Ravindra  
      
Disclaimer:"My employer is in no way responsible for my opinions in this post."
Internet: ravic@austin.ibm.com                Phone: (512)-838-5163(Work)
From: prem@prem.lbl.gov (R. Shirdi Prem)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Khalistan
Date: 20 Nov 1992 00:20:44 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Reply-To: prem@prem.lbl.gov (R. Shirdi Prem)
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.140.191

In article <iFsguB5w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca> garyd@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Gary Deol) writes:

>about them, then why should I grieve for your dead? 
                                          ^^^^^^^^^
	Yo Gary,
		A dead man is a dead man. There is no such distinction as
	your dead or my dead.

	Prem!

	ps. and to the knee-jerk testicularly-disadvantaged radicals, I also
	    believe a dead womyn is a dead womyn etc etc. No need to invoke 
	    Kali_And_Her_Jolly_Avengers here. 
 ==============================================================================
 ===    I want my damn rib back.                                            ===
 ==============================================================================
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,soc.culture.tamil
From: fb78@sol.acs.unt.edu (Ganesh Gopalakrishnan)
Subject: Re: : South Indian<> Dravidian
Organization: University of North Texas
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 16:34:48 GMT

kat@doe.carleton.ca (Kathiravan Krishnamurthi) writes:

>In <92324.152331EASWAR@PURCCVM.BITNET> EASWAR@PURCCVM.BITNET writes:
>>South India and the mainstream India.}

>>************************************************************************

>>LEAD,FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY!                  nyshadham

>>****
>    WHY SHOULD SOMEBODY FOLLOW IF HE FINDS THE
>CROWD IS GOING TO EAT S****.
>  Our rice will cook whether Lord RAAM is holy or
>not. The sun will rise and set. 
>Some superiority is exhibited because of inferiority
>complex. 

Wait a minute! Let us not go off the track. My understanding
off Easwar's posting is a hypothesis that the "popular"
opinion in South India holds Raam in a positive light. He
has every right to propose such a hypothesis. The ONLY way
to test such a hypothesis is to collect data from a representative
sample of the relevant population, analyze the data and present
the findings. Confidence intervals could then be constructed
and a statement of the following kind could be made: "XX%
of the adult population in India/S India/Tamil Nadu holds
an overall opinion of Raam that is positive (or negative).
We can be 95 (or 99 or whatever level of confidence
is desired) percent sure that the true percentage in the population
is within plus or minus y% of the above (XX%)". If repeat
surveys find a similar pattern, the evidence for maiing a claim
of any kind gets stronger. Such a procedure is not all that
rare. Please go and look up the journal PUBLIC OPINION QUARTERLY,
held in very high esteem in the USA, which regularly publishes
results of surveys on many controversial topics in the USA. I
am not sure, however, that such an attempt will; even be permitted
in Tamil Nadu. The researcher, the journal/magazine etc
might well be subject to brute "muscle power" unless, of course
certain points of view acceptable to some people are supported
by the survey findings. The acid test of a mature democracy
is its ability to "look calmly at empirical evidence without
resorting to violence". In TN today, some individuals
do not want any point of view other than their own, to be
even expressed. Journalists and magazines are attacked
physically and intimidated into not even publishing
alternative points of view, or for that matter criticizing
some goings on in the assembly. That is, there is no
"ezhuthu suthanthiram"! This is my view, of course!!
- ganesh
to violent outbursts.
From: partha@yoko.rutgers.edu (nowhere_man)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: book reccomendation wanted
Date: 19 Nov 92 21:46:21 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

How about `Varna Parichaya' by Iswar chandra Vidyasagar, part 1 and
part 2??

:) :) 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: rajain@sml3.ecs.umass.edu (Rajat Jain)
Subject: Re: clothes to India/info wanted
Keywords: charity organizations, clothes
Organization: Project Pilgrim, Umass
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 15:31:20 GMT

In article <1ea49eINNcou@gap.caltech.edu>, mursha@cco.caltech.edu (Murali Shurmat) writes:
|> I would like to find out about any organizations in the US that would accept donations
|> of clothes, to be distributed in India.

	That's a great idea !!! Actually I don't know of any such organizations
	but am sure that there *must* be some org. which handles that (Red
	Cross, maybe ??).

	But *I* would like to know if there are any organizations which accept
	donations of BOOKS to start a "book-bank" for colleges/schools in India ?

	Some time ago, someone had come up with such an idea (of starting
	a book-bank in Indian schools/colleges) because a lot of Indian
	students in US are TA's and we get our own copy of the text used for
	the classes, and these texts tend to change with semesters (or we are 
	assigned to a different course). Anyways, the point is that we get to
	keep our copy of the text and usually it's not of much use to us as
	a graduate student ! So why not start a book-bank (for whatever school/
	college one has a loyalty to) ?? My house-mate is from Ethiopia and
	last month he joined a group of Ethiopian students and they have 
	already compiled about 500 books to be sent back to the library of
	two (or maybe three universities) back in Ethiopia !!! This group is
	quite big (that explains compilation of 500 books in a couple of 
	*months* !!!!) but then I think Indian students outnumber them by a
	"lot", so we can join the hands and start something like that !!!


	Anyways, if anyone knows how it really works (for India, my house-mate
	can't really help me here because they plan on sending these books 
	back thru some faculty members who are either going back home for a 
	visit or who are visiting-faculty in US these days and plan to go
	back in a couple of months!!!).

|> 
	rAjAt.

PS: Please reply by email (use "rajain@ecs.umass.edu" NOT the SML3 account) 
    and I will post a summary of responses if there is enuff information in
    the replies !!!
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: ska@attmail.com (Sanjai K. Agarwal)
Subject: Customs Rules
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 15:03:10 GMT
Keywords: customs



If a kind soul would mail me the latest Customs regulations for India as
applicable to visitors to India I will be grateful. 

-- 
Sanjai K. Agarwal     ska@attmail.com
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: lal@cs.arizona.edu (The Morning Sun)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Khalistan
Date: 18 Nov 92 16:54:28 GMT
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson

In article <o58euB4w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca> garyd@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Gary Deol) writes:

[stuff deleted]


>  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 



I think you mean masturbated, not masterbated.
Woody Allen says that masturbation is "Having Sex with the person you Love Most"	Also we must feel relieved that Gandhi did not have sex with his
male cousin. Don't People of the Muslim faith have arranged marriages between
cousins? A muslim friend of mine is getting married to his cousin.
	Sir, I am a Racist. Every person is a racist. Everybody is ethnocentric - that is why we can never all get along!!


Thanks

A.L.
From: nagappa@Rosie.UH.EDU (C Nagappa - behind the scenes)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: HOW WE TIP IN RESTAURANTS
Date: 19 Nov 1992 15:49:06 GMT
Organization: University of Houston
Reply-To: nagappa@Rosie.UH.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: rosie.uh.edu

In article <aa.722145545@hela.iti.org>, aa@iti.org (Aayush Asthana) writes:

	
>
>While it is easy to treat one's own countrymen shabbily, I have seen
>a few bright spots that can stand out.  One such place that I would
>recommend is the Peacock restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan.  Not only
>is the decor great, there is great service from professwional Indian
>staff -- very polite ad that creates an ambience.  Another place is

Another excellent restaurant in the Texas area is "Taj Palace" in Austin.
Excellent a la carte as well as buffet. The even give *three* varieties
of dessert with their buffet: Rasamalai, Gulab Jamuns and (non-rice) kheer.
The waiters are well dressed and skilled.

"Akbar" in Houston is also a place where I have always got good service. I 
remember during a buffet, the naans ran out. So when the waiter came to
fill my glass of water I commented on that fact. Within minutes the waiter
brought naans to my table and to every other table. I tipped full 15%, even
though it was just a buffet.

>
>For that matter, waiters/waiters distinguish between those who `look
>like they will tip' adn `those who are likely not to' and my
>contention is that they probably treat anybody based just on how
>they look, the superficial external look of `money'... try it -- go
>dressed formally versus like you just woke up (unshaven
>whatever,...) and you will get different responses...
>

A very worthy point! It is not just apperance, but also the way one conducts 
oneself in a restaurant which will determine the way one is served. Common 
courtesy entails that one says "thank you" when the waiter brings your drinks 
and bread rolls.

Chetan Nagappa
From: nandraj@unisql.UUCP (Nandraj Arni)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Are there any seat avaialable to go to India?
Date: 23 Nov 92 21:34:54 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: UniSQL, Inc., Austin, Texas, USA



     I am trying to get a ticket to travel to India from Austin, TX to
Hyderabad, India on 18th Dec and be back on 3rd Jan. I tried almost all
the Airlines, no one seem to have even a single seat. I called few
agents too. It seems all the seats in all the airlines are sold out.

   Whats the deal here? why can't they more planes. Is there a way
to buy the ticket? Ofcourse I don't want first or bussiness class.
Any help would be appreciated.

-- 
*******************************************************************
Nandraj Arni

UniSQL, Inc.                                    Voice: 512 343 7297
9390 Research Blvd.                              Home: 512 258 5186
Kaliedo II			   	          FAX: 512 343 7383
Austin, TX 78759

Email: unisql!nandraj@cs.utexas.edu
*******************************************************************
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: narayana@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu (Kuram T Narayana)
Subject: Re: South Indian <> Dravidian
Organization: Penn State Computer Science
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 01:22:30 GMT

In article <Uf4HqAW00iQCQMGmYs@andrew.cmu.edu> "Arun K. Gupta" <ag3l+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>
>If in 500 BC Gautama Buddha referred to his teachings as
>"Arya Dharma" and it obviously didn't have any racial
>connotation, then why does it always start a nasty political
>fight 2500 years later ?
>
>-arun

I recently returned a book to the library which records from all the pali
texts available, the nature of addressing and nomenclature in the 
Buddhist times. From that it appears to me that there was a very
integrated living and sharing in the times of Buddha. By Brahmanas
Buddha was addressed Bho Guatama, and the Buddha used to address
the brahmanas as Bho. Usage of Bho  Gautama by brahmanas, accroding 
to the book means, brahamnas regarded Buddha as their equal.

The fights occur because there is a segment of the population in the
south of india which blindly thinks that Arya means north (=hindi). That is 
their first reaction. The second reaction, it is Sanskrit. The third 
it is brahmincal. That is the problem with SCT.
...kt
From: csc5840@hertz.njit.edu (Sekhar Chitti)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: ***** ATTENTION !!! ALUMNI of REC, DURGAPUR *****
Date: 17 Nov 92 16:32:30 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.



     Ex-recollians (Alumni of REC, DURGAPUR)

      HI GUYS !
	            
	            We are in the process of setting up a directory
of ex-recollians in US. If you are one or know somebody who
is an alumni of REC Durgapur, please send me a mail(address below)
with details of your branch, batch and present position +
your contact phone numbers and email. Thanks.


    Route your Mail to 
    
        hreddy@valhalla.wright.edu
        
        G Hari K Reddy
        (Mechanical Engg, 1987-1991)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: rajain@sml3.ecs.umass.edu (Rajat Jain)
Subject: Re: ????
Organization: Project Pilgrim, Umass
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 15:01:12 GMT

In article <Bxu3zu.FI0@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, pa56680@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (P. Ialamanna) writes:
|> Who the frick is this doki character and why does every other fricking
	   ^^^^^

	It's "FREAK", you morAn :-) 

|> post mention him? I'm sicking of reading this shit and wish all you
			^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

	That makes TWO of us. BTW, use Aspirin...it really works for upset
	tummy :)

|> ignoramuses continue this irrelevant,useless, dicussion elsewhere or

	And pray, if I may ask, WHY ?!???? You have the *option* of reading
	or not reading a particular post (or a newsgroup, for that matter).
	My man! learn to use "n" :-) Otherwise, why don't *you* continue
	*your* pathetic whimpering somewhere else ??????????


|> through e-mail.
|> -- 
|> --*****************************************************************************
|> - P. Ialamanna -      * "I think you hear me knocking, and I think I'm coming *
|>  GO FIGHTING ILLINI!! *   in, and I'm bringing my big, bad opinions with me"  *
|>  "Who cares about apathy anyway?"       <blah,blah, STANDARD DISCLAIMER, blah>

	rAjAt.
Xref: sparky soc.culture.indian:37537 rec.travel:15679
From: vivek@ecst.csuchico.edu (Vivek R. Prabhu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian,rec.travel
Subject: Re: Bad experience on Malaysia Airlines
Date: 19 Nov 92 04:40:15 GMT
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: cscihp.ecst.csuchico.edu

In article <1eeoalINNl9v@uwm.edu> mahadeva@point.cs.uwm.edu (Aruna Mahadevan) writes:
>
>Hello,
>
>I travelled to India from California during the month of October on
>Malaysia Airlines.  I had heard a lot about the *EXCELLENT* service on
>Malaysia and Singapore Airlines, but my experience was just the
>opposite.  The flight leaving from LA was delayed by almost 2 hours and
>no explanation was given.  Subsequently, all connecting flights were
>delayed by 1.5 to 2 hours with no explanations.  When I asked them at LA
>about my Hotel reservation in Kuala Lumpur, they were very rude.  As for
>the food, it looked like they had scraped off all the leftovers from the
>First Class and Business Class meals for us Coach class passengers.  The
>rice was dry, the vegetables weren't good, and we had the same food all
>through!  
>
>
>The seat I had was very close to the business class.  I am a non-smoker
>and cannot stand smoke.  I had asked for a seat in the non-smoking
>section and was given this particular seat which was close to the
>smoking section of the Business Class.  When I complained about the
>smoke, I was moved to another seat - this time right next to the
>toilets!  I also gave them a written complaint about the smoke but things
>were not any better on the return journey.
>
>I have travelled by Air India before and found the service and food to
>be much better than this!  It's been a while but I think the flights
>were on time when I travelled on Air India last.
>
>Aruna
>

It is a well known fact that Malaysian Airlines is probably one of 
the worst airlines apart from the Gulf operating air lines.

The biggest joke about the Airline is based on an actual incident,
that happened sometime back on an MAS flight at Kuala Lumpur.  One
of the flights from M'Sia to S'Pore had been delayed due to a tech
snag for about 4 hours.  After the snag had been rectified, one of 
passengers asked the stewardess, whether the flight was okay,  and 
she said, and I quote "It should be okay. Let the aircraft fly and
then we will see." 

Another occasion was, when another flight of MAS had been delayed,
and it upset the schedules of many of the passengers, with respect
to their connecting flights and when they made a hue and cry about
it, then the passengers were given some knick knacks to keep their
mouths shut,  and the stewardesses had the gall to tell passengers 
that they had better take the things offered as they were free and
not make a big deal about it.

It is rather unfortunate that you had to travel by such an airline
where service,  courtesy,  and passenger comfort is the last thing 
in their minds.

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: bubai@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (P.Chatterjee)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Does anyone know of any BITNET NODES in India??
Date: 15 Nov 92 07:20:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: matt.1e67trINNbqa
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

Hi Netters,

I was wondering if anybody on the 'net had a list of all the nodes in India.
I was told that the IIT's and IIM's have a connection. If so, are they 
the only ones or are there others too?

Thanks for any input on the same.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: murthy@aslws01.asl.dl.nec.com (Vasudev Murthy)
Subject: Re: re:Khalistan
Organization: NEC America, Inc Irving TX
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 15:10:16 GMT

[Mr. Sahni's post deleted]

Mr. Sahni,

Your comments were moving and very sober. One thing
people also forget is that the vast majority of Indians
were horrified by the riots. Many suffered mental trauma
as they lost their childhood friends and
acquaintances. I still remember the shame and disgust
I felt when my close friends were verbally abused by morons.

The riots were instigated by politicians. I hope
you'll agree with that. No sane person, with or without
Sikh friends, participated. I know at least two cases
where non-Sikh's actually lay down in front of the
shops of their Sikh friends' shops to prevent the mob
from burning it down. Few recall such heroism.

I know it may not make much difference, one way or the
other, but I, as an individual, want to apologize to you
for any pain you may have suffered. One of my closest friends
lost his father in, of all places, Rishikesh, and I fully
understand your feelings of hurt and pain.

It is easier to divide by recalling incidents
of callousness and barbarity than to unite by recalling
the warmth of friendships and good deeds. I remember
cricket matches, beer on the sly, studying together
(with equally miserable results!), sleepovers, the highly
complicated procurement of "Pondies" from "sources", Diwali,
Holi, and such generally pleasant incidents. All this may
be hard for Gary to connect with, but I think many others will.


Best Regards

Vasudev

-- 
Vasudev Murthy             Any opinions expressed are strictly  
murthy@asl.dl.nec.com      my own  and have nothing to do with
(214) 518-5031             Advanced Switching Lab, NEC America, Inc.
1525 Walnut Hill Lane Irving TX 75038
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
From: ghosh@sp1.csrd.uiuc.edu (Sanjoy Ghosh)
Subject: Re: INDIAN CULTURE - Subservient
Organization: Univ of Illinois, Center for Supercomputing R&D, Urbana, IL
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 00:08:10 GMT

(rakesh.r.patel) writes:

>What's the point??? Is India dead in the water without it expatriate geniuses
>or not??

You seem to have a very binary attitude to everything.  Either there is
only private enterprise or there are no jobs.  Either India is dead in
the water without expatriates or it is not.  All I am saying is that if
all the talented people here were forced back to India there would be
enough of a critical mass to make a difference.  One or two trickling
back does not make a difference.  And leaves everybody with a bad taste
in the mouth.  Those that return as well as those who have to live with
them in India.  And the critical mass is probably much less than every
Indian in America.  Provided the person concerned has enough dynamism,
clout, stature, he can single-handedly make a difference.  Witness Sam
Pitroda.

>Equally foolish as, perhaps,  to assume that no one else is equally as
>capable as those who left India. I

Did I say that?  All I have been trying to say is that more would have
helped.  Its more a case of getting more hands to push a brokendown car
up a hill, than too many cooks.

>Again, what is the point? Jobs can only be created with a vigorous private 
>sector. 

What is your point?  What does this have to do with the vitality of the
Indian community in America.

>Rejuvenating??? I didn't know that Indian culture was in decline.  Besides,
>how much, realistically, can be expected in the way of contributing to the 
>Indian culture, living in the west. Plese give me ONE example made to Indian
>culture by an expatriate, living in the West. 

You will have to ask Prof. Parikh for that.  I think he has already answered
your question about decline.  As for expatriates of other countries who made 
contributions to the culture of their own country Ernest Hemingway is a name 
that comes to mind.

Sanjoy Ghosh
From: nmodi@klinzhai.rutgers.edu (Nirav Modi)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: View jpg files
Date: 23 Nov 92 03:27:18 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

varmaa@cnsvax.uwec.edu writes:

>Dear netters,

>I have some .jpg files of indian actresses from ftp.funet.fi that i would like
>to view.  I don't have a jpg.exe or an executable file to view it.  

>Could any of you guys/gals tell me where i can get it?

>Thanks in advance.

>Anurag.



> 

Try at nic.funet.fi and wuarchive.wustl.edu . This two ftp servers
have nearly all software for jpg files. You can check with archie
server if you want to check nearby ftp site. Try doing telnet
archie.rutgers.edu and login as archie. If you have xarchie on X
window (which is better than simple archie), you can check very easily
file location and can do  ftp at the same time.