From: raman@cs.utexas.edu (Raman Rajagopalan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.tamil
Subject: Re: Situation in Madras
Date: 28 Sep 1992 19:01:05 -0500
Organization: CS Dept, University of Texas at Austin
NNTP-Posting-Host: bathtub.cs.utexas.edu

In article <Bv5IHC.9yF@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> you write:

>It is important the leadership reflects the attitude of the populace.
>Bramins form a minority in India and they do not in any way reflect 
>the characteristics of the populace.  The Bramins (the orthodox ones) are 
>taught that they are superior by birth than the rest from day one.
>The Indian leaders reflect this attitude in their international
>dealings as well.  India is not in good relation with any of its 
>neighbors.  It has conflicts with almost all of its minority group.
>All these, in my opinion, are the result of the Brahmanical attitude of the 
>rulers, (ie "We are big, Bow down to us" syndrome).
>>
>>rammohan
>>
>Meenan Vishnu

OOh Ooh... I learn something every day from a Meenan Vishnu posting.

Hmm.. characterisitics of the populace... sticking to tamil nadu
alone, you mean other tamilians don't wear dhotis or saris, or enjoy
jeera rasam? other tamils don't speak tamil? there aren't rich
and poor tamilians from other groups as there are rich and poor
brahmins?  

foreign affairs ...  When I get elected prime
minister, my first act will have to be go on a foreign tour of the
neighboring countries and say "enough already, I'm clearly superior,
bow down to me".  After all, I'm qualified.  The DMK government
made me fill in "brahmin" on my marraige certificate, although
the caste system is supposed to be outlawed in India.

To give you credit, Meenan, I didn't realize I was superior to you
until you presented quotes from the purasha suktam earlier.
Now you are making my day by telling me I'm superior to
the chinese, burmese, russians, pakistanis, tibetans, and even the
sri lankans!  Wow!! can you provide references for this as well?

On to the more substantial charges ...

On the minorities and other countries, do you care to comment
on the human rights violations of the neighbors?  china in tibet,
sri lanka against the tamils, or would you care to comment on
the percent hindu population of pakistan/bangladesh at the time
these countries came into existance and now?  Are you aware that
when politicians in India simply *talked* about razing the Babri
Masjid, mobs actually *destroyed* temples in Bangladesh?  Talk
to your local Hare Krishna folks if you want details.  Indian
politicians have made remarkable progress in bending over
backwards for minorities.  The neighbors don't have many
problems with minorities because they KILL them all!  (this is
obviously an exaggeration, but sadly true in many places).

India did have decent dealings with Russia and Sri Lanka, at least
until your idol came along.  Burma, to my knowledge, has pretty
much been a no-op by its own choice.

Has it occured to you that the *other countries* may not want to be 
friends?  Otherwise, I guess Isreal must have Brahmin leaders instead
of Jewish leaders, considering they don't have truly friendly
relations with most of their neighbors either.

The communal disturbances in India are sparked primarily by
politicians, not the people.  The kashmiri mess is due primarily to 
communal feelings on the part of Nehru (non-kashmiri's can't
own land in kashmir, etc. This includes Brahmins as well.), 
the sikh mess is due to Indira Gandhi's flirtation with Bhindranwale.  
Much of the mess in Tamil Nadu today is due to Karunanidhi's flirtation with
the LTTE.  That's why he was booted out in the last elections.

No, nobody had heard of gang warfare in Madurai
until a few years ago.  I lived there for many years and
visit every two or three years.  Now my young cousins have
to live in a city where murders are taking place in broad
daylight in public places like the bus terminal.  Thanks
in part to the actions of certain NON-brahmin politicians.
In that same Madurai, my cousins have attended christian
schools, have a muslim pediatrician, have both brahmin
and non-brahmin friends, and in general are getting along
just fine with the others around them in their day to day lives.

Go ahead and visit, no one will attack you on the basis
of your caste, color, or religion... just don't mention these days that
you sympathize with the LTTE.  Oh, and don't wear any gold either ..
an actual LTTE member may "accept" it as a contribution for the cause.

cheers,

raman rajagopalan