From: bkannan@ha06.eng.ua.edu (Balaji Kannan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Borders,ethnic cleansing and assimilation.
Date: 23 Aug 1992 13:09:53 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu



kumar@ug.cs.dal.ca (kumar yelubandi) writes:

>     When will people realize that ethnic purification, and
>     borders erected for the purpose of ethnic purification,


        Self-determination and ethnic purification are not
        unrelated as some here would like us to believe.
        If you look beyond the linguistic states of India,
        the Balkans or the former states that comprise the
        USSR for e.g, you will see what I mean. Why, even the
        recent exodus of Tamils from Bangalore [and the events
        that triggered it] from Bangalore is  ample testimony
        to the dangers of "ethnic cleansing". That we didn't
        use the term does not make the situation any less dangerous.
        [I think the Indian media uses the term "displaced"
        population or some such thing. However, it is the
        terror-stricken people that move out, be it Punjab,
        Kashmir, or Bangalore and they mostly belong to a
        particular community or ethinc background [easy targets,
        you see]]

        If you look at some of the problem-states in the
        North, you will see that attempts to reset the
        historical clock have been the overriding cause
        for all the bloodletting there. That mistake can
        be avoided in the South, people-willing. In the
        case of Madras, which has come to be associated
        so much with Tamil culture, a move like the one
        to reclaim Madras for Andhra can only wreak
        havoc on the two states. The otherwise excellent
        relations between the two states [minor irritants,
        discounted] and ots people will be poisoned forever.
        Maybe, the property of Telugus in Madras will be
        damaged first. Hyderabad will respond in kind.
        From there on it is the usual story...........
        Is it so difficult to imagine this scenario?
        Not that one has to sit in silence when there is
        something blatantly wrong happening. If Telugus
        in Madras are being discriminated against, it
        should be taken up and can be redressed based
        on the merits of the case;rather than an outright
        "Gimme Madras" call for arms.

                                         Funny isn't it?
         First you go to a place as a seeker of opportunity.
         It is quite but natural for you to invest in the
         place after a while. You struggle your way out
         and make an impact in the place where you live.
         You now are no more the "seeker" but an "investor".
         If you are from a different cultural background
         you create a cultural pocket. Get more people in.
         Find after a certain period that there are enuff of
         "your" people in this area. Now is the "assert
          yourself" phase. After all, self-determination is
         the oldest craving of mind. Trouble starts only here.
         No, I'm not saying this is the case with Madras,
         but if you move back in time and see the case of
         migrating people, this is how it works.

         The most important quetsion we should be asking
         ourselves today [Indians, I mean] is "Can we look
         beyond the veera-tamizhan & manavaadu mentality?
         Can we learn to assimilate? Can we learn to
         integrate?     Can we all atleast give it a try? "
         If not, then let us stop this movement of people from
         one place to another. Let us all go our own ways.
         If we don't do that now, then our "children" will
         end up in Tamil and Telugu "camps" in the future.
         I can foresee that.
 
 
>      are -and always have been- the most important weapons
>      in the oppression of human beings by other human beings.
>      It is sad that any borders should exist at all but for
>      management purposes, ie. one can't eat a whole pie in
>      one bite; it must first be cut into manageable pieces.

>Kumar_two_beers_and_a_way_we_go!_Yelubandi


          Have as many as you want as long as you don't
          harbor thoughts of a separate homeland/state
          in the U.S. at a later date. :-)

          cheers,
          bk